We've seen so many iPhone 14 leaks already, that it barely feels like there can be any surprises at the end of the year when it launches - but that does also mean that it's easy to notice any slight changes between leaks over time.
That's happened right now, as prolific leaker Ice Universe has provided a computer-assisted design (CAD) render of the iPhone 14 Pro, aimed to compare the bezel between it and the iPhone 13 Pro, but there's something else interesting to note about it.
We've been hearing that the iPhone 14 Pro will drop the notch and use a 'punch-hole' for the camera cut-out, like lots of Android phones use, and we've seen plenty of renders showing this.
However these new renders show an iPhone 14 Pro with a front-facing camera that's noticeably bigger than we previously thought.
Analysis: bigger isn't better
As can be seen from CAD, the bezel of iPhone 14 Pro is narrowed (right) pic.twitter.com/HOul867PsTApril 26, 2022
If you'll compare the front cameras, it seems clear that the older renders show much smaller ones than in the new images - bear in mind that both leaks are talking about the iPhone 14 Pro, so the screen will be the same size.
Bigger cameras take up more screen space, so the screen-to-body ratio of the iPhone 14 Pro will be a little lower according to Ice Universe, than the older renders suggest.
The new images make sense though - the sizings don't seem to make sense with the 91mobiles renders, based on the side buttons in relation to the expected screen size (6.1 inches). This leads us to think that these are actually renders based on Pro Max specs, and there was a miscommunication somewhere.
It's worth pointing out that these aren't official images: they're created by leakers based on specs they've heard. So the actual iPhone 14 Pro could sit somewhere between these two designs.
Given how frequently we're hearing about the iPhone 14, we'll almost definitely see countless more renders in the next few months, and maybe our understanding of the dimensions will develop further. Let's see.
You might know Pocophone for its budget and mid-range Android phones that tend to have a focus on processing power - and now the company has taken that to its logical extreme with the new Poco F4 GT.
This is the brand's newest handset and it touts some pretty impressive specs like a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, 120W charging and a big 6.67-inch screen. It also continues Poco's tradition of rather boring names.
Beyond those specs, the F4 GT also has a few gaming-specific features like a 120Hz refresh rate, 480Hz touch input rate and, most interestingly, pop-up trigger buttons that you'll be able to map to functions, giving you a slight edge in competitive online games.
That's a feature we've seen on a few gaming phones in the past, and it would make the Poco seem like a new entry in this market niche - the fact that the device launched alongside some headphones themed around Genshin Impact helps with this reading too.
However the Poco F4 GT has that gaming phone feature, without the big issue that plagues lots of gaming phones.
Opinion: a gaming phone I wouldn't be ashamed to use
When I'm testing gaming phones, I find them useful when gaming out and about, but I'm often rather ashamed to be seen with them. Not because there's still a stigma around gaming phones - it's 2022, everyone and their moms game now - but because these phones are pretty ugly.
(Image credit: Future)
These phones are often big, bulky, bedecked with LED lights and angular designs - you can see one such example above.
I'll admit, 'gamer aesthetic' isn't something that really matches with my own fashion, and I'm often tentative about pulling out a giant glowing smartphone as a result.
But the Poco F4 GT has a rather understated design (well, the black and gray versions do, the yellow is arguably a little garish). If you pull one out your pocket, people aren't going to think "what is that?" with a judging stare.
Unlike most other gaming phones, I wouldn't be ashamed to use it in public, or put it on a table when I'm at a pub or restaurant - and for that reason, I'm looking forward to testing it... whenever it comes out. We don't have a launch date or price for it yet, so stay tuned for those, as well as a full review.
If you want to buy a small phone - something with a display under 6 inches - you generally have to turn to Apple, but with the iPhone 14 it seems like the end is nigh for mini mobiles.
We've heard plenty of rumors now that suggests there won't be an iPhone 14 mini to follow on from the iPhone 13 mini, as reports suggest these smaller handsets haven't sold well. Apparently the upcoming range will instead get a big iPhone 14 Max, with a big screen but the same specs as the base device.
That's big if true - literally - because it would show Apple moving away from the small phone market in a big way. But it's not the only brand to do so.
No more small phones
Brands apparently don't like small phones - we're going to stick with the sub-6-inch-screen definition of that, for the purposes of this article.
Most brands have started using an average screen size of 6.6 or 6.7 inches, with companies like Huawei and Vivo sometimes breaking the 7-inch barrier.
