Bali plans to shut down mobile internet for its New Year

You might turn off your home internet or cell network on occasion to disconnect and have some down time, but it’s likely that your country isn’t doing it for you. According to The Guardian and the BBC, Bali is shutting off the net country wide for 24 hours this coming Saturday in recognition of Nyepi, or Balinese New Year.

Apparently, Indonesia is one of the world’s most connected nations; its government even shuts down the international airport on the day of silence. According to The Guardian, a spokesperson from the Bali communications ministry, Nyoman Sujaya, told the Bali-based Tirto.id: “It was agreed that internet on mobile phones will be cut. All operators have agreed.” This will mark the first time getting such agreement, as last year’s request was denied, reports The Guardian. WiFi connections will still be available at hotels, and for strategic services like security, aviation, hospitals and disaster agencies, while home WiFi is still under consideration to be shut down for the day.

“If the internet is disconnected, people will not die,” joked Balinese governor Made Pastika to reporters on site. “I will turn off my gadgets during Nyepi.”

Via: The Verge

Source: The Guardian

Think tank’s new task force will forecast AI’s challenges

Alexa’s creepy laugh will probably be the least of our artificial intelligence worries. To properly understand the challenges that AI will bring, defense and foreign policy think tank Center for a New American Security (CNAS) has established a task force headed by former Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert O. Work and Dr. Andrew Moore, dean of the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University.

“We find ourselves on the leading edge of new industrial and military revolutions, powered by AI; machine learning; and autonomous, unmanned systems and robots,” Secretary Work said in CNAS’ press release. “The United States must consider and prepare for the associated national security challenges – whether in cybersecurity, surveillance, disinformation, or defense. CNAS’ AI Task Force will help frame the policy issues surrounding these unique challenges.”

The task force is part of CNAS’ larger initiative on AI and global security with a roster full of individuals from the academic and tech communities, including members from Duke, Princeton and George Mason along with Cisco, BAE and PNC Bank. If you’re interested, CNAS has a smattering of podcasts about AI that likely overlap with what its task force will address.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Center for a New American Security

Casio revives its musical, game-playing calculator from the ’80s

Back in 1980, Casio released a musical, game-playing calculator cleverly named the MG-880. Apparently, kids went wild for the thing, playing a mini Space Invaders-inspired game with just numbers on the LCD screen. Now, Casio is releasing a revival of the calculator — the SL-880 — in Japan on March 23rd.

So far, the price point is to be determined, though the expected retail price may be around JPY 2,000. Sales outside Japan are yet to be determined, too. According to the Japanese-language press release, “The calculator is equipped with a simple and fun shooting game that intercepts approaching ‘number’ invaders by pressing the decimal key as many times to match the numbers in the target.” The device will also work as a basic calculator, with a tax function, battery and solar power options and an extra-large number display.

Source: Casio

Wirecutter’s best deals: Save over $200 on a 13-inch MacBook Pro (2017)

This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read their continuously updated list of deals here.

Motorola Moto G5 Plus 64 GB

Street Price: $250; Deal Price: $210

In recent months, Amazon has had some nice offerings for Prime members. Not least on the list was the removal of lock-screen ads for its discounted exclusive phones, offering the same discounted pricing as before sans-ads for those with Prime. At $210 for the higher spec 4GB RAM 64GB storage Moto G5 Plus, this is around $40 off the usual street price. With this discount, it’s a lot of phone for the money.

The Motorola Moto G5 Plue 64GB is a specced out variant of our top pick in our guide to the best budget Android phone. Ryan Whitwam wrote, “The Motorola Moto G5 Plus has better performance, cleaner software, and better build quality than other budget phones. Unlike most cheap unlocked phones, it works on all major US carriers, including CDMA-based Sprint and Verizon. It’s only splash-resistant, not fully water-resistant like some older Moto G phones, and its camera is lacking compared with those of more expensive phones, but it’s still the best cheap phone for most people.”

AncestryDNA DNA Testing Kit

Street Price: $80; Deal Price: $70

Interested in exploring your heritage? At $70, this is a great price for the AncestryDNA ancestry test, the top pick in our DNA ancestry test guide. This service states a suggested full price of $100, but has promotions so often that $80 is a more realistic street price for it. The $70 price is rarer, matching the low we’ve seen, so grab it while it lasts.

