Apple today released tvOS 11.1, the first major update for the tvOS 11 operating system designed for fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models. tvOS 11.1 comes more than a month after the release of the original tvOS 11 update.
tvOS 11.1 can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the Apple TV by going to System --> Software Update. Apple TV owners who have automatic software updates turned on will be upgraded to tvOS 11.1 automatically.
tvOS 11.1 focuses primarily on bug fixes and performance improvements rather than outward-facing design changes, and no significant features were discovered over the course of the beta testing period.
The update does introduce a fix for a major vulnerability in the WPA2 Wi-Fi standard that protects many modern Wi-Fi networks. Many Apple devices had the potential to be impacted by the vulnerability, but it has been addressed in tvOS 11.1, iOS 11.1, watchOS 4.1, and macOS High Sierra 10.13.1.
tvOS 11 introduced features like full support for AirPods, automatic switching between light and dark mode based on local time, Home screen syncing options designed to keep multiple Apple TVs in a single household in sync, and new background modes and notification support.
Apple today released watchOS 4.1, the first major update to the watchOS 4 operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 4.1 comes more than a month after Apple released the new watchOS 4 to the public and it follows several weeks of developer beta testing.
watchOS 4.1 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General -> Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the iPhone.
The watchOS 4.1 update introduces support for streaming Apple Music content directly to LTE-equipped Apple Watch Series 3 models, allowing Apple Watch owners to listen to Apple Music even when an iPhone isn't nearby. A new Radio app that offers access to Beats 1 and other Apple Music radio stations is also included.
The Music app on the Apple Watch looks largely unchanged, offering up access to the Music Library, recently played songs, playlists, and Apple Music mixes, but now all Apple Music content can be streamed over an LTE connection and doesn't need to be downloaded to the device.
watchOS 4.1 also introduces a new Wi-Fi toggle for turning off Wi-Fi to force the Apple Watch to use an LTE connection and it displays the Wi-Fi SSID when connected to Wi-Fi os users can see which network the watch is using. The update also brings GymKit, allowing the Apple Watch to pair with supported gym equipment for information sharing purposes.
Along with these features, today's update introduces a range of new Unicode 10 emoji characters that include vomiting face, head exploding, mermaid, zombie, hedgehog, fairy, broccoli, and more. The new emoji are also available on iOS 11.1 and macOS High Sierra 10.13.1.
There are also several bug fixes and security improvements, including a fix for a serious vulnerability in the WPA2 Wi-Fi standard that protects many modern Wi-Fi networks. Full release notes for the update were released early and are below:
New features, improvements, and bug fixes include:
- Stream music on Apple Watch Series 3 with Apple Music or iCloud Music Library - Listen to live radio on Beats 1, custom stations, and expert-curated stations with the new Radio app on Apple Watch Series 3 - Use Siri to find, discover, and play songs, playlists, or albums - Sync fitness data with GymKit-enabled treadmills, ellipticals, stair steppers, and indoor bikes for more accurate distance, pace, and energy burn metrics - Ability to disconnect from a WiFi network in Control Center for Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) - Fixes an issue for Apple Watch Series 1 and later where Heart Rate notifications were delivered when the feature was not enabled - Fixes an issue where some users did not receive Stand Reminders - Resolves an issue where the current stand hour indicator did not appear for some users - Resolves an issue that caused haptics to not be delivered for silent alarms - Addresses an issue that prevented Apple Watch (1st generation) from charging for some users - Resolves an issue where the Sunrise and Sunset complication would sometimes not appear - Restores Mandarin as the default dictation language for China
For more information on watchOS, including the new watchOS 4.1 update, make sure to check out our dedicated watchOS 4 roundup.
Apple today released iOS 11.1, the first major update to the iOS 11 operating system available on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. iOS 11.1 comes more than a month after iOS 11 was first released to the public and its launch comes after several rounds of beta testing.
The update is available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the update, go to Settings --> General --> Software Update. Eligible devices include the iPhone 5s and later, the iPad mini 2 and later, the iPad Air and later, and the 6th-generation iPod touch.
