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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.

Apple was the only leading vendor to increase market share in the last year, says a new Canalys report.

Global smartphone shipments fell by 13% in the first quarter of 2023 compared with the same period last year, according to a report published Thursday by research firm Canalys.

The decline comes amid a convergence of economic conditions, including softening consumer demand, high inflation, and sluggish economic growth.

“The smartphone market’s decline in the first quarter of 2023 was within expectations throughout the industry,” said Canalys Analyst Sanyam Chaurasia. The quarter saw 269.8 million units shipped.

Despite a slowing smartphone market, Apple bucked the trend as the only top five vendor to increase its market share annually, to 21% from 18%. Rival Samsung’s market share dropped from 24% to 22%, indicating that Apple has closed in on its South Korean rival, boosted by robust demand for its iPhone 14 Pro series, announced last September.

During the latest January to March quarter, however, Samsung reclaimed the top spot from Apple, shipping 60.3 million units driven by a fresh lineup of products following the launch of its popular Galaxy 23 series in February. iPhone market share fell from 25% to 21%, while Samsung’s share of the pie grew from 20% to 22%. Chinese tech giant Xiaomi maintained its third place position with 30.5 million shipments, and Chinese phone makers Oppo and Vivo rounded out fourth and fifth place on the list.

The quarterly drop-off for Apple doesn’t come as a surprise, though. The fourth quarter encompasses the launch of new iPhones, generating a huge bump up in sales that subsequently tapers off in the following January-March quarter.

Phone Link for iOS is now available for Windows 11 computers.

Microsoft has started rolling out its new Phone Link for iOS feature that lets iPhone users connect their phones to Windows 11 PCs. All Windows 11 customers should have access by mid-May, Microsoft said Wednesday.

First previewed in February, the new feature uses Bluetooth and is available only for iPhone 14 models and above. According to Microsoft, the iOS version of Phone Link provides “basic iOS support for calls, messages and access to contacts.”

Once you’re connected to a Windows 11 device, you can receive notifications for calls and messages, with the ability to answer them (or decline). The interconnectivity also includes an iCloud integration with the Photos app, so you can access iPhone photos on your PC. Microsoft notes that group messaging and video/photo sharing isn’t available at this time.

Windows 11 users can check to see if the feature is available by searching for “Phone Link” in the Windows taskbar. If it’s enabled, Microsoft will then walk you through the set-up steps.

Phone Link was introduced in 2022 as the upgraded, revamped version of Microsoft’s Your Phone app, which initially launched for Android smartphones in late 2018. Android users can receive and take calls as well as access photos and Android apps on their Windows PCs.

For more, try ditching these Windows 11 default settings and check out the best Windows laptops for 2023.

Apple’s tracking device can keep track of more than just your keychain, wallet and phone.

Have you ever wondered what sorts of things you can track by using an AirTag? It can go beyond the basics of tracking your wallet, keys and phone. We’ve got several more things to keep track of with AirTags that you may have not thought of before.

Generally, you need to be within Bluetooth range to find your AirTag, but you can use Apple’s Find My service to locate it if it’s farther away, as long as it’s still in range of another Apple device (here’s how the Find My network works). To do so, just put your AirTag into Lost Mode and you’ll get a notification once it’s within range of the Find My network.

We’ve created a list of some unexpected places to put an AirTag to help prevent you from constantly retracing your steps. For more details, here’s how to tell if an AirTag is tracking your location on Android.

In your tent when you go hiking
If you’re setting up camp in a location you’ve never visited, it could be useful to place an AirTag inside your tent so you can easily find your campsite. For instance, if you decide to hike several miles one day, you can use Find My to look up the AirTag’s last location (your tent) and get directions back to the campsite. Remember, it’ll need to be within range of someone else’s device, so don’t rely on this out in the wilderness. (This is also why Apple advises you not to use AirTags on pets.)

In your jacket pocket
How often have you left your coat behind in a restaurant, bar or friend’s house? Forgetting to grab your jacket when you head out is easy to do, especially if the weather is warmer than you expected or your hands are full of leftovers and to-go cups.

If you know you’ll be hanging your jacket on a coat rack — or the back of a chair — when you arrive, place an AirTag inside the pocket so you know where you left it. This can help prevent yet another favorite jacket from getting lost, and less money out of your wallet to replace it.

