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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to get Help Me Write

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

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

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

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

Google has been steadily revamping its Android Contacts app, but the next apparent upgrade might feel too invasive for some. That’s because it could add Google Maps and Weather information for where your contacts are – potentially making it feel like a version of Snapchat’s Snap Map feature.

So far, Google’s Contacts upgrades have been pretty small but nevertheless good additions to the app. Earlier this year it got a tablet-optimized layout – perfect for the new Google Pixel Tablet announced at Google I/O 2023 – and it also received Birthday reminders. If you have Birthday information for a contact, the app can remind you to call or text them on their special day.

According to leaks, the next update could bring a few changes. Firstly, at the more minor end, images shared by @Nail_Sadykov on Twitter show a slightly different design for individual contacts pages – buttons to Call, Text, Video and Email the person will now appear in circular bubbles below their picture. The Highlights tab will also get a new box, recommending contacts that you should add to your Favorites.

However, the bigger change is the addition of Maps and Weather data to your Contacts’ pages. If you have their home address information, when you visit their page in your Contacts app you’ll see info about what the weather is like where they live. What’s more, if the contact wants to share their live location with you, you can press a button on the page to see where they are and get directions to them.

Based on the leaks, it’s not entirely clear how the location-sharing feature will work. If it copies Google Maps, the person sharing their location info has to set it up manually each time. When they do, they can choose to share their location until they turn it off, or for a set period of time before it turns off automatically.

The leaked images suggest that Contacts may favor the more long-term location-sharing option, making it feel like Snapchat’s Snap Map feature. You would manually set up who your share your location info with, and then anytime the contact wants they can come and find you.

This system has its benefits for fans of impromptu meet-ups, but the set-it-and-forget-it system could lead to some issues – you might find that you’ve shared your location with contacts that you've since decided that you’d like to keep that data private from. Additionally, it could see your phone’s data consumption go up a fair bit as it’s having to constantly signal where you are.

Until the feature launches we won’t know exactly how it works, although whatever system Google decides we expect it’ll be entirely opt-in. So if you don’t like the way Android Contact location-sharing works, you won’t have to engage with it all.

Samsung Display has unveiled a handful of displays that could help to make our phones, tablets, and laptops more portable without reducing their screen size, and a display that can measure your blood pressure.

Currently being demoed at Los Angeles Convention Center in California as part of the SID Display Week 2023, the Rollable Flex display is a new screen that can unfurl like a scroll, morphing from just 1.9 inches long (49mm) to 10 inches (254mm). In a press release, Samsung explains it hopes this new screen can help “turn a difficult-to-carry large-sized display into a portable form factor.”

This is merely a demo right now – it'll likely be a while before a gadget puts Samsung Display’s Rollable Flex panel to use – but in the right hands we could see some interesting designs. Your tablet could roll up into a rod shape for carrying around, for example, and those of us who like a multi-monitor setup could carry a rollable second screen with us to use with our laptops.

Samsung Display is also demoing new folding screen designs that look to be perfect for smartphones – so we may see them used in follow-up devices to Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4, or Google’s recently unveiled Google Pixel Fold.

Flex In & Flex Out is a screen type that can fold both ways. You can fold the screen in and close it like a book – protecting it with the outside case – or you can fold the screen out, so that you can still see the display and use your phone without needing it to be full size.

Samsung explains that this design would eliminate the extra external panel that many foldables rely on so they can be used while folded; without that panel, foldables could become lighter and thinner than the current best foldable phones.

Lastly, Samsung is demoing Flex Hybrid, a screen that combines folding and sliding technologies into one so that you can eek even more screen real estate out of your smartphone.

We don’t yet know when we'll see phones or tablets using these displays, but it likely won't be any time soon – and we can expect any such devices to be on the expensive side based on the currently prices of foldable phones.

A portable OLED biosensor

Beyond improving portability, Samsung Display also unveiled a new Sensor OLED screen that combines an OLED panel with biosensors. The upshot of this is a screen that has fingerprint scanning built-in, where most fingerprint-reading displays require an under-display module for this.

Obviously, you could use this kind of screen to unlock your phone with your fingerprint, but that’s nothing new. The real advantage is that this OLED display can apparently be used to check your cardiovascular health.

When the user places two fingers on the display, it use its light to measure how contracted or relaxed the blood vessels inside the fingers are, and this data can then be used to provide health information. According to Samsung, accurate blood pressure measurements require you to collect data from both arms, “the Sensor OLED display can simultaneously sense the fingers of both hands, providing more accurate health information than existing wearable devices.” 

