Author: angel

Foldable phones have come a long way since Samsung’s original Galaxy Z Fold debuted in 2019. Last year’s $1,800 Galaxy Z Fold 3 and $1,000 Galaxy Z Flip 3 are the most polished versions of the company’s foldable devices yet, with improvements to their software and cover screens.

But there’s a lot that Samsung could do to make these devices even better, and I’m hoping to see such changes in the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4.

Both phones are expected to debut during Samsung’s Unpacked event on Aug. 10. They’ll represent Samsung’s latest gambit to hold its position as the frontrunner in the nascent but growing foldable phone market.

TM Roh, the head of Samsung’s mobile experience business, said almost 10 million foldable phones were shipped in 2021. That generally lines up with estimates from market researcher IDC, which says 7.1 million foldables were shipped in 2021, representing an increase of 264% over 2020.

These figures suggest foldables are starting to appeal to more than just early adopters and tech enthusiasts. But there are still some obstacles that Samsung and other companies need to overcome before foldables can become as ubiquitous as standard smartphones.

Lower prices
Samsung’s foldables come at a premium compared to their standard smartphones, which can make them a tough sell. That’s been changing in recent years, with the Galaxy Z Flip 3 in particular being one of the most affordable foldables yet. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 starts at $1,000 without a trade-in, making it the same price as the Galaxy S22 Plus. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is considerably more expensive, with a usual starting price of $1,800 without a trade-in, although that’s still a welcome improvement from the $2,000 Galaxy Z Fold 2.

New software features
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 foldable designs certainly set them apart from most phones. But the software needs to catch up to the hardware.

Samsung is off to a good start in this regard. Both the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip have a feature called Flex Mode, which reorients and optimizes certain apps to fit the device’s screen when folded halfway. For example, Flex Mode shifts some compatible apps to the top half of the screen while displaying navigation and playback controls on the bottom portion.

My favorite example of this mode being put to good use is in the Galaxy Z Flip’s camera app. When the device is propped open halfway, the shutter button, photo settings and other controls sit on the bottom half of the screen while the top half serves as a viewfinder. Flex Mode combined with the Z Flip’s ability to stay open on its own make it a great camera-tripod combination.

Other than Flex Mode, the Galaxy Z Fold can also run multiple apps on screen at once to take advantage of its tablet-sized screen.

These are great additions, but there’s plenty of room for Samsung to do more. It feels like the software is conforming to the hardware when it should be the opposite. While Flex Mode and the Z Fold’s multitasking features are a great start, they’re not enticing enough alone to justify buying a foldable phone.

I’d like to see Samsung develop more compelling software features. Even though I wouldn’t recommend buying the Surface Duo 2 because it doesn’t work very well as a regular phone, I think Microsoft is on to something when it comes to software.

The way the Surface Duo 2 splits compatible apps between screens almost feels like you’re using an app in an entirely new way. The Amazon Kindle app transforms the Duo into a digital book, Xbox GamePass turns it into a Nintendo 3DS-style handheld gaming console and Outlook’s split-screen view turns it into a mini-laptop. There’s a lot of promise with foldables, and I hope Samsung finds more ways to tap into it.

Longer battery life
Battery life is one of the most important characteristics of any phone, and foldable phones are no exception. Unfortunately, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 both had underwhelming battery life. My colleague Patrick Holland could barely get through a day with the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s 4,400-mAh battery capacity. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 only made it about 11 hours before requiring a charge.

I’m hoping Samsung will improve the battery life or develop new ways to work around it on the next iterations of the Z Fold and Z Flip. And by “work around it,” I mean Samsung could boost the devices’ fast charging speeds or make improvements to their power saving modes. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 charges at up to 25 watts while the Z Flip 3 charges at 15 watts, neither of which is anything special. The Galaxy S22 Plus and S22 Ultra, for example, both have a 45-watt charging speed.

Better cameras
Camera quality is right up there with battery life when it comes to what matters most in a phone. The cameras on the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 are good, but there’s room for improvement. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 has a 12-megapixel wide and 12-megapixel ultrawide main camera setup, which as my colleague wrote in his review is “the equivalent of the cameras you’d find on a $700 phone.” The Galaxy Z Fold 3 has a triple camera system that adds a 12-megapixel telephoto lens in addition to the 12-megapixel wide and ultrawide lenses.

