Mobile Devices - Page 12

Samsung has just unveiled its new Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 6 smartphones during its Unpacked event, with many of the same features between the new handsets, as well as upgrades to the cameras, displays, and pricing.

The new Galaxy Z Fold 6 smartphone features a 6.3-inch AMOLED cover display at up to 120Hz, while the internal display is a larger 7.6-inch AMOLED panel with up to 120Hz. Samsung's new Galaxy Z Fold 6 handset has a 50-megapixel wide camera, 12-megapixel ultrawide snapper, and 10-megapixel 3x telephoto camera. The new Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a 4-megapixel inner under-display selfie camera, and a better 10-megapixel selfie camera on the cover.

Inside, Samsung is powering both the new Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 smartphones with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, with 12GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage, but the Z Fold 6 has a 1TB model on offer.

Apple is expected to unveil its new line-up of iPhones later this year, and now new reports have teased the Cupertino company may have implemented battery life improvements.

Battery technology has somewhat stagnated in terms of getting more capacity in the same size footprint, and efforts have instead been put toward making efficiency as good as possible. An Apple example of this is the common misconception that fully exiting apps by swiping up in iOS saves device battery. In fact, more battery is being used when an app is closed. Despite this and many other battery efficiency techniques Apple has implemented into its devices, it's slightly behind the competition when it comes to charging speeds.

Reports from ITHome state Apple is pushing toward doubling its charging speeds to 40W with the iPhone 16 line-up. This would be an increase of double compared to the previous generation iPhone 15 line-up. Rumors indicate Apple is looking to also increase battery capacity, with the iPhone 16 Pro Max being equipped with a 4,676 mAh battery, versus the iPhone 15 Pro Max's 4,422 mAh battery.

Last month, Apple held its WWDC event, where it unveiled its highly anticipated iOS 18 update, which it will launch alongside its new line-up of iPhones.

A massive part of iOS 18 is Apple integration with artificial intelligence, or as the Cupertino company is calling their version of AI, Apple Intelligence. This integration will come in the form of many features designed to improve the user experience and make communicating through voice much more natural.

These improvements in software functionality will require some extra oomph under the hood, as Apple outlines on its website that Apple Intelligence will be coming to M1-powered devices and above, along with the iPhone 15 Pro models. Not even the iPhone 15, a device that was only released last year.

Apple is reportedly upgrading the minimum RAM inside the next-generation iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro smartphones so that they can better run OpenAI ChatGPT 4o, which is built-in to run new AI features that fall under the new Apple Intelligence banner.

The new Apple iPhone 16 family of smartphones will have a new A18 processor built on TSMC's new N3E process node, more RAM, camera upgrades, and more. Apple is expecting iPhone users to have more reasons to upgrade this generation because there are RAM upgrades (finally) and upgrades across the board this time around.

In a new report from Ctee, the new trend of increasing memory capacity will help memory manufacturers like Nanya, Winbond, ADATA, TEAMGROUP, and Transcend to enjoy healthier revenues and profits. The entire fleet of iPhone 16 smartphones -- iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max -- will have 8GB of RAM, marking the first time since the iPhone X back in 2017 that Apple has increased RAM across the entire fleet of iPhones.

Apple has internally greenlit a plan to reduce the total number of workers on the assembly line of the iPhone by implementing automation.

According to a new report from The Information, Apple has ordered managers to reduce the headcount of workers on the assembly line for the iPhone, particularly the final assembly lines. Apple reportedly told managers that it wants the final assembly line headcount reduced by as much as 50% over the next few years and that supply chain and automation projects Apple previously ruled out due to high up-front costs have now been greenlit.

This move by Apple has fallen in line with its overall downward trend in the total number of monitored employees at Apple's manufacturing partners, with figures falling from 1.6 million in 2022 to 1.4 million in 2024. Furthermore, the report states these orders have come from Sabih Khan, Apple's senior vice president of operations, along with Peter Thompson, an operations vice president at Apple. At the moment it remains unclear how many jobs will be lost to this automation.