While companies like Samsung and Google did sometimes offer smaller mobiles, both have moved away from that with recent entries in their flagship lines, suggesting a lack of interest in little phones.
Beyond the iPhone mini series, there are only two places to look for compact devices. The iPhone SE range is an obvious example, though they only get released sporadically, and the most recent entry apparently hasn't sold very well. And there's also the Sony Xperia Ace series, but this is only sold in Japan.
The death knell for small phones
If Apple, the current champion of the small phone market, decides not to make little phones anymore, it could be seen as the death knell for compact devices.
Although Apple tends to pick up technology late, only using 5G after it had been used for a year and a half for example, lots of other tech brands like to follow its lead in certain areas. Its decision to drop chargers from boxes can be seen as an easy example.
If Apple stops making small phones, it seems unlikely that any companies will decide to pick up the baton and start producing little handsets - and that's because Apple will be making this decision for a reason.
Presumably the fact that a small phone is reportedly being dropped, and a new large one is being introduced, fits with what buyers want in a smartphone.
Smartphones are getting bigger and bigger every year, and although some people love small phones - they can be easy to fit in your pocket, or use with just one hand regardless of your hand size - apparently, the interest just isn't big enough.
Taiwanese electronics company and major Apple supplier Foxconn is going to be shutting down two of its factories in the city of Kushan, China, as COVID-19 cases surge in the area.
According to the South China Morning Post, the factories are near Shanghai, and to prevent COVID spillover, the city of Kushan enacted a citywide lockdown to prevent further contamination. On the surface, this appears to be a major blow for Apple, but Foxconn reassures it has things covered.
Another COVID shutdown
According to another report by Reuters, a spokesperson for Foxconn stated that production has moved over to other factories and plenty of Apple products are housed in overseas warehouses. So, the overall impact on both Apple and Foxconn will be minimal, at best.
The same can’t be said for Foxconn’s other production lines. Manufacturing for data transmission equipment and connectors will stay on hold until Chinese authorities give them the green light to start again.
Despite Foxconn’s reassurance, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. Back in March 2022, a COVID-19 outbreak in the city of Shenzhen caused all production in the area to shut down.
This included Foxconn’s Longhua and Guanlan factories where they manufactured products for various tech giants like Apple and Samsung. Incidents like these have been occurring almost routinely during the pandemic, such as the May 2021 shutdown.
We reached out to Apple for comment on the sudden shutdown and how it will impact future products and will update this story when and if it responds.
Migrating production
Foxconn has been making moves recently to shift iPhone production away from the Chinese mainland.
iPad and MacBook production moved over to Vietnam back in 2020 after Apple specifically requested it due to the US-China trade war. More recently, Foxconn’s factory in Sriperumbudur, India, is going to start pumping out iPhone 13 devices after getting government clearance.
The future looks bright for Apple and Foxconn, but the former employees may be left holding the short end of the stick. For starters, Foxconn shut down the factories even though the local government gave 60 companies permission to reopen production lines.
The employees have also been under a “closed-loop system” meaning they’ve been confined to their dormitories inside the two Foxconn campuses by order of the authorities.
Several App Store developers have claimed that Apple will remove their applications within 30 days unless they are updated as part of a drive to improve the quality of the marketplace.
One developer posted a screenshot of an email they received from the company, which stated: “This app has not been updated in a significant amount of time and is scheduled to be removed from sale in 30 days. No action is required to remain available to users who have already downloaded the app."
“You can keep this app available to new users to discover and download from the App Store by submitting an update for review within 30 days. If no update is submitted within 30 days, the app will be removed from sale.”
Apple App Store
The company has previously taken action to prevent older applications that have not been optimized for modern versions of iOS being downloaded by newer iPhones, but has refrained from removing apps that haven’t been updated recently but remain fully functional.
Many app creators have argued that, because their software is in a completed state, there is no need for an update that would require time and effort to produce and submit for review. Meanwhile, others have argued that the move is a blow to efforts to preserve applications and games for future generations.
However, Apple takes its role as the curator of the App Store very seriously, with the tight integration of hardware and software considered to be a key selling point of the iOS platform. The company has been contacted by TechRadar Pro for comment.
Google, which allows apps from third party marketplaces to be installed on Android, has also taken steps to improve the quality of apps on its own marketplace, given previous criticisms of a review process that has allowed malware to slip through the net.
However, it is understood that the company will only reduce the visibility of apps, rather than deleting them. Google is also offering a six-month extension to developers unable to make the necessary changes within two years.
I've used enough cheap phones with temperamental fingerprint scanners, to know that they can be a real problem. There's something uniquely frustrating about repeatedly placing and lifting your finger that makes you wonder why you even set a phone lock.
This happens frequently for rear-mounted fingerprint scanners, but I've had the worst results with side-mounted ones, and despite the placement being incredibly convenient, I now get an ominous sense of dread when I start using a budget phone with one.
This is what I had with the Realme C35, and I thought I was in for another season of repeated thumb-taps every time I wanted to check the 'Gram - until I accidentally stumbled upon a solution so beautifully stupid that I've no idea why I never did it before.
The double thumb
(Image credit: Future)
I accidentally set up my fingerprint on the Realme C35 twice. After the first time, the fingerprint scanner wasn't working well, so I presumed I hadn't actually set it up at all, and went through the whole process again. Afterwards, it worked beautifully.
Most phones let you set up multiple fingerprints, in case you alternate hands, or trust a loved one with all your intimate phone details. In theory, though, you're not able to set up the same finger twice - the phone will let you know you've already done it.
However - and this is the beautiful part - if your phone's fingerprint scanner isn't recognizing your fingerprint when you've already registered it, then it's not going to clock that you're setting up the same fingerprint multiple times.
This is something I discovered accidentally when I re-set-up my fingerprint, and now I can get into the phone really well. I've even done it for other phones since - it doesn't always work, but when it doesn't, it's because the fingerprint scanner is good enough that I don't need to.
If you want to try this yourself, head to your phone's settings menu, then go into the Passwords and security section, and set up your fingerprint unlock from here. If your phone initially says you're trying to register the same print, just rotate your finger until it works. And if this doesn't happen, clearly the phone is working just fine.
Oh, and make sure your finger is clean and dry, both when you're registering your finger and when you're trying to unlock the phone - depending on the sensor, this can sometimes make it impossible for the phone to scan your finger properly.
Older iPhones only get new iOS updates for a certain amount of time before Apple decides to put them out to sea, and a report has suggested which devices could sail out into the sunset when iOS 16 launches later this year.
This comes from a site called iDropNews, in a report written by a leaker called AppleLeaksPro with a limited track record. Take the information with a pinch of salt, due to the source, but what's stated does make sense given Apple's habits.
Apparently, iOS 16 won't be compatible with three iPhones that did receive iOS 15: those are the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6S Plus and the original iPhone SE. These devices are from 2015, 2015 and 2016 respectively so they are pretty old.
Apple drops support for older iPhones with new builds of iOS because the older hardware simply doesn't have the power or space for the newer operating system, and it's something that happens in the Android space too. That's not to say Apple will completely forget about these phones, as they still could see the odd security update, and they'll work just fine as they are - you don't really need the newest software.
This is just a leak for now, so it's not to say that these mobiles have definitely been sunsetted by Apple. But AppleLeaksPro's limited track record does seem fairly accurate.
That's the only real solid information provided by this leak - the leaker also backs up their past assertions about super-widgets, and points to a few tweaks like a redesigned music app and changes to Quick Actions so they work when the phone is locked.
Analysis: no need to buy a new iPhone
If you own one of the aforementioned iPhones, we're going to make the bold assumption that you're not a technophile - you'd probably have a newer phone if that were the case.
If that's true, this news might not affect you that much. If you don't care about having the flashiest and newest stuff, whether that's new gadgets or software, you don't really need iOS 16.
This new version of Apple's software isn't exactly likely to set to set the world on fire, as it's probably just going to bring a few tweaks and changes that might not affect your phone experience at all. If your device works fine right now, it'll continue to do so.
That's especially the case because Apple will likely continue to provide security updates to these devices for a while, which should stop bad actors from being able to leverage the age of your tech to infiltrate it better.
Sure, if you've got a six-plus-year-old phone, you might want to check out our list of the best iPhones at some point, because tech doesn't last forever. But if you're happy with your phone right now, you don't really need to update it.
New leaks around the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 are appearing with increasing regularity as we approach the foldable phone's expected August launch window, and the latest one concerns one of the most important specs of all: battery capacity.
The team at GalaxyClub has spotted two phone batteries being registered by Samsung with regulators in South Korea, and all the signs suggest that these batteries are going to be heading to the successor to the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
We've got rated capacities of 2,002mAh and 2,268mAh, a grand total of 4,270mAh. That's almost identical to the 2,275mAh capacity of the Galaxy Z Fold 3, and like its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will likely be marketed as having a 4,400mAh battery (phone makers promote what's known as the 'typical' capacity, which is bigger than the rated capacity).
