Apple iPhone 7 launch today: iOS 10, Lightning headphones, dual camera expected
Apple will be taking to the stage in San Francisco today to unveil its latest smartphone update, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
Following the two-device update strategy we’ve seen since the iPhone 6, it’s expected that Apple will launch two phones, with the larger making a change to the cameras with dual lens functionality.
Apple has remained tight-lipped about design and features of the new handsets, but it’s expected to officially see the consumer launch of iOS 10, bringing in a range of changes for existing iPhone owners, although not a radical change in the metal design of the phone.
The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus is expected to offer a hardware upgrade for greater power, enhanced displays, a redesigned home button and, perhaps controversially, drop the 3.5mm headphone socket.
With rumours suggesting that Apple will only offer a Lightning connection, that may usher in a new era of Lightning headphones. Apple is no stranger to dropping connections – it ditched the Ethernet connection from the MacBook Air, for example, and more recently only put a USB Type-C connection on its skinny MacBook.
You can follow all the action as Apple unveils the iPhone 7 online, with live streaming via a number of different avenues.
- Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus: Release date, rumours and everything you need to know
- How to watch iPhone 7 and 7 Plus launch: Livestream on iOS, Apple TV, Mac or PC
- Best Lightning headphones to buy – no matter your budget
In typical Apple style, we’d expect pre-orders to open on 9 September and delivery from 16 September.
We will, of course, be bringing you all the details as they are confirmed.
LG Unveils V20 Android Nougat Phone With 3.5mm Jack, Audiophile Smarts
LG unveiled its new flagship V20 smartphone in New York on Tuesday evening, just 24 hours ahead of Apple’s iPhone 7 event in San Francisco.
A successor to last year’s LG V10, the new 5.7-inch phone is pitched as a “multimedia heavyweight” and boasts a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB storage, a 2560×1440 QHD IPS LCD display, and a fingerprint sensor home button.
The front of the handset boasts an always-on screen “ticker” strip along the top that can display mini apps and notifications, such as music controls and calendar events.
The V20 sacrifices a unibody aluminum design in favor of a miroSD slot (up to 2TB) and a removable 3200mAh battery via a metal backplate, while the top and bottom parts of the phone are made from silicon polycarbonate, earning the V20 a MIL-STD 810G drop and shock resistance rating. The device packs a USB-C port, water resistance is non-existent though.
While Apple is expected to drop the headphone jack with the iPhone 7 series, LG is very much relying on the analog port to appeal to audiophiles: the V20 boasts a 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC (digital-to-analog converter) and a 72-stage volume control fine-tuned by Bang & Olufsen, with support for most lossless music formats including FLAC and Apple Lossless. It also includes a HD audio recorder able to capture “studio quality audio” from three ultra-sensitive built-in microphones.
The rear of the phone houses a 16-megapixel camera with a 75-degree field of view backed by optical image stabilization and laser, phase, and contrast autofocusing, with a second wide-angle 8-megapixel sensor boasting a larger 135-degree field of view. The front-facing 5-megapixel camera also packs a wide angle mode.
Software-wise, the V20 is the first phone to come pre-installed with Android 7.0 Nougat, which features vertical split screen view, picture in picture, VR mode, file-based encryption, and more.
With Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 suffering from a disastrous global recall due to reports of exploding batteries, LG’s feature-packed V20 phablet finds itself first in line to go up against the iPhone 7 Plus, at least for now. While LG is yet to announce pricing and availability, consumers can expect the V20 to hover around the same $800 price point as the iPhone 7 Plus and Note 7.
MacRumors will have full coverage of Apple’s iPhone 7 event today, with a live blog on our front page at MacRumors.com and updates in 140 characters or less through our @MacRumorsLive account on Twitter.
Tag: LG
Discuss this article in our forums
Google helps your favorite websites fight hackers
Google’s Safe Browsing initiative already prevents you from accessing shady websites, among other things. Now, the initiative is also making it easier for your favorite online destinations to combat various security issues as soon as they hit. The Safe Browsing console has expanded its Security Issues report to provide website owners with more context and detailed explanations about a particular security problem it finds. That could be any of the six types it can detect, including malware, deceptive pages, and harmful or uncommon downloads.
Besides the detailed reports, the Safe Browsing console now also recommends different courses of action website owners can take, along with sample URLs they can use to unearth the source of the problem. These new features could help website developers fight off hackers and address potential security breaches as soon as possible, which can keep you and your information safe in turn.
The team’s announcement post comes with a call to register for developers who haven’t taken advantage of Safe Browsing yet:
“We on the Safe Browsing team definitely recommend registering your site in Search Console even if it is not currently experiencing a security issue. We send notifications through Search Console so webmasters can address any issues that appear as quickly as possible.”
Source: Google
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 recall: how to replace your UK phone
It’s only been five days since it confirmed the Galaxy Note 7 battery problem and issued a global recall for its highly-rated smartphone, but Samsung is moving quickly to limit the damage. A couple of days after it issued replacement instructions for US consumers, the company has kicked off the exchange process in the UK, confirming that the small number of customers who received their units before the official UK launch will have their devices replaced from September 19th.
