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

Do you really need to spend big money on the big name?

Samsung’s Galaxy S9+ is a known quantity at this point. It’s been out for a few months, covered every way possible and evaluated by everyone. By most accounts, it’s a darn good phone. The hardware is great, the specs are top-notch and the camera is wonderful. But … it’s expensive. Very expensive.

That’s where the OnePlus 6 comes in. It’s $300 less than the Galaxy S9+, but on the face of it looks like a comparable device. It also has solid hardware, top-end specs and a pile of other enticing features. So the question is, if you’re in the market for a flagship phone today, should you get the Galaxy S9+ or consider the OnePlus 6? And does the story change at all if you’re trying to hold to a budget? We’re here to give you all of the information you need.

See at Galaxy S9+ at Amazon
See OnePlus 6 at OnePlus

What’s the same

Smartphone designs have coalesced in the last few years. Screens got taller and skinnier, and a majority of devices are comprised of a metal frame squished between two panes of glass. The story continues when you set the OnePlus 6 next to a Galaxy S9+. Not only do they have the same type of construction, but also very similar finishes — these are glossy and shiny bodies that attract attention and fingerprints alike. They’ve both even went with the same type of vertical arrangement for their cameras and fingerprint sensors, though the OnePlus 6’s is a tad easier to use because it’s physically separated from the camera grouping.

These are metal-and-glass sandwiches that feel very similar and are filled with comparable specs.

The phones are near-identical in shape, size and weight, due to their small bezels wrapping around screens that are almost the same size. The 19:9 aspect ratio 6.3-inch display on the OnePlus 6 is barely larger and taller than the 18.5:9 ratio 6.2-inch on the Galaxy S9+ — that is to say you’d never notice the size difference. The body curves make them both a bit slippery without a case, but that’s the cost of beauty. The Galaxy S9+ is a tad narrower, but in daily use you wouldn’t notice. Both phones have a typical array of buttons on the side, and all of the ports collect at the bottom — including a headphone jack on both phones.

OnePlus 6 specs

Internally, the similarities continue. Both phones are powered by a Snapdragon 845 processor (aside from GS9+ models with a similar Exynos), 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. In either case you can pay to option up 128GB or 256GB of storage, but OnePlus also gives you 8GB of RAM in those higher storage models — though you’d be hard-pressed to find a need for it. The OnePlus 6 has a slightly smaller battery at 3300mAh to the GS9+’s 3500mAh, but battery life ends up being about the same — and in some cases, the OnePlus 6 actually goes longer on a charge.

What’s different

So when the base of the hardware, specs and features is the same, where does Samsung differentiate to justify its higher price? Well, in the details. On the hardware side, Samsung offers IP68 water resistance, which gives you true peace of mind in knowing it can get wet without issue. Its glass back also hides dual-mode wireless charging for those who enjoy the convenience, there are dual speakers available, and its Fast Charge wired charging system, while slower than Dash Charge, is cross-compatible with every Quick Charge charger as well as USB-C Power Delivery.

The GS9+ gives you more ‘nice to have’ features, a proven camera and an amazing display without a notch.

Then we have to address the big difference that stares you in the face: the display notch. I can easily argue that the OnePlus 6’s notch isn’t bothersome and simply lets you get a little more display without making the phone larger, but the simple fact is the Galaxy S9+ doesn’t have one and you don’t have to deal with it. All else being equal, not having a notch is preferable. And further on the display front, the GS9+ just has a downright better panel — its brightness and clarity are unmatched by any Android phone, making it better than the still-very-good OLED panel on the OnePlus 6. It’s also higher resolution, if you’re into that sort of thing.

The only area on the front where the OnePlus “wins” is that its display is flat and not curved. Yes this is a bit like the complaints about display notches, but many people don’t care for the Galaxy S9+’s curved screen edges because they make the phone tougher to operate in one hand. Just like the notch discussion this may not be an issue for you, but no matter what camp you land in you’ll never have to think about a curved display on the OnePlus 6.

OnePlus wins the software battle, both out of the box and over time.

One of the biggest differentiators here is the software experience. OnePlus has a lot of fans purely based on its clean and fast software experience that has minimal interruptions and delightful improvements over stock Android. Samsung’s phones do more, that’s not even up for debate, but the trade-off is that the Galaxy S9+ probably has a whole bunch of features that you don’t care about but have to deal with anyway. With its simple software the OnePlus 6 is going to be fast out of the box and stay fast over time, and that’s something that isn’t exactly guaranteed on a Samsung phone.

