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You should still wait for the rumored iPhone 14 announcement, but there is a lot to like about the iPhone 11.

It’s been a while since the debut of the iPhone 11 in 2019, with Apple debuting the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 in the years since. And in a few days, we’re likely to see the debut of the iPhone 14 at Apple’s event on Sept. 7. The iPhone 11 may be over two years old, but it might still be a good choice, especially since Apple discounted it to $499 last year. While we recommend that you wait for this next Apple event before buying any iPhone at all, especially since prices for current iPhone models will likely decrease afterward, the iPhone 11 does have a lot to like as a phone that’s under $500.

For instance, do you mind using an iPhone that feels a bit dated? Or do you think saving several hundred dollars is more important than carrying the latest phone? What about 5G — how important is that to you? If you’re shopping on a budget, the iPhone 11 is still a great choice. Although you’ll be missing out on some newer features, the iPhone 11 gives you all the basics you’d want from an iPhone, including battery life that’s on par with the iPhone 12, a great dual-lens camera that includes night mode and a processor that’s still fast enough for everyday tasks.

Get ready for Apple’s next event
How to Watch Apple’s September Event
What Apple Needs to Make the iPhone 14 Pro Max Worth It
Apple Watch Pro 2022: All the Rumors
But if you have some wiggle room in your budget, here are some questions to ask yourself. (For the purposes of this article, I’m going to assume that you are currently using an iPhone.) And if you’re still mulling over your decision after that, here’s how the iPhone 13 compares to the last five years of iPhones as well as our list of the best iPhones. Plus, check out all the differences between the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max.

5G connectivity: iPhone 11 doesn’t have 5G. But do you really need it right now?
One of the iPhone 11’s biggest missing features compared to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 is 5G connectivity. The iPhone 11 is an LTE-only device, and if you don’t care for the next-gen wireless tech just yet (service is patchy in the US after all), then the iPhone 11 should suit you just fine. Remember that 5G debuted on the iPhone 12 lineup and getting access to faster bands of 5G depends on where you live, so going for the iPhone 12 makes your purchase more future-proof.

Software support: How long will the iPhone 11 get iOS software updates?
Apple’s latest operating system, iOS 15, is supported on many older iPhones, and the oldest is the 2015 iPhone 6S (Here’s how to download the new OS, but you may want to wait.) Based on that and some quick mental math, we can deduce that Apple plans to provide iPhone support for up to six years from launch. As a result, with the iPhone 11, unveiled in 2019, you can rest comfortably knowing that you can expect updates through 2025.

Read more: iOS 15’s biggest new features: FaceTime, Apple Wallet and Notifications get new tricks

Durability and water resistance: How durable do you want your iPhone to be?
If you do opt for the iPhone 11, you will miss out on a few durability features that are available on the newer iPhone models. One of the iPhone 12’s big improvements is the material of its display. Apple calls it “ceramic shield” glass. Made by Corning, the ceramic shield glass covering the phone’s display is apparently harder than most metals. Indeed, we can confirm that the iPhone 12’s ceramic shield is tough. Our iPhone 12 drop tests show it protected the hardware from drops as high as 9 feet. (CNET’s iPhone 12 Mini drop tests yielded similar results.) The iPhone 13 also has the same ceramic shield glass on its display.

So if you’re a big klutz and are prone to slips and drops, springing for the iPhone 13 or iPhone 12 is a wise move (or just get a really nice iPhone case). Keep in mind, the iPhone 11 isn’t a delicate darling, either. It also survived CNET’s drop and water tests and earned a CNET Editors’ Choice Award. You can read our iPhone 11 review for more details.

Read more: Farewell iPhone case: The case for the caseless phone

Price and budget: How much do you want to spend on an iPhone?
As I said earlier, Apple is selling the nearly two-year-old iPhone 11 for $300 less now than when it first launched, making it a great choice for those shopping on a budget. But, as also mentioned previously, the iPhone 11 could become even cheaper once Apple debuts its 2022 line of iPhone models. Also of note, the current iPhone 12 and 12 Mini might come down in price and hit that $499 level, as typically Apple lowers the price of existing iPhone models once the newest model goes on sale.

