Samsung has the best update policy in the Android space today. While a few other companies match its policy of four major Android OS updates and five years of security updates, they only cover their flagship models. The Korean firm, on the other hand, offers the same update support to some mid-range models as well. And if that wasn’t already enough for Samsung to be called the undisputed king of Android updates, it may have just upped its game.
Samsung seems to have upgraded its already impressive update policy
Samsung maintains a list of devices that are eligible for new security updates. It divides all eligible models into three update categories: monthly, quarterly, and bi-annual, with the latter meaning two updates in a year. Flagships and premium mid-range models start at monthly patches before dropping to the less-frequent categories over time. All other devices start at quarterly patches and drop to the bi-annual category after a few years.
Usually, flagship models get monthly updates for up to three years from their launch before dropping to quarterly updates. However, as you can see in the official list here, the Galaxy S20 series is still getting monthly updates. The 2020 flagships completed three years on the market in March 2023. Almost three months into the fourth year, Samsung hasn’t dropped them to the less-frequent security update category.
This suggests that Samsung has further upgraded its already impressive update policy. It appears to be offering monthly security patches to flagship models for four years. The devices may be dropped to quarter updates in the fifth year. We will have to wait one more year to find out, though. That’s because flagship Samsung phones launched before the Galaxy S20 series aren’t eligible for five years of security updates. The company has already stopped pushing new updates to the Galaxy S10 series.
On that note, when Samsung announced five years of security patches for Galaxy devices, it didn’t reveal the frequency of the updates across those five years. The company may have always intended to offer monthly updates for the first four years and quarterly updates in the final year, at least for flagship models.
We are finding it now because the Galaxy S20 series is the oldest flagship to get extended update support. When Samsung offered security updates for a total of four years, it was a 3+1 system. We will let you know if the company releases an official statement on the matter or if it demotes the Galaxy s20 series to quarterly patches in the coming months.
Google has released an update which includes five security fixes including a critical vulnerability in Autofill payments.
Google has released a Chrome update which includes five security fixes. One of these security fixes is for a critical vulnerability in Autofill payments.
Google labels vulnerabilities as critical if they allow an attacker to run arbitrary code on the underlying platform with the user’s privileges in the normal course of browsing.
How to protect yourself
If you’re a Chrome user on Windows, Mac, or Linux, you should update as soon as possible. 114.0.5735.130/.131 for Android will become available on Google Play over the next few days.
The easiest way to update Chrome is to allow it to update automatically, which basically uses the same method as outlined below but does not require your attention. But you can end up lagging behind if you never close the browser or if something goes wrong—such as an extension stopping you from updating the browser.
So, it doesn’t hurt to check now and then. And now would be a good time, given the severity of the vulnerabilities in this batch. My preferred method is to have Chrome open the page chrome://settings/help which you can also find by clicking Settings > About Chrome.
If there is an update available, Chrome will notify you and start downloading it. Then all you have to do is relaunch the browser in order for the update to complete.
Chrome needs a relaunch to apply the update
After the update, your version should be 114.0.5735.133 for Mac and Linux, and 114.0.5735.133/134 for Windows, or later.
The critical vulnerability
The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database lists publicly disclosed computer security flaws. The critical CVE patched in these updates is listed as CVE-2023-3214: Use after free in Autofill payments in Google Chrome prior to 114.0.5735.133 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page.
Google is always very careful about providing information about vulnerabilities, for obvious reasons. Access to bug details and links may be kept restricted until a majority of users are updated with a fix. However, from the vulnerability description we can learn a few things.
The Autofill payments function is to automatically enter payment details in online forms.
Use after free (UAF) is a type of vulnerability that is the result of the incorrect use of dynamic memory during a program’s operation. If, after freeing a memory location, a program does not clear the pointer to that memory, an attacker can use the error to manipulate the program.
Heap corruption occurs when a program modifies the contents of a memory location outside of the memory allocated to the program. The outcome can be relatively benign and cause a memory leak, or it may be fatal and cause a memory fault, usually in the program that causes the corruption.
