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Google is improving Airplane mode on Android by making it so Wi-Fi stays connected when you turn Airplane mode on. Even better, you may not even need the latest version of Android 13 to turn this feature on. While 9to5Google’s reporting suggests that this feature only rolled out in the Android 13 QPR1 beta and stable updates, a Pixel support article indicates that devices just need to run Android 11 or newer.

However, this is currently only on Google’s lineup of Pixel phones. Even the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra hasn’t received this feature yet — trust me, I tried. And if you have an iPhone 14 you are definitely out of luck, as Apple's own support document(opens in new tab) says that Airplane Mode turns off every radio but Bluetooth and that accessing Wi-Fi requires a trip to your device's Control Center.

 (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Airplane mode has come a long way since it first appeared on smartphones. This is, admittedly, a surprising statement to say about a feature that is used in basically one place, but it’s true. I remember when I turned on Airplane mode one time only to discover that my Bluetooth earbuds didn’t suddenly disconnect — what a huge improvement that was. But that was all the way back in Android 11.

Hopefully, this upgrade to Airplane mode will come to other Android phones soon, because I definitely want to have this feature active on my next flight. It was so frustrating every time I would turn on Airplane mode and have to reconnect my wireless earbuds. If I don’t have to disconnect from Wi-Fi either, Airplane mode may actually be perfect.

But for now, it looks like if I don’t want to pull my hair out when my phone disconnects from the in-flight Wi-Fi because I turned on Airplane mode, I need to switch to the Google Pixel 7 or Google Pixel 7 Pro. 

Google Pixel Airplane mode upgrade: How it works 

There isn’t really any work you need to do to activate this feature update — it turns on by default. The only catch is that you need to already be connected to Wi-Fi when you turn on Airplane mode to activate the feature. Don’t worry, if you connect to Wi-Fi while in Airplane mode, that will also activate the feature. 

If you’re already connected to Wi-Fi, when you turn on Airplane mode, your Pixel phone will send you a system push notification informing you that, “If you keep Wi-Fi on in Airplane mode, it will stay on the next time you’re in airplane [SIC] mode.” If you tap the notification, it just takes you to the aforementioned Pixel support page explaining how wireless connections work in Airplane mode on a Pixel phone. 

If you don’t want your phone to stay connected to Wi-Fi in Airplane mode, that’s a simple fix. Simply turn Wi-Fi off on your Pixel phone and it will default back to turning Wi-Fi off when you turn on Airplane mode.

Feeling the urge to get a Pixel phone and experience Airplane mode nirvana? Check out our phone deals coverage so you can get the best deal on a Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro or even the Pixel 6a if you’re looking for a great cheap phone. 

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This market is becoming increasingly important for Apple, as it is slowly becoming a key hardware hub. In a filing with the stock exchange in Taiwan on Thursday, Foxconn stated that its Singapore subsidiary is providing the capital for its India entity, Hon Hai Technology India Mega Development Private Limited.

In 2017, Apple began manufacturing iPhones in India with the production of the iPhone SE. Three years later, in 2020, the company started making the iPhone 11 in India, marking the first time a high-end iPhone was made in the country. Another significant milestone was reached in 2022 when Foxconn India started making the iPhone 14, which was the first time that a new iPhone model was manufactured in India in the same calendar year as its global launch.

According to a September report by JP Morgan analysts, Apple plans to move 5% of global iPhone 14 production to India by the end of 2022 and expand its manufacturing capacity in the country to produce 25% of all iPhones by 2025.

In addition to increasing its production capacity in India to meet the growing demand in the local market, Apple also plans to supply Indian-made products to global markets. This will allow Apple to reduce its reliance on manufacturing hubs such as China and potentially avoid some of the supply chain disruptions that have impacted its operations in the past.

Additionally, producing its products in India will allow Apple to tap into the country's large and skilled labor force, which will help the company increase its production capacity and better meet the demands of its global customers.

Source: TechCrunch

Foxconn invests another $500M into India to boost iPhone production

Microsoft still has a very limited reach in the mobile market, but it wants to quench this thirst by building an all-in-one app that will ideally be a one-stop place where people can access different services from Microsoft. According to The Information, which cited individuals with knowledge of the subject, this idea is inspired by the structure of WeChat, which works exactly like that: an app that combines messaging, shopping, gaming, news, and more.

As the report stresses, Microsoft doesn’t have its own mobile app store for smartphone users, unlike Google and Apple, which are both dominating the mobile market. However, the plan is beyond offering its own products to mobile consumers: Microsoft also wants to expand its consumer services.

However, it is worth noting that almost the same features are already available on the Microsoft Start app. The mobile app offers news, messaging, games, shopping deals, and even Microsoft Rewards. That said, if Microsoft is really considering building a super app, it must offer more than what the current Microsoft Start app can already do. In particular, it must exceed it. Producing an app that is just somewhere near the product it is already offering will just result in a redundant, confusing, and unnecessary app that could lead to a dead end.

Moreover, in comparison, Microsoft Start only has 5 million downloads on Google Play Store, while the WeChat app that the sources said inspired Microsoft’s plan has over 100 million downloads. If this number is part of the inspiration of the Microsoft execs, it might also not be a good idea for Microsoft to push it. As Daniel Rubino of Windows Central stresses, the only secret behind the great success of WeChat is the Chinese government’s influence, which banned the app’s major competitors in the region. This won’t be the case for Microsoft. 

The sources added that the executives are particularly eyeing the expansion of the company’s advertising business and Bing search. While the latter is understandable, greatly focusing on and highlighting the former might make a repulsive element that would ruin the app’s success. Microsoft has always been a subject of criticism due to the repeated attempts to introduce ads and push its products and service too much on its Windows customers. Apparently, Windows users have no choice over this, as the system is the most widely used OS globally. Using this same approach for Microsoft’s planned super app won’t do any good, especially in the mobile realm, where there are lots of options and competitors.

What’s your opinion about this? Let us know in the comment section.

