The Optus mobile network and some NBN services are currently experiencing a major nationwide outage, as of Tuesday morning (April 5th).

If you're a customer on the Optus network and wondering why you can't make calls, this is the reason, and the same goes for others trying to call friends or family that are with the telco.

Optus has acknowledged the outage and apologised for the inconvenience, promising that the restoration of these services is being worked on as a priority.

NBN outage

When querying this journalist's location on Optus' dedicated page for checking the network status of its NBN service, the telco also noted it's operating with a 'reduced service', stating:

“We've identified a fault which means Customers in the area may have no access to their Phone, Internet and/or Optus TV with Fetch services for the duration of the outage. We're working hard to have this issue resolved as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience”

It's currently unclear what extent of the Optus NBN network is impacted, with the vague language in this statement suggesting customers 'may have no access to their phone or internet'.

Regardless, network outages rarely last a full day, or even several hours, so we're expecting Optus to have its mobile and NBN services back online in the coming hours.

• Wondering what to do during an NBN outage?

If you've been hanging out to sign up for a new Telstra NBN plan, or upgrade to one of the telco's choice mobile plans, now's your chance to score a full free year of Disney Plus along with it (valued at AU$119.99 annually, or AU$11.99 monthly). 

This means you can net yourself blazing fast download speeds, or top-notch 5G coverage, so you can binge The Book of Boba Fett or stream all the latest Marvel movies to your heart's content.

If this deal sounds like a treat, you'll need to get a move on as the offer expires on March 28. If you sign up before this date, you'll have until May 31 to redeem the offer.

• Best Disney Plus shows: the best TV series you can stream right now
• Best Disney Plus movies: the greatest films on Disney's streaming service

To be eligible for the offer, you'll need to be a new customer of the AU$65, AU$85 or AU$115 mobile plan, the AU$55 or AU$85 data plan, or the telco’s NBN 50, NBN 100, NBN 250 or NBN 1000 broadband plans.

To actually redeem the Disney Plus offer, you’ll also need to be a new or returning subscriber, so if you have an active monthly subscription you’ll need to cancel it (and wait for your paid-for service period to have ended) in order to redeem the offer as a returning customer. 

Those with annual subscriptions that won’t expire before May 31 are therefore likely out of luck, unfortunately... Although in theory you may be able to use the offer to sign up for a separate new Disney Plus account.

If eligible, Telstra will send you an email or SMS with a link to redeem the offer. You’ll need to sign in to the Telstra Offers Hub page using your Telstra ID, and from there you’ll be able to click ‘redeem’. Once your free year of Disney Plus is up, you'll automatically roll into the monthly subscription tier (costing AU$11.99p/m) unless you cancel.

• Best Telstra mobile plans
• Best Telstra NBN plans

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Eligible Telstra NBN plans

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• Are Marvel's TV shows on Disney Plus worth the hype?

Telstra and TPG have today announced a new deal which allows the two major telcos to share network access, greatly improving the latter's coverage in regional and rural areas, which has been a sore point for the network to date.

The TPG Telecom group actually owns a few of Australia's providers, including Vodafone, iiNet and Felix, so all existing and future customers signed up to these telcos will benefit from the deal.

The agreement will mean that all telcos under TPG Telecom will have their 4G mobile coverage extended from around 96% to 98.8% of the Australian population, jumping ahead of Optus (with its current 97.3% reach) and second only to Telstra in Australia, itself measuring 99.2%.

TPG and its associated brands will gain access to roughly 3,700 additional coverage sites, increasing their 4G and 5G footprint fivefold compared with their existing reach.

New hope for regional and rural Australia

At present, many residents in regional and rural areas of Australia have a very limited choice when it comes to mobile providers, as Telstra's plans often present the only real option for obtaining coverage in these regions.

This means that affected customers are paying the premium prices associated with the telco, but the new deal will give these Australians access to more affordable alternatives via Vodafone, iiNet, Felix and even TPG's own mobile service.

The agreement is part of a 10-year deal, with customers being able to see its benefits "by the end of the year," and TPG Telecom has the option to request two extensions of five years apiece, totalling a possible 20-year period.

It's worth noting that the agreement is still subject to approval by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). Historically, the ACCC has attempted to block the TPG and Vodafone merger (unsuccessfully), so it's possible that the Aussie consumer watchdog may take issue with the potentially anti-competitive nature of the deal. 