Inside your luggage
Airports can be tricky to navigate, and can become especially difficult when you’re trying to find the correct luggage pickup. Sometimes you wait 30 minutes until your bags finally roll out on the conveyor belt — and sometimes they get lost. To relieve the stress of trying to locate your suitcase, you can put an AirTag tracker inside so you can track its whereabouts.

This can help you find out if your bags were left on the airplane, if they’re on the conveyor belt but you haven’t spotted them yet or if someone mistakenly grabbed your luggage. Once you find out where your bags are, you can remedy the situation and continue on to where you’re going.

Inside your laptop bag
Laptop bags can be easily left behind at a cafe when you’re picking up coffee for everyone at the office. When your hands are full and you’re distracted wondering how you’re going to open your car door, it’s hard to remember to grab your bag from the booth you were sitting in.

That’s why it’s a good idea to place an AirTag inside one of the pockets. You will be able to not only locate your expensive laptop but also save any confidential company or personal information you had in your bag.

In a hidden place on your bicycle
If it hasn’t happened to you, you probably know someone who has had this experience. You get home from a bike ride, go inside to grab water and something to eat and completely forget about the bike you left outside. Or maybe you went to the store, didn’t lock your bike up and when you came back it was gone.

If you place an AirTag in a hidden place on the bike, you can easily locate it. We don’t recommend tracking the bicycle down on your own though. It’s best to notify the police and let them retrieve your bike for you to avoid any dangerous situations.

This method also works on your car if it’s been stolen or towed away — or if you can’t remember where you parked it. Although if you have an iPhone and it’s connected to your car via Bluetooth, your phone can locate where you last left it.

More common areas to put your AirTag
AirTag is commonly used to locate these items.

Your purse or wallet
Your keychain
Your phone or tablet
The remote to your TV
Anything valuable that you leave outside your home
For more Apple information, here’s how to send secret messages on your iPhone. Also, this new iOS 16 feature can save you from cringeworthy iPhone texts.

A VPN can cut your internet speed in half, which can be a real pain if you’re gaming or streaming. Try these tips to speed things up.

Let’s face it: Using a virtual private network will slow down your internet speed — often by 50% or more.

It’s the nature of how VPNs work, and there’s really no way around it. However, there are a few things you can try to get the fastest possible speeds out of your VPN connection.

A VPN encrypts your internet traffic while routing your connection through a secure server in a location of your choosing. This process is the primary reason behind the loss in internet speeds you’re likely to experience when connecting to a VPN server. It takes time to encrypt and decrypt your traffic and for your data to make the round trip to the VPN server and back to your device.

Other factors, such as the VPN protocol you’re using or how many people are using the same VPN server you’re connecting through, can also contribute to the overall speed loss.

The speed hit may be virtually imperceptible for normal internet use when you use a fast VPN, but you’ll want all the speeds you can get for data-heavy activities like gaming, streaming or video conferencing. A delay of even a few milliseconds can mean the difference between glory and failure in your online game. And slow VPN speeds can result in a ruined video streaming experience, spoiled by constant buffering and a heaping dose of pixelation. And if you’re using a VPN while on a Zoom call, you’ll want to do whatever you can to maximize your VPN speeds to ensure the call goes smoothly and doesn’t drop out.

If your VPN isn’t as fast as you need it to be, here’s what you can do to speed up your connection.

Read more: The Best VPNs, Tested and Rated

7 ways to improve your VPN speeds
Connect to a server closer to your physical location
Generally speaking, the closer the VPN server is to your physical location, the faster your connection speeds should be. Your traffic will have a shorter physical distance to cover when it’s routed through a VPN server that’s close by rather than one that’s halfway across the world. If you’re in Boston, your VPN connection should be a lot faster if you connect to a VPN server in New York City or Montreal than one in Sydney or Tokyo, for example.

This won’t always be practical if, say, you want to stream content from a specific country or access a gaming server from a particular location. But when you need a faster connection, try connecting to a few different VPN servers close to where you’re physically located and see which ones yield the fastest speeds. Some VPNs will have a speed test feature built into their apps, but you can always use a speed testing website like Ookla Speedtest to check the speed of your connection.

