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Everything we know about iPhone Fold: Rumors, specs, price, release date

Everything we know about iPhone Fold: Rumors, specs, price, release date

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The long-awaited foldable iPhone — rumored to be called the iPhone Fold — could be here soon.

Tech enthusiasts and early adopters already love foldable phones — and they have plenty of options — but Apple’s been notably absent from the genre. But that’s reportedly due to change in 2026, when Apple is expected to release the iPhone Fold. Here’s everything we know about the future addition to the iPhone lineup, including the latest rumors and pricing information.

When will the iPhone Fold be released?

We think the iPhone Fold is coming in 2026. Chinese site UDN (via MacRumors) reported last month that the phone was coming next year and that it would, indeed, be called the iPhone Fold. That’s far from a guarantee, but as Mashable’s Stan Schroeder wrote, it is a bit of comfort for Apple fans who’d seen other reports that it could be pushed to 2027.

That’s also in line with new rumors that hit the internet this week, suggesting Apple had purchased about 11 million OLED panels from Samsung Display — a much higher than expected figure — for its new foldable. That bit of rumored news could be misleading, however, because the original report — from a Korean site called ET News — has since been deleted.

SEE ALSO:

Apple’s iPhone Fold is on track, but it might be pricier than we thought

How much will the iPhone Fold cost, and will people buy it?

The iPhone Fold is likely to be expensive. A recent estimate from research analyst Arthur Liao suggested the price tag for the Fold — gulp — could come in around $2,399. That’s in line with expectations in a new report from International Data Corporation (IDC). I

Mashable Light Speed

Despite the sizable cost (the flagship Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is priced at $1,999.99), sales expectations remain high. The IDC report estimated Apple would siphon one-third of the spending in the foldable market in 2026.

“But the real game-changer for the category comes at year-end when Apple enters the foldable space, projected to capture over 22% unit share and a staggering 34% of the foldables market value in its first year, thanks to an expected average price point of $2,400,” read the report.

What will the iPhone Fold specs look like?

The iPhone Fold remains a mystery to some extent, of course, but we do have a very rough idea of what it could offer. The report from UDN noted the iPhone Fold could be creaseless, which means you wouldn’t see that awkward line when it was folded open.

In August, Mashable also reported on predictions from Apple reporter Mark Gurman, who said that the foldable iPhone would be a book-style foldable with four cameras — two on the back, one on the inside, and one front selfie camera. Gurman also predicted it would use Touch ID, even though iPhones typically use Face ID.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported earlier this year that the iPhone Fold would have a 7.8-inch inner display, a 5.5-inch outer display, and measure in at just 9 to 9.5mm of thickness. We heard another rumor in September, which claimed the iPhone Fold would look like two iPhone Airs put together, with a similar thickness of 5.6mm. Why the discrepancy between the two reports? It could be the difference between the device’s thickness when folded and unfolded.

SEE ALSO:

Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold vs Apple foldable iPhone: Specs and rumors

Mashable’s Alex Perry also compared the potential specs of the iPhone Fold with the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold, which we know a lot more about. Obviously, the Samsung trifold will be larger and thicker than the iPhone Fold. Otherwise, we’re still waiting on official details. But if recent rumors prove true, the wait shouldn’t be too much longer.

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Well, having tried the Halliday Gen 2, I’m happy to report these are better glasses. That secret display window is gone, replaced by more traditional but discreet waveguides. They’re not like the Meta Display’s nigh-invisible screens. You can still spot the reflection if angled just right, but they’re considerably easier to see. And inside of a single-lens display, the Gen 2 has one for each eye, giving you a much larger screen to look at. Spec-wise, the Gen 2’s displays are monochrome green, with a maximum brightness of 1,600 nits and 600 by 300 pixel resolution per eye.

On my face, the Gen 2 has a nondescript design but is very lightweight compared to other display glasses I’ve tried. The display was also easily visible inside a dark bar, though I didn’t get a chance to see how it’d fare in direct sunlight. The four-mic array was able to pick up commands despite the ambient noise, and Halliday told me that it gets about 12 hours of typical use. That’s partly because these aren’t camera glasses. The exclusion of the camera was a deliberate choice, both for privacy and to extend battery life. That’s because these are more so meant to be a tool for work meetings.

With the Gen 2, Halliday is launching a feature called Meeting Flow. It’s meant to help you follow along in a conversation, using AI to surface context or facts without needing to look at your laptop or phone. I’ve seen this in other smart glasses to varying degrees of success. (Mostly non-success.) More interesting are the so-called Thread Tracker, Decision Confirmation, and Commitment Check features. The idea is to provide real-time updates about what decisions have been made in a meeting, what items need following up on, and a visualization of a meeting’s overall conversation flow. For example, Thread Tracker might show that a team meeting started off talking about budget allocations, before moving on to potential new hires and timelines for those hires. Decision Confirmation might show that the meeting concluded that all new hires should be finished by a specific date. Lastly, Commitment Check verifies if action items have been assigned (and to whom) with a clear deadline. The glasses will also provide post-meeting transcripts and summaries.

I saw a brief glimpse of what this could look like at my demo, albeit a product interview is less conducive to these kinds of features than a typical planning meeting. That said, the glasses also support more general-use AI features like captioning, real-time translations for over 45 languages, the ability to take phone calls, and teleprompters/notecards for public speakers. Users can also make use of the Halliday AI assistant for voice control.

Overall, this is a much more tightly focused vision for a pair of smart glasses than Halliday’s original glasses. That said, we’ll have to see if the AI features are all that useful. So far, I’ve had little success with AI wearables successfully intuiting what I actually need surfaced in a conversation, or deriving the correct conclusions for to-do items. And at $599, the Gen 2 comes with a pretty steep price tag for the average person. That’s not including any extra costs for prescription lenses. (Halliday claims it’ll be able to handle my prescription, which is -10 in one eye and -8.75 in the other with monster astigmatism. We shall see!)

