Apple’s rumoured A14X chip could level up the performance of the next-generation iPad Pro, reports 9to5Mac.
A reference to the long-awaited processor, which is said to be “blisteringly fast”, was spotted in today’s iOS 14.5 beta release. The developer version of Apple’s next operating system mentions a chip named “13G”. But since no such chip exists, the mysterious “13G” is thought to refer to the A14X in disguise.
The tip seems to confirm a recent Bloomberg report, which claims the iPad Pro 2021 will boast “an updated processor that is on par with the faster M1 chip” found in the company’s current MacBook laptops.
If the latest leak checks out, it suggests the A14X – and therefore the next iPad Pro – could be unveiled sooner rather than later.
As it stands, the iPad Pro 2021 is tipped to launch next month. We’re expecting to see two versions, with the larger, 12.9-inch model boasting a Mini LED display. And with the A14X chip under the bonnet, there should be more than enough oomph to show off Mini LED’s LCD-beating contrast and colour reproduction.
The A14X chip is said to use a compact “System-on-Chip” design. There’s even been a leaked speed test by Geekbench that suggests the new chip is faster than the Intel Core i9 processor in the 2020 MacBook Pro (via AppleInsider).
Sounds impressive, but we’ll keep you up to date with all the latest leaks in the run up to Apple’s next launch event. We’re due a bumper crop of Apple devices this year, including the iPad Pro 2021, AirPods 3 wireless earbuds, AirPods Pro 2 noise-cancelling buds, iPhone 13 and new Apple TV.
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Sustainable smartphone manufacturer Fairphone has gotten Google’s certification for its Android 9 update for the Fairphone 2. Getting certification for a nearly three-year-old version of Android doesn’t sound that impressive until you realize that it’s running on a phone originally released five years ago when it ran Android 5. The roll-out of the software starts today, and will continue until April 18th, Fairphone says.
It’s a length of support that’s basically unheard of among Android phone manufacturers. Although Fairphone 2 owners aren’t going to be able to enjoy the latest Android 11 features, the more important thing is that they’re running a version of Android that’s still officially supported. Google’s latest Android security bulletin from this month includes multiple fixes for security issues in Android 9.
The Fairphone 2’s Android 9 update has been in the works for a while and was released in beta way back in June 2020. At the time, Fairphone outlined the challenges it had in trying to support such an old phone, including the fact that Qualcomm no longer provides support for the processor inside the device, a Snapdragon 801, which originally announced back in 2014.
“To get Google certification for Android 9 for Fairphone 2 just as we hit five years of support for the smartphone is a huge achievement for Fairphone,” says CEO of Fairphone Eva Gouwens. “In order to get certification, we had to pass approximately 477,000 Google tests.”
“We want to show the industry that this kind of thing is possible, that a smartphone doesn’t have to be discarded after 2-3 years, we can prolong it’s lifespan,” the CEO added.
The only other smartphone manufacturer that offers a similar length of support for its devices is Apple, which last year released iOS 14, its latest phone OS, for its 2015 iPhone 6S. Android manufacturers, while behind Apple, are improving. Samsung now offers four years of security updates for its recent Galaxy devices, while Google offers three years of updates for its Pixel phones, and OnePlus says it plans to release Android 11 for its 2018 OnePlus 6 and 6T.
The Fairphone 2’s update to Android 9 this long after release bodes well for the company’s long-term support of its more recent Fairphone 3 and 3 Plus phones. The company says the phones should be updated to Android 11 in the second half of this year, with “one more major Android upgrade” coming thereafter. Software support and spare parts availability is set to continue until 2024.
Google appears to be testing touchscreen controls for Stadia on Android. 9to5Google has analyzed the latest Stadia release on Android, and found multiple references to a “direct touch” feature. Once enabled, direct touch will allow Stadia users to tap, swipe, and pinch elements in games, or continue to use a Bluetooth or USB controller.
It’s not yet clear which games will support direct touch, although Stadia currently has very limited support for touchscreen controls in games like Monopoly that allow users to toggle a touch mode on. This new direct touch feature has only been discovered in the Android version of Stadia, but hopefully it makes its way to the web version for iOS, too.