Mobile chips are becoming increasingly powerful for gaming. For example, Ubisoft and Capcom are releasing modern Assassin's Creed and Resident Evil games for the latest Apple iPhones. With the recent launch of Microsoft's new Copilot+ PCs with mobile-like Arm-based Snapdragon chips, you might be interested in knowing how the flagship Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra fares when it comes to PC gaming.

YouTube creator ETA PRIME's latest video offers a deep dive into PC gaming on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. However, as we're talking about an Android device, the games featured and tested are not running natively on the device, nor are they being streamed - they're running via the popular Winlator emulator (modded to support the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3).

Undertale, Far Cry, Bioshock, and Fallout 4 are the titles put to the test, and even though we're talking about older games - it's cool to see the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Bethesda's iconic RPG running on an Android phone.

Apple recently wrapped up its WWDC where it showcased what it has planned for iOS 18, which is expected to release later this year.

Since the presentation, Apple has been under fire from its customers after its announcement about Apple Intelligence, Apple's foray into the emerging technology, seemingly being integrated into every facet of technology, would only be accessible to users that purchased its latest generation iPhone. As for Mac's, Apple made Intelligence available to M1-powered devices and above. However, the only iPhone's compatible with the new technology are the iPhone 15 Pro models, not even the standard iPhone 15.

There are a few reasons for gatekeeping, and Apple customers were quick to accuse the company of gatekeeping Apple Intelligence as a scheme to drive more sales of its soon-to-be-released new generation of products, specifically the iPhone 16 line. Apple said its new AI-powered feature requires a powerful NPU and substantial RAM capacity. The only two iPhones that meet the required specifications are the iPhone 15 Pro models.

Apple may have accidentally given us a peek at what its plans are with the iPhone 16, which is set to be unveiled by the company very soon.

Earlier this week Apple conducted its WWDC keynote where it unveiled iOS 18, a new update to the operating system powering all of the company's products. Before its official unveiling iOS 18 was described internally by Apple as the biggest update the company has ever done, and the rumors certainly lived up to the hype as iOS 18 ushers in fundamental changes and improvements to how iOS functions on Apple's devices.

One aspect of iOS 18 that has caused some conversation online is the subtle change Apple made to the user-interface (UI), specifically the screen right next to the bezels around the edge of the iPhone. When pressing either of the volume buttons the bezels protrude inwards toward the center of the screen, giving a visual indicator to the user a button is being pressed. While this might seem like an extremely small aesthetic change, it has resurfaced a previous rumor about the iPhone 15 Pro.

Apple has just unveiled iOS 18, the largest update to its operating system powering millions of devices around the world and one feature just made them all much more private.

At Apple's WWDC event, the Cupertino company unveiled its highly anticipated iOS 18 update, which is expected to be released alongside the new iPhone 16 later this year. The announcement revealed Apple is rolling out major changes to its operating system that will include the integration of what it calls Apple Intelligence, or its own version of AI, massive improvements to Siri through the AI implementation, user interface overhauls, customization, and new privacy features.

The update is truly massive, and prior to its unveiling was considered by Apple developers as possibly the largest operating system update its ever made. Privacy is a big part of iOS 18 as there is a large number of people concerned about the company's AI scanning all of users private data in return for new features, which is why Apple made it such a point that user privacy is at the forefront of its consideration with the new update.

Google's custom Tensor processor was developed in collaboration with Samsung's silicon division, but now we're hearing Google has teamed with TSMC for its next-gen Tensor G5 processor for the next-generation Pixel 10 smartphones.

In a new report from Android Authority, the site says that Google will have TSMC manufacture its next-gen Tensor G5, which would be the first time Google has moved away from Samsung Foundry for one of its custom processors. Android Authority has some new information regarding the Tensor G5, which you can see in the photo above.

A shipping manifest has listed the Tensor G5 sample chip, something that can be found in publicly available databases. Android Authority breaks this all down, explaining: "First of all, how do we even know this is the chip we think it is? It's simple: "LGA" is the abbreviated codename of the Tensor G5, "Laguna Beach," which has been known for a while now. Similarly, Google used to abbreviate "Whitechapel" (first-generation Tensor) as "WHI" and "Zuma Pro" (Tensor G4) as "ZPR.""

