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Spotify Launches $12.99 Premium Duo Plan for Couples

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Following over a year of testing in select countries, Spotify is debuting a new subscription plan called Premium Duo, which costs $12.99 a month and allows two people who live under the same roof to share the one plan while owning separate Spotify accounts.

Duo costs $3 more than a single Premium membership, and given the new plan is aimed at couples and roommates, both users must live at the same address. Spotify requires a confirmation of address during the sign-up process, and the bill for the plan is sent to the person who sets up and purchases the Premium Duo account.

Premium Duo comes with an exclusive playlist called "Duo Mix," which Spotify regularly updates based on music that each user on the plan listens to and likes.

Duo Mix includes two versions: "Calm" for more mellow tracks and "Upbeat" for songs with a faster tempo. Additionally, the two members on Premium Duo are able to create playlists and share them with each other via a Shared Playlists feature.

Existing solo Premium members can upgrade to Premium Duo at any time without losing their existing account listening history or preferences. It's worth noting that a Family plan membership is only $2 more than Duo and supports up to six accounts. For more information on Premium Duo, head to the Spotify website.

Tag: Spotify

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Apple Officially Obsoletes First MacBook Pro With a Retina Display

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As expected, Apple's first MacBook Pro with a Retina display is now officially classed as "obsolete" worldwide, just over eight years after its release.

In a support document, Apple notes that obsolete products are no longer eligible for hardware service, with "no exceptions." This means that any mid-2012 Retina ‌MacBook Pro‌ 15-inch models still out there that require a battery or other repairs will no longer be accepted by Apple.

The only alternatives are to follow one of iFixit's many do-it-yourself repair guides, or to make enquiries at an independent repair shop, although many do not use official Apple parts.

When the ‌MacBook Pro‌ with Retina display was revealed at WWDC 2012, Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller called it "a breakthrough in display engineering" and claimed there had "never been a notebook this gorgeous."

Apart from being the first ‌MacBook Pro‌ to boast a Retina display, the 2012 model had a much slimmer design than previous models. This was made possible by Apple removing the built-in Ethernet port and optical disc drive for CDs/DVDs. It still featured pairs of Thunderbolt and USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and an SD card slot, however.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro

Tag: vintage and obsolete

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Nikkei: 'iPhone 12' Final Assembly Could Be Delayed to Early October

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Apple's "iPhone 12" lineup is facing mass production delays of between four weeks and two months because of postponements caused by factory lockdowns and workplace absences during the global health crisis, according to a new report from Nikkei Asian Review.

"What the progress looks like now is months of delay in terms of mass production, but Apple is doing everything it can to shorten the postponement. There's a chance that the schedule could still be moved ahead," one source told Nikkei.

"Some final iPhone assembly could be delayed to early October, and it wouldn't be surprising if there are further delays because there are still a lot of tests going on now and the final designs have not yet been locked down," the person said.

According to the report, Apple has aggressively tried to cut delays and is now less likely to postpone launch of the ‌iPhone 12‌ until next year, which was the situation it faced towards the end of March.

That is in agreement with a report from The Wall Street Journal in late April that said Apple still plans to launch its ‌iPhone 12‌ lineup in 2020, but mass production on the devices will be delayed for around a month.

On the other hand, Apple supplier Broadcom believes the 2020 ‌iPhone‌ models will be delayed for several weeks, and will launch later than usual in the fall.

Apple has reportedly asked suppliers to build more than 45 million iPhone XR, iPhone 11, and iPhone SE units for the second half of 2020, as a way of shielding the company in case of delays to its new 5G iPhones.

Information from Bloomberg continues to suggest that some of the new iPhones could be released "multiple weeks later than normal," though still within the typical fall window.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that the mmWave 5G iPhones could potentially see a delay due to changes to the antenna package made in early April and delays in qualification process services.

Apple is expected to launch four ‌iPhone 12‌ models this year: One new 5.4-inch device, two 6.1-inch models, and one 6.7-inch handset. Kuo still expects the 6.1 and 5.4-inch iPhones to go into mass production in September, while mass production on the larger 6.7-inch ‌iPhone‌ will be delayed until October because of its more complicated design.

Related Roundup: iPhone 12

Tag: nikkei.com

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Leaker: Future iPhone Models to Come in 'Exquisite' Thinner Box

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Leaker L0vetodream this morning posted a tweet corroborating recent rumors that Apple's "iPhone 12" lineup won't come with EarPods or a charger in the box, adding that this will also eventually apply to the existing second-generation iPhone SE.

L0vetodream also claims that future iPhone packaging will be "thinner" and "exquisite," which would make sense if Apple's handsets are set to come in lieu of a bulky power adapter and EarPods case. Apple is already renowned for its svelte, economical packaging, and slimming down its ‌iPhone‌ boxes would cut down on waste and shipping costs.

The lack of a charger and EarPods lines up with predictions made by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and analysts at Barclays last week. Apple is expected to release a separate new 20W power adapter as an optional accessory for iPhones and end production of its existing 5W and 18W power adapters later this year.

in my dream, the new IPhone will not come with the charger and earphone , this even applying to SE2. The new packaging box become thinner, and Exquisite.
— 有没有搞措 (@L0vetodream) July 1, 2020

The form factor of the new 20W power adapter is said to be similar to the 18W version, with USB-C Power Delivery for fast charging. Kuo also expects that Apple will stop including a 5W power adapter with the current second-generation ‌iPhone SE‌ later this year.

Barclays still expects Apple to include a Lightning to USB-C cable in the box as the only accessory included with the "‌iPhone 12‌," which is expected to come in four models: One new 5.4-inch device, two 6.1-inch models, and one 6.7-inch handset.

Rumors suggest the 6.7-inch ‌‌iPhone‌‌ and one 6.1-inch model will be higher-end OLED devices with triple-lens cameras, while the 5.4 and 6.1-inch models will be lower-end iPhones with dual-lens cameras and a more affordable price tag.

Related Roundups: iPhone SE 2020, iPhone 12

Tag: L0vetodream

Buyer's Guide: iPhone SE (Buy Now)

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