Apple : New iPhone 11 release date, price, news and leaks |
- New iPhone 11 release date, price, news and leaks
- Can I use a tablet as a replacement for my smartphone?
- These Google Pixel 3 XL deals beat everything else on the market
- The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition - why pay more for less?
- Leaked case dummies give us another look at the iPhone 11 models
- This Now TV offer will let you watch every episode of Game of Thrones, including season 8
- Watch Game of Thrones online: how to stream season 8 from anywhere
- Flagship phones have gone completely mad and it's all our fault
- Netflix tests a random episode mode to help you decide what to watch
- Samsung Galaxy Watch Active vs Samsung Galaxy Watch
- Huawei sees no impact on its 5G business from Middle East despite US accusations
- Crawford vs Khan live stream: how to watch the fight online from anywhere
| New iPhone 11 release date, price, news and leaks Posted: 21 Apr 2019 10:54 AM PDT The iPhone 11 release date is likely in September, but Apple is already rumored to be testing out several iPhone 2019 concepts months in advance, as you'll see below. There are plenty of iPhone 11 leaks to pore over on this page, and all of them point to a more significant upgrade than last year's rather incremental iPhone XS design. It may not be a radical top-to-bottom change considering the iPhone X redesigned launched in late 2017, but the rear camera may get a big upgrade if you turn your attention to the back of every new iPhone 11 concept we've seen. That's good news because Apple isn't selling as many iPhones as previously forecast, so its next flagship has to wow everyone or come down in price to stay competitive.
Cut to the chase
Having analyzed previous Apple events, we predict that the iPhone 11 launch date will be on Tuesday, September 10, 2019. With three iPhones launched in 2018 – the standard iPhone XS, larger iPhone XS Max and budget iPhone XR – we expect Apple to repeat the trifecta this year with the iPhone 11 possibly launching alongside the iPhone 11 Max and the iPhone 11R (names TBC). So what new features will the iPhone 11 have, and will it still have a notch? Let's investigate what we expect from Apple's next flagship iPhone.
The new iPhone 11 could end up looking similar to the iPhone XS New iPhone 11 designWe're seeing iPhone 11 renders (shown below) months ahead of Apple's expected launch event, and all of the attention so far has been to the back. The images show three cameras in a central block on the back, a back which looks to be made of glass, as we'd expect, while the front retains the notch from the iPhone XS. We've seen this design rumored a second time now, so it could be accurate. However, it's not the only design doing the rounds, with another showing a triple-lens camera in the left corner. That would be more in line with where Apple currently places the camera. These image also show a likely glass back and the same arrangement of buttons as the iPhone XS, and multiple leakers have claimed they're right.
iPhone 11 case dummies (credit: SlashLeaks) The leaked case dummies that you can see above show how the triple-lens rear camera might look. Respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has weighed in to say that one of these lenses might be almost invisible, adding at the same time that the selfie camera will get a boost from 7MP to 12MP. One of the sources of the earlier images added that three new iPhone models are in the works – successors to the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR. It looks very much like we'll get three models again this year. New iPhone 11 displayWe've heard that the iPhone XI will have a 5.8-inch display, just like the iPhone XS, but with smaller bezels, and that it won't support 5G, but that it will, surprisingly, have a 4,000mAh battery and a USB-C port. The same source says to expect space grey, gold, silver and blue colors. The size of the phone is a hotly contested one though – while some reports say it'll stay the same size, others suggested the main iPhone 11 will be a bit bigger, and there are too many contradicting voices so we can't say anything with any degree of certainty. However, another source says it won't have USB-C, adding that the front camera will be upped to 10MP (from 7MP on current models), and that the rear camera will have 14MP and 10MP lenses, as well as a third, currently unknown one. New iPhone 11 cameraMost of the rumors we've heard point towards there being three cameras on the iPhone 11. We've seen schematics which seem to be for an upcoming iPhone and match the camera layout mentioned in the 'Design' section. Not only that, but part of a chassis supposedly intended for the iPhone 11 has also been caught on camera as you can see below, and it matches the schematic, showing cut-outs for three cameras in the top left corner.
Image Credit: Weibo However we've also heard from another source that only the highest-end iPhone 2019 (which we'll call the iPhone 11 Max for now) will have three rear cameras, so it's possible the 'lite' and flagship phones won't. The same source says that the other two handsets will have dual-lens cameras and that the iPhone XR successor will stick with an LCD screen. In fact, we're hearing this from multiple publications now. The iPhone 11 Max may be the one version with a triple-lens camera, while the smaller handsets in the iPhone range may get them "eventually," reports Bloomberg - so possibly not the 2019 models. Interestingly, a laser-powered 3D camera was supposedly destined for the iPhone 11, but said to have been delayed to the iPhone 12 (or whatever Apple calls its iPhone 2020 model). This iPhone roadmap suggests Apple is going all in on augmented reality (AR). As well as a better front-facing camera though, the iPhone 11 could also pack the snapper and related sensors into a smaller notch, as a new tech created by one of Apple's camera component suppliers allows for some of the sensors to be placed under the screen. There's no confirmation that Apple will use this tech, but we'd expect the company will be looking for ways to shrink the notch. New iPhone 11 featuresWe've now heard multiple times that it won't get USB-C, so don't count on a change from Lightning. One new feature it might get though is two-way wireless charging, allowing you to use the iPhone 11 as a charging mat for other devices. It's a rumor we've heard more than once now so it definitely seems to be on the cards. In order to make the most of that feature the battery could grow, with reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggesting that the iPhone 11 could get a battery that's roughly 20-25% bigger than the 2,658mAh one in the iPhone XS. The iPhone 11 Max's meanwhile could grow around 10-15% larger than the 3,174mAh one in the iPhone XS Max and the iPhone XR successor could get one 5% larger than the 2,942mAh one in the iPhone XR. That would all apparently happen without making the phones any thicker, as the laminate on the screen would instead be thinner. The same source for the first reversible charging tip adds that we might see a frosted glass back, and ultra-wide band connectivity, which would allow for improved indoor positioning. That could help with navigating interiors or might benefit AR applications. The new iPhones may even be easy to use in the rain. A new report claims Apple is experimenting with a new tech that allows you to use the phone's screen underwater.
