We’ve talked about the Pixel 5 hardware inadequacy at length over the past few weeks, as more and more reports made it clear that Google’s top of the line handset this year will be a bit of a disappointment.

Pixel rumors usually turn out to be accurate and a variety of leaks said Google will not use the newest Snapdragon 865 flagship processor from Qualcomm for the Pixel 5 series. The mid-range Snapdragon 765 has been chosen to replace it, a processor that comes with a built-in modem and is more affordable. That means the Pixel 5 won’t match the performance of flagships like the Galaxy S20, OnePlus 8, or any other high-end Android phone released recently. That’s not a problem, some will say, as Google has never engaged in specs wars with its partners/rivals. That’s true to some extent, but the Pixel 5 will be judged against other Android flagships as well as the iPhone 12 series. We’ve already shown you that the Pixel 5 will not be a match for the iPhone 12, iPhone 11, or even the iPhone SE. It will barely match the Pixel 4’s lackluster performance, and that’s definitely not the “upgrade” fans expect.

Some will argue that the Snapdragon 765 is a necessary compromise for the Pixel series, and that it will let Google pass on the savings to consumers. The Pixel 5 could start as low as $699, according to a recent Google survey. But the same amount of money will get you a brand new iPhone 11, iPhone 12, or the OnePlus 8. Google will have to make the case that Pixel 5 is a better proposition than all these phones. And it’ll be so much harder if the newest OnePlus rumor comes true. The more affordable OnePlus Z could be significantly cheaper than the Pixel 5, and even the Pixel 4a, which is expected to start at $349.

The OnePlus Z, also known as OnePlus Nord 5G in some circles, will launch in July, several months before the now-delayed Pixel 4a and Pixel 5. The phone is also expected to rock the same Snapdragon 765 processor that will power the Pixel 5. While Google doesn’t do specs wars, OnePlus has always pushed the envelope in that regard. The OnePlus Z will probably offer a decent amount of RAM and storage. Add to that a better all-screen design than the Pixel 5 and 30W fast charging, which the OnePlus Z is expected to get, and you end up with a great proposition.

The best part about the OnePlus Z will be the price. The phone will definitely cost less than the $699 OnePlus 8, and a new rumor says the price could start as low as $299. If that’s accurate, that handset will be the best value on the market this year. Let’s not forget we’re currently living in the age of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Millions of buyers might not be able to afford phone upgrades this year. Those who do will pay closer attention than ever to the price.

A $299 OnePlus Z would be $50 cheaper than the unreleased Pixel 4a, and $100 less expensive than the iPhone SE.

OnePlus will not confirm the actual price for a few weeks, but Android Central believes the tweet above is a price teaser for the OnePlus Z.

OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei posted an image with the OnePlus One handset the company launched several years ago. He captioned it with an enigmatic “it’s been a while…” remark. That may be a hint that OnePlus is about to launch a “flagship killer” again. That’s a device with killer specs and a killer price. As OnePlus invested in new technologies, its phones got more and more expensive each year. While they’re more affordable than some competitors, they haven’t been true flagship killers in the same sense.

The 16GB OnePlus One cost just $299 when it was released back in 2014, which was a fantastic deal at the time. Unlike the OnePlus Z, the OnePlus One actually rocked the flagship Qualcomm processor that year.

With all that in mind, Google might have a tough time selling a $699 Pixel 5 when pitted against a $299 OnePlus Z. Even if the OnePlus phone ends up costing $100 to $200 more than this guesstimate, it’ll still be a much better deal.

The Pixel 5 will have two major advantages over any OnePlus phones. One concerns the camera performance, which is always a key selling point for Pixel phones. The other is access to immediate Android upgrades. But let’s not forget that OnePlus 8 phones already support the recently released Android 11 beta, so we can expect OnePlus to release the final Android 11 versions for all its new phones soon after the Pixels get it.

These are obviously huge issues for obvious reasons pertaining to health and safety, but they also impact product launches like Apple’s new iPhone 12 series. If a massive second wave of coronavirus infections sweeps certain regions, manufacturing could be delayed. On the other hand, if the economies in Apple’s biggest markets like the US remain closed for several more months, tens of millions of people will remain unemployed. Needless to say, buying a new iPhone will be the last thing on their minds and sales could take a huge hit as a result.

Regardless of when Apple’s new iPhone 12 models are released and how much supply Apple’s partners are able to manufacture in time for the launch, we already know plenty about the phones. Thanks to information from top Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with TF International Securities, we know Apple’s new iPhones will feature the first major hardware redesign in 3 years since the iPhone X was released.

The new iPhone 12 models will have flat metal edges like the iPhone 5 and multi-lens camera arrays around back. There will be two iPhone 12 models with dual-lens cameras as well as two iPhone 12 Pro models with triple-lens cameras that also have a fourth sensor, the LIDAR module from the new iPad Pro. All four new iPhones will have 5G, OLED screens, and slightly smaller notches at the top of the display. Here’s a look at what is believed to be Apple’s finalized iPhone 12 design.

That’s all well and good, and there’s no question that Apple fans will be pleased with the new design. That said, it doesn’t exactly sound like there will be any exciting innovations when it comes to hardware or design. That’s why we can’t stop staring at a new iPhone concept created recently by graphic designer Andrea Copellino — there are several exciting new features to be found but unlike most futuristic phone concepts, this design is well within the scope of reality.

Copellino shared the exciting new design on Behance as well as in the YouTube video embedded at the bottom of this post. The futuristic iPhone concept looks like Apple’s current iPhone lineup from the front, but it loses the notch at the top of the screen. The sides and the back are where all the action is though, and you can see the rear design below.

In addition to a multi-lens camera system and a flash, there is a secondary OLED display that shows notifications and other graphics. A screen like this could also theoretically eliminate the need for a front-facing camera since this smaller display could be used while capturing selfies with the rear cameras.

The video shows off a bunch of different use cases for the rear display, but there’s one more nifty new component of this futuristic iPhone design.

The volume rocker and mute toggle have been replaced by a small capacitive are that can be used to adjust the volume or mute the ringer. How cool is that?! You’ll see all that and more in the video embedded below, and don’t forget to also check out Copellino’s Behance page.

Apple is widely expected to launch four distinct iPhone 12 versions this year, which would be a first for the company.

All iPhone 12 models will support 5G connectivity, and they’ll all feature OLED screens — these are also firsts for Apple. And if recent leaks are correct, some of the four iPhone 12 versions could see significant launch delays. The novel coronavirus is responsible for that, as traveling delays supposedly made it harder for Apple to finish work on the prototypes on time.

Separately, a series of recent leaks showed purported iPhone 12 dummy units made with the leaked CAD designs. One of them indicates that the cheapest iPhone 12 model will be even smaller than the 2020 iPhone SE, which must be great news for iPhone buyers looking for a compact phone. However, the news itself that the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 will be smaller than the 4.7-inch iPhone SE should not surprise anyone familiar with Apple’s iPhone lineup.

When the iPhone X launched in 2017, it was almost the same size as the iPhone 8. But it featured a 5.8-inch display, which is 1.1-inch bigger than the iPhone 8’s 4.7-inch screen. That’s because the iPhone 8 features large, symmetrical top and bottom bezels. Apple reduced the top bezel to a notch for the iPhone X and removed the bottom bezel and the built-in Touch ID home button. That’s why two devices that have relatively the same overall footprint feature different screen sizes.

Size comparison between iPhone 8, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone SE (2nd-generation). Image source: Apple Inc.The 2020 iPhone SE is practically identical to the iPhone 8, as seen in the comparison above. The iPhone 11 Pro, which has the same 5.8-inch display size as the iPhone X, being the direct descendant of that handset, is almost as big as the iPhone 8 and new iPhone SE.

This brings us to EverythingApplePro’s video below, which tells us the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 will be smaller than the SE. The clip features an iPhone 12 mockup that is placed next to the iPhone SE.

Whether the mockup is genuine or not, it should be absolutely clear that the 5.4-inch new iPhone that will feature the same all-screen design that Apple used since 2017 will be smaller than the new iPhone SE. That’s because the 5.4-inch model will have the same design as the original iPhone X, complete with thin bezels and a notch at the top. The overall footprint of an all-screen iPhone featuring a display that measures 5.4 inches diagonally will be slightly smaller than the 5.8-inch iPhone 11, which is about the same size as the iPhone SE.

Those of you who already consider buying a new iPhone 12 this fall should know there won’t be a 5.8-inch iPhone 12 in stores this year. That particular size is going away if recent leaks are accurate. Aside from the 5.4-inch model, Apple will sell two 6.1-inch iPhone 12 versions, one of which is a Pro. The biggest iPhone 12 will have a 6.7-inch display. So if you’re upgrading from the iPhone X, XS, or 11 Pro and want a similarly sized device, you’ll have to choose between the 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch versions.

