MacRumors Giveaway: Win an iPhone X Case From Krown
For this week’s giveaway, we’ve teamed up with Krown to give MacRumors readers a chance to win one of four slim iPhone cases made from unique materials.
Krown is an indie iPhone case manufacturer that offers cases for Apple’s newer devices, including the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, and the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. The company makes cases in four materials (prices for iPhone X): aluminum ($24.95), concrete ($39.95), an ultra thin plastic ($19.95), and marble ($49.95). All Krown cases with the exception of the aluminum model are compatible with wireless charging.
The Slim Aluminum Case is made from a brushed aluminum material that comes in blue, black, gold, or red. To protect the iPhone, there’s a soft rubber material inside of the case, and it features a lightweight, minimal design with no unnecessary bulk.
Krown’s Concrete iPhone Case is thicker than the aluminum case, but as far as cases go, it’s still relatively slim. It’s made from a concrete and resin material that’s smooth to the touch, and inside, there’s a soft rubber for drop protection. There are two shades of concrete available: dark with a black border and light with a white border.
The Ultra Thin iPhone Case is similar to other ultra thin cases on the market, measuring in at 0.012″ thick. These kinds of cases often don’t offer much in the way of drop protection, but they’re the best way to preserve the slim design of the iPhone while also protecting it from scratches. Krown says its version, available in dark blue, black, red, and white, is designed to “feel invisible.”
Krown’s Marble iPhone Case is similar in design to the Concrete case, but instead of a concrete back, the outside of the cases is made from a thin layer of genuine marble that comes in black or white. Inside, there’s the same soft rubber used in other cases, which offers protection for drops and bumps.
We have 15 Krown cases to give away to MacRumors readers, with winners able to choose case size and material. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
a Rafflecopter giveawayThe contest will run from today (March 9) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on March 16. The winners will be chosen randomly on March 16 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
Tag: giveaway
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Mario Comes to Google Maps in Celebration of Mario Day
Mario Day, which celebrates Nintendo’s iconic plumber, takes place on Saturday, March 10. To celebrate Mario Day, Nintendo has teamed up with Google to bring Mario to Google Maps.
Starting today, “Mario Time” is available in Google Maps for Android and iOS devices. To enter Mario Time, tap on the yellow “?” icon that’s available in the bottom right of the Google Maps app after updating the app to the latest version.
With Mario Time enabled, your Google Maps navigation arrow will turn into Mario driving a Mario Kart vehicle. Google says Mario will be a “constant companion” wherever you’re driving this coming week. The new Mario icon will be visible in Google Maps on every route you take while using the app.
The new Google Maps update with Mario Time is rolling out to iOS and Android users today, and Mario will be available for the next seven days. Google Maps can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Nintendo is also celebrating Mario Day with a 50 percent discount on Super Mario Run, which means unlocking the game via in-app purchase will cost you $4.99 instead of $9.99 through March 25. The new lower pricing for the in-app purchase will be available starting on March 10.
Super Mario Run can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Tag: Google Maps
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Dozens of Popular Apps Still Don’t Natively Support iPhone X, But Updates Are Coming Soon
One of the minor disadvantages of buying an iPhone X early is having to wait for developers to update their apps with support for the smartphone’s taller display. Many popular apps were updated within a few weeks after the device launched, but over four months later, there are still some notable omissions.
MacRumors recently asked our readers to share their favorite apps that have yet to be optimized for the iPhone X display. Then, we reached out to the developers of each app to ask them if and when they will release updates with iPhone X support. We’ve included comments from every company that responded below.
Apple
Apple did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
- iMovie
- iTunes Connect
- iTunes Remote
- Beats Pill+
- AirPort Utility
- Music Memos
Google said it does not have anything to share at this time.
- Google Authenticator
- Google Analytics
- Google Admin
- Google Street View
- Google Wifi
- Google Cloud Console
- Inbox by Gmail
- Chrome Remote Desktop
- Snapseed
Microsoft
Microsoft confirmed it is working on updating its remaining apps to be optimized for the iPhone X, but it did not provide a timeframe.
- Microsoft Remote Desktop
- Microsoft Solitaire Collection
- Office 365 Admin
Banking and Finance
- Chase — “We constantly evaluate changes in the market while listening to customer feedback and regularly update our mobile app based on that feedback. Watch for an update in the near future.”
- TD Canada — “The next release of the TD mobile app, expected later this month, will be optimized for the iPhone X display.”
- National Bank of Canada — “The app will be updated for iPhone X in the coming months.”
