The 5 features that make the Apple Watch Series 3 the coolest version yet

Just short of a full Steve Jobs hologram cameo, Apple’s September 12 announcement went down in quintessential Apple fashion. After a lengthy tour of Apple’s sparkling new campus and an odd bit on rebranding the company’s “stores” as “town squares,” the team finally got to the meat and potatoes of the keynote. The company finally revealed the iPhone 8, the mysterious $1,000 iPhone X, as well as a new Apple Watch and WatchOS update.

WatchOS 4 features plenty of welcome upgrades, including an updated and significantly more intuitive Heart Rate app, a proactive Siri watch face, and an autoset function for pool training. However, the latest Apple Watch Series 3 — with a new dual-core processor and (finally) built-in cellular connectivity — is a whole new monster compared to the previous two generations. Here’s a rundown of our favorite Apple Watch Series 3 features. (For more information, feel free to peruse our Apple Watch Series 1 review, Apple Watch Series 2 review, as well as our side-by-side spec comparison of the the two smartwatches.)

Built-in cellular

Without a doubt, the raddest feature of the Apple Watch Series 3 is built-in GPS and cellular. Previously, the watch needed to be synced with your iPhone via Bluetooth to utilize the cellular function.

With the latest iteration, you now have the freedom to leave your iPhone behind on quick errands or runs while staying connected. And don’t worry about activating a second number, the watch shares the same number as your iPhone. For the first time on an Apple Watch, you can receive calls and send texts solely with your watch.

Streaming music

With this cellular addition, the third-generation Apple Watch and WatchOS 4 can now function with Apple Music, allowing individuals to choose from up to 40 million tracks to stream from their wrist — without needing to have your iPhone in tow to do so. Apple’s digital assistant, Siri, can also now communicate from the watch via a built-in speaker. This means Siri can communicate with you straight from the app, and you can even ask her to play that perfect track to push you onward at the end of a grueling run.

Design, processor

Apple has packed plenty of muscle under the hood with the latest Apple Watch, including an all-new, faster dual-core processor that allows for 70 percent faster performance and snappier graphics loading. Despite all of these new internal components, the Apple Watch 3 is the same size as the Apple Watch 2. However, the crystal along the backside has been extended a negligible 0.25 millimeters.

Enhanced WiFi

As part of this internal design overhaul, Apple also included a series of hardware updates to boost connectivity. With the rather limited interior space, even a nano-SIM card would’ve been too cumbersome internally, so Apple engineers incorporated a much slimmer electronic-SIM card. There’s also a W2 chip to improve Bluetooth and wireless connectivity, which should increase Wi-Fi speeds by 85 percent while making both Bluetooth and WiFi 50 percent more efficient.

Barometric altimeter

Neither the first- nor second-generation Apple Watch could track elevation. That’s quite the technological blunder for a wearable fitness tracker. With previous iterations, to fully measure elevation, your watch would need to be connected to your iPhone.

Thankfully, with the third-generation, Apple decided to fix this flaw. The Apple Watch Series 3 for the first time includes a barometric altimeter to track and record elevation metrics during workouts. Rival fitness tracker Fitbit has incorporated altimeters for quite some time, so this move finally shores up this early design deficiency.

You won’t have to wait long to get your paws on the new Apple Watch — these bad boys are coming to a “town square” near you very soon. Apple will be offering the fully loaded Apple Watch 3 for $399 and a version without cellular connectivity for $329. You can pre-order the Apple Watch 3 on September 15 and the latest phones will be available on September 22.

Older iPhones get a price cut after Apple unveils its new, expensive devices

Why it matters to you

You can now purchase last year’s flagship iPhone 7 and previous devices for $100 less.

At Apple’s event on Tuesday, September 12, the company announced its new line of iPhones — the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and the iPhone X — along with its prices. But like clockwork after every Apple launch, the company reduced the pricing of last year’s iPhone 7 and 7 Plus as well as its predecessors.

The iPhone 8 is launching at $700 and $800 for the Plus — both with 64GB of storage space and an optional 256GB available. On the other hand, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus pricing has been cut by $100. The devices are now available starting at $550 and $670, respectively. You can also opt for the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus which has also been cut by an additional $100 since last year’s Apple event. The iPhone 6S is now starting at $450 and the iPhone 6S Plus starting at $550.

