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Google will soon launch the Pixel 6A, a more wallet-friendly version of the Pixel 6 that it announced nearly two months ago during its I/O conference. As expected, the Pixel 6A includes many of the Pixel 6’s highlight features like the Tensor chip at a lower price of $449.

Coming July 28, the new 6.1-inch Pixel will serve as a successor to last year’s Pixel 5A. As rumored, it will feature a design similar to last year’s Pixel 6 line, including a camera bar in the middle of the back of the phone for its 12-megapixel ultrawide and main cameras. Preorders begin on July 21.

Google’s custom Tensor chip will power the phone alongside 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Google says the 6A will be capable of the same tricks the Pixel 6 offers, including camera features like Night Sight, Real Tone and Magic Eraser — with the last of these getting an improvement that will allow you to “change the color of distracting objects in your photo.”

The phone will support 5G and all three major US wireless carriers will offer the phone, though Verizon’s version will run $500 since it supports millimeter-wave 5G. Google is promising roughly three years of Android software updates and five years of security updates. The company says the 6A will be “among the first Android devices to receive the upcoming Android 13” update later this year.

Like the Pixel 6, the 6A will have an under-display fingerprint sensor for unlocking the phone. The fingerprint reader may even be more responsive than the Pixel 6 Pro’s, according to a video posted by a Malaysian YouTuber that obtained the device early. While the 5A had a headphone jack, the 6A will not. Like the Pixel 5A, the new phone will be IP67-rated for water and dust resistance, and will not support wireless charging.

“[The] Pixel 6A is about maximizing the user value,” Google said in a statement to CNET. “To maintain a $449 starting price point we needed to make some trade-offs, one of which was the exclusion of wireless charging.”

The new phone will come in charcoal, chalk and sage colors.

The Pixel 6A is one of several new gadgets in Google’s pipeline, along with the long-awaited Pixel Watch, new Pixel Buds Pro earbuds, the Pixel Tablet coming in 2023 and the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro phones due in the fall.

The launch also comes at a time when rivals like Apple and Samsung are focusing more on their competitively priced devices. Apple released a new 5G-enabled version of the iPhone SE in March, which at $429 is just $20 cheaper than the Pixel 6A. Samsung debuted the $450 Galaxy A53 5G in during that same month.

The “rugged” version of Apple’s smartwatch may be revealed later this year.

Apple is rumored to be working on a new version of the Apple Watch that’ll be geared toward extreme sports. The more “rugged” Apple Watch will feature a larger display screen, longer battery life for workouts and a protective metal case, according to a report Wednesday from Bloomberg, which cited people with knowledge of the company’s plans. The new Apple Watch will reportedly be unveiled later this year.

The larger watch screen will reportedly measure approximately 2 inches diagonally, be more shatter-resistant and will have around 7% more screen surface than current Apple Watches. This will be the third time Apple has increased the screen size of Apple Watches since they debuted in 2015. With the increased screen size, the rumored extreme sports Apple Watch would offer consumers one of the largest screens on the market.

Changing the case to a “strong metal material” instead of aluminum and including a larger battery are the other main changes geared toward extreme sports enthusiasts. Apple will reportedly unveil two other updates in the Apple Watch Series 8, a standard Apple Watch and a lower-end Apple Watch SE, both of which will keep their current screen size. The entire series of watches will run on an S8 processor, according to Bloomberg.

The new rugged Apple Watch is expected to be more expensive than existing standard stainless steel Apple Watches, which start at $699.

Apple has announced a new security feature to protect high-risk users from spyware cyber-attacks.

Lockdown Mode will be available in the autumn with the next operating system across all of the company’s iPhones, iPads and Macs.

The setting blocks certain functions and prevents unknown users from calling.

It comes after Apple devices owned by activists, politicians and journalists were infected with spyware.

Apple is currently suing Israeli spyware firm NSO Group, accusing it of targeting victims in 150 different countries with its powerful Pegasus spyware.

The firm’s software could infect both iPhones and Android devices, allowing operators to extract messages, photos and emails, record calls and secretly activate microphones and cameras.

NSO Group says its tools are made to target terrorists and criminals and insists it only supplies Pegasus to military, law enforcement and intelligence agencies from countries with good human rights records.

