We’re already up to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, but the first foldable iPhone might still be years away, with a new report suggesting that it won’t land before 2025 at the earliest, with a foldable iPad instead landing first, in 2024.

That’s according to analyst firm CCS Insight (via CNBC), which argues that right now, a foldable tablet makes more sense for Apple than a foldable phone.

Ben Wood, chief of research at CCS Insight, told CNBC that there are two reasons for this. Firstly, a foldable iPhone "would have to be incredibly expensive in order to not cannibalize the existing iPhones,” with the firm predicting a price of at least $2,500 (around £2,220 / AU$3,970).

Secondly, there’s a chance that Apple’s first foldable device will have technical issues, and Apple wouldn’t want to risk that with a device as high profile as an iPhone, since it could lead to a “feeding frenzy” from critics.

Yet Wood does think a foldable device of some kind is coming, “because the trend toward foldables is gathering momentum.” And as well as a foldable iPad being a lower risk proposition than a foldable iPhone, it would also help “breathe new life” into the iPad range.

These are broadly compelling arguments, but it sounds like they’re more educated guesses than inside information, so we’d certainly take all of this with a pinch of salt.

Still, plenty of sources and even patents suggest that Apple is exploring foldable devices, so it’s likely only a matter of time before one gets released, be it a phone or a tablet, and it’s also obvious that whatever foldable Apple does launch will be extremely expensive.

Analysis: ahead of the game on tablets

While not mentioned here, a foldable tablet could also prove a very compelling option for buyers, as it’s something that other companies aren’t yet offering.

If Apple does launch a foldable iPad in 2024 then it will likely be among the first companies to offer a foldable slate, so it probably won’t have much competition.

The iPad line is also arguably in more need of fresh ideas than the iPhone. This year Apple offered a new design for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, coupled with new forms of interaction powered by the Dynamic Island, but for the iPad Pro 2022, which was just announced, the most significant change was simply a new chipset, making that a rather boring upgrade.

For now, the best iPads rank among the best tablets, but Apple will need to shake things up sooner or later if it’s going to maintain its top tablet position.

If you were holding out hope for a radically new design from next year's expected Samsung Galaxy S23 range, fresh leaks reinforce rumors that a visual upgrade is coming.

The most obvious thing that runs consistently between generations appears to be their overall forms, with three sizes of device (previous leaks suggest the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus and Galaxy S23 Ultra will sport similar dimensions to their predecessors), along with the number of camera lenses on each device.

Long-time tipster, IceUniverse posted two separate leaks on Twitter across October 16 and 17 that included four images of supposed Galaxy S23 cases, and while looking to be from different accessory manufacturers, they all look to be working from a similar template; with straighter sides and cleaner camera modules than what's found within the current Galaxy S22 line.

The case photos show that the expected S23 and S23 Plus sport a vertically-aligned triple rear camera setup, with an offset LED flash at the top, while the S23 Ultra will adopt a near-identical layout to the quad camera array on the current Ultra.

It's already well-documented that 2022's Galaxy S22 Ultra is the oddball of this year's Galaxy S trio, from a design perspective; carrying across the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra's pill-shaped, top-down silhouette and pairing it with a distinct water drop rear camera array that stands apart from the Contour Cut cameras first seen on the Galaxy S21 series and maintained on the S22 and S22 Plus.

That camera design will feature on all three models next year, it seems, along with straight sides on the S23 and S23 Plus, much closer in style to the aesthetic Apple brought to the iPhone 12, iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 lines, in recent years.

Analysis: not quite 'case closed'

The relative simplicity of engineering and manufacturing phone cases (at least when compared to the phones they're protecting) means accessory makers can change and tweak case designs right down to the last second.

In the past, we here at TechRadar have received what seem like finished cases for unreleased phones, days before a device's release and despite the apparent complete nature of the product, the case makers have told us that they're prepped and ready to make additional modifications if needed, even once the phone the case is meant for has launched.

Even with numerous sources and leaks now pointing to a design upgrade for the S23 series as a whole, such flexibility means that design speculation based on case leaks like this doesn't hold quite as much water as you might expect.

That said, we're hoping the company does commit to a straighter-sided design for next year's Galaxy S phones, as although it might compromise the comfortable hand feel existing entries offer, the larger internal volume would allow Samsung to sneak larger batteries into these new phones; helping them find purchase in our rundown of the best phones out there.

The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are sure to be a long way off, as the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro only launched in October 2022, but already we’re thinking about – and even hearing about – the next models.

Below you’ll find everything we’ve heard so far, along with our expert predictions, covering the possible release date, price, and specs.

Then below that we’ve included a wish list of what we want from the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, because while the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are the best phones that Google has ever made, they’re not perfect.

The standard Pixel 7, in particular, has room for improvement, but even the Pixel 7 Pro has some flaws, so our wish list includes the key improvements we want from these next models.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? The next flagship phone from Google
• When is it out? Probably October 2023
• How much will it cost? Likely at least $599 / £599 / AU$999

Google Pixel 8 release date and price

There’s no news yet on when the Google Pixel 8 might launch, but that’s easy to guess, with the main numbered phones almost always landing in October of their release year.

In fact, every Pixel model outside of the A-line has been announced in October, except the Pixel 5, which was unveiled on September 30, 2020 (so, almost October) and didn’t ship until October.

Getting more specific than that is trickier, as the dates in October have varied, but it’s likely that the Pixel 8 will be unveiled in either early or mid-October 2023, and then ship in mid or late-October, probably around a week after the announcement.

We’re not sure what the Pixel 8 will cost, but the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro both had exactly the same prices as their predecessors, so it’s possible Google will stick with that pricing for another year.

In that case, the Pixel 8 will start at $599 / £599 / AU$999, while the Pixel 8 Pro will start at $899 / £849 / AU$1,299. That said, we wouldn’t be surprised if Google pushes the price up a bit, especially as the current models undercut key competition like the iPhone 14 line.

Google Pixel 8 news and leaks

We haven’t heard much about the Google Pixel 8 yet, but a few leaks have emerged. For one thing, there are reports that the Tensor 3 chipset we’re expecting to power the phone is already in the works, and that this will once again be made by Samsung. However, there’s no news yet on how much more powerful this will be than the Tensor G2 in the Pixel 7.

We also know that satellite communications are likely to be offered by the Pixel 8, much like the iPhone 14 is capable of. Hiroshi Lockheimer (the senior vice president of Android) has said that support for this will be coming with Android 14; so it’s likely the Pixel 8 will be the first Google phone to offer it.

Finally, there’s evidence of a mystery Pixel phone in the works, which based on leaked specs might be the Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro. 9to5Google has found this evidence in publicly available code from the Android Open Source Project, and it points to a phone with a 1440 x 3120 120Hz screen, a Tensor chipset, and dimensions of 155 x 71mm.

Those screen specs are in line with the current Pro models, but the dimensions are more what we’d expect from the standard Pixel 8, so that might mean a resolution and refresh rate upgrade is planned for the standard model.

What we want to see

Below we’ve listed the five things that we most want the Pixel 8 line to offer.

1. A 120Hz screen for both models

The Pixel 7 Pro has a 120Hz screen, just as you’d expect from a flagship phone, but the standard Pixel 7 doesn’t – it’s stuck at 90Hz.

Given that even some of the best cheap phones now have 120Hz screens, that seems somewhat unacceptable, so we really hope Google offers a 120Hz screen on both the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro.

2. More power

The Pixel 7 line uses the Google Tensor G2 chipset, and it’s a chipset that has a lot going for it.

Designed specifically for these phones, it excels in areas like machine learning and AI, but when it comes to raw power, the Tensor G2 is a little lacking, as it performs worse in most benchmarks than key rivals like the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and the Apple A16 Bionic. In fact it performs significantly worse.

So we’d like to see a focus on power from the Tensor G3 (or whatever the next model ends up being called), so that the Pixel 8 line is more competitive on that front. However, we don’t want that to come at the expense of the things Tensor chipsets are currently good at.

3. Better battery life and faster charging

Both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro should comfortably get you through a day of fairly heavy use, based on our tests, but they aren’t going to get you through a second day, or even halfway through a second day in most cases.

So their longevity is respectable but far from exceptional, and they also both charge quite slowly, so we’d like to see improvements both to the battery life and the charging speed for the Pixel 8 line.

4. Longer-term support

Google has promised three years of Android version updates and five years of security patches for the Pixel 7 line, which has some Android phones beat but doesn’t come close to the number of years of support Apple typically offers with its iPhones.

Since Google makes Android and is using a bespoke chipset designed specifically for the phones here, there really shouldn’t be any reason it can’t support its phones for longer, so we’d like to see extended support offered with the Pixel 8.

5. 10x optical zoom on the Pro

The Google Pixel 7 Pro offers 5x optical zoom, up from 4x on the Pixel 6 Pro, but we’d like to see a bigger jump for the next model, bringing it up to 10x in line with the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.

That said, we still want a shorter distance zoom – of ideally 2x or 3x – to be offered as well, so there are two distinctly different zoom distances available. The Google Pixel 7 Pro is already one of the best camera phones, but with this upgrade the Pixel 8 Pro could be even better.

