OnePlus 6: Everything you need to know

Unlock the secrets.

The OnePlus 6 is now available, and it’s a compelling option for someone looking for an unlocked phone at a reasonable price — starting at $529 to be specific. But price aside, it’s a great choice for anyone, even those considering more expensive options, thanks to a combination of hardware and software, and a community that continues to support the company and one another.

Here’s everything you need to know about the OnePlus 6!

The latest OnePlus 6 news

May 23, 2018 — The OnePlus 6 is now available!

It was only announced a week ago, but the OnePlus 6 is now available to order from oneplus.net starting at $529 USD.

Are you ordering?

Read our review and watch the video

First thing’s first, watch the video and read the review. There’s plenty about the phone to learn, even though much of it is familiar. But the essential question a review tries to answer is, Should you buy this thing? And the response is an unrestrained, Yes.

The OnePlus 6 is the company’s finest phone ever, with excellent design, build quality, battery life and, for the first time, cameras.

Read the review

Review the specs

Once you’re done reading the review, you should, ahem, review the specifications. The phone is powerful — like one of the most powerful on the market today — with plenty of headroom and legroom (it’s proverbially spacious is what I’m trying to say) for whatever you want to throw at it. Apps-wise, not like object-wise.

OnePlus 6 specifications

How does it compare to other phones?

Of course, the OnePlus 6 doesn’t exist in a bubble — you have to compare it to other devices if you’re going to decide whether you should buy it. Thankfully, we’ve done most of the work for you, comparing it to the best flagships on the market right now.

• OnePlus 6 vs. Google Pixel 2 XL: Which should you buy?
• OnePlus 6 vs. Samsung Galaxy S9+: Which should you buy?

What about to other OnePlus phones?

Yeah, OnePlus owners like to keep it in the family, so to speak, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see many upgrading, or thinking of upgrading, from an existing OnePlus device, like a 3, 3T, 5, or 5T. Of course, with the company releasing two phones a year these days, it won’t be long until the next upgrade cycle hits, but that also means that the existing phones age quite well, thanks to frequent software updates (the joys of not going through carriers).

If you have a OnePlus 5 or 5T, you can probably hold onto those phones for a bit longer — unless you need the camera improvements. OnePlus’s 2016 phones, on the other hand, may be getting a bit long in the tooth and could use a replacement.

• OnePlus 6 vs. OnePlus 5T: Should you upgrade?
• OnePlus 6 vs. OnePlus 5: Should you upgrade?

Is the OnePlus 6 camera that much better than before?

This photo was taken in nearly pitch-dark conditions. OnePlus ramps up the light sensitivity to ISO6400, which would normally produce a lot of grain, but this photo is totally usable thanks to better software processing.

Yes! The OnePlus 6 has a larger 16MP sensor than previous OnePlus devices, with pixels that are 19% bigger, so low-light photography is immensely improved. It’s not going to overtake the Huawei P20 Pro or Pixel 2 for Low Light Champion Of The World, but it’s reliable in all conditions, and that’s more important than anything else.

The camera is probably the biggest improvement over previous OnePlus models.

The phone’s main sensor is aided by a fast ƒ/1.7 aperture, so true depth of field is a thing, along with drastically improved image signal processing from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845. Together, the phone is able to detect the correct settings more quickly, take multiple shots if necessary, enable HDR mode automatically, and reduce or eliminate grain in dark conditions.

There’s also Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), which was in the OnePlus 3 line but removed in last year’s series for unknown reasons. It’s back now, and paired with a larger sensor and faster main lens, the results speak for themselves.

On the other hand, the OnePlus 6’s secondary camera has less to do — it’s a 20MP sensor with an ƒ/1.7 lens, but its main purpose is to facilitate portrait mode which, while good, isn’t enough reason to have a second sensor in the first place.

Is the notch distracting?

The notch is what it is. You may hate it out of an aversion to all things Apple, or you may learn to live with it and forget it’s there. Most people will fall somewhere in the middle — it’s a character trait, like a freckle or a certain hairstyle.

What it does, though, is open up spme additional real estate on the 6.28-inch screen, which is great. But it also limits the number of icons that can be seen in the notification area, which is a bummer. Plus, the clock on the left side of the notification bar will never make sense. If you watch the video below, though, you can see ways to tweak the notification area to your liking. And you can also disable the notch altogether if you want to.

How’s the software?

It’s good! Running Android 8.1 Oreo, OxygenOS has turned into one of the most enjoyable, reliable versions of Android to date. OnePlus has also added a number of additions to make the whole thing run more smoothly, especially if you’re looking to maximize your screen real estate.

One of the more interesting changes to the software is a set of gestures that eliminates the bottom navigation keys, relying on swipes up from different areas of the bottom edge to go back, home, and enter multitasking. It’s different, but not bad. You’ll have to try it yourself.

As for tips and tricks, we’ve already got that list going, so if you’re looking to make the most of your OxygenOS experience, we have you covered.

• How to enable navigation gestures on the OnePlus 6
• How to disable the notch on the OnePlus 6

What’s it cost?

The OnePlus 6 starts at $529 USD for the base model and goes up to $629 for additional RAM and storage. There are three configurations and three colors, though one of the colors, Silk White, is only going to be available in early June and will be manufactured in limited capacities.

Here’s how the pricing breaks down in various regions.

6/64	$529	€519	£469	$699
8/128	$579	€569	£519	$769
8/256	$629	€619	£569	$839

See at OnePlus

Tell me more about the colors

There are three colors: Mirror Black, Midnight Black, and Silk White.

• Mirror Black is going to be the most common, since it’s the only color offered in the cheapest tier. It’s shiny, reflective glass, so it gets fingerprint-y, but that’s OK because you’ll likely put the phone in a case (see below). It’s also a little slippery, which is to be expected. Mirror Black is offered in 6GB / 64GB configurations for $529.