NSO Group: Israeli spyware company added to US trade blacklist
Pegasus spyware seller: Blame our customers, not us, for hacking
When the extent of the alleged surveillance was revealed last July, Apple faced criticism from privacy and security experts for not protecting users.

It quickly released an emergency software update to all devices to patch up the vulnerability that Pegasus had secretly been using for years.

Now the company is releasing Lockdown Mode as a wider security feature it claims can protect devices from all known spyware currently on the market.

Lockdown Mode will include the following protections:

Messages: Most message attachment types other than images are blocked. Some features, like link previews, are disabled
Web browsing: Certain complex web technologies, like just-in-time JavaScript compilation, are disabled unless the user excludes a trusted site
Calls: Incoming invitations including FaceTime calls, are blocked if the user has not previously sent the initiator a call or request
Wired connections with a computer or accessory are blocked when iPhone is locked
At launch, Lockdown Mode will be available to all users in the device settings, but Apple suggests it should only be activated if someone is a risk of what it calls “mercenary spyware attacks” – for example a journalist or opposition leader in a repressive regime.

“While the vast majority of users will never be victims of highly targeted cyber-attacks, we will work tirelessly to protect the small number of users who are,” said Ivan Krstić, Apple’s head of security engineering and architecture.

Apple announced it will double the bounty threshold it pays out to ethical hackers who discover security flaws in Lockdown Mode to $2m (£1.7m).

The US firm will also donate $10m to a fund helping organisations expose the misuse of spyware.

“The global spyware trade targets human rights defenders, journalists, and dissidents, and facilitates violence, reinforces authoritarianism, and supports political repression,” said Lori McGlinchey, director, technology and society at the Ford Foundation, which will oversee the grant.

In November, US officials placed NSO Group on a trade blacklist, saying the software had “enabled foreign governments to conduct transnational repression, which is the practice of authoritarian governments targeting dissidents, journalists and activists”.

NSO Group is also being sued by WhatsApp, which accuses it of using the messaging service as a vehicle to spread Pegasus.

When you want a new phone, these are the most important details to keep in mind.

The main differences between the standard 6 and the 6 Pro come with its storage and memory options: The 6 starts with 256GB of storage with models that include 8GB and 12GB of RAM, while the 6 Pro includes 512GB of storage and 18GB of RAM. The Pro also has a second display on the back that can show notifications, system information and animations. The 6 instead gets a LED logo that can be customized to light up for different situations.

These are all specs that — like other gaming phones — are meant to prioritize power and performance in order to get the most out of Android games. The battery in particular is especially notable and its 6,000mAH capacity matches last year’s Asus ROG Phone 5. That phone has one of the longest battery lives that we’ve seen on an Android phone, according to CNET reviewer Patrick Holland, and was accomplished through two 3,000-mAh batteries. Last year’s phone also had a very fast 144Hz screen though, and this year’s even faster 165Hz screen might affect how quickly it burns through a charge.

Having that 165Hz screen should also make animations extremely smooth, especially for games that are capable of supporting that threshold. I found during my review of the RedMagic 7, which also has a 165Hz refresh rate, that only some Android games support that right now since most phones cap out at a 120Hz refresh rate. For most people, 120Hz is plenty smooth enough, but for the gaming crowd this phone is targeted toward, 165Hz does bring out a bit more precision in what you can see.

Release dates aren’t yet available, but both phones are set to first arrive in Europe at 999 euros (roughly $1,024; £858; AU$1,510) for the 6 and 1,299 euros for the Pro. This puts them well into flagship territory in terms of pricing, and an uptick over last year’s ROG Phone 5, which started at 799 euros.

While we would need to wait for a hands-on with the phone in order to check out the Snapdragon chip in the phone, this latest chip along with the higher refresh-rate display on a Samsung-made display are intriguing as they both could eventually end up in more mainstream phones down the line.

Save yourself time and stress by knowing where these things are at all times.

If you’re prone to losing personal items on a regular basis, then listen closely because this tip will change your life. Place an Apple AirTag on or in whatever it is that you tend to misplace.

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 — 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 where you can place an AirTag that you may not have thought of before. 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 your 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: The Apple Watch SE nails the basics for a much cheaper price than the Series 7. I’m excited to see what’s in store for the next version.

With a blood oxygen monitor, the ability to record an ECG from your wrist and plenty of exercise logging options, the Apple Watch Series 7 is already a capable health tracker. But Apple might expand its wellness ambitions by adding a temperature sensor to the Series 8, Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal report.

