Samsung today announced the launch of its newest portable solid state drive, the SSD X5. The X5, which uses Thunderbolt 3 technology, is the company's first NVMe-based portable solid state drive for super fast transfer speeds in a form factor that's compact and durable.
Samsung says the X5 offers read speeds of up to 2800MB/s, which is 5.2 times faster than SATA interface portable SSDs and up to 25.5 times faster than external hard drives.
It also features a maximum write speed of 2300MB/s, allowing for a 20GB 4K video to be transferred in approximately 12 seconds. It uses Samsung's Portable SSD Software, which includes AES 256-bit hardware data encryption, optional password protection, and configurable security settings.
"As a leader in high-performance and reliable storage solutions, we are thrilled to continue to advance the external SSD market with the introduction of our first Thunderbolt 3 portable SSD," said Dr. Mike Mang, vice president of Brand Product Marketing, Memory Business at Samsung Electronics. "The X5 is yet another testament to Samsung's commitment to providing innovative portable storage solutions that enable faster transfer of large data files, saving users' valuable time."
Design wise, the X5 includes an all-metal body with a glossy finish and a non-slip mat at the bottom. It uses a shock-resistant internal frame that Samsung says can withstand drops of up to two meters. Inside, Dynamic Thermal Guard technology and a heat sink protect the X5 from overheating.
Samsung's new X5 works with all Macs and PCs that have Thunderbolt 3 ports, which for the Mac lineup, includes 2016 and later MacBook Pro models, 2017 iMac models, and the iMac Pro.
The X5 will be available for purchase starting on September 3. The 500GB model will be priced at $400, the 1TB model will be priced at $700, and a 2TB model will be available for $1,400. Additional information is available on Samsung's website.
Apple's upcoming trio of iPhones will see an estimated 70-75 million units shipped from suppliers to Apple by the end of 2018, according to supply chain sources speaking to DigiTimes. Thanks to the expected solid performance of the iPhones this year, Apple's main supply partners TSMC and Foxconn are looking forward to new revenue highs in Q4 2018.
Specifically, if suppliers hit this range it will be the best performance for an iPhone since the launch of the iPhone 6 models in 2014. One of the main reasons for the boost is given to the "price-friendliness" of the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone, which Apple is expected to introduce as a cheaper alternative to the other two models: an updated 5.8-inch iPhone X and a larger 6.5-inch "iPhone X Plus," although Apple may not go with the "Plus" branding this year.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple will use an aggressive pricing strategy for its 2018 iPhone lineup: the 6.5-inch OLED device will be priced at $900 to $1,000, the 5.8-inch OLED second-generation iPhone X will be priced at $800 to $900, and the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone will be priced at $600 to $700. While the 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch will be available in September, a few reports have stated the 6.1-inch model will face a delay.
DigiTimes also references "smooth production and strong shipment momentum" picking up soon:
Most supply chain partners are expected to see revenues pick up significantly along with smooth production and strong shipment momentum before peaking in the fourth quarter of the year.
The impressive upgrades in overall designs and functions as well as the price-friendliness of the 6.1-inch model should give the new devices a shipment momentum much stronger than their two preceding generations, the sources said.
For TSMC, the supplier is expected to "fully recover" by the fourth quarter, following a "debilitating" computer virus that hit many of its fabrication tools in early August. Concern quickly spread about the company's inability to fill Apple's orders in the wake of the virus, but follow-up reports quickly suggested that TSMC would be able to "fill orders on time for Apple Inc.," ensuring no delays in chip shipments for the 2018 iPhones.
In regards to the 2018 iPhone assembly, both Foxconn and Pegatron will share duties building the models. Foxconn will build the majority of the two OLED iPhones, while it has just 30 percent of the orders for the LCD model, with Pegatron getting the majority of the duty building the cheaper iPhone this year.
Yesterday, a report from Bloomberg provided a hint at one name that Apple has brainstormed for the 2018 OLED iPhones -- "iPhone Xs" -- but it's still unclear what the final names will be. The actual reveal event is now rumored to be held on Wednesday, September 12 at Steve Jobs Theater, according to two unnamed sources speaking to French radio station Europe 1, followed by iPhone pre-orders kicking off on Friday, September 14.
Despite concern over sales figures quickly dropping after first-adopters purchased the ten-year anniversary iPhone X, the flagship device performed well in Q4 2017 and remained popular among customers throughout 2018. Addressing concerns over dwindling sales and those worried about numbers, Apple CEO Tim Cook in May said: "I think it's one of those things where a team wins a Super Bowl. Maybe you want them to win with a few more points, but it's a Super Bowl winner and that's how we feel about it."
Apps created for the Mac don't receive as much attention as apps made for iOS devices, so we have a bi-monthly series here at MacRumors that's designed to highlight useful and interesting Mac apps that are worth checking out and potentially investing in.
