According to sources close to 9to5Google, the battery of the upcoming Pixel Fold device will be closer to 5,000 mAh. The battery capacity is bigger than the existing Oppo Find N foldable device, which currently holds the top position in terms of battery capacity in the foldable phone category. Since Google had to pack a bigger battery in its foldable, the company had to compromise on the weight.

At 263 grams, Galaxy Z Fold4 is currently the heaviest foldable phone out there, but Pixel Fold will take the top position when launched owing to the bigger battery.

A bigger battery will translate to more screen-on-time, but much will depend on how well Google optimizes the device. Worryingly, Google has so far not succeeded in providing a good battery life with its flagship phones. In fact, as many pointed out, battery life is one of the major flaws of the Pixel 7 Pro. We all would like to see Google breaking this trend with the Pixel Fold.

Besides a bigger battery, rumor has it that the foldable Pixel phone will feature a 7.57-inch internal foldable and a 5.78-inch external display. Powering the device is said to be the Google Tensor G2. It will reportedly be available in Chalk (white) and Obsidian (black) and may cost somewhere around $1,800.

As per previous rumors, Google is preparing to launch the Pixel Fold device in the Q3 of this year. It faced multiple delays for various reasons, including the one that said it wasn't on par with the Galaxy Z Fold3, which came out in 2021.

Via 9to5google

Google Pixel Fold heavier than Z Fold4, but for good reasons

Leaker Kuba Wojciechowski claimed recently in a Twitter thread that they had obtained access to Google documentation. According to the document, under the optional Indian Mobile Application Distribution Agreement (IMADA) between phone manufacturers and Google, the search giant needs to provide a version of Google Mobile Services (GMS) where Google apps are optional.

Under standard mobile application distribution agreements (MADAs), smartphone makers need to install 11 key Google apps. But with IMADA, they only need to install the Google Play Store. Manufacturers will also not be required to include a Google search bar, a Google apps folder, and a Play Store icon on a phone's main screen. Despite these, IMADA still requires phone makers to include certain core services required for some Google APIs to function, such as GmsCore (Google Play Services).

Wojciechowski added that Google will offer a "per-app" bounty to manufacturers that will include any of the 11 Google apps and put its icon on the main screen. Lastly, starting 2Q'2023, Google will allow users to choose their default search engine when setting up their phone. This is similar to the system Europe has in place.

It must be noted that with the supposed new agreement, Indian smartphone manufacturers can still opt for the regular application distribution agreement. But should they choose IMADA, they can only release devices with that variant in India.

Source: Kuba Wojciechowski

Google apps could become optional on some Indian smartphones, according to leaker

The company introduced its flagship family this month, but users have already found some annoyances, such as an interesting OIS problem. The most recent update will put an end to this problem. On the other hand, Samsung has promised five years of security patches for the S23-series, and regardless of the model you are using, it will be updated to Android 14 this year as well.

More updates to S23-series will follow

The 5-year-long update run will ensure the owners will have the latest software until at least 2028, making the flagship family more attractive than its prominent-rival iPhone. This update promise will get an S23-series phone to have four major updates in 5 years and reach Android 17.

The recent software update is dubbed with the build number S91xBXXU1AWBD and is 567MB in size. It is being rolled out to users in Europe, but other regional versions are expected to be out soon. Samsung usually updates all phones in a couple of days, so this update is not an exception to this behavior. Another expected behavior is that the unlocked smartphones receive updates sooner than the carrier-locked models, especially in the US.

How to update Samsung Galaxy S23 with February 2023 security patch?

To check the latest update for your Samsung Galaxy S23-series phone:

• Open "Settings"
• Go to "Software Update"
• Choose "Download and Install"

If you don't get the update, do not worry, and keep checking in the next few days. It can take some time before it reaches all users since the OTA (over-the-air) update method is applied in stages, so it might be longer than expected.

The first Samsung Galaxy S23-series software update will fix 55 problems

Some of those users have posted their experiences on Reddit (via Android Central). Many of them have stated that the One UI 5.1 update somehow went into the settings and change's their phones battery mode into Maximum performance mode. If you have experienced this issue, the easiest thing to do is just to go into your phone's battery settings and reset them to lower usage modes.

