We’re just two months away from the likely launch of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, but it almost seems like Samsung doesn’t want you to buy that phone, as it’s just launched a very tempting offer on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3.
Right now, you can get up to $1,100 trade-in credit when you trade another handset in towards the price of a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. That’s up from a standard maximum of $535, and the full amount is available even if your old device has a cracked screen.
With that trade-in amount you can bring the starting price of a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 down from $1,799.99 to just $699.99. So you’ll be getting one of the most expensive phones on the planet for well under half price – and for less than a Samsung Galaxy S22.
That trade-in value is only available if you trade a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 towards it, but as 9to5Google notes, that phone itself is now sold used for around $700-800. So in theory you could even buy one and then trade it in for more than it cost.
If you don’t have a Z Fold 2 you can still get some decent trade-in values though, with the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra for example netting you $1,025, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max getting you $655 (with the iPhone 13 Pro Max oddly getting you a lower $495). There are loads of other devices Samsung will allow you to trade for a discount as well.
Of course, as you probably guessed from all the dollar symbols this deal is only available in the US. While trade-ins are offered elsewhere, they’re at Samsung’s standard rates, and cracked screens will reduce the money you get.
(Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri)
Analysis: should you buy or should you wait?
If you’re specifically in the market for a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and have a phone with decent trade-in value, then this deal is probably worth grabbing, as it pushes the price down to a far more palatable level, but there are a few things you should consider first.
For one, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is expected to launch very soon, with a leak pointing to August 10. That phone is likely to be a substantial upgrade on the Galaxy Z Fold 3, so if you want Samsung’s best foldable then it’s worth waiting for.
Even if you don’t want to spend big on the Fold 4, it’s likely that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will be substantially reduced once that phone lands. In fact, it’s already often sold at a discount from many stores, and the prices will just get lower once it’s no longer the latest model.
Samsung’s own store sells the Z Fold 3 at full price, so while trade-ins heavily reduce the cost, it’s starting off higher if you buy it direct from Samsung.
So this deal – while worth it for a lot of people – isn’t quite as impressive as it might initially seem. That said, the fact that the price isn’t lowered for a cracked screen is great to see, and could make it a no-brainer if you’re desperately looking to replace your damaged phone.
We’re just two months away from the likely launch of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, but it almost seems like Samsung doesn’t want you to buy that phone, as it’s just launched a very tempting offer on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3.
Right now, you can get up to $1,100 trade-in credit when you trade another handset in towards the price of a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. That’s up from a standard maximum of $535, and the full amount is available even if your old device has a cracked screen.
With that trade-in amount you can bring the starting price of a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 down from $1,799.99 to just $699.99. So you’ll be getting one of the most expensive phones on the planet for well under half price – and for less than a Samsung Galaxy S22.
That trade-in value is only available if you trade a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 towards it, but as 9to5Google notes, that phone itself is now sold used for around $700-800. So in theory you could even buy one and then trade it in for more than it cost.
If you don’t have a Z Fold 2 you can still get some decent trade-in values though, with the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra for example netting you $1,025, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max getting you $655 (with the iPhone 13 Pro Max oddly getting you a lower $495). There are loads of other devices Samsung will allow you to trade for a discount as well.
Of course, as you probably guessed from all the dollar symbols this deal is only available in the US. While trade-ins are offered elsewhere, they’re at Samsung’s standard rates, and cracked screens will reduce the money you get.
(Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri)
Analysis: should you buy or should you wait?
If you’re specifically in the market for a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and have a phone with decent trade-in value, then this deal is probably worth grabbing, as it pushes the price down to a far more palatable level, but there are a few things you should consider first.
For one, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is expected to launch very soon, with a leak pointing to August 10. That phone is likely to be a substantial upgrade on the Galaxy Z Fold 3, so if you want Samsung’s best foldable then it’s worth waiting for.
Even if you don’t want to spend big on the Fold 4, it’s likely that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will be substantially reduced once that phone lands. In fact, it’s already often sold at a discount from many stores, and the prices will just get lower once it’s no longer the latest model.
