After some hints, an updated roadmap, and extensive beta program, the Android 10 update is now rolling out for the Samsung Galaxy S9 with Germany and those on Verizon’s Xfinity network in the US first in line.
The update brings with it the stable One UI 2.0 update which we’ve taken a closer look at on the Galaxy Note 10+ in recent weeks. Considering that a very recent roadmap hinted at a February release in the Netherlands, getting Android 10 a few days early feels like a gift.
[Update 01/29]: Good news for US Note 9 owners as it appears the Android 10 rollout has started according to SamMobile. The software version for this Android 10 update is N960USQU3DTA4, however, it’s worth noting that this may change depending on your local carrier. It’s also great to see that the January 2020 security patch is included in the update.
If you’re in the US and have the Galaxy Note 9, it may be worthwhile checking your device Software updates panel regularly as the rollout continues over the coming days and weeks.
Confirmation has come from Reddit, with posters in the US and Germany sharing information on the Android 10 upgrades they’ve received on their Galaxy S9 and S9+ devices. This is especially great news for those in the US, as often we see Exynos hardware get updates ahead of Snapdragon models. It also is a big hint that we’ll see the “big four” US carriers start rolling out their own localized update versions.
Being a full OS upgrade, this is a sizeable update at around 2GB and will bring with it firmware version G9600USQU7DTA5 and even includes the January 2020 security patch. It’s a little smaller for those in Germany at around 1.8GB but it too comes with the January patch.
Samsung has really done a superb job at getting all of the main Samsung Galaxy flagships right up to date with Android 10 this time around. Although we likely won’t see the Galaxy Note 8 and S8 get the upgrade, those with the S9, Note 9, S10 and Note 10 can now enjoy all of the benefits of OneUI 2.0 — with all updates being released within weeks of each other.
If you do have the Samsung Galaxy S9 and have seen the Android 10 update on your device, be sure to let us know down in the comments section below. We expect a wider rollout to happen over the coming days and weeks as more OS localizations are made.
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Windows 10 November 2019 Update came with no new features but offered plenty of bug fixes and system stability. These fixes and improvements were supposed to make the Windows 10 less annoying to use, but that didn’t happen for all users. Instead, users running Windows 10 November 2019 update faced a frustrating File Explorer bug, which remained unsolved for more than two months.
The good news is Microsoft finally has a fix for the annoying File Explorer bug. Users complained about the freezing of the Windows Explorer search bar. The bug also blocked users from right-clicking on the search bar of the File Explorer, thus preventing affected users from pasting anything in the File Explorer search bar. Now, with the latest Cumulative Update KB4532695 installed, you’ll no longer see these issues arising again.
Terming the Windows File Explorer bug “not a pressing issue“, Microsoft’s Brandon LeBlanc informed us that the company will start working to fix the issue after the holidays. And this explains why it took more than two months to bring a fix for the annoying bug.
If you want the File Explorer bug fixed, the only option that you have is to install the latest Cumulative Update. In order to download the update, head over to Settings> Update & Security> Check for updates.
Code discovered in the latest version of the Google Phone app has revealed more details about its unannounced call recording feature, 9to5Google reports. Most intriguing is a snippet of code that suggests the upcoming feature addition could also support call transcription, which would be similar to the Recorder app that the company debuted on the Pixel 4. XDA Developershas since managed to get the call recording feature partially working on a Pixel 4, but not transcriptions.
The newly uncovered code also gives us an idea of how Google is attempting to overcome the “security and privacy implications” that prevented call recording from being included in Android 10. Code snippets suggest that the app will warn you to comply with local laws while using the feature, and it also plays a short audio clip to warn participants when a call is being recorded.
Recorded calls can reportedly be played back from the call log according to XDA Developers, and can also be exported as .wav files if you want to listen to them elsewhere.
What’s still unclear is when the new functionality could launch. However, a big new feature like this feels like a prime candidate for one of the new “feature drops” that Google is promising to provide for its Pixel handsets. The Google Phone app is currently the default dialer app on Google Pixel, Android One, and Xiaomi’s European smartphones.
Update January 29th, 7:40AM ET: Updated with firsthand impressions from XDA Developers.
Samsung is expected to announce the Galaxy S20 — the successor to last year’s Galaxy S10, and the company’s next flagship — at its upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event on February 11th.
Per the rumors, Samsung will have three new flagship phones this year in the US (internationally, it’s a bit of a different story): the Galaxy S20, the Galaxy S20 Plus, and the Galaxy S20 Ultra. There are also rumors of a new foldable, the Galaxy Z Flip, for a total of four new flagships.
But if you can’t wait until the big announcement, don’t worry. Here’s everything we know so far:
S20 and S20 Plus
The two bread-and-butter phones are the S20 and S20 Plus, the direct sequels to last year’s Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus models (think of them as basically a Galaxy S11 and S11 Plus, by the old naming standards).
There are three big changes that Samsung’s expected to make with the S20, though: a new 120Hz display, an overhauled quadruple rear camera system, and updated processors that will include 5G support by default (at least in the US).
The 120Hz display has already been thoroughly leaked, thanks to an S20 Plus unit that’s made its way out into the wild. A leak from XDA Developers shows the display in action, revealing the super-fast 120Hz refresh rate that should offer far smoother animations. According to the leak, though, you’ll only be able to use the faster refresh rate with the lower FHD+ resolution. The higher-res WQHD+ setting will only work at 60Hz.
The rear cameras on the S20 are also getting upgrades. Last year, the S10 and S10 Plus offered three lenses: a wide-angle 12-megapixel (77-degree) lens, telephoto 12-megapixel (45-degree) lens, and an ultra-wide 16-megapixel (123-degree) lens. The new S20 models are expected to bump that up to the following specs:
The new phones are also expected to be even bigger than last year’s. According to a leaked spec sheet from Ishan Agarwal at MySmartPrice, the S20 will have a 6.2-inch screen, which is just slightly bigger than the 6.1-inch S10 from last year. The rumored 6.7-inch S20 Plus is closer to the similarly sized S10 5G model (which also had a 6.7-inch display), rather than the 6.4-inch S10 Plus. The larger S20 Plus is also expected to feature a bigger battery (4,500mAh) than the S10 Plus (4,100mAh).
Both of the new phones are expected to follow in the footsteps of last year’s Galaxy Note 10 lineup when it comes to overall design, featuring a taller 20:9 aspect ratio and a single, centered hole-punch selfie camera — an Infinity-O display, by Samsung’s branding.
Both models are expected to feature an ultrasonic fingerprint reader once again, as opposed to the conventional optical scanner used by most other in-display readers. It isn’t clear yet whether Samsung is using the same, occasionally problematic model as the S10 or Qualcomm’s new second-generation 3D Sonic Max sensor.
And finally, early rumors have confirmed that, much like the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Fold, the new S20 models will both sadly forgo the 3.5mm headphone jack, marking one of the last high-profile flagships to lose the audio standard.
S20 Ultra
The regular S20 models are all well and good, but the real star of the show is shaping up to be the S20 Ultra: an ultra-premium model with a bigger screen, beefier battery, and some truly absurd camera specs.
The S20 Ultra takes basically everything about the S20 and S20 Plus and just adds more. The display is still a 120Hz 20:9 panel, but the S20 Ultra reportedly has a massive 6.9-inch screen, making it even larger than the 6.8-inch Galaxy Note 10 Plus from last year. The battery is equally big at 5,000mAh, and it offers more RAM (up to 16GB).
