News

iPhone 12 Pro series: The photographer’s iPhone

The “Pro” applies to the cameras more than any other feature

Published

October 14, 2020

Vincenz

The iPhone 12 Pro line is meant for photographers and videographers in mind. Although it’s packed with the same internals and display tech, what makes them different from the latter are the set of cameras — including a regular (wide) lens, an ultra-wide lens, a new telephoto zoom lens that’s capable of 5x optical zoom, and even a LiDAR Scanner just like on the 2020 iPad Pro.

The iPhone 12 Pro’s display size is similar to the iPhone 12 but the iPhone 12 Pro Max is Apple’s biggest iPhone (yet). From last year’s 6.5-inch, they bumped it up to a whopping 6.7-inch which still features the crisp and stunning Super Retina XDR display.

The new iPhone 12 Pro lineup comes in four colorways: graphite, silver, gold, and a new Pacific Blue variant — which ditches the Midnight Green option from last year.

For everything else, here are the changes. These are all also pretty much what you’ll find on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini.

Flat-edge design

Just like in the leaks, the flat edges from the iPhone 4s and 5s has made a comeback. They all feature a redefined flat-edge design sandwiched by two glass materials, including a tougher ‘Ceramic Shield’ glass that Apple claims as the “toughest glass in any smartphone”.

To make them distinct to each other, the iPhone 12 and 12 mini come in aluminum frame while both the iPhone 12 Pro lineup have stainless steel frame for that extra shiny and premium look. This “new” design feel is similar to the recent generations of the fullscreen iPad Pro — if you’ve ever held one.

Super Retina XDR Display

While the same ol’ notch is still there, they all now feature a crisp and vibrant Super Retina XDR display technology. This is a big improvement to the basic iPhone 12 and 12 mini lineup. They completely ditched the lackluster Liquid Retina display found on the older iPhone XR and iPhone 11 models. The flat-edge design definitely made the bezels look thinner this time.

A14 Bionic Chip

All iPhone models are equipped with the latest A14 Bionic chipset — which already made its debut last month on the new iPad Air. The new chipset promises 40% better CPU performance and 30% in GPU than the A12 found in the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max series. Other than that, this chip also helps bring out the best of their camera hardware by improving the software side through computational photography.

5G Support

Apple finally brings new 5G modems in these new iPhones. With 5G’s slow but steady availability across several states and nations, the new iPhones are all future-ready in the coming years ahead. In the United States, Verizon’s 5G UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) helps these new iPhones achieve up to 4Gbps of peak download speeds.

Improved Camera Sensors and Low-Light Performance

Shooting in Night Mode isn’t limited to the Wide lens anymore. The new and improved camera Ultra-wide and front camera sensors will let you shoot with Apple’s Night Sight as well. Other than that, there’s also a new video mode called ‘Night Mode Timelapse’ which basically brings better low-light when shooting timelapse videos.

MagSafe

Not to confuse with Apple’s old MagSafe port from their old MacBooks, this new MagSafe technology is equipped in the new iPhones which improves the wireless charging capabilities in the with the use of magnets made from 100% recycled rare earth elements. Apple’s in-house cases also have built-in magnets which makes wireless charging faster and secured in-place.

IP68 Rating

Not totally a new feature, but it’s worth pointing out that all models come with IP68 certification — a must-have feature for all the clumsy individuals out there. It promises water resistance of up to 6 meters in 30 minutes and is protected from coffee and soda spills

Pricing and Availability

The iPhone 12 Pro (6.1″ display) and iPhone 12 Max (6.7″ display) will come in blue, green, black, white, and (PRODUCT)RED. Pricing are as follows:

iPhone 12 Pro — US$ 999 / sG$ 1649
iPhone 12 Pro Max — US$ 1099/ SG$ 1799

Availability:

Customers in Australia, China, Germany, Japan, the UK, the US, and more than 30 other countries and regions will be able to pre-order iPhone 12 Pro beginning at 5AM PDT on Friday, October 16, with availability beginning Friday, October 23.
Pre-order for iPhone 12 Pro Max will begin at 5AM PST on Friday, November 6, with availability beginning Friday, November 13.
iPhone 12 Pro will be available in India, South Korea, and more than a dozen other countries beginning Friday, October 30.