When reaching out to the ACCC, chairman Rod Sims told TechRadar that "this is something we will have to look at very carefully".

For customers in major cities and other urban areas it will be business as usual once the deal goes ahead, with these Aussies continuing to have access to the 4G and 5G networks of the telco they signed up with.

• Best phone plans in Australia: Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and more compared

Rumors about Apple's iPhone 14 range have been bubbling away of late, with a recent leak suggesting a price jump for the Pro and Pro Max handsets, and another hinting at a large camera cutout replacing the notch.

According to Ross Young – an expert on supply-chain information regarding displays – Apple will incorporate both a circular and pill-shaped camera cutout on the front display of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max handsets. It's worth noting that Young thinks "the smaller hole will not be invisible".

As always, this leak may not prove accurate, but Young has a good track record and it does line up with a much earlier leak (and multiple rumors since) that the iPhone 14 range could ditch its iconic notch design.

If this leak is to be believed, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max's display will house a dot projector in the smaller, circular cutout with the actual front-facing camera being contained within the pill-shaped hole, alongside an IR (infrared) sensor.

Apple established its dot projector technology for the iPhone's Face ID biosecurity measure. It casts thousands of dots upon a user's face in order to 3D map it, which is then read by the IR sensor.

Opinion: why though?

Apple's notch has certainly been a divisive topic ever since it was introduced in the iPhone X in 2017, but the tech giant has stood by its design decision with each handset launched since, even introducing it in the latest MacBook Pro 14 and MacBook Pro 16.

As smartphones struggled to thin their bezels over the years, the notch was one solution to the issue of storing selfie cameras, speakers and other necessary tech on the front of the phone without dedicating an entire bar to it and reducing screen real estate.

Other manufacturers devised arguably more elegant solutions, like Samsung's punch-hole cutout that was introduced in the top corner of the Galaxy S10 ranges' displays, or (if the patent proves accurate) Realme's upcoming under-display camera.

Regardless of its reception, the notch's design and shape has become iconic for Apple, and we're not entirely convinced there's a good enough reason for them to abandon it at this stage – especially in favor of something that seems to take up a similar amount of space and in the same position.

If there are two separate holes, why not join them into a singular, long 'pill' – we doubt the small gap of visible display between the two will be useful for anything. While we're at it, Apple could also remove the useless space between this longer 'pill' and the top edge of the phone, transforming it into a ... notch!

Considering the effort Apple has made to establish the notch's synonymous identity with its mobile products, we think it would be reckless to abandon that now, unless there's a truly valid (and marketable) reason for the design shift.

• iPhone 14 Pro might still have a notch – but it could be a whole lot smaller

Thinking of catching up on The Book of Boba Fett, or maybe binging all the latest Marvel movies? Telstra’s latest offer will ensure you have plenty of time to watch all the Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars content you crave with a free year-long subscription to Disney Plus.

Normally costing AU$11.99 per month or AU$119.99 a year, Telstra is throwing in a 12-month sub to Disney’s premium streaming service for anyone who signs up t one of a wide range of mobile and NBN plans.

More specifically, the offer applies to new customers of the AU$65, AU$85 and AU$115 mobile plans, AU$55 and AU$85 data plans, and the telco’s NBN 50, NBN 100, NBN 250 and NBN 1000 broadband plans.

• Best Disney Plus shows: the best TV series you can stream right now
• Best Disney Plus movies: the greatest films on Disney's streaming service

As always, there are a few caveats with this bonus offer. You’ll need to sign up for one of these plans before March 28 to be eligible, and must redeem the Disney Plus offer before May 31.

You’ll also need to be a new or returning Disney Plus subscriber, so if you have an active monthly subscription you’ll need to cancel it (and for your paid-for service period to have ended) in order to redeem the offer as a returning customer. 

Those with annual subscriptions that won’t expire before May 31 are therefore likely out of luck, unfortunately... although in theory you may be able to use the offer to sign up for a separate new Disney Plus account.

If eligible, Telstra will send you an email or SMS with a link to redeem the offer. You’ll need to sign in to the Telstra Offers Hub page using your Telstra ID, and from there you’ll be able to click ‘redeem’. Once your free year of Disney Plus is up, you'll automatically roll into the monthly subscription tier (costing AU$11.99p/m) unless you cancel.

