Google Launches New $4.99 'Play Pass' Service on Android Devices to Compete with Apple Arcade

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Google today announced the launch of a new gaming service called Google Play Pass, which gives Android users access to more than 350 games and apps for $4.99 per month, similar to Apple Arcade.

Google's version, like Apple Arcade, provides games to customers without in-app purchases and without ads. There is a family sharing option, and a Play Pass subscription can be shared with up to five family members.


Google's service is not limited to just games, and it includes titles that are already released, such as Stardew Valley, Terraria, Monument Valley, Knights of the Old Republic, Facetune, and AccuWeather. Google's offerings are also not exclusive, which is one of the key features of Apple Arcade.

With Apple Arcade, all of the game titles are only on the App Store when it comes to mobile devices, but some are also developed for release on console. Apple Arcade is also limited to new content and doesn't include popular older apps like Play Pass.

Given that Google is using existing games in Play Pass, it has a larger catalog of available titles at launch - hundreds, compared to Apple's 60+. Google says customers can count on new titles monthly, which is something Apple has also promised.

According to The Verge, Google plans to pay developers through user engagement with the apps, though it's not entirely clear what that means at this time. Google said that it's more than just screen time or number of app opens per week.

Google has been working on the Play Pass service since 2018, and began testing it out at the end of July.

Play Pass is available for Android devices in the United States this week, and will be expanding to additional countries soon. It comes with a 10-day free trial and after that, a subscription costs $4.99 per month, just like Apple Arcade.

Google is offering a promo, though, which will allow subscribers to sign up for $1.99 per month for the first year for a limited time. Play Pass content can be accessed through the new Play Pass tab in the Play Store on Android devices.

Tags: Google, Apple Arcade

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How to Use the New Camera Lenses on the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max

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The headline feature of Apple's 2019 iPhones is undoubtedly the new camera system, with the more affordable iPhone 11 boasting the same high-quality lenses as the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, with the exception of the third telephoto lens that's exclusive to the Pro models.


The standard wide camera on the iPhone 11 series offers the same 12 megapixels and f/1.8 aperture as on last year's iPhone XS devices, while the new 12 megapixel ultra-wide camera gets a f/2.4 lens. Apple has also widened the aperture of the telephoto lens on the Pro models to f/2.0 – an improvement over the f/2.4 lens found in the iPhone X and XS – which allows more light to hit the sensor and grab more detail.

Lens-Based Camera App Changes

Apple has also re-designed the camera system from the ground up to make the lenses work seamlessly in concert, and also radically improved the image processing technology. To accommodate these more advanced capabilities, Apple has given the stock Camera app a complete overhaul exclusively for its iPhone 11 series devices.


For example, when you shoot with the standard wide lens as shown above, the camera app interface becomes semi-transparent to reveal the ultra-wide camera's larger field of view, giving you a preview of what shooting with it would look like.

This immersive preview isn't limited to the wide and ultra-wide either: When using the telephoto lens on Pro devices, the Camera app will use the standard wide lens to fill in the additional area of the screen, as shown in the screenshot below. There's even an optional new camera feature that recruits the additional lenses and allows you to fix photo composition in post without having to resort to cropping.

Switching Between Ultra-Wide, Wide, and Telephoto

You can choose between the different lenses by tapping the numbered buttons at the bottom of the viewfinder: .5 is the new ultra-wide lens, 1x is the standard wide lens, and 2 is the telephoto lens (iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max only).


At first glance, it looks as if these lens modes are fixed options. Far from it: If you swipe up on one of the buttons you'll see a radial zoom wheel enabling you to find a transition from camera to camera through a series of fine gradations.


Along the wheel you'll also see the 35mm equivalent focal length of each lens-sensor combination (the focal length you would need for a 35 mm film camera to obtain the same angle of view). The wheel disappears once you've chosen a custom focal length, and if you decide you want to return to the standard focal length, you can simply tap the center lens button.

Related Roundups: iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro

Buyer's Guide: iPhone 11 (Buy Now), iPhone 11 Pro (Buy Now)

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Apple Says New Mac Pro Will Be Manufactured in Texas After Receiving Tariff Exemptions

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Apple today announced that its next-generation Mac Pro will be manufactured in Texas, with production slated to begin soon at the same Austin facility where the current Mac Pro has been made since 2013.


Apple says the new Mac Pro will include components designed, developed, and manufactured by more than a dozen American companies for distribution to U.S. customers. Suppliers will span eight states, including Arizona, Maine, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Vermont.

Apple did not immediately respond when we asked if the new Mac Pro will be made in Texas for orders distributed in other countries.

Apple says the U.S. manufacturing is made possible following import tariff exemptions the Trump administration granted Apple last week for certain necessary components. The value of American-made components in the new Mac Pro is 2.5 times greater than the current Mac Pro, the company adds.


Apple CEO Tim Cook:

The Mac Pro is Apple's most powerful computer ever and we're proud to be building it in Austin. We thank the administration for their support enabling this opportunity. We believe deeply in the power of American innovation. That's why every Apple product is designed and engineered in the US, and made up of parts from 36 states, supporting 450,000 jobs with US suppliers, and we're going to continue growing here.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott:

Apple's latest investment is a testament to Texas' unrivaled workforce and premier business climate. Our state's economy is thriving as the tech and manufacturing sectors continue to expand. I am grateful for Apple's commitment to creating jobs in Texas, and will continue to promote fiscal and regulatory policies that encourage investment in our state and benefit future generations of Texans.