Microsoft execs reportedly considering creating a “super app” for smartphones

Bitwarden's passwordless authentication system

I should mention this right away, the passwordless authentication does not replace your master password. It's just a shortcut to allow you to sign in to your account in desktop browsers.

If you already use Bitwarden's desktop app, you may be aware that it lets you unlock the vault using Windows Hello and macOS Touch ID. The browser extension also supports these passwordless sign in options, but you need to have the vault unlocked in the desktop app for it to work. Similarly, the mobile apps support fingerprint unlock, and unlock with PIN code. The new authentication method extends the passwordless login experience by bringing in a secondary device into play.

The big question is, is this method safe to use? Bitwarden says that its passwordless authentication requests are encrypted before they leave your device (end-to-end encryption). The vault has to be unlocked in the mobile app, before you can approve the login request. According to a support page on the company's website, login requests expire after 15 minutes if they aren't approved or denied.

When you try using the new authentication method, the mobile app and the web vault will display a sentence with random words, this is your account's fingerprint phrase. It should match the one on your other device, i.e. you should see the same phrase on the web vault and the mobile app's login request page. This helps you ensure that the sign in attempt is secure. The mobile app also gives you some additional information such as the type of device used (though it just mentions the browser), the IP address where you tried logging in from, and the time when the request was made. It's worth noting that this passwordless login method does not support the official browser extensions currently, it only works with Bitwarden's cloud server.

The setting to approve login requests is not enabled by default in Bitwarden password manager's mobile app. (refer to step 2 and 3 below). If you don't want to use it, you can just ignore it. The company is recommending its mobile app's users to enable the Unlock with Biometrics option (for fingerprint scanners and Face ID), or unlock with PIN code for a faster experience (than entering the master password to unlock the vault.

How to use Bitwarden's passwordless authentication option

1. Open the Bitwarden mobile app on your Android device or iPhone.

2. Go to the Settings page and look for an option that is labeled "Approve Login Requests".

3. Enable the option by selecting "Yes".

4. Visit Bitwarden's web vault in your desktop's browser.

5. Enter your email address in the username field.

6. Instead of signing in with the master password, click the option that says "Log in with device".

Note: The page will display your fingerprint phrase.

7. You should see a push notification on your phone, tap on it to open the Bitwarden app, and unlock the vault.

8. The app will display a page that is captioned "Are you trying to log in?".  Check whether the fingerprint phrase matches the one on the browser page.

9. Tap the confirm login button, and the web vault should automatically sign you in to your Bitwarden account.

Tip: You may not see the Log in with device option on the web vault's sign in page. That's because the web vault hasn't synced your settings.  As a workaround for this, you may want to try manually syncing your vault from the mobile app. The next step is to log in to the web vault once using your Master Password. Log out of your account in the browser, and go to the sign-in page again. You should now see the button to Log in with device. I think this step is required because of the two-factor authentication (2FA) system that's in place.

The latest version of Bitwarden password manager is 2022.11.0. You can download the Android app from the Google Play Store, GitHub and the iOS app from the App Store.

Thought's about Bitwarden's passwordless sign in method

Bitwarden's passwordless sign in system is quite convenient, but it is a tad slow, at least on my device. It takes a couple of seconds for the approve login page to appear after tapping on the notification. The announcement article states that users will need to enter their 2FA code after approving the login. I couldn't test this since the "login with device" option didn't appear for me without signing in with the master password. Since I had to input the 2FA code then, the credentials were already stored in the browser's cookies, that's why the passwordless authentication didn't prompt me to enter the 2FA code.

But, I think the 2FA step after approving the login maybe unnecessary. Think about it, your mobile app's vault needs to be unlocked to approve the login request, which is not possible without knowing the master password, or the PIN code, or the fingerprint ID. So there is already a second layer of security in place, why bother with a third one? It only slows down the process, especially if you use a third-party app for the TOTP codes.

I think Steam's passwordless sign in method is slightly better than this because Valve's mobile app lets you log in without entering the username and password, by scanning a QR code through the Steam mobile app. It cuts 2 steps: you don't need to enter the username, or wait for the push notification and tap on it. The Steam app also displays the location of the login attempt on the map, which is an added bonus. I recommend enabling the biometric authentication from the Steam Guard settings to protect your app from unauthorized usage.

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Unlike Apple's flagship iPhones and their annual update, a new iPhone SE model doesn't arrive with anything close to regularity. After the original iPhone SE debuted in 2016, we had to wait four years for a sequel. The current model, the iPhone SE 2022, came out just two years later, with Apple likely speeding up its release to get a 5G version of its budget phone out on the market.

The wait for an iPhone SE 4 could be even shorter. Current rumors suggest Apple has a new version of the phone in the works, with a spring 2023 arrival a definite possibility.

Rolling out an iPhone SE a year after the last version of the phone arrived would be a departure from Apple's usual phone release strategy. But it would clearly be the right move. Here's why Apple would be wise to boost the frequency of its iPhone SE updates.

The midrange phone market is more competitive than ever

Apple may have been content to space out new versions of its budget phone every two years or more, but rival device makers aren't following suit. Google has released new Pixel A series phones every year since 2019, and Samsung rolls out annual updates to its midrange Galaxy A lineup.

 Pixel 6a (right) and iPhone SE 2022 (left) (Image credit: Tom's Guiide)

Even more significantly, these phones are really good. I wrote a while back that 2022 has been a banner year for midrange phones, the latest iPhone SE included. But as good as that phone is, it's not the best cheap phone. The Pixel 6a claims the crown, and the Galaxy A53 isn't that far behind.

That presents a dilemma for Apple. Google and Samsung almost assuredly have Pixel 6a and Galaxy A53 successors in the works. Unless Apple does, too, with an even newer iPhone SE, it runs the risk of falling further behind whatever its rivals roll out in the interim between the iPhone SE 2022 and whenever the next budget Apple phone appears.

