Tag Archives: Technology & Electronics

The OnePlus 12 smartphone drops to a record low of $650 for Prime Day

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In our review of the OnePlus 12, we said the smartphone's affordability was one of the best things about it. Now, thank's to Amazon's upcoming Prime Day sale, that's an even more compelling point. A 19 percent discount drops the price to $650 for the model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. That's a a new all-time low (it's gone for $700 a few times previously). The model with 16GB/512GB is also $150 off and down to $750. 

Other than being a great value for a flagship phone, the OnePlus also has solid cameras that take sharp and clear images. Just note that the camera module is strikingly bulky and you'll see a watermark from Hasselblad (the camera company OnePlus partners with) unless you opt to remove it. 

The battery life is another win. We measured a lifespan of over 26 hours in our video rundown test. And after just 10 minutes of wall charging, the phone got from 10 to 55 percent. It refilled to 37 percent in the same amount of time sitting on a OnePlus wireless charger, which is available separately for $50. 

The design is pleasingly "retro" (if you can apply that term to an aesthetic that harkens back a mere five years) with the rounded corners and tapered edges of something like the Galaxy S10+. The OnePlus 12 also takes notes from the past when it comes to AI — in that it mostly forgoes the buzzy new tech in favor of basic (but solid) smartphone functionality.

The screen and processor are fully modern, however, with a super bright and crisp 120Hz screen and a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip that we found to offer fluid performance, despite clocking in a tad low on some benchmarks. 

Elsewhere, Amazon is also selling the OnePlus Open for $1,300, which is a $400 discount on the phone we named the more affordable pick for a flagship foldable. That's a price the Open has hit previously, as recently as last month. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-oneplus-12-smartphone-drops-to-a-record-low-of-650-for-prime-day-220729473.html?src=rss

Google ordered to open up the Play Store in Epic Games antitrust ruling

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Google has to open up the Play Store. On Monday, US District Judge James Donato issued a permanent injunction forcing the company to open its storefront to competitors for three years and make Android apps available in alternate stores. The ruling stems from Google’s four-year antitrust battle with Epic Games. Google said on Monday it will appeal the injunction, highlighting its competition with Apple and potential security concerns.

As part of the ruling, Google must allow third-party app stores access to the Google Play library. In addition, CNBC reports that the company has to make those alternate app stores available for download in the Play Store. Google also can’t make deals (using fees or revenue sharing) to launch apps exclusively on Google Play or preinstall its store on new hardware.

Billing changes will also emerge from the injunction. Google can’t require developers to use its own billing system. Nor can it stop devs from notifying users about less expensive payment options.

CNBC reports that a three-person committee will monitor Google’s compliance and technical issues stemming from the ruling. Google and Epic will form the committee.

When reached for comment by Engadget, a Google spokesperson pointed to a blog post explaining why it will appeal. Google VP of Regulatory Affairs Lee-Anne Mulholland wrote that the company’s competition with Apple helps to negate antitrust concerns. “The decision fails to take into account that Android is an open platform and developers have always had many options in how to distribute their apps,” Mulholland wrote. “In fact, most Android devices come preloaded with two or more app stores right out of the box.”

“For example, Epic Games has made its popular Fortnite app available to Android users through the Samsung Galaxy Store, sideloading, and the Epic Games Store — all while Fortnite was not distributed through Google Play,” Google’s Regulatory Affairs VP wrote. “These are options that developers have never been able to offer to their American users on iPhones.”

In December, a jury found Google’s Play Store to violate US antitrust laws. The unanimous verdict stated that the company held an illegal monopoly on app distribution and in-app billing for Android devices. It also ruled that its deals with other gaming companies and device manufacturers were anti-competitive. 

In April, Epic listed a proposed permanent injunction that largely matches Donato’s decision today. For its part, Google said at the time Epic’s demands went too far and were too self-serving.

The ruling went in a very different direction from a similar one Epic filed against Apple, which the Fortnite maker mostly lost. CNBC notes that a jury decided Google’s trial, while the fate of Apple’s suit fell into the hands of a judge.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-has-to-open-up-the-play-store-in-epic-games-antitrust-ruling-195239228.html?src=rss

Nintendo’s discounted Switch bundles are now available

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Nintendo’s new Switch bundles are here. As the seven-year-old console takes its victory lap ahead of the Switch 2, the standard Switch and the OLED model are now available in the new bundles announced in September. The systems are each packaged with redemption codes for a 12-month Switch Online membership and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The standard bundle costs $300, and the OLED variant costs $350.