It’s also worth considering carrier deals from Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T, all of which may subsidize the price of an iPhone in exchange for committing to a cellular service plan. Last year the three companies offered hundreds of dollars off with those contracts, and possibly pay off the phone entirely with a device trade-in. Just keep in mind that there are plenty of caveats to those deals, like commitments ranging from 24 to 36 months.

The patch is intended to fix a security vulnerability that, according to Apple, snagged at least one user.

Most Apple devotees are readying for the imminent release of the iPhone 14 on Sept. 7. But if you’re still rocking an iPhone 5S, 6 or 6 Plus, it’s time to download a security patch intended to block malware.

On Wednesday, Apple released an updated version of iOS 12, which was first launched way back in September 2018. The fix in iOS 12.5.6 is intended to patch up a security vulnerability that could let a malicious website run unchecked code if you opened it on a browser on your phone.

“Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution,” reads a note on the Apple support site. Without giving details, Apple said the flaw “may have been actively exploited.”

The WebKit vulnerability was already fixed in iOS 15.6.1, iPadOS 15.6.1 and MacOS Monterey 12.5.1 updates, according to MacRumors.

You can find and download iOS 12.5.6 by going to Settings on your phone, clicking on General and selecting Software Update.

The iPhone 5S was first unveiled in September of 2013, followed by the 6 and 6 Plus a year later. The update is also available for several other antique devices, including the original iPad Air, the iPad Mini 2 and 3, and the sixth-generation iPod Touch.

Apple is expected to fit its rumored iPhone 14 Pro Max with a higher resolution camera, a new processor and a giant 6.7-inch screen like the current iPhone 13 Pro Max. While those all sound like welcome improvements, the new top-of-the-line iPhone needs to do more to stand out this year.

That’s because the iPhone 14 Pro Max won’t be the only super-size iPhone in Apple’s lineup anymore, if the latest scuttlebutt is to be believed. Apple is expected to release a 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max as well this year, meaning those who love large screens won’t have to splurge on the Pro Max just to get a bigger display.

Aside from the difference in screen size, there’s typically little that separates Apple’s “Pro” iPhones from its “Pro Max” devices. I’m hoping that changes with the Phone 14 Pro Max, which we’re expecting to learn about during Apple’s upcoming Sept. 7 event. With inflation putting a dent in smartphone shipments, companies like Apple may have to work harder to convince consumers to spend more on high-end devices.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: What to expect
If Apple does release an iPhone 14 Pro Max in September, it’s likely to be a sequel to Apple’s current iPhone 13 Pro Max. As such, it will probably have a 6.7-inch screen and a triple-lens camera that includes wide, ultrawide and telephoto lenses. In an effort to further distinguish its Pro iPhones from its standard iPhones, Apple will reportedly give the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max an upgraded 48-megapixel camera sensor, a faster A16 Bionic chip and a redesigned camera module on the front that removes the notch.

These features are said to be exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, meaning they won’t appear on the standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max. That’s all according to reports from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, both of which have strong track records when it comes to reporting on unreleased Apple products.

Provided Apple maintains its current pricing structure, the iPhone 14 Pro Max will likely start at $1,100 for the 128GB model. The iPhone 14 Pro will likely begin at $1,000.

Why the iPhone 14 Pro Max needs to stand out
If the reports turn out to be true, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max could include one of the biggest camera improvements we’ve seen on the iPhone in years. That alone could make them appealing to those in the market for a new device.

The problem, however, is that the iPhone 14 Pro Max could end up getting lost in the shuffle. Shoppers who just care about having the best camera could get by with the cheaper iPhone 14 Pro, while those who primarily want a large screen may opt for the rumored iPhone 14 Max. Both devices will likely be cheaper than the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

The launch would also come at a time when people are seemingly spending less on mobile devices and being more careful about their purchases. Smartphone shipments are expected to decline by 3.5% in 2022, according to estimates from the International Data Corporation published in June. The NPD Group reported in May that more than eight in 10 consumers are planning to reassess their product spending in the next three to six months. A recent NPD survey also indicated consumers plan to seek less-expensive items, look for promotions and cut back on overall purchases in the next few months.

