The iPhone X is a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to Apple's earnings. The company just reported its first quarter 2018 financial results, a period that includes the busy holiday shopping season. 

On one hand, overall iPhone sales were down, with Apple recording 77.3 million units sold. That's about 1.3% below the 78.3 million iPhones that Apple sold during last year's holiday period.

On the flip side, the 10th-anniversary iPhone helped push Apple's iPhone revenue up by 13% compared to the same quarter last year. This contributed to Apple reporting its biggest quarter ever with $88.3 billion in revenue. 

The iPhone X, according to Apple, has been the top-selling iPhone every week since it went on sale. And yet it wasn't enough to prevent Apple from seeing a dip in holiday iPhone sales, which almost never happens.  

Price matters

But while sales were down, the big jump in iPhone revenue is undoubtedly attributable to the iPhone X price. The starting price for the iPhone X is $999 / £999 / AU$1,579. Sell enough phones at $1,000 apiece, and you'll see the return.

The iPhone X is heralded by many as the most revolutionary iPhone ever, with new features such as Face ID, a TrueDepth camera and Animoji infusing some excitement into the 10-year-old iPhone line.  

Yet reports of the iPhone X being a failure have increased in recent weeks, with some even suggesting it would drop out of production in spring 2018. 

Today's results don't paint it as a failure... yet. The iPhone X certainly brought in the revenue, despite lower-than-expected sales for the iPhone overall. 

However, the year isn't going to get better for Apple; the holiday quarter is traditionally the biggest, so iPhone sales will only go down from here. What iPhone sales look like in Q2, Q3 and Q4 compared to their year-ago counterparts will paint a clearer picture of how the iPhone X is faring.

That is, as clear as we can get. Apple rarely breaks out sales figures for individual products, so we'll have to read between the lines. 

• Competitor approaching: Galaxy S9 is almost here

Apple is buying Shazam, the two companies confirmed today. The deal is reported to be around $400 million (about £300 million / AU$530 million), much less than Shazam's reported valuation of over $1 billion.

Apple sent a statement regarding the acquisition to TechCrunch, which was first to report about the deal on December 8. The statement reads: 

"We are thrilled that Shazam and its talented team will be joining Apple. Since the launch of the App Store, Shazam has consistently ranked as one of the most popular apps for iOS. Today, it's used by hundreds of millions of people around the world, across multiple platforms. Apple Music and Shazam are a natural fit, sharing a passion for music discovery and delivering great music experiences to our users. We have exciting plans in store, and we look forward to combining with Shazam upon approval of today's agreement."

Spotify and Snapchat parent company Snap were also reportedly interested in buying Shazam, but Apple won out. All three companies have partnerships with Shazam. 

Making moves

Shazam is a natural fit for Apple Music. The Shazam app can recognize music, TV shows, movies and more based on a snippet of sound. It stands to reason that Apple Music will tap into Shazam's audio recognition capabilities to help users discover music more easily.

What's more, Shazam also has a feature that lets users see what top artists are Shazaming. No doubt Apple is keen to carry this over so users can connect with artists and discover new music on its service.  

But two areas where Apple likely sees the most opportunity in owning Shazam are Siri and augmented reality (AR). 

Apple is almost certainly looking to strengthen Siri's music recognition capabilities with deeper integration of Shazam's tech. Currently, Apple device owners can ask Siri to Shazam a song if they want to know what's playing. 

Considering the Google Pixel 2 can tell you what song is playing without you having to ask, Apple likely wants to bring Shazam's power of recognizing songs on the fly to the iPhone. And with the Apple HomePod launching early next year, smarter audio recognition stands to benefit Apple's broader hardware line.

Additionally, Shazam has done a lot of work in AR. The company allows brands to serve AR content to users when they scan real-world objects like posters and books with their device's camera. Apple, which has made a major push into AR with the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iOS 11, likely envisions bringing Shazam's AR tech and services to its own devices.