The iPhone SE looks dated

Even if the iPhone SE didn't have to worry about inexpensive Android models stealing its thunder — and you could make the case that Apple needn't concern itself with what Android phone makers are doing — you'd have to concede that the latest SE does not offer a cutting-edge look. 

The current model draws its inspiration from the iPhone 8, a phone that was last fresh and new five years ago. That means instead of an edge-to-edge display like you find on the current iPhone flagships, you get chunky bezels, particularly below the screen so that the iPhone SE can include a mostly obsolete Touch ID button.

 (Image credit: Jon Prosser/Ian Zelbo)

Surely, by now, it's time for the iPhone SE to adopt the notch display Apple introduced with the iPhone X. Yes, that look is going out of favor, too, as all of next year's iPhone 15 models are tipped to get the Dynamic Island feature introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro this fall. But adopting a notched display would at least keep the iPhone SE within touching distance of the current iPhone design.

We have good news on that front, at least. iPhone SE 4 rumors indicate Apple is going to replace the current iPhone 8-esque look with something more reminiscent of the iPhone 11. That's definitely a step in the right direction, and it's a step Apple should take right now.

Key iPhone features are missing from the SE

We get that a lower-cost iPhone is going to involve some sacrifices. Maybe Apple sticks with an LCD panel instead of an OLED screen, and we'd imagine additional camera lenses beyond the single 12MP shooter on the back of the current SE are a non-starter if Apple is to keep costs on this phone down. But we can't imagine any justification for continuing to leave a night mode out of the iPhone SE's repertoire.

There's certainly no technical limitation for the lack of low-light photo support on the iPhone SE. The phone may have a single rear camera, but it's also got a fairly recent processor in the form of the A15 Bionic. That should be enough to handle the post-processing needed to call out color and details in night shots.

What's more, the Pixel 6a offers a night mode, and the ability to take good photos when the lights are low is one of the major reasons Google's phone finished ahead in our Pixel 6a vs. iPhone SE face-off. Apple's going to have to address that shortcoming if it wants to keep the iPhone SE among the more compelling low-cost options for best camera phones.

iPhone 20220 users may be ready to upgrade

It used to be that people switched phones every two years, though that was in the early days of smartphones when there were more advances from one year to the next and phone carriers in the U.S. were willing to subsidize the cost of your handset.

As phone prices have gone up and the pace of new features has leveled off, people are holding on to their phones longer — sometimes three years, sometimes more.

People who bought the iPhone SE 2020 two years ago may not have been ready for the 2022 model, especially since it looked so similar to their current phone and only really added 5G compatibility and a faster processor. Having squeezed another year of life out of their current phone, iPhone SE owners might be ready to upgrade to a new model in 2023 — especially if the SE adopts a different design and adds more compelling features like night mode.

iPhone SE 4 outlook

It's unclear at this point when we'll see the next SE version, with at least one analyst pointing to 2024 as a possible target. If so, that would be a mistake on Apple's part. With a healthy segment of consumers balking at paying flagship prices for phones, device makers are getting more clever with their midrange models. Waiting too long for an iPhone SE successor risks Apple getting frozen out of this potential market.

It's unclear what Apple's going to call its next phone — iPhone SE 4, iPhone SE 2023 or even iPhone SE Plus. But whatever the name, it's a device that needs to arrive sooner rather than later.

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The backs of the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

A new pricing cheat sheet provided by Apple.

Apple unveiled the most sweeping change yet to the App Store pricing model it applies to all apps submitted to its app stores on Tuesday. In the new system, app developers will have substantially more control over how they price their apps.

Apple's App Store has a history of offering relatively limited price point options to app and game developers. With the new policies, the minimum app price has dropped from $0.99 to $0.29, and the maximum has risen from $1,000 to $10,000. Prices can include $0.10, $0.50, $1, $5, $10, and $100. Supported conventions include X.99, X.00, X.90, and X.95.

Here's Apple's specific wording:

Under the updated App Store pricing system, all developers will have the ability to select from 900 price points, which is nearly 10 times the number of price points previously available for most apps. This includes 600 new price points to choose from, with an additional 100 higher price points available upon request. To provide developers around the world with even more flexibility, price points—which will start as low as $0.29 and, upon request, go up to $10,000—will offer an enhanced selection of price points, increasing incrementally across price ranges (for example, every $0.10 up to $10; every $0.50 between $10 and $50; etc.). See the table below for details.

The prices can be set on a per-country basis. This allows developers to respond to inflation and shifts in exchange rates. Developers can set a base price for a storefront and currency they know well, and they will see autogenerated suggestions for prices for other regions and currencies—which they can either accept or replace with their own chosen prices.

Apps that offer auto-renewable subscriptions will be able to leverage these changes starting today. Developers of apps that don't have subscriptions will have to wait until an unspecified date in the spring of 2023.

Before now, most changes to the App Store's pricing system were additions of new types of charges, whether expanded in-app purchases or subscription models. Beyond those additions, this is the most substantial change to the App Store's pricing model and policies since it launched.

Several forces paved the way or contributed to this change. In 2021, Apple agreed to loosen pricing restrictions in the wake of a class-action suit by a coalition of third-party developers. More broadly, the company has faced intense regulatory scrutiny by lawmakers and public criticism by developers. Like many other recent App Store policy changes, this shift may be an attempt to preempt future crackdowns.

The changes have also been made to help Apple and the developers in its ecosystem grapple with a recent volatile economic landscape, with higher-than-usual inflation and exchange rate fluctuations. It's also possible that Apple is introducing these new prices to prepare for new types of content, tools, and experiences that may be sold for its upcoming mixed reality headset, which will likely launch in 2023.

Listing image by Samuel Axon

Apple announces sweeping changes to App Store pricing

The official SwiftKey changelog in the App Store does not tell much about the latest update. Vishnu Nath, Microsoft's VP and GM of OneNote, has revealed on his Twitter account that the update aims at fixing problems with signing in SwiftKey with a Microsoft Account, so those returning to the popular keyboard on iOS can once again use their Microsoft Accounts and all the benefits they provide.

With one of the main bugs in the resurrected SwiftKey for iOS fixed, all eyes are now set on Microsoft and its promise to start "investing heavily" into SwiftKey on mobile platforms. Windows Phone's software keyboard was arguably the best in class, so it is interesting to see if Microsoft can deliver a better or comparable alternative for iOS and Android users.

You can download SwiftKey for free from the App Store and Google Play Store.

Do you use SwiftKey on Android or iOS? Are you excited about Microsoft plans to improve the keyboard with new features? Let us know in the comments.

Microsoft fixes sign-in issues in SwiftKey for iOS

Pixel 7 gets 500MB update including “clear calling,” lots of bug fixes

This month’s update addresses 45 vulnerabilities in core Android components with patch level 2022-12-01, and another 36 vulnerabilities impacting third-party components addressed in patch level 2022-12-05.

The four critical-severity vulnerabilities addressed in this month’s update are:

• CVE-2022-20472 – Remote code execution flaw in Android Framework, impacting Android versions 10 to 13.
• CVE-2022-20473 – Remote code execution flaw in Android Framework, impacting Android versions 10 to 13.
• CVE-2022-20411 – Remote code execution flaw in Android System, impacting Android versions 10 to 13.
• CVE-2022-20498 – Information disclosure flaw in Android System, impacting Android versions 10 to 13.

The rest of the fixed vulnerabilities involve elevation of privileges (EoP), remote code execution, information disclosure, and denial of service problems.

The high-severity EoP flaws are typically exploited by malware sneaking into a device via a low-privilege pathway, such as installing malicious software masquerading as an innocuous app.

That said, applying the available update as soon as it becomes available for your device is crucial, even if none of the flaws are currently reported as actively exploited.

If your device no longer receives monthly Android security updates or uses Android 9 or older, you are officially out of support.

In these cases, you are advised to upgrade to a newer device or install a custom ROM based on a later Android version, like LineageOS.

Owners of Google Pixel devices have also received an important security update this month, which addresses a total of 16 critical-severity flaws in various components.

These critical vulnerabilities enable attackers to elevate privileges or information disclosure on the target devices.

More details on the Pixel December 2022 update can be found on the dedicated security bulletin for Google’s own smartphone range.

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Further evidence of the iPhone 15 Ultra's alleged titanium-clad sides seems to have emerged, teasing a stronger, lighter Apple smartphone. 

An image shared by Setsuna Digital(opens in new tab) and posted on Twitter by ShrimpApplePro(opens in new tab) claims to show an extreme close-up shot of the rumored super-powered iPhone's titanium frame. This isn't the first hint we've heard of a titanium iPhone 15, so it's exciting to see the rumor take another step toward potentially being true.

Adding a titanium option for the iPhone wouldn't be unprecedented for Apple, since it already offers the Apple Watch Ultra exclusively in titanium. This is a quite expensive wearable though starting at $799 is about twice the price of the regular Apple Watch 8. If Apple did use titanium on the iPhone, we'd hope it wouldn't have such a big impact on its price compared to other models.

However, it's worth keeping in mind that rumors of a part-titanium iPhone have circulated for previous iPhone generations already. The rumors at least paint the picture that Apple's considering adding titanium to its phones, but we should be prepared for Apple deciding to hold off for another year.

There's more rumored for the iPhone 15 Ultra than just a luxurious build quality. This model, which could replace the Pro Max variant of the phone, may feature a periscope telephoto camera for more powerful zoom shots, dual front cameras and other big design updates like solid-state buttons and a curved back. It'll also apparently join the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro in getting USB-C ports, replacing Lightning after ten years of use on Apple's iPhones and iPads.

Whatever Apple has in store for the world with the next iPhone, we're still a long way off of seeing it. We'll keep you updated with the rumors as they emerge. But nothing will be certain until Apple's official event, likely in the second week of September as has now effectively become a tradition.

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Apple's plans to move more of its supply chain away from China comes after protests in the country over the past two weeks due to Beijing's strict zero-Covid policy. In November, the tech giant warned that iPhone shipments would be delayed because of lockdowns in China. As a result, analysts have been reducing their iPhone manufacturing estimates for the crucial holiday quarter.

Apple began manufacturing iPhones in India in 2017, starting with the iPhone SE. In 2020, the company started producing the iPhone 11 in India, marking the first time that a high-end iPhone was being produced in the country. Another milestone was reached in 2022 when Foxconn India started making the iPhone 14, which was the first time that a new iPhone model was manufactured in the country in the same calendar year as its launch.

However, sources warn that the lack of highly skilled talent and individuals with expertise in building complex devices like the iPad could hinder these plans in India. The current foreign policy climate is also not conducive to the move, with tensions between India and China increasing. The two countries have been involved in territorial disputes in recent years, leading to an escalated military presence at the India-China border.

In addition to producing current-generation iPhones with Foxconn in India, Apple also diversified its portfolio of contract manufacturers in the country by outsourcing some orders to Pegatron and Wistron in the country.

Meanwhile, Foxconn is planning to quadruple its workforce in India to address future iPhone shortage. Reuters reports that JP Morgan estimates Apple will move almost 25% of iPhone production to India by 2025. As for the iPad and Apple Watch, Vietnam is expected to receive 20% of the net production volume. The company is also considering Malaysia and the US as potential production sites.

Source: CNBC via WSJ

Apple is reportedly shifting some of its iPad production to India

Here is what is new for the original Surface Duo:

• Charging finally works under Windows! This is a first version of the charging stack, as a result a few things are currently limited. The charging input is limited to low current for safety measures while work is ongoing.

• Adds a driver for the Qualcomm SMB1380 Secondary Charger.

• Adds a driver for the Qualcomm PM8150B Fuel Gauge and Primary Charger.

• Enables Content Adaptive Brightness Level.

• Adds support for Duo's Pedometer Sensor.

