iPhone 8 Teardowns Reveal Advanced Modems Likely Selected for Power Improvements

Apple released the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus on Friday, September 22, and device teardowns were underway within hours, courtesy of iFixit and TechInsights. The firms received different models for teardown, with iFixit’s model featuring a Qualcomm baseband while TechInsights’ featured an Intel modem, continuing Apple’s trend of opting for Intel modems in phones which do not require CDMA network support.

The baseband parts in each iPhone were revealed to be new chips from their respective vendors, with the CDMA phone featuring Qualcomm’s new X16 gigabit-class modem and the Intel-based model featuring the similarly new XMM 7480 modem. Each model also included an update to the transceiver module to go along with the modem, but the functional changes in the RF signal chain mostly stopped there.

Qualcomm X16 and X12 feature comparison
In addition to higher peak speeds compared to their predecessors, both of these modems offer other potential benefits. Comparing the network compatibility pages of the iPhone 7 against the iPhone 8 shows that the bands supported are largely unchanged, and this is reflected in the small changes to the power amplifier modules (PAMs) found within the RF chain.

Besides gigabit-level peak theoretical speeds, the X16 modem brings several other advances, including up to 4x carrier aggregation for a total bandwidth of up to 80 MHz compared to the 60 MHz found in the MDM9645M (X12) powering the iPhone 7. Qualcomm’s X16 modem also supports T-Mobile US’s new 600 MHz LTE spectrum, Band 71. Apple does not list support for Band 71 on the model sold for use on T-Mobile, which means that either Intel’s modem does not support it for the appropriate T-Mobile model or Apple elected not to include support for it in the phone’s antenna/PAM structure.

Intel’s XMM 7480 feature highlights
The Intel XMM 7480, by contrast, only has a maximum theoretical peak of 600 Mbps, and while it also supports up to 4x carrier aggregation, two of these channels are limited to 10 MHz, capping overall bandwidth at 60 MHz. Intel has boosted its band support to a total of more than 33, claiming an industry leading number, but there are likely other deficiencies compared to the Qualcomm modem which have been accepted due to Apple’s desire to have supplier diversity for this component.

Regardless, it is clear that both of these modems are improvements over their predecessors, yet Apple dedicated no time to talking about advanced cellular capabilities for any of its phones in the media event earlier this month. Instead, the main reason for upgrading to these new modems likely lies in power consumption.

The teardowns have revealed that Apple has reduced the size of the batteries in the iPhone 8 lineup while maintaining battery life claims across the board. The squeeze on the iPhone X will be even worse, given Apple’s claims of iPhone 8 Plus-like battery life in a non-Plus type form factor. While there are several other advancements likely behind the scenes there, it seems clear Apple wanted to get more efficient in its cellular radio chains.

This will also be an area to watch in the iPhone X, as the cellular RF chain is one of the biggest consumers of space in the phone. According to its spec page, the iPhone X will support the same bands across two models as its 8-branded brethren, so space may have to come from elsewhere.

The advancements in baseband modem power efficiency likely come from two different sources for Qualcomm and Intel. The X16 is built on a 14nm FinFET process according to Qualcomm, which likely has several advantages over the 28nm RF process utilized in its previous modems.

Intel, on the other hand, claims up to 15 percent lower power usage compared to its previous-generation modem, which could be thanks in part to the newly included envelope tracker for voltage control, which reduces power usage and heat. While it is not clear which process Intel’s modem is built on, it seems likely it is still a 28nm process from TSMC, as Intel still works on the technology lineage from its Infineon acquisition. Nevertheless, future iPhones will be well-positioned to include higher bandwidth and more diverse network capabilities in the future, even if the modems they use stay the same.

Related Roundup: iPhone 8
Tags: Intel, Qualcomm
Buyer’s Guide: iPhone (Buy Now)
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Apple Maps Vehicles Headed to Scotland

Apple Maps vehicles will begin surveying Scotland for the first time starting early next month.

Apple Maps vehicle via MacRumors reader Dieter A.
The sensor-laden vehicles will start collecting mapping data in Fort William, a town in the western Scottish Highlands, between October 9 and November 5, according to a recently updated list of driving locations on Apple’s website.

For over two years, Apple has been driving vehicles around the world to collect data for Apple Maps—widely believed to be street-level imagery. Since 2015, the vehicles have surveyed over 35 states in the United States, in addition to parts of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and Sweden.

