Tag: Apple

iPad Pro 2022 vs MacBook Air 2022: Is a Tablet or Laptop Right for You?

 Last year, Apple announced a number of new hardware, including new additions to the iPad Pro and MacBook Air lineup. Some of the most anticipated improvements are the iPad Pro lineup, which came this year in the form of the iPad Pro M2. The MacBook Air lineup has also been upgraded with the M2 chipset, and the two devices are on par when it comes to processors.

Before we begin, it’s important to note that we haven’t been able to review the iPad Pro 2022, so we won’t make any definitive comments on its performance. However, we’ve been able to review the MacBook Air 2022, so we can make some educated guesses about which device is best for you. Let’s take a look below!

Design and Display

Starting with the iPad Pro, it comes with a 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED backlit display. The resolution is 2732×2048, and Apple claims it can hit 600 points of brightness in normal use, 1,000 nits at maximum brightness, and 1,600 nits when playing HDR content. It also includes support for ProMotion, which means you’ll get a 120Hz refresh rate during intensive tasks like editing or scrolling, which drops off when it’s no longer needed to save battery.

It supports the second-generation Apple Pencil and, in terms of ports, has USB-C Thunderbolt 4 as well as a Nano-SIM tray on the cellular model. The Wi-Fi model weighs just 682 grams, while the cellular version is slightly heavier at 684 grams.

The iPad itself is available in two colors: silver and space gray. It has rounded edges and thin bezels, with few design changes compared to its predecessor, the iPad Pro (2021). There are four speakers, an integrated microphone and the usual volume switch and a top lock button.

The rear camera module is square and consists of wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle cameras, the former is 12MP at f/1,8 aperture, and the former is 10MP at f/2.4 aperture, with a field of view of 125 degrees.

The MacBook Air, meanwhile, is available in four colors: Silver, Starlight, Space Gray, and Midnight. We think it looks very similar to the MacBook Pro (2021) 14- and 16-inch models. This gives it a boxier look without the wedge-shaped design, and our review pointed out that it feels very portable thanks to its 1.24kg weight.

It comes with two Thunderbolt 3-capable USB-C ports, as well as a MagSafe 3 charging port and a 3.5mm audio jack, which is absent on the iPad Pro. The inclusion of MagSafe means you can charge your laptop without using any of the USB-C ports, but you’ll need to have a MagSafe charger handy.

According to Apple, the screen is 13.6 inches and features an LED-backlit display with a resolution of 2560×1664 and a brightness of up to 500 nits. We’re disappointed that the MacBook Air doesn’t feature ProMotion technology, sticking with a 60Hz refresh rate, which means on-screen motion may not be as smooth as the iPad Pro.

The screen has a notch since Apple thinned the top screen bezel, which we don’t really mind. We did note, however, that the notch would be more welcome if Apple decided to upgrade its 1080p front-facing webcam.

Glasses

Both the iPad Pro and MacBook Air are equipped with the M2 chipset. iPad Pro features an 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine. The MacBook Air comes in two variants, the first is the same as the iPad Pro, and the second has an 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine.

Also, since the iPad model has the same features as the base MacBook Air, we think the iPad Pro is more than adequate for browsing and may be suitable for creative professionals who want to draw and edit on a tablet.

The iPad Pro does support USB-C Thunderbolt 4, which means it can easily connect to an external display and transfer files very quickly. The MacBook Air opts for Thunderbolt 3 technology, which still enables fast transfers.

Since we haven’t been able to review the iPad Pro, we can’t definitively claim which is more powerful, however, since they have the same processor configuration, we expect them to have similar performance. The real difference is in the interface, as the iPad runs on iPad OS 16 and is a dedicated tablet, while the MacBook Air is a laptop that runs on macOS and will support macOS Ventura.

Users who want a powerful tablet can also equip the iPad Pro with a compatible keyboard from Apple or third-party retailers and use it as a 2-in-1 device, making it more versatile than the MacBook Air.

>>>>>>>>>>>Apple battery

Apple iPad Pro (2022) vs iPad Pro (2021): Which year wins?

 Apple’s premium tablet is now in its sixth generation, and the iPad Pro (2022) brings some notable improvements. That includes the inclusion of the powerful M2 chip, which you’ll also find in the latest MacBook Pros. The question is, if you ignore this new processor, is there anything else really important under the hood of the tablet that makes it a better buy than last year’s iPad Pro (2021)? Let’s take a look below!

Design, Display and Durability

Apple is very, very happy with the design of its iPad Pro because it hasn’t changed its basic look over the years. That means the iPad Pro (2022) is nearly identical to its predecessor, with the same bezel-less display and narrow bezels. Both devices feature an aluminum frame and back, while the 11-inch and 12.9-inch versions are the same size. They also weigh the same, so no matter which model you choose, you’ll have the same level of comfort and comfort.

We also have no choice but to report that generations of monitors happen to be the same. If you choose the 11-inch version of either iPad, you’ll receive a Liquid Retina IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1688 x 2388 pixels. If you opt for the 12.9-inch version, you get an excellent 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED LCD panel that packs 2048 x 2732 pixels. Regardless of the size of your model, you’ll have a 120Hz refresh rate for some really smooth scrolling and animations.

Neither tablet is waterproof, so they’re not the most durable. That said, their screen is made of scratch-resistant glass that repels oil and fingerprints, and their aluminum frame doesn’t break visibly like glass.

Performance, battery life and charging

We were surprised when the iPad Pro (2021) featured Apple’s M1 chip, giving it the power to handle any type of task, app or video game. Now, the iPad Pro (2022) has a more powerful M2 chip, which Apple says is about 20 percent faster than the M1. That could mean the new iPads can handle intensive multitasking more comfortably than the older ones, though most people will struggle to see a real difference given the M1 chip is already so powerful. Both devices come with either 8GB or 16GB of RAM, giving them enough memory to thrive in 2022 and beyond.

In terms of internal storage, both devices come standard with 128GB, but can go up to 2TB.

In terms of batteries, this is also a case of history repeating itself. The battery capacity is the same for both models, including the 11-inch and 12.9-inch versions. Of course, software changes could mean better battery life for the iPad Pro (2022), though we’ll need a full review to confirm that.

Camera

The new iPad Pro (2022) also happens to have the old camera, with the same dual-lens rear setup as the 2021 model. That means a 12MP main lens and a 10MP ultra-wide-angle lens, as well as a LiDAR sensor for depth perception. Meanwhile, it has a 12MP ultra-wide selfie camera on the front, just like the iPad Pro (2021).

As before, the 12MP ultra-wide selfie camera supports an AI-powered center stage function for some impressive panoramic selfies. More generally, as far as tablet cameras go, the rear lenses on both models are excellent, capable of taking great photos in most normal situations. However, since there is no difference between the two.

Software and Updates

The iPad Pro (2022) will ship out of the box with iPadOS 16, bringing some useful new features to the iPad experience. The most notable of these is Stage Manager, which is basically a multitasking tool that enables users to run up to 8 applications simultaneously. This makes it ideal for professional and creative users, and while the iPad Pro (2021) currently runs on iPadOS 15, it will receive a 16th version once it is released.

Special function

There’s no real difference between the two iPad Pros. They all support 5G, and they all support the new Stage Manager feature as well as the Center Stage camera feature.

They are also equipped with a lidar sensor and can use a range of augmented reality applications. There’s also Face ID and support for Magic Keyboard accessories, which means you can turn your iPad into a laptop. Other than that, they’re basically high-performance, high-reliability tablets.

>>>>>>>>>>>iPad battery

The iPad 2022’s USB-C port isn’t the upgrade you expected

 The iPad 2022 finally adds USB-C connectivity to Apple’s entry-level tablet, joining the iPad mini 6, iPad Air, and iPad Pro that have been using the connector for some time. But, as it turns out, the change comes with a few caveats — including Lightning Layer data transfer speeds.

