Jon Porter | The Verge The Verge is about technology and how it makes us feel. Founded in 2011, we offer our audience everything from breaking news to reviews to award-winning features and investigations, on our site, in video, and in podcasts. 2025-01-23T23:41:19+00:00 https://www.theverge.com/authors/jon-porter/rss https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/verge-rss-large_80b47e.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1 Nathan Edwards Jon Porter <![CDATA[The best mechanical keyboards to buy right now]]> https://www.theverge.com/23384750/best-mechanical-keyboard-wired-wireless-75-percent-layout-cheap-bluetooth 2025-01-23T18:41:19-05:00 2024-10-08T15:14:30-04:00

It’s hard to beat the tactility, durability, or good looks of a mechanical keyboard, but there are a lot of options out there, and not all of them are created equal. Here are our top picks, including both wired and wireless models ranging from compact keyboards with laptop-style layouts to full-size keyboards complete with numpads — from budget to… not so budget.

Most of the keyboards below use a 75 percent layout, which is a compact form factor that maintains a function row and arrow key cluster, like most laptop keyboards. It’s a great place to start unless you really want an attached number pad or know you prefer a different layout. Nearly all of our recommendations also come in other layouts, which we’ve linked where possible. 

While any keyboard can be used for gaming, this guide focuses on the best keyboards for typing and general office work, so input latency and polling rate weren’t major deciding factors. If you’re after a keyboard specifically for gaming, check out our guide to the best gaming keyboards.

A brief introduction to key keyboard terms

Hot-swappable switches — switches that can be removed with a simple pulling tool without desoldering. They’re ideal if you want to change a keyboard’s feel without replacing the whole thing.

QMK — an open-source keyboard firmware that’s powerful and customizable but a little unintuitive for beginners.

VIA — a slickly designed app based used to remap keyboards running a variant of QMK firmware.

Keycap profile — describes the shape of a set of keycaps. Cherry is a popular option that looks very traditional. Other options include MT3, DCX, and MDA. Here’s a handy site that compares the popular designs.

North-facing switches — when a keyboard’s switches are oriented with the LED cutout toward the back, which better illuminates shine-through legends.

South-facing switches — when a keyboard’s switches have the LED cutout at the front to avoid interference with Cherry-profile keycaps.

The best wired keyboard for most people

Keychron V1

The Keychron V1 is one of the best entry-level wired mechanical keyboards available. It has hot-swappable switches, full remappability with VIA, great build quality, RGB backlighting, and double-shot PBT keycaps for under $100.

Where to Buy:

Connectivity: USB / Keycaps: Double-shot PBT / Hot-swappable: Yes / Available sizes: 60 percent, 65 percent, 70 percent, 75 percent, TKL, 1800, Full size, 65 percent Alice, 75 percent Alice / Available layouts: ANSI, ISO / Switch options: K Pro Red, K Pro Blue, K Pro Brown / Battery size: N/A / North- or south-facing switches: South-facing

The Keychron V1 is the best entry-level wired keyboard. Starting at just $84 for a fully assembled model (though frequently on sale for less), it’s among the more affordable options on this list, but it feels almost as nice to type on as keyboards that cost twice as much. Its build quality is lovely and sturdy, and it sounds great to type on.

While the V1 has a 75 percent layout, a popular compact design that omits the numpad and other keys to give you a laptop-style experience, Keychron has other V-series keyboards in a variety of sizes. These range from more traditional keyboard layouts like the tenkeyless V3 and full-size V6, to more compact models like the V2 (which has a 65 percent layout that omits the dedicated function row) and the even more compact V4 (with a 60 percent design that omits the arrow keys entirely). Some V-series keyboards are also available in international layouts.

For such a low price, the V1 is packed with features usually found on enthusiast keyboards. It offers hot-swappable switches with south-facing RGB backlighting, and its switches and stabilizers feel nice and smooth. It’s fully programmable: you can remap every key using the intuitive and powerful VIA software on top of QMK — which works on Windows, Mac, and Linux and lets you do everything from moving keys around to programming macros directly into the keyboard itself.

The Keychron V1 on a desk.

The V1 comes with durable double-shot PBT keycaps. You get a choice of Mac and Windows keycaps in the box, and a switch on the back of the keyboard lets you toggle between layouts instantly. You can get it with a volume knob for an extra $10 (pictured) or save $20 and buy a bare-bones version without keycaps or switches. Our sample came with Keychron’s own tactile K Pro Brown switches, but there are also clicky and linear options.

If wireless connectivity is important to you, then Keychron offers the Keychron V1 Max, which can connect to your computer using either Bluetooth or a 2.4GHz USB dongle. It also uses a more premium-feeling gasket-mounted construction, which makes for a nicer typing feel. We seriously considered recommending the V1 Max over the V1, but decided against it for now. The V1 Max has a higher starting price, partly because it comes with a volume knob as standard and partly because the V1 is frequently discounted. And secondly, the wired V series that the V1 is a part of is — as outlined above — available in a wider choice of sizes and international layouts, meaning it’s more likely that you’ll find a model that suits your needs.