Samsung’s own store sells the Z Fold 3 at full price, so while trade-ins heavily reduce the cost, it’s starting off higher if you buy it direct from Samsung.
So this deal – while worth it for a lot of people – isn’t quite as impressive as it might initially seem. That said, the fact that the price isn’t lowered for a cracked screen is great to see, and could make it a no-brainer if you’re desperately looking to replace your damaged phone.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has fantastic cameras. In fact, they’re good enough that this handset sits in the number two spot on our list of the best camera phones, but it sounds like its cameras are about to get even better.
That’s because a new software update is rolling out for the phone, and it’s packed full of camera improvements. Oddly, the changelog doesn’t mention these, but in a post on the South Korean version of Samsung’s community forums, a spokesperson for the camera team detailed the changes.
These include improvements to the sharpness and contrast, optimizations to memory use when recording videos, improved portrait mode performance, and unnamed optimizations to the camera performance.
It also includes a rather niche upgrade in the form of improvements to the auto white balance algorithm, that allow it to deliver truer to life shades of white when taking photos of puppies.
Finally, there’s what’s described as a correction to “the phenomenon of one-time stopping during single take shooting.” We’re not totally sure what’s meant by this, but it sounds like a fix for a bug that would interrupt Single Take mode.
So far, the new update only seems to be rolling out in South Korea, but we’d expect it will hit other regions soon, so keep an eye out for it.
(Image credit: Future)
Analysis: Great cameras with room for improvement
While we’re generally very impressed with the cameras on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, they could always be better, as the existence of this update shows.
In our review we noted that pictures would sometimes be slightly over-saturated, and that the Portrait Video mode isn’t a match for Apple’s Cinematic mode – which is one reason why the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max take the joint number one spot above this in our best camera phones list.
It’s unclear whether this Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra update will specifically address those issues, but either way this should make one of the best camera phones on the planet even better.
The US got a bit short-changed with the OnePlus 10 Pro, as while the UK got both a version with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage and one with 12GB / 256GB, the US only got the former. Now though, that’s being remedied.
OnePlus has announced that a version of the OnePlus 10 Pro with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage will be sold in the US from June 15. It will be available only in Volcanic Black – while oddly in the UK it’s available only in Emerald Forest – and it will cost $969. For reference, the 8GB model costs $899, so you’ll be paying $70 more for this.
This new 12GB OnePlus 10 Pro will be sold direct from OnePlus, as well as from Amazon and Best Buy, and it will work on T-Mobile and Verizon’s 5G networks, as well as on AT&T’s 4G network.
If you’re interested in it then you might want to get your order in fast, as if you buy it between June 15 and June 20 then you’ll get the OnePlus Buds Pro (which typically cost $149.99) thrown in for free.
Then again, with a OnePlus 10T possibly landing later this year, if you haven’t already bought the OnePlus 10 Pro you might want to consider waiting to see what that brings.
The OnePlus 10 Pro Extreme Edition (Image credit: OnePlus)
Analysis: still not the best model
While this 12GB/256GB version of the OnePlus 10 Pro is a clear upgrade on the version currently available in the US, it’s still not the best OnePlus 10 Pro model – that’s the OnePlus 10 Pro Extreme Edition.
The Extreme Edition ups the storage to 512GB (with 12GB of RAM) and comes in a new Panda White shade with a ceramic finish.
It’s not an enormous upgrade then, and arguably doesn’t justify the Extreme Edition name. But it is the best version of the phone OnePlus has yet brought out, and this far on from the standard model’s launch it would be a more exciting option to bring to the US than the 256GB version.
Sadly though OnePlus hasn’t opted to widely launch this version, so if you want it, you’ll have to get it from China – which isn’t something we’d advise.
Apple has taken a big step forward in terms of making gaming more accessible, having just released an open source plug-in for the Unity game engine that allows developers to tap into the assistive features of iOS.
