01/07/2019 - Keeping up with the Digital World

The Apple’s Mac Mini Overview 2019

Mac Mini

This device is now available in:

● Space grey thunderbolt 3.

● Quad – core to 6 core processor.

● 64GB of RAM.

The Overview

The Device was available for four years without an update and was rein invented in October 2018. The new machine comes in:

Space grey, which features 4 – and 6 – core 8th generation Intel core processor, which is five times faster than previous mini.

● Four thunderbolt 3/USB -C ports.

● Supports up to 64GB RAM.

● SSD configuration of up to 2TB storage.

● Apple’s T2 chip for more security.

This mini was never updated since 2014 thereby introducing an entire overhaul internals with upgrade options suitable for the company’s pro user base.

The colour has changed from silver to space grey and the mini still mirrors the previous model with:

● A flat square shaped 1.4 – inch thick 7.7-inch-wide aluminium unibody enclosure.

This Device was produced from an Apple – designed aluminium alloy made from 100 percent recycled aluminium. This is the first time the mini has a quad – core processor for the based model instead of the dual – core, with 6 – core desktop – class processor options also available.

The Mac mini was built with the intel latest 8th generation intel chips with integrated intel UHD graphics 630. If you compare this to the previous model, this new one is up to five times faster. T2 chip was built into the iMac Pro and MacBook and was also built into the mini for upgrading security. The T2 includes:

● On the fly data encryption

● HEVC video transcoding up to 30 times faster

● A secured enclave to ensure the software loads during the boot process and not tampered with.

Built with lots of ports to support 4 and 5ks. There are:

● Four thunderbolt 3/USB – C ports offers data transfer speed of up to 40 GB/s with the ability to connect two 4K displays with a third 4k display over HDMI or one 5K display.

● An HDMI 2.0 port

● A 3.5 mm headphone jack

● Two USB – A ports.

● A gigabit ethernet port which can be upgraded to 10 gigabytes.

Design

This is the smallest portable desktop machine ever manufactured by Apple and its still the same with the 2018 model. It still maintains a small square shaped enclosure that measures at 7.7 inches on each side and 1.4 inches thick. It weighs 2.9 pounds, portable enough to carry around and plug into an available peripheral and display.

You don’t get the mini with a display, keyboard or a mouse, most useful for those who wants to get their own accessories. One side features a host of ports and the other side has an LED that shows you it’s on. An Apple log sits at the top and port labels, no other markings are available on the visible portion of the machine.

There are no changes to the exterior, but the interior has gone through a revamped with all the new terminal architecture to house higher powered 8th – generation chips and all flash storage. There’s an internal installed fan with:

● Twice airflow

● Expanded vents

● Revamped supply that offers 70 percent more sustained power

Upgrade

This is possible, but not easy which could be a turn off, to upgrade you will have to dismantle the mini to change the RAM

The best option will be to take the device to an Apple authorised service provider for a RAM upgrade. If you’re bold and not afraid of risking damage to your device, you could watch some YouTube videos or read an article about how to upgrade yourself.

CPU and GPU

● The mac was built with the 4 and 6 – core 8th – generation coffee lake processor from Intel.

● The higher end-based model is 3.2 GHz, 6 – core 8th – generation Intel core i7 processor, available for upgrade.

● The higher end-based model is 3.0 GHz, 6 – core 8th – generation Intel core i5 processor

● The entry level-based model is 3.6GHz quad – core 8th – generation 3.6 GHz Intel core i3 processor.

There’s a claim that the performance is equivalent to the high end 2018 and the 2013 Mac book pro models, comparison shows that the mini earned the best single core performance scores. The base level model’s performance is on the same wave length with the lower end 20188 Mac book pro 2018 models. This earns the Mac mini a single core of 4790 and a multi score of 14460.

● The middle tier 6 core with 3.0 GHz core i5 processor earned a single core of 5098

● The multi core scores 20341, quite close to high end 6 core Mac book pro performances.

Apple claimed this model is five times faster than the previous model.

GPU

● It has an integrated UHD graphic 630.

● GPU upgrade options are not available.

● It can be used with eGPU set ups if additional graphics power is needed.

● The Intel integrated graphics are up to 60 percent faster than the previous model.

RAM

It ships with 8GB 2666MHz DDR4 RAM. This can be upgraded to 16, 32 or 64 GB for an additional fee.

T2 CHIP

Equipped with a custom Apple designed T2 chip. T2 chip integrates components like:

● System management controller

● Image signal processor for:

Camera.
Audio control.
SSD controller.
A secured enclave.
Hardware encryption engine.
The data on the SSD is encrypted by the T2 chip using dedicated AES hardware. It provides a secured boot to ensure your software is safe and the only OS software trusted by Apple loads at startup.

STORAGE

● Features PCIe – based storage.

● No additional hard drives are available.

● Read speed is four times faster (up to 3.4GB than the SSD in previous models.