Google hasn’t officially detailed direct touch for Stadia, so we don’t yet know how touch controls will be supported. Microsoft’s xCloud game streaming service has implemented a variety of touch controls across more than 20 games, allowing Xbox players to enjoy games without a controller.
Google also appears to be readying Android TV support for Stadia. 9to5Google notes that there are explicit references to Android TV in this latest Stadia app update. Stadia launched on Chromecast Ultra devices, but support for Android TV has been missing since Stadia’s debut more than a year ago.
Apple has a rocky relationship with some iOS developers because of its seemingly arbitrary decisions over what gets published and when — and now, because of a dumb miss, it’s being accused of putting profits ahead of human rights in Myanmar by the founder of ProtonMail and ProtonVPN, even though that’s probably not what happened.
Proton founder Andy Yen writes that Apple blocked an important security update to the company’s privacy-protecting ProtonVPN software simply because Apple didn’t like the app’s description, specifically this line:
Whether it is challenging governments, educating the public, or training journalists, we have a long history of helping bring online freedom to more people around the world.
If you’re having a hard time finding anything objectionable there, you’re not alone — but Apple told Proton it wasn’t okay to encourage “users to bypass geo-restrictions or content limitations.”
The context here is that VPNs have become a critical tool for protesters in Myanmar to sidestep an huge internet crackdown during the country’s ongoing, bloody military coup. One researcher told Bloomberg that VPN use has increased 7,200 percent since early last month, when the government blocked Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
I’m with Daring Fireball’s John Gruber on this: I highly doubt Apple made a conscious decision to deny ProtonVPN to Myanmar — the company’s smart enough to know how that would look, and it’s not like the app was blocked, just a security update. Yen is an outspoken critic of the App Store now, having told Congress (and The Verge) last year how he’d been strong-armed by Apple.
But the fact it’s just a security update makes the rejection extra dumb,because Apple explicitly said last year that it’d no longer hold up bug fixes because of these arbitrary guideline violations.
Regardless, Apple comes off looking a little like the bad guy here, especially now that ProtonVPN has taken the high road and ceded to Apple’s demands. “Due to the emergency situation in Myanmar, we removed the language about challenging governments which Apple found objectionable, and the app was finally approved,” Yen tells The Verge. Apple didn’t respond to a request for comment.
That perception seems like it’s going to be increasingly hard to fight, now that antitrust scrutiny of Apple’s App Store has been heating up in Congress and the courts, with the Epic App Store trial set to begin May 3rd.
It doesn’t help when Apple is seemingly caught breaking its own rules and needing to apologize, particularly when it could be seen as retaliation against an app developer (Yen) who’d previously spoken out. Last year, many other developers weren’t willing to come forward and admit they’d been forced to add in-app purchases to their apps, specifically because they feared retaliation.
If you have been looking to play Rocket League on the go but don’t own a Nintendo Switch, Psyonix’s massively popular vehicular soccer game is finally coming to mobile devices. The developer announced a new free-to-play version called Sideswipe that will arrive on iOS and Android later this year.
Rocket League Sideswipe looks to be largely the same as the main version of Rocket League, but it will bring a new perspective that accommodates mobile devices. According to the press release, players will compete in two-minute 1v1 or 2v2 matches. Another big change to Sideswipe is a switch to touch controls.
Sideswipe will be free to play, just like the main version, which switched to this model last year. Before the game releases, Psyonix announced that a limited alpha test will be available on Android via Google Play to players in Australia and New Zealand today. More betas will be available in the coming months, according to Psyonix.
Rocket League coming to mobile devices is no surprise, as it joins other popular PC and console games that have been ported to iOS and Android in recent years to largely great success. Most notably, Call of Dutyand PUBG’s mobile versions have grown substantially by releasing mobile versions, with PUBG Mobile hitting 1 billion downloads worldwide earlier this week. Next week will see League of Legends expand to mobile as well, with the open beta of a spinoff called Wild Rift.
Deezer has revealed a new subscription tier combining the benefits of its ad-free Family and Hi-Fi packages called, unsurprisingly, Family HiFi.
If you’re already a Deezer HiFi user, you can upgrade to Family HiFi immediately and get up to six individual, password-protected profiles for £19.99/$19.99 a month (the service isn’t rolling out to Australia just yet) – that’s an increase of £5/$5 over a regular HiFi subscription. New subscribers will get the opportunity to open a Family HiFi account for the same price later in the year.
