Apple iPhone Xs vs. iPhone X: What difference does a year make?

The world of smartphones is constantly moving forward, with a never-ending parade of improvements and upgrades. A year on from Apple’s biggest overhaul of the iPhone range and we have a direct successor to the iPhone X. Clearly part of the same family, with a notched OLED screen and all the same design cues, we find the iPhone Xs vying for our affections.

Owners of an iPhone X will be weighing up whether the upgrade to an iPhone Xs is worth it. Others may be anticipating a price drop for the iPhone X and wondering if the iPhone Xs justifies the extra outlay. We have all the answers you need right here as we compare last year’s iPhone X with this year’s iPhone Xs.

Specs

Apple iPhone Xs
Apple iPhone X

Size
143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm (5.65 x 2.79 x 0.30 inches)
143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm (5.65 x 2.79 x 0.30 inches)

Weight
 177 grams (6.24 ounces)
174 grams (6.14 ounces)

Screen size
5.8-inch Super Retina AMOLED display
5.8-inch Super Retina AMOLED display

Screen resolution
2,436 x 1,125 pixels (458 ppi)
2,436 x 1,125 pixels (458 ppi)

Operating system
iOS 12
iOS 11

Storage space
64GB, 256GB, 512GB
64GB, 256GB

MicroSD card slot
No
No

Tap-to-pay services
Apple Pay
Apple Pay

Processor
A12 Bionic
A11 Bionic

RAM
TBC
3GB

Camera
Dual 12MP rear, 7MP FaceTime HD front
Dual 12MP rear, 7MP FaceTime HD front

Video
2,160p at 60 fps, 1,080p at 240 fps
2,160p at 60 fps, 1,080p at 240 fps

Bluetooth version
Bluetooth 5
Bluetooth 5

Ports
Lightning
Lightning

Fingerprint sensor
No
No

Water resistance
IP68
IP67

Battery
TBC
2,716mAh

App marketplace
Apple App Store
Apple App Store

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

Colors
Gold, Silver, Space Gray
Space Gray, Silver

Price
$1,000
$1,000

Where to buy it
Apple

AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Apple

Review score
Hands-on review
4.5 out of 5 stars

Performance, battery life, and charging

The most notable thing here is the upgrade to Apple’s latest A12 Bionic processor. This new chip is faster and more power-efficient than its predecessor, the A11, which you’ll find in the iPhone X. Apple suggests it’s 15 percent faster and 40 percent more power-efficient. There’s also an improved Neural Engine in the A12 Bionic, along with augmented reality and graphical improvements that should please gamers in particular.

We’re not sure how much the extra speed will be felt right now, since the iPhone X will comfortably handle anything you can throw at it, but as more demanding apps and games are released to take advantage of this jump in raw processing power, we will see a gap. Apple also suggests that apps will load up to 30 percent faster on the iPhone Xs.

We also expect to see significantly better battery life in the iPhone Xs, and Apple suggests it should last half an hour longer per day on average, though it didn’t reveal the capacity. You can fast charge the iPhone X if you snag a fast charger, but charging speeds, both slow and fast, are going to be similar for these phones. Both iPhones also support Qi wireless charging.

Winner: Apple iPhone XS

Design and durability

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

You’ll be hard-pressed to tell these phones apart. As is tradition with an S upgrade, the body of the iPhone Xs is identical to the iPhone X. We’ve got the same glass sandwich design with a notch cut into the top of the 5.8-inch OLED screen. However, while you can get both in space grey or silver, only the iPhone Xs comes in gold.

A case is going to be a necessity for either of these iPhones, so check out the best iPhone X cases and the best iPhone Xs cases for some ideas. The iPhone Xs is covered in tougher glass, so it may fare a little better in a fall. Water won’t be a major concern for iPhone X owners because it can be submerged in shallow water — up to a meter deep — for up to half an hour without damage. The iPhone Xs has a slightly higher IP68 rating that means it can handle depths of up to 2 meters for the same period.

Winner: Apple iPhone Xs

Display

There’s nothing to separate the iPhones here, because both sport the same 5.8-inch OLED screen with a 2,436 x 1,125-pixel resolution. They’re sharp, bright, and boast accurate colors. The aspect ratio is 19.5:9, so this is a wide screen, though that distinctive notch cuts out a portion of it. The screen-to-body ratio is still one of the highest around at 82.9 percent.

Winner: Tie

Camera

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

We’ve been impressed by the dual-lens camera in the iPhone X and Apple stuck with the same setup in the iPhone XS. You’ve got two 12-megapixel lenses, both with optical image stabilization (OIS), but one has an f/1.8 aperture while the other has an f/2.4 aperture and supports 2x optical zoom. It’s capable of capturing great shots in a wide variety of different situations, though it doesn’t match some competitors when it comes to low-light photography. Something it is very good at is capturing great portrait shots with blurred backgrounds, and the iPhone Xs allows you to adjust the field of depth after taking a shot. Apple claims the sensor in the iPhone Xs is twice as fast, so we expect to see some improvements when we get to take it for a test drive.

The front-facing camera has the same TrueDepth support, which enables the FaceID to work so securely and also allows Animojis and Memojis to work so well. Apparently, the iPhone Xs has a faster Secure Enclave and an algorithm update, which means FaceID should work just a little faster in the newer phone.

Winner: Apple iPhone Xs

Software and updates

Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends

The Apple iPhone Xs launches with the latest iOS 12 on board, while the iPhone X launched with iOS 11, however the iPhone X can be updated to iOS 12 very easily. Apple rolls out updates regularly and both these iPhones will be easy to update over-the-air.

The software experience and update schedule should be identical for both these phones, but we’re going to give the newer iPhone the slightest of edges, because it will likely continue to get updates for slightly longer than its predecessor. If we look at iOS 12, for example, we find that the iPhone 5S is the cutoff line and the iPhone 5 won’t be getting it.

Winner: Apple iPhone Xs

Special features

Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends

Perhaps the headline feature here is the TrueDepth front-facing camera, which is capable of scanning your face, even in the dark, to unlock your iPhone. Apple has employed the same technology to enable your facial expressions to animate fun creatures in the shape of Animojis or caricatures in the shape of Memojis. They add a little fun to your chats and work a lot more smoothly than similar features on other phones.

The iPhone Xs adds dual SIM support, which is great for international travelers, but there isn’t too much else to speak of here. These iPhones are great all-rounders that are focused on doing the essentials very well.

Winner: Apple iPhone Xs

Price

When Apple releases a new iPhone. last year’s model drops in price. The base model of the iPhone Xs with 64GB of storage is going to cost you $1,000 and it will be widely available

September 21, with pre-orders starting from September 14.

The iPhone Xs replaces the iPhone X on Apple’s website, but you should still be able to pick it up from major retailers or from any big carrier. We expect the price to drop a little in response to the release of the iPhone Xs, so watch out for deals.

Overall Winner: Apple iPhone Xs

It will come as no surprise that Apple has made improvements over the last year and the iPhone Xs is a slightly better phone than the iPhone X. It boasts better performance, longer battery life, and a few other tweaks to make it more appealing, but the difference isn’t massive. If you have an iPhone X already, we think you should hang to it on for at least another year. For those choosing between the X and the Xs, we’d definitely opt for the newer iPhone.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Huawei P20 Pro vs. Apple iPhone X: A battle of flagship smartphones
• Samsung Galaxy Note 9 vs. Apple iPhone X: Battle of the ultra-premium smartphones
• Apple iPhone Xs: News, release, specs, and more
• Everything you need to know about the Apple iPhone Xr
• Which Apple iPhone should you buy?

Here’s how to buy the brand-new Apple iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max, and iPhone Xr

After months of rumors and speculation, Apple has finally taken the wraps off of the latest and greatest iPhones, the iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max, and iPhone Xr. The three iPhones boast a ton of new features, including a more modern design on the lower-cost iPhone and improvements to the processing power of the phones.

Of course, you might be wondering just how to get your hands on the new iPhone models. That is why we put together this guide. Here’s how, when, and where to buy the new iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max, and iPhone Xr.

Unlocked

As you might expect, you’ll be able to buy the new iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max, and iPhone Xr directly from Apple unlocked, if you so choose. From Apple, the iPhone Xs and Xs Max will be available for pre-order starting on September 14, while shipping begins on September 21. Pricing for the iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max can be found below.

• iPhone Xs 64GB: $999, or $49.91 per month with the iPhone upgrade program.
• iPhone Xs 256GB: $1,149, or $56.16 per month with the iPhone upgrade program.
• iPhone Xs 512GB: $1,349, or $64.50 per month with the iPhone upgrade program.
• iPhone Xs Max 64GB: $1,099, or $54.08 per month with the iPhone upgrade program.
• iPhone Xs Max 256GB: $1,249, or $60.33 per month with the iPhone upgrade program.
• iPhone Xs Max 512GB: $1,449, or $68.66 per month with the iPhone upgrade program.

In addition to the iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max, Apple also unveiled the new iPhone Xr, which does away with some of the features in the iPhone Xs, but comes at a lower price. The iPhone Xr, however, won’t be available at the same time as the iPhone Xs — it’ll be up for pre-order starting on October 19. Pricing for the iPhone Xr can be found below, though we’re not currently sure if the iPhone Xr will be available unlocked given the fact that there doesn’t seem to be an unlocked option on the Apple website — only carrier options. We’ll update this article with more information when we have it. If it is available unlocked, it will likely offer the same pricing as carriers, which can be found below.

• iPhone Xr 64GB: $749, or $37.41 per month with the iPhone Upgrade Program.
• iPhone Xr 128GB: $799, or $39.50 per month with the iPhone Upgrade Program.
• iPhone Xr 256GB: $899, or $43.66 per month with the iPhone Upgrade Program.

Apple likely won’t be the only one to offer the new iPhones unlocked. It’s likely we’ll also see the new devices pop up at Amazon, Best Buy, and other places too.

Carriers

Perhaps you’d prefer to get the phones straight from your carrier . Here’s everything you need to know about the iPhone’s pricing from your carrier.

AT&T

We have yet to hear AT&T’s pricing and availability for any of the new iPhones. We’ll update this article when we hear more.

Sprint

We have yet to hear Sprint’s pricing and availability for any of the new iPhones. We’ll update this article when we hear more.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile will be offering the iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max, and iPhone Xr, all at the same time as Apple. That’s to say, you’ll be able to pre-order the iPhone Xs and Xs Max from T-Mobile starting on September 14, with sales beginning on September 21. Pre-orders for the iPhone Xr will begin on October 19.

When it comes to special deals, T-Mobile says that it will offer customers up to $300 toward the purchase of a new iPhone with an eligible trade-in, and that credit will be applies to the users account in installments over 24 months.

Verizon

We have yet to hear Verizon’s pricing and availability for any of the new iPhones. We’ll update this article when we hear more.

Comcast Xfinity Mobile

Like other carriers, Xfinity Mobile will be offering the iPhone Xs and Xs Max for pre-order starting on September 14, with shipping beginning on September 21. The iPhone Xr will be up for pre-order on October 19.

As a special deal, Xfinity Mobile is offering new customers $300 if they purchase a new iPhone, activate a new line, and port over their number.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Apple iPhone Xs: News, release, specs, and more
• Apple iPhone Xs vs. iPhone X: What difference does a year make?
• Apple iPhone Xr vs. iPhone 8 vs. iPhone 7 vs. iPhone 6s: Which is best for you?
• Everything you need to know about the Apple iPhone Xr
• Live coverage: Apple’s September 12 event

NHL 19 is a faithful rendition of the real deal

Violent Sports On Ice.

NHL 19 is due out in a short couple of days. It’s EA’s hockey simulator that, although not quite as popular as their Madden and FIFA games, certainly has earned its scratch as a quality annual sports title. Here’s everything you need to know about NHL 19.

$60 at Amazon

What is NHL 19?

We’re not exactly sure when it happened, but EA found themselves the sole owners of a licensed annual hockey franchise. Like many of EA’s other sports titles under the direction of Peter Moore, the NHL games have gotten increasingly better as time goes on.

As is usual, EA’s focus is on combining the authenticity of the NHL license with rock-solid simulation-style gameplay and a wealth of modes and features to keep you busy.

A whole new feeling

The big trend for EA Sports games this year is Real Player Motion. This physics-based engine is designed to make the act of movement feel more natural and fluid. Although the floaty feeling of player movement in other sports games is typically referred to as ice skating and hockey is literally an ice skating game, Real Player Motion aims to eliminate that feeling.

On the ice, that means you’ll see an engine that takes weight, momentum, velocity, and overall player skill into account when determining how players can go, stop, and turn. You won’t be able to stop on a dime and instantly change directions at full speed. EA wants you to feel like you’re driving your skates into the ice and having to build up your speed as you race from one end of the sheet to the other. Players’ legs will churn and swing as they look to speed up on the ice, too.

Another thing EA likes to do with Real Player Motion is to incorporate the actual styles and characteristics of the hockey stars in the game. Wayne Gretzky will skate like Wayne Gretzky. Connor McDavid will feel more explosive than your average hockey player.

It doesn’t always sound like much on paper, but the Real Player Movement engine changes the entire feel of these sports games. NHL 19 will look familiar, but it’ll feel entirely new. That’s of no consequence to newcomers as they have no prior history to compare, but series veterans will surely notice the difference almost immediately.

The game’s collision engine is also beefed up. Hockey is a pretty violent sport, as evidenced by all those pads the players wear, and it’s always important for EA to improve this area of the game. There’ll be an infusion of new animations as well as dynamic physics to make each hit feel just right.

You’ll see different types of collisions that’ll be determined by skills and attributes, speed, weight, angles and positioning, and strength. Stamina will also play a part in your ability to take a check. If your player is tired, he is more likely to fall down from a collision and will take longer to get up. All of this builds on a Frostbite-based engine which has offered a satisfying time at the digital hockey rink for years now.

Go for gold

Another thing NHL is adopting from other EA Sports titles is a create-a-player mode which lets you build up your own hockey superstar from scratch to use him across a variety of game modes. It’s being called World of CHEL and is to be considered a direct extension of the Hockey League mode from years past. Here are all the different things you can get into:

• NHL ONES: You and two other competitors duke it out in a series of free-for-all showcases that displays individual skills and talent. Daily challenges let you climb the ladder and earn chances to compete in more prestigious outdoor environments, including The Lot, The Cove, The Docks, and The Ring.
• Pro-Am: Join a team with two other NHL stars of the past and present to take on an equally-skilled AI-controlled team in a series of challenges. The better you do, the more rewards you earn for your World of CHEL player.
• Hockey League: This is the big competitive play mode where you can take everything you’ve learned, practiced, and trained for into fierce cooperative head-to-head matches against online opponents.

World of CHEL offers you the opportunity to create the player you’ve always wanted, with 12 different skater classes and 3 of the goalie variety. Each class offers differing playstyles, advantages and disadvantages, and unique abilities. And you don’t just have to stick with one throughout your career thanks to a new Loadouts feature — just set up your classes and swap between them at the press of a button.

Beyond the competitive stuff, customizing your World of CHEL player’s cosmetics will be quite fun this year with over 900 player items to choose from. These range from your hardcore NHL-approved gear to parkas, hats, and all sorts of other cool winter gear you’ll be able to sport in several game modes.

