Vivo X21 review: A bold leap forward

The Vivo X21 shows that in-display fingerprint sensors work reliably.

Even if you haven’t come across a Vivo phone, there’s a high possibility that you have heard of the brand: Vivo advertises heavily in the English Premier League, and has picked up the title rights for the FIFA World Cup. It also signed up with Marvel Studios to highlight its products in the MCU, so if you’ve seen any of the recent Avengers movies, you would’ve noticed the Vivo branding.

Vivo has a huge presence in China and India, and is slowly making its way to Western markets. The brand is credited with several firsts in the smartphone segment — it was one of the first brands to use high-fidelity chips to deliver a great audio experience on its phones, and it started prioritizing selfie cameras early on. Earlier this year, Vivo became the first smartphone manufacturer to roll out a phone with an in-display fingerprint reader. More recently, Vivo made headlines for the NEX, which comes with a retractable front camera that stays hidden when not in use.

The NEX isn’t going to be available outside of China anytime soon, but the Vivo X21 is retailing in India and a host of other Asian markets. Does the in-display fingerprint tech work reliably on a day-to-day basis? Let’s find out.

Vivo X21

Price: ₹35,990 ($530)

Bottom line: The Vivo X21 is one of the best phones the company has launched to date. The in-display scanner isn’t quite as fast as fingerprint readers available today — but it certainly is a novel feature, and one that allows Vivo to easily push units at its retail stores.

Pros:

• In-display fingerprint sensor is great
• Fantastic display
• All-day battery life
• Face unlock
• Great camera

Cons:

• MicroUSB charging port
• Software is an iOS clone

See at Flipkart

About this review

I (Harish Jonnalagadda) am writing this review after using the Vivo X21 for over three weeks in Hyderabad, India. The phone was connected to Jio’s 4G network for the duration of the review, and was running Funtouch OS 4.0 build 1.7.11. The device was provided to Android Central for review by Vivo India.

Vivo X21 Design and display

I switched to the Vivo X21 from the OnePlus 6, and in a lot of ways, both devices are very similar. Both feature glass backs, and the design aesthetic is near-identical, as are the dimensions — although the X21 isn’t as wide. The X21 is thinner and lighter (due to a smaller battery), but the phone shares a lot of design traits with its sister brand.

There are a few differences, however — the Vivo X21 features the power and volume buttons on the right side, leaving the left side of the device bare. And there’s no alert slider, as that’s still a feature limited to OnePlus phones. The 3.5mm jack is now located at the top of the phone, and there’s also an IR blaster. Oddly enough, the SIM card tray — which has slots for two SIM cards or a SIM card and a microSD card — is located at the bottom of the device, next to the MicroUSB charging port. Yes, Vivo is still using a MicroUSB port on a flagship.

The fit and finish at the back is also similar to that of the Mirror Black variant of the OnePlus 6, and while Vivo doesn’t specify what version of Gorilla Glass is on the device, it’s likely offering the same Gorilla Glass 5 protection as most other phones with glass backs.

Vivo is quoting a 90.3% screen-to-body ratio for the X21, and while it may not be as extreme as the Find X, it’s better than most phones you can buy today.

Both the OnePlus 6 and the Vivo X21 have a similar-sized notch, and they also feature the same 6.28-inch 19:9 FHD+ Super AMOLED display. In fact, even the R15 Pro features an identical display size and notch, so it’s safe to assume that all three BBK Electronics-owned brands are using the same Samsung panel.

That’s a good thing, because the Super AMOLED display on the OnePlus 6 is one of the best in this category. The Vivo X21 also offers the same great color accuracy and deep contrast levels, but you miss out on the ability to tweak the color profile to your needs — DCI-P3 and sRGB modes are missing on this device. You do get a blue light filter and the ability to adjust color temperature to cooler or warmer hues.

If you’ve used a OnePlus 6, you’ll be immediately familiar with the Vivo X21.