● Up to 2TB of storage, base model ships with 128 and 256 GB.

CONNECTIVITY

Supports 802.11 ac WI FI and Bluetooth 5.0.

Equipped with 10/100/1000 BASE – T Gigabit ethernet. This can be upgraded to 100GB ethernet with support for 1GB, 2.5GB and 10GB.

IN CONCLUSION

It’s not just a great desktop computer, it’s the power behind everything automated at home. Mac Mini even though mini has the power to deliver industrial grade task. You could be testing your latest IOS or running a live concert, this machine is the link between great ideas and great results.

This cutting edge device provides the benefit of effortless high performance and comfort, thanks to an outstanding innovation. The secret behind this stunning device is the amazing design which provides much functionality with effortless power. The device offers an amazing feeling of comfort and control.

All you need to know about the Homepod

Homepod

The world developer conference was held in 2017 where Apple revealed it’s Siri based speaker. Apple claimed it took quite a while to develop this device because it ought to reinvent the way people enjoy music in their respective homes. It was launched on the 9th of February 2018, the uniqueness of this device as proclaimed by Apple is the combination of a smart speaker with a quality sound.

The sound quality has been Apple’s major focus so that this system stands out amidst its rivalry such as the google assistance and Amazon echo. This device is under 7 inches, but loaded with lots of technology. It was built with a 7-tweeter array, each tweeter outfitted with its own driver. A 4 inch upward facing woofer was built in for crisp, clear and distortion free sounds.

FEATURES:

● Stylish woofer.

● Seven tweeters.

● 7 – inch mesh body.

● Spatial recognition.

● Good quality stereo sound.

● Good microphone.

A8 chip controls the internal component which makes it extremely powerful, equipped with spatial awareness. Spatial awareness allows it to intelligently study a room and adjust accordingly to produce the best possible sound. A simple navigation is provided by touch controls at the top of the device and 1GB of RAM. This system is a round compact, covered in a 3D mesh fabric for acoustic properties.

Despite the small size it was built to offer room filling sound integrated with Apple music and built in Siri support. Siri command is detected from anywhere in the room with 6 microphone array even while blasting the music. There’s an improvement in Siri’s understanding of music and help users to discover new content, serving as a home musicologist.

A visible LED waveform located at the top of the speaker was designed so that the user knows when the personal assistance is active. Siri does not intrude in privacy and will only respond after a command. Conversation between Siri and Apple’s servers is anonymous and encrypted. Some of the things Siri will do are:

● News updates.

● Podcast.

● Weather reports.

● Traffic news.

● Sports updates.

● Reminders.

● Read and send text messages.

● Phone calls.

● More.

It supports airplay 2 with the IOS 11.4 update, it pairs with airplay 2 speakers and works with stereo sound in other words you can connect two for a better-quality sound. The good news is, it works with third party services from an IOS device or a Mac per to peer airplay. You’re not limited to Apple’s music subscription, although music support is limited and does not work as a standard Bluetooth speaker with non-Apple devices using a Bluetooth connection.

It can also be used as a home kit hub just like Apple TV or the IPAD. When the it’s connected you can access the devices remotely, Siri can be used to control home kit connected smart devices with this machine as a centralised home control unit.

DESIGN

● Cylindrical body with a flat top.

● Siri wave form is activated with 272 x 340 display.

● Looks like a Mac pro small mesh cover.

● Built in controls for necessary adjustments.

● 6.8 inches tall and 5.6 inches wide.

● Grey and white colour.

● Waveform LED is located at the top.

● No external markings on the speakers.

● Lovely simple design.

● Interior decors.

The power cable is removable, covered in a fabric which looks like the speaker’s fabric. Pulling it with force from the pod disconnects the cable, it’s advisable not to disconnect the cable.

TOUCH GESTURES SUPPORT

At the top is the controls, which supports several gestures. Tap to play and pause the music, double tap to select the next track. A triple tap takes you to the previous track, touch and hold activates Siri plus a visible waveform that shows Siri is ready for a command.

HARDWARE AND SOUND QUALITY

It produces the best quality sound due to the sophisticated hardware. A custom seven beam forming tweeter array is located at the bottom with each individual drive. Audio travels from inside the speaker via a precision horn through to the bottom, something labelled as “tremendous directional control”.

It reacts to Siri’s commands through a six-microphone array located above the tweeters even when the music is loud. The woofer is an Apple designed 4 inches upward facing equipment with a powerful motor to move lots of air that produces a rich deep bass. An automatic bass correction was built into the speakers powered by a low frequency, microphone and dynamic sound modelling which keep sound distortion free even when the volume is loud.

The same A8 chip that came with the introduction of the iPhone 6 can also be found in this device. A good processing power for the speaker termed by Apple as the biggest brain ever built into the speaker. A8 chip power:

● Multi-channel echo cancellation.

● Direct and audio ambient mixture.

● Buffering.

