Apple’s iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models concurrently, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple’s 2025 smartphone lineup.
If you plan to skip this year’s iPhone 16, or if you’re just plain curious about what’s on the horizon, here are 10 rumored features that we are expecting to arrive in time for its successor, the iPhone 17 series, which is likely to be released in September 2025.
The iPhone 17 Pro is expected to be the first iPhone to feature under-panel Face ID technology. The only external indication of the under-display Face ID technology will likely be a circular cutout for the front-facing camera. This will probably be Apple’s last premium model to include a circular cutout for the front-facing camera. Apple is then expected adopt under-display cameras in 2027’s “Pro” iPhone models for a true “all-screen” appearance. 2. New Display Sizes
iPhone 17 & iPhone 17 Plus
This year’s iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are rumored to be getting bigger display sizes, going from 6.12- and 6.69-inches to 6.27- and 6.86-inches, respectively. For 2025, Apple is also expected to bring the larger 6.27-inch display size to its standard iPhone model, while the equivalent “iPhone 17 Plus” model could adopt completely new display dimensions.
3. 120Hz ProMotion (Always-on Display)
iPhone 17 & iPhone 17 Plus
Apple intends to expand ProMotion to its standard models in 2025, allowing them to ramp up to a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling and video content when necessary. Notably, ProMotion would also enable the display on the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Plus to ramp down to a more power-efficient refresh rate as low as 1Hz, allowing for an always-on display that can show the Lock Screen’s clock, widgets, notifications, and wallpaper even when the device is locked.
4. Apple-Designed Wi-Fi 7 Chip
iPhone 17 Pro & iPhone 17 Pro Max
Apple’s premium 2025 models are expected to be equipped with an Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip for the first time. Wi-Fi 7 support would allow the “Pro” models to send and receive data over the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands simultaneously with a supported router, resulting in faster Wi-Fi speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connectivity. The Wi-Fi chip would also allow Apple to further reduce its dependance on external suppliers like Broadcom, which currently supplies Apple with a combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip for iPhones.
5. 48MP Telephoto Lens
iPhone 17 Pro Max
An upgraded 48-megapixel Telephoto lens on Apple’s largest premium device is expected to be optimized for use with Apple’s upcoming Vision Pro headset, which launches on February 2, 2024. (The current iPhone 15 Pro models feature 48-megapixel main, 12-megapixel ultra wide, and 12-megapixel telephoto lenses.) That would make 2025’s “Pro Max” the first iPhone to have a rear camera system composed entirely of 48-megapixel lenses, making it capable of capturing even more photographic detail.
6. 24MP Selfie Camera
All iPhone 17 Models
The iPhone 17 lineup will feature a 24-megapixel front-facing camera with a six-element lens, according to one rumor. The iPhone 14 and 15 feature a 12-megapixel front-facing camera with five plastic lens elements, and this year’s iPhone 16 lineup is expected to feature the same hardware. The upgraded resolution to 24 megapixels on the iPhone 17 will allow photos to maintain their quality even when cropped or zoomed in, while the larger number of pixels will capture finer details. The upgrade to a six-element lens should also slightly enhance image quality.
7. Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display
All iPhone 17 Models
The iPhone 17 will feature an anti-reflective display that is more scratch-resistant than Apple’s Ceramic Shield found on iPhone 15 models, according to one rumor. The outer glass on the iPhone 17 is said to have a “super-hard anti-reflective layer” that is “more scratch-resistant.” It’s not clear whether Apple is planning to adopt the Gorilla Glass Armor that Samsung uses in its Galaxy S24 Ultra, but the description of Corning’s latest technology matches the rumor.
8. More Memory
iPhone 17 Pro & iPhone 17 Pro Max
Apple’s Pro models next year will come with 12GB of RAM, claims Jeff Pu of investment firm Haitong. For comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro models have 8GB of RAM, while the iPhone 16 Pro models are also expected to have 8GB of RAM. Any such increase would allow for improved multitasking on the iPhone, as well as provide additional resources for any artificial intelligence features that require large-language models to be resident in memory.
