Apple patents hint at smarter iPhone camera, blood pressure-sensing Watch band

Another week, another series of Apple patents. This week, Apple has been awarded a number of mobile-related patents, including one that could help make the iPhone’s camera a whole lot smarter — a little like what Google has done with the camera on the Google Pixel.

Here’s a rundown of the new mobile-related patents Apple has been awarded this week.

A camera with in-pixel depth sensing

Perhaps the most interesting new patent is one called “Image sensing with in-pixel depth sensing,” and it could help make the iPhone’s camera imitate dual-lens camera features with only one sensor. Sound familiar? Well, that’s because it’s what Google has done with the Google Pixel. The patent highlights that the image sensor can work in a few different modes — one depth-of-field mode, one HDR mode, and one charge-summing mode. This is done with photo detectors in pixels — which can be combined to form a pair of photo detectors in two pixels, and then used to gather information like depth.

Perhaps the most interesting application could be the depth-sensing mode, as it could help a single-lens camera better create Portrait Mode effects without needing that extra data from another sensor.

The patent is a continuation of previous patents — which date back to 2013. Still, it’s nice to see Apple still thinking about improving its camera tech, especially in the light of increased competition from the likes of Google.

A concave display

The next patent relates to keeping an iPhone safe and sound in the event of a drop. The patent highlights the use of a concave display on an iPhone or iPad, which would reduce the risk of the display smashing or cracking when the device is dropped.

Of course, for technology like this the phone would need to have a flexible display — though of course that’s a little more common these days on devices with edges.

The patent is a continuation of patents dating back to 2011, so it’s interesting to see it pop up again. It means that perhaps Apple is considering implementing the patent now that flexible displays are a little more common.

A new Apple Watch blood pressure cuff

The last patent highlights technology that could help make the iPhone even better at tracking your health than it already is. The patent basically describes the use of an inflatable Apple Watch band that could be used to track blood pressure. Apple has been working on ways to track blood pressure for some time now, and it certainly wouldn’t be surprising to see the band be available in the near future. We know that the company has been working on the tech for some time now, too — the patent follows a provisional application from 2015.

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• DJI Inspire 2 review (updated for 2018)

Congress has until Monday to save net neutrality and keep the internet open

Congressional Quarterly/Getty Images

Despite efforts last month by Democrats in the United States Senate to pass legislation to preserve the rules governing an open and free internet, net neutrality may still be coming to an end on Monday. The Senate passed its version of a bill to retain rules that were recently reversed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), thus saving net neutrality, in a 52 to 47 vote, with all Democrats in favor and several Republicans crossing the aisle. However, in order for the House of Representatives to take action, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan must call for a vote on the issue.

“The rules that this resolution would restore were enacted by the FCC in 2015 to prevent broadband providers from blocking, slowing down, prioritizing, or otherwise unfairly discriminating against internet traffic that flows across their networks,” Senate Democrats led by Chuck Schumer of New York, Bill Nelson of Florida, and Brian Schatz of Hawaii wrote in a letter to Ryan urging him to call for a vote. “Without these protections, broadband providers can decide what content gets through to consumers at what speeds and could use this power to discriminate against their competitors or other content.”

Although the bill proposed by Democrats would retain the full spirit of net neutrality, competing bills sponsored by Republicans would only keep portions of the net neutrality rules intact, with one version still allowing for data prioritization.

The FCC voted in December to repeal net neutrality, which will take place on June 11 unless congressional leaders intervene. In order for Congress to reinstate net neutrality, the bill must be passed by both chambers of Congress and gain the signature of President Donald Trump.

In the House, net neutrality faces an uphill battle. The House could still force a vote on the issue even without Ryan’s help or intervention by obtaining a discharge petition. Given that Republicans hold a 223 to 193 majority in the house, getting the 218 signatures needed for the discharge petition to force a vote would be a challenging feat. This means that 25 Republicans would need to cross the aisle to join House Democrats, The Hill said. In the past, only 170 members of the House had publicly declared their support for preserving the principles of net neutrality.

Speaker Ryan declined to offer any comment about the issue, Ars Technica reported.