● Real time acoustic modelling.

It has a 1GB RAM and 16GB flash storage, although the storage is not meant for music. The room is detected by the machine through a spatial awareness which automatically adjust and balance the audio to suit the environment. An advanced algorithm is used to detect what’s playing and producing low frequencies for smooth sound.

You get a richer sound if two home pods are paired especially with multiple pods all around the house. You’re able to control the audio everywhere in the house with the new Airplay 2 protocol, which is also available in third speakers.

2 will work together not like having one for right channel while the other for a left channel as with normal speakers. The two units work together to detect and balance sound quality. Home pod supports the following:

● FLAC.

● WAV.

● AIFF.

● Apple Lossless.

● MP3 VBR.

● HE – AAC (V1).

● AAC (16 TO 320 KBPS).

MUSIC PLAYBACK

It’s connects directly to Apple music streaming service in the cloud over WIFI. It will access:

● Music library.

● Playlists.

● Music mixes.

● Preferences.

Different people can contribute to the music playlist because it supports a shared up next music list. A link to the Apple music account authorises anyone in the home to command the device. It works with iTunes match and iTunes music purchase in case you don’t have an Apple music account. Airplay can be used from other music products to play music from streaming services like Spotify.

It works with the following music sources:

● Podcasts.

● Beats 1 live radio.

● Apple music.

● iTunes music purchases.

● iCloud music.

● Airplay from iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV and Mac.

In the past you were able to stream from the Apple music iPhone and Mac all at the same time. In January 2019 the feature was changed and no longer possible to stream music on two devices at the same time with a single person Apple music subscription. Music recommendation is affected by songs streams on your Home Pod from the for you tab on Apple music.

If you want to listen to music not curated in for you section you just need to turn off the recommended settings to make changes, this will also stop this unit from adding music to your listening section of the Apple music profile that catalogue content you’ve played on Apple music. Bluetooth 5.0 is supported By Homepod but unable to play music from non-IOS devices using a Bluetooth connection.

SIRI INTERGRATION

Siri plays a major role in this device, Siri was updated to have a better understanding of music related data which allows the personal assistance to answer lots of questions related to music. Siri will offer recommendations based on your musical taste by taking notes on your likes.

Questions and commands that work with Siri on Home pod are:

● Who’s singing?

● Play more like that.

● Play something new.

● Play more songs like this.

Siri is also able to play content from:

● iCloud music library.

● Apple music.

● iTunes purchases.

Siri’s major role is to be your home assistance and not just limited to making music recommendations. Siri will:

Provide information on a wide range of topics:

● Send messages.

● Make a phone call.

● Set multiple timer.

● Weather updates.

● Calendar appointments.

Its functionality is not limited to a single user, will answer queries from anyone in the house. Siri is limited to, Apple music if you’re not home. You’re unable to send text messages, create reminders and other things. Home pod is connected to the user’s iCloud account and other access is disconnected if the user’s IOS device is on a different network.

Home pod can be used for speaker purposes and a microphone as well for a voice-based call. You can make a phone call on your iPhone and then switch to this device with the aid of handoff. It doesn’t eavesdrop therefore you don’t have to worry about your privacy. Communications that transpired between Siri and Apple’s server are encrypted.

Good news Siri was only available in English when launched, but after the 11.4 update now available in French and German.

HOMEKIT

Home pod can be used as a home kit hub just like Apple TV and iPads, you can access home kit devices through Siri’s integration.

OPERATING SYSTEM

It runs on the full version of IOS with the assistance of a shell app called sound board which integrates with the device hardware. Apps are prefixed with air in the firmware and there is no provision for third party apps or extensions yet.

Regular updates are provided for the Home pod by Apple, just like other IOS devices. It currently runs on IOS 12.1.13 released in January and not free from bug fixes and performance improvements. The updates addressed the issue with restarts and Siri.

REVIEWS

As regards to everything in life there will always be positive and negative reviews and the Home pod was not spare of both. There were lots of positive reviews because the depth of the speaker was tested, and reviewers pleased with the amazing high quality of the device which stands out among other speakers.

On the other hand, some reviewers were not impressed with Siri compare to other personal devices like Amazon’s Alexa, Siri cannot be compared. There were also rumours that it wasn’t selling as expected due to the price tag, ecosystem limitations and issue with Siri. Rumour continues that the next Home pod devices will be cheaper, but might be branded as a different device.

CONCLUSION

Your interaction with music in your environment is delivered through a breakthrough speaker that adjusts to its location and delivers high fidelity audio. The combination of Apple Music and Siri offers a new way for you to enjoy music at home.

iMAC 2019 Review – A Cutting Edge Device

IMAC 2019 REVIEW

Starting with the sizes they come in two which are 21.5 and 27 inches respectively. As per most of the IMAC family, it’s an ultra slim all in one desktop. An upgrade to 8^th And 9^th – Generation Intel processor, faster memory and a new Radeon Pro Vega graphics addition in March 2019.