A single Deezer HiFi account currently costs £14.99/$14.99 per month for which users can listen to 70 million tracks in 16-bit, 1411kbps CD-quality across several devices, including iOS, Android, desktop, plus various other audio products, from multi-room speakers to AV receivers. The top-level service also allows access to the 360 by Deezerapp that allows you to experience tracks encoded in 360 Reality Audio, Sony’s immersive audio format.
Those who upgrade to FamilyHiFi will also get the benefit of parental controls, dedicated customer service for HiFi users, and a specially curated Family Mix, so you might want to vet the tastes of your relatives before sharing.
The announcement brings Deezer in line with its streaming rivals in offering a multi-user CD-quality tier with Amazon Music HD (£19.99/$19.99), Tidal (£29.99/$29.99), and Qobuz (£24.99/$24.99) already offering the option to add up to 6 users to their top tiers, although Deezer still doesn’t have the option of hi-res audio.
With streaming giant Spotify set to join the party later this year with its CD-quality Spotify HiFi tier, and no word on the pricing or if it includes a family subscription, Deezer appears to be attempting to strengthen its offering in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
OnePlus has released its new batch of phones, the OnePlus 9 and the 9 Pro. As is the tradition with OnePlus, the phones are equipped with the latest high-end Snapdragon chips and are priced lower than most of the competition.
Both phones also include charging features that Apple and Samsung don’t match: they wirelessly charge at a super-fast 50W and can charge at 65W over wired charging. They also both have Hasselblad’s camera tuning and software.
The OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro are very similar, but there are a few differences to watch out for:
The Pro has a bigger screen
The Pro includes a telephoto camera and mmWave 5G
The unlocked and T-Mobile versions of the Pro have IP68 certification — only the T-Mobile version of the regular phone is IP68 certified
The Pro includes “Hyper Touch” where it polls for finger input at 360Hz
At retail prices, the regular OnePlus 9 is $70 cheaper than Samsung’s regular Galaxy S21 and $100 cheaper than the iPhone 12. Both of those phones include mmWave and IP68 water resistance. But if those aren’t features you care about, it may be worth the savings to you.
The 9 Pro can’t quite match the all-out specs and features of the Galaxy S21 Ultra, but it’s also priced well below it, too. For fun, we also threw in Oppo’s latest flagship phone, which isn’t available for purchase in the US but is pretty similar to the Pro.
It’s taken years, but OnePlus is finally getting in the smartwatch game with the newly announced OnePlus Watch, starting at $159. The new watch (as was revealed last week) has a round design that looks similar to a regular wristwatch, instead of the oblong rectangle popularized by the Apple Watch and its imitators, like the Oppo Watch.
The case itself is stainless steel, measures 46mm, and features two buttons on the side (one of which features the OnePlus logo). It’ll be available in two colors: silver and black. The display is a 1.39-inch OLED panel at 326ppi, with sapphire glass.
The watch will also feature a version of OnePlus’ Warp Charge system (promising a week of battery life off a 20-minute charge). OnePlus promises that the watch should last up to two weeks on a single charge or up to one week for heavier users.
Specs-wise, the OnePlus Watch features 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, and integrated speakers. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS are all built in, but there’s no cellular option. If you want connectivity on the watch, you’ll have to be connected to a nearby phone.
Image: OnePlus
Fitness is also a big part of the OnePlus Watch. It’ll offer over 110 workout modes, offer built-in GPS, and feature IP68 water and dust resistance. Additionally, the OnePlus Watch features internal storage for music, which allows users to store up to 500 songs to listen to over their Bluetooth headphones when out on a run, even if they don’t have their phone with them. The OnePlus Watch can also automatically detect and track workouts as well as monitor sleep, stress, blood oxygen saturation, and heart rate.
OnePlus isn’t using Wear OS for the OnePlus Watch, though. As the company had announced before the event, it’ll use RTOS-style software setup (similar to companies like Fitbit), with a companion app that will allow it to connect to your phone to receive calls and notifications. (An iOS app for Apple users is promised for the future, too.)
That means things like app selection and custom watchfaces will be largely limited to whatever OnePlus can build in-house — so no third-party apps, at least for now. That said, to start, there’ll be dozens of watchface options to choose from (with additional customization choices to add more style options), so users will have some flexibility.
