Technology - Google News

OnePlus 8 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S20: classy 120Hz flagships face off - TechRadar
Apple sues recycling firm for stealing and reselling 100,000 iPhones, iPads and Watches - The Verge
This Week in Apps: Google Play gets new rules, Apple launches app marketing tools, EU looks to rein in tech giants - TechCrunch

OnePlus 8 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S20: classy 120Hz flagships face off - TechRadar

Posted: 04 Oct 2020 04:00 AM PDT

Two of the best Android phones released in 2020 so far, you really couldn't go wrong with either the OnePlus 8 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S20.

We thought we'd get that out of the way at the start, because it's the last time we're going to be so magnanimous. Sharing identical review scores, similar pricing, and a nip-and-tuck spec list, we're looking at an incredibly tight fight. These two phones are direct competitors for your hard-earned money, so it pays to know which holds the overall advantage.

And to do that we need to break things down, spec by spec, and re-examine our thoughts on each. At the end of it all, we'll bring you our view on which is the better of the two: is it the Samsung Galaxy S20 or the OnePlus 8 Pro? Let's find out.

Samsung Galaxy S20 vs OnePlus 8 Pro price and availability

Let's kick things off with some baseline numbers. Which of these two Android flagship titans is the newest, and which is the cheapest? The two phones launched in 2020 within a month and a half of one another, with the Galaxy S20 landing first on March 6 and the OnePlus 8 Pro arriving a little later on April 21.

In terms of cost, they're very closely matched indeed. Taking the official Samsung website as our source, prices of the Galaxy S20 start from £799/AU$1,349; note that this 4G Galaxy S20 isn't available in the US. Over on the OnePlus website, the OnePlus 8 Pro starts from £799/$899 (around AU$1,406), but it isn't available in Australia.

Further up the price scale, the 5G-ready Samsung Galaxy S20 costs £899 / $1,000 / AU$1,499, and the OnePlus 8 Pro 12GB RAM with 256GB of storage costs £899 / $999 (about AU$1,597).

It should be noted that availability across these models and territories is pretty patchy. Also, you'll find plenty of discounting if you shop around. Samsung's own websites in the UK and Australia are currently selling the S20 for less than RRP, for example.

Design

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Samsung Galaxy S20 (Image credit: Future)

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The OnePlus 8 Pro (Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri)

These are two handsome flagship phones, each sporting a modern, curvaceous glass-and-metal look. But there are some noteworthy differences.

If we were to make a choice based on aesthetic value alone, we might just be pushed to go with the Samsung Galaxy S20. The South Korean manufacturer makes some of the most attractive phones in the business, and the Galaxy S20 is no exception.

The main advantage it has over the OnePlus 8 Pro is that it's much lighter at 163g versus 199g, and it's also half a millimetre thinner. The Galaxy S20 is a centimetre shorter and half a centimetre narrower than the 8 Pro, which makes it a far more pocketable phone.

Beyond being easier to handle, the Samsung dramatically lessens the severity of its display edge curves in comparison to previous generation handsets. More importantly, it's a far flatter display than that of the OnePlus 8 Pro, which leads to fewer false presses and visual distortions with landscape content.

Both phones opt for a hole-punch selfie camera, but while the OnePlus 8 Pro positions it in the top-left corner, the Galaxy S20 places it centrally. This is largely a matter of preference, but Samsung's placement is a little more unique to our eyes, not to mention symmetrical.

Turning the two phones over, Samsung has opted to place its camera to one side, while the OnePlus positions its unit in the middle. Both phones wobble on a flat surface, but in different ways. The OnePlus 8 Pro's camera protrudes more noticeably, however, which we found annoying.

Samsung offers its handset in a wider range of colors – 5 against 3 – and each has a glossier finish than that of the OnePlus 8 Pro. Fans who like their phones a little more understated might prefer OnePlus's more matte finish.

Kudos to OnePlus for sticking with that physical alert slider, too. It's a real boon.

Display

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Samsung typically wins when it's involved in any flagship display comparison, but things aren't so simple with the OnePlus 8 Pro involved.

Both screens are excellent, and among the very best you can get in a phone today. We're looking at a pair of vibrant AMOLEDs capable of up to QHD+ resolutions and 120Hz refresh rates.

But the OnePlus 8 Pro wins out for a couple of reasons. The most obvious is that it's bigger at 6.78 inches next to the Samsung Galaxy S20's 6.2-inch screen.

More significantly, the OnePlus is capable of outputting at QHD and 120Hz simultaneously. With the Samsung phone, it's a case of either or.