If you’re struggling with iOS 16’s 'SIM not supported' bug on your new iPhone then there’s good news, as Apple has explained how you can fix it.

The bug is being reported by some users of the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone 14 Pro Max, all of which are running Apple’s iOS 16 software. Users report seeing a message warning them that their SIM is not supported, and after this  their device freezes, making it unusable for a while. 

According to MacRumors, Apple recommends that you wait a few minutes to see if the message disappears and your iPhone unfreezes. If that doesn't happen, it recommends that you don’t attempt to restore the device, and instead head to an Apple Store or your service provider to get assistance.

Apple has explained that this is a software issue rather than a hardware problem, so it shouldn’t be long before it can roll out a fix via an iOS update.

Get your iPhone repaired sooner rather than later 

The iPhone 14 range has experienced its fair share of problems since launch. 

Almost right away users started complaining about the cameras shaking when used with third-party apps, result in blurred images and video. Thankfully released a fix for this issue fairly quickly, but not long after, iPhone 14 Pro owners started to report issues themselves. Their iPhones would restart all on their own and at random while using MagSafe charging, and some Verizon customers were having 5G connectivity issues.

In most cases you'll be able to get your phone repaired or replaced at an Apple Store. Most phones will be under warranty in the first few weeks and months after purchase, so be sure to get any problem checked out straight away – if you wait, and the problems persist, then you might have to foot a bill for a repair that you could have got for free.

Alternatively, if you’ve had enough of the iPhone’s bugs, you could try and return the smartphone and get a different device from our picks for the best phone of 2022.

Depending on how you look at it, there might either not be a OnePlus 11 or not be a OnePlus 11 Pro, at least according to one prominent leaker.

Max Jambor – who isn’t one of the most prolific tipsters but has a reasonable track record – has claimed on Twitter that the next OnePlus flagship will be called the OnePlus 11, and that we won’t see a OnePlus 11 Pro alongside it.

However, if you were hoping for pro-grade specs you don’t need to worry, at least according to Jambor, as the OnePlus 11 will apparently be the OnePlus 11 Pro in all but name.

Effectively, if this rumor holds true there won’t be a phone called the OnePlus 11 Pro, but there also won’t be a phone with the specs we’d expect from a standard OnePlus 11.

In a follow-up tweet, Jambor claimed that the OnePlus 11 will land in the first quarter of 2023 (meaning sometime between January and March next year), and suggested that they don’t know what’s planned beyond that, so it’s not impossible that a standard OnePlus 11 will land later – but if it does, it will seemingly need a new name.

Analysis: a confusing naming strategy, but then so is the current one

If OnePlus does ditch the Pro name in 2023 then it risks confusing potential buyers, who might assume the OnePlus 11 is more of a 'standard' flagship than a top-tier one (akin to the iPhone 14 and Google Pixel 7, sat beneath their respective Pro-branded siblings). But it’s also a change that makes some sense, given that this year OnePlus instead launched a OnePlus 10 Pro, with no standard OnePlus 10 alongside it.

That in itself is confusing, since it’s reasonable to assume that the 10 Pro would be the Pro version of the OnePlus 10 – a phone that doesn’t exist.

This problem stems from the fact that previously, OnePlus was launching both standard and Pro models, and back then the names made sense, but with the switch to just one flagship model in the first half of the year, things have become confused.

So this naming change – if it happens – fixes one confusion while creating another. Still, whatever this upcoming handset is called, it will be worth paying attention to, because based on past form there’s a high chance that it could find a place among the best phones out there.

While widgets were introduced in iOS 14 and iPadOS 15, apps such as YouTube have been slow to keep up with implementing these, but a recent update has finally resolved that.

Google released an update that enables two widgets - one that allows you to open the search bar on YouTube, and another which lets you go directly to your subscribed channels and more.

The bigger widget is something that I've been wanting to see from YouTube since widgets arrived on iOS back in 2020, especially as it's an app that I use daily on my iPhone and moreso on iPad.

Thanks to this update, the ability to get to my lunchtime content has already become quicker and easier to reach.

Cutting down on the presses

I'm subscribed to a bunch of YouTube channels, whether that's a channel about a certain series or a compilation channel to watch as I eat my lunch. Yet I've always had to go find the YouTube app on my home screen, go to my Subscriptions, then view the video.

I've always seen widgets as shortcuts - as a way of more easily reaching parts of an app in two taps or less, and always believed that YouTube was a perfect fit for this. Yet Google has always been slower than others to keep up with new features of iOS - after all, it does have its own mobile operating system to update and maintain.

