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A new Windows feature lets you share files between iPhones and PCs
It’s a lot like Apple’s AirDrop feature, but works across operating systems
It’s limited to Windows Insider Program users for now
Apple’s walled garden makes it incredibly easy to share files between your Apple devices quickly and easily, but things get a little trickier when you want to link up your iPhone and aWindows PC. That could be changing, though, as Microsoft has just given you a new way to share files across devices that mirrors one of Apple’s best features.
The update has come to the Phone Link app for Windows and the Link to Windows app for iPhone. In anew blog post,Microsoftrevealed that when you’re running the latest version of each app, you’ll be able to share files between your devices with just a few clicks. That’s similar to Apple’sAirDrop feature, which allows you to send files back and forth between your Apple devices without having to do anything clunky like attaching them to messages or emails.
To send a file from your iPhone to your Windows PC using Microsoft’s new method, find the file in question and select the share button in iOS, then tap Link to Windows and pick the device you want to send the file to. To do the reverse (that is, send something from a Windows PC to an iPhone), right-click the file in Windows and choose Share from the context menu, then select “My Phone.”
This is a far easier way to move files between your devices, even if they’re bound to different ecosystems. Previously, it was common to use a third-party app like Dropbox or Google Drive to share items, which often required you to manually upload and download files in a much more laborious manner. That means Microsoft’s latest feature is a welcome one, especially if you use devices made by both Microsoft and Apple.
We’ve seen something like this before. In August 2024, Microsoft introduced a similar feature forwhisking files between Windows and Android. It seems that Microsoft has been encouraged by that feature and has now expanded it to work with Apple devices.
Microsoft has laid down a few more requirements for this new feature to work. Aside from running Phone Link (version 1.24112.89.0) and Link to Windows (version 1.24112.73 or higher), you’ll need to have installed iOS 16 or later on your iPhone, be runningWindows 10orWindows 11on your PC, and be signed up for the Windows Insider Program.
With any luck, this feature will be rolled out to users who are not part of the Windows Insider Program over the next few weeks. Once that happens, it should make life a lot easier for anyone who uses both an iPhone and a Windows PC and wants to share files between them.
The great Google Maps Timeline switch deadline has been extended
It keeps Timeline data exclusively on your smartphone
Google gives you control over how long your data is saved for
Earlier this yearGoogle announcedthat itsGoogle MapsTimeline feature – which tracks where you go, over time – would be only available on phones in the future, with the web portal scheduled to be shut down near the end of 2024. Now it seems you’ve got a bit longer to switch over, if you want to keep your data.
As spotted by9to5Google,Android Police, and others, a significant number of users are getting emails and on-screen alerts mentioning a deadline of June 9, 2025. If you want to keep the Timeline data you’ve got stored in the cloud after that date, you need to move it to your Android or iOS phone before the deadline.
However, that revised date may not be the same for everyone: on my phone, I’m getting a message that sets a deadline of April 6, 2025. Previously,Google has saidthat users get “approximately six months” from their first notification about this to move over, so it may depend on if you’ve already been warned.
To be sure, load up Google Maps on your phone, tap your account picture (top right), then choose Your Timeline. If you do want to keep your data on your phone going forward, you’ll be taken step-by-step through the process. At the same time, you can select how long Timeline data is saved for.
For years, Google has offered an optional Location History feature that tracks your comings and goings via your phone. The Timeline – available via the Google Maps apps and website – has been the user-facing part of Location History, letting you go back in time to see visited places and trips taken for any specific day, week, or month.
While some users are understandably reticent to let Google keep that much information, Timeline appears to be pretty popular: people use it to relive vacations and road trips, find that coffee shop they really liked that they visited two years ago, and to make sure their travel expenses are in order, for example.
The changes now underway mean Timeline data won’t be stored in the cloud or available on the web any more – it’ll just be on your phone. Googlehasn’t said too muchabout the reasons why, but presumably privacy and data security are the main ones. In addition, Location History (including settings for deleting older data) is fully folding into Timeline.