The Halliday Gen 2 are available for preorder starting today with a $10 deposit and a subsequent $100 discount on the final price. The glasses are expected to ship in September.

#Hallidays #latest #smart #glasses #feature #muchimproved #displayAI,Gadgets,Hands-on,News,Reviews,Tech,Wearable">Halliday’s latest smart glasses feature a much-improved displayI first slipped on Halliday’s original smart glasses at CES 2025. I was not a fan. The glasses had a tiny, movable display window embedded into the frame that was incredibly finicky to see, and my 30-minute demo left me with achy eyeballs. It was an interesting concept with terrible execution, especially compared to the several other smart glasses on the show floor. So I was skeptical when a few weeks ago, Halliday reached out to say its second attempt at smart glasses was much better.Well, having tried the Halliday Gen 2, I’m happy to report these are better glasses. That secret display window is gone, replaced by more traditional but discreet waveguides. They’re not like the Meta Display’s nigh-invisible screens. You can still spot the reflection if angled just right, but they’re considerably easier to see. And inside of a single-lens display, the Gen 2 has one for each eye, giving you a much larger screen to look at. Spec-wise, the Gen 2’s displays are monochrome green, with a maximum brightness of 1,600 nits and 600 by 300 pixel resolution per eye.On my face, the Gen 2 has a nondescript design but is very lightweight compared to other display glasses I’ve tried. The display was also easily visible inside a dark bar, though I didn’t get a chance to see how it’d fare in direct sunlight. The four-mic array was able to pick up commands despite the ambient noise, and Halliday told me that it gets about 12 hours of typical use. That’s partly because these aren’t camera glasses. The exclusion of the camera was a deliberate choice, both for privacy and to extend battery life. That’s because these are more so meant to be a tool for work meetings.With the Gen 2, Halliday is launching a feature called Meeting Flow. It’s meant to help you follow along in a conversation, using AI to surface context or facts without needing to look at your laptop or phone. I’ve seen this in other smart glasses to varying degrees of success. (Mostly non-success.) More interesting are the so-called Thread Tracker, Decision Confirmation, and Commitment Check features. The idea is to provide real-time updates about what decisions have been made in a meeting, what items need following up on, and a visualization of a meeting’s overall conversation flow. For example, Thread Tracker might show that a team meeting started off talking about budget allocations, before moving on to potential new hires and timelines for those hires. Decision Confirmation might show that the meeting concluded that all new hires should be finished by a specific date. Lastly, Commitment Check verifies if action items have been assigned (and to whom) with a clear deadline. The glasses will also provide post-meeting transcripts and summaries.I saw a brief glimpse of what this could look like at my demo, albeit a product interview is less conducive to these kinds of features than a typical planning meeting. That said, the glasses also support more general-use AI features like captioning, real-time translations for over 45 languages, the ability to take phone calls, and teleprompters/notecards for public speakers. Users can also make use of the Halliday AI assistant for voice control.Overall, this is a much more tightly focused vision for a pair of smart glasses than Halliday’s original glasses. That said, we’ll have to see if the AI features are all that useful. So far, I’ve had little success with AI wearables successfully intuiting what I actually need surfaced in a conversation, or deriving the correct conclusions for to-do items. And at 9, the Gen 2 comes with a pretty steep price tag for the average person. That’s not including any extra costs for prescription lenses. (Halliday claims it’ll be able to handle my prescription, which is -10 in one eye and -8.75 in the other with monster astigmatism. We shall see!)The Halliday Gen 2 are available for preorder starting today with a deposit and a subsequent 0 discount on the final price. The glasses are expected to ship in September.#Hallidays #latest #smart #glasses #feature #muchimproved #displayAI,Gadgets,Hands-on,News,Reviews,Tech,Wearable

Halliday’s original smart glasses at CES 2025. I was not a fan. The glasses had a tiny, movable display window embedded into the frame that was incredibly finicky to see, and my 30-minute demo left me with achy eyeballs. It was an interesting concept with terrible execution, especially compared to the several other smart glasses on the show floor. So I was skeptical when a few weeks ago, Halliday reached out to say its second attempt at smart glasses was much better.

Well, having tried the Halliday Gen 2, I’m happy to report these are better glasses. That secret display window is gone, replaced by more traditional but discreet waveguides. They’re not like the Meta Display’s nigh-invisible screens. You can still spot the reflection if angled just right, but they’re considerably easier to see. And inside of a single-lens display, the Gen 2 has one for each eye, giving you a much larger screen to look at. Spec-wise, the Gen 2’s displays are monochrome green, with a maximum brightness of 1,600 nits and 600 by 300 pixel resolution per eye.

On my face, the Gen 2 has a nondescript design but is very lightweight compared to other display glasses I’ve tried. The display was also easily visible inside a dark bar, though I didn’t get a chance to see how it’d fare in direct sunlight. The four-mic array was able to pick up commands despite the ambient noise, and Halliday told me that it gets about 12 hours of typical use. That’s partly because these aren’t camera glasses. The exclusion of the camera was a deliberate choice, both for privacy and to extend battery life. That’s because these are more so meant to be a tool for work meetings.

With the Gen 2, Halliday is launching a feature called Meeting Flow. It’s meant to help you follow along in a conversation, using AI to surface context or facts without needing to look at your laptop or phone. I’ve seen this in other smart glasses to varying degrees of success. (Mostly non-success.) More interesting are the so-called Thread Tracker, Decision Confirmation, and Commitment Check features. The idea is to provide real-time updates about what decisions have been made in a meeting, what items need following up on, and a visualization of a meeting’s overall conversation flow. For example, Thread Tracker might show that a team meeting started off talking about budget allocations, before moving on to potential new hires and timelines for those hires. Decision Confirmation might show that the meeting concluded that all new hires should be finished by a specific date. Lastly, Commitment Check verifies if action items have been assigned (and to whom) with a clear deadline. The glasses will also provide post-meeting transcripts and summaries.

