Thursday, July 11, 2019

Apple : Steam Store's experimental new features to help you find your next favorite game

Apple : Steam Store's experimental new features to help you find your next favorite game

Steam Store's experimental new features to help you find your next favorite game

Posted: 11 Jul 2019 12:50 PM PDT

As the proprietor of the Steam Store, it’s Valve’s job to help you find the games you’re looking for – a job that’s easier starting today with the introduction of three new experimental features that are part of Valve’s new Steam Labs collection. 

In more or less words, Steam Labs is a collection of new experimental features that Valve wants to test before rolling it out to everyone with Steam installed on their computer. 

The three features released today are called Micro Trailers, Interactive Recommender and Automatic Show. Micro Trailers is pretty self-explanatory and will show you short six-second clips of games on the Steam Store, while the Automatic Show compiles a bunch of trailers from Steam’s most popular games and shows them to you in one oversized, 25-minute sizzle trailer.

Interactive Recommender is probably the most interesting of the experimental features Valve released today as it allows you to play around with Steam’s recommendation algorithm. You can change the algorithm to show you more of what’s popular or more niche, allowing you to find some games that might not have otherwise floated to the top of your recommended games list. 

All the features are available to test out starting today and, if all goes well, could potentially become part of the main Steam app sometime down the road.

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How to watch Love Island online for free: stream season 5 from UK or abroad

Posted: 11 Jul 2019 09:03 AM PDT

Want to watch Love Island online? We don't blame you, the UK's guilty summer TV pleasure has come back big. With all of the classic bits from last year - sexy dancing challenges, people 'cracking on' and back-stabbing galore, Love Island is back in full swing.

With the likes of semi-famous contestants (here comes Tommy Fury!), some emotional break-ups and somehow the most popular islander being a stuffed elephant - this season has been full of twists that mean you need to watch Love Island online.

Returning daily (with the exclusion of Saturday) at 9pm BST, the days of piling around the TV for summer dating drama are back. Whether you're a Love Island devotee who's been patiently counting down the days since last year's bout of strange dating rituals, or someone new to this phenomenon (oh boy are you in for a treat!) this is the place to be to find out everything you need to know about this year's viewing times.

Last year ran for a mind-boggling 59 days, leaving contestants Jack Fincham and Danny Dyer's daughter...Dani Dyer victorious and the proud winners of £50,000. This year's show is expected to run for eight weeks but who knows what plot twists lie ahead, you'll just have to watch Love Island online to find out.

So if you're ready to watch Love Island 2019 online and all you need is the location and time, scroll down to see how to watch the dating show of the year! Whether you're in the UK or badly timed a holiday, we've got the low-down for where to watch it.

How to watch Love Island online for free in the UK:

If you're going to be in the UK the whole time the show is on then watching it couldn't be easier. Simply gather around with your friends and families at 9pm Monday to Friday each week to watch the excessively tanned battle it out for money. Each episode airs at 9pm BST on ITV2 (or 10pm on ITV2+1).

But if you would rather watch Love Island online you can easily catch it via the ITV website or watch it on your mobile devices via the ITV Hub app which you can download here for Android and here for your iPhone or iPad.

The other way to watch ITV online is to go via TVPlayer.com - we actually prefer this option as the stream tends to be better quality and more robust. It's also a faster site, more responsive and quicker to get up and running with. It's still free and legal, too.

How to watch Love Island online from outside the country

If you’re from the UK and have planned a holiday while the show is on then clearly you're not very dedicated to Love Island! But don’t worry as we can help you avoid any annoying geo-blocking allowing you and your friends to catch Love Island on your holiday. By using a VPN, you can change your IP address to one in the UK which will allow you to stream the event using your ITV account. Keep reading and we’ll show you how.

  • Stateside? Check out the very best US VPN services

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Wi-Fi 6 release date, news and rumors

Posted: 11 Jul 2019 08:53 AM PDT

What is Wi-Fi 6? In a network nutshell, it’s the next-gen wireless technology that was formerly known as 802.11ax until the Wi-Fi Alliance decided to rename it more succinctly. Wi-Fi 6 supersedes 802.11ac (now known as Wi-Fi 5), which most current routers and devices run.

The broad idea of this renaming is to make the standard easier to remember and understand. Rather than bombarding you with a meaningless string of numbers and letters that most people will probably forget, you get something that is comparable to 3G, 4G, and 5G with phones.

But what does Wi-Fi 6 actually offer to the consumer besides a new naming convention? Obviously, it offers faster wireless speeds – which is a given, really. More to the point, it’s designed to deliver a much better Wi-Fi performance in device-crowded environments, as well as offer several other efficiency benefits.

Want to know more about this upcoming wireless standard and what it might mean for your home or office? Read on for the full lowdown, as well as all the latest news and speculation on this promising step forward for Wi-Fi.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? Wi-Fi 6 is next-gen wireless tech that replaces 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5)
  • When is it out? Late 2019
  • What will it cost? Pre-release (draft standard) Wi-Fi 6 routers start from £200/$200

Wi-Fi 6 brings faster internet to your devices

This isn't just about faster speeds, but better performance in crowded Wi-Fi environments (Image credit: Netgear)

Wi-Fi 6 release date

According to the Wi-Fi Alliance, the non-profit overseer of the Wi-Fi world, Wi-Fi 6 will roll out ‘later in 2019’. By all accounts, that will highly likely be towards the very end of the year (assuming no serious slippage is encountered). A certification programme was announced back in January to ensure that Wi-Fi 6 labelled devices meet the relevant specified standards, and this scheme is expected to start in the third quarter of 2019.

At this point, you might be thinking "wait a minute: aren’t there already Wi-Fi 6 routers out there (albeit most of them are still labelled 802.11ax)?"

And you’d be right – there are indeed Wi-Fi 6 routers already on offer. Some of these routers that support Wi-Fi 6 include the Netgear Nighthawk AX8 and AX4, TP-Link’s Archer AX6000, and the Asus RT-AX88U (indeed Asus even has a Wi-Fi 6-toting mesh router offering which is imminent). 

However, they come with a few caveats. Remember that these early devices are based on the draft standard of Wi-Fi 6, which isn’t yet finalized (and won’t be till later in the year). This means  that these routers may miss out on some features that fully certified Wi-Fi 6 devices are required to carry. 

Of course, that depends on whether the spec that manufacturers must adhere to will change between now and the official launch of the new standard. From what we’ve heard, any potential differences will be minor. Still, we won’t know specifics until the Wi-Fi 6 is officially launched.

Furthermore, even if you do own a router that supports (draft) Wi-Fi 6, you’ll also need Wi-Fi 6 compatible client devices on the other end of the connection to really benefit from the new Wi-Fi standard. Early adopting pieces of hardware are even thinner on the ground, at least at the moment, one example being Samsung’s Galaxy S10 smartphone.

That said, a number of laptops supporting Wi-Fi 6 from all the major vendors were announced back at CES, and it shouldn’t be long before those laptops hit the shelves (for starters, we are expecting Alienware notebooks imminently).

After the official launch of Wi-Fi 6 late in 2019, going forward into 2020, you can expect a rapid increase of both supporting routers and client hardware, all of which will be certified to the fully finalized Wi-Fi 6 standard.

The Asus RT-AX88U, a Wi-Fi 6 router

The Asus RT-AX88U router is one of the early Wi-Fi 6 contenders around at the moment (Image credit: Asus)

Wi-Fi 6 routers and pricing

To give you an idea of the cost of Wi-Fi 6 routers, let’s take a quick look at some of the prices of the aforementioned routers, which have already been produced adhering to the draft Wi-Fi 6 spec and are not on the shelves.

TP-Link’s Archer AX6000 is a Wi-Fi 6 router that currently weighs in at around £300 or $350 (about AU$510), while the Asus RT-AX88U is pitched at about £300 or $325 (around AU$470).

Netgear’s Nighthawk AX8, on the other hand, can be had for around £280 or $300 (about AU$435), with the Nighthawk AX4 coming in at around £200 or $200 (about AU$290), which is as cheap as it gets right now.

We will, of course, see more budget-friendly Wi-Fi 6 routers coming into play as time goes on and as the number of competing products grow.

