Samsung this weekend announced that its next event will take place on Tuesday, February 11, 2020, with the South Korean company set to unveil new smartphones that will compete with Apple’s iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max.
Samsung is expected to launch a trio of Galaxy S11 smartphones, which will be the company’s new flagship devices when they debut, plus there’s been talk of a new foldable smartphone that will rival the Motorola Razr.
Rumors suggest the new smartphones will feature a design similar to the Galaxy Note 10 with a hole-punch cutout at the top of the display. Screen sizes are rumored to be 6.4, 6.7, and 6.9 inches.
Features are said to include 5G connectivity, a four camera array with a 108-megapixel camera, 5x optical zoom, a 5,000mAh battery, a 120Hz display, and facial recognition capabilities.
Samsung’s event will take place at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, with Samsung planning to offer a live stream on the Samsung website.
We’ll have coverage of the event as it is interesting to take a look at what new features Apple’s competitors are unveiling to compete with the iPhone.
Speck today announced the launch of a new Presidio2 line of cases, which Speck says are the most protective, durable, and slimmest dual-layer cases that it has ever created.
The Presidio2 cases use new “Cloud Armor” technology, which involves creating individual air capsules along the perimeter of the case. On impact, the air capsules flex and suspend the device on a cushion of air, similar to an airbag.
According to Speck, all of the cases will the able to withstand drops of up to 13 feet, and each case will also offer antimicrobial protection to prevent stain and odor causing bacteria.
When it launches in the spring of 2020, the Presidio 2 line will include the Presidio2 Armor Cloud, Presidio2 Grip, and Presidio2 Pro cases. More information is available on the Speck website.
Incipio today announced the launch of a new line of iPhone cases, which are made from plant-based materials and are designed to be compostable.
According to Incipio, its new “Organicore” cases are designed to reduce landfill waste and are made from a 100 percent compostable material. They will break down in as early as six months in industrial compost facilities.
The Organicore cases offer drop protection against drops up to six feet, while also providing protection against bumps, drops, and wear and tear. The cases are designed to be slim, and have a raised bezel to protect the display.
All of the cases feature a flexible shell with a smooth exterior, and are compatible with wireless charging.
Incipio’s Organicore cases are available starting today for the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max in black, green, gray, and beige. The cases are priced at $40
Incipio plans to introduce Organicore cases for additional devices like the AirPods and AirPods Pro “in the coming months.”
Lutron is adding two new accessories to its Caseta line of HomeKit-enabled light bulbs and switches, introducing the Caseta Smart Motion Sensor and the Caseta Repeater.
The Smart Motion Sensor is designed to control lights and the Lutron Serena shades wirelessly, turning devices on and off when motion is sensed. One motion sensor is able to control any number of Caseta smart switches dimmers, fans, and smart shades.
According to Lutron, its motion sensor can detect motion three times better than competing products, with a 180-degree field of view. The wireless sensor can be mounted anywhere, and customized light levels can be set for each device controlled by the sensor. No charging is required, and there’s a 10-year battery life.
The Caseta Repeater expands the range of the Caseta system by 60 feet when it’s placed within 60 feet of a Caseta Smart Bridge. It works plugged in to any outlet, and works alongside the Plug-in Dimmer, which also functions as a repeater. The Motion Sensor and Repeater are not HomeKit-enabled themselves, but do work with HomeKit-enabled Caseta accessories.
Lutron says the Caseta Smart Motion Sensor and Caseta Repeater will be available online at the beginning of February. The Motion Sensor will be priced at $50, while the Repeater will be priced at $75.
The annual CES event is taking place this week, with thousands of companies converging in Las Vegas to show off their newest tech-related products.
CES officially starts on Tuesday, January 7, but there was a CES Unveiled media preview event on Sunday along with a press conference for Samsung, both of which MacRumors attended. We’ve rounded up some of the most interesting things that we’ve seen so far for our latest YouTube video.
Accessory maker Pitaka showed off the Air Omni, an all-in-one Apple charging accessory that includes wireless charging options for the AirPods, Apple Watch, and iPhone. That’s not unique because there are plenty of products that do that, but Pitaka’s version also has a dedicated port for charging a tablet with different USB-C and Lightning adapters.
Nanoleaf last week announced new hexagon-shaped light panels, which were on display at CES Unveiled. The hexagon panels are designed to work with other panel shapes and have a new snap together design that offers a tighter, more secure fit. Attaching the hexagon Nanoleaf panels to the wall is also simpler and will result in less wall damage with new snap in connectors that attach to the wall.