• Midnight Black is the color we’ve come to expect from OnePlus over the years, though the matte-looking finish belies a glass back, too, like the Mirror Black. Midnight Black is only available in 8GB / 128GB and 8GB / 256GB configurations for $579 and $629, respectively.

• Silk White is the most limited of the three colors, and will be available June 5. It’s also covered in glass, but like the Midnight Black model it has a matte finish and is easier to grip. Its white back has rose gold accents, and it’s definitely the nicest and most unique of the three colors. It will only be available in the 8GB / 128GB configuration, for $579, and once the run is sold out, OnePlus is not making any more.

I heard there’s an Avengers version — TELL ME EVERYTHING

Yes, you heard right: OnePlus has once again worked with Disney on licensing a special version of the OnePlus 6 for the Chinese and Indian markets. Last year, OnePlus offered an understated Start Wars variant of the OnePlus 5T, and now the Avengers version takes advantage of the hype behind the recent film release.

The Avengers version comes in a unique box and includes an Iron Man case and a OnePlus/Avengers co-branded medallion, which is neat. And while there’s a familiar glass back on the Avengers Edition, it has a Kevlar-style design underneath. Because Kevlar=superheroes, or something.

While the special edition isn’t coming to the U.S. officially, I’m sure that some entrepreneurial Indian and Chinese resellers will do the dirty business of importing some of them at a huge premium to this side of the world.

This is the OnePlus 6 Marvel Avengers Edition

The OnePlus 6 doesn’t work on Sprint or Verizon

The OnePlus 6 technically supports the CDMA bands for Verizon and Sprint in the U.S., but the phone lacks certification for their networks, so those users — just under half the smartphone-wielding U.S. population, is out of luck.

We’ve got your full technical explainer below.

The OnePlus 6 doesn’t work on Sprint or Verizon

Do you like cases?

As it does with all of its phones, OnePlus has unveiled a series of first-party cases for the OnePlus 6, and they’re all pretty great.

This year, there’s a fancy new protective bumper made of woven nylon, and while it adds a bit more bulk than the typical snap-on, I think it looks and feels awesome.

These are the official OnePlus 6 cases you can buy at launch

What are your thoughts on the OnePlus 6?

Let us know in the comments!

OnePlus 6

• OnePlus 6 review
• OnePlus 6 vs. OnePlus 5T: How much changes in six months?
• OnePlus 6 vs. OnePlus 5: Should you upgrade?
• These are the official OnePlus 6 cases
• The OnePlus 6 doesn’t work on Verizon or Sprint
• Join the discussion in the forums

Twitch will start streaming Doctor Who on May 29

Enjoy seven doctors over 26 seasons.

If you’ve been dying to catch up on Doctor Who but haven’t been able to tear yourself away from Twitch, you’er in luck. The streaming Mecca will be showing more than 500 episodes of the British classic, starting with 1963’s “An Unearthly Child.”

The streaming kicks off at 11 a.m. Pacific time May 29. And the classic eps are just for starters. From the Twitch blog:

Join us and tons of other fans in Twitch chat for over seven weeks of classic Doctor Who, starting with the 1963 episode “An Unearthly Child.” Together we’ll make our way through the first seven Doctors spanning 26 seasons. Come relive (or experience for the first time ever) the origins of the iconic Daleks, the Cybermen, and the trusty Sonic Screwdriver. New episodes will air every day for eight hours starting at 11AM PDT followed immediately by two eight-hour repeat blocks, so no matter where you live you won’t have to miss a beat.

We’ll of course have exclusive Doctor Who emotes for everyone who subs to /twitchpresents, as well as a shiny new Tardis Cheermote, but there are plenty more reasons to stick around. First, we’re partnering with Yogscast to bring you seven new episodes featuring a cast of Doctor Who screenwriters, experts, and fans who will introduce each new Doctor and highlight some of the best upcoming story arcs.

Twitch has some giveaways in order, too. A Tardis money box (it’s bigger on the inside, right?), a Doctor Who-themed Monopoly set, and a Doctor Who doormat.

Oh, and a trip to London Comic Con. More deets on all that here.

Twitch is available as a desktop app, a Roku channel, on iOS, on Android and Android TV, on Xbox One, on PlayStation 4, on Amazon Fire TV, and of course online at Twitch.tv.

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Review: Lumos is a Clever Smart Bike Helmet With Apple Watch-Enabled Turn Signals

Earlier this month, smart bike helmet Lumos debuted at Apple retail stores and online, leveraging technology to help make your ride safer. Outfitted with a total of 48 LEDs on the front and back in red, white, and yellow, the Lumos helmet significantly increases your visibility to drivers and pedestrians while also allowing you to signal upcoming turns.

Since its Kickstarter launch, Lumos has supported bike helmet turn signals using a two-button remote mounted on the handlebars, lighting up yellow LEDs on the corresponding side of the helmet at the front and rear. A brand-new feature adds Apple Watch gesture support, letting you calibrate the system to detect bicycle arm signals based on watch orientation and automatically turn on the left or right signals on the helmet accordingly.

My wife Laura is an avid cyclist, so she was a good test subject for the Lumos helmet, which she has taken out on several group rides over the past few weeks. She came away impressed with some of the helmet’s features and the comforting feeling of being more visible as it became darker in the evening, but other aspects still need some tweaking.

Installation

Mounting the turn signal remote is a relatively simple affair, using a pair of rubber rings to wrap around the handlebars and secure the remote base, and then the remote itself simply twists onto the base to lock it in. It’s an easy installation process that fits a variety of handlebar diameters, although if you’ve already got a headlight and bike computer mounted on your handlebars you might find yourself running out of room to mount the Lumos remote.

Remote base attached on left side of handlebars
In fact, given the other items already on her handlebars, Laura’s only option was to mount the remote base on her grip tape, which made securing it a bit tricky with the uneven and somewhat squishy surface. She would have preferred some sort of stem mounting option to keep it within easy reach on her crowded handlebars. But depending on the style of bike you ride and the accessories you have, the crowding may not be an issue for you.

Remote attached to base
Crowding issues aside, the simple installation process is a benefit for commuter cyclists in particular, making it easy to take the remote with you so that it doesn’t get stolen from your parked bike. The remote also needs to be recharged periodically, so easy installation and removal are key.

Getting on the Road and Signaling

Pairing everything up is also simple, just holding some buttons on the helmet and remote and coordinating with the iPhone app and then you’re good to go. It’s easy to use the remote to signal left and right turns, with large, easy-to-press buttons that light up while a turn is being signaled, although you do have to manually press the button again to turn off the signaling.

Gesture-based Apple Watch signaling should make life significantly easier while also encouraging riders to use arm signals that help make drivers aware of upcoming movements, although Laura had a bit of trouble getting it to work consistently at first. There is a calibration process that walks you through holding your left arm straight out to signal a left turn and then pointed upward to signal a right turn.

Yellow lights in chevron shape flash when signaling a left turn
The calibration process is quick, requiring you to hold your arm in a neutral position on the handlebars and then while signaling left and right, but once she was out on the road for her first ride, Laura found that gesture recognition was rather finicky. Initially, it would register only one direction, and after she stopped and recalibrated only the other direction would register. Several recalibrations during that ride failed to result in consistent signaling.

On her second ride, however, she apparently found a sweet spot in the calibration, as it was much more consistent in recognizing her arm movements and properly signaling. On the downside, limitations in the movements the watch’s accelerometer can detect did result in some unintended signaling. Waving to a friend or even scratching her nose activated the turn signals, and with your hands frequently moving around on the bike to adjust grip, wipe away sweat, or grab a drink of water, it’s easy to unintentionally activate the turn signals.

When using the Apple Watch to initiate turn signals on Lumos, you have to shake your wrist to turn off the signal once you’ve completed your turn, and Laura found that she had to shake rather vigorously to get the signals to turn off.

The helmet also beeps while the turn signal is activated, which gives you some important feedback considering you can’t see the lights on your head. The beeping is clearly audible to others around you, which can be a benefit or annoying depending on your environment and your biking companions, although you can adjust the frequency of the beeping.

The beeping is also nondirectional, as it comes from the main electronics center in the rear of the helmet. It would be nice if Lumos had a speaker on each side near your ears to give you audible confirmation of which signal is flashing. At the very least, different beeping tones or patterns for each direction would be helpful.

It would also be nice if the remote and Apple Watch worked better together, such as allowing either one to deactivate the turn signal regardless of which method was used to activate it, or having the appropriate button on the remote flash when the signal has been activated via Apple Watch. As it stands, the two methods of triggering the turn signal work essentially independently.

One interesting benefit to using Lumos is that it encourages more consistent use of arm signals in general. With many riders not adequately signaling their turning intentions, tying those signals into the watch on your wrist and your helmet gives you extra motivation to use those arm signals. Some of that is undoubtedly a novelty effect that will wear off with regular usage, but it still provides a bit of incentive to signal.

Lighting Modes

Lumos offers three distinct lighting modes, steady, rapid flash, and slow flash. Which one you use is largely personal preference based which one you believe will make you most visible, but it’s worth noting that the helmet’s battery will last significantly longer if you use one of the flashing modes rather than steady mode. Switching between modes is accomplished by short presses on the single power button at the rear of the helmet. It’s easy to do unless the helmet is on your head, so make sure you decide which mode you want before you start riding, or else pull over to a safe place to change it. For the most part, however, it’s simply going to be “set it and forget it” at the beginning of your ride.

Rear lights at dusk
Laura felt that all three modes were sufficiently bright, offering a comforting feeling that she could be easily seen on the road, particularly as it started to get darker out in the evening. The lights appeared roughly as bright as the taillight she uses on her road bike, although Lumos advises that the helmet should not be used as a substitute for mounted bike lights.

The front helmet lights in particular are only intended to make you more visible, and you’re still going to want a more focused headlight for your bike to help you see where you’re going and make you even more visible at dusk or at night.

Front lights in daylight
As with regular bike lights, Lumos really won’t do much for you during the day, particularly in bright sunlight.

Braking

Lumos has rolled out a new beta feature that illuminates extra red lights on the rear of the helmet to signal that you’re coming to a stop. The feature is intended to automatically sense hard braking using an accelerometer inside the remote control.

Unfortunately, Laura was unable to get the feature to activate properly during her on-road testing. The feature seemed to work in simulated stopping scenarios holding the remote in the hand off the bike, and it briefly worked during some testing on the bike when the helmet stopped registering gestures from her Apple Watch, so maybe there was some conflict between the watch and the remote. Hopefully this is something Lumos can continue to refine to make it perform more consistently, and as noted it is still considered a beta feature.

App Tracking

The Lumos iPhone app includes a variety of features, including battery status of the helmet and remote, as well as advanced tracking for your rides. With GPS tracking, the Lumos app will map your rides and break down various statistics like calories burned, watts generated, and more.

The app can also be set to automatically start tracking when the helmet senses you’ve begun riding, so you can’t forget to hit the start button on your tracking. Lumos also supports Strava and Apple Health, making it easy to integrate with your other exercise and health tracking.

