HTC is expected to launch a new VR headset within the week, but you don't have to wait till then to see what it looks like. A collection of Vive Flow images has made its way online, courtesy of evleaks, before the launch event. According to Protocol, the Vive Flow is a lightweight headset developed for consumers under the internal name "Hue." The Bluetooth SIG consortium previously published documents describing Hue as a VR AIO (all-in-one) product, which means the device could be a standalone headset that doesn't need a phone or doesn't have to be tethered to a PC to work. 

The company reportedly wants to position the Vive Flow primarily as a way to consume media, with some access to gaming. Its chip is less powerful than the Oculus Quest 2's, Protocol says, but it will have six degrees of freedom tracking. The images leaked online also show more information about the device, including a dual-hinge system to make sure it fits most people, snap-on face cushion, immersive spatial audio, adjustable lenses and active cooling system. After you pair your phone with it via Bluetooth, you can use your mobile device as a VR controller and to stream content to VR using Miracast tech.

In addition, the images show that the Vive Flow will be available for pre-order starting on October 15th, with shipments going out in early November. The headset will set you back US$499, which is $200 more than the Quest 2's launch price, and you'll get seven free virtual reality content and a carrying case if you pre-order.

Ahead of its Max conference on October 26th, Adobe has shared a preview of a feature that’s coming to Photoshop on the iPad, and it’s a big one. You'll soon be able to use its Camera Raw tool to import RAW files from your camera to the iPad. 

You can use the tool to import any file format Camera Raw currently supports. That includes the ProRAW files that Apple iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro can output. Once you’ve loaded an image, you have access to all the usual adjustments you’ll find on the desktop version of Camera Raw, allowing you to tweaks things like the exposure and color of your photo.

One nifty new feature is that it’s possible to import your RAW file as a Smart Object into Photoshop. That means you can add your image to a PSD, open the resulting file in Photoshop desktop and still have access to the embedded file and adjustments. Adobe says Camera Raw is coming to Photoshop on the iPad soon. In the meantime, we’ll likely see the company preview more upcoming features for its various apps at Adobe Max later this month.

Yes, Samsung has yet another Unpacked event in store. The tech behemoth has announced that an Unpacked Part 2 presentation will take place on October 20th at 10AM Eastern. Samsung didn't offer many clues as to what it would unveil, but promised to show how the company was offering more chances at "self-expression through technology." The teaser accordingly shows Samsung app icons (such as Health and SmartThings) being packaged in pastel-colored boxes.

Rumors haven't been much help. Leaks have suggested Samsung might introduce a Galaxy S21 FE that would bring S21 features to a more affordable phone, but it's not certain if that device will surface in 2021 — if it does at all. Samsung is increasingly reliant on mid-range handsets like the Galaxy A52, and might not feel as much pressure to release an S21 FE when the A series offers a close-enough feature set.

As it stands, Samsung might focus its attention on software and services. The company has been eager to expand platforms like Health, and this might represent an opportunity to show where those ecosystems are headed next. This could also be Samsung's chance to preview One UI changes. The tech firm recently scrapped ads in its One UI apps, and we wouldn't be surprised if there were more substantial OS changes Samsung wanted to show before the year is over.

Google says it will phase out its use of Material Design interface elements within its iOS apps in favor of Apple’s own UIKit. Jeff Verkoeyen, the company's iOS design chief, announced the change in a Twitter thread spotted by The Verge.

Introduced in 2014, Material Design is Google’s in-house design language. The company has used it to unify the look and feel of its apps and services across various platforms. According to Verkoeyen, Google shifted its open source iOS Material component libraries into maintenance mode earlier this year after it conducted a “deep evaluation” of what it means to build a “hallmark” Google experience on iOS. What it found was that many of the custom elements it started building nearly a decade ago to fill gaps in UIKit’s design language are no longer necessary.

“With the introduction of SwiftUI and significant UIKit improvements in iOS 14+, it’s never been easier to build a great branded experience with a tiny amount of code,” Verkoeyen said. 

With the shift to UIKit, Verkoeyen expects his team will spend less time building custom code, which should hopefully lead to faster and more frequent releases. Additionally, the use of UIKit should allow the company to more tightly integrate its software into iOS. However, those benefits may pale in comparison to the fact the company’s apps may end up looking more at home on Apple devices.

The murmurs were true: Apple will hold a second fall product event on October 18th at 1PM Eastern. The invitation for the virtual "Unleashed' presentation doesn't provide many clues, although many unofficially expect Apple to introduce 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro based on souped-up M1X processors.

