Category: Apple Insider

At CES 2020, Sony unveiled a new line of 4K and 8K TVs, destined to be released during the year. They finally have now gone on sale and we were quick to pick one up to test it out.

The 2020 Sony TV lineup is quite encompassing, spanning several different sizes in both 4K and 8K variants. We chose the X800H 43-inch model, which features a Sony X1 processor, 4K resolution, HDR10 and Dolby Vision support, Dolby Atmos support, dual 10W speakers, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Google Assistant voice search, and HomeKit.

Design

Sony has kept a relatively modern design with its new line of TVs. The bezel is very narrow around the edges which helps it blend in — or gives you an excuse to jump up a size. We replaced a 46-inch set with a 43-inch set, and between the smaller bezels and overall smaller size, we wish we’d have opted for the 49-inch instead.

The stand is comprised of two angled arches that go on the left and right side and are installed with a Philips screwdriver. These look nice with a brushed finish, but do feel a bit plastic-y. This is an entry-level set and the whole thing has a bit of a plastic feel, but Sony does a good job of masking it until you touch it.

We’d say the biggest thing with the legs is because they do stick out towards the front, if you plan on placing a soundbar in front of the TV it will have to sit out a little bit. If you mount it on the other hand, this won’t be an issue.

As far as ports are concerned, there are two USB ports on the side, above three HDMI ports. One of the side HDMI ports is the ARC port if you are using a soundbar such as the Sonos Beam or Polk Command Bar that rely on the audio return channel for processing audio.

The back of the set includes another HDMI port, composite video input, an RS-232C serial port, optical audio output, and a 3.5mm audio output.

This is a solid, if unexciting, medley collection of ports. We are most thrilled by the inclusion of four HDMI ports for connecting a multitude of devices, though we’d have preferred perhaps two HDMI ports on the back, because it looks a bit cleaner and it is easier to hide the cables. If you unplug your devices a lot, side ports are obviously better.

As is typical, Sony has hidden the on-TV controls around back. They reside behind the back-right side of the display, easily reachable with the tips of your fingers while looking at the front of the TV. The physical controls include volume rockers as well as the power toggle.

Sony did its best to keep the TV slim, which is why it has an external power brick. This is a technique more often seen with portable electronics such as Apple’s MacBooks, as Apple could integrate the power supply and leave you with just a small AC power cable, but includes the 61W to 96W power bricks to keep the main unit portable.

Devices that are typically plugged in — Apple TV, Mac Pro, Mac mini — all have internal power supplies but it adds to their size.

Here, the cable plugs in with a simple barrel connector and an inline power brick must be dealt with. It is rather hefty and we can see it possibly being an issue with some mounted TVs if you are tight on space.

Again, it is a compromise because the set itself is quite thin, especially towards the top. Most people, won’t rightly care or notice this aspect.

The remote is a simple affair, not much different than the year-ago versions. Due to this being a cheaper set, it still has a brushed exterior but it is plastic rather than the metal the higher-end sets receive.

Setup

The setup process for televisions continues to elongate. With this TV, you have to first go through the Android TV setup process before going through the Sony Bravia setup process which is more annoying than it is helpful.

This is felt especially when it gets repetitive, such as asking for what country you are in multiple times.

It’s what happens when a TV manufacturer puts Android on top of its own OS. The Sony setup process is about setting up inputs and TV preferences whereas the Android setup is more about installing third-party apps and connecting to Wi-Fi.

Speaking of which, if you have an Android smartphone, it does simplify the process a little bit by automatically signing into your Google account and configuring Wi-Fi. This is very similar to Apple’s setup process for new devices via proximity.

During the setup process the TV also asks you to set up HomeKit and/or AirPlay 2. More on that in a moment.

Video quality

A TV isn’t worth anything if it produces a crummy image. But for an entry-level set, the Sony X800H is a great bargain for many forms of content.

We tested the TV with some of the built-in Android streaming apps as well as with an Apple TV HD and an Apple TV 4K. We wanted to test the quality of streaming via the included apps, with legit 4K Dolby Vision HDR content from iTunes, and how upscale 1080P content would look.

