Month: November 2022

When you use an iPhone app for the first time, you might be asked to give the app access to other features on your phone, like your camera. If you’re like me and just want a new app to work, you’ve probably tapped “Allow” without a second thought. However, you might not realize that tapping “Allow” gives the app access to other information on yourself and those closest to you.

Those apps could be sharing your data with digital marketing and ad tech companies without your knowledge. Companies like Apple and Facebook have faced lawsuits and fines for allegedly misusing customer data.

If you’ve granted a third-party iPhone app certain permissions, you can revoke them at any time. Here’s how to stop third-party apps from accessing your data.

How to change third-party app permissions
Here’s how to change permissions in iOS 16 and later:

1. Tap Settings on your iPhone.
2. Tap Privacy & Security.

In Privacy & Security you can select functions like Contacts, Photos and Camera to see which third-party apps have requested permission to access this information. Tapping Contacts, for example, might show that a note taking app has access to your contacts list. You can tap the slider next to these apps to halt access.

More in Privacy & Security
In addition to revoking app permissions in Privacy & Security, you can also customize which apps can access your location data. If you tap Location Services near the top of the menu, you can turn these services on or off for all or some apps on your phone. You can also tap the Share My Location menu to enable or disable Find My iPhone, as well as with which contacts you share your location.

There’s also an option in Privacy & Security called Apple Advertising. Tap this to view Apple’s ad targeting information, and turn these personalized ads on or off. Apple said turning personalized ads off will make ads you see in the App Store, Apple News and Stocks less relevant to you, but it might not reduce the number of ads you see in those apps.

You can also turn on App Privacy Report from the Privacy & Security menu. This report shows how often apps access your data. It also shows each app’s network activity and which web domains apps contact. To turn these reports on, tap App Privacy Report then tap Turn On App Privacy Report. At first you won’t see any information, but as you use your apps the report will populate. Now you can see which apps share your data the most, and you can take steps to restrict how much data those apps have access to.

For more, check out how to stop iPhone apps from tracking you, how to use Sign In With Apple to improve your privacy and the best iPhone VPNs.

Oura’s Sleep Score gives it an advantage over the Apple Watch. But you need a membership to get the ring’s full benefits.

I’ve learned a lot about my sleep over the past week. For example, I tend to get around 5 hours of “light” sleep during a typical night, and an average night of sleep for me usually means 7 hours of shut-eye.

I know this because I’ve been wearing two devices to monitor my slumber: the Apple Watch and Oura Ring Gen 3. While they each provide a variety of statistics about my sleeping habits, Oura goes a step further by packaging those readings into a tidy Sleep Score that feels like the TL;DR version of my sleep report.

There are a lot of aspects that make a good sleep tracker. Not only does the data have to be useful, but devices worn overnight should be light and comfortable. Battery life should be long enough to wear overnight and throughout the day. Oura generally excels over the Apple Watch in all of these areas — even outlasting the Apple Watch Ultra despite its beefier battery. The Oura ring, of course, doesn’t have a screen or other connected features like the Apple Watch, putting significantly less strain on the battery. Overall, Oura strikes a better balance of providing in-depth reports about my sleep alongside at-a-glance statistics that make better sense of that data, like the Sleep Score.

But there’s a catch. Starting at $299, the Oura Ring Gen 3 is expensive. On top of that, you’ll need to shell out $6 per month to get the most out of Oura through its subscription service. Apple doesn’t require a subscription for any of the Apple Watch’s health monitoring functionality — including sleep tracking. Even though I used the $399 Apple Watch Series 8 and $799 Ultra for this story, you can get the same sleep tracking features on the $249 Apple Watch SE.

It’s also worth remembering that the Oura ring is designed to be a passive tracker that monitors sleep and activity in the background, unlike the Apple Watch. There’s no screen, no buttons and no way to see any of your data without syncing to the phone app.

Apple Watch vs. Oura ring: What they told me about my sleep
Both the Apple Watch and Oura ring can measure how long you slept and how much time you’ve spent in specific stages of sleep. That includes time spent awake, in deep sleep, in REM sleep and in light sleep (which Apple calls “core” sleep).

You can also see your heart rate during sleep and data about how you were breathing overnight in both the Oura app and Apple Health app. The addition of sleep stages is relatively new for the Apple Watch. It only arrived with WatchOS 9 in September — making it a much more viable competitor to Oura and other sleep trackers.

Although they provide similar sleep insights, the data and details differ greatly between the two devices. I wore both gadgets to sleep over the course of five nights, with the Apple Watch on my wrist and the Oura on my index finger, and got surprisingly different results from each. Take a look at the table below to see how two nights’ worth of sleep data from the Apple Watch and Oura compares.