However, when the company does release updates based on new features, it usually nails the brief, such as the lock screen widgets it brought out in September.

The same applies here - having placed the bigger widget on both my iPhone and iPad's home screen makes the lunch tradition much easier now - the only thing I'd like to see now is a lock screen widget to do the same, but as that saying (almost) goes, good widgets come to those who wait.

We didn't hear anything official about the Google Pixel Fold at the launch of the Google Pixel 7, Google Pixel 7 Pro and Google Pixel Watch – but as a new leak shows, there's clearly a foldable phone made by Google heading our way soon.

The folks over at 91mobiles – who are accurate with predictions more often than not – have managed to get access to several specs for the foldable, including information about the size and shape of the device, plus some display and camera details.

The screen panels are apparently being ordered from Samsung (as per previous rumors), and will come running at a resolution of 2208 x 1840. The display is said to offer an average brightness of 800 nits, a maximum brightness of 1,200 nits, and a refresh rate that could go up to 120 Hz. Meanwhile, the overall dimensions of the unfolded device are reported to be 123 mm x 148 mm.

Sensor specs

On to cameras, and the Pixel Fold is said to be boasting a rear camera made up of Sony IMX787 main (64MP), IMX386 (12.2MP) ultra-wide and S5K3J1 (10MP) telephoto lenses. The inner display camera reportedly uses a Sony IMX355 (8MP) sensor, with a S5K3J1 (10MP) sensor on the outer display.

Some of those sensor specs have been mentioned before, but as we get closer to the launch of the Pixel Fold, the details are starting to come together from several sources – which of course makes it more likely that they are indeed accurate.

Speaking of the launch, the foldable phone is widely expected to make its debut at some point during 2023 (after originally being rumored for 2022). As always, the price will be crucial, and somewhere in the region of $1,400 (about £1,255 / AU$2,260) is expected.

Analysis: this foldable comes into focus

We've been hearing that Google is working on a foldable phone for a long time at this point (though we're not in Apple Car territory in terms of longevity). Considering the frequency of the leaks we're now hearing, it does seem that a launch is getting close.

The signs are promising: with the Galaxy Z Fold 4, Samsung is now up to the fourth iteration of its flagship foldable phone, so it knows what it's doing in terms of displays. Then there's Google expanding Pixel hardware line, which demonstrates that the company is serious about increasing the number of devices it has to offer.

While foldable phones are hardly mainstream at the moment, they are slowly becoming a more common sight – and as prices continue to fall as the technology gets cheaper, that trend is only going to go in one direction. It feels like the right time for Google to get involved and give Pixel fans a premium-level offering.

Meanwhile, Apple waits in the wings with its own foldable iPhone. It seems as though Apple is prepared to take its time when it comes to launching a folding phone, perhaps waiting for the tech to become even cheaper and even more reliable.

• These are the best foldable phones you can buy right now

Samsung recently published the findings of a survey it conducted on the attitudes American users have toward electronic waste (e-waste) and the results speak to their reluctance to recycle.

As it turns out, a lot of people have a hard time letting go of their old devices and that’s contributing to an increasing amount of global e-waste. This information comes from the Green Print Survey that Samsung conducted with global intelligence company Morning Consult. They asked 2,210 people over the age of 18 what is holding them back from being more environmentally friendly.

According to the survey, almost 50 percent of respondents agree that e-waste is a major problem for climate but 72 percent don’t recycle their devices. This raises two questions: what do people do with that old tech and why don't they recycle?

Stuffing them away

Apparently, people put them away in various locations around the house for safekeeping. 36 percent of people admitted that they have a “designated e-waste junk drawer” where they put away old electronics (that number goes up to 54 percent for young people belonging to Gen Z). Stuffing them in a box and hauling them away to the garage or attic is another popular method with 35 percent of men surveyed.

As to why people don’t recycle, it’s because they’re so attached to their gadgets, or as Samsung puts it, they have “Digital FOMO” (fear of missing out). 24 percent of respondents said they were afraid of losing photographs on old phones. 23 percent save devices just “in case something happens to the new one”. And when looking at the age brackets, the older generations tend to be warier of sensitive information leaking.

A quarter of the eldest participants say they hold on to their e-waste because they believe that old devices still have sensitive information on them and don’t want it getting out there. That number drops to 8 percent for Gen Z respondents who appear to be more confident in software security. Younger generations are also more likely to save used devices to give them away as gifts later.

