In consumer hardware, niche is the new mainstream
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ReMarkable's Paper Pro tablet (left) and the GoPro 13 Black (right). Images: ReMarkable, GoPro
A pair of devices launching Wednesday highlight a growing trend in consumer hardware: doing one thing well.
Why it matters: The smartphone rendered many formerly standalone devices obsolete, but now some tech with a single purpose can offer an experience that a digital Swiss Army knife can't.
Between the lines: GoPro announced its latest cameras on Wednesday. The $199 GoPro Hero is a smaller, simpler camera that presents fewer controls, while this year's flagship — the $399 Hero 13 Black — supports a series of add-on lenses without losing its core as a rugged, waterproof action camera.
- Meanwhile, the reMarkable tablet company is adding its first color model. ReMarkable's tablets allow creators to write and sketch without the distractions of more full-featured devices.
- ReMarkable's paper tablets are similar to Amazon's Kindle Scribe, but with a focus on creating and editing documents rather than reading digital books.
- In addition to adding color — the most requested feature — the Paper Pro has built-in illumination, a larger eInk display and an active digital pen, which allows digital ink to appear on the display within an imperceptible 12 milliseconds.
- The new Paper Pro ($579 or $629, depending on which pen is bundled) is still aimed at those who want to avoid notifications rather than those who want to multitask.
The big picture: Both companies are trying to lean into the value of focus. Asked how reMarkable is making use of generative AI, CEO Phil Hess answered bluntly: not at all.
- Instead, it's trying to give human beings more space to think.
What's next: The next crop of single-purpose devices may have generative AI at their core.
- Already there have been efforts including Humane's AI Pin, along with devices from Rabbit and others.
- However, these early products haven't been able to pass that key hurdle: proving they can do something that a smartphone can't do better, and often at no added cost.
