Daily Crunch: iPhone 15 Pro Max & iPhone 15 Review

Today’s Daily Crunch for November 9, 2020, covers our assessment of the iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 mini, a settlement reached by Zoom with the FTC, and encouraging news regarding Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine trial.

Key coverage: Examining the largest and smallest models in the iPhone 12 series

TechCrunch’s Editor in Chief, Matthew Panzarino, provided detailed reviews of both the iPhone 12 Pro Max and the iPhone 12 mini earlier today.

His impressions of both devices are positive. He highlights the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s “exceptionally strong camera capabilities,” but notes that its larger size may require two-handed operation for comfortable use. Conversely, he suggests the iPhone 12 mini could be “the most appealing phone within the entire lineup.”

In addition, Matthew evaluated the MagSafe Duo charger, a magnetic dual charger, and found its performance to be less than impressive.

Major technology companies

Zoom resolves FTC concerns regarding ‘misleading’ security statements — The FTC had previously alleged that Zoom engaged in “a range of deceptive and unfair practices,” including exaggerating the strength of its encryption technology.

Adobe completes acquisition of Workfront, a marketing workflow company, for $1.5 billion — This acquisition expands Adobe’s suite of online marketing tools within its Experience Cloud platform.

Beyond Meat stock increases following announcement of collaboration with McDonald’s on McPlant menu items — Despite initial reports suggesting the McPlant was solely developed by McDonald’s, the new plant-based option is the result of a partnership with Beyond Meat.

Startups, investment, and venture funding

Autonomous delivery company Nuro achieves a $5 billion valuation with a new $500 million funding round — Nuro was established in June 2016 by former Google engineers Dave Ferguson and Jiajun Zhu.

MSCHF’s Push Party secures an unusual seed funding round at a $200 million valuation — MSCHF is offering a playful critique of the venture capital landscape, and potentially publications like TechCrunch as well.

Bumble introduces a new feature to prevent users from evading reporting by utilizing the ‘unmatch’ function — This update aims to make it more difficult for individuals engaging in harassment to avoid accountability to Bumble’s safety team.

Insights and analysis from Extra Crunch

Five common mistakes to avoid in UX design research — Jason Buhle explains that, through his work with startups and tech companies, he’s observed that even those who recognize the value of user research often lack the skills to conduct it effectively.

Potential consequences for rapidly growing startups if current market trends reverse — A promising vaccine trial is causing shifts in the valuations of public companies, unicorns, and startups.

Lessons learned about remote work after seven months of implementation — We spoke with Karen Mangia, Vice President of Customer and Market Insights at Salesforce and author of “Working from Home, Making the New Normal Work for You.”

(Please remember: Extra Crunch is our subscription service designed to provide accessible information about startups. You can find subscription details here.)

Other news

Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine demonstrates 90% efficacy in initial Phase 3 clinical trial results — These are preliminary findings from the trial and not the final, confirmed results, but they are nonetheless highly encouraging.

NASA collaborates with SpaceX, Rocket Lab, Blue Origin, and others for testing and research initiatives — While no financial transactions will occur, NASA will allocate significant personnel and resources to support these test launches and technology development.

Original Content podcast: ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ is the compelling historical chess drama we’ve been waiting for — The series manages to make the game of competitive chess surprisingly captivating.

The Daily Crunch is TechCrunch’s compilation of our most significant and impactful stories. To receive this summary in your inbox daily around 3pm Pacific Time, you can subscribe here.