Tag: rumour

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Mobile Syrup

OnePlus took a page from Samsung’s playbook for rumoured foldable names

OnePlus appears to have taken a page out of Samsung’s playbook when picking names for its upcoming foldable devices.

The company reportedly trademarked the names ‘OnePlus V Fold’ and ‘OnePlus V Flip’ in China, as shared by Mukul Sharma on Twitter (via Android Police).

Along with the names, Sharma said that OnePlus had begun internal testing of at least one of the devices in several regions, including Europe.

These names are very similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip, which are now on their fourth iteration, with rumours about the fifth already circulating.

Assuming OnePlus took inspiration from more than just Samsung’s names, the two devices in question here will likely be a handset that folds out into a tablet-size devices (the V Fold) and a handset that flips open into a smartphone-size device (the V Flip). Moreover, the ‘V’ arguably better represents how these devices fold than Samsung’s ‘Z.’

Anyway, it’s worth keeping in mind that these are rumours and, even if OnePlus did trademark the names, it doesn’t mean the company will launch foldables anytime soon. Companies have a tendency the nab trademarks and patents for things even if there aren’t immediate plans to make those products.

And, as Android Police pointed out, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau previously said foldables had too many shortcomings. Of course, Lau could have had a change of heart since then (and OnePlus did tease images of a hinge last year).

Rumours aside, the next big device coming from OnePlus will be the OnePlus 11, set to launch at a February 7th event.

Source: @stufflistings Via: Android Police

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Mobile Syrup

Rumour suggests Apple plans potential iPhone 15 Pro price hike

Another rumour about Apple’s upcoming iPhone 15 series suggests the Pro devices will cost more than the 14 Pro variants did at launch.

As detailed by MacRumors, an unverified source on Chinese microblogging site Weibo said Apple plans to increase the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max (assuming those are the names Apple goes with this year), but didn’t clarify how much more expensive the phones would be compared to the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.

Moreover, the rumour indicated the price hike was intended to widen the gap between the Pro and non-Pro iPhone 15 models. Previously, rumours suggested Apple was considering a price reduction for the iPhone 15 Plus in a bid to boost sales after iPhone 14 Plus sales reportedly didn’t meet expectations.

The rumour also said the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus would gain several features currently only available on the Pro iPhone models, including the Dynamic Island and the 48-megapixel camera.

Of course, it’s worth taking this information with a healthy dose of skepticism. Aside from the source being unverified, we’re still months out from the fall launch of the iPhone 15 series — lots could change between now and then, which could impact any pricing plans Apple might have.

Beyond that, I’m not sure I buy into the part about iPhone Pro features coming to the regular iPhone models. In my eyes, the Pro iPhones already struggle to offer a compelling reason to buy them over the regular iPhones for most people, so unless Apple has some crazy new features planned, increasing the Pro pricing, and lowering the price of the non-Pro iPhones will make them even better value buys.

Source: Weibo Via: MacRumors

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Mobile Syrup

Pixel 8 series may sport new primary camera with staggered HDR

It looks like Google could switch the primary camera in its next flagships, likely called the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro.

While still months away, we’ve gotten a glimpse of some camera details thanks to developer and leaker Kuba Wojciechowski. Wojciechowski claims to have obtained an “unobfuscated version” of the Google Camera Go app, which shares resources with the regular Google Camera app available on Pixel phones. In the Camera Go app’s code, Wojciechowski found references to ‘Shiba’ and ‘Husky,’ which are likely the codenames for the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, respectively (Shiba and Husky turned up in a previous leak with details about the RAM and screen resolutions of the devices).

The references Wojciechowski found mention that Shiba and Husky support ‘staggered HDR,’ a different approach to HDR than what Pixel phones currently use. When you take a picture on a Pixel phone, the camera captures long and short exposures in quick succession, then stitches together the different exposures to create the final image. Staggered HDR, on the other hand, captures the long and short exposure at the same time, reducing the time taken to capture the image and, by extension, reducing the likelihood of ghosting or strobe effect caused when the phone can’t match the two exposures together.

The thing is, the camera sensor Google used in the primary camera for the Pixel 7 series and Pixel 6 series — the 50-megapixel Samsung GN1 — doesn’t support staggered HDR at a hardware level. That means if the code snippet is accurate, the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro will need a different camera sensor to support staggered HDR. Android Police points to Samsung’s GN2 sensor, noting it’s similar to the GN1 but offers staggered HDR support.

Aside from a change to the sensor, this would mark a larger shift for Google. The company previously stuck with the same camera hardware over multiple iterations of its phones, focusing on machine learning and software instead of hardware upgrades. For example, the camera sensor introduced with the Pixel 3 stuck around until Google switched to the GN1 with the Pixel 6.

