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Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is the flagship SoC from Qualcomm that was introduced in 2022 and refreshed in 2023. When connected to 5G, the chip recorded a battery drain of 31% which was 10% less than its predecessor Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.

On the other hand, Gen 2 recorded a battery drain of 25% when running on 4G LTE which was a 7% drop when compared to Gen 1. It is interesting to note that Gen 2's 5G battery consumption is even lower than the 4G battery consumption of Gen 1.

Speaking of Google, its Tensor G2 chip recorded a battery drain of 38% on 5G and 28% on 4G LTE. Meanwhile, the first-generation Tensor chip took a slightly bigger toll with a battery drain of 40% (5G) and 38% (4G LTE) respectively. Tensor G2 powers various recently launched devices such as Pixel Fold, Pixel 7a, and Pixel Tablet.

Mediatek's Dimensity 9200 turned out to be the second-most efficient chip out of the lot with a drain of 34% when running on 5G. Overall, the results suggest that all the chip brands included in the battery drain test have made improvements to their chips.

For instance, Dimensity 9200 made an improvement of 11% over Dimentsity 9000 in 5G battery drain, which was the highest among all SoCs tested. With an 8% improvement, Dimensity 9200 also reduced its battery usage by the highest margin when running on 4G LTE.

"To measure battery drain, we identified all devices recording 100% battery level during morning hours (6am-12pm), and compared to their minimum battery level in the afternoon (12pm-6pm)," Ookla said in a blog post.

5G is the latest generation of cellular networks that is capable of delivering peak data rates of up to 20Gbps. However, with all that speed, comes reduced battery life as current 5G networks are designed to be data-only and they are not capable of handling phone calls and messages.

Because of that, smartphones simultaneously connect to 3G or LTE networks as well resulting in faster battery drain. The 5G technology is also known to cause interference with airplane equipment which might result in diversion and delays during low-visibility landings.

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Yoon's statement revealed that the OLED iPhone SE 4 launch has been pushed back by a year from the expected initial 2024 release to 2025. This development has left customers uncertain about the device's release schedule.

According to industry reports from The Elec, both Samsung and LG Display are vying for the opportunity to supply OLED panels for the iPhone SE 4. However, as Yoon suggested, there is still plenty of time until the device's launch, and the situation is subject to change.

The launch of the OLED iPhone SE 4 has also been delayed by one year from 2024 to 2025. There's a lot of time left until the launch of the iPhone SE4, so the situation remains to be seen.

Previously, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo speculated that the next iPhone SE would feature an Apple-designed 5G modem and a design similar to the standard iPhone 14. This implied that the device would feature a 6.1-inch OLED display, Face ID technology and flat bezels.

In a series of tweets, Kuo explained that Apple is likely to postpone or altogether cancel the mass production of the new iPhone SE.

The latest iPhone SE was unveiled in March 2022. It features a 4.7-inch LCD screen, Touch ID functionality, 5G capabilities, a 12-megapixel rear camera and the A15 Bionic chip. Starting at $429 in the US, the iPhone SE remains the most affordable model in the iPhone lineup.

If these reports is to be believed, Apple may end up shelving the product line altogether after all. The company hasn't confirmed the accuracy of rumors, but we'll likely find out more in the next few months.

Source: The Elec via BGR

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The images were originally posted by a person on Reddit, who later deleted those same phones. However, the cat was well out of the bag at that point as the images got reproduced all over the Internet, including Droid Life.

The new photos show once again the new sensor that's placed beneath the phone's rear photo flash. In a previous leak, it was shown to be some kind of temperature reader for a person's head. Another previous unconfirmed report indicated the main camera among the three rear cameras shown in the leaked image will be a 64MP Sony IMX787 sensor, along with a 50MP ultrawide sensor and a 48MP telephoto camera.

The front screen offers up even more info on what may be inside the Pixel 8 Pro. That includes 12GB of Samsung LPDDR5 RAM, along with 128GB of onboard UFS storage from SK Hynix. The bootloader also references something called "ripcurrent". That could be the code name for Google's third generation Tensor in-house mobile chip, which is expected to be in both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

Before his post was deleted, the Reddit user who uploaded the photos of the Pixel 8 Pro said he had received it "from the device team in Google for testing.” It's pretty clear that he decided to break an NDA. It's also likely that Google is going to try to go after this person for posting these photos.

We will likely hear more about the Pixel 8 series of phones in the coming weeks and months. Usually, the new flagship Pixel phones go on sale around October along with some other Google hardware devices.

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According to information made public in April by display analyst Ross Young, the Apple Watch Ultra with microLED display is more likely to debut in the second half of 2025 rather than the previously reported late 2024.

