Samsung Galaxy A52 5G: Is "good" good enough? - Engadget

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Today I learned that card grading companies are drowning in Pokémon cards - The Verge

A report from Vice has opened my eyes to just how big the Pokémon trading card collecting market is getting — apparently to the point where card rating companies have waitlists that range from six to ten months, with one company claiming it’s receiving over 500,000 cards to grade per week. The card graders, who rate trading cards’ conditions to determine how collectable (and therefore valuable) they are, are so swamped that people who want to get their Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh, or sports cards graded are also having to wait in line (or pay out the nose to skip it).

One card rating company apparently needed employees so bad it offered $1,000 starting bonuses — and then bumped them up to $2,500. Another company had to buy two warehouses to store all the cards it was getting in. Apparently, even the the most basic original Pokémon cards can fetch upwards of $40 now in excellent condition, and graded cards can be worth up to 20 times their value in perfect condition.

Of course, we’ve also seen the boom affecting the market in other ways— eBay is adding a feature to its app specifically to scan cards and pre-populate listings with info (though not the card’s condition), making it slightly faster to list them. The Vice report also mentions that plastic card protectors have been completely selling out.

Most of these effects seem linked to older Pokémon cards, as they’re the ones that are scarce — as the author of the Vice article points out, people are looking to see if they’ve got any that escaped the ravages of being childhood playthings after seeing collectors like Logan Paul buying original cards or packs for obscenely high prices.

But it also seems like some of the OG Pokémon shine has started to affect the market for new collectibles with unproven value, too: some Target stores have threatened to call police on people camping outside for new Pokémon card restocks, and the Pokémon card company has rushed to pump out as many new cards as it can.

Maybe the pandemic has awoken people’s inner magpies, turning on an insatiable desire to collect without really considering the value of what we’re buying (just look at NFTs, which feel like peak collectible). Of course, there are also those truly rare Pokémon cards that are quite valuable — but it can’t just be the rare cards hitting these card rating companies with, as one CEO put it, “an avalanche of cardboard.”

Honestly, seeing this news, on top of everything else, has left me with one burning question: where the heck are people getting so much money that they can spend $660K on a Mario cartridge or $300K on a Pokémon card?

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Next week’s Fortnite trial could upend Apple’s App Store model — even if Epic loses - The Verge

In August 2020, mega-publisher Epic Games decided to stop paying what’s dubbed the “Apple tax”: a 30 percent fee on digital purchases made through the iOS App Store. The company added a new feature to its blockbuster game Fortnite, letting users bypass the App Store’s payment system to purchase V-Bucks, Fortnite’s in-game currency. The move violated Apple’s guidelines, and Apple promptly kicked Fortnite off the App Store. Epic sued Apple for antitrust violations, and on Monday, the case will finally go to court.

Epic has a clear grievance against Apple: it’s locked out of the company’s billion-plus iPhone and iPad user base. But US antitrust law focuses on whether a company has hurt consumers by suppressing competition. So over the next three weeks, Apple and Epic will lay out sharply conflicting stories about how a locked-down App Store affects users. Unlike a lot of tech trial arguments, which focus on abstract hypotheticals and metaphors, these are vivid narratives about some of the most central products in our lives — and they play into one of the most important debates in US politics.

In Epic’s telling, Apple is a “uniquely powerful” company that exerts “unique control” over iOS devices. Apple routes all downloads and purchases through the App Store for financial gain, exercising little oversight over the actual quality of apps — contradicting a public commitment to privacy and security. It leverages its power in one market (the overall iOS ecosystem) to dominate another (app distribution and payments). That’s created less competition to deliver better service at cheaper rates, so users get stuck paying more and miss out on innovative new services.

