We’d heard rumors that Samsung would hold its next Galaxy Unpacked event in late July, and now that’s been confirmed, as the company accidentally posted a press release saying as much on its Australian site.

We assume accidentally, because the press release has since been removed, but at the time of writing a cached version of the press release is still accessible, as spotted by leaker @sondesix.

The press release tells us that this Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event will be held in Seoul in late July, but doesn’t provide an exact date. It also states that this is where the company will “unveil its next generation foldable devices.”

While the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 aren’t mentioned by name, that’s almost certainly what we’ll see, as they’re both widely expected to land at the next Galaxy Unpacked, and Samsung mentions "devices" plural, so we’ll see more than one foldable.

There isn’t really much else to take from the press release, beyond a vague claim that the company will “showcase technologies and experiences that will captivate worldwide audiences.” However, we can take a good guess at the exact date of Galaxy Unpacked, as a leak previously pointed to July 26, which lines up nicely with the late July timing mentioned here.

New hinges, new chipsets, and a bigger screen

We also have a good idea of what to expect from the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5, thanks to various leaks and rumors. The gist being that they’ll probably have a new hinge design that allows the two halves to sit flat when folded, plus the same chipset as the Samsung Galaxy S23 series.

There might also be camera improvements, and in the case of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, we’ll likely see big upgrades to the cover screen, which could be 3.4 inches, compared to 1.9 inches on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4.

Of course, while this press release is focused on foldables, it’s likely that we’ll see other things at this event too, with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 lines also expected to be unveiled at this next Galaxy Unpacked.

Not everything at WWDC 2023 is new, as Apple has also taken the opportunity to honor some of the best existing apps and games on the App Store, with its 2023 Apple Design Awards.

Twelve downloads have been honored in all, with an even split between apps and games, and Apple has further divided the winners into categories. First up, there’s ‘Inclusivity’, with winners in this category supporting “people from a diversity of backgrounds, abilities, and languages.”

The app winner here is Universe — Website Builder by Universe Exploration Company, which takes the complexity out of website building, so it’s accessible to everyone. The winning game meanwhile is stitch from Lykke Studios, which is a casual embroidery-based puzzle game, with cross-generational appeal.

The next category is ‘Delight and Fun’, which is fairly self-explanatory, but Apple has focused on experiences that are “enhanced by Apple technologies.”

The winning app here probably needs no introduction – it’s Duolingo. This is a language learning app that has been around for a long time, and seemingly almost everyone has at least dabbled in it.

The winning game is Afterplace by Evan Kice, which is an indie role-playing game with intuitive one-handed controls, making it ideal for playing on mobile.

Next we come to the ‘Interaction’ category, which awards things that “deliver intuitive interfaces and effortless controls that are perfectly tailored to their platform.”

The winning app here is Flighty by Flighty LLC. This provides flight maps, airport navigation, and delay forecasting, and it integrates Apple Maps, Siri Shortcuts, and Live Activities.

The winning game is Railbound by Afterburn. This is a puzzle game that requires you to organize train tracks, and Apple notes that it has a very simple onboarding process.

The next category is ‘Social Impact’, which is another fairly self-explanatory one. The winning app here is Headspace, which has long been a leader in the meditation app space.

The winning game is Endling by HandyGames, and this is a side-scroller that sees you guide a fox through an environment scarred by human influences and environmental disasters.

Next up is ‘Visuals and Graphics’, for which Apple honored the app Any Distance, by a developer of the same name. This is a fitness-focused social network and activity tracker, complete with in-app collectable medals.

The winning game here is Resident Evil Village from Capcom, which is a Mac horror game (as well as being available on Windows and consoles).

Finally, we come to the ‘Innovation’ category, which finds winners in SwingVision: A.I. Tennis App by SwingVision – a tennis coaching app with video tracking capabilities – and Marvel Snap by Second Dinner – a simple yet surprisingly deep collectible card game.