Battery Life

Lumos says the battery on the helmet last about six hours in flashing mode or about three hours in steady mode. That’s pretty accurate based on Laura’s testing, which saw a fully charged helmet drop to 46 percent at the end of a ride that lasted about an hour and 45 minutes with the helmet in steady lighted mode. The remote should last anywhere from a week to a month on a single charge, depending on use.

Both the helmet and the handlebar remote charge using a USB-A cable with a proprietary magnetic connector on the other end. The connector allows for low-profile ports on the helmet and remote, but the magnetic connection isn’t the strongest. On the helmet in particular, Laura had to be very careful to make sure it was connected properly and then be extremely gentle when moving the helmet at all during charging to prevent the cable from coming loose. Fully charging the helmet takes a couple of hours, while the remote is a bit faster.

Wrap-up

A decent bike helmet can cost $100 or more, and lights for your bike quickly add up as well, so $180 for a helmet with a bright array of lighting mounted high on your front and back doesn’t seem out of line, not to mention the added safety factor of turn signals and potentially brake lights. If you don’t need the turn signals and brake light capabilities, Lumos offers a cheaper “Lite” version of the helmet for $140 that only has the front and rear lights for visibility.

The regular Lumos helmet is offered in Pearl White, Charcoal Black, and Cobalt Blue, while the Lite version is available in Polar White and Charcoal Black. The regular and Lite versions are also available through Amazon.

Laura was impressed with the fit of Lumos, as she frequently has trouble finding helmets that fit well and that was certainly not the case with Lumos, even though it’s designed as a one-size-fits-all helmet for head sizes of 54–62 cm (21.3–24.4 inches). The helmet does not, however, include the increasingly popular MIPS technology that can lessen forces experienced in certain types of impacts.

Lumos is really aimed at commuter cyclists, where frequent turns in congested urban environments and relatively short rides are the norm. It’s a bit less useful for road cyclists who take fewer turns and for whom longer rides might exceed the battery life of the helmet, although those rides are typically in daylight when lights are less important. Even for road cyclists, the bright lights mounted on your head offer great visibility to vehicles around you, and it’s comforting to know the most important part of your body is most visible.

There are a few quirks with Lumos, most of which should be able to be fixed via software updates, so hopefully Lumos will continue to refine performance based on user feedback and data collected from testing.

Even with those quirks, the safety factor Lumos brings is a tremendous benefit that makes the helmet worth considering, and the Apple Watch turn signal gestures are a clever way to make the technology integration feel more natural. Overall though, Lumos does seem to require a decent bit of fiddling to keep things working properly, which might be okay if you’re into the latest tech gadgetry, but if you just want to hop on your bike and go, you might not get as much fun out of it.

Note: Lumos provided the bike helmet to MacRumors free of charge for the purposes of this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon and may earn commissions on purchases made through links in this article.

Tag: Lumos
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Apple Watch Dominates Cellular-Enabled Smartwatch Market

Apple Watch Series 3 models with LTE have dominated the cellular-enabled smartwatch market since they were released last September.

Specifically, the Apple Watch accounted for an estimated 59 percent of the worldwide cellular-enabled smartwatch market in the first quarter of 2018, according to data shared by research firm Canalys today.

Canalys senior analyst Jason Low says the cellular capabilities have been key to the success of the Apple Watch Series 3 lineup:

Key to Apple’s success with its latest Apple Watch Series 3 is the number of LTE-enabled watches it has been able to push into the hands of consumers. Operators welcome the additional revenue from device sales and the added subscription revenue for data on the Apple Watch, and the list of operators that sell the LTE Apple Watch worldwide is increasing each month.

Low added that Apple has taken advantage of a lack of high-end competition in the cellular-enabled smartwatch market:

While the Apple ecosystem has a strong LTE watch offering, the lack of a similar product in the Android ecosystem is glaring. If Google decides to pursue the opportunity with a rumored Pixel Watch, it would jump-start much needed competition in this space.

There are a handful of Wear OS smartwatches with LTE available, such as the LG Watch Sport, LG Watch Urbane, and Huawei Watch 2, but third-party app support and software updates are lackluster compared to the Apple Watch.

Canalys estimates that Apple Watch shipments totaled 3.8 million units in the quarter, including non-cellular models, making it the world’s most popular wearable, even though several other competitors in the top five sell a wide range of comparatively inexpensive fitness trackers and activity bands.

Chinese company Xiaomi, for example, shipped an estimated 3.7 million wearables in the quarter, but Canalys notes that more than 90 percent of those shipments were Mi Bands, priced as low as $20 to $25 in the United States.

Apple Watch pricing starts at $249 for Series 1 models, while Series 3 models with LTE retail for $399 and up, in the United States.

Apple doesn’t break out Apple Watch sales as it does with iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Instead, it groups the watch under its “Other Products” category, alongside the Apple TV, AirPods, Beats, iPod, HomePod, and accessories. Canalys and other research firms look for clues in Apple’s earnings reports to estimate shipments.

Apple CEO Tim Cook did vaguely reveal that Apple Watch revenue reached a new record in the first quarter of 2018:

Apple Watch had another great quarter with revenue growing by strong double-digits year-over-year to a new March quarter record. Millions of customers are using Apple Watch to help them stay active, healthy, and connected, and they have made it a top-selling watch in the world.

Apple Watches have grown so popular that, in the final three months of 2017, worldwide shipments outpaced all Swiss watch brands combined for the first time, according to IDC senior research director Francisco Jeronimo.‏

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 4Tag: CanalysBuyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
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Pandora Rolling Out Personalized Playlists to All Premium Subscribers on Mobile App

After a slow rollout began in March, Pandora today announced that all Premium tier subscribers can now access their own personalized music playlists. Similar to Apple Music and Spotify, Pandora’s selection of playlists personally curate a specific collection of tracks, but Pandora focuses on moods, activities, and genres (via TechCrunch).

