Whilst emails are a key part of the office work day, they aren’t the most fun. Here’s how you can use AI for emails.

Since its invention in 1971, email has become an essential part of office life. But writing one can be a tedious — and boring — task. That’s why many companies are taking advantage of recent advances in artificial intelligence to make it easier to write professional emails.

Microsoft is one such company. The American tech giant will soon be introducing “Microsoft 365 Co-pilot,” an AI designed to assist workers in their daily tasks. This tool will be integrated into Windows 11 as well as Microsoft 365, a set of services for professionals that includes the Outlook email service. It will assist users in writing “concise and error-free” emails, as outlined in a blog post detailing the project. It will also suggest improvements in terms of clarity, conciseness and inclusive language, to make emails more “polished and professional.”

“Microsoft 365 Copilot” is due to be rolled out to businesses on November 1, although Visa, General Motors, KPMG and Lumen Technologies have already been testing it for several months, according to CNN Business. In March, the American company announced the integration of ChatGPT-4, the latest iteration of OpenAI’s artificial intelligence technology, into its office software, including Word, Excel and Outlook.

How to use AI for emails at work: Putting an end to being ‘hyperconnected’

Other companies are also using AI to help employees write emails, whatever their size or purpose. The Warmer.ai platform uses AI technology to personalise any business email in just a few clicks. The first step is to determine the “objective” of the email, ie, to organise a meeting, answer a query or generate traffic to a website. Once the objective has been defined, all you have to do is provide Warmer.ai with information on the recipient(s) from an Excel spreadsheet, LinkedIn profile or website. And that’s all there is to it: the platform needs nothing else in order to write a personalised email that meets the sender’s expectations.

Lavender.ai and Emailtree.ai also rely on artificial intelligence to optimise the impact that professional email messages have on the recipient. The former assigns a score out of 100 to your draft email, before suggesting how to improve it in terms of style, syntax and length. The second allows you to schedule your emails so that they arrive in your addressee’s inbox at the right time. Thanks to this, there’s no longer any need to log onto your business mailbox between 3 pm and 6 pm on Sundays to increase the chances of your emails being opened and read.

After all, it’s not always easy to keep up with the flow of communication being exchanged and various demands in the workplace, between emails, Slack notifications and invitations to meetings. A Slack and One Poll survey of 8,000 UK- and US-based employees found that they spend an average of 11 hours per week drafting emails, while other estimates suggest employees spend up to two to three hours a day checking and answering their emails.

Can AI tools relieve the time wasting and assist office workers make better use of their time? Many office workers feel pressure to respond in real time to the dozens of work emails they receive throughout the day. Expectations of being always on and responding near instantly to messages can weigh on morale and interfere with one’s ability to concentrate. An overflowing mailbox is often perceived as a lack of organisational skills, the idea that one is overwhelmed by their workload, which can lead to additional stress and anxiety. Issues that companies would do well to address, whether with AI or not.

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It has been over a month since Apple released the iPhone 15 and yet, it continues to stay in the limelight. Hailed as one of the biggest upgrades to the iPhone since 2020’s radically designed iPhone 12, the iPhone 15 ticks all the right boxes for smartphone buyers this year. The Lightning charging port, which was once an Achilles heel for an iPhone user, has finally been replaced with the universally available USB-C charging port. The dated display notch makes way for the more interesting Dynamic Island while the revised design impresses as well.

However, all of these upgrades seem to be overshadowed by the big changes rumoured to be coming to next year’s iPhone 16.

Even though it is a year away from its official release, the iPhone 16 leaks have revealed a lot of exciting upgrades in store for us. Among the many changes that could be deemed revolutionary, the iPhone 16’s chip will be one of the key talking points for the months to come. A freshly brewed leak now suggests that Apple could get rid of the differences in the chipsets between the standard and Pro models from next year onwards. The A18 chip could now power all of the iPhone 16 variants, thereby offering the latest performance enhancements one expects from a brand-new iPhone.

Will this new chipset be the sole driving force urging people to upgrade to the newer model next year? To answer that question, we take a look at all the anticipated iPhone 16 features that make it worth waiting for.

Apple iPhone 16’s rumoured features

Even though it’s quite early for the iPhone 16 rumours to hold any substance, we hope Apple is working behind the scenes to make them come true.

1. Solid state button

One of the biggest upgrades on the iPhone 15 (other than the USB-C port) was supposed to be the introduction of solid-state buttons. Surprisingly, Apple retained the old buttons but replaced the Mute slider with the highly customisable Action button. Hence, it is the iPhone 16 that is now expected to get rid of physical buttons and rely on solid-state keys. This new technology is expected to replace the power, volume and Action buttons with capacitive touch keys that were in fashion on Android smartphones of the early 2010s. Apple had also used this technology on the iPhone 7’s Home button.

To mimic a button press, Apple is expected to, once again, rely on its impressive Taptic Engine for haptic feedback. The benefits of using a solid state button include a clean side profile and better protection against water and dust ingress.

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2. 120Hz display as standard

iPhones feature some of the best displays you can find on any smartphone. However, the standard iPhone 15 features a 60Hz OLED display that doesn’t feel as smooth as a 120Hz refresh rate display.

For 2024, Apple is rumoured to offer a high refresh rate OLED panel as standard on all the iPhone 16 models. While details are sparse about this development, speculation hints at Apple reserving the LTPO OLED panels for the Pro variants only. In simple terms, this means that the iPhone 16 would only be able to alter its refresh rate between 60Hz and 120Hz. Nevertheless, it would still be better than the refresh rate of the iPhone 15’s display.

3. A18 chip

This is the big one.

After depriving buyers of the vanilla iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 models of cutting-edge Apple chipsets for two years in a row, Apple is considering upgrading all the iPhone 16 models to the latest chipset. The iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are rumoured to use the 3nm A18 chipset for faster performance and better efficiency. Theoretically, this should provide a huge performance boost over the iPhone 15’s A16 Bionic chip.

However, there’s a likelihood that Apple will offer an A18 Bionic chip with reserved performance on the vanilla iPhone 16 models and an A18 Pro chip with a performance boost on the iPhone 16 Pro models. After all, Apple has to offer additional incentives to buy the Pro models.

4. Under-display Face ID

In the iPhone 15, Dynamic Island offers a huge leap over the dated display notch, making efficient use of what is otherwise dead space.

However, according to the grapevine, Apple is willing to hide the TrueDepth camera sensors under the display in the iPhone 16. As a result, the iPhone 16’s forehead could end up looking no different than the Samsung Galaxy S23‘s. The Dynamic Island could also be reduced in size and Apple could simply retain the punch-hole camera cutout until it figures out a way to hide it under the display as well.

5. Vertically stacked rear cameras

Do you remember the iPhone 12’s design? It was the last iPhone to feature a vertically stacked rear camera design before Apple updated it with a diagonally stacked camera layout. With the iPhone 16, Apple is now rumoured to go back to the vertically stacked rear camera design. Although the reasons behind this move are unclear, there’s a possibility that Apple could either use new camera sensors or enlarge the camera hump to accommodate the sensor-shift camera modules next to each other.

Hence, Apple’s big design change for the iPhone 16 will revolve, once again, around shifting the camera lenses to its older spot. We can only imagine the memes that will flood your X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram feeds when that happens.

iPhone 16’s likely release date

Based on Apple’s usual timeline, we can expect the iPhone 16 range to be announced in early September 2024, just ahead of the festive season.

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(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Onur Binay via Unsplash)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

– Which Apple chip will the iPhone 16 use?
The iPhone 16 is now expected to use the A18 Bionic chip that will be based on the 3nm process.

– What are the specifications of A18 chips?
The A18 chips from Apple are expected to be manufactured using the 3nm process. They are rumoured to rely on TSMC’s new N3E node that guarantees slightly faster performance at the expense of power efficiency.

Smart TV sticks offer a brilliant way to breathe new life into a TV even when it’s far from new. But how do you choose which of the best streaming sticks to buy? For instance, between Amazon Fire TV Stick vs Google Chromecast, how do you figure out which one is better?

To help make that decision easier, we compare two of the most popular brands: Google and Amazon. Amazon’s Fire TV range may be more extensive, but Google has worked hard to improve its streaming devices.

Streaming sticks now offer a range of features, including voice control, HD streaming and access to apps such as Disney+, Spotify and YouTube. We will be comparing these features and the device’s price and design to determine which streaming player should come out on top.

To make this fight as fair as possible, we will be focusing our attention on the brand’s most iconic streaming devices, the Amazon Fire TV Stick vs Google Chromecast. However, we have also included a breakdown of every device offered by Amazon and Google so that you can see what’s on offer and whether it’s worth spending a little more.

Amazon Fire TV Stick vs Google Chromecast: what’s the difference? 

For less than £40 (SGD 66), both the Google Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV Stick allow you to watch your favourite streaming services on older or ‘non-smart’ TVs. And while both devices do this job well, some features or apps are only available on specific smart TV sticks.

Here are the key differences between Google Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV Stick as we talk through their designs, apps, channels and streaming quality.

Price

The Google Chromecast and the Amazon Fire TV Stick can be bought for £30 (SGD 50).

You won’t get a Chromecast remote for this price, but the device has a bendy HDMI cable that makes it easy to squeeze into a port even when space is limited. The Amazon Fire TV Stick comes with HD streaming, voice search via the Alexa Voice Remote and more comprehensive TV controls.

Design

While both the Amazon Fire TV Stick and Chromecast are set up to slot into the HDMI port found on the back of your TV, this is where most of the design similarities end.

The Google Chromecast is a black, round dongle with a short, flexible HDMI cable. This bendy cable allows you to fit the Chromecast between any other devices that might be occupying other ports.

The design of the Amazon Fire TV Stick is a black USB-style stick. It is small and thin and can, again, fit between any other products plugged in behind the TV. Both are then connected to power adaptors and are hidden from sight when in use.

The Amazon Fire TV Stick also comes with an accompanying remote. The Alexa Voice Remote is small and black, like the Fire TV Stick itself, and has 11 buttons in total. This includes a voice button that you can activate Alexa with by holding down and speaking your request. The others include controls for power, volume and play/pause.

Streaming quality

Both devices stream in full HD. This makes both devices a great option if you intend to use them to get better use out of an old TV.

If you have a 4K TV, you might want to consider investing in either the Chromecast with Google TV or Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K. These devices are more expensive, at £59.99 (SGD 100) and £49.99 (SGD 83) respectively, but offer 4K streaming so that you can get the most from your TV.

Apps and channels

To watch a streaming service via Google Chromecast, it needs to be compatible. This list used to be relatively limited but has expanded to include all the major services and apps, including Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Prime Video.

The Chromecast may be preferred if multiple people want to stream with it. The media player allows for easier switching between accounts because each household member can stream straight from their smartphone, tablet or PC, so there’s no need to re-login to your accounts or share passwords.

With the Amazon Fire TV Stick, it is all done through the Fire TV homepage, and there’s no need for a secondary device like a smartphone or tablet. All the apps and channels are then accessed from here, and you navigate using the remote or voice commands.

There’s a great range of Amazon Fire TV Stick channels, including Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Disney+. Along with apps such as Spotify and Amazon Music.

Voice control

Voice control is available on both the Google Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV Stick via their specific voice assistants. With the Chromecast, it is via Google Assistant, and the Fire TV Stick’s voice commands are processed by Alexa.

As we’ve mentioned, this is done via the accompanying remote for the Amazon Fire TV Stick. Alexa is activated using a button on the remote, allowing you to turn up the volume or search the Fire TV homepage.

For the Chromecast, this is done through Google Home devices (also known as Google Nest). For example, you connect any Google smart speaker, such as the Google Nest Mini, to the Chromecast and then speak your commands to Google Assistant to control the TV. However, this does mean you need a Google Nest speaker to take full advantage of voice control and get the most out of the Chromecast device.

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Verdict: which smart TV stick should you buy?

