The iPhone 11 is set to launch this Friday, September 20, and in advance of that release date the first reviews for the smartphone have begun appearing online. Apple has provided review units of the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max to media outlets, but this article will focus only on the iPhone 11 and you can check out our separate iPhone 11 Pro review roundup right here.

As the lower-cost device, the iPhone 11 lacks some of the hardware and software features of the Pro line, but numerous reviewers pointed out that the line between the 11 and the 11 Pro has blurred even more this year. In short, this will likely be the iPhone that is the best choice for most customers this season.

Wired echoed many of these sentiments, calling it the iPhone for “just about everybody” and applauding the smartphone’s camera upgrade, solid battery life, low cost, and the speed of the A13 Bionic processor. The site particularly appreciated Apple’s no-nonsense UI design for the camera app, pointing out how this improves the camera as a whole, even if it might not be as good as others on the market.

Image via Wired

It would be a stretch to say that the camera on the iPhone 11 has wowed me or has set a new standard that other phone makers will have to race to match. The iPhone 11 Pro, with its funky three-lens camera module on the back, is noticeably better. But one area where Apple deserves credit is in the overall packaging of its camera features and the design of the app’s interface.

Smartphones are now cluttered with so many features that it can be hard to figure out what’s what, which can actively discourage people from trying all the newfangled things. On many premium Android phones, for example, the wide-angle icon is a cluster of—trees? When you select the Pro mode on Samsung’s Galaxy Note10+, there are no fewer than 17 photo options available, some of which cut into the frame of the viewfinder.

Ultimately, Wired noted that the iPhone 11 is an impressive device but Apple hasn’t done anything innovative with the base model iPhone this year. The site pointed out last-generation LCD technology, the lack of an in-display fingerprint sensor, and other features, but still described the iPhone 11 as a “very good phone” that will have more than enough features to sway people to upgrade.

The Verge kicked off its review by stating simply, “the iPhone 11 is the phone most people who are upgrading to a new iPhone this year should get.” The site particularly liked the iPhone 11‘s camera upgrade, including the ultra-wide lens and Night Mode. With the upgrades, The Verge said that the iPhone 11 goes so far as to make photos taken on the iPhone X “look downright bad.”

Image via The Verge

So, is it worth upgrading to the iPhone 11? If you’ve got an iPhone older than the XR and you’re looking to upgrade, I think the answer is yes. The camera is substantially improved, and you will get vastly better battery life than anything aside from a XR. That’s what most people care about, and Apple has really delivered here.

I’d only spend the extra money on the iPhone 11 Pro if you really care about the display. I don’t think you’re missing out on much by not having a telephoto camera lens, to be honest. I personally care quite a bit about displays, so I’m getting a Pro, but I think most people will be very happy with the iPhone 11.

Engadget discussed the display quality on the iPhone 11, pointing out that its LCD display is the same one found in last year’s iPhone XR. While this is a lower quality display compared to the OLED in the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, “in day-to-day use, the differences don’t matter,” according to the site.

Image via Chris Velazco/Engadget

Engadget also favors the 6.1-inch display size of the iPhone 11, calling it the sweet spot between the too-small 5.8-inch iPhone 11 Pro and large 6.5-inch iPhone 11 Pro Max. The site also commended the iPhone 11‘s battery life, which lasted close to 17 hours on average.

In some ways, the iPhone 11 is subject to the same fundamental shortcomings as the XR: It has one less camera than Apple’s more-premium models, and its screen isn’t nearly as nice. To that, I say, “Big whoop.”

The one thought that stuck in my head during my testing was that the gulf in functionality between this phone and the Pros has become surprisingly narrow. There are advantages to splurging on the Pros, but after getting a feel for what the iPhone 11 is capable of, those benefits won’t always justify spending the extra $300. Like I said before, the iPhone 11 is the best new iPhone for most people, and it’s unquestionably the one I would buy for myself.

More iPhone 11 reviews can be found online: TechCrunch, Pocket-lint, The Wall Street Journal, CNET, Tech Radar, and Tom’s Guide.

This article, “iPhone 11 Review Roundup: Improved Camera, Battery Life, and Performance Result in the iPhone for ‘Just About Everybody’” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max reviews are in. The consensus is that the devices are quite familiar and relatively iterative updates as a whole, but with significant advancements to cameras and battery life.

