Apple is planning to hold an event in the latter half of October that will see the unveiling of the iPhone 12 models, Apple Watch Series 6, and long-rumored AirTags, according to a report from Japanese site Mac Otakara.
Citing rumors from "Chinese suppliers," Mac Otakara suggests that Apple initially planned to release the AirTags around the same time that the 2020 iPhone SE was launched, but it was delayed.
Apple in late July confirmed that this year's iPhones are going to be a little bit late, launching a "few weeks later" than the normal September timeframe. The iPhone 12 lineup is expected to be released at some point in October, and the delay has led to speculation and uncertainty about when Apple might hold its annual fall event.
The iPhone unveiling event normally takes place in the first or second week of September, and it's not clear if Apple will hold the event in its usual timeframe and then delay the launch of the iPhones until October, or wait until October for the unveiling.
Mac Otakara's information contradicts information shared by leaker Jon Prosser, who has suggested Apple plans to unveil the Apple Watch and new iPads via press release in September and then hold an event in October for the iPhones. Apple has never decoupled iPhone and Apple Watch launches, so there has been some skepticism about this prediction.
As for the AirTags, code for the Tile-like Bluetooth tracking devices have been spotted in iOS updates as far back as the iOS 13 betas, so they've been in the works for quite some time. It's never been clear when the AirTags are going to launch, but there have been rumors about a 2020 debut, and we're closing in on the end of 2020.
Mac Otakara suggests that AirTags will work with Apple's App Clips feature that lets users download small snippets of an app without downloading the entire thing, such as for ordering from a restaurant, but it's not clear how this would work given that AirTags are meant to work inside the Find My app.
For more information on what AirTags are and how we expect them to work, make sure to check out our AirTags guide.
September 01, 2020 at 01:07AM
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AirTags, iPhone 12, and Apple Watch Series 6 Announcements Rumored for Event Coming in Second Half of... - Mac Rumors
iOS 14 is currently in beta testing with developers and public beta users, with Apple having released the sixth beta just last week. While beta testing is moving along nicely, and Apple recently switched from a biweekly schedule to a weekly schedule for releases, there is quite a bit of uncertainty about when Apple plans to release iOS 14 to everyone.
How iOS 14 compares to iOS 13
It’s no secret that iOS 13 was a rather disastrous release for Apple, plagued by bugs, performance issues, and the complicated release of iOS 13.1 and iPadOS 13.1. This year, iOS 14 is far more stable in beta testing than iOS 13 was, but there are still comparisons we can draw.
What this means is that with the iOS 14 beta cycle this year, we are essentially running two and a half weeks — or 18 days — behind the schedule of the iOS 13 beta cycle last year. Further, this makes sense considering that WWDC 2020 was held on June 22 and WWDC 2019 was held on June 3.
iPhone 12 considerations
Then, you throw in the wrinkle of the iPhone 12 delays. Apple has already confirmed that the iPhone 12 lineup will be released “a few weeks later” than usual this year. The iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro were released on September 20 last year. A three-week delay this year would mean the iPhone 12 lineup could be released in mid-October at the earliest.
In the past, Apple has shipped new iPhones with the point-zero updates of iOS. For example, the iPhone 11 shipped with iOS 13 out of the box, despite the looming release of iOS 13.1. With that being said, the iPhone X was a notable exception to this rule, as it was released after iOS 11.1 had already been released.
The possibilities
Here are the release dates for prior versions of iOS:
iOS 13: September 19
iOS 12: September 17
iOS 11: September 19
iOS 10: September 13
With those dates in mind and the roughly 18-day delay in the iOS 14 beta schedule so far, it seems reasonable to expect iOS 14 to be released in early October this year. That, of course, is not guaranteed, particularly in 2020 when seemingly anything is possible.
We also have to consider the Apple Watch Series 6. As 9to5Mac readers have pointed out, the Apple Watch Series 6 will ship with watchOS 7, which requires the Apple Watch be paired to an iPhone running iOS 14. If the Apple Watch Series 6 is released in September, this would mean that iOS 14 would also have to be released in September.
