iOS

The latest report from SensorTower shows that app purchases generated a revenue of US$39.7 billion in the 1st 6 months of 2019. This impressive figure also represents a 15% year-on-year increase in the same kind of spending. The Apple App Store accounted for 64% of these takings.

Sony has launched its latest truly wireless in-ear buds. The new WF-1000XM3 aims to deliver a light-weight alternative to Sony's hugely successful WH-1000XM3 wireless and noise cancelling over-ear headphones.

YI (or Xiaoyi) is a company known for camera-related product and accessories, including dash-cams. Its newest version of these is the Nightscape, a 1080p, Wi-Fi enabled device with a 140-degree field of view. It also integrates Sony's STARVIS technology for improved low-light imaging.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has lashed out at a Wall Street Journal article that reported Jony Ive decided to leave the company because Cook wasn't interested in design. In an email to sent to NBC's Dylan Byers, Cook refutes the story's claims as 'absurd' and that the article didn't align with the reality of the situation.

Although tablets were expected to go extinct, a new study by Future Market Insights predicts that the demand for such pieces of hardware "will surge extensively in the upcoming years" thanks to multiple reasons. This report claims that global tablet sales for the decade ending in 2026 will bring in no less than US$600 billion.

Google may be working on a new way to send files between devices without necessarily relying on the internet. This new feature, called Fast Share, may be intended to compete with Apple's AirDrop. Unlike Android Beam, it involves the instigation of Bluetooth connections.

Mobile payments are now thought of as a market capable of vast growth over the next 3 years. The latest figures put its worth at US$348 billion now; however, this is thought to grow to $1.3 trillion in 2022. It is projected to grow at this rate in the developed and developing world, and is thought to benefit from the presence of mobile network operators.

Apple fans were shocked by news that legendary design guru Jony Ive is leaving the company. While Ive has undoubtedly contributed significantly to numerous iconic Apple designs in the past, he is not, however, leaving Apple on a design high.

In a major blow to the Apple its fabled Chief Design Officer Jony Ive has announced he is leaving the company. As the hand behind Apple’s most iconic designs, the news immediately triggered a negative reaction on Wall Street stripping US$9 from the value of its shares in after-market trading.

Calculator for Windows 10 was placed on the open-source repository GitHub some months ago. Now, the developer Jérôme Laban has released iOS, Android and WebAssembly ports via the Uno platform. Therefore, nearly anyone with any device can enjoy the versatile Fluent Design app.

Apple recently hired Mike Filippo, who formerly served as ARM's lead CPU architect. While this move may mean that Apple will begin developing an ARM-based MacBook (as so many have hoped the past few years), it is more likely that Filippo will fill the role of Gerard Williams III, Apple's former lead mobile CPU architect who left the company earlier this year.

Google offers the option to store a timeline of places in which a user's location-enabled phone has been. The account-holder in question can also disable this ability and delete this information if they choose. The latest update to the app involved adds buttons that automates this procedure after 3 or 18 months.

Announced in early November 2017 and released as a Beta back in April/May (New Zealand/Australia), Harry Potter: Wizards Unite finally became available for the general public — on both Android and iOS — on June 21. However, this mobile location-based augmented reality title is still reaching new markets as we speak.

Tech fans were disappointed to learn that Google has officially killed off any plans for a successor to the Pixel Slate. While there had been suspicions the decision was made some time ago, it looks like the arrival of iPadOS might have been the final nail in the Pixel Slate's coffin.

The usually reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects Apple to launch its first 5G iPhone in 2020. He also expects we will see a new smaller 5.4-inch model along with a larger 6.7-inch device both with 5G connectivity. The iPhone XR-style model will get OLED for the first time, but will continue with the 6.1-inch form factor.

Samsung has allegedly secured a trademark for a new product called the "Portable SSD T7 Plus". Should this leak prove true, it appears that a successor for the T5 is on its way. This putative product may at least maintain a trend towards max speeds of 540 MB/s, 256-bit AES encryption and a USB 3.1 Gen2 interface in a form weighing just 0.11 pounds.

