Reading in Safari, whether it’s a news article or a short story, can be challenging at times. Not only is your iPhone‘s screen size relatively small, but there are distractions to deal with. Ads, banners, and autoplaying videos, to name a few, are all too common and make it difficult to focus.
To help you focus, Apple introduced Reader Mode in Safari more than a decade ago to eliminate distractions. When enabled, Reader reorganizes webpages so that you only see relevant text and images, making it easier to read what you’re reading.
If you regularly read in the iPhone browser without using Reader, you really should. In this story, we’ll show you two ways to quickly enable productivity features so you can focus on reading what’s most important to you.
One-tap to turn on Reader Mode in Safari
In Safari, navigate to whatever you’re reading, whether it’s a top news story or an in-depth feature. Now all you need to do is press the AA icon located to the left of the search bar at the top of the page for a second or so and Reader will be enabled.
If Reader isn’t compatible with the page you’re on, nothing happens except a little haptic feedback from your finger. This usually happens with search engine results and home pages that contain links to multiple articles. To turn off reading, press the AA icon again.
Automatically turn on Reader Mode for your favorite sites
Quickly open Reader with just one press, but there’s an even faster way to get rid of distractions. With a few taps, you can auto-enable Reader not just for a single article, but for every compatible webpage on your favorite sites.
To do this, go to any page on the website that you want to enable Reader in Safari. Now, click the AA icon in the upper left corner, then click Site Settings in the list that appears. A few site-specific settings will appear: Toggle Use Reader Automatically. Now, whenever you visit the site, Reader will automatically open after the page has finished loading.
If you want to turn off the reader, you can tap AA > Hide Reader or turn off the Automatically use Reader setting to turn it off permanently.
So far, it looks like the Galaxy S23 will boost most of the features of the existing Galaxy S22, with updates to some key components. If the so-called camera, battery, and chipset changes end up happening, the Galaxy S23 will certainly be a better phone. But whether it will be significantly better than the S22 is less certain.
Below we detail the key features of the Galaxy S22, as well as its rumored Galaxy S23 equivalent.
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. Galaxy S22: Release date and price
New Galaxy S models arrive every spring, so we’re almost guaranteed to see the S23 arrive in March 2023. However, some rumors suggest that Samsung will launch these phones in January 2023 to prevent users from being distracted by new phones from its competitors.
The Galaxy S22 series is already on sale, with the base model Galaxy S22 starting at $799. We hope that the S23 series will not increase in price, which means that the Galaxy S23 will cost $799 and the Galaxy S23 Plus will cost $999. Pray there are no rumors telling us that Samsung plans to charge more.
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Galaxy S22: Design and display
There are rumors that the Galaxy S23’s new look is apparently inspired by the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which would make the new phone look very different from the Galaxy S22. The lenses will be embedded separately on the back of the phone, rather than a unified “Contour Cut” camera block on the back. The front and sides of the Galaxy S23 look identical, at least according to renders created based on the phone’s purported specs.
For colors, we’re obviously using beige, black, green, and light pink in the Galaxy S23 series. According to a source, the overall size and shape of the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S23 appear to be the same, save for a fraction of an inch in height and width. The S23 could have thicker bezels, though, which would be an unfortunate change since it would take up some display real estate.
Don’t expect any major display differences, either. The Galaxy S23 should inherit the same 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch FHD OLED panels with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. These are all nice displays, but obviously we would have preferred some sort of upgrade to make the new model a more worthwhile update.
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. Galaxy S22: Cameras
From the rumors we’ve heard so far, expect no difference between the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S22’s rear cameras. The S22’s 50MP main camera, 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera, and 10MP 3x telephoto camera should all carry over. We’ve heard more specific talk about the ultra-wide and telephoto cameras, but nothing about the main sensor, so maybe we’ll still see some changes there.
Meanwhile on the front of the phone, the selfie camera may change from the current 10MP sensor to a 12MP sensor. Whether this change heralds other upgrades to the selfie camera overall is unclear, but it should at least mean more detailed selfies on the S23 compared to the S22.
Samsung may introduce some additional photo enhancements into the Galaxy S23’s software to help round out the already impressive photos taken by the Galaxy S22. But anyone looking to drastically improve their photo setup needs to look elsewhere — namely the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s rumored 200MP main camera.
