In a press release, Samsung stated the One UI 5.1.1 update will be added to Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 devices later in August. Sometime later in the future they will be added to Z Fold 3, Z Flip 3, Z Fold 2 and Z Flip smartphones. Some parts of the One UI 5.1.1 update will also be included for Galaxy Tab S8, Tab S8+, Tab S8 Ultra, Tab S7, Tab S7+, Tab S7 FE, Tab S6 Lite, Tab A8, Tab A7 Lite, Tab Active3 and Tab Active4 Pro tablets.

Samsung says the One UI 5.1.1 update will allow the older Z Fold and Z Flip phones to either "show or hide your Flex Mode Panel" and also let them see the media play bar button when the Flex Mode Panel is activated.

The update will also offer some improvements in multi-tasking on Samsung's foldable phones and on the Tab tablets. Samsung says:

While enjoying a video using your Galaxy Z Fold4, Z Flip4 or Tab S8, you can easily open Samsung Internet in a pop-up window to search for something, all while your content still plays. When you’re done browsing, the window can be easily dragged to the edge of the screen, where it will now snap seamlessly into place.

The update also improves two-handed drag and drop by allowing users on those tablets and foldable phones "to open your desired app with one hand and then use the other to drag a file, app icon or other item into your target folder or location."

Owners of Samsung's older Galaxy Watch 5, Watch 5 Pro, Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic smartwatches will get some upgrades from One UI 5 Watch. That will include improvements in the watches' sleep management features, new fitness additions such as being able to record their running sessions with Track Run, and a number of additional watch faces.

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The 6.1-inch iPhone 14 surpassed sales of even the flagship iPhone 14 Pro Max, which accounted for just 10.7% revenue share in Q2. Comparatively, the iPhone 14 Pro captured a 9.2% share.

This represents a reversal from the year's first quarter when the top-of-the-line iPhone 14 Pro Max was the best-selling iPhone variant. Industry observers suggest customers jumped at the Pro models for their exclusive features like the Dynamic Island, 48MP camera, and always-on display.

In total, OLED smartphone shipments were up 4% quarter-over-quarter and 1% year-over-year. Apple maintained its lead position with a 32% share, though down from 39% last quarter. Samsung took second place with a 23% share.

Notably, the two-year-old iPhone 13 ranked second among individual models with an 11.1% share, beating out the newer iPhone 14 Pro Max.

1. iPhone 14: 15.3%
2. iPhone 13: 11.1%
3. iPhone 14 Pro Max: 10.7%
4. iPhone 14 Pro: 9.2%
5. Samsung S23 Ultra: 5.2%

The report signals slowing demand for existing iPhone 14 models as consumers hold out for the iPhone 15 lineup expected later this year. The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are rumored to see more significant upgrades over their predecessors.

Last week we reported that the A17 Bionic will have 6 CPU and 6 GPU cores running at 3.7 GHz. This would be a slight increase from the A16's 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU. The A17 is also rumored to support 6GB of LPDDR5 DRAM, the same amount as the A16.

Despite the sequential declines, Apple still dominates the OLED smartphone market. But the surprising growth of the iPhone 14 base model shows consumer interest for lower-cost options.

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A reliable leaker, Digital Chat Station, claimed on Weibo that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 price increase could lead brands to utilize 2022's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in next year's phones. Alternatively, some major OEMs could look to rival MediaTek and its newly announced Dimensity 9300 chip.

The cost of the Snapdragon 8G3 seems to be a bit high, and some manufacturers are ready to use the sub-flagship Snapdragon 8G2 or Dimensity platform in the standard version to reduce costs and increase efficiency.

The Dimensity 9300 is expected to debut in October and could provide comparable performance to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, making it an attractive option if the price is lower. Early leaks suggest the Dimensity 9300 will use four Cortex-X4 and four Cortex-A720 cores with MediaTek's latest GPU and support up to 9.6Gbps LPDDR5T RAM.

On the other hand, Qualcomm is still set to unveil the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in October, though the event's Hawaii location may change due to recent wildfires on the islands.

In June, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 AnTuTu benchmark revealed significant performance gains over its predecessor. Images circulating online showed the new SoC achieving a score of 1,771,106 in the AnTuTu v10 benchmarking tests. In comparison, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has been benchmarked around 1.4 million in v10 tests.

The next-gen chipset is rumored to use a 1+3+2+2 core configuration, with a single premium X-core, three high-end A720 cores, two A710 cores, and two efficient A510 cores.

The rising costs of Qualcomm's premium chips have already impacted pricing for brands like Samsung, contributing to higher phone prices in some markets this year.

If the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 sees a significant price hike, brands may cut costs by utilizing older or alternative SoCs in 2024 flagships rather than passing all of the increased costs to consumers.

