I live in the United Kingdom, and when a heatwave arrives, it can get surprisingly hot and humid for a country that's not known for its heat, and my iPhone bore the brunt of this recently.

The small garden at my house gets the bulk of the sun across the day, so there's constant heat and sunshine as I listen to podcasts or scroll through Twitter or TikTok.

However, as I was working on my MacBook Pro in the garden, I had forgotten that my iPhone was taking the full force of the sun on the glass table beside me, and the music suddenly stopped. I thought I was getting a call, and it wasn't until I held the phone that the temperature warning was shown.

Granted, it's not just an iPhone that can suffer under extreme heat - there are Android devices and Windows laptops that also need to be operated under a cooler temperature. But when moments like these happen, there's a useful method to keep in mind to save the sun from damaging your electronics - something that I'll be doing next time.

How to keep your device cool like I didn't

Apple states that a good temperature for an iPhone is around 32° to 95° Fahrenheit / 0° - 35° Celsius. It's safe to assume that my iPhone was warm already due to the apps I was using at the time, and the heat from the sun only made this worse for the device.

First of all, don't do what I did and suddenly place it on a shelf in the fridge. While this will certainly cool the device, it could take it too far in the opposite direction, or lead to condensation and water vapor build up inside.

Instead, turn off the device and take it out of a case if it's in one. Put it in a cool area that's got plenty of airflow, and simply wait.

We use our smartphones every day in some way, and while we manage them through their software to keep apps working well, for example, it also helps to keep them at the right temperature.

While we're currently in warmer weather in the UK, across the world there are other places that will be heading towards that as the months pass. So make sure you keep your device at a cool temperature, and never put it in the fridge as I did.

One of the most exciting aspects of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is that it could be the most affordable foldable phone yet, but it’s still sure to have a high price – something which future Samsung foldables might not.

That’s because according to The Elec - a South Korean tech industry news site – Samsung is trialling a new lamination process for attaching the OLED module to the cover glass of its foldable phones, and this process is supposedly ten times cheaper.

It involves using a transparent adhesive liquid rather than transparent tape, and is said to make the process faster as well as cheaper.

It’s not clear exactly how much money this change could save Samsung in total, let alone whether those savings would be passed on to consumers, but it’s certainly possible that this could lead to cheaper foldable phones.

That’s not the only benefit either, as this process also supposedly allows for thinner screens with no top or bottom bezels at all. The bezels on premium smartphones – including foldable phones – are already tiny, but they’re still present, so it sounds like their days could be numbered.

Analysis: when will foldables get cheaper?

While this tech sounds promising, the report states that it’s about to be trialled at a plant in Vietnam, so it sounds like Samsung hasn’t committed to using it in phones yet. As such, we might be waiting a little while for this switch – if it happens at all.

It’s possible that we could see it used in time for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5 in 2023, but we wouldn’t count on it.

Either way, we might not see truly affordable foldable phones until at least 2024, as another recent leak suggested that’s the earliest that we’ll see foldable equivalents to Samsung’s mid-range Galaxy A line.

In the meantime, if you like Samsung but can’t stretch to a foldable, it’s worth checking out the best Samsung phones, as there are loads of more affordable options.

Via Phone Arena

Despite being many months away, we've finally started hearing Samsung Galaxy S23 leaks, and one of the first major ones suggests that the selfie camera will be getting an upgrade.

This comes from the Samsung news site GalaxyClub - apparently, Samsung will bump the resolution on the front-facing camera up to 12MP, marking the first resolution increase since 2019 when the Galaxy S10 was granted a 10MP snapper.

This relates to the standard and Plus Samsung Galaxy S23 models - the Ultra phone has always had a high-res front camera.

A selfie camera resolution increase wouldn't just mean that your face would have more pixels when you snap it - 12MP would facilitate 4K video recording on the front-facing camera, letting you take better-looking films using this snapper. Lots of premium phones already offer 4K selfie recording, and it seems Samsung is finally following suit.

Saying that, a 12MP camera doesn't guarantee that Samsung will allow for 4K video recording - it already has some budget phones with higher-res front cameras, like the Galaxy A53 with its 32MP snapper, but doesn't offer the option for high-res video in its software.

So we'll have to see what Samsung ends up doing - and whether this upgrade comes to pass at all - but we're hopeful.

