LightBlog

mardi 20 octobre 2020

Apple iPhone 12 vs Samsung Galaxy S20 FE: Battle of the affordable flagships

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE grabbed plenty of positive headlines late last month for its $699 price tag while keeping a flagship-level screen and SoC. While we in the Android enthusiast space are keen to pit the Galaxy S20 FE against other recently-launched, similarly-priced Android rivals in the OnePlus 8T and the Google Pixel 5, in the real world — to average consumers — the biggest (and perhaps only?) challenger to the Galaxy S20 FE is the iPhone 12.

Apple’s device is $100 pricier, but it’s still considered a good deal in developed, high-spending markets such as North America, Western Europe, Japan, and Samsung’s home country of South Korea. I’ve been using both of these phones over the past few days, so let’s see how they stack up against each other.

White Apple iPhone 12 with a Blue Samsung Galaxy S20 FE

Display

Both the iPhone 12 and Galaxy S20 FE have gorgeous, arguably best-in-class OLED panels. They both get about equally bright to my eyes and are perfectly fine to use even under harsh sunlight. And despite the fact that Samsung’s panel refreshes at twice the speed of the iPhone’s 60Hz panel, the actual real-world fluidity in UI isn’t as wide as one may think.

Apple iPhone 12 and Samsung Galaxy S20 FE in hand, besides each other

Chalk this up to Apple’s SoC, and a synergy between hardware and software that Android brands can’t match, or the touch panel response rate, but whatever the case, the iPhone still feels very smooth despite its “outdated” 60Hz panel. Sure, animations on the Galaxy S20 FE appear faster and zippier, but it’s hard to pick up the iPhone 12 and have much to complain about in terms of animations and UI fluidity. You can check out the video below to see me moving around both phones’ UI.

However, I’m still giving the win to the Galaxy S20 FE’s panel because it doesn’t have a giant notch. Apple fans can argue all they want about the benefits of Face ID — and I admit, logging into websites by just scanning my face feels damn cool — but the notch was unsightly and large in 2017 and even more so today.

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE screen compared to Apple iPhone 12 screen

Design and in-hand feel

The iPhone 12 is a glass sandwich phone, but not a typical one. Its display panel uses something Apple calls “Ceramic Glass,” meaning it’s a glass panel that has been infused with bits of ceramic, which Apple claims makes it 4x harder and shatter-resistant than last year’s iPhone panels. The Galaxy S20 FE uses Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3, which is not the best Corning has to offer. I haven’t dropped either phone (and don’t plan to), but on the spec sheet, it seems like the iPhone’s glass panel should be sturdier.

iPhone 12 and Galaxy S20 FE stacked on top of each other. iPhone 12 and Galaxy S20 FE stacked on top of each other. The iPhone 12 has a flat side.

Around the back, it’s not even close: the iPhone 12 has a premium feeling matte glass panel while the Galaxy S20 FE has a plastic back. The chassis on both phones are made of aluminum, but you can feel it more on the iPhone because it is larger and flatter. On the Samsung device, you’re feeling mostly glass and plastic, as the aluminum railing is quite thin. However, despite the Galaxy S20 FE being larger, it “fits” into my palm more comfortably due to curved back whereas the iPhone 12 has a boxy design with sharp edges.

Camera – Photos

The Galaxy S20 FE is equipped with a triple camera system consisting of a 12MP, f/1.8 main camera, along with an 8MP telephoto zoom lens and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera. The iPhone 12 has a dual-camera system featuring a 12MP, f/1.6 main camera, and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera. The lack of a telephoto zoom lens means the Galaxy S20 FE wins in zoom shots, as can be seen in the Bruce Lee statue 3Xxsample shots below.

iPhone 12 at 1x vs Galaxy S20 FE at 1x; iPhone 12 at 3x vs Galaxy S20 FE at 3x

Generally speaking, both cameras are excellent with dynamic range and are very fast to focus. If lighting conditions are good, it really comes down to a matter of personal preference in terms of which phone has a better main camera.

iPhone 12 vs Galaxy S20 FE

With the ultra-wide, the iPhone 12 pulls ahead during the day with a generally sharper image and better dynamic range. But at night, I prefer Samsung’s cooler tones than the iPhone 12’s overly warm color science — at least when shooting Hong Kong buildings at night.

