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Tag: iPhone

  • Apple Shared Its First Public AI-Generated Image. It’s Craig Federighi’s Dog

    Apple Shared Its First Public AI-Generated Image. It’s Craig Federighi’s Dog

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    Apple’s forthcoming iOS 18 is loaded with a slew of artificial-intelligence-powered capabilities. The new mobile OS can rewrite your text messages, summarize emails, and identify objects in photos. But one of the most fun features is Image Playground, which generates cartoonlike illustrations based on a text prompt.

    While Apple has shown examples of its output during its keynotes, demos, and product videos, we have yet to see a real-world example of an Image Playground character until now. Apple has shared with WIRED the first-ever example created by Image Playground that it has shown outside of its prerecorded keynotes and marketing materials.

    This image of an adorable small dog wearing a party hat and smiling behind a birthday cake isn’t just any random pup. Her name is Bailey, and she belongs to Craig Federighi, senior vice president of software engineering at Apple, who created the image for his wife in honor of Bailey’s recent birthday.

    Federighi referenced the illustration during his interview with WIRED’s Lily Hay Newman about Apple’s Private Cloud Compute, the secure server environment the company built to handle AI task requests that cannot be processed on a consumer’s device. Apple reps shared it later. It’s WIRED policy to clearly identify any AI-generated images we publish, so that’s why you see the watermark on the image.

    Image Playground is debuting at a time when generative AI tools have been creeping into software from all the major tech companies, as Microsoft, Google, and Meta have released AI-powered software that focuses on productivity and creativity. While Apple’s approach in iOS 18 also prioritizes the practical side of AI, the company has included some purely fun apps too—Image Playground being a prime example.

    It exists as a stand-alone app, but you can also access it through Messages. To generate an image, you can either type a description of what you want to see, choose a photo of someone from your photo library, or pick from some preloaded concepts. You can also opt between three styles: Illustration, Sketch, and Animation. The feature is not to be confused with Genmoji, which allows you to generate custom emoji directly from the keyboard using text prompts.

    Since neither of these generative AI features are available in beta just yet (although a few other Apple Intelligence features are with the iOS 18.1 developer beta), the only examples we’ve seen of Image Playground’s and Gemoji’s output have been tightly controlled by Apple. Until the features are released, Federighi’s adorable dog is the closest we’ll get to seeing an example that exists beyond heavily produced and edited marketing materials. And I’d say it’s a pretty good one, and certainly not as creepy as the examples we saw during the keynote at WWDC. Good job, Craig.

    Update: September 11, 2024, at 7:33 pm EDT. This story was changed to add the name of Federighi’s dog.

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    Brenda Stolyar, Lily Hay Newman

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  • Apple Intelligence Promises Better AI Privacy. Here’s How It Actually Works

    Apple Intelligence Promises Better AI Privacy. Here’s How It Actually Works

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    Apple is making every production PCC server build publicly available for inspection so people unaffiliated with Apple can verify that PCC is doing (and not doing) what the company claims, and that everything is implemented correctly. All of the PCC server images are recorded in a cryptographic attestation log, essentially an indelible record of signed claims, and each entry includes a URL for where to download that individual build. PCC is designed so Apple can’t put a server into production without logging it. And in addition to offering transparency, the system works as a crucial enforcement mechanism to prevent bad actors from setting up rogue PCC nodes and diverting traffic. If a server build hasn’t been logged, iPhones will not send Apple Intelligence queries or data to it.

    PCC is part of Apple’s bug bounty program, and vulnerabilities or misconfigurations researchers find could be eligible for cash rewards. Apple says, though, that since the iOS 18.1 beta became available in late July, no on has found any flaws in PCC so far. The company recognizes that it has only made the tools to evaluate PCC available to a select group of researchers so far.

    Multiple security researchers and cryptographers tell WIRED that Private Cloud Compute looks promising, but they haven’t spent significant time digging into it yet.

    “Building Apple silicon servers in the data center when we didn’t have any before, building a custom OS to run in the data center was huge,” Federighi says. He adds that “creating the trust model where your device will refuse to issue a request to a server unless the signature of all the software the server is running has been published to a transparency log was certainly one of the most unique elements of the solution—and totally critical to the trust model.”

    To questions about Apple’s partnership with OpenAI and integration of ChatGPT, the company emphasizes that partnerships are not covered by PCC and operate separately. ChatGPT and other integrations are turned off by default, and users must manually enable them. Then, if Apple Intelligence determines that a request would be better fulfilled by ChatGPT or another partner platform, it notifies the user each time and asks whether to proceed. Additionally, people can use these integrations while logged into their account for a partner service like ChatGPT or can use them through Apple without logging in separately. Apple said in June that another integration with Google’s Gemini is also in the works.

    Apple said this week that beyond launching in United States English, Apple Intelligence is coming to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom in December. The company also said that additional language support—including for Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish—will drop next year. Whether that means that Apple Intelligence will be permitted under the European Union’s AI Act and whether Apple will be able to offer PCC in its current form in China is another question.

    “Our goal is to bring ideally everything we can to provide the best capabilities to our customers everywhere we can,” Federighi says. “But we do have to comply with regulations, and there is uncertainty in certain environments we’re trying to sort out so we can bring these features to our customers as soon as possible. So, we’re trying.”

    He adds that as the company expands its ability to do more Apple Intelligence computation on-device, it may be able to use this as a workaround in some markets.

    Those who do get access to Apple Intelligence will have the ability to do far more than they could with past versions of iOS, from writing tools to photo analysis. Federighi says that his family celebrated their dog’s recent birthday with an Apple Intelligence–generated GenMoji (viewed and confirmed to be very cute by WIRED). But while Apple’s AI is meant to be as helpful and invisible as possible, the stakes are incredibly high for the security of the infrastructure underpinning it. So how are things going so far? Federighi sums it up without hesitation: “The rollout of Private Cloud Compute has been delightfully uneventful.”

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    Lily Hay Newman

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  • The Best iPhone 15 Cases and Accessories

    The Best iPhone 15 Cases and Accessories

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    I am often surrounded by dozens of phone cases, and many of them are perfectly fine! They just don’t stand out, or they have one quirk I don’t like. That’s what you’ll find below. You might enjoy them more than I do.

    OtterBox Figura MagSafe Case for $50: These tie-dye phone cases are super rad. The buttons click well, and the MagSafe connection is strong. They’re a little slippery, but the edges around the screen are raised well enough to protect it.

    OtterBox Symmetry Series Cactus Leather MagSafe Case for $47: Cactus leather isn’t as sustainable as companies want you to think as there are still fossil-fuel-based plastics in their construction. Still, this OtterBox case is at least somewhat more eco-friendly than polycarbonate cases, and it’s a pretty luxe case. I love the texture, which adds some grip, and it’s very slim. I just wish the buttons were a smidge easier to press.

    Thinborne Super Thin iPhone 15 MagSafe Case for $60: Like the Totallee, if you hate cases but still want something to protect your device from scratches, this super-slim case from Thinborne will do the trick. It’s made from aramid fiber and is a hard shell case. It’s very hard to take it off (unless you have long nails). There’s MagSafe embedded and it’s strong, though again, remember that this isn’t a case meant for drop protection. Thinborne includes two screen protectors in the box, which is nice.

    Waterfield Designs iPhone EDC Pocket Organizer for $59: If you prefer to store your iPhone in a bag all the time but don’t want to get it scuffed up with other items, this is a nice option from Waterfield Designs. It fits the iPhone 15 Pro Max just fine, and there are pouches for pens, cards, and cash. The main zippered compartment can also hold a passport, and there’s even a tiny pouch in there for AirTags to track the bag if you lose it. It’s made from X-Pac, which is waterproof, though only the items in the zippered pouch will benefit.