A remote attack means that this vulnerability could potentially be exploited by tricking the user into visiting a specially crafted website.
Whether all this actually means that vulnerable Chrome versions will spill payments details on such a website remains to be seen, but it’s not the unlikeliest of scenarios.
We don’t just report on vulnerabilities—we identify them, and prioritize action.
Huawei introduced one of the best-looking and feeling book-style foldables earlier this year, the Huawei Mate X3. That phone launched in more markets not long ago, and it’s time to compare it to the best Samsung has to offer. In this article, we’ll compare the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs Huawei Mate X3. Granted, the Fold 5 is right around the corner, as it’s coming next month, but until it does, the Fold 4 is the foldable we’re aiming at.
Both of these phones are book-style foldables, but they’re quite different, in a number of ways. Even their designs are quite different, despite the fact they have similar display sizes. There’s a lot to talk about here. We’ll first list their specs, and will then move to compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. So, let’s get started.
Both of these phones are made out of metal and glass (though the Mate X3 also comes in an eco leather variant), and both are book-style foldables. The thing is, the Huawei Mate X3 does fold flat, and it also has a much less noticeable crease. It even has the same water and dust resistance as the Galaxy Z Fold 4, so it’s not lacking in that regard either. As if all that wasn’t enough, its displays are larger, but the phone is considerably thinner and lighter.
The Huawei Mate X3 weighs 239 or 241 grams, depending on the model you get (eco leather or glass), compared to 263 grams of the Galaxy Z Fold 4. The Fold 4 is 6.3mm thick when unfolded, and 14.2-15.8mm when folded. The Huawei Mate X3, on the other hand, is only 5.3mm thick when folded, and 11.8mm when unfolded. Both phones have thin bezels, while the Huawei Mate X3’s outer display is wider than the Fold 4’s, and thus easier to type on.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 has three cameras on the back, aligned vertically, in the same camera island. The Huawei Mate X3 has a camera oreo on the back, which is centered in the upper portion of the phone. Both phones do include thin bezels, and hinges that allow them to be placed in a number of different angles. Both phones are IPX8 certified for water resistance. The Huawei Mate X3 definitely feels more like a regular phone when folded, due to its thin form factor, weight, and wider display, most of all. It does seem like a more modern product due to a number of factors, but its thin profile, the fact it folds flat, and the fact its crease is much less noticeable, are the main ones.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs Huawei Mate X3: Display
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 includes a 7.6-inch 1812 x 2176 Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. That panel supports a 120Hz refresh rate, and HDR10+ content. It gets up to 1,200 nits of brightness at its peak. The cover display, on the other hand, measures 6.2 inches, and it has a 2316 x 904 resolution. That is also a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel, but not a foldable one. It also offers a 120Hz refresh rate, and it’s protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus+.
The Huawei Mate X3, on the other hand, has a 7.85-inch 2224 x 2496 Foldable OLED main display. That panel offers a 120Hz refresh rate, and it can project up to 1 billion colors. The cover display measures 6.4 inches, and it’s an OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. That display offers a resolution of 2504 x 1080, and it’s protected by the Huawei Kunlun Glass, which has proven to be great on the Mate 50 Pro.
Both phones have excellent displays. They’re vivid, more than sharp enough, and all of them offer a high refresh rate. The viewing angles are also great on all of them, and the blacks are deep. The crease on the Huawei Mate X3’s main display is less noticeable, and you’ll barely feel it under your finger, which is not something we can say for the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s crease. Either way, all of these displays are more than good enough, and offer good touch response.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs Huawei Mate X3: Performance
The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC fuels both of these phones. The thing is, it’s limited to 4G connectivity inside the Huawei Mate X3, as a result of the US restrictions. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 supports 5G connectivity. That phone also has 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage. The Mate X3 offers 12GB of RAM, and either UFS 3.1 or 4.0 flash storage. We’re also not sure if LPDDR5 or 5X RAM is used, Huawei did not disclose that info.
