Sorry, Everyone: The iPhone SE is an apology to big-phone haters everywhere

Here at Ars, one of the things we like to focus on in reviews is new technology. There are a few reasons: new stuff draws readers, new stuff is fast and shiny, and new stuff points the way to where technology is headed.

The thing about the iPhone SE is that there’s basically nothing that’s new about it. It’s a four-year-old phone design filled with six-month-old parts, and it’s the rare product that amounts to exactly the sum of its parts. You could almost write a review of it without laying hands on it.

So we’ll spend a little time with the tech inside, but this review is going to focus primarily on the Big Questions: Who should buy this? Why should they buy it? Who shouldn’t buy it? And where does it fit into Apple’s Grand Plan for the iPhone?

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Samsung Pay sees virtual reality, in-app purchases in the future

Samsung is looking to step up its effort in electronic payments and is considering catching up with Apple in rolling out in-app purchases using its Samsung Pay – as well looking at the potential of paying in virtual reality (VR).

The South Korean electronics giant launched Samsung Pay last year, its answer to Apply Pay which allows users to tap their phones on a reader to pay for anything.

Samsung Pay recently launched in the U.S. and Chinaafter a debut in South Korea. Now the company is considering the next steps to build out the product, which could include loyalty schemes and in-app purchases.

"Gift cards I think provide us with a unique way to provide offers, we have in-app, that is on our road map, online commerce, being able to pay online with Samsung Pay is very important," Nathalie Oestmann, head of Samsung Pay Europe, told CNBC in an interview at the Money 2020 conference on Tuesday.

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iPhone SE seen getting off to a ‘lackluster’ start

Apple’s recently released iPhone SE was supposed to be Apple’s saving grace, a mid-year release designed to help keep iPhone sales somewhat afloat ahead of the iPhone 7. Packed with the same advanced features as the iPhone 6s and affordably priced, it was widely assumed that the iPhone SE would get off to a strong start following its debut on store shelves this past Thursday.

Now it’s no secret that Apple, whenever it records impressive sales figures, likes to put out a press release boasting of how consumers simply can’t get enough of the company’s latest and greatest product. But with the iPhone SE, Monday morning came and went and we haven’t heard a peep from Apple about sales or even demand.

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Samsung’s Good Lock alternate UI gets updated w/ a plethora of bug fixes

“24.0.6 Feedback applied. More feedback will be provided soon,” Samsung says to open up the changelog for a substantial update rolling out for its alternate Good Lock UI today. Besides a less-than-perfect translation, the changelog also features a huge list of much-requested bug fixes and additions. Among other changes, this update adds a swipe gesture to delete in the recent apps view, fixes an issue that caused the SD card to stop working, removal of the permanent location prompt, and more…

In case you’re out of the loop, Good Lock basically gives you a completely revamped user interface on your Galaxy device. The app brings a redesigned lock screen, a new notification shade (which very closely resembles stock Android), some new status bar icons, a unique app multitasking screen, and more.

Here’s the complete change log for version 24.0.6, which comes in at 18.71 MB:

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iPhone SE vs Samsung Galaxy S7

What's the difference between the Apple iPhone SE and the Galaxy S7?
In an unusual move, Apple updated its iPhone line mid-cycle this year. It introduced the iPhone SE, a lower-cost and compact alternative to the iPhone 6s that directly replaces the iPhone 5s.

It’s a smaller, more affordable iPhone than the lead models. It may also entice buyers who wouldn’t have considered buying the iPhone 5s because it was ‘old’.

Like any iPhone, the iPhone SE is not a budget phone, though. But then neither is the Samsung Galaxy S7, the latest Android smartphone from Cupertino’s arch rival. Oddly, Samsung hasn’t offered a ‘mini’ version of its Galaxy flagship range since the S5 Mini leaving us to compare Apple’s small, single-handed phone against Samsung’s bigger, two-handed titan.

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HTC Teases Oct. 20 Smartphone Launch

HTC, the embattled Taiwan-based smartphone maker is preparing to launch a new smartphone in October.

HTC posted a "Launch" page to its website, teasing a new One smartphone. The announcement, which will be made as part of a "virtual" event rather than a standard press event, is slated for noon ET on Oct. 20.

Not surprisingly, HTC has kept its plans close to the vest, except to say the handset will run Android Marshmallow. Some recent rumors have suggested the phone will be the 5-inch HTC One A9 with midrange specs. HTC's hint, however, suggests the device—or perhaps another one that's announced in tandem with the A9—will deliver something special.

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iPhone 6s Features '3D Touch'. Here's Why It's Not Just A Gimmick

Apple’s latest iPhones feature a pressure-sensitive display that add another dimension to interacting with a touchscreen.

Following tap, swipe and gestures like pinch, which involve two or more fingers – branded ‘Multi-Touch’ – the iPhone 6s can also respond to the forces applied when pressing against its display. So as well as detecting finger movement in two-dimensions, along the X and Y axes, a device can sense if its screen is being pushed down along the Z-axis.

This ’3D Touch’ technology is being called ‘the next generation of Multi-Touch’.

But 3D Touch isn’t the same as ‘Force Touch’, the pressure-sensitive tech in the Apple Watch and MacBook trackpads. So what is it? How does it work? And why is it important?

What it does

3D Touch basically provides extra input controls. It’s like having two buttons on a mouse: tapping the screen is the equivalent of a left-click, pressing is like right-clicking.

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