Something Coming! Any Guesses?

[☠ Cipher]

To my frustration they did a pretty good job of masking any details on this machine in the video lol. I tried every trick in the photo editing book to get a closer look at it. I’m consistently hearing that it’s waterproof, as any SMF should be, and loaded with options to manipulate the frequencies, some new to the game. I take the former with a grain of salt since XP is now synonymous with wireless detection, but the latter sounds like a good bet with XP. There’s little to nothing else out there in the wild. They’ve kept it quiet. No ideas about whether it has a color lcd or entirely new remote though it would seem like it would have to be if the waterproof rumors are true. But no specific features or frequencies.
 

Personally I expect a top tier innovative foundation to build on. The future of metal detecting is already headed toward feather light selectable and simultaneous multi as standard features. Nowhere else to go but standardizing color LCD graphics and adding peripheral gadgetry, like smart glasses (likely built off of or integrated with headphones), and some level of cell phone integration. In other words enhancements you can attach to your head or arm rather than adding weight to the detector. The days of bulky detectors are coming to a close. There will come a day, not far off where people will look at a CTX like we look at a tube TV and it will likely be partly on account of the evolution of this machine over time. I know it would be their first SMF, but everyone has the benefit of studying how all previous iterations function and how they might be improved. XP doesn’t strike me as a company willing to settle for less or an “also ran” model. 

[relicmeister]

Could it be a new coil option? Something like a 5” round or 3x6 elliptical?  I doubt that would inspire a get ready tease video, though. 

[brys]

with alexa controls would be usefull

[brys]

22 hours ago, Rob in (ca) said:

Hopefully The New Deus is got A Better VDI Number Scale

and more accurate TID

[Chase Goldman]

On 10/16/2021 at 10:22 PM, Melano87 said:

I don’t think them to release a machine to compete with Vanquish, Apex etc

I also don’t see them release a detector under 1000 € like the Equinox so they remain in the price range of the CTx3030 to compete (~1500€).

Well they better consider it.  Equinox and Apex and perhaps even the forthcoming NM SMF (as evidenced by Simplex) all project a decreasing price trend not the other way around.  Even with "CTX-like" display and disc features, XP would be hard pressed to justify even the existing Deus price point, though Deus units are still being sold at a decent clip, particularly discounted used detectors.  CTX is clearly overpriced for what you do get and I am certain that ML is working on the next gen CTX replacement with higher end features and (hopefully) build quality vs. Equinox (and of course, a likely higher than Equinox but not "CTX level" price point).

17 hours ago, ☠ Cipher said:

There’s little to nothing else out there in the wild. They’ve kept it quiet. No ideas about whether it has a color lcd or entirely new remote though it would seem like it would have to be if the waterproof rumors are true. But no specific features or frequencies.
 

Personally I expect a top tier innovative foundation to build on. The future of metal detecting is already headed toward feather light selectable and simultaneous multi as standard features. Nowhere else to go but standardizing color LCD graphics and adding peripheral gadgetry, like smart glasses (likely built off of or integrated with headphones), and some level of cell phone integration. In other words enhancements you can attach to your head or arm rather than adding weight to the detector. The days of bulky detectors are coming to a close.

Whether the XP SMF emulates Equinox or CTX in features is anybody's guess, but like I said previously, ability for the user to manipulate the the SMF spectrum and processing independently would be welcome (with accompaying simplified, default turn on and go modes).  I like the color graphics display (readable in sunlight or with an accompanying high contrast mono mode) and peripherals as features approach you are advocating. 

Other thoughts: Touch screens and/or a USB interface for ease of off-the-field programming backed up by physical controls (dirty detecting gloves and touch screens do not work well together) would also be welcome.  Also, something else I forgot to mention in my previous wish list is an option for an inexpensive "dumb" wireless headset a la Orx would also be desirable.