Nanoleaf is also showing off the Learning Series, a new switch, bulb, button, and gateway that are designed to learn user habits and auto adjust lighting based on that information. The Learning Series gateway integrates with other smart products such as bulbs from Philips Hue, making everything smarter.
Targus showed off a new eco-friendly backpack that’s made from recycled water bottles. It has a built-in Qi-based wireless charger in the side pocket so you can tuck your phone into the cradle and charge while on the go.
There’s no shortage of cute little gadgets at CES, including the Bocco Emo robot from Yukai, which is designed to keep families connected to one another by letting them exchange messages using text or voice via a smartphone. The version shown off at CES can also respond to questions and commands and control smart home devices. Yukai also showed off the Qoobo, an emotional support pillow with a tail that will react to various levels of engagement for comfort.
Following the CES Unveiled event, Samsung on Sunday held a press conference where it unveiled some new television products, all of which are likely to support HomeKit, AirPlay 2, and the Apple TV app like existing high-end Samsung TVs released in 2019.
Samsung’s Q950 TV is a nearly bezel-free 8K panel that’s super thin, featuring a screen to body ratio of nearly 99 percent and a stand that’s similar to an iMac stand.
There’s a Serif TV that’s designed to function as a piece of decorative furniture in a room, while the Sero TV is aimed at people who specifically want to consume vertical content. Samsung also had its Samsung Wall up at the event, featuring a huge TV with microLED panels that can be configured in sizes ranging from 75 inches to 292 inches, with Samsung adding 88, 93, 110, and 150-inch options this year.
Make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors this week for all of our ongoing CES coverage, because there’s a lot more to come. We’ll be sharing overview videos of the coolest things that we see each day, and we have tons of new product announcements in our CES 2020 hub.
Lenovo last year unveiled a new foldable ThinkPad prototype, marking the first foldable PC design that we’d seen. Lenovo has continued to work on that prototype, and is now ready to bring it to market.
At CES, Lenovo is showing off the new ThinkPad X1 Fold, a laptop PC with a 13.3-inch folding LED display with a 4×3 ratio.
According to Lenovo, the ThinkPad X1 Fold is made from a combination of lightweight alloys and carbon fiber, and it’s protected by a leather folio cover. It weighs in at less than two pounds and is designed to “seamlessly morph through multiple orientations,” transforming from a device with a small footprint to a device with a fully flat display.
The ThinkPad X1 Fold is equipped with Intel Core Processors with Intel Hybrid Technology, and it will run Windows 10 when it launches, though Windows 10X support will be added at a later date for an “enhanced foldable user experience.”
Lenovo believes the X1 Fold will bridge the gap between the smartphone, the tablet, and the laptop, offering benefits for users who often switch between devices with multiple form factors.
When used in landscape mode with the integrated kickstand included in the folio case, users can take advantage of a Bluetooth Mini Fold Keyboard for typing purposes. When folded closed, the keyboard is stored, secured with magnets, and wirelessly charged.
In portrait mode, users can take notes or draw sketches using the Active Pen that works with the device. The X1 Fold can be folded out completely flat so it can be used like a tablet in portrait mode, or it can be folded in half and used like a book for reading.
In this laptop orientation, users can choose to leverage two independent displays at one time for multitasking purposes, and it can be connected to a full-size keyboard and mouse or second display using USB-C when at a desk.
While designing the X1 Fold, Lenovo went through six different hinge designs and over 20 variations, settling on a multi-link torque hinge that manages stresses during folding. Combined with a carbon fiber reinforced frame plate, the hinge optimizes the viewing experience when the tablet is folded flat.
Lenovo plans to launch the X1 Fold in mid-2020, and it will have a starting price of $2,499.
Just over two months after Apple released AirPods Pro with active noise cancellation, several brands are introducing competitors at CES 2020.
Panasonic, Technics, and 1MORE are among the brands that have announced truly wireless earphones with active noise cancellation in Las Vegas this week, and more will likely follow as the show floor opens Tuesday.
Panasonic
Panasonic says its new RZ-S500W earphones feature “industry-leading noise cancellation,” achieved through a combination of feedforward noise cancellation, feedback noise cancellation, and digital and analog processing. These technologies work together to minimize noise generated both inside and outside the ear buds.
