Tag: Apple

  • Samsung shipped 73.7 million cellphones in Q1 2022

    Samsung shipped 73.7 million cellphones in Q1 2022

    Samsung does not like surrendering its position as the world’s leading smartphone manufacturer. Even though Apple temporarily dethroned it, the firm has fought back and reclaimed what it considers to be its rightful position.

    1st quarter of 2022 According to data from market research organisations Canalys and Counterpoint, Samsung is the global leader in smartphone shipments. Apple did well as well, but it was only able to finish second to the Korean behemoth.

    Samsung’s Galaxy S22 series has contributed to the company’s strong performance in the first quarter of this year. Many Galaxy Note fans were enticed back to Samsung with the Galaxy S22 Ultra in particular.

    According to Canalys, worldwide smartphone shipments hit 311.2 million units in the first quarter of 2022, down 11 per cent year on year. While Samsung regained the lead, delivering 73.7 million units, the company saw a 43 per cent drop in sales.

    Read more: HP to launch its first 17-inch foldable OLED notebook

    Xiaomi came in third place in the ‘top 5 shipping’ list, with 39.2 million units shipped, a 20 per cent decrease. Oppo shipped 29 million units, a decrease of 27 per cent, and Vivo’s growth slowed by 30 per cent.

  • HP to launch its first 17-inch foldable OLED notebook

    HP to launch its first 17-inch foldable OLED notebook

    Hewlett Packard Enterprises (HPE) is believed to be working on an all-screen foldable laptop with a 17-inch OLED panel that could be released in the coming months.

    HP’s bendable laptop may enter the next era of laptops, with LG Display releasing its vision of 17-inch folding OLED notebooks and Asus revealing its Zenbook 17 Fold OLED during CES 2022.

    SK IE Technology will provide LG Display with transparent polyimide film to cover bendable OLED panels. The OLED panels for HP’s new notebook will be made by the OLED provider. The company would produce 10,000 units of the film in the third quarter of this year, according to a publication.

    The laptop will reportedly have a 4K resolution (3840×2160) in-folding panel that measures 17 inches when unfolded and 11 inches when folded. That’s a major increase over the 13.3-inch Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold, which is the world’s first folding PC. According to the source, HP’s foldable laptop could debut in 2022.

    If HP wins in producing a notebook with a bendable 4K OLED display, the brand will join a multitude of other companies that are working on their own all-screen foldable laptop.

    Read more: Apple’s new iOS update to fix battery drain issues for iPhones, iPads

    The Asus Zenbook 17 Fold already has a 17.3-inch foldable OLED (FOLED) display with a 2560×1920 resolution, a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU, and 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. A 12.5-inch variant is also available.

  • Apple may replace iPhone 14 mini with a Max model

    Apple may replace iPhone 14 mini with a Max model

    Apple, the Cupertino-based tech giant, will not release an iPhone 14 Mini, as per multiple scoops and insiders, and will instead correct it with a bigger screen model of the iPhone 14 range.

    The reason for this reversal is most probably due to Apple’s inability to sell sufficient iPhone minis to warrant its continued existence, as multiple sources report that iPhone 13 Mini is performing terribly in the international market.

    Sales of the 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini accounted for only 3 per cent of overall iPhone sales in Q1 of 2022 in the United States (US). The other iPhone 13 versions, on the other hand, were far more popular, with the biggest share of US sales in previous years.

    In the first quarter of this year, the iPhone 13 variants accounted for 71 per cent of total iPhone sales in the US, with the regular iPhone 13 accounting for 38 per cent of all sales. The iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max were less popular this quarter, but they still outperformed the iPhone 13 Mini by a significant margin.

    Apple is expected to introduce an ‘iPhone 14 Max,” which will incorporate a large 6.7-inch screen, identical to the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The smartphone, on the other hand, will be less expensive than the iPhone 14 Pro Max and even the iPhone 14 Pro.

    Read more: Hyundai’s electric vehicle wins ‘World Car of the Year’ award

    The iPhone 14 Max is also expected to include a 120Hz refresh rate display with LTPO technology, as well as the latest A15 Bionic Chip.

  • PTA records 1.73 million new 3G, 4G users in one month

    PTA records 1.73 million new 3G, 4G users in one month

    The latest stats from Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) show that the number of 3G and 4G customers in Pakistan increased by 1.73 million to 113.11 million by the end of March 2022, up from 111.38 million at the end of February 2022.

    By the end of March 2022, the number of mobile users in Pakistan had risen by 1.79 million to 193.42 million, up from 191.63 million at the end of February 2022. The cellular population climbed from 87.17 per cent in February 2022 to 87.95 per cent in March 2022.