As introduced by Eric Liang, an Apple software engineer, in a video from the recent WWDC 2022 conference – hat tip to 'Can I Play That?' for spotting this one – the Apple Accessibility plug-in comes with all sorts of neat tricks for making games far more inclusive.
For starters, there’s the ability to incorporate VoiceOver, the screen reader tool in iOS, with games, allowing for on-screen text to be read out for the benefit of blind or low vision players, and also enabling custom gestures for game controls.
Support is also present for Switch Control, so multiple external switches can be used for in-game controls. Then there’s Dynamic Type Support, which gives developers the ability to change the size of the text in-game to match the user’s specified text size from Settings, so it’s bigger and more easily readable if needed. (Also, in an example Liang shows of a simple playing card game getting the benefit of the plug-in, the face values of the cards can be made larger in conjunction with the text, too – see the image at the top of this story).
Further capabilities include the ability to increase contrast for better visibility of interface elements, or the power to reduce transparency of the background, making it opaque so text stands out better.
Analysis: Apple is making commendable progress with accessibility
Unity is a widely-used game engine, powering the likes of Hearthstone and Rust. While accessibility plug-ins have been available for Unity in the past, their third-party nature doesn’t always make for the most reliable experience, as you might imagine.
But with Apple bringing forth its own effort, we can expect a much more solid and well-supported plug-in going forward, and that’s obviously great news for game developers using Unity who want to ensure their products are accessible across a wide audience of gamers.
As the linked instructional Apple video shows, it’s easy to implement these accessibility features in iOS games, and they can make a big difference in all sorts of ways.
One of the most intriguing announcements to come out of WWDC 2022 was the launch of Apple Pay Later.
A new service that lets users split a payment made using Apple Pay into four equal payments over six weeks, without incurring interest or late fees, Apple Pay Later was warmly welcomed by users looking for more flexibility when making big purchases.
Apple has now revealed more details on exactly how the service will run, including the rather major detail that it will actually be managing the finances and lending involved in Apple Pay Later itself.
Show Apple the money
According to a report from Bloomberg, the company will use its Apple Financing LLC subsidiary for the credit checks and loan decisions for the new service.
This is despite Apple itself not having an actual bank charter that would allow it to act much like a normal bank does, with its current services - including the likes of Apple Card and Apple Cash - supported by third-party banking partners.
The company's existing financial services partners, which include the likes of Goldman Sachs and Mastercard, will most likely play a significant but smaller role in helping Apple Pay Later run smoothly.
Apple has been looking to bring more financial services in-house in recent years as it looks to achieve more control and oversight of its customer's data.
Bloomberg adds that Apple is reportedly also working on its own payment processing engine, dubbed Breakout, that should give it more freedom and flexibility, and is also developing tools for fraud analysis and interest calculations.
There's been no official confirmation of these claims from Apple, so we'll have to wait and see if any of this comes to fruition, but given the company's past success in bringing other parts of the technology ecosystem in-house, as seen with its M1 and now M2 hardware, such a move wouldn't be surprising.
The UK will not follow the EU’s lead and demand smartphone manufacturers – including Apple – include a common charging cable in their products.
Earlier this week, European lawmakers confirmed most types of consumer electronics would have to include a USB Type-C port, citing significant amounts of electronic waste caused by unused chargers and the inconvenience suffered by Android and iPhone users who need different cables for different devices.
The rules cover smartphones, tablets, e-readers, earbuds, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers, while laptops will have to be adapted within 40 months of the rules coming into force. Wireless charging is not covered but could be added at a later date.
Finally, a Brexit dividend?
The EU says its new regulations will benefit consumers, save them €250 million a year, and prevent 11,000 tonnes of electronic waste.
However, the UK government, perhaps desperate to emphasise the UK is free of alleged Brussels ‘red tape’ in a post-Brexit world, has said it is not “currently considering” following suit. Despite this stance, it is likely that British consumers will be affected.