Apple’s highest-end 2025 iPhone will feature a significantly narrower Dynamic Island, thanks to the device’s adoption of a smaller “metalens” for the Face ID system, claims Haitong’s Jeff Pu. Assuming that’s the case, it would be the first time that Apple has changed the Dynamic Island since it debuted on the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022.
10. iPhone 17 “Slim”
iPhone 17 Plus
Apple’s iPhone 17 Plus will feature a 6.55-inch display, according to analyst Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC). Responding to a claim by Jeff Pu that the iPhone 17 Plus will be replaced by an “iPhone 17 Slim,” Young said to expect a reduction of 2% over the previous, current, and next-generation models. Based on his logic, a smaller display would help differentiate the larger iPhone 17 model from the iPhone 17 Pro Max, while remaining larger than the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro.
If you’ve been holding off for the chance to save a few dollars on a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, then now is the time to act.
Currently available for just $62.75 (was $69.99) at Walmart, this saving of $7.24 might not look like a lot on paper but it’s worth bearing in mind that this official gamepad hasn’t received many major price cuts in the past. In fact, this modest saving is beating out the lowest-ever Amazon price of $64.
If the Nintendo Pro Controller is still outside of your budget, however, consider the PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller as a cheaper alternative. It’s available on sale for just $38.53 (was $59.99) at Amazon which, while not the lowest-ever price, is a solid saving.
Nintendo has confirmed that a Nintendo Switch successor will be announced before March 31 next year, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not a good time to pick up some Nintendo Switch accessories.
The latest Nintendo Switch 2 rumors suggest that the upcoming console will support certain peripherals through backwards compatibility. Although this isn’t officially confirmed, it makes this ongoing discount on the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller worth considering.
Today’s best Nintendo Switch Pro Controller deal
We consider the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller to be one of the best Nintendo Switch controllers on the market. It boasts an incredible battery life, which often sees it lasting about 50 hours between charges, and boasts a range of hardware features like an NFC reader and HD Rumble. We awarded the controller a four-and-a-half star rating out of five in our Nintendo Switch Pro Controller review, highlighting its comfortable design and intuitive layout.
The only real downside of the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is its relatively high asking price. While this discount means that it stings a little less, be sure to browse some of the best prices on a range of Nintendo Switch controllers in your region below.
It’s hard to believe we’re already a third of the way through 2024. That said, when we’ve had so many fantastic shows to stream since the year began, it’s little wonder the time has flown by.
The world’s best streaming services aren’t done bringing us more potentially great series, either. Between now and September 1, there are lots of new shows, plus the highly anticipated return of fan favorites, to look forward to. With that in mind, I’ve handpicked 10 of the most exciting shows I can’t wait to watch in mid-2024 (NB: I would’ve includedCobra Kai season 6, whose first installment is out on July 18, but it was too late to include in this article. Sorry, Cobra Kai fans!).
Anyway, from epic sci-fi adventures and bloody fantasy to stellar superhero outings and romantic royal dramas, here are the shows I’m excited for in the weeks and months ahead.
Dark Matter (Apple TV Plus)
Release date: May 8
Apple TV Plus has become my go-to streamer for all things sci-fi over the past two years – with good reason. From Foundation and Silo to Severance and Constellation, there are plenty of top-tier shows of this genre to immerse myself in on the tech giant’s streaming platform.
Dark Matter will hope to add its name to that growing list. Based on Blake Crouch’s mind-bending, best-selling novel of the same name, it stars Joel Edgerton as Jason Dessen, a physics professor and devoted family man who becomes embroiled in a multiversal mystery after he’s abducted from his reality. Jennifer Connolly, Alice Braga, and Oakes Fegley are among its strong supporting cast.
Considering how mind-bogglingly inventive Dark Matter‘s trailer looks, I suspect Apple will have another sci-fi hit on its hands. Expect, then, to see it join our illustrious best Apple TV Plus shows list in due course.