Having said that, both phones perform admirably. They’re very fluid, regardless of what you do on the phones. One could argue that the Mate X3 is even a bit more fluid in day-to-day tasks, with less stutters, but both perform great. The same goes for games, actually. One thing to note is that the Mate X3 does come without Google services, and thus without the Play Store. Huawei’s services and app store are pre-installed, though.
Both phones can handle even the most demanding Android games, without a problem. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is an outstanding processor, even though it’s no longer Qualcomm’s best offering at the moment. It is the company’s second-best chip, though, and there’s really not much to complain about here.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs Huawei Mate X3: Battery
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 includes a 4,400mAh battery, while the Mate X3 has a 4,800mAh battery on the inside. That’s not surprising considering that it has slightly larger displays. What’s the battery life like, though? Well, the battery life on the Fold 4 was not the best at first, in fact it was a bit disappointing. It did improve since launch, quite a bit. The Mate X3 still offers more in that regard, though.
It’s hard to give out exact battery life numbers for either device, as it all depends on your usage. With foldables, it’s even tougher to predict as there are two displays included in the equation. With mixed use, you should be able to have enough battery until the end of the day, on both devices, even with more intense use. Do note that gaming is not thrown into the mix, and it could force you to charge before the end of the day. Getting around 7 hours of screen-on-time with mixed usage is achievable on the Mate X3, while the Fold 4 will provide a bit less than that. As I said, your mileage may vary quite a bit, it all depends on your usage.
Now, when charging is concerned, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is humbled by the Mate X3. The Huawei Mate X3 supports 66W wired, 50W wireless, and 7.5W reverse wireless charging. The Galaxy Z Fold 4, on the other hand, supports 25W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The Mate X3 also comes with a 66W charger in the box, while the Galaxy Z Fold 4 does not include a charger at all.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs Huawei Mate X3: Cameras
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 includes a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (123-degree FoV), and a 10-megapixel telephoto camera (3x optical zoom). The Huawei Mate X3, on the other hand, has a 50-megapixel main unit, a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera, and a 12-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (5x optical zoom).
So, what’s the performance like? Well, during the day, the Huawei Mate X3 does take more natural-looking photos, but the dynamic range is a bit better on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 more often than not. The sharpening is aggressive on the Mate X3, but it never goes beyond what’s necessary. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 can go a bit too far with camera processing. Ultrawide units do a great job of keeping up with the color profile of the main cameras. The Mate X3 does have an advantage here, and the same goes for the telephoto camera.
Both phones do a good job in low light, but they’re not the best out there. The Mate X3 could use slightly better dynamic range in these shots as well. It does handle noise a bit better than the Galaxy Z Fold 4, though. Ultrawide cameras on both phones are a step below the main ones in low light, as expected. The Mate X3’s telephoto camera does a better job in low light, however.
Audio
There is a set of stereo speakers on both devices. Despite the fact the speakers inside the Mate X3 are rather thin, the sound output is really good. They are louder than the Galaxy Z Fold 4 speakers, while the sound quality is good on both. You won’t notice any notable distortion, even at the highest volume settings.
The audio jack is not present on either phone. You will need to use their Type-C ports for wired audio connections. If you prefer to go wireless, do note that Bluetooth 5.2 is supported by both devices.
It’s no secret that Google’s new return-to-office policy hasn’t had the best adoption from its employees who have become accustomed to working from home. However, the company’s recent announcement that it will now track employee badges to monitor office attendance and consider in-person presence in performance evaluations has caused confusion and frustration among Google employees, leading to mixed messaging within the company.
According to CNBC, dissatisfied employees expressed their discontent on Google’s internal site, Memegen, with many stating that the company is treating them like schoolchildren. Furthermore, this move has also raised concerns among employees who have recently relocated to different cities and states after Google approved their requests to work remotely. This is because employees who previously had approval for full remote work may face a reevaluation of their status under the new policy.