If this method doesn't work, there's at least one other workaround you can try. One user says, after speaking to a Samsung support rep, to clear the phone's cache and data. Keep in mind this will reset some of your phones other settings as well. Here's the method: Settings > Apps > Filter Button > Show System Apps > Samsung Keyboard > Storage > Clear Cache and Data.

So far, there's no word on why the One UI 5.1 update would change a phone's battery settings and there's been no official response from Samsung about the update issues.

Source: Reddit via Android Central

The Samsung One UI 5.1 update is causing faster battery drains on some phones

This feature has been in development for a while, with it first being discovered during the 2.23.2.11 update on WhatsApp Beta for Android. It has been identified in WhatsApp Desktop Beta as well. WhatsApp will default to "standard quality" every time you send a photo when this feature is available to the wider public, so if you want to share high-definition photos all the time, you will need to select "HD Quality" each time.

It's been identified as well that HD Quality is not Original Quality and does still compress the photo ever so slightly. But now, it will apply light compression limiting the original quality to 90%.

It is not yet known when the feature will be available to the main update channel.

Source: WABetaInfo

WhatsApp Beta for iOS 23.4.0.70 released with updates to upcoming 'HD Quality' photo sharing

What is Mobile World Congress 2023 and where is it held?

It is a trade show with companies and organizations showing off the latest and upcoming smartphones, tablets, and related accessories. It's been held since 1987 and is run by the GSM Association, a trade organization for mobile tech companies. The event is held in Barcelona, Spain.

When is MWC 2023?

The actual trade show will be held from February 27 to March 3, 2023. However, some companies may make their MWC announcements, or hold press conferences in Barcelona, in the days leading up to the event.

Can anyone attend the show?

Unlike many other tech trading shows, which are normally not open to the public, an ordinary person can buy a ticket to attend MWC 2023. They are not cheap, however. The least expensive ticket to attend the event is priced at €799, or about $853. Before Covid, the event had as many as 100,000 attendees, but it's unclear how many will attend in 2023.

What companies will be attending MWC 2023 and what will they announce?

Most of the major smartphone and tablet companies are expected to be exhibitors at this year's trade show. However, it's unclear in some cases what they might announce. Here's a quick rundown of what companies are planning to attend, and some speculation on what they will reveal during MWC 2023.

• Samsung - The biggest non-Apple smartphone company will be exhibiting at the show, but since the company has already announced its flagship Galaxy S23 phones a few weeks ago, it's unknown what they will be showing at their booth.
• OnePlus - The company has already revealed the OnePlus 11 phone, but during its global press event on February 1, it also said it would show off another phone, the OnePlus 11 Concept, as part of MWC 2023.
• Xiaomi - The Chinese phone maker has already announced it will officially launch its Xiaomi 13 Series of smartphones in Barcelona on February 26, one day before MWC 2023 begins.
• Honor - The company will hold a press event on February 27 in Barcelona, where it will officially announce its Magic 5 series of phones, along with the global launch of the Honor Magic Vs smartphone.
• Oppo - The company is exhibiting at the show, but there's no official word on what it might show off. Some rumors claim it will introduce the Oppo Find X6, the Oppo Pad 2, and the Oppo Find N2 Flip foldable phone to a global audience.
• Huawei - Even though the Chinese smartphone company still has a ban on using US parts, there are some rumors that it will have a big presence at MWC 2023. It could introduce the Huawei P60 and the Huawei Mate 60 at the show, along with its next foldable phone, the Huawei Mate X3.
• Realme - The smartphone company has confirmed it will introduce the Realme GT 3 as part of its MWC 2023 plans.
• TECNO - The relatively new smartphone maker has plans to show off a foldable phone, the PHANTOM V Fold, on February 28 in Barcelona during MWC 2023.

Other companies slated to exhibit at the show include Lenovo-Motorola, Nokia, MediaTek, Qualcomm, and Vivo. Ironically, two of the biggest mobile phone companies, Google and Apple, will not be attending MWC 2023.

Here's everything you need to know about Mobile World Congress 2023

Tampermonkey is an interesting addition to Firefox, as it unlocks the ability to run userscripts on sites. Userscripts are small snippets of code that may remove, change or add features to websites.  What makes this especially powerful in Firefox for Android is that Mozilla limited add-ons in the stable version of the browser.  With userscripts, Firefox users may enable functionality that is not provided by one of the few add-ons that are supported officially.

