Huawei P20 teased as company’s 2018 device plans are laid bare

The Huawei P20 may be the follow-up to the 2017 Huawei P10, according to rumors. Although the Huawei P10’s sequel has been referred to as the P11 on several occasions, it’s possible the firm will break from an annual single-number increase in 2018, skipping ahead to call the new phone the P20.

Rumors are gathering about the Huawei P20, and here’s what we think we know about it so far.

Name and release

When will the Huawei P20 arrive, and will it not be called the P11? At an event held in Israel at the end of 2017, the CEO of a licensed Huawei importer let slip the next Huawei flagship phone would be called the P20, and also revealed a roadmap of products for the next year. It’s not the first time we’ve heard reference to the Huawei P20. In July, the Huawei P20 name was registered as a trademark by the company, along with now obviously false rumors of a late 2017 announcement.

The roadmap shown at the event is likely specific to Israel regarding timing, and lists three new P-Series Huawei phones — named only as P, P Plus, and P Lite — arriving there sometime between April and June 2018. It’s likely Huawei will announce the P20 at Mobile World Congress at the end of February, and an international launch may come before the phones arrive in Israel.

In mid-December, at a Huawei Christmas event in Germany, executives told those gathered — including WinFuture’s Roland Quandt — camera and AI-focused new products would arrive during the first three months of 2018. No mention of the device name was made.

Camera

If the Huawei P20 is the Huawei P11, it makes sense for some of the features leaked and connected to the P11 to also be relevant to the P20. However, while this is very likely, its not certain. If the rumored name of a phone has been wrong once, it could be wrong again, so don’t take anything for granted just yet.

The most intriguing rumor about the Huawei P11 was that its rear camera would have a three-lens array. All three would be branded and enhanced by Leica, and potentially use some of the artificial intelligence features made possible by the Kirin 970 and its Neural Processing Unit (NPU).

Leaked promotional material stated the cameras would take 40 megapixel pictures and have a 5x hybrid zoom, while the selfie lens would take 24 megapixel pictures. Lowlight performance would be enhanced on both using new sensors and optics.

Design

The P-Series is usually Huawei’s “fashion-forward” smartphone, with an emphasis on design. Huawei experimented with minimal bezels around the screen on the Mate 10 Pro in 2017, so will it go even further in 2018 with the P20? A December leak suggests it may adopt a controversial “notch” at the top of the display, much like the iPhone X and the Essential PH-1. Based on firmware examined by XDA Developers, the speculation comes from image files found in the software that help obscure particular areas around the top of the screen, just like a “notch.” The firmware states the unnamed device has a 6.01-inch screen with a 2244 x 1080 pixel resolution, longer than a traditional 1920 x 1080 pixel screen.

Face unlock

Several phones in 2017 featured face unlock, including the iPhone X and the OnePlus 5T, and Huawei will add a similar system to its phones in 2018. During the Honor 7X and Honor View 10 launch in London at the beginning of December, Honor — a sub brand of Huawei — talked about a secure face recognition system coming in the future. It claimed the feature was secure enough for payment use, and so fast it would unlock a phone in just 400ms.

It’s not certain Huawei’s Point Cloud Depth Camera technology will come to the P20, because the phone wasn’t mentioned on stage; but it’s clearly close to being ready, and the P20 is likely to be Huawei’s next major release. If it is part of the P20, expect Huawei’s take on Apple’s Animoji to also feature.

Specification

Along with the Mate Series phones, Huawei’s P Series are the company’s flagship devices, and therefore packed with the latest tech. A rumor from June 2017 suggested the P20 — or P11, as it was referred to at that time — would use the Kirin 970 chip like the Mate 10 Pro, along with a massive 8GB of RAM. The Kirin processor would bring on-device artificial intelligence to the P20, due to the NPU, which links to the camera rumors for the phone.

Software

Huawei customizes Android with its own user interface, called EMUI, so will anything change on the P20? The firmware covered by XDA Developers was based on Android 8.0 Oreo with EMUI version 8.0.1 over the top. Whether this makes it to the final, release version of the Huawei P20 is unknown. The P20, the P11, or any other future Huawei phone was never mentioned in the firmware build, and it’s speculation for now that the two are related.

