Samsung Unpacked Event Unveils Galaxy Z Fold6, Z Flip6, and Galaxy Ring

This week's top Android news: Google Photos reverse engineers Instagram - ExBulletin

If change is the spice of life, then Android ranks high on the Scoville scale. In the same week that Samsung unveiled its cutting-edge foldable phone that would make other gadgets blush, a startup built out of literally nothing won our hearts for nearly a tenth of the price. Meanwhile, the companies in the driver's seat of the ecosystem continue to make left turns. Fasten your seatbelts as we look back at the biggest headlines of the week. Last Week in Review Google says you're erasing it by mistake in the biggest Android news this week Back in February, we first saw hints of an in-development feature called My Week coming to Google Photos. Very little was known about the feature at the time, and even fewer details have emerged in the months since. But this week, AssembleDebug, known for finding and enabling hidden feature flags in basically every Google app, managed to get the feature working and gave us a peek at it. It's clear that Google envisions this feature as an alternative to Instagram Stories, aimed at a more intimate audience of family and close friends, similar to Instagram's "Close Friends" feature. But one strength of meta that Google apps can't match is its strong network of social connections, so Photos is turning to a promotional strategy from Gmail's early days: making the feature invite-only at first, then allowing invited users to invite others. The server-side system for this is already in place, and people are taking advantage of it to get early access to My Week. It remains to be seen whether Google has larger social plans for Photos, but as Android Police founder Artem Russakovskii pointed out, this isn't too different from curating a shared album, which you can already do. So My Week's focus on social features is the main advantage the app brings to the table. Main Story Google Photos' social 'My Week' feed is starting to take off, and you can enable it now You'll need an invite link (for now at least) There may be more Pixel 9 model names than a North Dakota phone book In 2022, Google's flagship smartphone lineup had a clear hierarchy: the Pixel 7 was the all-rounder, and the Pixel 7 Pro was the top-of-the-line. Then the Pixel Fold came in summer 2023, but the fall lineup kept the same format. But 2024 brings even bigger changes: Google is rumored to be launching a new, smaller, top-of-the-line flagship, shifting its fall launch to mid-summer. One reason for the early launch could be that Google is incorporating foldable phones as part of its flagship lineup. Including the smaller high-end model, there will be four flagship Pixels in addition to the mid-range Pixel 8a. If the latest reports (which mirror earlier rumors) are true, they will be called the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Main story Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold names spotted again A very compelling argument could be made that placing Samsung's Summer Unpacked anywhere other than the top of this week's news roundup would bury the lead. The counterargument would be that if everyone knows it, it's not news, so placing it in the middle of the article seems like a reasonable compromise. If you only caught snippets of Wednesday's Galaxy gala, the Z Flip and Fold 6 were the highlights. Anyone who can count to six was expecting the Galaxy Watch 7, but the Galaxy Watch Ultra was a bit of a surprise. We also learned that the creased AirPod stems are called Blades. And Samsung got on its knees to tout its latest wearable form factor. Main story Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 officially unveiled with AI optimized for foldable devices The thinnest and lightest Galaxy Z series ever But wait, can budget phones also be thoughtfully designed? Previous Nothing Phone models have all stood out at their price point from a design perspective, so it was unclear where Nothing's sub-brand CMF would fit in the market. However, the CMF Phone 1 seems to have successfully scaled this model up to a $200 device. A screw on the back of the phone allows you to remove the back panel to change colors or add attachments. Nothing has also released an STL file of the backplate for individuals to modify. Main story Celebrating the launch of the CMF Phone 1, everything is great With Motorola's new Razr debuting two weeks ago, Samsung's foldable smartphone and Nothing's CMF Phone launching this week, and Google's XL Pixel lineup arriving next month, OnePlus is set to fill the gaps with its own big release next week. The company is holding a launch event in Milan on July 16th to officially unveil the OnePlus Pad 2, OnePlus Nord Buds Pro 3, and OnePlus Watch 2R in the US. After that, they'll probably tell Americans to cover their ears and eyes when they unveil the OnePlus Nord 4, which is expected to launch in almost every region except the US. Main Story July 16th will be a big day for OnePlus fans New Devices, Familiar Names What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

