Samsung recently released the Galaxy S10e alongside the other Galaxy S10 lineup, as a direct competitor to the Apple iPhone XR. Just like Apple did with the iPhone XR, Samsung has given its "cheaper" variant some of the best features of its higher-end flagships, while reserving some premium features for its higher price point devices. Both handsets are priced equally at launch. So which one is better?
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Feature
iPhone XR
Galaxy S10e
Price
$749
$749
Display
6.1" Liquid Retina
5.8" Dynamic AMOLED
Resolution
1792x828 (326 ppi)
2280x1080 (438 ppi)
Processor
Apple A12 Bionic
Snapdragon 855
RAM
3GB
6GB / 8GB
Rear Camera
12MP Single
12MP + 16MP Dual
Biometrics
Face ID
Fingerprint / Face
Ports
Lightning
USB-C + 3.5mm Jack
Protection
IP67
IP68
SIZE & HANDS-ON
The larger 6.1-inch display on the iPhone XR makes it slightly bigger than the Galaxy S10e with its 5.8-inch display. Samsung's budget flagship is also thinner and lighter. While some may prefer the larger display size, others may lean toward the smaller dimensions of the Galaxy S10e for easier one-handed use.
NOTCH VS. INFINITY-O
Samsung has introduces a screen cutout called "Infinity-O," essentially a hole punched into the display for the front camera. This allowed both Apple and Samsung to offer larger screen real-estate with slim bezels. Ideally, we hope that both the notch and the punch are interim steps on the path to actual full-display phones.
SCREEN RESOLUTION
The iPhone XR was criticized for its lower-resolution LCD display. Pure quality goes to Samsung, who outfitted the Galaxy S10e with a Full HD+ AMOLED panel and support for HDR10+ for superior picture quality.
STORAGE & EXPANSION
Samsung gives customers 128GB of storage on the base Galaxy S10e, compared to Apple's 64GB. Crucially, the Galaxy S10e also includes microSD storage expansion, which Apple's iPhones continue to lack.
The Apple HomePod is the most expensive smart speaker, retailing at $349 on the company's website. Fortunately, you don't always have to buy it at full price, as Woot is offering the HomePod at $150 off its usual price.
The units on sale are refurbished but should be in excellent working order. You also get a 90-day limited warranty from Woot in case you have any issues with your HomePod. The smart speaker is available in either Space Gray or White, and there's a limit of 10 units per customer. Even though Woot says that there are still 15 hours left (at the time of writing) until the end of the deal, it will only be available while stocks last.
Once you place your order you should get your smart speaker by March 5-11. Amazon Prime members will be receiving standard free shipping.
The Apple HomePod is powered by Siri and has six mics that pick up all sounds in a room. You can activate the smart speaker by saying "Hey, Siri" just as you would your other iOS devices. According to Apple, whatever you say is encrypted and sent anonymously to its servers without being tied to your Apple ID to ensure your privacy is protected.
Apple has released the third beta of iOS 12.2 to members of the Apple Developer Program. Registered members will now be able to download and install the update on all compatible iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices.
Among its new features, iOS 12.2 is bringing Apple News to Canada offering it in both English and French. Customers will also be treated to four beautiful new Animoji characters which were introduced with the release of iOS 12.2 beta 2. Apple is also using iOS 12.2 to permanently fix the Group FaceTime bug, which was patched in iOS 12.1.4.
The update is also bringing support for AirPlay 2 and HomeKit for select third-party smart television sets. With iOS 12.2 installed, customers will be able to use their Home app to control these new smart TVs. Apple is also updating the TV control remote within Control Center with a fresher interface.
Apple is also visually tweaking the native Wallet app while bringing a new interface for the Apple Cash functionality. Apple's iOS 12.2 also benefits from a selection of new icons in certain areas of the firmware as well as some notable improvements to the native Safari web browser.
Registered iOS developers will be able to download the update directly on their device from Settings > General > Software Update if they have the beta profile installed. They can also manually download the iPSW file from developer.apple.com and install it on their compatible devices using iTunes.
The 2018 iPad Pro lineup is a top choice for anyone looking to purchase a new iPad, but those looking to save some money can always look towards the older models. Fortunately, Amazon has an ongoing sale offering the iPad Pro 10.5-inch for $150 off its usual retail price.
The 10.5-inch LCD display on the iPad Pro has a 1668 x 2224 pixel resolution. You also get 64GB of internal storage, a 12-megapixel rear camera, a 7-megapixel front camera, TouchID fingerprint scanner for security and Apple Pay, and a powerful Apple A10X Fusion chipset with 4GB of RAM. You can purchase the tablet in any of its four colors - Space Gray, Silver, Gold, and Rose Gold.