This week's picks include apps for streamlining your email, focusing on tasks, checking the weather, cleaning up your Mac, and managing all of your messaging services. Many of our highlighted apps this week were chosen by MacRumors forum members.
Focus (Free with in-app purchases) - Focus is a time management app and monitoring service that's designed to help you keep track of your time so you can stay on task. It encourages users to work in focus sessions, which are 25 minute blocks of time for working accompanied by a 15 to 20 minute break. There's an included task manager so you can stay on top of tasks, along with detailed statistics so you can see how you've spent your day. Focus is free to download, but it costs $4.99 per month or $39.99 for year to use across all of your devices.
Carrot Weather ($11.99) - Carrot Weather is a well-known weather app that delivers weather information with a little bit of attitude to make checking outdoor conditions more fun. It has different dialogue and graphics for various weather conditions, and what comes up is always a surprise. Carrot Weather uses data from Dark Sky so it's super accurate and it offers up tons of data like 7-day forecasts, rain and snow predictions, weather maps, and a time machine so you can see past weather conditions.
Dr. Cleaner (Free) - Dr. Cleaner from TrendMicro is an app that offers a Disk Clean Map so you can see what's taking up space on your Mac, a memory cleanup feature for freeing up memory, a scanner for large files, and a junk file cleaner that's designed to get rid of temporary files, trash, and other unwanted items taking up disk space. Dr. Cleaner is free from the Mac App Store, but there is a $19.99 Pro version that finds and eliminates duplicate files, shreds deleted files, and uninstalls apps.
Canary Mail ($19.99) - Those who previously used the now-eliminated Newton Mail might be looking for a new mail app, and Canary could fit the bill. Canary Mail offers one-click encryption, natural language search, smart filters, read notifications, snooze options, email templates, one-click unsubscribe, and more.
All-in-One Messenger (Free) - This is technically a Chrome extension rather than a Mac app, so it's limited to Chrome users. All-in-One Messenger is designed to combine all of your chat and messenger services into one convenient web app so you can keep up with all of your chats in a single spot. It works with a wide range of messaging apps, like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Skype, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Google Hangouts, and more.
If you have a favorite must-have Mac app that we haven't highlighted yet, let us know in the comments, and we might feature it in a future video. Many of this month's app picks came directly from recommendations from our forum members, and it's these recommendations that have helped make this series useful.
Brian Bumbery, a publicist who has worked with with Metallica, Green Day, Madonna, and Chris Cornell, has joined Apple, reports Variety. Bumbery ran his own press firm, BB Gun Press, before deciding to join Apple as a Director of Apple Music Publicity.
Bumbery's hiring comes as Jimmy Iovine, a key Apple Music executive, has completed his transition into a consulting role. Rumors suggested in March that Iovine would step back from daily involvement in Apple Music starting in August to spend more time with his family.
Apple Music's new global head of music is Oliver Schusser, who was appointed to the position in April and reports directly to Eddy Cue.
Bumbery's BB Gun Press company has been working with Apple Music for "many months" according to Variety, so his hire has not come as a total surprise. Prior to starting BB Gun Press, Bumbery spent eight years at Warner Bros. Records.
This past Sunday, August 26, marked the one-year anniversary of HQ Trivia's launch on the App Store for iPhone.
HQ host Scott Rogowsky appeared on Yahoo Finance's "Midday Movers" show on Friday to discuss the future of the game, revealing that parent company Intermedia Labs has plans to expand the live, interactive concept to other games.
The plans go beyond HQ Sports, hosted in the main HQ app twice a week, and the separate UK edition of the game:
We already have a sports vertical. HQ Sports goes live Tuesday and Friday nights at 10 o’clock. We have a UK edition. HQ UK. They have a whole team out there in London, working on building it nationally. There are other games in the pipeline. I can’t announce them, but I do know that we’re close to launching things… this is just the first brick in the wall of potentially a whole network of live mobile gaming that I think is really the full potential here.
Intermedia Labs will hope to replicate the success of HQ, which surged in popularity in its early months, going from just tens of players to over 2.4 million when Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson guest hosted the show in April.
HQ brought on its first corporate sponsors and advertisers in March. To celebrate Nike's Air Max Day, for example, there was a surprise 15-question game with a shared $100,000 prize. Two days later, there was a special $250,000 prize, sponsored by the Steven Spielberg film "Ready Player One."
Expanding into other games could also offset declining interest in HQ. The game has often seen fewer players as of late versus its peak in early 2018, as the novelty of the app wears off and a multitude of copycats try to mimic the experience.
HQ tasks players with answering a series of 12 questions correctly to win a cash prize. To reduce cheating, players have 10 seconds to choose one of three answers. The show is hosted every day at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and at 3:00 p.m. every weekday, most often by Rogowsky. Other hosts fill in occasionally.