I saw a brief glimpse of what this could look like at my demo, albeit a product interview is less conducive to these kinds of features than a typical planning meeting. That said, the glasses also support more general-use AI features like captioning, real-time translations for over 45 languages, the ability to take phone calls, and teleprompters/notecards for public speakers. Users can also make use of the Halliday AI assistant for voice control.

Overall, this is a much more tightly focused vision for a pair of smart glasses than Halliday’s original glasses. That said, we’ll have to see if the AI features are all that useful. So far, I’ve had little success with AI wearables successfully intuiting what I actually need surfaced in a conversation, or deriving the correct conclusions for to-do items. And at $599, the Gen 2 comes with a pretty steep price tag for the average person. That’s not including any extra costs for prescription lenses. (Halliday claims it’ll be able to handle my prescription, which is -10 in one eye and -8.75 in the other with monster astigmatism. We shall see!)

The Halliday Gen 2 are available for preorder starting today with a $10 deposit and a subsequent $100 discount on the final price. The glasses are expected to ship in September.

#Hallidays #latest #smart #glasses #feature #muchimproved #displayAI,Gadgets,Hands-on,News,Reviews,Tech,Wearable">Halliday’s latest smart glasses feature a much-improved display

I first slipped on Halliday’s original smart glasses at CES 2025. I was not a fan. The glasses had a tiny, movable display window embedded into the frame that was incredibly finicky to see, and my 30-minute demo left me with achy eyeballs. It was an interesting concept with terrible execution, especially compared to the several other smart glasses on the show floor. So I was skeptical when a few weeks ago, Halliday reached out to say its second attempt at smart glasses was much better.

Well, having tried the Halliday Gen 2, I’m happy to report these are better glasses. That secret display window is gone, replaced by more traditional but discreet waveguides. They’re not like the Meta Display’s nigh-invisible screens. You can still spot the reflection if angled just right, but they’re considerably easier to see. And inside of a single-lens display, the Gen 2 has one for each eye, giving you a much larger screen to look at. Spec-wise, the Gen 2’s displays are monochrome green, with a maximum brightness of 1,600 nits and 600 by 300 pixel resolution per eye.

On my face, the Gen 2 has a nondescript design but is very lightweight compared to other display glasses I’ve tried. The display was also easily visible inside a dark bar, though I didn’t get a chance to see how it’d fare in direct sunlight. The four-mic array was able to pick up commands despite the ambient noise, and Halliday told me that it gets about 12 hours of typical use. That’s partly because these aren’t camera glasses. The exclusion of the camera was a deliberate choice, both for privacy and to extend battery life. That’s because these are more so meant to be a tool for work meetings.

With the Gen 2, Halliday is launching a feature called Meeting Flow. It’s meant to help you follow along in a conversation, using AI to surface context or facts without needing to look at your laptop or phone. I’ve seen this in other smart glasses to varying degrees of success. (Mostly non-success.) More interesting are the so-called Thread Tracker, Decision Confirmation, and Commitment Check features. The idea is to provide real-time updates about what decisions have been made in a meeting, what items need following up on, and a visualization of a meeting’s overall conversation flow. For example, Thread Tracker might show that a team meeting started off talking about budget allocations, before moving on to potential new hires and timelines for those hires. Decision Confirmation might show that the meeting concluded that all new hires should be finished by a specific date. Lastly, Commitment Check verifies if action items have been assigned (and to whom) with a clear deadline. The glasses will also provide post-meeting transcripts and summaries.

I saw a brief glimpse of what this could look like at my demo, albeit a product interview is less conducive to these kinds of features than a typical planning meeting. That said, the glasses also support more general-use AI features like captioning, real-time translations for over 45 languages, the ability to take phone calls, and teleprompters/notecards for public speakers. Users can also make use of the Halliday AI assistant for voice control.

Overall, this is a much more tightly focused vision for a pair of smart glasses than Halliday’s original glasses. That said, we’ll have to see if the AI features are all that useful. So far, I’ve had little success with AI wearables successfully intuiting what I actually need surfaced in a conversation, or deriving the correct conclusions for to-do items. And at $599, the Gen 2 comes with a pretty steep price tag for the average person. That’s not including any extra costs for prescription lenses. (Halliday claims it’ll be able to handle my prescription, which is -10 in one eye and -8.75 in the other with monster astigmatism. We shall see!)

The Halliday Gen 2 are available for preorder starting today with a $10 deposit and a subsequent $100 discount on the final price. The glasses are expected to ship in September.

#Hallidays #latest #smart #glasses #feature #muchimproved #displayAI,Gadgets,Hands-on,News,Reviews,Tech,Wearable
One of the most important things happening on Earth today is the solar energy build-out. Around the world, companies and countries are racing to deploy solar and batteries to achieve energy independence and limit the effects of climate change.

That build-out, though, is running into a labor market challenge, with a limited supply of workers to meet a growing demand for installation. Robots could be an answer, but industrial robots have historically struggled in unstructured environments, at least until now. The latest generation of AI models may have changed that equation.

That’s the driving idea behind Gritt, a start-up founded by two Carnegie Mellon-trained roboticists, CEO Puneet Puri and CTO Vishal Dugar. The company exited stealth Tuesday morning with a $26 million Series A round of funding led by Obvious Ventures with participation from Union Square Ventures and Active Impact Investment. That brings its total funding to $34 million, following an earlier seed round backed by First Round Capital, Climactic, Congruent Ventures, and VSC Ventures. The startup is building an intelligent system to “help civilization build infrastructure faster,” in Puri’s words.

