iPhone 12 - Page 8 of 30

Apple has a new head of hardware engineering in latest executive shuffle

Apple’s hardware team is getting its biggest shakeup in nearly a decade, as Dan Riccio — who served as the company’s senior vice president of hardware engineering since 2012 — transitions to “a new role” at the company. He’ll be replaced as Apple’s head hardware engineer by John Ternus, who led the hardware team designing the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro, in addition to working on Apple’s M1 chips. Ternus has been vice president of hardware engineering at Apple since 2013.

The role of senior vice president of hardware engineering at Apple is a key one: the position reports directly to CEO Tim Cook and is responsible for leading the Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod engineering teams. Ternus’ new role will put him in charge of the company’s hardware efforts, much in the same way that Craig Federighi — Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering — runs the development of iOS and macOS.

Riccio won’t be leaving Apple, though: he’ll be working on an unspecified “new project” for the company in a role directly reporting to Cook. “Next up, I’m looking forward to doing what I love most — focusing all my time and energy at Apple on creating something new and wonderful that I couldn’t be more excited about,” explains Riccio in Apple’s announcement.

Dan Riccio, Apple’s now-former SVP of hardware engineering.

Photo: Apple

If that language sounds familiar, it’s because it’s almost the exact same description that Apple provided for Riccio’s predecessor, Bob Mansfield, when he stepped down as SVP of hardware engineering in 2012. Like Riccio, Mansfield transitioned to “work on future projects” in an unnamed role that reported directly to Cook — which Bloomberg notes included leading Apple’s self-driving car team until December 2020, when Mansfield fully retired from Apple.

Apple’s future automotive ambitions are currently being led by artificial intelligence executive John Giannandrea. But following Mansfield’s departure, there would appear to be a vacancy in senior hardware engineers on that project.

Riccio’s move is the latest departure from Apple’s executive leadership team in recent years, following legendary product designer Jony Ive (who stepped down to form his own design firm, LoveFrom, in November 2019) and Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, who was replaced by Greg Joswiak in 2020 as Schiller refocused on running the App Store and Apple Events.

Sony could bring back the Xperia Compact to compete with the iPhone 12 mini

Sony is reportedly set to bring back its “Compact” line of phones in 2021 with a new Xperia Compact model. It will offer a 5.5-inch display and dimensions more in line with Apple’s (relatively) diminutive iPhone 12 mini rather than the increasingly large phones that Sony has offered for the last few years.

The new device, according to noted phone leaker OnLeaks, who has also posted renders of the upcoming phone over at Voice, would feature dimensions of 140 x 68.9 x 8.9 mm (5.5 x 2.71 x 0.35 inches), making it just a bit bigger than the iPhone 12 mini (which measures 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.4 mm or 5.18 x 2.53 x 0.29 inches).

The new Xperia Compact is also said to offer an 8-megapixel selfie camera in a teardrop notch, a dual-camera setup with a 13-megapixel main camera on the back, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a side-mounted fingerprint reader integrated into the power button. Notably absent are any details on specs, however.

Image: OnLeaks / Voice

The (as-yet-unnamed) 2021 Xperia Compact would be Sony’s first phone to bear the “Compact” name since 2018’s Xperia XZ2 Compact, which had similar dimensions as the leaked specs of the new 2021 device (although the display on the 2018 model was a bit smaller at 5 inches, thanks to its larger bezels). But it’s still a far smaller piece of hardware than other recent attempts like the Xperia 5.

The biggest question, though, is whether the new Xperia Compact will offer flagship-level specifications or if it’ll fall into the same pitfall of other shrunken-down Android devices and offer downgraded specs to match its smaller size. Sony has avoided this issue before — the aforementioned XZ2 Compact offered nearly comparable specifications to its larger sibling — but it remains an open question whether Sony will actually deliver on a 2021 Android phone with flagship-class specifications that doesn’t also require a massive display.

It’s also unclear whether there’s actually a market for smaller flagships. Apple’s iPhone 12 mini, while offering virtually identical specifications to the larger iPhone 12, has reportedly seen lackluster sales compared to the larger models on offer (despite its lower price tag). There are additional reports that Apple is shifting production away from the smaller model to focus more on the full-sized phones.

PSA: phones, MagSafe or not, should be kept away from your pacemaker

When it comes to whether MagSafe-enabled iPhones are safe around pacemakers or other implanted medical devices, Apple and medical device makers have the same advice: it should be okay, but it’s best not to risk it.

MacRumors spotted an update to one of Apple’s support documents, where the company advises that iPhones should be kept at least six inches away from a pacemaker or implanted defibrillator during normal use and a foot away if the device is actively using wireless charging (via 9to5Mac).

This advice isn’t specific to the MagSafe phones. Apple says the additional magnets shouldn’t make the phones any more likely to turn off your implanted medical device than any other phone, a sentiment Medtronic, the manufacturer of such devices, seems to agree with. The company released the following statement:

Medtronic has analyzed iPhone technology and found that it presents no increased risk of interference with Medtronic implantable cardiac rhythm devices, such as pacemakers, implantable defibrillators (ICDs), and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds), when used according to labeling.