These cameras are fine for most people. Anyone who’s considered buying one of these phones is obviously most interested in the display rather than the cameras. But for the price, I’d like to see camera quality that at least matches, if not exceeds, Samsung’s best non-folding phones. As my colleague Patrick puts it: “the Z Fold 3 has B+ cameras at an A+ price.” That especially holds true for the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s under-display camera, which is the selfie camera for the phone when being used in tablet mode.

Luckily, rumors suggest the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will come with some serious camera improvements that bring it up to speed with the Galaxy S22 lineup.

Design improvements

Even though the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 are Samsung’s most refined foldables yet, phones with bendable screens are still relatively new. As such, it takes time to get the ergonomics just right, and Samsung still has some work to do here.

Let’s start with the Galaxy Z Fold. The Z Fold’s biggest drawback is that it still feels somewhat awkward to use as a regular phone when closed. Samsung made some design improvements to the Z Fold 3 that make it both lighter and slimmer than its predecessors. But it’s still an abnormally bulky phone when closed, which can cause some inconvenience when using it in one hand.

Anyone who has purchased the Z Fold has likely done so because of its large interior screen, not the cover screen. But consider how many times you take out your phone to quickly check a notification or respond to a text message. In some situations, these tasks are much more convenient to accomplish when the Z Fold is closed, such as when you’re on the go and unfolding the device feels impractical.

Another design upgrade I’d like to see on the Z Fold is the ability for the S Pen to magnetically connect to the device’s hinge. A stylus storage slot like the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s doesn’t seem like a plausible solution since it would add to the Z Fold’s thickness.

The Galaxy Z Flip already feels a lot like a standard phone, but one improvement I’d like to see is a larger cover screen. The Z Flip 3 is a major upgrade compared to the original Z Flip in this regard. While Samsung’s first foldable flip phone had just a tiny pill-shaped cover screen, the Z Flip 3’s is big enough to fit widgets for the weather, music, alarms and more.

But I’d still like to be able to see more lines of text and widgets on this screen. A larger display would also make it easier to quickly take selfies without unfolding the phone, since the cover display can serve as a camera viewfinder. Thankfully, rumors suggest Samsung is planning to increase the cover screen’s size with the Galaxy Z Flip 4.

I’m also hoping Samsung will find a way to make the crease less obvious on both the Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip. The creases on Samsung’s current foldables aren’t too distracting but they’re definitely noticeable — both to the eyes and the touch. Chinese tech giant Oppo found a way to work around this on its Find N foldable by implementing a “water drop” hinge, which makes the device’s crease harder to see and feel when opened. Motorola’s teardrop fold hinge design similarly makes the foldable Razr’s crease less noticeable.

Samsung’s Z Flip and Z Fold phones are gradually inching closer to standard, non-foldable phones in terms of price, and I’m hoping that trajectory will continue. Foldable phones will likely always require some type of trade-off, whether it’s to their camera quality or device thickness. I’m just hoping the list of compromises will get smaller over time, starting with the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Fold 4.

Apple Arcade shed more than a dozen games. Here’s where you can play them now.

Apple Arcade, Apple’s $5 a month mobile gaming service, last month added a Leaving Arcade Soon section on its App Store page. The category included 15 titles — listed below — that have since been removed from the subscription service. As of Aug. 1, the Leaving Arcade Soon section isn’t present on Apple Arcade’s page, but if another round of games are to be cut, we could see it return.

According to Apple’s support page, if you downloaded one of the games before it left Arcade, you can play the game for at least two weeks afterward. After that time, if you try to launch the downloaded game, you’ll receive a No Longer Available message.

Apple Arcade has removed games from its service before, but the new category suggested the service might start rotating out its content more consistently. It’s unclear why these specific games were removed.

If you didn’t get a chance to play the titles on Apple Arcade, don’t worry: Most of them are available on other platforms. Developers may also add the former Arcade games to the general App Store, but the titles may no longer be free of ads or in-app purchases. You might also be able to import your progress from the Arcade version of the app.