While encrypted backups will still enable users to move Timeline data between devices in the future (for new phone upgrades, for example), the shift will be inconvenient for those who liked to explore their travel history through Google Maps on the web, or who had several different devices contributing to it.
It reveals trends from Garmin customers all over the world
It tells us about Body Battery, Sleep, Score, and where’s best in the world if you want to walk 10,000 steps a day
As is customary for this time of year, fitness tracking and wellness platforms continue to release aggregated wellness data to give us helpful trends and insights into the world of fitness.
Garminis the latest platform to dish out its numbers, with its annual Garmin Connect Data Report for 2024 out now.
Its stats are taken from the personalized fitness insights available in the Garmin Connect app, and covers customers of all thebest Garmin Watcheson the market, from the Forerunner to the Fenix and everything in between. Here’s everything you need to know from this year’s report.
Garmin has provided insights into several of its proprietary tracking metrics, including Body Battery and Sleep Score, so you can see where you stack up on the list.
Garmin says the average morning score is 71, and the average evening low is 22, putting average daily drain at 49. Users had the most energy on Tuesdays, and the lowest scores on Saturdays. The lowest energy expenditure of the year? January 1. The highest? August 27.
Regarding sleep scores, Garmin says most users sleep best on Monday nights into Tuesday mornings, with the worst night of sleep of the week being a Saturday, unsurprisingly.
Next is stress, and Garmin users average 30 (out of 100) for the year, with Monday the lowest average stress score of the week, and Saturday the highest.
Finally, for training readiness, Garmin says that the average user score was 60 (out of 100), the highest training readiness scores were on Tuesday, and the lowest on Sunday.
When it comes to walking 10,000 steps, Garmin users take an average of 8,317 a day, the highest daily step count of 10,340 goes to Hong Kong, the lowest in Indonesia.
The main camera has 10 manually selectable aperture stops
Unlikely to be available in the US or UK
Huawei has revealed the Mate X6, the latest addition to its Mate X line of booklet-style foldables, with a major focus on photography.
The phone comes equipped with a 50MP main camera with an impressive 10 physical aperture stops, allowing users to determine the depth of field and light intake of the camera manually. That’s a step up from even thebest camera phones– thinkSamsung Galaxy S24 UltraandiPhone 16 Pro– which almost always have a fixed aperture.
The camera system also features a 40MP ultra-wide camera and a 48MP telephoto camera with 4x optical zoom and a 5cm super macro mode.
As a folding phone, the Mate X6 boasts a 6.45-inch 1080 x 2440 external screen and a 7.93-inch 2240 x 2440 internal screen, both of which are OLED panels. A new multitasking feature allows users to run three apps simultaneously.
Huawei Mate X6 in Nebula Gray(Image credit: Huawei)
We’re still waiting for details on the internals of the new device, but we do know that the phone’s heat dissipation area has increased by 30% thanks to the use of new, cooler materials such as graphene.
However, even if we did have the internal specs of the Mate X6, it’s unlikely they’d be of much use – Huawei hasn’t sold phones in the US for yearsdue to a legislative ban, and the company is currently absent from the UK market.
This would make the Mate X6 the second especially innovative foldable released by Huawei in recent memory. TheMate XTtri-fold device, for instance, arrived in September 2024 and made huge waves with audiences and commentators despite only being available in China (that said, we’ll be publishing our own hands-on review of the device very soon).
The Huawei Mate X6 is available in three colors: Nebula Gray, Nebula Red, and Black, with the Nebula colors featuring a textured exterior. Regional availability beyond Europe – where the phone will begin shipping for €1,999 on January 6 – has yet to be confirmed.
For the latest official updates as we hear them, be sure to keep up with our dedicatedHuawei phonescoverage, as well as our more generalphonescoverage.
The Pixel 9 will be one of the first phones in line for the new feature
Android phones are getting a new Motion Cues feature
The feature should help combat motion sickness when reading in cars
iPhones recently got a similar feature in iOS 18
If you were paying attention to theiOS 18launch, you may have noticed a new Vehicle Motion Cues feature that promises to help to combat car sickness. There’s now an Android equivalent on the way – and we just got a better idea of how it’s going to work.
