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Base M3 MacBook Airs ship with faster storage than their predecessors. Photo: Apple
Apple has fixed the slow storage speed issue that plagued M2 Macs on the M3 MacBook Air. Early testing suggests the entry-level M3 MacBook Air delivers significantly faster read/write speeds than its predecessor.
The slow SSD transfer speed only affected entry-level M2 Macs due to them using a single-chip NAND solution.
M3 MacBook Air with 256GB storage gets a big SSD speed boost
On M2 Macs with 256 GB storage, Apple used a single-chip solution instead of two storage chips. On 512GB and higher configurations, it used a multi-chip solution. This enabled SSDs on machines with 512GB or more storage to offer faster read/write speeds as the chips could process the task in parallel.
This was a regression from M1 Macs, with tests showing a decline in performance of about 30-50%. While this might not make a difference in daily use, the slower SSD speed would be evident when transferring large files and opening/running heavy apps.
As YouTuber MaxTech shows in his 13-inch MacBook Air with M3 teardown video, the new machine uses two 128GB storage chips. This ensures the SSD delivers better performance than the M2 model, with benchmarks indicating 33% faster write speeds and a whopping 82% faster read speeds.
Dual storage chips bring a big performance jump
Such a big performance jump should be easily noticeable when running heavy apps. Add the dual external monitor support, and the M3 MacBook Air packs compelling changes over its predecessors.
While the YouTuber has only tested the 13-inch MacBook Air, the same changes should apply to the 15-inch model. You can read our M2 vs. M3 MacBook Air comparison to learn how the new models are better.
Most average users might not notice the faster SSD speeds on the entry-level M3 Airs. But if the slower speed bothered you on M2 Macs, you no longer need to upgrade to 512GB storage for faster SSD speed on the new M3 Airs.
Your Galaxy A53 might be starting to look like a classic in this multitude of highly-optimized Samsung phones with a similar design, which could work in its favor if you intend to use it until Samsung stops supporting it roughly two-to-three years from now.
But if you don’t intend to squeeze everything out of the Galaxy A53 for two more generations of Android OS updates, now might be a good time to consider a phone upgrade before you can say goodbye to any chance of a decent trade-in deal on your aging phone.
Samsung has just announced the Galaxy A55 today, and although you might not want to hear this, the truth is that the A55 is vastly superior to the A53, even more so than the Galaxy A54 was last year.
Samsung upgraded the Galaxy A55 inside-out, and the phone brings a few new goodies never-before-seen in the Galaxy A5x series.
The Galaxy A55 sets new build quality standards
Starting from the outside in, the Galaxy A55 looks more modern than the Galaxy A53, as it adopts Samsung’s new design formula based on flat surfaces and no unnecessary camera housings. But assuming that doesn’t make a difference to you, the build quality might.
As you’re likely aware, your Galaxy A35 has a plastic frame, which serves it fine but doesn’t provide that much protection or inspire much confidence. Well, the Galaxy A55 changes that, as it is Samsung’s first Galaxy A5x phone to boast a metal frame.
The Galaxy A55 elevates the build quality even further, as it adopts Gorilla Glass Victus+ on both the front and the back.
Your Galaxy A53 has Corning Gorilla Glass 5 display protection and a plastic back, but with its new upgraded build, the Galaxy A55 blurs the line between mid-range and premium phones like no other A5x before it.
You can ditch the Galaxy A53 if you want more power and better connectivity
Even if the improved build quality isn’t enough to make you want to ditch the Galaxy A53 in favor of the Galaxy A55, the latest hardware improvements might. They affect the display, performance, and even cameras.
The Galaxy A55 has a brighter screen (1,000 nits) than your Galaxy A53 (800 nits) and uses Vision Booster technology, which makes it easier to read and more color-accurate, even in direct sunlight.
