Technologies

HTC’s New Standalone VR Headset Is Like Nothing We’ve Ever Seen

Best of CES: The compact, depth-sensing, $1,099 headset arrives in February. Vive boss Dan O’Brien explains the strategy.

VR has suddenly gotten more expensive. It seems like the worst possible timing, but HTC’s newest high-end headset announced at CES, the Vive XR Elite, follows a similar playbook to Meta’s recent Quest Pro, and possibly Apple’s awaited device as well. It raises a question: Are we truly ready for the rise of the $1,000-plus VR rigs? The standalone Vive XR Elite is sleek and looks a lot more compact than the Quest Pro, and is trying to test the higher-end waters.

The $1,099 headset, available for preorder Thursday, is arriving by the end of February — remarkably soon for a CES product. That means it’ll be available alongside Sony’s PlayStation 5-connected PSVR 2. While less expensive than the Quest Pro, the XR Elite’s price costs about as much as buying a PS5 and a PSVR 2 together. It’s far from an impulse purchase. But the hardware, which shrinks down the VR form to a pair of nearly glasses-like goggles and includes mixed-reality capabilities that could allow for AR apps, looks to solve how we’ll be using the metaverse for more in our lives than just games, simulation and fitness.

No other company has really cracked this challenge either. But this Vive headset looks, more than ever, like it’s a stepping stone to future AR glasses.

«We see where mixed reality is going to create a whole new suite of use cases. We know the virtual reality use cases are great. I think the AR side is amazing, too,» Dan O’Brien, HTC’s general manager of Vive, told me in a conversation at CES in Las Vegas. He acknowledged that HTC tried to make an AR device in 2015 but stopped because of the complications. O’Brien sees 5G and cloud computing as a key next step. «You need a 5G network, a really robust one to make AR go to scale — you need a cloud infrastructure to deliver to those types of wearables.»

The XR Elite is primarily a standalone VR headset, and it looks like an impressive piece of tech: It has a familiar Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chip much like the Meta Quest 2, Quest Pro and Vive’s existing business-focused Focus 3. But it adds a higher-resolution 110-degree field of view, LCD displays with 2K resolution per eye that can run at 90Hz. There’s also a boosted 12GB of RAM along with 128GB of storage. It can connect to PCs to run SteamVR or HTC’s VivePort software, or connect with Android phones. But its potential as a bridge to AR experiences seems like the most impressive feature.

Those are just specs, though. The XR Elite is a VR headset with a similar proposition to previous models, but with expanded capabilities. Its compact size is the most surprising part: At 340 grams, it’s less than half the weight of the Quest Pro. The rear hot-swappable battery gives about two hours of life. It gets even smaller by unclipping the back battery strap and adding glasses arms that can turn the headset into a modified pair of VR glasses, which could just plug into an external USB-C charger or battery for power. It’s small enough to fit in a compact carrying case tube.

But that compact size comes with a twist: Instead of fitting on top of glasses, the XR Elite uses adjusting dials, or diopters, which can change the lens prescription on the fly without you needing to wear glasses at all — for some people, at least. The diopters only accommodate up to a -6 prescription, but my own vision is over -8 for nearsightedness. It’s a challenge HTC faced with its even smaller Vive Flow phone-connected VR goggles, which also went for the glasses-free approach.

The XR Elite has a dedicated depth sensor on the front, along with color passthrough cameras that can eventually show mixed reality-experiences, similar to the Quest Pro. The Quest Pro doesn’t have the Elite’s added depth sensor, but it accommodates for that with its onboard cameras.

The XR Elite could also adapt further. While the hardware doesn’t have its own eye-tracking tools onboard, eye- and face-tracking add-ons are coming later in the year. The headset’s controllers are the same standard ones that HTC has for the Vive Focus 3, which follow the same game controller-like playbook as the Meta Quest 2 and others. But HTC already has its own line of wearable VR body trackers and wristbands, and more accessories could follow.

O’Brien acknowledges that the sticky, mass-market appeal of VR and AR aren’t here yet. «I think developers will be using cloud computing, being able to actually get their content into the metaverse much faster, and much more efficiently,» he said. «If you think about the streaming business, these streamers, these TikTokkers, all these kids that create the really compelling, fun experiences that just keep drawing you back in? That’s not in the metaverse today, We need to create more opportunities for less sophisticated immersive content creators to get involved, and then create more [of an] economy.»

O’Brien sees cloud computing, driven by eye tracking’s ability to compress graphics data via a technology called foveated rendering, as a way of eventually shrinking the processors on future headsets, getting smaller and fitting on more people.

