Mobile Devices - Page 25

If you're an iPhone owner who hasn't yet updated to iOS 17.3.1, you never will. That's because Apple has now decided to stop signing the update which means that it can no longer be installed, even if you have the IPSW file required to do so.

Whenever an iPhone has its iOS operating system updated or downgraded, the phone phones home to Apple's servers to ensure that the software is valid. If Apple says that it is, the installation can continue. But if Apple says otherwise, the update will not install and there is no way to get around that. That's what has happened with iOS 17.3.1 which means that the only version of iOS currently available to iPhone owners is the latest iOS 17.4 release.

Apple regularly stops signing older versions of iOS in an attempt to ensure that as many people as possible are using the latest and greatest version of its software. There are a few reasons that it might want to do that.

Apple has long been rumored to have plans to announce a new round of iPad Pro models with the end of March or the beginning of April now the most likely timeframe for that to happen. The company is expected to refresh both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch versions with a new display technology, new chip, and more - but those looking to buy the smaller model might find that getting one is harder than they expected.

That's according to a new report that cites a paywalled post on the X social media website by Ross Young, a display analyst who has historically proven accurate when discussing such things.

According to Young, the 11-inch iPad Pro displays are currently being produced by Samsung Display while LG Display is also expected to begin producing the same displays later this month. LG Display is also producing displays for the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro. However, Young reports that he believes the 11-inch displays are behind schedule when compared to the 12.9-inch displays, something that could then have a knock-on effect and cause the smaller iPad Pro to be available in more limited quantities.

Apple is strongly rumored to be working on bringing new AI features to the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and beyond in 2024 and expectations are high that these new features will be announced at WWDC in June. But the AI push is thought to be coming from an unexpected angle with a new report claiming that Apple is working on a new AI-powered ads platform.

That report, courtesy of Business Insider, says that the AI tool that is currently being tested chooses where to place ads in the many App Store placement slots in order to try and maximize the performance of those ads. However, the report goes on to suggest that the AI technology could be used elsewhere as Apple seeks to expand its ad-supported services. One example of a potential place for that to pop up is Apple TV+ with Apple again recently rumored to be working on bringing a cheaper ad-supported tier to the streaming platform.

It's important to remember that Apple's plans can and do sometimes change which means that this news should be taken with a pinch of salt until more firm information is shared. Apple already allows developers tp pay to advertise in various corners of the App Store including the Today tab, at the top of search results, and even on the product pages of competing apps.

If Apple follows the release cadence that we're used to it will unveil the iOS 18 iPhone software and macOS 15 Mac software during an event in June before releasing them to the public this fall. And while Apple is yet to confirm anything about the new softwre releases, or indeed that they're even in the works, we're beginning to see leaks suggesting what iPhone and Mac owners should expect.

That report comes from MacRumors and cites industry sources when it says that Apple is working on a number of accessibility improvements as well as new fetures that should be part of the iOS 18 and macOS 15 software updates that are expected to be made available in or around September.

There are a number of improvements expected including Adaptive Voice Shortcuts. This feature allows users to map spoken phrases to an accessibility setting, including custom phrases. The idea is that people will be able to more easily toggle existing accessibility features on or off when neeed.

Apple's iOS 18 iPhone software update is expected to be announced to the world at the WWDC event that's likely to be held in June, but it won't be made available to the wider public until September. A developer and public beta program will run from June until then, but a new report claims that an early version of the iOS 18 software is already in the hands of some.

According to a MacRumors report Apple recently began distributing internal builds of iOS 18 to factories and vendors. The information reportedly comes via a credible source who has proved to be accurate in the past. According to the source, the build that has been made available is called VendorUI, and access to it is highly controlled to ensure that information surrounding its features and capabilities are not leaked to the public.

MacRumors says that the VendorUI builds are sent out to factories for quality control testing every year, but because the software is in a preproduction state the interface isn't complete. In fact, it doesn't resemble the interface that Apple will announce in June. To ensure that leaks are kept to a minimum the report claims that the version of iOS 18 sent to vendors is limited in terms of the apps that are installed, ensuring that only those that are required for testing are available.