As with the folding screens, Samsung hasn’t said when Sensor OLED will make its way to consumer smartphones – so your phone likely won’t be replacing the health tracking provided by the best smartwatches any time soon.

Google Bard – the generative AI the search giant launched following the success of Microsoft’s Bing Chat – might soon be coming to your Google Pixel smartphone via a home screen widget.

Microsoft and Google are engaged in an AI search engine battle, and with Microsoft having taken an early lead – Bing Chat is available on PC and mobile via an app, and is generally performing better than Bard – Google is keen to catch up.

A few recent updates have helped Bard become better at math, and improved Bard’s coding abilities – and now Google reportedly wants to incorporate Bard into its smartphones.

According to 9to5Google, code found in the Android app files teases the arrival of a home screen widget for Bard – though it’s currently unclear exactly how the widget will function. It could be a new standalone icon, or it could be incorporated into the existing Google Search app’s widget; we also don’t know if the Bard widget will offer all the same services as the browser version, but it should at least offer Pixel smartphone users an easier way to access the Google AI.

That said, there's no guarantee that this code means we'll see a Google Bard widget in the near future, or even at all. But with Google I/O 2023 coming soon, and Bard likely to feature heavily at that event, it's possible that we'll learn more about this leaked widget then.

Exclusive to Pixel 

One other aspect to this leak is that Bard is currently set to be exclusive to Pixel phones, including the Google Pixel 6, Google Pixel 7, and probably the Google Pixel Fold, which Google just announced. So if you own one of the best Android phones that isn't a Pixel, you’ll likely be unable to access the Bard widget straight away.

This wouldn’t be the first time Google has made its own services exclusive to its smartphones. The now-shuttered Google Stadia was initially only playable on mobile if you had a Pixel phone – a factor that may not have helped its early popularity, as Pixel phones weren't around in huge numbers then.

Hopefully, Bard won’t end up like Stadia – being unceremoniously canceled when the company gets bored of funding it – but we’ll have to wait and see.

Looking to try out other AI bots? Here are some interesting ChatGPT alternatives you can take for a spin right now.

One super neat feature found on Apple’s best Apple Watches (such as the Apple Watch 8) is the Noise app – a nifty tool that uses the smartwatch’s inbuilt microphone to monitor the noise around you and warn you if the noise could negatively impact your hearing. 

The tool is just one of the health features found on the smartwatch, and it's one we’d definitely recommend turning on if you frequent noisy places. It's great for reminding you when you need to use hearing protection.

Google might soon bring a similar feature to its Pixel smartphones, with 9to5Google reporting that the latest version of the Google Pixel 7’s Android System Intelligence software includes a “Loud sound alert.” According to its findings, the feature can “Alert when hearing-damaging loud sound detected” suggesting it’ll operate very similarly to the Apple Watch feature.

Not much else is known about the seemingly in-development Pixel tool – we don’t know when or even if it will launch for certain – but its inclusion in the APK suggests it could be coming soon. We might see it launch as part of the next Android update – or it could be announced at Google I/O 2023, which is happening on May 10.

As neat as the feature sounds, how reliable would it really be?

How well would this feature work? 

We can’t complain about our gadgets getting new and improved features, but is the leaked hearing protection feature as good a fit on the Google Pixel phone as it is on the Apple Watch?

Sure, there are some big advantages. For one, you don’t need to shell out on an expensive smartwatch as the feature will be right there on your smartphone. For another, while there are occasions when we might forget to wear or not wear a smartwatch – when we forget to charge it – we're better at ensuring our phone is always on us and has power.

However, we also carry our phones in a pocket, which may muffle a noise and make it seem quieter than it is. If the noise is active while your smartphone is being used, this wouldn't be a problem. If it’s put away, your Google Pixel might not appropriately warn you about how dangerous the noise levels are. 

A smartwatch, on the other hand is always exposed, so its noise level detection is more likely to be accurate.

Google has likely considered these factors, so we'll have to wait and see how well the feature works if Google chooses to launch it.

Just in time for Earth Day 2023, Samsung has announced that it will sell the Samsung Galaxy S22 through its refurbished store – and at a bargain price.

From April 21, you’ll be able to buy the Samsung Galaxy S22 for $619, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus for $769, and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra for $919 at Samsung's US Store (there's no word yet on a launch in the UK or Australia). All the phones are the base 128GB models, though if you pay extra you get the S22 Ultra with 256GB. 

These aren’t quite the best prices we’ve ever seen for the Samsung handset, but they’re not far off – with the S22 regular model being the best bargain of the lot. 

In our four-star Samsung Galaxy S22 review we called it a “solid Android device” and a handset that “will quickly become a trusted companion” thanks to its handy 50MP main camera, well-performing chipset, and decent 12 hours of battery life based on our tests.

Why buy a refurbished phone over a brand new model? 

There are some pretty convincing reasons why you’d want to opt for a refurbished model over a new phone. 

For one, refurbished phones are typically cheaper than their brand-new counterparts. For another, they're more environmentally friendly – as the new parts are being reused rather than sent to landfill, and new materials and energy haven’t had to be harvested for the phone to work.

You’ll also find that, in terms of the product you get your hands on, there are very few differences between new and refurbished tech (at least when it comes to Samsung’s official store). That’s because, many of the parts are brand new, even if the whole refurbed phone isn't overall. 

According to Samsung’s official page, the handset is given a brand new battery, new unique identifiers, and (if needed) it’ll also have its screen, camera and speakers replaced. If that wasn’t enough, every certified refurbished smartphone will have passed a load of tests to ensure it functions “like-new”. Lastly, it’ll come in a brand-new box with a user manual, a one-year warranty card, and a charging cable.

That said, there are some clear disadvantages of going with a refurbished gadget. The main one is that you’ll be stuck with older hardware as brands rarely sell their latest hardware through refurbished programs as soon as it launches.

The Galaxy S22 is far from ancient, but it’s over a year old and has been supplanted by the Samsung Galaxy S23 earlier this year. Don’t get us wrong, the S22 is still a very solid gadget – and is a great pick up at this budget-friendly refurbished price – but if you like having the latest and greatest tech you might find that buying refurbished isn’t for you.

Additionally, not all refurbished phones are created equally. Samsung’s store will likely serve you up a solid product but third-party refurbished stores can be less consistent with their testing and refurbishing process. So you might want to make sure there’s a good length warranty and comprehensive returns process before you buy a second-hand smartphone.

You can also check out all the latest Samsung promo codes for ways to save even more money on your next purchase at the manufacturer's official store.

Even if you’re an avid gamer on one of the best Android phones, there’s a good chance you aren’t taking advantage of the Play Store’s best feature. You probably have a mountain of Play Points ready to help you earn discounts and goodies in your favorite apps, and (as of recently) real-world items too.

Play Points are the Google Play Store’s reward scheme. Ignoring any promotions which net you bonus points, for every $1 / £1 / AU$1 you spend you get 1 Point. Save up enough Play Points and you can spend them on various items within the Play Store. However the feature is tucked away inside the Play Store, and we often forget to check it to take advantage of the deals it offers – but you definitely don’t want to forget about it. 

The easiest way to spend your Points is to convert them into Play Store Credit, with 100 netting you $1 / £1 / AU$1. You can then spend this credit however you want in the Play Store (you can buy apps, in-game purchases movies, or a range of digital items) – though it will expire after one year if you forget to use the credit.

That said, credit might not be your best pick. If you have something you specifically want to use your credit on – say an in-app purchase in one of the best Android games – you might instead want to pick up a coupon instead. While coupons are tied to specific apps – and typically come with spending restrictions that limit how easy they are to use – they can be a great pick as you typically get a little more bang for your buck. Typically you’ll only need to spend 50 points per $1 / £1 / AU$1, but you can also find some bundles that are an even better value if you have the points to spare.

To earn Play Points you’ll have to join the scheme, and you can do this from your Android smartphone by opening the Play Store app, tapping on your profile icon in the top right of the screen, then tapping Play Points in the menu that appears and finally join on the next screen.

If you’re already part of the scheme, when you tap Play Points you’ll see how many you’ve earned, a list of ways to earn bonus Play Points, and various apps you can spend them in. The list of options is pretty long, so we’d recommend using filters at the top of the page to only show coupons for games you have installed or offers that you can afford.

DoorDash deals and Dino-tastic socks 

Your Play Points won’t just net you virtual goodies, you can get physical benefits too following an announcement in a recent Google blog post– if you live in the US at least.

For 1,000 Play Points you can bag a coupon for  $10-off your next DoorDash order – though you have to get the coupon before June 30, use it before September 30, and the order has to cost over $25.

