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iPhone X review: Embrace the new normal
After years of mostly iterative design changes, Apple has changed what it means for an iPhone to be an iPhone. Home button? Forget it. Touch ID? Old hat. Bezels? You get where I'm going with this. And to be totally frank, when Apple first revealed the iPhone X, I was worried. These changes to the classic iPhone formula mean more chances for stuff to get screwed up. Well, I didn't need to worry. The iPhone X is finally here, and while it's not perfect, it's proof that the old ways aren't the only ways.
Thieves pilfer $370,000 worth of iPhone Xs in San Francisco
Thieves broken into a UPS truck parked outside a San Francisco Apple Store and made off with 300 iPhone Xs valued at around $370,000, CBS SF Bay Area reports. The suspects were "husky," and "wearing hooded sweatshirts," according to SFPD Captain Rick Yarid, adding "it appears [they] knew what they were looking for." The UPS driver reportedly parked the vehicle outside a mall and went to do a delivery at a Macy's when the thieves snatched the devices, according to a witness.
Apple might share iPhone X face data with developers
Despite Apple claiming it securely stores your encrypted face info on the iPhone X, Reuters is reporting that the company permits developers to access "certain facial data" with user permission. This includes a visual representation of your face, and over 50 facial expressions.
Leaked HTC U11 Plus video reveals a bigger battery and screen
A hands-on video featuring the upcoming HTC U11 Plus has been leaked to Facebook, showing that the flagship phone will be available in a translucent option, as well as black and silver. Evan Bass, who's known for leaking tech specs, also confirmed the translucent option in a tweet. The video has since been taken down, but the inevitable copies still available online show the U11 Plus will have a six-inch display, 4,000 mAh battery and 128GB of storage (other storage options, if any, are yet to be confirmed). A closer look also reveals a coil beneath the shell, which could indicate wireless charging capabilities.
Best Buy stops selling full-price iPhone X following backlash
Last Friday, when the iPhone X became available for preorder, would-be Best Buy customers found that to buy the phone upfront through the retailer, they would have to pay $100 more than what Apple itself was charging. Rather than $999 or $1,149 depending on what amount of storage was wanted, Best Buy was charging $1,099 and $1,249. Now, as Bloomberg reports, Best Buy has stopped selling the iPhone X upfront and is only offering it through carrier-specific billing plans.
Apple iPhone X, Day 1: The future is surprisingly familiar
Look back at Apple's decade of iPhones and you'll see that, minor plastic surgery aside, they all basically stick to the same design formula. Even the company's relatively new, larger Plus phones kept faithful to the traditional iPhone look. Those days are numbered. The iPhone X officially launches this Friday, and I'm not being hyperbolic when I say it drastically redefines the iPhone as we know it. You'll have to wait a little longer for our full review -- we've only been testing the phone for about a day -- but there's already plenty to get into.
Samsung collects record profits, again
Last year at this time Samsung's profits suffered a blow due to exploding Galaxy Note 7s, but this year -- despite ongoing executive turmoil as it has appointed new presidents for three key divisions -- the product lineup is performing as expected. Not coincidentally, Samsung has announced it set a record high $12.91 billion operating profit for the third quarter (keeping the streak going), more than triple what it notched last year during the same period. However, while the company called Galaxy Note 8 sales "strong" its mobile earnings actually declined as people opted for cheaper phones. The money is in Samsung's chips and displays, which go into things like servers as well as phones -- whether they're Samsung Galaxys or something else, like its OLED screens that are in the soon-to-debut iPhone X.
Apple fires employee after daughter's iPhone X video goes viral
Just because a tech company has announced a product doesn't mean employees are free to share or talk about it before release -- just ask Microsoft. And unfortunately, one Apple engineer learned that the hard way. Apple has reportedly fired a iPhone team member after his daughter Brooke posted a hands-on video showing off his iPhone X before launch. Brooke took down the video as soon as Apple requested it, but the takedown came too late to prevent the clip from going viral, leading to seemingly endless reposts and commentary. We've asked Apple for comment on the firing.
Best Buy bets you'll pay $100 extra for an iPhone X
After half an hour of iPhone X preorders going live, the first ship date of November 3rd had already filled up. New owners were told they would have to wait 4-5 weeks for their new Apple device to ship. Maybe that has something to do with Best Buy's surprise price hike of $100 extra for folks who pre-ordered either model of iPhone X on the retailer's site.
iPhone X pre-orders are open -- but there's already a wait
Apple reopened the online store this morning at 3 AM (or maybe a minute later) to sell its new iPhone X, and whether or not supply chain rumors are true, it's already becoming tough to get. Within 30 minutes, orders promising to arrive on launch day (November 3rd) have dried up for buyers in the US, with most people now seeing an expected wait of 4-5 weeks. So if you're bypassing the iPhone 8 for this $1,000+ upgrade, let us know -- how did the website or app work for you, and when is your phone scheduled to arrive?