If you're walking around today with an iPhone 15 in your pocket, it's important to remember where that phone came from. The original iPhone shipped in 2007 with just 4GB of storage and it wasn't anywhere near as popular as you might think if you see how many modern iPhones are floating around today. But like so many things we only really appreciate the iPhone now that it's vintage, and if you want to buy one it's going to cost a small fortune - especially if you want an original 4G model that's sealed.

Right now there's one of those 2007 4GB iPhones available for auction, and if it's anything like previous auctions of this kind, things are going to get messy. One of these iPhones selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars isn't beyond the realms of possibility - we've seen it happen before - so all eyes will be on LCG Auctions to see what happens here. The bidding is currently at $10,000 with another two weeks remaining.

This original iPhone is factory sealed as mentioned and there is apparently no sign of fading on the front of the box - where all the best artwork is. Seven of the eight corners are sharp and all edges are flawless, making this about as pristine of an example as you're likely to find. The deal is clean and the auction describes the overall looks described as having very light shelfwear. The iPhone inside is of course brand-new and has never been activated and it probably never will be - assuming such a thing is even possible in 2024.

There have been persistent rumors that Apple intends to launch a bevy of new iPads sooner rather than later and that has again been reiterated by the usually well-connected Mark Gurman. The Bloomberg'g journalist was writing in the weekly Power On newsletter when he again suggested that we should see new iPads launch soon.

If correct, there will be two new iPad Pro and two new iPad Air models for tablet lovers to pick up and they could debut as soon as the end of this month. If that doesn't happen we shouldn't have to wait too much longer, however, with Gurman saying that April will be the latest the new tablets will ship.

With Gurman now saying that the new iPads will debut either in late March or April we can put to bed any hopes that they will arrive this week.

Apple has been making big changes to the iPhone of late, not least with the arrival of iOS 17.4. That update allows for third-party app stores and browser engines in the European Union, among other things, but that isn't the end of Apple's new features. Those changes were made in order to allow Apple to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act, and there are more changes afoot.

Apple says that it will continue to make changes to iOS and the iPhone in order to better comply with DMA requirements, although they won't all need to be made any time soon. One of the changes that Apple has already confirmed is support for changing the default navigation app, but it won't arrive until March 2025 the company has confirmed.

9to5Mac spotted the reference in a new Apple document that outlines its plans to comply with the DMA. Apple says that it plans to introduce new default controls for users of navigation apps with the option set to live in the Settings app. However, Apple only aims to have that new option available by March 2025, which means we could be waiting almost a year for it to arrive.

Apple's Find My network is pretty great when you lose your iPhone, AirPods, or if you have an AirTag, just about anything. But the network isn't perfect and that's what police in Denver found out when they raided the wrong person's home on the hunt for stolen gear. Now, that woman will be paid $3.76 million in compensation.

The woman, 78-year-old Ruby Johnson, will receive the money after police damaged and ransacked her Denver home with Apple's Find My app being the only source of information used ahead of the raid. The decision to award the money comes after a Colorado jury awarded the cash after she complained of severe physical and emotional distress.

The case saw two police officers sued as individuals but it's Denver that will stump up the cash despite finding that there were no policy violations and that there was no need for any disciplinary action. Both of the officers still work with the city.

Apple might have only released iOS 17.4 last week but the new release train never stops, especially in Cupertino. Now, there is a new report that Apple is working on what comes next. And what comes after that, too.

The iOS 17.4 update brought with it support for third-party app stores in the European Union as well as a raft of other changes while those in other parts of the world benefited from new emojis and the addition of podcast episode transcriptions in the Apple Podcasts app. Now, MacRumors reports that Apple is internally testing iOS 17.4.1 for the iPhone based on evidence found in the website's logs over the last week. What's more, that isn't the only new update that's being worked on.

The iOS 17.4.1 update is likely to be a relatively minor one and will concentrate on fixing any bugs that were introduced with the iOS 17.4 update. We can also expect improvements to security as well, but it's as-yet unclear when we should expect that Apple will release that update to the public. It's unlikely that there will be any betas, however.

Apple's long been rumored to be working on launching a pair of new iPad Pro tablets and it's now thought that they will arrive within the next few weeks - possibly as soon as this week - which means that the wheels must be very much in motion in terms of suppliers and mass production. Now, a report claims that Apple has ordered an estimated 8.5 million OLED panels from South Korea's Samsung Display and LG Display, with no work left over for Chinese outfit BOE and others.

