For a bit of background, Apple said it had fixed an issue related to Screen Time in iOS 16.5, which came out in May. The Wall Street Journal found, however, that the bug has not actually been fixed, even in the latest iOS 17 beta.

The news outlet said that the specific feature that was affected was Downtime. It’s a feature that lets parents choose the hours their kids can use their Apple devices. Due to the bug, the times parents were scheduling were reverting to previous settings, and in some cases, there were no restrictions at all.

In a pretty vague response, an Apple spokeswoman told The Wall Street Journal that:

‘We are aware that some users may be experiencing an issue where Screen Time settings are unexpectedly reset. We take these reports very seriously and we have been, and will continue, making updates to improve the situation.’

It’s unclear if this means the fix will be deployed with the next version of iOS or some later version. The problem seems to be widespread and affecting many parents, so they’ll be hoping it’s deployed sooner rather than later.

One workaround that parents can use while they wait for Apple to fix the issue is to set screen limits directly on their children’s devices. While it can be a hassle to set up the feature on multiple devices, the settings you choose should stick.

Do you use these features on your kid’s devices? Have you noticed any problems recently? Due to the settings being reverted silently, you may have missed entirely that this was happening.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

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What is new in the Surface Laptop 5 July 2023 firmware update?

• This update enables support for new docking accessories.
• This update enables the automatic download of Intel® Connectivity Performance Suite (ICPS) application on Surface Laptop 5 consumer devices running Windows 11 and have a hard disk capacity greater than 256 GB. ICPS is a software solution that improves PC networking performance by creating a personalized network experience based on each user's unique situation.

Here is the list of new drivers:

Here is extra information about the release:

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The Elon Musk-owned company couldn't rename its iOS app until today because Apple doesn't allow developers to use single-character app names, according to former Twitter engineer Erik Berlin and Next founder Nick Sheriff. However, X Corp was able to change the app's logo and screenshots on the App Store last week.

X version 10.0 is now available to download on the iOS App Store. There is no word on whether Apple made an exception for X Corp or changed its rules on the character limit. It's not only the name that was changed, but its tagline on the product page has been changed from "Let's talk." to "Blaze your glory!"

Meanwhile, there was an existing app named X that was already living on the App Store and its name has been changed to Note, TechCrunch reports. The paid app was supposedly using Unicode to dodge Apple's rules and make its name appear as a single character.

Twitter's rebranding last week wasn't a cakewalk as it triggered suspicious website warnings on Microsoft's Edge browser. The new X logo has been a part of discussions due to its similarities with the Xbox logo and the fact that Microsoft and Meta hold some important trademarks.

While Elon Musk backtracked on his decision to ditch the light theme, users have made attempts to resurrect the bluebird using a Chrome extension and on Android with the help of some third-party apps.

Speaking more about renaming, X Corp's $8/mo subscription Twitter Blue is now called X Blue. While the company is yet to rename TweetDeck, Elon Must hinted that the app might be called XPro in the future.

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Smartwatches, at least the ones we are familiar with now, are still a fairly recent type of product and only came into prominence in the last decade or so. However, well before those devices were released, and even before the rise of smartphones, Microsoft tried to launch the technology behind a series of smartwatches (and later, other smart devices) that actually were a bit ahead of its time.

The technology was called Microsoft SPOT, which stood for Smart Personal Objects Technology. Microsoft first announced SPOT in January 2003 at the CES trade show in Las Vegas. The company developed the tech as a way to transmit information to specially-made wristwatches. Here's how Microsoft described the tech:

Microsoft’s DirectBand is a set of innovative technologies enabling transmission of Web-based information to smart objects. DirectBand includes a custom radio receiver, a wide area network based on FM subcarrier technology and new radio protocols created to meet the unique communication requirements of smart objects.

Yes, this technology used old-fashioned FM radio signals to transmit its info. While it could be used for many devices, Microsoft decided to concentrate on wristwatches as the first way SPOT could be used.

It worked with National Semiconductor to create a chip that would be inside SPOT watches. The company said.

This chipset consists of an application chip with an ARM7 CPU, ROM and SRAM, and a tiny, sensitive 100MHz RF receiver chip.

Microsoft launched its MSN Direct online service to send info to these SPOT devices. For $60 a year, you could get personalized news, weather, stock reports, sports scores, messages from MSN Messenger, Outlook calendar updates, and more.

At CES 2003, Microsoft announced that Citizen, Fossil, and Suunto would launch wristwatches with the SPOT technology. The plan was to put them on sale in the fall of 2003 for the holiday shopping season. However, delays kept the first SPOT watches from going on sale until early 2004.

Other watch companies also joined the SPOT party, in particular Swatch, which at the time was an extremely popular brand with teens and young adults.

The technology even branched out into other devices. The oddest one was a coffee maker from Melitta, which connect to MSN Direct to show you a graphic that gave you the current weather forecast on a small screen. We are still not sure what marketing genius came up with this one.

However, the SPOT watches were never a big seller. One problem was that they were bulky and didn't look as slick as many other higher-end watches at the time. That $60 annual fee to get the connected features was a big issue for many people.

Another big problem was that you couldn't transfer any data from your SPOT watch to other devices. The DirectBand service was also limited to "more than 100 of the largest population centers in North America", according to Microsoft, and it never expanded to other countries.

However, the biggest problem was that, in just a few years, the smartphone revolution was going to start. With the launch of Apple's iPhone, followed by similar devices from other companies, anyone could get more info from them for the price of a mobile cellular connection.

By 2008, SPOT devices had stopped being made, and the MSN Direct service shut down at the end of 2011. The truth is Microsoft SPOT had some good ideas, but the implementation of those ideas and its technology got quickly superseded by the rise of the smartphone.

It might be interesting to see if Microsoft could create a true smartwatch that could rival those from Samsung, Apple, Google, and others.

We would be remiss if we didn't show you this extended commercial for MSN Direct and Microsoft's SPOT tech that "helped" to launch the service in 2004.

We won't say anything more other than it has Spike Lee in it for some reason. Be prepared to cringe a lot. Again, who were the marketing folks that came up with this one?

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Turns out, Apple's App Store can't accept the new name for Twitter's iOS app because of minimum character requirements.

Twitter still Twitter on App Store

This week, both Google Play and Apple's App Store pushed updated versions of the Twitter app respectively for Android and iOS users.

The latest app version bears the 'X' logo, and in some cases, Twitter's new name.

BleepingComputer observed, for example, that Google Play store page for the Android app now bears the name 'X' not Twitter:

The app, however, still shows up as "Twitter" among installed apps on an Android, and the application package (APK) ID remains com.twitter.android internally:

This is in stark contrast to the latest version of Twitter's iOS app, which unfortunately couldn't be renamed to 'X' on the App Store—and it's got to to with the minimum number of characters an iOS app name must have.

"On iOS, the situation is distinct as Apple does not permit any app to have a single character as their app name," data scientist and Next founder, Nick Sheriff pointed out.

"Twitter was able to change the logo of their iOS app but not the name, since Apple requires app names to be at least 2 characters," mocked San Francisco-based Erik Berlin.

While iOS app names "can be up to 30 characters long," they must be at least 2 characters in length, failing which the app name will be rejected by Apple:

Some Apple users report seeing the 'X' app on their iPhone or iPad device after fetching the latest update, but the name restriction remains in effect on the App Store.

"What about X and a space, either before or after?" software developer Yusuf Alp suggested a potential workaround in response to Berlin's post.

"He already has a company called SpaceX," chuckled Berlin.

Twitter's rushed and inconsistent rebranding seems to be causing issues in other areas—legal and technical, as well.

The app's icon change to 'X' triggered security alerts for Microsoft Edge users this week, as BleepingComputer first reported.

Internet content filters in some regions, like Indonesia, also started blocking the 'x.com' website, mistaking it for adult content.

Update, July 29th, 1:17 PM ET: Credited Sheriff who had originally tweeted about the App Store name restriction.

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Using Google Maps to navigate on your Android phone just got a lot quicker, thanks to an update that Google has sneakily rolled out to your device.

Now when you boot up the app and tap the microphone icon in the search bar, you’ll be greeted by a new “faster way” to search on Maps. Just say where you want to go and a new and improved Google Assistant will be able to speedily get up directions. It may also be a little more helpful too as in our tests when we specifically asked for the fastest way to get from A to B it would automatically suggest the mode of transport that was the quickest.

Voice controls on Google Maps weren’t terrible before but they were sluggish, and it sometimes felt just as quick to type out the directions you needed. Plus, if the app misheard you you’d have to sit and wait for what felt like an eternity for it to get up the wrong directions, only for you to then correct it so you can sit through the process all over again.

Thanks to the new and improved Google Assistant implementation using your voice to ask Google Maps for directions feels a lot quicker. Best of all, as you speak you’ll see a large readout of everything you said, making it easier to spot if Google mishears or misunderstands you so you can correct it before it wastes time looking for directions you don’t need.

(Image credit: Future)

No new app install required 

What’s more, there will be a list of category options onscreen you can tap instead of speaking – and they’ll instantly boot up a list of nearby services that match the description you tapped. They feel a bit superfluous as the categories are available on the main Google Maps screen, but they don’t get in the way so we’re not going to complain too much.

We’ve been testing the improved feature out and found it to be a fair bit faster than it was before. And maybe it’s just us, but it feels like using our phone’s Google Assistant to get directions in Google Maps is faster too.

The update should have already been rolled out to your phone, even if you don’t remember updating Google Maps recently. That's because this is a server-side update on Google’s end, so there’s no new app version for you to install before you can benefit from a faster search.

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3G networks will be shut off in Singapore next July, giving a one-year roadmap for 1% of the mobile phone population to make the switch to newer generations.  

It marks an end to a 20-year infrastructure that largely has been replaced by 4G and 5G, according to local regulator Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). 5G was commercially launched last year, with subscriptions now accounting for 15% of the total mobile subscriber base. Together with 4G, the two networks support almost 99% of mobile subscribers in the country. 

All three local mobile operators -- M1, Singtel, and StarHub -- will retire their 3G services, including messaging and data, by July 31 next year. When the shutdown is complete, it will free up spectrum to improve 5G services, IMDA said. 

Countries such as Australia and the UK also are slated to retire their 3G services by next year, while others such as Taiwan, Malaysia, and the US already have done so. 

Singapore's mobile operators will have to ensure a smooth migration for their 3G subscribers, including enterprise customers, before shutting down their networks, IMDA said. These should include giving users the option to convert their plans to 4G on equal or better service terms. They also must be provided mobile phone options at different price points, the industry regulator said. 

Business customers should be provided support to transition to 4G or alternative services with the least disruption. 

From February next year, retailers also must no longer sell 3G mobile phones or 4G models that require 3G networks for voice calls. The only exception here is for devices tagged for export. 

In a joint statement released Wednesday, the three local operators said they had been running various initiatives urging their 3G subscribers to transition to 4G and 5G networks. Further measures will be taken in the coming months to notify these customers of the move and provide help to those needing assistance migrating, the telcos said. 

These subscribers include those who are on 3G-only devices or early 4G models as well as customers who still are using 3G-only SIM cards. 

5G is projected to support 41% of mobile connections in Asia-Pacific by 2030, up from 4% this year, according to GSMA's Mobile Economy APAC 2023 report, which was released this week. The region will be home to 1.4 billion 5G subscribers by end-2030, with adoption fueled by falling device prices and rapid network expansion across several markets. 

While mature markets such as Australia, Singapore, and South Korea are leading global 5G mobile innovation, other regional markets still face barriers that impact mobile access and adoption. 

Mobile internet services remain out of reach for 47% of the population in Asia-Pacific, which lag behind other global markets such as China and Latin America, the GSMA report noted. It cited poor digital skills, particularly among older populations, device and service affordability, as well as online safety concerns as some factors hindering adoption. 

Total mobile subscribers in Asia-Pacific will grow by 400 million to hit 2.11 billion by 2030. Mobile penetration will climb to 70%, though, this figure is lower than the global average of 73%, according to GSMA. 

The mobile industry contributed $810 billion to the Asia-Pacific economy last year, with this number projected to reach $990 billion by 2030. 5G alone will add more than $133 billion to the region's economy in 2030.

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These maps would use the 59 million points of interest captured last year by the Overture Maps Foundation, and they represent restaurants, landmarks, streets, and other various important borders. The data has been cleared, and it will be made available for anyone to use.

According to the latest reports, Microsoft and Meta collected the data and donated it to Overture. And then Overture can use distribute that data to companies who want to build their own mapping solutions, without using Google Maps.

As you might know, Google and Apple are currently charging companies that want to use their maps. But now, companies will be able to build their own custom maps, that would best serve their businesses, using Overture data.

Of course, there will be challenges, such as keeping the Overture data updated. And it makes sense because the maps need to be constantly updated in order to properly use them. But here is where Microsoft could come into play, as the Redmond-based tech giant’s AI interest could play a big role in this.

Soon, these updates can be handled by AI, without the need to spend a lot of resources on uncovering map data and updating it. Microsoft, at least, has been investing a lot of resources in AI, and the company is integrating AI in almost all of its products.

So, it’s just a matter of time until Overture will benefit from AI when gathering map data. Ultimately, this could even mean tight competition between Microsoft Maps and Google Maps. But at least, there will be more options to choose from when implementing a map system into your business.

And, with this partnership, Microsoft is giving the power back to the user. Small companies will be able to create their own custom maps.

What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments section below.

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"We think these will be a fun way to share moments with all the emotion that comes from video, whether it’s wishing someone a happy birthday, laughing at a joke, or bringing good news," WhatsApp said in a blog post.

The voice messages button in the bottom-right corner of the WhatsApp chat UI now has a dual purpose. You can tap on it to switch between voice and video message modes. To send an instant video message on WhatsApp, you can tap and hold the button to start video recording.

Like voice messages, the video will be sent automatically when you lift your finger from the record button. WhatsApp adds that video messages are also end-to-end encrypted and you can swipe up to lock and record videos in hands-free mode as well.

You can record a WhatsApp video message of up to 60 seconds in length. The video message will play automatically on mute when the recipient opens the chat window and they can tap on the video to start the sound.

Videos messages aren't something new. WhatsApp's rival app Telegram has offered the feature for quite some time now and works in a similar way. Meanwhile, WhatsApp's video messages feature has started rolling out and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks.

WhatsApp has added a number of features this year such as status reactions, saving disappearing messages, support for multiple smartphones, editing sent messages, Chat Lock, silence unknown callers, and support for contextual stickers.

Furthermore, the instant messaging app has also made it easier to message unknown phone numbers. Users can text phone numbers from within the app without the need to add them to their contacts.

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Yesterday, Samsung took the wraps off its new foldables for 2023, and they were mostly disappointing. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a minor update over the Galaxy Z Fold 4, which in itself was a minor update over the Galaxy Z Fold 3, which just happened to be a moderate update over the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2.

It's that's three generations of essentially the same phone, with no attempts to address the biggest issue with the Galaxy Fold as a device: its shape. Now, I know there are many Samsung die-hards who think the taller, thinner aspect ratio of the Galaxy Fold is superior to the likes of the Pixel Fold or Honor Magic V2, which opt for wider, more traditional aspect ratios for the outer screen.

Well, I'm here to tell those Samsung die-hards they're wrong. The Galaxy Fold's aspect ratio is terrible in almost all aspects except for when it comes to one-handed typing. That's the only thing it excels at, but that's not a good enough trade-off. The outside screen on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is still too narrow for comfortable use, and it's the sole reason I'm not buying one.

What Samsung should have done with the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a radical design update that followed the shape of the Surface Duo, which is a wider and shorter device overall, but that’s part of what makes Surface Duo so unique. Its shape is awesome, enhancing productivity and feeling bigger than most other foldable phones on the market, thanks to its aspect ratio.

The Pixel Fold is a similar shape to Surface Duo, but it’s not exactly the same as it’s still slightly narrower. So far, not a single true foldable phone has matched the Surface Duo in shape, and I think that’s a crying shame because it’s genuinely the best-shaped foldable out there currently.

The wide screen makes typing with two hands so incredibly easy too, and if it were a true foldable, the size of both screens as one continuous 8.3-inch foldable display would mean most apps are able to extend and flourish as if they were running on an actual Android tablet. Just look at how spacious apps like Outlook look on Surface Duo compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 5:

Outlook on Surface Duo (Image credit: Windows Central)

Outlook on Galaxy Fold (Image credit: Windows Central)

This is the true foldable experience that I yearn for, but there isn't a single Android OEM currently building a device of this shape. Why? I don't understand why Samsung and other foldable OEMs are opting to remain as close to the "square" aspect ratio as possible. The Surface Duo's shape has already proven that this is the best way forward for UX and comfort.

It's also the best shape for multitasking. Running two apps side-by-side on the foldable screen of a Galaxy Fold is a cramped experience because the screen is too narrow. You can rotate it for a more Pixel Fold-like experience, but nothing is beating the sheer wideness of the Surface Duo's aspect ratio, which is the equivalent of two full-sized smartphone screens side by side.

Unfortunately for us, Microsoft is a bad Android OEM and is doing a terrible job at supporting Surface Duo, and seemingly isn't even in a rush to bring a Surface Duo 3 to market. So, we're all out of options. The Pixel Fold is the closest thing so far, but even then, it's not a perfect replacement. I worry nothing will be a perfect replacement for Surface Duo.

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The wallpapers are inspired by round rings with various designs. You can now try them to give your device a new look.

The new Galaxy Z series comes preloaded with cool abstract wallpapers featuring geometric shapes and patterns. These wallpapers also include different colour options.

Although Samsung has not officially released them, they have started circulating on Twitter. You can check out the new wallpapers from this link.

Once you have downloaded the wallpapers, you can set them as your wallpaper on your phone. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings > Wallpaper.
2. Tap on the "Gallery" tab.
3. Select the wallpaper that you want to use.
4. Tap on the "Set as wallpaper" button.

In case you missed it, Galaxy Z Flip5 features a new Flex Hinge and a larger cover display. It boasts a 3.4-inch AMOLED cover screen, offering a standard 60Hz refresh rate, a resolution of 720 x 748, and a pixel density of 306 ppi. Its inner display remains unchanged from its predecessor, offering a 7.6-inch Infinity Flex display with 2640 x 1080 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate.

Under the hood, the Galaxy Z Flip5 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy SoC, similar to the Galaxy S23 lineup. The device has 8GB of RAM and offers 256GB or 512GB of onboard storage.

On the other hand, the Galaxy Z Fold5 display has a shock dispersion layer, there’s IPX8 support, Armor Aluminum frames, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both the Flex Window and back cover, and an enhanced Flex Hinge that features a dual rail structure to diffuse external impacts.

If you decide to pre-order the Fold5 or Flip5, general availability starts August 11 so you should expect to receive it on or around that date. If you’re lucky, you could get it a few days early, though, Samsung hasn’t said this.

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Samsung says the displays on all the Galaxy Tab S9 models can automatically switch refresh rates for a better experience.

Galaxy Tab S9 series’ HDR10+ ensures scene-by-scene, frame-by-frame tone optimization with a wide range of colours and brightness. The dynamic refresh rate of the Galaxy Tab S9 series automatically calibrates from 60 to 120Hz to balance smooth responsiveness with optimized battery efficiency. Eye Comfort also reduces eye strain with low blue light, reduced by more than 70 percent.

The standard Galaxy Tab S9 has an 11-inch display, with the Galaxy Tab S9 Plus getting a 12.4-inch screen and the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has a 14.6-inch screen.

The displays also support Samsung's Vision Booster technology which increases the brightness of the screen automatically when it detects the tablets are in brighter settings.

The tablets also have some new cooling technology that should keep them working efficiently, according to Samsung:

For the first time on a Galaxy tablet, advanced vapor chamber technology helps power streaming, gaming or video editing marathons. Following close collaboration with industry-leading gaming partners, Galaxy Tab S9 users will benefit from optimized large-screen gaming experiences. Galaxy Tab S9 series is also the most heat-efficient Galaxy Tab lineup ever with an internal vapor chamber custom engineered for the high-intensity demands of a tablet. New two-way heat dissipation helps enable and sustain better performance over a longer usage period.

The tablets will all come with a Samsung Galaxy S Pen, and both the Galaxy S9 tablets and the S Pen now have an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. That should allow users to take the tablets and pen into all sorts of outdoor conditions. The tablets also come in two colour choices: Beige and Graphite.

Pre-orders for the tablets begin today, with general availability launching on August 11. Pricing for the standard Galaxy Tab S9 begins at $799, with the Galaxy Tab S9+ starting at $999.99 and the Tab S9 Ultra will have a starting price of $1,199.99.

There are also some special storage upgrades for people who pre-order the tablets:

Starting today, purchase a 256GB Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra or Tab S9+ and receive a complimentary upgrade to the 512GB version. Or select a 128GB Tab S9 and be upgraded to the 256GB version. Plus, receive up to $650 off any Galaxy Tab S9 series device with an eligible trade-in.

You can also pre-order the newly announced Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 smartphone right now for $1,799.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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The Galaxy Z Flip5 boasts a 3.4-inch AMOLED cover screen, a significant upgrade from its predecessor's 1.9-inch screen. This display offers a standard 60Hz refresh rate, a resolution of 720 x 748, and a pixel density of 306 ppi. Also, its inner display remains unchanged from its predecessor, offering a 7.6-inch Infinity Flex display with 2640 x 1080 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate.

The larger cover screen, Flex Window, offers various customization options, including graphical clocks that match Galaxy Watch6 series watch faces. Users can also access new widgets, such as weather updates, music control, and global stock updates.

Under the hood, the Galaxy Z Flip5 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy SoC, similar to the Galaxy S23 lineup. The device has 8GB of RAM and offers 256GB or 512GB of onboard storage.

According to Samsung, The device's 3700mAh battery with 25W fast charging support can juice up to 50% in 30 minutes, and it also supports wireless charging and wireless power sharing. It runs on Android 13-based OneUI 5.1.1 out of the box and promises five years of security updates and four generations of OS upgrades.

The clamshell foldable features two 12MP cameras alongside the new cover screen, enhanced with AI-powered and night photography improvements. It also comes with a FlexCam mode for hands-free selfies and videos, leveraging the cover screen.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 starts at $999 for the base 256GB model, which is the same price as the previous model. Preorders for the Galaxy Z Flip5 begin today, with wider availability starting from August 11 on Samsung.com, Samsung Experience Store, major carriers, and retailers worldwide.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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As a foldable, your first reaction may be that it seems easily breakable but according to the Korean company, the Galaxy Z Fold5 has been designed carefully to be durable.

The screen has a shock dispersion layer, there’s IPX8 support, Armor Aluminum frames, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both the Flex Window and back cover, and an enhanced Flex Hinge that features a dual rail structure to diffuse external impacts.

The full specifications for the device are below:

• Display:
  • Main Screen:
    • 7.6-inch QXGA+*
    • Dynamic AMOLED 2X
    • Infinity Flex Display (2176 x 1812, 21.6:18), 374ppi
    • 120Hz adaptive refresh rate (1~120Hz)
  • Cover Screen:
    • 6.2-inch HD+
    • Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display
    • (2316 x 904, 23.1:9), 402ppi
    • 120Hz adaptive refresh rate (48~120Hz)
• Dimensions and Weight:
  • Folded: 67.1 x 154.9 x 13.4mm
  • Unfolded: 129.9x 154.9 x 6.1mm
  • Weight: 253g
• Cover Camera:
  • 10MP Selfie Camera
  • F2.2, Pixel size: 1.22μm, FOV: 85˚
• Under Display Camera:
  • 4MP Under Display Camera
  • F1.8, Pixel size: 2.0μm, FOV: 80˚
• Camera:
  • Rear Triple Camera:
    • 12MP Ultra Wide Camera
    • F2.2, Pixel size: 1.12μm, FOV: 123˚
    • 50MP Wide-angle Camera
    • Dual Pixel AF, OIS, F1.8, Pixel size: 1.0μm, FOV: 85˚
    • 10MP Telephoto Camera
    • PDAF, F2.4, OIS, Pixel size: 1.0μm, FOV: 36˚, 3X optical zoom
• AP: Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy
• Memory:
  • 12GB Memory with 1TB internal storage
  • 12GB Memory with 512GB internal storage
  • 12GB Memory with 256GB internal storage
• Battery: 4,400mAh (typical) dual battery
• Charging:
  • Wired Charging: Up to 50% charge in around 30 mins with 25W Adapter and 3A USB-C cable
  • Fast Wireless Charging 2.0
  • Wireless PowerShare
• Water Resistance: IPX8
• OS:
  • Android 13
  • One UI 5.1.1
• Network & Connectivity: 5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth® v5.3
• Sensors: Capacitive Fingerprint sensor (side), Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro sensor, Geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, Proximity sensor, Light sensor
• Security: Samsung Knox with Samsung Knox Vault
• SIM Card: Up to two Nano SIM and one eSIM
• Colours: Icy Blue, Phantom Black, Cream, [Samsung.com Exclusive] Gray, Blue

If you decide to pre-order the phone today, general availability starts August 11 so you should expect to receive it on or around that date. If you’re lucky, you could get it a few days early, though, Samsung hasn’t said this.

If you want to accessorize your phone further, the Galaxy Z Fold5 can be equipped with a Slim S Pen Case, Clear Gadget Case, Eco-Leather Case, and a Standing Case with Strap.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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Smartphones should be banned from schools to tackle classroom disruption, improve learning and help protect children from cyberbullying, a UN report has recommended.

Unesco, the UN’s education, science and culture agency, said there was evidence that excessive mobile phone use was linked to reduced educational performance and that high levels of screen time had a negative effect on children’s emotional stability.

It said its call for a smartphone ban sent a clear message that digital technology as a whole, including artificial intelligence, should always be subservient to a “human-centred vision” of education, and never supplant face-to-face interaction with teachers.

Unesco warned policymakers against an unthinking embrace of digital technology, arguing that its positive impact on learning outcomes and economic efficiency could be overstated, and new was not always better. “Not all change constitutes progress. Just because something can be done does not mean it should be done,” it concluded.

With more learning moving online, especially in universities, it urged policymakers not to neglect the “social dimension” of education where students receive face-to-face teaching. “Those urging increasing individualisation may be missing the point of what education is about,” it said.

“The digital revolution holds immeasurable potential but, just as warnings have been voiced for how it should be regulated in society, similar attention must be paid to the way it is used in education,” said Unesco’s director general, Audrey Azoulay.

She added: “Its use must be for enhanced learning experiences and for the wellbeing of students and teachers, not to their detriment. Keep the needs of the learner first and support teachers. Online connections are no substitute for human interaction.”

Unesco said in the report that countries needed to ensure they had clear objectives and principles in place to ensure digital technology in education was beneficial and avoided harm, both to individual students’ health, and more widely to democracy and human rights, for instance through invasion of privacy and stoking of online hatred.

Excessive or inappropriate student use of technology in the classroom and at home, whether smartphones, tablets or laptops, could be distracting, disruptive and result in a detrimental impact on learning, it said. It cited large-scale international assessment data that indicated a “negative link” between excessive use of digital technology and student performance.

Although technology could potentially open up opportunities for learning for millions, the benefits were unequally spread, with many poorer people from around the world effectively excluded, it said. A digital educational infrastructure was expensive, and its environmental costs often underestimated.

There was little robust research to demonstrate digital technology inherently added value to education, Unesco said in its 2023 Global Education Monitor report. Much of the evidence was funded by private education companies trying to sell digital learning products. Their growing influence on education policy around the world was “a cause for concern”, it added.

Countries were “waking up to the importance of putting learners first” when it came to digital technology, said Unesco. It cited China, which it said has set boundaries for the use of digital devices as teaching tools, limiting them to 30% of all teaching time, with students expected to take regular screen breaks.

It accepted that online learning “stopped education melting down” when schools and universities closed during Covid-19 lockdowns. It estimated that more than a billion students globally moved to online learning during the pandemic – but added that millions of poorer students without internet access were left out.

Based on its analysis of 200 education systems around the world, Unesco estimated one in four countries had banned smartphones in school, either through law or guidance. These included France, which introduced its policy in 2018, and the Netherlands, which will bring in restrictions from 2024.

Announcing the ban this month, the Dutch education minister, Robbert Dijkgraaf, said: “Students need to be able to concentrate and need to be given the opportunity to study well. Mobile phones are a disturbance, scientific research shows. We need to protect students against this.”

In the UK, the former education secretary Gavin Williamson called for a mobile phone ban in schools in 2021 as part of a crackdown on poor student discipline but this was dismissed as a “distraction” by education unions who said schools had had smartphone use policies in place for years.

UK secondary schools’ smartphone policies vary as they are a decision for individual headteachers. They typically ensure phones are switched off and not visible while on the school site, and can be used in the classroom only with the permission of the teacher. Misuse of phones or other digital devices on school premises can lead to confiscation and sanctions such as detention.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “The majority of schools will already have robust policies about mobile phones in place. In most cases pupils will either be prohibited entirely from using them during the school day or restricted to only using them in certain circumstances.

“Banning mobile phones entirely from school premises would raise some practical concerns, for example for parents wanting to contact their children while travelling between school and home. Some pupils will also use phones as payment methods on public transport.”

He added: “We completely understand the legitimate concerns around the use of mobile phones, including cyberbullying, the impact of extended screen time on mental health, and the lack of regulation of big technology companies. The fact is though that the widespread use of smartphones is a societal issue and problems that result from this are more likely to arise outside of the school gates.”

The Department for Education was approached for comment.

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Since the phone launched, Microsoft has released a number of firmware updates, including one in May 2023 that reportedly caused lots of issues for owners of the Surface Duo 2. The last Android OS update for the phone was back in October 2022, when it got upgraded to Android 12L.

Today, it looks like the final nail in the poorly received Surface Duo 2's coffin has been hammered. Windows Central reports, via unnamed sources, that the phone has been discontinued by Microsoft. That means that the company is no longer making new units of the phone, although there might be some remaining phones in stock at certain retailers.

While the phone is currently scheduled to receive Android security updates until at least October 2024, it's looking very unlikely it will get any more Android OS updates beyond 12L. Windows Central was unable to get any comments from Microsoft on plans to update the phone with the current Android 13 version or the upcoming Android 14.

That means the phone will likely only get that one OS update from nearly a year ago. Since the companies behind a lot of recent high-end Android phones have promised at least three or more major OS updates, this is pretty disappointing news. Owners do have the option of getting an unofficial Android 13 update, which was developed by a former Microsoft team member.

Today's story adds, via unnamed sources, that a "majority" of the software team for the Surface Duo 2 has been transferred to working on the Android version of Teams Rooms.

Earlier this year, online reports claimed that Microsoft had abandoned plans to make the Surface Duo 3, and had instead decided to work on a true foldable phone. There's been no word on the status of that project since then. There have also been unconfirmed reports Microsoft could be working on some standard non-foldable Android phones.

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Folding phones have been on the scene for nearly half a decade. The early models were fragile and wildly expensive, with frames that shattered easily, hinges that creaked, and screens that peeled away from the chassis. Foldables have matured considerably since then, but their reputation as novelty gadgets persists. 

“I think everyone who carries or is interested in foldables is fairly keenly aware that we’re all a bunch of weirdos advocating for something that most normal people would look at as frivolous,” says Michael Fisher, who reviews foldables and other mobile devices as MrMobile on YouTube.

Folding handsets have captured less than 2 percent of the smartphone market, but companies are churning out new models to serve this small but devoted following. New marquee folding devices are launched every year, each iteration with added features, reduced prices, and beefier builds. (Foldables are no longer as fragile, though they’re still pretty expensive—Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4, two of the best-selling models, cost $1,700 and $999 respectively). In under five years, foldables have gone from weirdo hobbyist gizmos to stable, predictable devices. Soon, they might even become as boring as regular smartphones.

Shape Shifters

While the sizes and designs vary wildly, foldables have distilled into two main types. There’s the larger, pricier book-style foldable that unfurls from a vertical hinge to expose a tablet-sized screen, and the clamshell flip phone with a horizontal hinge that snaps closed into a wallet-sized square puck.

Since both designs have their own devoted audience, companies are incentivized to produce the two different types of foldables. Samsung has paved the way here with its Galaxy Fold (book) and Galaxy Flip (clamshell) phones. The company is expected to announce the fifth generation of each device on Wednesday at its Galaxy Unpacked event in Seoul, South Korea. Chances are, Samsung will keep doing the same thing for years to come. Other companies have picked one format over the other, like Motorola with the clamshell Razr handhelds or Google with its book-style Pixel Fold.

Foldables are not on the cusp of swallowing the smartphone scene. Manufacturers shipped only 14.2 million of them last year, but forecasters like IDC project that will balloon to 48 million in three years, a number that represents 3.5 percent of the market. That’s still a small piece of the action, but in the gargantuan smartphone economy it translates to around $42 billion in sales for foldables.

The companies that make the book-style phones are positioning them as vessels of both productivity and content consumption. The bigger screen allows users to see more spreadsheet cells or Slacks at once, or to comfortably watch a movie. Earlier this year, Google optimized dozens of its native apps (most of which run on all Android devices) to support foldables’ larger screens, like the one on its bendy Pixel Fold. These enhancements allow foldable-phone users to bank two apps side by side—so they can answer questions about their availability on one half of the screen while glancing at their calendar on the other—or view apps like Gmail or Maps with multiple content panes, just as they appear in a desktop browser.

“If you shell out that huge amount of money for the big ones, the amount of mobile productivity that you get in exchange is very sticky,” Fisher says. “It’s kind of impossible to go back to a normal phone after that.”

Clamshell phones are usually cheaper than the book-style devices. That’s likely to make them appeal to budget conscious and fold-curious buyers, or maybe just anyone who likes that tactile feeling of snapping a handset closed to end a call. A screen that folds up also offers some added protection.

“This feels like a phone your clumsy dad buys because he’s always breaking the screen by dropping it face down,” Fisher says.

But while both types of foldable possess powers regular phones do not, there is still a disconnect between the two. Anshel Sag is a mobile device analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. He regularly uses both types of folding phones, and he says that while there’s some overlap in the Venn diagram of book- and clamshell-style foldies, most people are going to choose one or the other.

“There’s this interesting dichotomy where you have one group of people who love the flip and hate the fold and then the other people who love the fold and hate the flip,” Sag says.

Like our ubiquitous slab phones, foldables are indeed settling into a predictable groove. But the differences in those two main form factors (and how you optimize apps for each one) are what continue to lend foldables their quirky character. Of course, there will be hinge design issues, visible creases in the middle of the screen, repairability concerns, and software shortfalls.

“There are still so many problems to solve in foldables,” Fisher says. “I think there are a number of years left before they get truly iteratively boring in the way that slab phones are.”

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Google said that less than 1% of active Android devices still run on KitKat. As such, continuing to support the aging platform in Play Services requires increased developer time without significant user benefit.

Play Services allow Google to provide new features and regular updates to its apps and services on Android devices independently of OS updates. By dropping support for KitKat, future Play services releases after version 23.30.99 in August will no longer work on devices still running Android 4.4.

In a new blog post, Google stated:

The Android KitKat (KK) platform was first released ~10 years ago, and since then, we've introduced many innovative improvements and features for Android, which are unavailable on KK.

As of July 2023, the active device count on KK is below 1% as more and more users update to the latest Android versions. Therefore, we are no longer supporting KK in future releases of Google Play Services. KK devices will receive versions of the Play Services APK at 23.30.99.

The last time Google ended support for an old Android version was in 2021 with Jelly Bean, which launched in 2012. Like KitKat, Jelly Bean had dropped below 1% of active devices before support was discontinued.

KitKat was a major release for Android, introducing key features like immersive full-screen mode, cloud printing integration, and a "Google Now" page on the home screen. However, after nearly 10 years, Google prioritizes supporting more modern Android platforms that allow for more advanced features and security updates.

Users still on KitKat-based devices may consider upgrading to a newer Android phone or custom ROM to ensure continued access to the latest Google apps and services. Apps may also drop support for KitKat over time as Google Play Services no longer support the aging platform.

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I was in the room on Oct 2nd, 2019, in New York, when Microsoft's Chief Product Officer Panos Panay, like a magician pulling matter from an immaterial plane, revealed what many Microsoft enthusiasts and Window Phone fanshad long dreamt would manifest from the combined narrative of our hopes, rumors, informed analysis and leaks. Microsoft's latest pocketable mobile device, the Surface Duo 2, was introduced to a room full of Microsoft fans and tech media. Indeed, Microsoft made the Surface Duo (and its much-improved successor) a fantastic product but also made some stupid moves when bringing what was to be a category-defining device to market.

The impossibly thin, alluringly sleek, beautiful piece of dual-screen, glass-covered tech with a 360-degree hinge was finally here. The Duo was the successor, or evolution – of Microsofts previous mobile devices – Windows Phones. Many fans had fallen in love with Windows Phones because of their user-focused platform, Live Tile UI, and Microsoft's productivity-focused positioning versus the grid-of-apps focus of the competition. Despite the passion of this minuscule minority of smartphone users, however, Microsoft's missteps, poor timing, and shameful commitment, along with external market forces, led to Windows Phone's death.

Yet, despite the demise of Redmond's smartphone efforts, fans hoped that Microsoft's mobile strategy would ultimately yield the productivity-focused, category-defining mobile device the company was rumored to be working on. We were also optimistic Microsoft would strive to encourage OEM partners to follow.

Category-defining vision, historic category-defining success

We did not pin our hopes on the ether either. In 2016, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella described Microsoft's then-developing Duo as the "ultimate mobile device." He inspired us further by claiming the device would be positioned "beyond the curve" of the smartphone space. It would do more via hardware flexibility, software adaptability, cloud computing, and integration with Microsoft 365 than the slate-shaped iPhones and Android phones that saturated the even then plateauing smartphone market.  

Pragmatic evidence that proved Microsoft, if committed, could pull it off also inspired us. The company had succeeded (after two failed attempts and negative press) in establishing an industry-wide 2-in-1 PC category with Surface Pro (that integrates productivity, software and hardware flexibility, touch, inking, and leisure), which competitors like Apple who once mocked it, now embrace. 

So, despite the disheartening record of abandoned products left in Microsoft's wake, the Surface Duo inspired hope that Redmond was all in with its dual-screen productivity-focused mobile device vision. But, with its reported abandonment of two displays for version three in favor of a single folding display, a 180- versus 360-degree hinge, and its waning support of Surface Duo, Microsoft has proven its reliability in disappointing supporters. 

Staking new mobile ground beyond smartphones…or not

Android as the OS of choice rather than a pared-down version of Windows was the first disappointment the Duo delivered to hardcore Windows Phone fans. Still, it was here, there was a partnership with Google to make Android at home, efficient and flexible on this dual-screen device, and Microsoft's dreaded mobile app gap was finally bridged.  

OS choice aside, the fundamental design and use cases for the inordinately thin pocketable productivity-focused dual-screen Surface that could take different postures, supports inking, run Microsoft's and all Android apps, and makes phone calls was a unique play by Microsoft in the mobile space that overlapped but more importantly extended beyond the smartphone space. 

This point of overlapping but extending into the mobile space beyond the smartphone space was important for consumers, tech reviewers, and OEM partners to understand. Still, Microsoft did a horrible job communicating it. The company's initial messaging differentiating the Duo from smartphones was evident. However, against stubborn market headwinds that made it difficult for many to conceptualize a productivity-focused pocketable device that could make calls being anything but a phone, Microsoft acquiesced, and the messaging collapsed. 

You say phone, Surface Duo creator says “Surface” 

In addition to these statements, as of July 15th, 2023, the Surface Duo 2 is listed on the Microsoft website under

the "Dual Screen" submenu of the "Computers" category. In essence, Microsoft categorizes the Duo as a

dual-screen computer. Interesting, huh? (Image credit: Jason Ward - Windows Central)

Notably, when Surface Creator Panos Panay introduced the category-defining Surface Duo, he did not call it a phone. Indeed, as I observed the presentation with a clear view of the teleprompter from my seat, the carefully scripted presentation never included the word phone. The absence of the word phone from the script precludes any chance that Panay's omission of the word was an unintentional oversight. He even seemed to anticipate how the device would be perceived and raised this preemptive defense: "I want to be super clear about this, you're going to talk about this as a phone and I get that. And you're going to talk about it as a communication device and it does both of those things incredibly well, for sure. For sure, you can text, you can write, you can do what you want. But make no mistake this product is a Surface." 

This echoes, Nadella's own words, "I didn't come at [the Duo] from 'Let's recommit to phones' or go back in time and enter the same market that we quote-unquote 'exited,'" says Nadella. "We're looking at what's next."

Surface Duo’s dubious position

There has been and still may be a debate about what the Surface Duo is and isn't. This debate manifests Microsoft's core problem with Duo's positioning and marketing. Some swear it is a phone; some assert it is not. Some think of it as something somewhere in between, labeling it nebulously "more than a phone." If Microsoft had done its job correctly, this debate likely wouldn't exist to any meaningful degree. Microsoft made the Duo, and it is responsible for definitively defining to the masses what it is, what it does, what the company believes it will do for a user, or what users should do with it. 

Sadly, I've since seen Microsoft employees refer to the Duo as a smartphone despite Panay's and Nadella's initial "beyond the curve" not-a-phone allusions and how it's currently and conflictingly still categorized as a dual-screen computer on the company's website. Talk about confusing. 

Furthermore, in a 2021 Unbox Therapy interview, even Panay acknowledges how he gets into trouble because he has answered this question differently at different times. In fact, in response to the hosts' inquiry about what the Duo is, Panay begins his response: "I look at it as a Surface. And that's my mind; that's not even a trick. That's not a marketing tool." He continues, "This is Surface; it's a product that's going to adapt to what you need to do - period." Within the context of explaining the Duo's adaptability, to become what a user needs and its ability to replace one's phone, Panay continues: "This is my phone now, I don't have a problem saying [that]. That's where I kind of get in trouble; like you just said it wasn't a phone. I promise you, for many, it will be their phone; for others, it'll be a replacement for their tablet."

I note that even in this discourse, Panay does not assert the company's categorizing of the Duo as a phone or even a tablet. He stresses its adaptability to become whatever the user needs it to be. The fact that he calls it first a Surface, followed by a description of its context-conforming capabilities, concluding with stating that for some it would be a phone and others a tablet, while never definitively (for many) answering what the Duo is, predictably leaves some filling in the blanks for themselves. 

To be fair, it is challenging to name a new category for a category-defining "ultimate mobile device" that tries to do it all. But the daring use of a new word, or an old word unapologetically and consistently used in a new way (Surface perhaps), was needed for Microsoft to define and stake a claim in the new mobile category it hoped to pioneer with the Duo.  That’s what Apple would have done.

Ambition begone let’s make a smartphone

Microsoft's inconsistencies confused the market, which likely helped deliver a potentially fatal blow to its hopes of establishing a new category of dual-screen productivity-focused mobile devices. In fact, with Surface Duo 3, Microsoft is reportedly abandoning the dual screen, 360-degree hinge form factor, which allows for multiple postures, which were core to Microsoft's productivity vision for the Duo. 

Microsoft will instead pursue a single folding display with a less versatile 180-degree hinge. It seems Redmond is ceding ground from the "beyond the curve" portion of the mobile space in which it hoped to set its stakes and is instead setting up camp firmly in the smartphone market Nadella asserted he was not recommitting to with the Duo. 

Frankly, with single-display folding devices Samsung and others dominate mindshare in the smartphone portion of the still infantile yet broader folding mobile device space. Sadly, rather than remaining committed to its ambitious dual-screen productivity mobile device vision with the third iteration of the Duo, Microsoft is following the smartphone market.

Surface Duo 3 and the unambitious path of least resistance

Microsoft was either too lazy or their ability to execute too incoherent to educate consumers, tech journalists, and OEM partners of the Duo's merits, positioning, and purpose. Perhaps explaining how two displays keep a user's mind "in the flow, per Panay, how apps interact across two screens, how multitasking is optimized using two displays, how the device has different postures using its 360-degree hinge, how digital journaling across the broad displays and more makes the Duo a category-defining productivity powerhouse.

I suppose it was easier to make it a smartphone the third time because everyone understands smartphones, even fancy, expensive cutting-edge folding display smartphones. There's little to explain –and unlike the Duo, there is no significant learning curve. They're smartphones that get bigger when you unfold them. Simple. 

Conversely, Panay explained the Duo like this, "To be clear, there's a learning curve—it's new." But he added, "I don't think you'll be able to trade it in once you get productive on this product. And that, I think, is how a category is established." 

Panay is right. My Surface Duo 2 is hard to put down, and going back to a single-screen device is almost unthinkable – though perhaps inevitable as Microsoft ends Duo support. I wish Microsoft had done its part to help the market through that learning curve before pivoting to a less ambitious, potentially less productive, and in my opinion, more mundane mobile vision.

What Microsoft should do

Lenovo's Yoga Book 9i is a stunning example of a dual-screen Windows device. (Image credit: Future)

The Surface Duo entered the market plagued with frustratingly buggy software. Microsoft's release of a costly device with such imperfect software made many users, reviewers, and perhaps OEM partners question Microsoft's seriousness about the category. Still, the Surface PC line had a tough beginning, but Microsoft was committed and educated the market on the merits of 2-in-1s. The company convinced OEM partners it was serious with its reference device positioning of the Surface Pro as it relentlessly pushed through two failures and substantial financial losses. Through commitment, industry education, and OEM support, a new category of 2-in-1s was born.

Microsoft should push through the initial failures of gen 1 and 2 of the Duo and aggressively stir consumer interest, educate the market, convince OEM partners the company is serious, and remain committed to the vision of the Duo with dual-screens, a 360-degree hinge and a productivity focus that encompasses but extends beyond the smartphone space. Will users immediately ditch their Android phones and iPhones? Nope. But Microsoft may succeed in educating the market that there is another way to "do mobile." 

Microsoft may convince OEMs it is serious, and, over time, these partners may use the Duo as a reference device for their takes on the new category and provide diversity and options across price points. I know Microsoft has no OS to license here. Still, it does have a play in leading a new category of mobile computing, with dynamic hardware, flexible Android, and evolving ways to integrate AI, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Launcher in creative and powerful ways on a dual display productivity-focused Android device that makes calls.

Interestingly Lenovo's Yoga Book 9i dual-screen PC (a better Surface Neo), though a laptop, demonstrates some of the benefits and flexibility of dual-screen computing. The device has aroused a lot of interest and much excitement. Given the positive response to this dual-screen laptop, Microsoft may be exiting the dual-screen model too soon with the Surface Duo.

I'm a Rocky fan. And one of the most inspiring lines in that movie that encourages pressing forward despite how beat up one may be is, "One more round." Microsoft, keep the Surface Duo's dual-screen approach in the fight for one more round. 

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Among various add-ons, the new Threads update for iOS (v292.0) brings the following features to the users:

• In-app language translation
• Follows tab on the Activity feed
• Subscribe to unfollowed users
• Improvements to Activity feed scrolling and loading
• Tappable reposter labels
• Open the Instagram followers list
• A few small crash fixes
• More binary size cuts

It might take a while for these features to land on your device as some of them are server-side rollouts, Cameron noted. He added that you may need to restart the app to see some of the new features.

Early birds who flocked to the Meta-owned Twitter alternative realized that the app lacks some essential features. Language translation was among the much-requested Threads features that Instagram head Adam Mosseri assured is "on the list' for a future rollout.

Now live, the feature will use the same AI-powered translation as Instagram, Cameron said. Moreover, the new Follows tab in the Activity feed doesn't show content from people you follow but a list of users who started following you recently.

In a recent post, Mosseri also talked about setting rate limits to fight spam content on the budding platform "which is going to mean more unintentionally limiting active people (false positives)."

This comes weeks after Musk announced rate limits for Twitter on grounds of "system manipulation" and "data scrapping." And it was not long before Mosseri's announcement got a reaction from the Twitter owner.

According to the analytics firm Data.ai, Threads beat Pokémon GO as the biggest app launch after it received 150 million downloads within a week of its launch. On the other hand, it took 33 days for Niantic's AR-based game to reach the same milestone when it was released in 2016.

Threads was able to bring tens of millions of users onboard in just a few days of its launch. An edge here is the app can enroll Instagram users without needing a separate account, although, deleting a Threads profile has its own downsides. The app also allows users to pre-follow Instagram accounts so they will be on the followers list when those accounts join Threads.

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While these are anecdotal reports, they are good signs that show Apple has been improving the quality of the app. According to analyst firm, Canalys, the majority of iPhone users in the U.S. downloaded Google Maps on their devices to use it instead of Apple Maps.

Both Apple and Google's apps are available for cars. But the main difference between the two is that the Mountain View company's navigation app has billions of users worldwide, its popularity is one of the reasons for its accurate data as well. Apple debuted its Maps app in 2012, and it was met with a lot of criticism from users which, as Macrumors notes, actually led to Apple CEO Tim Cook issuing a public apology regarding the abysmal experience.