The Google Chromecast is cheaper and simpler to use, but if you want a more rounded experience, the Amazon Fire TV Stick is the better choice.

Like the Chromecast, the Fire TV Stick offers full HD streaming, but there’s no casting required, so you navigate the Fire TV homepage and find the app or streaming service you want to use. This means you control everything via the Alexa Voice Remote, and no secondary device such as a smartphone or tablet is needed.

Both devices offer a good range of apps, including all of the popular streaming services. Voice control is also available with the Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV Stick. The voice control via Alexa is marginally more practical. Still, if you have a Google smart speaker, the voice control with Google is hands-free – an option not available with any of Amazon’s Fire TV devices except the more expensive Fire TV Cube.

However, there is one other consideration. If you share a living space with several other people, you may prefer Chromecast for the fact that once you stop casting, no one else can access your accounts or passwords. This gives you the benefit of watching your favourite shows on a bigger screen without having to sign in and out of accounts each time.

Chromecast overview: what Google smart TV sticks are available?

Google currently has three Chromecast devices available; the original Chromecast, the Chromecast with Google TV and the X1 Chromecast Ultra.

Google Chromecast

With an RRP of £30 (SGD 50), the Chromecast is Google’s original streaming device. This round, black dongle plugs into the TV’s HDMI port and allows you to send your favourite shows from your smartphone, tablet or laptop to your TV. It doesn’t come with a remote. Instead, you control it via the device you’re casting from.

Chromecast with Google TV

Released in September 2020, the Chromecast with Google TV is the brand’s latest smart TV stick. Features include 4K HDR streaming, a remote with voice control via Google Assistant and access to apps including Disney+, Prime Video and Netflix.

Fire TV Stick overview: what Amazon smart TV sticks are available?

There are four smart TV devices in Amazon’s range. These are:

Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite

The Fire TV Stick Lite is the cheapest Amazon device available. The device is completely hidden behind the TV when used and offers HD streaming and voice control via Alexa. The lower price point does mean that it lacks volume and TV controls on the remote.

Amazon Fire TV Stick

Many of the standard Amazon Fire TV Stick features are similar to that of the Fire TV Stick Lite. It still streams in HD, but one of the major differences is that it has volume and power buttons on the remote.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

This smart TV stick is the cheapest way to get 4K streaming with a Fire TV device. It comes in the same USB stick style as the cheaper models but supports Dolby Vision and Atmos.

Amazon Fire TV Cube

As the most powerful Fire TV device, the Amazon Fire TV Cube is a smart TV stick combined with an Amazon Echo speaker. Unlike the Fire TV Sticks, you do not have to hold down a button to ask Alexa requests. It gives you better control over other Alexa-compatible devices, too, so you can control your soundbar, thermostat or lights with your voice.

This story first appeared on www.radiotimes.com

© Immediate Media Company London Limited, 2023. All rights reserved. First published on RadioTimes.com and reproduced with permission of Immediate Media Company London Limited. Reproduction in any manner in any language in whole or in part without prior written permission is prohibited. Radio Times and the Radio Times logo are registered trade marks of Immediate Media Company London Limited and used under licence.

Read any television’s specs, and you’ll find a stream of serial numbers, jargon, acronyms, patented technology names and all sorts of other stuff. Some of it you can ignore; some of it you can’t. And if you’re after an HD television, one thing you definitely need to know is the difference between HD Ready and Full HD TVs.

While the tech for HD TVs has now been around for a while, an important question arises – what is the difference between HD Ready and Full HD TVs and, more importantly, which is better?

Well, read on for our explainer on the differences between HD Ready and Full HD televisions, followed by our pick of selection that is currently available on the market.

What does HD Ready mean?

HD Ready is certainly an unusual turn of phrase – and you’d be forgiven for thinking that any TV marked with the HD Ready logo can play high-definition TV, but you’d be wrong.

HD television measures 1920 by 1080 pixels in resolution, but HD Ready sets only offer 1280 by 720 pixels by comparison. So how are HD Ready televisions set up to play HD content? They do it by using internal processors that downscale the resolution of the image. The resulting picture quality is, admittedly, better than Standard Definition television (a mere 640 by 480 pixels) – but it’s not HD.

If you think this sounds confusing to the point of misleading, then you’re not alone. When HD Ready televisions were launched on the market, many people were underwhelmed by the jump from SD to 720p television and felt hoodwinked by the terminology. The best we can say about HD Ready as a phrase is that it’s less of a mouthful than, say, Almost HD But Not Quite.

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Which is better, HD Ready or Full HD?

That’s easy: Full HD is better. In contrast to an HD Ready television, Full HD sets offer the full 1920×1080 resolution of high definition. You’ll often see Full HD sets marked with ‘1080p’ in their specs: this is short for ‘1080 progressive’ and tells you that the set contains an HD tuner, meaning there’s no downscaling (you’ll also hear the term ‘interlacing’) of whatever HD content you’re watching.

The vagaries of HD Ready and Full HD television were once a subject of hot debate – but here’s the thing: by TV industry standards, this is all fairly ancient history. It was way back in 2005 when the HD Ready license was granted, and televisions have drastically advanced since then. Just like their SD predecessors, HD Ready sets have been slowly inched out of the market in favour of Full HD television, which themselves have now been almost entirely supplanted by 4K.

HD Ready vs Full HD: which should you buy?

Of the two, that’s easy: Full HD. HD Ready televisions were once a sensible option for people who wanted to avoid splurging on a Full HD TV, but that was about a decade ago. In 2023, you can pick up a Full HD television for less than SGD 250.

There is one exception to this: if you’re looking for a very small TV – around 24- to 32 inches – perhaps for a countertop or another secondary place in your home, and simply wish to part with as little cash as possible, then an HD Ready television will be perfectly fine. We’ve picked out a couple of excellent HD Ready choices that are quite affordable as well.

The Toshiba, in particular, is a gem because it contains a feature you certainly wouldn’t have got in the heyday of HD Ready television: a built-in voice assistant in the form of Amazon’s Alexa.

However, there’s a caveat: if you’re thinking of buying any TV that’s larger than 43 inches in size, we urge you to opt for 4K instead. (Your eyes are unlikely to notice the difference in resolution with any smaller sets).

HD television has definitely had its day – but 4K will be the standard TV resolution for the next decade or so. Before you buy your next TV, think long-term and choose wisely!

Toshiba 24-inch WK3A63DB HD Ready TV with Alexa

This compact TV has Alexa built in so you won’t need a remote or have to leave the sofa to operate it. It is HD-ready with enhanced sound and features a customisable Alexa home screen.

Panasonic 32-inch TX-G302B HD Ready TV

With the Panasonic HD Ready TV, it’s easy to plug in your DVD player and games console thanks to both HDMI and SCART connections. There’s also an SVGA port, so you can use your TV as a PC monitor.

LG 43 Inch 43LM6300 Smart Full HD HDR LED Freeview TV

This LG Full HD TV has an in-built platform for apps and streaming services so you can get your Netflix fix without any hassle. It also has a virtual surround sound system and plug-ins for USB so you can stream your own videos and music.

This story first appeared on www.radiotimes.com

© Immediate Media Company London Limited, 2023. All rights reserved. First published on RadioTimes.com and reproduced with permission of Immediate Media Company London Limited. Reproduction in any manner in any language in whole or in part without prior written permission is prohibited. Radio Times and the Radio Times logo are registered trade marks of Immediate Media Company London Limited and used under licence.

While the original iPhone changed the course of the smartphone’s evolution with its innovative new ideas, the wave of change rested on the shoulders of Android. With its open-source design, Google literally gave away Android for free to every smartphone manufacturer and the rest, as they say, is history. In 2023, Android is at the core of mobile computing, enabling millions of users around the world to stay connected. At the same time, it provides space for innovative ideas to evolve at a rapid pace. With the latest Android 14 update, the world is now getting ready to experience the power of generative AI in the most unique ways.

That’s quite an evolution for a software platform that was primarily developed for digital cameras back in the early 2000s. After Google’s acquisition of Android, the platform was repurposed for a new generation of smartphones inspired by the earlier versions of the Apple iPhone. While the first few iterations were under the radar, the platform’s popularity rose to a majestic scale after Samsung based its Galaxy smartphones around the OS.

So, as we step into the 20th version of Android, it is a good time to look at the history of all Android versions in chronological order.

Looking at the history of all Android versions in order

Has the new iPhone 15 got your attention? With that sneakily clever Dynamic Island, an updated camera system and a refreshed overall package, it is easy to fall in love with the iPhone 15. It’s even easier to do so with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which also offers a better zoom camera, a nicer Titanium frame and next-gen performance from a 3nm chip. Carrying almost similar prices as its predecessor, these iPhones are still among the priciest smartphones money can buy and hence, not all of you may want to upgrade to the iPhone 15 this year. Instead, you might be more interested in all of the iPhone 16 rumours that are already teasing the iPhone’s future.

You don’t have to be a tech genius or industry insider to know that the iPhone 16 series will be superior to the iPhone 15. What’s interesting, however, are all of the iPhone 16 rumours that are painting an ambitious picture of Apple’s 2024 iPhone. Mind you, it’s a picture that can give its fiercest rivals (Samsung, hope you’re listening) sleepless nights for the next few years.

Could the iPhone 16 be the ultimate evolution of the iPhone in all its years of existence? While we can’t comment on that until Tim Cook and his team present the iPhone 16 on the stage next year, we can certainly look at all the iPhone 16 rumours that have certainly captured our attention.

All the iPhone 16 rumours that have caught our attention

1. The lack of buttons

Apple’s history is ridden with instances where it has successfully managed to remove many technologies and/or features that people considered crucial. On the iPhone, we have witnessed the disappearance of the 3.5mm headphone jack, the SIM card tray and the charger from the box (the last one is more of a business decision, and a bad one at that!)

Come 2024, Apple is getting ready to remove something else – buttons of any kind! If rumours are to be believed, Apple wants to get rid of all the buttons on the iPhone.

This may seem like an unusual decision considering Apple just added an extra button on the iPhone 15 Pro for shortcuts and functions. However, the Action button is more of a replacement for the ageing slider switch and is resistant to water and dust damage. Additionally, initial rumours of the iPhone 15 Pro had also suggested that Apple was getting rid of the buttons this year. It was only due to manufacturing challenges that the move was delayed.

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So how do you lock your iPhone or change the volume levels if there are no buttons? The answer lies in a technology used on Apple’s cheapest iPhone on sale today. The current-gen iPhone SE continues to have a Home button though, in essence, it’s just a capacitive key that uses the iPhone’s superior haptics to emulate a button press. In the world of technology, this is also known as a Solid State Button.

For the iPhone 16 Pro, Apple will employ the same technology for its power and volume keys. Rumours also hint at an additional haptic motor being used to emulate a button press, thereby making it feel more natural. The advantages of a solid-state button include a water-tight compartment and more internal space for fitting a bigger capacity battery.

On the downside, how are we going to switch on our iPhones? After all, these solid-state keys work only when the device is switched on. So are we looking at an always-on iPhone in the future?

2. Invisible Face ID

The FaceID system has held a prominent space on the iPhone’s forehead since 2017 and, as of 2023, it has been wrapped up inside a pill-shaped cutout that we now know more fondly as the Dynamic Island.

Based on a very early leak from 2022 by the remarkably accurate Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 16 Pro could finally end up offering a true fullscreen display. Apple will achieve this by putting the TrueDepth camera system under the display. Under the display… does this sound familiar? Oh yes, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 has used an under-display camera for years.

Kuo predicted that it would be more of a business decision than a technological challenge to hide the FaceID sensors and the front camera underneath the display. Having the FaceID sensors is not a challenge considering our smartphones already have certain sensors hidden under the display. However, it remains to be seen how Apple gets around the inferior image quality that under-display cameras usually suffer from. For instance, the in-display 4-megapixel front camera on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a fine example of this issue as it is notorious for producing blurry photos.