Tampermonkey was released in 2016 for Firefox initially, but Firefox users had access to Greasemonkey prior to that to use userscripts.

Tampermonkey in Firefox for Android

Installation of Tampermonkey is straightforward, provided that Firefox 110 or newer is installed on the Android device.

Select Menu > Add-ons > Add-ons Manager to display the list of available add-ons. Locate Tampermonkey on the page and activate the plus icon next to it. Firefox for Android displays the permissions that it requires. Select add to install the extension and then "okay, got it" once it is installed to complete the process.

Select Menu > Add-ons > Tampermonkey to display the main dashboard. It is a bit tiny on the screen, as it does not appear to be optimized for smaller screens.

Most users may want to select "find new scripts" on the page to search scripts and install them. There is also an option to create a script from scratch, and to manage existing scripts.

Find new scripts opens this page on the Tampermonkey website in Firefox. It lists several script repositories and includes a search at the top to find specific scripts. Type a site name or purpose, e.g., YouTube, Twitter, or download, and all matching scripts are returned.

Installation works similar to Tampermonkey on the desktop, but you may get an error, even though scripts install fine.

Most scripts are designed to run on specific sites. Download scripts, for example, may display buttons or links to download content from sites. Some scripts may work a tad different when installed on Firefox for Android. A test installation of a download script for instance caused a popular video streaming site to display an error message on first load. A refresh of the page resolved it, and download links were displayed then on the page. Downloads worked fine then as well.

Closing Words

Tampermonkey support adds a treasure trove of possibilities to Firefox for Android. Installation of scripts and usage of scripts is a bit cumbersome, especially if errors are encountered. There is also the requirement of checking scripts to make sure that they are safe to use, which is a bit less comfortable on smaller screens.

All in all though, it is a welcome addition to stable versions of the Firefox web browser.

Now You: do you use userscripts in your browsers?

Firefox for Android adds Tampermonkey support

MediaTek is soon launching its Dimensity 7200 chipset. It is a 4nm process and is expected to debut next month. As per MediaTek, the Dimensity 7200 is a chip that is 5G ready and is the introduction of the 7000 MediaTek chipset series. 

What Does the Chipset Offer?

MediaTek claims that the most interesting part of its Dimensity 7200 chipset is that it is built on a 4nm process. This is also the process that has been used for other flagship chips by MediaTek, including the Dimensity 9200. 

Dimensity 7200 comes with an octa-core design. It has two Cortex A715 cores and six Cortex A510 cores. The Dimensity 7200 also supports sub6 5G networks along with Bluetooth 5.3/LE and Wi-Fi 6E. MediaTek also claims that the chipset supports 4K HDR recording and cameras in the range of up to 200mp. Users can now enjoy faster frame rates and gaming enhancements on their smartphones that help extend battery life when playing for long.

The chipset also provides faster speeds and comes with power saving enhancements. It supports dual 5G sims and dual VoNR for better call quality.

When Will It Launch?

The new MediaTek Dimensity 7200 is expected to debut in new Android phones in the first quarter of 2023. While it is possible that the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona may see the launch of new mid-range Dimensity 7200 phones. Watch this space for more.

MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Is Built on 4nm Process, Arrives in Mid-range Android Phones Soon

Is It Good for Gaming?

The Samsung S23 debuted early this month and came with an exclusive Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. It featured a Cortex-X3 prime core that boosted the processor from 3.2 GHz to 3.36 GHz. Although this change delivered impressive CPU numbers, the phones may not be that great for gaming.

A user named Golden Retriever tested the Samsung S23 Ultra when playing the popular game Genshin Impact. The phone put up a disappointing show and the numbers were worse than other phones that also featured Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipsets. The worst part is that the new S23 phone did not even outperform the last generation phones that featured Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. 

What Did the Results Say?

The S23 Ultra recorded an FPS of 55 on average. This is lower than devices on the same chipset. For example, Xiaomi 13 Pro delivered an average FPS of 59.4. To put this in perspective, Xiaomi 12T Pro has the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset and it delivered an average FPS of 59.2.

Also, the S23 Ultra had an average power draw of 6.4W. This means it consumed more power than the Xiaomi 13 Pro (5.5 W) and Xiaomi 12T Pro (5.8 W). The S23 Ultra also got hotter than the other phones and reached a temperature of 43.6 °C as compared to 39.3 °C for the Xiaomi 13 Pro and 41.5 °C for the Xiaomi 12T Pro.

If you think that maybe the Xiaomi is just a better phone, the test was also conducted with a Vivo X90 Pro Plus that is powered with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. It delivered an average FPS of 58.4, 5.2 W power consumption, and a phone temperature of 39.1 °C.

Will It Get Better?

Users are hoping that the S23 series may be optimized for high-end games such as Gensin Impact. Whether that will happen, only Samsung can answer. We will update you regarding any developments on this front.

Source

Speaking of which, 81% of all iPhones released in the last four years, and 72% of all iPhones are running iOS 16. The adoption rate of iPadOS 16 is slightly lower as 53% of all iPads introduced in the last four years and 50% of all iPads are running the latest update.

The numbers become more interesting when considering that iOS 16 was released just a few months ago in September 2022 and iPadOS 16 a month later in October. The latest software update is supported on iPhone 8 and above, including the flagship iPhone 14 series. Meanwhile, iPadOS 16 is supported on all iPad Pro models and a number of iPad Air, iPad, and iPad mini models.

For reference, we also have an unofficial figure from the analytics company Mixpanel, whose data suggests that iOS 16 is running on 78.68% of devices.

Apple's iOS 16 adoption numbers have come out alongside the release of the iOS 16.4 beta update which brings 31 new emojis that are part of Unicode 15.0. The update also changes the way people can enroll in the Developer Beta and Public Beta programs. Now, there is an inbuilt option in the iPhone's software update settings to get enrolled and there is no need to install a profile manually.

Apple releases iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 adoption data for the first time

Apple typically shares these CAD files to case manufacturers so that they can prepare cases for the devices prior to the launch of the new phone, so that there is plenty on the market for day 1. This file reportedly comes from a Chinese factory, which appears to be the first to gain access to them.

The biggest change visible on these renders, prepared by @ianzelbo on Twitter, clearly shows the fact that Apple is ditching the Lightning port, as previously rumoured, and replacing it with USB-C, which would be the biggest change since Apple ditched the 30-pin connector in 2012.

Another apparent change visible from these renders is the design, losing the hard, squared off edges visible on the iPhone 12, 13, and 14 series of phones, and adding a softer curved edge, but not the same roundness as was previously seen in the iPhone 11. Once again, the camera bump increases in size, but retains the same layout and LiDAR sensor.

Another hinted change that seems to be coming to fruition is the move away from physical buttons on the sides of the device, moving to capacitive buttons similar to the home button on the iPhone SE that was first introduced in that form factor with the iPhone 7. The mute switch also appears to be redesigned as well.

For now, this is all we know, and specs remain a mystery, but the apparent changes to the design and the Lightning port supposedly being ditched will make this one of the more anticipated iPhone launches when we see it later this year, if typical iPhone release timelines are followed again in 2023.

Source: 9to5Mac

We now have our first look at the supposed design of the iPhone 15 Pro

While the browsing experience on mobile is pretty good, it still doesn't really match what you'd find on a desktop or laptop. But over time, things have slowly gotten better, and Mozilla's latest extensions aim to provide users new tools in order to further enhance the mobile browsing experience.

Firefox Relay

Most of us have probably been in a position where we've needed to give out our email address but really didn't want to. Now, this could have been for some kind of sale promotion, dinner reservation or maybe something as simple as just trying to use an app.

While sharing an email isn't typically a bad thing, there are sometimes drawbacks, like having that email address getting spammed or shared in a matter that you didn't directly authorize. It's hard to prevent this kind of stuff from happening, so Mozilla is now introducing Firefox Relay, an extension that will mask your real email address, providing a dummy address that will forward all the emails to your real one.