So there are two possibilities for the iOS 14 release this year:
A mid-September release as usual, and the iPhone 12 lineup ships with iOS 14.1 or similar
An October release, and the iPhone 12 ships with iOS 14.0
It’s impossible to know which possibility Apple will go with, and the only thing we can do is look at the schedule of iOS 14 beta testing so far this year compared to prior years, and take into account iPhone 12 information.
iOS 13.1: September 24
iOS 12.1: October 30
iOS 11.1: October 31
iOS 10.1: October 24
There are a variety of reasons why the iOS 14 release schedule is so important, particularly for developers working to update their applications in time for day-one availability. If Apple releases iOS 14 in mid-September like usual, then developers essentially had 20 fewer days than usual to get their applications ready.
What do you think about the iOS 14 release schedule? Do you have any guesses or predictions? Let us know down in the comments!
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The Motorola One 5G does one thing that other 5G phones haven't been able to do: cost less than $500.
Motorola
With affordable and feature-packed offerings like the Moto G Stylus, G Power and G Fast, it's clear that Motorola thrives in the budget end of the phone market. Now with the new Motorola One 5G though, the Chicago-based company finally figured out a way to combine its budget know-how with 5G connectivity -- without the use of an additional accessory or Motorola Mod à la Moto Z4 and Z3.
In the US, the majority of 5G phones are expensive. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra costs $1,300, the OnePlus 8 Pro starts at $900 and Motorola's own Edge Plus is $1,000. Even the more affordable midtier 5G phones like the LG Velvet, Galaxy A71, Motorola Edge and OnePlus 8 cost about $700. So it's really impressive that the Motorola One 5G will likely cost less than $500. At this time Motorola hasn't locked in an actual price, but the company said that its new phone should come in well under that figure.
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The new phone will be available "soon" (no date was given) on AT&T and later in October on Verizon. Each carrier version of the phone supports a different kind of 5G. The Verizon Motorola One 5G supports the carrier's mmWave flavor of 5G and the AT&T version will have sub-6 5G connectivity.
Like its nearly identical European sibling the Moto G 5G, the Motorola One 5G has appealing specs but also some compromises. It has a 6.7-inch full HD display and is powered by a Snapdragon 765 processor, which is the same one found in the Motorola Edge, LG Velvet and Galaxy A71. The phone also has a bunch of desirable features, including a big 5,000-mAh battery with support for TurboPower charging, a headphone jack, a 90Hz refresh rate display and six cameras (more on those below). It also has NFC for Google Pay, which is notable because previous Motorola budget phones have lacked this feature in the US. The Motorola One 5G runs Android 10 and will receive one major OS update as well as two years of security updates. That isn't as good as Samsung's promise of three years of updates for its Note 20 and new Galaxy phones, but at least you know where you stand.
But to hit that unspecified sub-$500 price, Motorola made some compromises, just like Apple did for the $399 iPhone SE. The screen is an LCD instead of OLED, which typically draws more power and doesn't have true black colors. It only has 4GB of RAM (these days, most phones at that price range have 6GB to 8GB). Lastly, the phone has a polycarbonate (i.e. plastic) body, which isn't as premium as a glass design. None of these are necessarily deal breakers in my book, however Motorola One 5G has six -- yes, six -- cameras.
If you look closely at the rear camera bump, the lens on the top right-side has a flash built around it. The idea is it helps brighten macro photos when your phone might cast a shadow over your subject.
Motorola
The One 5G has four rear cameras, including a macro camera that has one of the coolest new features I've seen in a long time. Surrounding the macro camera's lens is a ring flash to illuminate close-up photos. This is especially useful because usually when getting up close and personal with an object, I find the phone's body casts a shadow over my subject. A ring flash like this has been seen on Canon's macro lens for its M50 mirrorless camera, but this is the first time it's ever been implemented on a phone and I anticipate it'll be super handy.
As for the phone's other back cameras, the main 48-megapixel camera uses pixel binning to combine four pixels into one. This helps reduce image noise and increase brightness. There's also an ultrawide-angle camera and a 2-megapixel depth camera for portrait mode photos.
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On the front are two cameras, bringing the total number of cameras on the One 5G to six. One is a standard wide-angle camera and the other is an ultrawide-angle that offers a 118-degree field of view. All of the cameras are powered by Motorola's AI, which includes auto smile capture, shot optimization that recommends different modes and settings and smart composition. This last feature automatically generates a second reframed image based on your first shot.
I'll know more about the phone once I get my hands on it and get to test it out.