As for Wi-Fi 6 client devices, Samsung’s Galaxy S10 currently starts at an eye-watering £799 or $899 (AU$1,349).

Intel slide on Wi-Fi 6

Intel's view of Wi-Fi 6 in a nutshell – albeit the chip giant still refers to it as 802.11ax here (Image credit: Intel)

Wi-Fi 6 spec and performance

Wi-Fi 6 operates over 2.4GHz and 5GHz (and more frequency bands in the future) – unlike Wi-Fi 5, which is 5GHz only – and it will be faster than its predecessor as you’d expect. Exactly what sort of speed increase we’ll ultimately get won’t be fully clear until its official release (and will vary in different scenarios anyway).

In theoretical terms, Wi-Fi 6 boosts peak speeds by 37% compared to Wi-Fi 5 (when using a single device). While you won’t likely achieve all of that gain – it’s a bit of a ‘how fast is a piece of string tied to the bumper of a moving car’ scenario – you would still get a sizable chunk of it, and a very telling uplift in terms of raw performance.

Unlike previous Wi-Fi standards however, this new version isn’t focused on purely boosting headline speeds. Rather, Wi-Fi 6’s priority is to facilitate much better performance in crowded environments where there are lots of wireless devices. Such environments include an apartment block, a public venue like a stadium, and even your home, if you have a number of family members who own multiple mobile devices and PCs each.

It’ll also aim to manage the connectivity strain caused by the ever-increasing number of connected IoT (Internet of Things) devices and smart home gadgets.

Wi-Fi 6 utilizes various technologies to achieve all this, including a key player in the form of OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access). This allows more folks to simultaneously use the same wireless channel for far more efficient operation, not to mention better throughput and much lower latency (meaning a more responsive connection).

Wi-Fi 6 on Galaxy S10

The Samsung Galaxy S10 supports Wi-Fi 6 (Image credit: TechRadar)

Wi-Fi 6 also makes use of MU-MIMO, which has already been incorporated with Wi-Fi 5 hardware, and allows for a greater amount of data to be transferred at once – not to mention, the handling of multiple client devices simultaneously. In Wi-Fi 6, the technology has been improved to double the number of spatial streams that can be transmitted from a maximum of four previously, to now potentially cover eight devices. Plus, it adds support for uplink – transmissions back from the client device – as well as downlink.

So yes, there’s a bit of jargon involved here, with other clever bits of trickery including improved beamforming for better speeds at range, and 1024-QAM being employed (as opposed to 256-QAM in Wi-Fi 5) for better throughput.

Unfamiliar acronyms and techie-sounding stuff aside though, the performance takeaway when it comes to congested wireless environments (where loads of devices are online) is that Wi-Fi 6 promises to boost the average throughput per user by four times (or more). That’s quite a considerable improvement in heavy-trafficked areas, and it’s backed by the promise of increased network efficiency also by a factor of four.

With more and more pieces of hardware going online – particularly given the increasing popularity of smart home gadgets, connected appliances and IoT devices, in general – these improvements will be crucial moving forward. If we stay with Wi-Fi 5, we’d effectively become stuck in the wireless mud.

There’s a further boon on the efficiency front to Wi-Fi 6, and that’s better battery life for client devices. This is achieved via this technology called Target Wake Time (TWT), which essentially lets the router and client talk to each other to determine when the client device will need to wake up to transmit (or receive) data. As a result, the client hardware won’t have to be constantly listening for wireless signals, which in turn means less battery usage.

This will be particularly useful for IoT gadgets that only communicate online sporadically, as well as the likes of wearables and to a lesser extent, phones, tablets and laptops. Wi-Fi 6’s overall improvements in network efficiency (by a factor of four) that we’ve already mentioned should also help on the battery front as well, because that will cut down a little on power usage.

When you add everything up in terms of faster overall Wi-Fi speeds, much-improved performance in crowded wireless environments and some power-efficiency driven battery benefits to boot, there’s plenty to look forward to with the next-gen Wi-Fi standard, Wi-Fi 6.

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Another new Switch won't release this year, says Nintendo

Posted: 11 Jul 2019 08:48 AM PDT

The Nintendo Switch Lite was recently announced, and there are rumors another new Nintendo Switch could be on the way. But according to Nintendo, we won't be seeing the new console this year.

At a press briefing for the announcement of the Switch Lite, Nintendo president Doug Bowser revealed that we won't be seeing another new Switch model in 2019, according to CNET.

"[The Nintendo Switch Lite will] be the only new Nintendo Switch hardware this holiday, as Bowser says the larger Switch won't get an upgrade right now," CNET writes. 

Is a Nintendo Switch Pro on the way?

Image credit: Nintendo

Bowser's comments suggest an upgraded Switch model is on the way, perhaps a Switch Pro? This would chime in with the Wall Street Journal's report earlier this year that two new Nintendo Switch consoles are on the way: a budget, handheld version and a "premium" console. 

If the report is to be believed – and we have already seen the first of these rumored consoles announced – then we could be seeing a version of the console with "enhanced features targeted at avid videogamers."

Whatever the new upgraded Switch will be called, it looks like we won't be seeing it until 2020.

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BT suggests it could cut dividend to fund fibre expansion

Posted: 11 Jul 2019 08:40 AM PDT

BT has suggested it could cut the dividend handed out to shareholders in order to invest in fibre to the premise (FTTP) infrastructure.

Speculation that BT is preparing to cut its dividend for the first time since 2009 has been mounting, with some expecting an announcement in the company’s most recent financial results.

However, such a move did not materialise, with CEO Philip Jansen doubling down on a promise to change the payment until the end of the current financial year.

BT dividend

It is thought that some investors would be prepared to accept a cut if BT could prove the potential for long term gains. Others believe that investment in ‘full fibre’ infrastructure is essential given recent rollouts from rivals like Virgin Media and the emergence of ‘altnet’ providers like CityFibre.

BT has increased its fibre to the premise (FTTP) rollout target to four million by 2021 and 15 million by the mid-2020s – if it there is a suitable investment and regulatory climate. Nationwide coverage could be achieved by 2023.

At the company’s Annual General Meeting in London, Chairman Jan du Plessis reportedly said that BT would consider reducing the dividend, alongside other cost savings and borrowing, in order to fund the expansion. This could happen within the next two years.

Jansen is overseeing the implementation of a restructuring plan introduced by former CEO Gavin Patterson that will see 13,000 jobs but and operations de-centralised to 30 sites around the UK. As part of the restructure, BT will vacate its London St Paul’s headquarters.

It is hoped the changes will save £1.3 billion, allow the more streamlined company to react more rapidly to market trends, and means it can get closer to customers.

In a bid to drive employee engagement and boost morale, BT is to award shares worth £50 million to staff every year.

Via The Times

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Red Dead Online: latest news, updates and multiplayer features

Posted: 11 Jul 2019 08:33 AM PDT

Red Dead Online is officially out of beta testing and is beginning to earn its stripe as a fully-fledged online game. But with such a massive open-world to explore in Red Dead Redemption 2's single-player story, why should you be excited about the game's online mode?

Rockstar's open-world Western game, a prequel to 2010's Red Dead Redemption, was released to wide critical acclaim last year and was all anyone could talk about for months on end. 

While you might have expected an online mode to be live from the game's successful launch, it makes sense that Rockstar wants you to focus on the main story – and boy is there a lot of it – before waltzing into a less narrative-driven multiplayer experience in Red Dead Online.

Rockstar has proved itself at converting a massive single-player game into a lively online experience, as shown in the launch of GTA Online in 2013, which has become almost as massive a phenomenon as the mainline GTA V game it spun off from.

So what can you expect from Red Dead Online, and how can you access it?

Red Dead Online


Red Dead Online update news and patch notes

  • What's new? New rewards for completing challenges, a red-tinted Durham coat, and extra perks for Twitch Prime subscribers.

The latest Red Dead Online update added the Explorer Care Package: a bundle of additional items and goods for those who complete 10 Daily Challenges before July 16. More poison arrows, anyone? Meanwhile, any Twitch Prime subscribers can link their Social Club account to gain a host of extra ammo types before July 19.

