Category: Technologies

The first developer preview of Android 15 is now available. The latest major OS update, a follow up to Android 14, prioritizes privacy and security. It also allows creators to take better advantage of camera hardware and gives developers more ways to manage heat and processing power for better app performance.

This early version of Android 15 is intended mostly for developers, to help them build apps tuned for the next release of the Android OS, and for Google to get valuable feedback as it rolls out updates throughout 2024.

Read more: Best Android Phone of 2024

But just because the preview is meant for developers doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t download Android 15 right now. As long as you understand the limitations of a developer preview (which can include bugs, missing features and app incompatibility) and how to install it with manual flash (adding the OS to your phone’s flash memory storage), you can check out Android 15 right now.

If you don’t want to deal with software issues or installation, wait until April and May for Google to open enrollment for its Android beta program, or you could even wait until June and July for a more stable version to drop. The final version of Android 15, intended for all Android users, is expected to release sometime in the fall.

Unsure about what to do next? Well here’s everything you need to know about Android 15. For more, here’s how Google built its Immersive View for Maps and how to clear your browser’s cache in Android.

Which new features are in Android 15’s developer preview?

With this first developer preview, Google said the focus is on enhancing user privacy and file security. It’s also focused on giving creators greater access to tools and hardware — including in-app camera controls — and on heat and power management for improved app and game performance.

For privacy and security, Android 15 is using the latest version of Privacy Sandbox, which is a multiyear initiative to enhance user privacy on Android. Privacy Sandbox improves privacy around mobile advertising, by limiting what data third-parties can access. Android 15 also allows users to screen share part of their screen, rather than the entire screen.

Google will give developers and creators more precise control of camera hardware to help them take advantage of premium hardware features, including the Pixel camera, GPUs and AI processing. These expanded controls can boost the brightness of the camera preview, adjust flash strength, connect MIDI 2.0 devices via USB and more.

This first developer preview of Android 15 also includes heat and processing power management tools via an improved Android Dynamic Performance Framework to help developers optimize performance-heavy and graphic-intensive apps and games.

As more developer previews and beta releases drop, Google will continue to add and refine features based on the feedback from everyone using Android 15.

Which phones support the Android 15 developer preview?

Google typically releases early developer previews just on its own devices, and it’s the same with Android 15. Right now, you can download Android 15 on the following Google Pixel phones and tablet:

• Pixel 6
• Pixel 6 Pro
• Pixel 7
• Pixel 7 Pro
• Pixel 8
• Pixel 8 Pro

• Pixel Fold
• Pixel Tablet

If your device isn’t on the list, don’t fret just yet. As the year progresses, Android 15 will be available on other phones and tablets. You also have the option to use the 64-bit system images with the Android Emulator in Android Studio.

Before you install Android 15, back up your phone

Note that running prerelease software on your phone can make it unstable, and you may lose data. We recommend downloading and installing prerelease software on something other than your primary Pixel device, just in case Google’s new software causes issues.

The first thing you should do before you download the first Android 15 developer preview is to back up your supported device. Why? Developer previews are software in its early days, and so you can expect bugs, app crashes and other issues that can make it difficult to use your phone or tablet on a daily basis.

By default, your Pixel should back up automatically whenever you’re connected to Wi-Fi and your phone has been idle and charging for 2 hours, but you can also do it manually. Depending on the size of your phone backup and how much available space you have on Google Drive, you may need a Google One subscription for this to work.

To back up your Pixel phone, go to Settings > Google > Backup and tap Back up now. Depending on the last backup and how many apps and files need to be backed up, this process can be instant or take up to several minutes. Once you’re backed up, you’re ready to begin the process of downloading and installing Android 15.

Next, enable USB debugging and OEM unlocking

To install Android 15 on your Pixel, connect the phone to your computer via USB. That requires that your Pixel be unlocked and have USB debugging enabled. Although unlocking your phone is easy enough, to enable USB debugging you’ll need to first unlock Developer options.