The X21 comes with a factory-installed screen protector, and while I usually recommend removing that as soon as you start using the device, things are a little different for this particular phone. As the X21 has an in-display fingerprint sensor (which is basically an optical scanner), Vivo warns against using third-party screen protectors as they may interfere with the performance of the fingerprint reader.

One of the main drawbacks on the design front is that the X21 comes with a MicroUSB port and not USB-C. That’s particularly annoying when you consider that this phone retails for over $500, and there are budget phones that cost less than half as much that offer USB-C. Vivo is one of the few manufacturers that’s yet to make the switch to USB-C, but in 2018 it’s inexcusable for a company to not include the port on a $530 phone.

In-display fingerprint sensor

The in-display fingerprint reader is the marquee feature on the X21, and it works reliably enough that I haven’t had any issues with it. It isn’t quite as fast as the fingerprint sensor you have on your phone today, but it is a paradigm shift in biometrics and a preview of what’s to come.

There’s an activation zone in the lower third of the screen where you have to place your finger, and it takes just under a second to unlock the phone. You can customize the animation that activates whenever the sensor is authenticating your fingerprint, and until the NEX comes along with its retractable camera, this is the coolest way to unlock your phone.

In addition to the in-display fingerprint sensor, the X21 offers a face unlock feature as well. While it isn’t quite as fast as the OnePlus 6, it’s unerringly accurate and works well even in low-light scenarios.

Vivo X21 Performance

Screen	6.28-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED
Chipset	Snapdragon 660
RAM	6GB
Storage	128GB
Rear Camera 1	12MP, ƒ/1.8
Rear Camera 2	5MP, ƒ/2.4
Front Camera	12MP, ƒ/2.0
Battery	3200mAh
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, BT 5.0, FM radio
Security	In-display fingerprint
Colors	Black
Dimensions	154.5 x 74.8 x 7.4 mm
Weight	156.2grams
Price	₹35,990

When it comes to the hardware side of things, there’s plenty to like on the Vivo X21. It is powered by a Qualcomm’s mid-range workhorse, the Snapdragon 660, and comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage as standard. I’ve used several phones powered by the Snapdragon 660 over the last 15 months — including the OPPO R11, Xiaomi Mi Note 3, and Nokia 7 Plus — and have come away impressed with just how good it is when it comes to day-to-day usage.

For 90% of everyday tasks, it holds its own next to the flagship-tier Snapdragon 845, and in general is one of the best mid-range chipsets I’ve seen in a long time. As you’d expect, the X21 powers through day-to-day tasks with nary an effort, and to its credit Vivo has done a great job optimizing Funtouch OS.

The X21 comes with a dedicated game mode that blocks incoming calls and notifications, allowing you to experience distraction-free gaming sessions. As stated earlier, Vivo built its brand around two pillars: audio and camera quality. As such, the X21 features an AK4376A DAC that leverages Vivo’s Deepfield tech to offer a wider soundstage when listening to music. Vivo bundles a set of decent earbuds in the box, along with an 18W charger and a clear case.

You’re not going to see any slowdowns on the X21.

Call quality on the X21 is decent, as is the built-in speaker. It’s not going to be on the same level as phones with stereo speakers, but you won’t notice any distortion at high volumes. I haven’t faced any issues with Wi-Fi or cellular data connectivity as well.

The X21 comes with a 3200mAh battery that easily manages to deliver a day’s worth of usage. I never had to worry about the phone running out of juice before the end of the day, and I averaged five hours of screen-on-time spread over the course of 20 hours. When you do need to top up, there’s Quick Charge 3.0.

Vivo X21 Software

The Vivo X21 is the first Vivo device I’ve used for an extended period in the last two years. The only other Vivo product I tried out was the V3 Max, and at that time my take on the software was that it was a blatant iOS ripoff.

I figured things would’ve changed over the last two years as Vivo made its foray into more and more global markets, but that isn’t the case. Funtouch OS 4.0 is still heavily inspired by iOS, and you even get a Control Center that pulls up from the bottom of the screen. You’ll have to use the Control Center for accessing toggles for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and brightness, and the notification pane itself is identical to what you’d find on iOS.