Upscaled content from our Apple TV HD looks a million times better than it does on a 1080P TV. We’ve seen some questionable upscaling but Sony did a fantastic job thanks to its X1 processor in there that results in no errant artifacts.

There are pretty great viewing angles which are great for a big living room but also when used as a monitor. This TV has no chance of burn-in which is perfect for a monitor as well as is the spectacularly low response time, while Gamers will also love this TV for that low input lag.

Color accuracy seems quite good out of the box and vivid colors overall, with HDR and Dolby Vision content offering a solid experience. It shined most with explosions and other content where brightness ramps up. The TV can get very bright during these HDR moments, to incredible effect.

The biggest drawback we saw with the picture quality was the contrast level, as blacks came off as grey in dim rooms. There is no local dimming, which doesn’t help those dark shades.

HomeKit and AirPlay 2

For Apple users, HomeKit and AirPlay 2 are some of the most important features in a good TV these days. Fortunately, it is Sony’s spot-on HomeKit implementation that caused us to once more choose a Sony set.

Last year, we picked up the X950G series as a replacement for our Vizio set, which had an abysmal HomeKit setup. It never responded and we struggled every time we tried to use HomeKit with it.

The Sony X950G never had that issue, and is also top-notch in this regard. That is part of the difference between a budget-friendly Vizio set and an upper-level Sony.

HomeKit setup happens right as you walk through the getting started guide but it can also be set up later via settings. The TV can be configured to just use AirPlay 2 to cast audio and video or it can be set up also with full HomeKit support.

With HomeKit enabled, the TV can be powered on and off from within the Home app and the input can also be changed. These can be changed through Siri too, or configured into scenes. This means it can be automated, such as turning off when you leave the house or tell Siri goodnight.

The Home app can also open up TV settings. Each input can be named in the Home app to make swapping between them from the app or via voice easy and intuitive.

HomeKit TVs can be controlled via the Remote widget in Control Center as well. Right from Control Center, you can play or pause video playback (think those third-party video apps), go back, navigate around, and pull up the on-screen menu.

There are a lot of TVs that support apps but having it built right into the OS is clearly better and much easier to use. HomeKit is the best of all as it works through any Siri device. The Apple TV can tell the TV to turn off, as can Siri on HomePod, Mac, Apple Watch, iPad, and iPhone.

Because the TV also has AirPlay 2, it can act as a receiver for any audio or video cast from your bevy of Apple devices. Mirror the screen of your Mac, cast a YouTube video from your iPhone, or stream music to multiple rooms and TVs via HomePod.

If you have an Apple TV, this is less useful and can confuse as both show up.

Should you buy Sony’s 2020 X800H TV?

The picture quality on the X800H is fantastic, with high brightness, sharp images, great color accuracy, and wonderful upscaling. Once again, our only complaint is the just ok contrast ratio.

Due to its Android operating system, the TV has a ton of apps available from the Play store and the remote even double-downs on Google with a Google Assistant button right on the remote. If you are looking for a smart TV, this will likely suffice.

If you are in the Apple ecosystem though, you will be pleased with its excellent support of HomeKit as well as AirPlay 2. Without an Apple TV, you can cast audio and video right to the TV.

Pros

• Mid-tier price with high-end features
• Perfect HomeKit & AirPlay 2 support
• Great color and 4K upscaling
• Dolby Vision a HDR10 support
• Many inputs on back and side
• Clean, modern look

Cons

• Contrast is only average
• Comprising build quality replaces metal for plastic
• Side ports can messy-looking depending on your home setup
• Android setup can be repetative

Rating: 4 out of 5

Where to buy

The new lineup of Sony’s TVs is available now. The budget-friendly X800H series begins at goes from 43 inches to 85 inchesstarting at $598 on Amazon with Prime shipping.

 

By Mike Peterson
Friday, May 08, 2020, 01:02 pm PT (04:02 pm ET)

Apple’s upcoming reopening of some U.S.-based retail locations will be based around guidelines that the company developed for and refined at its open South Korea Apple Store.

The Cupertino tech giant on Friday announced that they would cautiously kick its retail reopening process with select U.S. stores in Idaho, South Carolina, Alabama and Alaska the week of May 11. In mid-April, Apple reopened its sole brick-and-mortar location in South Korea.