A range of new Unicode 10 emoji like crazy face, pie, pretzel, t-rex, vampire, exploding head, face vomiting, shushing face, love you gesture, brain, scarf, zebra, giraffe, fortune cookie, pie, hedgehog, and more have been introduced in the iOS 11 update, expanding the number of emoji available to iOS users.
Several emoji also feature some small design changes in iOS 11.1, including the dolphin, bee, snail, and whale characters, among others. The new designs are more detailed and realistic than existing designs.
Along with these major features, iOS 11 introduces a fix for a Reachability bug that's been present since the release of iOS 11 and it brings back the popular 3D Touch App Switcher gesture that lets iPhone users perform a 3D Touch gesture at the left edge of the display to bring up the multitasking App Switcher interface.
The built-in keyboard in iOS 11.1 now offers up multiple emoji symbols when using an emoji-related word, there's a new camera icon under Restrictions, a new animation when tapping the status bar to scroll upwards, and a faster unlock animation.
There are also many bug fixes and security improvements in iOS 11.1. Most notably, the update addresses a major vulnerability in the WPA2 Wi-Fi standard that is used to protect many modern Wi-Fi networks. The exploit, which is now fixed, let attackers use a key reinstallation attack or "KRACK" to decrypt network traffic to sniff out sensitive information. Full release notes for the update, including all of the bug fixes, are available below:
Emoji - Over 70 new emoji characters including new food types, animals, mythical creatures, clothing options, more expressive smiley faces, gender-neutral characters and more
Photos - Resolves an issue that could cause some photos to appear blurry - Addresses an issue that could cause Live Photo effects to playback slowly - Fixes an issue that could cause some photos to not display in the People album when restoring from an iCloud Backup - Fixes an issue that could impact performance when swiping between screenshots
Accessibility - Improves braille support for Grade 2 input - Improves VoiceOver access to multi-page PDFs - Improves VoiceOver rotor actions for announcing incoming notifications - Improves VoiceOver rotor actions menu when removing an app from the App Switcher - Fixes an issue for some users where alternative keys would not display when using VoiceOver with Touch Typing - Fixes an issue where VoiceOver rotor would always return to default action in Mail - Fixes an issue where VoiceOver rotor would not delete messages
Other improvements and fixes - Adds back support for accessing the app switcher by pressing on edge of display with 3D Touch - Fixes an issue that caused cleared Mail notifications to reappear on Lock screen - Fixes an issue in enterprise environments that prevented data from being moved between managed apps - Fixes an issue with some 3rd-party GPS accessories that caused inaccuracies in location data - Resolves an issue where settings for Heart Rate notifications were appearing in Apple Watch app (1st generation) - Fixes an issue where app icons were not appearing in notifications on Apple Watch
For more on what's included in iOS 11.1 and the iOS 11 operating system in general, make sure to check out our iOS 11 roundup.
Apple is unlikely to expand its front-facing TrueDepth system for Face ID and Animoji to the rear-facing camera module on iPhones released in 2018, according to oft-reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In a research note with KGI Securities, obtained by MacRumors, Kuo said the iPhone X's 3D sensing capabilities are already at least one year ahead of Android smartphones. For that reason, he thinks Apple's focus with next year's iPhone models will be ensuring an on-time launch with adequate supply.
Based on aforementioned assumptions, we do not expect 2H18F iPhones to come with rear TrueDepth Camera/3D sensing, contrary to market expectations. While we agree that a rear TrueDepth Camera/3D sensing can potentially provide more augmented reality (AR) applications, we note that Apple needs to quickly resolve two issues if it wants 2H18F iPhones to have a rear TrueDepth Camera/3D sensing, namely: (1) the development of AI and ARKit software and an ecosystem, which takes time; and (2) achieving stable shipments and on-time shipping, which are challenging due to the higher spec requirements of rear TrueDepth camera.