Recycling recommendations

In addition to the survey findings, Samsung offered a variety of suggestions on what people can do with e-waste. The company recommends taking your e-waste to one of its 1,700 recycling locations across the United States. Locations near your home can be found by looking them up on Samsung’s Responsible Recycling webpage and clicking "Drop off today."

It also recommends repurposing Galaxy smartphones by downloading the Smart Things app and using it around the house like a baby monitor, for example. You can also try fixing devices yourself via Samsung’s self-repair program to increase their longevity, but it’s limited to only a few smartphones like the Galaxy S20 and S21.

For keeping old photos, we strongly suggest you upload them to a cloud storage service. TechRadar recently updated its list of the best cloud storage sites for 2022, which includes Google Photos, OneDrive, and Flickr. Be sure to check it out. 

Mobile camera sensors seem to be getting bigger with every passing year, and Oppo’s upcoming Find X6 Pro smartphone looks set to continue the trend and then some. 

According to Twitter leakster Ice Universe, the Oppo Find X6 Pro – which is expected to debut alongside two lower-key variants in early 2023 – will arrive packing a one-inch rear camera sensor akin to that used by the Xiaomi 12S Ultra.

There’s been no further word on how said sensor might be arranged on the phone, but existing leaks have suggested that the Find X6 Pro will sport the same three-camera setup (primary, ultrawide and telephoto) as its predecessor, the Oppo Find X5 Pro.

Put simply, this is great news for camera aficionados. The Find X5 Pro already ranks as one of the world’s best handsets for photography, so slapping an even bigger sensor on its successor could make the Find X6 Pro one of the best phones of 2023.

Our main (and really, only) gripe with the Find X5 Pro remains its poor zoom performance – it just doesn’t compare to the level offered by rival phones such as the Galaxy S22 Ultra, Huawei P50 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra. However, rumors of a 50MP telephoto lens on its replacement could ensure the new phone isn't subject to the same criticism. 

The standard Oppo Find X6, meanwhile, looks set to boast the same 50MP main and ultrawide cameras as its premium sibling, alongside a slightly smaller 32MP telephoto unit.

Though it’s easy to criticize mobile manufacturers for increasing the size and number of cameras on their handsets for the sake of, well, size and numbers, doing so is important for brands such as Oppo. 

While consumers – in the US, UK and Australia, at least – may regularly opt for new Samsung or Apple smartphones owing to their familiarity or the convenience of their respective ecosystems, the Chinese phone brands must necessarily go big on cameras, displays and other distinguishing features to make their presence known. 

And it's not as if the likes of Samsung are standing still in this regard, either; for instance, the Galaxy S23 has been tipped to come with a 200MP camera. For Oppo to drag people away from their existing phones, it will clearly need to give its products some bold design features in order to stand out. 

A one-inch camera sensor would help the Find X6 Pro do just that – and we’re excited (read: hoping) to see Oppo officially lift the lid on its X6 series in the new year.

If you own a recent iPad, iPadOS 16.1 is something you're going to want to know about – it's the next version of Apple's iPad software, and it's coming to most iPads later in the year.

This new version of iPadOS was launched at Apple's annual WWDC 2022 conference, which is where the company shows off its new operating systems – iOS 16 was the biggest upgrade showcased with a new lock screen and more.

iPadOS 16.1 is the fourth generation of the tablet OS since Apple spun it off from its iOS smartphone operating system – although iPadOS 16.1 does share many features in common with iOS 16.

Recently Apple announced that iPadOS 16.1 would instead launch later in 2022 instead, with more time needed to improve upon Stage Manager, its new take on multitasking on the tablet. There's a rumored release date of October 24, but we'll be sure to update you as to whether this rings true.

Upgrades include improved collaboration tools, including a new joint markup app, and new features to make the iPad experience closer to that of working on a computer. The public beta is still available, but be aware - it's an early version so it may be prone to bugs.

Below we've covered all the features Apple announced on-stage, as well as details on when iPadOS 16.1 will roll out, and who can get it.

iPadOS 16.1: Cut to the chase

• What is it? The latest big update for iPads
• When does it come out? Allegedly October 2022, but the public beta is available
• How much does it cost? It's free

iPadOS 16.1 release date

The iPadOS 16.1 developer beta and public betas are already available, but the full rollout will be later this year. In a rare move, Apple delayed iPadOS 16.1 until October in order to give it more polish - with the new Stage Manager feature in particular needing attention.

iPadOS 16 compatibility

So which iPads will get iPadOS 16? Here's the official list that Apple has provided.

If you need to check what iPad you have, go into the Settings app, select the About option then find Model Name.