If you haven't played HQ yet, you can download the game from the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. The app is also available on Android.
Apple today seeded the eleventh beta of an upcoming iOS 12 update to developers for testing purposes, just a few days after seeding the tenth beta and more than two months after introducing the new software at the Worldwide Developers Conference.
Registered developers can download the new iOS 12 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air after installing the proper certificate.
iOS 12 brings several major new features, with Apple revamping the operating system from top to bottom to make iPhones and iPads, especially the older models, faster and more responsive.
On the iPhone X, there are new Animoji characters along with "Memoji," which are customizable, personalized, humanoid Animoji that can be used both in Messages and in FaceTime, and there are new camera effects in both of those apps.
Apple originally planned to introduce Group FaceTime support in iOS 12, but the feature was removed in iOS 12 beta 7 and will not be reintroduced until later this fall in a future update to iOS 12.
Siri is smarter in iOS 12 with a new Shortcuts feature that lets you create multi-step customized automations using first and third-party apps that can be activated with Siri voice commands. Shortcuts can be created through the Shortcuts app, available as a beta from Apple's Developer Center.
Apple built comprehensive time management and monitoring tools into iOS 12 with Screen Time, allowing you to keep track of how much time you're spending in apps on your iPhone and iPad. App limits can help you cut back on iOS device usage, and robust parental controls are included for families.
Grouped Notifications make incoming notifications easier to view and manage, while a new Instant Tuning feature lets you tweak your notification settings right on the Lock screen on a notification-by-notification basis.
Apple News has a new Browse feature, the Stocks app has been redesigned and brought to the iPad, iBooks has been overhauled with a new look and a new name -- Apple Books -- and Voice Memos has been revamped with iCloud support and an iPad app.
ARKit 2.0 introduces new capabilities like shared experiences that let two people see the same AR environment on separate devices, and persistence, which allows AR experiences to be saved across multiple sessions. There's also a new Apple-built Measure app for measuring objects using AR capabilities.
iOS 12 includes a revamped and rebuilt Maps app that uses a new Apple-designed Maps engine that will display foliage, pools, buildings, pedestrian pathways, and other map elements more accurately. The new Maps also includes significant improvements to traffic, real-time road conditions, construction, and more, plus it will enable Apple to push out changes and fixes more quickly.
The updated Maps app is available in the Northern California area during beta testing. After iOS 12 launches, Apple will continue rolling out the new maps to additional U.S. locations
New betas of upcoming operating system updates always introduce tweaked features and new functionality, and we'll be outlining what's new in the seventh beta below. We also rounded up all of the changes that were introduced in the previous betas: beta 2 and beta 3, beta 4, beta 5, beta 6, and beta 7.
Later betas have had fewer changes because we're approaching the end of the beta testing period, with a public launch for iOS 12 planned for September alongside new iPhones.
Update: Apple has also made a new public beta of iOS 12 available to public beta testers.
Apple today seeded the ninth beta of a new tvOS 12 operating system to developers for testing purposes, one week after releasing the eighth beta and more than two months after introducing the new software at the 2018 Worldwide Developers Conference.
Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV, the tvOS 12 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV using a profile that's installed through the Xcode software. Subsequent betas can be downloaded via the software update mechanism on the Apple TV.
tvOS 12 introduces support for Dolby Atmos sound, which was activated in the second beta. Apple says that when tvOS 12 launches this fall, iTunes will be home to the largest collection of Dolby Atmos-supported movies.
Customers that have previously purchased movies that gain Dolby Atmos support will see free upgrades to their titles, much like the rollout of 4K support.
Building on single sign-on, a new zero sign-on feature will further simplify the cable authentication process. With zero sign-on, the Apple TV can detect a user's broadband network and automatically sign them into supported apps they receive through their accompanying cable subscription.
Zero sign-on will be available for Charter Communications customers this fall and will expand to additional cable providers in the future.
Aerial screensavers now include location information and there are new screensavers captured in collaboration with the International Space Station.
Other improvements tvOS-related improvements include AutoFill passwords from iPhone, an Apple TV Remote automatically added to Control Center on the iPhone or iPad, and Apple TV support on Home control systems like Control4, Crestron, and Savant.
tvOS 12 is available for developers and public beta testers to work out bugs and other issues ahead of a fall public launch.
Update: Apple has also made a new public beta of tvOS 12 available to public beta testers.
Apple today seeded the ninth beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave update to developers for testing purposes, one week after releasing the eighth beta and more than two months after introducing the software at the Worldwide Developers Conference.
macOS Mojave introduces a new method of installing software updates, so after you've installed the initial beta using the appropriate profile from the Developer Center, additional betas can be downloaded through opening up System Preferences and choosing the "Software Update" icon.
