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TechStage | Ikea Symfonisk table lamp in the test: Sonos with lamp

Testing Tests overview Smartphone Motorola Moto G 5G Plus test: A lot of battery for little money Huawei P Smart 2021: Budget model with room for improvement Asus Zenfone 7 Pro: Turbo smartphone with flip camera Samsung Galaxy Xcover Pro in the test: hard but slow Oneplus Nord N 09 5G in the test: Galloped up in price Oppo Find X2 Pro in the test: performance bargain Asus ROG Phone 3 in the test: Perfect gaming smartphone Smartwatch Oppo Watch in the test: Great AMOLED Smartwatch from 221 € Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 in the test: competition for Apple? Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro in the test: Smartwatch with cross-country battery Apple Watch: Smartwatch with contract from 15 € per month Buy Apple Watch 6: All generations in the price check Skagen Falster 3 im Test: Smartwatch with Wear OS Test Huawei Watch GT 2: Noble fitness tracker in watch form Multiroom Ikea Symfonisk table lamp in the Tes t: Sonos with lamp Ikea Symfonisk in the test: Sonos speakers under 100 Euro Bose Portable Home Speaker in the test: battery , WLAN, Airplay 2 Sonos Move in the test: The robust all-rounder Musiccast: Multiroom from Yamaha in the test Denon Heos in the test: versatile multiroom system Flat soundbar Teufel Sounddeck Streaming in the test Keyfinder Tile Slim (2019): Key finder in credit card format Bluetooth key finder Tile Pro in the test: 122 m range! Key finder Tile Pro in the test: the range champion Orbit Bluetooth tracker in the test: looking for wallet and keys Nonda iHere 3.0 : smart key finder under test Chipolo Classic and Plus: Bluetooth key finder under test Musegear finder 2: Keyfinder without mandatory registration Action-Cam DJI Pocket 2 in the test: Zoom and 64 – Megapixel sensor Actioncam Insta 360 One R: 1-inch image sensor in the test Gopro Hero 8 Black in the test: Back to the top Insta 360 One R in the test: The modular action cam Motorola Moto G8 Plus test: Great smartphone, but … Insta 360 Go: Micro-GoPro in the test Motorola One Action Test: Good hardware, bad camera microSD In the test: Kingston UHS-I U3 microSDXC Kit MicroSD card for smartphone: Samsung Evo Plus 2017 Test report: Lexar Professional 1800 x microSDXC Kit Test report: Intenso Premium microSDXC card with 64 GByte Android Sonos Move in the test: The robust all-rounder Honor 19: Inexpensive high-end smartphone in the test Xiaomi Mi 9: Top technology at a bargain price Doogee S 90 in the test: modular outdoor smartphone ZTE Axon 10 Pro in the test: High -End-Phone at a competitive price Motorola Moto G7 Power in the test: large battery, small price Sony Xperia 09: Smartphone with 21: 9 display in the test Adviser Advisor overview Purchase advice The right cordless screwdriver for the home workshop Bargain: Which Fire TV Stick from 19 € is the right one? Purchase advice: What good is a leaf blower with a battery for 45 Euro? True wireless -Headphones: How much do you have to invest? Buying advice water cooling: High-end PCs cool better Adviser: Air conditioning and fan against the heat wave Sony shows the Xperia 1: Is the predecessor XZ3 worth it now? Practice Caution, money away: Kickstarter & Co. are not shops Android -Switch off notifications from annoying apps Here’s how: Install the new Android L keyboard now Tip: Use “Ok Google everywhere” in Germany In the test: Does the Jail break for iOS 7.1? Goderma and mobile medicine: The doctor apps are coming! Instructions: Jailbreak for iOS 7 on iPhone 5S, 5, 4S and 4 Technology Importing technology from China, part 2: Customs , Taxes and tricks Drones & copters: From toys to FPV racers What does the end of an ecosystem mean? Smartphones with a flexible display: What does that bring me ? Smartphone processors at a glance: Everything Snapdragon? Evolutionary dead ends: the very worst cell phones mpass: Pay with the NFC mobile phone – or the NFC toilet roll Display calculator Calculate pixel density, number and display proportion Best list Test winner Price comparison Price comparison overview Smartphones from Android 7.0 Phablets with stylus Fitness tracker with GPS Bluetooth headphones with ANR Drones with GPS Video TechStage Test Ikea Symfonisk table lamp in the test: Sonos with lamp Start Technical data Facility sound price Conclusion Comments Sonos loudspeakers combined with a table lamp, and the Ikea Symfonisk is ready. TechStage tests the multi-room loudspeaker and says who should strike and for whom other Sonos products are worthwhile.

In addition to the simple symphonic Speakers (test report) Ikea has developed a second device with Sonos. The big difference: There is an E on the speaker 14 – version, next to music it also emits light. Nevertheless, the idea is not bad and the price of the Symfonisk table lamp is on par with a Sonos One SL.

We test the network loudspeaker as part of our Multiroom theme world. Not only other tests on Sonos products appeared there, such as the Sonos Arc (test report), the Sonos One (test report) or the battery-powered Sonos Move (test report). We also take a look at other multiroom systems there, such as Denon Heos (test report), Yamaha Musiccast (test report), Teufel Raumfeld (test report) or speakers that connect directly via Spotify Connect.

Design and technical data The symfonisk light consists of three parts: A wide, plate-like base with the three control elements volume up, volume down and start / pause. The loudspeaker sits on top of it in a cylindrical shape, which is interrupted by the rotary switch for the light on the side. Finally, at the top is the lampshade. It has a broad base and tapers towards the top, reminiscent of a classic floor lamp. The lamp takes bulbs with an E 13 – socket with a maximum of 7W. This makes it bright enough to be used as a reading lamp. Opinions are likely to differ on design. In the editorial team and among friends, opinion fluctuates between “cool” and “looks like a toilet paper holder”. However, the device does its job well, both as a lamp and as a loudspeaker.

Left the Symfonisk light, right the Symfonisk loudspeaker. It is important to know that the lighting function is completely separated from the Sonos and Multiroom features. The audio is played back in the classic way via the Sonos app for Android, iOS, Windows or Mac OS. The lamp can be switched on or off using the rotary switch on the side. Smart functions or automatisms for light are missing. However, this can be retrofitted with smart lamps.

On the back, next to the power connection, is the typical Sonos network connector, but in most cases you will probably use the WLAN for access to the network use.

Setup and Sonos integration As with the Symfonisk loudspeaker, there is a complete Sonos system in the multiroom lamp from Ikea . In other words, the luminaire can be completely controlled via the Sonos app and is compatible with all of the manufacturer’s other products. Whether as a multiroom group, as a stereo pair or in combination with a soundbar, on the app side there is no difference between Sonos directly from the manufacturer and Sonos from Ikea.

The setup is accordingly simple. In the Sonos app, go to “Add system” via the settings and then follow the instructions in the app. It’s easy and done in a few minutes. Then you can choose the name and / or the location. If available, a firmware update will be installed.

The buttons for the typical Sonos commands are on the wide coaster. sound The sound body of the Symfonisk lamp creates a surprisingly good sound, especially in the bass range. Here the Symfonisk lamp even creates a little more bass than the comparable Sonos One SL. However, it lacks protection against splash water or the Alexa microphones of the Sonos One (test report). Still, the sound is very good, as you would expect from a Sonos device. In other words, streaming is not a problem, but anyone who prefers to listen to vinyl or is one of the particularly audiophiles will have to resort to another solution.

In addition, there is an equalizer in the apps for Android and iPhone, with which you can, for example, turn down the bass a little. Users of iPhone and iPad or other Sonos products such as the Sonos Arc (test report) can also use the Trueplay features to automatically measure the loudspeaker. This is particularly useful if you use the lights as back speakers for the Sonos soundbars to transform the virtual 5.1 into real surround sound.