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. Galaxy S22: Performance and battery
Samsung is expected to upgrade the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset in the Galaxy S22 to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which Qualcomm is expected to announce later this month. The 8th Gen 1 chip was powerful but inefficient, so we’re expecting the 2nd Gen to emulate Samsung’s more powerful, lower-power Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset used in the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4.
The new Snapdragon chip appears to be a lock for the US version of the Galaxy S23. A global version is in doubt, though, as models released in Europe typically switch to Samsung’s latest Exynos chips. That’s this year’s Exynos 2300.
Some rumors claim that Samsung is still working on it, while others argue that the company plans to use Snapdragon chips globally. That’s something Qualcomm, the designer of the Snapdragon chip, also seems to have hinted at, which will be very exciting news for Samsung buyers in the UK and other Europe who’ve had enough of the less powerful latest Galaxy S Exynos version of .
The memory and storage inside the Galaxy S23 are said to be unchanged from what we got on the Galaxy S22. That means all models come with 8GB of RAM, with 128GB of base storage, and there’s also the option of a 256GB or 512GB model.
Battery life on the Galaxy S22 wasn’t great, but we might see improvements on the Galaxy S23 thanks to rumors of larger batteries in both the regular and Plus models. Increasing battery life requires more than a bigger battery, but luckily, the Galaxy S23 series is also rumored to be getting a “Light” performance mode that could help with that.
To extend your laptop’s battery life, change your power profile to Power Saver, lower the screen brightness, and turn off the keyboard backlighting. If you’re not using your laptop, turn it off, or set it to hibernate after a short period of inactivity.
Turn the Brightness Down
Reduce monitor brightness. A bright monitor will lap up your battery. Reduce screen brightness as much as possible without straining your eyes. There are two ways you can do this. First, keep the brightness level low unless you really need it.
Go to your settings and also turn off the keyboard lights. This will save you plenty of power and prolong your battery runtime.
Turn of Unnecessary Background Apps
Open your task manager and you will find a lot of programs running that you do not need. These programs take up memory space and slow down your laptop. They also cause excessive use of power and you find yourself at zero percent charge in no time. So, close these apps before it does any harm.
Avoid working on multiple programs. While you might be tempted to work efficiently and multitask on your Excel sheets, Powerpoint and Adobe Photoshop, this can put a strain on your battery. Graphic intense applications drain batteries even faster. To increase lifespan, work simultaneously on one or two programs, max.
Disable unused devices and ports. External devices such as a mouse, Wi-Fi, external speakers and Bluetooth can drain your battery. When these are not in use, turn them off.
Use the Windows Performance Power Slider
This is a recent feature introduced by Microsoft. It allows you to regulate just how much of your battery power will be used. You can slide the bar to different settings.
I recommend you keep it on “battery saver” during downtime. And unless you are pushing your pc, keep it on balanced mode for most of the time.
Customize the Power and Sleep Settings
Sometimes we can forget to turn the laptop off and it keeps running in the background. This consumes a lot of power. To fix this, go to settings > systems > power & sleep. Here, you can customize your laptop’s power consumption when you are not using it.
You can set it so that it turns off after a certain period of inactivity. Other times, you can have the screen turn off to save you power.
Prevent Overheating
Overheating is a reliable way of damaging any PC hardware. So, ensure that there is proper ventilation for the heat inside the laptop to come out. If you can, clean the cooling fans and other parts periodically so that dust build-up does not happen. Excessive heat can damage your laptop’s battery. Avoid leaving it in the car during summer and test your laptop’s temperature while you work.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus represents half of the new 13-inch XPS lineup, offering higher performance and a more innovative machine than the more affordable XPS 13. Both are among the best laptops on the market. Apple’s MacBook Air M1 is an old-school option with an affordable design that’s been refined over the years to become one of the best MacBooks you can buy.
While the XPS 13 Plus is more expensive than the MacBook Air M1, the difference isn’t huge. So if you’re looking for portable power supplies, you might have them both on your shortlist. But which is better?
Price and configuration
The MacBook Air M1 is the lowest-priced MacBook you can buy, starting at $1,000 for an 8-core CPU/7-core GPU M1 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. You can spend up to $2,000 for the same CPU with 16GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD.
The XPS 13 Plus is a more expensive machine, starting at $1,300 in an entry-level configuration with a Core i5-1240P, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a Full HD+ non-touch IPS display. The most expensive model with a Core i7-1280P, 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD, and a 3.5K OLED or UHD+ IPS panel is $2,400.