• Adds support for Duo's Light Fusion Sensor.

• The new Tablet Posture experience is now enabled for Surface Duo by default. Expect a more tablet optimized taskbar, bigger hit targets in Microsoft Edge/File Explorer, and more.

• Addresses a few issues with duplicated sensors.

• Enables smooth brightness control for both panels.

• Addresses an issue preventing USB Function Mode from working. This issue mainly affected USB File Transfers using a computer.

• Updates Surface Duo firmware to the latest Android OTA release of November

• Long forgotten bug fixes & enhancements.

• Call provisioning is work in progress, if calls do not work for you at the moment, you may need to provision the call functionality manually. (Same as on Lumia 950s).

   

And now to the Surface Duo 2, which currently features much more limited Windows support compared to its predecessor:

• Addresses an issue preventing USB Function Mode from working. This issue mainly affected USB File Transfers using a computer.

• Updates Surface Duo 2 firmware to the latest Android OTA release of November.

• Call provisioning is work in progress, if calls do not work for you at the moment, you may need to provision the call functionality manually. (Same as on Lumia 950s).

   

It is worth noting that getting Surface Duo's sensors to work under new drivers on Windows 11 requires sensor calibration (follow the steps published on GitHub) and updating the UEFI to version 2212.12 or higher. Also, mind the following known issues:

• Automatic Orientation only works for the left panel, using the right panel orientation sensor.
• USB Dongles that are not externally powered may not currently work.
• USB C Billboard devices will not currently work.
• External Display Stream support will not currently work.
• Additional information provided by the posture sensor is currently not available for. public consumption, this includes peek events.
• Digitizers will not react to the device being folded over.
• Displays will not react to the device being folded over most of the time.
• Physical device data is incorrect.
• Digitizers aren't calibrated correctly.

You can track the progress of the project on GitHub, where Gustave has published all the features working and not. Swapping Android with Windows on Surface Duo smartphones is a complicated process, so we recommend waiting for more user-friendly methods and guides if you cannot afford to brick your dual-screen smartphone. Luckily, the original Surface Duo is available for only $314, and you might want to consider buying one to see how well the smartphone runs 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.

New drivers for Surface Duo on Windows add charging, new sensors support, and more

I love Pixel phones — regularly considering them among the best Android phones — even with their yearly issues. Part of that comes down to the software. Google, which makes Android, has created a suite of useful features and additions to the base system that make handsets like the Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel 6a true devices of utility.

But as much as I like Pixels and their software, Google is lacking in one key area, and it's one that makes no sense to me. The company only promises three years of Android updates, even though it writes the code for the OS and controls the hardware from the Pixel 6 onward.

I find that unacceptable given Samsung's update policy. And even OnePlus has joined in, also offering four years of platform updates. Google should be leading the pack, not trailing its competitors.

Pixels should be Android's iPhone equivalent

The Pixel devices, and the Nexus ones before them, have long presented the promise of an Android equivalent to the iPhone. They get updates as soon as Google releases them (in most cases) and they have the core functionality that Google thinks is best for the OS.

(Image credit: Future)

But that promise has not fully realized itself yet. One area where Apple absolutely dominates its Android competition is in how long it supports its iPhones. Those handsets can go for years, five or more, even if they can't use all of the latest software features. (The iPhone 7, released in 2016, made it to iOS 15 before hitting end-of-life.)

Pixels, comparatively, go for three years of Android updates. So the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, released not all that long ago in 2019, will no longer get updates after Android 13. The iPhone 11, launched in the same year, just got iOS 16 and it'll likely see iOS 17 and beyond.

Now that Google uses its own Tensor chipset in Pixels, I see no excuse while the Pixel 6 and newer can't get five years of platform updates. Or even longer than that!

With inflation rapidly rising and people having less disposable income, it would make sense to ensure that your devices go longer for good will and brand loyalty. I've seen and heard several people express both of those for Samsung since it announced its new update policy.

Lagging behind Samsung and even OnePlus

Which brings us back to the Android sphere. In February, Samsung announced that it would offer four years of platform updates and five years of security patches for its portfolio, even including the more budget-friendly Galaxy A series. In this space, that was unprecedented, making Samsung devices some of the best values as far as support.

OnePlus just followed suit a few days ago, promising the same four-year/five-year commitment for "select" phones going forward. (You can read my thoughts on that shifty policy if you'd like.) OnePlus, which hasn't been great about updates for a long time, is now outmatching Google for long-term support.

At this rate, Motorola will catch up, and that would be just embarrassing.

Google has remained mysteriously silent since Samsung's announcement, ignoring it outright when it announced the Pixel 7 series. In fact, the company only highlighted five years of security patches, not how many years of Android updates. It immediately made me suspicious, and the news that came out afterward proved me right.

There has to be an answer coming. At this rate, Motorola will catch up, and that would be just embarrassing.

Pixel updates outlook

I find that Pixels are left in an awkward spot. Google may lead the Android pack on things like cameras and useful software features like Call Suite, but two of its biggest competitors in the U.S. and beyond outmatch it with their update policies.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Like I said, I love Pixels. The Pixel 7 Pro is easily one of my favorite phones of all time, even if I use an iPhone 14 Pro as a daily driver.

But when I had to tell my sister-in-law and her husband that their Pixel 4s would no longer receive Android updates, with just another year of security patches, I could see their disappointment. I told them their options were, if they wanted the most up-to-date device for the longest period of time, to flash GrapheneOS on their current phones or go with Samsung.

Google can — and should! — absolutely do better than this. Pixels should spearhead a new trail for Android update support. I want to see a four-year promise at minimum, but five years or more would really help Pixels stand out.

Will that ever happen? I don't know. The ball's in Google's court now. We'll see how they toss it.

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Here’s the summary of all the features included in this announcement.