This means that at any one time, if you crank up the OnePlus 8 Pro screen to the max, it's either sharper or more fluid than its rival. We're genuinely surprised that Samsung hasn't introduced a 'fix' with a subsequent update, but we can only assume that the company couldn't figure out the battery life implications.

It's a notable win for OnePlus, then, but don't let that put you off the Samsung Galaxy S20 entirely. We called its display "one of the best screens available on a smartphone right now" in our review, and that remains the case.

Camera

Just a year or two ago, a comparison between these two companies' flagship phone cameras would have resulted in an easy win for Samsung. The South Korean company has been near the top of the mobile photography tree for years now, while OnePlus has always come up short.

Not any more. The OnePlus 8 Pro offers the first genuinely competitive flagship camera experience from the company yet. That's largely thanks to a main 48-megapixel f/1.78 Sony IMX689 image sensor, which is one of the largest you'll find in any phone.

A 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens offers a capable zoomed-out alternative, and while we 'd have liked a slightly sharper telephoto sensor than the 3x 8-megapixel unit provided, it's still capable of decent shots. The 5-megapixel colour filter camera is a gimmick, though.

As you'd expect from Samsung, the Galaxy S20 is a highly capable all-round snapper. It might not have the huge main sensor of the Galaxy S20 Ultra, but it still comes up with the goods.

It's led by a 12-megapixel f/1.8 sensor, which produces larger pixels than its rival (1.8µm versus 1.12µm). This is backed by a 64-megapixel f/2.0 3x telephoto and a 12-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide.

Those are the facts and figures, but in reality both are flexible, all-round capable camera systems, and the differences largely come down to variations in color science and the like. In general use, the Samsung Galaxy S20 produces shots with punchier, more vibrant colors that might better suit an Instagram post than those taken with the OnePlus.

The OnePlus 8 Pro, on the other hand, produces more muted but also more natural-looking shots. If you want to capture a moment as it looks to your naked eye, the OnePlus will probably do a better job. However, Samsung's wide-angle camera takes in a broader field of view than OnePlus's, which means it's more useful at what it sets out to do.

In terms of Night mode, the OnePlus 8 Pro's larger sensor pays off with brighter, less noisy low-light shots. It takes these low-light shots surprisingly quickly, too, which is useful.

When it comes to video, though, the Samsung Galaxy S20 gets bragging rights, with support for 8K video at 30fps. The OnePlus 8 Pro can 'only' manage 4K at 60 fps.

Specs and performance

If we were writing this part of the comparison from the US, then it would be a straight-up tie. Both the OnePlus 8 Pro and the US model of the Samsung Galaxy S20 run on the blazing-fast Snapdragon 865 CPU.

Perhaps the OnePlus 8 Pro would gain a slight edge, thanks to the option of 12GB of LDDR5 RAM over the fixed 8GB in the Samsung Galaxy S20. But this makes minimal difference in practical terms.

As it is, we're writing this from the UK, where the so-called global model of the Samsung Galaxy S20 is sold. And that phone runs on Samsung's own Exynos 990 CPU.

We've seen this waved away as being roughly equivalent in certain quarters. However, the brutal fact is the Exynos isn't as fast as the Snapdragon 865, as shown by benchmark tests.

In day-to-day terms, and even with most high-end games, this difference isn't readily apparent, but it does make the OnePlus 8 Pro slightly more future-proof. We've also experienced the odd glitch when it comes to gaming on the Exynos 990, which suggests an inferior level of support from developers.

Another specification that runs in the OnePlus 8 Pro's favor is 5G, which comes as standard no matter the model you opt for. With the entry-level Galaxy S20, you only get 4G connectivity.

When it comes to storage, both phones have their advantages. The OnePlus 8 Pro offers the option to double your storage to 256GB, while the Galaxy S20 offers 128GB or nothing. However, with the Samsung you also get a microSD slot for expansion purposes, which isn't included with the OnePlus.

One final area of comparison is software. Samsung has come a long way with its own One UI, to the point where it's now attractive and easy to use. But OnePlus tops it with its clean and fluid OxygenOS, which feels similar to stock Android but with an extra injection of customizability and speed. You don't get as much bloatware as you do with the Galaxy S20, either.

Battery life

The OnePlus 8 Pro has a 4510mAh battery, which is much bigger than the Samsung Galaxy S20's 4000mAh unit. That largely accounts for the difference in size and weight.

Both phones will last a day of normal use, with double figures left in the tank. However, it's worth pointing out that the OnePlus 8 Pro is generally being asked to do a little more. Or at least it is if you set the screen to output at QHD and 120Hz.