Nevertheless, we expect Apple to refine the technology and help us see an iPhone devoid of any obstructions on the display.

Note: If this is implemented, it could mean the end of Dynamic Island sooner than expected.

3. 120Hz displays for the vanilla iPhone 16

If you were to ask us why we wouldn’t pick up the iPhone 15 despite its lower price, it would largely be because of its display. In a world where all of the iPhone 15’s rivals feature fast 120Hz refresh rate displays as standard, Apple chose to stick to a slow 60Hz refresh rate display. We agree it isn’t an issue for those coming from older vanilla iPhones of the past but for someone seeking great value from their newest iPhone, a 60Hz display is unacceptable.

However, Apple may finally do something about it in 2024, if the rumours are to be believed. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus could end up offering a 120Hz refresh rate display as a standard feature, something that the Pro iPhones have been offering since 2021.

However, do take this rumour with a pinch of salt as DSCC’s Ross Young had revealed in his predictions that Apple will move on to a 120Hz refresh display for the regular iPhones only in 2025. This is relevant information since Young’s predictions have been spot-on in the past.

4. A faster chipset

Since 2022, Apple has reserved its latest chip for the Pro models. For instance, the iPhone 14 reused the iPhone 13’s A15 Bionic chip whereas the iPhone 14 Pro got the new A16 Bionic chip. This year, the iPhone 15 has received the A16 Bionic chip whereas the iPhone 15 Pro is getting the next-gen 3nm A17 Pro chip. You can see the pattern here.

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus were, once again, expected to use this year’s A17 Pro chip while the iPhone 16 Pro series was expected to debut the new A18 chip. However, it’s now being rumoured that Apple is planning to skip the A17 chip entirely and instead introduce the A18 chip to the entire iPhone 16 range. The A18 chip is expected to be manufactured on the new N3E process from TSMC, guaranteeing better performance while having a slight impact on power efficiency. Additionally, the N3E chips will be easier and cheaper to manufacture.

Coming back to the A18 chip, we are not getting our hopes too high about the performance being uniform across the iPhone 16 models. For all we know, Apple could simply tweak the A17 Pro chip and rename it as the standard A18 Bionic chip. It could also reserve the high-performance credentials of the new node for the A18 Pro chip and offer it as a premium feature on the iPhone 16 Pro.

Other than the chipset, it is also rumoured that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will get a bump in RAM capacity to 8GB. For context, on this year’s iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, the RAM is limited to 6GB. More RAM should also help with better multitasking on the next-gen iPhones.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

– When is the iPhone 16 expected to launch?
The iPhone 16 is expected to launch in September 2024.

– What are the rumoured features of the iPhone 16?
It is being speculated that the iPhone 16 series is likely to get the A18 chip for all of its models. Additionally, it may feature solid state buttons, under-display FaceID and high refresh rate displays as standard.

{Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Victor Serban via Unsplash (Representational Image)}

The iPad has become the de facto choice for students and creators. Offering a supreme combination of the iPadOS platform and the mighty Apple Silicon chips, the iPad is one of the smartest computers for creators and students, who don’t seek the ultimate versatility of the Mac. From the base-level iPad 10th Gen to the cutting-edge iPad Pro with the blazing-fast M2 chip, you can get lots done on the tablet. As the Apple Pencil forms a part of the core iPad experience, the tech giant has announced a third variant of the same.

Simply called the new Apple Pencil (USB-C), this latest variant comes as the most affordable stylus you can buy in 2023. It resembles the Apple Pencil 2 but lacks some of those ‘magical’ features you get to experience on the iPad. At the same time, Apple continues to sell the older first-generation Apple Pencil featuring the Lightning charging port for those who still rely on the previous generation tablets.

But which of these should you buy? Whether you simply want a stylus to scribble and take notes or do professional designing, these closely priced Apple Pencils make for a tricky decision. Hence, we decided to sort out all the confusion by doing a comparison between the new Apple Pencil vs Apple Pencil 2.

Upcoming Apple Pencil vs Apple Pencil 2: Specifications and key differences

The new Apple Pencil and the Apple Pencil 2nd Generation look identical but differ vastly in terms of features and specs.

Compatibility

The Apple Pencil 2 has been around for a while, servicing users of the iPad Pro, iPad Mini and iPad Air. The new Apple Pencil, on the other hand, is compatible with the iPad Air, iPad Pro, iPad Mini and iPad 10th Gen. Hence, for those who don’t want to bother about device compatibility with the current generation iPads on sale, the regular Apple Pencil is easily the best bet here.

Portability and storage

Both Apple Pencil variants can stick to the modern-generation iPads magnetically on the sides of the iPad Pro and iPad Air. However, iPad 10th Gen users need to carry it separately.

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Charging and pairing

The Apple Pencil 2 can charge itself magnetically when stuck to the iPad Pro and iPad Air. On the other hand, the new Apple Pencil doesn’t charge wirelessly. Instead, it relies on a USB-C port located on the top end of the Pencil. This makes it more versatile with all iPad models.

As for pairing, the Apple Pencil 2 relies on its wireless magnetic connection to pair with an iPad. The new Pencil, meanwhile, relies on the USB-C port for pairing with an iPad.

Smart features

There’s only so much smartness that one can stuff into a small plastic pen. The new Apple Pencil is a shining example of the notion, offering just a pointing device for touchscreen tablets that charges via USB-C and attaches to the side of an iPad via magnets.

However, the Apple Pencil 2 added to this package with a pressure-sensitive tip, wireless pairing and charging and a double-tap shortcut towards the tip. As a bonus, Apple also lets users engrave their names or initials on the Pencil 2 for free (strangely, that’s not allowed on the standard model).

Finish

Both the Apple Pencil and Apple Pencil 2 feature a pencil-like design with a matte finish for better grip. The standard Apple Pencil has a sliding top for hiding the USB-C charging port.

Price

This is where the standard Apple Pencil takes a huge advantage. At a price of SGD 119, the new Apple Pencil is more affordable than the Apple Pencil 2, which costs SGD 200.85.

Which Apple Pencil should you buy?

For those still confused, the 2023 launched Apple Pencil is easily the best option for most iPad users, who need a stylus for browsing, signing documents, drawing and taking notes. It’s easier on the pocket and is compatible with all iPads featuring a USB-C port. The magnetic attachment feature is another convenience but we recommend stowing the Pencil in your backpack for utmost safety.

However, the Apple Pencil 2 is better suited for those who need the ultimate stylus experience. Creators and professionals will appreciate the Pencil 2’s pressure-sensitive tip and the double-tap shortcut for quick access to important tools. While the magnetic charging feature seems convenient, the lack of a physical USB-C port limits its compatibility.

As for the Apple Pencil 1st Gen, it is only recommended for those who own an iPad with a Lightning charging port. The 1st Gen Pencil is dated in its design and charging it is a huge inconvenience, courtesy of its awkwardly placed Lightning port. Additionally, it doesn’t feature any magnetic attachment for easy storage.

(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Apple)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

– What are the specifications of the Apple Pencil 2?
The Apple Pencil 2 features a matte body, a pressure-sensitive tip, magnetic wireless charging and pairing and a double-tap shortcut gesture.

– What is the battery life of Apple Pencil 2?
The Apple Pencil 2 offers a battery life of up to 12 hours on a full charge.

– What is the difference between Apple Pencil and Apple Pencil 2?
The 2023 Apple Pencil is more affordable than the Apple Pencil 2, losing its wireless charging, pressure-sensitive tip and double-tap shortcut in the process.

 One of the main criticisms Apple received about the products they announced in their “Wonderlust” event is that nothing looked new. The iPhone 15 lineup looked like last year’s iPhone 14 lineup and the Watch Series 9 and the Watch Ultra 2 also bears a striking resemblance to their predecessors. Nothing is noticeably new, at least physically, for any of these devices. Despite this, the iPhone 15 does have some noticeable improvements under the hood. The question now is whether the new Apple Watch Series 9 sees the same improvements.

Well, sort of.

[Hero image: Apple]

Apple Watch Series 9 review: Is it worth it?  

Same same but… same

As mentioned, the Apple Watch Series 9 doesn’t look all too different from the Series 8. If you’re looking at the two side by side, they’re difficult to tell apart. Perhaps the only way to do so is if the displays light up on both. You’ll realise that the Series 9’s screen is brighter, now going up to 2000 nits compared to the Series 8’s 1000 nits. The difference, however, is only really evident when the two are placed side by side. 

That’s pretty much it when it comes to design differences. The Series 9 still comes in aluminium or stainless steel finishes, with the aluminium still having muted colours and the stainless steel looking sleeker despite retaining more visible fingerprints. The new FineWoven bands, which are stylish, a great material, and environmentally friendly, can give it a fresh new look, but these bands can also be used for previous watches anyway.

Faster and better Siri

As per usual, Apple is touting what’s underneath the hood to be the big improvements consumers can look forward to. The new S9 System in Package or SiP “delivers systemwide improvements” and “can process machine learning tasks up to twice as fast” compared to the Series 8. This, of course, is the language Apple likes to use whenever it describes any of its products, so how does this actually feel when using it in real life?

Well, it’s not bad but it’s certainly not earth-shatteringly groundbreaking either. There isn’t really any noticeable difference in the speed of the processes on the Series 9, apart from one significant instance which is Siri. Apple’s AI assistant is now faster on the Watch thanks to the fact it now processes on the device itself instead of having to always utilise a Wi-Fi connection, something that people like me who don’t have a SIM on their watches will be grateful for. It’s definitely an improvement compared to previous generations where Siri will lag processing your request, but that’s really the only time when the S9 SiP’s power is evident in the Series 9.

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Tap tap

The new Double Tap feature is something that Apple is touting as one of the unique features of the Series 9. I was able to try it out briefly on a test device and it worked great. It’s intuitive, automatically “pressing” the main button whenever you do the gesture, which will be a great help when your other hand is full or you’re on a crowded BTS train.

I have two reservations about this feature though. First, there’s a feature called AssistiveTouch, an accessibility feature that’s been in many generations of the Apple Watch to help disabled people use the device. Basically, users can control the device with one hand using gestures, one of them being tapping your fingers. Apple seems to be setting these two features apart though much like the Series 9’s design, it’s hard to do that. Double Tap will also just be available on the Series 9, but those who have a Series 8 or below can just turn on Assistive Touch.

Second, the Double Tap feature is still not available as of the writing of this article. The update that will bring the feature will come sometime this month, so the feature Apple is touting doesn’t even come out of the box. 

Other new features on the Series 9 include Precision Finding for the iPhone 15. Instead of just pinging your phone, the Watch will display directions and how far away your phone is. This feature, however, is not just limited to the Series 9 but also limited to just the iPhone 15. Siri is also able to log health data so you just need to tell Siri you’ve taken your medication or record your period. One caveat though: it is, yet again, an update that’s coming soon. 

Watch goes green

There is one impressive thing about the Series 9 which, ironically, isn’t about its features or its software or its design. The Series 9 is Apple’s very first carbon-neutral product, something that the company is proud of and is no mere feat. From the production to the transportation of the Series 9, Apple was able to ensure that the materials used were recycled or that emissions were offset with carbon credits. Since the FineWoven bands also use recycled materials, you can purchase that and the Series 9 with all of it being completely carbon neutral. It’s an accomplishment that bears mentioning, and hopefully, Apple’s other products follow suit.

The verdict

I get that the Watch Series 9 and the iPhone 15 aren’t leaps and bounds in advancement that those coming from the previous generation would be enticed to upgrade. Apple’s strategy has always been to get those with older models to buy the newest ones, which is why they officially do away with previous generations when new models become available. So if you have a Series 4 or something older, the Series 9 will undoubtedly feel faster and new. 

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But I also can’t help but feel that the Series 9 left me wanting. Was an improvement in battery life really not possible? Why couldn’t the features Apple was touting already be in the Series 9 when it launched? The Series 9 is by no means a bad smartwatch, but with Apple’s long history of innovation, the upgrades found here are still a little lacking even by incremental standards.

The Apple Watch Series 9 is priced starting at SGD 599

This story first appeared on Prestige Online Thailand

There’s a new foldable smartphone coming to town and before you roll your eyes, we would like to tell you that it wears the OnePlus badge. Do we have your attention?

Assuming it’s a yes, let’s discuss the upcoming OnePlus Open. OnePlus’ foray into the foldable smartphone segment is a colossal deal for the tech community and we won’t rest our case on just the Hasselblad-branded cameras. Rather, OnePlus will be ending Samsung’s monopoly in the big book-style foldable smartphone segment with a product that seems to leave no stone unturned. For years, OnePlus has been challenging Samsung’s Galaxy S series flagships with insane specs and premium designs without asking for a fortune. Now, with its first foldable smartphone, we expect nothing less than a revolution in the folding smartphone space.

But it’s not easy to dethrone a behemoth like Samsung, especially in 2023. We got a chance to check out the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 a few months ago and it left us impressed. More than its sheer magnificence, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 got our attention with its finesse and the infinite possibilities to multitask. Samsung’s advantage in software development shines brightly here, offering an unmatched smartphone experience.

Hence, before two of the industry’s biggest names lock horns in the fight to assert dominance in the foldable category, let us do a typical Augustman-style comparison between the OnePlus Open vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and try to find out if we have a clear winner.

OnePlus Open vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

Design

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is all about sticking to traditions and for us, that isn’t a bad idea. In its folded state, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is slimmer than most smartphones, offering a large 6.3-inch cover display with a narrow aspect ratio. This allows an easier in-hand grip. A reliable and steady hinge system allows users to unfold the larger 7.6-inch 120Hz AMOLED display that even houses a 4-megapixel under-display camera! The rear wears an elegant look inspired by the Galaxy S23 series, flaunting matte glass in a couple of beautiful colours.

The OnePlus Open, on the other hand, seems to be going for a luxurious design theme. It tries to imitate a conventional OnePlus device when closed, presenting a 6.3-inch OLED cover display. When unfolded, the OnePlus Open will offer a larger 7.8-inch main display and rumours suggest that OnePlus is bent on avoiding the infamous crease that current foldable phones have to suffer. The rear of the phone will be an even bigger attention magnet primarily due to the huge circular camera hump with a Hasselblad logo stamped on it.

As if that wasn’t enough, the leaked renders reveal that OnePlus will offer a vegan leather finish for the black variant.

Winner: OnePlus Open

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Display

Based on the leaks alone, the OnePlus Open seems to be having an edge over the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 with its display. While both smartphones feature a 6.3-inch cover display, the OnePlus Open’s wider aspect ratio allows it to be more practical. Once unfolded, the OnePlus Open also tends to offer a larger main display at 7.8 inches to the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s 7.6 inches. Moreover, OnePlus is also rumoured to reduce the crease and that tends to give an advantage to the Open.

However, the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s display has an in-display front camera that can be hidden out of plain sight for a more immersive experience. Moreover, Samsung’s display panels are of the highest quality, offering a combination of great colours and high contrasts.

For us then, both of these phones score high and we call it a draw here.

Winner: Tie

Performance

Based on the rumoured OnePlus Open specifications, the mighty capable and power-efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset will power the phone and coupled with a slick OxygenOS interface, we expect the device to perform like a champion. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is also based on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 platform, but Samsung uses an overclocked version of the chip. Paired with Samsung’s highly versatile OneUI 5.1 interface based on Android 13, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a cellular powerhouse for multitaskers and creators alike.

While we are yet to see what OnePlus does with its software, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5 aces the game with its insane levels of customisation and versatility. You can run up to four apps simultaneously in separate windows and even do a ‘drag-and-drop’ with files! Samsung also gets you a taskbar to quickly access background apps and adapts most apps natively to the main display’s wider aspect ratio. You can even use an S Pen stylus to draw or scribble on the main display. The icing on the cake is Samsung’s commitment to provide four Android OS updates and five years of security patches.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

Cameras

This is one area where OnePlus could decimate the Galaxy Z Fold 5 if it manages to implement everything just right.

For the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Samsung chose to stick to a rather conventional combination of a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera and a 10-megapixel telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. This camera setup will be good for most people but enthusiasts seeking the best experience won’t be happy.

OnePlus seems to appeal to people with its Hasselblad-tuned triple rear camera system. Rumours suggest that the OnePlus Open could feature a 48-megapixel Sony sensor for the main camera, another 48-megapixel sensor for the ultra-wide camera and a 64-megapixel telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. This setup looks to be a winning recipe (at least on paper) and OnePlus could end up offering the complete flagship smartphone experience on a foldable smartphone on a global scale.

Winner: OnePlus Open

Battery

It’s often difficult to pack in a huge battery capacity in a folding phone but these book-style foldable smartphones surprisingly last long. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 with its 4400mAh battery surprised us by consistently delivering an all-day battery stamina and even left some for the next day. Sadly, the 25W charging on the Fold 5 took around an hour to fill up the battery.

This is where the OnePlus Open is expected to shine. According to the grapevine, the OnePlus Open could pack in a bigger 4,800mAh battery that could ensure longer stamina. It is also expected to offer a much faster 67W wired charging solution, just like the more modern flagship Android smartphones of today.

Winner: OnePlus Open

OnePlus Open vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: The verdict

After a thorough comparison of the OnePlus vs Samsung contest, the OnePlus Open seems to emerge as the winner. On paper, it seems to be doing everything that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 does but only more practical. It has a larger main display, a bigger capacity battery and a much faster charging solution. However, you must keep in mind that the OnePlus Open’s review is based on speculations and until the phone is launched, it would be unfair to give it the crown. Additionally, smartphones with more of everything may not provide a better experience than those having less. It all boils down to the software design and tuning in the end.

Hence, if you are willing to upgrade to a foldable smartphone this festive season, it would be wise to wait for the OnePlus Open. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, on the other hand, is currently the nicest foldable smartphone to own. Its software experience is unprecedented and the rest of the package makes for a super immersive smartphone experience. For now, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is our top recommendation.

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Google gave tech junkies a hearty surprise with the Pixel Watch 2 at this year’s Made By Google event. Launched just a year after the first generation Pixel Watch, the Pixel Watch 2 promises to bring a lot of refinements and a couple of upgrades to the table. Armed with a new chipset, the Pixel Watch 2 will also be taking on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 series and the newly announced Apple Watch Series 9.

Unlike the previous generation model that was limited to a few markets around the world, Google is now bringing the Pixel Watch 2 to more countries, including India and Singapore, and the sales have already begun. This gives us a great opportunity to look at all the features and colours of the Pixel Watch 2 and compare it with its predecessor. Our comparison between the Google Pixel Watch 2 vs Google Pixel Watch 1 should give you a better idea about either buying the new model or looking for deals on the older one.

Google Pixel Watch 2: What all has changed?

In essence, the Google Pixel Watch 2 is a more polished version of the Pixel Watch with a few added niceties. Despite carrying the same design as its predecessor, the Pixel Watch 2 features a new chipset and incorporates new material for its construction. Google has also revised the charging mechanism to allow for faster charging.

Google Pixel Watch 2’s specifications

The Pixel Watch 2 features a round dial with a 1.2-inch AMOLED display boasting a 450 x 450-pixel resolution and Gorilla Glass 5 protection. Made from aluminium, the Watch 2 is rated IP68 for water and dust resistance and up to 50 meters of submersion in water.

Inside, the Pixel Watch 2 takes a huge leap in terms of performance.

Compared to the Pixel Watch’s Exynos 9110 dual-core chip, the Snapdragon Wear 5100 quad-core chip promises faster performance. The Wear OS 4 platform also promises slicker animations and faster app loading times. The battery capacity is also slightly boosted to 306mAh from the older model’s 294mAh. The charger has also been revised with a new magnetic pin system instead of the previous magnetic wireless charger system on the Pixel Watch.

As part of the health tracking sensors, the Pixel Watch 2 can measure your SpO2, ECG and skin temperature. It also comes equipped with an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, electrical sensor for body response tracking, barometer and magnetometer.

Additionally, the Pixel Watch 2 features a Safety Check that notifies all your emergency contacts in case of an accident and shares your real-time location as well as medical details.

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Google Pixel Watch 2’s features

Using its updated array of sensors, the Pixel Watch 2 is able to do ECG readings and point out irregular heart rhythms and high and low heart rates. The new model also features automatic workout detection, unlike its predecessor.

Google Pixel Watch 2’s battery life

Google claims that the Pixel Watch 2 can last an entire day on a full battery even if the Always On Display is enabled. However, early reviews reveal that the Pixel Watch 2 can barely make it through a day with workouts and fitness tracking enabled. As such, it’s better to take Google’s claims with a pinch of salt right now.

Google Pixel Watch 2’s price

While the Google Pixel Watch 2 hasn’t been launched in Thailand, you can rely on international shipping. In the US, it starts at a price of USD 349 (SGD 477) for the 41mm variant in the Wi-Fi-only trim. The smartwatch can be tailored in Hazel Active (light green), Obsidian Active (black), Porcelain Active (white) and Bay Active (light blue) colours.

On the other hand, the first-generation Google Pixel Watch is available on international e-commerce websites like Amazon at a lower price of USD 279 (SGD 381).

Should you buy the Google Pixel Watch 2?

Since it’s based on the Wear OS platform, the Pixel Watch 2 will only be useful to Android users, thereby eliminating the Apple Watch Series 9 as its direct competition. The Pixel Watch 2 will work best with any of the Google Pixel smartphones and as a result, is best suited for those who want to be a part of the Pixel ecosystem. However, the Pixel Watch 2 also works with any other Android smartphone and that puts it in competition with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 has a much lower starting price of SGD 447 and relies on the same Wear OS 4 platform as the Pixel Watch 2. It is designed to work better with Samsung smartphones but you can pair it with any other smartphone, just like the Pixel Watch 2. This Samsung Watch offers ECG functionality as well as the ability to measure your heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, body composition and sleep. It also features support for Samsung Wallet, thereby allowing wireless payments via NFC.

Unless you want to lock yourself to one brand’s ecosystem, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is an easier recommendation over the Google Pixel Watch 2 for all Android users. It’s more pocket-friendly and offers the same health tracking features as the pricier Pixel Watch 2.

(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Amritanshu Mukherjee / Augustman)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

– What are the specifications of the Google Pixel Watch 2?
The Google Pixel Watch 2 features a 1.2-inch round AMOLED display, a Snapdragon Wear 5100 chipset, a 306mAh battery with a new magnetic pin charger and a suite of health tracking sensors.

– What is the price of the Google Pixel Watch 2?
The Google Pixel Watch 2 starts at a price of USD 349 (SGD 477) for the 41mm Wi-Fi-only variant.

– How many colours are available for the Google Pixel Watch 2?
The Google Pixel Watch 2 is available in Hazel Active (light green), Obsidian Active (black), Porcelain Active (white) and Bay Active (light blue) colours.

– What is the battery life of the Google Pixel Watch 2?
The Google Pixel Watch 2 promises a full day’s worth of battery life.

When Devialet launched its Gemini true wireless earbuds in 2021, they were pretty good, delivering an impressive performance but falling short of the top dog in the game (punching above its price category): Apple’s AirPods Pro.

Make no mistake, according to CEO Franck Lebouchard, Devialet only expects to sell “tens of thousands” of units per year, hence the brand can be considered as far from mass market as it possibly could in comparison to Apple’s tens of millions of AirPods per year. Using a luxury analogy, Devialet is like the Ferrari of audio products and Apple is like Porsche, though entirely different tiers, they’re both competitive when it comes to certain specifications. That said,  this analogy does not account for the fact that when Apple released the original AirPods, the Cupertino company created a whole new genre of earbuds at the time it was unclear how much more people were willing to pay for earphones. Indeed, Apple is among the pioneering brands that have pushed the limits of wireless earbuds when it comes to features and price.