I have no way of telling which one is more accurate without testing them against a polysomnography, or a sleep exam conducted in a lab. But to me, what matters most is how this information is packaged and presented. After all, statistics and graphs aren’t very useful if you have to figure out how to interpret them. The Oura ring has an advantage in this regard thanks to its Sleep Score. Unlike Apple, Oura provides a score that assesses the quality of your sleep based on a variety of factors, such as your total sleep, your sleep efficiency, restfulness and how quickly you fell asleep among other elements. It answers the most important question at a glance: Did I sleep well last night?

According to Oura, a score of 85 or higher is optimal, while a score between 70 and 84 is considered good. If your sleep score is below 70, you might need to pay attention and make some changes to your sleep schedule. In addition to viewing your sleep score, you can also see how individual contributors to your sleep score have trended over the last week, month or year. Oura will also display any workouts you logged during that specific time period, allowing you to see how active you were alongside how you slept.

Oura isn’t the only company to offer a sleep score; Fitbit’s and Amazon’s respective wearable devices can generate these assessments, too. I’ve been wanting Apple to adopt a similar feature for a while, and I’m still holding out hope.

The Apple Watch can surface interesting trends right in the Health app’s main feed, such as how much sleep I’ve averaged per night over the last seven days. But it doesn’t provide a concrete assessment of whether I’ve been sleeping well or not, which feels like the missing piece of the puzzle. There are third-party apps you can download for the Apple Watch that fill in some of the gaps, including SleepWatch, which offers sleep coaching and the option to monitor snoring from the iPhone. (However, you must pay for the $5-per-month premium version to unlock all of the app’s features).

That said, there are some things Apple does very well when it comes to sleep tracking. Apple displays observations about your sleeping habits in the Health app’s summary view, which makes it easy to access. More importantly, these insights are written in plain English so that they actually feel useful.

For example, it can tell me that my average sleeping respiratory rate has been steady over the last 14 days. While it’s missing a metric that’s as succinct and simple as a sleep score, these perceptive trends and highlights go a long way in making the Apple Watch feel helpful.

Apple also focuses more closely on helping you form better sleeping habits by establishing a regular bedtime, although admittedly I don’t find myself using this feature very much. You can set a sleep schedule for specific days of the week, receive bedtime reminders and a nudge to wind down before your specified bedtime. Oura doesn’t have such granular tools, although it does send you a notification an hour prior to your bedtime window. You can also set goals (for example, to be productive and energetic) in the profile section of the Oura app.

Apple Watch vs. Oura ring: Battery life and comfort

A quality sleep tracker needs to be comfortable and long-lasting enough to be worn throughout the day and overnight. Oura scores high in both regards; its small profile makes it easy to wear overnight, and its battery life far outlasts that of the Apple Watch. Battery life is important if you want a sleep tracker that can also log activities and workouts throughout the day.

In practice, my Oura ring lasted for five days on a single charge, while I typically get about a day and a half out of the Apple Watch Series 8 or Apple Watch SE. Even the Apple Watch Ultra was no match for Oura; it lasted roughly three days and two nights. Battery life will always vary depending on how you use your device, so your experience may not match mine. Tracking outdoor activity using GPS and leaving the always-on display activated will typically drain the Apple Watch’s battery more quickly. Oura also says that features like meditation sessions and tracking live heart rate will impact battery life.

During my time wearing the Oura ring and Apple Watch, I tracked spinning workouts, a HIIT workout and outdoor walks. I also left the Apple Watch’s always-on display active during the testing period and did not use low-power mode. Both devices should be charged to at least 30% when being worn overnight for sleep tracking.

And again, it’s worth remembering that the Apple Watch is handling a lot more tasks than the Oura ring at any given moment, which makes the discrepancy in battery life understandable. Not only does it have a screen to power and internet connections to maintain, but it also surfaces notifications from your phone throughout the day.

Comfort is subjective, but the Oura ring’s petite size could make it a more attractive option for some people. I’m a longtime smartwatch wearer, so keeping my Apple Watch on overnight doesn’t bother me. However, I could understand how some people might find it difficult to get used to.

The Apple Watch and Oura ring will both cost a few hundred dollars, but the Apple Watch may provide more value depending on what you’re looking for in a wearable. It’s also worth remembering that you’re limited to the iPhone if you have an Apple Watch, while Oura works with the iPhone and Android phones.

Apple currently sells three different versions of its smartwatch: The $249 Apple Watch SE, the $399 Apple Watch Series 8 and the $799 Apple Watch Ultra. Despite their differences in price, they all generally offer the same sleep tracking features. The main difference is that the Series 8 and Ultra can track your wrist temperature overnight as an additional metric.

These pricier watches also have extra health tracking features such as the ability to take an ECG from your wrist and monitor blood oxygen levels. They also have an always-on display, unlike the Apple Watch SE, while the Apple Watch Ultra also adds longer battery life, dual-frequency GPS and a depth gauge among other additional functions. You can read more about the differences between each Apple Watch in our full coverage.

The Oura Ring Gen 3 is available in two versions: Heritage and Horizon. The difference between the two is cosmetic; the Horizon model is completely round, while the Heritage version has a flat portion. The Heritage edition begins at $299, while the Horizon version begins at $349 for the black and silver color options.

But Oura’s pricing comes with a big asterisk. In addition to paying that upfront price, you also need to subscribe to Oura’s $6 monthly service to access most of the ring’s functionality. Without that membership, the only sleep tracking feature you get is the Sleep Score itself, meaning you will be missing out on insights like your sleep contributors (such as restfulness, total sleep and sleep efficiency), trends and Oura’s other sleep metrics. Oura provides the first month for free, which is short compared to the six-month Fitbit Premium subscription you get with devices like the Fitbit Sense 2, Versa 4 and Inspire 3.

The Apple Watch doesn’t require a subscription and also offers a lot more general functionality. The Oura ring is designed for a specific purpose: measuring wellness, sleep and activity. The Apple Watch is more broad and can therefore surface iPhone notifications on your wrist for times when you don’t want to reach for your phone. You’ll also be able to do things like control music playback, make mobile payments via Apple Pay and see information like the time, date and weather at a glance.

Both devices can measure workouts and activity, although the Readiness Score is another feature I wish the Apple Watch would copy. The Readiness Score, as its name implies, is a sort of check-engine light for your body that assesses whether you’re ready to hit the gym hard or take a rest. The Apple Watch’s Activity Rings are motivating enough to help me maintain a regular workout routine, but Oura’s Readiness Score adds another layer of helpfulness by reminding me when it may be time to give myself a break.

The Oura Ring’s long battery life, useful Sleep Score, compact design and wide variety of sleep metrics make it an excellent sleep tracker. The problem, however, is that those benefits come at a high price when you factor in the monthly subscription required to access most of those features.

The Apple Watch is more limited in that it doesn’t have a Sleep Score or an meaningful equivalent that provides a snapshot of sleep quality at a glance. It also has noticeably shorter battery life, meaning it could be difficult to find the right time to charge it if you want to track both activity and sleep. But with the Apple Watch, the entire price of the experience is paid for upfront. You don’t need a monthly subscription to access all of Apple’s health and sleep tracking features (although you do need an iPhone.) And although there’s no Sleep Score, you’ll still get data about how much time you spent in different stages of sleep, the general duration of your sleep and more.

Oura is the better sleep tracker overall, but the subscription element can make it hard to recommend. Still, Oura does a better job at providing actionable advice based on the data it gathers. iPhone owners that care more about having a general-purpose smartwatch that can also track stages of sleep will be happier with the Apple Watch.

The country’s competition watchdog says the tech giants’ dominance hinders innovation and adds unnecessary costs for businesses.

The UK’s competition watchdog will launch an investigation into Apple’s and Google’s dominance of the mobile browser market.

The Competition and Markets Authority said Tuesday it will conduct a more in-depth investigation of the companies’ “stranglehold” on the market after a consultation revealed “substantial support for a fuller investigation” into how Apple and Google control the mobile browser market. The agency said Google and Apple powered 97% of all mobile web browsing conducted in the UK in 2021.

Web developers, cloud gaming service providers and browser vendors complain that the “status quo” of Google’s browser dominance and the restrictions Apple places on cloud gaming hinder innovation and add “unnecessary costs” to their businesses.

“Many UK businesses and web developers tell us they feel that they are being held back by restrictions set by Apple and Google,” Sarah Cardell, interim chief executive of the CMA, said in a statement. “We plan to investigate whether the concerns we have heard are justified and, if so, identify steps to improve competition and innovation in these sectors.”

Apple said its approach to the market promotes competition and choice, while protecting consumers’ privacy.

“Apple believes in vibrant and competitive markets where innovation can thrive,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement. “Through the App Store, we’ve helped millions of developers turn their brightest ideas into apps that change the world, spurring an app economy that supports hundreds of thousands of jobs in the UK alone.’

Google representatives didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

At Amazon, Apple’s ninth-gen iPad is just $1 more than its lowest ever price.

Apple’s ninth-gen iPad could be just what you need if you’re looking for a portable tablet that can help you be productive on the go (or from a comfortable couch). Whether you want to work, play, stay connected, create, explore or stream entertainment, the iPad makes all that easy. It has an upgraded CPU and Neural Engine that offer faster and more powerful performance compared to previous models.