While the MacBook Air M1 is still a high-end laptop, it’s less expensive overall.
Design
The design of the MacBook Air M1 is impeccable, as its tapered chassis started the trend for thin and light laptops. The new MacBook Air M2 takes the blocky look of the latest MacBook Pro, but without any issues with the original aluminum machine. And the build quality is second to none. The XPS 13 Plus looks a lot like previous XPS 13 models, with a streamlined aluminum chassis and dual-anodized chrome edges. Open it up, though, and Dell‘s latest looks futuristic with a bezel-less keyboard, LED function keys, and a glossy glass palm rest with a hidden touchpad. It’s also very well-made, and choosing between the designs of these two laptops comes down to very personal taste.
Speaking of the keyboard, the XPS 13 Plus has large keycaps and a comfortable layout with switches that aren’t very deep, but offer quick, precise responses. However, the MacBook Air M1 features Apple’s Magic Keyboard, and it’s the best. The switches are also shallow, but offer a more precise feel and excellent feedback. You can type quickly and accurately on both keyboards, but the MacBook is better. Both laptops also have tactile touchpads, with Dell’s version responsive across the entire surface and mimicking physical buttons. Thanks to Apple’s years of technical experience, the Force Touchpad for the MacBook Air is even better. The XPS 13 Plus has LED function keys that don’t offer any advantage to the user, but are there to keep the chassis slim.
Both laptops are limited to two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4, but the MacBook Air M1 retains the 3.5mm audio jack that the XPS 13 Plus ditched. Meanwhile, the Dell has more advanced wireless connectivity. One advantage of the XPS 13 Plus is its ability to natively drive two external displays, while the MacBook Air M1 is limited to just one.
Finally, both machines feature 720p webcams, while the XPS 13 Plus has an IR camera that enables passwordless Windows 11 Hello logins via facial recognition. The MacBook Air M1 uses the Touch ID fingerprint reader on the power button. Both methods are fast and reliable for logging in.
Display and Audio
The MacBook Air M1 features a 13.3-inch 16:10 Liquid Retina IPS display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1600. It’s great for productivity work, with adequate brightness and contrast, and decent colors. However, the XPS 13 Plus’ 13.4-inch 3456 x 2160 OLED touch panel is spectacular. It’s just as bright, but with incredibly broad and accurate colors and strong contrast with jet blacks.
The XPS 13 Plus also has a choice of Full HD+ non-touch and touch IPS displays and UHD+ touch IPS displays. However, there is no doubt that OLED displays have advantages in terms of productivity, creativity and media streaming needs. Both laptops have dual speakers that deliver clean sound with adequate volume.
Portability
The XPS 13 Plus is smaller in all dimensions than the MacBook Air M1, and a little lighter. Where the MacBook wins out is the efficiency of Apple’s M1 processor. In our web browsing and local video battery tests, the MacBook Air M1 lasted nearly twice as long as the XPS 13 Plus and lasted more than a day of work, while the Dell didn’t.
The MacBook Air M1 is simpler but cheaper
You can get several of the XPS 13 Plus’ innovations for a higher price, especially its beautiful OLED display, and its better productivity performance. However, you’re paying more, and the MacBook Air M1 has better battery life and just as good build quality.
If you’re choosing between these two laptops and just want a solid productivity machine for the least amount of money, the MacBook Air M1 is the better choice.
Apple may want to try something different with next year’s iPhone 15 release. Rumor has it that the company could launch what some are calling the iPhone 15 Ultra — a super-sized iPhone that packs the best features available on an Apple phone and comes at a premium price.
For next year’s models, Apple may seek to further differentiate its Pro versions, just as the differences between its recently released iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Pro were more pronounced. So, move to the iPhone 15 Ultra, which will make it clear that this is not just an iPhone Pro Max that has been rebranded by packing more substantial features.
Faster processor
It used to be safe to assume that new Apple phones would feature the company’s latest mobile chips, but then the iPhone 14 came with a variant of the A15 chipset that powered the previous year’s phones. Nonetheless, we expect the iPhone 15 Ultra to run on the new SoC.
In this case, let’s say it’s the A17 Bionic, which should offer a sizable boost over the already impressive A16 Bionic that powers the iPhone 14 Pro Max. That’s because the A17 Bionic is expected to be built on a 3nm process, not the 4nm A16 Bionic. 3nm chipsets can accommodate more transistors than 4nm silicon, resulting in improved performance and power efficiency.
