Sunday, December 23, 2018

2019 iPhones: Everything We Know

Source: MacRumors.com

AT A GLANCE

  • Apple is expected to debut refreshed iPhones in September 2019, and rumors about the new devices are already circulating.

EARLY RUMORED FEATURES

  • Three sizes
  • OLED and LCD displays
  • Triple-lens rear camera
  • Upgraded TrueDepth camera
  • Apple Pencil support?
LAST UPDATED 2 weeks ago

    2019 iPhone Rumors



    Contents Upper Lower

    1. 2019 iPhone Rumors
    2. Possible Names
    3. Displays
    4. A13 Processor
    5. Rear Cameras
    6. Front-Facing TrueDepth Camera System
    7. Apple Pencil Support
    8. Future iPhones
    9. Launch Date

    2018 brought the iPhone XS (5.8 inches), the iPhone XS Max (6.5 inches), and the iPhone XR (6.1 inches). The two XS devices have higher price tags starting at $999, while the XR is priced starting at $749.

    We're expecting a similar lineup in 2019, perhaps with a continuation of both the iPhone XS and XR devices, with rumors suggesting we'll see 5.8 and 6.5-inch OLED iPhones along with a 6.1-inch LCD iPhone. We don't yet know what Apple will call the new iPhones, but iPhone XI or iPhone 11 are possibilities for the iPhone XS successors. Given that naming is up in the air, we're going to be referring to the upcoming iPhones as the "2019 iPhones" for now.

    Rumors about the 2019 iPhones started before the iPhone XS and XR were even announced, and we've heard quite a few details on what we can expect.

    Apple is expected to continue using OLED displays for the 2019 devices, and while some rumors suggest Apple may go with an all OLED lineup, doing away with the LED displays of the iPhone XR, other rumors believe Apple will stick with LEDs because of the high price of OLED displays.

    All 2019 iPhones are likely to adopt upgraded A13 chips from TSMC, Apple's chip supplier. Chip upgrades typically bring improved performance and efficiency, and the A13 will be no different.

    The iPhone XS and XS Max

    Multiple rumors have suggested Apple could be planning to use a triple-lens rear-facing camera setup in the 2019 iPhones, which may be able to capture detailed depth and distance information to enable TrueDepth-style augmented reality functionality.

    It's not entirely clear if this is Apple's plan, however, as at least one rumor suggests this technology is not the direction Apple plans to go. If Apple does include a triple-lens camera system in the 2019 iPhones, support for 3x optical zoom is a possibility, and improved image quality is a sure thing.

    We may also see a revamped front-facing TrueDepth camera system, with rumors suggesting either a smaller notch or no notch at all. It's not quite clear how Apple would pull that off, but there are some technologies that would allow for it.

    Apple eliminated 3D Touch in the iPhone XR, replacing it with a new Haptic Touch feature, and rumors have suggested the same thing could happen in the 2019 iPhone lineup, with 3D Touch set to be removed.

    There have been some rumors of Apple Pencil support in the 2019 iPhones, which would allow the devices to work with Apple's stylus, but we've heard nothing concrete just yet.

    Keep an eye on this roundup, because we'll be updating it regularly with all of the rumors about the 2019 iPhones ahead of their launch. We're expecting to see the 2019 devices debut in September 2019, in line with Apple's traditional yearly iPhone launch schedule.

    Possible Names

    Apple deviated from its standard naming scheme with the iPhone X (pronounced iPhone 10) in 2017, and in 2018, we got the iPhone XS and the iPhone XR. Apple went from iPhone 8 to iPhone XR (10R) and we never had an iPhone 9.