There’s a wealth of high-quality apps and games available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, so these winners faced stiff competition and are likely all worth downloading if they sound appealing. But for more great options check out our guides to the best iPhone apps, the best iPhone games, the best iPad apps, and the best iPad games.

Indian cybersecurity company CloudSEK has revealed what is describes as the “concerning discovery of widespread malware infection” in the Google Play Store affecting millions of Android users across the globe.

In a press release, the company announced the identification of 193 applications on the Play Store that are infected with the Android.Spy.SpinOk SDK, 43 of which are still at large on the Android app store.

CloudSEK reckons that these have amassed more than five million downloads. The security firm also estimates that 30 million users in total have been affected by the bad apps it has found. These are in addition to other similar apps previously identified by DrWeb.

Android apps affected with malware

Topping the list of the affected apps with the most installs is HexaPop Link 2248, followed by Macaron Match, Macaron Boom, Jelly Connect, Tiler Master, Crazy Magic Ball, Bitcoin Master, Happy 2048, and Mega Win Slots. Of these apps, three are developed by CM Studio and two by Zhinuo Technology Co., Ltd.

The majority of the apps, according to the report, belong to the casual gaming category, which are often downloaded and used briefly before being left to reside on a user’s device indefinitely.

Credited with initially sounding the alarm about apps infected with the malicious SDK, DrWeb explains it has the ability to collect information on local Android files which is then transferred to the threat actors. Users’ clipboards are also affected, potentially exposing passwords and other sensitive information.

CloudSEK is advising Android users to download protective measures like antivirus software from trusted providers to monitor and flag potential threats. Of a similar nature, smartphone users are being urged to maintain vigilance when browsing their device’s app store, and to look out for potential red flags.

Google did not immediately respond to TechRadar Pro’s request for comment on the measures it takes to monitor the Play Store for malware.

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One of the biggest upgrades likely to be offered by the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro is the chipset. We fully expect Google to replace the Tensor G2 found in the Pixel 7 series with a new Tensor G3, and now that chipset has leaked in full.

Thanks to “a source inside Google”, Android Authority has revealed pretty much all the details of this chipset, so if this leak is accurate, we now have a very good insight into both the chipset itself and what that means for the Pixel 8.

First up, the Tensor G3 will apparently use 2022 ARMv9 cores, which are more modern than those found in the Tensor G2. The arrangement of the cores is supposedly changing too, with a single powerful Cortex X3 core being joined by four Cortex-A715 cores and four little Cortex-A510 ones.

Having a mix of cores like that is typical, as it allows for a balance between power and energy consumption.

In any case, that mix brings the Tensor G3 in line with the likes of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 found in the Samsung Galaxy S23 series and other Android flagships, as that also uses a Cortex X3 – though the mix of other cores differs slightly (the arrangement of nine total cores on the G3 isn't so conventional). It’s also a big upgrade on the Cortex X1 found in the Tensor G2.

Better graphics, AI, and video

So you can expect a lot more power this year, and the Tensor G3 will also apparently have a new Arm Immortalis-G715 GPU, which will enable ray tracing.

Plus, the chipset will supposedly support 8K video recording, though the author of the Android Authority article speculates that this feature won’t be supported by the Pixel 8 series itself – as Pixels already struggle with heat management when recording in 4K.

We’ll likely also see improvements to AI, thanks to a new TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) that runs at 1.1GHz, up from 1GHz on the Tensor G2. That might not sound like much of an upgrade, but bear in mind that the original Tensor’s TPU also ran at 1GHz, and yet Google claimed the Tensor G2’s offered a 60% performance improvement for camera and speech tasks, despite not having a higher clock speed.

So the AI improvements with the Tensor G3 could be big, but we don’t have any numbers yet.

Good news for photos and storage, but less so for the modem

Other changes with the Tensor G3 apparently include a new digital signal processor (DSP), which could benefit photography, and UFS 4.0 storage support, which is far faster and more efficient than the USF 3.1 supported by the Tensor G2, and would bring it in line with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The chipset will also apparently support new security technologies, and will be 64-bit only, meaning there are no 32-bit libraries or capabilities on board. This will likely improve performance, though the Pixel 7 already removed support for 32-bit apps, so it probably won’t have as big an impact as you might think.

