This week's headlines: 21st October 2018

Hello and welcome to another edition of This Week’s Headlines, where we take a quick look at some of the biggest technology news stories of the past week. This week: we recap what to expect at Apple’s October event, look at specs for the OnePlus 6T and RED Hydrogen One and see Huawei’s answer to the Micro SD card. Let’s get started!

Apple confirm iPad Pro & Mac event for late October

Fresh off their release of the iPhone Xs, Xs Max and XR, Apple has more new products waiting in the wings. The company invited the press to an event in New York, which is scheduled for October 30th. There, Apple is expected to announce newly redesigned iPad Pro models and a range of new Mac computers. The event was teased with the tagline ‘there’s more in the making’ and a number of different illustrations of the Apple logo. The biggest release may be a successor to the seemingly forgotten MacBook Air, which is expected to include a modern slim-bezel design and a high-resolution Retina display on par with the company’s MBP line. A new iPad Pro design that mimics the appearance of the iPhone X, with slim bezels and Face ID, is also expected to be announced at the event. Finally, a new Mac Mini computer should arrive as well. Apple always manages to hide a few surprises in their non-iPhone events, so we could see a new Mac Pro or another new product announcement too. The Apple event begins on October 30th in the late afternoon or early evening UK time, so stay tuned!

Image credit: Apple via The Verge

Apple could ditch Intel for its Macs by 2020

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo announced this week that Apple is potentially only two years away from making its own chips for its Mac computers and thereby ditching long-time partner Intel. The potential move was initially revealed by Bloomberg earlier this year and is reportedly due to Apple’s frustration with Intel’s glacial development of new desktop and laptop processors. Intel has struggled to produce chips using smaller than 14nm processes, while its rivals are creating chips on a 7nm process which offer better performance while using less power. Apple should collaborate with TSMC, the company that current makes its A-series iPhone chips, in order to make these new processors for its MacBooks.

Image credit: Apple via The Verge

OnePlus 6T specs and features leaked ahead of November release

OnePlus are due to unveil their latest handset, the OnePlus 6T, in an event on October 30th. However, the phone’s design and features have leaked a few times in the past few weeks, and a few days ago we got word of their phone’s specifications as well. The OnePlus 6T is expected to boast a more modern design than the OnePlus 6, with a droplet-shaped notch at the top of the screen, an in-screen fingerprint reader and no 3.5mm headphone jack. In terms of specs, we’re looking at a 2018-flagship-standard Snapdragon 845 processor, backed with 6GB of RAM and a choice of 128GB or 256GB of storage. A higher-tier version with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage will also be offered for a higher price. The OnePlus 6T will go on sale a week after it is announced, with shipments slated to begin on November 6th.

Image credit: The Verge

Bought unseen, specs finally revealed for RED Hydrogen One

The Hydrogen One, the $1200 smartphone made by camera company RED that was announced last year and ships this week, has finally had its specifications revealed - and they’re pretty impressive, as you would hope. There’s a 4500mAh battery, a Snapdragon 835 processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and a unique 5.7-inch ‘4V’ holographic display running at 2560 x 1440. The aluminium or titanium phone comes with dual 8.3-megapixel cameras on the front, dual 12.3-megapixel shooters on the back and pogo pins for connecting add-ons (presumably including RED’s own high-end cameras). For buyers that took a chance on the phone without knowing its specifications before plunking down $1200, at least it looks reasonably high-end! Now we’ll have to wait for the first reviews to see if the phone’s imaging and holographic display live up to its own lofty promises.

Image credit: UberGizmo via The Verge

Essential fires 30 per cent of their staff, new phone in jeopardy

Essential, still struggling from the low sales of its first PH-1 smartphone released last year, has now announced it has fired 30 per cent of its workforce. The layoffs, which account for approximately 36 people, occurred mainly in the hardware and sales divisions according to Bloomberg. The company is thought to be working on a ‘revolutionary’ AI-powered smartphone and continues to support its first phone with very rapid Android updates, but it’s not clear whether it will be able to continue for much longer without a fresh capital injection or acquisition by a more financially stable company.

Image credit: Android Police

Huawei unveil Nano Memory Cards alongside Mate 20, Mate 20 Pro, Mate 20 X

Huawei announced three new smartphones at its London event this week: the Mate 20, Mate 20 Pro and Mate 20 X. All three seem like competitive high-end smartphones, with modern designs, strong cameras and excellent internals. More interestingly, the company also announced a competitor to the long-established Micro SD card, called the Nano Memory Card. Huawei says that its NM cards are the same size and shape as a Nano SIM card, which is 45 per cent smaller than a Micro SD card. Thus far, only one model has been announced, which will come with a 256GB capacity and sequential read speeds of 90 MB/s, on par with an average Micro SD card. By using the same physical form factor as a Nano SIM card, Huawei are able to offer the choice of dual-SIM or extra storage in the same slot - nice one.

Image credit: The Verge

That’s all the technology news that we have for this week! Thanks for checking out the article and feel free to share your feedback with me on Twitter @wsjudd. Thanks again and we’ll see you on the next one!