• iPad (fifth generation) and newer
• iPad Mini (fifth generation) and newer
• iPad Air (third generation) and newer
• Every iPad Pro model

It should come as no surprise that Apple's current iPad portfolio makes up some of the best tablets in the business but thanks to entries like the 2021 iPad 10.2, even some of the best cheap tablets benefit from the latest and greatest features iPadOS 16.1 has to offer.

iPadOS 16.1 features

Here's what you need to know about the iPadOS 16.1 update:

iPadOS 16.1 borrowed features

Lots of iPadOS 16.1 features are ones that are primarily iOS 16 features and expanded upon.

Another comes from Apple Maps - you'll be able to create a route in the app on your iPad and then send it to your iPhone – so you'll be able to plan a journey more easily on a big screen before viewing it on the smaller one.

You'll also be able to schedule emails to be sent at a certain time, retract emails you've just sent, and set reminders for emails you don't want to deal with straight away.

Apple's new Weather app is also coming to iPad and macOS Ventura, expanding on its iOS 14 debut. It showcases an expanded layout, letting you look at more information on the tablet's display, such as predicted rain, detailed maps for temperature and more.

Another new app coming to iPad is Reference Mode, which is designed to keep your iPad's screen colors in sync with those of monitors and other displays, which would be useful for color graders – though Apple didn't go into much detail.

iPadOS 16.1 collaboration features

Improved collaboration features are a big focus for the next iPad update.

Now, when you share a document (from certain apps) with your friends or co-workers, you'll shared the actual document, rather than a copy of it – this makes it easier for collaborators to make edits together.

You can also use FaceTime to work on these documents with other people, by sharing links and files across the video calling platform. Among other things this should make it super0convenient to use Freeform, another feature which we'll get to later.

iPadOS 16.1 desktop focus

A new multitasking method is coming to iPadOS in the form of Stage Manager, which gives you desktop-like functionality – you can have overlapping windows, you can move all your background apps to the side to see them in one list, and you can resize windows.

This feature will be available to iPads released from 2018 onwards, barring the iPad mini.

Apple has also pledged to upgrade more first-party apps to make them 'Desktop-class', although this seems to involve hundreds of tiny little tweaks, such as different ways to list files or view folders with different icons.

Thanks to Stage Manager, you can finally hook up your iPad to an external monitor. This will allow you to use Ulysses on your iPad for example, while viewing the Photos app on a connected monitor, but this feature has been delayed to a later release.

iPadOS 16.1 Freeform

An upcoming app called FreeForm was announced, which is coming to iPadOS 16.1, and macOS Ventura later in the year. It's basically a joint digital message board, or a shared version of the Notes app, so multiple users can sketch and jot down ideas.

In its presentation, Apple showed lots of people drawing loads of different mind maps with sticky notes, colored lines and annotations – the Apple Pencil was shown as a useful tool for contributing to this kind of document.

If you've used Google Jamboard, this feels like Apple's equivalent, although since it works on a stylus-toting tablet it should be a little more convenient to use.

Gaming improvements in iPadOS 16.1

After detailing Mac's gaming prowess at WWDC 2022, Apple revealed that the iPad will get many of those features too. 

This includes a feature called Metal 3, which automatically upscales gaming footage (basically boosting the framerate and resolution), and it should make iPadOS games feel a little bit more like console alternatives. Now we just need Fortnite back!

However, this also means that other games previously exclusive to the PC and Steam Deck are coming over to Apple's platforms, with No Mans Sky coming to iPadOS and macOS Ventura soon.

Game Center is getting an activity list, so you can see what your friends are doing – it's similar to the features that exist in many other game networks like Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, so you can see, for example, if someone gets an achievement in a game, or has spent 20 hours playing a certain title.

Finally, it's now easier to instantly share links with your friends so they can join you in a multiplayer game.

After a delay and a rename to iPadOS 16.1, it's been alleged that the software update for iPads could arrive on October 24, six weeks after iOS 16 and watchOS 9 debuted.

It's an update that's regarded as one of the most important to come to Apple's tablet, and it's not just because of the weather app arriving. Stage Manager is the latest method to help you manage multiple apps at once, while also enabling external display support.

However, the feature has not only been updated to work on other iPads, but external display support has been delayed to a later release.

Yet there's plenty to enjoy from iPadOS 16.1 – so with this in mind, here's what should be arriving on your iPad by the time October ends.

What's included in iPadOS 16.1

With Stage Manager heralding a huge change for multitasking on the iPad, we don't see a situation where October 24 arrives with iPadOS 16.1 and the feature is nowhere to be seen. It's a far too important an addition to be left out, so we're expecting it to arrive at the end of the month, albeit with some bugs.