The OnePlus Watch can also be connected to a OnePlus TV (where available), allowing it to be used as a remote. And if you happen to fall asleep when you’re watching TV on OnePlus’ set, the watch can automatically turn off the TV after it detects that you’ve fallen asleep.
Image: OnePlus
The company also announced a limited edition model made out of a cobalt alloy, which it says is twice as hard as stainless steel. OnePlus says that the Cobalt Limited Edition will be “coming soon,” but the company isn’t providing a price yet.
The OnePlus Watch will start at $159 and will be available starting on April 14th from OnePlus’ website.
Valve is launching a dedicated Steam Link app for macOS this week. The app allows Steam users to stream games from a PC to devices with the Steam Link app installed. While the Steam macOS app has offered streaming already, MacRumors points out that this lightweight Steam Link app is just 30MB in size from the Mac App Store compared to the full Steam app, which requires 1GB of storage space.
Steam Link will be useful on Macs, particularly as it’s rare to see big AAA games debut on macOS. Mac users typically have to dual boot Windows, use virtualization apps, or Steam games from a PC to get access to most of the latest titles.
Steam Link launching on macOS follows a Linux version of the app earlier this month, and it now means Steam Link is available on macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and Raspberry Pi. All you need to do is download the Steam Link app, pair your device with a compatible controller, and connect to a PC over your local network to stream PC games.
Valve also rolled out a big update to its Remote Play Together feature earlier this month, allowing Steam users to stream local multiplayer games with friends over the internet.
There’s a new iPad on the way. Or, rather, four to be exact.
Apple is said to be about to launch a new iPad Pro next month. While most range refreshes include minor tweaks, this one should bring some major new screen technology into play – and it’s tech that could really improve the user experience.
Not only that, but Apple is also thought to be working on a new iPad Mini that’s bigger than the current model, as well as a refresh to the standard iPad; both of those should launch this year. Add them to the two different-sized Pro models, and that makes four new iPads in the pipeline.
Excited? You should be. Here’s why.
Check out the current range: Best iPads: big, small, budget and premium
Apple iPad Pro 2021: release date
The next iPad Pro refresh could happen very soon indeed. That’s according to Bloomberg, which carried a report recently detailing the new models.
Its sources say that the new Pro models will launch in April. There’s no firm date set, and Apple is yet to announce any events for the coming weeks. But it usually gives at least two weeks’ notice, so expect a mid-April launch at the earliest.
Once they have been announced, however, the new iPads could go on sale just days later, or even immediately.
This would be the fifth generation of iPad Pro. The current model launched last March, a year ago almost to the day. But a spring launch isn’t a given for iPad Pros. The third generation launched in October 2018, while the second gen landed in June 2017. The first model was announced in September 2015 and launched in November of the same year. Fingers crossed it becomes a new spring regular.
OS agnostic? Read our guide to the best tablets covering both iOS and Android
iPad Pro 2021: price
(Image credit: Apple)
The iPad Pro is the daddy of the iPad family, a stylus-equipped tablet that’s superpowered for work and play. Want the best games? The crispest movies? Need it for work, be it illustrating, animating, video editing or music production? It’s the tablet for you.
Of course, all this power doesn’t come cheap. Here’s how the current Pro models stack up.
iPad Pro 11in: from £769 ($799, AU$1329)
iPad Pro 12.9in: from £969 ($999, AU$1649)
With all that natty new screen tech at hand to go with all the usual improvements, we can’t see Apple dropping the price of the new models. Expect them to be in keeping with the current price tags.
iPad Pro 2021: screen
(Image credit: Apple)
We’re expecting two new models of iPad Pro, in the same sizes as the current models (11in and 12.9in). And it’s the bigger of the two that’s really got our attention.
That’s because it is said to boast a Mini LED screen. Like OLED, this technology is used in TVs, but it has better contrast ratios than the current Pro’s OLED panel. It is also less susceptible to burn-in, so if you accidentally leave your tablet on YouTube over the weekend you won’t have to worry about the logo being forever etched in the screen.
We don’t have only Bloomberg‘s word for it. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said back in 2019 that he expected Apple to start using Mini LED screens in its tablets and laptops. He even predicted that Apple would launch the tech in the 12.9in iPad Pro. When two such reputable sources say the same thing, the odds are that it’s true.