From the other half of the courtroom, Apple claims Epic is threatening what users love about iOS. Creating a single well-vetted app portal produces a “safe, convenient experience” on a device that stores reams of highly personal information, distinguishing the iPhone from competing platforms. Features that limit app distribution were “conscious, reasonable decisions,” Apple says — not attempts to shut down competition. Far from having consumers’ best interests at heart, Epic would simply force Apple to spend money shoring up new privacy and security holes.

Epic is losing out on a significant market with its iOS suspension. Court documents say it earned $700 million over its two years in the App Store, even if PlayStation and Xbox consoles were far bigger moneymakers. Apple plans to argue that iPhone and iPad owners have access to other Fortnite-supporting devices, but Epic counters that most people choose only one platform to play on, so a stymied iOS user won’t necessarily pick up Fortnite elsewhere.

The main impact of the trial, though, won’t be getting one game back on the App Store. A big enough loss for Apple could make the company basically rewrite iOS. “Apple has a lot more at stake here than Epic does, though Apple has the stronger hand,” says Christopher Krohn, adjunct associate marketing professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Krohn notes that early in the case, Epic worried that Apple might cut off its App Store access altogether, threatening Epic’s ubiquitous Unreal Engine. But Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers blocked that move. Meanwhile, in Apple’s worst-case scenario, the bench could decide that Apple can’t require all iOS developers to use the App Store — striking at a fundamental tenet of the platform.

The bench could also conclude that Apple can maintain App Store exclusivity, but it can’t make developers use its in-app purchase system. While that would be less disruptive, it’s still a big deal. In-app purchases — including subscriptions to countless non-gaming services like Spotify — are a huge part of Apple’s business. Apple cut its 30 percent App Store commission to 15 percent for smaller developers, but according to one outside estimate, those developers accounted for a tiny share of its revenue. Losing money from big players would make the App Store a lot less profitable for Apple, and it’s a strong incentive for the company to push back against third-party subscription-based services — which, right now, dominate much of the app ecosystem.

Epic is facing an uphill battle. US antitrust enforcement has languished over the past decade, in part because the consumer harm standard is slippery in a world where so many services are free. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), one of Congress’ biggest proponents of antitrust reform, called private antitrust suits “very hard to win” in a recent interview. “This is not straightforward, but Apple probably has an advantage,” concludes Michael Cusumano, deputy dean of the MIT Sloan School of Management. And whoever wins the case, the loser will almost certainly appeal, which could delay any concrete results from the trial.

That said, the trial is just one part of a larger antitrust push against Apple, and even if the company wins in court, the trial could prove to be a political turning point in the fight to unwind the app store. Over the next three weeks, Apple executives — including CEO Tim Cook — will be grilled for hours on the company’s history and business practices, including the minutiae of how apps are reviewed and how secure the iPhone is. Any unflattering comments, like one deposition’s claim that App Review employees were “bringing a plastic butter knife to a gun fight,” could provide fodder for lawmakers and watchdog agencies. The trial also gives a fresh soapbox to disgruntled iOS developers like Match Group, which sent a witness to Congress last week and is scheduled to testify in the upcoming trial as well.

Epic court documents also raise issues that are tangential to its complaint but pivotal to the larger antitrust debate. That includes Apple’s strategy of vertical integration — a system where it builds incredibly popular devices like the iPhone, then directly competes with the companies making apps and accessories for them.

The European Union has already taken aim at Apple’s App Store practices. Last night, the EU issued antitrust charges over the exact issue that sparked the Epic trial: Apple requiring developers to use its in-app purchasing system. That case is limited specifically to music streaming services like Spotify, but it could expand to ebooks and other digital purchases. “This is not the last case we will have when it comes to the App Store,” warned European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager this morning.

If Epic’s case fails, US lawmakers could use it to argue that the law itself is broken. Klobuchar has singled out the Apple tax as an example of anti-competitive behavior run amok, calling for new standards that would apply not only to tech but the entire corporate world. Compared to a court blowing up the iOS ecosystem, that’s still a win for Apple — but it means Epic’s lawsuit could leave a mark well beyond the verdict.

