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3D photography has never taken off in the same way as the two-dimensional art form, but the Apple Vision Pro and iPhone are aiming to change that. If they succeed, it could change the way we capture and experience memories.

That lofty goal is far from guaranteed. After all, Apple's introduction of the Vision Pro (its "first 3D camera") was simultaneously the most interesting and creepy part of a launch that often felt like a Black Mirror outtake.

The long list of meme-worthy Vision Pro launch moments means it's easy to forget that Apple announced a device that captures "spatial photos and videos in 3D". Considering the company's last camera (outside the iPhone) was the Apple QuickTake in 1994, that's a pretty big deal.

On the other hand, the Vision Pro is a camera you have to wear on your face – and Apple's almost comical demo led to widespread mockery, even from those who helped create it. This doesn't mean 3D photos and video are again doomed to being fringe novelties. It just means the Apple Vision Pro needs a device that can capture those 'spatial' memories, while it focuses on the playback experience.

Those 3D cameras will almost certainly be the iPhone and iPad. And while this will all likely come too soon for the iPhone 15, the iPhone 16 – or perhaps next year's iPad Pro – could add the necessary sensors and software to Apple's existing Lidar scanner to become the spatial cameras that the Apple Vision Pro desperately needs. If they do, then 3D photos and video could well become the next big smartphone camera feature.

Memory palace

Apple is far from the only company that's been exploring the possibilities of capturing memories in three dimensions. The idea itself goes all the way back to the first stereoscopes in the 1830s, but more recently we've seen the invite-only Wist (below) promise to let you shoot "immersive memories" on your phone that can then be re-lived on headsets like the Meta Quest 2. 

An adjacent trend is the rise of apps like Polycam, which is the most popular 3D scanning app for iOS and Android. Polycam's founder, Chris Heinrich, told us that the Apple Vision Pro's spatial photos are an exciting moment and that current phone cameras will need to evolve to shoot them.

"Regular images and photos appear very flat in 3D, and do not live up to the potential of the hardware compared to 3D or stereoscopic content,' Heinrich says. But the Vision Pro's three-dimensional snaps are also different from full 3D scans. "The spatial photos and videos that they [Apple] announced are not proper 3D models, but rather stereoscopic photos which produce a 3D effect, and perhaps allow for some small head movement," he adds.

Still, while spatial photos and 3D scanning apps are different beasts, Polycam thinks the two will likely co-exist in many apps. "We anticipate that Apple will let third-party developers import spatial photos and videos from the Photos app like they do regular photos and videos," Heinrich adds. "And if this is the case, we will likely support importing, viewing, and editing spatial photos and videos with Polycam", he adds.

Future gazing

For many, the idea of capturing 3D memories will sound like a gimmick. After all, 3D TVs – which the Apple Vision Pro is arguably the natural successor to – were one of tech's biggest flops. And ten years ago, stereo cameras like the Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W1 similarly failed to leave a cultural mark.

But even before the arrival of the Vision Pro, a growing number of experts were hailing 3D snapping as the next biggest thing since the arrival of digital photography. And now that Apple has entered the game, the question is how quickly might it finally take off?

The obvious conclusion from the Vision Pro launch was that the iPhone 15, tipped to land in September, would surely be able to shoot spatial photos and video for Apple's headset. But it might not be quite that simple, according to Polycam's Chris Heinrich.

He says that spatial photos "may require adding yet another camera to the iPhone that is spaced further (about the distance between our eyes) from the other cameras" and that this "would have cost and design tradeoffs that probably won't justify adding it just yet". Instead, it looks more likely that 2024 will be the year for spatial memories to take off. "My guess is that they [Apple] will release the headset first, and if spatial photos and videos are a hit, they will consider adding it on the iPhone 16 or later", he adds.

What isn't in question is that the iPhone and iPad are far more suited to shooting spatial photos and videos than the Vision Pro itself. "I think it makes sense for Apple to support capturing spatial photos and videos on the iPhone because, firstly, capturing photos from a hand-held device is much more natural than capturing from a headset and, secondly, it plays into their strengths of owning a multi-device platform", he concludes.

Minority Report

Polycam isn't the only app that's excited about the potential for 3D photos and videos, following the arrival of the Vision Pro. The team behind Halide, still widely considered to be the best camera app around, said on Twitter after WWDC 2023 that "it's a great time for us to be a camera app on iPhone", but they also agree that the iPhone 15 is likely too soon for phone-based spatial photos.

"Current iPhones can't create proper spatial captures the way the headset [Apple Vision Pro] can," Halide said in a separate Tweet. "We'll need a significant improvement in terms of processing power and sensor fidelity and quality to make that work" they added.

Given the rate of change on phone cameras – and the relative plateauing of 2D camera features – the iPhone 16 seems like a decent bet to be Apple's first phone with stereoscopic lenses for capturing 3D photos and video.

But alongside the technical challenge of making that happen, Apple will also need to work hard on getting the average person as excited about 'spatial' memories as iOS developers are. As our hands-on Apple Vision Pro review concluded following a demo of the feature, "it was alike a postcard from Minority Report but instead of pre-cogs, we have a past-cog Vision Pro letting us relive moments like never before".

That definitely sounds like a fun sci-fi experience – but as the last decade of VR headsets has taught us, there's a big difference between making science fiction a reality and turning that into mainstream success.

Apple’s current flagship iPhone feature, the Dynamic Island, is set to trickle down to the standard iPhone 15 when the device launches in September this year – but now we’re almost certain that the company’s next vanilla iPhone will be getting a 48MP main camera, too.