Apple says it remains on track to fulfill its commitment to invest $350 billion in the U.S. economy by 2023. Apple said that, last year alone, it spent over $60 billion with more than 9,000 domestic suppliers across the country, including at manufacturing locations spanning 36 states.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Related Roundup: Mac Pro

Buyer's Guide: Mac Pro (Don't Buy)

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iFixit's iPhone 11 Teardown: 'An iPhone XR With Some iPhone 11 Pro Tech Inside'

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Following a teardown of the iPhone 11 Pro Max on Friday, iFixit today posted a separate teardown of the entry-level iPhone 11 model.


The repair site reiterated what has been said previously about the iPhone 11: it's essentially an iPhone XR, but with a few internal upgrades from the new iPhone 11 Pro family. There's a double-decker logic board, upgraded wide and ultrawide camera lenses, and what iFixit believes to be ultra wideband antenna technology embedded into the rear case.

Otherwise, the teardown doesn't reveal much unknown information about the iPhone 11. iFixit delved into the device's rectangular battery, which is only marginally improved upon last year's iPhone XR battery. The iPhone 11 has a 3,110 mAh battery, measuring about 7 percent more compared to the iPhone XR and accounting for the one hour battery increase that Apple claimed in its keynote.


iFixit also briefly discussed the potential for bilateral charging on the iPhone 11, which the site ultimately pointed out was never meant to be on the entry-level 2019 iPhone. The iPhone 11 lacks a second battery connector (unlike the 11 Pro Max), and iFixit explained that a larger battery and additional thermal management "would almost certainly be required" for bilateral charging on the iPhone 11.

The iPhone 11 earned a repairability score of 6 out of 10. iFixit said that the display is easier to replace than in other smartphones, but the site bemoaned Apple's continued use of proprietary screws and an increased chance of breakage due to glass on the front and back of the iPhone 11.

Related Roundup: iPhone 11

Tags: iFixit, teardown

Buyer's Guide: iPhone 11 (Buy Now)

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iPhone 11 Pro Max Outperforms Competing Smartphones to Earn DisplayMate's Highest Ever A+ Grade

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Apple's new iPhone 11 Pro Max has earned display testing and calibration firm DisplayMate's "highest ever A+ grade" for providing "considerably better display performance than other competing smartphones."


DisplayMate tested the iPhone 11 Pro Max's display and found "major" performance improvements compared to the iPhone XS Max's display, including increased peak brightness, improved absolute color accuracy, and slightly lower screen reflectance, all while being up to 15 percent more power efficient.

DisplayMate:

The iPhone 11 Pro Max is a Very Impressive Top Tier Smartphone Display

Apple has continued to raise the on-screen Absolute Picture Quality and Absolute Color Accuracy of their displays by implementing Precision Factory Display Calibration, moving the overall iPhone 11 Pro Max display performance up to Record Setting Outstanding levels, and setting or matching many Display Performance Records, including Absolute Color Accuracy at a very impressive 0.9 JNCD that is Visually Indistinguishable From Perfect, and almost certainly considerably better than your existing Smartphone, 4K UHD TV, Tablet, Laptop and computer monitor.

The iPhone 11 Pro Max also has a Record Full Screen Peak Brightness of 770 nits, and 820 nits for the typical Average Picture Level of 50%, which is roughly double of most high-end Smartphones. Compared to the iPhone XS Max, the iPhone 11 Pro Max has a number of notable improvements including 17% higher Full Screen Peak Brightness and up to 15% higher Display Power Efficiency.

Read the full DisplayMate article for in-depth analysis of the iPhone 11 Pro Max's display and the methodology behind its testing.

Related Roundup: iPhone 11 Pro

Tag: DisplayMate

Buyer's Guide: iPhone 11 Pro (Buy Now)

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Deals: Save on Apple's iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air (All Lowest Ever, Up to $400 Off)

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Amazon has a few notable deals to kick off the week, offering up to $400 off the 2019 13-inch MacBook Pro, 2019 MacBook Air, and the 2018 12.9-inch iPad Pro. All of the deals that we've rounded up below represent the lowest-ever prices for these models.

iPad Pro

To start, you can get the 12.9-inch iPad Pro from 2018 (Wi-Fi, 64GB) for $799.00, down from $999.00. At $200 off, this is the lowest price currently available for this model of the iPad Pro. If you're looking for more storage, the 1TB 12.9-inch model is also $200 off at $1,349.99, down from $1,549.00.

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These iPad Pro models come with an edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display, Face ID, an A12X Bionic chip, 12-megapixel rear camera and 7-megapixel True Depth front camera, and up to ten hours of battery life. You can use Apple's Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil 2 accessories with the 2018 iPad Pros as well.

MacBook Pro

Amazon has the higher-end 15-inch MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD for $2,399.00, down from $2,799.00 ($400 off). The notebook is available in both Silver and Space Gray.


This is the latest 2019 MacBook Pro with Retina Display, the Touch Bar, Touch ID, four Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports, and updated Butterfly keyboard technology.

MacBook Air

Lastly, Amazon has the new 2019 MacBook Air (8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) for $899.97, down from $1,099.00 ($200 off). This MacBook Air has a 13-inch Retina Display, Touch ID, two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports, and an updated butterfly keyboard.


Availability on this model is low, however, and at the time of writing it will be shipped sometime in late October. This is still a great price for the notebook, so those looking to save on this model should head to Amazon before the discount expires.

Head to our full Deals Roundup for more information on similar Apple-related discounts and offers.

Related Roundups: MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, Apple Deals

Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Caution), 12.9" iPad Pro (Neutral)

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