This week’s Zoom update includes a couple of quality of life improvements for anyone using its annotation or emoji reaction features, the company has announced. Meeting participants can now use any emoji that was previously available in Zoom chat to react during a meeting, up from the six meager options that were available previously. These include emoji with different skin colors. Hosts can also restrict emoji reactions to the standard six, if they prefer, and for larger accounts the full emoji set must be manually enabled by admins or account owners.
The service’s annotation feature is also being enhanced. Anyone who’s used Zoom’s annotation feature to draw text on the presentation screen will know how annoying it quickly becomes when you have to erase each scribble before you can move on. Now, a new “Vanishing Pen” tool on Windows, macOS, and Linux allows annotations to automatically disappear within “a couple of seconds.” If you’re drawing annotations on an Android or iOS tablet, there’s a new auto-shape feature to turn them into straight lines, rectangles, and ovals. Combined, these should keep Zoom presentations looking neater.
Annotations with the Vanishing Pen disappear within a couple of seconds.Image: Zoom
A year ago, as Zoom exploded in popularity, it was hard to talk about the service without mentioning the privacy and security issues that were plaguing it at the time. Its encryption wasn’t actually end-to-end, and its default settings led to a wave of so-called “Zoombombings.” But in the year since, the company has rolled out fix after fix for its biggest issues, and now here we are talking about new emoji reaction features. What a way to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the company’s founding.
Roku is officially getting into original content. The set-top box maker announced Roku Originals, a new brand, in a press release today. Roku says it will debut over 75 original series and films this year on its free, ad-supported network, The Roku Channel. Quite a few of these original new shows will come from the Quibi library of content Roku got in a fire sale in January 2021.
Earlier this year, Protocol spied a job listing that suggested Roku would be investing in original content beyond the Quibi stuff it now owns. Free, ad-supported content is still a relatively new but growing area in streaming. Peacock, Paramount Plus, and even Plex have all had some success wooing viewers with totally free stuff they can watch on their set-top boxes and smart TVs. It makes sense that Roku, a company that makes the bulk of its money from ads already, would follow suit.
The very original new brand for original content.Image: Roku
There’s no word on which content will be released first or when it will even begin airing, but it’s likely you’ll see the old Quibi content before any of Roku’s other original programming. That content is full of big names like Anna Kendrick, Idris Elba, and Liam Hemsworth.
What will be interesting is how the Quibi content airs. Quibi’s gimmick (which was absolutely bizarre but also totally ahead of its time) was that content would change depending on how you held your phone, with separate and sometimes totally different streams provided for portrait and landscape mode. For example, in the short film Nest, holding the phone in landscape mode shows you the point of view of the main character, while holding it in portrait mode shows you the point of view of the Nest security cameras in the home the character is in.
Presumably, Roku will just be providing one stream: the landscape one. In some cases, that might actually affect how the story is presented or could even remove crucial context from a scene meant to be viewed in portrait mode on your phone.
All of the new Roku Originals will air on The Roku Channel, alongside old episodes of This Old House and over 40,000 free movies and TV shows Roku has paid to license. Besides being playable on Roku devices, you’ll be able to tune into via your browser, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, and some Samsung smart TVs.
In a press release for Apple’s new Tile-like AirTag tracker, the company has revealed that iOS 14.5 will officially arrive “starting next week” — as spotted by Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern. AirTags go on sale April 30th and will only work with devices running iOS 14.5 or higher. Likewise, watchOS 7.4 and macOS 11.3 will also launch next week, as they support new Apple Podcast feature updates.