Source: Digital Chat Station via Android Authority

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However, that doesn't mean Apple is not thinking about some major changes for the Apple Watch in the future. That's the word from reliable leaker Mark Gurman, in his latest Power On newsletter at Bloomberg.

Gurman reports that a new "Apple Watch X" is in development for the smartwatch's 10 anniversary. The first Apple Watch was announced in 2014 but went on sale in 2015, so the new Apple Watch X could launch in either 2024 or 2025, according to Gurman.

Gurman claims the Apple Watch X will have a thinner design compared to current models. The report did not offer specifics on how thin the smartwatch could be. It could also have a new magnetic band attachment system, although Gurman added that feature might not be ready for the Apple Watch X release.

The company is also thinking about putting in a microLED display for future Apple Watches. It might also add a new sensor designed to check a person's blood pressure.

Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Series 9 is the next smartwatch model, which Gurman says will be officially revealed by the company during a press event on September 12, alongside the new iPhone 15 smartphones.

The report claims the Apple Watch Series 9 will stick with the current sizes of 41mm and 45mm, with the new Ultra model staying at 49mm. The new S9 processor should offer a noticeable boost in performance The smartwatch hasn't had such an upgrade since 2020, when the S6 chip debuted in the Apple Watch 6.

Buyers will also reportedly get some new colour choices for the Apple Watch Series 9, including a new dark gray titanium colour, according to Gurman.

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Google explains that it managed to reduce slow scrolling jank by 2x, which is where the number comes from. The company managed to improve scrolling by "filtering noise and reducing visual jumps in the content presented on the screen".

Engineers who analyzed Chrome's scrolling behavior on Android discovered that Chrome's predictor was not as accurate as it should be. Digging deeper, the engineers found two major differences between Chrome's implementation and that of Android.

Chrome uses Java functions with milliseconds precision whereas Android C++ MotionEvent timestamp with nanosecond precision. This was a problem, as the rounding of milliseconds could produce predictor errors when computing the velocity between event timestamps.

Resampling is also different on Android and in Chrome. Chrome uses a "simple FIFO queue of input events", which sometimes caused weird prediction issues.

Engineers at Google ran tests using different algorithms and picked the 1€ filter implementation, which, according to Google, improved the scrolling experience "visibly and drastically". The "screen tracks closely to your finger" and websites scroll smoothly, "preventing jank caused by inconsistent input events" describes Google in the blog post.

The most important question for Google users is when the improvements will land in their version of Chrome for Android. Google plans to roll it out in Chrome 116 for Android and also backport the change all the way back to Chrome 110 on Android.

Android 14 will furthermore expose the nanosecond API in the SKD so that Chrome and other applications may use it. Other Chromium-based browsers and also non-Chromium apps may also benefit from the API introduction in Android 14.

Closing Words

Google claims that the scrolling improvements are noticeable visually but also when looking at the numbers, both on low-end and high-end devices.

Now You: how is the scrolling behavior of your favorite mobile browser?

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Google is reportedly developing a feature allowing Android users to easily link their devices together if signed into the same Google account. This linking could enable convenient features like call switching and internet sharing between devices.

The feature was spotted in development by a researcher, who found evidence of a new "Link Your Devices" menu planned for the Settings app. This menu would likely appear under Settings > Google > Devices & Sharing once rolled out.

It is worth noting that Apple has a similar feature called Continuity. It includes features like Handoff, Universal Clipboard, AirDrop, Continuity Camera, and Continuity Markup.

While full details are not known yet, the Android's linking appears to enable the following based on what we know so far:

• Call Switching - Receive a call on one Android device, then switch/transfer it to another linked Android device. This could seamlessly taking calls across multiple phones or tablets.
• Internet Sharing - More seamless tethering and hotspot usage across your own Android devices.

The call-switching ability is particularly interesting, as it could work between multiple phones. Apple's Continuity does not offer this - you can only pick up iPhone calls on Macs and iPads, not other iPhones.

Google's implementation appears to rely on Google Play Services. So any Android phone with Google services should get access once the feature rolls out. However, it is possible that it will be available for Pixel models first.

This linking and call handoff ability would bring Android closer to Apple's ecosystem integration. It could make it easier for Android users to switch between devices and improve continuity.

Recently, Google's Nearby Share app made it much easier to transfer files from Windows computers to Android (and vice versa).

In case you missed it, Google rolled out Android 14 Beta 5 today. It squashed 29 bugs, 6 of which are for Pixel devices. This update patches the battery drainage during video playback and background Wi-Fi scanning.

Source: Mishaal Rahman via Twitter

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Granted, not all desktop extensions worked in the classic mobile Firefox browser, but thousands worked. Mozilla added a handful of extensions to the illustrious list over the years, but failed to realize the full potential until today. The organization did hint at the possibility of unlocking the extensions system in late 2022.