When you’re less concerned about building up your own personal character, all the other modes will let you run the rink in more team-oriented settings. Franchise mode is back, of course, offering you the ability to run your hockey club and go for the Stanley Cup. And NHL Ultimate Team lets you collect your favorite stars from the past and present to compete against others.

Pre-order bonuses

Pre-ordering the standard edition of NHL 19 will get you hooked up with 5 Ultimate Team packs. You’ll also get loyalty rewards that net you goodies if you’ve owned any of the previous 3 NHL games. Those rewards include up to 3 World of CHEL Hockey Bags containing gear for your player, 2, 5, or 10 UItimate Team Packs, and you’ll also get as many as three different NHL Ultimate team players:

• NHL 16: Jonathan Toews
• NHL 17: Vladimir Tarasenko
• NHL 18: Connor McDavid

EA will automatically determine whether you’ve played those games and will issue your rewards accordingly.

$60 at Amazon

You’ll get all of the above if you pre-order the Legends Edition, plus access to the game 3 days early, 20 Ultimate Team packs (1 per week for 20 weeks), a rookie Ultimate Team player, a cover athlete Ultimate Team player, a legend Ultimate Team player, and a “Hockey Bag” containing World of CHEL items.

$80 at Amazon

Last but not least, the Ultimate Edition has everything the previous ones do, except you’ll get 40 Ultimate Team packs (2 per week for 20 weeks).

$100 at Amazon

When can you play it?

NHL 19 launches for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One worldwide on September 14, 2018. Those ordering premium editions of the game can enjoy it as soon as September 11, 2018.

And if you’re on Xbox One as an EA Access subscriber, you’ll get to try out a fully-featured trial of the game for 10 hours before you buy, as well as receive a discount of 10% on the game itself and all in-game purchases. Let us know if you’ll be skating to pick this one up once it arrives.

PlayStation 4

• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

Amazon

Apple said it makes the most personal mobile OS, which is just absurd

The operating system that won’t let you set Waze as your default map is trying to call itself the most personal operating system. Riiiiiiight…

The yearly Apple Event where we see the new iPhone X-mas announced and Jony Ive reinventing the polygon is here, and it kicked off with the most ridiculous claim we’re likely to see out of Cupertino to date: “iOS isn’t just the most advanced mobile operating system, it’s the most personal.”

Once you’re done spitting out your drink — somebody owes me a Coke and a clean top — let’s recap all the personalization Apple isn’t doing that Android and Google Assistant are.

Setting default apps

Let’s start with the Android feature Apple users have been wanting since 2010. If you hate Gmail, you can set Microsoft Outlook as your default email app on an Android. If you hate Safari, you cannot set Google Chrome as your primary web browser on an iPhone. If you don’t want Google or Apple, there are literally dozens of other great options.

This culture may be changing, slowly, maybe, if you squint. The biggest takeaway from Apple’s WWDC developer event back in May for many people was that Apple CarPlay was going to finally allow users to use Google Maps or Waze. This is a huge step forward, as the inability to use Google Maps has kept many of my iPhone-carrying friends from using CarPlay.

But still, Apple is so ridiculously behind here.

Launcher and system personalization

I’ve often joked that if you want to personalize an iPhone, all you can do is buy a new case and set a wallpaper. This is an oversimplification, to be sure, but when it comes to the home screen experience on iOS, it’s not that far off. You can rearrange the apps on the pages of your app drawer — yeah, iOS lives in the app drawer, it doesn’t have proper home screens — but you can’t get a better launcher. You can’t set any icon packs. You can’t add any widgets to your home screen itself; widgets on iOS can only clutter your Today feed.

Personalizing an Android phone can go so far beyond the home screen, too. Samsung Themes have allowed users to make the Android system itself look bold, unique, and perfectly suited to their style. They’re far from perfect but on Android we can say this and mean it: if you don’t like something about your phone, you can change it.