It is capable of recording 4K video, includes Apple Pencil support and has been outfitted with four-speakers, ensuring you get amazing audio no matter what orientation you have the tablet in. If you are interested in adding one of these tablets to your profile, you can pick one up for $499.99 by following the links below:
Apple recently released the iOS 12.1.4 update to fix the critical FaceTime privacy bug while patching a few other vulnerabilities on the platform. Unfortunately, the update also appears to have caused a few new issues with customers reporting new problems on their iPhones.
According to Forbes, customers updating to iOS 12.1.4 are experiencing issues with both cellular data and Wi-Fi connectivity. One of the examples comes from an iPhone user on Twitter, who complains that he cannot get his handset to "accept any SIM."
Another user calls iOS 12.1.4 an "utter failure" after his iPhone XS lost SIM connectivity after installing the update. Yet another user complains that her iPhone XS Max is refusing to connect to the home Wi-Fi network after installing the newest software update. These are just a few of the complaints from customers who have found the iOS 12.1.4 update to have negatively impacted the performance of AirPods, Touch ID and others.
Users have been complaining about issues with Apple's mobile platform since iOS 12.1, with customers complaining about various issues related to connectivity affecting the user experience with AirPods, TouchID and more.
Apple is currently working on iOS 12.2 with developers, but should likely switch their attention to what appears to have become a PR nightmare for the company.
Apple recently came under public criticism for a critical FaceTime bug which allowed individuals to invade your privacy. Apple has quickly responded by releasing a fix which also appears to patch three other vulnerabilities on the iOS platform.
While the newly patched exploits didn't make the headlines like the FaceTime bug, Twitter user Ben Hawkes claims two of these lesser-known vulnerabilities were in fact “exploited in the wild as 0day.”
A "zero-day" attack is a generic term that describes any sort of software vulnerability that is unknown to said software’s developers for any period of time while hackers take advantage of a security flaw.
Ben Hawks is currently working for Google as the Project Zero team lead and is in charge of finding precisely these types of zero-day vulnerabilities in both Google-developed and third-party software.
Apple has been very vague in its details on the vulnerabilities, claiming that CVE-2019-7286 is apparently a “memory corruption issue” that potentially allowed “an application to gain elevated privileges”, while CVE-2019-7287 is referenced as a “memory corruption issue” as it opened the door for “an application to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.”
Unfortunately, it is not known what kind of damage these vulnerabilities could have caused users, it generally is recommended that you upgrade to the latest version of iOS as soon as possible.
Download Apple iOS 12.1.4
The iOS 12.1.4 update will be automatically pushed out to your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch over-the-air (OTA) if you have automatic updates enabled. You can also manually update to the latest version of iOS on your compatible device under Settings > General > Software Update.
Advanced users can manually download the IPSW files and install it on your device using iTunes.
Roku is reportedly in talks with Apple to add AirPlay 2 support to their hardware lineup. The two companies are currently working out the details surrounding the partnership, according to a source familiar with the matter. The plans are apparently not finalized and could change. The AirPlay 2 support will likely arrive in the form of a Roku OS update for Roku media players, which can be used with virtually any smart TV. The software update could also be extended to smart TVs with Roku OS preinstalled, which include select models from Sharp, TCL, Insignia, Hisense, Sanyo, and RCA. It's not clear software update might be released or if it will be limited to select Roku players and TVs.
With AirPlay 2 support, Roku users would be able to stream video, audio, photos, and more directly from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to their smart TVs.
Last month, Apple announced that select AirPlay 2-enabled smart TVs are coming from leading brands such as Samsung, LG, and Sony.
Apple's official refurbished store offers older Apple products in a "like new" condition at discounted prices. We've seen Apple offer the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 to customers in refurbished form, but the most recent addition is the Apple iPhone X.
The iPhone X was commercially released back in November 2017 and was discontinued last year in favor of the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. After spending several months promoting their newer handsets, Apple has inexplicably decided to release the iPhone X at its newly discounted price.
The refurbished iPhone X with 64GB of storage is being offered at $769, which is $230 off its original retail price. The 256GB version is also available for $899 ($150) for those looking for even more storage.
Would you be tempted to invest in last year's iPhone X, given that these handsets are sold looking brand new in their original packaging?.
Apple has released the second beta of iOS 12.2 to developers registered in the company's developer program. Besides adding some useful new features to the platform, the update is also bringing a fix to the Group FaceTime bug.