Now comes the announcement from Mozilla that it has made the decision to unlock Firefox for Android's extensions system. Instead of giving users the choice of a few dozen extensions, Mozilla plans to give all extension developers the option to create and release extensions for Firefox for the Android operating system.

The organization explains that it used the years to strengthen Firefox for Android's functionality and "build the infrastructure necessary to support an open extension ecosystem on Firefox for Android". It also claims that it used the time to understand "the unique needs of mobile browser users".

The change will land in Firefox for Android before the end of the year according to Mozilla's announcement. Mozilla suggests that developers start optimizing their extensions for Firefox for Android in the coming months.

Developers should consider transitioning extensions from using persistent backgrounds to non-persistent Event pages, as this improves the stability of extensions in Firefox for Android. Mozilla reveals further that it has switched on multi-process support in Firefox for Android Nightly, and that this means that extensions won't be hosted in the main Firefox process going forward.

Android's process management may shut down resource-intensive processes, and that is a danger for browser extensions and the reason why Mozilla is suggesting that developers switch to non-persistent Event pages.

Mozilla provides guidelines and support, and a good place to start is the blog post on the Mozilla website, as it contains a list of suggestions and links to resources.

Closing Words

Mozilla expects that the introduction of full add-ons support will increase the attractiveness of Firefox for Android. The change adds a unique feature to Firefox for Android, at least when compared to the other major browsers available for the operating system.

It is too early to tell if this could help rejuvenate Firefox for Android and help it increase its usage share on the platform. There are still other restrictions in place, such as blocked access to about:config, that is limiting the mobile browser.

All in all though, it is a welcome change as it gives Firefox users on Android numerous possibilities to change how they use the browser.

Now You: with extensions support coming, will you give Firefox for Android another chance?

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The previous Android 14 Beta 4 update packed 34 fixes, 9 targeted for Pixels. This update patches the battery drainage during video playback and background Wi-Fi scanning. The build number for Beta 5 is UPB5.230623.003, and Google Play Services is 23.18.18. The complete list of fixes is as follows:

• Fixed an issue where after unlocking a device using a PIN, TalkBack provides incorrect audio.
• Fixed an issue where Wi-Fi scanning was consuming too much battery.
• Fixed an issue where some pictures would glitch with extra shadow blocks.
• Fixed an issue where in some cases, the fingerprint sensor icon wouldn't appear as expected.
• Fixed an issue where voice-over Wi-Fi wasn't enabled by default.
• Fixed an issue on Pixel Fold devices where the device loses antenna ranging session information and cannot recover it.
• Fixed an issue where an extraneous white bar would appear in some apps.
• Fixed a background colour issue with the UI used to add a shortcut to the home screen.
• Fixed a launcher issue that was causing frequent crashes and other quality issues.
• Fixed an issue on Pixel tablets where user interaction during the transition from screen saver to low-light clock causes a SysUI crash.
• Fixed a Pixel Fold issue where tapping would fail to wake the device.
• Fixed a Pixel Fold issue where the system buttons would have inconsistent positions after folding and unfolding.
• Fixed an issue causing SysUI crashes when removing an app pair in landscape.
• Fixed an issue the launcher doesn't fully render after setup.
• Fixed an issue where the system displayed an incorrect mobile connection type.
• Fixed an issue where navigating back to exit an app leads to users no longer being able to open the app.
• Fixed an issue where wallpaper previews were sometimes blank.
• Fixed an issue where the system theme changes from yellow to pink after rebooting.
• Fixed an overscroll issue with ScrollView.
• Fixed an issue where certain colour palettes were difficult to see when the lock screen was activated.
• Fixed an issue where users couldn't enable battery sharing if a work profile existed on the device.
• Fixed an issue where a tablet screen inappropriately turned off when docked.
• Fixed an issue where the device policy manager was preventing notifications from appearing.
• Fixed an issue where group notifications couldn't be expanded.
• Fixed an issue where the lockscreen didn't correctly display the clock.
• Fixed various camera issues that were causing crashes and reductions in quality.
• Fixed an issue with power consumption during video playback.
• Fixed a Weather clock rendering issue.
• Fixed an issue where the lock screen customization preview didn't match the end result.
• Fixed an issue that was causing the wallpaper selection screen to crash.
• Fixed an issue where Pixel devices weren't connecting with some routers.
• Fixed a toast search result issue where the colour was too similar with the background colour.
• Fixed an issue where tapping a notification before using facial unlock does not open the notification.
• Fixed an issue on Pixel Fold where two clocks were displayed at the same time when in widescreen.
• Fixed an issue where widgets would overlap and stack incorrectly.
• Fixed an issue where closing the PiP window doesn't stop YouTube playback.
• Fixed an issue with switching call audio sources.
• Fixed an issue where after unlocking a device, only the background appears.
• Fixed an issue with dragging folders to remove them.

Some behavior changes and new features in Android 14 existed for a long time in iOS. It will now allow users to grant partial access to their gallery just like iOS, with three options in the permissions pop-up:

• Select photos and videos: New in Android 14. The user selects the specific photos and videos that they want to make available to your app.
• Allow all: The user grants full-library access to all photos and videos on the device.
• Don't allow: The user denies all access.

Another change to the Android system will put all memory booster apps out of business. Apps can now close only their own background processes, meaning memory booster apps won't be able to close other apps in one press of a button.

Android will manage memory automatically and close processes when deemed necessary. According to the Android Developers blog post,

If your app kills other apps unnecessarily, it can reduce system performance and increase battery consumption by requiring full restarts of those apps later, which takes significantly more resources than resuming an existing cached app.

A complete list of behavioral changes can be found here. Android 14 Beta 5 is supported on Pixel 4a onwards. If you're a new beta tester, back up your data before flashing. The download files are available on the Android website here.

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The feature was first spotted in testing for WhatsApp Business beta users last month. Now, some non-business users have reported seeing the feature in the latest WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.23.17.8.

Users with multi-account support access will see an arrow next to the QR code in WhatsApp's settings. Tapping on this arrow brings up a card showing the accounts currently logged in and an option to add another account.

This new capability will allow WhatsApp users much more flexibility in managing their personal and work accounts. Currently, users can only be logged into one WhatsApp account at a time on an Android device.

The multi-account feature is still limited to select beta testers and is not yet widely available. Unless you are already a beta tester for WhatsApp's Android app, you are out of luck for now when it comes to trying the latest beta version. The beta program on Google Play has reached maximum capacity, so new users cannot sign up to participate now.

WhatsApp has been actively developing new features in recent months, including animated avatars, an alternative to voice calls, silencing unknown callers, and more.

On the other hand, WhatsApp introduced two new video calling features this week- screen sharing and Landscape Mode support. With the screen sharing option, WhatsApp users can now share their phone or computer screen with other participants during a video call. This allows for sharing documents, and photos, planning vacations together, online shopping and more.

The multi-account support is expected to roll out more widely once testing is complete. For now, it provides a glimpse into the future of a more flexible WhatsApp experience on Android.

Source and image: WABetaInfo

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Update August 10th, 12:17PM ET: Samsung told The Verge under embargo that the One UI 6 beta would launch on Thursday, but it isn’t live yet. Our original story follows; we will update with more details and timing information once it’s available.

 

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Samsung is launching its beta program for One UI 6, its version of Android that’s based on Android 14. Key features for this next revision are a simplified design and more customization options.

 

On the design front, “many elements have been tweaked to create a more modern look and feel,” according to a press release from Samsung. That includes a new default font and new emoji you can use from the Samsung Keyboard. The company has also updated the look of the Quick Panel so that you can more easily get to commonly-used features.

 

Two screenshots showing what you can expect in Samsung’s One UI 6.

Image: Samsung

 

As for customization, One UI 6 will let you choose specific lock screens that are tied to certain Modes and Routines, which sounds a lot like what you can do with the iPhone’s lock screens and Focus modes.

 

Unfortunately, the One UI 6 beta will only be available on the Galaxy S23 lineup to start — if you’re about to pick up one of Samsung’s latest foldables, you’re out of luck for now. But if you’ve got an S23 phone and you’re in the US, Germany, or South Korea, you can check out the One UI 6 beta beginning Thursday.

 

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The new "Proofread with Gboard" feature will leverage generative AI to analyze the user's writing and suggest spelling, grammar, punctuation, and more corrections. It aims to provide an advanced proofreading experience compared to traditional spellcheck. This feature is currently limited to US English.

The Gboard keyboard on Android phones displays a 'Fix it' option above the keyboard after you finish typing a sentence. This offers suggestions to correct grammatical errors or other issues in the sentence you just typed. The keyboard is replaced with different proposed revisions to your sentence by tapping the option with the highlighted changes.

For example, if you incorrectly type "What are wrong with gboard?", Gboard may suggest fixes like "What is wrong with Gboard?" or "What's wrong with Gboard?". These options have thumbs-up/down buttons, and it asks for feedback on whether the suggestions are helpful. Watch the example here:

Another AI-powered capability in development is "Emogen", which allows users to generate custom emoji stickers by describing them with text prompts. The AI will then attempt to create stickers matching the descriptions. This offers more flexibility than Gboard's existing Emoji Kitchen, which is limited to mixing and matching existing emojis.

There are also signs that Google may add a tone suggestions feature that recommends changes to make text more formal, informal or match other tones. This would be similar to Bing Chat's Tone Selector options.

Along with AI upgrades, Gboard is getting new stylus support for handwriting, gestures and improved text input on large screens. As the name implies, users can handwrite directly into text fields instead of converting to text first.

Recently, Google Search got a built-in grammar checker. The search engine has added a grammar checker that allows you to find mistakes by typing sentences into the search bar.

These features are still in early testing and not widely available yet. Nevertheless, they demonstrate Google's interest in greatly expanding Gboard's capabilities using AI.

Via: 9to5Google

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According to the leaker, URedditor, the A17 Bionic will have 6 CPU and 6 GPU cores clocked at 3.7 GHz. This would be a slight bump up from the A16's 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU. The A17 is also rumored to support 6GB of LPDDR5 DRAM, the same amount as the A16.

In February, a market research firm TrendForce said all 2023 iPhone models will get 8GB RAM. However, the latest leak indicates the iPhone 15 Pro may stick with 6GB like the iPhone 14 Pro.

The more significant upgrade will likely come from the A17 built on TSMC's new 3nm process. The A16 used a 4nm process, so the shrinkage to 3nm should improve efficiency. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently estimated that the 3nm process will reduce power consumption by up to 35%.

Based on the leaked specs, the A17 appears to be an incremental upgrade over the A16, with modest performance and efficiency gains expected from the 3nm process.

On the other hand, more significant changes are rumored for 2024 and beyond. The A18 chip in 2024 may be the first to use TSMC's next-generation 2nm process. Apple is also designing its modem chips to replace Qualcomm's eventually.

Also, last week a leaker said that the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max could have a new 2TB storage tier. The claim was echoed on Weibo, adding that Apple may also bump the base capacity from 128GB to 256GB on the Pro models.

As with all leaks, take these A17 details with a grain of salt until Apple confirms them on stage. But the specs show what to expect from the iPhone 15 Pro's processor and capabilities.

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The native translation is easy to use on both Android and iOS. If you receive a message in a language that's different from your "Google.com Mail display language" in your account settings, you'll notice a new banner saying "Translate to," which you can tap to make the translation happen.

To see the original message again, tap on "Show original." If you want Gmail to automatically translate messages in a specific language in the future, tap on "Automatically translate" for that language.

Google writes in the Workspace Update blog:

For years, our users have conveniently translated emails in Gmail on the web to over 100 languages. Starting today, we’re excited to announce a native translation integration within the Gmail mobile app that will enable you to seamlessly communicate in a wide range of languages.

In case you get an email in a language that Gmail didn't catch, you can translate it manually. Just tap the three dots icon in the top-right corner and find the option there. And if you don't want Gmail to keep translating a particular language, just tap the ‘x’ on the banner and then pick “Don’t translate [language] again.”

Translations in Gmail for Android will start rolling out today, while the feature will make it to iOS from August 21. It is available to all Google Workspace users and users with personal Google Accounts.

Recently, Google also gave Gmail a new scheduling feature and the ability to set working locations for specific parts of the day. And just a few months ago, the Mountain View giant released Help Me Write, its AI email drafting tool, for both Android and iOS devices.

Via 9to5Google

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Android 14 will allow consumers and enterprises to turn off support for 2G on their devices or a managed device fleet and disable support for null-cipher (unencrypted) cellular connectivity at the modem level.

"Android is the first mobile operating system to introduce advanced cellular security mitigations for both consumers and enterprises," reads Google's announcement

"Android 14 introduces support for IT administrators to disable 2G support in their managed device fleet [and] also introduces a feature that disables support for null-ciphered cellular connectivity."

Enterprise Stingray protection

Google's announcement highlights the risks of false base stations and "Stingray" attacks that can intercept users' data, voice, and SMS by eavesdropping on network traffic.

Stingrays are cell-site simulators that mimic cell towers to trick in-range devices to connect to them. This allows for intercepting sensitive personal data such as call metadata, SMS and voice call content, data usage and browsing history, and device IMSI.

Stingray attacks have been largely mitigated in 4G. However, since downgrading connections to 2G remains possible, rogue cell stations can still perform these powerful man-in-the-middle attacks.

Google first offered the option to turn off 2G connectivity on Android 12 by going through 'Settings → Network & Internet → SIMs → Allow 2G'. 

In Android 13, that option is to be found on 'Settings → Network & Internet → SIMs → [select SIM] → Allow 2G.'

Starting in Android 14, those managing device fleets, such as government agencies, enterprise entities, or other organizations, can restrict 2G connectivity downgrades on all devices under their control.

This option is added on top of over 200 controls available in Android Enterprise, including the ability to disable WiFi, Bluetooth, and data signaling over USB.

Stingray attacks have become more common over the past couple of years, with law enforcement and surveillance firms utilizing them to spy on cell phones, so this feature comes as a welcome addition to enterprise security.