Deals on Apple devices don’t come around every day, but with Amazon’s ongoing Black Friday sale, right now you can get your hands on one of these sleek tablets for less. You can currently save $60 on both the silver and gray color variants of 64GB model, dropping the price down to just $270 — only $1 more than the all-time low price. If you want more storage, you’ll have to upgrade to the 256GB cellular-enabled model in silver, which is the only other configuration in stock right now, and is on sale for $550.

Apple’s 10.2-inch tablet may not be its best iPad when it comes to raw power but it has plenty of great features. It’s equipped with the powerful A13 Bionic chip, an 8-megapixel wide-angle rear camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide front camera with Center Stage technology and more. The Retina display has been upgraded from previous models and now has True Tone technology, which adjusts the screen for comfortable viewing in any light.

It also features a Lightning connector and gets up to 10 hours of battery life per charge. Plus, the 2021 iPad supports the first-gen Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, which are sold separately, but can help you create and work with ease and may be worth the investment.

And if you’re worried that 64GB of storage may not be enough for your pictures, videos or other projects or media, remember that Apple offers plenty of ways to increase your storage if you’re willing to use cloud services like the company’s own iCloud option or apps like Dropbox and Google Drive, so that storage size shouldn’t limit what you can do on your iPad.

CNET’s Scott Stein wrapped up his review of this iPad by saying, “I think the basic unexciting iPad wins out. Especially for the price.” He awarded it an Editors’ Choice. There’s no set expiration on this deal, so there’s no guaranteeing how long it will remain available. But deals on Apple devices — especially the current generations — rarely last for long, so we’d recommend getting your order soon if you’re hoping to take advantage of this discount. Or, if you’re looking to save on a different Apple tablet, you can check out our roundup of all the best iPad deals you can shop right now.

Commentary: The rebel in me didn’t want to do it, but I now understand the Apple hype.

For a decade, I defended my choice to own an Android to countless haters. But at long last, and after months of going back and forth, I’ve traded in my beloved Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus for an iPhone 14 Pro. And so far, I have no regrets. (Especially now that I’m no longer teased for having green texts — more on that later.)

It may sound like I’m being overly dramatic, but that trip to the Verizon store signaled a big shift for me. I’ve always prided myself on not buying into the Apple hype. Despite years of pestering from friends to switch to an iPhone, I pushed back, maintaining that I liked being different from the masses. Everyone around me has an iPhone. It felt good to defy the norm. And so for years, I stuck with my Samsung Galaxy devices, which I still believe are incredible phones.

But after conversations with friends and family about what I could get from the iPhone that I could never get with my Android, I started to reconsider my stance. Yes, I loved my Galaxy S10 Plus and everything it offered: a top-notch camera, a customizable interface and Object Eraser, which removes any unwanted people or objects from your pictures (Pixel phones have a similar feature). But at the end of the day, there was one big thing my Android could never offer: a seamless way to communicate with all my friends on the iPhone.

Read more: Android vs. iPhone: 7 Things Apple Phone Owners Wish They Could Do

I’ve been told countless times that I ruin group chats by turning all the texts “green.” This is because Apple refuses to make iMessage compatible with Android phones, so when you message someone who isn’t on iOS, you’ll see green text bubbles instead of the standard blue ones. Because this felt like a superficial complaint — and is 100% Apple’s fault — I brushed it aside.

Until I realized I was missing out on other, more significant benefits of owning an iPhone.

Unless you use a third-party app like WhatsApp, there’s no easy way to send high-resolution photos and videos directly between an Android phone and an iPhone. I was OK with just using WhatsApp… until I began to envy my friends who were instantaneously AirDropping pictures and videos after our hangouts. WhatsApp also diminishes the quality of videos, and Google Drive takes a lot longer to upload videos to.

It also was frustrating that apps like TikTok diminished my camera quality on Android. Comparing TikTok videos taken on an iPhone — even an older version like the iPhone X — with those taken on my Galaxy S10 Plus is like night and day. On my Galaxy, TikTok distorted the colors and blurred everything in the most unflattering and unrealistic way. On the iPhone, videos are crisp and clear and appear just as they should. For someone who uses TikTok as much as I do, this was important.

These reasons, along with the fact that I already use a MacBook and would therefore benefit from the Apple ecosystem, led me to start changing my mind about owning an iPhone. Throw in features like the new always-on display on the iPhone 14 Pro models — something I absolutely loved on my Galaxy devices — and fun new elements like Dynamic Island, and suddenly I was sold on the idea of switching over.

Read more: iPhone or Android? Your Phone Choice Could Be Hampering Your Love Life

Yes, I had to fight off feelings of being a sellout. But I realized that ultimately, it’s just a phone. And no matter what you do, people will have unsolicited opinions about what device you’re using. My Galaxy worked well for me for many years. Now I was ready for something new. And so far, I have no regrets.

Check out the video above for more of my thoughts on switching from an Android phone to an iPhone.

A rumor suggests that lower-end iPhones will have data transfer speeds as slow as Lightning cables.

USB-C iPhones are finally coming, but they may not all be created equal. A new rumor has it that the lower-end iPhones will get a less advanced type of USB standard with slower data transfer than the Pro models.

Though Apple executives said earlier this month that USB-C iPhones would come at least by 2024 to comply with European regulations, they could arrive in next year’s iPhone 15 series, according to a tweet from noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. He predicts that among the 2023 models, the high-end iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will have ports supporting “at least USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3,” which are capable of transfer speeds of up to 20 Gbps.

Kuo expects the lower-end iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will support slower USB 2.0 speeds of 480 Mbps — which was the same transfer rate as the Lightning ports in prior iPhones.

USB 3.2 is the most advanced data transfer standard on phones, with USB 4 only appearing on Macs and desktop computers thus far. Many leading Android phones use USB 3.2, and some of the calls for Apple to transition iPhones to USB-C have to do with getting those faster transfer speeds over cables. Now that the iPhone 14 Pro and Max models can shoot in 48MP ProRAW format, image files have exploded in size, and those high-resolution pics could transfer a lot quicker over USB 3.2.

Even if you’re not an endurance athlete, there’s still plenty of reasons you might want the $799 (£849, AU$1,299) Apple Watch Ultra. It has a bigger battery, more durable titanium casing and a screen that’s twice as bright as the Apple Watch Series 8. Like the iPhone 14 Pro, Apple has reserved some key features for the Ultra that set it apart from the rest of the Apple Watch range. There’s a dual-frequency GPS for more accurate tracking, extra microphones for improved voice calls and a customizable Action button to quickly start activities, or transition from one leg of a triathlon to another.

For the first time on an Apple Watch, LTE connectivity is included by default. That immediately sets it apart from many other sports and fitness watches that don’t have any cellular option. The Ultra only comes in one 49mm case size, which might be too big for some to wear comfortably.

Then there’s the hefty price, which is $400 more than the 41mm GPS Apple Watch Series 8 and could have you wondering whether the Ultra really is worth that much more. Even if you don’t consider yourself an adventurer, there might be enough here to justify the cost — especially if you want a more-durable watch with increased water resistance and battery life that’s at least twice as long as other Apple Watch models.

Considering the $749 45mm Apple Watch Series 8 in stainless steel costs almost as much, I think the Ultra is a better overall value, given that you get additional hardware features like the Action button (which I’ve come to love), an emergency siren and extra microphones to boost call quality.

It’s also priced competitively with other sports watches that have a similar titanium construction and OLED screens, like the $999 Garmin Epix 2. The Apple Watch Ultra’s battery doesn’t last as long, and it doesn’t have anywhere near as many navigation features as the Epix 2. But it’s easier to use, has heart features like an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) app, cellular connectivity and seamless integration with the iPhone.

If you’re someone who wants a true hybrid smartwatch and sports watch, the Ultra is the one to beat.

Apple Watch Ultra design is big and bold
The Ultra is a souped-up Apple Watch in every respect. All the familiar elements are here, just bigger and bolder than previous models. The side button has its own housing that protrudes from the case and the digital crown has deeper ridges, making both easier to control if your fingers are sweaty, dusty or wearing gloves.

When taking the Ultra out of the box for the first time, I thought it was going to be too large and heavy for my wrist. But it’s deceptively light to wear, thanks to its titanium construction. Even with the smallest watch strap that best suits my wrist size, I’m able to get a snug and comfortable fit during the day.

This isn’t a one-size-fits-all design, though. The Apple Watch Ultra will likely overwhelm smaller wrists. I would have loved to see a smaller case option, even at the expense of battery life. For example, I’m a side sleeper who rests my hand under my pillow, so the Ultra isn’t the most comfortable watch to wear for sleep tracking; I can feel every edge of the watch at night.

The 49mm case makes this the biggest Apple Watch to date, though the active area on the display itself is only a hair bigger than the 45mm Series 8. So rather than a bigger screen, you’re really choosing the Ultra over the Series 8 for the extra protection you get from the titanium casing’s raised edges. The screen also has flat edges, which some might prefer over the slightly curved screen on Apple’s other watches.