Even without rear TrueDepth, Kuo believes 2018 iPhone models will unsurprisingly come with other tech spec upgrades to attract consumers. He has a positive view on the prospects of the new iPhone models.
Apple has determined that some Apple Watch Series 3 models have an issue causing "edge stripes" to appear on the display after time.
In an internal memo distributed to Genius Bars and Apple Authorized Service Providers, Apple said the issue is to be treated like any other Apple Watch repair. Since the issue appears to be a manufacturing defect, the repair should be free under Apple's standard one-year limited warranty policy.
Apple's memo, obtained by MacRumors, identifies GPS models as being affected and not cellular models. The difference could be the result of LTE models having a different display assembly with an integrated antenna.
To verify the issue, a Genius Bar or Apple Authorized Service Provider employee will ask the customer to rub their finger on the display to allow smearing to appear. If no edge stripes are found, Apple's instructions are to clean the display and have the customer breathe on the display edge to create humidity.
Apple's memo doesn't confirm the underlying reason for the issue. Given the steps to reproduce the issue, however, it sounds like the edge stripes may appear as a result of moisture collecting under the display.
While we can verify this information is accurate, Apple doesn't always acknowledge its internal service policies when a customer brings it up. We don't know exactly why this is the case, but be aware that your mileage may vary.
Nintendo yesterday held its quarterly earnings report [PDF], launching off with details of its "Smart-Device Business" and telling investors how things have been going for Super Mario Run and Fire Emblem Heroes, while detailing the upcoming launch of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. Although Fire Emblem Heroes is on track to meet the company's "overall profit objectives," Super Mario Run appears to be a disappointment in the iOS App Store for Nintendo, which stated it has "not yet reached an acceptable profit point" for the game (via The Verge).
The difference between the two apps lies in their payment structure, with Fire Emblem Heroes a free-to-download title with micro-transactions, and Super Mario Run priced at a fixed $9.99. The company noted that Super Mario Run has now hit the 200 million download mark, and Nintendo was even able to launch the app in countries "not previously reached by our dedicated video game platform business."
Unfortunately, after about 10 months on mobile devices Super Mario Run still has not made the amount of money that Nintendo predicted for the title, which was its first foray into a mobile app built around one-time payments. Still, the company said that it has "learned a lot in terms of game development and deployment," which it plans to "take advantage of moving forward."
Although we have not yet reached an acceptable profit point, we have learned a lot in terms of game development and deployment that we want to take advantage of moving forward.
For Fire Emblem Heroes, Nintendo said that it "listened to the voices of our consumers," leading to continual updates to the app since its launch in February. This game is on track to meet Nintendo's business and profit objectives, and new in-game events will be added soon, as well as Traditional Chinese text. The game will then expand to five more countries and regions: Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao, Thailand, and Singapore.
Nintendo's newest iOS game Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will follow in the footsteps of Fire Emblem Heroes, bringing in-app purchases to the free-to-download game in the form of Leaf Tickets. For the mobile version of Animal Crossing, Nintendo said that "our objective is to offer a service that allows even consumers who do not normally play games on a regular basis to have a little fun each and every day."
Nintendo's first iPhone game, Miitomo, also uses a free-to-download payment structure with in-app purchases, but the company made no mention of that game in its newest earnings report.
Earlier in the year, a senior official at Nintendo reportedly told Nikkei that the company prefers the pay-once strategy of Super Mario Run, and called the freemium aspects of Fire Emblem Heroes an "outlier" in the grand scheme of its mobile gaming plan. Even then, Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima -- who presented this week's earnings report -- admitted that Super Mario Run "did not meet" the company's revenue expectations.
To entice old players to return and new players to download, Nintendo updatedSuper Mario Run in September with a new mode, new characters, and a 50 percent price drop. Nintendo's earnings report charts are vague, but the company noted an uptick in weekly users thanks to this September update. Prior to that, its weekly users had been dropping precipitously since April.
Ultimately, Nintendo still aims for Super Mario Run to be the "definitive Mario application for smart devices," so players can likely expect ongoing updates to the app in the future.