Note: If you’ve flashed a developer preview before, you may be able to simply update OTA to Android 15. If not, skip to the next section.

1. Unlock Developer options. In the Settings application, go to About phone and then tap Build number seven times. Enter your password when prompted, and a new Developer options menu will appear in your settings.
2. Next, you’ll need to enable USB debugging so your phone and your computer can transfer data between each other. Go to Settings > System > Developer options and toggle on USB debugging. In the notification that appears, which briefly describes what USB debugging is meant for, tap OK.
3. And finally, while you’re still in Developer options, toggle on OEM unlocking. This unlocks your device’s bootloader, which is what loads the operating system. Once unlocked, you’ll be able to choose a different operating system to boot up on your Pixel — in this case Android 15.

Finally, flash Android 15 on your device using Android Flash Tool in Chrome

You have two ways to flash the Android 15 developer preview on your Pixel, but for the sake of simplicity, we’ll use the Android Flash Tool, which you can use directly from your web browser. It works best on Chrome or Edge. Also, your computer must have 10GB of available storage for this to work.

If everything is good to go, connect your Pixel to your computer via USB, unlock your device, go to https://flash.android.com/ in Chrome and do the following:

1. First, hit Allow ADB access in the pop-up that appears (if there are any ad blockers, turn them off).
2. Now click Add new device, choose your device from the list and hit Connect.
3. On your Pixel, check the box next to Always allow from this computer and then tap Allow to give Android Flash Tool access to your phone.
4. Back on your computer, click Developer Preview under Popular builds.
5. Click Install build and then hit Confirm.

The Android 15 Developer Preview should now be installed on your phone. You can safely disconnect your Pixel from the computer.

You can now use Android 15 on your Pixel

Once your Pixel boots back up, you’ll see a notification that says you’re now running the Android 15 developer preview. Hit OK and then set up your phone just as you would a brand-new phone. That means connecting to Wi-Fi, copying over apps and data from your latest backup via Google, agreeing to terms and conditions, setting up a password and so on.

You’ll automatically get future updates over-the-air for all developer previews and betas, so you don’t manually have to flash Android 15 every time.

What’s the release schedule for Android 15?

Google said it expects to release several developer previews — this one in February and another in March — to shake out new features and check compatibility.

Planned beta releases for early adopters in April and May should be more stable and will focus on quality and compatibility improvements. Finally, Platform Stability releases slated for June, July and August will center on Android 15 final testing before the first public release in the fall.

Have an older Android? Check out five tips to make your Android phone feel like new again.

With Presidents Day just around the corner, now’s the perfect time to think about upgrading your iPad. And if you’re in the market for the entry-level model, you’re in luck as you can snag the latest 10th-gen device for just $349 at Amazon. That’s a whopping $100 off and a match for the lowest price we’ve seen. The same pricing can be snagged at Best Buy.

Apple’s 10th-gen iPad is a solid entry-level model that offers a lot of features for the average user. There are a number of improvements over its predecessor, including a larger 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, a larger 12-megapixel camera, better speakers and the A14 Bionic chip for faster processing. It’s also swapped to USB-C. This model comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, as well as Center Stage, which makes this a solid iPad for video-calling or streaming. Higher capacity variants are also seeing steep savings.

It’s worth noting that this iPad is not compatible with the Apple Pencil 2, so you’ll have to use the first-gen model and a USB-C dongle or grab the new USB-C Pencil, each of which are sold separately. That said, our main gripe with this iPad was the cost over the older (but still functional) ninth-gen model — and this price cut solves that problem. At just $349, this is a solid deal.

The entry-level iPad not for you? Be sure to check out our roundup of the best iPad deals for savings across Apple’s tablet lineup.

If you’ve been putting off upgrades to the latest devices, new major appliances for the home or stocking up on tech accessories, now’s your chance to get everything on your wish list at a deep discount. Best Buy has launched its annual Presidents Day sale, and it’s packed full of deals on TVs, laptops, tablets, headphones, kitchen gear and much more.

