theverge--2020-11-09--COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective, manufacturers report

A COVID-19 vaccine candidate was 90 percent effective at protecting people from the coronavirus , manufacturers Pfizer and BioNTech said on Monday .
The Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) previously said it would require any vaccine to be at least 50 percent effective in order to be approved .
“ If that headline really number really holds up , that is huge .
That is much better than I was expecting and it will make a huge difference , ” Ashish Jha , the dean of the School of Public Health at Brown University , told STAT News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early data from a massive trial that ’ s enrolled 43,538 people so far .
Pfizer and BioNTech have only released some of the data publicly in their announcement this morning , and it has not been reviewed by independent scientists .
The companies are still gathering information from the trial and cautioned in the announcement that the “ final vaccine efficacy percentage may vary.
” Pfizer and BioNTech ’ s vaccine is built using a still-unproven gene-based technology .
The strategy works by introducing a tiny snippet of the coronavirus ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cells use instructions encoded by the genetic snippet to create that piece of virus , and the immune system learns to fight against it .
Moderna ’ s vaccine candidate uses the same strategy .
Gene-based vaccines have to be stored at ultracold temperatures , which make them more difficult to transport .
The Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine also takes two doses , which have to be given three weeks apart — which makes it more logistically complicated to distribute than vaccines that only need one shot .
The companies claim that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after a patient gets their second dose .
It ’ s not clear how much protection would be offered by just one of the two doses .
Before the vaccine can be used , it needs to be authorized by regulatory bodies , including the FDA , which will look at both how safe and effective the vaccine is .
No serious safety concerns for this vaccine have been reported .
But the information released today doesn ’ t include information on how many people developed more severe forms of the disease and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FDA will consider in their evaluation .
The companies say they should have enough safety data from their studies to file for Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA by the third week of November .
Pfizer and BioNTech have an agreement with the US Department of Health and Human Services to provide up to 600 million doses of their vaccine for $ 1.95 billion .
The companies said that they could manufacture 50 million doses of the vaccine this year and 1.3 billion doses in 2021 .
Even if this vaccine is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be available to everyone immediately .
It will likely be distributed to health care workers first and then to other groups at high risk for severe cases of COVID-19 , like essential workers and people with preexisting conditions .
A big challenge still ahead is the logistics of getting shots in the arms of people who need them most .
A number of other pharmaceutical companies have vaccine candidates in phase three clinical trials , and initial results from some of those trials could be released soon , as well .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ effective , and the FDA could authorize more than one .
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations said last month that it would run studies comparing the options , in the hopes of identifying which could work best .
Developing a vaccine is an important step in efforts to fight the spread of the virus , but it can ’ t bring the pandemic to an immediate end .
It ’ ll take months — at least — to get people vaccinated .
Meanwhile , the virus continues to rage around the globe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record-shattering spikes , with more than 100,000 cases reported daily .
To slow the rampant spread of the disease , people will still need to wear masks , wash their hands , and keep their distance from each other .
“ It is not going to eliminate the need to be prudent and careful with our public health measures , ” Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said last month .

A COVID-19 vaccine candidate was 90 percent effective at protecting people from the coronavirus, manufacturers Pfizer and BioNTech said on Monday. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) previously said it would require any vaccine to be at least 50 percent effective in order to be approved.
“If that headline really number really holds up, that is huge. That is much better than I was expecting and it will make a huge difference,” Ashish Jha, the dean of the School of Public Health at Brown University, told STAT News.
The extraordinary claim is based on early data from a massive trial that’s enrolled 43,538 people so far. Pfizer and BioNTech have only released some of the data publicly in their announcement this morning, and it has not been reviewed by independent scientists. The companies are still gathering information from the trial and cautioned in the announcement that the “final vaccine efficacy percentage may vary.”
Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine is built using a still-unproven gene-based technology. The strategy works by introducing a tiny snippet of the coronavirus’s genetic material to the body. Then, cells use instructions encoded by the genetic snippet to create that piece of virus, and the immune system learns to fight against it. Moderna’s vaccine candidate uses the same strategy.
A newsletter highlighting the COVID-19 research, developments, and stories that matter. Subscribe here!
Gene-based vaccines have to be stored at ultracold temperatures, which make them more difficult to transport. The Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine also takes two doses, which have to be given three weeks apart — which makes it more logistically complicated to distribute than vaccines that only need one shot. The companies claim that “protection is achieved” seven days after a patient gets their second dose. It’s not clear how much protection would be offered by just one of the two doses.
Before the vaccine can be used, it needs to be authorized by regulatory bodies, including the FDA, which will look at both how safe and effective the vaccine is. No serious safety concerns for this vaccine have been reported. But the information released today doesn’t include information on how many people developed more severe forms of the disease and how many had milder cases — information the FDA will consider in their evaluation.
The companies say they should have enough safety data from their studies to file for Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA by the third week of November.
Pfizer and BioNTech have an agreement with the US Department of Health and Human Services to provide up to 600 million doses of their vaccine for $1.95 billion. The companies said that they could manufacture 50 million doses of the vaccine this year and 1.3 billion doses in 2021.
Related We helped a New York sewage plant check poop for the coronavirus
Even if this vaccine is authorized by the FDA, it won’t be available to everyone immediately. It will likely be distributed to health care workers first and then to other groups at high risk for severe cases of COVID-19, like essential workers and people with preexisting conditions. A big challenge still ahead is the logistics of getting shots in the arms of people who need them most.
A number of other pharmaceutical companies have vaccine candidates in phase three clinical trials, and initial results from some of those trials could be released soon, as well. More than one could prove to be effective, and the FDA could authorize more than one. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations said last month that it would run studies comparing the options, in the hopes of identifying which could work best.
Developing a vaccine is an important step in efforts to fight the spread of the virus, but it can’t bring the pandemic to an immediate end. It’ll take months — at least — to get people vaccinated. Meanwhile, the virus continues to rage around the globe, and the United States is seeing record-shattering spikes, with more than 100,000 cases reported daily. To slow the rampant spread of the disease, people will still need to wear masks, wash their hands, and keep their distance from each other.


theverge--2020-11-09--Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max review: the best smartphone camera you can get

The iPhone 12 Pro Max is a big phone .
The biggest iPhone ever made , in fact .
The Pro Max ’ s 6.7-inch display is the largest screen ever on an iPhone .
It has the biggest camera sensor of any iPhone , including the three other iPhone 12 models Apple announced this year .
It has a 5G radio , and it ’ s got a bigger battery .
It is without question the most iPhone you can get .
And while it ’ s expensive , it ’ s not that much more expensive than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s just $ 100 more at every storage level , starting at $ 1,099 with 128GB of storage and going up to $ 1,399 for 512GB of storage .
For that money , you get a larger display , a bigger battery , and a very different camera system .
I ’ ll just cut to the chase and say it ’ s absolutely worth it over the standard 12 Pro if you can deal with the size — but it ’ s a lot of size .
And the camera is worth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a lot going on .
Like I said , it ’ s the most iPhone you can get .
There ’ s just no getting around it : the iPhone 12 Pro Max is a very big phone .
The measurements don ’ t tell the whole story — by the numbers , it ’ s just a little bit bigger than the 11 Pro Max , but the new design with flat sides makes it feel much larger than it is , and makes it slightly harder to hold than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s also a bit heavier than other big phones like the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and iPhone 11 Pro Max , which makes it feel even bigger .
The combination of the size and flat sides basically demands a case to make it easier to hold , which makes the whole thing even bigger .
It ’ s still workable , but it is right on the edge of being too big .
I think the size is a reflection of increased choice : this year Apple has more phone sizes available than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 mini , so it had the ability to push the Max even farther .
But : it ’ s still big .
I strongly recommend finding a way to safely see the 12 Pro Max ’ s size in person before making a call on ordering one .
Aside from the large size , the main thing that sets the iPhone 12 Pro Max apart from the rest of the iPhone 12 line is the camera system , which is substantially different and more capable than the cameras on the smaller 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same as the 12 Pro : three cameras including a wide , an ultrawide , and a tele , with a LIDAR sensor that enables portrait photos on the wide camera in Night mode .
Night mode is available at all three zoom levels now , which is an improvement over the iPhone 11 .
The ultrawide camera is the same as on the 12 and 12 Pro , and it ’ s a noticeable improvement over the ultrawide on the 11 Pro .
I think it ’ s useful and fun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still takes medium-quality photos compared to the main camera .
It ’ s the main wide camera and the telephoto that are very different on the 12 Pro Max .
The wide has the same f/1.6 lens as the 12 and 12 Pro , but it also has a 47-percent larger physical sensor that can capture more light with less noise .
The wide camera is also stabilized differently than the other iPhone 12 models , which have traditional lens-based optical image stabilization to reduce vibrations and thus blur .
The 12 Pro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sensor itself around to reduce vibrations .
Apple tells me the move to sensor-shift stabilization on the 12 Pro Max was more about making this sensor size work to its standards than overall performance , but that the system on the 12 Pro Max is slightly more effective at reducing a wider range of vibrations than the OIS on the 12 Pro .
The bigger sensor also has an impressive maximum ISO , which is a measure of light sensitivity .
The iPhone 11 Pro had a top ISO of 3,072 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top ISO of 5,808 , and the 12 Pro Max has a top ISO of 7,616 .
As the numbers go up , the amount of noise at any given ISO tends to go down , which means images from the iPhone 12 Pro Max are generally less noisy than the 12 Pro ’ s .
The 12 Pro Max ’ s main camera is one of the most confident smartphone cameras I ’ ve ever used The upshot of all this is simple : the wide camera on the iPhone 12 Pro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smartphone cameras I ’ ve ever used .
It can take great photos in a huge variety of situations , and rarely feels pushed beyond its limits .
You won ’ t always see the benefit from that increased capability ; it really depends on what kind of light you ’ re taking photos in .
In sunlight and other bright situations , photos from the 12 Pro Max and 12 Pro look identical to me — we ’ re at the point where photos from all the major flagships are starting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are differences : the Pixel 5 is a little more contrasty , the iPhone still boosts shadows the most aggressively , and the Note 20 does some weird things with reds and yellows , but when any of these cameras gets enough light , they produce photos that are more alike than different .
But when the light gets dimmer , the 12 Pro Max really starts to stand out .
Take this photo I took at sunset : all the phones did a fine enough job , but the 12 Pro Max @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more accurate colors , and more detail .
Under slightly darker conditions , most of the phones automatically shifted to their respective night modes , where they take multiple long exposures and merge them together .
But the iPhone 12 Pro Max ’ s bigger sensor , with its higher maximum ISO , means it doesn ’ t automatically go into Night mode as often .
And when the iPhone 12 Pro Max does go into Night mode , it does so with shorter exposures than the 12 Pro — in situations where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exposure , the 12 Pro Max only needed a one-second shot , resulting in a sharper photo .
The LIDAR sensor lets you shoot portraits in Night mode using the wide camera , which , combined with the better overall low light performance , means that Night mode portraits are better and more detailed on the 12 Pro Max than the 12 Pro and Pixel 5 .
It ’ s impressive .
Overall , when it comes to low light , it feels like no contest : the iPhone 12 Pro Max consistently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less noisy photos than the Pixel 5 and Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra .
Look at how muddy the Pixel 5 looks in this basic sunset photo compared to the Pro Max , and look at how washed out the image of the truck from the Note 20 looks .
Apple has noticeably moved ahead of the pack here .
You might be expecting some dramatic change to depth of field because of the brighter aperture and bigger sensor — I certainly was — and while close-up photos do have a slightly increased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly more noticeable to my eye than the 12 Pro .
If you ’ re looking for that dramatic DSLR-style bokeh , you ’ ll still need to turn on Portrait mode .
The benefits of the bigger sensor are less apparent in video — and really , they ’ re only really noticeable if you ’ re watching on a larger screen like a TV .
At night , you ’ ll see a little more detail and less noise in the shadows compared to the 12 Pro , and there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ light , but you have to go looking for it .
We already thought the 12 Pro was far ahead of the pack in terms of video , and the 12 Pro Max is maybe a tiny bit better , but it ’ s not nearly as dramatic as the improvement in stills .
The telephoto camera is less straightforwardly improved .
It is essentially the same sensor as the 12 Pro , but with a longer 2.5x zoom and a less-bright f/2.2 lens instead of the 2x f/2.0 lens on the regular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zoom that can pick up less light .
It ’ s a tradeoff , but I found I really enjoyed having the tighter zoom , and I went to use it more than the telephoto on my 11 Pro .
It performed slightly worse in lower light than the 2x zoom on 12 Pro , but I think it still has the upper hand compared to the Note 20 Ultra and Pixel 5 — Apple ’ s Smart HDR 3 is really good this year , with excellent noise reduction and vibrant colors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all , the combination of the larger sensor , faster lens , improved stabilization , LIDAR , and processing power means that the iPhone 12 Pro Max has the best smartphone camera I ’ ve ever used — it produces terrific , colorful photos with excellent detail in lighting situations where other phones start to struggle .
We ’ ve seen Android phone makers like Samsung and Huawei use much bigger sensors this year with a variety of complicated techniques to make them work , but Apple ’ s approach of pairing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on improved processing has kept it in the lead .
I ’ m intrigued by Apple ’ s new ProRAW format that promises the editing flexibility of RAW images from this sensor with the processing of Smart HDR… but it ’ s not out yet , so we ’ ll have to wait .
Lastly , I have to mention the selfie camera , which is stubbornly the same as the other iPhone 12s .
Many people will use the selfie camera more often than the telephoto or ultrawide cameras ; it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Apart from the cameras , the rest of the iPhone 12 Pro Max is very similar to the iPhone 12 Pro .
The display is obviously bigger , but it ’ s just as bright and colorful , and the pixel density is essentially the same .
And there ’ s not a ton more information presented on the big screen by default .
I think that ’ s a shame — this thing is veering into tablet territory in terms of size , and I ’ d like to see Apple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all this real estate .
Every other flagship phone this year has a 120Hz display , it ’ s odd for the top of the line iPhone to not have it Disappointingly , the iPhone 12 Pro Max still has a 60Hz-refresh-rate display , while virtually every Android phone above $ 600 is now at 120Hz .
This was maybe passable on the standard 12 , but on the 12 Pro and especially the Pro Max , I think it ’ s a miss — it ’ s the most expensive iPhone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ display shouldn ’ t be one tick behind the competition .
Maybe next year .
The 12 Pro Max adds the same MagSafe magnetic wireless charging system as the other iPhone 12s , but Apple ’ s charging adapters are expensive and suffer from the usual USB-C spec confusion .
I am eagerly anticipating the first wave of MagSafe car mounts and other accessories — MagSafe has all the potential to be terrific , but Apple ’ s ability to build and nurture accessory ecosystems around its connector ideas is iffy at best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of iPad keyboards that use the Smart Connector . )
I tested the 12 Pro on Verizon ’ s network , which offers ultrafast millimeter wave ( mmWave ) 5G on various street corners and sports stadiums around the country , so for the 12 Pro Max I used AT & T ’ s network .
And 5G in the US continues to be a deeply mixed bag that is barely worth discussing .
Speeds where I could find AT & T ’ s standard 5G service were not so much better than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ T ’ s mmWave network is essentially nowhere to be found .
And AT & T ’ s 5G plan automatically enables a “ feature ” called Stream Saver which streams all video at 480p because this so-called “ unlimited ” plan has complicated limits .
So you ’ ve got a huge phone with a beautiful display and a fast connection that displays most video in… DVD resolution .
C ’ mon .
5G in the US is more hype than reality and you can ignore it I don ’ t mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Sascha Segan at PC Mag just released data showing that 5G in the US is slower than anywhere else in the world .
So 5G is not only hard to find , it ’ s slower .
If there was ever a “ race to 5G , ” the United States has lost .
Anyway , I can not stress this enough : 5G in the United States is more hype than reality , and you should not buy a phone because of it .
Just ignore it for another year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ iPhone 12 Pro Max is a big phone , and as such , it has a big battery .
And so battery life is terrific .
At home , on WiFi , I saw screen-on times of as long as 14 hours as I doomscrolled through our interminable election , with an average of well over eight hours in more reasonable ( and healthy ) use over the course of a week .
Now , I ’ m not leaving my house as much as I did before the pandemic , and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5G or even LTE , but with numbers like that , I ’ d expect battery life overall to be tremendous in almost any circumstance .
Big phone , big battery , big battery life .
It makes the lack of a 120Hz display puzzling .
I ’ m just going to say it again : the iPhone 12 Pro Max is a very big phone .
Big ambition , big camera sensor , big… size .
I ’ ve been using it for a week , and I still haven ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I ’ m curious to see how accessory makers handle the size .
But the size allows for what I think is easily the best and most capable smartphone camera on the market right now , and a battery that seems to last forever .
If you can deal with the size , I think it ’ s worth passing over the 12 Pro and getting the 12 Pro Max .
Those are two dramatic and meaningful improvements for the money .
This is a tremendous phone .
The best iPhone ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But I can ’ t shake the feeling that the iPhone 12 Pro Max very much feels like the perfect phone for the life I led before the pandemic .
I used to spend a lot of time commuting , and on airplanes , and otherwise out and about getting work done on my phone .
I used to go to a lot of events at night and take a lot of photos in bars .
My notes indicate that I used to care a lot about mobile network speeds .
This phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those things , but right now it just feels like another screen for social media on the couch .
I have a kid , and I always buy the latest phone to have the best camera .
And there ’ s no question that this is the best camera .
But if you ’ re feeling that usual tug to upgrade and you don ’ t need to , I do think you can wait this one out .
Maybe 5G will be better next year .
Maybe we ’ ll get that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mention that it ’ s big ?

The iPhone 12 Pro Max is a big phone. The biggest iPhone ever made, in fact.
The Pro Max’s 6.7-inch display is the largest screen ever on an iPhone. It has the biggest camera sensor of any iPhone, including the three other iPhone 12 models Apple announced this year. It has a 5G radio, and it’s got a bigger battery. It is without question the most iPhone you can get.
And while it’s expensive, it’s not that much more expensive than the smaller iPhone 12 Pro: it’s just $100 more at every storage level, starting at $1,099 with 128GB of storage and going up to $1,399 for 512GB of storage. For that money, you get a larger display, a bigger battery, and a very different camera system. I’ll just cut to the chase and say it’s absolutely worth it over the standard 12 Pro if you can deal with the size — but it’s a lot of size. And the camera is worth exploring in depth, because there’s a lot going on.
Like I said, it’s the most iPhone you can get.
9 Verge Score Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max $ 1099 The Good Terrific camera
Tremendous battery life
Fast performance The Bad Very close to being too big
60Hz screen behind competition at this price
I was required to think about 5G $1099 at Apple$1399 at Amazon How we rate and review products
There’s just no getting around it: the iPhone 12 Pro Max is a very big phone. The measurements don’t tell the whole story — by the numbers, it’s just a little bit bigger than the 11 Pro Max, but the new design with flat sides makes it feel much larger than it is, and makes it slightly harder to hold than a phone with curved sides. It’s also a bit heavier than other big phones like the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and iPhone 11 Pro Max, which makes it feel even bigger.
The combination of the size and flat sides basically demands a case to make it easier to hold, which makes the whole thing even bigger. It’s still workable, but it is right on the edge of being too big. I think the size is a reflection of increased choice: this year Apple has more phone sizes available than ever before, including the diminutive iPhone 12 mini, so it had the ability to push the Max even farther.
But: it’s still big. I strongly recommend finding a way to safely see the 12 Pro Max’s size in person before making a call on ordering one.
The 12 Pro Max has a larger main camera sensor than the other iPhone 12 models.
iPhone 12 Pro Max Camera
Aside from the large size, the main thing that sets the iPhone 12 Pro Max apart from the rest of the iPhone 12 line is the camera system, which is substantially different and more capable than the cameras on the smaller 12 and 12 Pro.
The basics are the same as the 12 Pro: three cameras including a wide, an ultrawide, and a tele, with a LIDAR sensor that enables portrait photos on the wide camera in Night mode. Night mode is available at all three zoom levels now, which is an improvement over the iPhone 11.
The ultrawide camera is the same as on the 12 and 12 Pro, and it’s a noticeable improvement over the ultrawide on the 11 Pro. I think it’s useful and fun to have an ultrawide, but it still takes medium-quality photos compared to the main camera.
The telephoto lens on the 12 Pro Max is also slightly different, with a longer field of view.
The camera bump on the 12 Pro Max is larger than the 12 Pro.
It’s the main wide camera and the telephoto that are very different on the 12 Pro Max. The wide has the same f/1.6 lens as the 12 and 12 Pro, but it also has a 47-percent larger physical sensor that can capture more light with less noise. The wide camera is also stabilized differently than the other iPhone 12 models, which have traditional lens-based optical image stabilization to reduce vibrations and thus blur.
The 12 Pro Max uses sensor-shift stabilization, which moves the sensor itself around to reduce vibrations. Apple tells me the move to sensor-shift stabilization on the 12 Pro Max was more about making this sensor size work to its standards than overall performance, but that the system on the 12 Pro Max is slightly more effective at reducing a wider range of vibrations than the OIS on the 12 Pro.
(As an aside for camera nerds, Apple keeps calling this “sensor-shift OIS,” which doesn’t quite make sense because the lens isn’t involved. It’s more like the in-body stabilization you’ll find on Sony and Panasonic mirrorless cameras. But I digress.)
The bigger sensor also has an impressive maximum ISO, which is a measure of light sensitivity. The iPhone 11 Pro had a top ISO of 3,072, the regular iPhone 12 Pro has a top ISO of 5,808, and the 12 Pro Max has a top ISO of 7,616. As the numbers go up, the amount of noise at any given ISO tends to go down, which means images from the iPhone 12 Pro Max are generally less noisy than the 12 Pro’s.
The 12 Pro Max’s main camera is one of the most confident smartphone cameras I’ve ever used
The upshot of all this is simple: the wide camera on the iPhone 12 Pro Max is one of the most confident smartphone cameras I’ve ever used. It can take great photos in a huge variety of situations, and rarely feels pushed beyond its limits.
In broad daylight it’s hard to tell the pics from any modern high-end phone apart. | Left to right: Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 12 Pro, Google Pixel 5, Samsung Note 20 Ultra
You won’t always see the benefit from that increased capability; it really depends on what kind of light you’re taking photos in. In sunlight and other bright situations, photos from the 12 Pro Max and 12 Pro look identical to me — we’re at the point where photos from all the major flagships are starting to look the same. Yes, there are differences: the Pixel 5 is a little more contrasty, the iPhone still boosts shadows the most aggressively, and the Note 20 does some weird things with reds and yellows, but when any of these cameras gets enough light, they produce photos that are more alike than different.
But when the light gets dimmer, the 12 Pro Max really starts to stand out.
Take this photo I took at sunset: all the phones did a fine enough job, but the 12 Pro Max has far less noise, better and more accurate colors, and more detail.
pro max pro 12 pixel 5 Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 12 Pro, Google Pixel 5, Samsung Note 20 Ultra. The Pro Max captures better colors and more detail as the light starts to drop.
Under slightly darker conditions, most of the phones automatically shifted to their respective night modes, where they take multiple long exposures and merge them together. But the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s bigger sensor, with its higher maximum ISO, means it doesn’t automatically go into Night mode as often. And when the iPhone 12 Pro Max does go into Night mode, it does so with shorter exposures than the 12 Pro — in situations where the 12 Pro would take a three-second exposure, the 12 Pro Max only needed a one-second shot, resulting in a sharper photo.
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max left, Apple iPhone 12 Pro right. The 12 Pro took a 3-second night mode shot here, while the Pro Max only needed a 1-second exposure.
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max left, Google Pixel 5 right. The Pro Max captured far more detail in a night mode portrait shot.
(Night mode itself has been improved across the iPhone 12 line: the iPhone 11 took Night mode shots by merging together frames with a one-second maximum exposure time, but the iPhone 12 lineup can capture two-second stabilized frames, allowing for better shadows with less noise. And if the phone detects that it’s on a tripod, it will turn off image stabilization and capture three-second frames, for a maximum 30-second night mode shot composed of ten three-second frames. The iPhone 11 would take thirty one-second frames.)
The LIDAR sensor lets you shoot portraits in Night mode using the wide camera, which, combined with the better overall low light performance, means that Night mode portraits are better and more detailed on the 12 Pro Max than the 12 Pro and Pixel 5. It’s impressive.
Overall, when it comes to low light, it feels like no contest: the iPhone 12 Pro Max consistently took better, more detailed, and less noisy photos than the Pixel 5 and Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Look at how muddy the Pixel 5 looks in this basic sunset photo compared to the Pro Max, and look at how washed out the image of the truck from the Note 20 looks. Apple has noticeably moved ahead of the pack here.
Google Pixel 5 left, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max right
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 left, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max right
You might be expecting some dramatic change to depth of field because of the brighter aperture and bigger sensor — I certainly was — and while close-up photos do have a slightly increased background blur, it’s not particularly more noticeable to my eye than the 12 Pro. If you’re looking for that dramatic DSLR-style bokeh, you’ll still need to turn on Portrait mode.
The benefits of the bigger sensor are less apparent in video — and really, they’re only really noticeable if you’re watching on a larger screen like a TV. At night, you’ll see a little more detail and less noise in the shadows compared to the 12 Pro, and there’s the tiniest more detail in bright light, but you have to go looking for it. We already thought the 12 Pro was far ahead of the pack in terms of video, and the 12 Pro Max is maybe a tiny bit better, but it’s not nearly as dramatic as the improvement in stills.
(I did a deep dive on Dolby Vision in our 12 Pro review, and all the promise is there, as are the compatibility challenges, so go watch that video for more. And there’s still a lot of lens flare going on. Apple told me that there shouldn’t be any increased lens flare over the iPhone 11 line, but that the improved low-light performance means people are noticing it more, which feels roughly equivalent to saying “I’m a perfectionist” when someone asks you for your biggest weakness. Sure.)
The telephoto camera is less straightforwardly improved. It is essentially the same sensor as the 12 Pro, but with a longer 2.5x zoom and a less-bright f/2.2 lens instead of the 2x f/2.0 lens on the regular 12 Pro. So: a longer zoom that can pick up less light. It’s a tradeoff, but I found I really enjoyed having the tighter zoom, and I went to use it more than the telephoto on my 11 Pro. It performed slightly worse in lower light than the 2x zoom on 12 Pro, but I think it still has the upper hand compared to the Note 20 Ultra and Pixel 5 — Apple’s Smart HDR 3 is really good this year, with excellent noise reduction and vibrant colors that are still accurate.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s telephoto camera has a slightly longer reach the the 12 Pro’s, but it’s grainier in low light. | Left: Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Right: Apple iPhone 12 Pro
All in all, the combination of the larger sensor, faster lens, improved stabilization, LIDAR, and processing power means that the iPhone 12 Pro Max has the best smartphone camera I’ve ever used — it produces terrific, colorful photos with excellent detail in lighting situations where other phones start to struggle. We’ve seen Android phone makers like Samsung and Huawei use much bigger sensors this year with a variety of complicated techniques to make them work, but Apple’s approach of pairing a moderate sensor size jump with its focus on improved processing has kept it in the lead. I’m intrigued by Apple’s new ProRAW format that promises the editing flexibility of RAW images from this sensor with the processing of Smart HDR… but it’s not out yet, so we’ll have to wait.
Lastly, I have to mention the selfie camera, which is stubbornly the same as the other iPhone 12s. Many people will use the selfie camera more often than the telephoto or ultrawide cameras; it’s well overdue for a serious improvement.
The 6.7-inch OLED screen is the largest ever for an iPhone.
iPhone 12 Pro Max Display
Apart from the cameras, the rest of the iPhone 12 Pro Max is very similar to the iPhone 12 Pro. The display is obviously bigger, but it’s just as bright and colorful, and the pixel density is essentially the same. And there’s not a ton more information presented on the big screen by default. I think that’s a shame — this thing is veering into tablet territory in terms of size, and I’d like to see Apple allow app developers to make better use of all this real estate.
Every other flagship phone this year has a 120Hz display, it’s odd for the top of the line iPhone to not have it
Disappointingly, the iPhone 12 Pro Max still has a 60Hz-refresh-rate display, while virtually every Android phone above $600 is now at 120Hz. This was maybe passable on the standard 12, but on the 12 Pro and especially the Pro Max, I think it’s a miss — it’s the most expensive iPhone with the biggest battery, and the display shouldn’t be one tick behind the competition. Maybe next year.
The 12 Pro Max adds the same MagSafe magnetic wireless charging system as the other iPhone 12s, but Apple’s charging adapters are expensive and suffer from the usual USB-C spec confusion. I am eagerly anticipating the first wave of MagSafe car mounts and other accessories — MagSafe has all the potential to be terrific, but Apple’s ability to build and nurture accessory ecosystems around its connector ideas is iffy at best. (See: the near-total lack of iPad keyboards that use the Smart Connector.)
5G on the iPhone 12 Pro Max
I tested the 12 Pro on Verizon’s network, which offers ultrafast millimeter wave (mmWave) 5G on various street corners and sports stadiums around the country, so for the 12 Pro Max I used AT&T’s network. And 5G in the US continues to be a deeply mixed bag that is barely worth discussing.
Speeds where I could find AT&T’s standard 5G service were not so much better than really good LTE, and AT&T’s mmWave network is essentially nowhere to be found. And AT&T’s 5G plan automatically enables a “feature” called Stream Saver which streams all video at 480p because this so-called “unlimited” plan has complicated limits. So you’ve got a huge phone with a beautiful display and a fast connection that displays most video in… DVD resolution. C’mon.
5G in the US is more hype than reality and you can ignore it
I don’t mean to just dunk on AT&T: Sascha Segan at PC Mag just released data showing that 5G in the US is slower than anywhere else in the world. So 5G is not only hard to find, it’s slower. If there was ever a “race to 5G,” the United States has lost.
Anyway, I cannot stress this enough: 5G in the United States is more hype than reality, and you should not buy a phone because of it. Just ignore it for another year. It’ll be fine.
The big size of the Pro Max allows for a big battery, which translates into big battery life.
iPhone 12 Pro Max Performance and Battery Life
The iPhone 12 Pro Max is a big phone, and as such, it has a big battery. And so battery life is terrific. At home, on WiFi, I saw screen-on times of as long as 14 hours as I doomscrolled through our interminable election, with an average of well over eight hours in more reasonable (and healthy) use over the course of a week. Now, I’m not leaving my house as much as I did before the pandemic, and I didn’t test a lot on 5G or even LTE, but with numbers like that, I’d expect battery life overall to be tremendous in almost any circumstance. Big phone, big battery, big battery life. It makes the lack of a 120Hz display puzzling.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max is the most iPhone you can buy.
I’m just going to say it again: the iPhone 12 Pro Max is a very big phone. Big ambition, big camera sensor, big… size. I’ve been using it for a week, and I still haven’t gotten used to how big it is. I’m curious to see how accessory makers handle the size.
But the size allows for what I think is easily the best and most capable smartphone camera on the market right now, and a battery that seems to last forever. If you can deal with the size, I think it’s worth passing over the 12 Pro and getting the 12 Pro Max. Those are two dramatic and meaningful improvements for the money. This is a tremendous phone.
The best iPhone... if you can deal with its size
But I can’t shake the feeling that the iPhone 12 Pro Max very much feels like the perfect phone for the life I led before the pandemic. I used to spend a lot of time commuting, and on airplanes, and otherwise out and about getting work done on my phone. I used to go to a lot of events at night and take a lot of photos in bars. My notes indicate that I used to care a lot about mobile network speeds. This phone would have made significant improvements to all those things, but right now it just feels like another screen for social media on the couch.
I have a kid, and I always buy the latest phone to have the best camera. And there’s no question that this is the best camera. But if you’re feeling that usual tug to upgrade and you don’t need to, I do think you can wait this one out. Maybe 5G will be better next year. Maybe we’ll get that 120Hz display.
Also: did I mention that it’s big?