Both Apple’s update and Medtronic’s statement come after a recently released study in which a researcher was able to deactivate a patient’s implanted defibrillator by holding an iPhone 12 directly over the device. It’s worth noting that the study was only carried out on one person and didn’t show if the same results would have occurred with a non-MagSafe device.

Implanted medical devices deactivating when magnets are held over them isn’t anything new. In fact, it’s expected behavior. The devices are built to deactivate when a magnet is held over them, and doctors should always inform patients about the risks and necessary precautions when they’re using an implanted medical device. Apple’s documentation advises you to “consult with your physician and your device manufacturer for specific guidelines.”

But in case it’s been a while since you talked to your doctor, here’s your reminder: it’s best to keep any electronic devices away from your implanted medical devices, whether or not they explicitly include magnets. There’s never a good time for your heart to stop beating like it should.

Google search on mobile is getting a redesign

Google is redesigning how search results look on mobile, the company announced in a blog on Friday. “We wanted to take a step back to simplify a bit so people could find what they’re looking for faster and more easily,” Aileen Cheng, who led the redesign, said in the blog.

The redesign will have larger and bolder text that’s intended to be easier to scan quickly, and you’ll see more of Google’s font in results. Search results will also take up more of the width of your screen, thanks in part to reduced shadows. Google also says the redesign will use color “more intentionally” to help highlight important information without being distracting.

To get an idea of how the redesign differs from the current experience, compare this render of the redesign with a screenshot of the current search experience I took from my iPhone 12 mini.

It looks like the new design puts more information higher up the page and reduces some visual clutter, which will hopefully make results easier to parse without forcing you to scroll down too far to find what you’re looking for.

Google says the redesign will roll out in the coming days.

Apple’s 2021 MacBook Pros will reportedly bring back the SD card slot

Apple may finally be bringing an integrated SD card slot to its upcoming 2021 models of its MacBook Pro laptops, according to a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, in a move that would restore the popular port standard to the company’s computers.

The MacBook Pro lineup hasn’t offered an SD card slot since Apple removed the feature in its 2016 redesign, which excised all the ports from the laptops in favor of four universal USB-C ports. This forced many professional users — who rely on the popular memory card format to import photos and videos to their computers for editing — to turn to much-reviled dongles to get the same functionality.

The news comes after an earlier report from Gurman that originally detailed some of the changes that Apple was planning for the upcoming 14-inch and 16-inch designs. These changes include removing the controversial Touch Bar interface in exchange for physical function keys; offering a more squared-off design that’s in line with the recent iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPhone 12 lineups; adding brighter displays; and bringing back Apple’s magnetic MagSafe chargers. That’s all in addition to the biggest change, which will see the high-end laptops move from Intel’s processors to a more powerful version of Apple’s in-house, ARM-based M1 chipset.

Noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo corroborated those reports by claiming that the new laptops would offer additional ports, but today marks the first confirmation of the SD card slot specifically.

The news of the SD card slot’s return actually comes as an aside in a larger report on Apple’s planned refresh for a “high-end” MacBook Air model, which is said to offer similar MagSafe and processor benefits as the new MacBook Pros. Unfortunately, though, there’s no mention of the SD card slot being offered on the upcoming Air refresh — just a pair of USB-C ports.

Apple: Analysts hope for highest sales ever

Apple is apparently about to publish excellent quarterly figures. At least that’s what most analysts on Wall Street assume. The consensus forecasts indicate that the iPhone company has managed to break the 2020 mark in the last three months of the year to skip billions of US dollars in sales – more precisely, it should even 102, 5 billion. That would be higher revenues in a quarter than ever before. The old record was 91, 8 billion and was set the year before.

Target price on 152 Dollar increases Some observers even go beyond the already decent consensus forecast. The well-known Apple analyst Katy Huberty of the bank Morgan Stanley believes that Apple will deliver at least 20, 2 billion dollars in sales. It therefore raised its target price to 152 dollars. The rate is currently at over 136 dollars after it had risen by almost 3.7 percent on Thursday.

High profit expected The reason for the positive forecasts is primarily the business with iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Per. It is said to be going great, as many users had previously postponed the upgrade because they had been waiting for the first 5G devices from Apple. Analyst Huberty also expects a profit per share of USD 1.00 50. That would also be a record. Wall Street’s consensus forecast here is also a very decent $ 1 41 Dollar.

Best launch in half a decade According to Huberty, the iPhone was 12 “Apple’s most successful product launch in the last five years”. That manifested itself in a successful Christmas quarter “and beyond”. In addition, there is an apparently fantastic business in China. The country claims to have overcome the Corona crisis and is already showing economic growth. There the iPhone 12 should meanwhile have a market share of 20 percent have more than any other iPhone in years. In addition, there are surveys according to which Apple was able to take away a lot of customers from the market-dominant Huawei – so many users have never been “switched” as in the past 15 months, so Huberty.

