Author: Mobile Syrup

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Mobile Syrup

Amazon’s new Kindle Scribe comes with a dedicated stylus

At its fall hardware event, Amazon announced a new Kindle that you can also write on!

The 10.2-inch 300 ppi E-ink display device is the first Kindle that you can scribe on and is “meant to feel like pen on paper,” all while retaining what makes the Kindle tablet one of the best e-readers.

The stylus includes a built-in eraser and shortcut buttons, and attaches to the side of the device. The stylus allows users to take notes or make to-do lists, while also being able to write on the page of the book you’re reading.

Pre-orders for the new Kindle Scribe begin today in the U.S., and the device is expected to be available “in time for holidays” for $339.99 USD. MobileSyrup has reached out to Amazon regarding Canadian pricing and availability.

More to come…

Image credit: Amazon

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Mobile Syrup

Metrolinx warns Presto card users of ‘card clash’

Presto card users may be on the hook for two separate charges if they aren’t careful about the card they use to start and end their trips.

Back in August, Metrolinx introduced a new (much-needed) feature allowing travellers to tap their credit cards to pay for their fares instead of always having to use their Presto card. But now, the transit agency is warning users of ‘card clash.’

According to reporting from CTV News Toronto, card clash occurs when a user unknowingly taps more than one recognizable card when paying for their trip.

“If a customer taps their whole wallet, the payment device may recognize only the card closest to the reader, and therefore, it may not be the card the customer had intended to pay with,” Metrolinx said.

If a customer taps off with a card other than the one they started their trip with, they’ll be charged for two rides going to the last stop on that line, per the distance-based fare system Metrolinx implements for GO Transit and UP Express.

While the transit agency says it hasn’t heard of any issues since the program launched, it’s reminding riders to be careful.

“With the expansion of payment methods across the GO network and select local transit agencies, it’s important that all riders — whether using a Presto card, credit card, or mobile wallet — remember to tap off with the same card or method they used to tap on,” Metrolinx said.

Source: CP24

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Mobile Syrup

Unofficial Samsung Galaxy S23 renders ditch camera bump

The Samsung leaks are at it again, with new unofficial renders of the S23 hitting the internet.

The leak was shared by Steve Hemmerstoffer (@Onleaks) via Digit and SmartPrix. The renders show that Samsung will do away with the camera bump for the S23 and S23+. Instead, the phone will have three protruding camera lenses with no actual camera island. It sort of looks like the S22 Ultra, but without as many camera lenses.

The S23 is rumoured to feature a 6.1-inch display, while the S23+ could sport a 6.6-inch screen with both sporting three shooters, but those specs are unclear. The handset will sport the Qualcomm 2023 flagship processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

The S23 and S23+ are looking to be small updates compared to last year.  Whereas, the S23 Ultra is expected to feature a 200-megapixel camera, in 2023.

We’re expecting to see the S23 series in January or February of 2023. While we should take leaks this early on with a grain of salt, Hemmerstoffer has a great track record.

Source: OnLeaks, Digit, Smrtpix

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Mobile Syrup

Pixel 7 Pro design highlighted in new Google teaser video

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5ggy3BcZwk

Google followed up last week’s Pixel Watch teaser with a new Pixel 7 Pro teaser video. Posted to the ‘Made by Google’ YouTube account, the 43-second clip shows off the Pixel 7 Pro from various angles.

Given how many details Google has already shared publicly about the upcoming smartphone, there aren’t any surprises in the video. Instead, it highlights the phone’s design, with extra attention paid to the ‘Haze’ colour, new camera bar, and more.

The video kicks off with a close-up on the ‘Obsidian’ Pixel 7 Pro’s camera bar, followed by a zoomed-out look at the back of the phone. It then transitions to a close-up of the gold-colour camera bar on the ‘Hazel’ Pixel 7 Pro. In this shot, you can also see the power button, which appears to be a matte shade instead of a shiny gold colour like the phone’s metal edge.

