Samsung’s unique Odyssey Ark gaming monitor might finally go on sale in the coming weeks. A report from the Korean publication ETNews (via SamMobile) suggests that the 55-inch curved monitor is set to become available sometime in August.
After having been announced and showcased at CES in January, the release of the Odyssey Ark has been highly anticipated. However, several specifications, including HDR support, brightness, and port configurations, remain unknown at this time.
So far, we know for sure that the monitor features a 16:9 4K OLED display, which was showcased in a vertical stance but also supports pivot, tilt, and rotation modes. The aspect ratio can also be set to ultrawide 21:9 or ultrawide 49:9, depending on user preference.
SamMobile claims to have learned from Samsung at CES that the monitor will have a 1000R curve radius, a UHD resolution, an active refresh rate of 165Hz, a 1 millisecond response time, six surround sound speakers with Dolby Atmos support, and support for FreeSync and G-Sync technologies. The publication added that the specs are subject to change up until the Odyssey Ark is released.
The massive monitor is also using a QD-OLED panel instead of a traditional OLED panel, which has been a trend on gaming monitors experimenting with OLED throughout the year. We’ve seen other monitors, such as the Alienware 34, use Samsung’s QD-OLED panels, which helps keep the price of the peripheral lower. However, due to the sheer size of the Odyssey Ark, it is possible the monitor could have a steep price.
The price of the Odyssey Ark has not yet been revealed. However, some bloggers speculate that the monitor could sell for upwards of $2,500, using the 49-inch Odyssey Neo G9 as an example. The Odyssey Neo G9 is also a curved monitor, which sells for $1,800. The smaller still, 32-inch Odyssey Neo G8, was also showcased at CES and sells for $1,500.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.