News
Qualcomm Lays Out its Vision for Artificial Intelligence
Qualcomm Technologies has today laid out its vision for ubiquitous on-device artificial intelligence (AI) complementing cloud AI. “We envision a world where AI makes devices, machines, automobiles, and things much more intelligent, simplifying and enriching our daily lives,” said the company in a statement.
In 2007, Qualcomm started exploring spiking neuron approaches to machine learning for computer vision and motion control applications, and later expanded the scope of the research to look not just at biologically inspired approaches but artificial neural networks — primarily deep learning. Fast forward to today, Qualcomm Technologies is announcing the acquisition of Scyfer B.V., a company affiliated with University of Amsterdam and focused on cutting-edge machine learning techniques, to add a talented team to its roster.
Scyfer has built cutting-edge AI solutions for companies worldwide and in a number of different industries, such as manufacturing, healthcare and finance. “We started fundamental research a decade ago, and our current products now support many AI use cases from computer vision and natural language processing to malware detection on a variety of devices — such as smartphones and cars — and we are researching broader topics, such as AI for wireless connectivity, power management and photography,” said Matt Grob, executive vice president, technology, Qualcomm Incorporated.
Many companies focus on the execution of AI workloads in the cloud, but Qualcomm Technologies is focused on the implementation of AI on end devices – smartphones, cars, robotics, and the like – to ensure that processing can be done with or without a network or Wi-Fi connection. The benefits of on-device AI include immediate response, enhanced reliability, increased privacy protection, and efficient use of network bandwidth.
Qualcomm Technologies continues to push AI research forward and is bringing cutting-edge machine learning technologies to the forefront. Examples of such efforts include:
- advances in neural network techniques for semi-supervised and unsupervised training like generative adversarial networks (GANs), distributed learning, and privacy protecting;
- network optimization for on-device applications including compression, inter-layer optimizations, optimizations for sparsity, and other techniques to take better advantage of memory and space/time complexity;
- and specialized hardware architectures designed to accelerate machine learning workloads with greater performance and energy efficiency in embedded devices.
The acquisition of Scyfer brings with it a founder and renowned professor at the University of Amsterdam, Dr. Max Welling, which will help to further advance AI research and development at Qualcomm Technologies. Dr. Welling will continue his role as a professor at the University of Amsterdam, and the rest of the Scyfer team will continue to be based in Amsterdam. In 2015, Qualcomm Technologies and the University of Amsterdam also established QUVA, a joint research lab focused on advancing the cutting-edge machine learning techniques for mobile and computer vision. Qualcomm Technologies is excited to continue to work with the University of Amsterdam going forward, underscoring the importance of educating future generations in this important field.

Computex
Acer to Unveil AI-Powered Laptops, Smart Wearables, and Gaming Gear at COMPUTEX 2025

Ahead of Computex, Acer has made a series of announcements detailing its new and upcoming AI-powered devices, including laptops, desktops, wearables, and e-mobility solutions. For gamers, Acer unveiled the Predator Triton 14 AI gaming laptop, featuring an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 GPU. Acer highlights its use of graphene thermal interface materials (TIM) in the CPU, which it says is an industry first for laptops, aimed at improving cooling. The Predator Helios Neo 14 AI, with similar specifications, was also announced, alongside the Predator Orion 3000 gaming desktop, equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and the same NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 GPU found in the laptops.
The Predator Triton 14 AI is set to launch in EMEA in July, with a starting price of EUR 2,999. The Predator Helios Neo 14 AI will start at EUR 1,699, and the Predator Orion 3000 desktop will be available in EMEA for EUR 1,099. Acer’s more budget-friendly Swift lineup also received updates with the introduction of the Swift X 14 AI and Swift X 14 AI Creator laptops. Both models are powered by the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, emphasizing their AI capabilities and graphics performance. The Swift 14 AI is a Copilot PC, utilizing AMD Ryzen AI 300 series processors, while the Swift X 14 AI Creator features Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2). Both laptops boast 3K OLED displays and haptic touchpads. These Swift AI laptops are slated for a July release in EMEA, with a starting price of EUR 1,799.
In the thin and light category, Acer showcased the Swift Edge and Swift Go AI Copilot+ laptops. The Swift Go AI, constructed with a magnesium-aluminum chassis, weighs just 0.99 kilograms and claims up to 21 hours of battery life. It will be offered in 14-inch and 16-inch versions, with the latter promising 16 hours of battery life. All three Swift laptops are powered by Intel Core Ultra 200V series processors and are “eligible to receive updates to Copilot+ PO experiences.”
The Swift Edge is expected to arrive in EMEA in June, starting at EUR 1,599. The Swift Go 16 AI will have a starting price of EUR 1,200, while the 14-inch version will start at EUR 1,199. The Aspire series also sees new AI Copilot+ laptops with the Aspire 14 AI and Aspire 16 AI, offering configurations with either Intel Core Ultra or AMD Ryzen processors and Intel Arc graphics.
Acer also introduced new Predator and Nitro gaming and smart monitors. Highlights include the Predator X27U F5, featuring a 500 Hz refresh rate, and the Predator X27 X, with 4K resolution. Both support AMD FreeSync Premium Pro technology. Additionally, the company announced the Acer Nitro GA321QK P and Nitro GA341CUR W0 Google TV smart monitors, and the Acer Nitro PG271K, a 4K portable monitor with a kickstand.
Expanding into the wearables market, Acer unveiled the Acer FreeSense ring, designed for 24/7 biometric tracking and “AI-driven wellness insights.” The company also announced the Acer AI Transbuds, capable of real-time, two-way voice translation for 15 major languages, even when used by only one person.
Acer is also entering the e-mobility sector, showcasing new e-scooters and e-bikes for urban commuting and outdoor use. The lineup includes the Acer eScooter Series 4 Select, Series 5 Select, Predator ES Storm, and Predator ES Thunder, all equipped with 400W to 500W motors, adaptive braking, and suspension systems. The Acer eMobility App will allow riders to track performance and manage security settings. The Predator eRanger, a fat-tire e-bike previously shown at the 2025 Taipei Cycle Show, was also on display.
Acer has not yet released pricing details for its wearables or e-mobility devices.
Gadgets
Nothing Phone 3: Leaks Hint at Flagship Qualcomm Processor

After releasing two mid-range phones earlier this year, Nothing is now gearing up to launch a flagship model. The company’s CEO, Carl Pei, has already confirmed that the Nothing Phone 3 will launch in Q3 this year, costing around $1,000. However, Nothing has remained tight-lipped about other details. That changes today, as we finally have some information about the highly anticipated device.
According to a new leak, the Nothing Phone 3 is codenamed “Metroid” and has the model number A024. These details have previously been spotted in certification listings of an upcoming Nothing device in the GSM database and the Bureau of Indian Standards. Additionally, the leak (via Smartprix) suggests that the device could feature a flagship Snapdragon chipset, likely the Snapdragon 8 Elite, given Nothing’s ongoing partnership with Qualcomm.
Sources familiar with Nothing’s plans have reportedly said that the Nothing Phone 3 will sport a flagship-grade triple camera system, consisting of a large primary sensor and a better periscope zoom lens than the one on the Phone 3a Pro. The flagship device is also rumoured to pack a substantial battery, possibly larger than the 5,000mAh battery offered on other Nothing and CMF phones.
Based on the launch timeline Carl Pei shared last month, the Nothing Phone 3 is expected to hit the shelves sometime this July. However, even though the phone will likely hit the shelves after the stable Android 16 release, it’s expected to run Nothing OS 3.2 based on Android 15 at launch.
Reports suggest Nothing could offer the device at a cheaper price in the Indian market. Although Carl Pei has already confirmed that the Phone 3 will cost around $1,000, the device may be priced under $650 in India. The lower price could make the phone an instant hit in the region, especially since it’s expected to offer top-tier hardware.