Even without federal laws governing net neutrality, a few states have passed their own legislation to protect an open internet. Montana, Hawaii, New York, New Jersey and Vermont have state laws to protect net neutrality, and California is working on such legislation.

Editors’ Recommendations

• U.S. Senate votes to overturn FCC’s repeal of net neutrality protections
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• California’s pro-net neutrality bill passes the Senate
• Net Neutrality remains on life support as senators rally to save it

Best microSD Cards for Samsung Galaxy S9

64GB is a lot of onboard storage, but sometimes you need a little more!

I know, I know. Onboard phone storage has grown a ton in the last few years, but I still prefer to have all my contacts, physical music, and app files on a microSD card. That way when I inevitably upgrade phones, I can have everything come along for the ride. If you’re upgrading to the Galaxy S9, then pick up one of these SD cards and broaden your storage horizons.

Let’s take a look at things in terms of performance and value.

• Performance options
• Value options

Performance options

These selections all have a U3 rating, which offers a minimum sequential write speed of 30MB/s. This way your Galaxy S9 can record 4K video to an external card.

Side note: Even if your S9 technically allows the new 960FPS slow-mo footage to be recorded to a card, I wouldn’t trust that much data throughput to the SD card. It just can’t handle it, captain!

SanDisk Extreme 64GB

SanDisk’s microSD cards are just great. I’ve been using them for years and they’ve never failed me. The Extreme line boasts read speeds of up to 90MB/s and write speeds of up to 60MB/s, which is exactly what you want if you’re recording video directly to the card. As mentioned above, this one has the UHS-3 speed class rating and even comes with a lifetime warranty from SanDisk.

The best part is the price. A 64GB card starts around just $33. You could go down to 32GB for about $20, but why not double your storage? This card also happens to be the Wirecutter’s top pick for the best microSD card.

See at Amazon

Samsung EVO Select 64GB

This is another card that’ll obviously double your Galaxy S9’s storage, and it features transfer speeds of up to 100MB/s. I’ve been using one of these in my phones since my Galaxy S5 and love it. This particular card even comes with a full-size adapter so you can easily transfer data between your phone and computer.

Pricing here is excellent, with the 64GB option at roughly $20 (and you can drop to 32GB for only $13).

See at Amazon

Samsung EVO Plus 256GB

If you need a ton of space and performance, then Samsung’s EVO Plus line is one of the best around. You get read speeds of up to 100MB/s and write speeds of up to 90MB/s, and at roughly $90 for 256GB, it’s not a bad deal. These cards are water-resistant, heat- and cold-resistant, and awesome if you’re looking to record all the 4K video. You’ll also get the full-size adapter in this pack — perfect for offloading video and photos on the go.

See at Amazon

Value options

If you simply want more bang for your buck and aren’t terribly concerned with recording 4K video directly to an external card, then consider these options and just try to fill up both your phone and the card. I dare you.

SanDisk Ultra 200GB

Boom, out of the gate, this 200GB microSD card is only about $60 on Amazon. That works out to only 35 cents per GB. You’ll still get read speeds of up to 100MB/s, but being a U1 rating, you won’t get write speeds that fast. This is still, however, a class 10, so full HD video shouldn’t be much of a problem.

See at Amazon

Samsung EVO Select 128GB

I mean, what can I say, prices are awesome at the time of this writing. The 128GB EVO Select from Samsung is only $40 right now on Amazon. That’s roughly 31 cents per GB. And with that you get a UHS 3 speed class rating, transfer speeds of up to 100MB/s and a whole whack of space that you’ll likely never use up. You get the full-size adapter and a 10-year limited warranty. As frugal as I am, I’d probably grab a couple of these just because SO MUCH SPACE. In terms of bang for your buck, a high performance, large storage card like this doesn’t get much better.

See at Amazon

SanDisk Ultra 256GB

SanDisk’s 256GB Ultra card is about the same price as Samsung’s EVO Plus at about $90 (though the EVO Plus regularly retails for more), but that does come with some compromise in speed. You’ll get read speeds of up to 100MB/s, but write speeds will be slower, and you’re only getting a UHS 1 speed class rating here, so full HD video should be fine, but forget about writing 4K video directly to the card. That being said, you’ll have all the space you’ll probably need forever.

