Month: April 2020

9to5Mac has learned new information about Apple’s long-rumored, entry-level iPhone model, including the marketing name, product colors, and storage options, based on a tip from a highly trusted reader.

Based on the new information, it’s possible Apple could be planning to open orders for the new iPhone as soon as tomorrow; the information definitely tells us that Apple is ready to start accepting orders very soon.

2020 iPhone SE

Apple’s marketing names are perhaps the most protected component of new iPhones, so we’ve used two nicknames to reference the rumored iPhone 8 replacement so far: iPhone SE 2 and iPhone 9.

Based on the new information 9to5Mac has learned, Apple will simply call the new entry-level model “iPhone SE” while referencing the new hardware as the 2020 version.

Apple originally used the iPhone SE marketing name for the 4-inch model that use the iPhone 5s body with the camera and processor from the iPhone 6s.

We expect the new model to use the same chip as the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Plus: Apple’s A13 processor. That’s two generations up from the A11 Bionic chip inside the iPhone 8.

The new iPhone SE will likely be popular with iPhone 6 customers who no longer receive major new software updates. A13 enables Apple Arcade and augmented reality features not possible on the software running on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Color and storage

9to5Mac can also confirm the color and storage options for the 2020 iPhone SE.

Color options will include three options:

White

Black

PRODUCT (Red)

Five iPhone SE cases will also be available:

Black silicone

White silicone

Red leather

Black leather

Midnight blue leather

We can also confirm three storage tiers for the new iPhone SE:

64GB

128GB

256GB

iPhone 8 originally included the same storage tiers, but the pricier 256GB version was discontinued last fall.

Price and availability

New reporting from 9to5Mac corroborates reliable supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who reported the red color option and 64GB and 128GB options last fall. The higher-capacity 256GB option was not previously reported.

While we cannot confirm the three price points for Apple’s new iPhone SE, Ming-Chi Kuo reported last fall that Apple was planning to price the new model from $399. iPhone 8 is currently priced at $449.

The new iPhone SE is expected to have the same design as the iPhone 8, although battery life should much improved with the removal of 3D Touch, a special feature on older iPhones.

Also new to the 2020 iPhone SE compared to the iPhone 8 that it replaces: Express Card and future CarKey support.

While we cannot confirm when Apple will announce the 2020 iPhone SE, it’s possible Apple could reveal and begin taking orders for the new iPhone as soon as tomorrow.

9to5Mac learned from a separate source earlier this week that retailers are preparing to start merchandising cases for the new iPhone starting Sunday. This doesn’t rule out an official announcement early next week.

Intel finally announced the 10th Generation Comet Lake-H processors for mobile devices today. Notebookcheck has the scoop on what you can expect from the new 14nm processors in terms of performance.

These new chips rock the Comet Lake-H microarchitecture, which is on Intel’s 14nm process node. AMD Ryzen 4000-series (codename Renoir), on the other hand, is based off AMD’s Zen 2 microarchitecture and the 7nm process node from TSMC. From a technological standpoint, AMD’s offerings are more modern. 

Being H-series parts, Comet Lake-H and Renoir processors are mobile-friendly with TDP (thermal design power) ratings of 45W. In AMD’s case, the chipmaker has a special HS-series branch that’s optimized for 35W. Both chipmakers have processors that max out at eight cores and 16 threads. However, the Comet Lake-H portfolio starts at four cores, while the Ryzen 4000 lineup starts at six cores.

Intel 10th Gen Comet Lake-H Benchmarks

Notebookcheck compared the i9-10880H, i7-10750H and i5-10300H SKUs against the Ryzen 9 4900HS, (which we also tested in our Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 review ) and Ryzen 7 4800H. The site also pulled in the new chips’ Coffee Lake-H counterparts, the i9-9880H, i7-9750H and i5-9300H. The Comet Lake-H laptops used for testing used dual-channel DDR4-2666 RAM. 

The publication noted that the i9-10880H and i7-10750H results are from two different laptops. Consequently, the results will vary according to the laptop’s design and cooling solution. Notebookcheck averaged the Ryzen 4000-series and Coffee Lake-H results scores across a different number of devices.