Ikea Symfonisk table lamp (6 pictures) The Ikea Symfonisk table lamp combines Sonos speakers with a lamp.

Price The Sonos Symfonisk table lamp is available in two versions: one in white and gray, one in black.

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Conclusion Unlike the Symfonisk speakers, the Symfonisk table lamp has direct competition in the Sonos One SL, both cost about 181 Euro. Accordingly, you have to decide what you want. The Symfonisk table lamp is significantly larger than the loudspeaker, but has the great advantage that, thanks to its light, it is not only a loudspeaker but also a piece of furniture. If you want that, you can get a good table lamp with a very good multiroom speaker and one of the best apps for control.

If you are looking for a cheaper Sonos speaker, we definitely recommend the Symfonisk speaker (test report), which is less than 100 Euro costs. Otherwise, we recommend taking a look at the guide to multiroom systems: Sound in every room.

Permalink: https://techstage.de/-5025898

Signal is back after an outage that lasted more than 24 hours

After experiencing technical difficulties Friday, the Signal messaging app appears to be back up and running. The company tweeted Saturday night that it was “back,” although added that some users may still see error messages in their chats. The company didn’t explain what caused the outage.

Signal is back! Like an underdog going through a training montage, we’ve learned a lot since yesterday — and we did it together. Thanks to the millions of new Signal users around the world for your patience. Your capacity for understanding inspired us while we expanded capacity. pic.twitter.com/cRNV8kVtdF

— Signal (@signalapp) January 17, 2021

For users still be seeing error messages in their chats — which the company said was a “side effect” of the outage that began around 11:30AM ET Friday— Signal tweeted that those messages do not affect security, rather that you may have missed a message from another user. This will be fixed in the next app updates, the company said.

It offered two fixes if users want to clear the error messages manually: On Android, tap the menu in the top-right corner and choose “reset secure session.” For iOS users of Signal tap the “reset session” button located below “received message was out of sync.”

On Android if you see “Bad encrypted message,” tap the menu in the top-right & tap “Reset secure session.” On iOS tap the “Reset Session” button below “Received message was out of sync.” The errors do not affect chat security & will be automatically fixed in the next app update. pic.twitter.com/dgLGLZS3zB

— Signal (@signalapp) January 17, 2021

Signal allows secure and encrypted video, voice, and text communication, and in the past weeks has seen a surge of new users to its app, after CEO Elon Musk tweeted his recommendation, and as rival service WhatsApp unveiled a confusing new privacy policy, which it’s now pushed back several months.

During the outage, the Signal tweeted that it was “working as quickly as possible to bring additional capacity online to handle peak traffic levels.”

The company did not immediately reply to an request from The Verge for further comment on Sunday.

Cluster recording: New app enables corona tracing at larger meetings

The Berlin start-up Videmic has published an app of the same name for tracking corona infection chains in large crowds in the App Store and on Google Play. The mobile tracing application saves stays in busy locations in the app’s user profile and thus enables cluster recording without scanning a QR code, as is necessary with the open source solution CrowdNotifier. Locating by GPS is also not required.

Proprietary technology records encounters Virus infections mainly take place in places where there are many people. However, this is exactly where the German government’s Corona Warning App (CWA) reaches its technical limits: In order to save energy, it only “listens” for codes for relevant encounters at very generous intervals. The distance measurement via Bluetooth is also not particularly accurate. On the basis of the given parameters, a longer meeting would only lead to a low risk assessment, even in a poorly ventilated room, if the people are not sitting close together.

In contrast to the CWA, “Videmic Tracing” does not use the Interface for the Covid 19 notification system (Exposure Notification Framework) integrated by Apple and Google in iOS and Android. It uses a proprietary solution with Bluetooth and WLAN to record encounters. The network access data generated by these technologies is used to approximate the location of a user.

For this, the solution evaluates the identifiers of the WLAN hotspot and the Bluetooth MAC Address (Media Access Control). In the normal user mode, this data is only temporarily stored during a stay at an event or with a Videmic partner and then deleted.

Encounters recorded decentrally More exciting is the chargeable “channel mode”, which masters the often requested clustering. A six-digit, individual access code is required for this. In this mode, the tracing app maintains Bluetooth connections to all other nearby iPhones and Android devices on which the application is installed. Users must also have successfully logged in. In addition, the app operates a temporary WLAN access point for clustering, for example in a lecture hall or at a trade fair stand. IP addresses are only temporarily stored during data transmission.

The channel mode can currently only be activated on Android smartphones. In this case, the app sends the set nickname or the “location” to all smartphones in the vicinity to record location data via Bluetooth and the temporary WLAN access point. These store this information if a user has stayed at the location for more than five minutes. The information on the encounter between people in spatial proximity can be determined implicitly and decentrally via the mobile phones from the location data collected.

Warning via external code Similar to the approach of the CWA, the warning is issued after obtaining a Tele-TAN by publishing a code that does not contain any information that can be used by external third parties. Due to the independence of Apple and Google, the transfer of personal data can only take place via servers in Germany. Furthermore, like the CWA, the app does not save any personal data centrally, explained Videmic managing director Silvia Wallner to heise online. After 14 days, the data stored on the visitors’ smartphones would be automatically deleted.

Videmic tracing is especially for events such as film – and music festivals, trade fairs, conferences, schools and universities as well as suitable for companies, emphasizes Wallner. The app can filter out and notify people with risk encounters from the digital visitor list. This would relieve the health authorities enormously.

The company has not carried out a data protection impact assessment. For acceptance in the app stores, however, the application “went through a rigorous assessment process”, said Wallner. Aspects to safeguard the privacy of the users would have played an important role here.

Costs arise depending on the size of the event Videmic Tracing celebrated its premiere in December at the Christmas lecture at the University of Bayreuth, a hybrid event with Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD). The university used the app for location tracking and live recordings. Originally 90 people should be present in the Audimax. The number had been reduced again in view of the corona measures tightened shortly before the date, reported the head of the start-up. Over a thousand participants would have followed the lecture online with the Videmic solution and zoom.

The application is free for event visitors. Organizers can use it in advanced mode for automatic contact tracking and the production of live recordings. The costs for this depend on the size and duration of the event. Wallner did not give any details.

(tiw)

The security billing: WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal? | uplink # 36.2

The weekly c’t podcast c’t uplink is available …

This uplink sequence about messenger security is also explicitly aimed at non-nerds – at least in the first 20 For a few minutes, we try not to stir too much in technical details; you can also send the link to this uplink to your in-laws.

Among others, Eva-Maria Weiß, Sylvester Tremmel, Jürgen Schmidt and Jan-Keno Janssen clarify the following questions: What about WhatsApp – GTC change on yourself? How do Signal and Telegram differ? Who is behind the messengers? Why are there so big differences in speed and functionality (animated stickers!)? Why does something like cross-messenger communication not catch on?

Which messengers are GDPR compliant? What about Threema, Wire and Matrix? Which is safer, Threema or Signal? How does end-to-end encryption work? What about the metadata on WhatsApp? Why is Signal often unreliable? What is to be made of Telegram’s promise that the data are in different data centers in different jurisdictions and therefore hackers and employees cannot access the data?

We also talk about Messenger politics: How US-centric is Signal? Is Telegram in danger of being thrown out of the app stores because of radical chat groups? Why did Telegram recently start deleting groups? What does WhatsApp know about me?

Also there: Jan-Keno Janssen, Jürgen Schmidt, Sylvester Tremmel and Eva-Maria Weiß .

The c’t 03 / 2021 is available at the kiosk, in the browser and in the c’t app for iOS and Android .

Article to the shipment:

Communicate securely and confidentially, c’t 3 / 2021, S. 50 All previous episodes of our podcast can be found at www.ct.de/uplink.