Camera – Video

Both phones can shoot video up to 4K/60fps, but the iPhone 12 can shoot in Dolby Vision, and it really shows in high contrast scenes or when I’m switching from a shaded indoor scene to outdoor under the sun. In the video below containing both front-facing and main camera video footage, notice the iPhone consistently exposes a bit better and has slightly better stabilization all around. The iPhone has been the smartphone video king by consensus and the iPhone 12 keeps the lead.

SoC and Overall Performance

It should be no surprise that Apple’s brand-new A14 Bionic is more capable than the seven-months-old Snapdragon 865 powering the Galaxy S20 FE. Benchmark scores are a lop-sided win for Apple, but really, in real-world performance scenarios such as launching apps or running basic apps, I don’t see much of a difference, as the Snapdragon 865 is still very, very powerful. However, for more intensive tasks like editing 4K video clips, the iPhone 12 consistently processes and loads faster. But since they run on different OSes and I’m editing videos using different apps, it’s an apples and oranges comparison.

Battery

The Galaxy S20 FE, despite having a faster refresh rate, seems to have better battery life. The 4,500 mAh battery of the Galaxy S20 FE has been consistently able to last me an entire 14-hour day, while the iPhone 12 did not make the full 14-hour day in two of the four days I’ve had with it so far. I need to do more testing, however, as I was using the iPhone 12 a bit more on those days it couldn’t hang.

Final thoughts

The iPhone 12 and Galaxy S20 FE are both excellent handsets.

The Galaxy S20 FE has a better screen, more focal length versatility, and better battery life. The iPhone 12 meanwhile is better at capturing videos and has a better ultra-wide camera, along with a more premium build. Ultimately, there’s no point in declaring a winner here, since they run different eco-systems and each base has loyal fans that are firmly entrenched. Each of these phones will easily satisfy — it’s great the world’s two most prominent smartphone brands are giving us such great value at $800 or less.

    Apple iPhone 12
    The Apple iPhone 12 is perhaps the best placed smartphone in Apple's 2020 lineup, with a well-rounded package that delivers great value within the iOS ecosystem.
    Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
    The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is one of the better values in Android right now, with a 120Hz panel and Snapdragon 865 but at a price that's several hundred dollars less than other flagships

The post Apple iPhone 12 vs Samsung Galaxy S20 FE: Battle of the affordable flagships appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2FKW05n
via IFTTT

Some Pixel 5 owners are reporting a gap between the display and the body

Google’s latest flagship handset, the Pixel 5 has been due a potentially showstopping problem, and it looks like we may have found it in the form of a possible design flaw. Some users of the XDA Forums are amongst those who have complained that the glass display panel on their device doesn’t sit flush with the casing. The number of reports is growing steadily as more and more units reach their new owners, suggesting that the problem isn’t isolated—though we might add that it certainly doesn’t apply to every single handset sold.

Various photographs of phones sporting the unsightly gap suggest that it isn’t isolated to one specific point, but rather than there’s just not enough room to snap the two halves together, suggesting a millimetres wide mismatch between parts. It doesn’t seem to be limited to one color variant, nor does it seem to be a flaw that develops over time—most people have spotted it straight out of the box.

Image credits: XDA Senior Member superleeds27

The biggest concern here isn’t the functionality of the phone—they all seem to work perfectly—but it does bring into question the potential for ingress of dust and, more importantly, water. The Pixel 5 has been certified as IP68, which should mean that almost nothing gets in or out. Clearly, that’s not going to be true if there’s a whacking great hole in the casing.

We all know that most flagship phones have at least one boo-boo to overcome—but so do the manufacturers and the fact that this issue has been allowed as far as the end consumer leaves Google sporting a potentially very red face. Given the lukewarm reception and sales for the Pixel 4, the company needed for this launch to go flawlessly.

Google Pixel 5 Forums

We’ve asked Google for comment on the matter and will update this article once we have a statement.

Thanks for the tip, XDA Recognized Contributor TokedUp! Featured image credits: XDA Junior Member Sylabo

The post Some Pixel 5 owners are reporting a gap between the display and the body appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3dKMMCB
via IFTTT

iPhone 12 Hands-On: Apple’s best contender for a value flagship?