The video jumps back to the ‘Obsidian’ colour camera bar again, then cycles through a few different angles of the camera bar across both the ‘Obsidia’ and ‘Snow’ colours. There’s also a brief look at the back of the phone in full.

Wrapping things up are a view of the ‘Hazel’ and ‘Snow’ phones, seemingly floating in the air, then a view of all three colours together.

Again, none of this reveals anything new about the phone, but it’s nice to get a good look at the Pixel 7 Pro. The design looks good, like a more polished, refined version of the Pixel 6 Pro. It’s still clear that the phone has a glossy back panel, however — that’s a real bummer, in my opinion. One of the best parts of past Pixel phones was the matte glass textures, which gave the phones a unique feel.

You can check out the full video here. Google is set to unveil the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro officially, and likely the Pixel Watch, at its October 6th event — check out what to expect here.

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Mobile Syrup

Amazon discounts Fire 7 Tablet to $55, down 21 percent

Amazon has discounted on its most popular tablet, the Fire 7.

This comes with 16GB storage with a 7-inch display. The Fire 7 is currently 21 percent off at $54.99.

Amazon’s Fire tablets run Fire OS, a forked version of Android without the Google Play Store or any of Google’s services. Instead, you can shop for apps, games, music, ebooks and videos through Amazon’s various digital stores.

It should be noted that Amazon is prepping for the release of the new Fire HD 8 on October 19th. This will retail for $199.

Source: Amazon Canada

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Mobile Syrup

What’s leaving Netflix Canada, Crave and Prime Video in October

As is the case every month, several shows and movies are leaving Netflix Canada, Crave and Prime in October.

It’s worth noting that the streaming services may only be removing certain shows and movies for a specific amount of time.

Series like Avatar: The Last Airbender and Gossip Girl and movies like Mean Girls have all left Netflix and then returned to the service months or years later. If you’re more interested in what’s coming to Crave, Prime Video, and Netflix, check out our respective ‘what’s coming to’ posts.

Below are all the shows and movies leaving Netflix, Prime Video and Crave in October.

Leaving Netflix in October

  • Fargo: Seasons 1-3 (October 8th)
  • Hemlock Grove: Seasons 1-3 (October 22nd)
  • Insidious (October 23rd)
  • Insidious: Chapter 2 (October 23rd)
  • Insidious: Chapter 3 (October 23rd)
  • Downtown Abbey (October 31st)

Here’s what’s leaving Crave

  • I Am MLK Jr. (October 3rd)
  • The Wolf of Snow Hollow (October 4th)
  • Creative Soles (October 6th)
  • Maliglutit (Searchers) (October 12th)
  • Sgaawaay K’uuna (Edge of the Knife) (October 12th)
  • Tia and Piujuq (October 12th)
  • Frontier: Season 2 (October 14th)
  • MTV Unplugged Presents: Miley Cyrus Backyard Sessions (October 14th)
  • Tom & Jerry (October 14th)
  • Birth (October 18th)
  • The Climb (October 18th)
  • Toys of Terror (October 18th)
  • Castle Rock: Season 1 + Season 2 (October 22nd)
  • Cartier: Season 1, Season 2 (October 24th)
  • The Bold and the Beautiful: Season 35, Episodes 108-250 (October 27th)
  • The Human Voice (October 29th)
  • The Bronx USA (October 29th)
  • About A Boy (October 31st)
  • Austin Powers in Goldmember (October 31st)
  • Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (October 31st)
  • Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (October 31st)
  • Beaverton: Season 2 (October 31st)
  • California Typewriter (October 31st)
  • The Candidate (October 31st)
  • Delivery (October 31st)
  • Funny Tweets (October 31st)
  • Incendies (October 31st)
  • Killing Patient Zero (October 31st)
  • Laurence Anyways (October 31st)
  • Martha Marcy May Marlene (October 31st)
  • Miss Hokusai (October 31st)
  • Non-Stop (October 31st)
  • Owning Mahowny (October 31st)
  • Patriots Day (October 31st)
  • Rocknrolla (October 31st)
  • Speed (October 31st)
  • The Thin Red Line (October 31st)
  • Tom At The Farm (October 31st)
  • The Trotsky (October 31st)
  • V For Vendetta (October 31st)
  • Empire of the Sun (October 31st)

