HP Spectre x360 15 vs. Dell XPS 15 2-in-1

Dan Baker/Digital Trends

When it comes to convertible laptops, power and versatility don’t always go hand in hand. However, a new-generation of hardware that combines Intel processing with AMD graphics on the same chip and a 2-in-1 form factor, promise to turn that paradigm right on its head.

Both HP and Dell have impressive offerings in that new market niche, but how do they compare? In this head to head, we pit the HP Spectre x360 15 vs. the Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 to see which offers the best bang for buck when it comes to powerful, portable and convertible computing.

Design

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

The design of a 2-in-1 laptop is arguably more important than it is in a standard laptop, because it not only needs to operate as a good-looking, functional laptop, but as an easy to hold tablet too. Both the Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 and HP Spectre x360 15 do a reasonable job in both states of being, but they do have their quirks that help differentiate them in specific ways.

The XPS 15 2-in-1 isn’t quite as good a notebook laptop as the Spectre x360 15, because its keyboard has an extremely short travel distance to save space. That does make it more of a comfortable, low-weight device when in tablet mode, but it means that it’s just not as nice to type on as the HP counterpart. Then again, the Spectre does suffer from being rather chunky for a modern laptop. It’s not the lightest device either.

The standard-laptop functionality of the HP device extends into its port selection too. Where the XPS 15 2-in-1 has gone all-in on USB-C — offering four of them alongside an SD card slot — the Spectre x360 15 offers a USB-A port alongside a pair of newer Thunderbolt 3 ports and an SD card slot. That’s a nice touch for contemporary backwards compatibility, though it may also date the HP 2-in-1 in years to come.

Performance

Dan Baker/Digital Trends

One of the most exciting elements of both of these 2-in-1s, is that they can be configured to use the new Intel eighth-generation G-series processors, which combine an Intel CPU core with AMD Vega graphics. Each has their own options in that respect, with the $1,300 XPS 15 2-in-1s offering an i5-8305G, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of solid state storage, up to an i7-8705G with 16GB of RAM, and up to a terabyte of storage for up to $2,550.

In comparison, the HP Spectre x360 15 also offers a non-G Intel Core i7-8550U CPU with an MX 150 and 8GB of RAM for $1,270 at the low-end, and an i7-8705G with 16GB of RAM, and up to two terabytes of storage at the top end, with a price tag just north of $2,200.

Although there is a little tussling between the two systems in terms of pricing at the top end, both offer similar specifications for similar prices at the mid-range. In our testing, they performed very close to one another in both day-to-day tasks and 1080p gaming. These are both seriously fast systems that will feel snappy and capable for years to come.

The differentiator between them however, is in their displays. Where the Spectre laptop can only be configured with a 4K IPS panel, the Dell offering has a 1080p option that can save you a lot of money and battery life. That said, the XPS 15 2-in-1’s display is gorgeous. In our testing we found it to be comparable with market leaders like the Surface Book 2. The HP Spectre’s has a sharp, vibrant image, but it falls behind the XPS 15 2-in-1 in terms of contrast ratio and overall brightness.

Portability

Dan Baker/Digital Trends

When it comes to tablet mode operation, portability in a 2-in-1 is a must. That’s where these two devices start to differentiate from their otherwise relatively comparable designs. Where the HP Spectre x360 15 is 14.13 x 9.84 x 0.76-inches, the XPS 15 2-in-1’s slimmer keyboard and overall framework give it a trimmer design at 13.9 x 9.2 x 0.63-inches, narrowing to just 0.36-inches at its thinnest. That, combined with a weight difference of nearly a third of a pound, makes the XPS 15 2-in-1 just that bit easier to handle in both tablet mode and when in transit.

The Spectre x360 15 does claw its way back into the lead in terms of battery life though. With a massive 84-watt-hour battery under the hood, it managed six and a half hours in our web-browsing test, where the Dell option only managed four and a half.

Neither are great though, and we’d put most of the blame on the 4K display, even if the hefty CPU/GPU combination chip is quite power hungry in its own right. If you were to opt for the 1080p screen on the XPS 15 2-in-1, we’d put money on the results being reversed.

Heft is a hard sell, but the XPS 15 2-in-1 wins out

Although neither the Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 or the HP Spectre x360 15 are better laptops than some of their non-convertible competition, they do offer a pretty unique package. The Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 just happens does it a little better.

Performance between the two devices is much the same, but the Dell 2-in-1 has a nicer display overall and with the option for 1080p — something that’s far more fitting for a 15-inch laptop display — can be more kindly to your bank balance and battery life.

While the HP 2-in-1 certainly has a better keyboard, its slightly bulky design and increased weight mean that we found it more comfortable to use as a laptop with some impressive gaming chops, though tablet use is pretty untenable. The XPS 15 2-in-1 didn’t blow us away in every area either, but it does things just that little bit better than the HP competition and offers the better overall 2-in-1 experience.

Editors’ Recommendations

• HP Spectre x360 15-inch (2018) review
• Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 review
• Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 vs. Dell XPS 15
• Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 vs. Surface Book 2 15
• Dell XPS 15 9560 review

Dead rising: Old phones we want to see zapped back to life

Mobile phones are now old enough for people to be nostalgic about the devices they owned years ago. Perhaps it was their first phone, or one that had a particular feature which made it stand above the rest, or it was a trendsetter that made you feel great when you took it out of your pocket.

There are a few companies tapping into that nostalgia today, most notably HMD Global and Nokia, along with BlackBerry to a certain extent — but the pool of devices that are ripe for a reboot is greater than the Nokia 3310, Nokia 8810, and a keyboard-equipped BlackBerry.

Here are some of the old phones we’d like to see come back with a modern spin.

Nokia N-Gage

The original N-Gage launched in 2003, and was a response to handheld gaming machines from Nintendo, Sega, and others. It’s mobile gaming intentions are clear from the shape, which lends itself to two-handed use, just like a console controller. The only thing was, at the time, the games were almost universally terrible. A gaming phone without decent games was destined for failure, and so it was.

Today, that’s not the case, and mobile gaming is a multibillion-dollar global industry. The majority of games are playable on all phones, but we’re stuck with third-party gaming controllers if we want to recreate the exact same shape the N-Gage offered 15 years ago. Nokia is enjoying a resurgence at the moment, and its retro phones are huge hits among phone fans. Why not give the N-Gage another shot?

Motorola Razr V3i

Big surprise, right? The Motorola Razr is accepted as a design classic, and a phone many of us have owned at some point. The V3i was one of the final Razr models introduced before Motorola closed the range and updated it to the less-successful Razr2. It was the epitome of the model line, and the almost perfect implementation of the flip phone style.

Motorola has reintroduced the full Motorola name on its latest Moto G6 phones, indicating it’s keen to trade on its massive legacy. How about a new Razr when foldable screens are possible? We’re not far away, and have seen the first versions already — the ZTE Axon M for example. Calls for a rebooted Razr have come for years, but now the technology is nearing the point where a modern interpretation that retains the original’s charm is possible.

Motorola Aura R1

Forget any reboot; we wish an original R1 was sat on our shelf inside a glass case right now. The Aura R1 has a circular screen, like a smartwatch, covered in sapphire crystal, and the body is made from stainless steel. It’s related to a flip phone, but instead of flipping open the top of the shell swivels to reveal the keypad, an action made possible with an incredibly intricate gear system designed and made in Switzerland. The gears were visible through a panel on the back of the phone.

Smartwatches imitate mechanical watches today, but this work of art was a phone imitating a mechanical watch. Don’t change much, Motorola — just bring back the Aura in some form. A pocket smartwatch, perhaps?

LG Chocolate

LG really cracked design with the Chocolate range. While the U.S. only saw a handful of Chocolate phones — which weren’t actually made of chocolate, sorry — in Europe and Asia the range was more expansive, and included the touch sensitive red buttons on the case, which became a Chocolate phone trademark. Most were slider phones, but toward the end of the line in 2009, the BL40 wide-screen phone with a full touchscreen came with a very different look. It even had a 21:9 aspect ratio, reminiscent of the 18:9 and 19:9 ratio trend we see today. We’d love to see LG tap into the design talent that produced the Chocolate range again.

Nokia 7280

One of the most unusual mainstream phones ever made, the Nokia 7280 was often referred to as the Lipstick Phone, and to understand why, you just have to look at it. It didn’t hide its fashionable status either, with the tiny screen becoming a mirror when it wasn’t showing anything.

Why would we want to see another? Why not? It’s totally unlike anything else out there, just as it was back in 2004 when the 7280 launched. Put a capable camera on the back, and the ergonomics, design, and overall simplicity will do the rest.