With the launch of the second generation, Gemini II, it’s clear that the French audio-device maker has once again set Apple’s 2nd generation AirPods Pro in its sights.

Future-proofed earbuds for everyday

USB-C charging finally comes to the AirPods Pro for added convenience as well as increased IP54 ratings for dust, sweat and water resistance for both the case and the buds and in a hint to Cupertino’s long term perspective for their latest devices: pro audio performance with Apple’s Vision Pro device also comes supported.

The reality is that many stumbling blocks arise in regard to blurring the lines between digital content in with the physical world is the quality of what you hear which is crucial to how you perceive reality – virtual or otherwise. Together, AirPods Pro with Apple Vision Pro presents the most advanced wireless spatial audio and spatial video experience possible at this current moment thanks to its dedicated H2 chip onboard.

The acoustic architecture in the second generation AirPods Pro has also been updated, alongside a new patented wireless audio protocol that provides lossless audio with ultra low latency, taking the resolution and audio quality when used with Apple Vision Pro and raising it significantly at 20 bit/48 kHz uncompressed lossless audio while simultaneously reducing wireless latency to milliseconds.

That said, the elephant in the room needs to be addressed: lossless isn’t a feature coming to the AirPods Pro paired with iPhones or iPads (yet) and only to the company’s new VR headsets – so, the technology is definitely there, it’s just not kicking in unless you’re in a virtual reality environment. It’s a pity but not a deal breaker since the majority can’t really tell the difference between a lossless audio file and a compressed audio file. Also, $3000 VR headsets aren’t everyone’s cup of tea and so Apple, has also made its latest AirPods Pro incredibly user friendly with Adaptive audio.

Head to Head: How AirPods Pro 2 and Gemini II handle Adaptive Audio

Life in the city, particularly those during commutes, is all about intrusive ambient noise – construction ruckus, the rumble of trains and the cacophony of public voices, Apple’s latest earbuds are equipped with two main listening modes: transparency and active noise cancellation. transparency mode provides full awareness of the world around you with all of the city noise. Active noise cancellation helps to remove that noise turning the awareness inwards so it’s easier to focus. However, either extreme may not be the best, hence, the opportunity for the famed tech firm to develop adaptive mode: a true midpoint that mirrors the real world that we all experience every day with its myriad of changing noise conditions, environments and interactions.

Super useful, adaptive audio can help to fade away noise from the suction of a vacuum, the coffee grinder, all kinds of kinds of sound really, while preserving your awareness to hear a child or a partner calling out from the next room. I found it particularly helpful on the train where I wanted background noise to fade out while still being able to hear the service announcements for my stop.

With AI being all the rage, machine learning algorithm now also learns and creates personalised volume and conversation awareness, making those fine tuned adjustments on your behalf so that you have the exact preferred listening experience each time rather than having to fiddle with your volume controls repeatedly. It’s also great for your hearing health because the volume steps down a few notches when you enter a quieter environment, thus saving your ears from prolonged exposure to intense, direct-in-ear sound.

Intuitively, you’re no longer required to pull out your earbuds when you order a coffee or exchanging pleasantries in the lift because conversation awareness will actually reduce (not mute) the volume of your music, in order for you to have those interactions. That said, because this technology is so new (and exclusive) to Apple, it might still be considered a visual signifier of uncourteous behaviour because you may be having conversations, but the visual cue is that you’re still not really listening; Music volume resumes once your conversation ends, so you can get right back into the flow of things. You can even talk to yourself without triggering conversation awareness, that’s how smart the machine learning is.

Where it matters: sound

Devialet too levels up on that front, using 10mm drivers with titanium coating. Like on the AirPods Pro, Devialet’s own adaptive noise cancelation technology uses a hybrid dual-microphone structure and digital filters to dynamically adjust to the shape of the wearer’s ear ensuring the best noise cancelation for every user in any environment.

Additionally, the Gemini II also comes with a new technology the brand dubs as “Active Wind Reduction” (AWR) – it does what the name implies: limiting wind noise impacting the earbuds by using a layer of anti-wind material and a cavity to shield the microphone membrane from any wind blowing on the surface of the earbud. In turn, Devialet’s wind detection software controls adaptive noise cancelation and Transparency intensity according to the surroundings. In this regard, the Gemini II is very good if you want to block out the background noises involved with mass transit. When you turn it on, chances are you won’t be able to hear the bus engine or white noise from the train. Furthermore, the French luxury brand developed a bone conduction sensor to understand when you’re talking and improve your voice quality during calls.

This year, Apple has also made tremendous progress on that front: the ability to mute and unmute yourself when you’re accepting a call. Audio chimes audible only to you allow you to toggle between modes on everything from FaceTime to WeChat, WhatsApp and Telegram, essentially any messaging app that has implement the call kit on iOS. Anyone who gripes about recipients on these calls not being able to hear your voice with absolute clarity are simply forgetting just how far away your ears are from your mouth and the fact that you’re are also speaking away from the mic rather than towards. Icing on cake, the new AirPods Pro allow you to seamless toggle between the Apple ecosystem of devices, making it easy to move across MacBook, iPad and iPhone depending on where your attention or call is; case in point: I’ve answered a call on a MacBook and taken it on my iPhone as I left my hot desk for more privacy.

On Devialet’s latest Gemini, the brand uses Bluetooth 5.2 to connect to your devices with multipoint support which means that you can connect your earbuds to both your smartphone and laptop at the same time. Where Apple achieves similar functionality through Apple ID, Devialet uses bluetooth: if you play music on your laptop and someone calls you, it stops the music on your laptop and you can pick up the phone using your earbuds. When it comes to audio codecs, the Gemini II support AptX, AAC and SBC.

When it comes right down to the audio experience, the most striking aspect of the Gemini II is its ability to offer an articulate rendering of tracks even if they’re chaotic and an interplay of a myriad of different instruments which makes it perfect for Jazz or even Acid Jazz. Its ability to handle several layers of bass lines, higher pitched instruments from the periphery while a singer croons from centre stage make the Gemini II extremely competent daily audio companion, or bud (get it?).

A signature of Devialet  is deep bass from small audio devices and their latest earbuds are no different: performing extremely well at the low-end of the spectrum. The truth is, they might sound a bit like Beats with default EQ settings but this can be corrected to your preference with the in-app six-band equaliser. On the AirPods Pro front, a new low-distortion driver and custom amplifier pump out clean mids and deep bass, striking a sound balance on delivery. Where Apple is unbeatable is in the realm of Dolby Atmos: Compared to the competition, Cupertino’s spatial audio technology transforms music into a three-dimensional experience.

Apple AirPods Pro 2 versus Devialet Gemini II

That said, US$550 for 5 hours run time, the Gemini II is massively underwhelming – assuming you’re hot-desking, you’re going to be out of juice before the midday point since you’ve used them during your commute. However, with better audio, unusual design and new active noise cancelling, they’re clearly aimed at consumers familiar with Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 (which incidentally has 6 hours running time).

Possessing some of the best noise cancelling tech on the market, AirPods Pro retailing at US$249 (S$362.35) operate at an entirely different level in terms of features and sound, especially in comparison to devices double its price. Thanks to truly excellent onboard noise-canceling, they’re an everyday, every man’s darling. The mics work great, and the noise reduction and sound is among the most dynamic that you’ll ever get from a pair of buds in its price range.

Most of us have tried downloading Instagram photos to our camera roll and failed! Unlike other platforms, downloading photos from Instagram isn’t as straightforward and you have to know some workarounds to transfer pictures without compromising on the quality! And yes, we’re ruling out the classic ‘screenshot and edit’ approach many of you make do with because there’s no way you should settle for those muzzy and bleary visuals when in fact, there are ways to download photos from Instagram!

Whether you’re curating a blog, compiling a social media post for your organisation or simply collecting images for a presentation – you need to have excellent-quality images. Even if you plan to go off Instagram and want to save all your original images, knowing how to download them comes in handy.

Instagram has intentionally limited the downloading of photos in order to ensure that only the copyright holders have access to the images they’ve captured. However, netizens always find sneaky ways to get the work done, isn’t it? Keep reading to know two simple and hassle-free ways to download Instagram photos!

Here’s how you can download Instagram photos easily!

1. Save your Instagram uploads on your phone

If you’ve in any case lost the photos you once uploaded on Instagram, downloading them from the app is really easy. Here’s a step-by-step guide to download the original photos:

•  Go to your Instagram profile and tap the three horizontal lines on the top right corner of the screen.
• Tap ‘Settings and privacy’ and scroll down to the ‘Your app and media’ section.
• Select ‘Archiving and downloading’ and turn on the toggle button against the ‘Save original photos’ option.

If you have ‘Save original photos’ or ‘Save original posts’ turned on, each photo you post on Instagram will automatically be saved on your device.

2. Download other users’ Instagram photos using downloading tools

The easiest (and probably the only) way to download any post on Instagram is by using downloading tools like iGram, DownloadGram, as well as Toolzu.  These are some of the most popular tools that do the work without any hassle. All you have to do is copy the link of the Instagram post you want to download, visit their website and paste the link in the text box provided. Hit the ‘Download’ button below the loaded images and voila, it’s done!

With this brief guide, we hope you can easily download not just yours, but anyone and everyone’s Instagram posts easily and quickly!

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(Hero and feature image credit: cottonbro studio/ Pexels)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

•  Can you download other people’s pictures from Instagram?

Instagram doesn’t allow users to download others’ Instagram posts directly. However, there are downloading tools that help you save anyone’s Instagram photos.

• How do you download Instagram photos to your camera roll?

You can download your own original photos by turning on the ‘Save original photos’ option in Settings. As for other users’ posts, you can download them by using downloading tools.

• Why can’t I download pictures from Instagram?

Instagram doesn’t allow users to download pictures owing to its policy that the copyright of each post should only be with its owner and no one else.

This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Hong Kong

While we usher in an era of superfast 5G connectivity, a majority of the Earth’s surface is still beyond the reach of the world’s vastly advanced communication networks. Good connectivity speeds are often a luxury in remote areas and until your network operator manages to install cell towers all across the country, you are likely to continue getting no signal when visiting the countryside. Geographical and financial reasons often play a hurdle in implementing widespread connectivity which, as it turns out, was one of the reasons that led Elon Musk’s SpaceX to rely on satellites for beaming internet across the globe.

For the last few years, SpaceX’s Starlink has been rapidly expanding its network of satellites to allow for a widespread distribution of internet signals across vast unconnected patches of land (and water) on our planet. Till now, a Starlink connection required you to install a dish antenna and a router in order to get connectivity. Even though we consider it a technological marvel, it’s certainly inconvenient for those who are always on the move, exploring uncharted territories and can’t carry a large dish antenna wherever they go.

As a result, the next obvious evolution in technology was expected to beam internet signals directly to our handheld smart devices and that’s exactly what Starlink has done.

What is Starlink Direct To Cell?

If the name didn’t make it obvious enough, the Starlink Direct To Cell service is essentially a satellite cellular service. To describe it in the simplest of terms, try to think of it as a network of cellphone towers floating in space and beaming cellular service directly to your smart device.

Unlike the current Starlink satellite broadband service that requires you to set up special hardware in order to get internet connectivity, the Direct To Cell service will eliminate the extra gear and beam signals directly to your smartphone or laptop.

What are the advantages of satellite cellular service?

With satellite cellular service, you will be able to stay connected to the world in remote locations around the world. The network dead zones will also be fewer than before. For example, if you are hiking on an unexplored path, satellite cellular service will allow you to stay connected to the grid. This kind of infrastructure makes it easier for network operators to expand their presence without having to set up additional ground-based cell towers.