Ultimately, it’ll be interesting to see what comes of the GN2 switch, if anything. We’re still really early in the rumour cycle for the Pixel 8 series, which likely won’t come out until the fall of 2023. A lot can change, so I wouldn’t bet on a new camera sensor just yet.

Source: @Za_Racze Via: Android Police

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Mobile Syrup

iPhone 15 could sport iPhone 5c-like rounded back, titanium: leak

Apple’s iPhone 15 may feature a slight design refresh with a rounded back, similar in style to the iPhone 5c. Moreover, the iPhone 15 will reportedly be made of titanium.

The information comes from leaker Shrimp Apple Pro, who has a somewhat mixed tracked record so far (they even note in the tweet that the information is very early and may change ahead of the iPhone 15 launch). According to Shrimp Apple Pro, the iPhone 15 will feature a squared-off front, similar to the current style of the iPhone. However, the back panel will feature rounded corners.

The leaker followed up with another tweet that specifically compared the design to the iPhone 5c, although they still seemed unsure about the details.

Of course, we’re still nearly a year away from new iPhones, whether that’s the iPhone 15 or some other name. Apple typically reveals new iPhones in September (excluding the iPhone SE line). Still, after a few years of the squared-edge iPhone design, it would make sense for Apple to change things up in some way.

As for the titanium portion of the rumour, well, it’s hardly new. Leakers have said for years that Apple would make a titanium iPhone, but the company hasn’t yet. Instead, the iPhone Pro models feature glass fronts and backs with stainless steel edges, while the non-Pro iPhone models use aluminum for the edges. This could be the year where Apple makes a change, but it remains to be seen.

Source: Shrimp Apple Pro (Twitter) Via: 9to5Mac

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Mobile Syrup

Leaker claims Google is working on a small-screen Pixel flagship

Google may be working on a small flagship Pixel phone, although you definitely shouldn’t get hyped about it yet.

The information comes from leaker ‘Digital Chat Station,’ who shared it in a post on Chinese microblogging site Weibo (via Android Authority). Digital Chat Station has shared Pixel information before (last month, they shared details about Google’s work on a Pixel foldable and another Pixel device made with ceramic), but this new leak doesn’t seem to line up with any other information we have about upcoming Pixel phones. As with any leak, you should probably be more than a little skeptical.

Still, the idea of a Pixel 7 Mini — or something like that — is certainly intriguing. Digital Chat Station says (via machine translation) that the “small-screen flagship” sports codename ‘Neila.’ Moreover, it features a centred hole-punch “straight screen,” which likely means it doesn’t have rounded or curved edges like the Pixel 6 Pro.

That’s about it in terms of information about the phone, but Digital Chat Station goes on to note that “small screen phones feel popular overseas, domestic sales are not as good as expected, [and] including super large screen product lines are quite dangerous.”

Digital Chat Station Weibo post | Credit: Android Authority

When I first read the leaked information, I thought the mini phone could be the ceramic Pixel previously detailed by Digital Chat Station, but that phone’s camera details line up with another rumoured Pixel device with the codename ‘Lynx.’ Some think Lynx could be a high-end Pixel (perhaps a Pixel Ultra?), while others believe it to be a prototype for testing new hardware.

Moreover, we already know that Google plans to launch a Pixel 7 and 7 Pro this year. While it’s possible Google might have plans for a third mystery device, I’m skeptical the company could have kept that under wraps this long. I suspect Neila (and perhaps Lynx too) could be early prototypes of the Pixel 8, but frankly, I have nothing more than speculation to go on.

The tiny Pixel of my dreams?

Whatever Neila ends up being (if it ends up as anything at all), the prospect of a mini Pixel is very exciting to me. I quite liked the Pixel 6, but found it to be uncomfortably large. Google’s Pixel 6a is nearly perfect in terms of size (I still think it’s a tad too big, but it’s far better than the 6 and 6 Pro in that regard). If Neila ends up being a flagship Pixel about the same size as the Pixel 6a, that would be the phone for me.

Of course, to get a smaller size, there will need to be concessions. Battery capacity will definitely shrink, and Google may be limited in terms of what camera hardware it can include in a smaller form factor. Moreover, other manufacturers who’ve tried a small form factor (like Apple, which recently killed its iPhone mini line) haven’t had much success. Large phones are clearly more popular, even if there’s a vocal minority of people like me clamouring for a smaller phone.

But again, there’s not much to go on with this leak and it seems a dubious claim given what we know about Google’s upcoming Pixel 7 line. So, I will not get hyped about the rumoured small Pixel. I will not.

