Mobile Devices - Page 19

When Apple releases the iPhone 16 family of devices later this year there could be a new OLED display driver inside, according to a new report. While Apple has yet to confirm the news, it's thought that Novatek has picked up a new order for drivers ahead of the iPhone 16 manufacturing run.

The news, which comes via a paywalled DigiTimes report that was spotted by 9to5Mac, notes that a big increase in Novatek's orders of OLED Display Driver ICs (DDI) has been observed, with Apple being the customer in question.

Novatek is no stranger to Apple's supply chain so this move isn't a particularly surprising one, but it's another indication that Apple is readying the supply chain for its next generation of iPhones. It might also suggest that Apple is keen to diversify production, ensuring that there is less chance for a bottleneck further down the line.

Apple is holding a streamed event on July 7 and it's looking increasingly likely that the company will finally unveil the fabled OLED iPad Pro. We've been hearing rumors about this table for months, and the expected release date for it has continually been pushed back amid concerns about delays. Now, a new report has sought to add some context as to why those delays might have cropped up.

According to a paywalled DigiTimes report, picked up by 9to5Mac, Apple's requirement for a new type of OLED display has continually caused issues for suppliers. The report notes that the new iPad's OLED panels use a hybrid substrate that combines the glass substrate with polyimide materials. It's thought that this combines the advantages of both flexible plastic substrates and rigid glass substrates, all the while eliminating the issues associated with both. Essentially, buyers get the best of both worlds.

Apple is also set to use two-stack tandem technology for these displays, a first for the company. DigiTimes explains that this means that two OLED layers are stacked, as the name suggests, playing a high refractive index charge generation layer (CGL) in between them to connect the two organic light-emitting layers. The upshot? Making these displays is harder than making the other OLED displays Apple has used in the past.

Apple's getting ready to announce iOS 18 to the public in a few weeks, but before that, there's another beta program that needs to come to an end. That beta is for iOS 17.5, and the latest beta release has given us a hint at a new feature that will make it easier for people to send their iPhone to Apple when it needs to be repaired.

Currently, having Apple repair an iPhone requires that people disable the Find My feature for a couple of reasons. One is the fact that it ensures the iPhone is actually owned by the person who is trying to get it worked on. Two, it means that if Apple needs to swap the iPhone out for a new one, Find My is already disabled which means that the process of doing that is relatively simple. But now Apple is reportedly getting ready to make a new change that will remove the need to turn Find My off for good.

That news comes after 9to5Mac reported on evidence found in the iOS 17.5 beta that includes mention of a Repair State mode, with some beta testers already able to enable it. The new mode appears to be one that allows people to enable the feature which allows Apple to do what it needs to do without having the Find My feature disabled entirely.

Spatial video is a pretty cool feature and it's one that iPhone and Apple Vision Pro owners have been enjoying for a little while now. The feature takes videos that have been recorded using stereoscopic cameras to create a 3D effect, and while iPhones can't use that extra information to create a 3D video, the Apple Vision Pro of course can. But you need to capture that content using the headset itself or an iPhone 15 Pro series device. The situation was the same with the Meta Quest headset, too. But things have changed somewhat.

Those things changed thanks to a Meta press release that both sounds amazing and makes little sense at the same time. That press release argues that a new Meta Quest v65 software update brings with it a number of new features, not least the ability to view spatial videos captured via other cameras, not just the iPhone 15 Pro.

The press release says that users can upload videos using the Meta Quest mobile app, enabling them to view content "like never before." The press release then goes on to reiterate the fact that this applies to any iPhone, noting that while playback originally required that content be captured via an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, that's no longer the case. In fact, any iPhone that has iOS 17 or later installed can provide spatial videos for use on the Meta Quest headset.

If you're a user of the Safari web browser from Apple and use Google when searching for websites and other information, you aren't alone. Google is the default option, although it can be changed, so it stands to reason that it's probably the search engine that many users are already making use of without even thinking about it. And that, it seems, is something that's worth a cool $20 billion.

That's how much Google paid Apple in 2022 in order to make sure that it remained the default web browser in Safari. The news came out as part of the release of antitrust court documentation that both Google and Apple had sought to keep out of the public eye. Instead, Bloomberg reports, the figures were made available as part of the Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit against Google. It's alleged that Google holds a monopolistic position in the world of online search and advertising, although Google argues otherwise.

This trial began last fall with Apple execs confirming that Google paid it billions of dollars to remain the default option. However, nobody confirmed just how many billions were involved - although Google did say that it paid Apple 36% of the revenue it earns from search ads. That should perhaps have given us an indication of the kinds of figures that were changing hands.