Apple first launched the 14.5 beta to the public earlier this year in February alongside watchOS 7.4 beta (no word on whether that’s arriving soon, too). Along with AirTag support, it will implement Apple’s new App Tracking Transparency requirement, which mandates that developers ask for permission to track users for ad targeting. The feature was announced last year and met with sharp resistance from Facebook in particular, which argues that the move will harm small businesses that benefit from ad tracking.
iOS 14.5 also introduces some welcome inclusivity features, like the ability to change Siri’s voice and new skin tone options for some emoji. Another feature we’ve appreciated in our testing thus far is Siri’s ability to learn which audio-listening apps you prefer for certain activities. This stops short of letting you select a new default app, like picking Spotify for all of your streaming music requests, but it’s a helpful evolution in any case.
Of course, this feature may or may not make it to the final release, but we do know now when we can expect to find out which features made the final cut. Apple doesn’t say specifically which day we can expect 14.5, but when it does, iPhone users will be able to download the update in their phone’s settings as always.
Microsoft has started inviting Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers to test its Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud) service on iPhones and iPads today. The service works through web browsers, allowing it to also run on PCs and Macs on Edge, Chrome, or Safari. We’ve managed to get an early look at this beta and see how Xbox Cloud Gaming works on an iPhone or iPad.
The web interface for xCloud (yes, we’re going to keep calling it xCloud) is very simple to use. It scales across devices like the iPhone, iPad, or even a large monitor attached to a PC to provide quick access to games. Microsoft has even included a search interface, which is something that’s strangely missing on rival service Google Stadia.
You don’t need to install any apps or extensions; it works natively in Chrome, Safari, or Edge. All you need is a compatible USB or Bluetooth controller. Some games even work with Xbox Touch Controls, so a controller isn’t required if you’re happy to tap on the screen and play. I managed to quickly start games using an Xbox Elite 2 controller paired to an iPhone 11 Pro.
Once you launch a game, you’ll have to wait a fair amount of time for it to actually load. Much like xCloud on Android, the backend servers for Microsoft’s Xbox game streaming are actually Xbox One S consoles. This older Xbox hardware isn’t powered by a modern CPU or SSD, so game loads are affected as a result. Microsoft is planning to upgrade xCloud servers to Xbox Series X hardware at some point this year, though.
Microsoft’s Xbox Game Streaming on an iPhone.
I’ve only been playing xCloud via the web for a few hours, so it’s difficult to judge the experience, but I’ve certainly run into a lot of connection issues both wireless and wired with my desktop PC. Microsoft says it’s working on a routing issue with this beta, but it’s worth pointing out this is a test service, and it’s only just launched, so hiccups like this are to be expected.
Once the connection settles down, it’s very similar to xCloud on Android. If you run this through a web browser on a PC or iPad, you’ll even get a 1080p stream. It feels like I’m playing on an Xbox in the cloud, and there’s a dashboard that lets me access friends, party chats, achievements, and invites to games. This is all powered by Xbox Game Pass, so there are more than 100 games available — and even some original Xbox and Xbox 360 titles that can be streamed.
You can search and easily launch Xbox games in a browser.
Xbox Touch Controls can be used for certain games.
Microsoft hasn’t said when the company plans to roll this out more broadly yet, but given the early connection issues, there’s clearly still some work to be done until the web version is available for everyone. Still, it’s impressive how well this scales across multiple devices and opens up the ability to stream Xbox games to virtually any device that has a Chromium or Safari browser.
I also tried this xCloud browser version on the new Edge app for Xbox consoles, but it’s not fully supported yet. Both the service and the browser are in early beta right now, so full support might come at a later date. Either way, I imagine that xCloud will arrive on Xbox consoles through the ability to quickly stream a game while you’re waiting for it to download in the background. That’s really where xCloud makes sense on a console that can already play Xbox games.
This browser-based version of xCloud does open up the service to many more possibilities, too. Xbox chief Phil Spencer has previously hinted at TV streaming sticks for xCloud, and Microsoft has already committed to bringing the service to Facebook Gaming at some point. It’s easy to imagine Xbox Game Streaming apps for smart TVs, coupled with the ability to access the service from web browsers to ensure almost any device can access an Xbox Game Pass subscription. That’s clearly Microsoft’s goal here, and this beta feels like just the beginning.