Due to issues with high manufacturing costs that must be resolved before Apple can move on with mass production, Trendforce now believes it has been delayed a second time and is unlikely to be released before the first quarter of 2026. It was first reported by The Elec and MacRumors.

Since 2014, Apple has been working on creating microLED technology. To join the industry and primarily to integrate vertically, the business purchased LuxVue. Apple is renowned for being among the most successful businesses when it comes to vertical integration, or, to put it another way, managing the manufacturing, distribution, and retailing of its goods or services.

For the time being, Apple manufactures its product screens in collaboration with companies like Samsung and LG, but things will be different. To lessen dependency on these collaborations, the corporation intends to promote more internal components. But it will continue to receive assistance from other businesses.

microLED Apple Watch Ultra

Benefits of microLED displays

MicroLED screens are far more energy-efficient than LED displays, which would significantly lengthen the battery life of the Apple Watch Ultra and any products that use the technology in the future. Unlike OLEDs, microLEDs offer a greater potential lifetime and a far lower chance of screen burn-in.

Due to the pixel-level individual lights, microLED displays also offer improved contrast and quicker reaction times, in addition to better and brighter colours. In a nutshell, it's a new technology that is better than miniLED and OLED.

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Picture-in-Picture mode allows users to shrink videos to a small window and continue watching them while doing other tasks on their devices. As shown in the screen recording spotted by Macrumors, it is possible to watch a Twitter video in a floating window on your iPhone.

But it seems Twitter is yet to finish the rollout process as the system-wide PiP support is not available to all users. However, Twitter already offers an in-app PiP mode that is available to all users and works inside the app.

Picture-in-Picture mode is available on various other apps such as YouTube, Netflix, and Apple TV. YouTube's PiP mode only works if you have its premium subscription. However, if you live in the US, you can use PiP mode with your free account, except for some content like music videos.

It remains to be seen whether Twitter's PiP mode will be available to all users or it will remain behind the Twitter Blue paywall that deprives free users of essential safety features like SMS-based two-factor authentication and encrypted DMs.

The social media company owned by Elon Musk has been putting more focus on video content lately. Its internal data suggests that vertical videos account for more than 10% of the time spent on Twitter. Recently, Elon Musk confirmed in a Twitter response that the company is working on a dedicated app to watch Twitter videos on smart TVs.

Last year, Twitter also joined the club of social media apps trying to mimic the fullscreen vertical video format popularized by TIkTok. The platform which once embraced the 140 characters limit now allows users to decorate their tweets with videos and GIFs.

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This is some old hardware.

Image: Narwhal for Reddit

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I remember being quite excited at the prospect of a "Surface Phone" many years ago and there were many rumors at the time. Instead, we were provided with the end of Windows Phone and with it, Microsoft leaving the mobile space. Fast forward a few years and talk of a Surface-branded mobile device resurfaced, ending up with the release of the Surface Duo. This was an Android-powered, dual-screen device with a heavy productivity focus. Once again, I found myself very excited.

The Surface Duo's hardware is gorgeous. Super thin compared to the other foldables on the market and rather unique in its overall design; this was definitely a Surface and Microsoft seemed very clear in its philosophy of what it wanted the Duo to be. But this was an Android device. An operating system that didn't have a lot of the functionality that Microsoft needed to make this work, so they had to come up with it themselves. This made it extremely buggy and for a device that was so expensive it didn't go down well in many circles. One thing users of Microsoft products often enjoy though is being part of that development process. being able to see that vision that they also share come to fruition. And support them they did, but did Microsoft care?

Surface Duo agnosticism 

It feels like we're going down an all too familiar path (Image credit: Future)

The small Surface Duo team slowly worked away on the software to get it to a state where it was just about fit for purpose. They even released the Surface Duo 2, taking the hardware to new heights whilst introducing a proper rear camera setup. The latter received a mixed reception from original Surface Duo users in many cases, but the hardware was definitely a huge improvement. The software issues, whilst not as serious, were still plentiful and much scorn was sent Microsoft's way in reviews and other coverage.

Even though all of this hardware was hugely impressive to me, and I really wanted to get one, I never did. There was just that doubt at the back of my mind telling me to remember Microsoft's track record with Windows Phone, as well as other things such as the Microsoft Band and even Mixer. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I followed the development and lifespan of Surface Duo aggressively, though. I lived vicariously through a number of friends who had the Duos up until the present time, where we quite possibly find ourselves in that all too familiar graveyard of products that met their end earlier than we'd hoped.

Huawei devices getting Bing AI functionality in SwiftKey whilst MIA on Surface Duo (Image credit: Windows Central)

I could be entirely wrong of course and there are still rumors of a Surface Duo 3 appearing next year with a fully foldable screen, not a dual screen as the line has touted thus far. But then why are the Surface Duo and Duo 2 not getting the features that they really should have by now? 

