We’ve made a big song and dance about the rumored upgrades coming to the iPhone 15 Pro, but new intelligence suggests prospective buyers may actually be better off waiting for the iPhone 16 Pro, instead.
While Apple’s next Pro-level iPhone is expected to feature a super-fast A17 chip and much thinner bezels than the iPhone 14 Pro, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that the iPhone 16 Pro will get a periscope lens and a larger display – arguably two more substantial upgrades.
In other words, the iPhone 16 Pro could be a smaller (and potentially cheaper) version of the much-rumored iPhone 15 Ultra, which is expected to arrive this year in place of an iPhone 15 Pro Max.
As Kuo notes, the Ultra is rumored to get a periscope lens in 2023 owing to its superior screen size to the iPhone 15 Pro. We expect the upcoming devices to measure 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches, respectively, but bumping up that 6.1-inch figure for the iPhone 16 Pro in 2024 would allow Apple to house a periscope lens on the rear of the device.
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iPhone 15 Pro render obtained by 9to5Mac (Image credit: 9to5Mac)
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iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra renders obtained by 9to5Mac (Image credit: 9to5Mac)
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iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra renders obtained by 9to5Mac (Image credit: 9to5Mac)
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iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra renders obtained by 9to5Mac (Image credit: 9to5Mac)
Solid-state buttons use haptic vibrations to simulate the sensation of being touched, despite not actually moving, however Apple reportedly needs more time to develop the haptic engines required to power this new technology.
We’ve made a big song and dance about the rumored upgrades coming to the iPhone 15 Pro, but new intelligence suggests prospective buyers may actually be better off waiting for the iPhone 16 Pro, instead.
While Apple’s next Pro-level iPhone is expected to feature a super-fast A17 chip and much thinner bezels than the iPhone 14 Pro, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that the iPhone 16 Pro will get a periscope lens and a larger display – arguably two more substantial upgrades.
In other words, the iPhone 16 Pro could be a smaller (and potentially cheaper) version of the much-rumored iPhone 15 Ultra, which is expected to arrive this year in place of an iPhone 15 Pro Max.
As Kuo notes, the Ultra is rumored to get a periscope lens in 2023 owing to its superior screen size to the iPhone 15 Pro. We expect the upcoming devices to measure 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches, respectively, but bumping up that 6.1-inch figure for the iPhone 16 Pro in 2024 would allow Apple to house a periscope lens on the rear of the device.
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iPhone 15 Pro render obtained by 9to5Mac (Image credit: 9to5Mac)
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iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra renders obtained by 9to5Mac (Image credit: 9to5Mac)
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iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra renders obtained by 9to5Mac (Image credit: 9to5Mac)
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iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra renders obtained by 9to5Mac (Image credit: 9to5Mac)
Solid-state buttons use haptic vibrations to simulate the sensation of being touched, despite not actually moving, however Apple reportedly needs more time to develop the haptic engines required to power this new technology.
Over the last few days, a growing number of Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 users (including owners of the Pro models) have reported that their phones are overheating and suffering from drastically reduced battery life.
That sounds like quite the problem, especially as battery life isn’t amazing on these phones to begin with. But Google has been quick to respond, as posting on the company’s support site, a community manager has said the following:
“We have received reports of Android devices becoming overheated and seeing accelerated battery drain. We identified the root cause of the issue being a recent Google app backend change that unintentionally resulted in these issues. We have rolled out a fix that should begin to take effect for impacted users immediately. No user action is needed.”
So, within a few days, Google has both acknowledged and seemingly fixed the issue, which is impressively fast, at least. It sounds from the statement like the fix should automatically be applied to the Google app, which has been identified as the culprit, so if you’re still having issues, you probably won’t do for much longer.
The latest in a long line of Pixel problems
Sadly, this isn’t the first issue that Pixel phone users have reported. In fact, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro were so plagued with bugs that we dedicated an entire guide to fixing or working around them.
Those initial bugs now have official fixes (for the most part), and the Google Pixel 7 series hasn’t been quite as issue-ridden, but these phones still seem to have more than their fair share of problems, with Android Authority collating a list of over a dozen Pixel 7 bugs.
No phone lands bug-free, but Google’s recent handsets seem to have more of them than the majority of the best phones. So it’s a good thing the company also seems quick to respond to the more serious ones, at least in the case of the issue above.