To save you some time, we’ve gone through the sale and have highlighted some of the best offers on popular items like TVs, laptops, tablets, appliances, headphones, vacuums and other great deals. This Presidents Day sale ends Monday, Feb. 19, at 9:59 p.m. PT, so be sure not too wait too long to make your purchase soon if you don’t want to miss out on these deals.

More Presidents Day deals at Best Buy:

• Xbox Series X console: $450 (save $50)
• Up to $200 off unlocked Google Pixel phones
• HP Envy 2-in-1 touchscreen laptop (512GB): $450 (save $400)
• LG 65-inch C3 Series OLED 4K smart TV: $1,600 (save $500)
• Apple Watch SE (2nd-gen): $189 (save $60)
• Dyson V8 cordless vacuum kit: $350 (save $120)
• Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop (512GB): $700 (save $250)
• Apple Pencil (1st-gen): $79 (save $20)
• Dell 27-inch IPS S2721NX monitor: $95 (save $95)
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: $300 (save $150)
• Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (512GB): $1,100 (save $350)
• Ring Video Doorbell: $60 (save $40)
• Samsung 75-inch Q80C QLED 4K smart TV: $1,500 (save $400)
• LG 5.0 cubic feet large capacity washer/dryer combo: $2,000 (save $1,000)
• Apple MacBook Air (M1): $750 (save $250)
• Philips Hue A19 smart lighting starter kit: $90 (save $40)
• Asus 15.6-inch OLED laptop (1TB): $1,000 (save $300)
• Apple AirPods 2: $90 (save $40)
• Samsung 57-inch Odyssey Neo G9 curved monitor: $1,800 (save $700)
• SteelSeries Arctis 9X wireless headset (Xbox): $130 (save $70)
• Samsung Jet 60 Pet cordless stick vacuum: $280 (save $50)
• Bose smart soundbar 900 with Dolby Atmos: $600 (save $150)
• Shark 3-in-1 Max air purifier, heater and fan: $300 (save $150)
• Samsung 85-inch TU690T Crystal 4K smart TV: $800 (save $500)
• GoPro Hero12 Black action camera: $350 (save $50)
• Up to 40% off major appliances

Some items may have an additional discounts available for My Best Buy Plus or Total members, so you may want to consider signing up if you haven’t yet. Those are paid accounts, but you could make the money back in exclusive savings during this event or throughout the year if you shop at Best Buy regularly and there are some other perks too, like like free 2-day shipping with no minimum amount and extended return windows.

And if you want even more Presidents Day deals on mattresses, home security devices, Amazon devices, home goods and other great items.

Need material for your next movie night? The 2024 Oscars are still a few weeks away, so you could dedicate your TV time to catching up on more nominees. If you went to back-to-back screenings of Barbie and Oppenheimer, that’s already two best picture contenders you can tick off.

Below, we’ve listed films up for awards and where you can currently find them in the US. Don’t wait too long to start your movie marathon, though: The 96th Academy Awards will air on ABC on March 10.

Note: These descriptions have been pulled straight from official websites for the films and press websites and occasionally edited for style.

On Apple TV Plus

On Max

On Peacock

Available for purchase or rental

On Disney Plus

On Hulu

On Hulu and Disney Plus

On Paramount Plus

On Netflix

Only in theaters

Available to watch for free on YouTube

There’s a lot to consider when you’re setting off on a big trip and with so much to consider it’s easy to forget the basics. That’s what makes this StackSocial deal so useful because it sets you up with everything you need to make the best out of your vacation.

StackSocial is currently offering a 2024 Travel Hacker Bundle for just $200, a deal that includes lifetime access to Rosetta Stone language learning software, Dollar Flight Club airfare deals and much more. The bundle saves you a massive $2,227, but with no indication of when this deal is going to end, we’d suggest acting now to lock this special price in before it’s too late.