theverge--2020-11-09--The Nokia 8 V 5G UW is HMD’s first high-end phone sold by Verizon

HMD ’ s Nokia is launching the $ 699 Nokia 8 V 5G UW , the company ’ s second 5G device .
In a major shift for HMD , it ’ ll be sold through Verizon , making the Nokia 8 V HMD ’ s first high-end device that ’ ll be available through a US carrier .
Despite the new branding , though , the Nokia 8 V is effectively a Verizon-branded version of HMD ’ s first 5G phone , the Nokia 8.3 5G , that it announced in March .
The Nokia 8.3 5G finally launched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlocked device for the same $ 699 price , although there ’ s a key difference between it and the Verizon model : the Nokia 8.3 5G only supports sub-6GHz 5G , while the Nokia 8 V 5G UW supports both sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G networks .
As for the actual Nokia 8 V , it visually appears identical to the 8.3 5G , although it comes in a gray color scheme instead of a blue one .
Otherwise , expect the same 6.81-inch display ( with a hole-punch camera and a Nokia-branded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prominent quad-camera array on its rear , with a main 64-megapixel sensor , a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera , a 2-megapixel macro camera , and a 2-megapixel depth sensor .
Inside , you ’ ll find a Snapdragon 765G processor with an integrated 5G modem , a 4,500mAh battery , 6GB of RAM , and 64GB of internal storage — those last two numbers mark a downgrade from the unlocked Nokia 8.3 5G , which offers 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage .
Rounding things out are a power button ( with an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voice assistant button , USB-C for charging , and a 3.5mm headphone jack .
It ’ ll ship with Android 10 , although HMD promises that an Android 11 update is already in the works .
Absent are any wireless charging features or waterproofing .
The company has been building toward this moment for some time , beginning in the beginning of 2019 when HMD ’ s Nokia started to sell phones through carriers again .
Until now , though , those phones have skewed toward the low end of the hardware spectrum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to offer a more premium device .
The question is whether HMD ’ s $ 699 device will be able to muster sufficient competition to other major devices from more established premium brands when customers are making their choice of a new phone at a Verizon store .
The $ 700 price point is a crowded one , with a lot of great phones like the $ 699 Pixel 5 ( and its top-tier camera ) , the $ 699.99 Galaxy S20 FE and its high-end features , or the $ 729 iPhone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a matching $ 699 price when purchased through a carrier like Verizon ) — all of which offer 5G and similar ( if not better ) features than HMD ’ s option .

HMD’s Nokia is launching the $699 Nokia 8 V 5G UW, the company’s second 5G device. In a major shift for HMD, it’ll be sold through Verizon, making the Nokia 8 V HMD’s first high-end device that’ll be available through a US carrier.
Despite the new branding, though, the Nokia 8 V is effectively a Verizon-branded version of HMD’s first 5G phone, the Nokia 8.3 5G, that it announced in March. The Nokia 8.3 5G finally launched in the US in September as an unlocked device for the same $699 price, although there’s a key difference between it and the Verizon model: the Nokia 8.3 5G only supports sub-6GHz 5G, while the Nokia 8 V 5G UW supports both sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G networks.
As for the actual Nokia 8 V, it visually appears identical to the 8.3 5G, although it comes in a gray color scheme instead of a blue one. Otherwise, expect the same 6.81-inch display (with a hole-punch camera and a Nokia-branded chin on the bottom) and a prominent quad-camera array on its rear, with a main 64-megapixel sensor, a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera, a 2-megapixel macro camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor.
Inside, you’ll find a Snapdragon 765G processor with an integrated 5G modem, a 4,500mAh battery, 6GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage — those last two numbers mark a downgrade from the unlocked Nokia 8.3 5G, which offers 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
Rounding things out are a power button (with an integrated fingerprint sensor), a customizable voice assistant button, USB-C for charging, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It’ll ship with Android 10, although HMD promises that an Android 11 update is already in the works. Absent are any wireless charging features or waterproofing.
The company has been building toward this moment for some time, beginning in the beginning of 2019 when HMD’s Nokia started to sell phones through carriers again. Until now, though, those phones have skewed toward the low end of the hardware spectrum, but the Nokia 8 V promises to offer a more premium device.
The question is whether HMD’s $699 device will be able to muster sufficient competition to other major devices from more established premium brands when customers are making their choice of a new phone at a Verizon store.