Using that location as a testing ground, the company has reportedly developed an instructional video with coronavirus and social distancing guideline that it’s now sending to other retail employees. That video, obtained by MacRumors, outlines a set of strict practices that Apple Store staffers will be required to follow to ensure reopening is done safely.

Precautions include temperature checking both employees and customers, holding socially distanced daily briefings for staffers, and providing and encouraging the use of hand sanitizer by customers. Apple Stores will also be instructed to limit the number of people allowed inside of them, forming lines with shoppers at least two meters apart.

Guidelines also extend to how products are displayed, with fewer products per table positioned in a way to keep customers from standing too closely to each other.

Apple Store staffers themselves will also take precautions, including limiting movement by communicating through the Talk app, working at alternating workstations, and wearing face masks at all times.

Employees will also use a “relay system” to get products and repaired devices from a stockroom to customers without too much employee movement. The backrooms at Apple locations will also see most of their communal areas rearranged to encourage social distancing.

Stores that reopen will operate with reduced hours at first, though it isn’t clear what the new schedule will be.

Apple Stores have been shuttered across the globe — except for those in China — since March 14. In an internal memo from March, Apple’s chief of retail and people Deirdre O’Brien said that the company would evaluate whether to reopen offices and stores on a city-by-city basis, evaluating local guidelines before proceeding.

 

By Mike Peterson
Wednesday, May 06, 2020, 02:51 pm PT (05:51 pm ET)

Apple has been hit with a class-action lawsuit claiming that the company concealed the so-called “stage lighting” issue experienced by some 2016 MacBook Pro owners.

Dubbed “stage lighting” due to abnormal backlighting patterns emanating from the bottom of an impacted MacBook Pro’s display, the problem was tied to stress or tearing on the laptop’s cable when the lid was opened and closed repeatedly. Apple eventually launched a repair program for the issue in 2019 and quietly fixed the underlying culprit in the next generation of MacBook.

On Wednesday, Los Angeles resident Mahan Taleshpour lodged a complaint in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California alleging that Apple was aware of the defect in its product and failed to disclose the issue to consumers.

The plaintiff claims that his 2016 15-inch MacBook Pro experienced stage lighting effects in January 2020, but he was left responsible for the full cost of the display repair due to the fact that the repair program only covers 13-inch MacBook Pro models released in 2016. He added that the cost to repair the display was quoted as $850, adding that he’s been unable to repair the device since the COVID-19 outbreak.

The “stage lighting” effect is described as alternating patches of light and darkness at the bottom of the display, and the complaint points out that some MacBook Pro models experience complete display failure after significant backlight cable damage. Repairing the display cable is often a costly service, since it requires the entire display unit to be replaced.

Among complaints that Apple promoted a defective product and failed to exercise quality control, the lawsuit also claims that the company’s conduct in the matter was unlawful and violated the Consumers Legal Remedies Act and the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act.

It also levies allegations that Apple’s “concealment” of the display cable issue was “malicious, oppressive, deliberate” and “intended to defraud.”

The plaintiff is seeking an official disclosure about the “defective nature” of the display cables, restitutions for MacBook Pro repair costs or economic losses, an expansion of AppleCare and repair program service to 15-inch models, and legal fees.

 

By Mike Peterson
Tuesday, May 05, 2020, 02:31 pm PT (05:31 pm ET)

Apple’s lawsuit against cybersecurity firm Corellium is reportedly having a “chilling effect” on some types of iOS security research, according to several experts in the field.

In August 2019, Apple levied a copyright lawsuit against security specialist Corellium, saying the company’s iOS emulation software “copied everything” about the tech giant’s mobile operating system.

Since then, Apple has escalated its legal fight with the Florida-based firm, subpoenaing records from Santander Bank and intelligence firm L3Harris Technologies about their use of Corellium’s emulator.

The escalating legal dustup has created a “chilling effect” in the iPhone-focused security industry, one researcher told Motherboard. A handful of security researchers that the publication spoke to expressed fear of retribution from Apple for using the Corellium emulator software.

Some of those experts also claim that Apple’s copyright lawsuit is less about intellectual property and more about retaining control over iOS security research and snarling the development of third-party iPhone hacking tools.

In several court filings, Apple maintains that the purpose of its lawsuit is “not to encumber good-faith security research,” but to simply stop Corellium from commercializing its copyrighted works.

As part of its legal defense, Corellium said that its emulator product helps secure Apple devices by allowing researchers to find vulnerabilities in the company’s platform.

“This litigation presents an existential threat to an open and healthy security research community not only for Apple products but for consumer devices in general,” Corellium said in a statement sent by its lawyers.

The U.S. Justice Department recently asked that Apple’s deposition of Corellium cofounder Chris Wade be delayed until it could review the evidence Apple’s lawyers would present before they question him.

On Friday, Apple’s counsel filed a motion opposing that order, stating that the government had provided “no compelling reason, much less any evidence,” for the delay.

 

By Malcolm Owen
Sunday, May 03, 2020, 02:13 pm PT (05:13 pm ET)

Apple CEO Tim Cook has delivered a “virtual commencement address” to graduating Ohio State University students, with the video address offering life advice to viewers, as well as urging graduates to build a “better future than the one you thought was certain.”

Released on Sunday via YouTube, Tim Cook’s Ohio State University commencement address shows the Apple CEO sat at home, wearing a shirt bearing the Ohio State logo and an Apple Watch, rather than the usual gown attire of graduation ceremonies. The virtual commencement is an alternative to the typical in-person speeches delivered by Cook, necessitated by the continuing COVID-19 crisis and announced one month ago.

In the 7 minute 55 second video, Cook starts his speech by referring to the Spanish Flu, and the fortunes of Franklin D. Roosevelt, T.S. Eliot, and Amelia Earhart after recovering from their infections.

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“Graduates, I am sorry that we’re not celebrating together today. Your class is a special one — marked by history like few others in OSU’s 150 years,” Cook offers. “It can be difficult to see the whole picture when you’re still inside the frame, but I hope you wear these uncommon circumstances as a badge of honor.”

“Those who meet times of historical challenge with their eyes and hearts open — forever restless and forever striving — are also those who leave the greatest impact on the lives of others,” he continued, before suggesting people have a choice “when our glittering plans are scrambled.” Either people can “curse the loss of something that was never going to be,” or they can “see reasons to be grateful for the yank on the scruff of the neck, in having our eyes lifted up from the story we were writing for ourselves and turned instead to a remade world.”

Cook refers to his joining of Apple in 1998, expressing his luck at getting to “spend the rest of my professional life working for Steve Jobs,” a period caught short by Jobs’ death. “The loneliness I felt when we lost Steve was proof that there is noting more eternal, or more powerful, than the impact we have on others.”

Abraham Lincoln is also referenced, a person Cook has found time to read while staying at home, recommending books about the former president “to anyone who wants to put these times into perspective.”

As for the graduates, Cook tells them “your case is new. For you, the old dogmas have never been an option. You don’t have the luxury of being enthralled. You enter a world of difficulty with open eyes, tasked with writing a story that is not necessarily of your choosing but is still entirely yours.”

Cook signs off by urging the Class of 2020 to “Think anew. Act anew. Build a better future than the one you thought was certain. And, in a fearful time, call us once again to hope.”

The entire world seemed to be in lockdown, and yet April 2020 still turned out to be an extremely busy month for Apple with new products like the iPhone SE, new controversies, and surprises.

You couldn’t move for Apple anniversaries in April, but then we’re in coronavirus lockdown so it’s not as if you could move much anyway. Even with the world in chaos, though, there were these anniversaries of the iPad, the iMac, the Apple II, and even Apple itself. Plus there were new products, and there were some reassuringly familiar things in April 2020.

Such as Facebook having a security scandal. It wouldn’t be a month with a day in it if Facebook hadn’t done something a little untoward. This time it was that the social media giant was revealed to have tried to track iOS users’ activity through spyware called Pegasus.

We’ve gone beyond being shocked at Facebook, but this month some people were relieved by it. Zoom should be the hero of the COVID-19 lockdown but instead our self-isolating world became divided into two groups of people.