However, while you can use what's also available in iOS 16 – such as the improved Mail and Messages features – there's a bunch of exclusive improvements that you can only take advantage of once iPadOS 16.1 arrives, such as the Weather app.

First debuting in iOS 14, the app is moving over to iPadOS and macOS Ventura, where it showcases an expanded layout, letting you look at more information, such as predicted rain, detailed maps for temperature and more.

There's also an effort by Apple to make each of its iPad apps 'desktop class', which means adding menus that you can easily access for features and shortcuts that are otherwise inaccessible on iOS.

With October 24 fast approaching, there's going to be a feature in iPadOS 16.1 that you'll find useful at least, but it depends on how Stage Manager will debut.

For reasons that are unclear to everyone but Samsung, the Samsung Galaxy S22 has a smaller battery than its predecessor – coming in at just 3,700mAh, but it seems the company might be backtracking on that reduction for the Samsung Galaxy S23.

According to Digital Chat Station – a leaker with a reasonable track record – in a post on Chinese site Weibo, spotted by Pocket Lint, the Samsung Galaxy S23 will have a 3,900mAh battery. So that’s 200mAh more than the Galaxy S22, which isn’t a massive increase but would be a desirable one.

Even that won’t leave the phone with a particularly big battery. The Samsung Galaxy S21 has a 4,000mAh battery, and that’s around the level we’d expect from a small-screen flagship, but this at least would be a step back in the right direction.

The source additionally says that the Samsung Galaxy S23 will have a 6.1-inch 1080p screen – as expected, just like its predecessor – and that its fast charging will be “a little worse” than those of “domestic” – meaning Chinese – small-screen flagships.

They don’t specify what the charging speed is, but we’ve heard elsewhere that the Galaxy S23 will have just 25W charging, like its predecessor. Samsung’s phones tend to charge slower than most rival brands too, so this is no surprise.

Of course, none of this has been confirmed just yet, but it’s all in line with what we’d expect, based on the company’s past form, and suggests that once again the standard Galaxy S model won’t excel for either battery life or charging, though for the former it might be at least slightly better than the S22.

Analysis: battery upgrades for two out of three

Earlier leaks had already revealed the possible battery capacities of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, and while one of these is also reportedly getting a boost, the other isn’t.

A leak suggests that the Galaxy S23 Plus will have a 4,700mAh battery, which is 200mAh more than the Galaxy S22 Plus, so exactly the same capacity boost as the standard Samsung Galaxy S23 might be getting. Though similarly, that would still leave it with 100mAh less capacity than the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, on the other hand, will apparently have a 5,000mAh battery, just like the Galaxy S22 Ultra, the Galaxy S21 Ultra, and the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. So Samsung has at least remained consistent there.

That’s not unreasonable, as 5,000mAh is a fairly standard battery size for a large-screen flagship, we’d just like to see the company commit to bigger batteries in the standard and Plus models.

These leaks do at least point to a step in the right direction there, giving them a good shot at ranking among the best Samsung phones.

Apple could be planning big changes for the iPhone SE 4, with the phone reportedly set to sport a different design and have a much larger screen than the iPhone SE (2022).

That’s according to Ross Young – a leaker with a reasonable track record – who, speaking to MacRumors, claims that the iPhone SE 4 will have a 6.1-inch display. That’s up from 4.7 inches on the current model, so it’s a big size increase.

The overall size of the phone might not be much, if any bigger though, because the large bezels and physical home button are apparently going, to be replaced by a notch at the top and likely small bezels elsewhere.

There are some things Young isn’t clear on though, such as whether or not this notch will house Face ID. The iPhone SE (2022) uses Touch ID instead, but the removal of the home button and addition of the notch could mean a move to Face ID.

Then again, Face ID likely costs Apple more to incorporate, so the company might stick with Touch ID – perhaps housing the fingerprint sensor in a button on the side, much like some iPads. If this approach is taken then it’s also possible the iPhone SE 4 will have a smaller notch than other iPhones, since it won’t need to house as many components.

That’s just speculation though, and we don’t even know for sure that the next model will have a notch. If it does though, then that will be a much-needed visual upgrade from a design that currently looks incredibly old-fashioned.

Even a notch though will look dated, especially given that this phone won’t land before 2023 and may not arrive until 2024, according to some leaks.

Still, Apple is clearly happy sticking with dated designs on its phones – especially its cheap ones – so we can’t see the company skipping straight to a Dynamic Island on the iPhone SE 4, particularly as it will want to ensure the phone looks cheaper than the more expensive models to quickly set it apart, visually. So a move to a notch makes sense.