“Our thesis is that if we truly want to speed up construction,” Puri tells TechCrunch, “you need an intelligence which can work in the outdoor, chaotic environments of these construction sites, and it has to be generalizable enough that it can work in these varied environments.”

Rather than building its own robots from scratch, Gritt uses off-the-shelf hardware—thus far, rented skidders and robotic arms built by companies like Kawasaki—to build platforms that are controlled by its AI models. The first job its systems handle is unloading large, glass solar panels, carrying them toward the metal frames where they need to be installed, and positioning them on the frames with sub-millimeter accuracy so workers can fasten them.

“There are people who used to build rockets that went into space and had infinite budget for the smallest little part, and then there are people who know what it means to get into dirty, dull, and dangerous jobs and scale them like mad,” said Andrew Beebe, the partner at Obvious Ventures who led Gritt’s Series A round. “These guys are in the second camp, and that’s a special kind of entrepreneur that has the technical chops, the AI, and the machine vision skills to make it work.”

Gritt has two systems currently deployed in the field, using the data they collect to improve their behavior. Puri says that a typical eight-person crew workers can install 800 panels a day, but the same crew working with Gritt’s systems can install 3,000 to 4,000 panels each day.

Now, the company says it is contracted to help install 2.8 gigawatts of solar panels in the next 18 months, and that its customers include three of the top 10 US power construction companies. The company hopes to be operating 48 of its systems within the next six months.

TechCrunch spoke to one Gritt customer who declined to be identified for competitive reasons, but who was enthusiastic about the system’s ability to improve his work. He expects it to be easier to work at remote sites where it is difficult to attract workers, and anticipates a reduction in injuries since workers won’t have to repeatedly lift 100-pound panels overhead.

Gritt is competing against companies with their own panel-installing robots like Luminous Robotics, Cosmic, and China’s Trinabot. Those companies are building their own hardware, rather than focusing on off-the-shelf vehicles and arms like Gritt, a difference that could shape who grows faster and with a leaner cost structure as demand grows.

Gritt wants to add new manipulation tasks to its system so it can fasten the solar panels, drill posts, and even build the racks they sit on. Longer term, it also wants to move into other common, labor-intensive construction tasks, like tying rebar before concrete is poured over it.

What’s enabled the startup to pursue this vision? Mainly, the rise of new AI models, the founders say.

“Making a system for one solution was still possible to some extent five years ago, right?” Puri said, but AI is now making that work generalizable — the same underlying pipeline can be reused and improve across tasks. As an example, he noted that training the system to stack cinder blocks took weeks, while a similar demo with rebar tying took just a day using the same software.

But training new tasks is just the beginning of Gritt’s vision. The founders believe the suite of sensors and intelligence its systems bring to worksites can do more than install panels; it can boost management and decision-making. For instance, they imagine their system noticing a trench is open while a storm approaches, allowing it to alert workers to cover it before rain damages components, or flagging missing inventory.

“Gritt becomes now this layer of physical AI, which is doing this dextrous, labor-intensive task, plus it can help you take decisions on the site,” Puri said.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

#Gritt #exits #stealth #million #robots #build #solar #plantsthen #TechCrunchExclusive">Gritt exits stealth with million for robots to build solar plants—then, everything else | TechCrunch One of the most important things happening on Earth today is the solar energy build-out. Around the world, companies and countries are racing to deploy solar and batteries to achieve energy independence and limit the effects of climate change. That build-out, though, is running into a labor market challenge, with a limited supply of workers to meet a growing demand for installation. Robots could be an answer, but industrial robots have historically struggled in unstructured environments, at least until now. The latest generation of AI models may have changed that equation. That’s the driving idea behind Gritt, a start-up founded by two Carnegie Mellon-trained roboticists, CEO Puneet Puri and CTO Vishal Dugar. The company exited stealth Tuesday morning with a million Series A round of funding led by Obvious Ventures with participation from Union Square Ventures and Active Impact Investment. That brings its total funding to million, following an earlier seed round backed by First Round Capital, Climactic, Congruent Ventures, and VSC Ventures. The startup is building an intelligent system to “help civilization build infrastructure faster,” in Puri’s words. “Our thesis is that if we truly want to speed up construction,” Puri tells TechCrunch, “you need an intelligence which can work in the outdoor, chaotic environments of these construction sites, and it has to be generalizable enough that it can work in these varied environments.” Rather than building its own robots from scratch, Gritt uses off-the-shelf hardware—thus far, rented skidders and robotic arms built by companies like Kawasaki—to build platforms that are controlled by its AI models. The first job its systems handle is unloading large, glass solar panels, carrying them toward the metal frames where they need to be installed, and positioning them on the frames with sub-millimeter accuracy so workers can fasten them. “There are people who used to build rockets that went into space and had infinite budget for the smallest little part, and then there are people who know what it means to get into dirty, dull, and dangerous jobs and scale them like mad,” said Andrew Beebe, the partner at Obvious Ventures who led Gritt’s Series A round. “These guys are in the second camp, and that’s a special kind of entrepreneur that has the technical chops, the AI, and the machine vision skills to make it work.” Gritt has two systems currently deployed in the field, using the data they collect to improve their behavior. Puri says that a typical eight-person crew workers can install 800 panels a day, but the same crew working with Gritt’s systems can install 3,000 to 4,000 panels each day. Now, the company says it is contracted to help install 2.8 gigawatts of solar panels in the next 18 months, and that its customers include three of the top 10 US power construction companies. The company hopes to be operating 48 of its systems within the next six months. TechCrunch spoke to one Gritt customer who declined to be identified for competitive reasons, but who was enthusiastic about the system’s ability to improve his work. He expects it to be easier to work at remote sites where it is difficult to attract workers, and anticipates a reduction in injuries since workers won’t have to repeatedly lift 100-pound panels overhead. Gritt is competing against companies with their own panel-installing robots like Luminous Robotics, Cosmic, and China’s Trinabot. Those companies are building their own hardware, rather than focusing on off-the-shelf vehicles and arms like Gritt, a difference that could shape who grows faster and with a leaner cost structure as demand grows. Gritt wants to add new manipulation tasks to its system so it can fasten the solar panels, drill posts, and even build the racks they sit on. Longer term, it also wants to move into other common, labor-intensive construction tasks, like tying rebar before concrete is poured over it. What’s enabled the startup to pursue this vision? Mainly, the rise of new AI models, the founders say. “Making a system for one solution was still possible to some extent five years ago, right?” Puri said, but AI is now making that work generalizable — the same underlying pipeline can be reused and improve across tasks. As an example, he noted that training the system to stack cinder blocks took weeks, while a similar demo with rebar tying took just a day using the same software. But training new tasks is just the beginning of Gritt’s vision. The founders believe the suite of sensors and intelligence its systems bring to worksites can do more than install panels; it can boost management and decision-making. For instance, they imagine their system noticing a trench is open while a storm approaches, allowing it to alert workers to cover it before rain damages components, or flagging missing inventory. “Gritt becomes now this layer of physical AI, which is doing this dextrous, labor-intensive task, plus it can help you take decisions on the site,” Puri said. When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.#Gritt #exits #stealth #million #robots #build #solar #plantsthen #TechCrunchExclusive