If you’re looking for a VPN with tons of server locations, try ExpressVPN, which offers servers in 160 locations across 94 countries — so you’re bound to find a few relatively close to where you are.

Connect to a server that isn’t overloaded
When too many people are using a single VPN server, the server can get overloaded and your connection speed can take a hit. Some VPN providers display the current server load on their servers either in the app itself or on the website. If you choose one with a lighter load, you’ll generally achieve faster speeds. If your VPN provider doesn’t display the current load on its servers, try connecting to a few different ones to see which gets you the fastest speeds. Sometimes, it just takes a little trial and error.

Try connecting via a different VPN protocol
A VPN protocol is a set of instructions between the VPN app on your device and the VPN server that determines how the secure connection is established. There are various VPN protocols and most providers give you the ability to choose between a few different options. Different protocols have different advantages and disadvantages in terms of speed and security, so if you connect via one VPN protocol rather than another, you can potentially boost the speed of your VPN.

Today, the gold standard VPN protocol is OpenVPN. It is the most battle-tested protocol, and it offers a nice combination of speed, stability and security — which is why many VPNs use OpenVPN as their default protocol. More and more VPN providers are now also offering newer VPN protocols like IKEv2 and WireGuard that promise faster speeds alongside excellent security. And some have even developed proprietary VPN protocols like ExpressVPN’s Lightway and NordVPN’s NordLynx that claim to offer the best of both worlds.

Switching to one of these other protocols, if offered by your VPN provider, can yield you faster connection speeds through your VPN. Just be aware that — though their security appears to be solid — these protocols haven’t been as thoroughly tested in the wild as OpenVPN, so they shouldn’t be your first choice for critical VPN use.

If you prefer to use OpenVPN exclusively, use UDP rather than TCP to get the best speeds. While TCP is typically the more stable option, it tends to be slower than UDP because it needs to send data packets in the right order and will wait for confirmation of receipt from the recipient prior to sending the next packet. UDP isn’t concerned about the order in which it sends data packets or getting any acknowledgment that they were received, so it tends to be much faster and more efficient, but less stable.

Most VPN apps allow you to change the protocol you connect through in their settings section, so try playing around with the protocol settings to see which ones get you the fastest speeds.

Enable split tunneling if available
If your VPN provider offers a split-tunneling feature, then try enabling it to see if you can boost your VPN speeds. Split tunneling allows you to send only the traffic you want through your VPN connection, while sending the rest unencrypted through your regular internet connection.

For example, if you’re using your VPN for streaming, you can allocate just your streaming traffic to go through the VPN, which won’t slow down your online gaming. This can help optimize your VPN speeds for certain activities, because all the excess traffic you don’t need running through your VPN won’t burden your bandwidth.

Use a wired connection
Using a wired connection will typically be faster than using your Wi-Fi. Chances are you’ve got several devices connected to your home Wi-Fi network all at the same time — devices that are all sharing and competing for resources on the same wireless channel. This can result in an unstable internet connection and, therefore, slower speeds. If you have the proper equipment, try establishing a wired connection by hooking your computer up directly to your router via ethernet cable and then connect to your VPN.

Close unnecessary apps running in the background
If you have apps running in the background that you’re not using, they could be taking up resources on your machine and slowing your connection. Take a minute to check if anything’s running in the background that you’re not using and close those processes. By clearing up potential bottlenecks like this, you might notice a faster connection.

Restart your router and other devices
When was the last time you restarted your devices? Just like anything else, tech like your computer and router occasionally need a little R&R. When you reboot your computer, you’ll give it a needed refresh, free up some RAM and get it working optimally. So, as cliche as it sounds, try turning it off and back on again, then see how your VPN speeds improve as a result.

A new iPhone with USB-C charging is one of the many products we could see from Apple this year.

You never really know what to expect from Apple when it comes to its product launches. However, the company tends to release certain products on a regular schedule, providing possible clues about what’s to come. Leaks and rumors also paint a picture of potential gadgets we may see throughout 2023, such as the iPhone 15 and Apple’s long-rumored “mixed-reality” headset.

If the reports turn out to be accurate, 2023 could mark several firsts for Apple’s product lineup. We may see the company’s first AR/VR headset, the first iPhone with USB-C and the first 15-inch MacBook Air, for example. As for other products like AirPods, the Apple TV and the iPad, Bloomberg reports we likely won’t see major changes to those product lines this year.