Wearables and services business Other Apple product categories are also doing well. These include in particular iPads and Macs, which developed a surge in demand during the pandemic due to the home office regulation. There is also the wearables category with Apple Watch and headphones. The service business strongly promoted by Apple is also expected to grow – although Huberty is more cautious here than her colleagues. Still, the App Store is said to have had a strong quarter. Apple will release its quarterly figures on 27. January present. (bsc)

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G review

Introduction

Unpacking 2021 with a bang, we have the Samsung Galaxy S21 for you today. Samsung has rearranged its yearly release schedule to pull its high-end S-series reveal for January, and could there be a better way to kick off the year?

We did say ‘bang’, but it’s hardly the most thunderous of those – out of the trio of Galaxy S21 phones announced, we’ll now be presenting you the smallest, vanilla one. We also have the Ultra at the office, but you’ll need to wait a bit more for that – no event starts off with the headliner anyway.

For the second year in a row, Samsung unveils three phones as part of the spring flagship roster (even though it’s very much winter this time around, at least where we are). And, much like last time, there’s a very clear divide between the ultimate uncompromising Ultra and the two more restrained and down-to-earth ‘regular’ S phones. If anything, the gap has even widened.

The examples are plenty, some of them more significant than others. Take the displays for example. Unlike last year when all three phones had 1440p resolution panels, now only the Ultra gets the higher resolution, the ‘mainstream’ S21s stand at 1080p. All three screens were curved in 2020, now it’s just the Ultra. All three S20s had the same high-refresh rate implementation, now the Ultra gets a more advanced Adaptive mode than the other two.

How about the cameras? The S20 Ultra had a vastly superior setup than the other two, regardless of issues it might have had with realizing the full potential of all of its impressive hardware. Well, the S21 Ultra builds on top of that and comes with further improved internals in the imaging department. The S21 and S21+, meanwhile, reuse last year’s bits. Hmm.

But there’s more. In the case of the small Galaxy S21 we have here, a final blow hurts the most – it’s got a plastic back. It’s hardly the end of the world, and we’ll go on to rationalize how that’s actually a good thing on the next page. But it goes to emphasize the further differentiation between the one true flagship and the others that stand below it. And then further down below it.

Some genes are shared among all in the family, after all. The chipset is the same on all three (still different from region to region, but that’s a whole other topic), all have the second-gen ultrasonic fingerprint reader from Qualcomm, as well as stereo speakers and IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. And no, none of them has a microSD slot, that one was most surprising.

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G specs at a glance:
Body: 151.7×71.2×7.9mm, 169g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins).
Display: 6.20″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 421ppi; Always-on display.
Chipset: International – Exynos 2100 (5 nm): Octa-core CPU (1×2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3×2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×2.2 GHz Cortex-A55), Mali-G78 MP14 GPU. USA/China – Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 (5 nm): Octa-core (1×2.84 GHz Kryo 680 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 680 & 4×1.80 GHz Kryo 680; Adreno 660 GPU.
Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS 3.1.
OS/Software: Android 11, One UI 3.1.
Rear camera: Wide (main): 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, 1/1.76″, 1.8µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚, 1/2.55″ 1.4µm, Super Steady video; Telephoto: 64 MP, f/2.0, 29mm, 1/1.72″, 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 1.1x optical zoom, 3x hybrid zoom.
Front camera: 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm, 1/3.24″, 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF.
Video capture: Rear camera: 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS; Front camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps.
Battery: 4000mAh; Fast charging 25W, USB Power Delivery 3.0, Fast Qi/PMA wireless charging 15W, Reverse wireless charging 4.5W.
Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, ultrasonic); NFC; FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent); Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support), Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified), ANT+, Bixby natural language commands and dictation.Samsung Galaxy S21 unboxing

Here it is, the high-end Galaxies’ new and improved (read ‘smaller’) retail box. Following in the footsteps of Apple, Samsung has chosen to remove the charger and headphones from the retail bundle, resulting in a more compact box.

Yes, yes, you’re supposed to already have chargers at home, so not including one with every phone should help reduce waste, plus the decreased shipping volume will lower the carbon footprint along the logistics chain. It’s a noble concept though somehow saving the environment still doesn’t feel like the key driving factor.

Having said that, at the S21 keynote, Samsung mentioned that adapters will now be sold at a reduced price, and this seems like a step in the right direction.

Anyway, what you are getting in the box is the phone itself and a USB-C-to-C cable. That sort of means you need to have a moderately contemporary USB PowerDelivery charger lying around, or a USB-A-to-C cable if you intend to use an adapter that doesn’t have a Type C out.

As it came to light around the iPhone 12 launch days, local regulations in France specifically mandate that all phones sold in the country come with a headset. So S21s in France will indeed ship with the usual set of AKG-branded earbuds we’ve gotten used to from Galaxies in recent years. Still no charger, though.

2021 iPhones will have smaller notches, LiDAR and sensor-shift OIS

Back in 2017, Apple introduced its iPhone X as one of the biggest redesigns in its smartphone line. Four iPhone generations later the iPhone 12 series is still sporting the same sized notch but according to the latest DigiTimes report backed by supply chain insiders, the next generation of iPhones will finally offer smaller cutouts. The same information was confirmed in a previous report from earlier this month.

The company will fit the infrared camera and dot projector in a single module allowing for a more compact design. In addition to having smaller notches, the next iPhones (specified as iPhone 12S series) will come in four models like this year’s 12 series. Apart from the slimmer notch, the 12S series will pack a similar flat-edged design like this year’s iPhone 12 models.