These factors could make it more difficult to convince consumers to spend more than $1,000 on a new phone, especially when they may be able to get some of the same benefits (a larger screen or a triple-lens camera) on cheaper models. With the iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple would likely be counting on the fact that consumers are willing to pay a premium to get both a larger screen and a better camera.

How Apple could make the iPhone 14 Pro Max feel special
There are a few things Apple could do to make the iPhone 14 Pro Max stand out alongside the regular iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Max. As I’ve written in the past, I’d love to see Apple implement iPad-like software features that make better use of the Pro Max’s giant screen. For example, it could add a multitasking mode that makes it easier to view more than one app simultaneously. I’d also like to see an always-on display option, similar to the one available on newer Apple Watch models and many competing Android phones.

Samsung has done a better job of distinguishing its premium Galaxy S22 Ultra from the regular Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus. Even though the $1,200 Galaxy S22 Ultra is likely too expensive for most people, it offers distinct features you can’t get on Samsung’s less-expensive models. The Ultra has a built-in stylus for notetaking and drawing, a 6.8-inch screen that’s larger than any other phone in Samsung’s S22 lineup, a higher resolution 40-megapixel selfie camera and main camera system with two telephoto lenses and a 10-times optical zoom.

None of those characteristics are available on Samsung’s other S22 devices, including the $1,000 Galaxy S22 Plus. The iPhone 13 Pro Max, by comparison, has a lot in common with the iPhone 13 Pro, aside from its larger screen and longer battery life. In other words, Apple is relying on the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s 6.7-inch screen to distinguish it from the regular Pro.

But if Apple does release a 6.7-inch version of the standard iPhone, just as reports from Nikkei Asian Review, Bloomberg and Ming-Chi Kuo indicate, the iPhone 14 Pro Max might feel less unique in this year’s lineup. The rumored iPhone 14 Max likely won’t have the same extras as Apple’s Pro iPhones, such as a triple-lens camera and a screen with a higher refresh rate for smoother scrolling. But it might be compelling enough to entice shoppers that simply want a larger screen and don’t care as much about having a telephoto lens.

Regardless, the iPhone 14 Pro Max will be a top seller if its predecessors are any indication. The iPhone 13 Pro Max landed in the top five smartphone models in regions such as the US, UK, France, Germany and China, according to Counterpoint Research. The iPhone 12 Pro Max was also the second best-selling phone globally in 2021, Counterpoint Research also reported.

Still, until a foldable iPhone comes along, the iPhone Pro Max will be Apple’s most expensive and most premium iPhone. That also means it should be the best showcase of Apple’s technology, which is why I’d like to see more exclusive features that you can’t get elsewhere.

Here’s how you can download Google’s latest mobile software update.

Android 13 is here, and Google Pixel owners can now download and install the software update to their supported phones.

The update won’t reach Samsung Galaxy and Motorola devices until later this year, but you could possibly get your hands on the Android 13 beta if you have a compatible non-Pixel device, like the OnePlus 10 Pro.

Google released the first Android 13 developer beta back in February, following that up with the first Android 13 public beta in April. In June, Google dropped the fourth and final Android 13 beta — and now the full Android 13 release is here.

Android 13 brings several new features to Android, including a redesigned Material You with automatic color schemes based on your wallpaper, a kill switch that prevents third-party apps from accessing your camera and mic, end-to-end encryption for group conversations and a universal clipboard feature between various devices.

If you want to get your hands on Android 13 as soon as possible, here’s a list of which Android phones support the latest software update, and how to download and install the new software.

Want to learn more about Android? Check out these seven tips and tricks to improve your Android’s performance and settings to change to get the most out of your Pixel 6.

Which Android phones support Android 13?
For now, the Android phones that can run Android 13 are limited to recent Pixel models, including the:

Pixel 4
Pixel 4 XL
Pixel 4A
Pixel 4A (5G)
Pixel 5
Pixel 5A
Pixel 6
Pixel 6A
Pixel 6 Pro
Later this year, Android 13 will roll out to other devices from Samsung Galaxy, Asus, HMD (Nokia phones), iQoo, Motorola, OnePlus, Oppo, Realme, Sharp, Sony, Tecno, Vivo, Xiaomi and more.

How to download and install Android 13 on your phone
To download and install Android 13 on your Pixel phone, first make sure your phone is connected to a stable Wi-Fi network and is plugged into power. The battery needs to be at least 50% charged for an over-the-air update to work.

To start installing Android 13, launch the Settings application. You might have the app directly on your home screen, but if you don’t, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access your app drawer and scroll through your apps until you find Settings.

Next, scroll down and tap System > System Update. If an update is available, it should load up here after a few seconds. If not, tap Check for update. Also, make sure your device has enough storage to download and install the update, or else you won’t be able to proceed. Usually the update file size is a few gigabytes.

Finally, tap the green Download and install button in the bottom right. The Android 13 system will then begin to download and install, which can take up to 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size and condition of your phone. Once your phone reboots, you’ll be running Android 13.

If you don’t see the Android 13 update just yet, don’t fret. As long as you have a compatible Pixel phone, you’ll get it — it just may take some time to arrive.

Applications focus on names such as “Reality One,” “Reality Pro” and “Reality Processor,” Bloomberg reports.

Recent applications for a variety of trademarks that include the word “Reality” suggest Apple is stocking up on potential names for its much-rumored augmented reality headset, Bloomberg reported Sunday. The applications, for names such as “Reality One,” “Reality Pro” and “Reality Processor,” were filed in the US, EU, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica and Uruguay.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has indicated the company is preparing for a big future in AR, saying it’s a technology that’s potentially as important as the iPhone. While Apple has made no secret of its interest in the emerging AR sector, it’s been mum on its rumored AR/VR headset.

Apple hasn’t made any headset announcements, but the company is expected to unveil its headset during a January 2023 event, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The iPhone maker is looking to ship 1.5 million units of the face-mounted device in 2023 at a price of up to $2,000.

The trademarks weren’t registered to Apple by name but rather to Immersive Health Solutions, believed to be an Apple shell company, according to Bloomberg. Immersive Health Solutions was in turn registered by the Corporation Trust Co., another Delaware shell corporation typically used for filings by firms looking to avoid detection.

Rumors suggest the Apple VR headset will have 8K displays, eye-tracking cameras, external cameras for a mixed-reality experience and Apple’s M1 computer processor, like the one found in 2020’s MacBook Air and last year’s MacBook Pro.

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

Commentary: The iPhone 14 Pro Max will probably have a giant screen, like the iPhone 13 Pro Max. I want more ways to put it to use.

With their 6.7-inch screens, the iPhone 13 Pro Max and 12 Pro Max are the biggest phones Apple has ever released. The rumored iPhone 14 Pro Max, which we’ll likely learn about on Sept. 7, is expected to maintain that same giant screen. Although Apple’s “Pro Max” devices are significantly larger than the standard 6.1-inch iPhone 13, 5.4-inch iPhone 13 Mini and 4.7-inch iPhone SE, they still run the same software as Apple’s smaller phones.

If only there were more ways to make use of the Pro Max’s giant screen. Luckily, there are. Apple should draw inspiration from the iPhone’s larger cousin, the iPad. Apple’s tablets are loaded with extra features that make apps easier to use on a larger screen. The company even renamed the iPad’s operating system iPadOS in 2019 to distinguish it from the iPhone’s iOS. The iPad’s interface had evolved so much by that point, it no longer made sense to lump both sets of software together.

I’m not suggesting something as drastic as a rebranding to “Pro Max OS.” But I do think both Apple and its customers could benefit from new features that are designed specifically for larger iPhones. That could be all the more important as Apple is rumored to be launching a bigger version of the iPhone 14 this year.

Doing so wouldn’t be simple. Modifications would need to be made to bring iPad-specific features like multitasking to the iPhone Pro Max. But Apple already has a history of tailoring apps and software to specific products, as it proved with the original iPad and Apple Watch. So I’d trust it to do the same in this case.

Here are the iPad features I think would translate well to the iPhone Pro Max.