For over a year leading up to the iPhone X, rumors ran rampant about Touch ID being placed under the display, or on the back or side of the device, but Apple's hardware engineering chief Dan Riccio says the reports were never true.
In an interview with TechCrunch's editor-in-chief Matthew Panzarino, Riccio said Apple "spent no time" looking at implementing fingerprint authentication in these ways because it was already focused on perfecting Face ID.
"I heard some rumor [that] we couldn't get Touch ID to work through the glass so we had to remove that," Riccio says, answering a question about whether there were late design changes. "When we hit early line of sight on getting Face ID to be [as] good as it was, we knew that if we could be successful we could enable the product that we wanted to go off and do and if that's true it could be something that we could burn the bridges and be all in with. This is assuming it was a better solution. And that's what we did. So we spent no time looking at fingerprints on the back or through the glass or on the side because if we did those things, which would be a last-minute change, they would be a distraction relative to enabling the more important thing that we were trying to achieve, which was Face ID done in a high-quality way."
Rumors about Apple embedding Touch ID into the iPhone X's display surfaced as early as May 2016, so it remains possible that the company at least explored the idea, but never proceeded with it after moving forward with Face ID.
Several reports corroborated the rumors as recently as this past summer, which usually means they are true.
Many reports even made it sound like Apple was under pressure. In July, KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Andy Hargreaves said Apple was still struggling to embed Touch ID under the display, to the point the iPhone X could have been delayed.
Sebastian Hou and Brian Chen, analysts at Hong Kong-based equity research firm CLSA, in May said there was a "high chance" that Touch ID would be placed on the back of the iPhone X like Samsung's Galaxy S8.
iPhone mockup with Touch ID on rear via iDrop News
It's worth noting that one Apple analyst, the oft-reliable Ming-Chi Kuo, predicted the iPhone X wouldn't have Touch ID back in July.
Now that the media has had hands-on time with the iPhone X, the new smartphone is being put through its paces in a few areas, including Face ID. Since the iPhone X's new biometric security system has already been at the forefront of much debate and skepticism, most review and hands-on coverage has tried to fool Face ID, including Mashable and Business Insider running a "twin test" to see if one iPhone X unlocks for identical twins.
Mashable ran its test by asking two different sets of identical twins to try to unlock the iPhone X, first by having one twin register their face in Face ID and confirm it unlocks for them. Then, the second twin held up the iPhone X to their face -- not registered in the device -- to see if they could get into their sibling's iPhone. In both instances of Mashable's twin test, the iPhone X successfully unlocked using the face of the non-registered twin, fooling Face ID completely.
With both sets of twins, the other twin unlocked the iPhone X, even though neither one had registered his face with Face ID on the iPhone X. With the Franklin twins, we had both brothers remove their glasses and had the other brother register. Again, Face ID failed to tell the difference.
Look, Apple never claimed Face ID was perfect and, in my tests, it could not be fooled by photos or videos of my registered face. Still, these results do not bode well for all the identical twins out there, to say nothing of triplets and quintuplets.
Interestingly, Business Insider's results contrasted directly with Mashable. In its test, Business Insider first had one twin register his face and then simply try to fool Face ID by wearing a hat, glasses, and a scarf, and Apple's security system unlocked every time. Then, his identical twin brother raised the iPhone X in front of his face, but the device repeatedly failed to open and was apparently able to distinguish between the two brothers.
I was pretty shocked that the iPhone X could really pick apart the details between me and my brother considering some of our own family members can’t tell us apart. So, yeah, it was a pleasant surprise knowing that Brian can't break into my iPhone X and I can’t break into my brother's.
It's worth noting that Apple itself admitted that Face ID may not be able to distinguish between identical twins during the iPhone X unveiling on September 12. Phil Schiller said at the time: "The chance that a random person in the population could look at your iPhone X and unlock it with their face is about one in one million. Of course, the statistics are lowered if that person shares a close genetic relationship with you. So, for example, if you happen to have an evil twin, you really need to protect your sensitive data with a passcode."