You can also nab coupons for Instacart to get discounts on your grocery deliveries. 500 Points net you $5-ooff your next order over $35, while 1,000 Points will save you $10. You can also spend 1,000 Play Points to get two months free grocery delivery, or 1,750 ponts to get $15-off an order and two months free delivery. Just like with Doordash, this offer is only usable until September 30.

Alternatively, you can pay full price for your next takeout and instead get a hold of some exclusive Google merch – though expect supplies to run out swiftly. There are some pretty generic branded sunglasses (900 points), water bottles (1,400), and sweatshirts (5,000 points) up for grabs, but by far the best item of the lot is the Chrome Dino socks (2,100). 

Featuring the pseudo-Chrome mascot running through its desert home we expect these socks will disappear quickly – so head to the Play Store ASAP to be in with a chance of snagging a pair for yourself. Alternatively, you can go to the official Google Merch store and pick up a pair for $18 – though at the time of writing, there are only 145 available.

Hopefully, those more tangible deals will launch outside the US in the future, but even if you’re stuck with virtual-only offers it’s worth seeing what savings are out there – your Play Points won’t last forever so make sure you use them in some way before you lose them.

There are a fair few reasons why I love my Google Pixel 6, but one of my absolute favorite features is Now Playing – and I’m so excited to hear it’s getting a major upgrade soon.

Now Playing is basically an automatic version of the Shazam music detector app. Whenever your Google Pixel hears a song it’ll cross reference the lyrics and melody with its massive database of tunes; if it finds a match you’ll get a note in the notification menu telling you what the song is and who it’s by – and it’ll be logged in your phone’s Now Playing History.

The feature is about to get an upgrade too, with a Summary tab set to be added to the Now Playing menu soon (via 9to5Google) to give you an overview of the tracks that have orchestrated your life. 

In other words, the update is sort of monthly Spotify Wrapped for the music your phone has heard. As shown in leaked screenshots, your Now Playing Summary will show you stats about the music the Pixel has detected; it’ll tell you how many songs you’ve heard, which individual tracks and artists you’ve been subjected to the most, and even the most common times of day that your Google Pixel picks up music. 

What's more, the summary page will let you explore artists to find out what songs of theirs you've heard – tap on the tracks and you should be able to easily find them in your go-to music streaming service.

How to turn on Now Playing on your Google Pixel

I rely heavily on Now Playing to help keep my Apple Music playlists fresh. Thanks to the feature I can easily find out what a song I've just heard is – be it something playing on BBC Radio 1, in a bar, or an advert that's playing before my next YouTube video – and then add it to my digital collection. 

Even better, I don't have to remember to do it in the moment as Now Playing History will keep a log that I can scroll back through days later when it's time to update my music library.

If you want to take advantage of the feature too (and you have a Google smartphone like the Google Pixel 7) it's pretty simple to switch on.

Start by opening up the Settings app on your Pixel phone, then in the "Search Settings" bar at the top type in Now Playing. You should see the Now Playing option appear on the screen, tap on it and you'll see a toggle to turn on and off the ability for your Pixel phone to "Identify songs playing nearby." 

Turn it on and Now Playing will start helping you identify songs that your phone hears automatically (with the details appearing on your lock screen, in the notifications bar, and in the Now Playing History menu that you can find in your phone's Settings app by searching for it).

• Spotify was down, here's what happened

The Play Store on your Android phone is set to get a big privacy update, with Google announcing that it will soon force developers into letting you delete an account you create with their apps, as well as any personal data the app might retain.

Right now, even if you delete an app from your phone the developer might still be holding onto some of your personal data – such as your email and any other information you entered to create an account within the app. Starting in early 2024 that’s set to change, with Google unveiling a new policy that will make Play Store app developers give you a clear way to clean up any data they have from you.

At a minimum, all developers will be forced to give you an easy way to delete your account and all associated data within the app, and also through a non-in-app method – such as a web browser. The latter option will ensure you won’t need to waste time reinstalling apps you’ve long since deleted just to wrestle back control of your private info.

Developers will also have the option to give you choice over what data is deleted. Perhaps you don’t want to delete your whole account just your activity history, or just delete the images and videos you’ve uploaded to it – though not every app creator will offer this service.

Lastly, it's worth noting that Google’s policy won’t guarantee that all of your data is deleted when you ask it to be. There’s a clause that allows developers to retain some limited data for “legitimate reasons” including security, fraud protection, and regulatory compliance – though, any app that keeps data this way will be required to clearly outline its practices.