Doing the math
Only a couple of days ago we heard rumors that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is going to be thinner and lighter than the Galaxy Z Fold 3 – and keeping the battery capacity the same this year will certainly help in making sure the upcoming foldable is more pocketable.
There has been talk of a drop in price for the flagship Samsung phone as well, something that a lower battery capacity can contribute towards. For reference, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 launched with a starting price of $1,799 / £1,599 / AU$2,499.
A more affordable foldable would certainly be welcomed by consumers – and so while it might be disappointing that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 isn't getting a battery capacity upgrade, it's probable that we'll see resulting benefits in other areas.
Analysis: Assessing battery capacity
As always with battery capacities, it's important to wait until we can actual test the phone out before making a full judgment – although the mAh (milliamperes per hour) number is a useful shortcut to estimating battery life on a smartphone or tablet.
Hardware and software optimizations mean that phone manufacturers are often able to squeeze out more battery life from the same battery capacity. Apple, which of course has full control over both the iPhones it makes and the iOS software running on top of them, is notably good at this.
When we reviewed the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, we found that the foldable phone usually lasted through the day on a single charge. It's likely that Samsung is going to target the same all-day battery life when it brings out the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
So while it looks as though battery life might not be one of the key selling points of the next Samsung foldable, we'll have to wait for our review to see exactly how much time you can expect between charges. As always, this will depend on how the phone is used, as well as settings such as display brightness.
If you've got an old gadget you love to use even though it's a struggle because of its age, then using one of the best power banks might help you extend its lifespan.
This is something I discovered when trying to eke extra mileage from my iPad Pro 12.9, because while I still like using it for creative and professional tasks, several years of intensive use has made it hard to rely on for stints of work.
That is, until I employed a portable charger to help me improve the way it works.
Taking a battery-ing
The thing that most affects a gadget over time is its battery life — constant cycles of discharging and recharging can greatly reduce its power capacity, meaning it lasts less and less time while unplugged.
You might not notice it from day-to-day use, but over several years of use, the power drain will become noticeable. If you've got an old iPhone that seems to burn through the battery percentages, you'll know what I mean.
I used to take my iPad for days out working in coffee shops, and I'd spend between six and eight hours on the screen between walks to different cafes and breaks to do other things.
(Image credit: Future)
Nowadays, though, I'll get about half that time. Having plain white documents open on the display will eat up the battery, even if I'm not connected to Wi-Fi and have other features disabled too.
Enter a power bank
I've got several power banks (for testing purposes), but the various ones I've been using all clock in at a massive 20,000mAh. That's generally the biggest capacity charger you'd consider buying, as any bigger and you're getting an absolutely massive device, but smaller and you won't get too many charges.
At that capacity, I'll be able to charge up the iPad's 9,720mAh battery twice, with a little leftover for whatever headphones I'm using (or to give my smartphone some extra juice).
I wouldn't actually power it up to full twice — that'd give me way more screen time than I'd actually need — but the versatility of having this amount of power is really useful.
This amount of extra battery is helpful if I have a smartphone that needs lots of juice. It's also useful for days when I completely forget to power up the portable charger before taking it with me; I'll know I'll have at least enough left in it to power up the iPad once.
A power bank is easy to use at a coffee shop as I can keep it plugged into the iPad while I work. Sure, the banks actually charge at a slower rate than the iPad drains power, but if it's plugged in all the time when I'm using it, this discharge isn't fast at all.
(Image credit: Future)
Lots of the power banks I've started using actually have built-in displays that tell me how much charge they have left, which is really useful when I'm looking to work out which to take. Most others have LED strips which light up depending on how much power they've got, which is a rudimentary but still-useful way of letting me work out which to take.
My only concern is that most of the power banks I used power via micro USB, so they're not too quick to power if I find all my portable chargers are low on power before heading out of the house. It also means that I have to dig up my sole micro USB charger now and then, which I otherwise only use for my Kindle and PS4 controller — and hide at the bottom of a drawer as a result.
Keeps an old gadget ticking
If it wasn't for my portable power bank, I'd likely have stopped using my iPad Pro for working when out and about, as the power drain and its aching joints would make it hard to use outside my home (when I'm always near an outlet and charger).
This is the same for other gadgets as well — if you find your old iPhone runs out of power by lunchtime, or your smartwatch needs constant powering to keep it going, a portable charger will be great for a mid-day top-up.