The final part of this comparison is the cameras. OnePlus has made a big improvement with the OnePlus 6, using a new 16MP primary sensor that’s larger, with an f/1.7 lens and OIS. It’s supported by a 20MP secondary camera to help with Portrait Mode photos, and is no longer for zooming. The pair is undeniably a large step beyond the OnePlus 5 and 5T. It gets close to what the Galaxy S9+ can do, and in daylight scenes you can’t really tell the difference unless you set the two side-by-side.

OnePlus 6 (left) vs. Galaxy S9+ (right) — click images to view larger.

The Galaxy S9+ still has better HDR and colors in many scenes, which can somewhat be attributed to its overall warmer color profile, but the OnePlus 6 isn’t far behind on average. Samsung’s camera also just seems smoother and crisper in areas of fine lines and details. On the other side of things, the OnePlus 6 doesn’t seem to have the same kinds of exposure issues that can often over-brighten shots from the Galaxy S9+.

Which should you buy?

Choosing which phone is right for you really should start with a discussion of price. The OnePlus 6 starts at $529, which is dramatically cheaper than the base Galaxy S9+ at $839. Even the top-end OnePlus 6 with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is $629, still $210 less than the base Galaxy S9+.

The Galaxy S9+ undeniably offers more, but it’s tough to say it’s worth an extra $300 over the OnePlus 6.

But what if you’re willing to spend the extra money, but don’t want to if it’s not actually worth it? A whole lot of the experience is shared between these two phones. The hardware is great on either one, as is the performance, specs and core features — they’re also nearly identical in size, both in display area and overall. For the extra money the Galaxy S9+ offers a better display (without a notch), a marginally better camera experience, and extra hardware features like wireless charging — and we can’t entirely discount the value of its more recognizable brand. That being said, the OnePlus 6 has a cleaner software experience that’s simpler to use and isn’t as susceptible to long-term problems — and, as previously noted, the entire package is dramatically less expensive.

If your budget for a phone is only about $600, it’s tough to imagine that you’d all of a sudden decide to spend an additional $250 beyond that to get a Galaxy S9+ — and the few improvements it offers over the OnePlus 6 don’t really justify that price increase if you’re at all price sensitive. But If the extra money doesn’t mean much to you, the Galaxy S9+ does indeed offer a better overall experience provided you’re enticed by the extra features rather than the simplicity of the OnePlus software. But no matter your budget, you’d be doing yourself a disservice to not consider the OnePlus 6 in any case — it has a whole lot going for it as a complete package at any price.

See at Galaxy S9+ at Amazon
See OnePlus 6 at OnePlus

OnePlus 6

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

Update May 2018: Now that the OnePlus 6 is fully released, we’ve updated the comparison with details on how the battery life and cameras compare between these phones.

Gaming mice, fitness trackers, camping gear, and more are on sale 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 the Razer DeathAdder Elite gaming mouse, the Garmin Forerunner fitness tracking smartwatch, Streamlight LED flashlights, 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!

Google reported to stop working on Maven, its government-licensed AI tech

The contract with the Pentagon could have cost as much as $250 million.

Over the last few months, Google’s faced nonstop backlash for partnering with the United States Pentagon to work on an AI system that can swiftly identify people and points of interest from drone footage. The system is called Maven, and a new report’s surfaced suggesting that Google’s decided to cease its involvement with it.

According to emails received by Gizmodo —

Google Cloud CEO Diane Greene announced the decision at a meeting with employees Friday morning, three sources told Gizmodo. The current contract expires in 2019 and there will not be a follow-up contract, Greene said. The meeting, dubbed Weather Report, is a weekly update on Google Cloud’s business.

In addition to backlash from people outside of Google, a report from mid-May revealed that multiple employees had resigned from the company due to their frustration with Google’s involvement with Maven. Google’s contract with the Pentagon was initially set at around $15 million, but it appears that the company planned on spending as much as $250 million on it.

As further emails reveal, Google’s senior executive team was excited to work on Maven and the future doors it would open. Per Gizmodo —

But internal emails reviewed by Gizmodo show that executives viewed Project Maven as a golden opportunity that would open doors for business with the military and intelligence agencies. The emails also show that Google and its partners worked extensively to develop machine learning algorithms for the Pentagon, with the goal of creating a sophisticated system that could surveil entire cities.

Greene reportedly told employees that Google is concerned about the ethical use of AI and that “It is incumbent on us to show leadership” in this department.

What are your thoughts on Google’s decision to stop working on Maven?