Gritt, a start-up founded by two Carnegie Mellon-trained roboticists, CEO Puneet Puri and CTO Vishal Dugar. The company exited stealth Tuesday morning with a $26 million Series A round of funding led by Obvious Ventures with participation from Union Square Ventures and Active Impact Investment. That brings its total funding to $34 million, following an earlier seed round backed by First Round Capital, Climactic, Congruent Ventures, and VSC Ventures. The startup is building an intelligent system to “help civilization build infrastructure faster,” in Puri’s words.

“Our thesis is that if we truly want to speed up construction,” Puri tells TechCrunch, “you need an intelligence which can work in the outdoor, chaotic environments of these construction sites, and it has to be generalizable enough that it can work in these varied environments.”

Rather than building its own robots from scratch, Gritt uses off-the-shelf hardware—thus far, rented skidders and robotic arms built by companies like Kawasaki—to build platforms that are controlled by its AI models. The first job its systems handle is unloading large, glass solar panels, carrying them toward the metal frames where they need to be installed, and positioning them on the frames with sub-millimeter accuracy so workers can fasten them.

“There are people who used to build rockets that went into space and had infinite budget for the smallest little part, and then there are people who know what it means to get into dirty, dull, and dangerous jobs and scale them like mad,” said Andrew Beebe, the partner at Obvious Ventures who led Gritt’s Series A round. “These guys are in the second camp, and that’s a special kind of entrepreneur that has the technical chops, the AI, and the machine vision skills to make it work.”

Gritt has two systems currently deployed in the field, using the data they collect to improve their behavior. Puri says that a typical eight-person crew workers can install 800 panels a day, but the same crew working with Gritt’s systems can install 3,000 to 4,000 panels each day.

Now, the company says it is contracted to help install 2.8 gigawatts of solar panels in the next 18 months, and that its customers include three of the top 10 US power construction companies. The company hopes to be operating 48 of its systems within the next six months.

TechCrunch spoke to one Gritt customer who declined to be identified for competitive reasons, but who was enthusiastic about the system’s ability to improve his work. He expects it to be easier to work at remote sites where it is difficult to attract workers, and anticipates a reduction in injuries since workers won’t have to repeatedly lift 100-pound panels overhead.

Gritt is competing against companies with their own panel-installing robots like Luminous Robotics, Cosmic, and China’s Trinabot. Those companies are building their own hardware, rather than focusing on off-the-shelf vehicles and arms like Gritt, a difference that could shape who grows faster and with a leaner cost structure as demand grows.

Gritt wants to add new manipulation tasks to its system so it can fasten the solar panels, drill posts, and even build the racks they sit on. Longer term, it also wants to move into other common, labor-intensive construction tasks, like tying rebar before concrete is poured over it.

What’s enabled the startup to pursue this vision? Mainly, the rise of new AI models, the founders say.

“Making a system for one solution was still possible to some extent five years ago, right?” Puri said, but AI is now making that work generalizable — the same underlying pipeline can be reused and improve across tasks. As an example, he noted that training the system to stack cinder blocks took weeks, while a similar demo with rebar tying took just a day using the same software.

But training new tasks is just the beginning of Gritt’s vision. The founders believe the suite of sensors and intelligence its systems bring to worksites can do more than install panels; it can boost management and decision-making. For instance, they imagine their system noticing a trench is open while a storm approaches, allowing it to alert workers to cover it before rain damages components, or flagging missing inventory.

“Gritt becomes now this layer of physical AI, which is doing this dextrous, labor-intensive task, plus it can help you take decisions on the site,” Puri said.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

#Gritt #exits #stealth #million #robots #build #solar #plantsthen #TechCrunchExclusive">Gritt exits stealth with $34 million for robots to build solar plants—then, everything else | TechCrunch

One of the most important things happening on Earth today is the solar energy build-out. Around the world, companies and countries are racing to deploy solar and batteries to achieve energy independence and limit the effects of climate change.

That build-out, though, is running into a labor market challenge, with a limited supply of workers to meet a growing demand for installation. Robots could be an answer, but industrial robots have historically struggled in unstructured environments, at least until now. The latest generation of AI models may have changed that equation.