Finally, the Tensor G3 will apparently use an Exynos Modem 5300 – just like the Tensor G2 – though supposedly a slightly different version of it. This is the one less than positive bit of news here, as that modem was known for having thermal and power consumption problems, so it seems odd that Google wouldn't have considered an alternative module in light of such known issues.

Still, that aside this sounds like a hefty upgrade, more so than the move from G1 to G2. Tensor chipsets have never competed directly with the top Snapdragon and Apple's A-series chipsets in terms of raw horsepower, with AI instead being their focus, but this year we might see a Tensor that comes a lot closer on the power front, while still pushing ahead with AI too. We should find out in or around October, when the Pixel 8 line launches.

One of the biggest upgrades likely to be offered by the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro is the chipset. We fully expect Google to replace the Tensor G2 found in the Pixel 7 series with a new Tensor G3, and now that chipset has leaked in full.

Thanks to “a source inside Google”, Android Authority has revealed pretty much all the details of this chipset, so if this leak is accurate, we now have a very good insight into both the chipset itself and what that means for the Pixel 8.

First up, the Tensor G3 will apparently use 2022 ARMv9 cores, which are more modern than those found in the Tensor G2. The arrangement of the cores is supposedly changing too, with a single powerful Cortex X3 core being joined by four Cortex-A715 cores and four little Cortex-A510 ones.

Having a mix of cores like that is typical, as it allows for a balance between power and energy consumption.

In any case, that mix brings the Tensor G3 in line with the likes of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 found in the Samsung Galaxy S23 series and other Android flagships, as that also uses a Cortex X3 – though the mix of other cores differs slightly (the arrangement of nine total cores on the G3 isn't so conventional). It’s also a big upgrade on the Cortex X1 found in the Tensor G2.

Better graphics, AI, and video

So you can expect a lot more power this year, and the Tensor G3 will also apparently have a new Arm Immortalis-G715 GPU, which will enable ray tracing.

Plus, the chipset will supposedly support 8K video recording, though the author of the Android Authority article speculates that this feature won’t be supported by the Pixel 8 series itself – as Pixels already struggle with heat management when recording in 4K.

We’ll likely also see improvements to AI, thanks to a new TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) that runs at 1.1GHz, up from 1GHz on the Tensor G2. That might not sound like much of an upgrade, but bear in mind that the original Tensor’s TPU also ran at 1GHz, and yet Google claimed the Tensor G2’s offered a 60% performance improvement for camera and speech tasks, despite not having a higher clock speed.

So the AI improvements with the Tensor G3 could be big, but we don’t have any numbers yet.

Good news for photos and storage, but less so for the modem

Other changes with the Tensor G3 apparently include a new digital signal processor (DSP), which could benefit photography, and UFS 4.0 storage support, which is far faster and more efficient than the USF 3.1 supported by the Tensor G2, and would bring it in line with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The chipset will also apparently support new security technologies, and will be 64-bit only, meaning there are no 32-bit libraries or capabilities on board. This will likely improve performance, though the Pixel 7 already removed support for 32-bit apps, so it probably won’t have as big an impact as you might think.

Finally, the Tensor G3 will apparently use an Exynos Modem 5300 – just like the Tensor G2 – though supposedly a slightly different version of it. This is the one less than positive bit of news here, as that modem was known for having thermal and power consumption problems, so it seems odd that Google wouldn't have considered an alternative module in light of such known issues.

Still, that aside this sounds like a hefty upgrade, more so than the move from G1 to G2. Tensor chipsets have never competed directly with the top Snapdragon and Apple's A-series chipsets in terms of raw horsepower, with AI instead being their focus, but this year we might see a Tensor that comes a lot closer on the power front, while still pushing ahead with AI too. We should find out in or around October, when the Pixel 8 line launches.

