Selasa, 07 Mei 2019

Google and OnePlus are embracing the junior flagship trend - The Verge

Google is releasing its thoroughly leaked Pixel 3A and 3A XL this week, while OnePlus will follow up a few days later with a split of its single flagship into a basic and a Pro model. Starting from divergent positions, the two companies are ending up at the same destination, with one premium variant and a more distilled and simplified sub-flagship. Google’s Pixel lineup started in the premium range and is now trickling down the glories of the Pixel camera to a more widely affordable price point, while OnePlus is taking on the harder task of trying to climb its way into higher price brackets after starting as a budget-tier performance monster.

Once upon a time, there was only one iPhone. It was the iPhone, even if Apple doesn’t like the definite article. There also used to be just one Samsung Galaxy flagship phone, but you can now have it in a medium or large, with or without 5G, or in a budget- and pocket-friendly E version. Apple’s got the iPhone XS and XR, Huawei has its Pro and non-Pro flagships, and the entire mobile industry is seemingly moving to a multitiered flagship strategy. Before this month is through, that transition of senior to junior flagships will be complete.

The two companies about to launch new phones are both special cases in the Android ecosystem. Google is the author of Android, and it’s still coming to grips with the responsibilities and competencies of a serious hardware manufacturer. OnePlus is a boutique outfit under the umbrella of a giant conglomerate that also includes the Oppo and Vivo brands. It has survived as a small, lower-cost player for as long as it has because it’s had access to resources far beyond those of the typical budget device purveyor. But every business venture has to be able to sustain itself eventually, and both Google’s hardware division and OnePlus are reaching a level of maturity where they can no longer be the niche alternative. They have to take on the likes of Samsung directly, and that demands a bit of benign fragmentation.

For Google, the Pixel 3A is an admission that just selling premium-priced devices isn’t a long-term strategy. There’s no shame in owning up to that fact when even Apple, the company that’s made the most profit out of designing and selling phones in history, makes a slightly-less-premium edition of its flagship. Most people aren’t buying a super flagship every single year, as illustrated by the leading US carriers recently noting that they’ve had the lowest rate of smartphone upgrades ever. So to tempt people into buying yet another phone, Google has to sweeten the deal, and there’s no better way to do that than slashing the cost of entry. The 3A will apparently retain all or most of the Pixel camera’s class-leading strengths, which, combined with a much lower price, could seriously tempt some people to buy it even as a second device. Would it be too wild to buy a Pixel 3A as essentially your Instagram device, to be used alongside your regular phone? Not really. It’s indulgent but justifiable, especially for owners of older iPhones who want a camera upgrade and are curious about how the other half of the world lives.

For OnePlus, the pro OnePlus 7 makes sense because the company has continuously been thought of and presents itself as a top-tier smartphone maker. It needs top-tier pricing if it’s going to keep up with the flashy features that define those super flagships. CEO Pete Lau told me that he’s spending three times as much on the OnePlus 7 Pro display as he is on the basic version. Like Nokia with its five-camera system on the Nokia 9, Huawei and Oppo with their periscope-style telephoto zoom lenses, or LG using the phone’s chamber and screen to generate sound, OnePlus is looking for a unique hardware feature to make it stand out. Those cost money. But OnePlus can’t afford to abandon its traditional user base, either, and that’s why the vanilla OnePlus 7 will play the junior flagship role.

It’s somewhat strange to watch the smartphone industry, long one of the most fruitfully competitive markets in the world, repeatedly coalescing around certain trends. We’ve witnessed the aluminum unibody hype, the notch mania, the headphone jack massacre, and the escalating war of which company can fit the most cameras on the back of their phone. There’s something magnetic that seems to keep all of these competitors closely bunched together.

After Google and OnePlus get their launches done this month, this is what the smartphone companies with the most mindshare will have to offer:

  • Samsung: Galaxy S, Galaxy S with 5G, or Galaxy S with a smaller screen and price
  • Apple: iPhone or cheaper iPhone with an LCD and fewer cameras
  • Huawei: P series flagship or the cheaper version with simpler screen and cameras
  • Google: Pixel or cheaper Pixel with a more basic processor, display, and materials
  • OnePlus: Pro model or the cheaper original without the “breakthrough” display

The basic definition of the junior flagship is that it maintains the name and basic advantages of the top model, but it strips away some of the niceties and luxuries. It’s different from merely having a flagship, a midrange, and an entry-level device. Phone shoppers have grown too savvy, and maybe even jaded, to buy a phone that doesn’t carry the flagship branding and allure. We demand the same name and fundamental qualities that companies advertise in their glitziest and priciest marketing, but at a price that’s humanly attainable. That’s why everyone must now have a junior flagship in their lineup. Xiaomi, Honor, Motorola, Sony, Vivo, Oppo, and all the rest are now fully in line with this basic strategy.

The junior flagship is a natural and sensible reaction to the trend over recent years of phone companies pushing their absolute top model toward ever more stratospheric prices in order to secure unique whizbang hardware features. People’s budgets haven’t been growing as fast as super flagship prices, so OnePlus is doing the logical thing of staying in the chase while still having a flagship-tier device at a reasonable price. Google is finally admitting that it needs one of those, too.