Galaxy Unpacked News, CMF Phone 1, OnePlus Nord 4 Details Revealed - ExBulletin

A look back at this week's news and headlines from the Android world, including Samsung's new foldable phone, the Galaxy Ring, Google's Galaxy AI boost, the Pixel 9 name confirmation, Nothings' latest phone, OnePlus Nord 4s goes metal, Microsoft discontinues Android in China, and more. Android Circuit is here to keep you up to date on some of the many discussions taking place around Android in the last seven days, as well as my weekly digest of Apple news for Forbes. Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 released The big smartphone news this week was Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked and the launch of its foldable smartphones, the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6. Both phones come equipped with Samsung's own upgraded Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, a suite of Galaxy AI-powered tools, and a new cooling system for the best performance. "Both the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Flip6 are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform for Galaxy, the most advanced Snapdragon mobile processor ever, combining best-in-class CPU, GPU, and NPU performance. The processor is optimized for AI processing, delivering enhanced graphics and improved overall performance. An upgraded cooling system maximizes performance with a larger vapor chamber on the Galaxy Z Fold6 and a vapor chamber introduced for the first time on the Galaxy Z Flip." Samsung has also increased the value of trade-in smartphones for those who pre-order one of the new Galaxy Z smartphones, and while it's not as generous as the pre-order offers for the Galaxy S24 family, there's certainly an appeal to ordering early. "The company also announced what new pre-orders these devices will be available for. As expected, trade-in values have been increased, with older phones now fetching as much as $1,200. However, you'll need to hand over a relatively new phone to get that valuation. Both devices are now more expensive than their predecessors." Following a preview in January, Samsung also launched a fitness and health-focused wearable, the Galaxy Ring. It claims to last up to seven days on a single charge and works with Samsung Health to discreetly monitor your health. It's priced high, but could be a cheaper option than current health-focused smart jewelry. "The Galaxy Ring ($399) is significantly more expensive than the third-generation Oura Ring ($299), but there's an important difference between the two devices: Samsung's gadget doesn't come with a monthly subscription plan. The Oura Ring, however, requires users to pay $5.99 per month if they want access to all of its features." Google continues to support Galaxy AI with new exclusive features coming to the platform. Galaxy Unpacked announced Gemini AI's ability to see and understand what's on your screen, as well as improvements to Circle To Search software. These changes will be rolling out across Android Market later this year. ...Starting later this month, Circle to Search will help you learn more complex topics like symbolic arithmetic and scan on-screen barcodes and QR codes. Circle to Search is also supported on tablets and foldable devices like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 and Flip6, and will be coming to more Samsung devices later this year." Google's four new Pixel 9 smartphones are widely expected to include a larger version of the 9Pro and a foldable phone. Now, the names of two new devices have been confirmed, matching previous leaks: stay tuned for the Pro XL and Pro Fold. Google has announced that it will hold a Pixel event in early August, where these new devices will undoubtedly be unveiled. "Google is preparing to launch at least four Pixel 9 smartphones, and today the names of two new flagships were confirmed. One will be called Pixel 9 Pro XL and the other Pixel 9 Pro Fold, according to the Canadian Radio Equipment List (REL), which contains all radio devices certified for use in North America." (GSM Arena). Nothings New mobile phones offer great value for money Nothing Tech has launched three new products in its lower price range. Under the CMF brand name, the manufacturer has introduced the CMF Phone 1, CMF Buds Pro 2, and CMF Watch Pro 2. The phones look like ones that anyone looking for a phone in the sub-$200 market should consider. "Nothing's sub-brand CMF, launched in 2023, continues its theme of cheap and fun with this new trio of launches. Specs-wise, the Phone (1) sports a 6.67-inch AMOLED screen (with 120Hz refresh rate) and runs Android 14 skinned by Nothing OS. The camera setup is also promising for the price, with a primary 50MP f/1.8 camera coupled with a 16MP selfie camera with a depth sensor for portrait shots." Ahead of the OnePlus Nord launch, Digital Trends' Tusha Mehta spoke with OnePlus president and COO Kinder Liu about the company's choice to offer the Nord 4 in a metal case rather than the more common glass or polycarbonate. "Liu told me that the return to metal was primarily inspired by four properties that metal offers: durability, beauty, permanence and