We’ve actually been hearing this rumor for months, but it’s now been corroborated by a new report – seen by ITHome – which says that Sony has asked chipmaker TSMC to help it manage more demanding iPhone orders in light of every model in the upcoming iPhone 15 line featuring a 48MP main camera.

For reference, the standard iPhone 14 features a dual-camera setup comprising a 12MP main sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide camera. This setup is essentially unchanged from the iPhone 13 – save for the upgraded imaging pipeline and larger aperture measurements inside the iPhone 14 – so it’s good to hear that Apple may be preparing to give vanilla iPhone fans a tangible reason to consider upgrading to the iPhone 15 this year.

Notably, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max were the first iPhones to get pixel-binning 48MP sensors. In other words, they’re capable of capturing 12MP images, with four pixels combined into one effective larger pixel, which results in better low-light performance and color fidelity.

By the sounds of things, though, these premium sensors won’t be remaining exclusive to Apple’s Pro-level iPhones for much longer, and the addition of a 48MP camera on the standard iPhone 15 seems likely to result in a camera bump redesign versus the iPhone 14, too. 

That’s not to say the gap between the standard iPhone 15 and its Pro siblings will be any smaller than the usual vanilla/Pro divide, though. The iPhone 15 Pro and much-rumored iPhone 15 Ultra are set for some serious camera upgrades of their own come September, with one or both models expected to feature periscope cameras and the biggest iPhone camera sensors ever. The Ultra could even get a telephoto camera with a variable zoom lens. Yikes.

The standard iPhone 15 may also still lack one of the iPhone 14 Pro’s biggest features. The latter boasts adaptive 1-120Hz refresh rate technology (dubbed ProMotion) that automatically adjusts the smoothness of its display to suit whatever’s happening on-screen, but the iPhone 15 will reportedly stick with its predecessor’s 60Hz refresh rate. 

Apple’s always-on display functionality relies on ProMotion to function, so it looks like the standard iPhone 15 won’t be getting that feature, either. 

That said, if you’re not fussed by the iPhone 14 Pro’s always-on display functionality but like the look of its Dynamic Island, better camera, and super-fast A16 Bionic processor, then the base iPhone 15 could be a cheaper alternative to Apple’s current flagship handset.

Tired of writing emails from your phone? Google’s AI-powered Help Me Write tool for Gmail is coming to Android and iOS to help you draft replies in no time.

Since Google I/O 2023, Google has been releasing a bunch of in-development AI tools such as its updated Google Bard chatbot and Help Me Write, its new writing assistant. Help Me Write was previously only available to enrolled Workspace testers on desktop, but now those users will be able to use it in the Gmail app on their smartphone. This hopefully points towards a wider rollout soon.

Help Me Write works in two main ways. It can edit an email you’ve already written – for example, it can shorten it if it’s too wordy, make it more sound more formal, or insert emojis to create a more casual vibe with the ‘I’m feeling lucky’ option. 

Alternatively, if you’re in a rush you can provide the tool with a quick prompt and it’ll draft the whole thing for you. You can then edit it yourself, or use the same refinements (see image below) as before to tweak the length and tone.

In testing we’ve found the AI is generally better as an editor than a writer, but if you’ve got to draft a bunch of replies to tedious emails, then letting the AI take over the bulk of the work can be a major time-saver.

To get started with Help Me Write on Android or iOS you’ll need to download the Gmail app and sign into the account that has access to the Workspace prototype. Then, when you next compose an email you should see a Help Me Write prompt appear in the bottom right corner of your screen.

The update is steadily rolling out, so even if you’re signed up for Workspace Labs you might not yet see the Help Me Write option in Gmail on mobile yet.

How to get Help Me Write

To get access to Help Me Write and some other AI tools it’s working on you’ll need to sign up for the invite-only Google Workspace Labs and get approval.

To request this, make sure you’re logged into your Google account on your browser of choice and go to the official Workspace Labs sign-up page. After reading through some details you’ll find some consumer acknowledgments that you’ll need to check off before you can hit ‘Submit’. Do this and you’ll be signed up to Workspace Labs.

As the tools are only in beta don’t expect them to be perfect – we’d recommend reading any AI-written emails before sending them off in case you find any huge errors. You’ll also find that the AI currently uses US English – so if you’re living in a region that uses 'colour' instead of 'color' or calls aubergines 'eggplants', you might find you have to correct the AI a fair bit.

If you want to try out some other powerful AI tools, check out our guide to the best ChatGPT alternatives.

Vodafone and Three have officially announced plans to merge in a move that is set to hugely shake up the UK mobile market.

In a statement, Vodafone and CK Hutchinson, the owner of Three UK, confirmed a deal that should see the formation of a new £15bn-valued telco giant and, "create one of Europe's leading 5G networks."

Vodafone is set to be the slight majority owner of the new combined group, known for now as MergeCo, controlling 51%, with CK Hutchinson keeping the remaining 49%. 

Vodafone-Three merger

Margherita Della Valle, Vodafone Group Chief Executive, described the merger as being “great for customers, great for the country and great for competition.”  

“The merger is great for customers, great for the country and great for competition. It’s transformative as it  will create a best-in-class – indeed best in Europe – 5G network, offering customers a superior experience," she added. 

"As a country, the UK will benefit from the creation of a sustainable, strongly competitive third scaled operator – with a clear £11 billion network investment plan – driving growth, employment and innovation. For Vodafone, this transaction is a game changer in our home market. This is a vote of confidence in the UK  and its ambitions to be a centre for future technology.” 

“Today’s announcement is a major milestone for CK Hutchison and for the UK," added Canning Fok, Group Co-Managing Director of CK Hutchison. "Three UK and Vodafone UK  currently lack the necessary scale on their own to earn their cost of capital. This has long been a challenge  for Three UK’s ability to invest and compete." 

"Together, we will have the scale needed to deliver a best-in class 5G network for the UK, transforming mobile services for our customers and opening up new  opportunities for businesses across the length and breadth of the UK. This will unlock significant value for  CK Hutchison and its shareholders, realise material synergies, reduce net financial indebtedness and further  strengthen its financial profile.”

In a press release, the two companies highlighted the advantages of combining their two 5G networks for consumers and businesses alike.

They expect MergeCo to deliver up to £5 billion per year in UK economic benefit by 2030, supporting the digital transformation for schools, hospitals and businesses, with its standalone 5G network will cover every school and hospital in the UK by 2030,  helping deliver the Government’s stretch ambition as set out in the Wireless Infrastructure Strategy.

MergeCo also intends to invest over £6 billion in the first five years, and £11 billion over a ten year plan, to create a best-in-class 5G network, supporting between 8,000 and 12,000 new jobs in the wider economy.

Analysis: A major disruption - for better or worse?

Rumors of Vodafone/CK Hutchinson merger have been ongoing for quite some time now, and triggered major moves in the market, with Della Valle's predecessor Nick Read, stepping down due to not being able to consolidate the UK market, which frustrated shareholders.

Less than a month ago, Della Valle announced the company would be cutting 11,000 jobs in an effort to become more agile on the market.

The deal is still pending regulatory approval in both the UK and CK Hutchinson's home nation of Hong Kong, with some observers not viewing the further reduction of the number of UK network operators very kindly.

If the deal does end up going through, the resulting group will become the biggest mobile operator in the UK, with some 27 million customers. That would place it above BT’s EE and VM O2, as well as Liberty Global, which some analysts have predicted could disrupt the UK market significantly.

“This long-awaited mega merger represents the biggest shake-up in the UK mobile market for over a decade," noted Kester Mann, Director, Consumer and Connectivity, CCS Insight. 

“The deal makes plenty of sense as both providers are sub-scale. As separate entities, it would have been near impossible for either to grow enough organically to come close to challenging BT or Virgin Media O2 for size. Inevitably however, there will be widespread fears over job cuts.”

 “An £11 billion network investment plan will seek to allay regulatory concerns. But this deal will still face a major challenge to win approval. At this stage, I believe it is too difficult to call either way.”

 “The prospect the deal leads to higher prices will be a major concern for the CMA. Vodafone and Three may have shot themselves in the foot by recently hiking tariffs by up to 14.4%.”

 “My view is that the deal should be approved. It is better to have three strong providers than two that are dominant and two that are sub-scale. Blocking it could thwart the long-term development of the UK’s telecoms infrastructure.”

 “A marriage of convenience makes sense. Scale is key to help lower costs and improve margins," noted Paolo Pescatore from PP Foresight.

"It will take years before we see the real fruits of this deal come to fruition. The question is, can the UK wait that long? However, convergence still remains the achilles heel if this does get over the line. It would create a mobile champion that could increase competition in the wholesale segment of the market and become a partner of choice for MVNOs.”

• Check out the best cheap cell phone plans

Apple’s latest iOS update – iOS 16.5 – brought with it a host of bug fixes for issues related to the iPhone lock screen and Safari app, but the company is reportedly preparing to release another patch-heavy update ahead of iOS 17’s arrival later this year. 

According to a note seen by tech website BGR, the release of iOS 16.5.1 is imminent, with the incremental update set to address several frustrating iPhone issues including one relating to premature battery drain. 

Hundreds of iPhone users have been reporting faster-than-usual battery drain after downloading iOS 16.5 on their iPhones, and although we recently sought to reassure users that this annoying battery hiccup is completely normal, Apple is reportedly planning to roll out a fix for those who have been dealing with the issue for some time. 

iOS 16.5.1 will also address a bug causing iPhone users’ Wi-Fi to disconnect automatically, as well as an issue relating to inaccurate Weather app information. 

Given that iOS 16.6 is currently in beta, we’d expect Apple to push out iOS 16.5.1 sooner rather than later. As such, we'd guess the update will become available to download to anyone who owns an iPhone 8 or newer in the next week or so. 

iOS 17 isn't slated to arrive until September, but Apple’s presentation at WWDC 2023 did give us an idea of what to expect from the company’s next major iOS overhaul.

Among the 10 best iOS 17 features heading to iPhones in September are a suite of iMessage-related upgrades that will widen the gap between Apple’s proprietary messaging service and SMS/RCS. For instance, the iOS 17 beta gives iPhone users the ability to edit texts, reply in threads, and send iMessage-quality videos in group chats containing iPhone users and Android users, and we expect at least some of those features to cross over into the final build of iOS 17.

iOS 17 will also introduce a new StandBy feature that turns your iPhone into a smart display akin to an Amazon Echo Show or a Google Nest Hub, and Live Voicemail will allow you to see – and interrupt – a live transcript of your calls as your caller records a voicemail message.

There are plenty more confirmed iOS 17 features to get excited about ahead of the update’s release later this year, but in the meantime, keep an eye out for iOS 16.5.1 in your iPhone’s Software Update page.

If you’re eager to get your hands on the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE then the latest news is mixed – or rather, it could be good or bad, depending on where you are in the world.