For example, Pandora can create “Your Energy Soundtrack,” “Your Happy Soundtrack,” “Your Rainy Day Soundtrack,” “Your R&B Soundtrack,” and more, with about 25 songs each. As a comparison, Apple Music’s personal curation focuses on New Music Mix, Chill Mix, and Favorites Mix, offering songs aimed at introducing you to new artists, serving up relaxing tunes, and generating a collection of what the service decides are your favorite tracks.

Image via TechCrunch
Pandora Premium users can send links to their friends (even if they’re on the free tier) as a way to share their personalized playlists. The free tier users will have to watch a video ad to listen to the playlist and test out other paid features as well — an ability Pandora debuted last December.

In regards to how the app curates the playlists, Pandora says it uses its “Music Genome” and machine learning algorithms to continously determine what music you listen to most often. Combined with human curators, Pandora then gathers songs into the new “Soundtrack” playlists to “perfect the lists and update them, as needed.”

Apple Music updates its Mixes on specific days every week, but Pandora’s offering appears to be a bit more nebulous. During the rollout phase of the feature, the app was creating “up to four new playlists” for each user every week, and it would continue until it “maxed out” the user’s playlist categories. TechCrunch explains further: “This “max” is not a flat number, but varies by user. For example, someone who listens to a lot of different types of music may continue getting new playlists for weeks.”

Pandora is offering the stable of personalized playlists as a way to entice its free users to upgrade to Pandora Premium, which runs for $9.99/month. Originally a live radio streaming service only, Pandora launched Premium in 2017 to compete with Apple Music and Spotify, combining its existing radio features into an on-demand music streaming service.

Moving forward, Pandora is planning to release more playlist categories and themes in the coming months. Pandora chief performance officer Chris Phillips says, “This is the beginning of a whole suite of themed playlists that we will automatically build and tailor to each Premium user. In the coming months, we’ll be rolling out more even more themes for you to unlock.”

Pandora Music is available to download on iOS [Direct Link] and Android for free.

Tags: Pandora, Pandora Premium
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Apple Offering $50 Credit to Customers Who Paid for iPhone 6 and Later Battery Replacements From January to December 2017

Apple is providing a $50 credit to all customers who paid for an out-of warranty battery replacement for an iPhone 6 or later between the dates of January 1, 2017 and December 28, 2017, the company announced today.

The $50 credit is an extension of Apple’s $29 battery replacement program, which went into effect in December of 2017 to provide lower-cost battery replacement options to customers potentially affected by performance throttling due to battery degradation.

All customers who had a battery replacement from an Apple Store, Apple Repair Center, or an Apple Authorized Service Provider are eligible for the $50 credit, which will be provided as an electronic funds transfer or a credit on the credit card used to pay for the battery replacement.

Apple is only issuing refunds for replacements completed at an Apple authorized service location, so those who may have received repairs from a third-party repair outlet will not be eligible for a refund.

The program is available to customers who paid the full $79 price for an out-of-warranty battery replacement on an iPhone 6, 6 Plus, SE, 6s, 6s Plus, 7, or 7 Plus. The $50 credit will bring the price paid for the replacement down to $29, the same price Apple is charging for replacement batteries through the end of 2018. While Apple is offering $50 in the United States, battery replacement credits in other countries will vary based on the original price of the out-of-warranty replacement.

Those who paid for an out-of-warranty battery replacement will be contacted by Apple via email between May 23 and July 27 with instructions on how to receive the credit. Customers who believe they are eligible for a credit but have not received an email by August 1 should contact Apple support for assistance.

Apple has been offering lower-cost batteries following controversy over power management features quietly introduced in older iPhones with the iOS 10.2.1 update in early 2017.

The power management options were introduced to prevent unexpected shutdowns during times of peak power draw on devices with degraded batteries, but Apple faced heavy criticism for not disclosing the fact that the power management features throttled the processor on older iPhones with less than optimal batteries, resulting in slower performance.

The throttling was discovered in late 2017 and many customers were left feeling deceived by Apple. To make up for the disclosure oversight, Apple apologized, introduced a $29 battery replacement program, disabled throttling by default in iOS 11.3, and added new features to iOS to introduce more detailed information about battery health so customers will know when a degraded battery is impacting performance.

Related Roundup: iPhone 7Tag: iPhone SlowdownBuyer’s Guide: iPhone 8 (Caution)
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Apple Hit With Second Class Action Lawsuit Over ‘Defective’ Keyboards in Recent MacBook, MacBook Pro Models

A second class action lawsuit has been filed against Apple over problematic keyboards in recent MacBook and MacBook Pro models.

Like the first lawsuit filed last week, this complaint alleges that small amounts of dust or debris accumulating around recent MacBook and MacBook Pro keyboards can render the butterfly switch mechanism underneath individual keys nonfunctional, according to court documents obtained by MacRumors.

In some cases, the butterfly switches can also break entirely, resulting in the affected key becoming detached from the keyboard.

MacRumors first highlighted customer complaints about the 2016 MacBook Pro keyboard over a year ago, including non-functional keys, strange high-pitched sounds on some keys, and keys with a non-uniform feel.

An excerpt from the complaint, filed on Tuesday by law firm Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe in Northern California district court:

Butterfly switch keyboards, which Apple began to use in 2015 on MacBooks and in 2016 on MacBook Pros, are even lower profile than scissor switch keyboards. They still prop up the keys with two intersecting pieces of plastic, but their profile is so low that the key barely “travels” at all when it is depressed. True to the name, butterfly switches are also extremely delicate, held in place by four tiny threads of brittle plastic.

