At an "Unpacked" event in San Francisco, California, Samsung today unveiled its 2019 device lineup, with a range of smartphones that will be competing with Apple's 2018 and 2019 devices.
Samsung's biggest announcement was the impressive Galaxy Fold, that can transform from a 4.6-inch smartphone to a 7.3-inch tablet for $1,980, but Samsung also had a whole line of other smartphones, including the Galaxy S10 and S10+.
Both devices use an "Infinity-O" display with smaller camera cutouts. The 6.1-inch Galaxy S10 has a super small hole punch cutout at the top of the display for the 10-megapixel camera, while the 6.4-inch Galaxy S10+, which has two cameras (8 and 10 megapixels) and an RGB depth sensor for adjusting depth of field, has a slightly larger oval-shaped cutout.
The display maxes out at 1,200 nits of brightness, which beats the iPhone, and it offers 60 million colors at 100 percent accuracy. It supports HDR10+ and cuts down on blue light by 44 percent for more comfortable viewing.
Underneath the display of the S10 and S10+ is an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner for biometric security. Samsung says that because it uses ultrasonic technology, it works well in bright light and in wet conditions. Samsung is using "vault-like security" for more protection.
The new smartphones come in different glass finishes, and there's also a premium ceramic option in black or white.
There's a triple-rear camera system in the S10 smartphones, with a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 16-megapixel ultra-wide 120 degree lens for wider-angle landscape shots. It's able to record video in HDR10+ and features advanced stabilization.
The Galaxy S10 features a 3,400mAh battery, while the S10+ has a 4,100mAh battery. The S10 has 128 and 512GB storage options, as does the S10+, but the S10+ also has a premium tier 1TB storage option.
Samsung's new devices feature a Wireless PowerShare option that lets a Samsung smartphone wirelessly charge another device such as a second Samsung phone or Samsung's upcoming earbuds.
Pricing on the S10 starts at $900, while the S10+ starts at $1,000.
Along with the Galaxy S10 and S10+, Samsung is introducing two other smartphones that are lower and higher-end. The Galaxy S10e, a lower-cost device that sounds like an iPhone XR competitor, features a 5.8-inch display and a $750 price tag. It features just two rear cameras and a 3,100mAh battery.
On the high end, Samsung debuted the Galaxy S10 5G, a smartphone that features a 6.7-inch display, 5G connectivity, and all of the other bells and whistles of the S10 lineup. It features 256GB of storage and a 10-megapixel front-facing camera with a 3D depth sensor, and instead of three rear cameras, it has four: a telephoto, a wide-angle, an ultra wide-angle, and a 3D Depth camera.
Samsung will accept pre-orders for the Galaxy S10e, S10, and S10+ starting on February 21, with the smartphones set to launch on March 8. The higher-end Galaxy S10 5G will launch in the second quarter of 2019, with pricing not yet announced.
At its Unpacked 2019 event that took place in San Francisco today, Samsung officially unveiled its foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Fold. According to Samsung, the Galaxy Fold is a powerful smartphone and a revolutionary tablet all in one, a device that "defies category."
When folded up, the Galaxy Fold has a 4.6-inch display that's designed to fit in the palm of a hand, and when opened up, it has a 7.3-inch display that's tablet sized. It works with a hidden hinge with gears that are under the display. You can't see the hinge, providing a seamless look for the device.
Described as a luxury device, the Galaxy Fold comes in four colors: black, silver, green, and blue, and with some color options, the outside hinge shade can be customized.
Samsung worked with Google to create apps optimized for the dual-display fold, which supports a feature called App Continuity to keep the same apps open regardless of whether the Galaxy Fold is open or closed. With Google Maps, for example, in a folded mode you can see the map, but if you open it up, you can see a whole lot more.
Inside, there's a 7-nanometer processor, 12GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage, with Samsung describing it as one of the most powerful smartphones on the market. There's a 4,380mAh battery, which is actually two batteries on either side of the hinge.
It has six cameras -- three on the back, two on the inside, and one on the front so it can capture images no matter which way it's folded.
Galaxy Fold comes in two versions, one with LTE and one with 5G. Pricing starts at a whopping $1,980 and it will be available starting on April 26. It will ship with Samsung's upcoming AirPods competitors, the Galaxy Buds.
Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming tvOS 12.2 update to its public beta testing group, one day after providing the beta to developers and a week after releasing the second tvOS 12.2 public beta.
The tvOS 12.2 public beta can be obtained by going to the Settings app on the Apple TV and navigating to the Software Updates section under "System." "Get Public Beta Updates" will need to be toggled on, and once it is, the Apple TV will download the beta software.
tvOS 12.2, paired with iOS 12.2, lets users ask Siri to play specific media on an Apple TV from an iOS device. You can, for example, ask Siri to play Modern Family on the TV in the living room. This works for music and TV content.
No other new features were discovered in the tvOS 12.2 beta as of yet, and it's often difficult to determine what's new because Apple does not provide release notes letting us know what's changed.
Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced three years ago in March 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.
Safari Technology Preview release 76 includes bug fixes and performance improvements for Dark Mode, WebRTC, Web API, CSS, Rendering, Payment Request, Media, and Web Inspector.
The new Safari Technology Preview update is available for both macOS High Sierra and macOS Mojave, the newest version of the Mac operating system that was released to the public in September 2018.
Apple’s aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
Apple today released the third beta of an upcoming iOS 12.2 update to its public beta testing group, one day after seeding the third beta to developers and two weeks after releasing the second public beta.
Beta testers who have joined Apple's beta testing program will receive the iOS 12.2 beta update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on an iOS device.
Those who want to download the new beta can do so after signing up for the beta program, which gives access to iOS, macOS, and tvOS betas.
The iOS 12.2 update expands Apple News to Canada for the first time, with Canadian iPhone and iPad users able to access news stories in English, French, or both. It introduces infrastructure for AirPlay 2 and HomeKit on third-party TVs, a feature announced in early January.
The TV remote feature in Control Center has been redesigned to take up the full display of an iPhone (with further tweaks introduced in the third beta), and there are tweaks to the Wallet app with a refined interface and a new look for Apple Pay Cash. Changes have been made to Safari with warnings about unsecured websites and new search arrows, and there's now a setting to set Downtime for apps on a day by day basis.
Apple is improving Safari's privacy in iOS 12.2 through a new Motion & Orientation toggle located under Settings --> Safari --> Privacy & Security, which is disabled by default. The setting needs to be enabled on to allow websites to display content that relies on motion data from the accelerometer and gyroscope in the iPhone and iPad.
There are new Animoji in the second iOS 12.2 beta, including a boar, a shark, a giraffe, and an owl. Animoji can be used within the Messages and FaceTime apps. For some AT&T users, there's a new "5G E" icon for the cellular signal, replacing the standard LTE icon. This is a bit misleading of AT&T, because the iPhone does not support 5G, nor is the network AT&T calls 5G E actual 5G. Instead, it's an upgraded version of LTE, with more info available here.
The third beta revamps the Remote in Control Center with a darker interface, changes the logo of Apple News, tweaks the About screen, and includes a new feature that will offer Today at Apple session suggestions via Siri. It also fixes the Group FaceTime bug and reenables Group FaceTime for beta users, and it fixes that pesky Lock screen bug that replaced battery charge with the date.
For a full list of everything new in the third beta, make sure to check out our iOS 12.2 beta 3 tidbits post. A complete list of all of the new features found in iOS 12.2 so far can be found in our full iOS 12.2 overview.
The iOS 12.2 update will likely see several rounds of beta testing over the course of the next month or so before it launches to the public.
Satechi has offered a few options for iMac stands over the past few years, allowing customers a chance to elevate their iMac for a more ergonomic workspace, and gain access to a limited number of ports.
Now Satechi has released the Type-C Aluminum Monitor Stand Hub for iMac, an all-new iMac stand that is a bit of a combination of the two previous accessories, offering a greater number of useful ports and some added height under your iMac.
Design
Satechi's new iMac stand is designed with a brushed aluminum finish and unibody construction, perfectly matching any modern iMac with a silver aluminum finish. The front plate of the stand is matte black, mirroring the silver and black colors of the iMac, and this area is where you'll find the stand's seven ports. There's also a very faint white LED to the right of the ports that indicates a successful connection to the iMac.
In total, there is a microSD card slot, SD card slot, audio jack, three USB-A ports, and one USB-C data port (not meant for fast charging). The stand itself has a USB-C cable to connect to Thunderbolt 3-enabled iMacs, and it comes with a small USB-C to USB-A dongle adapter so it's essentially compatible with any iMac. As a note, I have a late 2015 27-inch Retina iMac, and have not faced any issues with the adapter and ports on the Satechi stand.
In terms of height, Satechi's accessory sits about 1.63 inches tall, with small rubber feet that ensure your entire workstation is stable after placing the iMac on the stand (max load being 50 lbs). There aren't any storage compartments or drawers in Satechi's stand, but the small amount of empty space created between your desk and the underneath of the stand does provide a little hidey hole perfect for external storage, flash drives, and other small devices.
There is also no locking mechanism to keep the base of the iMac in place on top of the stand. The iMac still sits securely in place given how heavy it is, but if you were to provide force against the iMac it does brush pretty easily along the silver aluminum of Satechi's stand. Some sort of rubberized coating at the center of the top of the stand could have alleviated this a bit.
Port Use
I've been in the market for a USB hub for my workstation for a few months now, mainly because the angle of my iMac to a nearby wall makes it difficult to gain access to the computer's rear-facing ports. Satechi's device has solved this in one go, providing more than enough ports for my day-to-day use.
All three USB-A ports worked as expected during my testing, registering on my iMac desktop just as they would when plugged into the back of the computer. The USB-C port is aimed only at data transfers and is not meant for charging, although I was able to charge my iPhone X with a USB-C to Lightning cable. Still, this was not fast charging as that method of charging is not supported through Satechi's accessory, because the device doesn't support the USB-C power delivery protocol.
The Satechi stand is perfect for adding some charge onto your iPhone while you work via the USB-A ports, and you can expect typical refuel times through basic Lightning to USB-A cables. The USB ports provide up to 5 Gbps of speed, so the accessory is great for basic needs but anyone looking for faster USB connections might be left disappointed.
A big drawback to the stand's design is that all of this port access will immediately clutter your workspace if your keyboard sits directly in front of it. Any flash drive inserted into the stand, or charging cable tied to your nearby iPhone, will easily come into contact with your keyboard.
It's easy enough to reorient the stand to your benefit, pushing it back to clear up space for a flash drive and tucking some cable into the space underneath the stand, but it's definitely a downside for anyone who dislikes visual clutter on their desk.
Satechi vs. Twelve South
I've been using Twelve South's original HiRise iMac Stand essentially the entire time I've had my 2015 iMac, and there was barely any adjustment period going from the HiRise to the Satechi stand. Twelve South's HiRise is just under 3.5 inches tall and has adjustable brackets for numerous height levels, so it provides more options for my iMac compared to the Satechi stand.
Satechi Type-C Stand (left) and Twelve South HiRise (right)
But, going too tall for your computer monitor isn't a good idea, and I had my Twelve South HiRise sitting at around the middle bracket, which was nearly the exact height of the Satechi dock, just a bit taller. In general, a good rule of thumb to follow for an ergonomic workspace is to place your monitor so that the top of the display is about level with your eyes, and your neck is bent slightly to read the middle of the screen.
Following this rule, Satechi's stand was essentially perfect for my height. It's felt comfortable to work on the past few weeks, and I haven't once felt neck strain due to the position of my monitor (which I would prior to owning the HiRise). The downside is that Satechi doesn't allow you to customize the height, so the accessory might not exactly be for everyone of all height levels, but its default position should hit the sweet spot for most people.
The main thing I miss when not using the HiRise is its enclosed compartment, where I could hide flash drives, external storage, an Apple TV remote, and some of my favorite Apple Watch bands. The trade off of having USB ports on the Satechi stand is something that will likely benefit me more in the long run, so as of now I've decided to keep the Satechi dock under my iMac for the near future.
Bottom Line
The Satechi Type-C Stand for iMac is a great, versatile accessory with plenty of easy access to useful USB ports and an ergonomic height bonus for anyone who works on an iMac all day. It lacks the hidden compartment organization and customizable height options of rival accessories like the Twelve South HiRise, but the option of having front-facing USB ports on an iMac workstation will likely outweigh the negatives for many users.