All 12S models are expected to pack LiDAR scanners (currently exclusive to the 12 Pro models) as well as LiDAR depth sensors. Another big addition suggested by the new report is the addition of sensor-shift OIS (currently exclusive to the iPhone 12 Pro Max) for all new iPhone 12S models. The high end 6.1 and 6.7 iPhones will also receive larger-sized lenses.

Source (in Chinese) | Via

iPhone 12 Pro, skyrocketing question: Apple transfers production to the detriment of the mini

Apparently Apple is selling more models Pro che mini, compared to the company’s initial forecasts. Consequently, the production of the more expensive models is increasing to the detriment of the cheaper ones.

by Nino Grasso published 21 January 2021 , at 17: 01 in the Apple channel

Apple iPhone

According to new rumors obtained from unofficial sources, Apple would transferred the production of two million units from the iPhone model 12 mini to most expensive iPhone 12 Pro . The news was disclosed in a new private note from Morgan Stanley, obtained from the PED website 30.

Apple would have made the “switch” of production based on requests for the first quarter of 2021, in order to counter the increase in iPhone delivery times 12 Pro which, apparently, is among the most requested of the entire line-up: “iPhone delivery times 12 Pros remain, at approximately 10 days, longer than any model launched in the last 4 years “, the source reports. “Delivery times dropped about two weeks ago after Apple ramped up production of the new range according to reports from our team supply “.

iPhone 12, long delivery times and “switch “in production

The note also states that Apple has increased iPhone production 12 Pro by 2 million units , offsetting the reduction of the same number of iPhone units 12 mini in the request to the assembly lines. The new report links to other previous analyzes that iPhone sales 01 mini would not have been as exciting as estimated by Apple: according to unofficial data the cheapest and most compact model of the line-up would have collected only 6% of the total sales of the new family by melafonini, at least during the launch period.

I “Non-Pro” models, on the other hand, are selling better in China than in the US. In the Asian nation iPhone 12 earned the 20, 3% of the market (reaching a record value in the last 18 months), boasting the largest user base ever recorded by any iPhone at launch in China, after the first full month of sales.

Test of the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G smartphone with the Exynos 2100 chip: I did not expect such a successful continuation of the flagship series

The product portfolio of the South Korean manufacturer of consumer electronics has expanded to include three new flagship smartphones. Samsung Galaxy S 21 5G is available in Basic, Plus and Ultra options. I had the pleasure to test the S variant 21 5G in the Phantom Violet color, which, in the opinion of me and my friends, is the most attractive. Yes, the model with the note Ultra in the name offers a higher resolution, a larger battery and 108 MP wide-angle photographic unit and 40 MP selfie camera, however S 21 5G absolutely not nothing to be ashamed of. In addition, the basic version of this year’s flagship from the Galaxy S family costs “only” 3899 PLN. Although for many it may seem like a high amount, it is an acceptable amount in relation to other market flagships.

Author: Marcin Karbowiak

Samsung offers two flagship lines of smartphones. The Galaxy Note series, which is distinguished by a more formal character, is addressed to the broadly understood business and creative individuals. The S-Pen stylus support is also important here, as it guarantees access to many useful software solutions in applications. Notes, sketches, and spreadsheet handling with a stylus can convince you. The Galaxy S series is a slightly looser approach. This form can be directed to virtually all customers who expect a complete device that works perfectly and looks the same. Samsung Galaxy S 21 5G, the newest representative of the series, represents it with dignity, as I found out during the tests. Of course, not everything is perfect here, but more on that in a moment.

We tested the latest flagship smartphone Samsung Galaxy S 21 5G. We already know how the Samsung Exynos chip 2100 has proven itself in everyday use and in synthetic tests . Although the set does not include a charger, the manufacturer made sure that we could call the equipment complete.

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Samsung Galaxy S smartphone test 20 FE – cheaper, not worse

Samsung Galaxy S 21 5G works under the control of the latest Exynos chip 2100 made in a 5nm technological process. There is also a variant with Snapdragon 888, but it is not available in Europe. The manufacturer ensures that Exynos is equally efficient in terms of efficiency and work on battery and this is largely true. The device is supported by 8 GB RAM and Mali-G graphics 78 MP 14. The “battery” with a relatively low capacity 4000 mAh is responsible for energy efficiency. However, there is no reason to worry – the cell performed great in the tests. Pictures taken with a photo unit of 12 MP wide angle, 12 Ultra Wide Angle MP and 64 Telephoto MP we will write to 128 GB or 256 GB of fast memory UFS 3.1. The second of these variants takes part in the tests.