Adding to the array of discounted devices, there’s the iPhone SE starting at $350 — making it $50 cheaper than its previous price. Even though it’s not one of the latest iPhones, the SE took first place in the Annual Customer Satisfaction Index in May. The results suggested consumers may be looking for smartphones that are not only smaller, but also less expensive.

Closely resembling the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus have the same 4.7-and 5.5-inch screen sizes including chunky bezels. But the main difference falls under the iPhone 8’s backing which is glass, allowing for Qi wireless charging. The new iPhone also uses True Tone technology and has redesigned speakers to deliver 25 percent higher volume.

With the iPhone X, it is clear Apple pulled out all the fancy stops for its 10th anniversary iPhone, including a $1,000 price tag. The device boasts an OLED display, Face ID, and a powerful A11 Bionic chip. It also includes a dual-lens 12-megapixel rear camera and a 7-megapixel front camera along with new augmented reality features.

If you are unsure about which iPhone you want to commit to, there is always the option of signing up for the iPhone Upgrade Program. Starting at $34.50 per month, you can trade in your current iPhone and upgrade to a new iPhone after 12 payments. Although, other companies do have their own plans — like Sprint’s Flex Plan or T-Mobile’s Jump On Demand — Apple’s program is still compatible with all four major U.S. carriers.

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus hands-on review

Research Center:
Apple iPhone 8

The iPhone 8 – don’t call it the 7S! – looks almost exactly like the iPhone 7. It feels almost exactly like the iPhone 7. And it works and costs almost exactly what the iPhone 7 did. But it’s what you can’t see that really counts.

Following the launch event in the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple’s spaceship-ish new Apple Park campus, I had a few minutes to play around with the new iPhone 8 – the larger Plus version, to be specific. I brought an iPhone 7 along for comparison purposes, and while the Apple folks manning the display station wouldn’t let me take side-by-side photos (noting that my phone has more scars and cuts than Nick Nolte), it was readily apparent they’re essentially the same.

The iPhone 7 clone

The iPhone 8 has the same bezels above and below screen, the same home button, and largely the same screens, although the 8 now supports True Tone for adjusting the contrast of the screen dynamically in response to lighting. Was it just me or did the screen look a little too warm? We’ll clearly need to test this feature out a little more.

Jeremy Kaplan/Digital Trends

Jeremy Kaplan/Digital Trends

Jeremy Kaplan/Digital Trends

The major design change is the switch to an all-glass design, front and back, which facilitates the integration of wireless charging. If you’ve been using a case with your iPhone – and you HAVE been using a case, right? – you’ll never notice that this newer phone is slightly less slippery.

Wireless charging and Portrait Lighting

The addition of wireless charging is one of a few key new “at last!” features Apple has brought to the iPhone 8 that’s useful enough to make anyone consider upgrading. Wireless charging is fabulous when it works. The Qi protocol has one limitation, however: It doesn’t transmit effectively through thicker cases (and you ARE using a case , right?). We didn’t get a chance to try Apple’s new charging mat, which purports to juice up several different devices at different speeds simultaneously, but we look forward to testing this out.

The iPhone 7 introduced Portrait Mode , and iPhone 8 enhances it with Portrait Lighting, which lets you switch the lighting scheme for a portrait among the various styles professionals might use in their studio. It wasn’t clear how to find Portrait Lighting, so I dug into the Photos app and clicked edit on what looked like a suitable shot. A new wheel pops up at the bottom of the screen that simply and intuitively let me shuttle between the different modes, from Stage Light to Studio Light to Portrait Light. Easy to discover and inspiring, this is exactly the sort of thing that prompts people to upgrade.

Indeed, Apple has made steady, smart improvements to the cameras in its phones for years, and the iPhone 8 is no exception. Yes, it looks a lot like the 7. But the new cameras are more powerful, there’s optical image stabilization in both the 8 and the 8 Plus, and the autofocus is improved, according to Apple. Indeed, there are many under the hood improvements to battery life and processing power, and the base model jumps up a bit in terms of storage too.

The other big feature addition is AR, or augmented reality. I tested this out briefly with a game. After a few seconds initializing the game and getting it to recognize the tabletop surface, giant robots clashed before my eyes. How was no one else noticing these things? AR takes robust processing power, but the iPhone 8 had no problems rendering, though the app was a little slow to load the first time.