In terms of charging technology, both phones have reversible wireless capabilities, so you can charge your wireless buds off the back of them if you wish. The OnePlus 8 Pro supports 30W wireless charging, if you buy the appropriate charger, while the Samsung supports a slower (but still quick) 15W standard.

If it's truly the speed you're after, though, the OnePlus 8 Pro comes out on top with its rapid 30W Warp Charge 30T system. The Galaxy S20 comes with a fast wired charger, too, but it's a little slower at 25W.

Takeaway

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It's tough to separate these two phones, and there are many parallels when it comes to price, design and screen technology. While it's far from a clean sweep, though, we'd give the clear edge to the OnePlus 8 Pro.

Offering up a bigger display that can be cranked up to QHD and 120Hz simultaneously, this is something the Galaxy S20 simply can't match. The OnePlus is also a better performer than the global Galaxy S20 model, and you get 5G connectivity regardless of the SKU you opt for.

When it comes to photography, both cameras have their strengths and foibles. The OnePlus 8 Pro's shots are perhaps more natural-looking and more capable in low light, while the Samsung produces punchier colors and more expansive ultra-wide shots, as well as offering the potential for 8K video capture.

Finally, we'd give the OnePlus 8 Pro the nod when it comes to software. OxygenOS is simply a cleaner, faster, and less bloatware-ridden experience than Samsung's One UI.

If you prefer smaller phones, or if you catch wind of a cut-price deal, then the Samsung Galaxy S20 is still a brilliant pick, and one of the best phones on the market right now. But if we were given a straight choice between the two, the OnePlus 8 Pro would get our money.

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Apple sues recycling firm for stealing and reselling 100,000 iPhones, iPads and Watches - The Verge

Posted: 04 Oct 2020 05:00 AM PDT

Apple is suing former recycling partner GEEP Canada — now a part of Quantum Lifecycle Partners — for allegedly stealing and reselling at least 103,845 iPhones, iPads and Watches that it was hired to disassemble. "At least 11,766 pounds of Apple devices left GEEP's premises without being destroyed - a fact that GEEP itself confirmed," reads a portion of Apple's complaint, as reported by The Logic (via AppleInsider).

Apple sent the recycling firm over 500,000 iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches between January 2015 and December 2017, according to The Logic's report. When Apple did an audit, it discovered 18 percent of those devices were still accessing the internet through cellular networks. That 18 percent doesn't count Apple devices without a cellular radio, so it's possible an even higher percentage of the gadgets were resold.

Apple seeks to obtain at least $31 million Canadian dollars (roughly $22.7 million USD) from its former partner. The recycling firm denies all wrongdoing, but it doesn't deny there was a theft — it has reportedly filed a third-party suit claiming three employees stole the devices on their own behalf. Apple disagrees, arguing that these employees were in fact senior management at the recycling firm, according to The Logic.

Last year, humans left behind a record amount of e-waste adding up to 53.6 million metric tons of discarded phones, computers, appliances, and other gadgets. Like other tech companies, Apple has been trying to improve its environmental practices, including an effort to move recycling in-house with its own disassembly robots Daisy and Dave, which are designed to recover iPhone components that traditional recyclers can't.

However, the company still relies on other partners to recover valuable material from used devices, and from 2015 to 2018 GEEP Canada was one of them. Refurbishing and reselling devices was also part of GEEP's business, though: while the company offered multiple e-waste management services during that period, it also explicitly stated on its website that its mission was to "encourage reuse whenever possible."

But from Apple's standpoint, reselling these devices would not have been OK. Just because products were able to be resold on the grey market doesn't mean they met Apple's quality or safety standards. "Products sent for recycling are no longer adequate to sell to consumers and if they are rebuilt with counterfeit parts they could cause serious safety issues, including electrical or battery defects," the company tells The Verge.

Apple filed the complaint in January 2020, but it's known about the thefts since they were discovered between 2017 and 2018. Apple hasn't worked with GEEP Canada since.

In 2019, we published a report about how one poster child of recycling firms, Total Reclaim, advertised its ethical practices while actually shipping off hazardous waste overseas without following regulations.

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This Week in Apps: Google Play gets new rules, Apple launches app marketing tools, EU looks to rein in tech giants - TechCrunch

Posted: 03 Oct 2020 08:17 AM PDT

Welcome back to This Week in Apps, the TechCrunch series that recaps the latest OS news, the applications they support and the money that flows through it all.

The app industry is as hot as ever, with a record 204 billion downloads and $120 billion in consumer spending in 2019. People are now spending three hours and 40 minutes per day using apps, rivaling TV. Apps aren't just a way to pass idle hours — they're a big business. In 2019, mobile-first companies had a combined $544 billion valuation, 6.5x higher than those without a mobile focus.

