Android Pay’s biggest expansion yet adds Chase, kicks off mobile web purchases

Google is determined to not let Android Pay whither on the vine.

Confident in keeping its expansion going, Google has announced several important updates to the Android Pay experience this week. At the root of it all is adding more banks, with Chase now on board in the U.S. for its most popular cards (Freedom, Slate, Sapphire, etc.), and both Santander and TSB coming on board in the UK. Dozens of banks are now supported, from the big names down to small credit unions.

Not stopping there, Android Pay has also expanded its loyalty card acceptance with specific retailers to let you earn rewards without scanning a separate card — just pay with Android Pay and you’ll make a secure payment and get loyalty rewards. Walgreens recently rolled this out for its Balance Rewards program, but now Dunkin’ Donuts and Chili’s are on board and rolling out the feature in “the coming months.” Uber has already launched its Payment Rewards program in Android Pay, and to celebrate is offering 50% off 10 Uber rides just for using Android Pay in the app — no codes or coupons required.

Crucially, the features here will get consumer to use Android Pay a second and third time

And now after months in limbo, Android Pay is starting its rollout for real on the mobile web. Just like we’ve done for years with Google Wallet and third-party solutions like PayPal and Amazon Payments, you’ll soon be able to use your stored Android Pay cards to make purchases from websites on your phone. Big retailers like Groupon and 1-800-Flowers are launch partners, but just looking at the number of sites (a lot of sites) that used Google Wallet before should give you an idea of how many more to expect soon.

Android Pay has won the support and trust of the people who are currently using it, but the issue right now is keeping the service top of mind week after week and now well over a year after it launched.

We understandably complained when the payment service launched with fewer features than Google Wallet and lots of unfulfilled promises, and that has spoiled its adoption some as people simply tried it and promptly forgot about it. With big launches of new banks, more app integrations, loyalty program features and the rollout of mobile web purchasing, there’s enough here to get people to not only try Android Pay for the first time, but far more crucially try it for the second and third times.

The PlayStation 4 Pro is official!

The ‘Neo’ is real and it has a name. Say hello to PlayStation 4 Pro.

The much rumored, now official, beefed up PlayStation 4 is now official; The PlayStation 4 Pro is inbound! Alongside the new, heavily leaked PS4 Slim, Sony made the announcement at its New York City event while unveiling the first true details on the console.

And naturally, PlayStation VR will be right there with it.

The PS4 Pro will sit alongside and compliment the existing, now slimmer, PS4 console. As the Pro monicker would indicate, it’s been given a bit of a kick in the pants, with 4K and HDR displays being heavily discussed. Expect “transformative graphics,” for what it’s worth.

Inside the PS4 Pro will be a 1TB HDD, which is a little on the small side, as well as an upgraded GPU and a boosted clock speed. Apparently delivering HDR isn’t a big drain on resources, something we’ve already seen from Microsoft with the Xbox One S. Graphical enhancements can be delivered to existing titles through “forwards compatibility,” with a half dozen first-party titles already slated.

Owners of PS4 consoles to date aren’t left out of the party, with a firmware update dropping soon that will enable HDR support on even three year old consoles. How’s that for a treat?

PlayStation VR will be able to take advantage of the extra horsepower inside the PS4 Pro, with developers able to increase the crispness, deliver higher frame rates and double the rendered pixel count.

Since Sony and Activision are best buddies right now, it’s almost guaranteed you’d see Call of Duty roll out at the event. The big story is that not only will Infinite Warfare launch with enhanced support for PS4 Pro with 4K graphics, Black Ops 3 will get updated at the launch of the console.

Oh yeah, the PS4 Pro is coming… Soon! It’ll be available on November 10 for $399. PS4 Slim will cost $299 and is available on September 15.

For more on PlayStation and PlayStation VR be sure to drop by our pals at VRHeads!

Apple made these wireless AirPods and Lightning EarPods for iPhone 7

Apple has officially ditched the headphone jack with the new iPhone 7.

But it’s offering two, new headphone options to make the transition painless for audiophiles. The first option, called Lightning EarPods, will be included with new iPhone 7 models. It’s basically an updated version of the existing EarPods – only they connect to the iPhone via the Lightning port. Apple will also bundle a Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter with the iPhone 7 for those of you who use accessories that require the 3.5mm jack.