The AncestryDNA DNA Ancestry Test is our top pick in our guide to the best DNA ancestry test. Amadou Diallo wrote, “AncestryDNA is our pick for those who want to learn about their relatively recent ethnic roots or are seeking to connect with unknown relatives. Though all of the DNA services we tested provided broadly similar results for the ethnic origins of our panel of testers, AncestryDNA did a better job than its rivals of presenting this data in a clear manner while placing the information in a useful historical context. And for those seeking distant cousins or even biological parents, the company’s claimed DNA database of 5 million customers—two and a half times larger than its closest competitor—increases the odds of successful family matches. Unlike the other services we tested, however, AncestryDNA cannot track your maternal and paternal heritage independently or trace your ancient migration path out of Africa, so although its clarity makes it a superior choice for most people’s needs, it may not satisfy more dedicated amateur genealogists.”

Mophie Juice Pack Air for iPhone 7/8 Plus

Street Price: $60; Deal Price: $50

If you own an iPhone 7 Plus or 8 Plus and find yourself constantly battling your phone battery, the Mophie Juice Pack Air is a nice option and one of the few available for Plus users. At $50 for the onyx black or the blue color, it’s around $10 off the recent pricing we’ve seen for it.

The Mophie Juice Pack Air is our battery case pick for iPhone 7 & 8 Plus in our guide to the best iPhone 7/8 and 7/8 Plus cases. Nick Guy wrote, “The larger battery in the iPhone 7 Plus and 8 Plus means you’re less likely to need a battery case for it, but if you do, your only MFi-certified option so far is Mophie’s Juice Pack Air. Available in five colors, the Juice Pack Air houses a 2,420 mAh battery. In our tests, it provided 60 percent of a full charge in just over an hour and a half to the iPhone 7 Plus, and about 62 percent to the iPhone 8 Plus. We appreciate that Mophie has simplified its lineup compared with previous generations and has added wireless charging, magnetic mounting, and extra shock protection to its base-level battery case, but like every other non-Apple battery case so far, the Juice Pack Air still uses Micro-USB for charging and lacks a headphone jack, meaning you won’t be able to use wired headphones, whether the Lightning-connector type or the traditional kind.”

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017) with 256 GB storage

Street Price: $1500; Deal Price: $1280

This $1280 price, available for both the space gray and silver colors, is still the best deal we’ve seen on the 2017 MacBook Pro (13-inch, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD) without Touch Bar. It presently sells for $1500 via Apple, so this is over $220 off. While updates to next gen processors are likely coming eventually to the MacBook Pro line, this matches the lowest price we’ve seen for what is currently the most updated version of this laptop. We’ve also found Electronics Valley to be a very reliable seller historically, so you’re safe on that front.

The MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017) with 256 GB storage is our best all-around pick in our guide to which MacBook to buy. Dan Frakes wrote, “Most people who want a great general-use Mac laptop for their only computer should get either the MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, two Thunderbolt 3 ports) or the MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2015) with 256 GB of storage. The 2017 model offers slightly better performance and the future-proofing of USB-C connectivity…”

Because great deals don’t just happen on Thursday, sign up for our daily deals email and we’ll send you the best deals we find every weekday. Also, deals change all the time, and some of these may have expired. To see an updated list of current deals, please go here.

Airbnb makes it easier to find accessible rentals

Airbnb is making quick use of the travel accessibility startup it bought a few months ago. The rental service has introduced 21 filters that help you find disability-friendly listings that meet your exact needs. You can look for ramps, wide hallways, roll-in showers and other features that can help if you use a wheelchair or otherwise have special mobility requirements. Previously, Airbnb had a simple “wheelchair accessible” filter that frequently left glaring omissions.

It’s one of a “series of steps” Airbnb is taking to make travel more accessible, including plans to “improve and expand the filters” over time. It’s working with groups such as the National Council on Independent Living and the California Council of the Blind.

The travel news is coming hot on the heels of lawsuits against Lyft and Uber over a lack of accessibility options for their rides, and underscores a recurring problem in the tech industry at large: a tendency to overlook the needs of those outside its own demographic. Airbnb is acknowledging that travelers sometimes need special accommodations, and that they shouldn’t have to rely on a hotel to ensure a pleasant stay.

Source: Airbnb

iPhone Users in Iran Now Unable to Access the App Store

It appears the App Store is no longer accessible to iPhone and iPad users in Iran, with Apple apparently implementing a countrywide IP ban.