Mini LED has a lot going for it. It’s pitched as a more affordable version of OLED, though it works similarly to LCD tech. Essentially, the LEDs on a Mini LED panel’s backlight are much, much smaller than those used on a traditional LCD screen – and therefore there are a great many more of them; we’re talking tens of thousands rather than tens of hundreds. The idea is that the more LEDs used, the greater control the device has over over local dimming – i.e. how bright or dim parts of the screen can go. Theoretically as a result, Mini LEDs can produce pictures with better contrast, pictures with more precise shading and, in turn, better colour reproduction than your average LCD screen.
With a backlight, Mini LED TVs can reach a higher peak brightness than an OLED screen is capable of, and as there is greater control over what portions of the screen are dark it’s easier to achieve deeper blacks. That said, as there is still a backlight in the mix and the LEDs can’t turn completely off, as the self-emissive diodes in OLEDs can, it’s doubtful they’ll be able to produce quite the lights-off blacks that OLEDs can.
Still, we can’t wait to see the technology in action on an iPad. And it sounds as though we won’t have to, for long.
iPad Pro 2021: design
While the screen may be all new, it doesn’t sound as if the design of the device will change much, if at all. According to Bloomberg‘s report, the new Pro models will look similar to the current models. But that’s no bad thing.
The current iPad Pro, after all, is about as sleek as tablets come. Thanks to its narrow bezel, it’s basically all screen, making movies, games and TV shows all the more immersive. Sticking to this design will only serve to better show off the new screen tech, too – when the device is all screen, it really enhances those popping colours and sharply defined edges.
The current models are super slim and light, too. The 11in model sizes up at 24.7 x 17.8 x 0.6cm, while the 12.9in version comes in at 28 x 21.5 x 0.6cm. The smaller model weighs 473g, while the larger tips the scales at 643g – that’s lighter than a squeezy bottle of ketchup.
Unlike some other tablets, the Pro features speakers on both its top and bottom. This means that, when watching a film with the tablet in landscape orientation, you benefit from stereo sound, in contrast to those tablets with speakers in only one place.
The Pro also features a USB-C connection, but the new models have reportedly been tested with Apple’s Thunderbolt connectors. It’s not clear at this point whether they will ship with Thunderbolt or USB-C.
Apple is also reportedly testing its MagSafe connector for laptops. MagSafe is a magnetic connector – because it connects using magnets, the connection breaks if the cable is yanked out, and your device won’t tumble to the floor (say if someone trips over the cable). It was first used in Apple’s laptops, but recently made a return in the iPhone 12 as a way of snapping on accessories. With Apple mulling over MagSafe for MacBooks, could the next iPads also use it?
iPad Pro 2021: specs
(Image credit: Apple)
While the new iPad Pros might look almost identical to the current models, they should be much more powerful. So powerful, in fact, that performance should reportedly be “on a par” with Apple’s M1 MacBook Airs, MacBook Pros and Max Mini.
These M1 devices are the first to feature Apple’s own processors. That’s because last year the firm stopped using Intel chips in favour of its own, homegrown ones, known as Apple silicon. With Apple making both the hardware and software, it is able to optimise performance – these chips are made specifically for Apple devices, after all, as opposed to off-the-shelf processors that power all manner of desktops, laptops and tablets.
Reviews have praised Apple silicon devices, due to their notably improved performance. They have also shown big improvements in battery life.
For example, the latest Apple MacBook Air boasts up to 15 hours of wireless web performance, and up to 18 hours of movie streaming via the Apple TV app. The current iPad Pros manage only about 10 hours of power before needing a recharge, so it’s quite possible that the new models will see a significant battery bump.
The new Pros are also said to have new cameras, but here details are a bit thin on the ground.
Tablets’ cameras are usually a bit of an afterthought; but not on the Pro. This is a device built for creative professionals, after all, and imaging technology is likely to be high on their priority list. It has two rear cameras (a 12MP wide-angle lens, and a 10MP ultra-wide), with 2x optical zoom and 5x digital zoom. It also allows for 4K video recording at 24fps, 30fps or 60fps, 1080p HD video recording at 30fps or 60fps, and 720p HD video recording at 30fps.
The 7MP front-facing camera also has 1080p HD video recording at 30fps or 60fps.
Any upgrade on these would be most welcome, especially to the filmmakers eyeing up a new tablet to help make their movies.
Other new iPads for 2021
(Image credit: Apple)
As we said, the new Pros aren’t the only iPads in the Apple pipeline. The firm is also reportedly working on a new iPad Mini and a refresh of the standard iPad.
The Mini should have a slightly larger screen than the current 7.9in iPad Mini. This follows the trend in mobiles, which has been for bigger screens in recent years. Though it would still carry the Mini moniker, so don’t expect it to supersize anytime soon.
The standard iPad will reportedly be slimmer and lighter than the current model. The current iPad measures 25 x 17 x 0.7cm, so cutting down these dimensions will be no mean feat.
Expect minor spec bumps for these two devices, too.
Both of these iPads are expected to launch later in the year, possibly around September. That would be a year on from the last iPad range refresh. It’s also when we’re expecting the new iPhone 13. Could be a busy month.
MORE:
Read our in-depth Apple iPad (2020) review
Find the perfect Apple tablet for you: the best iPads 2021
Apple’s first over-ear headphones rated: read our AirPods Max review
Everything we know so far about the rumoured AirPods 3
Astell & Kern — the company best known for its high-end portable digital audio players — is making a USB-C DAC (digital-to-analog converter) that’s designed to help get better-sounding audio from modern smartphones and computers that may lack a 3.5mm headphone jack.
If you want to use any digital device with a 3.5mm headphone jack, you need a DAC. Older devices that had 3.5mm headphone jacks featured integrated DACs (some better than others, like LG’s famous Quad DAC system on its former flagships).
But the death of the 3.5mm headphone jack on modern smartphones in favor of exclusively USB-C (or in Apple’s case, Lightning ports) has left a gap for audiophiles. Now if you want to use older headphones or sound setups, you’ll need a USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack dongle — which, by default, is already technically a DAC. (In fact, some, like Apple’s $9 USB-C dongle, are apparently fairly decent.)
But the new Astell & Kern USB-C Dual DAC promises a higher-fidelity experience, offering two CS43198 DACs paired with an analog amplifier to offer a better sound experience, with support for 32bit/384kHz playback. And given the $150 price tag, it had better offer a better experience than Apple or Google’s sub-$10 dongles.
Astell & Kern says it’s drawing on its experience of creating portable media players to build the new USB-C DAC, and while the DAC itself doesn’t have an external power supply (instead drawing power from the phone or computer), the company says it can still drive a pair of “high impedance headphones with a 2Vrms (Condition No Load) output level.”
The new DAC should be compatible with “most” Android smartphones and tablets and both macOS and Windows 10 computers. But Astell & Kern says that iOS devices — even USB-C ones like Apple’s recent iPad Pro lineup — won’t be compatible.
The new Astell & Kern USB-C Dual DAC is available to preorder now from the company’s website ahead of a planned May release date.
(Pocket-lint) – We reviewed the original Bose SoundLink Revolve back in 2017. So to see the “Plus” model back three years later for the sequel – which adds better water-resistance and improved battery life – surely spells portable speaker perfection?
Well, it depends how you look at it. Sure, the SoundLink Revolve+ II has those minor improvement points, but the design otherwise remains as it was – including the older Micro-USB connector – which seems a little odd considering the more advanced yet similarly priced Bose Portable Home Speaker has launched in the interim.
What the SoundLink Revolve+ II really delivers upon is portability and 360-degree sound output so that could make it your outdoor summer soundtrack partner (hopefully with some friends too, eh, 2021?).
Design & Setup
Dimensions: 184mm tall x 105mm diameter (widest) / Weight: 900g
Connectivity: Bluetooth, 3.5mm/AUX, USB
Bose Connect app (iOS & Android)
On-body controls, voice prompts
Finishes: Luxe Silver, Triple Black
IP55 weather-resistant design
Bose makes a number of semi-conical speakers, delivering its typical stylish design language here in the SoundLink Revolve+ II. There’s no seams to the metal centre unit, with uniformly drilled holes allowing sound to perforate the full 360-degrees of output.