Blocking unencrypted networks

While all IP-based user traffic on Android is end-to-end encrypted, ensuring that any interceptions won't result in data breaches, Google warns that certain communication types, such as circuit-switched voice calls and SMS messages, can still be exposed on cellular networks.

The exposed data is typically protected by the cellular link layer cipher, which the users have no control or visibility over, so its strength and reliability are doubtful.

Moreover, recent reports have shown that null ciphers (no encryption) are not uncommon in commercial networks, exposing the mentioned data in cleartext and easily readable form to those who can intercept it.

To mitigate this risk, Android 14 introduces a feature that allows users to turn off support for null-cipher connections at the modem level for devices that adopt the latest radio hardware abstraction layer (HAL).

Like in the 2G disabling feature, emergency calls can still downgrade to null-cipher connections to avoid jeopardizing users' safety.

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The most obvious change in the schematics is the switch to a USB-C port on the bottom, replacing the iconic Lightning. This aligns with rumors that Apple will transition to USB-C on the iPhone 15 series to comply with new European Union (EU) regulations.

In case you missed it, the EU has adopted new rules requiring all smartphones sold in the bloc to have user-replaceable batteries by 2027. The new rules are part of a broader effort to reduce electronic waste and promote repairability. Images of the iPhone 15's USB-C connector also appeared online today.

Additionally, the schematics show a revised left-side button arrangement, with a new round "action" button potentially replacing the mute switch. The volume buttons remain in their usual place. We previously reported that the Action button will have more work on the device than just powering it off. For instance, it will replace the job of the volume button in the Camera app.

The overall dimensions of the iPhone 15 Pro look to be slightly larger than the iPhone 14 Pro, with the leak pointing to a depth of 8.2mm versus 7.9mm on the current model.

Other details from the schematics include a camera array that is a bit wider but less tall compared to the iPhone 14 Pro's, coming in at 38 x 37.5mm. The familiar wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto camera lenses remain. The schematics suggest smoother, more rounded edges and slimmer bezels around the display.

While leaked schematics should always be taken with a grain of salt, these are consistent with previous rumors about the iPhone 15 Pro. The larger size, USB-C port, updated buttons, and other changes shown here would represent the most significant iPhone redesign in several years.

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The images were posted by two different leakers, @lipilipsi and @John011235, on Twitter X. They give a close view of USB-C ports purportedly attached to the respective PCB (Printed Circuit Board) components of iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Reports of Apple planning to adopt USB-C started flowing in around the time the European Union announced December 28, 2024, as the final deadline to enforce USB-C as the common charging port. However, rumors suggest Apple might limit the charging speeds when using non-MFi (Made For iPhone) USB-C cables.

The iPhone-maker is also expected to put different USB versions across its models. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, while the iPhone 15 Pro models could get "at least USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3," their siblings iPhone 15 and 15 Plus might settle for Lightning/USB 2.0 speeds.

Not just iPhone, USB-C is likely to trickle down to Apple's accessories as well. Earlier this year, leaker ShrimpApplePro tweeted that USB-C EarPods and MFi-enabled charging cables were in mass production.

Apart from that, the Pro models of the upcoming iPhone series could also get a new storage tier, pushing the maximum storage limit to 2TB. However, Apple which is reportedly facing delays due to production issues might bump the price of its flagship iPhones this year.

Via: MacRumors

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Messenger first enabled SMS support in 2012 but discontinued it a year later. In 2016, Facebook reintroduced SMS capabilities, keeping text messaging separate from Messenger's internet-based chats. SMS threads in the app used a distinct purple theme compared to the default blue, with Facebook marketing the SMS experience as an improved version.

Meta has not detailed explained the change, saying only that "you will no longer be able to use Messenger to send and receive SMS messages sent from your mobile network." However, the removal of SMS support may reflect a shift in strategy as Messenger highlights its advanced features for encrypted messaging and social communication.

If you use Messenger as your default SMS messaging app for your Android device, please note you will no longer be able to use Messenger to send and receive SMS messages sent by your cellular network when you update your app after September 28, 2023

The SMS phase-out appears to be tied to an upcoming update to Messenger, likely in late September. Once users install the updated version from the Google Play Store, SMS will no longer work.

While Meta's messaging app will lose SMS, Android phones will still be able to send and receive text messages through the default messaging app provided by the operating system. Third-party SMS apps are now less popular due to not having access to RCS features. You know more about it here.

Meanwhile, Google established its messaging app as the default on Android. Carriers and device manufacturers have standardized mainly on Google's Messages app for SMS/RCS messaging.

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What is new in the Surface Laptop 4 August 2023 firmware update?

• This update improves wireless stability.