Samsung Galaxy S series smartphone technical specification 21 5G:

	Samsung Galaxy S 21 5G	Samsung Galaxy S 21 + 5G	Samsung Galaxy S 21 Ultra 5G
Display	6.2 inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X 20: 9 2300 x 1080 pix 120 Hz GG Victus	6.7 inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X 20: 9 2300 x 1080 pix 120 Hz GG Victus	6.8 inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X 20 : 9 3200 x 1440 pix 120 Hz GG Victus
Processor	Samsung Exynos 2100 5 nm 1x Cortex-X1 – 2.9 GHz 3x Cortex-A 78 – 2.8 GHz 4x Cortex-A 55 – 2.4 GHz	Samsung Exynos 2100 5 nm 1x Cortex-X1 – 2.9 GHz 3x Cortex-A 78 – 2.8 GHz 4x Cortex-A 55 – 2.4 GHz	Samsung Exynos 2100 5 nm 1x Cortex-X1 – 2.9 GHz 3x Cortex-A 78 – 2.8 GHz 4x Cortex-A 55 – 2.4 GHz
Graphics processor	Mali-G 78	Mali-G 78	Mali-G 78
Data storage	128 GB 256 GB (UFS 3.1)	128 GB 256 GB (UFS 3.1)	128 GB 256 GB 512 GB (UFS 3.1)
RAM	8 GB	8 GB	12 GB / 16 GB
Battery	4000 mAh 25 In	4800 mAh 25 W	5000 mAh 25 In
Main camera	12 MP f / 1.8 wide angle 12 MP f / 2.2 ultra wide angle 64 MP f / 2.0 telephoto	12 MP f / 1.8 wide angle 12 MP f / 2.2 ultra wide angle 64 MP f / 2.0 telephoto	108 MP f / 1.8 wide angle 12 MP f / 2.2 ultra wide angle 10 MP f / 4.9 telephoto 10 MP f / 2.4 telephoto
Front camera	10 MP f / 2.2	10 MP f / 2.2	40 MP f / 2.2
Dimensions	151, 7 x 71, 2 x 7.9 mm	161, 5 x 75, 6 x 7.8 mm	165, 1x 75, 6 x 8.9 mm
Weight	172 g	202 g	228 g
Colors	Phantom Gray Phantom White Phantom Violet Phantom Pink	Phantom Gray Phantom White Phantom Violet	Phantom Black Phantom Silver
Price	3899 PLN	4799 PLN	5749

For Samsung Galaxy S smartphone 21 5G version with 128 GB of memory you have to pay 3899 PLN for the data. Option with 256 GB of memory is an expense 4099 PLN. The difference is not huge, but the profitability of the surcharge is a highly debatable matter. The cheaper option will be successful for the lion’s share of users. The title device is basically the direct equivalent of the Apple iPhone 12 in the Android world. The equipment, however, is several hundred zlotys cheaper than the product of the Cupertino giant. However, we can get the Samsung Galaxy Note for a similar amount 20 and ASUS ROG Phone 3, which are in some respects more efficient than the aforementioned device. Galaxy S 21 5G wins in terms of design and photographic possibilities.

Renders of iPad mini 6 suggest two punch holes: for the selfie camera and for the FP reader

Leaked renders of the iPad mini 6 suggest that Apple is on the verge of a major change in direction – for its tablets and perhaps later on for its phones too. The images come @xleaks7 and CoverPigtou, a collaboration that has a good (though not perfect) track record when it comes to leaking designs of upcoming devices.

Look at the renders and notice what is there and what isn’t there. This tablet could become Apple’s first device to feature a punch hole front camera. And there is no FaceID hardware, the mini will keep using a fingerprint reader.

And not just any FP reader, this one that appears to be inside a punch hole itself (as in, not an under-display reader). Two punch holes and on an iPad mini of all things? These renders should be approached with a healthy does of skepticism.

Apple iPad mini 6 (unofficial renders)

Even if the selfie camera does go in a punch hole, the FP reader could be relocated to the power button, just like on the new iPad Air. Under-dispay readers are quite cheap too and won’t require the UI to go around the permanent circle of such a reader (they would require a switch to OLED panels, though).

Perhaps, this is less crazy than it sounds – last week Bloomberg published a report, saying that the iPhone 13 will have an in-display reader. That report implied an under-display reader rather than a punch hole though.

Size comparison – iPad mini 6 vs. iPhone 12 Pro • Bottom view of the iPad mini 6

Anyway, the last iPad mini had very chunky bezels. Slimming those down will allow the display to grow to 9.15” (up from 7.9”) while keeping the slate’s dimensions essentially the same – 203.2 x 134.8 x 6.25 mm.

Last year Ming-Chi Kuo did predict a 9-inch mini, but the analyst made no mention of such major design changes. Most of the predictions have been centered on the arrival of microLED panels and those are headed to an iPad Pro.

Apple is expected to unveil new iPads in March, so we’ll see how much of these punch hole and microLED rumors prove to be true in a couple of months.

Source (in Italian)

Face ID with face heat mapping of smartphone user. Apple biometrics will not be terrible with protective masks

Biometrics in smartphones is constantly evolving, while Apple has been focusing on facial recognition for a long time. Face ID is based on infrared and can easily detect the user even in complete darkness. Unfortunately, in times of the coronavirus pandemic, we often cover our face with protective masks, which in some cases is mandatory. Face ID is completely unable to cope in such situations, but the Cupertino giant apparently wants to remedy it. The company has just obtained a patent for the face heat mapping function, which can go to the Face ID scanner on Apple iPhone smartphones. So let’s check how the solution would work.