Samsung’s new mid-range phone also boasts a minimum of 8GB of RAM, whereas you could be using a 4GB Galaxy A53. And, there’s more. In some markets, the Galaxy A55 is available with a whopping 12GB of RAM, which should fix any and all multitasking issues. Remember that not even the base Galaxy S24 flagship variant offers 12GB, which makes the Galaxy A55 that much more interesting.
As far as raw performance goes, the Galaxy A55 has a new Exynos 1480 chip, manufactured on a 4nm process. It’s the first mid-range Samsung SoC to boast an AMD RDNA-based graphics chip. Combined with 8GB or 12GB of RAM, this silicon might do enough to elevate the mid-range Galaxy Ax experience to a level where UI performance issues are a thing of the past.
And if you care about mobile photography, the Galaxy A55 should offer better performance and improved nightography. It can even record Super HDR videos in low light and offers OIS and VIDS when capturing 4K videos.
The Galaxy A53 might have more megapixels and one extra (depth) camera, but in practice, the Galaxy A55 should be visibly superior thanks to newer technologies and better image processing.
Last but not least, if you do upgrade to the Galaxy A55 and leave your Galaxy A53 behind, you’ll benefit from faster Wi-Fi 6 connectivity (up from Wi-Fi 5) and Bluetooth 5.3, which is more energy-efficient and plain better than Bluetooth 5.1 (it can even deliver better sound quality).
All things considered, the Galaxy A53 may have served you well for the past two years, and it still has two more major Android OS upgrades planned. Nevertheless, the Galaxy A55 might turn out to be the upgrade you never knew you needed or wanted.
Samsung has unveiled its new mid-range smartphone, the Galaxy A35, featuring a modern design and camera improvements. It succeeds the Galaxy A34, bringing a faster processor and brighter 120Hz OLED screen. It is also among the first mid-range phones with One UI 6.1 pre-installed.
Let us have a look at what the Galaxy A35 has to offer.
Galaxy A35 has a faster processor (Exynos 1380) and improved camera quality
The Galaxy A35 has a more modern-looking design. It has a screen with a punch-hole-shaped cutout for the selfie camera. While it still uses a plastic frame, Samsung has used a glass back on its new mid-ranger and Gorilla Glass Victus+ for display protection. It also has the company’s new ‘Key Island‘ design, which raises the part of the frame near the power and volume keys.
It has a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED with Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It also has the Vision Booster mode, which can raise the brightness to 1,000 nits under direct sunlight. There is an in-display optical fingerprint reader, stereo speakers, and an IP67 rating (for dust and water resistance).
Samsung has improved the Galaxy A35’s camera capabilities. It features a 50MP primary camera with OIS, an 8MP ultrawide camera, and a 5MP macro camera on the rear. On the front, it has a 13MP selfie camera. It can record 4K videos at 30 frames per second using its front and rear (50MP) cameras. The company says VDIS improves video stabilization, while Super HDR Video improves colors and dynamic range.
The Galaxy A35 comes equipped with the Exynos 1380 processor, 6GB/8GB RAM, 128GB/256GB internal storage, and a microSD card slot. Thanks to the new 5nm processor, the phone should offer 18% improved CPU performance and 15% faster GPU performance, which is decent enough for gaming. This is the same chipset that was used in the Galaxy A54 last year.
This new mid-range phone’s connectivity features include GPS, 5G, a dual-SIM card slot (and eSIM), Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and a USB Type-C port. It is powered by a 5,000mAh battery and supports 25W fast charging.
The phone will be available in four colors: Ice Blue, Lavender, Lemon Yellow, and Navy Blue.
Galaxy A35 runs One UI 6.1 out of the box and will get four Android OS updates
The A35 runs Android 14-based One UI 6.1 and will get four major Android OS updates and security updates for five years.
It has Samsung Knox and Samsung Knox Vault. Auto Blocker, Samsung’s new security measure to stop app installation from unauthorized sources, is also present on the Galaxy A35. It offers app security checks and blocks malicious commands from entering the phone when it is connected to an external device using a USB cable.
TM Roh, President and Head of Samsung MX (Mobile eXperience), said, “With the Galaxy A series, we are expanding our latest technologies to a wider audience so that more people can benefit from them. We are excited to open up even more possibilities on the Galaxy A series this year, including offering Samsung Knox Vault for the first time on this lineup. We’re proud to enable Galaxy A series users to safely and reliably enjoy outstanding mobile experiences.“
Alongside the Galaxy A35, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy A55, its new mid-range phone. It is the company’s most premium-looking and feeling mid-range phone yet.
The Galaxy A55 features a metal frame, a powerful new processor, and some camera features usually found on premium Galaxy S series phones.
Galaxy A55 has a metal frame, Exynos 1480 chip with AMD GPU
Samsung has used a metal-and-glass body for the Galaxy A55. It is the first Galaxy A series phone to feature a metal frame, and its front and rear are covered by glass. As usual, this new mid-range Galaxy A phone features an IP67 dust and water resistance rating.
It has a 6.6-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, Vision Booster, and Gorilla Glass Victus. Its peak screen brightness can reach up to 1,000 nits under direct sunlight and even higher in HDR scenes. It has stereo speakers for a more immersive media consumption experience. The phone has an under-display optical fingerprint reader.
The 4nm Exynos 1480 processor powers the Galaxy A55. It has four high-performance Cortex-A78 CPU cores clocked at 2.75GHz, four power-efficient Cortex-A55 CPU cores clocked at 2GHz, and the Xclipse 530 GPU based on AMD’s RDNA 2 architecture. It is said to have a 15% faster CPU and a 32% faster GPU, so playing high-end games shouldn’t be an issue.
The phone has 8GB/12GB RAM and 128GB/256GB internal storage. It is the first Galaxy A series phone with up to 12GB RAM. A microSD card slot allows for further storage expansion.
Samsung is shipping the Galaxy A55 with Android 14-based One UI 6.1 pre-installed. The mid-range phone, like others from Samsung, will get four major Android OS updates and security updates for five years. It features Auto Blocker, Samsung Knox, and Samsung Knox Vault.
Galaxy A55 has Nightography camera with Super HDR videos
The Galaxy A55 has improved overall cameras. It has three cameras on the rear: a 50MP primary camera with OIS and autofocus, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 5MP macro camera. On the front, it has a 32MP selfie camera. The 50MP and 13MP cameras can record 4K 30fps videos with VDIS (EIS for video stabilization).
The advanced AI ISP inside the Exynos 1480 brings improved low-light images on a Galaxy A series phone for the first time. Thanks to Nightography, the Galaxy A55 also has Night Portrait mode. It is also the first Galaxy A phone with 12-bit Super HDR Video for a wider dynamic range and deeper colors.
The phone is powered by a 5,000mAh battery and supports 25W fast charging. Its connectivity features include GPS, 5G, a dual-SIM card slot, eSIM, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and a USB Type-C port. The phone will be available in four colors: Ice Blue, Green, Lilac, and Navy.
A camera sensor is among the most important components in a smartphone, and Sony is the world’s number one camera sensor maker. Samsung’s System LSI division also makes camera sensors under the ISOCELL branding, and it is the second-biggest camera maker globally. While Samsung largely uses its own camera sensors in its Galaxy phones, that could change in the future.
Future Galaxy phones may use Sony camera sensors
According to a new report from ETNews, Samsung could use more Sony camera sensors in its smartphones in the future. Sony Semiconductor Solutions (which makes Sony camera sensors) plans to move part of its camera sensor production from Japan to South Korea, reportedly to expand and strengthen Samsung’s supply of camera sensors. It is said to have discussed its plans with back-end semiconductor process companies, including LB Semicon, Doosan Tesna (NGion), ALT, and ASE Korea, for packaging and inspection processes.