Expect this to change in the coming months; the V Max series is already available in six layouts (compared to nine for the V series), but for now the V1 remains our top pick for most people.

The best premium wireless keyboard

Keychron Q1 Max

The Keychron Q1 Max is a great premium keyboard, with a full aluminum chassis, gasket-mounted plate, and the flexibility of either Bluetooth or 2.4GHz wireless connectivity in addition to the hot-swappable switches and VIA compatibility of the more affordable V series.
Keychron Q1 Max top-down on a desk.

Where to Buy:

Connectivity: USB, Bluetooth, 2.4GHz dongle (1000Hz) / Keycaps: Double-shot PBT / Hot-swappable: Yes / Available sizes: 11 options, ranging from 60 percent to full-sized and beyond / Available layouts: ANSI, ISO / Switch options: Gateron Jupiter Red, Gateron Jupiter Brown, Gateron Jupiter Banana / Battery size: 4,000mAh / North- or south-facing switches: South-facing

If you’re after something fancier than the V1 and the rest of Keychron’s V-series, the Keychron Q1 Max is a great step up. It has a sturdy aluminum chassis with a built-in volume knob, offers a much nicer typing experience, it’s fully customizable, and it’s wireless, with an option to connect over either Bluetooth or an included 2.4GHz USB dongle.

If you’re considering a premium keyboard, we think it makes sense to pick the Keychron Q1 Max over the Q1 Pro ($199) or wired Keychron Q1 ($189 with knob). The Max has all the features of the earlier two boards, with the extra flexibility of connecting via a 1000Hz 2.4GHz USB dongle in addition to Bluetooth and USB-C. The same goes for the rest of the Q Max series.

If you’re happy with a “good” rather than “great” typing feel, then many of the Q1 Max’s most compelling features — like VIA programming, hot-swappable switches, and per-key south-facing RGB backlighting — are also available on the wired V1 and wireless V1 Max above as well as Keychron’s other V-series boards. 

Use the keyboard wirelessly, with its RGB lighting disabled, and the Q1 Max can happily go for weeks without needing to be recharged. But turn on its backlighting, and its rated battery life drops by around half. The reliability of the 2.4GHz connection was flawless in my testing — I didn’t experience any dropouts during a month of use.

Keychrone Q1 Max on a desk.

In addition to its sturdy aluminum case and wireless connectivity, the other advantage the Q1 Max has over the V1 (though not over the V1 Max) is its gasket-mounted construction, which gives it a more premium typing feel. By effectively suspending its polycarbonate switch plate and PCB between gaskets, the keyboard has a substantial amount of flex to it. That might not sound preferable, but it gives the Q1 Max a much more satisfying typing sound compared to what are known as tray-mounted keyboards like the Keychron V series. Replacement switch plates are also available in different materials if you want to further customize how the Q1 Max feels and sounds.

A potential downside of the Q1 Max is that its battery life is only great if you turn off its RGB lighting. It’s also very heavy compared to some of the other wireless keyboards on this list, which means it’s not a great pick if you plan to use the keyboard while out and about.

Like most of Keychron’s other boards, the Q Max series is available in a wide range of different layouts. Sizes range from the compact Q60 Max through to the full-size Q6 Max. So unless you’re after a niche layout like the 40 or 70 percent, you should be able to find the right size for you.

A great low-profile wireless mechanical keyboard

Lofree Flow84

The Lofree Flow84 is a sleek low-profile mechanical keyboard with a 75 percent layout and hot-swappable switches. It offers a nice typing feel and great build quality, though its customizability options are limited.

Where to Buy:

Connectivity: USB, Bluetooth / Keycaps: PBT Dye-sub / Hot-swappable: Yes / Available sizes: 75 percent / Available layouts: ANSI / Switch options: Kailh low-profile Phantom tactile, Kailh low-profile Ghost linear  / Battery size: 2,000mAh / North- or south-facing switches: North-facing

Low-profile mechanical keyboards offer much of the tactility and durability of typical mechs but with a squatter design that might feel more familiar if you’ve spent a lifetime typing on laptop-style keyboards. Of these, we recommend the 75 percent Lofree Flow84 (formerly known as the Lofree Flow), which has great battery life and a premium aluminum construction.

The Flow84’s specs are similar to those of the NuPhy Air75, which was our previous low-profile keyboard pick. But Lofree’s keyboard feels far better to type on, and it sounds better, too. The Flow84 is a wireless Bluetooth keyboard with a choice of either linear or tactile switches, and these switches are also hot-swappable, so you can change your mind later if you so choose. Know, however, that the switch pin layout means you’re limited to Lofree’s Kailh switches. The switches do use standard MX-style stems, and you can find compatible low-profile keycaps from NuPhy among others.

Closeup of the side of the Lofree Flow showing its backlight and underglow lighting.

In my testing, battery life was good, with the keyboard still reporting 70 percent of its charge remaining after a month of daily use with the backlight off. Lofree advertises that the Flow84’s battery life is 40 hours, which I can only assume is with the backlight on, giving you closer to a week of charge. You can connect it to a Mac or Windows machine wirelessly via Bluetooth or with an included USB cable.