Motorola One 5G specs vs. Motorola Moto G 5G, Motorola Edge, LG Velvet, Samsung Galaxy A71 5G
The popular augmented reality game Pokémon GO is about to get a new update in October, but this comes as bad news for users of some old smartphones. Pokémon GO’s official Twitter profile announced today that the game is dropping support for devices running Android 5, iOS 10, and iOS 11.
For Apple users specifically, Pokémon GO currently requires an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad with a 64-bit processor running iOS 10 or later. However, this is about to change with a future update coming in October.
Pokémon GO will no longer work on any device running iOS 10 or iOS 11, which means that the next version of the game will have iOS 12 as a minimum requirement. However, developers note that iPhone 5s and iPhone 6 models will no longer run Pokémon GO, even with iOS 12 installed.
It’s quite common for developers to drop support for older versions of iOS as Apple’s mobile operating system has a very fast adoption rate when it comes to the latest available updates. There’s also the fact that Pokémon GO is an AR-based game, which demands more performance than other regular games.
In an upcoming update to Pokémon GO in October, we will end support for Android 5, iOS 10, and iOS 11, as well as iPhone 5s and iPhone 6 devices. Trainers with devices not specifically listed here will not be affected and don’t need to take any action.
It’s unclear whether users with those mentioned devices will no longer be able to play Pokémon GO immediately after the October release. Other devices will not be affected by the update. If you have an iPhone 6s or later running iOS 10 or iOS 11, you will have to update your device in order to play Pokémon GO.
The main focus of tomorrow's event will be the Galaxy Z Fold 2. The device serves as the sequel to last year's Galaxy Fold, which featured a large 7.3-inch display that folded like a book. The Z Fold 2 is expected to include a handful of improvements such as a redesigned hinge, a better front-facing display and 5G.
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The event takes place in lieu of Samsung's usual presence at IFA 2020. Though Samsung has been hosting Unpacked events for its own product launches for years, it still made a large showing at IFA. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, however, Samsung withdrew its participation completely and the September trade show will be scaled down and closed to the public.
Close up with the Galaxy Fold's original screen, notch and hinge
In what seems to be an accidental leak, a product page for the highly-awaited Samsung 980 PRO SSD was posted and later taken down from Samsung's website for Singapore. The 980 PRO was first previewed in January at CES as their first consumer SSD to support PCIe 4.0, but with very little technical information. No release date was announced but Samsung's PR said to expect more information in Q2.
The timing of this leak is unsurprising: if Samsung was planning for a Q2 or early Q3 release before COVID-19 hit, it makes sense for them to be preparing for a release in the near future. However, this leak brings a few surprise about what kind of product the 980 PRO will be. Since this wasn't an official, coordinated announcement, the specifications revealed may not be final and we still have no indication of pricing or launch date. But the big surprise is that the 980 PRO will apparently be using TLC NAND, a first for Samsung's PRO models. Samsung has been the last holdout offering high-end MLC-based SSDs while the rest of the SSD industry has moved on to TLC (and QLC), for both consumer and enterprise markets. Samsung provided an early indication that they may finally be abandoning MLC NAND in early 2019 when the TLC-based 970 EVO was replaced with the 970 EVO Plus, a refresh that switched from 64L to 92L TLC. There was never any sign of a corresponding 970 PRO Plus model in the works.
The switch from MLC to TLC means the rated write endurance of the 980 PRO will be half that of the 970 PRO and equivalent to the TLC-based 970 EVO and EVO Plus. The upside is that the 980 PRO may be more competitively priced against other high-end consumer NVMe SSDs. It's also quite possible that Samsung needed to introduce SLC caching in order to hit the 5GB/s write speeds they're promising for the 980 PRO.