Apple’s Phil Schiller said Apple removed the 3.5mm headphone jack with “courage”. He said Apple had the “courage to move on”. In other words: Apple wants consumers to think it is being innovative and embracing the future of technology with this change. It doesn’t want consumers to cling to the past. Schiller also said space is at a premium in the iPhone, and the 3.5mm headphone jack just took up too much space.

Still, in an effort to appeal to the most stubborn consumers, Apple has developed a second headphone option for its customers: wireless AirPods. They are completely cord-free and feature a “W1 chip” inside that’s supposed to ensure a reliable wireless connection. There’s also infrared sensors that detect when each AirPod is in your ear, enabling them to only play when in your ears.

Apple also included a motion accelerometer in the AirPods, so that they can respond to your touch, allowing you to activate Siri with a double tap. The new microphones in these headphones are beam-forming, too, which reduces external noise. Apple said you can expect up to five hours of listening on a single charge, and a compact charging case delivers up to 24 hours of battery.

The AirPods and charging case can be charged together with a Lightning cable. To setup the AirPods, open the case near your iPhone. A menu will then appear on your phone for you to connect. Tap it, and you’re done. It’s a one-step process across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. The AirPods will not be bundled with the iPhone 7. They cost $159 and will be available in late October.

Oh, and if you need replacement Lightning EarPods, Apple said they will retail for $29, while additional adapters will cost $9.

Pocket-lint is live at Apple’s event. We will bring you the latest news, reviews, and analysis as it happens. In the meantime, visit our Apple hub for related stories, or you can tune into Apple’s live-stream yourself. Pocket-lint has detailed how to watch the main keynote from a variety of devices:

• How to watch iPhone 7 and 7 Plus launch

Apple will release iOS 10 update for iPhones and iPads on 13 September

Apple has announced when you can officially download iOS 10.

The Cupertino, CA-based company is live at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, where it is showing off the latest iPhone models and other things it has been working on this past year, including the latest update to its iOS mobile operating system. After announcing the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will launch 16 September, Apple said iOS 10 for iPhone and iPad and watchOS 3 for Apple Watch will be available 13 September. 

The iOS 10 update will roll out over the air. Simply plug your device into power and connect to the internet with Wi-Fi. From there, tap Settings > General > Software Update. You’ll then need to tap Download and Install. Here’s everything we know about iOS 10 so far:

• Apple iOS 10: Release date and everything you need to know

First announced at WWDC 2016 this past summer, iOS 10 is designed to bring a number of new features to your iPhone (even more beyond what the company launched in iOS 9 last year). Apple said its the biggest update yet, with changes to Siri, the lock screen, photos, and more. The iOS 10 public beta became available in July, but the version rolling out this month is the final product. It’s supposed to be free of critical bugs.

Pocket-lint is live at Apple’s event. We will bring you the latest news, reviews, and analysis as it happens. In the meantime, visit our Apple hub for related stories, or you can tune into Apple’s live-stream yourself. Pocket-lint has detailed how to watch the main keynote from a variety of devices:

• How to watch iPhone 7 and 7 Plus launch

PlayStation 4 Neo is PS4 Pro, new 4K HDR console now official and coming November

Sony has officially announced its next super console, the PS4 Pro.

Previously known as PlayStation 4 Neo, the new console is capable of 4K HDR gaming, has a 1TB hard drive and boasts much improved specifications over the regular PlayStation 4.

The console was announced at a dedicated event in New York City on Wednesday 7 September along with some demonstrations of several games running “on PS4 Pro” hardware and in 4K resolutions.

Watch Dogs 2 looked utterly amazing in 4K, with extra detail we definitely didn’t see in the standard PS4 version. The forthcoming Spider-Man game too.

But seeing Uncharted 4 running in 4K and HDR showed exactly how extra brightness and contrast depth can improve the visual representation.

Sony also said that the PS4 Pro will also improve experiences for those without a 4K HDR TV. Extra detail and aliasing can still be seen on a 1080p set.

The company revealed that existing games will be patched to make them PS4 Pro compatible, with higher resolutions and the like. Future games will offer Pro support from day one. And developers can use some of the console’s extra GPU and CPU oomph to improve PS VR experiences too.

Perhaps the most stunning news concerns release date and price. It will be available from 10 November priced £349. Wow. Just wow.

Sony’s new PS4 slims down, yours for £259

Sony has kicked-off its New York PlayStation event with the announcement that the leaked PS4 console we’ve seen recently is the new PS4. 

Launched alongside a new PS4 Pro, the new PlayStation model takes the same innards as the previous PS4 and slims it down. Although technically it will just be called PS4, we’re sure it will be known as PS4 Slim to its friends.

