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

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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

Bennet claims in the letter that TikTok poses a threat to the national security of the United States because "of its parent company's obligations under Chinese law".

TikTok is one of the most popular applications on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. On Google Play, TikTok is listed with more than one billion downloads, 57 million reviews and an editor's choice badge, making it the number one top free social app on the entire store.

On Apple's App Store, TikTok is listed as the number one entertainment app. Apple does not reveal download numbers, but ratings for TikTok have reached 14.1 million on the company's App Store.

TikTok is one of the most popular applications on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. On Google Play, TikTok is listed with more than one billion downloads, 57 million reviews and an editor's choice badge, making it the number one top free social app on the entire store.

On Apple's App Store, TikTok is listed as the number one entertainment app. Apple does not reveal rough download counts, but ratings for TikTok have reached 14.1 million on the company's App Store.

Bennet cites several Chinese laws that decree that organizations "shall support, assist, and cooperate with state intelligence work", that Chinese state security may demand cooperation from companies, and that agents of the state are allowed to "access relevant materials and files and make use of its communication tools and facilities".

TikTok has faced questions regarding data storage, access and privacy in the past. In November 2022, TikTok confirmed that Chinese employees could remotely access data of European users.

A Buzzfeed report, cited by Bennet, suggests that user data from the United States was accessed repeatedly from China. Buzzfeed accessed more than 80 internal TikTok recordings and discovered that nine different TikTok employees suggested that "engineers in China had access to US data". On several occasions, meeting members stated that Chinese employees had access to all data.

TikTok has been a controversial topic in the United States for years. In 2020, the Trump administration attempted to ban the app from app stores in the United States. More recently, concerns about the app have increased, culminating in the unveiling of a bipartisan bill to ban the TikTok app nationwide.

27 state governments have already passed full or partial bans of the TikTok application.

While things seem to be moving toward a full ban in the United States, not everyone seems to agree that banning the app is the right way to move forward. In a recent New York Times article, Glenn S. Gerstell argues that banning TikTok would not make the United States safer.

Gerstell acknowledges that there is a possibility that the Chinese government could compel TikTok's owner, ByteDance, to hand over information or use the application to spread disinformation, influence elections, or manipulate public opinion.

ByteDance admitted in December 2022 that it fired several of its China and United States-based employees for accessing private information of users from the United States, including several journalists. There is no evidence that ByteDance provided information to the Chinese government.

ByteDance submitted a plan in August 2022, detailing how it would prevent the Chinese government from accessing U.S. user data and give the U.S. government oversight of the platform.

Senator Bennet's letter is available in full on Scribd.

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The mobile app industry really only has two platforms to use; Apple's App Store for its iPhones and iPads, and the Google Play Store for all the various Android-based smartphones and tablets. However, the Biden Administration claims that "the current mobile app store model is harmful to consumers and developers."

In a report published today by the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the government agency says that mobile app consumers usually can't download apps outside of Apple and Google's digital stores. In addition, developers who have to use those stores to sell their apps are being handcuffed by too many rules dictated by Apple and Google.

The agency recommended that consumers be allowed to download and use alternative mobile app stores on their devices, along with the ability to hide or delete any pre-installed apps and the right to choose their own default apps.

The report also recommended that developers not be restricted to using Apple and Google's own in-app payment systems. This was the main issue with Epic Games when it tried to launch its own in-app payment system for its game Fortnite a few years ago, only to be kicked off the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. In 2021, a court ruled that Apple must allow external payment methods for its mobile devices. So far, that has yet to happen, as Apple is appealing that ruling.

Apple and Google must also allow mobile devices to accept features like sideloading, alternative app stores, and web apps, according to the report. Android devices can support sideloading to a degree, and it does allow some third-party stores, such as the Samsung Galaxy Store, on that company's smartphones. However, Apple's strict hardware and software policies have not allowed iPhone or iPad owners to sideload apps or use different app stores. Finally, the report says Apple and Google should not be allowed to give their own mobile apps any preference in search results or "discriminate against other apps that are similar to their own."

The agency admits that to make these kinds of changes, "new legislation and additional antitrust enforcement actions are likely necessary to boost competition in the app ecosystem." So far, neither Apple nor Google have responded to this new report.

Source

It's a new year, and that means it's time for a new Samsung flagship. The Galaxy S23 series is official, with a tweaked design for the cheaper models and a big SoC change for international users. As always, there are three models: the 6.1-inch Galaxy S23, 6.6-inch S23 Plus, and 6.8-inch S23 Ultra.

