MANILA -- Buying a flagship phone minus the "pro" or "plus" branding is like flying premium economy instead of business class, such is the case of the Huawei Mate 30.
The pocket-friendlier sibling of the Mate 30 Pro packs the same Kirin 990 processor, Leica-engineered cameras and EMUI 10 as on the Mate 30 Pro. All but the fourth depth-sensing rear camera and the fancy curved sides.
This year, Apple differentiated its 2019 models with a "pro" branding for the higher-end model, which costs as much as its base model MacBook Pro. It's a recognition that consumers are growing more cost conscious as manufacturers, especially the Chinese like Huawei, Vivo and Oppo are offering flagship features for less.
NON-PRO AT WHAT COST?
On paper, the size difference between the Mate 30 (6.62 inches) and the Mate 30 Pro (6.53 inches) seems small, but are more pronounced in the hand thanks to the less expensive model's flat panel and smaller notch. Both OLED displays are sharp with vivid colors, especially reds.
The Mate 30 Pro's notch is bigger to accommodate the face unlock cameras, but not as obtrusive as the iPhone 11 series or the Google Pixel 4, which is huge.
The Mate 30 has a 4,200 mAh battery compared to 4,500 mAh on the pro, but both can go from sunrise to late night comfortably without a midday top-up. This includes browsing on Instagram and Chrome, taking photos, watching YouTube videos and answering emails and messages.
Minus work correspondence on weekends, the Mate 30 can go from Saturday to Sunday. For the first time, too, the non-pro Mate charges wirelessly.
Like the Mate 30 Pro, the Mate 30 runs on Huawei's Kirin 990 with 8GB of RAM, but on board storage is at 128GB, half the 256GB on the Mate 30 Pro.
HOW ARE THE CAMERAS?
The Mate 30 has 3 cameras on the back, a 40-megapixel "super sensing" main camera with f/1.8 aperture, a 16-megapixel ultra wide with f/2.2 aperture and an 8-megapixel telephoto with f/2.4 aperture.
The Mate 30 Pro has two 40-megapixel cameras on the rear: a "cine camera" with f/1.8 aperture and a "super sensing" camera with f/1.6 aperture. It also has an 8-megapixel telephoto with f/2.4 aperture and a fourth depth-sensing lens, like the P30 Pro from earlier in the year.
The circular camera array on the back of the Mate 30 mimics that of the Mate 30 Pro, but it has 3 lenses instead of 4. The performance is also close, especially in the dark, where Huawei has performed well since the P20 series from 2018.
More than the camera specs, what differentiates the current crop of smartphone cameras is how their computational photography software works. Huawei's Master AI tends to make red, blue and green hues pop, ditching the need for an Instagram filter.
In these dusk shots of the Rockwell skyline in Makati, a zoomed in shot heightened the red while the wide shot differentiated the blue from the red.
When the on-board AI detects more pavement and concrete than sky, like in this wide shot of EDSA, it sharpens the head and tail lights of the crush of cars and buses.
The Mate 30 took bright and clear shots of Christmas displays around the city, albeit cooler than the night modes on the iPhone 11 Pro Max and the Galaxy Note 10+.
The Mate 30 can zoom up to 30 times like the Mate 30 Pro, but the zoomed images on the pro had less noise.
Wide shots have less distortion compared to the Mate 20. Close up shots of objects and food are clear and bright.
WHO IS IT FOR?
The Mate 30 is a solid phone, both on its own, and as an alternative to the Mate 30 Pro. It's fast, lasts all day and packs the Leica cameras that consumers look for in a Huawei smartphone.
The P16,000 savings from the Pro is also enough to save, or splurge on a Huawei Watch GT 2 with some P5,000 left to spare, or a nice pair of noise-cancelling wireless earbuds.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
Apple Inc on Wednesday forecast sales for the crucial holiday shopping quarter ahead of Wall Street expectations, with Chief Executive Tim Cook seeing strong sales of the wearables such as the noise-cancelling AirPods Pro and hoping for a US-China trade deal by year-end.
Cook wants to wean Apple off stagnating iPhone sales that make up over half its revenue and switch to generating income from services and wearables. Cook is implementing the strategy while also shepherding Apple through a trade dispute between two of its most important markets, the United States and China.
Apple said it expects $85.5 billion to $89.5 billion in sales for its fiscal first quarter that ends in December, with a midpoint of $87.5 billion that is above analyst expectations of $86.9 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.
Apple shares rose about 2 percent to $247.50 in after-hours trading on the news.
In an interview with Reuters, Cook said he anticipated strong sales of services and wearables, as well “a very, very good start” for sales of the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max released last month. Cook said the forecast also reflected the company's belief that the United States and China will resolve their trade dispute.
"I don't know every chapter of the book, but I think that will eventually happen," Cook told Reuters. "I certainly hope it happens during the quarter, but we'll see about that."
The forecast comes as the Cupertino, California-based company said it generated $33.36 billion in iPhone sales for its fiscal fourth quarter ended in September, which compares with analyst expectations of $32.42 billion, according to Refinitiv data.
The results mark the fourth straight quarter of year-over-year declining iPhone sales. At the same time, hardware is getting less profitable on a gross margin basis, with Apple's net product sales falling while the cost of sales rose slightly.
But Hal Eddins, chief economist for Apple shareholder Capital Investment Counsel, said part of Apple's rising stock price came from interest rate cuts by US officials and other indicators of slowing economic growth. "Investors feel emboldened to pay up for what they feel is 'guaranteed growth' with big tech," Eddins said.
In September, Apple unveiled a lineup that included the new iPhone 11 priced at $699, $50 lower than the debut price of its predecessor, the iPhone XR.
"The starting price of $699 is a factor in bringing more people into the market and giving people just another reason to upgrade," Cook told Reuters. "In China specifically ... we picked locally relevant price points that were more similar to the price points that had great success with earlier."
Apple's revenue is increasingly coming from accessories such as the Apple Watch and AirPods as well as new services such as its Apple Card credit card and a streaming television service set to begin on Friday. Customers will be able to buy iPhones using the Apple Card with no interest for 24 months, Cook said on the conference call.
Apple said its services and accessories segments generated $12.51 billion and $6.52 billion in fourth-quarter revenue, respectively, topping analyst estimates of $12.15 billion and $6 billion, according to Refinitiv data.
Apple now has 450 million subscribers to its own or third-party services on its devices, and sales of wearables were up 54 percent versus the previous year.
"It was an incredible quarter for wearables," Cook said. "It was a very broad range of services that set new all-time records, from our payment services to the search ad business to Apple Music, Apple Care, the App Store and cloud services - almost every kind of service we're in."
Apple sales for its Greater China region dropped a relatively modest 2.4 percent to $11.13 billion in Apple's fiscal fourth quarter ended in September.
"The China growth being down only 2% in this environment is a win," said John Ham of Apple investor New England Investment and Retirement Group. "The Chinese consumer isn’t punishing Apple as the American face of the trade war."
Apple's Cook said that iPhone sales in China ticked up toward the end of the quarter, which includes several days of sales of the new iPhone 11 models. Cook also said the company saw double-digit services revenue growth in China and wearables revenue in China grew at a higher rate than the companywide figure.
"iPhone had a remarkable comeback from the way we performed earlier in the year," Cook said.
Apple's holiday-quarter forecast comes amid a trade conflict between the United States and China, where Apple assembles most of its products and where many of its suppliers are located. Tariffs on imports that would include Apple accessories took effect in September.
Tariffs might hit more categories of goods including Apple's iPhone on Dec. 15, though US and Chinese negotiators were working on a deal.
Apple said its revenue for the fiscal fourth quarter was $64.04 billion, compared with analyst expectations of $62.99 billion, according to Refinitiv data. Earnings per share were $3.03 versus expectations of $2.84. On an absolute basis, earnings dropped from $14.13 billion to $13.69 billion, with the per-share results driven by a smaller base of outstanding shares due to repurchases.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
MANILA - Apple has announced prices for its newest line of iPhones which are set to arrive here on Oct. 25.
Like its previous offerings, Apple's latest and greatest phones don't come cheap, with the least expensive iPhone 11 featuring 64GB of storage costing P47,990.
The most expensive iPhone 11 Pro Max with 512GB of storage meanwhile costs P95,990.
Both Globe Telecom and Smart will start taking preorders for the new iPhones starting Oct. 18.
iPhone 11
P47,990 - 64GB
P50,990 - 128GB
P56,990 - 256GB
iPhone 11 Pro
P67,990 - 64GB
P76,990 - 256GB
P89,990 - 512GB
iPhone 11 Pro Max
P73,990 - 64GB
P82,990 - 256GB
P95,990 - 512GB
With the launch of the new iPhones, Apple has implemented a P10,000 cut in the price of last year's iPhone XR, which now lists
at P40,990 for the base model featuring 64GB of storage.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
MUNICH -- Huawei on Thursday launched its 5G-capable Mate 30 line of smartphones, aiming to compete with Apple's iPhone 11 and Samsung's Galaxy Note.
The Mate 30 has 4 Leica-engineered lenses on the back, houses in a circular module that is designed to look like a professional camera. The wide, bokeh and low-light capture capabilities are carried over to video.
It is powered by Huawei's own Kirin 990 processor and a 4,500 mAh battery that can support fast charging of up to 40 watts with wires and 27 watts wireless. The wireless reverse charging for accessories is also 3 times faster, he said.
The new flagship phone runs Android 10 and EMUI 10, Yu said.
The sides of the 6.53-inch OLED panel curves to the edges, giving the illusion of a near borderless display.
A large part of the phone's glass back has a frosted finish, to prevent fingerprint smudging. Huawei is also offering the Mate 30 series in a vegan leather back option instead of glass.
Huawei also unveiled an array of accessories for photo and video including a gimbal that pairs instantly with the Mate 30 and a handheld studio light.
Shenzhen-based Huawei, the world's second largest smartphone vendor is positioning the Mate series for consumers who want the powerful phones for both work and play, pitting it against Samsung's Galaxy Note line.
For the first time, this year's Note came in two sizes, the Note 10 and 10+ and a more useful S-Pen stylus with gesture controls and handwriting recognition. Like premium Huawei phones, the Note 10+ also has 4 AI-assisted cameras.
