If you believe in the spiels of companies like Apple, Meta, and Google, you’d probably think that extended or mixed reality is the future of computing. After all, it’s quite exciting to think of the way the physical world and the digital world will blend seamlessly in that future, but today’s technologies still leave plenty to be desired. As powerful as the likes of the Vision Pro and Quest 3 are, they haven’t solved many of the problems that literally isolate us from our own world.

These headsets can let us see the real world beyond the screens, but only through tinted glasses that also affect the quality of the digital objects overlaid on top. People outside can also barely see your own eyes, removing one important aspect of personal human communication. There are many technologies being developed to address these, but sometimes, the simplest solution can be the best. And no, you don’t have to take off the headset completely.

Designer: Junseo Oh

As fantastic as extended reality and spatial computing might sound, the reality is that we won’t spend all day in them. There will be moments when we want or even need to see the real world beyond those lenses, even for a brief moment, but removing headsets and putting them back on again is just too much of a hassle. You’re more likely not to wear them again for a while, which in itself could be a loss in productivity.

The frame concept design offers a simple solution that’s already in use in some eyewear. Instead of a fixed headset shape, it’s more like a visor where the front part that holds the lenses and optics can easily be lifted up, giving you an obstructed view of the world around you. And when you’re ready to dive back into augmented reality, simply flip the visor back down and carry on.

The flip design also has the benefit of giving you back your peripheral vision, a necessity when you’re moving around in the real world. It offers the best of all worlds, though it admittedly will make you look odd like a mad scientist with the visor up. That said, it’s a small price to pay for the ability to see the world clearly without having to take the headgear off.

Despite that unusual design, the frame concept still promises the usual staples of XR headsets, such as hand gesture detection and camera passthrough. It might even offer more, such as physical controls that gently remind you with tactile that you’re still in the physical world. Removable pads also let you fit the band around your head better, though the open-back design might not inspire much confidence in terms of stability, especially considering it has a front-heavy construction.

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Apple’s long-rumored augmented reality glasses, codenamed “Atlas,” continue to stir up curiosity. The idea of seamlessly layering digital elements over the real world without needing a clunky headset is an exciting one. But let’s be real, Apple hasn’t even acknowledged these glasses exist, let alone promised a launch. While Meta and Google are moving fast in the AR race, Apple’s strategy has always been about waiting for the right moment to deliver a polished experience.

If and when Apple Glasses arrive, they could reshape how we interact with technology. But the big question remains: Will they be practical enough for daily use, or just another tech fantasy stuck in development? And just as important, will they actually look and feel like something people want to wear, not just a piece of experimental hardware?

Development Status & Timeline

Behind the scenes, Apple has been experimenting with AR glasses, reportedly conducting tests in Santa Clara. The company is believed to be working on microLED technology for the displays, aiming for a lightweight, high-contrast visual experience. But developing AR glasses that balance comfort, power efficiency, and real-world usability isn’t as simple as slapping a display onto a frame.

Industry insiders suggest that Apple is at least three years away from a launch, putting a potential debut around 2026 or 2027. Apple has a habit of refining its products until they meet its strict quality standards, which is likely a key reason for the delay. In the meantime, the company is working on a lower-cost Vision Pro headset, keeping its mixed-reality ambitions alive while AR glasses remain in the pipeline.

Hardware & Design

Unlike the Vision Pro, which is bulky and meant for immersive experiences, Apple Glasses are expected to be as close to regular eyewear as possible. A pair of glasses is arguably one of the most personal accessories someone can wear, sitting directly on the face and shaping their overall appearance. Unlike a watch or a ring, which can be subtle expressions of personal style, glasses dominate the field of vision—both for the wearer and those around them.

Apple has always approached design with meticulous attention to form and function, but translating that philosophy into AR glasses is an entirely new challenge. The balance between technology and fashion will be critical—no one wants to wear a piece of tech that looks like something from a sci-fi movie.

MicroLED displays could be the secret ingredient, offering high brightness and deep contrast without draining battery life. But the real challenge lies in seamlessly embedding LiDAR sensors, eye-tracking cameras, and gesture-recognition tech into a design that remains stylish, lightweight, and wearable for long periods. These glasses need to blend into everyday fashion rather than scream “tech gadget.”

LiDAR sensors could play a crucial role in bringing Apple Glasses closer to a seamless AR experience. By enabling precise 3D mapping, these sensors allow for improved spatial awareness, object recognition, and realistic placement of digital elements within the user’s environment. This goes beyond just sharper visuals—it ensures AR feel natural and responsive, where digital elements seamlessly integrate into everyday interactions. With enhanced depth perception, Apple Glasses could support more natural and intuitive interactions, like gesture-based controls and context-sensitive applications that respond dynamically to the user’s surroundings.

These sensors function reliably in any lighting, ensuring consistent AR performance indoors, outdoors, and in low-light settings. With the potential for 360-degree vision through metasurface technology, they could eliminate blind spots, making AR overlays more precise and immersive.

