At the end of June, Apple released the iOS 26.5.2 update, containing a long list of security fixes. The timing of the update differed from Apple’s typical approach, which sees the iPhone maker issue mid-cycle patches for emergency security fixes or urgent bugs only.

Yet when iOS 26.5.2 was released, Apple told Reuters the move was part of an overhaul of its strategy as AI tools find vulnerabilities at scale. Indeed, some of the flaws patched in its update were found using AI, painting a clear picture of what security teams can expect in the future.

Apple is not the only vendor to supercharge its patch release cycle fuelled by AI-enabled vulnerability discovery. This June was Microsoft’s biggest Patch Tuesday ever, fixing over 200 bugs, while a recent Google Chrome patch fixed 400 issues in the browser.

As ITPro has already reported, patching velocity must increase as Anthropic’s frontier AI model Claude Mythos and others like it start to find flaws en masse.

But Apple’s accelerated release schedule highlights the impact on mobile devices – especially when part of a bring your own device (BYOD) policy. What can security leaders do to regain control?

Shrinking attack windows

Experts say shrinking attack windows are making patch management an urgent problem. The time between a flaw being discovered and weaponized is “falling dramatically” as AI tools “accelerate both research and exploitation”, says Tristan Shortland, CTO at Infinity Group.

“Traditional patch cycles that measured response times in weeks are increasingly at odds with a threat environment that moves in hours.”

With this in mind, most industry commentators see the move towards accelerated patch releases as positive. “From a risk perspective, I'd much rather see organizations patch quickly and in a controlled way than wait for monthly cycles and leave vulnerabilities sitting there, waiting to be exploited,” says Nathan Davies-Webb, principal consultant at Acumen Cyber.

Yet rapid patch release cycles add pressure in scenarios where employees use personal devices to access corporate networks. “Apple, Google and Microsoft can remind users to update, but they don’t always enforce it,” points out Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor at ESET.

For those that run BYOD policies, the impact of late patching could be vast, agrees Sriram Kakalara, chief product officer at Scalefusion. “Personal iPhones and iPads often access corporate apps and data from outside the IT team's direct control,” he warns.

More updates, less warning

Another challenge is the sheer number of mobile fleets to be updated. The trend towards increasing numbers of mobile device patches could be a problem for larger distributed organizations such as retailers, according to Kakalara.

“These might have thousands of devices running on iOS, and every accelerated release means pushing updates more often and with less warning,” he says.

He points out that many organizations “fail to scale their patching and access strategies as their endpoint estate expands, leaving known vulnerabilities unresolved”.

The onus is now on organizations to operate “faster and more efficiently”, he says.

Beyond simply deploying updates more rapidly, the challenge will be ensuring every endpoint has received them, adds Andy Ward, SVP International at Absolute Security.

“The rise of hybrid working over the last decade has made this increasingly difficult. Remote work and BYOD leave organizations with gaps in visibility that attackers can easily exploit. Every day a critical patch is delayed extends the window of opportunity for cybercriminals.”

While there’s no doubt AI can be beneficial in vulnerability discovery, the pressure on patching as a result of the constant flurry of security fixes is only going to get worse.

Shortland expects more vendors will follow Apple's lead, issuing patches more rapidly in line with vulnerability discovery. “AI is exposing vulnerabilities at a scale we've not seen before, which means the industry will have to move towards more continuous patching and risk-based remediation models, rather than relying on predictable release cadences.”

Security teams should treat Apple's move as “the new normal”, agrees Kakalara. “The precedent means patches can now arrive unexpectedly and without notice, so waiting for a scheduled maintenance window is no longer a viable strategy. Teams need to be on permanent alert, ready to test and deploy at speed.”

No more patch day

It might seem complex, but there are some simple steps security leaders can take to ensure fixes are applied as soon as they’re released, including to BYOD devices.

Rather than banning BYOD, Moore thinks the solution is implementing conditional access controls to ensure outdated devices can’t access company systems. “This means it becomes nearly impossible to have devices running outdated software.”

But at the same time, companies need to avoid treating every new flaw as an emergency. Instead, the focus should be on “what is actually being exploited – rather than what is possible”, Moore advises.

Ian Thornton-Trump, CISO at Inversion6, believes security leaders must make themselves aware of the size of their company’s attack surface, and be able to identify legacy devices “either properly supported by vendors, or unsupported”.

In tandem, Thornton-Trump outlines the importance of firms testing their own defences. “Prioritize red teaming and penetration testing to try and find weaknesses before bad guys do, and before security researchers encourage firms to respond.”

Moore recommends automated patching as an ideal scenario. “Long gone are the days where Tuesday was the patch day,” he says. “Manual processes were built for a far slower time, but as we shift into the AI era, we are going to have to adapt and evolve as quickly as the technology does.”

Davies-Webb concurs. He thinks the point has been reached where not using automatic patching “is becoming harder to justify”.

“There was a time when concerns around stability and functionality made organizations cautious about patching too quickly, but for most, the risk now sits firmly on the other side of the equation,” says Davies-Webb.

“AI is accelerating how quickly vulnerabilities are discovered and weaponized, which means organizations need to be reducing exposure as quickly as they can."

A new mobile spyware platform called ZeroDayRAT, claimed to provide full remote control over compromised Android and iOS devices, is being sold openly via Telegram.

According to analysis from iVerify, developers behind the tool run dedicated channels for sales and customer support and give regular updates. Buyers are given a single point of access to a fully operational spyware panel, with full remote control over a user’s Android or iOS device.

Support covers Android 5 through 16 and iOS up to 26, including the iPhone 17 Pro. No technical expertise is required, researchers warned.

"Taken together, this is a complete mobile compromise toolkit, the kind that used to require nation-state investment or bespoke exploit development, now sold on Telegram," the researchers said.

"A single buyer gets full access to a target’s location, messages, finances, camera, microphone, and keystrokes from a browser tab. Cross-platform support and active development make it a growing threat to both individuals and organizations."

How ZeroDayRAT attacks work

Attacks generally start with smishing, researchers said. The victim gets a text with a link, downloads what looks like a legitimate app, and installs it. Phishing emails, fake app stores, and links shared over WhatsApp or Telegram are also being used.

Once a device is infected, the attacker can use an overview tab showing the device model, OS, battery, country, lock status, and SIM and carrier info.

Similarly, dual SIM phone numbers, app usage broken down by time, a live activity timeline, and a preview of recent SMS messages are all displayed on a single screen.

"This screen is enough to profile the infected user: who they talk to, what apps they use most, when they're active, and what network they're on," researchers said. "Scrolling down reveals intercepted messages from banking services, carriers, and personal contacts."

GPS coordinates are pulled and plotted on an embedded Google Maps view with location history, so an operator can track not just where the infected user is, but where they've been.

Notifications - app name, title, content, and timestamp. WhatsApp messages, Instagram notifications, missed calls, Telegram updates, YouTube alerts and system events - are also captured.

Follow-up compromise is a real risk

Notably, an accounts tab enumerates every account registered on the device, such as Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, Amazon, and Spotify accounts associated with usernames or emails.

This, researchers warned, is basically everything an attacker needs to attempt account takeover or launch targeted social engineering.

"ZeroDayRAT shows how easily an attacker can gain full, real‑time visibility into a mobile device, exposing far more than personal information," commented Matthew Stern, chief security Officer at Hypori.

"The only reliable protection is removing trust from the physical device entirely. By keeping confidential data off the endpoint, organizations ensure that even if spyware takes full control of a device, sensitive information is not accessible.”

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Mobile devices are essential to the fabric of modern life. Whether you’re shopping for a new personal device or a fleet of business handsets, you need to be sure that you’re making the right choice, so all of our smartphone and tablet reviews include in-depth technical testing to determine their relative quality and performance.

Tablets and smartphones are benchmarked using the same processes, but with the understanding that the two will be used in different ways, and for different use-cases, which changes the context somewhat. As well as testing various technical aspects of their capabilities, we’ll also look at their design and ergonomics, the extra quality-of-life features they offer, and the value they represent, as well as assessing the camera quality.

Display

Some of our assessments about a phone’s display will be subjective observations about how it looks to the naked eye, but we also test each screen using a colorimeter to measure the maximum brightness and colour reproduction. We primarily test against the sRGB colour gamut - which is the main colour space that digital displays are usually calibrated to reflect - but we occasionally measure against the Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 colour spaces in certain appropriate cases.

We also measure Delta E, which gives a guide as to how accurately the panel displays a colour. Anything under one is excellent and likely to be difficult for the human eye to distinguish; between one and two is still strong; anything above this suggests a panel that may not be accurate enough for professional work. However, unless you work in photo and video creation and do a significant amount of shooting or editing on your phone, this is unlikely to be an issue.

Performance

To measure the performance of phones and tablets, we run Geekbench 5, which is a good test of the processor and memory in particular and includes both a test for single-core and multicore speeds. We’ll usually note the results and how they compare to similar devices, as well as how the phone feels in practice. However, this is usually only a minor point, as most mid-range and flagship phones have been more powerful than most average users need for several years, and only the most extreme power users will notice much in the way of slowdown or lag.

Battery life

To measure a device’s battery life, we fully charge the battery, set the screen to a specific brightness level of 170cd/m2 (in order to ensure consistently comparable results across devices) and put it into flight mode. We then play a looped video, and measure how long it takes for the phone to reach critical battery level and go into hibernation mode.

This gives us a benchmark that we can use to compare relative performance between different devices, but which may not be representative of real-world use. To that end, we also assess how long the battery lasts when used as an everyday device, subjecting it to a variety of tasks throughout the day.