Source: Digital Chat Station (Weibo) Via: Android Authority

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Mobile Syrup

iPhone 14 Pro display cut-outs could be ‘unified’ through software

As a deluge of iPhone 14 rumours continues to wash over the internet, we’re starting to get reports that contradict other reports. One of particular interest is that the iPhone 14 Pro’s software will make the rumoured display cut-outs look like a large pill rather than two distinct pieces.

The detail comes from an anonymous tipster cited by MacRumors. It builds off previous rumours that the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max will replace the notch with a hole-punch cut-out for the front-facing camera alongside a small pill-shaped cut-out for the Face ID sensors. The two cut-outs would form a sideways ‘i’ shape.

However, this new information from MacRumors’ tipster claims that the space between the two cut-outs won’t be used when the screen is on, making it look like one cut-out instead of two separate ones. MacRumors said it discovered “chatter” across Chinese social media networks supposedly from Foxconn employees involved in the iPhone 14 Pro assembly that also mentioned the unified pill, and the publication shared the following image as an illustration of what it could look like:

Another interesting tidbit here is that, according to the tipster, Apple’s software can expand the blacked-out area to host content. As an example, the software could make the area wider or taller to incorporate status icons or to deliver certain notifications.

Although MacRumors doesn’t mention this, I could see that space being used to display things like microphone or camera indicators. Another possibility could be that the green call/hotspot indicator could move to appear around the hole-punch. Basically, any of the status icons from this page could wind up there.

iPhone call indicator | Source: Apple

Of course, this is all a rumour, and as such, you should probably be skeptical. MacRumors said it couldn’t verify the sources, so keep that in mind as well.

Ultimately, it’s interesting to think about the ways the move to a hole-punch cut-out could impact iOS. When Apple introduced the notch back on the iPhone X, it had to significantly change how the status bar worked to accommodate the new hardware. Those changes included adjustments to which icons were visible in the status bar, how users accessed things like Control Center and Notification Center, and more. As such, it wouldn’t surprise me if the hole-punch display similarly changed things up.

Source: MacRumors

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Mobile Syrup

Why are all these tech companies suddenly not buying EA?

The internet was awash this morning with reports about a bunch of big tech companies not buying gaming giant Electronic Arts (EA). If you saw the reports and found yourself puzzling whether EA was ever for sale, well, you’re not alone.

Here’s the thing: EA kind of was for sale, according to reports. But it seems talks fell through, sparking reports about Apple and Amazon backing out of potential bids to buy EA. The whole saga appears to be a knot of various rumours and speculation dating back several months, so let’s dive in.

In late May, an article published in Puck indicated that Comcast CEO Brian Roberts approached EA CEO Andrew Wilson with a proposal to spin off NBCUniversal and merge Comcast with EA. That proposal came in the wake of the Microsoft-Activision deal. However, Puck notes that the deal fell apart, and EA started shopping itself around with other companies, including Disney, Apple, and Amazon.

That news got picked up and circulated by other outlets, such as Video Game Chronicle (VGC), and even MobileSyrup. It seems the story fell dormant until USA Today’s gaming vertical For The Win reported that Apple bowed out of talks and Amazon was poised to purchase EA. That sparked scrutiny from CNBC, which cited “sources” that told the publication Amazon wasn’t expected to buy EA.

An Amazon spokesperson told CNBC the company doesn’t comment on rumours or speculation, while an EA spokesperson declined to comment.

For The Win later updated its story to note Amazon isn’t expected to buy EA, saying:

“Earlier today, GLHF — a gaming/e-sports outlet and content partner of For The Win — ran a version of this story on our website that violated our editorial standards regarding the use of unnamed and unvetted sources. We have updated this story to remove all mention of those sources.”

Reuters reported that the rumour about Amazon purchasing EA sparked a jump in EA’s shares, which climbed 15 percent in pre-market trading off the news. The publication also noted that, although Amazon isn’t expected to buy EA, it could be a potentially good acquisition for the e-commerce giant. EA has strong licences and IP and would fit in well with things like Amazon’s Twitch game streaming service.

It’s worth noting that Amazon has been on an acquisition spree recently, buying robot vacuum company iRobot and healthcare provider One Medical.

So in summary, a report citing unnamed sources claimed Amazon was going to acquire EA, causing EA’s stock price to jump, before other reports deflated the rumour based on other unnamed sources.

Header image credit: Shutterstock

Source: CNBC, Reuters, MacRumors, For The Win, VGC, Puck

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Mobile Syrup

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra rumoured to sport 200-megapixel camera

Samsung is widely expected to launch new foldable phones next week, but leakers are already looking ahead to Samsung’s next big phone launch: the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Although not due for another few months at least, Samsung is likely hard at work developing its next flagship Galaxy S phones. And, if recent rumours are accurate, the Galaxy S23 Ultra will boast a huge camera upgrade thanks to a 200-megapixel sensor.