See at Amazon

What’s your go-to?

Do you have a favorite microSD card that you use with every phone you buy? Sound off in the comments below!

Updated June 2018: Updated pricing for each card. These are still the best microSD cards you can buy to expand your Galaxy S9’s storage.

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

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

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Future Chromebooks may come with eSIMs and Project Fi support

This would allow Chromebooks to stay connected even without Wi-Fi.

As excellent as devices like the Pixelbook and Samsung Chromebook Pro are, there’s one thing that’s been missing for quite some time — LTE support. According to new code found within the Chromium Gerrit, that could be changing in the near future.

Spotted by XDA Developers , something referred to as “Project Hermes” is described as follows:

Hermes is the codename for the project of implementing eSIM support for Chrome OS. Hermes will be responsible for delivering messages between devices with eSIM chips and carrier servers through profile downloads as well as service discovery for new carriers. Hermes aims to provide seamless integration with Project Fi and an easily portable API to be used on different hardware.

It’s worth noting that the reference of Project Fi was later removed from the above description, but I find it hard to believe Google would spend the time adding eSIM support to Chrome OS and not integrate it with its own MVNO.

If you recall, LTE on Chromebooks isn’t new. The original Google Chromebook Pixel from 2013 had an LTE model, but recent releases over the past couple years have failed to adopt this feature.

We should get more information on Project Hermes over the coming months, but in the meantime, I want to know — Would you use an always-connected/LTE Chromebook?

These are the Chromebooks that can run Android and Linux apps

Chromebooks

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• Should you buy a Chromebook?
• Chromebook Buyers Guide
• Google Pixelbook review
• Join our Chromebook forums

Amazon’s new Fire TV Cube, a Roomba vacuum cleaner, and more are all discounted today

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

We found plenty of great deals today that include big discounts on Amazon’s new Fire TV Cube, a Roomba vacuum cleaner, Anker wireless earbuds, and more! Time’s running out to take advantage of these prices, so hurry!

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!

The effect of the Sprint + T-Mobile merger on MVNOs will soon be discovered

The Justice Department is questioning smaller brands right now.

It’s clear that the T-Mobile and Sprint merger will have a huge impact on the wireless space in the U.S., meaning that every nook and cranny needs to be checked before the deal can go through. As part of the latest step in this process, the Justice Department is now reportedly asking smaller MVNOs about how the merger will impact them.

According to Reuters, the Justice Department is specifically interested in whether or not the merger will affect prices of MVNOs that purchase network access from T-Mobile and Sprint.

It’s noted that:

The Justice Department, which is evaluating T-Mobile’s $26 billion deal to buy Sprint, has been speaking with small wireless operators that buy access to the major wireless networks at wholesale rates, and is seeking their opinions about the merger, the people said, who declined to be named because the talks are confidential.

How are these smaller MVNOs responding? So far, it’s a mixed bag.

David Glickman of Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile was told the Justice Department wanted to talk with him, but “said he was not given additional details about what the department wanted to discuss.”

On the other hand, Boost Mobile founder Peter Adderton has previously stated that “A merger between T-Mobile and Sprint without any concessions would be bad for consumers.”

Earlier this week, the Antitrust Chief with the DOJ commented that the U.S. going from four to three major network operators as a result of the merger wouldn’t be a dealbreaker.

The T-Mobile / Sprint merger could be great for consumers, but it probably won’t be

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Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+: Everything you need to know!

Samsung once again has a fantastic pair of flagships.

Samsung’s new Galaxy S9 and S9+ are definitely iterative updates over last year’s dramatically redesigned Galaxy S8 series, but that’s not a problem. Instead of going back to the drawing board altogether, Samsung focused on fixing a lot of the issues while making drastic improvements to the camera experience and retaining everything that made the last generation so great.

Whether you’re looking to buy or make the most of your new Galaxy S9, we have all of the information you need right here.

May 16, 2018 — Samsung announces two new colors and ARCore is finally available

The S9 series launched in a handful of stunning colors and Samsung’s now adding two more to the list with Sunrise Gold and Burgundy Red.