Apple said it will blur faces and license plates on collected images prior to publication, suggesting that it could be working on adding a Street View feature to Apple Maps, similar to what Google Maps has offered for several years. But, the imagery and other mapping data could be used for a variety of purposes.

When Apple’s fleet of Dodge and Mercedes-Benz vans first hit the streets, it was speculated they could be the basis of an Apple Car. But those rumors quieted down after the vans were labeled with Apple Maps decals, and because Apple has reportedly shifted towards autonomous driving software for now.

Some industry observers still believe the vans are at least partially related to Apple’s autonomous driving project, but the evidence is inconclusive.

Apple so far has only confirmed that some of the data collected will be published in future Apple Maps updates.

Tags: Apple Maps, Apple Maps vehicles
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Estimated Supply of iPhone X on Launch Day Revised Down to Just Over 12 Million Units

When the iPhone X launches on November 3, initial supply of the smartphone available to purchase could be limited to around 12 million units, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst at Taipei-based Yuanta Investment Consulting.

Pu told Nikkei Asian Review that Foxconn likely manufactured around 2 million iPhone X devices in September. He said the number should increase to 10 million in October, and reach a total of 40 million by the end of the year, down from his original forecast of 45 million units earlier this year.

If accurate, that means there would be just over 12 million iPhone X handsets available to purchase when the device launches in under six weeks.

The report corroborates that the TrueDepth camera and facial recognition system is a major bottleneck for iPhone X production, as KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a research note earlier this week.

Two executives working for iPhone suppliers told Nikkei Asian Review that 3-D sensor part makers are still struggling to reach a satisfactory level of output, and to boost their yield rate. This rate measures the number of usable or saleable units from a batch of components or final products produced. A low yield rate is likely to hurt a company’s margins and bottom line.

Reports about limited availability surrounding an iPhone launch surface every year, but rumors suggest the iPhone X might be even harder to get your hands on than a 256GB iPhone 7 Plus in Jet Black last year.

Related Roundup: iPhone X
Tags: nikkei.com, Jeff Pu
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Apple Releases iOS 11.0.1 Update With Bug Fixes

Apple today released the first official update to its new iOS 11 operating system, iOS 11.0.1. iOS 11.0.1 comes just a week after Apple released iOS 11 to the public.

The iOS 11.0.1 update can be downloaded to all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the update, go to Settings –> General –> Software Update.

Today’s update addresses several minor bugs that have been discovered following the release of the iOS 11 golden master. According to Apple’s release notes the update includes bug fixes for iPhone and iPad.

iOS 11 is a major update to the iOS operating system with a redesigned Lock screen experience, a new customizable Control Center, a new Siri voice, a redesigned App Store, and an overhauled interface for the iPad. For more info on all the new features in iOS 11, check out our iOS 11 roundup.

Related Roundup: iOS 11
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Plex Launches ‘Plex News’ With Free Content From 190 Providers

Plex today announced the launch of Plex News, a new personalized streaming news service that’s available to Plex users. Plex News includes national, international, and local news from 190 providers like CBS News, CNN, A+J, IGN, Cheddar, Financial Times, Mic, and more.

Plex News is a free service and it does not require a Plex Pass or other subscription fee, but it is supported by ads. Over time, it learns about your interests based on news channels you choose to watch and those you choose to skip, providing a personalized news hub.

After opening up Plex, there’s a “News” section that’s been added to the home page, with a series of short news clips that you can flip through on a range of topics. A “Personalize News” feature lets you select a location and topics of interest to narrow down the selection of news sources that will be displayed. News can be browsed by category or from the home screen suggestions.

The new feature is built around Watchup, a news startup that Plex purchased earlier this year. Watchup, like Plex News, offered up a selection of news channels in one easy-to-watch location.

Plex says Plex News is rolling out to all users over the course of the next 48 hours, starting with Plex Pass subscribers first. It is available on Apple TV and iOS devices, along with Android TV, Nvidia Shield, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Android Mobile.

The Plex app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tag: Plex
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How to set up two-factor authentication for your Nintendo Account

Using two-factor authentication is an easy way to keep your various online accounts safe from would-be intruders, one that forces you to provide a second code with your password whenever you sign in. Up until now, Nintendo was the only one of the three major console manufacturers to not offer it, but this recently changed. Here’s how to set up two-factor authentication for your Nintendo Account.