For its part, Shazam appears excited to be joining the Apple fold. The company sent the following statement to TechCrunch:

"We are excited to announce that Shazam has entered into an agreement to become part of Apple. Shazam is one of the highest rated apps in the world and loved by hundreds of millions of users and we can't imagine a better home for Shazam to enable us to continue innovating and delivering magic for our users."

• Easy listening: the best wireless headphones around

T-Mobile is pushing ahead on the path to 5G by further rolling out an interim step in the form of Gigabit Class LTE. Delivered via the company's LTE Advanced network, T-Mobile announced today that it now has more than 920 markets in the US with this speedier version of LTE.

In 430 of those markets, carrier aggregation, 4 x 4 MIMO – i.e. multiple data input and output streams at once – and 256 QAM tech have also been activated to deliver even greater speed boosts. 

T-Mobile claims it now has more LTE Advanced markets than any other carrier, with several million Gigabit LTE-capable devices in customer hands. Even more Gigabit devices are due out next year, presumably the Galaxy S9 and the like.

Teaming up with chipmaker Qualcomm, T-Mobile announced the rollout at an event in San Jose, California earlier today. Qualcomm's Snapdragon Gigabit LTE modems in smartphones allow for LTE Advanced connectivity.

According to T-Mobile, LTE Advanced allows for double download speeds. Add in the three speed-boosting technologies listed above, and those speeds are doubled once more. 

In several on-site demonstrations, the technology lived up to T-Mobile's claims, showcasing faster download speeds, quicker movie download times and snappier data transfers. The demonstrations pitted older smartphones against newer models, like the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy Note 8, which house Qualcomm's Gigabit LTE modems.

Another demonstration showed off something T-Mobile and Qualcomm are keen to emphasize; that more devices with Gigabit LTE on the same network actually take up less network bandwidth than older devices without the modems, thus allowing the overall network to perform better.

Gigabit Class LTE's impact on virtual reality was also demonstrated; Google Daydream View headsets with Gigabit LTE phones ran demos at 50 mbps. A Qualcomm representative told us these speeds might not be possible on older devices that lack the modems, and a user may experience stuttering or otherwise degraded visuals. 

Notably, only Android devices with the Snapdragon 835 chipset are capable of connecting to T-Mobile's LTE Advanced network. 

And while the demonstrations showed a marked speed boost thanks to Gigabit LTE, it's important to note that the demos were carried out on an in-house network inside a convention center. While a live environment, the network wasn't congested to the same level one would see in a real-world setting. Still, the boosts were impressive, and illustrated the promise of LTE Advanced and, eventually, 5G.

T-Mobile has been rolling out LTE Advanced technology since 2014, and undertook a greater push last year when it doubled its LTE Advanced footprint.

Not 5G ... yet

T-Mobile's Mark McDiarmid was quick to point out that LTE Advanced is not 5G, and the carrier isn't going to refer to the network capacity as 5G. This comment garnered claps from the audience, as 5G is often misnomered. 

However, T-Mobile and Qualcomm consider LTE Advanced to be the "bedrock of 5G," an important step on the path to the wider 5G rollout, which T-Mobile will begin to undertake in 2019 and make available nationwide by 2020.

What's more, LTE Advanced will serve customers when they aren't in a 5G network. Qualcomm's Pete Lancia noted that 5G won't roll out all at once, and LTE Advanced will take over when customers are no longer receiving 5G signals. 

McDiarmid noted during a Q&A session that Gigabit LTE is about making maximum use of the spectrum T-Mobile already has. 

"We have the spectrum, but now we've enabled Gigabit [LTE] on that spectrum," he said.

T-Mobile also announced it will launch License Assisted Access to customers sometime this year. LAA uses unlicensed spectrum on small cell networks to deliver another level of LTE on a denser network.