Because of their very low profile, butterfly switch keyboards are resistant to the accumulation of debris underneath the keys. However, when dust or other tiny particles do get beneath the keys, they are capable of rendering the butterfly switches nonfunctional. Further, the keys cannot be removed without risk of damage to the keyboard, which may void Apple’s warranty.

Much of this second lawsuit echoes the first, including the proposed class:

This action is brought on behalf of all persons in the United States who purchased, other than for resale, a model year 2015 or later Apple MacBook or a model year 2016 or later MacBook Pro laptop, which are equipped with “butterfly switch” keyboards.

The complaint alleges that “thousands of consumers” have suffered from these issues, with customer complaints prevalent across blog posts, tweets, comments on forums like MacRumors, an ongoing Change.org petition that has received over 27,000 signatures, and even a satirical song and video.

That video is “I Am Pressing The Spacebar and Nothing Is Happening,” uploaded to YouTube by song-a-day musician Jonathan Mann.

The complaint adds that Apple is “aware of” or “should have known” about the defect through either pre-release product testing, customer complaints, or a combination of the two, but has “at all times failed to disclose that the keyboard is defective” because repairs and replacements prove to be costly.

Apple knew or should have known of the butterfly keyboard defects before the Laptops were ever sold to the public, as a result of standard pre-release product testing. Further… Apple knew or should have known that that the Laptops were defective shortly after the 12-inch MacBooks were initially launched in 2015, and shortly after the MacBook Pros were launched in 2016, because, shortly after each launch, the keyboard was the subject of numerous consumer complaints published on the Company’s website and a variety of internet message boards, such as MacRumors, social and traditional media, and retailer websites. Apple continuously monitors its own website as well as other web pages, including MacRumors…

This complaint, like the first, acknowledges that Apple provides a support document with instructions to clean the keyboard of a MacBook or MacBook Pro with “an unresponsive key or “a key that feels different than the other keys,” but notes that the steps “will not permanently repair the defect.”

Instead, many customers have to resort to the Genius Bar. In the United States, Apple charges an out-of-warranty fee of $700 to replace the keyboard on affected MacBook Pro models, as the process requires replacing the entire top case assembly, the aluminum enclosure housing the keyboard, trackpad, and speaker grilles.

The complaint shares an experience had by Joey Baruch, one of three named plaintiffs alongside Remy Turner and Christopher Martin:

On July 21, 2017, plaintiff Joey Baruch purchased a MacBook Pro 13 inch from an Apple Store in Sherman Oaks, California, and paid $1,974.91. Following his purchase, Mr. Baruch set up his Laptop for use pursuant to the instructions provided. Shortly after his purchase, Mr. Baruch noticed the sporadic failure of certain keys, including the space bar, and the “R”, “T” and “Enter” keys. This problem impaired Mr. Baruch’s ability to use the Laptop.

Once the problem began, Mr. Baruch tried to clean the keyboard using compressed air or a cloth to improve its performance, but the problem progressively got worse. By early 2018, the keyboard performance became so bad that Mr. Baruch needed to take his Laptop in for repair. He brought it to the Apple Store in Sherman Oaks, California. Mr. Baruch is informed and believes his keyboard was replaced. The repair occurred at or about the end of March 2018, and took approximately 5 days.

Shortly thereafter, however, the issue resumed on the new keyboard, including the space bar sticking. The Laptop’s poor performance has become a substantial distraction for Mr. Baruch. Mr. Baruch continues to experience repeated failures with the functionality of the keyboard on his MacBook Pro.

Apple is accused of, among other things, violating California’s Unfair Competition Law and Consumer Legal Remedies Act, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, and breach of express warranty.

The complaint demands that Apple pays punitive damages in an amount to be proven at trial, publicly discloses the defect, and reimburses customers for all costs attributable to the defective MacBook or MacBook Pro keyboards. A jury trial has been demanded in Northern California district court.

Given the overlapping claims, it is likely that the complaints regarding the keyboards will eventually be consolidated into one class action lawsuit.

Related Roundup: MacBook ProTag: lawsuitBuyer’s Guide: MacBook Pro (Don’t Buy)
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HTC U12 Plus vs. HTC U11: Is it time to upgrade?

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Things have been tough for HTC over the last couple of years, but that hasn’t stopped the Taiwanese manufacturer from releasing some great Android smartphones. We were blown away by the camera quality in last year’s HTC U11 and we loved the budget HTC U11 Life. The latest release is the impressive HTC U12 Plus with dual camera front and back, a 6-inch display, and the usual host of innovative features we’ve come to expect from HTC.

We’re excited to test the HTC U12 Plus out, but today we’re going to compare it with last year’s flagship — the U11 — to see what has changed and improved. If you’re considering buying one of these phones, or upgrading from the U11 to the U12 Plus, then this spec comparison should help you decide.

Specs

HTC U12 Plus
HTC U11

Size
156.6 x 73.9 x 8.7-9.7 mm (6.16 x 2.9 x 0.34 – 0.38 inches)
153.9 x 75.9 x 7.9 mm (6.06 x 2.99 x 0.31 inches)

Weight
 188 grams (6.63 ounces)
169 grams (5.96 ounces)

Screen size
6-inch Super LCD display
5.5-inch Super LCD display

Screen resolution
2,880 x 1,440 pixels (537 pixels per inch)
2,560 x 1,440 pixels (534 pixels per inch)

Operating system
Android 8.0 Oreo
Android 7.1 Nougat

Storage space
64GB, 128GB

64GB, 128GB

MicroSD card slot
Yes, up to 2TB
Yes, up to 400GB

Tap-to-pay services
Google Pay
Google Pay

Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835

RAM
6GB
4GB, 6GB

Camera
Dual 12MP and 16MP rear with OIS, dual 8MP and 8MP front
12MP rear, 16MP front