(jkj)

Apple is blocking Apple Silicon Mac users from sideloading iPhone apps

Apple has turned off users’ ability to unofficially install iOS apps onto their M1 Macs (via 9to5Mac). While iOS apps are still available in the Mac App Store, many apps, such as Dark Sky and Netflix, don’t have their developer’s approval to be run on macOS. Up until now, there was a workaround that allowed the use of third-party software to install the apps without having to use the Mac App Store, but it seems like Apple has remotely disabled it.

When we tried to install an unsupported app on an M1 Mac running macOS 11.1, we got an error message saying that we couldn’t install it and should “try again later”. You can see a screenshot at the top of this article.

According to 9to5Mac, the message on the most recent macOS 11.2 beta is more specific: “the application cannot be installed because the developer did not intend for it to run on this platform.”

Apple moving to block the unauthorized app installs isn’t necessarily surprising. Code was found in the beta indicating a ban would be coming, and Apple has given developers power to block their apps from running on the Mac — a power that is undermined by sideloading. It is, however, sad to see the feature go, as Mac users have been used to having more freedom in what programs they’re able to run than they do on iOS (though Apple’s control on the Mac has been tightening over the years).

We were able to run an app that we had already installed, but Apple is clearly cracking down on this behavior, so there’s no guarantees that our already-sideloaded apps will work in the future either.

Castel Del Monte becomes a 3D museum thanks to Microsoft, Hevolus and Infratel

The Apulian UNESCO heritage site officially becomes a “HoloMuseum”, which can be visited both on site and remotely. The project saw the collaboration of Microsoft and the Ministry of Economic Development who made this innovative digital and cultural experience possible

of Lorenzo Tirotta published on 15 January 2021 , at 21: 11 in the Technology channel

Microsoft

In a period of severe restrictions and social distancing, the use of digital has grown exponential in many sectors, especially in the artistic and cultural one. Digital museums and multimedia exhibitions have portrayed and told the peculiarities of the most famous and well-known works in the world. Digitization does not replace the possibility of having to itself the original work but rather it offers an additional and innovative experience , with the aim of promoting the artistic and cultural heritage in an alternative way and making it even more accessible . The latest site to enter the multimedia world is Castel Del Monte , a famous medieval fortress of the thirteenth century commissioned by Frederick II of Swabia. The castle is located inside the Alta Murgia National Park , between the province of Bari and BAT (Barletta, Andria, Trani). The site has become a digital HoloMuseum that can be visited both on site or remotely through mobile devices such as smartphones or PCs, through the oleographic computer HoloLens 2 from Microsoft. The project saw the collaboration of Hevolus Innovation, Infratel and Microsoft which has made available its advanced technologies of Cloud Computing , Artificial intelligence and Mixed Reality to make the realization possible multimedia site.

?? The project carried out for Castel del Monte is the demonstration of how new technologies – AI, Cloud Computing and Mixed Reality ?? strategic levers are important for the growth and innovation of this sector and in general for the enhancement of our artistic and cultural heritage. In fact, a digital transformation process such as this, on the one hand, generates new opportunities for relaunching the territory, in a complex moment where tourism and the cultural sector are severely tested by the health emergency, on the other hand new digital tools allow people to live extraordinary museum experiences and acquire new knowledge through innovative and engaging ways of using them, bringing them even closer to the culture of our country? declared Silvia Candiani, Director Delegate of Microsoft Italy.

Holograms, interviews and multimedia contents, here is the experience of the digital museum

The union between culture and technology represents an important lever for the promotion and revitalization of the natural and artistic heritage, where the tourism and culture sector are severely tested by the health emergency. When the museums reopen, the octagonal fortress can be visited on site in phygital mode . The mode is activated through a dedicated application called MVRGA (Android and iOS), where the user interacts directly with the 3D avatar of Frederick II of Swabia that will accompany the visitor in the various stages of the museum. Along the way you will encounter audio-visual contents on the history of the castle and real interviews with art critics on the different architectural components of the site.

?? From the point of view of tourism, culture has extraordinary power ?? comments Antonella La Notte, CEO of Hevolus Innovation . ?? So we created HoloMuseum, a concept of a phygital museum, which makes the traditional exhibition context evolve into a hybrid exhibition environment by making the world coexist physical and virtual digital content: thanks to Microsoft Extended Reality XR, Artificial Intelligence and Cloud Computing technologies, visiting a museum or an exhibition can become an amplified, immersive, highly engaging, immediate and interactive experience ??.

All this was possible thanks to a desired collaboration between public institutions, large companies and innovative start-ups such as Hevolus Innovation. In fact, the initiative is part of the project Piazza Wi-Fi Italia , signed between the Ministry of Economic Development, the Puglia Region, the Alta Murgia National Park and Infratel Italia with the aim of create new areas of free Wi-Fi access by installing an internet point near places of cultural interest.

TechStage | Top 10: These are the best smartphones up to 500 euros

Testing Tests overview Smartphone Motorola Moto G 5G Plus test: A lot of battery for little money Huawei P Smart 2021: Budget model with room for improvement Asus Zenfone 7 Pro: Turbo smartphone with flip camera Samsung Galaxy Xcover Pro in the test: Hard but slow Oneplus Nord N 10 5G in the test: galloped in price Oppo Find X2 Pro in the test: performance bargain Asus ROG Phone 3 in the test: perfect gaming smartphone Smartwatch Oppo Watch in the test: Great AMOLED Smartwatch from 240 € Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 in the test: competition for Apple? Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro in the test: Smartwatch with cross-country battery Apple Watch: Smartwatch with contract from 15 € per month Buy Apple Watch 6: All generations in the price check Skagen Falster 3 in the test: Smartwatch with Wear OS Test Huawei Watch GT 2: Noble fitness tracker in watch form Multiroom Ikea Symfonisk in the test: Sonos loudspeakers under 100 Euro Bose Portable Home Speaker in the test: battery, WLAN, Airplay 2 Sonos Move in the test: The robust all-rounder Musiccast: Multiroom from Yamaha in the test Denon Heos in the test: versatile multiroom system Flat soundbar Teufel Sounddeck Streaming in the test Teufel Raumfeld in the test: rich multiroom sound Keyfinder Tile Slim (2017): Key finder in credit card format Bluetooth key finder Tile Pro in the test: 122 m range! Key finder Tile Pro in the test: the range Champion Orbit Bluetooth tracker in the test: looking for wallet and keys Nonda iHere 3.0: smart key finder in test Chipolo Classic and Plus: Bluetooth key finder in test Musegear finder 2: Keyfinder without mandatory registration Action-Cam DJI Pocket 2 in the test: Zoom and 64 – Megapixel sensor Actioncam Insta 300 One R: 1-inch image sensor in the test Gopro Hero 8 Black in the test: Back to the top Insta 360 One R in the test: The modular Acti oncam Motorola Moto G8 Plus review: Great smartphone, but … Insta 360 Go: Micro-GoPro in the test Motorola One Action Test: good hardware, bad camera microSD In the test: Kingston UHS-I U3 microSDXC Kit MicroSD card for smartphone: Samsung Evo Plus 2017 Review : Lexar Professional 1800 x microSDXC Kit Test report: Intenso Premium microSDXC card with 64 GByte Android Sonos Move in the test: The robust all-rounder Honor 19: Inexpensive high-end smartphone in Test Xiaomi Mi 9: Top technology at a bargain price Doogee S 90 in the test: modular outdoor smartphone ZTE Axon 10 Pro in the test: high-end -Phone at a competitive price Motorola Moto G7 Power in the test: large battery, small price Sony Xperia 10: Smartphone with 21: 9 display in the test Counselor Advisor overview Purchase advice The right cordless screwdriver for the home workshop Bargain: Which Fire TV stick from 19 € is the right one? Purchase advice: What good is a leaf blower with a battery for 45 Euro? True wireless headphones: How much do you have to invest? Purchase advice water cooling: High-end PCs cool better Guide : Air conditioning and fan against the heat wave Sony shows the Xperia 1: Is the predecessor XZ3 worth it now? Practice Caution, Money away: Kickstarter & Co. are not shops Switch off Android notifications from annoying apps This is how it works: Install the new Android L keyboard now Tip: “Ok Use Google everywhere “in Germany In the test: Does the jailbreak work for iOS 7. 1? Goderma and mobile medicine: The doctor apps are coming! Instructions: Jailbreak for iOS 7 on iPhone 5S, 5, 4S and 4 Technology Importing technology from China, part 2: Customs, taxes and tricks Drones & copters: From toys to FPV racers What does the end of an ecosystem mean? Smartphones with a flexible display: What is the benefit for me? Smartphone processors at a glance: Everything Snapdragon? Evolutionary dead ends: the worst mobile phones mpass: Pay with the NFC mobile phone – or the NFC toilet roll Display calculator Calculate pixel density, number and display proportion Best list Test winner Price comparison Price comparison overview Smartphones from Android 7.0 Phablets with stylus Fitness tracker with GPS Bluetooth headphones with ANR Drones with GPS Video TechStage Best list Top 10: These are the best smartphones up to 500 Euro Start Display Performance Features Place 1 Place 2 3rd place 4th place 5th place 6th place Place 7 Place 8 Place 9 Place 10 Conclusion Comments from Stefan / / 15. 01. 2021 15: 36 Clock