strength. Naturally, a metal phone will not succumb as easily to hard drops and is less likely to break. While the beauty of a polished metal surface may be subjective and, of course, in the eye of the beholder, a glass phone is undoubtedly more resistant to aging, such as micro-scratches that develop with continued use." Microsoft has made a step forward, at least in China, where employees have been told they will only be able to access corporate data on their iPhones starting in September. "The U.S. company will soon require locally based employees to use Apple devices to verify their identity when logging in, according to an internal memo seen by Bloomberg News. The move, part of a company-wide effort to harden Microsoft products and services against hackers, affects hundreds of employees in mainland China and aims to ensure all workers use the Microsoft Authenticator password manager and Identity Pass apps." (Bloomberg). Android Circuit recaps the Android world news every weekend on Forbes. Be sure to follow us so you don't miss any future articles, and of course, be sure to read our sister column, Apple Loop. You can find last week's Android Circuit here. If you have any news or links you'd like to see featured on Android Circuit, please let us know! What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

Android Circuit: Galaxy Unpacked News, Nothing Releases CMF Phone 1, OnePlus Nord 4 Details

Taking a look back at this week's news and headlines across the Android world, including Samsung's new folding phones, the Galaxy Ring, Google boosts Galaxy AI, Pixel 9 names confirmed, Nothing's latest phone, OnePlus Nord' 4's metal, and Microsoft drops Android in China. Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Android in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly digest of Apple news here on Forbes. The big smartphone news this week was Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked and the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 foldable phones. THe phones both come with Samsung's exclusive uprated Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, a suite of Galaxy AI-powered tools, and new cooling systems to achieve the best performance: "Both the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Flip6 are equipped with the Snapdragon® 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform for Galaxy, the most advanced Snapdragon mobile processor yet, combining best-in-class CPU, GPU, and NPU performance. The processor is optimized for AI processing and offers enhanced graphics along with improved overall performance. The upgraded cooling system maximizes performance with a larger vapor chamber on Galaxy Z Fold6 and, for the first time ever, a vapor chamber on Galaxy Z Flip. (Samsung Press). Samsung has also upped the value of traded-in smartphones for those pre-ordering either of the new Galaxy Z smartphones. While not as luxurious as pre-order offers on the Galaxy S24 family, there's certainly a pull to order early: "The company has also confirmed what new pre-order deals the devices will launch with. As expected, trade-in prices have been boosted -- going as high as $1,200 for your old phone. Although, to get that valuation you will likely need to hand over a relatively new handset. Both devices are also more expensive than their predecessors." (Forbes). Following a preview in January, Samsung also launched the Galaxy Ring, a fitness- and health-focused wearable. Promising up to 7 days of life on a single charge and interfacing with Samsung Health, it offers a discreet way of monitoring your own health. While the price is high, it may prove to be the cheaper option of the current health-focused smart jewellery: "The Galaxy Ring ($399) is significantly more expensive than the third generation Oura Ring ($299) but there's a key difference between the two devices: Samsung's gadget doesn't come with a monthly subscription plan. The Oura Ring, however, will set users back $5.99 a month if they want to access its full suite of features." (Forbes). Google continues to support Galaxy AI with new exclusive features offered to the platform. Galaxy Unpacked debuted Gemini AI's ability to look and understand what's on your screen, and improvements for the Circle To Search software. Expect these changes to arrive on the wider Android market later in the year: "...starting later this month, Circle to Search will help you learn more complex topics like symbolic math and scan barcodes and QR codes on your screen. Circle to Search is also supported on tablets and foldables, like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 and the Flip6, and will come to more Samsung devices later this year." (Google Keyword Blog). Google's four new PIxel 9 phones are widely expected to include a larger variant of the 9Pro and a folding phone. Now we have confirmation of the names of the two new handsets, and they are in line with previous leaks. Stand by for the Pro XL and Pro Fold. Google has announced a Pixel event for early August, no doubt launching these new handsets: "Google is preparing to launch at least four Pixel 9 phones, and today, we received a