Tech Brew Ride Home - 11/06 – Is It Too Soon To Start Talking About iPhone 13?

Starting point is 00:00:00 On April 4th, 2023, around 2 in the morning, a man was found stabbed multiple times on a sidewalk in downtown San Francisco. Hey, who did this to you? What happened next turned the story into a political firestorm. Reports have identified the victim as Bob Lee, the founder of Cash App. From Bloomberg Podcasts, this is Foundering, the Killing of Bob Lee, beginning April 16. Welcome to the Tech meme right home for Friday, November 6th, 2020. I'm Brian McCullough. Today, is it too soon to start talking about the iPhone 13? We can talk about the iPhone 12 because it's review day. Reviews of the iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and also the PlayStation 5. Why I think the DOJ suing to block the plaid acquisition is such a big deal, and of course, the weekend long read suggestions. Here's what you miss today in the world of tech. iPhone 13. Would that make it the unluckiest iPhone model? Is it too soon to start speculating about what we might see in unlucky number 13? Well, apparently no soon is too soon for our buddy Ming Chi Quo, who is already out with an analyst

Starting point is 00:01:18 note saying that the next version of the iPhone, slated for next year, will have the same four model size conventions as the iPhone 12, but the pro models will stand out again with a major upgrade to the ultra-wide camera, quoting Mac rumors. Specifically, Quo says the ultra-wide cameras on the two high-end models will be significantly upgraded to F-1.86P or six-element lenses with autofocus. All the current iPhone 12 models are equipped with F2.4, 5P, five-element lenses, ultra-wide cameras with fixed focus. Looking further ahead, Quo says he also expects all the new 2022 iPhones, tentatively called the iPhone 14 series, to be equipped with the same improved ultra-wide camera, with

Starting point is 00:02:05 with F1.8, 6P, and autofocus. Quote believes that shipments for the iPhone 13 will increase year-on-year and offers a positive outlook for the supply chain due to several factors, including a more robust 5G infrastructure in the second half of 2021, a return to the traditional September timeframe for iPhone mass production and sale, and the aforementioned significant camera improvements to iPhone 13, end quote. So this is something that I actually hope we can get a chance to talk about on tonight's listener call-in episode because after a week with the iPhone 12 pro, I have some definite thoughts about the iPhone lineup going forward. By the way, starting today, iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max are both available for pre-order. So is the new HomePod Mini. And also,

Starting point is 00:02:59 folks have noticed that the MagSafe Duo Charger, as well as the leather sleeve with MagSafe for the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro are now listed as coming soon on Apple's website. They're both priced at $120 a pop. This also means that hands-on review embargoes have been lifted for the Mini and the Pro Max, both of which, I have to say, are still worth considering for a lot of reasons. The Mini is the smallest iPhone in years, and the Pro Max is the biggest iPhone ever. Going to quote from Hyam Gartenberg's initial thoughts on the verge. This is his take on the mini, quote, if you've seen the iPhone 12 already, it's basically that, but smaller. Same processor, same cameras, same design, same everything.

Starting point is 00:03:43 But instead of a 6.1 inch screen, the iPhone Mini has a 5.4 inch display. But thanks to the iPhone 10-style bezelless design, the 12 Mini is actually a physically smaller phone compared to the bezeled 4.7-inch design that Apple has used on the iPhone 6, 6S, 7, 8, and the new version of the SE. and by the standards of 2020 flagship smartphones, it's really small. And that smaller size is really nice to hold. iOS scales well to the 5.4-inch display and the iPhone 12 design looks and feels just as nice on the slightly more compact version as it does on the full-size model.

Starting point is 00:04:19 If you like the size of the old 5, 5S, or SE though, the 12 Mini feels like the closest Apple has come to that style of device in a long time. It's honestly a bit weird to hold at first, especially if you're coming from a big phone. Some things do take a bit of an adjustment like typing, but other parts of using an iPhone, like swiping down from the top of the display for notifications or the control center, are easier than they've been in years. But for the first time since arguably the iPhone 8, Apple has made a flagship phone that nearly anyone should be able to comfortably use and hold in one hand, end quote. And here's his take on the Pro Max, quote. It is big, bigger than both Apple's older iPhone Plus models and last year's iPhone 11 Pro Max in terms. terms of sheer size. The 12 Pro Max benefits from the same squared-off design as the smaller iPhone