One of the most promising Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra rumors we’ve heard so far pointed to the phone having a variable zoom telephoto camera, allowing it to switch between 3x and 10x optical zoom all with a single lens. But the latest leak suggests that’s not to be.

This is according to leaker @Tech_Reve, who claims that, while a variable zoom was planned, those plans have now been canceled; with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra instead sticking with the same four-lens design as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

That would mean a primary wide sensor, an ultra-wide, and two telephoto sensors – one for 3x optical zoom, and one for 10x. Worse, they say the only camera upgrade will be to the 10x telephoto, which will apparently only receive “minor improvements.”

If true, you should expect the same 200MP main camera as the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the same 12MP ultra-wide, and the same 10MP 3x telephoto. It’s not clear what form the improvements to the 10x zoom camera would take, but since they’re described as minor they probably won’t be overly significant.

We had previously heard from @RGcloudS that the telephoto camera would have a wider aperture and possibly be capable of 150x digital zoom (up from 100x on the current model), so perhaps these are the changes we’ll see. But that’s quite an old leak, so we wouldn’t count on it.

Too few changes if leaks are right

We would, of course, take this latest leak with a pinch of salt anyway. @Tech_Reve has a reasonable track record, but they haven’t been leaking for as long as some, and we’re far enough away from the likely launch of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series that things could change.

If this is accurate though, it’s disappointing news, especially as we’ve also previously heard that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra might look almost identical to its predecessor.

So far then, the only likely upgrade is to the chipset, which is sure to be more powerful. But otherwise, this is shaping up to be a very minor improvement on the current model.

Experts have warned of a new dangerous Android malware spoofing legitimate apps as it tries to steal sensitive information from victim endpoints, researchers are saying.

Cybersecurity researchers from CloudSEK uncovered a variant known as DogeRAT (Remote Access Trojan). The malware has all sorts of capabilities, from accessing contacts and messages to exfiltrating banking credentials. It can also take over the compromised device, send spam, make payments, tweak files, and even use the device’s camera.

In order to infect the target, the malware pretends to be a legitimate app, such as a game, a productivity tool, or an entertainment app such as Netflix, or YouTube. Threat actors are advertising it through social media and messaging platforms, as such an .APK can’t be found on the Google Play Store.

Premium version

The malware’s creators are advertising the tool via Telegram, the researchers further stated, adding that the developers are offering a premium version that can also grab screenshots, steal images, work as a keylogger, and more. It’s being sold for roughly $30, or 2,500 Indian Rupees. Besides the Telegram channel, the authors have also set up a GitHub page with the malware, a detailed explanation, and a video tutorial.

We don’t know how many devices are infected, but we do know that the malware won’t work without the user giving it extensive permissions. Those include access to call logs, audio recording, reading SMS messages, media, and photos. 

To stay safe, CloudSEK reminds, users should always be mindful about the applications they’re downloading, and just because something’s on the Play Store, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s clean and legitimate. Threat actors often manage to infiltrate Google’s app repository, and sometimes add to the malware’s legitimacy through inflated scores and purchased fake reviews. Furthermore, one should be extra careful when downloading an .apk from a third-party source.

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Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a malicious SDK hiding in more than a hundred Android apps, many of which were previously available on the Google Play store. 

After being found by Dr. Web, the SDK was dubbed “SpinOK” - it’s an advertisement module that aims to keep people interested in the ads by offering minigames and daily rewards. 

Although working as intended on the surface, SpinOK was working in the background to exfiltrate sensitive data from the device it was installed on, exposing users to all kinds of risks, from identity theft, to wire fraud, and more.

Millions of downloads

"On the surface, the SpinOk module is designed to maintain users' interest in apps with the help of mini games, a system of tasks, and alleged prizes and reward drawings," the researchers noted. 

However, the apps also stole plenty of data. It first analyzes the endpoint’s sensors to make sure it’s not running in a sandbox, and then it connects to a remote server to download a list of URLs which are used to display the minigames. Then, it lists files in directories, looks for certain documents, and copies them to the remote server, meaning it can exfiltrate videos, images, and other sensitive data. 

Furthermore, the malware is capable of monitoring the clipboard, a method often used by threat actors to steal credit card data, passwords, and gain access to cryptocurrency wallets. 

In total, 101 apps had this SDK integrated, and cumulatively, they were downloaded more than 420 million times from Google Play, only. 

The two most popular compromised apps, according to the researchers are Noizz: video editor with music, and Zapya - File Transfer, Share, both of which had more than 100 million downloads. For the latter, the trojan module was found in versions 6.3.3 to 6.4, with version 6.4.1 being clean. 

Other notable mentions include MVBit - MV video status maker, and Biugo - video maker&video editor, with 50 million downloads each. 

Almost all of the apps have since been removed from the Play Store, the publication says, adding that the complete list of apps can be found here.

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There has been talk that the Pro models of the iPhone 16 will be noticeably bigger than their iPhone 15 equivalents, and that rumor just got backed up by another source – together with a reason as to why it's happening.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman is one of the best in the business when it comes to Apple predictions, and in his latest Power On newsletter he says that the extra space afforded by the size increase could be used to pack in a larger battery or a better camera system.

It's not clear exactly how much information Gurman has on this, but well known tipsters Digital Chat Station, Revegnus and ShrimpApplePro (via MacRumors) have been chipping in to say that camera upgrades are indeed on the way for the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max in 2024.

Camera sensors

If you've been following iPhone and camera sensor rumors closely, you'll know that the top-end iPhone 15 models were said to be getting an upgrade to a 48MP Sony IMX903 sensor for one of their main cameras. More recently however, it seems that this particular upgrade isn't happening until the iPhone 16 series.

Crucially the IMX903 is a larger sensor, which means more light can be captured, which means photos come out better – not that the current iPhones are bad at photography at all. We've also had leaks pointing to a periscope zoom camera arriving with the iPhone 16 Pro handsets, which might also require some additional space.

It's still early days for iPhone 16 rumors, but it's already shaping up to be a very interesting phone series, with the Pro models once again offering the biggest upgrades. Before we see those phones, we'll get the iPhone 15 range this September.

Analysis: bigger is better, apparently

You may well like small phones, but you're in a minority. The 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini was the last of its compact line, and the general assumption was that it wasn't selling in sufficient quantities for it to be worth Apple's while.

That mini phone was replaced by the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus, and it would appear that Apple is once again upping screen sizes next year. Other manufacturers have slowly been making their phones bigger over time too, and it's a strategy that seems to work.

From what we've heard, the iPhone 16 Pro will have a 6.3-inch screen (compared with the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro), and the iPhone 16 Pro Max will have a huge 6.9-inch screen (compared with the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max). Meanwhile, the bezels around the sides of the display keep getting smaller too.

It seems strange now, but the original iPhone from 2007 had a screen that measured a mere 3.5 inches, corner to corner. By the end of 2024, we could have a Pro Max model that's very nearly double that in size.

We now know quite a bit about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 – but with the official unveiling not due until the end of July, there's time for a few more leaks and rumors yet... such as new colors for both foldable phones.

According to the usually reliable industry analyst Ross Young (via Android Central), a number of additional colorway options are going to be appearing on top of the ones that we've already heard about from previous leaks.

Bear in mind that as well as this being an unconfirmed rumor, we might not see all of these colors in every region. Samsung sometimes limits certain shades to certain parts of the world, while making other colors exclusive to its own website.

Color us interested

The new colors for the Z Flip 5 are said to be blue, green, yellow and platinum, to go with the beige, gray, light green and light pink ones we're already aware of. If you're interested in this flip phone, it sounds like you'll have a lot of color options to choose from.

As for the Z Fold 5, Young says that the "higher volume" colors will be beige, black and light blue, with a darker blue and platinum also available in smaller quantities. That means some familiar colors and some new colors for both handsets.