Apple has long been rumored to be working on its first foldable device, but it won't be a phone or a tablet as other companies have brought to the market. Instead, it'll be a foldable laptop. We'd been told to expect that Apple would sell the laptop with a large 20.25-inch foldable display but now a new report suggests that Apple will instead shrink that display to 18.76 inches.

A recent report by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple was working on testing both sizes of display which could have suggested that both would reach the market. However, in a paywalled X post that was picked up by 9to5Mac, display analyst Ross Young says that Apple has ditched the 20.25-inch display plans in favor of one that's smaller at 18.76 inches.

Young has a strong track record of detailing Apple's plans based on information gleaned from within the display supply chain and he believes that Apple has now settled on the smaller 18.76 display or, more likely, a rounded figure of 18.8 inches.

Following its launch in Japan just a few days ago, Apple has today launched its Tap to Pay on iPhone feature in Canada for the very first time. The feature offers small businesses a new, easy way to accept contactless payments via bank cards, mobile wallets, and Apple Pay using nothing more than their iPhones.

The feature is already available in the U.S., Australia, Brazil, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Taiwan, the U.K., and Ukraine and the expansion will surely continue. Apple's press release says that businesses will be able to accept Tap to Pay on iPhone using apps from Adyen, Moneris, Stripe, and Square at launch while Aurus, Chase, Fiserv, and Helcim will all come online in the coming months.

Accepting Tap to Pay on iPhone payments is easy for businesses so long as they have an iPhone XS or newer that has also been updated to the latest version of iOS that it supports. Payments are handled securely using similar technology to that which powers Appl Pay, but other payment methods like contactless cards are also supported.

Apple iPhone owners in Japan may one day be allowed to install third-party app marketplaces if new legislation goes ahead. The move would mimic that of the European Union and the Digital Markets Act. That act means that third-party app stores are now available across 27 member countries and it now appears that Japanese officials may bring similar legislation to their country as well.

A Japan Times report says that the legislation is currently being debated in parliament and that it would apply to Google as well as Apple. The bill has been submitted by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and would force dominant platforms, like those operated by Apple and Google, to allow third-party app markets as well as alternative payment options. The move would also prevent technology companies from giving preferential treatment to their own products, the report explains.

Developers have long argued that Apple's high fees and App Store restrictions inhibit innovation, with those in Japan suggesting that they would be able to reduce the prices they charge customers as a result of third-party App Store alternatives. It remains to be seen whether that is how things would ultimately pan out however, especially if Apple chooses to roll a similar system out to the one that's in use in the EU. There, Apple charges a core technology fee and other fees to reduce the loss of revenue that comes about as a result of apps being sold outside of the App Store.

There have been a ton of new rumors floating around in the last few weeks that suggest the upcoming iOS 18 iPhone software update will be a big one, bringing with it a slew of new AI-powered features. Now, a new report has shared more details about what IOS 18 will have to offer and for once, it isn't something to do with Apple's newfound focus on AI.

AppleInsider has been sharing various tidbits about the expected iOS 18 features of late and now a new report suggests that Apple is planning some new changes to the way the Music app works on iPhones.

The report, which cites unnamed people familiar with Apple's pre-release software, claims that a new audio passthrough feature is coming to Apple Music and QuickTime player. It will only be available on supported hardware and nobody knows what that hardware will be just yet, and details are also unclear as well. The report says that it appears to relate to spatial audio.

Apple has today released an updated version of its popular Shazam music identification app including support for a feature that has been around since the arrival of iOS 16 in September of 2022. The feature, Live Activities, allows apps to put information in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro's Dynamic Island, making it visible at all times and across apps.

The feature can be hugely useful when trying to identify a song running in another app, for example, while it can also just be handy for those times when the action of identification is taking longer and the user needs to access another app in the interim. Whatever the reason, the arrival of Live Activity support is most welcome.

Apple has been steadily improving the Shazam experience since it bought the company in 2018 and it's now baked into the iPhone experience not to mention the iPad and Mac. There is also support for widgets as well as launching the app via Control Center on the iPhone and iPad.

