iPhone X Plus Should Lead Apple to Significantly Increase OLED Display Orders Next Year
Samsung Display will supply Apple with between 180 and 200 million flexible OLED displays for the iPhone in 2018, up from an estimated 50 million this year, according to The Korea Herald’s sister publication The Investor.
While the report focuses on the iPhone X, it’s likely that a portion of the OLED displays will go towards the “iPhone X Plus” rumored to launch alongside the second-generation iPhone X in the second half of 2018.
Like the Galaxy Note 8, the iPhone X Plus is expected to have a 6.4-inch display, but its overall physical size will likely be closer to an iPhone 8 Plus. Meanwhile, the next iPhone X will likely retain its 5.8-inch display.
With both a full year of iPhone X sales and the addition of the iPhone X Plus to the lineup in 2018, Apple will undoubtedly need many more OLED displays, so today’s report about Samsung quadrupling its production next year makes sense. Samsung could reportedly gain an extra $22 billion in revenue from the orders.
The report also claims Samsung has achieved around a 90 percent yield rate, compared to around 60 percent earlier this year, meaning it is getting more efficient at making OLED displays that live up to Apple’s strict quality standards. This could lead to improved shipping estimates for next year’s launch.
The new iPhone X and iPhone X Plus will likely launch around the usual timeframe of September to October, potentially alongside a new 6.1-inch mid-range model with an LCD display that is predicted to start at around $649 to $749.
There’s no word on how much the iPhone X Plus could cost yet, but given the iPhone X starts at $999, the larger version should have a four-digit price tag. Apple charges a $100 premium for other Plus-sized iPhones, so it’s possible the iPhone X Plus could start at around $1,099, but it’s too early to say.
Apple is likely to remain dependent on Samsung for supply of OLED displays next year, but the company is reportedly investing billions into LG building OLED display production lines dedicated to the iPhone by 2019.
Related Roundup: iPhone XTags: Samsung, OLED, theinvestor.co.krBuyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Buy Now)
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Pokémon Go for iOS Adding Advanced ‘AR+’ Capture Mechanics Thanks to Apple’s ARKit
Niantic and The Pokémon Company today announced that an update coming this week to Pokémon Go on iOS will bring support for Apple’s ARKit, enhancing the augmented reality abilities of the popular mobile game. The company is calling this feature “AR+” and will be available to players running iOS 11 on the iPhone 6s and later devices.
Previously announced by Apple at WWDC, ARKit brings a few new advancements to Pokémon Go’s augmented reality technology, including the ability for the app to fix Pokémon to a specific point in space. This scaling feature allows players to walk up close to a Pokémon and move around them freely, bringing the app “one step closer to truly realizing Pokémon the way they are supposed to be represented in the real world,” according to Niantic.
Another advancement is in the awareness of Pokémon that players are trying to capture, meaning that the creatures might run away if they notice trainers are getting too close. But, if trainers can sneak up on the Pokémon an Expert Handler bonus can be earned upon capture. This mechanic is represented in an “awareness meter” next to each Pokémon and if it fills up the Pokémon will flee, although another opportunity for capture might come if the player taps nearby tall grass.
Both of these new features are combined for the Expert Handler bonus, which rewards players for moving close to a Pokémon in AR+ mode, and capturing it without it fleeing. The bonus will reward players with more XP and Stardust upon capture.
Regarding the ARKit update to Pokémon Go, the company said that “this is our first step toward making AR capabilities in Pokémon GO even more awesome, opening up the framework for greater AR experiences in the future.”
During the WWDC reveal of ARKit in June, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering Craig Federighi presented the Pokémon Go AR+ enhancements now rolling out and stated, “The Pokémon is so real, he’s right there on the ground. As the ball bounces, it actually bounces right there in the real environment. It’s AR like you’ve never seen it before.”
Pokémon Go is available to download for free from the iOS App Store [Direct Link].
Tag: Pokémon GO
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Apple Plans to Let Developers Release Universal Apps That Work Across iPhone, iPad, and Mac
Apple aims to allow developers to release universal apps that work across iPhone, iPad, and Mac as early as next year, according to Bloomberg News.
Starting as early as next year, software developers will be able to design a single application that works with a touchscreen or mouse and trackpad depending on whether it’s running on the iPhone and iPad operating system or on Mac hardware, according to people familiar with the matter.
Apple tentatively plans to begin rolling out the change in iOS 12 and macOS 10.14 next year, and it could announce the news as soon as WWDC 2018 in June, according to the report. The exact timeline is subject to change.