Surface Duo abandoned

SwiftKey has the new Bing AI features now basically everywhere except Microsoft's own hardware. (Image credit: Windows Central)

The support for the Surface Duo and its sibling has just been abysmal. Take SwiftKey for example, which is the default keyboard for the Surface Duo. Bing AI in SwiftKey is still completely missing. 

I've been using this on my various Android phones for some time now and assumed it would be on Surface Duo, but alas it is not. In what seems like straight-up disrespect towards the Duo, the Bing AI features are actually available for Huawei phones. Yes Huawei, who haven't been able to make phones running the Google Play Store for years. Old Huawei phones are being prioritised over Surface Duo, which frankly beggars belief. I'm not sure people would be as receptive to the Duo 3 when they're not feeling valued as a customer. 

And you may say well so what, Microsoft are clearly just prioritising OEMs based on the number of phones they have is use and clearly not that many people have a Surface Duo. But that's the problem right there; they did exactly the same thing during the Windows Phone days. I remember features for the range of Office apps being rolled out on Android and iOS first because Microsoft wanted to hit the largest number of users possible, especially since many of them were paying customers. But then so were Windows Phone users too. And that was just the tip of the iceberg.

We were treated like lower grade customers by the company we were buying hardware from, and this only increased in occurrence as time went on. This feels exactly like what is happening with the Surface Duo line. It doesn't seem quite as bad because of course for the most part it's getting app updates along with the rest of the Android ecosystem and still receiving Android security patches. It's the inherent mistreatment by Microsoft towards its own mobile hardware efforts that really stings, especially for those paying nearly $1500 at launch and who want to see the company succeed.

What the Xbox Game Pass app is supposed to look like when it works (Image credit: Windows Central)

Another app Surface Duo users like to use is the Xbox Game Pass app. This brought an excellent use of both screens for cloud gaming that you simply could not do on a foldable from another brand. There have however been times where the app just wouldn't work on Duo due to poor updates and right now seems to be another one of those times, as the Xbox Game Pass app isn't working on Duo once more. This ties into another story I just covered with the Microsoft Launcher being broken after the latest update for many users but being especially problematic for Surface Duo users who upon being hit with the error had to reset the launcher and customise it all again. I've had this happen on phones with one screen let alone two. It's not fun having to set up all of your preferences and home screen again. Things like this add to the frustration that users are not being taken seriously and I understand this frustration entirely. 

The mobile market needs a third player

(Image credit: Windows Central)

I like many others really want Microsoft to be a player in the mobile space. We NEED more players, especially in the US market. This was Microsoft's opportunity to build hardware without its hands tied behind its back, as a competitor in the Android ecosystem, rather than a steward of the Windows OEM ecosystem. In its recent court cases with the FTC over Xbox's plan to buy Activision-Blizzard, Microsoft even called out the duopoly between Apple and Google as a major barrier for developers of cloud gaming platforms. Microsoft has discussed building its own mobile gaming store, too. Will it have the same amount of support as the Surface Duo? 

We need more mobile players who are willing to try things that are totally out of the norm, leading to breakthrough tech. I was all in with Windows Phone, but I just couldn't bring myself to buy into Surface Duo and it seems like I made the right decision. With Microsoft's current actions causing so much ill will once again, everyone else may soon be tapped out too.

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What you need to know

• The latest update for the Microsoft Launcher is providing major problems for some users.
• Users are reporting having uninstall/reinstall to get it working.
• This seems to be more of an issue for Surface Duo users, timed unfortunately alongside a recent system update. 

Reports on Reddit and Twitter started coming in this morning from users of the Microsoft Launcher after their app was updated to the latest version. It's not clear right now as to how many are affected by this, but it does seem to be happening to a range of devices and not just the Surface Duo. 

Twitter user tkuenneth received the June update for his Surface Duo and this immediately caused Microsoft Launcher to stop working. 

This next image is from Reddit user yugabe, with the same issue as above but with the error code in English, which shows the option to reset the launcher once the error code pops up.

Something went wrong alright.  (Image credit: Reddit user /yugabe)

Of course, if you're on a Surface Duo with Microsoft launcher as your only launcher this could be more of an irritation, but for those on other phones with a different default launcher it should automatically switch to that so you will still be able to use your phone just fine.

It seems for those that have updated there's no real solution other than to reset the launcher to get it working again. However, some users are also reporting that resetting the launcher doesn't work either. Hopefully Microsoft can get an update pushed out quickly to fix these issues. Having to reset the launcher is bad enough but when you end up having to customize all of your settings again that certainly gets tiring quick.

We'll keep an eye out to see if this problem is more widespread than we believe it to be right now. Hopefully it's limited to a small number of users.

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The confirmation about the logo update was shared on Google's blog, The Keyword, which showed the revamped icon through screenshots. A retrospective review of The Keyword reveals that Google initially introduced variations of the 3D logo during CES 2023.

In addition to the 3D robot, Google has also changed the accompanying wordmark for Android. The future version will depart from the lowercase "a" and embrace a more sophisticated capitalized variation, featuring what appears to be a new font style.

The new font also incorporates perfectly rounded shapes for the letters "n" and "r," evoking the design aesthetics reminiscent of the refined 2014 wordmarks.

Notably, the new logo is expected to be prominently displayed on the boot screen of all Android devices, replacing the current "Powered by Android" branding. This move signifies Google's commitment to refreshing the visual identity of its mobile OS and aligning it with contemporary design trends.

Meanwhile, Google's latest Android version — Android 14 — is set to launch during the fall season this year. As the tradition goes, Android 14 is currently available in beta for owners of select smartphones to try out the upcoming features before a wider release.

If you are already registered as an Android beta tester, you can check for the update under Settings > System > System Update if it hasn't already popped up in the notifications. We recommend you wait a few months and avoid enrolling in Android 14 if you especially want to try out these new features.

Source: 9to5Google

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Leaked renders of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5.

Image: SnoopyTech

Leaked renders of the Galaxy Z Fold 5.

Image: SnoopyTech

Leaked renders of the Galaxy Z Fold 5.

Image: SnoopyTech

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According to a trusted Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station, Android smartphones with 24GB of RAM are coming. On the Chinese social media Weibo, the leaker has claimed that "Oga" has started working on popularizing that large memory. If you have never heard of them, Oga manufacturers consist of Realme, OnePlus, and Oppo.

The leaker has not given us details on which company of that group is working on 24GB of RAM for its phones. However, the Weibo post claims that 24GB RAM will be offered as the top configuration of the company's flagship line and 16GB will be the standard memory. Undoubtedly, it will create a lot of buzz, but the real question is how useful that will be in the real world.

A few years ago, the arrival of a 200MP camera on Android phones created a lot of buzz, but the sheer number of megapixels has not really changed the game for the industry. It will be interesting to see how companies sell the idea of a RAM as big as 24GB to the users.

While hardware requirement depends on how you want to use your phone, 8GB of RAM is considered sufficient for most people. And those who want future-proofing might wish to settle on 12GB or 16GB. Anything above that might look attractive on paper, but you will unlikely achieve something great that can solve a particular problem.

What do our readers think about a phone with 24GB of RAM? How many of you want to have one? Sound off in the comments section.

Source: Digital Chat Station

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Qualcomm's press release stated:

The first 4nm platform in the 4-series, Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 was designed to extend battery life and improve overall platform efficiency. The Qualcomm Kryo CPU offers peak speeds up to 2.2 GHz and up to 10% better CPU performance for speedy everyday use. Qualcomm® Quick Charge 4+ Technology can refill up to 50% of a battery in just 15 minutes, avoiding the hassle of limiting device interaction throughout the day.

Qualcomm says the new chipset will also improve images taken with budget smartphones, with features like electronic image stabilization and faster autofocus. The hardware also supports Multi Camera Temporal Filtering so videos can access noise reduction.

The Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 will also use AI features for improved images including a way to take better pictures while in low light conditions. The chipset's Snapdragon X61 5G Modem-RF System will be able to support more networks, frequencies, and bandwidths so it can be used on a wider variety of cellular networks. It will also include Qualcomm Wi-Fi 5 hardware for faster and better speeds on Wi-Fi networks.

The first smartphones with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset will begin to become available sometime in the second half of 2023. Smartphone makers Redmi and Vivo have already committed to launching new handsets with the new Snapdragon budget chipset.

Qualcomm announced its Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 chipset for mid-range priced smartphones back in March. We can expect to hear about the company's next-gen flagship chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, sometime later in 2023.

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With separate histories, extensions, cookies, tab groups, and favorites, Safari profiles offer a unique and personalized browsing experience. But first, you need to know how to create and enable a new profile in Safari.

Why do you need new Safari profiles?

Safari Profiles provide users with the ability to personalize their browsing experience by creating distinct profiles tailored to their specific needs.

Unlike tab groups, which share browsing data across sessions, Safari Profiles keep histories, cookies, extensions, and favorites separate, ensuring a more focused and specialized browsing environment.

For instance, a work profile can be created, encompassing logged-in services and websites relevant to professional tasks, along with specific extensions used exclusively for work-related activities.

Meanwhile, a separate home profile can be dedicated to personal browsing, complete with customized tab groups and logged-in services for personal use. This segregation helps maintain focus and easily switch between different browsing sessions.

The versatility of Safari profiles extends beyond work and personal use. Users can leverage this feature to create profiles tailored to various topics, workflows, locations, or specific interests.

By doing so, they can streamline their browsing experience and have quick access to relevant information based on the profile they are using.

How to create new Safari profiles on iOS 17

To make the most of Safari profiles on iOS 17, follow these simple steps:

1. Open the Settings app and navigate to Safari
2. Scroll down and tap on "New Profile" under PROFILES
3. Enter a desired name for the new profile in the "NAME AND ICON" section
4. Choose an icon to represent the profile
5. Select a colour that corresponds to the profile
6. Set up favorites for the profile by assigning a folder or creating a new one
7. Define where new tabs should open when using this profile
8. Tap "Done" to complete the creation of the new profile

Now that you have created your new Safari profile, let's go over how you can switch to another profile.

1. Open Safari and tap on the tabs icon in the bottom right corner
2. Tap the Menu icon at the bottom of the screen
3. Select "Profile" and choose the desired profile to use

The selected profile will be indicated by a coloured background on the new tab page, matching the assigned colour.

Now you can freely browse, add extensions, create tab groups, and mark tabs as favorites within the current profile, as these settings remain unique to each profile.

With Safari profiles, iOS 17 users can unlock a highly personalized browsing experience that adapts to their workflows and interests. Take advantage of this feature to enhance productivity and make the most of Safari's capabilities.

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Reports from Redditors who pre-ordered the Pixel Fold through the Google Store have emerged, highlighting instances where their orders were canceled or put on hold just before shipment. The primary reason for these cancellations seems to be related to payment verification difficulties, where the bank or credit card associated with the order cannot be verified by Google.

One affected customer shared their disappointment on Reddit, stating that their May 10 order was canceled due to "payment verification problems." They expressed relief that an unauthorized $2,000 charge did not go through but expressed frustration at waiting an additional month for their Pixel Fold.

You canceled my order 2 days before delivery of two pixel folds worth £3500 and waited 2 months on pre order, this is such terrible customer service!

I contacted support but it didn't seem like they were able to help much. I had them escalate it to their supervisor but I have seen some people say on Twitter that support told them it was a bug.

Upon investigating the matter, Google's support team has reportedly acknowledged that the issue stems from a bug. For customers whose purchases were put on hold, Google has sent emails notifying them of the issue and providing an option to update their payment method.

However, affected users have expressed concern over not receiving email notifications about the cancellations. Instead, they only discovered the status change by checking their order information.

Also, those pre-orders will need to re-purchase the Pixel Fold, as Google will not honor the initial pre-orders. As a result, customers now face an extended waiting period, with the current estimated delivery date being late August.

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Both iPhone and Pixel are voiced by their respective AI assistants in the commercials. The overall theme revolves around the narrative that the 14-year-old iPhone used to offer a top-of-the-line experience but now it craves the modern features of its friend Pixel.

Meanwhile, the Google-made smartphone tries to comfort iPhone by saying that it's "legendary" and it has still got blue bubbles. Pixel has been portrayed as a helpful friend that tries to have the iPhone's back all the time.

In the series of five commercials, the duo talks about various Pixel features like astrophotography, 30x zoom, and reverse wireless charging. "I'm actually jealous of your, your, AI," iPhone confesses to Pixel in one ad.

Google seems to take a dig at Apple in one commercial where the Pixel says that it comes with a built-in VPN. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I'm freaking out! Quick, get off the public WiFi. There are...hackers, in this place," iPhone cautions while the two are hanging out at a cafe.

In another commercial, iPhone and Pixel are chilling at a beach. Pixel suggests they should record some videos but realizes that iPhone already ran out of battery. "Don't you die on me!" Pixel says as it tries to revive the iPhone with its reverse wireless charging functionality.

Finally, the iPhone recalls various Pixel features in a wind-up commercial and wonders "if there's something bigger out there? Something, just totally new?" The iPhone faints almost instantly when Pixel shows off its foldable version.

Now, before you feel bad for iPhone, Apple has had its share of fun in the past. More than a decade ago the company launched the "Get a Mac" ad campaign targeting Microsoft. Not to mention, the giant billboard installed by Apple saying, "What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone," in Las Vegas during CES 2019, although the company wasn't present in an official capacity.

Get a Mac was a series of commercials featuring a man in casual attire (played by Justin Long) identifying himself as an Apple Macintosh computer and another man in formal clothes (played by John Hodgman) who identified himself as a Windows PC.