Apple denies reports that it altered Face ID specs (update)
Ever since the iPhone X was announced, there's been rumors that the handset will be a rarer commodity than gold dust and the Venus de Milo's arms, combined. That's because the components used to build the device's facial-recognition sensor are so complex that it's been nearly impossible to mass-produce. Now, a report from Bloomberg suggests that Apple has found a solution by "relaxing" the specifications for FaceID.
Apple lists the cars that can wirelessly charge your iPhone
Sure, you know that most wireless charging pads will top up the iPhone 8 or iPhone X, but what about the pad in your car? That's a little more complicated, but Apple is willing to help out. It just posted a list of manufacturers whose vehicles can charge the latest crop of iPhones, and it's mostly good news... mostly. Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo and the PSA group (Citroen, DS, Peugeot, Opel and Vauxhall) all have cars that will charge at least the iPhone 8 (and likely X), and can charge the 8 Plus if there's enough room. Be careful if you're a GM fan, though, as you'll have to be extra-picky about your driving machine.
Apple's Upgrade Program offers a 'head start' on iPhone X
While initial pre-orders for the iPhone X are still a week away from opening, some Apple die-hards will be able to get started early. Apple's installment-based Upgrade Program that lets customers get a new phone every year will, just like it did with the launch of the iPhone 8 / 8 Plus, allow members to get their loan paperwork in order starting on Monday. Combined with the recently added mail-in return option for their old iPhones, it should make staying up to date easier than ever, even if it doesn't guarantee that they'll be able to purchase the new OLED-screened device right away. For that, they'll have to stay up until 3 AM ET Friday morning just like everyone else.
Fake iPhone X has a fake notch, obviously
We're only one week away from iPhone X pre-orders, but the counterfeit market is already offering a variety of similar-looking devices to a particular crowd. As I anticipated, I came across one such clone while wandering around Hong Kong's Global Sources electronics fair earlier today, courtesy of a Shenzhen company by the marvelous name of Hotwonder. Its Hotwav Symbol S3 (also not the best name) is essentially an entry-level 4G Android phone shamelessly packaged into an iPhone X-like body, except for one notable difference: the screen "bezel" is white instead of black.
Apple responds to Sen. Al Franken’s Face ID concerns in letter
Apple has responded to Senator Al Franken's concerns over the privacy implications of its Face ID feature, which is set to debut on the iPhone X next month. In his letter to Tim Cook, Franken asked about customer security, third-party access to data (including requests by law enforcement), and whether the tech could recognize a diverse set of faces.
A 'new' version of iTunes brings back apps and ringtones
Still need a way to manage your applications and ringtones in addition to your music, movies and other media on your iPhone? Well, there's an app for that. Following iTunes' massive overhaul (version 12.7 if you're keeping track at home), the company has since released a version of the software that will let you continue to download and install apps to your handset via a desktop computer.
The Google Pixel 2 XL vs. the competition: Cameras rule
In a year where the Galaxy Note made a comeback and Apple is mixing things up by offering both the iPhone 8 and the iPhone X, it's hard to know what to make of Google's newest handsets at first. The Pixel XL isn't particularly flashy on the outside, though the single 12.2MP camera looks promising. But can it compete against the dual camera rigs on other flagship handsets? To see what else this 6-inch handset has to offer versus some of its major competitors, we've stacked up their specs in the table below. Be sure to check back later this fall to see how both the new Pixels and the iPhone X fare in their respective full reviews.
Face ID parts could cause iPhone X shortages
It's safe to say that people are eagerly anticipating the iPhone X; it represents a step forward in design and tech for Apple. But now, The Wall Street Journal reports that difficulties in manufacturing components crucial to Face ID could lead to significant shortages of the iPhone X.
Apple's former GPU maker Imagination agrees to £550 million sale
Losing Apple as a customer can be rough for a supplier, as Imagination Technologies found out. In April, the UK chipmaker announced that the folks in Cupertino planned to develop their own mobile GPUs and would no longer rely on its PowerVR tech for iPhones and iPads. The A11 Bionic chip inside Apple's new iPhone 8 series and upcoming iPhone X is the company's first-ever self-designed GPU. While still in dispute with Apple over the breakup plans, Imagination lost over 70 percent of its value and put itself up for sale. Now, it has found a buyer in Canyon Bridge Capital Partners, a China-backed fund. Recently, Donald Trump used his presidential power to block the fund from completing a $1.3 billion buyout of a US chipmaker, Lattice Semiconductor, over security concerns. Canyon Bridge is snapping up Imagination (minus its MIPS arm, which is being sold to other investors for $65 million) for £550 million ($743 million) in a move that it says will not cut staff or move the company's headquarters.
Belkin's iPhone dongle helps you listen while you charge
Last year's Belkin Rockstar dongle was a lifesaver for iPhone 7 owners who wanted to charge their device while doing just about anything else, but it had a problem: with two Lightning ports, you still had to add a second adapter to plug in your favorite pair of 3.5mm headphones. Thankfully, those days are over. Belkin has introduced a new version of the Rockstar with a 3.5mm jack in place of one of the Lightning connectors. This still won't change the clunkiness of your setup, but at least you won't have to explain why you carry two dongles with your iPhone 8.
