Caviar releases three luxury Limited Edition smartphones of the iPhone 12 Pro (Max) in the spirit of the cult game and upcoming action movie Mortal Kombat.
Caviar regularly releases exclusive Limited Edition smartphones, which are often based on the top models from Apple and Samsung. This time the Russian Caviar has designed three special iPhone 12 Pro (Max) models, made for fans of the game Mortal Kombat. The introduction of these exclusive smartphones does not stand on itself, as the film adaptation of this popular fantasy / action video game will be released next month.
The 2021 Mortal Collection from Caviar includes three iPhone 12 Pro / Pro Max models, each dedicated to a different character within the legendary game: the protagonist Scorpion, the Emperor Shao Kahn and the wizard Shang Tsung.
iPhone 12 Pro Scorpion edition
The first design of the iPhone 12 Pro Scorpion is inspired by the protagonist of Mortal Kombat; Scorpion and his weapon, which is wrapped around the smartphone cover. The smartphone is encased in ultra-strong titanium with a gold-colored extra strong PVD coating, used to cover luxury Swiss watches..
It is decorated with inserts made of multilayer material based on epoxy resin and fiberglass, used in the manufacture of edged weapons. This Limited Edition smartphone looks brutal and luxurious at the same time.
Caviar will produce only 99 copies of the Scorpion Edition. The starting price is set at $ 6,140 USD, for which you will receive the model with 128GB of memory. Prices for the iPhone 12 Pro Max start at $ 6,680 USD. Naturally, these devices offer exactly the same functions as a regular iPhone 12 Pro (Max).
Limited Edition smartphone in the spirit of Shao Kahn
Shao Kahn’s impressive image inspired Caviar designers to create an austere model for the Caviar iPhone 12 Pro Shao Kahn. A titanium throne is put on a black base made of resistant composite material. There is no one in it, but the throne is not empty – an outlandish war hammer lays in it. The war hammer is formed from the phrase “I Win”.
The weapon is covered with wear-resistant premium material – titanium heated to super-temperatures, applied according to PVD technique. The composition is completed with a gold-colored skull, symbolizing enemies defeated by the hammer’s owner.
99 copies will be produced of this model. A unique number is engraved on the side of the device. The starting price is set at $ 6,910 USD, for which you will receive the model with 128GB of memory. Prices for the iPhone 12 Pro Max Shao Kahn start at $ 7,450 USD.
iPhone 12 Pro Mortal Komat Collection: Shang Tsung
The mighty wizard in Mortal Kombat became the inspiration for the Shang Tsung edition. There we see the soul of a sorcerer extracting another soul of a defeated enemy. The letters that make up the phrase «You Soul is Mine» are lined with material that glows in the dark.
The exclusive smartphone combines titanium with a black, ultra-durable PVD coating with a 3D skull and two snake patterns. The case is adorned with 4 high saturation emeralds that add luxury and mystery to the accessory.
The price of the iPhone 12 Pro Shang Tsung starts at $ 6,600 USD for the 128GB model. In addition, there is a choice of 256GB and 512GB memory. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is available at a starting price of $ 7,140 USD.
One of the things that makes Animal Crossing so special is it’s soothing. There aren’t a lot of other games like it; it’s laid-back and comforting in a way that most games aren’t. Sometimes it can feel less like a game and more like a relaxing space to hang out in. But now that New Horizons has been out for more than a year, you may be looking for something just a little different. Cozy Grove might be just the thing: it has much of what makes Animal Crossing so great but in a tighter package. Also, there are lots of ghosts.
Much like New Horizons, Cozy Grove drops you on a seemingly uninhabited island with the goal of turning it into a bustling town. The difference is that in Cozy Grove, the island used to be inhabited. And it still kind of is. When you first arrive, it’s mostly devoid of color and life. But eventually, you’ll meet a few ghosts, and as you help them out, life will slowly return. You’re helped out by a sentient campfire — reminiscent of Calcifer from Howl’s Moving Castle — who constantly wants to eat something called spirit wood.
What you actually do in the game is very similar to Animal Crossing. You can catch fish, gather fruit, collect seashells, and craft new tools and items to decorate your campsite. There are no time limits or penalties for failure. But Cozy Grove is a bit more structured. The ghosts, which are all adorable animals, will ask for very specific things, like finding some lost earmuffs or catching fish for dinner. You can do a handful of these tasks each day, which will earn you some spirit wood; feed enough to your fire, and the island will grow.
It’s a good system for those who need that extra bit of structure, and Cozy Grove also does something unexpected: it encourages you to log off. There are only a handful of quests each day, and they’ll probably take you less than 30 minutes to complete. After that you’re free to do what you want — fish, decorate, craft — but the game makes it clear that you can’t progress any further until the next day. It’s always nice when a game is respectful of your time. Just like Animal Crossing, Cozy Grove has turned into a habit for me, a nice space to dip into for a brief period each day. It helps that its hand-drawn world is incredibly charming. There’s even some hilarious writing and lore to dig into if you really want.
Cozy Grove is available now through Apple Arcade, and I’ve found it to be a perfect fit for mobile. Once I get a notification that new quests are available, I hop into the game for 20 minutes, and then I’m done. It might be the most peaceful part of my day. For those who don’t subscribe to Apple’s gaming service, Cozy Grove is also coming to the Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC on April 8th.
There must be something in the water in Cambridge, England.
Not only did Cambridge Audio emerge from the university city, but so too did another bastion of British hi-fi. Amplification Recording and Cambridge (as it was known originally) was founded back in 1976, the brainchild of John Dawson and Chris Evans, who met while studying at Cambridge University. Over the years, the name was shortened to A&R Cambridge before Arcam was adopted in the 1980s.
Arcam has cast its product net far and wide over the years, always willing to experiment and entertain new product categories as they have emerged. From iPod speaker docks to standalone DACs, DVD players to music streamers, Arcam hasn’t been afraid to push itself, and the sonic envelope, in terms of both design and performance.