ClearURL

While sharing links can be quick and easy, sometimes, it can be cumbersome. We've all been there before, trying to share a link with a family member or friend, and the URL's so long that it ends up looking like gibberish. While there's nothing wrong with sharing links like this, sometimes it can be a confusing when there's unnecessary tracking data attached. Mozilla's ClearURL extension for Firefox Android aims to fix this by cleansing a URL by stripping away all the additional and unnecessary data, bringing an address back to its base form.

ReadAloud

Sometimes after a long day on the computer, whether it's for work or for pleasure, your eyes need a rest. But what happens if you're not done for the day and still want to consume more content from the internet? Well, Mozilla's ReadAloud extension will allow you to listen to content from the internet by using text-to-speech technology to convert text found on webpages into consumable audio. For the most part, there aren't any restrictions as Mozilla lists a number of sites that ReadAloud can tackle. With the extension, you'll be able to choose the reading speed, along with a male or female voice. So if you want to give Mozilla Firefox or any of these extensions a try, you can head to the link below to download it.

Source

The Snapdragon X75 is the first Modem-RF (radio frequency) System that includes a dedicated hardware tensor accelerator. This accelerator, the Qualcomm 5G AI Processor Gen 2, will give the modem over 2.5 times the AI performance compared to the Gen 1 processor. This, along with some new AI optimizations, means that the modem will support "better speeds, coverage, mobility, link robustness and location accuracy."

In addition, the modem is the first to support 10-carrier aggregation for mmWave wireless technology. It will also be used in Qualcomm's upcoming Fixed Wireless Access Platform Gen 3. It will allow for fixed wireless internet systems to support up to 10Gb speeds for Ethernet connections, along with support for Wi-Fi 7. The Qualcomm Snapdragon X75 is expected to be added to mobile devices sometime in the second half of 2023, most likely inside the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor.

Qualcomm Snapdragon X75 modem will support 5G Advanced and more

Those users are saying the Google Photos app is crashing on their iPhone or iPad immediately after they try to open the app. As of this moment, neither Google nor Apple have commented on this bug, nor is there any indication yet where the fault might lie, either in Apple or Google's hands.

In any case, if you use Google Photos a lot on your iPhone or iPad, you should definately not download the iOS 16.3.1 update, at least until either Google issues a patch for the Photos app, or Apple released yet another iOS patch update.

The iOS 16.3.1 update was supposed to fix a few bugs discovered after version 16.3 was released in January, They included fixes for iCloud and Siri issues, along with some more optimizations for the Crash Detection feature in the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro handsets.

Warning: The iOS 16.3.1 update is currently crashing Google Photos

• iCloud settings may be unresponsive or incorrectly display if apps are using iCloud
• Siri requests for Find My may not work
• Crash Detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models

You can download iOS 16.3 on your iPhone or iPod by heading to Settings > General > Software Update.

Apple also released small updates for iPadOS 16.3.1, tvOS 16.3.2, watchOS 9.3.1 and macOS Ventura 13.2.1 today. There's also a HomePod OS 16.3.2 update today for all members of Apple's smart speaker family. 9to5Mac reports that this is a bug fixing release, but one that squashes a particularly strange issue.

Previous to today's update, if you made a smart home voice command directed to HomePod via Siri, it would stall before not accomplishing the command. If you said the same command a second time, it would work as scheduled. However, with the release of HomePod OS 16.3.2, that odd bug has now been fixed so HomePod owners should be able make commands and have them completed the first time out.

If you have just started using iOS 16, you can check out all the major features in iOS 16.0, 16.1, and 16.2 in addition to 16.3.

Apple releases iOS 16.3.1 update along with a bug fix for HomePod speakers

CAUTION:

The device itself will be released globally under the name Xiaomi 13 Lite, which has been alleged to be a rebranded Xiaomi Civi 2, with the specifications being shared in a hands-on video shared by tipster Sudhanshu Ambhore on Twitter.

The two 32MP selfie cameras are contained within a pill shaped cutout at the top of the screen, and this does look remarkably like the iPhone 14 Pro series cameras. Right now, there isn't any software baked in by Xiaomi to mimic the functionality, but there are apps on the Play Store that will do this for you.

Source: Android Authority

Xiaomi is set to get 'dynamic' with rumoured 13 Lite launch

Salcomp is a Finnish company that specializes in the design and manufacturing of chargers and power adapters for various electronic devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other mobile devices. The company is also a major supplier to Apple and operates in several countries including China, India, and Brazil.

