The iPhone mini is staying in Apple's lineup for at least another year. At its California Streaming event, the company announced its base model iPhone will once again come in two sizes. And like its bigger sibling, the iPhone 13 mini features the company's latest system-on-a-chip, the A15 Bionic. According to Apple, the 5nm chip includes nearly 15 billion transistors.
Critically, Apple claims battery life is noticeably improved on its latest iPhones, particularly on the new mini model. Compared to its predecessor, the company says most users should get an hour and a half of additional battery from the iPhone 13 mini. That increase in uptime comes courtesy of the phone's A15 Bionic chip, more efficient internal components and software optimizations the company has made under the hood.
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Apple's fitness subscription service will soon make it easier for you to take a virtual class with friends and family. The new feature, dubbed Group Workouts, will arrive on Apple Fitness+ later this fall and it will be powered by Apple's SharePlay feature in iOS 15.
Apple announced SharePlay when it previewed iOS 15 a few months ago and it allows you to do things like watch a video with friends while on a call. Similarly, the feature will allow Apple Fitness+ users to take exercise classes with contacts, regardless of their location. During the class, you'll see some of your friends' fitness data on your screen as well as when they close their activity rings. And the feature will support up to 32 people at once, so you could have a yoga party with all of your extended family.
Apple's bringing a handful of smaller updates to Fitness+ this fall as well. Pilates workouts will come to the service, as well as guided meditation routines that will also be available in audio-only format. Winter sports fans may want to check out Apple's collection of workouts dubbed "getting ready for snow season," which appear to prep the body for activities like skiing and snowboarding.
Most new features will be available when watchOS 8 and iOS 15 launch, although we may have to wait a bit longer for Group Workouts because it's unclear if SharePlay will be fully available in the first version of iOS 15. Apple stated in August that SharePlay viewing would likely be delayed until later in the fall. Apple Fitness+ will also be available in 15 new countries this fall, with workouts available in English with subtitles in six different languages.
Follow all of the news from Apple’s iPhone event right here.
Apple isn't worried about 13 being an unlucky number. The company just unveiled its latest generation of smartphones, the iPhone 13, and is giving us the rundown on all the changes to this year's models right now. Unsurprisingly, it looks nearly identical to last year's iPhone 12, but our first glimpse of it showed a 20 percent smaller notch on the front for Face ID as well as a redesigned back camera module — but by and large, it's visually nearly identical to the iPhone 12.
More crucially, the iPhone 13 also has a bigger battery, something that should be welcome for both phones, particularly the iPhone 13 mini. Yep, Apple is keeping the smaller phone around this year. Both phones also have brighter displays this year, but Apple says most iPhone 13 mini users will get an extra 1.5 hours of usage, while the standard iPhone 13 will last 2.5 hours longer than the iPhone 12. Given that battery life was probably one of the biggest downsides of last year's iPhones, this should give users a little relief.
As usual, the new iPhone features Apple's latest A-series chip, and this year it's the A15 Bionic processor. It's a 5nm chip with nearly 15 billion transistors that Apple says is 50 percent faster than its competition.
As for the cameras, Apple has a new wide camera sensor and lens; Apple says its the largest camera sensor it has ever put into a dual-camera system on its phones, and it has bigger pixels than the prior phone. The iPhone 13 is also getting the sensor-shift optical image stabilization system that first came to the iPhone 12 Pro Max last year — having this system available on a much more inexpensive phone will be a nice boost. There's also a new ultra-wide camera sensor, as well.
Apple has made a video a big focus in recent years, and that's the case with the iPhone 13 as well. The company is showing off a new mode called "cinematic mode," but they haven't said exactly what that's all about yet. We did get to see it in action in a clip they showed, and it seems that it lets the camera move focus seamlessly between the foreground and background. As Apple says, focus transitions will move focus automatically and follow character's attention so that it knows where to direct your attention. Naturally, you can still tap to change focus at any time.
5G support for the iPhone 13 has been expanded, as well — the antenna system works on more carriers than ever. By the end of the year, Apple says 5G will work on 200 carriers in 60 countries.
As for pricing, Apple kept things the same this year: the iPhone 13 mini starts at $699, while the iPhone 13 starts at $799. Both phones come with 128GB of storage (doubled from a year ago), which is another major upgrade over last year's model. Somewhat surprisingly, Apple didn't say when the iPhone 13 would arrive — but maybe we'll hear about that after the iPhone 13 Pro update.
Follow all of the news from Apple’s iPhone event right here.
Apple's basic Watch design has remained largely unchanged since its 2015 debut, but that's about to change. The company has introduced the Apple Watch Series 7 with a new (if long-rumored), more seamless design with larger 41mm and 45mm cases, including larger, more durable screens to match. There's also a wider variety of colors. Green, anyone? The update takes advantage of the bigger displays, with more information and new watch faces.