Apple's macOS Mojave update introduces a systemwide Dark Mode, with Mojave users able to choose between a light theme or the new dark theme, which changes the color of the dock, menu bar, apps, and other elements. Dark Mode is accompanied by Dynamic Desktops, aka wallpapers that subtly change throughout the day. Additional wallpapers were introduced in the fourth and fifth betas.
Stacks, a new desktop organization system, keeps all of your desktop files neat and organized, while Finder has been enhanced with a Gallery View, a Sidebar, a revamped Quick Look option and Quick Actions, so you can do more in the Finder window than ever before.
Screenshots can now be edited using Markup tools and a new management options that also allow for easy screen recording, while Continuity camera, a new feature, allows you to import photos and document scans directly from an iPhone or iPad to the Mac.
The Apple News, Stocks, Home, and Voice Memos apps have been ported from iOS to macOS as part of a multiyear project Apple is working on to make it easier to bring iOS apps to Macs, and Apple has introduced several new privacy protections to keep your data safer than ever.
Apple is also making it harder for websites to track you with a range of new Safari tools, and it's also easier to make and store secure, hard-to-guess passwords for each and every website.
Apple has added an entirely revamped Mac App Store to macOS Mojave that makes it easier to discover apps with a featured section and specific categories for games, creative apps, productivity apps, apps for developers, and more.
macOS Mojave was initially supposed to include a Group FaceTime feature that includes support for chatting with up to 32 people at one time, but it was removed in macOS Mojave beta 7 and the feature won't be available until later in the year.
macOS Mojave is available to developers and public beta testers to work out bugs and other issues ahead of an upcoming fall public release.
Apple's upcoming 2018 iPhone models will not support the Apple Pencil because it does not offer a "good user experience," according to respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who shared the information in a note sent out to investors.
Kuo believes that Apple will announce the three new iPhones expected in 2018 during the week of September 9, which is in line with other rumors that have pointed towards a September 12 unveil date, a September 14 pre-order date, and a September 21 launch date.
The 5.8 and 6.5-inch OLED iPhones will be available in September, says Kuo, but the 6.1-inch model, which has reportedly been plagued by production issues, will be available "slightly later due to its production schedule."
Kuo expects both the 6.1 and 6.5-inch iPhone models to offer both single and dual-SIM versions, with the dual-SIM models to be available in specific markets like China. Kuo's information is in line with details shared by Bloomberg this morning.
The 5.8-inch iPhone will not offer dual-SIM support, but Kuo says it could include an e-SIM as well as single-SIM functionality. Kuo is not certain, however, if the e-SIM will be activated.
According to a chart shared by Kuo listing prospective specs for the three new devices, the 6.5-inch iPhone is expected to include a 2-cell 3,300 to 3,400 mAh battery, while the 5.8-inch model will offer a 2-cell 2,700 to 2,800 mAh battery, and the 6.1-inch LCD model will offer a 1-cell 2,600 to 2,700 mAh battery.
Kuo believes the 6.5-inch iPhone will have a resolution of 2688 x 1242, with the 5.8-inch model continuing to offer a resolution of 2436 x 1125. The 6.1-inch model, meanwhile, is expected to have a resolution of 1792 x 828.
As past rumors have suggested, the two higher-end iPhones will offer dual-lens cameras, while the 6.1-inch model will offer a single lens camera. Both the OLED models will also offer 4GB RAM and a maximum of 512GB of storage, while the 6.1-inch model will cap out at 256GB of storage and 3GB RAM.
The 6.1-inch model will also be limited to a 2X2 MIMO modem while the two OLED devices will get faster 4x4 MIMO modems, but it will be available in a wider array of colors. Kuo has previously said that he expects the 6.1-inch iPhone to be available in red, blue, orange, gray, and white, while the 5.8 and 6.5-inch iPhone models will be available in three colors, presumably silver, space gray, and gold.
All three models, including the lower-cost 6.1-inch iPhone, are expected to include support for the new A12 chip, as the 6.1-inch iPhone is meant to be a followup to the iPhone 8. Apple's iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X all use the A11 chip.
Kuo expects the new 6.1-inch LCD model to account for 50 to 55 percent and 65 to 70 percent of new iPhone models' total shipments in the second half of 2018 and the first half of 2019, respectively.
The new 6.1-inch iPhone will "increase replacement demands" compared to iPhone X and iPhone 8 because of its price tag, which Kuo expects to be between $600 and $699. As he has said in the past, Kuo believes Apple will price the 5.8-inch OLED iPhone at $800 to $899 and the 6.5-inch OLED iPhone at $900 to $999.
