MacRumors

Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S10 flagship smartphone was spotted out in the wild today, with leaker Evan Blass sharing an image of the new device.

Rather than adopting a notch like many other smartphone manufacturers, Samsung is using an edge-to-edge display that features a small camera cutout at the upper right side of the device. Aside from this circular cutout, the rest of the smartphone's front side is taken up by display area.

galaxys10wild
Samsung is able to use a single camera cutout for the S10 because it is housing less equipment than Apple's latest iPhones. There's no TrueDepth camera system with multiple sensors that include an IR camera and dot projector in addition to the standard front-facing camera, so Samsung is able to introduce a smaller cutout.

In the tweet, Blass calls the S10 the "Beyond 1," which is one of three S10 smartphones Samsung has in the works. As explained by CNET, the Beyond 1 is expected to be the same size as the Galaxy S9, with a 6.1-inch screen and a single front-facing camera.

Rumors have suggested other S10 models (at least one model will be larger) will have two front-facing cameras, so the cutout on these devices, which has been seen in renderings, could be a bit bigger. At least some of the Galaxy S10 smartphones are expected to feature a four-camera rear setup.

galaxys10rendering

Galaxy S10 rendering via OnLeaks

Samsung's Galaxy A8s smartphone also featured the same hole punch-style design that's seen in the Galaxy S10, with the camera located at the top left of the device.

galaxya8s

Samsung's Galaxy A8s

Rumors suggest Samsung will debut the Galaxy S10 smartphone, which will compete directly with Apple's latest devices, the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR, ahead of Mobile World Congress in February 2019.

It's not known if Apple will be able to follow in Samsung's footsteps with such a small camera cutout, but we have heard an early rumor suggesting Apple's 2019 devices could feature a slimmed-down notch, and there's even been a rumor indicating Apple is working on a smartphone with no notch at all.

For more of what to expect from Apple's 2019 iPhones, likely to be unveiled later this year in September, check out our dedicated roundup.

Tag: Samsung

Ahead of next week's Consumer Electronics Show, Samsung has announced three new monitors that it will be showing off at the event.

Samsung is debuting the CRG9, which the company says is the first high-resolution super ultra-wide gaming monitor equipped with a 32:9 aspect ratio.

samsungultrawidegamingmonitor
The display is equivalent to two 27-inch 16:9 monitors with a dual QHD resolution of 5120 x 1440 and support for HDR10 with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits. At the back, it has an HDMI port and two DisplayPorts, along with USB ports and a headphone jack.

As a gaming monitor, it features a 120Hz refresh rate with a 4ms response time, with the display designed to minimize lag and motion blur when playing fast-paced games. It's also equipped with AMD's Radeon FreeSync HDR Technology, which Samsung says will reduce stutter, screen tearing, and input latency to guarantee the best possible frame rate.

Samsung is also introducing the Samsung Space Monitor, designed for those who have a limited amount of desktop space for a display. It uses an arm clamp to attach to the back of a desk, freeing up valuable working area, and when not in use, it can be angled away from the desk and stored flat against a wall.

samsungspacesavingmonitor
It comes in a 27-inch size option with QHD resolution (2560 x 1440) and a 32-inch size option with a 4K UHD resolution.

Samsung's third monitor debuting at CES is the UR59C, a 32-inch curved 4K display aimed at content creators. It features a 2,500:1 contrast ratio with support for up to one billion colors and a 1500R curvature for a "truly immersive experience" when creating content, watching videos, or gaming.

The UR59C comes in a dark blue gray shade and features a slim design with a depth of 6.7mm. It's attached to a simple, two-prong base that minimizes its footprint on a desk.

samsungcurvedmonitor
Samsung's Space Monitor, priced starting at $399, is available for pre-order from the Samsung website and Amazon.com. The UR59C curved monitor, priced at $499.99, is also available for pre-order from Samsung's website and Amazon.com.

Samsung's 49-inch CRG9 gaming display will be available for purchase later in 2019. Pricing has not been announced.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung and Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

iCloud AltPatrick Gates, Apple's senior director of engineering for iCloud, FaceTime, and iMessage, is leaving the company to join a stealth startup called Humane, reports The Information.

Gates has been with Apple for close to 14 years, and he took over ownership of iCloud services infrastructure after Eric Billingsly left the company in 2017.