The new portables are rumored to be significant redesigns that also harken back to the "good old days" of Apple's pre-2016 models. While they'd have cutting-edge designs, they'd also bring back MagSafe-like charging and legacy ports like an SD card slot. To no one's surprise, the M1X would also be far more powerful than the M1 with 10 CPU cores (eight performance and two efficiency) and either 16 or 32 graphics cores. There's a chance Apple might drop the Touch Bar, too.

Developing...

Now that the Lucid Air is finally in production, its creator is eager to tout the EV's semi-autonomous driving assistance — although it may be as much about what's missing as what's here. The new brand has provided further details of its DreamDrive system, now split into regular and Pro versions. Both variants will include 14 regular cameras, four surround cameras, five radar sensors and a string of ultrasonic sensors, but you'll need the Air in Dream Edition or Grand Touring trim to get DreamDrive Pro's LiDAR and the advanced features that will come with it.

Every Air buyer will get core features like Highway Assist (adaptive cruise control with lane centering), Traffic Jam Assist (lane centering at low speeds), cross-traffic protection and Auto Park (for both parallel and perpendicular parking). The combination of an infrared driver camera and hands-off detection will make sure your head, eyes and (of course) hands are focused on the road. If you're incapacitated or simply ignore the warnings, DreamDrive will ultimately bring the car to a complete stop, switch on hazard lights and unlock the doors. These will sound familiar on a basic level if you've ever used Tesla's Autopilot.

You'll need DreamDrive Pro to get the most out of Lucid's platform, however. The Pro tier will include 21-speaker directional alerts as well as the upcoming Highway Pilot system and its "conditional" hands-free driving. Cars with Pro will also get more Highway Assist features through software updates, although Lucid didn't say when those upgrades might arrive.

The technology as described won't yet match all the features from its most advanced rivals, such as Tesla's Full Self-Driving or GM's upcoming Ultra Cruise. LiDAR could give Lucid an edge, but it could take a long while before the sensor reaches its full potential. Instead, Lucid's greatest advantage might simply be its more realistic (if still fluffy) marketing. Where Tesla is in trouble for implying its cars are autonomous, Lucid is careful to position DreamDrive as a driver assistance system and not much more.

Motorola launched a pair of Edge phones in 2020 that stood out for their “waterfall” displays. But it wasn’t the flagship that we preferred of the two. Instead, we were impressed by the more modest Edge. It wasn’t perfect, but you got a lot of phone for the price. So it’s not surprising to see Motorola seemingly skip the Edge+ this year and focus instead on the more affordable model. But what comes as a pleasant surprise is just how much of an improvement the 2021 Edge is. Most important among the updates is a 144Hz screen, a feature normally reserved for top-tier phones. When you add a better fingerprint sensor, superior cameras, and the promise of longer software support, the 2021 Moto Edge is a phone well worth checking out.

The display

Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

The 2020 Edge was defined by the fact it featured the same 6.7-inch curved “Endless Edge” OLED display as the more expensive Edge+. This year, Motorola has gone with a flat 6.8-inch LCD that makes this new model easier to use. With no rounded edges for your palm to touch, you don’t have to worry about accidentally tapping on an icon or swiping to another part of your home screen.

Besides a more practical design, the panel is faster than the one on last year’s model. It can refresh at up to 144Hz, up from 90Hz on the 2020 Edge. Like phones from Samsung and Apple, the panel defaults to an adaptive mode, which limits the refresh rate to 120Hz. Two additional options lock the display to 144Hz and 60Hz, allowing you to prioritize either performance or battery life. I preferred pushing the panel to 144Hz, for reasons I’ll get into in a moment.

Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

On paper, the 144Hz panel is an impressive spec that sets the new Moto Edge apart from phones in its price range like the OnePlus Nord 2 and even more expensive devices like the iPhone 13 Pro. The tradeoff is that it’s a phone with an LCD screen, so you’re missing out on the advantages OLED displays offer, including deep blacks and better power efficiency.

The Moto Edge’s 144Hz screen also presents some issues I haven’t seen on other devices. With the default adaptive mode enabled, it didn’t always render animations at the same speed. For example, sometimes I would scroll through Instagram and my timeline would breeze by as expected. Other times, it felt like that same action would play out at 60Hz. I suspect this is an issue with the software Motorola wrote to dynamically adjust the refresh rate between 60Hz and 120Hz. We have asked Motorola for comment.

Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

Locking the display to 144Hz helped address this issue, but there were still moments where I witnessed slight hitching. The faster panel does make the Moto Edge feel smooth and responsive, but don’t expect the same seamless experience you can find on more expensive devices like the Galaxy S21 and iPhone 13 Pro.