Apple appears to be testing integration of Apple Music with Android Auto, according to a report today by Android Police. Discovered in the the most recent beta version of Apple Music on Android, Apple's streaming music app includes support for the Android Auto platform.
With this support, Android smartphone owners can control playback of Apple Music songs directly from the infotainment center in their vehicle. Similar to CarPlay, Android Auto encourages drivers to focus less on their smartphones while in a vehicle, bringing numerous features from the handheld device onto a touchscreen placed in the dashboard.
The Apple Music version 2.6.0 beta on Android also includes numerous other features that have arrived to Apple Music users on iOS: lyric searches, updated artist pages, Friends Mix, and various performance improvements and big fixes.
Android Auto is an alternative to Apple's CarPlay, both offering customers in each ecosystem a way to easily get directions, make phone calls, check text messages, talk to voice assistants, and more.
Barclays analyst Blayne Curtis and his associates traveled across Asia last week to meet with companies within Apple's supply chain. Today, they shared new predictions based on the information they gathered.
Highlights from their research note to investors, obtained by MacRumors:
Barclays says it's "widely understood" that 3D Touch will be removed from iPhones with OLED displays in 2019—aka the third-generation iPhone X and second-generation "iPhone X Plus." However, they caution that the plans aren't finalized yet, so they could change.
Earlier this year, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said 3D Touch won't be a feature on the rumored 6.1-inch iPhone with an LCD, part of the upcoming 2018 lineup. So, by the sound of it, 3D Touch won't be a feature on any 2019 iPhones, assuming Apple sticks with the same three models expected in 2018.
While the lack of 3D Touch on the 6.1-inch iPhone would make sense, given expectations that it will essentially be a budget iPhone X, it's not entirely clear why it may be removed from the more expensive OLED models next year. As a somewhat hidden feature, perhaps Apple no longer finds it essential.
"AirPod 2" will launch in the fourth quarter of 2019. Meanwhile, an optional wireless charging case for the original AirPods, and Apple's new AirPower charging mat, will be available this September.
This prediction is rather confusing, as back in February, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple will release new AirPods with a new wireless chip and "Hey Siri" support as early as this year. Gurman also said a subsequent pair of AirPods with water resistance would be released as early as next year.
One possibility is that Apple will add "Hey Siri" support to the existing AirPods this fall by way of a software update, without a new wireless chip, but it's unclear if the current W1 chip can support the feature. In that case, Apple might elect to continue referring to them as first-generation AirPods.
In that scenario, the "AirPods 2" that Barclays is referring to could be the water-resistant pair that Gurman also believes could launch in 2019. However, this is admittedly a bit of a stretch, so it remains to be seen.
Barclays expects the launch of a "cheaper HomePod in 2019," with "broader appeal." The analysts say HomePod sales continue to "underwhelm," with less than five million sold since it launched in January.
YouTube is the latest app to gain a new "digital wellbeing" section in its iOS and Android apps, allowing you to see how much time you've spent watching YouTube recently. Google announced at I/O in May that it would be introducing a "Time watched" section in YouTube, and today the rollout has begun.
Once you update YouTube on iOS to version 13.33, open the app and tap your profile picture in the top right corner, then tap "Time watched." The main stats area shows how much of YouTube you have watched today, yesterday, the past week, and on average per day. This history is based on your personal YouTube history across YouTube products except YouTube Music.
Below this section are tools to manage your time on YouTube, including a setting that will remind you to take a break. If you toggle this on, you can customize the reminder frequency to enable the notification to appear every 2 hours of YouTube you watch, for example, and can increase that cap to as much as 23 hours and 55 minutes.
Outside of "Time watched," there's a new notification area in the settings tab of YouTube as well. Tap your profile icon, settings, and then scroll down to notifications. In here, you can enable a "scheduled digest" of your notifications, which will bundle all of your YouTube push notifications into a single notification each day, at your own preferred time.
To further lessen the amount of time you spend browsing YouTube, the company will let you disable notification sounds and vibrations completely during any hours you specify, a feature that can also be found in settings. YouTube says that it is "dedicated to making sure that you have the information you need to better understand how you use YouTube and develop your own sense of digital wellbeing."
Digital health tools have become immensely popular over the past few months, with Apple launching its own system-wide iOS "Screen Time" features in iOS 12 this fall. More recently, individual apps have taken to introducing their own tools, including Facebook and Instagram.
The newly-branded Eve Systems today opened up pre-orders for the second generation of its Eve Room climate and air quality sensor, ahead of a launch on September 12. The new device was first revealed at CES in January and is compatible with Apple's HomeKit platform, measuring air quality, temperature, and humidity in whatever room it's placed.
The original Eve Room was a square white box that launched in 2015, also providing data about indoor air quality, temperature and humidity, which you had to view on a connected smartphone or through Siri inquiries. The second generation makes viewing all of this information at a glance much easier thanks to a high-contrast 1.54-inch E-ink display, surrounded by an anodized aluminum body.