My concern is about the limited prescription options at the moment. «As we get to much lighter glasses, people will probably be bringing more of their prescriptions to it in the future,» says O’Brien. «For now, what we can do is just try to address the majority of the market as best we can with these types of setting changes, because we have to get the headsets lighter. We’ve got to get them more comfortable. And if you’re going to have these big eye relief areas inside of these headsets, they’re going to stay really big.»

O’Brien sees the included VR controllers as possibly becoming optional one day, even maybe being left out of the box and bought separately, but not yet. Hand tracking isn’t reliable enough. «Hand tracking has to make massive advancements over the next two to three years to really become much more of a natural input tool.» But O’Brien suggests it’s a way for future headsets to get more affordable. «If a user can just put on glasses and interact with content [with their hands], that’s going to be a much less expensive product.»

This product has been selected as one of the best products of CES 2023. Check out the other Best of CES 2023 award winners.

Technologies

Apple iPhone 16E Specs vs. iPhone 15 Pro: New Entry-Level or Last Year’s Pro

Both iPhone models offer a lot of features while saving money over more-expensive options.

One of the biggest selling points of Apple’s $599 iPhone 16E is that it offers excellent bang for the buck. It is Apple’s most affordable iPhone, but it still has many of the same features as the $799 iPhone 16, such as the latest A18 chip and Apple Intelligence, which introduces generative emoji, smarter notifications and, eventually, an improved Siri.

Yet, it might be worth looking at the company’s older iPhones, such as the iPhone 15 Pro. It might not be as cheap as the iPhone 16E, but it has much better features, such as a nicer camera and better charging capabilities. Those extra features might be worth the higher price. Plus, you can potentially get it at a lower price than the iPhone 16 if you buy it refurbished.

How do these phones compare? We’ve outlined a few features for you to find out which one is the best iPhone for you.

Display

The iPhone 16E and the iPhone 15 Pro feature the same 6.1-inch size screen at a similar display resolution, but there are still a few differences. The iPhone 16E runs at a 60Hz refresh rate — similar to all of the non-Pro iPhone models — and it can reach a 1,200-nit peak brightness. It also has a similar display notch to the iPhone 14, and does not support the Dynamic Island that serves up contextual information on other iPhone 15 and 16 models. It’s functional and should work fine whether you are using the phone indoors or outdoors, but the Pro’s screen has several additional perks.

The iPhone 15 Pro’s display can run at a variable refresh rate between 10Hz and 120Hz, changing based on what activity you are doing. You can expect to see the smoother 120Hz refresh rate when scrolling through websites, playing games and other applications that benefit from smoother animations. According to Apple, it will hit the lower end of that range to conserve battery life when you aren’t using the phone. The display also hits a higher 2,000 nits of peak brightness (outdoors) and includes the Dynamic Island that shows information like the music player or countdowns around the space of the front-facing camera’s display cutout.

Processor

The iPhone 15 Pro has the A17 Pro chip, which is a six-core CPU with two performance and four efficiency cores that makes it great for graphics and gaming. The iPhone 16E, on the other hand, ships with the latest A18 chip, which gives it a touch more power and speed. In practice, the A17 Pro is still a very capable chip that will serve you well for years to come. The A18 chip, however, will likely receive software and new feature updates for a slightly longer period of time. Both processors are capable of running Apple Intelligence and more advanced iPhone games like Resident Evil 4 Remake and Death Stranding.

Apple Intelligence

One of the iPhone 16E’s biggest highlights is that it supports Apple Intelligence, which was previously only available in Apple’s high-end offerings like the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 16. Apple Intelligence offers plenty of benefits such as smart writing tools, a Clean Up tool that removes unwanted elements from photos and a potentially smarter Siri on a future update. The iPhone 15 Pro, as mentioned, has had this from the start, so the two are fairly equal in this department.

Camera

The biggest visual difference between the iPhone 16E and the iPhone 15 Pro is that the latter has three cameras instead of one. The iPhone 15 Pro has a 48-megapixel wide lens, a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. It also has a large 48-megapixel sensor that helps immensely in low light. The iPhone 16E, on the other hand, only has a single 48-megapixel rear camera. It has to rely on sensor-cropping for improved zoomed-in shots. Both have 12-megapixel front-facing cameras.

Charging

Another downside to the iPhone 16E is that it lacks support for MagSafe wireless charging, and is only compatible with Qi charging capped at 7.5W. The iPhone 15 Pro, on the other hand, supports 15W MagSafe charging. Not only can it wireless charge at twice the speed, it also supports a whole range of magnetic accessories that the iPhone 16E won’t be able to use unless it has a third-party MagSafe-compatible case.