DISPLAY FOR THE 27 INCHES

The retina display is 5120 x 2880
A coffee lake processor
The memory is 2666Mhz faster
Radeon Vega Pro graphics options

DISPLAY FOR THE 21.5 INCHES

The retina display is 4096 x 2304
A coffee lake processor
Radeon Vega pro graphics options
The memory is 2666MHz faster

It took two years of waiting for Apple to finally release this device into the market, which introduces the 8^th And 9^th Generation. The external part has no design changes, compare to its predecessor. The 21.5, 27, 4K AND 5K iMacs are made of the same ultra-thin, slim bodied design which was introduced in 2012 for the first time. The updates that were introduced to the 2017 specs are still the same for this spec. These specs earn the title of the best mac ever display because it offers:

500 nits brightness
10 – bit dithering

These are for accurate reproduction of up to a billion colours. The update to the 21.5 inch is the 8^th Generation chips with up to 6 cores at the high end. This spec is 60 percent faster compared to the previous model. The 27 inch is updated with the 9^th Generation chips with up to 8 cores and is up to 2.4 faster than its predecessor.

The Radeon Pro Graphics was introduced for the first time in the 4 and 5k models. The Radeon pro graphics offer 80 percent faster graphic performance and the 27 inch offer 50 percent. These are high end upgrades at an additional cost.

These machines come with a fusion drive as standard storage capacity, which can be upgraded with SSD storage at an additional cost. The 2019 4K 21.5 inch and 2K 21.5-inch IMAC still maintains the traditional hard drives. Configuration for the 21.5 and 4K can be up to 32GB of fast 2666MHz and configuration for the 27 inch can be up to 64GB of 2666MHz RAM.

THE TWO MODELS ARE EQUIPPED WITH:

Two USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports
4 USB-a port
A headphone jack
An SD card slot
A gigabit ethernet port
Face time HD camera
Stereo speakers
Microphone

IMAC 2019 REVIEW – DESIGN

As stated earlier, there aren’t many changes to the design if compare to the 2012 models. These latest designs still maintain the slim unibody with razor thin 5mm display with aluminium stands and aluminium border at the bottom of both specs. They have a single plug at the back of the power ports for accessory connection. The 27inch has a rear hatch for accessing the RAM for upgrades.

The 21.5-inch measures:

7 inches tall
8 inches wide
9 inches depth
Weighs 12.5 pounds

The 27-inch measures:

3 inches tall
6 inches wide
8 inches depth
Weighs 20.8 pounds

DISPLAY

The upgrade for the 4K and 5K model features is the 2017 one with 500 nits brightness which supports the 10 – bit dithering and wide colour gamut. The display can accurately reproduce up to a billion colour for a vivid, true to life screen due to the features.

27 INCH

Upgraded to 5K display
1TB or 2TB fusion drives as the standard option
Supports up to 64GB of 2666MHz DDR4 RAM
The standard RAM is 8GB with the option to upgrade for better performance.

IMAC 2019 REVIEW – CPU AND GPU

Built with Intel’s 8^th And 9^th Generation desktop class coffee lake processor.
Kaby lake chips have been improved compared to the previous 27-inch specs.
6-core 8^th Generation Intel core i5 processors at 3.0 and 3.1GHz.
9^th Generation 3.7GHz, 6-core i5 for the higher end-based configuration.
The middle and high-end machine can be configured with a 9th generation, 3.6 GHz, 8 core i9 chips with turbo boost of up to 5.0 GHz
This model is 2.4 times faster compared to the previous model
The performance is based on upgraded chip and based chips in this spec
Single core performance is 6 to 11 percent
Multi core performance is between 43 to 49 percent for six – core models
The 3.6GHz, 8-core i9 chip comes with the biggest boost in multi core performance with up to 66 percent speed.
The graphics are the Radeon Pro 570X, 575X or 580X graphic chips with up to 8GB VRAM
A choice to upgrade the high end 27 inch to Radeon Pro Vega 48 with 8GB VRAM.
The Radeon Pro Vega 48 is 50 percent faster compared to the GPU in previous models.

21.5 INCH

The resolution of the 4K 21.5 inch is 4096 x 2304 and features 500 nits brightness and wide colour support for vibrant colours just like the 5K. The higher end models come with a 1TB fusion drive, low models and mid-tier 4K models come with standard hard drives. They can be upgraded with faster solid-state storage with 2TB max.

The option to upgrade up to 32GB with 2666MHz RAM, which is faster are available for the middle tier and the high end 4K, all model ships with 8GB RAM, thunderbolt 3 is standard in the 21.5 machine with two TB3 ports available with other ports.