According to Bleeping Computer, Iranians have been unable to access the App Store since approximately noon GMT, and when attempting to use the App Store, they’re receiving a message that the store is unavailable in the country.

All Iranian IPs appear to be unable to use the App Store at the current time. Iranian security researcher Meysam Firouzi told Bleeping Computer that he was able to connect to the App Store when using a VPN, even though he has an account with Iranian details.

Because of U.S. sanctions, Apple does not sell its products in Iran nor is there an Iranian App Store, but there are millions of iPhones in the country that have been smuggled from places like Dubai and Hong Kong. iPhone users in Iran have previously been able to access the App Store by setting their devices to other regions.

Back in August, Apple began removing apps from its App Stores created by Iranian developers for Iranian citizens, such as Snapp, a popular app for an Uber-like ride hailing service popular in Iran. Apple has now gone one step further and appears to be preventing all users with an Iranian IP from accessing the App Store entirely.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tag: App Store
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Quick Takes: Fitbit Executive Says He Hasn’t Met Anyone Passionate About Owning an Apple Watch

In addition to our standalone articles covering the latest Apple news and rumors at MacRumors, this Quick Takes column provides a bite-sized recap of other headlines about Apple and its competitors on weekdays.

Thursday, March 15

1. Fitbit’s financial chief knocks the Apple Watch: “I have yet to meet anyone who owns an Apple Watch who’s passionate about the product,” said Fitbit’s chief financial officer Bill Zerella. “If you don’t have an Apple phone, you’re not buying an Apple Watch… 80% of the world is Android, not Apple.”

Apple Watch Series 3 and Fitbit’s new Versa smartwatch
Commentary: Not only is the Apple Watch the world’s most popular smartwatch, but it’s the best-selling wearable, ahead of Fitbit. Apple Watch also has a customer satisfaction rate well above 90 percent.

2. iHeartMedia has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection: The company operates Apple Music rival iHeartRadio, which provides free streaming of thousands of live radio stations in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The move will allow the company to restructure more than $20 billion in debt.

Commentary: iHeartMedia’s day-to-day operations of its businesses are not expected to be dramatically affected, according to reports, so iHeartRadio should remain available for at least the foreseeable future.

3. What the HomePod should become: MacStories’ Ryan Christoffel argues that the HomePod isn’t a bad product today, but could evolve into a great one by becoming a true hub for all Apple-centric needs.

If Siri knew all things about your Apple devices and services, and could interact with them all, then HomePod would be the perfect vehicle to tap into that power. You could ask Siri on the HomePod to:

– Check your iPhone’s battery charge.
– Play an audiobook.
– Add a show to your Up Next queue.
– Download a specific app to your iPhone.
– Pause or resume Apple TV playback.
– List upcoming birthdays for your contacts.
– Provide a delivery status on your Apple Store order.
– Put all your devices in Do Not Disturb mode.
– Play a specific movie or show on the Apple TV.
– Or on the bedroom TV, or the iPad, or iPhone.
– Locate your iPhone or iPad.
– Each device could play a ding if it’s nearby, and if not, HomePod could offer to load a map on your nearest device.
– Make a phone call.
– Switch your AirPods to the Apple TV.
– Set an Apple Store support appointment.
– Open an app on a certain device.
– Put a screensaver on the TV.

None of these things can currently be done by HomePod, but I think they would all be reasonable to expect from an upgraded Siri. None of these would infringe on the company’s user privacy stance, because the data at play in these requests is already available to Apple.

Commentary: While the HomePod has received rave reviews about how it sounds, the consensus is that the speaker isn’t as smart as the Amazon Echo or Google Home. Being able to complete these tasks would be a huge step forward.

4. Siri co-founder Dag Kittlaus responds to claim that Siri was a “disaster” when it first launched on iPhone 4s: “This statement, wholly false, was made by the architect and head of the biggest launch disaster in Apple history, Apple Maps. In reality Siri worked great at launch but, like any new platform under unexpectedly massive load, required scaling adjustments and 24 hour workdays.”

This statement, wholly false, was made by the architect and head of the biggest launch disaster in Apple history, Apple Maps. In reality Siri worked great at launch but, like any new platform under unexpectedly massive load, required scaling adjustments and 24 hour workdays.

— Dag Kittlaus (@Dagk) March 14, 2018

Commentary: “After launch, Siri was a disaster,” said former Apple executive Richard Williamson, who was reportedly fired in 2012 following the botched launch of Apple Maps. “It was slow, when it worked at all. The software was riddled with serious bugs. Those problems lie entirely with the original Siri team, certainly not me.”

For more Apple news and rumors coverage, visit our Front Page, Mac Blog, and iOS Blog. Also visit our forums to join in the discussion.

Tag: Quick Takes
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‘GrayKey’ iPhone Unlocking Box Used by Law Enforcement Shown Off in Photos

Last week, news of a previously-unknown iPhone unlocking device called GrayKey surfaced, and today, MalwareBytes shared photos and additional information about the product, which is designed for law enforcement officials.

Created by a company named Grayshift, GrayKey is a small, portable gray box equipped with dual Lightning cables.

Two iPhones can be connected to the GrayKey at once, and need to be connected for about two minutes to install proprietary software that’s designed to guess the passcode for an iPhone. Once the software is installed, it will work to crack the passcode, a process that can take as little as a few hours for a short passcode or several days for a longer six-digit passcode.

Once the GrayKey software has cracked the passcode, it’ll be displayed right on the screen of the iPhone. The iPhone can then be plugged back into the GrayKey to download all of the data on the iPhone, including the unencrypted contents of the Keychain, which can then be accessed using a computer.

Based on screenshots, the GrayKey can crack modern iPhones running modern versions of iOS. It works with the iPhone X and iOS 11.2.5, the version of iOS that was likely available when the screenshots were captured. It probably also works with iOS 11.2.6, unless Apple has managed to block it in the latest operating system update.

Grayshift presumably designed the GrayKey for law enforcement professionals, and it’s relatively expensive. A $15,000 option requires internet connectivity and is geofenced to a specific location once set up, while a $30,000 option requires no internet connection and can be used anywhere.

MalwareBytes worries that the portable version of the GrayKey could easily fall into the wrong hands. It uses two-factor authentication, but given that people “often write passwords on stickies and put them on their monitors,” it’s possible the token could be kept in the same location as the device.

What happens if the GrayKey becomes commonplace in law enforcement? The cheaper model isn’t much of a danger if stolen–unless it’s stolen prior to setup–but at 4″x 4″x 2″, the unlimited model could be pocketed fairly easily, along with its token, if stored nearby. Once off-site, it would continue to work. Such a device could fetch a high price on the black market, giving thieves the ability to unlock and resell stolen phones, as well as access to the high-value data on those phones.

How the GrayKey works is not known, but it’s believed to be using some sort of jailbreaking process that could damage iPhones in some way. It’s also not known how the GrayKey device itself is protecting data that’s stored on it, and whether or not the data could be remotely accessed by hackers.

It’s also unknown who Grayshift is selling the devices to. It’s possible that sales are limited to law enforcement officials in the United States, but it’s also possible that it’s being offered abroad. Other devices of this type have slipped out of the hands of law enforcement and have become widely available, so the same could happen with the GrayKey.

Apple is continually working to fix the kinds of exploits used by devices like the GrayKey, so it’s possible whatever mechanism the box uses will be fixed in a future update. The average iPhone owner likely doesn’t need to worry about the GrayKey, but as MalwareBytes points out, it is troublesome knowing such a device could fall into the hands of malicious entities.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
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Essential Phone with Android 8.1 and mid-range price – Great value? (Review)

The Essential Phone (PH-1) made waves in the Android community at its debut. It sounded like a true contender and boasted a rad, minimal-bezel design to peak interest. But that doesn’t mean it was smooth sailing out the gate. It’s always tough for a startup to strike success in the crowded smartphone market, and even one backed by an Android co-founder proved to be no exception, as the company has only moved around 100K devices over several months.

It wasn’t that the phone came with malfunctions or questionable quality. On the contrary, it’s probably the most solidly built original phone ever. But it launched top-end pricing ($700), and that put it in an arena with stiff competition. There were some crucial aspects where the Essential Phone couldn’t compete, like screen quality and camera performance. It also didn’t help that there’s no water resistance and that the software wasn’t as snappy as other Snapdragon 835 devices.

But the Essential team has been hard at work since then to address some of those “beta” issues. They have pushed some lofty camera updates and the latest Android build: 8.1 (Oreo). In that time, the price of the phone has also been dropping. So today, we’re seeing if these two factors have converged into making the PH-1 one of the most compelling smartphone choices right now. This is our review of the updated Essential Phone.