Starting point is 00:05:07 12 models, meaning that it's not as big of an increase as the bump in screen size might suggest. As for how the 12 Pro Max is to actually use and hold, it's still very much a surfboard of a phone, just like Apple's other plus and max-sized devices. Looking at it on its own is somewhat deceptive since it's proportionally similar to the regular size models. It's only when you see it in context next to another iPhone that the scale of it really hits you. Despite the big size, it doesn't feel too heavy in hand. I'd describe it as comfortably solid, although between the steel frame and the size, it's not the sort of thing I'd want to drop on my face either. Plus, while the screen size on the 12 Pro Max is bigger than ever, Apple still isn't doing much to

Starting point is 00:05:49 take advantage of the larger display. There's no option to run apps side by side, like many super-sized Android phones have, and it still seems like Apple is scratching the surface when it comes to utilizing the extra space. Right now, using it just feels like using a regular iPhone that's been scaled up, end quote. Years ago, I said a gadget is probably too big to be termed, handheld, or at least hand-holdable in one hand, if you think you could kill somebody with it. Think about it. If you smashed the edge of an iPad Pro against someone's temple, it could be fatal. But an iPad Mini, probably not. Most iPhones, probably not. Kindles, absolutely not. Anyway, just wondering if the Pro Max is starting to creep towards that potentially lethal territory. It is going to be a day of

Starting point is 00:06:44 reviews here, but before I get to the other big review embargo that broke this morning, let me take note of this. Yes, the DOJ did indeed file an antitrust lawsuit challenging visa's proposed $5.3 billion acquisition of Plaid yesterday. quoting TechCrunch. By acquiring Plaid, Visa would eliminate a nascent competitive threat that would likely result in substantial savings and more innovative online debit services for merchants and consumers, the DOJ wrote in its lawsuit. The deal would violate Section 2 of the Sherman Act, quote, and must be stopped, the DOJ wrote in its filing published by Bloomberg Law. In a statement, Visa said it, quote, strongly disagrees with the DOJ's, quote, legally flawed arguments. Quote,

Starting point is 00:07:27 This action reflects a lack of understanding of Plaid's business and the highly competitive payments landscape in which Visa operates, the statement read. The combination of Visa and Plaid will deliver substantial benefits for consumers seeking access to a broader range of financial-related services, and Visa intends to defend the transaction vigorously, end quote. So here's why I think it's worth standing up and taking note of this. For years, tech companies have been able to make acquisitions of smaller but obviously disruptive players in their spaces in order to create the platforms that we know today, in order to create their seemingly insurmountable moats, kneecapping is the term that I like to use, taking out these competitors right before their disruptive growth could really see consummation.

Starting point is 00:08:11 And somehow, for all these years, the government regulators didn't see the angle to what everyone was doing because it was, I don't know, tech, too confusing for them. Now, I know that Visa is not a tech company, technically, but look at the language the DOJ is using there. Doesn't it seem like regulators suddenly know the score that a double-click acquisition, say, or an Instagram acquisition would be impossible to get muster for these days? All tech companies in the acquisition game should take note of this. This sort of signaling is possibly even more consequential for the tech ecosystem going forward than any antitrust suits actually brought retroactively. I said it was Review Day.

Starting point is 00:09:02 The other big review embargo involved the PlayStation 5. And I'm going to return to the Verge again to give us their first take because, I don't know, the Verge just writes the best, most legible reviews of stuff, in my opinion. Andrew Webster says the PS5 is fast, has smooth performance, a more streamlined UI, and the new dual sense controller is possibly revolutionary. In fact, I keep hearing that. This controller could change gaming as we know it. So we'll focus a bit on that.

Starting point is 00:09:31 But he also thinks it is pretty big and awkward, and he wishes it had a quick resume feature, quote. When it comes to the design of the console itself, the most obvious thing is its scale. It's not just big, it's historically big. One of the largest video game consoles ever built. It measures in at 15.4 inches tall, 10.24 inches deep, 4.09 inches wide. It's big enough that it will probably require some careful

Starting point is 00:09:58 planning to fit it into your existing entertainment setup. Right now, I have mine all by its lonesome on a side table beside my TV stand for lack of better options. It's not just the size, though. Whereas many gadgets are now designed to fit seamlessly into our homes, the PS5 goes in the opposite direction. It's not shy. Sony doesn't want you to tuck this away in an entertainment cabinet where no one can see it. One of the most surprising things about the PS5 hardware has been how quiet it is. I haven't heard a sound while playing with it over the past 10 days, and it doesn't give off much heat either. It's a big change from my PS4, which sounds like a jet engine every time I hop into a match on Fortnite. The dual sense controller is outfitted with new adaptive triggers,