    Mous Limitless 5.0 MagSafe Case for $60: Mous has a few different textures you can choose from. The aramid is boring, but I’d recommend snagging the walnut or bamboo if you want a wood case. The case is well constructed with a polycarbonate, thermoplastic urethane, and thermoplastic elastomer. The edges around the screen are raised, the MagSafe connection is strong, and the buttons work well. I did find the edges a bit slippery.

    Mous IntraLock MagSafe Phone Case for $60: This is a pretty nice slim case with clicky buttons and good raised edges for the screen and camera module. It comes with Mous’ proprietary IntraLock system, allowing you to more securely connect it with other Mous accessories like a bike mount. I prefer Peak Design’s SlimLink lineup of accessories, but this is a nice alternative.

    Spigen Tough Armor MagFit ($25): The chunky Tough Armor has some of the best buttons I’ve pressed on a case, including for the Action button. There’s a hole in the center to show off that classic Apple logo, and over on the front, the edges are raised above the screen for extra protection. The kickstand is just OK. It’s a little hard for me to pull out, and it only works in landscape orientation. But hey, it’s cheap. I have also tested Spigen’s Mag Armor and Rugged Armor, but I don’t like them as much as the Tough Armor or the picks above.

    OtterBox Commuter MagSafe Case for $35: This case is like the inverse of the Defender XT we recommend up above. You have to slip a rubber case over the iPhone, and the polycarbonate shell with the MagSafe component goes on the back. It’s pretty solid all around, except the MagSafe just isn’t as strong as on the other OtterBox cases. I don’t know if it’s because of the weight of the Pro Max that I tested it with, but it came off my MagSafe wireless charging stands more easily.

    Rokform Crystal Series and Rugged Series for $70: It’s a thick and sturdy case, but the selling point is the strong MagSafe connection, which the company says is four to five times stronger on magnetic surfaces than typical MagSafe cases. This is true, it stuck to my metal desk very well. If you want a strong magnetic connection, it’s perfect. However, it’s also a problem when you want to find perfect alignment on the first try with your MagSafe wireless chargers. Since almost the entire back of the case is magnetic, you’ll find yourself hunting to place it in the right spot to charge. Kinda defeats the purpose of MagSafe, doesn’t it?

    Casetify Ultra Bounce MagSafe Case for $88: Pushing $100 for a case is, frankly, crazy to me. I’m not a huge fan of the camera covers on this case—I feel like I smudge the cameras more than ever because it sits flush with the rest of the case. The volume rocker is a bit mushy too. That said, the huge bumps on the corners have a good chance of absorbing impact and protecting your phone. You’ll have a hard time fitting it in a pocket, but there’s a spot to attach a lanyard (not included) if you want to dangle this bulky thing on your wrist. Casetify also has tons of different designs to choose from. I have previously tested and like its Impact cases ($68), which are still expensive, but cheaper than this.

    Catalyst Influence MagSafe Case for $60: This case has speaker ports that direct the iPhone’s bottom-firing speakers at your face, and it’s pretty effective! The Action button is sadly a cutout instead of a button, but it’s not too hard to access. The non-Pro models have the classic Catalyst rotating button you can twist to toggle the mute switch.

    Burga Elite MagSafe Case for $85: These cases have several designs you can choose from, and they certainly look like something straight out of New York Fashion Week. The buttons are solid, the screen is protected a bit via raised edges, and while the Action button on the Pro models is a cutout instead of a button, it’s not hard to access. The MagSafe connection is reliable, and it’s decently grippy. Burga also has a non-MagSafe case ($35) if you don’t care for magnets, but it feels decidedly cheaper.

    Wave Case MagSafe Case for $47: These cases have a cutout for the Action button on the Pro models, but it’s relatively easy to access. The MagSafe support is solid, and they’re otherwise perfectly functional. They’re just a little dull. What’s not dull is that they’re made from biodegradable wheat straw and come in 100 percent recyclable packaging.

    UAG Pathfinder MagSafe Case for $50: I have tested a bunch of UAG cases, and the Pathfinder is my favorite. The design, specifically in a solid color like Cloud Blue, has this spacey industrial look to it. Neat! The sides are grippy, there’s a spot to attach a lanyard, and it hooks up to MagSafe accessories well. Sadly, the Action button is a cutout—but that’s not a problem for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus and their mute switch!

    Speck Presidio Perfect-Clear MagSafe Case for $50: This is a decent clear case, but the Action button is a little hard to press. It shows smudges pretty easily too. It comes with Speck’s ClickLock proprietary magnetic mounting solution for added security with Speck’s MagSafe accessories, but you can use any MagSafe gear with this case. It’s made with 50 percent recycled plastics.

    Spigen Optik Armor Magfit Case for $27: This case is only available for the Pro models. It covers the rear cameras, whether you want to keep them protected or you want added privacy and peace of mind. I like the matte texture on the back. I noticed that a few reviews say they’ve had issues using it with wireless chargers and MagSafe accessories, but I’ve had no problems. The camera cover does hang off the edge when you leave it open, but you can remove it completely if you are going to shoot a lot of photos. Just don’t misplace it! The Action button is a bit stiff too.

    Incipio AeroGrip MagSafe Case for iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max for $30: It doesn’t rock much on a table, and true to its name, it offers a pretty good grip. However, the Action button is a cutout, and I found it a bit hard to access.

    Incipio Forme Clear MagSafe Case for $40: This is a fun clear case with a snazzy design that lights up the colors of the rainbow when light scatters on it. Like on the AeroGrip, the Action button is a cutout and hard to press, but I didn’t have issues with it otherwise. It’s a solid option for the non-Pro iPhones.

    Mous Clarity 2.0 MagSafe Case for $75: This clear case has a black bumper and solid MagSafe support. The buttons are clicky, and the edges around the screen are slightly raised. However, it smudges easily, and the price is far too high compared to the clear cases above.

    Case-Mate D30 Ultra-Tough MagSafe Case for $19: The access to the Action button is a cutout in this case, which is annoying, but it’s otherwise quite nice. The edges are raised all around, and the buttons are clicky. The only problem? Why is there a big Case-Mate D30 logo across the back of the case? People want a clear case to see their phone, not your trademark.

    Caseology Athlex Case for $10: This case is super cheap but doesn’t feel like it at all. It has a nice grippy texture that makes it feel luxe, with grooved edges that make it comfier to hold. It’s only available for the Pro models, and the only flaw is the lack of MagSafe. If you don’t care for Apple’s magnetic accessory system, this case will satisfy.

    Cyrill Kajuk Mag MagSafe Case for $27: I tried a few Cyrill cases, including the Cecile Clear Glitter and UltraSheer Mag, and this is my favorite of the lot. It’s only available for the Pro models, but it checks off all the boxes, has good MagSafe support, and even comes with a lanyard.

    15:21 Cork Case for $45: I have a hard time recommending a case that costs this much yet doesn’t include MagSafe. Still, the cork has an unusual but pleasant aesthetic, and it’s sustainably produced. None of the buttons are covered and it’s very slim, so it’s not meant to protect the phone from drops, but rather from everyday scratches. The iPhone 15 will still stick to MagSafe accessories through this case, but the magnetic attachment is noticeably weaker, which makes things precarious.

    UAG Civilian MagSafe Case for $60: In my limited time with it, this case checked off a lot of boxes, though it’s a little plain. The MagSafe is strong, the buttons are clicky. What worries me is the Amazon reviews claiming this case wears down after a few months. I have not been able to test it for that long to verify those claims.