With OnePlus stepping out of its value-for-money comfort zone and Google stepping into it, the competition and choice across the Android phone market will improve for consumers. So, even while everyone seems to be pursuing the same basic strategy, the upshot for phone buyers will be a greater variety of choice and greater pressure on every company to put out the best possible device. The tech world’s most competitive market is only growing more so.

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https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/7/18529989/google-pixel-3a-oneplus-7-pro-junior-flaghship-io-2019

2019-05-07 12:30:00Z
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How Google and Microsoft ended up working together on the Chromium-based Edge browser - Android Police

Google and Microsoft have been in a bitter war over their ecosystems for a long time, but recently, the two have been making steps toward each other. Ever since Satya Nadella became CEO of Microsoft, he started making it more open for collaboration and, well, Open Source software, most notably through its acquisition of Github and the inclusion of Linux in Windows. Google, on the other hand, has always been at the forefront of collaborative software development, with Android and Chrome being based on Open Source software. Now, The Verge published an interview with Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore, talking about the company's journey to a Chromium-based Edge browser and how it started working together with Google more closely through this decision.

Back when Microsoft released the first public version of Edge in 2015, the company quickly noticed that the product didn't take off as expected. Microsoft's inherently bad reputation concerning browsers plus Google's de facto monopoly in that area turned many users away from the pre-installed Windows software. Consequently, Edge's market share couldn't quite grow on Android and iOS, either.

Satya Nadella was very aware of the situation and asked his developers to find a solution. Thus, a paper was created that weighed the problems and strengths of Edge, and someone in the team created a Chromium-based rough test version of it. The company carefully evaluated the implications of moving away from its own rendering engine and found that it would bring more benefit than harm – web developers would have to test against one less browser, Microsoft wouldn't constantly have to fight incompatibilities, and it could further improve Chromium to make Chrome itself run better on Windows.

You see, over the years, Microsoft's premise changed from "We want to provide the best browsing experience and all other browsers are competition" to "We want to help make browsing the web on Windows better on any browser to improve user experience with our OS." Thus, the decision to switch to Chromium was reached in September 2018 and publicized in December the same year.

The move was widely praised by the tech industry, with only a few speaking out against it, the loudest among them Firefox developer Mozilla. It stated that Microsoft's decision would make for a duller web and encourage developers to break standards as long as their websites work on Chromium-based browsers.

Google, on the other hand, welcomed Microsoft to its engine with open arms. Chromium developers were happy to see that the Redmond company quickly fixed bugs and tackled features that the team left hanging for years, such as better touch support and smoother scrolling 0n Windows.

However, we quickly saw Google returning to old ways concerning competition. Google Meet suddenly stopped working on Chromium Edge, and Google Docs received a banner warning users that they're accessing the service through an unsupported browser. Google explains that the changes aren't malicious, but coupled with the company seemingly accidentally breaking Firefox over and over, we have to take this with a grain of salt.

Personally, I'm looking at Microsoft's move with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it's good to see some long needed improvements for Google Chrome on Windows. On the other hand, I already enjoy using Edge on my Windows machine because it feels snappier and more optimized than Chrome, and I fear that the new version will probably take a long time to catch up to that speed, if it does at all. Also, I'm right with Mozilla and its concern for the future of the open web.

Meanwhile, Edge for Android has been using Chromium since its inception, so if you'd like to give Microsoft's future vision a try right now, you can do so by downloading the app through the widget below.

Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge
Price: Free

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https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/05/07/how-google-and-microsoft-ended-up-working-together-on-the-chromium-based-edge-browser/

2019-05-07 11:49:00Z
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Samsung cancelling Galaxy Fold orders later this month unless customers say otherwise - 9to5Google

Samsung is cancelling Galaxy Fold orders unless customers confirm that they still wish to proceed despite the screen failures seen in review units.

The company has emailed customers who ordered the device, acknowledging the issues experienced by reviewers, and stating that it will automatically cancel orders unless purchasers confirm that they still wish to go ahead …

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For those who do still want to chance it, Samsung says (via TizenHelp) that it can’t say when Galaxy Fold orders will ship.

We are making progress in enhancing the Galaxy Fold to make sure it measures up to the high standards we know you expect from us. This means that we cannot confirm the anticipated ship date yet.

It says customers can cancel their order at any time before the device ships, but if it hasn’t done so by the end of the month, it will cancel orders unless the customer clicks a link to proceed.

If we do not hear from you and we have not shipped by May 31st, your order will be canceled automatically. If you do not want your order automatically cancelled on May 31st you may request that we keep your order and fulfil it later.

There is a ‘Yes, I would like to keep my order’ link within the email.

Samsung told Reuters that the terms offered in the email are a legal requirement in the US due to the delay, but the report doesn’t explain the basis for this statement.

The device was first shown off in February, with Galaxy Fold orders originally due to ship on April 26. Durability concerns surfaced shortly afterwards, the company initially aiming to reassure via a stress test video simulating more than five years of regular use.

