Mobile Devices - Page 20

Razer's press releases are always fun because they use over-the-top language. For the new Razer Kishi Ultra, the company's latest and greatest USB-C gaming controller for Android and iPhone, Razer claims it will usher in a new era for mobile gaming to unlock 'the God-Tier.'

Of course, this is marketing speak, but look at the new flagship Razer Kishi Ultra; you'll be impressed by its specs, features, and build quality. Firstly, unlike the baseline Kishi or a Backbone controller, this is a full-sized gaming controller cut in half that you connect to either side of your smartphone or iPad Mini.

This is a clear distinction, as you're looking at the equivalent of a premium or pro-grade controller for Xbox or PlayStation. This means Razer has included excellent features like Hall Effect triggers, full-sized thumbsticks, programmable buttons, 3.5mm audio, 15W passthrough charging, Razer Chroma RGB, and Razer Sensa HD Haptics.

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.

Apple's iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models have now been on sale since September of 2023 and a new report suggests that they might not be selling all that well, especially compared to the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro that came before them. According to that report, Apple has lost almost 10% of its global smartphone market share with some surprising companies picking up the slack.

That report comes via the analysts at IDC whose figures say that while global smartphone shipments increased 7.8% year over year to 289.4 million units in the first quarter of 2024, Apple's iPhones weren't to thank for the boost. In fact, the iPhone went from a 20.7% market share in the first quarter of 2024 to just 17.3% this year, a fall that equates to a reduction in shipments of more than five million iPhones.

Samsung now sits at the very top of the smartphone market in terms of mart share, but it's actually Xiaomi and Transsion that benefited from Apple's fall from grace the most. Xiaomi saw its market share increase from 11.4% to 14.1% while Transsion's figures are even more impressive - up to 9,9% from just 5.7% a year ago.

Apple has long been rumored to have plans to preview a big new iOS 18 software upgrade during the WWDC on June 10, with many reports claiming that there will be a new AI focus for the iPhone update. What that will look like in terms of features and capabilities still isn't clear, but a new report now suggests that whatever Apple's software does, it won't use cloud servers to do it.

That's according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, writing via the paywalled version of his weekly Power On newsletter that was then reported on by MacRumors. According to Gurman, the first wave of new features will be limited to on-device processing rather than using server-side compute as is often the case. That's how generative AI apps like ChatGPT work, for example, but Gurman says that there will be no cloud server component for Appl'es fledgling large language model.

Apple had been rumored to be in discussion with OpenAI and Google about integrating their own services into iOS 18, but it now appears that such a feature will miss the iOS 18 release window. It isn't clear whether the integrations will still come further down the line, however.

Apple is expected to announce a raft of new iPhones later this year and a new report has shed further light on its plans for the very top of the lineup. According to the report, buyers of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max can look forward to a camera upgrade, but it won't be all about increasing megapixels or improving zoom capabilities.

Instead, we're told, the upgrade will be designed to fix an issue that iPhones have had for years and one that has been a problem for photographers both professional and amateur. The issue, lens flare, is caused by light hitting the lens and creating an effect that can sometimes appear to be a light orb floating throughout photos and videos. But now it's thought that Apple's best phones of 2024 will finally fix that problem.

MacRumors, reporting on a leak by a user on the Naver blog, says that Apple's supply chain believes that it will make use of new atomic layer deposition (ALD) equipment when creating the cameras that will be used in the new high-end iPhones. ALD is designed to make it easier for companies to add super-thin layers of material to semiconductor devices, including camera components.

Apple may give iPhone buyers much more choice when it comes to picking the color of their new device, according to a recent rumor.

A leak posted on the Chinese site Weibo and reported by 9to5Mac claims the new iPhone 16 Plus will arrive in seven different colors, with new shades being offered to consumers. Notably, the iPhone 15 Plus is available in pink, yellow, green, blue, and black shades, and the leak claims Apple will offer two new colors this year - white and purple.

It should be noted that the leaker doesn't have a healthy track record with being right about the internal workings at Apple, and Apple has never previously offered so many color options, which means to take this news with a healthy amount of skepticism. The leak only mentions the iPhone 16 Plus model, and if there is any truth to it, Apple would likely follow in the same pattern as they have previously - offer the same color variants for all iPhone models.