Different ports – or none at all
The European Union has passed a law requiring standard charging technology on mobile devices. While the law won’t take effect until 2024, Apple is expected to get a head start by replacing its proprietary Lightning port with USB-C on the iPhone 15 series.
But the change will affect all iPhone 15 models, not just the iPhone 15 Ultra. Rumor has it that Apple might go a step further and remove ports from its Ultra phones entirely, meaning you’ll be relying entirely on wireless charging to keep the Ultra alive.
More durable body
The iPhone‘s design has remained the same since the iPhone 12 — flat edges, metal frames, and occasional tweaks to the rear camera array to accommodate larger sensors. As long as Apple likes to adopt iPhone design before changing it, we expect some new approaches to be adopted across the iPhone 15 lineup.
There are rumors that the high-end iPhone 15 may use titanium alloy as a new material. Titanium is more durable than the stainless steel used on the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The new alloy could also make the iPhone 15 Ultra lighter than its predecessor, which would be ideal given the lighter weight of the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Improved camera
The camera is critical to theiPhone‘s success, so it’s only natural that the iPhone 15 lineup will get a tweak or two — especially for the most expensive models in the lineup.
To that end, the iPhone 15 Ultra may get a periscope-style lens with zoom capabilities that exceed the 3x optical zoom supported by the iPhone 14 Pro Max. It’s unclear if the feature will also be available on the iPhone 15 Pro, or if Apple will consider it an Ultra exclusive.
More storage
Buy any iPhone 14 model and the entry-level version will have 128GB of storage, which is pretty standard in today’s smartphones. But if you’re going to put the Ultra label on a device, its specs should be above and beyond the standards of other phones. That means we think there is at least 256GB.
Apple Pencil Support
Speaking of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, it will almost certainly feature a built-in S Pen, a feature Samsung will offer for the second year in a row. By contrast, Apple’s phones continue to ship without a stylus, even with one off the shelf.
That’s the Apple Pencil, which Apple has restricted from use with the iPad Pro, iPad mini, iPad Air, and the 10th-generation iPad. There’s absolutely no reason why this stylus shouldn’t work with a 6.7-inch phone — especially if you’re going to tout that phone as the ultimate productivity device.
Whether Apple agrees with this statement remains to be seen. However, adding Apple Pencil support to the iPhone 15 Ultra would certainly make the rumored phone a noticeable improvement over the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
iPhone 15 Ultra appearance
With the next round of iPhones not expected to launch until September 2023, it’s going to be a while before we know if any of these rumored features will pan out — or if the iPhone 15 Ultra even exists. But the fact that there are six ways this device can differentiate itself from the iPhone 14 Pro Max suggests that the iPhone 15 Ultra represents more than just a name change.
Sometimes you need multiple windows. But switching between multiple fullscreen windows is not very efficient. Instead, it’s easier to split the screen so you can have two windows open at the same time. Split-screen mode is great when you need to view report data, keep chat windows open while doing other things, or just play video on one side of the screen when multitasking.
Fortunately, Macs offer a split-screen mode that allows you to stick two apps on different sides of the display. This way, you can navigate between windows without navigating with the mouse or pressing Command + Tab. Let’s take a look below!
1. Make sure both windows you want to use are not in fullscreen mode.
2. In one of the windows you want to use, place the cursor on the green button in the upper left corner. Instead of clicking to maximize the window, hover over until you see the drop-down menu.
3. Select the tile on the left side of the screen or the tile on the right side of the screen. Your Mac will automatically enter split screen mode.
4. From there, other open windows will appear on the other side of the screen. Click on the desired window on the rest of the screen and it will fill the remaining half.
5. If you want to resize the window, use the slider in the center of the screen.
In split view, you will be able to view two windows at the same time. Multitask away!
If you’re done with the split screen layout, here’s how to get rid of it:
1. Move the cursor to the top of the screen until you see the resize buttons at the top left of each window.
2. Click the red button to close the window or the green button to exit split screen.
3. Don’t panic! Your other window is still open, it’s just hidden in fullscreen mode. To access it again, press the Mission Control button ( F3 ) on the top row of the keyboard.
4. You should see two options at the top of the screen: the desktop and any windows you have in split screen mode. Click on another window, and if you want to exit full screen mode, use the green resize button in the upper left corner.
If you’re the type of person who might need to have more than two windows open, you can always manually resize the windows to fit three or four on the screen at a time. The experience won’t be as visually clean as using tiled windows.
What are the shortcut keys for split screen on Mac?
There are many handy Mac keyboard shortcuts, including one for split screen. First use control + command + F to enter full screen mode. From there you can press F3 to pull up Mission Control and drag another app onto your currently full screen app. Click to go back to the newly tiled app and you’ll be in split view.
If the steps are still too many, you can create your own keyboard shortcuts. Go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Application Shortcuts. You can click the + button to add a command called “Tile window to left side of screen” with the desired shortcut. After activating the shortcut, your active window will be tiled on the left side of the screen, and you can simply select a second window to add to the split screen.
Why can’t my Mac split screen?
First, make sure you’re not currently in fullscreen mode. Split screen only works with normal windowed views. If that’s not the problem, go to System Preferences > Mission Control and check if the monitor has separate spaces enabled. If not, enable it.
If you don’t see this option in the Mission Control menu, make sure you’ve updated to MacOS 10.11 or later. You can check your current OS version by clicking the Apple icon in the upper left menu and selecting About this Mac. If you are using an earlier version, you must update by clicking the “Software Update” button on this screen.
Keep in mind that not all apps support split screen. If you’ve tried everything else and the app still doesn’t tile in split-screen mode, the app probably doesn’t offer split-screen mode.
The official split screen feature on the Mac (called “Split View”) automatically splits two windows in full screen. If you don’t want a full screen view (perhaps because you want to be able to quickly navigate between browser tabs), you can manually drag the window to fit the required space. This option gives you more customization than Split View.
No matter how big your computer display is, sometimes a single screen isn’t enough. That’s why so many people need a second monitor, as another screen helps with gaming, streaming, multitasking, communication, organization, and overall efficiency. Having dual monitors is important for productivity — but that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to spend more to get it.
As long as you have a compatible Mac and iPad, you can quickly and easily connect two Apple devices and use your iPad as an additional display for your Mac computer. Using Sidecar built into supported devices, you can extend your MacOS desktop or mirror it to an iPad with touchscreen controls, seamlessly using both devices at the same time. Here’s what you need to know.
Requirements for using an iPad as a second monitor
As mentioned above, both of your devices need to support Sidecar, a feature that lets you use your iPad as a second display for your Mac. For your Mac, you must be running MacOS Catalina or later, and it must be one of the following models:
MacBook Pro (2016 or later), MacBook (2016 or later), MacBook Air (2018 or later), Mac (2017 or later and Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015) , Mac Pro, Mac Mini (2018 or later), Mac Pro (2019 or later)
For your iPad, it must be running iPadOS 13 or later and be one of the following models: iPad Pro, iPad (6th generation or later), iPad Mini (5th generation or later), iPad Air ( 3rd generation or newer models) it is best to update your device to the latest software available to avoid any issues. Additionally, both devices must be signed into the same Apple ID account using two-factor authentication.
If you plan to use wireless, the two devices must be within 30 feet of each other. You can also connect two devices using USB, which has the advantage of charging the iPad while it’s being used as a second monitor.
Sharing your computer desktop to your tablet may vary depending on the software update on your computer. If you’re running MacOS Big Sur or later, click the Display icon in the upper-right menu bar. In the menu that appears, select your iPad.
If you’re using MacOS Catalina, you’ll instead click the AirPlay icon in the menu bar and select your iPad. If for some reason you don’t see the AirPlay icon, click the Apple menu in the upper right corner, then go to System Preferences > Displays, and check the Display Mirroring option in the menu bar.
Once your Mac and iPad are connected, you can choose from several options in the Display/AirPlay menu:
Mirror built-in Retina display: Mirror your exact desktop to your iPad. This will make your computer desktop look more like your iPad.
Use as a separate display: Use your iPad as an extension of your desktop. To use the iPad display, drag any window or file from your Mac computer to the right side of the screen, which takes you to the tablet. To get back to your computer, just drag the cursor back to where you were.
Share only one Mac window with the iPad
Or, you can quickly share a window instead of dragging it onto your iPad. To do this, just hover your mouse cursor over the green fullscreen button in the upper left corner of most windows. After hovering for a second, you should see an option that says “Move to iPad” and it will share the window to your tablet. You can share multiple windows to your iPad in succession.