Jeremy Kaplan/Digital Trends

Jeremy Kaplan/Digital Trends

With lots of under the hood improvements — such as a new A11 Bionic processor — and few superficial tweaks, it’s hard to separate first impressions of the iPhone 8 from months spent growing familiar with the 7. They just feel the same in the hand. But consumers thinking of upgrading or considering an iPhone for the first time will see a much more compelling product when they look at the 8. And in that sense, looks do matter.

The iPhone 8 will start at $700 for the 64GB model, and the iPhone 8 Plus comes in at $800 for the same amount of storage.

Apple iPhone 8 Compared To

Apple iPhone X

Apple iPhone 7

Apple iPhone 7 Plus

Apple iPhone SE

iPhone 6S

iPhone 6S Plus

Apple iPhone 6 Plus

Apple iPhone 6

Apple iPhone 5C

Apple iPhone 5

Apple iPhone 4S

Apple iPhone 4

Apple iPhone 3GS 32GB

Apple iPhone 3GS 16GB

Apple iPhone (4GB)

Samsung working on a foldable phone for 2018

Samsung’s President says the company is working towards releasing a foldable phone by the end of 2018.

One of the most common criticisms of the Galaxy Note 8 was that Samsung played things too safe. It’s understandable after the Note 7 debacle last year, but part of the appeal of the Note series was that it was more than just a big screen and a pen. The Note line would often debut with a newer processor than the corresponding Galaxy S phone of the year, [new materials](/samsung-galaxy-note-4], or both. But since the Note 5, the Note line has largely mirrored the design language and feature set of the Galaxy S series.

That may be changing next year. Bloomberg reports that Samsung Electronics President Koh Dong-jin is currently targeting a 2018 release for a smartphone with a foldable display. The company has been trying to make foldable displays for the past few years, but maybe a new advancement has made the flexible devices possible. From Bloomberg:

“As the head of the business, I can say our current goal is next year,” [Koh] told reporters. “When we can overcome some problems for sure, we will launch the product.

Such a device would let users fit the device in a normal pants pocket — though it will certainly be thicker when folded — then unfold the display for watching movies, reading books, or doing productive work. Combined with Samsung’s Dex docking stations and Knox security suite, the devices could be a boon for enterprise customers. Similar functioning devices include the Kyocera Echo and upcoming ZTE Axon Multy, though those devices both use two displays rather than one foldable panel.

Bloomberg also said Samsung’s Boxby-powered smart speaker is still in the works, though there is no information on when the device will be formally announced or available to purchase.

Would you be interested in a phone with a foldable display? Let us know down below!

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

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Pixel owners on Oreo receiving September patch disguised as downgrade to Nougat

Certain Pixel owners are being asked to downgrade their phone’s software.

The Android 8.0 Oreo announcement came and went a few weeks ago, and the Pixel phones began recieving the over-the-air update. However, it looks like some users are running into a new problem: their phones are asking to be updated to Android 7.1.2 Nougat.

9to5Google reports that several users on Google+ and Google’s Product Forums have noted that they received the “update” notification. Fortunately, it seems like a reboot fixes the problem and makes the notification disappear. Users noted that when they rebooted, the devices were running the September 2017 security patch, so it appears this was just a mislabeled OTA file.

In other news, the September security patch is currently rolling out to Pixel users, which is a bit later than what we reported a few days ago.

Have you gotten the mislabeled OTA update? Let us know down below!

Google Pixel + Pixel XL

• Google Pixel and Pixel XL review
• Google Pixel XL review: A U.S. perspective
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• Join the discussion in the forums!

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Fact-checking Apple’s iPhone X event

Congrats on the event, Apple. Now lets talk a bit.

Android fans are no stranger to Apple events containing a jab or two at the competition, often lacking context to make things seem rosy and awesome for App fans. The September event for Apple is usually for the next iPhone, but this event had a lot of things to talk about from the comfort of the new Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park. For nearly two hours, Apple captivated the tech world with new products and a look at some future things.

There was also quite a few things said that don’t quite line up with reality, so I decided to fact-check a little.

Did you miss the Apple event? Check out the highlights here!

If you don’t do it right, it gets so big it looks like a house arrest bracelet

You don’t need me to tell you this one Is as true as it gets. Cellular Android Wear watches are awful, and Apple Watch is smaller than all of the other smartwatches to begin with.

To have made a cellular Apple Watch and barely increase the size is damned impressive.