Could we throw the iPhone 11 in? Image credit: TechRadar What's more, a patent suggests the camera on a future iPhone would be able to tell when you're underwater and alter settings accordingly, so that underwater photographs look better. In other news, one report points to the inclusion of Sony's next-gen 3D sensors in the new iPhone, which could in turn offer quicker face unlock, better Portrait mode depth-sensing and some potentially cool 3D modelling features and (AR) implementations. We recently watched a sample of Sony's AR camera capabilities. We did see a patent suggested the iPhone 11 could have sub-epidermal scanning to unlock, in which the front camera would scan the veins and blood vessels in your face using IR to make sure it's actually you unlocking the phone. For something else a little bit weird, a patent filed by Apple shows a system in which a sensor monitors chemicals in the air, in order to 'smell' odors – including body odor. This could be used in the iPhone 11 or Apple Watch 5, or perhaps a later device. Meanwhile, another iPhone 11 leak suggests the new handsets could support input from the Apple Pencil that currently only works with iPads. Apple usually introduces a new chipset with its new iPhone launches, and the A13 chip is being touted for the iPhone 11, with analysts claiming a manufacturer is already lined up to produce the A13 chip. Inside the device we've heard talk that the iPhone 11 will include support for the latest Wi-Fi 6 connection standards – though 5G tech might have to wait until the 2020 iPhones. New iPhone 11 release date
The iPhone 11 launch date may be a little later than previous years, as Europe's biggest tech show, IFA 2019 in Berlin, is set to run from September 6-11 this year - which may see Apple defer its new iPhone launch to the following week. It's unlikely though, as the new iPhone launch has crossed over with the show a number of times (including 2014, 2015 and 2016), which means we're still most likely to see an announcement week commencing September 9. Apple historically hasn't held its phone event on a Monday, with Tuesday or Wednesday the most commonly used days. With the Wednesday being September 11, a day of mourning in the US, Apple will most likely pick an iPhone 11 launch date of Tuesday, September 10 2019. If Apple does opt to delay the launch by a week, we could be looking at a potential iPhone 11 launch date of either September 17 or September 18. Apple hasn't launched an iPhone this late since 2011, when it announced the iPhone 4S on October 4, and we fully expect the Cupertino, California based firm to stick with a September arrival for the new iPhone in 2019. As for the iPhone 11 pre-order date, Apple tends to open them on the Friday following the launch, which would be September 13 by our calculations. Finally, the new iPhone 11 release date - the day when you'll actually be able to get your hands on the handset for the first time - could be just a week after the pre-orders open, so September 20 if our analysis is correct. These dates could quite easily shift though, and we wouldn't be surprised if Apple followed more recent tradition and launch the new iPhone 11 on September 10. New iPhone 11 price
Even without the official iPhone 11 price, we know it'll cost a lot. After all, Apple priced the iPhone XS and iPhone X starting at $999 (£999, AU$1,579). We could see identical prices for the iPhone 11. With news that Apple isn't selling as many iPhones as it previously forecast, there's a chance the iPhone 11 price will offer a more affordable look - although we reckon a price freeze, rather than a reduction, is a more likely move by Apple. It could mean good news for the successor to the well-received iPhone XR, with the main complaint about the first handset being it was still a little steep price-wise. If Apple can reduce the price on the iPhone 11R, it may help soften a lofty iPhone 11 price tag. New iPhone, iPhone 11 or iPhone XI?What will Apple call the new iPhone 11? It's a puzzling conundrum and there are a variety of different options for Apple to potentially pick from. It seems Apple has backed itself into somewhat of a naming corner with the recent XS, XS Max and XR monikers - so where does it go from here? Will it stick to roman numerals, revert back to traditional digits, or ditch them all together? At this stage, with sparse new iPhone leaks around, nothing is off the table. At this moment in time, we're seeing most of you searching for 'new iPhone', and that's a strong contender. Apple has already ditched numbered increments for Mac, Macbooks, TV and iPads, so new iPhone would be a logical next step. However, the numbers are a great way to easily distinguish new devices from old, so both iPhone 11 and iPhone XI are very much in the running. Apple never did give us an iPhone 9 though - with the iPhone 8 the final digit before the 'X' revolution - so going back to '11' may look a little odd.
The iPhone XS and XS Max are great, but there's still room for improvement New iPhone 11: what we want to seeThe iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are great smartphones, but there's always room for improvement and human nature desires more every time - which means Apple needs to shake a few things up. Here at TechRadar we like to think of the whole tech community as one great, big family who help each other out, so we've come up with a few upgrades we reckon would go down a treat on the new iPhone. 1. No notch (or, at least, a smaller one)Love it or hate it, the notch has taken the smartphone world by storm, with a sharp influx in the design aesthetic after the arrival of the iPhone X - however it seems many of the competition have already surpassed Apple's implementation. The Apple notch is distinctive thanks to its size, but that's also its Achilles heel. It takes up a large amount of space along the top of the screen while we seen Android makers bring us dew-drop screens which are only as big a single front facing camera. What's preventing the notch from simply being ditched is all the tech Apple has crammed into it, and to remove it completely could mean a loss of some features - such as Face ID. Apple can probably relocate the microphone, proximity sensor and speaker, which in turn may see a reduction in size of the notch - which would be a step in the right direction. But, no notch would be the killer look - with a clean, elegant design that will surely turn heads.
The notch is big... imagine if it wasn't there on the new iPhone 2. A new designThe current design of the XS and XS Max is fantastic - solid, premium and sleek, it's one of the most desirable looks on the market, so is it cheeky of us to ask for something new? We don't think so. Apple's used the same design for the past two generations, and to avoid the new iPhone 11 being branded another incremental update, a fresh new look would help. If Apple does ditch the notch as we've so very kindly asked for above, that would be the first step towards a new design, but we'd like to see it go further, It's already removed the headphone jack and home button, so our focus is now on the alert slider, volume buttons and power key. We've seen HTC and Google implement squeezable sides on their phones, and if Apple can hone this technology to make it even more user friending it could be the end of any physical button or switch on the handset. 3. Better battery lifeWe say this ever year, but the fact remains that iPhones still aren't the strongest performers when it comes to battery life. The iPhone XS provided an improvement in battery over the iPhone X, but as we noted in our review, it's still "a long way from the best on the market." It's time Apple really got to grips with battery life, giving the new iPhone 11 a power pack that will see it comfortably through one day and into the next without a panic about finding a charger overnight. Battery technology isn't going to give us the multiple days of battery life we saw from feature phones back in the early 2000s, but an iPhone that could stretch to two days from a single charge would really get people talking. 4. eSIM onlyThe latest round of iPhones (the XS and co.) offer dual SIM capabilities, but they can only hold one physical SIM. That's because the other one is an eSIM, which is built into the handset and can be assigned to a network upon activation. Having to slide a SIM card into a new phone feels rather old fashioned in 2019, so we'd like to see the physical card ditched in favor of a dual eSIM setup in the new iPhone 11. We'd also want an easy to use setting that allows us to easily jump onto a network of our choosing at a tariff of our choice and, more importantly, be able to easily switch to a different network when our current deal expires. Plus, it would also mean the removal of the SIM tray, allowing for a sleeker design and potentially freeing up some precious additional space inside the handset for new features (or more battery!). This is only partly on Apple however, as carriers around the world would have to fully support eSIM technology and at the moment only a handful do so. However, with the introduction of 5G in 2019 and the presence of eSIM already inside one generation of iPhone, this ask isn't totally out of the question. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Can I use a tablet as a replacement for my smartphone? Posted: 21 Apr 2019 09:00 AM PDT There are two pieces of tech that are arguably vital for a connected existence in the modern world; smartphones are part of our daily routine, as a tool to communicate with the wider world (as well as serving as a portable entertainment device), while for many, a laptop or computer is crucial for work. Tablets are meant to fit both these tasks – they’re portable like smartphones and share the same operating systems, but they’re large enough to comfortably run word processors and spreadsheets like a computer. But can you actually use a tablet as a replacement for a smartphone? To find out I locked my smartphone away, and spent a few days using my iPad (2017) as my only form of portable tech. Walking on com-muteWhen I’m commuting, I always use my phone to stream music or podcasts on Spotify, but since my tablet had to go in my bag rather than my pocket, my headphone cable couldn't reach it. So, I walked to work in silence, sans tunes, and sans casts. I say silent, but my music would normally allow me to ignore the horrible sounds of London’s Euston Road, so I swapping my smartphone for a tablet made me more in-tune with my surroundings – which wasn't a good thing. Taking the London Underground was a whole different story however – while previously I’d squinted at ebooks or Netflix shows on my phone, with a tablet I had a portable cinema on my lap, and I made sure to make the most of it. I always loaded up the tablet with the best Netflix shows I could find (which were always longer than my commute, annoyingly), and since people often bring laptops onto the tube I felt no shame having my moderate-sized handheld.
