Tag Archive for: Iphone

September Apple Event: new products!

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First of all, we were very impressed! As TON of new products was announced at this years September Apple Event, including an impressive Apple Watch Series 5 and a brand new PRO line up of iPhones!

September Apple Event, a run down

Apple Arcade

At tonight’s Apple event, they revealed a price and a launch date for it’s subscription based Netflix style gaming service. It launches on the 19th September and will cost $4.99 p/m for a Family plan. Including a Frogger game from Konami, an underwater adventure game called Shinsekai from Capcom and a music based game from AnnaPurna, SayonaraWildheart. – Apple Arcade is US only at the moment, here’s hoping it comes the UK not too soon after launches in the US!

AppleTv+

Apple’s Netflix style film and tv show service, Apple TV+, now has a release date. 1st November 2019. It’s incredibly cheap at $4.99 and will begin streaming in over 100 countries. Nothing was mentioned about non Apple exclusives, so we’re going to assume that’s all that’s going to be available. Tim Cook stated during the keynote that each month new shows will be added to the platform.

Plus if you purchase an iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple Tv you’ll get a whole year for FREE!

Much like Disney’s service, Apple will be releasing a new episode each week, with 3 episodes being available at launch. While some shows will dump the whole season on you at once.

(CNET)

Apple Watch Series 5

Apple Watch Series 5 was announced at September’s Apple Event, this time the Apple Watch comes with a brand new “Always On” display.

The screen will never go to sleep, allowing owners to always see the time and if you have fitness complications, see what your fitness stats are. While the screen will dim, it will always be visible. The display will help with power usage too, reducing the refresh rate down from 60hz to 1hz while not being used. The new Apple Watch will also have an ambient light sensor to adjust the brightness to your surroundings.

Features

The Apple Watch Series 5 comes with a built in compass with tools like an altimeter. Cellular owners of the Apple Watch Series 5 will have free emergency calling without needing to be linked to an iPhone. The Apple Watch has a noise meter on it to make sure your hearing isn’t affected. Also announced is a new Research App, where users can opt in to record their health data to be used in things such as the Apple Hearing Study, Apple Heart and Movement Study and Apple Women’s Health Study.

The Aluminium version comes in black, gold, polished metal and will be made out of 100% recycled aluminium. As with other generations of the Apple Watch, it’s also available in Stainless Steel, Titanium and ceramic models.

Prices in the US Start at $399 for regular and $499 for cellular. Series 3 gets a price cut to $199. So expect UK prices to be similar.

Apple Watch Series 5 pre-orders start today and will go on sale on 20th September.

(Gizmodo)

iPad Gen 7

The most popular iPad to date got a slight refresh at the September Apple Event, most notably bumping the screen from 9.2″ to 1o.2″

It comes with iPad OS built in, which means that there’ll be greater support for one handed use, extra gestures and improved support of the Apple Pencil. The new iPad 10.2″ comes equipped with the A10 chipset, improved smart connector for Keyboard Support, 8MP camera, AR support, Picture in Picture support and much like the Apple Watch Series 5, made from 100% recycled aluminium.

$329 so expect pricing in the UK to be about the same. Pre-orders open today and will ship at the end of the month.

(Gizmodo)

iPhone 11

The iPhone 11 is here and there is a HUGE focus on cameras. The iPhone 11 comes with a dual camera system, a 12MP 9f/1.8) lens and a 12MP (f/2.8) ultra wide angle lens.

Apple says that this has the capability of the equivalent of a 2x optical zoom out! The camera can also shoot 4k 60 fps on both the back AND front cameras. Including slo-motion on the front camera. Apple even showed off a quirky “slofies” promo video.

Other camera based features include automatic night mode detection, shooting video whilst in photo mode (simply hold the camera shutter down) and a zoom wheel.

Furthermore Apple showed off something called a Semantics Processor and “multiscale tone mapping.” So this means that the camera will be better at focusing on people and not blowing out the highlights. Apple also noted that the portrait mode will be better at taking portrait photos of pets.