Our friends at iMore have all you need to know about the Apple Watch Series 3

We’re at the next major inflection point

This came from Apple talking about the new Apple TV 4K with HDR, as though 4K and HDR were new things. 4K isn’t a new thing, and HDR set-top boxes have been a thing since January.

For Apple to say that 4K and HDR is just now becoming the next big thing for televisions is hilarious. Way to catch up, Apple.

Learn more about the Apple TV 4K here!

No other device in our lifetime has had the effect on the world that the iPhone has

I’m sorry, what now? Not the Pacemaker, digital watch, or robots that clean our oceans for us. Nope, the iPhone is the most impactful thing the world has ever seen.

Sorry, I’m gonna call you on this one Apple.

For the first time you were actually touching the software instead of buttons.

“For the first time you were actually touching the software instead of buttons. Magical!” pic.twitter.com/tZ60KZ9wnA

— Michael Fisher (@theMrMobile) September 12, 2017

Apple was the first company to make a phone capable of multi-touch, but touchscreen and multi-touch as a concept had been around for quite a long time before the iPhone.

This sentence is just plain wrong, even with the first iPhone there was nothing magic about being able to touch the software.

The App Store changed the way we work, play, learn, communicate

You mean the App Store that didn’t come to iPhone until the 3G version? The one that came as a response to the growing developer ecosystem on Android in what was originally called the Android Market?

Yeah, gonna call this one false as well.

We changed the way people communicate with features like iMessage and FaceTime

While iMessage has certainly grown to be a capable messaging system, its beginnings were not only humble but lacking compared to just about every competing product at the time. All of which were available in app form in the App Store when iMessage launched.

As for FaceTime, please. Not only is FaceTime still one of the least interesting video chat services available today, it also launched on the iPhone when multiple competing products existed.

This is the first OLED display great enough to be in an iPhone

Samsung, the manufacturer of the panel Apple is using in the iPhone X, would love to know what the hell Apple is talking about here. The OLED panels in the S7, S8, and Note 8 have not only outperformed Apple’s displays according to DisplayMate, but every feature Apple is boasting in the iPhone X exists in the Note 8 display panel.

OLED has been great for a long time now, Apple. You’re just catching up.

Check out more iPhone X details over at iMore!

Over 15% of all Android phones now run Nougat

Nougat is now on more and more devices, but it’s still too early for Oreo.

The monthly Android Distribution list is an important tool for developers to decide what software versions to target for their apps. They’re also cool for us tech nerds that just like to argue what fragmentation actually means. The distribution numbers for September are out, and there are not many surprises.

Right off the bat, Android 8.0 has not been available on enough devices to even register in this month’s statistics. Whether discussing update speed or how many Pixel devices have been sold, make of that what you will. Android 6.0 Marshmallow continues to hold the largest percentage, at 32.2%, slightly down from 32.3% last month. Next largest is Android 5.0 and 5.1 Lollipop with 28.8%, followed by Android 7.0 and 7.1 Nougat with 15.8%.

Gingerbread still clings to life with 0.6% of the market share, despite losing Google Play Services support earlier this year. Ice Cream Sandwich also refuses to die with the same 0.6% of the market.

This month follow the same trend as previous years: the just-announced version doesn’t register at all, while the previous version gains more and more steam, and the two-year-old version sits at the top. The newer versions don’t typically gain much market share until spring of the following year, when the Galaxy S devices begin getting updated and lower end phones begin shipping with the latest version. While it’d be great for updates to roll out to all Android users faster, that’s the nature of the beast. It will be interesting to look back in a year or two and see what (if any) effects Project Treble has on the roll out speeds of new Android versions.

Which version of Android are you using? Let us know down below!

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Comparing the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus

There’s always a lot to consider after an iPhone event, and today we’re looking at three new phones. The iPhone X is the new flagship, offering up an edge-to-edge screen and TrueDepth front camera for unlocking your device with Face ID. But those who were looking forward to something less dramatic along the lines of a 7S will be right at home with the 8 and 8 Plus. If you’re curious about what each respective device is offering under the hood, check out our handy table pitting the latest iPhones in a head-to-head spec battle.