As The Verge points out, the new iPad‘s USB-C port is limited to USB 2.0-class data transfer speeds. That’s about 480 Mbps, the same as Lightning, and pretty paltry compared to the 5 Gbps speed offered by the iPad mini 6’s USB 3.1 port. The iPad Air also offers 10 Gbps data transfer, while the iPad Pro with the Thunderbolt M1 can reach 40 Gbps.

YouTuber Max Tech also did their own comparison, stating that it took 10 minutes and 27 seconds to transfer a 25GB video file from an SSD to an iPad 2022. Meanwhile, the same file takes a minute to transfer to his Mac and the latest iPad Air. Mike Rumor has also conducted its own tests and confirmed the data transfer rate.

Of course, the changes to USB-C aren’t just superficial. First, Max Tech is able to connect the new iPad to a portable SSD, which cannot be connected to the 2021 model via Lightning. Again, our own testing shows that the USB-C connector does seem to reduce charging times.

We found that the new iPad successfully charged to 26% in 30 minutes, while the 2021 model only hit 19% in the same time. It’s a small boost, to be sure, but it’s still an upgrade. Also, while we all want batteries to last longer, faster charging speeds are very useful.

That said, it’s rather a shame Apple didn’t upgrade the ports to USB 3.0. Considering the iPad 2021 starts at $329 from day one, and the new model starts at $449, we expect Apple to do better.

There are of course other upgrades compared to the iPad 2021. They include the A14 Bionic processor, Wi-Fi 6 and 5G support, a larger 10.9-inch display, and a 12MP (f/1.8) rear camera. But that’s still a glaring oversight, another example of only supporting the first-generation Apple Pencil.

This is the case with entry-level iPads, so one might not care too much about slow data transfer speeds. However, anyone who cares about being able to move large files in and out of a tablet might want to look elsewhere — and pay more for the privilege. At least you can plug in the iPad 2022 with the same cable as pretty much every other non-iPhone device, which is definitely something to celebrate.

>>>>>>>>>>>iPad battery

The Best Secret Features of iOS 16: Tips to Make Your iPhone Life Easier

 iOS 16 is finally here, and after spending a few weeks on Apple’s best iPhone operating system, we’ve discovered a lot more than the headlines Apple revealed. Yes, the lock screen overhaul is great, the added widgets are great, and so are the deeper integration of focus modes. However, iOS 16 offers more than that. Here are some of our favorite “secret” iOS 16 features you might have missed.

Extract subject from photo

If you’ve browsed your photo library in iOS 16, you might accidentally start dragging parts of your photo out of the background. That’s thanks to a new feature in iOS 16 that lets you drag subjects from Photos to move them to different apps. There are even apps that turn those photos into stickers for use in iMessage.

Change lock screen notification layout

You can show all notifications on the screen, or swipe them down to show only the most recent notifications. You can even hide all of them, leaving only a small section at the bottom of the screen. To do this, just drag the notification to the bottom of the screen.

Bypass captcha

iOS 16 allows users to skip captcha by essentially requesting a security token on their behalf. Go to settings, then your iCloud account and password and security. You’ll find the option to enable automatic verification at the bottom.

Tactile keyboard

The haptic keyboard setup in iOS 16 is great for providing feedback when you’re using your device’s haptic input.

To turn it on, open Settings, then select Sounds & Haptics, then Keyboard Feedback. Here, you can use the toggle switch to turn on haptics, sound, or both.

Clear your photo duplicates

While organizing your photo library isn’t the most enjoyable task, there’s a way to instantly identify duplicates and combine them into a single image.

To find it, open Photos and tap Albums at the bottom. Scroll all the way to the Utilities section at the bottom and tap Repeat. Here, you’ll see all your doubles and can merge them into each image, saving space on your device or iCloud account.