The folks over atAndroid Policedid some digging into theGoogle PlayServices code on Android, discovering that the featureGoogleis planning – called, apparently, Motion Cues – is almost ready to be rolled out.
With a few tweaks, the Android Police team was able to get the feature working: You get a simpleMotion Cuestoggle switch, plus anAuto-enable when Drivingoption that has the feature kick in whenever your phone thinks you’re in a car.
As on iOS, the feature puts small black dots at the edge of the screen, which then move to match the motion of the vehicle you’re in. The idea is to remove the disconnect between your body feeling movement and your eyes seeing something fixed and stationary.
The hidden screens enabled by Android Police(Image credit: Android Police)
Google hasn’t said anything officially yet, so we don’t know when this feature is going to be pushed out – we might not see it untilAndroid 16arrives around mid-2025, though it could also be part of an Android 15 update. The feature wasfirst spotted last month.
When it does turn up, you’ll be able to activate it through the Quick Settings panel, Android Police reports – so with a quick one-finger or two-finger swipe down from the top of the screen you can turn it on and try and ward off any nausea.
Here’s howApple describesits own feature: “With Vehicle Motion Cues, animated dots on the edges of the screen represent changes in vehicle motion to help reduce sensory conflict without interfering with the main content.”
That “sensory conflict” happens when there’s a disconnect between what you see and what you feel, and Motion Cues should help – not just in cars, but in other places where you might get motion sickness (on a boat, for example).
Another Samsung Galaxy Watch is getting the Wear OS 5 treatment
One UI 6 Watch is rolling out to the Galaxy Watch 4 range
It comes with new AI fitness features, watch faces, and more
After a slow, gradual rollout of Wear OS 5 to its Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 5 models,Samsunghas confirmed that the Galaxy Watch 4 is now also receiving the free upgrade, as One UI 6 Watch rolls out to users.
It’s a major milestone for Samsung, as its entire Wear OS smartwatch range now supports the latest software, despite a fairly clunky and disjointed rollout.
Samsung has confirmedthat it’s now rolling out the One UI 6 Watch (Samsung’s skin for Wear OS 5) upgrade for its Galaxy Watch 4 range. So what’s new in the One UI 6 upgrade for 2024?
As with the Wear OS 5 updates for the Galaxy Watch 5 and 6, the new software brings a host of upgrades, tweaks, and improvements.
Galaxy Watch 4 owners will get new watch faces and visual improvements to the interface, with a new default font, buttons, and toggles. Tile graphics have also been upgraded to make things look better.
Under the hood, new health metrics and improvements bring Samsung’s AI-powered energy score, showing you your physical and mental condition based on your sleep and exercise, with advice to help you stay on top of your wellbeing.
There are also more detailed sleep insights, custom workout routines, and the new double-pinch gesture to make navigation easier.
There’s also a new power-saving mode that limits some health features and extends battery life.
First released in August 2021, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 marked the return of Wear OS to the Galaxy Watch lineup, but it’s possible that this year will be the last major software update the aging model gets.
Apple Intelligence has released the most exciting update yet, iOS 18.2 will appear on the best iphones.
The new update brings a whole host of Apple Intelligence features, including toChatGPTintegration with Siri, Genmoji, Image Playground, and Visual Intelligence to the iPhone. It also adds language support for other regions such as the UK and Australia, officially launching Apple’s AI in those countries.
We’ve got a lot to talk about and a lot to think about as we take you through the biggest iOS launch of the year, where Apple Intelligence is taking a big step toward becoming the most important part of the iPhone user experience.
iOS 18.2: Everything you need to know at a glance
iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 arrive on eligible devices today: The next major Apple Intelligence update is here, bringing some of the most-anticipated Apple AI features to devices.
Genmoji: Apple’s AI-generated emojis are set to be one of the most popular new additions to the iPhone, allowing you to send any emoji you can think of to friends and family, at the tap of a button.
Image Playground: Apple’s AI image generator lets you create images in multiple styles simply from a text input. There is a new standalone app, as well as ways to access from within apps like Notes and Messages.