Apple is continuing its move from Intel to Arm on the desktop, putting its M1 processor new line of iMacs and in the iPad Pro. Both were announced at Apple’s “Spring Loaded” virtual event, and are the first time each of those product lines is using the new chip. Previously, the iPad Pro used Apple’s custom A-series chips, while the iMac used Intel processors.
iMac
The new iMacs come in seven colors: blue, green, pink, silver, yellow, orange and purple, and are somewhat reminiscent of the iMac G3. They are built from the ground up for the new chips, unlike the 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and Mac Mini, which used existing chassis. The new iMac has a redesign with a much-smaller logic board with two tiny fans. Apple says these small fans will keep the computer under 10 decibels, which the human ear shouldn’t be able to hear. It’s just 11.5 millimeters thin. Apple says the iMac is 85% faster than the previous 21-inch model, which used Intel chips. It also says graphics are up to 2x faster than previous models. In Final Cut, Apple is claiming up to four streams of footage in 1080p, or one in 4K. The company took time to focus on iOS apps working on macOS, as well as the broad range of compatible apps that have come to M1 since it launched last year. The new display is 24-inches diagonally and has narrow bezels, with a 4480 x 2520 resolution and 500 nits of brightness. It also uses TrueTone, like the laptops, to change color temperature based on your surroundings.
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The camera, microphones and speakers are also getting upgraded. The camera is a 1080p FaceTime sensor, higher than the 720p we see in the MacBook laptops. The microphones use beam forming to focus on your voice and avoid background noise. This should all help out in work-from-home situations.
The speakers have increased amounts of power, with increased bass response. The full system is six speakers, including tweeters and woofers. With Dolby Atmos, it supports surround sound.
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The M1 iMac has 4 USB-C ports, including 2 Thunderbolt ports, with support for a 6K display. There’s a new magnetic power connector, with a woven cable, that connects to the power adapter. If you want wired connectivity, Ethernet connects to the power adapter and is routed to the system.
The keyboard has new emoji, spotlight, and do not disturb keys. A separate model will have Touch ID on the desktop for the first time. The Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad will also have new color-matched aluminum.
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The new iMac starts at $1,299 and will be available to order on April 30, shipping in May. At that price you get an 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, as well as two Thunderbolt ports. At $1,499, that bumps up to an 8-core GPU and also adds two USB 3 Type-C ports.
iPad Pro
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iPadOS will take advantage of M1 as well, being the first non-macOS device to use the new design. Apple said it will offer a 50% jump over the previous iPad Pro. The GPU will be a 40% increase over the last model.
This replaces the A-series chips that Apple previously used in the iPad Pro (and currently uses in the iPhone and other iPads).
Additionally, Apple is touting storage access that is twice as fast as its predecessor, as well as a new 2TB configuration. Notably, the new iPads will have the same 8GB and 16GB RAM options as other M1 devices.
The USB-C port has been upgraded to Thunderbolt with USB 4 support, with four times more bandwidth over the the USB-C port on the previous iPad Pro. It supports more displays and storage as well.
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Apple has also added 5G to iPad Pro, making this the first M1 device to feature the technology, and it will support millimeter wave in the United States.
There’s a TrueDepth camera in the front, and the iPad Pro has a LiDAR camera on the back for AR applications. The TrueDepth shooter has a 12MP ultra wide camera, which can keep people in view from a distance on video calls, using machine learning to move the frame.
Apple is changing up the display technology, too. It’s moving the 12.9-inch iPad to the same tech as the Pro Display XDR. It’s called Liquid Retina XDR, with 1,000 nits of brightness and 1,600 nits at its peak. It also has the same 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio.
The 12.9 inch iPad Pro will use a mini-LED display, and the screen is comprised of 10,000 of them. This is Apple’s first time using the technology, which is also rumored to move into MacBooks later in the year. It will also support HDR formats like Dolby Vision and HDR 10. The 11-inch iPad Pro is sticking with an LED “liquid retina” screen.