The Apple Watch Ultra is also twice as bright as the Series 8 and is easy to see on a sunny day with a maximum 2,000 nits. I’ve taken the Ultra on long hikes, an outdoor bike ride and my everyday walks and runs. It’s readable in all of these situations, especially when just glancing down to see stats on the always-on display. The flat sapphire glass cover is more reflective than I’d like, but the edge protection around it will pay dividends in long-term durability.

Coming from a 41mm Apple Watch Series 7, everything is easier to see, from workout stats on the always-on display to notifications. The font size is adjustable and can get big, which is great for readability, similar to the 45mm Series 8. And it sounds simple, but I like how the Ultra has room on its screen for up to six lines of workout stats. I no longer have to scroll down to another page just to see a particular metric, which makes all the difference.

Over the past week, I have gotten used to the size of the Ultra, though there are times when I missed the sleeker feel of the regular Apple Watch on my wrist. That’s especially true for the Series 7 and Series 8, with their curved screens and contoured cases that make everyday wear more enjoyable.

Apple Watch Ultra’s Action button has plenty of uses
You can’t miss the bright orange Action button on the left of the Apple Watch Ultra. It sits flush with the case and has an indentation that helps you feel it under your thumb. Next to the larger capacity battery, this is my favorite new hardware feature on the Ultra. It’s going to be hard to go back to an Apple Watch Series without one.

You can customize the button from the Settings menu to do things like add a waypoint, launch the stopwatch, open the flashlight app or instantly start one of your regular workouts and skip the “3, 2, 1” countdown.

On previous Apple Watches, I set a complication to launch the workout app, then select the workout type using the touchscreen. It’s not only easier to do this with the Ultra’s Action button, but it’s far more customizable because the button also changes depending on context.

If you’re on an outdoor run and press the Action button again, you can mark a segment. You can also pause a workout by pinching the side button and Action button together. The same pinch combo resumes your workout, so there’s no need to swipe to the right on the screen to stop and start (although you still need to swipe to end a workout). The button can also transition from one leg of the race to another if you’re participating in a duathlon or triathlon.

If you’re using it off the grid with GPS only, Apple quotes about 12 hours total battery. Using the watch exclusively connected to LTE rather than tied to your phone via Bluetooth, expect the battery to drain faster. I’ll update this review with exact cellular runtime numbers soon.

With the latest WatchOS 9.1 update, Apple’s rolled out a new battery optimization that extends the battery even further to up to 60 hours, including 15 hours of workout time, by reducing the number of heart-rate and GPS readings. Theoretically, that’s enough time for something like an Ironman. Go to Settings > Workout then turn on both the Low Power Mode toggle and “Fewer GPS and heart rate readings”. The always-on display will also be disabled and cellular connectivity will be reduced to one update every hour.

Fast charging, like we first saw on the Apple Watch Series 7, is also supported. You can go from flat to full in about an hour and a half, but I never really let the Ultra get to 0% and always found it was charged up in less than an hour. The Ultra comes with the same USB-C magnetic charging puck as other, newer Apple Watches, but it has a nice braided cable instead of a plastic casing. The 20W charging brick needed to get those fast charge speeds is sold separately.

By far and away, this is the best battery on any Apple Watch. But it doesn’t yet get close to the week — or weeks-long — battery life from other sports and endurance watches, even ones that have similar OLED screens like the Garmin Epix 2.

Who is the Apple Watch Ultra really for?
I feel there are two types of people who will be drawn to the Apple Watch Ultra. The first is anyone who wants a bigger, tougher Apple Watch with a battery that lasts twice as long as the other models. And if you’re looking at a 45mm Series 8 in stainless steel, it’s almost the same cost as the Ultra — in the US anyway — so I think the Ultra is the better overall choice.

Anyone who considers themselves an endurance athlete or outdoors adventurer is obviously the other huge market. Apple’s done a great job of having a little bit of everything, whether you’re a triathlete, marathon runner or diver. However, we’ll have to wait a little longer until the Oceanic Plus app launches to determine if those dive features are actually helpful.

The Ultra might not match the sports and mapping features on a higher-end Garmin, Coros or Polar watch, but the tight integration with iPhone might be worth more to you. Mobile payments, a wide selection of third-party apps, speaker, microphone and LTE connectivity all make the Ultra capable of doubling as an everyday watch and adventure companion — unless you need a battery that lasts a week or more.

The next step is for Apple to connect all the dots with all these data points it’s collecting to paint a broader picture of your health and fitness. Here’s hoping that’s just around the corner.

The third developer beta for iOS 16.2 brings improvements to the Always-On Display.

Apple has just released the latest developer beta for iOS 16.2. Currently in its third iteration, iOS 16.2 features improvements to the Always-On Display — allowing users to disable their wallpaper and notifications when AOD is enabled.