Apple has shifted focus to addressing the critical bug on FaceTime with the iOS 12.2 release, where users were able to make a FaceTime call to someone even when they didn't pick up, by forcing a connection.
The bug allowed users to achieve this by initiating a FaceTime call and adding their own number to create a group with the person you are calling. Even when the user didn't accept the call, the initiator was able to access the recipient’s audio feed and listen even before they'd pick up. If the call recipient presses the sleep/wake button in an attempt at canceling the call, the caller will also see a live video feed as well.
While Apple prepares a fix for this bug, the company disabled Group FaceTime on the server-side entirely. Now with the fix hopefully resolving this issue, we should have Group FaceTime working again when iOS 12.2 is released to the public.
AT&T's 5G E support
Users on the AT&T network are noticing another controversial feature on iOS 12.2, where a 5G E icon is displayed instead of LTE on your iPhone. This is AT&T's misleading name for an "upgraded" version of 4G LTE.
The "E" stands for Evolution, a new brand name AT&T is using for some parts of its LTE network. According to AT&T, 5G Evolution reaches a peak theoretical wireless speed of 400Mb/s, which does not match 5G data transfer speeds and is, in fact, the same as traditional LTE speeds.
New Animoji
The second beta for iOS 12.2 also includes four new animoji - A giraffe, an owl, a shark, and a warthog. The addition of this four brings the total to 24 options.
Download Apple iOS 12.2 Beta 1
The new beta 1 release of iOS 12.2 is available for iOS developers through developer.apple.com where you can download the IPSW files and manually install the update on your compatible device using iTunes.
You can also download the update over-the-air on your device if you have the developer profile installed. If you have the beta profile installed, you can download the new beta by heading to Settings > General and selecting Software update.
It is not known if Apple plans to release a public beta for this release, but we will be sure to update you if one becomes available.
The Apple Watch is one of the most popular smart wearable devices in the world, and if you are interested in purchasing one, B&H Photo Video has a few deals on Apple's newest wearable. Apple rarely discounts its devices, and the Apple Watch Series 4 usually retails at $399 at most major authorized retailers in the US. Meanwhile, the cellular-enabled variants start at $499.
B&H is offering both the GPS-only and LTE-capable models at discounts ranging from $15 to $50. While these may not sound like groundbreaking deals, they are the best prices you can find one these wearables today.
Best Buy has the Apple iPad on sale, offering up to $75 off on the sixth-generation tablet which features a 9.7-inch display and Apple Pencil support. If you have been looking for a discount on Apple's affordable tablet, this may be your chance to grab one.
The $75 discount is offering on the 128GB Wi-Fi only model bringing its price down to $354.99. Meanwhile, the 32GB version with WiFi has been discounted by $50 bringing its price down to $279.99. Both variants are available in space gray, gold, and silver, and qualify for a complimentary 90-day Apple Music subscription for new users. You also get six free months of Webroot Internet Security services, which usually retails for $29.99.
The 9.7-inch display on the Apple iPad features a 1536 x 2048 pixel resolution. You also get up to 128GB of internal storage, an 8-megapixel rear camera, 1.2-megapixel front camera, option LTE connectivity, a Touch ID fingerprint scanner, and is powered by the Apple A10 chipset with 2GB of RAM. The Apple Pencil will have to be purchased separately.
Apple recently decided to resurrect the iPhone SE and sell a limited number of handsets in the clearance section of its website. While the handsets quickly sold out, fans can still get one from Metro by T-Mobile.
T-Mobile's subsidiary has the 32GB variant of the iPhone SE in space gray and rose gold, and new subscribers can get the 4-inch iOS 12 device for free if they act now. You will only have to pay a small activation fee and bring a non-T-Mobile number to Metro to qualify.
The iPhone SE was originally released in early 2016 and is still more than capable of handling everyday tasks like texting, calling and web browsing. While you have to be content with its smaller display size, you still have powerful internal hardware and a Touch ID for security.
Apple has announced that Microsoft Office 365 is now available on the Mac App Store. Previously customers would have to download Office manually from Microsoft and install it using an installation file. By adding Office 365 to the Mac App Store, customers can now download and update the Office apps efficiently.
Microsoft had the following statement regarding the release of Office 365 on the Mac App Store:
“We are excited to announce that today Office 365 is arriving in the Mac App Store,” said Jared Spataro, corporate vice president at Microsoft. “We have worked closely with Apple to provide Mac users with the very best productivity experience — one that offers everything they know and love about Office through an experience uniquely designed for the Mac.”
Microsoft’s making Office 365 available on the Mac App Store is a big deal, and Apple is pleased with the development.
“We are excited to welcome Microsoft Office 365 to the all-new Mac App Store in macOS Mojave,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Apple and Microsoft have worked together to bring great Office productivity to Mac users from the very beginning. Now, with Office 365 on the Mac App Store, it’s easier than ever to get the latest and best version of Office 365 for Mac, iPad, and iPhone.”
You can download Office 365 directly on the Mac App Store or by using the following link:
Besides releasing the first beta for macOS 10.14.4, watchOS 5.2 and tvOS 12.2, Apple has also released iOS 12.2 Beta 1 to developers registered in the company's Developer Program. Developers will be able to download and install the beta on their compatible iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices and test their apps and services ahead of the update's public release.
What's new in Apple iOS 12.2 Beta 1
Developers testing the new software will be able to discover some of the features hidden within the release. One such feature is the availability of Apple News in Canada, which will allow Canadian iPhone users to install the official Apple News app to get local news updates.
Another feature is support for TVs that will include AirPlay 2 and HomeKit. This functionality was recently announced at CES 2019 by several TV manufacturers who will allow content to be streamed and controlled from your iOS devices.
Additionally, the Control Center TV remote has been redesigned, the Wallet app along with Apple Cash has had a visual update, and AirPlay and AirPlay Mirroring both now feature updated icons throughout iOS. Apple has also updated Safari to clearly display all non-https sites as “Not Secure” in the search bar.
"Hey Siri" setup for AirPods 2
With new iOS releases, it's common for Apple to hide hardware references to yet-unreleased software. According to a report on 9to5Mac, a developer has discovered a reference to the unannounced AirPods 2.
The new beta has an AirPods setup routine with the updated earbuds in mind. When pairing new AirPods, iOS will prompt users to set up Hey Siri, a feature that has been rumored alongside new AirPods. The feature will allow people to invoke Siri even when their iPhone is in a pocket, or iPad in another room. Regardless of the location of the device AirPods are connected to, Hey Siri will be registered by the AirPods themselves.
The new AirPods 2 were expected to arrive in the first half of 2019, but with Apple adding the functionality to the upcoming iOS release, we may see the new AirPods arrive sooner than we expected.
Apple has also released an official changelog for iOS 12.2 Beta 1:
Download Apple iOS 12.2 Beta 1
The new beta 1 release of iOS 12.2 is available for iOS developers through developer.apple.com where you can download the IPSW files and manually install the update on your compatible device using iTunes.
You can also download the update over-the-air on your device if you have the developer profile installed. If you have the beta profile installed, you can download the new beta by heading to Settings > General and selecting Software update.
It is not known if Apple plans to release a public beta for this release, but we will be sure to update you if one becomes available.
Apple has released a new beta version of software for the Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Developers registered in Apple's Developer program can now download the beta 1 versions of macOS 10.14.4, watchOS 5.2 and tvOS 12.2 updates.
While we expect the new releases to add some features, Apple hasn't publicly revealed what these updates bring. These updates will likely add minor improvements to the platform while polishing out any bugs along the way. Developers who have the beta installed with be able to download it through the Settings app on their device under Software Update.
Apple Watch users will be able to download the update using the Watch App on their iPhones. Make sure your Apple Watch and iPhones are adequately charged before updating and that you have the relevant beta profiles installed.
Apple discontinued the iPhone SE back in September, but the smartphone made a brief return in the clearance section of Apple's website earlier this week. The discounted stock sold out in less than 24 hours, but it appears to have returned once again.
[UPDATE]Unfortunately, the iPhone SE appears to have sold out yet again in under 24 hours. It is not known at this time if Apple will be bringing back new stock.
Apple has priced the base version of the iPhone SE with 32GB of storage at a newly discounted price of $249, which is $100 lower than its previous retail price of $349. The 128GB version can be purchased for $399 ($150 off its previous retail price).
The Apple iPhone SE was first introduced in 2016. It shares the iPhone 5s design featuring a 4-inch display and a similar metal design. Its specs include a 12-megapixel rear camera, a 1.2-megapixel front camera, a TouchID fingerprint scanner, and is powered by an Apple A9 chipset with 2GB of RAM. The chipset is the same one found in the iPhone 6s and the iPad (2017).
If you are looking for an affordable iPhone in 2019, this is definitely the cheapest Apple has to offer. Check the link below and grab one while stocks last.
