Your wireless carrier won’t be able to throttle streaming video for much longer. Image: Fox/Cult of Mac
There’s a good chance watching video on your iPhone is about to get better. Net neutrality rules passed by the FCC this week reportedly forbid U.S. wireless carriers from lowering the quality of streaming video to throttle the amount of data its consumes.
So if you watch Apple TV+, Netflix, etc. on your iPhone, your carrier is no longer allowed to reduce the video quality.
Wireless carriers currently throttle streaming video
Wireless carriers have a limited amount of wireless bandwidth to offer their customers. When the FCC killed net neutrality in 2017, they began stretching it by throttling streaming video for some customers.
Top-tier wireless service plans might not put limits on video quality, but Verizon’s starter plan, for example, draws the line at 480p. AT&T’s low-cost plan limits video to 2 Mbps.
Those days are almost over.
Net neutrality forbids throttling streaming video
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted to restore net neutrality on Thursday. That means internet providers, including wireless carriers, are not allowed to single out certain types of data for special treatment.
Ryan Singel teaches about net neutrality at Stanford Law School, and he explained to Marketplace what the rule change means for mobile streaming video.
“If you go and look at the pricing plans for Verizon and AT&T and T-Mobile, if you are not on their most premium plan, the video quality you get on your mobile connection is throttled. Like you get lower quality video, regardless of how much data you have. So those kinds of things will no longer be legal and I expect that the FCC will move rather quickly to prevent that.”
Cult of Mac checked and the websites of major wireless carriers still indicate they throttle wireless video. But if Singel is correct, that’ll change once the FCC steps in to order a change.
Roland has a new on-the-go podcasting setup with an eye-catching price. The company’s Go:Podcast studio includes a USB condenser mic (with support for four polar patterns) and a companion app that can stream to platforms like YouTube, Twitch and Facebook.
The company describes the Go:Podcast as “the simplest way to do high-quality live streaming with a mobile device.” For $140, you get the USB microphone and access to the companion app (iOS and Android), which supports live streaming, including dual-camera setups. The latter can work simultaneously with your smartphone’s front and back cameras, or you can pair a second “satellite” camera to complement your phone’s. It also supports wireless screen sharing for things like live-streaming mobile gameplay.
The microphone’s polar pattern options include cardioid (best for one person speaking), omni (multi-directional) and stereo (best for two people or musical performances). A fourth option lets you flip the stereo channels to match your video.
Roland
Somewhat confusingly, many of Roland’s product photos (like the one above) show a mini smartphone tripod and V-Moda headphones alongside the mic, but those accessories aren’t included. A Roland spokesperson clarified to Engadget that those were meant to illustrate an example of a complete mobile podcasting system with the mic and app at its center.
The Go:Podcast app includes perks like overlaying text and images, playing video clips and audio tracks, picture-in-picture and split screen. It has free-to-use background music tracks (which hopefully sound better than I imagine) along with stock photos and videos.
Roland’s $140 Go:Podcast studio will arrive in early May. You can learn more (and look out for more specific availability as its launch date approaches) at Roland’s website.
Consumer expectations for high-quality and high-performing business applications have never been greater, but a poor experience can have costly consequences. 100 milliseconds of latency costs Amazon $5.4bn in lost sales. Brand reputation and customer relationships are also at stake. But these trends don’t just apply to huge global enterprises like Amazon. With over seven million apps available across iOS and Android platforms, even SMEs that want to compete to grow their user base and boost revenue must deliver unique, engaging, and easy-to-use mobile applications.
The impact of poor mobile application quality on SMEs can be felt right down to the bottom line. In fact, 96% of global SMEs estimate losses of up to $2.49m as a result of poor mobile application quality. Users are facing challenges with device or platform support, lack of native applications and buggy or slow experiences. These are problems that SME business leaders are cognizant of, as they recognize the value of a well designed mobile application for building brand value, delivering an enhanced user experience, increasing competitiveness, and driving customer retention, acquisition and sales alike.