Here is the list of new drivers:

Here is extra information about the release:

Microsoft replaced the Surface Laptop 4 with the Surface Laptop 5 in October 2022. However, the fourth-generation Surface Laptop is still available on the Microsoft Store with significant discounts. Minor performance differences between the two models make the Surface Laptop 4 a better choice for those who need a high-quality computer for less money.

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BleepingComputer has been observing this behavior over the past few weeks at random on Android devices, and we are able to identify the cause of the problem.

Here's how you can still read your favorite stories, and even workaround the bug that has occasionally bothered some users in the past.

Google News (or Discover) stories not found

Every now and then you may tap on a story served by Google Discover or Google News Showcase on an Android device. Except, the story takes you to Google's clunky "Error 404 (Not Found)!!1" page.

This happens in some cases, even though the story is otherwise live on the news outlet:

Further, we noticed that the story publisher had not changed the original URL of the story at any point for an error like this to have occurred.

BleepingComputer has observed this behavior with the Google app on Android devices at random, which makes it hard to reproduce.

Other users seem to have also noticed the glitch:

In fact, none of the links shared by these users on social media or with their friends (such as via WhatsApp) will work—these lead to 404 pages, even though the stories they meant to take you to, are up.

Why does the issue occur?

When you tap on a story served by Google News feed, the URL it's taking you to looks like this (taking the Liverpool Echo story above as an example):

This link is functional and can be tested by copying-pasting it in a web browser. It should take you to the page shown below:

The first part of the URL, that uses Google Play's play.google.com domain, is essentially a "redirect" service taking you to the desired news story.

The bits at the end following a question mark are a long string of GET parameters, that we have discarded from the view, as these serve no functional purposes with regards to the redirect and are purportedly being used for tracking and analytics.

The problem arises when multiple Google accounts are signed onto a device.

Whenever, multiple Google (think Gmail) accounts are logged in on a device, the URLs for Google services get "rewritten" with an account identifier.

For example, Gmail Desktop users may have noticed the mail.google.com/mail/ URL turning into mail.google.com/mail/u/0/ when they are using multiple Gmail accounts simultaneously (the '/u/0' part denotes which account is currently in the user's view).

Similarly, the URLs for these news stories, in some cases, get rewritten with an account identifier:

And this causes the redirect service to break, showing you a 404 (Not Found) page for the story instead of Google Play's servers honoring or ignoring the account identifier parameter ("/u/...").

We submitted bug reports to Google, via the "Send Feedback" button on multiple occasions that we witnessed the issue but it remains unclear if that has helped with the remediation of the issue.

What can you do?

We tried clearing the cache for both Google and Google News apps on Android device, but the error would recur on random occasions.

Going to the Google Play store and ensuring we had the latest version of each apps (and tapping "update" when not) appeared to yield minimal improvement and did not completely eradicate the issue.

A workaround we have identified is, for Google News/Discover stories that show a 404 page, users can simply return to their news feed screen.

You can then tap on the three-dots next to a story, on the bottom right corner, and select "About this source & topic."

This will now show you the story as an organic search result on Google Search that can proceed to normally.

Of course, a longer workaround would involve using Google Search to type and look up the story's headline.

A bug like this might not occur frequently and be hard to reproduce, but given other users who have reported experiencing it, BleepingComputer is sharing this information in hopes that it makes your Google News journey a tad smoother.

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The Pixel Watch 2 is expected to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 chip rather than the Exynos 9110 chip used in the first Pixel Watch. This should provide improved performance and battery life.

Speaking of battery, the Pixel Watch 2 will have a 306 mAh battery, a slight increase over the 294 mAh battery in the original. However, optimizations to the watch's software and hardware are expected to enable over 24 hours of battery life with always-on display enabled.

Other hardware changes include a switch to a Samsung OLED display panel, though the screen size remains 1.2 inches with 384 x 384 resolution. The watch case will be made from a lighter aluminum material.

On the feature side, the Pixel Watch 2 will add an ultra-wideband (UWB) chip. This can enable enhanced digital car key and device-to-device communication experiences, like quickly transferring music from the watch to the Pixel Tablet. It is worth noting that the Apple Watch Series 8 already comes with Apple's U1 UWB chip for precision locating.

The watch will ship with Android 13-based Wear OS 4. This platform update will enable seamless over-the-air updates for a more refined software update process.

We also reported that in May, the next smartwatch from Google will launch alongside the company's following major smartphones, the Pixel 8 series. Usually, that happens sometime in early October.

The original Pixel Watch had a starting price of $349. Although the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is priced at $300, Google is expected to keep the original price.

While the overall design and size appear mostly unchanged, the Pixel Watch 2's upgrades should improve the smartwatch experience. More details are likely to emerge as we get closer to the expected launch later this year.