• These are the best phones today – hopefully they'll work with LTE Advanced

iPhone X  launches worldwide at 8am local time on Friday, but Apple still enjoyed a successful financial quarter on the back of older iPhones, Mac computers, and even the shaky iPad.

Apple sold 46.7 million iPhone devices in the last three months, up 14% in phones sold from the quarter previous and 3% from the same time last year. Though iPhone revenue was only up 2%, Apple's overall revenue for the fourth quarter was $52.6 billion, up 12% from last year.

Apple sold 46.7 million iPhones in the last three months

It has been just over a month since the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus went on sale, and while the response to these iterative devices has been somewhat muted, these phones still likely boosted numbers along with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

But this is all before the highly anticipated 10th anniversary iPhone X (pronounced "10") has even hit store shelves. The new iPhone, which boasts advanced Face ID recognition, an all-glass back, augmented reality features and Animoji animated emoji, will be a hot seller beginning November 3 and well into the Christmas shopping season. 

During Apple's earnings call, CEO Tim Cook said orders for the iPhone X have already been "very strong." He said the company expects the upcoming holiday quarter to be the company's most successful ever, and Apple's revenue forecasts for Q1 2018 range between $84 billion and $87 billion.

Apple is clearly expecting iPhone X sales to be tremendous. At $999 / £999 / AU$1,579, the iPhone X is expensive, but that price and demand for the iPhone X will almost certainly spell a gigantic first quarter for Apple. 

That is, if iPhone X supply can keep up with orders. While reports have suggested the iPhone X could be in short supply at launch, Apple seems confident it will meet customer demand ... and make billions as a result.  

Across the board success

Of course, iPhone isn't the only device Apple sells and every one of the categories Apple tracks saw growth this past quarter.

iPad had "very strong revenue growth," Cook said. iPad sales were up 11% year-over-year, with total sales at 10.3 million. Apple introduced the iPad Pro 10.5 and iPad Pro 12.9 (2017) during WWDC 2017 in June, and a new iPad Pro 9.7 went on sale in March. 

Mac was also up, notching 10% growth in units sold to 5.4 million. The MacBook Pro line got a refresh earlier this year.

As for Other Products, which encompasses Apple Watch, AirPods and Apple TV, Apple's revenue was up 36% from the same time last year. Apple never breaks out individual device sales in this category, but the quarter did see the Apple Watch 3 and Apple TV 4K go on sale. 

Finally, Apple's Services business reached an all-time revenue high of $8.5 million, up 34% from last year. Services include Apple Music and the App Store, and represents a huge area of growth for Apple.

While this was another successful quarter for Apple to notch on its belt, the iPhone X launch will almost certainly push Apple revenue to atmospheric heights. Barring a botched launch, there doesn't seem to be anything standing in Apple's way.

• Turns out the iPhone X wasn't even supposed to launch this year

Google's Pixel 2 XL problems aren't going away as another issue with the new smartphone has cropped up, though Google promises a fix soon.

Some users on the Pixel User Community forums have reported "very bad" sound quality when recording audio. Users describe the sound as high pitched and tinny. 

One user said they have little distortion during some recordings, while in others, the sound is significantly distorted. CNET was first to report the issue.

This video, uploaded by a Pixel 2 XL user, demonstrates the poor audio quality when recording a video in 4K. Another user on the community group said their 4K videos have "crazy hazing" when the camera is in motion.

As you can hear, the sound in the video is greatly distorted, not what you'd want from any phone, let alone a high-end device like this. The audio is garbled and higher notes have a scratchy, tin-tan effect. The person who recorded the video, which was posted on October 24, said they returned their Pixel 2 XL. 

It's unclear how widespread the problem is, and there don't appear to be any reports of the smaller Pixel 2 experiencing the same audio issues. 

Google is aware of the Pixel 2 XL audio issue reports, and told us in a statement a software fix is "rolling out in the next few weeks." 

