Is it Worth Buying AppleCare+ for iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus?

After spending hundreds of dollars on a brand new iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus, you may be debating whether it’s really worth it to put additional money towards an AppleCare+ plan for your shiny new device.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but the short version is that AppleCare+ for iPhone is generally worth the investment. The long answer depends on many factors, such as the type of damage and how careful you are.

What is AppleCare+?

AppleCare+ is an optional warranty plan that extends an iPhone’s warranty coverage to two years from the original purchase date of the device, and adds up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $29 for screen damage, or $99 for any other damage.

AppleCare+ for iPhone also provides 24/7 priority access to AppleCare advisors via online chat or phone for up to two years after the device’s original purchase date. Without the plan, iPhone owners are covered by a limited one-year warranty and an initial 90 days of complimentary telephone support.

How Much Does AppleCare+ Cost?

AppleCare+ is $129 for iPhone 8 and $149 for iPhone 8 Plus in the United States.

• Scenario A — Your Screen Cracks
Apple charges $149 for an iPhone 8 screen repair and $169 for an iPhone 8 Plus screen repair in the United States. There’s also a $6.95 shipping fee if you need to send the iPhone to an Apple repair facility.

AppleCare+ combined with a screen repair incidental fee costs $158 for iPhone 8 or $178 for iPhone 8 Plus.

AppleCare+ is $2.05 to $9 more expensive if you crack your screen.

• Scenario B — The Back Glass Shatters
Apple charges $349 for an iPhone 8 glass back repair and $399 for an iPhone 8 Plus glass back repair in the United States.

AppleCare+ combined with an “other damage” repair incidental fee costs $228 for iPhone 8 or $248 for iPhone 8 Plus.

AppleCare+ is $121 cheaper for iPhone 8 and $151 cheaper for iPhone 8 Plus if you shatter the back glass.

• Scenario C — Other Damage
Apple charges $349 for a non-screen-related iPhone 8 repair and $399 for a non-screen-related iPhone 8 Plus repair in the United States.

AppleCare+ combined with an “other damage” repair incidental fee costs $228 for iPhone 8 or $248 for iPhone 8 Plus.

AppleCare+ is $121 cheaper for iPhone 8 and $151 cheaper for iPhone 8 Plus for any other kind of damage.

Is AppleCare+ Worth It?

AppleCare+ will save you at least $120 if the rear glass on your iPhone shatters even once. If you plan on using your iPhone without a case, and think you might drop it, then it’s a worthwhile investment. If you are using a protective case, however, the rear glass should be able to withstand drops from reasonable heights.

AppleCare+ is less worthwhile if you damage your screen, as you can expect to roughly break even. But, the person who has AppleCare+ would still have a second incident of accidental damage coverage if they ever need it, plus 24/7 priority access to technical support via online chat or phone.

Since it only takes one accident to pay for itself, if not save you money, many users feel AppleCare+ is ultimately worth it. And if you’re super careful and never end up needing it, two years of 24/7 priority access to technical support is still a nice perk.

Related Roundup: iPhone 8
Tag: AppleCare
Buyer’s Guide: iPhone (Buy Now)
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iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X Support the Galileo Satellite System for Better GPS

The iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and upcoming iPhone X include support for Galileo, Europe’s Global Satellite Navigation System. While this information has been listed on Apple’s iPhone technical specifications page since the devices debuted earlier this month, it’s a feature update that’s received little attention.

Galileo joins existing support for the Global Positioning System (GPS) operated by the U.S. government, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) operated by the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces, and QZSS, the regional Quasi-Zenith Satellite System used in Japan.

According to the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency, Galileo support in the new iPhones will allow users to benefit from more precise positioning that’s able to combine GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo signals. Galileo, says the agency, has a modern signal structure that’s able to help users better maintain their position fix when navigating through cities worldwide.

Multi-satellite support also increases signal availability in urban areas where buildings can obstruct the sky and limit the number of visible satellites. Galileo has 15 operational satellites in orbit and three that are in testing, compared to 31 GPS satellites and 24 GLONASS satellites. By 2020, Galileo is expected to have 30 satellites operational.

Worldwide support for QZSS is also new in Apple’s 2017 iPhone lineup. iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models sold in Japan previously supported QZSS, but now all iPhones offer the feature. QZSS, unlike Galileo, GPS, and GLONASS, is limited to three satellites and is receivable only within Japan.

Related Roundups: iPhone 8, iPhone X
Buyer’s Guide: iPhone (Buy Now)
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OWC’s Aura SSDs Not Working With macOS High Sierra, Fix Coming Soon

Mac owners who have replaced their machine’s storage with Aura SSDs from OWC are not able to install macOS High Sierra at this time due to an incompatibility issue that prevents the update from successfully converting the drives to the new APFS format.

The Aura SSDs show up as “Rotational” drives instead of Solid State, and when attempting to install macOS High Sierra, users are seeing an error message about a firmware update before the installation process crashes.

Several customers who have purchased Aura SSDs have complained on a macOS High Sierra beta blog post, as the issue long pre-dates the macOS High Sierra release. One customer was told that new firmware would not be developed until the High Sierra golden master was released, but new firmware has apparently not made it out yet.

OWC offers Aura SSDs for a range of Macs, including many MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Pro models.

According to customers, OWC is recommending users re-install the original SSD that shipped with their Macs, download and install macOS High Sierra, and then swap the Aura SSD back in. OWC is working with Apple on a fix for the issue.
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Truecaller can now filter your calls and SMS on iOS 11

Why it matters to you

Tired of spam messages in iOS 11? Try Truecaller’s new filtering features.

Apple iMessage’s group chat features, read receipts, and stickers make it a great alternative to texting, but it’s hardly perfect. Take spam for example: The same annoying telemarketing services that junk up your private line use iMessage, too, and iMessage doesn’t make it any easier to block their numbers or delete their messages. But that’s where Truecaller comes in. Starting Tuesday, September 26, Truecaller on iOS 11 will filter out text message spam from iMessage and send it directly to a junk tab.

Truecaller, an anti-spam app that blocks more than 100 million unsolicited texts a week across more than 250 million devices, adapted its filtering algorithms to iMessage. With the Truecaller app installed and enabled and the iMessage filtering feature turned on, the new version of the app automatically detects, deletes, and blocks spam before it hits your inbox.

“We’re always looking for ways to increase safety while communicating,” Rishit Jhunjhunwala, vice president of product at Truecaller, said. “Now, iPhone users will have a powerful tool to automatically filter junk and spam SMS, which has been highly requested by our users.”

Truecaller’s upgrade comes at a time when spam messages are on the rise. More than 22.1 million Americans receive an estimated 8.4 million spam texts or SMS messages per month, according to a study commissioned by Truecaller.

There’s been a groundswell of support for anti-spam initiatives in recent months. The federal government has imposed more than $1.2 billion in fines on telemarketers, and Senator Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., recently introduced legislation requiring telecom companies to offer free robocall-blocking technology. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), meanwhile, has hosted two meetings of the Robocall Strike Force, a joint effort across carriers tasked with providing solutions to the problem of robocalls.

By and large, corporations have stepped up to the plate, too. In September 2016, Sprint expanded a partnership with Cequint to develop “enhanced caller ID solutions” that could be used to prevent spam calls from reaching customers. And in December, AT&T followed suit with Call Protect, a network-level feature that automatically blocks numbers flagged as “fraudulent” and lets customers temporarily block custom numbers for a period of 30 days.

Alan Mamedi, Truecaller’s CEO and head of product, sees his team advancing the cause. “From the very beginning we have worked relentlessly to build a product that helps simplify communications for consumers across the globe, and helps them address important needs such as knowing the identity of those calling, and blocking unwanted numbers.”

Microsoft ignites show floor with Office 2019 announcement

Why it matters to you

For those who don’t want to buy into Microsoft’s Office 365 subscription plan, Office 2019 will bring a number of interesting new features.

Microsoft has added a little spice to its Ignite conference this week, with the announcement that it will introduce Office 2019 as soon as the middle of 2018. Office 2019 will introduce new versions of Excel and PowerPoint, as well as expanding on features like inking, letting you draw over the top of different document types.

If the news about Microsoft’s quantum computing efforts didn’t get you excited about its Ignite show, the announcement of a brand-new Office should do the trick. Aimed at those who don’t like the ever-updating subscription service system of Office 365, Office 2019 will bring with it a host of updates, as well as bolstering existing feature sets.

The last standalone office suite of tools Microsoft released was Office 2016, which was initially released in September 2015, so this will be the first big standalone release in nearly three years.