There are a couple of other options to consider in this category depending on your needs. The NuPhy Air75 remains a great pick if you’re on a tighter budget (its MSRP is $109.95), or if you’d prefer the lower input latency of a 2.4GHz dongle over Bluetooth for a wireless connection. There’s also Logitech’s MX Mechanical Mini, which lacks hot-swappable switches but benefits from a battery life that extends to as much as 10 months with its backlighting turned off.

Read our Lofree Flow review.

An affordable wireless 75 percent keyboard

Epomaker TH80 Pro

The Epomaker TH80 Pro is a well-equipped wireless mechanical keyboard. It’s customizable and feels good to type on while also being relatively affordable.

Where to Buy:

Connectivity: USB, Bluetooth, 2.4GHz dongle / Keycaps: Dye-sub PBT / Hot-swappable: Yes / Available sizes: 65 percent, 75 percent, 96 percent / Available layouts: ANSI, ISO / Switch options: Gateron Pro Red, Gateron Pro Brown, Gateron Pro Black, Epomaker Budgerigar, Gateron Blue, Gateron Pro Yellow / Battery size: 4,000mAh / North- or south-facing switches: South-facing

For an affordable wireless mechanical keyboard that isn’t made by Keychron, we like the Epomaker TH80 Pro. The TH80 Pro feels fantastic to type on, supports Bluetooth connections to up to three different devices, and also includes a 2.4GHz wireless USB dongle if you don’t want to mess around with Bluetooth pairing. We also like that it has separate Mac-specific keycaps in the box and that it’s relatively light and portable compared to the Q1 Max.

Like the Keychron V1 and Q1 Max, the Epomaker TH80 is a 75 percent keyboard with hot-swappable switches and a volume knob. It has a plastic case and steel switch plate, and while it doesn’t feel quite as high-end as Keychron’s Q-series keyboards, it’s got nice, crisp PBT keycaps in MDA profile, smooth stabilizers, and a typing feel that’s on par with the slightly cheaper wired-only Keychron V1. Our review sample came with linear Gateron Pro Yellow switches, but other linear and clicky options are available.

The Epomaker TH80’s layout can be remapped with software that works on both Mac and Windows computers. It’s not as slick or powerful as the VIA app used by Keychron’s boards but still lets you remap every key (aside from the Function key) with alternative keys or macros. (By contrast, VIA lets you move the function key, too, or add additional function keys for different layers.)

Epomaker TH80 keyboard on a desk.

The TH80 doesn’t have secondary functions printed on its keycaps, so you’ll need to keep its manual on hand to remind yourself what they do. And while it features per-key RGB lighting (with south-facing LEDs), keeping the backlighting on in wireless mode absolutely tanks its battery life. I got just two and a half days of use over Bluetooth with the keyboard’s RGB lighting set to maximum compared to eight workdays with the backlight off before I had to plug it in to recharge. Either way, you get much better battery life out of the more expensive Q1 Max.

Although the TH80 comes in our favorite 75 percent layout, Epomaker has a larger version with a numpad as well as a smaller 65 percent model. If you’re on a tighter budget, the Royal Kludge RK84 is a little cheaper without compromising too much on typing feel, though its software is Windows-only and its layout is a little more smushed.

A more affordable wired 65 percent keyboard

LTC Nimbleback

Although it can’t match the typing feel of some of the more expensive keyboards on this list, the LTC Nimbleback is a feature-packed, affordable pick.

Where to Buy:

Connectivity: USB / Keycaps: Not disclosed / Hot-swappable: Yes / Available sizes: 65 percent, 75 percent, Full size / Available layouts: ANSI / Switch options: Blue, Brown, Red (unbranded) / Battery size: N/A / North- or south-facing switches: North-facing

At less than half the price of some of the other keyboards on this list, the $55 65 percent LTC Nimbleback punches well above its weight. It’s very full-featured for its price, with shine-through RGB lighting and hot-swappable switches, and it even has a built-in USB hub with a pair of USB Type-A ports to plug extra accessories into your computer.

As you might expect given the price difference, the LTC Nimbleback’s construction isn’t as solid as the Keychron V1’s, and it doesn’t feel as nice to type on as many of the picks above. Its switches feel slightly less smooth and more scratchy with each press, there’s a slight rattle to the stabilizers on larger keys like the space bar, and it sounds a bit hollow overall. It’s also made of plastic, and while it is reprogrammable, its companion software is only available on Windows. But the LTC Nimbleback’s typing feel holds its own against more similarly priced competitors, including the $69 Keychron K6.

LTC Nimbleback keyboard on a desk.

The LTC Nimbleback is available with clicky, linear, or tactile switches (we had the latter). If the model listed here looks a little too small for your liking, there are also 75 percent and full-size versions available. 

A split ergonomic option

Kinesis Freestyle Pro

The Kinesis Freestyle Pro is a great split keyboard option, which allows you to keep your arms in a more neutral position while typing. It’s not hot-swappable, but it has an easier to learn layout and more affordable price than other ergonomic options.
Top-down shot of kinesis freestyle pro.