The campaign that ran between 2006 and 2009 featured numerous ads comparing features between the two platforms. In addition to the US, these ads were also aired globally in various other countries, including UK and Japan where Apple recast popular actors.

Later in 2008, Microsoft responded with its own campaign titled "I'm a PC" which only featured representations of a Windows PC. It remains to be seen what Apple has in store for Google this time, if at all.

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The OnePlus V Fold is in the style of a Samsung Foldable.

OnLeaks x Smartprix

 

OnePlus is gearing up to release a foldable smartphone, and the reliable leaker, Steve Hemmerstoffer (aka OnLeaks), has given us our first look at the "OnePlus V Fold" at Smartprix. As always, this isn't an official image but a render produced by OnLeaks. Usually, these are based on CAD files that need to float around for accessory makers.

 

OnePlus is a subsidiary of BBK, and the previous vague expectation was that OnePlus would end up shipping a rebrand of an existing BBK foldable, like the Oppo Find N2. OnLeaks' render looks nothing like the nearly square Find N2, though. This device is more in line with the Samsung Galaxy Fold, a foldable in the mold of "two normal smartphone screens next to each other." Smartprix didn't publish exact dimensions, but it looks like a very slim device.

 

The rear camera bump is a big circle, just like other recent OnePlus phones. It has three cameras on the back, one of which is an optical-zoom periscope lens. The phone makes the curious decision to not put the LED flash in the camera bump, instead sticking it all the way in the upper-left corner of the phone. Isn't the purpose of a camera bump to make room for all that extra bulky camera hardware? I wonder if anything else is in that camera bump.

 

OnePlus has chosen a center hole-punch camera in the front display and a top-left hole-punch camera on the inner display, ruling out any funky under-display camera technology. There's a side fingerprint reader and what looks like speakers on the top and bottom edges.

 

This render shows a faux leather finish, but the Smartprix report says that "OnePlus may also introduce variants of the device that employ more traditional and premium materials such as metal or glass." As usual, one of the best parts of a OnePlus phone will be the charging situation, with the report promising a 4800 mAh battery with 100 W SuperVOOC charging.

 

The phone should launch sometime in Q3.

 

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Micron UFS 4.0 storage delivers the industry’s fastest performance1 for flagship smartphones with fast bootup, speedy video downloads, instant access to users’ photo galleries and rapid app launches.

Micron UFS 4.0 flash storage is custom-built on advanced 232-layer 3D NAND technology, low-power controller, available in capacities up to 1TB. Our best-in-class UFS 4.0 storage enables exceptional end user experiences in flagship smartphones.

Micron's UFS 4.0 chips use triple-level cells (TLC) with 100% write and 75% increased read bandwidth, resulting in up to 4,000MB/s sequential write and 4,300MB/s sequential read speeds. Micron boasts its new six-plane NAND architecture (memory cell arrays stacked in more layers) that boosts random read throughput, a critical spec for increasing the overall responsiveness and faster loading times. This architecture will be available on devices using 512GB and 1TB UFS 4.0 chips, as the 256GB configuration uses quad-plane NAND.

However, it is not all about speed. The new memory promises a 25% increase in energy efficiency, ensuring your smartphone is not draining its battery faster due to performance uplifts. Customers can expect 15% faster app launches, 20% faster bootup speeds, and 25% better power efficiency when compared with UFS 3.1 storage solutions. Also, Micron's UFS 4.0 storage delivers 10% better write latency when compared with what other manufacturers offer (likely Samsung's UFS 4.0 chips announced in 2022).

Micron promises to start mass-producing its new UFS 4.0 storage chips in the second half of 2023, giving smartphone makers three storage configurations: 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. In addition to flagship phones, Micron's new storage will make it to cars, computing systems, and other devices that require low-power memory with high performance and consistent reliability. You can learn more about the new UFS 4.0 storage from Micron on the manufacturer's official website.

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However, one important thing to note is that Vision Pro is also a part of the Apple ecosystem. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in his latest report the iPhone-maker will "aggressively upgrade hardware specifications" to create a more "competitive" ecosystem around Vision Pro.

Kuo said that iPhone 15 is likely to have an upgraded Ultra Wide Band (UWB) chip onboard. Apple will bump the manufacturing process from 16nm to more advanced 7nm to achieve improved performance or power consumption for nearby interactions.

"The ecosystem is one of the key success factors for Vision Pro, including the integration with other Apple hardware products, and related main hardware specifications are Wi-Fi and UWB," Kuo said. The analyst added in another tweet that JCET is the backend SiP supplier. Based out of China, JCET is an integrated circuit manufacturer with two R&D centers in China and Korea, and six manufacturing locations in China, Korea, and Singapore.

Kuo suggested that such an upgrade could improve the profit margin of the back-end process by more than 10-20%. Furthermore, there are chances that the iPhone 16 which is expected to release in the second half of 2024 will feature WiFi 7. According to the analyst, the upgrade will provide a better ecosystem experience for the Apple hardware running on the same network.

Apple's tight-knit ecosystem is among the major reasons many users stick to the brand for a longer period. The company is offering developers the tools and frameworks to port their existing apps to visionOS, the operating system that powers Vision Pro.

The headset will have an all-new App Store where users can find "hundreds of thousands of familiar iPhone and iPad apps that run great and automatically work with the new input system for Vision Pro," Apple said at the time of its announcement. It was reported last month that there might be a version of Final Cut Pro for Apple's AR/VR headset as well.

Apple introduced the headset in its full glory and allowed some reviewers and the press to try it out. But the company didn't allow anyone to shoot videos while wearing the headset. It appears that's something it reserved for the controlled demos and commercials. Because even senior Apple executives, including Tim Cook, didn't wear the headset during the keynote event. Nonetheless, all users can do for now is wait for the official launch of the headset and guess what are its probable use cases.

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In the latest Bing blog post, Microsoft announced that a new Bing Chat widget is now available for iOS device owners. They can now launch the chat directly from their Apple iPhone or iPad home screen. You can find out how to add the Bing Chat widget, or any iOS widget, at Apple's support page.

Microsoft has also added a ton of new languages for Bing Chat's text-to-speech feature on the desktop that was officially launched last week. Here's the list:

•  Arabic
•  Bulgarian
•  Catalan
•  Croatian
•  Czech
•  Danish
•  Dutch
•  Estonian
•  Filipino
•  Finnish
•  Greek
•  Gujrati
•  Hebrew
•  Hindi
•  Hungarian
•  Icelandic
•  Indonesian
•  Irish
•  Italian
•  Korean
•  Latvian
•  Lithuanian
•  Maltese
•  Marathi
•  Norsk Bokmål
•  Polish
•  Portuguese
•  Romanian
•  Russian
•  Slovak
•  Spanish
•  Swedish
•  Tamil
•  Telugu

•  Thai
•  Turkish
•  Ukrainian
•  Urdu

Finally, the blog post mentions that the Bing Chat mobile apps should have some new performance improvements:

We’ve improved the performance of the voice input button on the Bing mobile app for iOS and Android. It should now indicate it’s listening instantly once you tap it.

We are still waiting to see if Microsoft will officially launch support for third-party web browsers like Google's Chrome and Apple's Safari on the desktop. Mikhail Parakhin, Microsoft’s head of Advertising and Web Services, confirmed earlier in June that experimental support for third party browsers was being tested by a few users but there's no word on when that support will expand to all Bing Chat users.

We are also still waiting for Microsoft to pull the trigger on third-party plugin support for Bing Chat. The company released a long list of companies during Build 2023 that plan to offer plug-in support for the chatbot sometime in 2023.

Source

Redmi 12 is 8.17mm thick and features a premium glass back and an infinite camera design. The smartphone can withstand dust and splashes as it has an IP53 rating. The IP53 rating measures the ability of a device to stay protected from limited dust ingress and water spray at less than 60 degrees from vertical.

Here is an overview of the specs:

• 8.17mm thick
• IP53 rating
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• 18W Type-C fast charging port
• 5,000mAh battery
• Three variants: 4GB+128GB, 8GB+128GB, 8GB+256GB, or the 4GB+128GB, 1TB expandable storage
• Screen resolution of 2460x1080, 6.79” FHD+ DotDisplay screen with 90Hz Adaptive Sync
• Triple camera system: 50 MP main camera, 8 MP ultrawide camera, and 2MP macro camera
• Three colours: Midnight Black, Sky Blue, and Polar Silver

The company blog post mentions that the latest smartphone comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack and an 18W Type-C fast charging port. Redmi12 also encompasses a 5,000mAh battery and can offer 23 days of standby time, 26 hours of online reading time, 133 hours of music playback, or 16 hours of watching videos.

While this seems a lot, it is essential to note that the actual battery consumption can depend on factors like usage patterns and network environments.

Redmi 12 can be purchased in three colours, Midnight Black, Sky Blue, and Polar Silver. Users can also choose from the three variants: 4GB+128GB, 8GB+128GB, 8GB+256GB, or 4GB+128GB.

Talking about the display, the company mentions the smartphone is equipped with a 6.79” FHD+ DotDisplay screen with 90Hz Adaptive Sync. Redmi 12 has a screen resolution of 2460x1080, and thus has the largest display so far among smartphones in the Redmi series.

Furthermore, the phone is SGS Low Blue Light certified and comprises of a Reading mode 3.0. This means that users can view content for longer time periods without putting a lot of strain on their eyes.