Rosetta Stone is one of our top language learning apps thanks to its speech recognition technology and immersive content. Whether you’re trying to master a language or just boost your conversational skills before you travel, Rosetta Stone is one of the most effective programs. It offers reading, writing and speaking practice for 24 languages, including Spanish, Italian, French, German and Mandarin.

You’ll also get a Premium lifetime subscription to Dollar Flight Club, valued at $69 a year. Once you set up your preferences, which can include up to four departure airports, you’ll receive low-fare deal alerts in your inbox or via text so you can snag the deals as fast as possible. Premium also includes 50% off a variety of products, services and experiences on trips.

The 2024 Travel Hacker Bundle also includes a lifetime subscription to RealVPN, a virtual private network that uses high-grade AES-256 encryption to help you browse the web more privately when away from home — ideal for travelers regularly on public Wi-Fi. And you’ll gain lifetime access to the 2023 Travel Hacker Bundle course from SkillSuccess, which has 79 hours of content around travel hacks, budget travel, travel photography, moving abroad and more.

The deal also states that any unredeemed licenses can be returned for store credit within 30 days of purchase. Once your license is redeemed, all sales are final. Don’t worry if you miss out on this deal though — our collection of the best travel deals is just waiting to save you money.

Read more: Prepare Your Home for Vacation: 9 Things You Need to Do Before You Leave

Not to be outdone by competitors like Google, which recently previewed a text-to-video tool, AI startup OpenAI on Thursday introduced its own text-to-video model, Sora.

Like Google’s Lumiere, Sora’s availability is limited. Unlike Lumiere, Sora can generate videos up to 1 minute long.

Text-to-video has become the latest arms race in generative AI as OpenAI, Google, Microsoft and more look beyond text and image generation and seek to cement their position in a sector projected to reach $1.3 trillion in revenue by 2032 –and to win over consumers who’ve been intrigued by generative AI since ChatGPT arrived a little more than a year ago.

According to a post from OpenAI, maker of both ChatGPT and Dall-E, Sora will be available to “red teamers,” or experts in areas like misinformation, hateful content and bias, who will be “adversarially testing the model,” as well as visual artists, designers and filmmakers to gain additional feedback from creative professionals. That adversarial testing will be especially important to address the potential for convincing deepfakes, a major area of concern for the use of AI to create images and video.

In addition to garnering feedback from outside the organization, the AI startup said it wants to share its progress now to “give the public a sense of what AI capabilities are on the horizon.”

Strengths

One thing that may set Sora apart is its ability to interpret long prompts — including one example that clocked in at 135 words. The sample video OpenAI shared on Thursday demonstrate Sora can create a variety of characters and scenes, from people and animals and fluffy monsters to cityscapes, landscapes, zen gardens and even New York City submerged underwater.

This is thanks in part to OpenAI’s past work with its Dall-E and GPT models. Text-to-image generator Dall-E 3 was released in September. CNET’s Stephen Shankland called it “a big step up from Dall-E 2 from 2022.” (OpenAI’s latest AI model, GPT-4 Turbo, arrived in November.)

In particular, Sora borrows Dall-E 3’s recaptioning technique, which OpenAI says generates “highly descriptive captions for the visual training data.”

“Sora is able to generate complex scenes with multiple characters, specific types of motion and accurate details of the subject and background,” the post said. “The model understands not only what the user has asked for in the prompt, but also how those things exist in the physical world.”

The sample videos OpenAI shared do appear remarkably realistic — except perhaps when a human face appears close up or when sea creatures are swimming. Otherwise, you might be hard-pressed to tell what is real and what isn’t.

The model also can generate video from still images and extend existing videos or fill in missing frames, much like Lumiere can do.

“Sora serves as a foundation for models that can understand and simulate the real world, a capability we believe will be an important milestone for achieving AGI,” the post added.