The baseline bundle includes the standard Switch with a 6.2-inch LCD and red and blue Joy-Cons. Meanwhile, the OLED console has a 7-inch OLED display and white Joy-Cons. For only $50 extra, the latter gives you extra screen real estate along with the richer colors and deeper blacks of OLED. Although the standard model still looks good, comparing them side-by-side makes the $50 more expensive OLED one hard to turn down.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has been one of the console’s flagship titles since its arrival shortly after the console itself in 2017. Initially released for the Wii U, the Switch revamp of the racing classic adapts its controls well to the portable system. The game’s optional smart steering feature helps make it more fun for those who frequently drive off-course and spend the next 30 seconds trying to get back on as their competitors lap them. (Raises hand.) The game looks terrific on the Switch’s screen — especially the OLED — and it runs in an enhanced 1080p mode when docked.

Screen from Mario Kart 8. Mario races with his competitors close behind.
Nintendo

Meanwhile, Switch Online enables online play on Mario Kart 8 and many other titles, along with cloud-based saves. You also get access to hundreds of old-school games from the NES, SNES, Game Boy and Game Boy Advance, N64 and Sega Genesis (Mega Drive) eras. You’ll find Nintendo’s own Mario, Zelda and Metroid classics there, along with plenty of third-party fare to keep you entertained. 

The biggest caveat to this bundle is that the Switch 2 (or whatever Nintendo calls its successor) is on the horizon. Although Nintendo hasn’t announced the successor yet, the company is rumored to reveal it anytime. The sequel is expected to have a more powerful processor, more RAM and storage and support for NVIDIA’s DLSS upscaling tech. But even if Nintendo unveils the console soon, it isn’t expected to arrive until sometime in 2025, so it won’t be an option for this holiday season either way.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendos-discounted-switch-bundles-are-now-available-174016292.html?src=rss

iRobot’s Roomba Combo j9+ robot vacuum and mop is $600 off for Prime Day

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Prime Day has returned for the fall, which means there are tons of deals to check out at Amazon. Robot vacuums (and cordless ones for that matter) are some of the machines we most recommend picking up during sale events like this because you can often save hundreds on the stick price. One of the best Prime Day robot vacuum deals we found is on the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, which is a vac-and-mop hybrid. You can snag it for $800 right now, which is $600 off.

This is our pick for the best robot vacuum and mop combo. The Roomba Combo j9+ covers all the bases — and floor types — as it offers just about everything you could want in such a device.

It has strong suction, the ability to give your floors a deep scrub and the intelligence to avoid obstacles. The accompanying Clean Base not only allows the Combo j9+ to self-empty, it refills the robot's liquid tank with water or solution. As such, you shouldn't have to empty the debris bin or top up the base's liquid tank for weeks at a time.

You can set up vacuuming and mopping routines, and ask Alexa or Google Assistant to start an ad hoc cleaning. The Combo j9+ can map out your home faster than previous models and you can label objects to help direct the Roomba to clean a specific area.

The Combo j9+ is certainly a more premium option, but there are other Roombas on sale for Prime Day. Another vacuum and mop combo (Y0140) has dropped from $275 to $219. Meanwhile, you can pick up the even more budget-friendly Roomba Q0120 vacuum for $190. It usually costs $250.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/irobots-roomba-combo-j9-robot-vacuum-and-mop-is-600-off-for-prime-day-172009289.html?src=rss

EA’s Grid Legends racing game careens onto iOS and Android this December

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The EA/Codemasters racing sim Grid Legends is coming to mobile this December, after first releasing for consoles and PC back in 2022. It’s actually a port of the deluxe edition of the game, which was originally released in 2023. This version includes all of the available DLC and some other goodies.

It’s coming to iOS and Android and offers “full support for all popular gamepads”, with touch and tilt controls for those who don’t have a third-party gamepad. There’s a trailer, with footage captured on mobile devices, and it looks pretty darn good. The visuals are, dare I say, console-worthy.

To that end, the game will only run on the iPhone 12 Pro, the iPhone 13 Pro, and every model released since the iPhone 14. It’ll run on any iPad with an M1 chip or better. As for Android, the game will only run on devices with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chips.

Preorders are available now on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. It costs $15. There’s no actual release date yet. It’s just sometime in December.