With reporting by Elizabeth Lopatto

Correction: The trial is before a bench, not a jury. We regret the error.

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Apple Store messed up for many customers attempting pre-orders of iMac and iPad Pro - 9to5Mac

Apple didn’t take down the online store before pre-orders of the new iMac and iPad Pro, but perhaps it should have done. Twitter is full of complaints saying the Apple Store is messed up, something several of us here at 9to5Mac can confirm from first-hand experience.

Would-be buyers are reporting a range of problems …

Some were unable to put products into the shopping cart without multiple attempts.

“With the 11” iPad Pro, it took three tries to add it to my bag.”

“It was a challenge on the Apple TV side as well. Took a bunch of attempts to finally successfully checkout.”

“Same here, but resubmitted same config a minute later and it went through.”

“Kept getting ‘no longer available,’ but after the 3rd click on that button it was added to my cart and I was able to check out.”

Others were able to add things to the bag, but they then disappeared.

“Just tap everything until something adds, if it throws an error, try again, Apple Pay anything that hits the bag before it can disappear, breathe, hydrate, repeat, wonder if the store going down first really was better.”

“Was able to order the Apple TV via the web but had to switch to the iOS app to order the iPad.”

Yet others were able to add products to the cart, but couldn’t check out.

This was a nightmare. Had the 12.9” iPad Pro in my cart at least 20 times before it let me check out. Finally got it to stick but shipping Jun 2-9.

Finally, some successfully checked out, but then found the order wasn’t shown in their account.

Is everyone’s orders showing up on the order page? I check mine, and there’s nothing there but stuff I got delivered previously.

Oh, and miscellaneous glitches.

Apple said my method of delivery was not available but my order for the iPad went through anyway. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

If you’re unsure whether your order has gone through, checking your email tends to be more reliable than looking for it in your orders on Apple’s website.

Was the Apple Store messed up for you when pre-ordering? Please share your own experiences in the comments.

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Crash 4 studio Toys for Bob is officially supporting Warzone development amid layoff claims - Video Games Chronicle

Toys for Bob has announced it is supporting Call of Duty: Warzone development, amid claims of layoffs at the Activision-owned studio.

The Novato, California-based developer, which made 2018’s Spyro Reignited Trilogy and 2020’s Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, tweeted to say it’s “proud to support development for Season 3 of Call of Duty #Warzone, and look forward to more to come”.

“Glad to have you on the project with us!” responded Raven Software, which has worked on Warzone with Modern Warfare studio Infinity Ward since the outset of the battle royale game’s development.

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The announcement comes amid claims from a former contract character designer at Toys for Bob that the studio was recently hit with a round of layoffs.

Nicholas Kole worked on Toy for Bob’s recent Spyro and Crash games during over three year with the company before departing in January 2021, according to his LinkedIn profile.

“It’s the end of an era, but I wish my former coworkers still with TFB all the best with what’s ahead!” he wrote in response to the studio’s Warzone announcement.

“I’m very glad it’s not a totally shuttering”, he also commented, adding: “Everyone I interfaced with and worked along was let go”.

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VGC has contacted Activision requesting comment on the layoff claims and further information about Toys for Bob’s long-term development plans.

Ahead of the launch on Warzone Season 3 last week, Raven discussed how the game’s massive success has impacted developments behind the scenes at the Madison, Wisconsin-based studio.

The free-to-play battle royale game has been a smash hit since its March 2020 launch, attracting six million players in 24 hours, 15 million in three days, 30 million in 10 days, 50 million in one month, 85 million in nine months, and 100 million in 13 months.

To cope with the demands of its ballooning player base, co-developer Raven—which has contributed to every premium Call of Duty game released since 2010—has been on a major recruitment drive over the past year.