A size above. Image credit: TechRadar Work hardDitching my laptop in order to work on an iPad felt like a real trial by fire, as it’s a very different beast to a laptop. Typing on the iPad’s on-screen keyboard took a while to get used to, as when I touch-typed on it like I would a laptop keyboard, I’d often lose letters in words or accidentally swipe down on keys, selecting symbols instead of letters. You definitely can’t use tablet keyboards in the same way as physical ones, although my tablet typing pace definitely got closer to my usual keyboard-enabled speed after a while. The iPad was a blessing when it came to working in different places though – it’s always a chore having to assemble and boot up a chunky laptop when working on the go, but with the iPad I could whip it out and have it running in a matter of seconds. I also really enjoyed the lack of distraction brought about my ditching the smartphone – the absence of a gadget to fiddle with and browse on meant I was more focused on work and less likely to lose large chunks of time to doing nothing. Playing it callThe biggest issue with using a tablet as a phone, is that a tablet isn’t exactly a portable texting and calling device and while that’s certainly true, who really needs to text and call nowadays? All my communication is done through WhatsApp, emails, Slack, video calls and actual human face-to-face interaction, and I’d estimate that I only make or receive one phone call a week. That’s not a lot, and after my tablet-exclusive time I didn't have a single missed call or text, which shows how unimportant these phone features have become to me (of course I had WhatsApp calls and messages, but I rarely if ever dip into my phone contract).
Who texts now anyway? Image credit: TechRadar Using a tablet did reduce my communication in one major way, as the inability to whip out my phone and scroll through apps meant I spent a lot less time on social media – but I’d say that’s actually a good thing, and I spent more time on non-phone activities and real-life conversations. Play hardI’m a big mobile gamer, and have been known to disappear into a quick game from time to time of something light like a puzzle game or sometimes heavier fare, like PUBG Mobile. Having an iPad didn’t change that, but it was like playing a HD remaster of a childhood classic – the bigger screen made games play quicker, look better, and feel more immersive. For the few days my tablet was my only piece of portable tech, I probably played more games than I usually would on my phone, because the experience was more like playing on a console with a big TV screen. The iPad was superior for all kinds of media too – as I’ve already said it was like having a portable theatre for watching content at all times of day, so much so that sometimes I’d stay in bed to watch Netflix instead of making my way to the living room TV (I have a very active lifestyle, I know).
Doesn't exactly blend in, but a great speaker anyway. Image credit: TechRadar Similarly audio quality was great – I love using my smartphone as a speaker when I’m cooking, cleaning or showering, and the audio quality on my iPad was better that on most phones I’ve used. What did I miss?I quickly got used to not having a phone, but there were a few things I did miss about my smartphone. I’ve recently got into smartphone photography, but the iPad (2017)’s 8MP camera, and its massive footprint, didn’t exactly lend itself to taking photos.
One of these is better than the other, try and guess which. Image credit: TechRadar Flicking through social media, games and work apps while in bed wasn’t very easy with a tablet that weighed double that of a phone, and I dropped it on my head multiple times while trying to have a leisurely browse. Some apps that work great on phones aren’t optimized for tablets either, and they looked pretty horrible with tiny windows on a massive screen. Overall though, I quickly forgot what it was like to use such a small and dainty device like a smartphone as my regular handset, as my tablet all but consumed my life, and its lack of portability meant I spent way less time looking at screens and way more time staring into the distance instead. I'd really recommend putting down your phone once in a while to see if a tablet is good for you – of course that's a big ask, what with the price of tablets, but if you're looking for an upgrade from your old phone, maybe a tablet is the way to go.
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| These Google Pixel 3 XL deals beat everything else on the market Posted: 21 Apr 2019 08:45 AM PDT For the past couple of months we've seen Google Pixel 3 deals drop in price to quickly become the budget flagship of choice. But while the camera phone extraordinaire has been enjoying cheap bills, its older brother, the Google Pixel 3 XL has refused to budge in price - until now. Popular mobile phone retailer Mobiles.co.uk has taken the Pixel 3 XL and cut the hefty price tags. Offering two 5GB data Vodafone offers, costing £24 a month or £26 a month with differing upfront costs. Upgrading to the bigger model Pixel 3 doesn't have to suck the life from your bank balance right now. You can see both of these offers below with their exact costs. Or if a Google device doesn't quite fulfil what you need from a phone, check out our guide to the best mobile phone deals. These unbeatable Google Pixel 3 XL deals in full:
Why choose a Google Pixel 3 XL?Google has built up a reputation as the best camera phone on the market and it really doesn't disappoint! Offering unique camera software to best the rest of the market, snaps from this phone are not easy to compete with. Combine that with Google's clever AI features, powerful processor and competitive battery life and you've got a phone worth far more than the prices you'll see above. Read our full Google Pixel 3 XL review here This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition - why pay more for less? Posted: 21 Apr 2019 07:01 AM PDT While the shift from physical media has changed the world of music, movies and PC gaming in recent years, console gaming has been a bit more stubborn. After much speculation though, Microsoft is finally trying to give us a not too subtle push towards a digital-only marketplace for our games with the imminent release of the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition. The thing is, you'd be a fool to buy into it at this time. PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo fans have always been quite vocal on reasons for fearing a digital-only future, and as Deals Editor of TechRadar, I can see why. And nostalgia for a collection of physical games doesn't really fit into it as much as it used too either. Quite simply, it's all about the prices for both hardware and software. Microsoft (and plenty of other publisher partners) haven't quite grasped the concept of fair pricing for digital games and now the hardware seems to be following suit. And when you look at the overall bang for your buck and game-buying options delivered by the new Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, it's an underwhelming piece of hardware, representing poor value for money.