    The entire teledensity had risen to 89.09 per cent, up from 88.31 per cent in February.

    The overall number of Jazz 3G users was 6.489 million at the end of March, down from 6.607 million at the end of February 2022, a fall of 0.118 million. By the end of March, the number of Jazz 4G users had risen from 35.822 million to 36.518 million.

    The number of Zong 3G customers fell from 3.501 million in February to 3.447 million in March, while the amount of 4G users increased from 27.483 million in February to 28.033 million in March.

    Telenor’s 3G users totaled 3.911 million at the end of March, which was the same as at the end of February. The graph, however, shows a downward trend. Its 4G subscribers increased from 20.801 million at the end of February to 21 million by the end of March 2022.

    Read more: Textile exports soared 25pc to $14.3b: PBS

    By the end of March, there were 3.809 million Ufone 3G users, up from 3.873 million at the end of February. Ufone’s 4G user base expanded from 8.099 million in February to 8.6 million by the end of March 2022, a 0.501 million growth in the time period under consideration.

  • Apple to launch new Macs with next-generation M2 chips

    Apple to launch new Macs with next-generation M2 chips

    Apple is planning to release the next-generation Apple Silicon chip for its laptops, almost two years after introducing the first Macs using its own silicon. The company is presently testing third-party programmes on at least nine new Mac models equipped with an M2 processor.

    Unreleased Macs have been spotted in app logs, to sources familiar with the situation, implying that Apple is currently conducting final tests on the new PCs before revealing them to the public. The new M2 processor will be used in all new Macs, which are slated to be released later this year.

    A MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini with an M2 chip; new MacBook Pros with the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips; and a Mac Pro with an Apple Silicon chip ‘successor to the M1 Ultra processor’. Apple has been working on the new Macs for a while now.

    Surprisingly, it appears that Apple is still testing a new Mac mini with the M1 Pro CPU seen in the current MacBook Pro generation. Apple had planned to release high-end versions of the present Mac mini with the M1 Pro and M1 Max CPUs, according to 9to5Mac’s sources, but they were likely canceled to make way for the Mac Studio.

    Read more: Elon Musk offers $43 billion to acquire Twitter

    The Studio Display firmware contains references to a new Mac mini model, thus it’s probable that at least some of these Macs will be released soon. Apple could unveil two new Macs in June at WWDC 2022.

  • Oppo Pakistan to launch F21 pro with Sony’s “DSLR-like camera” on April 11

    Oppo Pakistan to launch F21 pro with Sony’s “DSLR-like camera” on April 11

    The Oppo F21 Pro will be released in Pakistan on April 11 at 4:30 pm, according to Oppo’s official website where it also exhibited the handset’s official design.

    According to rumors, the F21 Pro 4G is a rebranded Reno7 with Snapdragon 695 processor which may or may not be true as it is expected to come up with a newer chip.

    The phone will be available in Sunset Orange and Cosmic Black, according to the company. The latter has a Fibreglass-Leather design that “doubles as a frameless battery cover to make the phone thin, light, and sturdy”.

    To maintain fidelity and longevity, the leather-like material was put through rigorous stress tests using rubbing alcohol, rubber erasers, and even denim swatches.

    The Sunset Orange is only 7.54mm thick, while the Cosmic Black is 7.49mm thick, according to Oppo. Both are 175 grammes and features a 2.5D glass display.

    The device will have a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate. It will run ColorOS 12.1, which is based on Android 11, and will be powered by a 4,500mAh battery with 33W SUPERVOOC fast charging.

    It will be equipped with a triple camera system, including a 64MP main rear camera, a 2MP macro lens camera, and a 2MP depth camera.

    In addition, an orbit light can be seen around one of the camera sensors that notify users of incoming notifications, calls, and other events. A 32 MP lens will be used on the front-facing camera from Sony.

    Oppo Pakistan wrote on its website, “Exclusively designed by OPPO and built with Sony hardware, the IMX709 front camera image sensor allows you to capture bright and clear images in the low light environment”.

    It sounds weird that the firm has placed the high-end camera on the front since it would have been better for the phonemaker’s sales and worth if the Sony camera had been placed at the back.

    Read more: Suzuki Pakistan increases bike prices by up to Rs15,000

    However, further information or official specifications of the upcoming ‘budget-flagship’ smartphone will be revealed in the next week.

  • Apple’s new iOS update to fix battery drain issues for iPhones, iPads

    Apple is rolling out a new series of software updates for its gadgets. This update includes both iOS 15.4.1 and iPadOS 15.4.1 for all compatible iPhones and iPads.