Under the terms of the EU withdrawal agreement, the regulations would apply to Northern Ireland. Meanwhile, manufacturers will either have to adapt their designs or release special models for the European market in order to comply with the regulations. In either scenario, these devices could be stocked on British shelves.
Critics of the EU’s rules argue they will stifle innovation. Apple, which will be disproportionately impacted by the policy due to its proprietary Lightning interface. Apple has persistently opposed any mandate, arguing that it would lead to a huge amount of electronic waste as consumers dispose of their old Lightning chargers.
The next big Samsung launch could be just two months away if the latest leak is right, as apparently the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 will both be unveiled on August 10.
That’s according to Jon Prosser – a leaker with a mixed track record but who’s generally been reliable in recent months.
That’s not all we’ll apparently see on August 10 though, as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro will also supposedly be unveiled on that date.
Samsung event / launch dump (thread, 1/2)S22 launching in Lavender on Aug 26Fold 4Phantom Black, Green, Beige Announcement / pre-orders Aug 10Launch Aug 26Flip 4Graphite, Bora Purple, Pink Gold, BlueAnnouncement / pre-orders Aug 10Launch Aug 26June 8, 2022
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That’s not when you’ll actually be able to buy these devices though, with August 26 being the release date, and a new lavender color for the Samsung Galaxy S22 will apparently also launch then.
Prosser also has information on the colors these other gadgets will be available in, with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 apparently landing in graphite, bora purple, pink gold, and blue shades, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 coming in phantom black, green, and beige.
As for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, the 40mm version of that is supposedly landing in phantom black, silver, and pink gold shades, while the 44mm model is said to be launching in phantom black, silver, and sapphire colors, and the 46mm Galaxy Watch 5 Pro will apparently be sold in just phantom black and silver.
While we’d take all of this with a pinch of salt there’s nothing unbelievable here, and an August launch has always looked likely as that’s when Samsung typically launches devices in these lines.
Analysis: the beginning of the next busy period
This August 10 announcement – if that is indeed the date – could be the first in a flurry of big tech unveilings.
Then in October it’s likely that Google will fully unveil the Pixel 7, the Pixel 7 Pro, and the Pixel Watch. In amongst all that we might also see some other reasonably high-profile smartphones, such as the OnePlus 10T and the Xiaomi 12T.
So if Samsung’s August 10 announcements don’t excite you, there should be plenty more around the corner.
The iPhone 14 line is fast approaching, with September 7 confirmed to be the date of Apple's next big launch, and where we'll almost certainly see them.
But of the four rumored handsets the iPhone 14 Pro Max is expected to be the best, the most expensive, and arguably the most interesting.
With talk of a significantly different design, no more notch, and big camera upgrades, among other improvements, there’s a lot to get excited about here. In fact, if every promising leak pans out then the iPhone 14 Pro Max could be the most exciting upgrade Apple’s brought out in years.
Below we’ll talk you through everything we’ve heard about this super-phone so far, including the likely release date and price. We’ll also add to this article whenever we hear anything new, so check back soon to stay in the Pro Max loop.
Cut to the chase
What is it? The top iPhone of 2022
When is it out? Almost certainly September 7
How much will it cost? Expect well over $1,200 for the base model
iPhone 14 Pro Max release date and price
Despite our best efforts of trying to calculate when Apple would most likely introduce the iPhone 14 line – even encountering numerous leaks the echoed our expected launch date or September 13 – it now looks to be sooner.
Apple has sent out invites for an event on September 7, and while the iPhone 14 line isn't mentioned, it's almost certainly what we'll see there.
Before that, Bloomberg writer and known Apple specialist Mark Gurman also claimed Apple's next iPhones will touch down as soon as September 7, including the iPhone 14 Pro Max. With the phone going on sale nine days later on September 16.
There was a time when it was thought to be later than expected, especially after reports of lockdowns in China apparently putting production a few weeks behind, however, the company was reportedly taking measures to get back on track and it looks like that's paid off, if this newest date is to be believed.
