Mobile Devices, Tablets & Phones News - Page 7
Rumored iOS 18 AI upgrade to include notification summarization and more
With Apple's WWDC event set to kick off on June 10, we're starting to hear more and more about what we can expect to be unveiled. For some time now the rumors have pointed to a big AI presence at the event, with iOS 18 in particular set to benefit from some new smarts that will be a big upgrade over what we're already familiar with. Expectations are high, and now a new report has added additional detail on what we should expect from Apple's big event.
The iPhone is one of the devices that is expected to benefit greatly from the new features and Apple is expected to preview iOS 18 at WWDC. That update isn't going to be released to the public until September, but WWDC will give us a flavor of what to expect while a developer beta will also be released for testing on June 10, too. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says that Apple intends to add features that will improve Siri's voice capabilities, among other things.
The Siri upgrades are set to include an improved, more conversational feel, we're told, while services like auto-summarizing of notifications will also be part of the unveiling. There's also talk of the ability to get a synopsis of news articles while voice memos will also be transcribed upon request. Gurman also believes that there will be improvements to existing features like the ability to auto-popular calendar data as well as suggestions for apps.
Apple's next budget iPhone will have Face ID and an OLED display but it could cost $499
The current-gen iPhone SE has been around since 2022 and while it's a solid option for people who want to be able to get into an iPhone without spending too much money, there's no denying that it is starting to show its age. Even when the handset was released in 2022 the phone looked aged thanks to the use of a Home button and the relatively small 4.7-inch display. That's all expected to change when the iPhone SE 4 arrives and while we've been told to expect a price hike, a new report suggests that anyone concerned about a potential $500+ device need not worry too much.
This is according to a new post by the X leaker Revegnus which claims that the US price of the iPhone SE 4 will see a price increase of around 10%, although there is still the possibility that the price won't increase at all. However, if it does, Apple is reportedly very keen to ensure that the price doesn't increase beyond $499.
The reasons for the iPhone SE to get more expensive for this fourth generation are pretty obvious. The rumors currently have the handset coming with a large 6.1-inch OLED display while Face ID is also thought to be part of the spec sheet. Both of those things will cost Apple more to produce than the Touch ID and LCD display combination that is currently in use.
Spring 2025 tipped to finally see the launch of the next-gen iPhone SE
While we expect that Apple will release the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max later this year, we don't expect there to be any more new iPhones before the end of the year. That means that the iPhone SE won't be updated in 2024, but a new report suggests that we won't have to wait another whole year for the updated iPhone SE to arrive.
We've been told to expect an updated iPhone SE with a new design for some time now, and it had been thought that the launch would coincide with the arrival of Apple's first in-house 5G modem. That's so far proven difficult for Apple to manage, but we're now being told that 2025 will be the year that Apple finally brings the iPhone SE 4 to market.
That's according to a report by The Information which claims that Apple intends to launch the handset next year while matching previous rumors that Apple intends to ditch the Home button and Touch ID, finally, and replace the current model with a design that closely matches that of the iPhone 14.
Continue reading: Spring 2025 tipped to finally see the launch of the next-gen iPhone SE (full post)
Buying an iPhone 15 just got cheaper if you have an old model to trade in
As we reach the halfway mark between the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro going on sale and them being replaced by their 2024 counterparts, Apple has started to incentivize people to pick up a new handset now rather than wait for the new hotness to arrive later this year.
As part of the drive to improve new iPhone sales Apple has started to offer more trade-in value for those who are buying one of its latest handsets and choosing to hand over their old device. The increases apply to the iPhone SE and iPhone 13 or newer and it's important to remember that the discount only applies when you buy one of the iPhone 15 family of devices. Also of note, the increased value is only available to buyers in the United States and Canada.
In terms of figures, the current trade-in prices available in the United States include iPhone SE (3rd generation) up to $160, iPhone 13 mini up to $270, iPhone 13 up to $300, iPhone 13 Pro up to $370, iPhone 13 Pro Max up to $450, iPhone 14 up to $370, iPhone 14 Plus up to $420, iPhone 14 Pro up to $520, iPhone 14 Pro Max up to $630.
Don't expect an iPhone 17 Plus as Apple gets ready to ditch its big mid-range model
If you're a fan of Apple's big phones but don't want to have to pay the big money to get your hands on something like the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the Plus handsets are always the best way to go. But while we expect there to be an iPhone 16 Plus launched later this year, a new report suggests that it will be the last of the family and be replaced by something new entirely.
Apple started offering a Plus model with the iPhone 14 Plus, replacing the iPhone 13 mini with something very different, and the iPhone 15 Plus carried that on last year. The iPhone 15 Plus has all the same features and specifications as the iPhone 15 but with a larger 6.7-inch display, just like the iPhone 15 Pro Max. But a new report by The Information suggests that Apple isn't happy with the demand for the Plus models and will choose to ditch them entirely when the iPhone 17 ships in the fall of 2025.
That report says that Apple will replace the iPhone 16 Plus with a new iPhone 17 model that will have a slightly smaller display but be thinner and more expensive than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. It's possible that this is the Ultra device that was tipped to be part of the iPhone 15 lineup but ultimately didn't materialize.
Apple's iPhone 17 expected to be the thinnest iPhone ever released
Apple is planning on releasing its thinnest iPhone yet, according to a new report from The Information that cites multiple sources familiar with the project.