Palm Pre

Why would we want the Palm Pre to come back? BlackBerry’s KeyOne has proven there is demand for a phone with a physical keyboard, and it’s catering to those interested in such a device almost on its own. Those who remember the Palm Pre will no doubt dream of a webOS (the phone’s operating system) mobile revival, but the software has gone on to thrive on televisions. Instead, an Android-based Pre-style phone, with cute pebble-like design, wireless charging, and a slider keyboard would no doubt attract plenty of attention today.

The return of collaborations

Not a phone specifically, but a way of making phones. A decade ago, fashion brands were paying attention to phones and several unusual and interesting partnerships sprung up in the technology industry because of it. Prada joined with LG, Giorgio Armani teamed up with Samsung, and D&G sided with Motorola. Today, fashion brands edge toward smartwatches, which are a more natural extension than phones for these companies, but we’d still like to see more top designers get involved with shaping phones today. We love limited editions, and while OnePlus and Huawei among others have interesting collaborations today, we’d like to see more. Just as long as it’s not only a collection of wallpapers and a special box. Put some effort in, please.

These are our favorites that we’d like to see given a new lease of life in the near future. Do you have any old phone favs that would benefit from a modern spin?

Editors’ Recommendations

• Ugly, weird, and expensive: The craziest phone designs ever
• DT Daily: What’s ‘Next’ for No Man’s Sky’s big universe?
• A rebooted Palm smartphone could launch on Verizon later this year
• Google’s new recommendation program showcases the best phones for business
• Ear plugs at the ready? The horror of tech companies making music

How to Mount a Google Home Mini

The Google Home Mini is small and lightweight, making it easy to mount on a wall.

The Google Home Mini is an impressive little puck that can play music, automate your home and tap into the search powers of Google for only $49 — or $29 if you get it on sale. At either price, it’s not hard to buy a few to have them placed at different spots through your house.

You could have the Home Minis placed on different tables or shelves, or you can go a step further and have the speakers mounted on your walls. These are the best options for mounting a Google Home Mini!

• Double-sided tape
• The Mini Back Pack by Dot Genie
• USB Cover Plate Mount by Dot Genie
• Simple Built-In Mini Mount by Dot Genie
• Incipio Wall Mount
• ECHOGEAR Outlet Shelf

Double-sided tape — quick and easy

This method firmly falls into the “If it looks stupid, but it works, it isn’t stupid” category. But this is the cheapest, fastest and easiest mounting method. The Google Home Mini is pretty light, so just grab some double sided tape (I used some mounting squares from 3M), stick one side to the Home Mini and then just stick the Home Mini to the wall. Done!

If you want to go one step further, you can get a custom length micro-USB power cable to reduce clutter.

3M Mounting Squares

Mini Back Pack by Dot Genie — best for renters

This solution is a lot more elegant. The Mini Back Pack features a plastic clip for the Home Mini itself, then the USB power supply slides in. A tiny micro-USB power cable completes the ensemble, and the whole thing is light enough that a power jack has no problem supporting it. The user still has easy access to the side touch controls and the physical mute switch.

This is the better option for renters and apartment dwellers who can’t drill into their walls, or someone who isn’t entirely sure which rooms they’d like the mount the Home Mini in.

The Mini Back Pack by Dot Genie is available in black and white for $15.

Mini Back Pack by Dot Genie at Amazon

USB Cover Plate Mount by Dot Genie – getting cleaner

Dot Genie has another option that requires a bit of manual labor, but results in a cleaner setup. USB wall plates are nothing new, but this mount goes a step further: one side of the mount has a normal USB-A port for charging your phone or other electronics, while the other side is specifically designed to power and mount a Google Home Mini. This way, you still have full access to the regular power ports, but a clean design for your smart speaker. As with the other mount, the speaker and mute switch are unobstructed, and you can access the side touch controls.

Dot Genie’s USB Cover Plate Mount for the Google Home Mini is available in black, white and chalk; either in a 1-pack for $15 or a 5-pack for $45.

USB Cover Plate Mount at Amazon

Simple Built-In Mini Mount by Dot Genie – maximum effort

Dot Genie has one last option, with this one requiring the most effort but achieving the cleanest design. If you don’t own your home, this product probably won’t be for you because it requires drilling into the walls. You also need to run power through the wall, and you won’t have easy access to the mute switch and controls. Having said all that, the aesthetic may well be worth it: your Google Home Mini looks and acts like an intercom, which is perfect if you use the broadcast feature. You can place the mount anywhere in your house that you can run a Micro-USB power cable to, so you can use your wall plugs for your other gadgets.