Where to Buy:

Connectivity: USB / Keycaps: Not disclosed / Hot-swappable: No / Available sizes: Split / Available layouts: ANSI / Switch options: Cherry MX Brown, Cherry MX Silent Red / Battery size: N/A / North- or south-facing switches: North-facing

They’re very much a niche option, but plenty of people swear by split keyboards, which are designed to let you type with your hands further apart and your shoulders in a more neutral position. Of these, we recommend the Kinesis Freestyle Pro. 

It doesn’t have hot-swappable switches, which means you’re stuck with the Cherry MX Brown or Cherry MX Silent Red switches that it comes with unless you’re willing to do some soldering. But at $179, it’s relatively affordable by the often exorbitant prices of split keyboards (the ErgoDox EZ Original starts at $325, for example, while the ZSA Moonlander is $365), and it has a layout that’s much closer to a traditional keyboard than a lot of other ergonomic options. It means there’s less of a learning curve if you’re coming from a standard keyboard layout. 

That’s not to say there aren’t hot-swappable ergonomic options out there. We really enjoyed the ZSA Moonlander, for example. ZSA’s Oryx configurator software offers a ton of options to create highly customized layouts, and optional accessories like an angled stand and tripod mounting kit mean you can tailor the keyboard to your exact needs. It also offers hot-swappable switches, which we normally consider an essential part of a modern keyboard, but we don’t think that justifies the price premium for most people. But at $365, the Moonlander is, by some margin, the most expensive keyboard on this list, and its columnar layout and thumb clusters take a lot of getting used to. (Though ZSA does allow you to return the keyboard within 30 days of when you get it.) 

Kinesis Freestyle Pro split keyboard on a desk.

If you absolutely must have the most customizable ergonomic option available, then the ZSA Moonlander is a great pick. But most people who just want a more ergonomic keyboard with a familiar layout will be satisfied with the Kinesis Freestyle Pro.

Additional reporting by Jay Peters.

Updated October 8th with new pricing.

]]> Jon Porter Thomas Ricker <![CDATA[Third-party iPhone app store AltStore PAL is now live in Europe]]> https://www.theverge.com/24100464/altstore-pal-dma-eu-launch-delta-nintendo-emulator-clip-clipboard-manager 2024-04-17T12:30:16-04:00 2024-04-17T12:30:16-04:00
That €1.50 per year subscription does not include tax but does offset Apple’s Core Technology Fee. | Image: AltStore PAL

After we recently tested it in beta, the third-party iOS app store AltStore PAL is now live in the European Union thanks to Apple’s compliance with the region’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The store requires a €1.50 (plus tax) annual subscription to cover Apple’s Core Technology Fee (CTF) for installing the app marketplace itself.

Installing AltStore PAL requires clicking through a lot of Apple’s clumsily implemented scare sheets that double and triple check your desire to install apps from outside Apple’s App Store. But with persistence and enough clicks it eventually installs.

The new app marketplace is arriving with two apps developed by Riley Testut: Delta, an emulator capable of playing NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS games; and Clip, a clipboard manager that’s forbidden by Apple. The store is the work of Testut and his business partner Shane Gill.

iPhone screenshot showing AltStore PAL interface.

Delta is also launching in Apple’s App Store today for everyone outside of Europe. That’s good news for anyone that got caught up in the iGBA debacle over the weekend.

AltStore PAL is integrating its marketplace with Patreon for monetization, and will support developers who want to distribute beta apps as a reward for crowd-sourced funding, which isn’t allowed in the App Store. Delta is free to help offset the CTF, but downloading Clip requires a minimum monthly Patreon pledge of €1 (plus tax).

Neither app is brand new, nor is the app store they’re launching on, really. AltStore has been around since 2019 for iOS, but until now installing it has involved a workaround that basically tricks the iPhone into thinking you’re the app’s developer using a companion piece of software called AltServer running on a Mac or PC. It’s a bit hacky, even if it doesn’t technically involve jailbreaking your phone.

Now, thanks to the DMA, Delta and Clip are getting a legitimate Apple notarized launch on the AltStore PAL app marketplace in the EU. You can read our impressions of the two apps in our hands on.

Both apps highlight the kind of software that might be possible on the iPhone now that developers don’t always have to go through Apple’s App Store to get onto customer’s devices. As a game emulator, Delta sits in a legal gray area that Apple only recently decided to support. Clip, meanwhile, needs to use several workarounds in order to run in the background indefinitely and, per Testut, these workarounds “are all against App Store rules.” Arguably there are good reasons for this — you need to know you can trust Clip if it sees everything you copy and paste on your phone — but it’s something you need to consider for yourself rather than relying on Apple to do it on your behalf.

Testut says AltStore PAL is also open to submissions from third-party developers as well. Unlike Apple’s centralized App Store, the plan is for AltStore PAL apps to be self-hosted by developers on their own servers, and users have to add additional “sources” to the app marketplace to download software made by other developers.