It will look to add a number of new features, most notably inking. Through the increased collaboration of Microsoft’s contemporary software and services, this should make it easier for different contributors to highlight what changes they have made by hand.

Microsoft also made a point of highlighting new PowerPoint animations, which should make the jobs of school teachers across the country a bit easier. There are also new charts and formulas in Excel for improved data analysis.

One aspect of the new software that Microsoft hopes will be a major boon to IT professionals is the increased usability and security of management systems. New voice commands could make IT professionals’ work a bit more hands-free, too.

“Office 2019 will be a valuable upgrade for customers who feel that they need to keep some or all of their apps and servers on-premises,” Microsoft said (via Windows Central).

As exciting as all of those new features are though, what’s perhaps most interesting about this announcement is that Microsoft isn’t quite ready to ditch the perpetual software license system just yet. Although it has made great strides in transitioning to more of a software-as-a-service company in recent years, it seems a large enough portion of its user base is still keen to pay for software once and then own it for life, even if it means doing a big upgrade every few years.

Teach the kids how to build a PC with the Kano Computer Kit Complete

Why it matters to you

Kanos’ Computer Kit Complete will help teach you and your kids about what goes in to making a computer and how to build it yourself.

The Kano Computer Kit Complete is designed to offer children and families an affordable way to get some hands-on experience building a computer. Available to pre-order now with a price tag of $250, the kit offers a Raspberry Pi-based laptop kit that you build yourself.

One of the best ways to learn about some of the technology we take for granted is to build it yourself. But unless you already have a decent knowledge of how a system goes together, the process isn’t exactly easy. That’s what Kano is trying to fix with its kit bundles, which walk new PC builders, young and old, through the process, step by step. It even teaches them unique ways to play around with the device after it’s built, too.

Based on the already popular Computer and Screen kits it sells, Kanos’ new Computer Kit Complete comes with a Raspberry Pi 3, a power board, a 10.1-inch HD screen, a rechargeable battery, DIY speaker kit, keyboard with touchpad, and a storybook to help you put it all together. There are also additional bits like an SD card, HDMI cable, power board, and stickers for customizing your Computer Kit Complete.

When put together, all of that hardware powers Kano OS, the company’s proprietary operating system which encourages interaction and investigation from the user. It comes with coding tests and guides, artistic challenges, support for games like Minecraft and Terminal Quest, and the ability to program your own musical tracks.

That’s not to say that the Kano system can’t be used as a standard laptop, too. It comes with its own web browser based on Chromium, a YouTube app, Wikipedia access and a whole suite of parental locks and controls, so parents can keep an eye on what their children are up to online.

You get all of that for $250. All it lacks from Kano’s standard Computer Kit is the programmable light ring.

Bear in mind, however, that this kit is only up for pre-order right now. Kano has slated its shipping date as November 20, so the wait isn’t horrendous and it will arrive in time for Christmas, but know that there is a short wait.

For those of you who want to really to delve into building a PC, we have a great guide to get you started.

Samsung Galaxy X: Rumors and news leaks

Why it matters to you

Foldable devices are the next step in smartphone evolution. It’s still unclear who’s going to dominate the market, but LG, Lenovo, and Samsung are at the forefront.

Think the Samsung Edge display is cool? Something cooler could be coming very soon. Samsung has been working on foldable displays for a number of years, and the Korean giant might be ready to showcase its first completely flexible smartphone in 2017.

Information about the phone, which has been dubbed the Galaxy X or “Treble Eight,” has slowly trickled out. Here’s everything we think we know about it so far.

Release date

Samsung has long been rumored to be prepping the Galaxy X for a release sometime in 2017, and latest reports indicate that the company is still on track to achieve that. However, it may only be a limited run to test out the device, which may not get a wide release.

Most recently, the phone’s model number, SM-G888N0 (with the “N0” reportedly denoting that it’s for the Korean market), was listed on documents for Bluetooth testing. Then it was referenced in Wi-Fi certification from the Wi-Fi Alliance and in filings submitted to the National Radio Research Agency of the Korea Communications Commission.

Components needed to produce between 2,000 and 3,000 foldable Galaxy X phones have apparently been ordered by Samsung, ready to make a series of the devices during the first half of this year. An anonymous industry source informed Korean site The Investor that Samsung will “test the waters” with the limited run prototype, which may launch in the second half of 2017.

