Vector

Right now. Right this very minute, there are only a dozen or several Samsung Galaxy Folds in the wild, and all of them in the hands of reviewers. Of that very small number, four of them have already failed. Or, at least, the screens have.

Two of the Galaxy Folds, the ones in the possession of Marques Brownlee of MKBHD fame and Mark Gurman of Bloomberg were apparently the result of, or may simply have been compounded by, removing a polymer protective film that shouldn't have been removed.

The other two, one from Dieter Bohn of the Verge and another from Steve Kovach of CNBC, just seem too have just failed.

So, what's happening?

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Picture this: Opening arguments for Apple vs. Qualcomm are underway in the Southern District of San Diego. US District Court Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel first disallows, then reverses and allows live tweeting. So we all get to read along. Allegations are made of double-dipping, of Coke wanting to get paid for Pepsi. Of KFC and its secret recipe. Of chicken and potatoes. No, seriously. It got weird and fast.

Then, right there, out of nowhere, the inconceivable happens.

They settle. Everything.

Here's what happened...

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LINKS:

• Qualcomm and Apple agree to drop all litigation - Apple
• Qualcomm and Apple reach multi-year agreement
• Intel to Exit 5G Smartphone Modem Business, Focus 5G Efforts on Network Infrastructure and Other Data-Centric Opportunities | Intel Newsroom

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Ok. Here's the thing. I'm a little late. It's closer to 7 months now than 6, but after reviewing the aluminum at launch, checking out the gold steel and Nike+ a couple of weeks in, and following up with the Hermès some 2 months after, I got delayed slightly by some new iPads, AirPods, and, yeah, services.

But, I've been able to use the extra time to collect extra information, and from people beyond my own personal use cases and, frankly, the typical tech-sphere considerations.

I've also got to use the latest watchOS update, which adds ECG to Hong Kong and 19 countries across Europe, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. Also, and more applicable to me, some new watch face variations for Nike and Hermes, and AirPods 2 support, which makes a great pairing even better. Like, I don't know dark chocolate and crunchy peanut butter?

There are also new watch bands for the spring. This year's collection includes new sport loops, new sport bands, new Hermès straps, new almost everything.

Let's take a look at all of that!

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LINKS:

• Apple Watch Series 4 Review - YouTube
• Apple Watch 4 Review: Two weeks later! - YouTube
• Nike+ Apple Watch 4 Review - YouTube
• Apple Watch 4 Hermès Review - YouTube

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Back in 2010 you could get any iPad you wanted, provided you wanted the only 9.7-inch iPad Apple made… But, over the years, Apple has expanded the lineup to include the 7.9-inch iPad mini and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Just recently, they've even added a 10.5-inch iPad Air and 11-inch Pro.

So, now, the iPad is spread across 5 different models and price points, and that's not even counting options like cellular or storage or even finish that make up all the different SKU. That's industry slang for stock keeping unit, but whatever. My point is, you have a lot of options now and it can seem complicated, maybe even overwhelming if you're looking to upgrade or buy-in for the first time.

But it's actually really simple to hone down on the one and only iPad that's perfect for you.

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LINKS:

• iPad Air 3 (2019) Review — In the Air! - YouTube
• Amazon.com : Apple iPad Air (10.5-inch, Wi-Fi, 64GB) - Space Gray :
• iPad 2018 (6th Gen) Review: Half the Pro for Half the Price - YouTube
• Apple iPad (Latest Model) with Wi-Fi - 128GB Space Gray MR7J2LL/A - Best Buy
• iPad mini 5 (2019) Review - YouTube
• Amazon.com : Apple iPad mini (Wi-Fi, 64GB) - Silver (Latest Model) :
• iPad Pro (2018) Review - YouTube
• iPad Pro (2018) Review: Two weeks later! - YouTube
• Apple 11" iPad Pro MTXN2LL/A B&H Photo Video

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"Apple is misleading customers about data recovery. They're lying! They ban accounts. It really pisses people off!"

That's the focus and fallout of a CBC report about a couple from Newfoundland who were trying to save their vacation photos from a water damaged iPhone.

I've been asked about the report over and over again since it aired and it's taken me a little while to sort through it all. And that's only because the report itself is so… unsorted — it's an incredibly important story but it's not told incredibly well.

So, let's dive into it!

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LINKS:

• Expert disputes Apple on data recovery from water-damaged iPhones - YouTube

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Bueller? Bueller?

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LINKS:

• Where is iMessage for Android? - YouTube
• VirnetX Soars After $368.2 Million Verdict Against Apple - Bloomberg
• VirnetX - Wikipedia
• Report: After patent loss, Apple tweaks FaceTime—and logs 500,000 complaints | Ars Technica
• Apple loses bid to undo $440 million judgment in VirnetX patent case - Reuters

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I'm reading Vlad Savov's piece on the Verge about how the iPhone camera used to be a selling point but is now a settling point.

I like Vlad's writing a lot. Mostly because his point of view is often so different than my own. It forces me to think, to challenge my own preconceptions. And, regardless of whether I end up agreeing or disagreeing, to learn through the process.

With apologies to Alan Moore and thanks to Vlad, this is that process.

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LINKS:

• The iPhone's camera used to be a selling point - The Verge
• I'm fed up with the Google Pixel 3's horrendously slow camera | Android Central
• The Pixel 3 is Pissing Me Off. – Droid Life
• Huawei P30 vs. iPhone XS — From the Android Expert - YouTube
• Huawei P30 Pro Review: Telephoto Telephone - YouTube
• Huawei P30 Pro hands-on: a photographic powerhouse - YouTube

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I've been using AirPods (2nd Generation) since just after Apple's March event. In that time, I've flown across the continent, driven for hours, listened to podcasts, recorded podcasts, edited videos — including this one! — made calls, and tested them out on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac.

So, how did they perform?

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LINKS:

• AirPods 2 (2019) Unboxing & Hands-On - YouTube
• Powerbeats Pro vs. AirPods 2: Which Should You Buy? - YouTube
• AirPods on Amazon

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You know the one about AirPods 2 not having iPhone-style water-resistance, Apple Pencil 2-style soft touch texture, Bose-style noise cancelation, or fitting those outside the 80% curve of Apple's earbuds?

Well, Apple's Beats by Dre subsidiary is aiming to scratch a few of those remaining items, or pain points, off the list with the all-new, just announced PowerBeats Pro, which look to bring a little variety to the truly wireless game.

But do they beat Apple's own AirPods 2? Let's break it all down...

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LINKS:

• AirPods 2 (2019) Unboxing & Hands-On - YouTube
• Powerbeats Pro: Pricing, Release Date, News, & More | iMore
• AirPods on Amazon

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Huawei's got hot new 2019 P30 and P30 Pros on the market, yeah fresh from Paris and overflowing with Eifel Tower selfies and croissant shots, and I'm dying to put them head-to-head, or phone-to-phone rather against Apple's 2018 iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, but Huawei isn't sending me any review units any time soon, so what am I going to do?

Why, call in the pros who have the phones again, that's what. And that means, once again, Daniel Bader, managing editor of Android Central.

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LINKS:

• Huawei P30 + P30 Pro hands-on: The best phone camera of 2019? - YouTube
• The Phone With A Periscope: Huawei P30 Pro Hands-On - YouTube
• Huawei P30 Pro Impressions: The Ultimate Camera? - YouTube

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