As for durability? Series 7 is the first Apple Watch with a dust resistance rating (IP6X), making it better-suited to mountain climbing or the beach. The screen itself is more crack-resistant, so you won't have to panic quite so much after a fall.
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After two and a half years without a refresh, Apple is at long last revamping the iPad mini. The 8.3-inch all-screen device has slimmer bezels and rounded corners, and it leaves no space for a physical Home button. As with last year's iPad Air, you'll now find the Touch ID sensor in the power button. The Lightning port is gone too, with a USB-C port taking its place.
The screen is a liquid retina display with 500 nits of brightness, a P3 wide color gamut, anti-reflective screen coating, True Tone, and full lamination. The iPad Mini now has stereo speakers, so watching video on it could be much better this time around.
Apple has moved the volume buttons to the top of the device, and there's an intriguing reason for that. The latest tablet can accommodate a second-gen Apple Pencil.
Apple
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Apple introduced a brand new iPad today, and one of its biggest features is that it ships with an A13 Bionic chip. Apple promises that it has a 20 percent faster performance than the previous iPad, from the CPU, GPU and the Neural Engine. The company also claims that the new iPad is three times faster than the top-selling Chromebook and six times faster than the top-selling Android tablet.
The new iPad also features a new front-facing 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera that is especially useful for video calls. It has a 122-degree field-of-view and comes with Center Stage, a tech that we've already seen in Apple's iPad Pro. Similar to the tech on Facebook's Portal devices, Center Stage automatically detects people and dynamically adjusts the frame as you move around, or as more people join the call. The tech works in both portrait and landscape mode.
This Center Stage feature works not just on Facetime but in other video apps too, like Zoom, Bluejeans and WebEx. Plus, the tech isn't just for video calls. Users can also utilize the tech to record, stream and publish videos to apps like DoubleTake, Explain Everything and TikTok.
It will have a 10.2-inch Retina display with True Tone, which adjusts the screen content to the color temperature of your surroundings.
The iPad will support existing accessories like Apple's Smart Keyboard and the first-generation Apple Pencil.
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Twitter has once again started accepting applications from the public for account verification, the company announced this week. This latest restart comes after Twitter temporarily “hit pause” on verifications at the start of August to implement improvements to the application and review process.“If you’re planning to apply and don’t yet have access, keep checking your account settings,” the company said. “Thanks for sticking with us.”
We’re back to rolling out access to request a blue badge.
If you’re planning to apply and don’t yet have access, keep checking your account settings. Thanks for sticking with us.
In recent months, Twitter has struggled with handing out blue badges. Since launching its latest system for public verifications in May, the company has had to stop accepting new applications twice. The first suspension came just eight days after the company launched the new system. And before the most recent step back, a fake Cormac McCarthy account was briefly verified. Here’s hoping Twitter doesn’t run into any further issues.
Companies are starting to take console gaming more seriously, building headsets and controllers designed explicitly for Xbox and PlayStation systems. Razer’s been at the forefront of the pack for a few years now thanks to its line of Wolverine controllers, which gains a new member of the family today, the Wolverine v2 Chroma.
Razer
While the name would seem to suggest it’s just a color upgrade, it’s not just the addition of Razer Chroma RGB lighting that makes this a step up from last year’s V2. It keeps the two multifunction buttons at the top but now they’re joined by four triggers on the back of the gamepad. They’re not paddles like the ones you’d find on Microsoft’s Elite or Scuf’s line of controllers, but they are equipped with 2-stage stop-switches that let you choose between a short and long pull distance depending on what type of game you’re playing.
Razer
Also new to the V2 Chroma are interchangeable thumb stick caps. The default sticks on pretty much any gamepad you can buy are short and concave, and Razer still includes a pair of those in the box. But the package also lets you swap in a tall, concave cap for sniping or a short, convex one for running-and-gunning. You don’t need special tools to swap them out either, just give either thumb stick a good tug.
Razer
If you’re thinking that all these improvements don’t come cheap, you’d be correct, with the Razer Wolverine V2 Chroma going for $150, a $50 increase over the regular V2. But then again, competing options from Microsoft and Scuf will run you $170 to $200, and none of them have snazzy lighting.
Arturia’s V Collection consists of a staggering 28 virtual instruments at this point, covering everything from analog classics, to acoustic pianos to forgotten digital keyboards. At some point, you’d think the company would run out of interesting synths to emulate, but not just yet. The newest addition to the Arturia family is the SQ80 V, a recreation of the Ensoniq SQ-80.
The SQ-80 was a bit of a strange beast. It was released in 1987 and combined 8-bit digital wavetables with analog filters. It’s quirky, crunchy and seriously fun. It combines crunch lo-fi digital samples with analog warmth for something pretty unique. Also, at a time when many synth makers were stripping down their interfaces while stuffing in every feature they could imagine (looking at you DX7), the SQ-80 was surprisingly easy to program. It was also one of the earliest keyboards with polyphonic aftertouch, which is captured here thanks to MPE support.
