News: Mobile News

iFixit starts selling parts for the Google Pixel 6A

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 21:09:40 +0000

The right-to-repair specialists now stock genuine parts and bundles to handle the most common repairs to the Pixel 6A yourself.

Thanks to a partnership with Google, the right-to-repair champions at iFixit have begun stocking parts for Google’s midrange phone, the Pixel 6A. While iFixit has stocked genuine parts for just about all of Google’s Pixel phones since June, replacement parts for the Pixel 6A have only recently become available.

While you can purchase the parts you need piecemeal through its site, iFixit also offers kits that bundle all of the necessary parts and tools you’ll need to solve a specific issue. The most expensive kit, priced at $99.99, is meant to repair the screen, but other kits are also available to replace the battery ($39.99), wide-angle camera ($56.99), and ultrawide camera ($36.99). The tools and other supplies provided can vary depending on the kit you’ve purchased but largely mimic iFixit’s $19.99 10-piece iOpener tool kit.

iFixit doesn’t just provide the necessary tools and parts to repair all of your expensive technology but also provides detailed instructions on how to replace everything from your screen to the battery on your phone, laptop, or camera. While sending your device back to the manufacturer is usually an option if your device is still under warranty, sometimes fixing something yourself is the fastest (and cheapest) option. That’s saying nothing for the feeling of pride you get from solving a problem by yourself.

The kits featured on the iFixit site only represent the genuine replacement parts provided by Google and aren’t a comprehensive list of all the potential hardware issues your phone could have. iFixit provides teardown instructions to replace the 5G antenna, loudspeaker, and even the motherboard but currently doesn’t provide the necessary replacement parts.

I probably do more than the average amount of tinkering with my devices at home, but I can safely say that investing in an iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit was one of the wiser purchases I’ve ever made. In addition to including bits for every type of screw imaginable, the Pro Tech Toolkit comes packaged with everything you need to take a handheld device apart and put it all back together.

iFixit starts selling parts for the Google Pixel 6A

Apple reportedly wants to swap the ‘Hey Siri’ trigger phrase for just ‘Siri’

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 20:30:41 +0000

According to a report from Mark Gurman, Apple’s working on a way to shorten its voice assistant’s wake phrase to just ‘Siri.’

Apple’s looking to change Siri’s trigger phrase from “Hey Siri,” to just “Siri,” according to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. This means you would just need to say “Siri” followed by a command to activate the smart assistant.

As noted by Gurman, Apple’s been working on this feature for the past several months and is expected to roll it out next year or in 2024. But Apple will have to put in a “significant amount of AI training and underlying engineering work,” to get the feature to function properly, as the smart assistant will need to understand the single wake word in multiple accents and dialects. The current, two-word trigger phrase, “Hey Siri,” increases the chance of Siri picking up on it.

Switching to a single wake word could help Siri keep up with Amazon’s Alexa, as it already lets users activate the smart assistant using just “Alexa” instead of “Hey Alexa.” It would also put Siri one step ahead of Google Assistant, which requires the “Ok Google” or “Hey Google” phrases to activate it (although you don’t have to repeat the wake word when saying back-to-back commands). Even Microsoft made the shift from “Hey Cortana” to “Cortana” on smart speakers before shutting down the voice assistant last year.

The shorter trigger phrase isn’t the only change expected to come to Siri. According to Gurman, Apple could further integrate Siri into third-party apps and services, while also making some improvements to its ability to understand and process users’ requests. Apple recently made some small tweaks to the voice assistant, adding a new voice recorded by a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and introducing a new Siri activation sound.

Apple reportedly wants to swap the ‘Hey Siri’ trigger phrase for just ‘Siri’

Twitter brings $7.99 blue checkmark to latest iOS update

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 20:29:27 +0000

Twitter has pushed version 9.34.3 of its iOS client to the App Store. According to the release notes, users can buy Twitter Blue for $7.99 – this will give customers a blue checkmark “just like the celebrities, companies, and politicians you already follow.” It’s still early days for this method of acquiring a blue checkmark, so it’s no surprise that it’s only available in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, initially.

If you’ve been following Twitter coverage in recent days, you may have seen that buying Twitter Blue is also expected to give users some other perks. The other features, that are on their way, are as follows – this is taken from the release notes:

Coming soon…

Half the ads & much better ones: Since you’re supporting Twitter in the battle against the bots, we’re going to reward you with half the ads and make them twice as relevant.
Post longer videos: You’ll finally be able to post longer videos to Twitter.
Priority ranking for quality content: Your content will get priority ranking in replies, mentions and search. This helps lower the visibility of scams, spam, and bots.

It’s not clear if this update is only available for iOS users right now because the Play Store release notes on Android do not mention anything about Twitter Blue yet. It could be the case that the option to sign up and get a blue checkmark is being rolled out gradually to ensure nothing goes wrong with the implementation.

Aside from cross-platform availability, it’s not clear when the service will open up to the rest of the world. There are no indications of the company’s plans in the release notes.

Source: App Store

Twitter brings $7.99 blue checkmark to latest iOS update

EU passes new Digital Markets Act will force Apple to allow third-party stores and sideloading apps on iOS

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 20:00:15 +0000

In May 2022, we reported that the European Union will introduce a Digital Markets Act (DMA) that will force Apple to allow installation of iOS apps from third-party sources. The new law has now been passed by the EU.

New EU law allows installation of apps from third-party stores on iOS

The new antitrust law states that gatekeepers, i.e., controllers of large online platforms, (such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, etc) should allow the installation of software applications from third-parties. That means users can sideload iOS apps on their iPhone and iPad.

The DMA's new Act also mentions that users should be able to access these apps (read download) from other services than that of the gatekeeper, i.e., the App Store. So, we could see the rise of new app stores on iOS just like we have on Android and Windows such as Amazon's App Store, Google Play Store, Microsoft Store, F-Droid.

It doesn't end there, the law also requires gatekeepers to allow users to choose whether they want to set the downloaded app or the app store as their default choice. The gatekeeper will need to ensure that users can change the default app easily. Maybe the EU should take a look at Windows 11 too?

The law gives some leeway for gatekeepers for security reasons. If a gatekeeper finds that a third-party app or store endangers the integrity of the hardware or operating system, they will be allowed to take measures against such apps. This means Apple could block malicious apps and/or remove them automatically.

You can find the documentation about the new law on the EU's website. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, and click on the download button next to "Regulation on Digital markets act". It's a bit of a long read, the part about allowing installation of apps from third-party stores can be found under Article 6, section 4. The press release for the DMA is available here.

The DMA will move into the implementation phase from May 2, 2023. It requires potential gatekeepers to notify their core platform services to the European Commission by 3 July 2023. Once a gatekeeper has been designated, they will have to comply with the DMA's requirements by March 6, 2024.

iMessage interoperability

Article 7 of the new Digital Markets Act (linked above), states that a gatekeeper shall allow the basic functionalities of its number-independent interpersonal communications to be interoperable with that of third-party services.

So, this means iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, etc., will have to allow users to communicate across apps to send messages, and make voice calls and video calls. That should be interesting.

The EU has been on a roll lately, it passed a law in October to make USB Type-C the standard charging port on mobile phones. This brought an end to the lightning port on Apple's iPhones. The law will come into effect in 2024.

This new EU law could be a real game changer, Apple has always played the security card to defend its policy about the App Store, claiming that allowing apps from third-party sources could make iPhones vulnerable to security risks. This argument never really made sense, since Apple has always allowed users to sideload apps on macOS, somehow that's secure, but iOS isn't? The real reason why the Cupertino company didn't want to allow iOS apps from third-party sources is quite simple, it earns a sweet 30% commission from every single transaction that is made through the App Store.

This is something that has been criticized by many developers and companies, Epic Games lost a legal battle in a bid to find a solution for this problem. Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, has also been particularly vocal about App Store fees since it affected the revenue of the instant messenger's premium subscription. And, Apple also charges app developers an annual fee just to host their software on the App Store, even if an app is completely free. So, this is a big win for users and developers.

Source

Apple confirms it will leave Lightning behind in future iPhones

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 07:44:31 +0000

Apple exec signaled the company isn't happy about it, though.

An Apple executive publicly stated that the company plans to comply with a new European Union regulation that will require specific devices to have USB-C ports, confirming that the iPhone will soon adopt USB-C.

"Obviously, we'll have to comply," Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Greg Joswiak told attendees at The Wall Street Journal Tech Live conference on Tuesday. He took an air of resignation about it, noting that the company still disagrees with the regulation. "We think the approach would have been better environmentally and better for our customers to not have a government be that prescriptive," he said.

On Monday, the EU gave final approval to a long-under-consideration common charger law that will require all devices within specific categories—smartphones included—to standardize on USB-C. Most devices have already gone that way, including Apple's MacBook and iPad lines, but the iPhone line has stuck with Apple's proprietary Lightning connection.

The law would require iPhones to go in that direction by 2024. It applies to newly introduced products, not products that were introduced before it took effect, so in theory, Apple could keep selling older Lightning-equipped devices until they feel the products are otherwise no longer viable.

Those supporting the law argue that it will reduce e-waste and offer environmental benefits partly because users will be able to share cords and chargers between devices, and that it will be a boon for consumers who may feel frustrated with a confusing gadget landscape. Detractors have said that the regulation may stifle or prevent future innovation of new ports and technologies that might carry their own benefits for consumers and for the environment.

At first glance, it might seem obvious that Apple would have to adopt USB-C once the regulation takes effect, but for a time, there was rampant speculation and even some insider reporting that Apple might simply go port-free and depend on wireless charging and data transfer rather than adopt USB-C to replace Lightning. More recent reports suggested Apple will not skip USB-C for wireless, though.

Joswiak didn't clarify whether the company plans to only introduce USB-C iPhones in Europe, where it is required, while still introducing Lightning-equipped phones in the United States, or whether it will offer different versions in different regions.

Apple confirms it will leave Lightning behind in future iPhones

Apple could release a 16-inch iPad next year

Wed, 26 Oct 2022 20:26:50 +0000

A report from The Information suggests Apple’s working on an extra-large iPad

Apple may be readying an iPad with a larger 16-inch display, according to a report from The Information. Sources familiar with the situation told the outlet Apple could release the device in the fourth quarter of 2023, but this is subject to change.

While rumors about an iPad with a 14- to 15-inch screen have been floating around for some time now, this is the first we’ve heard of a 16-inch iPad. Apple tracker Mark Gurman mentioned a 14- to 15-inch iPad back in 2021, and he recently said a larger model could launch in the next year or two. Supply chain analyst Ross Young backed up this prediction in June and said we could see a 14.1-inch iPad Pro with Mini LEDs and a ProMotion display as soon as next year.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is currently Apple’s biggest model, but tacking on a few extra inches of screen real estate could make the device ideal for creative professionals. It would also make sense for those who want to take advantage of Stage Manager, an iPadOS 16 feature that’s supposed to make switching between apps easier (although Apple still has quite a few kinks it needs to work out). The company added external display support for Stage Manager in the iPadOS 16.2 developer beta on Tuesday, which should give users a large space to work with when using the feature.

Apple shook up its iPad lineup last month with the release of the more expensive entry-level iPad with USB-C as well as the updated 12.9-inch iPad Pro. But as my colleague Monica Chin points out, increasing the entry-level iPad’s price has put it in a strange position. The device, which is now priced at $449 instead of $329, costs nearly as much as an M1 MacBook Air if you add the $249 Magic Keyboard Folio and $99 Apple Pencil (which still doesn’t support USB-C, by the way).

Introducing a premium 16-inch iPad could help add some sense to Apple’s lineup. While it would likely establish a wider price gap between the entry-level iPad and the larger high-end model, it still wouldn’t solve the issue of a missing budget option, which is probably why it’s still selling the $329 ninth-gen device.

Apple could release a 16-inch iPad next year

iOS 16.1 is out with iCloud Shared Photo Library, Live Activities, Clean Energy, more

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 00:24:21 +0000

Today is a big day for Apple users. The company has started rolling out iPadOS 16 and macOS Ventura, bringing major new features for Apple's tablets, laptops, and desktop computers. If you own an iPhone, there is a new update for you as well. All iPhones that support iOS 16 can download iOS 16.1 with iCloud Shared Photo Library, Live Activities, Fitness+, Clean Energy Charging, and more.

You can learn what is new in iOS 16 in our dedicated coverage.

What is new in iOS 16.1?

Here is how Apple describes iOS 16.1:

This update introduces iCloud Shared Photo Library making it easy to keep your family photos up to date. This release also adds support for third party apps in Live Activities, support for Apple Fitness+ on iPhone even if you don’t have an Apple Watch, and includes other features and bug fixes for your iPhone.

And here is the full changelog:

iCloud Shared Photo Library (also available in iPadOS 16 and macOS Ventura) lets you add five people to share photos and videos, set permissions for adding, editing, and deleting photos, and set the Camera app to add every photo you take to the Shared Library.
Live Activities data from third-party apps is now available in the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Fitness+ is now available for iPhone users without an Apple Watch.
Wallet Improvements allow sharing cars, hotel rooms and other keys with other people using various messaging apps. Also, Apple Card customers can open new "high-yield" savings accounts.
Matter in Home: the Home app now supports the new smart home connectivity standard available across ecosystems and platforms.
Clean Energy Charging: iPhone users in the United States can enable the new Clean Energy Charging feature that attempts to reduce their carbon emissions by charging when the grid uses cleaner energy.

iOS 16.1 also includes fixes for the following bugs:

Deleted conversations may appear in the conversations list in Messages
Dynamic Island content is not available when using Reachability
CarPlay may fail to connect when using a VPN app

You can download iOS 16.1 by navigating to Settings > General > Software Update.

iOS 16.1 is out with iCloud Shared Photo Library, Live Activities, Clean Energy, more

iPadOS 16 is now available with external display support, Stage Manager, more

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 00:15:41 +0000

Apple has started rolling out iPadOS 16—the next major iPadOS release with various improvements and new features, such as improved external display support, Stage Manager, customizable UI scaling, new collaboration tools, and all the changes found in iOS 16 Apple released in September 2022.

What iPad models support iPadOS 16?

iPadOS 16 is available for the following tablets:

iPad Pro (all models)
iPad Air 3, Air 4, and Air 5
iPad 5, iPad 6, iPad 7, iPad 8, iPad 9, and iPad 10
iPad mini 5 and iPad mini 6

With iPadOS 16, Apple ends mainstream support for the iPad mini 4 and iPad Air 2. Tablets with the Apple A8 CPU will no longer receive feature updates. However, Apple might continue releasing periodical updates for now-unsupported devices to fix security issues or perform other types of maintenance.

What is new in iPadOS 16?

Besides the new features and improvements introduced in iOS 16 (editable iMessage, passkeys, intelligent features, and more), iPadOS 16 contains the following iPad-exclusive novelties:

Stage Manager: a new way to multitask on your iPad with resizable, floating, and overlapping windows. Users can create groups of apps for specific tasks and seamlessly switch between them with a single tap or mouse/trackpad click. Stage Manager is available on iPad Pro tablets with the Apple A12X CPU (and newer) and the fifth-generation iPad Air (M1-based).
External Display support: iPadOS 16 significantly improves how the M1 and M2-based iPads work with external monitors. You can now connect monitors with up to 6K resolutions and work with multiple apps on the iPad and external monitor. Note that this feature is not available today, and Apple says it will arrive "later this year." Also, it requires a tablet with the Apple M1 or M2 processor.
Reference mode on 12.9-inch iPad Pro: the largest iPads with the Retina XDR display can now work as reference monitors for popular color standards and SDR/HDR video formats.
Display Zoom: Your iPad now supports different display zoom levels to give more space for apps and content. Like Stage Manager, Display Zoom works on the iPad Air 5 and iPad Pro models with the Apple A12X (or newer) processor.
Weather app: iPads finally have a fully-fledged Weather app, and it does not require the latest model or the Apple M1 processor. The app is available on all iPadOS 16-compatible tablets.
Desktop-class apps: iPadOS 16 opens the door for more "desktop-class" applications. Developers can equip their programs with customizable toolbars, redesigned buttons, new context menus with multiselect, find and replace, global undo/redo, lists, and more.
DriverKit: a new set of tools and APIs for developers to build support for various peripheral audio, USB, and PCI devices.

It is worth noting that iOS 16's best feature is not available in iPadOS 16. Apple's latest tablet operating system lacks new Lock Screen customization, leaving users with the same old interface. If you want to dig into the deepest depths of iPadOS 16, a comprehensive list of all changes and new features is available on the official Apple website.

How to download iPadOS 16?

Launch the Settings app on your iPad.
Navigate to General > Software Update and wait for your iPad to find iPadOS 16.
Tap iPadOS 16 and proceed with on-screen instructions. Note that you can stay on iPadOS 15 even on supported tablets. It is a great option for those wanting to wait until Apple irons-out bugs and delivers a couple of maintenance updates for a better experience with fewer bugs.

Do you plan to update your iPad to iPadOS 16 today? What feature excites you the most? Let us know in the comments.

iPadOS 16 is now available with external display support, Stage Manager, more

More ads will be appearing in Apple's App Store starting from next week

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 23:45:51 +0000

Apple has confirmed in a recent email to developers, that it will be increasing the advertising presence on the App Store. This was hinted at in recent months following recent announcements from Apple around wanting to increase revenue from its ads business.

The primary areas that this will be visible to users is within the Today page, where Apple features certain apps based on current events or a particular theme or topic such as productivity, or customisation. This will now include adverts paid for by developers or other companies for their apps and will show between these posts.

Additionally, Apple will be adding in adverts at the bottom of app pages, in a "You May Also Like" section that will sit below the app listing. This will effectively allow for competitors to advertise on their rival's pages, or increase the cost to a developer to buy out this space to shield against this.

This follows on from recent moves by Apple to increase their advertising income, with hints that it will be advertising within the Maps app coming through in August this year, as well as the moves today to increase ad placement throughout the app store.

Source: MacRumors

More ads will be appearing in Apple's App Store starting from next week

Google updates Messages to support reactions from iOS users

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 21:33:51 +0000

Google has rolled out an update to its Messages app for Android, which introduces a large host of new features that improve the messaging experience for Android users, particularly for those regularly talking to iOS users.

One of the key features that was added earlier in the year was the ability to see emoji reactions that iOS users have sent, now Google has added the ability to react to SMS texts from iOS users with emoji as well.

Google does take the opportunity with this update to further tout RCS as the end goal for messaging between the two platforms, and utilizing its #GetTheMessage tag on Twitter, this will improve messaging for users in the short term.

Additionally, Google has added the ability to reply to a message using RCS when it is enabled, view audio messages transcribed on screen (on Pixel 6 series and 7 series, and Samsung's Galaxy S22 and Fold 4), and with full integration of other rich media and app features.

Reminders integrates seamlessly within messages, allowing new reminders to be created directly from Messages, and YouTube videos can be watched directly within Messages. It will recognize certain phrases and suggest actions, such as showing a Meet call icon next to a message containing "Can you talk now?"

There are more features for business and integration between devices available in this latest update, which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store today.

Google updates Messages to support reactions from iOS users

Apple unveils the release date for Fitness+ update launching in 21 select countries

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 21:30:46 +0000

Earlier this September, Apple announced its plans to launch Apple Fitness+ in 21 countries in the (northern hemisphere) Fall. Today, users can access Apple Fitness+ integrated with the Fitness+ application through iOS 16.1 without an Apple Watch.

Users with an Apple Watch can see real-time metrics on their Apple devices and experience features like Time to Run, whereas individuals without an Apple TV can access Fitness+ workouts through AirPlay or AirPlay-enabled Roku devices, although onscreen metrics on these products will launch next month.

October's update brings an Artist Spotlight series dedicated to Taylor Swift and her new album “Midnights,” releasing on October 21. Under the spotlight series, Taylor’s songs will be featured in a separate dedicated workout playlist and several workout playlists like Dance and Cycling.

Fitness+ is also adding a new Yoga program, Yoga for Every Runner, that features Scott Jurek, an ultramarathon - a race longer than 42 km - athlete, and is led by Yoga trainer Jessica Skye. There are 10-minute yoga workout sessions users can either complete separately or combine with other Fitness+ workouts. They can also have personalized workout programs, like Workout for Beginners and Stay Active During Pregnancy.

September’s launch starred Regina Hall and Leslie Jordan, among others. October’s launch brings singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor, Emmy-winning actress Hannah Waddingham, and former astronaut and colonel Eileen M. Collins. Furthermore, the update adds three new collections: Best Mindful Cooldowns for Athletes, Totally ’80s Cycling, and 14-Day HIIT and Strength Challenge. According to Apple, these collections inspire users or help them achieve their goals.

Here are the details Apple provided:

Totally ’80s Cycling: featuring eight spirited workouts that can boost cardio fitness. Every workout has the energy of a party and is set to a playlist full of songs from the 1980s.
Best Mindful Cooldowns for Athletes: offering a series of total-body stretches and short visualizations that are curated to help athletes mentally prepare for their sport and recover more easily after any athletic endeavor.
14-Day HIIT and Strength Challenge: featuring 30-minute Strength and HIIT workouts that help motivate users to take their fitness routines to the next level.

Additionally, users can sign up for Fitness+ at no additional charge through offers with Target, SilverSneakers, Mobile Health, and UnitedHealthcare. SilverSneakers will provide a Fitness+ subscription without additional charges starting from January 2023, which can be activated via the SilverSneakers GO app or the web using their SilverSneakers member account. Members of Target Circle will be getting a free four-month Fitness+ trial and a three-month trial for Apple Music, Apple TV+, iCloud+, Apple Arcade, and News+. UnitedHealthcare is providing users with an annual subscription, and similarly, Mobile Health is offering its employer customers a chance to add Fitness+ as an employee benefit.

More details by Apple include:

SilverSneakers: the nation’s leading fitness program for older adults, will now offer members a Fitness+ subscription at no additional cost starting in January 2023 through select Medicare Advantage plans. Members will also have access to the Workouts for Older Adults program on Fitness+, which helps users stay active at any age with a focus on strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, and mobility. They can activate their Fitness+ subscription through the SilverSneakers GO app on the App Store or through their SilverSneakers member account on silversneakers.com
Target: will now offer a four-month free trial of Fitness+ for members of Target Circle, the retailer’s free-to-join loyalty program. Members of Target Circle also have free access to three months of Apple Music, Apple TV+, iCloud+, Apple Arcade, and News+, with no purchase required.
UnitedHealthcare: continues to offer Fitness+ as an annual subscription at no additional cost to millions of members as part of their fully insured employer-sponsored health benefit. Employers with self-funded health plans can make a similar offer available to their employees.
Mobile Health: a fast-growing digital health and well-being technology company, will offer its employer customers the opportunity to add Fitness+ as a wellness benefit for their employees and allow them to earn an Apple Watch by staying active.

The update will roll out on October 24. Apple Fitness+ subscription costs $9.99 (US) per month or $79.99 (US) per year. Users can also share the subscription with up to five family members. Fitness+ requires models above an iPhone 8 running iOS 16.1, or models after Apple Watch Series 3 paired with iPhone 6s models or later running iOS 14.3 or later. While users require an iPhone to sign up, they can access Fitness+ on iPad and Apple TV as well.

Apple unveils the release date for Fitness+ update launching in 21 select countries

Google announces Android 13 (Go Edition), celebrates 250 million devices

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 21:26:44 +0000

More than five years ago, Google unveiled Android Go, a modified configuration of Android specifically designed for devices that have low memory capacity and are often constrained to smaller amounts of mobile data. According to a recent announcement by Google, there are now over 250 million monthly active devices running the platform.

Hot on the heels of this milestone, the search giant also unveiled the newest version of Android Go, called Android 13 (Go Edition). With this new release, Google said that they focused on "reliability, usability, and customization."

One of the key features of Android 13 (Go Edition) is Google Play System Updates, which ensures that devices can quickly and regularly receive important software updates. "The result is a phone that stays up to date over time — and you don’t have to wait for the next release or a software push from your phone’s manufacturer to have the latest and greatest," Google said.

Material You on Android 13 (Go Edition) | Image via Google

Aside from this, Google also introduced the Material You interface, which was first available on Android 12. Material You allows users to customize their entire phone’s color scheme to coordinate with their wallpaper. Once a user sets their wallpaper, they will see four corresponding color schemes to choose from. According to Google, this dynamic coloring will make the smartphone feel unique to the owner.

Android 13 (Go Edition) even has the Google Discover feed, which will show users personalized articles and content by swiping right from the home screen.

Finally, the new version brings some features that were initially available to Android 13, such as Notification Permissions and the ability to change languages per app.

Google says that devices running Android 13 (Go Edition) can be expected in 2023.

Source: Google via TechCrunch

Google announces Android 13 (Go Edition), celebrates 250 million devices

Firefox Beta for Android now supports custom add-on collections

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 14:26:15 +0000

Mozilla has updated Firefox Beta for Android to version 107.0 b1. The new version adds support for custom add-on collections.

If you are using Firefox on your phone, you are probably aware that the stable channel supports just a handful of add-ons, for the sake of compatibility.

Sure, uBlock Origin and Bitwarden are fantastic extensions, but many other add-ons do work perfectly with the mobile browser. Mozilla is restricting users to the collection that it curates, this can be frustrating for many users, and even for developers. This is why some people prefer using the Nightly builds instead, even though these fresh-out-of-the-oven builds could be a little on the buggier side.

The Nightly channel has supported custom add-on collections for 2 years. It is not a particularly convenient way to use it, since it isn't available out of the box. You need a Firefox account, and you have to manually create a collection of add-ons. It doesn't end there, you also have to do a couple of extra steps in the mobile browser to subscribe to your add-on collections. The same goes for the Beta version too, the feature is still hidden but the steps to enable custom add-on collections are identical to those in the Nightly channel.

The advantage that Firefox Beta has over the Nightly builds is that it has fewer bugs, so it might be a better option to go with as your daily driver. And now that it has gained support for custom add-on collections, maybe you should give it a try.

How to enable custom add-on collections in Firefox Beta for Android

1. Go to the Settings page, scroll down to the bottom.

2. Tap on "About Firefox Beta".

3. Tap on the Firefox logo 5 times. It will display a message that says "Debug Menu enabled".

If you go to the previous screen, you'll notice that a new option is available under the Advanced section. It's called Custom Add-on Collections. Tap on it, and it will ask you to enter the collection owner's ID, and the collection's name.

The ID is a unique 6-digit number that can be found in your add-on collection's URL. The name of course refers to the collection's name, unlike the number this is something that you can choose. For example, the ID for the Ghacks.net collection is 926754 and the name is ghacks.

Tap the OK button, and the app should close to apply the changes. Open the browser and go to the Add-ons section, and you will be able to choose the extensions that you want to install in Firefox Beta for Android.

Note: Creating a custom add-ons collection will remove the default plugins from the add-ons manager. That's not a big issue since you can just re-add them to your own collection. It's also worth noting that not all add-ons support the mobile version of the browser. So you may have to experiment with them to see if they work or not.

Custom add-on collections are available in Firefox Beta 107.0 b1. You can download the app from the Google Play Store, or from the project's GitHub releases page.

Since the feature has been introduced in Firefox Beta, it may not take long for custom add-on collections to be added to the stable release channel. You can follow the issue on GitHub to observe the progress.

Personally, I use Firefox Nightly as my primary browser on my phone, and this won't change even with the release of Beta 107, because the Nightly channel still has something that the Beta and Stable channels don't, pull to refresh.

Source

Here's when Pixel 7 owners will get free Google VPN

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 04:58:00 +0000

The Google Pixel 7 series comes with one notable perk in the form of free access to the VPN by Google One service. This VPN is usually reserved for Google One subscribers on the 2TB plan or higher.

The perk isn’t actually available to Pixel 7 owners just yet, but 9to5Google spotted an official support document that confirms a launch window. More specifically, the document points to Pixel 7 availability “as of December 2022.”

Unfortunately, the VPN by Google One service isn’t available in India and Singapore, and the document indeed notes that Pixel 7 series owners in these markets aren’t eligible for the service.

We’re not quite sure why the VPN service wasn’t available to Pixel 7 owners from the get-go, especially when it’s already available to eligible Google One subscribers. Nevertheless, we at least have a rough release window now.

Source : https://www.androidauthority.com/pixel-7-google-vpn-3222131/

Specs Appeal: Comparing iPad 10 to iPad 9 and iPad 8

Wed, 19 Oct 2022 20:57:22 +0000

The cheapest iPad targets a delicate audience that is not ready to shell out $799 for the iPad Pro or even $599 for the iPad Air. These users want to get the best from the iPad world without spending more than $400, which makes the 10th gen iPad with its $449 price tag an interesting generation upgrade.

If you own an older entry-level iPad and the new model tempts you with its vivid colors, all-screen design, and a more powerful CPU, this article will help you figure out all the differences between four generations of Apple's budget-friendly tablets. You can jump to the list of key changes or the table with the specs.

In a nutshell, the iPad 10 is the iPad 4 with some downgrades. It has the same all-screen design with symmetrical bezels, squared chassis, and rounded corners. Also, please welcome USB-C instead of Lightning. Another feature inherited from the iPad Air 4 is the A14 Bionic CPU, which makes the baseline iPad insanely powerful for its price category.

The iPad 10 is the first affordable iPad to feature 5G connectivity. Still, potential buyers should note that the tablet does not support mmWave, only sub-6 networks. On the upside, there is Wi-FI 6 support and Bluetooth 5.2.

Another noteworthy upgrade in the iPad 10 compared to its four previous generations is the cameras. The rear-facing camera can now record video in 4K 60 fps and 1080p 240 fps. We are not here to judge those recording videos with their iPads, but it is a considerable upgrade, nothing to scoff at.

Speaking of cameras, the iPad 10 has a unique feature: its front-facing camera now sits alongside the longer edge of the display, allowing perfect framing for video calls. We cannot tell whether a repositioned front-facing camera is worth $120 extra over the iPad 9, but it is still a considerable change for Apple's tablets.

Despite having a new design, the iPad 10 still lacks a fully-laminated display, and it does not support the Apple Pencil 2. It is great news for those upgrading from older generations—your existing Apple Pencil will continue working. Unfortunately, there is one caveat: you need a $9 adapter to charge and pair the original Apple Pencil with the iPad 10.

Another thing potential buyers should consider is that the iPad 10 is incompatible with the Folio Keyboard for the iPad 9 and iPad 8. If you want to convert this tablet into a laptop-looking thing, prepare to buy new accessories, such as the Apple Magic Keyboard Folio.

If the $449 price tag feels too much to swallow, you can opt for the ninth-gen iPad, which remains in the lineup for $329. Granted, it has no fancy chassis or all-screen design, but it is still a powerful device that features a classic look with the Home button on the front. The iPad 9 will provide you with enough power for years (including iPadOS upgrades), plus you can get the iPad 9 and the first-gen Apple Pencil for the price of the new model. If the looks do not matter to you that much, we recommend picking the iPad 9 instead of the iPad 10.

Here are the key changes summed up in a list:

A bigger display with an all-screen design
Four new bright chassis colors
A newer and more powerful A14 processor with a faster Neural Engine
Newer Wi-Fi and Bluetooth standards plus optional 5G (sub-6 only)
A front-facing camera on the longer side of the display with Smart HDR 3 support for photos
A higher-res rear-facing camera with 4K video support
USB-C port and no 3.5 mm audio jack
Relocated Smart Connector, which means no support for existing folio keyboards
A $120 price hike

	iPad 10	iPad 9	iPad 8
Display	10.9-inch Liquid Retina All-screen design 2360x1640, 264 ppi 500 nits brightness sRGB, True Tone	10.2" Retina 2160x1620, 264 ppi 500 nits brightness sRGB, True Tone	10.2" Retina 2160x1620, 264 ppi 500 nits brightness
Processor	Apple A14 Bionic 6-core CPU 4-core GPU 16-core Neural Engine	Apple A13 Bionic 6-core CPU 4-core GPU 8-core Neural Engine	Apple A12 Bionic 6-core CPU 4-core GPU 8-core Neural Engine
Memory	TBA	3GB
Storage	64GB and 256GB	64GB and 256GB	32GB and 128GB
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 5G (sub-6), Gigabit LTE, 3G, GPS Nano-SIM, eSIM	Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 4.2 Gigabit-class LTE, 3G, GPS Nano-SIM, eSIM
Front Camera	Landscape Camera 12MP, f/2.4 aperture Center Stage Retina Flash, Smart HDR3 1080p video @ 60 fps	Portrait Camera 12MP, f/2.4 aperture Center Stage Retina Flash 1080p video @ 60 fps	Portrait Camera 1.2MP, f/2.4 aperture Center Stage Retina Flash 720p video
Rear Camera	12MP, f/1.8 Smart HDR 3 for photos 4K video @ 60 fps 1080p video @ 60/120/240 fps	8MP, f/2.4 HDR 1080p video @ 30 fps 720p video @ 120 fps
Battery	TBA Up to 10 hours of video (Wi-Fi) Up to 9 hours of video (cellular)	8557 mAh (32.4 Wh) Up to 10 hours of video (Wi-Fi) Up to 9 hours of video (cellular)
Audio	Two landscape speakers	Two speakers on the bottom side
Security	TouchID in the top power button	TouchID in the Home button
Ports	USB-C, Smart Connector	Lightning, 3.5 mm audio jack, Smart Connector
Apple Pencil	1st gen Apple Pencil Requires USB-C-to-Lightning adapter	1st gen Apple Pencil
Colors	Silver, Pink, Blue, Yellow	Space Gray, Silver	Space Gray, Silver, and Gold
Price	$449	$329

The iPad 10 is available for pre-order, with shipping scheduled for October 24, 2022. What do you think about Apple's latest "cheap" iPad? Do you think its upgrades justify the $120 price increase? Would you rather opt for the cheaper $329 iPad 9? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Specs Appeal: Comparing iPad 10 to iPad 9 and iPad 8

Apple drops Lightning and home button from the base iPad, announces M2 iPad Pro

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 21:15:40 +0000

Also: iPadOS 16 launches October 24.

The new base iPad in silver.

Apple

The new base iPad in pink.

Apple

The new base iPad in blue.

Apple

The new base iPad in yellow.

Apple

Apple has introduced a new Magic Keyboard Folio specifically for this iPad.

Apple

The 10th-generation base iPad supports the first-generation Apple Pencil.

Apple

Today, Apple surprise-announced several new products without much fanfare beyond a store page update and a press release, and three of them are iPads: two new iPad Pro models and a redesigned entry-level iPad.

Since the iPad Pro is mainly getting a spec bump, the big story today is the redesigned base iPad. Apple's entry-level iPad has maintained the same basic, home-button-equipped design for years, but that changes today.

The redesigned iPad has a 10.9-inch, 2360×1640-pixel LCD display that maxes out at 500 nits of brightness. Like the iPad Air and iPad Pro, it lacks a home button, as the screen extends somewhat close to the edges of the device on all sides. Touch ID is now housed in the top button on the edge of the tablet.

As for internals, the new iPad has the A14 chip seen previously in the iPhone 12 line and in the fourth-generation iPad Air. That's up from an A13 in the previous-generation base iPad, so it's a modest upgrade on that front. You can generally expect it to be 10–20 percent faster, depending on the task.

There's a 12 MP ultra-wide camera with a 122-degree field of view on the front of the device, and for the first time, it's positioned at the edge that would be the top of the device when it's held in landscape orientation. Previously, the front-facing cameras on iPads were oriented at the top in portrait orientation instead.

And yes, as many have predicted and hoped, the new iPad has a USB-C port instead of Apple's proprietary Lightning port. It also supports Wi-Fi 6 and 5G for connectivity, and it has stereo speakers along with two microphones.

Apple is also launching a newly redesigned Magic Keyboard Folio for this iPad, but it unfortunately only supports the first-generation Apple Pencil, unlike its more expensive cousins.

The new iPad is available to order today and ships on October 26. It starts at $449 for Wi-Fi versions and $599 for cellular models, and it comes in two storage configurations—64GB and 256GB—and four colors: blue, pink, yellow, and silver. The 9th-generation iPad is still available starting at $329.

iPad Pro

The 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Here's a glimpse at the space grey color.

And here's silver.

Both models still support the same keyboard attachments as before.

Apple also updated both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros. Neither has seen a major redesign, so they have the same shape, dimensions, cameras, and screens as before.

But there are some differences worth noting. This refresh features the M2 chip with an 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and 16-core NPU. This is the same chip previously seen in the 2022 13-inch MacBook Pro and iPad Air. It's a nice upgrade over the M1 seen in the previous generation, but it's not a dramatic bump.

Like its predecessor, the iPad Pro supports the second-generation Apple Pencil, but Apple says there's a new "hover" experience unique to these refreshed models: the Apple Pencil "is now detected up to 12 mm above the display, allowing users to see a preview of their mark before they make it."

Apple implemented some custom behavior for the hover mode, like making text fields in Scribble expand automatically when you bring the Pencil near the screen. A developer API will make those kinds of behaviors possible in third-party apps, too.

Predictably, the iPad Pro still uses USB-C as its one port. It also supports Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth, and 5G for wireless connectivity.

The 11-inch model starts at $799 for Wi-Fi and $999 for Wi-Fi + Cellular, while the 12.9-inch starts at $1,099 and $1,299. They're both available in space gray and silver and can be configured with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage.

They support the same peripherals as their predecessors, and Apple hasn't introduced any new ones for these devices as it did for the base iPad.

Both are available for preorder today and ship or arrive in stores on October 26. iPadOS 16 will launch two days earlier, on October 24.

Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.

Listing image by Apple

Apple drops Lightning and home button from the base iPad, announces M2 iPad Pro

Apple is working on a foldable iPad, could launch before foldable iPhone

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 21:06:12 +0000

Foldable smartphones are no longer merely just a concept. It now looks like Apple might also step into the foldable device territory, not with an iPhone however, but with a foldable iPad. Analysts at CCS Insight believe that Apple may launch an iPad with a folding screen as soon as in 2024.

Speaking to CNBC, Ben Wood, chief of research at CCS Insight, said:

“Right now it doesn’t make sense for Apple to make a foldable iPhone. We think they will shun that trend and probably dip a toe in the water with a foldable iPad

A folding iPhone will be super high risk for Apple. Firstly, it would have to be incredibly expensive in order to not cannibalize the existing iPhones."

Samsung follows a similar price model where its foldable smartphones are priced much higher than its flagship smartphone with flat displays. However, with its Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Flip series, Samsung has continued to refine the foldable technology. Currently, the South Korean company dominates both the technology and the consumer market of foldables.

If Apple went ahead and made a foldable iPhone, it will likely be priced at around $2,500, said the analyst. The priciest iPhone 14 Max Pro with 1TB storage currently costs $1,599.

Wood added that Apple will get a chance to implement and scale foldable screen technology and also "breathe new life" to its iPad series.

Earlier, a report from Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) suggested that Apple will likely enter the foldable smartphone market in 2025. The report said that Apple doesn't seem to be in a hurry to enter the foldable market, and the company is quite optimistic about the foldable technology as well.

Apple could also be working on a foldable notebook, which could become a new category of products itself.

Renowned Apple Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also claimed that Apple is testing Electronic Display Paper (EPD) for future foldable device's cover screens and tablets. He predicted that the EPD could potentially become a mainstream solution for foldable devices thanks to its excellent power efficiency.

Source: CNBC

Apple is working on a foldable iPad, could launch before foldable iPhone

Motorola’s teasing a rollable concept phone

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 06:01:20 +0000

The ‘proof of concept’ featured in a brief demo video doesn’t fold — it rolls

At parent company Lenovo’s Tech World 2022 event, Motorola is showing off a rollable mobile phone in a quick video demo. With the press of a button, the screen extends and retracts, with a moving wallpaper to match.

The demo video only gives us a glimpse of the front of the device, and the screen appears to wrap around the phone, rolling up from the bottom edge. At least as far as prototypes go, this concept appears to be on the “operational” side of the spectrum — there are at least battery and cellular indicator icons on screen. The rolling display is a flexible OLED panel, measuring 6.5 inches when extended and retracting down to “just over” 4 inches.

The device wallpaper expands and contracts to mimic the action of the screen.

Image: Motorola

Motorola isn’t providing any more details about it at this point. It’s unclear whether it will ever reach the market, and flexible concepts aren’t exactly batting a thousand right now. TCL has been teasing flexible products a-plenty over the past few years without a viable commercial product to show for it. LG’s rollable concept may have been closest to market, but… well, we know how that went. Honestly, we’d settle just to get Motorola’s China-only folding 2022 Razr — one can hope, right?

Motorola’s teasing a rollable concept phone

EDIT: Added missing animated GIF.

Samsung's uber fast 8.5Gbps LPDDR5X RAM is coming soon to a Qualcomm Snapdragon near you

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 05:59:58 +0000

Samsung has managed to maximize the potential of its LPDDR5X memory solutions. Towards the end of last year, the company had announced that it was beginning to produce the next-gen LPDDR (low power double data rate) DRAM solution that will be capable of running at speeds of 8.5Gbps. Today, the South Korean giant has announced that it has completed the joint validation of the 8.5Gbps LPDDR5X alongside Qualcomm. Hence, we should begin seeing such memory solutions paired up with Snapdragon chips soon as the sampling process begins to ramp up. For those unaware, earlier in the year, Qualcomm had tested and certified the use of Samsung's LPDDR5X on its SoCs.

Commenting on the announcement, Daniel Lee, the Executive Vice President of the Memory Product Planning Team at Samsung Electronics said:

The joint validation of 8.5Gbps LPDDR5X DRAM has enabled us to accelerate market-wide availability of this high-speed memory interface by more than a year, which is a tremendous accomplishment made possible through our long-standing collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies

In terms of how the new memory compares to previous iterations, Samsung's 8.5Gbps DRAM is around 13.33% faster than the previous 7.5Gbps chips. And compared to LPDDR5 non-X, it is nearly 33% ahead. Meanwhile, the capacity is expected to bump up to 64GB, though it is far more likely to be used in data centers rather than consumer phones.

The graphic below shows Samsung's progress in the LPDDR field, starting all the way back with 1.8Gbps LPDDR3:

You can find the official press release here.

Samsung's uber fast 8.5Gbps LPDDR5X RAM is coming soon to a Qualcomm Snapdragon near you

Samsung Galaxy M54 to pack Snapdragon 888 processor, 6000mAh battery

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 20:35:50 +0000

Back in April of this year, Samsung launched the Galaxy M53, a mid-range smartphone that sported a 108MP camera, Dimensity 900 chipset, and a Super AMOLED Plus display with a 120Hz refresh rate.

According to The Pixel, a technology-focused YouTube channel, Samsung is already preparing its successor, the Galaxy M54. The smartphone will reportedly come equipped with the powerful Snapdragon 888 processor, Qualcomm’s flagship SoC from 2020. It also has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

What's more, the handset could have a 6.67-inch Super AMOLED Full HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate. When it comes to cameras, the Galaxy M54 is rumored to have a triple rear setup: a 64MP primary rear camera, a 12MP ultrawide, and a 5MP macro shooter. A 32MP hole-punch selfie camera is also expected.

Finally, the Galaxy M54 will purportedly pack a 6,000mAh battery and support 25W fast charging through its USB Type-C port. Other features expected in the device include a fingerprint reader, GPS, 4K video recording, 5G, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.0.

The phone could be priced at 10 million VND in Vietnam, which is roughly $410/€419. The Pixel says that the Galaxy M54 could launch later this year or early next year.

Source: The Pixel via Sammobile

Samsung Galaxy M54 to pack Snapdragon 888 processor, 6000mAh battery

Apple reportedly wants to turn the iPad into a smart display with a new dock

Sat, 15 Oct 2022 21:54:33 +0000

Apple tracker Mark Gurman says the company’s working on a dock that would you let you place your iPad on a counter or nightstand, sort of like the Amazon Echo Show

Apple is working on a dock for the iPad that would allow the device to function as a smart display and speaker, according to a report to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The company reportedly plans on introducing the capability as soon as next year, converting the iPad into an Amazon Echo Show-like device that you can set atop a counter or nightstand.

Amazon already does something similar with its Fire tablets, as the company lets users place the devices into a charging dock to prop them up like a smart display. Even Google announced a docking accessory for its upcoming Pixel Tablet last week, which is supposed to serve as both a magnetic charging station and speaker. Once the tablet’s in place, it’ll function like a Nest Hub Max, letting you control your smart home through the Home app, as well as interact with Google Assistant.

An iPad docking station could work similarly, Gurman notes, potentially letting users make calls through FaceTime and gain hands-free control of smart home devices. The company is also working on other devices in the smart home space, including an updated version of the HomePod that Gurman says could have an updated display, an S8 chip, and multitouch functionality. Last year, Gurman reported that Apple is also planning a combined Apple TV and smart speaker device equipped with a camera, which he believes is still in the works.

While we’re not expecting the docking station yet, Apple’s poised to launch the iPad Pro before the end of this month, which is rumored to come with 11-inch and 12.9-inch variations, as well as with Apple’s in-house M2 chip.

Apple reportedly wants to turn the iPad into a smart display with a new dock

Half of Brits ‘loudcast' from their phone in public, even though most hate it

Sat, 15 Oct 2022 14:10:01 +0000

The UK’s digital regulator Ofcom has found that almost half of people in the country loudcast from their phones in public. As you may have guessed, loudcasting is when someone plays music or watches videos on their phone in public loudly without earbuds – an action which reportedly annoys eight in ten people in the UK.

As you’ll likely have guessed, loudcasting is much more likely to be practised by young people and the older you get, the more annoyed by it you’re likely to be. Funnily enough, three-quarters of loudcasters find the practice to be frustrating when they hear someone else’s phones – it seems like it just hasn’t filtered through to them that other people find them annoying.

Thankfully, perpetrators of loudcasting are more likely to be on a video call rather than listening to bad music. Around 36% of respondents listened to music on their phone, compared to 45% who said they make video calls and 46% who said they watch videos. The findings found that someone was more likely to be playing music if they were younger and came from a black, Asian, or minority ethnic background.

If you are a loudcaster and concerned about getting told off, just stop worrying. The findings found that only 9% of people ask others to stop loudcasting. The majority will do nothing or move away from the area. If you’re in earshot of parents, though, watch out because they are more than twice as likely to ask you to be quiet than non-parents.

Source

Here are some of the new features coming soon to Outlook on Android and iOS

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 22:13:56 +0000

Outlook is quite popular, both in organizational and personal environments. Microsoft regularly introduces new features to the Outlook client across various platforms to meet the growing needs of this market. We recently learned that Outlook on Android and iOS is getting the ability to deliver emails in a delayed manner, and now, Microsoft has unveiled a whole set of UX changes and functionalities coming to the client on the same platforms.

For starters, there is a new tab bar at the bottom is more modular and customizable. The "More" button has been added to the tab bar, which will allow you to access Contacts and Files in its first iteration, followed by Apps at a later date. Basically, any installed Teams apps that also support Outlook will start to appear in the Apps section, but a dedicated mobile store is in the works too. Rollout will begin with Android, followed by iOS.

Additionally, Search is being renamed to "Feed" based on the multipurpose role it plays. Apart from discovering content such as files and emails, it will also surface a scrolling feed of To-Do items, news, and more. File and Contacts will be migrated to the tab bar instead of being directly in Search.

Finally, the Fast Action Button (FAB) in the inbox view currently allows an action of "New email", but it will soon have a caret button ("^") that will allow you to perform other actions such as creating a new event too.

Although Microsoft hasn't defined concrete timelines for the respective rollouts of these features, it has mentioned that most of them will come first to Android, rather than iOS. Based on the announcement and the screenshots, it doesn't seem like Outlook customers on these platforms will have to wait too long.

Here are some of the new features coming soon to Outlook on Android and iOS

Microsoft to add this widely requested Outlook feature to Android and iOS soon

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 22:11:54 +0000

Microsoft recently announced a plethora of new features for Office 365 users, and the company is also focussing on bettering one of Outlook's existing functionality, namely Delay delivery.

According to the Microsoft 365 Roadmap page, Microsoft is planning to bring the "Schedule and send" feature to Android and iOS users, allowing them to delay the delivery of emails. The capability is very similar to how "Delay delivery" works on Outlook.com and Outlook desktop apps.

Once it goes live for everyone on iOS, users can choose the date and time they want their emails to be sent. Microsoft hasn't explained the exact flow of the UX for Android and iOS, but it is quite simple in Outlook for macOS: you need to bring the drop-down menu from the "Send options" and select "Schedule and send" to select when you want your emails to be sent.

Notably, Microsoft is set to introduce the "Schedule and send" to Outlook iOS clients first, which is happening this month. Android users will have to wait until December to see it in action on their handsets.

"Schedule and send" in Outlook for Android

"Schedule and send" in Outlook for iOS

Ever since Microsoft added an option to delay the delivery of emails in Outlook web and desktop apps, users on the Microsoft Tech Community website have been asking when it will be available for the Outlook iOS and Android apps. This wait will finally be over for many this month. In all likelihood, the feature will be rolled out via an update via the App Store and the Google Play Store in the said months.

What else is Microsoft Outlook getting this month, you ask? Well, Microsoft will also introduce the reactions feature to the Outlook Windows client, according to the roadmap page. The functionality is already available on Outlook for Mac.

Which upcoming Outlook features are you excited about the most? Let us know in the comments.

Microsoft to add this widely requested Outlook feature to Android and iOS soon

Brazil court orders Apple to reimburse customers for charger-less iPhones

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

iPhones sold without chargers is an "abusive practice," São Paulo judge says.

Apple has received its third fine in Brazil for not including chargers with its iPhones. A civil court judge in São Paulo issued the tech giant a 100 million real (about $19 million) fine on Thursday, French news agency Agence France-Presse reported via Barron's.

Civil court Judge Caramuru Afonso Francisco in São Paulo reportedly issued the fine as damages in a lawsuit from the Brazilian Consumers' Association.

The judge is also said to have ordered Apple to start selling chargers with the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 series in Brazil. Further, the judge ordered Apple to provide chargers to customers in Brazil who bought an iPhone 12 or 13 over the last two years.

Apple can appeal the ruling and will, according to Reuters' report Thursday. Apple didn't immediately respond to Ars Technica's request for comment.

The ruling dubbed Apple's charger-less iPhones an "abusive practice," AFP said. Apple stopped including chargers with its phones starting with the iPhone 12. At the time, Apple said that removing power adapters and EarPods from iPhone boxes meant smaller, lighter boxes, which enabled "70 percent more boxes to be shipped on a pallet" and "cut over 2 million metric tons of carbon emissions annually." In its 2020 iPhone 12 Product Environmental Report [PDF], Apple said it expected to avoid mining over 600,000 metric tons of copper, tin ore, and zinc by not including chargers and EarPods with the iPhone 12.

In this week's ruling, however, Judge Francisco reportedly wrote that selling an iPhone without a charger "requires consumers to purchase a second product in order for the first to work."

This marks Apple's third fine with the country since March 2021, when it reportedly received a fine worth $2 million from Procon-SP, São Paulo's consumer protection agency, for selling the iPhone in Brazil without a charger.

And in September of this year, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) of Brazil fined Apple approximately $2.3 million and banned the selling of iPhones without chargers in the country. Similarly to Judge Francisco, the government body argued that Apple had shifted the burden to customers. Brazil's MJSP also disputed Apple's claims that it was being more eco-friendly, saying Apple could better help the environment by moving iPhones to USB-C.

Brazil is considering mandating USB-C charging on phones. Even more pressure comes from the European Union moving forward with plans to require USB-C charging on various consumer electronics requiring wired charging, including phones, tablets, and headphones, by the end of next year. The issue seems like it will continue to be hard to ignore, as some US politicians have also pushed for universal charging.

Earlier this year, a Bloomberg report claimed Apple is working on a USB-C iPhone for next year, but there has been no official word from Apple.

Brazil court orders Apple to reimburse customers for charger-less iPhones