News on the sidelines, week 16-22 August

Concerns about the artificial intelligence used in photos in the new Pixel phones, the manufacturing of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max in India, the titanium desert color for the iPhone 16 Pro, an opinion poll about users’ wishes to buy the iPhone 16, and awards for the best photos. This year's iPhone, a new typo that could cause the iPhone to crash, and other exciting news on the sidelines...

Concerns about artificial intelligence-based image creation and editing tools in new Pixel phones

Recently launched by Google Pixel 9 series phones With a focus on artificial intelligence technologies. It includes tools to create and edit images using artificial intelligence. Pixel Studio app has been introduced to create stickers and images using text commands. But reviewers discovered the potential to create controversial images, such as cartoon characters in inappropriate situations.

Google also introduced the “Reimagine” tool, which adds realistic elements to existing images, raising concerns about the possibility of misuse. Although there are security controls in place, these tools make it easy to create offensive content quickly and easily.

This highlights the challenges other tech companies, such as Apple, may face when launching similar tools. As artificial intelligence technologies develop, it will become more difficult to distinguish between real and fake images on social media and the Internet.

This raises questions about the future of trust in online visual content and how to deal with the ethical and social challenges resulting from these new technologies.

A new typo could cause the iPhone to crash

Experts have discovered a new bug in iOS that could cause iPhones and iPads to restart. This glitch occurs when you type a specific sequence of symbols (“”::”) in the search field in the App Library or in Settings. This causes the device to quickly restart or close the settings. This issue was observed on devices running iOS 17, with unusual behavior appearing on devices running iOS 18.

Although this flaw is less severe than previous similar issues, as it required manual entry of codes by the user, it highlights the need to address such vulnerabilities. There does not appear to be a way to exploit this flaw via other messaging apps or text platforms. Apple is expected to address this issue in an upcoming iOS update in the near future.

iCloud is the most popular subscription in the United States

According to a new report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, paid iCloud storage remains Apple's most popular service in the United States. Nearly two-thirds of Apple customers in the United States choose to subscribe to the paid iCloud service, outperforming other services such as Apple Music, Apple TV Plus, and Apple Care in terms of the percentage of subscriptions. Apple Music and Apple TV Plus services have average subscription rates of 42% and 32%, respectively, while Apple Care has a lower subscription rate of only 17%.

Paid iCloud subscriptions start at $0.99 per month for 50GB of storage, and go up to $9.99 per month for 2TB. These iCloud storage plans can also be combined with other Apple services through the Apple One package, which offers three different price tiers that include a variety of services. As the growth of hardware sales slows, Apple is increasingly turning to the services sector as a source of revenue, as iCloud has the advantage of deep integration with Apple devices compared to other cloud storage services.

The iPhone Photography Awards highlights the best images of 2024

The winners of the 2024 iPhone Photography Awards (IPPA), an annual competition that selects the best photos taken with an iPhone, have been announced. Many of this year's winning photos were taken with the iPhone 15.

The grand prize was won by a photo of a boy in an aquarium, taken in black and white using an iPhone 15 Pro Max.

The first place went to a photo of a group of swimmers in a rescue camp, taken with an iPhone 11 Pro Max, while second place was won by a photo of children in Cambodia, taken with an iPhone 15 Pro.

The competition included multiple categories such as abstraction, animals, architecture, children, landscapes, etc. This competition has been running since 2007, and is open to iPhone and iPad users around the world. Photos can be edited using iOS apps, and submitting photos requires a fee, with Apple devices offered as prizes to the winners. You can view all the photos through this link – Here.

Apple's 5G modem could change the look and function of the iPhone in the long term

Apple is investing billions of dollars in developing an internal cellular modem, but this project will not lead to immediate noticeable improvements for users. According to a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is playing what is known as the “long game,” hoping that its modem will evolve into a more advanced component that could eventually change the look and function of the iPhone. Unlike the move to Apple silicon, Apple's first custom modem won't offer noticeable benefits to users at first.

In the future, Apple plans to integrate its modem design into a new wireless chip that handles Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, which could lead to improved reliability and battery life. There is also the possibility that Apple could integrate all of this into the device's main chipset system (SoC), which could reduce costs and free up space inside the iPhone, allowing for more design options. It is expected that the new modem will be released gradually.

The thermal design of the iPhone 16 tops buyers’ wish lists

SellCell conducted a survey of more than 2000 iPhone users in the United States. The results were interesting: about 62% of participants plan to buy the iPhone 16 when it is launched. The most important thing that matters to users is the appropriate price, as 31% stated that it is the main factor in their decision. Surprisingly, 27% plan to purchase due to improved heat management. Users also showed great interest in new AI features, with 82% saying they were willing to wait a month after launch for these features to be fully available.

The survey also revealed that 55% of participants want larger iPhone screens, with a difference between men and women on this issue. As for those who do not plan to buy the iPhone 16, most of them, 34%, said that the reason was the high price, while a similar number said that they were satisfied with their current phones, and their percentage was 34.1%.

The bronze color of the iPhone 16 Pro can be called “desert titanium”

According to leaks from the famous “Majin Bu” account, the expected new bronze color in the iPhone 16 Pro series may be called “Desert Titanium” or “Desert Titanium.” This color will replace the Titanium Blue color in the current iPhone 15 Pro lineup.

The leaker described the color as “dark gold, similar to the old violet, but deeper.” This color will be available alongside white, black and natural titanium colors. This year's titanium black is expected to be a darker color, while natural titanium will have a more pronounced gray finish.

There are rumors that Apple is using an improved process for finishing and coloring the titanium, which could result in a more glossy appearance compared to the brushed aluminum finish on the iPhone 15 Pro models. This glossy finish may look more similar to the stainless steel Apple has used in previous years, but it will be more resistant to scratches.

Miscellaneous news

◉ Apple is preparing to reorganize the App Store to face regulatory changes, which has led to the departure of the store’s vice president, Matt Fisher, from the company. Apple plans to divide the store team into two parts: one of them deals with the store itself, and the other oversees the distribution of alternative applications.

This change comes in response to Apple's support for downloading iOS apps from alternative stores and websites in the European Union, in compliance with the Digital Markets Act.

Carson Oliver will oversee the App Store, while Anne Tai will lead the team responsible for alternative app distribution. Fisher joined Apple in 2003 and has served as vice president of the App Store since 2010. He indicated that he had been thinking about leaving the company for some time, and that the reorganization provided the right opportunity to do so.

◉ Apple launched the fifth beta version of the watchOS 11 public update with the Vitals app and more.

◉ In August, Apple extended the renewal period for AppleCare+ plans after expiration from 30 to 45 days in most countries, except for China, which remains at 30 days. Customers can extend coverage for 24 or 36 months, or monthly or annually until cancellation, for many Apple devices such as iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac devices. To renew expired plans, customers can visit Apple support website To verify the eligibility of their devices, the company does not guarantee the possibility of renewal and does not alert customers when the plan expires unless this is legally required. AppleCare+ expiration dates can be checked through your device settings or Apple's website.

◉ Apple launches the seventh beta version of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, VisionOS 2, watchOS 11, and tvOS 18 updates to developers, “and the public beta is now available.”

◉ Apple will manufacture the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max this year in India for the first time, as part of its strategy to reduce dependence on China. Initially, the iPhone 16 Pro models will be imported into the country, but Apple will begin local assembly for both the domestic market and exports shortly after the launch in mid-September. Workers at the Foxconn factory in Tamil Nadu are already being trained to align production with the global launch. This move comes in the wake of Apple's success in producing iPhone 15 models made in India last year.

◉ Apple released an updated version of iOS 17.6.1, a week and a half after the launch of the original iOS 17.6.1 update. This is to address an issue that may prevent advanced data protection from being enabled or disabled.

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