Month: May 2023

Google I/O is this Wednesday, and the tech giant will reveal more details then.

It’s official. The Pixel Fold is real. After months of rumors, Google on Thursday offered up a look at the Pixel Fold, confirming that the company plans to launch its first foldable phone soon. A page in the Google store and a video posted to Twitter show several views of the phone.

Google didn’t provide any specifications for the device, but the teaser video shows it has a full outer display that opens up to a larger inner display, similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold phones. The inner display is rumored to measure 7.69 inches, while the outer one could be 5.79 inches.

We also get a glimpse of the Pixel Fold’s rear camera bump, which looks similar to other Pixel phones, though it’s unclear exactly what the setup will be. Rumors have suggested the phone could have a 50-megapixel main camera along with two 12-megapixel cameras and an 8-megapixel one.

The phone in the video is shown in a light color option, which is rumored to be called “chalk” or “porcelain.” There’s also expected to be a black or gray version that may be called “carbon” or “obsidian.”

The company will offer more details about the Pixel Fold at Google I/O on May 10. The phone is rumored to go on sale in June and could cost between $1,400 and $1,800. Google’s teasers for the Pixel Fold just say that it’s “coming soon.”

The Pixel Fold will go up against other foldable phones, like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip lines as well as devices from Chinese phone makers like Huawei and Oppo. Apple is also rumored to be working on a foldable iPhone, but that might not show up until 2025. Google has the potential to take foldable phones more mainstream, according to CNET’s Andrew Lanxon. Being in control of the Android operating system puts it in a unique position to overcome the software problems that have plagued other foldable phones.

At Google I/O, we’re also expecting to see the rumored Pixel 7A and we could get more details about the Pixel Tablet. The company will also likely spend time talking about its AI efforts, and we’ll get more details on Android 14.

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

The union representing a Maryland Apple store wants you to be able to show your gratitude.

A union demand at an Apple Store in Maryland could open the door to tipping by Apple customers for their in-store transactions.

The request for a tipping option is one of a number of demands that the union made of the company this week, according to Bloomberg. Employees at the store in Towson, Maryland — the first Apple Store in the US to form a union — are also asking for raises of as much as 10%, vacation policy changes, bereavement leave and overtime pay, among other demands, Bloomberg reported.

These proposals are subject to change as negotiations between the union and Apple continue, the union told Bloomberg.

While we await the outcome of negotiations, here’s what you should know about the proposal for tipping.

Is tipping even allowed at Apple stores?
As things stand now, receiving tips while working at an Apple store could result in an employee’s termination, the Apple Coalition of Organized Retail Employees said in a Twitter thread this week.

“Apple employees everywhere can tell you that they are already being offered tips by customers regularly, however, if an employee accepted even $1, it would be grounds for immediate termination,” ACORE said.

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

What kind of tips are we talking about?
The tipping system being proposed would offer tips in increments of 3%, 5% or a custom amount customers could give, according to Bloomberg. ACORE wants to create “an acceptable system that allows the occasional customer the ability to reward our team for their hard work,” it said in the Twitter thread.

How many stores would this affect?
The negotiations with the union for the Towson store would likely affect only that location, but a win by the union there could set a precedent for Apple stores.

Apple has opposed unionization efforts in many of its stores. In April, retail managers in 270 outlets held meetings with employees to turn them against unionization efforts, Bloomberg reported. Only two Apple stores are currently unionized, the Towson location and an Oklahoma City store.

There are 272 Apple stores in the US, and nearly as many overseas. Apple opened its first retail store in India in April.

When might tipping go into effect?
Hard to say. It’s early days still in what could be a prolonged back-and-forth between the company and the union. The proposal is also subject to change, the union told Bloomberg, due to the long and complex nature of the negotiation process.

There are now more than 1 billion active iPhones in the world, Apple says.

Apple’s iPhone success still isn’t slowing down, with the tech giant on Thursday announcing iPhone sales reached a record number for the March quarter, bringing in $51.3 billion in revenue.