The smartphone maker says that UK providers and operators will now begin contacting buyers to arrange their exchange. Alternatively, customers can call Samsung’s customer support team on 0330 7261000 and initiate the process with the company directly. Although Samsung managed to limit the impact on UK customers by issuing the recall on the day of the UK launch, some pre-orders were sent out early and will need replacing.
At a briefing last week, Samsung admitted that a small number of Galaxy Note 7 batteries had exploded while on charge. While there have been 35 cases reported to date, the company decided to issue a global recall just to be sure. Customers in different markets will receive different advice as to when they’ll get a new Galaxy Note 7, but in the UK, expect things to ramp up in a couple of weeks time.
Source: Samsung UK
‘Forza 6: Apex’ adds racing wheel support and exits beta
Steering wheel support is essential for any racing simulation that wants to be taken seriously. And now, some four months after launch, the free-to-play Forza Motorsport 6: Apex is finally ready for the pricey — and extremely precise! — accessories. The PC game will play nicely with a number of wheels from Logitech and Thrustmaster (including the latter’s very nice T300RS). A post on Xbox Wire notes that more wheels will be supported later this month.
Specifically? The high-end Fanatec CSR and ClubSport V2 Xbox One Hub. More than that, H-pattern shifters are getting some love too for the total (virtual) racing experience. That starts with Logitech wheels, with more brands coming onboard “in the future.”
And to cap off the latest update, the developers at Turn 10 are removing the “beta” tag. That’s right, apparently racing wheel support was the final piece of the puzzle. Sure, the game isn’t as full-featured as, say, Project Cars is (on PC or otherwise), but Apex is free. To see if your specific wheel will work with the game, hit the source link below.
Source: Xbox Wire
Amazon adds restaurant deliveries to Prime Now in London
As if there weren’t enough ways to order takeout in London, Amazon has jumped in with a Deliveroo-style competitor. If you live in the English capital and subscribe to Prime, you’ll soon see a postcode option inside the Prime Now app. Chuck it in and — provided you’re in a supported neighbourhood — you’ll get a list of cafes and restaurants that are available for delivery. Amazon promises to complete each order in under an hour; in the US, the average drop-off takes less than 45 minutes, it claims.
Amazon has over 100 restaurants signed up for its new service, however most are small or independent establishments. Scanning down the list, there’s no Wagamama, Pizza Express or Gourmet Burger Kitchen. A few businesses do stand out, however, such as Strada, Tossed and Velo. As for delivery coverage, well, you’ll need to be in one of the following postcodes: E1, E2, E3, E5, E8, E9, N1, N16, EC1, EC2, EC3, EC4, SW1, SW3, W1, SW3, W1, WC1, WC2, SE1, SE11. Unsurprisingly, Amazon says it has “plans to expand further,” although it’s unclear exactly when and where that will happen.
Amazon already offers a brain-melting number of food-related services. There’s Prime Now for basic one-hour deliveries, Amazon Pantry for “everyday essentials” and Amazon Fresh for, you guessed it, fresh groceries. All of these are designed to compete with traditional supermarkets, however, rather than takeaway couriers such as Just Eat and Hungryhouse. Today’s launch is different, as it provides direct competition for Deliveroo and UberEats. Those two have come under fire recently for their courier pay-outs — Amazon will be hoping to avoid such negative press, earning the support of drivers, cyclists and customers in the process.
Source: Amazon
GE puts up $1.4 billion to acquire two 3D printing firms
GE has so far invested around $1.5 billion in 3D printing tech over the past six years, and its planned acquisition of Germany’s SLM Solutions Group and Sweden’s Arcam would only bolster its position in the business. At a combined cost of $1.4 billion, both companies offer an expansion of GE’s additive manufacturing efforts, which is, as GE chairman Jeffrey R. Immelt explains, “part of GE’s evolution into a digital industrial company.”
If the acquisitions go through, both companies would end up under David L. Joyce, chief executive and president of GE Aviation, with both facilities from Arcam and SLM retaining their own management and employees. Though the pricing breakdown for both companies wasn’t yet made public by GE, the company had offered about $33.26 (285 Swedish kronor) a share for the company, with about $42.40 for SLM Solutions.
Via: The New York Times, Ars Technica
Source: GE
Blood test results could help predict bipolar symptoms
Researchers have discovered a possible link between bipolar disorder and certain blood markers. The UK-based longitudinal study (PDF) started when kids were nine years old, examining if the presence of the infection-fighting interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein and asthma or eczema had a link to hypomania when the participants were 22 years old. Turns out that higher levels of IL-6 at childhood are indicative of hypomanic symptoms later in life — depression and psychosis — which can lead to bipolar disorder.
“Those in the top third of IL-6 at nine years had an increased risk of hypomanic symptoms aged 22 years, compared with those in the bottom third,” the research paper says. What’s more, that association apparently gets stronger when factors like sex, ethnicity and socio-economic status are taken into account. Asthma, eczema and C-reactive protein? None of those showed any relationship to hypomanic symptoms, while IL-6 and hypomania remained constant.