The Google Pixel 7a has proven to be a popular Android phone, just like the Pixel 6a that came before it. We can likely expect something similar from the Pixel 8a as well, and while Google hasn't yet officially confirmed the device we're seeing it leak more and more in recent weeks. Now, a new leak appears to have shared a number of renders that show the Pixel 8a in a variety of different colors.

The Google Pixel 8a is set to take its place in Google's budget lineup this year, with the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro sure to sit above it for people who are willing to spend a little more to get additional features, performance, and capabilities. However, the Pixel 8a is expected to cost around $50 more than the Pixel 7a does which itself cost more than the Pixel 6a before that.

In terms of features, the Pixel 8a is sure to be a capable operator. The device is expected to sport a 6.1-inch FHD+ 90Hz display while processing is set to be handled by a Google-designed Tesnor G3 chip - likely the same as the one that debuted with the Pixel 8 last fall. A main 64-megapixel camera is expected, while a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera has also been touted. Given the improvements that the Google Pixel 7a offered in terms of camera capabilities last year, it isn't thought that any big upgrades will be offered this time out.

Apple has long been on the receiving end of controversy and discussion surrounding the way that it allows its iPhones and other devices to be repaired. Right-to-repair advocates argue that Apple goes out of its way to make its devices harder to repair, and Apple's parts pairing process is part of that. The process meant that only supported, genuine parts could be installed in devices but a new change to that policy will allow used parts to be installed - so long as they are genuine.

Apple announced the move in a press release posted to its website, saying that the change will enable customers and independent repair providers to install used Apple parts in repairs. The change will affect iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models starting this fall, with the new process designed to ensure iPHone users'' privacy, security, and safety are preserved.

That's a key aspect of Apple saying that the pairing of components to devices is critical to ensuring that iPhones remain secure. Apple says that while people will be able to reuse Face ID and Touch ID components, so long as they're genuine, and then calibrate them as if they were brand-new. However, third-party alternatives will not be supported because of the security implications.

The Apple Pencil has long been a great accessory for iPad owners who want to take notes on their tablets. It's also perfect for artists who want to sketch on their iPad as well, but it can always be improved. The lack of iPhone support has also long been an annoyance for some, especially given the popularity of the Samsung Galaxy Note line of phones followed by the Galaxy S24 Ultra and similar devices. But a new patent suggests that things could be about to change.

Whereas the current Apple Pencil requires to be charged, a new patent suggests that Apple is working on a new version that is battery-free which could open the door to a new, smaller version that would work with other devices like the iPhone and even the Apple Watch.

The patent, which was filed to protect a design invention back in September 2023, was only approved on April 11, 2024. It's called 'Photo-sensing enabled display for stylus detection' and describes a non-powered stylus similar to an Apple Pencil.

As part of the European Union's Digital Markets Act, Apple is now required to offer iPhone owners in the territory the opportunity to pick a new browser option rather than Safari and a new report shows that the move has seen a surge in downloads of third-party alternatives.

According to a Reuters report, independent browser companies have seen a spike in downloads within the first month of the DMA's existence.

Following the launch of the DMA, Apple's iPhones must offer users the chance to choose their own browser with Apple offering a random list of alternatives. One of those third-party browsers that Apple has suggested is the Cyrpsu-based Aloha Browser and Reuters says that it has experienced a 250% jump in downloads for March alone. Aloha says that before the DMA change, the EU was its fourth biggest market. Now, it's all the way up to the second spot.

There's a lot expected to happen within the next few weeks with new iPads and accessories set to be announced in May. There have been a ton of leaks relating to the iPads in particular, but the latest appears to have details about one of the best iPad accessories as well.

That accessory is of course the Apple Pencil, with the third-gen stylus expected to be announced alongside the new tablets. Not an awful lot is known about that Apple Pencil 3, but a new report appears to have added some additional context to rumors of a squeeze gesture coming to the device.

According to a 9to5Mac report based on information found in the latest iPadOS 17.5 beta, the Apple Pencil 3 will offer a squeeze gesture as had been reported previously while new LongSqueeze and DoubleSqueeze gestures also found. The current Apple Pencil 2 only currently supports a double-tap gesture for switching tools and whatnot, but there is no pressure sensitivity available. That now seems to be set to change when the new Apple Pencil arrives.