Gadgets
Is This the Best Value Smartwatch of 2025? Our Look at the HUAWEI WATCH FIT 4 Pro

As a sleek and powerful smartwatch that just works with all smartphones without costing as much as a mid-range smartphone, the HUAWEI WATCH FIT 4 Pro has grown beyond Huawei’s popular WATCH FIT series. This year, it is going up against the flagship smartwatches but without a flagship price tag. It comes with many of the trappings of a high-end smartwatch; aluminium casing with titanium bezels, sapphire glass, advanced health and fitness tracking, and even a golf mode. It’s fashionable, lightweight, and highly functional. So, what’s the catch?
Ultra slim design
The squarish watch face of the WATCH FIT 4 Pro looks familiar, much like last year’s WATCH FIT 3. The FIT 4 Pro is slightly thinner at 9.3mm and weighs 30.4 grams. Beyond the design, a lot has changed outside and under the hood. The WATCH FIT 4 Pro introduces premium materials such as sapphire glass, an aviation-grade aluminium body with titanium alloy bezels.
1.82-inch screen size remains unchanged, regardless, still respectable for a 2025 smartwatch. Yet it flexes a peak screen brightness of 3,000 nits, right up there with the best of the best in the market. Anybody who spends considerable time outdoors will appreciate such a bright screen. This display uses HUAWEI Hybrid AMOLED technology, featuring an ultra-high retina resolution of 347 ppi, bringing visuals to life with stunning clarity and detail.
Groundbreaking outdoor workouts
Fitness tracking on most smartwatches starts and ends with calorie tracking. Instead, the FIT 4 Pro becomes part of your sports gear with fully fleshed-out golf, diving, trekking and trail running modes.
The golf feature offers Course Mode and Driving Range Mode. The Course Mode provides access to over 15,000 golf course maps worldwide, showing detailed 3D layouts of golf courses. It accurately shows your distance from the front, centre, and back of the green, and from obstacles. Based on this info, you can pick the right club and plan your shots with precision. The Scorecard Operations allows you to score the putts on the green in the completed round directly on the scorecard. With Driving Range mode, golfers can practice and perfect their swings while tracking essential metrics like backswing time and swing speed.
This is also the first time for the WATCH FIT Series to support freediving up to 40 meters of depth. Diving Mode includes Freediving and Training Modes, making it a fantastic tool for amateurs and professionals. And with a complete suite of functions for detailed navigation like offline full-colour maps, route importation, backtracking, segmentation navigation, checkpoint navigation and real-time alerts, Advanced Terrain Map Tracking ensures you stay on track every step of the way, even when you are off the beaten path.
Comprehensive health management
Thanks to the HUAWEI TruSense System, the HUAWEI WATCH FIT 4 Pro has reached the industry-leading level in vital sign monitoring, including heart rate, blood oxygen, respiratory rate, blood oxygen, body temperature changes, stress, emotional health, ECG, Arrhythmia risk, and Sleep Breathing Awareness. The watch features the HRV monitoring function during sleep. As a barometer of human health, the HRV indicator reflects the amount of physical and psychological stress and is often used in clinical diagnosis.
The Emotional Wellbeing Assistant is now available in HUAWEI WATCH FIT 4 Pro, designed to empower users to better understand and manage their emotional health. This feature offers real-time, data-driven insights into a user’s emotional state, enabling continuous emotional monitoring throughout the day.
The HUAWEI WATCH FIT 4 Pro provides comprehensive support for women’s health. It features a temperature sensor capable of detecting fluctuations in basal body temperature, enabling personalised, data-driven predictions of the user’s menstrual cycle, ovulation period, and fertility, all powered by advanced physiological data analysis.
Even with all the extra features, the WATCH FIT 4 Pro retains exceptional battery life, with up to 7 days of usage in typical usage scenarios, and a maximum of 10 days. In addition, the HUAWEI WATCH FIT 4 Pro only takes 60 minutes to charge.
So, what’s the catch? The surprising answer is… remarkably little. It delivers premium materials, advanced health tracking, and genuinely useful specialised modes like golf and diving, all while maintaining excellent battery life. The ‘catch,’ if you can call it that, features like NFC and standalone LTE are missing here. However, considering the price, that’s nothing to complain about.
– Partner Content