Exclusive Pixel 7 and 7 Pro features

• During the Pixel 7 series launch, Google said that folks buying the new devices would get access to a VPN included in Google One subscriptions at no cost. With the latest update, that feature will become available to the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro owners.
• If you are a user of the company’s latest flagship phone, Google is also introducing its clear calling feature. It will reduce background noise and enhance your voice so the person on the other side of the call can hear you better.

Image Credits: Google

 

• The latest update brings speaker labels to the Recorder app that will automatically assign labels to multiple people in the recording. What’s more, the app will introduce a line break whenever the speaker changes in transcriptions. Journalists and interviewers will be pretty happy with this feature. Professional transcription tools like Otter.ai offers this service, but it’s a good feature to have on your phone. Hopefully, Google introduces this feature to other Pixel devices too.

Image Credits: Google

Features for all Pixel phones

• Google is introducing a new hub so that you can easily access your privacy and security settings. It includes shortcuts to the app security feature, screen lock settings, Find My Device and Google Security Checkup. The hub will show you action cards if any of your accounts are at risk and suggest steps to bolster security for them.

Image Credits: Google

 

• The update has a bunch of new wallpapers to celebrate the International Day of People with Disabilities.
• Pixel devices are finally getting a Spatial Audio update if you pair your phone with the Pixel Buds Pro. Google says this pairing enables head tracking for an immersive experience. But you’ll have to wait until January to get it.

Pixel Watch updates

• Pixel Watch owners are getting a Fitbit Premium feature even if they are not Fitbit Premium subscribers: Sleep Profiles. This function tracks 10 different things like sleep duration, disruptions and bedtime consistency to analyze your sleep. It also assigns you a cute animal based on your sleep patterns if you wore the Pixel Watch for 14 nights in November.

Image Credits: Google

 

• Google’s new Watch is also getting Tiles for weather and favorite contacts — Tiles are widget-like screens that give you information at a glance. These Tiles were also a part of the company’s December feature release for Android.
• The search giant has also promised that the Pixel Watch will get a fall detection feature next year. Once triggered, the watch will contact emergency services if it detects that you are unresponsive. Notably, the Apple Watch has had this feature since the Series 4 model.

These features will roll out to the Pixel watch and Pixel phones (for Pixel 4a and above) through over-the-air updates starting today.

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A stranded man in Alaska was rescued after using Apple’s new Emergency SOS satellite feature to contact emergency services.

According to Alaska State Troopers(Opens in a new window) on Dec. 1, at 2:00 am (AST), rescue services were notified that an adult male traveling via snowmachine from the remote town of Noorvik to Kotzebue had activated an Emergency SOS via satellite on his iPhone after becoming stranded. The area did not have Wi-Fi or cellular coverage.

The Apple Emergency Response Center provided Troopers and the Northwest Arctic Borough Search and Rescue Coordinator with the GPS coordinates of the stranded man, and four volunteer searchers located and transported him to Kotzebue. No injuries were reported, according to Troopers.

A spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Public Safety told(Opens in a new window) Insider that search and rescue teams were dispatched at 3:30 am and the stranded man was taken to Kotzebue at 6 am. According to Insider, the man did not have another form of satellite communication and was wearing “appropriate clothing” and had “fire-starting supplies.”

In a public statement, Troopers who saved the man said they “were thoroughly impressed with the accuracy and completeness of information included in the initial alert.”

The news comes just weeks after Apple announced(Opens in a new window) the launch of the Emergency SOS satellite feature for iPhone 14 users in the US (except Guam or American Samoa) and Canada. The safety service allows users to message emergency services outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage.

The feature also enables iPhone 14 owners to share their location via satellite with friends and family using the Find My app. Owners of every model in the iPhone 14 lineup can use the feature. It’s due to roll out to certain European markets including the UK, Germany, France, and Ireland sometime this month.

The satellite connection can be maintained even if your phone screen is locked but it might suffer when around hills, mountains, canyons, and tall structures or even when around dense foliage. Apple notes(Opens in a new window) that a message sent using the satellite feature can take 15 seconds to send in ideal conditions with a direct view of the sky, and over a minute to send under trees with light or medium foliage.

Latitude can also affect the connection. Apple has said that being in places above 62 degrees latitude can make it harder for the feature to work. This can be taken with a grain of salt however as Noorvik and Kotzebue are close to 69 degrees latitude.

Apple has said that Emergency SOS is free for two years after the activation of iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Pro but has not stated whether there are plans to bring in charges going forward.

You can test the Satellite feature without alerting rescue services through the settings menu on your iPhone 14.

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Microsoft is developing a picture-in-picture (PiP) mode capability for Teams for iOS devices. The aim is to let users multitask while a Teams meeting is going on. As described by Microsoft, you can see your meetings in an adjustable window to make room for other apps on your iPad or iPhone devices. The feature is already available for Teams users on Android. Similar functionality is also available on Zoom, but it has a fancy name — "Floating thumbnail window."

A picture-in-picture mode is essentially a mini-window view, which you can collapse and expand as per the requirement. Although Microsoft has not explained the functionality in great detail, users should be able to mute/unmute themselves and turn on/off video while in the PiP mode. We will have to wait a few more days to find out how exactly the feature functions.

According to Microsoft 365 Roadmap page, Microsoft is planning to add PiP support to iOS devices this month. However, as is the case with every feature listed on the roadmap page, it has no details on its exact release date. While Teams users on iOS devices will not mind waiting, there is always a possibility that Microsoft will delay it to January or beyond.

If you are using Teams on iPad or iPhone, let us know if PiP mode will be useful for you.

Microsoft Teams to soon add Zoom's 'Floating thumbnail window' to iOS devices

Elon Musk appears to reconcile with Apple after Twitter tirade

"Apple has sort of singled themselves out as the only company that is trying to control unilaterally what apps get on a device.

I don’t think that’s a sustainable or good place to be."

Zuckerberg added that he sees Apple as one of their big competitors.

"There is a conflict of interest there and it makes them not just a kind of governor that is looking out for the best of, of people's interests. I think they also have a lot of their own strategic interests, which makes it very challenging."