ChatGPT: You can now use ChatGPT directly from within Siri, allowing you to ask OpenAI’s chatbot difficult prompts that Apple’s voice assistant might not have the answer to.
Visual Intelligence: An iPhone 16-exclusive Apple Intelligence feature that lets you snap a photo of anything and searching for more information via Google or ChatGPT. This feature is tied to Camera Control.
Mail overhaul: The Mail app now has categories and uses Apple Intelligence to determine if an email is important enough to prioritize.
Apple Intelligence now in the UK: iOS 18.2 adds localized English support for Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the UK, giving even more users around the world powerful new ways to use their iPhone, iPad, and Mac
If you’ve updated and are wondering where you find the ChatGPT integration for Siri, you’ve come to the right place. After updating to iOS 18.2 on an iPhone, you’ll want to head over to Settings and then select “Apple Intelligence & Siri” if you’re using United States English on the device.
Apple packs a lot into this menu, but you’ll scroll down to Extensions and then select “ChatGPT” – it should be the only option. Within there, right at the top, you turn on “Use ChatGPT,” and further down, you will have the option to sign into your ChatGPT account if you have one, but this isn’t required.
You’ll find that when you ask Siri for something that the personal assistant deems best answered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, it will ask if you want to use ChatGPT. This is deafult and pretty transparent, it’s also a neat way to see what Siri’s new powers are. If you prefer not to confirm that each time, you can deselect the “Confirm ChatGPT Requests” option here, but know it’s on by default.
(Image credit: Apple)
2.12 December 2024 at 4:09 am
Greg Joswiak, Apple’s SVP of Marketing, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share one of his Image Playground creations. “The Joswiak pups look good all drawn up by Image Playground, don’t you think?” the post reads, and we’d concur that they look pretty darn cute.
If you’re curious where to find Image Playground, it’ll appear as a new app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac after you install iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia. It’s a unique icon, basically a furry white cat with a holographic purple hue for an icon. But much like other text-to-image generators, your ask is Image Playground’s command, and there are even some preset options.
Genmoji, more Writing Tools, Image Playground, ChatGPT integration, and Visual Intelligence for iPhone 16! New Apple Intelligence features are here! The Joswiak pups look good all drawn up by Image Playground, don’t you think? pic.twitter.com/obbX6QknizDecember 11, 2024
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook also celebrated the launch of Apple Intelligence’s next set of features on X, but didn’t share an Image Playground.
New Apple Intelligence features for iPhone, iPad, and Mac are here: Image Playground and Genmoji, more dynamic Writing Tools, integration to ChatGPT, and Visual Intelligence for iPhone 16! It’s personal, integrated, and built to protect user privacy at every step.December 11, 2024
3.12 December 2024 at 2:35 am
iOS 18.2 rollout is starting
(Image credit: Apple)
If you’ve been eagerly awaiting the arrival of iOS 18.2 – maybe to create custom emojis with Genmoji or to get a supercharged answer from Siri courtesy of ChatGPT – it’s beginning to hit eligible devices, at least on the East Coast of the United States here in New Jersey.
On an iPhone 16, the update comes in at 7.83 GB, which is pretty sizeable, especially for a dot software upgrade. As we’ve listed below, iOS 18.2 ushers in the next set of Apple Intelligence features, including Genmoji, Image Playground, ChatGPT integration, and enhanced writing tools.
Of course, the first step to getting any of these new features is to download and install the latest version, then opt in to Apple Intelligence. While there is no waitlist for these image generation tools, your Apple device will need to download the specific models for Genmoji and Image Playground. It’s best to be on Wi-Fi for that to be quicker, but once set, you can get to generating.
4.12 December 2024 at 12:38 am
(Image credit: Apple)
If you need a reminder on what devices are compatible with Apple Intelligence, here’s what you need to own:
I thought iOS 18.2 was supposed to be released already today 😕 pic.twitter.com/BpnYLAzPxvDecember 11, 2024
Still no sign of the iOS 18.2 update, and some users on X are getting frustrated. I expect the new operating systems to arrive in the next few hours, so just remain patient as it’s definitely going to launch today.
