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The forthcoming iOS update will finally bring this long-awaited feature to the iPhone.

It’s not entirely out of question to send out hundreds of text messages in a day, especially if you’re part of a large group chat. And with so many messages going back and forth, it’s pretty much expected that you’ll make a mistake or two.

Usually though, that’s not a problem. A recipient can make out simple grammatical mistakes, and if you send a message to the wrong person, you can usually follow it with a simple “sorry” and all’s good. Until it’s not.

Sometimes a text message mistake can get you in trouble or lead to embarrassment, which is why you should have the ability to recall any message and edit what you’ve sent — which you’ll finally be able to do with iOS 16.

Don’t miss: 5 Hidden iOS 16 Features and Settings You’ll Want to Know About

Apple announced these new texting features for the iPhone at its WWDC event in June. Other new features coming to the iPhone include new lock screen customization options and Apple Pay Later. And SharePlay is getting added to Messages.

We’ll explain how these two new texting features work. And if you’d like to explore iOS 16 right now, before the general public release, here’s how to download and install the second iOS 16 beta on your iPhone and iPad.

Edit messages you’ve already sent
If you use messaging tools like Slack, you’ve likely edited at least one — or 100 — of the messages you’ve sent. Whether you made a typo or your message contains incorrect data, the editing feature is a nice way to make your corrections quickly. With iOS 16, you’ll also be able to edit your messages sent from your iPhone within 15 minutes of sending.

To edit a text message, you’ll need to launch Messages and go into any thread that is using iMessage, which you probably know as blue text. This feature will not work with SMS text messages (green texts). Now, press and hold your finger down on the message you wish to edit. This will bring up the Tapback reactions and the quick action menu. Finally, tap Edit.

The text message will then become editable. You can delete the entire message, fix any mistakes or add more text to it. Once you’re finished, hit the blue checkmark button on the right side to save your edits. You can only edit a single message up to 5 times.

An actionable Edited button will appear underneath your edited text message. The person on the other end will also know that the message has been edited, and if they tap on Edited, all previous versions of your text message will appear above the edited text message, in slightly grayed-out chat bubbles.

Immediately recall any messages you accidentally sent
Accidental messages happen way too often. Maybe you tapped the send button when you meant to select an emoji. Or perhaps you messaged the wrong person entirely. In either case, you’ll be able to recall those messages with iOS 16. Unlike with the edit message feature, you only have 2 minutes to unsend a text.

To unsend a text message, launch the Messages app, press and hold down on the message (blue text only) you want to unsend, and tap Undo Send.

The text message will disappear from your thread, on both your end and the recipient’s. A message will appear on your thread, stating that your message has been unsent, but that the recipient may have already seen it.

Unfortunately, if the other person is running anything older than iOS 16, the message won’t actually be unsent even though your phone will say that it is.

The recipient will see a gray text status message that says, “[Name] unsent a message” if they’ve already viewed the text. This is similar to the Delete Message feature that apps like WhatsApp and Signal already have, which also show a similar message after a text is recalled.

While you wait for these new features to arrive, check out the new makeover coming to Apple Maps. Also, here’s Apple’s new MacBook Air.

Widespread foldable adoption will be difficult at high prices.

The upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 phones could be getting price increases, if information posted on Twitter is to be believed.

Samsung’s next line of foldables are set to be revealed on Aug. 10 at the company’s Galaxy Unpacked showcase. Both foldable phones may see a price bump, according to word Wednesday from Steve Hemmerstoffer, whose Twitter handle is OnLeaks.

The prices posted are in euros and show increases across all devices. Last year, the base Z Fold 3 launched at €1,695. This year, Hemmerstoffer says, that price will go up to €1,799 (about $1,840) for the 256GB version, a 6% increase in price. The 512GB model will cost €1,919 (about $1,963), according to the leaked figures. The conversion to dollars is based on the prevailing exchange rate.

The Z Flip 3 launched at €999 last year. If Hemmerstoffer’s numbers are correct, then the Z Flip 4 128GB model will cost €1,109 (approximately $1,136), an 11% bump on the previous phone’s pricing. The 256GB model is reported to cost €1,169 (about $1,198).

The rumored Galaxy Watch 5 will purportedly see a price hike as well, from €309 to €329 (approximately $337) for the base 44mm model, which would be another 6% increase. The 4G model will cost €379 or $388, according to OnLeaks, while the rumored upcoming Galaxy Watch 5 Pro 45mm will start at €469 ($481) and cost €499 ($511) with 4G.

