Quick Takes: Samsung Pokes Fun at iPhone X, CBS Launches Sports HQ, Xbox One Games on Mac, and More

In addition to our more in-depth coverage of the latest Apple news and rumors at MacRumors, Quick Takes is a new column that will provide a bite-sized recap of other Apple-related headlines on weekdays.

galaxy s9 iphone x
February is generally a slower time of the year for Apple, but Monday's news cycle has been slightly busier given it is the first day of Mobile World Congress in Spain, where many Apple rivals unveil new products.

Monday, February 26:

  • Apple CEO Tim Cook will be co-chairman at the annual China Development Forum next month, according to The Wall Street Journal. It will be the second consecutive year that Cook speaks at the forum, and reportedly his fifth appearance at a major event in China in a little over a year.

    Context: Cook has been visiting China more frequently in recent years as he attempts to strengthen Apple's relationship with the Chinese government. Apple is often at the mercy of Chinese laws, such as one requiring iCloud accounts in China to be hosted by a Chinese data center by the end of this month.

  • CBS today launched CBS SPORTS HQ, a 24-hour digital network offering live streaming of sports news, highlights, and analysis, but not actual games. The stream is free to watch in the United States on the CBS Sports website, and through the CBS Sports app for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and other platforms.

    cbs sports hq
    Context: CBS SPORTS HQ should cater to cord-cutters, and the best part is that no cable TV subscription is required. It should be the sports equivalent of CBS's successful CBSN streaming news network.

  • Billionaire investor Warren Buffett told CNBC that his company Berkshire Hathaway has purchased more shares of Apple than any other stock over the past year. Berkshire Hathaway increased its Apple holdings by 23.3 percent, to 165.3 million shares, according to SEC filings published a few weeks ago.

    Context: Berkshire Hathaway has been increasingly bullish on Apple over the past few years. Buffett believes Apple has an "extraordinary consumer franchise" with a very strong ecosystem. AAPL is up over two percent following the positive comments, and up over 15 percent since February 8.

  • Samsung indirectly poked fun at the iPhone X during its Galaxy S9 introduction on Sunday. During the presentation, the company's marketing chief Justin Denison said "and as always, you know, there's no notch," referring to the cutout at the top of the iPhone X for the TrueDepth camera system.

    Skip to the 18:00 mark to listen to Samsung poke fun at the iPhone X

    Context: While some other Android smartphone makers like Huawei and Asus appear to be embracing the notched design, the Galaxy S9 looks virtually identical to the Galaxy S8, with slim top and bottom bezels that uniformly stretch across the device. The device even retains a 3.5mm headphone jack.

  • A new unofficial app called OneCast has launched that claims to bring Xbox One game streaming to the Mac with 1080p video and low input lag. Features include support for multiple profiles, full screen or windowed mode, and playing with an original Xbox One wireless controller on Mac via USB or Bluetooth.

    onecast
    Context: The app allows Xbox One games to be played remotely, whether in another room away from the TV, or even while away from home by streaming over an internet connection. Keep in mind this app isn't sanctioned by Microsoft, which only officially supports Xbox One streaming on Windows 10.

    For more Apple news and rumors coverage, visit our Front Page, Mac Blog, and iOS Blog. Also visit our forums to join in the discussion.

  • Popular Stories

    iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

    iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

    Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
    Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
    airtag purple

    AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

    Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by
    Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development. Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag. Timing Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
    Magic Mouse Next to Keyboard

    No, Apple CEO Tim Cook Didn't Say He Prefers Logitech's MX Master 3 Over the Magic Mouse

    Sunday November 17, 2024 3:03 pm PST by
    While the Logitech MX Master 3 is a terrific mouse for the Mac, reports claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook prefers that mouse over the Magic Mouse are false. The Wall Street Journal last month published an interview with Cook, in which he said he uses every Apple product every day. Soon after, The Verge's Wes Davis attempted to replicate using every Apple product in a single day. During that...
    Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

    Apple Releases iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 With Security Fixes

    Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:10 am PST by
    Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
    at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

    AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

    Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
    AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
    iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

    'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Surpass iPhone 6 as Thinnest iPhone Ever

    Monday November 18, 2024 1:07 pm PST by
    In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu said he agrees with a recent rumor claiming that the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will be around 6mm thick. "We agreed with the recent chatter of an 6mm thickness ultra-slim design of the iPhone 17 Slim model," he wrote. If that measurement proves to be accurate, there would be ...
    bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

    Make Sure to Update: iOS 18.1.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities

    Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:52 am PST by
    The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices. With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...

    Top Rated Comments

    BornAgainMac Avatar
    88 months ago
    After the Notch joke it was quiet for what seemed like forever.
    Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
    Cougarcat Avatar
    88 months ago
    I see Samsung up to their usual Xerox-copying... not saying they don't come up with new coolness here and there, but this phone is not that.
    Their animoji ripoff is hilariously bad...like something I'd expect to see in an episode of Silicon Valley.
    Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
    calzon65 Avatar
    88 months ago
    I agree with people saying it's distasteful for Samsung to rub it in. They should've been classy and kept it at listening to customers' desires. When you're ahead you shouldn't make it a fool of yourself by belittling the competition.
    Are you serious ... Apple belittles the competition all the time, they are experts in the art of disrespect.

    Just walk into any Apple store to hear their rants about Samsung, Microsoft Windows and every other company that makes competing products.
    Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
    Ploki Avatar
    88 months ago
    there's no notch because there's giant god damn bar.
    Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
    calzon65 Avatar
    88 months ago
    Headphone jack :)
    Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
    xDKP Avatar
    88 months ago
    That was some serious silence after every “iPhone joke” he had... Keep it classy dude
    Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)