It is difficult to change people's opinions once they have been set. Then there is also the fact that Apple Maps are exclusive to the company's products, iPhones, iPads and Macs. That might explain why Apple's app is not as popular as the numbers that Google's app might boast. You could of course access Apple Maps via a web browser on your Android phone, but let's be honest, who would do that if you have the Google Maps app with turn-by-turn voice guided navigation, not to mention offline maps and other features? Is it really surprising that iPhone users prefer using it over Apple Maps?

Apple Maps is growing in popularity over Google Maps

As it turns out, Apple Maps does have some distinct features that are important to users. One such improvement that has been well received by users, is how the app handles transit routes. They are now reportedly better than Google's design, which has a somewhat cluttered UI.

One former Google Maps power user mentions that her iPhone prompted her to use Apple Maps at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. It had all the information she needed, including recommendations for shops and restaurants at the terminal. This convinced her to jump ship from Google Maps to Apple Maps. The report by the WSJ (paywalled) notes that users found streets are easier to look at in Apple Maps while zoomed in, unlike Google Maps which had too many pins on the map (points of interest) that made it difficult to use.

The Apple Maps app has a pleasant design, a good widget, and is integrated into iOS, which allows other apps to use it for displaying directions. If you have an Apple Watch, you might appreciate the Apple Maps integration, it is great for walking, running, etc.

Apple improved its Maps app with its Look Around feature (similar to Google Street View), and added more landmarks, popular spots, etc., to keep up with Google Maps. The California-based company has been creative and added content discovery features in its Maps, to help users find concerts near you. It also integrates with the Apple Music app to aid in the discovery experience. The Apple Maps app in iOS 17 will allow users to download offline maps.

Of course, some improvements that have been added to Apple Maps has been US-centric. For those of us in other Countries who may be missing out on a few of those, it is still quite good. However, its route planning leaves much to be desired.

From my personal experience, I found Apple Maps to be a bit erratic when compared to Google Maps. I have used both apps while walking and driving. Apple Maps normally chooses to display routes that are on main streets that have a lot of traffic, or are longer in distance. Google, on the other hand showed me alternate routes, that were more tailored to my preferences. They were more or less the ones that I would have preferred if I had to select them manually. Apple Maps may probably offer a better experience if you're in the U.S.

While it is good to see Apple Maps gain some traction, Google Maps is still streets ahead of the competition. It has set a high bar for accuracy in location services, but that is no excuse for Apple Maps to lag behind. A trillion-dollar company such as Apple surely has the resources it needs to improve its services, add more features, and improve the accuracy

Which one do you like?

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With iOS 17, your iPhone will learn a useful new trick: StandBy mode.

It’s simple — StandBy turns your iPhone screen into a little smart display while it’s charging. We’ve only been using it for a little while, but it’s already a staff favorite. It’s especially handy with the iPhone 14 Pro models since it remains visible at all times thanks to that always-on display, but you don’t need a top-of-the-line iPhone to make it work; it’s supported by all models eligible for the iOS 17 update.

 

Here’s how to get started using StandBy — we followed these steps on an iPhone 14 running the iOS 17 public beta.

Tap through an onboarding screen and you’re on your way to StandBy mode.

• Step one is easy: put your screen to sleep, rotate the phone to landscape, and set it down to charge. It doesn’t matter how — wired, wireless Qi, MagSafe — it all works. Just set your iPhone on a charging stand in landscape mode, or plug it in, turn it sideways, and prop it up.
• Tap Continue when you’re prompted to start using StandBy. There’s not really a setup process, per se — you just jump right into StandBy, where you’ll find three basic options to choose from: a widget view, photos, or a clock face. You can scroll through them by swiping to the left. 
• To customize the widget view, long-press either the clock or calendar and unlock your phone if prompted. From here, you can customize both sides of the display (they’re both actually just smart widget stacks). Tap the plus icon in the upper left of the screen to add a widget to the stack and remove widgets by tapping the minus icons as you would on your iPhone homescreen. By default, the phone will rotate through the widgets based on its best guess about what you want to see at a given time, but you can toggle that on and off.

• To customize the photo view, long-press the middle of the screen. Tap the plus icon in this view to select an album to show on the screen — otherwise, the phone will show the Featured Photos highlighted in the For You tab in the Photos app.

This clock and calendar view is actually two stacks of widgets that you can customize to your liking.

• The clock viewoffers five different styles, most of which you can customize. Swipe up and down to scroll between the different styles, and long-press the middle of the screen to access customization options. Tap the white circle in the lower right corner to change the colour palette for the corresponding clock style. 

Tapping the white circle brings up a colour picker where you can customize the background colour of this clock view.

You can also access some basic StandBy options in the settings menu.

• Go to Settings > StandBy. You can toggle StandBy off entirely here and turn off notifications with the mode enabled (they’re on by default). You can also disable Night Mode, which shifts the screen to a red tint in a dark room so it’s not glaringly bright.

 

There’s a new section in the main

settings menu for StandBy.

 

There are a few options to toggle on and o

ff here, including whether you’ll get

notifications in StandBy.

StandBy also includes one more neat feature you won’t find on any settings menu: when you use this mode with certified MagSafe chargers, the phone will remember your preferred view for each individual charger. So you can set up a widget view in the kitchen and a chill clock face for your nightstand — the choice is yours.

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What are web app shortcuts, how are they different from opening a website in your browser?

In a nutshell, web apps (and progressive web apps) act as shortcuts, just like how bookmarks work in a browser. You tap on them to open the site that they are linked to. Though they are functionally similar to visiting a website directly through the browser, web app shortcuts may be more useful for users who wish to visit a website frequently. They are also helpful for people who may not be tech-savvy, for example, if someone doesn't know how to enter a URL, you can help them by creating a web app shortcut. Web apps that you add to your iPhone or iPad's home screen also support notifications, so you will receive an alert every time the website publishes a new article.

Apple added support for web apps in macOS 14 Sonoma, so you can pin shortcuts to your favorite websites to the dock, and they will display a notification badge similar to how they work on iOS.

How to add a web app shortcut using Google Chrome for iOS

1. Open Google Chrome on your iPhone.
2. Visit the website that you want to a web app shortcut for.
3. Tap the share button in the address bar of the browser, it's in the top right corner.
4. Scroll down, and tap on the option that says "Add to home screen".
5. Next, the app will ask you to edit the name of the site, and the URL associated with it. It automatically fetches the favicon (logo) of the site.
6. Tap the add button at the top, to finish the process.

Note: The above steps can also be used with Chrome for iPadOS.

You will see a new shortcut on your home screen with the website's logo and name (from step 5), just tap on it to open the website in your default web browser.

Download Google Chrome for iOS and iPadOS from the App Store. The latest version of the browser is 115.0.5790.84.

As 9to5Mac notes (via Chris Messina), the ability to add web apps to your iPhone or iPad home screen has until now been exclusive to Apple Safari.  The add to home screen feature in Chrome is only supported on devices running on iOS 16.4 or iPadOS 16.4 and above. Those are the latest versions of the operating systems that support the new APIs which Apple introduced recently. So if you have an iPhone or iPad that runs on an older version of iOS or iPadOS, the feature will not be available.

Chrome for iOS now supports selective translation, i.e. select and long press on text, and then tap on Google Translate to view the content. The new version of the mobile browser adds support for Google Lens shortcut, which you can tap on your keyboard to access your iPhone's camera and perform a visual search.

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