Microsoft on Wednesday began reversing actions it took earlier this year as the coronavirus pandemic spread and announced it would resume Windows 10 non-security updates.

Those updates, which Microsoft designated as Windows’ C and D updates in a nod to their third- and fourth-week release each month, were halted during May. “We have been evaluating the public health situation, and we understand this is impacting our customers,” Microsoft said in a March 24 message.

Microsoft will resume distribution of these non-security updates next month, the company said, but only to Windows 10 1809 and later, and to Windows Server. The Redmond, Wash. developer cited customer feedback and “the ongoing stabilization of business continuity” as the reasons for the restart.

“We will resume optional releases in July of 2020 … to once again provide you with the ability to test planned non-security fixes targeted for the next month’s Update Tuesday (or ‘B’) release,” wrote Chris Morrissey, part of the servicing and delivery team for Windows, in a June 17 post to a company blog.

Prior to the stoppage, the C and D updates were used to test non-security fixes that  were to be officially released the following month as part of the all-encompassing Patch Tuesday. (That second-Tuesday of the month, dubbed “Update Tuesday” by Microsoft, has long been the day when the firm issues security fixes for product vulnerabilities.) Essentially previews, the C and D updates had always been optional, and were, more than anything else, part of Microsoft’s efforts to shift as much testing as possible onto users’ shoulders.

Name change? Of course

Considering how much Microsoft has rearranged the furniture in the past month, it’s not surprising that Morrissey also ticked off changes to the updates that will go into effect next month when they return.

Rather than letter the updates, Microsoft will acknowledge what they are by switching to “Preview” as a nameplate, as in Cumulative Update Preview when listed in Windows Update.

Such updates will be delivered just once a month, on the third Tuesday (so on the schedule of former “C” updates). That will be different than before: Microsoft rarely filled the C-week slot, instead focusing on the week following for the optional updates.

And the Previews won’t be shown to administrators who rely on WSUS (Windows Server Update Services); the implication is that the beta updates will be offered only to those using Windows Update or its spinoff, Windows Update for Business (WUfB). “This ensures a consistent update management experience across all supported versions of Windows in your environment,” Morrissey said.

Admins who use WSUS can import these previews from the Microsoft Update Catalog if they want to test upcoming non-security fixes.

The changes to the non-security updates distribution and naming are in concert with broad revisions of Office 365 and Windows 10’s servicing over the past several weeks. In April, the company swept out Office 365 and dropped in Microsoft 365 as the brand for numerous subscription plans. And earlier this week, Microsoft revamped the nomenclature for the Windows 10 previews shared with Insider participants.

For years, Windows and Mac users alike have been complaining about Chrome’s RAM usage. Chrome is one of the most egregious memory hogs you can install on your computer, and it can lead to a sluggish experience, especially if your computer is underpowered. This has been an issue for as long as Chrome has existed, especially for Windows, but thanks to Microsoft’s latest software update, a solution is finally in sight.

As spotted by Windows Latest, the Windows 10 May 2020 Update (version 2004) introduces segment heap memory improvements that should reduce the memory usage of Win32 apps, including Chrome. According to Microsoft’s Kim Denny, the change has already had a significant impact on the Edge browser:

With the Windows 10 May 2020 Update, Microsoft Edge has leveraged the Windows segment heap memory improvements now available for Win32 applications to manage memory more efficiently. Early internal testing results of devices on the May 2020 Update are showing a memory usage reduction of up to 27% when browsing with Microsoft Edge. Individual device performance will vary based upon configuration and usage, but the lower memory usage is expected to create a better experience.

Based on a recent commit from a Chrome engineer, it sounds like Google will take advantage of these improvements for its own browser as well on Windows 10 at some point in the future.

“Experiments with per-machine opting-in to the segment heap for chrome.exe suggests that this could save hundreds of MB in the browser and Network Service utility processes, among others, on some machines. Actual results will vary widely, with the greatest savings coming on many-core machines,” said Google’s Bruce Dawson.

Windows 10 version 2004 has plenty of issues that still need to be resolved, including one that has actually broken Chrome for some people, but once Microsoft irons out all the bugs, the May 2020 Update might end up being one of the best yet, especially when Google gets around to implementing whatever changes Microsoft made so that Chrome stops hogging all of our RAM. Unfortunately, there’s no timeframe for that quite yet.