Analysis: don’t count on this

While this rumored change in design would make a lot of sense, it’s worth noting that Young has previously made different predictions about the iPhone SE 4.

In the past, Young has suggested that the iPhone SE 4 might have a punch-hole camera, rather than a notch, and also suggested that 5.7 inches was the most likely screen size.

That doesn’t necessarily mean Young was wrong before – it’s entirely possible that Apple was exploring those options but has now settled on a 6.1-inch phone with a notch. But whether Young was wrong or Apple’s plans changed, we can’t rule out the possibility that the same thing could happen again.

Whatever the case though, this is likely to end up being one of the best iPhones for buyers on a budget.

It's still very early days for iPhone 15 rumors – what with the iPhone 14 only launching last month – but we are starting to hear a few whispers about what to expect next year. The latest prediction of note concerns the 5G modem inside the iPhone 15.

According to industry analyst Jeff Pu (via MacRumors), Apple is set to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon X70 to power its 5G capabilities, up from the Snapdragon X65 that sits in the current iPhone 14 line-up.

The upgraded chip offers lower latency and draws less power, and comes with a suite of artificial intelligence optimizations that should mean better speeds and more reliable coverage no matter the location of a phone.

Apple's modem plans

There is a subplot here, which is that Apple is known to be developing its own 5G modem, in the same way that it's been developing its own processors for the iPhone. Pu reckons that an Apple 5G chip is still some way off.

Apple will also stick with Qualcomm for its 5G modem needs in the iPhone 16 scheduled for 2024, Pu says. That should be the Snapdragon X75, though we haven't heard anything about it at the moment.

After that, we might see a handset in 2025 with a full set of Apple-made chips inside it – so consider this the very first rumor about the iPhone 17 as well. We will of course keep you posted on all the iPhone leaks and rumors in the meantime.

Analysis: Apple wants full control

Apple clearly likes to have as much control as possible over the hardware components that go in its devices: having made chipsets for the iPhone and iPad for years, it has now switched its Macs over to Apple-made silicon as well.

The 5G modem inside the iPhone is one of the few components that's still manufactured by a third party, but there's no doubt Apple wants to change that – that's why it spend so much money buying Intel's 5G modem business in 2019.

For whatever reason, the process of switching is taking longer than was perhaps anticipated. There had been some speculation that an Apple 5G chip could appear in 2023, but that now looks less likely.

It's going to happen eventually though, and Apple will be hoping that by being in charge of all of its own hardware and software development, it can make products that run even more efficiently and smoothly.

• iPhone 15 Pro tipped to get some major upgrades – and a new Ultra name

With the Google Pixel 7 launch successfully navigated, the next flagship phone on the horizon is the Samsung Galaxy S23 – and the latest update from the rumor mill gives us some idea of the color options we're going to see.

As per analyst Ross Young, who is usually right when it comes to mobile industry predictions, we're going to get the phone in beige, black, green and light pink when it arrives in the first few months of 2023.

That's a somewhat limited selection compared to the Samsung Galaxy S22, which across the whole range – the S22, the S22 Plus and the S22 Ultra – showed up in white, black, pink gold, green, graphite, blue, violet, cream, burgundy, red and eventually purple.

Color calls

It's also interesting to compare the color selection with the options for the recently launched Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 foldable phones: the former comes in green, black, beige and burgundy, and the latter in  purple, graphite, pink gold, blue, yellow, white, navy, khaki and red.

Perhaps there's more to come in terms of colors, or perhaps Young is referring just to the standard S22 model – in which case light pink would be replacing rose gold, beige would be replacing white, and the purple option would be dropped.

These colors might end up varying depending on the region that you're in as well. All the signs point towards a February launch for the Galaxy S23 series, following the scheduling of the Galaxy S22 range, so we've got a few months to wait yet before we know for sure what Samsung has been working on.

Analysis: colors really do matter

The colors that a phone comes in may not immediately seem like the most important aesthetic choice compared with the rest of its design – and less important still when considered against the internal specs of a particular device.

It's also fair to say that colors aren't always the most exciting aspect of a phone to talk about. White and black are almost always present, and beyond that manufacturers seem reluctant to experiment too much with the different hues on offer.

However, color picks can make a big difference to consumers, and the appeal of a phone. It seems that phone makers are starting to realize this – take the green iPhone 13 that Apple unveiled earlier this year, for example.

The Google Pixel 7 and Google Pixel 7 Pro also show some bold color choices, and we'd like to see more of them in the future. Here's hoping Samsung does have some extra colors lined up for the Galaxy S23 beyond those we've mentioned here.

• The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus could get a battery upgrade