When you are looking for premium laptops, Apple's MacBooks are usually at the top of most lists. However, they are not to every consumer's taste due to their steep price. While discounts on these MacBooks are rare, B&H currently has a deal on the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro from 2018 worth taking a look at.
The laptop on sale is the Apple MacBook Pro which features a 15.4" Retina display with a 2880 x 1800 resolution, the signature Touch Bar that adds a row of multitouch controls to the top of the keyboard, 2TB of SSD storage, Radeon Pro 560X GPU with 4GB of GDDR5 memory and the top-end Intel Core i9 6‑core processor (2.9GHz can be boosted up to 4.8GHz) with 32GB of DDR4 RAM..
Purchasing this configuration will set you back a whopping $4700 on Apple's official website or retail store. B&H is taking $700 off this price, bringing it down to a slightly more palatable $4000.
Obviously this deal isn't for everyone, but if you are in the market for one of these computers feel free to follow the link below and grab one for yourself while the deal lasts.
Besides releasing a new version of iOS, Apple has also released final versions of watchOS 5.1.3, macOS 10.14.3, tvOS 12.1.2 and HomePod 12.1.3 to consumers. If you own an Apple Watch, Mac computer, Apple TV or HomePod you should be able to update it to the latest version of its software.
As the version numbers indicate, these are minor updates which aim to bring under-the-hood improvements, bug fixes, and security patches designed to streamline the experience. In any case, let's check out the details on what's new in each of the new releases.
watchOS 5.1.3
The Apple Watch has been a success for Apple, resulting in the company investing in quickly developing its underlying platform. While this release adds no new features, its focus has been to streamline the user experience while adding a number of under-the-hood improvements.
macOS 10.14.3
Apple's mature desktop platform once again focusses on bringing under-the-hood improvements and security updates to customers. Such updates are increasingly important to desktop platforms which are always connected to the internet.
tvOS 12.1.2
Once again, this minor update for the Apple TV aims to streamline the user interface. Users who update their Apple TVs should notice that previous bugs have been eliminated.
HomePod OS 12.1.3
According to Apple's official release notes, the HomePod update should bring the following improvements to your smart speaker.
Fixes an issue that could cause HomePod to restart
Addresses an issue that could cause Siri to stop listening
You should also expect other under-the-hood improvements and enhancements.
All these updates should be available on their respective devices through their respective Settings apps.
Apple has released iOS 12.1.3 for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. The release is minor in nature as the version number would indicate, focussing on under-the-hood improvements, bug fixes, and security patches designed to streamline the experience.
The improvements in this release were initially meant to be a part of iOS 12.1.1 and 12.1.2 but had to be pushed back to satisfy the demands made by a Chinese court over the alleged infringement of Qualcomm Inc. patents.
The official changelog from Apple reads as follows:
This update:
Fixes an issue in Messages that could impact scrolling through photos in the Details view
Addresses an issue where photos could have striped artifacts after being sent from the Share Sheet
Fixes an issue that may cause audio distortion when using external audio input devices on iPad Pro (2018)
Resolves an issue that could cause certain CarPlay systems to disconnect from iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max
This release also includes bug fixes for HomePod. This update:
Fixes an issue that could cause HomePod to restart
Addresses an issue that could cause Siri to stop listening
The update will be pushed to all compatible iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch devices OTA (over-the-air) and you will receive an update notification when it is available for your device. You could also manually update on your device by heading to Settings > General > Software Update.
Advanced users who prefer a clean installation of iOS could consider downloading the IPSW files and installing the update on their device using iTunes.
Apple is reportedly hard at work on their next generation iPhone, which could be known as the iPhone XI (or iPhone 11). According to a report from 9to5Mac these new iPhones will have some important improvements.
According to the report, the new iPhone will include improved Face ID, where Apple will increase “the power of the flood illuminator which will help reduce the potential for environmental light to interfere with Face ID.”
The report also suggests that Apple will be moving from liquid crystal polymer antennas to modified PI (MPI), which should help Apple achieve a better production yield and improve product performance. Apple may also use the improved antenna technology to introduce the next-generation WiFi 6 (aka 802.11ax) on the iPhone 11. Wi-Fi 6 is not only faster but more efficient which aids battery life.
The next generation iPhones are also expected to feature a triple camera setup, reserved for the 6.5-inch model. The third camera could be used to collect more light and color information or come in the form of a 3D camera for augmented reality.
While initial rumors suggested some radical design changes to the iPhone 11, which included an in-display fingerprint scanner and having the notch replaced with under-display cameras, this newest report suggests that the next generation iPhones may not change much visually.