Xiaomi’s Redmi 12 has a triple camera system with a 50-megapixel main camera, while the other two cameras are an 8MP ultra-wide and a 2MP macro respectively. Redmi 12 users can also get seven popular filmCamera filters that enhance the photography experience by enabling pixel-level calculations and real-time previews.

Moreover, the smartphone comprises a MediaTek Helio G88 processor and comes with memory extension, which uses some of the storage as RAM. There is also a 1TB expandable storage available to users.

The entry-level smartphone also features a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and can operate as an IR remote to control devices at home. Users can purchase the latest device at a price of $149 starting today.

Xiaomi launches Redmi 12 with a large screen display, tri-camera system, and more for $149

Reddit is Fun (RIF) is a popular third-party Reddit client for Android which touts over five million downloads on its Google Play store page. The developer has since taken to Reddit to announce that it will be shutting down in direct response to the API changes. The key statement that /u/talklittle shared highlighted that Reddit have shown "unwillingness to compromise" during discussions.

The three key points that the Reddit is Fun developer highlighted during these discussions are:

1. The Reddit API will cost money, and the pricing announced today will cost apps like Apollo $20 million per year to run. RIF may differ but it would be in the same ballpark. And no, RIF does not earn anywhere remotely near this number.
2. As part of this they are blocking ads in third-party apps, which make up the majority of RIF's revenue. So they want to force a paid subscription model onto RIF's users. Meanwhile Reddit's official app still continues to make the vast majority of its money from ads.
3. Removal of sexually explicit material from third-party apps while keeping said content in the official app. Some people have speculated that NSFW is going to leave Reddit entirely, but then why would Reddit Inc have recently expanded NSFW upload support on their desktop site?

Reddit has yet to comment on the planned blackout of subreddits across the site for 48 hours by its users, who run and maintain most of these popular communities, as well as the recent announcements by leading developers to shutter their applications.

Following in Apollo's footsteps, Reddit is Fun will be shutting down on June 30

In a long message posted, ironically, on Reddit, Selig goes into a ton of detail about this decision, including denying accusations that he threatened to "blackmail" Reddit. He does offer a $10 a year Apollo Pro subscription which he says has 50,000 subscribers. He stated that some people felt he could raise the price of that subscription but he says that would not be enough:

Even if I added 12,000 new subscribers at $5/month (an enormous feat given the short notice), after Apple's fees that would just be enough to break even. Going from a free API for 8 years to suddenly incurring massive costs is not something I can feasibly make work with only 30 days. That's a lot of users to migrate, plans to create, things to test, and to get through app review, and it's just not economically feasible. It's much cheaper for me to simply shut down.

Selig does say that he will be fine financially as he recently launched a second app called Pixel Pals which he says is bringing in revenue.

The increase in Reddit's API prices has already caused some popular subreddits to organize a protest. Many of them plan to go "dark" for 48 hours starting on Monday, June 12. That means regular users will be able to access those forums, but others will not be able to read them.

While Reddit apparently plans to stick with its price hikes for most developers, it did announce earlier this week it will allow some developers of non-commercial accessibility apps to access its APIs for free.

Popular Reddit iOS third party app Apollo will shut down on June 30 due to API price hikes

As the name says, the offline maps feature will allow users to select an area on the map and download it on their device. Users will then be able to find places and use turn-by-turn navigation for driving, walking, transit, and cycling without WiFi or a cellular connection.

You can try out the offline maps feature by installing the iOS 17 developer beta if you own one of the supported devices. The offline maps downloaded on an iPhone can also be used to navigate and view detailed place cards on an Apple Watch. For that, the paired iPhone should be within the range of the Apple Watch.

iPhone users aren't strangers to offline navigation as rival apps like Google Maps have offered the feature for quite some time now. But being the latest addition to Apple Maps, offline navigation is now a native feature users can expect on their devices without installing a third-party app.

Apple Maps' initial ride wasn't a smooth one as the app was loaded with inaccuracies and hiccups. Those were big enough that Apple CEO Tim Cook made an official apology and recommended some alternatives instead.

In addition to offline maps, Apple Maps will be able to display the real-time availability of EV charging stations sorted by plug type and charging network. Apple already offers a similar feature called EV Routing. The feature works via CarPlay and allows Apple Maps to track vehicle charging stats and suggest a route that includes the nearest compatible charging station. For now, it's only available on select cars including the Porsche Taycan.

Apple also said that the Maps app will make it easier to find thousands of trails in parks with place cards including detailed information such as trail length and type, difficulty, and elevation gain. However, the feature will only be available in the US at the time of launch.

Apple is finally bringing offline navigation to iPhone after a decade