That explains why senior IT professionals and application developers at SMEs are increasingly categorizing mobile application quality as critical to their business, and recognizing the importance of testing the quality and success of their organization’s mobile app development.
The delivery of quality software, fast, has become a necessary prerequisite for winning and retaining customers and, ultimately, to achieving digital success. But the surge in demand has also exposed challenges in the mobile application development and testing landscape. This has prompted serious decisions amongst SMEs about how to reduce the impact of poor application quality.
Mav Turner
Chief Product and Strategy Officer, Tricentis.
Defining and delivering on quality
Ultimately, the customer is at the center of mobile application development.
Security, high-performance, good user experience and accessibility all rank highly as the key markers of success amongst SMEs. The challenge however is that mobile application users don’t differentiate between businesses of different sizes (and budgets) when it comes to user experience – they want an app that is fast and easy-to-use, regardless of the size and scale of the organization behind it. Delivering a quality user experience is not just about developing apps that work, but creating an end-to-end experience that helps users to operate mobile applications intuitively.
However, SMEs are suffering from a significant lack of resources to effectively support mobile development and testing to ensure this level of quality. We’re hearing from more and more IT leaders at companies of this size who recognize that there’s significant room for improvement in their mobile application development and testing strategies, but say they simply aren’t able to find the numbers and quality of personnel required to achieve better results.
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Competing priorities and cost also present challenges for SME mobile app development and testing, compounding issues of complexity and lack of resources. And yet many still use manual testing for mobile applications – a slow and laborious process.
Adopting automation and AI to overcome challenges
Automation, underpinned by AI and low-code/no-code tools, presents a solution to these challenges. A YouGov survey from 2023 – commissioned by The Times and Lloyds Bank – revealed that 10% of SMEs had already used AI to grow their businesses by improving processes and systems, whilst 16% said that introducing automation had improved their productivity. So there is strong indication that SMEs can find significant productivity and efficiency gains by onboarding these technologies – our own research shows that as much as 75 hours per month could be saved.
Beyond productivity, user experience ranks highly as a key use case for the adoption of automation and AI in mobile app development and testing. Automated testing enables teams to more quickly identify opportunities to streamline app delivery while maintaining quality and performance, getting better apps to market quicker. Meanwhile, AI can answer developers’ questions far quicker, reducing the amount of tedious work required to find information manually. This leaves them free to focus on improving the end user experience, and fix any bugs found during testing.
Despite these anticipated benefits, the number of those already reaping these rewards remains low. However, with more education about when and how to use them best AI tools will play a significant role in reducing the financial losses being incurred by SMEs as a result of poor mobile application quality.
Mobile testing crossroads
Clearly SMEs cannot afford to keep losing money because of poor mobile app performance. The time is now for long-term strategizing and investment in technologies that will positively impact both user experience and revenue opportunity – as well as helping to overcome skills and productivity gaps.
Mobile application quality has never been more important, and the mobile app development industry is at a crucial juncture, with AI and automation presenting a unique opportunity to those who take advantage. It’s clear from our research that all SME stakeholders — from the C-suite to the developers themselves — are focused on improving their mobile application quality and testing processes, with much to gain.
This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro’s Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro
I’m a big proponent of the Backbone One mobile controller. It’s perfect for top native mobile titles like Call of Duty: Warzone Mobileand Genshin Impact, but is also easily one of the best Xbox Game Pass streaming accessories on the market – or so I thought. Although the controller’s original design is a few years old now, I didn’t think there were many ways in which it could be improved – until I went hands-on with the recently released GameSir X2s Type-C.
A budget mobile controller, the GameSir X2s Type-C costs 45.99 / £49 / AU$69, a whopping $44 / £50.99 / AU$110.99 less than the Backbone One, but has managed to come out on top thanks to one killer feature: its unique moveable USB-C connector. It addresses one of my biggest complaints with the Backbone One while helping to protect your phone’s charging port from damage.