Downloading Google Authenticator

Sony’s two-factor authentication uses your mobile phone number, but for Microsoft and Nintendo, you’ll be making use of a separate app to sign in — Google Authenticator, at least in the case of Nintendo. Before you do anything else, download the app for either Android or iOS, which will make the rest of the process much easier.

Enabling two-factor authentication

Next, go to Nintendo’s website and sign into your Nintendo Account before heading to the account settings page. On the left, you’ll see “sign-in and security settings.” Select this and scroll to the bottom for “2-step verification settings.”

Select this, and you’ll have a few different options for enabling two-factor verification. The first is to scan a QR code using the aforementioned app, but if you’re doing this on your phone already, this doesn’t make much sense. You can also enter the long code listed on the screen, along with the email address associated with your Nintendo Account.

However, you can also select the code on your phone and open it directly with Google Authenticator. From here, you just need to enter the email address associated with the account, and you’ll be all set to use two-factor authentication. Nintendo will also give you a list of temporary codes that you can use, should you ever be locked out of your phone.

Using two-factor authentication

From now on, whenever you sign into your Nintendo Account from a web browser, you’ll be asked for a six-digit code after entering your account name and password. Just head back to Google Authenticator and it will list the code, which you can then enter for access to your Nintendo Account. We noticed that we actually weren’t signed out of our Nintendo Switch after enabling it, for better or worse.

It’s as simple as that! Now get back to defeating Ganon, saving the Mushroom Kingdom, and winning SplatFests!

Not sure which games to pick up your newfangled Switch? Lucky for you, we’ve rounded up the best Nintendo Switch games available.

Had enough of YouTube? Here’s how to pull out, and nuke your account from orbit

Tired of YouTube? Maybe you hate the redesign?  In this guide we’ll teach you how to delete your YouTube account in just a few quick steps.

Before we begin, it’s important to recognize that even though there are a couple of different methods for deleting your account, they are both permanent. They will delete certain aspects of your online history, which can never be recovered.

If you’re happy with that and you’re sure that just changing your YouTube account name won’t help, read on.

Note: Currently, it’s not possible to delete your account on mobile devices, so you’ll need access to a desktop or laptop to complete the following steps.

Just YouTube, or Google too?

With the way Google accounts are linked across different services, there are levels to how much of your account you actually want to delete. You can remove your YouTube channel, which deletes all of your videos, comments, messages and playlists, but the account itself will still remain accessible. Or you can go the whole hog and remove the account from Google’s records entirely.

Consider well which route you want to go down, and then pick one of the following instruction sets to follow.

Delete your channel

Step 1: Sign in to your YouTube account using the “Sign In” link in the top right-hand corner of the YouTube homepage.

Step 2: Navigate to advanced account settings by clicking your portrait in the top right-hand corner, then “Settings,” then “Advanced,” just under your account name.

Step 3: Click the “Delete Channel” button.

Step 4: Confirm your identity by inputting your password into the resulting login screen.

Step 5: You’ll then be given the choice to “Hide” or “Delete” your channel. Hiding it privatizes all of your videos and activity and deletes all of your comments and replies. Deleting it goes a step further and deletes your comments, replies, messages, search history, any videos you have uploaded, and the channel itself.

Make your choice, and then tick the corresponding boxes to make it clear you understand the process. Then click “Hide My Channel” or “Delete my Content” depending on your preference.

Step 6: One final confirmation box will then appear. Input your email address and then click “Delete My Content” to finalize.

This process can take some time, so logging back into your YouTube account may not be possible for a short while afterwards.

Delete Google account

One finally warning — unless it’s not clear, this will delete your Google account. All of it! That means your Gmail, Google Docs information, and everything else. Be very, very sure you want to do this.

Step 1: Go to myaccount.google.com and “Sign In” using the link in the top right-hand corner. Input your relevant login details.

Step 2: Click “Delete your account or services” under the “Account Preferences” heading.

Step 3: Click “Delete Google Account and data”. If you just wanted to clear out your Gmail account, we have a guide for that too.

Step 4: Input your password to confirm your identity in the resulting login screen.

Step 5: Read the Google disclaimer. It makes sure that you understand how permanent deleting your Google account is. If you have data from other services, such as Gmail, or Google Drive, you’ll be given the option to download it and back it up before going ahead.