However, I’m much more excited about the idea of a new Apple Watch SE, which Bloomberg says could be coming in 2022. Apple’s simpler and cheaper device has everything most people want in a smartwatch, from tracking workouts to enabling Apple Pay transactions and displaying iPhone alerts.

Apple’s newer wellness features are a step forward for consumer health monitoring and show promise. There are also plenty of stories indicating the Apple Watch has helped save lives. But the Apple Watch Series 6 and Series 7 already provide more information than I personally know what to do with. A Series 8 with even more health metrics might be too complex for some people.

That’s why I’m more interested in seeing what’s next for Apple’s more wallet-friendly option. The current Apple Watch SE debuted in 2020, and it’s time for an update.

The Apple Watch SE has most of the Series 7’s best features
The $399 Apple Watch Series 7, compared with the $279 SE, is packed with extra health features and other refinements, such as blood oxygen readings, the ability to take an electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) from your wrist, a larger screen and faster charging.

Those qualities make the Series 7 a more comprehensive health tracker, a better communication tool and a more useful sleep tracker. The Series 7’s more spacious screen means it can fit a full QWERTY keyboard for responding to text messages, and the speedier charging makes it easier to top off your watch after a night of sleep tracking.

The Series 8 is expected to take a similar trajectory, and it could include a skin temperature sensor for fertility planning and potentially other applications, according to Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal.

These perks may not be necessary for everyone, hence the SE’s more focused appeal. Those who just want to close their Activity Rings and make sure they don’t miss text messages while away from their phone can probably do without blood oxygen readings, a larger screen and faster charging. The Apple Watch Series 7 and its predecessor feel targeted toward those looking to keep a closer eye on their wellbeing, especially when it comes to cardiac health.

The Apple Watch SE has many of Apple’s most important health and safety features even though it’s not as advanced as its pricier siblings. Although you can’t take an ECG from your wrist using the SE, Apple’s cheaper watch can still deliver high and low heart rate notifications, notice irregular heart rhythms, detect hard falls and provide access to emergency services. If you’re buying a watch for an elderly family member who may be prone to falling, that might be enough.

Newer metrics such as blood oxygen readings don’t always feel helpful. Although Apple says measurements from the Apple Watch’s blood oxygen app can provide you with “insights into your overall wellness,” I’m not sure what to do with these readings. Since the Apple Watch isn’t intended for medical purposes, it’s unclear whether I should be alarmed if my readings are too low.

That’s not to say there isn’t potential. When the Series 6 was unveiled in 2020, Apple announced plans to work with researchers on three separate health studies to examine how blood oxygen readings and other metrics can help with managing asthma and heart rate failure in addition to detecting respiratory conditions like COVID-19. But for now, the blood oxygen reader on the Series 6 and 7 doesn’t feel necessary. Similarly, other wearables such as those from Garmin, Fitbit and Samsung offer blood oxygen readings that rely on the wearer having to interpret them.

While I appreciate the SE’s simpler approach to health tools, I’d like to see Apple add at least one feature that’s currently exclusive to more expensive models: an always-on display. New Apple Watches starting with the Series 5 and later (except for the SE) can keep their screens on even when the watch is idle. This makes the Apple Watch better at its most basic job — telling the time.

It might not seem like a huge deal, but I appreciate being able to glance down at the time and my activity progress on a Series 7 without needing to move my wrist or touch the watch the way you do on the SE. It’s not as exciting or meaningful as health-related updates in the long term, but it’s handy for everyday use, and I’m hoping to see it on the next Apple Watch SE.

The Apple Watch has matured, just like the iPhone
The Apple Watch has evolved to the point where annual upgrades aren’t always a major step forward, much like the iPhone. The Apple Watch Series 7, for example, felt like a more refined version of the Series 6. Aside from blood oxygen measurements, the Series 6 also didn’t feel that different from the Series 5.

That makes the case for cheaper models like the Apple Watch SE all the more compelling, especially as WatchOS updates bring new features to older models. WatchOS 9, which launches this fall, will bring more detailed sleep tracking, a new app for logging medications, fresh watch faces and other updates to the Apple Watch Series 4 and later.

The Apple Watch SE holds its own in terms of performance and feels just as responsive as the latest model when running the same software. You don’t need the most expensive or newest version to get a full experience, which is why Apple has kept the Series 3 in its lineup for so long.

But the Apple Watch Series 3 won’t support WatchOS 9 and has become difficult to update since it doesn’t have much internal storage. With that in mind, it seems like the Apple Watch Series 3’s days are numbered, a prediction analyst Ming-Chi Kuo made back in March. That also makes the Apple Watch SE much more important since it will likely replace the Series 3 as the most affordable Apple Watch option.

Overall, the current SE provides the right middle ground between the Series 3 and Series 7. As Apple’s high-end watches have become more sophisticated health tracking devices, the SE has increasingly felt like the better option for everyday users with tighter budgets. Now that the Apple Watch SE is almost two years old, I’m ready for a new one.

Other recipients will include Olympians Simone Biles and Megan Rapinoe, former US Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and actor Denzel Washington.

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs will be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the White House said Friday, recognizing his accomplishments as the head of Apple and Pixar, as well as his leading role at the Walt Disney Company.

“His vision, imagination and creativity led to inventions that have, and continue to, change the way the world communicates, as well as transforming the computer, music, film and wireless industries,” the White House said in a statement.

President Joe Biden’s recognition for Jobs marks the latest of accolades the former Apple CEO has received since he died of cancer in 2011. He received an Edison Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012, honoring the “successful development and launch of game-changing new products and services” as well as his “lasting contribution to innovation.” In 2013, Jobs received a Disney Legends Award for his contribution “to the Disney legacy” as Pixar’s CEO and later a board member.

The announcement came the same week that marked the 15th anniversary of the launch of the original iPhone.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honor in the US. Basketball star Michael Jordan received the honor in 2016, as did entertainment Oprah Winfrey in 2015 and feminist activist Gloria Steinem in 2013.

Others have received the award posthumously, including civil rights giant the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1977 and music legend Elvis Presley and baseball great Babe Ruth, both in 2018.

This year’s presentation ceremony is set for July 7 at the White House. The 17 recipients will also include two Olympic gold medal winners, gymnastics icon Simone Biles and soccer star Megan Rapinoe, as well as former US Rep. and gun-safety advocate Gabrielle Giffords and actor Denzel Washington.

Developers won’t be able to use App Store features including Ask to Buy and Family Sharing if they forgo the tech giant’s payment system.

Apple said on Thursday that apps exclusively released in the South Korean App Store can use third-party payment systems to take in-app payment. The move comes after South Korea last year amended its Telecommunications Business Act, which banned app stores from forcing developers to use its first-party payment systems. Google complied with the law in November, and now Apple follows suit.

The South Korean law clamps down on app stores in an effort to rein in tech giants, who’ve been called out for their monopoly over in-app payments. Apple, in particular, has been criticized for the commission it charges to use its payment system, which critics have dubbed the “Apple Tax.” The tax gives Apple up to a 30% cut on subscriptions and in-app purchases. This has been the source of many developer complaints throughout the years.

Though developers can request to use a third-party payment system for apps exclusively distributed in South Korea, Apple will still take a 26% commission for payments made through these systems. If an app is available globally, developers must create another version of the app for distribution solely on the App Store in South Korea.

Apple warns that users will not have access to some App Store features if developers choose to go this route, including features like Ask to Buy and Family Sharing. Moreover, Apple won’t be able to assist users with refunds, purchase history, subscription management and the like. Instead, developers will now be responsible for these features, and they must report all sales to Apple each month.

Both Apple and Google opposed the South Korean law, citing the benefits of its first-party system. Namely, both tech giants argued that allowing a third-party payment system undermines their users’ safety and privacy on their app stores, increasing the risk of fraud.

Lawmakers around the globe are looking to establish limits for big tech. The US Congress is working on a slate of bills aimed at antitrust and privacy that would change the way that tech giants do business.

Back before the iPhone launched on June 29, 2007, Tony Fadell was used to a regular working rhythm at Apple. People would send out emails at the beginning and end of the day, with “action items” based on conversations and other things that had recently happened. Sometimes, emails arrived between meetings too, but it wasn’t a lot of them.

That all started to change about five months before the iPhone’s launch. Suddenly, the frequency of emails increased. The several dozen employees using prototype iPhones around the company’s Cupertino, California, offices were sending many more emails throughout the day, including in the middle of meetings, ramping up communication across the company.