Here are the games no longer available on Apple Arcade and where you can find them now:

Dread Nautical (Steam, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Epic Games Store)
Atone: Heart of the Elder Tree (Steam)
Towaga: Among Shadows (Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One)
BattleSky Brigade: Harpooner (not currently available on other platforms)
Lifeslide (Steam, Epic Games Store)
Over the Alps (Steam, Nintendo Switch)
Cardpocalypse (Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4, Epic Games Store)
Various Daylife (not currently available on other platforms)
Dead End Job (Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4)
Spidersaurs (Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4)
EarthNight (Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS4)
Spelldrifter (Steam, Epic Games Store)
Projection: First Light (Steam, Xbox One, PS4, https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/projection-first-light-switch/)
Don’t Bug Me (not currently available on other platforms)
Explottens (Steam)
For more information on Apple Arcade, check out the best games on Apple Arcade this week and all the Apple Arcade games and updates coming this month.

When will Apple’s new iPhone be announced and ready to buy? Here’s what history and the latest rumors say.
There’s also another theory that’s been floating around for a few years. In 2018, CNET took a deep dive into the Apple event timeline and emerged with a compelling Labor Day hypothesis. Based on the 2022 calendar, the Labor Day rule would put the September Apple event (and the iPhone 14 unveil) on Wednesday, Sept. 7, with a Friday, Sept. 16, release date. However, the Labor Day prediction was a week off for 2021 — and, because of coronavirus delays, about a month off in 2020. To be sure, there have been some reported supply chain issues for the iPhone 14 that some worry could potentially push the release date later. But noted Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo has quelled some of those fears, saying it should only have a “limited” impact, in a July post on Twitter.

For a more in-depth look at iPhone rumors, check out every rumor we’ve heard about Apple’s iPhone 14 and our story on whether there will be a foldable iPhone. Also, check out whether you should upgrade to an iPhone 12 or 13 this year, if you’re not interested in the rumored iPhone 14.
The iPhone 14 rumor mill has been churning even before the iPhone 13 was announced. We’ve heard plenty of gossip about the new iPhone’s design, price and new features. But what about its release date? Apple has yet to unveil any official dates, but we can make some educated guesses based on the tech giants track record.

Apple tends to unveil its new iPhones either on the first or second Tuesday of September. Last year, the iPhone 13 series officially made its debut on Tuesday, Sept. 14, followed by preorders beginning on Friday, Sept. 17, and then the phones went on sale the following Friday — Sept. 24. For the iPhone 14 (unofficial name), Apple could hold its fall event either on Tuesday, Sept. 6, or Tuesday, Sept. 13. Since iPhones usually go up for preorder on the Fridays of the same week, we’d expect that to happen next year on Friday, Sept. 9, or Friday, Sept. 16. iPhone release dates are usually a week and a half after Apple’s announcements. Sometimes launch dates are staggered for specific models, especially when introducing a new design or size. So it’s possible the iPhone 14 lineup will have more than one release date.

Shortly after Apple launched the iPhone 13 in September, I wrote about why the iPhone 11 was (and is) still a great deal at $500. It has Face ID, a sharp dual camera system and a large screen for $300 less than the iPhone 13. What’s not to like?

There’s only one setback that gives me some pause when recommending the iPhone 11: It doesn’t have 5G. A few years ago, 5G was just a buzzword that tech giants used to get customers excited about new products. Companies like Samsung charged a premium for 5G phones back in 2019, even though 5G networks were in the early stages then.

In 2022, you can get by just fine without a 5G phone. But now that 5G has become standard in most moderately priced phones, there’s little reason not to buy one if you’re already upgrading. Unless you’re an Apple fan that doesn’t want to spend more than $500, that is.

Many US shoppers likely aren’t paying that price all at once since carriers offer monthly installment plans. Most carriers also promote deals to subsidize upgrades, but those discounts usually require conditions like opening a new line or choosing a pricier plan.

Apple launched the $429 iPhone SE in March to provide a wallet-friendly 5G option. But with its small 4.7-inch screen and single camera, it’s not for everyone. At the same time, companies like Samsung and Google have been releasing promising 5G phones with many of the same qualities found on more expensive models, like the Galaxy A53 and Pixel 6A.