Over the next 2-3 years, Salcomp aims to more than double its current employee count to nearly 25,000, a move that could position it as a critical player in India's burgeoning tech manufacturing sector. To cater to its employees, the company is also planning to build a massive housing complex with education and entertainment facilities for around 15,000 people.

Last year, Foxconn announced its plans to quadruple its workforce at its Indian plant in Tamil Nadu over the next two years. The move was followed by a manufacturing slowdown in Foxconn's largest factory in China's Zhengzhou due to zero-COVID policy.

As more companies try to diversify their manufacturing bases to mitigate risks and meet rising demands, India's sphere of influence is growing in the supply chain and manufacturing industry.

Source: Reuters

Apple charger supplier Salcomp plans to increase its workforce significantly in India

Based on information obtained from the Apple community and MacRumors forums: iOS 16.3 appears to have an impact on the iCloud backup feature for some people that did the upgrade.

The Users Complaints 

iPhone users that are experiencing the problem tried to manually activate the iCloud back up, but the iOS 16.3 bug appears to be preventing the function of the settings properly. The impacted users see the automatic iCloud Backup being disabled when they attempt to turn on the auto backup feature. 

GBstoic, a MacRumors reader, had a complaint about the iCloud backup not working after he just installed the 16.3 version. After toggling off the backup, he says his devices automatically backed up even without the two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled. This revealed an underlying error. 

Some users sited that they fixed the problem by turning on the two-factor authentication. Some started speculating that Apple was trying to force people to use the 2FA feature, although I later found that this wasn’t the case. I later found that 2FA wasn't the issue, as some of the users that had activated it still found themselves in the same situation. 

Most of the complaints received are from iPhone users, although the problem also seems to affect the iPad as well, as long as the device is running on version 16.3. Multiple reports indicated that some devices backed up even with the error message but not particularly the case for other users, which leaves the iCloud as the possible source for these issues. 

The Remedy

There is no evidence that Apple is trying to force people to use 2FA despite the speculations. Based on previous experiences, Apple usually announces with a specific message followed by an explanation if they are implementing such changes.  

The affected users have been encouraged to back up to keep their data safe manually. Apple will address the iOS 16.3 bug in a future update. Apple is working on a 16.3.1 update for iOS that might include some fixes for the iCloud issues. Unfortunately, I haven't received any details on this. The only thing I have seen Apple do is to fix bugs fast and efficiently in the past. So this could be a thing of the past in no time.

Tons of Complaints of iCloud Backup Issues After Updating to iOS 16.3

Google's Pixel 7 Pro has seemingly run into a truly unfortunate problem with its external features. Users have reported that the volume buttons on their Pixel 7 Pro have been falling off, and nobody has any idea why.

The topic was first brought to light by Nick Sutrich of Android Central, who posted about the issue with his Pixel 7 Pro. The saddening discovery was made after Sutrich removed his phone from his pocket and noticed the volume rocker of his Pixel 7 Pro had detached. After some further investigating, it was found that Google's volume rocker for the Pixel 7 Pro was actually a much more securely-designed version of the one found on a Galaxy S22 Ultra. This begs the question: if this is a reinforced version, why is it falling off at all?

Unfortunately, this reported case is not the only one. Users have been complaining about their phones losing their volume pieces since 2022. 9to5Google has found forum reports and even Reddit users citing the same issue. According to one user's report, they hadn't had their phone for a week before the volume keys on the side had fallen off. As an added degree of pain, they also lost the keys.

9to5 found that Google representatives have informed some users that an issue like this falls outside what the device's warranty is willing to cover. However, Sutrich received word from Google that the "team is aware of the issue" and would be getting back to him soon. Perhaps this could jumpstart some solutions as Google receives more complaints.

This isn't the first time Google's hardware has met some sort of terrible reality. Some Pixel 7 owners reported the glass on the rear camera array spontaneously cracking. This realization happened quite similarly to users missing their volume keys, with users pulling the device out of their pockets and noticing heartbreaking cracks on their phone's main camera. As people ran to report the problem to Google, much like this time, their experiences varied, with some gaining replacements for the damaged phone.