Now the principal at investment firm Future Shape, Fadell at the time was head of Apple’s iPod music player division and a key member of the team creating the first iPhone. He was already one of Apple’s top executives, the “father of the iPod,” having spent more than a decade making mobile devices.

But the iPhone seemed different, he said. Even though it wasn’t yet fully functioning as a phone, Apple employees were already finding it indispensable. They used it not just to communicate throughout the day, but also to Google things — to confirm a fact or jolt their memory midconversation.

“The center of gravity shifted,” he said. Suddenly, the work laptop wasn’t as important. Instead, the iPhone had become one of the most critical devices in their daily lives.

“The behaviors changed.”

Fadell’s revelation was one of the first signs that the iPhone was going to be more than Apple’s take on a smartphone. Within a few years, the iPhone would be on its way to kick-starting a mobile renaissance, with attached cameras, always-on internet connections and downloadable apps transforming how people use technology today.

But the iPhone’s success wasn’t a sure thing when it launched 15 years ago, not even for Apple. Back then, the device barely had any of the core features many of us take for granted today, like video chat, wireless syncing or its superfast internet connection. The original gadget didn’t have an App Store either, and the multibillion-dollar companies that apps would one day spawn didn’t yet exist. Back then, the iPhone was an uncomplicated device that Apple pitched as a marriage among a widescreen iPod with touch controls, a mobile phone and an internet communicator.

It’s difficult to invent “the future” with a truly game-changing product, and it’s even harder to spot when that’s happening. Tech companies spend most of their time improving what already exists, often by making products more capable, easier to use and incrementally faster. But companies also invest in big bets like the future of television, global internet access or electric cars. (Consider Facebook, which is so determined to convince us about moving into the metaverse with its VR headsets that it changed its corporate name to Meta.)

Despite all that time and money, though, sometimes companies come along with a new idea that seems poised to change everything — only it doesn’t. And in the few instances when a product does begin to transform things, it rarely feels groundbreaking at the time. Instead, it usually seems overhyped and disconnected from reality.

Perhaps that’s why Jim Balsillie, then BlackBerry’s co-CEO, was so dismissive of the iPhone. BlackBerry’s other CEO, company co-founder Mike Lazaridis, was so intrigued by initial reports about the iPhone that he’d corralled Balsillie to watch a webcast replay of Apple’s launch presentation.

“These guys are really, really good,” Lazaridis said, according to the book, Losing the Signal. “This is different.”

The first iPhone went on sale on June 29, 2007. Fifteen years later, the iPhone is absolutely essential to Apple’s strategy for software, accessories and services.

Tomorrow marks 15 years since the first iPhone went on sale. When Steve Jobs introduced the original iPhone he wryly hyped it as three revolutionary products: An iPod, a phone and an internet communicator. The first iPhone only came in one size and the only decision you had was whether to get one with 4GB of storage or 8GB. As far as carriers, only AT&T supported Apple’s first phone.

At the time, the idea of carrying an iPhone instead of a flip phone and an iPod was enough to convince some people to buy one. For others like me, the iPhone’s main appeal was the touch screen, which seemed unreal and futuristic.

“From the very beginning, one of the unique things about [the] iPhone was that we wanted to fuse together software, services and hardware to create a simple, powerful kind of magical experience,” said Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president for product marketing. “And with the original iPhone, it was that interaction of multi touch and pinch to zoom, where you started to see that come together.”

Fifteen years later, Apple sells eight different models of iPhone, five of which have launched in the past 10 months. There is at least one version that works with pretty much every major phone carrier in the world. The iPhone is available in an array of colors, finishes, sizes and storage options that now top out at 1TB. And while the screen is where most of the magic happens, it’s no longer the main appeal of the iPhone.

Over the past decade and a half, what defines the iPhone has shifted away from just design and hardware specs. Instead, the iPhone and iOS have become a gateway into Apple services and features like iMessage, FaceTime, Siri, Apple Music, Apple Pay, top-of-the-line cameras and apps like Uber, TikTok, Twitter and WhatsApp. For better or worse, the iPhone has become home to our photos, music, conversations, ideas, games, identity, work, social media, shopping, keys and money.

In 2022, the iPhone continues to extend beyond its svelte metal-and-glass chassis into the world around us. It’s the backbone for products like the Apple Watch and AirPods, and will likely play a role in future Apple products like rumored AR glasses.