The lack of a Chinese OLED manufacturer is thought to have captured the attention of those in the supply chain, DigiTimes reports. In terms of production, it's thought that LG Display will be producing OLED panels for use in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with around 4.5 million units thought to be ordered. Samsung Display will be the supplier of the displays that will be used in the 11-inch iPad Pro with around four million units ordered.

The decision to use the two suppliers is thought to be down to concerns over the production yield of OLED displays with Apple thought to be striving for only the best display available. The OLED iPad Pro is expected to offer improved colors, better contrast, and more in order to produce the best iPad experience yet.

Rumors of smart speaker company Sonos entering the headphone market have been floating around for a while now, but so far nothing has actually launched. There was a report last month that Sonos was struggling with a software issue which meant that the launch of the headphones had been pushed until June. The issue was thought to relate to the way the headphones would connect to a user's Wi-Fi network, but now there's a hint that things might be progressing well.

That's after it was discovered by one Reddit user - and then picked up by MacRumors - that the headphones appear to have wound their way through the FCC approval process in the United States, a fact that suggests a launch is edging ever closer.

The headphones themselves are going to work with Bluetooth 2.4GHz as well as WiFI over the 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks as confirmed by the FCC documentation. We expect the new headphones to be designed to go up against Apple's AirPods Max but be priced slightly lower at around $449 which could give them the edge. The headphones will then be priced around the same level as competing products from Sony and the like, although potentially with a slightly different feature set.

When Apple released the 10th-gen iPad in 2022 it brought with it a big first for the company's tablet lineup. The iPad saw its FaceTime camera move from the top of the device to the side, a switch that meant that the camera was better suited to being used when the iPad was in landscape orientation. Now, a new report claimed that the same switch is coming to Apple's best iPads as well.

Historically iPads have had their camera at the top of the display which meant that it was perfect for use when the tablet was held in portrait. But with more iPads now connected to keyboards that meant that the camera was in the wrong place, causing people on video calls to appear as if they were looking to the side. The 10th-gen iPad fixed that, and now it's claimed that the upcoming OLED iPad Pro and new iPad Air models will follow where the 10th-gen iPad left off.

The rumors of the change coming to the iPad Pro have been around for a while now following the discovery of code found in the iOS 17.4 beta in January suggesting the tablet would go that route, Now, the leaker Instant Digital has posted to Weibo to claim that the same change is coming to the iPad Air in both its 10.9-inch and all-new 12,9-inch display sizes.

We're now roughly halfway through the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models' lifecycles which means that we are edging ever closer to the arrival of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro devices. We've been seeing leaks related to those iPhones since 2023 and we're pretty confident that they will all be announced in September of this year. Now, a new leak appears to have given us a new glimpse at what the high-end iPhone 16 Pro will look like.

The glimpse comes courtesy of 91Mobiles and what appears to be a leak of CAD renders that show the iPhone 16 Pro in all its glory and from all angles. And these renders appear to match up with leaks that we've seen before including the rumored Capture Button.

The renders show that the Action Button is going to be slightly longer than that used on the iPhone 15 Pro, likely in an attempt to make it easier to press. However, the width of the button looks likely to be slightly more than that of the volume buttons that it will be beside, possibly to help make it easier to differentiate between them when the iPhone is in a pocket.

A check written out to Apple's phone company and signed by Steve Jobs back in 1976 is now up for auction - and it could rake in thousands of dollars despite originally only being made out for $201.41.

The check, which is dated Duly 8, 1976, is made out to Pacific Telephone and has Jobs' signature on the bottom. It also uses Apple's original official address of 770 Welch Rd., Ste. 154, Palo Alto. That address will forever go down in Apple history because it was where the Jobs family lived with Apple having been run out of the family's garage initially.

While it's impossible to know just how much this check will sell for at auction, bids on the RR Auction website are currently sitting at $15,307 with 15 bids having been placed. The next bid is a cool $16,838 so that's the minimum you will have to hand over if you want to be the proud owner of this little bit of Apple history.