Leaker Ice Universe (via PhoneArena) is “almost 100% sure” the Galaxy S23 Ultra will sport an unreleased ‘HP2’ 200-megapixel camera sensor. That’d be a huge upgrade over the current 108-megapixel sensor in the S22 Ultra.

Android Police notes this isn’t the first time the S23 Ultra 200-megapixel sensor rumour has surfaced, but the addition of the HP2 sensor does add some weight to it. The publication notes the unreleased HP2 will presumably be better than the current ISOCELL HP1 and HP3 200-megapixel sensors. However, we’ll have to wait for the HP2’s release to get an idea of how it’ll be better than the other options.

Moreover, while a 200-megapixel sensor certainly sounds impressive, it’s worth keeping in mind that pure megapixel counts don’t always mean a lot. Like with other high-megapixel sensors, the S23 Ultra might leverage the HP2 for pixel binning, a practice of combining multiple pixels to form one larger pixel. Larger pixels means more light, more light means better results (usually, but things are often more complicated).

Coupled with the fact that first-gen camera hardware tends to have teething issues, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra may end up in a weird spot with great potential but middling performance. That’s what happened when Samsung made the switch to the 108-megapixel sensor with the S20 Ultra — reviews were critical of the camera, and it suffered from a variety of issues. However, Samsung refined the experience over the next few phone releases.

Ultimately, we’re still far from the Galaxy S23 release. It’s early for rumours, and it’s good to take any information with a healthy dose of skepticism. In other words, don’t bet on a 200-megapixel S23 Ultra just yet.

Source: Ice Universe Via: PhoneArena, Android Police

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Mobile Syrup

Google Pixel 7, 7 Pro to launch October 13: report

Google’s upcoming Pixel 7 and 7 Pro might be available for pre-order starting October 6th, according to new details shared by YouTube leaker Jon Prosser via his FrontPageTech blog.

Prosser notes that “very reputable sources” claim Google’s upcoming flagships will go live for pre-orders on October 6th, which likely means Google will hold an event to announce the devices that day (or near that day at least). Moreover, the devices will officially launch on the 13th.

That’s all that Prosser shares in the blog post, aside from linking to several older Pixel leaks as evidence of accuracy. However, Prosser has had a mixed record on leaks before, and any rumour — no matter how reputable the source — should be considered with a healthy dose of skepticism.

As seems to be the norm for Google now, the company tried to get out ahead of leakers by revealing the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro at its I/O developer conference in May. However, Google didn’t share many details beyond pictures of the design, confirmation that the phones would sport a ‘next-gen Google Tensor chip’ (Tensor 2?), and Android 13. Oh, and Google shared the colour options: ‘Obsidian,’ ‘Snow’ and ‘Hazel’ for the Pixel 7 Pro, and the Pixel 7 will come in ‘Obsidian,’ ‘Snow’ and ‘Lemongrass.’

Since then, some other details about the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro have leaked. Thanks to these details, we’re pretty sure the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro will sport similar displays to the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, and there may be some minor camera improvements as well. Plus, a prototype Pixel 7 Pro made it out into the wild, where it went up for sale on eBay and was scraped for data about Tensor 2.

Ultimately, October is a pretty safe bet for the launch month of the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. Google typically unveils its new Pixel flagships in October, and they become available shortly after. It remains to be seen whether the predicted dates are accurate — hopefully so, I’d love an early October release window.

Header image credit: Google

Source: FrontPageTech

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Mobile Syrup

Apple reportedly doesn’t plan to release new, larger-screen iMac

Following Apple’s announcement of the Mac Studio and Studio display, the company quietly discontinued its 27-inch Intel-powered iMac.

Rumours indicated that Apple planned to launch a new iMac Pro, but now 9to5Mac says this isn’t the case. Citing information from the sources that revealed plans for the Mac Studio, 9to5 says Apple has no plans to launch a larger-screen iMac in the near future.

Instead, Apple is working on the next wave of Macs with the new M2 chip. That includes a new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini.

9to5Mac also reported that information applies to large-screen iMac models as well as iMacs with Pro, Max, or Ultra chips. The next iMac Apple has in the works will reportedly be a 24-inch iMac expected in 2023, but it won’t feature Apple’s high-end processors.

All that said, it’s worth keeping in mind that plans can change. Moreover, rumours can be inaccurate at times, or not reveal the whole story. As it stands, it sounds like there won’t be any larger-screen or high-end iMacs arriving anytime soon.

Source: 9to5Mac