Here’s what’s leaving Prime Video

  • Archive (October 7th)
  • Pandora (October 8th)
  • Tula Kalnaar Nahi (October 18th)
  • Famoso (October 26th)
  • Why Women Kill (October 28th)
  • Spider-Man
  • Spider-Man 2
  • Spider-Man 3
  • 21

Image credit: Sony

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Mobile Syrup

47 percent of Canadians worried about falling victim to cybercrimes: poll

A new poll conducted for banking institution RBC found there is a low level of awareness about newer cyber threats. For example, only 30 percent of respondents understood pharming, which sees users redirected to fake websites to steal personal credentials.

“As Canadians live more of their life online, cybercrime has also grown year over year and become more sophisticated,” Adam Evans, RBC’s chief information security officer, said in a press release.

The poll found Canadians aged 55 and over are likely to be more concerned about cyber attacks, including unauthorized access to personal information and hacking of social media accounts.

While the results show younger people (particularly in the 18-34 age bracket) are more knowledgeable about most cyber threats, they aren’t more likely to take proactive measures.

The results found only 35 percent of respondents in the younger age group change their passwords regularly. Comparatively, 50 percent of those between 35-54, and 51 percent of those 55 and older, change their password periodically.

Ipsos conducted the survey on behalf of RBC, which includes the responses of 1,500 Canadians.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: RBC

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Mobile Syrup

T-Pain tells keyboard warriors to stop harassing Apex Legends developers

T-Pain has a message for unruly gamers: “y’all have to fucking chill out.”

The rapper tweeted the message in response to Apex Legends developer Respawn’s social media statement condemning the harassment that staff has been facing.

“Bro y’all have to fucking chill out. It’s a fucking game my dude. Play something else if you hate it so much bro. Walk away from your pc/console if you’ve become so consumed by a game that you feel the need to threaten the ppl that work hard to make it. Chill bro

On September 22nd, Respawn tweeted that it has recently “seen increased harassment towards members” of the development team. “We welcome community input, however, the line between constructive feedback and the harassment of our dev team cannot be crossed.” The developer said it has a “zero tolerance policy” towards this behaviour and promised to “take appropriate action to ensure the health and safety” of the team.

Many people quickly shared the post to express support for the developers and push back against the abuse, and now, T-Pain has done the same. The rapper is an avid gamer, streaming titles like Apex Legends regularly on Twitch.

Unfortunately, the issue of developer harassment has come up often, especially in the past few months. In the span of a week over the summer, Monkey Island creator Ron Gilbert decided to stop publicly talking about his new game due to hateful messages over its art style, while a Sony Santa Monica developer reported receiving unsolicited “dick pics” to get her to confirm a release date for God of War: Ragnarök. 

It should go without saying that none of this is acceptable, and you need to grow up if it’s something you do. As T-Pain himself said, “it’s a fucking game my dude.”

Image credit: Origin

Via: GamesRadar

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Mobile Syrup

Should you buy an iPhone 13 instead of the iPhone 14?

The iPhone 14 Pro is pretty cool.

It features an always-on display, emergency SOS via satellite, the A16 chip and the fancy ‘Dynamic Island.’ Heck, that 48-megapixel camera is great too (if you shoot in RAW). But you know what’s also great? The iPhone 13 Pro from last year and even the iPhone 12 Pro from the previous year.

Of course, those are Apple’s Pro iPhones. What about their non-pro models? Well, there hasn’t been much going on there for the last few years. At least with Apple’s Pro iPhones, there are some compelling features to consider if they could be impactful to your life. However, with the non-Pro line-up, what are you buying between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13? Or even the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 12?