For the uninitiated, Grid Legends is a well-regarded racing game that draws from both hardcore sims and arcade racers. There’s a lengthy career mode, plenty of multiplayer challenges and an extensive list of courses. All told, there are more than 100 vehicles to choose from.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/eas-grid-legends-racing-game-careens-onto-ios-and-android-this-december-165137002.html?src=rss

Our favorite budget Samsung phone is only $180 for Prime Day

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It’s officially Amazon Prime Day, so be prepared to be inundated with deals if you head over to the online retailer's site. If you're on the market for a new smartphone, one of our favorite affordable handsets has dropped to a great sale price. The fantastic Samsung Galaxy A15 smartphone is available for just $180, which is a discount of ten percent. The typical price is $200 for this budget-friendly handset.

The A15 found a place of distinction in our list of the best cheap phones, in addition to appearing in our list of the best budget Android smartphones. It’s a solid offering with plenty of features typically reserved for more expensive models.

It boasts a fairly robust camera system, with a 50MP rear camera and a 13MP front camera. There’s also 5MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro. It’s lightweight, at seven ounces, and includes an actual OLED display. That’s practically unheard of for budget-tier smartphones. The 5G-enabled handset ships with a 5,000 mAh battery, which gets the job done. 

There are some light caveats. This deal is for the entry-level model with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. However, the Galaxy A15 boasts a nano SIM slot that expands the storage all the way up to 1TB. Today’s sale includes both the black and light blue versions of the phone.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/our-favorite-budget-samsung-phone-is-only-180-for-prime-day-152458679.html?src=rss

How to use the new Apple Cash Tap to Cash feature in iOS 18

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iPhone and Apple Watch users who prefer paying with Apple Cash over other apps like Venmo can now send or receive money in person using Tap to Cash. All transactions using this method are private, which means your phone number and email aren’t shared with the other party. Let’s see how you can use Tap to Cash.

To use Tap to Cash, you and the other person must have an iPhone that’s been updated to iOS 18 or an Apple Watch running watchOS 11. Naturally, you should have a verified Apple Cash account already set up. Using cellular data is fine if you’re not connected to Wi-Fi.

It’s important to remember that you can only send or receive a maximum of $2,000 per seven-day period. The minimum amount you can send is $1, and the maximum is $2,000. These limits are unique to Tap to Cash, and if you need to pay more, you must swap to Messages.

Apple Cash is currently only available in the US. For those outside the US, you'll have to rely on other payment methods. Venmo is also US-only.

On your iPhone, open the Wallet app and look for your Apple Cash card. Note that you won’t be able to do this by double-clicking your iPhone’s side button to get into Apple Pay — you’ll need to unlock your phone and open the Wallet app directly. Select “Send or Request” and then tap “Tap to Cash.” You can then enter the desired amount to pay the recipient, and there’s an option to add a note specifying the payment’s reason or context. Tap “Next” to proceed.

You’ll now have to double-click the side button to confirm your payment, ensuring you’re paying the recipient. After doing so, hold your iPhone so the top is close to the recipient’s iPhone or Apple Watch. Confirm the transaction went through, and you’re free to make another one.

To check the transaction, open the Wallet app and tap on your Apple Cash card. The transaction should be under “Latest Transactions” and have a Tap to Cash icon beside it.

The process is similar to using Tap to Cash on iPhone. You must first open your Wallet, tap your Apple Cash card and then pick “Tap to Cash.” Enter how much you want to send and proceed by tapping “Next.”

Double-click the side button to initiate the transaction. Hold your Apple Watch next to the recipient’s Apple Watch or iPhone before making sure the money went through. You can also look at the latest transactions by opening the Wallet, tapping on your card and tapping a transaction to see if it has “via Tap to Cash” in the information.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/how-to-use-the-new-apple-cash-tap-to-cash-feature-in-ios-18-151915913.html?src=rss

Sony’s WH-1000XM4 headphones drop to a new low of $130 for Prime Day

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Update 11:54am ET: This deal has sold out, but you can find the rest of the best Prime Day deals here.

There’s little better than finding a killer deal on a great product, and here’s an October Prime Day deal that checks pretty much all the right boxes. Sony's WH-1000XM4 headphones are on sale for $130, which is a new record low. They often sell for $348 and the previous record low price was $198.

These aren’t quite the very best Sony headphones on the market anymore. The XM5s are now at the top of the mountain (they’re our favorite noise canceling headphones overall). However, the XM4s are still a fantastic set of cans, especially at this bargain price.

We gave the XM4s a score of 94 in our review. The powerful, customizable active noise cancellation was a major selling point, as was the immersive audio. The "pause when you speak" feature is quite nifty, while multipoint connectivity is always welcome. The price was one of our main drawbacks, but thankfully that's now far less of an issue.