Use Face ID in landscape orientation

It’s a little touch you may not have noticed yet, but it’s certainly a welcome touch. Face ID has been around since the iPhone X, but it always works in portrait mode — which means you’ll often have to flip the phone over. Borrowing a trick from recent iPads, you can now also unlock your phone in landscape orientation.

Use Live Text in Video

Live Text is a great way to extract key data from images you take yourself or find online. iOS 16 brings this feature to video, with one caveat – it can only handle still images.

Custom Spatial Audio

If you have any Spatial Audio-enabled Apple headphones, connect them to your iPhone and open Settings. Tap Bluetooth, then tap the “i” icon next to the headset. Then head to the Personalize Spatial Audio option.

Your phone will need to scan your ear shape with the camera (it works much like the original Face ID setup process), and you’ll build your custom spatial audio profile in seconds.

Full screen audio player

If you’ve been wondering how to let the audio of your choice take over your lock screen, just tap the album art. Doing so maximizes it and matches the lock screen’s colors to whatever you’re listening to. Click it again to minimize it. It’s a nice feature that adds more variety to your lock screen, but it’s also easy to miss.

Added battery percentage indicator

When Apple unceremoniously removed it, iPhone users were just getting used to having a battery percentage indicator on the status bar.

Thankfully, it’s back with iOS 16, but not on all phones — some users report it’s not present on the iPhone 11, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 13 mini, or iPhone XR.

However, if your Face ID iPhone is not one of these models, go into your Settings app, tap Battery, and check the battery percentage option.

>>>>>>>>>>>>Apple battery

Enable this feature to stop your iPhone from being hacked

 Learning how to enable iOS Lockdown Mode is essential if you want to protect your iPhone from hackers. Lockdown Mode, introduced in iOS 16, is designed to provide the ultimate protection for users who may be at risk of advanced cyber-attacks.

According to Apple, the feature is primarily designed for those who face an unusually high risk of hacking and malware attacks due to their public image or the sensitive information they handle.

But that doesn’t mean Lockdown Mode isn’t worth it to everyone else. Recently, we’ve seen Google report a Predator spyware attack targeting Android devices, identify a malicious malware app in the Play Store, and Meta report finding over 400 malware apps in the iOS and Android app stores. Cybersecurity is more important now than ever, so it’s good that iPhone users have more options to protect themselves.

Lockdown mode is designed to “reduce the attack surface that highly targeted hired spyware could exploit,” Apple said. Essentially, this means limiting certain functions that can be used as backdoors, limiting the number of avenues for hacking.

According to Apple, Lockdown Mode affects the following features:

Messages – “Most message attachment types will be blocked, with the exception of certain images, video, and audio. Certain features, such as links and link previews, will not be available.”

Browsing – “Certain complex web technologies will be blocked, which may cause some websites to load slowly or not function properly. Also, web fonts may not be displayed and images may be replaced with missing image icons.”

Video Calls – “Incoming FaceTime calls will be blocked unless you have previously called the person or contact.”

Service Invitations – “Incoming invitations to Apple services, such as those to manage your family in the Family app, will be blocked unless you have invited the person before.

iOS Photos – “Shared albums will be removed from the Photos app and new shared album invitations will be blocked.”

Connections and Accessories – “To connect your device to a USB accessory or to another computer, you need to unlock the device.”

Device Provisioning (e.g. iOS Beta) – “Could not install profile and enroll in Mobile Device Management or Device Supervision while in Lockdown Mode.”

Needless to say, turning on iOS Lockdown Mode results in some pretty extensive restrictions. However, if your job involves handling sensitive data, or you use the internet without one of the best VPNs on the public network, you might want to enable it.