But the groundbreaking upgrades come with the cameras. Like the S20 Plus, the S20 Ultra is expected to feature five lenses, with four rear cameras and a front-facing hole-punch selfie camera. But it’s the hardware here that’s different. Instead of a 12-megapixel main camera, the S20 Ultra is expected to feature the 108-megapixel sensor that Samsung has been working on for months. That ultra-high resolution sensor is apparently being combined with some software enhancements to enable a combined zoom of up to 100x, which Samsung is apparently calling “Space Zoom.”
Additionally, the phone will also reportedly feature a 48-megapixel telephoto lens, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and a 3D ToF sensor on the back. The front-facing camera is also getting upgraded to a 40-megapixel sensor, compared to the 10-megapixel sensor on the other models.
Assuming the leaks are accurate, all this would add up to making the S20 Ultra the biggest, most powerful phone Samsung’s ever made. Those specs won’t come cheap, though, with XDA’s Max Weinbach claiming that the phone will cost $1,300.
5G
Where last year’s S10 lineup was strictly LTE-based, with just the pricey S10 Plus 5G offering support for next-generation networks, all three S20 phones in the US will apparently offer 5G by default, and a single model may be able to support multiple US carriers. The US models are expected to feature Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 865 chipset — which has mandatory 5G support — making it likely that the S20 lineup will also serve as the biggest test for fledgling 5G networks yet.
Internationally, Samsung is expected to use its Exynos 990 processor, and offer both 4G and 5G variants, at least for the regular S20 and S20 Plus.
Go big or go home
Unfortunately, compared to Samsung’s 2019 lineup, there are no rumors this year about a replacement for last year’s smaller Galaxy S10E model, which featured a 5.8-inch display. While the foldable Galaxy Z Flip may fill the role of a physically smaller device for small phone fans, it seems that if you’d like a standard Galaxy S20 phone this year, the smallest size available will be the 6.2-inch S20.
Galaxy Buds Plus
The S20 lineup isn’t expected to be the only news for Samsung: the company is expected to announce a second-gen version of its Galaxy Buds headphones, the aptly named Galaxy Buds Plus. The new model appears pretty similar to last year’s version, but reportedly will offer twice the battery life and improved active noise isolation technology (they won’t feature true noise cancellation, though, like Apple’s recent AirPods Pro do).
According to a post from leaker Evan Blass, Samsung will also be offering the new Galaxy Buds Plus for free to customers who preorder the S20 Plus and S20 Ultra, but apparently not the standard S20.
On the latest tech edition of Sick Sad World, a joint investigation by Motherboard and PCMag dug into Avast's Jumpshot subsidiary. This less-famous arm of the antivirus company collected web browsing data from people running the scanning software -- right down to detailed collections of clicks on particular websites -- and resold it to third parties. Worse, many people using the software had no idea what they'd opted into. So, good morning. How closely did you read the last TOS you agreed to?
Ever since Apple's big mobile launch event, fans have been waiting for the software that will allow them to use all of the iPhone's cameras to record video at once. Just choose which lenses you want to capture footage with (you'll need a Pro model to use both the wide- and ultra-wide rear cameras at the same time), set focus and you're ready to go. It can format the various inputs as a split screen or as picture-in-picture. Oh, and did we mention that the DoubleTake app is free?
On Monday morning, GM revealed plans for a $2.2 billion investment that will turn the Detroit-Hamtramck facility into its first assembly plant completely devoted to EVs. GM is planning to start building an all-electric truck in late 2021, followed soon after by the Cruise Origin ride sharing vehicle.
Cherlynn gives her verdict on the Elite Dragonfly, which is a business laptop in name only. With its light weight, small size and attractive design, the Dragonfly looks more like a stylish ultraportable than a clunky notebook your company's IT department handed to you. It offers powerful multitasking chops, though you won't be able to play many games on it. The Dragonfly's battery life may also lag behind some of its rivals, but is still long enough to get you beyond a work day.
Atari might not have the cultural cachet it used to, but that isn't going to stop it cashing in on brand recognition and nostalgia. Next challenge? The hospitality industry. Atari will license its name and branding to a real estate developer, which will build eight hotels across the US. The first location will break ground this year in Phoenix. Others in Austin, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, San Francisco, San Jose and Seattle will follow.