That’s all we know about the P20/P11 for now, but as soon as more rumors or news arrives, we’ll update you here.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Honor View 10: Everything you need to know
• Huawei Kirin 970: Everything you need to know
• Huawei’s MediaPad M5 may arrive at CES 2018 to remind you tablets still exist
• Huawei Mate 10 Pro review
• Honor View 10 versus Huawei Mate 10 Pro: A battle of David and Goliath

Google may set up retail stores in India to spur Pixel sales

Google could be interested in opening retail stores in India.

The first-gen Pixel flew under the radar in India thanks to an underwhelming marketing campaign by Google, and the company vowed to fix things with its successor. For the Pixel 2, Google started aggressively advertising the device — both via billboards and by launching pop-up stores in major cities across India. And it now looks like the search giant wants to take things to the next level in 2018. According to a new report by Economic Times, Google is planning to set up retail stores in India next year to drive sales of Pixel phones.

Citing three people familiar with the matter, ET says that Google is looking to set up “experience centres” in the country, with the company said to have hired a senior Apple exec to get things going. Google is said to have been encouraged to go the offline route following positive feedback from its pop-up stores, where it set up a dark room to showcase the Pixel’s low-light shooting capabilities.

Google’s retail push is also aimed at highlighting its nascent hardware ecosystem, including the Daydream View headset, the Chromecast, and even the Google Home, which could launch in India sometime next year. Google doesn’t quite enjoy the same brand cachet as Samsung or Xiaomi, and launching retail stores could be useful in increasing awareness of the brand’s hardware products.

Retail stores are the ideal platform for increasing awareness of Google’s hardware ecosystem.

Even though e-commerce sites have seen a meteoric rise in recent years, the offline sector is still dominant in India. The dominance of OPPO and Vivo can be explained by their robust offline distribution network, with both brands catering to customers in tier two and tier three cities. That’s the same strategy Xiaomi followed earlier this year, and the brand is now seeing over 25% of sales from the offline market.

The reason for the offline sector’s continuing dominance could be as simple as customers wanting to get a feel for the device and trying out the features on offer before making a purchase.

At this point, it’s unclear if Google will be applying for a single-brand license or go the franchisee route. Getting a single-brand license gives Google more control over the design of its stores, but the process itself is a lengthy affair — Apple has been trying for over a year to acquire a license.

The Morning After: Wednesday, December 27th 2017

Hey, good morning!

And we’re back! If you had the last few days off, we hope you enjoyed them. If you were working through, well, we can sympathise. Here’s what we’ve been working on over the last 24 hours.

The messaging app could stop working at any time after that point.
WhatsApp will ditch Blackberry OS and Windows Phone by the end of 2017

WhatsApp is bidding farewell to older mobile operating systems as the year draws to a close. Specifically, it’s ending support for BlackBerry OS (including BlackBerry 10) and Windows Phone 8.0 and older on December 31st. Although the Facebook-owned messaging app will continue to work on these platforms, users won’t be able to create new accounts or re-verify existing accounts. Oh, and WhatsApp claims its app could stop functioning at any time, so maybe it’s time for that upgrade.

The WattUp Mid Field transmitter refills batteries from three feet away.
FCC approves first wireless ‘power-at-a-distance’ charging system

Charging your mobile device wirelessly is certainly less of a hassle than plugging it in, but still requires the device be in physical contact with its station to actually work. That’s about to change now that the Federal Communications Commission has approved the first wireless charger that works from up to three feet away.

That battery life.
Garmin’s new Vivofit lasts for a year with an always-on color display

Garmin just launched the Vivofit 4, which combines an always-on color display with its predecessor’s claimed year-long battery life. You can now check your activity goals or the time without having to either wake up the screen, kill your battery or settle for a drab monochrome display. Logically, the band includes Garmin mainstays like Move IQ automatic activity detection and the Connect online community to get you motivated. The new band still connects with your smartphone, of course. The biggest deal for many might just be the price of the new band,: Garmin has lowered the price again, dropping the Vivofit 4 to $80 where its ancestor cost $100.

But wait, there’s more…

• The new space race is postponed until 2018
• You no longer need a VR kit to play ‘Star Trek: Bridge Crew’
• The best washing machines (and their matching dryers)

The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you’ll miss if you don’t Subscribe.

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Lenovo’s standalone Daydream VR headset pops up at the FCC

HTC may have ditched its Google Daydream headset, but Lenovo still appears to be on track. An FCC filing has surfaced for a Mirage Solo standalone VR headset “with Daydream.” There aren’t any shocking revelations (unless Bluetooth 5.0 and a 4,000mAh battery will make you gasp). However, it’s the listing’s very existence that matters — this indicates that you’re finally close to seeing what Daydream VR is like when you don’t need a phone.

