Apple engineers are worrying that the upcoming HomePod with display, new Apple TV, might not take off due to cheaper alternatives in the market.
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Apple Music Lossless is coming to HomePod and HomePod Mini smart speakers via a software update in the coming weeks.
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When it comes to smart home devices, Apple lacks a strong product portfolio, which also explains its small market share compared to the likes of Amazon. However, the company is looking to bolsters its efforts in the smart home devices segment. As per a report from Bloomberg, Apple is working on two devices – one that amalgamates the Apple TV box with a speaker, and the other is essentially a smart display that combines an iPad with a HomePod speaker.
The report adds the Apple TV-HomePod hybrid will also come equipped with a camera that will allow video calling via the connected TV, somewhat like the Portal TV device from Facebook. Of course, it will serve its true purpose of watching video content and playing games as well. However, it is unclear if it will support 4K resolution, and whether Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos certifications will be a part of the package too.
Apple is also reportedly working on a smart display as well. And as expected, this one is rumored to combine an iPad with a HomePod speaker. While the category is not new, there will be one notable feature – subject tracking. The device will be able to follow users around the room, thanks to a robotic arm connecting the screen and speaker parts of the device. Amazon already has a device on the shelf called Echo Show 10 that automatically adjusts the angle by following movements.
However, both the products are in the early stages of development, and it is possible that they might either be canceled, or the final product might look much different than what has been described above. Also, it is unclear whether Apple will modify the original HomePod speaker – the one that has been discontinued – or if it will go with fresh speaker hardware. We first heard about Apple working on a smart display last month, but it is said to be a tad far off from an official launch.
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Apple is discontinuing the original HomePod, its first smart speaker that was launched back in 2017. Having had a run of over 4 years, the HomePod in its grey trim is no longer listed on the official Apple e-shop. After sunsetting its $349 smart speaker, Apple says it is turning its attention to the smaller and more affordable HomePod mini moving forward. Here is what Apple said in a statement shared with TechCrunch:
Apple says the HomePod mini is a hit, but market research doesn’t say the same for HomePod
The HomePod Mini was launched back in October last year, and appeared to be a more palatable package, thanks to its $99 price tag. It came equipped with a full-range dynamic driver and a pair of radiators to handle the bass output. Apple fitted its mini smart speaker with an S5 chip to do some computation audio magic for optimizing the sound output. It also allows users to create a stereo system and there is also the U1 chip inside that lets users pair their iPhone with it by just bringing it near the speaker.
READ MORE: Apple’s next big launch event is reportedly happening on March 23
Apple also offered a new intercom feature with the HomePod mini. In my experience, I found the HomePod Mini to be the more compelling – and reasonable – package based on its sound quality and the features it brings to the table for its $99 asking price. Yes, the larger HomePod sounds a lot better, but its high asking price of $349 has been a deterrent for a lot of people. and even though Apple reduced the price to $299 in 2019, it was still on the higher side, especially when compared to what rivals had to offer.
Check out HomePod at Best Buy
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The official news today begin with Deals, and isn’t it crazy when a phone that’s just too expensive gets discounted just a few dayslater. It looks like Samsung isn’t stopping with these deals as, the US variant of the Galaxy Note 20 is still $200 off, leaving the entry level one for $799. Don’t worry, the Note 20 Ultra is also $200 off, leaving the entry level variant for that one at $1099. The Galaxy S20 FE is also $100 off, leaving that at $600 shipped for 128GB of storage. Finally, the OnePlus 8 Pro is also $100 off, leaving the 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage variant for $900. We have more deals on the Xperia 1, Razer laptops and more in the links in the description.
Now let’s talk Huawei as all eyes are on the company’s plans with how they’ll handle operating systems going forward. The company just made kind of a bold move. They confirmed that some of the phones running EMUI 11 will be able to install Harmony OS 2.0. Apparently there’s a leaked schedule on Weibo, for when and which phones will be able to download it. The first batch of phones uses the Kirin 9000 Series which is the unreleased Mate 40 Series. The second batch includes the Kirin 990 5G, which includes the P40, and Mate 30 models. What’s interesting is that even older phones, powered by the Kirin 710 and 810 will be able to get it in the final batches. We usually get the Mate Series in mid-October but, due to some production issues with their latest Kirin chips, we have no word on when we’ll be getting them this year or if they’re coming until 2021. I guess this is like the times of the HTC HD2 where all that’s missing now is for Huawei phones to run Windows?
Shifting over to Microsoft, let’s discuss one of the company’s most controversial launches this year. It’s been a couple of months since the Surface Duo went live and even though it has a pretty sleek design and it seems good on paper, reviews weren’t exactly positive for this device. And, if you remember, our buddy Zack from JerryRigEverything said this phone was basically impossible to repair. Well, several Surface Duo owners are reporting that the plastic around the USB-C port is cracking. There’s little to no space around the USB-C port, to make the device thinner and apparently it wasn’t a good choice. According to some of them, it cracked while they were plugging in the charging cable and others say it happened in their pocket. At the moment it seems like a cosmetic issue and reddit users are talking about how magnetic chargers could be a solution but, it’s things you shouldn’t be getting on a $1400 phone. I know many of you asked me to review it, but fact of the matter is, as much as I want to this is still an experiment.. A cool one though, but this is the curse of the early adopter. I’ll keep you posted on how it turns out.
Now when it comes to OnePlus, sure we’ve been talking about the OnePlus 8T coming soon, but the company pretty much confirmed that the Nord wasn’t a one time thing, and that we’d be getting more mid-ranger with time. According to a tipster on Twitter, OnePlus is gearing to launch two new Nord devices in the US by the end of this month. These two devices are called the Nord N10 and the Nord N100. We’ve heard rumors of the N10 before but not really for the N100. The leaked specs for the N10 include the Snapdragon 690 SoC which supports 5G, a 6.5in display running at 90Hz, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It’ll also bring a quad camera setup with a 64MP shooter and the price should start somewhere around the $400 mark. Now, the N100 would be cheaper than the N10, with a Snapdragon 460, a 6.5in display, and a triple camera array with a 13MP main sensor. It should also bring 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage with a crazy 6000 mAh battery. The price tag for this one should be around the $200 mark. We’ll keep you posted as we should know more on October 14th, because it could just be that we get everything at the same time.
Now let’s move on to Apple, and don’t worry guys, we’ll talk iPhone in a second but first, let’s talk about other things we could be getting at Apple’s Event. For the longest time, Apple has sold third party headphones and speakers on the Apple Store but, they just stopped. They’re no longer selling from Sonos, Bose and Logitech, hinting that we’re closed to the company releasing their own solution. According to Bloomberg, Cupertino removed them from the online Apple Store at the end of September, and Apple employees have allegedly been asked to pull these products from the shelves in the past few days. If you remember they have done things like this in the past, when they removed fitness trackers before they launched the Apple Watch. Several rumors have hinted that we’ll be getting a lower cost HomePod and the AirPods Studio. We don’t have much information on the HomePod, but the AirPods Studio are expected to feature a metal and leather design with magnetic Ear Cups, reversible detection and Apple’s U1 chip. Are any of you guys waiting on either of these products, because those AirPods Studio sound nice.
And finally, the hottest news of the day have to do with what you’ve been waiting for, Apple’s event for October. The leaks were right, what can I say? Apple just sent out press invitations for an event that will happen on October 13th at 10AM PST. The teaser shows the Apple logo in orange, with some blue bubbles surrounding it and it reads “Hi Speed”, but before we get into what that means, let’s recap on everything we know about the iPhone 12 so far.. We’re expecting 4 different phones this year, a 5.4in 12 Mini, a 6.1in 12, a 6.1in 12 Pro and last but not least, the 6.7in 12 Pro Max. All of these phones will bring OLED displays and we still have a little hope that 120Hz can make the cut, please Apple. They will also offer 5G support and will run on Apple’s new A14 Bionic chip. We’re also expecting a much flatter design, reminiscent of the iPhone 4 and a slimmer notch, at least on the Pro models. We’re not sure when it comes to the RAM as Apple never really discloses it but, we’re expecting the regular models to start at 64GB of storage, while the Pros will start at 128GB. We’re also expecting them to bring probably the same triple camera array but with a LiDAR sensor for the Pros, and a dual camera array for the regular ones. Oh, and who can forget, we’re not getting EarPods, or a charging brick in the box. When it comes to the price tags, the latest leaks hinted to the 12 Mini starting at $649, the regular 12 at $750, and the Pros at $999 and $1099 respectively. Now, there’s obviously a lot of speculation on what Hi Speed can mean, it could be because of 5G, the A14 bionic, and maybe, just maybe 120Hz??? Other things we could be getting at this event include the AirPods Studio, a new HomePod, and hopefully some of the Apple Silicon Macs.
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Apple's upcoming mass-market HomePod has reportedly been in development for quite some time, but it kept getting delayed.
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We may get more Apple devices than the ones we were expecting since a new report mentions the possibility of a new HomePod and iPad for 2020
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On today's Pocketnow Daily, we talk about the new feature that may arrive with Android 11, the possibility of new AirPods Pro Lite and more
The post Pocketnow Daily: Google Pixel 5 and 4a Features LEAKED on Android 11?!(video) appeared first on Pocketnow.
Apple is reportedly discussing the ability to let users set a third-party email and browser app as default over Mail and safari respectively.
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On today's Pocketnow Daily, everything seen during the last WWDC that presented the new Mac Pro, watchOS 6, iOS 13, iPadOS and more.
The post Pocketnow Daily: Apple’s iPadOS and New Mac Pro impressions: FINALLY! (video) appeared first on Pocketnow.
On today's Pocketnow Daily, we talk about the interview with Huawei's CEO, how he is against an Apple ban in China and more.
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On today's Pocketnow Daily, we talk about the possibility of Apple being banned from China, new iPhone 11 certifications and more.
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Watch today's Pocketnow Daily as we talk about pre-orders dates for the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, leaked specs of the Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL & more
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Apple is giving gift cards of up to $200 back for its customers who buy some of its older iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches and Macs.
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A multi-user Siri that recognizes the person talking to it would allow the voice assistant to become even more useful. There's a patent filed for that.
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