If you’re interested in the Sunrise Gold variant, you’ll be able to pick it up starting this June in Australia, Chile, Germany, Hong Kong, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. The eye-catching Burgundy Red will, unfortunately, see a much more limited release, with availability only planned for China and Korea later this month.

In addition to the new colors, it was also discovered that both the S9 and S9+ finally support Google’s ARCore!

What are the big changes over the Galaxy S8 series?

In a word, the camera. Samsung has kept the primary sensor at 12 megapixels, but that’s where the similarities end. The S9 and S9+ have adjustable apertures, switching seamlessly between f/1.5 and f/2.4, sitting in front of an all-new sensor that is great in low light. The Galaxy S9+ also gets a second 12MP sensor with a “telephoto” lens that provides 2X zoom and facilitates Live Focus, Samsung’s version of portrait mode that debuted with the Galaxy Note 8.

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ specs

In terms of specs, the Galaxy S9+ (but only the S9+) has two more gigabytes of RAM than last year’s models. And let’s not downplay the importance of the fingerprint sensor being relocated to a much more sensible place on the back of the phone — below the now-vertical camera module.

Samsung Galaxy S9 review: A fantastic phone for the masses

Samsung Galaxy S9 India review: As good as it gets

Should you upgrade to the Galaxy S9?

This is the big question — and as always, it depends. If you’re running a Galaxy S6 or S7, and want to move to something new in the Samsung world, the answer is absolutely. If you’re rocking a still-new Galaxy S8 or Note 8, the answer is no. While there are substantial differences that clearly make the Galaxy S9 a better phone, the S8 is just a year old at this point, and has most of the Galaxy S9’s features thanks to its Android 8.0 Oreo update.

Samsung Galaxy S9 vs. Galaxy S8: Should you upgrade?

Samsung Galaxy S9+ vs. Galaxy Note 8: Which should you buy?

Is the Galaxy S9 better than the competition?

There are so many great phones on the market right now — how do you decide which one to buy? Here are our looks at the new phones compared to some of the best devices on the market.

The Galaxy S9 is the smaller of the flagships, and here’s how it compares to some of the other major phones on the market.

Samsung Galaxy S9 vs. iPhone X: The best of metal and glass

Samsung Galaxy S9 vs. Google Pixel 2: Which should you buy?

Samsung Galaxy S9 vs. Honor View 10

And how about the larger Galaxy S9+?

LG G7 vs. Samsung Galaxy S9+: Which should you buy?

Samsung Galaxy S9+ vs. Google Pixel 2 XL: The true flagships

OnePlus 6 vs. Samsung Galaxy S9+: Which should you buy?

Should you buy the Galaxy S9 or larger S9+?

OK, so you’ve made up your mind to buy the Galaxy S9 — but wait, should you get the S9 or the larger S9+?

Unlike last year, the Galaxy S9+ feels like more of the “default” choice of the two. It has extra RAM and a secondary rear camera in addition to its overall larger screen and bigger battery — yet the price delta between the two hasn’t changed. If you can handle the size difference and would like the extra battery life, go for the Galaxy S9+.

Here’s why the Galaxy S9+ is worth the extra money over the GS9

What colors are available?

Like last year, there are multiple colors of the Galaxy S9 series to purchase: Midnight Black, Lilac Purple, Coral Blue and Titanium Gray. U.S. buyers only get access to three of the four — silver is only available internationally — and both blue and purple are slight updates over last year.

A few months after the S9’s release, Samsung introduced two new colors in the form of Sunrise Gold and Burgundy Red.

Burgundy Red is already available in both China and Korea with Sunrise Gold rolling out in June to Australia, Chile, Germany, Hong Kong, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam. There aren’t currently any official plans to launch either color in the U.S., but it looks like Sunrise Gold could make an appearance sooner or later.

What color Galaxy S9 should I buy: Black, blue, purple, or silver?

Galaxy S9 and S9+ get Sunrise Gold and Burgundy Red color options; ARCore support

You can get as much as 256GB of internal storage

No matter where you decide to buy the Galaxy S9, 64GB is the default storage space that’s available with the phone. 64GB should be more than enough for most people, but if you want, you can always expand it with a microSD card.

However, if you’re someone who has a lot of local files and goes through GB like nothing, you may want to consider upgrading to a 128GB or even a 256GB model.