Arturia normally takes great pains to recreate the physical appearance and controls of a synth they’re emulating, but the company simplified things a bit for the SQ80 V. You can change the oscillator waves and tweak the filter, but many of the controls, like the three LFOs and four envelopes are all on a separate synthesis tab that’s a little more mouse friendly.
Arturia also went all out with the sound sources. It includes the original 75 waveforms, as well as the “hidden” waves from the SQ-80 and it’s predecessor the ESQ-1, plus a selection of transient waveforms. The company greatly expanded on the sound design possibilities of the SQ80 V without really straying from the heart and character of the original.
This is pretty par for the course, though. Arturia has been at this long enough, meticulously emulating classic synths while adding some modern conveniences, that it’ be more surprising if it missed the mark at this point.
The one thing this means though, is that the company is filling increasingly small niches in its arsenal of instruments. The SQ80 V is a digital synthesizer, with a lo-fi character built around sampled waveforms and an analog filter. If that sounds familiar, it’s because the same broad description also applies to the E-MU Emulator II which Arturia recreated for V Collection 8 in December.
Terrence O'Brien / Engadget
While both are definitely crunchy and digital they have identities all their own. The Emulator II is more of a straightforward sampler, and the SQ-80 is closer to a traditional synthesizer. While I quite enjoyed the lo-fi bit-crushed keys of the Emulator, I dig the SQ80 V more. It’s more approachable to someone coming from the world of synthesizers. Plus, it’s a little warmer and more timeless sounding. Not that you can’t get cheesy 80s sounds out of the SQ80 V, it’s just easier to coax modern sound out of than the Emulator which can be a touch too cold and brittle for my tastes.
While there are some analog style sounds in the SQ80 V, its bread and butter is crushed digital sounds. Harsh industrial hits, dusty keys and ambient pads. There are two sound packs being released alongside it that lean into those strengths: Dust Factory and Raw Machinery.
But even if you skip the sound packs, you should be able to easily find sounds that you like either in the included presets or by designing your own. And building your own patches is pretty simple. The three digital oscillators have dropdown menus for selecting waveforms, the envelopes and LFOs all have their own tabs, and the filter can be shaped with the mouse. The whole interface is clean, charmingly retro and easy to navigate. It’s especially impressive considering how much power there is to manipulate things. Most parameters can be modulated by a number of different sources — and many can be modulated by two sources at the same time.
Terrence O'Brien / Engadget
My one minor complaint UI-wise is that the tiny dials next to the various modulation destinations could be a little clearer. It might not be immediately obvious to everyone that, if you want LFO two to change the filter cutoff you have to hover over the darkened circle underneath it then click on the even tinier plus sign that pops up to select a modulation source. Then you click and drag on the circle to set the modulation amount.
Minor quibble with that aside, Arturia does deserve credit for putting a lot of effort into creating thorough and clear tutorials for all its instruments over the last couple of years and SQ80 V is no different.
Arturia’s V Collection is stuffed with great instruments and great sounds, but the SQ80 V is quickly becoming one of my favorites (though, it is technically not part of the V Collection — yet). It's available now as a standalone instrument for an introductory price of $99 until October 5 at which point it will go up to $199. It can also be bundled with V Collection 8 at a discount, though the final price will depend on your status as an Arturia customer.
When Moog debuted its Sound Studio bundles earlier this year, the company paired two analog synths with a mixer, cables and everything else you need for a starter kit. Of course, these are for slightly more advanced users given the investment. The only problem is you have to make a decision. The bundles include the three Mother synthesizers, but you have to decide between the Mother-32 and DFAM or DFAM and Subharmonicon. Those are the two combinations available starting $1,399. However, Moog is going a step further with its latest offer: all three Mother synths with the extra gear for $1,999.
Like the previous bundles, this three-synth option comes with everything you need to get started. That includes a dust cover, audio mixer/power distribution hub, rack kit, cables, cable organizer, learning materials and even those adorable cardboard cutouts. As a refresher, the Mother-32 is a production synthesizer with a step sequencer and 64 slots of memory. It offers a classic Moog voice for raw analog tone combined with the company's deep bass. The DFAM is a drum synth for all of your rhythm and percussion needs while the Subharmonicon is designed for experimentation.
Moog
For this three-synth bundle, Moog created a card game to foster collaboration and experimentation. Inspired by the gaming community in the company's home city of Asheville, North Carolina, Circuitous Connections allows you to explore analog synthesis at your own pace. The game helps you discover new sounds and learn patching techniques along the way. The company says this "happy accident generator" will allow you to play repeatedly without patching the same thing twice. Moog also explains that you can have just as much fun playing solo as you can with others.
Like it did with the initial Sound Studio packages, Moog is releasing another EP alongside this new offering. Explorations in Analog Synthesis, Volume II includes work from Boy Harsher, Hannah Peel, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Galcher Lustwerk, Ya Tseen, Tygapaw and Paula Temple. And like the first edition, this collection is also available to stream for free on SoundCloud.