Design

We won’t dwell too much on the design of the Essential Phone. The phone isn’t “new” and chances are you know the deal here. But it is worth mentioning that the titanium frame and ceramic rear panel do hold up well over time.

Because the phone is glossy all over, it feels fragile like competitive phones built with aluminum and glass, but our unit has maintained its pristine, like-new appearance. That doesn’t mean it’s impervious to breaking, but something must be said for how well it holds up against the daily grind.

That said, this is probably the most smudge-prone smartphone we’ve ever used. The back panel is so reflective and easily becomes a smudge feast.

This is what the phone really looks like in real-world use.

We also feel that the glossy perimeter was a mistake – the phone is already slippery as it is (and it becomes a gross, smudgy mess too). Having a matte, grippier material would’ve gone a long way to help the user feel a more secure grip and manageability. Its weighty 185g doesn’t help here either. Basically, it would’ve been fantastic if Essential just expanded that ceramic-like trim on the edges of the frame.

The button placements on the right side of the phone worked well for us.

The only ports you’ll find on the phone are on the bottom – SIM tray, USB Type-C port, and mono speaker. No headphone jack or microSD slot.

Performance

Coming from popular flagships like the Note 8, LG V30, and Pixel 2 XL, upon receiving the Essential Phone I immediately noticed that its software was noticeably slow to respond. Not that it lagged or took time to execute actions – on the contrary, it was (and continues to be) consistently functional.

But it wasn’t as snappy as other Snapdragon 835 driven devices. For instance, there was consistently a very short but noticeable delay from when you would tap an app icon or hyperlink and when it would act. Also, when scrolling, it was obvious the frame rate was fluctuating, and not silky smooth like on the competition. These things are far from deal breakers, but one has to question why this was happening with a chipset that should devour common processes.

This is something that Essential sought to address in the Android 8.1 update, referring to it as a fix to the “display touch scrolling jitteriness”. So did the update take care of it? Well, it is certainly better but still noticeable, at least to a picky user like myself.

Example of our battery results on T-Mobile‘s network.

This is in comparison with my daily driver Note 8, which is immediate to respond to a tap, and scrolling in apps like Chrome and Google+ is seamless (and it’s even better on the Pixel 2). On the PH-1, I just don’t feel as enabled to tap, tap, tap as quick as I can on the Note 8. This is surprising, because Samsung’s software sports a heavy UI, whereas the PH-1 is a bare-bones “essential” version of Android. But this could be a personal gripe. I’m quick with my phone navigation and feel like the Essential Phone makes me work slower.

The same goes for scrolling. It’s definitely better than pre-8.1, but I can still see the frame rate drop. But we reiterate – it’s far from unusable and definitely a nit-picky thing, and certainly acceptable at the PH-1’s now lower price.

Speaking of battery life, it’s been a good experience for me. The 3,040 mAh battery seems to punch above its weight, and I think it’s due to Essential’s software optimization. I observed consistent drainage with a multitude of average tasks. It, of course, wasn’t until I ran videos in high brightness or did some gaming where I saw the results significantly drop.

Display

Another downside of the PH-1 is its decision of an LCD panel in an OLED world. Fortunately, it’s a pretty good LCD panel. As a long time user of OLED panels, this aspect of the PH-1 surprisingly wasn’t a contention for me. Sure, I can notice the slightly washed-out quality and brightness shift when tilting the view. But these drawbacks happen to be really slight on this phone. Outdoor visibility leaves some to be desired, though.

That notch for the selfie cam is a bit of an eyesore for me, but I recognize that it’s a personal taste. Many people are able to tune it out – I’m just not one of those people. At least it’s the smallest notch on the market.

The hard notch life.

But from an objective standpoint, the notch does cause a minor problem. The top status bar is custom tweaked to suit it. It’s wider than usual, so its touch response to toggle the notification shade is therein wider. This can conflict with content underneath it, that doesn’t adjust to the different size. Sometimes when I go to click something that’s close to the boundary, like a link in Chrome, it annoying pulls down the notification bar. It can also overlay incorrectly in some apps. For instance, in Feedly, you see a gray bar atop that spills over its boundary.

Camera

Essential Phone camera interface.

So probably the biggest con of the Essential Phone at launch was its camera performance. Not just in quality, but in speed too. It also didn’t help that it lacked Auto HDR support – something that has become a requirement of top-end smartphones as of late. Essential acknowledged the complaint and improving it through software has been one of the team’s biggest efforts since launch.