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    Julian Chokkattu

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  • Which iPhone 16 Model Should You Buy?

    Which iPhone 16 Model Should You Buy?

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    That said, the bigger iPhones do tend to have the best battery life. Apple says the iPhone 16 Pro Max delivers the best battery life in an iPhone, though we’ll have to test that claim. If battery life is your number one priority, choose between the largest models: iPhone 16 Plus and the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

    All of these iPhones have the Action button, which replaces the Mute switch and is now configurable, so you can replicate the Mute switch functionality or execute another action, like turning on a flashlight or triggering a shortcut. They all also have the new Camera Control button (yes, it’s a button). You can use it to open the camera and take a photo, but a light press shows different camera modes and you can slide your finger left or right across the button’s surface to cycle through various modes, zoom levels, and more. Eventually, you can use this button to trigger Visual Intelligence, which is like Apple’s version of Google Lens—point your iPhone at something in the real world to get more information about it.

    Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

    Every iPhone 16 model can now take advantage of a cool video feature called Audio Mix. This lets you change up the way your videos sound when you’re editing them by choosing a sound profile. These include In-Frame, which focuses the audio on whoever is in the frame; Studio, which makes it sound like you were in a studio, cutting all background noise; and Cinematic, which makes sure whoever is at the center of the frame comes in clear, with a little bit of ambient noise mixed in. This feature will perform better on the iPhone 16 Pro models since they have upgraded microphones.

    The redesigned Photographic Styles are also available in the entire range. These are almost like filters but better—instead of changing the look of the whole image, these Styles can maintain skin tones so they don’t look weird, and can adjust other parts of the photo like shadows and highlights. Apple is also giving you more control over how your skin tone looks, instead of going for more of a one-size-fits-all approach like Google does with its Pixel phones.

    Apple Intelligence is the headline feature, and the only way to try out the new artificial intelligence capabilities is to use a phone that supports it: the iPhone 16 range, the iPhone 15 Pro, or the iPhone 15 Pro Max. I covered these features in broader detail in our iOS 18 guide, but to summarize, it includes a revamped Siri experience, the ability to generate emoji (and Genmoji!), and writing assistance features like proofreading and changing the tone of your messages.

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    Julian Chokkattu

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  • CNBC Daily Open: Did Apple’s shiny new things improve market sentiment?

    CNBC Daily Open: Did Apple’s shiny new things improve market sentiment?

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    New models of the Apple iPhone 16 are displayed after Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event in Cupertino, California, September 9, 2024. 

    Nic Coury | AFP | Getty Images

    This report is from today’s CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Like what you see? You can subscribe here.

    What you need to know today

    Broad rebound
    U.S. stocks rebounded on Monday after posting huge losses last week. It was a broad rally across assets: Oil prices gained 1% and bitcoin rose 4.42%. Asia-Pacific stocks were mixed Tuesday. The Hang Seng index added 0.42%, with Alibaba shares rising more than 5% after the company was added to Stock Connect. The scheme allows investors in mainland China and Hong Kong to trade and settle shares with each other’s market.

    Export growth in China
    China’s exports in August rose 8.7% year on year, in U.S. dollar terms, beating Reuters’ estimates of a 6.5% rise. Exports to the EU grew 13% from a year earlier, the most among China’s major trading partners, according to CNBC calculations of official data. Imports growth at 0.5% fell short of analysts’ expectations.

    New iPhones
    Apple unveiled lots of new products on Monday night. Highlights: the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max get larger screens, while their non-pro siblings finally get the Pro’s “action” button; the freshly redesigned Apple Watch Series 10; AirPods 4 earbuds. Apple’s AI features will launch in beta on the new iPhones — investors will monitor if they push up flagging iPhone sales.

    $400 million hit to Goldman
    Goldman Sachs will post a roughly $400 million pretax hit to its third-quarter results, said CEO David Solomon at a conference on Monday, as the bank winds down its ill-fated foray into consumer banking. Those ventures include Goldman’s GM Card business and a separate portfolio of loans.

    [PRO] Stocks to ride out shaky September
    September is historically the worst month for stocks. It’s the only month during which markets fell for four consecutive years. The volatility we’ve experienced at the start of the month seems to continue this unwelcome trend. Still, there are some steady stocks investors can consider to ride out September’s roller coaster.

    The bottom line

    Maybe all it takes are shiny new things to lift our mood and take our minds off recession fears.

    I’m jesting — but just partially.

    Apple on Monday launched sleek new iPhones, watches and earphones. The excitement of the event and the prospect of having something look forward to may have lifted market sentiment.

    Detractors who think that’s a far-fetched assertion should remember Apple dominates more than half of smartphone shipments in the U.S., according to Counterpoint Research. Further, a 2023 Bloomberg survey found 79% of Gen Zers prefer iPhones over other smartphones, implying that Apple’s market share could grow more as that demographic gains earning power.

    True, post-event, Apple shares just crawled up 0.04%. But, as CNBC’s Kelly Evans points out, the Cupertino-headquartered company’s stock tends to fall after product announcements.

    This reversal of the trend offers a glimmer of hope that Apple’s plans to integrate AI into its phones will rejuvenate iPhone sales, which have been slumping amid increased competition from Chinese brands.

    And when the S&P 500’s biggest constituent is experiencing favorable winds, other stocks will also benefit from its slipstream.

    Nvidia jumped 3.5% after falling 14% last week. Broader markets rose as well. Both the S&P and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.16%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.2%.

    Apart from Apple’s announcement, there wasn’t any other material news that would have impacted markets.

    Of course, Apple’s event is not the sole reason markets rose yesterday. Last week’s broad sell-off presents investors with opportunities to pick up stocks at a relatively cheaper price, which would induce a rebound rally.

    Markets are still largely driven by sentiment, as mentioned yesterday.

    That said, the consumer and producer price index reports coming out Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, are concrete pieces of data that have the potential to affect markets dramatically.

    They’ll also let us know if we can afford those shiny new things that Apple’s dangling in front of us.

    – CNBC’s Pia Singh and Lisa Kailai Han contributed to this story.

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  • 9/9: CBS News 24/7 Episode 2

    9/9: CBS News 24/7 Episode 2

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    9/9: CBS News 24/7 Episode 2 – CBS News


    Watch CBS News



    Princess Kate says she completed chemotherapy treatment for cancer; Apple unveils iPhone 16.

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  • iPhone 16 Marks a Milestone in Apple’s Supply Chain Shift From China to India

    iPhone 16 Marks a Milestone in Apple’s Supply Chain Shift From China to India

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    Apple CEO Tim Cook poses for a selfie with a woman during the opening of New Delhi’s first Apple retail store at a mall in New Delhi on April 20, 2023. ARUN SANKAR/AFP via Getty Images

    Apple (AAPL) today (Sept. 9) revealed its latest iPhone 16 lineup, along with the new Apple Watch and AirPods, all available on Sept. 20. This will be the first time Apple manufactures the iPhone Pro models in India, as the Cupertino, Calif.-based tech behemoth continues shifting its supply chain away from China. It also marks a milestone for the Indian government, which aims to establish the South Asian country as a global hub of consumer electronics manufacturing.

    Apple first began assembling iPhones in India in 2017, making the iPhone SE and old iPhone models, in an attempt to diversify its supply chain from China. This effort was accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic, when a Chinese factory unexpectedly seized production due to lockdown-related protests, causing major delays in iPhone deliveries to customers during the 2022 holiday season. Apple is not the only U.S. tech giant diversifying away from China post-Covid; Microsoft and Amazon have moved some of the Xbox and Fire TV manufacturing from China to India and Vietnam, respectively.