As for the price, one source suggests we might be looking at similar prices to the iPhone 13 line, which would mean a starting price of around $1,099 / £1,049 / AU$1,849 for the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
However, another source claims that the upcoming phone will start at $1,199 (around £955 / AU$1,665) – so $100 (roughly £80 / AU140) more than the iPhone 13 Pro Max. A price rise would certainly be believable given the number of upgrades expected on this phone, and it's something we've now heard a second time.
iPhone 14 Pro Max design
The iPhone 14 Pro Max might not look like any previous iPhone, as Apple is reportedly changing the notch. We’ve heard this from a number of sources, with the earliest dating back to September 2021 with the render you can see below.
The possible design of the iPhone 14 Pro Max (Image credit: Jon Prosser / RendersByIan)
The source adds that the frame is apparently made of titanium in place of stainless steel – which is something we’ve heard more than once.
This original leak comes from Jon Prosser, but a number of other high-profile leakers such as Ming-Chi Kuo and Mark Gurman have since also said that the iPhone 14 Pro Max won’t have a notch.
However, some of the details in the render above now sound like they might be wrong, as rather than just having a single camera cut-out, a number of sources now suggest the iPhone 14 Pro Max will have two – a small punch-hole one and a larger pill-shaped one next to it. You can see how this might look in a leaked schematic and in the leaked CAD (computer-aided design) renders below.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: 91Mobiles)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: 91Mobiles)
But since then, a key change has been 'unearthed', and makes far more sense to us: the pill and punch hole mix will actually be combined into one, longer, pill-shaped cut out - and that will provide the symmetry that's far more in keeping with the iPhone's aesthetic.
This is true. It looks like one wide pill shaped cutout. Having that separation would look odd during use. https://t.co/SrAtYQsENxAugust 31, 2022
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We also have an idea of the iPhone 14 Pro Max colors, with most leaks suggesting it will land in gold, purple, green, graphite, and silver shades. Though a case leak includes a selection of other possible - if less likely - colors.
iPhone 14 Pro Max display
While the iPhone 14 Pro Max sounds like it could be a big upgrade in a lot of ways, its screen might not be one of them, with Ross Young – a leaker with a good track record – claiming that it will have a 6.68-inch 1284 x 2778 OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and 458 pixels per inch. Those specs would make it identical to the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s display.
We’ve similarly heard from Ming-Chi Kuo that the upcoming phone will have a 6.7-inch screen, and we wouldn’t expect Apple to change the size, as that’s not something it does often.
It’s still possible that some display details will change, such as the brightness, but so far it sounds much like the screen on the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Except, of course, that this time there probably won’t be a notch jutting out of the top.
iPhone 14 Pro Max camera
The camera looks set for a big upgrade on the iPhone 14 Pro Max, as in place of the 12MP main (wide) sensor on its predecessor, this phone will reportedly get a 48MP one. That’s according to respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who has made the claim several times, but another analyst has also now echoed this claim.
According to another source, this camera will be "the best one in a smartphone if there’s enough light," but it's currently said to be a step down when there's not much light.
Apparently, this camera would be capable of recording 8K video (up from 4K on the iPhone 13 Pro Max) and would be joined by two other cameras.
These would likely include a 12MP ultra-wide camera like the current model, but this could also be in for an upgrade, with 40% larger pixels apparently planned, meaning it should be able to take better photos in low light.
There has been some talk of a periscope camera capable of 5x optical zoom too, but the current consensus seems to be that this won’t land before the iPhone 15 line next year.
An iPhone 13 Pro Max (Image credit: TechRadar)
iPhone 14 Pro Max specs and features
The iPhone 14 Pro Max will reportedly have an A16 Bionic chipset, which is no surprise since the current model has an A15 Bionic.
How much of an upgrade this new chipset will be is less clear. While some sources suggest it could be made on a 4nm or even 3nm process – down from 5nm for the A15 Bionic – the most recent leak points to it sticking at 5nm.
Smaller numbers are better here and a move to a smaller number would typically suggest a significant bump in power and/or efficiency, but even if it sticks at 5nm it’s sure to see some improvements.
The RAM meanwhile could either be sticking at 6GB or increasing to 8GB depending on who you ask. We’ve heard the 6GB claim more than once though, so that’s looking more likely for now.
Another possible but less likely change is the use of an eSIM in place of a physical SIM. Current iPhones have both, and if Apple does make this move there will probably also be versions of the iPhone 14 Pro Max that support physical SIM cards, as not all mobile networks even support eSIMs right now.
iPhone 14 Pro Max battery
The iPhone 14 Pro Max could have a bigger battery than its predecessor according to one source. This is a promising claim, as the iPhone 13 Pro Max already has excellent battery life.
That said, we've elsewhere heard - from a more suspect source - that its battery could be a tiny bit lower capacity at 4,323mAh - that's down from 4,352mAh in the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Charging could be getting an upgrade though, with 30W potentially planned according to leaker @Jioriku on Twitter.
In the realm of unlikely features meanwhile there have been rumblings of a move from Lightning to USB-C. This will probably happen eventually – especially now the EU has made it a requirement from 2024 – but we doubt we’ll see it happen on the iPhone 14 line.
There’s also been talk of a portless iPhone at some point in the future, one which would only support wireless charging, but it doesn’t look likely that Apple will go that far for the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Digital rights advocates have warned that any move by the European Union (EU) to force major tech companies to make financial contributions to the cost of building and running of mobile and broadband networks would threaten the principles of an open Internet.
Telcos have frequently expressed their frustration that companies such as Google, Netflix, and others have benefited from investments in fibre and cellular infrastructure, while it is operators who are forced to ensure there is enough capacity to meet demand.
One study suggests that Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, Meta (Facebook), Microsoft and Netflix account for half of global data traffic, and many of their services actively compete with those of the communications industry – impacting revenues – and are not subject to the same regulations.
Fibre funding
The EU has long been a proponent of net neutrality rules that forbid service providers from prioritising certain applications beyond standard traffic management measures and from charging content providers for additional fees for the preferential treatment.
However last month it suggested the status quo might be unsustainable given the important of 5G and fibre to its societal and economic ambitions and its desire for a more level playing field in the technology ecosystem.
The EU sees a system of financial contribution as an alternative to abandoning net neutrality, but a letter from 34 digital rights groups in 17 countries says the effect would be the same.
“The EU's net neutrality law allows Europeans to use the bandwidth they buy from their ISPs however they want – whether for Netflix, YouTube, Facebook, or for a small, local site or service,” the letter reportedly says.
“Thus European telecom companies are already compensated by their own internet service customers for transporting this data over their access networks; they simply want to be paid twice for the same service.”
Japanese operators NTT DoCoMo and NTT have started 6G trials with equipment manufacturers Fujitsu, NEC, and Nokia with the hope that the first commercial services will be available by 2030.
Although most operators are still scratching the surface when it comes to 5G, the mobile industry’s attention has already turned to the next generation of networks.
It’s still too early to predict the final form the 6G standard will take and which technologies will be included, there are some plausible assumptions about its capabilities and the challenges that operators, manufacturers, and researchers face.
Japanese 6G
NTT says it expects 6G to deliver huge advances in speed, capacity, and low latency thanks to the use of sub-terahertz (THz) spectrum, which will expand the reach of mobile communications to the sea and the sky.
The initial focus of its work with the equipment vendors will be on how to maximise the potential of this spectrum, and how AI-based wireless transmission methods can deliver the performance reliability required.
“6G studies are progressing two or three years ahead of that of 5G,” said Naoki Tan. “From this early stage, we would like to collaborate with world-leading global vendors to proactively demonstrate breakthrough concepts and technologies and promote them to the world.”
Indoor trials will begin before the end of March 2023 and the findings will be shared with global research groups, conferences, and standardisation bodies.