In classic fashion, many employees also shared memes to express their frustrations, with one popular meme depicting the head of human resources, Fiona Cicconi, standing in front of a school chalkboard with the caption, “If you cannot attend the office today, your parents should submit an absence request.” Another highly-rated meme reads, “Check my work, not my badge.”
Google’s reasoning for returning to the office
Fiona Cicconi, Chief People Officer, emphasized the importance of physical proximity when announcing the new policy, stating that there is simply no substitute for in-person collaboration.
“Of course, not everyone believes in ‘magical hallway conversations,’ but there’s no question that working together in the same room makes a positive difference,” said Cicconi.
However, in response to the widespread backlash, a Google spokesperson explained that they would only track employee badges in an aggregated form for company reports, and it would not be shared at an individual level. But, Google did mention that it would inform group leaders about employees who have consistently been absent from the office, allowing them to provide support in either returning to the office or exploring alternative flexible work options.
Patch Tuesday of June 2023 is relatively relaxed. No actively exploited zero-days and only six critical vulnerabilities.
It’s that time of the month again: We’re looking at June’s Patch Tuesday roundup. Microsoft has released its monthly update, and compared to previous months, it’s actually not so bad. No actively exploited zero-days and only six critical vulnerabilities.
So, we’ll have the luxury of going over those in some more detail.
The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database lists publicly disclosed computer security flaws. The critical CVEs patched in these updates are:
CVE-2023-29357 (CVSS score: 9.8 out of 10): a Microsoft SharePoint Server Elevation of Privilege (EoP) vulnerability. Successful exploitation could provide an attacker with administrator privileges. For the exploitation, the attacker needs no privileges nor do they require user interaction.
The Microsoft advisory states:
“An attacker who has gained access to spoofed JWT authentication tokens can use them to execute a network attack which bypasses authentication and allows them to gain access to the privileges of an authenticated user.”
JWT is a token based stateless authentication mechanism. Basically, the identity provider generates a JWT that certifies the user identity and the resource server decodes and verifies the authenticity of the token by using secret salt or public key.
CVE-2023-29363 (CVSS score: 9.8 out of 10): a Windows Pragmatic General Multicast (PGM) Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability.
PGM is a reliable and scalable multicast protocol that enables receivers to detect loss, request retransmission of lost data, or notify an application of unrecoverable loss. PGM is a receiver-reliable protocol, which means the receiver is responsible for ensuring all data is received, absolving the sender of reception responsibility. It is mainly used for delivering multicast data such as video streaming or online gaming.
CVE-2023-32014 (CVSS score: 9.8 out of 10): another PGM RCE vulnerability.
CVE-2023-32015 (CVSS score: 9.8 out of 10): another PGM RCE vulnerability.
For all the PGM vulnerabilities, Microsoft points out that: when Windows message queuing service is running in a PGM Server environment, an attacker could send a specially crafted file over the network to achieve remote code execution and attempt to trigger malicious code.
The Windows message queuing service, which is a Windows component, needs to be enabled for a system to be exploitable by this vulnerability. This feature can be added via the Control Panel. You can check to see if there is a service running named Message Queuing and TCP port 1801 is listening on the machine.
CVE-2023-32013 (CVSS score: 6.5 out of 10): a Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service (DoS) vulnerability. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to prepare the target environment to improve exploit reliability.
Hyper-V is Microsoft’s hardware virtualization product. It lets you create and run virtual machines, which are software emulations of a computer system.
CVE-2023-24897 (CVSS score: 7.8 out of 10): a .NET, .NET Framework, and Visual Studio Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability. The word “Remote” refers to the location of the attacker. This type of exploit is sometimes referred to as Arbitrary Code Execution (ACE) because the attack itself is carried out locally.
I’d like to throw one important vulnerability in the mix because we expect to hear more about it, because it is, well, you know, Exchange.
CVE-2023-32031 (CVSS score: 8.8 out of 10): a Microsoft Exchange Server Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability. An attacker could target the server accounts in an arbitrary or remote code execution. As an authenticated user, the attacker could attempt to trigger malicious code in the context of the server’s account through a network call.
This is typically a vulnerability that is used in a chained attack, because the attacker will need access to a vulnerable host in the network to gain the necessary authentication they need to successfully exploit this vulnerability.
Other vendors
Other vendors have synchronized their periodic updates with Microsoft. Here are few major ones that you may find in your environment.
We don’t just report on vulnerabilities—we identify them, and prioritize action.
Samsung has released the June 2023 Android security patch for the Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Z Flip, Galaxy S20 FE, and Galaxy A73. The latest security update is also now widely available for the Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy S22 series, and Galaxy A52 5G.
The June SMR (Security Maintenance Release) for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip is currently available to users in the UK. According to SamMobile, which first reported this update, the new firmware build numbers for the phones are F916BXXU3JWE7 and F700FXXUCJWF1, respectively. These build numbers suggest that the devices are getting more than just the latest security patch. However, we aren’t expecting major new features. Samsung may be pushing some system optimizations for the foldable duo.
As usual, this month’s security update will reach the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip in other markets in the coming days, including the US. The 5G version of the latter has yet to pick up the new SMR but it should join the party soon. The June 2023 security patch contains fixes for more than 60 vulnerabilities. These include 50-odd Android OS issues and 11 Galaxy-specific issues. At least three of those are critical security flaws. The latest update will patch all those flaws on Samsung’s aging foldable smartphones.
Samsung’s June update is available for a few more Galaxy devices
The Galaxy S20 FE and Galaxy A73 are also getting all of these security fixes with the latest update. The rollout for the former is already widespread across Europe. The device is getting the June SMR with the firmware build number G781BXXU6HWE6. The update may contain more than just a bunch of security patches, but we don’t have a changelog ready to confirm that.
The Galaxy A73, meanwhile, is currently getting the June SMR in Malaysia with some camera, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth improvements. The new firmware version for this phone is A736BXXU4CWE4.
Samsung will release the latest security update for these devices in other markets in the coming days. Meanwhile, if you’re using the Galaxy Z Fold 4, a Galaxy S22 model, or the Galaxy A52 5G, the June SMR for your phone is now rolling out more widely.
The latest foldable first received the update in the US. It’s now available to users in the UK and South Korea as well. Likewise, the latest update for the Galaxy S22 series has reached Asia after the initial release in Europe and Latin America. The Galaxy A52 5G is also getting the June SMR in Latin America.
If you are a big fan of retro games, the new Atari 2600 game might sweep you off your feet. Some of you might remember retro games from much simpler times in the tech industry. The block-like graphics, simple controls and what was an immersive gaming experience that shaped the future of the gaming industry as we know it today.
Atari is taking the minds of gamers back to those good ol’ days with their latest product. The company is asking if you remember what it feels like to game on a cartridge, and if you don’t, they are willing to remind you. With this new game entry, Mr. Run and Jump, Atari aims to bring back memories of their glory days for those who remember them.
This new game is meant for all who love indie games and wish to try their hands on some old gaming technology. If you fall into any of these categories, then this article has all the information that you need. But if you are new to the gaming industry and wondering what Atari is, this is also the article for you.
Atari 2600 is welcoming a new Mr. Run and Jump indie game
If you aren’t already aware, Atari was once a big name in the gaming industry (back in the 20th century). Their force in the gaming industry cooled off after going bankrupt in 1984, giving way to other popular names. After being a dormant part of the gaming industry for quite a long time, the company is back with something for its fans.
They are now releasing a new game for their Atari 2600 gaming console. This game is an entry into the indie category and features simple graphics and an easy-to-understand style of play. The brand is trying to remind a select group of users what gaming felt like over three decades ago.