Warzone Season 3 guides:

Warzone best loadout | Warzone best sniper loadout | Warzone best Stoner 63 loadout | Warzone best AK-47 loadout | Warzone best Bullfrog loadout | Warzone best FARA 83 loadout

“I can tell you we’ve been hiring like crazy at Raven,” creative director Amos Hodge told VGC in a Warzone interview published last week to coincide with the launch of Season 3.

“We have jobs posted all over the place and we’re looking for new talent. If any of your readers out there are interested… we have more ideas than we can do!

“Warzone was a smash hit success,” he continued. “All the studios are helping on it, but it’s also additional to our normal Call of Duty schedule. We have a normal Call of Duty schedule and this is on top of that, so we’ve had to grow really fast.”

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Roku vs. Google, part 2: YouTube TV app pulled from Roku Store - Ars Technica

Enlarge

Roku warned us on Monday that this could happen. This morning, the company announced that YouTube TV is no longer available on the Roku Channel Store. Google and Roku are squabbling over Roku's carrying agreement, just like you might see in an old-school cable TV carriage dispute. The main point of contention seems to be over the AV1 video codec, a new, more efficient video standard that seems poised to be the new standard going forward.

With the two companies unable to come to an agreement, Roku says the YouTube TV app—an app for a $65-per-month service that delivers 85+ live cable TV channels over the Internet, not the normal YouTube app—has been pulled from the Roku channel store. Existing users will continue to be able to use the YouTube TV app on their Roku devices, but new users won't be able to sign up. Here is Roku's full statement:

We are disappointed that Google has allowed our agreement for the distribution of YouTube TV to expire. Roku has not asked for one dollar of additional financial consideration from Google to renew YouTube TV. ​

​We have only asked Google for four simple commitments. First, not to manipulate consumer search results. Second, not to require access to data not available to anyone else. Third, not to leverage their YouTube monopoly to force Roku to accept hardware requirements that would increase consumer costs. Fourth, not to act in a discriminatory and anticompetitive manner against Roku. ​

​Because our contract has expired, we have removed YouTube TV from our channel store. To continue to provide our users with a great streaming experience, we are taking the extra step to continue to offer existing subscribers access to YouTube TV on the Roku platform unless Google takes actions that require the full removal of the channel. Because of Google's conduct, new subscriptions will not be available going forward until an agreement is reached. ​

​It is well past time for Google to embrace the principles that have made streaming so popular for millions of users by giving consumers control of their streaming experience, by embracing fair competition and by ceasing anticompetitive practices. We believe consumers stand to benefit from Google and Roku reaching a fair agreement that preserves these principles and we remain committed to trying to achieve that goal.

Today, Google published a blog post in response, saying, "Despite our best efforts to come to an agreement in the best interests of our mutual users, Roku terminated our deal in bad faith amidst our negotiation. Unfortunately, Roku has often engaged in this tactic with other streaming providers." Google flatly denied Roku's claims that Google wanted user data and wanted to manipulate search, saying, "To be clear, we have never, as they have alleged, made any requests to access user data or interfere with search results. This claim is baseless and false."

The 411 on AV1

While these negotiations were supposed to be about the $65-per-month cable TV replacement service YouTube TV, Google says Roku "chose to use this as an opportunity to renegotiate a separate deal encompassing the YouTube main app, which does not expire until December."

The statements from Google and Roku seem to dance around the issue of  AV1 video codec support, which an earlier report from Protocol revealed is at the core of this dispute. Roku says that Google was trying to "leverage their YouTube monopoly to force Roku to accept hardware requirements that would increase consumer costs," while Google says that "[o]ur agreements with partners have technical requirements to ensure a high quality experience on YouTube."

Google continues, saying, "Roku requested exceptions that would break the YouTube experience and limit our ability to update YouTube in order to fix issues or add new features. For example, by not supporting open source video codecs, you wouldn’t be able to watch YouTube in 4K HDR or 8K even if you bought a Roku device that supports that resolution." It's not clear why no one can write the letters "AV1" in a blog post, but this statement is definitely about the upcoming video codec.