Step 6: Tick the boxes that acknowledge you have read and understood all disclaimers, then click the “Delete Account” button.

That’s it! Your account is now deleted. If you feel like you’ve made a mistake, you do have a short window of (unspecified) time to restore it, but before long all of your Google account data will be gone forever.

Hands on with the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2!

Xiaomi certainly took everyone by surprise with the launch of its nearly bezel-less smartphone last year, with the Mi Mix proving to be a precursor to the dominant display and design trends in 2017. With its successor facing far more competition than the Mi Mix ever did, can Xiaomi manage to deliver once again in a segment that they jump started? We find out, as we go hands on with the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2!

See also:Xiaomi Mi Note 3 with 6 GB of RAM and dual camera announced

Xiaomi Mi Note 3 with 6 GB of RAM and dual camera announced

2 weeks ago

The Mi Mix 2 is a fairly predictable update to the highly anticipated and pretty well regarded Mi Mix, and continues the different approach to the display and design of a large smartphone that Xiaomi first introduced last year. For most people, the original Mi Mix was just too big, despite its near bezel-less design. But that has changed for the better with the Mi Mix 2, while still retaining what made the Mi Mix such a fascinating phone.

The original Mi Mix was just too big, but that has changed for the better with the Mi Mix 2.

The updated design brings with it rounded corners and sides, a frame that is made with an aluminium alloy, and a ceramic backing that Xiaomi loves to use with their premium smartphones. All of this makes for a phone that is still really nice to look at, and feels much better in the hand due to its smaller overall footprint when compared to its predecessor. Another change from generation to generation may not be to everyone’s liking though, with the Mi Mix 2 not coming with a headphone jack.

The display quality is excellent, and the absolutely minimal bezels around it let the screen really shine through.

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 comes with a 5.99-inch display with a Full HD+ resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio. The display quality is excellent, and the absolutely minimal bezels around it let the screen really shine through.

Just like last year’s Mi Mix, the top portion of the phone is almost as thin as the side bezels, resulting in the front-facing camera being moved to the bottom right corner. The camera placement will definitely take some getting used to, but it doesn’t look out of place or stand out significantly, thanks to a black coating that has been used to make the camera unit blend in with the rest of the front.

When using the 5 MP front-facing shooter, the camera app actually tells you to turn the phone around to let you take a selfie in a more traditional manner.

See also:Essential Phone review: Maximum hardware, minimum software

Essential Phone review: Maximum hardware, minimum software

4 weeks ago

Another issue with the original Mi Mix was that the replacement for the phone speaker just wasn’t the most effective alternative. With the Mi Mix 2, you now get an actual speaker with a tube unit that points upward and comes with a tiny slit at the top. However, the ultrasonic proximity sensor is still found around the the top area under the screen, so the phone still knows when it is next to your face or inside your pocket.

It’s not all about the design and the display though, with the Mi Mix 2 coming with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 platform under the hood, along with 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB, 128 GB, or 256 GB of built-in storage. Keeping everything running is a non-removable 3,400 mAh battery, and the device comes with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 support to be able to charge the phone in a short amount of time.

There is also going to be a special edition of the phone (see the second image gallery below) that features a ceramic unibody design without the aluminium alloy frame, and has a 18K PVD gold coating surrounding the camera and fingerprint sensor rim. This special edition Mi Mix 2 will also come with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of built-in storage.

Taking a look at the camera, it is unfortunately not a dual camera setup as is available with some of Xiaomi’s other recent releases like the Mi 6. Instead, you get an IMX386 image sensor with 4-axis optical image stabilization and an f/2.0 aperture. As far as the camera app is concerned, things stay mostly the same when compared to what is found with other Xiaomi smartphones. We will certainly be putting this camera through its paces in our in-depth Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 review.

One of the other interesting features of the Mi Mix 2 is that it will come with support for global bands, and will include more bands this time around than the Mi Note 2 did when it was released. What this means is that you will now be able to use this phone in the US as well, even though it may not officially be released in that market. However, the Mi Mix 2 will see a wider release and far more availability than its predecessor, and will make its way over to Xiaomi’s main markets around the world, including India.

Overall, what we really like about the Mi Mix 2 is that it takes a lot of the same cues from its predecessor while making it more accessible. The phone is a lot easier to handle even with a 6-inch screen, which alleviates one of the major concerns from last year.