And the results speak for themselves. We’ve seen some absolutely classic products emerge over the years, and in celebration of British Hi-Fi Week, we highlight a number of them below. We kick things off where it all started, with a classic stereo amplifier…
Read our British Hi-Fi Week reviews and features
A&R Cambridge A60 (1979)
(Image credit: Future)
Arcam got off to a flier with its first-ever product, the A60. Launched in 1976, it was a well-equipped integrated amplifier, with a solid selection of line-level inputs and a quality moving-magnet phono stage. We were impressed by the A60’s solid build and sound quality from the start. It cost £190 in the early Eighties and was very much the go-to middle-market amplifier of the time.
The A60’s smooth presentation and expressive midrange made it a fun and entertaining listen. It was surefooted rhythmically and provided decent punch too. The power output of 40W per channel wasn’t special, by any means, but it was still enough to work with a wide range of speakers.
That Was Then… A&R Cambridge A60 (1976) vs. Arcam A19 (2013)
A&R Cambridge P77 (1977)
(Image credit: Future)
If you were looking to upgrade your record player in the late 70s, Arcam’s budget P77 cartridge would probably have been somewhere on your shopping list. It was designed using Japanese parts and boasted excellent tracking ability, although you needed to get the right capacitive loading to get the best sound from the moving-magnet design. We were big fans of its wonderfully open and intimate soundstage at the time, as well as its dynamics, and its rhythmic ability.
The cartridge wasn’t completely immune from criticism, however. We questioned its “slightly fat bass quality and a brightness when not correctly loaded”, proof that there’s always room for improvement, even in some top-performing products.
A&R Arcam Two (1985)
(Image credit: Future)
Arcam might be better known for its electronics, but in 1985 it managed to serve up a cracking pair of stereo speakers in the shape of the Arcam Two. For petite budget standmounters, these really stood out from their rivals. This was partly down to the fantastic build quality on offer. The real-wood finish was superb, while each cabinet was heavily braced and damped to keep vibrations to a minimum. A&R even offered optional wooden pedestal stands for you to perch them on.
We highlighted their “marvellous” stereo imaging and the fact they weren’t lacking in top end detail. They also displayed a “midrange resolution which is of benefit with any kind of music”. At the same time, though, this was a pair of speakers that also benefited from careful system matching. We noted the Arcam’s weighty bass had the potential to sound a little thick and unwieldy if the speakers were partnered with unsuitable electronics.
17 of the best British speakers of all time
Arcam Alpha 7 (1996)
(Image credit: Future)
Based on Arcam’s landmark Alpha One CD player, the Alpha 7 left the competition in its wake when it launched back in 1996. The ‘7’ featured a modular design, which offered the possibility of an upgrade path. This meant that with a new DAC board and a badge change you could transform the Alpha 7 into an Alpha 8. Neat.
It had a smooth, mature and relaxing sound, which made for treble that was softer than that from other players. But the sound had a good weight to it, which helped tracks sound big and substantial where necessary. The Alpha 7 took the game to similarly priced Japanese efforts and held its own – and not many affordable British-made players achieved such a feat.
Arcam Alpha 7SE – The What Hi-Fi? Hall of Fame: 1990s
Arcam DiVA A85 (2001)
(Image credit: Future)
The A85 was different from its forebears. Where previous Arcam efforts veered towards warm and safe, the A85 had the ferocity of a sledgehammer smashing through glass. It worked well with all genres of music, with no trace of boom or bloom, and a clarity that extended throughout the frequency range.
We noted its “immaculately clean” midrange that had a resolution its rivals couldn’t match. The A85 was a sonic leader in its class, a fully featured amp that blew away the competition.
11 of the best British stereo amplifiers of all time
Arcam FMJ AV8 / FMJ P7 (2002)
(Image credit: Future)
If we were to make a list of home cinema highlights from the noughties, then Arcam’s potent processor/power amp combo would be a shoo-in. Granted, at £5500 for the pair, it wasn’t cheap, but the AV8/P7 justified every penny thanks to its breathtaking sonic ability.
The P7 power amp boasted an impressive 170W of power into seven channels, and it deployed it all with a sofa-shaking amount of force. The beauty of this Arcam pairing, though, was also its musicality. It was capable of elevating any movie soundtrack to a level where the listener couldn’t help but be blown away.
For the time, there was also a fair chunk of technology on show too. The AV8 showcased THX Ultra2 certification, and included format support for THX Surround EX and DTS-ES, among others. Remember, this was before the days of HDMI sockets and Dolby Atmos.
Our pick of the best AV receivers you can buy
Arcam Solo (2005)
(Image credit: Arcam)
For hi-fi fans who couldn’t accommodate a stack of separates, the Arcam Solo was the perfect solution – it provided the convenience of a one-box micro system with sensational sound quality. All you needed to do was add speakers. It was the benchmark product of its kind back in 2005, a premium hi-fi set-up that delivered brilliance across the board.
Playing a wide variety of genres, the Solo just refused to put a foot wrong and produced “consistently listenable results, packed with detail and expressive dynamics”.
The Arcam looked understated, but extremely elegant at the same time – the unit felt solid and was beautifully finished too. It combined CD player, DAB/FM tuner and amplifier to fantastic effect and you even had the option of connecting an iPod and controlling it through the Solo’s remote control. As an all-in-one proposition it was very tough to beat.
Read our Arcam Solo review
Arcam rDAC (DAC) 2010
(Image credit: Arcam)
Thanks to the increasing amount of music being stored on computer hard drives, DACs (digital to analogue convertors) had exploded into the mainstream by the time the Arcam rDAC arrived on the scene in 2010. It was a talented device and Arcam got the design, the feature set and the sonic performance absolutely spot on. Emphasis was put on the performance from the asynchronous USB input for computer-based music and the company focused heavily on reducing jitter (digital timing errors).
But to be fair, the rDAC performed well across all inputs delivering a “spacious, controlled and big-boned sound”. Low frequencies were controlled yet authoritative, and detail levels and the DAC’s ability to translate textures accurately was second to none at the money. A superb example of its kind.
Read our Arcam rDAC review
Arcam rCube (2011)
(Image credit: Arcam)
With the rCube, Arcam proved it could be flexible enough to shift from traditional separates and embrace new sources of audio – in this case, the Apple iPod. This portable music player’s emergence spawned the arrival of numerous iPod speaker docks which brought added convenience and a new angle to home audio.