If the most ambitious targets are met, then 6G will deliver 100 times the capacity of 5G and will be able to support 10 million devices per square kilometre.
Signals would extend 10,000 metres above the surface, enabling ‘3D coverage’ in the skies, space and underwater. All these capabilities would allow for intelligent sensing, positioning, edge computing, and high-definition imaging.
The development and deployment of 6G is viewed as a “trillion dollar opportunity” for the mobile industry, while technical leadership is increasingly a political priority for many governments around the world.
Research efforts are well under way in Europe, China, Japan and in North America in a bid to become a leader not just in the development of 5G applications and services, but also the technologies that will comprise global standards.
Recently, a reputable leaker claimed that the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max would probably have an always-on display, and now Apple has accidentally all but confirmed as much.
You see, during WWDC 2022 the company unveiled iOS 16, and even released a developer beta of the software, and while no mention of an always-on display was made, several such mentions have been found by 9to5Mac in code from the beta.
The site claims that three new frameworks have been added to iOS 16, each relating to backlight management, and each mentioning an always-on display. There are also apparently multiple mentions of the feature within the Springboard, which is software that manages the lock screen and home screen.
Now, some Apple Watch models already have an always-on display, so there could have been an outside chance that these mentions are a reference to the feature there rather than on the iPhone, except that – as 9to5Mac points out – the Apple Watch doesn’t use Springboard, so it seems like this must be an upcoming iPhone feature.
More specifically, it’s probably an iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max feature – not one that will be coming to the standard iPhone 14 or to older models.
At least, that’s what the earlier rumor claimed, and it’s because the upcoming Pro models might have a variable refresh rate that can vary from 120Hz to 1Hz – with that super low refresh rate being ideal for an always-on display.
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max meanwhile might only drop as low as 10Hz, like the iPhone 13 Pro line, which would mean the battery life could suffer too much with an always-on display.
That said, there’s apparently evidence in the iOS 16 code that Apple is at least testing the feature on older phones, so there’s an outside chance we might see it on them – though more likely this was probably just so that engineers wouldn’t need a functioning iPhone 14 Pro to develop and test the feature.
Analysis: the benefits of an always-on display
An always-on display is a feature that a number of Android phones have had for a long time now, so Apple is behind in this regard, and it’s a beneficial feature for a phone to offer.
It means essentially that when you turn the screen off, some content will remain on it, so you can still see things like the time and notifications.
There aren’t typically any animations or interactable elements, so the refresh rate can be as low as 1Hz, which means the hit on the battery life is as low as possible. Most of the screen also typically remains dark for the same reason.
But it means you can view key information at a glance, at any time, without having to wake your phone up – an action that requires an extra step and – if done often enough – could use more battery than an always-on display.
UK-based eSIM specialist TruPhone is reportedly set to be sold for just £1 following the imposition of sanctions on Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, who is a part owner of the business.
Reports say German businessman Hakan Koç and his associate and former telecoms executive Pyrros Koussios will acquire 90% and 10% of the company, which had been valued as much as £410 million in 2020.
Abramovich owns a 23% stake in Truphone, with the remainder of shared owned by his business partners Alexander Abramov and Alexander Frolov, with the trio investing around £300 million, according to The Times.
eSIM adoption
Under the terms of the sale, the current owners will receive up to a third of the original funds they invested should the company perform well – provided none of them are subject to sanctions at the time.
Neither Abramov nor Frolov has been subject to UK sanctions themselves, but Abramovich’s stake has led to difficulties for the company.
In early April, it acknowledged the challenges and said that it had appointed FRP Advisory to review its strategic options moving forward, adding that customers would not see any changes.
“It should be emphasised that Truphone is not subject to any sanctions,” it said. “The business will continue to operate as usual, and we remain committed to delivering the highest quality of service to customers and partners, as well as ongoing support to its employees.”