That's because SamMobile claims to have learned that the phone will launch in Q3 of this year, meaning sometime between the beginning of July and the end of September. That’s earlier than we were expecting, as the same site had previously said the Galaxy S23 FE would land in the fourth quarter of this year.

However, according to SamMobile this initial launch will only be in select markets, with the rest of the world getting the Galaxy S23 FE during the final three months of 2023 and the first few months of 2024.

So if you’re in one of the select markets that’s reportedly getting the phone in Q3, you might not have long to wait at all. But other regions could be waiting as long as we’d previously expected or even longer, in the case of places that don’t get the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE until next year.

Beyond that, this leak reiterates earlier claims that the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE will have an Exynos 2200 chipset. That’s the same chipset as European models of the Samsung Galaxy S22 series use, so it’s a little dated, but then that should help Samsung keep the cost of the phone down.

We would however take this leak with the requisite pinch of salt. Not only are leaks never guaranteed to be accurate, but – at least when it comes to the release date – SamMobile is changing its previous claim, so in at least one instance the site is going to be proved wrong on this.

The right chipset at the right time

We hope the site is right though, both in terms of the release date (at least for the places that might get it in Q3) and in terms of the chipset. 

One issue faced by previous FE models was baffling release timing, with the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE for example launching just a month before the Galaxy S22. That made it almost instantly feel dated, and on top of that it was long enough after the launch of the standard Samsung Galaxy S21 that price cuts to that flagship meant the FE wasn’t much if any cheaper, so it didn’t have a clear selling point.

If Samsung launches the Galaxy S23 FE in the next few months, there will still be a long gap before the Samsung Galaxy S24 series launches, and the price of the standard Samsung Galaxy S23 likely won’t have been reduced by significant amounts. Though of course in regions that are waiting longer for the S23 FE, Samung could run into the same issues as in previous years.

As for the chipset, Samsung typically uses high-end Snapdragon ones in its FE models, but by using an in-house Exynos chipset and one that’s a bit older at that, the company can likely save some money, potentially leading to a lower price for the Galaxy S23 FE. If it’s priced cheaper, then it will be further differentiated from the standard Galaxy S23, making it a more attractive option, and a contender for our list of the best Samsung phones.

Google devices of all stripes today were treated to a feature drop, which is larger than a security update but smaller than a whole-number OS change. Google drops features every three months or so, and they include large and small updates across myriad devices. The June 2023 Pixel Feature Drop is so wide that it hits Pixel phones, Pixel Watch, Fitbit watches and even the Pixel Tablet and Pixel Fold, which are available for pre-order but won’t be on shelves until late June. 

The most important new feature is the safety check coming to Google Assistant on Pixel phones. You can say “Hey Google, start a safety check for 60 minutes,” and in an hour Google Assistant will check up on you. If you don’t respond to the safety check, Google can notify your emergency contacts and send them your real-time location.

When I talked about this feature with a group of cynical technology journalists, the most common response was “What if I ask for a safety check then get drunk at a bar and forget to answer my phone?”

To be fair, there are certainly ways this can go wrong, but it seems like a very useful feature for a night run or if you’re worried about meeting somebody new on a first date. I’d like to see how the check and response works before I pass judgment, but I don’t share my colleagues' skepticism.

 Macro Focus Video and other photo features

For raw power improvements, the most exciting new feature in the drop is the Macro Focus Video coming to Google Pixel 7 Pro. Google says that the same enhanced macro focusing capabilities found in the 7 Pro’s still imaging will now be available for videography. We’ll be giving this a whirl soon. 

If you have a Pixel 6 phone or newer, there is a new way to trigger a selfie. You can now raise your palm to start a timer, then put your hand away because it looks silly. You have 3 or 10 seconds before it takes the photo. There are similar features on other phones, but this is new to Pixel devices.

If you have a great photo with a sharp subject in focus, Google can create cinematic wallpapers for Pixel devices. We’ll be giving these a try, but Google says that cinematic wallpapers are “dynamic 3D scenes” with a “truly magical look.” If they aren’t magical enough for you, you can mix and match emoji for a customized emoji wallpaper, a popular Pixel feature that is being expanded with more patterns and color combos.

 Health and safety features for Pixel Watch and more

For Pixel Watch owners, the wearable gets a major improvement with blood oxygen (SpO2) tracking. It will monitor your oxygen levels over time and give you periodic updates and alerts through your health apps.

The Pixel Watch will also track your heart rate patterns over time and send you an alert if your heart rate seems abnormally high or abnormally low. While Google isn’t claiming it can diagnose a problem, it is clearly trying to head off a problem before something major occurs. 

Google is also bringing some minor improvements to its car crash detection, which has been a part of Pixel phones since 2019. Between the safety check features, new emergency location sharing, and all of these long term health features, it sure feels like Google is arming its customers against robust future possibilities.

 Even the Pixel Tablet and Pixel Fold get 'new' features 

The Pixel Tablet isn’t here yet, but that doesn’t mean it gets left out of the June feature drop. It is scheduled to arrive on June 20, after all. With the updates to the smart home control screen, Google makes clear that the Pixel Tablet will also get better home controls, and shows off new screens in a blog post and demo animations.

These improved controls are part of the Google Home app (Google has many, many apps), and they will appear on your lock screen if you own a new Pixel 7a phone or the upcoming Pixel Tablet. The new screen will also work on the Pixel Fold foldable smartphone that is available for pre-order and should arrive at the end of this month, if the current best shipping dates of June 27 hold.