Vodafone will reduce its staff by 11,000 positions in the next three years, the company revealed in its latest financial results
Vodafone's new CEO Margherita della Valle is looking to “simplify” the organization, and job cuts are part of that plan, as she claims the company’s performance “has not been good enough”.
The cuts are equal to around 10% of Vodafone's entire workforce, with losses set to come across multiple countries, with Germany and Italy confirmed to be affected alongside the UK.
Regaining competitiveness
Previously chief financial officer, Della Valle became Vodafone CEO in January 2023 after former CEO Nick Read suddenly left his post.
"To consistently deliver, Vodafone must change,” she said. "My priorities are customers, simplicity and growth. We will simplify our organization, cutting out complexity to regain our competitiveness."
When Vodafone decided to give Della Valle the position of CEO, analysts saw it as a “deviation” in the company’s strategy, Reuters reported at the time. Analysts were expecting someone from the outside, rather than inside the company, to “shake things up” after Read’s seemingly failed attempt at revitalizing the firm.
The company recently reported €45.7 billion in sales, a small rise, but also reported a fall in pre-tax profits, leading analysts to expect a “broadly flat” financial year for the company.
Vodafone recently confirmed it was in talks with CK Hutchinson, parent comnpany of Three UK, over a merger which could fundamentally change the telecoms landscape in the UK. If the deal comes through, the company will be the world’s biggest mobile operator, counting some 28 million customers.
– Super-fast A17 chip, may outperform the A16 by 20%
– Titanium sides, thinner bezels and a periscope camera
– Dynamic Island will return
– Apple to finally switches to USB-C
– eSIMs in the US, with France and possibly more of Europe
Apple is expected to unveil its iPhone 15 line later this year, with the iPhone 15 Pro sure to stand alongside the much-rumored iPhone 15 Ultra as the company’s flagship 2023 model.
It’s been nine months since the launch of the excellent iPhone 14 Pro, so we’re beginning to learn more about what to expect from the next generation of Apple’s best iPhones. Now that we've heard several consistent rumors about the iPhone 15 Pro, in this guide we’ve pulled together the leaks with the most credence.
How much will it cost? Expect a price increase over the iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro release date
Likely to launch in the first half of September
The shipping date will probably be a week or so later
Apple hasn’t yet shared official release information for the iPhone 15 Pro, but using the company’s previous iPhone release strategies as points of reference, we can make an educated guess as to when the iPhone 15 Pro will land.
The iPhone 14 line was officially unveiled on September 7, 2022 before going on sale over a week later on September 16. Apple generally picks the first or second week of September for its annual iPhone launches, typically opting for a Tuesday or Wednesday. We therefore expect the iPhone 15 Pro to be revealed – alongside the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Ultra – on September 5, 6, 12 or 13 this year, with phones going on sale around a week later.
iPhone 15 Pro price
The iPhone 14 Pro starts at $999 / £1,099 / AU$1,749 (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
Will be the same as (if not more expensive than) the iPhone 14 Pro
According to a Weibo source and seasoned Apple analyst Jeff Pu, Apple will hike the price of the iPhone 15 Pro to boost the appeal of the cheaper iPhone 15, whose predecessor hasn’t been selling as well as expected.
We could therefore conceivably see the iPhone 15 Pro start at $1,099 / £1,199 / AU$1,899 for the 128GB model, though it’s also worth noting that Apple may opt to forgo 128GB storage options with the iPhone 15 lineup, as other manufacturers have done with their respective 2023 flagships.
For our money, we'd bet the iPhone 15 Pro will cost around $1,199 / £1,209 / AU$1,899 for the 256GB storage option. Of course, Apple may opt to remain consistent with its Pro-level pricing, but we don’t expect to see the iPhone 15 Pro cost anything less than $1,099 / £1,209 / AU$1,899.
iPhone 15 Pro design and display
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
Thinner bezels, titanium sides rumored
Solid-state buttons were initially touted, but no longer expected
On the design front, we expect the iPhone 15 Pro to be similar in size to its predecessor – that’s 147.5 x 71.5 x 7.85mm – but it could still look like a very different device.