This isn't the first problem to plague the Google Pixel 2 XL. Screen burn-in on the new phone was widely reported, and late last week Google defended the screen tech it used in the Pixel 2  XL while also noting a software update to address the problem is on the way. Screen burn-in happens when an image lingers on the screen, and a ghost image remains visible. 

We'll let you know when the Pixel 2 XL fixes begin to make their way out.

Via The Verge

• Samsung Galaxy Note 8 remains one of the best phones around

WhatsApp has now joined the likes of Google Maps and parent company Facebook in activating real-time location sharing for users. 

The popular chat service announced that starting today, users of its iOS and Android app will have the option to share their live location with family and friends for a set period of time. Users can also turn off location sharing whenever they choose. 

Here's how to activate Live Location, as the feature is called: open a chat. Go to the Attach button and select Location. A new option for "Share Live Location" will appear, allowing you to share your location for 15 minutes, 1 hour or 8 hours. Hit send, and you're set.

As is the case with all WhatsApp communications, Live Location is end-to-end encrypted, so only those in a chat can see it. If multiple people are sharing where they're at, each person's location will be visible on one map.

Facebook Messenger also has a Live Location feature, which lets users share their location with friends for up to 60 minutes. 

• Pssst! Here's where to find the best Black Friday deals this year

iPhone X is still over a month away from releasing, but when Apple's next flagship smartphone does launch, it will have High Dynamic Range (HDR) content from Netflix ready to stream.

Netflix pushed through an update to its iOS app today, delivering HDR support to the iPhone X along with the just-released iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPad Pro 10.5 and this year's iPad Pro 12.9.

While both iPads are available now, you'll have to wait until October 27 to pre-order the iPhone X, and it doesn't officially go on sale until November 3.  

What's more, you'll need a premium plan to take advantage of Netflix in shiny HDR on your Apple phone or tablet.

HDR is on the rise

That said, once you've got iPhone or iPad in hand and the latest version of the Netflix app fired up, you'll be able to watch a smattering of Netflix shows and movies in HDR. This means higher contrast, more vivid colors and generally brighter images on your screen. 

The Apple TV 4K, out on Friday alongside the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, also supports HDR content. Apple has spotlighted 4K HDR movies with a special section on iTunes, and we've rounded up some of the best ones you can watch on iTunes and Netflix as well.

Netflix in HDR has already been available on a few Android phones, namely the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and LG G6. 

Via The Verge

• iOS 11 is out now!

Update: Google has completed the purchase of HTC's hardware business, confirming the deal on its blog.

Google's Senior VP for Hardware, Rich Osterloh wrote "I'm delighted that we've officially closed our deal with HTC, and are welcoming an incredibly talented team to work on even better and more innovative products in the years to come."

What the deal means for the future of both HTC devices and Google's own line of products remain to be seen, but in the short term at least, we expect to see the search giant launch more devices bearing its name.

Original article continues below

Google is buying part of HTC's smartphone business, the companies announced today, putting an end to months of rumors about an acquisition.

Here's how the "cooperation agreement" breaks down: certain HTC employees, "many of whom are already working with Google to develop Pixel smartphones," will join Google's hardware business. HTC is to receive $1.1 billion in cash as part of the transaction, according to a statement.

Also included in the deal is a non-exclusive license of HTC intellectual property, meaning HTC can continue to make products, including phones, under its company brand.

The HTC Vive virtual reality division remains intact, as do HTC's other initiatives. The deal is expected to close by early 2018.

Whispers of HTC selling off all or part of its business intensified in recent months. The noise reached an apex earlier Wednesday when it was revealed HTC would halt stock trading on Thursday, September 21, leading many to speculate an acquisition announcement was imminent. 

• Why we might be nearing the end of flagship HTC smartphones

Google Pixel 2, HTC U12 and more devices to come

While not mentioned by name, it appears HTC is in fact the manufacturer behind the upcoming Google Pixel 2 smartphone. 