It also serves as the foundation for Apple’s digital services, which have become an increasingly important factor to differentiate the iPhone from competing mobile devices. These services have evolved rapidly in recent years along with the iPhone.

Find My, which started as a tool in 2010 for locating a lost iPhone, has grown into a network for finding Apple devices and pretty much anything you can attach one of Apple’s tiny AirTag trackers to. Some products, like VanMoof’s S3 bike, even have built-in Find My support, eliminating the need to add an AirTag entirely. As of 2021, Apple’s Find My network had hundreds of millions of devices, most of which were iPhones.

Just weeks ago at WWDC, Apple’s annual software developers conference, the company announced iOS 16 with expansions to its nearly decade-old Wallet app and Apple Pay service. Essentially, Apple wants to make your physical wallet obsolete. There’s also a new feature called Apple Pay Later that lets you split the cost of an Apple Pay purchase into four equal payments spread over six weeks, with zero interest and no fees. It’s done entirely through your iPhone.

In fact, you need an iPhone to access or use most of these services. Keep in mind that, for years, the iPhone’s premium price made it inaccessible to many, and that’s still true of Apple’s top-of-the-line iPhone Pro models. The recently upgraded iPhone SE gives Apple the opportunity to expand the iPhone’s reach even further. It’s the purest example of what defines an iPhone in 2022. The SE blends the body of an iPhone 8 with the glass and processor from the iPhone 13. At $429, it’s currently the most affordable way to get people into Apple experiences.

I spoke with Borchers ahead of the iPhone SE launch in March about the phone and why Apple added an A15 Bionic chip to it.

“It’s actually a really easy decision to put as much capability as we can in today, in order to invest in and create opportunities for those future experiences. It’s something that distinguishes us from others,” said Borchers.

No other phone maker takes this approach. It would be like Samsung using the body of its Galaxy S8 and putting the Galaxy S22’s processing power inside. The upcoming Pixel 6A will be the first budget Android phone that uses the same processor, Google’s Tensor chip, as the flagship Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. Of course, Google isn’t putting it into the body of Pixel 2 and instead is introducing a new design.

It makes sense that Apple’s cheapest phone has the same processor as its most expensive: It’s all about giving people access to Apple experiences. For example, if you buy an iPhone SE, you can use the Live Text feature in iOS 15 to grab text with your camera or copy it from a photo. And while the 2016 and 2020 versions of the iPhone SE sold well, it seems the 2022 version isn’t breaking any sales records yet. Apple doesn’t disclose a specific model breakdown of how many iPhones it sells, but analyst Ming-Chi Kuo lowered his shipping estimates for the iPhone SE (2022) by 10 million. The lower demand could be an effect of rising inflation and the fact that the 2022 and 2020 versions of the iPhone SE look identical.

The SE showcases how iOS and Apple Silicon become the bedrock for everything you do on your iPhone. Obviously, not every model in Apple’s iPhone lineup is equal. More expensive phones like the iPhone 13 Pro come with a contemporary design, high refresh-rate screens, larger camera sensors and tools like the U1 ultra wideband chip and lidar.

These extra perks mean you can use your iPhone in more ways. For example, if you’ve got the right car, you can unlock it and start it with your iPhone. Borscher describes moments like these as “automagic,” meaning it just works. The same way a pair of AirPods can switch from your iPhone to your Mac for watching a video, or the way you can unlock your Mac using your Apple Watch.

Of course, such growth has consequences. Antitrust concerns over the app store and mobile payments, debates about screen time, Apple’s contentious dealings with the FBI, criticism that all these services are part of a strategy to lock people into Apple’s ecosystem and more recently, privacy questions over AirTags are just some of the concerns that have grown alongside the iPhone’s meteoric success. There are even questions as to whether Apple can launch another product line that is even half as successful as the iPhone. My CNET colleague and Apple reporter Ian Sherr points out that products like the Apple Watch and AirPods are lucrative largely because of their connection to the iPhone.

Over 15 years, the iPhone has become ubiquitous and helped Apple become a nearly $3 trillion company. The next iteration of the phone, likely called the iPhone 14, is expected to launch this September. It will no doubt run on iOS 16 and have the newest version of Apple’s A series processor and will continue to support the Apple experience. As for the long-term, my colleague Lisa Eadicicco thinks the most important part of future iPhones will be how it works with everything around it.