Four different screen layouts are available to choose from, allowing users to pick "the most relevant room parameters" that can be viewed at a distance and changed via capacitive touch controls on the front panel. It also replaces AA batteries with a rechargeable internal battery that lasts for six weeks at a time. The unit includes an energy-saving mode that limits measurements until the next full charge when it's low on battery, but users can opt to plug Eve Room 2 in permanently to a power supply as well.
"After the first, highly successful generation of Eve Room, this new version raises the bar even higher," says Markus Fest, Managing Director of Eve Systems. "No other air quality sensor offers this level of accuracy, design quality, and energy efficiency."
Of course, you can also still view readings on the company's app or by asking Siri questions like, "How's the air quality in the living room?" With HomeKit support, Eve Room 2 can talk to other HomeKit products, for example flashing Hue bulbs when the air quality drops below a certain threshold or adjusting an Ecobee thermostat if the indoor temperature rises above a certain level.
No bridge is required to operate Eve Room 2, and it connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth when you're home. To operate it via remote access, you'll need a HomeKit hub like HomePod or Apple TV to connect to the sensor while you're away from home.
Eve Systems rebranded itself from Elgato in June, announcing it would shift its focus "exclusively" to HomeKit-compatible devices and making the Eve Room 2 one of the first products to debut from the restructured company. Eve Systems previously said a few product announcements would be coming out of IFA Berlin this week, joining existing HomeKit devices like Elgato Eve Degree Connected Weather Station, Light Switch, Wireless Motion Sensor, Room Sensor, Energy Smart Plug, Button, and more.
Those interested will be able to pre-order Eve Room 2 at the Eve Online Store and on Amazon for $99.95, ahead of a launch on September 12.
French radio station Europe 1, citing two unnamed sources, claims that Apple's annual iPhone event will be held Wednesday, September 12 at Steve Jobs Theater, with the keynote beginning at 10:00 a.m. local time as usual.
September 12 would make a lot of sense, and has already been the most widely predicted event date, for at least six reasons:
Apple has held an iPhone event in the first two weeks of September every year since 2012, between September 7 and September 12, so the date lines up from a historical perspective.
Apple has never hosted an iPhone event on Monday, Thursday, or Friday in the month of September. Always on Tuesday or Wednesday. September 12 falls on a Wednesday this year.
German carriers have reportedly indicated that pre-orders for the next iPhones will begin Friday, September 14, the usual two to three days later. Pre-orders will likely begin at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time as usual.
If the event were to be held in the first week of September this year, Apple likely would have sent out invites to the media already. In previous years, invites have gone out later this week.
Labor Day is Monday, September 3 this year. Apple likely wants to give the media time to travel to the event after the U.S. holiday weekend, likely ruling out September 4 and September 5.
At the event, Apple is widely expected to introduce three new iPhones, Apple Watch Series 4 models, new AirPods, AirPower pricing and availability, and more. MacRumors will have up-to-the-minute coverage as it unfolds.
The first noteworthy tidbit is that Apple Watch Series 4 models will be compatible with existing bands, as they are said to have a similar physical size as Series 3 models and earlier. Gurman already said as much earlier this year, but there were some lingering concerns from MacRumors readers in our discussion forums.
Apple Watch Series 4 models are still expected to have up to 15 percent larger displays, as a result of slimmer bezels around the screen. They're also expected to have slightly longer battery life, along with new health and fitness features.
The second tidbit worth singling out is that the iPad mini won't be updated this year, according to Gurman. That information corroborates DigiTimes, which recently reported that "Apple so far has no further plan for the iPad mini series," which hasn't been refreshed since the iPad mini 4 launched in September 2015.
Apple's focus on the lower-cost 9.7-inch iPad may result in the iPad mini line being discontinued eventually, although Gurman hasn't specified.
We're likely just a few weeks away from Apple's usual September event at Steve Jobs Theater, with invites to the media likely to be issued this week. In addition to the new iPhones and Apple Watch Series 4 models, Apple is expected to unveil two new iPad Pros with Face ID, new AirPods, and AirPower pricing and availability.
A new report out today by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Debby Wu further confirms a bevy of rumors centering upon Apple's three 2018 iPhones. Expected to be revealed at an event in just a few weeks, the iPhones will all look visually similar to last year's iPhone X, but "boast a wider range of prices, features, and sizes to increase their appeal."
According to people familiar with Apple's launch plans, some inside of the company have referred to this year's launch as an "S year," designated for years when its smartphones keep the same design of a previous generation but bump up internals and add new features. "The company is planning more significant changes for next year," the people said.