1000 Euros are too much for a smartphone? No problem: There are for 500 Euros almost as good cell phones. We tell you what to look out for when buying.

The top models of the well-known manufacturers are of course in the spotlight. Samsung Galaxy S 20 Ultra (test report), Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro (test report) and Huawei Mate 40 Pro (test report) arouse desire because technically they combine the best of the best. A look at the price quickly makes it clear that the companies are being paid royally for it. Then the disillusionment quickly follows, because about 1000 Euro for a commodity such as a Smartphones cannot or do not all want to spend. That is also not absolutely necessary. Because with a little effort in the search (price comparison with filter) interested parties actually get models that can hardly do less, but cost far less. If you don’t want to go to this trouble, just read on.

Display In the price class of 400 to 500 Euros are resolutions Not to be found below FHD + – but hardly above either. With an average diagonal of around 6.4 inches, FHD + also results in a little more than 400 pixels per inch (PPI) and ensures sharp display even without 2K or even 4K resolution. As a technology, OLED is at the top of the list of requirements – not because IPS LCDs couldn’t be good, but OLED provides that extra little bit of black level, viewing angle stability, contrast and color intensity. LCD is therefore the exception in these price regions. More and more common: Panels with 90 or even 120 Hertz for a more fluid display of content. 144 Hz (at least in combination with OLED) remains reserved for high-priced gaming smartphones such as the Asus ROG Phone 3 (test report).

Power 6 GByte RAM are with androids Mandatory, 8 GByte between 300 and 500 Euro no longer a problem and now even 11 GB of RAM possible – the was reserved for high-end2 models not long ago. The drive should normally be a top chipset from the current or past year, such as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865, 855 (Plus) or Samsung’s Exynos 9810 / 9820. The counterpart of Huawei is the Kirin 980, Mediatek or other providers cheaper Chips are usually no longer found in this high price region. Exceptions are generally always possible. For example, some of the smartphones in our list rely on a processor that is somewhere between the upper middle and lower upper class in terms of performance, namely the Snapdragon 765(G). It hardly makes a difference in everyday life, so with the appropriate remaining hardware, this should not be an exclusion criterion. Only benchmark fetishists and hard core gamers are usually better served with top chips because of stronger GPUs.

Other equipment 128 GBytes are mandatory in the price region for Android smartphones, even 240 GByte getting more and more frequent. Expandability via micro SD or similar is no longer absolutely necessary, but most models still offer this. Otherwise everything that is available in smartphones is technically on board – often even 5G. We have already used all current 5G smartphones in our 5G guide: These 5G smartphones are already listed. However, users should think twice about this as an obligation for the specifications of their smartphone. In the absence of adequate expansion, 5G is still far from being available nationwide in Germany.

As always, the battery should be an important criterion when buying. In addition to the pure power in mAh, things such as the ability to charge quickly and the option of wireless charging are important here. When it comes to the topicality of the Android version, most devices are in our top 10 look quite good. Who on Android 04 is set, gets its money’s worth and also the first devices with Android 11 are e.g. u get. Actually, many more models from this list should switch to the current Android version, after all, all smartphones come from at most 2020.

Place 1: Realme X 50 Per OLED with 90 Hz frame rate, 2400 × 1080 pixels on 6.4 inches – the display of the Realme X 50 Pro (test report) convinced us. The camera also, albeit primarily under good lighting conditions. Unfortunately Realme follows the 2020 he trend, ordinary Camera modules like the 64 – Megapixel main camera , the 12 – Megapixel telephoto lens and the wide angle with 8 megapixels with lower resolution Macro lens to inflate quad cam. The manufacturer could have saved the latter, but at least the other three lenses are reasonable. Even at the front there is in addition to the front camera with 32 Megapixel another wide-angle selfie cam with 8 megapixels.

Donated as drive Realme the X 50 Per a Snapdragon 865, that of fabulous 12 GByte RAM is flanked. So nothing jerks. 5G is also included. The internal memory cannot be expanded, but for just under 500 Euro at the time of the item full 256 GByte internal memory . Electricity comes from a 4200 – mAh battery that comes with 65 Watts can be charged quickly . Android 11 Has Realme as update already played.

2nd place: Xiaomi Black Shark 3 The OLED measures almost 6.7 inches -Display of the Xiaomi Black Shark 3, the not only 90 Hz, spec ren also an increased sampling rate of 256 Hz. This is particularly important for a gaming smartphone so that inputs are implemented precisely and directly. The Black Shark also has special shoulder buttons especially for gaming. But the smartphone also cuts a good figure outside of gaming. This is how the device is operated by a Snapdragon 865 with 8 GByte RAM in this version, internally there is 128 GByte. 5G is on board.

The battery is marked with 4720 mAh slightly stronger than in the Realme – model in first place and loads the same way fast. An update to Android 11 there is noc h not and also with the camera is with the main lens (64 megapixels) and wide angle (13 Megapixel) Conclusion. The third lens is just a depth sensor.

3rd place: Xiaomi Mi 10 T Exceptionally on a 6.7 inch IPS LCD, but with a full 144 Hz Xiaomi sets the Mi 10 T (test report). Main and wide angle camera with 64 and 13 Megapixels convinced in the test, the macro camera as always not. The smartphone is fast thanks to Snapdragon 865 and 8 GB of RAM absolute, also here are the built-in 128 GByte memory not expandable. 5G is included, Android 10 on the other hand not yet. The 5000 mAh strong battery can be used with 33 Watt fast charging .

4th place: Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro The Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro (test report) no longer because the competition listed above is stronger in some points. Such shifts take place either because more powerful models have come onto the market or because the typical cheaper technical equipment is gradually pulling counterparties from higher price ranges into lower segments. The latter is the case here, and the better equipped version with 8 / 256 GByte against the trend has even become more expensive again and no longer fits into the 500 – Euro budget. But even the smaller version is by no means part of scrap iron.

The almost 6.7 inch OLED display with Full – HD – + – resolution offers HDR 10 + and did very well in the test. However, the screen only comes with 60 Hz to the customer – this is no longer state of the art. A Snapdragon serves as the drive 855, how much faster before hardly. Only with the main memory is more to be gained with other devices, but the 6 GByte RAM of the smaller version is still sufficient in everyday life.