There has been an awful lot of talk about Apple's upcoming iOS 18 software update that will power the iPhone starting later this year and most of it has been about the new AI features that it will bring to the table. But it's also set to bring new emojis as well, and we now have a better idea of which we can start to look forward to making their debut.

The Unicode Consortium has shared details of a handful of new emojis that are set to be available this year, assuming that they gain final approval. If they do, Apple and other companies will start to release the new emojis via software updates this year and it's likely that iOS 18 will include them. However, it's possible that we will have to wait for a later 18.1 or similar release for them to break cover as has been the case in previous years.

The new emojis that have been previewed include a face with bags under its eyes, a fingerprint similar to the Touch ID logo, a leafless tree, a root vegetable, a harp, a shovel, and a splatter of something like ink or paint.

The US Patent and Trademark Office has granted Apple more than fifty new patents and one may be a clue as to what the company is planning on implementing into its long-rumored foldable iPhone.

For quite some time, we have been hearing rumblings about a foldable iPhone, but rumors suggested Apple wasn't quite ready to jump into the emerging market due to limitations in display technology, particularly with the crease that is seen on other foldable devices. Additionally, rumors from supply chain insiders indicate Apple won't be releasing a foldable product until 2027, with the earliest being 2026. By then, engineers should have overcome the display hardware limitation.

Now, Apple is testing its revolutionary foldable panels, and one patent filed with the US trademark office reveals some key details about what could be in Apple's foldable device. The patent describes "self-healing material" that could be used across the entire display or just in the regions of the display that flex. Apple describes the technology as having healing capabilities when the material is dented or flexed. Additionally, this new material can also begin healing when heat, light or electrical current is applied.

Apple and Île-de-France Mobilités have today announced that Parisians can finally add the Navigo card to the Apple Wallet on their iPhone and Apple Watch, allowing them to ride the transit options around the pairs region.

Apple said via a press release that people can buy passes from the Île-de-France Mobilités iOS app or directly from Apple Wallet and then use them to "tap and ride." The announcement also noted that beginning this week, real-time transit information for Apple Maps is now available in pairs to make it easier for people to navigate their way around one of the most famous cities in the world.

Navigo cards can be used to quickly and easily access transit by double-pressing the iPhone's side button just as iPhone owners already do when making Apple Pay payments. Alternatively, those who have Express Mode enabled simply need to hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near a compatible reader without having to first unlock or authenticate the device. What's more, the iPhone will continue to work in this way even when it needs to be charged thanks to a reserve power mode.

Small businesses in Japan now have a new way to accept contactless payments from their customers using contactless cards or Apple Pay as well as other mobile wallets using nothing more than their iPhones. The Tap to Pay iPhone feature can now be used by businesses in Japan just as it can in other parts of the world including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and others.

Apple's press release notes that businesses in Japan can now access payments via three different financial services including Square, Recruit Co, and GMI Financial Gate Co while Ayden support will also come to Tap to Pay on iPhone users within the next few months. It's also to be noted that Tap to Pay on iPhone will also be used in Apple Stores across Japan, too.

Being able to take contactless payments using nothing more than an iPhone can be a huge boost for businesses that need to accept payments away from a shop or other physical location where a traditional point-of-sale system may be used. The system requires an iPhone XS or newer running the latest version of iOS available to it.

Apple is expected to announce as many as four new iPhones this coming fall, with the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max making up the lineup for 2024. We've been hearing various leaks over the last few months that give us an idea of what the new devices will have to offer but there is obviously no confirmation from Apple one way or the other. Now, a new leak appears to have given us more information about what the camera situation will be at the very top of that lineup.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max will be the best iPhone that money can buy later this year thanks to its huge 6.9-inch display, among other things. Now, Weibo leaker OvO Baby Sauce OvO has suggested that buyers can also look forward to a bigger main camera sensor. Both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will also feature a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera for the first time, we're told.

The leaker claims that the main iPhone 16 Pro Max camera will be an advanced version of the 48-megapixel Sony IMX903 sensor while the iPhone 16 Pro will use the same 48-megapixel custom Sony IMX803 sensor that is already used on the iPhone 15 Pro models. That doesn't mean that those who don't want to buy the huge iPhone 16 Pro Max shouldn't look forward to some camera improvements, however.