How to Enable iOS Lockdown Mode

1. Open the Settings app and tap Privacy & Security.

2. Tap Lock Mode.

3. Tap to turn on lock mode.

4. Scroll to the bottom of the page and tap Turn on lock mode.

5. Click Turn On and Reboot.

6. Enter your iPhone passcode.

Your iPhone will now restart in locked mode. Repeat these steps to turn off lock mode.

You have it. You now know how to use Apple’s ultimate tool to stop hackers in their tracks.

>>>>>>>>>>>>iPhone battery

iPadOS 16.1 is now available for download

 On Monday, Apple released iPadOS 16.1 for its iPad lineup — the first official release of iPadOS 16, while skipping iPadOS 16.0 in the process.

Like iOS 16 for iPhone, iPadOS updates include editing and unsending text messages, easier sharing of photos and videos using iCloud‌ Shared Photo Library, and the ability to view sports scores on the lock screen with live activity, as well as some iPad-specific features. new function. As long as you have a compatible iPad, such as an iPad Pro or iPad Air, you can download and install iPadOS 16.1 right away. Let’s take a look below!

Does your iPad support iPadOS 16.1?

Apple says the following devices support iPadOS 16.1:

iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad (5th generation and later), iPad Mini (5th generation and later)

If you don’t know which iPad you have, go to Settings > General > About and check the option next to Model Name, which should include the model and generation of the iPad.

How to download iPadOS 16.1

If you own any of the Apple tablets listed in the previous section, you can download and install iPadOS 16.1. To download the latest software, go to Settings > General > Software Update and wait a few seconds for the iPadOS 16.1 update to appear.

Now click Upgrade to iPadOS 16.1 > Download and Install, if prompted to enter your password and wait for iPadOS 16.1 to download, agree to the terms and conditions, and wait again. After the download is complete, click Install Now and your iPadOS 16.1 will reboot. When it restarts, iPadOS 16.1 will be installed on your iPad.

Will you get all the new features of iPadOS 16.1?

As long as your iPad supports iPadOS 16.1, you should get most of the new features, with a few caveats. Some of the new iPadOS 16.1 features listed below are only available on iPads with M1 or M2 chips:

External monitor support (M1 iPad and later), reference mode (12.9-inch iPad Pro), magnifying glass detection (2020 iPad Pro), door detection (2020 iPad Pro), virtual memory swap (iPad Air 5 256GB or M1 iPad Pro) , Stage Manager (iPad Pro 3rd generation and later)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>iPad battery

Acer Swift 5 vs MacBook Air M2 – The winner will shock you

 The latest Acer Swift 5 and the MacBook Air with M2 are both great laptops, but which one is the best? That’s the question we’ll try to answer here.

Each packs the latest Apple and Intel laptop-centric chipsets, making them two of the best laptops you can buy right now. So, which one should you buy? Let’s find out.

ACER SWIFT 5 VS MACBOOK AIR M2: PRICE AND VALUE

It’s definitely not surprising that Acer is offering more money than Apple. Of course, when you look at the lowest possible prices, the base MacBook Air M2 is $1,199, and the Acer Swift 5 is $1,549.

Considering the cost, the Acer Swift 5 comes with an Intel Core i7-1260P processor, 16GB LPDDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD. To get similar specs in the MacBook Air, you’ll need to shell out $1,899, because honestly, 256GB of storage isn’t enough in the base model.

ACER SWIFT 5 vs MACBOOK AIR M2: DESIGN

Apple moved decisively to make the Air look like a MacBook Pro. Gone are the sleek, stylish receding wedges that gave the Air a near-impossible size, replaced by a uniform thickness. Open the lid and you’ll see the full-size backlit keyboard at the top of the Starlight keyboard deck is slightly recessed. Directly below is a larger trackpad.

As for the Swift, Acer claims it has a “refined design,” although many OEMs tend to exaggerate with catchy buzzwords and enticing wording.

The Swift 5 measures 12.2 by 8.4 by 0.6 inches and weighs 2.7 pounds, while the MacBook Air is slightly smaller at 12 by 8.5 by 0.4 inches, but weighs the same, at 2.7 pounds.

ACER SWIFT 5 AND MACBOOK AIR M2: PORTS

The Acer Swift 5 wins handily with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, a headphone jack, and a Kensington Lock.

The M2 MacBook Air does improve slightly over its predecessor by moving charging to the dedicated MagSafe port, which leaves the two Thunderbolt 4 ports free next to the 3.5mm headphone jack.

ACER SWIFT 5 vs MACBOOK AIR M2: DISPLAY

In the Acer Swift 5 and MacBook Air, you get gorgeous, spacious screens with tiny bezels. Digging into the details will tell you exactly where Acer starts to lead slightly

The MacBook Air now has a 13.6-inch, 2560 x 1664p Liquid Retina display, compared to the previous version’s 13.3-inch. The aspect ratio is technically 3:2, but since the notch at the top forms part of the taskbar, you actually get a work area that’s closer to 16:10.

When passing our lab tests, the Air recorded a DCI-P3 color gamut of 75.9 percent and an impressive average brightness of 489 nits. In real-world use, as expected, the M2’s screen is rich in color and crisp in detail, enhanced by Apple’s proprietary TrueTone technology.

Meanwhile, the Acer Swift 5 features a 14-inch WQXGA 2560 x 1600 pixel Corning Gorilla Glass touchscreen with a 16:10 aspect ratio. The test results showed how the Acer fared in 93.3 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut, but trailed the Air slightly at 457 nits of brightness. With numbers like these, monitors inevitably emit rich, saturated colors.

There will be people who would like the extra brightness, but in my workload the priority is always color accuracy, and the Acer gets away with it here. I can see myself working on Photoshop with ease and enjoying all kinds of vivid content, but the Swift 5 is clearly more realistic.

ACER SWIFT 5 vs MACBOOK AIR M2: PERFORMANCE

How does the laptop-centric M2 chipset stack up against similar competitors like the Intel Core i7-1260P? The answer may surprise you.

On Geekbench 5.4’s overall performance test, the Swift 5 scored a whopping 9,859, beating the average laptop average. Meanwhile, the M2 Air also performed well in our synthetic benchmarks, but fell behind in raw power, with a Geekbench score of 8,919.

The Swift 5 also leads in our HandBrake benchmark — transcoding a 4K video to 1080p in just 7 minutes 36 seconds, compared to the Air’s 7 minutes 52 seconds.

In real-world use, both systems are excellent working systems – handling multitasking with ease. But while the MacBook Air is better in the graphics department, we have to compare each system as a whole, with the Swift 5 going to be slightly faster for your productivity needs.

ACER SWIFT 5 vs MACBOOK AIR M2: BATTERY LIFE

The final round saw the M2 MacBook Air come to the fore, taking a toll on the Acer Swift 5. As you might have predicted, with Apple’s legendary laptop battery life and any system that uses its own silicon, the Air is the king of endurance.

It might be slightly shorter than the M1 MacBook Air, but at 14 hours and 6 minutes, it offers insanely long life for any commute or even a long flight. Meanwhile, the Acer Swift 5’s Laptop Mag Battery test came in pretty good at 11 hours and 24 minutes, but it clearly didn’t hold up to the Air’s prowess.

>>>>>>>>>>>>Laptop battery

2 new iOS 16 features that will literally just drain your iPhone battery

 If your iPhone keeps freezing, it’s time to make some changes. Maybe you need to charge it differently with the proper cable, or invest in a decent power bank that allows you to charge your iPhone from anywhere without relying on a wall outlet. You can also turn on Low Power Mode permanently or put iPhone in Airplane Mode to help preserve the small battery you have.

Not all battery-saving tips are obvious, though, and if you’re running iOS 16, there are some new ways to help you extend the life of your iPhone’s battery. Below, we’ll cover two new features in iOS 16 that both drain your iPhone’s battery to varying degrees, and how to turn them off to improve battery life.