The Simple Built-In Mini Mount by Dot Genie is available in white in a 1-pack for $15, or in a 5-pack for $50.

Simple Built-In Mini Mount at Amazon

Incipio Wall Mount — a mix of all worlds

This next method is a combination of some of the others. A plastic piece clips onto the back of the Google Home Mini, this time with two holes for nails. This lets you place the Home Mini at any height you’d like, but also have something much more permanent than tape. Again, you can use any micro-USB cable with the Home Mini, so feel free to buy one that’s the perfect length or color to match your decor.

The Incipio Wall Mount is available in white for $15.

Incipio Wall Mount at Google

ECHOGEAR Outlet Shelf – the most flexible option

This next product is still great, even if you don’t use it for a Google Home Mini. The ECHOGEAR Outlet Shelf is another wall plate replacement, this time with a shelf on top that can be used for your smart speaker, Wi-Fi router, toothbrush and anything else you can think of. The shelf supports anything up to 10 pounds, so even heavier speakers like a Sonos would work .There’s a hole in the back of the shelf, specifically so you can run cables through to your device. There’s no messing with any wiring, so apartment dwellers and home owners alike can use this.

The ECHOGEEAR Outlet Shelf is available in white for $15.

ECHOGEAR Outlet Shelf at Amazon

What say you?

Have you mounted your Google Home Mini? Let us know how you did it in the comments below!

This article was updated in May 2018 with the addition of the USB Cover Plate Mount, the Simple Built-In Mini Mount and the ECHOGEAR Outlet Shelf.

Google Home

• Google Home review
• Google Home Mini: Everything you need to know!
• Google Home Max review
• These services work with Google Home
• Google Home vs. Amazon Echo
• Join our Google Home forums!

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The best Chromecast to use with the Oculus Go

Planning to share your game footage from your Oculus Go? This is the Chromecast to pick up!

Oculus Go headsets are a great way to isolate yourself from the world to immerse yourself a movie, game, or other content. But, say you want to share your gameplay with someone else at your house. You’re never going to strap two heads inside of a VR headset, but there’s fortunately a better way.

Last year, the Gear VR added the ability to share video to a Chromecast, and it works the same on the Oculus Go.

Here’s the best Chromecast to use with your Oculus Go!

Is what I have now good enough?

If you’ve been using a Chromecast since the first version was released in 2013, you’ll want to get one of the newer models. The first gen Chromecast is fine for streaming from Netflix or Hulu, but it chokes a bit when trying to stream from the Oculus Go. This means your audio and video on the headset will be a couple seconds ahead of where it is on the Chromecast, which could lead to a disorienting experience.

Chromecast and Chromecast Ultra

If you want to buy a Chromecast today, you have two options: the standard Chromecast and the Chromecast Ultra. The standard Chromecast outputs at a resolution of 1080p and costs $35, while the Chromecast Ultra outputs at 4K and costs $70.

While it performs better than the 2013 model, the current standard Chromecast still has issues when trying to cast from a Gear VR or Oculus. Audio was delayed by about two seconds, while the screen froze a few times. It’s not a deal breaker, but not a perfect situation either.

The Chromecast Ultra was much better. The audio was delayed by only one second instead of two. Meanwhile, we had no issues with the screen tearing or freezing. Another advantage that the Ultra has is it comes bundled with the Chromecast Ethernet adapter, which should help your Chromecast perform better than if you decide to use Wi-Fi. The Ethernet adapter costs $15 on its own, so the $70 for the Chromecast Ultra isn’t a huge price jump from the cost of the standard Chromecast and the Ethernet adapter combined.

See at Best Buy

What about Chromecast Audio?

Chromecast Audio is a great way to play audio to multiple speakers, so you may be tempted to Cast your game audio for an epic surround sound. Unfortunately, Oculus Go only allows Casting BOTH audio and video, so sending the signal to a Chromecast Audio wouldn’t do anything.