The startup that Gates is joining, Humane, was created by former Apple employees Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno. Chaudhri is well known as the designer of the interface for the original iPhone and a former member of Apple's UI team. He was at Apple for more than 20 years before departing in 2017.

Humane is a secretive company working on "innovative technology that feels familiar, natural, and human," with the self-described mission of creating the next shift between humans and computing.

Charter Spectrum's long-promised app for the Apple TV launched today and can now be downloaded via the Apple TV App Store. The app is designed to give Spectrum TV users access to live channels and on demand titles right on the Apple TV.

The app works with the new Zero Sign-on feature, which means Charter Spectrum users will not need to sign in to use it when connected to accompanying Charter Spectrum internet services.

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Apple first promised Zero Sign-on and a new Charter Spectrum app at the 2018 Worldwide Developers Conference. At the time, Apple said the app would debut during 2018, but the feature was ultimately delayed until 2019.

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The Charter Spectrum app only works when connected to a Charter Spectrum internet service, and it does not appear to allow logins when connected to a different third-party internet service.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Since the launch of the 2018 MacBook Air, we here at MacRumors have heard multiple complaints from MacRumors readers about the quality of the FaceTime HD camera housed in the device.

There have been multiple threads on the MacRumors forums and the Apple Support Communities complaining about the graininess of the camera so we decided to investigate to see if it's worse than recent MacBook Pro models or the older MacBook Air.


Many of the complaints that we saw suggested the camera was poor quality without offering direct comparisons, or with comparisons to FaceTime cameras like those in the iPhone, which are wildly better than the 720p "FaceTime HD" camera Apple uses in the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro lines.

In a direct comparison, photos taken from Photo Booth on a 2018 MacBook Air and a modern 15-inch Touch Bar MacBook Pro are almost identical, and both are pretty terrible. The MacBook Air photos are a bit darker, which can be interpreted as "worse," but all in all, both cameras are bad.

2018macbookairvs2018macbookpro
When comparing the new MacBook Air and the older 2015 MacBook Air, however, we found a more noticeable difference in quality. The FaceTime HD camera in the 2015 MacBook Air is a bit clearer and brighter, with the 2018 MacBook Air's camera letting in less light and producing an overall grainier, less clear result.

2018macbookairvs2015macbookairbright
Even though we can clearly see a difference between the 2015 and the 2018 MacBook Air FaceTime HD cameras, it's not a huge gap. Both cameras are subpar, and that the FaceTime HD camera on the MacBook Air appears to have gotten worse over time rather than better is certainly disappointing.

2018macbookairvs2015macbookair
On a modern machine with a Retina display, a 720p FaceTime HD camera just doesn't hold up, especially in comparison to devices like the iPhone XS, iPhone XR, and iPad Pro, which have much higher resolution cameras. FaceTime is limited to 720p on all devices, but the FaceTime HD camera does serve other purposes as well.

2018 MacBook Air owners are disappointed, and honestly, MacBook Pro owners should be too. 720p looks awful and it is outdated technology. Apple implemented a better 1080p FaceTime HD camera in the iMac Pro, and the quality is much better.

2018macbookairvsimacpro
Hopefully future Mac notebook updates will feature higher-quality webcams as video quality has become an increasingly important feature that consumers look for when making a purchase.

Many of the complaint threads that suggested the MacBook Air camera is worse than other machines did not include comparison images, so we're still working with just a few data points here. If you have a MacBook Air and another machine, please feel free to post comparison images in the thread below so we can further investigate this issue.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Related Forum: MacBook Air

Following the news that iPhone sales were down during the month of December leading Apple to cut its guidance for Q1 2019, the company is aiming to soften the blow with some positive news.

Apple today announced that App Store customers set new worldwide spending records over the holidays, with App Store purchases hitting $1.22 billion between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

appstoreappleholidayrecord
On New Year's Day specifically, customers spent over $322 million on App Store purchases, setting a new single-day record.

"The App Store had a record-breaking holiday week and New Year's Day. The holiday week was our biggest week ever with more than $1.22 billion spent on apps and games, and New Year's Day set a new single-day record at more than $322 million," said Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "Thanks to the inspiring work of our talented developers and the support of our incredible customers around the world, the App Store finished off an outstanding 2018 and kicked off 2019 with a bang."