Remove widgets from lock screen

All widgets on the lock screen force your app to run automatically in the background, constantly fetching data to update the information the widget displays, such as sports scores or the weather. And because of your widgets, these apps are constantly running in the background, which means they’re constantly draining battery power.

If you want to help save some battery on iOS 16, your best bet is to avoid widgets on the lock screen. The easiest way is to switch to another lock screen profile – press your finger on the existing lock screen and swipe around to select a lock screen profile without any widgets. However, if you just want to remove widgets from an existing lock screen, press on the lock screen, tap Customize, select the lock screen option, tap the widget box, and then tap the “-” button on each widget to delete them.

Keep haptic keyboard feedback off

Surprisingly, the keyboard on the iPhone has never had the ability to vibrate as you type, something recently added on iOS 16 called haptic feedback. Rather than just hearing a click, haptic feedback provides vibrations to each keystroke, providing a more immersive experience as you type. However, according to Apple, the same feature may also affect battery life.

According to this Apple support page about the keyboard, haptic feedback “may affect iPhone battery life.” There’s no specifics on how much battery life the keyboard feature consumes, but it’s best to disable this feature if you want to save battery.

Fortunately, it’s not turned on by default. If you enabled it yourself, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Keyboard Feedback and turn off Haptics to turn off haptic feedback for the keyboard.

Although they haven’t been released yet, Live Activity and iCloud Shared Photo Library are two iOS 16 features that can also drain your battery, so keep an eye out for updates to this story on how to disable them.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>iPhone battery

iOS 16.1: Update your iPhone now to get these new features

 Apple is releasing iOS 16.1, the next iPhone software update, with a host of new features and some bug fixes. This includes a new way to charge your iPhone, using subscription-based Apple Fitness+ without the need for an Apple Watch, updating Dynamic Island for the iPhone 14 Pro, and more.

iOS 16.1, confirmed to launch on October 24, will also be released alongside other software updates, including iPadOS 16.1 and macOS Ventura.

So how to update to iOS 16.1?

To update, your iPhone may have an “Available Software Updates” option at the top of the settings for easy download. If not, you need to go to Settings > General > Software Update.

While iOS 16.1 fixes some bugs, this update includes some more interesting features – especially for those interested in Apple Fitness+, reducing carbon footprints, and live events. Let’s take a look below!

Apple Fitness+ is available to iPhone users

Starting October 24th, Apple Fitness+ will be available to iPhone users to subscribe, even if they don’t have an Apple Watch. It will be fully integrated with the Fitness app. Users without an Apple Watch won’t be able to see metrics like their heart rate and calories on the screen during a workout, but will still be able to follow up.

Clean and energy efficient

A new battery charging feature will be available on iPhone called Clean Energy. Available in Settings and currently only in the US, the feature will “attempt to reduce the iPhone’s carbon footprint by selectively charging low-carbon electricity when electricity is available.” This may result in slower charging, but is designed to reduce your carbon footprint.

Real-time activity of third-party applications

Want to check your sports scores or see your riding distance at a glance? iOS 16.1 brings live events to third-party apps, which allows iPhone users to watch live events directly on their lock screen and, for those with an iPhone 14 Pro or 14 Pro Max, on Dynamic Island.

Live activity will appear at the bottom of the lock screen on iPhone 14 and 14 Max models and earlier, while iPhone 14 Pro models will feature a feature set at the top of the screen to work with the new Dynamic Island.

iCloud Shared Photo Library

iOS 16.1 makes it easy for users to share photos and videos with up to five people with the iCloud Shared Photo Library feature. By setting up a shared gallery, users can allow photos taken by themselves to be sent directly to the gallery, and allow users in groups to add, edit, favorite, caption, and delete photos.

Enter the Home app

Matter, the new smart home connectivity standard, will now be supported in the Home app. This allows a wider selection of smart home accessories to work together, whether it’s Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and of course Apple’s Homekit.