The iPhone 12 series is Apple’s largest lineup ever, with four models, each fitting neatly into a particular market segment: the iPhone 12 Mini is for those who’ve been lamenting the escalating size of phones; the iPhone 12 is for those who do not want to spend too much; the iPhone 12 Pro is the more premium variant; while the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the super-sized, highest spec variant of them all.

The wide variety on offer is great, but it’s likely the standard iPhone 12 that will sell the best. At 6.1-inches and starting at $799, it’s arguably the goldilocks iPhone — neither too small nor too large and not too expensive (relatively speaking). Even the naming suggests this: there’s no need for signifiers like Mini or Max; it’s just the iPhone for this year.

I’ve been testing the iPhone 12 (along with the 12 Pro) for the past four days, and here are my impressions, 96 hours later.

Apple iPhone 12: Specifications

Specification Apple iPhone 12
Build
  • Aluminum mid-frame
  • Glass front and back
  • “Ceramic Shield” for glass protection
Dimensions & Weight
  • 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm
  • 162 grams (Global)
  • 164 grams (USA)
Display
  • 6.1″ Super Retina XDR OLED Display
  • 2,532 x 1,170 resolution
SoC Apple A14 Bionic SoC:
    • 2x performance cores
    • 4x power efficiency cores
  • 5nm process node
  • 4-core GPU
  • 16-core Neural Engine
Storage Options
  • 64GB
  • 128GB
  • 256GB
Battery & Charging
  • 2,815 mAh battery as per certification listings
  • 15W Wireless Charging with MagSafe
  • 7.5W Qi Wireless Charging
Security Face ID (TrueDepth camera for facial recognition)
Rear Camera(s)
  •  Primary: 12MP
  • Secondary: 12MP, Ultra-wide angle
Front Camera(s) 12MP, f/2.2
Port(s) Proprietary Lightning port
Audio Audio formats supported: AAC‑LC, HE‑AAC, HE‑AAC v2, Protected AAC, MP3, Linear PCM, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital (AC‑3), Dolby Digital Plus (E‑AC‑3), Dolby Atmos, and Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+)
Connectivity
  • 5G: Sub 6GHz
    • mmWave for the USA
  • Ultra-Wide Band (UWB)
  • Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2×2 MIMO
  • Bluetooth 5.0
Software iOS 14
Other Features
  • IP68
  • Colors: Black, White, Red, Blue, Green

Hardware: 5nm, 5G!

Just from looks, the iPhone 12 doesn’t change much from last year’s iPhone 11, except that the aluminum chassis is now completely flat, making for a boxier look.

Apple iPhone 12 White and Apple iPhone 12 Pro Blue

The iPhone 12 (White) and the iPhone 12 Pro (Blue)

I find this design slightly less comfortable to hold than the rounded edges of the iPhone 11, but I think the boxier look gives off a more mature, professional vibe. Plus, they allow the iPhone 12 to stand on its own on a flat surface, making my job of taking product shots easier.

I also enjoy how light the standard iPhone 12 feels at 164g since the most recent Android flagships top 200g.

The iPhone SE 2020 (Red), with iPhone 12 Pro (Blue), and iPhone 12 (White)

The bezels around the iPhone 12 are supposedly slightly thinner than last year’s iPhones, but I couldn’t tell. It may be because I don’t have an iPhone 11 to see side-by-side with the 12, and instead, I’m comparing the iPhone 11 Pro Max with the 12.

Apple iPhone 12 Front and Apple iPhone 12 Pro Blue standing on a table

The iPhone 12 (left) and the iPhone 12 Pro (right)

But go beyond looks, and the iPhone 12 improves on the iPhone 11 quite a bit, more so than the 12 Pro improves on the iPhone 11 Pro. The iPhone 12 display gets upgraded to OLED display (or, as Apple calls it, Super Retina XDR) from last year’s LCD panel, and the main 12MP camera also enjoys a larger f/1.6 aperture for better light intake. The 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera’s hardware remains the same as before, but it now supports night mode for significantly better low light ultra-wide shots.

The biggest upgrade is in the silicon: the Apple A14 Bionic is built on 5nm technology. It’s still early days, but it definitely feels very powerful when editing videos (more on this later). On the Geekbench app, the A14 Bionic scored a 1,596 single-core and 4,027 multi-core, while the Snapdragon 865 Plus in my Galaxy Fold 2 scored 883 and 2,179, respectively.