    Apple’s iPhone manufacturing in India is ramping up quickly. In its last fiscal year ended in September, Apple doubled its iPhone production in India to $14 billion worth from the previous year, Bloomberg reported in April. Today, 1 in 7 iPhones sold globally are made in India. Apple aims to make a quarter of all iPhones in India in the next four years.

    In 2023, Foxconn, Apple’s largest contractor headquartered in Taiwan, announced a $1.5 billion investment in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, a $600 million plant in Karnataka, and a $500 million plant in Telangana. These state-of-the-art factories will be set up to assemble iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models in the country for the first time. Foxconn now produces two-thirds of all the iPhones built in India. Indian conglomerate Tata Group, the first domestic manufacturer of iPhones, has promised to make India’s largest factor for producing Apple products.

    Meanwhile, the Indian government is offering generous subsidies to Apple’s manufacturing partners to build plants in the country. These subsidies include a “production-linked incentive” scheme, which gives revenue-based annual payouts to manufacturers like Foxconn for up to five years, which helps soften the massive fixed costs that go into building new plants. The scheme began in 2020 and expects to pay out $20 billion over five years.

    Another incentive for Apple to shift manufacturing to India is the rising geopolitical tension between China and India, stemming from a 2020 border dispute. This conflict led India to ban several Chinese-owned companies, including TikTok, from operating in the country. India also imposes high tariffs on Chinese electronics and technology products, including Chinese-manufactured iPhones. The tariffs have posed challenges for Apple to grow market share in India, where its rising middle class is driving demand for Apple’s premium products. In the 12 months ended March, Apple sales in the country grew 33 percent from the year prior.

    Apple opened its first retail store in India in 2023. Despite holding only 6 percent of the country’s smartphone market, CEO Tim Cook called India a “huge opportunity” in a June 2023 interview with CNBC.

    iPhone 16 Marks a Milestone in Apple’s Supply Chain Shift From China to India

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    Shreyas Sinha

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  • Here’s What People Are Saying About Apple’s New iPhone 16 | Entrepreneur

    Here’s What People Are Saying About Apple’s New iPhone 16 | Entrepreneur

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    Apple just announced its first AI-centered iPhone.

    Apple introduced its new iPhone 16 lineup on Monday, with the usual Plus, Pro, and Pro Max variations, highlighting that the phones are compatible with AI-powered features like AI writing to help draft emails and texts. The phones include a new physical Camera Control button, right below the power button, to make taking pictures easier.

    Related: Here’s Why Apple’s Slow and Steady Approach to AI Could Be Beneficial

    Visual Intelligence is also a standout feature. iPhone 16 users can take pictures with Camera Control to capture details from a flyer, for example, or to learn more about a local restaurant.

    The phones also have “a big boost in battery life” and better performance thanks to a new chip, Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing, said in a press release. Pre-orders start on Friday; the phones start to ship out on September 20.

    iPhone 16. Photo by Nic Coury / AFP

    Social media had humorous, adoring, and dismissive takes on the new iPhone. Some users praised the iPhone’s new user interface, especially the camera button and visual intelligence, while others took issue with Apple making changes they deemed incremental.

    The new Apple iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199.

    Related: Apple Adds AI Writing Tools to the iPhone 16. Here’s Why That Could Be a Problem.

    Here are some of the immediate reactions:

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    Sherin Shibu

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  • Apple’s new iPhone 16 unveiled at “Glowtime” event

    Apple’s new iPhone 16 unveiled at “Glowtime” event

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    Apple unveiled its new iPhone 16 at the tech giant’s “It’s Glowtime” event Monday, at which it touted upgraded capabilities and designs for its new phones and other devices. The event, held at Apple’s Cupertino, California, headquarters, also marked the tech giant’s foray in earnest into generative AI. 

    Called Apple Intelligence, Apple’s AI is designed to help simplify everyday tasks, like taking notes, composing emails, and sorting photos. 

    “The next generation of iPhone has been designed for Apple Intelligence from the ground up,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said. “It marks the beginning of an exciting new era. iPhone 16 raises the bar for what an iPhone can do.”

    The new iPhone 16 is water and dust resistant, and comes in five different colors, Apple said. Among the upgrades from the last generation are a bigger battery and larger display sizes — the iPhone 16’s display measures 6.1 inches, while the iPhone 16 Plus measures 6.7 inches.

    The new iPhone models also feature a new and improved camera and control button that makes it easier to capture photos. These and other upgrades are powered by the new A18 chip, Apple said. The chip is capable of running large generative AI models, like Apple Intelligence, which is integrated across multiple apps.

    The iPhone 16 starts at $799 while the iPhone Plus costs $899 and up.  

    The iPhone 16 Pro, the more premium model, features a 6.3 inch display, while the Pro Plus measures 6.9 inches. The phones come in four titanium finishes: black, white, natural and a new desert shade. The devices will be available for pre-order beginning on Friday and will hit store shelves on September 20. The iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199, Apple said.

    Apple said its iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Plus models comes in four titanium finishes: black, white, natural and a new desert shade.

    Apple


    Apple Intelligence will be available via a software update, iOS 18, set to arrive by October, the company previously said. 

    The iPhone 16 Pro models revealed at the Apple event have 48 megapixel fusion cameras that allow users to capture high-resolution images with ease through a redesigned capture button, Apple said.

    apple-iphone-16-pro-fusion-photography-02-240909.jpg
    Apple provided a sample image taken with its new iPhone 16 Pro phone’s camera. 

    Apple


    Apple Intelligence also adds new camera capabilities, including what the company calls Visual Intelligence. For example, a new feature lets users point their camera at a dog, click and hold the control button, and Apple Intelligence will provide information about its breed. Use the same tool to point at a restaurant for information about its opening hours and menu. 

    It’s similar to what the Shazam app does with music — users open the app, which listens to songs playing in the background, and identifies them. 

    Consumer Reports tech expert Nicholas De Leon told CBS MoneyWatch that the first consumers to get their hands on the new iPhone 16 models and test Apple Intelligence features will be the real judges of whether these functions add significant value.

    “If nothing else, it’s a big deal because this is the first iPhone of the generative AI era,” he told CBS MoneyWatch.

    But the new iPhone launch also comes as many consumers appear content to keep their older phones, given the costs of upgrading, and amid ongoing debate over the impact of technologies such as mobile devices and social media on our health.

    “We are on our phones 24/7, and people are examining their relationship with these tools,” De Leon said.

    New watches

    Cook kicked off the event by presenting new base and “Ultra” Apple Watch models, which start at $399 and $799, respectively. The new series 10 watch can be pre-ordered immediately and will be available on September 10. The Ultra can also be pre-ordered for delivery September 20.

    The Apple Watch Series 10 features the company’s biggest display and thinnest design to-date. Cook called them “the most beautiful and capable watches we’ve ever created.”

    Notably, the new watch has a tool that can detect sleep apnea, a condition that often goes undiagnosed and that can cause fatigue and irritability. It has the ability to measure a metric that detects breathing disturbances, when users wear it during their sleep. 

    Cook also pulled back the curtain on the company’s latest ear buds — the AirPods 4, plus AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max 2, with some models featuring health tech tools. 

    New Apple Watch
    Apple presents the new Apple Watch Series 10 at an event on Sept.9, 2024, at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. 

    Andrej Sokolow/picture alliance via Getty Images


    AirPods Pro 2  incorporate an over-the-counter, professional grade hearing aid, Apple said. 