A touch sensor on the earphones enables users to switch between Ambient Sound mode, Noise Cancelling mode, and Off with the tap of a finger. Ambient Sound mode sounds like Transparency mode on the AirPods Pro, which allows you to simultaneously listen to music while still hearing the environment around you.
Panasonic has also unveiled a pair of truly wireless earphones under its Technics brand. The EAH-AZ70W earphones feature the same noise cancellation technology and Ambient Sound mode as the RZ-S500W, plus IPX4-rated splash resistance and a new, graphene-coated dynamic driver unit for improved sound.
Technics
Both the RZ-S500W and EAH-AZ70W earphones will be available in June, according to Panasonic, but pricing has yet to be disclosed.
1MORE’s truly wireless earphones feature two levels of active noise cancelation, utilizing the same hybrid technology as the Panasonic and Technics earphones. They are also the first truly wireless earphones with pending THX certification, meaning their sound quality has passed a variety of tests by THX.
1MORE
1MORE’s earphones also have an optional pass-through mode that lets in ambient noise while listening to music.
Anker in late December debuted a new Made for iPhone (MFi) certified LED flash accessory that’s meant to connect to the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max through the Lightning port, and now it’s available for preorder ahead of a late January launch.
Anker’s iPhone LED Flash is the first Made for iPhone flash accessory that’s available for purchase. With Made for iPhone integration, the flash accessory is recognized by Apple’s new iPhones and can be triggered using the default Camera app and third-party camera apps.
According to Anker, the iPhone LED Flash offers twice the range and four times the brightness of the built-in iPhone flash. It will last for approximately 10,000 shots before needing to be recharged, and it comes with a detachable diffuser.
iPhone flash accessories are not new and there are other options available on the market, but Anker’s is the only one that is Apple certified and able to be synced with the iPhone’s camera using the Lightning port.
Anker is charging $50 for the iPhone LED Flash, and it can be ordered from Amazon starting today. Orders will ship out on January 25.
Apple today launched its annual Back to University promotion in Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Brazil, offering students and teachers free Beats Studio3 Wireless Headphones or free Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones with purchase.
With the purchase of an eligible Mac, which includes the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, or iMac Pro, students can get free Beats Studio3 Wireless Headphones.
With the purchase of an iPad Pro or iPad Air, Apple is providing free Beats Solo3 Wireless headphones. Students can also choose the BeatsX Earphones instead, or choose to pay an additional fee to upgrade to the Beats Studio3 Wireless Headphones. PDFs with full terms and conditions are available for each educational site: Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and South Korea.
Macs and iPad Pro models are available at a discounted educational price when purchasing through the Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and South Korea educational stores, with discounts up to A$320, NZ$360, R$ 1.780 or KRW 271,000 on qualifying devices. The education stores also offer AppleCare+ protection plans at a 20 percent discount.
To get the free or discounted Beats, students will need to add an eligible Mac or iPad to their carts, where the option to add the headphones will come up automatically.
Discounts are available for current and newly accepted university students, parents buying for students, and teachers and staff at all levels. Sign up and enrollment verification through UNiDays is required.
The educational discounts in Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Brazil will be available for a limited amount of time both online and in Apple retail stores in Australia, Brazil, and South Korea. The promotion ends on March 16, 2020 in all four countries.
Apple’s back to university promotion is the same as the Back to School promotion that launches in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and European countries in the summer months, so these countries can expect a similar deal when Back to School rolls around.
The iPhone XR is not properly functioning on the O2 network in the UK, according to the BBC. Based on multiple reports on Twitter, XR users who have O2 as a mobile provider have been experiencing multiple signal outages per day.
Customers have been unable to make and receive calls and send and receive text messages, as well as maintain a reliable LTE connection for using apps.
An O2 spokesperson told the BBC that it is working closely with partners to resolve “an intermittent issue affecting some of our customers using iPhone XR.” O2 did not clarify how many customers are affected, but said that turning the iPhone off and on again can temporarily fix the issue.
According to one customer with an affected device, he was told by an O2 customer service representative that Apple caused the issue with a recent iOS update, though that information has not been confirmed. He was given a free month’s line rental as compensation.
A MacRumors reader who is experiencing issues with the iPhone XR was able to receive a free upgrade to the iPhone 11 plus a £20 refund due to the signal issues.
Apple told him there was indeed a problem and that under consumer law in the UK, the handset had to be replaced regardless of warranty. There have been no other reports of free iPhone upgrades, but other iPhone XR owners who are experiencing issues on O2 may want to contact Apple support to see what can be done.