Initial reaction was positive, the company stating that pre-orders sold out in a day, but it wasn’t long before the first problems with review units were reported. As more screen failure reports followed, Samsung delayed the launch by ‘at least’ a month, and took back review units.

iFixit seemingly figured out why the screen failures occurred, but subsequently agreed to take down its teardown after pressure from Samsung.

With an apparent fatal design flaw, default cancellation of pre-orders and no delivery date on offer, we have to wonder whether the Galaxy Fold will ever ship.


Check out 9to5Google on YouTube for more news:

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https://9to5google.com/2019/05/07/cancelling-galaxy-fold-orders/

2019-05-07 11:09:00Z
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Samsung will cancel unconfirmed Galaxy Fold orders if it doesn’t ship this month - The Verge

Samsung says it will cancel all orders for the Galaxy Fold if it has not shipped the device by May 31st and if it has not heard otherwise from existing preorder customers, reports Reuters. Samsung postponed the original April 26th release date indefinitely after early tech reviewers damaged their devices during ordinary usage. The company is yet to confirm a revised release date for its foldable smartphone.

“If we do not hear from you and we have not shipped by May 31st, your order will be canceled automatically,” reads the email sent to Galaxy Fold pre-order customers on Monday.

When it announced the delay, Samsung said it was taking measures to “strengthen the display” in light of the reported issues. An email from AT&T appeared to suggest that the phone would be released in June, but Samsung’s latest announcement indicates that this is far from certain.

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https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2019/5/7/18535075/samsung-galaxy-fold-cancel-orders-may-31-indefinite-delay-preorders

2019-05-07 08:54:09Z
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Samsung is still ‘enhancing’ the Galaxy Fold, assumes you want to cancel order - Android Authority

Samsung Galaxy Fold watching YouTube 2

It’s been a pretty quiet few weeks for the Samsung Galaxy Fold, as the company investigates several defects reported by reviewers. The Korean company has reportedly issued an update this week though.

In an email sent to pre-order customers (obtained by Droid-Life), Samsung noted that it was “making progress in enhancing” the foldable phone.

“This means that we cannot confirm the anticipated ship date yet,” the Korean firm explains. The lack of a shipping date suggests the company simply needs more time to carry out required changes, or that it’s still investigating defects.

Samsung Galaxy Fold email obtained by Droid Life. Droid-Life

The email also calls for customers to tap a button to ensure they keep their Galaxy Fold pre-order. “If we do not hear from you and we have not shipped by May 31st your order will be cancelled automatically,” reads an excerpt of the message.

We’re glad to see the firm providing an update of sorts to consumers, although the automatic pre-order opt-out is a little strange. After all, what if you don’t have access to your email for whatever reason? Samsung will simply assume you don’t want a device you’ve pre-ordered anyway. Users have roughly four weeks to respond to the email though, so that should be plenty of time to make a decision.

Read: The ultimate guide to replacing your smartphone battery

The delay comes after several reviewers reported issues with Galaxy Fold sample units. Several users accidentally peeled off an integral screen layer on the foldable phone, while a few others reported completely broken main screens.

Hopefully Samsung’s changes are enough to prevent any more serious issues with the Galaxy Fold. Are you still interested in the device? Let us know in the comments.

NEXT: Google Fi accidentally charging customers full price for discounted Pixel 3 phones

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https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-fold-enhance-982951/

2019-05-07 06:28:00Z
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Windows 10 will get a built-in Linux kernel this summer - Engadget

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The new Windows Terminal Microsoft

The suddenly-cozy relationship between Linux and Windows is taking another step forward, as Microsoft announced in a blog post that it's going to ship a full Linux kernel in Windows 10. It will arrive first with Insider preview builds by the end of Jun, underpinning the new Windows Subsystem for Linux 2. The first release will be based on version 4.19, the latest stable Linux release, and will keep up with each stable release going forward. According to Microsoft this isn't its first release of a Linux kernel -- that came last year on Azure Sphere -- but it is the first time on Windows.

By making this switch as a "drop-in replacement" for the current emulator, it should speed up performance significantly, with faster bootup and more efficient use of memory. Users can interface with it either by installing a distribution from the Microsoft Store or sideloading.

Also, the kernel itself will be open source, with instructions available to create your own, and Microsoft has pledged to contribute changes it makes open for others to use. All of this news also came after Microsoft earlier announced a new version of its Windows Terminal command line app.

Catch up on all the latest news from Build 2019 here!

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https://www.engadget.com/2019/05/07/linux-windows-10-terminal/

2019-05-07 05:13:01Z
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Senin, 06 Mei 2019

Microsoft Build 2019: the biggest news from the developer conference - The Verge

Microsoft’s annual Build developer conference is where the company discusses what’s ahead for its cloud and consumer services, including Azure, Windows 10, Office 365, and Cortana. CEO Satya Nadella kicked off the 2019 conference with a keynote that touched on Microsoft’s revamped Chromium-powered Edge web browser, an augmented reality Minecraft game for mobile, and more.

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https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/6/18531471/microsoft-build-2019-news-windows-office-365-azure-cortana-minecraft-developers-conference

2019-05-06 18:00:04Z
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