IMAC 2019 REVIEW

CPU AND GPU

Built with the Intel 8^th Generation coffee lake chip
Based model is not built with a 4K display
Uses older 7^th Generation Intel processor
The middle tier 4K models come with quad core 3.6GHz, 8 generation core i3 chips
The higher end machine has a 6 core 3.0 GHz 8^th Generation core i5 chip.
They can be upgraded to 3.2GHz 8^th Generation 6-core i7 chip.
The updated 8^th Generation chip in the 21.5 2091 model is 60 percent better in terms of performance.
Single core performance is between 5 to 10 percent
Multi core performance is between 10 to 50 percent.
Lower end 4K is built with Radeon Pro 555X with 2GB VRAM
Higher end 4K built with Radeon pro 560X with 4GB VRAM
An option to upgrade the end model with pro Vega 20 graphics.
There’s no discrete graphic option for the low end 21.5 but uses an Intel’s integrated iris plus graphics 640.

Low end non 4K can be upgraded with:

An additional RAM
A fusion drive
SSD

4Ks can be upgraded with:

A faster processor
More RAM
Better storage

Higher end 4K can be upgraded with Radeon Pro Vega 20 graphics.

OTHER FEATURES

THUNDEBOLT 3

Thunderbolt 3 ports are built into all models and are capable of:
Driving one 5K external display at 60Hz
Two 4K UHD displays at 60Hz
Two 4K display at 60Hz
It supports display ports, thunderbolt of up to 40Gb/s, USB 3.1 Gen 2 up to 10Gb/s and thunderbolt 2, HDMI, DVI and VGA using adapters.

OTHER PORTS

All iMacs include:

5mm headphone jack
SD card slot
Four USB ports
Gigabit ethernet port
Kensington lock slot

CAMERA AND MICROPHONE

The front facing face time HD camera is powered by 720p video. Al specs has built in stereo speakers and microphones.

CONECTIVITY

It supports 802.11ac WI FI which is backwards compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n, and 4.2 Bluetooth technology.

IN CONCLUSION.

The vision behind the iMac is nothing other than being magnificent, the desktop experience through the combination of a fitting powerful and easy to use technology in an elegant all one design devices take the iMac to a higher level. You have more tools to achieve more with the aid of the latest processor with a faster memory and phenomenal graphics.

The Truth Behind iPhone 8 vs iPhone 8 plus

IPHONE 8 AND IPHONE 8 PLUS

These specs of phones represented a giant leap regarding the iPhone models. It was introduced on the 12^Th Of September 2017. Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO said these two devices are an improvement to everything iPhone with revamped internals and a new design. I’ve written articles about the iPhone x models and the improvements to the x models are far better than iPhone 8 and 8 plus.

This model of the iPhone sits between the previous iPhone 7 models and the iPhone x models. There’s nothing much about the overall designs compared to previous generations, but comes with a new glass body in a matching aluminium frame.

IPHONE 8 VS IPHONE 8 PLUS – FEATURES:

Wireless charging via glass body
The A11 processor is faster
The cameras were upgraded from previous models
It comes with true tone display
7- and 5.5-inch LCD display
Better speakers
Touch ID home button
The top and bottom displays thick bezels
Three colours of silver, space grey and gold
Most durable glass
IP67 water and dust resistance
The speakers are 25 percent louder with deeper bass
It’s a 4.7-inch display for iPhone 8
And 5.5-inch display for 8 plus
It adapts easily to colour temperature
3D touch
Supports P3 wide colour support
Six cores A11 bionic chip

These models of iPhones come with two performance cores, which are 25 percent faster compare to the A10 fusion chip built into the iPhones and four efficiency core that are 70 percent faster. The six cores can all be harnessed at once because of a second-generation performance controller, which means better speed when handling multi – threaded workloads.

The previous generation GPU is not as fast compare to the designed 3 – Core GPU, which is 30 percent faster and the two cores of the neural engine makes the machine learning task quicker. The cameras were greatly improved with better sensors which allows 83 percent light into the wide angled camera. The image signal processor was also upgraded built into A11 which produces better low light performance plus faster autofocus and new pixel processing techniques requires for sharpness pixel texture. Added also are:

Deeper pixels
Colour filter for noise reduction
Great colour saturation
Wider dynamic ranges of colour

A dual lens camera set up with both f/2.8 telephoto lens and a f/1.8 wide angle lens into iPhone 8 plus camera with upgraded sensor and a wider angled lens. Optical image stabilisation can be found in iPhone 8.

There was an upgrade to portrait lighting effect to improve lighting on an image to mimic studio lighting techniques. Image signal processor and Apple – designed video encoder was upgraded to enable faster video frame rates and real time image and motion analysis. It supports 4K video at 60 frames per seconds and 1080p slow motion video.

Accurate motion tracking is enabled because the cameras were calibrated for AR and an updated gyroscope and accelerometer. The A11 bionic offers world tracking and scenes while the GPU renders realistic graphics and the image signal processor offers real time lighting estimation.

