Tag: Airpods

  • iOS 18 launches with Dark Mode for app icons and revamped Control Centre

    iOS 18 launches with Dark Mode for app icons and revamped Control Centre

    Apple has officially unveiled iOS 18, the latest significant update for the iPhone operating system, packed with new customisation options, a revamped Photos app, and much more.

    One of the standout features of iOS 18 is the enhanced customisation tools for the Home Screen. Users can now apply Dark Mode to app icons and tint them with colours for a personalised appearance. Additionally, apps can be positioned freely anywhere on the Home Screen.

    The Control Center has been completely redesigned and offers extensive customisation options through a new gallery. Developers can now integrate tools for their apps directly into the Control Center. Users can continuously swipe to navigate between different Control Center screens. Customisation options are also available for Lock Screen controls.

    In the Messages app, tapbacks have been revamped, allowing users to react with any emoji. Messages can now be scheduled for later delivery, and text formatting options include bold, italics, underline, and strikethrough.

    New text effects provide automatic suggestions to highlight words and phrases. Additionally, users can now send and receive messages via satellite connectivity.

    The Mail app introduces automatic sorting of emails into categories to help prioritise messages. The Maps app now features topographical maps with detailed trail networks and hiking routes. In Wallet, the new Tap to Cash feature enables users to send money by simply holding iPhones together.

    The Photos app has undergone a comprehensive redesign in iOS 18. The new unified view features a photo grid at the top that displays the entire library, with collections organised by theme below. Users can filter photos by Months and Years views, and a filter button allows for the hiding of screenshots and other sorting options.

    Below the grid, users can browse Collections by topics such as Time, People, Memories, and Trips. The Recent Days section shows photos from the past few days, with automatic filtering of items like receipts.

    The People and Pets section now groups photos of individuals and allows for reordering or pinning of collections. Swiping right from the grid reveals a new carousel with Featured Photos and other favourite collections, which automatically refreshes to display new images.

    iOS 18 introduces app locking with authentication, hiding information from Search and Siri. It also offers a new method for connecting accessories more seamlessly.

    RCS messaging support has been added, along with larger Home Screen icons and calendar integration in Reminders. Game Mode makes its debut on the iPhone, minimising background activity to maintain high frame rates and providing more responsive connections to AirPods and wireless game controllers.

    The first developer beta of iOS 18 is available today, with a public beta set for release in July and a general public release in the autumn.

  • Woman swallows Airpods after mistaking them for this item

    Woman swallows Airpods after mistaking them for this item

    Tanna Barker, a resident of the US, accidentally swallowed one of her Apple Airpods after mistaking it for a vitamin tablet.

    According to Android Authority, she narrated the hilarious story in a TikTok video that went viral.

    She explains in the clip that the incident happened while she was out for a walk with her friend with whom she was having a conversation, and so, she took one of the airpods out of her ear to hear her friend more clearly.

    In between the walk and the talks, a distracted Barker decided to take her vitamins and put one of the airpods in her mouth, realising later that the vitamins were still in her hand.

    “Halfway through my walk, I decided to take my vitamins, so I put my vitamins in, took a drink, and I was like, man, those are stuck,” Barker told.

    “So I guzzled my water, kept on going, said bye to Kathleen, and went to go get my AirPods. And my pills were in my hand. I swallowed my AirPod,” she added.

    She contacted doctors and friends for advice right after. Everyone had one thing to say: let it pass naturally.

    According to Gulf news, a similar incident happened back in 2021 when another American woman gulped down an AirPod assuming it was a vitamin tablet.

    She even tested it after recording a voice note and capturing sounds that her stomach was making.

    A British celebrity, Kirstie Allsopp, also swallowed her AirPod with her vitamins, but she vomited it out instead.

  • Will iPhone 15 Pro Max in Pakistan surpass the price of a Hyundai SUV in India?

    Will iPhone 15 Pro Max in Pakistan surpass the price of a Hyundai SUV in India?

    The iPhone 15 Pro Max with 256 GB of storage is initially priced at $1,100 in the United States, which, at the current exchange rate of Rs295, translates to approximately Rs325,000 in Pakistani rupee (PKR).

    However, it’s anticipated that the cost will significantly rise in Pakistan due to additional expenses like Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) approval and retailer margins.

    Given the precedent set by the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which currently retails for Rs540,000 in Pakistan, we expect the starting price of the iPhone 15 Pro Max to be around Rs555,000 or possibly even higher once local mobile shop owners import and sell them.

    Apple iPhones generally have higher price tags in Pakistan due to taxes and PTA approval fees, making it challenging to pinpoint the exact cost.

    Nonetheless, it’s reasonable to assume it will exceed Rs500,000, considering that the iPhone 14 Pro Max is already priced above this threshold in Pakistan.

    Additionally, a Pakistani website called Phonebolee suggests an expected price of PKR 643,999 for the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.

    In terms of comparisons to India, a report by DNA India highlights the astonishing prices of iPhones in Pakistan. It notes that the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, priced over Rs7.3 lakh in Pakistan, surpasses the cost of a Hyundai Exter 5-seater SUV, which is priced at INR 5.99 lakh in India.

    However, it’s important to be cautious about such comparisons, as they might not accurately reflect the actual market dynamics.

    Keep in mind that the exact price of the iPhone 15 Pro Max in Pakistan can vary among different retailers.

    Additionally, the exchange rate between the Indian rupee and the Pakistani rupee is approximately 1 INR to PKR 3.56. So, when comparing the INR 600,000 price of an SUV, it equates to approximately Rs2,136,800, or Rs2.1 million in Pakistani rupees, which is significantly higher than the expected price of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.

  • Apple CEO Tim Cook to meet India’s PM Modi during store opening

    Apple CEO Tim Cook to meet India’s PM Modi during store opening

    Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, is scheduled to meet India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and the country’s deputy IT minister as part of his visit to inaugurate the tech giant’s first retail store in India.

    Cook’s visit to Mumbai and New Delhi to open the first official company-owned outlets in the country highlights Apple’s growing interest in India, despite only having a 3 per cent market share.

    The company has been expanding iPhone assembly through contract manufacturers and increasing its exports. Cook will meet Modi on Wednesday in New Delhi, and he is also expected to meet India’s deputy IT minister, Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

    Apple and the IT ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while Modi’s office declined to comment. Cook’s meetings with Indian officials come as Apple focuses more on India, which is the world’s second-largest smartphone market.

    According to data from the India Cellular and Electronics Association, iPhones accounted for more than 50 per cent of the $9 billion worth of smartphones exported from India between April 2022 and February 2023.

    On Monday, Apple opened its first store in Mumbai, but only for a private event where bloggers and tech analysts reviewed the store layout and design. The Mumbai store is located in the Reliance Jio World Drive mall, which is home to luxury clothing and jewellery brands like Michael Kors, Kate Spade, and Swarovski. It is 20,800 square feet, far larger than the planned Delhi outlet, according to local registration documents.

    Apple has sold its products in India through resellers or e-commerce websites such as Amazon. The Mumbai store will open to the public from Tuesday, while a second store will be inaugurated inside a New Delhi mall on Thursday.

    In India, iPhones are assembled by three of Apple’s contract manufacturers – Foxconn, Wistron Corp, and Pegatron Corp. Apple plans to assemble iPads and AirPods in India as well.

  • Apple may launch iPhone 14 series on September 7

    Apple may launch iPhone 14 series on September 7

    Apple is planning to launch the iPhone 14 at its next product reveal event on September 7, according to Bloomberg.

    Finally, Apple fans now have a date to mark on the calendar as the tech giant generally hosts a major event in the first half of September.

    The event will be streamed live, just like the previous ones Apple has held during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The iPhone 14 lineup, which is supposed to comprise the standard iPhone 14, a new big-screen iPhone 14, an iPhone 14 Pro, and an iPhone 14 Pro Max, will reportedly be unveiled by Apple at the event.

    The Pro phones are reported to receive some of the more extravagant enhancements, including an always-on display, the newest A-series processor, and the removal of the notch in favour of a pill-shaped hole-punch cutout.

    The iPhones that are unveiled at the event have in the past gone on sale soon after. Store employees have reportedly been asked to get ready for a launch of some sort on September 16.

    You might want to get your wallet ready if you’re planning to upgrade.

    At the presentation, the Cupertino-based company is also anticipated to introduce new Apple Watch models, as well as an upgraded rugged model and an upgraded Apple Watch SE.

    Other products that Apple might unveil at the upcoming event include a new entry-level iPad without a headphone jack, the next generation of the AirPods Pro, which might support uncompressed audio, and more.