The Verge

Battery Life

Apple claims that the iPhone 11 Pro has up to four hours longer battery life than the iPhone XS, and that the larger iPhone 11 Pro Max lasts up to five hours longer than the iPhone XS Max, and reviews support those figures.

Engadget‘s Chris Velazco says the iPhone 11 Pro lasted nearly 12 hours per charge, up from 9-9.5 hours with the iPhone XS:

When I tested the brand-new XS last year, it would run for between 9 to 9.5 hours off a single charge on days with heavy use. This year, the smaller Pro dealt with the same general workloads and lasted for closer to 12 hours before needing a charge. The larger Pro Max, meanwhile, routinely stuck around for between 13 to 14 hours on a single charge, compared to the 11 to 12 hours I squeezed out of the iPhone XS Max.

The Verge‘s Nilay Patel says his iPhone 11 Pro Max has consistently lasted 12-14 hours, up from 8-10 hours with the iPhone XS Max:

So the best I can tell you is that Apple has historically been good about meeting its battery life claims, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max I’ve been using every day for a week has consistently run for 12 to 14 hours on a single charge, with over 10 hours of screen-on time reported in the battery settings per 24-hour period.

That’s compared to 8 to 10 hours of battery life at most for my iPhone XS Max, which is a marked improvement. It’s not enough to make me stop charging at my desk throughout the day, and I’ll definitely still carry a battery pack on trips. But it’s a big bump, and it’s better than most Android phones we’ve tested.

Cameras and Night Mode

iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max models share the same triple-lens rear camera system with a new ultra-wide-angle sensor complementing the existing wide-angle and telephoto lenses on last year’s high-end models.

Patel believes the iPhone 11 Pro models have “the best smartphone camera on the market right now”:

It appears Apple took all of those criticisms to heart because the iPhone 11 Pro cameras are an enormous improvement over the XS, and they beat the Pixel and Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10 Plus in most of our side-by-side comparisons. In fact, I think the iPhone 11 Pro is the best smartphone camera on the market right now.

Mashable‘s Raymond Wong believes that the iPhone 11 lineup’s new low-light Night Mode, activated automatically when necessary, is both better and more convenient than the similar Night Sight mode on Google’s latest Pixel smartphones:

Sure, Google did night mode first, but the feature is more intuitive on the iPhone 11 Pro. On a Pixel, a spinning exposure ring blocks the entire viewfinder while you’re holding still, but on the iPhone 11 Pro, you can see in real time an exposure getting brighter as the timer counts down.

And the iPhone 11 Pro‘s night mode also produces better photos in my opinion — sharper details from corner to corner, and better tones and contrast to preserve a scene’s mood. Whereas night mode on other phones brighten a scene to the point it looks artificial or flat, the iPhone 11 Pro‘s night mode more delicately balances the light and dark areas in both the foreground and background.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of Night Mode on the iPhone 11 Pro and Night Sight on Google’s Pixel 3 from The Verge:

Pixel 3 on left, iPhone 11 Pro on right

Design

TechCrunch‘s Matthew Panzarino says the iPhone 11 Pro‘s new Midnight Green color actually looks more like dark gray in most lighting conditions:

The green looks nearly nothing like any of the photographs I’ve seen of it on Apple’s site.

In person, the Deep Green is reads as dark grey in anything but the most direct indoor light. Outdoors, the treated stainless band has an “80’s Mall Green” hue that I actually really like. The back also opens up quite a bit, presenting as far more forest green than it does inside. Overall, though, this is a very muted color that is pretty buttoned up. It sits comfortably alongside neutral-to-staid colors like the Space Gray, Silver and Gold.

iPhone 11 Pro Max in Midnight Green

Panzarino adds that the new matte glass casing makes the iPhone 11 Pro models grippier than the glossy-backed iPhone XS models:

I’m happy to report that the iPhone 11 Pro‘s matte finish back increases the grippyness of the phone on its own. The smooth back of the iPhone 11 and the iPhone XS always required a bit of finger oil to get into a condition where you could reliably pivot them with one hand going in and out of a pocket.