All of Apple’s flagship phones come with 5G, starting with 2020’s iPhone 12. But compared to Android, Apple doesn’t offer many options when it comes to affordable 5G devices. That could change in the coming months when the iPhone 14 is expected to launch, and I’m hoping it does.

Do I really need 5G in my next phone?
The answer is complicated. In many everyday scenarios, you probably won’t notice the difference between 4G and 5G. And 4G networks aren’t turning off anytime soon, so you don’t need to worry about a 4G phone becoming obsolete.

But if you’re buying a new phone, it’s best to go with a 5G-enabled device if you can afford one. Carriers are expanding their midband 5G networks, which provide speedier performance than 4G LTE, and low-band 5G can function at longer distances than the super fast (but severely limited) millimeter-wave 5G.

If you want a phone that will last for the next three to five years, I’d recommend buying a 5G phone so that you don’t miss out on speedier midband networks as they continue to expand. If you think you’ll be upgrading again in the next year or two, it’s fine to buy a 4G phone.

The iPhone SE is Apple’s only sub-$500 5G phone… for now

With eight iPhones on the market, Apple certainly provides a lot of choice. However, the 2022 iPhone SE is the only 5G option under $500.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot to like about the iPhone SE. It runs on the same processor as the iPhone 13, which means it has fast performance for the price. The camera takes great photos, and its battery life is longer than the previous iPhone SE’s. But it also comes with a lot of limitations.

The iPhone SE only has one rear camera even though most modern phones have at least two. That camera lacks night mode — another feature found on most phones released in 2019 or later. The iPhone SE also has the same design as the nearly 5-year-old iPhone 8, which means it has a small display and old-fashioned bezels above and below the screen. That can make it feel dated compared to many newer devices, like the Pixel 6A. It’s also not very different from the $400 iPhone SE that launched in 2020, aside from the new model’s 5G support and newer chip.

If you want 5G and more modern features like Face ID, a camera with wide and ultra-wide lenses, improved durability and a larger 5.4-inch screen, your closest option is the $600 iPhone 12 Mini. It’s more affordable than other devices in Apple’s lineup, like the $700 iPhone 13 Mini, $700 iPhone 12 and $800 iPhone 13. But it’s nearly two years old and is out of budget for anyone with a $500 limit.

While Apple’s sub-$500 5G options are limited right now, that might not be the case for much longer. Apple traditionally lowers the prices of its older iPhones when releasing new models, as it did with the iPhone 11 last year. If Apple follows the same pattern, the 5G-enabled iPhone 12 and 12 Mini could see another price drop that brings the Mini down to $500 this fall.

There’s also another possibility. Before Apple launched the iPhone SE in March, rumors suggested Apple was working on a cheaper iPhone with the same design as the iPhone 11. This rumored device has been referred to as the iPhone SE Plus.

Now that the iPhone SE is becoming a more regular part of Apple’s iPhone lineup, there’s a chance Apple could use this rumored iPhone 11-inspired design for the next-generation model. That would certainly address many of the iPhone SE’s current limitations, particularly its small screen and single camera.

But based on Apple’s release schedule, we probably won’t see a new iPhone SE until March or April 2024. So if you’re looking for a cheaper 5G iPhone in the near term, the current iPhone SE or a discounted older model will be your best bet.

The Android competition is moving ahead of Apple

The Android landscape looks vastly different than Apple’s. There are plenty of choices for those who don’t want to spend more than $500 on a new phone yet still want 5G connectivity. The $450 Google Pixel 6A is probably the best option right now, thanks to its great camera, large screen, eye-catching design and early access to Android updates.

The Pixel 6A isn’t alone. There’s a growing selection of 5G Android phones that cost $500 or less but have features that once demanded a premium price. Samsung, for example, sells the $450 Galaxy A53 5G and $400 Galaxy A42 5G, both of which have large screens, on-screen fingerprint sensors and multi-lens cameras. The iPhone SE doesn’t have any of those features, although it is the only current iPhone with a physical home button and fingerprint sensor.