Here’s the entire lineup’s pricing:

Apps

Netflix is losing a lot of long-term subscribers

People are switching

Published

May 20, 2022

Luigi Leonardo

The Netflix revolution was indeed televised. However, after enjoying years of success as the streaming platform of choice, a lot of users are now leaving Netflix for greener pastures. Over the past few months, the company has struggled to patch its failures. A recently released data report does confirm that the platform has a right to worry. More and more long-term subscribers are reportedly cutting their subscriptions short.

According to The Information, around 13 percent of Netflix cancelers in the past quarter are from accounts that have been with the platform for over three years. The data, which was reportedly obtained from Antenna, pegs cancelations at around 3.6 million Americans, a big increase from the 2.5 million of the past five quarters.

Though 13 percent isn’t exactly a giant figure, it’s still a blow to Netflix’s empire. While streaming platform rightly focus on gaining new subscribers, losing the loyalty of long-term users isn’t something to shrug off.

Since announcing lost expectations, Netflix announced ways to save on costs and retain its subscribers. Other methods include canceling projects, opening a games division, and potentially charging users more for account sharing. Naturally, not every plan hits users the same way.

In the meantime, other platforms — like Disney+, HBO, and Hulu — are attracting more users with more varied and exclusive content. Regardless, Netflix is skidding down a slope. Only time will tell whether its latest strategies will stave off more losses.

News

IFA 2022 gets greenlit for in-person event

A stunning return

Published

May 20, 2022

Luigi Leonardo

The COVID-19 pandemic has rightly locked the tech industry into a standstill. It was vastly unsafe to congregate in groups for fear of contracting the virus. However, with vaccines and better healthcare, the world is slowly going back to normal. Events which were once canceled are now returning to the big stage. Joining that roster, IFA 2022 has now received the greenlight for an official event this year.

It’s been two years since the last IFA event. While 2020 was the height of the pandemic, the event’s organizers also canceled a return last year amid the resurgence of other variants. Now, all obstacles are gone.

IFA Berlin has officially confirmed that IFA 2022 will take place between September 2 through 6. Super-early-bird tickets are already available for EUR 35 if you happen to be in the area.

More importantly, the organizers are also confirming that two-thirds of the event’s exhibitors are going back to the event for presentations. Likewise, retail groups will make a return to Berlin.

Berlin isn’t the only major event making a return this year. Computex has also announced an in-person event this year between May 24 to 27. Likewise, MWC 2022 happened earlier this year, spotlighting major players in the industry.

News

Honor teases Honor 70 series launching soon

Two giant cameras

Published

May 19, 2022

Luigi Leonardo

It’s flagship time! After some wait, Honor is unveiling its next flagship series by the end of the month. Ahead of the launch, the company also released some teaser images for the upcoming device. Dubbed the Honor 70 series, the new flagship aims to dazzle a sleek-looking rear and a behemoth of a camera setup.

At first glance, the most apparent aspect of the Honor 70 series is its two huge peepers. The phone’s rear seemingly has two camera modules placed beside each other. While the main lens is reportedly a 54-megapixel sensor, not much was revealed about the other shooters.

Also apparent is the diamond stylings of the rear panel. Likewise, the rear looks like it has curved edges for a handier grip. Honor is digging in deeper to develop a more premium look for its fans.

Unfortunately, the previews don’t spoil what the front panel looks like. The company wants to keep some secrets to itself before the launch on May 30.

Though the previews don’t reveal as much, the series will likely come in various models: a regular, a Pro, and a Pro+ variant. In other rumors, the series might also use a combination of different chipsets depending on variant: the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, the Dimensity 8100, and the Dimensity 9000.

With freeing itself from Huawei, Honor has pushed for a comeback. Its previous flagships and smartphones tell as much. Once the Honor 70 series launches on May 30, the Chinese company has the potential to wow more fans.