If such a small amount of Galaxy X phones are made, then we shouldn’t expect them to be made available outside South Korea, or even to the public at all. The phone is described as having two OLED display panels with a hinge in the middle. Screens without bezels, like the ones used on the Galaxy S8, may be used to create a seamless, one-screen look.

A limited run of test phones does fit in with previous reports. According to a report from ETNews, Samsung intended to begin production of a prototype phone in Q3 of this year, in order to “verify quality of foldable smartphone by producing thousands of prototypes.” Once production begins, Samsung will be monitoring the quality of the prototypes internally — and if they meet the mark, the company will likely begin producing a consumer version of the phone.

Before this, rumors suggested a commercial device may release in the third quarter of the year — or sometime July through September. According to a source that spoke to the Korea Herald, Samsung may roll out more than “100,000 units of fold-out devices” later on this year. The device can reportedly be used as a 7-inch tablet when unfolded. Previous leaks from Twitter user and Samsung leakster @mmddj_china said the device will be available to purchase at some point in the third or fourth quarter of 2017.

A final consumer version may arrive even later. Sources told Bloomberg that we could see Samsung’s first foldable phone at Mobile World Congress in late February 2018, and that the company is considering building two new smartphone models — including one that folds like a wallet. One of the two devices is said to have a 5-inch screen when used as a cell phone but can be rolled out to show off an 8-inch display.

The company is still deliberating about the decision to unveil a foldable device this year, and it will wait until its delayed “executive-level reshuffle” before making a decision.

Before being known as the Galaxy X, Samsung’s folding phone had the code name Project Valley, which was referenced in various reports. The company introduced the concept of a foldable display at CES 2013 and supposedly showed its first foldable phone prototype in a private meeting at CES 2014. It’s possible the Galaxy X is just one device being considered in Project Valley.

Design

We got our closest look to date of the highly anticipated foldable smartphone on November 9 from Sammobile. A patent application reveals a number of renders and illustrates the smartphone’s hinge from a number of angles. Check out the latest photos below.

Patents filed by Samsung have been the only real clues as to the Galaxy X’s eventual design we have so far. A previous patent from Samsung Display was registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office at the end of September 2016. The diagrams included are dated mid-June and show a clamshell-like device that resembles a makeup compact, folding out into a traditional rectangular smartphone shape.

A camera lens is shown on the top of the closed clamshell, an area that becomes the rear of the unfolded phone. A selfie camera and speaker are shown in the inside top of the phone.

More interestingly, the bottom of the screen appears to have a curved edge that’s visible when the phone is closed. It might serve as an information and notification ticker, rather than a secondary display on the back of the device. Samsung already uses the Edge screen on the Galaxy S8 in a similar way.

Before this, a different patent filed by Samsung showed how a folded and unfolded Galaxy X might operate. For example, as Patently Mobile reports, a user could touch an icon on the edge area of the phone so that the app will be open once the device is unfolded. According to the patent, multiple user profiles will also be displayed on the edge area, allowing for multiple users to enter their password to access their information — all from the device’s edge. It’s important to note that this patent was filed in November, but was not made public until now.

Update: Added in news of new Bluetooth and Wi-Fi certifications.

Broadcom’s ultra-accurate GPS chip to be used in smartphones as early as 2018

Why it matters to you

Broadcom’s new chip could make your smartphone’s GPS tracker more than 10 times more accurate as soon as next year.

Today’s GPS technology is ubiquitous, but it’s not always completely accurate — we’ve all experienced annoying moments where the maps app on our smartphones hasn’t quite been able to determine where we are. Now, chip manufacturer Broadcom has announced that big improvements are inbound.

Broadcom took to the Institute of Navigation GNSS+ conference in Portland, Oregon, this week to announce that it is manufacturing the first mass-market chip that’s capable of working with a new form of highly precise global navigation signals, according to a report from IEEE Spectrum. While current devices can generally be located with a margin for error of around 5 meters, these new chips will be accurate to within 30 centimeters.

The chip, dubbed the BCM47755, brings about other improvements. It’s not as badly impacted by interference from skyscrapers and other concrete structures in urban areas, and it reportedly consumes just half as much power as today’s crop of chips.

All global navigation satellite systems that are currently in use utilize a signal known as L1 to communicate the satellite’s location, the time, and a signature pattern used as an identifier. The BCM47755 uses this signal to lock onto the satellite, but then takes advantage of a newer, more sophisticated signal called the L5 to home in on the device’s exact location.