Sure, in that case you won't need 20,000mAh like me — 10,000mAh or even just 5,000mAh will be enough, and more portable to boot.
Our list of the best power banks contains a range of different kinds of power banks, so whether you need a chunky charger or a baby bank you'll be just fine (it's also got some interesting ones like solar-powering or wireless). So if, like me, you've got an aging gadget you want to get some extra life from, you should really take a look at this list.
Seasoned Android watchers will remember that major, annual updates to Google's mobile operating system used to come with dessert names attached – up until Android 9 Pie in 2018. These days, it's a bit simpler: Android 13 will succeed Android 12 later this year.
While Android releases now stick to numbers as far as public announcements and branding are concerned, food-related names still exist internally at Google as codenames. As 9to5Google has spotted in the Android Open Source Project code, Android 14 (or Android U) has the codename Upside Down Cake.
If you've never had one, an Upside Down Cake is exactly what it sounds like: during the making of one, the decorations are put at the bottom of the pan and the cake batter is then poured on top. After baking, everything gets flipped over so the decorations are on top.
Android 13 comes first
Before we get to give Android 14 a go, there's Android 13 to look forward to. The operating system is currently at the early developer preview stage, which should be followed by a public beta that consumers can get involved with if they'd like to.
After that, the full and finished version of Android 13 will be rolled out to everyone with a compatible handset. Android 12 launched in October 2021, so its successor should appear about a year later – though it might show up earlier than that. As usual, Pixel phones – including the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro – will be first in line.
There's not a whole lot to say about Android 14 as yet, though the emergence of a codename does suggest that work on the software has now got underway at Google. We're unlikely to hear anything official about it until 2023, however.
In terms of what we'd like to see in Android 14, at this stage it's hard to think of ways that Android and iOS can improve on what we've already got. Android 13 is going to introduce minor tweaks to phone customization options and support for eSIMs, but these are hardly going to revolutionize the way that you use your phone.
One area we hope Google does continue to push into (and where it may have the edge over Apple) is artificial intelligence. It seems to us phones could get much better at figuring out which apps and tools we need at what times, and repeated and monotonous tasks (like setting alarms and sharing photos) could become more automated.
Other than that, we're just hoping for the usual pile of improvements around user privacy, device security, app control and notification management. Android updates usually include upgrades in these areas, and Android 14 should be the same.
As we move closer to the expected announcement of Samsung’s next-generation Galaxy Z Fold and Flip phones, more details are emerging about their designs and specifications. New leaks point to a slimmer, lighter footprint to make the Z Fold 4 more hand-friendly and pocketable.
Well-established leaker Ice Universe posted about the size change on Twitter, also noting that the phone will allegedly have a more square display than previous folds. The change also comes with a slightly narrower bezel.
Fold3 → Fold4 (based on limited information, 100% accuracy is not guaranteed) pic.twitter.com/edE1BpIU0LApril 22, 2022
See more
Other tweets from the industry insider include a retweet from Display Supply Chain Consultant CEO Ross Young who says that Z Fold and Flip production are allegedly doubling what they were producing for the Fold and Flip 3. This rumor would imply that Samsung has big expectations for sales of the two devices, and possibly a price cut to incentivize more sales.
Samsung's Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 phone production for July are more than double what it was for the Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3. Pointing to a very strong launch. Might see a price cut.April 20, 2022
See more
Previously, we’ve seen Z Fold 4 camera rumors, and other information pointing to the usual spec bumps we’d expect from a generational upgrade. Some sources claim that the phone will include an S-Pen, but Ice Universe claims otherwise.
Dutch tech blog Galaxy Club claims that the battery capacity will be 4270mAh split between two batteries which, as we know, is great for battery longevity and helps keep devices fairly thin.
Any details we see in leaks remain to be confirmed, as there has not been an official announcement yet, but the buzz that the phone is generating four months before its expected announcement is a good sign.
The Z Fold 3 is still a bit...beefy
As long as battery life stays decent, a slimmer profile is more than welcome in a giant folding device like the Z Fold series. Nobody wants to carry around an unpocketable brick that they’ll inevitably use to take photos and videos.
We quite liked the Galaxy Z Fold 3, but its thickness and heft were a pain point in an otherwise bleeding-edge device. At 271g, it’s a chunky two-handed phone, and while the Z Fold 4 could be significantly lighter, it will no doubt be a two-handed phone as well.
There are many conflicting leaks out there about it, but if the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 has an S-Pen built-in, it will be one of the most versatile phones on the market, which makes us excited for the future of the growing foldable niche.
The OnePlus Ace has, after weeks of teases, been unveiled. This is a mid-range Android phone with the headline feature of super-fast 150W charging, but with middling specs in other areas.
It's admittedly almost exactly the same phone as the Realme GT Neo 3, unveiled less than a month prior by OnePlus' sibling brand - but that's not why we're not going to be testing this phone out.
No, availability concerns mean we'll likely never be able to play around with this new OnePlus phone.
Can you buy the OnePlus Ace?
The OnePlus Ace was unveiled in a launch event in China, and when we see phones unveiled in the country, they rarely make it out globally.
Indeed, a spokesperson for OnePlus told us "We have no plans to share at the moment with regard to a European launch. However, OnePlus is always carefully keeping track of the market and, in close collaboration with our community, this may change in the future."
We requested comment in the US but didn't hear anything there. So, for now at least, it sounds like the OnePlus Ace will be pretty hard to buy outside of China.
Why can't you buy the OnePlus Ace outside China?
OnePlus isn't the only company to unveil phones that are exclusive to the huge China market. Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, Honor, Vivo, Realme, Oppo and more have been known to do it in the past - it's a pretty standard practice, in fact.
But why? Well, brands generally don't make sweeping statements about the market like that, but the reason is likely a cocktail of a range of factors including preferences and tendencies in the market - all but one of those companies we listed above are based in the country. Remember that, outside the West, Apple's iPhones have a dramatically lower market share, and other brands rule the roost.
We see enough devices get China exclusivity (and sometimes India launches too) for this to be the norm. But it's slightly irking in the case of the OnePlus Ace.
(Image credit: OnePlus)
Why the OnePlus Ace exclusivity is a surprise
The OnePlus Ace was first teased in February, at MWC 2022 (an annual smartphone convention). At the end of Oppo's keynote speech (Oppo and OnePlus merged in 2021), the company teased its 150W charging solution which would debut in a OnePlus phone.
This obviously turned out to be the OnePlus Ace. So why is the exclusivity a surprise? Well, because MWC 2022 takes place in Barcelona. In Spain. Which is decidedly not in China.
MWC is often used as a place for Chinese brands to launch phones in the West that already debuted in China. So when we hear about tech here, it's almost guaranteed that it'll come to Europe, and sometimes the US, too.
So, for the OnePlus Ace to only launch in China is a surprise that bucks the trend.
A shame
The China exclusivity, which is commonplace in the phone industry, is a shame because it's usually cool and interesting phones that stay locked in the country.
Hopefully OnePlus will change its mind about the OnePlus Ace, so we can test its super-fast 150W charging in real life. Perhaps Realme will light a fire of competition under OnePlus, as the aforementioned GT Neo 3 has a much better chance of eventually reaching Europe (since the Neo 2 did).
One of the reasons that Apple launches inspire so much excitement is because you know the iPhones will go on sale in many regions around the world. That's not true for most other brands. You can only get excited for a Xiaomi launch so many times, before you start to realize most of their launches are only for China.
Hopefully, we don't see too many China-only launches. Otherwise, OnePlus buyers might lose interest in all of the company's launch events.
April 22 is Earth Day, dedicated to the awareness of climate change - and sure, we probably shouldn't reserve just a single day for the human race's biggest existential crisis, but that's the way the cookie crumbles apparently.
Lots of tech brands are coming out in force to pledge their care for the environment, including Amazon making a song and dance about its sustainability efforts and Google dedicating multiple Google Doodles to things like the glacial retreat of Kilimanjaro and coral bleaching.
But it's also worth thinking about things that we could do with our everyday tech to make a small difference to the planet. Sure, none of these will remotely compare to what big companies could do in a heartbeat if they cared about the planet over profits, but if we all bear these tips in mind, it might help... maybe? Hopefully?
Well, it won't hurt, that's the main thing. So here are 6 easy tips that could help the planet in a small way, starting with smallest ones and getting bigger.
Reduce your battery consumption
You might think that the tiny bit of electricity you could save every day by changing the way you use your smartphone might not really make a difference in the grand scheme of things. But consider how often you use your phone, and how many phones there are in existence - it quickly adds up.
There are some easy things you can change about your phone to reduce power consumption that we always recommend to people:
Turn on Dark Mode (for OLED screens)
Stick to 4G, not 5G
Reduce your screen refresh rate
Use static, not live (moving) wallpapers
Don't use an always-on display
We've got more tips in our guide on how to improve your smartphone battery life. But there are a few other ways to save power on your smartphone - make sure not to overcharge it (so don't leave it plugged in when it's at 100%) and simply use it less. Do you really need to watch a whole movie on your commute, or could you stare out the window at the beautiful Earth around us?