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

A rise in foldable prices could be linked to a multitude of issues around the global supply chain, as the world is currently dealing with supply side inflation. Manufacturing issues caused by the pandemic are making parts difficult to come by. With increased demand and short supply, the cost of components has increased. For instance, while global PC shipments were down 3% in the first quarter of 2022, PC revenues increased 15%, suggesting PC makers are making more money while selling fewer products.

Here’s a rundown on how to watch Samsung’s Unpacked event next week.

The next Samsung Unpacked is next week, where we could see new versions of Z-series foldables and more devices.

Samsung’s next Unpacked event is scheduled for Aug. 10, where we expect several new versions of the company’s flagship foldables and smartwatches.

The event invitation seen above, showing a Z Flip foldable phone, seemingly supports a previous leak from tipster Evan Blass, which suggested that the upcoming Unpacked event will focus on Samsung’s foldables. Specifically, it will likely reveal the follow-ups to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the clamshell Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, which came out in August 2021.

Don’t expect too many big advances with Samsung’s next foldables. Rumors suggest the tablet-size Samsung Galaxy Fold 4 may have a new hinge and slimmer build, but the leaker jury is out on whether it will include an S Pen slot like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. Other rumors predict that the foldable will pack the faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus chipset, as well as a larger outer display that requires its own under-display camera to complement the one on the inner screen.

The makeup compact-looking Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 could get a larger cover display, according to other rumors, which could make it far more useful for reading notifications and previewing selfie photos.

Even if the new foldables have only incremental spec upgrades, the biggest improvement could be price. The Galaxy Fold 3 was cheaper than its predecessor at $1,800 (£1,599, AU$2,499) to start, which is still around twice as expensive as most premium smartphones. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 shockingly came in at $1,000 (£949, AU$1,499), or around the price of an iPhone 13 Pro, making it the most affordable foldable yet and a viable alternative to standard flat smartphones.

But the upcoming Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 could be even cheaper, predicts analyst Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, who tweeted that Samsung ramped up production to churn out twice as many of the new foldables as last year’s models, suggesting a possible price cut.

In any case, we expect the new foldables to sell well, since the Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 sold more units in their launch month than were sold in all of 2020. With 88% of the more than 7 million foldables sold in 2021, Samsung is in a strong position to continue dominating the niche foldable market, which is expected to grow to over 27 million sold in 2025.

Samsung could launch other products to accompany the foldables, and the most likely is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5. Rumors predict the next version of the premium smartwatch line could get a body temperature sensor and better battery life, as well as an updated design. Hopefully, it will also fix a glaring flaw in the Galaxy Watch 4 — no support for iPhones — as well as better integration of Wear OS 3, as we felt last year’s watch pulled between Google and Samsung’s ecosystems.

There are other things Samsung could show off, like successors to the Galaxy Buds 2 earbud, tablets or laptops, but we haven’t heard many rumors suggesting any of those are likely to arrive. Still, we could easily be surprised with all eyes on the awaited foldables.

To encourage customers to reserve their phones early, from July 19 until August 10, Samsung is offering an extensive list of discounts based on different bundles, from a maximum of $200 off for those reserving a Galaxy phone, watch, and buds down to a minimum of $30 off for just reserving Galaxy buds. While this could be a hint at what’s coming at Unpacked, the savings could apply to older Galaxy Watch or Galaxy Buds models.

The event is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT. CNET will be watching and covering the reveals.

Foldable phones have come a long way since Samsung’s original Galaxy Z Fold debuted in 2019. Last year’s $1,800 Galaxy Z Fold 3 and $1,000 Galaxy Z Flip 3 are the most polished versions of the company’s foldable devices yet, with improvements to their software and cover screens.

But there’s a lot that Samsung could do to make these devices even better, and I’m hoping to see such changes in the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4.

Both phones are expected to debut during Samsung’s Unpacked event on Aug. 10. They’ll represent Samsung’s latest gambit to hold its position as the frontrunner in the nascent but growing foldable phone market.

TM Roh, the head of Samsung’s mobile experience business, said almost 10 million foldable phones were shipped in 2021. That generally lines up with estimates from market researcher IDC, which says 7.1 million foldables were shipped in 2021, representing an increase of 264% over 2020.