And they’ve done a pretty good job. Auto HDR is now in there, and the overall performance is at satisfactory levels. Though, it still can’t really stand with the best out there. At times, the cameras can pull off some impressive shots, but it takes just the right lighting. In dark situations (like indoors) or wide range of lighting, the HDR processing often overdoes it and makes the image look washed out (overexposed). And when HDR isn’t applied, we can sometimes end up with dark spots.

The sharpness is overall good when looking at the big picture, but when you zoom in you see more artifacting then we would like. Here’s an image comparison with the Note 8 in a shot with dynamic range:

Essential Phone shot.

Samsung Note 8 shot.

One last complaint is that the camera is a good step behind the competition in macro shots. We don’t remember when we had such a hard time getting a smartphone camera to focus on something like a flower. This is even when specifically targeting the focus subject on the screen. It struggles so much.

Don’t get me wrong. We’re far from a terrible camera here; it definitely gets the job done and can pull off some terrific and dramatic shots.

Shot of my collie using Portrait mode.

But it’s certainly a hit or miss situation, where more established manufacturers have well refined past that point in their lives. We commend Essential in doing something about it, and the improvements are significant, but we’re not quite there yet.

Essential Phone Camera Samples:

1 of 10

Essential Phone PH-1 Android Smartphone Camera

Essential Phone PH-1 Android Smartphone Camera

Essential Phone PH-1 Android Smartphone Camera

Essential Phone PH-1 Android Smartphone Camera

Essential was kind enough to also lend us the phone’s modular accessory. One might forget that there’s two pin connectors on the back to magnetically clip on mods. This is because, well, there has been only one available – a 360-degree camera. But for what it’s worth, it’s a really nice option.

It’s compact and effortless to use. Just line up the pins and it will magically magnetically fasten. The phone powers the device (no need to charge it separately). It’s comprised of two very wide fisheye, 12MP lenses. You’ll hear a fan inside spool up and a custom 360 camera interface launches on the phone. This is an instant way to capture a 360-degree image, just with a press of a button. And it can do 4K and record video.

Software

After the 8.1 Oreo update, the Essential Phone aesthetically keeps things…essential. It’s a really close experience with the Pixel 2, which is a great thing. Not many phones have a stock-like, no-frills experience.

It’s not exactly the same as the Pixel 2. Essential has a couple of its own things, but they’re very minimal. For instance, some colorings are different, like in some icons and the dark quick settings menu. The app drawer is also transparent, and you can move the persistent Google search bar to your liking (what’s up with this, Google!?). But again, minimal differences.

Of course, many of the newer Android 8.1 features are here, like Picture-in-Picture (PnP) mode (lets you overlay a small window to keep playing a video atop everything), Google Lens (Google’s own image subject query tool), better consolidation of notifications, and custom app icon long-press actions/shortcuts. But you won’t get the Now Playing feature (displays track info of music the phone hears when the screen is off) because the Essential Phone doesn’t have an Always-On display.

Final Thoughts

So back to the original question: Do the updates and the lower price make the Essential Phone a bargain now? Definitely yes. No, the updates didn’t do something magical and fix all the concerns – they just made them less…concerning. What really helps is that the phone is now at a sub-$500 price. The Essential Phone easily pulls ahead of the mid-range smartphone competition. None are built like this, have an 85% screen-to-body ratio, and an up-to-date, stock Android experience. The gripes we have are now minor in the grand scheme of things.

…and it comes in pretty colors now.

Samsung Galaxy S9+ vs. OnePlus 5T: Here’s what the extra $300 gets you

The OnePlus 5T has a lot to offer for $500, but you get so much more with the Galaxy S9+.

With the Galaxy S9 series, Samsung isn’t reinventing the wheel: the core design aesthetic is the same as last year, but there are a few key upgrades, particularly in the camera department. The pricing hasn’t changed all that much either, with the unlocked Galaxy S9+ retailing for $839, a mere $15 more than what the Galaxy S8+ debuted at last year.

If you don’t want to shell out over $800 on a phone, there are plenty of alternatives available, and the OnePlus 5T is at the top of that list. Available for $499, the OnePlus 5T offers top-of-the-line specs with great build quality and a software experience that’s equatable to the Pixels. So is the Galaxy S9+ worth the $300 premium over the 5T? Let’s find out.