In this series, we help you keep up with the latest news from the world of apps, delivered on a weekly basis.

Google changes its app store rules, too

Google Play Store screen

Just a couple of weeks ago, Apple revised its App Store rules to permit game streaming apps and clarify rules around in-app purchases, among other things. Now, Google has updated its rules, as well.

Under threat of regulation, Google announced this week it's updating its Google Play billing policies to better clarify which types of transactions will be subject to Google's commissions on in-app purchases. While the more detailed language doesn't actually change the earlier policy's intention, it will impact a percentage of developers who don't currently use Google Play's billing system when selling digital goods in their app.

In addition, the company announced it will make changes in Android 12 that will make it easier for users to install and use third-party app stores as an alternative to Google Play.

The company says that its current billing policies only apply to less than 3% of apps on Google Play. Of those apps, 97% already use Google Play's billing library. That means there's only a small percentage of apps that will need to come into compliance under the clarified terms.

The rules seem to want to bring into compliance larger services skirting in-app purchase rules, like Netflix and Spotify. But it's not clear yet how permissive Google will be about allowing apps to communicate alternative ways to pay. Currently, Google says developers can tell users about how to sign up and use alternative payments outside of the Google Play app. But we don't know if Google will allow such a link to be prominently placed on an app's home screen, how it will allow such a link to be worded or whether an app can cater only to existing subscribers, and other key factors.

EU rule could force Apple and Google to share customer data, ban pre-installed apps

Image Credits: TechCrunch

Major tech companies, including Apple and Google, may be required to share customer data with rivals, if a proposed EU rule, the Digital Services Act, comes to pass. The rule takes aim at anticompetitive business practices among tech's top players, like Apple, Google, Amazon and Facebook. One measure, detailed by The Financial Times, says platforms can't use the data they collect for their own commercial activities unless that's shared with businesses pursuing the same activities.

The draft also currently recommends that big tech companies could be prohibited from favoring their own services on their websites and platforms, meaning they couldn't pre-install their own apps on laptops or phones, or forced businesses to pre-install their apps to gain access to their platform. In practice, that could mean Android phones that ship without Google apps, like Gmail or Drive, or iPhones without stock apps beyond those that offer core functionality, like the Camera.

In addition, another clause would ban the tech companies from blocking rivals that offer their products to customers outside the gatekeeper's own platform, Reuters reports. This could impact the current app store rules around payments and in-app purchases.

Anticipating regulatory pushback, Apple has made small concessions with iOS 14. Already, Apple had allowed users to delete some, but not all, of its stock apps. In iOS 14, Apple now lets users select their preferred web browser and email app, too. And both it and Google (see above) recently modified their app store guidelines to offer more clarity with regard to their right to collect platform fees in specific circumstances.

Apple and Google will, of course, object to any attempts at regulation. Google, in a submission to the Act, argued that a platform may only have market power in some sectors, but could be a new entrant or marginal player in others.

Platforms

Image Credits: Apple screenshot via TechCrunch

Apple releases new app marketing tools. Apple introduced new tools that allow developers to generate short links or embeddable codes that link to their App Store product page. These can also display your app icon, a QR code or an App Store badge.
Second public beta of iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2 arrive. The releases bring new emoji (see below), plus changes to the Now Playing screen in the Control Center and the Home app.
Apple's iOS 14.2 will bring new emoji. A new set of emoji are being tested in the beta version of iOS 14.2. The update will include the transgender flag, a smiling face with tear, pinched fingers, two people hugging, some insects and animals, a disguised face and more.
Google takes aim at beauty filters. Pixel phones will update to ensure face retouching features are off by default while labels and icons use "value-free" descriptions. The company said the decision to tweak the interface was based on expert recommendations over filters' impact on people's self-confidence and mental health.
Android Partner Vulnerability Initiative launches. The program will focus on managing security issues specific to Android OEMs, drive remediation and provide transparency to users about issues Google discovered that affect device models shipped by Android partners.
Apple bans more RSS readers in China App Store. Apple is still scouring its App Store for any services that don't comply with Chinese censorship laws. This week, RSS reader apps — Reeder, Fiery Feeds and others — said their apps had been removed from the China App Store over content deemed "illegal." Fiery Feeds only had around 1,000 MAUs, but Feedly's latest app had 100K downloads.