This has been rumored for awhile, but the statement and a blog post by Rick Osterloh, Senior Vice President, Hardware at Google, all but confirm HTC has its hand in Google's new phone.

"These future fellow Googlers are amazing folks we've already been working with closely on the Pixel smartphone line, and we're excited to see what we can do together as one team," Osterloh said, referring to the HTC employees who are joining Google. HTC built the first Pixel phone.

We expect the Pixel 2 to be announced at an event in early October, and today Osterloh indicated the new smartphone wouldn't be alone.

"Last fall, we introduced our first family of Made by Google products, including Pixel smartphones, Google Home, Google Wifi, Daydream View and Chromecast Ultra, and we’re preparing to unveil our second generation of products on October 4," he said.

On Tuesday, a new Google Daydream View virtual reality headset, Google Home Mini, Pixelbook 2-in-1 laptop and details of the Pixel 2 leaked. These products will likely be unveiled on October 4, but Google could have even more planned. 

Meanwhile, HTC says it's working on a new flagship to follow up this year's HTC U11. This device may potentially be called the HTC U12.

Google buying a significant portion of HTC's core business poses a major shakeup in the tech world, but it's a move that makes sense given the companies' long and successful relationship together. 

Not only does HTC get a big boost from a powerful partner, but Google also gains hardware expertise, something it needs if it wants to keep up with the likes of Apple and Amazon. 

• HTC Vive vs Oculus Rift: which is the better VR headset?

iOS 11 brings with it a significantly revamped Control Center, and love it or hate it, there's a bit of a 'gotcha' when it comes to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. 

Turns out that turning off either one in the Control Center doesn't actually toggle them off. You'll need to go to the Settings to disconnect Bluetooth and Wi-Fi completely.

Apple notes the paradox on its 'Use Bluetooth and Wi-Fi in Control Center with iOS 11' support page:

"In iOS 11 and later, when you toggle the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth buttons in Control Center, your device will immediately disconnect from Wi-Fi and Bluetooth accessories. Both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth will continue to be available[.]"

This is so features such as AirDrop, AirPlay, Apple Pencil, Apple Watch, Handoff, Instant Hotspot and Location Services continue to work, Apple says.

But it also potentially leaves iPhones and iPads vulnerable, especially because users might think they turned off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when those are actually still running.

Turning off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi is generally recommended because it helps save battery life and prevents your device from connecting to suspect networks. If you forget (or simply don't know) that your device is searching for a connection, it could pose problems. 

Apple's iOS 11 update also has some odd conditions for toggling Bluetooth and Wi-Fi back on if you toggle them off within the Control Center. For example, the radios will fire back up at 5am local time everyday or if you restart your device. 

Via Motherboard

• 20 iOS 11 tips and tricks you need to know

Prone to cracking your iPhone screen? Bad news: it just got more expensive to get the displays on certain iPhone models repaired.

Eagle-eyed Reddit users discovered the change this weekend, noticing US screen repair prices have gone up $20 for the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Screen repair prices for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will match the 6S/7 and 6S Plus/7 Plus, respectively. 

So, instead of an iPhone 6S/7/8 screen repair costing $129, it now costs $149. And instead of an iPhone 6S Plus/7 Plus/8 Plus repair costing $149, it now costs $169. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus go on sale Friday, September 22.

The price increases appear to be in effect across regions. Screen repairs in the UK are £156.44 for the iPhone 6S/7/8, and repairs for the Plus models are £176.44. In Australia, prices are AU$228.95 and AU$268.95, respectively. 

• Protect your iPhone: here are the best iPhone 8 cases and best iPhone X cases

The above fix-it prices are for iPhones that aren't covered by AppleCare+. If you purchase Apple's two-year extended warranty for your phone, then screen repairs cost $29 / £25 / AU$45 each (up to two).

Not that AppleCare+ was left out of Apple's recent round of price increases. Last week, the tech giant upped the price of AppleCare+ for the iPhone 6S Plus/7 Plus/8 Plus to $149, a $20 increase in the US. AppleCare+ can be purchased for the phones' smaller counterparts for $129 / £129 / AU$189. 

What's more, AppleCare+ for the ultra-expensive iPhone X will cost $199 / £199 / AU$299. Considering the 10th anniversary iPhone X costs $999 / £999 / AU$1,579, it's probably wise to get some insurance, but you'll be paying a hefty price. iPhone X pre-orders begin October 27, and the phone goes on sale November 3.

Via The Verge

• iOS 11 release date is September 19!

iOS 11 releases on Tuesday, September 19, bringing a load of improvements to your iPhone and iPad. 

One highly touted feature that won't make tomorrow's release, however, is Apple Pay's new peer-to-peer payment system. 

Apple announced in a blog post on Monday that Apple Pay Cash, which lets users send and receive money from friends and family, will release in the fall, missing tomorrow's iOS 11 launch date. This likely puts Apple Pay Cash's arrival sometime between October and December.

Apple Pay Cash is due to launch in the US; Apple hasn't said when the feature will make it to other markets yet.

• Don't miss our hands on iPhone X review

An update to iOS 11 and watchOS 4 will bring Venmo-like, person-to-person payments to the iPhon, iPad and Apple Watch, Apple said. It's then users can pay back friends / get paid back via iMessages and Siri. 

Also arriving in the fall is indoor maps in Apple Maps, helping users navigate through airports and shopping centers. Airports where indoor mapping will be available include Amsterdam (AMS), London Heathrow (LHR), Las Vegas (LAS), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), Philadelphia (PHL) and San Jose (SJC).

What will arrive when iOS 11 launches tomorrow? Here's a taste: augmented reality thanks to ARKit, a more natural Siri, the redesigned App Store, boosted photo features, and loads of iPad improvements. 

• Don't want to wait? Here's how to get iOS 11 right now

One of the year's top phones went on sale today and, no, we're not talking iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. 

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is now available in stores and online in the US and UK. This brings the massive Note 8 – with its 6.3-inch display, 6GB of RAM and dual rear cameras – to a carrier or retailer near you. The Note 8 goes on sale in Australia September 22.

US carriers with the Galaxy Note 8 on sale today include AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon. 

Retailers selling the Note 8 include Best Buy, Samsung, Target and Walmart.

• Supersize meets super-supersize: iPhone X vs Galaxy Note 8

The Galaxy Note 8 price is $929 / £869 / AU$1,499, though some carriers are selling the device for $40 a month for 24 months. We suggest getting the unlocked version, if you can.

While the Note 8 price is more than the iPhone 8 Plus price of $799 / £799 / AU$1,229, it's still less than the iPhone X price of $999 / £999 / AU$1,579. The iPhone 8 price is $699 / £699 / AU$1,079.

Samsung is offering a trade-in for eligible devices when you purchase a Galaxy Note 8, Samsung Galaxy S8 or Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus, something to consider if you want to save towards the purchase of your new phone.

Galaxy Note 8 pre-orders were a record-breaking success, and it seems the excitement will carry over now that the Note 8 is on sale in stores.

Anyone who orders a Note 8 between now and September 24 through Samsung will also be treated to a free Samsung Gear 360 camera or a free "Galaxy Foundation" kit, which includes a Samsung 128GB EVO+ microSD and Fast Charge Wireless Charging Convertible. This offer is only good while supplies last.

• iPhone 8 deals and pre-orders: find the best prices in the US
• iPhone 8 Plus deals and pre-orders: find the best prices in the US
• iPhone 8 deals in the UK
• iPhone 8 Plus deals in the UK

Love it or leave it, the trend of removing the headphone jack is here to stay, and the new Essential Phone is no exception. 

That's not to say there's no way you'll ever get a 3.5mm port on your Essential PH-1. In fact, the company is actively developing an accessory that will instantly bring a headphone jack to your device.