Even EMUI and MIUI offer quick relies and actionable notifications, and to use a skin that doesn’t have those features — which have been present in Android for a few years now — feels prohibitive. Everything from the icons to the default backgrounds, animations, multitasking pane, and stock apps is “borrowed” from iOS, and while there’s plenty of customization options on offer, the interface itself does little to distinguish itself in any meaningful way.

Like most other manufacturer skins, you’ll be able to change the orientation of the back and overview buttons, and even select between Marshmallow-style navigation icons or the older Lollipop-era icons. You can also get rid of the nav bar entirely and switch to a gesture-driven interface.

Doing so will create three zones that you can interact with to control navigation: swipe up from the bottom of the screen to exit to the home screen, and swipe up and hold to access the overview menu. To go back in an app, you’ll have to swipe up from the bottom left corner of the screen, and a swipe up from the bottom right launches the Control Center. There’s no gesture to pull up the app drawer as Funtouch OS doesn’t have a provision for one. Talking about missing features, there’s no option to disable the notch either.

Funtouch OS is an iOS clone that has a ton of customizability.

Funtouch OS also comes with its share of bloatware. There’s everything from UC Browser to Facebook, WhatsApp, NewsPoint, and WPS Office among others, and Vivo has its own app store dubbed V-Appstore that lets you manage these apps and download more. The custom app store feels like a vestige of the Chinese ROM that made its way into the global ROM, because Funtouch OS outside of China comes with Google services — Play Store, Chrome, Maps, YouTube, Drive, and others — installed out of the box.

The one saving grace for Funtouch OS is that the latest version is based on Android 8.1 Oreo. The systemwide autofill API is present, as is the ability to snooze notifications, and while notification dots aren’t available, you do get Vivo’s own take on the feature. The skin also offers gestures similar to what you’d find on Motorola devices — you can twist the phone to toggle the flashlight, and there’s a feature similar to Moto Display that lets you view incoming notifications without switching on the screen.

One particularly nifty feature in Funtouch OS is the ability to get easy access to after-sales service. You can view your phone’s warranty information from the settings, and also locate a service center that’s closest to your location. There’s also a manual tucked away in the settings that lets new users get acclimated with all the features on offer.

Vivo has maintained a lackadaisical attitude when it comes to updates, and there have been several devices from the manufacturer that haven’t received a single platform update. Thankfully, that doesn’t seem to be the case with the X21, as the device is one of seven third-party phones eligible for the Android P beta. The entry into the beta program suggests an Android P build will make its way to the device at some point.

Vivo X21 Camera

Vivo’s tagline is “Camera & Music”, so it should be safe to assume that the brand cares about the cameras on its phones. The X21 offers dual 12MP + 5MP cameras at the back, and a 12MP shooter up front. There are a ton of shooting modes to choose from, and you get the usual portrait mode and panorama along with an option to use AR stickers. Unlike the Pixel 2, which lets you add elements like Stormtroopers and dinosaurs to a photo or video, AR stickers on the X21 let you add facial filters, much like what you’d find on Instagram.

There’s also a manual mode that lets you adjust the white balance, autofocus, exposure, shutter speed, and ISO. Like most other Chinese brands, Vivo offers a beautify option called Face Beauty that automatically removes blemishes. You’ll be able to adjust the intensity of the beautify mode, or use an AI option that tailors settings based on your facial features. There’s even a document scanner mode that lets scans text and saves it in an easily-readable format.

The X21 takes excellent photos in daylight conditions, with images offering accurate colors and wide dynamic range. Portrait mode also works reliably enough most of the time, but there were a few instances where edge detection was way too aggressive. The X21 also holds its own in low-light scenarios.

The camera on the X21 is fast to focus and locks into subjects with ease, and the same is true when shooting 4K video. Handheld videos tend to be jittery as there’s no stabilization, but aside from that the overall video quality was very decent. Vivo is known for its selfie cameras, and the 12MP front shooter is one of the best in this category.

Should you buy it? Yes

The Vivo X21 has a lot to offer, and the in-display scanner makes it stand out in this segment. That said, the device loses out to the likes of the OP6 when it comes to value for money. The OP6 comes with beefier hardware, a USB-C port, and significantly better software.

But with the X21, you’re getting a feature that isn’t available on any other phone. And that more than makes up for the odd design choices, like the reliance on MicroUSB for a product in this category. With smartphones becoming increasingly commoditized, it’s getting harder for brands to differentiate their products, and having an in-display fingerprint reader certainly pushes things in Vivo’s favor.

Furthermore, Vivo’s sales model doesn’t rely on having an online presence. In fact, the main reason for the brand’s meteoric rise is because of its strong offline network: Vivo has thousands of retail stores spread across India.

Vivo’s strategy hinges on offline sales, and the X21 is the ideal device to cater to that market.

Vivo devices haven’t been known to offer great value for money, as evidenced by the fact that the brand launched a device powered by the Snapdragon 450 for the equivalent of $300 earlier this year. Instead of playing the specs game, Vivo focuses on selling an experience — the focus is not on the hardware, but the day-to-day usage, and a few marquees features, like the front camera. Vivo was one of the first brands to roll out an LED light for the front camera, and it used that feature to sell millions of phones.

With the X21, that standout feature is the in-display scanner, which works perfectly into Vivo’s sales strategy. After all, it’s easy to wow customers walking into its retail stores with a demo of the feature, and while I don’t like the current state of Funtouch OS, there’s clearly a sizeable market that wants an iOS-lookalike at this price point.

Having used the X21, I’m beginning to understand how Vivo was able to rise through the ranks over the last two years. The phone is very well optimized, and Vivo nails the basics: I never noticed any slowdowns or lag, battery life is great, the camera is one of the better options in this category, and the display is fantastic.

4
out of 5

If you’re in the market for a device with an in-display scanner, the X21 is still your best bet. The NEX has a faster scanner, but it’s unlikely the phone will make its way outside of China. The X21 has its drawbacks — the lack of USB-C is particularly annoying — but as an overall package it has plenty to offer, if you don’t mind the user interface.

See at Flipkart

How to synchronize podcasts between Google Podcasts and Google Home

Google Podcasts and Google Home are a match made in heaven.

There are a lot of reasons to use Google Podcasts, with one of the main ones being its direct tie-in with Google Home / Google Assistant.

In addition to the Google Podcasts app on your phone, you can also tune-in to your favorite shows by simply asking Google Home. And, because everything is tied into your Google account, your Home speaker will pick up where you stopped listening on your phone.

The best part of this integration is that it just happens in the background for you.

For example, let’s say you started listening to the Android Central Podcast on Google Podcasts on your phone. You listen for a few minutes on the way to work, but have to stop before heading into the office.

When you get home, just say “Hey, Google, play the Android Central Podcast” and your Google Home will say “Sure, Android Central Podcast, here’s where you left off.”

Alternatively, if you start listening to a podcast on your Google Home, the episode should resume in the Google Podcasts app right where you stopped listening.

The kicker to all this? You don’t have to manually set anything up in order for this to work! All of the synchronization is done in the background for you, meaning that all you have to worry about is which podcast you’re going to listen to.

Download: Google Podcasts (free)

Apple News App Gains ‘2018 Midterm Elections’ Section in the U.S.

Apple has announced a new section in the Apple News app dedicated to providing coverage of the U.S. midterm elections from now through to November.

Apple says the new section is designed to help readers follow the latest on the 2018 Midterm Elections with breaking news, exclusive highlights and analysis from trusted sources curated by Apple News’ team of experienced editors.

Special features will include “The Conversation”, a collection of opinion columns about hot-button issues from sources they may not already follow, and “On the Ground”, which highlights issues that matter to local constituents on the most important races.

“Today more than ever people want information from reliable sources, especially when it comes to making voting decisions,” said Lauren Kern, editor-in-chief of Apple News. “An election is not just a contest; it should raise conversations and spark national discourse. By presenting quality news from trustworthy sources and curating a diverse range of opinions, Apple News aims to be a responsible steward of those conversations and help readers understand the candidates and the issues.”