Gaming and self-care were the most popular app downloads and purchases during the holidays. Fortnite and PUBG were some of the most downloaded games over the holiday period, along with Brawl Stars, Asphalt 9, and Monster Strike.

According to Apple, the App Store drove its services category revenue to a new all-time record during the holiday quarter, with multiple Apple services that include the App Store, Apple Music, Cloud Services, Apple Pay and the App Store's search ad business setting new records.

With Apple selling fewer iPhones, the company is hoping investors will shift focus to other areas of its business. Apple in November said that it will no longer provide unit sales data for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, but yesterday said other information, such as gross margin of services, will be provided.

An icon depicting what appears to be a Smart Battery Case for the iPhone XS has been spotted in action on an iPhone running iOS 12.1.2, providing yet another clue that Apple may be planning to release such an accessory.

iphone x smart battery case icon
The discovery was made by a Reddit user named Tom, who decided to significantly trim down Apple's Smart Battery Case for the iPhone 7 to fit his iPhone X. Not only did the case function, but it also revealed the iPhone X-esque Smart Battery Case icon with a slimmer design and a vertical camera cutout.

Apple discontinued the iPhone X in September, so the icon likely applies to the iPhone XS, which sports the same physical design.

iphone x battery case

We don't recommend trying this

The icon appears to be the same one discovered in watchOS code by 9to5Mac's Guilherme Rambo, although this time in action on an iPhone. The new case appears to have a Lightning connector, but no "chin" extending below the iPhone.

Rambo also uncovered references to three model identifiers for the case in iOS code, including A2070, A2071 and A2171, suggesting that Apple could release the case in three different sizes for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. Another identifier supposedly hinted at a 2018 release, which did not happen.

Images of possible iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max Smart Battery Cases were also uncovered in a Fall 2018 merchandising guide for Apple resellers.

xs xs max smart battery cases
Apple has never released a Smart Battery Case for a plus-sized iPhone, however, and the larger iPhone XR and iPhone XS Max already deliver longer battery life, so it's possible the new case could be for the iPhone XS only if released.

Apple's first Smart Battery Case was for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s, and was equipped with a 1,877 mAh battery that protruded out of the back of the case. Apple later released an iPhone 7 version with a similar design but larger 2,365 mAh battery. Both remain available to purchase for $99 in the United States.

By now, there has been plenty of evidence to suggest that Apple has at least considered releasing a Smart Battery Case for the iPhone XS. Whether the plan comes to fruition remains to be seen — a release could certainly be soon.

Longtime Mac accessory vendor OWC today announced that it has acquired Akitio, maker of popular professional-level external storage solutions focused on Thunderbolt 3. Akitio also offers a number of other Thunderbolt 3 accessories including docks, eGPU boxes, and more.

owc akitio

"This acquisition gives us the opportunity to strengthen our core prosumer lineup and market reach with photography, video and music pros with some really exceptional new offerings," said Larry O'Connor, OWC Founder & CEO. "Our product lines and brands are quite complementary, with Akitio bringing a strong reputation in the Windows space and segments like performance gaming, AR/VR, high-end creative strengths to our base. I see tremendous opportunities ahead for our team and our customers."

While Akitio joins OWC's other brands at OWC's Illinois headquarters, Akitio's teams in California and internationally will remain at their current locations and all customer support and warranty obligations will be honored without interruption.

Tags: Akitio, OWC

Qualcomm today announced that it has posted €1.34 billion in security bonds required for the chipmaker to be able to enforce a preliminary injunction on select iPhone models in Germany, after a court in the country found Apple to be infringing Qualcomm patents related to power savings technology used in smartphones.

trio iphones ios
Last month, a German court ordered Apple to cease the import and sale of all infringing iPhone models in Germany. Apple was also ordered to recall those iPhone models from third-party resellers in Germany, according to Qualcomm.

In a statement, Apple said it is "disappointed" by the verdict and plans to appeal. The company also confirmed that the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR are not affected by the preliminary injunction, but it has temporarily halted sales of iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models at its 15 retail stores in Germany.

Apple's full statement:

Qualcomm's campaign is a desperate attempt to distract from the real issues between our companies. Their tactics, in the courts and in their everyday business, are harming innovation and harming consumers. Qualcomm insists on charging exorbitant fees based on work they didn't do and they are being investigated by governments all around the world for their behavior. We are of course disappointed by this verdict and we plan to appeal. All iPhone models remain available to customers through carriers and resellers in 4,300 locations across Germany. During the appeal process, iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models will not be available at Apple's 15 retail stores in Germany. iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR will remain available in all our stores.