Face ID also runs using the smartphone's A11 Bionic chip with a built-in neural engine and Apple has said that it will get smarter over time, so in the future more sets of twins might discover that Face ID more accurately tells them apart from their siblings.
Apple has lifted its embargo for iPhone X reviews today, but many of the articles and videos are more like early impressions, given that it provided many media outlets with less than 24 hours of lead time with the device.
iPhone X via The Verge
We've rounded up some notable excerpts from iPhone X reviews below. The general consensus is that the smartphone has a gorgeous design and that Face ID works well. However, the smartphone definitely isn't for everyone, and using an iPhone without a Home button seemingly takes some time before feeling natural.
The Verge's Nilay Patel said Face ID "mostly works great," but he noted authentication was inconsistent in certain lighting conditions.
I took a walk outside our NYC office in bright sunlight, and Face ID definitely had issues recognizing my face consistently while I was moving until I went into shade or brought the phone much closer to my face than usual. I also went to the deli across the street, which has a wide variety of lights inside, including a bunch of overhead florescent strips, and Face ID also got significantly more inconsistent.
Patel added that apps that haven't been updated for the iPhone X's display have "ugly" black borders along the top and bottom.
Apps that haven't been updated for the iPhone X run in what you might call "software bezel" mode: huge black borders at the top and bottom that basically mimic the iPhone 8. And a lot of apps aren't updated yet: Google Maps and Calendar, Slack, the Delta app, Spotify, and more all run with software bezels. Games like CSR Racing and Sonic The Hedgehog looked particularly silly. It's fine, but it's ugly, especially since the home bar at the bottom of the screen glows white in this mode.
Wired's David Pierce took the iPhone X for a test drive while bouncing on a trampoline in the video below.
TechCrunch's Matthew Panzarino took his iPhone X to Disneyland in California to test the device in a real-world scenario.
Panzarino also noted that Face ID "works really well" and was "incredibly easy to set up."
You choose to enable it and then rotate your nose around the points of a clock twice. That's it. Second, it worked the vast majority of times I tried it, it never once unlocked using a picture of myself or another person's face and the failure rate seemed to be about the same as Touch ID — aka almost never. As hoped, it's definitely faster than the first generation of Touch ID, though perhaps slightly slower than the second gen.
Panzarino shared some photos shot with iPhone X. In good lighting conditions, he said there is almost zero difference between the cameras on the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X, given the devices have the same sensors and image signal processors.
Shot on iPhone X by Matthew Panzarino via TechCrunch
Panzarino said he hasn't seen any screen burn-in on the iPhone X yet, a problem Google's new Pixel 2 XL has faced, but he hasn't been using the device long enough to say it's "burn-in proof" with confidence.
I haven't been using the phone long enough to determine whether it is "burn-in proof" or whatever you want to call it, but Apple insists that it has done a ton of work to mitigate the problem. And I do use Twitter, with a static menu bar, a whole heck of a lot and see no burn in so far. That's the best info I can give you besides that the Pixel 2's burn-in started showing up pretty quickly.
The Washington Post's Geoffrey A. Fowler said Face ID worked "nine times out of 10" in his initial testing, but not with a fake beard.
In my initial tests, it worked nine times out of 10. You really have to hold it in front of your face like you're taking a selfie. Too close, in particular, and it won't work. It recognized me in the dark, and when I put on sunglasses — but not when, in the interest of science, I put on a fake beard. (Apple says it adapts to handle beards when they come on more slowly.)
CNET's Scott Stein said it takes time to get used to the iPhone X's new gestures and button combinations for returning to the Home screen, multitasking, and invoking Siri and Apple Pay.
A number of new gestures take the place of the old home button. I kept reaching for the phantom button over the first few hours, feeling like I'd lost a thumb. […]
Meanwhile, there's a new, large side button that brings up Siri and Apple Pay. I instinctively pressed and held it to shut down my phone, then I realized that is not what that button does. (To turn off the phone, you now hold that same side button *and* the lower volume button at the same time, which feels far from intuitive.)