In addition to presenting coverage from Fox News, Vox, and other publishers, Apple says its News app will offer exclusive features, including:

• The Washington Post’s “Election Now,” a dashboard that brings to life important primary races by contextualizing key data like current polling, what pundits are saying and survey data on voter enthusiasm.
• A weekly briefing from Axios, featuring analysis of the most important developments as the primaries unfold.
• Politico’s “Races to Watch,” which looks at a collection of races offering important themes and trends to voters.

The new section is available to readers in the U.S. only, and can be accessed within the News app from a banner across the top of the For You tab, as well as through Top Stories and the Spotlight tab.

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

Tag: Apple News
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Gurman: Higher-End AirPods to Launch in 2019, New HomePod and Over-Ear Headphones Also Likely Next Year

Apple’s audio device strategy has been highlighted today in a new report by Bloomberg, which looked forward to 2019 and the launch of the “higher-end” third-generation AirPods, next HomePod, and previously rumored over-ear headphones from Apple.

For the AirPods, next year’s model is believed to bring a form of noise cancellation and water resistance, which Bloomberg previously reported in February. In the new report, Mark Gurman and Debby Wu add that Apple is also working to increase the range that the AirPods can work away from iPhone or iPad, citing people familiar with Apple’s plans.

Apple Inc. is about to pump up the volume on its audio-device strategy, planning higher-end AirPods, a new HomePod and studio-quality over-ear headphones for as early as next year, according to people familiar with the matter.

Additionally, the third-generation AirPods — coming after this fall’s expected second-generation update — are expected to cost “more than the existing $159 pair.” This is believed to cause Apple to “segment” the AirPods line like it does with iPhones, with a lower-cost model and a higher-cost model that has more features. One of these advanced features could also be a biometric sensor “like a heart-rate monitor.”

Continuing its audio device push, Apple is eyeing an early 2019 launch for its over-ear headphones, after facing “development challenges” during its original late 2018 launch schedule. Bloomberg described the device as a “higher-end alternative to the company’s Beats line,” but otherwise didn’t give any new details on features that could be coming to the headphones.

Lastly, the report quickly mentions that the second version of the HomePod is set to debut “as early as next year.” Apple may also switch production on the smart speaker away from Inventec for the new model, in an overall shakeup of Apple’s supply chain in regards to its audio devices. Sources said the company is looking to expand its partnership with Foxconn, which mainly helps manufacture the iPhone, and simultaneously lessen its reliance on Inventec, which helped supply AirPods and HomePod.

While updates to AirPods and HomePod have been expected, rumors first appeared for Apple’s “own-branded” over-ear headphones back in February from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The audio accessory is expected to be “as convenient as AirPods” but with superior sound quality, active noise cancellation technology, and a price tag aimed at the high-end market.

Related Roundups: HomePod, AirPodsBuyer’s Guide: HomePod (Buy Now), AirPods (Caution)
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Popular Instagrammer caught using photos from image libraries

Successful Instagrammers don’t win followers by accident. Unless they’re already famous in some other arena, their success on the platform usually comes from snapping consistently striking shots.

Take Singapore-based Daryl Aiden Yow. His images have been wowing fans and brands — Sony and Uniqlo are among a number that have worked with him — earning him more than 104,000 followers. But just recently, news site Mothership spotted something a little odd about a number of his posted pictures.

After some careful research, the site realized that some of Yow’s photos were, in fact, from image libraries like Shutterstock. But Yow had put nothing in the photos’ captions to suggest they weren’t actually his images.

Mothership confronted Yow with more than 10 examples of shots on his Instagram account that appeared to have been bought from image libraries, and he admitted it was true. While some had been slightly altered in terms of color and contrast, others had been photoshopped to include Yow in the shot.

Well and truly rumbled, he removed all of his photos from his account over the weekend and replaced them with a single black image and a long apology.

“The outrage regarding how I have conducted myself is justified and I accept full responsibility for my actions and all consequences that arise from those actions,” Yow wrote.