A leaked photo of the iPhone 15 Pro's USB-C port (Image credit: @URedditor)
In terms of the phone’s display, the iPhone 15 Pro will likely retain its predecessor’s 6.1-inch Super XDR OLED screen and Dynamic Island digital cutout. The latter is expected to make its way onto the vanilla iPhone 15, too, though the next iteration of the Dynamic Island won’t necessarily be identical to that which is used on the iPhone 14 line. According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 15 Pro’s proximity sensor will be integrated inside the Dynamic Island itself, rather than positioned separately (as on the iPhone 14 Pro).
The iPhone 14 Pro Max introduced the Dynamic Island (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
It's also worth noting that Apple may be preparing to move to eSIM in countries outside the US for the iPhone 15 Pro, with eSIMs reportedly coming to the next generation of Apple’s best iPhones in France. This is big news for all prospective iPhone 15 Pro buyers outside of the US. Apple typically sells the same iPhone models across most of Europe, meaning SIM card-less iPhone 15 Pros could also be coming to the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and many other countries.
iPhone 15 Pro cameras
A closeup on the iPhone 14 Pro's triple camera system (Image credit: Apple)
Will likely stick with the same triple-lens setup as the iPhone 14 Pro
Sensors may be improved
On the subject of cameras, the iPhone 15 Pro isn’t expected to stray too far from its predecessor’s (admittedly excellent) triple-sensor setup. The iPhone 14 Pro boasts the following three lenses:
The iPhone 14 Pro rocks the latest version of Apple’s silicon – the A16 Bionic – which makes it one of the fastest phones (if not the fastest phone) money can buy right now. And yet, the iPhone 15 Pro will be even faster.
Crunching the numbers, DCInside claims that the A17 Bionic earns a single-core score of 3019 and a multi-core score of 7860 on Geekbench 6, where the A16 Bionic scores 2504 and 6314, respectively. Naturally, we’d suggest taking these rumored figures with a hefty pinch of salt, but it’s exciting to think that the iPhone 15 Pro might sport benchmark scores to rival Apple’s best MacBooks.
We haven’t heard all that much about the iPhone 15 Pro’s battery size – and we’re unlikely to, since Apple is typically coy about such details – but the iPhone 14 Pro rocks a capable 3,200mAh battery, so we’d be happy seeing the same size again this year.
It’s also worth reiterating here that the iPhone 15 Pro is expected to get a USB-C port, so you probably won’t be able to use your older Apple Lightning cable to juice it up.
For example, a new cinematography feature that will allow live 4K Thunderbolt outputs to monitors while recording.Essentially, you’ll have the phone with all the camera controls, connected to a monitor displaying live 4K camera footage without any controls; in 16:9.It’s NicheApril 27, 2023
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This option will supposedly arrive with iOS 17, which is likely to be announced in June, but only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra will be able to make use of the technology given their support for Thunderbolt 3.
It’s not yet clear whether Apple’s upcoming premium iPhones will allow you to share all types of content across multiple screens using the charging port alone – game and movie content, for instance, might still require AirPlay or an Apple TV. At the very least, though, filmmakers, photographers, and other creatives look set to have the option of visualizing their subjects on larger, control-free monitors with the iPhone 15 Pro.
According to a Weibo source and seasoned Apple analyst Jeff Pu, Apple will hike the price of the iPhone 15 Pro to boost the appeal of the cheaper iPhone 15, whose predecessor hasn’t been selling as well as expected.
This isn’t new news, per se – we’ve reported on worrying iPhone 15 Pro price rumors before, and an unusually high rate of inflation in 2023 means iPhone price increases were expected in markets like the US, UK, and Australia.
“I think people are willing to really stretch to get the best they can afford in that category,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a recent company earnings call, adding that iPhones have now become “integral” to people’s lives.
Just how much better than its predecessor will the iPhone 15 Pro be? (Image credit: Future / Apple)
The good news is that – for the first time in a while – all three (or four) versions of Apple’s next iPhone look set to boast features that better reflect their respective price tags. The base iPhone 15, for instance, won’t be cheap by any means, but prospective buyers can expect to benefit from previous Pro-level features like a 48MP camera and the Dynamic Island.
And while the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra might be even more expensive than their respective predecessors, Apple is expected to include more new features on each model than it has done with previous iterations of Pro-level iPhones.
It remains to be seen whether consumers will be happy to part ways with more of their hard-earned cash to benefit from whatever those differences turn out to be, but Tim Cook and Apple seem confident in the quality of the products they'll be unveiling this September.
