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In addition to our in-depth coverage of the latest Apple news and rumors at MacRumors, Quick Takes is a new column that provides a bite-sized recap of other Apple-related headlines on weekdays.

asus-zenfone-5.jpg
Asus ZenFone 5

The focus this week continues to be on Mobile World Congress, where a number of Apple's competitors unveil new products.

Tuesday, February 27

- Asus debuts iPhone X lookalike ZenFone 5: Taiwan's Asus today unveiled the ZenFone 5, its latest Android smartphone that resembles the iPhone X. Asus isn't shying away from the similarities, as on stage, it said the ZenFone 5's notch is 26 percent smaller than the one on Apple's flagship smartphone. ZenFone 5 also has a 90 percent screen-to-body ratio, versus 86 percent for the iPhone X.

Skip to around the 47:55 mark to watch the ZenFone 5 vs. iPhone X comparison

Commentary: It was only a matter of time before Android smartphones imitated the iPhone X, although not all vendors are following suit. Samsung's new Galaxy S9, for example, still has uniform bezels, and the South Korean company has poked fun at the iPhone X's notch on stage and in an ad last year.

- Apple has added more refurbished Apple Watch Series 3 to its online store: There are currently six Wi-Fi + GPS variations to choose from, but still none with LTE. 38mm models cost $279, and 42mm models cost $309. Each watch is cleaned, inspected, repackaged in a new box with a magnetic charging cable, and protected by a one-year warranty. AppleCare+ is available. Supplies are limited.

apple-watch-series-3-refurbished.jpg

Commentary: Apple's certified refurbished products are virtually indistinguishable from brand new products, so if you are in the market for an Apple Watch Series 3, this is a good opportunity to save 13 to 15 percent off regular prices.

- Sprint and T-Mobile have revealed their 5G rollout plans: The carriers plan to build out 5G networks by the first half of 2019, when the first 5G-capable smartphones are expected to launch. Sprint's 5G-ready cities will include Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., while T-Mobile will first reach customers in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Las Vegas.

Commentary: The race to 5G is on, but it won't really matter until smartphones are released with support for the ultra-fast technology. A recent report claimed future iPhone models may be equipped with 5G modems from Intel, but it doesn't appear that will happen until the second half of 2019 at the earliest.

- Apple granted patent for a dual display device: The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today granted Apple a patent for a dual display device. As noted by Patently Apple, the description says the bottom area could be an OLED display, which could allow for a MacBook with a large digital keyboard and trackpad.

apple-dual-display-patent.jpg

Commentary: Apple patents lots of different inventions, many of which never see the light of day as consumer-facing products. However, it's fun to envision a MacBook with an extended Touch Bar, or a foldable 2-in-1 device that could be used as both as a MacBook or iPad depending on its orientation.

For more Apple news and rumors coverage, visit our Front Page, Mac Blog, and iOS Blog. Also visit our forums to join in the discussion.

Article Link: Quick Takes: iPhone X Clones, 5G Network Race is On, Apple Patents Dual Display Device, and More
 

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
24,084
31,015
Heh.
I've been blabbering about that dual display config since the iPad came out. I hope they actually build the thing.
What happens if you get some dirt in there. Will it scratch the display when it’s closed?
[doublepost=1519768983][/doublepost]Or-
It does have a notch. :)

asus-zenfone-5.jpg
Shameless ripoff that looks worse.
 

fairuz

macrumors 68020
Aug 27, 2017
2,486
2,589
Silicon Valley
5G claims ridiculously fast speeds of up to 5gbit/s, to the point where other things start becoming bottlenecks. It's great, but it seems like a weird ordering of priorities when most data plans would be used up within a few seconds, and most areas still don't get the full 4G speed.
 
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yeah

macrumors 6502a
Jul 12, 2011
974
277
5G claims ridiculously fast speeds of up to 5gbit/s, to the point where other things start becoming bottlenecks. It's great, but it seems like a weird ordering of priorities when most data plans would be used up within a few seconds.

Unlimited data is a great thing to have in this case! :D
 

macduke

macrumors G5
Jun 27, 2007
13,106
19,603
I don't give a crap about speed because it's already plenty fast for a phone, I just hope this improves T-Mobile's signal range and building penetration. Luckily for me I've got a new job above ground again (yay) with a window (double yay) so now my iPhone X battery life is always above 50% every night when I go to bed. But I still sometimes have trouble with signal strength at my house, even with T-Mobile's supplied boosters.
 
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44267547

Cancelled
Jul 12, 2016
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Tempted to grab one of those refurb Series 3 watches but the Series 1 was $100 less a few days back. Dang.

Personally, I would not venture onto Series One at this point. With watchOS 5, it’s hard to say how Series one will react. Even though Apple refurbished Series 3 is not a huge discount, you still get a one year warranty, and it will literally like be new, and it will see support longer.
 

neoelectronaut

Cancelled
Dec 3, 2003
3,417
2,093
Personally, I would not venture onto Series One at this point. With watchOS 5, it’s hard to say how Series one will react. Even though Apple refurbished Series 3 is not a huge discount, you still get a one year warranty, and it will literally like be new, and it will see support longer.

The issue is that I'm not even sure if I'd enjoy using an Apple watch on a day-to-day basis so I'd much rather see a lower cost of entry in case it's not my thing.
 

ericg301

macrumors 68020
Jun 15, 2010
2,258
2,417
Personally, I would not venture onto Series One at this point. With watchOS 5, it’s hard to say how Series one will react. Even though Apple refurbished Series 3 is not a huge discount, you still get a one year warranty, and it will literally like be new, and it will see support longer.

i just pulled the trigger on this to replace my wife's original apple watch.
 

DeepIn2U

macrumors G5
May 30, 2002
12,821
6,876
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
It does have a notch. :)

asus-zenfone-5.jpg

Irragrdeless, Asus just became Apple’s closest competitor friend:

Notch design embrace and funny jab as a challenge for our next iPhone.

A specific dedicated segment of their presentation featuring battery habits, charging and a solution to extend battery life over a year of use.

ZeniMovie - live streaming while using FaceBook AR affects over their face induced emoji.

Yeah Asus just confirmed they’re a loving clone.

Oooh one up: TouchID for navigation of notifications very nicely done.


Edit: what .... 8GB on ZenFone 5Z to ship in June (Qualcomm Snapdragon 845/8GB RAM/256GB Storage) woah!
 
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