While the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 launched in August 2022, the rumor is that the Unpacked showcase is going to get brought forward to the end of July this year – so watch this space for updates.

Analysis: broadening the appeal

Extra colors might not seem as important as, say, processor speed or camera sensor quality – but the different shades that a smartphone is available in can make a difference to how broadly it appeals to different groups of people.

That's perhaps even more the case when it comes to the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Galaxy Z Fold 5. A lot of people are going to be buying a foldable phone because of its form factor and its aesthetic, and the colors a phone is available in play into that.

You only need to look at Apple, and the way it's started to introduce a new iPhone color six months after its launch, to see that additional colorways can give sales a kick – even if they don't sell as well as the main colors.

We'll have to wait and see what Samsung does with colors for these foldables, and which markets each color is available in – but it's something to look out for at the grand unveiling, alongside the long list of specs and features.

We've got some more iPhone 15 leaks to bring you, and the latest spec rumors to hit the web point to two components that aren't changing from the iPhone 14 range that launched in 2022, as well as two that are.

These details are via well-known tipster Revegnus on Twitter (via GSMArena), and cover the screen, main camera module, processor and RAM of the iPhone 15 Pro Max – a phone that has also been referred to as the iPhone 15 Ultra in some circles.

Leaving aside the naming issue for now, the phone is apparently keeping the same 48MP IMX803 camera sensor from Sony found in the iPhone 14 Pro Max as its main camera. That contradicts previous reports pointing to the introduction of the Sony IMX903, with the same megapixel count but a larger sensor (to capture more light).

Panels and processors

Also staying the same, apparently, is the M12 OLED panel technology – although we have heard that the screen will be slightly shorter and slightly narrower this time around, compared with its immediate predecessor. It sounds as though the display bezels are going to be thinner than ever as well.

There will be some actual upgrades too: the source confirms the widely expected jump to the A17 Bionic processor for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the RAM is apparently getting bumped up from 6GB to 8GB as well.

We should get the iPhone 15 Pro Max (or the iPhone 15 Ultra) and the three other models in September, if Apple sticks to its usual schedule. Before that there's WWDC 2023 at the start of next month, where we'll hear all about Apple's upcoming software updates.

Analysis: conflicting reports

It's rarely the case that every single rumor around a phone fits in perfectly with all the others, and there have certainly been conflicting reports about the iPhone 15 Pro Max – including the subject of what we should actually be calling it, as we were thinking Apple would introduce a new Ultra brand this time around.

More recently, the Pro Max name has become more popular again in leaks and rumors, so it looks like that's what Apple is going with. Of course, company plans and projects can change, and it may be that there are still ongoing discussions inside Apple when it comes to what this phone should actually be called.

When it comes to the rear cameras on the iPhone 15 models, again there have been discrepancies in terms of the rumors. Some leaks point to a revamped camera system and a larger camera bump on the back, while others suggest that it's going to be more of the same for the 2023 models.

Not every leak and rumor is going to be accurate of course, and it's very possible that misunderstandings about which tidbit of information applies to which version of the iPhone 15 is causing some of the confusion as well. All should be made clear in a few months at the official unveiling.

We heard at Google I/O 2023 how Google was about to start stuffing even more artificial intelligence inside of its products, and one of those upgrades has arrived a little earlier than expected: Magic Compose inside Google Messages.

It was slated to arrive in the summer in the US, but it's now available to test in the Messages app for Android (via XDA Developers). For now, you need to switch to the beta version of the app, and be a Google One subscriber, and be using the English language on a phone with a US SIM, to get at Magic Compose.

If you missed the announcement and the earlier rumors, Magic Compose uses AI to write out RCS messages on your behalf, in your choice of style: Remix, Excited, Chill, Shakespeare, Lyrical, Formal, and Short.

Privacy points

As per the support page, Magic Compose sends "up to 20 previous messages" to Google's servers to learn a bit about your writing style and the conversation context, so you need to be okay with that before enabling the feature. Google promises the messages are discarded once some AI responses are generated.

You'll have to take Google on its word that it's using your message history in a responsible way. Right now it's not clear exactly how that affects the end-to-end encryption that protects your RCS messages from being read by anyone else.

Another AI feature announced at Google I/O 2023, the Search Generative Experience or SGE, opened up its waitlist yesterday. It seems as though Google is keen to get as many people trying out these new tools as quickly as possible.

Analysis: do you want a bot writing your messages?

Multiple Google products, including Gmail and Google Messages for Android, already offer smart reply options: short, automatically generated messages that (for example) let you agree or disagree with something, or let a contact know that you're en route somewhere.

Those quick responses make sense if you're pushed for time and just need to give a quick yay or nay – but we're less sure that people are going to want to have entire conversations crafted for them. Do you really want your friends and family conversing with an AI bot rather than with you?

We know that tools like ChatGPT are now able to generate reams and reams of text that sounds plausible and realistic. Whether or not this AI text is actually any good is another question, especially when it comes to being creative and personal – with a screenplay for example, or a chat with your friend in Google Messages.

In one sense Magic Compose is just a bit of fun – especially the Lyrical and Shakespeare options. And perhaps if you have a huge number of contacts it can save a bit of time. But it seems an odd fit to put AI text generation in this most human and intimate of scenarios.

We've had plenty of iPhone 15 leaks at this point, but the one we're bringing you today falls into the major category: we've got dummy mockups of all four models in the upcoming range of flagship phones from Apple.

These mockups come from MacRumors and are based on supposedly reliable information sourced by case manufacturers. They're high quality copies of what we think the iPhone 15 models will look and feel like – though they're not actually working phones.

As you can see from the video below, there aren't really any huge design changes here, though the edges of the frames of the phones are more rounded (as previously predicted). It's "less sharp, more comfortable" in the hand, MacRumors' Dan Barbera.

Buttons and cameras

The mute switch is becoming a mute button, according to these dummy units and earlier rumors, and all four iPhone 15 models are also making the switch to USB-C for data transfer and charging – as per the latest EU directives.

As far as cameras go, the top-end iPhone 15 Pro Max will indeed get a periscope lens, though the camera bumps will otherwise be unchanged. We've heard from other sources that the camera bumps would actually be redesigned this time around.

MacRumors is calling these phones the iPhone 15, the iPhone 15 Plus, the iPhone 15 Pro, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max (rather than the iPhone 15 Ultra). In a few months' time we should know for sure what changes Apple has worked on over the last year.

Analysis: reading the rumors

At the end of the MacRumors video we've featured above, we're told that these mockups corroborate all of the rumors we've previously heard, which isn't actually true – one example being the rumor that the camera bumps will get bigger this year.

While you should never take any gadget rumor as being completely guaranteed to happen – even the most reliable tipsters can get it wrong – these leaks do give us an intriguing glance at what's coming down the line with future products. They can help you figure out if it's worth waiting a while to upgrade.

With something like the iPhone 15, it's a good idea to compare rumor and against rumor, and you can then work out what's most likely. Look at the predicted switch to USB-C for instance, which Apple has actually gone on record about in the past. Looking at previous upgrades in recent years can help too.

So take this latest video in the same spirit: useful information to have, but impossible to verify until Apple actually makes its announcements. If the company sticks to its usual schedule, we'll see the real iPhone 15s appear in September.

Foldable phones remain niche devices for most phone buyers for the time being, and the Google Pixel Fold could have been all the more so – after all, it’s the company’s first foldable, and Google doesn’t sell anywhere near as many phones as the likes of Samsung at the best of times. But early signs suggest there could be quite a lot of demand for the Pixel Fold.

That’s because – as spotted by Android Headlines – the top model of the Pixel Fold (which comes with 512GB of storage) is currently sold out in the US. Head to Google’s online store and you’ll be directed to join the waitlist if you select this model.