    The event marks what Wedbush Securities technology analyst Dan Ives called Apple’s “biggest upgrade cycle in its history.”

    “It’s a historic event that kicks off the consumer AI revolution, now coming to Apple,” he told CBS MoneyWatch. “About 20% of the world will ultimately interact with AI through an Apple device, and it all starts today.”

    Ives predicts it will take until the end of the year for Apple Intelligence to fully function on phones. He also says the AI will compel Apple customers who haven’t upgraded their iPhones in some time to purchase the latest model.

    The iPhone accounted for roughly 60% of Apple’s $39 billion in sales last quarter. 

    “Three-hundred-millions iPhones haven’t upgraded in four years, so that creates what we believe is going to be the strongest iPhone unit year in Apple’s history,” Ives said. He added that consumers with an aversion to AI can just turn the features off. Still, not all experts see the need for users with older iPhones to upgrade just yet, even with the advent of Apple Intelligence.

    “While I agree that Apple Intelligence has long-term potential, I’m not convinced that its first iteration will deliver the game-changing usability that many anticipate,” wrote Jason Perlow, senior contributing writer at ZDNet in a recent article.

    The Associated Press

    contributed to this report.

    Megan Cerullo

    Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.

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  • When does Apple launch the new iPhone 16? Here’s everything you need to know

    When does Apple launch the new iPhone 16? Here’s everything you need to know

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    This is last year’s iPhone 15 Pro. We don’t expect a radical redesign for the new models. (Apple)

    It’s almost time: In just two days, Apple will show off its new lineup of the iPhone 16 models at its iPhone event on Monday, Sept. 9. The livestream starts at 1PM ET. And if you plan to get your hands on one of the new devices after the event, we’re here to save you time because the new iPhones won’t be available to buy yet.

    Apple is pretty consistent when it comes to releasing new products and we don’t expect that to change this year. We’ll tell you when we expect Apple to release the iPhone 16 after its event. We’ll also let you know when you can expect to download iOS 18 – Apple’s latest software – on your current iPhone.

    We don’t yet know how much the iPhone 16 lineup will cost. Currently, the iPhone 15 models start at $799 and range as high as $1,599 for the 15 Pro with 1TB of storage. It will be interesting to see if Apple holds the line on pricing, or plays around with different storage capacities and price points, as it sometimes does.

    Want to follow along with us during Apple’s big event? Here’s how to watch the iPhone 16 announcement. (We’ll post our liveblog link closer to the event start time.)

    While we won’t have a set date for when the iPhone 16 will become available until the iPhone event on Monday, we can predict the date based on Apple’s past consistency. Here’s what we expect:

    • Monday, Sept. 9: Apple’s official event (confirmed)

    • Friday, Sept. 13: Preorders open

    • Week of Sept. 16: iOS 18 available for download

    • Friday, Sept. 20: New iPhones and other devices in stores

    Again, aside from the confirmed announcement event, these dates are only speculation based on Apple’s previous iPhone release history. For instance, Apple generally opens preorders the Friday following the iPhone event. So if Apple follows its previous cadence, you’ll be able to preorder an iPhone 16 on Friday, Sept. 13. Likewise, if Apple keeps the same schedule as the past, that would mean the iPhone 16 will officially be available to buy on Friday, Sept. 20.

    How about new Apple Watch and AirPods products expected to be announced alongside the presumed new iPhone 16 series? Generally, they also follow the same dates, but there have been some delays in the past. It’s entirely possible that one or more of these expected products could hit stores in later weeks – possibly even as late as October.

    If you’re not planning to buy the new iPhone 16, you’ll still have the option to make your older iPhone similar with the newer models – assuming your iPhone is eligible for iOS 18. (Nearly all models introduced in the past six years are.)

    While Apple won’t announce when it’ll release iOS 18 to the public until its event, we can again speculate based on the past. The newest software will be available the week after the event – at earliest, that would be Monday, Sept. 16, though it’s possible it won’t become available until mid-week.

    We’ll update with the official dates for new hardware and software after Apple announces them on Monday.

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    Katie Teague

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  • The Easiest Ways to Swap Contact Info Using Your Phone

    The Easiest Ways to Swap Contact Info Using Your Phone

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    Tap Who can share with you, then enable Everyone and check the Only for 10 minutes box. It means Quick Share actions can be initiated with unknown contacts, but the sharing will be turned off after 10 minutes. This should be ample time for you to share a contact card.

    Unlike NameDrop, there’s no magic touch-your-phones-together action. You need to head into your Contacts app: On Pixels, tap your account picture (top right), then Contacts settings, Your info, the three dots, and then Share. On Galaxy phones, just tap your contact at the top of the list, then Share. You’ll then see Quick Share appear as one of the options, and the other person’s Android device should be detected.

    Cross-Platform Sharing

    You can share details over email or text message too.

    Photograph: David Nield

    (David Nield)

    If you’re trying to get an iPhone working with an Android phone, you’ll notice that AirDrop doesn’t work with Android devices, and Quick Share doesn’t work with iOS. That means you’re going to have to use one of the other sharing options available from your phone, but there are lots of them.

    On an iPhone, open the Contacts app on iOS, then tap your name at the top of the contacts list. Choose Share Contact, select the fields in your contact card you want to share (including your number and address), and you’ll be given a choice of options for sharing—from email to WhatsApp message to social media.

    It’s similar on Android: Get to the sharing page for your own contact card as we’ve described above for Pixel and Galaxy phones, and next to the Quick Share option you’ll find alternative methods of sharing that are compatible with iPhones. You can choose text or email, for example, or Bluetooth (which should work with an iPhone, as long as the iPhone owner has the Bluetooth page from the iPhone Settings open).

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    David Nield

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  • Taking care of tech: How to get the most life out of your smartphone – MoneySense

    Taking care of tech: How to get the most life out of your smartphone – MoneySense

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    Samsung, meanwhile, says its lithium ion batteries do best when kept above 50% charge. It advises against running the battery down.

    “Repeatedly allowing the battery to drain fully may shorten its life and decrease its overall capacity,” the company says in an online guide. “If this happens, you’ll need to charge the battery more frequently and it may last only a few hours before needing a charge, for example.”

    Avoid extreme temperatures

    Apple says says that batteries warm up as they charge, which can shorten their lifespan. It warns against using your phone or charging it in very hot temperatures, above 95 degrees (35 Celsius), “which can permanently reduce battery lifespan.”

    Samsung also says extreme heat or cold can damage batteries and warns people not to, for example, leave their phones in a car’s glove box when it’s very hot or cold. And don’t put your phone in a freezer either, it’s a myth that it can prolong battery life. “This is not correct and can damage your battery,” Samsung says.

    Google, which makes the Android operating system and Pixel phones, says hot batteries drain faster, even when they’re not in use, and that can damage the battery.

    Adjust your power options

    Tweak your device settings so apps or features use less power, which extends your battery’s daily life and the time between charging cycles.

    You can turn down your phone’s screen brightness, turn on the dark theme and reduce the time for the screen to power off. Enable the auto-brightness feature, which adjusts screen brightness according to the level of ambient light. Also check battery usage in your settings to see if there are any power-hungry apps you can switch off or uninstall.

    If the power level dips below 10%, iPhone users can turn on low power mode to stretch their battery’s life before it need recharging. Samsung’s Android phones have a similar “power saving mode.” You can also leave it on all the time, but it might affect your phone’s performance.

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  • Turn Your Old iPhone or iPad Into a Retro Game Machine

    Turn Your Old iPhone or iPad Into a Retro Game Machine

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    Do you have an iPhone and a desire to play retro video games? I have good news for you.