IL-6 itself is naturally produced by the body at times of aerobic exercise, fever, infection and other trauma. New Scientist writes that the chemical can alter how the brain works as well. Specifically, the subgenual cingulate area where anxiety, memory, mood, sleep and self-esteem are governed. Treating those affected areas could help allay the effects of bipolar disorder.
Via: New Scientist
Source: Psychological Medicine (PDF)
LG V20 is official: Nougat-powered dual-screen phone arrives this month
LG’s latest big-screened handset boasts a metal body and removable battery — along with new cameras and a secondary ticker display.
After a few weeks of slowly drip-feeding details, LG has today officially unveiled the V20, its latest large form factor phone — fine, “phablet,” if you must — with a big focus on audiovisual performance and a refined metal body.
We’re looking at a 5.7-inch Quad HD display paired with a V10-style secondary display for launching apps, viewing notifications and toggling quick settings. This time, the ticker display is larger and brighter, helping you get more done and see it more easily under daylight. The V20 also packs a dual camera setup around the back, letting you capture a more panoramic view of things through the secondary wide-angle camera.
No more modules, but the V20 packs an impressive metal body, and a removable battery.
Around the back, the camera setup mirrors that of the G5, with a 16-megapixel OIS camera behind an f/1.8 lens, and a secondary 8-megapixel wide-angle unit. The new phone boasts laser autofocus, combined with phase detection AF and contrast AF, as part of LG’s hybrid AF system. What’s more, it includes Qualcomm’s new Steady Record 2.0 EIS (electronic image stabilization) tech for smoother videos — a feature which optimizes the accuracy between the image and the phone’s gyro.
Contrary to rumors circulating in the run up to today’s launch, the V20 isn’t another modular phone — instead, LG’s managed to fit a traditional removable battery inside, with the metal back being released popped off via a G5-style release switch. And although it isn’t water-resistant, LG does boast that the device has passed the MIL-STD 810G Transit Drop Test.
More: Our LG V20 preview and video walkthrough
Audio is another big focus in the V20, with a built-in 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC, using technology from audio firm ESS. And thanks to its Hi-Fi audio support, the phone can eliminate background noise and accurately record louder audio without distortion. In some territories including Korea (but not the U.S.), the V20 will feature B&O Play audio tuning, continuing the collaboration that began with the G5’s plug-in module.
The first phone with Nougat out of the box, and availability starting this month in Korea.
The V20 is also the first phone to come with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, and that’s paired with LG’s UX 5.0+. Building on the interface of the G5, the V20 features a redesigned notification area and dynamic lock screens that adapt based on messages shown on the second screen. That’s in addition to core Nougat features like multi-window, the new bundled notification system, improved security and “doze on the go” for longer battery life.
The V20 is also the first phone to use Google’s “In Apps” search application, which lets you search content from within third-party apps.
On the inside, you’re dealing with a Snapdragon 820-powered beast, with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of base storage, backed up by microSD support, and a 3200 mAh removable battery. Naturally, USB Type-C and Quick Charge 3.0 are along for the ride too. That’s on par with a lot of high-end Android phones right now, but Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 manages to pack a bigger battery (albeit non-removable) and same-sized display into a sleeker package.
More: LG V20 specs
LG’s home market of Korea gets the V20 first, with retail availability in the country coming later this month. LG says availability in other markets will be announced in due course; given the U.S.-based launch event, we’d expect the United States to be among the first to get the new phone.
For more on the LG V20, you’ll want to check out our extensive hands-on preview. Then be sure to hit the comments and let us know if you’ll be picking one up!
LG V20
- LG V20 preview
- LG unveils the V20
- LG V20 specs
LG V20 specs
The V20 is a big phone, and it packs a lot of spec inside.
With the push of a button you can pop off the metal back of the LG V20 and get a look at (some of) its insides. The battery, SD card and fingerprint sensor-button mechanism are all in view. But you can’t see everything, of course, and that’s why we have this spec table for you. See the whole spec sheet for the LG V20 right here.
| Operating System | Android 7.0 Nougat |
| Display | 5.7-inch IPS Quantum Display2560x1440 (513 ppi)Second Screen 160×1040 |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8202.15GHz + 1.6GHz quad-core |
| Storage | 64GB UFS 2.0 |
| Expandable | microSD up to 2TB |
| RAM | 4GB LPDDR4 |
| Rear Cameras | Main: 16MP f/1.8, OISSecond: 8MP f/2.4 wide-angleLaser AF, Phase-detect AF, Contrast AF |
| Front Camera | 5MP f/1.9 wide-angle |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2LE, USB 2.0, NFCLTE Category 12 w/ 3x CA |
| Audio | 32-bit Quad DAC |
| Battery | 3200 mAhRemovable |
| Charging | USB-CQuick Charge 3.0 |
| Water resistance | No |
| Security | One-touch fingerprint sensor |
| Dimensions | 159.7 x 78.1 x 7.7 mm |
| Weight | 173 g |
LG V20
- LG V20 preview
- LG unveils the V20
- LG V20 specs