Apple typically previews the next major versions of its iOS and macOS operating systems at WWDC in June, with beta versions of each platform available to developers and public testers until September, so it’s possible the universal app functionality will begin rolling out in the pre-release software.
Apple currently requires developers to design separate apps for iOS and macOS, but Mac apps often receive less attention than their iPhone and iPad counterparts. It’s unknown if Apple will go one step further and eventually merge the less-popular Mac App Store with the App Store for iPhone and iPad.
The project is reportedly codenamed “Marzipan” and is considered to be one of the biggest changes on Apple’s roadmap next year. The report speculates that universal apps would make it easier for Apple to one day create a single operating system for all of its devices, should it ever go down that avenue.
Apple would be following in the footsteps of Microsoft’s Universal Windows Platform, aimed at helping developers create universal apps that run across Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile, the latter of which is being phased out.
Tags: macOS 10.14, iOS 12
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Trump removes climate change from national security strategy
It’s no secret that the Trump administration has a sceptical view of all things science-based — earlier this week it banned the CDC from using that very term — and now, in the face of mountains of evidence to the contrary, it’s taken climate change out of the US national security strategy (NSS) claiming it’s not a threat. And in an unprecedented move, Trump broke with normal protocol to launch the new NSS with a speech.
According to a senior White House official: “Climate change is not identified as a national security threat but climate and the importance of the environment and environmental stewardship are discussed.” The revised document instead focuses on the impact of economic security, a marked change from the NSS under the Obama administration, which emphasised the national threat of climate change. The paper is allegedly the work of 11 months of collaboration between leading security, foreign policy and economic agencies.
The new NSS follows Trump’s decision in June to take the US out of the Paris Agreement, when he declared that he “was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris”, and that the agreement “hamstrings the United States while empowering some of the world’s top polluting countries”. Climate change has consistently been deemed a threat to countries around the world, and while one of the biggest nations on the planet fails to take it seriously, that threat becomes even more devastating.
Source: Guardian
Samsung’s Bixby assistant loses its former development chief
Samsung’s very own voice assistant continues to evolve and bolster itself with new acquisitions and staff, but it’s now losing Rhee In-jong, the original head of Bixby development and Samsung’s chief technology officer. This isn’t a case of the CTO being kicked out of the company due to the challenges of making the voice assistant a proper competitor against Alexa, Siri and the rest, however.
According to a statement sent to the Korea Herald by Samsung, Rhee In-Jonh said that he wanted to leave Samsung back in July, citing personal reasons. That doesn’t mean Bixby is without a lead: Last month, Samsung merged its software and hardware divisions for mobile, appointing Executive Vice President Roh Tae-moon as the chief of the combined division, including Bixby.
Rhee was subsequently made chief technology officer covering multiple projects for the company’s mobile devices. He had previously worked on security software Knox before leading the development of Bixby.
It’ll now be up to Roh Tae-Moon to ensure Bixby 2.0 fixes some of the issues we’ve had with the virtual assistant. The update promises more natural language skills and better hooks into our smart homes — for those of us that actually live in them.
Source: Korea Herald
Waze adds Liam Neeson as its latest navigator
Liam Neeson seems like the kind of guy you’d want around in a crisis, and while the chances of him appearing when your pipes have burst or someone’s fallen down the stairs are slim, you can now rely on him to help you navigate a killer traffic jam. Waze users in the US can enjoy Neeson’s confident, dulcet tones until January 14, thanks to a promotion for his upcoming flick The Commuter. Just make the switch through voice directions, under settings, in the app. This isn’t the first time Waze has introduced celebrity voices to its services, but having Neeson ride shotgun has got to be less stressful than Arnie.
Source: Waze
This is Magic Leap’s mixed reality headset
We’ve been following the development and rumors surrounding Magic Leap’s glasses for awhile. Now, we finally have something official: The company revealed the Magic Leap One headset on Twitter this morning. The mixed-reality glasses will ship in 2018, and while preorders aren’t yet open (and there’s no price point), you can sign up to be the first to know when it’s available.