IPHONE 8 VS IPHONE 8 PLUS – DESIGN

The two models look like its predecessor models. Both models boast of 4.7- and 5.5-inch displays with thick bezels both at the top and bottom. The front camera, speakers and sensors are located at the top of the camera. At the bottom you’ll find the home button with a taptic engine to mimic a button press. Touch ID was also built into the home button.

Even though it looks like the iPhone 7 models’ big sister, it has a distinguishing feature boasting of the most durable glass ever. This is an advantage over the iPhone 7 models, the rich depth, colour of the iPhone 8 was as a result of a seven-layer ink process which adds colour to the glass. An oleophobic coat wipes away smudges and fingerprints easily.

A stainless-steel internal frame holds the glass shell and display together. An aerospace grade 7000 series aluminium gives the phones a seamless look. Adequate signal is provided via nearly invisible antenna lines that cuts through the aluminium frame. The durable glass wrapped around a stainless-steel frame means it’s prone to being smashed to pieces if drops on a concrete floor. These phones did not pass the drop test, not even when tested from a waist level.

A mute and switch button can be found on the left-hand side and the right side houses the sleep/wake button. There are lighting ports and speakers’ holes at the bottom and no headphone jack, but Bluetooth enabled. In the case of size, they are slightly bigger than the 7 models, but are not noticeable unless through proper examination.

The iPhone 8 measures:

4mm tall by 67.3mm wide and 7.3mm thick

The iPhone 7 measures:

8mm tall by 67.1mm wide and 7.1mm thick

The iPhone 8 Plus measures:

4mm tall by 78.1mm wide and 7.5mm thick

The iPhone 7 Plus measures:

2mm tall by 77.9mm wide and7.3mm thick

The iPhone 8 plus boast of a wider dual lens rear camera which is arranged in a horizontal orientation. The iPhone 8 features a single lens protruding camera. The red edition was introduced with the 8 models with a bright red glass back shell and a dark front panel, even though the red edition was introduced in the 7 model but with a white front panel.

WATER REISTANCE

They are both water and dust resistance, it has a water/dust resistance rating of IP67 which means they are dust proof and can withstand 1 metre of water (3.3 feet) of up to half an hour. Deliberate water exposure must be avoided at all cost even though the phones can withstand splashes, rainfall and limited water exposure.

TOUCH ID

It seems that based on Apple’s research they discover that there are dedicated customers who are much interested in the touch ID functionality. This probably explains why they still have the touch ID functionality for customers who are not ready to give up the finger-based authentication in favour of a new facial recognition that was introduced in the iPhone X series.

This touch ID is known as the second-generation touch ID which is fast and accurate. It serves as a biometric authentication method:

To unlock the phone.
To confirm iTunes purchases.
To open passcode.
To protect apps.
To confirm Apple, pay payments.

IPHONE 8 VS IPHONE 8 PLUS – DISPLAY

The iPhone 8 features:

7-inch display.
Resolution of 1334 by 750.
326 pixels per inch.
1400:1 contrast ratio.

The iPhone 8 Plus features:

5-inch display.
1920 by 1080 resolutions.
401 pixels per inch.
13:00:1 contrast ratio.

The two phones support:

P3 wide colour which produces rich true to life colours.
625 cd/m2 maximum brightness.

TRUE TONE

True tone was first introduced in the IPAD pro and can be found also in the iPhone 8 models. Its function is to detect light in the room with the aid of an ambient light sensor. It adjusts the colour temperature and intensity to match the light for a better viewing experience. True tone aims to make the iPhone display paper like to provide reading comfort and less eye strain.

A11 BIONIC PROCESSOR

Apple boasted of this being the best chip ever in a smart phone. A six feature six core CPU:

Two high performance cores.
Four high efficiency cores.

The two A11 cores in the 8 models are 25 percent faster compare to the A10 chip in the 7 models. The four high efficiency cores are 70 percent faster. A result of 70 percent performance for multi-threaded workflow is achievable because all four cores can be harnessed at the same time with a second-generation performance controller.

The A11 chip performs far better because it includes a three GPU, which is 30 percent faster than the GPU in the A10 chip. It comes with a better graphic performance, a M11 motion co-processor is also embedded that captures motion-based data ranging from:

Compass
Accelerometer
Gyroscope to power fitness capabilities
Augmented reality experiences

The machine learning task is designed to process through the two efficiency cores, which makes up the neural engine.

IPHONE 8 VS IPHONE 8 PLUS – RAM

The iPhone 8 has a 2GB of RAM.
The iPhone 8 plus has a 3GB RAM, which supports portrait mode features and the dual lens camera.

INDUCTIVE WIRELESS CHARGING

Apple decided to embrace the wireless charging feature that was already built in lots of Android devices. It means the phone can be charged wirelessly using any Qi – certified accessories. The phone must be on the charging mat to charge, physical contact is needed, but the charging features work in most cases. This wireless charging method is like the standard 5W iPhone charger, but slower than other chargers.