With the release of the S23, Samsung is kicking off some internal drama, with Samsung's Galaxy phone "DX Division" spurning Samsung LSI—the division that produces Exynos chips—for not being good enough. In the past, the Galaxy S series has gone with dual suppliers for its SoC, where some regions get Qualcomm Snapdragon chips (usually the US, China, Japan, and Latin America) and others get Samsung Exynos chips (Europe, India, among others). The performance of Exynos chips is usually not up to the (second place) standard of Qualcomm, and Exynos customers who get stuck with a purely inferior phone are naturally disappointed. Exynos chips have made Samsung fans angry enough to make petitions begging for the superior Qualcomm model to be released in their markets.

This year, Samsung is listening and will be going all Qualcomm, all the time. The Exynos chips have been banished to lower-end devices, which is a wild turn of events after Samsung LSI scored an AMD collaboration last year and two years ago—perhaps out of desperation—started naming Exynos chips after Galaxy S phones, with the Exynos 2100 launching in the S21, and the Exynos 2200 launching in the S22. The Exynos division still supplies chips to various mid-range Samsung phones, and an orphaned Exynos 2300 chip is still floating around the rumor mill and might end up in a tablet or a cut-down version of the S23.

The star of the show is a newer, faster Qualcomm chip, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Samsung scored a higher-binned version of Qualcomm's chip, called, officially, the "Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy." Besides the long name, it has a slightly higher clock rate: 3.36 GHz as opposed to the normal 3.2 GHz. On the non-Galaxy version, Qualcomm promises a 35 percent faster CPU and a 25 percent faster GPU, both with a claimed 40-45 percent higher efficiency. It's a 4 nm chip, with one Arm Cortex X3 CPU,

two Cortex-A715 CPUs, two Cortex-A710 CPUs, and three Cortex A510R1 CPUs. It's kind of a weird CPU layout, but Qualcomm reworked Arm's recommended layout a bit to keep 32-bit support rolling for another year. This is the first Qualcomm chip to support the royalty-free AV1 codec, and it also can support Wi-Fi 7, but Samsung didn't add that to any of the models.

The base model of the S23 is getting some cut-down parts. The major differences are 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage, a lack of ultra-wideband (UWB) support, and 25 W charging on the base model, while the more expensive S23 Plus and Ultra have a base of 256GB of much faster UFS 4.0 storage and 45 W wired charging. Those charging numbers aren't anything to write home about, which is a shame. Everything has a baseline of 8GB of RAM, 15 W wireless charging, IP68 water resistance, and an 8MP front camera. The Ultra model has higher tiers that can go up to 12GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

The base model S23 is $800 and packs a 3900 mAh battery. The Plus model is $1,000 with a 4700 mAh battery, and the Ultra is $1,200 with a 5000 mAh battery. Those prices haven't moved in the US, but leaked pricing says the phones are around $100 more expensive internationally. The lower two models have 200 mAh higher battery capacity than the S22.

The biggest visible change in the lineup is on the S23 and S23 Plus. Last year the two cheaper S22s had a wraparound corner camera block, while this year they look more like the Galaxy S23 Ultra with individual camera lenses. The corner block never had much of a design justification, but with the individual camera lens, Samsung has landed on an honestly slick-looking minimal design. A subtle change on the S23 Ultra is that, according to 9to5Google, Samsung flattened out the screen by 30 percent, and the workable area is now almost completely flat. Samsung finally admitted that curved screens are a bad idea and serve no purpose.

The Ultra model looks identical to last year—it's much more squared off than the two cheaper phones, and those taller corners make room for a stowable S-Pen. Besides the biggest display, the Ultra's claim to fame is an upgraded camera loadout, and this year the main sensor is a whopping 200 MP.

The phones are up for preorder today and will be at every major carrier and electronics store on February 17.

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According to Kuo, the foldable iPad will bring more diversity to Apple's product mix and boost sales in the iPad segment too. While the analyst didn't exactly dive into details, they noted that the foldable iPad, rumored last year too, will feature a carbon fibre kickstand manufactured by Anjie Technology.

Kuo's latest report is significantly different from fellow analyst Ross Young, who previously noted that Apple is working on an iPad-MacBook hybrid but that it won't release until 2026. Similarly, another reputable journalist Mark Gurman had stated that the foldable iPad would arrive "later in the decade".

Although Apple was initially also expected to release a foldable iPhone this year, it seems like this is not the case anymore. Instead, Kuo expects the foldable iPad to arrive in 2024 along with a revamped iPad mini. The analyst expects a 10-15% decline in iPad shipments this year but expects them to be boosted by the foldable iPad and the iPad mini next year.

Source: Ming-Chi Kuo (Twitter) via The Verge

Apple may release a foldable iPad next year

While the feature is already on iOS and some Android devices, it’s still disabled by default. To switch it on and give yourself a security boost, you should go to Chrome Settings > Privacy & Security > then switch on “Lock incognito tabs when you close Chrome”.

The existence of this feature was quietly mentioned on Google’s blog in a post outlining five ways Chrome boosts your privacy. Many of the features such as Privacy Guide, Safety Check, clearing browsing history, and the Google Password Manager are all existing Chrome features but incognito tab locking is new.

If you use Chrome on Android or iOS, head into the Privacy & Security settings to see whether you can enable this feature yet, otherwise just hold on a little while longer and you should also have the option available.

Ability to lock incognito tabs rolling out to Chrome for Android, already on iOS

What is new in January 2023 firmware update for Surface Duo?

According to Microsoft, the latest firmware update for the duo of Surface Duo smartphones "addresses scenarios outlined in the Android Security Bulletin" for January 2023.

The original Surface Duo with 128GB of storage is currently available for $314, and the 256GB variant can be yours for $419. As for the Surface Duo 2, the smartphone is out of stock in most marketplaces, including the Microsoft Store. You can grab one on Amazon for a whopping $1,799 (128GB).

The Surface Duo 2 went out of stock amid rumors of Microsoft ditching the dual-screen smartphone design in favor of the standard single-screen variant with a flexible display. There are also reports about the company working on a regular slab-like smartphone under the Surface brand. Surface Duo smartphones are not the best by any means, but the form factor makes them unique and rare devices that also happen to be capable of running Windows 11.

Our stories may contain affiliate links for products/apps where Neowin is paid an affiliate fee if you complete a purchase via those links.

Surface Duo and Duo 2 offered January 2023 firmware update

What is new in Microsoft Edge Dev 111.0.1633.0?

New features:

Android:

• Long press on New Tab Page now can enter the Wallpaper center.

Reliability improvements:

• Fixed browser crash related to the Search sidebar.
• Fixed browser crash related to Search in the Mini menu.
• Fixed browser crash on an older version of Windows 10 when trying to use a camera.
• Fixed browser crash when moving a tab into a separate window.
• Fixed browser crash when dragging a tab out of a Group Tab.

Android:

• Fixed browser crash related to Read Aloud.

WebView2:

• Fixed crashing issue related to Sandbox.

Other changes:

• Fixed links from PWA so they no longer open in Workspace.
• Fixed can’t add current page in Sidebar in certain scenarios.
• Fixed duplicated MSA sign-in issue.
• Fixed can’t print on printers with names containing Japanese strings.
• Fixed Quit App on the context menu for Discover and Search Sidebar not working.

macOS:

• Fixed Default workspace for external links setting that caused external links to open in a window that was not the last active window.

iOS:

• Fixed zooming issue on PDFs.
• Fixed duplicated quick links.
• Fixed the Restore prompt showing up when there was no crash.
• Fixed multi-page PDF showing a different page of the PDF when switching from portrait to landscape and vice versa.

Android:

• Fixed duplicated quick links.

Xbox:

• Fixed video corruption playback issue.

WebView2:

• We disabled preconnect to search to stop the SSL connection when opening about:blank page. (#2978)
• Fixed the open file dialog box not opening. (#3075)
• Fixed re-installation fails if WebView2 is running (#3137)

Enterprise:

• Fixed top sites data not clearing after changing identity on iOS.

Microsoft Edge Dev is available for download on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Android users can get the browser from the Google Play Store. As for iOS, you need an invitation from Microsoft to start testing Edge Dev. Unfortunately, the program is full, so new users cannot sign up.

According to the official release schedule, Microsoft plans to ship Edge 111 to the general public on the week of March 9, 2023, after arriving in the Beta Channel on the week of February 14, 2023.

Microsoft Edge Dev 111.0.1633.0 is out with bugfixes and new features for Android

Apple beefs up smartphone services in “silent war” against Google

The control center allows you to enable/disable stuff, access the camera, and control your phone's volume among other things.

Do you know who else can use this? Anyone who steals your phone.

This allows a thief to use the control center from the lock screen to turn on airplane mode, disabling cellular data and Wi-Fi hindering your ability to use “Find my iPhone".

Here is how to disable the control center from a locked iPhone

• Tap Settings
• Tap “Touch ID & Passcode"

• Scroll down to “Allow access when locked” and turn “Control Center” off.

You may also be able to turn on airplane mode with Siri, so you may want to disable that too making Siri inaccessible from the locks screen as well.

That’s it. Control Center is no longer accessible from your iPhone's lock screen!

Happy Computing!

If you learned something today, great! If not, maybe share your own tech tip in the comments below!

I'm Adam, I'm known as Warwagon on the forums. For the past 19 years, I've been operating my own computer repair business. In doing so, I deal with the average computer user on a day-to-day basis.

Every bit of information I provide for people I do so with the lowest common denominator in mind. It's a common misconception that everyone who joins or browses a tech site is a techie. Some people are just looking for guidance. That is why for some, these tech tips may seem a bit too simplistic but they are educational for others.

Tech Tip Tuesday: How to Prevent a thief from disabling your iPhone tracking