Google Assistant

But let’s not forget the most personal service Google has today on Android and beyond. Google Assistant has grown so far beyond answering simple search questions and telling you the weather. Google Assistant adapts to your tastes; you can tell it you don’t like a song and it will remember that for the next dance party. Google Assistant can play games with your children while helping you make dinner; it can help you plan a vacation or set up a science fair experiment.

You can customize not only the way Google Assistant addresses you, you can pick its voice from all the colors of the wind. You can now address Google Assistant in multiple languages, and if you take the train to work but take a car when you’re just going out for a fun night, Google Assistant can remember that when you ask how long it’ll take to get somewhere. You can even program customized Routines for Google Assistant that will trigger at specific times, letting Google Assistant control your whole home while waking you up or speak up with a reminder every day so that you take regular breaks to stretch and eat.

And because Google Assistant has expanded from Google Home and your phone to Chromebooks and TVs and third-party speakers and iPhones, Google Assistant’s personalization can follow you from device to device so that no matter where you talk to Assistant, it feels and responds like your assistant. Siri has been slowly improving, but again is so, so far behind that Google Assistant is comfortably lapping her now.

Personalization requires willingness to change

Lets not forget when personalizing a phone went right down to the frame with Motomaker.

If you don’t like Google Assistant, you can set Alexa or Cortana as your default assistance app. If you don’t like Siri, then you can try to use Google Assistant instead, but it’s going to be a bit clunkier, just as using Inbox instead of Apple’s Mail app is. That’s because no matter how hard Apple tries to market itself as a personal OS, it’s still not giving you nearly the choice that Android is, and Siri will not adapt to your habits, speech patterns, and your tastes nearly as well as Google Assistant will.

So, yeah. The most personal personal mobile OS? That’s adorable Apple, but nah.

Google’s shutting down Inbox next March

The age of AI-powered Google is causing its email clients to merge.

Updated September 12, 2018: Welp. They did it. Google’s killed Inbox. Inbox will be laid to rest in March 2019, and in its place, the company’s hoping people switch over to Gmail instead. This isn’t really surprising considering the overlap in features we’ve seen between the two apps over the last few months, but even so, it’s still sad to see that the light is finally coming at the end of the tunnel for Inbox. RIP 💔

It has been almost exactly three years since Google made its new email client available to the whole world.

Inbox by Gmail was sold as a “completely different type of inbox, designed to focus on what really matters,” and while I think this mission was a huge success, the client never really caught on the way Gmail itself did. Fast forward to today, Inbox has become stagnant and Gmail is being regularly updated to compete with modern email clients. In fact, with the recent revelation of an upcoming new Gmail design, including several features straight from Inbox, it’s not difficult to imagine this once futuristic-feeling email client being sunset before too long.

The big thing that sets Inbox apart from other email clients is automation. Inbox automatically sorts your email into themed piles, so you can sift through them as you see fit or archive whole stacks with a swipe. You can snooze emails, too, so they disappear from your main feed and arrive, magically, when and where you want them. That feature, which largely sets Inbox apart from Gmail, is now coming to Google’s primary email client. And that’s good because it’s incredibly useful worth having everywhere. But seeing it come to Gmail caused me to look at what else sets Inbox apart, and that list is quite slim these days.

Google has been working on things like smart replies and several other features for Inbox and Gmail at the same time, but if you look at the Gmail blog, the last time Inbox got a solo update was way back in August, 2016. There’s been little momentum since then, something iPhone users have found especially frustrating as the iOS Inbox app is one of the few remaining Google apps without iPhone X support. Any way you look at it, the Inbox experience has been largely unchanged for quite some time now.