With its iPhone 14 launch out the way, Apple has begun releasing iOS 16 which will come with a host of new features and designs for compatible devices.

The next version of its smartphone operating system was unveiled at its developer conference in June and it offered users a glimpse at several new security controls and privacy features. Most of these will be of some interest to businesses, particularly their remote employees, though not all of the capabilities will be available straight away.

All eligible devices will be able to download iOS16 straight away, though users will need an iPhone 8 model or newer (iPhone SE also included). To get started, users need to open the settings app, navigate to 'General', then 'Software Update' and tap install. The device will reboot itself.

iOS 16: passkeys, Lockdown mode, decoupled updates and message recall

Digital keys can now be used on iPhones to authenticate a user's face or fingerprint when they sign into websites, apps and other services. This will replace standard passwords and will also work on other non-Apple products, including when logging into a smart TV. Users will still need to scan a QR code to link, but the iPhone will then use passkeys to confirm with either finger or facial recognition. What's more, the passkeys will be synced with iCloud Keychain and users can recover them if they are lost or their handset is broken.

A new Lockdown mode is also available for users. This is perhaps a specialist service in that not all users will need it as it is for those that might have reason to believe they are the target of state-sponsored spyware, such as Pegasus or Predator. It adds several restrictions and even blocks certain types of data transfer. For example, most major types of attachments will be blocked, including features like link preview. If a FaceTime request comes in from a contact that the user has no previous history with, the request will automatically be denied. It is a strict set of protocols, but also worth pointing out that it will limit what you can do with your iPhone.

Also coming with iOS 16, iPhones will receive faster security updates as Apple has decoupled them from full iOS updates. This allows the tech company to release bug fixes and patches quicker and have them automatically installed on iPhones.

There are greater editing controls for both iMessages and Mail that allow users to tweak and even recall messages after they've been sent. For iMessages, there is a 15-minute window to recall and change, though Mail messages need to be recalled before it reaches the recipient (roughly about 10 seconds). The Mail app will also use machine learning-based pop-up warnings if a user forgets to attach something to an email or misses the user's address.

Google has launched a campaign urging Apple to embrace rich communication services (RCS) as standard on the iPhone, citing the myriad benefits that it provides over short message service (SMS).

With #GetTheMessage, Google aims to raise awareness of the benefits of RCS messaging, and pressure Apple to ditch SMS between Android and iOS once and for all. Android already uses RCS as its messaging standard, but texts sent from Android to iPhones are processed as SMS messages.

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A dedicated page on the android website is home to the campaign, which highlights SMS problems such as bad photo and video compression, lack of read receipts, no end-to-end encryption (E2EE) and inconsistent support for Wi-Fi texting.

Beyond the benefits of these features for consumers, RCS carries a host of useful tools for businesses. Read receipts give marketing teams greater insight into analytics of text campaigns, while RCS also allows QR codes and location data to share information about businesses.

The standard even allows customers to purchase items or arrange appointments within their messaging app. Moreover, RCS allows for messages to acquire a verified label, similar to the tick system on Twitter, to establish the trusted status of a business and prevent customers from falling prey to phishing.

Multimedia messaging service (MMS) is used as the standard to send photos and video from Android to iPhone, as SMS is only able to process text. However, MMS has a file size limit of 3.5MB, tiny in comparison to RCS’ limit of 105MB.

SMS messages are transmitted from the phone of a user to a cell tower, which routes the message to the nearest cell tower of the recipient by way of an SMS centre. As a result, SMS messages only require basic cell service to be sent.

RCS requires an internet connection to send messages, be that cell or Wi-FI, but this lets it support the kind of complex messages that users are looking to send on modern smartphones. 4k video, high-resolution images, read receipts and emoji reactions are all commonplace within messages, and are catered for by iMessage and Google Messages but only within their respective ecosystems.

Google states that RCS is supported by over 500 Android device manufacturers, but that in holding out on adopting the standard, Apple is creating a digital divide.

When an Android user messages someone on iOS, their message bubbles are coloured green to distinguish them from other iOS messages, which are shown in blue bubbles. After a January Wall Street Journal report that Android-using teenagers in iMessage group chats face peer pressure to switch to iPhone to be 'blue' rather than 'green', senior vice president of Android Hiroshi Lockheimer responded with a Tweet claiming Apple purposefully divides Android users as a business tactic.

“Apple’s iMessage lock-in is a documented strategy,” he asserted.

“Using peer pressure and bullying as a way to sell products is disingenuous for a company that has humanity and equity as a core part of its marketing. The standards exist today to fix this."

Indeed, consumers and businesses have been forced to use third-party apps such as WhatsApp to fulfil these needs across an employee base with a mixture of Androids and iPhones. Even the government have used WhatsApp for back-channel communications, prompting the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to call for a review.

The upgrade has arguably been a long time coming, with SMS having been in commercial service since 1992. RCS was first developed in 2007, with Google announcing support for the standard as far back as 2016 and officially adopting it in 2018.

Samsung, long a holdout on adopting the standard, announced this year that its S22 range would adopt Google Messages as the default messaging app, and with it finally accept the switch to RCS.

“Apple turns texts between iPhones and Android phones into SMS and MMS, out-of-date technologies from the 90s and 00s,” Google stated in the blog post.

“But Apple can adopt RCS—the modern industry standard—for these threads instead. Solving the problem without changing your iPhone to iPhone conversations and making messaging better for everyone.”

While it can be tempting to wait for larger sale events like Black Friday or Christmas, there are plenty of bargains to be had this Amazon Prime Day when it comes to smartphone and tablet devices. Whether you’re looking for a low-cost upgrade or the latest and greatest model, there are discounts to suit every pocket.

We’ve rounded up our top picks of the deals from this year’s event, and although we haven’t fully tested every device on this list, all of them are from established vendors that have a proven track record of producing excellent products, and they’re all available at worthwhile discounts. Unless otherwise noted, these deals are running until midnight on 13 July.

Check out our other Amazon Prime Day deals:

• See all Amazon Prime Day tech hardware deals
• See all Amazon Prime Day desktop PC and laptop deals
• See all Amazon Prime Day monitor deals
• See all Amazon Prime Day storage deals

Best Amazon Prime Day smartphone and tablet deals

Apple iPad Air (2020, 256GB) — Was £799, now £589

Ends 13 July

In our 2020 iPad Air review, we called Apple’s ultralight tablet “the executive’s choice”, thanks to its stunning design, crisp display and excellent value. Suffice to say with Amazon’s Prime Day discount of just over 25%, we’re even more keen on it. Although the 2020 model is no longer the latest and greatest (Apple refreshed the iPad Air back in March), the fourth generation still offers plenty of value — especially the capacious 256GB version on offer here.

OnePlus 10 Pro 5G — Was £799, now £650

OnePlus has long delivered flagship performance at (slightly) cheaper prices, and the OnePlus 10 Pro offers a whole heap of power for £799. With £150 off, it’s even better. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, 8GB RAM, Hasselblad tuned cameras, and 80W charging that delivers a full battery in half an hour make this one of the best Android phones around.

Oppo Find X3 Pro 5G — Was £1,099, now £679

Oppo may not be short for ‘opulence’ but you could be forgiven for assuming it did with the Oppo Find X3 Pro. It was a superb phone when it was released last year (earning four stars and a recommended award in our review), and it’s still excellent now — especially with nearly 40% off. Yes, it was expensive to begin with, but at £679 it’s far more appealing with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, 12GB RAM, 256GB of built-in storage, 2K 120Hz OLED screen and 50MP-led triple camera array. This is a great price for a great handset.

Samsung Galaxy M32 — Was £269, now £149

You don’t have to spend over a grand to get a Samsung Galaxy handset, and while the Galaxy M32 doesn’t boast top-tier internals like the Galaxy S22 Ultra, it still has quite a lot going for it. It includes a large 6.4in display with a 90Hz refresh rate, 6GB RAM and a massive 128GB of expandable storage. That’s a lot of bang for your buck even at the RRP, but it’s even better at £149.

Sony Xperia 1 III — Was £1,199, now £849

Sony’s top-end Xperia smartphones offer a lot, but competitive pricing usually isn’t one of those things. That’s why Amazon’s £350 Prime Day discount is especially appealing. We haven’t reviewed it ourselves, but our sister site TechRadar has, giving it four stars and calling it “Sony’s best phone for quite some time.” With Sony’s camera and screen knowhow, you can imagine this is a quality smartphone, and now that it’s nearly 30% cheaper than RRP it’s worth a look if you want a more distinctive handset in your pocket.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 — Was £200, now £119

If you’re looking for a cheap and cheerful smartphone that gets all the basics right, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 is a smart choice — and all the smarter when it’s 40% below RRP. At just £119, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 is an absolute steal, with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor, 4GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage. We loved its predecessor, and our sister site TechRadar gave this update a solid four-star rating, praising its bright AMOLED screen and the stamina its 5,000mAh battery provides. There’s no 5G and the camera isn’t going to set the world alight, but we can hardly complain given the bargain price point.

UK mobile operators have denied reports that they had blocked customers’ access to Apple’s new Private Relay feature, blaming the issue on a fault in iOS 15.2 instead.

First announced in June 2021 at Apple’s WWDC developer conference, Private Relay is a VPN-like setting that allows iCloud users to hide the websites they visit from third parties, including their mobile network provider, and even Apple.

However, Apple notes that the feature is currently in beta testing mode, meaning that “some websites may have issues, like showing content for the wrong region or requiring extra steps to sign in”.