That’s the driving idea behind Gritt, a start-up founded by two Carnegie Mellon-trained roboticists, CEO Puneet Puri and CTO Vishal Dugar. The company exited stealth Tuesday morning with a $26 million Series A round of funding led by Obvious Ventures with participation from Union Square Ventures and Active Impact Investment. That brings its total funding to $34 million, following an earlier seed round backed by First Round Capital, Climactic, Congruent Ventures, and VSC Ventures. The startup is building an intelligent system to “help civilization build infrastructure faster,” in Puri’s words.

“Our thesis is that if we truly want to speed up construction,” Puri tells TechCrunch, “you need an intelligence which can work in the outdoor, chaotic environments of these construction sites, and it has to be generalizable enough that it can work in these varied environments.”

Rather than building its own robots from scratch, Gritt uses off-the-shelf hardware—thus far, rented skidders and robotic arms built by companies like Kawasaki—to build platforms that are controlled by its AI models. The first job its systems handle is unloading large, glass solar panels, carrying them toward the metal frames where they need to be installed, and positioning them on the frames with sub-millimeter accuracy so workers can fasten them.

“There are people who used to build rockets that went into space and had infinite budget for the smallest little part, and then there are people who know what it means to get into dirty, dull, and dangerous jobs and scale them like mad,” said Andrew Beebe, the partner at Obvious Ventures who led Gritt’s Series A round. “These guys are in the second camp, and that’s a special kind of entrepreneur that has the technical chops, the AI, and the machine vision skills to make it work.”

Gritt has two systems currently deployed in the field, using the data they collect to improve their behavior. Puri says that a typical eight-person crew workers can install 800 panels a day, but the same crew working with Gritt’s systems can install 3,000 to 4,000 panels each day.

Now, the company says it is contracted to help install 2.8 gigawatts of solar panels in the next 18 months, and that its customers include three of the top 10 US power construction companies. The company hopes to be operating 48 of its systems within the next six months.

TechCrunch spoke to one Gritt customer who declined to be identified for competitive reasons, but who was enthusiastic about the system’s ability to improve his work. He expects it to be easier to work at remote sites where it is difficult to attract workers, and anticipates a reduction in injuries since workers won’t have to repeatedly lift 100-pound panels overhead.

Gritt is competing against companies with their own panel-installing robots like Luminous Robotics, Cosmic, and China’s Trinabot. Those companies are building their own hardware, rather than focusing on off-the-shelf vehicles and arms like Gritt, a difference that could shape who grows faster and with a leaner cost structure as demand grows.

Gritt wants to add new manipulation tasks to its system so it can fasten the solar panels, drill posts, and even build the racks they sit on. Longer term, it also wants to move into other common, labor-intensive construction tasks, like tying rebar before concrete is poured over it.

What’s enabled the startup to pursue this vision? Mainly, the rise of new AI models, the founders say.

“Making a system for one solution was still possible to some extent five years ago, right?” Puri said, but AI is now making that work generalizable — the same underlying pipeline can be reused and improve across tasks. As an example, he noted that training the system to stack cinder blocks took weeks, while a similar demo with rebar tying took just a day using the same software.

But training new tasks is just the beginning of Gritt’s vision. The founders believe the suite of sensors and intelligence its systems bring to worksites can do more than install panels; it can boost management and decision-making. For instance, they imagine their system noticing a trench is open while a storm approaches, allowing it to alert workers to cover it before rain damages components, or flagging missing inventory.

“Gritt becomes now this layer of physical AI, which is doing this dextrous, labor-intensive task, plus it can help you take decisions on the site,” Puri said.

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#Gritt #exits #stealth #million #robots #build #solar #plantsthen #TechCrunchExclusive
introducing the ASUS Pad T3201. The new tablet combines a premium OLED screen, performance, and portability. It has been built using the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 SoC and targets those users who like to stream, game, study, and work while traveling. The tablet’s launch date is set for August 6.

ASUS Pad T3201 Specifications and Features

ASUS Pad T3201 Launched in India With OLED Display: Price, Features, and Availability ASUS has expanded its product lineup in India by introducing the ASUS Pad T3201. The new tablet combines a premium OLED screen, performance, and portability. It has been built using the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 SoC and targets those users who like to stream, game, study, and work while traveling. The tablet’s launch date is set for August 6. ASUS Pad T3201 Specifications and Features ASUS has designed the Pad T3201 for both entertainment and productivity. It is equipped with a 12.2-inch dual-layer OLED screen featuring 2.8K resolution and a 144 Hz refresh rate. The display can deliver up to 2,000 nits of brightness and support the 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, making it perfect for entertainment such as watching movies, gaming, and reading. The phone runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 chipset and features 8 GB of LPDDR5X RAM. It runs on Android 16 and ensures efficient use for the user. ASUS has also equipped the device with Wi-Fi 6E, which provides a reliable, fast internet connection. Buyers can choose 128GB or 256GB storage, while a microSD card expands storage up to 1TB. The ASUS Pad T3201 packs a 9,000mAh battery with 45W fast charging support. ASUS says the battery charges from 0 to 50 percent in about 30 minutes. The tablet weighs 523g and measures 6.5mm thin, making it easy to carry. It also includes quad speakers with Dolby Atmos for immersive sound. For photography and communication, the tablet includes a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. It supports ASUS Pen 2.0, a Bluetooth keyboard, and GlideX for seamless file sharing. ASUS also bundles a protective folio case with the device. Users can also use Google Circle to Search without switching apps. Launch and Availability The ASUS Pad T3201 is set to launch in India on August 6 at 12 PM. This product will be sold both online at Flipkart and the ASUS E-Shop website. Offline purchasing is possible at ASUS and ROG stores, as well as Reliance Digital, among others. At the moment, ASUS has not announced the tablet’s price. #ASUS #Pad #T3201 #Launched #India #OLED #Display #Price #Features #AvailabilityAsus

ASUS has designed the Pad T3201 for both entertainment and productivity. It is equipped with a 12.2-inch dual-layer OLED screen featuring 2.8K resolution and a 144 Hz refresh rate. The display can deliver up to 2,000 nits of brightness and support the 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, making it perfect for entertainment such as watching movies, gaming, and reading. The phone runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 chipset and features 8 GB of LPDDR5X RAM. It runs on Android 16 and ensures efficient use for the user. ASUS has also equipped the device with Wi-Fi 6E, which provides a reliable, fast internet connection. Buyers can choose 128GB or 256GB storage, while a microSD card expands storage up to 1TB.