Qualcomm's general counsel Don Rosenberg issued the following statement to MacRumors following the verdict:

Two respected courts in two different jurisdictions just in the past two weeks have now confirmed the value of Qualcomm's patents and declared Apple an infringer, ordering a ban on iPhones in the important markets of Germany and China.

Apple and Qualcomm are engaged in a major legal battle spanning multiple countries, including China, where a court issued a similar preliminary injunction on select iPhones last month over two separate Qualcomm patents.

Apple continues to sell the affected iPhone models in China and believes it is in compliance with the ruling. Late last month, it made some minor changes in iOS 12.1.2 to address the Qualcomm patents in China, including introducing a new animation for force closing apps seen in the video below.


Apple sued Qualcomm in early 2017 over anticompetitive business practices related to chip-related licensing fees, while Qualcomm has accused Apple of sharing its trade secrets with Intel among other infractions. In the U.S., the FTC is also taking Qualcomm to court later this month over the alleged monopolistic behavior.

Mophie, Apple's retail and online store partner for external batteries, today announced a pair of new Powerstation PD batteries supporting 18-watt fast charging over USB-C to charge your phone to 50 percent in as little as 30 minutes.

mophie powerstation pd
Just a few months ago, the company launched a high-capacity 45-watt USB-C PD battery aimed at providing power for MacBooks, but the new Powerstation PD and PD XL come in at lower price points and lower power optimized for phones. The 6,700 mAh Powerstation PD is priced at $59.95, while the 10,050 mAh powerstation PD XL is priced at $79.95.


Each model includes a USB-C port that supports 18-watt charging output and 15-watt charging input, as well as a USB-A port that supports up to 12-watt output, and Mophie's Priority+ passthrough charging technology ensures connected devices charge first, followed by the battery.

The new Powerstation PD and PD XL are available today at mophie.com, but there's no word yet on whether they'll also be coming to Apple's retail and online stores.

Tag: Mophie

AAPL has opened at $144 today on the stock market, with share prices sliding roughly nine percent after Apple lowered its revenue guidance by up to $9 billion for the first quarter of its 2019 fiscal year.

aapl jan 3 2019
AAPL is down just over 35 percent since closing at $222.22 on November 1, just prior to its last earnings report.

In a letter to shareholders on Wednesday, Apple disclosed that its revenue will be lower than its original guidance for the first quarter of its 2019 fiscal year, coming in at approximately $84 billion. Apple originally guided for revenue of $89 billion to $93 billion in the quarter on November 1.

The letter said lower than anticipated iPhone revenue, primarily in Greater China, accounts for the entire revenue shortfall.

In an internal memo, Apple CEO Tim Cook said he will host an all-hands meeting with employees today at 9:30 a.m. Pacific Time at Apple's Town Hall auditorium on its Infinite Loop campus to answer questions about the shortfall.

AAPL was already dragged down by Apple's recent announcement that it will no longer disclose iPhone, iPad, and Mac unit sales starting with its next quarterly earnings report. The move sparked fears among some investors and analysts that Apple had something to hide, particularly regarding slowing iPhone sales.

Apple yesterday announced that it will report its earnings for the first quarter of its 2019 fiscal year on January 29.

Tag: AAPL

In a memo to employees obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple CEO Tim Cook provided additional commentary about the company's reduced revenue forecast for the first quarter of its 2019 fiscal year.

2018 iphone trio
Cook said Apple is "disappointed" that its quarterly revenue will fall up to $9 billion short of its initial guidance, entirely due to the iPhone, but touted revenue records from other product categories including the Mac, services like the App Store and iCloud, and wearables like the Apple Watch and AirPods.

iPhone activations also set new Christmas Day records in the United States and Canada, according to Cook.

In a letter to shareholders on Wednesday, Apple disclosed that its revenue will be lower than its original guidance for the first quarter of its 2019 fiscal year, coming in at approximately $84 billion. Apple originally guided for revenue of $89 billion to $93 billion in the quarter on November 1.

The letter said lower than anticipated iPhone revenue, primarily in Greater China, accounts for the entire shortfall.