These larger configurations are sold exclusively on Samsung’s website and you’ll spend an extra $50 per each storage upgrade.

Samsung Galaxy S9: Which storage size should I buy?

Where can I get the best deal on a Galaxy S9?

The Galaxy S9 is now available worldwide, both from carriers and also unlocked.

In the U.S., the Galaxy S9 costs between $720 and $800, while the Galaxy S9+ goes for between $870 and $915. For all the details, take a look at our roundup of the best Galaxy S9 deals.

Where to buy the Galaxy S9: Best deals for your new phone

See at Verizon

Getting started with the Galaxy S9

Once you pick up your new phone, there are a few things you should do immediately. Here’s how to make your GS9 experience great!

The first 9 things to do with your Galaxy S9

The first 5 things to turn off in the Galaxy S9’s software

What’s this about bad battery life with the Exynos processor?

Samsung has regularly used both its own processors and Qualcomm’s latest chips in different markets, and it’s regularly been a point of discussion between enthusiasts as to which one is “better” overall.

In the Galaxy S9 and S9+, there’s a clear differentiation in that the Exynos versions of the phone have been getting much shorter battery life. To make things worse, the Qualcomm models are also outperforming Exynos in many synthetic benchmark tests.

So what can you do? Well, not much — Samsung doesn’t sell both versions of the phones in the same markets, so you can’t exactly cross-shop the two processors. The hope is that Samsung could update the firmware on the Exynos models to improve processor efficiency a bit.

Samsung Galaxy S9 battery problems, explained: Exynos vs. Snapdragon

Help me get started with accessories!

Once you have your Galaxy S9 or S9+, you’ll want to look into accessories like cases and screen protectors that make the phone even better. We’ve rounded up our favorites for you.

The best Galaxy S9 accessories

The best cases for the Galaxy S9

Updated June 6, 2018: Added links to more recent comparisons, new details about the available colors, and a section highlighting the 128GB and 256GB models.

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

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

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AT&T
T-Mobile
Sprint

Nest’s outdoor security camera is down to a low price of $149 right now

This outdoor home security cam is wired and weather-resistant.

The Nest outdoor security camera is down to $149 on Amazon. Over the last few months, this camera has sold regularly around $175 and as high as $200 at times. It hasn’t gone as low as this deal since January and late November before that. This is a rare price and one of the best we’ve ever seen.

This is a wired camera, so it will need access to an outdoor outlet, but that just means never worrying about the batteries. It’s weather-resistant and records in 1080p. It has motion and sound detection so it can respond to a window breaking or someone coming up to the door, take pictures of the event, and save them in your Nest app for up to three hours. It has a built-in speaker and mic so you can talk to visitors (or scare them off). This Nest camera will work with other Nest devices around your house, and it is also compatible with Amazon Alexa.

See at Amazon

Sprint is launching a new $15/month plan for unlimited everything

Hotspot functionality isn’t included, but that’s still a crazy-good deal.

Sprint may not be the biggest wireless carrier in the United States, but if there’s one thing it does well, it’s offering compelling promotions. Most recently, Sprint announced a new Unlimited Kickstarter plan that costs just $15/month.

For that price, Sprint’s giving you unlimited call, text, and 4G LTE data. Videos stream at a max of 480p “DVD quality” and there’s no mobile hotspot functionality, but aside from that, this is essentially Sprint’s regular Unlimited Freedom plan at 1/4 the regular price.

As enticing as this may be, there is one big caveat to take note of — only new customers that port over an existing phone number are eligible for the promotion. If you just sign up with a new number, you won’t get this pricing.

It’s worth mentioning that any of Sprint’s regular taxes and fees are going to be charged on top of that $15/month rate, but even so, this may be worth jumping on if you’ve been meaning to try out Sprint or just want to save some cash on your monthly phone bill.

Oh, and that $15/month rate applies no matter how many lines you add. As long as you port a number over for each one, a family of four can get unlimited service for just $60/month.

The promotion begins Friday, June 8 and will be available exclusively when ordering over the phone or online. Sprint says that it “won’t last long”, so I’d advise acting sooner rather than later to ensure you don’t miss out.