• Best Telstra Mobile plans in Australia
• Best Telstra NBN plans in Australia

Eligible Telstra mobile plans

Eligible Telstra NBN plans

Eligible Telstra data-only plans

• Are Marvel's TV shows on Disney Plus worth the hype?

Thinking of catching up on The Book of Boba Fett, or maybe binging all the latest Marvel movies? Telstra’s latest offer will ensure you have plenty of time to watch all the Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars content you crave with a free year-long subscription to Disney Plus.

Normally costing AU$11.99 per month or AU$119.99 a year, Telstra is throwing in a 12-month sub to Disney’s premium streaming service for anyone who signs up t one of a wide range of mobile and NBN plans.

More specifically, the offer applies to new customers of the AU$65, AU$85 and AU$115 mobile plans, AU$55 and AU$85 data plans, and the telco’s NBN 50, NBN 100, NBN 250 and NBN 1000 broadband plans.

• Best Disney Plus shows: the best TV series you can stream right now
• Best Disney Plus movies: the greatest films on Disney's streaming service

As always, there are a few caveats with this bonus offer. You’ll need to sign up for one of these plans before March 28 to be eligible, and must redeem the Disney Plus offer before May 31.

You’ll also need to be a new or returning Disney Plus subscriber, so if you have an active monthly subscription you’ll need to cancel it (and for your paid-for service period to have ended) in order to redeem the offer as a returning customer. 

Those with annual subscriptions that won’t expire before May 31 are therefore likely out of luck, unfortunately... although in theory you may be able to use the offer to sign up for a separate new Disney Plus account.

If eligible, Telstra will send you an email or SMS with a link to redeem the offer. You’ll need to sign in to the Telstra Offers Hub page using your Telstra ID, and from there you’ll be able to click ‘redeem’. Once your free year of Disney Plus is up, you'll automatically roll into the monthly subscription tier (costing AU$11.99p/m) unless you cancel.

• Best Telstra Mobile plans in Australia
• Best Telstra NBN plans in Australia

Eligible Telstra mobile plans

Eligible Telstra NBN plans

Eligible Telstra data-only plans

• Are Marvel's TV shows on Disney Plus worth the hype?

Since its recent launch, the Pixel 6 range has experienced poor fingerprint scanning performance, and now Google has shed a little light on why its biosecurity feature may act a little more slowly than expected.

Google's official Twitter account replied to a tweet that complained about the Pixel 6's under-display fingerprint scanner being inaccurate, with the tech giant citing its "enhanced security algorithms" as being responsible for slower fingerprint recognition.

As can be seen from the tweet, Google claims that "these added protections can take longer to verify or require more direct contact with the sensor", before pointing the original poster to its troubleshooting page.

This page provides some more obvious solutions, such as ensuring you have the latest version of Android, that you press and hold your finger firmly on the sensor, and that you're using one of the fingers you've actually enrolled for biometric security.

Among the list of remedies, Google also suggests that you make sure the display itself is clear of dirt and smudges, and that "If you have excessively dry fingers, moisturize or re-enroll fingerprint".

Actual solutions?

While Google's troubleshooting page may help address some of the simplest issues faced by users struggling with the Pixel 6's fingerprint scanner, it's clear from customer feedback that the problem can't simply be addressed with some moisturizer.

The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are the first flagships from Google to use the tech giant's own Tensor processor, which has an integrated security core, alongside the newer version of the dedicated Titan M2 security chip.

They're also the first of the tech giant's phones to feature under-display fingerprint scanning, and while other flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S21 use ultrasonic tech for speedier unlocks, Google employs an optical scanner, a technology which has been demonstrated to offer slower performance on the whole (albeit with its own issues). 

It's also less secure than ultrasonic tech, in that it only scans a 2D image of your digit, missing out on measuring the depth of your fingerprint grooves.

With that said, if Google's claim that the cause for delays and inaccuracies in scanning are due to its newly employed security measures, there's hope yet that this can be optimized via software or firmware updates, although there's no changing the hardware reality of the new Pixel range's optical scanners.

TechRadar has reached out to Google about the issue, asking if there are any proposed solutions in the pipeline, and while we're yet to hear a response, we'll update the story when we receive one.