Software-based eSIMs marry the functionality and capability of a SIM card with the ability to change provider remotely, aiding consumer choice, enabling new service models, and offer manufacturers greater flexibility in design. Truphone’s technology powers the Apple SIM capability, while it has partnerships with several major mobile operators, including BT.
Apple has made a small change to iOS 16, but an important tweak to make life easier in certain situations, by having it so the Wi-Fi password of the network you’re currently using can now be viewed on your device.
Rather than having the saved password for the current network blanked out in the Wi-Fi section under Settings, so there’s no way of knowing what it is if you don’t commit it to memory, the actual password text can now be seen (providing you first authenticate using Face ID or Touch ID, or a passcode).
That being the case, you can tell a house guest the password to tap in, or copy the password and send it across to the person’s device. This was spotted by MacRumors, and the capability is in the developer preview of iOS 16.
While those with iOS hardware can already share Wi-Fi passwords seamlessly with anyone trying to hook up to the same network, providing the visitor is also using an iPhone (or an iPad or Mac), if the visitor has an Android device, or a Windows laptop, for example, that isn’t possible.
It’s in these situations where it’ll be very handy to see what the Wi-Fi password actually is – rather than having to go retrieve it from that bit of plastic you pull out the back of your router, or from the dog-eared business card your broadband provider sent that shows your default router login details, which is stuffed in a drawer somewhere.
Analysis: A useful change, and about time, too
This is a small tweak, but a sensible enough one to save you a bit of time in the aforementioned kind of situations. Indeed, you might wonder why it has taken Apple so long to bolt on what can’t be a difficult feature to implement, let’s face it.
Showing the stored password for the current Wi-Fi network could also be useful for visitors on iOS devices, too, as sometimes the ability to automatically share the password with them can fail to function correctly – and at least you now have a quick and easy backup route if any hiccups are encountered for iPhone or iPad-toting guests.
The new ability will arrive with iOS 16 later in the year, and the mobile OS is not far off public beta testing now – that is scheduled to happen in July.
While we’re talking about easy Wi-Fi password sharing, there’s a cool trick those on Android phones can use to their advantage which you may not know about – and it pertains to QR codes. Should you want to know more, we explain the ins-and-outs right here.
Apple has revealed plans to make it easier to use your iPhone as a payment tool with the launch of several new services at WWDC 2022.
The new additions include the long-awaited Apple Pay Later, arriving as part of iOS 16, which lets shoppers split the cost of a purchase made with their device into four equal payments over six weeks, without incurring interest or late fees.
The company has also made it easier to pay in stores using your Apple smartphone with the announcement that its Tap to Pay on iPhone service will launch later this month.
(Image credit: Apple)
Apple Pay Later
"Apple Pay Later provides users in the US with a seamless and secure way to split the cost of an Apple Pay purchase," the company's official press release noted.
Built into Apple Wallet, and available both online and within apps, Apple Pay Later will be available as a payment option alongside paying in full whenever a user checks out with Apple Pay or Wallet.
The service is built on Mastercard's network, and gives users a clear view of exactly what payment amounts are expected, and on which date. Users have the option to pay early to clear a balance if wanted, with Apple saying the tool is "designed with users’ financial health in mind".
(Image credit: Apple)
The buy now pay later (BNPL) market has exploded in popularity in recent years as shoppers look for a more flexible way to spread payments, and Apple wants a slice of the market dominated by the likes of Klarna and Block (previously known as Square).
Reports of Apple Pay Later first emerged in July 2021, with rumors of a partnership with Goldman Sachs, which had been the company’s partner for its Apple Card credit card since 2019.
The rollout of Tap to Pay on iPhone is also a significant show of support for small businesses everywhere, allowing thousands of them to accept payment via iPhone. Initially only available in the US, Tap to Pay on iPhone uses NFC to securely complete and process transactions, and will work on the iPhone XS and newer models.
Apple launched Tap to Pay in February 2022 as a way for more businesses to accept Apple Pay and other types of contactless payments, and recently announced a partnership with Square to build the service into the latter's POS terminals.