During a Reddit AMA today with Essential founder Andy Rubin – who also co-founded Android – and several Essential team members, it was revealed a "high end audio accessory to support a 3.5mm jack" is in the works.

"High end" signals the accessory will be expensive, and it may not be worth the average buyer purchasing considering the Essential Phone includes a USB-C to 3.5mm converter in the box. However, it could be perfect for those seeking a premium audio experience, or those tired of the converter.

We also got an explanation as to why the headphone jack was left off the Essential Phone in the first place. Apple may have started the trend with the iPhone 7, but Essential has its own calls from customers to answer.

"Headphone jacks are pretty big components and they don't play nice with all-screen Phone architectures. We studied it very seriously, but fitting a headphone jack into our Phone required tradeoffs we were uncomfortable with," wrote Dave Evans, Essential's VP of Design.

He continued: "We'd have [to] grow a huge 'chin' in the display and reduce the battery capacity by 10%, or we'd need a huge headphone bump! We decided it was more important to have a beautiful full-screen display in a thin device with solid battery life. Then we made sure we to build y'all a high-quality DAC in a tiny adapter that can elegantly live on your headphones."

But that's not all

A new audio accessory isn't all Essential has cooking. In fact, the startup has a number of so-called Click Connector accessories in development. 

The first to reach market will be the phone's charging dock, with Essential planning to have it out "shortly". The headphone jack accessory sounds to be next, while cameras are another area of focus. 

The Essential Phone supports clip-on accessories, making it a modular device in that you can add and remove extra components at will, as long as they attach to the handset's magnetic ports. 

Currently, the only available Essential Phone accessory is a 360-degree camera that costs $179 (no prices for the UK or Australia are available).

Essential appears particularly excited about the audio accessory; one team member chimed in that the company's head of architecture is currently in Asia working on the gadget, again iterating it's a "high-end" add-on. Prototypes are in active testing, another one said.

Just when we'll see it is a mystery, however. The Essential Phone has gone on sale in Sprint stores in the US today, and it won't venture elsewhere until later this year. It might be a little while yet before Essential delivers a headphone jack to its phone.

In addition to the pending headphone jack, the Essential team also revealed a few other goodies. 

For starters, the still-unreleased white version is currently in build trials, and Essential anticipates it will be a few weeks before the cream-colored handset starts shipping.

Android Oreo is "2 months-ish" out from arriving on the device, and as for the phone's maligned camera, Rubin said the problems are software-related, and fixable.

"We are pretty happy with the hardware design of the camera," Rubin wrote. "We are using computational photography to fuse a monochrome and color sensors. That's the part we're not too happy about, but luckily it's software and we've already done a number of updates to the app to fix bug and add features."

• Essential reading: our hands-on iPhone X review

iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are now official, and you may be pleased to know Apple's latest creations support fast charging. 

This means you can get up to 50% power after 30 minutes on the cable, as 9to5Mac uncovered, if your battery is completely drained from the start. 

However, there is a sizeable caveat to taking advantage of fast charging: Your phone needs to be connected via USB-C. Though wireless charging is one of the key features of the new iPhone models, it won't support fast charging. 

Here's the kicker: Apple doesn't include the necessary accessories for fast charging - a USB-C to Lightning cable and a USB-C Power Adapter - in the box, so you'll need to purchase these separately, either from Apple or somewhere else.

A USB-C to Lightning Cable retails for $25 (£25 / AU$35) on Apple.com, while a USB-C Power Adapter can be purchased in one of three sizes for: 29W, 61W and 87W. The cost of the cheapest adapter (29W) is $49 (£49 / AU$69) from Apple.

While there's a price to pay for fast charging on top of the cost of your new iPhone, it's actually not too surprising this is the case considering Apple is utilizing USB Power Delivery charging spec, as The Verge points out.  