There was no lack of rivals on the market at the time, but, to its credit, Arcam rose to the challenge. The rCube not only delivered excellent cohesive sound quality, it also offered portability (via the rechargeable battery) video playback and a wireless option; it even had multi-room potential – you could buy two and stream from one to the other. Its design meant the speaker dock sounded better tucked in the corner of a room, but it also featured an all-important ‘bass’ boost function which gave it a helping hand in open space. A very clever speaker that stood out from the crowd.
MORE:
Read our Arcam rCube review
6 of the best British hi-fi innovations and technologies
12 of the best Cambridge Audio products of all time
Hulu’s Android TV apps can finally stream in 1080p on new Nvidia Shield TV set-top-boxes and Sony Bravia TVs, as spotted by users on Reddit, and written up by Gizmodo, Android Central, and 9to5Google.
Users first noticed the change in the “App & Device Info” page in the Hulu app. After updating, the app lists the new max video resolution as “1920 x 1080”. It’s sort of a sneaky way to make the change. Looking at the update description on the Play Store, there’s no mention of it, so it’s possible something changed on Hulu’s server side as well.
Hulu’s App & Device Info screen that shows the new max resolution.Image: 9to5Google
Gizmodo says it was able to confirm that at least the Nvidia Shield from 2019 and Bravia TVs received the 1080p bump on March 23rd, but the change hasn’t been reflected in Hulu’s support pages, which were last updated in February. Hulu doesn’t seem to specifically list which devices stream in each resolution (outside of Live TV streaming) on its support site, but it does provide minimum bitrates for each:
Standard Definition (SD): 1.5 Mbps
High Definition (HD) 720p: 3 Mbps
High Definition (HD) 1080p: 6 Mbps
4K Ultra HD: 16 Mbps
For the newer Chromecast with Google TV, which runs a skinned version of Android TV, it’s not clear when 1080p Hulu support was added, or if it launched with it. I was able to check on my own Chromecast’s Hulu app and it does currently support 1080p. We’ve reached out to Hulu to confirm which other Android TV devices might have been affected by this update.
4K streaming is even more limited on Hulu. 4K content is primarily limited to Hulu’s original shows and movies, and according to Hulu’s likely out-of-date list, the devices that can actually stream in 4K are the 5th generation Apple TV, the Chromecast Ultra, Amazon’s Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, LG UHD TVs from 2017 onwards, Roku devices, Vizio TVs with SmartCast, and the Xbox One S and X.
It’s nice that more devices could theoretically stream in a higher resolution, especially for folks who’ve shelled out money for higher resolution displays. I do think it’s worth mentioning, however, that some of the Redditors who first found this change had no idea they’d been streaming in 720p all this time.
Facebook is planning to start its return to in-person work in May, after over a year of working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Bloomberg. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced remote work plans near the start of the pandemic that promised around half of his employees could work remotely in the next five to 10 years, but until then, in-person work, at least in a limited capacity, is in the company’s immediate future.
Facebook is reopening its offices in the Bay Area — including its Menlo Park headquarters — but limiting capacity at 10 percent to start. The company expects its largest offices to not reach 50 percent capacity until September, Bloomberg writes. In addition to limiting how many people are working in close proximity, Facebook also plans to require masks, social distancing, and weekly COVID-19 tests.
Uber is hoping to get back to in-person work even sooner. The ride-sharing company announced that it’ll reopen its Mission Bay, San Francisco headquarters on March 29th, with a limited 20 percent capacity, according to Reuters. Uber plans to follow similar COVID-19 restrictions as Facebook, requiring face coverings, regular cleanings, and asking employees with sick family members to stay home. Prior to this reopening plan, Uber was letting its office employees work from home until mid-September 2021.
Other tech companies inside and outside of California are taking more of a mixed approach (or simply haven’t announced plans yet). Twitter took a big step and made working from home indefinitely an option for all employees at the start of the pandemic. The company doesn’t have a set date for when it will reopen its offices, however, but “it will be gradual, office-by-office, and at a 20 percent capacity to start,” a Twitter spokesperson tells The Verge.
Google and Microsoft are looking into hybrid work models going forward, with Microsoft starting by reopening its Redmond, Washington, headquarters on March 29th. The company also expects working from home part-time to be a standard for all office employees. Google’s plans are less certain, and the company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from The Verge, but in 2020, it said employees would be able to work from home until September 2021 and that it would explore requiring employees only to work three days a week in-person.
Apple did not respond to a request to expand on its plans for returning to in-person work, but the company was reported to have ordered some staff to return to its offices as early as May 2020.
There are still risks involved with working indoors in close quarters with others, and being vaccinated doesn’t guarantee the virus can’t be transmitted. But as companies ease back into whatever “normal” working conditions will look like post-pandemic, it seems guaranteed that remote work isn’t going away entirely anytime soon.
Putting off iOS updates for a week or two is generally fine, but it’s probably a good idea to download the latest one, iOS 14.4.2, as soon as you can. It fixes a security flaw that Apple says may have been exploited out in the wild (via MacRumors). The update also applies to iPadOS, so take a couple of minutes out of your day to go to Settings > General > Software Update.
According to Apple’s update notes, the security flaw allowed for universal cross-site scripting. In other words, a malicious website or script could gain access to information from other webpages you have open, which isn’t great, especially since Apple says that some sites may be doing this.
As I said back in January when Apple released a similar update, this doesn’t mean it’s time to completely lock down your phone and treat it like it’s radioactive until you can get it updated. Just stay clear of sketchy websites (which is good advice in general), and update your phone sooner rather than later.
Locations for H&M clothing stores in China were not showing up on Apple Maps searches in China on Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported, amid growing anger among Chinese consumers at the company’s decision to stop sourcing from the Xinjiang region. The company has more than 400 stores in China, but all H&M locations are now missing from maps, ride-hailing, and e-commerce applications, the Journal found.