The Xbox One S All-Digital priceWhen considering a digital-only console, it needs a hook to really tempt us away from the traditional disc-based versions. There are at least a few bundled games to get you going in Minecraft, Sea of Thieves and Forza Horizon 3. But how about some technical improvements inside promising slightly quicker loading, or less power consumption? Getting rid of a the disc-drive would surely provide an opportunity to reimagine the chassis of the console for a more compact design too of course? Yeah, you're getting none of that. The new Xbox just has a forlorn blank white space where the disc slot used to be, effectively gagging your gaming options for a huge back-catalogue of games and blu-rays. And why bother with expensive redesigns, when you can spend 30 seconds in PhotoShop? It worked out ok for Deadpool after all...
Image credit: 20th Century fox The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition will cost $249 in the US and £199 in the UK. Microsoft claims that's cheaper than the $299 MSRP / £249 RRP of the current S model, which is technically true. But decent retailers, ones that you'd have to be seriously unlucky to be unaware of, haven't charged those prices for a long, long time. Before all the digital-only console rumours really starting emerging over the last few months, the Xbox One S had already become one of the best-priced gaming consoles on the market as Microsoft discontinued the older 500GB models in favour of making the 1TB one the new standard, while keeping the prices the same - the 1TB models used to be $50/£50 more expensive. At the time of writing, over on our Xbox One deals (UK) page you could pick up a standard 1TB Xbox S, a digital copy of The Division 2 and a physical copy of Forza Horizon 4 for just £209.99 at Amazon. And it's not a rare sight to see the console on its own go for around £190. Over on the Xbox One deals (USA) guide you'll find highlights from just $199 including either Minecraft or Battlefield V. And don't forget it's only April, a time of year when console deals are usually a bit, well, awful. To say goodbye to discs, or more precisely having the option of using discs at least, Microsoft needs to really up its game with a better deal. So naturally, for basically the same amount of money (or less!), we'd certainly advise picking up the regular Xbox One S, instead. Why rob yourself of the opportunity of buying a physical disc when you spot a bargain online or at your local store for both new and pre-owned games? Or maybe you'll want to play both regular and 4K blu-rays (the Xbox One S is a very reasonably-priced 4K blu-ray player). Even if you love the idea of a clutter-free disc-free future, there's zero incentive to shut off the past with the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition at the current price.
The Xbox Game Pass could make this interesting...Before the initial Xbox One S All-Digital announcement was revealed (and priced), I was actually intrigued to see what we'd get as Microsoft has been absolutely killing it lately with its not so secret weapon - the Xbox Game Pass. Like many for the current console generation cycle, the PS4 is my main gaming machine, while my Xbox One would have been slung on eBay a long time ago if delivering heavy boxes and dealing with randos on the selling site wasn't such a hassle. I haven't bought a physical game for it since Rise of the Tomb Raider and Quantum Break before that, with only a a steady supply of Xbox Live's Games with Gold and the need to finally finish the backwards-compatible Fallout: New Vegas giving me any reason to turn it on. And then I tried the Game Pass free trial. This is as close as we've ever got to a genuine 'Netflix for Games.' Sure you download titles rather than stream them, but given how much broadband speeds can vary, not to mention game-streaming is much more data-intensive than movie streaming (we're still hyped for Google's upcoming Stadia service though) that's totally fine for us as once a title is on our hard-drives we never need to dread a buffering pause. The clearest comparison to Netflix though, in addition to a wide choice of nearly 200 titles now, is the value. At $9.99/£7.99 a month (or less if you buy a larger amount upfront in a deal) it simply wipes the floor with any of the rival gaming subscriptions services, especially Sony's laughably over-priced PlayStation Now. Add in the fact that Microsoft has been adding its latest exclusives to the service, on the day of release no less, and it's one of the best gaming deals we've ever seen. Which is why it's baffling to not see the console released with a free six or 12-month subscription at this price. The other elephant in the room though when looking at digital-only consoles is the outrageous pricing for new games on digital stores. When a new game is released on disc, you'd generally expect to pay $60/£40 for it, maybe a bit more for the likes of Red Dead Redemption 2 or the newest FIFA. Take yourself over to the PSN and XBL stores on your console and you'll find a trap for the overpaid and uninformed. Although we have to admit the pricing disparity is more of a UK issue nowadays as standard versions of digital version of the games regularly cost £60 compared to £40 for a physical version. In the US, things have improved and we're more used to seeing $60 for both physical and digital versions. But still, shouldn't digital games be cheaper than physical ones? We've been asking that question for years though. Physical copies of games of course carry extra value in that they can be resold by the buyer and prices drop on them much sooner than digital thanks to the more open and competitive retail landscape. PC gaming is pretty much all digital now, but even with Steam's dominance in the digital marketplace, there are at least other stores selling game keys too, ensuring at least some competitive pricing on the scene.
Could the all-digital Xbox One be a good option though?If you already have a PS4, but have fancied an Xbox One for a while, the All-Digital Edition could potentially be worth a look. The lack of a physical disc-drive isn't as much of a concern when you can still buy discs for your PS4, and the small number of exclusives on Microsoft's platform are available quite cheaply in digital format, or are found on the Game Pass. And quite simply, if you have no intention of buying the Game Pass, then I see little reason to pick up this console. But still, I can't recommend this console as things stand today. You save no money and it'll cost you even more than the disc version at most stores stores. But let's not forget though, the Black Friday deals are coming. This will give Microsoft the opportunity to price the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition at at a level it should have been from the start. Honestly, we want to see this for $150/£99 to really tempt us to going all in on digital. And even then, it probably won't cost much more to get a Black Friday discount on the disc-based version. Nobody knows your buying habits better than you though. We just want you to get the best bang for your buck. So even if you've already stopped buying physical games, we'd still wait a while for the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition to drop in price.
How it could affect the next console generation?Microsoft has fallen Sony behind this generation. The Xbox One consoles have undersold compared to Sony's runaway machine. The exclusives have been few and far between and recent ones like Sea of Thieves and Crackdown 3 have turned out to be disappointments not worth the long wait. It didn't help that the messaging was such a disaster before the Xbox One even launched - remember the always-online/no preowned fiasco? Oh and forcing the 'essential' Kinect camera on gamers made for an overpriced launch that made the decision even easier for gamers. Xbox Game Pass is Microsoft's hottest innovation in years though and the more members it can build up now, the better its chances of making gamers consider the Xbox Two, instead of a PS5 if they know there is going to be an affordable service to give them lots to play on the console. A super low price on the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition right now would have given Microsoft a chance to show off to gamers how strong the company's future is looking and urge them to stick with Microsoft next-gen. We can only hope that by the time this disc-less console reaches an attractive price point we haven't lost interest as we may be too busy saving our cash for a PS5 or Xbox Two if this year's E3 convinces us the next-gen consoles are coming next year. A discount announcement during E3 week could make things much more interesting though - don't make us wait until Black Friday, Microsoft. For now though, we'll keep you updated on the latest prices for all three versions of the Xbox One console via our deal pages below. And be sure to bookmark our E3 page too for all the latest news as it happens live from LA.