KaiOS is the most prominent alternative to either iOS or Android on mobile devices. Its CEO, Sebastien Codeville, has just given an interview outlining this platform's directions and goals for the immediate future. They include greater functionality, more form factors and new markets.

OnePlus has released a new colorway for the 7 Pro. This SKU (Almond) is available in the US or Canada so far. In addition, development leaks indicate that the OEM is preparing the new 'back' gesture, which consists of swiping inward from the side of the screen and is also found in the latest Q betas.

Bethesda is asking gamers to sign up for a beta test program for DOOM 2016 on iOS. The program is designed to test Bethesda's new Orion framework for game streaming. Selected users will be able to stream DOOM 2016 on their iOS devices free of charge later this year.

A "global" new outlet has tweeted that HongMeng OS, Huawei's new rumored official ROM for its mobile devices, will be known as Oak OS in non-Chinese markets. Furthermore, this putative new system will be unveiled in the first fall months of 2019. Therefore, this OEM's phones could have as little as 2 more months on Android.

Reolink, a company already known for well-spec'd wireless security cameras, now launches the E1 Pro. This new option offers a wide range of coverage for an affordable price. It will also gain Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility in the near future.

Dragon Quest Walk, an adventure AR game in the same vein as Pokemon Go, was announced earlier this week. Though details are sparse, the game seems to have players travel to real-world locations to battle monsters from the Dragon Quest universe. The title is set to release only in Japan for iOS and Android.

The next upcoming version of Apple's mobile device OS has finally been released at WWDC 2019. It brings the long-awaited Dark Mode, in addition to improvements for many other iOS features and functions. They include a 'new' swipe keyboard, faster app launch times and Sign in with Apple.

Apple has finally let its iPad off the leash by releasing a new forked version of iOS that it is calling iPadOS. The change brings with it extended features and functionality that takes advantage of the iPad's larger canvas, delivering a more Mac-like computing experience. Yet, at the same time, it retains its distinctive iOS heritage.

The new version of macOS, 10.15 Catalina, is getting rid of iTunes in lieu of three dedicated media management apps. Replacing the storied software is Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Podcasts. MacOS 10.15 will also use Finder to back up, restore, and update a connected iOS device, but users still won't have unfettered access to their iPhone's or iPad's file system.

The 8110 (4G) is a reprise of a classic Nokia phone of the same name, released at MWC last year. However, its KaiOS meant that it had reduced functionality compared to the average Android or iOS device. With the roll-out of a compatible WhatsApp version, this has been remedied slightly.

Apple likes to claim that buying an iPhone means buying into an ecosystem where user data is sacrosanct. An examination by the Washington Post demonstrates that the reality is quite a different picture.

Apple looks to be working on an in-display Touch ID solution for a future iPhone, possibly in time for a 2020 or 2021 release. With most of the flagship competition working hard to eliminate notches for a truly all-display design, it looks as though Face ID may be on the way out.

A recent survey run by Blind shed some light on what various tech employees think of Apple and the App Store. Apple's own employees largely believe the company doesn't hold a monopoly on iOS app distribution, but other companies (namely Qualcomm and Spotify) believe that Apple's App Store constitutes a monopoly. The survey comes as a response to a recent Supreme Court ruling upholding the validity of a lawsuit filed against Apple for monopolistic practices.

Cherubi, Gible, Hippopotas, and other Pokemon originally discovered in the Sinnoh region are now coming to other areas. The latest Pokemon GO update also comes with a new Ground-type move (Earth Power), as well as Glacial Lure Modules, Mossy Lure Modules, and Magnetic Lure Modules.

The recently unveiled Minecraft Earth is a free-to-play, augmented reality Minecraft title to be added to the Minecraft universe. However, those interested can only sign up for a chance to play the limited beta — which is scheduled to arrive this summer — for now. Signing up will also get them a free Earth skin for Minecraft Bedrock.

In changes to be announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, Apple looks set to increase the number of its own Apps available on the App Store, directly challenging Google and Amazon. Changes look likely to increase existing tensions between the Cupertino company and third-party developers.