Video
2,160p at 60 frames per second, 1080p at 240 fps
2,160p at 30 frames per second, 1,080p at 120 fps

Bluetooth version
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 4.2

Ports
USB-C
USB-C

Fingerprint sensor
Yes (back)
Yes (front)

Water resistance
IP68
IP67

Battery
3,500mAh

Quick Charge 3.0 (QC 4.0 supported but requires separate charger)

3,000mAh

Quick Charge 3.0

App marketplace
Google Play Store
Google Play Store

Network support
T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon
T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint

Colors
Translucent Blue, Ceramic Black, Flame Red
Amazing Silver, Sapphire Blue, Brilliant Black, Ice White, Solar Red

Price
Starting at $800
$650

Buy from
HTC
HTC

Review score
Hands-on review
4 out of 5 stars

Performance, battery life, and charging

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The HTC U11 was a fine performer with plenty of stamina and speed, but the HTC U12 Plus brings some important improvements. For a start, there’s the latest Snapdragon 845 processor, which is faster and more power efficient than last year’s 835. While the U11 came with a choice of 4GB or 6GB of RAM, paired with 64GB or 128GB of storage respectively, both storage models of the U12 Plus boast 6GB of RAM.

There’s also an extra 500mAh of capacity in the U12 Plus battery, though it is tasked with powering a bigger display. We found the U11 easily lasted a day and half between charges, so we’re hoping the U12 Plus will match it. Both phones support Quick Charge 3.0, but only the U12 Plus supports Quick Charge 4.0 — though you will need to buy a compatible charger separately as you don’t get one in the box. Sadly, neither phone has support for wireless charging.

Winner: HTC U12 Plus

Design and durability

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

One of the few things that disappointed us about the U11 was the chunky design and large bezels around the display. HTC has clearly worked on this, shaving down the bezels in the U12 Plus and moving the fingerprint sensor around to the back of the phone. As a result it has managed to pack in a much larger display without making the body too much bigger. There are still bezels above and below the screen, but mercifully there’s no notch. The stunning, color-changing, liquid glass finish on the back is still present, but the U12 Plus comes in new colors, including a translucent blue that shows some of the inner workings of the device.

There have also been improvements in the durability stakes with the U12 Plus scoring an IP68 rating compared to the IP67 rating that the U11 managed. That means it can be dunked in slightly deeper water without damage. A part of that improvement comes with the introduction of digital buttons — the power and volume buttons are not mechanical buttons, but they’re touch-sensitive.

Because of the glass finish, you’ll still need cases to protect these phones.

Winner: HTC U12 Plus

Display

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

You’ll find the Super LCD screens in HTC’s phones are sharp and pleasant to read on, though they lack the vibrancy of Samsung’s AMOLED screens. The U12 Plus boasts a 6-inch display with a resolution of 2,880 x 1,440 pixels, which works out to 537 pixels per inch. That’s very similar to the U11, which had a 5.5-inch screen with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels, which amounted to 534 pixels per inch. It’s essentially a jump from the old 16:9 aspect ratio to the modern 18:9 and it gives you a slightly taller display.

Winner: HTC U12 Plus

Camera

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

On paper, the HTC U11’s 12-megapixel, single-lens camera didn’t generate too much excitement, but in practice we found it capable of capturing some truly excellent photographs. In fact it’s one of our favorite phone cameras of recent months. The U11 also had a capable 16-megapixel front-facing camera.

With the U12 Plus, HTC has gone dual camera crazy, pairing a 12-megapixel lens with an f/1.75 aperture and a 16-megapixel telephoto lens with an f/2.6 aperture on the rear, both with optical image stabilization (OIS). There are also dual 8-megapixel lenses on the front, for superior portrait mode selfies. We can’t wait to put the U12 Plus camera through its paces and find out what it can do. We’re expecting something special that should surpass last year’s flagship, after all, it scored a DxOMark rating of 103 — just below the top Huawei P20 Pro.

Winner: HTC U12 Plus

Software and updates

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The HTC U11 launched with Android 7.1 Nougat and has since been updated to Android 8.0 Oreo. The U12 Plus is launching with Android 8.0 Oreo and will definitely be getting Android P. Both phones have HTC’s Sense user interface on top, which doesn’t deviate too far from stock Android. There are a few extras like AI Companion and Alexa support, but they complement, rather than replace, Google’s superior suite of apps and services.

Realistically, as the newer and more powerful device, the U12 Plus will continue to get software updates for longer than the U11.

Winner: HTC U12 Plus

Special features

Simon Hill/Digital Trends

The innovative Edge Sense feature made its debut in the U11, allowing you to squeeze your phone to snap a photo or launch Google Assistant. In the U12 Plus, it has been expanded to allow you to double tap either side of the phone to trigger an action.

The BoomSound speakers, which provide stereo sound via the bottom-firing speaker and the top earpiece also sound better. Speaking of audio, HTC has also developed Sonic Zoom further in the U12 Plus, allowing you to focus in on the sound of a subject you are recording when you zoom in on them.

One new trick that the U12 Plus has up its sleeve is the ability to understand when to rotate from portrait to landscape based on how you’re holding and looking at the phone, which means it won’t rotate to landscape when you’re holding it in portrait and you lie down to read.

Winner: HTC U12 Plus

Price

The HTC U12 Plus costs $800 for the 64GB model or $850 for the 128GB model. You can buy the HTC U11 for $650, but you’ll probably find deeper discounts if you shop around, especially now that the U12 Plus has arrived. Both phones will work on all major carriers.