It was the latest of several Western brands, which also includes Nike and Adidas, that are facing calls for boycotts in China. The US announced last year it would stop imports of cotton and other goods from Xinjiang, over allegations the Chinese government uses forced labor in its production. Earlier this week, the Biden administration announced it was imposing sanctions against two Chinese officials over what it says are ongoing human rights abuses against China’s Uyghur Muslim population.
In response, the Chinese government and state-run media have urged boycotts of Western brands. On Wednesday, The Communist Party’s Youth League in China pointed to H&M’s statement from last year, in which the company said it was “deeply concerned by reports from civil society organizations and media that include accusations of forced labor and discrimination of ethnoreligious minorities in Xinjiang.” H&M said it would not source cotton from the Xinjiang region as a result.
In a statement posted to its Weibo page earlier this week, H&M China said the company did not “represent any political position” and that the company “continues to respect the Chinese consumer.”
The Journal reported that searches for H&M in Apple Maps on an iPhone, or China-based Baidu Maps, did not return any results, while other retailers appeared as normal. H&M was removed from the Alibaba e-commerce platform this week, according to the Journal.
Apple did not immediately reply to a request for comment from The Verge on Friday.
(Pocket-lint) – The iPhone SE (second generation) is essentially an iPhone 8 externally but with the innards from the iPhone 11. It’s the natural successor to the long-discontinued but very popular iPhone SE from 2016.
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That means you’re getting some flagship features for a mid-range price. Wireless charging and waterproofing stick around, plus the single-camera from the iPhone 8, but with most of the software smarts from the iPhone 11.
We’ve now got the iPhone 12, of course, and you can see how that stacks up against the iPhone 11 here: Apple iPhone 12 vs 11 vs iPhone XR comparison: What’s the difference?
So should you order the new iPhone SE or opt for the more expensive but more advanced iPhone XR or iPhone 11? Here’s the lowdown.
Which is the best iPhone for you?
Design
iPhone SE (2020): 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm, 148g
iPhone XR: 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3mm, 194g
iPhone 11: 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3mm, 194g
The iPhone SE (2020) is based on the iPhone 8 shell and that phone is at the bottom end of Apple’s smartphone range. Therefore it’ll slot in underneath the iPhone XR even though it has even more advanced innards.
iPhone SE is a Touch ID-based handset as opposed to the Face ID used on iPhone 11 and iPhone XR, so the screen doesn’t have a notch.
Surprisingly, it is water-resistant like the other two devices (it’s IP67-rated like the iPhone XR but not like the 11’s and IP68 rating). A glass back means it can also use Qi wireless charging.
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The iPhone SE comes in a single 4.7-inch size – there isn’t an equivalent of the iPhone 8 Plus in the SE range (that spot has now been taken by the iPhone XR, if you like).
The iPhone 8 has now been discontinued. It came in gold, silver and space grey and the SE is available in red (ProductRED), black and white. In comparison, the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 have a wider range of colours in their ranges.
iPhone 11 colours
iPhone 12 colours
Display
iPhone SE (2020): 4.7-inch, LCD, 1,334 x 750 pixel resolution
iPhone XR: 6.1-inch, LCD, 1,792 x 828 pixel resolution
iPhone 11: 6.1-inch, LCD, 1,792 x 828 pixel resolution
None of these models have OLED displays unlike the iPhone 11/12 Pro, iPhone 12, iPhone XS and iPhone X. Both the iPhone 11 and the iPhone XR have a 6.1-inch, Liquid Retina LCD display that has a 1,792 x 828 pixel resolution, giving a pixel density of 326ppi.
The iPhone SE (2020) has a 4.7-inch 1,334 x 750 pixel display, again giving 326ppi. It has True Tone tech like the other two models and yes, it’s the same as the iPhone 8 display.
The displays support Dolby Vision and HDR10 playback.
Cameras
iPhone SE (2020): Single rear camera (12MP), 7MP front camera
iPhone XR: Single rear camera (12MP), 7MP TrueDepth front camera
iPhone 11: Dual rear camera (12MP wide angle and ultra wide angle), 12MP TrueDepth front camera
The iPhone 11 is by far the better camera phone here, with a dual-camera on the rear and 12-megapixel TrueDepth camera on the front.
The iPhone 11 has a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle f/2.4 camera and a wide-angle f/1.8 sensor. There’s optical image stabilisation (OIS), a brighter True Tone flash and Portrait Lighting with six effects, as well as second-generation Smart HDR for photos. You also get a new night mode, a major improvement.
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The iPhone XR has a single 12-megapixel rear camera with f/1.8 aperture, OIS and 5x zoom. It also only offers three effect Portrait Lighting and first-gen Smart HDR for photos.
The iPhone SE (2020) has the same single camera as the iPhone 8 and iPhone XR but betters the XR by having many of the camera software features from the iPhone 11. So there are all six Portrait Lighting effects and Depth Control in addition to the second-generation Smart HDR. There is no night mode however. The front camera can do portrait mode, just like the iPhone 11, but it can’t do Animoji or Memoji. Like the XR you can’t use Portrait Mode unless you have a human face in the shot. Those portraits of your cat or dog using Portrait Mode are a no-no.
All three phones are capable of 4K video recording up to 60fps and Slo-mo up to 240fps at 1080p resolution.
Hardware
iPhone SE (2020): A13 Bionic platform, 64/128/256GB storage, single SIM with eSIM
iPhone XR: A12 Bionic platform, 64/256/512GB storage, single SIM with eSIM
iPhone 11: A13 Bionic platform, 64/256/512GB storage, single SIM with eSIM
The new iPhone SE uses the A13 Bionic chipset like the iPhone 11, bettering the A12 inside the iPhone XR.
The iPhone XR and 11 come in 64GB, 256GB and 512GB storage sizes and there’s the same 64GB entry-level on the iPhone SE, with 128GB and 256GB as the other options.
As we mentioned, the new SE will use Touch ID and have a Home button unlike the Face ID-toting iPhone XR and iPhone 11. Wi-Fi 6 is also supported, as it is in iPhone 11 although the iPhone 11 wireless antennas are better. All three handsets have support for a second SIM in the form of an eSIM.