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Also typical of Bose design is a rubber-like cap up top, which can handle a few knocks and bumps no problem, and is also where the on-board controls live. You can control Bluetooth pairing, source, and volume up/down from here if you’re not using the app instead.
There’s also a flexible fabric handle to make portability even easier – not that this speaker is especially heavy, at under a kilo. However, there’s no charging base, like the one you’ll find in the Bose Portable Home Speaker, but you can buy one as an optional extra at your own cost.
Pocket-lint
That IP55 rating might sound meaningless unless you get the full description: the first ‘5’ means it can withstand limited dust ingress from its electrical enclosures; the second ‘5’ means it can withstand low jets of water from any direction. It’s not waterproof, therefore, so don’t go lobbing it in the pool – but a splash won’t be a bother.
Best Alexa speakers 2021: Top Amazon Echo alternatives
By Britta O’Boyle
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When it comes to setting up the SoundLink Revolve+ II your main option is Bluetooth (otherwise it’s wired AUX or USB). If connecting from a mobile device you’ll be prompted to obtain the Bose Connect app – available for Google Android and Apple iOS – which will walk you through the process.
Pocket-lint
It’s here – on the speaker itself – that you’ll begin to hear voice prompts, i.e. spoken word, to help guide you through everything too. The spoken word form is very Bose – the same as you’ll find in its other devices, such as the NC 700 Headphones.
Otherwise connectivity is fairly straightforward. There’s no Wi-Fi, so no Airplay or Chromecast, with the target being casual indoor and outdoor listening. To that end, again, the Bose Portable Home Speaker is much better connected overall – while still being portable and weather-resistant.
Sound Quality
Dual passive radiators, single down-firing transducer
Pair to other Bose Home speakers
Battery life: to 17 hours quoted
360-degree sound output
As we said of the original: “Good sound quality from a Bose product is almost taken as a given. If there’s a Bose logo on it, it’ll be well balanced and easy listening.”
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The same rings true for the SoundLink Revolve+ II: the sound is projected from every angle using an internal deflector, providing largely uniform and believable sound from whichever angle you’re listening.
Rather than going down the route of having multiple little speakers all pointing in different directions, the Revolve+ II has one main speaker that points downward, using the deflector at the base to bounce the sound out in all directions.
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This design gives the speaker grounding, while two passive bass radiators and enough air space – despite the small size – seeing to pretty considerable bass output too. So whether you like your underground dance music, impactful rock, or something more poppy or easy-listening, this speaker can handle it all.
Indeed, to the point that it fills up even pretty large rooms. Not as convincingly as a larger system, but given just how small this Bose product is the sound is well beyond its size.
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Volume is decent too, remaining convincing throughout its mid levels. Crank it up loud the bass can’t keep up with the dynamic, though, which is a tell-tale of the product’s scale.
In terms of longevity the 17 hours quoted seems accurate from our week of medium-level listening sessions. That’s always going to be dependent on volume factors, but at least you’ll get voice prompts about battery so you can assess expectations with reasonable accuracy too.
Verdict
If you’re looking for a stylish portable Bluetooth speaker then the SoundLink Revolve+ II is a great little speaker. It exudes style and sounds great through 360-degrees too.
It’s the context of where it sits that’s a little more challenging. We’d opt for the Bose Portable Home Speaker for the extra sound and connectivity. And as the second-gen Revolve’s design hasn’t evolved beyond the original there’s also the temptation to look back at other older products, of which there are many for a cut of the asking price. squi
Also consider
Pocket-lint
Bose Portable Home Speaker
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Although it was release before the SoundLink Revolve+ II, the newer design brings USB-C, greater connectivity, and, to our ears, greater sound quality too. There’s some water-resistance, plus an included charging stand, which makes this the product to plump for – and only for a touch more cash in any event.
Read our review
Pocket-lint
Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3
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It might be older, but it’s a chunk of cash less than the Bose, still sounds massive, plus there’s full water-proofing to put it a cut above. However, it’s with design where the Bose takes extra points.
Portable music player specialist Astell & Kern has launched a USB-C DAC cable to enhance the sound quality of an Android phone, Windows 10 PC, tablet PC or MacOS computer.
As we bask in an age of high-quality streaming and increasingly high-performing headphones, the weak link in on-the-go listening is invariably the standard audio output of such devices. Portable DACs such as the AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt, Audiolab M-DAC nano and Zorloo Ztella have come in to help right that wrong, and now Astell & Kern is stepping in with a solution of its own for the increasing number of USB-C-ported devices on the market.