You probably think of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip series as quite high-end, but it seems that – in the past, at least – Samsung might not have done, because all of these phones lack a feature found on Samsung’s other premium phones, namely DeX. But the company might be changing its view of the line, because apparently the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 will have this feature.
That’s according to sources speaking to SamMobile, with the site noting that the Galaxy Z Flip 5 would be the smallest phone to support Samsung DeX.
DeX, for those who don’t know, lets you connect your phone to an external display such as a TV or monitor, and show a desktop-like interface on it. You can then connect peripherals like a keyboard and mouse, to fully use your phone like you would a computer.
It works both wired and wirelessly (depending on the screen you’re trying to connect to), and while the Samsung Galaxy S series and even other Samsung foldables like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 support DeX, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and its predecessors don’t.
An obvious feature that's oddly absent
That’s odd, because it’s a useful feature and one that these phones should easily be powerful enough to run. And while they’re not Samsung’s top foldable models, at a starting price of $999.99 / £999 / AU$1,499 for the Galaxy Z Flip 4, you wouldn’t expect Samsung to skimp on features.
So, it’s nice to hear that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 might support DeX, though as ever with leaks, we’d take this with a pinch of salt.
There’s a chance, though, that this could also mean DeX will come to earlier Z Flip models as a software update. SamMobile’s sources weren’t able to confirm that, but it could believably happen, given that those phones should be able to run it and that Samsung often brings new software features to older handsets.
We’ll probably find out in late July or August, as that’s when the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is expected to be unveiled, alongside the larger Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Your mother may have once told you that “a tidy home makes for a tidy mind,” and we’re inclined to believe that the same is true of the tech products we use everyday.
Take the humble iPhone, for example. iPhone users have long debated whether you should close apps running in the background to improve performance and save battery life, and while Apple’s official line on the matter is that there’s no need to close apps unless they become totally unresponsive, we can confidently say that the story is a little different when it comes to open browser tabs.
We’re all guilty of letting an excessive number of tabs run amok in the Safari app, and – in addition to becoming laggy – Apple’s in-house browser has been known to unexpectedly delete Safari tabs if too many are left open at any one time.
To help you avoid the headache of a slow Safari browser, then, the good folks over at Today Years Old have seen fit to highlight a two-second iPhone trick that lets you delete Safari tabs en masse.
How old were you when you learned you can press and hold the tab browser on your iPhone to save you three minutes of swiping? pic.twitter.com/bXgf9mpcsfMay 11, 2023
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If you navigate to the bottom right-hand corner of Safari, you’ll see the open tabs icon. Clicking it once will bring up all your open tabs as normal, but holding down that icon will bring up a menu that contains an option to delete all open tabs in one fell swoop. See the images below for the two-step process:
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
Suffice to say, this is a neat trick that spares you the need to manually swipe away Every. Single. Open. Tab. one by one – and followers of the fact-finding Twitter account were quick to express their gratitude.
“Omg. This changed my life. Thank you,” one user wrote in response, while another said: “I just closed 238 tabs in one second. Thanks for saving my time.”
One more thing...
But wait! There’s another, even-more-helpful trick buried deep in your iPhone’s settings that does away with the need to ever again manually delete another open Safari tab.
Apple actually introduced the option to automatically close open Safari tabs after a chosen amount of time back in 2019 with iOS 13. How, you ask? Allow us to explain.
Firstly, navigate to Settings and select the Safari options page. Once there, scroll down and select the “Close Tabs” menu. By default, the option is set to manual – meaning your out-of-the-box iPhone makes you delete open Safari tabs by hand – but by selecting this menu, you can choose to have open tabs close automatically after one day, one week or one month. Huzzah!
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
But what if you need to recover a tab that was automatically closed? Fear not. If you want to revisit a closed Safari tab, long-press the Plus icon in the bottom left-hand corner of the tabs preview screen to bring up a list of recently closed tabs.
As Samsung’s next foldable phone edges closer to release we’re starting to get an ever-clearer picture of it thanks to leaks, and the latest suggests it might look much the same as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.
The most recent evidence for this is leaked images of a case that's supposedly for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, shared by @UniverseIce, who has a pretty solid track record.
It’s a simple, transparent case, and in a follow-up tweet they show an equivalent case for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 for comparison, with the only obvious difference being that the Z Fold 5’s case has a separate cut-out for the flash to the side of the camera block; the Z Fold 4’s case doesn’t need this, as that phone’s flash sits within the camera block.