Integrating LiDAR into Apple Glasses would enhance object tracking, occlusion handling, and real-time spatial mapping. If executed well, this could establish a new benchmark for AR wearables, moving Apple closer to making AR a seamless part of daily life rather than a niche technology.

Apple’s ability to merge advanced technology with premium aesthetics is what makes people obsess over their products. If Apple wants widespread adoption, it will need to create a product that looks just as natural in a boardroom as it does on a casual walk through the city. Comfort, fit, and customizability will be just as important as the tech inside.

Software, User Interface, and Ergonomics

Apple is likely adapting visionOS for the glasses, but don’t expect a Vision Pro-level interface floating in front of your eyes. These glasses will likely be more about subtle, real-time overlays—think notifications, directions, or quick-access information—rather than a fully immersive AR world.

Gesture controls and voice commands will likely play a big role, letting users interact without a touchscreen or physical buttons. We’ve already seen Apple integrate gestures into the AirPods Pro, allowing users to control playback with subtle swipes and even nod or shake their heads to respond to notifications. Imagine if Apple expands on these features for Apple Glasses, enabling users to navigate interfaces, adjust volume, or even interact with AR elements using intuitive gestures.

OpticID, Apple’s eye-tracking security feature from the Vision Pro, could also be integrated. Imagine unlocking your glasses just by looking at them. If Apple nails the UI/UX, it could be one of the most intuitive ways to interact with technology.

Ergonomics is just as crucial as functionality. Unlike smartphones or even smartwatches, glasses must fit perfectly, balance well, and remain comfortable for extended wear. The weight distribution, frame flexibility, and nose bridge design will all play a role in how these glasses feel over time. Apple has mastered product ergonomics with devices like the AirPods and Apple Watch, but AR glasses present a unique challenge—packing in sensors, displays, and batteries without making them feel cumbersome. If the company gets this right, it could be the difference between a revolutionary wearable and one that ends up collecting dust in a drawer.

Features & Use Cases

AR glasses need to be practical, not overloaded with unnecessary tech. Their success depends on simplifying everyday tasks. Here’s what Apple Glasses could bring to the table:

• Hands-Free Notifications: Read messages, check emails, and see calendar alerts without pulling out your phone.
• AR Navigation: Walking, biking, or driving directions overlaid onto your real-world view.
• Real-Time AI Assistance: Imagine pointing at an object and having Siri tell you what it is or translating a foreign language on the fly.
• Lightweight AR Gaming & Media: While full-on VR experiences are off the table, subtle gaming elements and interactive media could be included.

By focusing on useful, everyday applications, Apple has a better chance of making AR glasses an essential wearable rather than a novelty.

Competitive Landscape

The AR glasses space is heating up, with Meta, Google, and Samsung all taking their own approaches. Google Glass flopped due to its awkward design and lack of a real use case, while Meta is experimenting with AI-powered smart glasses in partnership with Ray-Ban. Apple, as usual, is waiting for the moment when the tech is mature enough to create a seamless experience.

The Vision Pro is a premium, niche product, but Apple Glasses could be positioned as something far more mainstream. The challenge is proving that everyday users actually want AR in their daily lives—and that the experience is worth the price.

Challenges & Mass Production Concerns

Even if Apple has the perfect AR experience ready to go, building these glasses at scale is another beast entirely. Some major hurdles include:

• MicroLED Production: Manufacturing these displays at scale is notoriously difficult and expensive.
• Battery Life: How do you power advanced AR features without adding too much bulk?
• Pricing: If Apple Glasses cost too much, they risk being another Vision Pro—too niche for mass adoption.
• Software Refinement: Creating an intuitive AR interface without overwhelming the user will require deep integration with iOS and visionOS.

Even with all of Apple’s resources, these problems don’t have simple solutions, and they could push the launch even further down the road.

Final Thoughts

Apple Glasses represent one of the most ambitious projects in wearable tech. With the promise of seamless AR integration in a lightweight, everyday-friendly form factor, they have the potential to change how we interact with digital information. However, the journey to that reality is filled with significant technical and logistical challenges.

Apple’s ability to create market-defining products is undeniable, but even with its resources and talent, AR glasses may take longer than expected to become indispensable. When they do arrive, will they be a game-changer or just another expensive gadget struggling to justify its place in our daily lives? That’s the question Apple will need to answer.

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The Apple Watch might be the household name in smartwatches today, but it was hardly the first of its kind. It was actually a bit late to the scene, having been beaten to the punch not only by some Android-powered wearables but by a niche product that would briefly be the darling of the market until Apple arrived. Compared to later smartwatches, the Pebble was extremely limited in functionality, but who would have thought that people today would actually prefer that to the distraction overload offered by modern wearables.