The quad -Cam with up to 48 Megapixel and at least 5-megapixel macro lens delivers good results, 128 GByte internal memory is sufficient Space for apps. 5G is on board as well as a retractable pop-up front cam . The battery has decent 4500 mAh and can at least be with 30 Watt fast charging. With not even 440 is Euro the Poco-Phone the cheapest smartphone in this top 04. Android 11 already exists.

5th place: Oppo Find X2 This is the Oppo Find X2 not yet the case, but the rest of the equipment is convincing. This includes about the 6.5 inch OLED display with 90 Hz, the Quad-Cam with main, telephoto and wide-angle camera (48, 8 and 5 megapixels) plus macro camera with 5 megapixels and the built-in Snapdragon 765G. It doesn’t come close to the performance of a Snapdragon 865 do it but still a good figure in everyday life – also because he is proud 12 GByte RAM is combined.

Even with the internal memory, the manufacturer doesn’t do things by halves, but builds 256 GByte a. 5G is on board. The battery appears with 4025 mAh comparatively small in size, but should not cause any problems in everyday life. It can be described with 30 load watt. Android 11 does not exist yet.

6th place: Oneplus Nord This also applies to the Oneplus Nord ( Test report), with the the manufacturer back to its roots again oriented and great technology at a comparatively manageable price brings . Compared to the earlier “flagship killers”, however, this no longer works in all respects with top technology. The upscale mid-range device offers a decent OLED display with 90 – Hertz playback, but “only” a Snapdragon serves as the drive 765G. However, since the large configuration of full 11 GByte RAM and 200 GByte of internal memory is flanked, this should hardly bother anyone in everyday life.

In the actually good 48 – Megapixel camera, the manufacturer unnecessarily uses an additional macro camera with only 2 megapixels instead of telephoto function. The front camera with 32 Mega p ixel also has a second wide-angle lens. When it comes to endurance, the modern chipset has a positive effect, the battery with 4025 mAh ensures long running times. Together with the chic and high-quality housing, the North is a successful all-round carefree Package.

7th place: Oppo Reno 4 5G Oppo sets the Reno 4 5G to a 6.4 Inch OLED display without a higher Hertz number. Die K amera consists of main lens and wide angle with 48 and 8 megapixels, plus a depth sensor. It is also available on the front, it supports the 32 – Megapixel selfie cam. Also Oppo uses the Snapdragon 765 G , combined in but with 8 GB of RAM. 128 GByte of internal memory are just as fine and 5G is also included. The 4000 – mAh battery can be quickly removed with 65 Charge watt. Android 11 is available for the Oppo -Model already.

Place 8: ZTE Axon 11 5G Not so with the ZTE Axon 11 5G, the remaining values are mostly correct. The manufacturer uses 60 -Hz-OLED , the Quad-Cam consists of 64 – and 8 -Megapixel lenses for main and wide-angle cameras. They are filled by the macro and depth sensors with 2 megapixels each. Name-giving 5G is on board as well as a Snapdragon 765G. The combination of 6 GB of RAM and 122 GByte of internal memory is in G As opposed to d s better placed models, it can even be expanded with a micro SD card. The battery is performing 4000 mAh , 18 – Watt charging is comparatively slow.

Place 9: TCL 10 Per 60 – Hz-OLED with 6.5 inches, Quad – Cam with main and wide-angle lens (60 and 16 megapixels) and the annoying pretty – components Macro and depth sensors are unfortunately still very common in this price range . The Snapdragon 765 (without G) does a decent job in combination with 6 GB. The internal 128 GByte memory can be used via Mi cro-SD – Map expand – in this top – 10 the exception. The battery with 4500 mAh can only be used with 18 Watt load. So far there is only Android 10.

Place 10: Apple iPhone SE (2020) Who doesn’t like Android and prefer to stand on smartphones with the bitten apple, get to 500 Euro on current devices only the iPhone SE (2020). It is a bit out of line with the comparatively weak hardware, but thanks to the optimally adapted iOS 14. 3 anything but slow – also thanks to the strong Apple-A 13 – Bionic- Chipset . Surprised for that the device with a small 4.7-inch display and only 1334 × 750 pixels and only 3 GByte R.A.M. The 128 GByte As always with Apple, internal storage cannot be expanded, 5G does not exist. 1821 mAh with the battery sound almost negligible .

Conclusion Remarkable what one is for under 440 Euros in technology. The difference to the absolute top is sometimes not that great, at least not when you compare the price to the added value. Otherwise, the latest top models from established manufacturers are of course even better – anything else would be strange.

Anyone who doesn’t 500 want to spend euros, should take a look at our guide: The best smartphones up to 400 Euro, purchase advice: Smartphones with OLED up to 300 Euro and our best list : Top-10 of smartphones up to 200 Throw euros. Even in the last category there are amazingly strong devices.

Permalink: https://techstage.de / – 4707702

Dispute over Fortnite: Epic brings complaint against Apple and Google to Europe

Fortnite maker Epic Games is expanding its action against Apple and Google: After the USA and Australia, the games company has now also filed a competition complaint against both companies in Great Britain. Both Apple and Google would abuse their market power with the requirements relating to app sales for iOS and Android and violate EU law (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union) through their anti-competitive behavior in the UK and the EU, according to the Submissions published by the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal.

Dispute over access and billing Apple only allows the purchase of apps for iPhones and iPads via its own store and assumes that digital content can only be purchased via its own payment interface, argues Epic Games against Apple – the company uses this to “avoid unfair prices” “to quote. Epic accuses Google and Alphabet of restricting competition through alternative app stores. The Google Play Store assumes that in-app purchases are made via Google’s payment interface and also demand “unfair prices” for this.

The dispute is about Both platform access and payment system requirements: Epic Games wants Apple and Google to allow alternative payment interfaces in their stores and Apple to allow alternative app stores.

Last August, Epic Games secretly integrated its own payment interface into Fortnite, via which the in-game currency V-Bucks could be obtained at a lower price than via Apple’s and Google’s also built-in payment interface, if they are used, a 30 percentage commission is to be paid to the operating system manufacturer. Both Apple and Google threw Fortnite out of their app stores, Epic’s competition complaints and a counterclaim from Apple for breach of contract followed.

Epic Games Store should be on iOS With the complaint to the Competition Appeal Tribunal, Epic now wants to force a return from Fortnite to the smartphone platforms in Great Britain, with its own payment interface. Apple should also no longer prevent the Epic Games Store from being downloaded on Apple devices, the complaint said. Google should be prohibited from requiring its Play Store to be pre-installed on Android devices or from giving it preferential treatment by third-party manufacturers.

(lbe)

Amazfit Bip U Pro arrives in Italy! Here is the complete smartwatch at 69.90 euros!

It’s Huami’s time that arrives in Italy with its Amazfit Bip U Pro, a smartwatch that lacks practically nothing if not an AMOLED display. Lots of sensors and a sporty and elegant design with a good autonomy

by Lorenzo Tirotta published on 15 January 2021 , at 17: 41 in the Wearables channel

Huami Amazfit

Huami lands again in Italy, and does so with the global version of the smartwatch Amazfit Bip U Pro . The wrist wearable presented by Huami shows a design suitable for every day and in any environmental situation. The body is square and in polycarbonate together with with a silicone strap that lead it to weigh only 31 grams . The display is a TFT of 1, 43 inches which, although it lacks AMOLED technology, remains wide and well visible.

Amazfit Bip U Pro: stress monitoring and integrated GPS. Good autonomy

I sensors implemented on the smartwatch represented a strong point , in addition to the canonical and important sensors SpO2 to measure the oxygen saturation in the blood, heart rate monitor and SomnusCare to monitor sleep stages, Amazfit Bip U Pro adopts a new sensor able to manage the user’s stress level . The software automatically recognizes 60 training mode and the user is free to choose between 50 different quadrants .