Here's the Galaxy Z Fold4 case pic.twitter.com/S6dfq0lnoCMay 11, 2023
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Of course, we’d take this with a pinch of salt, and a case image won’t show us all the details of the phone it’s for. But this is very much in line with some recent unofficial renders, which also showed the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 as looking nearly identical to the Z Fold 4, just with the flash in a new position.
Those renders came with dimensions, suggesting that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 would be a few millimeters smaller than the Z Fold 4, so their sizes could be almost identical too. The only significant design change we might see, going by leaks, is a new waterdrop hinge, which would allow the two halves of the phone to sit flatter against each other when folded shut.
The Pixel problem
The Google Pixel Fold (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
So if leaks are right, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 doesn’t sound like the most inspiring of upgrades visually – and if there was any year when it needed to be, it’s this year, as the Google Pixel Fold has just launched.
That’s the slimmest foldable phone on the market, coming in at just 5.8mm thick when unfolded. That also makes it slimmer than the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 if the leaked dimensions are accurate, as that’s apparently 6.3mm thick.
It also has a wider cover screen than we’re expecting on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, which, as we found in our hands-on Google Pixel Fold review, made it more usable than the cover screen on the Z Fold 4. In fact, our US Editor-in-Chief Lance Ulanoff declared it “the first foldable that could masquerade as a normal smartphone.”
So it’s got a design that’s sure to catch eyes – despite some disappointingly large bezels around the foldable display. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 on the other hand? It sounds like that phone could be more of the same, and if so it might need some big changes on the inside to take the title of our best foldable phone.
The time has come again for the next Discover Samsung event, featuring dozens of deals on the manufacturer's top phones, appliances, tablets, TVs, and more.
The South Korean tech powerhouse has announced its latest week-long sale begins on May 15. As with previous events, new offers will be available every 24 hours, limited-time four-hour flash deals, and larger reductions when you buy multiple items in a bundle.
Those signed up for the Samsung Rewards program will also earn double the reward points on any purchases across all categories for the duration of the event.
Head to the main Discover Samsung page now for more info and an early preview of some offers, as well as all the deals, as soon as the sale gets underway on May 15.
And you can also check out the latest Samsung promo codes for ways to save even more money during the sale.
What deals will be in the Discover Samsung sale?
Samsung hasn't confirmed any specific deals yet for the next Discover Samsung sale, but we can make some safe assumptions based on previous events and its current popular products.
With that in mind, we're sure that the Galaxy S23 range is guaranteed to feature. A large discount on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is bound to be one of the headline deals, with the opportunity to score huge trade-in rebates if you have an old device to hand over.
TVs are usually a big part of these events, too, so expect significant reductions on Samsung's displays - including both 4K and 8K sets. Perhaps we'll see the first deals on the latest Samsung S95C OLED TV that we awarded full marks in our review. Or there will surely be a chance to save on last-generation models that are still up there with some of the best TVs you can buy.
And then there are the appliances - both large and small. Look out for deals on refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, microwaves, ovens, vacuums, air purifiers, and so much more.
Altogether, it should be a sold warm-up to this year's Memorial Day sales, which we'll also cover in full here at TechRadar throughout the month.
The Pixel Fold is Google's first ever foldable phone, comparable to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. It was announced at Google I/O 2023 and can be pre-ordered now ahead of its June launch. It costs $1,799 / £1,749 (no Australian release is planned).
What do I need to know about it?
It has a large, 7.6-inch bendy screen with a fast 120Hz refresh rate, and a 5.8-inch exterior display for one-handed use when it’s closed. Inside is a Tensor G2 processor (same as the new Pixel 7a) and 12GB RAM, which should make it smooth and swift.
On the back is a triple-camera system, with a wide-angle lens, 5x zoom lens and an ultra-wide lens – standard stuff for the best phones today. The promise of up to 72 hours of battery life in Extreme Battery Save mode is nice – but expect more like 24 hours normally, Google says.
Most importantly, the version of Android it runs is built for folding devices, with smart options such as split-screen apps, and a tabletop mode so you can sit it on a table like a laptop.
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(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
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(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
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(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
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(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
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(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
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(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
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(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
What do we think of it?
