News on the sidelines week 24 - 30 January

New models emerge For iPhone SE 4 Some rumors confirm, WhatsApp gives iPhone users a new feature to log in to multiple accounts in the same app, Oppo promotes the thinnest foldable phone, Steve Jobs announces the iPad, Windows 11 gives access to iPhones from the Start menu, and other exciting news on the sidelines…

 OpenAI Accuses DeepSeek of Using Its Models to Train AI

OpenAI has uncovered evidence that Chinese startup DeepSeek is using its models to train its own open-source, highly competitive AI model. The DeepSeek R1 model has been a huge success, achieving results comparable to leading US AI models at a remarkably low cost: the company claims to have spent just $5.6 million on development, a fraction of what companies like OpenAI and Google invest; OpenAI says it has spent $100 million.

The case centers on a technique called “distillation,” where developers use the output of larger AI models to train smaller ones. While this practice is common in AI development, OpenAI claims DeepSeek overstepped the mark by using it to build a competing model. David Sachs, the White House’s chief AI officer, has said there is strong evidence that DeepSeek extracted knowledge from OpenAI’s models.

The controversy had a major impact on the market, with Nvidia’s shares falling 17% on Monday, a record one-day loss of $589 billion in market value. According to Bloomberg, OpenAI and Microsoft investigated and banned accounts in August for suspected terms of service violations, and now believe those accounts were linked to DeepSeek, though both companies declined to provide details about that evidence.

WhatsApp fixes serious security flaw in latest iPhone update

WhatsApp has released a new update, version 25.2.3, for iPhone to address a critical vulnerability in its “View Once” feature. The vulnerability, which only affected iPhone users, allowed anyone to access photos and videos that were supposed to disappear after being viewed once, by going to Settings, then Storage & Data, then Manage Storage, and sorting media by “Most Recent.”

Security researcher Ramshath discovered the vulnerability and posted details on Medium, prompting WhatsApp to acknowledge the issue and develop a fix. The new update also includes additional features such as the ability to make calls without having to save phone numbers first and improvements to group calls. Given the sensitivity of this security issue, all WhatsApp iPhone users are advised to update the app immediately via the App Store.

iPhone SE 4 will come with a notch instead of the dynamic island

Renowned display analyst Ross Young has confirmed that the upcoming iPhone SE 4 will feature a notch in the display similar to the iPhone 14, and not the Dynamic Island as some recent leaks have suggested. This assertion contradicts leaked images from Evan Blass earlier this month, which showed a design that includes the Dynamic Island.

The iPhone SE 4 appears to follow the iPhone 14 design, which is consistent with most previous rumors. Since the iPhone 14 uses a notch and not a dynamic island, this makes more sense for the notch on the SE 4. Leaked screen protectors for the phone have also appeared, confirming the presence of the notch.

With the launch of the iPhone SE 4, Apple will finally abandon the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, and all iPhones will rely on Face ID technology for facial recognition. The phone is expected to come with a 6.1-inch screen, a single-lens rear camera, 8GB of RAM, and the A17 Pro processor that supports Apple's artificial intelligence. It is likely to be launched in the spring, specifically in April.

Apple is preparing to fix security vulnerabilities in its modern devices’ browsers

Students at Georgia Tech have uncovered two new security vulnerabilities, dubbed SLAP and FLOP, that affect Apple’s latest chips. The vulnerabilities allow attackers to use malicious web pages to spy on the contents of other web pages, giving them remote access to browsing history, credit card information, email, location information, and more. The danger is that this attack does not require physical access to the device, and can be carried out via a malicious website that bypasses Apple’s browser protection.

Many recent Apple devices are affected by these vulnerabilities, including Macs, iPads, and iPhones using M2 and later and A15 and later processors. Apple was notified of these vulnerabilities in May and September 2024, and while it has not yet fixed them, it has confirmed that it plans to address them in an upcoming security update. The company has reassured users that the issue does not pose an immediate risk, knowing that no actual exploitation of these vulnerabilities has been observed to date.

TSMC Founder Reveals Why Apple Chose His Company Over Intel

In an interesting interview, Morris Chang, the founder of TSMC, revealed an important story that happened in 2011. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, made a decisive decision to reject cooperation with Intel to manufacture iPhone chips. Cook’s comment was clear and frank: “Intel does not know how to be a chip manufacturer.” This decision came despite the fact that Intel was at the time manufacturing processors for Apple’s Mac computers.

The reason TSMC succeeded was simple: It understood and responded to customer needs. Zhang says his company took every customer’s request seriously and responded respectfully, even if some seemed illogical. The result was remarkable: TSMC became the sole manufacturer of all the chips in Apple’s iPhones, iPads and Macs. Intel, for its part, struggled for years to attract customers, and recently had to completely change its strategy and create a new division called Intel Foundry, and finally landed Amazon as a customer for its AI chip business.

Windows 11 allows access to iPhone phones from the Start menu

Microsoft has announced a new update to Windows 11 that allows users to directly access their iPhones from the Start menu, just like it was previously available for Android phones. This new feature allows users to see their phone’s battery status, cellular connectivity, and recent activities, in addition to accessing messages, calls, and file sharing directly from the Start menu interface. The linking process is done simply by opening the Start menu, selecting “iPhone” from the left panel, and then following the steps displayed on the screen. The feature is currently available to Windows Insider subscribers, provided they have the appropriate Windows 11 version, the updated Phone Link app, and a computer that supports Bluetooth LE technology. Note that the feature is not available on Windows 11 Education editions.

Finally, Apple explains how to update the AirPods software

Apple today released detailed instructions on how to update the firmware for AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max. This is a significant step, as the company has previously provided very limited information about the update process, saying only that “updates occur automatically while the earbuds are charging and in Bluetooth range with an iPhone, iPad, or Mac connected to Wi-Fi.”

Now, Apple has added clear, detailed steps to force the headphones to update, including: placing the headphones in the charging case and closing the lid, connecting the charging cable to the case and then to the USB port, waiting for at least 30 minutes with the lid closed, then opening the lid to reconnect the headphones to the device and check the software version. The company also provided additional steps to resolve issues in case the update fails, such as resetting the headphones and trying to update again.

15 Years Since Apple Announced the iPad

Fifteen years ago, on January 15, 27, Steve Jobs announced the first iPad. Designed to bridge the gap between smartphones and laptops, the device featured a 2010-inch LED touchscreen, Apple’s first custom processor, up to 9.7GB of storage, and a starting price of $64. Jobs described it as a “magical, revolutionary device” that offered a new way to browse the web, read e-books, watch video, and interact with Apple apps.

Although the initial reception of the iPad was mixed, it sold over 300 units on its launch day in April 2010, and over 2010 million units in its first month. By the end of 15, Apple had sold over 9.5 million iPads, generating $XNUMX billion in revenue. Since then, the iPad has evolved into one of Apple's most important products, with the release of a diverse lineup that includes the iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro, accessories such as the Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard, and the addition of many features such as cameras, multitasking, different screen size options, USB-C connectivity, and more.

VisionOS Developed for Future Apple Smart Glasses

Apple is developing a version of visionOS to run on future smart glasses, instead of the bulky and heavy Vision Pro glasses, which are also hot and expensive and have not achieved the expected success, which led to a decline in their sales. Therefore, Apple is considering launching smart glasses similar to those developed by Meta with Ray-Ban, but this may take three years or more. The company is currently conducting studies to test the appropriate features for these glasses, and is working on a new and cheaper version of the Vision Pro, targeting a price close to the iPhone Pro phones. In addition, Apple is collaborating with Sony to support PlayStation VR2 controllers in the Vision Pro to improve the gaming experience.

Oppo promotes the thinnest foldable phone

Oppo is touting its new foldable Find N5 as the “world’s thinnest foldable phone,” sharing images comparing it to Apple devices like the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the iPad Pro with the M4 processor. The images show that when unfolded, the Find N5 is half the thickness of the iPhone 16 Pro Max at 8.25mm, versus Oppo’s phone at around 4mm, beating out the Honor Magic V3 at 4.35mm when unfolded.

On the other hand, leaks indicate that Apple is working on the iPhone 17 Air, which is expected to be 16mm thinner than the 2 Pro Max, making it around 6.25mm. Some analysts expect it to be between 5 and 6mm, with a thickness of 5.5mm likely at its thinnest point, but it will have a bump for the rear camera, as is the case with most recent Apple phones. 

Oppo has not officially announced a launch date for the Find N5, but it is expected in February, and it will likely launch in the US under the name OnePlus Open 2. 

Miscellaneous news

◉ The watchOS 11.3 update caused an unintended issue affecting the OS update on some older Apple Watch models. Watches that do not support the watchOS 11 update, such as the Apple Watch 4 and Apple Watch 5, are now unable to install the latest version of watchOS 10 (specifically version 10.6.1) if they were not previously updated to it before the release of watchOS 11.3 and iOS 18.3. Some models running earlier versions of watchOS 10 are also no longer able to pair with an iPhone, and Apple expects to fix this issue soon.

◉ WhatsApp is working on a new feature that will allow iPhone users to log in to multiple accounts in the same app, a feature that was previously only available to Android users in the beta version. This feature will allow personal and business accounts to be easily managed without having to use the WhatsApp Business app. Users will be able to add a new account either as a primary account or by scanning a QR code to link it to another account, while keeping notifications, chats, and settings for each account separate. There is no official launch date for the feature, but it appeared in the beta version, indicating that it may be available soon.

◉ New iPhone SE 4 prototypes have surfaced, confirming some of the rumored details. The images shared by leaker Majin Bu show that the phone will keep the notch design instead of the dynamic island, and is inspired by the iPhone 14. It has a single rear camera, a glass back, and an aluminum frame, with no action button or camera control button. In terms of specifications, the device is expected to come with an A18 processor, an Apple-designed modem, and 8GB of RAM to support Apple's intelligence, in addition to a 48MP main camera like the iPhone 16. Reports indicate that Apple will unveil the iPhone SE 4 in March or April, with a possible slight increase in price, but the company is looking to keep it under $500.

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