Apple patents a completely new method of biometric security of smartphones. Face ID will be enhanced with face heat mapping.

Apple iPhone test 12 – a smartphone that cuts itself off from the past

The times when we secure our devices only with PINs, passwords or patterns are a thing of the past. Fingerprint readers are becoming more precise, and some of them have even hit the screens of mobile devices. Apple focuses on face recognition, i.e. Face ID. The problem is that covering your mouth and nose with a mask makes the system completely useless. Here the fingerprint scanner works much better. There are rumors that Apple is going to use this solution, but new information sheds some light on biometrics in iPhones.

Test Apple iPhone 12 – a smartphone that cuts itself off from the past

The company has patented the user face heat mapping function, which is unique to every human being and it would be quite reasonable to use this solution in Face ID. This would eliminate the problem of wearing the mask. Today, making payments via Apple Pay or simply unlocking your smartphone using your face is basically impossible due to the prevailing restrictions. I would not be surprised if both of these biometric security methods would be included in iPhones.

Source: Patently Apple

iPhone 12: Less mini, more pro

Is the iPhone 12 mini a slow seller? At least the smallest Apple smartphone seems to have been less popular with customers for years than expected by the manufacturer. As the banking house Morgan Stanley has found out, a production shift has now been ordered. A total of two million less of the iPhone 12 mini were ordered, instead two million additional units of the iPhone 12 Pro, which obviously runs much better, added.

Compact and unpopular? Rumors that the iPhone mini sells worse than other models of the 2020 series, have been around for several weeks. Consumer Intelligence Research Partners wrote at the beginning of January that the mini accounted for only six percent of total sales of the 12 he product range. Apple itself is now neither commenting on the number of units sold nor their distribution across the various devices. 2020 the group presented four new iPhones for the first time, in addition to the iPhone 20 mini with a 5.4 inch screen, these are the iPhone 12 with 6.1 inches, iPhone 12 Pro with 6.1 inches and iPhone 12 Pro Max with 6.7 inches.

Long delivery time for the iPhone 12 Pro According to Morgan Stanley, the production and delivery times for the iPhone are 12 Pro longer than any other Apple smartphone model in the last four years. They should now be ten days after they were two weeks ago 22 days. In view of the fact that the devices have been on the market since autumn, this is astonishingly long – and speaks for a high demand.

In China things are going well for Apple The bank also made statements about further sales distribution. The non-Pro models of the iPhone should sell better in China than in the United States. The market share of the iPhone 12 in the People’s Republic is now over 20 percent, which would be a high for an iPhone in a year and a half. In addition, the iPhone 12 has reached the largest installed base of a newly introduced Apple smartphone in the last four years after only one month on sale. Apple will provide more details on the sales when it announces its new quarterly figures at the end of the month.

(bsc)

TechStage | Chargers for iPhone & iPad: Faster & better from 20 euros

Beginning Power Delivery Cable Charger Qi charger Conclusion Comments by Matthias / / 20. 01. 2021 18: 07 Clock

If you want to charge your iPhone and iPad quickly, you need the right combination of power adapter and cable. We show good and cheap alternatives to expensive Apple accessories.

Whoever one of the iPhone – 12 – models, must also invest in a power supply or use an old one. For the first time Apple does not include a charger, allegedly for environmental reasons. However, many suspect that Apple is simply interested in maximizing profits. In order to achieve the maximum loading speed, there are a few points to consider. There are also alternatives to the original Apple accessories, which are technically very good, more compact and even cheaper.

By “fast charging” Apple understands that, for example, an empty iPhone battery in 30 minutes on 50% is charged. To switch to fast charge mode, the iPhone needs – 12 – Row a power supply unit with at least 20 Watt. Older iPhones from iPhone 8 onwards require a power supply unit with at least 18 Watt. The following iPad models charge with a charger with at least 18 Watt fast:

iPad Pro 12, 9 ″ (1st generation and newer) iPad Pro 11″(1. Generation and newer) iPad Pro (10, 5 ″) iPad Air (3rd generation) iPad mini (5th generation) 20 Watts may be a lot in the Apple cosmos. Users of some Android devices can only smile mildly here. For example, from 500 euros available Oppo Reno 4 Pro (review), Oppo Find X2 Pro (review) and Realme X 50 Pro 5G (test report) with up to 65 Watt.

Power Delivery Buyers should definitely pay attention to the free charging standard Power Delivery with their new charger. It is absolutely necessary for Apple devices to switch to fast charging mode. But not only iOS, but also many Android devices support the Power Delivery fast charging standard. Apple itself refers to the fast charging standard simply as “fast charging for iPhone”. Manufacturers of devices with Android operating systems often use the term USB-PD.

Still It gets more complicated with the names of the charger manufacturers. For example, Anker writes about its current PowerIQ 3.0 power supplies. They support the fast charging protocols from Power Delivery, Qualcomm and a few more.

With USB -PD negotiate the power supply unit and the end device the combination of voltage and current. The power pack usually offers various combinations from which the end device picks the right one. This is done via the Control Channel (CC) of the USB-C connector. This is another reason why it is important to choose the right cable. If the chip in the cable does not work correctly, it transmits a maximum of three amps.