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Dark Matter will launch with a two-episode premiere. New episodes will air weekly.
Doctor Who season 14 (Disney Plus/BBC iPlayer)
Release date: May 10 (US); May 11 (UK and Australia)
Fourteen years after ending his initial tenure as the showrunner of Doctor Who‘s revival (if you discount the 60th-anniversary specials and 2023 Christmas episode), Russell T Davies returns to take the legendary British sci-fi series in a bold, new direction.
Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson reprise their roles as the 15th Doctor and Ruby Rose from the aforementioned Christmas special, to lead the rebooted show’s 14th season filled with daring, fun-filled adventures across time and space. Indeed, Doctor Who season 14’s official trailer invites you to get your groove on before it materializes on Disney Plus internationally and BBC One/BBC iPlayer in the UK.
Incidentally, this is the first time a new season of Doctor Who will air on Disney Plus due to a landmark deal that’ll even see Doctor Who season 14 debut on the service before BBC One. Here’s hoping Davies, Gatwa, and Gibson can get the Who-niverse back on track after the lackluster Jodie Whittaker era and earn it a spot on our best Disney Plus shows list.
Doctor Who season 14 will launch with a two-episode premiere. New episodes will air weekly.
Bridgerton season 3 part 1 (Netflix)
Release date: May 16
Okay, I’m going to level with you – Bridgerton isn’t really my idea of a good time. But, considering one of the best Netflix shows is set to return to our screens later this month, I felt I had to include it.
This time around, Netflix‘s aristocratic drama will focus its attentions on Nicola Coughlan’s Penelope Featherington and Luke Newton’s Colin Bridgerton, with the duo engaging in some rather steamy scenarios that’ll no doubt set the cat among the Regency-era pigeons.
Like a number of other Netflix TV Originals in recent times, Bridgerton season 3 will be released in two parts – volume 1 arriving in mid-May, and volume 2 launching in early June. I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether to wait until the full season is out before getting your latest romantic period drama fix.
Bridgerton season 3 part 1 will release in full on May 16.
Picking up in the immediate aftermath of its predecessor’s surprising (and bizarre) finale, Outer Range season 2 reunites us with the Abbott family – led once more by morally complex patriarch Royal (Marvel alumnus Josh Brolin) – as they contend with their questionable decisions from season 1.
That’s not all they’ll have to deal with, mind you. The Wyoming-based family will have to fight off threats on multiple fronts, including slanderous and physical attacks from vengeful rivals the Tillersons. Oh, and they’ll need to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding the black hole that suddenly appeared in their backyard last season. Catch up on this fascinating neo-Western sci-fi show before its second installment arrives ASAP.
Outer Range season 2 will debut with a single-episode premiere. New entries will arrive weekly.
Eric will see Cumberbatch take on the role of Vincent, a New York-based puppeteer whose nine-year-old son goes missing one morning on his way to school. Increasingly desperate for answers about his child’s whereabouts, Vincent becomes more unhinged as the story progresses. He eventually becomes convinced that his son’s drawings of the titular ERIC – a blue monster puppet that Vincent created – are the only way to bring his son home.
The next big Star Wars TV show kicks off a packed June for the world’s most popular streamers. Set 100 years before Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: The Acolyte will bring the legendary franchise’s High Republic era to life in live-action for the first time. Based on the footage I’ve seen, and the stuff I’ve read about it, The Acolyte sounds like it could be the best Disney Plus show ever made in that galaxy far, far away.
Surprisingly positioned as a neo-noir mystery-thriller, it stars Amandla Stenberg (Bodies Bodies Bodies) as Mae, a former Padawan who reluctantly reunites with her Jedi Master Sol (Squid Game‘s Lee Jung-sae) to investigate a series of murders. An all-star cast, including Carrie-Anne Moss, Jodie Turner, Dafne Keen, Manny Jacinto, Charlie Barnett, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, and Joonas Suotamo, is also set to feature.
Star Wars: The Acolyte will debut with a two-episode premiere. New installments will be released weekly.