Based on Notebookcheck’s results, Intel is still the king of single-core performance, but AMD isn’t too far behind. The Cinebench R15 results show the i9-10880H as being up to 10.9% faster than the Ryzen 9 4900HS. On the more recent Cinebench R20 benchmark, the i9-10880H’s lead dropped to just 3%.

Generation-over-generation improvements will depend on which Comet Lake-H and Coffee Lake-H models you compare. For comparison, the i9-10880H delivers up to 7.6% and 11.2% more performance in Cinebench R20 than the Core i9-9980HK and Core i9-9880H, respectively, according to the benchmarks shared today. 

The tides turned in AMD’s favor when it came multi-core performance. The Ryzen 7 4800H outperformed the i9-10880H by 24% and 2.2% in Cinebench R20 and Cinebench R15, respectively, in Notebookcheck’s testing. 

Although the i9-10880H’s results look bad compared to the Ryzen 7 4800H, the Comet Lake-H showed improved multi-core performance over the prior i9-9980H. According to Noteboocheck’s results, the i9-10880H is up to 3.1% faster than the i9-9980H in Cinebench R20 and up to 19.6% quicker in Cinebench R15. 

With Zen 2, AMD has almost caught up to Intel in regard to single-core performance. If Intel doesn’t move to a new microarchitecture and process node soon, we suspect that AMD will pass Intel when it graduates to Zen 3, 7nm+ chips. Notebookcheck’s numbers showed Comet Lake-H failing to compete with Renoir in the multi-core performance race and barely clinging to the single-core ribbon.

Samsung is rolling out a new update for Always On Display, pushing the app to version 5.2.05.8. It fixes a couple of bugs related to Dark Mode and Bluetooth-connected keyboards, and also claims to improve the layouts for some clock styles.

Before this update, Always On Display had an issue whereby the background would turn gray when using a Bluetooth keyboard. AOD settings were also difficult to see while Dark Mode was enabled on certain themes. These bugs have now been addressed with version 5.2.05.8.

You don’t need One UI 2.1 for this update

The update is rolling out now, and we can confirm that it is available at least on the Galaxy Note 10 (running One UI 2.0 and not the latest One UI 2.1 update). But the new Always On Display version should be pushed to more Samsung devices as we speak.

You can check which Always On Display version you’re running by opening Settings, navigating to Lock screen » Always On Display (don’t tap the toggle, but the text itself), and tapping About Always On Display. If the update hasn’t reached your phone yet, you may have to wait for a few more days. You can also launch the Galaxy Store on your phone, tap the ‘hamburger’ menu in the upper-left corner, and check if the new version is waiting for you in the Updates category.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is shaping up to be an impressive phone. Rumoured to be launching in July, it’s sure to boast tech just as advanced, or even more so, as Samsung’s current flagship S20 series. It’s also due to come with new features such as a redesigned S Pen. 

With any phone, the camera is often the biggest draw, and Samsung doesn’t look set to disappoint here either. A new leak indicates the Note 20 will receive the same incredible camera as Samsung’s highest-end phone to date. 

WinFuture’s Roland Quandt suggests the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 will get the same massive camera array as the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, or at least a module of the exact same size. 

Quant compares a leaked mould for the Note 20 (referred to here as the Note 11) with the S20 Ultra case, which has an identical cut-out where the camera module can be installed. The suggestion is that both phones will use the same size module.

There’s a clear similarity here in both shape and size. If the Note 20 is getting the S20 Ultra’s huge camera, it could certainly do a lot worse: the Ultra is equipped with a quad-camera setup, include a huge 108MP camera sensor and 100x space-zoom functionality. It’s no wonder it was nicknamed “Hubble” during production.

The Note 20’s place as a premium phablet makes it suitable for a huge camera module too, with both the size and price point to justify it. The Note 20 has allegedly been nicknamed “Canvas” as a production codename, presumably due to its massive size.

The Note series, with its large size and in-built S Pen, is known for straddling the line between tablet and phone, taking a bite out of both markets. The S Pen allows you to create fine-point, sensitive illustrations on your phone and even has a touch-button, so you can use it as a remote control to take calls and cycle through slides in presentations. 

One of the best camera systems in phones today could only add to the Note’s value – although it would inevitably push up the price point. We’ll see exactly how much the next-generation phablet will really cost in July later this year.