Analysis: not exactly a selfie champion though

Even if the Samsung Galaxy S23 does get a 12MP front-facing camera, it's not exactly going to become a selfie powerhouse, because there are lots of phones out there nowadays that use self portrait photography as a key selling feature.

One such example is the Vivo V23, which has a 44MP front-facing camera as well as a secondary depth snapper to take great-looking snaps.

Another, which only went on sale in China, is the Moto Edge X30 - it had a 60MP selfie snapper, and in certain models of the phone, the lens was placed under the display.

Given how popular social media apps like TikTok and Instagram are, lots of people use their phones' front-facing cameras more than the rear ones, and so it makes sense for companies to focus on this feature for certain buyers. 

A 12MP selfie camera in a Samsung phone won't exactly blow this target market away. But given that its Galaxy A series is the one targeted towards the social-media-savvy younger demographic, in terms of selfie capability the company's next device doesn't need to turn heads - it only needs to stay in line with the other rest of the best smartphones on the market.

Android smartphone and tablet users are set to get a neat new way to ensure they never lose track of all their important passwords.

As spotted by 9to5Google, Android users will now be able to add a shortcut for the Google Password Manager tool directly onto their device's home screen.

As suggested in the name, this password manager service is able to keep track of all your login information in a single safe and secure location - and is now available directly from your device's home screen.

Android password manager

Google Password Manager tool has been available for Android users for some years now, as well as being part of the Chrome browser and in a user's Google web account.

The new feature lets users access their saved data using their existing biometrics or screen lock security protection on their device, as opposed to entering a password as is the case with the web version.

The password manager is able to save and store all your details, including usernames and passwords, allowing you to keep track of any issues or security risks, as well as allowing users to modify any details where needed.

The shortcut is available after downloading the latest Google Play Services update (version 22.18 or newer), which should be available as a default for Android users.

Once that's done, you can access Password Manager by opening Settings > Privacy > Autofill service from Google > Passwords.

This page now includes an option to Add shortcut to your home screen, which will open a menu with the shortcut, which can be dragged wherever you want on your home screen.

The news comes shortly after Google added the ability to store notes alongside your passwords, with a new "Notes” field underneath the username and password fields when adding a new password or when you go to edit an existing password.

Ericsson, Oppo, and Qualcomm have successfully tested 5G enterprise network slicing on a commercially available smartphone, paving the way for the technology to be deployed more widely.

Network slicing is viewed by operators as one of the biggest revenue opportunities of standalone 5G (5G SA) networks which use an entirely virtualised, cloud-based core network and effectively allows them to section of certain parts of the network for certain applications.

Slices can be customised to guarantee a certain speed or latency, and to cover a particular location, enabling industrial, broadcast, healthcare, and public service use cases. For example, one network slice could carry video traffic at a stadium, while another slice is reserved for safety officials.

Ericsson Oppo 5G slicing

Although slicing is possible with LTE, the ultrafast speeds, greater capacity, and ultralow latency of 5G will support more advanced applications, while the software-defined and cloud-based core layer of the networks will enable the flexibility and automation required to provision and manage any number of slices.

This particular trial was conducted at Oppo’s 5G communications lab and successfully demonstrated application and network traffic partitioning using Ericsson’s network kit and Oppo Find X5 Pro handset running Android 12 and powered by Qualcomm’s processor and modem technology.

It builds on previous lab tests from a variety of vendors and industry stakeholders, but the use of a commercial handset is a significant milestone.

“5G network slicing enables enterprises to meet their network security, reliability and flexibility needs,“ said Monica Zethzon, Head of Solution Area Packet Core at Business Area Cloud Software and Services, Ericsson. “This solution, created in partnership with Oppo and Qualcomm and underpinned by Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core and 5G RAN Slicing technologies, provides a foundation for CSPs to deliver more tailored 5G services for enterprises.”

“5G enterprise network slicing is the key to realising 5G-differentiated applications,” added Xia Yang, Senior Director of Carrier Product Line at Oppo. “Oppo will leverage our strengths in innovation and collaboration across the tech ecosystem to advance the commercialisation of 5G enterprise slicing technology.

“Together with our partners, we will enable a wide range of OPPO product users to be the first to enjoy a customised 5G connectivity experience.”

Some smartphone brands have decided that it's fun to slowly tease their upcoming devices over the course of many months, but the Nothing Phone (1) might be a case where that backfires. Even though the new Android phone isn't expected to debut for several more weeks, a new tease has suggested it'll be hard to buy in the US.

Nothing has listed its debut smartphone on DropX, which basically means you can bid on one of the first hundred models made - why you'd want to spend hard-earned money on a smartphone you've never even fully seen is beyond us (especially when the top bids right now are $1,500 in the US and £1,100 in the UK - way more than the phone will likely cost).

But hidden away in the terms and conditions is this line: "Nothing phone (1) is not fully supported in North America." You mean the Nothing Phone (1) might not go on sale in the huge US mobile market? Oh, okay.

We've reached out to Nothing to clarify whether this means the phone won't go on sale in the US at all, or simply that it won't work on certain 5G spectrums like mmWave - but if the latter is the case, the disclaimer is incredibly poorly worded.

Nothing wouldn't exactly be alone in avoiding the US as far as mobile makers go, as plenty of other Chinese brands including Huawei, Xiaomi and Oppo don't sell their devices there. But since Nothing was founded by OnePlus' ex-co-founder, and given that OnePlus is one of the few Chinese phone success stories in the US, we assumed that the Phone (1) would be available stateside too (if only to rival OnePlus).

Nothing has provided a long list of carriers in different regions, with Optus, Telstra and Vodafone ranging the thing in Australia, and Three, EE, O2, Virgin Mobile and Vodafone getting it in the UK, but there's no mention of the US, again hinting that the upcoming Android phone won't go on sale there.

So, if you're based stateside, you might want to remove the Nothing Phone (1) from your wish-list.

Analysis: could this hurt the phone?

Generally speaking, there are fewer smartphone companies selling devices in the US, and so Nothing would have an easier job of winning market share if it could prove to Americans that its phone was worthy.

But if the phone doesn't sell in the US, there are potential problems based around the device's funding. Nothing has already gone through a few rounds of investments, getting money from businesses and keen fans in order to make the phone and the Nothing earbuds.

If excited US-based Nothing fans have invested money in a tech brand they believe in, only to discover that they won't be able to buy the phone, they'll likely end up pretty upset.

Plus, the disclaimer is hidden in small print, underneath the big graphic that shows you what price someone has bid for the phone... in US dollars. We can see people bidding for the phone, only to later realize it might not be supported in the US.

Hopefully, the disclaimer is just poorly worded, and the Nothing Phone (1) will go on sale in the US, either straight after launch or at some point later. Because if not, there might be some annoyed Nothing Phone (1) fans out there who'll have to turn to our list of the best Android phones for an alternative.

If you've come across a captcha that's stopped you from logging in to your email or another site, iOS 16 will be able to do this for you with some additional code for servers hosting websites and apps.

If you're not familiar, captchas are small popups that appear when you log in to a website. It may ask you once or twice to select six boats from nine pictures, and if you pass, you're allowed into your account. But these have annoyed many people over the years, mainly due to it being an overly complex problem that's seen as overkill to verify an account.

According to a developer video from Apple, iOS 16 is getting another small feature that can get rid of these frustrations on your iPhone. It also makes a big impact for those with accessibility needs, as this feature will let them into their account without having to solve a puzzle if they have hearing or visual impairments.

Apple is touting Private Access Tokens for this feature, which will be sent to the server of the website as a way of authentication, letting the site know that the user has passed a security check thanks to iCloud. While you can enable this by going to Settings > AppleID > Privacy and Security > Automatic Verification, Apple hasn't confirmed whether this will be coming to macOS Ventura.

Analysis: One small useful feature at a time

Captchas are part of a legacy that needs to disappear forever on the internet. Other examples such as figuring out a maths problem, or placing a monkey's arm the correct way, are other ridiculous security methods that don't make sense to anyone.

Take banking apps for example. For some purchases, you'll need to log in to your banking app to approve a payment, then go back to the shopping app or site in question to complete the order. There's no captcha, and it just uses your face or finger (or PIN) to authenticate the purchase.

This is Apple's take on what banking apps are already doing, and it's a step in the right direction. However, what could make this a slam-dunk for users is that the code can be applied to a server that hosts a bunch of websites, such as Cloudflare and Fastly. This means that the addition of this feature could apply to all of the sites a server hosts in one swoop, hastening the decline of captchas.

Again, this is another small feature from iOS 16 that's going to make a big difference to many, especially those with visual impairments, and it makes us wonder what else could be coming from Apple to get rid of more irritants that we come across on the web.

Ericsson believes there will be more than one billion 5G mobile subscriptions by the end of the year, a figure which will reach 4.4 billion by 2027.

The annual Ericsson Mobility Report said 5G was scaling faster than any previous generation of mobile technology, with a quarter of the world’s population now having access. By 2027, this will have increased to three quarters, helping to explain the rapid adoption rate.

Within five years, 5G will account for 90% of all mobile subscriptions in North America, 82% in Western Europe, and 74% in Northeast Asia. In India, where rollout has yet to begin, analysts predict takeup will be 40% - highlighting the pace of expansion.

5G rollout

But availability is only one part of the equation. The report found volume of global mobile traffic has doubled over the past two years, with enhancements in network infrastructure and the wider digitisation of society, accelerated by the pandemic, driving consumption.

The report also notes that 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) will achieve 100 million subscriptions by 2022 and 230 million by 2027, with 4G and 5G superseding the aging 2G and 3G standards in the Internet of Things (IoT) space.

“The latest Ericsson Mobility Report confirms 5G as the fastest growing mobile technology generation ever, and Ericsson is playing a key role in making it happen,” said Fredrik Jejdling, head of networks at Ericsson.

“We work every day with our customers and ecosystem partners around the world to ensure that millions more people, enterprises, industries, and societies enjoy the benefits of 5G connectivity as soon as possible.”

Ericsson’s forecast is broadly in line with a more optimistic recent analysis from CCS Insight which claimed there would be 1.2 billion subscriptions by the end of 2022 with 4.5 billion by 2026.

“Despite 5G's foundational years being clouded by the Covid-19 pandemic and the problems it created, the market is in a stronger position as we enter the second half of 2022,” said James Manning Smith, senior analyst at CCS Insight.

“The world still faces a bleak macroeconomic and geopolitical outlook in 2022, coupled with supply chain difficulties. But the transition of mobile subscribers to 5G networks is set to make good progress, with 5G connections forecast to nearly double this year to 1.2 billion.”

Democrat senators have called on the US to follow the European Union’s (EU) lead and require smartphone manufacturers, including Apple, to adopt a common charging cable.

Starting from 2024, all mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, earbuds, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers, will have to include a USB Type-C port – a move which the EU says will save consumers €250 million a year and prevent 11,000 tonnes of e-waste.

The news has not got noticed across the Atlantic, and in a letter to the US secretary of commerce Gina Raimondo, senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren with the support of independent Bernie Sanders, argued similar legislation in the US would benefit consumers and aid the environment.

Finally, a Brexit dividend?

“This policy has the potential to significantly reduce e-waste and help consumers who are tired of having to rummage through junk drawers full of tangled chargers to find a compatible one, or buy a new one,” the letter reads. “The EU has wisely acted in the public interest by taking on powerful technology companies over this consumer and environmental issue. The United States should do the same.

“We cannot allow the consumer electronics industry to prioritize proprietary and inevitably obsolete charging technology over consumer protection and environmental health.”

Any move in the US would likely face opposition from Apple, which is the most notable manufacturer not to currently USB-C, instead favouring its own proprietary Lightning connector for the iPhone. 

It will be disproportionately affected by the EU’s new rules and has persistently opposed any mandate, arguing it will hamper innovation and lead to a huge amount of waste as consumers dispose of their old Lightning chargers.

The UK, perhaps eager to emphasise the UK is free of alleged Brussels ‘red tape’ in a post-Brexit world, has said it is not “currently considering” following suit. Despite this stance, it is likely that British consumers will be affected by the EU’s rules.

Via BBC

Users are still uncovering little tweaks to the latest iPhone update in iOS 16, with easier ways to find out bits of information, such as currency, temperature, being some recent finds.

According to Federico Vittici, you can drop in a temperature or currency value and an underline will appear in a message or a calendar entry. If you press on this, other types of currencies or temperatures will appear to help save you time if you need to quickly convert them.

It adds weight to Apple's claims that there's a focus on productivity and personalization this year, and it's the small features that will go a long way for many users.

Analysis: Letting the little features make a big impact

Compared to the tentpole features for certain updates, the smaller features that aren't mentioned can make a big difference, and this is just one example from Apple across the years.

Take the trackpad feature that debuted in iOS 10, for example. Press down on the keyboard in an iPhone, and it transforms into a mouse that would enable you to move the cursor to correct misspelled words.

This conversion feature is yet another little tool that will help a lot of users. Before this, you would have to rely on other apps or a query on Google or DuckDuckGo that would give you the answer.

Instead, it's cutting down the steps to bring you the information right away, and from within the app you're using on your iPhone.

Once the public beta arrives in July, which will allow more users to try out iOS 16, we may see similar features arrive, which will hopefully continue to make our iPhones easier to use.

The biggest mobile launch of late 2022 is likely to be the iPhone 14, as Apple usually dominates the tech airwaves with its annual September launches, but it sounds like Xiaomi wants to steal some attention, as it could be bringing the launch of its next flagship forward.

According to prolific and fairly reliable leaker Digital Chat Station, the Xiaomi 13 might launch in November 2022 - this is earlier than we expected, as the Xiaomi 12 debuted in December 2021. The leaker says that progress is a month ahead of last year, which would hint towards an earlier launch.

This is all regarding the China launch of the Xiaomi flagship - if you're wondering why you only saw adverts for the 12 long after December, it's because the global launch was March 2022. We'd expect that pattern to repeat for the Xiaomi 13 phones.

If Digital Chat Station is correct, the Xiaomi 13 might land a month earlier, and as such be a closer rival to Apple's newest iPhones, which likely won't land too long before that, though it'd be a surprisingly early launch. We'd also likely see the global unveiling brought forward, which could put its global launch around the same time as the Samsung Galaxy S23 family.

The leak continues that the new phones - note the plural, with two mentioned, likely meaning a Xiaomi 13 Pro alongside the standard model - will get the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset (a likelihood, given that the 12 models have the 8 Gen 1) and will use Android 13, while one of the phones (likely the larger one) will have a 2K display.

None of those specs are exactly game-changing - they're basically exactly what we expected - but they start to paint a picture regarding this upcoming phone series.

Analysis: what about the real rival arrival?

With the Xiaomi 12 series, the company made a firm move to rival other similar-priced flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S21 and iPhone 13, by reducing the size of its vanilla flagship to create a small-body mobile.

But Xiaomi likely won't be able to launch a full suite of phones to rival Apple's ones, judging by the reference to only two 13 phones coming, and that Xiaomi typically staggers its flagship series launches. 

Since the Xiaomi 13 Ultra will likely only launch in the middle of 2023, a real rival to the iPhone 14 Pro Max likely won't show up, and while the standard and Pro Xiaomi and Apple phones will likely be comparable, it's unlikely that there will be a Xiaomi 13 device to rival the anticipated iPhone 14 Max.

Xiaomi might be able to offer something that Apple can't though: an affordable alternative. The Xiaomi 12T range will likely launch in August or September as a mid-range Android phone with features from the Xiaomi 12 series but a lower price than it (and than the iPhones), and we'll likely see a Xiaomi 13 Lite at some point too.

Apple and Xiaomi aim for different audiences, so it makes sense that while they'll have some devices that compete, they both have devices that stand out. But people who can afford a premium phone and want top camera features may find it hard to choose between the Pro phones each offers - and we'll have to see where the Xiaomi 13 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max both place in our list of the best camera phones.

Verizon and AT&T have agreed to delay some elements of their 5G rollouts around major airports in the US until July 2023, giving the aviation industry more time to address any potential risks caused by C-Band spectrum.

Mid-range C-Band offer a compromise between the range and indoor penetration characteristics of low-range airwaves and the huge capacity offered by high-band frequencies.

Both operators had planned to switch on C-Band 5G earlier this year before the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) expressed concerns the spectrum could affect sensitive electronics, like altimeters, that rely on frequencies located between 4.2GHz and 4.4GHz.

5G aviation threat 

These fears are disputed by mobile operators, who nonetheless agreed to delay the launch of their respective services near some airports for six months and introduce measures that mitigate any perceived issues, including airport buffer zones.

With that timeframe set to expire, the FAA, AT&T and Verizon have agreed to a new plan for a phased rollout that will give major airlines the opportunity to refit their aircraft with new altimeters over the next 12 months.

“We believe we have identified a path that will continue to enable aviation and 5G C-band wireless to safely co-exist,” said Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen. “We appreciate the willingness of Verizon and AT&T to continue this important and productive collaboration with the aviation industry.”

“Today’s announcement identifies a path forward that will enable Verizon to make full use of our C-Band spectrum for 5G around airports on an accelerated and defined schedule,” said Craig Silliman, chief administrative officer at Verizon. “Under this agreement reached with the FAA, we will lift the voluntary limitations on our 5G network deployment around airports in a staged approach over the coming months meaning even more consumers and businesses will benefit from the tremendous capabilities of 5G technology.

“This progress is the result of months of close collaboration with the FAA, FCC, and aviation industry, and sets the stage for continued, robust 5G deployment.”

Mobile operators and industry bodies say there is no credible evidence of interference, noting that other countries have deployed C-Band 5G with no problems and that there is a sufficient spectrum gap between bandwidth allocated for mobile and for aviation. Others have questioned why the FAA waited so long before expressing is concerns.

While Apple has yet to unveil its first AR/VR headset to the world yet, there are already rumors about its second-generation headset. If they’re true, Apple’s follow-up mixed reality device could have an incredible display that will put the Quest 2 and PSVR 2 to shame.

It has long been rumored that Apple has been eyeing up microOLED displays for its AR/VR headsets. Back in February, we reported as much, with Apple hoping to use these panels alongside an M1 chip to create a headset that’s slimmer and more energy-efficient than its rivals.

Now reports from Patently Apple indicate that it intends to stick with these kinds of displays for its second headset, though it’ll be making a few upgrades. On a more minor note, Apple will apparently swap from using Sony-made panels to using LG-made panels when its second headset rolls around. LG makes our favorite TVs right now – the LG C2 and LG G2 – so we’re sure it’ll bring its expertise in making these screens when it creates Apple’s headset displays.

But LG won’t just be bringing its experience, it will reportedly be using new display tech developed by AP Systems too. Apple requested a 3,000ppi fine metal mask sample from the AP Systems back in 2021 (via The Elec) and was seemingly impressed with the results. What’s more, AP Systems is currently working on a project with South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy to create 4,000ppi displays for VR/AR devices by 2024.

If it can achieve this goal then we wouldn’t be surprised if Apple’s second-generation AR/VR headset incorporated this new tech into its design. If it does Apple would blow rival Meta out of the water, the Quest 2 only has 773ppi and Project Cambria is rumored to have 1230ppi.

That all being said, you’ll definitely want to take these rumors with a pinch of salt.

For one, Apple’s first headset hasn’t even been announced yet so its second-generation device is still several years away. While we wouldn’t be surprised if the design process was already underway for the follow-up headset, we’d be shocked if anything was finalized this far in advance.

On this same note, there’s a chance Apple never even unveils a generation one headset, deciding to scrap the device altogether and abandoning the AR/VR space.

Additionally, Apple’s first headset has reportedly hit numerous development roadblocks – which has caused its design to change considerably from Apple’s original vision. Similarly, Apple’s development team could face similar problems the second time around. Apple’s suppliers (AP Systems and LG) also have a part to play in developing the new displays; if their work faces any setbacks then there won’t be any 4,000ppi panels for Apple to use even if it wants to.

Analysis: Will Apple's headset display be too good?

It’s all well and good saying that Apple’s rumored headset will have a higher pixel density, but why should we care?

As we previously wrote about when discussing the Quest 2’s pixel density, all VR headset displays can suffer from something called the screen door effect. Because displays are just a repeating array of LEDs when you’re up close to them it’s possible to spot dark lines going across the screen caused by the space between pixels.

By design, VR places a screen right in front of your face, so the screen door effect is much more noticeable. Simultaneously, it can also be very immersion-breaking – acting as a constant reminder that you are indeed in a virtual world.

That’s where higher pixel densities come in.  If you can cram more LEDs into a display area then the space between pixels will shrink until it's unnoticeable.

On top of this, higher pixel density displays will allow Apple to create higher resolutions and more impressive visuals on smaller screens – helping to reduce the weight of its headset without sacrificing picture performance.

However, Apple might already be taking things a bit too far.

A higher number of pixels per inch will help Apple achieve another target, pixels per degree – that’s the number of pixels per degree of vision. Our eyes can’t distinguish between anything above 60ppd, so that’s the target Meta and Apple are trying to reach with their headsets.

The Quest 2 currently sits at 21ppd, and our very rough estimates for Project Cambria suggest it’ll reach 33. Using the same assumptions we used for calculating Cambria’s pixels per density (where the focal length and display size of the headsets are identical to the Quest 2) then Apple will be looking at around 80ppd for a 3,000ppi headset, and over 100ppd for a 4,000ppi headset.

This is an incredibly rough estimate mind – given that Apple’s device is expected to be much slimmer than the Quest 2 we can already assume it will have a different focal length – but it gives an indication of roughly how much more visually impressive Apple’s devices could be.

We’ll have to wait for Apple to make an official announcement before we know how the rumors and our estimates stack up. But when Apple finally does unveil its headset we could be in for a treat.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 both have an eSIM (embedded-SIM), yet in the US they so far haven’t been able to make use of it. That’s changing now, though.

In a new software update, eSIM support is being added, meaning you’ll be able to use the phone without a removable SIM card.

More usefully, this also brings support for Dual SIM, Dual Standby (DSDS), which means you can use both a standard, removable SIM, and the eSIM running at the same time, so you can have two different numbers on the phone. This could be handy if, for example, you want both a work and personal number on the same device.

The update also adds camera improvements, including higher quality pictures when shooting with third-party social or camera apps, an ‘Auto framing’ feature for video mode and some video call apps, and – in the case of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 – there’s also now support for the telephoto lens in Pro mode, and improvements to the night portrait feature. Plus, this update includes stability and security improvements.

Currently this update is rolling out for T-Mobile and unlocked models of both phones, but it’s likely that it will land at other carriers soon, so keep an eye out for it.

In many regions outside the US, eSIMs are already supported on these phones, so there’s no need to wait for this update to get that, but the camera improvements are likely on the way globally.

Analysis: what’s so good about an eSIM?

There are a few advantages to an eSIM. For one thing, it takes up less space than a traditional SIM card slot, so phones can either be made marginally smaller and lighter, or that space can be used for other components.

In the case of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 there’s still a traditional slot too of course, but this at least takes up less space than having two traditional slots.

An eSIM also theoretically makes it easier to switch networks, as you don’t need to wait for a new physical SIM to be delivered. And multiple virtual SIM cards can be stored on a single eSIM, so you can have multiple numbers on your phone for different purposes.

Not all smartphones have an eSIM yet and not all carriers support them, which is one reason why the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 also have a traditional SIM card slot, but it’s likely that eSIMs will eventually become the new standard. Even now though you can get an eSIM with numerous handsets, such as the Samsung Galaxy S22 and iPhone 13 lines.

Via GSMArena

Since the Apple AirTag tracker launched in April 2021, we haven't heard anything about a potential second-generation version of the device – but it seems that an AirTag 2 is still on the cards at Apple.

That's according to Ming-Chi Kuo, one of the most well-respected Apple analysts in the business, and someone who's usually accurate in terms of predictions and leaks. However, it's by no means certain that we're going to see a new version of the AirTag.

Kuo says that an Apple AirTag 2 will only happen if strong sales of the first AirTag continue, so Apple is waiting to see how popular the product is over a longer period of time before committing to coming out with a new one.

Steady growth

Based on Kuo's information, sales of the Apple AirTag are continuing to grow gradually: it's estimated that around 20 million of the tracking devices were shipped in 2021, and that's predicted to go up to 35 million over the course of 2022.

If that growth continues, Kuo reckons that a second edition of the AirTag will then be developed. It doesn't sound as though the AirTag 2 is very far down the line at the moment, if Apple has actually considered it at all at this point.

While it's hard to see quite how the first AirTag could really be improved upon, Apple brings out regular refreshes of all its other hardware products, so it would be surprising if the AirTag were to be left out.

Analysis: the AirTag is proving its worth

Apple wasn't the first technology company to bring out a little tracking device of course, but as in other hardware categories, it improved on what was already out there: the AirTag is something that appeals both in terms of its aesthetics and its ease of use.

All of Apple's hardware works pretty much seamlessly together, and it's the same with the AirTag. From getting it connected to your phone in the first place to finding where it is if it gets lost, it's all very simple and straightforward.

While Apple won't be happy about the headlines that have popped up about AirTags being used to track people against their wishes, the company has moved quickly to bring out improved anti-stalking features to make this sort of misuse harder.

From what Ming-Chi Kuo has said, it seems that sales of the AirTag haven't exactly exploded – but they are now picking up momentum as iPhone users realize how helpful they can be, and how intuitive they are to set up and use.

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