Table of contents for 182 in iPad & iPhone User

Apple’s development of its own 5G modem has reportedly failed, which means the company will need to lean heavily on suppliers for the iPhone 15 generation in 2023. Bad news for Apple, but excellent news for Qualcomm, which is destined to get the entire contract. This is all according to the supply-chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a solid record of Apple launch predictions but is particularly good at this type of industry/supplier news. Kuo tweeted (fave.co/3nCQRi7) that, according to his latest survey, “Apple’s own iPhone 5G modem chip development may have failed” (our emphasis) and this will bump Qualcomm’s share of the supply contract for the late-2023 iPhones from an estimated 20- to 100 percent. Kuo goes on to explain the potentially lifesaving significance of this news for Qualcomm,…

After the release of the iOS 16 Developer beta at WWDC, many users noticed that the iPad was no longer listed as one of the supported devices to be a home hub – only the Apple TV, HomePod and HomePod mini. Recently, some error text discovered in the iOS 16 beta seemed to confirm the removal of the iPad from the list of home hub candidates. A home hub is required to take advantage of features such as receiving accessory notifications and allowing other people to control your home. You will not be able to view shared homes until those homes are also upgraded to the latest HomeKit. iPad will no longer be supported as a home hub. Now it seems that’s not entirely the case. Apple has confirmed to…

Apple’s yearly iPhone launch is the biggest date in the company’s calendar. And after several years of cautious upgrades, expectations are high for the iPhone 14 in late 2022. In this article we round up the latest leaks and rumours concerning Apple’s next flagship iPhone launch, including the iPhone 14’s release date, tech specs, design changes, new features, pricing, and more. The latest news is that all iPhone 14 models are expected to get an upgraded front camera with autofocus and an f/1.9 aperture, while a controversial hole + pill design is set to replace the notch on the Pro models and the handset could gain an always-on display. RELEASE DATE We expect the iPhone 14 to be announced in mid-September, and hit stores around a week later. Apple nearly…

When iOS 16 is released this autumn, it’s going to change the way hundreds of millions of people use their iPhones. No, there aren’t any wholesale changes to the entire iPhone interface so it’s not like you’ll suddenly have to unlearn the last 10 years of iPhone interface evolution. But there are scores of new features, some big and some rather small, that will come into play nearly every time you pick up your phone. These five features in particular will become a part of the way millions of people use their iPhones every single day. They’re so useful, or just so integrated into the basic iPhone experience, that they’re likely to quickly become a staple of the iPhone experience – the sort of thing we just come to associate…

Apple is known for its propensity to kill its own children, but it’s easy to overlook the tragic number of substandard rival offerings the company has also murdered along the way. Everybody talks about the industry-dominating success of the iPod but nobody remembers the pain of the Zune fans – or the Apple fans who really liked ragging on the Zune. Times are particularly hard for poor-quality tech at the moment, with the upcoming launch of iOS 16, announced at WWDC22 earlier this month, set to wipe out yet more of the things we hate. At this rate we will have nothing left to complain about on Twitter by the time autumn arrives. Annoyingly capricious third-party webcams may soon be rendered obsolete by the neat Continuity Camera feature in iOS…

Price: £179 from fave.co/3HYPjZe Libratone, based in Copenhagen, Denmark, builds wireless speakers and headphones featuring timeless Danish design. The company’s latest offering, the stylish Air+ (2nd Gen) true wireless earbuds, offer strong noise-cancelling, musical transparency, a good sound signature, and a great fit. A few design quirks – and the fierce competition at the price point – prevent me from giving them a strong recommendation. DESIGN These second-generation noise-cancelling true wireless earbuds are available in white or black (the colour of my review set, which I’d say is more of a midnight blue). They sport a polymer diaphragm driver with neodymium magnets. Libratone says their sonic tuning is inspired by “Nordic audio tuning philosophy”. I’m not quite sure what that means, but as I’ll explain in more detail in my…

Are you excited about Apple possibly launching an augmented reality headset? Tim Cook sure is. You probably already figured that, since Cook has offered his thoughts on AR on several occasions. And he’s doing it again, this time on China Daily, a state-run news outlet in China. In an interview, Cook says he “could not be more excited about the opportunities in the [AR] space. Sort of stay tuned and you will see what we have to offer”. He also points out that AR development is in the “very early innings” and touted the App Store’s 14,000-plus ARKit apps. A transcript of the AR portion of the interview is posted below. You can watch the interview at fave.co/3a1idew, which focuses on China-based app developers and innovation. China Daily: Chinese consumers are…

Earlier this year we reported on a tweet from Ming-Chi Kuo that stated a new Apple TV is coming in the second half of this year. Now, a reference to ‘SiriRemote4’ in the iOS 16 beta code is lending some weight to this claim. The original, much-maligned Siri remote is called ‘SiriRemote’ in iOS code, and ‘SiriRemote2’ is the updated version with the white ring around the Menu button. The all-new Siri remote that currently ships with Apple TV (and is far more usable) is referenced as ‘SiriRemote3’. So this ‘SiriRemote4’ would be new hardware, though it’s entirely possible that it won’t look or act different than the current model. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s tweet in May, the updated Apple TV is supposed to have an “improved cost structure”.…

Apple’s iPhone is a product that’s been years in the making. Apple’s designers have been working on it for years, and the web has been buzzing about Apple’s entry into the phone market for just as long – or maybe even longer. But now, after six months of intense speculation since its introduction at Macworld Expo, the iPhone has arrived. Although the iPhone is not without a few quirks, it makes good on the hype that surrounded it. HEFTING THE HARDWARE Steve Jobs proudly described the iPod as a beautiful piece of hardware that had amazing software inside it. And with the iPhone, Apple’s hardware designers have once again wrapped the output of the company’s in-house developers into a remarkable piece of hardware. Pictures of the iPhone don’t do it…

Of all the great features coming to our iPhones this autumn with iOS 16, the most easily recognizable and ‘everyone will use this’ of them has to be the new overhauled Lock Screen. It’s all about personalization – you have lots of options to change the way it looks, and a host of widgets to add more useful info. Where it used to be that every iPhone had the same Lock Screen with different static wallpapers, with iOS 16 everyone’s screen will be personal to them. Customizing your iOS 16 Lock Screen is simple and intuitive, but there may be some nuances you miss. Here’s how you can make your Lock Screen your own. START WITH A LONG-PRESS To start customizing your Lock Screen, just long-press on it anywhere other…

Price: £399 from fave.co/3nqVcos To my ears, Edifier’s Stax Spirit S3 is the best planar magnetic headphone I’ve tested–and that’s saying something: The Drop THX Panda (Bluetooth issues aside) and the mammoth Monoprice BT600ANC competition I’m using for comparison are hardly chopped liver. I should mention that saying ‘best planar’ is tantamount to saying ‘best headphone’. At least in terms of accurate reproduction. The Stax Spirit S3 is also less bulky than its rivals, although the technology inside requires that they be powered on even when you’re using a cable. They also lack active noise cancellation, but not everyone will consider that to be a demerit. If you do, check our Sony WH-1000XM5 review in last month’s issue. DESIGN The Stax Spirit S3 is a standard headphone design done exceptionally…

Price: £144 from fave.co/3Ppdd2H Perched in the middle of JBL’s Bluetooth speaker line-up, the JBL Charge 5 surprises with its big sound. It’s incredibly loud for its size and far easier to stuff in a backpack than other foot-long outdoor speakers. If you’re looking for a single speaker to use at home and on your outdoor excursions, it’s easy to find a spot for the speaker on a bookcase or tabletop. JBL has embraced a single-use philosophy for the Charge 5. It’s a Bluetooth speaker, full stop. There’s no microphone, so it doesn’t double as a speakerphone. There’s also no AUX or USB input, so you can’t plug in another music source. All your audio must be streamed from a Bluetooth device, most likely your phone. To be completely fair,…

Apple faces yet another lawsuit over the notorious ‘Batterygate’ controversy, this time in the UK. The Guardian reports that consumer rights campaigner Justin Gutmann has filed a claim with the Competition Appeals Tribunal and is seeking damages of £768m. “I’m launching this case so that millions of iPhone users across the UK will receive redress for the harm suffered by Apple’s actions,” Gutmann said. “I hope dominant companies will re-evaluate their business models and refrain from this kind of conduct.” If the claim is successful, the compensation pool will be shared among owners of affected iPhones across the UK, a group believed to number 25 million. Our client @JustinGutmann has today issued a new claim against Apple for failing to make iPhone users aware of a power management tool in…

Google has highlighted six new features coming to release M103 of its Chrome for iOS web browser. Perhaps conscious of Apple’s reputation for tight security, the biggest changes involve anti-malware credentials, but the changes encompass everything from translation to password auto-fill. Google says it will “bring even more innovation to Chrome on iOS in the coming weeks”. But for now, here are the new features coming to your iPhone soon: 1. Enhanced Safe Browsing, a Chrome feature designed to thwart malware and phishing attacks, comes to iOS for the first time. This will alert iPhone users of dangerous web pages, and warn them if entered credentials have been compromised in a data breach. 2. You’ll be able to set Google Password Manager as the autofill provider for creating and entering…

I come here not to bury the iPhone mini but to praise it. If reports are true, the iPhone 13 mini will be the last of its line, replaced by a larger iPhone 14 Max this autumn. And as someone who owns and loves an iPhone 13 mini, this makes me sad. It seems that not enough people share my love for the iPhone 13 mini for Apple to update it for the iPhone 14 generation. No matter: the iPhone 13 mini is a great device. So great, in fact, that I suspect we haven’t seen the end of its design yet. IN PRAISE OF THE LITTLE GUY There’s no denying it: people love big phones. The iPhone went on a huge growth tear the moment Apple made it larger…

When iOS 14 came out, TikTok was filled with videos of extreme iPhone interface customization techniques, courtesy of custom widgets and icon replacement via Shortcuts. Everyone’s aesthetic is different, and you may have considered those customizations silly, gaudy or even ugly, but the success of those videos sent a powerful signal: people want to customize their devices. It’s a tale as old as time, dating back to the early days of the Mac. And yet modern Apple has been reluctant to let users customize their devices. Yes, you can set your own Lock Screen and wallpaper, but beyond that, things have been pretty limited. But the iOS 16 Lock Screen, with its adjustable fonts, colour overlays, and custom widgets, suggests that Apple may be entering a new phase. It seems…

Price: £93 from fave.co/3QU92x7 1More’s ComfoBuds Mini headphones offer excellent audio quality and active noise cancelling for the price, and they’re a godsend for anyone with small ears who’s had trouble finding in-ear headphones that fit well. The manufacturer says its ComfoBuds Mini are the “world’s smallest pair of active noise cancelling true wireless buds”, but 1More’s emphasis on size undersells a surprisingly full audio experience for the size and the price. That’s partially due to the Sonarworks SoundID software that helps you customize the sound of these headphones to your preference. Larger than a regular M&M and just a bit smaller than a peanut M&M, the ComfoBuds Mini are available in Obsidian Black or Mica White. The IPX5-rated charging case that comes with them is remarkably tough: My sample…

The original HomePod flopped. But Apple wasn’t discouraged. It reconceived the product and released the HomePod mini, a less high-tech – and more affordable – iteration that seems to have been more successful in the market and suggested Apple had larger home ambitions. Now come rumours that Apple’s planning on building a new HomePod. In fact, there are rumours that as many as three new HomePods could be headed our way. Could it be, in the same year that the iPod finally faded away, that the HomePod will transform itself from a failure into a key Apple product line? It’s time. Not just for a HomePod comeback, but for HomePod domination. Two HomePods? I want more. I want four. It’s time for Apple to rush back into the smart home…