Ian Carlos Campbell

Ian Carlos Campbell was an Associate Editor at Inverse, working with the Gear team. He writes on VR, AR, and mobile technology, including reviews for flagship smartphones like Google’s Pixel 7 Pro and cutting-edge VR headsets like Meta’s Quest Pro.

Previously, Ian was an Associate Editor at Input writing reviews and editing guides, and before that, he was embedded with The Verge’s news team as part of the inaugural class of Vox Media’s fellowship program. Ian received a BA in Screenwriting from Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.

His other passions include: obsessively keeping up with the latest film and TV releases, playing and thinking critically about video games, and spending an unfortunate amount of time on Twitter.

AI

I Can't Stop Using This Free App That Uses AI to Identify Birds

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s free Merlin Bird ID is the only AI app you need on your phone. Here me out.

ByIan Carlos Campbell
Opinion

3 Reasons Why Apple Will Never Make a MacBook With a Foldable Screen

Don’t get your hopes up for a MacBook with a foldable screen.

ByIan Carlos Campbell
Opinion

The Rivian R3 Is Proof That Full Self-Driving Doesn't Need To Be a Major Selling Point

Tesla keeps saying self-driving cars are the future. What if they’re not?

ByIan Carlos Campbell
Retrospective

7 Years Later, The Switch’s Best Feature Is Something Nintendo Got Right in 1980

If Nintendo’s smart, the Switch 2 will have this same feature, too.

ByIan Carlos Campbell
Hands-On

I Went to Carl’s Jr.’s AI Drive-Thru and All I Got Was Sad

Fast food chains are experimenting with having AI assistants take orders. The results aren’t particularly satisfying.

ByIan Carlos Campbell
Opinion

Transparent Laptops, Phones, and TVs Are a Dead End

A transparent TV or laptop looks like something out of a sci-fi movie, but they’re not very practical.

ByIan Carlos Campbell
Opinion

3 Ways Samsung’s Galaxy Ring Could Blow the Oura Away

The Oura Ring was relatively early to the smart ring game, but Samsung’s upcoming wearable could have some major advantages.

ByIan Carlos Campbell
Retrospective

2 Years Ago, Valve Reinvented Handhelds by Borrowing From a Failed Controller

The Steam Deck’s many input methods are the best part of its design, which almost no other handheld PCs have tried to copy.

ByIan Carlos Campbell
Opinion

iOS 18 Should Copy the Best Parts of Apple Vision Pro’s visionOS

The floating, see-through windows of visionOS are just a small sliver of the ways Apple’s new software direction could and should influence the iPhone.

ByIan Carlos Campbell
Opinion

Now That Prime Video Has Ads, the Only Good Streaming Services Left Are Niche Ones

Mainstream streaming services abandoned the promise of a streaming subscription and now only niche platforms are keeping up their end of the bargain.

ByIan Carlos Campbell
Opinion

How the Vision Pro Could Become Apple’s Best Gaming Device

Apple’s push to be a force outside of the world of mobile gaming comes to a head with a computer that’s also a beautiful, resizable flat-screen TV.

ByIan Carlos Campbell
Retrospective

11 Years Ago, Microsoft Reinvented Laptops With a Kickstand. But Now What?

And in the process, the tech giant became more like Apple.

ByIan Carlos Campbell
Opinion

Apple and Samsung Won the Smartwatch War and We’re All Worse Off

With only Google and Samsung to turn to, the options for Android smartwatches have gotten even more dire.

ByIan Carlos Campbell
Opinion

Streaming Is the Only Way AAA Games Make Sense on iPhone

Apple's renewed investment in gaming has introduced a problem only game streaming can solve.

ByIan Carlos Campbell
Opinion

Phone Apps Killed Gadgets, and Now AI Is Bringing Them Back

Gadgets are back to unbundle the smartphone.

ByIan Carlos Campbell
Retrospective

40 Years Ago, Apple Changed Computers Forever. Can It Happen Again?

The Macintosh is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface for computers. There’s a chance the Vision Pro could do the same for AR headsets.

ByIan Carlos Campbell
Retrospective

16 Years Ago, Apple Changed Laptops With an Envelope

The introduction of the ultra-thin and lightweight MacBook Air in 2008 shifted expectations for laptops, and computers in general.

ByIan Carlos Campbell
Opinion

Why Samsung's Galaxy AI Actually Feels Like the Future of Phones

Galaxy AI can do wild things like translate phone calls live, but it's always focused on utility first rather than something that's only futuristic.

ByIan Carlos Campbell
AI

The 7 Most Important AI Gadgets You Need to Know About

2024 is going to be defined by what happens when AI software gets dedicated hardware.

ByIan Carlos Campbell
CES 2024

The 8 Best Gaming Hardware Reveals From CES 2024

These are the new handhelds, controllers, giant displays, and more that caught our attention.

ByIan Carlos Campbell