    This year Apple started allowing emulators into the App Store. Emulators are software applications that simulate old game consoles like those from Nintendo and Sega. They can load game files, called ROMs, that are ripped from the original cartridge or disk.

    The easy availability of emulators means you no longer need to jailbreak your iPhone to load up ROMs and play retro games. It also means you don’t have to mess with a Raspberry Pi or buy a purpose-built retro gaming console to play classic games on your phone or even TV.

    I should mention that it’s not legal to download ROMs for games you don’t own, and therefore I will not be explaining where you can download ROMs. However, assuming you have access to a collection of ROMs, here’s how you can turn any iPhone or iPad—including the old one that you currently keep in a drawer—into a retro gaming console.

    Set Up an Emulator

    The first thing you’re going to want to do is set up an emulator, or multiple emulators. The simplest choice, and the one I’d recommend, is Delta emulator. This is an extremely polished application that supports titles from the NES, SNES, N64, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and even Sega Genesis. Even better, it’s free to download and extremely easy to use, as we wrote back in April.

    If you want compatibility with way more systems, including the Playstation, Atari, and even MS DOS, you should check out RetroArch. It’s going to be more work to set up—you need to download cores for every system you want to emulate, and there’s no end of settings to tweak—but you’ll be rewarded with the ability to play more games and to make them look exactly the way you want.

    Connect a Controller

    You can play retro games with a touchscreen, sort of; the two emulators above will even show an onscreen controller that resembles the original hardware. The problem is that most games are borderline impossible to play without tactile buttons. This is why you’re going to want to pair a controller with your device.

    There are a few options here. You can buy a purpose-built mobile game controller, if you want—some are even designed to hold your phone in place to give you a form factor similar to the Nintendo Switch. Or, if you don’t want to spend money, you can use a controller you already have. We have articles explaining how to connect a PlayStation or XBox controller to your iPhone, along with another guide for pairing Switch Joy-cons with your iPhone; Apple offers more generalized official documentation. The basics: Open the Settings app, head to Bluetooth, then press and hold the Connect button on your controller. You should see your controller as an option to connect to on your iPhone’s list of available devices. Tap it and you’re done.

    I did this with my Nintendo Switch Pro Controller and it worked perfectly. Loading a few games in Delta, I found the controller worked exactly the way I expected. I was also able to configure the button mapping in the settings if something didn’t seem quite right. It’s also worth noting that you can connect multiple controllers at once, which is great if you want to play multiplayer games, and they don’t all have to be the same kind—you can mix and match controllers if you want to.

    Stream to Your TV

    At this point I can load retro games and play them with an actual controller, but there’s one thing missing: a nice big screen. Sure, the iPhone or iPad display works, but these older games are meant to be played on a TV.

    You’ve got a couple of options here. Delta supports and works fairly nicely with Apple’s AirPlay, assuming you have an Apple TV streamer box or a TV that supports AirPlay. I tested this with a Sony television and found that the lag made things unplayable—fine for an RPG, sure, but horrible for a Mario game. The Verge tested it and didn’t notice the lag, though, but they notably were using an actual Apple TV. Your experience will vary—I recommend trying it out.

    If you don’t like the results, you can look into buying an HDMI dongle for your iPhone. These allow you to connect your phone directly to the TV, meaning you’ll be able to play your game on the big screen with less lag. Apple sells an official cable, but you could also just search for a Lightning-to-HDMI dongle if you’re using an older iPhone, or a USB type-C to HDMI dongle if you’ve got a recent model. Note that the better dongles, including Apple’s official ones, offer pass-through charging; this will let you charge your phone while it stays connected to the TV, which is going to be crucial if you’re planning on some longer play sessions.

    Either way, you can now play any classic game you have a ROM for right on your phone, complete with a real controller and the ability to play on your TV, just like the old days.

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    Justin Pot

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  • What Is Qi2? The Wireless Charging Standard Goes Magnetic

    What Is Qi2? The Wireless Charging Standard Goes Magnetic

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    It’s ironic, but we here at WIRED have long been fans of wireless charging. Not having to fumble with cables is nice! Most wireless charging devices these days follow the Qi (pronounced chee) standard, which has taken its time reaching ubiquity. (The user experience has not always been great.) The Wireless Power Consortium, which manages the charging protocol, announced the next-generation version called Qi2 in early 2023, and we’re finally starting to see devices supporting it. It promises perfect alignment, with the potential for accessories to bridge the Android and iPhone divide.

    Sadly, Qi2 has not rolled out as quickly or widely as we expected this year. As of August 2024, there is only one Qi2-certified Android phone, the HMD Skyline (6/10, WIRED Review), and we were dismayed to find that it did not work with some older Qi chargers. Is Qi2 coming unstuck?

    Updated August 2024: We added details on Qi2 adoption, clarification on the different certification options, and the unwelcome news that some Qi2 devices cannot charge with Qi chargers.

    What Is Qi2?

    Photograph: Simon Hill

    Qi2 is the new open wireless charging standard from the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), and it brings important upgrades over the original Qi standard. The headline is the Magnetic Power Profile (MPP), which is based on Apple’s MagSafe technology. (Apple was involved in developing the Qi2 standard.) This allows Qi2-branded devices to add a ring of magnets to ensure perfect alignment with chargers and allow for faster charging speeds.

    There is another standard, the nonmagnetic wireless charging Extended Power Profile (EPP). This has led to some confusion. Per WPC’s Paul Golden, EPP refers to a device that complies with the specification, but it is not officially Qi2 and thus cannot use the logo or be referred to as a Qi2 device. Golden told WIRED in an email that such devices “would carry the Qi logo, not Qi2, and packaging and/or marketing materials have a required statement that the device does not contain magnets. Any device labeled Qi2 is MPP and must include magnets.”

    Qi2 is also fully backward compatible, so you can charge an older Qi Android phone or MagSafe iPhone on a Qi2 charger. We have tested several, and this seems to hold true. We also expected any old Qi chargers to charge Qi2 devices, albeit at slower speeds, but it turns out that is not true. The HMD Skyline, for example, did not work with several old Qi chargers we tested, and it seems this may be par for the course. We will have to wait for more Qi2 phones to find out, but with heavyweights like Google and Samsung failing to adopt Qi2 in their latest flagships it might be awhile.

    Benefits of Qi2

    Overhead view of black squareshaped charger sitting on a wooden surface

    Photograph: Simon Hill

    Wireless charging with Qi2 brings several improvements over the original Qi standard.

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    Simon Hill

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  • Apple set to announce its new iPhone. Here’s when and what to expect.

    Apple set to announce its new iPhone. Here’s when and what to expect.

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    Apple is set to unveil its latest iPhone and Apple Watch models early next month in what has become an annual ritual for the technology company’s devoted fans. 

    Apple will stream the promotional event on September 9 on its website and the Apple TV app. The company typically lifts the curtain on its iPhone and digital watch, along with other gear as well as its latest mobile software, in a carefully choreographed and widely watched showcase held every year at its Cupertino, California, headquarters. 

    The products aren’t typically made commercially available until several weeks later.  The new phone, which will update the iPhone 15, could be called iPhone 16. According to MacRumors, the device is expected to hit store shelves on Sept. 20. 

    Updates to the latest iPhone could include a larger display size for iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max devices, along with a new photo and video capture button on all models for more controlled recording, according to MacRumors. The phones’ new camera system is also expected to be vertically aligned. 

    Additionally, at the event Apple is also expected to unveil new AirPods, according to MacRumors.

    On the software side, Apple is expected to reveal iOS 18.1, the mobile platform currently only available only for some iPhone users as a pilot, and Apple Intelligence, the company’s fledgling artificial intelligence tech. 

    The new AI services, which CEO Tim Cook in June described as “game changers” in touting the technology at the company’s developers conference, is expected to help iPhone users better manage photos, emails and content. Apple’s AI will be able to suggest options for writing or rewriting emails, summarize emails that landed in your inbox, and create images based on your photos that you can send as a text, according to the company.

    Apple is also likely to introduce something called “Genmoji” that will create custom emoji based on a description, such as a dinosaur on a surfboard. 

    Megan Cerullo

    Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.

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  • How to Switch From iPhone to Android

    How to Switch From iPhone to Android

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    Ignore the arguments about which is better, because iPhones and Android phones have far more in common than some folks will admit. Switching from an iPhone to an Android phone is pretty painless these days, and you can take all your stuff with you, including photos, messages, and other bits and pieces.

    With the upcoming iOS 18 update, iPhone owners will finally get RCS messaging, the upgrade from SMS that will hopefully fix many of the problems people currently face when texting between iPhone and Android. One extra reason to potentially explore a new phone operating system. This guide covers all you need to know about how to switch from an iPhone to an Android phone.

    What You Need to Get Started:

    1. Your old iPhone.
    2. Your SIM card (not required for eSIM activation).
    3. Your Wi-Fi details (home network and Wi-Fi password).
    4. Your Google account details (you can set up an Android phone without a Google account, but you need one to use Google services and get the best from it).
    5. A switching app (Google’s Switch to Android, Samsung Smart Switch Mobile, or another).
    6. A USB-C to USB-C or Lightning to USB-C cable (not essential, but allows a faster transfer).

    Photograph: Simon Hill

    Begin by Backing Up

    The iPhone-to-Android switching process is usually plain sailing, but it’s always smart to back up before you begin anything like this. Back up first and you won’t lose anything you care about. For some of the methods below, you also need a backup to restore on your new phone. We have guides on how to back up your iPhone and how to back up your Android phone. You should back up your iPhone to iCloud, but you might also want to consider backing up to Google One (more on that later).

    Remember that you can back up data within certain apps, such as WhatsApp, to avoid losing your conversations (Settings > Chats > Chat backup). You should also consider any authenticator apps you have and check what the transfer process is to avoid losing secure access to services and websites.

    Preparing to Switch

    If you can keep your old iPhone for the switching process, it will be much easier and faster to complete. Either way, there are a couple of tasks to take care of on your iPhone. Go to Settings > Messages to toggle iMessage off, and do the same with FaceTime. If you forgot to do this and no longer have your iPhone, you can still deregister on this page on Apple’s support page.

    It’s a good idea to check how much data you have on your iPhone. Take a look in Settings > General > iPhone Storage and make sure that your new Android phone has enough space for you to copy everything over. If it lacks the necessary room, see what you can delete. Now, you are ready to switch.

    How to Switch From iPhone to Android

    You can usually copy data from your old phone at some point during the setup process. If your iPhone keeps locking during this process, it can get annoying, so before you start copying data, go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock and set it to Never.

    How to Transfer Data Using a Cable

    The fastest and easiest way to transfer data is to use a cable. This process varies slightly with different Android manufacturers. If you are switching to a Google Pixel, for example, it is as easy as this:

    1. Turn on your new Pixel, choose your language and region, and tap Get Started.
    2. On the Set up using another device page, tap iPhone or iPad.
    3. Choose your Wi-Fi network and connect to it. It may take a few minutes while “Checking info.”
    4. Sign in to your Google account.
    5. Insert your SIM card or set up your eSIM.
    6. Set up a PIN and fingerprint unlock.
    7. It’s time to Copy data from your iPhone, tap Next.
    8. Connect your iPhone and Pixel with a Lightning to USB-C cable (or USB-C to USB-C cable if you have an iPhone 15 or later).
    9. You need to enter your iPhone PIN to trust the connected Pixel.
    10. Now, you can select what you want to copy across and tap Copy to start the process.
    11. If you choose to copy Apps, it will give you a list of the matching apps it managed to find (some in-app purchases and settings will not copy across, and you will have to buy premium apps again).
    12. Once it is done copying, you can disconnect your iPhone and complete the last few tasks to get your new Pixel up and running.

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  • Here’s When Apple Plans to Release New iPhones With AI | Entrepreneur

    Here’s When Apple Plans to Release New iPhones With AI | Entrepreneur

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    The newest iPhones could go on sale in less than a month.

    Apple is planning the launch of its next generation of iPhones, AirPods and Apple Watches on Tuesday, September 10, according to a Friday report from Bloomberg chief correspondent Mark Gurman. The phones will reportedly go on sale on September 20.

    The key difference between the iPhone 15 introduced last year and the new generation expected in September is Apple Intelligence, a host of AI tools that upgrade Siri, allow the voice assistant to directly access third-party AI like ChatGPT and add AI-generated emojis, among other features.

    Related: Morgan Stanley Analysts Named Apple a Top Pick Stock and Doubled Their iPhone Expectations — Here’s Why

    Apple introduced its specially branded AI in June. The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will get Apple Intelligence in the fall, and the iPhone 16 lineup is expected to follow suit.

    The latest iPhones will also have bigger screens for Pro models and enhanced camera features, per the Bloomberg report. Apple will also upgrade AirPods and Apple Watches at the event.
    Apple CEO Tim Cook. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

    Analysts have predicted that this fall could be a lucrative upgrade cycle for Apple — it could be even bigger than when the iPhone 12 came out in 2020 with 5G as a selling point. iPhone 12 sales reached 100 million within seven months.

    AI is “more compelling than anything we’ve seen since,” analyst Gil Luria of D.A. Davidson told Reuters.

    Morgan Stanley analysts named Apple a top-pick stock in July, calling Apple Intelligence a “clear catalyst” for current iPhone users to upgrade.

    Related: Apple’s AI Has a Catch — And It Could Help Boost Sale

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    Sherin Shibu

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  • How to Start, Sell a Million-Dollar Company: TaskRabbit Founder | Entrepreneur

    How to Start, Sell a Million-Dollar Company: TaskRabbit Founder | Entrepreneur

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    Leah Solivan was an IBM engineer, working on business collaboration tools like Lotus Notes, when she found her million-dollar startup idea: an online marketplace connecting customers with “taskers” who could run errands or do household chores for them at a price.

    The idea arose from Solivan running out of dog food one night and asking why she couldn’t connect with someone at that moment who could pick it up for her. It was 2008 and the first iPhone had come out a year prior. Solivan saw the potential in her iPhone for a location-based business.

    Leah Solivan. Photo: Chance Yeh/WireImage

    In an interview with entrepreneur Jeff Berman last week, Solivan said when looking at the problem as an engineer, she saw these three technologies: social, location, and mobile.

    “I thought, there’s a lot here,” she said.

    Related: This Former Model Used Her Personal Savings to Start a Thrifty Side Hustle — Then Taylor Swift Became a Repeat Patron: ‘People Really Responded’

    Solivan decided to leave her engineering job and cashed out the $27,000 she had earned in her IBM pension plan to get her idea off the ground. Ten years later, Ikea bought TaskRabbit for an undisclosed sum after the startup carved out a valuation of about $50 million from multiple fundraising rounds.

    TaskRabbit was Ikea’s first acquisition in the U.S.

    It wasn’t easy to get to an acquisition though. Right after quitting IBM, Solivan started coding. For six to eight weeks, she worked on her idea and built the first version of it, working from a coffee shop at times and asking random people at the shop for feedback on what she had created.