Inside the iPhone 11 is the fastest CPU and GPU in any Smartphone the A13 bionic. Also, battery life has also improved by 1hr over the XR. The iPhone 11 also has spacial audio, Dolby Atmos and toughened glass on the front and back.

Prices start at $699 and will be available in purple, white, yellow, green, black and Product (Red)

Pre-Orders start on Friday ready for Sept 20th pick up.

(Gizmodo)

iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max

The powerful models to the iPhone 11 were announced at this years Apple Event too. The iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro Max. Slightly different to the iPhone 11, the Pro models have a “surgical-grade stainless steel” case and matte finish and a lot more power on the insides.

Cameras

For example the iPhone 11 Pro models have an extra wide angle lens to the telephoto and standard camera. Similar to how the telephoto lens zooms in, the wide angle will allow uses to zoom out. Allowing you to capture more of your shot, without needing to step back. Therefore giving users a lot more flexibility and control when taking photos.

A new mode called “Deep Fusion” will take 9 photos across all three cameras, stitch them together, creating a single high quality image. Furthermore the third party app Filmic Pro will allow you to record from multiple cameras at once, including the selfie photo. So you’ll be able to get footage from the front shooter right alongside the rear camera, all at the same time! Much like it’s smaller counterpart. The iPhone Pro versions also have access to the night mode and slow motion features.

Insides

The Pro iPhones are powered by the A13 Bionic Processor, they also have brand new screens. Super Retina OLED screens which have a 2Million to one contrast ratio and have up to 1,200 nits of brightness. Which Apple claim are 15% more energy efficient than ever before. They also have HDR10 support and Dolby Vision. Furthermore they also have Dolby Atmos and Spacial audio much like the normal 11.

Furthermore, battery life has vastly improved over the XS, the 11 Pro will get 4hrs over the XS and the 11 Pro Max gets 5hrs more.

The iPhone 11 Pro starts at $999, the 11 Pro Max $1,099. Pre-orders start on Friday 13th Sept at 1pm BST and they’ll be available for pick up on Sept 20th.

(Engadget)

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Mario Kart Tour

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Mario Kart Tour originally was planned to be released on mobile platforms in March of this year (2019). As Nintendo delayed the release of a mobile version of the the ever popular karting game to give it a nice polish.

Now, Nintendo have announced that the official launch date for Mario Kart Tour. That release date is not too far away at all. You can strap in, put the pedal to the metal on September 25th. For those eager to play Mario Kart Tour you can sign up for pre-registrations for both the Android and iOS versions of the game on the game’s official website. By doing this, players will be notified as soon as the game is ready to download.

There was a closed beta of the game and up until now, Nintendo didn’t give too much information away about Mario Kart Tour. The game features race courses inspired by iconic real world cities which rotate every two weeks. The game is “free-to-start”, which means players will have to decide whether to spend money on it. The Microtransactions will be used to unlock features and perhaps even characters.

This game looks absolutely incredible and we cannot wait to give it a go for ourselves. Nintendo will be releasing more information via their official Twitter account. So keep an eye on Twitter for more details as the games release date approaches.

 

(Endgadget)

 

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Episode 333 James Haskell

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What’s In James Haskell’s Bag?

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Apple March 25th Streaming

Apple March 25th Streaming Event – Surprise?

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The Apple March 25th Streaming Event which many believe to be the birth of a long awaited video service. Which will be of a streaming service of some sort. However it may not be the typical Netflix type of subscription video service. But something else entirely different.

If rumours are to be believed it may be an enhanced version of the iTunes store and associated Tv app for the iPhone/iPad. The event is said to be more of an update to an already established service than the birth of a new one. The new updated platform will hold all of Apple’s Originals and the iTunes transactional video on demand service (movies, tv shows). Furthermore it will aggregate a broad range of third party tv and OTT video services. So things like HBO and of Showtime.

Strategy

The new service will not be available to non-Apple devices. But Apple is also opening iTunes video content for viewing on non Apple devices via Airplay 2, on third party smart Tv’s. Apple make more money via third party services than it does selling movies and tv shows through iTunes. According to Ovum, iTunes global market share fell from 70% in 2011 to 22% in 2018! Yet it’s share in global retail OTT video revenue share it’s increased from 5% in 2016 to 10% in 2018.