 Google shows Fitbit devices some love

Google owns Fitbit so even Fitbit owners get Pixel Feature Drop updates, which is kind of like when you are visiting your friend’s family on a gift-giving holiday that you don’t celebrate and they have to give you something from the pile to make you feel included. 

If you have a Fitbit Charge 5, a Fitbit Luxe, or a Fitbit Inspire 3 wearable, you get new clock faces. Sense 2 and Versa 4 owners can access a new tile for monitoring menstrual health, should you be interested in digitally tracking your cycle from your wrist without needing to open a smartphone app. A wide variety of Fitbit devices will see minor interface improvements, as well.

Analysis: Feature drops are fun but no substitute

Google’s feature drop habit for Pixels and beyond is a fun way to add features and even some mystery to ownership, but is mystery what people really want? Some major features have been announced when a phone is launched then included in a later feature drop, like a Pixel phone feature that made for clear phone calls, a major improvement. 

I’m not sure Google has talked about the macro video feature for Pixel 7 Pro phones, but that is a cool addition for Google’s flagship. As with every Google photo feature, it’s always possible this will creep down into the less expensive models, as Google features often rely on the Tensor platform that every new Google Pixel phone since the Pixel 6 shares. 

We still haven’t seen a major Pixel feature drop that gives us significantly more reason to buy a Pixel device than we had at launch. A minor, unpredictable update once every three months or so is fun, but it’s not what I really want from Google.

Apple doesn’t have feature drops, it has major OS upgrades, and every iPhone that has been produced in the last five or six years will get the same iOS 17 upgrade, depending on the hardware. No other phone maker comes close to that longevity of support. I’d prefer Google commit to supporting its own devices with its own OS for much longer, and drop the feature drops for a while.

Google devices of all stripes today were treated to a feature drop, which is larger than a security update but smaller than a whole-number OS change. Google drops features every three months or so, and they include large and small updates across myriad devices. The June 2023 Pixel Feature Drop is so wide that it hits Pixel phones, Pixel Watch, Fitbit watches and even the Pixel Tablet and Pixel Fold, which are available for pre-order but won’t be on shelves until late June. 

The most important new feature is the safety check coming to Google Assistant on Pixel phones. You can say “Hey Google, start a safety check for 60 minutes,” and in an hour Google Assistant will check up on you. If you don’t respond to the safety check, Google can notify your emergency contacts and send them your real-time location.

When I talked about this feature with a group of cynical technology journalists, the most common response was “What if I ask for a safety check then get drunk at a bar and forget to answer my phone?”

To be fair, there are certainly ways this can go wrong, but it seems like a very useful feature for a night run or if you’re worried about meeting somebody new on a first date. I’d like to see how the check and response works before I pass judgment, but I don’t share my colleagues' skepticism.

 Macro Focus Video and other photo features

For raw power improvements, the most exciting new feature in the drop is the Macro Focus Video coming to Google Pixel 7 Pro. Google says that the same enhanced macro focusing capabilities found in the 7 Pro’s still imaging will now be available for videography. We’ll be giving this a whirl soon. 

If you have a Pixel 6 phone or newer, there is a new way to trigger a selfie. You can now raise your palm to start a timer, then put your hand away because it looks silly. You have 3 or 10 seconds before it takes the photo. There are similar features on other phones, but this is new to Pixel devices.

If you have a great photo with a sharp subject in focus, Google can create cinematic wallpapers for Pixel devices. We’ll be giving these a try, but Google says that cinematic wallpapers are “dynamic 3D scenes” with a “truly magical look.” If they aren’t magical enough for you, you can mix and match emoji for a customized emoji wallpaper, a popular Pixel feature that is being expanded with more patterns and color combos.

 Health and safety features for Pixel Watch and more

For Pixel Watch owners, the wearable gets a major improvement with blood oxygen (SpO2) tracking. It will monitor your oxygen levels over time and give you periodic updates and alerts through your health apps.

The Pixel Watch will also track your heart rate patterns over time and send you an alert if your heart rate seems abnormally high or abnormally low. While Google isn’t claiming it can diagnose a problem, it is clearly trying to head off a problem before something major occurs. 

Google is also bringing some minor improvements to its car crash detection, which has been a part of Pixel phones since 2019. Between the safety check features, new emergency location sharing, and all of these long term health features, it sure feels like Google is arming its customers against robust future possibilities.

 Even the Pixel Tablet and Pixel Fold get 'new' features 

The Pixel Tablet isn’t here yet, but that doesn’t mean it gets left out of the June feature drop. It is scheduled to arrive on June 20, after all. With the updates to the smart home control screen, Google makes clear that the Pixel Tablet will also get better home controls, and shows off new screens in a blog post and demo animations.

These improved controls are part of the Google Home app (Google has many, many apps), and they will appear on your lock screen if you own a new Pixel 7a phone or the upcoming Pixel Tablet. The new screen will also work on the Pixel Fold foldable smartphone that is available for pre-order and should arrive at the end of this month, if the current best shipping dates of June 27 hold.

 Google shows Fitbit devices some love

Google owns Fitbit so even Fitbit owners get Pixel Feature Drop updates, which is kind of like when you are visiting your friend’s family on a gift-giving holiday that you don’t celebrate and they have to give you something from the pile to make you feel included. 

If you have a Fitbit Charge 5, a Fitbit Luxe, or a Fitbit Inspire 3 wearable, you get new clock faces. Sense 2 and Versa 4 owners can access a new tile for monitoring menstrual health, should you be interested in digitally tracking your cycle from your wrist without needing to open a smartphone app. A wide variety of Fitbit devices will see minor interface improvements, as well.

Analysis: Feature drops are fun but no substitute

Google’s feature drop habit for Pixels and beyond is a fun way to add features and even some mystery to ownership, but is mystery what people really want? Some major features have been announced when a phone is launched then included in a later feature drop, like a Pixel phone feature that made for clear phone calls, a major improvement. 

I’m not sure Google has talked about the macro video feature for Pixel 7 Pro phones, but that is a cool addition for Google’s flagship. As with every Google photo feature, it’s always possible this will creep down into the less expensive models, as Google features often rely on the Tensor platform that every new Google Pixel phone since the Pixel 6 shares. 

We still haven’t seen a major Pixel feature drop that gives us significantly more reason to buy a Pixel device than we had at launch. A minor, unpredictable update once every three months or so is fun, but it’s not what I really want from Google.

Apple doesn’t have feature drops, it has major OS upgrades, and every iPhone that has been produced in the last five or six years will get the same iOS 17 upgrade, depending on the hardware. No other phone maker comes close to that longevity of support. I’d prefer Google commit to supporting its own devices with its own OS for much longer, and drop the feature drops for a while.

A series of leaked renders for OnePlus’ Nord 3 have recently surfaced, potentially giving us our first look at the upcoming smartphone.

The renders come from German tech website WinFuture, and they appear to be either marketing or press images which may indicate an imminent launch. If you check out the photos, you may notice the device has an identical design to the China-exclusive OnePlus Ace 2V. This gives credence to a previous rumor stating the company is rebranding the Ace 2V as the successor of the Nord line for Western users. It’ll even come in the same black and mint green color options. 

Specs

Assuming it really is a renamed Ace 2V, the Nord 3 at launch will look a little different than what current rumors suggest. A leak from March 2022 claimed the future device would sport a 6.7-inch screen outputting a resolution of 1080 x 2412 pixels. With the new information in mind, the Nord 3 may have a 6.74-inch, 120Hz AMOLED screen outputting a resolution of 1024 x 2772 – a small bump in quality.

Under the hood, the phone is set to come with the high-end Dimensity 9000 chipset (not the Dimensity 8100 as previously reported) alongside 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. Other potential changes include a 5000 mAh battery complete with 80W fast charge, plus a three-camera system led by a 50MP wide lens; not 64MP as seen on the Ace 2V. The ultra wide-angle and macro lenses on the Nord 3 will remain the same at 8MP and 2MP, respectively.  

Pending launch

Of course, take this information with a grain of salt. OnePlus can final adjustments to the Nord 3's hardware at any time. If the leaks do come true, however, it’ll make the Nord 3 a more than worthy follow-up to the OnePlus Nord 2. It appears the brand is building on what made the Nord 2 so great and addressing some of our complaints, such as the lackluster 90Hz screen on the older model.

A release date for the Nord 3 remains unknown although it is worth pointing out that the smartphone has already appeared on several certification sites leading many to believe the launch is almost here. Those same websites, by the way, also hint at the 80W fast charging mentioned earlier – providing further proof the Nord 3 is a renamed Ace 2V. Price tag is a mystery, too, at least at the time of this writing. We expect the price point to be around £379 to £399.

Until we get more info about the Nord 3, be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the best OnePlus phones for 2023 if you’re in the market for a new handheld.

For those of us in the Western Hemisphere (sorry, Australian readers), the summer is bringing warmer weather – which makes it increasingly tricky to keep our tech cool and our iPhones from overheating.

Helpfully, Apple has integrated a temperature warning system into iOS that will trigger the following alert should your iPhone get too hot: “iPhone needs to cool down before you can use it.” Cue panic. 

iPhones function best at temperatures between 32F to 95F (0C and 35C), but once this message pops up, they enter a coma-like state where emergency calls are about the only task they’re able to carry out until they’ve cooled back down again. 

So, how do you stop your iPhone from overheating? And what should you do if you’re met with Apple’s temperature warning message? We’ve already detailed the best ways to stop your smartphone overheating in a separate article, but in this guide, we share Apple-specific guidance to protect your beloved iPhone from heat-related harm. 

For starters, the best – and perhaps most obvious – way to protect your iPhone from overheating is to avoid using it for long periods in direct sunlight. Not only does the heat from the sun quite literally make the phone hotter in your hand, but the increased glare might also encourage you to whack up your iPhone’s screen brightness to the max – which in turn further worsens the risk of overheating. 

Of course, checking the odd text or switching Spotify tracks while sitting in the sun’s spotlight won’t do your iPhone any harm, but it’s wise to avoid using your device in such a way for longer than five minutes (enjoy the sun instead – Instagram can wait!). 

Playing power-hungry mobile games or streaming high-quality videos for lengthy periods of time can make your iPhone heat up, too, but these factors alone shouldn’t trigger the aforementioned temperature warning unless you’re also sitting in the sun. 

Even so, activating your iPhone’s Low Power Mode (by swiping down on the Control Center and selecting the battery icon) should reduce the risk of app-induced overheating. If you don't see the battery icon, you may need to add it to Control Center by going to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls, then adding the Low Power Mode there.

But what if your iPhone does overheat? What’s the best way to return it to good work order? Well, according to Protect Your Bubble director James Brown (via The Sun), there are two iPhone cool down methods that you definitely shouldn’t try. 

“Even if your phone comes with the highest rating of water resistance, it’s a bad idea to submerge your phone in cold water to forcibly cool down,” Brown says. 

Similarly, placing your iPhone in a fridge, freezer or water cooler is also a big no-no. "Doing so will cause condensation to form inside your phone, which will damage the device in the long run," Brown warns.