    With the jump to the "X" name, it's difficult to predict what Apple will call the 2019 iPhones. iPhone XI or iPhone 11 are both possibilities, but what comes after "XR" is a mystery we have yet to solve. Apple's iPhone names for the last 11 years are below:

    • 2007 - iPhone
    • 2008 - iPhone 3G
    • 2009 - iPhone 3GS
    • 2010 - iPhone 4 (new design)
    • 2011 - iPhone 4s
    • 2012 - iPhone 5 (new design)
    • 2013 - iPhone 5s
    • 2014 - iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus (new design)
    • 2015 - iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus
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    Friday, March 2, 2018

    FAQ - Apple File System (APFS)

    Source: Macworld


    With the release of macOS High Sierra and its upgrade for SSD-based startup volumes to Apple File System (APFS), Macworld readers had many questions about how this new filesystem—more efficient and reliable for SSDs—will interact with older Macs, hard drives, networked filesharing, and more. Here are the answers.

    Many questions revolve around a concern that files stored on an APFS-formatted volume won’t be readable or usable elsewhere. Generally, a filesystem structure only affects the way in which documents are stored on a drive. When the files are retrieved, they’re independent of that format and can handled just as they would in any other case, like downloading a file from a website.
    Table of Contents

    If you clone your drive routinely, make a full clone before you upgrade, because otherwise you won’t be able to revert on an APFS drive to a previous system that uses HFS+. It also gives you a clean revert position in case of an upgrade failure.

    Table of Contents

    Can I opt to not install APFS?

    Table of Contents
    No. It’s mandatory on SSDs when you upgrade to High Sierra. Fusion drive support (Apple’s hybrid SSD and HDD combo) is coming and, we assume, mandatory with the upgrade that carries it.





    Is APFS a reason to avoid upgrading to High Sierra for now?

    Table of Contents
    Opinions vary. It’s an entirely new filesystem if you have an SSD startup drive, and I generally recommend most people wait until there’s a “dot” release, in this case 10.13.1 or even 10.13.2, to ensure any glitches found by early adopters are fixed without you living through the experience. (Since some games and software, like Adobe InDesign, isn’t working correctly with High Sierra at the moment, that’s another reason to delay.)

    Once High Sierra upgrades my startup volume APFS, can I revert to HFS+?

    Table of Contents
    A reader having problems after upgrading to High Sierra wonders if APFS is the problem and, if so, can they revert? You can’t: High Sierra doesn’t have a back-out mechanism.
    You should make a clone (see next entry) if you want to have the option to revert back to Sierra. This will require wiping the drive, reformatting it, and then restoring the clone.

    Can I use cloning software to back up my drive?

    Table of Contents
    Yes, but with provisos. Folks who develop cloning software for macOS are on the front lines of coping with these changes. Dave Nanian of Shirt Pocket, makers of SuperDuper, has a beta release out (free to existing owners) that supports APFS volumes, but on his blog he advises general users against upgrading yet. Bombich’s Carbon Copy Cloner, the other popular drive cloning app, has a release version that supports APFS, but notes (as Shirt Pocket does) that Apple has left some features undocumented, and has a long list of resources to read before upgrading.

    If you clone your drive routinely, make a full clone before you upgrade, because otherwise you won’t be able to revert on an APFS drive to a previous system that uses HFS+. It also gives you a clean revert position in case of an upgrade failure.
    You should also upgrade your clone target to APFS for reasons of like-to-like compatibility, and if you want to have a bootable High Sierra volume. It’s not mandatory, but it’s a good idea. (See below on converting external drives.)
    I would advise people who rely on clones as one leg of their backup process—something I strongly recommend—delaying High Sierra until both major clone-software companies express satisfaction with the state of documentation and stability on their blogs.

    How do I move data from an APFS volume to a non-APFS volume or an older Mac?

    Table of Contents
    You’ve got many, many choices:
    • Attach an HFS+ (or other supported format) external drive to your Mac, and copy files to that drive. Eject that drive and move it to the other Mac.
    • Turn filesharing on for your High Sierra Mac, and mount it as a volume on the older Mac.
    • Use AirDrop. (It sometimes works!)
    • Use Dropbox, SFTP, SMB, email, or any other networked file transmission technology to mount a remote volume, sync with a directory, or send a file or files. (APFS drives apparently can’t be shared over the now-outdated Apple Filing Protocol.)

    Will Apple stop supporting HFS+?

    Table of Contents
    Not for many years, because of the tens of millions of systems out there. It would be foolhardy and it’s unnecessary. It will likely provide more and more reasons in future releases for external drives to move to APFS, like requiring APFS drives for Time Machine. But I can’t imagine that HFS+ will be unmountable in macOS anytime in the next three years, and it will very likely remain possible for years after that—although Apple could only support read-only HFS+ mounting at that point.
    Effectively, Apple would want the large majority of Macs in use to be capable of being upgraded to at least Sierra, which can read and write APFS volumes, before it stopped including read/write HFS+ support.

    Should I upgrade my external volumes to APFS?

    Table of Contents
    You can upgrade external drives that use either SSDs or hard drives, but not Fusion drives. However, there are no advantages for hard drives, so I would recommend against it.
    If you have an external SSD that is only used for storage, the advantage is likely not high enough to give up compatibility if you ever think you would want to remove that external SSD and use it with a pre-Sierra Mac. See our instructions on using Disk Utility to upgrade an external SSD. 
    There’s also some concern with how High Sierra’s initial release handles external drives that have encryption enabled, a feature that’s separate from FileVault, which only encrypts the startup volume.

    Should I turn on encryption on an external HFS+ drive in High Sierra?

    Table of Contents
    No! Apparently, an unexpected behavior in this first release is that using the Finder-based option to encrypt a mounted physical drive converts HFS+ drives to APFS without warning. (That’s when you select a volume, right-click, and choose Encrypt “Drive Name.”)

    Can I mount an APFS volume on a Mac running an older version of macOS than High Sierra?

    Only Sierra, which can read and write APFS volumes. While Apple says in its APFS FAQ, “For example, a USB storage device formatted as APFS can be read by a Mac using High Sierra, but not by a Mac using Sierra or earlier,” this seems incorrect, as we’d heard from other Mac experts that Sierra could. We tested with a USB-connected SSD drive, and we can read and write to an APFS partition.
    One reader asked if Apple might release a compatibility upgrade for pre-Sierra OS X and macOS releases to allow them to mount APFS externally. My definitive answer is also no (though I don’t know Apple’s mind). APFS is a fundamental reworking of the filesystem, which requires extensive changes to the OS. I can’t see a trivial way to allow this to propagate backwards, even if Apple were in the habit of releasing upgrades for older macOS releases except for security reasons or Safari updates.
    A third-party might be able to use the APFS spec to allow mounting such volumes, but there seems to be little market for what would be an expensive product to develop and support only for an ever-smaller number of users of older macOS flavors who also had upgraded boot or external drives in High Sierra or later releases to use APFS.

    Apple says encryption is built into APFS. Can I turn FileVault off?

    Table of Contents
    No. Apple tries to simplify security explanations, and I fear the way it has marketed APFS may confuse people, since a few readers have already asked this. With HFS+, the long-running previous format, encryption was applied as a layer external to the format. This required more intermediation between the operating system and the underlying files when FileVault was enabled.
    With APFS, encryption is an inherent property that can be turned on and negotiated at the filesystem level. That should make it less likely that things could go wrong, and should be more efficient. As a FileVault user, don’t disable the feature, but you shouldn’t notice any differences in everyday use.

    Are my Time Machine backups of an APFS volume also in APFS format?

    Table of Contents
    No. HFS+, APFS, FAT32, and other formats affect how data is laid out in a disk partition. It doesn’t affect information read from a drive. If your Time Machine drive has HFS+ partitions, those will remain in HFS+ format.
    Apple says that a feature of APFS allows creating snapshots of an entire file system at a given moment in time, which Time Machine will rely on in High Sierra for mobile backups, which are the interim Time Machine versions stored on your computer when it’s not connected to a Time Machine volume or network with a Time Machine server or Time Capsule on it.