The debut of a mixed-reality headset would signal an entirely new product category for Apple, while the other updates suggest Apple is further optimizing its devices to contend with Android and Windows competitors that offer bigger screens and universal USB-C charging.

Apple has already released several new products this year, including a new yellow version of the iPhone 14, an updated HomePod, a Mac Mini with the M2 and M2 Pro chips, and MacBook Pro computers with the new M2 Pro and M2 Max.

Here’s a look at what we’re expecting in 2023 based on Apple’s previous launches, rumors and leaks so far. Apple did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

iPhone 15 lineup

Apple usually launches new iPhones in September, and this year will likely be no different. Among the most significant changes we’re expecting to see in the iPhone 15 is the switch from the Lightning charging port to USB-C. That’s because there are new rules requiring tech products sold in Europe to support USB-C by 2024. Still, it’s unclear whether Apple will fully embrace the transition to USB-C across the entire iPhone 15 lineup, or if it will make a region-specific model for Europe.

Another potential update could include the Dynamic Island’s arrival on standard non-Pro iPhone 15 models, Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, tweeted in September. At the same time, Apple could add more features to the iPhone 15 Pro that differentiate it from the base models. Such features could include a new periscope camera with better optical zoom for the iPhone 15 Pro Max and solid-state buttons for both Pro phones, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Apple’s long-anticipated mixed-reality headset could finally make its debut in June, according to Bloomberg, marking Apple’s first major expansion into a new product category since the Apple Watch. The headset is expected to blend elements of augmented reality, which lays digital graphics over real-world environments similar to the smartphone game Pokemon Go, and virtual reality, which envelopes users in 360-degree graphics like the $400 Meta Quest 2.

But don’t expect Apple’s headset to come cheap. The device could cost $3,000 and will run on a new type of software that’s essentially a 3D version of the iPhone’s interface, Bloomberg reports. Expect it to be powered by Apple’s M2 chip, which can be found in its current MacBook lineup, the report says. Although Bloomberg reported that Apple could introduce the headset in June, a tweet from Kuo suggests mass production of the device may have been delayed.

Tech giants from Meta to Sony to Microsoft have all tried their hand at virtual or augmented reality. But there’s an expectation that Apple’s first VR product could popularize the technology, since the company has a long track record of doing so with other products.

“I think Apple is going to be a big help to the market kind of like it has with, let’s face it, smartphones, tablets and smartwatches,” said Ramon Llamas, a research director at the International Data Corporation.

Apple Watch Series 9

Like clockwork, Apple typically releases new Apple Watch models alongside its new iPhones in the fall. This year, however, we may see a more modest update than usual. Bloomberg reports that we shouldn’t expect to see significant changes to the Apple Watch this year. What that means is unclear, but it’s possible the watch could include routine updates like performance enhancements rather than significant new health-tracking features.

That falls in line with the pattern that Apple has followed in recent years. Other than the addition of temperature sensing and car-crash detection, the Apple Watch Series 8 is very similar to the Series 7. Apple has also introduced more new features through software updates rather than hardware changes in recent years, such as the ability to track sleep stages that arrived in WatchOS 9. But I’m hoping the Series 9 inherits some features from the Apple Watch Ultra, especially its handy Action button, which makes it easier to jump right into a workout.

There haven’t been many rumors or reports about whether to expect updated Apple Watch SE or Ultra models in 2023. But since Apple doesn’t always release special-edition products on an annual cadence, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Apple skip those updates this time around.

Fans of Apple’s colorful all-in-one computer may have something to look forward to this year. The company’s next iMac is at an advanced development stage, meaning it could arrive in the second half of this year, according to Bloomberg. The refreshed computer will likely run on Apple’s rumored M3 processor, which would be a step up from the M2 chip powering the current MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. It’ll have a 24-inch screen like the 2021 edition and will be available in the same color options, but will have some internal design changes, according to the report.

Mac Pro with M2 Ultra

Apple is also readying a new version of its top-of-the-line Mac Pro that would run on a chip called the M2 Ultra processor, likely a successor to the M1 Ultra, according to Bloomberg. That would mark a departure from the current model, which debuted in 2019 and runs on Intel’s Xeon processors. The chip will reportedly have 24 CPU cores, 76 graphics cores and 192GB of memory.