There are now over 1 billion active iPhone devices, Apple said on Thursday while announcing earnings for its fiscal second quarter that ended April 1.

iPhone sales are expected to continue, with the company likely releasing its iPhone 15 lineup in the fall. The new phones are rumored to include a USB-C port instead of Lightning; the Dynamic Island on all models; more RAM in the iPhone 15 Pro to make room for a possible A17 Bionic chipset; a periscope-style telephoto lens on the Pro Max; and a new luxe device called the iPhone 15 Ultra.

Read more: Best iPhone in 2023: Which Apple Phone Should You Buy?

Another bright spot in its second-quarter earnings was Apple services, the segment that includes the App Store, Apple TV Plus, Apple Music and Apple Arcade, hitting record quarterly revenue of $20.9 billion.

Apple doesn’t break down the numbers, so it’s unclear exactly how much each service contributed to the record number. However, Apple revealed during the earnings call that it now has 975 million paid subscriptions for services.

“We are pleased to report an all-time record in services and a March quarter record for iPhone despite the challenging macroeconomic environment, and to have our installed base of active devices reach an all-time high,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said.

Overall, Apple’s total quarterly revenue was $94.8 billion, down 3% year over year. It comes against a backdrop of a tough economy that has seen other major tech companies conduct mass layoffs this year, including Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Facebook parent company Meta.

Apple said it’s also “making major progress” in becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference on June 5 will likely see the company finally reveal its long-rumored AR/VR headset and show off iOS 17, the next iteration of its iPhone operating system. It’s rumored that iOS 17 will finally bring with it the ability to sideload apps on the iPhone.

The AR/VR headset from Apple has an expected release date this summer or fall, and is rumored to be similar to Meta’s Quest Pro, with focuses on work, mixed reality and eye tracking.

These features aren’t guaranteed, but beta testers can try them now.

Apple released the fourth beta version of iOS 16.5 on Tuesday, a day after the release of iOS 16.4.1 (a), Apple’s first Rapid Security Response for iPhones. The beta update, rolling out to public beta users as well as developers, brings more improvements to the OS, like a new Pride wallpaper section and a sports tab in Apple News.

New iOS features can be fun, but we recommend downloading a beta only on a device other than your primary phone, just in case the new software causes problems. Apple also provides beta testers with an app called Feedback, which they can use to notify the company about any issues in the new software. That way, problems can be addressed before general release.

Here are the new features beta testers can try now with iOS 16.5 beta 4.

Pride wallpaper section
In iOS 16.5 beta 4, Apple introduced a new Pride section to your iPhone’s preloaded wallpapers.

The wallpapers were “designed with the colors of the Pride flag to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community,” the section’s description reads.

In iOS 16.3, the company introduced the Unity section of preloaded wallpapers as part of its Black Unity Collection to celebrate Black History Month.

Apple News gets a Sports tab
The Apple News app launched in 2015, and the first iOS 16.5 beta brought a Sports tab to the app for the first time. The tab can be found in the toolbar across the bottom of your screen when you open the app. Before, the toolbar displayed tabs for Today, News Plus, Audio, Following and Search. The iOS 16.5 beta 1 got rid of the Search tab to make room for the Sports tab.

Ask Siri to start a screen recording
With iOS 16.5 beta 1, you could ask Siri to start a screen recording for you. Prior to that beta, you had to go to add the screen recording tool to your Control Center, then turn on the tool manually. Now asking Siri could save you time, since you won’t have to edit out the beginning and end of your videos where you turn the recording on and off.

There’s no word on when iOS 16.5 will be released to the general public. There’s also no guarantee these beta features will be released with iOS 16.5, or that these will be the only features to come out with the update.

For more, check out what to know about iOS 16.4.1 (a) and Rapid Security Responses. There’s also what you may have missed with iOS 16.4. And there’s how to become an Apple beta tester so you can try out new iOS features before other folks.