AGI, or artificial general intelligence, is a more advanced form of AI that’s closer to human-like intelligence and includes the ability to perform a greater range of tasks. Meta and DeepMind have also expressed interest in reaching this benchmark.

Weaknesses

OpenAI conceded Sora has weaknesses, like struggling to accurately depict the physics of a complex scene and to understand cause and effect.

“For example, a person might take a bite out of a cookie, but afterward, the cookie may not have a bite mark,” the post said.

And anyone that still has to make an L with their hands to figure out which one is left can take heart: Sora mixes up left and right too.

OpenAI didn’t share when Sora will be widely available but noted it wants to take “several important safety steps” first. That includes meeting OpenAI’s existing safety standards, which prohibit extreme violence, sexual content, hateful imagery, celebrity likeness and the IP of others.

“Despite extensive research and testing, we cannot predict all of the beneficial ways people will use our technology, nor all the ways people will abuse it,” the post added. “That’s why we believe that learning from real-world use is a critical component of creating and releasing increasingly safe AI systems over time.”

Portable projectors are great for watching movies under the stars or maximizing your screen size on a blank wall in your home. If you’re thinking about revamping how you entertain, now’s the time to invest in a projector. Wellbots has slashed the price on select Xgimi models, and if you buy soon, you can get an extra $50 off the sale price. Just use our exclusive code CNETPRO50 at checkout.

Using the code in conjunction with the current discount at Wellbots scores you the Xgimi Halo Plus portable projector, our pick for the best 1080p portable projector, for just $599, down from its original price of $849. (And it beats the current price at Amazon by a whopping $150.) It’s a good option if you’re specifically looking for a wireless projector. Plus, it has a pretty small design, making it easy to move when you need to. It sports a built-in Android TV interface, and the battery will last up to 2.5 hours.

If you’re looking to spend even less, you can use that promo code on the Xgimi Mogo 2 Pro portable projector. It’s a slightly cheaper option and is less bright than the Halo Plus, but it should still function well for its size. This deal drops the cost from its list price of $599 down to just $439.

If a traditional screen is more your style, we have plenty of TV deals available as well.

If you need access to the Microsoft Office suite of apps, but you won’t use it enough to justify signing up for a $7 per month Microsoft 365 subscription, then springing for one of the older versions may be a good idea save some cash and avoid recurring charges. StackSocial is offering lifetime licenses to Microsoft Office Professional 2019 for just $30, which is a whopping 86% discount on the original $229 price tag. This deal applies to both the Mac and Windows versions of the software, so you can grab it regardless of which OS you run. But be quick if you’re interested — this offer ends Feb. 19.

There are actually two versions of Office here. Mac users will get the basic Home and Business suite of apps, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams and OneNote, while Windows users will get the Professional Plus version with more apps. Just note that you won’t get Microsoft Teams here.

This isn’t the latest version of Office, but compared to signing up for the Microsoft 365 subscription suite, which costs $7 a month or $70 a year for individuals, StackSocial’s offer is a great deal. There is a free online version of Microsoft Office out there that you can use, but it lacks several features, so this may be a better option. Also, Apple users should note that Outlook is now available as a free app for the Mac.

Some important things to note — you’ll get a one-time use code for a single computer, which means you won’t be able to download these apps on multiple devices. And that does mean that if you upgrade to a new computer or your current one dies, you likely won’t be able to transfer the suite. These licenses also lack some of the added conveniences you’ll get with a 365 subscription, including OneDrive cloud storage and cloud-based AI features, including Microsoft Copilot. Additionally, these apps should work for as long as your computer does, but the Mac license has reached the end of its lifecycle, which means Microsoft’s support for this version of Office has ended. Windows users will have extended support through Oct. 14, 2025. There is also a risk that Microsoft could terminate the license at any time, but we’ve been running other versions of Office from StackSocial since early 2022 and have yet to encounter a problem.