The Boys season 4 (Prime Video)
Release date: June 13
The Boys are back in town – well, next month, anyway. That’s right, the hugely successful Prime Video superhero series returns in shockingly hilarious fashion in mid-June as Amazon, Disney, and HBO (more on HBO below) go head-to-head for viewers’ attention throughout June.
The Boys season 4 will pick up events following its predecessor and Gen V season 1, the college-based spin-off that proved equally popular with audiences. It’ll continue to explore the increasing tensions between the titular Supe hunters and The Seven, aka the world’s best superhero team led by the erratic Homelander, in typically gory and satirized fashion.
The first three episodes of The Boys season 4 will be released on launch day. New episodes arrive weekly.
Presumed Innocent (Apple TV Plus)
Release date: June 14
Apple continues to adapt best-selling novels for its streaming platform in June with Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent, an eight-part series that aims to offer a more intriguing and twisty-turny murder mystery than Tom Holland’sThe Crowded Room did.
Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Chicago deputy chief prosecutor Rosat ‘Rusty’ Sabich, who finds himself at the center of a horrific murder case when he’s shockingly accused of committing said crime. Of course, it doesn’t help that the married Rosat had an affair with the woman he’s suspected of killing. Ruth Negga, Bill Camp, O-T Fagbenie, and Elizabeth Marvel join Gyllenhaal on the show’s roster. J.J. Abrams is among Presumed Innocent‘s many executive producers, too.
Presumed Innocent will premiere on Apple TV Plus with two episodes. Subsequent entries will be released every week.
House of the Dragon season 2 (Max)
Release date: June 18 (US); June 19 (UK and Australia)
A stacked June is rounded out by the return of this critically acclaimed Game of Thrones prequel series, which will be available to stream on HBO and Max in the US.
Set in the immediate aftermath of season 1’s stunning and emotion-laden finale, House of the Dragon season 2 will mark the start of the ‘Dance of Dragons’ – an epic civil war that destroyed House Targaryen, the family that ruled Westeros for generations, from the inside. Expect plenty of fire (and the odd glimpse of ice, judging by the footage I’ve seen) from this high-fantasy show.
House of the Dragon‘s sophomore outing was given an official Max release date and three (!) fiery trailers in late March, which confirmed it’ll go up against Bridgerton, The Acolyte, and The Boys in June. You and I, dear reader, are being well and truly spoiled on the TV front in mid-2024, aren’t we?
NB: House of the Dragon season 2 will be viewable on Sky Atlantic in the UK and Binge in Australia.
The Umbrella Academy season 4 (Netflix)
Where’s The Umbrella Academy season 4 trailer, Netflix? (Image credit: Netflix)
Release date: August 8
With July looking like a sparse month for shows that piqued my interest, we’re fast-forwarding to August for the final entry of this article. Step forward The Umbrella Academy season 4, the last outing in Netflix’s hit superhero series. Bizarrely, it will only comprise six episodes instead of the 10 its three forebears were made up of.
All six episodes of The Umbrella Academy season 4 are expected to be released on launch day.
For more TV streaming coverage, read our guides on the best Hulu shows and the best Paramount Plus shows. Alternatively, find out what we know about Amazon’s Fallout season 2 (release date TBA) and FX’s The Bear season 3, which could make a surprise return to our screens in June if online speculation is to be believed.
Mini LEDs are typically found in gaming monitors. Unlike LCD backlights, they offer a broad contrast range, with deeper, near-OLED quality levels of black, that enrich and enhance the dynamism of both SDR and HDR content.
Asus has brought Mini LED technology to the ultra-high-end business monitor market for the first time with its new 32-inch ProArt Display PA32KCX. The 8K screen (that’s a whopping 7,680 x 4,320 pixels – 275 PPI), is aimed at professional photographers, video editors and graphics artists.
The panel covers over 97% of the cinema-grade DCI-P3 color gamut and is equipped with 10-bit color capabilities and a 4096-zone Mini LED backlight that tops a brilliant 1200 nits, with a sustained brightness of 1000 nits. It supports multiple HDR metadata formats, including HLG and HDR10.