The watch has a battery of 230 mAh which, according to the company, guarantees 9 days of autonomy . Among the other specifications of the smartwatch we find the integrated GPS , the bluetooth 5.0 together a good management of notifications and software experience. Amazfit Bip U Pro is water resistant up to 5ATM (41 meters) therefore also suitable for swimming without any worries , remains the ability to manage the song player and take photos remotely. The smartwatch works through the app Zepp available for both Android and iOS for free.

Price and availability

Amazfit Bip U Pro is available in Italy from today, 15 January 2021 , and can be purchased on the official Amazfit website in the colors black , green and pink at a recommended price of 69, 99 euro .

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max

Our Verdict

The iPhone 12 Pro Max is the biggest and best iPhone ever made, but it is now only marginally better than the standard iPhone 12

For

Huge, beautiful screen
Surprisingly capable speakers
Excellent sound via headphones

Against

Marginal gains over iPhone 12
No bundled charger

The iPhone 12 Pro Max is the best phone that Apple has made. It has the biggest and best screen, the best camera and the longest-lasting battery. So that’s the review over, right? Not quite.

No phone lives in a vacuum, and while the iPhone 12 Pro Max sits at the pinnacle of the current iPhone range, the competition is better than ever, particularly if picture and sound quality are of paramount importance. What’s more, Apple’s own iPhone 12 has gained an OLED screen, eliminating one of the key differentiators between the standard and Pro iPhones of previous years.

But, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the best phone Apple has made, that doesn’t necessarily make it the phone you should buy.

Price

The iPhone 12 Pro Max is priced from £1099 ($1099, AU$1849). That gets you the standard 128GB model, with 256GB and 512GB versions available for £1199 ($1199, AU$2019) and £1399 ($1399, AU$2369) respectively.

The cheapest version of the iPhone 12 Pro Max is just £100 ($100, AU$250) more expensive than the smaller iPhone 12 Pro, but a whopping £300 ($300, AU$500) more than a standard iPhone 12, which now has an OLED screen of its own.

Features

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple describes the straight-edged design of the iPhone 12 Pro Max as ‘all-new’, but it is reminiscent of older models such as the iPhone 4. Regardless, it is lovely to behold, with its stainless steel edges and textured matte back glass giving it a premium look and feel.

It feels weighty and solid, too, and it’s easier to grip, despite being marginally taller and wider (but also thinner) than the iPhone 11 Pro Max it replaces. Those straight edges make it slightly less comfortable to hold, but not to a great extent.

Despite the phone having grown just 2.8mm in height and 0.3mm in width, a thinning of the bezels has allowed for a screen that’s 0.2in bigger on the diagonal than that of its predecessor. This new screen uses what Apple calls a ‘Ceramic Shield’, which it claims is tougher than any other smartphone glass. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is IP68 rated, so is water-resistant at depths of up to 6m for up to 30 minutes.

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max tech specs

(Image credit: Apple)

Display 6.7in OLED

Resolution 2778 x 1284 (458ppi)

Front camera 12MP

Rear camera 12MP Ultra Wide, Wide, Telephoto

Operating system iOS 14

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

Arguably the biggest news is that new screen which, at 6.7in, is the largest to ever grace an iPhone. It’s also the brightest, with Apple claiming it reaches peaks of 1200 nits, with an average output of 800 nits.

This year, you don’t need to buy a Pro in order to get an OLED screen, as the standard iPhone 12 has one, too, but its typical brightness is rated at a lower 625 nits. The largest iPhone 12 has only a 6.1in display. Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG are now supported across the entire range, and there’s plenty available to watch in HDR, including on Netflix and the Apple TV app.

You can even now record your own video in Dolby Vision – the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro are the first smartphone cameras with such a feature. Choose the Pro or Pro Max and recording can be done at 60fps rather than a maximum of 30fps.

The Pro models also boast an extra, telephoto lens that adds an optical zoom to the impressive suite of camera features. The Pro Max’s telephoto lens has a larger aperture than that of the non-Max Pro model, allowing it to capture more light. As well as the impressive camera hardware, the iPhone 12s also use features called ‘Deep Fusion’ and ‘Smart HDR 3’ to enhance detail and HDR highlights respectively.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max takes superb photos, but you’d have to be a camera enthusiast to get the most out of it, especially if you do a lot of night-time photography. The iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max add a LiDAR scanner that improves low-light autofocus and allows bokeh portraits to be taken in Night Mode.

The new A14 Bionic chip, which also powers the standard iPhone 12 and 12 Pro models, is lightning fast, making the iPhone 12 Pro Max incredibly slick, snappy and frictionless in use. These new iPhones are the first to get 5G compatibility, making for faster data connections for those with an appropriate contract and coverage.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max also has a bigger battery than the iPhone 12 Pro or standard iPhone 12. Apple claims it lasts for up to 20 hours of video playback, compared with 17 hours for the other models. Indeed, during testing, we didn’t manage to fully empty the battery in a single day of use.

Much has been made of the fact that none of the new iPhones come bundled with a charger. If you don’t already have one, there are a number of options available, from the super-fast Apple 20W wired charger (£19, $19, AU$29), to various wireless charging options and even chargers that use the new MagSafe feature, which allows various accessories to be connected to the rear of the phone using magnets.

Screen

(Image credit: Apple)

iPhones have long been consummate picture performers and, as we play It from the Apple TV app, it immediately becomes clear that the 12 Pro Max doesn’t buck the trend. This Dolby Vision film is streamed in strikingly cinematic fashion, with deep blacks, super-crisp edges and oodles of detail. But it’s not a night-and-day improvement on the iPhone 11 Pro Max it replaces. You appreciate the extra 0.2in more than you might expect, and there’s a slight increase in colour vibrancy, but this is a similar presentation overall.

However, the fact that the standard iPhone 12 is the first of its kind with an OLED screen presents something of an issue. Playing Lost In Space on Netflix, we can see that the gap between the standard and Pro models has never been narrower. The Pro Max has a larger screen, making for a much more cinematic experience, but the standard iPhone 12 delivers a more crisply defined image, due to its more compact dimensions. All things being equal, we’d choose the 12 Pro Max’s viewing experience, but the extra cost is hard to justify on picture performance alone.

It’s also interesting to compare the iPhone 12 Pro Max to the Award-winning Sony Xperia 1 II, which has a 21:9 display that makes for a bigger and more authentically cinematic presentation with the right material. Playing Dredd from Netflix (in Full HD and SDR), the Sony also proves to be the punchier, more vibrant and sharper performer, as well having a more neutral colour balance. If you’re open to the idea of switching to Android, the Xperia 1 II is worth trying out.

Sound

(Image credit: Apple)

For listening out loud, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is simply the best phone there has ever been. What Apple has achieved in terms of loudness, spaciousness and punch is impressive. A good Bluetooth speaker at the affordable end of the market will still beat it, of course, but the openness of the soundfield is particularly impressive when watching a film, and effects extend surprisingly far to the left and right of the screen.

Playing through a pair of headphones (you’ll need a separate dongle) and the good news continues. The iPhone 12 is an exceptionally musical device in its own right, and the 12 Pro Max sounds slightly fuller and smoother at the expense of just a touch of crispness. We’re talking fine margins here, and both phones offer that balance, authenticity and sense of fun for which Apple products are renowned.

Plug those same headphones into the Sony Xperia 1 II (which still has a dedicated socket) and there’s an immediate increase in intensity. That can be seen as a positive – you can’t fail to be engaged – but the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s richer and more open approach is just as appealing, particularly over long listening sessions.

Verdict

The iPhone 12 Pro Max is the best phone that Apple has ever made, with the biggest screen, the best speakers, the best camera and the biggest battery. But many of its upgrades over the iPhone 12 are minimal, and the fact that the standard iPhone now has an OLED display is another reason not to spend the extra.

In short, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max is well worth stretching to if you’re a keen photographer or videographer, the standard iPhone 12 is without a doubt the performance-per-pound pick of the current range – and more than enough phone for all but the most demanding of users.