The Atari 2600 is a gaming console that lets users play games from cartridges using a joystick controller. If you can still vividly remember what a cartridge looked like, then you have been around for quite a while. At just $59.99 Atari will sell you its “first cartridge launch for a new Atari title since 1990!”
This game will be played using the Atari 2600 console, reminding players of what the early gaming years felt like. There are also plans to bring this game Mr. Run and Jump to other platforms like PlayStation and the like. The game involves running through various courses and jumping obstacles to get to the end of each level. Atari will stick to a retro look for the cartridges to retail on their official website but might step things up with the version for other consoles.
There is no information on when this game will be available, but it’ll arrive at the company’s website for purchase. There will also be a provision to purchase the Atari 2600 retro gaming console. But you can pre-order this game now to be one of the first to get it once it launches.
The AMD Ryzen 7000 Pro processor just got unveiled, and it has big names to compete within the industry. During the event, this processor came up against the Apple M2 Pro and the Intel i7-1370P processor. AMD did this testing to highlight the performance of their new chip that will soon be making its way to the market anytime soon.
Despite the impressive result of the new Ryzen processor in this test, some experts are not happy. The reason for the cold acceptance of this processor is that it didn’t meet some needs that experts in the industry had. From the tests, it seemed as though AMD pitched their new processor against a less powerful variant of the M2 Pro chip.
This act made the AMD Ryzen 7000 Pro seem very powerful, while it might just be an average processor from the brand. But, in what ways does this new processor from AMD stand out from the Apple M2 Pro chip? And why is this not a determining factor to stand the AMD Ryzen 7000 Pro out from the crowd?
Details on the AMD Ryzen 7000 Pro stand-off against the Apple M2 Pro processor
Just like with other manufacturers, during the AMD Ryzen 7000 Pro’s launch, the company did well to compare it with other processors. The processors used for this comparison are the Apple M2 Pro and the Intel i7-1370P entries from competing brands. Areas like performance and battery life were put to the test during this comparison, and this new processor from AMD beat the competition.
This new processor outshines the Intel processor by running 70% longer and the M2 Pro by running 10% longer. In terms of performance, AMD claims that its new Ryzen processor is faster than the M2 Pro and the Intel i7-1370P on industry benchmarks. Despite all of this, some experts aren’t so happy with the performance of this new AMD Ryzen processor.
From their point of view, the AMD Ryzen 7000 Pro can square up against the 10-core M2 Pro chip. They argue that this new processor will fall back if put to the test with the 12-core M2 Pro chip. Also, because the M2 Pro is awaiting a successor, it’s easy to say that the AMD Ryzen 7000 Pro won’t hold its performance claims.
Experts also call out AMD for using the Ryzen AI block, which, of course, has its benefits but also a few downsides. However, this new processor from AMD has its target market and, in a few months, netizens will see some laptops launched with this processor. Will you want to purchase a laptop that uses this new processor once available?
Google has a longstanding history of making accessibility a priority across its services. The tech giant’s video calling app, Google Meet, in particular received many updates to make the platform more inclusive for users with disabilities. In the latest upgrade, the Google Meet team is now adding several new languages to the service’s closed captioning and translated captions.
Google Meet introduced closed captioning in seven languages
As announced on the Google Workspace blog and reported by AndroidPolice, closed captioning on Google Meet is picking up Indonesian, Polish, Romanian, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese, all of which are in beta. Google has also added French Canadian to the list. But it is currently limited to the web version with “support for mobile coming soon.”
In addition to this, Google also shared that the video calling platform’s closed captioning for other languages. Including Dutch, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Russian, have made it out of beta
Among these updates, the translated captions will be able to translate video calls. With supported languages such as English to Dutch, Indonesian, Turkish and Vietnamese. A feature which is still in beta.
According to Google, the new closed captioning languages will be available to all users. This is regardless of their Google Workspace subscription type. However, the updated translated captions is limited to specific Workspace tiers. This includes Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Starter, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, and the Teaching and Learning Upgrade.