Just when you’ll see it is the tricky part. It would be logical for Lenovo to introduce the Mirage Solo at CES in January, but whether or not it ships anywhere near the show is another matter. Remember how Lenovo unveiled its Windows Mixed Reality headset at CES this year, but didn’t ship it until October? You won’t necessarily wait that long, but you certainly shouldn’t expect to cure the winter blahs with a dedicated Daydream headset.

Via: LetsGoDigital (translated), XDA

Source: FCC

Face ID Can’t Be Used to Approve Family Purchases on iPhone X

Increasing numbers of iPhone X owners with children are finding that they are unable to approve family purchases using Face ID. The scale of the frustration was recently highlighted by ArsTechnica, which linked to a page on Apple’s support forum containing hundreds of complaints.

Basically, iPhone X users are unable to use facial authentication with the “Ask to Buy” feature, which lets parents approve their kids’ iOS purchases and downloads. On iOS devices with Touch ID, parents – or “family organizers”, as Apple calls them – can use Touch ID to approve Ask to Buy, but iPhone X owners are forced to enter their password manually on every occasion, which could quickly become a nuisance for device owners with big families.

The inability to approve family purchases with Face ID is noteworthy, given that Apple has marketed it as a functional like-for-like replacement for Touch ID, but with enhanced security and speed. The frustration surrounding the missing functionality appears to have come to a head only recently because of the popularity of App Store gift cards over the holiday season.

Face ID is generally very secure in everyday use cases, and while some attempts to fool the feature have been successful, many involve complicated technical methods and a good deal of preparation.

That said, we have seen evidence of a 10-year-old child unlocking his mother’s iPhone X with his face, even though Face ID was set up with her face. Apple itself also notes that Face ID often fails to identify between identical twins, while the probability of a false match is higher among children under the age of 13, because their distinct facial features may not have fully developed. These caveats have led some to speculate whether Apple is erring on the side of caution in choosing not to deploy Face ID for family purchase approval.

In early 2013, Apple settled a class action lawsuit originally filed by parents after their children ran up hundreds of dollars on in-app purchases in freemium games. In 2014, the company entered into an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission, promising to provide $32 million in refunds to parents whose children purchased unauthorized in-app items.

Related Roundup: iPhone XTag: Face IDBuyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Buy Now)
Discuss this article in our forums

World’s largest amphibious plane takes maiden flight (but stays clear of water)

Now here’s an aircraft Captain “Sully” would’ve been more than happy to have landed in the Hudson. It’s the world’s largest amphibious airplane, and this week it successfully completed its maiden flight after eight years in development.

Made by the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the AG600 has a wingspan of 38.8 meters (127 feet), making it a little larger than an Airbus A320 — the aircraft Captain Sullenberger famously landed in the river off Manhattan in 2009. The new plane is powered by four turboprop engines, has a maximum takeoff weight of 107,000 pounds (53.5 tons), and can carry up to 50 people.

Able to stay in the air for up to 12 hours and fly 2,800 miles, the aircraft’s first-ever flight left from Zhuhai Jinwan airport in China’s southern province of Guangdong, about 50 miles west of Hong Kong. The airport is right by the sea … but is not in it. Indeed, footage of the AG600’s hour-long maiden flight shows it flying over water but not actually landing on it. Or taking off from it. An aquatic takeoff and landing is set for 2018.

Still, let’s assume they’ve done all the tests to prove it can actually handle water-based activities. Certainly, whoever has ordered 17 of the aircraft is convinced of its capabilities.

The plane can be kitted out for firefighting activities and marine rescue duties. Military applications are also possible, and with state media describing the AG600 as a “protector spirit of the sea, islands and reefs,” there’s speculation it could at some point be used in operations in the disputed South China Sea region.

China is investing heavily in developing its own aviation-based engineering industry, and the huge amphibious plane, whose first flight was broadcast live on national TV, is seen as a boost to its long-term ambitions in that field.

Miao Wei of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, told the media the AG600 demonstrates that “the development of civil aviation industry in our country was lifted to a new level and that our capacity of independent research and development in this area has increased by a big margin.”