The iPhone Pro Max’s large screen is great for focusing on a single app, like reading or watching TV. But I’d love to see a version of the iPad’s multitasking capabilities on the iPhone Pro Max, too. Being able to view more than one app at a time could prevent me from needing to switch between apps so often.

Apple offers two main options for running multiple apps on the iPad’s display: Split View and Slide Over. The first is self-explanatory; it lets you divide the screen between two apps. Android phones have offered a split-screen mode for years. Slide Over is a bit different. Instead of splitting the screen, you can open an app in a floating panel that can be positioned on either side of the screen.

If Apple were to bring any of these features to the iPhone Pro Max, I think Slide Over would be the most useful. Compared with Split View mode, it’s a better way to make use of a smartphone-size screen. You’d be able to dedicate most of the screen to one app while quickly checking another. I’d love to glance at my Slack messages in a column along the side of my screen while using most of the iPhone’s display to catch up on emails.

This is an example of an iPad feature that Apple would likely have to tweak significantly for the iPhone rather than bringing over the current version. The iPhone Pro Max is big for a phone, but it’s still small compared with an iPad — even the iPad Mini.

One way Apple could make this work is by formatting Slide Over apps like interactive widgets that you can view while running another app. Widgets are already designed to display a lot of information in a space that only occupies a fraction of your phone’s screen. As such, it’s easy to imagine widget-like Slide Over apps that you can pin to any corner of the iPhone Pro Max’s display.

Still, getting the iPad’s multitasking features on the iPhone Pro Max is a longshot. Part of the iPhone’s appeal is that the software is consistent no matter which model you own, so I doubt Apple will jeopardize that. In the meantime, we are stuck with the handful of existing iPhone Pro Max-specific features that were actually introduced for the iPhone 6 Plus. For example, default apps like Mail and Messages take advantage of the iPhone Pro Max’s larger display in landscape mode to show a column of message previews alongside the currently viewed message.

We won’t be getting any new iPhone Pro Max-specific multitasking features in iOS 16, Apple’s new iPhone software update arriving this fall. But the update will introduce a revamped lock screen with widgets for seeing more information at a glance. While the new lock screen is available across all supported models, I imagine it will add some extra utility to the Pro Max’s larger display.

A mini Apple Pencil

Yes, I know Steve Jobs famously ridiculed the idea of using a stylus with a mobile device. But hear me out. The Apple Pencil has proven itself to be a valuable iPad companion over the last several years. Now, it’s time to bring it to the iPhone Pro Max as an optional accessory.

I’m not alone in wishing for an iPhone-compatible Apple Pencil. My colleague Patrick Holland has been begging for an Apple Pencil since he reviewed the iPhone 12 Pro Max in 2020, saying a MagSafe Apple Pencil would be “a killer accessory.”

First, consider the iPhone Pro Max’s audience. It’s for people who are willing to pay top dollar for the biggest screen and best camera available on an iPhone. The Apple Pencil seems like a natural addition to the Pro Max, both for photographers and those who just want a giant screen.

I imagine those who frequently touch up photos on their phone would benefit from editing with a stylus that’s more precise than their finger, especially since popular apps like Adobe Lightroom and Pixelmator have Apple Pencil support. An iPhone-friendly Apple Pencil could also appeal to those who often take notes or mark up documents using their phones. The rumored iPhone 14 Max, which would be a 6.7-inch version of the standard iPhone, would benefit as well from an optional pencil accessory.

The success of Samsung’s Galaxy Note line (which has now been consolidated into the Galaxy S Ultra family) also suggests there’s an audience for styluses. I have to admit I don’t find myself using the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s S Pen very often. But it has come in handy for jotting down notes during meetings or quickly capturing thoughts when I’m writing a review and happen to be away from my computer.

Again, it wouldn’t make sense to just expand the current Apple Pencil’s compatibility to the iPhone Pro Max. Instead, Apple should design a smaller version of the Pencil with a smaller tip that’s better suited for a phone-size screen.

A win for Apple and its customers

With or without these features, the iPhone Pro Max is already a hit. The iPhone 12 Pro Max was the world’s second-best-selling phone in 2021, according to data from Counterpoint Research.