Pebble has had a rather colorful history, one that eventually ended in Google’s graveyard. Fortunately, the tech giant did something rather unusual and actually released the code for Pebble OS as open source software, which would mean anyone could take it and make their own pebble. And by “anyone,” that includes Pebble’s original creator, who just announced the return of the original Pebbles, specs and all.

Designer: Eric Migicovsky

The OG Pebble definitely looks dated by today’s standards, though later editions not only refined the design but also improved on the hardware and features. The smartwatch boasted days-long battery life thanks to its use of an e-Paper display rather than conventional LCDs or OLEDs, and although it used a proprietary operating system, it supported easily writing apps that extended the device’s features. Unfortunately, popularity didn’t translate to commercial success and Pebble closed up shop after being partially bought by Fitbit who would later on be bought by Google.

In a somewhat weird twist of fate, Google just announced that it was open sourcing Pebble OS, laying the foundations for not just third-party mods on existing Pebble smartwatches but also a full-blown rebirth of the original wearable line. Of course, that would require hardware that would actually run the Pebble software, which is what the buzz today is all about.

Eric Migicovsky, the creator of Pebble, quickly announced that they were bringing back the smartwatch now that the doors have become fully open. The rather interesting detail about the revelation is that the new watch will have the same specs and features as the old Pebble, though it’s not clear which generation of Pebble he was referring to. The intention was to make that “rePebble” immediately compatible with the dozens of apps and watch faces that were made by the passionate Pebble community.

That said, it will be interesting to see how the old Pebble will measure up against today’s smartwatches. With a strong trend towards minimalism and distraction-free experiences, it could very well become a crowd favorite yet again, almost a decade after it was officially discontinued. It might be a tough sell, though, with the Apple Watch’s dominance in the market, and Pebble might have to upgrade some of its specs to include more advanced health sensors to compete there.

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Remember when the first smartwatches were ridiculed for needing to be charged almost every night? Although the situation has improved significantly, the fact remains that they still need to be taken off your wrist and put on a charger every now and then. That might sound only like a hassle for smartwatches and wireless earbuds, but imagine the discomfort and risks of having to remove health monitors, not to mention devices like pacemakers whose batteries also need to be replaced regularly.

They might be called “wearables,” but these devices are nothing like their analog counterparts, that don’t cause stress. Then again, they don’t offer features either, so it’s not exactly a fair trade. Solving the battery problem will go a long way in making these devices more sustainable and accessible, and this ongoing research is trying to do just that by removing batteries from these devices completely.

Designers: Andy Kong, Daehwa Kim, Chris Harrison (Power-Over-Skin)

Electrical devices need power to function, of course, and the most straightforward method is to have a battery inside them. Unfortunately, the trade-off is that these devices are thicker and heavier than they could be, and they have to be recharged or have their batteries replaced every so often. If you could power the devices without a battery or without even a cable, that could go a long way in shrinking their sizes down and potentially making them more fashionable.

The trick is to hide the actual power source somewhere on your body and then use your body itself as the conduit for electrical power to travel to these “wearable” devices. This can, for example, be used to make earrings with flashing LEDs or a ring with a joystick that can control your smart TV. These devices need to be touching your skin to actually get power, but considering their use cases, that won’t be much of a problem.

Although the previous examples do sound contrived and a little ridiculous, the applications for this technology go beyond mobile accessories. Health sensors, like a skin-based thermometer or glucose monitor, can be stuck to any part of your body and work almost infinitely, at least as long as there’s a power source attached to you. You can even have a calculator that powers up when you hold it in your hand, or a phone case that charges your phone bit by bit while you’re using it.

Power-Over-Skin does still require some transmitter to send power to those devices through your skin, so we can’t exactly escape the need for batteries just yet. The devices are also quite unappealing, which is as expected of prototypes. Hopefully, there will be further research in improving not only the design of the wearables but also their ability to get power through other means, maybe from the abundant air around us.

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With AI popping up everywhere, there’s a maddening rush of new designs and services that try to shove the technology in your face. Some try to put an “AI” label on every app or feature, while others promise some flashy, orange AI device that vanishes quickly like vapor. If you’re tired of ambitious devices that put technology ahead of human needs, or the exaggerated claims of AI companies that are more interested in user data than user experience, you aren’t the only one.

CES 2025 was filled with smart wearables and eyewear that all promise a future where computers and AI stand between you and the real world, a future where comfort is an afterthought to technical prowess. Looktech, however, is painting a different picture of the future, one where discreet and fashionable eyeglasses offer a comfortable way to “wear AI” all day, empowering you to enjoy more of life without worrying about screens, complicated user interfaces, and ridiculously large pair of spectacles that make you look like a spectacle as well.

Designer: Looktech Inc.

Click Here to Buy Now: $209 $349 ($140 off). Hurry, 45/1320 left! Raised over $975,000.

At CES!

Unlike even the most sophisticated and lightweight AR glasses, the Looktech AI Glasses look (no pun intended) nothing more like regular eyeglasses. There are no displays or projectors to burn images into your retinas, which is probably why it was initially unnoticed at CES 2025. But the moment people started putting it on to try the experience, they were easily convinced by Looktech’s vision. Rather than push a flashy design that ends up being a flop, it instead focuses on practical and fashionable eyewear that delivers a personalized AI that actually gets the job done.

Looktech AI Glasses redefine style and comfort, weighing in at a feather-light 37 grams. With their sleek TR90 frames and titanium hinges, they’re designed for all-day adventures without sacrificing an ounce of style. Choose lenses that fit your lifestyle — yes, even prescription ones at no extra cost — and colors like dark transparent, cool black, pink-white, and more, that match your mood or outfit. With a 14-hour battery life, the Looktech AI Glasses are always ready to help all day long. Why waste resources and battery life on a display technology that’s still years away from actually being useful when you can focus on a comfortable and better user experience?

Of course, the Looktech AI Glasses aren’t just some fashionable eye accessory. It comes equipped with just the right hardware and features to make life easier and more meaningful. Imagine snapping a stunning 13MP photo or recording a vibrant 2K video without lifting a finger. The horizontal video format isn’t just a favorite of YouTubers and influencers but also means that the AI sees the world the same way we do. With Looktech, a simple voice command or button press on the side does the trick, and thanks to Anti-Shake Technology, your recordings always come out smooth. And when it’s time to edit, the built-in AI video editor in the Looktech mobile app picks out the highlights, adds tunes, and throws in captions for a perfect finish.

These glasses are your new best friend, learning your quirks and preferences like a loyal sidekick. Need to set a reminder, find your way, or take a call? It’s all hands-free. The open-ear dual superlinear speakers offer rich sound without cutting you off from the world. And when you’re making a call in a bustling café or a noisy street, the microphone’s active noise cancellation and acoustic echo reduction make sure your voice comes through loud and clear.

Beyond capturing and connecting, Looktech’s camera sees signs and menus in foreign languages and whispers their translation in your ears, tracks calories, and even suggests recipes based on what’s in your fridge. This goes beyond just offering convenience. It’s about enhancing your lifestyle with a smart companion that grows alongside you, offering solutions that make everyday life a breeze. Looktech is powered by AI models from GPT-4o, Gemini, or Claude and will be constantly updated to ensure you have the latest and most reliable AI models at your beck and call.

Unlike other AI-powered devices and services, privacy is more than just a promise for Looktech. It is a guarantee that comes with these AI-powered glasses, and it is one of the top reasons why people are investing in them. Every photo, suggestion, and insight is anonymized and encrypted before it ever leaves your device. With the Looktech app, you decide what gets stored, deleted, or shared, putting you in the driver’s seat of your digital life. Feel free to explore and connect with AI, knowing your privacy is rock-solid.

The buzz around Looktech AI Glasses is undeniable. They’ve snagged the Best of Kickstarter award and turned heads at CES 2025. These glasses prove that you can have it all — privacy, style, and a personal AI assistant that doesn’t compromise on any front. So why settle for impersonal AI that treats you like a number? Looktech AI Glasses offer a vibrant, engaging experience that doesn’t just evolve with you but also looks as smart and stylish as you.

Click Here to Buy Now: $209 $349 ($140 off). Hurry, 45/1320 left! Raised over $975,000.

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Although it’s no longer in the business of making consumer products, let alone smartphones, there is little doubt that Nokia was once a giant in the design industry. It flooded the mobile market with dozens of phone designs, some of which have reached both fame and infamy. That was just the tip of the iceberg, however, since like any company with decades of history, it has collected quite a pile of concepts, prototypes, and experiments, many of which never saw the light of day.

The newly opened Nokia Design Archive revealed a lot of these old ideas that floated around the Finnish giant’s halls, some of which might have just been too early for their time. Some of those concepts may have seemed odd or even impractical a decade or two ago but are, oddly enough, today’s latest trends. Still, there were plenty of odd concepts and designs coming from Nokia’s vault, and here are 10 of the strangest ones that never made the cut, for better or worse.

Designer: Nokia (via Aalto University’s Nokia Design Archive)

3G Device: Dawn of the Mobile Web

Remember a few years back how the tech world was all hyping up 5G and how it broke down the barriers of communication over the Internet? If so, you can probably imagine all the buzz around 3G in the early 2000s, promising the power of the Web under the fingertips. Of course, the old SMS and GPRS phones of those days were hardly capable of taking advantage of this new technology, so it fell on the likes of Nokia to design a brand new world of mobile devices for it.

The company made a few concepts that put the use of 3G at the forefront and, curiously, many of these ditched the traditional T9 keypad that was still in wide use back in those days. The elongated and egg-shaped forms of these concepts and prototypes are, of course, alien to our modern design tastes and wouldn’t fit most of the Web’s uses today. It’s still interesting that, even as early as then, Nokia was already playing around with all-screen designs that predated even the iPhone.