See at Sprint

Carriers

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Red Dead Redemption 2 for PlayStation 4: Everything you need to know!

The wild west has never looked this good.

Yes, it’s finally happening my fellow outlaws. Red Dead Redemption II is real and it’s coming to PlayStation 4 this year. After Rockstar Games’ massively successful open-world cowboy game set during the death of the Wild West, fans began clamoring for a follow-up that continued the story of the Marston family or embraced a new gunslinger.

After years of rumors and silence on Rockstar’s end, they finally surprised the world on one random morning in 2016 by announcing a sequel to their critically acclaimed western. It took over a year to get any actual concrete details regarding the game and frankly, it’s still a bit of a mystery but it sounds like it could be a mix of a story of a new outlaw and also fill in a massive gap in John Marston’s story.

The story so far…

Rockstar Games appears to be returning to the traditional one playable character route after successfully experimenting with three playable protagonists in Grand Theft Auto V but he’s not John or Jack Marston. Players will travel back to 1899 (12 years before the first game) to fill the boots and don the hat of a much less noble man that goes by the name of Arthur Morgan, a brute that’s running with Dutch van der Linde’s gang during their prime. While little is known about Arthur, we know he’s a much more sinister cowboy who doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. In the second trailer, we see him interrogating and roughing up several people who appear to owe money to Dutch’s Gang, perhaps for protection. He’s a brutal force that is loyal to Dutch and likely only Dutch.

It’s likely we’re going to see the rise and fall of the gang, with Arthur Morgan playing a pivotal role.

The story will see Morgan and Van der Linde’s gang stealing, running, and fighting to survive the rugged and cruel world that is the Wild West. Order has not yet been established, technology is slowly beginning to evolve into something far more advanced, and people like Dutch believe it’s important that things stay the way they are. The Van der Linde gang was always viewed as a Robin Hood-type of bandits, stealing from the rich to give to the poor and resisting the government in favor of a structure where it was an “every man for himself” situation.

The gang eventually evolved into something far more dangerous and unhinged according to an anecdote provided by John Marston, leading him to realize their Robin Hood act was all a front for their evil actions and crimes. The event that likely leads to the start of the downfall of the gang seems to be a heist in Blackwater which later became known as the Blackwater Massacre. In the plot synopsis for the game provided by Rockstar, it’s revealed that the gang is being hunted after they botch a robbery in the wealthy town that is seen toward the end of the first RDR.

Within the lore of the series, the Blackwater Massacre was a massive shootout that took the lives of over 30 people. Civilians, cops, and criminals were among the casualties of the bloody shootout, actual details of why the battle took place remain a mystery to the residents of Blackwater because the officials went to great lengths to cover it up. Why? Well, we’ll likely find out in Red Dead II.

Most people involved died or were criminals who escaped but one of the few survivors was the legendary lawman, Landon Ricketts. Ricketts is in the first game and Marston teams up with him in Mexico, Marston knows him for his status but the two don’t seem to know each other. It’s entirely possible that Marston was uninvolved in the heist or was playing coy and using him to further his quest for redemption.

How does it connect to the original Red Dead Redemption?

So, what’s the connection to the first Red Dead Redemption? Well, Rockstar is being very, very careful not to say much about this game and how it connects to the first game but it will shed light on the stories John told in the first game as well as provide more depth to the men we hunt down in that same game.

John Marston is indeed in the game but Rockstar has noted that this is Arthur Morgan’s story, not John’s.

Given this game takes place long before the events of the original game and has a direct link to it via Dutch van der Linde and his gang, it’s hard to imagine Rockstar isn’t trying to expand John Marston’s story in some way. With games like Grand Theft Auto, there have been very subtle connections tying the games together but none of them are direct sequels or relate to each other in any way. With Red Dead Redemption II, Rockstar had the chance to name the game something like Red Dead Revolution, Red Dead Retribution, or something along those lines given that the series so far has gone Red Dead Revolver and then Red Dead Redemption. They purposely named it in a way that links the two games.