As Wired‘s Lauren Goode notes, all three iPhone 11 models have what Apple claims is the most durable glass on any iPhone:

All three new iPhones have what Apple claims is the most durable glass on any iPhone. However, the back of the Pro phones have a textured and less slippery matte finish, and it’s one that I prefer, given my track record for shattering phones. The Pro phones also come in colors that are more understated than the iPhone 11‘s pastels, contributing to the gravitas of the Pro’s.

More Reviews

• The Wall Street Journal‘s Joanna Stern
  
• BuzzFeed News‘ John Paczkowski
  
• The New York Times‘ Brian X. Chen
  
• Tom’s Guide‘s Mark Spoonauer
  
• USA Today‘s Ed Baig
  
• CNET‘s Scott Stein
  
• Pocket-lint‘s Stuart Miles
  

Videos

iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max models are available to pre-order in the United States and many other countries, with deliveries to customers and in-store availability beginning Friday, September 20.

This article, “iPhone 11 Pro Review Roundup: Significant Camera Advancements and Excellent Battery Life” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Signify today announced a new device for its Philip Hue line of lights, debuting the Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, designed to allow Hue users to sync their lights to their home entertainment systems.

The Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box is designed to connect between a television set and HDMI devices like the Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, video game consoles, and Blu-Ray players with the purpose of syncing lights with TV shows, movies, games, and music.

Signify says the box will work with any HDMI device that you have to take your content “to the next level with surround lighting.” You can connect up to four HDMI devices to the Sync Box, and swap between them as needed when watching TV, gaming, and more.

The Sync Box is able to automatically switch between each device depending on which one is in use, so there’s no need to worry about fiddling with settings every time you use a different device.

The Sync Box is compatible with all color-capable Philips Hue light bulbs, fixtures, and light bars that are paired to a Hue bridge. Up to 10 color-capable lights can be synced to whatever content is being played.

“People love to escape the pressures of everyday life by getting lost in their entertainment,” said Jasper Vervoort, Business Leader, Home Systems & Luminaires, Philips Hue at Signify. “We are proud to present the new Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box and give them a simple way to make that possible. Philips Hue users can now easily connect the color-capable lights in their room with their home entertainment systems, taking their movie- and TV-watching, listening and gaming experience to a completely new level.”

There is a dedicated Philips Hue Mobile Sync app that works with the Sync Box, allowing users to control and personalize the lighting experience. Brightness, speed, and intensity of the lighting effects can all be tweaked, and there are options to configure the default settings to better suit your needs.

You can get the Philips Hue Play Sync Box for $229.99 starting in October, but it is available for pre-order from the Hue website today.

This article, “New Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box Lets You Sync Your Lights to Your Apple TV” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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We’ve heard rumors that Apple plans to release refreshed versions of the iPad Pro this fall, and a new alleged leak today is fueling speculation that a triple-camera system similar to the iPhone 11 Pro is coming to Apple’s most advanced iPads.

Image via sonnydickson.com

The website of tech leaker and Apple blogger Sonny Dickson has posted an image of a “final design mockup” of Apple’s upcoming iPad Pro, coming from a source that has apparently been “repeatedly reliable about previous iPad hardware.” The photo clearly shows a triple-lens array housed in a square bump in the rear top-corner of the device.

Author of the post, J Glenn Künzler, notes that the camera bump lacks the glass surface covering found on Apple’s latest Pro smartphones, which could indicate something unique about the iPad‘s version of the new camera hardware or “just a minor omission in a device intended to showcase the final physical form of the device remains to be seen.”

Japanese site Mac Otakara has previously claimed that Apple will introduce a triple-lens camera in the 2019 iPad Pro. Mac Otakara‘s information was said to come from a source in the Chinese supply chain, with the source also citing October as a launch date.

Mac Otakara has a mixed record when it comes to Apple rumors, but Dickson has proven reliable at times in the past, and presumably he signs off on what gets posted on his blog.

Dickson had early line of sight on the AirPower’s development challenges, and the wireless charging mat was eventually canceled. His sources also recently claimed the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro include hardware for bilateral charging that has been software-disabled, although we’ll have to wait for device teardowns to corroborate that.

Taking out an iPad to shoot photos and video is sometimes frowned upon, and users who do so have often found themselves the butt of online jokes.