The $5,999 Mac Pro is Apple’s high-end desktop computer aimed at professionals. It’s the last remaining Mac in Apple’s current lineup that doesn’t include the company’s own silicon. The report suggests it will launch between late spring and summer, meaning we might see it at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

A 15-inch MacBook Air

Apple’s lightweight laptop will reportedly be available in a 15-inch size for the first time this year. Bloomberg reports that a 15-inch MacBook Air is in Apple’s 2023 product roadmap, although it’s unclear whether this machine will run on the company’s expected M3 chip. A new 13-inch MacBook Air is also said to be in the works.

These two laptops are also expected to arrive in the late spring or summer, so we should be hearing about them in the coming months if Bloomberg’s report is accurate.

All told, the rumors, leaks and reports suggest 2023 could be a pivotal year for Apple’s computing lineup. If Apple does announce its first mixed-reality headset, we’ll get a glimpse at the company’s vision for the future of computing. Apple CEO Tim Cook has been vocal about the potential he sees for augmented reality, but we haven’t seen dedicated Apple hardware for providing those experiences yet. The arrival of Apple silicon in the Mac Pro would also mark the completion of Apple’s transition to its homegrown Mac chips within its current lineup.

We have purported specs and a possible first-look date for Google’s foldable.

What’s said to be a new Pixel Fold leak appears to fill in whatever gaps were left in knowledge about Google’s first foldable phone. If the details are true, we have not only a long list of potential specs, but also a date for the device’s big reveal, and it’s ahead of Google I/O 2023.

Leaker Jon Prosser previously released purported renders of the Pixel Fold, along with a timeline, saying the phone would be formally announced May 10, the first day of this year’s Google I/O conference. On Friday, Prosser released a video in partnership with Front Page Tech with even more details, including that Google will first tease the device on April 26.

Prosser continued with a lengthy specs drop accompanied by some close-up renders of the foldable. He also noted two storage configurations for the foldable: 256GB, in either chalk (white) or obsidian (black) colors, for about $1,800, or a 512GB model that comes only in obsidian, for about $1,920.

According to Prosser’s sources, the foldable packs a 5.8-inch OLED outer display with a distinctly wide 17.4:9 aspect ratio in Full HD Plus resolution (2,092 by 1,080 pixels) and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The 7.6-inch OLED inner display sports a more tablet-size 6:5 aspect ratio (2,208 by 1,840 pixels) and also a refresh rate of up to 120Hz.

The render shows a camera block that looks similar to that on the last Google flagship phone, the Pixel 7 Pro, though it stands alone on the Pixel Fold instead of curving into the back cover as in Google’s other phones. The cameras themselves are roughly similar to those on the Pixel 7 Pro, though: The main camera is a 48 megapixel camera with a f/1.7 aperture and 82 degree field of view. The foldable also has a 10.8 megapixel ultrawide with an f/2.2 aperture and 121.1 degree field of view, while the 10.8 megapixel telephoto lens can shoot with 5x optical zoom and a (presumably digitally enhanced) 20x “super res” zoom.

The one place where the Fold may be worse than its flatter predecessor is in video, with the Fold recording only 4K footage in 30 frames per second, while the Pixel 7 Pro can crank that up to 60fps. If you want that many frames per second while shooting video on the Fold, you’ll need to dial it down to 1080p.

The front-facing camera on the outer display is a 9.5 megapixel f/2.2 shooter with an 84 degree field of view, which is also roughly comparable to the selfie camera on the Pixel 7 Pro. There’s a camera on top of the inside display too, an 8 megapixel f/2.0 shooter that’ll mostly be used for Zoom and other video chat calls.

The Pixel Fold will use Google’s own Tensor 2 chipset (presumably the Tensor Gen 2 that debuted in the Google Pixel 7 back in October) along with a Titan M2 security chip, according to the leak. It’ll also pack 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM across all configurations.

As for dimensions, the Pixel Fold will purportedly be 5.5 inches tall by 3.1 inches wide and 0.5 inches thick, which is shorter yet wider when folded than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4’s size of 6.1 inches tall by 2.6 inches wide by 0.6 inches thick. (The leak didn’t include the dimensions of the Pixel Fold when unfolded flat.) At 283 grams, the Pixel Fold is also heavier than the Samsung Z Fold 4, which weighs 263 grams.