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Everything else to know about Starlink’s cell service

The Starlink Direct To Cell service will offer the ability to access the internet, connect to people via text messages and voice, and control IoT (Internet of Things) devices. The service will kickstart in 2024 with the ability to send text messages only. Once Starlink fine-tunes the system and solves all of the bugs, it is expected to offer voice and internet connectivity by 2025.

Will Starlink offer 5G speed?

The Starlink Direct To Cell currently promises connectivity of LTE devices and that translates to 4G speed in the initial phases. SpaceX assures that the data speeds will be fast enough for web browsing. Hence, while it may not be a great means to download large files while being off the grid, having 4G LTE kind of speed is more than enough to help you stay in touch with the world. Starlink could eventually improve its speed to match 5G standards in the future.

How to access Starlink Direct To Cell?

Unlike Apple’s satellite SOS connectivity feature that requires a special chip in its iPhones to make it work, Starlink’s service doesn’t have any such limitations. The Starlink Direct To Cell service only requires the user to have a device that supports LTE connectivity and stay subscribed to Starlink’s network carrier partners. Currently, Starlink is bringing the service to T-Mobile subscribers in the USA, Rogers subscribers in Canada, Optus subscribers in Australia and KDDI subscribers in Japan. It is also working with New Zealand’s One NZ and Switzerland’s Salt and there will be more partners across various countries in the future.

Additionally, subscribers will be able to access the Starlink cell phone service only on land, lakes and coastal waters. For oceans, Starlink has a maritime service with a separate subscription plan. It remains to be seen whether Starlink’s service includes the polar regions of the Arctic and Antarctic.

(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Starlink)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

– When is the Starlink satellite cell service expected to launch?
The Starlink Direct To Cell satellite cell service is expected to launch in 2024.

– When will Starlink launch voice call services?
Starlink is expected to launch voice call services in 2025 after testing text services in 2024.

Google has just dropped the stable version of Android 14 and this year’s release reinforces Android’s position against an ever-evolving iOS. Android has always had an edge when it comes to customisation as well as fun new features but Apple’s iOS has been pulling all the stops lately to keep its users happy. As a result, this year’s Android 14 update seems to be playing catch-up to iOS while bringing limited new features to the table. That said, all is not lost for Android 14 since its full potential will be unveiled in the coming months by Samsung, Oppo, Motorola and Xiaomi, all of whom are preparing superpowered Android skins for 2024.

Right now, Android 14 is available to the public in a stable form that offers a couple of interesting changes for millions of users. When compared to the older Android 13 that’s still powering a lot of Android smartphones in late 2023, Android 14’s focus on a refined user experience could earn it brownie points within the community. Dare we say that it could even tempt several iPhone users to finally make the switch to Android, considering the newly announced Google Pixel 8 series looks quite tempting on paper.

For existing Android users, it could either end up being the reason to upgrade to a newer Android smartphone or hold on to their older device for another year. It may also force some to jump ship in pursuit of a new experience.

On that note, here’s a quick comparison of Android 14 vs Android 13 that’ll give you all the information you need about upgrading to the new software (or a new device). Before we dive in, however, let’s take a look at all the supported devices for Android 14.

All the devices that Android 14 supports

– Google Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5 and newer devices (already available)
– OnePlus 9 series and newer flagship models
– Oppo Find N series, Oppo Reno 8 series and newer devices
– Xiaomi 12 series and newer devices
– Samsung Galaxy S21 and newer models, Galaxy Z Flip 3 and newer models, Galaxy A series devices

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Android 14 features: What’s new compared to Android 13?

Android 14 builds on Android 13’s base and focuses more on refinement as well as qualitative improvements. Here are some of the top features that Android 14 brings to the table.

Better customisation

After iOS went wild with its lock screen customisation a few years ago, Google finally decided to give Android 14 a customisable lock screen in its stock form. It’s funny to think of Android borrowing a customisation feature from iOS but here we are. From a couple of preset clock faces and colour accents to customisable lock screen shortcuts and more, Android users can now make their phones one of a kind.

Those who are getting the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro can even use Google’s generative AI to create new wallpapers based on their personal inputs! How cool is that?

Improved battery life

Android 14 also promises improved battery life. Google has made several tweaks to the operating system in a bid to make Android more power-efficient in the way it handles basic tasks. Although most non-Pixel Android smartphones usually deliver impressively on battery life, some extra juice can never hurt.

Larger fonts with better scaling

If you like to magnify the font size on your smartphone, Android 14 offers some good news for you. Users can now scale the text up to 200 per cent and in doing so, the OS will simply follow non-linear scaling. This means larger texts (for example, headlines) won’t appear impractically large when using 200 per cent magnification.

Predictive back gesture

If you use gesture navigation control on your Android device, you must be familiar with the wonky setup. Android tends to throw you back to the previous app instead of going to the previous window/home screen. With Android 14, you will now be shown a preview of where you are headed to while swiping back. This way, Google expects everyone to go about their business faster.

Photo/video access permissions

Similar to iOS, Android 14 users can restrict an app’s access to select photos and videos stored on the device. For example, if an online shopping app needs access to the photo storage for reading a QR code, you can only allow it to access the specific screenshot with the QR code. This way, the app can no longer access files that are not needed.

A more secure experience

Android 14 brings some notable upgrades to security. With the update installed, you won’t be able to install older apps that were designed for Android 5.1 and previous versions, thereby reducing the chances of a malware infestation. App developers will now be able to adopt biometric authentication for logging into their apps instead of relying on passwords. You can also disable the animations and the ‘OK’ button while using a PIN code for improved security when unlocking the device around onlookers.

Notification flashes are finally here

As more smartphones ditch the humble notification LED light on the front in pursuit of slimmer bezels, Android 14 finally brings the ability to use the camera LED flash for notifications. iPhone and Samsung users have enjoyed this feature for years and Google is finally bringing it as a standard for all Android smartphones.

Health Connect

This one is for all the fitness enthusiasts seeking a centralised health and fitness data management system on Android. In a similar fashion to Apple Health, Google’s Health Connect app will now store data centrally and share it with all other tracking apps on your device. Hence, you can now have an overview of the data from your pedometer app, your fitness band companion app and your smart scale app in one place. Any of these apps can also collect necessary data from the Health Connect app to create their own reports.

Better share menu

Android 14 is also revising the share menu in pursuit of a unified user experience.

Fixing the inconsistent share menu, the new OS will allow app developers to directly add custom actions to it. For example, WhatsApp could now let you either post a photo directly to Stories or share it with a contact instead of opening the app. On top of that, Android 14 will use more app data for better share suggestions on the share sheet, allowing for a more tailored experience for each user.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

– What are the new features of Android 14?
Android 14 comes with new features like lock screen customisation, improved security features, a better share menu, predictive back gesture and more.

– Which devices support Android 14?
Android 14 is currently supported on Google Pixel 4a 5G and the newer Pixel devices. More Android smartphones from other brands will support Android 14 in the coming months.

(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Google)

With the advent of AR and AI filters, platforms like Snapchat and Instagram have become hot places for people to try out wacky things. You can either choose a filter to create an older, wrinkly version of yourself, put virtual pet cats on your shoulder, or simply give your face the ‘Disney cartoon character’ treatment. We recently also stumbled upon the AI Yearbook trend that lets AI restyle a couple of your selfies in a retro 90s theme. The choices are endless!

However, in a sea of numb filters, there has emerged a social media trend so unique that it makes you look into your personality traits and might even make you question some aspects of your life.

If you have been exploring the vast realms of Instagram stories lately, you must have found several people taking a ‘Personality Test’. Yeah, a personality test that makes you go through a set of questions and, based on the answers you choose, determines who you really are underneath. Released on the occasion of the Taiwan Design Expo that runs from October 6 to October 22 in New Taipei City, this rather interesting quiz is available for everyone to try out for free of cost.

Since we had nothing better to do this weekend, we sat down and took the personality test. The outcome was rather shocking and we encourage all of you to try it out today.

Personality traits test goes viral on Instagram: How does it work?

Unlike the recent flurry of filters and trends that fall back on complex AI algorithms and advanced AR features, the personality test design by Taiwan Design Expo is just a simple quiz. On the basis of your answers to a rather interesting set of questions, it figures out certain character traits and presents them in a neat graphical report card at the end. The result determines your innate personality as well as your character traits from a total of 16 different personality types.

You can access the personality test here and we hope that it remains live even after the Taiwan Design Expo ends on October 22 because the outcome is shockingly accurate.

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How to take the personality test?

Keep in mind that the test is hosted on a website and is not associated with any social media platform. You also don’t need to fill in any personal details for the test to work. Now, here’s a simple four-step guide to follow:

Step 1: Begin by clicking here.

Step 2: Once you head over to the homepage, tap on the ‘Start’ button and begin the test.

Step 3: The test will throw a set of 12 questions at you. You need to choose your answer from the provided options*. Each of the questions is accompanied by an animated graphical background.

Step 4: Once you complete answering all the questions, you simply need to fill in your name to generate the final report.

*You should take your sweet time while choosing the options to make the results more accurate.

The report lists down your personality type, innate personality and personality traits, all laid neatly out in a graphical table. It even shows the kind of personalities you are most compatible with! You can choose to download the report in the form of a JPG image and share it with your friends.

Before you take the test, here’s some advice that should do you good. Don’t be disheartened if you see something you don’t like, since this is more of a fun quiz rather than a certified professional tool to gauge your personality. It is, by no means, the last word on who you are. To quote from Batman Begins (2005), “it’s not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you.”

(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Bruce Mars via Unsplash)

The Google Pixel 8 has arrived and right out of the box, it seems to be in a mood to annihilate the Apple iPhone 15 and the Samsung Galaxy S23. With a refreshing new design and a host of beefy upgrades, the Pixel 8 is a compelling package for anyone wanting to buy a premium smartphone this festive season.

Google’s AI-infused flavour of Android brings features that no other smartphone offers today, though Google is reserving the ace features for the ultra-expensive Pixel 8 Pro. Not that the Pixel 8 is a budget-friendly phone. After all, those upgrades come at a price and if you are a budget-conscious buyer, you could look at last year’s Pixel 7 that’s selling at a much lower price now.

The Pixel 7 has been a heartthrob in the premium smartphone segment for those who value great photography and a sublime Android experience. Unlike last year though, you no longer need to pay the full price for one of these. You end up losing some of the headline features that Google currently advertises for the Pixel 8 but mind you, the Pixel 7 has all the makings of a top-tier smartphone.

If you want to pixel peep further into the details, we have done an in-depth comparison of the design, features, prices and specifications of the Google Pixel 8 vs Google Pixel 7 that’ll make your life a tad easier. Scroll away!

Google Pixel 8 vs Google Pixel 7: An in-depth comparison

Design

In the span of a generation, Google has kept its design evolution subtle yet effective. The Pixel 7 looks unique even in 2023 thanks to its bold camera visor and playful colours. The front may not look cutting-edge with its substantially thick bezels but it gels well with the current crop of modern-day smartphone designs. The IP68 water and dust resistance certification is a boon as well.

Moving on to the Pixel 8, it’s more of a refinement story. You can recognise it as a non-Pro Pixel flagship with its camera visor and the same candy bar design. However, look closely and the improvements are noticeable over the Pixel 7. The phone has a more curvy design with rounded corners and slimmer display bezels. The camera visor is also thicker with a larger lens housing and, thanks to the use of lightweight materials, the Pixel 8 is more comfortable to hold. It reminds us more of the Samsung Galaxy S23 in its overall profile. The addition of a cute colour palette also helps make a strong case for the Pixel 8.

Display

While the Google Pixel 7 received flak for offering just a 90Hz OLED FHD display, a manageable 6.3-inch size and a peak brightness of 1,400 nits made up for it. This year, the Pixel 8 has a slightly smaller 6.2-inch display that uses a 120Hz OLED panel with a peak brightness of 2,000 nits. The bezels are slimmer and uniform, and Google has retained the Gorilla Glass Victus protection.

For those who don’t understand the technical gibberish, it simply means that the Pixel 8’s display is easily legible under bright sunlight and is more beautiful to look at.

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Performance

Both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 offer 8GB RAM as standard, which is frankly enough for generic smartphone tasks and basic multitasking. However, it’s the chipset where the Pixel 8 makes big leaps.

Last year’s Pixel 7 had the Tensor G2 chip that proved to be fast (but ran hot) most of the time. The Tensor G2 was based on a 5nm manufacturing process and synthetic benchmarks revealed performance figures comparable to 2021’s powerful chips from Samsung and Qualcomm.

With the Pixel 8, Google is using a more refined and boosted Tensor G3 chipset that’s based on the 4nm process. Although we have yet to test out the Tensor G3, early synthetic benchmarks reveal comparable performance with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip. Google also promises better on-device processing for its AI algorithms. Theoretically, the Tensor G3 should be a much superior chipset to rely on.

Software

This is the most important aspect that sets the Pixel 8 apart from the Pixel 7. As you’re reading this, the Google Pixel 7 is already eligible for the Android 14 update, something which the Pixel 8 boots out of the box. In terms of software features and the basic user experience, both of these smartphones are nearly identical. You get the same lock screen customisation options as well as the smart features that we have come to associate these Pixel phones with.

However, the Google Pixel 7 will only receive two more Android OS updates and four years of security patches. That’s minuscule in comparison to the seven years of OS and security updates promised on the Pixel 8. In other words, the Google Pixel 8 will get the newest version of Android even in 2030.

Cameras

The changes to the camera system are minimal but the Pixel 8 enjoys the benefit of a superior ISP and better algorithms over the Pixel 7.

The Pixel 7 features a 50-megapixel main camera with Super Res digital zoom and a secondary 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. The Pixel 8 gets the same new 50-megapixel main camera as seen on the Pixel 8 Pro but retains the old 12-megapixel ultrawide camera that we see on the Pixel 7.

Based on the new hardware, the Pixel 8 also brings several new AI-based camera features like macro focus, better Night Sight and HDR+ effects. As part of the post-processing features, Pixel 8 users will get Best Take, Magic Editor and Audio Magic Eraser for videos.

Battery and Charging

The Pixel 7’s 4,355mAh battery manages to provide all-day stamina but its 20W wired and 20W wireless charging are slow to fill it up. In comparison, the Pixel 8 features a slightly bigger 4,575mAh battery that promises all-day stamina. Additionally, the Pixel 8 also supports faster 27W wired charging along with the relatively slower 18W wireless charging.

As of now, the Pixel 8 seems to have a notable advantage in this department.

Pricing

This is the only aspect where the Pixel 7 has a huge advantage over the Pixel 8. Being the newest offering from Google, the Pixel 8 currently carries a price tag of SGD 1,099 for the base variant with 128GB storage. The Pixel 8 256GB variant will set you back by SGD 1,365.

In comparison, you can bag a Google Pixel 7 for SGD 999 and the price is applicable for all the colour variants. Keep in mind that the Pixel 7 is only available with 128GB storage.

Google Pixel 8 vs Google Pixel 7: Our verdict

It’s a no-brainer that the Google Pixel 8 is the superior smartphone in this comparison. Considering all its upgrades over the ageing Pixel 7, it ends up being our top pick, especially for those seeking a premium Android experience. The Pixel 8 looks nicer, has a much brighter and faster 120Hz OLED display, an upgraded main rear camera with lots of AI features and slightly better battery life with faster charging speeds. If you can afford to spend SGD 1,099 on a brand-new smartphone today, the Google Pixel 8 is a solid recommendation for an alternative to the iPhone 15 and Samsung Galaxy S23.

As for the Pixel 7, it’s more of a mixed bag. At a price of SGD 999, the Pixel 7 offers good value for money for a 2022 flagship Android smartphone. Those seeking a good camera system and a nice Android experience can consider the Pixel 7 over the similarly priced Pixel 7a. However, there have been several complaints about the Pixel 7’s reliability with regard to its software and battery life. As a result, it becomes tougher to recommend it to anyone.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

– What is the price of the Google Pixel 8?
The Google Pixel 8 starts at a price of SGD 1,099 in Singapore for the 128GB variant.

– What are the specifications of the Google Pixel 8?
The Google Pixel 8 features a 6.2-inch FHD+ 120Hz OLED display, a Tensor G3 chip with 8GB RAM, Android 14 OS, a 50-megapixel main camera, a 4,575mAh battery with 27W fast wired charging and 18W wireless charging.

– What is the difference between the cameras of the Google Pixel 8 and Google Pixel 7?
Both the Google Pixel 8 and Google Pixel 7 feature a similar camera setup, consisting of a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 10.8-megapixel selfie camera. However, the Pixel 8 uses a superior image sensor for the main camera, a faster ISP with better image processing capabilities and new AI features.

– What is the difference between the design of the Google Pixel 8 and Google Pixel 7?
The Google Pixel 8 has more rounded edges compared to the Google Pixel 7 and is 10 grams lighter as well.

(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Augustman via Amritanshu Mukherjee)

The world has barely warmed up to the shiny new iPhone 15 series and rumours of a new iPad equipped with the next-gen M3 chip have already started surfacing. In fact, not one but three new iPads are rumoured to be headed our way in the next few months. Although a new iPad doesn’t generate the same hype as, let’s say, a brand-new iPhone does, the user base of Apple’s tablet range is usually content with minor upgrades. This is because most iPad users simply need a large screen device for the usual ‘couch browsing sessions’ and you don’t need the latest or greatest chipset for that.

That said, the iPad has lately evolved into a sort of mini-computer with a more capable iPadOS platform. Hence, more and more consumers have started seeking better processing power on their latest iPads to run photo and video editing tools and CAD software smoothly. The current generation iPad Air and iPad Mini have served this category of users for a while and if the recent rumours are to be believed, these iPads are getting major upgrades in the next few months.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at all the new iPad announcements expected over the next few months.

What are the new iPad rumours hinting at?

If we were to look at the big picture, Apple is revising its entire iPad range over the next few months. Be it the base iPad or the range-topping iPad Pro, performance upgrades are coming to the entire range.

iPad Pro is getting a M3 chip

Based on a report from 9To5Mac, it is said that the iPad Pro will get a major performance boost with the rumoured M3 chip. The current generation iPad Pro has been around for a while, relying on the M2 chip. The rumoured Apple M3 chip is expected to be based on the same 3nm platform as the iPhone 15 Pro‘s A17 Pro chip. This could possibly bring unprecedented improvements in raw performance and power efficiency for iPad Pro users, translating to faster app loading times and quicker rendering of videos/photos.

Other than the new chipset though, Apple may not change anything else on the new iPad Pro. The tablet is expected to come in the same 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes as before. A new Magic Keyboard accessory with a better laptop-like typing experience and a superior trackpad are on the cards but Apple will sell them as optional accessories.

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What about the new iPad Air?

Apple is also expected to update the iPad Air with a more powerful chipset. For the uninitiated, the iPad Air is essentially a watered-down version of the iPad Pro using the Apple Silicon chip. The current generation iPad Air was last updated in 2022 with the M1 chip and despite being one of the fastest tablets in its price segment, it’s due for an upgrade.

Rumours suggest that Apple is testing a few variants of the iPad Air. Allowing our imagination to run amok, we expect Apple to bring the iPad Air in two different sizes. Apple could offer the new M3 chip to boost the performance as well. The likelihood of a ProMotion display is limited but one can always hope.

iPad 11th Gen and iPad Mini 7

The iPad Mini was last updated in 2021 with an all-new design and the iPhone 13‘s A15 Bionic chip. Since then, the iPad Mini has been a popular choice for professionals who simply need a compact tablet that does not compromise on performance. For the coming year, Apple could simply upgrade the iPad Mini with a new chipset and our bets are on the A16 Bionic chip that currently powers the iPhone 15.

Along with the iPad Mini, Apple is also expected to update the standard iPad. The iPad 10th Gen was introduced in 2022 with major revisions over its predecessor, including a modern 10.9-inch display with uniform slim bezels, a new design with flat sides, a USB-C port and the A14 Bionic chip. For the next generation, it is said that Apple could put the newer A15 Bionic chip in the iPad 11th Gen and call it a day. The A15 chip would give the standard iPad a mild performance boost as well.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

– Is Apple adding M3 chips to the new iPad?
Apple is rumoured to use the upcoming M3 chip in its next-generation iPad Pro.

– Will there be a new iPad Air?
Rumours suggest that Apple will announce an updated iPad Air with a faster chipset than the current generation M1 chip.

(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Tony Sebastian via Unsplash)

In a world where Samsung dominates the foldable smartphone segment with its Galaxy Z Flip and Fold ranges and Motorola assumes the role of a runner-up with its style-focused Razr devices, it is quite tricky for a brand like Oppo to stand out. While it made a splash earlier in 2023 with the Oppo Find N2 Flip, as the months passed by, Oppo’s foldable flagship slowly crept into obsolescence with nobody batting an eyelid even when it was being offered at a highly discounted price. However, Oppo is an optimistic brand and later this month, it is coming back for another dig at the established players of the segment with the Oppo Find N3 Flip.

Armed with a set of triple cameras and a stylish design, the Oppo Find N3 Flip is gunning to dethrone the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5. It has been around for a while in China and after several software optimisations, is now ready for global markets. India will be among the first few countries to get it along with Singapore and Malaysia.

So, ahead of its official launch, we decided to do an in-depth comparison of the Oppo Find N2 Flip vs the Oppo Find N3 Flip purely on the basis of their specifications and features. The purpose of this exercise? To see how much of an improvement the new model is over its predecessor and whether the latter is worth picking up for a lower price.

Oppo Find N2 Flip vs Oppo Find N3 Flip

Design

Oppo hasn’t changed the basic design while going from the Find N2 Flip to the Find N3 Flip. As a result, these smartphones look almost identical and are reminiscent of a quintessential Oppo smartphone. The Find N2 Flip adheres to the styling trends of 2022 whereas the Find N3 Flip goes for a bold circular camera hump, proudly flaunting the Hasselblad logo. Although we respect an individual’s choice with regard to a smartphone’s design, the Oppo Find N3 Flip appears to be, at least at first glance, a much better-designed product.

Winner: Oppo Find N3 Flip

Displays

When it comes to foldable smartphones, the displays are perhaps the most important element to consider. After all, there are two of them in most models.

While it has mildly updated the design, Oppo has kept the displays unchanged in the Oppo Find N3 Flip. That means you get the same 6.8-inch 1080p AMOLED foldable display with a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz and a peak brightness rating of 1,200 nits. The 3.26-inch AMOLED Cover display, with a peak brightness of 900 nits, is also carried over from the Oppo Find N2 Flip to the Find N3 Flip. However, in order to improve shatter resistance, the Cover display now uses the stronger Gorilla Glass Victus instead of the older Gorilla Glass 5.

Winner: Tie

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Performance

The Oppo Find N3 Flip is easily the undisputed winner here.

Its faster and more power-efficient 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 9200 chip will be able to handle all apps and games easily without reducing the battery stamina. The UFS 4.0 storage also ensures faster read/write speeds, which should translate to faster app loading. In China, the updated ColorOS 13 UI based on Android 13 is now able to run mini versions of popular apps and offers new smart features. We expect the global version of ColorOS to bring the same features to various markets.

That said, the Oppo Find N2 Flip with its Dimensity 9000+ chip is no slouch when it comes to performance. With the newer software updates, you can expect Oppo to fine-tune and improve the user experience. If you find the Find N2 Flip for a lower price, don’t hesitate to go for it if you’re worried about its performance.

Winner: Oppo Find N3 Flip

Cameras

This is another area where the Oppo Find N3 Flip has a clear advantage over the Find N2 Flip.