Apple slashed the price on its entry-level handset, now simply called iPhone 11 with two cameras for wide and ultra-wide capture. The two other iPhones with 3 rear cameras and OLED screens instead of LCD now carry "Pro" branding.
"This year is quite a challenging year for Huawei. In tough times, we still achieved growth," Huawei consumer business group CEO Richard Yu said, citing a 26-percent jump in smartphone sales in the January to August period.
The Mate 20 series sold 16 million units and the P30 series, 17 million, Yu said.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
Over more than a decade of writing about technology, reviewing a new iPhone has long been one of my simplest assignments.
Year after year, the formula was this: I tested the most important new features of Apple’s latest smartphone and assessed whether they were useful. Assuming the newest iPhone worked well, my advice was generally the same — I recommended upgrading if you had owned your existing smartphone for two years.
But with this review of the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max — the newest models that Apple unveiled last week and which will become available Friday — I’m encouraging a different approach. The bottom line? It’s time to reset our upgrade criteria.
That’s because we are now living in the golden age of smartphones, where the gadgets’ improvements each year are far from seismic. Devices that debuted three years ago remain zippy and more than capable. Those with the iPhone 7 from 2016, for example, still have a very good phone with a stellar camera and fast speeds.
So now is the moment to ask: Do we really need to upgrade our iPhones every two years?
Based on my tests of the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, the answer is no. Don’t get me wrong: The newest models are nice. Apple has made them speedier, improved the cameras and lengthened their battery life. The new lineup also starts at a lower price of $700, down from $750 a year ago, which is a relief in an era of skyrocketing smartphone costs.
But none of this is enough to warrant an immediate upgrade if you have had your smartphone for only two years. The latest iPhones just aren’t a big leap forward from last year’s iPhones or even the iPhone X from 2017.
So here’s what I ultimately suggest: You should definitely upgrade if your current device is at least five years old. The iPhone 11 models are all a significant step up from those introduced in 2014. But for everyone else with smartphones from 2015 or later, there is no rush to buy. Instead, there is more mileage and value to be had out of the excellent smartphone you already own.
IPHONE 11 VS IPHONE X
I tested the new iPhones for a week, starting with the $700 entry-level iPhone 11 with a 6.1-inch display, which I used as my primary phone for three days. Then I switched to the iPhone 11 Pro, the $1,000 model with a 5.8-inch screen, for two days. And then finally, the iPhone 11 Pro Max, the $1,100 model with a jumbo 6.5-inch screen, for another two days.
Then I compared the results with my notes and photos from testing the iPhone X in 2017. What I found was that the iPhone 11 was better, but not profoundly so.
Here were the notable differences between the iPhone 11s and the iPhone X:
— All the iPhone 11 models have a new ultra-wide-angle lens in their cameras, which provides a wider field of view than traditional phone cameras. This makes them handy for shooting landscapes or large group gatherings. The iPhone X lacks the ultra-wide-angle lens but its dual-lens camera is capable of shooting portrait mode photos, which puts the picture’s main subject in sharp focus while softly blurring the background.
— The newest iPhones all have the same computing processor, called A13 Bionic, which is about 50 percent faster than the iPhone X. While that may sound significant, the iPhone X is already incredibly fast at shooting photos and running apps and games.
— The new iPhones all have longer battery life. Even after a day of heavy use, which included taking phone calls, using maps and shooting lots of photos, each iPhone had lots of juice remaining — at least 30 percent — by bedtime. After similar tests with an iPhone X two years ago, the battery had about 15 percent left by bedtime.
— The back of the Pro models is composed of a rugged glass that makes them scratch-resistant. This is impressive, but if you’re spending $1,000 on a phone, you will probably protect it with a case that covers the back anyway — just as many iPhone X owners do.
— The Pro models have OLED displays that are slightly brighter than the screen on the iPhone X.
There are lots of little things that are somewhat better on the new iPhones compared to the two-year-old iPhone X. For early adopters who are keen to have the latest and greatest tech, those differences may add up to a substantial upgrade.
But for most of us, the upgrades won’t meaningfully change our phone experience.
CONTRASTING THE PHONE CAMERAS
The most noteworthy new feature on the iPhones 11s is the ultra-wide-angle lens. Using the ultrawide mode is simple and seamless: You pinch outward to zoom all the way out. On a beach, the wider view captured my dogs playing on the sand, the ocean waves and the adjacent highway.
The telephoto lens on the iPhone 11 Pro did an exceptional job zooming in on my dog Mochi’s snout as she shook some water off her head.
The new iPhones also have a new mode for shooting photos in low light. Once the camera detects that a setting is very dark, it automatically captures multiple pictures and then fuses them together while making adjustments to colors and contrast. The result was that photos taken in low light without flash look brighter, in a natural way.
Photos taken with the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro looked crisp and clear, and their colors were accurate. But after I finished these tests, I looked back at my archived photos taken with an iPhone X.
Those pictures, especially the ones shot with portrait mode, still looked impressive. Some of the low-light ones looked crummy in comparison to the ones taken by the iPhone 11s, but I wouldn’t recommend that you buy a new phone just to get better night photos. You could always just use flash.
WHEN SHOULD I UPGRADE THEN?
Each year, the most common question I get from friends and colleagues is whether they should buy a new iPhone. So here’s a list of considerations in any decision about upgrading.
The simplest place to start is software. Apple’s newest mobile operating system, iOS 13, will work only on iPhones from 2015 (the iPhone 6S) and later. So if you have an iPhone that is older than that, it is worth upgrading because once you can no longer update the operating system, some of your apps may stop working properly.
For those with younger iPhones, there are ways to get more mileage out of your current device. While the newest iPhones have superb battery life — several hours longer than the last generation — a fresh battery in your existing gadget costs only $50 to $70 and will greatly extend its life.
If you have the iPhone 6S from 2015 and the iPhone 7 from 2016, the iPhone 11s are speedier, with camera improvements and bigger displays. That makes an upgrade nice to have but not a must-have.
But if you spent $1,000 on an iPhone X two years ago, then hold off. The iPhone 11s just aren’t enough of an innovation leap to warrant $700-plus on a new smartphone.
If you wait another year or two, you will most likely be rewarded with that jump forward. That might be an iPhone that works with fast 5G cellular networks, or a smartphone that can wirelessly charge an Apple Watch.
Patience has its benefits — and so will breaking free of the iPhone’s automatic two-year upgrade cycle.
2019 The New York Times Company
source: news.abs-cbn.com
SAN FRANCISCO, United States - Apple's entry into online games with a low-cost subscription plan is expected to bring a fresh set of consumers into gaming and potentially reshape the multibillion-dollar market.
Apple Arcade, which launches Thursday, rides a trend of video games played by subscribers instead of purchased as downloads or disks, and its $4.99 monthly price could wind up boosting ranks of players.
"My hunch is that it's a good thing for the market overall," said NPD Group games executive director Mat Piscatella.
"Apple Arcade might eat into free-to-play titles, or it might expand the market overall and attract many new players that haven't yet been drawn to paying for content on mobile."
Apple Arcade differs from rivals by offering unlimited access for a flat monthly price to more than 100 exclusive games uninterrupted by ads or the hawking of virtual goods.
"The games themselves don't have in-game purchase mechanics; instead, there is a beginning, middle and end," said Wedbush Securities equity research managing director Michael Pachter.
"That's a different type of game than free-to-play, so I think there is definitely an audience."
Converting phone owners
Arcade fits into a subscription model that is gaining traction, according to analysts.
Subscription services are offered by console rivals Xbox and PlayStation, while Google is set to launch a Stadia streaming play service in November.
"The old model was paid download, but that died when free-to-play was invented," Pachter said.
"(Arcade) is not much of a threat to the conventional games business, and will likely convert some mobile phone owners to gamers over time."
The US video game industry generated a record $43.4 billion in revenue in 2018, according to the Entertainment Software Association and The NPD Group.
A drawback for Arcade is that it doesn't support games playable on popular consoles or Windows-powered personal computers, said analyst Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights & Strategy.
Game makers also face the challenge of tailoring each title to play equally well on Apple's various devices, which is tougher than crafting software for one type of hardware such as a popular console.
Details of what incentives or revenue shares Apple is giving game developers have not been disclosed.
"Apple is taking advantage of the power of its devices to attract developers for a share of the $5 monthly fee, and the early providers are going to make good coin by participating," Pachter said.
Alexandre De Rochefort of Gameloft, a studio producing games for Apple Arcade, declined to discuss the revenue share but said it would likely be "a valuable initiative for Gameloft, our partners, and our players" as the economics of gaming shift.
"On the mobile side, we think that the free-to-play business model has reached near maturity," De Rochefort said.
"If you look at what is happening in music, in movies and TV shows, the subscription business model is getting very popular, and somehow the gaming industry is still a bit behind on this topic. It is great for the industry to have new alternatives, and we are convinced that the subscription-based model will bring new experiences for new players."
Gen Z
Apple promised new, exclusive Arcade games will be playable across iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and Apple TV, potentially attracting younger audiences.
"I think the service will appeal to parents and to a new wave of Gen Z consumers that identify with unique and authentic content experiences on smartphones," said IHS Markit Technology head of games research Piers Harding-Rolls.
"These consumers may also be tempted to buy into the Apple ecosystem with the cheaper and more youthful iPhone 11."
Apple will begin shipping new iPhone 11 models on Friday as it emphasizes television streaming and gaming services to wean itself off dependence on selling hardware.
Price appeared to be a key consideration as the tech giant reduced the entry-level price for the iPhone 11 to $699.
"Overall this games service strategy supports Apple's ecosystem of devices," Harding-Rolls said.
"It will attract a niche share of the over one billion active iOS device user-base and, given Apple's huge audience that is likely to result in a games subscription service bigger than most that have come before it."
source: news.abs-cbn.com
SAN FRANCISCO, United States - Apple on Tuesday played to its strengths with powerful new iPhone and iPad models able to serve as stages for its new game and television services.
The Silicon Valley titan added into the mix a new-generation Apple Watch that can tell when a place is getting too noisy or help point wearers in the right direction.
Here is what Apple will be releasing as the company strives to offset slumping iPhone sales:
CAMERAS AND CHIPS
Apple introduced three new iPhone models.
An iPhone 11 boasted upgrades including a dual-camera system; longer battery life, a muscular computer chip and better water resistance.
The iPhone 11 will be priced starting at $699 when it hits the market on September 20.
The phone's camera has a new "ultra-wide" angle lens. Like the other new models, the iPhone is powered by an "A13 bionic" chip made in-house by Apple and infused with machine learning as well as high-performance graphics and processing capabilities.
Apple also introduced an iPhone 11 Pro and larger-screened iPhone 11 Pro Max that will have starting prices of $999 and $1,099 respectively when they are available on September 20.
The Pro line of iPhone has rich "super retina" OLED displays and a third camera on the back for professional quality photos and video, as well as a ramped-up zoom and editing software.
Apple played up an ability to use Pro iPhones for slow motion portrait snippets like selfies that it called "slofies."
None of the iPhones was tailored for the 5G telecom networks starting to roll out.
iPAD WITH A PENCIL
Apple introduced a seventh-generation iPad with a 10.2-inch display priced at $329. It is set to be in stores starting September 30.
A "must-have" Apple Pencil integrated to work with the iPad touch screen can be used as a controller for creation or productivity. The iPad case is made entirely of recycled aluminum and will have a recently introduced operating system designed specifically for the tablet computers.
WATCH TIME
The fifth-generation Apple Watch has a touch-screen face that is always on so the time and notifications are always viewable, while still being stingy on battery power. Previous generations had the smartwatch face go dark when arms dropped to save on power.
New software features include tracking ambient noise levels to safeguard people's hearing; an ability for women to monitor menstrual cycles, and a "compass" to keep users properly oriented.
Apple also invited Watch users to volunteer for three new health studies, though data collected will remain anonymous.
Apple Watch Series 5 had a starting price of $399 and was set to be available starting September 20. Apple also reduced the price of Apple Watch Series 3 to a starting price of $199.
TV AND GAMES
Apple's promised streaming television service -- dubbed TV+ -- will launch internationally on November 1.
The line-up of original shows will include "The Morning Show," "Dickinson," “See,” “For All Mankind” and "The Elephant Queen."
Apple chief executive Tim Cook promised more content would be added as it is produced.
The service will be priced at $4.99 monthly, about half of what Netflix charges for access to its large catalog of content, and is available for viewing using Apple devices or online at tv.apple.com.
Anyone who buys a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch or Mac computer will get a year of Apple TV+ thrown in free of charge.
Apple TV+ will arrive about two weeks before a new Disney+ streaming television service, which costs $2 more per month.
Apple will open its Arcade game service on September 19, also charging $4.99 monthly. Arcade will have more than 100 exclusive titles for play on Apple's array of hardware.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
CUPERTINO, California -- Apple’s product launches have long been full of surprises, but rarely has a price cut been among them.
On Tuesday, in a sign that Apple is paying attention to consumers who aren’t racing to buy more expensive phones, the company said the iPhone 11, its entry-level phone, would start at $700, compared with $750 for the comparable model last year.
Apple kept the starting prices of its more advanced models, the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, at $1,000 and $1,100. The company unveiled the new phones at a 90-minute press event at its Silicon Valley campus.
The cost cut on the iPhone 11 was unexpected because Apple had been raising prices each year as a way to keep revenues afloat while iPhone sales fell. But Apple might have hit the ceiling this past year. Sales of the two models that began at $1,000 or more lagged expectations, causing the company to cut revenue estimates and eventually slash prices in China to increase demand.
At the same time, Apple’s entry-level phone last year — the iPhone XR, at $750 — became the company’s bestselling device.
Analysts say that one issue with the rising prices has been that new iPhone features haven’t kept up. As a result, many people are holding onto their phones longer. The falling price suggests Apple sees that trend and is trying to entice more people to upgrade.
Apple said it would also still sell older models for even less. The iPhone 8 now costs $450 and the iPhone XR now costs $600.
Apple has rebranded its iPhone line to make the iPhone 11 its entry-level option, while adding a “Pro” label to its more expensive models.
The move is a departure from Apple’s previous marketing strategy, which gave the cheapest phone a different label that branded it as the discounted model. (It still started at $750.) The iPhone XR became Apple’s bestselling iPhone, while its more expensive models struggled in some markets. Those lagging sales caused Apple to cut revenue estimates earlier this year.
The iPhone XR also likely outperformed its costlier cousins in part because tech reviewers considered it to be about as good as the flagship iPhone — for 25 percent less. Apple has long been in a bind on pricing and developing its line of iPhones, aiming to make the least expensive devices still worth paying hundreds of dollars for without undercutting the pricier models.
The rebranding suggests Apple is embracing the lowest-priced iPhone as the device most people will use, while marketing the “Pro” devices for the higher end of the market. The company has done the same with its iPads, also labeling its most advanced tablets the iPad Pro.
TRIO OF IPHONES
The company introduced three new phones: the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro Max. The main difference? Each of the three iPhones gained a new camera lens.