Now that you have some sweet new software you might need a computer to go with it. Make sure to check out our regularly updated list of the best laptop deals to make sure you don’t overpay.

Another day, another generative AI update.

Google’s AI subsidiary DeepMind has previewed Gemini 1.5 Pro, an upgraded model of Google’s renamed Bard chatbot Gemini. Gemini got its new name less than a week ago along with the release of the premium, paid version, Ultra, which Google called “our largest and most capable state-of-the-art AI model.”

Gemini 1.5 Pro is the latest evolution of Google’s chatbot, which also recently gained the ability to generate images from text.

Gemini 1.5 Pro can ingest video, images, audio and text in order to answer questions, and it boasts multiple advantages over its predecessors — but most of us can’t get our hands on it yet. In a call with press on Wednesday, DeepMind announced it’s giving access to developers and enterprise customers first.

Oriol Vinyals, vice president of research at Google DeepMind and co-lead of Gemini, called this a “research release” for “an audience that understands the technology really well.”

“When you create a new model — and especially when we unlock some new capabilities — I think it makes sense to see what creative minds … can do with the model to understand what will this model [do], how will this matter to users ultimately?” Vinyals added.

DeepMind will “roll it out slowly” to regular Joes and Janes via a wait list.

The limited release of Gemini 1.5 Pro comes amid a flurry of activity in a sector projected to reach $1.3 trillion in revenue by 2032. Meanwhile, ChatGPT maker OpenAI has released its GPT-4 Turbo large language model and allows anyone to create custom AI apps for its app store. Microsoft intends to add a dedicated key on Windows 11 laptops and PCs to launch its AI tool, Copilot.

Better performance, new architecture and a longer context window

Gemini 1.5 Pro is “as capable as” the Gemini 1.0 Ultra model, which Google announced on Feb. 8. The 1.5 Pro model has a win rate — a measurement of how many benchmarks it can outperform — of 87% compared to 1.0 Pro and 55% against 1.0 Ultra. So 1.5 Pro is essentially an upgraded version of the best available model now.

Research advances quickly. “We get these sorts of breakthroughs and new model versions every few months or so,” Vinyals said. “When a model is more capable, what you would then try to [do is] make sure it basically can be a drop-in replacement from the previous generation in the sense that it’s more capable, so hopefully it can do what it was doing already, but better.”

According to Vinyals, 1.5 Pro is also “very efficient” thanks to a unique architecture, which can answer questions by zeroing in on expert sources in that particular subject rather than seeking the answer from all possible sources.

Finally, 1.5 Pro has a long context window, which means it can ingest up to 1 million tokens, which is equal to 1 hour of video or 11 hours of audio, 30,000 lines of code or 700,000 words.

“The longer and the more complex questions and your interactions are, the longer the context gets that the model needs to be able to deal with,” Vinyals said.

Gemini 1.5 Pro in action

So, for example, you can feed 1.5 Pro the Apollo 11 transcript and ask the AI to find funny moments. Or you can share a rudimentary drawing and ask the model to find the moment the sketch depicts, such as Neil Armstrong’s “One small step for man” quote.

“That’s an example of uploading a very long document that you might not have had the time to read and then really interact with it in this very interesting way,” Vinyals said.

Gemini 1.5 Pro users can also ask the model to find specific moments within a video, including silent Buster Keaton films, via text and image.

Finally, Gemini 1.5 Pro can “operate in many languages,” including Spanish.

After feeding 1.5 Pro a grammar book and a dictionary of kalamang, a language from western New Guinea with fewer than 200 speakers, the model was able to translate a sentence to English.

“It takes a few seconds to process and voila, you now have an expert of this language,” Vinyals said.

But Gemini 1.5 Pro is still subject to common challenges like hallucinations.

“The model will sometimes fail and it’s a work in progress for the whole community to get these models better,” Vinyals said. “But, of course, they’re incredibly useful and you just need to understand their limitations.”

What about Ultra 1.0?