There are conditions that influence the speed of charging, for example overnight charging seems to be the best mainly because the lack of an infusion of power. You have the option of other wireless charges available, there are charges made by the Companies for Apple’s devices.

The Qi charging feature can be found in various places such as:

Café
Restaurants
Airports
Coffee shops
Etc

Qi charging is also available in some vehicles, there was a document from Apple detailing vehicles that are compatible with Qi charger.

AIRPOWER

This is Apples own wireless charging accessories, which was designed to be able to charge multiple accessories at once. Airpower can charge:

IPhone
Apple watch series
Wireless Air pods

This device was meant to have been released last year September but due to technical issue has been put on hold. There are rumours about issues such as overheating, firmware bugs and others.

CAMERAS

IPhone 8 cameras were built with an advanced 12 – mega pixel wide angle f/1.8 camera. It boasts of a larger and faster sensor that allows 83 percent lighter: More features include:

Noise reduction for videos and photos
Wider dynamic range of colours
Better colour saturation with pixels
New colour filter
Quicker auto focus in low light
Better sharpness and texture with new pixel processing
Multi noise band reduction with hardware enabled

Image signal stabilisation detects:

People
Motion
Lighting conditions
Low light improvement when capturing video

The quad LED true tone flash has a slow sync feature, this feature when combines with a slow shutter speed and a strobe pulse brightens a foreground subject and exposes background in poor lighting environments. The flash also offers more uniform for better performance.

IPhone 8 plus dual cameras comes with a dual lens, an upgraded wider angle found in iPhone 8 with an f/2.8 telephoto camera that enables portrait mode for blurring background only possible with a DSLR.

Some of its features:

Details are sharper
The background appears more natural
Performs better in poor lighting conditions
Supports flash

You’re able to add studio lighting effects to your images because of a new portrait lighting feature. Portrait lighting functions of the two-camera, creating a depth map of an image with the aid of machine learning techniques. This marks the presence of a face and how the light interacts with the face.

The lighting is manipulated by the phone as you take photo with real time analysis. You can also make changes after a snap in the photo app. Portrait lighting effects include

Studio lights
Natural lights
Stage lights
Contour lights
And more

VIDEO

The video quality capture is of high quality, a new designed video encoder enables faster video frame rates, real time image and motion analysis. Video encoding is optimised because of predictions in changes to content to optimise video encoding algorithms.

The 4K video recording is available at: 20, 30 or 60 frames per seconds and is 1080p video recording at 30 or 60 fps. A slow-motion video support for 1080p t both 120 or 204 fps is also supported.

FACETIME CAMERA

The front of both 8 and 8 plus has a 7 -mega pixel f/2.2 aperture face tine HD camera for:

Selfies
Face time conversations

The camera includes:

Wide colour capture
Auto image stabilisation
1080p HD video recording
Retina flash

CONCLUSION

The iPhone 8 series is still a reliable phone in the smart phone world, if you’re not interested in spending much but want something affordable and classy, you can’t go wrong with these models.

Apple TV 4K Review – The Ultimate Multimedia

APPLE TV 4K REVIEW.

The fifth generation Apple TV 4K was introduced to the world in September 2017. This is the first update since 2015, there are two outstanding technologies at the centre of this TV.

● 4K.

● HDR.

They bring the cinematic quality to every picture and the 4K supports offers incredible detail, the number of pixels is four times more in comparison to HD.

● The resolution of 4K is 3840 x 2160.

● The resolution for HD is 1920 x 1080.

APPLE TV 4K REVIEW. – FEATURES.

● A10x fusion processor.

● The remote is touch based.

● 32 or 64GB options.

● Deep Siri integration.

● Better quality resolution.

● HDR produces a richer and vibrant colour.

● Supports wide range of colours.

● Better pixels.

● Works with both Dolby vision and industry standard HDR10.

● It must be paired with TVs that supports 4K and HDR technology.

● The TVOS interface comes with sharper text in 4K.

● Videos captured in iPhone can be viewed via 4K.

● Animated video screen savers have been upgraded in 4K.

● Compatible with Apple music.

● Home kit hub to Apple TV.

● Controls connected devices in the house.

● Equipped with A10X fusion used in IPAD pro models.

● CPU performance is twice as fast.

● GPU performance is four times faster.

There are no major changes regarding the design, still maintains the simple black box that you will plug into the back of a telly with an HDMI cable. A new gigabit ethernet port has been included and USB – C port that was previously on the device has been removed. It comes with a Siri remote for control purposes, there have been slight changes to the design. Siri can be used for:

● Navigation.

● Personal assistance.

● Game controller.

APPLE TV 4K REVIEW. – DESIGN AND HARDWARE.

A simple device just like the fourth generation that fits easily into your palm. Inscribed at the top is the Apple logo. At the back:

● A gigabit ethernet port.

● HDMI 2.0A port.

● Another port for the power cord.

● Measures at 3.9 inches on each side.