Human Form Concept: Bend and Twist Like the 80s

As if an all-screen phone wasn’t already outrageous back in those days, Nokia also toyed with the idea of a smartphone that wasn’t made of metal and glass. Or at least not the ones we’re used to even today. As if trying to mimic the human body’s ability to contort, this “Human Form” concept used a flexible display to offer more “intuitive” ways to use a phone.

The device’s squid-like shape might already be too narrow for even scrolling through social media comfortably, but the twisting and bending gestures are hardly intuitive. It also requires even more muscle strength to pull off, which would immediately alienate a lot of users. Thankfully, we’ve moved past that obsession with using purely physical gestures as our brains evolved to consider swiping and pinching to feel almost like second nature.

Foldable Messaging Devices: The TXTing Generation

Social media might be considered the bane of society today, but there was a time when texting was the practice that was frowned upon by grownups. Never mind the almost indecipherable abbreviations and acronyms, the ironically anti-social behavior seemed to isolate teens from their surroundings even as they connect to an even wider network that crosses geographical borders.

Of course, these are exactly the kind of people that Nokia was catering to, so it’s no surprise that it tried to design devices that focused primarily on messaging. Rather than forcing people to type with a limited number of keys, the foldable devices put a full QWERTY keyboard at their disposal. That said, it left very little room for a decent display, so you’re practically left with a pager-like reading experience in exchange.

Fun Camera: Before Action Cams Were Fun

It wasn’t until around the 2010s that smartphone cameras actually started to pose a threat to point-and-click shooters. Before then, people would still prefer actual cameras, no matter how inconvenient they were to take out of your purse or bag. It was certainly no fun, which is probably why Nokia tried to design a standalone camera that made it easier to capture moments, even in low-res images.

The pear-shaped device had a few quirky details that made it feel like a cross between an action cam and a retro camera. For example, there is a display but its use is for checking the camera’s stats. The large hole at the top is actually a viewfinder for eyeballing those shots. The rather colorful designs and whimsical shape of the Fun Camera made it clear that it was targeted at a younger audience, though that activity predated the social video craze that would later take the Internet by storm.

Dual-Screen Phone: When Foldables Were Still a Distant Dream

We might now have foldable phones, but there was a time when few could even imagine having more than just one simple, rectangular screen in their pocket. Not Nokia, of course! It already envisioned the need for two screens even before dual-screen laptops and phones would enter mainstream consciousness.

That said, this dual-screen concept looked more like something designed for media consumption than a regular phone. Its default landscape orientation made it easy to enjoy content and maybe even tap away on a virtual keyboard. Using it as a phone, however, might be less enjoyable, which is probably why it would have never succeeded in an age when people actually used their mobile phones as phones.

Laptop Concepts: Serious Work

Nokia might be best known for smartphones and networking equipment, but it certainly didn’t limit itself to those categories. It explored almost every industry possible that could benefit from its expertise, particularly those that
involved mobile computing. Of course, that meant laptops, and Nokia apparently had a few ideas for those.

Yes, it would actually launch its own line of laptops eventually, but those were more on the conventional side of design. Here we’re seeing laptops with their touchpads above the keyboard, laptops with a second display above the keyboard, and even two-piece laptops. Sounds familiar? There are now laptops available commercially from major PC brands, making you wonder if Nokia would have succeeded in that space too.

Hypercard: Digital Wallet Came Too Soon

You can now use your smartphones these days for anything from paying for groceries to hopping on trains, but there was a time when that kind of digital convenience was pretty inconceivable. Even today, some find it difficult to part with a physical representation of their money, even if it’s just a thin piece of plastic.

Once upon a time, Nokia wanted to meet these people halfway with a Hypercard device that seemingly stored all kinds of cards you’d normally have in your wallet, from money cards to loyalty cards. It was pretty much the digital equivalent of a cardholder but still distinct from a phone. It could give some people a bit of assurance, even if meant doubling the things they had in their pockets.

Aeon: Early Modular Phone Dreams

If there’s one ideal smartphone design that has yet to become a reality, it’s the dream of a truly modular phone. Project Ara, the LG G5, and now the HMD Fusion all have their interpretation of a modular phone, but theirs was definitely not the only one nor the first. Nokia also had its vision, and it was only conceptualized as a “wearable” device.

The Aeon concept device has two unequal parts, both with touchscreens, and both are able to function independently from each other. It would be possible to take the lower part, which could display a T9 keypad or some other touch UI, and put it on a pendant or other wearable accessory. Unsurprisingly, the idea never caught on, and we still dream of that future of ever-expanding phones.