The first two developer beta versions of iOS 16.2 added sleep and medication widgets to the home screen, tweaks to Live Activities and the new collaborative brainstorming Freeform app.

And while it’s pretty easy to download and install iOS 16.2 right now if you wanted, developer beta versions aren’t intended for general use, especially because they may have unfinished features and issues that might make the iPhone difficult to use. These early beta releases are intended for developers, to help them keep their apps up to date while also providing early access to the newest features.

In short, you probably shouldn’t install the developer beta on your primary iPhone. If you really want to get iOS 16.2 early though, try to find a spare iPhone that is new enough (iPhone 8 or later) to work with the latest software.

For those who still want to dive in, we’ll show you how to install the iOS 16.2 developer version on your iPhone, as well as what to do in case you want to revert to a stable version of iOS 16.

If you want to learn more about iOS 16, check out all the new features you should know about, including some cool hidden features and some other not-so-cool settings.

What to know before you download the iOS 16.2 developer beta
Because the iOS 16.2 developer beta is an early prerelease version, the software could have bugs and other issues.

Again, if you’re thinking about downloading iOS 16.2, do it on a backup or secondary phone, if available. The iOS 16.2 developer beta’s issues could cripple your iPhone and make it difficult to use, disabling phone calls or text messages or making it extremely laggy. However, if you only have your main phone or tablet available, make sure to back up your iPhone on iOS 16.1 before updating to iOS 16.2. That way you have the option to return to iOS 16.1 if there are too many issues on the new OS.

Also, you must have an iPhone 8 or later to run iOS 16.2. iOS 16 and its updates are not supported on the iPhone SE (2016), iPhone 6S, ‌iPhone‌ 6S Plus, ‌iPhone‌ 7 or ‌iPhone‌ 7 Plus and earlier.

In order to download the iOS 16.2 developer beta 3, you must be enrolled in the Apple Developer Program, which costs $99 a year. If you don’t want the latest developer’s beta release, you can join the Apple Beta Software program and download the public beta version for free when it’s available.

How to enroll in the Apple Developer Program
The first step to get the iOS 16.2 developer beta 3 on your iPhone is to enroll in the Apple Developer Program if you aren’t already a member. If you’re on your iPhone, here’s how you can enroll:

1. Download the Apple Developer app from the App Store.
2. Launch the app, go to Account and tap Enroll Now.
3. Sign in with your Apple ID credentials.
4. Read through the various benefits and instructions, enter your personal information and scan your ID to verify your identity.
5. Once this information is submitted, you must choose your entity (individual for most people) and agree to the program license agreement.
6. Finally, pay the Apple Developer membership fee (with Apple Pay), which is $99 (about £80 or AU$140) a year.

After you successfully make the payment, you’ll be redirected to your Account page in the Apple Developer app. Here you can verify that you’re now enrolled, and you can also check out the date of your membership’s expiration next year.

Install iOS 16.2 beta 3 with an over-the-air update on your iPhone
The easiest way to download the iOS 16.2 developer beta 3 is with an over-the-air update — the way you would update to any other new software release on your device. Here’s how:

1. On your iPhone or iPad, go to the Apple Developer Program download page, tap Install Profile for iOS 16.2 beta 3 and hit Allow.
2. Next, open the Settings app, tap on Profile Downloaded and hit Install on the top right when it appears. Enter your passcode if prompted and then tap Install two more times. Your phone will need to restart.
3. Once your phone boots back up, connect it to power, make sure you’re on Wi-Fi and go to Settings > General > Software Update. If you don’t instantly see an update available, wait a few minutes and check again.
4. Finally, hit Download and Install > Install and enter your passcode to update your device.

After your phone finishes rebooting, you should have access to the latest iOS 16.2 developer beta 3.

Download the iOS 16.2 developer beta using your Mac
Over-the-air updates require a certain amount of storage, and if you don’t have that available, using your computer is really the only way to update to iOS 16.2 beta 3 without manually clearing out space.

1. On your Mac, go to the Apple Developer Program download page, find iOS 16.2 beta 3 and click Download Restore Images.
2. Download the iOS beta software restore image for your specific device.
3. Next, connect your device to your computer and enter your device passcode or hit Trust This Computer if prompted.
4. Open Finder and click your device in the sidebar under Locations.
5. In General, next to Software, you’ll see the latest software your device is running.
6. Hold down the Option key, click Check for Update and choose the iOS 16.2 beta 3 software restore image you just downloaded from the Apple Developer page.

Renders based on images of a Google Pixel Fold — a rumored foldable phone that would compete with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 — were published online Monday, courtesy of Front Page Tech.

An unnamed source provided images to the tech news site, which then created custom renders based on those images.