Motorola’s $500 Moto G Stylus 5G has a spacious 6.8-inch screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and four times as much storage as the base iPhone SE model. Although it’s not available in the US, the recently launched Nothing 1 phone is another example of an affordable 5G Android phone. For a price that translates to roughly $480, you get a large 6.55-inch OLED screen, a dual camera with a 50-megapixel main sensor and 128GB of storage. You can even find 5G phones for under $300, like the $250 Samsung Galaxy A13, although phones in the $400 to $500 range offer a better balance between features, speed and affordability.

These Android phones offer a lot of value compared to the iPhone SE. But it’s important to acknowledge where they fall short. The Pixel 6A is only guaranteed to get three years of major Android version updates, while Apple’s upcoming iOS 16 software will run on iPhones that are nearly five years old. Apple also supports phones for much longer than Motorola, which only promises one software upgrade. Unlike the iPhone SE, Samsung Galaxy A53 5G doesn’t run on the same processor as the company’s flagship phones. During my time testing the Galaxy A53, I experienced occasional software lag and performance hiccups — an issue that hasn’t come up with the iPhone SE.

For those who just want a basic inexpensive iPhone to stay connected to Apple’s apps and services, the iPhone SE is probably enough. But Android phone makers are proving that the list of compromises you need to make when spending $500 or less on a new phone is getting shorter. Now it’s time for Apple to catch up.

Amazon and Apple posted better than expected sales, reassuring investors that the tech giants will be able to weather slowdowns in global economies.

Amazon forecast in a trading update that higher fees for its Prime membership would boost its bottom line, while Apple said demand for its all important iPhone remained strong.

Both firms said they were making progress controlling running costs, despite prices rising at rapid rates.

The updates sent shares soaring.

The quarterly updates from Apple and Amazon are closely watched as indicators of how customers are reacting to the economic climate.

On Thursday, official figures revealed the US economy shrunk for the second quarter in a row, a milestone that in many countries would be considered an economic recession, but not in the US, which uses additional data to make that call.

“Our June quarter results continued to demonstrate our ability to manage our business effectively despite the challenging operating environment,” said Apple’s chief operating officer Luca Maestri, adding the company expected growth to pick up again in the months ahead.

However, both companies have seen sales growth slow sharply from last year and profits fall.

Apple’s profits dropped almost 11% from a year ago to $19.4bn (£15.9bn), as it wrestled with Covid-19 lockdowns in China, while Amazon lost $2bn, hit by changes to the value of its investment in electric carmaker Rivian Automotive.

Apple boss Tim Cook said the company was seeing a “mixed bag” of economic signals, with iPhone demand holding steady but areas like digital advertising slipping.

“When you think about the number of challenges in the quarter, we feel really good about the growth that we put up,” he said.

Overall, sales of Apple products and services rose 2% year-on-year between April and June to $83bn. Sales of iPhones continued to power the company’s gains, as supply constraints held back sales of other products.

Its services business, which includes Apple Pay and its streaming music and television services, also grew 12%.

Meanwhile, Amazon said its revenues were up 7% to $121.2bn, despite its e-commerce business being hit in recent months. Online sales shrank 4%, the second quarter in a row of decline.

But the company continues to be shielded by the strength of its clouding computing division, AWS, which saw sales soar by 33%.

In spring Amazon spooked investors, as its online sales softened and it warned it had spent too heavily to hire and add warehouses in a bet that pandemic-era shopping patterns would continue.

But it provided a more optimistic outlook this time.

“Despite continued inflationary pressures in fuel, energy, and transportation costs, we’re making progress on the more controllable costs we referenced last quarter, particularly improving the productivity of our fulfilment network,” said chief executive Andy Jassy.

Amazon said its e-commerce sales were poised to look especially weak because Prime Day, when discounts typically drive a surge of buying, was moved from June to July.

‘Mixed bag’
“Big tech’s been a mixed bag this earnings season, but Amazon proved that the strong can survive even the toughest environments,” said Laura Hoy, equity analyst from Hargreaves Lansdown.

Apple and Amazon are too big not to be affected by signs of slowdown in the global economy, said Scott Kessler, global sector lead at Third Bridge.

But their size gives them somewhat unique power to navigate those challenges, particularly when it comes to negotiating prices.