I can’t wait to see what everyone thinks of iOS 18.2, as I was incredibly impressed with just how feature-rich it was when I installed the developer beta last month. iOS 18.2 is what iOS 18 should’ve been, but we’ve just had to wait a few months to get it.
6.12 December 2024 at 12:19 am
(Image credit: Apple)
So… These are some Genmojis of me with my Frenchie, Kermit. As a huge fan of the Muppets and frogs, I also decided to make one of a French bulldog next to a frog. I’ve been using the Genmojis of me with my dog since I first created them about a month ago, who doesn’t want a custom emoji with their pet?
I’m surprised at how good a job Apple Intelligence did with these, I’m a bald man with a beard so it’s easy to recreate my likeness in emoji form, but even then it still manages to look like me. Good job Apple.
7.11 December 2024 at 11:58 pm
(Image credit: Apple)
I noticed a weird issue with the ChatGPT extension that might impact some of you installing iOS 18.2 today.
If you used our workaround to access Apple Intelligence early in the UK, when you decide to change your language back from US English to UK English,you might notice ChatGPT disappear.
If this happens all you need to do is change the region of your iPhone too and ChatGPT should reappear. This issue left me scratching my head for weeks, so I’m glad I managed to find the reason why and share it with you all.
8.11 December 2024 at 11:53 pm
(Image credit: Apple)
Are you keeping up? My hands are trying to.
If you’re in the UK, Australia, or one of the other countries I mentioned below, today is the first day you can use Apple Intelligence without needing a workaround.
So not only are you getting access to everything I listed below as part of iOS 18.2 but you’re also getting Writing Tools, Clean Up, a Siri redesign, Notification summaries, and other Apple Intelligence benefits sprinkled throughout your iPhone’s operating system.
It might seem like there’s too much getting added all at once, but don’t worry Apple wants you to use Apple Intelligence when you need it, so expect to see the features pop up naturally throughout iOS rather than you having to look for them.
That has to be everything right? Nope, iOS 18.2 brings a massive overhaul to the Mail app using Apple Intelligence to create Categories that help you determine just how important an email actually is.
I’ve found this update to Mail genuinely useful and have actually reverted back to using Mail over the Gmail app for the first time in ages. Not only do you get Apple Intelligence summaries built-in, but AI will also decide if an email is important and prioritize it over everything else in your inbox.
If you don’t like the way it works, you can always revert back to a more traditional Mail layout.
10.11 December 2024 at 11:43 pm
(Image credit: Apple)
There’s also Image Wand, which allows you to circle anything you’ve drawn in the Notes app and use Apple Intelligence to turn it into an AI generated image.
I could see Image Wand being incredibly useful for students, who want to bring their drawings to live alongside lecture notes or other study info.
It’s also a great tool to show to kids, allowing them to see magic as basic drawings become full images right in front of their very own eyes.
Image Wand is very cool, and I actually think it might end up being more useful than Image Playground, just because of how you access it.
11.11 December 2024 at 11:38 pm
And another one…
(Image credit: Apple)
Yep that’s right there’s even more new Apple Intelligence additions as part of iOS 18.2. Genmoji isn’t the only image generator built into iOS now, Apple also added a new app called Image Playground.
Image Playground is Apple’s attempt at the best AI image generator, and it can be used throughout your iPhone’s operating system. Simply choose your prompt, choose your art style, and watch as Apple Intelligence creates some image magic.
If you don’t use AI image generators like MidJourney, I don’t expect you to get much use out of Image Playground. That said, it’s a nice to have and it’s very simple to use. Who says no to extra features, right?
12.11 December 2024 at 11:32 pm
(Image credit: Apple)
The features keep on coming. iOS 18.2 adds ChatGPT to Siri, allowing you to ask OpenAI’s chatbot anything you want, when Siri doesn’t quite cut it.
The ChatGPT extension can be accessed at any time through Siri by simply asking a question or using Type to Siri. If Siri can’t answer the specific prompt, it will give you the option to access ChatGPT.