Ross Young, CEO of market researcher Display Supply Chain Consultants, said he has learned that the Pixel Fold foldable display is 7.57 inches, that the cover display is 5.78 inches and that both are from Samsung Display. Young also said that a “small volume of panels” have been shipped to Google.

Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The phone renders by Front Page Tech show two colors, one in obsidian (black) and one in chalk (white). The phone will reportedly cost $1,799 and is set for a May 2023 release window, according to Front Page Tech.

Google’s latest earnings report shows a stronger focus on hardware and a move away from moonshot projects. While search is still the breadwinner at Google, Apple’s strong competition in mobile is turning consumers toward iOS and away from Android. Apple’s mobile operating system surpassed Android in the US earlier this year.

Last month, Google launched the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro phones, as well as the long-awaited Pixel Watch. Google said it made its largest order ever of Pixel devices with the 7. And while the foldable phone market is niche, it’s growing. Shipments of foldable phones hit 16 million earlier this year, with Samsung controlling 62% of global foldable market share. Foldables have been one area of the mobile market that Apple hasn’t touched, allowing Android to persuade some users.

Learn about everything new that landed on your iPhone, including a cheaper way to use Apple Fitness Plus.

Apple’s iOS 16.1 hit compatible iPhones (and iPads with iPadOS 16) in early October, but have you explored the update yet? As a follow up to iOS 16 tricks, like a way to unsend messages and further lock screen customization, iOS 16.1 brings a collection of new features, tweaks and fixes to your iPhone.

Here’s what’s new in iOS 16.1 and what each feature does. If you haven’t downloaded the update yet, we show you how to do that here. Looking to take a deeper dive into your iPhone? Check out all the best hidden features and setting changes that’ll optimize your device.

iCloud Shared Photo Library
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Sharing photos with your friends and family after a night out or a vacation can be a hassle. But with iCloud Shared Photo Library, you can easily share photos and videos with up to five other people.

Anyone who has access to the Shared Photo Library can add, edit and delete content within the library. You can upload photos directly from your iPhone’s camera to the library, and you can add photos to the library when you are physically with others who have access to the library.

However, you can’t participate in two shared libraries at once, and if you move photos from your personal library to the shared library, those photos aren’t duplicated and can only be found in the shared library.

Live Activities in Dynamic Island and Lock Screen
The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max’s Dynamic Island and lock screen get a boost with Live Activities. With Live Activities, your Dynamic Island and lock screen display notifications from third-party apps for things like sports games and flights.

Apple Fitness Plus without an Apple Watch
With iOS 16.1 you no longer need an Apple Watch to access Apple Fitness Plus. With an iPhone 8 or newer, you can track your fitness progress and goals right from your phone.

Battery display updates
iPhones from the XR up to the latest models now have the option to display the battery percentage in the battery meter icon. The font used for the battery icon has also slightly increased in size, making it easier to read.

Wallpaper and lock screen updates
Apple made it a bit easier to customize your wallpaper in iOS 16.1. From the Settings > Wallpaper menu, the option to add a new wallpaper is now more visually distinct, and you have the option to swipe through existing wallpapers. Also, when editing your wallpaper from the lock screen, you’ll now have the option to customize either your lock screen or your home screen (instead of just the lock screen).

Screenshot editing tools interface updated
When you edit a screenshot using the editing menu, the delete, save and copy options are now displayed across the top of your screen in a smaller, less intrusive menu. Previously, these options were at the bottom of your iPhone’s screen.

Wallet app upgrades
You can securely share car, hotel room and other Wallet app information with Messages and WhatsApp. Apple Card customers can also grow their Daily Cash by putting their savings into a high-yield savings account. You can also delete the Wallet app from your iPhone if you want.

Smart home connectivity via Matter
Matter, the new smart home connectivity standard, is now supported. That means you can control smart devices like Alexa and Google Assistant from your iPhone.

Clean Energy Charging setting
A new Clean Energy Charging toggle has been added to the Battery section in Settings. The setting could help reduce your carbon footprint when you charge your iPhone. With Clean Energy Charging on, your iPhone will selectively charge when lower carbon emission electricity is available. This setting seems to be toggled on by default, but you can turn it off if you want by going to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging and tapping the toggle next to Clean Energy Charging.

Apple Books interface upgrade
If you read books on your iPhone, your reader controls will automatically be hidden when you open Apple Books.

Bug fixes
Apple also addressed a handful of bugs. These fixes address issues like deleted conversations appearing in Messages, some Dynamic Island content not appearing when using Reachability and CarPlay not connecting when using a VPN app.

For more iOS news, check out the iOS 16 cheat sheet, how to download iOS 16.1 and hidden iOS 16 features you should know about.