He said he was “wrong to have claimed that stock images and other people’s work were my own. I was also wrong to have used false captions that misled my followers and those who viewed my images.”

Yow added that having promoted himself as a photographer, he had “fallen far short” of what was expected of him and “disappointed those who believed — or wanted to believe — in me. For all of that, I apologise.”

He even appeared to suggest that a number of friends had earlier pulled him up on his actions “whenever they felt that something was not right about my images,” but he said he ignored their advice to change his behavior.

As noted by the BBC, Sony had promoted Yow’s work on its Singapore website as part of a marketing campaign for one of its mirrorless cameras, and described him as a #SonyCreativeAlly.

Yow’s follower count has dropped by about 3,000 in the last few days, and it’s not clear if he plans to start posting images again.

Of course, it’s not the first time a photographer has been exposed for using fake images that claim to be otherwise. Take this effort that won a Nikon contest before the Japanese company had a chance to realize it was a composite. Another competition-winning image — this one of an anteater next to a termite mound — also ended up being disqualified, though the photographer has always insisted it’s genuine. See what you think.

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Apple Maps Now Supports Transit in Estonia and Rome, Italy

Apple Maps now includes transit information for Estonia and the city of Rome, Italy, enabling users in the areas to navigate with public transportation.

In Rome, transit data covers the city’s public metro lines, buses, and tram routes, as well as the local Trenitalia network which includes the Leonardo Express that connects Roma Termini station and Roma Fiumicino airport in Lazio.

Transit coverage across Estonia includes the capital Tallinn’s bus, tram, trolleybus, and Elron train services, as well as local links to the country’s national rail network reaching through Tartu, Pärnu, and Narva.

The public transport information can be accessed by tapping the Transit tab or button in Apple Maps on iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch.

Apple started adding transit information to Apple Maps three years ago, starting with Baltimore, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto, and China. Apple has since expanded transit coverage to additional cities around the globe.

Apple is gradually catching up with Google Maps’ public transportation navigation coverage, which already includes Rome and cities in Estonia. Apple also recently revealed that CarPlay will support Google Maps, Waze, and other third-party navigation apps with a paired iPhone running iOS 12.

(Thanks, Ram!)

Tags: Apple Maps, Italy, transit, Estonia
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Which Samsung Galaxy outlasts the rest on battery life? Not the one you expect

Ever wonder if newer phones actually boast better battery life than their predecessors? To find out, we to put the Galaxy S9 Plus and several other Samsung phones — specifically the S8, S8 Plus, and Note 8 — to the test. The company’s website claims that the S9 Plus lasts longer than the standard S9, but does it outperform previous Galaxy models?

To ensure no outside variables hindered our experiment, we made sure that each phone was connected to the same Wi-Fi network and the same social media accounts, and receiving notifications in the same way. The display brightness on each device was also identical. To test the overall longevity of each battery, we played a continuous loop of the beloved Nyan Cat video, and waited patiently to see which phone would last the longest.

Battery test results

1st: Galaxy S8 Plus

2nd: Galaxy Note 8

3rd: Galaxy S8

4th: Galaxy S9 Plus

Three hours in, there wasn’t a noticeable difference; the Note 8 still had 74-percent battery life, the S8 and S8 Plus were hovering around 72 percent, and the S9 Plus was in the middle with 73 percent. Fast forward an impressive 12 hours and 7 minutes, and we have our winner, the S8 Plus. The Note 8 came in second at 11 hours and 13 minutes, while third and fourth place went to the S8 and S9 Plus, respectively.

It’s hard to say why the S8 Plus lasted significantly longer than the other models — especially since they all sport similar battery sizes and identical processors — but clearly, it’s the S8 Plus has something going for it. In another recent battery battle, we put a host of flagships, including the Galaxy S9 Plus and S8 Plus, to the same test. The Galaxy S8 Plus was again victorious, with the S9 Plus coming in at a close second.

Keep in mind, however, the battery test is just a simplified overview of how long your phone may last. The S9 Plus is still a fantastic device… even if the battery life could be better.

David Cogen — a regular contributor here at Digital Trends — runs TheUnlockr.com, a popular tech blog that focuses on tech news, tips and tricks, and the latest tech. You can also find him over at Twitter discussing the latest tech trends.

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• Speed test: Galaxy S9 Plus vs. S8 vs. S8 Plus vs. Note 8
• We put the last 4 iPhones through a battery beatdown
• Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus review

Apple Celebrates Pride in San Francisco Parade

Apple this weekend participated in the annual San Francisco Pride Parade, as part of its longstanding support of the LGBTQ community.

Photo: Trey Forgety
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook, environmental chief Lisa Jackson, and health and fitness director Jay Blahnik were among the many Apple employees who marched in the parade, wearing Pride-themed t-shirts with rainbow-colored Apple logos.

Happy Pride to the Apple employees marching today in San Francisco and to everyone celebrating #Pride2018 across the country! pic.twitter.com/UUoZDAWjnC

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) June 24, 2018

Apple also had a dedicated area at One Market Plaza where people could leave their signature or a message, take Animoji photos, and more.

#applepride pic.twitter.com/c4r8q2jrvw

— Lisa P. Jackson (@lisapjackson) June 24, 2018

#applepride pic.twitter.com/rvq0oqpeP3

— Bill Zhao (@cybermaster) June 24, 2018

Apple has been celebrating Pride throughout the month of June, introducing a new Pride-themed Apple Watch band and watch face at WWDC. The company routinely supports laws that protect LGBQT rights, and opposes laws that discriminate.

Note: This discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tag: Pride
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Bluetooth headphones, USB-C monitors, Philips Hue lights, 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 LG’s 4K USB-C monitor, Sony’s Bluetooth headphones, Philips Hue multi-color smart bulbs, and much 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!

Researcher claims to bypass iPhone security limits, but may have spoken too soon

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

For a brief moment, it seemed as though a security researcher had found a way to get past the security limits on iPhones and iPads by entering an infinite number of passcodes in order to hack into a device. The purported vulnerability was apparently even present in the latest version of iOS, 11.3, but Apple has now pushed back on these claims, and the researcher also appears to be backtracking on his initial findings.

When attempting to access a locked iPhone or iPad, users generally have a set number of passcode attempts to make before being locked out. You can even set your Apple device to automatically erase its contents if a hacker continuously attempts to guess your passcode. But according to Hacker House cybersecurity firm co-founder Matthew Hickey, if an iDevice is plugged in and a hacker tries to send keyboard inputs, it sets off an interrupt request that supersedes all other commands on the device. This, Hickey said, would allows hackers to send every single possible passcode combination in a single string, and because it wouldn’t give Apple’s software any respite, the inputs would take priority over any data-erasing security feature.

“Instead of sending passcode one at a time and waiting, send them all in one go,” Hickey explained. “If you send your brute-force attack in one long string of inputs, it’ll process all of them and bypass the erase data feature.”

However, Apple’s spokesperson countered these claims, noting simply, “The recent report about a passcode bypass on iPhone was in error, and a result of incorrect testing.”

And a bit later, Hickey seemed to concede that his method may not have been entirely accurate. In a tweet, the security researcher explained that not all of the tested passcodes are ultimately sent to an iPhone or iPad’s secure enclave, which is responsible for guarding against these sorts of attacks.

“The [passcodes] don’t always go to the [secure enclave processor] in some instances — due to pocket dialing [or] overly fast inputs — so although it ‘looks’ like pins are being tested, they aren’t always sent and so they don’t count, the devices register less counts than visible,” he noted.

Hickey said that when he attempted to verify his methods, he found where he may have gone wrong: “I went back to double check all code and testing. When I sent codes to the phone, it appears that 20 or more are entered but in reality it’s only ever sending four or five pins to be checked.”

In any case, Apple will soon be debuting another security feature called USB Restricted Mode, which should make it much more difficult for folks to access an iPhone or iPad.

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