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| Leaked case dummies give us another look at the iPhone 11 models Posted: 21 Apr 2019 06:30 AM PDT The number of rumors and leaks we're getting on the iPhone 11 continues to grow: yesterday we heard some new analyst predictions and today we've got some new case dummies to examine. Shared on social media and reported by SlashLeaks, the dummies look like they've been manufactured to help case designers get ready for the new batch of phones in September.
iPhone 11 leak (credit: SlashLeaks) If these enclosure models are genuine – and there's always an "if" with a leak like this – they don't tell us much we don't already know, but they back up previous rumors.
There are indeed "iPhone XI" and "iPhone XI Max" versions, supposedly 6.5 inches and 5.8 inches in terms of display dimensions. What we don't get a look at here is the follow-up to the iPhone XR, but who knows how Apple will label that. What we think we know so farThe triple-lens rear camera setup that we've heard so much about is in evidence again, so it looks a good bet that this is indeed the way Apple's going this year. All will be revealed in full in September – like last year, the rumors suggest three iPhone 11 models will be on show, with three different screen sizes. Two-way wireless charging is something that Apple is being tipped to introduce to the iPhone range in 2019, while we've also heard unofficial whispers that the battery is going to get significantly bigger too. On top of all that you can expect the usual bump in speed and performance as Apple tries to keep pace with rival handsets, including the Google Pixel 4. Via AppleInsider This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| This Now TV offer will let you watch every episode of Game of Thrones, including season 8 Posted: 21 Apr 2019 06:24 AM PDT Now TV deals and Game of Thrones are a perfect match this weekend, and just because season 8 kicked off last week, doesn't mean it's too late to get involved. Not only can you still watch that first episode on demand ahead of episode two tonight (or tomorrow morning if you will), but you'll also find the entire box sets for seasons 1-7 are available to stream right now. You could be watching just minutes from now. We've been rebinging them again lately and it's fantastic fun watching old episodes with knowing eyes, looking out for early clues to larger events later on. We'd certainly rather do that than watch a five-minute summary of it all on YouTube. If you're going to do that (maybe you want to let a few episodes of the new season build up for a proper session first), just be look out for spoilers from your friends/colleagues/randoms on the bus/talking trees and the like. This really is the best Now TV pass deal we've seen for quite some time and perfectly timed for Game of Thrones fans. You can watch live at the same time the show broadcasts in the US at 2am each Monday or watch it later on at a more sensible hour. Or both.
You'll find the free Now TV app on a huge range of devices. Smart TVs are most convenient if they have the app available, but you'll also find it on PlayStation and Xbox consoles, Chromecasts, Roku sticks and boxes, Apple TV, EETV, modern Youview boxes, mobiles, tablets or simply login with your PC or Mac. If you want to check out the full range of services offered by Now TV, head on over to our Now TV deals and offers guide. And if you've been meaning to upgrade your TV, be sure to have a peak at our roundup of the best cheap TV deals. And if you happen to be outside the UK but still desperate for your GoT fix, then you'll need a VPN in order to get around pesky geo-blocking. Our favourite is ExpressVPN, thanks to its speed, security and simplicity to download and use. So now all you need to figure out is whether your're going to stay up and watch or catch it at a more reasonable hour! This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Watch Game of Thrones online: how to stream season 8 from anywhere Posted: 21 Apr 2019 04:36 AM PDT All caught up with the latest happenings in Westeros? An hour of reuniting characters, scenes dripping in tension and pure action later and we’re ready for some more. With episode 1 out of the way and the second episode airing this weekend, this is the place to be for all of your know-how on how to watch Game of Thrones online. For those who still haven’t watched the first episode, we commend you on your impressive week-long spoiler dodging escapades. The good news is that watching it on catch up is easy, you can find a full list of where to watch the first part of the new season down below. But for those Game of Thrones aficionados out there watching live each week, we’re here to tell you where to go to watch episode two online. Episodes air every Sunday which means tuning in on Sunday, April 21. The trouble is that thanks to live streamed episodes and time zones your viewing time can be anytime day or night depending on where you live - you can see a full list of viewing times and where to watch down below. So if you’ve got everything ready for the new episode this weekend (popcorn and all) and just lack the streaming service and time, you can find everything you need to know about how to watch Game of Thrones online on this page.
Watch Game of Thrones online: stream outside your countryWant to watch Game of Thrones online in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or India? We've found all of your best options and listed them below. But, if you find yourself in the unfortunate circumstances where you've booked a holiday over the duration of Game of Thrones season 8, then things get a bit more difficult. For those unlucky fans, all hope isn't lost yet. You will find that watching Game of Thrones won't be an option thanks to geo-blocking. This means that broadcasters do tend to try and stop you from watching in other countries, putting up some virtual roadblocks.
Watch Game of Thrones online in the USA
Watch Game of Thrones online in the UK FREE
Watch Game of Thrones online in Canada
Watch Game of Thrones online in Australia
Watch Game of Thrones online in New Zealand
Watch Game of Thrones online in IndiaHow to watch seasons 1-7 of Game of Thrones onlineIf you want to do some super speedy re-watching of the old seasons, we can tell you the best places to watch seasons 1-7 of Game of Thrones but be warned, there is a lot of content to catch up on. Luckily, most of the streaming services above offer seasons 1-7 of the show, that means you can watch all of the old episodes and then smoothly move into the new season. Below we've listed each country with all of the different viewing platforms for the old seasons: US: The US has a tonne of options when it comes to the old seasons with: HBO GO, HBO Amazon channel, Amazon Prime, iTunes, Google Play Store, Microsoft Store. UK: With just as much choice, in the UK you can watch old episodes on. Your best bets are either NowTV or Sky Go. Other options include Amazon Prime, iTunes, Sky Store, PlayStation, Microsoft Store, Chili, TalkTalk TV or the Google Play Store. Canada: The options in Canada are a bit more limited, choose between: Crave Plus, iTunes, PlayStation, Microsoft Store or Google Play Store. Australia: Pretty similar to Canada, choose between Foxtel Now, iTunes, Microsoft Store, PlayStation or the Google Play Store. New Zealand: SoHo...yep that is pretty much your only option in New Zealand. But if you want to watch the new season you might as well watch the whole show right? India: Just Hotstar, but when its so cheap, do you really need to shop around? Elsewhere: Live somewhere not on this list? Try giving a VPN a try and connecting to one of the countries below with plenty of options for watching the show. Game of Thrones Season 8 episode 2 preview - get yourself excited for the next episodeEpisode 1 got you craving some more action? Watch the trailer above to see what to expect this week. With all of the Starks, dragons and White Walkers, we feel like season 8 is going to be more than worth the wait. Scroll up to see where to watch the first episode where you live.