These figures suggest foldables are starting to appeal to more than just early adopters and tech enthusiasts. But there are still some obstacles that Samsung and other companies need to overcome before foldables can become as ubiquitous as standard smartphones.

Lower prices
Samsung’s foldables come at a premium compared to their standard smartphones, which can make them a tough sell. That’s been changing in recent years, with the Galaxy Z Flip 3 in particular being one of the most affordable foldables yet. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 starts at $1,000 without a trade-in, making it the same price as the Galaxy S22 Plus. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is considerably more expensive, with a usual starting price of $1,800 without a trade-in, although that’s still a welcome improvement from the $2,000 Galaxy Z Fold 2.

New software features
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 foldable designs certainly set them apart from most phones. But the software needs to catch up to the hardware.

Samsung is off to a good start in this regard. Both the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip have a feature called Flex Mode, which reorients and optimizes certain apps to fit the device’s screen when folded halfway. For example, Flex Mode shifts some compatible apps to the top half of the screen while displaying navigation and playback controls on the bottom portion.

My favorite example of this mode being put to good use is in the Galaxy Z Flip’s camera app. When the device is propped open halfway, the shutter button, photo settings and other controls sit on the bottom half of the screen while the top half serves as a viewfinder. Flex Mode combined with the Z Flip’s ability to stay open on its own make it a great camera-tripod combination.

Other than Flex Mode, the Galaxy Z Fold can also run multiple apps on screen at once to take advantage of its tablet-sized screen.

These are great additions, but there’s plenty of room for Samsung to do more. It feels like the software is conforming to the hardware when it should be the opposite. While Flex Mode and the Z Fold’s multitasking features are a great start, they’re not enticing enough alone to justify buying a foldable phone.

I’d like to see Samsung develop more compelling software features. Even though I wouldn’t recommend buying the Surface Duo 2 because it doesn’t work very well as a regular phone, I think Microsoft is on to something when it comes to software.

The way the Surface Duo 2 splits compatible apps between screens almost feels like you’re using an app in an entirely new way. The Amazon Kindle app transforms the Duo into a digital book, Xbox GamePass turns it into a Nintendo 3DS-style handheld gaming console and Outlook’s split-screen view turns it into a mini-laptop. There’s a lot of promise with foldables, and I hope Samsung finds more ways to tap into it.

Longer battery life
Battery life is one of the most important characteristics of any phone, and foldable phones are no exception. Unfortunately, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 both had underwhelming battery life. My colleague Patrick Holland could barely get through a day with the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s 4,400-mAh battery capacity. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 only made it about 11 hours before requiring a charge.

I’m hoping Samsung will improve the battery life or develop new ways to work around it on the next iterations of the Z Fold and Z Flip. And by “work around it,” I mean Samsung could boost the devices’ fast charging speeds or make improvements to their power saving modes. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 charges at up to 25 watts while the Z Flip 3 charges at 15 watts, neither of which is anything special. The Galaxy S22 Plus and S22 Ultra, for example, both have a 45-watt charging speed.

Better cameras
Camera quality is right up there with battery life when it comes to what matters most in a phone. The cameras on the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 are good, but there’s room for improvement. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 has a 12-megapixel wide and 12-megapixel ultrawide main camera setup, which as my colleague wrote in his review is “the equivalent of the cameras you’d find on a $700 phone.” The Galaxy Z Fold 3 has a triple camera system that adds a 12-megapixel telephoto lens in addition to the 12-megapixel wide and ultrawide lenses.

These cameras are fine for most people. Anyone who’s considered buying one of these phones is obviously most interested in the display rather than the cameras. But for the price, I’d like to see camera quality that at least matches, if not exceeds, Samsung’s best non-folding phones. As my colleague Patrick puts it: “the Z Fold 3 has B+ cameras at an A+ price.” That especially holds true for the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s under-display camera, which is the selfie camera for the phone when being used in tablet mode.

Luckily, rumors suggest the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will come with some serious camera improvements that bring it up to speed with the Galaxy S22 lineup.

Design improvements

Even though the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 are Samsung’s most refined foldables yet, phones with bendable screens are still relatively new. As such, it takes time to get the ergonomics just right, and Samsung still has some work to do here.

Let’s start with the Galaxy Z Fold. The Z Fold’s biggest drawback is that it still feels somewhat awkward to use as a regular phone when closed. Samsung made some design improvements to the Z Fold 3 that make it both lighter and slimmer than its predecessors. But it’s still an abnormally bulky phone when closed, which can cause some inconvenience when using it in one hand.

Anyone who has purchased the Z Fold has likely done so because of its large interior screen, not the cover screen. But consider how many times you take out your phone to quickly check a notification or respond to a text message. In some situations, these tasks are much more convenient to accomplish when the Z Fold is closed, such as when you’re on the go and unfolding the device feels impractical.

Another design upgrade I’d like to see on the Z Fold is the ability for the S Pen to magnetically connect to the device’s hinge. A stylus storage slot like the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s doesn’t seem like a plausible solution since it would add to the Z Fold’s thickness.

The Galaxy Z Flip already feels a lot like a standard phone, but one improvement I’d like to see is a larger cover screen. The Z Flip 3 is a major upgrade compared to the original Z Flip in this regard. While Samsung’s first foldable flip phone had just a tiny pill-shaped cover screen, the Z Flip 3’s is big enough to fit widgets for the weather, music, alarms and more.

But I’d still like to be able to see more lines of text and widgets on this screen. A larger display would also make it easier to quickly take selfies without unfolding the phone, since the cover display can serve as a camera viewfinder. Thankfully, rumors suggest Samsung is planning to increase the cover screen’s size with the Galaxy Z Flip 4.

I’m also hoping Samsung will find a way to make the crease less obvious on both the Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip. The creases on Samsung’s current foldables aren’t too distracting but they’re definitely noticeable — both to the eyes and the touch. Chinese tech giant Oppo found a way to work around this on its Find N foldable by implementing a “water drop” hinge, which makes the device’s crease harder to see and feel when opened. Motorola’s teardrop fold hinge design similarly makes the foldable Razr’s crease less noticeable.

Samsung’s Z Flip and Z Fold phones are gradually inching closer to standard, non-foldable phones in terms of price, and I’m hoping that trajectory will continue. Foldable phones will likely always require some type of trade-off, whether it’s to their camera quality or device thickness. I’m just hoping the list of compromises will get smaller over time, starting with the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Fold 4.

Apple Arcade shed more than a dozen games. Here’s where you can play them now.

Apple Arcade, Apple’s $5 a month mobile gaming service, last month added a Leaving Arcade Soon section on its App Store page. The category included 15 titles — listed below — that have since been removed from the subscription service. As of Aug. 1, the Leaving Arcade Soon section isn’t present on Apple Arcade’s page, but if another round of games are to be cut, we could see it return.

According to Apple’s support page, if you downloaded one of the games before it left Arcade, you can play the game for at least two weeks afterward. After that time, if you try to launch the downloaded game, you’ll receive a No Longer Available message.

Apple Arcade has removed games from its service before, but the new category suggested the service might start rotating out its content more consistently. It’s unclear why these specific games were removed.

If you didn’t get a chance to play the titles on Apple Arcade, don’t worry: Most of them are available on other platforms. Developers may also add the former Arcade games to the general App Store, but the titles may no longer be free of ads or in-app purchases. You might also be able to import your progress from the Arcade version of the app.

Here are the games no longer available on Apple Arcade and where you can find them now:

Dread Nautical (Steam, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Epic Games Store)
Atone: Heart of the Elder Tree (Steam)
Towaga: Among Shadows (Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One)
BattleSky Brigade: Harpooner (not currently available on other platforms)
Lifeslide (Steam, Epic Games Store)
Over the Alps (Steam, Nintendo Switch)
Cardpocalypse (Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4, Epic Games Store)
Various Daylife (not currently available on other platforms)
Dead End Job (Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4)
Spidersaurs (Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4)
EarthNight (Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS4)
Spelldrifter (Steam, Epic Games Store)
Projection: First Light (Steam, Xbox One, PS4, https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/projection-first-light-switch/)
Don’t Bug Me (not currently available on other platforms)
Explottens (Steam)
For more information on Apple Arcade, check out the best games on Apple Arcade this week and all the Apple Arcade games and updates coming this month.

When will Apple’s new iPhone be announced and ready to buy? Here’s what history and the latest rumors say.
There’s also another theory that’s been floating around for a few years. In 2018, CNET took a deep dive into the Apple event timeline and emerged with a compelling Labor Day hypothesis. Based on the 2022 calendar, the Labor Day rule would put the September Apple event (and the iPhone 14 unveil) on Wednesday, Sept. 7, with a Friday, Sept. 16, release date. However, the Labor Day prediction was a week off for 2021 — and, because of coronavirus delays, about a month off in 2020. To be sure, there have been some reported supply chain issues for the iPhone 14 that some worry could potentially push the release date later. But noted Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo has quelled some of those 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.
The iPhone 14 rumor mill has been churning even before the iPhone 13 was announced. We’ve heard plenty of gossip about the new iPhone’s design, price and new features. But what about its release date? Apple has yet to unveil any official dates, but we can make some educated guesses based on the tech giants track record.

Apple tends to unveil its new iPhones either on the first or second Tuesday of September. Last year, the iPhone 13 series officially made its debut on Tuesday, Sept. 14, followed by preorders beginning on Friday, Sept. 17, and then the phones went on sale the following Friday — Sept. 24. For the iPhone 14 (unofficial name), Apple could hold its fall event either on Tuesday, Sept. 6, or Tuesday, Sept. 13. Since iPhones usually go up for preorder on the Fridays of the same week, we’d expect that to happen next year on Friday, Sept. 9, or Friday, Sept. 16. 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.

Shortly after Apple launched the iPhone 13 in September, I wrote about why the iPhone 11 was (and is) still a great deal at $500. It has Face ID, a sharp dual camera system and a large screen for $300 less than the iPhone 13. What’s not to like?

There’s only one setback that gives me some pause when recommending the iPhone 11: It doesn’t have 5G. A few years ago, 5G was just a buzzword that tech giants used to get customers excited about new products. Companies like Samsung charged a premium for 5G phones back in 2019, even though 5G networks were in the early stages then.

In 2022, you can get by just fine without a 5G phone. But now that 5G has become standard in most moderately priced phones, there’s little reason not to buy one if you’re already upgrading. Unless you’re an Apple fan that doesn’t want to spend more than $500, that is.

Many US shoppers likely aren’t paying that price all at once since carriers offer monthly installment plans. Most carriers also promote deals to subsidize upgrades, but those discounts usually require conditions like opening a new line or choosing a pricier plan.

Apple launched the $429 iPhone SE in March to provide a wallet-friendly 5G option. But with its small 4.7-inch screen and single camera, it’s not for everyone. At the same time, companies like Samsung and Google have been releasing promising 5G phones with many of the same qualities found on more expensive models, like the Galaxy A53 and Pixel 6A.

All of Apple’s flagship phones come with 5G, starting with 2020’s iPhone 12. But compared to Android, Apple doesn’t offer many options when it comes to affordable 5G devices. That could change in the coming months when the iPhone 14 is expected to launch, and I’m hoping it does.

Do I really need 5G in my next phone?
The answer is complicated. In many everyday scenarios, you probably won’t notice the difference between 4G and 5G. And 4G networks aren’t turning off anytime soon, so you don’t need to worry about a 4G phone becoming obsolete.

But if you’re buying a new phone, it’s best to go with a 5G-enabled device if you can afford one. Carriers are expanding their midband 5G networks, which provide speedier performance than 4G LTE, and low-band 5G can function at longer distances than the super fast (but severely limited) millimeter-wave 5G.

If you want a phone that will last for the next three to five years, I’d recommend buying a 5G phone so that you don’t miss out on speedier midband networks as they continue to expand. If you think you’ll be upgrading again in the next year or two, it’s fine to buy a 4G phone.

The iPhone SE is Apple’s only sub-$500 5G phone… for now

With eight iPhones on the market, Apple certainly provides a lot of choice. However, the 2022 iPhone SE is the only 5G option under $500.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot to like about the iPhone SE. It runs on the same processor as the iPhone 13, which means it has fast performance for the price. The camera takes great photos, and its battery life is longer than the previous iPhone SE’s. But it also comes with a lot of limitations.

The iPhone SE only has one rear camera even though most modern phones have at least two. That camera lacks night mode — another feature found on most phones released in 2019 or later. The iPhone SE also has the same design as the nearly 5-year-old iPhone 8, which means it has a small display and old-fashioned bezels above and below the screen. That can make it feel dated compared to many newer devices, like the Pixel 6A. It’s also not very different from the $400 iPhone SE that launched in 2020, aside from the new model’s 5G support and newer chip.

If you want 5G and more modern features like Face ID, a camera with wide and ultra-wide lenses, improved durability and a larger 5.4-inch screen, your closest option is the $600 iPhone 12 Mini. It’s more affordable than other devices in Apple’s lineup, like the $700 iPhone 13 Mini, $700 iPhone 12 and $800 iPhone 13. But it’s nearly two years old and is out of budget for anyone with a $500 limit.

While Apple’s sub-$500 5G options are limited right now, that might not be the case for much longer. Apple traditionally lowers the prices of its older iPhones when releasing new models, as it did with the iPhone 11 last year. If Apple follows the same pattern, the 5G-enabled iPhone 12 and 12 Mini could see another price drop that brings the Mini down to $500 this fall.

There’s also another possibility. Before Apple launched the iPhone SE in March, rumors suggested Apple was working on a cheaper iPhone with the same design as the iPhone 11. This rumored device has been referred to as the iPhone SE Plus.

Now that the iPhone SE is becoming a more regular part of Apple’s iPhone lineup, there’s a chance Apple could use this rumored iPhone 11-inspired design for the next-generation model. That would certainly address many of the iPhone SE’s current limitations, particularly its small screen and single camera.

But based on Apple’s release schedule, we probably won’t see a new iPhone SE until March or April 2024. So if you’re looking for a cheaper 5G iPhone in the near term, the current iPhone SE or a discounted older model will be your best bet.

The Android competition is moving ahead of Apple

The Android landscape looks vastly different than Apple’s. There are plenty of choices for those who don’t want to spend more than $500 on a new phone yet still want 5G connectivity. The $450 Google Pixel 6A is probably the best option right now, thanks to its great camera, large screen, eye-catching design and early access to Android updates.

The Pixel 6A isn’t alone. There’s a growing selection of 5G Android phones that cost $500 or less but have features that once demanded a premium price. Samsung, for example, sells the $450 Galaxy A53 5G and $400 Galaxy A42 5G, both of which have large screens, on-screen fingerprint sensors and multi-lens cameras. The iPhone SE doesn’t have any of those features, although it is the only current iPhone with a physical home button and fingerprint sensor.

Motorola’s $500 Moto G Stylus 5G has a spacious 6.8-inch screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and four times as much storage as the base iPhone SE model. Although it’s not available in the US, the recently launched Nothing 1 phone is another example of an affordable 5G Android phone. For a price that translates to roughly $480, you get a large 6.55-inch OLED screen, a dual camera with a 50-megapixel main sensor and 128GB of storage. You can even find 5G phones for under $300, like the $250 Samsung Galaxy A13, although phones in the $400 to $500 range offer a better balance between features, speed and affordability.

These Android phones offer a lot of value compared to the iPhone SE. But it’s important to acknowledge where they fall short. The Pixel 6A is only guaranteed to get three years of major Android version updates, while Apple’s upcoming iOS 16 software will run on iPhones that are nearly five years old. Apple also supports phones for much longer than Motorola, which only promises one software upgrade. Unlike the iPhone SE, Samsung Galaxy A53 5G doesn’t run on the same processor as the company’s flagship phones. During my time testing the Galaxy A53, I experienced occasional software lag and performance hiccups — an issue that hasn’t come up with the iPhone SE.

For those who just want a basic inexpensive iPhone to stay connected to Apple’s apps and services, the iPhone SE is probably enough. But Android phone makers are proving that the list of compromises you need to make when spending $500 or less on a new phone is getting shorter. Now it’s time for Apple to catch up.

Amazon and Apple posted better than expected sales, reassuring investors that the tech giants will be able to weather slowdowns in global economies.

Amazon forecast in a trading update that higher fees for its Prime membership would boost its bottom line, while Apple said demand for its all important iPhone remained strong.

Both firms said they were making progress controlling running costs, despite prices rising at rapid rates.

The updates sent shares soaring.

The quarterly updates from Apple and Amazon are closely watched as indicators of how customers are reacting to the economic climate.

On Thursday, official figures revealed the US economy shrunk for the second quarter in a row, a milestone that in many countries would be considered an economic recession, but not in the US, which uses additional data to make that call.

“Our June quarter results continued to demonstrate our ability to manage our business effectively despite the challenging operating environment,” said Apple’s chief operating officer Luca Maestri, adding the company expected growth to pick up again in the months ahead.

However, both companies have seen sales growth slow sharply from last year and profits fall.

Apple’s profits dropped almost 11% from a year ago to $19.4bn (£15.9bn), as it wrestled with Covid-19 lockdowns in China, while Amazon lost $2bn, hit by changes to the value of its investment in electric carmaker Rivian Automotive.

Apple boss Tim Cook said the company was seeing a “mixed bag” of economic signals, with iPhone demand holding steady but areas like digital advertising slipping.

“When you think about the number of challenges in the quarter, we feel really good about the growth that we put up,” he said.

Overall, sales of Apple products and services rose 2% year-on-year between April and June to $83bn. Sales of iPhones continued to power the company’s gains, as supply constraints held back sales of other products.

Its services business, which includes Apple Pay and its streaming music and television services, also grew 12%.

Meanwhile, Amazon said its revenues were up 7% to $121.2bn, despite its e-commerce business being hit in recent months. Online sales shrank 4%, the second quarter in a row of decline.

But the company continues to be shielded by the strength of its clouding computing division, AWS, which saw sales soar by 33%.

In spring Amazon spooked investors, as its online sales softened and it warned it had spent too heavily to hire and add warehouses in a bet that pandemic-era shopping patterns would continue.

But it provided a more optimistic outlook this time.

“Despite continued inflationary pressures in fuel, energy, and transportation costs, we’re making progress on the more controllable costs we referenced last quarter, particularly improving the productivity of our fulfilment network,” said chief executive Andy Jassy.

Amazon said its e-commerce sales were poised to look especially weak because Prime Day, when discounts typically drive a surge of buying, was moved from June to July.

‘Mixed bag’
“Big tech’s been a mixed bag this earnings season, but Amazon proved that the strong can survive even the toughest environments,” said Laura Hoy, equity analyst from Hargreaves Lansdown.

Apple and Amazon are too big not to be affected by signs of slowdown in the global economy, said Scott Kessler, global sector lead at Third Bridge.

But their size gives them somewhat unique power to navigate those challenges, particularly when it comes to negotiating prices.

“Apple’s done an excellent job of managing those costs – it doesn’t hurt that they’re typically one of the biggest purchasers,” he said.

The new developer beta for iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 will include features like unsending text messages.

The fourth developer beta for iOS 16, iPadOS 16 and MacOS Ventura is out now, and there will be some major changes Apple users will want to take note of.

One of the biggest updates to be included in the upcoming release of iOS 16 for iPhones is that in iMessage you’ll be able to edit messages after you send them. You’ll also be able to unsend them.

Some other features getting updates are the lock screen, which will now be customizable, as well as improvements to Photos, SharePlay and Apple Pay Later.

Developers who want to download and try out the latest public beta versions when they become available can apply for Apple’s Beta Software Program.

Final versions of all the updates are expected to be released by the fall.

Read also: iOS 16 Compatibility List: All the iPhones That Will (And Won’t) Work

Here are more details about the new developer beta for iOS 16 and iPadOS 16:

Messages
Users can unsend a message for up to two minutes after sending it.
Messages can be edited up to 15 minutes after sending.
Users can make up to five edits to a given message, and recipients will be able to see a record of edits made to the message.
Mail
Undo Send preference setting: Users can choose to turn Undo Send on or off.
Undo Send preference setting: Users can select the duration of time in which an email can be recalled.
Follow Up preference setting: Users can turn the Follow Up feature on or off.
Live Activities API
Gives developers the ability to add support for Live Activities so users can follow an ongoing sports game or track the progress of a ride or order with just a glance.

The expanded app completes its rollout two months after it was announced at Google I/O.

Google users should have access to the new Google Wallet app, after the search giant reportedly completed its rollout on Monday. If you live in the US, you should now have a new Google Wallet App next to your Google Pay app. The former offers digital wallet functionality, while the latter acts primarily as a personal payment app like Venmo.

Google Wallet, announced in May during Google I/O, is Google’s effort at a more inclusive wallet app, which holds credit and debit cards in digital form, along with tickets, loyalty cards and vaccination cards.

Google rolled out the app to Android users in 39 countries last week, according to The Verge. In the US and Singapore, Google Wallet and Pay will remain two distinct apps.

But people in Europe and the rest of the word will get one unified app. They will see the Google Pay app change on their devices, with an updated title of Wallet, the new logo, and new options for adding passes like public transit and gift cards within it. For most, Google Wallet will simply replace the Google Pay app, with no need to manually transfer over. In India, new functionalities will stay under the Google Pay name.

In the long term, Google hopes to add identification cards like driver’s licenses and student IDs to Wallet’s capabilities, something Apple Wallet began offering in Arizona in March.

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