Plenty of connectivity options
The monitor comes with a motorized flip colorimeter, so you can check and preserve the display’s color accuracy, and screen calibration can be done manually or automatically.
The monitor offers LuxPixel Technology, which includes Anti-Glare, Low-Reflection (AGLR) tech, and Eye Care+, ensuring that light disturbances won’t degrade image quality, while also preventing eye fatigue and strain.
As you’d expect of a screen of this quality, the ProArt Display PA32KCX comes with a welcome range of connectivity options. In addition to HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.1 ports and a USB hub, it offers dual Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C ports with up to 96 W USB Power Delivery.
It certainly looks like a winner for Asus, and ticks all the boxes for any creatives looking for a Mini LED monitor that isn’t specifically aimed at gamers. There’s no word on availability at the moment, or pricing, but for an 8K screen with Mini LED technology, you’re easily looking at a few thousand dollars.
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Adobe Firefly is already a hit with Photoshop users of all stripes but this next iteration could make the generative image tool that does not rely on publicly-scrapped images indispensable.
This week, at its Adobe Max in London, the company announced an update to its Photoshop Firefly generative AI utility that deepens the integration and vastly expands capabilities through the adoption of a new model: Firefly Image 3 Model.
I’ve been using Adobe Firefly almost since its introduction, and while its power is impressive, its use is simple. You select a photo, area, or image object in Photoshop, and then in the text prompt area describe what you want to appear. I’ve used it to extend table tops to help fill out a 16:9 aspect-ratio image, and to add a metallic apple to this Getty Image (below).
Composite image composed of Getty original image and Adobe Firefly-generated apple (Image credit: Getty Images / Adobe Firefly AI (apple))
Image 3 Model, however, will add much finer control and new image workflows to Firefly’s generative arsenal. Among the key enhancements are:
Reference Image
Generate Background
Generate Similar
Enhance Detail
Perhaps most useful might be Firefly’s ability to help virtually anyone fill a blank canvas with pro-level imagery.
In a demonstration I watched, Adobe executives started with a blank canvas and then described in a prompt the scene they wanted: a bear playing guitar by a campfire. What’s new here, though, is how the enhanced generative tools include the ability to use reference images, set a content type, and add effects, all before generation begins.
It still takes about 20-25 seconds for a render to complete, but there are now more options; and the image detail, even when zoomed in, is far superior to what I’ve seen from Firefly Image 1 or 2 models.
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The new reference image skills are especially powerful. With the bear, we selected its acoustic guitar, and from a series of reference guitar images chose an electric one and then had Firefly replace the original guitar. Firefly not only put the new guitar in place, but it properly lit it and adjusted the bear image so that its grip matched the fresh instrument.
Image 1 of 5
AI Images generated with Adobe Firefly Image 3 Model.(Image credit: Adobe)
AI Images generated with Adobe Firefly Image 3 Model.(Image credit: Adobe)
AI Images generated with Adobe Firefly Image 3 Model.(Image credit: Adobe)
AI Images generated with Adobe Firefly Image 3 Model.(Image credit: Adobe)
AI Images generated with Adobe Firefly Image 3 Model.(Image credit: Adobe)
It’s also now just as easy to swap out a background for something new. We started with a bottle of pink perfume, and then removed the background and asked Firefly to put it in pink water. The result was a dramatically lit bottle floating on a sea of pink water. Because the background is just an object, swapping it for snow or sand was also easy. I noticed how in each instance, the lighting and blend between the bottle and the new backgrounds were visually perfect.
Reference images mean that you can have an idea of how you want to replace a fill, surface, or object, and use reference images to drive each of those iterations. Firefly just makes it all look natural and good.
The new Generate Similar looks like a great way to iterate on an initial image idea.
Using a reference image in Adobe Photoshop to generate a new one (Image credit: Adobe)
Adobe’s VP of Generative AI, Alexandru Costin, told me the new model is now better at understanding longer prompts, and takes advantage of an improved style engine. The results are also more natural because Firefly Image 3 Model doesn’t default to what might look most aesthetically pleasing, like producing all portraits in “golden hour light.”