Earlier this week, it was reported that some carriers, including O2 and T-Mobile had been opposing the rollout of Private Relay and even blocking user access to the feature. A joint letter from operators including Vodafone, Telefonica, and T-Mobile also reportedly signed an open letter voice their objection to the rollout, according to the The Telegraph.

However, a spokesperson for T-Mobile has now denied allegations the company has blocked the Private Relay feature, stating instead that it was unavailable to some users due to a fault with iOS version 15.2:

“Our team identified that in the 15.2 iOS release, some device settings default to the feature being toggled off,” they told IT Pro, adding that the issue is “not specific to T-Mobile”.

Apple has been informed about the situation, according to the spokesperson, who also denied that T-Mobile had signed a letter opposing the feature.

“Customers who chose plans and features with content filtering (e.g. parent controls) do not have access to the iCloud Private Relay to allow these services to work as designed. All other customers have no restrictions,” they told IT Pro, before adding that they are "not aware or involved with any open letter related to this issue".

Apple was not immediately available to comment on the issues, or confirm whether they have been fixed as part of Wednesday’s iOS 15.2.1 update.

O2 and EE have also denied blocking access to Private Relay.

Some of the other reasons why users might not be able to access Private Relay could be due to their geographic location or even their employer. The feature is unavailable in countries including China, Belarus, Colombia, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkmenistan, Uganda, and the Philippines, due to Apple’s compliance with local laws.

The feature can also be disabled on enterprise-managed devices using mobile device management (MDM) solutions.

Apple might very well have an M2-powered iPad Pro waiting in the wings, potentially with a released date sometime before the end of 2022. However, there are still many reasons to buy the 2021 model of 12.9in iPad Pro.

For starters, you'll be paying that little bit less; the last year's 12.9in Pro is currently £832.50 (exc VAT) direct from the Apple store and that will look like a considerable bargain when the new one is unveiled, assuming Apple sticks to its regular pricing strategies. Also, if we look at performance, Apple's M1 chip has proven itself to be an industry-leading processor in the various Mac Books its been used, and that power has translated reasonably well into tablet form.

It is worth pointing out here, that the price of the tablet doesn't include the Apple Pencil and or keyboard. However, that will be the case for any iPad and is quite normal for other tablet providers. So for those looking at this as a laptop replacement, you need to bear in mind that there is, essentially, more to actually buy.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2021) review: Design

This year's iPad Pro doesn't look all too different from the previous model. The sleek 12.9in slab’s surprisingly grippy all-metal design features aggressively smoothed corners that help combat any hand fatigue you might get from its 680g heft. Its similarly rounded “Liquid Retina” LCD display still isn’t quite edge-to-edge, but there’s room to argue that it reduces the chance of accidental brush strokes, video pauses, or page-turning that can stem from having too little space between the screen and your grip. Don't go expecting to neatly slide this into your jacket pocket, either; just because it's smaller than a laptop, you’ll still need some sort of bag handy to transport it around. It’s light, but it’s not that light.

As for how it might coordinate with your wardrobe, we’re sad to report that grey and silver are your only colour options this year. If you're hoping to kit out your small business studio in a kaleidoscope of Apple-branded colours, you're going to be relying on third-party decals and cases.

Another reason to rely on after-market cases is to add some form of Surface Pro-style kickstand. Historically, the iPad range hasn’t needed this, but now that it’s explicitly geared towards professionals, this sort of versatility really should come as standard. It's much more ergonomic for artists and designers using the Apple Pencil, and it’s very handy for anyone using their iPad Pro as a second screen for their Mac via the Sidecar feature.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2021) review: Display

What puts this year’s larger iPad above its smaller sibling isn’t just the size of the screen, but the tech behind it. Simply put, it gets bright enough for Apple to consider it comparable to its $6,000 Pro Display XDR monitor—at a fraction of the price. In wielding the XDR branding, Apple is marketing this particular iPad Pro as having a screen that's accurate enough for professional and colour-critical work like digital illustrations, professional photography, and cinematic filmmaking. It’s not as high-resolution, but its much smaller footprint means its 218ppi pixel density is within spitting distance of the 264ppi achieved by Apple’s best-in-class monitor.

Regardless of whether you use this to create movies or merely consume them, anything you toss at this will be more faithfully reproduced than the average television. The advertised 1,000 cd/m2 peak brightness (up to 1,600 for HDR content) trumps the 600 cd/m2 peak of the 11in model—that’s the difference between seeing the screen in direct sunlight on the beach or opting for a print magazine instead. And in keeping the ProMotion feature of past iPad Pro models, its 120Hz refresh rate has scrolling, scribbling, and even gaming feeling almost criminally smooth.

In testing, our colourimeter detected a screen brightness measurement of around 512 cd/m2. That’s a little bit off the 600 cd/m2 typical max brightness claimed by Apple, but the test can also vouch for the screen’s colour accuracy. The 12.9in M1 iPad Pro achieved a mighty impressive result of 99.8% coverage of the sRGB colour gamut and 75.3% DCI-P3 coverage, as well as a near-perfect Delta-E rating of 0.93 - all of which means it’s more than capable of handling colour accurate professional work.

The XDR display in the 2021 iPad Pro is by far the best Apple has crammed into a portable device. It’s probably the company’s most important screen refresh since the introduction of the first Retina display iPad almost a decade ago - but it isn’t without its issues. In opting for Mini-LED over OLED, its high peak brightness can lead to distracting “blooming” effects, with even 2,596 local dimming zones—there to help HDR content pop—causing unused areas of the screen to appear more gray than black as light bleeds over. This is particularly noticeable when bright UI elements like the navigation bar are visible. If you’re easily distracted by visual stimuli and plan on using the iPad Pro for major content consumption, either wait for an OLED model or grab something like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7+ or Lenovo Tab P11.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2021) review: Specs and performance

Consisting of an ARM-based 8-core CPU and GPU processor and either 8GB or 16GB of memory depending on your configuration, the iPad Pro’s M1 chip decimates the competition where benchmarks are concerned, scoring 1,713 and 7,272 in our Geekbench 5 single and multi-core test respectively. On paper, that’s a 44% improvement over the A12Z chip in last year’s model. In simulating a graphics-intensive workload with the GFXBench 5.0 “Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen” test, our 8GB configuration showed around a 37% increase in performance against the previous year’s model. That’s going to be a very noticeable improvement in stability and overall smoothness in games and 3D applications.

The aforementioned 16GB configuration is locked behind a massive 1TB storage option—which really ramps the price up—but it’s absolutely worth considering if you plan on using this to crunch big, high-quality videos and images. And with Wi-Fi 6 and 5G support on cellular models, you could really put it to work ingesting footage from your distant office server.

At launch, no app was allowed to use more than 5GB of memory regardless of configuration, diluting the reason to pay extra. But iOS 15 has relaxed that limitation, making more expensive models genuinely more useful to top-level creatives. Even beyond that hyper-specific use-case, if you want your investment to last as long as Apple’s typical five-year support cycle, spending extra now could save you from a costly upgrade in a few years’ time.

For light usage, however, 8GB is more than adequate. Apple has been mocked for skimping on memory before, but it’s never been a problem thanks to the controlled optimisations of its own operating system. Chances are, you’ll be able to come back to cell-heavy spreadsheets or a CAD project a week down the line and immediately pick up where you left off. That’s the joy of always-on devices, and the iPad Pro reigns supreme for it.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2021) review: Battery life

Battery life on this particular brand of machine is rated for around 10 hours of general web usage—as iPads always have been—and tests prove this to be a realistic approximation. In testing this with a low-quality looping video on airplane mode, we found the M1 iPad lasted around 13 and a half hours before calling it a day.

It’s not the kind of powerhouse result a modern ultrabook like the LG Gram can manage at a similar cost, but it’s still leaps and bounds ahead of the average household laptop. That being said, this is an absolute best-case scenario for this device and not too indicative of real-world use—we’d typically burn through 25% per two hours of aggressive work and play—but it proves that Apple’s premium tablet can still be a competent travel buddy for long-haul flights and tireless days in the office. Browsing the web and swiping through videos will keep you on the top end of this estimate, but bright HDR highlights or complex workloads will reduce your time off the charger by a noticeable margin.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2021) review: Features

Beyond the killer screen, the iPad Pro 2021 doesn't bring a massive shakeup to the iPad Pro use-case in terms of external hardware. Artists will still use the same second-generation Apple Pencil, the AR-ready LiDAR sensor isn’t new, and the tracking and panning Centre Stage feature of the front-facing camera is available on the far cheaper iPad Air—where it makes more sense. What you get from this year’s flagship tablet really depends on how you use its lightning-fast chipset and screen. It’s the definitive tablet experience out of the box, but pay extra for an attachable keyboard and trackpad combo from Logitech or Apple and it can, for some, serve as the pseudo-laptop Apple insists its software allows for.

For most, it’s a brilliantly reliable multi-tasking machine, and iOS 15 simplifies the process of getting multiple apps up at once. Browsing the web with a silky-smooth 120Hz refresh rate is just easier on the eyes, and using the new one-button process to do something like book flights on one side of the screen, browse hotels on the other, and check out local amenities on a retractable instance of your favourite travel app is a convenient and almost addictively simple way to plan your next business trip.

You’ll find three cameras here total; a practically invisible front-facing camera that’s good for FaceID unlock or purchases and auto-tracking “Centre Stage” video calls, and 4K-capable wide and ultra-wide cameras (with flash) on the back. On its slender quarter-inch sides, you’ll spot four speakers, three microphones, volume keys, the power button, a USB-C port for charging/data transfer, and smart connectors for things like keyboard docks and the latest Apple Pencil.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2021) review: Verdict

Apple - and almost every other tablet maker - have tried their very best to make the tablet as good an alternative to a traditional computer as possible. And in some cases it is; ever try using a stylus with a laptop? While there are some limitations to iOS and there isn't an app for everything, as much as people think there are, the iPad Pro is a pretty brilliant bit of hardware.