Some Google employees are resigning due to involvement with Project Maven

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 rumors: Release date, specs, price, and features!

Here’s everything we know about the Galaxy Note 9!

Now more than ever, Samsung’s Galaxy S+ phones are becoming eerily similar to the Note series. The Note used to be Samsung’s way of touting all of the latest and greatest tech it had to offer, and while this is still the case, the same can be said for this year’s Galaxy S9+.

Samsung needs more than just the S Pen to make the Note 9 stand out from its own phones and the rest of the competition, and luckily, all signs are pointing to something exciting for this year’s release. Here’s what we know so far!

June 1, 2018 — The Galaxy Note 9 will be announced on August 9 with an upgraded camera

Per a report from Bloomberg, Samsung will host an Unpacked event in New York on August 9 where it’ll officially unveil the Galaxy Note 9.

There’s still a lot that’s unknown about the phone, but it’s reported that the Note 9 will have a very similar design compared to the Note 8, a much-improved camera, and Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 845 processor in select markets.

Following the event, Samsung hopes to officially release the phone by the end of the month.

March 29, 2018: Samsung may launch the new Note as early as July

Samsung’s Galaxy Note series usually makes its debut in August, but according to a report from The Investor, the Note 9 could launch much sooner.

Samsung typically starts producing its OLED panels for Note devices in June, but it’s said that the company will be moving ahead of schedule this year and start production as soon as April. As such, we could see the Galaxy Note 9 released as early as July.

The reason for this change? Although not confirmed, it’s reported that this is a result of unimpressive sales of the Galaxy S9 and Apple’s own OLED production requirements for two of the iPhones it’s expected to release this September.

When will the Galaxy Note 9 be released?

Samsung typically releases its Galaxy Note series in the second-half of the year, often in mid-to-late August.

It was reported on March 29 that Samsung had begun production of OLED panels for the Note 9 two months earlier than it usually does, suggesting that this year’s Note may be released as early as July.

How much will the Galaxy Note 9 cost?

Pricing for the Note series has steadily been going up each year, as has the majority of the smartphone industry.

The Galaxy Note 8 costs $950 unlocked, and I’d expect the Note 9 to cost either the same or slightly more. Apple proved with the iPhone X that people aren’t afraid to shell out $1000+ for a new smartphone, and I don’t consider it to be out of the question for Samsung to follow suit with the Note 9 – especially if it adopts newer technologies like an in-display fingerprint sensor.

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

MacRumors Giveaway: Win a HyperAir 7.5W Wireless Charging Stand From RAVPower

For this week’s giveaway, we’ve teamed up with RAVPower to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a HyperAir 7.5W Qi Wireless Charging Stand from RAVPower.

Designed for the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, and future iPhones with Qi wireless charging capabilities, the HyperAir Wireless Charging Stand, priced at $46, is an upright charger that’s able to charge the iPhone while it’s standing up rather than lying flat.

There are two coils built into the wireless charger so the iPhone can be charged in either landscape or portrait mode. That makes this an ideal stand for use when you still need to see your iPhone while it charges, perhaps for watching videos or keeping an eye on a social network.

RAVPower’s HyperAir line of chargers support the faster 7.5W charging specification in the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus, so this Wireless Charging Stand will charge your iPhone faster than a standard 5W charger.

We reviewed the HyperAir Stand back in March and found that it was able to charge an iPhone X faster than several other competing chargers on the market. For those of you who have an iPhone and another device like a Samsung Galaxy, this will also charge those devices. It works with any Qi device.

According to RAVPower, the HyperAir Stand uses triple temperature controls to disperse heat 15 percent faster and protect against overcharging and overvoltage. Temperature control is important because wireless charging causes the temperature of the iPhone to rise, and at higher temperatures, charging slows.

We have 10 of the HyperAir Wireless Charging Stands from RAVPower to give away, and for those who want to make a purchase now, we have an exclusive discount that drops the price of the charger from $45.99 to $33.99. Just use the code MACRAV069 when checking out on Amazon. The code will work until June 15.

To enter to win our giveaway, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

a Rafflecopter giveawayThe contest will run from today (June 1) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on June 8. The winners will be chosen randomly on June 8 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Tag: giveaway
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Review: CalDigit’s T4 RAID Offers Lots of Fast Storage, Thunderbolt 3, and 85W Charging

Popular storage and dock company CalDigit recently launched a Thunderbolt 3 version of its T4 RAID storage hub, offering demanding Mac users a four-bay setup with capacities up to 32 TB of traditional hard drive or 8 TB of SSD storage.