Those gestures added up to some difficult maneuvers as I walked Manhattan streets in the Flatiron between my office and a local barber shop. At the end of the first day, I admit: sometimes I missed the simple home button.
Since many reviewers were provided with less than 24 hours of time with the iPhone X before Apple lifted its publishing embargo, we'll have to wait for a truly in-depth look at performance, cameras, and other features.
Yesterday, low-quality unboxing videos and images of the iPhone X began to emerge online as the device arrived at shipment facilities and mobile retailers around the world. Today, Apple has lifted the embargo on reviews and handed the smartphone over to the media, leading to a wealth of detailed and high-quality unboxing videos from the usual YouTubers and review outlets.
Similar to the package for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, the box for the iPhone X simply says "iPhone" on the side. There are unique details to the front of the box with raised, shiny areas that represent the stainless steel band encircling the iPhone X, and inside you'll find the expected assortment of items including the power adapter, Lightning cable, EarPods, and of course a set of Apple stickers. Check out more unboxing details in the videos below:
Pre-orders for the iPhone X went up on October 27 at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time, and quickly slipped to a 5-6 week shipping estimate minutes later. As of writing, the smartphone still remains in that December shipping window. The iPhone X will launch worldwide in three days on Friday, November 3.
Apple has lifted its embargo for iPhone X reviews today after providing many media outlets with the device less than 24 hours ago.
MacRumors is combing through the first impressions published so far to find interesting tidbits about the iPhone X, and in the meantime, we've compiled a list of both text and video reviews of the device in one convenient place.
Despite some speculation suggesting the iPhone X would not support Reachability, reviews of the device published today have confirmed that the feature can be enabled in the Settings app on the device.
Once enabled, Reachability can be invoked by swiping down on the bar that serves as a visual indicator for returning to the Home screen.
Skip to the 5:05 mark in Engadget's first impressions video to see Reachability in action. The tidbit was highlighted on Reddit by user Whert Ser Nert.
Reachability is designed to bring down the entire top portion of the iPhone's display so it is within thumb's reach for one-handed access to apps and content. The feature is invoked by double tapping the Home button on other iPhone models.
WhatsApp is currently rolling out the ability to delete and revoke messages after they've been sent. The function has been in testing as a hidden feature in several earlier versions of the mobile chat app, but is officially going live this week.
Going forward, WhatsApp users will be able delete messages from conversations and group chats up to seven minutes after they've tapped the send button, as long as both sender and receiver have updated to the latest version of the app.
The new option, called "Delete for everyone" will appear in addition to "Delete for me", and is already showing up for some users when they select a message to trash.
In a published support article, WhatsApp notes that recipients "may see your messages before it's deleted or if deletion was not successful", so the feature isn't guaranteed to work all the time. It's also possible that some users may still see the messages in notifications before they're deleted.
Users aren't notified if a delete request fails, but messages that have been successfully deleted for everyone will be replaced with "This message was deleted" in recipients' chat threads.
According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is currently testing group voice calls internally, so it's likely this feature will also turn up in a forthcoming update.
Amid an escalating legal battle with Qualcomm, Apple is designing its 2018 iPhones and iPads without Qualcomm LTE chips, reports The Wall Street Journal. Apple is instead considering using only modem chips from Intel and perhaps MediaTek in its next-generation devices.
Qualcomm is allegedly withholding software that Apple needs to test LTE chips in its iPhone and iPad prototypes, necessitating the move.
The Wall Street Journal's sources say Qualcomm stopped sharing the software following the January lawsuit Apple filed against the company, hindering Apple's development efforts, but Qualcomm claims Apple has already tested the chip that would be suitable for the next-generation iPhone.
Qualcomm said its "modem that could be used in the next generation iPhone has already been fully tested and released to Apple." The chip company said it is "committed to supporting Apple's new devices" as it does for others in the industry.