Less than a week ago, Google announced Gemini Advanced, a new “experience” that provides access to its Ultra 1.0 AI model for consumers willing to pay $20 a month.

Does that mean Google just made Ultra 1.0 obsolete? Not according to Vinyals. “We are some time away from getting 1.5 Pro out.”

Mobile World Congress sees almost all of the world’s biggest tech companies descend on Barcelona every year to show off the latest and greatest in mobile technology. This year will be no different, with many major brands already teasing their launches ahead of the show’s official opening on Monday, Feb. 26.

We will be there in person this year, armed with laptops, cameras and a thirst for the next big thing. Also we’ll have tapas and beer, because Barcelona.

Read more: Best Phones to Buy for 2024

So what can we actually expect from the show? Let’s pop our safety hats on and dive into the rumor mill.

Phones, lots of phones

It’s a mobile-focused show, so it’s safe to assume that we’ll see new phones from a whole variety of brands. In typical years we’d see launches from the likes of Nokia, TCL, Honor and a host of others and we’d absolutely expect to see new launches this time round. In fact, Honor has already confirmed the launch of its flagship Magic 6 Pro on Feb. 25.

London-based mobile brand Nothing was rumored to be launching its new phone, the Nothing Phone 2A at MWC, but the company confirmed a launch event on March 5, so this technically falls outside of MWC timings. Still, it’s close enough to deserve a mention on this list.

Mind-bending folding concepts from Motorola

Last year Motorola treated us to an amazing concept phone that featured a rollable display that automatically extended out of the phone. It was an exciting product to be able to see in the flesh, although the company made no comment on whether it would ever actually go on sale.

Back in October, Motorola teased a different sort of bendable device: a phone that can be worn like a bracelet. While the company hasn’t said anything about launching this concept as a real product, we firmly expect it to be shown off in person at MWC and we’re excited to potentially get our hands (well, wrists) on it.

OnePlus concepts and Watch 2

Speaking of concepts, OnePlus has a good track record of showing off quirky concept versions of its devices at the show. Last year we were treated to a liquid-cooled version of its OnePlus 11 flagship. The company hasn’t yet teased any kind of new concept for this year’s show, but we remain hopeful for something unusual to be on display.

We may, however, get an actual product from the company in the form of the OnePlus Watch 2. The company’s first generation wearable launched back in 2021 and didn’t really impress. We don’t know anything about the watch itself, but some rumors suggest it will be unveiled at the show. Stay tuned, watch fans.

Smart rings and mixed reality headsets

Samsung teased its upcoming wearable, the Galaxy Ring, during its Galaxy Unpacked event in January but we’ve so far seen very little of it. It’s possible that Samsung may show off more of the ring — or at least let us put one on — during the show. Or it might continue to keep its cards close to its chest.

Either way, big tech announcements like this have a habit of sparking similar ideas from other players and it’s quite likely we’ll see similar wearables at the show from other brands. Whether these take the form of rings, or if we’ll see a sudden influx of smart necklaces or smart nose piercings, remains to be seen.

But the same is likely to be true of mixed reality or spatial computing headsets. Apple’s Vision Pro is making big waves in the tech world and even managed to impress our very own Scott Stein, who called it “a mind-blowing look at an unfinished future.” While Apple never attends these shows, it’s highly likely that we’ll see competing devices from brands wanting to get in on the headset computing action.

Xiaomi’s new SU7 electric car

Rumors suggest that Xiaomi will be taking the wraps off its latest Xiaomi 14 and 14 Ultra phones, with the latter featuring titanium in order to keep pace with Apple and Samsung. Exciting stuff, for sure, but the company might have an even bigger product to show off.

Xiaomi has been clear since 2021 about its plans to get into the automotive market and at the end of last year it announced its first EV, the Xiaomi SU7. Xiaomi plans to become one of the top five car manufacturers in the world, so we firmly expect this vehicle to appear in some form as part of the company’s 2024 MWC showcase.