The new high-end Pro models include a triple-lens main camera, up from two lenses in last year’s models, and the entry-level iPhone now has a dual-lens camera, up from a single lens in last year’s iPhone XR. All the iPhones include a so-called ultrawide angle lens.
Here’s what that means: The new ultrawide lens take photos with a wider field of view than traditional phone cameras, which makes it handy for shooting landscapes or large group gatherings. Samsung’s Galaxy S10, which was released this year, also includes an ultrawide angle lens.
The second lens on the entry-level iPhone will also make the camera more capable of shooting photos in portrait mode, which puts the picture’s main subject in sharp focus while softly blurring the background.
Last year’s iPhone XR had a single lens and was capable of shooting portrait photos of only human subjects. The second lens in the new entry-level iPhone will let you take portrait shots of nonhuman subjects like food, animals and plants.
On the high-end iPhones, the triple-lens system lets users zoom in closer on their subjects. Apple also said it had added a night mode for shooting photos in low light. By default, when users shoot photos in the dark, the camera will automatically make photos look better lit.
With its focus on camera tech, Apple is playing catch-up with Google. Google’s Pixel smartphones focus on camera innovations including Night Sight, a popular feature for shooting photos in low light, which led critics to conclude that the search giant had used its prowess in artificial intelligence to surpass Apple in camera tech.
ALWAYS ON APPLE WATCH
Apple detailed the Apple Watch Series 5. The watch’s most noteworthy new feature is its so-called always-on display. In previous models, the screen would turn on when you tilted your wrist to check the time.
The new watch uses a display technology (previously seen in Samsung phones) to keep some pixels activated just to show the time, consuming little power. The screen becomes fully illuminated when you tilt your wrist. Other updates to the watch, including a built-in compass, were minor. The watch starts at $400, the same price as the last model. It will be available on Sept. 20.
BASE MODEL IPAD GETS A BOOST
The company introduced a new version of its entry-level iPad, which costs $330. The new model includes a 10.2-inch screen, up from 9.7 inches. Unlike the previous model, the new tablet is compatible with Apple’s Smart Keyboard. (Previous iPads worked only with third-party keyboards.)
The updated iPad is unremarkable compared with Apple’s high-end iPad Pros, which include sharper screens and infrared face recognition and work with a more advanced Apple stylus. However, the entry-level iPad is Apple’s bestselling tablet, and its investment in the entry-level model shows the company’s commitment to the category even though its sales have slowed down.
APPLE TV STARTS IN NOVEMBER
At last, Apple’s original television shows have a premiere date and price point. The company’s chief executive, Tim Cook, announced that Apple would begin rolling out original shows and movies on Nov. 1 for $5 per month.
Apple TV Plus, which will be the home of all of Apple’s original content, will be free for a year to users who buy a company product like a new iPhone or a laptop.
Apple announced that on Nov. 1, it would feature a lineup of adult dramas, comedies, children’s programs and documentaries. Those series include four shows the company has released trailers for, including “The Morning Show,” starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carrell; “Dickinson,” a comedy starring Hailee Steinfeld and Jane Krakowski; “See,” an epic drama starring Jason Momoa; and “For All Mankind,” a space drama. The launch will also feature other programs, including Oprah Winfrey’s new book club, a Peanuts series called “Snoopy in Space” and a documentary that Apple bought the rights to last year called “The Elephant Queen.”
By year’s end, Apple will have six subscription services, from news to TV to music. Customers who wanted all of them would pay up to $55 a month.
The launch date puts Apple in the thick of the so-called streaming wars, which have consumed Hollywood. Disney is rolling out its new streaming service, Disney Plus, on Nov. 12. AT&T’s Warner Media, the home of HBO, Warner Bros. and the DC comic universe, will introduce its own streaming service next year, and will announce new details for it on Oct. 29.
The monthly price makes it cheaper than Disney’s service, which will be $7 a month, and well below Netflix, which is $13 per month.
But questions linger: How will Apple market these programs in the coming months? Which shows will be introduced from the get-go? And will Apple drop all episodes of new series at once like Netflix does, or will it roll them out once a week?
2019 The New York Times Company
source: news.abs-cbn.com
Apple unveiled its iPhone 11 models Tuesday, touting upgraded, ultra-wide cameras as it updated its popular smartphone lineup and cut its entry price to $699.
The newest handsets come as Apple seeks to spur new upgrades in a slumping global smartphone market.
The new iPhones are "jam packed with new capabilities and an incredible new design," Apple chief executive Tim Cook told a launch event in Cupertino, California.
The surprise from Apple was the reduction in the entry-level price at $699, down from the starting level of $749 for the iPhone XR a year ago even as many premium devices are being priced around $1,000.
Apple additionally unveiled a more expensive "Pro" model of the iPhone 11.
It also set launch dates for its original video offering, Apple TV+, and its game subscription service as part of efforts to reduce its dependence on the iPhone.
The TV+ service will launch November 1 in more than 100 countries at $4.99 per month and will include a "powerful and inspiring lineup of original shows, movies and documentaries."