Sure, this is the smallest change you can make to help the environment and reduce your power use, but every little helps, right?
(Image credit: Future)
Buy eco-friendly accessories
Reducing our consumption is one of the key things we can do to help the planet - but that potentially brings a problem with accessories. If you buy a case, you could be hurting the planet, but if you don't, you could break your smartphone and need to buy a whole new one, which is even worse.
Except it's not that bad, because luckily, there are loads of eco-friendly smartphone cases which let you off the hook when it comes to buying new gadgets. Our list there contains loads of different brands which make great options.
Some of the options on that list are simply made with sustainable materials, others use reclaimed and recycled objects in their body like fishing nets or ocean-based plastics.
Lots of the cases are compostable too, so when you've finished with them, they don't have to clutter up landfill sites.
Avoid buying new tech when possible
One of the worst things we can do for the planet is buying new gadgets. Each new smartphone is made of parts that have been dug out of the ground, then shipped to factories in other parts of the planet to be turned into components, which are themselves jetted off to other factories to be assembled together, which in turn has to find its way to your local store shelf or door step somehow.
Each new gadget has many skeletons in its metaphorical closet, based on the materials used to make it, the resources expended in its production, and the air miles used to take it on its round-the-world trip.
That means we should avoid buying new gadgets as much as possible, to avoid the carbon footprint as much as possible, and also tell companies that we don't need brand-new flashy gadgets every year.
That doesn't mean you can't have nice things - it just pays to think smart about how you're picking up your treats.
Sometimes you'd think that you need to buy new tech, because you've broken your beloved gadget... but maybe you don't.
(Image credit: Future)
Repair, not replace
So you've dropped your smartphone and it's shattered - the screen now looks more like a spider-web than it does a nice flat panel. Time to get a new device right? Well - no.
It's getting easier and easier, and also more affordable, to repair broken phones instead of replacing them. Lots of companies are getting better at providing third-party repair shops the parts and knowledge to fix mobiles, a fact that's been spurred on by legal changes in various countries.
So if you've damaged your phone, it's easy to get it repaired - many phone repair places take just hours to fix it, depending on the damage. Plus, this means you're not incurring the big carbon footprint that comes with buying new.
Sometimes, you don't even need to rely on a shop. Websites like iFixit have guides on how to fix damaged tech - and sometimes you don't even need this. We've got years of extra use out of damaged gadgets simply by buying a screen protector or case to cover up small cracks or smashes.
Pass on your old tech
If you absolutely must must must buy a new gadget, don't throw your old one in the bin - just because you're done with it, doesn't mean it's finished with. And that's if you don't want to find another use for it, which you definitely can, as we've got a guide on ways to repurpose your old smartphone.
There might be someone in your life who could use your old tech. Seniors who aren't well-acquainted with tech, or technophones who won't use a gadget much, don't necessarily need the newest and flashiest phone, and could easily make do with a several-year-old Android or iPhone mobile or tablet.
If you don't know anyone, hunt around a bit, because lots of charities take second-hand phones if you've still got chargers. Lots of people, including disadvantaged children or refugees, could have their lives greatly improved with a phone and all the possibilities it provides.
And if your phone is beyond repair, there are still ways you can help the planet with it. Handsets have lots of rare materials in them, so recycle them! If you simply Google 'recycle smartphone' you'll be able to find places nearby that will accept your phone and extract the important elements from it.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Buy smart
Not all new phones are equal when it comes to how eco-friendly they are - some companies seem to care about the planet, using sustainable materials and production practices, and others... don't.
Greenpeace used to publish an annual Guide to Greener Electronics - it hasn't done so since 2017, and you can find that one here, but it's a useful indication of which brands to look to and which to avoid.
The two main eco-friendly phone makers are Fairphone in Europe and Teracube in the US, and they make long-lasting phones with sustainable materials and fair manufacturing processes. If you want green mobiles (sometimes literally, in the case of the Fairphone 4) then they should be your first port of call.
You also should consider buying refurbished tech - these are second-hand mobiles that have been professionally restored to be as-new. If you buy from a trusted outlet these can treat you just as well as brand-new gadgets, but without the carbon footprint.