I’m a self-proclaimed Apple fan who loves trying out the latest technology. But that’s me. When it comes to other people, there’s nothing I enjoy more than helping people find the right device for them. Our brains are wired to think we need to have the latest and greatest, but it might actually be worth considering a previous model over the iPhone 14 or 14 Pro.

iPhone 12 vs iPhone 13 vs iPhone 14

With Apple’s non-Pro line-up of phones, the differences are pretty simple. There really aren’t any — at least nothing major. Of course, Apple doesn’t literally package the same phone and resell it, but they come pretty close. Each generation has seen battery improvements, processor speed bumps, and maybe a few minor camera tweaks, but there’s nothing earth-shatteringly different between these three models.

The iPhone 14 is especially interesting because while it brings emergency SOS via satellite to the iPhone for the first time, processor-wise, it’s the same as the iPhone 13 but with one extra GPU core. Having a faster phone is always nice, but every phone is already plenty quick. Otherwise, water resistance, fast charging and physical size are the same across the board. But hey, there are always new colours.

iPhone 12

iPhone 13

iPhone 14

Display

6.1-inch, Super Retina XDR, OLED True Tone display, 2532 x 1170 pixels

6.1-inch, Super Retina XDR, OLED True Tone display, 2532 x 1170 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision

6.1-inch, Super Retina XDR, OLED True Tone display, 2532 x 1170 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision

Processor

A14 Bionic chip

A15 Bionic chip

A15 Bionic chip

RAM

4GB of RAM

N/A

N/A

Storage

64GB, 128GB, 256GB

128GB, 256GB, 512GB

128GB, 256GB, 512GB

Dimensions (in.)

146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4mm

146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm

146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm

Weight

162g

173g

172g

Rear Facing Camera

12-megapixel (f/1.6, OIS, wide) + 12-megapixel (f/2.4, OIS, ultra-wide)

12-megapixel (f/1.6, OIS, wide) + 12-megapixel (f/2.4, OIS, ultra-wide)

12-megapixel (f/1.5, OIS, wide) + 12-megapixel (f/2.4, OIS, ultra-wide)

Front Facing Camera

12-megapixel (f/2.2)

12-megapixel (f/2.2)

12-megapixel (f/1.9)

OS

iOS 14

iOS 15

iOS 16

Battery

(Up to 17 hours of video playback)

Up to 19 hours of video playback

Up to 20 hours of video playback

Network Connectivity

GSM/HSPA/LTE/5G

LTE/ 5G

LTE/ 5G

Sensors

TrueDepth Camera Sensor, Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer

Face ID, Three axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Barometer

Face ID, Three axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Barometer

SIM Type

Nano SIM, eSIM

Nano SIM, eSIM

Nano SIM, eSIM

Launch Date

October 13, 2020

September 24, 2021

September 16, 2022

Misc

Colours: Black, Green, Product Red, Blue, White |

Colours: Black, Pink, Product Red, Blue, White |

Colours: Midnight, Purple, Product Red, Blue, Starlight

Display

iPhone 12

6.1-inch, Super Retina XDR, OLED True Tone display, 2532 x 1170 pixels

iPhone 13

6.1-inch, Super Retina XDR, OLED True Tone display, 2532 x 1170 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision

iPhone 14

6.1-inch, Super Retina XDR, OLED True Tone display, 2532 x 1170 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision

Processor

iPhone 12

A14 Bionic chip

iPhone 13

A15 Bionic chip

iPhone 14

A15 Bionic chip

RAM

iPhone 12

4GB of RAM

iPhone 13

N/A

iPhone 14

N/A

Storage

iPhone 12

64GB, 128GB, 256GB

iPhone 13

128GB, 256GB, 512GB

iPhone 14

128GB, 256GB, 512GB

Dimensions (in.)

iPhone 12

146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4mm

iPhone 13

146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm

iPhone 14

146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm

Weight

iPhone 12

162g

iPhone 13

173g

iPhone 14

172g

Rear Facing Camera

iPhone 12

12-megapixel (f/1.6, OIS, wide) + 12-megapixel (f/2.4, OIS, ultra-wide)

iPhone 13

12-megapixel (f/1.6, OIS, wide) + 12-megapixel (f/2.4, OIS, ultra-wide)

iPhone 14

12-megapixel (f/1.5, OIS, wide) + 12-megapixel (f/2.4, OIS, ultra-wide)