Nevertheless, these updates mean more languages are being added to Google Meet’s closed captioning. In late 2020, the team behind the video-calling platform had already added Spanish, French, German and Portuguese to the app’s live captions. All of these updates are welcome additions to making Google Meet accessible to more users with disabilities.
In recent years, Apple has been expanding its services to be available on more than just iOS devices. It really started with Apple Music, which is available on Android and other platforms. And now Apple TV Plus has joined in on the fun, being available on many different TV platforms as well as Android and Android TV.
It’s one of the cheaper streaming services out there, and now it’s available on most platforms. So is it worth signing up for? Let’s find out in this Everything You Need To Know.
What is Apple TV Plus?
Apple TV Plus is the premium subscription streaming service from Apple. Which, like everyone else, decided they wanted to get into the streaming game too. It’s a completely ad-free platform. Though there are some promotions for content on the platform, at the beginning of each episode. These can be skipped, though I like these as they help me find out what else to watch on the platform.
The name Apple TV Plus is a big confusing in itself. As there is the Apple TV app, and also the Apple TV set-top box that retails for $149. And honestly, they could have come up with a better name for its streaming service.
Apple TV Plus vs Apple TV app
So there are three versions of Apple TV. There’s the Apple TV set-top box, the Apple TV app and then Apple TV Plus. Here’s what each one does:
Apple TV: This is a premium set-top box, starting at $149. It allows you to stream all sorts of things from Amazon Prime Video, Showtime, Netflix, Hulu, YouTube TV and much more. There is currently two models available, one that is in HD and then a 4K model. both of which are also available in 32GB and 64GB sizes.
Apple TV app: Now the Apple TV app that is available on every platform is a free app that is basically a hub for content from various streaming services. Think of it as Google TV, or Fire TV.
Apple TV Plus: This is a subscription service, that has Apple Originals. These are series and films that are produced by and/or for Apple. They do not license any content, yet. Which explains why their service has so few options right now.
How much does it cost?
Apple TV Plus is actually pretty inexpensive. It’s just $4.99 per month, or $49.99 per year in the US. And this can be shared with everyone on your family sharing account at this price. So even though the library is pretty small right now, it is still worth getting. Here’s the pricing in some other countries:
USA: $4.99/month, $49.99/year
Canada: $5.99/month
UK: £4.99/month
Europe: €4.99/month
India: Rs. 99/month
Australia: A$7.99/month
Where is it available?
Apple TV Plus is available in over 100 countries right now. Which is pretty impressive, as it launched in 107 countries, and didn’t expand later on. Here’s the full list.
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Bermuda
Bolivia
Botswana
Brazil
British Virgin Islands
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Estonia
Eswatini
Fiji
Finland
France
The Gambia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea-Bissau
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Malaysia
Malta
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Mongolia
Mozambique
Namibia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Norway
Oman
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
St. Kitts and Nevis
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Thailand
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkmenistan
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
USA
Venezuela
Vietnam
Zimbabwe
How can I sign up?
To sign up for Apple TV Plus, you can simply open the Apple TV app on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Or you can head to this site to sign up. Just tap on the “Start Free Trial” button to get started. It’ll ask you to sign into your Apple account, and if you don’t have one, you’ll need to create one. It’ll of course ask for your credit card information, so it can charge you after the free trial is over with.
Apple TV Plus is available within the Apple TV app across all devices that have the app. At launch, it was only available on iPad, iPhone, Mac and Apple TV. But Apple has since decided to launch it on other platforms. Apple realized, that even though they have a huge market share in the US, they are going to need to make it available to Android users int he US and around the world. So they did just that.
Here’s all of the devices compatible with Apple TV Plus:
What movies and TV shows are available on Apple TV Plus?
Here’s the big question. What content is available on Apple TV Plus? Remember that Apple TV Plus does not license content from other studios – which would put them in a bidding war with the other streaming services, and likely raise prices. So all of the content on Apple TV Plus is commissioned by Apple themselves. And that also means that the content won’t leave Apple TV Plus, unless they give up on the service like they did Ping.