The ASUS Pad T3201 packs a 9,000mAh battery with 45W fast charging support. ASUS says the battery charges from 0 to 50 percent in about 30 minutes. The tablet weighs 523g and measures 6.5mm thin, making it easy to carry. It also includes quad speakers with Dolby Atmos for immersive sound. For photography and communication, the tablet includes a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. It supports ASUS Pen 2.0, a Bluetooth keyboard, and GlideX for seamless file sharing. ASUS also bundles a protective folio case with the device. Users can also use Google Circle to Search without switching apps.

Launch and Availability

The ASUS Pad T3201 is set to launch in India on August 6 at 12 PM. This product will be sold both online at Flipkart and the ASUS E-Shop website. Offline purchasing is possible at ASUS and ROG stores, as well as Reliance Digital, among others. At the moment, ASUS has not announced the tablet’s price.

#ASUS #Pad #T3201 #Launched #India #OLED #Display #Price #Features #AvailabilityAsus">ASUS Pad T3201 Launched in India With OLED Display: Price, Features, and Availability ASUS has expanded its product lineup in India by introducing the ASUS Pad T3201. The new tablet combines a premium OLED screen, performance, and portability. It has been built using the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 SoC and targets those users who like to stream, game, study, and work while traveling. The tablet’s launch date is set for August 6. ASUS Pad T3201 Specifications and Features ASUS has designed the Pad T3201 for both entertainment and productivity. It is equipped with a 12.2-inch dual-layer OLED screen featuring 2.8K resolution and a 144 Hz refresh rate. The display can deliver up to 2,000 nits of brightness and support the 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, making it perfect for entertainment such as watching movies, gaming, and reading. The phone runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 chipset and features 8 GB of LPDDR5X RAM. It runs on Android 16 and ensures efficient use for the user. ASUS has also equipped the device with Wi-Fi 6E, which provides a reliable, fast internet connection. Buyers can choose 128GB or 256GB storage, while a microSD card expands storage up to 1TB. The ASUS Pad T3201 packs a 9,000mAh battery with 45W fast charging support. ASUS says the battery charges from 0 to 50 percent in about 30 minutes. The tablet weighs 523g and measures 6.5mm thin, making it easy to carry. It also includes quad speakers with Dolby Atmos for immersive sound. For photography and communication, the tablet includes a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. It supports ASUS Pen 2.0, a Bluetooth keyboard, and GlideX for seamless file sharing. ASUS also bundles a protective folio case with the device. Users can also use Google Circle to Search without switching apps. Launch and Availability The ASUS Pad T3201 is set to launch in India on August 6 at 12 PM. This product will be sold both online at Flipkart and the ASUS E-Shop website. Offline purchasing is possible at ASUS and ROG stores, as well as Reliance Digital, among others. At the moment, ASUS has not announced the tablet’s price. #ASUS #Pad #T3201 #Launched #India #OLED #Display #Price #Features #AvailabilityAsus

the ASUS Pad T3201. The new tablet combines a premium OLED screen, performance, and portability. It has been built using the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 SoC and targets those users who like to stream, game, study, and work while traveling. The tablet’s launch date is set for August 6.

ASUS Pad T3201 Specifications and Features

ASUS Pad T3201 Launched in India With OLED Display: Price, Features, and Availability ASUS has expanded its product lineup in India by introducing the ASUS Pad T3201. The new tablet combines a premium OLED screen, performance, and portability. It has been built using the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 SoC and targets those users who like to stream, game, study, and work while traveling. The tablet’s launch date is set for August 6. ASUS Pad T3201 Specifications and Features ASUS has designed the Pad T3201 for both entertainment and productivity. It is equipped with a 12.2-inch dual-layer OLED screen featuring 2.8K resolution and a 144 Hz refresh rate. The display can deliver up to 2,000 nits of brightness and support the 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, making it perfect for entertainment such as watching movies, gaming, and reading. The phone runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 chipset and features 8 GB of LPDDR5X RAM. It runs on Android 16 and ensures efficient use for the user. ASUS has also equipped the device with Wi-Fi 6E, which provides a reliable, fast internet connection. Buyers can choose 128GB or 256GB storage, while a microSD card expands storage up to 1TB. The ASUS Pad T3201 packs a 9,000mAh battery with 45W fast charging support. ASUS says the battery charges from 0 to 50 percent in about 30 minutes. The tablet weighs 523g and measures 6.5mm thin, making it easy to carry. It also includes quad speakers with Dolby Atmos for immersive sound. For photography and communication, the tablet includes a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. It supports ASUS Pen 2.0, a Bluetooth keyboard, and GlideX for seamless file sharing. ASUS also bundles a protective folio case with the device. Users can also use Google Circle to Search without switching apps. Launch and Availability The ASUS Pad T3201 is set to launch in India on August 6 at 12 PM. This product will be sold both online at Flipkart and the ASUS E-Shop website. Offline purchasing is possible at ASUS and ROG stores, as well as Reliance Digital, among others. At the moment, ASUS has not announced the tablet’s price. #ASUS #Pad #T3201 #Launched #India #OLED #Display #Price #Features #AvailabilityAsus

ASUS has designed the Pad T3201 for both entertainment and productivity. It is equipped with a 12.2-inch dual-layer OLED screen featuring 2.8K resolution and a 144 Hz refresh rate. The display can deliver up to 2,000 nits of brightness and support the 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, making it perfect for entertainment such as watching movies, gaming, and reading. The phone runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 chipset and features 8 GB of LPDDR5X RAM. It runs on Android 16 and ensures efficient use for the user. ASUS has also equipped the device with Wi-Fi 6E, which provides a reliable, fast internet connection. Buyers can choose 128GB or 256GB storage, while a microSD card expands storage up to 1TB.

The ASUS Pad T3201 packs a 9,000mAh battery with 45W fast charging support. ASUS says the battery charges from 0 to 50 percent in about 30 minutes. The tablet weighs 523g and measures 6.5mm thin, making it easy to carry. It also includes quad speakers with Dolby Atmos for immersive sound. For photography and communication, the tablet includes a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. It supports ASUS Pen 2.0, a Bluetooth keyboard, and GlideX for seamless file sharing. ASUS also bundles a protective folio case with the device. Users can also use Google Circle to Search without switching apps.

Launch and Availability

The ASUS Pad T3201 is set to launch in India on August 6 at 12 PM. This product will be sold both online at Flipkart and the ASUS E-Shop website. Offline purchasing is possible at ASUS and ROG stores, as well as Reliance Digital, among others. At the moment, ASUS has not announced the tablet’s price.

#ASUS #Pad #T3201 #Launched #India #OLED #Display #Price #Features #AvailabilityAsus">ASUS Pad T3201 Launched in India With OLED Display: Price, Features, and Availability

ASUS has expanded its product lineup in India by introducing the ASUS Pad T3201. The new tablet combines a premium OLED screen, performance, and portability. It has been built using the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 SoC and targets those users who like to stream, game, study, and work while traveling. The tablet’s launch date is set for August 6.

ASUS Pad T3201 Specifications and Features

ASUS Pad T3201 Launched in India With OLED Display: Price, Features, and Availability ASUS has expanded its product lineup in India by introducing the ASUS Pad T3201. The new tablet combines a premium OLED screen, performance, and portability. It has been built using the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 SoC and targets those users who like to stream, game, study, and work while traveling. The tablet’s launch date is set for August 6. ASUS Pad T3201 Specifications and Features ASUS has designed the Pad T3201 for both entertainment and productivity. It is equipped with a 12.2-inch dual-layer OLED screen featuring 2.8K resolution and a 144 Hz refresh rate. The display can deliver up to 2,000 nits of brightness and support the 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, making it perfect for entertainment such as watching movies, gaming, and reading. The phone runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 chipset and features 8 GB of LPDDR5X RAM. It runs on Android 16 and ensures efficient use for the user. ASUS has also equipped the device with Wi-Fi 6E, which provides a reliable, fast internet connection. Buyers can choose 128GB or 256GB storage, while a microSD card expands storage up to 1TB. The ASUS Pad T3201 packs a 9,000mAh battery with 45W fast charging support. ASUS says the battery charges from 0 to 50 percent in about 30 minutes. The tablet weighs 523g and measures 6.5mm thin, making it easy to carry. It also includes quad speakers with Dolby Atmos for immersive sound. For photography and communication, the tablet includes a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. It supports ASUS Pen 2.0, a Bluetooth keyboard, and GlideX for seamless file sharing. ASUS also bundles a protective folio case with the device. Users can also use Google Circle to Search without switching apps. Launch and Availability The ASUS Pad T3201 is set to launch in India on August 6 at 12 PM. This product will be sold both online at Flipkart and the ASUS E-Shop website. Offline purchasing is possible at ASUS and ROG stores, as well as Reliance Digital, among others. At the moment, ASUS has not announced the tablet’s price. #ASUS #Pad #T3201 #Launched #India #OLED #Display #Price #Features #AvailabilityAsus

ASUS has designed the Pad T3201 for both entertainment and productivity. It is equipped with a 12.2-inch dual-layer OLED screen featuring 2.8K resolution and a 144 Hz refresh rate. The display can deliver up to 2,000 nits of brightness and support the 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, making it perfect for entertainment such as watching movies, gaming, and reading. The phone runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 chipset and features 8 GB of LPDDR5X RAM. It runs on Android 16 and ensures efficient use for the user. ASUS has also equipped the device with Wi-Fi 6E, which provides a reliable, fast internet connection. Buyers can choose 128GB or 256GB storage, while a microSD card expands storage up to 1TB.

The ASUS Pad T3201 packs a 9,000mAh battery with 45W fast charging support. ASUS says the battery charges from 0 to 50 percent in about 30 minutes. The tablet weighs 523g and measures 6.5mm thin, making it easy to carry. It also includes quad speakers with Dolby Atmos for immersive sound. For photography and communication, the tablet includes a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. It supports ASUS Pen 2.0, a Bluetooth keyboard, and GlideX for seamless file sharing. ASUS also bundles a protective folio case with the device. Users can also use Google Circle to Search without switching apps.

Launch and Availability

The ASUS Pad T3201 is set to launch in India on August 6 at 12 PM. This product will be sold both online at Flipkart and the ASUS E-Shop website. Offline purchasing is possible at ASUS and ROG stores, as well as Reliance Digital, among others. At the moment, ASUS has not announced the tablet’s price.

#ASUS #Pad #T3201 #Launched #India #OLED #Display #Price #Features #AvailabilityAsus

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