The rounded sides and corners, curves along the back, and ceramic body not only make for a phone that looks incredible, but feels very comfortable in the hand as well. Xiaomi continues to use ceramic to great effect, but the key here is the fact that it definitely feels like you are holding a device that is all display, all the time.

Interested in reading more about the Mi Mix 2?

• Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 specs We’ve rounded up all the specifications of the Mi Mix 2 (standard and Special Edition). Spoiler: there are a few features that competitors offer that the Mi Mix 2 does not.
• Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 price and availability When, where, and for how much? We’re answering the essential questions about the Mi Mix 2 availability.

A High Sierra bug in the MacOS update could make it easy to steal passwords

Why it matters to you

Apple systems are less targeted by malware attacks than Windows systems, but they are far from secure and it’s important to maintain strong personal security practices.

A security researcher as discovered a MacOS High Sierra bug that makes it easy for hackers to steal passwords and other hidden login credentials from a user’s system. The bug appears to give hackers the ability to access Keychain data in plaintext without knowing the master password.

The purpose of the Keychain is to hold on to various login credentials and other secretive information and to keep it hidden from prying eyes. Like third-party password managers, you’re only supposed to be able to access that information with a master password. With the bug in High Sierra though, it appears that unsigned apps are able to circumvent that safeguard entirely.

Discovered by ex-NSA analyst and security researcher Patrick Wardle (thanks MacRumors), the bug makes it possible to dump the contents of Keychain’s password storage, accessing everything from banking passwords, to your Facebook login in plaintext.

Perhaps even more concerning is that this bug may have existed for some time. Although it has been proven to work following the High Sierra update, it’s possible that it could also work with older versions of MacOS.

The one silver lining to this news is that, as with many attacks from nefarious individuals, a High Sierra user would need to download a malicious application from somewhere other than the App Store for the exploit to work. That’s something that Apple and most security professionals would heavily discourage, though it does sometimes happen.

To prove that the exploit exists, Wardle crafted a malicious app called “KeychainStealer,” which was able to reveal his phony Bank of America, Twitter, and Facebook login details with little effort. Although he hasn’t revealed the exact method of attack, it stands to reason that if he can figure it out, others will be able to as well, especially now that they know it’s possible.

For that reason some may not like that Wardle has been transparent with his concerns, though this story stands a much greater chance of forcing Apple to fix the bug than if he’d kept it to himself.

Still, it’s possible that this announcement isn’t entirely altruistic. Wardle does operate a Patreon to help support the creation of security software under his Objective-See brand, so this announcement should drive some interest in it.

Microsoft’s quantum computing programming language is a big step forward

Why it matters to you

Quantum computing might be a way off from becoming mainstream, but Microsoft is helping get us there.

Microsoft is helping move us toward the future holy grail of quantum computing with the creation of a computing language that can run on a quantum computer. The company sees this as a fundamental step toward computers that are built on a “qubit,” rather than a “bit,” foundation.

Quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize almost all aspects of our digital society, reaching into every facet of life. But making a quantum computer is incredibly difficult and will take years of additional research before we can even approach the idea of building something that can operate outside of ideal lab conditions. Microsoft wants to be a major part of that developmental process.

A key component of that research and development is building a language that quantum computers can read and operate on, and that’s exactly what Microsoft has done. Announced at its Ignite conference, the new quantum computing language will be released into the wild later this year, integrated with Microsoft’s own Visual Studio (thanks MSPowerUser).

This edges us one step closer to what Microsoft describes as a “topological qubit,” which should be much more stable than the qubits generated in the past. As described in Microsoft’s colorful video above, with a more robust structure, topological qubits have the potential to form the basis for what a quantum computer of the future could be.

The new language that supports these topological qubits is designed to run on quantum simulators and real-world quantum computers, so it will not only help enable their creation in the first place, but will give them something to do once created.

But someone has to program the applications to perform such tasks, and that’s what Microsoft’s new quantum programming language will enable. Once released, developers will be able to write simulations and problems for the quantum simulators of today to run and for potential quantum computers of the future to tackle head-on.

Although it might seem intimidating, we’re told that the language itself should be familiar to the current crop of programmers and when released toward the end of the year will come with libraries of resources and tutorials to help people get started.