Chromecast Ultra is the best Chromecast for streaming

It’s a price jump from the standard Chromecast, but if you plan on Casting a lot of your game footage, the Chromecast Ultra is your best option. An extra second of audio delay may not sound like a lot, but it can quickly become aggravating while you’re trying to game. The Ethernet adapter is a nice cherry on top, and being able to stream your favorite shows and movies in 4K will be a nice bonus too.

See at Best Buy

What say you?

Are you going to pick up a Chromecast to use with your Oculus Go? Let us know down below!

Spigen’s Bluetooth headphones, PNY SSDs, Amazon Cloud Cams and more are one sale today

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

Today you can get big discounts on Spigen’s Bluetooth headphones, PNY SSDs, Amazon Cloud Cam 2-packs, and more! Don’t pass these up.

View the rest of the deals

If you want to know about the deals as soon as they are happening, you’ll want to follow Thrifter on Twitter, and sign up for the newsletter, because missing out on a great deal stinks!

How to set up the Steam Link beta on Android

This app is way more versatile than it appears at first.

If like me you have been looking for a good reason to own an Android tablet, Valve may have given us the perfect excuse. Steam Link has been available as a small device for your TV for quite some time now and did the job of allowing you to stream your games to the biggest screen in your house admirably but it didn’t allow for much portability.

The new Steam Link app, however, does allow you to move freely around your house and play all your favorite Steam games on any Android device you own as long as it is Android 5.0 and up. That means even my ancient Hudl from Tesco runs it, although without a 5GHz band on your tablet’s Wi-Fi you may experience some latency issues. Setting up the Steam link is easy but you will need a few things.

Download Steam Link beta (Free)

What you need

• A Bluetooth controller compatible with your Android device. They recommend the Steam controller but isn’t required.
• The Steam link app that you just downloaded from above.
• The Steam PC or Mac client installed with the games you want to play downloaded.
• A solid internet connection.

Find a Bluetooth Controller at Amazon

Step by Step

Open the Steam Link beta on your device.
Pair and connect the Bluetooth controller to your device.
Choose the computer you wish to stream to.
Tap the Start Playing button.
Enjoy your Steam games on your hammock outside.

The Deets

The whole procedure is extremely quick and simple. First, the app wants to make sure you can control the games so it asks you to connect a Bluetooth controller, the Steam controller for preference. If you all you have is a cheap Bluetooth controller for your Android phone that will work too so don’t worry, and if you want to speed the process along you can pair and connect it before you open the app and Steam Link will recognize it and skip the step.

Next, you will be asked to choose the computer you want to stream from. If you have multiple computers running the same Steam account, you will need to figure out which is which — my computer names all seem to be random letters and numbers so I connected to all of them until I found the right one — and once you’ve found it a dialogue box will appear on your computer screen and a code will appear on your Android device. Input the code to link your devices.

From here, the big screen version of the Steam Client on your computer will load in on both the screens and you should be able to navigate normally. You can now take the device to any room in the house, as long as the WiFi connection remains strong, and enjoy wireless free gaming, and because the controller is connected to the tablet and not the computer you really can move around with far less latency than you might experience if it was paired with the computer.

So far I have zero issue with latency — which occurs when the stream doesn’t keep up with your inputs on the controller — but I haven’t played too many twitch-based games like Call of Duty or Fortnite either. It may occur on some games so be warned!

A little Bonus

Oh and, as the late great Steve Jobs would say, just one more thing, you can also use the Steam Link app to stream your normal desktop. That’s right, a simple press of Alt-Tab on your computer keyboard and you will come out of the Steam Big Screen and into your normal desktop where you are free to do pretty much whatever you want.

So yes that is Sea of Thieves playing on my Pixel 2 XL and yes that is the Admirals hull, it looks so good and is well worth the 70,000 gold, and although I had to connect the controller to the PC this time and not the tablet I still got some fairly decent range with it. It’s a lot of fun.

So do we like the Steam Link app?

I know I do. I’ve had a lot of reason to be jealous of my friends with their Nintendo Switch’s and although the Steam Link app is not a true replacement for it, and doesn’t have Zelda, it is a great, free alternative to use something you already own and maximize its potential. Have you guys played with the Steam Link app? What did you think? Let us know in the comments.

Twitter is killing its apps for Roku, Android TV and Xbox

Apps will remain for Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, though.

Fun fact: Twitter had apps for Roku, Android TV and Xbox.

Another fun fact: Those apps will no longer work come May 24. While Twitter didn’t explicitly say why, TechCrunch says it had to do with the new European General Data Protection Regulation, which goes into effect May 25 and is the reason all of your apps have been updating and letting you know that they’re updating their privacy policies and basically making a mess of your inbox in the name of privacy.

Or something.

And apparently the Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV apps will remain in service.

On Thursday, May 24, Twitter for Roku, Twitter for Android TV and Twitter for Xbox will no longer be available. To get the full Twitter experience, visit https://t.co/fuPJa3nVky on your device or desktop.

— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) May 22, 2018

Why in the world would you use Twitter on your TV? Perhaps you’re a glutton for punishment, or maybe you want in on the occasional exclusive content. (Before Amazon took over, Twitter was streaming Thursday night NFL games.)

So let’s pour one out for Twitter on Roku, Xbox and Android TV — even if you never used ’em.

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Deals: eBay 15% Off Memorial Day Coupon, Anker and Koogeek Amazon Sales, and More

eBay shoppers this week have the chance to save 15 percent off their purchases thanks to the online marketplace’s new Memorial Day coupon. While the coupon is limited to certain sellers, it provides savings on select top brands like Apple, DJI, Dyson, and more.

Similar to some previous eBay coupons, the discount applies to the purchase price (excluding shipping, handling, and taxes) of an order priced at $50 or more, and the code can only be used once within a single transaction. Likewise, the discount will be capped at a value of $50, so any cart that totals around $330 will gain the full $50 discount. Note that the coupon expires Friday, May 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Unlike past codes the Memorial Day coupon is more limited, with a list of specific sellers that are partaking in the event. There are still plenty of notable shops to browse through, including AnkerDirect, Daily Steals, Overstock, Tech Rabbit, and many more. For the full list, visit this page and scroll all the way to the bottom, or you can delve straight into the electronics sale items compatible with the coupon.

Over on Amazon, Apple accessory makers Anker and Koogeek have a few discount codes for products going on through the end of May. The items range from Anker’s dependable battery packs and USB cables, to a collection of Koogeek’s low-price HomeKit products. Check out the full list below:

Anker (Need Codes)

• PowerPort 5W Qi-Certified Wireless Charger – $12.99 with code ANKER258, down from $19.99 (exp. 5/28)

• Powerline II USB C to C Cable 3ft – $6.99 with code ANKERPD8, down from $9.99 (exp. 6/1)

• PowerCore+ 26,800 mAh with Power Delivery Charger – $79.99 with code ANKERPD3, down from $119.99 (exp. 6/1)

Anker (Don’t Need Codes)

• eufy by Anker BodySense Smart Scale – $34.99, down from $45.99 (exp. 5/24)

• Powerline+ USB C to A 3.0 Cable 6ft (Red, Grey) – $8.99, down from $13.99 (exp. 5/28)

• Soundcore Vortex Bluetooth Over-Ear Headphones – $49.99, down from $69.99 (exp. 5/31)

• Powerline+ USB C to A 3.0 Cable 6ft (Red and Grey, 2-pack) – $17.59, down from $21.99 (exp. 6/1)

Koogeek

• Koogeek WiFi Smart LED Light Bulb – $18.99 with code C2Z69Y6K, down from $32.99 (exp. 5/25)

• Koogeek Dimmable Smart LED Light Strip – $32.75 with code LMPPC4NJ, down from $38.99 (exp. 5/25)

• Koogeek Smart WiFi Light Switch for Apple HomeKit – $32.99 with code JAUXYFD6, down from $43.99 (exp. 5/31)

For any MacRumors exclusive codes, be sure to visit our blog posts regarding Anker and RavPower sales. Otherwise, be sure to head to our full Deals Roundup for other sales and offers happening this week, including MacBook and iPhone trade-in bonuses at Gazelle.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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Graphic Designer Envisions Apple Music With Simpler UI, Music History Stats, Group Playlists, and More

Graphic designer Álvaro Pabesio shared his vision for an updated, enhanced Apple Music on Behance earlier today, and it’s an impressively detailed look at UI tweaks and changes that Apple could make to fix a few user gripes with its streaming music app. As you look at Pabesio’s designs, remember that this is a concept and in no way indicates or confirms what we’ll see with Apple Music in iOS 12 later this year.

To start off, Pabesio revamped the Library tab, removing the vertical list for Playlists, Artists, Albums, and Songs, and introducing a horizontal tab bar that you can scroll through. With more space afforded from this change, new daily suggestions pop up right in Library for playlists, stations, artists, and personal mixes the app thinks you’ll like.

Pabesio nixed “For You” completely by introducing features from this tab into other parts of the app, so the second tab is now Browse. Here you can perform the usual artist and album searches, and find the latest songs and new releases, but Pabesio added in a few details to truly expand browsing on Apple Music.

More information is now displayed on the screen at once, thanks to the reduction of the current app’s large image banner carousel and the same horizontal scrolling bar from Pabesio’s Library tab. Pabesio highlights a much smaller new album/song carousel at the top of his concept, “Trending now” tracks, and places your personal mixes on this page as well.

In the graphic designer’s imagining of Apple Music, you can provide even more granular feedback into mood playlists by filling out a prompt, like “I’m [happy] and feeling like [going out].” Pabesio’s description says depending on your response Apple Music will take into account the music in your Library, the mood you chose, and find “up to 5 hours of selected music” for you to listen to.

One of Pabesio’s biggest overhauls is a new “Social” tab, taking the rudimentary features Apple added in iOS 11 last September and greatly expanding upon them. When you open the tab you see a similar horizontal tab bar like the one found in Library, and it houses Stats, Friends, Rankings, and more. Apple Music can now show your plays broken down weekly, monthly, yearly, and all time, and even lets you know if you did above or below average in terms of music listening each week.

Each user’s page now shows their song play counts, following and follower counts, and when you visit someone it’ll provide a taste comparison graph, similar to music social network Last.fm. Underneath that, Apple Music profiles now show individually played songs, instead of just displaying the latest albums or playlists the user listened to.

These can still be seen too, however, with even more displayed on profiles like playlists, top artists, custom playlists, and more. For Apple’s curated playlists, these also show follower counts, as well as up and down arrows to show when songs change position on charted playlists. All of these ideas extend to official artist pages as well.

Expanding even further on the social features is a new group playlist ability, so you can create public or private playlists with up to 50 friends. Pabesio also notes tiny fixes like “relevant notifications,” a “revamped album view,” and the return of double-tapping artwork to love a song.

Overall, Pabesio’s Apple Music concept is an interesting look into ideas that Apple could incorporate into the Music app down the line, and there’s much more to check out on his Behance page, including his tweaks to Apple Music on Mac. We should be hearing about any updates coming to Apple Music very soon, with the reveal of iOS 12 and much more at WWDC just two weeks away.

Tag: Apple Music
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iOS 12 Wishlist: Features MacRumors Readers Hope to See in the Next Version of iOS

Apple plans to introduce the next-generation version of iOS, iOS 12, on June 4 at its Worldwide Developers Conference. Rumors have suggested this is going to be a bug fix and performance improvement update, with Apple delaying some features until iOS 13 to focus on these internal changes.

There are, however, rumors that we may see updates that include cross-platform apps for Mac and iOS devices, new Animoji, Animoji support for FaceTime, updated parental controls, and an enhanced version of Do Not Disturb. Rumors never cover all of the features that we see in new versions of iOS, though, so there could be additional changes in the works.

With that in mind, we’ve taken a look at some of the most-desired features MacRumors readers are hoping for in iOS 12, pulled from our forums.

User Interface Changes

• Dark mode – Unsurprisingly, a system wide dark mode for iOS is one of the most hoped for features for iOS 12, just as it was for iOS 11 and iOS 10. Apple users have wanted a true dark mode for years, but there’s no word that it’s coming in iOS 12.

  A dark mode concept from iHelpBR

• Split Screen mode for iPhone – The option to run two apps side by side on the iPhone would be useful on larger iPhones, especially with rumors pointing towards a 6.5-inch iPhone in 2018.
• More customization – MacRumors reader Breezygirl would like to see Apple add more Android-like customization options, such as the ability to change the background in messages, adjust the SMS bubble colors, or add a theme to the OS to shift the colors.
• Desktop mode – On some Android devices, there’s a feature where you can dock a smartphone to use it as a desktop machine replacement, attaching it to a larger display, a keyboard, and a mouse. It’s a long shot, but MacRumors reader Marrakas would like to see Apple implement similar functionality.
• Volume redesign – The design of the indicator when you adjust the volume on the iPhone has always been a point of contention with iOS users, and so it’s no surprise that in iOS 12, MacRumors readers are hoping for a new, less intrusive volume interface that takes up less screen space.

  

• Improved battery widget – The battery widget could be improved by allowing all of a user’s devices to be displayed for quick cross-device battery checks.
• No more shake to undo – Several MacRumors readers are tired of the shake to undo/redo feature in the iPhone, which can be activated accidentally. Some readers would like to see an undo feature enabled through a different gesture.

App Improvements

• Camera controls in the Camera app – On a lot of Android devices, the camera app provides manual controls for photo taking. Apple has no similar feature for full manual control, and it would be nice if it were an option, even one that had to be toggled on in Settings. Other settings are hidden in the Settings app, and users would like to see these more readily accessible.
• Aspect Ratio in Camera app – Multiple MacRumors readers would like to see an option to set a default aspect ratio for photos.
• FaceTime – Several MacRumors readers are hoping for group FaceTime. Rumors suggest Apple’s working on it, but it might not come in iOS 12. Animoji are expected to come to FaceTime, though, so you can converse with friends and family as an Animoji character.

  

• App Store wishlists – The revamped App Store in iOS 11 removed app wishlists that some users took advantage of often. This is a feature that quite a few people miss.
• Photos improvements – MacRumors reader kirky29 is hoping for a major overhaul to the Photos app with a lot more functionality for doing things like viewing and editing metadata, changing grid size, altering the order of the photos, and more.
• Music app overhaul – MacRumors reader GermanSuplex has several suggestions for ways Apple could improve the Music app, including the ability to turn iCloud purchases off if desired, improved playcount syncing across devices, the ability to sort songs within playlists by different parameters, refinements and improvements to cloud services and the way the app handles metadata, more control over which devices playlists sync to, and better syncing of music content in general.
• Messages search and archive – A more robust search feature for the Messages app would be a welcome change, as would an option to archive messages and snooze messages, as Joseph H points out.

iPad

• Mouse support on iPad – This one is a long shot, but MacRumors reader boston04and07 wants to see Apple add mouse support for the iPad for navigating through apps.
• iPhone apps for iPad – Multiple iPhone apps, including Weather, Calculator, Health, and Activity are missing from the iPad and have been exclusive to the iPhone for years.

Settings and Systemwide Features

• Revamped Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Toggles – With iOS 11, Apple changed the functionality of the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth toggles in the Control Center. These buttons no longer permanently turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and instead just disable the features for a set amount of time. In iOS 12, MacRumors readers would like to see the on/off functionality returned or enabled through another gesture, such as a longer press.

  

• Do Not Disturb improvements – Do Not Disturb functionality on the iPhone is fairly basic, and that is actually one of the features Apple’s rumored to be working on for iOS 12. The ability to toggle DND on and off for specific apps would be useful, as boston04and07 points out, and being able to set schedules for different days of the week would also be useful. An option to hide notifications entirely would be a welcome change for those who want to use their devices in peace.
• Biometric locking for specific apps – Third-party apps can require you to use a fingerprint, Face ID, or a password to access sensitive data, but as MacRumors reader TimFL1 says, this isn’t available for first-party apps like Photos, nor for specific parts of apps, like individual photo albums.
• iCloud notifications – If you have multiple devices and get a notification from an app like Apple News, it goes to all of your devices instead of just one, and viewing the notification on just one device doesn’t clear it from all of them. If Apple implemented iCloud notifications, notifications would work more smoothly across devices, appearing on just one device and clearing on all.

iPhone X

• Always-on display for iPhone X – Some Android smartphones offer an always-on display, something that Apple could perhaps theoretically enable thanks to the OLED display on the iPhone X, which eats up less battery life. MacRumors readers would like to see an always-on display on the iPhone X for things like the time and incoming notifications, even though it’s probably a long shot at this point in time.

AI

• Siri – Improvements to Siri was one of the most frequent requests, with specifics that include Spotify integration, multi-lingual query support, and, in general, just features to make Siri smarter and more like Alexa or Google Assistant.

More than anything, most of our readers are hoping that Apple is going to hunker down and focus on bug fixes and performance improvements to make existing features operate smoothly and without issues.

Apple is said to be planning to address stability and performance concerns in this update, and has gone as far as delaying planned features in favor of underlying fixes.

Do you have other features you’re hoping to see in iOS 12 that didn’t make our list? Let us know in the comments.

Related Roundup: iOS 12
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