What’s the same

Like last year, Samsung is the first to roll out a phone with Qualcomm’s latest platform, the Snapdragon 845. The chipset is built on the 10nm node but comes with a slew of improvements that include up to a 20% uptick in CPU performance and a huge 30% boost in the GPU department. The SoC also comes with an LTE modem that goes up to 1.2Gbps, and the new Hexagon 685 DSP leverages artificial intelligence.

The U.S. variant of the Galaxy S9+ is powered by the Snapdragon 845, whereas international models receive the Exynos 9810 version. While the Exynos variant offers marginally better battery life, there isn’t any noticeable performance difference between the two models.

The OnePlus 5T is no slouch either, with the phone powered by the Snapdragon 835. It may not be the latest chipset anymore, but it is still one of the fastest available today, and OnePlus’ optimizations give it an added boost.

Operating system	Android 8.0 OreoSamsung Experience 9.0	Android 8.0 OreoOxygenOS 5.0.4
Display	6.2-inch Super AMOLED, 2960×1440 (18.5:9)	6-inch Optic AMOLED, 2160×1080 (18:9)
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845or 10nm 64-bit Samsung Exynos 9810	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 octa-coreAdreno 540 GPU
Storage	64GB/256GBmicroSD up to 400GB	64/128GB (UFS 2.1)
RAM	6GB/6GB	6/8GB LPDDR4X
Rear camera 1	12MP Dual Pixel, OIS, f/1.5 or f/2.4	16MP, 1.12μm, f/1.7Dual LED flash
Rear camera 2	12MP, f/2.4	20MP, 1μm, f/1.7
Front camera	8MP, f/1.7, auto focus	16MP, 1μm, f/2.0
Battery	3500mAh	3300mAh
Charging	USB-CFast Wireless Charging	USB-CDash Charge
Water resistance	Yes (IP68 certified)	No
Security	Fingerprint sensorIris scanningFace unlock	One-touch fingerprint sensor Face Unlock
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11ac MIMO, 1.2 Gbps (Cat-18) LTE, Bluetooth 5.0 LEANT+, NFC, GPS, Glonass	802.11ac Wi-Fi, 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0, aptX HDUSB-C (2.0), NFCGPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo
Network	LTE Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/18/19/20/25/26/28/29/30/66 3xCA, 256QAM, DL Cat 12, UL Cat 13
Dimensions	158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5 mm189 g	156.1 x 75 x 7.3 mm162 g
Colors	Midnight Black, Lilac Purple, Coral Blue	Midnight Black, Lava Red, Sandstone White
Price	$839	$499

The OnePlus 5T launched with Nougat out of the box, but the phone picked up the Oreo update at the start of the year. Thankfully, the Galaxy S9+ comes with Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. Rounding out the basics, both phones come with 3.5mm jacks.

The Galaxy S9+ has a marginally larger 3500mAh battery — 200mAh more than what you get on the OnePlus 5T — but the battery life is roughly the same on both phones. You shouldn’t have any issues getting a day’s worth of usage with each phone.

Both the OnePlus 5T and the Galaxy S9+ also come with a variety of storage and color options. The Galaxy S9+ is available in three colors options at launch — Midnight Black, Coral Blue, and Lilac Purple — and OnePlus has introduced several limited edition models of the OnePlus 5T that include Sandstone White and Lava Red.

What the Galaxy S9+ does better

The OnePlus 5T has top-notch build quality, but the design itself isn’t all that exciting. That’s not the case with the Galaxy S9+ — Samsung’s Infinity Display design aesthetic is evocative, and the way the light reflects off the glass back is striking. The Coral Blue color option, in particular, looks stunning, and the phone has thinner bezels when compared to the OnePlus 5T.

The dual curved panel also adds to that immersive experience, and for its part, Samsung has done a much better job eliminating accidental touches when using the phone one-handed. The Galaxy S9+ is a full 16g heavier over its predecessor while offering the same 3500mAh battery, and the added weight works in the device’s favor. The OnePlus 5T comes in at 162g, and the weight distribution makes it top-heavy, but the Galaxy S9+ feels reassuringly solid.

Then there’s the 6.2-inch Super AMOLED display itself, which is the one of the best panels on a phone today. Samsung has been leading the display industry for a few years now, and its best panels rightfully end up on its own flagships. The panel on the Galaxy S9+ is wonderful, offering saturated colors, excellent contrast levels, and great viewing angles. The panel is brighter than the Galaxy S8+, so you’ll have no issues with sunlight readability. I’ve been testing the phone in India’s harsh sunlight, and Samsung’s claims hold up.