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| Flagship phones have gone completely mad and it's all our fault Posted: 21 Apr 2019 04:00 AM PDT I can't watch it again. I just can't. Won't. You can't make me. Please. I don't care about the Samsung Galaxy Fold's inconvenient, well, 'fold' down the center of its magic expand-o-screen. Or that some other reviewers' Folds reportedly broke after just a few days. Or that it'll cost nearly two grand and is a bit fat. It's the "Galaxy Fold: Unveiling" video on Samsung's official YouTube channel that's squelching my adrenal gland like a spider choke-holding a satsuma. We begin in darkness. Then, the eerie gloss of some… thing fades into view. A woman starts singing: "Come with me, and you’ll be, in a wooorld of pure imagination" - but in that sort of creepy lullaby voice that's best juxtaposed with footage of a serial killing clown sharpening his tools or shaky-cam footage of a zombie outbreak. Bursts of static. People screaming. "Come with meeee…" The camera falls sideways. The screen cracks. A wailing man is dragged out of shot by tearing, grasping hands. Buy Samsung.
It's terrifying. It's also mad. Brad-Pitt-Chanel-advert mad. "We didn't just change the shape of the phone. We changed the shape of tomorrow," Samsung proclaims. You changed Friday? Into what? A cube? What else did you do? I wasn't there for the Fold's announcement, but I can imagine the Brand High Priest onstage with his hands raised addressing the flock. "We didn't just create a folding phone. We deleted Tuesday," he declares. One seventh of the audience immediately disappears. The rest are on their feet, shouting in tongues, applauding and rending clothes. The video ends with a hashtag imploring us to, "#DoWhatYouCant". Which I can only interpret as, "buy our unaffordable phone". But I haven't had time to check that with the auguries yet.
The Galaxy Fold launch event. (Image Credit: Samsung) Hashtag hypnotismApparently, this is what it takes to sell a flagship smartphone in 2019. It's the natural end-point of Steve Jobs' coming-down-from-the-mountain Apple press conferences (often with literal tablets). You can't just sell a phone anymore: you have to spritz it with a magical glamour and Derren Brown people with hashtag hypnotism. It isn't a phone: it’s a statement. A lifestyle. A talisman of beauty and wealth. That makes phone calls. And while Samsung's Fold is the device currently flexing self-consciously in the limelight, all this sparkly nonsense really did begin with Apple. In his book, The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google, NYU professor Mark Galloway expertly dissects how Apple leapfrogged the total dominance of its competition to become the 'it' brand. It's a long book and only a quarter of it is about Apple, but basically: Apple didn't sell phones; Apple sold luxury. Even more basically: Apple sold sex. "Since men are wired to procreate aggressively, the caveman in us hungers for that Rolex, or Lamborghini - or Apple," Galloway writes. "And the caveman, thinking with his genitals, will sacrifice a lot (pay an irrational price) for the chance to impress." 'Irrational' barely starts to cover it. Today, the most expensive iPhone you can buy - the iPhone XS Max, with 512GB of storage - costs one-and-a-half-thousand pounds ($1449, AU$2,369). The first iPhone, which launched in 2007, cost £269 ($599 in the US for the 8GB model). Which, if you adjust for inflation, might help take your mind off the fact you just spent £1500 on a telephone. Like an eighties Wall Street tycoon. Or a Kardashian. Or Donald Trump.
The iPhone XS Max is big in size and price. (Image Credit: TechRadar) What do you get for your £1500 with the iPhone XS Max? The Apple website simply can't contain itself. It doesn't have videos: it has "Films", describing in nebulous buzzword-ery just what each model will deign to provide for your money.
You get surgical-grade stainless steel (as you'd expect from a phone that's just gouged your eyes out), an "Intelligent A12 Bionic" chip with a "Neural Engine" (either an upgraded processor or one of those eggs that trap people in virtual reality in Black Mirror), and wireless charging. What's that? Does the outside use an advanced physical vapor deposition process for colors and reflectivity? Um, of course it does, grandad. Why else would it cost so much? And therein lies the rub. Right there, in the messianic advertising rubbish. It's not technological breakthrough that's driving every major brand to release more blindingly flash smartphones year-on-year. It's us. The cavemen. And our throbbing caveman genitals. Because the truth is, technologically speaking: smartphones are done. We've finished them. We can stop now. Top TrumpsRemember Steve Jobs' insistence that the iPhone would always have a 3.5-inch screen, because that was the "perfect size for consumers"? Well, OK, he was wrong about the number - but Apple (along with everybody else) does since seem to have settled on a new "perfect", which hovers somewhere around six inches. Until we evolve bigger hands, six inches just is about the right size to hold comfortably. You can make bigger phones - the XS Max, the Galaxy Note 9, for example - but you'll reliably sell fewer of them than those phones which conform to the post-Jobsian standard. And if you go too big, then you've stopped making phones and started making tablets. Which is fine. Unless you're a company that already makes tablets, in which case you've added yourself to your own list of competitors. So, what else can you tweeze into your flagship smartphone to justify both a high price and the mandatory twelve-month update? Well, that £1500 iPhone XS Max managed to swallow 512GB of storage. Which would totally hold all your music and TV shows and films (proper films, Apple - not ones of models taking photos on sand dunes for some reason). Or at least it would, if Apple wasn't simultaneously pushing Apple Music and Apple TV Plus, which covers all three of the above - as do Netflix, Amazon Prime, Google Music, Spotify and so on. Resolution? That can always go up, right? Right. Except, again, screen size can't. So sooner or later, you inevitably reach the point where the human eye can't tell the difference between one screen's clarity and another, even if one is technically 1000 times sharper. And unless you're projecting the contents of your Instagram feed onto a field from a circling blimp, the same goes for camera resolutions.
Do you project the contents of your Instagram feed onto a field from a circling blimp? (Image Credit: TechRadar) So, what are you actually selling when you launch/unveil/conjure a flagship smartphone today? Numbers, mostly. 512GB of this. 20MP of that. Words, too: "bionic", "neural", "bokeh", "surgical". Not technically meaningless - just meaningless in the practical sense. Small incremental increases, year-on-year, in what boils down to an incredibly expensive game of Top Trumps. The digital equivalent of those diver's watches that can survive depths that would crush a human torso into giblets for isopods. Or, you can make a phone that folds. Or rolls. Or makes toast. It doesn't really matter - so long as your audience is just a bunch of horny cavemen playing Top Trumps. It's only if those cavemen ever put your new phone, your last phone and a print-out of their bank statement next to each other that you have worry about being clubbed.