There were those who’d had Zoom security problems and those who haven’t yet. It just felt as if was no third group of anyone who isn’t using this video tool, unless they work for places that banned it, such as the US senate. Or Google.

Although there was definitely a group of people who were each using Zoom on their new MacBook Air. Following the launch of this machine last month, orders were now arriving and we were all getting to find out that, yes, MacBook Air is the Mac to buy.

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Apple reaches into its pocket

While Apple presumably continued to earn money from the MacBook Air, it did spend some to help us all out, too. During April, the company allowed Apple Card users to defer their payment interest-free, for instance.

It also donated $10 million to the “One World: Together at Home” COVID-19 fundraiser, and an unspecified amount to the BBC’s “The Big Night In,” too. In both cases, Tim Cook appeared on video conference to show that he’s like the rest of us and needs some human contact.

Speaking of contact, it was during April that we learned how a small team within Apple created a proposal for a contact tracing, or exposure notification, service. Working together with Google, the company devised a system that would mean iPhones and Android phones will be able to unobtrusively help track the spread of COVID-19.

That also meant both companies got immediately hammered about privacy concerns. It was unusual for Apple, of all firms, to be accused of privacy risks, but then it wasn’t at all out of character for Google to, so it mostly balanced out.

There were complaints from US Senators, and then the EU, too, but generally it’s now seen that Apple and Google’s solution is strong on user privacy.

That might be down to Apple’s calm, considered, authoritative explanations, and it might be down in part to how the two companies improved the technology in response to the criticisms. But ultimately people tended to accept Apple and Google’s technology as being secure chiefly because some world countries rejected it in favor of systems that demonstrably worse.

In the UK, the NHS was using the Apple system but then decided that it preferred its own technology expertise instead. Although when AppleInsider asked them about it, their email system failed —and it looked as if both Germany and France were going to go it alone too.

Then Germany seemed to listen to advice and changed to supporting Apple and Google. The developer of France’s StopCovid app has since claimed that Germany hasn’t really changed, no, and also that Apple may yet give in to the country’s demands to loosen iOS security. Not going to happen, said Apple.

April’s iPhone news and rumors

While Apple was busy making this contact tracing technology, it reportedly wasn’t busy making the new “iPhone 12.” Rumors that the new phones would be delayed continue to come out just about as often as claims that no, it’s all on schedule.

But we did seem to get a more reliable read from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who became the first of many people to report that mass production is delayed by around a month. The new phones should be in engineering verification testing at the moment, Kuo says, but the laboratories that do this work are currently closed.

Apple could still announce the phones at the usual September time, but Kuo believes that they will ship later, much as the iPhone X did back in 2017.

While Kuo continued to be the most reliable analyst around, April saw the rise of leaker Jon Prosser, too. Even before this month, he was claiming inside knowledge of Apple’s plans —and then on April 15, he was proved right.

At last the iPhone SE sequel

That’s when the iPhone SE, second generation, was officially launched. It’s fair to say, too, that it lived up to all the hopes for it that had been building over the last many years.

While it eschews the previous, smaller 4-inch screen, and some complained that its basic design was old, this was that rare Apple thing, the instant classic.

Starting at $399, the new iPhone SE has much of the innards of an iPhone 11, and for its combination of price, performance, and features, it’s got to be a smash. We’re going to sound like fans or employees of the Apple marketing department, but no, this is straight factual information.

This is the cheapest iPhone Apple makes and it blows away the most expensive Android phones. We called it “the definition of affordable smartphone power” in our full, detailed review.

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So, let’s just recap for one second. Maybe Apple hasn’t actually released what you could call a cheap iPhone, but it has released one that is cheaper —and immensely powerful. And throughout April, users were getting their MacBook Air deliveries and finding that the cheapest portable Mac is immensely powerful.

It’s almost enough to make you think Apple has changed —but then the wheels came off that idea. Almost literally. For right alongside the high-profile launch of the iPhone SE, Apple quietly released a set of wheels for the Mac Pro. Wheels.

Four of them. For $699. That’s more than the $400 it would cost you buy the same wheels if you chose them alongside your Mac Pro. And if you had made that choice, you could now change your mind and switch from wheels to feet for a mere $299.

If you’re counting, that means the new iPhone SE is cheaper than the wheels on the Mac Pro. Still, if you did buy these wheels, you know that they are particularly well made. You might just wish you’d held on to your cash a little longer, though, because Apple wasn’t done with expensive products in April.

When the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro was announced in March, Apple said that it would be available in May. Surprise. It was launched instead in mid-April. For the cost of about two Mac Pro wheels, you could now order a $349 Magic Keyboard.

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Apple is doomed

Apple is making wheels for high-end Mac users, an iPad Pro keyboard for some people, a MacBook Air for everybody else, and an iPhone for the entire world. Somehow in the middle of a coronavirus lockdown, Apple was still pumping out products —and hitting every possible price point.

Even so, it is hard to ignore the massive impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns, and analysts were expecting some bad news during Apple’s legally-mandated financial conference call on the last day of the month.

And they didn’t get any. While the figures are less than they would’ve been, Apple still earned more than expected.

Perhaps you don’t lie awake at nights worrying about the fortunes of this company, but maybe we could all do with considering just how Apple has done this. Especially when you think that in the 1990s, this company was within days of going bankrupt, it’s been a remarkable lesson in recovery.

Part of it is the company’s unquestioned and admirable focus on design, but part of it turns out to also be an ability we might all be able to emulate, of diversifying. In these days when so many of us are seeing our jobs endangered, it’s educational to see that Apple’s earnings came in great part because of its services and wearables divisions.

Apple is no longer the company that makes computers. It’s not even the company that makes iPhones. It’s now this giant organization that provides so many services that we rely on.

It didn’t pivot to services overnight, it’s been planning this for decades, but April 2020’s financial earnings brought it home that diversifying has been the smart choice.

Keep up with AppleInsider by downloading the AppleInsider app for iOS, and follow us on YouTube, Twitter @appleinsider and Facebook for live, late-breaking coverage. You can also check out our official Instagram account for exclusive photos.

 

By Mike Peterson
Friday, May 01, 2020, 12:59 pm PT (03:59 pm ET)

Apple on Friday updated its COVID-19 screening app with new information about coronavirus symptoms and tips related to face masks.

The Cupertino tech giant launched its COVID-19 tool in late March, giving iPhone users another way to stay informed during the coronavirus pandemic. In April, Apple added links to state-level guidance and tips for personal self-care.

On May 1, Apple issued a new version of the app with updated symptom information and recommendations from the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance.

According to the CDC, new symptoms that could be signs of COVID-19 include chills, shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and loss of smell or taste.

The app has also been updated with tips related to cloth masks, including creating a mask, when and how to properly wear a mask, and how to sanitize it.

Alongside the app update, Apple also added the new information and tips to its COVID-19 webpage.

The COVID-19 app, which was developed in collaboration the CDC, FEMA and Coronavirus Task Force, is available as a free download on the App Store.

 

By William Gallagher
Thursday, April 30, 2020, 02:09 pm PT (05:09 pm ET)

While the coronavirus has affected Apple’s earnings, its overall second quarter results are better than predicted because of the company’s increasing reliance on wearables and services.

During its legally required second quarter financial earnings call, Apple announced better than expected results across most areas, but especially in its newest businesses. Wearables achieved a quarterly record, while services reached an all-time high of $13.3 billion.

“In this difficult environment, our users are depending on Apple products in renewed ways to stay connected, informed, creative, and productive,” said Tim Cook. “Despite COVID-19’s unprecedented impact, we’re proud to report that Apple grew for the quarter.”

Apple’s Wearables, Home and Accessories net sales were $6.284 million, compared to $5.129 million for the same quarter in 2019. Services’s record high of $13.348 million comes after last year’s $11.450 million for the quarter.

The company has been transitioning away from its dependence on iPhones, iPads, and Macs in hardware, chiefly since the Apple Watch launched in 2015, and the AirPods, which first came out in 2016.

Its services have been expanding considerably since its first ventures into iCloud and then in 2015 with Apple Music. Last year saw the launch of major new ventures in Apple TV+, Apple News+, Apple Arcade, and Apple Card.