]]> Jon Porter <![CDATA[8BitDo’s latest retro keyboard is an ode to the Commodore 64]]> https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/28/24113566/8bitdo-commodore-64-retro-mechanical-keyboard-specs-release-date-price-features 2024-03-28T11:00:00-04:00 2024-03-28T11:00:00-04:00
8BitDo’s new keyboard draws inspiration from the Commodore 64’s brown and beige color scheme. | Image: 8BitDo

8BitDo’s latest mechanical keyboard riffs on the design of a 1980s computer with one of the most iconic-looking keyboards of all time: the Commodore 64. 8BitDo’s Commodore 64 edition of its Retro Mechanical Keyboard series is available to preorder starting today for $109.99, with plans to ship it on May 26th. 

Underneath its beautifully chunky brown keycaps (ABS plastic with double-shot legends) and Commodore-style rainbow logo, this is basically the same peripheral as 8BitDo’s previous NES keyboard. It comes with clicky Kailh Box White V2 switches as standard, but they’re hot-swappable if you want to swap them out for something a little less loud down the line. It can connect to devices via a choice of USB, Bluetooth, or with a 2.4GHz USB dongle; and there’s also a built-in volume dial at the top left of the keyboard. 

8BitDo keyboard switches 8BitDo Super Buttons with super joystick 8BitDo keyboard from the side 8Bitdo keyboard on crowded desk. close up of power light Close-up of volume and connection selector dials close up of 8bitdo’s keyboard logo 8Bitdo keyboard in front of CRT monitor

Returning from the NES keyboard are the programmable “Super Buttons,” which still look like the Nintendo Entertainment System controller’s A and B buttons. This time, they’re joined by a small joystick called the “Super Stick.” If the construction of this keyboard is the same as the last, expect both of these accessories to be wired and to plug into the top of the keyboard via 3.5mm jacks. The whole keyboard uses a tenkeyless form factor that omits the numpad but otherwise maintains a relatively traditional layout, and there’s no RGB lighting to speak of.

Interestingly, while the original Commodore 64 has that chunky look I’d normally associate with clacky mechanical keyboards, it was actually equipped with Mitsumi hybrid switches, which are a cross between a rubber dome and mechanical switch. Retro keyboard YouTuber Chyrosran22 did a review of the Commodore 64C (a variant of the Commodore 64 with a lighter color scheme), if you’d like a closer look at the insides of the original.

]]> Jon Porter <![CDATA[A native version of Chrome arrives for Arm-based Windows PCs]]> https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/26/24112273/chrome-native-windows-on-arm-qualcomm-snapdragon 2024-03-26T12:00:00-04:00 2024-03-26T12:00:00-04:00

Google is releasing an optimized version of its Chrome browser for Windows on Arm this week, the search giant has announced alongside chipmaker Qualcomm. The official release comes two months after an early version of the browser was spotted in Chrome’s Canary channel. Qualcomm says the release “will roll out starting today.”

The release will be a big deal for any Chrome users with Windows machines powered by Arm-based processors, who’ll now have access to a much faster native browser. That’s in contrast to the x64 version of Chrome they’ve previously had to run in an emulated state with slow performance. Arm-based users have previously been able to turn to Microsoft’s Edge, which is already available for Windows on Arm devices.

Today’s announcement comes ahead of the launch of Qualcomm’s latest Arm-based processors for Windows, dubbed Snapdragon X Elite, which are expected to arrive this summer with some big performance promises to live up to. Google’s Arm-optimized version of Chrome will technically run on any Arm-based Windows PC, regardless of processor manufacturer, but Qualcomm is the only one making Arm-based processors for Windows right now.

“We’ve designed Chrome browser to be fast, secure and easy to use across desktops and mobile devices,” said Google’s Hiroshi Lockheimer. “Our close collaboration with Qualcomm will help ensure that Chrome users get the best possible experience while browsing the web on current Arm-compatible PCs.” 

This isn’t the first time Google has released an Arm-optimized version of Chrome, having released a native version of its browser for Apple’s Arm-based Macs in 2020. The search giant has also long supported Arm-based processors for Chromebooks in ChromeOS. But the release of a native Arm-based version of the world’s most popular browser for Windows could offer a significant boost for Windows on Arm in a year when consumer-focused Surface devices are expected to switch fully to Arm.

]]> Jon Porter <![CDATA[Apple, Meta, and Google targeted by EU in DMA non-compliance investigations]]> https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/25/24111232/european-commission-digital-markets-act-investigation 2024-03-25T06:22:29-04:00 2024-03-25T06:22:29-04:00

The European Commission is opening five non-compliance investigations into how Apple, Google, and Meta are complying with its new Digital Markets Act antitrust rules, the regulator announced today. “We suspect that the suggested solutions put forward by the three companies do not fully comply with the DMA,” the EU’s antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said in a statement. “We will now investigate the companies’ compliance with the DMA, to ensure open and contestable digital markets in Europe.”

In particular, the Commission plans to investigate Google and Apple’s anti-steering rules in their app stores and whether Google is guilty of self-preferencing its own services within its search engine. Apple’s browser choice screen for iOS is also being investigated as well as Meta’s “pay or consent model” for ad targeting. In a press conference, the Commission said it plans to conclude the investigations within the next 12 months.