There’s clearly a demand for larger iPhones, as evidenced by rumors that Apple will replace the iPhone Mini with another 6.7-inch iPhone this year.

But why not do more with the Pro Max? It would be a great way for Apple to further distinguish the Pro Max from its smaller and less expensive iPhones. The additional software features would also give owners more for the price, while a Pencil would provide Apple with another opportunity to make money from current iPhone Pro Max owners. It seems like a win-win scenario.

The iPhone Pro Max’s lack of multitasking and Apple Pencil support aren’t necessarily shortcomings. But it feels like Apple is missing an opportunity.

Apple will likely announce the iPhone 14 on Sept. 7, and we expect the phone to go on sale later that month.

Apple’s rumored iPhone 14 will likely get its big reveal at the company’s Sept. 7 reveal event, with many signs pointing to a mid-September launch for the new phones. These reports have been trickling in alongside rumors of the next iPhone line’s design, price and new features.

Since iPhones usually go up for preorder on the Fridays of the same week of its event, we’d expect that to happen this year on Friday, Sept. 9. iPhone release dates are usually a week and a half after Apple’s announcements. Sometimes launch dates are staggered for specific models, especially when introducing a new design or size. So it’s possible the iPhone 14 lineup will have more than one release date.

This year’s event also follows the Labor Day hypothesis that CNET has been diving into since 2018. It hasn’t always followed suit, as the hypothesis did not come true in 2020 nor 2021, and it’s still possible that reported supply chain issues for the iPhone 14 could impact its eventual release date. A recent Bloomberg report, however, suggested the Sept. 7 launch along with a release date of Sept. 16. Noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has quelled some of those supply chain fears, saying it should only have a “limited” impact, in a July post on Twitter.

For a more in-depth look at iPhone rumors, check out every rumor we’ve heard about Apple’s iPhone 14 and our story on whether there will be a foldable iPhone. Also, check out whether you should upgrade to an iPhone 12 or 13 this year, if you’re not interested in the rumored iPhone 14.

Apple’s “Far Out” launch event is also rumored to include a peek at the Apple Watch 8.

Apple has set the date for its latest iPhone’s debut. The new device, which is expected to be called the iPhone 14 and include an always-on display, will be unveiled on Sept. 7 at 10 a.m. PT. Rumors suggest the new iPhone lineup will nix the Mini in favor of a new Max model, joining the rumored iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, and potentially increase the price by about $100 over last year’s. Apple may also have plans to excise the iPhone 14’s notch in favor of a hole-and-pill-shaped front camera, at least for the Pro models.

In addition to the iPhone 14, Apple’s may also use the event to unveil the Apple Watch Series 8, which will reportedly look similar to last year’s model but have more health features such as a fever sensor, as well as improved durability.

The tech giant has invited press to its Apple Park headquarters in California for the event, though it’ll also offer a livestream on Apple.com and other streaming services. As is typical, Apple didn’t say much in its invitation about its upcoming iPhone event. The invitation shows an Apple logo seemingly set in a night sky, suggesting potential camera improvements or last year’s rumored satellite emergency calling. The image looks like something we might see from the James Webb Space Telescope, whose stunning photos have already begun changing how we see the cosmos since first being released earlier this summer. In its announcement, Apple included the teaser words “Far out.”

Read more: How to Watch the iPhone 14, Apple Watch Series 8 Launch

The new features for both the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch 8 may help Apple stand out from Samsung and other device makers during what is expected to be heightened competition this year. People have been cutting back on tech purchases, leading to surprisingly low sales reports from chipmaker Intel, as well as sudden ad business shortfalls for Google parent Alphabet and Facebook parent Meta. And they’re not alone.

Our collective confidence in the economy has fallen through the floor, thanks to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic mixed with continual inflation and a looming recession. One survey from the University of Michigan found that consumer sentiment is at its lowest point in at least 70 years.

That means Apple will have to fight even harder to win over new iPhone owners. Samsung, for its part, made Apple’s job a little easier by announcing its flagship Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 at their standard prices of $1,800 and $1,000, respectively, earlier this month. It also raised the prices of its Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Buds 2 Pro by $30 apiece.