Starting point is 00:10:39 with variable tension offering physical resistance depending on what you're doing. At the same time, the controller features haptic feedback in the form of more subtle vibrations that give you a better sense of what's happening in a game. It may sound like a gimmick and reminiscent of similar failed technologies like HD Rumble on the Nintendo Switch, but thankfully, the PS5 comes with just the right game to show what Dual Sense can do. Each PlayStation 5 comes bundled with a game called Astros Playroom. It's a seemingly simple third-person platforming game starring cute robots, the kind of game you'd expect to come out of Nintendo. It's also an experience explicitly designed to showcase the dual sense controllers' myriad features. The haptics are obvious from

Starting point is 00:11:18 the moment you start playing. As you move the lead character Astro around, you can feel subtle footsteps in your hands, and they alternate left to right to mimic those steps. That's cool, but things get even more interesting when you walk on different surfaces. It's hard to put into words, but there's a graininess when you're walking on sand and a surprisingly accurate flat slap feeling when Astro dives into a pool of water. In one sequence, you can feel the pitter-patter of rain in your palms. When it changes to freezing rain, the sensation shifts to be sharper and heavier. These elements don't fundamentally change the way Astros' playroom plays, but they add another layer of feedback that further immerses you in the experience. This is especially

Starting point is 00:11:57 true when most of the haptic sensations are accompanied by sounds from the Dual Sense's built-in speaker. You could close your eyes and still know it's rainy or windy or that a flying car just zipped past you. The same goes for the adaptive triggers. Most of the time, the Dual Sense triggers act just like the triggers on a classic PlayStation controller, their basic buttons. But during certain sequences, change. An obvious example is when Astro picks up a bow and arrow, and you can feel the tension in the trigger as you pull back on the string, while later in the game you turn into a spring-powered mech, and the tension builds up as you gather momentum, end quote. Skipping now to the conclusion, quote, reviewing a video game console before it's even out

Starting point is 00:12:37 is always a tricky thing. There are just so many unknowns. Will developers really make use of the dual senses unique features? Will games like Ratchet and Clank utilize the PS5's fast loading times to change the way game worlds are designed, and just how long will the UI remain uncluttered as more features and services are added? My experience playing the PS5 today will be very different compared to playing it in a year or two. Physically, the PS5 is a brash, intimidating piece of hardware, one that is clearly meant to signal a major shift, but underneath, its changes are much more subtle, at least right now. This isn't the move from SD to HD or watching Mario explore a 3D space for the very first time. Instead, it's a series of

Starting point is 00:13:17 smaller, though still important, shifts like faster speeds and a more immersive controller, which all add to a markedly better experience compared to the PS4 by every conceivable metric, aside from the space it takes up. I can't tell you what the future holds, but right now the PS5 is a great piece of hardware. It might not be clear what makes the PS5 interesting just from watching trailers or live streams, but once it's in your hands, the next generation is a lot more obvious, end quote. Time for the weekend long read suggestions. A bit abbreviated today. not as much quoting, but still as many amazing stories as I usually find for you, stuff like, are you aware that Mommy and Daddy are fighting? Well, not fighting exactly, and not exactly Mommy

Starting point is 00:14:04 and Daddy, but I like to think of them as my tech theoretical Mommy and Daddy. Did you know that Ben Thompson and Tim Wu have been mostly politely debating each other this week? I'm linking you to Tim's Part 2 essay, which is in response to Ben's response to Tim's Part 1 essay, you can find all the links to all of these essays if you read the piece that I'm linking to in the show notes. But the premise of the argument is this, quoting from Tim's Part 1 essay. Thompson has more recently begun to pronounce an analyze in the field of tech antitrust, and here he is on less solid ground. I appreciate that deep industry expertise is important in his area, especially, say,

Starting point is 00:14:45 when designing remedies that make sense, lacking. a background in law or economics is not disqualifying. Nonetheless, I'd say Thompson's readers are at risk of being misled if they rely too much on what he has to say about tech antitrust. For as we shall see, his analysis relies too much on an idiosyncratic digital markets are fundamentally different thesis that really doesn't hold up too well. Stated simply, I'd say he's inducing his readers to drink too much of his aggregation theory Kool-Aid as opposed to encouraging them to think more broadly or read more deeply to understand a slightly messier reality than he presents, end quote. This is really high-level stuff from two guys who know their stuff. If you enjoy wrestling over

Starting point is 00:15:24 theory, then this is absolutely popcorn time. You know that I stand them both as legends, so I don't care who's right or who's wrong, really. Both make excellent points, and it's thought-provoking to read all the way around. Next, from Wired, did you know we are on the cusp of synthetic biology, of being able to program biological systems like we can program computer systems. Yeah, get ready for the xenobot future, because it's coming, quote. A new field of science called synthetic biology aims to do just this by digitizing genetic manipulation. Sequences are loaded into software tools like a word processor, but for DNA code, and are eventually printed using something akin to a 3D printer. Rather than editing genetic material in or out of DNA,