confirmation of the names of the two new flagships. One of them will be called Pixel 9 Pro XL, while the other will be Pixel 9 Pro Fold, according to Canada's Radio Equipment List (REL) - an extensive publication of all radio equipment certified for use in the North American country." (GSM Arena). Nothing Tech has announced three new products in its value range. Under the CMF banner, the manufacturer has announced the CMF Phone 1, CMF Buds Pro 2 and CMF Watch Pro 2. The phone looks to be one that should be considered by anyone looking for a phone in the sub-$200 market: "Nothing's sub-brand CMF, which launched in 2023, continues its cheap-but-cheerful theme with this new trio of launches... On the specs front, the Phone (1) has a 6.67-inch AMOLED screen (with 120Hz refresh rate) and runs Android 14, which is skinned by Nothing OS. The camera setup is also promising for the price, with a main 50MP f/1.8 camera packing a depth sensor for portrait shots and joined by a 16MP selfie camera." (Tech Radar). Ahead of the launch of the OnePlus Nord, Digital Trends' Tusha Mehta spoke with h OnePlus President and COO Kinder Liu on the choice to offer the Nord 4 with a metal casing, rather than the more prevalent glass or polycarbonate: "Liu told me the route back to metal was inspired chiefly by four qualities it brings, namely "durability, beauty, permanence, and strength." Understandably, metal phones don't as easily succumb to hard drops and are harder to break. While the beauty of a refined metal surface may be subjective -- and rightly lies in the eyes of the beholder -- they are inarguably more resistant to the effects of time, such as micro scratches, that develop on glass phones after constant use." (Digital Trends). Microsoft has moved on, at least in China. Employees have been instructed that only iPhones will be able to access corporate data from September: "The US company will soon require employees based there to use Apple Inc. devices to verify their identities when logging in, according to an internal memo reviewed by Bloomberg News. The measure, part of a companywide effort to fortify Microsoft products and services against hackers, will affect hundreds of workers across the Chinese mainland and is intended to ensure that all staff use the Microsoft Authenticator password manager and Identity Pass app." (Bloomberg). Android Circuit rounds up the news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Don't forget to follow me so you don't miss any coverage in the future, and of course, read the sister column in Apple Loop! Last week's Android Circuit can be found here, and if you have any news and links you'd like to see featured in Android Circuit, get in touch!

Google Photos reverse engineers Instagram in this week's top Android headlines

If variety is the spice of life, Android tips the Scoville scale. In a week that saw Samsung unpack cutting-edge phones that bend in ways that would make any other gadget blush, a startup with literally Nothing going for it captured our imagination at nearly a tenth of the price. Meanwhile, the company in the ecosystem's driver's seat just keeps taking left turns, so make sure you're buckled in as we recap the week's biggest headlines. Last Week's Roundup Google says you're wiping it wrong in this week's biggest Android news stories The top 5 Android headlines of the week 7 Google Photos reverse engineers Instagram Back in February, we saw the first signs of an in-development Google Photos feature called My Week. Not much was known about it at the time, and even less was learned in the months that followed. But this week, AssembleDebug, known for finding and activating hidden feature flags in basically every Google app, managed to get the feature working and give us an early look. It's now clear that Google envisions the feature as an alternative to Instagram Stories meant for a more intimate audience in your family and closest friends -- you know, sort of like Instagram's Close Friends feature. But one Meta strength Google's app can't copy is its robust network of social connections, so Photos is turning to a hype-building tactic from the early days of Gmail: Make the feature invite-only to start, then allow people who get in to invite others. The server-side system for this is already in place, and people are exploiting it to get early access to My Week. Whether Google has grander social plans for Photos remains to be seen -- but as Android Police founder Artem Russakovskii pointed out, this isn't very different from curating a shared album, which you could already do, so My Week's social focus is the main thing it brings to the table. Main Story Google Photos' social My Week feed is starting to spread, and you can activate it now You'll need an invite link (at least for now) Pixel 9 models might have more names than a North Dakota phone book In 2022, Google's flagship phone line had a clear hierarchy: The Pixel 7 was the all-rounder, and the Pixel 7 Pro was the cream of the crop. Then the Pixel Fold became a thing in summer 2023, but the fall lineup kept the same format. Even bigger changes are coming in 2024, as Google is rumored to be launching