Sony says you'll get up to 30 hours of usage from a single charge (which matches up with our testing) and you'll get five hours of playback time after a 10-minute quick charge. We felt that the touch controls worked reliably well, while the five-microphone array should help make your voice clear on calls.

In addition, the XM4s support Sony's 360 Reality Audio format for immersive sound. The songs typically sound better than standard tracks and the library of supported music has grown over the years, but not every streaming service supports the format. Amazon Music Unlimited is the best-known option. Tidal, on the other hand, dropped support for the format this summer in favor of Dolby Atmos.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonys-wh-1000xm4-headphones-drop-to-a-new-low-of-130-for-prime-day-142955371.html?src=rss

Prime Day laptop deals include the M2 MacBook Air for a record low of $749 on Amazon

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Amazon's October Prime Day sale kicked off today, bringing a wide range of discounts on gadgets and gear we recommend. We have a roundup with all of the offers worth your attention, but if you're specifically looking to grab a new laptop, one of the event's best Apple deals cuts the entry-level M2 MacBook Air down to $749. That's $50 below the notebook's usual street price in recent months, $250 less than buying from Apple directly and a record low for what we consider the best budget MacBook on the market.

In our initial M2 MacBook Air review, we were impressed by the laptop's thinner design, gorgeous 13.6-inch display, great quad-speaker setup and the M2 chip's excellent performance. It had been our top pick for the best MacBook, period, but the new M3 model has taken that top slot. However, the M2 Air doesn't skimp — those on a budget (or anyone simply looking to save some cash) will still get a lot of laptop and a lot of power choosing this machine.

One could argue, and our Daniel Cooper did, that the best thing about the M3 MacBook Air was the price drop given to the M2 Air after its launch. The M3 chip is pretty similar to the M2, and while there's no doubt that those who want the latest and greatest should get an M3 machine, an M2 laptop will be more than enough for most people using it as a daily driver. And, when you consider the M2 started at $1,200 when it first came out in 2022, it makes this discount even more compelling (it only received a price drop to $1,000 after the M3's debut).

There are other discounts on the MacBook lineup at Amazon at the moment, too. The M3 MacBook Air is $250 off and down to $849, which is only $50 more than its record-low price. The 15-inch MacBook with an M3 chip is $255 off and on sale for $1,044.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prime-day-laptop-deals-include-the-m2-macbook-air-for-a-record-low-of-749-on-amazon-121848050.html?src=rss

The Morning After: The first Apple Intelligence features should finally arrive on October 28

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It's been a wait. Apple Intelligence will start rolling out on October 28, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Apple said last month it was targeting October for iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 — which will bring some of the first Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 16 and the rest of the Apple family.

The first wave of Apple Intelligence-powered features will include its summarization tool, Writing Tools and smart audio recording and transcriptions for Mail, Notes, Pages and other apps. I’ve been testing the beta, and so far, the most useful feature has been the summarization tool, tackling my forest of notifications and messages and parsing them into glanceable summaries.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

TMA
Lego

Scammers hijacked the toy brick maker’s website last week. They switched its banner and used it for a crypto scam. A banner with illustrated golden coins bearing the company’s logo claimed the "Lego coin is now officially out." It even promised secret rewards to those who’d buy some. The incident happened overnight at Lego’s headquarters. The company responded relatively quickly, removing the unauthorized banner and links. Lego told Engadget no user accounts were compromised.

Continue reading.

A more immediate update from Apple: It has released two new patches, including iOS 18.0.1 for iPhones and iPadOS 18.0.1. The patch fixes recording issues with all the iPhone 16 models in the Messages app. The iPhone’s microphone would accidentally start recording a few seconds before becoming activated with the orange microphone icon.

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X tried to avoid a $400,000 fine by claiming Twitter (its old name) no longer exists. The … creative legal argument came amid a more-than-year-long dispute with Australia’s eSafety Commission. The commission had asked the company to provide details about its handling of child sexual exploitation on the platform last February. X failed to answer several questions and was slapped with a $415,000-plus fine for non-compliance. The argument isn’t exactly new: CEO Linda Yaccarino has also repeatedly claimed X is a “brand new company” in a bid to avoid scrutiny. She repeated the line multiple times earlier this year while testifying at a Senate hearing on child safety issues. Australia federal judge Michael Wheelahan, however, was not having it.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-the-first-apple-intelligence-features-should-finally-arrive-on-october-28-111544744.html?src=rss