While China’s new amphibious aircraft is the largest of its kind in production, it’s not the largest water-based airplane to have ever flown by a long way. That accolade goes to Howard Hughes’ H-4 Hercules, better known as the Spruce Goose, which had a wingspan of 97.2 meters (319 feet) — two and a half times longer than the AG600 — and weighed 400,000 pounds (200 tons), nearly four times that of the AG600.

Intended to transport troops and cargo during World War II, work on building the plane started in 1942. But by the time it was completed in 1946, the war was already over.

In the end, the Spruce Goose only made one very short flight to prove its viability. It took place in 1947 and lasted less than 60 seconds.

The aircraft is now on display at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville in Oregon.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Airbus hybrid-electric plane project gets a boost from Rolls-Royce
• That laptop ban may soon get a whole lot worse for plane passengers
• Diesel-powered drone remains in flight for a record five days
• Drones can help when disaster strikes, but only when they’re allowed to
• U.S. firm in talks to use its tech to help find missing Malaysia Airlines plane

NASA hopes to send a probe to Alpha Centauri in 2069

If you thought NASA was playing the long game with its plan to put people on Mars in the 2030s, you haven’t seen anything yet. New Scientist has learned that a team at the administration’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has started planning a mission that would send a spacecraft to the Alpha Centauri system in… 2069. Yes, that’s 52 years away, and timed around the 100th anniversary of Apollo 11’s trip to the Moon. The probe would look for signs of life around the potentially habitable exoplanet Proxima b, giving humanity a much better look than it could get with observation from home.

So why the long wait? Simple: the technology to make this trip realistic doesn’t exist yet. The JPL is counting on propulsion technology advancing to the point where the results would come back in time to be meaningful. When Alpha Centauri is nearly 4.4 light-years away, a ship traveling at a tenth the speed of light would take 44 years to arrive. As such, it’s doubtful that you or even the next couple generations of your family would live to see the results. The probe wouldn’t reach the system until around 2113, and of course the data wouldn’t get back to Earth until 4.4 years later at best.

Nonetheless, it’s notable that NASA even has a mission like this on its radar, assuming budget cuts and other decisions get in the way. It’s starting to think about its role in the very long term, when interstellar exploration won’t just be limited to telescopes. And if the time frame gets you down, take heart. Breakthrough Starshot is hoping to launch a small probe that would both depart much sooner and travel much faster, arriving as quickly as 20 years. Think of NASA’s 2069 mission as a backup if Starshot doesn’t work, or a follow-up that could study the star system in greater depth.

Via: Outer Places

Source: New Scientist

LeEco founder ordered to return to China to answer debts

The Chinese tech giant LeEco might have once been dubbed the “Netflix of China,” but that lofty acclaim has made its fall from grace all the more brutal. Now, the company’s founder, Jia Yueting, has been ordered to return to China by the country’s Securities Regulatory Commission by the end of the month in order to face the company’s incredible debts.

LeEco’s problem was that it grew too fast. The company kept adding to its product offerings, moving from an online streaming service into hardware such as TVs and cars. The problem was the company wasn’t making money and didn’t have a solid financial foundation to support this rapid growth.

Jia has vowed to pay back his company’s mounting debts, as the company borrowed more and more cash from creditors in order to stay afloat. Last week, the company’s Hong Kong arm, called LE Corporation Limited, filed for liquidation. Jia is now on China’s list of official debt defaulters.

It’s unclear whether Jia will comply with the Chinese government’s order to return to the country to face the music. He’s previously vowed to repay the debts LeEco owes, but how exactly he’ll do that isn’t apparent. Jia appears to currently be in the US, according to his latest post on Weibo. It includes a holiday message and picture at Faraday Future, which is an electric car company with close ties to LeEco facing its own financial woes.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: China Securitiesy Regulatory Commission

2017’s Biggest Apple Leaks: iPhone X, Apple Watch Series 3, HomePod, Apple TV 4K, and More

With the year quickly drawing to a close, now is an opportune time to reflect on the biggest Apple rumors and leaks of 2017.

Many new products released by Apple this year were widely rumored in the months leading up to their introductions, including the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, Apple Watch Series 3, Apple TV 4K, HomePod, and new iPads. We even had an advanced look at software features like Animoji.

2017 was a particularly interesting year for Apple rumors given leaked or prematurely released versions of iOS 11 and HomePod firmware contained references to several products that had yet to be announced. While not every rumor proved true, much of Apple’s roadmap this year was revealed ahead of time.

We’ve rounded up some of the most notable rumors and leaks of the year, primarily focusing on information that proved to be accurate.

2017 in Rumors

iPhone X

iPhone X is so radically different that rumors about the device began to surface all the way back in early 2016, so we’ll start with a primer.

The first report about Apple’s plans to release a high-end iPhone with an OLED display this year came from Japan’s Nikkei Asian Review in March 2016, roughly a year and a half before the iPhone X was unveiled.

In the same month, DigiTimes revealed the device would have a 5.8-inch display, and KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said it would have glass on both the front and back sides, a metal frame, wireless charging, and facial or iris recognition.

By April 2016, the device was being called the iPhone 8. Barclays analyst Mark Moskowitz said it wouldn’t have a home button.

iPhone X renders from June 2017 via iDrop News
In May 2016, Daring Fireball’s John Gruber heard early scuttlebutt suggesting the device would have an edge-to-edge display, with the front-facing camera, Touch ID, and other sensors hidden under the display.

The information provided to Gruber wasn’t entirely accurate, but he was on the right track. Rumors continued to surface about Apple removing the home button and adopting facial or iris recognition in lieu of Touch ID.

In September 2016, Kuo said stainless steel would likely be Apple’s metal of choice for the iPhone X’s frame, with slightly curved 2.5D cover glass on top of the display, as used since the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Rumors also began picking up about the iPhone X having a vertically-aligned dual-lens camera with dual optical image stabilization.

iPhone X part leak in June 2017 reveals vertically-aligned dual-lens camera
By the end of 2016, several reports had claimed Apple would release a trio of new iPhones in 2017, including the all-new 5.8-inch model and updated 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models to replace the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

The first iPhone X rumors of 2017 lent credence to the device having a stainless steel frame, facial recognition, and support for inductive charging, rather than RF-based over-the-air wireless charging from Energous.

February was a busy month for iPhone X rumors, with the device said to have 64GB and 256GB storage options, 3GB of RAM, no Touch ID, a higher-capacity two-cell L-shaped battery pack, and a “revolutionary” front camera with 3D facial recognition that we now know as the TrueDepth system.

Around that time, we also learned the device would have a starting price of at least $1,000 in the United States.

In March, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo dismissed a rumor about the iPhone X having a USB-C connector, noting that it would still have a Lightning connector with support for fast charging via USB-C Power Delivery.

In late March, analysts at Barclays said the iPhone X would have a True Tone display that shifts colors based on ambient lighting.

In April, we saw the first schematic of the iPhone X’s sensor housing, more commonly known as the notch. The notch houses the front camera, an infrared camera, a flood illuminator, a dot projector, a microphone, an ambient light sensor, a proximity sensor, and an earpiece that doubles as a speaker.

Rumors about Apple placing Touch ID on the back of the iPhone X persisted into May, but they ultimately proved to be inaccurate. Also in May, we learned the device would have louder stereo speakers.

June was filled with the first iPhone X part leaks, mockups, screen protectors, and dummy units that all pointed towards the device having an all-screen design except for the notch. MacRumors also saw hints of the iPhone 8 showing up in web analytics, suggesting Apple was testing the device internally.

July saw both KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg confirm that Face ID would fully replace Touch ID on the iPhone X.

Perhaps the biggest iPhone X leak to date came in late July courtesy of Apple itself. Shortly after the company accidentally released an internal version of firmware for its upcoming HomePod speaker, developers uncovered a glyph of an iPhone with an all-screen design except for a notch at the top.

iPhone X glyph from leaked iOS 11 golden master
The HomePod firmware proved to be a gold mine for iPhone X leaks, revealing the device’s infrared face detection, tap to wake function, split-up status bar, 4K video recording at up to 60 FPS, Face ID compatibility with Apple Pay, suppressed notification sounds when looking at the screen, and much more.

Despite so much of the iPhone X being revealed in the HomePod firmware, August still saw some fresh leaks, including a photo of the device’s A11 Bionic chip. Japanese website Mac Otakara also reported that the iPhone X’s inductive charging ability would support transmission of up to 7.5 watts of power.

As if the HomePod firmware leaks weren’t bad enough for Apple, MacRumors was anonymously provided with download links to a final version of iOS 11 in early September. The software update contained several unredacted references to unannounced iPhone X hardware and software features.