a new, smaller, top-of-the-line flagship, and it's moving its fall launch to mid-summer. One motivation for the earlier launch could be that Google is making its foldable part of its main flagship lineup. Counting the smaller high-end model, that would mean four flagship Pixels in addition to the midrange Pixel 8a. If the latest report -- one that echoes an earlier rumor -- proves true, those names would be Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Main Story Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold names spotted again Looks like those weird Pixel 9 names are real 1 Samsung Unpacked a massive lineup You could make a very good argument that we're burying the lede by putting Samsung's summer Unpacked anywhere but the very top of this week's news roundup. The counterargument would be that it's not news if everybody knows about it, so mid-article seems like a fair middle ground. In case you only caught bits and pieces of Wednesday's Galaxy gala, the Z Flip and Fold 6 were the belles of the ball. Anyone who can count past six expected the Galaxy Watch 7, but the Galaxy Watch Ultra was a bit of a surprise. We also learned that AirPod stems with a crease are called blades, and Samsung got down on one knee to pitch its newest wearable form-factor. Main Story The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 go official with AI optimized for foldables The thinnest and lightest Galaxy Z lineup to date Wait, budget phones can be thoughtfully designed? Every Nothing Phone model to date has stood out in its price range from a design standpoint, so it was hard to see where Nothing sub-brand CMF might fit in the market. Somehow, the CMF Phone 1 seems to have successfully scaled this model into a $200 handset. Screws on the back of the phone allow you to remove the rear panel to change colors or add attachments, and Nothing even published STL files of the backplates for individuals to tinker with. Main Story Nothing just did something amazing to celebrate the CMF Phone 1 launch More of this please 1 The drops aren't stopping there With Motorola's new Razrs debuting two weeks ago, Samsung's foldables and Nothing's CMF Phone launching this week, and Google's XL Pixel lineup coming next month, OnePlus is set to fill in the gap with a big release of its own next week. The company is hosting a launch event on July 16 in Milan, where it's expected to make the OnePlus Pad 2, OnePlus Nord Buds Pro 3, and OnePlus Watch 2R official in the US. It will then presumably tell Americans to plug their ears and cover their eyes while it announces the OnePlus Nord 4, which is expected to be available almost everywhere except the States. Main Story July 16 is set to be a huge day for OnePlus fans New devices, familiar names

ICYMI: the week's 7 biggest tech stories from Samsung Unpacked to YouTube Music's AI radio to free Prime Day games

This week, we had two major phone reveals at opposite ends of the price spectrum, with Galaxy Unpacked revealing premium foldables and CMF by Nothing's showcase giving us a new cheap and cheerful (yet surprisingly well specced) smartphone. We also saw other Samsung gadgets, got a Google and Samsung XR tease (again), and were promised big Prime Day deals, including three free PC games. We've covered these top stories and more in this in case you missed it round-up, so let's get you caught up to speed on the week's biggest tech news stories. The long-awaited Galaxy Ring may have earned top billing at this week's Samsung Galaxy Unpacked showcase, but two new entries in Samsung's foldable lineup - namely the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 - proved just as popular with the attending Paris crowd. Admittedly, this year's upgrades are more iterative than ground-breaking, but they could still be enough to rank the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 among the best foldable phones of 2024. The former device gets a sharper design and a brighter screen than its predecessor, while the Galaxy Z Flip 6 brings a new 50MP camera and a bigger battery. Both new foldables get a faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and plenty of durability improvements, too. We've currently have the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 in our testing labs, but for an early verdict on each new device, check our our hands-on Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review and hands-on Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review. The biggest news in wearables is that Samsung finally dropped its Galaxy Ring, the Galaxy Watch 7, and its new, flagship Galaxy Watch Ultra. The hotly-anticipated Samsung Galaxy Ring, Samsung's first foray into a new wearables category, looks like a small, discreet fitness tracker that's really packing some smarts thanks to the Samsung Health app, and unlike some of its competitors, it doesn't come with a subscription. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is Samsung's Apple Watch Ultra rival: a rough-and-tumble smartwatch with a titanium body and extended battery life. Finally, Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is a sleek smartwatch that barely deviates from the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6's design. You can read all our opinions on the new devices by clicking on the links above. Continuing 2024's hottest tech trend, Samsung made AI a central part of its Unpacked presentation, even bringing a Google exec on stage to explain how Gemini would make Samsung (and other Android devices) forces to be reckoned with. This includes a new Sketch to Image feature that allows the device to turn your rough drawings into more artistic-looking pictures as a standalone image or as a new element in an existing photo. The Z Flip 6 even has a unique live-translation feature that shows translated text on its inner and outer displays so you and the person you're conversing with can understand each other without you constantly turning your phone screen around. Right at the end of this segment, however, we got another tease of Samsung and Google XR collab (a catchall for VR, AR, and MR) with Samsung President and Head of the Mobile Experience (MX) business TM Roh saying the "new XR platform coming this year." We didn't get an exact date, but all eyes are on the Samsung Developer's Conference (SDC), which is scheduled for October 3, 2024, as the venue for an announcement where we might finally see the Samsung XR/VR headset. Nothing's sub-brand CMF (which stands for Color, Material, Finish) is known for combining good design with some tempting price tags. And it did so again this week with a trio of new launches: the Phone 1, Buds Pro 2, and Watch Pro 2. All three bring something new to their respective table, whether it's the Phone 1's removable back covers, the Buds Pro 2's fancy case with a built-in dial, or the Watch Pro 2's lowly $69 / £69 / AU$119 price tag. With their bright orange accents and respectable spec sheets, they're likely to trouble a few of our budget-focused buying guides, such as the best budget wireless earbuds and the best cheap smartwatches. Look out for some full reviews very soon. AI isn't just for bizarre artwork and giving your CV a glow-up, you know. It's also capable of making radio stations - and doesn't Google-owned YouTube Music know it? Shortly after introducing a "you hum it, we'll play it" audio recognition system, the lesser-known streaming service is now testing an AI playlist feature that will create a custom, personalized radio station just for you. Once - or if - the feature rolls out to your account, you'll see a new card in your Home feed that reads: "Ask for music any way you like" (cue us singing, "Any way you want it that's the way you need it" directly into our phones). Anyway, a chat window opens, allowing you to enter a prompt by typing or talking. The app suggests example prompts such as "epic soundtracks," "catchy pop choruses," and even "surprise me." So far, the new feature doesn't appear to be testing widely, but YouTube Music's now twofold AI experiments could become important and defining features in its fight to become one of the best music streaming services going. Amazon Prime Day deals are fast approaching, and while early deals we've seen so far can help you save on Sony headphones, OLED TVs, and smartwatches is there a better discount that 100%-off? (Well I guess 200%-off, meaning they pay you, but I mean a discount you'll actually see) That's right, Prime members are getting some free goodies on July 16 in the form of three PC games: Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Chivalry 2, and Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration (which includes the Season Pass DLC). We know Kill the Justice League is a terrible game (we gave it two-stars in our review), but with it costing you nothing and its next Mrs. Freeze expansion coming very soon this could be the perfect time to jump in? That or just play Rise of the Tomb Raider, as that's a cracking game. Speaking of deals, we can't not talk about this terrible offer Meta launched for its 512GB Meta Quest 3, because despite Meta saying you'll "end up spending less than you would if you purchased each item individually," that's not true. This week, Meta launched a buy now pay later scheme, which lets eligible US-based customers pick up a Meta Quest 3 headset, a 24-month subscription to Meta Quest+, and a 24-month Meta Warranty Plus, and pay for it in 24 monthly installments. The 128GB Meta Quest 3 bundle costs $24.99 monthly and will save you money overall (costing $599.76 instead of $659.96). However, the 512GB bundle would come to $839.76 instead of just $819.96, which you'd pay for everything on its own. Meta hasn't responded to our request for comment, but we think the issue comes from how it calculates the cost of a 24-month Meta Quest+ membership. Because you're locked into the two years with the scheme, we think it's fair to compare the cost to two one-year subscriptions at $59.99 each (or $119.98 all-in), whereas Meta calculates it using the $7.99 monthly cost (or $191.76). You should always think hard before agreeing to a buy now, pay later scheme, as you can't change your mind later. This is another reminder to double-check that it's actually a good deal before you commit to one.