It can use references to match styles, but also image structure, and then build countless variations.
Firefly Image 3 Model will arrive first in Adobe Photoshop desktop beta and the Firefly web app in beta today (April 23, 2024). General availability is expected in Photoshop and Firefly later this year.
AMD is introducing two new adaptive SoCs – Versal AI Edge Series Gen 2 for AI-driven embedded systems, and Versal Prime Series Gen 2 for classic embedded systems.
Multi-chip solutions typically come with significant overheads but single hardware architecture isn’t fully optimized for all three AI phases – preprocessing, AI inference, and postprocessing.
To tackle these challenges, AMD has developed a single-chip heterogeneous processing solution that streamlines these processes and maximizes performance.
Early days yet
The Versal AI Edge Series Gen 2 adaptive SoCs provide end-to-end acceleration for AI-driven embedded systems, which the tech giant says is built on a foundation of improved safety and security. AMD has integrated a high-performance processing system, incorporating Arm CPUs and next-generation AI Engines, with top-class programmable logic, creating a device that expertly handles all three computational phases required in embedded AI applications.
AMD says the Versal AI Edge Series Gen 2 SoCs are suitable for a wide spectrum of embedded markets, including those with high-security, high-reliability, long lifecycle, and safety-critical demands. Purposes include autonomous driving, industrial PCs, autonomous robots, edge AI boxes and ultrasound, endoscopy and 3D imaging in health care.
The processing system of the integrated CPUs includes up to 8x Arm Cortex-A78AE application processors, up to 10x Arm Cortex-R52 real-time processors, and support for USB 3.2, DisplayPort 1.4, 10G Ethernet, PCIe Gen5, and more.
The devices meet ASIL D / SIL 3 operating requirements and are compliant with a range of other safety and security standards. They reportedly offer up to three times the TOPS/watt for AI inference and up to ten times the scalar compute with powerful CPUs for postprocessing.
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Salil Raje, senior vice president of AMD’s Adaptive and Embedded Computing Group, said, “The demand for AI-enabled embedded applications is exploding and driving the need for solutions that bring together multiple compute engines on a single chip for the most efficient end-to-end acceleration within the power and area constraints of embedded systems. Backed by over 40 years of adaptive computing leadership in high-security, high-reliability, long-lifecycle, and safety-critical applications, these latest generation Versal devices offer high compute efficiency and performance on a single architecture that scales from the low-end to high-end.”
Early access documentation and evaluation kits for the devices are available now. The first silicon samples of Versal Series Gen 2 are expected at the start of next year, with production slated to begin late 2025.
Google released the first beta version of Android 15 last week, a couple of months after its first Developer Preview version. Android 15 Beta 1 is now available for all compatible Pixel smartphones and tablets. Android 15 features will be publicly showcased during Google I/O 2024, which will happen on May 14.
Hopefully, Samsung will release the One UI 7.0 Beta update a few months after the Google I/O event. So, what’s new with the Android 15 Beta 1 update?
Android 15 Beta 1 features
Unlike what some expect, Android 15 won’t bring a massive redesign compared to Android 14, as spotted by 9To5Google. It will likely only bring smaller changes to the UI. Google is introducing UI changes to natively bring a Samsung DeX-like desktop UI to Android. To that end, Google is making it easier to make apps appear full-screen. It also adds more security options for cellular and Wi-Fi networks, default app settings for note-taking and wallet apps, and more.
Edge-to-edge apps
By default, apps made for Android 15 appear edge-to-edge, making them appear more like desktop apps. The status bar at the top and the navigation bar at the bottom float over the apps with translucency effects. This makes apps more aesthetically pleasing, especially when displayed on an external monitor or screen.
Taking notes directly from the lockscreen
While Samsung phones and tablets with an S Pen have always been able to create notes directly from the lockscreen, the stock version of Android didn’t support this feature. Google is finally adding support for taking notes from the lockscreen.