Catching up
(Image credit: Alex Walker-Todd / Dashiell Wood / Future)
Getting your phone crammed into the Backbone One is more of a pain than it needs to be. For starters, the Backbone One doesn’t have enough room for the vast majority of phone cases so you need to take it off every single time you want to play. This is a double whammy of frustration, as you’re not only left with an empty phone case to clog up your pockets but also a naked phone that’s vulnerable to bumps or scratches.
This is especially problematic if you’re using your Backbone One to play on public transport or a flight, which is realistically a big reason why most of us would consider picking up a mobile controller in the first place. It’s easy for accidents to happen in these environments and I’ve dropped my phone a fair few times while it’s been connected and now have some nasty dents to show for it.
With the GameSir X2s Type-C, however, these difficulties are a thing of the past. Its USB-C connector is spring-loaded and can be tilted up to a 51-degree angle. This means that the mobile controller is compatible with almost any phone case, simply tilting slightly to create the necessary extra clearance.
Returning to the Backbone One, the setup process is still needlessly fiddly even if you don’t use a case. The mobile controller features a spring-loaded extending back, which helps it to fit snugly around a wide range of devices. It’s an excellent idea on paper, but keeping it extended with one hand while slotting your phone into place with the other is incredibly awkward and an annoying hurdle if you’re just after a few quick matches of PUBG Mobile on the go.
Although the GameSir X2s Type-C features a similar spring-loaded mechanism, the moveable connector means that you don’t need to do everything in a single motion to get your phone attached. You can simply slot the phone in at an angle, entirely impossible on the Backbone One, and then extend the controller until it falls into place.
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With the Backbone One, things are even worse when it comes to getting your phone back out again. I often find myself just grabbing the corner of my phone and haphazardly pulling it at an angle until it comes loose. It’s the easiest and fastest way to get the phone disconnected, but I wouldn’t recommend you ever do the same. You can feel straight away that the action puts a lot of pressure on the connector, risking damage not only to the controller itself but also to the charging port of your phone.
The moveable USB-C connector of the GameSir X2s Type-C means that removal is much easier: you just lift up your phone and pull safe in the knowledge that the added capacity for motion will prevent anything from snapping.
It’s such a small and simple addition, but it’s hard to overstate just how much it improves the experience of using the GameSir X2s Type-C compared to the Backbone One. I’m really hoping that Backbone is taking notes.
The first Mint Mobile deal mentioned here will get you any 3-month plan for just $15 per month ($45 in total). Naturally, since this deal applies to all plans, you’ll want to make sure you pick the priciest plan in the range – the unlimited plan.
This plan usually sets you back $30 per month on the cheapest rate so you’re essentially bagging a half-price deal here. Note that you can switch up your plan from the unlimited tier if you decide you’d prefer a cheaper option later on.
The second deal featured at Mint today is a super-rare buy-one-get-one-free promotion for new customers. This is the first time we’ve seen the carrier offer this kind of deal – although it’s specifically aimed at customers on the big rivals AT&T and Verizon. You have to be on one of those carriers to take advantage but it is stackable with the super-cheap 3-month deal that’s also available at Mint right now.
Today’s best Mint Mobile deals
Why switch to Mint Mobile?
(Image credit: Future)
Much cheaper plans than the big carriers
No contracts
5G data (but subject to deprioritization)
Mint Mobile currently offers some of the best prepaid plans on the market if you’re solely focused on value. In particular, its annual plans offer incredibly low prices (like $30/mo for the unlimited plan) but the carrier’s payment model does mean that you need to pay for a full year of service upfront for the best prices on average.
As a prepaid carrier, Mint Mobile is also subject to deprioritization, meaning the parent network T-Mobile may slow down network speeds if the local area is busy. This may or may not be an issue depending on where you live, but it’s something to be aware of if you’re going with Mint or any prepaid carrier.