More importantly, there are new cosmetic items for looking your Western best, including a red-tinted Durham coat (picture below) and a limited-time cossack hat.

Image Credit: Rockstar

Red Dead Online: tips and tricks guides

The wild west is dog eat dog. So make sure you're not the mutt of the litter with our Red Dead Redemption 2 guides which cover everything from fishing and hunting to mini-games and weapons.

Red Dead Online

Red Dead Online: how to access

It doesn't take much to jump into Red Dead Redemption 2's online mode. 

You can access Red Dead Online by selecting the 'Online' option from the Red Dead Redemption 2 title menu (at the top-right hand side of the screen). You then pick which online mode you would like to play and wala! 

Red Dead Online

Red Dead Online - what's next?

According to Rockstar Games, a bunch of new content is coming to Red Dead Online in the next few months, including new Free Roam characters and Showdown modes.

his includes new Free Roam Missions and clothing for both PS4 and Xbox One on May 21, along with new PS4 Early Access content. Meanwhile, a new Head for the Hills Showdown Mode and the Wild Animal Kills Competitive Free Roam Challenge will roll out on May 28. This will be followed by the Public Enemy Showdown Mode and Railroad Baron Free Roam Event, where players capture cars on a moving train, on June 4. Then June 11's update includes the Sport of Kings Showdown Mode, plus new limited-time and permanent clothing additions to the Wheeler, Rawson and Co. Catalogue.

Rockstar has also told players to keep an eye out for weekly bonuses like RDO$ and Gold gifts, increased payouts, care packages, exclusive gifts and more.

Beyond that, Rockstar promises "future updates will offer new ways to fully inhabit your character as you progress in multiple roles and carve out your own place on the frontier".

Players will be able to take on the first three of a series of new roles: track down wanted criminals as a bounty hunter; search the world for treasure, and other exotic items to sell as a collector; or build a business at camp as a trader. Each new role comes with unique gameplay, outfits, weapons and rewards.

  • (Image credits: Rockstar Games)

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The best iPhone 7 cases

Posted: 11 Jul 2019 08:29 AM PDT

It has been a long time since the release of the iPhone 7 in 2016, and a lot has changed in smartphone design since that point. But at a new low price, the handset remains a great option for those who choose it, and is now the cheapest phone still sold by Apple.

Another added benefit of this older handset is the enormous variety of cases designed and issued since its release, helped by the fact that iPhone 8 cases will fit the device too for the most part given that they share so much design-wise.

Whether you are looking for something to pretty your phone up, a little customization, or a solid protective case, there are plenty of options at every price point. Read on for our pick of the best iPhone 7 cases currently on the market.

These are products that we haven't had in our test labs, but based on our experts' opinion and knowledge of the most reputable brands around, we think these are worth looking at.

Our selections, ranked with newer additions at the top, take into account online reviews, brand reputation, product capability, or unique features, to help you pick through the maze of choices available to you.

Image credit: Apple

Above many things, the iPhone 7 is a slim beast – that’s part of its appeal. It is a small handset, and therefore a blessing for those with smaller hands. Bulky cases can detract from this, but the official Apple Silicone Case is pleasingly slim.

Boasting a grippy material which also improves resistance to scratches, shocks and falls, and available in a variety of color choices, this is an attractive no-fuss option for those looking for simple protection and decent looks. It’s available directly from Apple.

Image credit: Syncwire

Taking the idea of no-fuss to its logical conclusion, we enter the large and sometimes dangerous land of the ultra-budget phone case.

Mostly these are chunky plastic affairs that hold onto the various oils of the human hand with gusto, but there are nonetheless some worth considering if price is your main concern.

The Syncwire UltraRock is solid, dependable and will offer reasonable protection from scuffs, scrapes and drops - but don’t expect more than that. It’s available from Amazon.

Image credit: OtterBox

Sometimes simple cuts it - when nothing more is needed than protection, there are many phone cases which fit the bill.

But sometimes a little more is needed, sometimes you might want something that’s a little left-field, and the Universe by OtterBox is just that.

Offering protection and decent looks, it also features a mad, swappable module system. A battery, a card reader, camera parts and more can be added to augment the iPhone experience. This is one for those looking for something different in their life. You can buy it direct from OtterBox.

Image credit: Jimmycase

Options for those who like to bundle their cards and cash with their smartphone in a case tend to be mostly of one persuasion - the foldable wallet case.

While these are practical, they have trade-offs in terms of the relatively cumbersome rear, however there are certain options which keep a slim profile as well as providing practical storage.

The endlessly customizable Jimmycase wallet case is one such example. With space for cash and cards on the rear, it also provides protection from drops, shocks and falls and looks good doing so. It’s available directly from Jimmycase.

Image credit: Wrappers

Wrappers, a small company based in the UK, has been making bespoke fabric pouches and cases for Apple devices for over a decade. This option from the firm is an Alcantara pouch in a fetching shade of lilac, which will offer nice protection from scratches and scrapes.

We particularly like the choice of fabric, recently evoked by Microsoft with its Surface line, which is soft, and which offers a nice premium feel. It’s available from Wrappers UK.

Image credit: Kilponen

It is well known that, of the many qualities of the iPhone 7, its battery life is not one. While most will be able to stretch the device to last through a day of usage, there are many who will not.

The battery case is a life-saver in such situations, and this option from Kilponen is a good choice for many.

Though bulky, it makes up for this with a battery capacity roughly three times that of the iPhone, in theory tripling battery life, and all for a very small outlay. This is available from Amazon.

Image credit: Lastu

There is something about wood, good honest grain - the smell and the feel are difficult to match. Only a few phone case makers have chosen to use this material in their designs, and few have managed to use it as well as Lastu.

This Finnish manufacturer offers custom designs, your choice of finish (we particularly like the unique Kelo) and good thick rubber absorbers for proper protection. This is available directly from Lastu.

Image credit: Vesel

For some, the need for wood goes beyond a look on the back of a case, it must instead be the prime material of the case. Vesel, with its wood series, crafts a unique frame for iPhones which provides protection without adding significant bulk.

Boasting a precision finish, a strong 7000 series metal skeleton, and rugged good looks, this is a great choice for those after something unique and for whom money is not an issue. It’s available directly from Vesel.

Image credit: Torras

Torras has put out a phone case that's just slightly bigger than the iPhone 7 itself, which is perfect for the person who wants a simple, no-nonsense look for their phone. There's even a little 1mm raised lip around the camera lens to protect it from errant drops.

It's obvious that this won't protect your phone as well as, say, an Otterbox, but for those who want to wrap their device in simple elegance, the Torras Slim Fit case will do the trick. Pick one up on Amazon here. 


Image credit: Spigen

Spigen's Tough Armor series aims to provide solid protection at a low price. Its flexible TPU body envelops the phone, while a polycarbonate plate layers protection on the back. The latter even has a built-in kickstand if you like watching media on your phone.

The Spigen Tough Armor [2nd Generation] iPhone 7/8 case is available on Amazon here.

Image credit: Baisrke

For all you marble lovers, here's the phone case for you. Baisrke has an inexpensive case that comes in several colors and hues accentuating white, black and pearlescent marble.

The case itself is made of a soft rubber silicone, so don't expect much protection from serious drops. But if you can't live without this look, you can grab the Baisrke marble case on Amazon here.

Image credit: Caseology

The Caseology iPhone 7 Parallax case has a neat design and attractive burgundy-on-gold look for those who want to dress up their phone a little differently than their peers. It's got multiple layers to help protect your phone from drops from plenty of angles.

It's decent protection and good looks at an affordable price – perfect for your less-expensive iPhone 7. Pick up the Caseology Parallax case on Amazon here.

Image credit: Dockem

Most people would probably rather keep their phone unadorned by a case, particularly when their phone is as stylish as the iPhone 7. That’s why a sleeve can be a good option, as it keeps your iPhone protected while it’s in your bag or pocket, but shows it off in full when you’re using your phone.

This Dockem sleeve also stands out thanks to its attractive faux-leather design and its low price tag, though of course, like any other sleeve it won’t protect your phone while you’re using it, so this isn’t one for the clumsy.