One other thing I want to note is that the Edge’s 144Hz display does not necessarily make it great for gaming. Unless a developer goes out of its way to update a game for the Moto Edge’s display, as Epic Games did with Fortnite on the OnePlus and Samsung devices, you won’t see a benefit from the faster panel.

Beyond the fast refresh rate, there’s a lot to like about the Moto Edge’s display. It’s vibrant, bright and supports HDR10, but there are a couple of things that may irk some people. Out of the box, the screen is set to a saturated color mode that overbakes sRGB content. You can switch it to a “Natural” color setting to make images and videos look more realistic. I also recommend playing with the color temperature settings since my unit came with the display too warm.

Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

You’ll also either love or hate the Moto Edge’s 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The extra real estate is great for scrolling through Instagram, Twitter and other vertical apps but unwieldy when it comes to video content. I’ve been watching a lot of guides and gameplay videos of Diablo II: Resurrected on YouTube, and it quickly becomes evident that there’s no ideal way to consume 16:9 content on a 19.5:9 display: You either leave the image as is and accept the fact that there’s about a thumb’s worth of wasted space on each end of the screen, or you use YouTube’s pinch-to-zoom functionality to crop into the image. The 19.5:9 aspect ratio may also be too tall for some people to use in one hand.

If you don’t mind that, the Moto Edge is a great media consumption device. That said, you’ll want to use Bluetooth headphones for watching movies or TV. This year’s model only has a single speaker that sounds tinny and unsatisfying. Oh, and there’s no longer a headphone jack here, one of the few steps down from last year’s model.

Other upgrades

Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

Motorola has made two other notable changes. First, it replaced the finicky in-display fingerprint sensor found in last year’s model with a capacitive scanner that’s integrated into the new phone’s side-mounted power button. The company also moved the camera cutout to the center of the screen, which makes taking selfies and video calls feel more natural. But it’s the transition to a traditional fingerprint scanner that makes the most impact.

Where I live, masks are still mandatory on public transit as well as in stores and restaurants. Coming from inputting my passcode every time I unlock my iPhone or pay for something, the Moto Edge made doing things like buying a croissant at a coffee shop feel, well, normal. The sensor also works well; It’s fast and accurate and I didn’t have to register the same fingerprint multiple times to get it working efficiently, which was a problem we ran into with last year’s model. If companies learn nothing else from the pandemic, I hope it’s that the humble fingerprint sensor has a place on every phone.

Another highlight of the Moto Edge is battery life. Motorola says you can get up to two days from the phone’s 5,000mAh battery. I found that was possible when I limited the display to 60Hz. On our video rundown battery test, it lasted 19 hours and 45 minutes, which puts it in good company among the phones we’ve tested. Only the Pixel 5a put up a better result, but it’s worth noting it features a more power-efficient OLED display.

Cameras

Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

Motorola has also managed to improve the camera system on this year’s Edge, but not in the same meaningful way as the display. The 2021 model features three rear sensors: a 108-megapixel primary system with f/1.9 aperture, an ultra wide-angle and a depth sensor.

Unsurprisingly, it’s the primary camera that’s the highlight. It can take stunning shots during the day and Motorola’s HDR mode does a commendable job of preserving detail. In particularly challenging scenes, the camera tends to blow out highlights while brightening shadows to the point of making them look unrealistic. But when it properly exposes a scene, the results can be eye-catching. Colors appear vibrant and life-like, and there’s almost a physical texture to small details. Unfortunately, Motorola didn’t add OIS to the main camera, which means it can sometimes struggle when there isn’t as much light.

The 32-megapixel selfie camera is also great. It takes vibrant shots that are sharp and pop with detail. But again, the issue here is when you try to use the camera in a dark room or at night. Without OIS, I found most selfies I took in those situations ended up blurry.

Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

Lastly, there’s the 119-degree wide-angle camera that still feels mostly like an afterthought. It offers plenty of horizontal and vertical space but is almost unusable when there isn’t plenty of light. I used the camera extensively on a dark and cloudy morning, and most of the shots I took that day looked smeared.

I ended up using the wide-angle camera more for macro photography. Unfortunately, that mode has some useability issues too. Focus hunting is a problem; it often took multiple attempts for the camera to lock onto my subject.

The camera app can be slow to launch and switch between lenses, which is one of the few areas where the Edge’s Snapdragon 778G didn’t have a great showing. My review unit came with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, though you can buy it with up to 8GB of RAM. Besides the issue I noted around the refresh rate, I didn’t run into any other notable performance issues.

Wrap-up

Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

A Motorola spokesperson told Engadget the company plans to support the 2021 Edge with two OS upgrades and two years of security updates. That’s a significant change from its predecessor, which only got one Android update.

When you add that to all the hardware updates the 2021 Edge features, it’s a far more compelling phone than its predecessor and an easier recommendation. For the time being, you can get the unlocked 256GB model for $600. It will eventually cost $700. On October 14th, Verizon will also start selling a 5G UW variant that will go for $550.

At $600, the Moto Edge is a good option if you don’t mind sacrificing on camera quality and can live without wireless charging. It’s $150 more than a device like the Pixel 5a, but you’re getting a phone with a better display, faster processor and bigger battery. Even at $700, it still represents good value with specs comparable to devices like the OnePlus 9. It’s not without its flaws, but it’s still one of the best mid-range phones on the market.

Apple promised that Siri would reach third-party devices back at WWDC, and now it's clear just what that will look like. Ecobee has started rolling out an update that brings Siri to the SmartThermostat. You'll need a HomePod mini to serve as a hub, but you'll otherwise get to talk to Ecobee's device like you would your iPhone or Apple Watch — helpful if you want to set the temperature without reaching for another device first.

The update should reach all SmartThermostat users within the "next few weeks." The thermostat by itself costs $250, although you'll need to factor in another $99 if you don't have the HomePod.

There's a clear strategy here: Apple is using integrations like this to boost HomePod sales and expand Siri's competition with rival voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. However, this might still be appealing if you're either deeply invested in Apple's ecosystem or prefer its more privacy-oriented take on smart home control.

Adorama had a good sale on the latest Apple TV 4K last week, and now it's Amazon's turn. The online retailer has the 2021 set-top box for $160 right now, which is just about a record low. You'll get the sale price thanks to a combination of a discount on the device itself, plus an automatically applied coupon that knocks an additional $9.01 off the price at checkout.

The Apple TV 4K is, admittedly, more expensive than most other streaming devices but we consider it to be the best splurge pick right now. It's also the best option if you live within the Apple ecosystem. It runs on an A12 Bionic chip and supports Dolby Vision and HDR video at 60fps, along with features like AirPlay 3 and screen mirroring. Also, tvOS will support spatial audio later this year, which means you'll be able to experience full Dolby Atmos sound if you have the right pair of AirPods to use with the Apple TV.

But the kicker for this model is the redesigned Siri remote. The previous remote was kind of a hassle to use, but Apple fixed that this year. This one's larger and easier to use thanks to its touch-sensitive directional pad that makes scrolling and flipping through content much smoother. We've also found Siri to be quite useful on the Apple TV 4K, since the voice assistant excels at answering direct queries like "Play Ted Lasso" or "Show me some scary movies."

Siri will also come in handy if you have compatible smart home devices as well. The Apple TV 4K has a built-in HomeKit hub inside, so you can connect devices directly to it. Then, you can ask Siri to show you things like video camera feeds directly on your TV. Overall, while the Apple TV 4K comes at a premium, the extra cost may be worth it for Apple loyalists. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

The humble USB-C port has been in the news because Europe wants to make it a standard for all mobile devices to reduce e-waste — and Apple is the only manufacturer still not using the standard for its smartphones. Now, a robotics engineering student has proved that its possible to replace the iPhone's Lightning connector with a USB-C port, Apple Insider has reported. 

On his YouTube channel, EFPL master's student Ken Pillonel teased an iPhone X with a USB-C port, promising a full video later on how it was done. In an earlier blog post and video, he explained how he reverse-engineered the Lightning connector, then built a prototype PCB connector to prove the concept. 

Pillonel discovered that Apple sells a Lightning connector to certified partners that build USB-C to Lightning cables. He managed to get one out of a third-party cable, then remove the metallic part and expose the PCB. With that done, he pulled the female Lightning port from an iPhone and soldered wires from the bare C94 board to a PCB with USB-C connectors. "Once that was done I had my first working prototype," he said. "Lightning is gone and only USB-C is left."

The next step was to "fully reverse engineer the C94" board so that everything can be shrunk down to fit into a phone, he said. That part has apparently been done, judging by the video above, and will be fully explained in a second video.

An iPhone with a USB-C port is the dream for many users, as it would allow for faster PD charging and the use of standard, non-proprietary cables. It's also clearly feasible for Apple, given that the iPad Pro has a USB-C port. Europe has proposed a rule that would require USB-C charging for all phones and electronic devices, with the aim of reducing e-waste and consumer inconvenience. 

It's not clear if this has been done before, but most folks shouldn't try a project like this at home. Pillonel has an electronics background and is working on a Master's degree in Robotics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL). That's without mentioning that it would obviously void your iPhone's warranty.