“Apple’s done an excellent job of managing those costs – it doesn’t hurt that they’re typically one of the biggest purchasers,” he said.

The new developer beta for iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 will include features like unsending text messages.

The fourth developer beta for iOS 16, iPadOS 16 and MacOS Ventura is out now, and there will be some major changes Apple users will want to take note of.

One of the biggest updates to be included in the upcoming release of iOS 16 for iPhones is that in iMessage you’ll be able to edit messages after you send them. You’ll also be able to unsend them.

Some other features getting updates are the lock screen, which will now be customizable, as well as improvements to Photos, SharePlay and Apple Pay Later.

Developers who want to download and try out the latest public beta versions when they become available can apply for Apple’s Beta Software Program.

Final versions of all the updates are expected to be released by the fall.

Read also: iOS 16 Compatibility List: All the iPhones That Will (And Won’t) Work

Here are more details about the new developer beta for iOS 16 and iPadOS 16:

Messages
Users can unsend a message for up to two minutes after sending it.
Messages can be edited up to 15 minutes after sending.
Users can make up to five edits to a given message, and recipients will be able to see a record of edits made to the message.
Mail
Undo Send preference setting: Users can choose to turn Undo Send on or off.
Undo Send preference setting: Users can select the duration of time in which an email can be recalled.
Follow Up preference setting: Users can turn the Follow Up feature on or off.
Live Activities API
Gives developers the ability to add support for Live Activities so users can follow an ongoing sports game or track the progress of a ride or order with just a glance.

The expanded app completes its rollout two months after it was announced at Google I/O.

Google users should have access to the new Google Wallet app, after the search giant reportedly completed its rollout on Monday. If you live in the US, you should now have a new Google Wallet App next to your Google Pay app. The former offers digital wallet functionality, while the latter acts primarily as a personal payment app like Venmo.

Google Wallet, announced in May during Google I/O, is Google’s effort at a more inclusive wallet app, which holds credit and debit cards in digital form, along with tickets, loyalty cards and vaccination cards.

Google rolled out the app to Android users in 39 countries last week, according to The Verge. In the US and Singapore, Google Wallet and Pay will remain two distinct apps.

But people in Europe and the rest of the word will get one unified app. They will see the Google Pay app change on their devices, with an updated title of Wallet, the new logo, and new options for adding passes like public transit and gift cards within it. For most, Google Wallet will simply replace the Google Pay app, with no need to manually transfer over. In India, new functionalities will stay under the Google Pay name.

In the long term, Google hopes to add identification cards like driver’s licenses and student IDs to Wallet’s capabilities, something Apple Wallet began offering in Arizona in March.

Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

You may see those precious 5G bars on your mobile device, but you might still have to wait to sign up for home broadband service.

I have to confess: Sometimes 5G still baffles me. One of the questions I’m often asked is, “I can get 5G on my phone at home, but I can’t get my provider’s 5G home internet product. Why is that?”

I ran up against this myself when I switched carriers earlier this year. I went from AT&T to T-Mobile and was immediately impressed with its 5G performance on my phone. But even though I got T-Mobile 5G cell service at home, my address wasn’t eligible for its Home Internet service. My immediate reaction: What gives?

It’s not just T-Mobile. The same applies to Verizon, too. Its 5G home internet product is also not categorically available at all addresses covered by the company’s own 5G coverage map. Even if you’ve got Verizon’s Ultra Wideband service in your neighborhood, it’s not a sure thing that you’ll be able to sign up for Verizon 5G Home Internet.

Wait, start at the beginning. T-Mobile and Verizon are offering 5G home internet?
Yes. T-Mobile and Verizon are each using cellular airwaves to offer dedicated 5G home internet plans. Each provider’s plan features straightforward, all-inclusive pricing that ditches equipment fees, data caps, term agreements and other added hassles often associated with internet service providers.

T-Mobile Home Internet features one plan for $50 per month ($30 for eligible Magenta Max customers). Verizon offers two plans — Verizon 5G Home ($50 a month) and Verizon 5G Home Plus ($70 a month). Qualifying Verizon Unlimited mobile plans can also knock 50% off the price of either plan. Simplicity and a straightforward approach seem to be key for both companies.

At present, AT&T doesn’t have a 5G home internet offering.