● 1.4 inches tall.

● Weighs under a pound at 15 ounces.

● Replaceable fan.

● The processor is supported by eight exhaust ports.

APPLE TV 4K REVIEW. – PROCESSOR AND INTERNALS.

The tv is powered by the A10X fusion which is a much faster chip compared to the one that powered the fourth-generation model, with 2x the CPU performance and 4x GPU performance with a 3GB RAM to support 4K. This new chip allows the TV to run intensive games and apps smoothly with the game taking advantage of the 4K display.

It supports dual band regarding connectivity, (2.4GHz and 5GHz) 802.11ac WI -FI with MOMO and Bluetooth 5.0.

SIRI REMOTE

It has a built-in feature with a touch surface used as:

● A general select button and

● A touchpad.

● A menu button.

● A home button.

● A play/pause button.

● A Siri button.

● A standard volume button.

The Siri remote gets connected to the TV via the Bluetooth 4.0 connection and controls the TV elements like Bluetooth with an IR transmitter. The touch-based navigation is found on the touch surface of the remote that allow users to swipe through the app store, the home screen and content within the apps.

Siri mode is activated by pressing the button, it works the same way on the phone. Two microphones were built into the remote to connect with the commands and SIRI transmits the information to the screen.

The remote was redesigned in 2017 with a new white ridge around the home button. There’s a lighting port use for charging with a standard lighting cable at the bottom of the Siri remote. The remote’s battery needs to recharge every few months.

The remote serves as a controller for Apple TV games because of an inbuilt accelerometer and a gyroscope. The remote is only available in the following countries for now:

● Canada.

● United States of America.

● United Kingdom.

● Australia.

● France.

● Germany.

● Japan.

● Spain.

THE REMOTE APP

The TV can be controlled via the app, the layout is like the Siri remote which offers:

● Navigation.

● Access to Siri.

● Volume control.

4K AND HDR

The pixels produced by 4K are four times more when paired with HDR support comparisons to normal standards of HD (3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080). 4K offers brighter and realistic colours in much greater detail. 4K and HDR are upgrades over 1080p high definition, especially with HDR. 4K offers more pixels because of ultra-high resolutions. It produces:

● Better red colour.

● Green colour is more vivid.

● Blues are brighter.

● Yellows are clearer.

● More contrast.

● Colour ranges in scenes with both dark and light elements.

A compatible 4K television is required for an Apple 4K TV to display a content on a 4K standard. An HDMI cable is also needed to connect the television to the Apple TV. You should get a cable that is compatible with HDMI and Dolby vision better still and HDMI cable compatible with Dolby vision mark.

In Europe a TV that supports 4K and HDR at 50Hz is required, although 60Hz will work with a 4K standard dynamic range, 4K high dynamic range and 4K Dolby vision. Apple TV will also work with TV that has 30Hz HDR refresh rate (25Hz in Europe) lower fresh rates might lead to choppy video. The advice regarding TVs that do not support HDR at 60Hz is to lower the resolution to 1080p at 60Hz which upscale to 4K.

4K STREAMING

A minimum connection speed of 25mb/s is recommended to customers who wants to stream content in 4K from:

● iTunes.

● Netflix.

● Other sources.

If a connection is slow for transferring 4K content, the video quality will be downgraded. 4K content cannot be downloaded from iTunes, but limited to streaming.

PHOTO AND VIDEO FORMAT SUPPORT

● Apple 4K TV supports.

● H.264.

● HEVC (H. 265).

● HEVC Dolby vision.

● MPEG – 4.

Photos can display images in the following formats

● HEIF.

● JPEG.

● GIF.

● TIFF.

AUDIO FORMATS SUPPORT

Audio formats that are supported includes:

● HE-ACC.

● ACC (320Kb/s max).

● Protected ACC.

● MP3 (320Kb/s max).

● MP3 VBR.

● Apple lossless.

● FLAC.

● AIFF.

● WAV.

● Dolby 5.1.

● Dolby digital plus 7.1 surround sound.

CONTENT THAT ARE COMPARTIBLE

4K content can be viewed from different sources because Apple made deals with movie studios in order to offer the widest selection of 4K movie title in iTunes for the same price as HD movies. 4K content can be streamed on Apps like Netflix and Amazon prime video release.

4K content can be streamed on YouTube, but not compatible with 4K Apple TV at this time, things will probably change. Apple does not support the VP9 format for YouTube 4K.

You get the best picture when streaming or playing 4K resolution TV and movies because 4K TV were designed for 4K content but not compatible with non 4K HDR.

CONCLUSION

The picture is crisper compare to a standard HD because it uses four times more pixel. HDR produces a brighter and more realistic colours in greater detail. The combination of the TV with a Dolby Atmos-compatible sound system immerses you in a super dimensional audio that transmits sounds around your environment. Apple TV connects with some of the world’s largest TV networks and broadcasters to bring you live content you mostly care about.