It offers the ultra-portability and functionality of a tablet, but with the power of an M1 chip - more powerful than we expected, to be honest. That bright XDR display is a joy to use, particularly if you're a heavy user of Adobe and other creative apps. What's more, the battery will easily see you through a work shift.

Whether or not it can replace your laptop is very much down to the way it will be used, but with improved mouse and keyboard support, increased memory options and further advances in Apple Pencil functionality, the iPad Pro makes a more compelling argument than it has ever done before.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2021) specifications

We’ve all felt that sinking feeling, after our favourite operating system or piece of software gets a new update and we realise that the layout has changed and half the features don’t work like they used to. But why do we get so attached to our applications, and why do we find it so irksome when they change?

In this week’s episode of the IT Pro Podcast, staff writer Bobby Hellard joins us to discuss the painful process of accepting updates, including why it’s more difficult for organisations in certain industries, which companies are the worst culprits for making unpopular changes, and how organisations can ease the process of transitioning to new tools.

Highlights

“I think that for me, the reason that I didn't hate Windows 8 and actually quite liked it and engaged with it as a touchscreen type thing and thought it was kind of cool, is because I am typically a Mac user. And so the interface that I am very used to is different; the Apple menu is kind of similar to a Start bar, but it's not the same. And so for me, I'm like, ‘Oh, well, this is fine, because it's like my phone’. And it was the whole ‘one Windows’ thing that was supposed to be across all devices. But regular Windows users were just like, torches and pitchforks outside Redmond.”

“When it's software that we use all the time, every day, those little tweaks and changes can really slow down workflows, because it’s about familiarity, fundamentally. So when it's an operating system, whether that's smartphone or desktop, we're using it all the time. So the little frustrations of having to hunt around for a few seconds to find a context menu or whatever really start to mount up. And also I think there's a psychological element. Humans are very good at forming attachments with things, and I think that happens with software as much as it does with a robot vacuum cleaner, or a cat.”

“It can make it difficult for businesses if their staff aren’t upgrading; security issues, because they don't get the patches and so on. But I always keep thinking about the government and their use of WhatsApp. And they keep saying that they shouldn't use it, because they're deletable messages and whatnot. But it just sounds like it's convenient, and that's the way they want to use it, and there's no other alternative that's as easy. So it's that difficulty between giving your staff stuff that they use and want to use, that's convenient, and keeping your business secure, or keeping people within the guidelines.”

Read the full transcript here.

Footnotes

• Google releases Android 12 developer preview
• Android vs iOS: Which mobile OS is right for you?
• Microsoft co-founder blasts "confusing" Windows 8
• Microsoft intervention needed to make Windows 8 a hit, claim analysts
• Windows 10: 4 things Windows 10 can do that Windows 8.1 can't
• What to do if you're still running Windows 7
• Make Linux look like Windows 7
• Microsoft offers select Windows 7 users an extra year of support
• The autopsy of Windows 7
• Google extends Chrome support for Windows 7 until 2022
• The IT Pro Podcast: Farewell Windows 7
• How to virtualise Windows 7 inside Windows 10
• Microsoft Windows 11 review: The more things change, the more they stay the same
• Microsoft will end support for Windows 10 in 2025
• Google Cloud seeks to abandon its ‘Killed By Google’ reputation
• Killed by Google
• Should IT departments call time on WhatsApp?
• Facebook blames faulty configuration change for hours-long outage
• Treasury wiped data from over 100 gov-issued smartphones in 2020
• UK gov agrees new three-year cloud deal with Microsoft
• NHS aims to solve cyber security issues with Windows 10 migration by 2020 deadline
• NHS systems still reliant on Windows XP
• Uncovering the hidden costs of cloud migration
• Health care organizations are unprepared for cloud migration
• The IT Pro Podcast: How VMware drinks its own champagne
• IT Pro Panel: Why collaboration platforms are so hard to deploy
• The IT Pro Podcast: Multi-cloud madness
• IT Pro Panel: The loneliness of the long-distance worker
• Google bans Zoom on employee laptops

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This automatically-generated transcript is taken from the IT Pro Podcast episode ‘Saying goodbye to software’. To listen to the full episode, click here. We apologise for any errors.

Adam Shepherd

Hi, I'm Adam Shepherd.

Jane McCallion

And I'm Jane McCallion.

Adam

And you're listening to the IT Pro Podcast, where this week, we have some sad news to share.

Jane

It's not really that sad.

Adam

Quite sad.

Jane

Well, it is a sad-happy news. The news being that this is my last podcast episode, not forever, but for the next year; I am about to go on maternity leave. So you will have to put up with Adam basically all the time without me to intervene.

Adam

That's right. For the next year, I'll be joined by a rotating cast of guest co hosts, many of whom regular listeners will have already heard on previous episodes. But don't worry, we'll still be bringing you all the same great content. And considering that we're saying goodbye to Jane, this week's topic is oddly fitting, we're looking at why people struggle to say goodbye to software.

Jane

We're joined today by staff writer Bobby Hellard, who will be discussing why people often find it so hard to give up their favourite applications and services, examining the impact this can have on business strategies, and how IT organisations can help their staff embrace change and move on with newer iterations. Bobby, thank you for joining us.

Bobby Hellard

Thank you for having me. Good luck on your maternity leave.

Adam

Yes, congratulations.

Jane

Probably gonna need it. But you know, sleep is for the weak, eating food at normal times is for the weak. I've done it once before, I'm got at least a small level of experience. So we'll see whether or not that actually has any impact on how how things turn out. But you know...

Adam

Well, let's dig in then to the topic at hand. Why do we have such trouble letting go of software? Now I'm sure we're all familiar with the feeling of having to get to grips with a new application, or even an update of an existing application that just instinctively inspires kind of almost hatred.

Jane

Yeah, for me, it's, it's not so much the applications themselves, although like a dramatic change, I normally find pretty aggravating. At least at the beginning, sometimes forever. But I think it's more sort of the actual update process itself. It really just annoys me, I don't have time for this kind of thing. I need, I need my updates to happen more quickly than they do. And end in something that I find useful, that still has all my favourite features, and no nonsense. And that is rarely, like really rarely, what happens, let's face it.

Adam

But you must have had that where an operating system or even just one of your favourite applications, has an update. And suddenly it looks completely different. The UI is completely different. The layout has changed. Everything is all over the place. And you just think, no. Why? Why have you done this?

Jane

The biggest sinners on this are Twitter and Facebook. Now I know that they're not business applications, but it's kind of like, we've got rid of this really useful thing that everybody used. And now we've got, what is it they've got now like, live voice chats. The last thing I want is people's Twitter voices in my brain. Twitter is bad enough to like, just speak your brains and be terrible. I don't want to hear people's like actual voices saying these terrible things.

Bobby

Is it worth mentioning the short lived fleets that didn't last that long?

Adam

I was just about to say, yeah, that is, I think, possibly the most botched feature I've ever seen implemented by a social media platform.

Jane

Yeah, we bought Vine. And then we tried to use it, and then we accidentally killed it. Soz.

Adam

Well, that wasn't even Vine.

Jane

Oh no, it was the self-destructing, It was like, Snapchat, wasn't it?

Adam

That was the stories. Yeah, it was like Twitter's ill-fated attempt at a kind of stories-type structure that just almost immediately failed.

Jane

I think we are making like very much our own point here. But like, Facebook has done it in the change in the timeline. So it's no longer chronological. I just find that kind of infuriating. So you're kind of commenting on stuff that came in like days ago, or you know, maybe seeing, yeah, seeing stuff that would have been relevant on Tuesday, but now it's Thursday. And you know, much kind of less so. And it's probably one of the reasons that I barely use Facebook anymore, actually, because it's just become less useful.

Adam

And I think that's a really telling example, because most people hate that that feature. And there is a, there is a reason why that exists, which we may get into later on. But most people really, really want the chronological timeline back on both Twitter and Facebook. If you polled social media users on the feature that they would most like to see implemented, I would bet you folding money that the majority would ask for a chronological timeline back.0

Jane

Which you can switch to on Twitter, to be fair.

Adam

Temporarily.

Jane

I've told it so many times, I want it chronological, that it stops trying to switch back to home.

Adam

Really? Interesting.

Jane

Yeah, just be persistent with Twitter. Facebook, it's just like, yeah.

Bobby

But isn't, isn't the reason for those changes, because they want to keep you on it for longer so they're, they're putting up the content that you think, that they think you're going to look at the most?

Adam

Exactly, it's all about kind of growth hacking and engagement hacking, they want to, they want to be able to kind of surface the stuff that's gonna keep you on platform for the longest. And you know, it also has the nice side effect of, you know, having brands and business pages, you can then pay money to boost how many of your followers actually see your posts. Whereas with a chronological timeline, it's just, you know, however many happened to come across it. But the salient point is, we all still use Facebook and Twitter, maybe not as much as we would do otherwise. But we're still on it. You know, we still haven't let go of that. And we still want that old experience back.

Bobby

I suppose it's worth looking at where this topic actually came from. And it's because we had a suggestion that we might not be able to use Slack anymore. And we all kind of had a little meltdown in the Slack channel.

Jane

No, please don't leave us!

Bobby

I believe the suggestion was it was going to be Google Chat is where we'd move it to.

Adam

That's right.