Front Facing Camera

iPhone 12

12-megapixel (f/2.2)

iPhone 13

12-megapixel (f/2.2)

iPhone 14

12-megapixel (f/1.9)

OS

iPhone 12

iOS 14

iPhone 13

iOS 15

iPhone 14

iOS 16

Battery

iPhone 12

(Up to 17 hours of video playback)

iPhone 13

Up to 19 hours of video playback

iPhone 14

Up to 20 hours of video playback

Network Connectivity

iPhone 12

GSM/HSPA/LTE/5G

iPhone 13

LTE/ 5G

iPhone 14

LTE/ 5G

Sensors

iPhone 12

TrueDepth Camera Sensor, Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer

iPhone 13

Face ID, Three axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Barometer

iPhone 14

Face ID, Three axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Barometer

SIM Type

iPhone 12

Nano SIM, eSIM

iPhone 13

Nano SIM, eSIM

iPhone 14

Nano SIM, eSIM

Launch Date

iPhone 12

October 13, 2020

iPhone 13

September 24, 2021

iPhone 14

September 16, 2022

Misc

iPhone 12

Colours: Black, Green, Product Red, Blue, White |

iPhone 13

Colours: Black, Pink, Product Red, Blue, White |

iPhone 14

Colours: Midnight, Purple, Product Red, Blue, Starlight

Suppose you’re curious about seeing the differences yourself. While your average tech reviewer may be bummed out by the lack of differences, it means potential cost savings for iPhone buyers.

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro

Apple’s Pro line-up of iPhones has a little more to consider than their non-Pro counterparts but not by much. Across the board, all three (including their Max versions) feature the same storage tiers (minus the 12 Pro, which didn’t have a 1TB option), 6GB of RAM, physical size, water resistance rating, and fast charging.

The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro are relatively similar. As always, Apple introduced a new chip giving the iPhone 13 slightly better performance with an A15 Bionic over the iPhone 12’s A14 Bionic processor.

The iPhone 13 Pro also introduced ProMotion to the iPhone for the first time. Offering a 120Hz refresh rate on the iPhone 13 Pros displays over the 60Hz of the iPhone 12 Pros display. Many really like the smoother animations, while others may find it makes them motion sick.

Finally, the iPhone 13 Pro replaced the 2x optical lens zoom with a 3x optical lens. This change was mostly met with disappointment as many found it to be too much zoom where the 2x felt just right.

iPhone 12 Pro

iPhone 13 Pro

iPhone 14 Pro

Display

6.1-inch, Super Retina XDR, OLED True Tone display, 2532 x 1170 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision

6.1-inch, Super Retina XDR, OLED True Tone display, 2532 x 1170 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision, 120Hz refresh rate

6.1-inch, Super Retina XDR, OLED True Tone display, 2556 x 1179 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision, 120Hz refresh rate

Processor

A14 Bionic chip

A15 Bionic chip

A16 Bionic chip

RAM

6GB of RAM

N/A

N/A

Storage

128GB, 256GB, 512GB

128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Dimensions (in.)

146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4mm

146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm

147.5 x 71.5 x 7.85mm

Weight

189g

203g

206g

Rear Facing Camera

12-megapixel (f/1.6, OIS, wide angle) + 12-megapixel (f/2.0, OIS, telephoto 2x optical ) + 12-megapixel (f/2.4, OIS, ultra-wide angle)

12-megapixel (f/1.5, OIS, wide angle) + 12-megapixel (f/2.8, OIS, telephoto 3x optical ) + 12-megapixel (f/1.6, OIS, ultra-wide angle)

48-megapixel (f/1.78, OIS, wide angle) + 12-megapixel (f/2.8, OIS, telephoto 3x optical ) + 12-megapixel (f/2.2, OIS, ultra-wide angle)

Front Facing Camera

12-megapixel (f/2.2)

12-megapixel (f/2.2)

12-megapixel (f/1.9)