    If I have APFS on all my iOS devices and Macs, are iCloud files now encrypted at a device level?

    Table of Contents
    Readers wondered if APFS’s ability to use encryption natively meant that files were stored in a different fashion when synced among devices all connected to iCloud. They are not. iCloud remains encrypted in transit and among your devices, but Apple holds all the encryption keys for contacts, events, photos, mail, and other data that you can access at iCloud.com when you log in.
    iCloud Keychain remains encrypted end-to-end by devices. The new facial-identification sync system in iOS 11 and High Sierra also syncs via iCloud, but is encrypted in a fashion in which Apple doesn’t have a way to decrypt the data in transit.
    Device-based storage (data encrypted at rest) can’t per se be end-to-end, because it has to be decrypted and read to be acted upon by the local device, like a Mac. End-to-end encryption is typically between the operating system acting upon data on your device and another operating system on the other end at a destination.

    Ask Mac 911

    We’ve compiled a list of the questions we get asked most frequently along with answers and links to columns: read our super FAQ to see if your question is covered.


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    Tuesday, February 27, 2018

    Apple Leak 'Confirms' iPhone Range Changes

    Source: forbes.com

    I’m ready to call it. Following leaks from two of the most reliable Apple tipsters, we now have a third from arguably the biggest of them all confirmingApple’s 2018 iPhone line-up will feature its most radical changes yet… In a new report, Bloomberg’s rightly acclaimer leaker Mark Gurman both backs up and expands upon the recent discoveries from KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s upgraded iPhone X SE and MacRumors’ production factory scoop.


    Concept Creator
    iPhone X 2018 concept by Concept Creator showing a reduced notch
    Here’s what we learn:

    A New iPhone “Model For Everyone”

    Perhaps Apple’s most daring move will be what Gurman describes as a cheaper (but larger) variant of the iPhone X which the company believes will be “a model for everyone”. It will have a 6.1-inch bezel-less display, Face ID and a top of the range A12 chipset but the screen will be LCD rather than OLED and the edges will be aluminium rather than stainless steel.
    I’ve previously dubbed this model the ‘iPhone X SE’ but it is expected to cost as much as an iPhone 8 ($699) while Apple is not expected to retain the budget iPhone SE or introduce any new models based on the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus designs.
    Gurman says Apple hopes the iPhone X SE will “rekindle” iPhone sales after the company was (secretly) disappointed that iPhone X sales were lower than analyst expectations last quarter.
    The “Largest iPhone Ever”
    Apple’s next big move according to Gurman is a 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus (codename ‘D33’), which was also backed up by MacRumors and Ming-Chi Kuo. This will overtake the 5.8-inch iPhone X as the new flagship model and have all its premium features (OLED, stainless steel edges, dual rear camera, etc) in a larger form factor with a bigger battery.
    Benajmin Geskin

    Apple iPhone 2018 expected range


    Gurman’s says Apple will increase the screen resolution of the iPhone X to 2688 x 1242 pixels for iPhone X Plus, the highest in any iPhone. He also says Apple is currently considering introducing dual sim support on the iPhone X Plus and the second generation iPhone X (codename ‘D32’). This would make it easy to switch carriers, for example, when travelling. He does warn:
    “Apple hasn't made a final decision on including the feature and could choose to wait for E-SIM technology, which will connect phones to multiple networks without the need for a removable chip. Apple has wanted to offer E-SIM technology, but some carriers are resistant to the idea and Apple needs their support. A dual-SIM capability would provide a compromise.”
    Gurman expects Apple to add a gold colour option to the new iPhone X and iPhone X Plus. That’s appropriate given their potentially jaw-dropping new price tags.

    Production Runs Already Underway

    Lastly, tying in nicely with MacRumors’ aforementioned iPhone factory leak,Gurman says Apple has already started production test runs of its 2018 iPhones. This should mean Apple avoids repeating the chaotic launch of the iPhone X, which only went on sale six weeks after the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus and in limited quantities for the critical pre-Christmas shopping period.
    So yes, Apple is making iPhones a lot bigger in 2018 and a lot more expensive at each price point (potentially up to $1,400). Consequently, the million dollar question is: if supply won’t be a problem in 2018, will Apple finally pass a cost threshold where finding buyers is...?
    ___

    More On Forbes


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    Monday, October 16, 2017

    5G networks could bring 'unlimited data' to your phone in 2019

    Source: cnet.com

    Get ready for 'unlimited data' of 5G networks in 2019

    Next-gen networks will have vast capacity so your phone can handle data even in massive crowds. Help for self-driving cars will have to wait longer, though.

    Stephen Shankland/CNET
    When it comes to 5G networks, there's something beyond pure speed to get excited about.
    Next-generation mobile networks will be able to accommodate a lot more people and a lot more data as carriers like Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T and manufacturers like Nokia and Ericsson improve the total capacity of the network. That means your phone won't be fighting against all the others trying to send and receive data.
    "Once 5G arrives on a nationwide basis, there is so much bandwidth available that we will have pretty much unlimited access to data," predicted Forrester analyst Dan Bieler.
    1:29
    5G will indeed be able to send data faster than 4G -- probably something like 10 times faster than the new advanced versions of 4G. But those peak speeds often exist only in ideal conditions. By contrast, 5G should be more reliably fast. In other words, you'll still be able to update Facebook, send that email attachment and stream your favorite TV show, even in crowded areas like city centers and stadiums where today's 4G networks often struggle.
    5G stands for fifth-generation network technology, and it should transform our digital lives as profoundly as previous generational shifts. Back in the 1990s, 2G was mostly good enough for text only, but 3G opened up the world of photo sharing and 4G made streaming video practical. 5G won't just boost reliability, though. It could also accelerate new technologies like augmented reality, help self-driving cars send time-critical messages to one another, and link to the network everything from pollution sensors to health monitors.

    Coming sooner than you thought

    5G networks are expected to arrive in 2019. The conventional wisdom is that the early examples will be for what's called "fixed wireless" connections, bringing fast broadband to your house without having to dig a pesky trench for a fiber-optic cable. However, Qualcomm, a top maker of mobile chips and radio technology, insists 5G will come to your phone that year, too.
    "What drove industry support is that global demand for mobile broadband continues to rise," said Matt Branda, Qualcomm's director of 5G technical marketing. "Things are lining up to make this a reality in 2019 in your smartphones."
    Matt Branda, Qualcomm's director of 5G technical marketing
    Matt Branda, Qualcomm's director of 5G technical marketing
    Stephen Shankland/CNET
    If you've followed 5G networking, you may remember a promised delivery date of 2020. But the network industry have managed to speed up some parts of the standardization work. There are plenty of pilot projects, too. The highest profile likely will be the 2018 Olympics in South Korea, a country obsessed with super-fast networks.
    5G network equipment will be expensive to install. Network operators will need upgrade all of their base stations, the central radio towers our phones talk to. They'll also have to install more base stations for closer spacing and upgrade stations' connections back to the main network. It's worth it to the network operators, though, because 5G will let them satisfy our data demands.
    "Delivering everything at a lower cost per bit motivates the operators to move to this system," Branda said.
    How motivated? Brace yourself for a mind-boggling price tag. The industry will spend $2.4 trillion between 2020 and 2030, according to IHS Markit. In the US alone, spending will peak in 2023 with a whopping $23 billion spent.