The biggest reason this frustrates me as an Inbox user is how it aligns with Google’s overall trend of focusing on automation products. The AI-powered revolution, the “Personal Google” experience powered by machine learning, is the kind of thing I expected would make Inbox even more capable over time. In reality, Inbox doesn’t feel any smarter to me now than it did two years ago. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, since I already enjoy it for what it is, but it seemed likely that Google would sink some resources into making its predictive, intelligent email system a big part of its machine learning future. Instead, it feels more like successful parts of Inbox are being woven into Gmail.

Its possible Google will never fully “sunset” Inbox, as it is mostly just a different front-end for the existing Gmail platform. Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the future of Inbox.

Soon enough, no doubt at Google I/O in less than a month, we’ll likely all have access to this new Gmail and everyone will be able to enjoy most of the things that make Inbox cool. But for now, I’m not quite ready to give up on an email system that pre-sorts my messages so I never have to look at a giant list of emails ever again.

Boost your Gmail productivity with these tips and tricks

TP-Link smart bulbs, Bluetooth headphones, and more are 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 several kinds of TP-Link A19 smart bulbs, Bushnell binoculars, and Anker’s noise-cancelling Bluetooth headphones!

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 just-announced Dyson 360 Heurist robot vacuum can see in the dark

Hands-free sounds good to me.

Today in Beijing, Dyson announced its newest endeavor: the 360 Heurist. Three years ago was Dyson’s first foray into the world of robot vacuuming with the 360 Eye. The newest version brings with it several improvements, which is a good thing considering the reviews the earlier version received.

There’s a new processor that’s 20 times faster. There are new voice assistant capabilities so you can talk to your robot pal with your other robot pals like Alexa or Google. There are more bristles, more suction power, more runtime, and those aren’t even the coolest features.

“Heurist” likely comes from the word “heuristic”, which means “enabling a person to discover or learn something for themselves.” That makes perfect sense, because the new 360 Heurist features an LED ring around its top camera. If the lights are off, it won’t panic and shut down. It simply “sees” for itself using up to eight of its LED lights. The 360 Eye didn’t perform well in the dark, so it’s nice to see that Dyson took customer feedback into account when creating the newest version.

There are plenty of options to consider when looking for a robot vacuum. Models like the Eufy RoboVac for around $200 or the $280 iRobot Roomba are great choices, and they’re available right now. Plus, judging from the $1,000 pricing of the now-dated Dyson Eye 360, they’re probably much more affordable.

The 360 Heurist will be available in China in a couple of months for around $800. Details are sparse on when it’ll arrive in the United States and other regions, but you can follow Thrifter on Twitter to know if it ever gets discounted here.

Apple Seeds watchOS 5 Golden Master to Developers

Apple today seeded the golden master (GM version) of watchOS 5 to developers following a beta testing period that saw the company release a total of 10 watchOS 5 betas. The golden master represents the final version of watchOS 5 that will be released to the public on Monday, September 17.

Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the watchOS 5 golden master can be downloaded using the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General –> Software Update.

To install the update, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on an Apple Watch charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.

watchOS 5 is a major update to the watchOS operating system, introducing Activity Competitions so you can compete on workouts with friends, Walkie-Talkie with push-to-talk functionality for quickly communicating with the people you talk to most, and auto workout detection to make it easier to start and stop workouts if you forget.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Other new features include an improved Siri watch face with support for third-party apps through Siri Shortcuts, a dedicated Apple Podcasts app, new Workout types that include Yoga and Hiking, new features for runners, WebKit support for viewing some web content on Apple Watch, and enhanced notifications, which will make notifications on the Apple Watch interactive.

watchOS 5 betas are only available to developers and are not be provided to public beta testers because there’s no way to downgrade Apple Watch software, so non-developers will need to wait until the software is officially released to try it out.

The watchOS 5 update runs on all Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3 Apple Watch models, but it is not available for the first-generation “Series 0” Apple Watch models.