It appears like Apple’s aim would be to get people back into iTunes. With the help from their Apple Originals videos. According to Ovum, the Originals service will also be free to Apple device owners, the content may also be already pre installed in the new app! Consequently once people are using iTunes, Apple will encourage users to browse their TVOD service and to sign up for the third party streaming services.

Apple will look to take all the best bits from Netflix/Amazon and incorporate them into their service. For example the high end productions from Netflix (Apple Originals) aggregation of third-party services (such as Amazon Prime Channels) and the curation of the TVOD service (Amazon). With Apple’s closed wall ecosystem and a 600million Apple device user base and what you’d expect to be a user friendly interface, Apple may be in a strong position.

The Future

According to Ovum, hybrid services that the one Apple is rumoured to be launching will take 33% of subscription market share by 2023. While Netflix’s global market share will stabilise around the 20% mark and Amazon’s will slightly increase to 12%.

Apple look to be placing their bets on rather than building a rival to Netflix. To reimagine TV while incorporating the best of Netflix. It seems as though Apple will move into this strategy in to the 2020’s. With a TV world whereby consumers can build their own entertainment package from multiple on-demand services and linear channel services. Plus AVOD where it charges consumers a subscription for access while also carrying advertising. While 2010’s belonged to Netflix and streaming the forthcoming years may look very different.

Figure 1: Netflix, Amazon and other services in the USA, 2018-2023 (in millions)

 Apple March Event Streaming

Source: Ovum

Best Mobile Camera

iPhone vs @SamsungUK Galaxy S10+ Vs @HuaweiMobileUK Mate 20 Pro Vs @GoogleUK Pixel Vs @HTC_UK One Plus 6T – which camera wins?

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Samsung Galaxy S10

Samsung Galaxy S10: Get it at the right price!

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First of all, as gadget lovers we all want the latest and greatest phone that’s out every year. While that may be the Samsung Galaxy S10 or the Apple phone out later on this year. The phone’s available on offer are getting dearer and dearer though. www.CompareMyMobile.com, have listed ways in which give us, the punters the best way to save some cash when buying new phones. Looking at the best contract or the best solution when trading in phones. Furthermore they’ll look at the best deals in buying and selling phones and sim only options.

Rob Baillie’s Tips

If you want the new Samsung Galaxy S10 or are waiting for the Galaxt Fold, CompareMyMobile.com will have the best solution for you. While, phones are getting dearer and they want to help.

“This was an interesting gamble for Samsung. The rush to seize the spotlight ahead of the biggest mobile event of the year meant they risked splitting the interest – deflecting buyers away from a very impressive S10 flagship handset, and towards the technically flashy, futuristic Fold device, that is at a price point which it can’t really back up yet in terms of proving value, that said sales are looking strong suggesting their new model does enough to get people upgrading.

The good news is that recycling prices have held steady in the aftermath of the launch, despite older phones typically declining in value when a new model is launched. In the four days leading up to the launch the average Samsung device trade in value was £70.66, and the four days after it was £70.78 with the average S9 losing less than £1 off the best price in the period before” Rob Baillie, mobile expert at www.comparemymobile.com

Not so Smart

Rob even gave some advice for those not looking to have all the latest gizmo’s:

“If you’re not yet ready to make that kind of investment, there are some fantastic phones on the market at the moment that won’t cost you thousands but also a lot of competing messages. The average consumer is likely to be lost in jargon-heavy white noise – do they need 5G? Do they need a bigger screen? Do they need a smaller screen? – when what they really want is a stable phone with a good performance and battery life. The market is about to be flooded with options and the risk is it will simply leave consumers with analysis paralysis, choosing to make no choice at the risk of making the wrong one. This is why we have rounded up the best options on the market.” Rob Baillie, mobile expert at www.comparemymobile.com

Trade In’s

To save some cash you can unlock your mobile at no additional cost to you once you are out of contract. So, all you have to do is phone your provider. Consequently, you can sell it to a much wider market this way. Furthermore you can get an additional 10% on what you would’ve received if you want to trade it in! Also, see below for a look at what you can be entitled to:

Device Working
Samsung Galaxy S6 32GB £             73.00
Samsung Galaxy S8 64GB £           220.10
Samsung Galaxy S7 32GB £           121.00
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge 32GB £           123.10
Samsung Galaxy S9 64GB £           300.26
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 32GB £            95.00
Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus 64GB £           248.20
Samsung Galaxy S8 64GB £           203.00
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus 64GB £           280.20
Samsung Galaxy S5 16GB £            36.00
Samsung Galaxy S9 64GB £            300
Apple iPhone 6 16GB £           85.00
Apple iPhone 7 32GB £           178.10
Apple iPhone 8 64GB £           321.10
Apple iPhone X 64GB £           476.10
Apple iPhone XS 64GB £           645.00

 Rob Baillie’s Picks

SO YOU’RE LOOKING TO SAVE MONEY:

BUY: A Samsung Galaxy s10e 128GB on O2 via e2save , with £190 upfront cost, 4GB of data and unlimited minutes and texts

Monthly price: £29

SELL: Samsung Galaxy S8 64GB for £220.10

NEW EQUIVALENT MONTHLY PRICE: No upfront cost and £27.75 per month

 GO BIG:

BUY: Galaxy S10 plus with 128GB of memory on ee via Metrophone with no upfront cost and a mighty 60GB of data

Extras: unlimited minutes and texts + £25 auto-cashback

Monthly price: £58.00

SELL: Galaxy S9 Plus 64GB for £280.20

NEW EQUIVALENT MONTHLY PRICE: £45.28

YET WHO NOT GO CLASSIC:

BUY: Galaxy S10 128GB on EE via Buymobile.net with 50GB of data

Extras: unlimited minutes and texts

Monthly price: £43 + £99 for the handset

SELL: Galaxy S9 64GB for £300

NEW EQUIVALENT MONTHLY PRICE: No upfront cost and £34.62 a month

(Compare my Mobile)

For additional deals please click here!

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10 year Challenge for Phones

#10YearChallenge – Smartphone Edition

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The #10YearChallenge has only just finished sweeping the world. However, what would the #10YearChallenge look like if our smartphones undertook this challenge instead? CompareMyMobile have undertook a really cool study on how the smartphone world looked 10years ago. It’s very suprising to be fair! We’ve come a very long way!

For example 10 years ago only 17% of adults had a smartphone, compared to a whopping 78% of adults currently. Which as a result we are more addicted to our smartphones than we ever were. They’ve also changed in a number of other ways

  • Costs – the mobile phones of today are in some cases 7 times more expensive than they were in 2009
  • Memory capacity – it has increased 16 times in some cases
  • Display is twice as big (or more!) compared to mobile phones in 2009
  • Camera – smartphone cameras today have at least 3 times (or more pixels) than in 2009

CompareMyMobile.com has compiled a list of the most talked about phones in 2009 and compared them to their 2019 rivals from the same manufacturer. They also took a look at what contracts were on offer to punters in 2009 too!

Contracts

They discovered that in 2009, upfront costs for phones and monthly payments were a lot cheaper (unsurprisingly) however, what is shocking is that some of the 2019 prices compared to their 2009 equivalent have TRIPLED! Whereas mobile devices were affordable in 2009 when looking at upfront costs. While in some cases monthly payments are fairly similar. The one thing that is surprising. If you look at all of the contracts today for smartphones. It’s normal to expect Gigs of data. It’s crazy to think now, but in 2009, some networks were charging  £5 per megabyte for internet usage!!

In 2009 500 texts per month, which was deemed as quite good. Minutes were 100-900minutes. Fast forward to 2019 and both those are often listed as unlimited. (Who calls these days anyway?)

(CompareMyMobile)

Please see two examples below!

12

For a much more detailed look at the #10YearChallenge Smartphone edition please click here! There’s a look at past popular smartphones developers such as Blackberry’s (remember BBM!?) and the ever favourite Nokia.

Keep up to date with everything How To Kill An Hour by signing up to our newsletter by clicking here!

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Apple September 2018 Keynote

Episode 296 The Apple September 2018 Keynote!

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