Source: Android Authority

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The stacked CIS design allows the camera to capture more light, widen the dynamic range, and perform better in low-light conditions. Apple is already expected to use a stacked sensor design for the 48MP wide camera of two standard iPhone models, namely the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. Sony, which is supplying the high-end sensors, bumped its production capacity by 100-120% to meet Apple's demand.

However, this comes at the cost of high-end CIS supply for Android brands. Kuo said that rival manufacturer Will Semi is likely to benefit from the situation as "Sony’s high-end CIS capacity will continue to be tight in 2024." As a result, Will Semi will obtain more orders for high-end CIS from Chinese smartphone brands.

The iPhone 16 series is expected to release sometime in the second half of 2024. While there are hopes of an under-display Face ID system, rumors suggest iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will be fitted with bigger screens. The claim was supported by multiple sources and there are speculations that the additional space will be used for features like a periscope camera.

A recent report from Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan suggests iPhone 15's launch might get delayed until the fourth quarter. The iPhone 15 Pro models which are expected to feature solid-state buttons might come with a price hike.

Apple revealed its latest financial numbers as part of the Q3 2023 earnings results. The iPhone maker saw a slight dip in overall revenue but said its Services revenue reached an "all-time revenue record," adding that the number of paid subscriptions has crossed 1 billion. The company also saw customers save over $10 billion in its Apple Card high-yield savings account.

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The tech giant typically holds its iPhone launch event on a Tuesday or Wednesday in mid-September. The new report claims that carriers have told employees not to take time off on September 13 because of a "significant smartphone announcement." Apple has not officially confirmed the date.

If Apple follows its usual schedule, pre-orders for the iPhone 15 lineup will likely begin on September 15, with retail availability starting on September 22. Last year, the iPhone 14 went up for pre-order on September 9 and hit stores on September 16.

At the September event, Apple is anticipated to announce four new iPhone 15 models, including the 6.1-inch iPhone 15, 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Plus, 6.1-inch iPhone 15 Pro, and 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Previously, we reported that Apple is said to be considering raising the price of its upcoming iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models. The unnamed sources claim that despite an expected decline in the smartphone market, Apple aims to increase revenue by raising prices on its high-end iPhone models.

The lower-end iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are rumored to gain several features previously exclusive to the Pro line, like the Dynamic Island and 48MP camera. And the iPhone 15 Pro may use a combination of the Power button + Action button to turn off the device or force restart it.

While Apple has managed to avoid major launch delays in recent years, some iPhone 15 models could see a later retail release date than usual due to reported supply chain issues and manufacturing challenges this year. Analysts remain divided on how much supply constraints might impact the new iPhones.

Source: 9to5Mac

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Twitter (X) currently allows users to subscribe to other users' accounts through its iOS app. These subscriptions utilize Apple's in-app purchase system, so Apple takes a 30% cut of the revenue as per App Store guidelines.

On the other hand, Twitter did not take any revenue from these subscriptions for the first 12 months. After 12 months, Twitter would begin taking 10% of the subscription revenue.

Under Musk's leadership, Twitter changed its revenue share model for subscriptions. Now, Twitter will not take any cut of subscription revenue until the total payout for a user exceeds $100,000. Once that threshold is crossed, Twitter will take 10% of subscription revenue, but it will still not take any revenue for the first 12 months of a subscription.

Musk believes that Apple should only take a cut of the revenue that creators pay to Twitter rather than the full 30% of subscription fees.

Many X users supported App Store reform in response to Musk's tweet. Some argued that Apple's 30% commission is too high and that the company should take a smaller cut, especially for subscription-based services.

Musk's latest call for App Store commission rules comes as Apple faces growing scrutiny over its fees and policies. Companies like Epic Games and Spotify have challenged Apple's grip over app distribution, and regulators in Japan and the UK have pressed Apple to relax restrictions.

While Apple has made minor concessions, such as allowing certain apps to link to external payment sites, many experts believe more significant changes are needed. It remains to be seen if Cook and Apple will bend to Musk's demands.

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The iOS concept is created by Parker Ortolani who has designed various Apple concepts in the past. Ortolani wrote in an X post that his concept design is inspired by the new iMessage app picker on iOS 17 beta. One way the concept differs from the existing Control Center is it includes colourful icons as well as the names of various controls.

In addition to system controls, you can also add actions from third-party apps such as checking the forecast on a weather app or talking to ChatGPT via its iPhone app. It also offers support for iPhone 15 Pro's rumored action button or side button which can be used to open the Control Center.

Also, the concept saves some hard work by allowing users to rearrange the controls without making a visit to the Settings app. You can tap and hold to modify the list of controls or pin your favorites at the top.

Apple introduced Control Center for the first time with the release of iOS 7 back in 2013. It received a major overhaul in 2017 with the release of iOS 11 and iPhone X. Following the update, a down swipe from the top-right corner of the screen is required on Face ID-enabled iPhones to open the control center.

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