Got an iPhone 13 or newer? The bigger T-Series lenses should suit you. Photo: Moment
Moment said Wednesday its whole lineup of popular smartphone cameras lenses is getting bigger and bolder to suit growing handset cameras like iPhone’s, including the upcoming iPhone 15 series.
The new T-Series comprises eight lenses that are new versions of the company’s M-Series, which came out to widespread acclaim in 2017.
Google’s Find My Device system, a copy of Apple’s, won‘t arrive for months. Photo: Google
Google thinks Apple’s Find My network is so clever it’s “borrowing” the idea. But the upcoming extension of Android’s Find My Device network to tracking tags has been delayed — and Google says it’s all because of Apple.
The snafu supposedly stems from the companies working together on a scheme to prevent stalkers from misusing tracking tags made for the two rival platforms.
This charger, which retails for $89.99, can juice up an iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch all at once. And it’s perfect for travel, thanks to its light weight and compact size. It tips the scales at just 6.9 ounces, so you can take it anywhere and just pop it in your pocket for extra convenience.
If you switched from an Android device to an iPhone, what would be your reason? Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
A new report Wednesday from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) revisits the group’s recent finding that Android users increasingly switched to iPhone in recent years and gets into the reasons why.
It gave four specific major reasons and a fifth vague but important one, below.
Even after all these years, there are lots of Android users who jump ship for iPhone. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The percentage of U.S.-based iPhone owners who just dumped their Android has grown in recent years, according to a market-analysis company.
That’s exactly the opposite of what conventional wisdom says should be happening. Nevertheless, the percentage of Android switchers hasn’t been this high since 2018.
It'll soon be easier for Android users to tell if they are being tracked by an AirTag. Photo: Daniel Romero/Unsplash License
Apple and Google jointly proposed an industry specification Tuesday to help fight the misuse of Bluetooth location-tracking devices. Their proposal would make it easier for both iPhone and Android users to detect that they are being surreptitiously followed by a tracking device.
The proposal enjoys support from other makers of location trackers, too.
If you bought a top-tier smartphone anywhere in the world, it's almost certainly an iPhone. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Premium smartphones are on a roll. Revenue from iPhone and other devices that cost more than $600 grew to the point that they contributed more than half of all revenue from the product category in 2022, according to a market research firm.
That’s to Apple’s advantage, as iPhone sales make up 75% of this category.
iPhone 13 was the best-selling smartphone in the world in 2022. Photo: Apple
iPhone captured eight spots in the list of top 10 bestselling smartphones for 2022, according to a market-research firm. In fact, Apple makes the three most popular models.
But Samsung’s flagship Android device surely lands at least one spot in the top 10, right? Nope.
Android 13 is out of the reach of most users. In contrast, virtually all iPhone owners can install iOS 16. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
It’s considered somewhat controversial that iOS 16 has been installed on only about 70% of iPhones four months after its release. But that’s a problem Google can only dream of. A full six months after the debut of Android 13, it’s on a whopping 5.2% of devices.
A year ago, Samsung has promised users more Android updates. Clearly, it’s not having much of an effect.
Android users may soon have an Apple TV application. Graphic: Cult of Mac
Android users could soon find it easier to watch Apple TV+ shows and films. A reliable tipster says an Android version of the Apple TV application is in development.
"Is that the new iPhone?" "Not exactly..." Image: Samsung/LuuTinh Developer/Cult of Mac
An app to make Androids copy the look of iPhone running iOS is widely popular. So many people wish their Android was an iPhone that Launcher iOS 16 has been downloaded over 50 million times from Google Play. And a rival app has just as many.
Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 would be amazing if they weren't so flawed. Photo: Samsung
The just-announced Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 offer the clearest evidence yet that Apple is correct to hold off on releasing a folding iPhone. Flexible screens still come with too many problems to be acceptable in an iPhone.
Of course, that didn’t stop Samsung from releasing handsets with these drawbacks.
Google wants iPhone to adopt RCS and end the differences between blue bubbles and green bubbles. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Google’s campaign to talk Apple into supporting Rich Communication Services in iMessage continues. The Android-maker introduced a new website Tuesday that claims that because iPhone does not support RCS it lacks “modern texting standards” and causes unnecessary problems.
Apple has long resisted RCS, choosing instead to reserve the best benefits of its messaging software to iPhone users.
Thinking of switching from an Android phone to an iPhone? It's easy. Photo: Apple
Apple aimed a new video Monday at Android users who might want to switch to iPhone. The video answers the most common questions switchers ask, from transferring contacts to trading in handsets and much more — all in about 4 minutes.
There's plenty of demand for tablets as low-cost alternatives to traditional computers. Photo: Brydge
iPad shipments declined modestly in the Q2 2022, but not because people don’t want Apple tablets. iPad is still suffering from component shortages that slow production.
This was the second quarter in a row that Apple couldn’t make enough iPadOS units to meet demand.
The iPhone 13 sold well in Q2 2022. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
iPhone shipments grew 3.3% year over year during the second quarter of 2022, according to a market-research firm. That’s in contrast to the global smartphone market, which declined 7%.
Apple made up 16% of the total market, its highest second-quarter performance in more than a decade.
Android makes up most cheap smartphone sales, but anyone able to pay more usually gets an iPhone. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
High-end Android models sell in much smaller numbers than iPhones, according to a market research firm. Apple handsets that cost over $400 outsold all Androids in that price range almost two-to-one.
The data shows that while Androids with cutting-edge features like folding screens and very high-res camaras draw a lot of attention, they don’t attract many buyers. But pricier iPhone models do sell well.
Revenue from iPhone and Android games like 'PUBG Mobile' dwarfs traditional gaming. Photo: PUBG
Games played on iPhone and Android represents 61% of the overall gaming market, according to two market analysis firms. And mobile’s lead over PC and console gaming is growing.
The total gaming market is set to hit $222 billion in 2022. For comparison, global film revenue for 2019 (the last pre-pandemic year) was $42.5 billion.
iPhone users have higher standards for third-party software than Android users. Image: Cult of Mac
Third-party iPhone apps scored significantly lower than their Android counterparts, according to an analysis of user reviews of 4,400 top mobile apps.
This does not necessarily mean that Android offers better third-party software, though. iPhone users simply expect more from their apps.
“The data shows iOS users are more critical of mobile apps than Android users are,” said David Kravets, senior content marketing manager for unitQ, the company that did the research, in an interview with Cult of Mac.
And after going through nearly 122 million reviews, unitQ analysts say there’s “lots of room for improvement” in mobile software.
iPhone shipments increased in Q1 2022. Android did not. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The global market for Android phones shrank considerably in the first quarter of 2022, even as iPhone shipments rose.
Shipments from every major Android maker declined, from Samsung on down. Their combined drops were enough to reduce world smartphone shipments in Q1 by around 10%.
Spotify will be first to offer its own billing method. Image: Google
Google on Thursday confirmed that it will give “a small number of participating developers” the ability to implement third-party payment methods in their Android apps as part of a pilot program called User Choice Billing.
Spotify, first to take advantage of the change, will offer Google Play’s billing system as well as its own. The move puts even more pressure on Apple, which has been fighting hard to block third-party payment systems on iOS.
And they probably won't be coming back. Photo: Sony
It’s no longer possible to purchase or rent new content through the Apple TV app on Android TV and Google TV. The block comes less than a year after Apple’s service made the leap to Google’s big screen platforms.
It is believed Apple removed purchasing after failing to strike a deal with Google over in-app commission rates. However, if you’re wonderinghow to watch Apple TV on Android, you can still use the Apple TV app to access content you’ve already purchased.