Camera image sensor semiconductor wafers will be transferred from Japan to South Korea for packaging processes and turned into individual chips. Sony asked those Korean firms to use Class 10-level Clean Rooms for this post-processing. Class 10-level Clean Roms are those rooms in a manufacturing facility where less than 10 dust particles (larger than 0.5µm in size) are found in one cubic foot of space. These companies will also conduct the reconstruction process, which selects good quality chips and rearranges them.
An industry official familiar with the matter reportedly said, “Samsung’s MX division is encouraging competition by mixing image sensors made by its system LSI division with Sony products in smartphones, and Sony is expanding its back-end process to Korea to respond more actively to its customers. I understand that they are planning to proceed with it.”
Apparently, Samsung MX wants increased competition between Sony Semiconductor Solutions and its own System LSI subsidiary. This will result in faster implementation of newer technologies and lower costs for Samsung. Sony currently has over 50% market share in the global mobile camera sensor market, while Samsung is a distant second at 10%.
In December 2023, Samsung launched the Galaxy A15 5G, and by the end of that month, we learned that it was developing the Galaxy M15 5G, which would be a rebranded variant of the A-series device and a successor to last year’s Galaxy M14 5G. Well, almost two and a half months after that news broke out, Samsung has finally launched the Galaxy M15 5G.
The Korean tech giant didn’t make an announcement about the launch of the device. Instead, it silently listed the phone on the company’s official website for Iraq and Levant. The Galaxy M15 5G, as we had expected, is a rebranded variant of the Galaxy A15 5G, and as such, the M-series device has the same specifications as the A-series device, except for the battery capacity, the design of the back panel, thickness, and weight.
While the Galaxy A15 5G has a 5,000mAh battery, the Galaxy M15 5G features a 6,000mAh battery. With that, the M-series device weighs 17 grams more than its A-series cousin, tipping the scale at 217 grams, and has a 0.9mm additional thickness, measuring 9.3mm. To differentiate the two, Samsung is offering the Galaxy M15 5G with a different rear design; it has a chequered pattern instead of the Galaxy A15 5G’s plain back.
Galaxy M15 5G specifications
Like the Galaxy A15 5G, the Galaxy M15 5G has a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate, which is a huge departure from the LCD on the Galaxy M14 5G. You get three cameras at the rear; a 50MP wide sensor, a 5MP ultrawide camera, and a 2MP macro camera. For selfies, you get a 13MP sensor. The primary camera at the rear and the selfie camera can record videos at FHD resolution and 30fps.
Powering the new M-series device is the MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ SoC. The device listed on Samsung’s website has 4GB RAM and 128GB storage. However, we assume that the company will offer it in other memory configurations when it makes the phone available to purchase. While the tech giant hasn’t revealed which version of Android the new phone comes with, we are assuming that it will ship with Android 14 (One UI 6.0).
On the connectivity front, you get options similar to other mid-range Samsung phones, including dual-SIM 5G, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The Galaxy M15 5G supports 15W wired charging, which is 10W less than what the Galaxy A15 5G can handle. Other features include a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. Samsung is offering the phone in three colors: Dark Blue, Light Blue, and Gray.
Pricing and availability
Samsung has neither revealed the price of the Galaxy M15 5G nor any details about when the company will make it available for purchase. That being said, expect it to cost slightly less than the Galaxy A15 5G and go on sale in the next couple of weeks. Also, expect Samsung to launch the phone in other countries, including India, very soon.
CleanMyPhone is a new app that will tidy up your photo library. Developed by MacPaw, maker of CleanMyMac X, the new app can do a thorough scan of images on your iPhone to clear out years of screenshots, saved TikToks and unusably blurry shots. It’s a simple way to clean up photos on your iPhone.
It also uses artificial intelligence to sort your photos into handy categories. Plus, it makes it simple to periodically look at the last week or month of your photos to sort things into albums and stay organized. As a bonus, the app comes with an internet speed test — good for checking if your connection is solid enough to take an important video call.
Clean up and organize your photo library with the CleanMyPhone app [Review]
I have … a lot of screen recordings. Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Immediately you’ll notice how beautifully designed the CleanMyPhone app is. Open the app and you’ll see a quick walkthrough of the main features, with gorgeous graphics on a colorfully animated background. Make sure you enable access to all photos — that’s essential for the core features to work.
Hit the Scan button to search through your photos for clutter to eliminate. The scan surfaces screenshots, blurry pictures, duplicates, screen recordings, TikTok videos and albums generated by apps.
Tap on any category to get a closer look at what the CleanMyPhone scan flagged. You can mark some of the items as Sensitive, if you like, so the app won’t ever remove them. (If you delete something accidentally, you have 30 days to recover it from the Recently Deleted folder in Photos.)
Once you’re finished, just tap the satisfying Clean button to clear your iPhone of duplicate photos and other clutter.
As you can see from the screenshot above, I have gigabytes of screen recordings and screenshots that it surfaced. Many of these were for work (and have already been published in articles and archived elsewhere) and didn’t need to be in my library.
Personally, I don’t understand why it thinks Snapchats are clutter. All of these are pictures and videos I just happened to capture with Snapchat instead of the regular camera and saved to my library intentionally. But it’s easy to mark them as sensitive (or ignore the category entirely).
Keep yourself organized
Don’t just clean the house — get someone to keep it up. Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
One-time cleans are all well and good for cutting out cruft, but any parent can tell you that staying organized is arguably more important. Go to the Organize tab for a quick review of the last week or the last month of photos.
The CleanMyPhone app will sort your pictures into albums, using AI to put them into a few categories: Portraits, Travel, Pets, Food, Text, Other.
In each category, you can see Similars (groups of photos all taken in a batch, where you only need to keep the best few) and Unique photos (one-offs you may or may not need). Pick the photos you want to keep (and which you want to remove), then tap Finish.
You can keep coming back to this tab regularly to keep your library tidy. I think this kind of habit-making digital cleanliness could really tickle the right kind of person (like someone who compulsively clears their running apps).
But wait, there’s One More Thing™
Mediocre internet that I pay truly heinous prices for in rural Ohio. Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
The CleanMyPhone app also gives you a tool for testing your internet speed. To use it, just tap the Network tab at the bottom and then hit Test. I normally just go to fast.com, but this is certainly a more beautiful experience.
During CleanMyPhone’s speed test, numbers whizz by the top of your iPhone screen and a big glowing graph is drawn live. When it finishes, the app will tell you what your internet connection can handle. For instance, it can tell you whether your connection is good enough to handle live gaming or a video call, or whether you should just stick to audio.
I really love this interface. If the developers made a little Mac app of this same interface (it wouldn’t even need the photo library stuff) I would pay an irresponsible amount of money for it considering fast.com is free.
Where to get the CleanMyPhone app
Price: $24.99 per year with three-day trial Download from:App Store
CleanMyPhone is a delightful utility that will bring a spark of joy to the otherwise tedious chore of sorting through thousands of photos. I can easily foresee MacPaw adding more different tools to CleanMyPhone over time, to match the Swiss army knife-utility that is CleanMyMac X.
And CleanMyMac X remains the best way to keep your Mac in tip-top shape. You can use MacPaw’s flagship Mac app to clear out malware and adware, scope out the giant hidden files filling up your disk, and keep an eye on the apps that are hogging all your memory.
Light up your home in 16 million colors with this smart LED floor lamp, now $60. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
You don’t need to completely revamp your home to make it feel new and cool again. Just a dash of color can completely change the mood of any space, and that’s easy (and affordable) with this modern LED floor lamp that can be controlled via an app.
Meet the 55-inch RGB LED Remote Floor Lamp, a practical piece of home decor that can help you create the perfect ambiance with its dazzling range of smart lighting features. Right now, it’s only $59.99 (regularly $99) when you shop at Cult of Mac Deals.