The 11-inch iPad Pro will start at $799. The 12.9-inch model with the XDR display starts at $1,099. Orders open April 30, with shipments starting in the second half of May.
One of the most intriguing features of the just-announced new Apple TV 4K is one that allows the video output to be tailored to you TV’s specific colour balance. Essentially, the Apple TV outputs a test image to your TV that you then measure using an iPhone. The Apple TV then compares the measured colour balance to ‘industry-standard specifications’ and adjusts its output to correct any inaccuracies and improve contrast.
If that sounds like a feature well worth trying out, you might be excited to learn that it’s not exclusive to the new version of the Apple TV 4K: the press release sent out after the live stream includes a small note that says the feature will also be coming to all previous versions of the Apple TV 4K and the Apple TV HD. The feature will be coming with tvOS 14.5 and your iPhone will also need to be running iOS 14.5, and both updates are apparently coming next week.
On top of that, Apple has also stated that the new Siri Remote can be bought separately for £55, making another upgrade available to existing Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD owners.
So why would you buy the new Apple TV 4K? That’s a good question. It’s got a much faster chip – the A12 Bionic – but so far the only new feature this unlocks that’s been mentioned is high frame rate HDR content, which is currently in very short supply.
Of course, there may well be more to it than that. We’re looking forward to getting hands-on with the new Apple TV 4K to find out.
MORE:
New Apple TV 4K: everything we know so far
Check out our list of the best TVs you can buy right now
Finding software via the Microsoft Store app for Windows 10 might be less painful soon. Windows Central today reported that Microsoft is redesigning the app to offer a better experience for developers and consumers alike with a variety of changes.
Microsoft started distributing software via the Windows Store for Windows 10 in 2015. Then in 2017, it rebranded the platform to the Microsoft Store, and that version of the storefront hasn’t changed much in the four years since its introduction.
But that could be about to change. Windows Central said that Microsoft plans to change the Microsoft Store’s user interface to better appeal to Windows 10 users while simultaneously introducing new policies to be more developer-friendly.
Both aspects of that redesign will prove vital. Windows 10 users have little incentive to find apps on the Microsoft Store because it isn’t comprehensive and, in many cases, it isn’t much more convenient than simply downloading an “.exe” directly.
This contributes to a vicious cycle where consumers aren’t driven to the Microsoft Store because it doesn’t have all the apps they want, and as long as they’re willing to find programs elsewhere, developers aren’t going to flock to the storefront.
Windows Central reported that Microsoft plans to incentivize software distribution via the Microsoft Store with three policy changes that would:
Allow developers to submit unpackaged Win32 apps to the Store
Allow developers to host apps and updates on their own content delivery network (CDN)
Alllow developers to use third-party commerce platforms in apps
The storefront is also expected to be “reinvigorated with new layouts, WinUI designs, iconography, and fluid animations” as part of the Sun Valley update to Windows 10 that’s expected to make sweeping changes to the operating system later this year.
Microsoft will always struggle to make the Microsoft Store as popular on Windows 10 as, say, the App Store is on iOS by the platform’s very nature. It’s easy to make a distribution channel popular when it’s literally the only way to install apps on a platform; it’s much harder to do the same for an optional distribution channel.
At least there’s hope for people who don’t want to go search the web every time they want to install a particular app. Being an optional part of the Windows 10 experience doesn’t make the Microsoft Store’s ease of use or developer policies less important.
Apple is officially launching a Tile-like item tracker that will work with the company’s software and services. Dubbed AirTag, the small circular tag will allow you to track items within Apple’s “Find My” app on iOS. Much like Tile, Apple’s AirTags will be useful for tracking items like keys or wallets, and you’ll be provided with notifications when you’re separated from your item.