theverge--2020-11-09--Apple iPhone 12 mini review: fit to size

If you asked me which of the four different models of the new iPhone 12 you should buy without providing any further context on your needs or desires , I would tell you to buy the regular iPhone 12 without question .
It has the best balance of screen size , storage , cameras , battery life , and value .
It is , in my opinion , the best iPhone 12 for most people .
But the iPhone 12 mini is my favorite .
For the first time in many years , Apple is making an intentionally small phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that unlike other small phones , Apple isn ’ t putting worse parts in it .
The iPhone 12 mini has all the same features as the larger iPhone 12 .
It has the same cameras , same processor , same everything save for two things : screen size and battery life .
The iPhone 12 mini starts at $ 729 for a 64GB model in the US , but $ 50 more gets the 128GB model and that ’ s a much better option .
It ’ s a small phone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone .
It ’ s traditional to refer to phones by their screen size and for the iPhone 12 mini , that number is 5.4 inches diagonally .
But that number doesn ’ t tell the story at all .
The phone is smaller than the traditional 4.7-inch-home-button iPhone design we saw from the iPhone 6 on through the 6S , 7 , 8 , and 2020 SE models , even though the screen itself is larger .
That ’ s because the 12 mini , just like the rest of the iPhone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple ’ s more modern OLED screens and Face ID notch for unlocking .
Those two features allow Apple to design the phone with minimal bezels and maximal screen .
Despite the smaller screen size , you don ’ t miss out on as much as you might expect .
Compared to the regular iPhone 12 with a 6.1-inch screen , there are maybe one or two lines of text that are cut off .
What you actually miss out on is that sense of immersion you can get from a bigger screen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or watching a movie .
Those were the only times this screen felt cramped .
If there is a knock on the screen , it ’ s that it doesn ’ t offer a high refresh rate like many Android phones — including the Pixel 5 , which isn ’ t too far off from the iPhone 12 mini ’ s size .
I ’ m more annoyed that the Pro iPhones don ’ t have it , though — here on the mini , I think battery life is more important .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is most reminiscent of the iPhone 5 .
Yes , it is bigger and has a glass rear panel instead of aluminum , but it shares the squared-off aluminum sides and general feeling of being an object that was designed to be proportional to your hand .
This is a phone that you can get a grip on , literally .
The phone feels well built , with tight tolerances and subtle touches like carefully beveled edges .
The rear glass is glossy and the rails are matte — on our black review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slate finish instead of being true black .
The camera bump on the back and the Face ID notch on the front are proportionally big compared to the smaller size of the phone , but not annoyingly so .
Because it ’ s a bit narrower , it ’ s easier to reach the opposite side of the screen with your thumb .
Because it ’ s a bit shorter , a lot of people will be able to reach the top for the swipe-down gestures without contorting their hands into awkward claws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a much , much better chance of fitting into small pockets — the kind that are all too common on pants designed for women .
As a man with big pockets and big hands , I do not have the strongest feelings about why it ’ s been so frustrating not to have a small iPhone option .
But I sympathize with those who do and agree with the sentiment 100 percent — I ’ m glad Apple recognized it and I hope other phone companies do what they often do and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chose to make the iPhone 12 mini hew closely to the features and specs of the regular iPhone 12 .
It ’ s a laudable goal , but as I used it I found myself second-guessing that decision a little bit .
It ’ s corny to say I ’ m impressed by how much Apple packed into such a small space — but I am .
The iPhone 12 mini has the fastest processor on any phone , it has the same dual-camera system as the iPhone 12 , and most remarkably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary for both sub-6 and ( in the US ) mmWave 5G .
It is fast , multitasks well , and doesn ’ t feel like a compromise when you use it .
It really is an amazing feat of technology .
It ’ s amazing until the battery dies , anyway .
I don ’ t want to sugarcoat it nor be overly dire about it , but the battery life on the iPhone 12 mini is noticeably worse than on the iPhone 12 , which itself was a step down from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s good enough , but it does mean I ’ m already using it differently than I use bigger phones .
Without making any effort at it , I have consistently drained the iPhone 12 mini ’ s battery by early evening .
I ’ d say it ’ s fair to expect the 12 mini to clock up something near four hours of screentime with stuff like web browsing , Facebook , and taking photos .
Intense games give you a chance to watch the battery percent tick down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not bad , but it ’ s definitely not great .
My feeling after a little less than a week is that getting through a day requires a little bit of battery management .
Holding yourself back from putting an hour into an Apple Arcade game , knowing where your next opportunity to charge might be , and above all being more willing to turn on the low power mode .
Of course it works with Apple ’ s new magnet-based MagSafe system for cases and wireless charging .
Using MagSafe , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12W wireless charging instead of the 15W you get on the larger iPhones , but since the battery is smaller , the overall charge time ends up being about the same .
Exactly how small is small ?
Apple never provides exact battery size specs — and I get the reasoning even though I disagree with it .
Lots of factors affect battery life , and the iPhone 12 mini has the benefit of a smaller OLED screen .
But it also has 5G .
The reality of 5G in the US continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s radically dependent on which network you ’ re on and what part of the country or city you ’ re in .
Often the speeds are equivalent to LTE .
If you stand out on the right street corner and get mmWave , you can indeed get speeds that are astonishing — until you walk down the street and they drop back to the same LTE we ’ ve used for years .
I often have to remind people that phone design isn ’ t inevitable .
Apple chose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same thickness as the iPhone 12 and it chose to keep the extra parts necessary for mmWave 5G .
I would rather lose both of those things in exchange for a bigger battery .
The iPhone 12 mini has the exact same camera setup as the regular iPhone 12 .
There ’ s the 12-megapixel main wide-angle camera with a f/1.6 aperture for letting in more light paired with a somewhat worse 12-megapixel ultrawide camera .
Unlike the Pro models , there ’ s no telephoto lens nor a LIDAR sensor .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are just like the specs : the same .
The iPhone 12 mini reverts to Night mode less often than even the iPhone 11 Pro and the Pixel 5 .
Apple has made some improvements in image processing this year with its A14 Bionic processor that results in more detail in more lighting conditions ( aka the Deep Fusion “ Sweater Mode ” ) .
It ’ s a very good camera system , and that ’ s not usually something I get to say when I ’ m talking about a smaller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the camera is often the place where those corners get cut .
Not so here : video is excellent at handling different lighting conditions , portrait mode is usually more than good enough for Instagram , and you can trust the camera to take the photos you expect when you tap the shutter .
And you can expect them to get saved quickly .
Next year , though , I hope Apple pays a little more attention to the secondary camera sensors .
The selfie camera is fine , but it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the main camera .
I can take some dramatic shots with the ultrawide — the tree you see above is objectively boring but looks dope with this lens .
Still , if you zoom in even a little , you can see that on a technical level the ultrawide is also far behind the main sensor .
As I said above , I don ’ t have ergonomic reasons to need a smaller phone .
My advice for most people is to get the regular iPhone 12 for its better battery and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ love the iPhone 12 mini .
It is my favorite of the new iPhone 12 models .
Despite real concerns with the battery , it ’ s the one I have decided to get for myself .
The first iPhone in a long time to be designed around ergonomics instead of screen size For me , the reason to prefer the iPhone 12 mini is hard to state in words , but I ’ ll give it a shot .
With every phone , you can tell what it was designed around .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything else has to contend with , that sets the hardware narrative .
For many years now , that feature was the screen .
Making it big , bright , beautiful , and bezel-less was the big thing driving phone design , and all other considerations were secondary .
The iPhone 12 mini feels like the first iPhone in a long time with a different goal .
It was designed around the human hand and real pockets .
It is an object that doesn ’ t aim to be judged against other smartphones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but to be judged simply as an object you need to hold .
You judge a spatula or can opener or whatever by whether it ’ s easy to grip , by whether it fits in your hand .
It ’ s about time we got back to judging smartphones that way , too .
That design decision means that other things — like battery life — are secondary .
But it ’ s nevertheless a strange kind of relief to hold it .
You know the feeling when a buzzing noise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stops and you realize you ’ ve been annoyed all day but couldn ’ t say why ?
It ’ s like that .
Whether we admit it or not ( and whether we hate it or not ) , we ’ ve subtly been adapting ourselves to ever-growing phone sizes .
The iPhone 12 mini is adapted to us .