All three phones also support wireless charging via a Qi charger and Apple’s Quick Charging feature although you will have to upgrade from the charger in the box. If you use a fairly new MacBook (one with a USB-C cable) you can use that charger, although you will have to buy A new USB-C to Lightning cable for it to work. But by doing so you’ll be able to get around 50 per cent charge in around 30 minutes.
All three handsets are 4G only. If you want a 5G iPhone, you need to get an iPhone 12.
Conclusion
There’s little doubt that the iPhone 11 is the best phone here. The main advantage it has over the XR is its second camera, and it’s smaller form factor making it easier to fit in your pocket. Otherwise, the experience will be very similar.
The new iPhone SE will slot in at the bottom of the range, but while it’ll be cheaper the main thing you compromise on compared to the XR will be the Touch ID-based design. The camera on the iPhone SE (2020) in our tests is better, thanks to the additional software improvements.
Many users upgrading from older iPhones will actually find this design reassuring rather than off-putting and may prefer it as an option, especially if you aren’t ready to move to a buttonless iPhone just yet. Plus, the smaller screen size will cater for those who don’t want a large-display phone.
(Pocket-lint) – The line between Oppo and OnePlus may be blurring at the management level, and when it comes to launching smartphones in their homeland in China, but when it comes to delivering flagships in western markets, they still take different approaches to things.
For the start of 2021, Oppo delivered the Find X3 Pro as its standout performer while OnePlus has launched the OnePlus 9 Pro. The two phones both offer top notch specs and performance, but with the prices driving higher this year, how do you choose between them? Should you spend more on the Oppo or is the 9 Pro good enough?
Design
Oppo: 163.6 x 74 x 8.3mm – 193g
OnePlus: 163.2 x 73.6 x 8.7 mm – 197g
Oppo: Gloss Black, Blue and White colours
OnePlus: Morning Mist (silver), Forest Green and Stellar Black colours
Both: Aluminium and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 construction – IP68 water/dust resistant
There was a time when Oppo and OnePlus flagships looked very similar to each other, but with the latest range, that’s no longer true. Of course, from the front they both look almost identical, given they have the same sized skinny-bezeled display and a hole-punch camera in the left corner. Turn them over however, and there’s no way anyone’s confusing these two.
Oppo’s latest premium phone is unlike anything else on the market. The glass curving up to the camera housing is all part of the same glass that makes up the rest of the phone’s rear. That means you get an attractive, seamless look and feel. Plus that matte frosted glass on the blue model makes it feel super soft.
Pocket-lint
OnePlus has taken a vastly different approach, placing its cameras in a rectangle protrusion which is attractive in its own right. Each lens is surrounded by a metal ring, making them stand out visually, while the camera housing is colour matched to whatever the colour of the phone is.
Despite both being large phones, the Oppo is noticeably slimmer in the hand, and it feels more nimble and lightweight in the palm than the OnePlus does. Technically, there’s not a lot of difference in measurements, but holding the two yields very different feels.
Both have metal and glass construction and both are water and dust resistant up to IP68 rating, so which ever one you go for, it should survive being caught in the rain or dropped in a basin full of water.
The one area these two phones really are identical is in the display used on the front. Both have exactly the same 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED display capable of reaching refresh rates up to 120Hz and a peak brightness of 1300 nits.
Maximum resolution for the both is set at QuadHD+ or, specifically, 1440 x 3216 pixels which gives it a density of 525 pixels per inch. That means they’re among the brightest, sharpest and smoothest displays currently available on any phone.
Both use an adaptive frame rate technology too, so that means if you’re looking at a still or slow-moving page, they adapt to the frame rate needed for that page. In the process, that means less power is wasted refreshing the display and as a result, it uses less battery.
Pocket-lint
Both feature Always On ambient displays too, although Oppo gives you more available style options to choose from. Plus, you get the ability to design and customise your very own.
OnePlus used to be the customisation champion with Oxygen OS, but Oppo has pulled ahead in this department offering more wallpapers that take advantage of the fluid, smooth display and giving you more fingerprint animation options.
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Both sets of software let you enable various display features like a comfort tone that adapts the white balance based on your current ambient lighting, plus the ability to schedule night modes and kill blue light.
We experienced some quirks with Oppo’s notification system during the review however, where the OnePlus didn’t seem to suffer with as much inconsistency here.
Hardware and performance
Both: Snapdragon 888 processor
Oppo: 8GB/256GB or 12GB/256GB RAM/storage
OnePlus: 8GB/128GB or 12GB/256GB RAM/storage
Both: 4500mAh battery (2x 2250mAh)
Oppo: 65W Super VOOC 2.0 wired and 30W Air VOOC wireless charging
OnePlus: 65W Warp Charge wired and 50W Warp Wireless charging
Like its displays there are some clear similarities when looking at the internals of the two phones. Namely: they both have the Snapdragon 888 processor inside keeping everything ticking over smoothly.
Pocket-lint
They both even use the same speedy LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage, so that means that not only do your apps and games all run smoothly, but downloads and installations are quick too. Especially if you happen to live in a 5G area and can download over 5G.
What’s interesting here is that while batteries are the same size (4500mAh), we had slightly better battery life with the Oppo. No doubt, this is in part down to its pretty aggressive background task management. Still, sometimes we were able to get through two full days with the Find X3 Pro, where the OnePlus 9 Pro was a couple of hours short of making that mark.
Despite that, both will easily get you through a full day even if you’re someone who’s on the move constantly, listening to music, making calls and catching a few Pokemon on your travels.
With both being part of the same tech family, you often find similar charging technology in the companies’ devices and it’s no different here. Both use a proprietary flash charging system that can reach up to 65W speeds.
What’s different here is the OnePlus’ phone will retain those speeds for longer and can charge a battery from 1-100 per cent in under 30 minutes. The Find X3 Pro will take a few minutes longer to do the same, but in truth, both charge really quickly.
Pocket-lint
It’s in wireless charging where the OnePlus 9 Pro has the clear advantage. Its Warp Charge 50 Wireless can give you a full battery in 43 minutes using the bespoke wireless charging stand while Oppo’s 30W charge will take noticeably longer (around an hour).
In our experience, it’s in the camera department where you notice the biggest differences between the two phones. Both have high quality wide and ultrawide cameras, but Oppo opted to put the same 50-megapixel sensor on both, giving consistent results between them. Both give colour rich, detailed and warm shots.
The OnePlus 9 Pro we found quite inconsistent at times, offering photos that looked cool and blue from the primary and warmer shots like the Oppo from its ultrawide.
Pocket-lint
Both phones have a telephoto zoom lens and although the Oppo only goes up to 2x optical, we found it delivered higher quality results than the OnePlus’ 3.3x optical zoom lens. It was sharper and delivered relatively decent images up to 5x where the OnePlus lost a lot of detail and went quite mushy at times even at its lowest zoom.
Add to that the fact that the Oppo also delivered sharper, better looking images in its night mode vs. OnePlus Nightscape mode and it’s clear that the Find X3 Pro is the much better camera experience overal.
That’s without mentioning the gimmicky Micro lens which lets you get really close into objects and see right into their contruction at an almost microscope-like level. It’s fun to play with, but hard to get sharp in-focus shots from.
Pricing and availability
Oppo: From £1099
OnePlus: From £829
It’s no surprise to see OnePlus’ latest premium model cheaper than the Oppo alternative, however, to see the company’s phones getting so expensive in recent years must be difficult for some of its early fans. With prices starting at £829 in the UK, it’s as expensive as some big-name flagship phones, but still comes in cheaper than phones that are similar in terms of specs and features.
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Oppo’s phone is a flagship device at a flagship price, and creeps over the £1000 barrier just as Samsung and Apple have done in recent years. It sees itself as a true flagship that doesn’t need a discounted price to persuade people to see value in its offering.
Conclusion
Ultimately there are likely only a couple of things that will sway you one way or the other on these two phones. A major factor will likely be the price. Oppo’s top tier phone is more expensive than OnePlus’, and looking at the spec sheet there may not be enough difference between them to warrant that extra money.
With that said, given the more consistent and excellent performance of the cameras on the Oppo, and the more refined design – particularly on the matte blue model – we think that’s extra money worth spending if you’re happy to pony up the extra cash.
Every Friday, The Verge publishes our flagship podcast, The Vergecast, where we discuss the week in tech news with the reporters and editors covering the biggest stories.
This week, co-hosts Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn bring in Verge reporter Allison Johnson to chat about her review of the One Plus 9 and how the phone compares to the company’s 9 Pro model as well as other Android flagship phones out in the market.
The second half of the show is dedicated to Congress’ first big tech hearing of 2021 with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Politics reporter Makena Kelly stops by while the hearing is ongoing to comment on the effectiveness these types of proceedings have on making new tech regulation a reality, the live Twitter trolling conducted by Dorsey himself, and Zuckerberg’s thoughts on reforming Section 230.
There’s a whole lot more in between all of that — like Intel’s big changes coming with its new CEO, an augmented audio reality startup taking on theme parks, and a class action status for the butterfly keyboard suit against Apple — so listen here or in your preferred podcast player for the full discussion.
Further reading:
AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine 79 percent effective in US study
US officials publicly question AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine data
Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine website builds on a swine flu tool
OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro announced with Hasselblad-branded cameras
OnePlus 9 review: cheaper than the Pro and almost as good
The lower-cost OnePlus 9R is official, and it sounds surprisingly strong
OnePlus 9 Pro review: the elegant Android alternative
Here’s how the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro compare to Samsung and Apple’s flagships
The $159 OnePlus Watch is OnePlus’ first smartwatch
Angry MacBook owners get class action status for butterfly keyboard suit
Intel invests $20 billion into new factories, will produce chips for other companies
Intel Unleashed, Gelsinger on Intel, IDM 2.0 (Stratechery)
The startup trying to augment audio reality in public spaces
Yes or no: Are these tech hearings doing anything?
Mark Zuckerberg proposes limited 230 reforms ahead of congressional hearing
Jack Dorsey is just trolling Congress with Twitter polls now
Lina Khan is just the first step toward tougher US tech regulation
Congress tries to get the FTC in fighting shape
Microsoft rebrands Xbox Live to Xbox network
The street prices of Nvidia and AMD GPUs are utterly out of control
KEF’s first noise-cancelling wireless earbuds make a positive impression, even if they fall short of being best-in-class
For
Refined, mature balance
Weighty bass
Good battery life
Against
Beaten for dynamics and expression
Call quality could be better
KEF has dabbled in the headphone market since 2013, experimenting with both over-ear and in-ear models over the years, however it’s fair to say the hi-fi giant hasn’t set the headphone market alight. But could all that be about to change with the ambitious Mu3?
The Mu3 are KEF’s first-ever wireless noise-cancelling earbuds and, in terms of price, slot somewhere in between the big-hitting Sony WF-1000XM3 and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds.
Build
(Image credit: KEF)
If you haven’t heard of Ross Lovegrove before you buy the KEFs, you will have by the time you have unboxed them. His name is emblazoned on the packaging, the instructions and even on the inside of the Mu3 case.
Lovegrove has helped design several KEF products in the past, most notably the KEF Muon – an impressive-looking pair of limited-edition, aluminium, floorstanding speakers that cost an impressive £140,000 ($198,000) per pair. He also played a major part in designing the Award-winning KEF Muo wireless speaker, and now he has turned his hand to a pair of true wireless earbuds.
KEF Mu3 tech specs
(Image credit: KEF)
Type True wireless in-ears
Bluetooth Yes
Noise-cancelling Yes
Battery life 9 hours (+15 hours from case)
Weight 5.8g (each)
From the moment you take the headphones from their packaging, you can see Lovegrove’s involvement. The case looks like a large blob of liquid metal but has a nice subtle shape. It feels robust, too, while the smooth glossy plastic helps to give a more premium first impression. It’s a similar story when you open the case up. The Lovegrove name on the inside might be one nod to the designer too many, but the sheen from the small silver earbuds also gets your attention.
The buds look and feel in keeping with the case, from the smooth glossy exteriors to the KEF logo imprinted on the surface of each bud. They’re surprisingly small, which makes them a little slippery when placed between finger and thumb, but getting them in place with a good seal isn’t too tricky. Pick your eartips (there are four different sizes to choose from), drop them in and twist the buds slightly to lock them into place.
Comfort
(Image credit: KEF)
Provided you achieve a good seal, the level of passive noise isolation on offer is decent. While finding them pretty comfortable for a brief stroll, we are a little less convinced of their comfort during longer listening sessions. The Sony WF-1000XM3 are a slightly bulkier design but feel much less intrusive, as do the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds.
The first time you open the case, the headphones automatically start the pairing process. Once partnered to your headphones, they connect almost as soon as the lid is lifted.
On the outer surface of each earbud, you’ll find a small KEF logo that sits on a circular control button. There are no touch controls here, but the physical ones work perfectly well – and also means you won’t accidentally hit play or skip a track when putting them in place.
On the left earbud, a long press turns the volume down, while a short press switches the noise-cancelling on or off and engages the ambient mode (which lets you hear your surroundings without having to take the buds out of your ears). On the right earbud, a short press answers calls and plays or pauses music and a long press increases volume. Pressing twice stops your phone call or skips forward a track.
Battery life comes in at an excellent nine hours, with the case giving a claimed extra 15 hours of additional juice to keep the buds going. By comparison, the class-leading Sony WF-1000XM3 offer around six hours. If you’re caught short, a quick five-minute blast from the charging case (which uses USB-C) should give you an hour of playtime.
There’s a small LED on the case which blinks when the battery is low, but it’s not that obvious against the glossy plastics and it also doesn’t give any real indication of just how much charge is left. We were caught out when our buds needed charging, only to find the case was also running on empty.
Unlike many wireless earbuds around this price, there’s no app to accompany the KEF Mu3. This means there’s no EQ adjustment for you to play with, but that’s only an issue if you aren’t happy with the balance of the KEFs. And we can’t see why you wouldn’t be.
Sound
(Image credit: KEF)
The KEFs produce a wonderfully balanced sound that’s smooth and refined. They’re quite effortless in their delivery and present the music in a mature and sophisticated fashion, making them easy to listen to over prolonged periods. You can push them to the limits of their battery life and emerge on the other side not feeling drained or tired of their sound.
We play Shout by Tears For Fears and notice fullness and finesse to the percussion, plus a good amount of space around the instruments. There is no hint of harshness as chimes cut through the song’s rich vocal and solid, yet relatively mild-mannered bass. However, the Sony WF-1000XM3 deliver the song with a greater sense of sparkle, proving capable of finding an extra gear when it comes to drama and drive.
Switch to Hayden Thorpe’s Diviner and the smooth, soulful delivery of the track plays to the KEF’s strengths. His vocal is rich and full-bodied with a good sense of expression, while the individual strokes of the piano keys come across well. Again, the Sonys take this level of dynamics and expression up a notch, forming a tighter emotional bond with the listener.
Moving on to Massive Attack’s Angel, the KEFs cope well with the track’s powerful and relentless bassline. There’s a richness to each bass pulse and they sound solid, even if rivals can paint them with greater texture.
The Mu3 do a good job of keeping outside interference to a minimum. Their noise-cancelling tech doesn’t produce such stark results as the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, but it’s effective and, anyway, not everyone is comfortable with the vacuum-like feeling that more aggressive noise-cancelling technology can have.
The call quality could be better, though. While the best pairs of true wireless earbuds lend your voice a more natural-sounding quality, the KEFs have a slightly coarse edge and introduce more compression.
Verdict
KEF has put its head above the parapet and produced a pair of true wireless earbuds that can be considered worthy rivals to the Apple AirPods Pro. However, we have some reservations about the call quality, and while nothing about the performance stands out as being a negative, the Mu3 can’t quite match the sonic ability of the class-leading rivals at this level from the likes of Bose and Sony.
However, if you’re a fan of the KEF brand – or Ross Lovegrove in particular – and have the funds at your disposal, it’s well worth giving them a chance.
Apple is internally discussing releasing a rugged version of its Apple Watch designed for use in “extreme environments,” according to a new report in Bloomberg. The company is said to have considered a release as early as later this year, or 2022. If released, the watch could offer similar core functionality to the regular Apple Watch, but with a more rugged construction such as a rubberized exterior. The report also notes that Apple is planning new swim-tracking features for its watches.
Although the company’s existing watches are already popular for exercise tracking, and are water-resistant to up to 50 meters, they’re not considered to be durable enough for extreme sports like water skiing without additional protection. This has allowed other smartwatch companies like Suunto and Garmin to find a foothold in the market with more specialized devices.
According to Bloomberg, Apple has considered releasing a more rugged version of its Apple Watch at least once before, after the release of the original model back in 2015. But the plans never made it into a consumer device, and there’s every chance the current plans could end up being cancelled or delayed. If released, however, the new rugged model would be offered alongside the traditional Apple Watch models, similar to the low-cost Apple Watch SE the company released last year.
Apple tends to release new smartwatches in the second half of the year. As well as the Apple Watch SE, last year the company released the Apple Watch Series 6. However, its improvements were so iterative we didn’t think it was worth upgrading for anyone who already owns a Series 4 or Series 5 watch. A rugged version, meanwhile, could offer a much more substantial reason to upgrade.
Gaming platform Rec Room is now a unicorn, valued at $1.25 billion during a recent funding round of $100 million. It appears to be one of the first, if not the first, virtual reality-focused startup to achieve unicorn status, a notable feat since Facebook’s landmark acquisition of Oculus VR for $2.4 billion in 2014 helped established the modern VR business.
Founded in 2016, Rec Room is a free app that lets players build custom virtual spaces and games that can be played across various platforms. The Seattle-based company launched on Steam as a VR-focused platform, and in 2018, expanded to non-VR platforms. It’s now available on Xbox, PlayStation, iOS, and PC. CEO Nick Fajt said in an interview with The Verge that VR usage on the platform climbed over the holiday season due in part to sales of the Oculus Quest 2 headset.