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| Netflix tests a random episode mode to help you decide what to watch Posted: 21 Apr 2019 02:30 AM PDT The amount of choice on Netflix can feel overwhelming at times, and if you're looking for recommendations about what to watch, there might soon be a new way of finding it: a random episode mode. Spotted by Android Police, the experimental feature might better be described as a popular episode mode, serving up an episode that a lot of other users have watched. According to a sample screenshot, the mode could pick out an episode of Our Planet or The Office for you. A random episode button appears on the playback screen too.
For the time being this seems to be just another test for Netflix, which hasn't announced anything officially. It may never roll out to everyone, but it's interesting to see the sort of tweaks Netflix is trying. More competitionDiving deep into the middle of a series might not be the best way to start watching something but Netflix would appear to think it has potential. Of course the streaming service already offers plenty of ways to get you started on something new, including trailers that auto-play on the home screen and an advanced recommendation engine. If the random or popular episode option does indeed get added as a feature for everyone, it's something else to make use of when you don't know what to watch. With Apple and Disney launching their own on-demand TV and movie services this year, Netflix knows it has to keep innovating to survive – and this might end up being one small way of doing that. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Samsung Galaxy Watch Active vs Samsung Galaxy Watch Posted: 21 Apr 2019 02:00 AM PDT Samsung has now launched the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active, the second wearable in what's now become a range. This is offered as an alternative to the standard Samsung Galaxy Watch and we've given both of them four-star reviews. But there are lots more differences than just an adjective added to the Active's name. That said, the two wearables also have plenty in common, and the decision you make isn't as simple as opting for the Galaxy Watch Active if you want a sporty wearable and the Galaxy Watch if you don't. With that in mind we've compared these two watches, highlighting all the key differences along with what's the same, so you can make an educated choice as to which to buy. DesignThe Samsung Galaxy Watch comes in both 46mm and 42mm sizes, with 22mm straps used for the larger model and 20mm for the smaller. While it comes with a silicone strap, you can swap that out for any standard pin-based watch strap. The body of the watch is metal, but it's a substantially-sized thing at either 41.9 x 45.7 x 12.7mm or 46 x 49 x 13mm (depending on whether you go for the small or large option). It's also a hefty thing at either 49g or 63g (depending on what size you choose) without a strap, but it undeniably looks high-end. Everything is a little simpler for the newer Galaxy Watch Active, as you can only get it in a 40mm size. The actual dimensions are 39.5 x 39.5 x 10.5mm, so it's a little smaller than even the smallest variant of the standard Galaxy Watch. It's also a whole lot lighter at just 25g without a strap, despite also being made of metal, and that light weight makes it ideal for working out in. Speaking of the strap, you'll get a 20mm silicone one, and as with the standard Galaxy Watch this can be swapped out for other bands of that size. Other differences include the presence of a rotatable bezel on the standard Galaxy Watch, which can be used for navigating the wearable's screens. It's a handy feature and arguably would be even more useful on the Watch Active, since its compact screen can make the watch a bit cramped to interact with, but it's not offered here, perhaps to ensure a smaller build. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active does come in a slightly wider range of colors though, with black, silver, rose gold and green shades offered, while the Samsung Galaxy Watch just comes in silver, midnight black and rose gold. DisplayThe Samsung Galaxy Watch has either a 1.3-inch or 1.2-inch 360 x 360 circular Super AMOLED screen that comes in at around 278 pixels per inch. The screen size is matched to the body size - so the 46mm watch has a 1.3-inch display, while the 42mm one has a 1.2-inch screen. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active meanwhile comes in just one size - a 1.1-inch screen, but it's still 360 x 360, so has a marginally higher pixel density, and as with the standard Galaxy Watch it's Super AMOLED. Of course, while the Active might be a little sharper, it's also a bit more cramped - if you have big digits you might get on better with the larger screen on the Samsung Galaxy Watch. We didn't find the small screen too much of an issue in our review though, and we found both displays to be bright and colorful. One additional thing to note though is that while the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active's screen uses Gorilla Glass, the standard Galaxy Watch uses Gorilla Glass DX+, which should make it a little more resistant to scratches. Fitness
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active. Image Credit: TechRadar While the standard Galaxy Watch isn't quite as focused on fitness as the Galaxy Watch Active, nor is it lacking in that area, as it has a heart rate monitor, GPS, an altimeter, a barometer, and it's waterproof, so you could wear it in the pool if you so desired. It can track 39 different exercises, with six of them auto-tracked, and it can also track your sleep, measure your stress and vibrate on your wrist to remind you to move more. It also comes with a stress monitoring feature that uses the heart rate tracker to give you a clear picture of your stress levels throughout the day. When it thinks you're experiencing stress it will offer you breathing exercises and mindfulness sessions to help calm you.
Stress monitoring on the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active. Image Credit: TechRadar These worked well in our tests, though aren't a rival for paid meditation apps like Headspace and Simple Habit. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active offers all this and adds a blood pressure monitor to the mix. We haven't been able to test this yet so can't say whether it's any good, but that and the more lightweight design are the only real things this watch does to earn its 'Active' moniker above and beyond what the Galaxy Watch offers. Battery and features
Samsung Galaxy Watch. Image Credit: TechRadar The Samsung Galaxy Watch is a wearable that just keeps on going, with battery life of around four days in our tests. At least, for the larger model with its 472mAh battery. The smaller model has just a 270mAh battery, and despite its smaller screen it's only rated for around three days between charges. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active meanwhile has a 230mAh battery, so it's smaller than even the smallest Galaxy Watch one. In our tests we found it would last just around two days between charges, which actually is pretty standard for smartwatches, but a lot worse than the standard Galaxy Watch. As for features, highlights of the Galaxy Watch include NFC, which lets you make use of Samsung Pay for contactless payments. It also optionally comes with LTE, meaning you can get calls and texts on the watch without it being connected to your phone. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active meanwhile also has NFC but doesn't have LTE, so if you want to stay in touch with the rest of your world you'll have to keep your phone with you. OS and power
Samsung Galaxy Watch. Image Credit: TechRadar Both the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active and Galaxy Watch run Tizen, which is a rarity on smartwatches, but it's an operating system that we like a lot. It also has access to over 60,000 watch faces and a variety of apps. As for power, both watches have a 1.15GHz dual-core Exynos 9110 chipset and 4GB of storage. RAM is similar but not identical - the Galaxy Watch comes with either 768MB or - if you opt for the LTE model - 1.5GB, while the Galaxy Watch Active comes with 750MB. So there's not much to choose here other than there being a little more RAM in the standard Galaxy Watch. In practice we found performance on both watches was generally smooth. Price
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active. Image Credit: TechRadar The Galaxy Watch Active costs £229 / $199.99 / AU$348, which is a mid-range smartwatch price. The Samsung Galaxy Watch launched at $329 / £279 / AU$499 for the 42mm model and $349 / £299 / AU$549 for the 46mm version. If you want LTE it costs $379 / AU$599 (around £290) for the 42mm model or $399 / AU$649 (roughly £305) for the 46mm one. Though you can often now find it for a bit less than those prices. TakeawayThe Galaxy Watch Active is a smaller, cheaper alternative to the Samsung Galaxy Watch. It looks just as stylish, performs similarly well and has most of the same features. It also adds blood pressure monitoring to the mix. Yet it doesn't do much to justify the 'Active' name, and it lacks the rotating bezel and optional LTE of the standard Samsung Galaxy Watch. It also has worse battery life in our tests. So unless you really want blood pressure monitoring the Samsung Galaxy Watch is arguably the better device overall, but it's priced at a premium, so if you're on a budget or have dainty wrists then the Galaxy Watch Active is the better choice. As we noted at the top, we awarded both wearables four stars, so you can't really go wrong with either.
