Waveform: Snapdragon 8 Elite, AirPods Hearing Aid & AR Glasses
The Latest in Hardware and Tech News
This episode of the Waveform Podcast dives deep into the latest industry shifts, covering everything from new mobile chipsets to the intersection of health and audio hardware, alongside a comprehensive look at the frontlines of augmented reality.
Snapdragon 8 Elite and Apple Updates
• Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset brings significant efficiency gains (quoted at 44%) and massive ISP improvements, though its announcement at the Snapdragon Summit is overshadowed by a growing dispute with ARM.
• Discussions around Apple's new USB-C accessories (Magic Mouse, Trackpad, Keyboard) triggered a lively debate about ergonomic design vs. port parity.
AirPods Pro 2: Hearing Health
• The crew explores the new AirPods Pro 2 hearing aid feature and built-in hearing test available in iOS 18.1.
• Beyond the tech specs, they discuss technical nuances of ear protection at live concerts, differentiating between active noise cancellation, mechanical seals, and the drivers necessary to handle high-volume audio without distortion.
The Future of AR: Spectacles vs. Orion
• Direct hands-on comparisons between the Snapchat Spectacles and Meta Orion glasses highlight different developmental philosophies:
• Snapchat Spectacles: Praised for a robust app ecosystem and impressive resolution, but hampered by a smaller field of view.
• Meta Orion: Remarkable for its spatial pinning and lightweight design, largely due to innovative use of silicon carbide waveguides, though currently an internal prototype with high production costs.
• The discussion concludes with insights from Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth (Boz) on the challenges of thermals, display manufacturing, and the potential for a neural EMG wristband to redefine computer input languages.
"The major driver of the cost, 90% of the cost, is in the display architecture... these are custom micro LEDs... and these waveguides, silicon carbide waveguides, which is a very challenging material to work with." — Andrew Bosworth