MacRumors uncovered iPhone X screenshots within the iOS 11 filesystem that showed off the new gesture-based home screen indicator. There were also hints that the elongated side button, previously known as the sleep-wake button, could be held to activate Siri or double tapped to bring up the Apple Pay wallet.

The golden master of iOS 11 also referenced the Face ID name for Apple’s facial recognition system, True Tone support, a collection of new iPhone X wallpapers, and Apple’s new Portrait Lighting feature, including the Contour Light, Natural Light, Stage Light, Stage Light Mono, and Studio Light options.

Within the iOS 11 filesystem, we also found a video file showing four different Animoji characters, including a monkey, cat, dog, and robot. The discovery made it clear that Apple had been working on animated emoji that could presumably be controlled with the iPhone X’s then-rumored facial recognition system.

The iOS 11 golden master soon made its way into the hands of some developers, who continued to make discoveries, including technical details about the A11 Bionic being a six-core chip with two high power cores and four low power cores.

The golden master also contained a device tree that confirmed the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus names of Apple’s latest smartphones.

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus

Originally dubbed the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus, rumors about the new 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models first surfaced in March 2016.

At the time, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple could launch new 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch sized iPhones with LCDs in 2017, with the iPhone X serving as a high-end option. Japan’s Nikkei Asian Review said likewise in August 2016.

Kuo followed up with a research note in September 2016 claiming the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus would feature aluminum frames sandwiched between glass on both the front and back sides, with stainless steel limited to the high-end iPhone X.

Two more research notes from Kuo in November 2016 specified that the iPhone 8 would have a single-lens camera, while the iPhone 8 Plus would have a dual-lens camera, and that both devices would support inductive charging.

In late March 2017, analysts at Barclays said the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus would have a True Tone display.

Kuo was back at it in March as well, claiming that the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus would retain Lightning connectors, but with newly added fast charging capabilities via the USB-C Power Delivery specification.

In April, Apple’s manufacturing partner TSMC reportedly began production of the A11 Bionic chip for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. In August, leaker Benjamin Geskin shared a photo of a bare logic board for the iPhone 8 Plus with pads etched on it for the A11 chip and an Intel modem for Wi-Fi and LTE.

Apple Watch Series 3

Heading into the Apple Watch’s third year, speculation continued about the potential for the device’s first major redesign.

Just three days into 2017, however, Taiwanese publication Economic Daily News reported that Series 3 models wouldn’t feature any significant design changes, with a focus on internal battery and performance improvements. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also ruled out any obvious form factor changes.

Meanwhile, in March, Wall Street analyst Christopher Rolland said Series 3 models would likely include a SIM card for LTE connectivity. He shared his information following a trip to Asia, where many of Apple’s suppliers are located.

Bloomberg also said Series 3 models would be available with a cellular connection in a report in August, nearly one year after it reported that Apple had hit a roadblock in adding LTE support to Series 2 models. Apple allegedly chose to delay adding the functionality due to battery life considerations.

These rumors were essentially confirmed in late July, when Apple accidentally released firmware for its upcoming HomePod speaker that contained a reference to a codenamed Apple Watch with an embedded SIM card.

Then, just days before Apple’s event, a final version of iOS 11 leaked to MacRumors revealed an image of an Apple Watch with signal bars and a red Digital Crown, which essentially confirmed that Series 3 models would have cellular connectivity. The image also lent credence to a lack of design changes.

Beyond this year, we learned that future Apple Watch models could feature an EKG heart monitor, self-adjusting watch bands, and a wearable battery.

Apple TV 4K

Bloomberg revealed that Apple was working on a new Apple TV with support for 4K and HDR video playback in February 2017.

Apple TV rumors then quieted down until July, when MacRumors reader Tomas Jackson and some other customers realized that Apple had labeled select movies as 4K and HDR in their iTunes purchase history. 4K HDR movies in iTunes naturally foreshadowed an Apple TV with 4K HDR support.

Just a week later, developer Guilherme Rambo discovered a reference to a 4K HDR display mode with support for both the Dolby Vision and HDR10 color formats in an accidentally released HomePod firmware file.

Both pic.twitter.com/bsuxptLWd1

— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) August 5, 2017

Rambo also discovered a few HDR references in a tvOS 11 beta later in August. The assets were attributed to model number J105, which Bloomberg had identified as the new Apple TV’s codename back in February. MacRumors also uncovered the J105 codename in the accidentally released HomePod firmware.