Apple plans to release watchOS 5 to the public on Monday, September 17, a few days ahead of when new Apple Watch Series 4 models will be available.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 4, watchOS 5Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Seeds tvOS 12 Golden Master to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Apple today seeded the golden master (GM) version of tvOS 12 to developers following a months-long beta testing period that saw the company release 10 tvOS 12 betas. The golden master represents the final version of tvOS 12 that will be released to the public on Monday, September 17.

Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV, the tvOS 12 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV using a profile that’s installed through Xcode. Subsequent betas can be downloaded via the software update mechanism on the Apple TV.

The tvOS 12 public beta can be obtained by going to the Settings app on the Apple TV and navigating to the Software Updates section under “System.” “Get Public Beta Updates” will need to be toggled on, and once it is, the Apple TV will download the beta software.

tvOS 12 brings long-awaited support for Dolby Atmos sound, which was activated in the second beta. Apple has been adding Dolby Atmos support to its iTunes content, and with the tvOS 12 launch, iTunes will be home to the largest collection of movies that support Dolby Atmos.

Customers that have previously purchased movies that gain Dolby Atmos support will see free upgrades to their titles, much like the rollout of 4K support.

Building on single sign-on, a new zero sign-on feature further simplifies the cable authentication process. With zero sign-on, the Apple TV can detect a user’s broadband network and automatically sign them into supported apps they receive through their accompanying cable subscription.

Zero sign-on will be available for Charter Communications customers this fall and will expand to additional cable providers in the future.

In tvOS 12, Aerial screensavers include location information for the first time, and there are new screensavers captured in collaboration with the International Space Station.

Other tvOS-related improvements include AutoFill passwords from iPhone, an Apple TV Remote automatically added to Control Center on the iPhone or iPad, and Apple TV support on Home control systems like Control4, Crestron, and Savant.

Apple plans to release tvOS 12 to the public on Monday, September 17, right alongside iOS 12 and watchOS 5 updates. For more information on the new features coming in tvOS 12, make sure to check out our tvOS 12 roundup.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 12Buyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Neutral)
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Seeds Eleventh Beta of macOS Mojave to Developers

Apple today seeded the eleventh beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after releasing the tenth beta and more than two months after introducing the software at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

macOS Mojave introduces a new method of installing software updates, so after the initial beta has been installed using the appropriate profile from the Developer Center, additional betas can be downloaded through opening up System Preferences and choosing the “Software Update” option.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Apple’s macOS Mojave update introduces a systemwide Dark Mode, with Mojave users able to choose between a light theme or the new dark theme, which changes the color of the dock, menu bar, apps, and other elements. Dark Mode is accompanied by Dynamic Desktops, aka wallpapers that subtly change throughout the day.

Stacks, a new desktop organization system, keeps all of your desktop files neat and organized, while Finder has been enhanced with a Gallery View, a Sidebar, a revamped Quick Look option and Quick Actions, so you can do more in the Finder window than ever before.

Screenshots can now be edited using Markup tools and a new management options that also allow for easy screen recording, while Continuity camera, a new feature, allows you to import photos and document scans directly from an iPhone or iPad to the Mac.

The Apple News, Stocks, Home, and Voice Memos apps have been ported from iOS to macOS as part of a multiyear project Apple is working on to make it easier to bring iOS apps to Macs, and Apple has introduced several new privacy protections to keep your data safer than ever.

Apple is also making it harder for websites to track you with a range of new Safari tools, and it’s also easier to make and store secure, hard-to-guess passwords for each and every website.

Apple has added an entirely revamped Mac App Store to macOS Mojave that makes it easier to discover apps with a featured section and specific categories for games, creative apps, productivity apps, apps for developers, and more.

macOS Mojave was initially supposed to include a Group FaceTime feature that includes support for chatting with up to 32 people at one time, but it was removed in macOS Mojave beta 7 and the feature won’t be available until later in the year.

macOS Mojave is available to developers and public beta testers to work out bugs and other issues ahead of an upcoming public release on September 24.

Related Roundup: macOS Mojave
Discuss this article in our forums