Tech
First supposed case designs of iPhone 12 hit the web, shows flat sides like iPhone 4 – 9to5Mac
The supposed first looks at the iPhone 12 exterior design are surfacing, with this dummy mockup found on Alibaba pictured this weekend by Macotakara.
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Now, it is not necessarily ‘too soon’ for iPhone 12 leaks (the 2020 flagship iPhone expected next fall). The iPhone 11 design was perfectly rendered by Onleaks last year on January 6th 2019.
However, whereas Onleaks has a solid track record of accuracy behind him, ‘Alibaba’ does not. All sorts of nonsense appear on the Chinese shopping website, and it is most likely that what is seen in these pictures is based off previous descriptions from Ming-Chi Kuo rather than independent sourcing.
(Note: Macotakara has a pretty good provenance on their own reporting, but they are pretty clearly not backing up this design with their own sources. They just found the model and wanted to share.)
So, with that huge disclaimer in mind, let’s look at what they have. Face onwards, the design largely resembles the iPhone 11 Pro Max. However, the sides are straight, harkening back to the iPhone 4/4S/5 look rather than the curved edges that have been a staple of the iPhone since 2014.
There is also a strange mark on the side of the device, which could be a new kind of Smart Connector. That being said, smart connectors have shown up on various low-credibility iPhone design mockups for years and have never come to fruition in the final product.
Note the screen diagonal of this 3D-printed item is 6.5-inches, smaller than the rumored 6.7-inches size. This leads even more credence to the idea that it is based on a slightly tweaked schematics of the existing iPhone 11 Pro Max. You can see it, for what it’s worth, in Macotakara’s hands-on video:
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Google has launched a minor redesign of the Google Pay app that’s a step backwards compared to other recently updated Google apps.
The new design stashes all the sections in a side menu, which is odd since apps like Google Photos recently moved towards displaying everything in a bottom bar to get rid of the side menu. The old version of Google Pay, which you can look at here, used the bottom bar method effectively, so it’s unclear why Google choose to change it.
For the most part, the new design is pretty non-offensive. It combines your passes and loyalty cards like PC Optimum or insurance cards with your selected payment method on the main screen. While this might make this feature a little more convenient, it’s still not a good update.
The new side menu, and what happens when you tap on a payment card and the new home screen (in that order).
With the new Android 11 power menu that surfaces your contactless payment card options, you already have quick access to your credit and debit cards. Not to mention, it would make more sense for this menu to show your loyalty cards as well so they could easily get scanned at checkout. It’s just weird that Google decided to update the app with all these functions when it’s put so much work into Android 11 to make it, so users don’t need to open the actual Google Pay app often.
This new update puts the Google Pay app more or less on par with Apple’s Wallet app, but without the quick access shortcut that the Cupertino tech giant has in the iOS Control Center. That said, you could argue that the ‘View All’ option buried within a three-dot menu in the new power button menu is this shortcut on Android. However, the fact that it’s hidden in a menu makes it a little more of a hassle than a floating action button styled button.
In the end, I don’t have anything against the new main screen layout, but I don’t understand why Google didn’t leave the bottom bar with some of the more complex options.
Via: 9to5Google
Apple officially unveiled its latest products and software this week, and it included the new Apple Watch 6.
While those looking for the new iPhone announcement may have to wait a little longer, for now, the watch offers new features and designs for Apple fans.
But Apple didn’t just introduce one watch, but two. Besides the Apple Watch Series 6, described as the most advanced watch we’ve ever built and adds breakthrough wellness technology,” the new Apple Watch SE was also announced.
It is the tech company’s first-time user-friendly option, available at a lower cost than the Series 6.
With the big release day upon us, here’s what to check out on the Apple Watch Series 6.
Blood Oxygen
Courtesy of Apple
First things first, probably the most exciting portion of Tuesday’s unveiling was the Blood Oxygen app on the watch. While wearing the Apple Watch, the user simply has to hold their wrist flat and still, with the display facing up. Within 15 seconds, your oxygen saturation is measured, and this — according to Apple — indicates how well your lugs and circulatory system are delivering oxygenated blood to your body. But note, the app does say “Blood Oxygen measurements are not intended for medical use.”