World, meet Magic Leap One. Magic Leap One, meet the world. More at: https://t.co/LbHY82tYUC pic.twitter.com/2iXgyPs21K
— Magic Leap (@magicleap) December 20, 2017
Developing…
Source: Twitter
Amazon Has Both Physical and Digital $100 iTunes Cards on Sale Right Now for $85
It’s just a few days before Christmas and Amazon is back with the latest discount on App Store and iTunes gift cards, this time marking down both physical and digital versions worth over $100 by 15 percent for United States customers. The best deal here is for the $100 card, which you can get for $85 in a physical copy, and early access is available now if you have a Prime membership. This is a lightning deal so it will disappear fast.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
The digital version is also available at a 15 percent discount, and requires you to enter the promo code ITUNES15 at checkout to see the savings. One card is available to purchase per customer, and you should receive the code within minutes after you checkout.
Visit our Deals Roundup for more information on holiday sales going on this week.
Related Roundup: Apple DealsTag: Amazon
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How to set up and use Google Assistant on Huawei Watch 2
Google Assistant at your wrist is one of Android Wear’s best features.
From a design and performance perspective, the Huawei Watch 2 and Huawei Watch 2 Classic are both compelling smartwatches in an increasingly dwindling market. Each runs Android Wear 2.0, offering a variety of useful features including Google’s powerful Assistant AI. Though Assistant originated as a secondary feature of Allo, it’s since grown into one of Google’s largest services, handling everything from simple queries to smart home controls.
One of the best parts of Google Assistant is its presence in almost every Android-powered device these days, making it easy to summon from anywhere. Here’s how to set it up on the Huawei Watch 2.
How to set up Google Assistant
Press and hold the power button on the Huawei Watch 2.
When prompted, tap Set up on phone to initiate the setup process.
On your phone, you’ll be prompted to activate Google Assistant. Scroll to the bottom and tap Yes, I’m in.
Once you’re all set up, press and hold the power button again on the Huawei Watch 2 to launch Google Assistant and begin speaking.
How to set up “Ok Google” detection
A great way to quickly activate Google Assistant is by using the hot phrase “Ok Google.” Just like Google Assistant itself, it’s simple to set up.
Press and hold the power button to launch Google Assistant.
Swipe up from the bottom of the display to access the info panel.
Scroll to the bottom of the list and tap Settings.
Tap “Ok Google” detection and make sure the dot to the left is blue.
That’s it! With Google Assistant up and running on the Huawei Watch 2, you can begin asking questions (“what’s the weather?” or “how tall is the Empire State Building?”) and giving voice commands (“text Daniel” or “set a reminder for tomorrow”). It works almost exactly as it does on your phone or Google Home, though of course, you won’t get voice feedback.
Android Wear
- Everything you need to know about Android Wear 2.0
- LG Watch Sport review
- LG Watch Style review
- These watches will get Android Wear 2.0
- Discuss Android Wear in the forums!
Do you turn your phone off at night?
To turn off or not to turn off, that is the question.
As smartphones have matured and become more powerful over the years, use habits with them have also changed. We stream more video content than ever before, play a ton of extra games, and don’t have to worry about charging overnight like we once used to. Along with this, a lot of people seem to be on the mindset that there’s no real need to turn phones completely off anymore.
I can remember doing this with my first couple of phones, but it’s not something I’ve done in the past few years.
Our forum users recently got into a discussion about whether or not they turn off their phone at night, and most of them seem to be on the side of not turning off their device.
Tim1954
12-16-2017 04:08 AM“
No moving parts, nothing to wear out..
I never turn mine off except on planes on long hauls…. However, if it makes sense to you, then turn it off by all means 🙂 🙂Reply
saffy77
12-16-2017 08:51 AM“
I put mine on airplane mode. I’m a light sleeper, so will always look over at it on the charging pad to see what the time is on the always on display (and to find out if I still have those precious few hours left in bed until the alarm goes off!)
Reply
12-16-2017 12:51 PM“
I have no landline so my phone is always on in case there’s an emergency call. Even aside from that consideration, I wouldn’t go to the trouble of shutting it down daily. My DND settings prevent the phone from ever ringing for any caller who’s not on my contact list, and I trust my contacts not to call at unreasonable times.
Reply
With that said, there are still some folks who do make use of that power button.
Heavens1
12-16-2017 07:39 AM“
I turn my note 8 off every night. Allways turn off my mobile phone, someone wants to get in contact with me, they wait till morning, lol.
I use one of my old BlackBerry phones as my alarm clock.
Reply
kitmo
12-16-2017 12:37 PM“
Yes I turn mine off after 8 PM. I need a break and so does everyone else. However, I do have a land line and a computer. I need to resolve to turn the computer off after 8 PM too. Life is so much less frantic when you turn off the technology imo.
Reply
How about you – Do you turn off your phone at night?
Join the conversation in the forums!
AIVAnet 