There’s a couple of settings that allow you to bypass the request so you don’t need to approve access to ChatGPT every time you want to use it, but Apple has included an option that requires your approval every single time – just to be extra cautious.
ChatGPT as part of iOS is a massive update and one that I think many Apple users never really expected to see. It’s quite incredible to think that we now have access to one of the world’s best AI chatbots directly from Siri, and best of all, it works seamlessly.
13.11 December 2024 at 11:28 pm
(Image credit: Apple)
Next up, Visual Intelligence.
This new Apple Intelligence feature in iOS 18.2 is exclusive to thebest iPhones, specifically the iPhone 16 lineup. It’s similar to Google Lens, but built by Apple and directly tied into the new Camera Control on the latest iPhones.
Simply hold down on Camera Control, then take a photo of anything and either ask ChatGPT for more information or search for information with Google. I think the fact that you can launch Visual Intelligence whenever you want makes it a very compelling feature and one that many might fall in love with.
14.11 December 2024 at 11:23 pm
(Image credit: Future / Apple)
Let’s go through each of the big new Apple Intelligence features coming to iPhone with iOS 18.2, starting with my personal favorite, Genmoji.
I’ve been using Genmoji for a few weeks now and I think it’s the best Apple Intelligence feature to get started with, purely because it’s so much fun!
I’ve had a blast creating emojis of a frog on a skateboard, a frog driving a car, and even a frog playing the drums. My favorite way to use Genmoji, however, is by creating emojis based on my photos alongside my French Bulldog, Kermit.
Honestly, I think most of my friends are starting to block my number because Genmoji is becoming my sole means of communication. Maybe I should try and tone it down. But where’s the fun in that?
Genmoji is an absolute blast and I advise anyone installing iOS 18.2 to give it a try.
15.11 December 2024 at 11:18 pm
Apple Intelligence has arrived (in some countries)
Oh, and if you’re in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, or the UK, you can now access Apple Intelligence without any workarounds.
That’s right, Apple Intelligence is now officially out in more countries worldwide with support for localized languages. Apple says additional languages, including Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese will be coming throughout the year, with an initial set arriving in a software update in April.
16.11 December 2024 at 11:13 pm
(Image credit: Apple)
Where shall we start?iOS 18.2 is rolling out today alongside iPadOS 18.2 and macOS Sequoia 15.2. The new update brings Genmoji, Apple’s generative AI emojis, to iPhone and iPad (sorry Mac users you’ll need to wait a little longer), as well as major upgrades to Siri that allow you to ask ChatGPT directly from your favorite voice assistant.
If that wasn’t enough, there’s also an AI image generator called Image Playground, as well as Visual Intelligence, an exclusive iPhone 16 feature.
It can all get a bit overwhelming, considering just how much is launching as part of iOS 18.2, but fret not, I’ve been using Apple Intelligence for months and I’ve got you covered.
It might be hard to believe, but we’re just 14 days away from Christmas. The holiday season is here, and I’d bet you’re already spinning your favorite Christmas songs on your preferred music service, like Spotify orAppleMusic, but there is a change in the wind with how your next favorite holiday song might be recorded.
Alongsidereleasing iOS 18.2 for the iPhone, Apple is dropping a major update for Voice Memos, which Michael Bublé thinks is “going to change the way we make music, forever.” Voice Memos has long been used to record tracks, jam sessions, and even ideas for songs by artists, but now the app supports layered Voice Memos recording.
This allows you to layer a vocal recording on top of an existing instrument-based track, all with just your iPhone. However, you will need a new one, specifically aniPhone 16 ProoriPhone 16 Pro Maxwith an A18 Pro chip inside. With just that one device, you can play the existing instrumental backing track out of your iPhone’s speakers and use the onboard microphones to record your vocals in real time.
In fact, that’s how Michael Bublé, Carly Pearce, and producer Greg Wells recorded vocals for their new Christmas song,Maybe This Christmas, on an iPhone 16 Pro within Voice Memos. After recording, and during the process, the A18 Pro chip isolates just the vocals by using AI and ML models – likely similar to what Apple uses within Logic Pro for separating instruments, but the big difference is that this is for everyone, free on the top of the line iPhone.