L5 signals are already in use, but typically in industrial applications such as vehicles and equipment used to find gas and oil reserves. Broadcom’s BCM47755 marks the first time that this technology is being applied in a mass-market chip.

Up until now, there haven’t been a huge number of L5 satellites in orbit, so there hasn’t been any rush for Broadcom to dive into offering this kind of hardware. Smartphones haven’t been powerful enough to be compatible — something that the manufacturer managed to work around by implementing a power-efficient manufacturing process, a new radio architecture, and a power-saving dual-core sensor hub.

Broadcom’s chips are reportedly set to be utilized in several smartphones that are scheduled to hit the market in 2018, but the company hasn’t yet mentioned any particular manufacturers or models that will feature the BCM47755.

Photos of Samsung’s upcoming mixed reality headset leak on Twitter

Why it matters to you

With Microsoft’s Windows Mixed Reality ecosystem, companies like Dell and Samsung are able to jump right into the VR race, and giving the VR market some much-needed competition.

Proving yet again that every product will inevitably be leaked well in advance of its release, photos of Samsung’s mixed reality headset showed up on Twitter. According to the photos, leaked by Twitter user WalkingCat, the headset could be a strong competitor to the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift which currently dominate the PC VR space.

Samsung Windows Mixed Reality headset pic.twitter.com/pOelleMpew

— WalkingCat (@h0x0d) September 26, 2017

As you can see from the photos, the Samsung mixed reality headset borrows heavily from the design language popularized by the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. The touch controllers appear to be either based on the Windows Mixed Reality controllers or that is exactly what they are.

A company like Samsung learning from pioneers in the PC VR space means we might finally see some real competition. As part of Microsoft’s Windows Mixed Reality ecosystem, the Samsung headset will likely borrow technology used in the enterprise-oriented Hololens.

Since we don’t see any external sensors here, it’s likely the Samsung headset will use the Hololens’ version of inside-out tracking, so it knows which way you’re facing without requiring external input — unlike the current-gen Oculus and Vive, which are reliant on the placement of sensors which track your movement and location.

Concrete details about the Samsung mixed reality headset are slim — it’s not even clear if these images are mockups or production images of a product we will see unveiled in the near future. It’s likely that the headset itself, if it exists in this form or another, will share a number of similarities with Dell’s mixed reality headset which is also part of the Windows Mixed Reality ecosystem.

The Dell Mixed Reality headset, aptly named the Dell Visor, features inside-out tracking, and it also has two front-facing sensors which could be used to create the eponymous mixed reality environment. It’s an important detail because the Samsung headset also appears to have sensors in roughly the same locations.

We don’t know much about what Windows Mixed Reality will actually do for most people, but the similarities between these two headsets seem to give us a peek behind the curtain at what we might expect from the upcoming Windows ecosystem.

Material Design UI and new features coming soon to Gmail on web

Gmail on the web will soon get upgraded with a new UI, Smart Replies, email snoozing, and more.

Back in May, Google hosted a NEXT Live EMEA event to talk about new features coming to Google Cloud and G Suite. A lot of information was spewed out at the event, and one announcement that slipped under our radar has to do with a few new additions that are coming to Gmail.

First thing’s first, the most noticeable upgrade for Gmail that was shown off is a brand-new Material Design overhaul for its user interface on the web. Gmail doesn’t necessarily look bad in its current form, but it is a great departure from the Material Design aesthetic that’s slowly working its way across all of Google’s other services.

In a screenshot of the new Gmail interface shown off at Google NEXT, we can see that the entire UI is considerably cleaner and much more minimalistic. The tabs of black text on the left-hand side have been replaced by more visually appealing icons, the Social and Promotions tabs are gone, and there’s also handy options for quickly accessing your Contacts and Tasks.

Along with the new look, Google also announced a couple of new features that are coming to Gmail — including Smart Reply, smart groupings, and the ability to snooze emails. Smart Reply automatically populates possible replies that Google thinks you’d want to send, smart groupings automatically bundle emails into certain categories, and snooze allows you to hide/snooze emails until a certain time or when you arrive at a specific place. Both smart groupings and snoozing emails have been available in Inbox since its debut, and it’s nice to see these features make their way to Google’s primary email client.

There’s currently no word as to when these updates will be fully rolled out to Gmail, but we certainly hope that they arrive sooner rather than later.