Apple’s software mishaps were the gift that kept giving, as developer Steven Troughton-Smith dug through the leaked version of iOS 11 and discovered the new Apple TV would feature an A10X Fusion chip and 3GB of RAM.

HomePod

The initial report about Apple developing a Siri-based smart speaker was actually back in May 2016 by The Information.

2017’s first rumor came in April, when Australian leaker Sonny Dickson told MacRumors that Apple’s speaker would resemble the shape of the latest Mac Pro and have a meshed design across much of its exterior. Dickson also said the speaker was codenamed B238 and would run a variant of iOS, both of which are true.

Dickson, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, and Bloomberg all said there was a strong likelihood the speaker would debut at WWDC 2017 in June, and Apple introduced the HomePod at the event accordingly.

In July, developers Steven Troughton-Smith and Avery Magnotti dug through accidentally released HomePod firmware files and discovered the speaker runs a full iOS software stack, has accessibility features like VoiceOver, has 1GB of RAM, and has a visible LED waveform for Siri that measures in at 272×340 pixels.

So the #HomePod probably has a screen like this. If it’s the right density could easily show basic things like temperature & weather icons pic.twitter.com/l5f16EkddV

— Alan Miller (@rosewoodat5th) July 28, 2017

In August, developer Guilherme Rambo shared a video that revealed the setup process for the HomePod using an iPhone. There’s an option to choose a Siri voice followed by an authentication process, an option to share settings from other devices, and a menu to select the room where the speaker is located.

Apple has delayed the HomePod’s launch until early 2018, so we might find out even more details about the speaker between now and then.

10.5-inch iPad Pro

The first word of a 10.5-inch iPad Pro was actually back in August 2016 and it came from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In January 2017, Kuo reiterated that Apple would release an all-new 10.5-inch iPad Pro with a faster A10X Fusion chip in 2017 alongside an updated 12.9-inch iPad Pro and a low-cost 9.7-inch iPad.

Japanese website Mac Otakara, Taiwanese website DigiTimes, and analysts at investment bank Barclays generally agreed Apple would release a new iPad Pro in the 10-inch range at some point in 2017, but the reports were conflicting about details such as the exact display size and release date.

In February, IHS Markit revealed the 10.5-inch display would be surrounded by narrower bezels and have a resolution of 2,224×1,668 pixels.

While there were initially rumors about Apple unveiling the 10.5-inch iPad Pro at March or April events, the tablet was ultimately announced alongside a second-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro at WWDC 2017 in June. Kuo expects more revolutionary changes to the iPad Pro in 2018, perhaps including an OLED display.

What’s Next?

Heading into 2018, rumors will now shift towards the so-called iPhone X Plus, iPad Pro models with Face ID, HomePod, and more. Apple is also working on a modular Mac Pro with no specific release date. A busy year lays ahead, so keep it locked on MacRumors for the latest Apple news and rumors.

Related Roundups: iPad Pro, Apple TV, Apple Watch, watchOS 4, iPhone 8, iPad (2017), HomePod, iPhone XTag: AnimojiBuyer’s Guide: 10.5″ iPad Pro (Neutral), Apple TV (Buy Now), Apple Watch (Buy Now), iPhone 8 (Buy Now), iPad (Caution), iPhone X (Buy Now)
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World’s coolest chip runs at near absolute zero

How do you find out what happens to physics near absolute zero (aka 0 kelvin), the temperature where particle motion virtually stops? Scientists at the University of Basel might have just the device to do it. They’ve developed a nanoelectronics chip that they can successfully cool to a record-setting, bitterly cold 2.8 millikelvin. The trick involved a clever use of magnetic fields to eliminate virtually all sources of heat.

The team started by using magnetic cooling (where you ramp down an applied magnetic field) to lower all the chip’s electrical connections down to 150 microkelvin. After that, they integrated another, specially constructed magnetic field system that let the researchers cool a Couloumb blockade thermometer — yes, even a thermometer’s heat is problematic when you’re edging close to absolute zero. It was successful enough that the chip could stay cold for 7 hours, which is plenty of time for tests.

This is about more than bragging rights, of course. A chip that can run in such frigid conditions could help understand physics at its very limit. You might see strange behavior, for instance. It could also be helpful in creating ideal conditions for quantum physics experiments. And there’s still some room for improvement, to boot. The scientists are “optimistic” they can refine their method to lower the overall temperature to an even chillier 1 millikelvin.

Via: Electronics 360

Source: University of Basel