Source: Android Central, Google Support Forum, Reddit

Source

Realme achieves this through the integration of up to 240W fast charging in the device.  It is interesting to note that Realme's new GT Neo model comes with two configurations. Only the more expensive one includes 240W fast charging. The other configuration supports 150W fast charging, which is still quite fast based on today's standards.

Both Realme GT Neo5 versions are powered by a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset. The main differences between the two devices, apart from the fast charging difference, is that the pricier version comes with 16 gigabytes of RAM and either 256 gigabytes or 1 terabyte of storage.

The less pricy variant of the Realme GT 5 Neo has 8 , 12 or 16 gigabytes of RAM and a fixed storage capacity of 256 gigabytes.

There is one additional difference between the devices. While the pricier version of the Realme GT Neo5 comes with faster charging capabilities, it is supported by a 4600 mAh battery. The less pricey version has a 5000 mAh battery instead.

According to Realme, the 240W adapter is capable of charging the GT Neo5 to 20% in just 80 seconds. In about 4 minutes, 50% is reached and the 100% is reached in under 10 minutes.

Prices for the GT Neo5 150W start at 2599 Yuan, which is about $380 United States Dollar. The most expensive GT Neo5 240W variant is available for 3499 Yuan, which is about $513 United States Dollar.

Realme demonstrated the live charging capabilities of its flagship smartphone two days ago during a presentation.

Comparison to other smartphones

Faster charging has become more and more of a requirement in the smartphone market. It is one of the areas that device manufacturers can distinguish their devices from others, at least in the Android world and for now.

GSM Arena lists 76 devices in its database that support 100W and faster charging. The vast majority of these devices are manufactured by Chinese companies such as Xiaomi, Huawei, Realme, vivo, OnePlus and ZTE. Increase support to 150W fast charging, and only 12 devices are returned.

Apple boasts on its Fast Charge your iPhone support page that Apple customers may recharge the iPhone "up to 50 percent battery  in around 30 minutes". That's three times as long as the Realme GT Neo5 requires to charge the phone to 100%. That is even more impressive considering that the GT Neo5 has a larger battery capacity than any Apple iPhone that is currently on the market.

Closing Words

The main caveat regarding Realme's GT Neo5 is that it is only available in China currently. It is unclear whether the device will be launched by the company in other regions and markets. The latest Realme phone that is available in other regions is the Realme GT Neo 3, which the company launched in March 2022.

Now you: is fast charging a criteria for you when buying a smartphone?

Source

Off the back of this, it's suggested that the board can control exactly what functionality any cable or device with USB-C can do if it is plugged into the port, enabling, and disabling certain features. This is only a rumour posted to Weibo at this stage, and whether the existence of this board is true is still not confirmed. If it is true, it may simply just enable backwards compatibility with Lightning accessories.

With the iPhone 15 due to launch later this year, if it were to include USB-C across all the models, it would be a meaningful change given that Lightning was first introduced with the iPhone 5 in 2012. There is a possibility that USB-C cables will only support slow charging with other accessories enabling other features that users of the standard are familiar with, such as external displays (or potentially limiting this to the Pro models only).

Source: Weibo via 9to5Mac

iPhone 15 USB-C might only enable certain features if you use official cables

Google and Mozilla are working on iOS browsers that break current App Store rules

Dashane Password open sources its mobile apps

In case you didn't know, Dashlane debuted in 2012, for Windows and Mac as a commercial service. Making its apps open source doesn't let you use it for free, you will still require a subscription for your account. The point of releasing the source code is transparency on the company's part, to help users, developers, and potential business users (sys admins) study the code, and understand how it works.

TechCrunch reached out to Dashlane with some questions to which the company had responded saying that the source code for the apps have been released for auditing purposes. Code reviewers and skilled developers may analyze the quality of the source code that has been published, to check for vulnerabilities, security issues, and offer suggestions on the GitHub pages.

The downside to this is that third-party developers will not be able to add their code to the projects. This is very important, for example, the efforts of an individual developer made it possible for Bitwarden to merge their pull requests ti add support for Argon2. Such contributions are not possible for Dashlane's apps at the moment, but the password manager service says that it plans to allow developers to contribute and participate in the development of its apps.