If you asked me which of the four different models of the new iPhone 12 you should buy without providing any further context on your needs or desires, I would tell you to buy the regular iPhone 12 without question. It has the best balance of screen size, storage, cameras, battery life, and value. It is, in my opinion, the best iPhone 12 for most people.
But the iPhone 12 mini is my favorite.
For the first time in many years, Apple is making an intentionally small phone. The key, though, is that unlike other small phones, Apple isn’t putting worse parts in it. The iPhone 12 mini has all the same features as the larger iPhone 12. It has the same cameras, same processor, same everything save for two things: screen size and battery life.
The iPhone 12 mini starts at $729 for a 64GB model in the US, but $50 more gets the 128GB model and that’s a much better option. It’s a small phone, but it’s not a cheap phone.
Read more: iPhone 12 Pro Max review.
8.5 Verge Score Apple iPhone 12 mini $ 729 The Good Excellent camera
Small with great build quality
Fast The Bad Battery life is below average
Is mmWave 5G really necessary?
60Hz screen is behind the competition $729 at Apple$729 at Amazon How we rate and review products
The iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 mini hardware
It’s traditional to refer to phones by their screen size and for the iPhone 12 mini, that number is 5.4 inches diagonally. But that number doesn’t tell the story at all. The phone is smaller than the traditional 4.7-inch-home-button iPhone design we saw from the iPhone 6 on through the 6S, 7, 8, and 2020 SE models, even though the screen itself is larger.
That’s because the 12 mini, just like the rest of the iPhone 12 line, has switched over to Apple’s more modern OLED screens and Face ID notch for unlocking. Those two features allow Apple to design the phone with minimal bezels and maximal screen.
Despite the smaller screen size, you don’t miss out on as much as you might expect. Compared to the regular iPhone 12 with a 6.1-inch screen, there are maybe one or two lines of text that are cut off. What you actually miss out on is that sense of immersion you can get from a bigger screen when you’re playing a game or watching a movie. Those were the only times this screen felt cramped.
If there is a knock on the screen, it’s that it doesn’t offer a high refresh rate like many Android phones — including the Pixel 5, which isn’t too far off from the iPhone 12 mini’s size. I’m more annoyed that the Pro iPhones don’t have it, though — here on the mini, I think battery life is more important.
The iPhone 12 mini has flat aluminum rails on the side.
iPhone 12 mini (top) and the regular iPhone 12
To me, the iPhone 12 mini is most reminiscent of the iPhone 5. Yes, it is bigger and has a glass rear panel instead of aluminum, but it shares the squared-off aluminum sides and general feeling of being an object that was designed to be proportional to your hand. This is a phone that you can get a grip on, literally.
The phone feels well built, with tight tolerances and subtle touches like carefully beveled edges. The rear glass is glossy and the rails are matte — on our black review unit the rails have a kind of slate finish instead of being true black. The camera bump on the back and the Face ID notch on the front are proportionally big compared to the smaller size of the phone, but not annoyingly so.
Because it’s a bit narrower, it’s easier to reach the opposite side of the screen with your thumb. Because it’s a bit shorter, a lot of people will be able to reach the top for the swipe-down gestures without contorting their hands into awkward claws or risking dropping the phone.
It has a much, much better chance of fitting into small pockets — the kind that are all too common on pants designed for women.
As a man with big pockets and big hands, I do not have the strongest feelings about why it’s been so frustrating not to have a small iPhone option. But I sympathize with those who do and agree with the sentiment 100 percent — I’m glad Apple recognized it and I hope other phone companies do what they often do and follow Apple’s lead.
iPhone 12 mini (left) and iPhone 12 (right)
iPhone 12 mini battery and performance
Apple chose to make the iPhone 12 mini hew closely to the features and specs of the regular iPhone 12. It’s a laudable goal, but as I used it I found myself second-guessing that decision a little bit.
It’s corny to say I’m impressed by how much Apple packed into such a small space — but I am. The iPhone 12 mini has the fastest processor on any phone, it has the same dual-camera system as the iPhone 12, and most remarkably it has all the components and antennas necessary for both sub-6 and (in the US) mmWave 5G. It is fast, multitasks well, and doesn’t feel like a compromise when you use it. It really is an amazing feat of technology.
It’s amazing until the battery dies, anyway.
Battery life is a noticeable step down; you’ll need to pay attention to it
The iPhone 12 (left) and the iPhone 12 mini (right). The mini only loses a couple lines of text compared to the bigger screen but feels less immersive.
The iPhone 12 mini feels very comfortable to hold.
I don’t want to sugarcoat it nor be overly dire about it, but the battery life on the iPhone 12 mini is noticeably worse than on the iPhone 12, which itself was a step down from the battery-champ iPhone 11. For me, it’s good enough, but it does mean I’m already using it differently than I use bigger phones.
Without making any effort at it, I have consistently drained the iPhone 12 mini’s battery by early evening. I’d say it’s fair to expect the 12 mini to clock up something near four hours of screentime with stuff like web browsing, Facebook, and taking photos. Intense games give you a chance to watch the battery percent tick down minute by minute.
So it’s not bad, but it’s definitely not great. My feeling after a little less than a week is that getting through a day requires a little bit of battery management. Holding yourself back from putting an hour into an Apple Arcade game, knowing where your next opportunity to charge might be, and above all being more willing to turn on the low power mode.
Of course it works with Apple’s new magnet-based MagSafe system for cases and wireless charging. Using MagSafe, the iPhone 12 mini maxes out at 12W wireless charging instead of the 15W you get on the larger iPhones, but since the battery is smaller, the overall charge time ends up being about the same.
Exactly how small is small? Apple never provides exact battery size specs — and I get the reasoning even though I disagree with it. Lots of factors affect battery life, and the iPhone 12 mini has the benefit of a smaller OLED screen. But it also has 5G.
The reality of 5G in the US continues to be very different from the hype. It’s radically dependent on which network you’re on and what part of the country or city you’re in. Often the speeds are equivalent to LTE. If you stand out on the right street corner and get mmWave, you can indeed get speeds that are astonishing — until you walk down the street and they drop back to the same LTE we’ve used for years.
I often have to remind people that phone design isn’t inevitable. Apple chose to keep this iPhone 12 mini the same thickness as the iPhone 12 and it chose to keep the extra parts necessary for mmWave 5G. I would rather lose both of those things in exchange for a bigger battery.
The iPhone 12 mini has a regular wide and an ultrawide camera.
iPhone 12 mini cameras
The iPhone 12 mini has the exact same camera setup as the regular iPhone 12. There’s the 12-megapixel main wide-angle camera with a f/1.6 aperture for letting in more light paired with a somewhat worse 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. Unlike the Pro models, there’s no telephoto lens nor a LIDAR sensor.
I am happy to report that the results are just like the specs: the same. The iPhone 12 mini reverts to Night mode less often than even the iPhone 11 Pro and the Pixel 5. Apple has made some improvements in image processing this year with its A14 Bionic processor that results in more detail in more lighting conditions (aka the Deep Fusion “Sweater Mode”).
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It’s a very good camera system, and that’s not usually something I get to say when I’m talking about a smaller phone. Usually smaller means cut corners and the camera is often the place where those corners get cut. Not so here: video is excellent at handling different lighting conditions, portrait mode is usually more than good enough for Instagram, and you can trust the camera to take the photos you expect when you tap the shutter. And you can expect them to get saved quickly.
Next year, though, I hope Apple pays a little more attention to the secondary camera sensors. The selfie camera is fine, but it’s increasingly disappointing compared to the advances on the main camera.
I can take some dramatic shots with the ultrawide — the tree you see above is objectively boring but looks dope with this lens. Still, if you zoom in even a little, you can see that on a technical level the ultrawide is also far behind the main sensor.
The iPhone 12 mini
As I said above, I don’t have ergonomic reasons to need a smaller phone. My advice for most people is to get the regular iPhone 12 for its better battery and bigger screen.
And yet, I love the iPhone 12 mini. It is my favorite of the new iPhone 12 models. Despite real concerns with the battery, it’s the one I have decided to get for myself.
The first iPhone in a long time to be designed around ergonomics instead of screen size
For me, the reason to prefer the iPhone 12 mini is hard to state in words, but I’ll give it a shot. With every phone, you can tell what it was designed around. There’s some key feature that everything else has to contend with, that sets the hardware narrative. For many years now, that feature was the screen. Making it big, bright, beautiful, and bezel-less was the big thing driving phone design, and all other considerations were secondary.
The iPhone 12 mini feels like the first iPhone in a long time with a different goal. It was designed around the human hand and real pockets. It is an object that doesn’t aim to be judged against other smartphones (which are mostly big now), but to be judged simply as an object you need to hold. You judge a spatula or can opener or whatever by whether it’s easy to grip, by whether it fits in your hand. It’s about time we got back to judging smartphones that way, too.
That design decision means that other things — like battery life — are secondary. But it’s nevertheless a strange kind of relief to hold it. You know the feeling when a buzzing noise you’d grown accustomed to suddenly stops and you realize you’ve been annoyed all day but couldn’t say why? It’s like that.
Whether we admit it or not (and whether we hate it or not), we’ve subtly been adapting ourselves to ever-growing phone sizes. The iPhone 12 mini is adapted to us.


theverge--2020-11-09--What to expect from Apple’s ‘One More Thing’ event

Apple is expected to officially unveil its first computers powered by custom Arm-based silicon chips at its “ One More Thing ” event on Tuesday .
The company is promising the new chips will deliver improved performance with less power consumption , and the switch also means Apple computers will support native iOS apps due to Apple ’ s A-series mobile and tablet chips sharing 64-bit Arm architecture .
The fact that Apple silicon-based computers are likely launching on Tuesday isn ’ t exactly a surprise ; Apple said at WWDC in June it expected to ship the first Mac @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the year .
But naming the event after Steve Jobs ’ iconic phrase indicates Apple thinks this will be a significant moment for the company — and hopefully these computers will be worth the wait .
There ’ s always the chance Apple will discuss other products as well .
The company ’ s September and October events didn ’ t focus on just one product line ; the September event featured both the Apple Watch and iPad , while the October event focused on the iPhone and the new HomePod mini @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple is working hard on lots of other products that may or may not see the light of day .
The event kicks off at 1PM on Tuesday , so we won ’ t have to wait long to learn what Apple will be announcing .
Here ’ s a rundown of what you can look out for .
The first laptops that run on Apple silicon While Apple has only publicly promised to ship one Apple silicon-powered Mac computer by the end of the year , the company apparently plans to introduce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Apple is reportedly ramping up production of a new 13-inch MacBook Air , 13-inch MacBook Pro , and 16-inch MacBook Pro , and will show “ at least ” the two 13-inch laptops on Tuesday .
Yet if you were hoping for a big design change to accompany the new internal architecture in the laptops , that ’ s not in the cards , according to Bloomberg .
The processors in the new laptops will be “ based on ” the A14 chip found in the iPhone 12 lineup and the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help developers get a jump on porting their apps to the new chips , Apple has been offering a Mac mini Developer Transition Kit that ’ s powered by the A12Z , a variant of the A12 with an 8-core GPU that ’ s also found in the most recent iPad Pros released in March .
Perhaps Apple will take a similar approach for the A14-based chip in the upcoming laptops .
We found the A14 was quite capable in our reviews of those iOS devices , and presumably , Apple will show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new laptops at the event to give us an idea of what its custom silicon will be capable of in computers , too .
It was hard to tell just how fast the new chips will be when Apple first discussed them at WWDC , but it seems likely the company will go into a lot more detail about the processors ’ performance on Tuesday .
It also seems like a safe bet that Apple will talk more about Rosetta 2 , which can automatically translate some existing Intel apps , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and iPadOS apps run natively on Apple ’ s silicon-based Macs .
If you ’ re hoping that Apple introduces a desktop Mac with Apple silicon on Tuesday , though , you might be out of luck , as Bloomberg ’ s report didn ’ t indicate that a new desktop will be announced at the event .
Apple apparently does have a number of other Apple silicon-based Macs in the pipeline , though , including a redesigned iMac and a new Mac Pro .
If this is a Mac event as expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will also give a release date for macOS Big Sur , the next major macOS update .
Big Sur brings a huge visual overhaul to macOS , with things like new iOS-style icons for Apple apps and a translucent menu bar that blends into your wallpaper .
There ’ s a dedicated control center to help you manage settings like Wi-Fi , display brightness , and volume , all in one place .
And it ’ s not just visuals that got an overhaul — Big Sur has new system sounds , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ famous startup chime .
Many Mac apps get updates as well .
Safari in Big Sur has a customizable start screen , tab previews , and a privacy report feature that shows you what trackers the browser has blocked .
Messages finally gets message effects , as well as features you might have already used in iOS 14 , such as pinned replies and in-line conversations .
Maps has a number of new features , too , including cycling directions and EV routing .
We might see non-Mac products as well Although we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be primarily about the Macs , Apple could certainly unveil non-Mac products .
Apple has long been rumored to be developing new high-end , over-ear headphones , so perhaps the company will finally unveil those on Tuesday .
The headphones are rumored to have swappable ear pads and headbands , noise cancellation , Siri controls , and built-in touch controls .
The headphones have recently run into some development difficulties , though , according to an October 26th Bloomberg report .
The headphones were apparently set to go into production “ weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushed because the headband was too tight .
Apple also reduced the size of the touch pads on the sides of the headphones , and the headphones may no longer have a replaceable headband , according to Bloomberg .
We ’ ve also been hearing rumors about Apple-made Tile-like trackers for quite awhile — references for the product appeared in iOS 13 beta code last June .
The trackers , which could be called AirTags , are rumored to be small circular discs that could let you track things like a bag or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My app .
It ’ s expected that AirTags will have ultra-wideband technology to help with more precise tracking .
Apple is also apparently working on a new Apple TV with a faster processor and an “ upgraded ” remote control that may not come out until next year , according to Bloomberg .
Given that rumored release date , though , it doesn ’ t seem likely that Apple will announce it on Tuesday .
And since Apple announced new Apple Watches and a new iPad Air in September and new iPhones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t see new versions of those products on Tuesday , either .

Apple is expected to officially unveil its first computers powered by custom Arm-based silicon chips at its “One More Thing” event on Tuesday. The company is promising the new chips will deliver improved performance with less power consumption, and the switch also means Apple computers will support native iOS apps due to Apple’s A-series mobile and tablet chips sharing 64-bit Arm architecture.
The fact that Apple silicon-based computers are likely launching on Tuesday isn’t exactly a surprise; Apple said at WWDC in June it expected to ship the first Mac with an Apple-designed CPU by the end of the year. But naming the event after Steve Jobs’ iconic phrase indicates Apple thinks this will be a significant moment for the company — and hopefully these computers will be worth the wait.
There’s always the chance Apple will discuss other products as well. The company’s September and October events didn’t focus on just one product line; the September event featured both the Apple Watch and iPad, while the October event focused on the iPhone and the new HomePod mini. Rumors, as always, indicate Apple is working hard on lots of other products that may or may not see the light of day.
The event kicks off at 1PM ET on Tuesday, so we won’t have to wait long to learn what Apple will be announcing. Here’s a rundown of what you can look out for.
The first laptops that run on Apple silicon
While Apple has only publicly promised to ship one Apple silicon-powered Mac computer by the end of the year, the company apparently plans to introduce more than one, according to Bloomberg. Apple is reportedly ramping up production of a new 13-inch MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and 16-inch MacBook Pro, and will show “at least” the two 13-inch laptops on Tuesday. Yet if you were hoping for a big design change to accompany the new internal architecture in the laptops, that’s not in the cards, according to Bloomberg.
The processors in the new laptops will be “based on” the A14 chip found in the iPhone 12 lineup and the new iPad Air, Bloomberg reported. To help developers get a jump on porting their apps to the new chips, Apple has been offering a Mac mini Developer Transition Kit that’s powered by the A12Z, a variant of the A12 with an 8-core GPU that’s also found in the most recent iPad Pros released in March. Perhaps Apple will take a similar approach for the A14-based chip in the upcoming laptops.
We found the A14 was quite capable in our reviews of those iOS devices, and presumably, Apple will show some impressive demos of the chip in the new laptops at the event to give us an idea of what its custom silicon will be capable of in computers, too. It was hard to tell just how fast the new chips will be when Apple first discussed them at WWDC, but it seems likely the company will go into a lot more detail about the processors’ performance on Tuesday.
It also seems like a safe bet that Apple will talk more about Rosetta 2, which can automatically translate some existing Intel apps, and how developers can make their existing iOS and iPadOS apps run natively on Apple’s silicon-based Macs.
If you’re hoping that Apple introduces a desktop Mac with Apple silicon on Tuesday, though, you might be out of luck, as Bloomberg’s report didn’t indicate that a new desktop will be announced at the event. Apple apparently does have a number of other Apple silicon-based Macs in the pipeline, though, including a redesigned iMac and a new Mac Pro.
macOS Big Sur should get a release date
If this is a Mac event as expected, then it seems likely that Apple will also give a release date for macOS Big Sur, the next major macOS update. Big Sur brings a huge visual overhaul to macOS, with things like new iOS-style icons for Apple apps and a translucent menu bar that blends into your wallpaper. There’s a dedicated control center to help you manage settings like Wi-Fi, display brightness, and volume, all in one place. And it’s not just visuals that got an overhaul — Big Sur has new system sounds, including the return of the Mac’s famous startup chime.
Many Mac apps get updates as well. Safari in Big Sur has a customizable start screen, tab previews, and a privacy report feature that shows you what trackers the browser has blocked. Messages finally gets message effects, as well as features you might have already used in iOS 14, such as pinned replies and in-line conversations. Maps has a number of new features, too, including cycling directions and EV routing.
We might see non-Mac products as well
Although we’re expecting Tuesday’s event to be primarily about the Macs, Apple could certainly unveil non-Mac products.
Apple has long been rumored to be developing new high-end, over-ear headphones, so perhaps the company will finally unveil those on Tuesday. The headphones are rumored to have swappable ear pads and headbands, noise cancellation, Siri controls, and built-in touch controls. The headphones have recently run into some development difficulties, though, according to an October 26th Bloomberg report.
The headphones were apparently set to go into production “weeks ago,” but that milestone was pushed because the headband was too tight. Apple also reduced the size of the touch pads on the sides of the headphones, and the headphones may no longer have a replaceable headband, according to Bloomberg.
We’ve also been hearing rumors about Apple-made Tile-like trackers for quite awhile — references for the product appeared in iOS 13 beta code last June. The trackers, which could be called AirTags, are rumored to be small circular discs that could let you track things like a bag or your wallet via Apple’s Find My app. It’s expected that AirTags will have ultra-wideband technology to help with more precise tracking.


theverge--2020-11-09--Philips Hue smart bulbs to lose Works with Nest integration on November 17th

Philips Hue is dropping its Works with Nest functionality next week on November 17th , The Ambient reports .
In a notice shown in the Philips Hue app , the company warns that “ integration with Nest Thermostat , Nest Cam and Nest Protect will be discontinued ” from this date .
However , the notice adds that “ this will only be temporary ” since much of the functionality is expected to be replaced in the Google Home App as Google transitions to the Works with Hey Google platform .
As well as the notice in its app , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a blog post published to its website .
The change comes over a year after Google announced it was winding down the Works with Nest smart home program .
At the time , it said it would not allow any new Works with Nest integrations after August 31st 2019 , but that existing ones would be allowed to continue .
Now , however , Philips Hue is dropping support for the old platform .
Here ’ s the full notice being shown to Philips Hue users , according to The Ambient : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nest ’ programme to the ‘ Works with Hey Google ’ programme .
Related to this , Philips Hue integration with Nest Thermostat , Nest Cam and Nest Protect will be discontinued from November 17 , 2020 .
This will only be temporary , as Google is building existing Works with Nest features into the Google Home app .
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
” Works with Nest currently allows Google ’ s smart home devices to control its smart bulbs .
For example , a room ’ s lights can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Nest Cam senses it ’ s empty , or turn on when a Nest Protect fire alarm detects smoke .
The Philips Hue app notes that similar functionality is expected to appear soon in the Google Home app via the new Works with Hey Google program .
The Ambient notes that some functionality is taking a while to arrive , but that at least one popular Works with Nest feature recently started rolling out .
Last month Google added “ Presence sensing ” to the Google Home app , which uses a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in smart home devices to know when you ’ re home .

“Google is transitioning its ‘Works with Nest’ programme to the ‘Works with Hey Google’ programme. Related to this, Philips Hue integration with Nest Thermostat, Nest Cam and Nest Protect will be discontinued from November 17, 2020.
This will only be temporary, as Google is building existing Works with Nest features into the Google Home app. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”


theverge--2020-11-09--Amazon’s new rewards program gives frequent delivery drivers easier access to work

Amazon is rolling out a new rewards program that gives its Flex delivery drivers easier access to shifts based on the amount of work they ’ ve done for the company .
A spokesperson from Amazon confirmed to CNBC that the Flex Rewards program is in its early stages , but is being rolled out to all drivers in the US .
As well as access to shifts , the program also includes access to a cash back debit card , as well as discounts and financial services .
Launched in 2015 and now available in over 50 cities across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service that allows freelance drivers to sign up for shifts to deliver Amazon or Whole Foods orders .
According to CBNC , the new rewards program could incentivize drivers to complete more orders for Amazon , rather than splitting their time with other gig economy services like Uber and Instacart .
Of particular use to drivers is the reward program ’ s “ preferred scheduling ” feature , which includes easier access to shifts .
These are often hotly contested between drivers , and there have even been reports of some using bots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notes that drivers can sometimes have just seconds to sign up for shift “ blocks , ” higher levels of the rewards program give up to 30 minutes to accept a reserved shift .
Drivers can register preferred delivery stations , days , and times , and will receive more offers of reserved shifts as they level up in the program , Amazon says .
The rewards program is based around points which drivers earn based on the number of deliveries and shifts they complete .
Additional points are provided based on metrics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driver ’ s points reset with each three month earnings period , Amazon says any rewards accrued will apply across the following period .
As well as the preferred scheduling feature , the program also includes a debit card which offers cash back on purchases , including fuel and items ordered from Amazon .
Cash back on fuel purchases goes up to six percent based on a driver ’ s level , and they ’ ll also get two percent cash back on Amazon purchases , and one percent on other spending .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided by Green Dot , and comes with an app to track and manage transactions .
According to Amazon ’ s website , there ’ s no signup required for the Flex Rewards program .
Drivers can keep track of the amount of points they accrue via the Amazon Flex App .