AV1 is the successor to Google's VP8 and VP9 video codecs, and development has moved from being an in-house Google project to an industry-backed "Alliance for Open Media." AV1's bandwidth-saving potential and royalty-free license have earned it backing from nearly every big video and hardware company, including Google, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Microsoft, Samsung, Intel, Facebook, Arm, Hulu, and a ton of other companies. Like all advanced video codecs, AV1 requires hardware decode support for playback on slower devices like streaming sticks, set-top boxes, and phones, hence all the allusions to "hardware" and "technical" requirements. Google has been pushing manufacturers to pack in these brand-new, more expensive SoCs so that it can roll out AV1 support to a wide audience.

Google is very enthusiastic about AV1. Bandwidth is a major cost of running YouTube, and anything that results in Google sending less data to play a video can save the company tons of cash. Google is so aggressive about switching to AV1 that it created its own video transcoding chip to make the work of re-encoding YouTube's massive video collection over to AV1 easier.

Despite Google's internal zeal for AV1, when it comes to streaming hardware, Roku is actually doing a better job supporting AV1 than Google. The official scoreboard shows that Roku has one AV1-compatible device, the $100 Roku Ultra, while Google sells zero AV1 streaming devices. Google's newest, most expensive dongle, the $50 Chromecast with Google TV, does not have a chip that supports AV1. Google has made AV1 support mandatory for Android TV devices, but again, those are other companies' devices. Google should be leading by example here, but it isn't.

No one has been able to get AV1 working on an inexpensive streaming box, and Roku's $100 Ultra is about the cheapest AV1 streaming box on the market. Roku goes way more down-market than that, though, and it does not seem like the company could offer the Roku Express at the current $29.99 MSRP if it had AV1 support.

While the two companies aren't seeing eye to eye on the AV1 codec, Google says this doesn't have to result in the immediate takedown of YouTube TV. The company says, "Our offer to Roku was simple and still stands: renew the YouTube TV deal under the existing reasonable terms."

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Returnal's First Boss Gameplay - Surviving Bullet Hell - IGN

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Samsung is being sued over defective camera glass on the Galaxy S20 series - XDA Developers

A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Samsung for providing ‘defective’ glass on the camera of its flagship series, the Galaxy S20. According to the law firm Hagens Berman, Samsung has ignored a widespread defect prevalent on the Galaxy S20 series of smartphones where the protective glass on top of the camera module shatters unexpectedly during normal use

Samsung is being accused of fraud, breach of warranty, and violations of several consumer-protection laws. The press note shared by the law firm on its website says that Samsung sold its smartphone range with a defect affecting the rear camera module’s glass that apparently shatters spontaneously, with no external force applied, even when the phone is inside a protective case. The defect is said to be affecting the entire Galaxy S20 series including the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, Galaxy S20 Ultra, Galaxy S20 FE, and all the 5G variants of these phones as well. Notably, this issue has been around ever since the phone series first launched as a certain owner of the Galaxy S20 reported about the issue on Samsung’s community website just four days after it went on sale.

“Samsung sold its Galaxy S20 as a high-end option for consumers, with a ‘professional’ grade camera, charging upwards of $1,600 per device, only to have them suddenly lose a major aspect of their functionality. During a time of social-distancing and increased use of online access, consumers are especially in need of a reliable mobile device, yet Samsung has refused to deliver the reliability it promised its customers,” said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman and attorney for consumers in the class action.

According to consumers, Samsung has refused to cover the issue under warranty and is asking $400 to send the phone back to Samsung to investigate the issue or $100 under purchased Samsung care device insurance to repair the shattered glass. Even after complying with the costs, certain consumers are repeatedly facing the issue, while others have paid hundreds of dollars at third-party repair shops.

The press note cites a post on the Samsung consumer forum by a Samsung Care Ambassador as saying, “This happened to one of our ambassadors. After many complaints about the issue, we found out that it has to do with pressure buildup underneath the glass and not customers banging it against something.” Despite Samsung acknowledging the issue, the company did not resort to a recall and apparently continues to deny customer warranty claims.

The lawsuit sounds like good news for customers affected by the issue. The law firm also offers a form on its website that you can fill out and seek compensation. However, even if the lawsuit goes in the favor of consumers, there is no guarantee that you would receive enough money that can cover the cost of your repairs.

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Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart - Official Gameplay Demo | State of Play - IGN

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Microsoft reveals how Halo Infinite will look on 32:9 super ultrawide monitors and other PC perks - The Verge

Microsoft has something of a history of neglecting PC gaming, but it’s trying to change that in a big way — by promising its flagship Halo Infinite will feel like a native PC game when it arrives later this year. We’ve known for many months that it wouldn’t be the Xbox Series X’s killer app, but Microsoft’s trying to make PC gamers feel like first-class citizens too, with features as forward-looking as support for 32:9 super-ultrawide monitors like the Samsung Odyssey G9 I reviewed late last year.

This morning, we learned the game would support ultrawide monitors, in addition to triple-keybinds, advanced graphics options, and both crossplay and cross-progression between Xbox and Windows PCs. But this evening, the Halo Waypoint blog went way deeper, revealing what Infinite will look like at 32:9 and an array of other PC-gamer-friendly details like being able to adjust your field of view up to 120 degrees — and the ability to host your own LAN multiplayer server!

In my Samsung Odyssey G9 review, I bemoaned how even the games that do support 32:9 typically look abnormally, wildly stretched out on each side, providing over a dozen examples of how they don’t properly adjust the shape and curvature of the window they’re opening into the 3D game world. But Halo Infinite PC development lead Mike Romero says the game’s designed to support arbitrary window sizes, and can fit its HUD, menus, and even in-game cutscenes into the wider aspect ratios.

“There’s dozens of people across the studio that have had to put dedicated effort into supporting something like ultrawide throughout the entirety of the game, and I’m very excited to say I think we’ll have some of the best ultrawide support I’ve ever seen in a game,” boasts Romero.

Looking at these Halo Infinite images at 32:9, it’s not immediately clear to me that Microsoft has solved the 32:9 issue — looking at the hill on the right of this image below, for instance, it seems like the game world still might appear a little bit skewed and warped.

But it is clear that you’ll see a lot more of the game world at once this way, if you’re one of the few who’ve ascended to an ultrawide monitor — and have a PC powerful enough to drive it, of course.

Here’s a short list of all the PC-esque perks Microsoft is promising:

• LAN play, hosting a local multiplayer server on PC that you can join from both PC and Xbox
• Crossplay, restricting ranked matches to input type rather than console vs. PC, with server-side anti-cheat
• Adjustable FOV (up to 120 degrees) on both PC and console
• Mouse and keyboard support on both PC and console
• Triple keyboard and mouse bindings
• Visual quality settings up to ultra presets on PC, with individual settings for texture quality, depth of field, anti-aliasing etc.
• High refresh rate options
• 21:9, 32:9 “and beyond” ultrawide monitor support on PC
• Minimum and maximum framerate settings on PC
• Fixed and dynamic resolution scaling options on PC
• Optional borderless fullscreen on PC
• FPS and ping overlay on PC
• Out-of-game multiplayer invites let you join games through Xbox Live, Discord and Steam

As my colleague Tom Warren notes, there’s still more to learn, like whether the game will support GPU-dependent features on PC like Nvidia’s framerate-enhancing DLSS, ray tracing, and more.

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Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – State of Play | PS5 - GameSpot

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Leaks: May 21 will be the launch day for the new iMac, iPad Pro, and Apple TV - Ars Technica

Enlarge / One of the new products Apple will launch in May: the 2021 Apple TV 4K and its new remote.