In our early hands-on Pixel Fold review, we said “it looks like the experience may be a cut above what Samsung currently offers with the Galaxy Z Fold 4."
But what really stood out was the design: it’s much smaller and more pocketable than Samsung’s folding phone, but also more usable. “It's like they're not in the same class,” said US Editor-in-Chief Lance Ulanoff.
But we still have concerns over the chunky bezel inside, the crease down the center of the screen, and that it doesn’t go totally flat when unfolded. Check back for our full review soon.
Telecommunications operators are set to earn more than $10 billion in revenue through roaming data services next year, according to a new report from Juniper Research. The market analysts are saying that globally, these organizations can expect annual growth of 15%, a nice boost given that in 2023, they’ll earn $8.6 billion.
The increase in revenue comes from the rise in consumer demand, fueled by the deployment of 5G networks, the researchers claim.
However, Juniper doesn’t expect data roaming revenue to continue on an upward trajectory for much longer. The emergence of competing mobility solutions, such as eSIM, should give telecoms’ a run for their money. By adopting a temporary local profile, consumers can avoid paying extra for mobile data when traveling internationally.
eSIMs
eSIMS, Juniper explains, are inbuilt Embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Cards (eUICCS), that are also operator-agnostic, which allows roaming subscribers to adopt local profiles through digital platforms. By the end of this year, the researchers argue, there will be more than 1.5 billion smartphones using eSIMs for cellular connectivity. By 2027, the number is expected to more than double, to 3.5 billion devices.
Operators should launch travel mobility services for long-term travelers, as well as those interested in becoming “permanent roamers”, they say. Furthermore, they should provide travel mobility services to subscribers roaming on their network. That should also include a user-facing digital platform which would allow subscribers to manage their own mobile subscriptions.
“As a result, this will lessen the reliance on the delivery of physical SIM cards that can increase the time for a travel mobility subscription to be created,” the researchers concluded.
According to Statista, consumers in Oceania, Eastern and South Eastern Asia, are the biggest spenders on mobile data, with $4.65 billion spent in 2020 alone, followed by consumers in the EU, with $3.1 billion spent.
While most of the tech world is still obsessing over Google’s announcement of the Pixel Fold, Pixel Tablet, and Pixel 7a, Sony has decided to try and steal some of the attention by announcing the Sony Xperia 1 V and the Sony Xperia 10 V.
They’re the company’s new flagship and mid-ranger, respectively, and it’s the Xperia 1 V that’s by far the most interesting of the two.
It's only especially interesting in one way, mind – a lot of the phone's specs are quite similar to those of the Sony Xperia 1 IV – but it looks like the primary camera has had a major upgrade. Here, it’s a 52MP f/1.9 one with optical image stabilization. That’s far more megapixels than the 12MP of the Xperia 1 IV, but it’s the design of the sensor that’s most interesting.
You see, the Sony Xperia 1 V has a new sensor design called Exmor T for mobile. We don’t need to get too deep into the technical details, but it’s 1.7 times larger than the previous phone’s sensor, and can apparently perform two times better in low light.
The Sony Xperia 1 V (Image credit: Sony)
Note, though, that this is still a smaller sensor than the one used in the likes of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, despite that also being made by Sony, and while it’s technically a 52MP sensor, the effective area for photos is 48MP, and it pixel bins shots down to 12MP.
In any case, it still sounds like a big upgrade, and it’s joined by the same 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide and 12MP f/2.3 telephoto cameras as last year, the latter of which being able to zoom between 3.5x and 5.2x optically. There’s also a 12MP camera on the front.
The Sony Xperia 1 V has the expected power upgrade, too, in the form of a new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, like you’ll find in most 2023 Android flagships. That’s joined by 12GB of RAM, 256GB or 512GB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery with 30W charging.
The Sony Xperia 1 V (Image credit: Sony)
The screen is a 6.5-inch OLED one with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 1644 x 3840 resolution, just like on the Xperia 1 IV, and the design is similar too, with sizeable bezels above and below the screen, a glass back (clad in Gorilla Glass Victus 2 in this case), and a metal frame. The phone also has both an IP68 and IP65 rating, giving it marginally better water resistance than most handsets.
It comes in a choice of Platinum Silver, Black, and Khaki Green shades, and it will be available to pre-order from June 14 in the UK, before shipping on June 29, with the price starting at £1,299 (around $1,635 / AU$2,425).