On the flip side, Künzler’s argument for the inclusion of a triple-lens camera system on the iPad Pro is that Apple wants creative video professionals to be able to shoot and edit 4K quality video all from the one device, so they don’t have to bring along extra hardware.

The existing iPad Pro models use a similar single-lens camera system to the 2018 iPhone XR, so adding a triple-lens camera would also bring them in line with Apple’s latest iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Still, other rumors have suggested no significant updates will be included in the 2019 iPad Pro models, so it’s worth taking this leak with a grain of salt, at least for now.

This article, “iPad Pro With Triple-Lens Camera System Appears in Alleged ‘Final Design Mockup’” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today announced it is awarding its longtime iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch glass supplier Corning an additional $250 million from its Advanced Manufacturing Fund, building on its $200 million award in 2017.

The combined $450 million investment will support Corning’s research and development into “state-of-the-art glass processes, equipment and materials integral to the delivery of next-generation consumer devices,” including the upcoming iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro lineup, according to Apple.

Apple COO Jeff Williams:

Apple and Corning’s rich history dates back more than a decade, and our partnership revolutionized glass and transformed the technology industry with the first iPhone. This award underscores Apple and Corning’s shared belief in the vital role that ingenuity plays in creating industry-leading products, and the pride that both companies take in applying American innovation and advanced manufacturing to solve some of the world’s toughest technology challenges.

Apple says it Advanced Manufacturing Fund was designed to “foster and support the innovative production and high-skill jobs that will help fuel a new era of technology-driven manufacturing” in the United States. To date, Apple has invested over $1 billion in American companies from the fund.

In addition to the $450 million now awarded to Corning, other commitments already announced include $390 million to Finisar and $10 million to the joint venture Elysis working towards carbon-free aluminum smelting.

Apple says it spent a collective $60 billion with 9,000 American suppliers in 2018, supporting 450,000 jobs in all 50 states and manufacturing locations in 36 states. iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max use glass manufactured at Corning’s factory in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.

Corning has partnered with Apple since 2007 to provide glass for every generation of the iPhone and Apple Watch, and many generations of the iPad, all manufactured in the Harrodsburg facility. Since the iPhone launched in 2007, Apple has spent nearly $3 billion with Corning on the glass used in those devices.

This article, “Apple Awards iPhone Glass Supplier Corning Additional $250M From Advanced Manufacturing Fund” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple on Tuesday argued that the European Union’s order for it to pay 13 billion euros ($14.3 billion) in back taxes to Ireland “defies reality and common sense,” as it kicked off its legal challenge against the ruling.

According to Reuters, Apple also said the European Commission was using its powers “to retrofit changes to national law,” which would create legal uncertainty for businesses.

Apple sent a six-person delegation led by its CFO Luca Maestri to the two-day court hearing taking place over Tuesday and Wednesday in Luxembourg. The company is arguing the same case that CEO Tim Cook made in a public letter about the tax ruling three years ago; namely, that Apple follows the law and pays all the taxes it owes in every country where it operates, including Ireland.

Apple also argues that nearly all of its research and development takes place in the United States, which is where the company pays the majority of its taxes.

“The Commission contends that essentially all of Apple’s profits from all of its sales outside the Americas must be attributed to two branches in Ireland,” Apple’s lawyer Daniel Beard told the court.

He said the fact the iPhone, the iPad, the App Store, other Apple products and services and key intellectual property rights were developed in the United States, and not in Ireland, showed the flaws in the Commission’s case.

“The branches’ activities did not involve creating, developing or managing those rights. Based on the facts of this case, the primary line defies reality and common sense,” Beard said.

“The activities of these two branches in Ireland simply could not be responsible for generating almost all of Apple’s profits outside the Americas.”

In 2016, the European Commission found Apple received illegal state aid from Ireland. Apple and Ireland both appealed the ruling, but the European Commission opened litigation against Ireland in October 2017 for its failure to procure Apple’s back taxes, and Apple has already almost finished paying the back taxes it owes. If the order is overturned, the money will be returned to Apple.

This article, “Apple Says EU-Ireland Tax Order ‘Defies Reality and Common Sense’” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is set to invest $1 billion in India as it gets ready to export its “Made in India” iPhones, according to a new report out today.