Bobby

I did go into Google Chat. And I thought I'd test it out. And I'd test out Keumars with some football chat, and it just didn't quite work as well. It just looked like an afterthought to my email, if that makes sense. And it just wasn't as easy to use, I felt like this is not gonna be any good.

Adam

Absolutely.

Bobby

But it turns out, we might still be using it anyway, Slack. Which, I suppose is what people just do, if their software is coming to an end, or they're going to change, they find a way to keep it.

Jane

Oh, shadow IT, shadow IT.

Adam

And that's the key point: users will find a way to, to do what they want out of software and get what they want out of software.

Jane

Much like dinosaurs and life, in fact.

Adam

Exactly. And we'll talk about that more shortly. Because there's some really interesting examples of that. But I think it's worth examining why we get so attached to software because, you know, on paper, software, particularly in a business context, software should just be a tool to do a job. You know, as long as something does the job, it shouldn't really matter what the layout is, or the UI is; we shouldn't really get as attached to software as we do. And yet people form these deep and lasting attachments to software that that really shouldn't be logical.

Jane

Yeah. Do you know what the classic example of this is? Is the Start menu.

Adam

Yes.

Jane

And like kind of how, how attached people are to that particular feature of Windows which, I don't even know how long it's been there, I think it's since like Windows 95.

Adam

Possibly longer than that.

Jane

Well yeah, I was gonna guess like Windows, like kind of, 95 is nearly 30 years ago now, so which is like, tragic.

Adam

God.

Jane

How to make the youngling feel old.

Adam

Yeah, there's a memento mori.

Jane

But that was one of the big reasons that Windows 8 uptake was just like...

Adam

People hated Windows 8.

Jane

I really liked it. I really liked it.

Adam

Yes, Jane, but you are on record as a Windows Mobile liker.

Jane

Yes.

Adam

And have thus been categorically proven to have zero taste.

Jane

I'm like a hipster, but of tech.

Adam

I bet you had a Zune and everything.

Jane

I don't even know what that means. But I think that kind of, you know, for me, the reason that I didn't hate Windows 8 and actually quite liked it and engaged with it as a touchscreen type thing and thought it was kind of cool is because I am typically a Mac user. And so the interface that I am very used to is different, you know, the Finder menu is kind of, and the Apple menu, is kind of a start bar, similar type thing, but it's not the same. And so for me, I'm like, Oh, well, this, this is fine, because it's like my phone. And it was the whole one Windows thing that was supposed to be across all devices. But regular Windows users, just like torches and pitchforks outside Redmond.

Bobby

Well, I feel... I don't know your opinions on this. But the basic look of it, Windows 8, was just visually horrible. I feel like they'd gone and found every single colour combination that didn't work and added it to it. It was just gross. And it's just difficult to use. Yeah, I can understand why people did go from that, or to 8.1 either as well.

Adam

Yeah, and that's a very interesting point you raised there, Bobby about it being difficult to use, because logically, it shouldn't have been difficult to use, because aside from the start menu change, which wasn't even really that much of a change, everything was in its usual places. It worked more or less in the same way, it just looked a bit different. Why is it that we find layout changes and UI tweaks so hard to deal with as kind of users?

Bobby

I suppose it's muscle memory, mainly, because you're used to using things in a certain way. And then it it just, it's all changed, and you have to get used to something new. It's like switching from Android to iOS, they're just completely different ways of operating. It can be frustrating if, I had the iPhone this week, which I had from, I changed straight from an Android phone and getting used to doing that to delete apps took forever, because I was looking for the little icons at the bottom all the time. It's just, it's frustrating in its own way.

Jane

Yeah. And I wonder if like kind of those small changes as well, because a mobile interface nowadays is, they're relatively similar. Android and iOS, you've got little icons, you tap on them, you open an app, blah, blah, blah. But it's just those tiny changes in usability, like you say, rather than interface, as such, that I think are frustrating.

Adam

And I think, particularly when it's software that we use all the time, every day, those kind of little tweaks and changes can really slow down workflows, because it is it is about familiarity, fundamentally. So kind of when it's a an operating system, whether that's smartphone or desktop, we're using it all the time. So the little frustrations of having to hunt around for a few seconds to find, you know, a context menu or whatever, really start to mount up. And also I think there's a psychological element. You know, humans are very good at forming attachments with things. And I think that happens with software as much as it does with you know, like a robot vacuum cleaner, or a cat.

Jane

A robot vacuum cleaner or a cat?! How attached are you to your vacuum?

Adam

Oh, are you kidding? Like people, I wish I had a robot vacuum cleaner. But people absolutely form very deep relationships with their robot vacuum cleaners, you know, they give them names, like, dress them up in little outfits.

Jane

I mean, admittedly, if I had one, the probably the first thing that I do is try and convince my cat to go around on it.

Bobby

Like a little hoverboard.

Adam

Yeah, exactly.

Jane

And I'd need a trip to A&E. But it's also, the other thing humans are really good at is pattern recognition and spotting patterns in things. And if your pattern recognition is slightly disrupted, then your brain isn't gonna, isn't gonna like it. A very instinctive, deep part of your brain is going to get cross.

Bobby

There is another argument with Windows 7. And it could be that it was just a fantastic operating system. Because even when it came to Windows 10, there were still people using Windows 7, as we constantly reported. I think it was like about 30% of users were still on Windows 7 by the end of 2019. And that was months away before it was going to be killed off.

Adam

Absolutely. And so we've, we've mentioned a couple already, but there are, there are some, some examples of software and operating systems and applications that users will just cling to fanatically, Windows is terrible/great for this, depending on how you want to look at it. Windows XP was massively popular. Vista, again, was hugely, hugely beloved. 7, as you mentioned, Bobby, very, very, very popular, very hard to convince people to migrate off of. And even, yeah, even as you say, the jump to Windows 10 was quite difficult for Microsoft to get going, to get rolling.

Jane

When I think as like a Mac user, because kind of moving from from macOS 9 to macOS 10 was structurally, and to an extent kind of visually, very, very... it was a huge jump. And the main controversy was the fact that macOS 10 is based on Unix, whereas 9 and previous was not. The interface wasn't a problem, though, because the kind of key parts of it remained. The way that the folders look, they look like little drop files, the positioning of the taskbar equivalent along the top, the fact that, you know, you went into the little Apple menu to do stuff, all those kinds of things remained the same. So I guess the critical stuff was never removed. So even when I kind of update from macOS 10.9 to 10.10 - I'm not sure if we're even there yet, or if that's a long time in the past - I just said, it looks snazzier. But fundamentally, it's the same. And the usability doesn't change at all. So we have an update, I might be like, Well, this looks a bit weird. But there's my little kind of pop up thing down the bottom, there's my taskbar at the top, and it has everything where I'm expecting to find it. Whereas I think Microsoft has repeatedly been like, what if we got this thing that everyone loves, and just like burn it to the ground, and tried again? And then repeatedly has to raise it from the ashes, or at least you know, the Start bar, or having things arranged on the left, not the centre.

Adam

And there's another company that is also quite bad for that in its own special way. And that is Google, which doesn't so much continually reinvent its products in the same way Microsoft does. But what it does do is frequently burn popular products to the ground, just take them out behind the woodshed, and [pop]. so Google Reader is, I think, possibly the most beloved piece of defunct software. That was hugely, hugely popular and hugely, hugely beloved, particularly among kind of tech nerds and Internet people. And it was basically just an RSS feed reader. And nothing particularly fancy and couldn't have been that onerous to support from Google's perspective, but nope, they just, they killed it one day, several years ago, and never bought back anything kind of remotely like it.

Bobby

Well, I suppose the easiest answer to that is it didn't make a profit. And unless it makes a profit, it's not really going to help that company or be useful to that company. And I guess they choose profit over user experience.

Jane

Or profit over popularity, I guess. And it kind of makes business sense. Even if it's a bit brutal to be like...

Adam

A bit ruthless.

Bobby

Although now, Google want to get rid of that reputation, don't they, of being killed by Google. We recently reported that.

Adam

The first step in that would be to stop killing things.

Jane

But it's something that Microsoft used to be accused of, and indeed guilty of, although it would be not so much, you know, kind of creating its own products, and then eating its own children as acquiring stuff, and then killing it off, basically, not even necessarily taking the features and absorbing them. Whereas Google is like we've invented this cool thing. Oh, you liked it? I have, I have some bad news.

Adam

So let's talk then about the impact that this phenomenon can have, this unwillingness that we all have to move on from our favourite pieces of software, particularly in a business context. You know, we've already discussed some of the challenges that companies like Microsoft had, getting people to upgrade to the latest versions of Windows, for example. And that applies to businesses as entities, as much as it does to individual consumers and users. So what kind of impacts can this this phenomenon have?

Bobby

Well, I suppose it can make it difficult for businesses if their staff are not upgrading; security issues, because they don't get the patches and so on. But I always keep thinking about the government and their use of WhatsApp. And they keep saying that they shouldn't use it, because it's self-deleting; they're deleting, deletable messages and whatnot. But it just kind of sounds like it's convenient. And that's the way they want to use it. And there's no other alternative that's as easy. So it's kind of that difficulty between giving your staff stuff that they use and want to use, that's convenient, and keeping your business secure, or keeping people within the guidelines.

Jane

Yeah, and then you've got, you've kind of slightly killed my cynical side on that.

Bobby

Sorry.

Jane

Which is kind of like with the use of WhatsApp. Oh, no, I accidentally dropped my phone into this industrial shredder. Whoops! But you're, you are also right, that kind of WhatsApp is more convenient for sending short messages than any email provider is, any business messaging system, including our beloved Slack. None of that is as convenient as WhatsApp - other messaging apps are available. And I think that you're probably right that, at least initially, there's an element of of that rather than hiding things away. But what I thought you were gonna say on public sector and the government, is actually how bad they are at upgrading to newer systems, like, notoriously bad. And sometimes there's a reason for it. Within the NHS, quite often it's to do with compatibility, you know, you can't go out and buy yourself a new MRI machine every time there's a new Windows comes out. Other parts of the public sector, it's probably time pressures.

Adam

Well, it's budgets and time.

Jane

Yeah, I was gonna say, time pressures and resourcing.

Bobby

It's good though, because some people that not switching to the latest software can rob them, like you just said, of the latest technology. And so like, I suppose a good example is Huawei. We quite like Huawei hardware, their cameras on their phones, and so forth. But without Google, we're not interested because we can't get our favourite apps and so forth. So we're losing out on these fantastic smartphones. Just because we can't watch Netflix or, or WhatsApp or whatever on their systems, because they haven't got Google. So there's that kind of weird trade off.

Adam

Yeah, and also, the kind of, the time that it takes to do a full, a full migration from one, one version of Windows to another. That was, in fact, one of the main reasons behind Windows 10 and the way it was designed, was making it easier for subsequent upgrades to take place. Because Windows, the Windows 7 to Windows 10 migration took a huge, huge amount of time, I think, there's still some public sector organisations that haven't finished that migration process yet. And a large part of why that is, is because it was just an absolute nightmare to do. And public sector organisations, you know, they don't have the time or the budget really to take away from their business as usual operations to actually get that done.

Jane

Yeah, and yeah, even very large enterprises. If you try to do a big bang migration, you're gonna have a problem. So chunking, say, departments or sub departments to do it. But I think also IT departments within organisations, they have other stuff to do. So it's kind of natural, in some ways that you're going to leave it until it's more or less the crunch point, you have to do this thing unless you want to leave yourself open to ransomware, and this, that and the other. I do think the Windows 10 idea was, was quite good. And, you know, the kind of incremental updates. It's a shame that the, in some ways that the last version of Windows turned out to not be the last version.

Adam

Quote-unquote...

Jane

Yeah, although Windows 11 is perhaps Windows 10 with a fancy dress on.

Adam

Yes, absolutely. But it's speaking of that kind of idea of a big bang migration, and kind of having to, having to do that when you get to the kind of crunch point, whether that's, you know, end of life for the particular version that you're on or, you know, another pressing concern. That causes huge, huge headaches for IT departments. So, should businesses with that in mind, make an effort to upgrade their software, as soon as it is realistically possible?

Bobby

I guess so. I mean, I suppose it depends on the system, doesn't it? I mean, because even the biggest companies have migration problems like, I think we're a couple of weeks after Facebook had a massive outage because of a migration issue or a configuration problem?

Adam

It was a configuration issue, yeah.

Bobby

Took them down for six, six hours, and that's one of the biggest companies in the world. So it just, I assume some people will fear that they're going to botch their system. But the likelihood is, eventually some software will be botched. And it's unavoidable. I guess, not always. But there will be occasions when you've, you've done this.

Adam

But is it, is it better than with that in mind to get it out of the way, sooner rather than later, when it's not absolutely critical that the migration happens, and you've got a bit of time? You know, if if something doesn't work, you've got a bit of time to roll the process back, have another look at it, you know, replan how you're going to manage it.

Jane

I think, you know, as I'm not an IT professional, as many people will have noticed, if this is coming as a shock to anyone, sorry. However, I do spend a fair amount of time speaking to IT professionals. And I think that the sensible thing to do, from what I've picked up and kind of from my point of view, is to start testing as early as possible. So you start that testing phase as soon as you possibly can to identify what are the bugs, what are the things are not going to work and to also then be able to get to a stage where you know, like, right, okay, this is now safe for deployment across the organisation. Because you never want to be an early adopter. Talking to two hardware nerds, I'm possibly speaking to a brick wall. But my personal feeling is you don't want to be an early adopter, you want to be the person who, after everybody else has checked that the water is safe, then you jump in. And especially if you're a business, but yeah, I think that testing phase and doing getting into that testing phase as soon as possible, is probably the most practical and smoothest way to, to do an upgrade, especially if it's something big, like operating systems.

Adam

Yeah, I think pilot programmes for this are absolutely critical. Making sure that you have a group within your organisation that has tested the software, has kind of played around with it for a bit, you've had a chance to identify any kind of compatibility issues or anything like that. That's, that's really critical. But having said that, even once you have done the rollout and started deploying these new tools, and these new pieces of software throughout your organisation, that doesn't necessarily mean you're out of the woods, because you still have the problem of users. As we mentioned at the top of the show, we as individuals, all have a tendency to stubbornly cling to our favourite tools and operating systems and all the rest of it. And that can mean that when businesses, for example, decide to migrate to a new collaboration platform, or a new suite of Office tools, or, you know, whatever it might be, you get these pockets within the organisation that go, No, I am just going to keep using the same thing that I've been using for the last three years. And it's served me perfectly well, and I'm just going to install it and use it kind of under my own steam, which can be a problem for many shadow IT related reasons that we've covered in previous episodes. How can organisations get round that, because obviously, you don't necessarily want that as a business.

Jane

I think there's a couple of ways. If it is something that has a subscription attached to it - for example, if you're moving from Microsoft 365 to G Suite, or vice versa - you can just pull the plug. Just, like, you can just stop it from working. And if there's anything that's kind of subscription based, you do that and there will be a lot of grumbling. But if you want to, like get on with your colleagues and talk to them and stuff, and indeed like clients or whoever, then you've got to move over to the new email system, document system, whatever. Because if you don't have a licence, then the plug is pulled. On the other hand for stuff that you don't have to pay for, that has a free tier of some description, say you had been using Dropbox, and now you've moved over to G Suite which has Google Drive. There are still free tiers of Dropbox. And it would be easy enough to kind of just start using that. And that side of it is much harder.

Bobby

The thing is that there is something that businesses can do, and it's probably not going to make them look that good, but they can just put their foot down, as I believe Google did with Zoom, initially, it banned all their staff from using it. So they can just be dictatorships and just go No. And then that's problem solved.

Adam

The thing with that, though, is that kind of stuff is very hard to track within a business. Because even if you banned people from using it, and indeed, even if you pull the plug on a corporate subscription, with something, you know, any SaaS-based tool, the whole beauty of them is you can just get up and running with a credit card, you know, you can take out a subscription just for you and, you and your team, if you really want to keep using it. And that's very, very hard to track on an enterprise level.

Jane

I dunno, I mean, if you really wanted to come down hard, and you have this, you care this much, and you have this much time to put in the effort, you could at a network level - which kind of only works if you're in the office - but at a network level, you can block certain domains. So Zoom, you could block, you can have user privileges that are very, very low, so they can't download any software onto their computer, without IT's say-so, IT has to remote in or go through being an admin and put anything on the computer. There are ways and means to do it. Working from home makes it slightly more more difficult. But like I say, it kind of depends how much how much effort you want to put in, really.

Adam

Personally, I think a better solution is just to, firstly, to give your staff comprehensive education and training about the new software or application, because chances are, it will do everything that your staff need it to do and everything that the previous version could do. It's just that staff aren't familiar with it. So there's this instinctive reaction of No, it's it's different and therefore wrong. So you know, education and training, get them familiar with it, show them where everything is and how everything works. And chances are, they will adapt, and they will, they will learn to love the new platform, whatever it is. But as part of that, listen to your staff, you know, if it genuinely isn't meeting their needs, and isn't doing things that whatever they were using before is doing, take that into consideration, you know, maybe you can supplement that with additional tools, or maybe it just, maybe it just isn't working. And it's worth going back to the the previous thing that you were using, you know, you have to be open to those possibilities.

Bobby

I suppose there will be some people in organise, in an organisation that are just not tech savvy, and they'll fear having to go through another learning curve with a whole new system. And they'll just be like, I don't want to do this. But yeah.

Jane

Yeah, and I think kind of making sure that when you pull the plug on one thing that you are providing an alternative, like a viable alternative for whatever the thing is, you need to give your staff something else to work with and be like, Okay, well, we're not using X anymore, but we're using Y and it fulfils the same kind of function, even if it is not the same piece of software, here's how we use it and possibly even have a gradual migration, kind of like, you've got a month to get used to this new software before we turn off the other one. This is what change management is for, as well.

Adam

Yeah. Absolutely.

Jane

And kind of looking into change management, rather than being like, well, we've taken all your favourite stuff. It's in the bin now, here's some stuff you don't like. Or, just here's some stuff that you are unfamiliar with, which humans do not like. Yeah, some kind of change management programme. You don't need to bring in a consultant, but like, or not necessarily. But, you know, just do it a humane way, I guess is what I'm saying.

Adam

Yeah, exactly. Never, never underestimate the value of kind of hand-holding your users through changes and updates and making sure that they're as familiar as possible with something rather than just dropping a new thing on them and going there you go, figure that out. Bye. Because especially in business, you know, users resent disruptions to their workflow, and resent having to take the time away from what they should be doing to concentrate on learning an entirely new thing.

Jane

Yeah, absolutely.

Adam

I think that's where the main grinding of gears comes from.

Bobby

I suppose something that's really good about software, particularly Slack, is that there's very little learning is needed with it. It's it's quite easy and quite straightforward to use. So if people can just bring in that kind of stuff, it's just easier for everybody. But of course not every operating system is so easy.

Adam

Yeah, there's certainly some software that is more intuitive than others. Looking at you macOS...