The new report follows the recent release of Apple's latest iPad Pro, which the company said is its thinnest device yet. Notably, the iPad Pro comes in at a width of just 5.3mm, and according to the report from The Information Apple's iPhone 17 lineup could feature a "significantly thinner" smartphone device compared to other iPhone models.
Furthermore, this new iPhone model is slated to replace the Plus model in 2025, and internally, the design changes are being compared to the leap taken with the iPhone X. Notably, Apple hasn't locked down the new design of the iPhone and is still testing various materials to reach the desired level of thickness. Other details mentioned in the report are the possibility of an upgraded front-facing camera, a smaller pill-shaped cutout, and the rear camera array moving to the center of the device.
Continue reading: Apple's iPhone 17 expected to be the thinnest iPhone ever released (full post)
Here's how much bigger the iPhone 16 Pro Max will be than your old monster iPhone
If everything goes the way that we expect it to Apple will announce a round of new iPhones this fall, likely in September. That'll bring the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max to the market and replace the outgoing iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max that were released in September of last year. We've been told to expect new features and faster chips, but it's the increase in display size of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max that could catch some by surprise.
If the rumors are true the iPhone 16 Pro will have a 6.3-inch display rather than the familiar 6.1-inch one, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max will see its display grow from 6.7 inches to 6.9 inches. With those display size increases we also expect the overall size of the devices to increase, too. That might not make all that much difference on the iPhone 16 Pro, but when you're dealing with a phone as big as the existing iPhone 15 Pro Max, any extra size makes a difference, fast.
That's clear in the images shared to the X social network by ZONEofTECH which appear to show an iPhone 16 Pro Max dummy unit alongside an iPhone 15 Pro Max. The size difference between the two devices is clear and obvious, suggesting that people who own an iPhone 15 Pro Max but already find it to be a little on the large side might want to consider sticking to the standard iPhone 16 Pro this time around.
Does the 13-inch iPad Pro, Apple's thinnest-ever device, bend? Well, what to you think?
Apple's brand new M4 iPad Pro is now on sale in both 11-inch and 13-inch display sizes. They're both identical bar the size of the display and some measurements, one of which is the thickness. The 13-inch iPad Pro is the thinnest coming in at just 5.3mm and that, Apple says, makes it the thinnest device that it has ever shipped. But given the fact that previous iPad Pros have been shown to flex and bend because of their lack of girth, many obviously wondered what this new thinness would mean for rigidity.
That was something that Apple apparently set out to address. Apple executives confirmed that there is a new cowling used in the iPad Pro that covers the entire logic board and, as a result, makes the device more rigid than you might think given its lack of thickness. But does that cowing work, and if not, how easily does the iPad Pro bend? That's what two YouTubers set out to discover.
One was JerryRigEverything, a YouTuber with a history of taking new devices and then ripping them apart to see what makes them tick. So when we heard that the iPad Pro was incredibly thin we knew that there would be a video dedicated to it. And, sure enough, here it is.
'Creativity cannot be crushed' Samsung says as it mocks Apple's controversial iPad Pro ad
When Apple announced its latest iPad Pro with the fancy OLED display and superfast M4 chip it did so by using a new ad. That ad showed musical instruments and art supplies, among other things, being destroyed by a giant industrial press. But while the ad was absolutely impressive, it definitely didn't seem to send the message that Apple thought it would. Instead, creatives the world over argued that it was disrespectful and that Apple had completely missed the mark. Apple subsequently agreed and apologized for the misstep, but that doesn't seem to have been the end of it.
As it has done before, Samsung has now picked up the baton and mocked Apple with a new ad of its own. It's based on Apple's ad and sees a woman using a Samsung tablet to read music while playing what appears to be a bruised and battered guitar. The scene is made up to look like the aftermath of Apple's own ad, giving the whole thing extra weight. It's a cool ad, and it carries the tagline "Creativity cannot be crushed."
Samsung definitely went for the jugular here and it seems to have hit the mark. The ad was posted to the X social network carrying the #UnCrush tag and you can check it out for yourself above.
Apple's new iPad Pro wtih M4 chip breaks Geekbench 6 world record, cooled with liquid nitrogen
Apple launched its new M4 processor and new iPad Pro last week, with the powerful new Arm-based M4 processor destroying the Geekebench 6 world record when the M4-powered iPad Pro was cooled with liquid nitrogen (LN2 cooling).
The new M4-powered iPad Pro was tweaked by reviewer Geekerwan and his team, and while the M4's performance cores already clock at a hefty 4.40GHz, the overclock using LN2 only pushed the performance cores on the M4 chip to 4.41GHz (an additional 10MHz), which was enough to break the 4000 points milestone in Geekbench 6, creating a new world record.
I don't know if using exotic LN2 cooling to chill down the M4-powered iPad Pro was required enjoy a 10MHz frequency bump, as Apple is probably keeping things tight -- in both hardware and software -- keeping that 4.40GHz frequency on the performance cores as high as it can. Normally we see LN2 cooling on a CPU or GPU, as they're thermally limited from operating at higher frequencies... but it seems the M4 is hitting its limits thermally, and Apple probably has stops in place to keep the 4.40GHz (or so, 10MHz is such a tiny increase on 4400MHz).