In his memo, Cook said "this moment gives us an opportunity to learn and to take action," starting with an all-hands meeting with employees today at 9:30 a.m. Pacific Time at Apple's Town Hall auditorium on its Infinite Loop campus.

The full memo:

Team,

Happy New Year — I hope everyone was able to rest and enjoy time with loved ones over the holidays.

This afternoon we issued a letter to Apple investors explaining that we are revising our financial guidance for the holiday quarter. I encourage you to read it. As you will see, our revenue shortfall in Q1 is from iPhone, primarily in Greater China.

While we are disappointed to be falling short of our quarterly revenue goal, our fiscal first quarter was also a record setter for revenue from Services, Wearables and the Mac. iPad revenue grew double-digits over the year-ago quarter, and iPhone activations in the U.S. and Canada set new Christmas Day records. We expect to set all-time revenue records in key markets including the US, Canada and Mexico, Western European countries including Germany and Italy, and countries across the Asia-Pacific region like Korea and Vietnam. Our worldwide installed base of active devices also hit a new all-time high, reflecting the loyalty of our customers and their appreciation for the work you do.

We are tremendously proud of the innovations we're delivering to our customers with iPhone XR, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. These are, without a doubt, the best iPhones we've ever made. We did not set a new record for iPhone sales in Q1, however, due to a number of factors — some macroeconomic, and some specific to Apple and the smartphone industry.

External forces may push us around a bit, but we are not going to use them as an excuse. Nor will we just wait around until they get better. This moment gives us an opportunity to learn and to take action, to focus on our strengths and on Apple's mission — delivering the best products on earth for our customers and providing them with an unmatched level of service. We manage Apple for the long term, and in challenging times we have always come out stronger.

With that in mind, please join me for an all-hands meeting on Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m. PT. Be sure to check AppleWeb for more details. Due to construction at Apple Park, we'll be gathering at Town Hall on the Infinite Loop campus. Join us there in person, or via live stream through AppleWeb. I'll have more details about the quarter, and I'm looking forward to your thoughts and questions.

Hope to see you there.

Tim

AAPL shares are currently down around eight percent to $145 in pre-market trading following the disappointing news.

Related Forum: iPhone

tim cook headshot glassesApple CEO Tim Cook today plans to hold an "all-hands meeting" with employees to alleviate any fears surrounding the company's revision to its Q1 2019 earnings expectations.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who spoke to a person familiar with the matter, Cook plans to address concerns from Apple staff by taking questions from workers during Thursday's meeting.

Further details on the meeting have yet to be disclosed, but Cook will likely seek to dampen internal worries about what the revised earnings guidance means for the company's plans as it gears up for another year.

In his earnings call on Wednesday, Cook revealed that Apple expected to end the first quarter of 2019 with $84 billion in revenue, which is down over 7 percent from the $89 billion to $93 billion forecast the company predicted at the end of the last fiscal quarter 2018.

In interview with CNBC, Cook said trade tensions with the U.S. put additional pressure on the Chinese economy, which led to less traffic in stores and lower sales. He also blamed fewer carrier subsidies, a stronger dollar, and the $29 battery replacement program, suggesting that those factors led to fewer iPhone upgrades than expected.

Writing for Bloomberg, Gurman claims that stagnating smartphone sales mean Apple needs to look beyond the iPhone as its core product, but that the company shouldn't rely on its AirPods or Apple Watch lines because they're exclusively tied to iPhone use.

Likewise, Apple's services business is providing an increasingly sizable income, but the long-term success of its services also relies heavily on iPhone usage. In other words, Apple may need to look at new product categories if it is to successully reverse the damage of its iPhone sales problem, which is currently limited to China. The issue however is that potential major launches like AR-glasses and self-driving car technology still seem years away.

For now, it appears Apple's iPhone sales problem is China-focused. According to analyst Shannon Cross of Cross Research, as long as the problem doesn't spread to other regions, Cook can weather the storm.

"It's going to rely on understanding the supply chains, how to make sure costs are efficient and effective," which are Cook's strengths, Cross said.

Apple plans to discuss its final earnings results during the company's first quarter 2019 conference call on Tuesday, January 29.

Apple is to be investigated by an investor rights law firm for potential securities fraud following yesterday's revised Q1 2019 earnings guidance for the company, it emerged on Wednesday.

Apple Store Sanlitun, Beijing, China
Bernstein Liebhard LLP, which calls itself "a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm," announced on its website that it was investigating the fraud claims on behalf of Apple shareholders, based on "allegations that Apple and/or its executives may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public."