Medallion: Questionable Fashion Sense

Wearables are technically supposed to be more than just smartwatches, but it’s only now that we seem to break out into more categories like smart rings. There’s definitely a lot more potential in this market segment, but few are taking the risks to jump into them, and probably for good reason. If you don’t pull them off properly, you’ll end up with something that’s more tech than wearable anyway.

Nokia’s Medallion concept is one such example. They’re supposed to be small displays you can wear around your neck like a necklace, or on your wrist like, well, a smartwatch. But beyond the novelty of displaying a favorite character or photo, they don’t do much. Even worse is how the concept looks less like fashionable accessories and more like uncomfortable collars. Given Nokia’s other “fashion-oriented” phone designs, it probably doesn’t come as a surprise.

Morph: The Shape-Changing Wearable

One of the more recent concepts that made a buzz on the Web is Morph, the pinnacle of wearable tech and flexible mobile devices. It was practically a phone that you could wrap around your wrist as a wide bracelet, but then also unfold into a large tablet. It was hi-tech, fashionable, and practically improbable.

Even today, we don’t have the technology to implement any of these designs in a satisfying way, as demonstrated by the Huawei tri-fold Mate XT and the bendable Motorola prototype. Perhaps in a decade we’ll look back at this particular design and chuckle at how old-fashioned the idea was, and it’s definitely one of Nokia’s most ambitious and oddest concepts of late. Sadly, we will never see its fruition, at least under the Nokia brand, now that it, too, is just a part of history.

The post The Strangest Nokia Designs: Top 10 Concepts That Never Launched first appeared on Yanko Design.

At the ongoing CES 2025, Sony has launched the prototype of an extended reality headset dubbed XYN specifically for creating 3D spatial content. The Japanese consumer Electronics giant briefly previewed their motive to develop the headset at last year’s CES and now the wearable has got better with 4K OLED microdisplays and video passthrough tech.

XYN is a comprehensive software and hardware solution to support VR content creators to capture the precise details of the real-world environment and seamlessly integrate with an array of third-party tools for a flexible workflow. This makes complete sense as demand for mixed reality and virtual reality content is spiking. Making it easier for developers to create such content will push the whole wearable headset universe forward.

Designer: Sony

Creators can use the XYN in conjunction with Sony’s spatial content creation software to craft extended reality content including 3D objects, animations, and immersive games for Metaverse applications. When not in use the wearer can flip the headset up since they’ll be using it for long durations while creating content. The only thing missing this year compared to last year’s version is the pointer and ring on top. At the event, the headset was spotted in two colorways – black and gray. The price and release date of the headset are still uncertain, and we hope to hear more from Sony in the coming months.

Alongside the XYN headset, Sony has also revealed the Xyn Motion Studio which is a Windows app with support for up to 12 Mocopi sensors for an improved motion capture flow. This is often used by video content creators to control virtual avatars courtesy of the wireless motion tracking system. The advanced software enables the developers to cut or merge motions, as well as toggle the time and position. A prototype of the spatial capture solution is now capable of converting any real objects or mirrorless camera photos into photorealistic 3D computer-generated assets. The software is slated to release in March 2025.

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It seems that smart rings might soon be creating waves that will displace fitness trackers and even some smartwatches. After all, they’re small and discreet, let you still wear your favorite timepiece, and should last you almost a week of battery life. You still get all the tracking benefits of a larger wearable, though some might cast doubts on the accuracy of heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring.

On the flip side, a smart ring’s simpler and smaller design means that it loses out on a few smart features, notably the ability to see information or be alerted to notifications. Some might actually consider this a benefit but others definitely won’t. As if to say it’s possible to have the best of both worlds, this “ultra-thin” smart ring boasts to be the first to bear its own tiny display, which sounds fascinating until you really think about it.

Designer: Rogbid

Unlike, say, the eccentric Casio ring watch that looks like a miniaturized wristwatch, the Rogbird SR08 Ultra’s display sits entirely within the confines of the ring’s body. That means it has an extremely tiny space for information, so text and numbers scroll in a pager-style tickler format, but you’ll still have to squint and patiently wait for the full information to pass by before you can get all the details.

That defeats the reason why even the most basic smart tracker has a display, letting wearers see important information at a quick glance. The small pixel density also makes it uncomfortable to read, straining your eyes more than necessary. The irony is that you will most likely always have your phone with you anyway, so it might be faster and easier to check the app on a larger screen.

Having a display also affects battery life, especially if there’s no clear mechanism for automatically turning it off and on with gestures. It makes one of a smart ring’s biggest benefits, which is longer battery life, pointless. In fact, with a distracting display that breaks the illusion of wearing an elegant piece of jewelry, you pretty much throw away everything that makes a smart ring appealing.

Fortunately, the Rogbid SR08 Ultra seems more like an outlier than a trailblazer, flaunting technical prowess rather than pushing the young market to maturity. It does look like it misses out on some important features, though the discounted $90 price tag looks almost too good to be true, and maybe it actually is.

