Taking the plunge and giving your child a handset? Here’s all you need to know – from the best models to the tariffs and networks (and how to use parental controls) As the schools go back, pressure mounts on parents to give their children their first phone. If you’ve decided the time has come, there are many options to choose from, whether it’s a smartphone, a basic handset, or an upgrade to something newer. From the handset to the mobile service that goes with it, and from key parental controls to how well the phone fits with the devices you already use, here are some of the things you should know before taking the plunge – including which models are the best. Continue reading...

Apple is about to launch a ChatGPT-powered version of Siri as part of a suite of AI features in iOS 18. Will this change the way you use your phone – and how does it affect your privacy? Artificial intelligence (AI) is coming to your iPhone soon and, according to Apple, it’s going to transform the way you use your device. Launching under the brand name “Apple Intelligence” the iPhone maker’s AI tools include a turbocharged version of its voice assistant, Siri, backed by a partnership with ChatGPT owner OpenAI. Apple isn’t the first smartphone maker to launch AI. The technology is already available on smartphones including Google’s latest Pixel and Samsung’s Galaxy range. Continue reading...

… but impressive, boundary-pushing device is priced so far out of reach for most that it isn’t yet the next big thing On a sweltering summer’s day in London, I sat working in the middle of a snow-covered Yosemite national park surrounded by an array of floating apps and browser windows. Later I stared across a windswept Oregon beach reliving a holiday from years ago, and spent an evening sitting in a speeder on Tatooine watching Rogue One in 3D, before retiring for the night with some guided meditation. These are the sorts of immersive experiences that Apple’s latest, most expensive gadget offers by blending the real and virtual world, all controlled by your eyes and hands. The Vision Pro may resemble virtual reality headsets such as Meta’s Quest series but it is attempting to be so much more. Continue reading...

Players in EU can access game blocked by Apple and Google by installing it from app store of publisher Epic Games The video game Fortnite is back on mobile phones, four years after Apple and Google pulled it from their app stores. Android users worldwide can install the game, along with two new titles from the publisher, Epic Games, by downloading the company’s new app store. However, only iPhone users in the EU can follow suit as Epic becomes the highest profile company yet to adopt the looser restrictions forced on Apple by the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Continue reading...

Change in policy means developers will be able to communicate with customers outside App Store Apple on Thursday changed its policy in the European Union to allow developers to communicate with their customers outside its App Store after the commission charged the iPhone maker in June for breaching the bloc’s tech rules. The commission had said that under most of the business terms, Apple allows steering only through “link-outs”, meaning that app developers can include a link in their app that redirects the customer to a web page where the customer can conclude a contract. Continue reading...

Their shares have fallen 11.8% from last month’s peak but more AI breakthroughs may reassure investors It has been tough week for the magnificent seven, the group of technology stocks that has played a dominant role in the US stock market, buoyed by investor excitement about breakthroughs in artificial intelligence. Last year Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, the chipmaker Nvidia, Google’s parent, Alphabet, Facebook’s owner, Meta, and Elon Musk’s Tesla accounted for half the gains in the S&P 500 share index. But doubts about the return on AI investment, along with a mixed set of quarterly results, investors shifting their focus to other sectors and weak US economic data have hit the group over the past month. Continue reading...

Tech giant’s revenue rises 4.9% to $85.78bn despite phone sales falling 0.9% and trend of decline in key China market Apple reported better-than-expected earnings in the third quarter of 2024, with buzz about its new AI features offsetting a continuing decline in its key China market. Earnings exceeded analyst predictions despite a year-over-year decline in iPhone sales, with revenue rising 4.9% to $85.78bn in the three months ending 29 June, beating the average analyst estimate of $84.53bn. The company maintained its cash dividend at 25 cents for each share. Continue reading...

Exclusive: NSPCC finds Apple implicated in more cases of predators sharing child abuse imagery in England and Wales alone than the company reported globally in a year Apple is failing to effectively monitor its platforms or scan for images and videos of the sexual abuse of children, child safety experts allege, which is raising concerns about how the company can handle growth in the volume of such material associated with artificial intelligence. The UK’s National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) accuses Apple of vastly undercounting how often child sexual abuse material (CSAM) appears in its products. In a year, child predators used Apple’s iCloud, iMessage and Facetime to store and exchange CSAM in a higher number of cases in England and Wales alone than the company reported across all other countries combined, according to police data obtained by the NSPCC. Continue reading...

The most obvious function is for watching 3D movies or TV shows, but it may wind up being most useful at work * Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast The Vision Pro has landed in Australia five months after the US launch, retailing at $5,999. At that price, it’s perhaps no surprise that Apple staff present it on a wooden platter like we’re in a five-star restaurant. Next, the staff at Apple’s Chadstone store in Melbourne fit the device to your head, match your glasses prescription and get it up and running. Continue reading...

You have a right to return the product if you think it’s faulty, says policy expert Kat George – but it will take some time and effort to claim your refund * Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email I bought an Apple HomePod mini speaker in February 2023. I want it to reliably play audio via my iPhone and it does not and will not work with our standard wifi network. We’ve followed help documents, forums and Apple Support’s advice: nothing helped, but we learned that thousands around the world have the same issue. We’ve asked Apple for a refund under Australian consumer law, but they have refused. They expect us to make a three-hour round trip to an Apple Store, where they will obviously be unable to replicate our home network. Am I entitled to a refund? – Simone, South Australia Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Continue reading...