Essentially, the AK USB-C Dual DAC Cable is designed to be the link between USB-C devices and headphones, and improve the audio quality in the process. (Astell & Kern says the cable doesn’t support iPhones and iPads due to the dual DAC incompatibility and power restrictions of iOS devices.)
(Image credit: Astell & Kern)
The DAC is founded on two Cirrus Logic CS43198 MasterHIFi digital-to-analogue chips, which support high-resolution audio playback up to native PCM 32-bit/384kHz DSD256. Astell & Kern is behind a number of excellent, What Hi-Fi? Award-winning portable music players, so it’s not surprising to learn it has carried its expertise in circuit and amplifier design, and DAC implementation, into this DAC cable. To that end, the circuit features the bespoke capacitors found in its players and has been optimised to prevent power fluctuations. The analogue amplifier is designed to drive a variety of headphones, including power-hungry and high-impedance models (with a 2Vrms output level).
That impressive-looking twisted cable – made up of Technora aramid fibre at its core, wrapped by silver-plated copper and a further copper layer, then finished with separate shielding treatment – promises to not only physically withstand the daily grind but also, importantly, block external noise and thus reduce signal interference.
The AK USB-C Dual DAC Cable’s polished metal zinc alloy casing has an angled surface that resonates with the aesthetic of the company’s portable music players. The fact it’s the size of a packet of gum and weighs just 25g means it can discreetly slip into your desktop set-up or pocket without adding much bulk.
The Astell & Kern AK USB-C Dual DAC Cable is priced £109 ($149) and will be available from April in the UK and May in the US.
MORE:
Best DACs 2021: USB, portable and desktop DACs
Read our Astell & Kern reviews
The Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 is our favourite portable music player
Among Us’ new Airship map will be available on March 31st as part of a free update coming to the hit social deduction game. Developer InnerSloth says the Airship map is the game’s biggest yet, with new tasks and the ability to pick which room you start in.
You can get a preview of the new map in this trailer, which released during The Game Awards in December.
The new update will also add what InnerSloth is calling a “preliminary” account system to help with moderation. Accounts have been in the works for a while, and InnerSloth wanted to make sure to take the time to implement them thoughtfully, according to a blog post.
“A proper moderation system is one that is extremely difficult and time consuming,” the studio said. “It is not as easy as just having a ‘report’ button and having an algorithm ban someone after a certain number of reports.”
Perhaps most importantly, InnerSloth is also teasing that there will be new free hats in the update. (Though I’m not sure I’ll ever change from the red beanie, my personal favorite.)
Among Us was first released in 2018, but it blew up last year as people turned to the game during the pandemic. (Roughly half a billion people reportedly played it in November.) The game became so popular that InnerSloth even canceled a planned sequel to focus on the original.
The game is currently available for PC, iOS, Android, and Switch, with an Xbox port on the way sometime this year.
Twitter is testing a way to let you watch YouTube videos right from your timeline. Typically, when someone includes a YouTube link in a tweet, clicking that link sends you to YouTube, which can be frustrating if you didn’t want to leave Twitter to watch the video. This new feature, which is in testing today on iOS, means you won’t be sent away from Twitter, which will make it easier to watch a video and then keep on scrolling if you so choose.
Twitter shared how the feature works in a GIF:
Starting today on iOS, we’re testing a way to watch YouTube videos directly in your Home timeline, without leaving the conversation on Twitter. pic.twitter.com/V4qzMJMEBs
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) March 18, 2021
The test will be available to “a very small group of users” in Canada, the US, Japan, and Saudi Arabia, Twitter said in a statement shared with The Verge after we first published this story.
“The current test on iOS will be a four-week experiment,” a Twitter spokesperson said. We plan to take a look at the results and will scale accordingly.”
This new test arrives alongside two others announced last week for iOS and Android that are intended to improve sharing and viewing media on the social network. One test adds a “what you see is what you get” image preview in the tweet composer, meaning images appear in your timeline as they do when you’re drafting a tweet. The company is also testing ways to upload and view 4K images on mobile.
Update March 18th, 2:56PM ET: Added information from Twitter.
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