The Pixel Fold’s battery specs are less concrete, with Prosser saying only that a charge will last “beyond 24 hours” and potentially up to 72 hours with a battery-saving mode (a setting that typically limits features and screen brightness).

Prosser has a reputation for leaking legit info about consumer tech products, especially phones. He accurately leaked the design of the 2021 iPad Mini 6 and the release date for the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. But as with all leaks, this information may not accurately reflect the final device we expect to see revealed at Google I/O in a matter of weeks.

This is the first public beta Google has released of Android 14, aka Upside Down Cake.

The first Android 14 beta is here. Google announced the release of Android 14 Beta 1 in a blog post last week. If you want to test out the experimental software right now, you can download and install it on your phone today — as long as it’s compatible.

Android 14 brings several tweaks and revamps, including updates to the Android system UI, like a new back arrow and a better share menu, as well as improvements to privacy and security.

Android 14 Beta 1 is Google’s most stable Android 14 release since February, when Google released the first Android 14 developer preview, meant for developers looking to make their apps compatible ahead of the eventual general release.

Prior to this release, the process of installing the developer preview of Android 14 hasn’t been overly difficult, but it also isn’t easy. It involved unlocking developer options, downloading a sizable file, factory resetting your device and more. Now, it’s much more simple to download and install the latest Android 14 beta.

The final version of Android 14 will eventually be the most accessible way to get it, but that’s not expected until later this year. If you really want an early look at what’s coming, and you have a supported Android device, such as the Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro, you can begin testing Android 14 beta 1 right now. Here’s how.

While you’re here, check out the best Android phones you can buy in 2023 and how the Galaxy S22 and S23 stack up against each other.

Is the Android 14 beta safe to download?
Although the Android 14 beta is more refined and solid than the Android 14 developer preview, you should still expect bugs with this release that may make your phone more difficult to use. Only download the Android 14 beta if you’re willing to deal with these issues or if your device is a backup from your daily phone. Also, make sure to back up your device before downloading the Android 14 beta, in case something goes wrong or you decide to leave the program later.

Note: Some of the new features that are in development might not end up in the final version of Android 14, so anything you do use should be considered an early preview and not necessarily final.

Which Android devices are compatible with the Android 14 beta?
For now, only a select number of Pixel smartphones support Android 14:

Pixel 4A 5G
Pixel 5
Pixel 5A
Pixel 6
Pixel 6 Pro
Pixel 6A
Pixel 7
Pixel 7 Pro
You can check out if your device is compatible with Android 14 Beta here. We’ll add more devices to this list as they become supported.

How to download Android 14 beta on your supported device
The easiest way to download the Android 14 beta on your phone is to go to the Android Beta for Pixel page on your computer, check if your device is supported and then enroll in the Android 14 program.

Under the Your eligible devices option, you should see your phone if it is supported (make sure your phone is charged over 10% or else it may not appear).

As long as you haven’t signed up for the Android 13 beta or Android 14 developer preview, you will see the option to opt in. If you’ve already signed up for the aforementioned prereleases, you don’t need to do anything to get Android 14. You should automatically receive an update on your phone.

To enroll in the Android 14 beta, click Opt in and then click Confirm and enroll after reading the terms and conditions. You should see a notification that says your device is now part of the Android 14 beta program.

You will then receive an over-the-air update on your phone. If you don’t get a notification on your phone, go to Settings > System > System update to view your Android 14 update. It may take up to 24 hours to receive the OTA update.

How long will the Android 14 beta last for?
You should expect updates up until the public release of Android 14, which will likely launch sometime in the fall of this year. According to Google, you should receive an update a month in May and June, with two in July.

Also, the Android 14 beta program as a whole will continue until next year, which means that you’ll continuously receive beta updates up until the next beta release, unless you opt out.

How do I opt out of the Android 14 beta?
To opt out of the Android 14 beta program, go back to the Android Beta for Pixel page, but this time click Opt out. Within 24 hours, you should receive an OTA update on your phone that will wipe out all your locally saved data and provide you with whatever the latest public version of Android is at the time. As mentioned before, this is why you need to back up your device before enrolling in the Android 14 beta program.