Over the past ten years, Apple’s iPhone has become the company’s most valuable —and recently, somewhat volatile— asset. Since its introduction in 2007, the iPhone helped to jumpstart the smartphone revolution, and with it came some big innovations. The App Store, touchscreen gaming, the mass adoption of social media, and protecting user data with biometrics. Its product lineup is enmeshed in Apple’s ecosystem, and the impact that it continues to have around the globe is vast.
Sonny Dickson is doing his annual thing of leaking non-working iPhone “dummy units” used by case and accessory makers. This is the fourth-generation of the budget iPhone SE that should have an improved OLED display amongst other improvements. Importantly, it’s also expected to have a USB-C jack so it can once again be sold in the EU.
Bleeping Computer points out why so many of those phishing texts about packages or unpaid tolls urge you to reply with something like a “Y” these days.
It’s because when the iOS Messages app’s “Filter Unknown Senders” option is on, links from those senders are disabled by default. Replying activates the link so you can tap it, which savvy Verge readers know you should never, ever do.
[BleepingComputer]
After Apple discontinued its short-lived Apple Pay Later service last year, it picked up several third-party BNPL options instead, including Klarna and Affirm. BNPL usage has been on the rise, and surveys have indicated that users have overspent and missed payments. Last year, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ruled to classify BNPL services as credit card providers.
Per NBC reporter Scott Budman. As a “one-stop shop for everything needed during a fire emergency,” the Watch Duty app has become a lifeline for people trying to navigate the wildfires around Los Angeles.
Code spotted in iOS 18.3 beta 2 hints at an Apple Invites app that could help users plan in-person events and manage invites, according to 9to5Mac. It’s still too early to tell how it might differ from the Calendar app, though.
The Planck SSD is drop-proof, IP65 water-resistant, and weighs just 10 grams, meaning you’ll barely feel it attached to your smartphone.
With transfer speeds up to 1,050MB/s it’s fast enough to unlock ProRes 4K 60fps recording on the iPhone 15 and 16. ShiftCam will launch the Planck through a Kickstarter in February in 1TB and 2TB capacities, according to 9to5Mac.
They include 2-in-1 and 3-in-1 OntheGo folding chargers that feature a 15-watt Qi2 magnetic charging pad and an Apple Watch pad with 5-watt output to AirPods. The 3-in-1 supports Apple Watch fast charging.
Satechi also announced a set of magnetic Qi2 power banks reminiscent of Anker MagGo chargers like this one. Satechi says it’s all coming in the second quarter, with prices ranging from $69.99 to $99.99.
Similar to the Dockcase Smart Magsafe SSD, SanDisk’s new Creator Phone SSD sticks to the back of your phone using magnets while connecting with a short USB-C cable. It offers read speeds up to 1,000MB/s and write speeds up to 950MB/s, which is fast enough to unlock ProRes 4K recording at 60fps on the iPhone 15 and 16.
That’s according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who doubled down on previous claims that the wide rear camera will be upgraded for the iPhone 18 in 2026 in his latest blog post.
Kuo says Dutch manufacturer BE Semiconductor will supply the aperture blade assembly equipment, allowing iPhone users to manually control how much light passes through the camera’s lens for the first time.
Despite loud proclamations, AI on smartphones is still mostly a sideshow.
The developer beta of iOS 18.3 (and associated updates for software on iPads, Macs, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Vision Pro) just launched, and now they’re available in the public beta too.
However, you may not have much to try, as the only noticeable changes we’ve heard about include Genmoji in macOS Sequoia 15.3 and hints of robot vacuum support in Apple Home.
[Twitter]
Now that iOS 18.2 and Apple’s associated software updates with Apple Intelligence and ChatGPT are widely available, it’s followed up with a new round of developer betas released Monday afternoon.
iOS / iPadOS 18.3, macOS Sequoia 15.3, tvOS 18.3, visionOS 2.3, and watchOS 11.3 are all available now. The listed release notes are sparse, but 9to5Mac reports that macOS 15.3 adds Genmoji.
The ultra-cheap online shopping app was also Apple’s most popular app in the US in 2023. On this year’s list, Temu is followed by Threads, TikTok, and ChatGPT.
The $9.99 video-capturing app comes from Lux, the same developers behind the popular photo app Halide. Here are some of this year’s other winners:
• iPad app of the year: Moises
• Mac app of the year: Adobe Lightroom
• Vision Pro app of the year: What If...? An Immersive Story
• iPhone game of the year: AFK Journey
[Apple Newsroom]