Services

Google Play Pass launches in 24 new European countries. The deal brings Google's subscription-based apps and games store to 34 total markets, including the U.S.
Twilio launches an app for frontline workers, a new IoT platform and a free video service, Video Web RTC Go. The latter allows you to add 1:1 video chat to mobile and web apps, like those aimed at distance learning or remote client consultations. It also launched Twilio Frontline, a React Native-based app for frontline workers who need to communicate with customers.

Trends

Image Credits: Sensor Tower

Designer earns six figures in six days for iOS 14 icon set. In a blog post, indie designer @traf details his experience building custom icons for the iOS home screen redesign trend. After a tweet showing off his home screen gained interest, he quickly created a website to sell his icon packs. Then YouTuber MKBHD linked to him and soon, he was making big sales. The day after the video, sales jumped from $6K to $40K, and as of the time of writing the post this week, the set had earned him $116,147.
Global app revenue up 32% year-over-year in Q3. Sensor Tower reports worldwide consumer spend grew to $29.3B and installs reached 36.5B across the App Store and Google Play in the third quarter. TikTok aws the highest-earning non-game app globally and the most downloaded.

Other News

Indian startups explore alternative app store to fight Google's monopoly. More than 150 startups and firms in India are working to form an alliance and toying with the idea of launching an app store to cut their reliance on Google, TechCrunch reported this week. Participants include Paytm co-founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Deep Kalra of travel ticketing firm MakeMyTrip, and executives from PolicyBazaar, RazorPay and ShareChat.
App Store fees legal battle to be tried by a judge, not jury. Apple and Epic Games agreed this week that their court battle should be decided in a bench trial by a judge, not a jury. Apple had previously been pushing for a jury trial, but withdrew its request. The judge suggested a jury trial is preferred, as it would have allowed real people to have a voice on what's shaping up to be a major anti-trust case. She also had harsh words for many of Epic's tactics and arguments presented so far, noting that walled gardens already exist elsewhere and Fortnite players have many other places to play besides iOS.
Astropad comes to Windows. A company sherlocked by Apple brought its Astropad system to Windows. The company's dongle turns an iPad into a second display, now for a Windows PC, a market Apple's Sidecar doesn't address.
TikTok's U.K. numbers revealed. A leaked marketing presentation revealed that 1 in 4 U.K. users now launch TikTok every months, with 17 million users spending over an hour per day on the app. That means the app has achieved a following almost half as big as Facebook in the market in just three years.
TikTok launches a U.S. elections guide. The company promised not to save users' political affiliations for use in ad targeting or recommendations.
Google Maps rolls out improved AR directions. Google Maps updated Live View, its AR walking directions feature that launched last year. The feature, which uses the camera and GPS to help you navigate, can now be invoked from the transit tab, identify landmarks in major cities, and use Live View in combination with Google Maps' location sharing feature.
Microsoft's Bing search app will appear as a download prompt on new Android phones in Germany, the U.K. and France after it won slots in a Google auction for rivals.

Jamf acquires Mondada. MDM solution provider Jamf bought Melbourne-based Mondada, the maker of patch management solutions, Kinobi and Kinobi Pro. The deal will allow Jamf to expand Jamf's application lifecycle capabilities, it said.
Bloomscape raises $15 million, acquires plant care app Vera. Online garden shop Bloomscape raised a $15 million Series B from General Catalyst and others for its e-commerce business that ships live plants to customers' homes. It also bought Vera, a plant care and tips app, for an undisclosed sum.
Homer raises $50 million. Early learning app maker raised $50 million from Lego, Sesame Workshop and Gymboree for its apps that focus on early literacy and soon, more.
Humane raises $30 million Series A to build the next iPhone…or something. Humane's ex-Apple founders, Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, haven't revealed what they're working on, but are promising to build something that's as groundbreaking as the iPhone. Chaudhri had worked on the original UI design of iPhone and iPad and Bongiorno helped launch iPad. They believe technology is a net negative for society as it's been built today, and their idea is to come up with a new computing vision entirely.
Macrometa raises $7 million. An edge computing service for app developers, Macrometa raised a $7 million seed round led by DNX Ventures for its Global Data Network that allows developers to send app requests to regions closest to them.
Beijing-based Sina Corp. agrees to go private in $2.6 billion deal. The company is the latest to delist following growing scrutiny from U.S. regulators.

HoloVista

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Mixed reality storytelling developer Aconite launched its new, story-driven puzzle game HoloVista on iOS, where players explore environments with the iPhone's 360-degree camera in a mysterious mansion full of secrets. The game combines elements of hidden object search, puzzles and social media as you play as Carmen, a junior architect and new hire at an exclusive firm. The game also touches on themes like society's focus on social media, for example, and our relationship with technology ($4.99 on the App Store).

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