The company has created an API that app developers and OEMs can use to make apps that can become the default note-taking app on a phone or tablet. Google Keep is one such app that has used this API, and the feature will probably released in the coming months. It will be available on all compatible Pixel devices.
This API will likely make Samsung’s lockscreen note-taking feature even more reliable.
Cellular network security
Every new version of Android comes with improved privacy and security. Android 15 brings a new feature called Cellular Network Security. It notifies you if the cellular network you’re connected to lacks data encryption or if it records the phone’s IMEI or IMSI.
More Wi-Fi security options
The Wi-Fi network menu now has a new toggle called ‘Send Device Name.’ Enabling the feature improves device security as the device name is not sent to the Wi-Fi access point or router.
Widgets for the Pixel Weather app
Google’s Pixel phones and tablets come with the Pixel Weather app pre-installed. With Android 15, the app has received two weather widgets (3×3 and 4×2). These widgets won’t likely come to Galaxy devices.
Default wallet app setting
While the stock version of Android had the option to set an app as the phone’s default payment app, it never had a feature to set any app as the default wallet app. That’s changing with Android 15, as it allows apps to become a device’s default wallet app. Google Wallet can become the default wallet app on Pixel and other devices running Android 15.
This feature may be added to Galaxy phones. Currently, Samsung Wallet is the default wallet app, but with One UI 7.0, Google Wallet or other wallet apps could be set as the default.
Easier updates to NFC features
Certain features on Android can be updated without needing to update the whole operating system. Once they are added to Project Mainline, these features can be updated via Google Play System updates. NFC has now been added to Project Mainline (via Mishaal Rahman).
Google can now update NFC-related features and security directly without the smartphone maker needing to update it.
Lockscreen widgets for tablets
Android once allowed users to add widgets to the lockscreen, but that feature was later removed. Google is now bringing the feature back to stock Android. However, it is currently available only on tablets. Mishaal Rahman spotted this feature and reported via Android Authority.
Some of the supporting widgets on the Pixel Tablet’s Hub Mode include the following:
Battery
Calendar
Chrome
Clock
Contacts
Digital Wellbeing
Drive
Fitbit
Gmail
Google
Google Keep
Google News
Google TV
Photos
Pixel Weather
Translate
YouTube Music
Apps can be archived to manage storage space better
In Android 15, the app archiving is a system-level feature. This is a handy feature when a device runs out of storage space. This feature can be found inside the Settings app. This feature was introduced by the Google Play Store last year, but now that feature can be used by any third-party app.
Once an app is archived, its icon will be visible in the app drawer or home screen, but it will turn gray to denote that the app can’t function until it is unarchived.
Additional security feature to stop malicious apps from running in the background
While Google is light on details, Android 15 is said to have a feature that stops malicious apps from running in the background by bringing other apps to the foreground.
Disabling Bluetooth temporarily rather than turning it off completely
When you turn off the Bluetooth from the quick setting toggle, Android 15 will temporarily disable Bluetooth and ask if you want it enabled the next day. This feature is useful for the Find My Device network to be effective. Google launched the Find My Device network to help find lost devices and help users track their phones, wireless earbuds, tablets, and objects tagged with object location tracking devices.
Two years after the debut of its Arc Alchemist GPUs, Intel is launching six new Arc products, but these are designed for edge/embedded systems.
These edge systems, which process data near the source to reduce latency and bandwidth use, are becoming increasingly essential in areas such as IoT, autonomous vehicles, and AI applications.
As Intel says, “AI at the edge is exploding with new use cases and workloads being developed daily. These AI workloads often require a high degree of parallel processing and memory bandwidth for peak performance, dedicated hardware, optimized architecture for compute efficiency, and reduced latency with faster results for real-time processing. A discrete GPU may be the ideal solution for edge AI use cases requiring high performance and complex model support.”
Six SKUs
The new Arc on edge GPUs are built on Intel’s highly scalable Intel Xe-core architecture and support AI acceleration, visual computing and media processing. Using the OpenVINO toolkit developers can deploy AI models across Intel hardware.