Jane

What?! No! Fight me. Fight me. I may not be in the state currently to have a fight, but fight me. macOS for life. Well, I'm afraid that's all from us this week, and indeed, in my case, this year.

Adam

I hope you'll all join us in wishing Jane well during her time off, and we look forward to welcoming her back to the show next year.

Jane

And thanks again to Bobby for joining us, you can expect to hear more from him over the coming 12 months.

Adam

As for me, I'll be back next week bringing you more expert analysis from the world of IT and you can follow us on all the usual social platforms for more. Until then, though, goodbye.

Jane

Bye.

The number '13' is seen as unlucky in some cultures, and the superstition is so strong that some companies actually avoid its use. Appropriately, there was some trepidation amongst the Apple fanbase that the next generation iPhone would only be a minor update of last year's critically acclaimed iPhone 12.

At face value, the iPhone 13 looks alarmingly similar to its most recent predecessor, but there are a number of improvements on the inside that might just qualify as a worthy upgrade - depending on what you really want from a smartphone.

Apple iPhone 13 review: Design

Such is the similarity of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12, you'll have a tough time picking an iPhone 13 out if it was placed in a lineup of iPhone 12s. Look closely though, and you'll see that there's a rearranged camera array, and the handset is an almost-imperceptible 0.3mm thicker and 10g heavier.

Admittedly, we were fans of the 12's retro-inspired design and it's still unique enough against the wider market to feel fresh with its flat aluminium rails. And it also has an extra shade this year, with a fresh pink added to the red, white, black and blue it came in last year - although the minty green has been ditched, sadly. It feels good too; many of today's handsets are slippery eels that can be accidentally fumbled when pulling out of a pocket, but there's a nice grasp on the iPhone 13.

Apple iPhone 13 review: Display

The iPhone 13 has an 6.1in AMOLED display with support for HDR10 and a 2,532 x 1,170 resolution. Add a pixel density of 460ppi and you pretty much have the same screen as the 12, which, we are sad to report, is still sans a higher-frequency refresh rate. This might not be that big a deal when it comes to evaluating the phone as a whole, because 60Hz is still perfectly fine, but there are much cheaper devices sporting displays with much higher refresh rates, like the Xiaomi Note 10 Pro. It just feels odd that the world's most famous mobile phone is so late to the wonders of silky smooth displays.

Even without the higher refresh though, the 13 is still packed with quality. In our display tests it hit 97.7% for sRGB colour coverage, just topping the 96% scored by the iPhone 12. That's just shy of the results achieved by the displays on the Samsung Galaxy S21 (99.6%) and also the Galaxy Z Fold 3 (100%), but other than refresh rates, there's little to separate the iPhone 13's display from its main rivals.

For daily use the screen is fantastic; its brightness peaked at 414cd/m2, so there are no issues in direct sunlight. Colours are crisp, vibrant and perfectly showcase any fancy photos you take or the latest films and TV you stream. It's layered with Corning's 'Ceramic Shield' glass, which was also used on the iPhone 12. We didn't really set out to test how strong that is, but we were able to send back both review units without any scratches, despite a few weeks of solid use.

Apple iPhone 13 review: Specs and performance

With a new iPhone comes a new processor - Apple's A15 Bionic chipset. This, like its predecessor, the A14, has been developed with a 5nm process which enables more power to be housed in a smaller space. 5nm is now the standard for the industry, with 5nm chips from Samsung, Huawei and Qualcomm all powering the latest and greatest smartphones, but we have to note that Apple has taken a bit of a lead in this area.

In GeekBench 5, the iPhone 13 scored 1,735 for single-threaded performance and 4,668 for multi-threaded - a 14% increase from the 12. The key point to make here is that most of the top end smartphones launched this year still can't beat the performance of the 12, let alone its successor.

Now, there might be an argument that it's got too much power, and it is hard to argue its case over the iPhone 12 in this regard when you get almost the same user experience. There are some new features that one could argue need that computational power, but these are mainly for photography and video editing, which we'll come to later.

Apple iPhone 13 review: Battery

Speaking of power, one of the few issues with the iPhone 12 has been addressed in the 13, with a 3,240mAh battery replacing a 2,815mAh one. This may also be the reason the handset is slightly thicker, but the extra 0.3mm is worth it for the additional battery life.

In our looped video test, the 13 lasted 18hrs 5mins, which isn't quite the extra two and a half hours Apple claimed, but is nevertheless a welcome improvement on the 16hrs 12mins the iPhone 12 scored in the same test. And 18 hours also beats the standard Galaxy S21 and the One Plus 9 Pro, though it is worth noting the latter has a power-sapping 120Hz display.

In real terms, there's no reason why the iPhone 13 should need a midday top up as it generally lasts well beyond working hours. But, for those heavy users, it does have 15w MagSafe wireless charging and 20w fast charging capabilities.

Apple iPhone 13 review: Features

As with last year, the iPhone 13 has 5G connectivity, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and an

IP68 dust and water resistance rating. There's no fingerprint sensor, though, which is still problematic if you're wearing a face mask - the facial recognition is good, and it does still work with a face covering, but it can be temperamental. Apple has also increased base storage, dropping the 64GB option in favour of 256GB and 512GB tiers.

The problem with reviewing the iPhone 13 is that there's very little to talk about, feature-wise, that wasn't mentioned with the launch of the iPhone 12. 5G was the big talking point there, but there's no new features of similar significance here - with one glaring exception.

Apple iPhone 13 review: Camera(s)

The camera array is the main area where the iPhone 13 differs from its predecessor. It has a 12MP wide-angle lens and a 12MP ultrawide one, with the wide-angle lens using a bigger sensor (the same one found on last year's iPhone 12 Pro Max). This larger sensor enables more light to enter the lens and the outcome is striking: images are extremely crisp and detailed, with rich colours that aren't oversaturated.

The ultrawide lens has also been improved for better low-light photography, but it's harder to see the benefits compared to the excellent iPhone 12. Similarly, the 12MP selfie lens also has a very minor improvement and there's a noticeable difference with night mode; colours seem less accentuated and more true to real life, but again, that may be down to the bigger sensor on the wide-angle lens.

There are also new software features: Photogenic Profiles and Cinematic Mode. Photogenic Profiles - which could be seen as an admission from Apple that some users like heavily enhanced pictures of themselves - let you change the look of the image you're taking, tweaking the contrast or tone as you take it. This isn't necessarily a filter, as such, more a preset of how you like your photos.

Cinematic Mode, meanwhile, is essentially rack focusing on a smartphone. While shooting video, it can lock onto one face or object and blur the rest of the screen, but then automatically switch focus to a different object in another part of the screen. The feature was a big part of the marketing in the 13's launch and advertising, and we must say it works rather well in real life. Combined with the ability to shoot at 60fps in 4K, it turns the iPhone 13 into a bit of a video powerhouse.

Apple iPhone 13 review: Verdict

There is no denying that the iPhone 13 is a phenomenal handset and, if we take into account its £779 price tag, it may even be the best smartphone on offer right now. The only issue Apple might have is convincing people it's enough of an upgrade, because it is oh so similar to the iPhone 12.

However, by improving the areas that appeal most to smartphone consumers, such as battery life and camera software, Apple might have given the 13 all it really needs. So forget the 12 because the iPhone 13 is a video powerhouse that's pulling some serious focus.

Apple iPhone 13 specifications

Social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Snap are believed to have collectively lost almost $10 billion in revenue in the second half of 2021 following the introduction of a new policy that requires third-parties to gain user consent before collecting and sharing data.

A new investigation by the Financial Times revealed that the introduction of the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy had cost the four social media giants around 12% of their revenue – or $9.85 billion.

It's the first report to emerge detailing the material cost of the implementation of the repeatedly-delayed policy, which ultimately came into effect in April 2021 as part of iOS 14.5.

According to the FT’s report, Facebook recorded the biggest financial loss "in absolute terms":

"Facebook has the most to lose because the cost of running advertisements on its platform has been increasing for years," the report stated.

However, Snap "fared the worst as a percentage of its business" due to its advertising being mainly tied to smartphones.

This is because ATT requires apps to ask users for permission to collect and share data using Apple’s device identifier, a move which limits social media platform’s capacity to target iPhone owners, as part of Apple’s aims to protect and bolster user privacy.

"Advertisers have responded by cutting back their spending at Snap, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and diverted their budgets elsewhere: in particular to Android phone users and to Apple's own growing ad business," the report stated.

Facebook has been the most vocal critic of the privacy change, having previously taken out a full-page ad in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal to claim that Apple’s changes would be “devastating to small businesses”.

Meanwhile, Apple hit back by publicly criticising the business model of Facebook and similar social media platforms for their reliance on ad-tracking and targeting of user data.

In February, two months before ATT was set to be introduced, Facebook began to push its own notification asking for users to consent to targeted advertising in an attempt to “provide more information”.

Facebook and YouTube’s parent company Google were not immediately available to comment about the FT’s report findings.

When the iPad made its debut, grumpy pundits griped that no-one needed a giant iPhone, while detractors claimed you’d never be able to do real work on one. Many still do. But Apple’s focus on quality hardware and ambitious apps have long flown in the face of lofty opinions, to the point we now have this ninth generation of the hardware.

These days, the vanilla iPad is Apple’s take on entry level. It’s not cheap – this device isn’t in a scrap with low-end Android fare. Instead, it aims to offer broadly compromise-free performance in a relatively affordable package.

Apple iPad (2021) review: Design

To say the new iPad looks like a classic iPad might sound obvious, but this is now the only tablet in Apple’s line-up that echoes the original. The rest of the line has shifted to the iPad Pro’s modern all-screen design. By contrast, this 9th-gen model sticks with a Home button and chunky bezels.