• Google Pixel 6 vs iPhone 13: Has Google managed to undercut its great rival again?

Hot on the heels of the launch of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, new findings around Google's rumored folding phone (the Pixel Fold) have surfaced, hinting that the upcoming device won't get one of the standout upgrades from the latest range.

9to5Google has dug up information from the code of the Google Camera app that suggests the Pixel Fold will be getting the same 12.2MP primary camera the tech giant has used since its Pixel 3 handset from 2018.

Obviously, this means it'll miss out on the 50MP primary snapper of the Pixel 6 series – one of the standout upgrades in this year's lineup of Google flagships. 

However, if these findings are to be believed, the Pixel Fold will still get the 12MP ultrawide camera (from the Pixel 6) alongside the older 12.2MP primary sensor, as well as a pair of 8MP selfie cameras – one for when the Pixel Fold is open, and the other when it's folded.

Downgrade?

While it may seem like a step backwards to launch a newer phone that lacks the latest componentry of its predecessor, this certainly isn't unprecedented when it comes to foldable phones.

Both Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 3 and the significantly more premium Galaxy Z Fold 3 don't share the same powerful camera specs with the Galaxy S21 Ultra. Similarly, Motorola's Edge 20 Pro with its 108MP primary camera is leagues ahead of the Motorola Razr (2020)'s 48MP unit, and costs a good deal less.

The reasoning for this can vary, but when you look at the size of the new camera 'visor' in the Pixel 6 phones, you can imagine that at least part of the reason may be to keep the foldable phones slim.

What's more, Google has been well renowned in the smartphone industry for its photo chops thanks to its impressive machine learning and software that goes into it, with the hardware specs of most Pixel phones not mattering nearly as much as the behind-the-scenes action.

If Google is able to keep its folding phone svelte and still offer the excellent algorithmic photo and video capabilities it's been known for, all the while reducing costs by foregoing more recent and expensive tech, we're not too worried about the camera hardware being downgraded.

2022 release

Previous information had pointed at a late 2021 release for the rumored Pixel Fold, but as that time period is coming to a close, it's looking more likely to be next year at the earliest.

Furthermore, 9to5Google's analysis of the code has found a reference to "isPixel2022Foldable" – a term that's structured much the same way as previous releases such as the Pixel 4's "isPixel2019". 

This is fairly strong evidence to suggest that Google expects to launch its Pixel Fold next year, which would line up perfectly with the company's Q2 2022 launch of the recently announced Android 12L, a restructuring of the Android 12 mobile OS that's been designed to work with larger screens in foldable devices and tablets.

Despite the strength of all these latest findings, they still aren't close to being official announcements from Google itself, so as always, take them with a grain of salt.

• Best Pixel phones: we've ranked all the Google Pixel handsets worth buying

Two years ago, Google's Pixel 4 range introduced a safety feature in the US, UK and Australia that detected if the user was in a car crash and automatically dialed emergency services, and now a report suggests Apple could be following suit.

According to material seen by The Wall Street Journal and "people familiar with the feature", Apple plans to roll out crash detection to its iPhone and Apple Watch devices in 2022.

We suspect that Apple's implementation will be much the same as the Android version, which works via Google's Personal Safety app and uses the device's accelerometer and other sensors to detect if an accident has occurred. 

The phone will then ask the user if emergency services need to be called and, if there's no response, will automatically dial the country's appropriate emergency number as well as share GPS location and other info (such as blood type and organ donor status, if applicable).

It's worth noting that some modern cars already include features along these lines with their on-board smart displays and connected services, but making crash detection widely available to smartphone users will bring the safety feature to a great deal more drivers.

Rumor or reality?

While it's still in rumor territory, there's no reason to doubt Apple would be keen on introducing such a feature given the precedent it set in using the Apple Watch as a medical alert system. 

This utilizes similar sensor and accelerometer capabilities as mentioned above to detect falls for those with mobility issues, and then automatically sends SOS alerts to chosen contacts and eventually emergency services – it can also share a users exact location via GPS.

With this functionality already in place, it wouldn't be too big a stretch for the tech giant to introduce car crash detection that operates under similar principles, and it would presumably be under the same 'opt-in' capacity to allay any fears of privacy and personal data misuse.

• For more on the latest Android flagship, read our Google Pixel 6 review