The Arc on edge offerings have a number of benefits, including reduced latency, improved bandwidth efficiency and better privacy and security.
For high performance and to handle heavy AI workloads and expansive use cases such as facial recognition and generative conversational speech, there’s the 7XXE. For immersive visual experiences and enhanced AI inferencing capabilities, there’s the 5XXE, and for low power and small form factor requirements, Intel has the 3XXE.
There are six SKUs available – the A310E and A3503 with 6 Xe-cores, the A370E and A380E with 8 cores, and the A580E and A750E with 28 cores. The A310E, A3503 and A370E have 4GB of GDDDR6 memory with 112GB/s memory bandwidth. The A380E has 6GB with 186GB/s bandwidth, while the A580E and A750E’s memory and memory bandwidth are unknown for now. Intel says only that it is “in planning”. There’s also no launch date for those two either, just TBD. The other four SKUs will be available this month.
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Intel Arc GPUs are built to be paired with Intel Core processors, from 10th Gen upwards and Intel Xeon W-3400 and W-2400. A number of products featuring the new Arc GPUs are set to be released in the coming months from Intel partners including from ADLINK, Advantech, Asus, Matrox and Sparkle.
In case you missed the last round of deals during its recent spring sale, Amazon has the full lineup of Fire TV Sticks on sale once again. A record-low price for the most powerful Fire TV Stick 4K Max is included – and best of all you don’t need to be an Amazon Prime member to get it.
The retailer has slashed the Fire TV Stick 4K Max to $39.99 (was $59.99), returning the all-new version of the streaming stick to the same low price we saw last month and during last year’s Black Friday.
It’s a great deal on what we think is one of the best streaming sticks available today. As we found in our Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max review, this premium version of the streaming device offers ultra HD picture quality, faster performance and support for the latest Wi-Fi technology to ensure you get the smoothest and most stable streaming experience.
If you don’t need a 4K version, or want to save even more money, there are also a handful of cheaper options available starting with the standard HD-compatible Fire TV Stick Lite for $19.99.
All other Fire TV Sticks are on sale so check out all the offers below to find the one that best suits your needs and budget. These Fire TV Sticks will likely only be cheaper for Amazon Prime members during Amazon Prime Day in July, so if you’re not signed up or don’t wait to pay the subscription fee then snag these low prices while you can.
Although tech giants like Samsung and TSMC currently dominate the silicon landscape, Elon Musk has hinted that Tesla could potentially make its own chips in the future – and while the idea remains a tentative one, it’s certainly not beyond the realms of possibility.
Tesla spends a fortune on silicon. Its Dojo ExaPod supercomputer boasts a staggering 1.1 exaflops of computing power dedicated to training machine learning models for Tesla’s self-driving technology. Musk said in February 2024 that the company will spend “over a billion dollars” on Nvidia and AMD hardware this year just to stay competitive in the AI space. Making its own AI chips would be impossible for Tesla, but it could potentially produce chips for its cars.
Currently, Tesla relies on Samsung for the main chips used in its Autopilot feature. Building a chip factory to create processors specifically for that task would be a significant undertaking. Significant, but not impossible.
“Tesla could do it…”
A recent X exchange between Musk and legendary game developer John Carmack has sparked speculation. Carmack mused about the feasibility of a large tech company creating its own bespoke chips rather than competing with established general-purpose companies. Musk’s response? “Tesla could do it, but I sure hope we don’t have to.”
With growing concerns over the reliance on Korean, Taiwanese and Chinese chipmakers, the possibility of bringing some silicon development in-house is no doubt tempting for Tesla, but the practicalities of such an undertaking mean that without a compelling reason to do so, the company will wisely stick with the status quo for now.
As PC Gamer reports, “Nobody in their right mind would want to spend billions of dollars on something that has the distinct potential of not working right for years, when you can just contract a highly experienced and cost-effective business to do it for you.”
Tesla could do it, but I sure hope we don’t have toMarch 24, 2024
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