iPhone X
iPhone 8
iPhone 8 Plus
Pricing
$999, $1149 (off contract)
$699, $849 (off contract)
$799, $949 (off contract)
Dimensions
143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7mm (5.65 x 2.79 x 0.30 inches)
138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm (5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 inches)
158.4 x 78.1 x 7.5mm (6.24 x 3.07 x 0.30 inches)
Weight
174g (6.14 ounces)
148g (5.22 ounces)
202g (7.13 ounces)
Screen size
5.8 inches (147.32mm)
4.7 inches (119.38mm)
5.5 inches (139.7mm)
Screen resolution
2,436 x 1,125 (458ppi)
1,334 x 750 (326ppi)
1,920 x 1,080 (401 ppi)
Screen type
Super Retina OLED
Retina HD IPS LCD
Retina HD IPS LCD
Battery
Size not available (up to 21 hours talk time, 12 hours internet)
Size not available (up to 14 hours talk time, 12 hours internet)
Size not available (Up to 21 hours talk time, 13 hours internet)
Internal storage
64 / 256 GB
64 / 256 GB
64 GB / 256 GB
External storage
None
None
None
Rear camera
Dual cameras:
Wide-angle, 12MP, f/1.8
Telephoto, 12MP, f/2.4
12MP, f/1.8
Dual cameras:
Wide-angle, 12MP, f/1.8
Telephoto, 12MP, f/2.8
Front-facing cam
7MP TrueDepth, f/2.2
7MP, f/2.2
7MP f/2.2
Video capture
4K at 60fps
4K at 60fps
4K at 60fps
NFC
Yes
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth
v5.0
v5.0
v5.0
SoC
Apple A11 Bionic
Apple A11 Bionic
Apple A11 Bionic
CPU
Not available
Not available
Not available
GPU
Not available
Not available
Not available
RAM
Not available
Not available
Not available
WiFi
Dual band, 802.11ac
Dual band, 802.11ac
Dual band, 802.11ac
Operating system
iOS 11
iOS 11
iOS 11
Notable features
Face ID, new gyroscope and accelerometer, IP67 certified, wireless charging
New gyroscope and accelerometer, IP67 certified, wireless charging
New gyroscope and accelerometer, wireless charging

Follow all the latest news from Apple’s iPhone event here!

Rolls-Royce unveils plans for an autonomous patrol ship

Patrol ships are necessary to protect coastlines and fleets, but they’re far from ideal right now. You need big, bulky vessels, and the human crews are either faced with the tedium of an uneventful trip (if they’re lucky) or threats that a lone ship is ill-equipped to face. Rolls-Royce might have a better way: it just unveiled plans for an autonomous patrol ship that would eliminate many of these headaches, and would even be relatively eco-friendly.

The ship will use a combination of artificial intelligence and sensors to get around instead of a crew, with modular systems letting it change roles between missions (for example, a drone launching pad). This should not only let it operate for long stretches (up to 100 days) without subjecting humans to risk or sheer boredom, but allows for a smaller design that’s cheaper to run. You don’t need crew quarters or food supplies, after all. It wouldn’t have the ability to fight back if attacked, but it would use a “full electric” 1.5MW propulsion system that could help it stay undetected if it’s tracking a submarine.

That electric power will have a few perks beyond stealth. The propulsion and the two generators (which put out a total of 4MW) are better for the environment, as you might expect. Rolls-Royce even plans to equip the boat with solar panels and 3,000kWh of energy storage to keep it loitering for as long as possible. Moreover, electric motors are more reliable — rather important for a ship with no mechanics aboard. It’s not the fastest ship with promised speeds somewhere “above 25 knots,” but it’s only really meant for sounding the initial alarm and quiet surveillance, not chasing after fast-moving cruisers.

The catch is that Rolls-Royce hasn’t named any customers. The unveiling is as much about attracting business as it is anything else. With that said, it’s easy to see navies and coast guards snapping this up. Instead of having to crew every single ship in their fleets, they can reduce the costs and dangers by having robotic ships on the vanguard. Crewed ships would only need to enter the fray if it turns out to be a serious enemy who’s undeterred by the mere presence of a scout.

Source: Rolls-Royce (1), (2)

Watch the iPhone 8 event in 13 minutes

As expected, today’s event at Apple’s new Steve Jobs Theater was jam-packed. Three brand-new iPhone models, a new Apple Watch and 4K Apple TV were the news of the day, and the whole event was nearly two hours long. Don’t have that much time to watch the entire keynote? We’ve got you covered with this supercut covering all the highlights of the day. Don’t worry, we skipped over that semi-painful chat about Apple’s retail stores — sorry, I mean Town Squares.

Follow all the latest news from Apple’s iPhone event here!