Apple has used Qualcomm modem chips in its devices for many years, but began diversifying last year with the addition of Intel modem chips in the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus. The iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus also use both Intel and Qualcomm chips. In the United States, AT&T and T-Mobile models use chips from Intel, while Verizon and Sprint models use chips from Qualcomm.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple's plans to stop using Qualcomm chips in its 2018 devices could still change. Apple could switch suppliers as late as June, three months before the launch of the 2018 iPhone.
Apple and Qualcomm have been embroiled in a legal battle since the beginning of the year after Apple sued Qualcomm for $1 billion, accusing the company of charging unfair royalties for "technologies they have nothing to do with" and failing to pay for quarterly rebates.
Apple stopped paying licensing fees to Qualcomm at that time, as did Apple suppliers. Apple maintains that Qualcomm charges excessive licensing fees by requesting a percentage of an iPhone's entire value, while Qualcomm says its technology is "at the heart of every iPhone."
Qualcomm has since countersued and filed several patent infringement lawsuits against Apple. Qualcomm has also asked the United States International Trade Commission to block imports of some iPhone and iPad models and has requested that China stop manufacturing and selling iPhones.
Samsung is teaming up with co-working startup WeWork to create customer "Care Centers" that are similar to Apple's own in-store Genius Bars, reports Fast Company.
Apple's Genius Bars are designed to allow customers to receive technical support and repairs on a range of Apple products, including Macs and iOS devices. Samsung's upcoming Care Centers will work in the same way, but Samsung wants to one-up Apple with a better waiting experience.
A WeWork facility in New York
At one of three pilot service centers opening in WeWork locations in Detroit, Miami, and New York later this month, Samsung customers can come in and get help for their products while also using the WeWork facilities.
Because it's a co-working space, WeWork gives customers a place to get their own work done while also enjoying fresh coffee and fruit-infused water.
Samsung Electronics America VP of design Mick McConnell tells Fast Company that he came up with the idea while waiting for an hour and a half at a Genius Bar at an Apple retail location. "I was like, there's gotta be a better way to do this," he said.
"Service is a hassle. I know I'm going to have to take time out of my day to do it," says McConnell. "The concept was, if I take time out of my day, at least I can sit in a conference room, make phone calls, and do work, as opposed to sitting in a busy room with a bunch of angry people."
Samsung is taking over a portion of each WeWork location and installing a steel and glass box with shared tables and Samsung workstations. The space features a midcentury-inspired design that matches up with the rest of the WeWork facility, but with special touches like higher-end furniture and Samsung video conferencing systems.
Samsung Retail Design project director Danny Orenstein told Fast Company that the aim is to make Samsung customers "feel welcome" at WeWork while also making WeWork subscribers feel comfortable working in the Samsung space in an effort to expand Samsung's potential customer base.
Along with offering Care Centers at select WeWork locations, Samsung also plans to host after-hours talks with creatives in WeWork spaces, much like Apple does at its own retail stores.
Samsung will use the WeWork spaces to experiment with what works and what doesn't work before considering expanding to additional locations. WeWork currently has 235 locations, and should the project pan out, it could mean a major expansion of Samsung customer support locations.
At the three centers opening this month, Samsung will offer "tier 1" support, letting customers get help with using features on their phone. Staff can also send Samsung equipment to repair centers, but there are no on-site repairs available.
Instagram today told TechCrunch that it is now featuring Instagram Stories more prominently with a larger preview box located between Instagram posts.
The Stories preview box now features a tiled design that's much more noticeable when scrolling through an Instagram feed. Previously, the mid-feed box looked similar to the smaller Stories bar at the top of the feed, which Instagram says it does not have plans to replace.
"We recently updated the design of the stories bar that you see while scrolling through feed. This update makes it easier to preview the stories from the people and accounts you care about."
In addition to making Stories more prominent, Instagram is also testing a new Stop Motion camera tool, as discovered by The Verge. The Stop Motion tool is designed to let users take a series of photos which Instagram then stitches together into a GIF.