USB Power Delivery 3.0 is the first standard, Qualcomms Quick Charge and Apple Lightning can replace. With USB-PD 3.0, the previous power profiles with the fixed assignment of voltage and maximum current are being replaced by flexible power rules. The higher the nominal power, the more combinations are possible.

Whoever is lower wants to get into the matter, we recommend the article on USB-PD: USB Power Delivery.

The correct cable Another requirement for fast charging on the iPhone and iPad is a USB-C to Lightning cable. If you use the cable supplied by Apple, there should be no problems with the energy transfer. However, if you buy a cable, you have to be careful. Because, as we already did in our USB-C cable purchase advice: Not everyone can determine everything, there can be large differences between what are apparently the same. To be on the safe side, we recommend that you have an MFi certification. This is always on ” Made for iPhone / iPad / iPod” – or ” Made for iPhone ” – Imprint on the packaging recognizable.

A problem that apparently mainly Apple users have: The cables break in heavily used areas, for example directly behind the Lightning or USB-C connector, and then no longer work reliably. That is with a cable, which individually already by the 20 euros, especially annoying. We recommend using other brands, especially when it comes to cables. We have had good experiences with anchors in the past. For a long time this has been Anker Powerline II USB-C to Lightning cable in use with us and shows hardly any signs of use.

The Anker Powerline III Flow has a very soft coating and hardly gets tangled. Anker advertises that it is particularly stable. But also with Spigen , Ugreen and Amazon Basic there were few problems in the past.

Charger The original power supply from Apple with a performance of 20 Watt costs about 20 Euro. This is an extremely reasonable price for Apple. Nevertheless, it is worth thinking outside the box. For example, the Anker Powerport III Nano also 20 Euro, sometimes only 17 Euro. It offers 20 Watt with Power Delivery, but also supports other fast charging standards for fast charging of other compatible end devices. It is also significantly more compact than the original Apple charger.

Another corner cheaper and even more powerful is the charger Spigen Steadyboost 27 W PD . However, it is a bit bigger. 27 costs Euro the PD power supply from Aukey and offers two USB-C ports with a total of 30 Watt.

Qi charger Starting with the iPhone 8, Apple smartphones also charge wirelessly using the Qi charging standard. Apple even specifies a maximum charging current of 7.5 watts. As our comparison test: The best Qi chargers shows, with some Qi chargers even a little more is possible. Also the current iPhone – 12 – series supports Qi up to 7.5 watts. However, this also offers the option of connecting the in-house Magsafe adapter. It holds magnetically on the back and then offers a charging current of up to 15 watts, as Apple clarifies. But not the iPhone 12 Mini, that only works 12 Watt. The Magsafe must also be connected to a Power Delivery capable power supply unit with at best 20 watts hang in order to be able to transmit its full power. Who wants the fast wireless charging on the iPhone 11, you currently have to use the original Apple accessories. There are currently no real alternatives from third-party manufacturers. Alternatively, we recommend our large comparison test: The best Qi chargers.

Conclusion If you want to charge your iPhone or iPad quickly, you have to with exception of the wireless Magsafe adapter do not necessarily have to use expensive Apple accessories. Sometimes the third-party power supply and cable are not only cheaper, but also better. We recommend the very compact yet fast power supply Anker Powerport III Nano in combination with the durable and chic Anker Powerline III Flex .

Who is currently buying an iPhone 12 we recommend our posts iPhone 12: This is how quickly the new models become cheaper and cheaper than the iPhone 12: Contract vs financing vs purchase.

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Samsung Galaxy S21 initial review: A little bit of history repeating

(Pocket-lint) – Samsung’s new normal is the Galaxy S21. This phone sits in the most affordable position, more compact, but offering all the power of its larger siblings, the Galaxy S21+ and the S21 Ultra.

We’ve spent some time with the new device to bring our early first impressions. As Shirley Bassey said, it’s a little bit of history repeating.

Design

151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9mm, 172g
Plastic back
IP68 waterproofing

In previous generations, the regular Galaxy S has set the tone for the family, offering a smaller version of the phones in the plus position. That was the case all the way back to the Galaxy S8, the 2017 phone where Samsung moved curved display edges into the mainstream. Prior to that, the Samsung Galaxy S7 occupied the entry-level slot with a flat display, while the S7 Edge sat in a more premium position. What’s perhaps most remarkable about the Samsung Galaxy S21, is that return to a flat display after all these years.

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It was something that the Galaxy S20 FE did towards the end of 2020 and at the time it felt like Samsung exploring a new direction for its phones; now in 2021 the flat display and the plastic back are in, drawing a more distinct line between the S21 Ultra at the top of the table and the S21 at the foot.

But this isn’t just a story about Samsung stripping away premium features. Indeed, some will see that having a flat display is inherently more usable, just as some will see that opting for a plastic back means you’re less likely to smash it on day one.

What’s important about the plastic back is that it doesn’t look or feel cheap. Thanks to the way the camera has been integrated on the S21, with that housing flush against the widened frame of the phone in that corner, there’s a sense of purpose and style to this phone that you don’t get elsewhere.