Smart, sleek lighting that can amplify any space
Proper lighting is the unsung hero of any computer setup and makes a gigantic difference when it comes to the look and feel of any room. A modern floor lamp like this one can transform a space instantly.
This razor-thin home lighting option boasts powerful LEDs that are highly customizable. Whether you want to make your bedroom a more mellow, relaxing space or transform your living area into a vibrant setting for your next gathering, you can choose from 16 million color options and 68 light modes to personalize your lighting and curate the right aesthetic.
Sync your lighting to your music with this modern floor lamp
But that’s not the only impressive part. Thanks to a built-in microphone, this modern floor lamp can sync with your music to bring your lighting to life. You can control the lamp with the supplied remote or through the companion app (iPhone or Android).
Each option gives you granular control. You can select the perfect hue via a color wheel on your phone, and choose your ideal brightness using the digital dimmer switch that runs from 1% to 100%. The lamp even offers a timer setting, meaning there’s no need to turn the lamp off manually when you go to bed. Plus, you can schedule specific lighting for certain times of the day.
These features come packed into a slim aluminum-and-acrylic design that takes up little space. Its minimalist aesthetic looks good in bedrooms, living areas, gaming dens and most other spaces.
Save on an LED floor lamp with loads of color options
Grab this 55-inch LED floor lamp for just $59.99 for a limited time. That’s a 40% discount off the usual price of $99.99. And you can save even more if you buy two or three lamps in a bundle.
March 5, 2012: Apple reaches a staggering milestone, with 25 billion apps downloaded from the iOS App Store. The company celebrates with a giveaway titled the “25 Billion App Countdown.”
The lucky 25 billionth app downloader wins an iTunes gift card worth $10,000.
Apple’s 25 Billion App Countdown
Just four years after Apple co-founder Steve Jobs relented and opened the iPhone’s App Store, the genius of allowing third-party developers to create iOS apps was undeniable. Hitting the 25 billion downloads landmark in such a short time showcased just how smart — and lucrative — the move was.
Developers dreamed up apps that made the iPhone more useful and fun. Apps that became hits made devs rich, and Apple took a cut of the sales. The App Store became a major profit center for Apple.
“We’d like to thank our customers and developers for helping us achieve this historic milestone of 25 billion apps downloaded,” says Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of internet software and services, in a statement. “When we launched the App Store less than four years ago, we never imagined that mobile apps would become the phenomenon they have, or that developers would create such an incredible selection of apps for iOS users.”
At the time, the App Store offered more than 550,000 apps for download. Apple had doled out more than $4 billion to developers for their 70% share of revenue from paid downloads.
The winner of the gift card in Apple’s 25 Billion App Countdown is Chunli Fu from China. The app is Disney’s Where’s My Water?, a free puzzle game released the previous September.
App Store continues to grow
By comparison, today the App Store peddles nearly 2 million apps, and clocks more than 100 billion downloads a year. The App Store’s reach and influence continue to grow, although Apple’s management of the store faces increasing scrutiny from international antitrust regulators.
“Apps and games have become the essential source for the world’s most innovative and timely entertainment,” Apple said in a 2022 press release. “The efforts, innovation, and creativity of the developers who leverage Apple technology to build these incredible experiences, coupled with the power of the App Store’s global platform to connect businesses of all sizes with over 600 million people each week across 175 countries, has led to developers selling digital goods and services earning more than $260 billion since the App Store launched in 2008.”
Apple continually touts the benefits of the App Store to both consumers and third-party developers. However, the company’s strict control over the app marketplace and the overall iOS ecosystem have landed Apple in hot water. Changes coming soon in iOS 17.4 will open the iPhone to sideloading and third-party app stores in the European Union. And Apple faces a $1.8 billion fine for its allegedly abusive treatment of streaming music rival Spotify.
Apple loved the milestones
Just a few years ago, Apple liked celebrating milestone events with promotions like the 25 Billion App Countdown. In fact, a 2004 contest to mark 100 million iTunes song downloads made the 2012 app download contest look meager.