Apple is featuring scripted dramas, comedies and movies as well as children's programs in the service, which will compete against streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon.
"With Apple TV+, we are presenting all-original stories from the best, brightest and most creative minds, and we know viewers will find their new favorite show or movie on our service," said Zack Van Amburg, Apple's head of video.
Apple said customers who purchase an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch or Mac will get the first year of the service for free.
The company's online gaming subscription service, Apple Arcade, will launch next week, offering exclusive titles for mobile and desktop users.
The new service, which will also cost $4.99 per month, will include more than 100 game titles made for Apple devices.
"You can't find these games on any other mobile platform or subscription service, no games service ever launched as many games, and we can't wait for you to play all of that," product manager Ann Thai told the Apple media event.
Apple also unveiled updates to its iPad tablet and Apple Watch smartwatch.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
Apple Inc could sell as many as 200 million of its latest iPhones from existing users upgrading their older devices and much of that demand will come from China despite an ongoing trade war, several Wall Street analysts said on Monday.
The Cupertino, California-based company is widely expected to launch three new iPhones on Tuesday, featuring upgraded processors and new camera functionality, along with a video streaming service that will take on the likes of Netflix Inc and Walt Disney.
The upgrade cycle could translate into roughly 180 million iPhone units sold in the next 12 months with roughly 60 million to 70 million consumers due for an upgrade in China, where Apple struggled with its last launch, Wedbush analysts said.
Apple currently has about 900 million active iPhones globally and the combination of slack sales for its iPhone X launches since 2017 and relatively tight control of pricing may spur demand from users who have been holding out previously, several analysts said.
"These old phones would be candidates for upgrade and we continue to look at fiscal 2020 as a 'Trade-in' iPhone cycle versus 2021 which should be a 5G-driven cycle," Bank of America analysts said.
They estimated there were 200 million iPhone 6 and earlier models which were primed for upgrading.
Apple's 2020 fiscal year starts from October and none of the brokerages expected it to launch a 5G-enabled iPhone this time round - in contrast to recent 5G mobile launches by Samsung Electronics and China's OnePlus.
Analysts and other industry watchers expect Apple to launch three smartphones: a 5.8-inch iPhone 11 Pro, 6.5-inch 11 Pro Max and a low-priced 6.1-inch 11R.
The base model is expected to be priced at $749, the iPhone 11 Pro at $999 and iPhone Pro Max at $1,099, roughly unchanged from last year's prices, with the company opting to push through any potential tariffs on the devices in favor of boosting sales volumes.
Apple faces levies of 15 percent imposed by the US government on products made in China including smartwatches and wireless headphones as of Sept. 1, with a tariff on the iPhone to take effect on Dec. 15.
Apple has seen bumps in demand in China this year, driven by Chinese online retailers discounting iPhones.
"Apple saw meaningful elasticity of demand in China when it lowered the price of iPhone XR, and we expect Apple to potentially lower pricing of some models," the Bank of America analysts said.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
One day before the launch of the iPhone 11, Apple and its Chinese supplier Foxconn have been accused of violating labor laws to produce the new model.
New York-based China Labor Watch (CLW) released a report on Monday detailing a string of alleged violations at Foxconn’s Zhengzhou factory, in the central province of Henan, mostly relating to the employment conditions of temporary workers.
According to the report, temporary workers – recruited through contracted agencies – now make up half or more of the workforce at the Zhengzhou facility, with workers putting in at least 100 overtime hours a month.
China’s labor laws stipulate that temporary workers “shall not exceed 10 percent of the total workforce” and that “monthly overtime work hours shall not exceed 36 hours”.
The report also found temporary workers allegedly did not receive the same benefits as full-time employees, including paid sick leave, paid holidays and social insurance which provides medical, unemployment and pension coverage.
Chinese labor regulations require temporary workers – who should not be recruited for primary roles – to be paid the same level of salary, insurance and other benefits as permanent staff.
Foxconn started recruiting temporary workers – also known as “dispatch workers” – in 2016 through the use of labor hire companies which typically offer one-off “bonuses” to attract the workers they recruit. The employees have no direct employment relationship with Foxconn until they sign a contract with the factory, usually after working there for three months.
“Apple has done very little to improve the rights of workers in their supplier factories,” CLW said. “Apple claimed they care about every worker on the production line but, in fact, workers are paid wages that are close to or equivalent to the local minimum wage.”
Zhengzhou Foxconn – dubbed Apple’s “iPhone City” – is the biggest iPhone factory in the world and has previously come under fire over working conditions at the 1.4 million square meter (15 million sq ft) facility, where half the world’s iPhones are made. A series of suicides and protests by workers – allegedly over payment and harsh working conditions – have made headlines over the years.
In January 2018, a temporary worker jumped to his death from Zhengzhou Foxconn’s dormitory complex, apparently because he did not receive his bonus. In December, hundreds of temporary workers took to the streets of Zhengzhou claiming they had been cheated by the recruitment agencies out of their $870 bonuses.
Photographs and videos posted online showed groups of workers holding placards which read: “Illegal agents with Foxconn cheated migrant workers. Give me back my money.” One video showed people chanting, “We want our bonus money”. The protests were broken up by police.