The Galaxy S9+ offers a class-leading display paired with an outstanding camera.

Samsung also did a much better job when it comes to the audio experience, with the Galaxy S9+ featuring stereo speakers tuned by AKG. The secondary speaker is tucked into the earpiece, and the overall sound that comes out of the dual speakers is noticeably louder and clearer than last year.

The camera is the marquee feature on the Galaxy S9+, with Samsung offering a module with adjustable aperture — allowing it to switch from f/1.5 to f/2.4. There’s a new 960fps super slow-motion feature as well, which just looks cool. The Galaxy S9+ also gets a secondary 12MP camera that acts as a telephoto lens, enabling 2x lossless zoom.

Galaxy S9+ on the left, OnePlus 5T on the right.

The OnePlus 5T holds its own in daylight scenarios, but it lags behind the Galaxy S9+ in low-light or artificial lighting. The S9+ just pulls ahead in terms of overall detail and dynamic range.

Then there are the extra features: the Galaxy S9+ offers wireless charging, Samsung Pay, and IP68 dust and water resistance. Wireless charging is a niche feature, but water resistance is a must-have in this segment. There are two features I miss whenever I switch to a non-Samsung phone — that gorgeous AMOLED panel and Samsung Pay. The mobile payments service has near-ubiquitous acceptance thanks to NFC as well as MST, and it’s easier and more secure to use.

The Galaxy S9+ also comes with a new “intelligent scan” feature that uses a combination of facial recognition and iris scanning to authenticate, and while the OnePlus 5T also has a face unlock feature, it isn’t as secure as what Samsung is offering. I wasn’t a fan of the Galaxy Note 8’s iris scanning, but Intelligent Scan is significantly faster.

What the OnePlus 5T does better

The OnePlus 5T is one of the fastest phones in the market today, and the OxygenOS optimizations carried out by OnePlus make it fly. It is just as fast and fluid to use as a Pixel 2, and OnePlus tailored the software experience to perfection. The clutter-free user interface is one of the best available on Android, and OnePlus has added enough differentiation in the form of gestures and subtle tweaks to make it stand out.

OxygenOS offers one of the best software experiences available on Android today.

OnePlus also got much better at updates over the course of the last 12 months, with the company consistently rolling out security updates and adding new features to the device every few weeks. The OnePlus 5T received the Android 8.0 Oreo update at the start of the year, earlier than the Galaxy S8.

With the Galaxy S9+ still using the same Adaptive Fast Charge as two years ago (which is limited to Quick Charge 2.0 speeds), the OnePlus 5T has the distinct edge when it comes to charging thanks to Dash Charge. The fast charging standard offloads the circuitry to the wall charger, which means the device itself doesn’t heat up while charging. Then there’s the fact that you can charge up to 60% in just 30 minutes.

If you’re looking to top up your phone’s battery in the middle of the day, Dash Charge is one of the best options around.

Finally, the OnePlus 5T has better placement for the fingerprint scanner. Samsung moved the scanner underneath the camera module — making it easier to access — but it’s still not at the natural resting position of your finger. You’ll end up smudging the camera module more often than not when trying to unlock the device. That isn’t an issue on the OnePlus 5T, as the sensor is located in the top-third

Which should you buy? Galaxy S9+

As good as the OnePlus 5T is — particularly in the software department — it misses out on a few key features, like water resistance. That should be a table stakes feature if you’re spending $500 on a phone in 2018, and while the situation may change with the OnePlus 6, the feature is a sore omission on the OnePlus 5T.

Overall, the Galaxy S9+ is a much more enticing option. For $330 more, you’re getting a phone with a much better camera, gorgeous design, iris scanning, IP68 dust and water resistance, wireless charging, and Samsung Pay. Samsung clearly understands what its fans want from a flagship, and the Galaxy S9+ absolutely nails the basics while delivering premium features that make it stand out.

See at Best Buy

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

• Galaxy S9 review: A great phone for the masses
• Galaxy S9 and S9+: Everything you need to know!
• Complete Galaxy S9 and S9+ specs
• Galaxy S9 vs. Google Pixel 2: Which should you buy?
• Galaxy S9 vs. Galaxy S8: Should you upgrade?
• Join our Galaxy S9 forums

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