And in case you’re wondering, most people have a 95-100% blood oxygen level.
ECG app
The EGC app is only available on the Apple Watch Series 6, and generates an electrocardiogram, or ECG, right on your wrist. What the app does is it records the timing and strength of the electric signals that make heart beats, and it does it in 30 seconds. You can see the process as it takes place, then the app will indicate of your heart is beating in a normal pattern.
Like the Blood Oxygen app, note that Apple says the watch “cannot check for signs of a heart attack.”
Hand washing
Yes, this is a thing, because it’s the COVID-19 era.
The new Apple Watch as a built-in sensor that can tell when you’ve started washing your hands. If the notifications and timer are activated, it will start a 20-second timer, which is health officials’ recommended time to spend on washing your hands.
You can also set a reminder to wash your hands when you get home.
Sleep
Also very applicable to the COVID-19 era, and beyond, is the new Sleep function on watchOS 7. Built in the watch, this allows you to track your sleep, set your goals, and alarms, all on your wrist. The alarm function buzzes lightly before gently waking you up, and as you sleep, the watch display is dimmed.
New colours and bands
Apple Watch Series 6 Aluminum Red/ Apple
For those looking to personalize their watches, Apple has released new colours including Blue and (PRODUCT)RED Aluminum, as well as Graphite and Gold
Stainless Steel. Besides the watch itself, there is a new band in town… literally.
The “Solo Loop” bands were introduced this week, and you need to check this out if you are using the claspy ones. The “Solo Loop” is a smooth, super comfortable watch that stretches to fit the wrist, and it comes in nine different sizes.
Always-On Retina display
Always-on Retina display/ Courtesy of Apple
Compared to the Series 5 watch, the new Always-on Retina display is 2.5 times brighter when your wrist is down, which also helps to see while outside on a sunny day, for example.
Better performance
According to Apple, the new S6 System-in-Package (SiP) is their most powerful one yet, and for those who have had other watches it shows. The new Series 6 is up to 20% faster than the Series 5.
As for what else is coming this year, Apple has announced Fitness+, which will be available late 2020. They say it’s an experience built around the Apple Watch, and will offer workouts to help users stay active.
As well, Family Setup will be available, which will allow an adult to pair their watch with their child’s.
The Apple Watch SE starts at $369 in Canada. As for the Apple Watch Series 6, it starts at $529.
Both are available as of September 18.
Improve your retention rates, but don’t do it for the 85/15 split
Ever since Apple opened up subscription monetization to more apps in 2016 — and enticed developers with an 85/15 split on revenue from customers that remain subscribed for more than a year — subscription monetization and retention has felt like the Holy Grail for app developers. So much so that Google quickly followed suit in what appeared to be an example of healthy competition for developers in the mobile OS duopoly.
But how does that split actually work out for most apps? Turns out, the 85/15 split — which Apple is keen to mention anytime developers complain about the App Store rev share — doesn’t have a meaningful impact for most developers. Because churn.
No matter how great an app is, subscribers are going to churn. Sometimes it’s because of a credit card expiring or some other billing issue. And sometimes it’s more of a pause, and the user comes back after a few months. But the majority of churn comes from subscribers who, for whatever reason, decide that the app just isn’t worth paying for anymore. If a subscriber churns before the one-year mark, the developer never sees that 85% split. And even if the user resubscribes, Apple and Google reset the clock if a subscription has lapsed for more than 60 days. Rather convenient… for Apple and Google.
Top mobile apps like Netflix and Spotify report churn rates in the low single digits, but they are the outliers. According to our data, the median churn rate for subscription apps is around 13% for monthly subscriptions and around 50% for annual. Monthly subscription churn is generally a bit higher in the first few months, then it tapers off. But an average churn of 13% leaves just 20% of subscribers crossing that magical 85/15 threshold.
In practice, what this means is that, for all the hype around the 85/15 split, very few developers are going to see a meaningful increase in revenue:
Image Credits: RevenueCat (opens in a new window)
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