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You don’t expect tech conferences to be held at rock climbing centers, but Garmin decided to throw journalists a curveball by introducing their latest watch in its natural habitat. The Instinct 3 series, which launches on January 10th, was unveiled at a Rock Climbing Gym 2 miles off the Vegas Strip. The watch builds on the rugged reputation of its predecessors while introducing features that feel tailor-made for modern adventurers and fitness enthusiasts alike. The result? A smartwatch that blends durability, advanced technology, and user-centric design.

This year’s model pushes the boundaries of what we expect from a workout watch. With a reinforced metal bezel, fresh AMOLED display options, and thoughtful touches like an integrated LED flashlight, the Instinct 3 is ready to handle everything from mountain treks to your daily commute. In fact we were even invited to do a session of indoor rock climbing with the watch on, just to see how effortless it was at tracking all the metrics with ease.

Designer: Garmin

Choose Your Display: AMOLED or Solar

Garmin Instinct 3 with AMOLED Display

For those who like options (and who doesn’t?), Garmin is offering the Instinct 3 in two distinct flavors: AMOLED and solar. Both come in two sizes—45mm and 50mm. The AMOLED models stand out with their crisp visuals, perfect for gym-goers and those who spend a lot of time indoors. The sharp contrast and vibrant colors make everything from notifications to your post-run stats pop. You’d expect a day’s worth of battery life from the watch, but the Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED models offer up to 24 days of battery life in smartwatch mode on a single charge. This is a significant improvement over many other AMOLED-equipped smartwatches, where battery life is often a trade-off for the enhanced screen quality.

But don’t overlook the solar models, especially if your life is one long outdoor excursion. With optimal sunlight exposure, these versions promise unlimited battery life in smartwatch mode. That’s right, unlimited. If your workouts involve more trails and fewer treadmills, this could be your ultimate companion. It’s rare to find a watch that caters to both weekend warriors and hardcore adventurers, but the Instinct 3 pulls it off with ease.

Garmin Instinct 3 with Solar Display

Flashlight? On a Watch? Absolutely.

An integrated LED flashlight might sound like a gimmick until you actually need it. Whether you’re rummaging through your bag at a campsite or fumbling for your keys after a late-night run, this feature is a lifesaver. The flashlight is small but powerful enough to handle unexpected moments in the dark.

Beyond practicality, it adds a layer of personality to the watch. Who doesn’t love a wearable that surprises you with its usefulness? And unlike your phone’s flashlight, which usually leaves you juggling items or propping it awkwardly somewhere, this one stays strapped to your wrist, always ready to go.

Built for the Grind

The Instinct 3 is a multitasking beast, with preloaded activity profiles that cater to everything from hiking and biking to climbing and pickleball. Yes, pickleball. It’s clear Garmin wants this watch to be your one-stop fitness tracker, no matter your sport of choice.

What makes it even more impressive is the health and wellness suite baked in. With 24 days of battery life on AMOLED models, you can track your sleep, stress, and energy levels without worrying about charging every night. The solar models take things up a notch, offering an endless power reserve in smartwatch mode if you can catch enough rays. Essentially, you’re getting data around the clock without the hassle of frequent recharges.

Price, Availability, and Final Thoughts

The Garmin Instinct 3 series starts at $399 for the 45mm solar model, climbing to $499 for the 50mm AMOLED version. Limited edition colorways add a touch of flair for those who want their adventure gear to stand out. Mark your calendars—availability kicks off on January 10, 2025.

It’s hard not to admire what Garmin has done here. The Instinct 3 is tough without being clunky, smart without being pretentious, and surprisingly versatile. Whether you’re scaling a mountain, hitting the gym, or just navigating everyday life, this watch proves it’s got the stamina and smarts to keep up. Oh, and if you ever find yourself telling ghost stories around a campfire, that flashlight might just steal the show.

The post Hands-On with Garmin Instinct 3 at CES 2025: The First AMOLED Smartwatch with 24-day Battery + Flashlight first appeared on Yanko Design.

Luxury and technology have always been intertwined, producing devices that seamlessly blend innovation and opulence. From the world’s first gold-colored iPhones to foldable smartphones wrapped in 18K gold, third parties continue to push boundaries for those who demand sophistication in every detail. Devices like Huawei’s Mate XT Ultimate Design represent the union of artistry and engineering, but they’re part of a larger story—a story where gold remains the material of choice for tech’s most exclusive creations.

Huawei Mate XT: A Golden Transformation in Foldable Smartphones

Huawei’s Mate XT Ultimate Design takes foldable phones to an entirely new level. Encased in an 18K gold backplate with a ripple pattern that mimics flowing water, the Mate XT is as much a piece of art as it is a smartphone. The textured surface enhances light reflection and improves grip, merging luxury with practicality.