Apple so far isn’t acting worried. Over the past couple of years, Apple’s notched its biggest revenue and profits each holiday shopping season, largely on the popularity of 2021’s iPhone 13 and 2020’s iPhone 12. Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously cited the advanced cameras, long battery life and well-regarded software as reasons people continue choosing iPhones. But he also said that 5G, the super-fast wireless technology Apple began using two years ago, is likely to push even more people to upgrade.

“5G has been an accelerant,” he said when speaking to investors on a conference call last month. He added that although the technology is spreading through some places, like China, the EU and US, other parts of the world haven’t begun using it as much. And so as 5G expands, he said, “I think there’s reason to be optimistic.”

While the iPhone will be a key product we see at Apple’s event this year, and likely what most people focus their attention on, the company’s expected to have other devices to show off. Those include new Mac computers with upgraded chips and new iPads.

You don’t have to limit your AirTags to your keychain and wallet.

How many items do you tend to lose on a regular basis? Keys, wallets and phones come to mind as commonly misplaced items — and they’re also common things you can put an Apple AirTag on to help keep track of their whereabouts. However, we’ve got several more things you may have not thought of before.

While generally you need to be within Bluetooth range to find your AirTag, you can use Apple’s Find My service to locate it if it’s further away but — and this is important to remember — 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’ll tell you 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 anyone 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.

Commentary: I redesigned the iPhone 14 camera so Apple doesn’t have to.

Apple’s iPhone 14 is almost certainly coming soon. With just a few weeks ahead of its possible launch, the rumor mill is furiously churning out gossip about the new iPhone’s release date, price and design changes and other upgrades. I’ve been very vocal about the major features I want to see on Apple’s next flagship phone, but it’s the camera that I’m particularly keen to see take some real steps forward.

The cameras on Apple’s phones have always been superb, with the iPhone 13 Pro capable of taking the sort of shots you’d expect to see from professional cameras, and even its cheapest iPhone SE able to take beautiful snaps on your summer vacations. But the Pixel 6 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra pack amazing camera systems that mean Apple doesn’t have the lead it once did.

So I’ve sat around daydreaming about how I’d go about redesigning Apple’s camera system for the iPhone 14 to hopefully secure its position as the best photography phone around. Apple, take note.

A much bigger image sensor on iPhone 14
The image sensors inside phones are tiny compared with the ones found in professional cameras like the Canon EOS R5. The smaller the image sensor, the less light can hit it, and light is everything in photography. More light captured means better looking images, especially at night, and it’s why pro cameras have sensors many times the size of the ones found in phones.

Why are phone cameras lacking in this regard? Because the image sensors have to fit inside pocket-size phone bodies, where space is at a premium. But there’s certainly some room to play with. Phones like Sony’s Xperia Pro-I and even 2015’s Panasonic CM1 pack 1-inch camera sensors that can offer greatly improved dynamic range and low-light flexibility, so it’s not too wild to hope for a much larger image sensor inside the iPhone 14.

Sure, Apple does amazing things with its computational photography to squeeze every ounce of quality from its small sensors, but if it paired those same software skills with a huge image sensor, the difference could be huge. A 1-inch image sensor surely couldn’t be out of the question, but I’d really like to see Apple take things even further with an APS-C size sensor, such as those found in many mirrorless cameras.

Fine, not all three cameras could get massive sensors, otherwise they simply wouldn’t fit into the phone, but maybe just the main one could get a size upgrade. Either that or just have one massive image sensor and put the lenses on a rotating dial on the back to let you physically change the view angle depending on your scene. I’ll be honest, that doesn’t sound like a very Apple thing to do.

A zoom to finally rival Samsung
While I generally find that images taken on the iPhone 13 Pro’s main camera look better than those taken on the Galaxy S22 Ultra, there’s one area where Samsung wins hands down; the telephoto zoom. The iPhone’s optical zoom tops out at 3.5x, but the S22 Ultra offers up to 10x optical zoom.