Overall winner: HTC U12 Plus

You would expect a new flagship to best its predecessor, and the U12 Plus certainly doesn’t disappoint. With improvements across the board, some minor, some major, there’s little doubt that this year’s HTC is the one to go for. Smart design tweaks, a slightly bigger display, software evolution, and a faster processor are all steps in the right direction, but the camera overhaul is probably the biggest change. Whether it’s enough to persuade U11 owners to upgrade is harder to say right now, so stay tuned for our full U12 Plus review.

Editors’ Recommendations

• HTC U12 Plus: Everything you need to know about HTC’s latest phone
• HTC U12 Plus hands-on review
• HTC’s Desire 12 and Desire 12 Plus are big on display, low on cost
• HTC Vive vs. Vive Pro
• Oculus Rift vs. HTC Vive

Words lead to actions in the latest version of Slack packing Asana, Jira support

Slack introduced a new feature on Tuesday, May 22 that turns your conversations into “actions.” It’s compatible with Asana, Bitbucket, HubSpot, Jira, Zendesk and more, but as of the time of this publication, Actions weren’t available in the Windows 10 app. Instead, we spotted the new Actions feature within the web-based client by clicking on the “More actions” three-dot icon in any current conversation. 

Initially the “More actions” menu presents a new option labeled as, “Add a message action.” After clicking on the new entry, you’re presented with a page for adding compatible services if they’re not already installed. The app list also includes Guru, Pocket, Teamline (formerly Busybot), and To-do. 

“Using Asana and Slack together keeps projects organized and on track. With the new Asana app for Slack, you can turn any message into an Asana task to keep work moving forward,” the team states. Thus, when you click on the “More actions” icon within a message, you’ll see the “Create a task choice” option for Asana on the list. 

If you have an open issue on Jira Cloud, you can add Slack conversations to that issue for context. In return, the @jirabot will send customizable notifications to any Slack channel you choose. Meanwhile, the new support for HubSpot allows you to create a new task, such as planning a campaign for a big client, and associate that task with a contact or company listed in HubSpot. 

If your team is working on code, support for the Bitbucket repository could be handy. Developed for professional teams, Bitbucket enables code collaboration in the cloud, but Slack makes communication easier by keeping everyone on the same chat channel. The Bitbucket bot keeps an eye on your team’s “usage and patterns” and provides update notifications accordingly. 

“Addressing and responding to pull requests is easy, as they’re automatically updated with the team’s background conversations and decisions discussed in Slack channels,” the Slack team explains. “That means that any important information you need is always available, no matter which tool you’re using.” 

If you’re not familiar with Slack, it’s a cloud-based team collaboration chat client launched in 2013. Short for “Searchable Log of All Conversation and Knowledge,” it started out as an internal IRC-based communication tool for a developer of an online game. And while the current product sheds its ties to the IRC, it’s still IRC-like in that a company can create and manage multiple chat rooms for online collaboration. 

Slack provides three pricing tiers: Free, Standard, and Plus. The free model supports up to 10 apps, one-to-one video calls, and a search tool supporting up to 10,000 messages. For $6.67 per month per active user, teams get group calls with screen sharing, unlimited apps, shared channels, guest accounts, and more. The Plus plan costs $12.50 per active user per month for added user provisioning and deprovisioning, message exports, and more. Slack provides a platform for the enterprise as well. 

Microsoft offers a similar product with Microsoft Teams that’s integrated into the Office 365 subscription. By contrast, Slack is a stand-alone client and service. 

Dell rings the starting bell on its wide-ranging Memorial Day sale

Matt Smith/Digital Trends

Dell has unveiled a whole host of discounts across its various hardware ranges in celebration of Memorial Day. While you can pick up a number of older Inspiron laptops and desktops at cut rates, some of the best deals available are for some of our favorite XPS notebooks, which not only have discounts off their standard price, but have additional coupon codes you can use to bring the cost down even further.

The Memorial Day sales kick off today, May 23, and will run through the actual Memorial Day next Monday, May 28. The sales feature just about everything in Dell’s hardware lineup in some fashion or another. There are desktops, laptops, all-in-ones, and 2-in-1s on sale, all with reasonable discounts of a few hundred dollars apiece. Some though are more discounted than others and represent attractive options for prospective buyers.

You can pick up past-generation XPS 15 laptops for between $50 and $150 off depending on your hardware preferences and each is compatible with the 10 percent off “XPSMEM10” coupon code which improves savings even further. The Biggest discount with that range though is a brand-new XPS 15 2-in-1 with eighth-generation Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 4K display. You can knock off up to $355 from its usual $2,200 price with Memorial Day deals and codes.

If you’re more of a gamer, Dell is also offering some of its Alienware branded laptops and desktops at sizeable discounts. The Alienware 17 with eighth-generation Intel Core i7 CPU and a GTX 1070 has been discounted by $250 to $1,900, while the Alienware 15 with a monstrously powerful Intel Core i9-8950K CPU paired up with a GTX 1080 has had its price cut by $450 to $2,800.

Desktop gamers can upgrade their display on the cheap, too. The Dell Alienware 34 gaming ultrawide monitor with a 3800R curvature, G-Sync support, and a resolution of 2,560 x 1,080 has had its price cut by a third to $800. The super-fast Dell 24 gaming monitor with a 165Hz refresh rate and a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution, has seen a drop of nearly $200 to just $380.

But that’s far from all that’s on offer. There are more displays from Dell and a number of other manufacturers, monitor mounts, accessories, desktops, laptops, and peripherals like headsets and gaming mice. If you’re in the market for some new hardware, whether it’s a full system or just some accessories to augment your PC experience, check out Dell’s Memorial Day sale page for a full list of discounted hardware.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best laptops
• Dell calls revamped XPS 15 the ‘smallest performance 15.6-inch laptop’
• The best Dell laptops
• Best Buy drops its price for the MacBook Air to as low as $650
• Dell XPS 13 vs. Microsoft Surface Book 2 13