OS

iOS 14

iOS 15

iOS 16

Battery

Up to 17 hours video playback

Up to 22 hours video playback

Up to 23 hours video playback

Network Connectivity

GSM/HSPA/LTE/5G

LTE/ 5G

LTE/5G

Sensors

Face ID, Three axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Barometer

Face ID, Three axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Barometer

Face ID, Three axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Barometer

SIM Type

Nano SIM, eSIM

Nano SIM, eSIM

Nano SIM, eSIM

Launch Date

October 13, 2020

September 24, 2021

September 16, 2022

Misc

Colours: Blue, Gold, Silver and Graphite

Colours: Sierra Blue, Gold, Silver and Graphite

Colours: Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple

Display

iPhone 12 Pro

6.1-inch, Super Retina XDR, OLED True Tone display, 2532 x 1170 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision

iPhone 13 Pro

6.1-inch, Super Retina XDR, OLED True Tone display, 2532 x 1170 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision, 120Hz refresh rate

iPhone 14 Pro

6.1-inch, Super Retina XDR, OLED True Tone display, 2556 x 1179 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision, 120Hz refresh rate

Processor

iPhone 12 Pro

A14 Bionic chip

iPhone 13 Pro

A15 Bionic chip

iPhone 14 Pro

A16 Bionic chip

RAM

iPhone 12 Pro

6GB of RAM

iPhone 13 Pro

N/A

iPhone 14 Pro

N/A

Storage

iPhone 12 Pro

128GB, 256GB, 512GB

iPhone 13 Pro

128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

iPhone 14 Pro

128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Dimensions (in.)

iPhone 12 Pro

146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4mm

iPhone 13 Pro

146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm

iPhone 14 Pro

147.5 x 71.5 x 7.85mm

Weight

iPhone 12 Pro

189g

iPhone 13 Pro

203g

iPhone 14 Pro

206g

Rear Facing Camera

iPhone 12 Pro

12-megapixel (f/1.6, OIS, wide angle) + 12-megapixel (f/2.0, OIS, telephoto 2x optical ) + 12-megapixel (f/2.4, OIS, ultra-wide angle)

iPhone 13 Pro

12-megapixel (f/1.5, OIS, wide angle) + 12-megapixel (f/2.8, OIS, telephoto 3x optical ) + 12-megapixel (f/1.6, OIS, ultra-wide angle)

iPhone 14 Pro

48-megapixel (f/1.78, OIS, wide angle) + 12-megapixel (f/2.8, OIS, telephoto 3x optical ) + 12-megapixel (f/2.2, OIS, ultra-wide angle)

Front Facing Camera

iPhone 12 Pro

12-megapixel (f/2.2)

iPhone 13 Pro

12-megapixel (f/2.2)

iPhone 14 Pro

12-megapixel (f/1.9)

OS

iPhone 12 Pro

iOS 14

iPhone 13 Pro

iOS 15

iPhone 14 Pro

iOS 16

Battery

iPhone 12 Pro

Up to 17 hours video playback

iPhone 13 Pro

Up to 22 hours video playback

iPhone 14 Pro

Up to 23 hours video playback

Network Connectivity

iPhone 12 Pro

GSM/HSPA/LTE/5G

iPhone 13 Pro

LTE/ 5G

iPhone 14 Pro

LTE/5G

Sensors

iPhone 12 Pro

Face ID, Three axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Barometer

iPhone 13 Pro

Face ID, Three axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Barometer

iPhone 14 Pro

Face ID, Three axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Barometer

SIM Type

iPhone 12 Pro

Nano SIM, eSIM

iPhone 13 Pro

Nano SIM, eSIM

iPhone 14 Pro

Nano SIM, eSIM

Launch Date

iPhone 12 Pro

October 13, 2020

iPhone 13 Pro

September 24, 2021

iPhone 14 Pro

September 16, 2022

Misc

iPhone 12 Pro

Colours: Blue, Gold, Silver and Graphite

iPhone 13 Pro

Colours: Sierra Blue, Gold, Silver and Graphite

iPhone 14 Pro

Colours: Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple

The iPhone 14 Pro brings emergency SOS via satellite which may be an exciting feature for those in extreme situations after it launches in November. Of course, that feature is highly unique and likely not needed by everyone.

