Nothing of note happened over the long weekend, which is why there was no update on holiday Monday, but holy smokes was there a big news drop over the last couple days. Let’s dive in.
Microsoft Finally Details Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S
After literally two years of leaks on the device, on Monday full details on the Xbox Series S console were leaked, which led Microsoft to fully announce the console. The following day, the picture was completed on the Xbox Series X, with pricing and release details finally unveiled
The Xbox Series S is a lower cost console, coming in at $380 CAD. This is the same price as the Xbox One S it will replace. The Xbox Series S will have the exact same processor as the Series X, but slightly lower clock speeds. The graphics processor is less powerful than that of the Series X, with the Series S console targeting 1080p and 1440p gaming. The device will come with a 512GB solid state drive, and lacks an optical drive. Microsoft says that this is the smallest Xbox console ever, which would make it smaller than the Xbox One S. This will likely be the better selling of the two consoles.
The Xbox Series X is the higher end console, with the higher end price to match. It will cost $600 CAD, the same price as the Xbox One X it is replacing. The Xbox One X is targeting 4k gaming, has a 1TB solid state drive, and includes a 4k blu-ray drive.
Both consoles are releasing on November 10, with pre-orders opening September 22. Notably, Microsoft is bringing its “Xbox All Access” program to Canada for the first time in partnership with EB Games. This allows you to finance the console for one monthly fee paid over 2 years. This financing gives you the console as well as access to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. After 2 years, you own the console. Pricing in Canada is not confirmed for All Access, but US Pricing is $25/month for an Xbox Series S, and $35/month for an Xbox Series X.
And one last bit of news, Microsoft is partnering with EA to add EA’s own game subscription service EA Play into Game Pass Ultimate at no additional cost. EA Play normally costs $30/year and offers access to about 60 EA games. This is another nice value add for Xbox Game Pass.
Personally, as someone who owns a couple 4k TV’s, the Xbox Series X is the console I want. If someone wanted to slide $600 my way, or give me a job so I can buy one, that’d be great.
https://www.thurrott.com/games/xbox/240600/xbox-series-x-launches-november-10-at-499
Apple Announces Virtual Event for September 15
On Tuesday morning Apple sent out virtual invites to media for a virtual event to take place on September 15th. It is likely that the event will announce a new iPad Air, two new models of the Apple Watch, and the final release of iOS and iPad OS 14, MacOS 11, and the latest versions of WatchOS and tvOS. It is also possible that this year’s iPhone lineup will be unveiled at the event, but that is unclear at this time. There is an outside chance we see the first ARM based Mac computer announced at this event, but that is less likely. Apple will probably want to hold onto that announcement for its own even later in the fall.
Google Releases Android 11
Google has released the final version of Android 11. The Update is now rolling out to Pixel devices, and OEM’s can begin taking it to work on upgrades for their devices. Android 11 offers a lot of smaller new features that should improve the messaging experience, notifications, and media playback. It also upgrades the permissions model, to now even more closely resemble iOS. The other change I will highlight is the power button menu now offers quicker access to Google Pay, and serves as a dashboard for Smart Home controls.
It will likely be some time before most people see Android 11 on their devices. Google’s Pixel line does not have huge market penetration, so not many people will see Android 11 soon. Samsung, the largest Android OEM in North America, will release Android 11 to a number of flagship and midrange devices dating back to the Galaxy S10, but it is likely those updates will not come until late this year and early next year. For example, my Galaxy Note 10+ was upgraded from Android 9 to Android 10 in late January. It is likely the schedule will be similar.
Epic Games Lawsuit Update Roundup
Here is your quick roundup within a roundup.
Google is asking the court not to merge Epic’s lawsuits with it and Apple, claiming they are different lawsuits entirely, and has gone as far to ask the court to throw out Epic’s lawsuit against Google, stating that Android’s ability to sideload applications means that the Epic’s reasons for suing are not credible.
Epic Games is petitioning the court to force Apple to restore Fortnite to the App store until the court case is resolved, claiming that Fortnite has seen a 63% drop in player activity on the platform.
Apple has filed with the court that Epic Games attempt to circumvent Apple’s 30% App Store cut is “Theft. Period.”. Apple is also seeking damaged from Epic Games for their breach of App Store contract.
Several Companies State They Will Stop Selling Components to Huawei on September 15
As part of the United States ongoing targeting of Chinese company Huawei, several non US companies will be forced to stop doing business with Huawei. The United States has amended its trade restrictions on Huawei to state that any product that uses US technology cannot be sold to Huawei, regardless if the company is a US company or not. This is causing companies like Samsung, LG, and others to state they will have to stop selling to Huawei on the date these restrictions take effect.
It is once again worth noting that the current United States administration views Huawei’s networking equipment as a security threat, consistently stating that they believe the Chinese Government has built a so called back door into it. No security researcher has ever found evidence of this, and to this date the only networking equipment that has ever been found to have a back door built into it is from Cisco, a US company.