In 2020, Rec Room saw a 566 percent increase in revenue — most of that comes from in-game purchases — and it now has more than 15 million lifetime users. Fajt says the company now has 1 million monthly active VR users, a number that tripled during the pandemic, TheWall Street Journal reported.
The platform’s primary users are teenagers between ages 13 and 16, Fajt said, so Rec Room benefited from students being online longer during the coronavirus lockdowns of 2020. But it was also growing in popularity before people were confined to their homes.
“The pandemic accelerated trends we’d been seeing for several years,” Fajt said. “A lot of people are looking for a digital third place that’s distinct from home and school or work where they can meet up with friends, hang out, explore, and be creative. I think that’s been true whether teenagers were going to school physically or on Zoom. People need a space like this.”
He added that while it’s possible the platform may see a decrease in users once teenagers can gather in person, he sees Rec Room as more than just a replacement for real-life socializing. “It’s helping a lot of people maintain connections with friends that are hundreds or thousands of miles away,” Fajt said. “These are friends separated by physical distance not just social distance. So if Rec Room has become part of your routine, I suspect it will stay that way even beyond the pandemic.”
Rec Room is preparing for an IPO in the coming years. In the meantime, other gaming platforms are continuing to grow thanks to a boost from pandemic audiences. Roblox, an online gaming platform for slightly younger users than Rec Room’s, also has seen a sharp uptick in use during the pandemic. Roblox went public via direct listing earlier this month and said in its prospectus that it has 31.1 million daily users, who spent an average of 2.6 hours daily on the platform in the past year.
Roblox told The Verge last summer that over half of US kids and teenagers under the age of 16 play the game. During the pandemic there has been much hand-wringing about kids’ increased screentime, but games like Roblox and Epic Games’ Fortnite provide socialization, just not the in-person kind we may be used to.
Before the pandemic, some of the appetite to develop new AR and VR hardware had started to wane — Sony PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan suggested in October that an update to Sony’s PlayStation VR headset was still a few years away. (Sony has since teased more details about its next iteration of PlayStation VR with a formal product announcement, followed by images of its new controllers.)
But other companies have for years been ramping up their efforts in AR and VR hardware. The Information reported earlier this month that Facebook has some 10,000 employees — roughly a fifth of its workforce — focused on new devices in both fields, and the company has already shown off prototypes of experimental research products and plans to release a pair of Ray-Ban-branded smart glasses later this year. Apple has long been rumored to be working on AR and VR hardware, too, and recent reports suggest the iPhone maker will debut a VR device sometime in 2022.
“The market has shown an increased appetite for gaming companies,” Fajt said. “I think that will only grow as more data becomes available about the strength and durability of these businesses.”
Porsche is adding its all-electric Taycan sports car to its subscription service. For as little as $2,500 a month, you can burn rubber in a 522-horsepower, 390-kW Taycan 4S with rear-wheel drive. The 4S normally retails for around $103,800.
The German automaker’s subscription service, Porsche Drive, first launched in October 2017 as a pilot program in Atlanta, Georgia. It has since grown to eight other cities, including San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, Monterrey, Irvine, Houston, and Phoenix. As a subscriber, you can get access to up to seven different models for a month-to-month subscription or for as little as a day.
“Think of Porsche Drive as sports car-as-a-service, a convenient digital way to access the Porsche experience,” said Kjell Gruner, president and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, in a statement.
Porsche is only making the Taycan 4S available to subscribers initially. Customers can access it through the automaker’s Single-Vehicle subscriber plan, not as a swap in the multivehicle program. The fees are as follows:
$3,250 per month for the Taycan 4S
$2,500 per month for the Taycan with rear-wheel drive
$335 per day for daily rentals for three days or fewer
$295 per day for four-plus days
Porsche says its monthly subscription fees are about 20 percent more than the monthly fees associated with a two-year lease, but they come with the added flexibility of being able to cancel your subscription at any time.
As part of the subscription, Porsche also covers vehicle tax and registration, insurance, maintenance, and detailing. There is a $500 activation fee at first and a credit check, but Apple iOS and Android users can then download the app and schedule same-day or future vehicle exchanges through the Porsche Passport app.
Subscriptions have been a mixed bag for the auto industry. Ford walked away from its service last fall following low demand. Cadillac shut down its service Book in 2018, only to resurrect it several months later with fewer options. Last summer, Mercedes-Benz pulled the plug its Collection subscription service, citing mediocre sales. And most recently, BMW suspended its two-year-old service.
Other automakers have had some success. Audi, Volvo, Nissan, and Jaguar are still offering some variation of a subscription service. Even the big car rental companies, Hertz and Enterprise, are getting in on the action. Most of these subscriptions are only available in specific cities and are still in the pilot phase.
The Intel Rocket Lake CPU launch is less than a week away, but according to new benchmarks from PassMark, Team Blue’s new best CPUs for desktop may already be having some trouble taking off. Of the two Rocket Lake CPUs that PassMark has tested, the Intel Core i9-11900K and the Intel Core i7-11700K, only the i9 beats the Apple M1 in single-core performance. That’s pretty embarrassing, since Intel’s been targeting Apple hard in its ads lately, and since the M1 is primarily a laptop CPU.
PassMark Single Thread Performance Score
Single Thread Performance Score
Intel Core i9-11900K
3,741
Apple M1 8 Core
3,550
Intel Core i7-11700K
3,542
Specifically, PassMark gives the M1 a single-threaded performance score of 3,550. That’s slightly above the Intel Core i7-11700K’s 3,542 score, though it is significantly below the Intel Core i9-11900K’s 3,741 score.
So, we’re not looking at too drastic of a difference here, but given that the i7-11700K has an MSRP of $399 while you can get a full Mac Mini with an M1 for $699 is disconcerting.
Intel’s new desktop CPUs will likely still blaze past the M1 in multi-threaded tests, since Apple’s chip lacks hyperthreading. But Intel still can’t be happy seeing its newest desktop CPUs losing out to a laptop chip in any category. Especially given that the M1’s pro-level successor, the M1X, is already in the works.
Rocket Lake’s already gotten a bit of flack for sticking to a 14nm process, and as more companies move to their own bespoke processors, this is a rough time for Intel to stumble.
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