Developers will have until December 7, 2022 to submit answers to new questions in a Data Safety form, with App Store changes set to go live later at some point in early 2024. 

However, app creators can file for an extension to give themselves more time to comply with the changes – with the extension lasting until May 31, 2024. So it might still be a while yet before you completely regain control over the data apps store about you. 

Playing catch-up with App Store Privacy 

A policy like this is nothing new in the mobile app world – Google is actually lagging a fair way behind Apple in this regard. Any app published on the Apple App Store has had to let you delete your account since June 30th, 2022.

Google’s policy will introduce an extra benefit though, making it a slightly better version of Apple’s policy. Apple doesn’t mandate those apps give you a web-based way to delete your account and data – only that there has to be an in-app way to remove it if you can create an account in-app.

Other than this, however, both policies seem equally robust and are a great privacy feature that’s sure to benefit the security conscious amongst us. Just note that if you delete your account – at least in App Store apps – developers aren’t required to automatically suspend any auto-renewing billing you've set up through Apple. The app should warn you about this, but it’s worth canceling your subscription before you delete the account just to be safe and to avoid paying for a service you can’t access.

Looking for more ways to keep your data private? Check out our picks for the best VPN services, helpful tools that can help keep your personal info hidden from online apps and sites.

Those of you using an older Apple device might want to think about upgrading your tech, as a new leak suggests the company may soon cut you off from its online services.

Come early May, those of you using an iPhone running iOS 11.2.6 or earlier, an Apple Watch running watchOS 4.2.3 or earlier, a Mac running macOS10.13.3 or earlier, or an Apple TV running tvOS 11.2.6 or earlier, could see your access to Apple services restricted, if leaker StellaFudge’s tweet is to be believed.

This would see you lose access to almost every Apple service, including iMessage, FaceTime, Maps, and others – with iCloud expected to be the only exception. 

If StellaFudge is correct, affected users should be sent a warning message by Apple encouraging them to update their devices where possible. Those of you still running iOS11, watchOS 4 or tvOS 11 should be able to update your systems – as every device that's compatible device of those operating systems is also compatible with newer versions – though there are a fair few Macs launched between 2009 and 2011 that can’t be upgraded beyond macOS 10.13 (High Sierra).

This leak follows an update posted to Apple’s official support website that instructs you what to do if you get a notification telling you that your software version no longer supports Apple services. 

Is it time for an upgrade? 

As with all leaks you should take this news with a pinch of salt – while StellaFudge has correctly leaked Apple details in the past, such as information about AirTags and the M1 iPad Pro, there’s no guarantee this leak is accurate.

That said, whether Apple does limit online service access for older devices or not, if your iPhone runs on iOS 11 it might be time to upgrade. And we don’t just mean because a newer iPhone would offer better features and hardware – though it would – but because you’ll also benefit from improved security. 

The longer that software is available to the public, the higher the likelihood that a hacker will find a vulnerability in it. By continuing to run outdated and unsupported software you run the risk of your phone being exploited by bad actors. 

It’s for this very reason that Google limits apps that rely on older versions of Android. Newly listed Play Store smartphone apps must be compatible with Android 12 or later (or Android 11 and later if they're built for WearOS) to be allowed into Google’s official app store – and it’s expected that Android 14 will impose restrictions that make it much harder to unofficially sideload apps built on Android 5 or earlier.

So if you’re now looking to upgrade your old tech, check out our buying guides to help you find the best iPhone, best iPad, and best Macbook and Mac for your needs.

Samsung could be set to expand its folding phones lineup this year with an all-new model that has two hinges instead of one – and it could offer a tablet-sized display.

Currently, Samsung offers two options for people wanting to pick up a folding phone. Its clamshell Z Flip models look like regular smartphones when open, but you can fold them in half to store them in a more compact space, while its Z Fold devices open up like a book, and are a little bulkier but offers users a larger screen than a typical phone.

This rumored tri-fold phone would effectively be an expansion of the existing Z Fold line – adding an extra folding panel so that we can carry around an even larger screen in our pockets.

Back in December 2021, Samsung patents emerged detailing a tri-fold phone, and at MWC 2023 Samsung Display (the screen-focused arm of Samsung) demoed a tri-folding Flex G display. Now tipster Yogesh Brar has claimed that Samsung could be putting this tech into action in its own devices this year (via Android Authority).

Leaks like this should always be taken with a pinch of salt, but based on the evidence it does seem likely that Samsung will launch a tri-folding phone sometime in the future, if not in 2023.

Is tri-fold a fold too far? 

A tri-folding phone would have its fair share of advantages and disadvantages.

Compared to Samsung’s existing Flip and Fold phones, a tri-fold handset should be able to offer a screen size that’s on par with some tablets. What’s more, when the device is in its closed form a tri-fold device could still offer users an outer screen that's the size of a typical phone display, depending on how it closes up; other foldables typically offer very small displays, with limited functionality, when folded, but a tri-fold could have one of its three panels exposed.

That said, adding an extra panel would mean the device is bulkier than the two-paneled Z Fold, which might harm its appeal as a ‘compact’ option. What’s more, folding displays are typically able to withstand less wear and tear compared to typical smartphone screens because of the material they’re made from – so while having a screen constantly exposed may make the device more useful, it could also make it more prone to damage.

On that note, while Samsung has put in a lot of effort to reduce the weakness caused by folds in phones, they’re still not perfect. Adding an extra fold would also add an additional source of potential problems which could make its tri-fold phone more hassle than its worth.

But if and when such a product does come out (from Samsung or one of its competitors) it could well join our ranks of the best foldable phones, so be sure to check back here for our thoughts.

Microsoft-owned Xbox could be bringing its own app store to your Android and Apple phone according to the company’s gaming chief, Phil Spencer. If it does, we could see some of our favorite apps and games get cheaper on mobile.

Microsoft currently offers a few mobile gaming experiences, such as Minecraft and Xbox Game Pass streaming, but its new efforts could see you turning to its own store rather than the iPhone’s App Store or the Android Google Play Store.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Phil Spencer said “We want to be in a position to offer Xbox and content from both us and our third-party partners across any screen.” This means it’ll need to continue its console and PC gaming efforts, but also expand its mobile efforts.

However, Xbox’s mobile game store launch isn’t yet guaranteed. Spencer explained that the launch can only happen if two things happen first.

For starters, Microsoft needs to complete its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The takeover – which was announced over a year ago on January 18, 2022 – hasn’t yet been finalized as regulatory bodies across the globe are still investigating if it would give Microsoft too much of an advantage over rivals such as Sony. Alongside Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4, Activision Blizzard owns a slew of mobile games (including Candy Crush, Hearthstone, and Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!) which the Xbox Game Store would need to rely on to fill out its catalog.

Additionally, the Xbox app store would rely on the enforcement of the EU's Digital Markets Act and other regulations. These new rules – which were passed in December 2022 but won’t be enforced until March 2024 – should force Apple to open up its iPhone platforms to alternative app stores. However, Apple looks set to only make changes in Europe where the rules apply.

App Store, Xbox game store, what’s the difference?

Does it really matter where you get your mobile games and apps from? Is there going to be that big a difference between Apple's App Store and Microsoft’s Xbox store? We don’t know for certain, but an Xbox store launch could result in cheaper prices and more apps.

Apple and Google currently take a cut of the revenue made by apps on their mobile stores – 15% for smaller developers and 30% for larger ones. However, if Microsoft was releasing its own apps on its own store it wouldn’t need to take a cut as it would make 100% of the revenue, so it could lower prices for the same services.

As these games would potentially be more profitable – as Microsoft wouldn’t have to share the revenue with anyone – we could also see it launch more new games and apps that are exclusive to its platform. Microsoft would have a large library of properties to work with (from Halo, to Call of Duty, to Spyro, to Fallout, as well as its Microsoft 365 productivity apps) so it could very likely find something to spin out for its new store.

There's another potential benefit. At the moment, if you buy games from the Apple App Store for your iPhone, and then decide to switch to an Android phone later, then you'd have to re-buy your apps and games from the Google Play Store. This, of course, happens if you go from Android to iPhone. However, if the Microsoft app store is cross platform, it may mean you'd only have to buy them once. 

We’ll have to wait and see what happens, but if Microsoft launches its own Xbox store on mobile don’t be surprised if others like Epic Games and Spotify – vocal opponents to the App Store’s 30% revenue cut – look to do the same.

Don't want to wait for Xbox to launch its own app store? Here are the best iPhone games and best iPhone apps you can download today.

Google’s security research team has discovered some major vulnerabilities in Pixel and Samsung Galaxy phones that you’ll want to protect yourself against as soon as you can.