Additionally, the EU regulator is also looking into the fee structure Apple announced for distributing apps outside of the App Store, as well as whether Amazon is self-preferencing its own products on its store. The Commission has also announced that Meta has been given an additional six months to make Messenger interoperable with other messaging services.

“We are not convinced that the solutions by Alphabet, Apple and Meta respect their obligations for a fairer and more open digital space for European citizens and businesses,” EU Commissioner Thierry Breton said in a statement. “Should our investigation conclude that there is lack of full compliance with the DMA, gatekeepers could face heavy fines.”

Following the investigation, the Commission will tell each gatekeeper what must be done to address concerns, as well as what measures the regulator is planning to take. If found not to be in compliance, the Commission can fine each company up to 10 percent of their annual global revenue under the DMA, or even 20 percent in cases of “repeated infringement.”

Earlier this month, the six major tech companies designated as gatekeepers under the DMA had to start complying with its rules. These include having to give customers the option of changing default apps and uninstalling the gatekeeper’s pre-installed applications, a ban on ranking a gatekeeper’s first-party services higher than rivals, and allowing third-party app stores.

The EU’s antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager previously indicated to Reuters that the Commission would be taking a closer look at how Apple is complying with the regulation over concerns that it may “de facto not make it in any way attractive to use the benefits of the DMA.”

The announcement follows fierce criticism of how Apple in particular is complying with the Digital Markets Act. Although the company is allowing alternative app stores on iOS as required by the new rules, it’s doing so with a new fee structure that its critics claim will dissuade developers from distributing apps outside of Apple’s App Store. Spotify called Apple’s compliance “a complete and total farce” while Epic CEO Tim Sweeney called the changes “a new instance of Malicious Compliance.”

Meta’s “pay or consent model” has also been the subject of complaints from various EU watchdogs. Last year, it launched a new paid tier for Facebook and Instagram in the EU that allows users to pay €9.99 a month to use each service without ads. The subscription was designed to be a way to get user consent to collect their data if they decide not to pay, but the Commission is concerned with the “binary choice” that Meta is offering. Last week, Meta said it had offered to reduce the monthly price of ad-free access to €5.99 a month to appease regulators.

In a series of statements, Apple, Meta, Google, and Amazon defended their approaches to complying with the DMA, and said they’ll continue to work with the Commission to address its concerns.

“We’re confident our plan complies with the DMA, and we’ll continue to constructively engage with the European Commission as they conduct their investigations,” Apple spokesperson Julien Trosdorf said in a statement to The Verge.

“Subscriptions as an alternative to advertising are a well-established business model across many industries,” Meta spokesperson Matt Pollard said. “We will continue to engage constructively with the Commission.”

“To comply with the Digital Markets Act, we have made significant changes to the way our services operate in Europe,” Google’s competition director Oliver Bethell said, adding that the company has “engaged with the European Commission, stakeholders and third parties in dozens of events over the past year to receive and respond to feedback.” Bethell said Google will defend its approach.

“Amazon is compliant with the Digital Markets Act and has engaged constructively with the European Commission on our plans since the designation of two of our services,” Amazon spokesperson Sam Barratt said in a statement. “We continue to work hard every day to meet all of our customers’ high standards within Europe’s changing regulatory environment.”

Update March 25th, 9:36AM ET: Added responses from Apple, Meta, Google, and Amazon.

]]> Jon Porter <![CDATA[Spotify adds video learning courses in latest experiment]]> https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/25/24110545/spotify-online-courses-learning-video-test-uk-skillshare-bbc-maestro-playvirtuoso 2024-03-25T05:00:00-04:00 2024-03-25T05:00:00-04:00
Courses cover a range of subject matter like learning music or building a business. | Image: Spotify

Spotify’s UK users are getting access to a fourth category of content to sit alongside its existing library of songs, podcasts and audiobooks: online courses. The company is today launching a new experiment that’ll see video-based lessons from BBC Maestro, Skillshare, Thinkific, and PlayVirtuoso made available via Spotify’s apps on mobile and desktop. The experiment is running in just the UK, and there are currently no guarantees that it’ll get a wider more permanent launch.

Online courses, particularly video-based ones, might feel like an odd fit for a service best known as a source of music and other audio content like podcasts and audiobooks. But product director Mohit Jitani tells me that people are already coming to Spotify for education thanks to some podcasts, so it makes sense to experiment with offering more educational content.

“One of the most interesting things and trends that we started noticing was more and more people were starting to come to Spotify with some intent of learning,” Jitani says. “And we thought, how can we take this core insight and build something on top of it?” In a press release, Spotify says that around half of its Premium subscribers have engaged with education or self-help themed podcasts.

Spotify showing a course on mobile and desktop.

Spotify’s pitch to course providers is not just that it can help them reach a much wider audience, but also that it can more directly target potential customers based on their existing listening habits. “It becomes much, much easier for us to find the right people for this course and just provide a much more efficient kind of distribution,” Jitani says. 

The streaming service is offering courses within four categories: make music, get creative, learn business, and healthy living. In Spotify’s mobile apps, courses are accessible from a new pill-shaped icon on the top of the home screen, as well as via the service’s search and browse interfaces. I asked why the company has decided to build them into the same app that’s already overflowing with music, podcasts, and audiobooks, and Jitani told me that it’s partly to do with convenience (users don’t have to download another app and switch between them) and also so that people can be reminded to complete their courses when they open the main Spotify app.