It's a bit vexing to buy extra accessories when you've already forked over $999 / £999 / AU$1,579 for an iPhone X, but if you want to get your new iPhone up to serviceable battery life quickly, then fast charging is a convenient way to go. 

Just be ready to pay for that convenience.

• Don't go away: Here's our hands-on iPhone X review

Update: We still don't have a fixed date for the launch of the Apple AirPower charger, but two new reports claim it will come in September along the new iPhone range.

Apple's iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X have been on sale for over half a year now, and one of the biggest innovations with the new iPhones is wireless charging. 

But, you need something with which to charge these, and your other Apple devices, right? To that end, Apple has created AirPower.

Shown off as a sneak peek during Apple's big event, AirPower is a wireless charging system that lets you power up your iPhone, Apple Watch 3 and AirPods, all at the same time. 

That's three devices wirelessly charging at once, a feat Apple has never achieved before.

Of course, Apple hasn't invented wireless charging here (it's been around on Android for years), but Apple is bringing its own spin to the tech, and customizing it for its latest batch of devices.

As demonstrated in a video, AirPower begins to charge your Apple products almost as soon as they are placed on the mat. The iPhone X screen displays the AirPower interface, providing easy-to-read updates on the battery life of your devices. 

Interestingly, the Apple Watch screen didn't display battery life info in the video. We imagine this is a feature Apple will introduce when AirPower is released, otherwise you'll always have to have your iPhone on the mat to get a reading.

How AirPower works

The heart of the AirPower system is a thin, oval-shaped pad. And, while only the AirPods (in their optional case) fit snuggling on its surface, your Apple Watch and iPhone will have ample elbow room.

AirPower works with Qi charging technology, the leading wireless charging standard on the market. 

While Qi is available in third-party charging mats from the likes of Belkin and others, AirPower is Apple's proprietary solution to your new wireless charging needs.

Apple Watch previously made use of Qi wireless charging, included in a pad crafted by Apple. However, AirPower allows for up to three different devices to charge at once, making it more open than Apple's previous effort.

This is also the first time wireless charging is available for the iPhone, and this is thanks to the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X's glass backs. 

But, AirPower is more than a mat; it's a whole wireless charging system that allows devices to communicate and manage power consumption between them.

As Apple's head of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller said on stage at the announcement, this isn't possible with other wireless charging systems currently available.

Schiller said, "We hope people love it, that it encourages others to create more advanced solutions based on technologies like this."

Apple plans to work with the Qi standards team to bring AirPower's features to other charging solutions in the future, Schiller said.

One major question about the AirPower system left unanswered is what the mat itself will connect to. There's clearly a wire coming out of one side, and it's likely AirPower will have a wall charger and/or USB to let you connect to a computer. 

It's also important to note that while AirPower offers fast charging, this feature will not work with the new iPhones. Instead, users can only fast charge over USB-C, which requires purchasing a USB-C to Lightning cable and USB-C Power Adaptor.

AirPower price and release date

Two key details about AirPower remain unconfirmed: price and release date. It was initially revealed in September 2017, but it may be a whole year later by the time you're actually able to buy it.

Anonymous sources speaking to Bloomberg have said the wireless charging mat will come in September 2018 alongside a new range of iPhones. That has been backed up by a report from trusted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo too.

We originally expected the charging pad to launch before the end of 2017 and then we heard rumors pointing to a March 2018 launch. That didn't happen though, so if you're waiting to buy one you may be waiting a bit longer.

As for how much it will cost, chances are it will be expensive. Apple's original Apple Watch Qi charger cost $79 (about £60, AU$100). The fact this new mat charges more devices will likely up its price.

In November 2017, a Polish ecomm site listed Apple AirPower as costing 999 Złotych, which converts to $274/£207/AU$356. But items that sell for that much on this particular site tend to cost $199, which would put the UK and Australia prices at £150/AU$260, respectively.

We'll update this page as more details come to light.

• Until then, check out our iPhone X review