iPhone 12 Mini review: Head and shoulders above the rest - New York Post

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Apple released four new iPhone models this fall, but only one is undoubtedly worth upgrading to.

Despite being the smallest flagship iPhone since the iPhone 5, the iPhone 12 Mini is a scene-stealing device, and one of the finest handsets Apple has ever produced.

It’s a welcome respite to the years of “bigger is better” maximalism that Apple has leaned into, which has left customers like myself wistful for the days of yore when smaller handsets were the talk of the town. 

Having owned an iPhone 4, 6, 8, XS and 11 Pro over the years, this reporter can confidently call the iPhone 12 Mini my favorite. It has a few drawbacks, but overall the Mini stands head and shoulders above the rest. 

While smaller phones normally have worse features than their larger counterparts, the iPhone 12 Mini is virtually identical in every way to the iPhone 12. It features the same top-of-the-line cameras, the same OLED display, the same materials and build and the same 5G antennas. It even has the same cutting-edge processors as the 12 and 12 Pro models, making it as quick and responsive as any iPhone you can buy. 

A photo taken on the writer’s iPhone 12 Mini.Nicolas Vega

The only notable difference is the size, with the Mini packing a 5.4 inch display compared to the 12’s huge 6.1-inch display. Swapping out my iPhone 11 Pro for the mini immediately crystalized something I had suspected for a long time: my past two phones were too large. It’s not just the ability to reach all four corners of the screen without adjusting my grip that’s a plus, the 135 gram Mini is 30 percent lighter than the comparably hefty 188 gram 11 Pro. 

No one would ever accuse a larger iPhone of being heavy, but after more than a month of using the Mini, I found the slight, niggling discomfort in my hands and wrists — which I had long attributed to a Twitter addiction and texting habit — disappear. 

The pocketability is also dramatically improved, and it’s nice to be able to slide my phone into my front pants pocket without creating an enormous bulge or seeing it poke out of the top. Likewise, holding my phone with one hand for photos and texting feels more secure than it has in years. 

There are a few tradeoffs for the size, however. Though it’s more comfortable to hold and use, the Mini is undoubtedly less nice to look at photos on. The smaller display can feel cramped at times, particularly for those who have become accustomed to larger phones. I’ve found myself using the phone less to look at photos and videos, opting instead to do that on my computer. 

The Mini’s battery life is nothing to write home about, since fitting all the same components, chips and antennas into the smaller body required Apple to reduce the size of the battery pack. Though it’s brand new, the Mini’s battery lasts noticeably less than even my year-old iPhone 11 Pro. Whereas my old iPhone would carry me through until 8 or 9 p.m. without giving me a low battery warning, the Mini will get me until 6 p.m. or so. 

It’s not a dealbreaker by any means, and tweaks like keeping dark mode on can help extend the battery’s longevity, but it’s something to be cognizant of for power-users who run intensive apps on their phones all day long. 

5G, which Apple has bragged about incessantly, is nowhere near widespread enough to factor into the decision-making for someone on the fence about a new phone. Besides the form factor change, the phone isn’t noticeably faster than its predecessor even when it says it is on a high-speed network. 

At $729, the Mini isn’t cheap, but it feels like a downright bargain next to the $829 iPhone 12 and the $999 iPhone 12 Pro. Reducing my monthly payments while simultaneously reducing wrist discomfort is a welcome development after getting used to bigger and pricier Apple products. 

With the iPhone 12, Apple has extended an olive branch to users with smaller hands, smaller pockets or those who just don’t want a giant smartphone. Hopefully the Mini form factor is here to stay.

January 01, 2021 at 08:14PM
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iPhone 12 Mini review: Head and shoulders above the rest - New York Post

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Samsung is doubling down on foldable phones in 2021 — and it might just work - Tom's Guide

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Samsung thinks you're ready for more foldable phones in the coming year. But are foldable phones finally ready for you?

We're about to find out. Closing out 2020, Samsung Electronics president TM Roh posted an overview of the electronics giant's plans for mobile in 2021, and one of the highlights appears to be that the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip 5G can expect some company very soon.

"True to our heritage of staying ahead of the curve with trailblazing mobile tech, we’ll be expanding our portfolio of foldables, so this groundbreaking category is more accessible to everyone," Roh wrote.

That's quite a change, given the rough start Samsung faced on the foldable front. The initial Galaxy Fold, first previewed in 2019, ran into some design flaws, forcing Samsung to delay the launch. When it did debut, the original Fold showed promise, though not nearly enough to justify its $1,980 asking price.

Samsung's foldable phones are still pretty pricey, but otherwise things have improved dramatically in the past year. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 addressed many of the original Fold's problems, introducing a more durable design. The Galaxy Z Flip gave Samsung a foldable flip phone that was much more polished than the rival Motorola Razr. And both the Fold and the Flip supported a new Flex mode which took advantage of foldable designs to let you use apps in new ways.

(Image credit: Samsung)

"Samsung recognizes that its early bet on foldables can fully pay off if Samsung expands into affordable price segments while it has minimal competition," said Avi Greengart, founder and lead analyst of Techsponential, in a post on Samsung's 2021 phone plans.

There's another reason Samsung may want to strike while the iron's hot, said Ramon Llamas, IDC's research director for devices and displays. "Samsung seems to have found more success than its competitors like Motorola in the US or Royole in Asia," he said. "Unless other vendors gain traction with their own foldable smartphones, this could be a product category that Samsung can lock up for itself."

Just how will Samsung do that, though? The answer appears to hinge upon building on some of its early successes with this year's batch of foldable phones. Here's a few reasons why Samsung is bullish on the prospects for future foldable devices as a new year looms.

Foldable phone screens have gotten more durable

The first foldable phones featured plastic displays — a necessary compromise since glass isn't really that good at bending, but one that left devices feeling flimsy and cheap. That's not what you want to convey when you're asking people to pay up to $2,000 for a phone.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Starting with the Galaxy Z Flip, Samsung inserted  a layer of ultra-thin glass in its foldable lineup. (The Galaxy Z Fold 2 features that same layer, too.) The difference was night and day. Now the devices had the kind of polish you'd expect from a pricey phone while still managing to withstand the kind of regular wear and tear that comes from folding and unfolding the screen.

Samsung figured out how to optimize the foldable form factor

A phone that just folds shut is little more than a party trick. To be a more compelling option, a foldable phone needs to take advantage of its unique ability to expand and contract — and that's precisely what Samsung managed to do this year.

We've mentioned the Flex mode, which takes advantage of the hinge on both the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip to keep part of the screen at a 90-degree angle. That allows certain apps to use the top part of the display as a viewing area, and the bottom for controls — think YouTube videos playing on one half of the device, while you can control playback and comment on the video on the other part of the screen.

(Image credit: Future)

The Fold, in particular, continues to be a multitasker's dream, with the ability to run three apps at once on its 7.6-inch main display. You can even link those apps together so that they launch at the same time. And app continuity allows you to access an app on the Fold's now-larger cover display and pick up where you left off when you open up the phone to use the larger screen.

If anything, Samsung needs to do more of this to popularize foldable phones, including working with app makers to ensure that their software is optimized for foldable screens. "Do all the apps [potential foldable phone owners] want to use run perfectly on a foldable device?" Llamas asked. "If not, then purchasing a device like this becomes a non-starter."

Foldable phone prices are about to come down

In promising to expand Samsung's foldable lineup, Roh promised more "accessible" devices. Take that to mean they'll be more affordable because, frankly, that's the only direction Samsung can go.

For all its improvements, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 still costs $1,999 — out of the budgets for most smartphone shoppers. The Galaxy Z Flip is cheaper, but only relatively so, with the 5G version available for $1,449. Samsung's prices aren't out of line with other foldable devices, either — the Motorola Razr 5G costs $1,399. The LG Wing is cheaper at $999, but that's not a true foldable phone — rather, it's got a second screen tucked under the first that swivels out when you need it.

Even at $1500, [foldable phones] are still more expensive than most other flagship devices.

— Ramon Llamas, IDC

"Even at $1500, [foldable phones] are still more expensive than most other flagship devices including Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro Max or even Samsung’s most popular Galaxy S devices," Llamas said.

Joining the likes of the LG Wing below the $1,000 mark would be the target if Samsung is serious about its quest for more accessible foldables. "To grow its market share — and steal some iOS users along the way — Samsung needs to bring refined, attractive foldables below the $1,000 price point where most phone sales live," Techsponential's Greengart wrote.

Foldable phone outlook

Even with more foldable phones coming in 2021, don't expect the iPhone 13 or Galaxy S21 to be brushed aside by the latest Galaxy Z Fold — or whatever other design Samsung has in the pipeline. For all the progress that foldables have made in a short time, they're still a niche product, even if the price does drop a little bit.

"The bigger viewing area is certainly a draw, and so is having multiple apps open on the same screen," IDC's Llamas said. "But when you get down to it, most users would probably prefer to save the money and still enjoy a quality experience on a slab-style smartphone. Expect foldables to go to the technophiles and early adopters."

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January 01, 2021 at 05:00PM
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Samsung Galaxy A32 5G gets Bluetooth certified - GSMArena.com news - GSMArena.com

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The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G we've been hearing about since last month has been certified by Bluetooth SIG, moving it a step closer to the launch.

The listing on the organization's site doesn't tell us any specs of the A32 5G other than confirming Bluetooth 5.0, but it does reveal the smartphone will have three model designations - SM-A326B_DS, SM-A326BR_DS, and SM-A326B.

The last one has appeared in HTML5 and Geekbench tests with Android 11, 4GB RAM, and Dimensity 720 SoC.

Galaxy A32 5G gets Bluetooth certified

The Galaxy A32 5G has also appeared on FCC with model designation SM-A326J, confirming NFC support and a 15W in-box charger.

While there's no word from Samsung about the Galaxy A32 5G yet, its leaked renders revealed the smartphone will pack a 6.5" Infinity-V display, sport a quad camera on the back, and feature a side-mounted fingerprint reader. It will also have a 3.5mm headphone jack and USB-C port onboard.

Galaxy A32 5G leaked renders

Source | Via

January 01, 2021 at 02:36PM
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NYPD Releases Shocking Video Of Woman Tackling Black Teen Over Cell Phone She Lost - HuffPost

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The New York City Police Department released a dramatic surveillance video of a white woman tackling a Black teenager she accused of stealing her cell phone, which she had actually left behind in an Uber cab.

The unidentified woman leaped on the 14-year-old boy, the son of popular jazz trumpeter Keyon Harrold, as she ordered him to turn over his cell phone.

The attack occurred in the lobby of the Arlo Hotel in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood on Saturday. The woman fled the hotel before police arrived. Her phone was recovered that day by an Uber driver and returned, according to police.

Harrold, who played the trumpet in the Grammy-award-winning soundtrack to the 2015 Miles Davis biopic “Miles Ahead,” had also filmed part of the scene with his cell phone as he tried to protect his son. The woman can be heard ordering the teen to give his phone to her as Harrold argues with her. Harrold suffered scratches on this hand in the confrontation, according to police.

“I am furious!!! We see this crap happening all the time, but it hits different when it hits home!!!” Harrold wrote on his Instagram post including the video.

Police Chief Rodney Harrison released the hotel surveillance video on Wednesday as the department seeks the public’s help locating the attacker. The woman “falsely accused an innocent 14-year-old teenager of stealing her cellphone... then proceeded to physically attack him and fled the location.”

Harrison’s tweet includes a close-up of the woman’s face labeled “WANTED.”

On Saturday, December 26, the woman in this video falsely accused an innocent 14-year-old teenager of stealing her cellphone. She then proceeded to physically attack him and fled the location before police officers arrived on scene. pic.twitter.com/qtZZWetBWH

— Chief Rodney Harrison (@NYPDDetectives) December 31, 2020

The @NYPDnews is requesting the public’s assistance locating the suspect in this video. 
 
Anyone with information in regard to the suspect’s whereabouts is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS(8477) or DM @NYPDTips

— Chief Rodney Harrison (@NYPDDetectives) December 31, 2020

Police have identified the woman, but have not released her name. A harassment complaint has been filed against her. But investigators are also considering assault and attempted robbery charges, Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison told CNN.

“The female individual has been positively identified and detectives are endeavoring to locate her. The incident is not being investigated as a bias incident,” the NYPD said in a statement Thursday.

Harrold complained at a rally Wednesday that his son had been racially profiled by the woman. “I can’t even come downstairs in New York City and get brunch without getting attacked and wrongfully accused for something,” he said. “I want my son to grow up whole. That’s all we want.”

The teen’s mom, musician Kat Rodriguez, said that this “fight is not only for our son. It’s for all of our sons and daughters.”

A woman identifying herself as the one in the video told CNN that she was the one who was assaulted, though neither video supports that claim.

The hotel released a statement that said “more could have been done to de-escalate the dispute” and apologized to Harrold and his son for the “baseless accusation, prejudice, and assault against an innocent guest.” The statement also noted that the manager on duty quickly called the police about the woman’s behavior. 

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January 01, 2021 at 11:02AM
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Two Foldable iPhone Prototypes Reportedly Pass Internal Durability Tests - MacRumors

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Two prototype foldable iPhones have passed internal tests for durability, according to Taiwanese website Economic Daily News.

Tests of an Apple-designed folding hinge system for two different iPhones were reportedly recently completed at the Foxconn factory in Shenzhen, China.

The first foldable iPhone to undergo testing is said to be a dual-screen model, which is likely the same dual-display prototype rumored by Jon Prosser in June 2020. Prosser explained at the time that this model used two separate display panels connected by a hinge. Though the prototype ‌‌iPhone‌‌ features two separate displays connected by a hinge, Prosser claimed that the panels look "fairly continuous and seamless." It is also of note that Apple has patented a device with two separate displays that can be brought together to create a single foldable device with a hinge, which sounds strikingly similar to the rumored dual-screen Apple foldable.

The second prototype to have undergone testing is reportedly a clamshell foldable, much like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip or Lenovo's Moto RAZR. The UDN report claims that this clamshell model is set to use a flexible Samsung OLED display. Previous reports have also said that Apple ordered a "large number" of Samsung foldable mobile phone display samples for testing purposes earlier in 2020.

It is unclear if the two devices to have been tested had different hinge systems. The test units are purported to be shells with very limited internals rather than fully-working devices. This is because the main purpose of the testing was to assess the durability of the Apple-designed hinge system. The report states that now the testing has concluded, Apple is expected to evaluate which of the two foldable models to proceed with, and only one will be carried forwards into continued development.

The findings of this report also appear to have been mirrored by sources speaking to Jon Prosser. Prosser explained in a recent Front Page Tech video that there were two prototype foldable iPhones in testing, including one with two display panels and one clamshell with a single flexible OLED display. Prosser's sources also said that these units have passed durability testing and are now being evaluated by Apple.

A report from November 2020 stated that Apple had sent foldable iPhones to Foxconn to test the folding bearings with over 100,000 opening and closing tests, which appears to be analogous to the newly-concluded run of testing. Given the consistency of rumors surrounding foldable iPhones from multiple sources, particularly related to testing, they may be more credible.

UDN predicts that a foldable ‌iPhone‌ will not emerge until late 2022 or 2023 at the earliest. Apple has filed for a large number of patents relating to a foldable iPhone dating back to 2016, and it seems highly likely that work on a foldable ‌iPhone‌ is progressing.

December 31, 2020 at 09:50PM
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NYPD releases video it says shows woman attacking Black musician's son after falsely accusing him of stealing her iPhone - CNN

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1. NYPD releases video it says shows woman attacking Black musician's son after falsely accusing him of stealing her iPhone  CNN
2. New video shows woman attacking teen she falsely accused of stealing her iPhone  Yahoo! Voices
3. Woman speaks out after accusing Black teen of stealing her phone l GMA  Good Morning America
4. NYPD releases video of woman tackling boy over phone in hotel lobby  FOX 5 NY
5. Woman accused of assaulting teen over iPhone claims to be victim  Yahoo! Voices
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

January 01, 2021 at 06:12AM
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8 great Apple Arcade games for your new 2020 iPhone or iPad - The Verge

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This time last year, Apple Arcade was still a fledgling service, but one with a lot of potential. For $5 a month, you could get unlimited access to a big library of interesting games, the kind that no one really sells in the App Store anymore. It’s still not a place to find the latest blockbusters, but Arcade has steadily evolved into one of the best deals in gaming. Its lineup of games is varied and consistently surprising, with everything from family-friendly multiplayer games to engrossing puzzlers to weird story-driven adventures.

If you just picked up a new Apple device and have signed up for Arcade (a new device gets you three months free) the sheer number of games available can be overwhelming. Here are a few great places to start.

We’ve rounded up our favorite and most-used games, apps, and entertainment. Check out our app picks for iPhones, Android phones, Windows PCs, and M1-equipped Macs; our favorite mobile games from Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass; and our top choices for gaming PCs, the PS5, Xbox One and Series X / S, Nintendo Switch, and VR. We’ve also listed our favorite streaming shows on Disney Plus, Hulu, ESPN Plus, and Netflix; some great sci-fi books; and exciting new podcasts. (Note: pricing was accurate at the time of publishing but may change.)

Butter Royale

Butter Royale

Image: Mighty Bear Games

With Fortnite no longer a viable iOS experience, Butter Royale might just be your next best option. Like Epic’s massive hit, Butter Royale is a colorful shooter where the goal is to be the last player standing. But there are a few key differences. Battles play out from a top-down perspective, like a classic arcade game, and the game is decidedly nonviolent, with weapons that shoot ketchup and popcorn instead of bullets. Perhaps the best part is that, because it’s part of Arcade, there are no in-app purchases, so you don’t have to worry about dropping real cash on a cute giraffe costume for your character.

Creaks

Creaks

Image: Amanita Design

Czech studio Amanita Design is known for dark, atmospheric point-and-click adventure games, but it’s also a developer that isn’t afraid to experiment. Creaks keeps the unsettling vibe, but transposes it onto a sort of puzzle / platformer hybrid. You explore a sprawling mansion, one that never seems to end, while finding ways to manipulate machines and monsters to help you get through to the end. As with Amanita’s past work, it takes place in an absolutely gorgeous hand-drawn world, but the action is a bit more cerebral this time around.

Games of Thrones: Tale of Crows

Games of Thrones: Tale of Crows

Image: Devolver Digital

Game of Thrones: Tale of Crows is a game where you don’t actually do very much. It fits snugly into the idle genre, where the idea is to set plans in motion and then see how they play out. Here, you’re put in charge of the infamous Night’s Watch from Game of Thrones. It’s sort of a management game. People come to you with problems, you’ll have to send rangers out on scouting trips, and kingdoms from around Westeros will ask for your help. All of these things take time; you might have to wait a few hours before a group of rangers sends back a raven detailing their battle with some wildlings. Tale of Crows is a game full of death and danger, but it’s also surprisingly soothing. And it fits neatly into your life: all you have to do is play a few minutes every so often to see the story unfold.

Grindstone

Grindstone was one of Apple Arcade’s best launch titles, a game that takes the addictive nature of match-three puzzle games and blends it with absolutely brutal fantasy action. Imagine Candy Crush by way of Frank Frazetta. Since then, Grindstone has received a steady stream of updates that have only improved the experience, with plenty of more levels, weapons, and enemies to keep things interesting.

Reigns: Beyond

Reigns: Beyond

Image: Devolver Digital

Across its first few entries, the Reigns series has been all about exploring stories in a fantasy realm. It plays out sort of like an interactive version of Tinder: as you push through the story, you’re constantly confronted with options, and you either swipe left or right to decide what to do. Reigns: Beyond takes this same formula and blasts it into space, while also adding a musical element. You’re the captain of a sentient ship, guiding a crew through the cosmos while also booking gigs for your intergalactic rock band. It’s silly and strange, and almost impossible to put down.

Roundguard

Roundguard

Image: Wonderbelly Games

The classic puzzle game Peggle is one that feels timeless, and yet Roundguard has managed to put a fascinating new spin on the formula. Essentially, the game takes the peg-breaking action and melds it with a fantasy roleplaying game, where you’ll fight monsters and use spells, while still firing little balls to clear out the level. The two elements fit so well together it’s a wonder no one has tried this before.

Skate City

Skate City

Image: Snowman

Skateboarding games were thrust back into the spotlight this year thanks to the remastered collection of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games. But Skate City remains the best approximation of the sport on mobile. It simplifies things, with a side-scrolling perspective and swipe-based controls, but it manages to capture the feeling of exploring a neighborhood in search of new ways to pull off tricks. It has also grown since launch, with the addition of new cities like Miami.

World’s End Club

Famed Japanese writers Kotaro Uchikoshi and Kazutaka Kodaka are known for some incredibly dark games, including the Zero Escape and Danganronpa series, and World’s End Club on Apple Arcade fits into that mold very nicely. At the outset of the game, a small group of students awakens in an underwater amusement park and they all have to fight — or work together — to find a key to escape. The twist is that they only have an hour, and only one person can actually get the key. Imagine The Hunger Games as a psychological thriller, and you’re partway there.

December 31, 2020 at 09:00PM
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