The firm's complaint with Apple focuses on comments about China made by CEO Tim Cook in his November Q4 2018 earnings call, compared to what he told investors yesterday.

In his letter on Wednesday, Cook revealed that Apple expected to end the quarter with $84 billion in revenue, which is down more than 7 percent from the $89 billion to $93 billion forecast the company predicted at the end of the last fiscal quarter 2018.

Cook put the revised guidance down to "lower than anticipated iPhone revenue, primarily in Greater China, [which] accounts for all of our revenue shortfall to our guidance and for much more than our entire year-over-year revenue decline."

The statement contrasts with Cook's comments on China during Apple's November Q4 2018 earnings call, in which he told investors that "our business in China was very strong last quarter. We grew 16 percent, which we're very happy with. iPhone in particular was very strong, very strong double-digit growth there."

Essentially, Bernstein Liebhard claims that the difference between the two statements represents "materially misleading business information" that has subsequently "damaged investors." It remains unclear how those allegations will stand up to scrutiny in a law court, however.

Following Cook's earnings call yesterday, Apple's stock fell almost $12 per share, or over 7.5 percent, during aftermarket trading hours. The downgrade also sent shares in other companies with exposure to China tumbling over fears that the slowdown could affect other markets.

Cook said that the timing of the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR launch compared to the timing of the iPhone X launch last year were set to impact year-over-year comparisons, as would the strength of the U.S. dollar. Cook also said that customers taking advantage of "significantly reduced pricing for iPhone battery replacements" was also a factor that led to fewer upgrades in 2018.

Sling TV has updated its Apple TV app in an effort to simplify access to content and enhance discoverability on the online streaming television platform.

sling tv grid guide
The new user interface upgrades, which are based on customer feedback, include improvements that put content front and center, while enabling subscribers to manage favorites and see more information about shows before viewing.

In the new larger grid guide view, more images and blurbs now appear for the currently selected show, while filters on the left-hand side of the screen filter channels by categories including My Channels, Sports, Movies, and Kids.

Meanwhile, individual channel guides can be accessed by clicking the channel logo on the left of the grid guide to see all the content available on that channel, and clicking a show now also offers more images and information on other seasons available via the streaming service.

sling Manage Buttons apple tv
Elsewhere in the update, Favorite channels gain some visual UI improvements, and can now be managed by selecting an orange icon at the front of a row, allowing subscribers to view their recordings and edit content in the continue watching ribbon.

Lastly, tapping the Apple Remote touch pad during streaming now lets users view more information about what they're watching, including show name, description, closed caption options, player controls are more.

Sling says the new features for Apple TV are set to come to other Sling TV-supported devices in the future. See the Sling blog for more information.

HMD Global's next smartphone, the Nokia 9 PureView, may come equipped with an interesting-looking five camera setup, according to an alleged leaked launch video of the device shared by rumor site MySmartPrice and leaker Evan Blass.

The video depicts a Nokia device with seven rear circles, dedicated to five ZEISS cameras, a flash, and other sensors.


According to the promo video, the five camera setup allows for five simultaneous shots to be captured at once and then combined, allowing for features that include "10x more light," "incredible texture and detail," and "stunning crisp HDR photography."

Like many other smartphones, the new Nokia device supports refocusing the depth of field after a shot, but the specifications for the device don't go into detail about the benefit (if any) of five cameras other than improved crispness, texture, and low light performance.

The device also features a 5.99-inch display with bezels at the top and bottom, an in-display fingerprint sensor, and support for Android One, an unmodified version of Android created by Google for a more consistent Android usage experience.

nokiafivecameras
Since Apple and other manufacturers introduced a dual-camera design, smartphone manufacturers have been aiming to one up each other with more and more cameras.

LG and Huawei have both introduced three camera rear setups on their most recent smartphones. LG's triple cameras allow for different perspectives because there's a wide-angle lens, a super wide-angle lens, and a telephoto zoom, along with 3D lighting effects and HDR features. Samsung too has been increasing its camera count with the four camera system in the Galaxy A9.

Rumors suggest that Apple is planning to up the number of rear cameras in the next-generation iPhone, perhaps introducing a three camera system with features like improved low-light performance and 3x optical zoom.