Both phones use USB-C for wired charging, with Apple citing that both can recharge their battery to 50% in 30 minutes when connected to a 20W adapter. In CNET’s review testing for the iPhone 16E and iPhone 15 Pro, both phones tested slightly better than this. The iPhone 16E recharged from 0% to 59% in 30 minutes, and the 15 Pro recharged from 0% to 62% after being updated to iOS 17.0.3.

Pricing (and a note on buying refurbished)

Obviously, the iPhone 16E offers the lower price as it retails for just $599. Apple, however, is now officially selling a refurbished version of the 15 Pro for just $759, which is cheaper than the $799 iPhone 16. Sure, that’s more expensive than the 16E, but the Pro’s extra features might be worth a higher price for you. Additionally, while buying phones in a secondary market has its issues (the phone might not always be in great shape), Apple’s official refurbished program has an excellent reputation that is akin to buying the product new.

Check out the following chart to see how the iPhone 16E and the iPhone 15 Pro stack up in other aspects.

Apple iPhone 16E vs. Apple iPhone 15 Pro

	Apple iPhone 16E	Apple iPhone 15 Pro
Display size, resolution	6.1-inch OLED display; 2,532×1,170 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate	6.1-inch OLED; 2,556×1,179 pixels; 120Hz adaptive
Pixel density	460 ppi	460 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 in.	5.77 x 2.78 x 0.32 in
Dimensions (millimeters)	146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm	146.6 x 70.6 x 8.25 mm
Weight (ounces, grams)	167g (5.88 oz.)	187g (6.6 oz)
Mobile software	iOS 18	iOS 17
Camera	48-megapixel (wide)	48-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel (3x telephoto)
Front-facing camera	12-megapixel	12-megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K
Processor	Apple A18	A17 Pro
RAM/Storage	RAM unknown + 128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Expandable storage	None	None
Battery/Charger	Up to 26 hours video playback, 21 hours streamed video playback, 90 hours of audio playback. 20W wired charging, 7.5W Qi wireless charging	Undisclosed; Apple claims up to 23 hours of video playback (20 hours streamed)
Fingerprint sensor	None, Face ID	None (Face ID)
Connector	USB-C	USB-C (USB 3.0)
Headphone jack	None	None
Special features	Action button, Apple C1 5G modem, Apple Intelligence, Ceramic Shield, Emergency SOS, satellite connectivity, IP68 resistance	5G (mmw/Sub6), Action Button, Always-On display, IP68 rating, MagSafe, Dynamic Island, 5x optical zoom (120mm equivalent),satellite connectivity, eSIM, Thread networking technology
Price off-contract (USD)	$599 (128GB)	$999 (128GB, $1,099 (256GB), $1,299 (512GB), $1,499 (1TB)
Price (GBP)	£599 (128GB)	£999 (128GB), £1,099 (256GB), £1,299 (512GB), £1,499 (1TB)
Price (AUD)	AU$999 (128GB)	AU$1,849 (128GB), AU$2,049 (256GB), AU$2,399 (512GB), AU$2,749 (1TB)

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Monday, May 19

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for May 19.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword is pretty easy. 5-Across, «one for whom every day is Boxing Day,» stumped me because I really wanted the answer to have something to do with cats. (Spoiler: It did not.) Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get at those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Network satirized on «30 Rock,» for short
Answer: NBC

4A clue: Sport played on horseback
Answer: POLO

5A clue: One for whom every day is Boxing Day?
Answer: MOVED

6A clue: Like correct letters in Wordle
Answer: GREEN

7A clue: Blend together
Answer: MELD

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: «Invisible Man» or «Little Women»
Answer: NOVEL

2D clue: Run in the wash
Answer: BLEED

3D clue: What bourbon whiskey is primarily made from
Answer: CORN

4D clue: Tiny hole in the skin
Answer: PORE

5D clue: Longtime movie studio acquired by Amazon in 2022
Answer: MGM

How to play more Mini Crosswords

The New York Times Games section offers a large number of online games, but only some of them are free for all to play. You can play the current day’s Mini Crossword for free, but you’ll need a subscription to the Times Games section to play older puzzles from the archives.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for May 19, #238

Hints and answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 238, for May 19.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Connections: Sports Edition might be tough today if, like me, you don’t know what «loge» means. Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Brag.

Green group hint: Where’s my seat?

Blue group hint: City that never sleeps.

Purple group hint: Opposite of go.