The Stop Motion feature is available inside the Story camera alongside other options like Boomerang and the recently released Superzoom tool. Stop Motion is not available for all users at the current time, but Instagram has confirmed it's in testing.
Sprint parent company SoftBank may call off a planned merger between Sprint and T-Mobile, report Nikkei and Reuters.
SoftBank's board of directors is said to be having doubts about the deal due to a failure to reach an agreement about the ownership of the combined T-Mobile/Sprint entity. SoftBank is worried about "losing control" of the combined company, according to sources that spoke to Reuters.
Rumors suggest SoftBank could approach T-Mobile parent company Deutsche Telekom as soon as Tuesday to end the talks. Deutsche Telekom wanted a controlling stake in the combined company, which SoftBank's board has ultimately decided not to agree to. T-Mobile is still attempting to keep the deal going, but Deutsche Telekom does not plan to budge on demands for control.
A T-Mobile and Sprint merger deal has been in the works since February of 2017, and as recently as September, the deal was said to be close to done as SoftBank and Deutsche Telekom worked out the final details. T-Mobile CEO John Legere was set to lead the combined company.
Should the deal ultimately fall through, it will be the second time Sprint and T-Mobile have failed to reach an agreement. Sprint parent company SoftBank attempted to purchase T-Mobile in a 2013 deal worth more than $20 billion, but SoftBank abandoned its plans in 2014 amid regulatory scrutiny.
Even if the deal progresses and SoftBank does not end the merger, it's still unclear if it will gain regulatory approval this time around. In 2014, U.S. antitrust regulators said having four national carriers was important to maintaining a competitive market.
Update: T-Mobile and Sprint are attempting to save the merger and are negotiating new terms with T-Mobile having submitted a new offer, according to The Wall Street Journal. A deal could potentially be reached within weeks, but there's still the chance that it'll fall through.
Microsoft today announced that its Outlook.com Premium feature, which offered features like an ad-free Outlook experience for $19.95 per year, is closed to new subscribers.
Outlook.com Premium features are now being added to Office 365 Home and Office 365 Personal subscriptions.
Today, we began rolling out new benefits for Office 365 Home and Office 365 Personal subscribers who use Outlook.com. These premium email features include an ad-free inbox, enhanced protection against malware and phishing, larger mailbox sizes, and premium customer support. In the coming months, we'll be introducing additional premium Outlook.com features to make personal email and calendar experiences for Office 365 subscribers more powerful, productive, and secure.
Office 365 subscribers will now get the same ad-free experience that was available with Outlook Premium, eliminating banner ads and advertisements in the message list.
More mailbox storage is also included, as is advanced security against email threats, including a feature for scanning attachments and checking incoming links. All Office 365 subscribers now get 50GB of mailbox storage, while free Outlook.com accounts will get 15GB of storage space.
Microsoft says that in addition to 365 subscribers, all loyal Outlook.com users whose mailbox is 12GB or larger will be updated to 50GB.
The premium Outlook features will be added to all 365 Home and Personal subscription accounts automatically for users that have @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, @live.com, and @msn.com accounts. Advanced email security features will not apply to @gmail, @yahoo, or other third-party email accounts.
Existing Outlook.com Premium subscribers can continue to renew their Premium subscriptions and receive the same benefits. Premium customers who have custom domains will be able to continue to use them, with domain renewal automatically included in yearly subscription fees. Custom domains are not a feature included in the new 365 options.
Office 365 Home is priced at $99.99 per year or $9.99 per month, while Office 365 Personal is priced at $69.99 per year or $6.99 per month. Office 365 Home can be installed on up to five PCs or Macs and five tablets and five smartphones, while Office 365 Personal is limit to 1 PC or Mac and can be installed on one tablet and one smartphone.
The new premium Outlook functionality is rolling out to Office 365 subscribers starting today, but could take a month to become available to all customers.
WhatsApp is currently rolling out the ability to delete and revoke messages after they've been sent. The function has been in testing as a hidden feature in several earlier versions of the mobile chat app, but is officially going live this week.