Buying a new iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch isn't always the cheapest thing in the world but you often get what you pay for in life. Some would argue that's absolutely the case when picking up a new bit of tech with the Apple logo on the back, but there are ways and means of making the price a little cheaper if that's something you're looking to do.

One of those ways is of course to buy a used device, but if you're looking to get a brand-new product trading in your old model is probably a great way to go, and Apple has now increased the amount of money it will give you against a new device depending on what you're handing over. MacRumors spotted that Apple has slightly increased the trade-in values of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, second-generation iPhone SE, Apple Watch Series 4, and first-generation Apple Watch SE, while trade-in values slightly decreased for the entry-level iPad, Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch Series 7, and second-generation Apple Watch SE - but those hoping for a windfall are likely to be left disappointed.

As an example, trading in an iPhone 14 Pro Max would previously have saved you $620 off a new iPhone but now you'll get an extra $10. An old iPhone SE 2 is now worth an extra $20, while an Apple Watch SE (either generation) is now worth just $5 more than it was.

All of the talk about foldable devices tends to very much center on phones, and for good reason. The foldable phone market continues to grow with the likes of Samsung

and Google leading the way, at least in the United States. But Apple has so far refused to launch a foldable iPhone and that doesn't look likely to change any time soon. However, that doesn't mean that Apple isn't working on some sort of foldable device - and one analyst claims that it could be ready to enter mass production in 2027.

That device, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says, is a foldable MacBook of some sort. He says that the laptop will feature a 20.3-inch foldable display but perhaps more interesting is the suggestion that this is the only foldable device that Apple is currently actively working towards a launch schedule for. If accurate, that would mean that Apple is not edging its way closer to launching a foldable iPhone as some might hope.

Apple released iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 to the public earlier this week and you've likely already seen plenty of news about what they have to offer. In particular, the new updates bring support for third-party app stores for the first time - but only if you happen to be in the European Union. But while that's a vital feature and a big addition for those in an EU member country, there's something arguably more important - and it's something that is applicable to owners of iPhones and iPads everywhere.

We're of course talking about a pair of vital security improvements that are designed to deal with vulnerabilities that could have allowed someone to gain access to a user's device without their permission. Notably, Apple says that it is also aware of the possibility that the bugs have been actively exploited by bad actors.

The issues, which are related to RTKit and kernel vulnerabilities, are notable because of the potential for someone to gain control of a device not to mention Apple's admittance that they might have been exploited. Apple has now fixed the memory corruption issues and improved validation to patch things up with the release of iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 however, and for that reason, we would suggest that people download and install these updates now rather than wait.

Apple's new iOS 17.4 software update brings with it a number of new features, but if you're in the European Union there's one that undoubtedly stands out more than the rest - support for third-party app stores. We're still learning more about how they work but it's now been confirmed that parents who are worried that their kids could install third-party app stores without their knowledge can prevent that from happening.

Apple has long offered parental controls that allow parents to be required to approve the downloading of apps from the App Store, but with the addition of third-party app marketplaces, there were concerns that kids might be able to bypass the need to get approval. However, 9to5Mac notes that Apple has added a feature that will give parents more control.

9to5Mac reports that parents will be able to choose to prevent the installation of third-party apps and app stores using the Screen Time protections that they're familiar with. Parents can also set an age rating rather than blocking all third-party app stores if they prefer, with Apple still requiring that apps installed via third-party marketplaces have age ratings attached to them.

When Apple released the iOS 17.4 software update to the public this week it added support for third-party app stores, a first for the iPhone. But the new feature is only available to those in the European Union thanks to the new Digital Markets Act and the requirements it places on companies like Apple. However, Apple has added complications to its support for third-party app stores, and they're starting to become clear.

They're becoming clear after MacRumors spotted a new support document on Apple's website that details a so-called grace period after which such app stores will become unavailable should users leave the EU for a length of time. Unfortunately, we don't know what that length of time actually is.

The support document warns users that, should they leave the European Union for short-term travel, they'll continue to have access to third-party app stores for a grace period. If they're gone for too long, Apple warns, they'll lose access to some features including the new alternative app marketplaces. Apps installed via those app marketplaces will continue to work, but users won't be able to update them or download new marketplaces.