Compatible with Thunderbolt 3 Macs including the MacBook Pro, iMac, and iMac Pro, the T4 connects over a single cable and not only offers a storage array but can also deliver up to 85 watts of power to the host computer and supports downstream displays via Thunderbolt 3, USB-C, and DisplayPort, as well as other standards using adapters.

Installation and Setup

Setting up the T4 is straightforward, but requires that you first download CalDigit’s Thunderbolt RAID Utility Installer from the company’s site and get the utility installed on your system. As of macOS High Sierra, this requires an extra authorization step in the Security & Privacy section of System Preferences, but the installer walks you through the process.

With the utility installed and your computer restarted, it’s just a matter of using the included 2-meter active Thunderbolt 3 cable to connect the T4 to your computer, plugging in the power cord, optionally connecting a downstream display, and starting up the T4.

Once the T4 is up and running and the drive showing on your desktop, you’re ready to go. The T4 comes pre-formatted in RAID 5 to offer a combination of redundancy and performance. If you prefer a different RAID mode (0, 1, or JBOD/SPAN), you can use the CalDigit Drive Utility menu bar app to reconfigure things.

Design

The T4 has a rectangular aluminum enclosure that measures 9.5 inches deep, 5.8 inches high, and 5.3 inches wide. The sides are ribbed to aid in heat dissipation, while the top is smooth with a CalDigit logo. The front of the T4 is dominated by the four drive modules, and underneath you’ll see a power button, a blue LED that lights up when the T4 is fully powered up, and then four additional blue LED status for the four drives. These illuminate when data is being written to or read from the specific drive. At the far right of the bottom front is an air intake.

On the rear of the T4. You’ll find a fairly large exhaust fan opening covered by a grille, as well as a Kensington security lock slot, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a DisplayPort port, and the connection for the power adapter. The power adapter is quite bulky, but that’s unsurprising given the hardware it needs to power in the T4 itself and the extra 85 watts it needs to be able to deliver to the host computer. Overall, it’s capable of putting out 230 watts.

With the enclosure, electronics, and all the drive modules, this is a heavy beast checking in at 13 pounds, so once you set this up, it’s going to stay there.

Drive Speed

Thunderbolt 3 offers terrific data throughput possibilities, but the speeds you see will depend on other limiting factors. The biggest one is obviously SSD versus traditional hard drive. An SSD setup will obviously be much faster, but it’s still expensive and maxes out at only 8 TB of total storage. If you need more storage and can put up with somewhat slower speeds, the traditional hard drives are the way to go.

My 32 GB review unit came with 7200 rpm Toshiba N300 drives, which are well-regarded storage drives optimized for NAS storage setups. Configured in RAID 5 out of the box, I saw read and write speeds of around 500 MB/s, which is pretty solid performance that takes advantage of that RAID configuration’s ability to write to multiple drives simultaneously.

RAID 5 speed test
Switching to a RAID 1 setup where all of the data is mirrored across each drive for maximum redundancy, I saw write speeds around 175 MB/s and read speeds of roughly 270 MB/s.

RAID 1 speed test
CalDigit uses proprietary drive modules that make it easy to swap in and out while preventing accidental removal. A pin hole on the front of the module pops out lever that allows you to slide the module out of its bay in the T4. For additional security, a drive lock can also be turned to prevent the pin release from operating. CalDigit’s drives are compatible across products, so if you have a RAID 1 or JBOD module in your T4, you can pull it out and transfer it straight to either an AV Pro 2 or the company’s previous Thunderbolt 2 T4 model.

Display Connectivity

I connected an UltraFine 5K display to the extra Thunderbolt port on the T4, and experienced no lag or other issues on the display. The Thunderbolt 3 port allows for displays up to 5K running at 60 Hz, but lower resolutions are of course also supported, as are USB-C displays. Other types of displays can be connected to the Thunderbolt port by using a USB-C video adapter.

Alternatively, the DisplayPort port supports up to 4K displays running at 60 Hz, and active adapters can be used to connect other display types such as HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, VGA, or DVI. Dual displays running at up to 4K and 60 Hz each are supported using the DisplayPort and Thunderbolt ports simultaneously, along with any required adapters.

Unfortunately, the T4 must be at least in standby mode in order for connected displays to function, and that means an internal fan runs either continually or cycling on and off every few minutes. It’s not nearly as loud as when it’s in full feature mode with the drives mounted, but it’s definitely noticeable in a quiet office or bedroom. The SSD model of the T4 should run significantly quieter in general, given the lack of moving parts and significantly less heat generated.