Apple Loop: New iPhone 16 Pro Details Leak, Europe's Apple Pay Challenge , Ambitious iPhone Targets

Taking a look back at this week's news and headlines from Apple, including the latest iPhone 16 Pro specs, fast charging for the iPhone 16, iPhone sales targets, longer-lived Macs, Vision Pro predictions, Apple Pay opening up, and Google Photos tools. Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Apple in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes. Apple looks set to bring x5 optical zoom to the iPhone 16 Pro. Last year this was only available on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but the benefits of the tetraprism lens will reach both Pro models for 2024. There's no sign of an upgrade to the lens, but it will offer an improved experience on the 16 Pro. "...analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who cites a recent earnings call with Apple lens supplier Largan.... In the call, a spokesperson from Largan said "some flagship specifications will be extended to other models" in the second half of 2024, presumably in reference to the upcoming iPhone Pro models. "Apple is Largan's largest customer, and Largan is also Apple's largest lens supplier," Kuo said. "Therefore, the quote likely refers to the fact that the new iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will have a tetraprism camera in 2H24 (while only the iPhone 15 Pro Max had this camera in 2H23)." (Medium via Tom's Guide). The next iPhone models could pick up a faster charging speed with move to 40W wired charging, according to details from the supply chain. It's worth noting that many high-end Android smartphones offer 120W wired and 50W wireless charging. Apple's improvement is welcome, but a long way from the average phone: "While the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max can go up to 27W using a cable and up to 15W using MagSafe wireless charging, this year's models will allegedly take things further. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are apparently going to support 40W wired charging and 20W MagSafe wireless charging. Those are, of course, peak rates, and won't be achieved for a very long time throughout the charging process." (GSM Arena). Apple has set ambitious internal targets for the upcoming iPhone 16 family of handsets. Tim Cook and his team are looking towards the addition of AI to boost sales by ten percent year on year... even with the launch of Apple Intelligence delayed until the first quarter of 2025: "The company told suppliers and partners that it's targeting about 10% growth in shipments of new iPhones compared with their predecessors, a person familiar with the matter said, after shipping about 81 million iPhone 15s in the second half of 2023. The company has grown confident that the addition of some Apple Intelligence features with the iPhone 16 will help boost demand when the model goes on sale late this year," (Bloomberg). New research data from CIRP looks at the average consumer is holding onto their Mac and using it for longer. This will have an impact on sales, with longer lifecycles pushing back consumer upgrades, which will reduce the size of the market in the short- and medium-term. "For the US, the study shows the majority of Mac customers - 56% - are now holding on to their laptop or desktop for "3 years or more." That's up 16% from 2020. All other lifecycle lengths gave up users to the "3 years or more" category. Those keeping their Mac for 2-3 years are down to 13% from 19% in 2020. Users keeping a Mac for 1-2 years is down to 19% from 23%, and those holding onto a Mac for less than a year decreased to 13% from 19%. (9to5 Mac). as Apple opens up sales of the Apple Vision Pro in a number of European territories, IDC reports on sales of Apple's headset, and the brave new world of VisionOS is not proving a popular as Apple may have hoped for: "The $3,500 Vision Pro mixed-reality headset has yet to sell 100,000 units in a quarter since its launch in the US in February, and it faces a 75% drop in domestic sales in the current quarter, according to market tracker IDC. (Bloomberg). Apple will be opening up NFC-based payments in Europe to allow third-party services to use iOS without being forced by Apple to use Apple Pay. The European Commission had flagged up potential anti-competition issues previously, which Apple has now addressed by opening up the NFC hardware to other finance apps: "The EC market tested the suggestions and, after some consultation, Apple tweaked its proposal to make it easier for developers to prompt users to change their default payment app and removed the requirement for developers to have a license as a Payment Service Provider (PSP) or a binding agreement with a PSP to access the NFC input." (The Register). Moving data between cloud services just became a little easier this week, as photos can now move between the two services from Google and Apple. The software and the usability "Beginning today, Apple and Google are expanding on their direct data transfer offerings to allow users of Google Photos to transfer their collections directly to iCloud Photos. This complements and completes the existing transfers that were first made possible from iCloud Photos to Google Photos and fulfills a core Data Transfer Initiative (DTI) principle of reciprocity." (Data Transfer Initiative). Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Don't forget to follow me so you don't miss any coverage in the future. Last week's Apple Loop can be read here, or this week's edition of Loop's sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes.