Mobile Devices, Tablets & Phones News - Page 1

You don't need to have been following along with the Apple rumors too closely to have known that Apple is expected to announce a raft of new iPads as soon as next month. We've been hearing as much for weeks now, and after many false dawns, it now seems that Apple will indeed launch the updated iPad Air and iPad Pro tablets in the first couple of weeks of May. We've heard a variety of things about these new tablets and the arrival of the 12.9-inch iPad Air might actually be the most interesting. Now, a new report appears to suggest that the tablet is going to be even more interesting than we first thought.

The addition of a new 12.9-inch size to the iPad Air lineup is notable because it will give buyers a new option if they want a big tablet but won't or can't buy the iPad Pro. But according to a new report, the larger display won't be the only interesting news, with the type of display that's being used will also raise some eyebrows. If the report is accurate, the 12.9-inch iPad Air will have a mini-LED display.

That would be a first for the lineup and the 11-inch iPad Air is expected to stick to its existing LCD construction. But the new mini-LED design has been reported by Ross Young, a display supply chain analyst who is normally very well connected. He also has an extremely positive history and reputation in terms of this kind of report, so we see little reason why this information would turn out to be incorrect.

After announcing its plans to make it easier for people to watch content via AirPlay in hotel rooms during the WWDC event in June of 2023, Apple has finally started to make good on those plans. Today, the company announced that guests staying at some IHG Hotels & Resorts properties including Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, Candlewood Suites, and InterContinental Hotels & Resorts can use AirPlay like never before,

According to the press release shared via the Apple Newsroom, people can look forward to using AirPlay to privately and security stream content including TV shows, movies, and more. The press release even says that Apple Music and even Apple Arcade games can be sent to the big-screen TV in hotel rooms. On top of that, there will also be support for workouts and meditation via the Apple Fitness+ subscription, too.

The press release says that there are now more than 60IHG properties across North America that support AirPlay as of right now and that more hotels are set to be added to the list in the coming months.

Apple's iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro have been on sale for a few months at this point but we're all already starting to turn our attention to what will come next. Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models as soon as September, which means that we will only have to wait a few short months to see what Apple has been cooking up. But as the leaks continue to arrive, we might not have to wait that long even.

The latest leak comes via the X leaker Maijin Bu in the form of a photo of what appears to be new iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max dummy units. The units are all placed face down but appear to match what we've been told to expect so far in terms of size and dimensions - although it's always difficult to know for sure from this kind of photo.

The new iPhones are all expected to be similar to the ones that shipped last year with a couple of differences. The iPhone 15 Pro's Action button is now expected to come to all of the new iPhones this time out, while there is also an expectation of a new Capture button being added to the mix. Also set to come to all four models, the Capture button is expected to act as a quick way for people to capture photos and videos, although it remains to be seen what its full functionality will be. The button is also expected to be capacitive and flush with the edge of the iPhone, unlike all other buttons.

If you're an iPhone owner in the European Union, there's a new alternative app store now available for download. The AltStore PAL store is a version of the popular AltStore and is now available for download.

AltStore PAL is an open source app that will give developers a way to allow users to download their apps without having to deal with Apple's App Store rules, although there will still be requirements. Apple was forced to allow third-party app marketplaces in the EU following the implementation of the Digital Markets Act in March, and this store is one that people have been waiting on for some time.

The new store is not like the App Store however, with no repository available which means that developers will need to promote their apps via their websites and then link to the relevant app page within AltStore PAL. Developers will also be able to monetize their apps using built-in Patreon support, too.

You don't need to have been following along too closely to know that Apple regularly releases big new software updates for its many different product lineups. The iPhone is at the top of that list of course, with iOS 18 expected to be announced later this year - if it sticks to its usual release schedule we expect that to happen in September. We've been seeing reports of various new features coming to that iOS 18 update, and now we're starting to learn even more, too.

Apple is yet to officially confirm the new iOS 18 update of course, but a new leak suggests that the Notes app in particular will benefit from some new capabilities. According to the report, coming out of AppleInsider, the Notes app is going to get some new features that will take an already popular note-taking app and improve it with a couple of particular features; a new audio note feature, and upgrades to the way Notes deals with math.

According to the report, Apple's Notes app will support audio messages being embedded directly into a note, allowing them to be placed alongside other content including photos and text. AppleInsider gives an example of a student taking a class and adding a recording of the audio alongside their own notes and a photo of the whiteboard. That does sound like a feature that a ton of people will make use of including people in business meetings and beyond.

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models might have only been on sale for a few months and the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro handsets are still months away, but some people are already starting to turn their attention to what comes next and one of those people is Ross Young. Young is a display analyst who has his finger on the pulse of the companies within Apple's supply chain. And according to him, Apple might have something of a surprise in store for the iPhone 17 Plus.

Young was writing in a paywalled post on the X social network, picked up by 9to5Mac when he said that he had heard suggestions that the iPhone 17 Plus will actually have a smaller display than previous Plus models. As a refresher, the iPhone 15 Plus has a 6.7-inch display and all of the rumors have so far suggested that the iPhone 16 Plus will also sport the same 6.7-inch display. But according to Young, things will change when the iPhone 17 Plus rolls into town.

Young says that the iPhone 17 Plus will shrink, although he didn't share specific details on what that will actually mean in terms of measurements. He did note that it will sit between the iPhone 17/iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone 17 Pro Max, so we can expect something between 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches or thereabouts.

Samsung has issued a press release informing Galaxy users that its Galaxy AI feature will be available on older devices.

Samsung Electronics has announced today that One UI 6.1, which includes Galaxy AI features will be coming to even more Galaxy smartphones and tablets. According to the press release Galaxy AI that was recently introduced in Galaxy S24 series will be making its way to the Galaxy S22 series, the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Galaxy Flip4 foldable phones, along with the Galaxy Tab S8 series tablets.

The update will enable more Samsung users to use Galaxy AI features such as: "Circle to Search with Google, Chat Assist, Interpreter, Live Translate, Note Assist, Transcript Assist, Browsing Assist, Generative Edit, Edit Suggestion and AI-Generated Wallpaper." There is currently no word on whether Samsung will roll out these features for the Galaxy S21 series. Furthermore, it appears the only feature that isn't making its way over to the Galaxy S22 series is instant slow motion.

If you're on the lookout for a new Android phone over the next year or so and are the kind of person who finds themselves in situations where cell service might not be as strong as it could be, you might want to consider a phone that has satellite SOS communication features. And according to a new report, there could be two new phones with that characteristic towards the end of this year.

That report comes via leaker Kamila Wojciechowska, writing for Android Authority, and there are a number of details shared as part of the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro relations. One of those details includes the suggestion that Google will add a potentially life-saving feature to the phones. Emergency SOS features are vital and have been proven to save lives in the past, especially among iPhone owners, and the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro seem set to feature a T-Mobile and SpaceX-powered alternative.

The technology will reportedly be part of a special Satellite Gateway app that will allow satellite communications with emergency services via an Emergency SOS feature.

Apple continues to change the way that it works and produces its many different products, with the latest news being that it has started to expand its presence and operations in Vietnam. The move comes as Apple continues to work with its supply chain partners to reduce the company's reliance on China.

According to a press release shared by the company, Apple has announced it will increase spending on suppliers that are based in Vietnam as well as progress an initiative to support clean water for local schools. The company says that it first started to operate in Vietnam more than a decade ago and is currently supporting more than 200,000 jobs across the country. Not all of those people are employed by Apple directly, however, with Apple also including supply chains and iOS app developers in the figure.

9to5Mac notes that Foxconn already produces a number of Apple products in Vietnam including iPads and AirPods, while there is also talk of Mac production moving to the country as well. Foxconn isn't the only Apple supplier with a presence in Vietnam either, with the company's other AirPods suppliers having been told to move production out of China with Vietnam one likely destination.

If you're buying a new flagship smartphone and want to be able to boast the fastest 5G connection around, you probably don't want to rush out to buy an iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Pro. That's the news after the speed test experts at Ookla shared details about the fastest 5G smartphone speeds achieved by users of its speed test service.

According to that report, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro have been bested by none other than its biggest rival, the Samsung Galaxy S24 lineup including the S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra models.

The stats were conducted across February 1 - March 24, 2024, with Ookla saying that the Samsung Galaxy S24 family showed a statistically significant lead for median 5G download speeds in seven out of 15 countries in which the study was conducted. The S24 family managed to record the lowest median 5G multi-server latency in 10 of 15 countries. That's particularly notable when you read that the iPhone 15 family of devices was only able to manage the highest median 5G latency in 10 markets.