A14 Bionic Geekbench Scores Snapdragon 865+ Geekbench scores

The iPhone 12, like all the other iPhone models this year, supports 5G. This, technically, is the biggest new feature of these new iPhones, but the fact I waited this far down in the article to mention it should show you what I think of it. 5G isn’t ready for prime time right now. In Hong Kong, I tested the iPhone on local carrier CSL’s sub-6 network, and while I got good reception throughout many parts of the city, speeds were just a tad faster than 4G LTE even on the best day. I haven’t tested 5G in the US in 2020 so far, but I highly doubt results would fare much better there. Still, Apple adopting 5G is important for the industry, and I suppose now that carriers have Apple’s backing, we’ll see 5G improve sometime next year.

5G speeds on the iPhone 12

5G speeds on the iPhone 12 according to the Speedtest app

MagSafe

Another new addition to the iPhones this year is they all support MagSafe charging. Those familiar with the older generation of Apple MacBooks will know MagSafe as the proprietary magnetically attached connector that powered MacBooks from 2006 to 2016. The new MagSafe charger is part of a collection of different MagSafe accessories and resembles a small wireless charger that magnetically attaches to the back of the iPhone 12. The MagSafe disc can also top up several of my Android phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and Galaxy Fold 2. Apple’s official press material doesn’t reveal many details about the tech behind MagSafe other than the fact it can charge the new Apple phones at 15W speeds. It is Qi-compatible up to 7.5W for other phones and accessories. I’ll do more testing in the coming days.

iPhone 12 Pro with a MagSafe charger attached.

It does work quite well: the MagSafe disc clips onto the iPhone 12 with a satisfying snap, and charging begins just like that. It does bring slightly more freedom than wireless charging, as I can lift up the phone and keep charging. However, I could also achieve the same effect by simply plugging in a wired Lightning cable.

Apple MagSafe charging an iphone 12 side profile of Apple MagSafe charger connected to the iPhone 12

iPhone 12 Camera: Dolby Vision!

As mentioned earlier, only the main wide camera of the 12 received any significant hardware upgrade, with a lower/faster F-stop that Apple says boosts low light intake by 27% over last year’s iPhone 11. The difference in photos captured by the iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 Pro Max is virtually negligible during the day. In the below set of photo samples, the 12’s image is slightly better lit all around than the iPhone 11 Pro’s shot — you can see the area under the shading in the bottom right of the photo is slightly brighter sharper — but differences are minimal. I’ve included a shot by the Galaxy Z Fold 2 to compare.

iPhone 12 photo sample iPhone 11 Pro photo sample Fold 2 photo sample

But where you’ll see the biggest bump is ultra-wide-angle photos taken at night. This was a weak point of the iPhone 11’s ultra-wide last year, but now with night mode, the difference is almost literally night and day.

In fact, Apple has improved all the cameras’ software algorithms to find a better balance in real-time. I took this challenging shot (standing under heavy shading while pointing at harsh sunlight) with the iPhone 12, iPhone 11 Pro, and Galaxy Z Fold 2 (in this order below). The 12’s image has the best exposure, not blowing out the bright sunlight leading to the ocean while also keeping the heavily shaded area well lit.

I’ll focus more on still photography in the full review, but in the meantime, check out some more iPhone 12 photo samples captured over the past few days.

I think, for the most part, this phone makes incremental upgrades over last year’s cameras in terms of dynamic range and exposure, but it isn’t a huge noticeable jump — in still photo, that is. In the video department, the iPhone 12 is the first phone in the world to shoot in Dolby Vision, an HDR standard that dynamically adjusts metadata on-the-fly. So if a scene’s lighting or exposure level shifts, the metadata changes too to adapt.

And here’s where that A14 Bionic power I mentioned comes in: the iPhone 12 can also edit these Dolby Vision clips within iOS’ native Photo app. And I’m not just talking about basic editing like trimming the length of a video or applying a filter, but you can crop or rotate a video and have it processed within the Photo app. Check out some Dolby Vision video samples captured by the iPhone 12 in the clip above. Near the end of the clip, you’ll see a side-by-side video comparison against the Galaxy S20 FE. Although Samsung’s video capabilities are excellent, you can see the Apple’s video had better stabilization, more natural colors, and found exposure quicker as I shifted from an indoor shaded scene to outside under heavy sunlight.

The Apple iPhone 12

Other random tidbits and Early Impressions

Battery life has been okay so far, meaning it’s neither great nor bad. I’ve been using the iPhone 12 heavily every day with 5G connected, and it only managed to go an entire 14-hour-day on a single charge two of the four days of testing so far. On one particular heavy usage day, I left the house at 10 am and shot videos for an hour, streamed Spotify while surfing the web for another hour, and made a couple of WhatsApp voice calls; my battery drained to 25% by just 4 pm.

Apple builds great synergy between hardware and software so that the iPhone experience is usually more than the sum of its spec sheet suggests

The iPhone 12’s “just 60Hz” panel is fine. Do I wish the new phones had a 120Hz refresh rate? Yes. Do I think animations on my OnePlus 8T look a bit “faster” than on this phone? Yes. But the 12’s UI fluidity and animations are still very smooth. I think Apple does such a great job building synergy between hardware and software that the iPhone is usually more than the sum of its part, and the experience is more than what the spec sheet suggests. The 60Hz panel here feels “smoother” than 60Hz on an Android, closing the gap to the 120Hz screens in Oppo, OnePlus, and Samsung phones.

It sounds weird to say this during the middle of a pandemic, but $800 for the iPhone 12 seems like a good value compared to the $1,000 iPhone 12 Pro (I’ll have a piece comparing these two side-by-side soon), or the $1,400 Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Now, of course, there’s the matter of the fact that iPhone’s OS is entirely different from Android, so if you’re an Android enthusiast reading this — it’s all a moot point anyway.

    Apple iPhone 12
    The Apple iPhone 12 is perhaps the best-placed smartphone in Apple's 2020 lineup, with a well-rounded package that delivers great value within the iOS ecosystem. The addition of an OLED display, a larger aperture in the camera, 5G, and design tweaks help the iPhone 12 stand out as its own phone.

I’ll be back with more iPhone 12 coverage throughout the rest of this week! Stay tuned, and let us know what you think about the new iPhone in the comments below!

The post iPhone 12 Hands-On: Apple’s best contender for a value flagship? appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3o6pqw9
via IFTTT

Google has discontinued the Nest Secure alarm system

Google has confirmed that the Nest Secure alarm system it launched in 2017 has been discontinued. The product, made up of a combination keypad and siren called the Nest Guard and a series of sensors has been unavailable on the Google Store for a week or so, and now we have confirmation that it’s gone for good.

Google has confirmed that although the Nest Secure system is no longer available, it will continue to service customers’ existing devices including the Nest Guard, Nest Connect motion sensors, Nest Tags, and Nest Detect door/window sensors. You may even find products still in stock in some places and can rest assured they will be supported.

Google recently confirmed that its Nest Hub devices will gain presence detection for Google Home in a coming firmware update. Although not a direct successor, it seems that Google is banking on a house full of Nest Hubs and cameras to replace the sensors. Additionally, Google Assistant will accept a PIN-code by voice and emit a siren, negating the need for Nest Guard.

The reality is that Nest Secure was a “legacy” product designed to appeal to those who wanted a smart alarm system that was in a more familiar form factor. But with smart speakers and mobile handsets capable of filling all of Nest Secure’s features, it has become somewhat superfluous. The danger with this direction of travel is that it assumes customers will embrace smart assistants, and yet many people want the benefits of a smart home without any reliance on Google Assistant, Siri, or Alexa.

Google is not the only smart home player not to have fully supported its traditional alarm system. Arlo’s equivalent product was quietly withdrawn earlier this year without a replacement, and without ever reaching beyond the US market.

Amazon-owned Ring offers its alarm system and accessories worldwide, but its products remain stubbornly incompatible with the Google Home ecosystem. Other third-party products exist, offering different features and compatibility.

Last week, Google announced its latest Nest thermostat, which also features presence detection which can be applied to an environment protected by Nest.


Source: AndroidPolice

The post Google has discontinued the Nest Secure alarm system appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3lY1aue
via IFTTT