The winner of the 2004 contest received a personal phone call from Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, a 17-inch PowerBook, a 40GB iPod and a gift certificate for 10,000 iTunes songs.
These days, Apple mostly avoids making a big deal of these kinds of landmark events. When Apple passed the 1 billionth iPhone milestone, the company did little to commemorate the occasion. The same held true when Apple’s market cap surpassed the $1 trillion valuation. And $2 trillion. And $3 trillion.
Similarly, Apple avoids sharing too many details about the usage of services like Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade and Apple Fitness+. The company also stopped revealing the number of iPhones sold each quarter.
While I understand the logic behind this less-bombastic strategy, I miss the excitement of such old-school Apple events. It was fun when Apple eagerly (and publicly) counted down to its next gigantic sales record with events like the 25 Billion App Countdown.
Apple just dropped iOS 17.4, bringing a plethora of new features — some of which fundamentally change how the iPhone works.
The biggest point update to iOS 17, iOS 17.4 comes almost six months after the operating system’s initial release. It enables support for third-party app stores, browsers and payment apps on the iPhone. The bummer? These major changes are only coming to the European Union. Still, there are a lot of new iOS 17.4 features that will enhance the experience of every iPhone user.
All the new iOS 17.4 features
Apple crammed iOS 17.4 with features and significant changes. Many of them result from the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which goes into effect soon, forcing Apple to make some fundamental changes to its mobile OS.
If you want to try the new iOS 17.4 features, first you need to install iOS 17.4 on your iPhone from Settings > General > Software Update.
EU-specific changes
NFC access to third-party payment apps
Apple is opening the iPhone’s NFC chip to third-party payment and banking apps in iOS 17.4. So, for the first time, iPhone users in Europe can use a non-Apple Pay payment service to make contactless payments in-store.
You can set a default payment app from the Settings menu. iOS 17.4 will also show the apps granted access to the NFC chip for contactless payment.
Third-party browser engines
Another significant EU-specific change in iOS 17.4 is support for third-party browser engines. While Chrome, Firefox and Edge are available for iOS, they use the same WebKit rendering engine as Safari due to the platform’s restrictions.
With iOS 17.4, Apple is opening its mobile platform to third-party browser changes.
Third-party app stores
Sideloading applications onto an iPhone comes with a lot of rules. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
iOS 17.4 paves the way for third-party app stores and sideloading on the iPhone, at least in the European Union. Apple was against the iPhone sideloading provision in the EU’s Digital Markets Act. But since it lost, the company has no option but to adhere to the changes.
So, with iOS 17.4, the company is opening iOS to third-party app stores and sideloading. In typical Apple style, though, there are a lot of restrictions and clauses here. Apple must approve every app before it is available for sideloading. And developers can only offer them for download through alternative app stores. (Some developers lashed out at Apple’s onerous rules as “malicious compliance” with the EU’s new rules.)
EU developers are free to use non-Apple in-app payment systems in their apps. These changes might not be visible immediately after iOS 17.4’s release, but developers should quickly adopt them.
Developers in the EU have the option of adopting Apple’s new business terms. Under this, they will have to pay 0.5 euros per user per year, with no other fees applicable. The first million installations will be free. You can find more information about this in Apple’s announcement from January 2024.
iOS 17.4 enhancements for everyone
Stolen Device Protection improvements
iOS 17.4 improves the iPhone’s Stolen Device Protection feature with an “Always” security delay for changing the security settings. (On iOS 17.3, you could change the security settings on your iPhone after an hour from unfamiliar locations.)
While small, the change will help keep your Apple account and iPhone secure in case of theft.
Messaging with Siri
iOS 17.4 renames Siri’s “Automatically Send Messages” feature to “Messaging with Siri.” More importantly, you can specify multiple languages in which Siri can send messages. Apple’s voice assistant was previously limited to sending messages in English.