One of the tidbits from today's report focuses on the naming scheme for this year's iPhone models, which appears to have caused somewhat of a "naming conundrum" within Apple. The company reportedly considered going with "iPhone Xs" for the OLED models, akin to the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6s, etc., but has "altered the name multiple times," so it's unclear what Apple finally landed on. We'll have to wait a few more weeks to know the official names of the 5.8-inch, 6.1-inch, and 6.5-inch iPhones.
The new iPhone lineup has presented Apple with a naming conundrum, according to a person familiar with the deliberations. The company will be selling three phones that look similar and all have Face ID. But the cheapest model will be larger than the mid-range version, potentially confusing consumers.
While planning the new devices, Apple has altered the names multiple times. It has at least considered branding the new premium phones the "iPhone Xs," indicating that they’re an upgrade to last year’s iPhone X, the person said. The company has also weighed eschewing the "Plus" label for the larger model, which it has used since the iPhone 6 Plus launched with a larger screen in 2014. The final names could be different, the person noted.
Reiterating on previous rumors, Bloomberg mentions that Apple will launch a 6.5-inch "high-end" iPhone this year with a glass back, stainless steel edges, dual cameras, and an iPad-like landscape view. This would introduce a feature similar to iPad and previous "Plus" iPhones, although Apple has been thinking about ditching the "Plus" label this year.
There’ll be a new high-end iPhone, internally dubbed D33, with a display that measures about 6.5-inch diagonally, according to the people familiar with the matter. That would make it the largest iPhone by far and one of the biggest mainstream phones on the market. It will continue to have a glass back with stainless steel edges and dual cameras on the back.
The big difference on the software side will be the ability to view content side-by-side in apps like Mail and Calendar. It will be Apple’s second phone with a crisper organic light-emitting diode, or OLED, screen.
For the upgrade to the 5.8-inch iPhone X, the "main changes" will be iterative updates to processing speed and the camera. Lastly, the low-cost 6.1-inch iPhone will also look visually similar to the iPhone X, but include multiple color options, include aluminum edges instead of stainless steel, and have a cheaper LCD screen. According to the sources, "the cheaper version's aluminum edges won't necessarily be the same color as the colored glass back," similar to the way the White/Space Gray of the iPhone X's back did not affect the color of the silver stainless steel edges last year.
Further confirming previous rumors, all three models will have Face ID, and the two larger iPhones will have dual-SIM card slots "in at least some regions." Previously, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that the 6.1-inch iPhone would come in two models, one that includes a single SIM and a second that offers dual-SIM card slots. Today Bloomberg suggests the 6.5-inch model will get this feature as well.
Today's report also briefly mentions a "nearly edge-to-edge" Apple Watch, while confirming compatibility with existing Apple Watch bands. The next iPad Pros will measure around 11-inches and 12.9-inches with slimmer bezels and Face ID, although anyone awaiting an update to the iPad mini will again be disappointed this year as this model "won't be upgraded."
We're getting very close to the launch of the 2018 iPhones, with German carriers suggesting that pre-orders for the iPhone will take place on Friday, September 14. That puts an announcement earlier in the week, perhaps on September 12, which would be in line with historic iPhone event dates. Following September 14 pre-orders, new 2018 iPhones are likely to see a launch on Friday, September 21.
A security flaw in Apple's online store exposed the account PINs of more than 72 million T-Mobile customers, reports BuzzFeed News.
The vulnerability was discovered by security researchers Phobia and Nicholas "Convict" Ceraolo, who also found a similar flaw in the website for phone insurance company Asurion that exposed AT&T account PINs.
Both Apple and Asurion fixed the website flaws that left the PINs vulnerable after learning about them from BuzzFeed News. Apple opted not to provide further comment on the situation, but told BuzzFeed News that it is "very grateful to the researchers who found the flaw."
The page on Apple's site that let hackers brute force PINs, via BuzzFeed News
PINs, or passcodes, are numbers that are used as an additional account security measure by many carriers in the United States. Mobile device PINs are typically a last line of defense for a cellular account as both carrier websites and support staff will ask for the PIN for confirmation before making account changes.
SIM hacking, which uses social engineering to get carrier support staff to transfer a person's phone number to a new SIM, has become increasingly prevalent due to the number of accounts (bank, email, social media, etc.) that are tied to a person's phone number. A PIN is used as a defense mechanism against SIM hacking, which means exposed PINs can be particularly dangerous.
Accessing the T-Mobile PINs on Apple's website involved a brute force attack where a hacker used software to input multiple different numeric combinations to guess the proper one.
As BuzzFeed News explains, after initiating a T-Mobile iPhone purchase on the Apple online store and selecting monthly payment options through T-Mobile, Apple's site directs users to an authentication form asking for a T-Mobile number and account PIN or last four digits of a social security number (which most carriers use in place of a PIN when one has not been set).