Apple

When Apple announced the new iPad Pro, 24-inch iMac, and Apple TV 4K models during its April 20 livestreamed event, the company said those products would launch "in the second half of May" but didn't get more specific beyond that. Now, multiple apparent leaks—including one on Apple's website—have pointed to a more specific date: May 21.

Prolific Apple news leaker Jon Prosser named May 21 as the launch date for some of the products, and UK retailer John Lewis' product page for the new iPad Pro carried copy saying, "Available 21 May 2021," as discovered by MacRumors and other Apple rumor sites.

Adding further fuel to the fire, Apple today published a short post to its Newsroom site—essentially the public-facing company blog—reminding customers that they can pre-order these products starting tomorrow, April 30. That short post didn't say May 21—but some of the metadata on the post did. Apple has since removed the metadata referencing that date.

(That said, the Apple post's metadata also erroneously said the purple iPhone 12 and AirTags are coming on that date, but they ship earlier.)

On their own, we would take each of these leaks with a grain of salt, but the number and uniformity of the leaks make it likely that May 21 is the day.

May 21 is a fairly long time from the initial announcement, but that has become normal from Apple recently. Plus, Apple has for the past couple of years hosted its iPad-centric event in March; this year it happened in late April, pushing the timeline back.

If the May 21 date holds, Apple will be shipping the new iMac, Apple TV, and iPad Pro just a couple of weeks before the beginning of its annual developer conference, which kicks off on June 7. Apple may announce even more products, such as higher-end Apple Silicon Macs, at that event.

Regardless of the final ship date, the new iPad Pro, iMac, and Apple TV 4K will all go up for sale in the Apple Store and from other retailers tomorrow. Pre-orders are likely to begin around 5 am PDT.

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Apple adds a way to speed up searches on the App Store by suggesting words - The Verge

Apple has added a new App Store search suggestions feature in the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK, that might make it easier to find apps. Now, after typing in a search term, the App Store will attempt to predict what you’re looking for and offer suggested words that, when tapped, will further narrow down your search results and speed up your hunt for specific kinds of apps.

Search suggestions actually appeared on some iPhones earlier in April as part of a test, according to MacRumors, but now the feature should be rolling out to all iPhones in the supported regions.

Introducing search suggestions on the App Store!

Select (or deselect) multiple suggestions to refine your search so you can find even more amazing apps and games.

Search suggestions roll out today starting with the USA, Canada, the UK, and Australia. pic.twitter.com/viaZHlCZMb

— App Store (@AppStore) April 29, 2021

Using search suggestions is pretty simple. Let’s say I’m looking for an app to help me make some pizza from scratch: I can type “pizza” in the App Store’s search field and see additional words pop up like “maker,” “game,” “call,” “calculator,” or “order.” Selecting one of those suggestions filters the results further, so choosing calculator will pull up apps for calculating the correct ratio ingredients for pizza dough (surprisingly there’s a lot of those).

Currently, not every search allows you to select multiple suggestions. I was able to refine Apple’s example of “food” with “delivery” and “Indian,” but my other sample searches only gave me one filter each. Not every search brings up a suggested filter, either. We’ve reached out to Apple for clarification on when suggestions appear.

What does consistently show up in search are ads, which Apple originally added to App Store search in 2016. It’s easy to see how my plan to make pizza from scratch could get derailed by a big Uber Eats or Papa John’s ad above my helpful dough calculator app. Ordering delivery is so much easier than doing math.

Those ads are likely to inflame Apple’s App Store critics further — they’ll no doubt argue that an indie developer trying to make it easier to figure out the ratios of water to flour in pizza shouldn’t have to compete with Uber’s ad budget, the same way they think competing apps shouldn’t be buying ads in front of one another’s products while Apple profits from the result. But every change to a search engine has winners and losers, and it’s not yet clear whether this one will make it easier or harder for small developers to get more exposure. They could wind up being helpful for everyone who uses the App Store.

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