Apple’s official advice for cooling down an overheated iPhone is much simpler: “To resume use of your device as quickly as possible, turn it off, move it to a cooler environment (away from direct sunlight) and allow it to cool down."

In practice, we’d advise leaving your overheated iPhone in the shade, in a cupboard, next to a fan or on a cool kitchen countertop until Apple’s temperature warning disappears. In the meantime, take a few minutes to enjoy a digital detox – reducing your screen time might just lower your stress levels, too.

The leaks have been extensive but we're constantly learning more about the experience the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 looks set to offer, and this latest tidbit centers around the expanded functionality of its significantly larger cover display.

We've heard multiple times that Samsung is shelving the old 1.9-inch cover screen that's featured on the last two generations of Galaxy Z Flip, and replacing it with a significantly larger 3.4-inch panel, which will dominate the upper half of the phone's back. However, until now, we've not really had much visibility on how Samsung intends to utilize all that additional screen real estate.

It's assumed that some, if not all, of Samsung's first-party apps will offer varying degrees of additional functionality on the Flip 5's cover screen. There's already talk of an optimized version of the Samsung Keyboard in the works, letting you do more than simply check the weather, your calendar or your next alarm, control your music or set a timer – as is possible on the current Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4.

According to a report originating from SamMobile, multiple Google apps have also apparently now been optimized for the cover screen experience too.

Users will apparently be able to navigate using Google Maps without having to open up the Flip 5, action conversations in Messages, watch YouTube and potentially more – we'd love to see a Google Keep or Google Tasks experience on there too; for actioning to-do lists and the like.

Google and Samsung have a long history of cooperation and collaboration – recent notable endeavours include the development of Wear OS 3 and its subsequent debut on 2021's Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, but more specifically with regards to the South Korean company's foldables, Google already created a dedicated Flex Mode experience for Google Meet; letting users leave their Z Flip 4 partially folded on a flat surface for hands-free video conferencing.

Who has the best coverage?

The cover displays on the best foldable clamshells have evolved a lot in the category's short time in the market. The original Galaxy Z Flip's tiny 1.1-inch outer screen wasn't good for much more than checking the time while, more recently, Oppo's debut entry – the Find N2 Flip – boasted 'the largest cover display of any clamshell foldable' when it launched earlier this year.

Then there's Motorola's famed Razr revival, which started with a larger 2.7-inch cover screen (compared to its then-rival, the Galaxy Z Flip 5G) on its 2019 re-entry and has now culminated in a similarly sizeable outer display to the promised cover screen on the Z Flip 5, with the unveiling of the Motorola Razr Plus/Razr 40 Ultra, with a 3.6-inch panel that can run fully-fledged apps, like TikTok.

The main takeaway is that, assuming SamMobile's sources are correct, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 should have a lot more to offer users, in terms of functionality and convenience, and if all goes to plan, we only have until the end of July to see it for ourselves.

If you’ve been looking forward to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 then you might want to temper your expectations - because even some of Samsung’s own employees are reportedly complaining about it.

This comes from leaker @UniverseIce, and the focus of those alleged complaints is apparently the “boring design,” with one or more employees saying that “it can't even be called the Galaxy Z Fold4s.”

Those are strong words if true, and perhaps not entirely unjustified, as leaks have largely suggested that the design will be similar to that of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. Not identical though, as it’s widely rumored that there will be a new waterdrop hinge, which will allow the two screen halves to sit flat when folded shut.

This new hinge will likely also decrease the size of the crease in the screen, but not by enough, according to @UniverseIce, who claims it will only be reduced by 15%. That still sounds a lot better than nothing to us, but will reportedly mean the crease is still much larger than we’ve seen on foldable phones from Chinese brands.

The leaker doesn’t name specific brands, but presumably they’re thinking of phones such as the Oppo Find N2 and the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2.

Reasons to be positive

These are just rumors, of course, so there's no reason to be too negative just yet. While @UniverseIce has a solid track record, they tend to be quite negative about Samsung, and leaks are never guaranteed to be accurate.

Even if they are correct in all this, it’s not all bad news for Samsung's next foldable flagship. In more positive news, we’ve previously heard that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 could get new camera sensors, while a Z Fold 5 specs leak suggested it could also have a brighter screen. We've also heard talk that the Z Fold 5 could get dust resistance, and of course a more powerful chipset than its predecessor.

So while this doesn’t sound like the biggest upgrade ever, it could still be more than enough to see the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 rank among the best foldable phones.

While some Samsung fans may still lament the absence of a Fan Edition amidst 2022's Galaxy smartphone portfolio, a new leak pours fresh fuel on the fire concerning this year's anticipated Galaxy S23 FE; suggesting that its arrival isn't that far away now.

As spotted by Galaxy Club, South Korean safety certification site SafetyKorea.kr published a new entry – dated June 1 – which references a battery with the model number EB-BS711ABY. That just so happens to also form part of the model name associated with the rumored Galaxy S23 FE itself (as previously stated by SamMobile): 'SM-S711x'.

For reference, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra uses the model number SM-S918x, while the 5,000mAh battery inside the phone features the model number EB-BS918ABY, and it's this convention that allows us to speculate that the new battery listing has been attributed to the Galaxy S23 FE.

Unfortunately, most of the details printed on the battery in the image (above) are both obscured by a blue pull tab – designed to make battery replacement easier (although we're not expecting the design of the S23 FE to allow for a user-replaceable battery) – and the lackluster fidelity of the image itself. As such, gleaning any additional info from the battery is next to impossible, including its capacity.

Previously, back in April, leaked specs suggested that the Galaxy S23 FE will feature a 4,500mAh battery, which would place its capacity between the Galaxy S23 (3,900mAh) and the Galaxy S23 Plus (4,700mAh), and in line with its direct predecessor, the Galaxy S21 FE.

Signal to launch?

Listings on certification sites, such as the example here, are often seen as canaries in the coal mine – one of the most prominent telltale signs that a product like the Galaxy S23 FE is progressing steadily towards launch and that we likely don't have long left to wait.

This development, paired with TechRadar's previous reporting on Galaxy S23 FE rumors and leaks, points to the phone actually making it to market this year (unlike its once-anticipated 2022 predecessor), but as to when that will be, it's still too uncertain to say.

The biggest sticking point to the phone's arrival in the next few months is, in fact, the next Samsung Unpacked event – now seemingly slated for late July. At the next Unpacked, we're expecting to meet the company's latest and best foldables – the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 – as well as the revived Galaxy Tab S9 series and maybe even the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6; so, everything other than a conventional phone like the S23 FE.

Its appearance at the next Unpacked is possible – based on the timing of things – but the phone might find better purchase later in the year; in line with the original S20 FE, which arrived in September and went on sale in October.

Bad news, Apple fans: the iPhone 15 is expected to cost more than its predecessor when it launches in September this year.

That’s according to analyst Dan Ives, who recently told CNBC that he expects the average selling price (ASP) of Apple’s next-generation iPhones to be higher than last year’s equivalent figures. For context, the iPhone 14 starts at $799 / £849 / AU$1,339, while the iPhone 14 Pro – whose successor, the iPhone 15 Pro, has already been the subject of price hike rumors – starts at $999 / £1,099 / AU$1,749.

If accurate, a series-wide price increase for the iPhone 15 line would mark the first of its kind in the US since 2017. International markets have seen price increases as recently as last year’s iPhone 14 line, owing to heightened VAT (value-added tax) costs.

So, why might Apple be preparing to hike the price of the iPhone 15 line across the board? The most likely reason is production costs. According to one prominent leaker, the iPhone 15 will be 12% more expensive to produce than the iPhone 14, while the iPhone 15 Pro will be a whopping 20% more expensive to produce than the iPhone 14 Pro.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why these devices are going to cost Apple so much more to build than their predecessors, but it’s no secret that energy, raw material, and labor costs have been rising globally due to various economic factors. And if Apple’s new iPhones cost the company more money to produce, they’ll almost certainly cost consumers more money to buy.

That said, Ives doesn’t expect these price increases to hinder sales of the iPhone 15 line. In fact, he predicts that the iPhone 15 could be Apple’s best-selling iPhone in years, since “roughly 250 million iPhones have not been upgraded in over four years.”

The launch of the iPhone 15 and its siblings could therefore prove a “trophy case moment” for Apple, Ives explained to CNBC, adding that a boost in revenue from Apple Services will put the company in a “massive position of strength” going into 2024.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has already admitted that he believes consumers “are willing to really stretch to get the best they can afford in [the smartphone] category,” so it’s not hard to imagine the company betting big on the blind loyalty of its fanbase with the iPhone 15 line.

In any case, we’ll know for sure whether the iPhone 15 will cost more than its predecessor come September, when Apple unveils its next line of best iPhones. For our thoughts on how these devices might stack up, check out our speculative comparisons between the iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 vs iPhone 14, iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 15 Ultra.

One of the main mysteries surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has been what camera configuration it might have. There have been plenty of leaks, but they can’t seem to agree. Finally though, it feels like there’s starting be a consensus, and it doesn’t sound positive; at least for those hoping for a big upgrade to the imaging hardware.

This consensus comes with the help of the latest Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra camera leak, courtesy of @UniverseIce (via Phone Arena), which is a complete specs list for the rear camera sensors.

The list includes a 200MP main camera using the same ISOCELL HP2 sensor as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, a 12MP ultra-wide camera using the same IMX564 sensor as that phone, and a 12MP 3x telephoto camera (taking cropped 10MP photos) using the same – you guessed it – IMX754 sensor as the S23 Ultra.

That just leaves the 10x periscope camera, which is also returning for the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra according to this leak, but with a new IMX754+ sensor. That’s just a ‘+’ version of the IMX754 that’s used in the current model though, so it doesn’t sound like something that will have a massive impact.

Indeed, @UniverseIce – who has a good track record for leaks – describes this change as “negligible.”

If this is accurate, that would mean a previous leak that suggested there would be a 1-inch main sensor is wrong, but we were always skeptical of that claim, as the source doesn’t have much of a track record.

It would also mean more widely reported claims of a variable zoom telephoto camera were wrong, but we’d recently heard elsewhere that this probably wouldn’t be featured either. So while we’d take this latest leak with a pinch of salt, it seems credible.

Too few changes

That’s a big shame, because while the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is one of the best camera phones on the planet, Samsung is in real danger of losing its lead, as rivals like the Xiaomi 13 Pro (and Xiaomi 13 Ultra) pack in bigger and arguably better sensors, while the iPhone 14 Pro has more natural image processing, and the Pixel 7 Pro has arguably smarter camera software.

By the time the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra launches, it will have the iPhone 15 Pro and Pixel 8 Pro to compete with, and it’s likely they’ll push ahead further too, based on what we've already heard.

So, if Samsung wants to justify the sure-to-be-high price of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, and see it rank among the best phones, it’s going to need to make some big changes somewhere.