Techmeme
October 14, 2020, 1:00 AM

Top News

Tim Hardwick / MacRumors:
Apple debuts $999 6.1" iPhone 12 Pro and $1,099 6.7" iPhone 12 Pro Max with flat-edge design, 5G, LiDAR, three rear cameras with 5x zoom, and 128GB base storage  —  Apple today unveiled the new 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max at its pre-recorded “Hi, Speed” digital event.
Chris Welch / The Verge:
Apple unveils iPhone 12 with 6.1" OLED display and 460ppi, A14, thinner and lighter design, 5G, improved durability, and five color options, starting at $829  —  The right iPhone for most people gets a new design, OLED screen, and 5G  —  It might be happening a bit later than usual, but Apple has just announced the iPhone 12.
Apple:
iPhone 12 Pro pre-orders start on October 16, shipping on October 23, while iPhone 12 Pro Max pre-orders begin November 6, shipping on November 13  —  Best iPhone ever features the powerful A14 Bionic, all-new design with Ceramic Shield, pro camera system, LiDAR Scanner, and the biggest Super Retina XDR display ever on an iPhone
Apple:
iPhone 12 pre-orders start on October 16, shipping on October 23, while iPhone 12 mini pre-orders begin November 6, shipping on November 13  —  iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini introduce a beautiful new design packed with innovative features, including A14 Bionic, an advanced dual-camera system …
Nick Statt / The Verge:
Apple announces MagSafe for iPhone 12, letting users magnetically attach chargers, wallets, and other accessories  —  The magnetic charging brand is back  —  Apple has revived its MagSafe charging brand with a twist: it's no longer for its MacBook line but instead for the new iPhone 12 line.
Joe Rossignol / MacRumors:
Support for high-frequency mmWave 5G bands in the iPhone 12 lineup is limited to models sold in the US, with models sold outside US limited to sub-6GHz bands  —  As expected, the entire iPhone 12 lineup is compatible with faster 5G networks, but Apple's website confirms that support …
Tom Warren / The Verge:
Apple announces the $729 iPhone 12 mini with 5.4-inch OLED display, five colors, and similar specs to the iPhone 12  —  The iPhone mini has arrived  —  Apple is announcing a new iPhone 12 mini today.  It's the first time Apple has used the “mini” moniker on its iPhone line …
Jeremy Horwitz / VentureBeat:
Benjamin Mayo / 9to5Mac:
Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge:
Apple debuts HomePod mini with spherical design, S5 chip, fabric mesh exterior, black and white options, a small screen on top; pre-orders start Nov. 6 from $99  —  Apple finally offers an entry-level HomePod  —  Apple has announced a new version of its HomePod smart speaker …
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Paul Thurrott / Thurrott:
Microsoft says backward compatible titles on the Xbox Series X and S will support Auto HDR, alongside better visuals and faster frame rates  —  We already knew that Xbox Series X and Series S users will be able to play thousands of previous-generation games at launch.
CNBC:
Facebook announces a global policy banning anti-vaccination ads but will allow ads that advocate for legislation around vaccination policies  —  - Facebook said Tuesday it is launching a new global policy that bans ads that discourage people from getting vaccines.
Jessica Bursztynsky / CNBC:
Dropbox says it will be a “virtual first” company and will set up “Dropbox Studios” in SF, Seattle, Austin, and Dublin for employees to meet in-person  —  - San Francisco-based Dropbox announced Tuesday that will stop asking employees to come into its offices and instead make remote work the standard practice.
Daisuke Wakabayashi / New York Times:
Sources detail how Google, under intense scrutiny, has limited discussion of antitrust issues among employees, executives, and potential recruits  —  A company operating in the shadow of government regulators has some very particular rules about what workers can say about it.
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Facebook Messenger gets a visual update, custom reactions, chat themes, and more, as cross-app communication between Instagram and FB rolls out to North America  —  Facebook Messenger is getting a visual update and a number of new features, including support for chat themes, custom reactions, and soon, selfie stickers and vanish mode.
Kurt Schlosser / GeekWire:
Fitness tech company JAXJOX raises $10M Series A as it gets ready to ship its InteractiveStudio workout system to BestBuy stores  —  JAXJOX, the Redmond, Wash.-based fitness technology company, has raised $10 million in a new funding round to help pay for the research and development …

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Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Michael Scherer / Washington Post: