close

Mobile

Mobile

The antique Nokia phone everyone possessed 25 years ago will get a resurrection soon—and yes, it has Snake.

by technovatica.com on
  • HMD’s suspected replica of the vintage Nokia 3210 is now fully exposed.
  • The original 3210 is one of the best-selling phones of all time.
  • Remake contains homage to original design with modern elements such as a camera.

HMD may have recently introduced its own mid-range smartphones, but that does not mean it is abandoning the Nokia nostalgia business – quite the contrary, as a new leak has thoroughly disclosed the impending relaunch of one of Nokia’s most popular phones.

The Nokia 3210 was introduced in 1999 and quickly became recognized as the’mobile’ that almost everyone owned. HMD recently suggested on X (previously Twitter) that it will be resurrecting a Nokia classic shortly, and according to Finnish shop Giganti (via NokiaMob), it will be a recreation of the 3210.

The new Nokia 3210, which appears to be a little more colorful than the practical grey dumbphone we remember, is expected to be officially introduced on May 8 (with an on-sale date of May 15). The design isn’t a perfect duplicate; there are parallels in the button layout, but it’s probably closer to a Nokia 3310 from the early 2000s.

Still, we enjoy the cyan and yellow color options, and the ‘new’ Nokia 3210 has a few more modern functions to make it feel less like a relic from another era. The rumored specifications include a 2.4-inch QVGA color screen (a modest advance from the original’s 1.5-inch monochrome display) and a rear-facing 2MP f/2.8 camera capable of shooting 720p video.

These features, together with the addition of 4G connectivity, suggest that the 3210’s battery life will not be as impressive as the original’s. However, a 1,450 mAh battery should last for days, and a separate teaser from HMD has confirmed that the phone will, of course, include Snake.

According to the Giganti leak, the phone’s price should be delightfully retro, with it likely to cost ₹7980.07 (approximately $95 / ₹7967.69 / AU$145) when it hits shelves on May 15 – though we may have to wait until the official launch to find out where it will be sold.

Why was the Nokia 3210 so popular?

This isn’t the first time HMD has resurrected a beloved Nokia classic (it just announced a trio of tributes to 2000s-era candybar phones), but the Nokia 3210 stands out for those who remember it.

The remarkably indestructible classic recently celebrated its 25th birthday on March 18, and it came from an age when Nokia completely dominated’mobile phones’, making the 3210 the iPhone of its time. Wikipedia estimates that there were 160 million in the wild in 1999.

As I recounted in TechRadar’s nostalgic look back at the team’s first phones, the 3210 didn’t do much more than send SMS, play Snake, and go for weeks without charging.

However, it was one of the first major phones without an external antenna. The design was reportedly inspired by both Casio G-Shock watches and the Sony Walkman, which explains its utilitarian appearance.

Subsequent phones became much more colorful and feature-rich, but the 3210 was arguably the pinnacle of dumbphones – and while HMD’s remake isn’t exactly a faithful tribute, I’m glad to see the phone return, at least in spirit, as a reminder of a time when endless doomscrolling wasn’t such a dangerous wormhole.

read more
Mobile

I adore my iPad, but these five updates would make me chuck it for a new one

by technovatica.com on

At its “Let Loose event” on May 7, Apple is expected to reveal a slew of new iPads, including new OLED iPad Pros and larger iPad Airs. It’s been too long since Apple updated its tablet line, but that could be because there isn’t much to change. In truth, I enjoy my iPad Pros, Airs, and minis practically exactly as they are, but I do have some thoughts and, more specifically, wishes for these new iPads.

A curved or waterfall back

At 6.1mm, the iPad Air is extremely thin but never feels flimsy. It weighs little more than a pound and feels excellent in your palm. Still, if I had my way, I would restore the curves, or, more particularly, create a waterfall to remove or soften the harsh edges, making the iPad substantially more pleasant to hold and even rest in the curve of your arm or on your lap.

Such a revamp would also pay homage to the legendary original iPad design. It also has an edge around the back, but there is a curvature that makes the gadget seem and feel more comfortable.

Shrink the bezels

The iPad has come a long way from the nearly inch-wide black bezels around the original iPad screen, but I believe Apple can go even further. The new iPad Air has a substantially bigger bezel than the 13-inch MacBook Air.

I’d want to see bezels on the upcoming iPads that are only a few millimeters wide. Apple, give me as much drawing space as possible. If you must, add a notch identical to the one found on the MacBook Air. I would prefer if you made it smaller, but I can live with the cutout if the final result is more screen. I’d also consider a punch-hole camera technique.

What I truly want is a Dynamic Island on the iPad, which would necessitate both hardware and iPadOS upgrades. Consider all the information and interactions that could be supplied via that fungible, pill-shaped interface.

Move the camera

It’s time for Apple to recognize how 99% of us use our iPads. We work on them, watch TV, play games, and use FaceTime in landscape mode. The FaceTime camera has oddly remained on the short side for Portrait mode usage. It’s an old functionality from when people initially bought iPads and used vertical iOS apps in 2X mode. If a FaceTime call came in, simply gaze up at the camera on the top edge.

iPadOS now has its own apps, and the majority of them are designed to work in landscape mode. When I conduct a FaceTime chat, I’m always staring at the wrong location and occasionally cover the camera with my fingers because I keep forgetting the camera is on the short left side.

This is a basic yet much-needed modification. Apple, move the camera to the long edge – yes, exactly below where we dock our Apple Pencil – and let’s move on from this legacy issue.

Wireless charging

This is a no-brainer, and I’ve heard whispers about such a feature.

Wireless charging has been available on the iPhone series for 7 years, and the Apple Watch and AirPods have all incorporated it. It’s virtually unthinkable that Apple’s other popular mobile technology doesn’t include it.

All I want is a lovely MagSafe inductive charging ring on the back of every new iPad, from the Air and standard iPad to the iPad Pro (and the iPad mini if it makes it). I do not believe it will increase the thickness of any iPad.

Consider the convenience of dumping your iPad on an iPhone MagSafe charger or a new iPad MagSafe chargepad that is large enough to handle the complete iPad back. Perhaps this is a new Smart Folio cover.

A moveable dock

I keep my iPad Dock very clean, with only a few go-to apps. This means it’s never cluttered and can seem similar to an app widget. The issue is that it is stuck to a single spot at the bottom of the home screen.

For the new iPad (I understand that this is mostly an iPadOS upgrade), I’d like to be able to move the dock from the bottom edge to the right or left side of my screen as a vertical dock.

It’s not only that I want freedom – which I do – but I believe the dock would be more useful placed next to one of my current programs. I believe that home screens should be less prescriptive and more customizable. Such as change also aligns with the home screen and lock screen changes that Apple made in recent years to iOS and iPadOS.

Bonus Request

The contemporary iPad is sufficiently capable that when coupled with a keyboard, it may easily function as an ultraportable touchscreen laptop. I enjoy the Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad, but it would be much better if the keyboard was on a slider that could be pulled away from the iPad screen. If it could additionally tilt up slightly to meet my touch, that would be ideal.

It’s not that I won’t like the new iPads if Apple doesn’t accomplish some or all of these things, but if it does, it will push some of the best tablets on the market to near-perfection, and who can argue against that?

read more
Mobile

Samsung pokes fun at Apple after complaints of malfunctioning iPhone alarms

by technovatica.com on

Samsung has a long history of mocking Apple for each minor triumph it can claim against its fiercest competitor, and the most recent jibe comes from the Korean company’s UK Instagram account.

Following concerns that some iPhone alarms are not working properly due to a potentially incorrect iOS setting, Samsung UK wasted no time emphasizing the dependability of alarms on the top Samsung smartphones. “Rest assured our alarms GO OFF,” the business writes in its latest meme-themed Instagram image, adding in the caption: “Samsung users woke up on time today.” Ouch Of course, Apple is not referenced by name, but the good-natured comedy between the lines is easily discernible.

Apple has informed us that it is aware of an issue that is causing some iPhone alarms to fail to play as expected, and the company is already working on a solution; however, as we explain in our aforementioned report, we believe the problem is related to the Attention Aware setting, which was introduced in iOS 17.

Attention Aware detects if you’re paying attention to your iPhone and adjusts alarm noises accordingly. So the theory is that some iPhones are incorrectly recognizing movement during the night and lowering alarm loudness as a result.

It’s worth mentioning that none of the TechRadar team’s iPhones have been affected by this alarm issue, but the high amount of social media complaints, combined with the fact that Apple has acknowledged the problem, implies that a software patch is on the way.

For more alarm-related information, see our compilation of the best (and worst) iPhone alarms to wake up to, based on science.

read more
Mobile

A study examined Android and iOS for app security and found a clear loser

by technovatica.com on

Apple’s iPhones are widely regarded as significantly more secure than their Android counterparts, and a researcher has just demonstrated the glaring contrast between the two. While iOS appears to have won, it was not without flaws.

Ernestas Naprys, a journalist at Cybernews, an online organization that identifies and reports on cybersecurity dangers and vulnerabilities, carried out an experiment by installing the top 100 apps in the German App Store on a new iPhone and a new Android phone. He then kept the gadgets idle and recorded how frequently they accessed overseas servers and where they were situated.

Naprys idled the Apple phone for five days and “traced every outgoing connection the iPhone made to external servers.” Interestingly, it sent out an average of 3,308 queries every day, compared to 2,323 for Android.

However, if you believe it makes Android a superior choice for your privacy, think again. Although it sent out more queries, the iPhone was significantly more selective about where those requests were made. In reality, Apple received 60% of the iOS requests, accounting for a significant amount of the outgoing traffic. On Android, only 24% of requests went to Google, with the majority going to third-party applications.

For example, while iOS visited a Russian server once a day on average, the Android smartphone did so 13 times more frequently, for a total of 39 times over three days. In China, the iPhone never contacted any servers, despite having multiple Chinese apps installed. The Android smartphone, in comparison, Chinese servers were pinged an average of five times every day.

Apple’s iPad also outperformed services that are known to have a poor approach to user privacy. For example, the iPhone contacted Facebook servers 20 times per day on average, whereas Android did so nearly 200 times each day. TikTok was contacted 36 times in total on iOS, and even then, it reached a ByteDance server that was not in China, whereas the Android smartphone pinged TikTok approximately 800 times.

What does all of this mean?

If an app contacts a server in a country such as Russia or China, your data may be available to authorities or other agencies in those countries. Once the data has arrived in another country, it may come under the jurisdiction of that state.

Naprys argued that there could be various causes for the disparity in how open iOS and Android are. For starters, “Not a single app on the Apple App Store could be considered as blatant adware,” Naprys noted. “All the apps on the App Store represented big platforms behind them and were more useful than ad-powered flashlights, prank generators, or dubious PDF viewers on Google Play.”

possibly to be noted is that “this may also be due to stricter Apple policies for developers in its closed ecosystem regarding privacy in general.” Apple has numerous controls in place to limit the data that developers can access, and it has expressed concern that opening up its ecosystem may be disastrous for security.

So, while neither iOS nor Android received perfect scores, it’s evident that an iPhone will make fewer requests to problematic locations than an Android device. If you value your privacy, take attention.

read more
Mobile

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE: What We Want to See

by technovatica.com on

The most anticipated Samsung foldable this year may not be the clamshell Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 or the flagship Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, but rather a third phone: the rumored Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE.

This would be a less expensive alternative to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, so while it may lack some of the latter’s specifications and capabilities, it could be the first really affordable book-style folding.

We’re starting to hear a lot about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE, so check out the details below, followed by a list of what we want from it.

Cut to the chase.

  • What is it? The first cheap Z-fold
  • When does it come out? Possibly September or October.
  • How much will it cost? Reportedly under $800 (about ₹65747.53 / AU$1,210).

SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD 6 FE: rumored release date and price

While the ordinary Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is slated to be released in July, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE will apparently not be available until September or October. That follows a less specific leak stating that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE would be released after the Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6, so you may have to wait a little longer for Samsung’s inexpensive foldable.

However, it is always possible that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE will be released alongside the rest of the lineup, so we may see it as early as July.

It’s also conceivable that it won’t be released at all, as it’s merely a rumor right now, and there has been some speculation of a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra. So there’s a chance it’ll launch instead.

One report indicates that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE will cost less than $800 (about ₹65747.53 / AU$1,210). While it isn’t cheap, it is significantly less expensive than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, which starts at $1,799.99 / ₹183987.89/ AU$2,599.

This would also make it less expensive than the $999.99 / ₹110350.65 / AU$1,649 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5. However, we are skeptical of this pricing leak because Samsung would surely have to make significant compromises to specifications and features to attain such a low price.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE: News and Leaks

We first heard about a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold FE in August, when a leaker stated that a cheaper Samsung foldable was in testing, but it wasn’t clear whether this was a Z Fold 6 FE or a Z Flip 6 FE.

Since then, we’ve learned that the Z Fold 6 has the codename ‘Q6’, whereas the speculated cheaper model has the codename ‘Q6A’, implying that it will be a variation of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 rather than the Galaxy Z Flip 6, given how similar the codenames are.

At the same time, we learned that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE’s cheaper pricing would be due in part to the lack of a digitizer, which would prevent it from working with a S Pen stylus.

We’ve subsequently heard that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE will not support the S Pen, so this is likely.

Interestingly, the lack of a digitizer could make the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE thinner, according to leaker Ross Young, who posted on X.

According to one report, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE will have a less powerful CPU, screen, and battery than “flagship products,” but the cameras would remain be “flagship level.”

However, if this rumor is correct, the battery may be smaller than the 4,400mAh one seen in the Z Fold 5, and it will most likely lack the top Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 CPU – possibly even last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD 6FE: WHAT WE WANT TO SEE

While we don’t know what specs or pricing the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE will have, we do know what we want from it, and the following are at the top of our list.

1. A price below $1,000

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold line is currently prohibitively pricey for the majority of consumers, which is likely why these phones do not sell as well as the Galaxy Z Flip range. So we’d like to see Samsung bring the Z Fold 6 FE’s price closer to that of a Z Flip.

That would imply a price of no more than approximately $1000 / ₹105196.05 / AU$1,500. While still not inexpensive, it would undercut the most expensive non-foldable phones, such the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, both of which are extremely popular.

2. A excellent folding display

To offer a cheap Galaxy Z Fold, Samsung will undoubtedly have to make some compromises, but one thing we do not want to see compromised is the main foldable display.

This, after all, is the phone’s major feature, so we want it to remain large, crisp, and smooth on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE.

3. No loss in battery capacity

Another sacrifice we don’t want Samsung to make is to reduce battery capacity. One leak claims that the battery may be affected, which is a serious problem given that foldable phones currently have small cells.

Hopefully, the leak is incorrect, or it is referring to charging speeds or the lack of wireless charging, as we want the Z Fold 6 FE to at least last all day.

4. Cut costs using a mid-range chipset

While a premium CPU would be nice, it’s not especially necessary for most day-to-day phone usage, so instead of sacrificing the foldable screen or battery capacity, a lower-end chipset could be a decent way for Samsung to save money on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE.

That, combined with the lack of wireless charging, S Pen compatibility, and mediocre cameras, could be enough to significantly reduce the price without sacrificing what we believe are the most important features of a foldable phone.

read more
Mobile

According to a reputable leaker, there will be no new iPads next week

by technovatica.com on

I’m going to have to beg you to cool your metaphorical jets if you were anticipating new iPads to be released next week, because frequent Apple tipster Mark Gurman has poured cold water on those smoldering speculations.

Previous reports said that new iPads would be unveiled on March 26, however Gurman has already responded, tweeting that such rumors are “not true.”

Gurman’s statements, as a Bloomberg writer with a track record of reliable Apple tips and alleged insider information, are frequently correct. So, we’re very sure we won’t see new iPads next week.

While a few iPad-related rumors and tips have surfaced recently, based on my years of tracking Apple technology, I believe we’d have seen more meaningful speculations if new iPads were released this month. The minor snag here is that Gurman hasn’t provided any new suggestions about when we could see these new iPads, which are believed to be new iPad Pro and iPad Air versions.

Gurman has previously speculated that new iPads could be released around April. Apple has previously delivered iPads in the second quarter/Spring season, so I’d be more confident in an April announcement than one next week.

What is on the horizon?

If and when Apple does release new iPads, we anticipate new iPad Pro versions, maybe with OLED panels and access to the powerful Apple M3 CPU. However, no drastic overhaul is envisaged.

There are also clues of a redesigned iPad Air (known as the iPad Air 6), with some reports predicting a 12.9-inch iPad Air. Presumably, this model would provide a larger-screened iPad experience for folks who do not want to spend a lot of money on an iPad Pro.

I’m hoping for an iPad mini 7, but it doesn’t appear to be a possibility, as Apple may be winding down production of its smallest tablet.

In any case, if you want an iPad right now, check out our list of the best iPads and the best iPad discounts. Even with new models on the horizon, you can’t really go wrong with any iPad today, since they are virtually the gold standard of tablets.

read more
Mobile

New iPad Pros and iPad Airs could arrive on March 26, but one model may be missing

by technovatica.com on

It has felt like a lengthy wait for new iPads, with the most recent ones arriving in 2022. But the wait may soon be over, as two distinct sources predict that the iPad Pro 2024 and iPad Air 6 will be introduced on March 26.

Chinese leaker Instant Digital and Chinese website ITHome have both put this date forward, as reported by MacRumors, albeit the latter adds that cases for these tablets would allegedly begin to be offered on that date and appears to cite this as evidence for the March 26 launch date.

In any case, even if these tablets are announced on March 26, they may not ship until a later date, as Mark Gurman stated in his Power On newsletter that these tablets will ship with iPadOS 17.4, which will most likely not be completed until at least the end of March, after which it will need to be installed on these tablets. So they might not ship till the second half of April.

However, that does not preclude out an announcement on March 26, with pre-orders perhaps commencing soon after. Indeed, leaker Ross Young (via MacRumors) recently stated that the iPad Pro 2024 will be revealed in late March or early April and released in April.

The iPad Pro 2024, in particular, should be worth the wait, since sources say it will be the first of Apple’s tablets to have an OLED screen, along with a strong M3 CPU, a landscape-oriented front camera, and possibly even wireless charging via MagSafe.

A missing model

However, the iPad Air 6 may be rather disappointing, as the biggest rumored update was the addition of a larger 12.9-inch model, but according to leaker ShrimpApplePro, there will most likely only be a 10.9-inch version, as we presently have.

However, they base this on the lack of activity surrounding a 12.9-inch model being constructed in Vietnam, and they point out that this larger model may still be manufactured in China. So, while we wouldn’t count it out just yet, especially because this larger variant has been prominently leaked, they don’t appear to be persuaded that it will happen.

Aside from that, this source indicates that the iPad Air 6 will feature a landscape-oriented selfie camera but will not undergo any substantial design modifications. They also believe that one of the five colors available for the iPad Air (2022) (Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, Purple, and Blue) would most likely be discontinued with the new generation, with a new color replacing it.

As always, we recommend taking any of these reports with a grain of salt, but it appears that the iPad Pro 2024 and iPad Air 6 will be released soon.

read more
Mobile

Motorola Razr 2024: What We Want to See

by technovatica.com on

The Motorola Razr Plus 2023 (also known as the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra outside of the United States) is one of the best foldable phones available, and it may be even better than the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5. So we’re looking forward to the Motorola Razr 2024 lineup, which will most likely include the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 / Motorola Razr 50 Ultra as the flagship model.

We may not have to wait long for these phones, since they are expected to be released around the middle of the year. More information on the likely release date and price can be seen below, along with other leaks, including a complete render of the Razr Plus 2024.

Then, behind all that, we have provided a wish list one of our expectations for the Motorola Razr 2024 range is that these phones outperform their predecessors.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? Motorola’s Next Clamshell Foldable Phones
  • When does it come out? Possibly June.
  • How much will it cost? Probably at least $699.99 / ₹84425.90/ A$999.

MOTOROLA RAZR 2024: PREDICTED RELEASE DATE AND PRICE

The Motorola Razr 2023 line was introduced in early June 2023, and the phones shipped later that month, thus we can expect the Motorola Razr 2024 series in June of current year.

However, the Motorola Razr 2022 was released in August of the same year, indicating that Motorola does not always keep to June. However, unless we hear otherwise, June is our best prediction.

There is no word yet on how much the Motorola Razr 2024 will cost, but for reference, the Motorola Razr 2023 costs $699.99 / ₹84425.90 / AU$999, and the Motorola Razr Plus 2023 costs $999.99 / ₹15829.00/ AU$1,499. So we’d expect prices to be around that level or greater.

MOTOROLA RAZR 2024 – NEWS AND LEAKS

We haven’t heard much about the Motorola Razr 2024, but MSPowerUser has leaked a render of what appears to be the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 / Motorola Razr 50 Ultra.

As you can see above, it has a similar design to the existing model, with a dual-lens rear camera in the secondary screen and a single-lens punch-hole camera in the folding display. It’s displayed in gray, with the codename Motorola Glory and model number XT-2453-3.

This source also claims that the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 will feature better battery life and performance because to a new Snapdragon CPU. The current model has a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor, so we’d expect a Gen 2 here, but hopefully a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

MOTOROLA RAZR 2024: WHAT WE WANT TO SEE

Because the Motorola Razr Plus 2023 is the best current Razr model, and we haven’t examined the vanilla variety, our wish list below focuses primarily on how we want to see the Plus model upgraded to make the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 the best Razr yet.

1. Improved water resistance

The Motorola Razr 2023 range features a water-repellent exterior but lacks considerable water resistance. So we’d be concerned about using these phones in heavy weather, as they have little chance of surviving a spill.

That’s regrettable, especially since most high-end smartphones, including some rival foldable phones, are water resistant. So we’d expect to see big upgrades in the Motorola Razr 2024 lineup.

2. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset

The Motorola Razr Plus 2023 features a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 CPU, which was a dated option even at launch, especially given the phone’s premium pricing. So we’d like the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 to include a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 CPU.

This is the most powerful Snapdragon smartphone chipset available today, and it is a logical choice for the company’s flagship foldable phone.

3. Improved cameras

In our Motorola Razr Plus 2023 review, we referred to the cameras as “the weakest link in the Razr Plus’ chain” and labeled the image processing “terrible.”

That’s a big bummer, as is the absence of a telephoto lens. So, for the Motorola Razr Plus 2024, we’d want to see a telephoto lens added, but we also want enhancements to the main and ultra-wide cameras. Especially in terms of processing.

4. Longer-lasting battery

The Motorola Razr Plus 2023 has a 3,800mAh battery, which is very little for a phone with a 6.9-inch screen.

Small batteries are a concern for most foldable phones, but we’d like to see Motorola fix it.

In our assessment, we discovered that we couldn’t get through a whole day with the Motorola Razr Plus 2023. So, at the very least, we want the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 to have all-day battery life.

5. Seven years of Android updates

Motorola is only providing three years of Android upgrades for the Razr Plus 2023, which is insufficient for a premium phone, especially given that the Google Pixel 8 and Samsung Galaxy S24 both promise seven years of updates.

We expect the Pixel Fold 2, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 to all make this claim, so we’d like to see Motorola match them.

read more
Mobile

Remember the MacBook’s Touch Bar? Future iPhones could receive something similar

by technovatica.com on

Despite the inclusion of the Action button and Dynamic Island, Apple’s top-end iPhones have stayed nearly identical to one another since the release of the iPhone X in 2017, but a new patent implies the company’s tried-and-true iPhone design may shift in one significant manner.

According to AppleInsider, Apple has been granted a patent for technology that could lead to future iPhones including a side-mounted display. According to the images linked to the patent in issue, this display would function similarly to the unfairly derided MacBook Touch Bar, which was last seen on the MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020).

When we say’side-mounted display’, we mean a narrow display that lies beneath the iPhone’s volume and power buttons. Some existing phones, such as the Honor Magic 6 Pro, have edge-to-edge curved displays, but Apple’s patent appears to cover a display that exists independently of the primary front display.

This side-mounted display could presumably be used to display status messages, control music selection, and start apps in a similar way to the Dynamic Island, but it may also serve as a full-fledged replacement for some conventional iPhone buttons. Apple is already said to be replacing the iPhone 15 Pro’s capacitive Action button with a mechanical one on the iPhone 16, so a side-mounted display might mark the next evolution of this design concept.

In the pictures above (figures 15 and 16), Apple has utilized the Messages, Calendar, and Camera app icons as examples of how this side-mounted display could be used, indicating that it will be a flexible iPhone feature if it is truly implemented.

Of course, the latter point is far from guaranteed. Patent applications are the earliest stage of an idea’s development, and this example could just be Apple attempting to prevent other manufacturers from incorporating identical technologies in their own planned devices.

That being said, Apple is obviously experimenting with radically new iPhone designs; reports predict we may see the company’s first foldable iPhone as early as 2026, for example. There’s only so many times that iPhone loyalists will settle for incremental annual upgrades.

So, while we strongly advise against anticipating a side-mounted display on the iPhone 16 (read: forget it), we believe that some truly intriguing iPhone design enhancements are on the way.

read more
Mobile

Apple is finally going to allow iOS software downloading from the web—but only in the EU

by technovatica.com on

Apple’s walled garden is being progressively destroyed, at least in EU member states. Apple has stated that iPhone (and iPad) customers in the EU will soon be able to download programs directly from websites, exactly like Windows and macOS.

The new app distribution options (via tomsguide) provide creators more control over how in-app transactions are handled outside of the official App Store, as well as the ability for third-party app stores to offer apps or games created by a single developer.

The major change here, however, is the addition of web downloads, which will be allowed via a software update “later this spring” according to Apple, which means March or April. The most recent iOS 17.4 upgrade arrived last week, enabling third-party apps For the first time, retailers in the European Union will run on iPhones.

This is all in response to the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which requires Apple to make it easier for third-party developers to publish apps on iPhone. None of these improvements will be implemented in the United States, Australia, or the United Kingdom, though the latter is developing its own version of the DMA.

Caveats connected

The addition of web app downloads to iOS (and iPadOS) does not imply that anyone will be allowed to publish an app online for download: developers must have been in the official developer program for at least two years and have an app with more than a million installs in the EU in the previous year.

There will be ongoing responsibilities to meet, such as being upfront about data gathering procedures and registering a web domain with the App Store. Apple will still have some control over which apps you can and cannot download through a web browser.

Apple’s argument, as it has always been, is that granting app access in this manner harms privacy and It reduces Apple’s control over third-party apps, compromising user security. The corporation is complying with the DMA, but reluctantly.

The EU has also fined Apple €1.8 billion (about $1.96 billion / £1.54 billion / AU$2.98 billion) for prohibiting competing music streaming services (such as Spotify) from offering lower prices on iOS. The ruling is presently being appealed.

read more