In what seems like a rather unusual decision, Dashlane has opted for a Creative Commons license to open source the code. To be more specific, the code has been released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 license (used for media rights), instead of GNU General Public License (GPL), Mozilla Public License (MPL),  etc., that software are normally licensed under.

The Creative Commons license terms allows users to share, i.e, copy and redistribute the code, but it forbids them from using it for commercial usage. That shouldn't be too much of a problem, except the source code for Dashlane's apps are not availanle in their complete form. The company stats that some important parts are missing. This was intentional, and part of the process in which it plans to publish the code. While that's not exactly great, it is a first step in the right direction.

However this also means that we cannot expect a fork of Dashlane's apps anytime soon. Dashlane has confirmed that it will release the source code of its web extension in the future, after adding compatibility for Google's Manifest V3. While the official announcement didn't specifically mention this, the source code of its Mac and Apple Watch apps have been published on GitHub too. Refer to Dashlane Android apps, and Apple apps on Github for the source code.

It's good to see password managers taking up their security more seriously, especially in the wake of recent incidents such as Norton Password Manager attack, the LastPass data breach. Well, at least it contributed to the greater good. Then again, no cloud-based password manager is truly safe, hackers are now trying to trick Bitwarden and 1Password users with phishing scams to harvest their usernames and passwords. The hackers did so with the help of malicious ads that they placed on Google's search results.

Protect Your Passwords Like Never Before with Dashlane's Mobile Apps Source Code Release

According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, Apple has internally discussed the iPhone Ultra which it plans to release in 2024. While he doesn't have any concrete details about the phone's specifications, Gurman predicts that it could offer camera improvements and a faster chip, as well as a larger display. The top-of-the-line phone could even have new features such as not having a charging port, which means that the phone could probably rely on wireless charging.

Apple already uses the term "Ultra" on some of its products. For instance, there's the Apple Watch Ultra, which has a larger display and more features than the Watch 8. The most premium version of Apple's M1 processor also has Ultra in its name.

Samsung uses the term "Ultra" on the Samsung Galaxy S series (and on the defunct Note series) as well. The Galaxy S23 Ultra, for instance, has an improved camera, memory and display, stylus support, a different design, and a bigger battery.

Source: Bloomberg

Apple may introduce an even more high-end 'iPhone Ultra'

According to Counterpoint Research, the global smartphone market experienced a decline in Q4 2022, reaching 304 million units shipped, a decrease of 18% YoY. Despite the decline, there was a 1% increase in shipments quarter over quarter, totaling 303.9 million units. The full-year 2022 saw a 12% decline in shipments, reaching a low of 1.2 billion units since 2013. The global smartphone revenue also decreased by 9% to $409 billion, the lowest since 2017.

However, Apple saw a breakthrough in the market as it replaced Samsung as the top smartphone player in Q4 2022, driven by the launch of the iPhone 14 series.

Commenting on Apple’s performance, Research Director Jeff Fieldhack said:

“Having proficiently managed its production problems, Apple was able to weather a year already marred by economic and geopolitical turmoil better than other major smartphone players. Its iPhone Pro series continued performing well and its share of iPhone shipments could have been even higher if not for the production issues caused by the COVID-19 breakout at the Zhengzhou factory, which produces the vast majority of Pro series volumes. As a result, some Pro series volumes got pushed to January.”

Back in November, Apple had already warned of a short supply of its flagship iPhone 14 Pro series, as COVID-19 related curbs continued in the "iPhone city" of China's Zhengzhou district throughout the end of 2022. Despite the supply issues, the iPhone-maker still managed to retain its high-margin profits.

The success of Apple can be attributed to the premium segment, its primary market, being less impacted by the economic and geopolitical uncertainties of the year. The preference of smartphone users for premium devices that have a longer lifespan also aligns with Apple's reputation for producing high-quality products. This trend has further boosted Apple's performance in the smartphone market, allowing the company to achieve its highest-ever shares in shipment, revenue, and operating profit in 2022.

Counterpoint Research further predicts that the global smartphone market will remain under pressure until the end of the first half of 2023, before a recovery is expected to begin.

Apple takes 85% of the profit pie, outperforms struggling smartphone market in 2022