Details about AirTags first appeared in copies of the iOS 13 beta nearly two years ago, and the AirTags name was also spotted in iOS 13.2. Apple accidentally confirmed the AirTags name in a deleted support video last year, too. Following the rumors, it has taken Apple a considerable amount of time to make AirTags a reality.
Apple will clearly be competing with Tile with its AirTags, but the location-tracking company has been attempting to embed its technology directly into Bluetooth chips in recent years. Tile has previously teamed up with Qualcomm, Dialog Semiconductor, Silicon Labs, and Toshiba to include Tile compatibility as an option on devices. Tile has also embedded its location-tracking network into gadgets from Boosted and Bose, and is prepping its own AirTags competitor that could let you find lost items through walls.
Apple will certainly face some competition from Tile’s broader reach here, but the deeper integration with iOS and iPhones will be a significant challenge for Tile and other competitors like Samsung’s $29.99 Galaxy SmartTags. Apple’s launch of AirTags comes nearly a year after Tile filed a complaint with the European Commission, accusing Apple of anti-competitive behavior. Tile argues that Apple’s iOS 13.5 update to Bluetooth settings has disadvantaged third-party tracking products in favor of Apple’s own Find My app that doesn’t include the same restrictions by default.
Apple has strenuously denied the allegations, and the company has even opened up its Find My app to third-party products recently. Devices will need to play by Apple’s Made for iPhone (MFi) accessory rules, so companies will need to apply to get certified and have their products tracked in the Find My app. Apple is also offering a chipset specification for third-parties to integrate with the Ultra-Wideband found in Apple’s latest iPhones.
Developing… we’re adding more to this post, but you can follow along with our Apple “Spring Loaded” live blog to get the news even faster.
Whenever Apple decides to schedule an event, you know there are going to be some interesting products introduced, with at least one major device taking center stage and perhaps one or two surprise entries.
Current rumors have Apple introducing 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, the latter with Apple’s first Mini LED display. There may also be a new Apple Pencil stylus to go with it.
What else? We could see Apple’s long-awaited AirTags, device trackers that are set to go up against Tile, the current leader in that particular market. There is the possibility of a new iPod Mini, a third-generation version of the AirPods, a new model of the Apple TV (which was released in 2017), and the official release of iOS 14.5.
Anything more? Well, that’s always a possibility. Be here at 1PM ET and find out.
WHAT TIME IS THE APPLE “SPRING LOADED” EVENT?
You’ll have to tune into the live stream, which starts at 10AM PT / 1PM ET today, Tuesday, April 20th. The event will likely be available to watch again after it concludes, so you’re not stuck if you miss out on the debut stream.
WHERE CAN I WATCH THE APPLE EVENT?
As always, Apple is hosting the stream on its site. Alternatively, it’s streaming on YouTube. The YouTube stream is embedded up at the top, so feel free to stick around.
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Apple’s long-rumored AirTags trackers could launch alongside a wide array of third-party accessories, if retailer listings and leaked photos pulled together by MacRumorsare accurate. eBay and Etsy sellers, and even Walmart, are already selling keychains to attach the trackers to a set of keys. Images of apparent silicone straps have also leaked, showing how the trackers could be strapped to bigger items.
After being rumored for over a year, Apple’s Tile-like trackers are widely expected to be officially announced later today at its Spring Loaded event. Reports indicate the trackers themselves will be small discs equipped with Bluetooth and ultra-wideband radio chips, which users can track with Apple’s Find My app. At this point they’ve been leaked basically everywhere: iOS code, analyst reports, and even a support video from Apple.
While there’s no guarantee that these accessory manufacturers are working off official information supplied by Apple, these leaks give a good indication of how they plan on supporting the trackers once they’re official. They follow earlier leaks from January about AirTags accessories from Nomad and Spigen sub-brand Cyrill.