Samsung High-End NVMe SSD Comparison
Model
980 PRO
970 PRO
970 EVO Plus
Capacities
250 GB
500 GB
1000 GB
512 GB
1024 GB
250 GB
500 GB
1000 GB
2000 GB
Interface
PCIe 4 x4
NVMe 1.3
PCIe 3 x4
NVMe 1.3
PCIe 3 x4
NVMe 1.3
Form Factor
M.2 2280 Single-sided
Controller
Samsung Elpis
Samsung Phoenix
Samsung Phoenix
NAND
3D TLC
64L MLC
92L TLC
SLC Write Caching
Yes
No
Yes
Specifications below are for 1TB models specifically
Sequential Read
7000 MB/s
3500 MB/s
3500 MB/s
Sequential Write
5000 MB/s (SLC)
2000 MB/s (TLC)
2700 MB/s
3300 MB/s (SLC)
1700 MB/s (TLC)
Random Read
(4kB)
QD1
22k IOPS
15k IOPS
19k IOPS
Max
1M IOPS
500k IOPS
600k IOPS
Random Write
(4kB)
QD1
60k IOPS
55k IOPS
60k IOPS
Max
1M IOPS
500k IOPS
550k IOPS (SLC)
400k IOPS (TLC)
Active Power
6.2 W (Average)
8.9 W (Burst)
5.2 W (Read)
5.7 W (Write)
5.5 W (Read)
6.0 W (Write)
Write Endurance
600 TB
0.3 DWPD
1200 TB
0.66 DWPD
600 TB
0.3 DWPD
Warranty
5 years
5 years
5 years
Launch Date
2020?
May 2018
January 2019
Launch MSRP
TBD
$629.99
(62¢/GB)
$249.99
(25¢/GB)
The product page for the 980 PRO indicated that sequential read speed is now planned to be 7 GB/s, an improvement over the 6.5 GB/s listed earlier this year at CES. We also get our first look at random IO specifications, with the 1TB model hitting a maximum of 1M IOPS for either reads or writes. Performance at a queue depth of 1 is slightly improved over the 970 PRO and 970 EVO Plus, and post-cache sequential write speeds are also up from the 970 EVO Plus. This points to the 980 PRO as likely using Samsung's 1xx-layer 3D TLC rather than the 92L used in the 970 EVO Plus.
Power consumption from the 980 PRO is unsurprisingly higher than its predecessors, with the spec sheet showing 6.2W average and 8.9W in "burst mode". Samsung's high-end NVMe SSDs have already been fairly power-hungry, and making use of PCIe 4.0 speeds requires even more power. However, the 980 PRO should bring a substantial improvement in efficiency, because peak performance is doubling but power draw is not increasing by anywhere near that much. Samsung is likely following the same strategy as most other SSD controller designers by moving to a much newer fabrication process as part of the PCIe 4.0 transition.
The capacity options for the 980 PRO are a bit odd. The 970 PRO was offered in 512GB and 1TB capacities, and a 2TB capacity was hinted at but never made it to market. The lack of a 256GB option made some sense as that low capacity would likely not have been able to offer "PRO"-level performance. The 980 PRO moves to Samsung's typical TLC capacities: 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, but still omits the 2TB option that has been available from the EVOs. It seems likely that a 2TB 980 PRO model would be released at a later date.
Moving the 980 PRO to TLC NAND raises big questions for what to expect from a 980 EVO. Moving it to QLC NAND might be a bit premature, and would definitely be a big step down for that product line even if it added PCIe 4.0 support. My expectation is that any 980 EVO would more likely be a lower-performance, lower-power mainstream TLC drive, possibly without PCIe 4.0 support. Or to put it another way, an answer to the SK hynix Gold P31, which we think represents the direction the mainstream NVMe market segment is moving towards.
September 01, 2020 at 02:00AM
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Literally everything you need to know about the Galaxy S20
The Samsung Galaxy S20 is here, and with exciting upgrades in just about every area compared to the S10, it stands to be one of the best phones of the year. Whether you want to learn more about its design, specs, or price, here's absolutely everything you need to know.
August 31, 2020 at 10:14PM
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Big savings are in store on LG and Samsung 4K smart TVs today only - Android Central
Not much gets said these days about virtual reality training for quarterbacks, in large part because the teams that have adopted it would prefer that the teams that haven’t continue to not do so. That attitude went out the window on Monday, when Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians pulled the curtain back on the extent to which his new quarterback has taken to the STRIVR system that Arians has used for several years now.
“We’ve used it since [the] Arizona days,” Arians told reporters. “Carson [Palmer] absolutely loved it. All our backup quarterbacks get really live reps — it’s our actual practice that goes on, on the tape. Tom [Brady] has embraced it. We were already scheduled to use it and would have used it anyway because Blaine [Gabbert] and [Ryan Griffin] liked it from last year. It’s good reps for them, but Tom is falling in love with it, too.”
And it’s not just a periodic enhancement to the team’s preparations; it’s a key tool in the overall effort to get quarterbacks ready to play.
“We use it every single day,” Arians said. “Every blitz period, every seven-on-seven, everything’s filmed. You can go back and watch it again in two different ways: On tape and virtual.”
Whether and to what extent Brady needs it is unclear, given that he already has seen everything he could ever see. But if virtual reality training adds anything at all to his ability to process information and to react accordingly, it could make him even more effective.
September 01, 2020 at 02:11AM
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Bruce Arians: Tom Brady is “falling in love” with Tampa Bay’s virtual reality training system - NBC Sports - NFL
Render of the Huawei Kirin 990. Image: Huawei Technologies
Trade tensions between the United States and China, compounded by the former's sanctions on Huawei Technolgies Inc. have increased over the past few months. The latest development in the arena came when the United States Department of Commerce tightened its noose around the company's ability to secure semiconductors manufactured using software and equipment originating inside the U.S. and added dozens of Huawei's affiliates located all over the globe to its infamous Entity List.
These ensure that any hope that Huawei has for securing access to leading-edge semiconductors that are vital for the company to keep up with its peers in the smartphone world is based on whether the Commerce Department chooses to grant third-party suppliers with licenses. With Taiwanese company MediaTek already having applied for this permission, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is back today with his comments about the entire affair – and Kuo's take isn't for the light-hearted.
Huawei's Best-Case Scenario In Post-Sanctions Era Is To Lose Smartphone Market Share Believes Kuo
In his analysts, Kuo highlights two scenarios that Huawei should face in the aftermath of the U.S. government's latest sanctions. According to him, regardless of the company's ability to secure chips for its smartphones after September 15th, when the sanctions take effect, Huawei has two scenarios ahead of it.
In the best case, the company will end up losing market share, especially in China to its competitors who are able to provide consumers with the latest processors in their smartphones. In the worst case, Kuo believes that Huawei might be forced to exit the smartphone world altogether as it struggles to procure advanced components for its devices.
In the first case, Kuo believes that a transfer of market share, especially in China, from Huawei to its competitors will also slow down the trend of technological upgrades in the country's smartphone market.
This will be due to the fact that since Huawei will be unable to equip its phones with the latest hardware, its competitors will find little incentive to keep up with the trend of upgrades in the smartphone world believes the analyst. However, it's a line of argument that makes little sense especially since Cupertino tech giant Apple Inc's iPhones and processors and modems manufactured by Qualcomm Incorporated also have a presence in the Chinese market.
Qualcomm's processors, which are also manufactured through the same 'nodes' as Huawei's chips are, have often outperformed the latter's products in benchmarks - which are tests designed to evaluate a gadget's performance. In the wake of the latest American sanctions, MediaTek has been reported to be the strongest candidate for providing Huawei with the critical components, yet even if the company does secure access to the Helio processor lineup, it is still likely to struggle when competing with Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors.
In addition to Apple's iPhone, smartphones from most companies owned by the BBK Group (Oppo, Realme, OnePlus and Vivo) use Qualcomm's processors and are available for purchase in China. MediaTek also sells its devices in the country, and should the company secure approval for providing Huawei with its processors, then Huawei will have to ensure that its smartphones have other key differentiating factors that make them a worthy purchase over similarly spec'd MediaTek smartphones.
As part of its efforts to develop in-house chip manufacturing, Huawei has been rumored to be looking into plans for setting up its own fabrication lines – rumors which company officials have denied. It has also stepped up efforts to recruit Chinese university graduates to beef up its research and development as it looks to operate at multiple fronts for mitigating the impact on its operations from the sanctions.
August 31, 2020 at 09:08PM
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Huawei Might Exit Smartphone Business Following U.S. Sanctions Believes Analyst - Wccftech
I became a professional writer and editor shortly after graduation. My degrees are in biomedical sciences; however, they led to some experience in the biotech area, which convinced me of its potential to revolutionize our health, environment and lives in general. This developed into an all-consuming interest in more aspects of tech over time: I can never write enough on the latest electronics, gadgets and innovations. My other interests include imaging, astronomy, and streaming all the things. Oh, and coffee.
August 30, 2020 at 11:15PM
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No HarmonyOS smartphone until 2021: Huawei CEO - Notebookcheck.net
The stock of Apple(NASDAQ:AAPL) was soaring ahead of its 4-for-1 stock split today, but at least one analyst has expressed concern that the tech giant's shares have become "decoupled from fundamentals" and doubts a super cycle in iPhone sales will occur as it transitions from 4G to 5G networks.
Barclays analyst Tim Long says there is more downside risk than upside potential for Apple's stock and he is maintaining his equal-weight rating on its shares.
Image source: Getty Images.
The iPhone 12 is expected to debut in September and roll out in October. With about a third of the nearly 1 billion existing iPhones in an upgrade window, there's the potential for the advent of 5G to create a super cycle of conversions.
Yet Long is not convinced, according to thefly.com, and he advises investors in a note that the experience from 5G's uptake in China and Korea suggests the hope for a massive sales wave is overblown. He says actual unit sales are not growing, and may be declining.
Long also points out the much-anticipated super cycle from 3G to 4G failed to materialize, and the first iPhone with 4G capabilities, the iPhone 5, saw the greatest deceleration in unit growth in iPhone history.
He doesn't expect the iPhone 12 to contribute meaningfully to earnings, and with Apple's shares having "vastly exceeded the change in consensus estimates," Long says, the outlook for the stock is decidedly muted.
August 31, 2020 at 08:13PM
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Analyst Doubts Apple 5G iPhone Super Cycle Is Coming - Motley Fool
Apple has designed a 12-inch MacBook powered by Apple Silicon that weighs less than one kilogram and the company intends to launch it by the end of the year, according to a new report today.
Apple's first ARM-based Mac will use an A14X processor, which is codenamed "Tonga" and manufactured by TSMC, and the MacBook will have a battery life of between 15 and 20 hours, according to the Chinese-language newspaper The China Times.
According to Apple's supply chain, Apple is expected to launch a Macbook with a 12-inch Retina Display at the end of this year, using its self-developed and designed A14X processor, with the development code of Tonga, supporting a USB Type-C interface and weighing less than 1 kilogram, because of the low-power advantage of the Arm-based processor. The Macbook battery lasts 15 to 20 hours. The A14X processor will also be used in the new generation iPad Pro tablet.
Apple announced at its WWDC developer conference in June that its Macs will transition from Intel x86-based CPUs to its self-designed Arm-based Apple Silicon processors over the next two years. Bloomberg has said that Apple is currently developing at least three Mac processors that are based on the 5-nanometer A14 chip that will be used in the upcoming iPhone 12 models. According to the Chinese report's sources, the first Apple-designed A14X processor has been finalized and will be mass produced using TSMC's 5-nanometer process by the end of the year.
Apple's first Mac processors will have 12 cores, including eight high-performance cores and at least four energy-efficient cores, according to Bloomberg. Apple is said to be exploring Mac processors with more than 12 cores for further in the future, with the company already designing a second generation of Mac processors based on the A15 chip.
This is the second time we've heard rumors of Apple reviving the 12-inch MacBook form factor to showcase its first consumer Apple Silicon machine. Fudge, a leaker who goes by @choco_bit on Twitter, said in June that Apple could revive its now-discontinued MacBook, with a new 12-inch model unveiled as the first Mac with an Apple-designed Arm-based chip. Fudge said the 12-inch MacBook could look the same as the retired version with minimal design changes, although 5G connectivity could be a feature.
In contrast to today's report, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said a 13.3-inch MacBook Pro with a form factor similar to the current 13.3-inch MacBook Pro could be the first Mac to get an Arm-based chip designed by Apple. In March, Kuo predicted this new MacBook Pro will launch late in 2020 or early in 2021.
Kuo said he expects the Apple Silicon 13.3-inch MacBook Pro to go into mass production in the fourth quarter of this year, but he has also predicted we will see an Arm-based MacBook Air either in the same quarter or in the first quarter of next year, so it's not impossible the 12-inch machine turns out to be a redesigned MacBook Air.
Today's report also claims that Apple will launch an Apple Silicon iMac next year with a powerful custom-designed graphics processing unit, replacing the mobile AMD GPUs that Apple has traditionally relied on. In addition, the report claims the A14 chip to feature in Apple's upcoming iPhone 12 lineup is codenamed "Sicilian."
August 31, 2020 at 04:19PM
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Report: Super-Lightweight 12-inch MacBook Powered By Apple Silicon to Launch This Year - MacRumors
Samsung has opened up preorders for the Galaxy M51 in Germany, officially confirming that its latest midrange phone has an absolutely massive 7,000mAh battery. It costs €360.01 (about $429), and Samsung’s site says that it expects the phone to start shipping on September 11th. There’s no sign of preorder pages on Samsung’s other regional stores just yet, but a release in India seems likely given that Samsung teased the phone there last week.
At 7,000mAh, it isn’t the biggest phone battery we’ve ever seen. Last year, for example, Avenir Telecom showed off an Energizer-branded smartphone containing a bulbous 18,000mAh battery. But it’s almost unheard of in devices from mass-market manufacturers like Samsung, and we’ll be interested to see what effect it has on the overall size and weight of the handset when it releases.
Aside from its battery, the Galaxy M51 has a more typical set of specs for a phone of its price. It has a 6.7-inch OLED screen with a central hole-punch notch for its 32-megapixel selfie camera. Around the back there are four rear-facing cameras, a 64-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide with a 123-degree field of view, and 5-megapixel macro and depth-sensing cameras. It’s got 6GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, and Samsung says it’s powered by an “octa-core processor,” which GSMArena notes is thought to be a Snapdragon 730.
At €360.01, the Galaxy M51 has a very similar asking price to the Galaxy A51 in Germany, but it sounds like it might be the better option if you absolutely need every hour of battery life.
August 31, 2020 at 07:24PM
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Samsung’s latest midrange phone has a whopping 7,000mAh battery - The Verge
Samsung is continuing to drive strong revenue growth through its U.S. mobility channel program as the company expands its work with partners and releases business-friendly devices at a steady clip, Samsung’s mobile channel chief told CRN.
The latest Samsung devices to launch with big potential for mobility solution providers are the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra, which feature a wide range of features aimed at workers.
Mike Coleman, vice president and mobility channel chief at Samsung Electronics America, spoke recently with CRN about the growth of the company’s channel efforts, key verticals for Samsung’s B2B devices and key business capabilities of the Galaxy Note 20.
“It’s one of many B2B tools that are part of the lineup now,” Coleman said. “The Note 20 is becoming more and more business-centric.”
What follows are five key comments from the interview with Coleman.
B2B Growth
“We are on track to just about double the business again this year--despite all of the COVID-related challenges. The business is really doing well. We came off of a really strong first half, and our second half is shaping up to be very promising. Our pipeline looks really good.
I think there’s a tremendous opportunity for partners that may or may not have focused on a mobility strategy. And when I say mobility, that can be a laptop, a Chromebook, a tablet, a wearable, a phone--a device that solves a problem. It is not simply a personal device, it’s really a tool for work.”
Channel Expansion
“We have also increased the size of the [U.S. mobility channel] team about 30 percent. We keep adding people to the team. We’re going after deeper coverage for the NSPs as we call them--CDW, Insight, Connection and such. We’re adding more folks to distribution--because as our business grows, we need more and more focus on the distro, Tier 1 side. And then we’re also expanding the geo coverage, for the geographically dispersed partners. So it’s really exciting, where we’re actually growing on all fronts.”
Key Verticals
“We’ve seen some very large wins in healthcare, transportation, logistics, education. The Chromebook business is off the charts in terms of growth. That business is a rocket for us. And that’s obviously education-focused. We’ve seen good solutioning on transport fleet management. Everybody’s at home, but they’re ordering stuff. So the trucking and transportation business has been growing rapidly, and we’ve partnered with quite a few different resellers in that space to equip fleets with the Galaxy Tab Active2, for example--with the ruggedized tablets and solutioning for ELD tracking. We’ve had some really big wins with some healthcare providers on the phones to track diabetes or blood pressure or things of that nature--where we’re able to use the devices in partnership with resellers and ISVs to manage healthcare applications.”
Galaxy Note 20 For Business
“If it’s going to be used as a business device, it has to have an amazing battery and have really good performance. So we’ve done that. We’ve loaded it with the Knox security features so that remote employees are protected. The S Pen is really cool now--the latency is significantly reduced. We’ve synced up with Microsoft and Cisco--we’ve optimized it for Microsoft 365 / Teams and for Webex.
DeX has been a big point of interest for a lot of resellers, because now you can [more easily] transition between mobile and desktop. So for example, you can connect the Note 20 to a monitor or even a Smart TV--which is really interesting, because every boardroom now has Smart TVs. So you can wirelessly connect and present--when we go back to the office--or even using your TV at home, you can use that as a monitor, if you wanted to. It’s obviously 5G equipped and enabled. And so those are some of the things we’re finding companies are really interested in, in terms of equipping their employees with a device for business use.”
Recruiting Partners
“We’re looking to recruit new partners, which we’ve continued to do. We’re working closely with our distributors to identify partners that have an interest in mobility. So we’re actively recruiting new resellers--and we’re obviously working with resellers that have been with us for quite some time to help them deliver more solutions, and to generate more revenue and more profit.”
August 31, 2020 at 11:42PM
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Samsung's B2B Surge: 5 Takeaways From Channel Chief Mike Coleman - CRN
The most recent top of the line smartphone release from Samsung has an opening list price of $1,300 and most reviews, mine included, could be summed up in a few words. Great phone, but so expensive? Now, during a pandemic, when millions have been thrown out of work?
This really comes to home when you consider that there are three fantastic smartphones out now for $400 or less: The Samsung Galaxy A51 and Apple iPhone SE will cost you $399, while the Google Pixel 4A is just $350.
And they are clearly the best bargain-priced phones I've ever seen. Unless you need the latest camera technology with multiple lenses, there is no reason for most consumers to spend more on a phone. You won't be missing out.
All are worth your attention if you're looking for a replacement phone, or a new model for the kids. Meanwhile, new phones are scheduled to be released in a few weeks from Google (a new Pixel) and Apple (several models of iPhones) and are expected to cost way more than $400. So how do the budget phones compare?
Samsung Galaxy A51
The biggest of the phones is a $399 bargain, with a beautiful 6.5-inch screen the size of the $1,099 iPhone Pro Max, and even larger than the $999 6.2-inch Samsung Galaxy S20. . You get a second lens with the camera, which the rivals don't have. And while that's a plus, Samsung tends to over-saturate your photos, so if that's a problem, and you want to remain in the Android family, you'll want to look at the Pixel 4A.
Google Pixel 4A
The best bargain in smartphone land, at $349, the Google phone is an Android flagship with a 5.8-inch screen, fast processor, and a terrific one-lens camera that can take some pretty amazing night photos in the dark. Plus there are add-ons like the ability to add live captions to both homemade videos and ones you watch on YouTube, and an instant transcription service using Google's voice recording app. The Pixel 4A is clearly the best Pixel phone Google has made, one so good, I think if the line had launched with this model, Google would have been able to turn Pixel into a mass market brand. Google's market share is under 1%, while most phones sold in the United States are from Apple and Samsung.
Apple iPhone SE
This is the Apple phone for those who didn't like bigger phones, with a 4.7-inch screen, and yearn for the classic iPhone, one with a Home button for navigation, Touch ID instead of Face ID, and a headphone jack. Apple's nod to modernity is a powerful A13 processor, the same one that's in the current top of the line iPhones. It's classic in every sense, but as powerful as the latest iPhone. If you prefer living in an iPhone world to Android, this is the phone for you.
None of these phones are compatible with the new, faster 5G networks. However, know that in our tests, true national 5G service that isn't spotty or as fast as advertised is still at least a year away, if not longer. So you won't be missing anything now by waiting.
Decisions, decisions
Which one is best for you? It depends whether you prefer Android or iPhone. I'd choose the Pixel 4A over the Galaxy because I'm not a fan of Samsung bloatware or the somewhat over-saturation of photos, (notice how the oranges below are "orange orange" in the words of the old Trix rabbit, compared to just orange on the Pixel and iPhone) but these are minor quibbles. I could easily live with either.
On a specs basic, you'd have to go with the A51, for the bigger screen and second camera lens. But if money's tight, the Pixel 4A is fantastic. As is the SE. You couldn't go wrong with any of these phones.
Readers: if you had to take one of these phones to a desert island, which one would you select?
Follow USA TODAY's Jefferson Graham (@jeffersongraham) on Twitter
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August 31, 2020 at 07:25PM
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Forget $1,000 smartphones — here are 3 options for under $400 from Apple, Google, Samsung - Courier Journal
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All in one place
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