Sony also confirmed that there will be an HDR firmware update coming to all existing PS4 models, meaning that 40 million PS4 owners will get support for HDR. That update is due next week, which should mean better visual performance – if you have a compatible TV, of course. We’re not totally sure what content that applies to just yet.

Say hello to the new #PS4. It’s slimmer & lighter than the original version, but just as pretty. #PlayStationMeeting pic.twitter.com/GyJ17w25xZ

— PlayStation Europe (@PlayStationEU) September 7, 2016

Sony hasn’t said too much more about the console, except that it’s slimmer, lighter and that it will cost you £259, €299, and that it will be available to buy from 15 September.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus camera: Dual camera tech explained

Apple just unveiled its “best iPhone yet” (we were waiting for the quote to drop too) and it comes with a more advanced camera proposition than its predecessors.

But this time there’s a key difference between iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus: the latter coming with dual cameras. So what’s the deal and what can dual camera tech offer?

Apple iPhone 7 Plus dual camera explained: Wide-angle and 2x tele

We’ve seen dual cameras before in devices, from the LG G5’s wide and super-wide lenses, to the Huawei P9’s colour and monochrome sensors.

The iPhone 7 Plus does things differently: the first camera is a 23mm (equivalent) wide-angle, which is wider-angle to fit even more into the frame than the previous iPhone 6S’s 29mm (equivalent).

The second lens, which is absent in the standard iPhone 7, offers double the focal length, to act like a 2x multiplier; a 56mm equivalent. That’s the opposite direction to other manufacturers, which is an interesting take, making far-away subjects look closer-up in the frame compared to most wide-angle camera experiences.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus dual camera explained: Zoom potential

The tele lens option – although it’s a bit of a stretch to call it that – will resolve greater detail than simply taking a wide-angle shot and then zooming into it, which is where another one of its strengths lies: digital zoom.

Beyond the 56mm optic, Apple will offer up to 5x digital zoom (sold as 10x from the wider angle), but the fidelity will be better than wider-angle equivalents. It’ll still be subject to the same limitations of digital zoom, but we can see why Apple is claiming it will be that much better.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus dual camera explained: Portrait bokeh

Pro photographers love their background blur, known as bokeh, which depends on wide apertures (and subject distance and focal length, to varying degrees) to produce that soft background and popping subject depth.

Now Apple wants to extend bokeh to the masses (or fauxkeh, given that it’s digitally produced) by using both the iPhone 7 Plus’s cameras in one. The 23mm (equivalent) wide-angle lens can be compared to the 56mm (equivalent) tele lens to create a depth map, with close-up subjects rendered in focus, more distant objects out of focus and the faux effect added.

We’re yet to see any manufacturer produce a perfect bokeh in post-production – HTC, Huawei, LG and more have certainly tried – so Apple’s limiting of this effect to its new Portrait mode may limit its potential to slip-up. We’ll have to wait and see.

Apple iPhone 7 camera details explained

Now both iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus have that 23mm (equivalent) lens, with an f/1.8 aperture – which is brighter than the iPhone 6S’s f/2.2 aperture by a full stop and, therefore, lets in 50 per cent more light than last time. It’s not the brightest lens on the market – Samsung already offers f/1.7 on its latest Galaxy phones – but will mean greater control and better low-light results than before.

Both cameras also offer optical image stabilisation for the first time – that was reserved for solely the Plus model previously.

With the iPhone 7 Plus the second 56mm (equivalent) lens has an f/2.8 aperture. If it was any wider (say, f/1.8 also) then the physical size would be to excess. It’s still plenty bright.

Apple iPhone 7 camera: New signal processor

The sensor is the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus is 12-megapixels, which Apple describes as “an entirely new camera”. But it doesn’t detail whether it’s the same base unit as the 1/3in size (1.22µm pixels) one in the iPhone 6S – we suspect that it is.

The key difference in the iPhone 7 is the addition of new image signal processor (ISP). It’s twice as rapid as before in its ability to read the scene and, therefore, decide how to respond with focus, tone, noise reduction, colour and so forth.

This approach is something camera manufacturers often utilise between generations of camera upgrades. It means marginal gains in image quality from a processing point of view.

We’ll be receiving both iPhone 7 and 7 Plus models following Apple’s press event in San Francisco, so we’ll be bringing you results through reviews, previews and features over the coming days and weeks – keep eyes on the site for further insight.