Apple’s approach to attaching AirTags to your personal belongings is different from Tile, its main competitor in the space. Tile produces trackers in a variety of different form-factors depending on what they’re designed to track, whether it’s a credit card shaped device for a wallet, or a tracker with a hole that’s designed to go on a keychain. In contrast, Apple seems to be producing just a single form-factor, and relying on accessories to attach it to your belongings. It’s an interesting difference that might make Apple’s trackers more versatile, albeit slightly worse tailored to some cases.
Apple’s Spring Loaded event is due to take place later today at 1pm ET, where the AirTags are expected to be announced alongside the company’s new iPad Pro lineup and more. You’ll be able to watch along live on Apple’s Event website or YouTube.
Google has added a bunch of popular Japanese characters to its AR feature in mobile search, which has previously featured animals, historical artifacts, and dinosaurs. The list of characters is taken from Japanese pop culture including anime, TV, and video games, with names like Pac-Man, Hello Kitty, mechs from Evangelion and Gundam, and more. The feature works on Google search on Android and the iOS Google app.
When you enter the characters’ names, you’ll see an option to “see in your space” below the main search result, and that’ll let you drop a 3D model into your camera view. The models can appear at various degrees of scale, with an option to render at life size, though I’m not sure quite how accurate those measurements are. I was under the impression that Hello Kitty was five apples tall, for example, but she towered over my desk when I tried it out.
The full list of characters is here:
Ultraman
Ultraman Zero
Ultraman Belial
Gomora
Evangelion (EVA-01 Test Type)
Gundam (Odysseus Gundam, Xi Gundam, Penelope)
Cogimyun
The drums from Taiko no Tatsujin
Pac-Man
Pompompurin
Little Twin Stars
Google says that Pac-Man is by far the most searched-for character out of the list, with more than twice as many searches as for Hello Kitty at #2. Apparently, the top country for Pac-Man searches is Peru.
Samsung has announced that customers will soon be able to scan for unknown Galaxy SmartTags trackers using Samsung’s SmartThings Find service. The feature, called Unknown Tag Search, will be coming to the SmartThings app starting next week.
Users will be able to scan the nearby area for any SmartTags that don’t belong to them but that are moving along with them. This feature could be a big win for safety, providing an easy way to make sure that nobody’s tracking you with a tiny SmartTag that they slipped in your backpack, purse, coat pocket, etc. It’s a nice feature if you’re concerned about the privacy or security implications of Tile-like tracking devices.
Samsung also announced that its assistant, Bixby, will gain the ability to find SmartTags. If you’ve placed a SmartTag on a certain item and named it, you’ll be able to use Bixby to find that tag. For example, if you’ve got a SmartTag on your keys, you could say “hi Bixby, where are my keys?” and it will set off the tag’s ringer.
Apple currently has a feature similar to Unknown Tag Search in the iOS 14.5 beta, and it seems like it would be a natural fit for the company’s long-rumored AirTags item trackers. The company is hosting its “Spring Loaded” event tomorrow, so perhaps we’ll see Apple officially unveil its rumored competitor to Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTags.
The embattled social network Parler is slated to reappear on iOS on the week of April 26th, following its re-acceptance into Apple’s App Store earlier today. However, the iOS app will block some content that’s available on the Android and web versions of Parler — a compromise that apparently satisfies Apple’s developer guidelines.
Parler announced the news in a press release. Interim CEO Mark Meckler said the company had “worked to put in place systems that will better detect unlawful speech and allow users to filter content undesirable to them, while maintaining our strict prohibition against content moderation based on viewpoint.”
Apple reaccepted Parler after a months-long ban under pressure from lawmakers, two days before a hearing on Apple’s App Store policies. The company said Parler — which promotes itself as a less strictly moderated alternative to Facebook or Twitter — had engaged in “substantial conversations” with Parler, resulting in a set of proposed changes that would meet Apple’s content policy.
According to Parler’s press release, that includes filtering some content on iOS. “While the App Store version of Parler will prohibit some posts that Parler allows, those posts will still remain visible on the web-based and Android versions of Parler,” the release notes. Parler didn’t elaborate on what kinds of content that would include, but Apple broadly requires a system for filtering “objectionable” material posted by users.