    When the site was ready, Solivan put out an ad on Craigslist for taskers — the people who would run errands through the site. She gave each person who responded to the ad a 30-minute interview at the coffee shop and ended up with 30 taskers for the first launch in Boston.

    The launch taught Solivan that she needed to “be the first tasker.” She ran errands too, all over Boston. The experience still prompts her to ask founders: “Can you be a part of the process?” Solivan says being part of the company’s day-to-day is key to learning what customers really want.

    Related: The Largest Franchise Operator in the U.S. Owns 2,800 Locations — And He Just Added 83 Wendy’s to His Portfolio

    Ikea, meanwhile, known for its must-put-together furniture, acquired TaskRabbit in 2017 after an in-store partnership in London proved lucrative. Customers could opt to have TaskRabbit deliver and assemble Ikea furniture for them instead of doing it themselves, which increased the average order value for Ikea and brought in new customers for TaskRabbit.

    Ikea decided then that they wanted to own TaskRabbit.

    “It was bittersweet,” Solivan said. “It had been 10 years… It feels so good to me to know that even without me, it lives on.”

    For entrepreneurs with jobs at Meta, Microsoft, or other companies who come to her to ask if they should quit their jobs to work on their ideas, Solivan says that it’s difficult to be all-in on a startup with a day job, but she knows that not everyone has the privilege to be able to pursue their idea without a safety net.

    “My advice is, if you really have conviction around something, you are going to find a way to go for it,” Solivan said.

    Related: She Batched a Beloved Product at Home, Inspired By a Black-Owned Business From the 1960s. Then It Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand: ‘We’d Never Intended This.’

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    Sherin Shibu

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  • The English Premier League Has a New, iPhone-Powered Offside Detection System

    The English Premier League Has a New, iPhone-Powered Offside Detection System

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    “If a harder problem comes up in the future, it’s relatively easy for us to work on the install base, or the technical background that we have in a venue, and just go add 10, 20, 30, 40 different cameras,” he says. “Maybe we want to focus them on certain parts of the field or deploy them for specific purposes.”

    This kind of scalability also brings to the table the concept of the “digital twin” in sports. By capturing streams of video and positioning data as a player moves on the field, that player can be re-created virtually—their movements, likeness, and hand gestures, all rendered digitally in real time. This is something that’s typically been possible with only the types of high-priced cameras and computer systems used in Hollywood and in video game creation.

    If digital twins can be created in sports, their uses go beyond officiating. Broadcasters can use them in digital overlays that show real-time stats, or in virtual reality, so you can watch a game inside your VR headset.

    Soccer is merely the first playground for this tech. Just about any sport can draw value from digital twin creation, and Genius hopes to make inroads in basketball and American football soon.

    But as intriguing as a soccer digital twin sounds, can Dragon actually remedy the game’s offside-detection issues? After all, constant issues with prior VAR systems have inspired no confidence in motion-capture technology among soccer’s main stakeholders nor with fans.

    Genius says it’s been testing Dragon for several years, both in the EPL and several other venues, in multiple formats. The company employs several internal analysts who project tracking data into a video format, then go frame by frame alongside broadcast video to detect any discrepancies. This allows the team to continuously retrain its models until such errors are, in theory, eliminated. Genius analysts consider this the foundational testing level, a baseline on top of which others are layered.

    Dragon’s inputs have been compared side by side with VAR and detection systems to validate their basic accuracy. They’ve also been validated manually: Engineers spent long hours with various sport stakeholders (coaches, players, management), running through complex plays and confirming that the system’s outputs make sense. Every client considering use of Dragon also has internal teams who scrutinize the system and validate its outputs.

    “We’ve done this with groups like FIFA, where we’ve gone through extensive tests,” D’Auria says. “The Dragon system is FIFA-validated. They’ll do tests where players wear a Vicon [motion-capture] system, and we track them, and they compare datasets and look for errors. We’ve gone through five or six machinations of this.”

    It should be noted that both Genius and EPL representatives declined to provide any specific testing information or results to WIRED, stating that, despite evaluating the iPhone system side by side with VAR, comparisons to prior motion-capture systems are tricky due to order-of-magnitude differences in the quantity and quality of data being created. Interestingly, again both the EPL and Genius refused to give any indication on how much more accurate its smartphone tech is compared with VAR.

    Of course, the real evaluation will be made by fans and players, who will need to see Dragon in action to believe it actually makes a difference. The last few years of VAR absurdity have left an understandably bad taste in many mouths where optical tracking is concerned.

    But when that first semiautomated offside call comes in this season in the UK, remember that this isn’t just the same old setup in different wrapping. It’s the next generation of motion capture, one that stakeholders across sports and in the AI community will be watching closely. Fans won’t have much, if any, tolerance for further issues with motion-capture-based systems. Genius and the EPL are confident they’re up to the challenge. We shall see. Let the games begin.

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    Ben Dowsett

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  • Google Reveals AI Smartphone Before Apple: AI Pixel 9 Launch | Entrepreneur

    Google Reveals AI Smartphone Before Apple: AI Pixel 9 Launch | Entrepreneur

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    Google beat Apple to the punch by releasing new smartphones packed with AI.

    At the Made By Google event on Tuesday, Google interspersed the Pixel 9 release with celebrity appearances and jabs at Apple. Keke Palmer and NBA all-star Jimmy Butler were on stage and Google executives demonstrated what the Pixel camera could do.

    At the event, Google revealed four new Pixel phones embedded with Google’s own Gemini AI assistant: the $799 Pixel 9, the $999 Pixel 9 Pro, the $1,099 Pixel 9 Pro XL, and the $1,799 Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which unfolds into an 8-inch tablet.

    Related: How Google CEO Sundar Pichai Shook Up His Leadership Team for the AI Era

    The Pixel 9 is Google’s first line to fully ship with Gemini Nano multimodality, meaning that users can access the AI assistant through voice, text, code, image, and video. Users don’t have to have a network connection to access Gemini Nano and the Pixel 8 Pro, released last year, uses the same system.

    The Made By Google event usually occurs in October, and moving it up to August, one month ahead of Apple’s expected iPhone release, could be Google’s attempt to outshine Apple, Bloomberg mused.

    Apple is reportedly launching Apple Intelligence and bringing AI to iPhones this fall for the 15 Pro, Pro Max, and any new iPhones. The new, upcoming phones could prompt Apple’s existing user base to upgrade their old iPhones for AI features.

    Apple currently dominates the $61.5 billion U.S. smartphone market, with the iPhone capturing 58.81% of the market share compared to the Google Pixel’s 4.6%.

    What can Google’s AI really do?

    Google took the tasks that users turn to their phones for, like checking the weather, and gave them an AI boost. For example, the new Pixel Weather app features an AI weather report, while Call Notes gives phone calls AI-generated transcriptions that are saved on the phone, not the cloud, for security.

    Pixel Screenshots saves phone screenshots in a separate app so users can search through them with AI, and not lose them on their camera roll. The Pixel Studio image generator creates new images on the spot, and Google demoed how to use the app to make invites to a party.

    Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL. Credit: Google

    Google’s pre-event advertising asked Gemini to write a breakup letter and start it “Dear Old iPhone.”

    But the first Gemini demo took three tries to work. Still, Google used that as an opportunity to take another swing at Apple by emphasizing that it was a live demo — alluding to Apple’s prerecorded ones.

    Google also claimed that the Pixel 9 had the “world’s first AI-powered camera” and compared a photo taken by the new Pixel 9 Pro XL to the iPhone 15 Pro Max without naming Apple.

    Related: Apple’s AI Has a Catch — And It Could Help Boost Sales

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    Sherin Shibu

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