Times of India says Foxconn is the main investment partner in Apple’s latest push in the country, with the Taiwanese assembler’s factory in Chennai to be used to make Apple products for shipping to global markets. A previous report claimed as much as 70 to 80 percent of devices assembled by Foxconn in India are expected to be exported elsewhere.

Apple had initially trialed limited local production of some iPhone models in India via Wistron’s Bangalore factory, but now it’s adding its other big Taiwanese manufacturing partner to the mix.

The source said “testing is under way” for the products that have been made in India, and added that “Apple is also seeking clarity” on export incentives that the government currently offers.

In July it was reported that Wistron had recently begun exporting some iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 models from India to Europe, in a move intended to further cement India as one of the company’s assembly and manufacturing hubs outside of China.

Back in August, India eased previous rules that forced foreign companies to source 30 percent of production locally, which had long blocked Apple from opening stores and selling devices directly to consumers in India. Before the change, Apple had to rely on third-party retailers to sell its devices.

However, according to industry watchers, Apple is said to be taking the long view and treating India “more as a production hub than a significant market” for device sales.

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Apple has signed a deal for an adaptation of “The Mosquito Coast” set to star Justin Theroux, reports Variety.

“The Mosquito Coast” is based on the 1981 novel of the same name by Paul Theroux, Justin Theroux’s uncle.

Image via Variety

The novel is told from the viewpoint of 14-year-old main character Charlie Fox and focuses on his father, Allie, who is an inventor. Allie becomes critical of American consumerism and culture, deciding to uproot his family and move to La Mosquitia on the Mosquito Coast of Honduras.

The book is being adapted for television by Neil Cross, who is also serving as showrunner. Rupert Wyatt is executive producing and will direct multiple episodes.

Theroux is known for his roles in “Maniac,” “The Leftovers,” “American Psycho,” “Zoolander,” and more.

“The Mosquito Coast” will be available through Apple TV+, Apple’s upcoming streaming television service that’s set to launch on November 1. Apple TV+ will be priced at $4.99 per month.

This article, “Apple Inks Deal for ‘Mosquito Coast’ Series Starring Justin Theroux” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple has begun shipping out iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, and Apple Watch Series 5 orders ahead of Friday’s launch date, ensuring customers will receive their devices on time.

Apple hasn’t updated its own order system and many orders will say “Preparing to Ship” until later in the week, but customers in the United States who are receiving their devices via UPS can use the UPS My Choice feature for tracking purposes or track via reference number, such as an order number or a phone number.

Signing up for UPS My Choice is free and well worth it for those who want to keep an eye on their upcoming shipments.

If you’ve ordered a new device, shipment details should already be available, with iPhones and Apple Watches shipping from China and arriving in the United States.

Many iPhones and Apple Watch models have just recently shipped from China so there aren’t a lot of tracking details available. In some cases, the date of arrival is listed as tentative, but in our experience, these tentative dates firm up later in the week and those who pre-ordered early can count on a September 20 arrival date.

Some iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max models, especially in the Midnight Green color, sold out quick and even those who pre-ordered early weren’t able to get launch day arrival. Apple often ends up managing to ship devices earlier than promised, so those expecting October arrivals could get their iPhones earlier.

The iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max will be officially available on September 20, and those who weren’t able to get one may be able to pick up a new iPhone in store on that date.

This article, “New iPhone and Apple Watch Orders Begin Shipping From Apple Ahead of Friday’s Launch Date” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The non-profit Wi-Fi Alliance today announced the release of the Wi-Fi 6 certification program, noting that devices with the Wi-Fi 6 Certified logo will meet the “highest standards for security and interoperability.”

Wi-Fi 6, aka 802.11ax, delivers faster speeds, greater network capacity, improved power efficiency, lower latency, and connectivity improvements in areas with several Wi-Fi devices. Wi-Fi 6 devices also must support WPA3, the latest version of the Wi-Fi security protocol with improved cryptographic strength.

The upcoming iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max all support Wi-Fi 6, and the devices will likely be certified under this program soon. More information is available on the Wi-Fi Alliance website. CNET also has a good explainer.

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