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Let’s face it: as good as the Galaxy S20 FE is, it could be any phone from any number of manufacturers – but the Samsung Galaxy S21 looks unique. There’s nothing else like it on the market, and whether you love it or loathe it, the exuberant camera design is part of the brand identity. It’s very Samsung.

We didn’t think we’d like the Phantom Violet colour, but there’s something about it. There’s a quality in being unique that we admire, the contrasting colours giving this model an edge over the Phantom Grey (likely to be the top seller) which hides the camera a little more.

Of course, Samsung holds onto the IP68 waterproofing, because this is still a premium handset and the size makes it easy to handle and easy to slip into your pocket.

Display

6.2in, 2400 x 1080 pixels, 424ppi
Adaptive refresh rate 48-120Hz
HDR10+ support

We’ve spoken a little about the display design above, so we’re not going to repeat that here – and most right onto the next decision that might prove controversial. Samsung has cut the Galaxy S21 back to full HD. That means you have a 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution, 424ppi, whereas in previous years, Samsung has offered Quad HD+ displays.

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The reality is that Samsung has always run Full HD+ as the default resolution and many people were happy to accept that, never venturing into the higher resolution that was offered. On a phone with a 6.2-inch display it’s not a huge issue, because you’re talking about really fine detail, but it’s true – in terms of resolution, the S21 isn’t as adept as the generations of phone that came before it. It also, comparatively, now slips in below the iPhone 12 in terms of pixel density.

But the big boost that you get is adaptive refresh rate, with the Galaxy S21 able to shift to refresh rates between 48 and 120Hz to suit the content you’re viewing. That will mean for a static page it will be a low refresh and for a fast moving page, it will increase. There will be less blur on scrolling and better visual performance on games.

Among these changes, Samsung has kept the vibrant and punch display that it’s known for. First impressions of this compact flagship are great, we’re sure that the display will please many.

Hardware and specs

Exynos 2100 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, 5G
8GB RAM; 128GB/256GB storage options
4000mAh battery

As with previous versions of Samsung Galaxy S phones, you’ll either find the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100 powering your phone. While that will likely still divide the critics, the structure of these two platforms is now a lot closer than it has been in previous years, which bodes well for Samsung.

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We’ve not spent enough time with the Galaxy S21 to fully evaluate its performance, but first impressions are of a slick and powerful handset. There are fewer options this time around, with 8GB RAM and either 128 or 256GB storage, but the big change here is the removal of the microSD card slot.

That, for many, will be the biggest downside to Samsung’s repositioning of the Galaxy S. For many years, Samsung has been the brand where you could buy lower storage and boost that with the cheap memory card. However, with data costing less and streaming so prolific, it does beg the question of whether people really need to carry so much local content on their devices these days.

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There’s a 4000mAh battery in the Galaxy S21 and we suspect this will probably last rather well, but we’ve not had the chance to full test its performance. There’s no charger in the box this time around, so you’ll have to use one you’ve already got, or buy Samsung’s 25W charger as an accessory.

Wireless charging is supported, as well as reverse wireless charging.

Cameras

Triple camera system
- Main camera: 12-megapixel, 1.8µm pixel size, f/1.8 aperture, OIS
- Telephoto: 64MP, (3x optical / 30x digital zoom) 0.8µm, f/2.0, OIS
- Ultra-wide: 12MP, 1.4µm, f/2.2
Selfie: 10MP, 1.22µm, f/2.2

As was the case with the Galaxy S20, the S21 has three cameras on the back taking a different approach to the Ultra. We’ve not had the chance to fully assess their performance, but we’ll walk you through the details.

The approach is completely different to the Ultra, opting for a 12-megapixel main camera with large pixel – 1.8µm. It’s a restrained approach and the same taken by the iPhone and Google Pixel, aiming to give better results because it doesn’t have to use pixel binning from smaller pixels which is what happens in high resolution sensors.

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That leaves the main, ultra-wide and front cameras very much as they were before on the S20 and we found they worked pretty well. They sit with a 64-megapixel telephoto camera, aiming to give you the 30x digital zoom.

Well, that’s not entirely true, because Samsung is giving you access to the 64-megapixel sensor to shoot at full resolution if you want to. That means it will take 64-megapixel photos like a main camera, rather than using it as zoom.

The Galaxy S21 supports a full range of new shooting features, as well as enhanced video capture with 4K 60fps offered on all the lenses, while 8K 24fps is offered from the back cameras, again coming from that 64-megapixel sensor.

As we said, we’ve not had the chance to full assess the performance of the camera, but we’ll bring you the results as soon as we can.

First Impressions

You might be tempted to dismiss the Samsung Galaxy S21 out of hand – plastic back, no microSD, that flat display – but you’d be wrong to do so. The Galaxy S21 is a premium phone, with some unique design features that stands it apart from many rivals in this space.

There are important things that still stand out about this phone: there’s plenty of power, the display is still great and the camera is loaded with potential. Even better, it’s a little cheaper than the Galaxy S20 was at launch.

We’ll bring you our full verdict on the Samsung Galaxy S21 in the near future.

Writing by Chris Hall.