SCORES

Screen 5
Sound 5
Features 5

MORE:

Read our guide to the best smartphones

Read our Apple iPhone 12 review

Read our Sony Xperia 1 II review

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro review: the right balance

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Let’s just get to it: Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro are the best true wireless earbuds that the company has made yet. For their $200 asking price, you get a comfortable fit, effective active noise cancellation, and good, punchy sound quality. These earbuds improve on Samsung’s prior efforts with clever features like a speech detection mode that automatically lowers your music and lets you hear the outside world as soon as you start talking.

But they also inch Samsung closer to a siloed-off world, not unlike Apple, where the best experience is reserved for people who stick to Samsung-branded devices. A few features like 3D audio and automatic device switching — sound familiar? — only work if you’re using these earbuds with a Samsung phone or tablet. Most people aren’t going to be cross-shopping the Galaxy Buds Pro and AirPods Pro since they’re designed for different mobile operating systems, but Samsung has never leaned into its own ecosystem with earbuds quite like this. Thankfully, there’s enough good for everyone else that the Galaxy Buds Pro still come out a success.

The Buds Pro are an amalgam of the Galaxy Buds Plus — they have an in-ear design with silicone tips — and the open-air Galaxy Buds Live, from which they borrow some style cues. The outer casing is a tasteful mix of glossy and matte finishes and has been redesigned to protrude less from your ear. Samsung says this revamped shell also “reduces the contact area between your ear and the bud, improving comfort and minimizing any clogged-up feeling.”

The wing tips from the Galaxy Buds Plus are gone; Samsung got the message that some customers experienced discomfort from those over time. Instead, you get the usual three sizes of silicone ear tips, which are a bit shorter than before to help with the low-profile design. Samsung tells me it has considered including foam tips but has so far held off. You’ll also notice a section of mesh on the outside. This covers one of the three built-in microphones and is there to act as a wind shield for voice calls. (More on that later.)

I really like how these earbuds fit. They feel stable and twist into place for a good seal in my ear canal, without making my ears feel too plugged up. The air vent and reduced contact area really do seem to make a difference there, and I appreciate that the Buds Pro don’t noticeably jut out from my ears like some competitors. If I have one critique, it’s an old one: more than a few times, I accidentally activated the touch-sensitive controls when trying to adjust the fit of an earbud. Such is life with tap gestures, I suppose. The controls can be turned off if this proves a problem for you.

According to Samsung, the Galaxy Buds Plus are rated IPX7 for water and sweat resistance, which means they can survive a half-hour swim in fresh water — so even your sweatiest runs and workouts shouldn’t present any problem. That’s the highest rating among any of Samsung’s earbuds and beats out the AirPods Pro, Jabra Elite 85t, and Bose Sport Earbuds, which are all IPX4. Either earbud can be used independently with mono audio if you prefer that option for voice calls or biking.

The wonderfully pocketable Buds Pro charging case is so close in size and shape to the Buds Live case that accessories for the latter will fit the former, and it still charges over both USB-C and Qi wireless charging. But endurance is one area where these earbuds settle for very average numbers. Samsung promises up to five hours of playback with ANC enabled (or eight with it off). Case top-offs put you at 18 hours of total battery life or 28 without noise cancellation. That’s basically on par with the rest of the field, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the 11 hours of continuous audio that the Galaxy Buds Plus are capable of. Alas, it turns out the Buds Pro have a smaller battery capacity (61mAh for each bud versus 85mAh) on top of their more power-hungry ANC feature.

The Galaxy Buds Pro have two-way speakers in each earbud: there’s an 11-millimeter woofer and 6.5mm tweeter. Those are larger than what was in the Buds Plus, though smaller than the single 12mm driver from the Buds Live; in that instance, Samsung was most focused on getting satisfactory bass out of an open-style earbud. Here, it’s aiming for “the most comprehensive sound in the Galaxy Buds line yet.” I can’t speak to what “comprehensive” is supposed to mean, but the Buds Pro are enjoyable to listen to, with a good bass thump, crisp treble, and a pleasant soundstage / imaging.

A lot of earbuds can make it feel like everything is happening in the middle of your head, but these do a solid job keeping instrumentation and vocals distinct. Sturgill Simpson’s “Oh Sarah” and Troye Sivan’s “Easy” (with Kacey Musgraves and Mark Ronson) make for nice showcases — in very different genres — of how layered the Buds Pro can get.

Bass heads might want to go for the “bass boost” EQ setting, and the tweeters can occasionally give off a little too much brightness and sibilance for some tracks like Jason Isbell’s “Be Afraid,” but for the most part I was very pleased with the sound signature. I don’t think Samsung hits the same fidelity as something like Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 2, but those are nearly $100 more expensive. I’d be perfectly content with the Buds Pro as my daily earbuds.

The active noise cancellation on the Galaxy Buds Pro is much better than the Galaxy Buds Live, where it seems to barely do anything since there’s so much outside noise to contend with. Samsung claims that the Buds Pro can cut down on “up to 99 percent” of noise “at 118.43Hz,” which is wildly specific and won’t mean much to most people. In my experience, Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds, Sony’s WF-1000XM3 earbuds, and the AirPods Pro all outperform Samsung at quieting the world around you, but Samsung does a perfectly adequate job at muffling street noise and household distractions. You can choose between high and low levels of noise cancellation in case you’re sensitive to the effect.

Samsung’s latest transparency / ambient mode still doesn’t sound as natural as what Apple and Bose have achieved, but it’s a definite improvement over the very digitized version from the Galaxy Buds Plus. And the fantastic “voice detect” feature, which automatically lowers audio volume and switches from ANC to ambient mode when you start talking, is one of the best things about the Galaxy Buds Pro. Sony did something similar on its 1000XM4 headphones, but I haven’t seen this convenient trick in many earbuds, and now I wish all of them at least had the option.

Samsung uses a “voice pickup unit” — basically an accelerometer that senses jaw movement — to know that it’s you talking and not someone nearby. After a few seconds of no more talking, ANC returns and your music gets turned back up. Voice detect works as expected, but if you’ve got a tendency to talk to yourself or sing to your music, you might want to keep it disabled and assign ambient sound to a long press of one of the earbuds. Controls work the same way as other Samsung buds, with a single tap to pause / play, double to skip to the next song, triple to go back, and a customizable long press that can be used for volume, voice assistants, or ambient mode.

For voice calls, Samsung has a three-mic system and uses beamforming to isolate your voice from your environment. The lower profile of the Buds Pro helps combat wind noise, and the mesh-covered chamber does a good job filtering out any gusts if you’re talking with someone outside. Clarity is also good, as you should be able to hear in Becca’s video review above. Speaking of voice, the Galaxy Buds Pro still have hands-free “Hey Bixby” capabilities.

Pro as in… AirPods Pro?

There’s no denying that a few features of the Galaxy Buds Pro are heavily influenced by Apple’s AirPods Pro. The first of these is 3D audio, which is Samsung’s take on the immersive spatial audio capabilities of the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. Load up a movie with Dolby surround, and the Buds Pro will attempt to cram a surround sound listening experience into a pair of earbuds.

Samsung says that 360 audio uses Dolby head tracking technology, which “enables you to stay at the center of the scene when you’re watching a movie or TV show.” In concept, this sounds similar to Apple’s approach, which uses sensors like accelerometers and gyroscopes in the earbuds and your iPhone or iPad to keep the sound source anchored to your device — even when you turn your head side to side.

Unfortunately, I can’t tell you how convincing Samsung’s 3D audio is or whether it compares favorably to spatial audio because it requires OneUI 3.1, which for now is only available on the new Galaxy S21 lineup. The $1,300 Galaxy Note 20 Ultra that Samsung sent for this review doesn’t have that update yet.