The issues were discovered in the Exynos modems produced by Samsung that are used by a variety of smartphones including the Google Pixel 6, Google Pixel 7, and Samsung Galaxy S22 among others.

As revealed in the Project Zero team’s blog post people using a device that relies on this chip will want to turn off Wi-Fi calling and Voice-over-LTE in their device settings in order to protect themselves until a security patch is released. The affected devices are:

• Samsung's S22, M33, M13, M12, A71, A53, A33, A21, A13, A12 and A04 series phones
• Vivo's S16, S15, S6, X70, X60 and X30 series phones
• Google's Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, and Pixel 7 phones
• any wearable with the Exynos W920 chipset
• any vehicle using the Exynos Auto T5123 chipset

However, not every version of every device is affected. For example, the European Samsung Galaxy S22 uses a vulnerable Exynos modem, but the American version doesn't. But for other devices, like the A53, all versions of that phone use the vulnerable Exynos 1280. 

So before turning off Wi-Fi calling and Voice-over-LTE you might want to double check your exact model is indeed impacted using Samsung's official information.

How can you protect your phone?

For its part, Google says the March 2023 security update that's been rolled out to Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 phones should patch these issues.

In a statement we received, Samsung told us that it takes its customer's safety seriously and it has released a patch for five of six vulnerabilities impacting select Galaxy devices this month. Another security patch will be coming in April to address the remaining vulnerability, so make sure your device is up to date if you want it to be protected.

In the meantime, you can protect yourself by going into your phone’s Settings. Using the search option look for “Wi-Fi Calling” and you’ll see a toggle to turn it on or off in the Connections sub-menu. If you want your Samsung phone to be secure you’ll want to turn it off, though you’ll then lose access to the feature until you turn it back on.

To turn off Voice-over-LTE, head back to the Connections menu and this time tap on Mobile Networks. You should then see a new list of options and toggles next to “VoLTE calls SIM 1” and “VoLTE calls SIM 2” (though the second option will only appear if you have two SIMs installed). Turn the toggles off and that should mean your phone's protected against the vulnerabilities discovered by Project Zero.

Turning off these features will mean your calls are lower quality, but you should still be able to make calls.

Analysis: Why reveal these flaws? 

If these flaws represent serious risks to our devices, why would Google Project Zero reveal them? Wouldn’t it be better to keep them private so hackers don’t know they exist?

Project Zero does keep the most serious of exploits private only sharing them with relevant device manufacturers to ensure that they aren’t abused by bad actors. But for other security vulnerabilities, it can be better to keep a wider net of people in the loop. 

For one, there is a way for us to protect ourselves from attacks that take advantage of these vulnerabilities – until a patch is rolled out you can turn off Wi-Fi calling and Voice-over-LTE as we explained above. For another, it’s possible these exploits aren’t too difficult to discover, so by keeping them hidden from the public Project Zero runs the risk of leaving regular folks in the dark while hackers run rampant.

Lastly, revealing the issues should encourage device manufacturers to roll out a patch asap. Now not only is Google’s Project Zero team hounding them to fix the issue, but device owners can also reach out through official forums and contact forms to get their phone maker to fix the problem.

Looking for a phone that's not impacted by this modem issue? Check out our picks for the best phone to find several options that don't rely on the affected Exynos modem.

Google’s security research team has discovered some major vulnerabilities in Pixel and Samsung Galaxy phones that you’ll want to protect yourself against as soon as you can.

The issues were discovered in the Exynos modems produced by Samsung that are used by a variety of smartphones including the Google Pixel 6, Google Pixel 7, and Samsung Galaxy S22 among others.

As revealed in the Project Zero team’s blog post people using a device that relies on this chip will want to turn off Wi-Fi calling and Voice-over-LTE in their device settings in order to protect themselves until a security patch is released. The affected devices are:

• Samsung's S22, M33, M13, M12, A71, A53, A33, A21, A13, A12 and A04 series phones
• Vivo's S16, S15, S6, X70, X60 and X30 series phones
• Google's Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, and Pixel 7 phones
• any wearable with the Exynos W920 chipset
• any vehicle using the Exynos Auto T5123 chipset

However, not every version of every device is affected. For example, the European Samsung Galaxy S22 uses a vulnerable Exynos modem, but the American version doesn't. But for other devices, like the A53, all versions of that phone use the vulnerable Exynos 1280. 

So before turning off Wi-Fi calling and Voice-over-LTE you might want to double check your exact model is indeed impacted using Samsung's official information.

How can you protect your phone?

For its part, Google says the March 2023 security update that's been rolled out to Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 phones should patch these issues.

In a statement we received, Samsung told us that it takes its customer's safety seriously and it has released a patch for five of six vulnerabilities impacting select Galaxy devices this month. Another security patch will be coming in April to address the remaining vulnerability, so make sure your device is up to date if you want it to be protected.

In the meantime, you can protect yourself by going into your phone’s Settings. Using the search option look for “Wi-Fi Calling” and you’ll see a toggle to turn it on or off in the Connections sub-menu. If you want your Samsung phone to be secure you’ll want to turn it off, though you’ll then lose access to the feature until you turn it back on.

To turn off Voice-over-LTE, head back to the Connections menu and this time tap on Mobile Networks. You should then see a new list of options and toggles next to “VoLTE calls SIM 1” and “VoLTE calls SIM 2” (though the second option will only appear if you have two SIMs installed). Turn the toggles off and that should mean your phone's protected against the vulnerabilities discovered by Project Zero.

Turning off these features will mean your calls are lower quality, but you should still be able to make calls.

Analysis: Why reveal these flaws? 

If these flaws represent serious risks to our devices, why would Google Project Zero reveal them? Wouldn’t it be better to keep them private so hackers don’t know they exist?

Project Zero does keep the most serious of exploits private only sharing them with relevant device manufacturers to ensure that they aren’t abused by bad actors. But for other security vulnerabilities, it can be better to keep a wider net of people in the loop. 

For one, there is a way for us to protect ourselves from attacks that take advantage of these vulnerabilities – until a patch is rolled out you can turn off Wi-Fi calling and Voice-over-LTE as we explained above. For another, it’s possible these exploits aren’t too difficult to discover, so by keeping them hidden from the public Project Zero runs the risk of leaving regular folks in the dark while hackers run rampant.

Lastly, revealing the issues should encourage device manufacturers to roll out a patch asap. Now not only is Google’s Project Zero team hounding them to fix the issue, but device owners can also reach out through official forums and contact forms to get their phone maker to fix the problem.

Looking for a phone that's not impacted by this modem issue? Check out our picks for the best phone to find several options that don't rely on the affected Exynos modem.

We’re not expecting the Google Pixel 8 to launch until much later this year, but that hasn’t stopped renders for the device seemingly leaking well ahead of its launch.

Following recent reports that the Google Pixel 7a is out in the wild before even being announced, and product renders that show us what's claimed to be the Pixel 8, reputable leaker OnLeaks has seemingly given us more insight into what the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will look like. 

These new more technical renders show the supposedly curvier phone next to renders of the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, giving us a clearer look at the changes that could be headed the Pixel 8’s way.

One interesting change is that while the corners of the phone look set to get rounder, the display for the Pixel 8 Pro might be getting flatter. Unlike the Pixel 7 Pro, the Pixel 8 Pro appears to have a non-curved screen, though that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Curved screens vs flat displays: which is better? 

Google Pixel Pro phones haven’t used a flat display since the Google Pixel 5 Pro – both the Pixel 6 Pro and 7 Pro have screens that curve at their edges – so why would Google ever want to take a step back and return to flat displays? Well, it’s not really a step back.

There are two main advantages to opting for a curved display – size, and aesthetics. Bigger phone displays with more screen real estate are handy, but these larger screens also mean the handset itself can become quite cumbersome to use, especially if you’re trying to use your phone with one hand. With a curved display manufacturers can offer bigger screens without having to make the device much bigger overall. 

Plus, for many people, phones with curved displays just look nice than flat displays.

However, curved phone screens have their share of issues. For one, it can be quite easy to accidentally touch elements at the edge of the display while holding the phone if the screen is curved. What’s more, if you use a phone case you might lose out on the extra screen real estate afforded by the curved screen if it gets covered up.

If you’re prone to dropping your smartphone, a flat display is likely better for you too. Not only is it easier to find tempered glass protectors that can protect your whole screen, flat displays are generally less fragile, as they’re protected by the phone’s bezel. And if a flat screen does break, it’s typically cheaper and easier to replace compared to a rounded display.

So there are benefits either way, and a lot of it comes down to personal preference. We’ll have to wait and see if the Google Pixel 8 will indeed use a flat screen; but if it does you shouldn’t need to worry that it's a downgrade on what’s come before.

Don't want to wait for the Pixel 8 Pro to launch? Check out our picks for the best phone you can buy today.