    This may seem like a small update with no new features, as the number incrementation clearly suggests.

    However, it claims to increase something that we are sure is quite essential to the majority of Apple users: battery life. The recent reports state that installing this patch will resolve the battery drain issues that were supposedly triggered with the release of iOS 15.4 just a short while ago.

    A workaround for Braille devices (a touch reading and writing method for blind users) becoming unresponsive while navigating text or showing an alert is also included, as well as a fix for Made for iPhone hearing devices (made for Apple) losing connection within select third-party apps.

    Other, unspecified bug fixes and performance improvements may also be included, but the major hype is all about the fix for battery drain issues.

    Read more: Is the iPhone SE 2022 a major flop?

    If your iPhone or iPad becomes extremely hungry following the iOS or iPadOS 15.4 version, you should go to Settings and install iOS 15.4.1 or iPadOS 15.4.1 which should be available for all devices by now.

  • Is the iPhone SE 2022 a major flop?

    Is the iPhone SE 2022 a major flop?

    Apple is limiting the production of its recently launched ‘budget’ smartphone, the ‘iPhone SE 2022’ owing to lower-than-expected demand. The tech giant has urged suppliers to reduce the manufacturing of the iPhone SE, by roughly 2 million to 3 million devices, or about 20 per cent of initial booking orders.

    In fact, the iPhone SE is still not as well-known as Apple’s higher-priced iPhones. According to research, from its launch through Q4 2021, the 2020 edition of the iPhone SE contributed to only 12 per cent of total iPhone sales.

    It is worth mentioning that Apple also slashed orders for AirPods by around 10 million devices for the current year.

    The 5g enabled iPhone SE is marketed by the company as an alternative for the premium devices from Apple. However, its price tag of Rs105,238 (excluding PTA charges) still seems surprising as compared to the earlier SE model which was offered with a lesser price tag of Rs72,520 (excluding PTA charges).

    Read more: Apple to offer subscription-based service for selling iPhone, iPad, MacBook

    According to Nikkei, the drop in production is a result of the Ukraine crisis and inflation’s detrimental influence on the demand for gadgets.

    Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, several major IT companies, including Apple, ceased sales in the country. The United States, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan have all slapped economic sanctions on Russia, causing supply chain disruption and raising inflation concerns.

  • Apple to offer subscription-based service for selling iPhone, iPad, MacBook

    With a new subscription-based service, Apple is planning to launch a new method to buy iPhones as well as other Apple gear. Which will allow apple customers to pay a monthly subscription fee and receive an iPhone of their choice, as well as free upgrades when new products are released.

    This plan will differ from Apple’s and carriers’ current installment programmes, as it will be a pre-decided or custom monthly fee plan rather than the cost of the phone divided by 12, 24, and 36 months of installments.

    All applications including Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud+, Apple News+, and Apple Fitness+ will all be included in the iPhone subscription service, which will be linked to users’ existing Apple ID accounts.

    It may also offer bundle free Apple Care and even Apple One services, such as Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud+, Apple News+, and Apple Fitness+.

    The new subscription service may start by the end of this year with iPhones and eventually expand to the rest of Apple’s gadgets including iPads, Apple Watch, and the MacBook.

    Subscription-based selling of phones is not entirely new as Google already operates its Pixel Pass program in the US which lets customers choose between the Google Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro offered with Google’s own first-party services at very affordable monthly charges.

  • Emoji reactions for Whatsapp messages coming soon

    Emoji reactions for Whatsapp messages coming soon

    The Meta-owned Whatsapp is currently testing an ‘emoji react’ feature, initially in the Beta version for android devices. As per a credible resource, reaction Emojis have already started to appear in the Beta application for developers or users to test it.

    In the Beta version, holding a received message allows users to react with one of six Emojis which comprises: thumbs up, crying, laughter, love, shocked face, and folded hands as an alternative of saying ‘thanks’.

    It seems like the most popular messenger with billions of users will be rolling out the feature on Android phones in the first phase. However, there is no official date announced by Meta regarding its introduction but the testing pace says it all.

    The new feature will significantly enhance its usability, letting users immediately respond to messages instead of accessing the keyboard every time.

    Besides the ongoing testing for Android devices, there are signs that the emoji reactions are also on the way for iOS devices. A few months ago, the iOS Beta version was upgraded with a feature that consisted of a toggle to enable or disable reaction notifications.

    Previously a number of messaging and social media platforms have introduced emoji reactions including Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Google Messages, iMessage, and most surprisingly the Twitter DMs.