Starting point is 00:16:09 synthetic biology gives scientists the ability to write entirely new organisms that have never existed. Imagine a synthetic biology app store where you could download and add new capabilities into any cell, microbe, plant, or animal. If that sounds implausible, consider this. Last year, UK researchers synthesized the world's first living organism, E. coli, that contained DNA created by humans rather than nature. Earlier this year, a group of researchers started with a cluster of stem cells from an African clawed frog as a base, and then used a supercomputer, a virtual environment, and evolutionary algorithms to create 100 generations of prototypes to build. The result? A tiny blob of programmable tissue called a xenobot. These living robots can undulate, swim, and walk.

Starting point is 00:16:57 They work collaboratively and can even self-heal. They're tiny enough to be injected into human bodies, travel around, and maybe someday deliver targeted medicines, end quote. This is maybe not a long read, but it is an interesting story of a company that I hadn't heard of, and now that I have heard of them, they have instantly become one of my favorite companies in the world because they seem to offer a better way to buy your next long read. Let me introduce you to bookshop.org, quote, it is being described as a revolutionary moment in the history of bookselling, a socially conscious alternative to Amazon that allows readers to buy books online while supporting their local independent bookseller. After a hugely successful launch in the U.S., it is open in the

Starting point is 00:17:42 UK from today. Bookshop was dreamed up by the writer and co-founder of Literary Hub, Andy Hunter. It allows independent bookshops to create their own virtual shopfront on the site, with the stores receiving the full profit margin, 30% of the cover price from each sale. All customer service and shipping are handled by Bookshop and its distributor partners with titles offered at a small discount and delivered within two to three days. It's been a wild ride, said Hunter, who launched the site in the U.S. in January. Five weeks into what we thought was going to be a six-month period of refining and improving and making small changes, COVID-19 hit and suddenly we were doing massive business, end quote.

Starting point is 00:18:19 Initially starting with 250 bookshops, more than 900 stores have now signed up in the U.S. We went from selling $50,000 worth of books in all of February to selling $50,000 a day in March and then $150,000 a day in April, said Hunter. By June, bookshops sold one. million dollars worth of books in a single day. The platform has now raised more than $7.5 million for independent bookshops across the U.S., end quote. Then, I made this point on several episodes of the Internet History podcast, but it was the election 20 years ago, the notorious dispute election of Bush v. Gore, that really led to the birth of the modern digital media ecosystem.

Starting point is 00:19:02 It was the death of Princess Diana a few years earlier, where media. web was born. The 2000 election was the Big Bang and also the creation moment for blogging and such. Then came 9-11 and the Iraq War, and if you connect the dots, you can get all the way to things like Vox and BuzzFeed today. Harry McCracken has a good look at the 2000 election and how it was, as I say, the Big Bang. That's from Fast Company. And finally, this is not tech at all, but who cares? It's cool as hell. Could I interest you in an oral history of the versus the monorail episode of The Simpsons. Oh yeah, I can quote. With a script by Conan O'Brien, then an energetic young comedy writer, and meticulous yet joyful direction by Rich Moore, who subsequently won an Oscar

Starting point is 00:19:51 for Best Animated Feature with Zootopia, the result is a wild ride as charming conman Lyle Landley convinces Springfield to spend $3 million on a monorail through the power of song alone. disaster ensues until Homer saves the day with the help of Lard Ladd Donuts. And quoting from Josh Weinstein in the oral history, quote, If a gun was put to my head and they said, Tell me the best episode of television ever, it's this. It's Marge versus the monorail. At the time, it blew people's minds in a way because nothing had been like that until that moment,

Starting point is 00:20:25 with the different levels of comedy and everything going on in one episode. I think it was eye-opening for people, including on the staff too, in terms of what could be done on a show. All the original writers, and Sam and Matt and Jim created this new thing, and this episode is a big step in its evolution, end quote. Tonight, 9 p.m. Eastern, 6 p.m. Pacific, listener call-in episode.

Starting point is 00:20:54 Zoom link is in the very bottom of the show notes. Please participate if you'd like to, but if you can't make it, I'll be putting up the episode to listen to at the usual time tomorrow. Have a good weekend, everyone. one.

Tech Brew Ride Home - 11/06 – Is It Too Soon To Start Talking About iPhone 13?

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