Image credit: Ranvoo

Your iPhone 7 might be metal, but most cases aren’t, which means you’re inevitably left covering it in cheaper plastic, or pricey but still different leather.

There are some exceptions though, such as this Ranvoo bumper, which although plastic on the inside has a layer of aluminum on the outside, and it comes in all the same colors as the iPhone 7 itself.

As it’s just a bumper rather than a full case the back of your phone is left uncovered and the bumper itself is almost invisible – unless you choose a color that contrasts your phone, rather than matches it.

The skeletal nature of the bumper means it’s not the most protective thing around, but the edges are raised, so even if your phone hits the ground on the front or back it should remain safe as long as the surface it collides with is flat.

Image credit: Uprosa

The construction of Uprosa's cases is entirely pedestrian, as they're simply made of flexible plastic. However, their designs are something else.

Uprosa's case graphics come from images submitted by researchers and science students, whose job it is to look at stuff under microscopes, so the images you see on these cases are shots taken using microscope photography. Here's the description of the 'flamingo' design seen in the image:

"The same chemical (citric acid) that makes a lemon tart forms colliding pink oceanic waves through the lens of a microscope." Brian Cox would approve.

Image credit: Griffin

A case is always a balancing act between making your phone look as it should and keeping it protected. The Griffin Survivor Clear has a shot at gaming the system, with clear walls and built-up bumpers designed to take the force of any impacts while keeping the look intact.

Sure, you can tell there's a case on your iPhone, no denying it, but at least you can see the color of aluminum you chose underneath. Griffin says the shell has 6H hardness, which is as hard as some tempered glass, and provides great scratch resistance.

The case can also take drops of 1.2m, and as it doesn't cost a bomb you shouldn't feel too bad about replacing the Survivor should an unfortunate incident occur. Better than a bashed-up iPhone, right?

Image credit: Belkin

Here's an iPhone 7 case for a particular niche: the runner. It's a neoprene armband case that lets you take your phone out for a jog without a) holding the thing or b) having it move around in your pocket.

Unless you go on fairly long runs where taking a phone is a good idea anyway, the best reason to get a Sport-Fit is to use your phone as a GPS tracking tool, using an app like RunKeeper.

The combination effectively turns your phone into the equivalent of a fully featured GPS sport watch. The case can also hold a debit/credit card, meaning you only need to find somewhere to stash your keys. And earrings, perhaps?

Image credit: MNML

If you're looking for a case, but don't want to add any heft or thickness to the iPhone 7, this is the one you're after.

MNML makes, you guessed it, cases with minimal aesthetic. They are cheap and come in a variety of colors. Better yet, they'll work on an iPhone 8 as well, should you have one laying around or plan to buy one.

Image credit: UAG

Let's stop messing around, it's time for a case that looks tough as nails. The UAG Trooper is a light-but-hardy case that also doubles as a wallet, as its back flips open to reveal a compartment in which you can store four cards. 

It has rubbery sides and uses hard polycarbonate for that lid on the back. The Trooper adds a fair bit of bulk to the iPhone 7, but not a great deal of weight. For a higher-end feel, the Monarch-series UAG cases use bonus metal and leather, although there's no card slot.

Image credit: OtterBox

We've been using OtterBox Defender cases on and off for years now: they're veterans of the scene. While they add bulk to your phone, their aim is to offer complete protection that'll leave your handset looking fresh 12 months down the line, and for a reasonable price too.

They use a rubber inner cover, a hard plastic outer and an inbuilt screen protector, only leaving the Apple logo and camera on the back somewhat exposed to the elements.

While the iPhone 7 is already waterproof, there are port protectors too. These will stop any muck clogging up your ports, perfect if you really do treat your phone a bit rough.

Image credit: Tech21

Back in the old days, Tech21 cases used to have orange blobs peppered throughout, as a way to show off the fancy shock-absorbing material the company uses.

The Tech21 Evo Elite, though, is a case that color-matches the classic iPhone shades on its sides, with a transparent back to retain as much of that iPhone flavor as possible.

Inside there's still some of Tech21's magic FlexShock material, which is what absorbs the force of impact to stop your phone from getting damaged.

Image credit: Spigen

Spigen's Slim Armor CS case for the iPhone 7 is a popular one, and the numerous color options for the hard shell can help it match the color of your iPhone.

It features a soft and hard shell for extra protection for your phone. And, a hidden credit card case will let you carry up to two cards in case you don't like dragging your wallet or purse everywhere.

See the Spigen Slim Armor CS case for iPhone 7 at Amazon here.

Image credit: OtterBox

If you want a case that doesn't sacrifice the premium look of your iPhone 7, then the Otterbox Strada case is a good pick. It combines Otterbox's multi-later protection into a folio-style case with a leather exterior.

The case can hold a credit card, and thanks to the folio design, the screen of your iPhone 7 will get extra protection from falls. 

See the Otterbox Stada for iPhone 7 at Amazon here.

Image credit: Apple

One of just a couple of problems with the iPhone 7 is that its battery life isn't great. If you don't fancy carrying around an external battery pack 24/7, this case can help.

It's an official Apple accessory that shoehorns a 2,365mAh battery into a smooth silicone case, roughly doubling the iPhone 7's stamina in real terms. The downside is that it gives your iPhone a humpback, the battery unit sticking out from the casing. There's also a 'lip' at the bottom that further spoils the phone's lines.

Battery cases aren't for everyone, but this one is smarter than most, with clever management of when the phone is powered by its own battery and that of the case.

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Samsung Galaxy S8 deals are disappearing fast - so what are the best alternatives?

Posted: 11 Jul 2019 08:18 AM PDT

There comes a time in every handset's life when the majority of major retailers slowly stop stocking it. Sadly, the most recent mobile phone to get hit with this fate just happens to be an old favourite of ours - the Samsung Galaxy S8.

While Samsung Galaxy S8 deals are still available to buy, the number of offers available has dropped drastically and prices have shot up. We're now seeing it displayed as out of stock with a number of major retailers.

So for Android fans who were hoping for their budget phone fix with this award winning device, what can you do instead? Well luckily, the market is full of excellent bargain alternatives. 

Everyone from Apple through to Google and Samsung has phones available that are similar to the Galaxy S8 in terms of both specs and price. We've listed our top five choices down below. Or if you just want to know all of the options available, no matter the price, check out our guide to the best mobile phone deals.

  • Considering switching sides? Compare the best iPhone deals with our guide

Still want an S8? These are today's best Samsung S8 deals

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TechRadar 2019 Mobile Network Survey - it's time to have your say

Posted: 11 Jul 2019 08:16 AM PDT

This year has seen many exciting developments in the mobile phone market - making it even harder to decide on a carrier for the device most of us can't live without, which is why TechRadar is launching its latest survey on who's hot right now.

We want you to let us know which carrier you're rooting for in 2019, what you'd most like from your operator and the things you're really looking forward to reading about in the next 12 months. What brand will stay at the top of the tree? Who are the new disruptive players? Is your phone signal delivering what it should be?

What's more, it will take no more than 5 minutes to complete.

As a thank you for taking part we'll automatically enter you into a prize draw to win a $300 Amazon voucher. So the only question left for our lucky winner will be what to spend it on?

Have your say today

The survey will be available until July 26 (T&Cs apply*, US readers only), so there's not long to take part. 

If you want to be in with a shout of winning the prize as well as sharing your opinion on the future of mobile carriers, make sure you take part today before the survey closes on July 26. Good luck!

*Read our full terms and conditions

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Should I buy a Philips Ambilight TV?

Posted: 11 Jul 2019 08:09 AM PDT

What is a Philips Ambilight TV? If you've been shopping around for the best TV out there, or just something that that extra wow factor over the competition, you may well have come across one – especially if you're buying at Black Friday or in the Prime Day deals, when they tend to drop a few pretty pennies off the asking price.

Ambilight is a proprietary TV technology exclusive to Philips TVs, and in a saturated market full of near-identical goggle boxes, it really does help Philips stand out from the crowd. Ambilight is essentially the inclusion of an LED array around the side of a television, which projects color onto the wall behind a TV.

Sound like a gimmick? It isn't. While a light display isn't crucial for your viewing experience, it has an incredibly striking effect you won't see with any other manufacturer. The colors projected match the hues appearing in your onscreen content, increasing your perception of contrast and creating an immersive light display that seems to seep out of the television itself.

All but the cheapest Philips TVs use Ambilight nowadays – and they can also hook up with Philips Hue smart lightbulbs, to let the colours of the TV image flood your room, rather than just bleeding out behind the screen.

Keep in mind, though: a company called Funai owns the Philips license in the US, meaning you won't get anything like Ambilight. But for those in the UK and Europe, with an eye on an Ambilight TV, this is the guide you need.

Should I buy a Philips Ambilight TV?

Philips’s TVs may not earn quite as much attention as the latest Samsung or LG OLEDs, but Ambilight is a pretty compelling reason to choose a Philips model over everything else.

Not every Ambilight TV is made the same, though. Low-end models have “2-sided” Ambilight, meaning colour emanates from the left and right of the TV. The rest have a “3-sided” array, with LEDs pointing upwards too. For the full Ambilight experience, you want this feature.

Philips has even made a couple of 4-sided Ambilight TVs, including the Philips 9800 series. These project colour below as well. However, right now Philips’s top models max out with three sides of LEDs. 

While Ambilight separates Philips TVs from the rest, there’s still a lot to consider within the company’s own range. It offers many models, from budget LCDs all the way up to the glorious OLED Philips 9000. 

Philips’s higher-end TVs use Android TV software, just like Sony’s sets. It’s known for being a little flaky at times, but does grant access to loads of apps, many of the same ones you can download for your phone. 2018 mid-price TVs use Saphi TV instead, Philips’s own interface. 

Its latest 2018 TVs also have excellent “P5 Perfect Picture” processing, which ensures great motion handling and color reproduction.

Whether you’re after an affordable LCD like the Philips 43PUS6262 or something closer to the fantastic Philips 55OLED873 OLED, you get something not seen anywhere else. Yep, we’re talking about Ambilight again. It's the main reason to "buy Philips".

Most of the Philips TVs we’ve reviewed recently have fairly mediocre on-board sound. But this is nothing to worry about if you plan to use your own speakers or a surround system, which we always recommend. 

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Nvidia RTX Super GPU stock shortage rumor hints at rising prices

Posted: 11 Jul 2019 08:05 AM PDT

For those of you looking at getting one of Nvidia’s new RTX ‘Super’ graphics cards, there are some worrying rumblings from the graphics grapevine concerning potential stock shortages, and indeed possible price rises that could stem from that alleged lack of inventory.

A report from Eteknix points out unspecified rumors which are apparently generally circulating that retailers are struggling to get any ‘significant’ amount of Nvidia’s new Super GPUs on shelves (whether that’s bricks-and-mortar stores, or online shops).

Obviously this is a pretty vague assertion, and as such, we’ve got to treat it with extreme caution. That said, at least looking at current inventory levels in the UK – which is the market the Eteknix report focuses on (so we’ll cite prices in pounds in this article) – taking a general overview, there aren’t all that many cards available to buy. The majority of RTX 2060 Super and RTX 2070 Super models don’t have any stock yet available, or have already sold out (the 2080 Super isn’t officially available yet, but some of the 2060 and 2070 spins are).

Take from that what you will, but initial stock issues aren’t exactly unheard of in the GPU world, and it wouldn’t be a major surprise if Nvidia was off to a slow start.

Incidentally, the current stock picture seems to be similar in the US market, although the 2060 Super appears to be a little better represented there.

At any rate, Eteknix goes further in speculating that such a scenario could lead to price rises on the ‘Super’ cards – again, this is something we’ve seen before with graphics cards, and a simple product of the basic rules of supply and demand.

The tech site digs out a specific example of a price rise it has witnessed in the UK, with the Zotac GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER Amp Extreme 8GB, which reportedly launched at a price of around £500 at a few retailers. That’s a little more than the recommended price of £479 for the RTX 2070 Super (although this is the slightly juiced-up model from Zotac, which offers three spins on the GPU, so it’s not uncommon to be priced up as a result).

Eteknix then notes that prices have now risen to £539.99 (Overclockers), £529.98 (eBuyer) and £527.99 (Scan), which is still correct at the time of writing, except Overclockers has actually notched it up to £548.99 now. CCL has bumped the price even further to £587.

Incidentally, none of those outlets have the Zotac card available right now, and you can only pre-order it (again potentially pointing to those stock wobbles).

The conclusion drawn by Eteknix is that moderate price rises are already happening, and more significant hikes could be on the horizon with the alleged impending card shortages.

Narrow focus

Is that fair to say? Well, it’s not unthinkable as we’ve already mentioned, but looking around at other GPUs aside from that single Zotac card – a very narrow focus – there are certainly cheaper models from other vendors, and you can snag yourself a 2070 Super for around the £475 mark (at least on pre-order in the UK, anyway). Which is pretty much in line – and actually a tad less – than the recommended price of £479.

So, it’s far from panic stations yet, and on a broader level, we would hope that Nvidia is primed to go with a decent slab of stock of its Super GPUs given that the whole point here is to counterattack AMD’s new Navi graphics cards.

But that said, the stock picture does seem a little shaky currently, and we’ve witnessed our own major price increase with the Asus ROG Strix RTX 2060 Super. This GPU was on offer yesterday for only £360 at Box, but now the retailer is asking a whopping £540 (yes, ouch).

So, if the rumormongers are right, we could be in for a bumpy ride in terms of price hikes. That being the case, you might want to get your pre-order in now for safety’s sake, or be prepared to sit and wait for prices to settle in the longer run, which they always inevitably do in these sort of scenarios.

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iPhone XS Max vs iPhone 8 Plus: battle of the big phones

Posted: 11 Jul 2019 07:59 AM PDT

The iPhone XS Max is, like the name suggests, big. It’s the largest of the three 'new' iPhones of 2018, which makes it something of a successor to the iPhone 8 Plus, even though it has more of the iPhone X’s DNA.

It's a huge phone, but it's also hugely popular, suggesting we could see another large device along with the iPhone 11 at the end of 2019. It's also an expensive device, but with a constant slew of iPhone Max deals you can usually find it for a lower price than it launched at, and that'll be the case even more during Amazon Prime Day sales.

To help you get a grip on Apple's massive phablets, both the old and the new, we've compared both to see what's changed exactly, and work out what you'll receive for the huge price tag Apple has put on the iPhone XS Max.

Below we've compared the two phones across several key sectors like how they look, what their cameras are like, and how good the screen quality is.

iPhone XS Max vs iPhone 8 Plus design

The iPhone XS Max is a very different beast to the iPhone 8 and that’s most clear from the front, as while the XS Max has a notch and almost no other bezel, the iPhone 8 has large bezels above and below the screen complete with a home button.

The lack of a home button on the iPhone XS Max means you don’t get Touch ID, but it has Face ID instead, which the iPhone 8 Plus doesn’t.

There’s less difference on the back and sides though, as both phones have a glass back and a metal frame. However, the orientation of the cameras on the back does differ – on the iPhone 8 Plus the two lenses are side by side, while on the iPhone XS Max they’re stacked vertically.

The iPhone 8 Plus is bigger despite its smaller screen

Of course, the dimensions and weight also differ. The iPhone XS Max is 157.5 x 77.4 x 7.7mm and 208g, while the iPhone 8 Plus is 158.4 x 78.1 x 7.5mm and 202g. In other words, the iPhone XS Max is slightly smaller, despite having a larger screen.

And the colors differ too. The iPhone XS Max is available in silver, space grey and gold, while the iPhone 8 Plus comes in all those and also adds red to the mix.

One not so visible difference is their water resistance, as the iPhone XS Max is IP68 rated (meaning it can be submerged up to 2 meters deep for up to 30 minutes), while the iPhone 8 Plus is IP67 rated and can only withstand depths of up to one meter.

iPhone XS Max vs iPhone 8 Plus display

Both these phones have big screens, but the iPhone XS Max’s is by far the largest at 6.5 inches, while the iPhone 8 Plus is 5.5 inches.

The iPhone XS Max is all screen on the front

The XS Max is also higher resolution at 1242 x 2688 and 458 pixels per inch, compared to the 1080 x 1920, 401ppi display on the iPhone 8 Plus. The iPhone XS Max has a narrower aspect ratio too, and it uses OLED, while the iPhone 8 Plus has an LCD display.

The difference in display tech means you can expect better contrast and more vibrant colors from the XS Max.

iPhone XS Max vs iPhone 8 Plus OS and power

A new year means a new chipset, in this case you’re getting the A12 Bionic in the iPhone XS Max, while the iPhone 8 Plus has its predecessor, the A11 Bionic. That’s no slouch, but you can expect truly top-tier power from the iPhone XS Max.

Specifically it’s up to 15% faster and up to 50% more energy efficient – depending on which combination of its six cores are in play. The GPU and neural engine have also been vastly improved for the iPhone XS Max.

There’s less difference when it comes to the operating system. The XS Max ships with the brand-new iOS 12, but you’ll be able to update the iPhone 8 Plus to that shortly.

iPhone XS Max vs iPhone 8 Plus camera and battery

Both the iPhone XS Max and the iPhone 8 Plus have a dual-lens 12MP rear camera, powering things like optical zoom and portrait mode, but the iPhone XS Max has optical image stabilization on both lenses, while the 8 Plus has it on just one.

There are other improvements to the iPhone XS Max’s camera too, including new features like the ability to adjust the depth of field after you’ve taken a photo.

Both phones have dual-lens rear cameras

There’s less difference around the front though, as both phones have a TrueDepth front-facing camera, which allows for depth-sensing in Portrait Mode and powers Face ID.

We don’t know how big the battery is in the iPhone XS Max in mAh capacity, but it’s supposedly the biggest one ever put in an iPhone and lasted us about a day of use. The iPhone 8 Plus meanwhile has a 2,691mAh battery, which we found in our review amounted to all-day life, but not much more.

iPhone XS Max vs iPhone 8 Plus release date and price

The iPhone XS Max can be bought from $1,099 (£1,099, AU$1,799), which is quite a bit, as is fitting for Apple's most premium smartphone..

The iPhone 8 Plus has been out for a while longer and has seen its fair share of price cuts, bringing it down to a starting price of $699/£699/AU$1,149, so it’s a fair bit cheaper.

Takeaway

The iPhone XS Max looks to be a big upgrade on the iPhone 8 Plus, not just completely changing the design but also packing in a much larger screen. Add to that the extra power and this is quite a substantial change given that we’re in an ‘S’ year.

If you’re choosing between the two phones then on paper at least the iPhone XS Max looks substantially better.

Of course, the XS Max is also a lot more expensive, so it’s worth considering how important the upgrades are to you.

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Nintendo Switch vs Nintendo Switch Lite: is bigger really better?

Posted: 11 Jul 2019 07:55 AM PDT

Launching in March of 2017, the Nintendo Switch has been a runaway success for Nintendo - something the company so desperately needed after the disappointing Wii-U last generation. In the two and a half years since its release, we’ve seen millions of players flock to the hybrid system.

Now, in July 2019, the company has finally unveiled the console’s “Lite” version, having been rumored for months (this is the company that reinvented the 3DS on a near-constant basis, after all). The Nintendo Switch Lite is being marketed a smaller, lighter alternative to the original Nintendo Switch, with a focus on handheld gaming. But which console is right for you?

We’re going to look into the similarities and differences between each model, hopefully helping you settle on which Nintendo Switch console is best for you - or simply answering any lingering questions you may have.

Nintendo Switch vs Nintendo Switch Lite: price

Nintendo Switch vs Nintendo Switch Lite

Image credit: Nintendo

The current Nintendo Switch model retails for $299/£279.99/AU$469, with plenty of bundle options. For that price, you get yourself the console, two joy-cons, a dock and the associated cables.

Bundles tend to include massively popular games like Mario Kart 8: Deluxe, Pokemon: Let’s Go! Pikachu or Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - all of which are great games to get you started.

Meanwhile, the situation isn’t quite as clear for the Nintendo Switch Lite. Only recently announced, the console will launch on September 20, 2019 and is available in three different colors.

The console is focused on handheld play so you won’t get a dock or detachable joy-cons (more on that later), but the price is down to $199.99/£199.99/AU$329.95. The Nintendo Switch Lite isn't out for a few months yet but pre-orders are available from select retailers now.

Here are the latest prices and bundles for each console.

Nintendo Switch vs Nintendo Switch Lite: design

Nintendo Switch vs Nintendo Switch Lite

Image credit: TechRadar

Arguably, the Switch’s main selling point is the console’s versatility. You can use your console to conquer Hyrule in The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild on your morning commute, before docking the console once you get home to play with either your detached joy-cons or the Pro Controller.

It’s instant, and feels almost like magic as you transfer your game from the screen on the device to the television and back again.

Nintendo have opted to forgo this to offer the cheaper Nintendo Switch Lite. It has fixed joy-cons, and can’t be docked to a TV, and while this may be a dealbreaker for many we think it could be very attractive to new customers and existing ones alike.

As an example, the bright colors make it feel like it stands out. Between yellow, gray and turquoise, there’s plenty of room to express yourself - albeit without swapping joy-cons to your heart’s content. 

The lower price is ideal for those looking for a second device for a younger child, too, or simply a console you can take on the go more readily - the more plasticky looking Switch Lite looks a little more durable than its more versatile brother.

Despite the controllers being fixed, they offer mostly the same buttons as the original Switch - except the A,Y,B,X buttons have been replaced by a D-Pad - while removing some functionality which we’ll get onto shortly. Both models also allow for wireless connectivity, bluetooth and the use of MicroSD cards to increase the meagre 32GB of console storage.

Nintendo Switch vs Nintendo Switch Lite: display

Nintendo Switch vs Nintendo Switch Lite

Image credit: Nintendo

The Nintendo Switch offers a 6.2 inch LCD display, with a maximum resolution of 720p. With PlayStation and Xbox chasing higher and higher pixel counts, 720p feels decidedly unambitious but the system’s raft of high-quality exclusives belie any technical shortcomings. Of course, there’s also the ability to dock the console to output at 1080p - it’s not 4K, but it’s a bit crisper when stretched across your TV or monitor of choice.

The Switch Lite’s smaller price means that the system has to make some cutbacks, and while the display is still an LCD with capacitive touch functionality (and reaches the same 720p resolution), it’s slightly smaller than its older brother - measuring at 5.5 inches. Still, it’ll be ideal for younger siblings to grab stars in Super Mario Odyssey while on the go.

Nintendo Switch vs Nintendo Switch Lite: games

Nintendo Switch vs Nintendo Switch Lite

Image credit: Nintendo

This is where things arguably get a little bit complex, given the discrepancy between the two console’s feature sets.

Because the Switch Lite’s controllers are fixed they don’t offer HD Rumble, motion controls, or the IR Motion Camera found on the previous model’s joy-cons. This means that any game that requires any of these pieces of kit will require the wireless connection of a pair of joy-con controllers.

That means Snipperclips (and the Plus version) and Mario Tennis Aces will both require additional controllers for those playing on the Nintendo Switch Lite.

That isn’t all, though. Because many games require detached joy-cons, the following are unsuitable for the Switch Lite: Labo kits, 1-2 Switch and Super Mario Party.

Perhaps the biggest concern is that there is a chance that games will eventually launch which aren’t compatible with the handheld mode of the Switch, thereby meaning you’ll be unable to play them on the Switch Lite. It seems unlikely, but consider a world where the next big Mario platformer requires joy-cons.

Also, consider that the joy-cons charge either via connecting to the Nintendo Switch or by the charging stand. If you’ve only got the Lite, you’ll need to invest in the charging stand.

Nintendo Switch vs Nintendo Switch Lite: software/ and interface

Nintendo Switch vs Nintendo Switch Lite

Image credit: Nintendo Switch

Much easier to explain is the console’s interface. The Switch has offered a clean, arguably barebones UI which has only seen minor incremental updates over the last two years, and the Lite will offer the same functionality.

This means you’ll have your friends list, your titles, and the eShop all a touch or a button press away. You can share screenshots, catch up on the latest Nintendo news, and access your settings just as you can on the full-fat Switch.

You’ll be able to play multiplayer games like Splatoon 2 with friends regardless of which Switch model you’re using - although a subscription to Nintendo Switch Online is required. This currently costs $3.99/£3.49/AU$5.95) a month, $7.99/£6.99/ AU$11.95 for 90 days, or $19.99/£17.99/AU$29.95 per year -  while a family plan with eight accounts will set you back $34.99/£31.49/AU$54.95.

Whether you have a Nintendo Switch or a Nintendo Switch Lite, you’ll be able to enjoy online play, cloud saves, and exclusive offers for members. The big draw here is the ability to play NES games, while any masochists will also get access to Nintendo’s uniquely awful smartphone app too.

So there you have it, two Switch models to agonise over in preparation for your next holiday. Which will you be jumping into? Thankfully whichever you choose, you’ll be able to play a huge library of excellent games.

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Philips TV range 2019: everything you need to know from OLED+ to ‘The One’

Posted: 11 Jul 2019 07:53 AM PDT

Philips TVs had a stellar 2018, boosting the company’s Ambilight line with quality LCDs and one of the best OLED televisions we’ve ever seen, the Philips OLED+ 903. Facing stiff competition this year from the Panasonic GZ2000 and LG’s barmy rollable TV, will Philips have enough to entice with its 2019 range as it looks to maintain its frontrunner position among the pack?

For those after a good deal rather than the latest release, Philips' older sets tend to get some great discounts over Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday. However, there's still plenty to get excited about in its new and incoming sets – and more of Philips' Ambilight technology, which illuminates the walls around the television with hues and colors showed onscreen. 

Unnecessary? Sure. But it's certainly atmospheric.

Philips opted for its own international showcase at the start of the year, rather than take part in CES 2018 – probably because a company called Funai technically owns its license in North America – but that means we saw a good chunk of the Philips 2019 TV range from the outset. The next stage will be its summer releases and showcases at IFA 2019 in the fall.

Read on for all the details on Philips 2019 TV range so far. We're still waiting on the pricing and availability for the sets unveiled back in January – and information on those yet to be announced – but we'll be updating this guide as soon as we hear more.

Philips 2019 TV technology

While the likes of LG, Samsung, Sony and Vizio have doubled down on third-party content support for this year’s TV range with newly-acquired compatibility with Apple’s AirPlay 2 and HomeKit smart home standards, Philips is focussing on core picture and audio quality for its 2019 range.

While the majority of the company’s top-flight smart TVs will be running Android TV and have voice-control support for Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa, it’s with the third-generation P5 Pro image processing engine where it’s making the biggest changes.

Before we get to that though, some key specs to note: almost the entirety of Philips 2019 line-up supports all the major HDR formats (HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Vision), as well as having support for Dolby Atmos overhead surround standards (down-mixed for onboard speakers).

Philip's P5 processor (Image Credit: TechRadar)

Philips' new P5 third generation processor will go beyond its predecessor in a number of key ways. The Perfect Natural Reality tool will improve skin tones, a revised Detail Enhancer will tweak its Detail meter to remove jaggy edges on over-processed SD upscaled imagery, an Improved Digital Noise Reduction system will ensure “mosquito” distortion won’t occur predominantly in detail-heavy footage – in other words, you’ll be able to see the trees for the wood. 

HDR quality will be improved too, ensuring that dark scenes are not only dark, but full of detail in the shadows, too. Likewise, you’ll see less color clipping in bright scenes – a summer’s sky will retain its blue hues, rather than being a washed out flash of white light.

Philips has also worked on its first-party audio systems, boosting the mid-range and widening the soundstage for its 2019 models in order to better take advantage of new support for Dolby Atmos mixes. But its with the Philips 8804 LCD where you’re most likely to want to listen in – it’s taking a leaf out of last year’s Philips OLED+ 903 screen and including a Bowers and Wilkins soundbar. More on that later.

Philips 2019 4K OLED TVs

While we await a true successor to the Philips OLED+ 903, we’re looking forward to spending more time with the Philips OLED 854 and OLED 804 screens. Identical apart from stand differences (the 854 centrally mounted, the other with a pair of legs) these 4K screens will be available in 55 and 65-inch sizes.

Image Credit: TechRadar

They’re very similar to last year’s Philips OLED+ 903, except with one key omission – they lack the impressive Bowers and Wilkins sound system, opting for a Philips-own build instead. Running Android TV, working with Alexa and Google Assistant and with all four of their HDMI ports HDR-ready, these Ambilight screens will be ones to watch for those looking top-notch OLED visuals.

For a deeper look at these screens, read our hands on: Philips OLED 804 / OLED 854 review.

Philips 2019 4K LCD LED TVs

Though OLED TVs have become Philips’ showstoppers, the majority of its range still consists of LCD TVs. Though LCD can lack the richness of a well-tuned OLED TV, they shouldn’t be sniffed at in their own right – Philips has done some stellar work not only in the picture stakes, but also with audio, thanks to a partnership with Bowers and Wilkins.

First up then, the Philips 8804 – one of the most promising LCD screens we’ve seen in a while. It’s 4K visuals will be available in 50, 55 and 65-inch sizes, and will have the full house of HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Vision support, as well as Dolby Atmos sound. It’s also the only screen revealed so far this year from Philips to include that show-stopping Bowers and Wilkins sound system again. For more info, read our hands on Philips 8804 TV review.

Image Credit: TechRadar

If style is more important than sound quality, check out the Philips 9104. It’s another 4K LCD panel, but has been designed in conjunction with design house Georg Jensen, and has striking chrome finish aluminium feet. It too has standard HDR support covered but drops HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, only features Dolby Atmos audio passthrough, and will only come in a single 55-inch screen size. It has a three sided Ambilight though, so this may be one to check out for its aesthetic value.

Next up is the TV Philips is pushing most heavily for this half of the year – the Philips 7304 Performance Series, which they’re nicknaming ‘The One’. Why? Because it’s ‘the one’ TV they think will suit most people, ticking lots spec boxes will aiming to come in at a mid-range price point. The Ambilight 4K LCD screen will come in a range of size – 43, to, 55, 58, 65 and 70-inches – has the full suite of HDR options and features Dolby Atmos. For more information, check out our Philips The One first look impressions. The Philips 7504 looks set to be a similar screen, coming in 50 and 55-inch screen sizes, trading a less striking stand for beefier 25W 2.1 built in speakers. The One only has two-channel 20W speakers.

From here down the range of LCD Philips TVs, you lose access to the top-notch P5 image processing engine, instead being left with the Pixel Precise Ultra HD processing engine. They also run the SAPHI operating system, rather than the more versatile Android TV. 

So, the Philips 6814 will come in 43, 50, 55 and 65-inch sizes, the 6704 in 43, 50, 55, 65 and 70 inches, and the 6504 in 43, 50, 58 and 65 inch sizes. The key differences here? The 6814 has a T-Bar centrally-mounted light finish stand with 3-sided Ambilight, while the 6704 has Ambilight, a dark frame finish and two feet supporting it. The 6504 looks pretty much the same as the 6704, but doesn’t have any Ambilight features.

Philips 2019 HD TVs

It says a lot about the dominance of 4K TV now that, not only is there only a single non-4K TV in Philips range this year, but it’s not even 1080p – just a 24-inch HD-ready 1366x768 screen. The Philips 4304 has no smart features, no HDR, and only two HDMI port ports. This is very much one for the kitchen, or a “my first TV” for the kids’ bedrooms.

Everything you need to know about the new TV launches of 2019:

Samsung TV lineup 2019: every QLED and more from Samsung this year

Sony TV lineup 2019: every Sony Bravia and Master Series set coming this year

LG TV catalog 2019: here’s every LG TV model coming this year

Panasonic TV lineup 2019: the one Panasonic TV we've seen so far

Hisense TV lineup 2019: the year of ULED television

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iPhone XR vs iPhone XS: is Apple's affordable phone the best for you?

Posted: 11 Jul 2019 07:29 AM PDT

Apple's 2018 series of iPhones, the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR, are the pinnacle of Apple's smartphone design, even though they could soon be overtaken by the new iPhone 11 series at the end of 2019.

The main phone in the series, the iPhone XS, is a small upgrade to 2017's iPhone X, but the iPhone XR, which is the most 'affordable' phone in the line, the iPhone XR, is more similar to the iPhone 8, but with some of the design highlights of the iPhone X.

In many ways, the iPhone XR looks a lot like the iPhone XS, but if you dive deep into both you'll find there are loads of differences beyond the price tag. 

To help you work out the difference, and decide if either phone is for you, we've run through some of the key design, price, and feature differences between the two phones.

Looking at picking up the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or any other of Apple's iPhones? Amazon Prime Day is coming up, so you might find a saving with any of the many deals.

iPhone XR vs iPhone XS price

The iPhone XS price starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,579, and that'll get you 64GB of internal memory, but that price ramps up to $1,149 / £1,149 / AU$1,879 for a bigger 256GB device and the even higher $1,349 /  £1,349 / AU$2,199 for a whopping 512GB.

The iPhone XR on the other hand is a much more affordable device with a starting price of $749 / £749 / AU$1,229 if you want 64GB memory. From there, it's $799 / £799 / AU$1,229 for 128GB and $899 / £899 / AU$1,479 for 256GB storage – those prices aren't wrong, so in Australia it's actually the same price for the lowest two iPhone XR handsets.

You can pick up the iPhones for cheaper if you look – alternatively you can use our handy guides of the best iPhone XS deals and best iPhone XR deals to save you time and money.

iPhone XR vs iPhone XS design

Apple has completely ditched the old iPhone design last seen on the iPhone 8, with even the ‘entry-level’ iPhone XR sporting a near bezel-free look with a notch and no home button.

The iPhone XS sports that look too, with both phones having a glass back and a metal frame – though the iPhone XS has a stainless-steel frame, while the iPhone XR has an aluminum one.

The iPhone XS is also more water-resistant, as it’s IP68 rated, meaning it can survive depths of 2 meters in water for up to 30 minutes, while the iPhone XR can only be submerged up to 1 meter deep.

The iPhone XR is more colourful than the iPhone XS

Other than that, the main design difference is their dimensions and weight, as the iPhone XS comes in at 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7mm and 177g, while the iPhone XR is 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3mm and 194g. So the XR is larger and heavier, but then it has a bigger screen, which we’ll get to below.

The iPhone XR is also available in a wider range of colors, specifically space red, yellow, white, coral, black and blue, while the iPhone XS comes in just space grey, silver and gold.

So the iPhone XS looks a bit more professional and clean, whereas the iPhone XR, with its range of colors and bigger body, looks a little more babyish – that's not an insult though, and we're fans of the vibrant design of the latter phone.

iPhone XR vs iPhone XS display

The iPhone XS has a 5.8-inch OLED screen with a resolution of 1125 x 2436 and a pixel density of 458 pixels per inch, while the iPhone XR has a 6.1-inch LCD display with a resolution of 828 x 1792 and a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch.

So the iPhone XR has a larger but less sharp screen and its use of LCD means the colors and contrast probably won’t be as strong – though Apple has been delivering great LCD screens for years, so it still looks fairly good.

One noteworthy effect of the different screen tech is in how the different phones show the color black  –  while OLED turns off pixels, creating a 'true black' look, LCD shows all colors to give the appearance of black – this is brighter and uses more power to do, which will be even more noticeable when iOS 13 brings Dark Mode.

iPhone XS

The iPhone XS has a higher resolution screen

iPhone XR vs iPhone XS OS and power

Both the iPhone XS and iPhone XR use Apple’s new A12 Bionic chipset, so there isn't much difference in terms of power and both are among the most powerful phones around. The XS has more RAM, at 4GB as opposed to the iPhone XR with 3GB RAM, but that's not a huge difference.

Both phones also run iOS 12 of course, so there’s even less difference when it comes to the software. However iOS 13 is on the horizon, bringing new features like Dark Mode, improved Apple Maps and swipe-to-type functions, and Apple has confirmed both the iPhone XS and iPhone XR will support iOS 13.

iPhone XR vs iPhone XS camera and battery

This is one of the main differences between the two phones, as while the iPhone XS has a 12MP dual-lens rear camera (with both a telephoto and wide-angle lens), the iPhone XR has just a 12MP single-lens camera.

It does at least have optical image stabilization (as does the iPhone XS), but it lacks things like optical zoom, due to having just one lens.

There's only one rear camera on the iPhone XR

However both phones have a TrueDepth front-facing camera, allowing for Face ID and Portrait Mode (which can blur the background of shots using the snapper’s depth-sensing skills).

Apple never reveals the size of its phone batteries, but people have opened them up and found a 2658mAh power pack in the iPhone XS, whereas the iPhone XR battery is 2942mAh, which is noticeably bigger. However there isn't exactly a huge difference in battery life between the handsets, and you can expect both to last for a full day of use.

Takeaway

There are fewer differences between the iPhone XS and the iPhone XR than there were between the iPhone X and the iPhone 8, but the XR is still clearly the lower end handset, despite having a bigger screen.

Its photographic skills are unlikely to be as good and nor is its screen quality. But then it’s also cheaper, so if you want a big-screen iPhone and can’t stretch to the iPhone XS Max, or you’re just on a budget, it could be the better buy.

But if you want Apple’s real flagship then the iPhone XS (or the XS Max) is the only choice.

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Boost your speeds with these 6 excellent faster fibre broadband deals

Posted: 11 Jul 2019 06:32 AM PDT

With broadband deals usually being split into two categories - fibre and ADSL - there is one area that tends to be easily forgotten, faster fibre broadband packages. 

You might now be thinking, isn't that just fibre? Well, technically not. Many providers offer a boosted version of fibre broadband deals, often with names such as 'fibre max', 'fibre boost' or 'super boosted maxed fibre'...Okay that last one isn't real but it's not far off.

But names aside, these packages are a great way to increase your speeds without having to pay a whole lot more. In fact, a number of providers offer these packages at prices pretty similar to regular fibre deals.

With a whole host of excellent faster fibre broadband deals currently available, now is a brilliant time to grab one. We've listed all of the standout options below, ranging from the names you know such as Plusnet broadband deals through to the names that may not be so familiar like Hyperoptic.

1. The UK's cheapest faster fibre broadband deal

2. Fibre speeds with freebies from BT

3. Superfast speeds with Virgin broadband

4. A fibre bargain for a select few

5. Faster speeds with broadband and TV deals

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US Government starts to relax Huawei ban

Posted: 11 Jul 2019 06:30 AM PDT

The US government has started to ease its ban on domestic companies doing business with Huawei, stating that some firms will be licensed to supply the Chinese giant.

Huawei has been frozen out of the US device and telecoms equipment markets for several years, and earlier this year was effectively blacklisted by Washington on national security grounds.

The ruling limited Huawei’s access to components and meant its handsets would no longer receive updates for the Android operating system from Google or access to its popular applications.

US Huawei

Although Huawei is building its own operating system and produces its own components (it already makes its own Kirin processors), the absence of key services like Google Maps and the Google Play Store is a huge blow in terms of the appeal of its devices in Western markets. Meanwhile, the production of components such as modems is an expensive, laborious task.

American technology firms have been lobbying the US government to reconsider its approach, with Qualcomm, Intel and Broadcom among those standing to lose significant revenue streams if they can't supply Huawei.

Broadcom had lowered its expectations for the year due to the difficulties at Huawei.

The US Government had previously indicated that it might relax the ban in order to help US companies and kickstart trade negotiations with China, but had not given any detail on how fair the reprieve would go.

Now it's confirmed that some vendors will be able to do business with Huawei – so long as there's no national security risk. It’s unclear which product categories are deemed to be safe, and it’s worth pointing out that the ruling is still effective, meaning it could be enforced once again if trade talks stall.

Huawei has persistently denied any accusations of wrongdoing, while the US has never produced any evidence to support its claims that the company’s networking equipment represents a threat to national security.

Via NYT

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