Apple has confirmed that it intends to hold a streamed, online-only event on May 7 and there have been plenty of rumors about what that event will involve. We've been hearing for months now that Apple intends to announce a slew of new iPads, and that seems most likely. But a new report suggests that there could be something of a tease for what comes next, too.

That report, coming out of The Washington Post, suggests that Apple CEO Tim Cook will offer a hint at new AI features that will be announced later this year. More specifically, they're expected to debut at WWDC on June 10, with the company thought to have some big changes in store for iPhone owners. Those changes look set to be AI-based, although it's still unclear exactly what those new features will be.

The report doesn't suggest that Cook will go into details, simply saying that he will hint at new artificial intelligence features. Apple's iOS 18 and macOS 15 software updates are thought to be the biggest of the bunch this year, both benefiting from Apple's new focus on AI technologies. The company is thought to be in talks with both OpenAI and Google about using their generative AI technologies, but Apple is thought to have its own in-house solution available for some features, too. With the software set to be announced in June, Apple isn't expected to make any of the new updates available to the public until the fall.

Following the implementation of the European Union's Digital Markets Act in March Apple was forced to make some changes to the way the iPhone worked, specifically relating to the App Store. The implications were only for the iPhone at the time, but following news that the EU has now added the iPad to its list of gatekeeper platforms Apple was left with a decision - either make similar changes to the iPad, or appeal the decision.

Apple has chosen to go the former route, and the company has now confirmed that it will be making the same changes that it made to the iPhone in March to the iPad, with the update coming this fall. That would suggest that we can expect iPadOS 18 or a version of that update to be the one that makes the big changes for iPad owners in the EU.

Those changes will mean that EU developers will have the option of distributing their apps outside of the App Store, whether that's via a third-party app marketplace or via their own websites. The iPad will also start to offer third-party web browsers to users while developers will also be able to choose to sign a new contract with Apple that will change the way payments are handled. Apple will not take the same commission from sales that happen outside of the App STore but will instead charge a Core Technology Fee - its way to get paid for the development of iPadOS and infrastructure.

If you woke up this morning and wondered why it was so late, that's probably because your iPhone's alarm didn't go off. Or, to be more precise, it did but didn't make any sound. It's an issue that has started to pop up for more and more people around the globe over the last few days, and it could be happening to you.

The issue, which was first reported by NBC's Today Show, doesn't appear to have a known fix just yet - but the report does suggest that Apple is already aware of the issue and that it's working on fixing whatever it is that's gone awry.

People around the world use their iPhone as an alarm for all manner of things, whether that's to remember to do something or because they need to be woken after a good night's sleep. But there are issues at hand, and they could mean that you miss an appointment or get to work late, and that's far from ideal.

When Apple announced the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus back in September of last year, there were tons of different colors for people to choose from. However, the lack of a (PRODUCT)RED version was a surprise, especially given the fact the (PRODUCT)RED version of previous iPhones had proven so popular among customers. There was a suggestion at the time that perhaps Apple was holding the (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 15 back for a mid-season refresh, and that's something that's popped up once again.

That's after (RED)'s X social network account posted a photo of a (PRODUCT)RED iPhone atop some donuts. The caption simply suggested that people should have an Apple before their donuts, but it's as-yet unclear what the iPhone in question actually is. It's possible that it's just an old iPhone 14 of course, but that would be a surprise given the fact that the device is no longer the latest and greatest that Apple has to offer.

With that in mind, this could actually be an iPhone 15 although there's one possible complication here. The iPhone 15 has a color-infused back glass which is matte and has a very distinctive look. This iPhone, shown in the X post embedded above, doesn't appear to have that feature which does make us think this isn't an iPhone 15 after all.

There has been a lot of talk about the upcoming iOS 18 software update for the iPhone of late, much of it revolving around an expectation that Apple is going to bring some new AI capabilities to bear. While we haven't yet had confirmation as to what those new features will be, there's a lot of excitement about what they could offer iPhone users around the globe. However, not all of the new iOS 18 upgrades will be related to AI, and some of them will be good old-fashioned feature improvements. And a new report suggests that there will be improvements to the way people manage tasks and their time on their devices.

According to a new AppleInsider report, Apple plans to make changes to the Calendar app in iOS 18 and macOS 15 software updates to allow people to add reminders via that app for the first time. Currently, reminders must be added via the dedicated Reminders app, but that now looks set to change.

Citing unnamed sources who are reportedly familiar with the iOS 18 and macOS 15 software updates in their current pre-beta state, AppleInsider says that people will be able to right-click on a date in the Calendar app and then choose to create a new Reminder for that day. Creating a new reminder via this method will offer people the chance to choose a title, add a note, or assign a tag as a way of making it easier to find again at a later date.

The AYANEO Pocket S has launched. It's a new flagship Android gaming handheld that is slim, sleek, and powered by the Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 gaming platform. The physical design and form factor are more smartphone than PC gaming handheld, with the AYANEO Pocket S sporting a thin 14mm body with a lightweight 350-gram build.

It's a low-power device, too, with its long-lasting 6000mAh battery powering the Snapdragon G3x Gen 2's efficient 15W gaming performance. Although thin, there is an active cooling system here, which makes sense when the GPU is clocked at 1 GHz and the 8-core Kryo CPU reaches up to 3.36GHz.

Throw in 16GB of memory and 1TB of storage, and it's an impressive unit. AYANEO claims that it outperforms pretty much any Android gaming handheld or gaming phone. The AYANEO Pocket S is available in two flavors: one with a 6-inch 1440p screen that will begin shipping in May 2024 and a 1080p edition that will ship at the end of June 2024.

There have long been strong rumors that Apple is working towards bringing some big new AI features to the iPhone and Mac via the iOS 18 and macOS 15 software updates, respectively. Now, a new report has detailed how the company has been going about setting itself up to make that happen.

According to a paywalled Financial Times report, picked up by MacRumors, Apple has shared dozens of AI engineers from Google and then set them up in a new lab in Zurich, Switzerland. The report claims that at least 36 engineers have made the switch from Google to Apple including John Giannandrea. He moved from Google to Apple in 2018 and was installed as its AI executive, while many others have followed suit since then.

The report claims that those working in the lab have been looking into the technology that powers OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot and other similar offerings that use Large Language Models to perform tasks. Apple is expected to use these learnings as part of the iOS 18 rollout that will handle some AI-based tasks on-device, increasing performance and privacy.

Apple is expected to announce the new iOS 18 software update for the iPhone during WWDC in June, and now a new report has detailed some of the features that we can expect that software update to bring to the table including AI-based browsing options.

The new 18 software has long been rumored to have big new AI-powered features in the works, but details on what those features would be have so far been difficult to come by. Now, AppleInsider has detailed the features that iPhone owners can expect to use when the new software arrives, including an AI-enhanced browsing and test summarization feature.

Dubbed Intelligent Search, the new feature will apparently live within Safari's address bar and will use Apple's on-device Ajax machine learning model to identify the topics and key phrases within a web page to then summarize the information for users. It's suggested that Apple intends to give users a way to visit a webpage and then have the information distilled into a shorter, more easily digested chunk of information. However, the feature isn't currently enabled by default according to unnamed engineers evaluating the latest builds of Safari 18.

If you woke up this morning and found that you were late for school or work, or missed that important appointment that you had planned, you aren't alone. It seems that a bug has prevented some people's iPhone alarms from making any sound, and people have been taking to social media to complain ever since.

The issue seems to have started affecting some people a few days ago, and although it isn't impacting everyone who sets an iPhone alarm, it definitely seems to be enough of an issue for Apple to act soon - an NBC report notes that Apple is already aware of an issue causing some iPhone alarms not to play a sound when required and that it's already working on a fix.

Unfortunately, Apple hasn't yet said what the issue is or when the fix will be rolled out, so we also don't know whether there is a workaround that people can use in the interim. The result is that people who would normally rely on their iPhone's alarm to make sure they get up in the morning might want to consider taking another route for the foreseeable future.

Apple is strongly expected to announce the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro families of devices at an event likely to take place this coming September, and we're hearing more and more about the unconfirmed devices as time rolls on and that launch gets closer. We heard recently that it was possible Apple could bring the iPhone 15's color-infused back glass to the iPhone 16 Pro, and now a new report has said that the finish will come to the iPhone 16.

While it isn't yet clear whether this report leaves the iPhone 16 Pro out of the equation because it isn't expected to get the same finish, or if it is just a case of the leaker believing they covered all bases by iPhone 16, time will no doubt tell. However, it does look increasingly likely that at least one of the new models will take the same finish as last year's non-Pro models.

This latest report comes via Weibo-based leaker 'Fixed focus digital' in a post picked up by MacRumors. According to the report the leaker claims to have seen an iPhone 16 color scheme, adding that the same process used on the iPhone 15 will also be used for the back glass of the new models. It's already been suggested that new colors will be added to the mix this year, with a potential for seven colors being offered to iPhone 16 buyers.

Over the last few months, there have been almost never-ending rumors that Apple is getting ready to launch an all-new OLED iPad Pro with both 11-inch and 12.9-inch screen sizes expected. We'd been told to expect the tablets to upgrade the current M2 chips to the latest M3 silicon, as would make the most sense. But a report over the weekend suggested that Apple had chosen to skip the M3 entirely and usher in a new wave of chips with the arrival of the new 2024 iPad Pro.

That was according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman with the chip in question being the unconfirmed M4. We already knew that Apple was working on Macs that would use the M4 series of chips and that it intended to launch them towards the end of this year and the beginning of next. But now it appears that Apple could give the new chip to the iPad Pro first.

Following Gurman's claims 9to5Mac now reports that code found in the iPadOS 17.5 beta suggests that the M4 chip might actually be used despite reservations among those following along with Gurman's report. The code was found to reference new display firmware for the OLED iPad Pros, as expected, but it's the model identifiers that are most notable; iPad16,3, iPad16,4, iPad16,5, and iPad16,6.

Apple has been a bit quiet when it comes to its AI hardware and software offerings, but a next-generation M4 processor inside of a next-gen iPad Pro with AI capabilities will fix that.

In a new post on Bloomberg, Mark Gurman, reiterates that he talked about Apple bringing upgrades to its processors in the form of the M4 chip later this year, with some new iMacs, MacBook Pros and Mac minis. But the "big change" for the M4 chip is a new neural engine that will "pave the way" for fresh AI capabilities.

Gurman says there is a "strong possibility" that the new chip in the new iPad Pro will be the M4, and not the M3, and that he believed Apple will position the new iPad Pro as its "first truly AI-powered device" and that is will "tout each new product from then on as an AI device".

Apple is set to hold a streamed event on May 7 and while it hasn't yet confirmed what that event will be about, the rumors heavily point to some sort of new iPad unveiling. We've been expecting updated iPad Air and new OLED iPad Pro lineups for months now, and now a new report suggests that we can expect something big in the way of accessories as well.

There have been hints that a new Apple Pencil is on the way with Apple CEO Tim Cook saying that people should pencil the date in on the X social network. Now, a new report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, writing in the weekly Power On newsletter, has added further fuel to the fire by saying that the new Apple Pencil will have something no Apple Pencil has been able to boast to date - haptic feedback support.

Gurman didn't offer much in the way of details but he did say that the stylus would have feedback for the first time. It isn't yet clear what that will look like in terms of new features, but it's possible that the vibration motor could be used to simulate the experience of writing on a piece of paper rather than a glossy piece of glass.

Apple is expected to announce the iOS 18 iPhone software update in June with the annual WWDC event normally the place when new updates are previewed to the world. We've been hearing various things about what that update will offer for months now, and it's believed that there will be a big focus on new AI features. However, there's an expectation that there will be some updates to apps that people use every day as well, and it's those apps that could be the biggest improvement for people who use iPhones on the daily.

Now, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, writing in the paywalled version of the Power On newsletter, has shared details about what he expects from the new iOS 18 software update. He was asked by one reader what would be new in iOS 18 beyond the heavily rumored AI focus, and Gurman said that he believes there will be improvements to a number of Apple's core iPhone apps.

According to Gurman, we can expect that Apple will overhaul the Photos, Mail, Notes, and Fitness apps this year which means that some of the apps people use the most will benefit from whatever Apple has in mind. It's possible that the AI focus could bring new features to those apps as well, with Apple previously rumored to have plans for a new Notes feature that ties in with the calculator app as well.

With Apple set to stream an announcement event on May 7, many are expecting that the company will announce not one, or even two, but four new iPads. Two of those will sport OLED displays for the first time, and a new report says that we should expect some of the best displays in the business when they arrive.

The iPad Pro has long been tipped to be getting new OLED displays this year, and that's now expected to happen next week. The switch to OLED has the potential to bring improved colors and contrast to the best iPads, and a new report by the display supply chain watches at DSCC says that we can expect the displays to be particularly impressive. In fact, the report says that the new iPad Pros will feature the best OLED tablet panels available on the market, including support for a 120Hz refresh rate.

The report goes on to say that the displays will use a tandem stack and glass construction which will result in ultra-thin and light displays with a high brightness rating. Despite that, the new displays will reportedly offer extended battery life for those who use their new tablets heavily. The display will also last for a long lifetime, we're told.