CLW said its investigators, who had been employed at the factory for years, found working conditions had remained relatively unchanged. The base wage was still 2,100 yuan (US$295) which was insufficient to sustain a family living in Zhengzhou. Social insurance contributions had increased from 2015 to 2018, but still fell short of legal requirements, CLW said.
Other violations CLW found included recruitment of student workers, a lack of adequate personal protective equipment and safety training, and a failure to report work injuries. Supervisors also commonly used verbal abuse, the report said.
Apple conceded the number of dispatch workers was high, but dismissed most of the report.
“We did find during our investigation that the percentage of dispatch workers exceeded our standards and we are working closely with Foxconn to resolve this issue,” Apple said.
“We looked into the claims by China Labor Watch and most of the allegations are false. We have confirmed all workers are being compensated appropriately, including any overtime wages and bonuses, all overtime work was voluntary and there was no evidence of forced labor.”
Apple also said robust management systems were in place, including training on workplace rights, on-site worker interviews, anonymous grievance channels and ongoing audits.
Foxconn Technology Group confirmed that a recent review of its Zhengzhou operations had identified some workforce compliance issues, but also rejected the bulk of CLW’s claims.
“At no time did we find any evidence of forced labour and we can confirm that this facility currently has no interns working overtime,” Foxconn said.
“We did find evidence that the use of dispatch workers and the number of hours of overtime work carried out by employees, which we have confirmed was always voluntary, was not consistent with company guidelines. We did determine that the affected workers were paid all earned overtime and related bonus payments.”
Foxconn said work continued to address the issues identified at the Zhengzhou facility, which was being closely monitored. “We will not hesitate to take any additional steps that might be required to meet the high standards we set for our operations.”
Foxconn said it worked hard to comply with all relevant laws and regulations. “In all cases, and with all types of workers, we offer an industry-competitive salary and related benefits that significantly exceeds government-mandated levels.”
Copyright (c) 2019. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple lost more ground in the shrinking smartphone market last quarter, with a sales tracker saying the tech giant was pushed off the top-three seller list by a Chinese rival.
Apple fell to fourth place in global smartphone sales, shipping 35.3 million iPhones in the second quarter compared to the 36.2 million units shipped by Oppo, according to a report from IHS Markit this week.
Cupertino, California-based Apple is expected to launch by September the successors to its iPhone XS and XR models from 2018 with what may be called the iPhone 11 or XI.
South Korean consumer electronics titan Samsung remained in first place with 23 percent of the market, having shipped 75.1 million smartphones, China's Huawei shipped 58.7 million smartphones to claim 18 percent of the market, IHS Markit calculated.
"Apple continues to face challenges in terms of unit shipments -- a trend that is unlikely to be fixed soon," IHS smartphone research and analysis director Jusy Hong said in an online post.
While California-based Apple has been aggressively promoting iPhones, current-generation smartphones have "super-premium" prices while models a few years old are still costly compared to bargain Android-powered handsets, the analyst reasoned.
Other smartphone market trackers such as Counterpoint Research and International Data Corporation concluded that while iPhone shipments sank in the second quarter, Apple remained in third place what it came to global shipments.
Huawei, meanwhile, saw smartphone shipments rise despite the overall market contracting and US-China trade tensions, market trackers reported.
CHINESE RIVALS RISING
Huawei -- considered the world leader in superfast fifth-generation, or 5G, equipment and the world's number two smartphone producer -- has been blacklisted by US President Donald Trump amid suspicions it provides a backdoor for Chinese intelligence services. The company denies those charges.
"The effect of the ban did not translate into falling shipments during this quarter, which will not be the case in the future," Counterpoint associate research director Tarun Pathak said in the firm's market report.
"In the coming quarters, Huawei is likely to be aggressive in its home market and register some growth there, but it will not be enough to offset for the decline in its overseas shipments."
The combined global smartphone market share of Chinese firms Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi and Realme reached a new high of 42 percent in the second quarter, according to Counterpoint.
"These brands have been aggressively expanding outside China and achieving growth offsetting the saturation in their home market," said Counterpoint research analyst Varun Mishra.
"Their strategies and product portfolios are more aligned to the local needs and preferences, which is one of their key strengths."
Apple has been striving to wean itself off its reliance on iPhone sales with a focus on services, digital content and related gadgets.
In the just-ended quarter, Apple for the first time took in less than half its revenue from the iPhone, the longtime cash and profit driver for the company.
Apple managed to grow its overall revenues, albeit by a modest one percent, to $53.8 billion, even as iPhone revenues plunged nearly 12 percent in the April-June period.
The company delivered strong growth from digital content and services including Apply Pay and Apple Music, along with wearables and accessories like the Apple Watch and Air Pods.
Apple has stopped reporting iPhone unit sales, but chief executive Tim Cook said during an earnings call that there was a "strong customer response" to iPhone promotions and financing programs.
Apple saw its sales improve in the crucial China market, which included a double-digit increase in services revenue driven by strong growth in the App Store there, according to the company.
The sale of iPhones in that country was boosted by factors including pricing moves by Apple, and trade-in and financing programs, Cook said.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