And the difference it makes in the shots you can get is astonishing. I love zoom lenses, as they let you find all kinds of hidden compositions in a scene, instead of just using a wide lens and capturing everything in front of you. I find they allow for more artistic, more considered images, and though the iPhone’s zoom goes some way to helping you get these compositions, it’s no competition for the S22 Ultra.

So what the phone needs is a proper zoom lens that relies on good optics, not just on digital cropping and sharpening, which always results in quite muddy-looking shots. It should have at least two optical zoom levels; 5x for portraits and 10x for more detailed landscapes. Or even better, it’ll allow for a continuous zoom between these levels to find the perfect composition, rather than having to simply choose between two fixed zoom options.

Personally, I think 10x is the maximum Apple would need to go to. Sure, Samsung actually boasts its phone can zoom up to 100x, but the reality is that those shots rely heavily on digital cropping and the results are terrible. 10x is huge and is the equivalent of carrying a 24-240mm lens for your DSLR — wide enough for sweeping landscapes, with enough zoom for wildlife photography too. Ideal.

Pro video controls built in to the default camera app
With the introduction of ProRes video on the iPhone 13 Pro, Apple gave a strong signal that it sees its phones as a genuinely useful video tool for professional creatives. ProRes is a video codec that captures a huge amount of data, allowing for more editing control in postproduction software like Adobe Premiere Pro.

But the camera app itself is still pretty basic, with video settings limited mostly to turning ProRes on or off, switching zoom lenses and changing the resolution. And that’s kind of the point; make it as simple as possible to get shooting and to capture beautiful footage with no fuss. But the pros who want to use ProRes will also likely want more manual control over things like white balance, focus and shutter speed.

And yes, that’s why apps like Filmic Pro exist that give you incredible fine-grain control over all these settings to get exactly the look you want. But it’d be nice to see Apple find a way to make these settings more accessible within the default camera app. That way, you could fire up the camera from the lock screen, twiddle just a couple of settings and get rolling straight away, confident that you were getting exactly what you wanted from your video.

In-camera focus stacking on iPhone
Imagine you’ve found a beautiful mountain wildflower with a towering alpine peak behind it. You get up close to the flower and tap on it to focus and it springs into sharp view. But now the mountain is out of focus and tapping on that means the flower is now blurry. This is a common issue when trying to focus on two items in a scene that are far apart, and experienced landscape and macro photographers will get round it using a technique called focus stacking.

Focus stacking means taking a series of images with the camera staying still while focusing on different elements within a scene. Then, those images are blended together later — usually in desktop software like Adobe Photoshop or dedicated focus software like Helicon Focus — to create an image that has focus on the extreme foreground and the background. It’s the opposite goal of the camera’s Portrait Mode, which purposefully tries to defocus the background around a subject for that artful shallow depth of field — or “bokeh.”

It might be a niche desire, but I’d love to see this focus stacking capability built in to the iPhone, and it possibly wouldn’t even be that difficult to do. After all, the phone already uses image blending technology to combine different exposures into one HDR image — it’d just be doing the same thing, only with focus points, rather than exposure.

Much better long-exposure photography
Apple has had the ability to shoot long exposure images on the iPhone for years now. You’ll have seen those shots; images of waterfalls or rivers where the water has been artfully blurred but the rocks and landscape around the water remain sharp. It’s a great technique to really highlight the motion in a scene, and it’s something I love doing on my proper camera and on my iPhone. And though it’s easy to do on the iPhone, the results are only OK. The problem is that the iPhone uses a moving image — a Live Photo — to detect motion in the scene and then digitally blur it, and this usually means that any movement gets blurred, even bits that shouldn’t be. The result is shots that are quite mushy looking, even when you put the phone on a mobile tripod for stability. They’re fine for sending to your family or maybe posting to Instagram, but they won’t look good printed and framed on your wall, and I think that’s a shame.

I’d love to see Apple make better use of its optical image stabilization to allow for really sharp long-exposure photos, not just of water, but of nighttime scenes too, perhaps of car headlights snaking their way through the street. It’d be another great way of getting creative with photography from your phone, and making use of the excellent quality from those cameras.