With the experiment, Spotify is offering courses via a freemium model, similar to the one it used when it first launched audiobooks. Free and premium Spotify subscribers alike are able to access at least two video lessons per course for free, but will have to pay a fee to access the full course. Courses consist of a series of videos (which Jitani points out can be listened to with the screen off for an audio-only experience), and there might also be supplementary materials like PDFs.

Although users will need to pay to access a full course, they can’t do this in-app thanks to Apple and Google’s transaction fees (or, at least, Spotify’s reluctance to pay said fees). On Android, purchases work via email; you tap a button in-app to buy a course and Spotify responds by sending you an email with a purchase link. On iOS Apple’s anti-steering rules (now outlawed in the EU) mean Spotify can’t guide you to a purchase link, instead you just have to know to go to Spotify’s web interface and purchase access to courses from there. On the web, courses are available via the URL courses.spotify.com/home. 

Spotify is taking a commission on courses sold through its platform, but Jitani declined to comment on the percentage it’s charging course providers. When it comes to moderation, courses will have to abide by Spotify’s platform policies, and the service will offer a reporting mechanism if a user comes across content in a course that they feel breaks the streaming service’s rules.

Although the course content is just a test for now, and there’s no guarantee that it’ll get a wider release, it’s interesting to speculate how learning could play into Spotify’s rumored “Supremium” subscription tier. Reports suggest that the company is planning on bundling access to lossless-quality streaming (a feature it announced way back in 2021 and is yet to actually release) along with additional features like more hours of audiobook listening, advanced mixing tools, and more track filtering options. It’s easy to imagine how access to online courses could one day be offered as an extra sweetener to get people to upgrade as well.

Correction March 25th, 7:39AM ET: Corrected name of course category from “healthy life” to “healthy living.”

]]> Jon Porter <![CDATA[The US Department of Justice is suing Apple — read the full lawsuit here]]> https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/21/24107659/apple-doj-lawsuit-antitrust-documents-suing 2024-03-21T11:13:22-04:00 2024-03-21T11:13:22-04:00

The US Department of Justice announced today that it’s suing Apple for illegally monopolizing the smartphone market and using its position “to extract more money from consumers, developers, content creators, artists, publishers, small businesses, and merchants.”

In the 88-page suit, which was filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, the Justice Department alleges that Apple is using a variety of unfair tactics to entrench its market position and restrict innovation. These include blocking so-called “Super Apps,” which would make it easier for customers to switch between smartphone platforms, imposing an effective ban on cloud streaming services for content like games, degrading the experience for cross-platform messaging apps, restricting the compatibility of non-Apple smartwatches with its phones, and barring third-party developers from accessing the iPhone’s tap-to-pay feature to offer their own digital wallets.

The lawsuit comes as Apple has been forced to reevaluate many of these long-standing policies in the European Union due to the bloc’s Digital Markets Act. Although European regulators decided against forcing Apple to open up iMessage, the company is nevertheless now required to allow third-party app stores on the iPhone in the EU and to allow developers access to the device’s tap-to-pay functionality. 

Check out the full text of the Department of Justice’s filing below:

View Link

Related:

]]> Jon Porter <![CDATA[Ikea releases a pair of affordable USB-C chargers]]> https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/21/24107515/ikea-sjoss-chargers-30w-45w-usb-c-price-specs-features 2024-03-21T07:47:35-04:00 2024-03-21T07:47:35-04:00

Ikea is now selling a pair of its own USB-C chargers that start at just $7.99. The 30W Sjöss charger comes with a single USB-C port, and there’s also a 45W model (also called Sjöss) that has two USB-C ports for $14.99. This dual-port charger can only output 45W of power when using one port at a time, with the output halved at 22W to each device when plugging in two simultaneously.

Ikea’s chargers are compatible with Power Delivery (PD 3.0), Quick Charge (QC4+), and Programmable Power Supply (PPS) specs. Both chargers come with a sheet of colored stickers that lets you “personalize” them — useful in households where kids or flatmates can easily mix them up.

The big news here is how affordable Ikea’s two chargers are. At the time of writing Anker’s most affordable single-port USB-C charger has an MSRP of $13.99 and offers 20W of power, while getting 30W of power typically costs $19.99 (though both are currently discounted). It’s a similar story over on Aukey’s online store.

Although you should always check the small print for the charging standards (and voltage / current) your device needs to charge at its fastest, 30W should be enough to fast-charge some Samsung devices and iPhones, and even matches the wattage of the base charger Apple supplies with its M2-powered MacBook Air. 45W should be able to handle some faster-charging devices too — though, again, be sure to check the fine print.

]]> Jon Porter <![CDATA[Neuralink video shows patient using brain implant to play chess on laptop]]> https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/21/24107499/neuralink-human-trial-chess-video-brain-computer-interface 2024-03-21T06:14:12-04:00 2024-03-21T06:14:12-04:00
Neuralink’s N1 implant. | Image: Neuralink

Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface company has released a video purporting to show the first human patient using Neuralink’s brain implant to control a mouse cursor and play a game of chess.

The patient, identified as 29-year-old Noland Arbaugh, said he was injured in a diving accident eight years ago that paralyzed him below the shoulders. Arbaugh describes using the Neuralink implant as like using the Force from the Star Wars franchise, allowing him to “just stare somewhere on the screen” and move the cursor where he wants.

Elon Musk, who founded Neuralink in 2016, retweeted the video of Arbaugh and said it demonstrated “telepathy.”

In addition to playing chess, Arbaugh said the Neuralink implant had also allowed him to play the video game Civilization VI for eight hours straight, though he was limited by having to wait for the implant to charge. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave Neuralink permission to conduct in-human clinical trials last year, and shortly afterwards the company announced that it was seeking test subjects for an initial six-year trial.

The video marks the first time Neuralink has shared footage of a human using its brain implant, after Musk announced in January that the first trial participant was “recovering well” after having the technology implanted. It comes a little under three years after the company released a video that showed a monkey controlling an on-screen cursor to play Pong using the technology.

This kind of control via a brain-computer interface isn’t entirely new; The Wall Street Journal notes that in 2004 a paralyzed person was also able to move a cursor thanks to help from a brain-computer interface. But this earlier iteration of the technology wasn’t able to transmit data wirelessly like Neuralink, and relied on wires protruding through the skin. The fact that Arbaugh was able to hold a conversation while moving the cursor is also notable, according to the WSJ.

“It’s certainly a good starting point,” Wisconsin Institute for Translational Neuroengineering co-director Kip Ludwig tells Reuters. However, he denied that the demo represents a “breakthrough.” Other companies like BlackRock and Synchron have also demonstrated how paralyzed patients can use brain-computer interfaces to control electronic devices, though Synchron’s less-invasive approach may not be able to gather as much neural data, according to the WSJ. Paradromics and Precision Neuroscience are also working on brain implants to compete with Neuralink.

Neuralink has been criticized for the way it’s conducted its trials, with critics pointing towards a lack of transparency around elements like the number of subjects or what outcomes it’s assessing, Wired notes. The company’s previous experiments on monkeys have also been the subject of controversy, including reports that animals involved in the trials had to be euthanized after suffering complications including brain bleeds, “bloody diarrhea, partial paralysis, and cerebral edema.”

Although Neuralink is initially being pitched as an assistive technology, Musk has said he eventually wants it to be implanted into perfectly healthy people to enhance their capabilities. But that’s still a long ways off.

Arbaugh admitted that “there’s still a lot of work to be done” and that the team “have run into some issues.” But he also says that the implant “has already changed my life.”

]]> Jon Porter <![CDATA[Ad-free Facebook might get way cheaper to appease EU regulators]]> https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/19/24105660/meta-ad-free-subscription-facebook-instagram-gdpr-dma-eu-privacy-regulation 2024-03-19T09:10:48-04:00 2024-03-19T09:10:48-04:00

Meta says it’s offered to reduce the price of its ad-free subscription for Instagram and Facebook in Europe to address regulatory concerns, Reuters reports. Speaking in a hearing with the European Commission, Meta lawyer Tim Lamb said the company has “offered to drop the price from €9.99 to €5.99 for a single account and €4 for any additional accounts” in its discussion with privacy regulators in an attempt to “get to a steady state.”

Lamb said €5.99 is “by far the lowest end of the range that any reasonable person should be paying for services of this quality” and hoped that the “regulatory uncertainty” will “settle down quickly.” It reportedly made the offer to cut its prices to data protection authorities earlier this year.

The company launched its ad-free subscription last November after European Union regulators challenged the legal basis for its collection and processing of user data. Meta hoped that this “Subscription for no ads” program would allow it to effectively get consent to process user data under the EU’s GDPR rules as well as the Digital Markets Act. The subscription is available in the European Economic Area and Switzerland.

But the paid tier was quickly the subject of complaints from consumer groups, who’ve attacked the measure as a “pay-or-consent” smokescreen. “Meta’s offer to consumers is smoke and mirrors to cover up what is, at its core, the same old hoovering up of all kinds of sensitive information about people’s lives which it then monetises through its invasive advertising model,” the European Consumer Organisation’s (BEUC) deputy director general, Ursula Pachl, said in a statement in February.

Eight consumer groups from the BEUC’s network filed complaints with their respective national data protection authorities accusing Meta of not complying with the GDPR. The group said Meta doesn’t have a “valid legal basis” to justify its data collection and that “the choice it imposes on its users can not lead to their freely given and informed consent.”

It’s unclear whether simply lowering the price of this monthly subscription will address these privacy concerns. Although privacy rights group NOYB attacked the cost of the subscription for being “way out of proportion” to the value Meta gets from tracking EU users, other groups have more structural complaints with the way the subscription has been implemented. BEUC, which serves as an umbrella group of 45 consumer organizations, has called for Meta to give consumers more time to think about their choice, for example, and to be more transparent about which data is collected under the paid option.

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