The iPhone 14 Pro also brought the Dynamic Island and always-on displays to the iPhone for the first time. Both features have been met with mixed reviews, to say the least. “The notch” was coined when the iPhone X was released in 2017. Apple never wanted to acknowledge its existence and instead did whatever it could to make it blend into iOS.

Meanwhile, the Dynamic Island takes the complete opposite approach — it wants to be noticed and transforms based on tasks running in the background, such as an active timer or a podcast playing. The Dynamic Island looks the worst when launching an app with a white-only background. This causes the Dynamic Island to be a very noticeable black pill where the notch would have felt more passive.

iPhone 13 Pro greenThen we have the always-on display. Every iPhone user has their brain wired to know that when their display brightens up, they have a notification. The always-on display requires us to rewire our brains into what it means when we see our iPhone’s display light up. Additionally, we’ve seen reports of improved battery life with the always-on display turned off.

Finally, there’s the 48-megapixel wide-angle camera addition to the iPhone 14 Pro. This is a fantastic camera improvement when you’re the iPhonographer that will take advantage of the extra sensor data. Otherwise, it’s a reasonably mute feature minus the return of the beloved 2x zoom.

Pricing and availability

Apple discontinued the iPhone 13 Pro with the launch of the iPhone 14 Pro, and the iPhone 12 Pro was discontinued when the iPhone 13 Pro was released. However, you can sometimes still get great deals with mobile carriers on iPhone 13 Pro (and maybe iPhone 12 Pro). At the time of writing, some mobile carriers have discounted refurbished units.

If you’re interested in non-Pro models, Apple still sells the iPhone 12 starting at $849 for a 64GB model or $919 for a 128GB model. Meanwhile, Apple also has the iPhone 13 starting at $999 for 128GB.
With the iPhone 14, Apple opted to not make an iPhone 14 mini and instead went with the iPhone 14 Plus that will ship in October. However, if you want a smaller phone, Apple still sells the iPhone 13 mini at $849 for 128GB. Again, you may be able to find deals on all of these devices with a mobile carrier, especially as we approach the holidays. With the iPhone 12, 13, and 14 being so similar, you can safely buy any model (regular, mini, or Plus) and get a great phone without regrets.

A friendly reminder

The differences between the iPhone 12 Pro, 13 Pro, and 14 Pro are broken out here along with their non-Pro counterparts to allow you to make an informed decision on what iPhone is best for you or the person you’re shopping for. Perhaps a non-Pro iPhone is best for your particular use case, or the features on this year’s Pro iPhone don’t sound compelling to you.

Remember, it isn’t all about getting the “latest and greatest.” Keep your eyes out for deals, and don’t spend your hard-earned money on features you may never use. Instead, get a device that you can afford, will enjoy, and can keep for a long time.

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Mobile Syrup

Netflix Games introduces its own version of gamertags

Netflix has launched “game handles,” a way for Netflix Games players to create a unique public username that will be used across all of the platform’s titles.

Some of the games that will feature the streamer’s take on Xbox’s Gamertag and Sony’s PSN ID include multiplayer titles like ship adventure game Rival Pirates and single-player titles with leaderboards, such as Lucky Luna.

To create a game handle, boot up the Netflix mobile app. On Android, you can simply select the games tab in the navigation bar to find a banner that says ‘Create your Netflix game handle.’ iOS users, however, will have to download Rival Pirates or Lucky Luna to access this prompt.

In related news, Netflix has partnered with publisher Tilting Point to bring three mobile games to its platform, starting with Spongebob: Get Cooking on September 27th, followed by Narcos: Cartel Wars Unlimited (TBA fall 2022) and a yet-to-be-revealed title in 2023. The streamer also revealed plans this week to open its first game studio in Helsinki, Finland.

Image credit: Netflix

Source: Netflix