Pricing and availability in the US are yet to be confirmed, though, and we probably won’t see this phone in Australia, going by past form. As usual with Sony, this is an expensive phone, but in the UK you do at least get a pair of Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones thrown in if you pre-order.
From high-end to mid-range
The Sony Xperia 10 V (Image credit: Sony)
As for the Sony Xperia 10 V, that’s a lot more affordable, costing £399 in the UK (around $500 / AU$745) and going on sale from mid-June. As with the Xperia 1 V, though, we’re yet to hear price and availability details for other regions.
Specs for this phone include a 6.1-inch, 1080 x 2520 OLED screen, a Snapdragon 695 5G chipset, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery.
It also has a 48MP main camera (though not the same one as the Xperia 1 V), an 8MP ultra-wide, and an 8MP telephoto offering 2x optical zoom.
There’s an IP68 and IP65 rating for water resistance too, but on paper it only sounds like the main camera has had much of an upgrade here, as even the chipset is the same as in the Sony Xperia 10 IV. That said, Sony has at least added stereo speakers and made the display brighter.
Google has announced a big update to Android's 'Find My Device' feature, which will soon help you track valuables using third-party Bluetooth trackers – and also warn you about unwanted nearby Apple AirTags.
Like Apple's 'Find My' network, Google's "major update" to its existing Find My Device feature will anonymously use billions of Android devices around the world to help you track down lost or stolen items, even when they're offline.
Google used the example of accidentally leaving your headphones at the gym – when the 'Find My Device' update rolls out "later this summer", you'll theoretically be able to use other nearby Android devices to find them.
Because Find My Device will soon work with third-party Bluetooth trackers from the likes of Tile and Chipolo, you'll also be able to use those to keep track of other valuables like your bicycle or suitcase.
(Image credit: Google)
Naturally, a tracking network built on billions of Android devices raises some privacy concerns. Google was keen to stress that it's "taken some time to get this right," which is something of an understatement – Google's current 'Find My Device' app arrived six years ago at Google I/O 2017 and we've heard rumors of a big update for the last two years.
Like Apple's Find My network, Google says location information is encrypted on the new Find My Device network, which means no one (including Google) can tell where your devices are located. But the bigger headline, which Google teased by announcing its partnership with Apple earlier this month, is the introduction of 'Unknown tracker alerts' on Android.
This means your Android phone will tell you if an unrecognized tracking tag is moving with you, and will also help you find it. Thanks to that new standard that Google agreed with Apple, these alerts will work across all phones – including iPhones.
Google says that this new Find My Device experience and 'Unknown tracker alerts' will be launching "later this summer".
Analysis: Android becomes the world's biggest tracking network
(Image credit: Google)
Android has long had a very limited 'Find My Device' feature that's been based on your device's most recent known location.
But this update takes it to a whole new level, effectively turning over three billion Android devices into the world's biggest object-tracking network – and for all the benefits, the feature will likely prove controversial when it fully launches later this year.
Google was keen to stress two features that should help calm fears that this kind of tracking could be exploited by bad actors – the full encryption of location information, and those 'Unknown tracker alerts' that are based on the new standard it's created with Apple.
But despite Apple's attempts to reduce the growing number of headlines about AirTag stalking, it hasn't managed to fully convince everyone that Bluetooth trackers aren't open to misuse. And these controversies could be taken to the next level when the upgraded 'Find My Device' feature rolls out.
While the belated creation of a cross-platform standard for 'Unknown tracker alerts' is a good move, we'll have to see how well it works in practice before filling our lives with Bluetooth trackers.
Google’s long-awaited first foldable phone is finally here, as the company unveiled the Google Pixel Fold at Google I/O 2023, alongside the Pixel 7a and Pixel Tablet.
This looks to essentially be a foldable take on the Pixel 7 Pro, and that’s no bad thing, as Google’s 2022 flagship remains one of the best phones you can buy.
But the Pixel Fold is a far more ambitious device, with much of that core Pixel 7 Pro tech being joined by a 7.6-inch foldable display, and wrapped up in a design that makes this the thinnest foldable phone on the market.
Below you’ll find full details of the Google Pixel Fold, including its specs, its release date, and its predictably high price.