Apple even released a bit of a behind-the-scenes story with Pearce, Wells, and Bublé alongside announcing that layered Voice Memos were rolling out. You can see a bit of the process, including the recording on the iPhone, but also thoughts on the broader impact. Bublé is bullish on it and says, “If an artist has a moment of inspiration, being unencumbered by the traditional studio experience becomes the advantage, not the limitation.”
After completing a layered recording within Voice Memos, the result is two tracks – one with vocals and one with instruments, that will sync across your Apple devices within the app or that can be exported to another tool like Logic Pro for additional mixing or recordings. And thanks to a fresh update for Apple’s pro-mixing tool for the Mac and iPad, you can also easily send that base instrumental layer to Voice Memos.
So, say inspiration strikes, and you write down lyrics in notes. Ask your band for the base track; they can record it in Logic and send it to you, and you can layer down sweet, soulful vocals on your iPhone. It’s pretty nuts.
Of course, if you’d rather listen to the new holiday song,“Maybe This Christmas” is streaming now on Apple Music, mixed with Spatial Audio. Assuming you’ve updated to iOS 18.2, you’ll see this new feature within Voice Memos alongside some major new Apple Intelligence features like Genmoji and Image Playground.
And as far as Christmas tracks, I’m still spinningBruce Springsteen’s ‘Santa Claus Is Coming To Town’… who knows, maybe he and E Street will rerecord with Voice Memos and include the historic Clarence Clemons saxophone solo.
The long-rumored iPhone SE 4 could launch soon, according to new rumors
LG Innotek has reportedly began production of camera modules for the new phone, which normally occurs three months before launch
The new SE is also tipped to borrow the display from the iPhone 13
The long-rumorediPhone SE 4may be right around the corner and pack a previously unexpected camera upgrade, if a new crop of rumors are to be believed.
According to Korean news outletETNEWS(viaGoogleTranslate),LGInnotek will supply both the rear single-lens camera module and front-facing selfie camera for the upcoming phone, and make use of previously used components to keep costs down.
The new SE having just one rear camera would be nothing new, but the report also suggests that this rear snapper will be a 48MP lens, in line with the main camera on theiPhone 14 Promodels and the entireiPhone 15andiPhone 16lineups. Should the report prove correct about the use of previously used components, this would likely be the exact same camera as found on these earlier phones.
We had previously expected the rumored new iPhone SE to ship with a 12MP single-lens rear camera, in line with the current third-generation model. However, the ETNEWS report suggests the new iPhone SE will feature the same 12MP selfie camera as the current model.
AsBGRnotes, a prior report from Korean news outletAju Newssuggests that LG typically supplies camera modules for phones around three months before release.
This would suggest a release date of March 2025 for the iPhone SE 4, which fits with the previous releases in the series, all of which were unveiled in March or April of their respective years.
The report also corroborates prior rumors concerning the display the iPhone SE 4 could ship with by suggesting the new phone will borrow the 6.1-inch LTPSOLEDpanel from the iPhone 13. This probably means a resolution of 1170 x 2532 and a refresh rate of 60Hz – pleasantly sharp, though most budget phones come with a 90Hz or even 120Hz refresh rate these days.
Applehas reportedly divided its orders for the new display between LG Innotek and Chinese manufacturer BOE, and the use of a previously-developed panel tracks with the component cost-cutting strategy suggested by ETNEWS.
Incidentally, the use of this display would almost definitely result in an iPhone 14-style form factor for the new phone, as has been previously suggested.
Apple has yet to reveal any official information about the iPhone SE 4, and likely won’t until the phone is ready for release.
Hype for the iPhone SE 4 is heating up, and for good reason – if these types of rumors continue, we could be looking at one of thebest cheap phones(and more importantly best-value phones) Apple has ever produced.
Apple’s mobile camera systems are famous for their quality and point-and-shoot reliability, so fitting the cheapest phone in the lineup with a modernized 48MP camera would be a pro-consumer move by any measure.
For most people, this would offer more than enough photography capability – I mean,how many people really use their phone’s ultra-wide camera anyway?
