In what is a testament to Apple's penchant for optimizing its products to the umpteenth extent, the iPhone 17 models show the least performance variation between the early review units and their mass production counterparts, with many Chinese OEMs predictably faring quite poorly against Apple's benchmark consistency. Apple's iPhone 17 production models show admirable performance consistency against early review units As per a recent test that compared various flagships based on the performance of early review units with their production-ready counterparts, Apple's iPhone 17 lineup showed lowest variance overall, with the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max going so far […]

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Google shocked many tech enthusiasts by equipping the just-announced Pixel 10a with the older-gen Tensor G4, effectively breaking away from a long-held, industry-wide convention of sorts by glossing over the newer Tensor G5 chip. Yet, there is a method to this apparent madness, one that can be easily decoded via hard numbers. The veritable windfall in cost savings that Google stands to amass by opting for the Tensor G4 chip in the just-announced Pixel 10a Consumers do not typically pay for planned obsolescence. And, it is for this reason that smartphone OEMs typically equip their various lineups in a given […]

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If you needed any reference as to how far behind Apple currently is in the ongoing AI race, look no further than the minuscule AI capabilities that the iPhone maker just rolled out with much fanfare for its Apple Music app, and then compare them with Google's latest model that is now creating entire tracks from scratch. Apple Music now uses AI to create playlists as Google's models are now building entire 30-second song tracks As we noted recently, with the iOS 26.4 update, the Apple Music app will let you create a playlist with a text-based prompt. Basically, you […]

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The near-constant dribble of leaks over the past few weeks left little to the imagination when it comes to the Pixel 10a. And now, Google has finally launched its latest Pixel-branded budget smartphone, bringing to the proverbial table a relatively hefty battery, albeit housed within the now-archaic form factor, but embellished with a number of handy AI features. Behold Google's Pixel 10a Physical features The Pixel 10a features a "perfectly flat" plastic back, where the camera module sits flush with the rear plane. It also has a Corning Gorilla Glass 7i cover glass, with a 6.3-inch FHD+ AMOLED "Actua" screen […]

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After releasing the first developer beta build for iOS 26.4 and more earlier this week, Apple has now released the first public beta builds for its sprawling ecosystem of devices. Apple releases the first public beta builds for iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, watchOS 26.4, tvOS 26.4, visionOS 26.4, HomePod Software 26.4, and macOS Tahoe 26.4 Podcasts With iOS 26.4, Apple is adding support for video-based podcasts in the Apple Podcasts app. Apple says the new "enhanced video podcast experience" will allow users to "seamlessly switch between viewing a video podcast and listening to the audio." The update also adds support for […]

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Apple intends to complement its upcoming camera-equipped AirPods Pro with a dedicated AI pendant, with both devices expected to serve a niche segment within the overall wearable AI segment, one where subtlety seemingly reigns supreme, unlike the more in-your-face smart glasses. Apple's upcoming AI pendant is likely to be roughly the size of an AirTag We noted recently that Apple was developing a dedicated AI pin, with initial sales expectations set at 20 million units. The wearable AI pin would presumably come equipped with multiple cameras, a speaker, microphones, and wireless charging. Now, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has clarified that the […]

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Apple is equipping a range of upcoming devices, including the next AirPods Pro, with a camera to imbue them with incremental AI features, thereby hoping to halt Meta's relentless ascendancy in the wearable AI segment. Apple's next AirPods Pro, which might launch as early as this year, would come equipped with a camera According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple has been working for quite a while on an innovative design for its AirPods Pro, aiming to equip the bespoke earbuds with a camera. According to Gurman, the new AirPods Pro might launch as early as this year, and complete a […]

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Apple is apparently considering the pitfalls of turning to Chinese memory makers, YMTC and CXMT, to satiate its thirst for memory resources. While details are scarce at the moment, the gambit might simply be Apple's way of countering the hardball negotiation tactics employed by the so-called big three - SK hynix, Samsung, and Micron - as well as KIOXIA. Apple is reportedly exploring a partnership with YMTC and CXMT For the benefit of those who might not be aware, Apple secures its DRAM resources primarily from Samsung Electronics, which accounts for around 60 percent of the DRAM supply for the […]

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Apple has launched its next update cycle around 1 week early, with the first developer beta builds for iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, watchOS 26.4, tvOS 26.4, visionOS 26.4, HomePod Software 26.4, and macOS Tahoe 26.4 now beginning to roll out. Apple seeds the first developer beta builds for iOS 26.4 and more One of the biggest changes with the iOS 26.4 beta 1 is Apple's upcoming support for video-based podcasts in the Apple Podcasts app. Apple says the new "enhanced video podcast experience" will allow users to "seamlessly switch between viewing a video podcast and listening to the audio." The update […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-kicks-off-the-ios-26-4-update-cycle-with-first-developer-beta-builds-adds-support-for-video-based-podcasts/

We already know that Apple has de-prioritized its Vision Pro headsets to accelerate the launch of AI-enabled and AR-based smart glasses. And now, a new report from Omdia has shed some much-needed light on the evolving competition dynamics in this new arena, which is fast becoming crowded as OEMs jostle for market share. Asus, RayNeo, Meta, and Apple are all racing to bring OLEDoS AR glasses to the market While ROG and RayNeo plan to launch their OLEDoS (OLED on Silicon) AR smart glasses this year, Meta plans to bring its first proper AR smart glasses to the market in […]

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In a development that seemingly bodes well for the efficiency and stability of Intel's revamped chip fabrication process, the new Panther Lake SoC has managed to just about match Apple's M5 processor - housed within the MacBook Pro - in an elaborate battery test. Intel Panther Lake within the new Asus 14-inch ExpertBook Ultra pitted against Apple's M5 chip housed within the 14-inch MacBook Pro At the outset, we should concede that this test pitted Intel's latest best chip for mobile phones and high-efficiency laptops, the 18A-based Panther Lake, against Apple's lowest-end new processor, the M5. Even so, given Apple's […]

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In what is clearly shaping up to be a broader trend within Apple's sprawling ecosystem of devices, the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are now expected to debut as eSIM-only variants following similar tidbits for the iPhone Fold. Apple iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max won't have a dedicated slot for a physical SIM card, and would solely rely on eSIMs instead According to TechManiacs, Apple will try to eke out a bit more space in the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max by eliminating the physical SIM card slot, thereby forcing reliance on eSIMs instead. […]

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Apple's upcoming iOS 27 increasingly looks like a much more subtle major software update, especially when compared with the riot of upheaval that was the iOS 26 and its Liquid Glass UI. Now, a famous tipster is out with a major scoop, declaring that iOS 27 might bring with it huge battery life improvements, courtesy of the update's code cleanup attempts and interface tweaks. Apple to bring a ton of optimizations and small UI tweaks with the iOS 27 update Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently clarified that Apple will not institute any substantial UI-related changes with the upcoming iOS 27 update. […]

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The upcoming low-cost MacBook is shaping up to be one of Apple's most anticipated product launches of the year. And now, a few tantalizing tidbits from a reputed tipster have only increased the attractiveness of the soon-to-launch budget MacBook. Apple's low-cost MacBook to sport a new manufacturing process Bloomberg's Mark Gurman is out with another scoop today, detailing that Apple is looking to use a new manufacturing process for the aluminum shell of the low-cost MacBook. This aligns with previous reports that had suggested that Apple might leverage the thermal design elements of the iPhone 16 Pro, which used a […]

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We are still around two weeks away from Samsung's official unveiling of its Galaxy S26 series. Even so, the as yet unreleased Galaxy S26+ just went up for sale on Craiglist, leading many to conclude that the device is either a prototype or part of an outright scam. An enterprising netizen is now offering to sell to you the unreleased Galaxy S26+ on Craiglist A tipster has just published the photos of the Galaxy S26+ that has gone on sale on Craiglist. Do note that the tipster appears to be mistaken. Judging from the layout of the cameras, we can […]

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Apple's iOS 26, in keeping with the historical norms, has now reached around three-fourths of all iPhones launched over the past four years (since 2022). Even so, Apple's latest software iteration for the iPhones is somewhat lagging when compared with the adoption recorded by the last-gen iOS 18 in the comparable timeframe, with the Liquid Glass design language likely to blame for this aberrant slowdown. Apple's iOS 26 is now running on 74 percent of all iPhones launched in the last four years Apple has just released the adoption statistics for iOS 26 now that 150 days have passed since […]

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Samsung opted for an iterative refresh for the upcoming Galaxy S26 series after Apple instituted a major design change for its iPhone 17 lineup. And, as a result, the South Korean tech behemoth is now reportedly paying the price for its inertia, if the latest tidbits about the series' pre-order cadence are anything to go by. The current pre-order trajectory for the Galaxy S26 series would make it nearly impossible for Samsung to meet the lineup's annual sales target According to the tipster Jason C, there is a "perceived lack of interest in the Samsung Galaxy S26 series." Also, as […]

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