Even for mainstream phones, some brands like to make a fuss about climate considerations. Apple and Samsung in particular take time in their keynotes to discuss how their phones used sustainable materials for certain components, but it's always a little dubious as to how much this is honest, and how much is just disingenuous marketing fluff.
But with just a little research you can easily find which phones are better for the planet than others, and this can easily help your buying decision.
The OnePlus 10 shouldn’t exist, not least because OnePlus claimed it didn’t, but it now looks like it might well do anyway, as a leaker has shared many of the supposed specs.
According to @OnLeaks (a leaker with a good track record), speaking to Digit, the OnePlus 10 might not just 'exist' – it might even have the OnePlus 10 Pro beat in a couple of ways.
Specifically, it might have 150W charging (up from 80W in the OnePlus 10 Pro – or 65W for US buyers), and a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus chipset, up from the vanilla Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in the OnePlus 10 Pro.
That second spec looks far from certain at this point, as apparently OnePlus is currently deciding between that and the MediaTek Dimensity 9000, but even that latter chipset slightly outperforms the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in most benchmarks.
It’s very strange to think that the vanilla OnePlus 10 might be more powerful and faster at charging than the OnePlus 10 Pro, but then it’s also strange that this phone is launching so long after the Pro model – if it really does exist.
For now, we’d take the leak with a pinch of salt, but the rest of the rumored specs are at least more in line with what we’d expect, including a 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, 8GB or 12GB of RAM, 128GB or 256GB of storage, a 4,800mAh battery, and Android 12, with the company’s OxygenOS 12 overlaid on top of it.
The OnePlus 10 reportedly also has a triple-lens camera, with a 50MP main sensor, a 16MP ultra-wide one, and a 2MP macro snapper, while on the front there’s apparently a 32MP camera. So those specs are all either in line with or slightly worse sounding than what you’ll find on the OnePlus 10 Pro.
Another downgrade here could be the removal of the alert slider, and the leak says that we’ll see this phone in the second half of the year. So it could land more around the time when the company would typically have released ‘T’ models in the past.
The OnePlus Ace (Image credit: OnePlus)
Analysis: a reworked OnePlus Ace
OnePlus recently unveiled the OnePlus Ace in China, and going by these specs it sounds like the OnePlus 10 could be quite similar to that phone in a number of ways (and also to the OnePlus 10R, which is rumored to be the OnePlus Ace for an Indian audience).
The OnePlus Ace then has the same screen specs and can also come with the same storage and RAM amounts. It even has 150W charging, and its main and macro cameras have the same number of megapixels (though its ultrawide one is only 8MP).
The OnePlus 10 should be the better phone overall though if this leak is right, as the OnePlus Ace has a lesser Dimensity 8100 Max chipset, a 16MP selfie camera, and a smaller 4,500mAh battery.
We've been hearing rumors about many potential differences between the standard iPhone 14 and the Pro members of its family, including cameras, the lack of a notch and different chipsets, and another potential difference has now been mentioned in a report.
According to Chinese site MyDrivers, Apple is turning to display company BOE to create screens for the 6.1-inch iPhone 14, with 50 million panels expected to be built. It sounds like Apple is planning to stick with Samsung and LG to build screens for the other members of the family though, and those are the companies that Apple has relied on in the past.
BOE has made screens for Vivo, Huawei and Oppo phones, so it's by no means a new company, but it's not as big as Samsung in the mobile screen space.
It's worth pointing out that we've previously heard rumors of BOE making iPhone screens for loads of past models, so take this with a big pinch of salt. But there's a big reason why Apple might consider this:
Analysis: good news for iPhone fans
A display made by BOE likely won't look too far different from one made by LG or Samsung - don't expect the standard iPhone 14 to look wildly different from the Pro, Pro Max or Max if BOE is making the screens.
But by diversifying its production roots for the screens, Apple is making it much less likely that the iPhone 14 will be affected by global changes. If there are more lockdowns, only certain members of the iPhone family will be affected, not all of them.
It's worth pointing out that the screen companies have quite diverse bases. BOE is a Chinese state-owned company, but many of LG Display's factories are in South Korea, while Samsung also has plants in India. So no single lockdown will affect all three companies.
This, in turn, will mean that if there is still global uncertainty towards the middle of 2022, it won't affect the iPhone 14. So it will be fairly easy to buy, and you won't have to queue outside of an Apple store for hours to pick one up. Which is good news in our books.
Of course, this is all speculation, and more could go wrong in the world to affect iPhone availability (another Eyjafjallajökull situation, anyone?). But if Apple is signing on BOE, it can't be a bad thing for potential buyers.