Cut to the chase
What is it? Google's first foldable phone
When is it out? It was unveiled on May 10 and is hitting stores in June
How much does it cost? It starts at $1,799 / £1,749 (around AU$2,655)
Google Pixel Fold release date and price
(Image credit: Google)
The Google Pixel Fold is available to pre-order now if you're in the US or UK (but not Australia. It starts at $1,799 / £1,749 (around AU$2,655), which is in line with the price of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.
That’s for a model with 256GB of storage, but you can also get one with 512GB for $1,919 / £1,869 (roughly AU$2,835).
The phone starts shipping in late June, with more exact delivery estimates possibly varying based on your location, but currently we're seeing estimates of June 27 - July 3.
Google Pixel Fold design
(Image credit: Google)
The Google Pixel Fold is available in a choice of Porcelain or Obsidian shades, and other than its large camera bump it has a rather sleek design. In fact at 139.7 x 158.7 x 5.8mm when unfolded, it’s the thinnest foldable phone on the market.
That remains true when folded of course, but it’s rather chunkier than a conventional phone at 139.7 x 79.5 x 12.1mm in that form.
But while the Google Pixel Fold is relatively slim compared to other foldables, it’s not one of the lightest options, coming in at 283g. For reference, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 – which is its closest competitor – is 263g.
The Pixel Fold also has rather large bezels around its foldable display, as we already knew from leaks and teasers. But the cover screen fares better on that front, and the Pixel Fold is at least built to last – Google claims this has the most durable hinge on a foldable, and the phone also has an IPX8 rating for water resistance.
The back is clad in Gorilla Glass Victus, which should keep it safe from scratches, and the frame is polished aluminum.
Google Pixel Fold display
(Image credit: Google)
The Google Pixel Fold has a 7.6-inch 1840 x 2208 OLED foldable display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and a 5.8-inch 1080 x 2092 OLED cover display with a 120Hz refresh rate.
Those are broadly in line with the screen specs of rival devices. The Z Fold 4 for example has the same size foldable screen but a slightly bigger 6.2-inch cover display.
However, the Pixel Fold has a wider profile, which should mean the cover screen feels less narrow than on Samsung’s rival. Google has also worked to minimize the crease in the foldable screen as much as possible.
Google Pixel Fold camera
(Image credit: Google)
There’s a triple-lens rear camera on the Pixel Fold, just like on the Pixel 7 Pro, though it doesn’t use the same sensors.
Here you get a 48MP f/1.7 primary camera, a 10.8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide one, and a 10.8MP f/3.05 telephoto one, with 5x optical zoom. It can also digitally zoom by up to 20x.
There’s also a 9.5MP f/2.2 camera on the cover display, and an 8MP f/2.0 camera on the foldable screen. These can be used for selfies, but you can also use the 48MP main camera for selfies if you fold the screen open and use the cover display to frame the shot.
The cover screen camera is housed in a punch-hole, and the camera on the foldable display sits in the top bezel, so there aren’t any under-display cameras here, unlike on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.
There are plenty of camera modes and features here though, with favorites from other Pixels like Magic Eraser and Photo Unblur included. Video meanwhile can be recorded in up to 4K quality.
Google Pixel Fold battery
The Pixel Fold has a 4,821mAh battery, which is quite large by foldable phone standards. The Galaxy Z Fold 4’s is 4,400mAh, for comparison.
In practice, this allows for over 24 hours of life according to Google, or up to 72 hours if you make use of Extreme Battery Saver mode.
The Google Pixel Fold also slightly has Samsung’s charging power beat, at 30W wired. There's wireless charging too, though Google hasn't listed the speed.
Google Pixel Fold specs and features
(Image credit: Google)
There aren’t any big surprises when it comes to the core specs of the Pixel Fold. This phone has a Tensor G2 chipset, just like the Google Pixel 7 line. It also has 12GB of RAM, a choice of 256GB or 512GB of storage, and it runs Android 13 – with at least five years of security updates promised.
This isn’t just a Pixel 7 Pro with a foldable screen though, as Google has thought about ways to make the most of the foldable form factor.
That includes things like the ability to use the phone in split-screen, and a dual-screen live translate feature, where the person you’re talking to can see the translation on the outer screen while you interact with the inner one.
There's also a tabletop mode that lets you sit the phone like a laptop, viewing video on the top half of the screen and controls on the bottom (where a laptop keyboard would be).
Other features include a fingerprint sensor in the power button, stereo speakers, and of course 5G support.
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