Apple, Google, and Amazon all banned Parler after the January 6th attack on the US Capitol, saying Parler had failed to police violent threats and hateful content. Parler sued Amazon, which it had worked with for web hosting, but the suit has so far fared poorly in court. Google has continued to bar Parler from its Play Store, but users can install the app directly on Android — making the ban far less of a liability.
Microsoft is rolling out a new Xbox April dashboard update today that will improve the way games are downloaded. A new feature will now let Xbox owners suspend games to speed up download speeds. Currently, Xbox One and Xbox Series X / S systems throttle game updates and new game downloads if another game is active.
This new suspend option can be coupled with Quick Resume on the Xbox Series X / S to quickly pause a game, download game updates, or download a new game altogether and then resume the suspended game later. It’s a much cleaner option than having to manually quit a game or app to ensure download speeds aren’t getting throttled.
The new suspend option.
Alongside this new dashboard option, Microsoft is finally improving its Xbox mobile app to bring achievements back. The newly designed app launched on Android and iOS back in October, but it was missing achievements functionality and many other features that the mobile app previously included. Monthly leaderboards for achievements are also starting to appear for some Xbox mobile app users, and Microsoft says “everyone will see these updates in the app by the end of the month.”
Fitbit has announced its new Luxe fitness tracker that looks like a more fashion-focused take on the Inspire 2. It leaked last week, but Fitbit is making it official with the news that the Luxe is available for preorder starting today, April 19th, for $149.95. This cost includes six months of the Fitbit Premium service, which usually costs $9.99 per month. The service recently launched the new Mindful Method program created by Deepak Chopra that packs in over 30 audio and video sessions on mindfulness and wellness.
A specific release date for the Luxe hasn’t been shared, but the company is aiming for a spring launch, so it shouldn’t be too long of a wait.
The Luxe was designed for “a diverse range of wrist sizes and skin tones for 24/7 wear.” Fitbit says the Luxe is its thinnest touchscreen tracker yet, and the company thinks most people should be able to sleep comfortably with it on. To that end, you won’t need to charge it every night, as Fitbit claims it’ll last up to five days per charge.
The Luxe includes an interchangeable silicone strap with several size adjustments. Other straps will be available at launch, including silicone bands in a few colors for $29.95 each, woven fabric bands for $34.95, leather bands for $49.95, stainless steel mesh bands for $79.95, going all the way up to $99.95 for stainless steel link bracelets from luxury jewelry brand Gorjana. If you just want the Luxe with the Gorjana band, a limited-edition version of the tracker costing $199.95 will include one starting in June.
The Fitbit Luxe in black.Image: Fitbit
The Luxe is angled toward people who want their fitness tracker to be taken for jewelry. The company even went as far as using a metal injection molding process to craft the Luxe’s stainless steel case, which is apparently a traditional technique for jewelry-making.
The Luxe is a buttonless tracker, and inputs are delegated to its color OLED touchscreen. Like its previous smartwatches and trackers, Fitbit’s Luxe will be supported for iOS and Android devices. It’ll also support Google Fast Pair to pair more quickly to Android devices. The Luxe supports connected GPS while paired to your phone, so you’ll need to bring your phone along if you want to track runs or walks. If having built-in GPS is important to you, Fitbit’s Charge 4 includes that and other features like Fitbit Pay and Spotify controls.
Fitbit is using this launch to announce that the Luxe, along with the company’s other heart rate-enabled trackers and watches, support the companion app’s Stress Management Score that assesses your activity level, sleep schedule, and heart rate to help you manage stress. Through the app, the Luxe can track a host of other metrics, like your breathing pattern, your resting and variable heart rate, skin temperature, mood, sleep, and menstrual cycles. Sometime after launch, it’ll be able to record your blood oxygen levels (Sp02).
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