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iPhone X vs. Galaxy Note 9: The speed test we've been waiting for
Apple to launch three new iPhones, Watch with larger screen, updated iPad Pros, says Bloomberg
Xbox All Access official: Console + Xbox Live + Game Pass for monthly fee

iPhone X vs. Galaxy Note 9: The speed test we've been waiting for

Posted: 27 Aug 2018 08:03 AM PDT

Samsung’s final flagship phone of 2018 was finally released this past Friday after months of leaks and rumors. The Galaxy Note 9 instantly became the best Android phone on the market when it hit store shelves late last week, and reports suggested consumers are finding the phone much more appealing than the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ from earlier this year. The Note 9 does look almost exactly like its predecessor, just like the S9 duo did, but it also adds significantly better battery life and a nifty new S Pen stylus with built-in Bluetooth. Preorders are said to have been much higher than they were ahead of the S9 and S9+ launch, which is good news since the Galaxy S9 duo is expected to be Samsung’s worst-selling Galaxy S lineup since 2012.

Now that the Galaxy Note 9 has been released, gadget reviewers who didn’t manage to get their hands on an early unit are putting the phone through its paces. We already reviewed the Galaxy Note 9 so we don’t care about most of the coverage that popped up over the weekend, but there is one video in particular that we’ve been waiting for and now it is finally here.

YouTube user “PhoneBuff” is one of countless YouTubers who perform real-life speed tests that pit two flagship phones against each other to see which is faster in real-life usage. These tests are hardly scientific, but they do show how quickly a phone can load apps and switch between apps, which obviously does give an indication of how the phone will perform in the hands of users. And while there are indeed now dozens of YouTube channels that post speed test videos along these lines, PhoneBuff was among the first to do it and his tests are typically the most reliable.

The YouTuber pitted the iPhone X and its A11 Bionic chipset against the entry-level Galaxy Note 9. Both phones cost $1,000, but the Galaxy Note 9 offers buyers a bit more bang for their buck. While the $1,000 iPhone X includes 64GB of storage and 3GB of RAM, the $1,000 Note 9 pack 128GB of storage and twice the RAM at 6GB.

We don’t typically spoil PhoneBuff’s videos, but in this post we’re making an exception because he spoiled the ending himself at the very beginning. The iPhone X was slightly faster to load all of the test apps in the first “lap,” edging out the Note 9’s 2:15.47 with a time of 2:09.88. The second lap has the phone recall all the same apps again, and we knew the Note 9 would blow the iPhone X out of the water here(Note 9: 0:46.59, iPhone X: 1:20:04). It’s not just because it has twice the RAM, however. It’s because PhoneBuff’s iPhone X was running the latest release build of iOS 11, which is still plagued with RAM management problems and optimization issues.

We’ll be very interested to see a redo with the iPhone X once the final version of iOS 12 has been released. As for the Note 9 vs. Apple’s next-gen iPhone models that will launch next month, we don’t expect it to be much of a contest. In the meantime, PhoneBuff’s video is embedded below.

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Apple to launch three new iPhones, Watch with larger screen, updated iPad Pros, says Bloomberg

Posted: 27 Aug 2018 04:27 AM PDT

The tech world is waiting expectantly for Apple to announce its latest batch of iPhones. The devices will likely be unveiled sometime in the second week of September (the company's usual drop date), and rumors this year have been pretty consistent, pointing to the launch of three new devices. A new report from Bloomberg is the latest to follow this prediction.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Debby Wu say that some inside Apple are labeling this another "S year" — meaning that the new phones will keep existing designs, but update the internals. As growth in the global mobile market slows, Apple will also be looking to raise average prices of its handsets. So, sorry, but the $1,000 smartphone isn't going anywhere.

Here's a rundown of Bloomberg's rumors, most of which we've seen in one form or another:

Three new iPhones. Expect an upgraded iPhone X with a 5.8-inch OLED screen; a new high-end iPhone with a 6.5-inch OLED screen; and a new cheaper model (which will look like the iPhone X) with a 6.1-inch LCD screen. The two larger devices may have dual-SIM card slots in some regions.
Cheap(ish) and colorful.The 6.1-inch iPhone will come in a variety of colors. (Earlier rumors said gray, white, blue, red, and orange variants will be available.) It'll also have un-colored aluminum edges instead of the color-matching stainless steel casing on the iPhone X.
Gestures for all. All three devices will have the new gesture controls introduced in the iPhone X as well as Apple's face-unlocking system Face ID. Apple is also expected to take advantage of the 6.5-inch device's larger screen with the ability to "view content side-by-side" in apps like Mail and Calendar.
Naming confusion.According to Bloomberg, there's been quite a bit of internal discussion over the names, as the three devices aren't easy to differentiate. The new high-end device might be "the iPhone Xs" with the larger device "the iPhone Xs Plus." That's subject to change.
Peripherals and more. Sometime this year (not necessarily in September), we can also expect updated AirPods; a new Apple Watch with a larger screen in the same body; a new wireless charger (probably the much-delayed AirPower mat); and upgraded iPads Pros with slimmer bezels and Face ID replacing the fingerprint-sensing home button.

As usual, this information is by no means definite, but it certainly fits what we've seen so far this year. Expect to hear more in September; invites to the actual event should arrive sometime soon.

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Xbox All Access official: Console + Xbox Live + Game Pass for monthly fee

Posted: 27 Aug 2018 08:16 AM PDT

screen-shot-2018-08-27-at-10-59-16-am — Microsoft/Screenshot by CNET

Microsoft on Monday revealed Xbox All Access: A 24-month plan that bundles together the cost of an Xbox One console, Xbox Live service and the Game Pass video game subscription service. The plan was previously rumored last week.

Microsoft's plan lets players get an Xbox One S for $22 per month or the higher-end Xbox One X for $35 a month. At the end of the 24-month term players own the console and can choose whether to continue subscribing to either Xbox Live or the Game Pass service. Details of the plan were earlier reported by Thurrott.

One caveat we weren't expecting, though -- you'll need to travel to a physical brick-and-mortar Microsoft store in the US to get the deal. Microsoft has fewer than 100 stores in the US across 35 states, meaning some states don't have a store at all. Here's the full list of stores. The company has not yet announced availability of the plan in other countries.

The Xbox One S version of the plan seems particularly good, as it saves about $130 over the lifetime of the subscription versus outright buying the console and both services. The Xbox One X version only saves about $20. However, this service does lock you into both subscription services for the 24-month period, which is a caveat worth mentioning if you weren't planning on using either Game Pass or Xbox Live for the full two years.

Similar to the various installment plans now available for buying iPhones and high-end Android phones, the plan could help people looking to buy the console with a lower up-front cost. An Xbox One X with a game is currently $499.