Is the home broadband business just a side hustle for these carriers?
I was tempted to think that getting into the ISP game was simply a lark for these companies, but telecom insider Jeff Moore, principal of Wave7 Research, sees more at play.

“Mobility is the core business for T-Mobile, and for the most part, it’s the core business for Verizon,” said Moore. “But T-Mobile, in particular, is telling Wall Street that in addition to selling [home internet] services to businesses, it’s also saying it’s increasingly pushing into rural America. I don’t think it’s just a PR stunt.”

Some of the early numbers support Moore’s assessment. In mid-April, T-Mobile proudly announced it had reached 1 million customers in just a year after the product’s nationwide launch. T-Mobile Home Internet is available to over 40 million households, and, per T-Mobile, a third of those homes are in rural communities and small towns.

Overall, T-Mobile has been quite aggressive in its pitch to customers. In May, it began its Internet Freedom push, which leans into Americans’ dissatisfaction with ISPs and encourages consumers to “break up with Big Internet” by trying T-Mobile Home Internet. To lure customers, it’s offering a free, 15-day test drive (so you can try it without having to change your current provider), a price lock guarantee (you pay $50 per month for as long as you remain a customer, with no lingering fears of price increases after a year, as is the case with many internet service providers), and additional savings of $20 per month with eligible Magenta Max mobile plans.

Verizon has also been ambitious with its offers but is ringing less of an “ISPs are evil” note. That’s probably because Verizon Fios — the company’s fiber-optic internet service — is an ISP and one of the few that’s regularly high-rated. In their case, 5G home internet seems less of a blow against “Big Internet” and more of a play to extend the Verizon home internet game beyond the Northeast (Verizon Fios’ playground) and out to the rest of the country.

If T-Mobile and Verizon are serious about home internet, why is it still not as widely available as their overall 5G coverage?
When my colleague Eli Blumenthal tested Verizon 5G Home, he noted that the 5G connection on his iPhone was better than the one for his 5G Home hub.

A Verizon spokesperson told me via email that it designed its network with its mobile customers in mind. “We continue to allocate spectrum to ensure our mobile customers have the reliability they’ve come to expect from Verizon,” they said. “As we deploy more spectrum — in excess of what our models show we need for the highest reliability for our mobile customers — we are able to offer 5G Home service as well.”

5G allows for a greater connection density — approximately 1 million devices per square kilometer — than previous generations of cellular connectivity. Is that a lot? Yes, it’s about 100 times better than 4G, but it’s not limitless. Because a home internet product puts a heavy capacity usage on a mobile network, Moore believes T-Mobile has also been judicious about how it’s selling home internet.

He pointed me to a recent YouTube interview given by Kendra Lord, T-Mobile’s director of geospatial engineering and analytics, where she likened 5G home internet availability to the number of seats on a plane.

“It’s not only the number of households that we believe could get [T-Mobile Home Internet],” she said, “but how many within a given sector we could say yes to.”

When I reached out to T-Mobile for further insight, a spokesperson corroborated that mindset. “There are still many households that do not qualify for Home Internet yet, even though they may get 5G on their mobile device — and that’s intentional,” they told me via email.

“Our fixed wireless Home Internet runs on the extra capacity on our wireless network. In some areas, we have extra capacity on the network, but in others, we don’t. So, we allocate access to Home Internet on a sector-by-sector, home-by-home basis.”

In other words, it’s entirely possible that I could get 5G cellular service in my home, and my next-door neighbor might even have T-Mobile Home Internet, but my address still might not be serviceable for that home internet product due to the capacity limits for my area’s cellular coverage.

So the next time you ask, “Why can’t I get 5G home internet even though I have 5G on my phone at home?” I advise you to hang tight — both carriers are actively working on optimizing their networks for mobile first, home internet second, in a dynamic process that changes month to month.

Apple’s new iPhone software is here, and it may be the last one before iOS 16.

Apple released iOS 15.6 on July 20, which means you can now download the update to your iPhone. The new mobile operating system folds in bug fixes — including for an error that incorrectly showed phone storage as full — and a new feature for watching live sports in the TV app.