CalDigit Drive Utility

The Drive Utility app is a persistent menu bar application, which offers convenient access to drive management functions. You can use it to check on the status and health of each drive in the T4, manage RAID modes, set S.M.A.R.T. check frequencies, and configure notifications for various types of disk events like drive connect/disconnect, temperature warnings, or health issues. It even includes a built-in disk speed test function.

The app does a lot, but it doesn’t look terribly pretty doing it. The app window has a jarring black outline that doesn’t match the design aesthetic of macOS or most other third-party apps, while other user interface elements just a feel a bit off like the shadowing used to highlight the active tab. I’d prefer a more standard macOS look for the app, but ideally this isn’t something you’re going to need to use all that often, so it’s a fairly minor quibble.

Capacities and Pricing

CalDigit offers several capacity options in its online store, starting at $899 for an 8 TB traditional hard drive model. Higher-capacity models are available at 12 TB ($1099), 16 TB ($1399), 24 TB ($1999), and 32 TB ($2299). If you’re looking for the ultimate in speed, there’s a single 8 TB SSD option available that will set you back $3499. CalDigit is also offering the T4 through Amazon, although pricing is currently higher on all models except the base 8 TB traditional hard drive model, which comes in at $799.

The T4 is a custom “hybrid RAID” solution from CalDigit combining hardware and software aspects, and it’s only compatible with Macs, so be aware of that if you have any Windows PCs in your workflow.

In addition to the complete T4 packages, CalDigit offers separate drive modules in the various capacities if you want to have extras to swap in and out or if one fails. The T4 comes with a five-year warranty on the enclosure and electronics, while the drives themselves have a three-year warranty.

Keep in mind that if you plan to use RAID for redundancy, the actual capacity of your volume will be less than the total capacity of the drives. For example, in a four-disk volume like the T4 configured as RAID5, the volume size will only be 75 percent of the total capacity, as the remaining 25 percent is dedicated to parity to enable you to recover data if one of the drives fails.

Overall, the T4 Thunderbolt 3 RAID performs well and offers a nice balance of storage, redundancy, and speed from a company with a strong reputation for quality and customer support. It doesn’t necessarily come cheaply and with four disks it’s likely overkill for consumers just looking for backup security, but if you have a significant amount of high-value data that you want to ensure isn’t lost, this definitely a RAID storage option worth considering.

Note: CalDigit provided the T4 RAID to MacRumors free of charge for the purposes of this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon and may earn commissions on purchases made through links in this article.

Tags: Thunderbolt 3, CalDigit
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Apple to Expand Digital Advertising Network to Third-Party Apps

Apple is aiming to expand its digital advertising network by offering ad deals to companies that include Snap and Pinterest, reports The Wall Street Journal. Apple is hoping to build an Apple ad network that would distribute ads across apps, providing a share of revenue to the apps that display the ads.

With these Apple ads, searching for something like “Drapes” in Pinterest could show up an ad from Apple for an interior design app, as an example.

Apple’s App Store search ads
Apple’s App Store ads brought in nearly $1 billion in revenue last year, and its ad network ambitions would allow the company to grow its ad business significantly. Companies like Google and Facebook offer similar ad programs, which Apple would need to compete with.

Targeting ads could be more difficult for Apple because it does not use the extensive data collection techniques of Google and Facebook. Apple limits its App Store advertising data collection to age, location, gender, device, and music, app, book, and video downloads.

According to The Wall Street Journal, it is not known where Apple’s planning for the ad network stands nor when it could launch. Apple previously had an ad program called iAd, which it shuttered in 2016.

Tags: Apple ads, App Store
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ARKit 2.0 Will Let Two iPhones See the Same Virtual Object

iOS 12, set to be unveiled at the Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, will include ARKit 2.0, an upgrade to the existing ARKit 1.5 SDK that’s available to developers to allow them to build augmented reality experiences in their apps.

ARKit 2.0, according to a new report from Reuters, will include a feature that’s designed to let two iPhone users share an augmented reality experience, with the same objects displayed on multiple screens.

This is in line with previous rumors from Bloomberg that have said Apple is working on both multiplayer augmented reality gameplay and object permanence, which would allow a virtual object to remain in place across multiple app sessions.

Apple is aiming to allow two people to share data so they can see the same virtual object in the same space via each individual device, with Apple designing the feature in a privacy-friendly way.

Apple’s multiplayer system, unlike similar offerings from Google, does not require users to share scans of their homes and personal spaces, working via a phone-to-phone system.