Use sidebar controls, gestures, and the Touch Bar on iPad
After you share your screen to your iPad, a set of controls will appear on the left side of your iPad, these are the sidebar controls you’d typically see on a Mac. This includes, from top to bottom:
Menu Bar: Show or hide the menu bar when full screen
Dock : Show or hide the Dock
Command: Double-click the lock key
Option: Double tap lock key
Control: Double tap to lock key
Shift : double-click the lock key
Undo: Undo the last action
Keyboard: Show or hide the keyboard
Disconnect: Disconnect iPad from Mac
In addition to these Mac controls, you can also use some swipe gestures to control certain things on the second monitor. This includes two-finger swipe to scroll, three-finger pinch to copy, three-finger swipe left to undo, and more.
Finally, if the app on your iPad is compatible, you can also use the Touch Bar. You can also get rid of the Sidebar or Touch Bar controls if you don’t want to use them. On a Mac, click the Display icon in the menu bar, and under the connected iPad, you should see the Hide SideBar and Hide Touch Bar. Click one or both of the options to hide the controls in the iPad.
Even if you’re using your iPad as a second display, you can still swipe up to exit the Sidecar app and use your iPad as usual. In your dock, you’ll see a blue icon with two monitors – this is the Sidecar. To return to using the iPad as a second display, tap the Sidecar app icon in the Dock.
Your battery will become unusable eventually but you can delay that inevitability. By taking proper care you can ensure that you get the maximum from the battery before it dies.
Laptops are best used when it has a functional battery. Take proper care of it and it will give you solid service for multiple years. Then when the time comes, change it with a proper replacement and you will be good to go.
The average lifespan of a laptop battery is generally regarded as about 1,000 charge cycles. That number can vary depending on the laptop’s brand and battery, as well as how it’s used. It’s also important to note that performance can still degrade over time.
It’s difficult to say how long one charge cycle lasts on a laptop as it depends on multiple factors. Some laptops have batteries that can last tens of hours, while others (particularly gaming laptops) tend to only last 4-5 hours at most. If you’re concerned about how long your laptop battery lasts, check the manufacturer’s site to see how long the average charge should last.
What Affects Your Laptop Battery’s Life?
Several different factors affect your laptop’s battery life, both temporarily and permanently. Here’s a look at the key factors.
Using the laptop. Using your laptop while it’s running on a battery charge is the main thing to affect your laptop’s battery life, both temporarily and potentially permanently, if you do so regularly. Your laptop battery can cope with a certain number of charge cycles before it starts to degrade.
Heat. When your laptop runs hot or is exposed to hot conditions, the battery runs down faster, and it can put all the laptop components under excessive strain. Try to avoid using your laptop in hot conditions.
Leaving your laptop unused for long periods. If you leave your laptop unused for a long time, such as weeks, it can affect the quality of the laptop’s battery life. It’s best to either fully drain the battery beforehand or leave it at 50% rather than fully charged before you put it into storage.
Apple’s next big software update includes brand new Apple apps, better Siri controls, an improved Shortcuts app, interesting Safari upgrades, and more. Read on to find out what iOS 16.2 has to offer your iPhone.
The iOS 16.1 update was released on October 24 with several major features and changes, while the first iOS 16.2 beta was released just a day later, with no expected date for the stable software release. It takes 40 days of testing before iOS 16.1 hits everyone’s devices, so we’re probably looking at a similar timeline for iOS 16.2.
While still in beta development, there are still many new features to try on iOS 16.2. While I’ll be focusing on new features from an iPhone perspective, most of the items listed below also work with iPadOS 16.2 for iPad and macOS 13.1 Ventura for Mac, also in beta. Let’s have a look!
1. New Freeform Application
Apple’s new Freeform app, available for iPhone, iPad and Mac, is another productivity tool you can add to your arsenal. It’s a large, flexible canvas, like a digital whiteboard/corkboard hybrid, where you can add sticky notes, shapes, files, links, scans, photos and videos, audio, typed text, and drawings and highlights etc. mark.
The best thing about Freeform is collaboration, so you can plan projects, brainstorm ideas, create inspiration boards, and more. You can see everything collaborators are doing on the canvas in real time, from adding content to making edits. Collaboration can be started via FaceTime, and everyone’s updates can be seen in the associated message thread. You can show or hide the canvas grid on each board, and the app’s settings allow you to show or hide center, edge, and spacing guides.
2. Prefer Siri’s silent response
On iOS 16.0–16.1, your only option for verbal responses to Siri on the iPhone is between automatic and preferred voice responses. Automatic uses on-device intelligence to determine when it should speak, while Prefer Spoken Responses commands Siri to almost always speak loudly, even when silent mode is enabled. This is in stark contrast to previous iOS versions, which always had a third option that gave you more control to keep Siri silent almost all the time.
The new iOS 16.2 update brings back a third option, Prefer Silent Responses. According to the fine print in Settings -> Siri & Search -> Siri Responses, when this option is enabled, Siri will respond silently, “unless you appear to be driving or using headphones with the screen off.”
3. Shortcuts to lock the screen
The Shortcuts app keeps getting tweaked on iOS 16, and the iOS 16.2 update is no exception. This time, the wallpaper is a little different and a new script action:
Get wallpapers: Gets all lockscreen wallpapers and returns them as output so you can use them for other operations. This action doesn’t work on Apple Watch, Mac, and iPad.
Switch between wallpapers: Switch the current lock screen wallpaper. If the wallpaper has the link’s focus, this action also sets the focus. This action doesn’t work on Apple Watch, Mac, and iPad.
Set Wallpaper Photo: Set the wallpaper to the specified image. This action doesn’t work on Apple Watch.
4. Sleep widget for lock screen
We already have sleep widgets for the home screen and today view, but now there are widgets for the lock screen that can be below the time. The same two widgets are listed below, along with a third option, which is just a shortcut to the Sleep section of the Health app.
Data and Schedule: View your sleep profile and view your sleep schedule.
Sleep: View your most recent sleep periods, including sleep stages.
5. Visual changes for software updates
In a small update to iOS 16.2, the Software Update screen in Settings displays the currently installed version of iOS in bold, large font.
6. Show View Changes
When you go to Settings -> Display & Brightness, you’ll see the “Display Scaling” group at the bottom is now called “Display”, and under the new shorter heading you’ll find “Display Scaling” as a menu item, while More than just “view”. These small changes may be related to the next feature.
The iPhone 14 is a very good phone. But it’s not a five-star phone. It lost a star in our iPhone 14 review because it wasn’t that much of an upgrade over the iPhone 13; it was a blip in the iPhone release cycle. So what makes the iPhone 15 a tick rather than a tick and earns it the all-important fifth star? Let’s take a look below!
1. Invite everyone to the dynamic island
Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max: It has a playful feel, a bit of whimsy in this very sober and serious device. Using it across the entire iPhone 15 lineup will encourage more developers to try it out, which means more fun for everyone.
2. Periscope
The iPhone with a periscope lens has been predicted for years, and now the iPhone 14 Pro’s camera has been upgraded: optical zoom is still the weak point of the iPhone camera, and the periscope lens will allow Apple to offer a better product. When it arrives, it will almost certainly be in the Pro and Ultra, not the entire range, hopefully Apple won’t limit it to the Ultra.
3. Every iPhone is always on
The Always On Display feature in the Pro and Pro Max is excellent and very useful, especially when you combine it with focus mode and widgets: having a phone that changes subtly based on what you’re doing, with support from th… The three-way live-activity sports app and apps like Uber are real game-changers. It’s an area where Apple is far behind Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S22, at least in its cheaper iPhones.
4. Better battery life
With the end of 2022 approaching, if you’re going to be out for a while, you’re still worried about your phone’s battery running low.
5. USB-C
Not only because it means fewer cable connections to deal with, which is definitely worthwhile, but also because it’s much faster than Lightning. The Lightning port of the iPhone 14 has a maximum speed of 480Mbps; Thunderbolt USB-C in the iPad Pro can reach 40Gbps. Smaller iPads with USB-C aren’t quite as fast, but they still leave Lightning’s USB 2.0 speeds spotless. This is important if you shoot very high-resolution video on the iPhone Pro or Pro Max, and this will be a welcome upgrade for the iPhone 15 Pro and Ultra.
6. Dual Selfie Shooter
Twitter claims that the iPhone 15 may feature a second front-facing camera. This will allow for a wider range of selfies, and is especially good for group/family selfies, which are by far the most frustrating type of selfie ever taken on an iPhone.