[Tahts-a-dats-ago]

I am inclined to believe the new XP machine is likely to be innovative, feature-rich, and priced accordingly. If the performance is there (real or perceived) consumers will justify the pricing by way of opening their wallets in gleeful anticipation.

That said I also believe XP would be wise to take note of current trend (set by their competition) toward decreased prices for very capable machines. At the very least, XP would seemingly be served well if they made an effort to seriously compete in that segment of the market.

With modern machines (for the most part) being software based, I am a bit surprised that we have yet to see a manufacturer offer one machine that can target multiple segments of the market. At this point software delivery is relatively routine; click a link or two, pay the amount required, and download a bunch of new features/performance.

From the manufacturer’s standpoint such a system offers significant advantages:

Tool and die costs are spread out over multiple (software) variations of the same machine. Physically the base model would be the same exact machine as the premium model. Given XP’s excellent ergonomics, I would think they can use the exact same platform they’re currently using for the Deus (further spreading the costs of manufacturing).

A company portal (for loading the new software) allows the manufacturer the ability to bypass the middleman (dealers) and the associated commissions that are incurred - increasing profit margins and presumably allowing for better prices for the consumer.

Up-selling consumers to more features/performance is simplified, and customer retention is far more likely when top-line performance/features can be realized for a few hundred dollars (verses spending $800+ for a competitor’s machine).

There are significant advantages for the consumer too:

A base model offers the consumer the opportunity to try a machine at a lower financial risk, while retaining the option of upgrading their machine to a top-level machine (should they decide to) for a relatively minor investment.

The investment (in a top line model) is more easily spread out over time. Buy the base model then update to the top line model later (when desired and the money is on hand).

Suppose XP offered a base SMF model at a targeted retail price somewhere around $500-$600. Make it capable of using the ORX wireless backphones (purchased separately) but ship it with the wired phones. Keep it fairly simple, but with enough features/performance to compete favorably with machines like the Vanquish 540, the Apex, and perhaps even the Equinox 600.

Want more?

Buy and install the premium software (say for $300) and now your machine is unlocked, with all the features and performance that XP is capable of delivering. The machine is now capable of working with the Ws4 backphones and can compete (favorably) with the competition’s top line models. Bundle the unlocked software with the Ws4 backphones and a MI6 pinpointer (at a price that makes that package attractive).

I’m not saying that such a business model should happen (concerning metal detectors) or even that it will happen. I’m just surprised that it hasn’t.
 

[phrunt]

Then watch piracy kick in at full force, dumps of the software upgrades all over the place people installing for free.  They'd need some sort of license key situation that a key can only be used once and on one detector, they could have an algorithm that when you purchase the upgrade it uses the serial number of your machine to generate the upgrade code which then only works on your machine and is checked online.

Sure there are always ways to get around all sorts of protection but I just don't see metal detectors as something that anyone serious would bother trying to break the protection, especially if it's very difficult with online verification and serial number matching for machines.  It'd be best done like some software where features are unlocked by the license key you enter rather than requiring customers to firmware update machines and just have the license key "activate" to the detector online so it can't be used on another detector.  It'd be funny to see key generators for metal detectors ?

It all sounds good and would be nice and convenient for customers to be able to upgrade at home with a few simple clicks.

[Geotech]

Something similar has already been done. The White's VX3 had the exact same hardware as the V3i but the features (all software) were considerably stripped back. However, all those features are still in there and can be progressively enabled with the right passwords. I think there were 4 levels: the VX3, 2 levels in-between, and the V3i. The thinking was that when a customer got good with the VX3 he could then "buy up" to the next level for, say, $99. It would have had the benefit for White's that a new customer would be less likely to overbuy and get frustrated with the V3i, and for the customer that they could buy only as much as they wanted.

The "upgrade" was never implemented, mgmt didn't like the idea. Please don't ask me how to do it; it required running the unit's serial number through a passcode generator that only White's had, and I'm certain that even that has been lost.