Dynamic Island Reachability Support

For those with an iPhone 14 Pro or 14 Pro Max, iOS 16.1 will bring Reachability support to make one-handed access easier. It lowers the top of the iPhone‘s display by swiping down on the bottom of the screen. This is an optional feature that can be turned on through accessibility settings.

Key Sharing in Apple Wallet

iPhone users will be able to share their car, hotel room and other keys through iOS 16.1’s key sharing feature. This can be shared via messaging apps, including Messages and WhatsApp. What’s more, Apple Card customers will have access to a savings account that will automatically deposit “Daily Cash” cash back rewards into a high-yield savings account.

>>>>>>>>>>>Apple battery

Android 13 and iOS 16 are no different: A look at four common features

 There was a time when Android and iOS were two completely different worlds, each with a completely different target audience and experience. But as both operating systems become more mature, the difference between them becomes less obvious. The latest iterations — Android 13 and iOS 16 — are now more similar than ever. Today, we’ve listed some of the latest features that actually help bridge the gap between these two beasts.

Android 13 and iOS 16: Customization

When people think of Android, they think of infinite customization across interfaces – and iOS is seen as the exact opposite. However, this has changed dramatically since iOS 14 introduced custom icons and widgets. In iOS 16, both the home screen and the lock screen can be customized. Apple has also added widget support to the lock screen, which is no longer an option on Android.

On iOS 16, users can choose from multiple widgets, customize colors, and use depth effects with wallpapers for a truly unique look. When it comes to customizing the lock screen, Apple’s iOS 16 actually beats Android here.

In Android 13, the “Material You” theme actually goes one step further, even customizing the app’s icon based on the overall system color theme. That’s not yet an option on iOS 16, but it’s safe to say that both operating systems now offer users a ton of customization.

Android 13 vs. iOS 16: Language options per app

While iOS has supported per-app language switching starting with iOS 13, Android only got it in its latest version. The feature makes apps on both operating systems more friendly to multilingual users who may prefer to access certain apps in a language different from the system default. Once set up, the feature works very similarly on both – although setting it up on either is a completely different experience.

On Android phones running Android 13 — still very limited given the fragmented ecosystem — you can do this directly from the app info page. This can be accessed via the menu that pops up when you long-press any app icon. Meanwhile, on Apple, you need to launch System Settings and search for the app in the app list. Click on it and then you will find that option. Keep in mind that not all apps on iOS and Android add support for multiple languages.

Android 13 and iOS 16: Focus Mode

The feature actually has the same name on Android and iOS, although the two are implemented slightly differently. In fact, Apple’s version recently got a major upgrade with iOS 16. For iPhone users, Focus has dedicated modes such as Do Not Disturb, Driving, Personal, Sleep or Work. You can customize these modes to ensure that only certain apps are allowed to show notifications, and that only selected people can call you. Apple’s implementation even allows you to hide certain parts of the app and show only the parts relevant to your focus.

Meanwhile, Android’s Focus Mode will gray out the icon of the selected app and “pause” it. It also ensures that their notifications are hidden. If you tap the app, it will notice that focus mode is on, but you can choose to use it for five minutes. Android 13 will also let you see a schedule for Focus Mode. So this will be turned on at a specific time each day according to your preference.

Android 13 and iOS 16: Dictation

Both operating systems have supported text-to-speech functionality for several years. But only recently has this become accurate enough that users can really consider giving up typing. The Pixel 6 series introduced a very powerful dictation feature in Android 12 last year, but Apple is catching up this year with iOS 16.

With Android 13 and iOS 16, you can now talk and type seamlessly across both platforms, and handle punctuation automatically. Another common feature is support for emoji, which you can add to your text using just your voice. The steps to start voice dictation are the same – on iOS you just tap the microphone icon in the bottom right corner of the keyboard, and on Gboard on Android it’s in the top right corner.

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