The TV app will now let people restart live sports games already in progress, as well as pause, rewind and fast forward. iOS 15.6 also includes a lengthy list of security updates for the iPhone.

Here are Apple’s release notes from Wednesday:

iOS 15.6 includes enhancements, bug fixes and security updates.

TV app adds the option to restart a live sports game already in-progress and pause, rewind, or fast-forward
Fixes an issue where Settings may continue to display that device storage is full even if it is available
Fixes an issue that may cause braille devices to slow down or stop responding when navigating text in Mail
Fixes an issue in Safari where a tab may revert back to a previous page
This may be the last update to iOS 15 before the company’s next mobile software, iOS 16, gets a wide release alongside the heavily rumored iPhone 14. The next version of iOS, which is available now in public beta, will bring several new features, including the ability to edit and unsend messages, a new customizable lock screen, changes to notifications, as well as updates to Wallet and Apple Pay.

Apple also released iPadOS 15.6, MacOS 12.5, WatchOS 8.7 and TVOS 15.6 on Wednesday. In addition to security updates, iPadOS 15.6 and MacOS 12.5 got the same TV app update for live sports as iOS 15.6, while WatchOS 8.7 brought bug fixes, and TVOS 15.6 got performance and stability improvements, according to Apple.

Apple has been hit with a lawsuit in the US over Apple Pay.

The tech giant is being accused of using its market power in the mobile phone industry to fend off competition from other payment card issuers.

The class-action complaint was filed in a federal court in California by Affinity Credit Union, an Iowa-based chartered credit union.

Apple did not immediately respond to the BBC’s request for comment.

According to the complaint, Apple “coerces” consumers who use its smartphones, smart watches and tablets into using its own wallet for contactless payments, unlike makers of Android-based devices that let consumers choose wallets, such as Google Pay and Samsung Pay.

The complaint alleges that Apple prevents consumers from using competing mobile wallets capable of offering competing tap and pay solutions.

Iowa’s Affinity Credit Union said Apple’s anti-competitive conduct forced the more than 4,000 banks and credit unions that use Apple Pay to pay at least $1 billion in excess fees annually for the privilege.

It also said Apple’s conduct minimised the incentive for the California-based company to make Apple Pay work better and make it more resistant to security breaches.

“Apple’s conduct harms not only issuers, but also consumers and competition as a whole,” Affinity Credit Union said.

“If Apple faced competition, it could not sustain these substantial fees.”

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, and a halt to Apple’s alleged anti-competitive conduct.

Other legal battles
Apple already faces a possible heavy fine after European Union regulators on 2 May said it had abused its dominance in iOS devices and mobile wallets, by refusing to give payment rivals access to its technology.

According to the complaint, Apple charges issuers a 0.15% fee on credit transactions and a flat 0.5 cent fee on debit transactions using Apple Pay, while Android-based rivals charge nothing.

The plaintiff is represented by the law firms Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro and Sperling and Slater.

Last August, they helped obtain a $100 million settlement for smaller iOS developers which claimed Apple overcharged them on commissions.

In discussing the European Union’s probe of Apple’s mobile payment policies in May, the bloc’s digital chief Margrethe Vestager said Apple claimed it couldn’t provide access to NFC for security reasons.

In Europe, most payments in shops made with a mobile phone rely on a wireless technology called ‘Near Field Communication’ – NFC.

This functionality enables communication between a customer’s mobile phone and the shop’s payments terminal – allowing ‘tap and go’.

“Our investigation to date did not reveal any evidence that would point to such a higher security risk,” Vestager said on the EU’s website.

“On the contrary, evidence on our file indicates that Apple’s conduct cannot be justified by security concerns.”

Google too
Allegations that Google overcharged millions of app users in the UK are also set to go to trial.

The suit is being brought by a consumer affairs campaigner, Liz Coll, on behalf of almost 20 million British users of Google’s Play Store.

Her aim is to compensate UK Android smartphone and tablet users for years of alleged overcharging by Google and infringement of competition law.

She said: “We are confident our claim is a good one.

“Google Play Store’s imposition of a headline 30% charge on our digital purchases is unlawful and unjustifiable, and we look forward to arguing the case for UK consumers at trial.”

Google said it would defend the claim.