Here are a few of the bigger shows and movies available on Apple TV Plus:
The Morning Show: An unapologetically candid drama that looks at the modern workplace through the lens of the people who help wake America up, pulling back the curtain on early morning TV.
Ted Lasso: An American football coach is hired to manage a British soccer team; what he lacks in knowledge, he makes up for in optimism, determination and biscuits.
Severance: Mark leads a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives; when a mysterious colleague appears outside of work, it begins a journey to discover the truth about their jobs.
Wecrashed: The love story at the centre of the rise and fall of one of the world’s most valuable startups. WeWork grows from a single co-working space into a global brand worth $47 billion in under a decade. Then, in less than a year, its valuation plummets.
Central Park: An animated series with a voice cast that includes Josh Gad and Kristen Bell.
Among many others.
Apple TV Plus launched just ahead of the pandemic in 2020, which forced a lot of studios to close down for many months as the lock down around the world happened. So there wasn’t alot of content on Apple TV Plus for a while. But now, they are releasing quite a bit of content. Including a couple new documentaries every single week. Docuseries like “They Call Me Magic” and “The Long Game: Bigger Than Basketball” are debuting this Friday on Apple TV Plus.
So while the library is still quite small compared to say Netflix or HBO MAX, it is growing, and almost all of the content is very popular. Which shows that Apple is doing the right thing here. Which is providing and investing in content that people actually want to see – unlike Netflix.
Major League Baseball on Apple TV Plus
Earlier this year, Apple announced that it has gained the rights to show some MLB games on Apple TV Plus this year. For the 2022 season, it will be airing MLB games on Friday nights throughout the entire season. These games will be broadcast in US, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and South Korea, with more countries to be added later.
Apple TV Plus is also going to launch a 24/7 channel that will feature MLB news, highlights, game replays, classic games and much more. And there will be on-demand MLB programming available too.
Apple has said that these games are available at no additional cost, which likely means that they will charge more for these sports in the future. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering how expensive sports rights are.
Here’s the schedule for the first half of the 2023 season of Friday Night Baseball.
Apple TV Channels
Channels aren’t actually part of the streaming service, but they are in the Apple TV app. It’s a lot like Google TV. Where you can add your subscriptions and even subscribe through Apple TV – making it easier to pause or cancel services. It lets you consolidate all of your streaming services into a single app – the Apple TV app. It’s really what the Google TV app wishes it was.
However, not all streaming services are compatible with the Apple TV app, here’s the full list:
Acorn TV
A&E Crime Central
Allblk (formerly Urban Movie Channel)
AMC Plus
Apple TV Plus
Arrow Video Channel
Bet Plus
BFIPlayer Classics
Britbox
CBS All Access
Cinemax
CollegeHumor Dropout
Comedy Central Now
CuriosityStream
Epix
Eros Now Select
Hallmark Movies Now
HBO (limited)
History Vault
IFC Films Unlimited
Lifetime Movie Club
Moonbug Kids
MTV Hits
Mubi
NickHits
Noggin
Out TV
Pantaya
Paramount Plus
PBS Living
ScreenPix
Showtime
Shudder
Smithsonian Channel Plus
Starz
Sundance Now
Tastemade
The Great Courses Signature Collection
Topic
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Should I sign up for Apple TV Plus?
It’s probably worth signing up for Apple TV Plus. The amount of great content it already has, and is adding, for just $5 is pretty impressive. And makes it the best value in streaming today. It would be nice for Apple TV Plus to add some licensed content from other studios, but that does help keep the price down, and keeps its subscribers on the platform too.
While the name isn’t great and can be confusing, embedding it within the Apple TV app which iOS users already use for other things, is genius. It means that users can stream Apple TV Plus shows without even really thinking about it. And with it being just $5, many will sign up, stream occasionally and never think about needing to cancel it.
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