Bloomberg reports that the processor for this year's generation of iPhones has now entered production. This SoC, likely to be known as the A13 chipset, has apparently already entered production by TSMC at a testing stage. However, it is set to be mass-produced some time this month (May 2019).

Concept renders and a brief video of the supposed successor of the iPhone XR have been published online. The device is expected to be the “cheap” member of the next series of iPhones and will wield lower specifications than the other 2019 smartphones. One obvious example of the cost-cutting is the rear-facing dual camera setup.

The Financial Times claims that its sources have told it that the EU will indeed probe Apple's potential anti-competition business practices. The decision follows 'surveys' of interested parties such as Spotify, who claim that the Cupertino company rigs music consumption on the iOS platform in its own favor.

Those who use the latest version of Firefox (66.6) may have noticed that their usual extensions have disappeared. This is due to a bug in this browser in which an expired certificate gives the impression that all of these add-ons are corrupt. Mozilla has stated that a fix is being rolled out at present.

Spotify has reportedly rolled out a new kind of ad to grab user attention in the United States. The messages involved apparently encourage the user to give a voice command in order to navigate to relevant sponsored content. These ads are scarce at present, but could conceivably become more common should Spotify find them successful.

A report from market analyst company Counterpoint Research has stated that Apple’s iPhone X was the best-selling smartphone in the world in 2018. Top 10 charts for both the world and China were shared online and while Apple has dominated the global market, it seems the domestic manufacturer Oppo is the top dog in its home market.

Apple has reported its Q2 results for 2019 which showed that its iPhone sales have continued the downward trend first recorded in Q1. However, Apple stock was up seemingly in response to its services business which crested US$11 billion for the first time along with news of a further US$75 billion in share buybacks.

Nintendo is currently looking for people to apply to the beta-testing phase of the upcoming mobile game Mario Kart Tour. At the moment, the company is only accepting applications from Android users (although the game is planned for iOS too). The application schedule window is already open, but it is only available to potential testers living in either the US or Japan.

A law firm has filed a suit against Epic Games on behalf of its client, a musician who believes his trademark appearance and moves have been stolen in order to build one of the Emotes found in the game Fortnite. These Emotes are Battle Royale features that often require micro-transactions in order to be enabled.

A reliable Apple analyst has reported that the Cupertino-based company plans to bring 5G iPad Pros to market in 2021. The prediction comes just a week after Apple and Qualcomm made headlines for signing a deal to supply 5G modems for the 2020 generation of iPhones.

Triple rear-facing cameras? Check. Huge camera bump? Check. Gargantuan notch? Check. No USB Type-C? Check. This is the iPhone XI.
Updated: YouTube video fixed & additional photos added

Did you buy a Mac, iOS device or the Apple World Travel Adapter Kit between 2003 and 2010? If you did, chances are that you received a wall plug too. Turns out that the three-prong adapters sold in certain countries during that period can break and cause an electric shock if touched.

The latest figures on the global premium smartphone market reportedly show that OPPO increased its share of it by a stunning 863% in 2018. This stripped out comparable performances on the part of competitors such as Xiaomi and even Huawei. On the other hand, it did not threaten Apple's place at the top of this market.

The tech leaker Stephen Troughton-Smith has supported a rumor that an iPad will gain the ability to pair properly with a mouse with the next iOS update. This new feature will allegedly be a new accessibility option in the new upgrade. However, it is not clear if the rumor applies to wireless, wired or both in terms of these peripherals yet.

Those who have been missing Vine — and/or have been not happy with TikTok — can now fill the void with Byte. The new looping video app comes from Vine's founder and it is currently undergoing closed beta testing. For now, only 100 testers are able to take it for a spin, but more people should be invited soon.

WhatsApp is reportedly working on animated stickers in its latest betas. This enables a user to superimpose a a moving piece of art (e.g. a drawing or character) on a message. A blog has also apparently found that the app is going to replace its existing emoji design with a new one.

A trio of IT researchers affiliated with Facebook have created a new method to turn a video of an individual performing a series of actions (e.g. a dance) into a 3D 'game character'. This character - and its associated movements - can then be transposed onto a new background. The researchers assert that this background could interact with said character.