The main draw of the Atari hotels will likely be their esports studios. There are no details about what these will include, but each hotel will also have an "Atari gaming playground." Assuming the esports studios are venues where pros compete, the "playgrounds" could be guest lounges equipped with gaming PCs. The hotels will have a few accoutrements beyond the standard pool and gym -- restaurants, bars, bakeries and movie theaters will also feature, according to plans.
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Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of the announcement of the original iPad. Tom Warren has our look back story here: Apple’s iPad changed the tablet game 10 years ago today. Tom’s piece investigates how Steve Jobs originally positioned the first iPad as a new kind of device that sits in between a phone and a laptop.
Ever since, there has been an omnipresent and often unfair expectation that the iPad would eventually supplant the MacBook. It’s an expectation that Apple itself has encouraged, from time to time. But the iPad is different from a laptop by design, its strengths and limitations encourage (and demand) different behavior.
The video series Processor that is a complement to this newsletter is in some ways an ongoing meditation on the question Apple famously asked in one iPad commercial: What’s a computer? I’m still obsessed with this question — or more specifically with questions about how computers are changing and how they’re changing us.
You are reading Processor, a newsletter about computers by Dieter Bohn. Dieter writes about consumer tech, software, and the most important news of the day from The Verge. This newsletter delivers about four times a week, at least a couple of which include longer essays. You can subscribe to Processor and learn more about it here. Processor is also a YouTube series with the same goal: providing smart and surprising analysis with a bit of humor. Subscribe to all of The Verge’s great videos here!
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Here’s what I wrote back then, if you prefer to read instead of watch, specifically about the new three-finger gestures but it applies to lots of “unintuitive” parts of iPadOS as compared to more “intuitive” desktop interfaces:
I don’t think any user interface — whether it’s a computer or a bicycle — is the sort of thing that humans just innately understand. Nearly everything we do requires training and learning. The difference between an intuitive interface and an unintuitive one is how that learning happens.
With intuitive interfaces, you don’t notice that the learning is happening. One skill flows naturally into the next, more complex skill on a relatively easy learning curve. Take the classic desktop interface: if you step back and look, it’s actually deeply weird! It only feels normal because it’s been around for 35 years. However, it is intuitive: you learn left click, then discover right click, then see keyboard shortcuts listed. Each skill leads somewhat naturally to the next, and there are little hints that these extra tools exist all over the interface, inviting you to try them out whenever you want.
I think the way the iPad handles windows and files and multitasking is not intuitive, by my particular definition of the word. I think the root of the conceptual confusion is that the user interface mixes both spatial and temporal metaphors — I’ve made a video and written about that, too. (Jump to 5:30 here.)
I (obviously) think the iPad’s interface is fascinating in its own right. I could (and have) talk about it for hours, but rather than tuck in yet again, I want to talk about the effects of all those user experiences on us. Because if I’m honest, explaining the nuances of how it works sometimes keeps me from fully expressing why I think it’s so fascinating.
Here’s just one example. The video conferencing software we use, Zoom, isn’t allowed to keep the camera on the iPad active when it’s not the frontmost app. There are explainable reasons for this. Perhaps it’s just a result of iPadOS’ legacy plumbing, which started as a singletasking operating system from the iPhone that has had multitasking elements bolted on piece by piece. Perhaps it’s because Apple believes that from a privacy and security perspective, a camera should never be active unless it’s in the frontmost app. Perhaps it’s both of those things and more.
If you have sat in half as many video conferences as I have, you know that you and your colleagues have some unwritten rules about their etiquette. Sometimes (often), it’s accepted that if you’re not directly affected by the current conversation, it’s okay to split your attention between the call and something else — say email or Slack. But with an iPad, splitting your attention literally makes your face disappear from the Brady Bunch grid.