And even I, as a notedlover of ridiculously large phone camera systems, reckon I’d be happy with a single 48MP snapper in most situations.
As well as the iPhone 13’s display, we expect to see the iPhone SE 4 ship with essentially identical specs to the iPhone 16, in order to supportApple Intelligence.
Think about it – a compact AI phone with a great camera looped into the Apple ecosystem, likely for less than $500? This coming year could see the iPhone SE become a real competitor, rather than just a blast of nostalgia.
As great as modern technology is, sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming. Smartphones today are capable of virtually endless tasks and are light-years better than mobile gadgets from a decade or two ago. Still, it’s hard not to have some nostalgia for “retro” devices like the Palm Pilot, the first Motorola Razr, or your trusty old iPod.
While doomscrolling X the other night, I saw that Quinn Nelson of Snazzy Labs hadposted a short videoabout an iPhone app called “My Classic – Retro Console” that promises to turn your iPhone into an iPod Classic. It’s a very silly idea, but at a one-time price of $3, it was cheap enough that I decided to try it for myself. After living with myiPhone 16transformed into an old-school iPod for about a day, I’m absolutely obsessed with it.
Using my iPhone like an iPod in 2024
So, what’s it like having an app turn your iPhone into an iPod? Honestly, it’s kind of amazing. The interface is almost identical to what you would see on an iPod Classic or an iPod Nano. The home screen shows options for shuffling your songs, browsing your music, seeing what’s currently playing, and a few app settings (plus an option to tip the developer).
You navigate the menu by using the virtual scroll wheel, which vibrates and clicks to mimic the feel of an actual iPod scroll wheel shockingly well. It feels fantastic for browsing artists and albums, but the real magic happens when you open the Cover Flow view, which looks just as incredible in 2024 as it did in 2007.
All of the music content in the app is pulled from your Apple Music library, including your saved albums and playlists. If you select the Shuffle Songs option, it starts playing a shuffle playlist from all the songs saved in your Apple Music library.
Objectively, this is nothing more than another interface for the Apple Music app. If you play a song from the My Classic app and switch to Apple Music, you’ll see it playing there, too. It’s not adding any new features. If anything, it’s a more limited way of interacting with Apple Music. You can’t search for songs or find music not already saved in your library.
However, that’s also why the app is so charming. Not only is the interface and iPod Classic UI executed so perfectly, but being forced to interact with my music in a simpler way has been so refreshing.
It makes me focus more on my music library without being distracted by new releases or other recommended playlists. I’ve found myself listening to saved albums I’ve not played in months because, in the regular Apple Music app, I typically listen to recommended playlists or new albums. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but my music selections using My Classic have been different.
Want to use this app to turn your iPhone into an old-school iPod? Thankfully, it’s easy to do and only costs $3. TheMy Classic appinitially presents itself as a Game Boy simulator, but it takes just a couple of taps to activate the iPod interface. Here’s what you need to do:
Open the App Store on your iPhone and search for My Classic – Retro Console.
Pay for the app and wait for it to download.
Select theSettingbutton.
SelectDevice.
SelectMy Classic.
A wonderful blast of tech nostalgia
In addition to the incredible execution of the My Classic app and the way it makes you listen to music, there’s also an undeniable nostalgia factor at play here.
I grew up with a 3rd-generation iPod Nano. I received it as a Christmas gift one year from my parents, and for many years later (until I lost it), that iPod Nano was a gadget I used nearly every single day. The interface of the My Classic app is exactly like the one used on my old Nano, so using the application has felt like teleporting back in time. It has brought back memories of me sitting at the computer with my cousin and syncing songs from our iTunes accounts to our respective iPods. Or playingThe Sims Bowling on car rides to school. Not to mention discovering artists like Green Day and Switchfoot for the first time.
My iPod Nano went through a lot with me, and being able to bring back that experience to my iPhone is really something special. Maybe I’m feeling particularly nostalgic because of the holiday season, but this is one of the coolest mobile apps I’ve used this year — and one I think I’ll keep on my iPhone for a while to come.
Look out for an alert like this on your phone 