HMD Global is said to be planning to unveil the new five camera Nokia smartphone sometime around the end of January.

Tag: Nokia

Apple today updated its investor relations page to announce that it will share its earnings for the first fiscal quarter (fourth calendar quarter) of 2019 on Tuesday, January 29.

Along with the notice on when to expect earnings results, Apple today also announced revised guidance for the first fiscal quarter, which will make the January earnings call an interesting one.

appleinvestornews
Apple now expects revenue of $84 billion and gross margin of 38 percent, down from a guidance of $89 to $93 billion provided in November during the fourth quarter earnings call.

Apple CEO Tim Cook provided several reasons for the drop in an open letter to investors:

  • iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR launch timing compared to iPhone X timing in 2017
  • A strong U.S. dollar
  • Supply constraints on Apple Watch Series 4, iPad Pro, AirPods, and MacBook Air
  • Economic weakness in emerging markets, specifically China
  • Trade tensions with China
  • Lower than anticipated iPhone revenue, primarily in China
  • Weak iPhone upgrade numbers in some developed markets due to fewer carrier subsidies and low-priced battery replacements in 2018

The earnings call will provide more detailed information on Apple's revised guidance, though the January 29 earnings report will be the first without specific unit sales data for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, which Apple said it would stop providing back in November.

It marks a major change in the way that Apple's sales data is reported, making estimating iPhone, Mac, and iPad product sales more difficult. At the time the change was announced, Apple CFO Luca Maestri said that the company does not believe unit sales over the course of a 90-day period are an indicator of the underlying strength of its business.

Apple CEO Tim Cook today provided CNBC with a little more info on its decision, pointing out that the company never offered Apple Watch sales data because of the price range and the lack of value in sharing sales numbers. The iPhone, Cook says, is now in the same position.

It's sort of like you and I going to the grocery store and putting things in our cart and coming up to the register and the person saying 'how many you got'?

It doesn't make sense to add them together anymore because the price ranges are so wide. We didn't do it on watch from the beginning. We've never done it on iPod.

As we now step back from the phone, we now have phones being sold in emerging markets like the iPhone 6s for around $300 and so you've got a range from $300 to $1000 or in some cases over $1000 depending upon your selection of [storage]. And so this thing has lost its meaning.

Cook says that the sales data that it was providing to investors was conflating its value and its usefulness to determining the state of Apple's business.

According to Cook, Apple doesn't plan to never comment on units again and will provide data on unit sales if it will better explain results.

Apple is going to make additional disclosures, such as gross margin of services, a business that has grown significantly in recent years.

The quarterly earnings statement will be released at 1:30 PM Pacific/4:30 PM Eastern, with a conference call to discuss the report taking place at 2:00 PM Pacific/5:00 PM Eastern. MacRumors will provide coverage of both the earnings release and conference call on January 29.

Apple is already working on the next-generation version of iOS, iOS 13. Based on visits to the MacRumors website from Apple IP addresses on devices running iOS 13, work on the update has been picking up over the course of the last few months.

We first spotted devices running iOS 13 in October, and in November and December, visits from iPhones with iOS 13 installed have increased. Visits slowed during late December, but should pick up again now that the holidays are over and work is continuing.

ios13testinganalytics
Apple often starts work on new versions of iOS many months in advance, and we've already learned some details about what we can expect in iOS 13. There were several iOS 12 features that were delayed to allow Apple to work on bug fixes and other under-the-hood improvements, and we're expecting to see these delayed features introduced in iOS 13.

Rumors have suggested iOS 13 will include new features aimed at iPad owners, such as a revamped Files app, in-app tabs for opening multiple windows of the same app, support for using the same app side-by-side in Split View multitasking mode, and more.

Other delayed iOS 12 features include a revamped Home screen app grid for the iPhone and iPad, and expanded photo management features.

More details on what we can expect to see in iOS 13 will undoubtedly leak out in the coming months as Apple continues to ramp up testing of the update.

MacRumors readers have shared a list of features that they're hoping to see introduced in iOS 13, including a Messages hub, dark mode, an option to hide or remove the Dock, settings to select default Mail, Maps, and Messages apps, and more. If you have iOS 13 features you're hoping for, feel free to share them on our forums.

Apple will give us a first look at iOS 13 when it hosts its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, which, historically, has taken place during the first few weeks of June.

Related Roundup: WWDC 2025