Zuckerberg praised Google's approach, on the other hand, which allowed users to sideload an application if they want, even though Google has made that process slightly trickier now.

"They’ve always made it so you can sideload and have other app stores and work directly with phone manufacturers. That’s also been our commitment in how we built up our VR and what we plan to do with our AR headsets."

Last week, Elon Musk had also expressed his concerns over the App Store. He wasn't happy about it either since Apple forces app developers to pay from 15 to 30 percent fees from all in-app purchases, including for subscriptions like Twitter Blue.

Zuckerberg said that Elon Musk's approach towards fighting over App Store policies is rather interesting.

"It’s going to be very interesting to see how this plays out in terms of the approaches he’s taking. I would guess that not everything is going to work, but I think some things might work."

Over content moderation, the Meta CEO believes that they or their company doesn't want to primarily make the decisions.

"I tend to think that I don’t want one person or one company making those decisions, which is why we pioneered this oversight board for our content decisions. People have a vehicle that they can appeal to outside of us."

Apple's App Store Tracking Transparency has already hurt advertising revenue on Facebook by up to 50%. The policy, which was introduced with iOS 14, allowed users to stop Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) from tracking their data for advertisement purposes, which was Facebook's bread and butter.

Source: New York Times

Mark Zuckerberg sides with Elon Musk over Apple App Store fees controversy

Google customers win class-action status in lawsuit over app store prices

Gustave Monce (@gus33000), a developer who made it possible to run Windows 11 on the first and second-gen Surface Duo, uncovered traces of the "Surface Insider Program" while going through the device's software guts. As of now, you cannot sign up for the Surface Insider Program—the feature hides behind "two mechanisms" that ensure only those approved by Microsoft can get inside.

Besides providing early software updates, Surface Insider allows testers to toggle on and off specific "flags" that manage certain capabilities, similar to how we enable some cool hidden features in Microsoft Edge and Windows 11. Finally, Gustave says the program features a flyout for selecting a "ring," which could work like channels in Windows Insider.

A cherry on top of all these findings is an app for testing devices' sensors, and it features a fantastic icon for the tilt-to-wake feature.

He He!

There is no information on when Microsoft plans to unveil the program to the public (if ever). Zac Bowden from Windows Central says the Surface Insider Program "has been on the to-do list for the Duo team for many months." Perhaps Surface Duo users need to wait a few more months to start testing software updates for their dual-screen smartphones.

Microsoft reportedly preparing Insider Program for Surface Duo

As 2022 comes to a close, the iPhone 15 rumors are starting to ramp up. And we're now getting word that Apple could address an ongoing issue with its iPhone cameras. 

A new rumor from Nikkei(opens in new tab) (via AppleInsider(opens in new tab)) claims that Apple will work with Sony on the iPhone 15's camera. The Cupertino phone maker will reportedly use Sony's new "state-of-the-art" image sensor instead of a Samsung sensor. This new part from Sony will supposedly drastically overhaul how the iPhone 15 processes exposure control.

Apple + Sony = Super iPhone 15 Camera

The report from Nikkei says the following, "Sony's new image sensor roughly doubles the saturation signal level in each pixel compared with conventional sensors. In other words, the sensors can capture more light and reduce overexposure or underexposure in certain settings, enabling a smartphone camera to clearly photograph a person's face even if the subject is standing against a strong backlight."

The iPhone 15 could address some of the iPhone's historical exposure weaknesses.

Sony has supposedly accomplished this by placing the photodiodes and transistors in separate substrate layers, changing up the semiconductor design from what we have now. With this new methodology, Sony can add more photodiodes to the layer, allowing it to achieve that double saturation signal level. 

No more overexposed shots?

If that's all a bunch of gibberish to you, don't worry. It basically means that the iPhone 15 could address some of the iPhone's historical exposure weaknesses. While the iPhones regularly rank among the best camera phones, we have found that they tend to struggle with exposure control in some extreme situations. (Whereas Google tends to do a lot better.)

iPhone 14 Pro Max

Pixel 7 Pro

The above comparison from our iPhone 14 Pro Max vs. Pixel 7 Pro camera shootout is a good example. The subject's face in the iPhone 14's shot is a bit blown out, while the Pixel 7 Pro handles the sunlight better.

iPhone 14 Pro Max

Pixel 7 Pro

Here's another example of the iPhone 14 Pro's less-than-ideal exposure compared to the Pixel 7 Pro. In this case, the Pixel 7 Pro does a better job exposing the bottom of each lamp, while the iPhone's picture loses detail, not to mention that it's too dark. So it's underexposed this time even though the lights themselves are brighter.

What the new Sony sensor could mean for your photos

If the iPhone 15 uses this new Sony sensor, it could, for example, equal some incredible and artistic portraits. Imagine having your subject with a bright background, but your iPhone can still accurately capture their face and complexion. So you could achieve the halo effect without losing out on the subject's detail. We're already excited at the possibilities this upgrade could offer.

Nikkei's report does not specify whether this would be an upgrade for the whole iPhone 15 series or if it would be a Pro feature only. Our money, sadly, is on the latter based on Apple's strategy with the iPhone 14 Pro.

Other rumored iPhone 15 upgrades

As for other iPhone 15 rumors, it's almost guaranteed that Apple will finally switch to USB-C for the charging port after an EU ruling mandating that all smartphones need to use the standard. Other rumors suggest that Apple will do away with physical buttons, going with haptic ones instead (similar to the home button switch on the iPhone 7). 

Other people have said that the iPhone 15 Pro could get a periscope camera to improve zoom photography, helping it catch up to Samsung and Google — trust us, Apple has a long road ahead to match the Galaxy S22 Ultra and Pixel 7 Pro on telephoto performance.

Apple typically opts for a mid-September announcement date for iPhones, so be ready to wait a long time. However, in the months leading up to September, we expect to see a lot more rumors and leaks pop up. Be sure to check our iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Ultra hubs frequently to stay up-to-date on the latest news.

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After install, you’re presented with four slots in which you can add your favourite apps. If you need more or less choice than this, you can long press the wallpaper and change the number of favourites to anything from zero to eight – I have six apps pinned at the time of writing, a few messaging apps and a few side-hustle apps I like to check to earn a bit of pocket money.

As it’s a minimalistic launcher, the notification bar fades away, so you don’t get distracted, but you can easily see any notifications that have come through by swiping down to open the full notifications interface. Swiping up will show all the installed apps as a long list, unlike other minimalistic launchers, Olauncher does something pretty special.

When you swipe up, you’re presented with your keyboard to start searching for the app you want to open. To save time, the launcher will open up your desired app mid-way through typing as soon as it becomes the only option in your app list. For example, if I want to open Facebook, I just type f-a-c and the launcher starts launching Facebook as there are no other apps on my device beginning with ‘fac’.

As mentioned earlier, the launcher comes with a limited number of spaces on the home screen for your apps. To save you two slots, there are home screen shortcuts to open the camera and phone. Swiping left to right will open up the phone app, while swiping in the other direction will open up your camera. I haven’t found myself invoking either of these shortcuts accidentally just yet, so that’s promising.

Earlier today, I was reading more about the app in the Play Store and discovered that it has a hidden apps feature. While other users of the launcher will probably know about it, people who don’t use it will never have a clue where to look for your secret apps! To hide an app, you just go to your app list and long press. You’ll see an option to hide it, tapping this will remove it from your app list. To see your hidden apps, you have to long press on the home screen and at the top of the settings menu tap the title ‘Olauncher’, this will show you any hidden apps if there are any.

Speaking of the settings menu, here you can enable features like show the status bar, change the wallpaper daily, and alter the position of your favourites app list. There is also an option to view the Olauncher public roadmap. On the roadmap page, the developer of Olauncher says that adding new features isn’t too difficult, but ensuring everything works across all device form factors is what takes time to get right. Hopefully, this thoughtful approach ensures Olauncher remains a great launcher.

From a development perspective, Olauncher is also good because it’s open source. If you’re a new coder and want to contribute to build your coding experience you’re free to contribute to this project, and if you want to make your own launcher you can fork the Olauncher project and get to work. Its open source nature also means that it’s available to download on the F-Droid app store as well as the Google Play Store – this makes it easier to download and install if your device is missing the Google Play Store.

Olauncher is pretty minimalist, so it’s probably going to appeal more to people who prefer a spartan interface. That said, the experience overall is very good and that could expand its appeal to a wider audience. I have the daily wallpaper option setting enabled on my phone and find that the wallpaper choices are pretty good and make excellent use of all the free space on the home screen, making the device generally nice to look at.

If you do try it out, setup shouldn’t take too long, you just go through the prompts to make it your default launcher and choose your favourite apps, and you’re good to go. Unless I discover something truly annoying in this launcher, I would probably say that it's my favourite launcher on Android.

Gallery: Olauncher

Hands-on: Olauncher is possibly the best launcher on Android today

Pedram Rezaei (@pedram_re), Microsoft Maps & Local Services Division CTO, revealed on their Twitter account that the company decided to restore SwiftKey for iOS "with popular demand." Moreover, the company is now "investing heavily in the keyboard," and users can stay tuned for exciting future changes.

There are no further details on what that "heavy investing" means, so we can only guess what Microsoft plans to do with its resurrected AI keyboard for iOS and Android. Microsoft's representatives promise some "very exciting" changes.

SwiftKey became part of Microsoft in 2016 when the software giant bought the company for $250 million. SwiftKey for iOS spent last year with zero updates, but now, with the project back in the App Store, you can expect it to start receiving frequent updates with new features and improvements.

You can download SwiftKey for iOS from the App Store, and the Android version is available from the Google Play Store.

Microsoft's SwiftKey for iOS is back from the grave

Apple took its sweet time adding an always-on display feature to its phones, introducing it to the iPhone 14 models with this year's iOS 16 update. However, not everyone liked Apple's approach to always-on displays, which have been a mainstay of Android phones for some time.

If you think the always-on display on your iPhone 14 Pro is too busy, you're going to want to grab iOS 16.2 when the software update becomes available this month. A new version of the iOS 16.2 beta just landed with developers, and it gives users the options to turn off some of the features that appear on your screen when always-on mode is enabled.

Currently, the always-on feature for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro Max dims the phone's lock screen. The clock and lock-screen widgets you've added to the lock screen still appear, but so do your wallpaper plus any notifications that show up. That's a stark contrast to the way most Android phones present their always-on display, which features the clock and maybe a few other notifications or widgets.

The iOS 16.2 beta 3 update introduces a way for your iPhone to adopt Android's more minimal approach. You can now toggle off both the wallpaper and notifications for your always-on display, leaving just the time, data and widgets on a blackened screen.

You'll be able to access this feature by going into the Display and Brightness section of the Settings app. Select Always-on Display and you'll now see separate toggles for allowing the wallpaper and notifications to appear on the screen. They join an existing toggle that lets you turn off the iPhone 14 Pro's always-on display altogether.

Personally, I like Apple's different take on always-on displays, which I think helps them stand out from how Android phones implement the feature. I also appreciate how the always-on feature takes advantage of the iPhone 14 Pro's ProMotion display to scale all the way down to a 1Hz refresh rate so that the always-on feature doesn't come at the expense of your battery life. But I can understand why some people might feel Apple's approach was too much.

In addition to the change to the always-on display, iOS 16.2 introduces a new Freeform app for real-time collaboration across different Apple devices plus a Dynamic Island upgrade that will keep the Wi-Fi icon and signal bars in view on your iPhone 14 Pro screen when you play music. Additional changes include expanded ProMotion support, tweaks to Live Activities and a feature that brings weather-related news stories into the Weather app.

Apple watchers have tipped mid-December for the full release of iOS 16.2.

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