So it changes your behavior. Maybe you leave the camera off more often so people can’t tell you’re multitasking. Maybe you switch away from the conversation less often and make a real effort to be present. Maybe you pull your phone out and do stuff on your phone — literally multitasking with your body because the iPad won’t let you do it with its operating system.
If you’d only ever used an iPad, you might just think that’s how computers work. It would, in some sense, limit your imagination of what’s possible on a computer. Often when I complain about iPad limitations, it gets misinterpreted as a desire to have it work just like other computers do. That’s not it — I worry that it is subtly narrowing our sense of what computers can do without our even noticing it.
If the iPad were just that, a limited computer, I wouldn’t give it a second thought. However! In addition to being limiting, it’s also incredibly liberating. It is great to not have to worry about all the things you usually have to worry about with traditional operating systems like macOS or Windows. It’s freeing to have a device that’s fast, does so much so effortlessly, and doesn’t feel like it’s only designed to sit on top of a desk or a lap.
After ten years, you’d think we’d know exactly what the iPad is and what it can do, but we don’t. I think it’s the tensions between the limiting and liberating parts of the iPad — both of which still feel new, even now — that make it worth paying attention to.
(Speaking of things worth paying attention to — later today I’ll be taking another look at a different vision for the future of computing interfaces: web apps in the Edge browser on the Surface Pro X. I’ve written a lot about the iPad, but it’s still just one answer among many. Please keep an eye out for it on YouTube and the site.)
The latest iPad has received a significant price cut at Amazon and Best Buy, with the 128GB Wi-Fi model seeing the largest amount skimmed off the top. A sizable $100 discount brings the total to $329.99 (available at Amazon and Best Buy). The 32GB Wi-Fi iPad is $80 off, and costs just $249.99 (Amazon, Best Buy). At this point, it cheaper to buy this newer model of the iPad than it is to go looking for the previous generation. When has that ever happened?
If Apple won’t allow a third party to maintain an archive of its history, I hope it’s doing something to retain and maintain these videos itself. I also hope that it finds a path towards making these videos public. Not to get all “Late Capitalism” on you, but Apple the Corporation is an important part of our recent history. The company’s latent distaste for celebrating the past threatens to limit the scope of historians in the future.
If you haven’t yet, I highly recommend you seek out and watch the documentary General Magic. As a record of a place and time in tech, it’s essential viewing. It sets up so much of our currently world. As with the examples above, there’s clearly an attempt to establish General Magic (and Fadell) as important to history — but in this case, it’s well-deserved.
On Friday and over the weekend I had a weird sense of nostalgia: it used to be that a new social network of note would launch every few months and there’d be a rush to secure user names. It’s been a minute since that happened, but it definitely happened with Byte, the successor to Vine.
Preorders are backed up to late February as of this writing. Since we don’t know how many are being made, we can’t really use that backlog as an indication of ...anything really. I will say that this release is starting to remind me of a Hollywood movie — the kind where the studio puts a lot of ads behind something but doesn’t share it with movie reviewers ahead of time.
Even when you think there’s a clear-cut case of AI being good for the world, it turns out that there’s nuance to worry about, as James Vincent explains:
“There’s this idea in society that finding more cancers is always better, but it’s not always true,” Adewole Adamson, a dermatologist and assistant professor at Dell Medical School, tells The Verge. “The goal is finding more cancers that are actually going to kill people.” But the problem is “there’s no gold standard for what constitutes cancer.”
By criticizing Amazon in public, employees risk being fired — a threat received by workers who spoke out on the issue earlier this month. But those involved in this mass action hope that by coordinating their criticism, they’ll avoid such punishment
YouTube is trying to corner the marketplace by bringing in swaths of people via big e-sports leagues instead of relying on a few handfuls of popular streamers. Using professional leagues to drive viewership growth isn’t a new concept; YouTube is just enacting the same strategy traditional broadcasters have used in fights over rights to mainstream sports for decades.
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