Apple is exploring various “personal robotics” projects in an effort to create its “next big thing,” according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman.
Amazon’s Astro robot
One of these projects is described as a “mobile robot” that would “follow users around their homes,” while another is said to be an “advanced table-top home device that uses robotics to move a display around”:
Engineers at Apple have been exploring a mobile robot that can follow users around their homes, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the skunk-works project is private. The iPhone maker also has developed an advanced table-top home device that uses robotics to move a display around, they said.
Apple is investigating the use of AI algorithms that would help robots “navigate cluttered spaces within people’s homes,” the report says. Apple has apparently wanted to create robots that can “handle chores, like cleaning dishes in a sink,” but Gurman said this feat is unlikely this decade due to “extraordinarily difficult engineering challenges.”
Apple’s home robot could compete with the likes of Amazon’s Astro, which serves as a mobile virtual assistant and provides home security monitoring.
As for the table-top device, Gurman said one idea was for its display to “mimic the head movements” of a person on a FaceTime video call. However, he said Apple has faced technical challenges related to “balancing the weight of a robotic motor on a small stand,” and some Apple executives have apparently debated whether to develop such a device.
The robotics projects are said to be in the very early stages of research, and it is unclear if any will ever be released. For now, they are just moonshot ideas, but they are fascinating ones for sure.
A first look at iOS 18’s rumored visionOS-style redesign may have been revealed by a new image of the Camera app. Alleged iOS 18 design resource. MacRumors received the above iPhone frame template from an anonymous source who claims they obtained it from an iOS engineer. It will allegedly be included as part of the Apple Design Resources for iOS 18, which helps developers visually design apps …
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Other perks to being a Backbone+ subscriber include game capture, recording, and editing tools for folks who like to share content on social media. There are promotions, like free months of Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass, in-game content for titles like Diablo Immortal, and 30 percent off new Backbone products and accessories.
Unfortunately, this convenience comes at a cost. Yet another subscription is a hard sell nowadays. As nice as it is to have a single portal, shelling out for Backbone+ may not be worthwhile for everyone. If the one-stop shop interface for all your games is included as part of the free app, it would be easy to recommend, but $50 a year is too much to pay for folks who don’t care about the other functionality or promotions.
That old expectation that mobile games should be free is persistent. Most folks are yet to be sold on alternative models to in-app purchases and advertising, like Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass. The latest rumors suggest Apple Arcade’s future is in doubt. That is a shame because, in my experience as a subscriber to both, they are a great way to discover titles worth playing. Discoverability remains a big problem for mobile games.
Breaking Down Barriers
Khaira kicked off Backbone because of the gaming sessions he had with friends. In a house full of consoles and gaming PCs, smartphones were the common denominator where they could all play Fortnite together after work. With the console wars raging and all the non-gaming giants trying to break in, what happens next is tough to predict. But the shift towards a subscription model and the platform agnosticism in mobile feels increasingly inevitable.
When the head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, recently addressed the console exclusivity issue, where certain games are only available on one console, he said, “It’s not about games in service of a device, but rather the devices people want to play on should be in service of making the games as big and popular as they possibly could be.”
Whether you want to play games on your Xbox, PlayStation, gaming PC, or smartphone, it looks like that choice is opening up. The new Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile game promises to connect up to 120 players across console, PC, and mobile platforms. Activision says more than 50 million players pre-downloaded the game, and Backbone is offering perks and in-game items for subscribers (plus releasing a Prestige Edition controller to commemorate the launch).
Beyond crossplay, which enables people to play games together on different devices, we are starting to see more cross-progression, carrying your video game progress from one platform to another. Making games available anywhere makes them more accessible, allowing us all to play more. That has to be a good thing.
With Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile now on the radar of many mobile gaming fans, it’s a good time to note that the game is fully playable with a controller, taking away the need to rely on iffy touch controls. That’s why this current deal on the Amazon Luna controller as part of Amazon’s Spring Sale is particularly eye-catching.
At $49.99 ($10 out from its record-low price), players can save 20 bucks on a quality gamepad that’s usually much pricier at $69.99. What’s more, players who would like a phone clip to go along with the controller are in luck; a bundle containing the Amazon Luna controller and a phone clip is available for $64.98 (was $82.98).
Thankfully, UK folks aren’t being left out here. The controller by itself is down to £49.99 (was £59.99). And it’s just £62.98 (was £72.98) if you opt to purchase it with the phone clip included.
Not in the US or the UK? Scroll down for the best deals in your region. And if you’re after more deals this month, check out our full Amazon Spring Sale hub.
Today’s best Amazon Luna controller deals
We are now firmly in the territory of mobile games providing near-console quality experiences, and in many cases, awkward touch controls just don’t pass muster anymore. That’s why having a controller for games like Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile can be so valuable, as you’re able to play much more precisely without the risk of fumbling your fingers on an input you didn’t mean to touch.
The Amazon Luna controller is one such device that can be used on both iOS and Android devices. However, it also works on PC, Mac, and Fire TV devices, making it an exceptionally versatile gamepad that can be used for much more than just the Amazon Luna game streaming service. And at this discounted price, we say it’s well worth a look.
More Amazon Luna controller deals
Looking for more Amazon Luna controller deals? You’ll find all the lowest prices from around the web right here, with offers available in your region.
Scroll down for more Amazon Spring sale deals in the US and UK.
Samsung’s smartphones and tablets come pre-installed with the company’s Gaming Hub application, which was previously known as Game Launcher. This app, apart from showing you all the games installed on your device in one place, offers a wide collection of games that you can stream. Samsung calls it Instant Plays. Just click on a title in the catalog and start playing it. There’s no downloading of any kind involved in this experience.
Well, Samsung has now issued a new press release about Gaming Hub for mobile, and from what we could gather after skimming through marketing fluff, the company is reiterating Instant Plays in it. Maybe to get media traction and spread the word about the existing feature. That, however, isn’t the only agenda of the new press release. In the post, Samsung reveals that Gaming Hub for mobile is gaining traction, and it is mainly because of the app’s Instant Plays feature.
In the post, Samsung says that Instant Plays in Gaming Hub is available as a beta to people in Canada and the United States, which seems incorrect, as we can access it on our Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S24 in Europe and India. At first, the press release seemed about the company announcing that it is working on bringing cloud gaming services, such as Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming, to Gaming Hub for mobile, which is something that Gaming Hub offers on Samsung TVs.
Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. We hope that Samsung brings those cloud gaming services to Gaming Hub for mobile, which would be amazing, as it will allow you to access all cloud gaming services and the games they offer from one place on your Galaxy smartphone or tablet.
Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile finally launched globally today on iOS and Android, after spending the last couple of years in various beta versions and soft launches.
The game features two main Battle Royale maps, Verdansk and Rebirth Island, as well as cross-progression for players of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and the PC/console version of Call of Duty: Warzone.
Level up your weapons and XP no matter where you are. Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile supports shared progression with the console and PC versions of Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare III. Simply log in using your Activision ID, and most content acquired in Modern Warfare III and Call of Duty: Warzone is seamlessly transferred and becomes continuously available between your games.
For gamers playing on iPhone 15 Pro models and iPads with an M1 chip or later, the game includes a “Peak Graphics” mode that runs in 2K with improved textures, lighting, draw distance, ambient occlusion, and resolution caching.
Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile requires iOS 16/iPadOS 16 or later, and has been available to pre-order on the App Store since November 2022, back when Activision was originally targeting a May 2023 release. More than 50 million players have pre-registered for the game already, according to MacRumors sister site TouchArcade.
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Amazon’s Astro robot