- HSBC
- ANZ goMoney Australia
- Barclaycard
Fast Food
- Domino’s — “It will be updated in one of our upcoming app updates. I don’t have an exact date.”
- Pizza Hut — “Pizza Hut is currently developing numerous app enhancements, including optimizing the iPhone X display and other capabilities offered by the phone.”
- Taco Bell
Sports and Gaming
- NBC Sports — “It will happen soon.”
- PGA TOUR — “We are updating our app on March 20 to support the new iPhone X format.”
- MLS
- Steam
- Hearthstone
- Candy Crush Soda Saga
TV and Media
- NPR News — “We will have an update for iPhone X for the NPR News app on April 2.”
- NPR One — “The update for NPR One will come later in the summer.”
- The Economist
- IGN
- TiVo
- Cineplex
Technology
- Amazon Alexa — “The Alexa app will be updated and optimized for iPhone X display in the coming weeks.”
- Linksys — “The update for the Linksys app for iPhone X will be rolling out in the next few days.”
- OpenVPN — “We are currently developing a new iOS app that will support iPhone X. It will tentatively be released end of April.”
- HipChat — “HipChat will not be updated for the iPhone X but Stride will be soon.”
- Harmony Control
Airlines and Travel
- Hotels.com — “We will be releasing our update to better support iPhone X shortly.”
- Virgin Airlines
- Emirates
- Air France
- myChevrolet
Apple recently announced that, starting April 2018, all new iOS apps submitted to the App Store, including universal apps, must support the iPhone X display. The rule doesn’t apply to existing apps.
Related Roundup: iPhone XTag: App StoreBuyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Buy Now)
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Video Comparison: Samsung Galaxy S9 vs. iPhone X
Pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy S9 started last week, and the first S9 orders are set to arrive to customers on March 14. We managed to get our hands on a new Galaxy S9 ahead of the device’s launch date, so we thought we’d compare Samsung’s new flagship device to Apple’s latest flagship device, the iPhone X.
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Design wise, the Galaxy S9 looks a lot like the Galaxy S8, with slim bezels at the top, sides, and bottom and a display that curves downward at the sides. It’s taller and slimmer than the iPhone X, and with Samsung continuing to use a thicker top bezel, there’s no notch. The Galaxy S9 has a 2960 x 1440 display, which DisplayMate says is better than the iPhone X’s display.
With the Galaxy S9, Samsung uses multiple biometric methods, so there’s a fingerprint sensor that’s been relocated to the middle of the device’s back underneath the rear camera, making it easier to reach. The iPhone X, of course, has fully embraced facial recognition, something Samsung hasn’t been able to do because it’s using an inferior 2D facial and iris recognition system that’s not secure enough on its own.
A fingerprint sensor is, of course, an attractive offering for those who prefer fingerprint sensors to facial recognition, and offering multiple biometric methods provides consumers with choice. The Galaxy S9 also continues to offer a headphone jack, which Apple abandoned with the iPhone 7.
Samsung’s Galaxy S9 is using variable aperture camera technology (with two cameras if you have an S9+), and it’s putting out photos on par with the iPhone X (if not better), and to combat Animoji, Samsung has its own new AR Emoji, which are more realistic humanoid animated emojis that some have called creepy. We’ll be looking into both AR Emoji and the Galaxy S9 and S9+ cameras in later videos, so make sure to visit MacRumors next week to check those features out in detail.
The Galaxy S9 runs Android 8.0 Oreo, with useful features like native multitasking and edge panel customization. Android is appealing to many because it’s more customizable than iOS, but it can’t match features like iMessage and Continuity, and these key differences are what draw people to the different operating systems and drive customer loyalty.
When it comes to performance, Samsung’s Galaxy S9 doesn’t quite measure up to the iPhone X in terms of benchmarks, but in day to day usage, the difference isn’t noticeable. Both devices are responsive, fast, and offer the kind of performance you expect in an expensive flagship smartphone. It’s worth noting, though, that Galaxy S9 pricing starts at $720 in the US, while pricing on the Galaxy S9+ starts at $840. That’s a solid $280 to $160 price difference compared to the $999 price tag of the iPhone X, and lower price is often an edge that Android devices have over iOS devices.
With Samsung and Apple devices, deciding which one is “better” is often a matter of choosing your preferred features and your preferred operating system. Both of these smartphones are fast, modern, and highly capable devices and each one has its upsides and downsides.
We’ll be further exploring similarities and differences between Samsung’s new flagship smartphones and the iPhone X next week, but let us know what you think of the new Galaxy S9 in the comments below.
Related Roundup: iPhone XTag: Galaxy S9Buyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Buy Now)
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