That’s promising news for anyone who wants to see the Pixel Fold or foldables in general do well. Though it’s worth noting that this model isn’t sold out in the UK, and the base 256GB model is still available to pre-order in both regions.

That’s despite the 256GB version likely being the more popular of the two (especially as it’s relatively affordable (if such words dared be used for phones at around this price point) at $1,799 / £1,749 compared to a massive $1,919 / £1,869 for the 512GB version).

As such, it’s very likely that Google made far fewer units of the 512GB version, so its 'sold out' status doesn’t necessarily suggest there’s super-high demand. Nevertheless, it’s a promising sign all the same.

A while to wait and lots of competition

If you do want that particular model in the US, then you can join Google’s waitlist, though there’s no current indication of when the device will be back up for pre-order. But even if you order the 256GB version you won’t be getting it before June 27, as that’s when the phone actually ships. Note that the foldable isn't available to pre-order from other retailers like Amazon until June 20.

By then, there might not be too much longer to wait for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5. With the Motorola Razr 2023 and the first OnePlus foldable phone also on the horizon there should be plenty of choice for foldable phone fans this year.

But whichever one you choose to buy, it’s just nice to seemingly see demand for this style of device at all.

Until this point we hadn’t heard much about the OnePlus 12. There has been the odd small leak here and rumor there, but now we’re hearing an almost complete specs list for the phone, and it’s a mixed bag of promising and, well, the same the OnePlus 11.

This comes from leaker Yogesh Brar, who has a reasonable track record, but they add the caveat that this is for an engineering configuration of the phone, which might mean some aspects could change before launch.

In any case, Brar claims that the OnePlus 12 will have a triple-lens camera, with a 50MP main sensor, a 50MP ultra-wide, and a 64MP periscope zoom camera. For reference, the OnePlus 11 has a 50MP main, 48MP ultra-wide, and 32MP telephoto.

As such, if Brar is right, then both the ultra-wide and zoom cameras will be different on the 12; both boasting more megapixels. That said, the description of the 64MP camera as being a ‘periscope’ suggests that it will also offer longer distance optical zoom than the 2x optical of the OnePlus 11, which was really intended for better-quality portrait shooting over capturing things farther away.

Typically, periscope cameras are used for 4x magnification optical zoom and beyond, with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra using a periscope camera design to offer as much as 10x optical zoom. At a guess, we don’t imagine the OnePlus 12 will manage 10x magnification – as few phones do – but around 4x or 5x optical zoom seems very likely, if this leak is accurate.

The change in these two sensors could also mean improvements behind the scenes, such as a larger sensor size, though we don’t know that yet. It’s also worth noting that just because the main sensor is apparently 50MP once more, that doesn’t necessarily mean the hardware at play isn’t changing too, but it’s probably unlikely that OnePlus would switch out all three in a single generation.

More power but the same screen

As for the rest of the rumored specs, those are rather less exciting. Brar claims the OnePlus 12 will have a 6.7-inch QHD OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, and a 5,000mAh battery with 100W charging.

On paper, the only change there is the chipset, and the one mentioned here is no surprise, since the OnePlus 11 uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Of course, there could be details that these specs don’t tell us; for example the screen might be brighter this year, but we’ll have to wait and see.

It’s also worth noting that the 100W charging speed may not apply in the US, as while the OnePlus 11 charges at 100W in most of the world, it’s limited to 80W there, due to the US using 110-volt outlets that can’t make the most of the company’s charging system.

Finally, Brar claims that the OnePlus 12 will actually launch this year, with a December release apparently planned in China. However, OnePlus has been known to launch phones in China initially, and then give them a global launch a month or so later.

It did exactly that with the OnePlus 11 (though even China didn’t get that until January, with the rest of the world getting it in February). So we might see a global OnePlus 12 launch in January of next year – which would still be a month earlier in the year than the OnePlus 11.

You might not have to wait until then for an exciting new OnePlus phone though, as the first OnePlus foldable could land before the end of 2023.