Apple designed its two-player system to work phone-to-phone in part because of those privacy concerns, one of the people familiar with the matter said. The approach, which has not been previously reported, differs from Google’s, which requires scans of a player’s environment to be sent to, and stored in, the cloud.

Full details on how Apple’s multiplayer augmented reality system will work are unknown, and it’s not yet clear if it works with three or more players. Apple will share more information on the feature on Monday.

Augmented reality has been a major focus for Apple over the course of the last two years, with Apple CEO Tim Cook calling AR “big and profound.” “We’re high on AR in the long run,” Cook said in 2016.

Apple unveiled its first augmented reality product, ARKit, with iOS 11 at WWDC, and has since made improvements to the feature with the launch of ARKit 1.5 in March as part of iOS 11.3. ARKit brought mapping for irregularly shaped surfaces, vertical surface placement, and object and image recognition. With the additional changes coming in iOS 12, developers should be able to do a whole lot more with augmented reality.

Related Roundup: iOS 12Tag: ARKit
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Telegram Gets First Update After Six Week App Store Lockout

Telegram today received its first update in two months after an App Store update lockout caused by a dispute with the Russian government and Apple.

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov yesterday explained that Apple had been blocking updates to the Telegram app on a worldwide scale since April, when the Telegram app was banned in Russia.

As back story, Russia in April banned Telegram because Telegram refused to allow government officials in the country to have backdoor access to the content of user messages. Russia’s ban attempt was not entirely successful, leading Russia to demand that Apple remove Telegram from the Russian App Store.

Amid this dispute, Apple was apparently refusing all Telegram app updates dating back to mid-April. This situation caused certain Telegram features, like stickers, to break with the launch of iOS 11.4, and it prevented Telegram from complying with new GDPR rules in the European Union. From Durov’s statement yesterday:

While Russia makes up only 7% of Telegram’s userbase, Apple is restricting updates for all Telegram users around the world since mid-April. As a result, we’ve also been unable to fully comply with GDPR for our EU-users by the deadline of May 25, 2018. We are continuing our efforts to resolve the situation and will keep you updated.

Apple appears to have reversed its position on Telegram updates, and Telegram 4.8.2 is now available in the iOS App Store. The update includes a new registration process for the EU and UK along with some other small changes to the app.

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: Telegram
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Gotta catch ’em all fairly: ‘Pokémon Go’ cheaters’ precious monsters being deleted

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The best part of Pokémon Go is exploring the real world, making new friends, and discovering cool landmarks as you attempt to catch virtual monsters. Unfortunately, some players have sidestepped the exercise by using programs and third-party tools to trick the game into believing they’re walking around the world. Now, those who have cheated will now find their roster of Pokémon severely depleted.

“In order to prepare an environment where you can play Pokémon Go fun and fairly, we continue to take measures against actions that affect normal gameplay, including using [third-party] services violating the terms of service,” said a translated post on the Japanese Pokémon Go Twitter account. “A pink diagonal line is displayed in Pokémon caught using such a service, and it becomes useless in normal play.”

That’s right — if you caught a Pokémon using a program to spoof your location, it will now be completely useless. The name and level is still visible for any monsters caught this way, but there will not be an image of the Pokémon.

This is hardly the first time developer Niantic has punished players for using programs that violate the game’s terms of service. Earlier this year, Pokémon Go sent warning messages to accounts that it detected were using third-party software, and in some cases it also “shadowbanned” them. This kept them from seeing any valuable Pokémon in their area, though it appeared to be a temporary punishment.

Niantic has plenty of Pokémon Go content planned for the summer, including a Community Day on June 16. The game recently added Alolan Pokémon, which are alternate forms of previously available monsters, and you’ll now find Alolan Exeggutor if you explore.

If you’re in Chicago, you can also attend the second Pokémon Go Fest this July in Lincoln Park. Trainers will follow a 1.8-mile walking course as they catch new Pokémon and complete challenges. There will even be special lounges.

Pokémon Go will feature connectivity with the Nintendo Switch games Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! when they arrive November 16. In addition to transferring Kanto Pokémon between the Switch and mobile games, you’ll be able to send gifts and discover an all-new secret Pokémon.

Editors’ Recommendations

• ‘Pokémon Go’ adds legendary monsters Latias and Latios
• ‘Rampage’ review
• ‘Pacific Rim Uprising’ review
• ‘Monster Hunter: World’ review
• Nintendo applies for patent on digital card format, but is it for Pokémon?