Designer: Huawei

The Mate XT’s tri-fold design is a feat of engineering. Fully unfolded, the 10.2-inch LTPO OLED screen delivers an expansive resolution of 3,184 x 2,232 pixels, making it ideal for multitasking and immersive content consumption. When folded, the display adapts to 7.9-inch and 6.4-inch configurations, transforming seamlessly to suit the user’s needs. Huawei’s precision-engineered hinge system ensures durability while maintaining a sleek silhouette.

Source: GSMArena

Performance-wise, the Mate XT is powered by Huawei’s Kirin 9010 chipset, offering up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The 50MP main camera, complemented by a 12MP periscope lens and a 12MP ultra-wide sensor, is integrated into a circular module that harmonizes with the rippled gold backplate. With its tri-fold capability and lavish exterior, the Mate XT surpasses the definition of a smartphone—it’s an experience.

For the ultra-exclusive, the gold casing transforms the already luxurious device into a collector’s piece for those who demand the highest standard of design.

The Gold iPhone: Redefining Status in Tech

The introduction of the iPhone 5S in champagne gold in 2013 forever changed the tech industry. Gold, a material long associated with prosperity and exclusivity, found its way into Apple’s minimalist design language. While subtle, the finish had a profound impact, particularly in markets like Hong Kong and mainland China, where gold holds deep cultural significance. The gold iPhone became an instant status symbol, with pre-orders selling out in hours and resellers marking up prices to astronomical levels.

Designer: Apple

By blending gold’s cultural allure with Apple’s design ethos, the iPhone 5S set the stage for smartphones as aspirational products. It showed that one color could change how people see a device—from simply being a tool to becoming a symbol of style and elegance.

The Gold Apple Watch: Technology as Fine Jewelry

Apple expanded its exploration of gold in 2015 with the launch of the Apple Watch Edition. Encased in 18-karat yellow or rose gold, this wearable blurred the lines between traditional jewelry and modern technology. Priced between $10,000 and $17,000, the Apple Watch Edition positioned itself as a luxury item for the elite.

Designer: Apple

Key design details included a sapphire crystal display for enhanced durability, meticulous polishing for a seamless finish, and bands crafted from premium materials to match the watch’s opulence. Available in two sizes—38mm and 42mm—the Edition wasn’t just a smartwatch; it was a reimagining of what a watch could be in the digital age.

While Apple discontinued the Gold Edition after one generation, its impact remains undeniable. It elevated wearable tech into the realm of luxury accessories, paving the way for high-end materials like titanium and ceramic in subsequent models. The Apple Watch Edition proved that technology could belong in the same category as haute horology.

Tesla Cybertruck: Bold, Electric, and Gold

Gold’s allure isn’t limited to personal devices—it’s transformed even industrial designs like Tesla’s Cybertruck. Popular YouTuber Zack Nelson, known as JerryRigEverything, turned heads when he coated a Cybertruck in 24-karat gold. The electroplating process took four days, with three people working to cover the vehicle’s angular surfaces in real gold.

Designer: Tesla

The finished product was extravagant and functional. Protected by a self-healing film, the golden Cybertruck showcased how materials can transform futuristic designs into representations of exclusivity. The gold plating alone added an estimated $100,000 to the vehicle’s value, proving that even the boldest innovations can embrace timeless luxury.

Why Gold Continues to Captivate

Gold’s enduring presence in technology speaks to its ability to balance timeless appeal with cultural and psychological resonance. In many Asian cultures, gold symbolizes prosperity and success, making it a natural fit for markets that value exclusivity. But beyond cultural significance, gold offers something universal: a sense of individuality in a world of mass-produced gadgets.

For many people, owning a gold device signifies a desire to stand out. Gold-colored or plated devices act as status symbols, combining heritage, aesthetic appeal, and modern functionality. Limited-edition creations like the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Edition or the gold Apple Watch Edition tap into this desire for rarity, offering devices that feel as personal as they are cutting-edge.

The Evolution of Gold and the Future of Luxury Tech

Gold’s journey through the tech industry highlights its transformative role in luxury design. Apple’s iPhone 5S demonstrated how a single color could elevate a device into a marker of success, while the gold Apple Watch Edition blurred the lines between modern technology and fine jewelry. Encased in 18-karat yellow or rose gold, the Edition positioned wearable tech in the luxury market with unparalleled attention to detail, from sapphire crystal displays to seamless finishes.

Huawei’s Mate XT further extends this narrative, combining foldable technology with 18K gold to create a device that balances innovation with artistry. Beyond personal devices, larger-scale designs like the Tesla Cybertruck prove gold’s versatility. Coated in 24-karat gold, the Cybertruck redefines how luxury can enhance even the boldest, most utilitarian forms.

These examples showcase how gold continues to redefine what’s possible in design—from pocket-sized devices to full-scale vehicles—pushing boundaries and inspiring new conversations about luxury in technology.

The post The Craft of Luxury Tech: From Gold iPhones to Tri-Fold Smartphones first appeared on Yanko Design.