Marston was also a substantial part of Dutch’s Gang, he was taken in by Dutch when he ran away from the orphanage he lived in. He was raised by this gang and lived with them for a large majority of his life and in the fallout of him abandoning the gang, it all went to hell and it was more or less disbanded. John Marston is indeed the game, he’s heavily featured in new screenshots and is seen in the newest trailer once or twice but Rockstar says this is Arthur’s story, not John’s. That doesn’t mean that we can’t expand on the character, it just means he will not be the focal point of the narrative.

Major gameplay innovations are coming in the western sequel

Since Rockstar has been pretty prude about Red Dead Redemption II, we only have the word of the press who have seen the game in action to understand how the game plays. There will be more details in the future regarding what the gameplay will look like but for right now we’ll just give you the basic rundown of what we know. For starters, Rockstar seems to be creating their most realisitic world yet and abandoning some of the most video game-y aspects in their formula for something with more depth.

According to Rockstar, they’ve been developing Red Dead Redemption II for eight years, starting as they were wrapping up the first game. In that time, they’ve been handcrafting a world with lots of detail and creating systems that may be fairly unexpected from them. A large portion of the game is centered around managing the gang, Arthur is Dutch’s right-hand man and he helps keep everything running smoothly. This means you’ll help perform odd jobs for gang members, go hunting to get food for the camp or get money to line their pockets with, and so on.

Rockstar has been very clear that you don’t have to do this and you won’t be severely punished if you don’t but the gang will make comments if you leave them hanging for days on end. If you do choose to take care of your gang, you’ll be rewarded in ways that have not yet been revealed and your gang will grow stronger.

Also on tap is a new dialog system that allows you to approach situations with more options than just shoot and kill. Each NPC has their own set of branching dialog, with the player able to talk niceties or show a degree of impatience in any given encounter. And this isn’t just a black and white morality system either. Some choices will be gray areas, some will be lore-advancing, some will lead to friendships, and others will most certainly erupt into bloodbaths. It’s unclear if there will be any more to this system – such as a relationship mechanic that gauges each NPC’s level of warmth toward you – but it’s something.

If you do choose to go off and do things like hunting, you’ll be able to see the amount of depth that Rockstar has added to its hunting system since the original game and Grand Theft Auto V. You’ll find yourself stalking animals, choosing your weapon carefully so you don’t damage pelts/meat, and tracking an animal by following blood trails after you’ve hit it. Once you’ve tracked the animal down, you may find it still alive, bleeding out and yelping. Arthur will then take out his knife and stab the animal in the heart to end its suffering and take what you want from it.

You can then string up your kill on the back of your horse and take it back to camp to feed your people or sell it in town and take the money for yourself. Regardless of what you choose, your hunt will rot and decay over time so the longer you have it on the back of your horse (yes, it’s literally on your horse, not in an invisible pouch), the less valuable it’ll be. If you were to kill an animal (or even a person) behind and let it sit in the wild, vultures, coyotes, and other creatures would come and munch on the remains.

It looks as if Rockstar will be carrying over the heists from GTA V as we see Arthur Morgan robbing a bank and holding up a train in the second trailer. It’s unclear how much of a focal point these will be in the game since it was the core of GTA V’s campaign but one has to imagine it plays a similar role given you’re a gang of notorious western criminals.

We do know there will be some depth to those heists, though. Players can go loud or quiet, create distractions, choose who you bring with you (some can be done solo but isn’t recommended), and use a bunch of other different variables to create different outcomes throughout the heists. All of this will result on if and when law enforcement shows up amongst other things. It’s unclear if you can have gang members die or get critically wounded in these heists like in Grand Theft Auto V or just how dynamic these systems are. Grand Theft Auto V’s heists were heavily scripted, if you chose a certain crew member to come with, they’d always die on the same mission in the same spot because it was coordinated by Rockstar’s writing. It was more of the illusion of choices having consequences rather than them actually having any meaning at all.

Some major changes are also coming in combat with the ability to dual wield weapons like Max Payne, bows and arrows used for hunting and maybe even some stealth combat as we see Arthur Morgan taking a knife to someone’s back in the dead of night. We also see Arthur brutally beating people up in the third trailer, suggesting Rockstar has refined their melee combat to create more intense and fun brawls.

A cowboy’s best friend

A cowboy’s best friend isn’t his fellow outlaws/lawmen, it’s his horse. In the original Red Dead Redemption, your horse was almost supernatural in the sense it teleported to you and was basically immortal. You didn’t have much of a connection to it because outside of its speed and stamina, there was nothing too special about the horses. In Red Dead Redemption II, Rockstar plans on changing that.

Your horse in the sequel will be very special. Perhaps the most significant change from the first game or any Rockstar game for that matter is that you won’t be able to carry every single weapon with you. The joke of pulling an RPG out of your rear end in GTA wouldn’t apply in this game as you’ll only be carrying small weapons such as handguns on your person, rifles and other gear will travel via your horse. We’re not sure if you can sling at least one rifle over your shoulder while walking around but you can expect most of your guns to be unavailable if your horse isn’t nearby.

Your horse won’t be disposable in this game, it’ll mean a lot more to you because it has lots of value. You’ll grow a bond that effects how scared it gets when put in danger, how far it gets from you, and more. Rockstar hopes that this bond won’t just serve a gameplay effect but a personal and emotional one to. If your horse gets critically wounded, you can attempt to heal it with medical supplies, if you don’t have any you can try and run into town quickly and gather some and run back. You may come back to your horse dead, making you realize that you left that poor animal that loved you to die thinking you abandoned it in its final moments. Brutal stuff, I know. Should it die, you’ll have to start that bond all over with a new horse and presumably any gear you can’t carry off of that horse’s corpse is lost.

It adds a whole new layer to an aspect that’s iconic to westerns but doesn’t have a lot of attention paid to it.

When you can play it and when we’ll know more

The only questions remaining are when we can play the game and when we can expect more firm details from Rockstar. The game is currently scheduled to release on October 26th, 2018 for PlayStation 4 as well as Xbox One, and we can likely expect some news regarding the game in June or July via a Game Informer cover story or a new breakdown directly from Rockstar. As of right now, we’ll just have to hold our breaths and keep waiting to saddle up again.

Where to buy Red Dead Redemption 2

You can now pre-order Red Dead Redemption 2 ahead of its October 27th release date. You’re in for some nice goodies if you decide to give Rockstar your cash early. All pre-orders for Red Dead Redemption 2 come with the War Horse mount and the Outlaw Survival Kit. The former is a grey-colored steed that has better courage and stamina than others, while the Outlaw Survival Kit gives you extra health kits, Dead Eye replenishment, and more.

If you pre-order the digital copy on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, you’ll also get some extra in-game cash to start your game, as well as a treasure map, though you’ll need to pre-order the game by July 31st to get those.

There’s also a special edition of the game available. It comes with 2 extra side missions, a black thoroughbred horse, gameplay bonuses through medllian and talisman charms, in-game cash bonuses, gameplay boosts, and discounts, a gunslinger outfit, and three additional weapons. You’ll also get a real map of the game world.

If that’s not enough, the Ultimate Edition comes with everything that the Deluxe Edition does, but you can add two more in-game outfits, another black thoroughbred with an exclusive saddle, a Survivor camp theme for the game’s online mode, three additional free weapons, and XP bonuses for online play up to rank 25.

As an added bonus for Grand Theft Auto 5 players, all digital pre-orders also come with in-game currency for GTA Online. Standard Edition gets $500,000, Special Edition gets $1,000,000, and Ultimate Edition gets $2,000,000.

Then there’s the big kahuna reserved for the most die-hard Red Dead fans. It’s a full-blown Collector’s Box, a red-tinted metal tithing box with a lock and key that comes with an assortment of real world goodies. There’s a collectible coin, a double-sized puzzle, a red bandana, a treasure map, a pin set, commemorative playing cards, a real 150-page Wheeler, Rawson and Co. catalogue, and 12 collectible cigarette cards.

You can pre-order your preferred digital edition of Red Dead Redemption 2 at the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, or direct from the Rockstar Warehouse. Those opting for the Collector’s Box, however, can only get it through the Rockstar Warehouse.

Wanting to catch up and play through the original Red Dead Redemption before the sequel drops? You can find the Game of the Year Edition for $20 at Amazon

See at Amazon

Updated June 2018: We’ve added details about newly announced pre-order bonuses and special edition options for you to consider!

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