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| Huawei sees no impact on its 5G business from Middle East despite US accusations Posted: 21 Apr 2019 12:13 AM PDT Huawei will not be put off by the false accusations of spying by the US and its allies and will push ahead with its 5G rollout and investments in the Middle East. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Samena Council’s Leaders’ Summit 2019, Charles Yang, president of Huawei Middle East, said that the US has not been able to prove its allegations and it will not impact its business in the Middle East. The world’s largest telecom networks equipment manufacturer has come under the microscope and the US has asked many countries to block Huawei from supplying telecom equipment despite Huawei repeatedly denying the allegations. In fact, the US is also expected to push its allies at a meeting in Prague on May2-3 to make it difficult for Huawei to dominate the 5G telecom networks space. According to media reports, Germany and Poland have no plans to stop Huawei from participating in the race for super-fast internet network. US applying diplomatic pressuresSo far, Yang said that only Australia is following the US way to scrutinise Huawei and applying political measures and diplomatic pressures. “It is using the power of the country against a company which is not seen in the open history. The truth will prevail in the end and will be shown to the world. If the US wants to accuse Huawei, they need to have solid evidence.” He added that cybersecurity is a top priority for the company that has served three billion users in 170 countries (1,500 carrier networks) and never had any network security incident. Moreover, he said that Huawei is the first telecom supplier that has proactively and voluntarily accepted the strictest network security reviews from the UK since 2010. Huawei has 283 global partners and 57 regional partners for 5G and expects to have one million bases stations globally by 2020. Yang added that “5G is the most secure network ever as it uses a 256-bit algorithm compared to 4G’s 128-bit algorithm.” Jyoti Lalchandani, vice-president and regional managing director for research firm International Data Corporation (IDC), told TechRadar Middle East that Huawei may feel a short-term pinch, but it is unlikely to experience any major long-term pain as it has strong relations with global telecom players and market forces will “inevitably” come into play. “Huawei is a much stronger player in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and certain parts of Europe. The company is making major strides in 5G and has been expanding its R&D investments significantly over the past few years,” he said. Huawei has been active in the Middle East telecom space for 19 years, and Yang stressed that there has never been any security incident which is why the regional telecom operators trust Huawei. He urged the governments, partners and vendors to work together and set up a unified standard for cybersecurity. “If a unified standard for cybersecurity happens, Huawei will be the first vendor to sign the deal,” he said. 5G is not only important to the telecom operators but also to the whole of society. “4G changed the life but 5G will change the society. We think that it will take three years for 5G to attain 500 million users while 4G took six years and 3G took nine years to achieve the 500 million user base,” he added. Flexing musclesSukhdev Singh, vice-president at market research and analysis services provider Kantar AMRB, said that the US regulators and the government always have clout on influencing other countries decision with whom they should partner with and that can have an impact on the telecom operators globally. However, he said the local technology adoption is getting more mature and not so much dependence on the US technology providers now. “It all depends on how much each government is convinced, and if the governments' influence is not there to ban Huawei, then it will not have a big impact on Huawei. If the US and other countries ban Huawei, they will have constraints and have fewer players in the telecom space and it may hurt the telecom industry’s innovation and growth,” he said. How important Huawei is in the 5G race?According to online market intelligence platform IPlytics, the Chinese company leads the race in the number of 5G standard technical contributions by a company. Huawei held 11,423 patents in 2018, followed by Ericsson with 10,351 and Nokia with 6,878, the other two big networks equipment makers. With Huawei investing $15 billion in R&D annually and ranks among the top five, it has a clear strategic positioning in the 5G race and has the capacity to mass produce 5G chips, 5G mobile routers and CPE (customer-premises equipment), a wireless router for home. Huawei is also one of the few smartphones manufactures, after Samsung and Oppo, to showcase 5G mobile devices. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Crawford vs Khan live stream: how to watch the fight online from anywhere Posted: 20 Apr 2019 02:20 PM PDT Amir Khan is going over to US turf to take on the unbeaten American boxer Terence Crawford. The prize on offer is the US welterweight belt which is currently held by Crawford who has not been defeated in 34 fights. And you can get a full Crawford vs Khan live stream by reading this tailor-made guide. Amir Khan (33-4, 20 KOs) was out of the ring for over a year before returning to win back-to-back fights against Phil Lo Greco and Samuel Vargas.. But Terence Crawford (34-0, 25 KOs) is a new level for Khan to take on as he's not only a three-weight world champion but is highly regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers out there right now. While 32-year-old Khan may be seen as at the end of his career by some, the former unified junior welterweight champion still packs a punch and could give Crawford some real problems in the ring. Sounds like an intriguing contest, doesn't it? Well the good news is that it's being broadcast live around the world, and we're here to help you discover the best places to watch a Crawford vs Khan live stream.
Live stream Crawford vs Khan from outside your countryIf you've been looking forward to this fight and already know where to watch, your plans may be scuppered if you're out of the country when it's on. That's because broadcasters geo-block their coverage if you try to watch from abroad. But there's a clever workaround for this, which is perfectly legal (assuming the broadcaster's Ts&Cs allow it) and it involves using a piece of software called a VPN - better that than trying to get some dodgy stream from Reddit.
Live stream Crawford vs Khan in the US
How watch the Khan vs Crawford fight in the UK
How to watch Khan vs Crawford in PakistanWe've looked and we've looked (and we've looked) and we can't find any news of a broadcaster in Pakistan showing Amir Khan in all his mean, lean glory this Saturday. Not great if you're there and were hoping to see him fight on Sunday morning. If that changes, we'll be sure to let you know. The only alternative is to use one of our best VPNs as described above, set your location to a country on this page that is broadcasting and go from there. But do bear in mind that most paid streaming services do require a credit card based in the country the service is from.
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