Transcript support in Podcasts
Apple Podcasts transcripts Photo: Apple
iOS 17.4 introduces automatic transcript support in Apple’s Podcasts app. When playing a podcast, you need to tap the first icon at the bottom from the left, which looks like a speech bubble within quotes. The show’s transcript should then appear on your iPhone’s display.
You also can search through the transcript to directly jump to that part of the podcast.
Emoji 15.1
Apple is adding 118 emoji from the Emoji 15.1 release to iOS 17.4. They include a phoenix, a lime and smileys shaking their heads up and down.
The new emoji could help you express yourself better when talking to friends or family.
Enjoy these new emoji on your iPhone after updating to iOS 17.4. Photo: Emojipedia
Fortified iMessage security
iMessage will gain post-quantum cryptography (PQC) security in iOS 17.4. This won’t affect your ongoing conversations in the Messages app. But once you and your friends’ iPhones are on iOS 17.4, a cutting-edge security protocol will protect all your texts.
Revamped Battery Health menu
With iOS 17.4, the iPhone 15 will get a revamped Battery Health menu, showing the battery’s condition as “Normal” if its capacity is not a concern. Tapping on this menu will provide more detailed information, like the cycle count and capacity percentage.
Previous models will stick to the older menu, requiring you to head inside the Battery Health submenu to know the cell’s condition.
Cloud-based game services on the App Store
Apple is changing its stance on cloud gaming services with the release of iOS 17.4. The company will allow game streaming apps like Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming to launch dedicated apps on the App Store.
Apple previously limited such services from displaying their game collections through the iOS web browser.
Virtual card number in Apple Cash
iOS 17.4 brings a new feature to the Wallet app: the ability to create a virtual debit card number for Apple Cash. This is a convenient option for making secure payments online or in stores where Apple Pay isn’t accepted.
Using a virtual card number prevents you from sharing your actual card details for added security.
Disable Hand gesture reactions in third-party apps
Apple is introducing a new API in iOS 17.4 that will allow developers to turn off the hand gesture reactions in their video calling apps. Starting with iOS 17, you could make certain hand gestures to trigger reactions while on a video call, whether on FaceTime or third-party apps. Since there was no way to turn off each gesture reaction, many iPhone users inadvertently triggered them.
An API in iOS 17.4 will fix that, allowing developers to turn off each gesture individually.
iOS 17.4 release notes
You can find Apple’s official iOS 17.4 release notes highlighting all the changes below.
Emoji
New mushroom, phoenix, lime, broken chain, and shaking heads emoji are now available in the emoji keyboard.
18 people and body emoji add the option to face them in either direction.
Apple Podcasts
Transcripts let you follow an episode with text that highlights in sync with the audio in English, Spanish, French and German.
Episode text can be read in full, searched for a word or phrase, tapped to play from a specific point and used with accessibility features such as Text Size, Increase Contrast and VoiceOver.
This update includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:
Music recognition lets you add songs you have identified to your Apple Music Playlists and Library, as well as Apple Music Classic.
Siri has a new option to announce messages you receive in any supported language.
Stolen Device Protection supports the option for increased security in all locations.
Battery Health in Settings shows battery cycle count, manufacture date, and first use on iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models.
Call Identification displays Apple-verified business name, logo and department name when available.
Business updates in Messages for Business provide trusted information for order status, flight notifications, fraud alerts or other transactions you opt into.
Apple Cash virtual card numbers enable you to pay with Apple Cash at merchants that don’t yet accept Apple Pay by typing in your number from Wallet or using Safari AutoFill.
Fixes an issue where contact pictures are blank in Find My.
Fixes an issue for Dual SIM users where the phone number changes from primary to secondary and is visible to a group they have messaged.
What are your favorite new iOS 17.4 features? Let us know in the comments below.
March 5, 2012: Apple reaches a staggering milestone, with 25 billion apps downloaded from the iOS App Store. The company celebrates with a giveaway titled the “25 Billion App Countdown.”