The Oppo Find N2 Flip has a respectable combination of a 50-megapixel main camera and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera. A 32-megapixel camera, located on the main display, takes care of selfies and video calls.

On the Oppo Find N3 Flip, the rear camera setup gets a massive boost. The 50-megapixel main camera remains but the ultrawide camera has now been upgraded to a 48-megapixel sensor. Additionally, a 32-megapixel telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom has been added to click better portrait photos. This kind of versatile camera setup with various focal lengths has been unseen in flip smartphones.

Winner: Oppo Find N3 Flip

Battery and charging

Unfortunately, there’s no upgrade in this department for the Oppo Find N3 Flip. Both smartphones feature a 4,300mAh battery with support for 44W wired fast charging. Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, these phones don’t feature wireless charging.

Winer: Tie

Oppo Find N2 Flip vs Oppo Find N3 Flip: The verdict

It’s easier to pick the Oppo Find N3 Flip as the winner, considering all the enhancements and upgrades Oppo has added over the strong foundations set by the Find N2 Flip. All that remains to be seen is what price tag Oppo sets for the Find N3 Flip and whether it continues to sell the Find N2 Flip as a more accessible alternative to the newer model.

In global markets, the Oppo Find N3 Flip will compete directly with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra. The Find N3 Flip already appears to have an advantage with its triple main camera system and a crease-less folding display. Now it all boils down to the software experience and the price tag Oppo chooses for its upcoming foldable flagship.

Winner: Oppo Find N3 Flip

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

– What is the price of the Oppo Find N3 Flip?
The price of the Oppo Find N3 Flip is yet to be disclosed.

– What are the specifications of the Oppo Find N3 Flip?
The Oppo Find N3 Flip features a 6.8-inch 120Hz AMOLED folding main display, a 3.2-inch AMOLED cover display, a Dimensity 9200 chipset, a 4,300mAh battery with 44W wired fast charging and a 50-megapixel main rear camera.

– What is the difference between Oppo Find N2 Flip and Oppo Find N3 Flip?
The Oppo Find N3 Flip is an upgraded version of the Find N2 Flip with a more powerful Dimensity 9200 chip and a more versatile combo of a 50-megapixel main camera, a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 32-megapixel telephoto camera with 2x zoom.

(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Oppo)

Every now and then, social media gives birth to some of the most fascinating trends imaginable. In the midst of those peculiar TikTok dance trends or the funky AR filters on Snapchat that make young faces look old and wrinkled, AI-generated filters have started taking centre stage. We have already seen the marvels of AI in creating images straight out of our imaginations and reducing the workload of creators.

The same AI algorithms are now creating a specific style of images with artificial elements that have caught the fancy of social media users. Take the AI yearbook trend as the most recent example, wherein celebrities and influencers have been sharing photos from their younger days. Although it seems cute at first, a closer inspection reveals the ploy of an advanced AI filter that applies special effects to transform your regular selfies. Now, netizens want to see themselves recreated in the style of a 1990s yearbook.

Sounds fun? If so, stick around as we take you through the process of creating an AI-generated yearbook-style carousel of images, complete with the dos and don’ts.

What is the AI yearbook trend?

To phrase it in the simplest of terms, the AI yearbook trend is a new social media trend that has people using an AI filter to re-create their selfies in the style of 90s yearbooks. This new AI filter requires users to upload 8-10 selfies of themselves and after the AI algorithms do their magic, the images that are processed have a peculiar 90s flavour, complete with the hairdo, clothing, poses and other aspects reminiscent of that era.

Though the AI filter has been around for a couple of months on a third-party image editing app, it went viral only recently after celebrities like Megan Young and Dingdong Dantes shared re-styled images of themselves on Instagram and TikTok.

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How can you ace the AI yearbook trend?

Unlike other trends that involve using free filters on TikTok or Instagram, the AI Yearbook trend requires you to spend money.

The AI yearbook filter is available on the Epik – AI Photo Editor app. While you can download the app for free from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store, the AI yearbook filter will set you back by USD 5.99 (SGD 8.22) per month. Note that this will give you access to the Standard plan which makes you wait for up to 24 hours before the processed images can be downloaded. If you want faster processing, you will need to pay USD 9.99 (SGD 13.71) per month.

Here’s a comprehensive guide to using (and acing) the viral AI filter:

Step 1: Once you make the payment, you can tap on the homepage poster that says ‘90s Throwback: Create 60 Versions Of You’.
Step 2: You need to choose the ‘AI yearbook’ option from the menu.
Step 3: Upload at least eight selfies for the yearbook to process (you can upload up to 12 selfies).
Step 4: Keep in mind that the selfies you upload should have various facial expressions. They should also show your entire face and be devoid of any accessories like sunglasses, hats, necklaces, etc. Do not upload naked images or even those that show your entire body. Black and white images should also be avoided for best results.
Step 5: Choose the preferred gender for the re-created images as the AI can create both male and female versions of the image.
Step 6: Click on the ‘Create Yearbook Images’ option and select from the different frames and filters.
Step 7: Click on ‘Process’ and wait for the final results to arrive. Keep in mind that the processing time depends on the paid plan you have opted for.

Editor’s note: This filter doesn’t work on kids.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

– What is the viral yearbook trend on TikTok?
The viral AI yearbook trend oversees users relying on AI to recreate their selfies in a retro 90s-style look.

– How to create an AI yearbook video?
You need to download the Epik – AI Photo Editor app and subscribe to the ‘90s Throwback: Create 60 Versions of You’ filter. Upload between 8-12 selfies and let the AI filter do its magic.

(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy @meganbata via Instagram)

It can be quite difficult to wrap your mind around the concept of an Apple car. For a brand that still considers a smartphone display with a high refresh rate to be elite enough for its USD 1,200 smartphone, Apple could make unreasonable decisions while designing its first car. After all, the Apple car rumours have pretty much been all over the place. Not to mention, some people have had their imaginations run wild.

Will Apple decide to do away with the steering wheel on its car because it needs to use that space for better AC airflow (won’t be the first time Apple has removed a key feature), even though Tesla has already experimented with something similar and it didn’t work? Or will Apple make the iPhone a key necessity while driving its car? More importantly how much of the rumours doing the rounds are actually true? One can only imagine the Apple car making the Tesla Model S seem generic and that’s saying something! After all, Tim Cook and his team have never shied away from thinking out of the box.

Although Apple’s vision (pun not intended) is set on the Vision Pro mixed reality headset in the near future, industry insiders keep discussing the possibilities of an Apple car launching in a few years. Huawei, which is Apple’s biggest rival from China, has already ventured into the smart transportation segment with the Aito and Luxeed brands, recently revealing luxurious smart cars and MPVs to challenge Tesla’s cars. In that regard, Apple is trailing significantly, especially since it’s only a matter of time before Samsung and other brands also jump into the auto segment.

However, as mentioned above, the Apple car is a real possibility and as such, we are actively exploring all the rumours surrounding this mysterious car that could potentially revolutionise the way we look at mobility (or if nothing else, it could make for some truly hilarious memes).

A round-up of all the Apple car rumours

The first question most people have on their minds is simple –“Why is the Apple car even being planned?”

There can be many ways to look at this. The most obvious is that Apple doesn’t want to miss out on a lucrative opportunity. After all, if Tesla’s skyrocketing shares in the past four years are anything to go by, EVs are the future. Not to mention, Apple is notorious for trapping users (or enhancing their experience, depending on how you look at it) in the Apple ecosystem.

Advancements in tech and software have also revolutionised cars in the past decade, with Google setting a fine example through its Android Automotive system that powers cars from Volvo, Rivian, Audi, Ford, Chevrolet and others. Drivers of these vehicles are going to get a far better user experience if they rely on an Android smartphone. On the other hand, brands like Tesla and Nio are interested in creating their own ecosystem of devices and trying to earn more with software-based feature packs.

For example, the Chinese automaker Nio recently released a smartphone that improves the user experience of a Nio vehicle driver. Similarly, there have been rumours of a Tesla smartphone offering special features to make life easier for a Tesla driver, although Elon is too busy tweaking X, erstwhile Twitter, to earn more bucks out of keyboard-friendly users instead of building a Tesla smartphone (the jury is still out on how successful that endeavour will be).

It’s also not too difficult to imagine Apple designing certain smart features for mobility solutions that will work specifically with the Apple car if you have an iPhone. For example, you could need an iPhone to authorise your entry into the vehicle, stream music via Apple Music, use Find My to search for your car and its parking spot and even use Siri for basic car controls. The possibilities are endless.

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What are the Apple car rumours hinting at?

Initially, the Apple car, which is also known as Project Titan internally and the iCar by others, was expected to be a technological leap for the passenger car, visualised to usher into an autonomous future. Many had conceptualised the Apple car to be an aerodynamic pod on wheels with giant panoramic windows, lounge-style seats, minimalist interiors and everything else the mind can imagine. However, the dreamy references took a back seat over the years and as reality seeped in, it became clearer that the Apple car could end up being just a conventional sedan or SUV with a smart infotainment system.

Thanks to a bunch of recent rumours, we now expect the first-generation Apple car to be centred around the iPhone. Similar to how Mercedes Benz developed its MB.OS operating system for its all-electric EQ lineup, Apple will also introduce a car-centred operating system based on iOS. Similar to the Mercedes cars, the forked version of iOS on the Apple car could offer a convenient user interface with easy access to crucial vehicle features and possibly, a good infotainment system. Think of the Apple CarPlay interface that constantly keeps evolving at the WWDC event but BIGGER.

Will the Apple car be all-electric?

It would be odd if Apple chose to stick to an internal combustion engine instead of an electric motor.

Some of the most technologically advanced cars today rely on an electric powertrain solely to achieve the next generation of smart features. An electric car allows far greater digital control over its drivetrain and other systems. At the same time, an electric car will also help reduce Apple’s carbon footprint which, as it turns out, perfectly aligns with its goals of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.

That said, there’s also a possibility that Apple could consider a Hydrogen fuel cell powertrain as an alternative option. For the uninitiated, cars with hydrogen fuel cells offer the same kind of convenience as a petrol-powered car but with the added benefit of H2O emissions instead of carbon.

Will the Apple car be a sports car?

Based on all the Apple car rumours we have heard so far, it seems like Apple could go the Tesla way with its first car. In fact, the first few generations of Apple cars could focus on practicality and touring. You can expect to see SUVs and crossovers from Cupertino instead of a drop-top sportscar, although we won’t be surprised if the ‘Pro’ moniker is used for the performance versions of its cars.

Will the Apple car have mixed reality baked in?

If Apple can announce the Vision Pro mixed reality headset in 2023, we can certainly expect the iPhone maker to make mixed reality a central part of the driving experience. Modern luxury cars from BMW, Porsche, Mercedes Benz and others already feature heads-up displays as an innovative way to inform the driver without letting them take their eyes off the road. With Apple’s expertise in mixed reality, you can expect the Apple car to project more information such as navigational directions from Apple Maps, music playback controls and a lot more on the car’s windscreen. Audi recently pulled off something similar in its upcoming Audi Q6 e-Tron SUV for the driver.

Will it support Android Auto?

This is a question that Tim Cook certainly won’t like to answer but if the EU can force Apple to put the USB-C connector on the iPhone 15, it can definitely pass a law to make the Apple car support Android phones as well.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

– What is Apple’s Project Titan?
The Apple Project Titan is rumoured to be an internal codename for the upcoming Apple car.

– When is the Apple car expected to launch?
The Apple car is now expected to break cover in 2026, if everything goes according to plan.

– What are the rumoured features of the Apple car?
The Apple car is now rumoured to include autonomous driving features limited to the highways, a bold new design and lots of smart features that perfectly complement Apple’s ecosystem.

– Which battery will be used in the Apple car?
Apple is rumoured to rely on LFP batteries for its first electric car. LFP batteries are cheaper to manufacture as well.

{Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Apple (Representational Image)}