You can buy the Satechi Type-C Stand for iMac in Silver or Space Gray for $89.99 on the company's website.
Note: Satechi provided MacRumors with a Silver Type-C Stand Hub for iMac for the purposes of this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Satechi. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
British audio equipment maker Bowers & Wilkins is expected to release its first AirPlay 2-enabled receivers in the near future.
A pair of new Bowers & Wilkins receivers named Formation Audio and Formation Duo are listed as "coming soon" in Apple's recently updated list of HomeKit and AirPlay accessories. Bowers & Wilkins releasing receivers is interesting in itself, as the company is better known for high-fidelity speakers and headphones.
Bowers & Wilkins has yet to announce the products, but we did find a cached GDPR-related fair processing notice page on its website from December 2018 that mentions a line of Formation products, including the Formation Duo, Formation Audio, Formation Bar, Formation Wedge, and Formation Bass.
AirPlay 2 would allow the receivers to work with other AirPlay 2 devices such as the HomePod, the Apple TV, and Sonos speakers. AirPlay 2 receivers also appear in Apple's Home app across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch.
Bowers & Wilkins, acquired by Eva Automation in 2016, will join Denon and Marantz, Bluesound, and Naim in offering AirPlay 2 receivers.
Apple today released a new Apple Watch Series 4 ad named "Flight" that promotes the "freedom of cellular."
Directed by Jonathan Glazer, the one-minute spot shows a woman running on a windy day when a gust suddenly elevates her into the clouds, where she dances freely in the air before falling back into a lake surrounded by mountains. She then receives but declines a call on her Apple Watch Series 4.
Glazer, an award-winning British director, worked with World Champion air dancer Inka Tiitto to choreograph the performance and bring to life the feeling of freedom and weightless movement, according to Campaign.
The ad will premiere during the 2019 BRIT Awards tonight in the United Kingdom.
Apple is considering previewing its upcoming redesigned Mac Pro at its Worldwide Developers Conference this June, according to a new report by Bloomberg today.
Apple has said it is working on a high-end high-throughput modular Mac Pro for its pro user base that will be easily upgradable and will feature components for the most system intensive tasks.
According to sources who spoke to well-connected Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, Apple has "internally weighed previewing a new version of the high-end Mac Pro" at this year's WWDC, although no firm decision appears to have been made.
According to executives Craig Federighi and Phil Schiller, Apple is committed to making the Mac Pro the highest-end desktop system able to accommodate VR and high-end cinema production. Apple has also put together a "Pro Workflow Team" to tailor the Mac Pro and other Apple products to its professional users.
The modular workstation is expected to ship alongside an upcoming Apple-branded pro display, which rumors suggest will be 31.6 inches with a 6K resolution and have "outstanding picture quality" enabled through a new Mini LED-like backlighting design.
We still have no word on when in 2019 the Mac Pro is coming, but Apple did promise a 2019 launch date in early 2018. If it's anything like the last Mac Pro in 2013, we should indeed get further information at WWDC, which Apple is planning to hold from June 3 to June 7 in San Jose, California, based on permit filings uncovered by MacRumors.
Apple aims to allow developers to release universal apps that work across iPhone, iPad, and Mac by 2021, according to a new report today by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
The ultimate goal of the multistep initiative, code-named "Marzipan," is by 2021 to help developers build an app once and have it work on the iPhone, iPad and Mac computers, said people familiar with the effort. That should spur the creation of new software, increasing the utility of the company’s gadgets.
According to Gurman, Apple plans to let developers port iPad apps to Mac using a new software development kit that the company will release as early as June at WWDC. Apple previewed the apps plan, without disclosing the road map, at its developers conference last year.
Apple typically previews the next major versions of its iOS and macOS operating systems at WWDC in June, with beta versions of each platform available to developers and public testers until September, so it stands to reason that an SDK for universal apps should begin rolling out in the pre-release software.
Developers will still need to submit separate versions of the app to Apple's iOS and Mac App Stores, but the new kit will mean they don't have to write the underlying software code twice, said the people familiar with the plan. In 2020, Apple plans to expand the kit so iPhone applications can be converted into Mac apps in the same way.
The "Marzipan" project is considered to be one of the biggest changes on Apple's roadmap, although Apple's plans are said to be "fluid" and could be altered, according to Gurman's sources.
When the idea of universal apps was first rumored in 2017, early speculation suggested that they were a harbinger of Apple's plans to create a unified operating system for all of its devices, but those rumors appear to have been unfounded. Apple has already said it won't combine iOS and macOS into a single operating system.
The work on universal apps aligns with Apple's preparations to start transitioning some Macs to its own chips as early as 2020. Apple's initiative, reportedly code named "Kalamata," is part of an effort to make Macs, iPhones, and iPads work more similarly and seamlessly together. Apple Macs currently use Intel chips but Apple already designs its own A-series chips found in iPhones and iPads.
Apple is planning to hold its annual software conference from June 3 to June 7 in San Jose, California, based on permit filings uncovered by MacRumors.
Alleged leaked renders of Samsung's soon-to-be-unveiled foldable smartphone have emerged online ahead of the company's Unpacked product launch event on Wednesday.
Samsung has been teasing its upcoming "Galaxy Fold" phone for some time and demoed a prototype of the device back in November, but coming just hours before the company's launch event, these images via Slashleaks could be the real deal.
The Galaxy Fold features Samsung's new Infinity Flex display technology, and assuming no major changes since November, we can expect a device with a 7.3-inch display that can be folded in half, collapsing from a tablet size down to a 4.6-inch smartphone size.
Judging from the renders, the phone has a notch in the upper right corner of the display for the front-facing camera, and a dual-lens setup on the corresponding upper rear-side of the chassis.
Samsung is developing a new software platform for the device in partnership with Google, which is designed to support two UIs – one for when the device is open and one for when the device is closed – and will allow apps to orient into three possible layouts. A price tag as high as $1,800 was rumored for the phone in November, although Samsung may not have finalized costs at the time.
Following Samsung, Huawei and Xiaomi revealed that they too will launch folding smartphones, and there are plenty of signs Apple is looking into the possibility of a foldable iPhone. Apple has filed several patent applications related to folding phones that variously fold inward, outward, and both inward and outward.
Apple supplier LG Display is said to have created a dedicated task force to start developing a foldable OLED display for a future iPhone, while its sister company LG Innotek reportedly has a team developing a rigid flexible printed circuit board or (RFPCB) to go along with it.
Samsung's Galaxy Fold will officially debut at its February 20 event, where we can also expect the launch of the new Galaxy S10 smartphone lineup. Samsung's Unpacked event starts at 11.00 a.m. Pacific Time at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, California, with a simultaneous launch event to be held in London at 7.00 p.m. GMT.
Apple today shared two new iPhone XS and iPhone XS tutorial videos on its YouTube channel, both of which are designed to highlight available features on the new devices.
The first video is designed to teach users how to better use the search feature in the Photos app. You can search for people, places, and objects, such as food, cats, dogs, beaches, flowers, and more. There are thousands of different objects the iPhone is able to recognize.
The second video includes walks through the steps necessary to create a photo using the Depth Control feature that was introduced in the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR. Depth Control lets you adjust the amount of blur in a photograph before or after you take it.
Two additional videos provide the steps for choosing a Key Photo in Live Photos and using the Stage Light Mono mode on the iPhone.
Each video is right around 30 to 43 seconds in length and is similar to other iPhone tutorial videos that Apple has shared in the past. Apple has done a whole tutorial series with videos like these, which are ideal for sharing on social media sites and for quick spots on television.
Apple also often shares many similar videos on its Apple Support YouTube channel, and it has an entire mini how to site on its website dedicated to photography-based iPhone tutorials and walkthroughs.
Google's "Keep" app for taking notes and making lists today expanded to the Apple Watch, allowing the app's users to use the note taking and list making functionality right on their wrists.
With Google Keep for Apple Watch, you can create new notes or reminder lists, pin items to lists, and check off items on existing lists.
Google Keep, for those unfamiliar with the app, is designed to let users create, edit, share, and collaborate on notes on any device at any time. It is cross platform like many of Google's apps, and works on iOS devices, Android devices, Macs, and PCs.
You can create reminders and voice memos, pull text from images, and organize notes with labels and colors. All Google Keep content can be shared with family members and friends, so you can create multi-person notes that everyone can annotate.
Apple this morning released the third beta of iOS 12.2 to developers, and as with most early betas, the new software introduces refinements and user interface changes for various features.
There are several minor tweaks, such as an update to the Apple News logo, along with more major updates that include a new Apple TV Remote design and multiple important bug fixes. We've outlined everything new in the third beta of iOS 12.2 below.
- Apple TV Remote redesign - The Apple TV Remote has been redesigned again with a darker interface, both in the Remote app itself and in Control Center.
- Lock screen charging fix - The second beta of iOS 12.2 had a pesky bug that caused the iPhone's charge to be displayed on the Lock screen instead of the date. In beta 3, that's been fixed.
- Apple News logo - In the Apple News app, instead of spelling out "Apple News," Apple uses the "" symbol along with the word "News," similar to Apple Pay.
- About screen - The interface for viewing information about your iPhone has been updated and rearranged in a more logical way with info like model number and serial number at the top with carrier information at the bottom.
- Developer updates - Alongside iOS 12.2 beta 3, Apple introduced new resources for developers. Siri Shortcuts design resources are available, as are new iOS system design templates, Adobe XD Apple Watch design resources, and an SF Compact Rounded font. Developers are also now able to offer subscription discounts on a broader basis thanks to a new API.
Siri Apple Store suggestions - There's a new section under Siri & Search > Apple Store that indicates Siri in iOS 12.2 will be able to suggest Today at Apple sessions for you based on your Safari and app usage.
Apple has introduced many other changes over the course of the beta testing period, with most of the updates outlined in our iOS 12.2 tidbits post.
The third beta of iOS 12.2, released to developers this morning, includes a fix for the Group FaceTime bug, which also reenables Group FaceTime on devices running the iOS 12.2 beta.
Apple addressed the Group FaceTime bug in the iOS 12.1.4 update released on February 7, but there has been no new iOS 12.2 beta until today, so the Group FaceTime feature has remained unavailable to iOS 12.2 users because the server has been offline.
The FaceTime bug allowed someone to spy on you without your permission or knowledge. By exploiting the bug, a person could initiate a Group FaceTime call with you and then add themselves to the call again to force a Group FaceTime connection, as demoed in the video below.
When the Group FaceTime connection was forced using this method, the bug caused the person to be able to hear the audio on your end, even if you did not answer the call. In fact, on your end, it would continue to look like the standard incoming FaceTime call interface. In some situations, if you pressed the side button to silence a call, it would even give the person access to your video.
Given the severity of the bug, Apple took its Group FaceTime server offline while preparing the iOS 12.1.4 update. Group FaceTime was reinstated on devices running iOS 12.1.4, but it does not work on iOS 12.2 beta 2 or devices with iOS 12.1.3 or earlier installed.
It should be noted that Group FaceTime is still somewhat broken following the update. In iOS 12.1.4, there is no option to add a person to a one on one Group FaceTime call because the "Add Person" button is grayed out. Group FaceTime calls need to be started with two or more people at the current time.
Other users have been unable to use Group FaceTime at all, and have had trouble adding additional people even during a call with more than one person. Apple is presumably working out these bugs and will have further fixes available in the future.
4-inch iPhone enthusiasts who have been unable to take advantage of the $249 iPhone SE deal on Apple's clearance site can once again make a purchase, as Apple has restocked the website and has a limited supply of remaining iPhone SE models available.
The models available today are unlocked but have SIM cards from carriers that include TracFone, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon. There are a range of colors available from each carrier, with 32GB models priced at $249 and 128GB models priced at $299.
Apple has been offering iPhone SE models on clearance since mid-January, but available stock often sells out quickly. Apple has done several restocks, however, giving those who prefer smaller devices one last chance to purchase a 4-inch iPhone on the cheap.
Apple originally discontinued the iPhone SE in September 2018 when the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR were announced. Apple's iPhone lineup now starts with the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus as its entry level devices.
The iPhone SE, first announced in March 2016, was the last 4-inch smartphone that Apple offered, with the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models now the smallest that Apple officially sells in retail stores.
With these clearance sales, Apple seems to be getting rid of remaining iPhone SE stock, and it's clear that available supply is dwindling. Those who want to get an iPhone SE should do so soon because it's not known how many more restocks Apple will be offering.
Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave 10.14.4 update to its public beta testing group, one day after seeding the third beta to developers and two weeks after releasing the second macOS Mojave 10.14.4 public beta.
The macOS Mojave update can be downloaded using the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store after downloading the appropriate profile from Apple's beta testing website. Apple's beta testing site gives users access to iOS, macOS, and tvOS betas.
macOS Mojave 10.14.4, along with iOS 12.2, introduces support for Apple News in Canada for the first time, allowing Canadian users to read the news in French or English.
The update also includes support for Touch ID-enabled Safari AutoFill and automatic Dark Mode themes in Safari. That means if you have Dark Mode enabled on macOS Mojave, when you visit a website with a dark theme, it will be activated automatically. You can see a demo of the feature here.
macOS Mojave 10.14.4 will likely be in beta testing for the next several weeks as Apple refines features and works out bugs. After that, it will see a release alongside iOS 12.2, watchOS 5.2, and tvOS 12.2.
Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming iOS 12.2 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the second beta of iOS 12.2 and a week and a half since the launch of iOS 12.1.4.
Registered developers can download the new iOS 12.2 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center.
The third beta of iOS 12.2 may include a Group FaceTime fix that allows iOS 12.2 users access to Group FaceTime once again. Apple shut down its Group FaceTime servers after a major privacy-invading Group FaceTime bug was found a couple weeks ago, and later limited the Group FaceTime feature to those running iOS 12.1.4, an updated version of iOS that fixes the bug. The same fix will likely be extended to iOS 12.2 as this is the first iOS 12.2 beta released since it was deployed in the release version of iOS.
iOS 12.2 expands Apple News to Canada for the first time, with Canadian iPhone and iPad users able to read news stories in English, French, or both. Apple says that during the beta, content will be more limited than it will when the update is released.
There are new Animoji in the iOS 12.2 beta, including a boar, a shark, a giraffe, and an owl. Animoji can be used within the Messages and FaceTime apps.
The software introduces support for AirPlay 2 and HomeKit on third-party TVs in light of recent AirPlay 2 announcements, with a new option for limiting TV access joining the speaker access option in the Home app. There's also a redesigned TV remote in Control Center, and when paired with tvOS 12.2, you can ask Siri to play specific TV shows, movies, and music on your HomeKit devices like the Apple TV.
For some AT&T users, there's a new "5G E" icon for the cellular signal, replacing the standard LTE icon. This is a bit misleading of AT&T, because the iPhone does not support 5G, nor is the network AT&T calls 5G E actual 5G. Instead, it's an upgraded version of LTE, with more info available here.
The Wallet app's interface has been streamlined and tweaked, there's a new interface for Apple Pay Cash, and the Downtime feature in Screen Time now allows you to customize by day. Apple has also made minor changes to some icons, including the AirPlay icon, and introduced new Safari features, with a full list available in in our iOS 12.2 tidbits post.
Apple is improving Safari's privacy in iOS 12.2 through a new Motion & Orientation toggle located under Settings > Safari > Privacy > Security, which is disabled by default. The setting needs to be enabled on to allow websites to display content that relies on motion data from the accelerometer and gyroscope in the iPhone and iPad.
iOS 12.2 confirms that Apple is planning to release second-generation AirPods with "Hey Siri" support, thanks to a hidden "Hey Siri" AirPods setup screen in the beta. The inclusion of the AirPods setup option in the beta indicates that Apple could perhaps be planning to release new AirPods when iOS 12.2 is released.
The update also features hints of an upcoming Apple News subscription service, which could see a Texture-like magazine service added to Apple News. The iOS 12.2 update is likely to see several rounds of beta testing before it launches to the public.
There are multiple new features in iOS 12.2, along with bug fixes. We rounded up everything that's new in the beta in our iOS 12.2 beta 3 tidbits post.
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