    What makes 5G tick

    For a generational shift like 5G, engineers must figure out how to squeeze more use out of the existing airwaves. There's only so much room in the radio-wave spectrum, and most of it's already claimed. For example, some frequency bands are reserved for broadcast TV. Police get some other bands. And carriers spend billions of dollars to obtain government licenses for other parts of the spectrum.
    Qualcomm is working on "millimeter-wave" 5G networks that tap into into super-high frequency airwaves for sending data. These high-frequency radio radio waves struggle with obstacles, but Qualcomm says its technology is good enough to cover much of outdoor San Francisco even without having to add new radio towers. This simulation is based on existing mobile phone towers.
    Qualcomm is working on "millimeter-wave" 5G networks that tap into super-high frequency airwaves for sending data. These high-frequency radio waves struggle with obstacles, but Qualcomm says its technology is good enough to cover much of outdoor San Francisco even without adding new radio towers. This simulation is based on existing mobile phone towers.
    Stephen Shankland/CNET
    But 5G taps into a new patch of the radio-frequency spectrum, the home of "millimeter-wave" radio signals.
    "All this requires a scarce resource," said Ulf Ewaldsson, a senior vice president at network equipment maker Ericsson. Radio spectrum is the "future oil."
    The oil boom started in places like Texas where you could drill a hole in the ground and money gushed out. As those supplies began to run out, oil companies pushed to harder areas like frozen arctic tundra and dangerous mid-sea drilling platforms. Similarly, radio broadcasts used the easiest frequencies first. The laws of physics make millimeter-wave radio communications tough.
    For one thing, signals don't travel very far because trees, buildings, your body and even the air can stop them.
    "You need direct line of sight" with nothing between the phone and the network base station it's communicating with, said Ronan Quinlan, joint chief executive of antenna specialist Taoglas.
    Engineers overcome some range challenges with "beamforming," which tightly focuses radio signals in a single direction, but Qualcomm thinks it's got another part of the answer. It can bounce radio beams off some structures like light poles and buildings.
    5G will also continue to take advantage of plenty of easier-to-use spectrum. The fancy new millimeter-wave connections will provide a boost when available, but phones will also be able to fill in the gaps with more traditional radio technology.

    Future feature delay

    Accelerating the 5G delivery schedule sounds great. But that effort, announced in February, came at a cost. That's because 5G is meant to hook a lot of devices to the network other than just phones.
    Ulf Ewaldsson, senior vice president at Ericsson
    Ulf Ewaldsson, a senior vice president at Ericsson, says 5G will meet its promise of 1-millisecond latency.
    Stephen Shankland/CNET
    "Speeding up the standardization process has forced the key stakeholders to pull out many features of the 5G laundry list," said Stéphane Téral, an IHS Markit research director for mobile networks and carrier economics.
    Among those delayed features are fast-response networks. Ewaldsson expects that a later phase of 5G will fulfill its promise of 1-millisecond latency, meaning that only a thousandth of a second passes between when a message is sent and when it's received. That's 50 times quicker than with today's 4G networks, according to equipment maker Huawei.
    That fast response will be important for future network uses such as self-driving cars communicating with one another and with infrastructure like traffic signals. Such a response time could let a human operator remotely control mechanical equipment. It could, likewise, open new vistas for virtual reality and augmented reality where equipment must respond nearly instantly to changing perspectives. It could also mean that service robots helping elderly people will be able to communicate fast enough with control centers to be useful, according to Nokia.
    Another major area for mobile networks will be the internet of things (IoT). Think of attaching thousands of soil monitors on a farm to a network, or imagine a hospital with a massive number of monitors for medical equipment. 5G will require less power than 4G and will be easier on monitor batteries in these kinds of situations.
    However, carriers aren't generally experienced selling anything besides network access to mobile phones. There will be a learning curve for them to work with factories building 5G robots or with mines using 5G excavation equipment, Ewaldsson said. Still, all those future network customers are key to justifying the big upgrade expense for 5G.
    "The biggest challenge for the industry is going to be opening up fast enough for the business case to work out," Ewaldsson said.


    Those fast-response networks and the 5G-based internet-of-things tech will arrive -- just not as soon as those anxious for more radical change would have liked. For now, we'll have to be content with faster, higher-capacity networks for our phones.
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