The page allowed for infinite entry attempts into the PIN field, enabling the brute force attack that let hackers guess PINs associated with a T-Mobile phone number.
The security vulnerability appears to have been limited to T-Mobile accounts, as the same validation page for other carriers on Apple's site uses a rate limit that locks access to the form for 60 minutes after five to 10 incorrect entries. Given that the other carrier pages had rate limiting enabled, it's likely Apple made an error on the T-Mobile page.
According to Ceraolo, the vulnerability is likely due to an engineering mistake made when connecting T-Mobile's account validation API to Apple's website.
A similar vulnerability on Asurion's website exposed an unspecified number of AT&T account PINs. An AT&T spokesperson said that it is working with Asurion to investigate the issue and will "take any additional action that may be appropriate."
A phone number was required for both of these attacks, limiting the number of people who may have been impacted, but AT&T and T-Mobile customers who are concerned about their account safety should choose a new PIN.
Samsung recently released its latest flagship device, the Galaxy Note 9, which is set to be one of the main competitors to Apple's 2018 iPhone lineup, consisting of three iPhones in 5.8, 6.1, and 6.5 inch sizes.
Apple won't announce its new 2018 smartphones until sometime around mid-September, but given the wealth of part leaks and rumors, we have a clear picture of what to expect.
We may not have real iPhones to compare to the Galaxy Note 9, but we've taken a look at Samsung's new flagship next to dummy models of the 6.1 and 6.5-inch iPhones to see how Apple's larger-screened devices will measure up to the Note 9.
Samsung's Galaxy Note 9 features a 6.4-inch display but Samsung has refused to embrace the notch, so it continues to feature bezels at the top and bottom. That sets it apart from Apple's lineup, as all three iPhones are adopting the edge-to-edge design that was first introduced with the iPhone X.
Apple is planning on a second-generation 5.8-inch OLED iPhone, a 6.5-inch OLED iPhone, and a 6.1-inch iPhone with an LCD, which is set to be a low-priced option. Even though the 6.1-inch iPhone is expected to be priced as low as $700, all of Apple's 2018 iPhone lineup is adopting the TrueDepth camera system and Face ID, doing away with Home buttons entirely.
Size wise, the 6.4-inch Galaxy Note 9 is most similar in size to Apple's upcoming 6.5-inch iPhone, but the Note 9 feels bulkier in the hand due because it's taller with buttons that are placed in inconvenient locations. The 6.5-inch iPhone is a more comfortable shape, while the 6.1 and 5.8-inch iPhones are even easier to hold.
Galaxy Note 9 compared to 6.5-inch iPhone dummy model
Aside from size, Apple's iPhones and Samsung's Galaxy Note are rather different. Along with the difference in bezels (Apple's are much smaller), the Note 9 continues to offer a headphone jack, a fingerprint sensor on the rear of the phone, and integration for the S-Pen, Samsung's stylus.
Some rumors have suggested Apple is planning on introducing Apple Pencil support in at least some of the new iPhones, but it's not clear if this is actually going to happen. If it does, though, it would introduce further feature parity between the Note and the iPhone.
Dual cameras are included with the Note 9, which we're also expecting for two of three of the upcoming iPhones. Both the 5.8 and 6.5-inch models will feature a dual-lens camera setup, while the 6.1-inch model will feature a single-lens camera.
Note 9 compared to 6.1-inch iPhone dummy model
Since these are iPhone dummy models and not the real thing, we can't compare performance between the Note and the upcoming iPhones. Samsung's new smartphone uses a Snapdragon 845 chip, though, which is already outperformed by the A11. Apple's new iPhones will use a faster, more efficient A12 chip, which will introduce further speed improvements. The 5.8 and 6.5-inch models are also rumored to include 4GB RAM. The Galaxy Note 9 offers 6 to 8GB RAM, but Apple often matches or exceeds the performance of Android phones with more RAM due to tight integration of hardware and software.
Samsung's Galaxy Note 9 with S-Pen
Samsung's smartphones win out when it comes to LTE speeds right now, but that could change with the 2018 iPhone lineup as Apple is using upgraded Intel chips that offer faster connection speeds than the chips in the iPhone X, 8, and 8 Plus. The Note 9 may also have superior battery life with its included 4,000 mAh battery, but we haven't heard a lot of rumors about Apple's battery plans as of yet.
The Galaxy Note 9 is actually one of the Android smartphones that looks the least like the iPhone X and the iPhones coming in 2018, but as Samsung's newest flagship device with performance and features close to what we're expecting to see in the new iPhone lineup, it is going to be one of the main competitors Apple will need to contend with this fall.
What do you think of the Galaxy Note 9 compared to the design of Apple's larger-screened 6.5-inch iPhone? Let us know in the comments.