The second AirPods feature that Samsung has tried to directly counter is automatic switching. Apple’s earbuds can hop between an iPhone, iPad, or Mac depending on which one you’re using in that moment without you having to manually make the change. Samsung says it has now pulled off the same trick, so the Buds Pro should automatically switch between your Galaxy smartphone and tablet. Unfortunately, the laptop gets left out of Samsung’s equation completely, which makes the feature somewhat less helpful. I wish that more earbuds would just give us proper multipoint Bluetooth pairing to two devices at once; Jabra continues to be the standout there. Automatic switching feels like a makeshift solution until Samsung can get to multipoint.

Both of these capabilities require you to be fairly entrenched in Samsung’s ecosystem. 3D audio only works on Samsung hardware, so if your Android phone is from a different brand, you lose out on it altogether. Same goes for auto-switching. If neither feature is important to you, that might not matter, but it’s something to keep in mind.

Also worth mentioning is that Samsung isn’t extending the same level of iOS support it has maintained for the Buds Plus and Buds Live: the existing iOS app doesn’t work with the Buds Pro, so you can’t use features like voice detect on iPhone. I’m not sure what the reasoning is there, but maybe Samsung’s internal data shows that not many people are pairing its earbuds to Apple devices. You can still pair them and use noise canceling and ambient modes — much like the way AirPods Pro function on Android.

The Galaxy Buds Pro face stiff competition everywhere you look, and you can find superior ANC and sound quality elsewhere. But with these latest earbuds, Samsung has blended much of what worked best about the Buds Plus and Buds Live. Battery life is merely average, but that’s the only real gripe I’ve got. They don’t necessarily win at any one category, but the Galaxy Buds Pro strike an excellent all-around balance. And you can clearly see Samsung trying to recreate some of the ecosystem “magic” that AirPods owners are now used to.

The Buds Pro feel great in your ears, sound better than any Samsung earbuds to date, and have convenient tricks to complement their decent noise cancellation. There’s still a place for the Galaxy Buds Plus if all you want are wireless earbuds with a battery that just goes and goes, and the Buds Live remain the better pick if you need environmental awareness at all times. But if you’re nabbing the Buds Pro as a preorder bonus for a new Galaxy S21, you should be more than satisfied.

Corona warning app is being expanded and should run on older iPhones

The functions of the official federal corona warning app will be significantly expanded in the coming weeks. In addition, the app should also be able to run on the older iPhone models 5s and 6 from mid-February. The Federal Ministry of Health announced this on Friday.

The new functions include a dashboard on which current information about the infection process is to be made available . Then the app will be expanded to include a display of the encounter history. The aim is to inform the app users more precisely about the time of risk encounters. This function will be implemented in accordance with the applicable data protection. As a third innovation, Apple’s interface for the older iPhone models 5s and 6 will also be implemented on the federal corona warning app.

This change alone will grow the Pool of compatible smartphones in Germany by up to four million devices. Apple had previously provided the necessary interface, the Exposure Notification Framework, also for the older iOS 12. 5. Apple thus responded to the request to change the Bluetooth interface so that even more iPhone models than before can run the Corona Tracing app.

More compatible countries Also in February, the development team from SAP and Deutsche Telekom wants to integrate a voluntary user survey in which users can express their opinion on possible data donations. The exchange of infection codes with Switzerland should be possible in March. So far, the federal app’s system has been exchanging data with Ireland, Italy, Spain, Latvia, Croatia, Denmark, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Finland. In addition to Switzerland, Malta, Slovenia, Lithuania, Portugal, Austria and Cyprus are expected to join them in the first quarter 2021. The Czech Republic, Estonia and Greece are in the further planning. The national apps in Great Britain and France, on the other hand, are not compatible because they are not based on the interfaces of Apple and Google.

From the 201 Corona test laboratories established in Germany are now 174 already digitally connected, 7 more are in preparation, the ministry said. This means that over 95 percent of the test capacity is connected to the Corona warning app. 20 Laboratories are “passive”.

The Corona -Warning app of the federal government has been downloaded more than 25 million times to date. Experts estimate that it is actively used by around 23 million people. The download numbers refer to the Apple IDs or Google IDs used. Since in some families several devices are supplied with one ID, the starting point should be even higher than 25 millions of people. Updates to the app are not counted as a separate download. A good ten percent is deducted from this initial value, as some users have uninstalled the app again or not reinstalled it after switching mobile phones. This calculation also takes into account those users who have permanently switched off Bluetooth so that the app cannot work. The effectiveness of the app increases the more people actually use the application.

(anw)

iOS 14.4: Apple warns of replacement cameras

Users of repaired iPhones with replacement components that do not come from Apple itself will have to live with an additional warning in the future. After third-party batteries and third-party screens, Apple also has a review in iOS 14. 4, which is currently available as a second beta of the camera module.

If the camera module is not “Genuine Apple Components”, you will be notified accordingly. It is “not to check whether this is a real Apple camera in this iPhone”, it says, as MacRumors reports.

No new development Many – probably most – repair shops, that are not officially approved by Apple use aftermarket components or remanufactured hardware that is not “married” to the respective iPhone. Accordingly, the verification by iOS fails.

This usually does not have any direct effects, but users are put under pressure to use official repair channels. When replacing safety-relevant components, there have been problems in the past and some replacement displays did not have all the functions.

According to the report, the camera warning does not ensure that the module fails, photos and videos can still be included. It can be assumed that Apple will in the future link to a support document in which the importance of using official repair service providers is underlined. However, their work quickly becomes expensive after the warranty has expired – some older iPhones have already fallen out of support.

App for marrying iPhone and components According to the repair experts at iFixIt, Apple has meanwhile switched to using special apps that authorized repairers have to use to repair new components ” configure “.

Independent workshops naturally do not have the programs. Apple is making the “right to repair” more difficult. However, the group recently launched a spare parts program for small repairers. (bsc)

Security researchers are calling for more protection for iPhone data

Apple and app developers do not make sufficient use of the security functions available in iOS. Renowned IT security experts from Johns Hopkins University are convinced of this. Compared to the US magazine Wired they sometimes sharply criticized the current approach. It “really shocked him,” said crypto expert Matthew Green, because he thought these devices “protect user data well”. He wonders why the often requested back doors for criminal prosecutors are needed at all.

Levels of security Specifically, Green and his colleague Maximilian Zinkus, who specializes in iOS security, are concerned the fact that hierarchical encryption is simply not used in large parts. When an iPhone boots, it is first in the so-called “Complete Protection” mode before the user unlocks it. Then the decryption takes place.

Problem Quick Access Afterwards, however, a large part of the data from the system and apps ends up in the area “Protected Until First User Authentication” (protected until the first user authentication). According to the Johns Hopkins researchers, this state is less secure because the keys required to decrypt the device data are automatically transferred to the quick access memory area. This is used to give applications faster access.

Use by hacker tools This is not fundamentally unsafe. However, this means that attackers who manage to bypass basic iOS backups have significantly easier access to them than in “Complete Protection” mode. The researchers believe that hacking tools such as Grayshift used by security agencies are exploiting Apple’s decision. These can “open” iPhones completely and often use holes that are still publicly unknown.

Apple: Developing further The Johns Hopkins researchers call on Apple to address the problem. Compared to Wired the group announced that Apple devices were provided with “several security layers” in order to be protected against “a wide range of potential threats”. They are “constantly working on adding further protective measures for our users’ data”. It remains to be seen whether this means that Apple will respond to Green & Co.’s criticism. The group also announced that the attacks described were “very expensive” and that attackers would have to physically have the device in front of them. Apparently Apple sees its current strategy as a compromise between security and ease of use. (bsc)

Fitbit is now part of Google: the acquisition is officially completed

The two companies formalize the completion of the operation and ensure full compliance with the confidentiality of user data and continuity of the user experience on both Android and iOS