Amazon is rolling out a new rewards program that gives its Flex delivery drivers easier access to shifts based on the amount of work they’ve done for the company. A spokesperson from Amazon confirmed to CNBC that the Flex Rewards program is in its early stages, but is being rolled out to all drivers in the US. As well as access to shifts, the program also includes access to a cash back debit card, as well as discounts and financial services.
Launched in 2015 and now available in over 50 cities across the US, Amazon Flex is a service that allows freelance drivers to sign up for shifts to deliver Amazon or Whole Foods orders. According to CBNC, the new rewards program could incentivize drivers to complete more orders for Amazon, rather than splitting their time with other gig economy services like Uber and Instacart.
A table on Amazon’s site shows what’s available at each reward level. Screenshot: Amazon.com
Of particular use to drivers is the reward program’s “preferred scheduling” feature, which includes easier access to shifts. These are often hotly contested between drivers, and there have even been reports of some using bots to access in-demand shifts. While CNBC notes that drivers can sometimes have just seconds to sign up for shift “blocks,” higher levels of the rewards program give up to 30 minutes to accept a reserved shift. Drivers can register preferred delivery stations, days, and times, and will receive more offers of reserved shifts as they level up in the program, Amazon says.
The rewards program is based around points which drivers earn based on the number of deliveries and shifts they complete. Additional points are provided based on metrics like completing deliveries on time. Although driver’s points reset with each three month earnings period, Amazon says any rewards accrued will apply across the following period.
As well as the preferred scheduling feature, the program also includes a debit card which offers cash back on purchases, including fuel and items ordered from Amazon. Cash back on fuel purchases goes up to six percent based on a driver’s level, and they’ll also get two percent cash back on Amazon purchases, and one percent on other spending. The debit card’s account is provided by Green Dot, and comes with an app to track and manage transactions.


theverge--2020-11-09--Apple puts major supplier Pegatron on probation for labor violations

Apple has cut off major supplier Pegatron from new contracts following the reveal of student labor violations at some of the Taiwanese manufacturer ’ s China-based facilities .
Bloomberg reports that Apple found Pegatron to be falsifying paperwork in order to cover up violations of Apple ’ s code of conduct for suppliers .
Pegatron is one of Apple ’ s biggest supply chain partners , manufacturing various products including some of the newest iPhone 12 models .
The company is now reportedly on probation , however , and won ’ t be able to win any new business from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We have a rigorous review and approval process for any student worker program , which ensures the intern ’ s work is related to their major and prohibits overtime or night shifts , ” Apple said in a statement to Bloomberg , noting that Pegatron had fired the program ’ s manager .
“ Pegatron misclassified the student workers in their program and falsified paperwork to disguise violations of our Code , including allowing students to work nights and/or overtime and in some cases to perform work unrelated to their major.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ activity , we immediately took the student workers off production lines and worked with our customer and third-party experts to make appropriate arrangements for them to return to their homes or schools with proper compensation alongside all necessary support and care , ” Pegatron ’ s own statement reads .
At this point , though , it appears that Apple is yet to be convinced .
This is by no means the first time Pegatron ’ s student worker program has come under the spotlight .
China Labor Watch issued a report in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underpayment of student workers at a Pegatron factory in Shanghai .

Apple has cut off major supplier Pegatron from new contracts following the reveal of student labor violations at some of the Taiwanese manufacturer’s China-based facilities. Bloomberg reports that Apple found Pegatron to be falsifying paperwork in order to cover up violations of Apple’s code of conduct for suppliers.
Pegatron is one of Apple’s biggest supply chain partners, manufacturing various products including some of the newest iPhone 12 models. The company is now reportedly on probation, however, and won’t be able to win any new business from Apple until the matter has been resolved.
Pegatron falsified paperwork
“We have a rigorous review and approval process for any student worker program, which ensures the intern’s work is related to their major and prohibits overtime or night shifts,” Apple said in a statement to Bloomberg, noting that Pegatron had fired the program’s manager. “Pegatron misclassified the student workers in their program and falsified paperwork to disguise violations of our Code, including allowing students to work nights and/or overtime and in some cases to perform work unrelated to their major.”
“Upon discovery of this non-compliant activity, we immediately took the student workers off production lines and worked with our customer and third-party experts to make appropriate arrangements for them to return to their homes or schools with proper compensation alongside all necessary support and care,” Pegatron’s own statement reads. At this point, though, it appears that Apple is yet to be convinced.


theverge--2020-11-09--PSA: Epic will honor V-Bucks trapped on Apple platforms

With everything else going on , you may have momentarily forgotten Epic Games and Apple ’ s on-going legal battle over the Fortnite creator ’ s alternative payment system that got it booted off the App Store .
The lawsuits are still playing out , but here ’ s a small positive : Epic announced last Friday that your V-Bucks stranded on the macOS and iOS versions of Fortnite will be honored and credited to your account so you can spend them on other platforms .
Epic says that players who purchased V-Bucks on iOS and macOS should receive their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Those V-Bucks can be spent on any platform that can play Fortnite other than iOS or macOS .
In case you ’ re wondering how far the legal battle has come , we ’ ve got a whole StoryStream and a brief timeline that can catch you up , but an even shorter version is this : Apple was ultimately forced to allow Epic to continue to update the Unreal Engine for developer use , but Fortnite remains off the App Store .
From a gaming perspective , Epic ’ s battle with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ versions of Fortnite a shadow of their former selves .
Play outside of Apple ’ s ecosystem is disabled and the core progression loop that keeps players coming back to the game — the seasonal updates and battle pass system — are inaccessible .
Fortnite on Apple platforms never saw this summer ’ s “ Nexus War ” Marvel update , nor the series of in-game concerts that followed , and there ’ s no telling when any of that content might come back .
If players want to spend their V-Bucks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll have to do so somewhere else .

With everything else going on, you may have momentarily forgotten Epic Games and Apple’s on-going legal battle over the Fortnite creator’s alternative payment system that got it booted off the App Store. The lawsuits are still playing out, but here’s a small positive: Epic announced last Friday that your V-Bucks stranded on the macOS and iOS versions of Fortnite will be honored and credited to your account so you can spend them on other platforms.
Epic says that players who purchased V-Bucks on iOS and macOS should receive their credit by today, November 9th. Those V-Bucks can be spent on any platform that can play Fortnite other than iOS or macOS.
In case you’re wondering how far the legal battle has come, we’ve got a whole StoryStream and a brief timeline that can catch you up, but an even shorter version is this: Apple was ultimately forced to allow Epic to continue to update the Unreal Engine for developer use, but Fortnite remains off the App Store.


theverge--2020-11-09--Google’s Nest Audio may or may not have a home theater trick up its sleeves

In our review of Google ’ s $ 99 Nest Audio speaker , we wrote that it ’ s “ unfortunate that you can ’ t use two Nest Audio speakers paired with a Chromecast for home theater audio , like you can do with a couple of Amazon Echo speakers and a Fire TV.
” But it appears that Google originally intended to offer just such a feature — and we ’ re wondering if the company might still introduce it in the next few months .
As 9to5Google points out , Google seemingly forgot to remove a rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ source for its Nest Audio product page : The UK version of the page even had an alternate localization of the same sentence , which suggests intention .
There ’ s not a whole lot of ways to interpret that phrase .
Here are a few that spring to mind : • Google was working on the exact thing we wanted , but decided to scrap the feature before launch and forgot to update one portion of its website .
• Google is now working on the exact thing we wanted , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website .
• Someone who was building the website drastically misinterpreted their instructions and made a funny mistake .
But even though it would have been easy to admit the mistake , that ’ s not the direction Google has chosen to take : the company tells The Verge it has “ no news on this front , ” which suggests that it ’ s likelier to be # 1 or # 2 .
We ’ re not sure which , but it wouldn ’ t be too surprising if the feature arrived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already know the new Chromecast with Google TV is slated to get an update with Google Stadia cloud gaming support in the first half of 2021 .
Perhaps it ’ ll add some speaker pairing , too .

In our review of Google’s $99 Nest Audio speaker, we wrote that it’s “unfortunate that you can’t use two Nest Audio speakers paired with a Chromecast for home theater audio, like you can do with a couple of Amazon Echo speakers and a Fire TV.”
But it appears that Google originally intended to offer just such a feature — and we’re wondering if the company might still introduce it in the next few months.
As 9to5Google points out, Google seemingly forgot to remove a rather telling arrangement of words from the HTML source for its Nest Audio product page:
With Chromecast & Google TV Nest Audio becomes your home theater sound system.
The UK version of the page even had an alternate localization of the same sentence, which suggests intention.
With Chromecast and Google TV, Nest Audio becomes your home cinema sound system.
There’s not a whole lot of ways to interpret that phrase. Here are a few that spring to mind:
Google was working on the exact thing we wanted, but decided to scrap the feature before launch and forgot to update one portion of its website. Google is now working on the exact thing we wanted, and has quietly inserted a hint into its website. Someone who was building the website drastically misinterpreted their instructions and made a funny mistake.
But even though it would have been easy to admit the mistake, that’s not the direction Google has chosen to take: the company tells The Verge it has “no news on this front,” which suggests that it’s likelier to be #1 or #2.


theverge--2020-11-09--Every last Slingbox will become a brick in two years

If you ’ re like us , you probably haven ’ t thought about the Slingbox in a good long while ; the idea of beaming your own TV over the internet has largely been replaced by streaming TV services , even if watch-anywhere DVRs like the Fire TV Recast do still exist .
But if you are still relying on a Slingbox of your very own , you ’ re officially on notice : Dish subsidiary Sling Media is discontinuing all Slingbox products and will permanently shut down the Slingbox servers on or around November 9th , 2022 — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and services will become inoperable , ” says Sling .
Why now ?
Please enjoy this illuminating explanation : The company ’ s also nixing a variety of its SlingPlayer apps , including its app for Windows Phone , which ... it ’ s been a while since the Slingbox was fully relevant , OK ?
But it sounds like there ’ ll still be a version available for iOS , Android , Windows , Mac , Amazon Fire , Chromecast , and even the web for a little while yet .
Since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more focused on its own over-the-top streaming platform : Sling TV .
So far , it ’ s not a bad deal .

If you’re like us, you probably haven’t thought about the Slingbox in a good long while; the idea of beaming your own TV over the internet has largely been replaced by streaming TV services, even if watch-anywhere DVRs like the Fire TV Recast do still exist.
But if you are still relying on a Slingbox of your very own, you’re officially on notice: Dish subsidiary Sling Media is discontinuing all Slingbox products and will permanently shut down the Slingbox servers on or around November 9th, 2022 — “at which point ALL Slingbox devices and services will become inoperable,” says Sling.
Why now? Please enjoy this illuminating explanation:
Screenshot of Sling’s FAQ
Right then!
The company’s also nixing a variety of its SlingPlayer apps, including its app for Windows Phone, which... it’s been a while since the Slingbox was fully relevant, OK? But it sounds like there’ll still be a version available for iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Amazon Fire, Chromecast, and even the web for a little while yet.