Depending on how charitable you’re feeling, you can either think of this as familiar or dated. Regardless, it feels premium – not to the level of an iPad Pro nor even an iPad Air, but still some ways beyond other tablets at this price point.

The 7.5mm thickness feels great in the hand – a good thing too, since tablets are intended as handheld devices – and at a shade under 500g, it won’t make your arms hurt after extended use.

Apple iPad (2021) review: Display

Apple’s screens are a regular highlight of its devices, and the iPad’s 10.2in display offers a 2,160×1,620 pixel resolution at 264 ppi. It’s responsive and bright, and although it lacks P3 wide colour, everything from web pages to video footage looks great. The addition of True Tone is welcome, improving colours under varied lighting.

Brightness ramps up to 483cd/m2, which borders on eye-searing under normal conditions. But it’s necessary outside, because this iPad lacks a laminated display and anti-reflective coating. If the sun’s out, you might need to ramp up the brightness to see what’s on the screen.

Inside, it’s better, if more mirror-like than other iPads. Size-wise, the display’s big enough for productive work – if you’re armed with the right apps and hardware. That said, Apple’s stubborn refusal to allow full external display support limits you if you fancy working on a larger screen.

On the other hand, the quality is good enough that you may not need to. We measured an average Delta-E of 1 in our tests, as well as a contrast ratio of 1,105:1 and an sRGB colour gamut coverage of 91.4%. That’s not quite as flawless as the newer iPad Pros, but it’s certainly good enough to undertake professional-grade visual design and graphics work with zero qualms.

Apple iPad (2021) review: Specs and performance

The A13 chip that powers this iPad was cutting edge in 2019 when it debuted as part of the iPhone 11 line. Since then, we’ve had an A14 in the iPad Air, an A15 in the iPad mini, and desktop/laptop-grade M1 chips inside the iPad Pro.

But the A13 is no slouch. In our Geekbench tests, it scored 1,330 for single core operations and 3,336 for multi-core. On GFXBench, it scored 4,374 in the Car Chase (offscreen) graphics test. Pretty good for an entry-level iPad. And in real-world tests, this tablet handled every app we threw at it, including music and video editors. On that basis, it should be fine for any typical work use; and even though this iPad packs only 3GB RAM, iPadOS’s efficient RAM use ensures you can deftly run apps two-up in Split View.

Be mindful, though, that storage can’t be upgraded later. Although the base level of 64GB is double what you got with the 8th-gen iPad, that might be limiting if you work with a lot of images or video and don’t rely on cloud storage.

Apple iPad (2021) review: Battery life

Apple reckons you’ll get up to ten hours of web surfing on Wi-Fi before the iPad will need recharging – or nine hours on cellular. Real-world numbers will vary and depend on the apps you’re using.

In our standardised battery test that plays a looping video in airplane mode, the 9th-gen lasted 13hrs 11mins, making it the longest-lasting iPad we’ve tested, and beating its predecessor by almost half an hour. In broader use cases, it fared well during days of office-oriented tasks, with music playing in the background, and rarely needed plugging in. However, be aware the battery can take a noticeable hit when using Zoom or procrastinating with a graphics-intense game.

Apple iPad (2021) review: Features

There’s a lot of tech packed into the 9th-gen iPad, but some is showing its age. You get a Lightning port, when other iPads have moved to faster USB-C; and this also leaves you with the original Apple Pencil – still impressive, but less so than its successor and absurdly charged by having it stick out of the iPad’s port.

Authorisation is by Touch ID, which is fine. The “twin-speaker audio” is less so, blasting sound from one side when using the tablet in landscape. There’s no Wi-Fi 6 (you get 802.11a/b/g/n/ac dual band) and Bluetooth is 4.2 rather than 5, although that’s unlikely to impact your day-to-day.

The 8MP rear camera is also serviceable, but you won’t use it for anything important. The new front camera is impressive, though – a 12MP ultra wide with a 122° field of view that supports Center Stage, a new iPadOS feature that keeps you in-frame during video chats. It’s a big upgrade and great to see.

As with the last generation, this device support’s Apple’s Smart Connector pins for attaching keyboard covers and the like. This is absolutely essential for anyone looking to use the device for work; the iPad’s virtual keyboard is fine for occasional text input, but in landscape mode covers half of the display and is no good for extended typing sessions.

Sadly, using Apple’s Smart Keyboard for iPad (£159) is a miserable experience akin to typing on a rubber-keyed ZX Spectrum. Fortunately, there are alternatives, such as the Logitech Combo Touch (£119.95), with its Smart Connector support and built-in trackpad, or a standard external Bluetooth keyboard and trackpad/mouse if you prop your iPad up on a stand. Factor in these additional costs if you intend to regularly use the iPad for a lot of work that involves typing.

Apple iPad (2021) review: Verdict

Parts of this review might read like a laundry list of gripes, but that’s to be expected when faced with an iPad that’s now an outlier in terms of technology. But it must be considered in context as well.

If you’re keen on an iPad for work (and play) and are on a budget, this 9th-gen model will last you for years. It’s powerful, the screen is great, and the unit feels robust and premium. For £319, it’s solid value.

It’s often said that the standard iPad remains the best option for most people, and we’d agree. Even so, if you want to go all-in with the platform and you have the funds, instead consider the more powerful iPad Air or iPad Pro, which have superior displays, speakers, performance and better external keyboard options.

Apple iPad (2021) specifications

Apple Pay users who have a Visa card tied to their account are vulnerable to a flaw that could let hackers secretly steal cash without their knowledge.

Research funded by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) found that a combination of flaws in the Apple Pay and Visa systems make it possible for a Visa payment card to be charged without the owner’s consent if it’s set to Apple’s express transit mode.

The feature, which was introduced to iPhones in May 2019, allows users to pay for travel at ticketing barriers without having to unlock the phone, in order to make the payment as fast as possible and avoid creating queues.

However, an experiment conducted by the Universities of Birmingham and Surrey found threat actors are able to exploit a flaw to bypass the Apple Pay lock screen and charge the connected card, in some cases up to £1,000 per transaction, without user authorisation. The owner doesn’t have to leave the device unattended or have it stolen – thieves can also exploit the flaw through a bag or coat, thanks to contactless payment technology.

In a demonstration of the exploit, researchers used an iPhone, an NFC-enabled Android phone, a standard EMV reader payment terminal, and a laptop connected to a Proxmark radio-frequency identification (RFID) scanner.

The Android phone is used as a card emulator to communicate with a payment terminal. Meanwhile, the Proxmark device, connected to a laptop, acts as a reader emulator to communicate with the potential victim’s iPhone, which is led to act as if the transaction is happening with a legitimate transport EMV reader.

Researchers first set up a payment for £1,000 on the payment terminal and ran a script on the laptop to alert the Proxmark RFID scanner to receive the transaction, which then passes it to the payment terminal. Meanwhile, the flaw also manipulates the payment terminal to believe that the victim had authorised the transaction by biometric or PIN verification, enabling the transaction to take place.

The lead researcher behind the experiment, Dr Andreea Radu from the School of Computer Science at the University of Birmingham, said that the flaw can have “serious financial consequences for users”.

Although Visa and Apple had been notified of the issue, neither have taken responsibility for the flaw, meaning that it remains exploitable. The researchers state that both Apple and Visa have the capability to mitigate this attack on their own.

“Our discussions with Apple and Visa revealed that when two industry parties each have partial blame, neither are willing to accept responsibility and implement a fix, leaving users vulnerable indefinitely,” said Radu.

Co-author Dr Ioana Boureanu, from the University of Surrey’s Centre for Cyber Security, said that Apple Pay users “should not have to trade-off security for usability, but – at the moment – some of them do”.

“We show how a usability feature in contactless mobile payments can lower security. But, we also uncovered contactless mobile-payment designs, such as Samsung Pay, which is both usable and secure,” she added.

The attack is only possible due to the unique combination of flaws across both Apple Pay and Visa’s systems, which means that those using Mastercard on Apple Pay, or Visa on Samsung Pay, are not at risk.

Dr Tom Chothia, from the School of Computer Science at the University of Birmingham and co-author of the report, advised iPhone owners to “check if they have a Visa card set up for transit payments, and if so they should disable it”.

“There is no need for Apple Pay users to be in danger but until Apple or Visa fix this they are,” he warned.

Videos showing the exploit in action can be found here.

Apple is being urged to abandon plans to scan images and iMessages for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) over fears that the tech could threaten citizens' privacy and wellbeing, as well as inadvertently flag ‘innocent’ content.

This is according to an open letter signed by more than 90 civil society organisations, including the UK’s Big Brother Watch and Liberty.

Although the signatories “support efforts to protect children and stand firmly against the proliferation of CSAM”, they argue that the “algorithms designed to detect sexually explicit material are notoriously unreliable” and are known to “mistakenly flag art, health information, educational resources, advocacy messages, and other imagery”.

Moreover, the letter criticises Apple for assuming that the users of its iMessage surveillance technology, which aims to protect children from explicit content, will “actually belong to an adult who is the parent of a child, and that those individuals have a healthy relationship”.

According to the signatories, the tech could be exploited by “abusive adults”, providing them with even more power to control their victims. It could also lead to non-heteronormative children being outed against their will:

“LGBTQ+ youths on family accounts with unsympathetic parents are particularly at risk,” the letter reads. “As a result of this change, iMessages will no longer provide confidentiality and privacy to those users through an end-to-end encrypted messaging system in which only the sender and intended recipients have access to the information sent.”

The letter, which is addressed to Apple CEO Tim Cook and is signed by privacy groups from across the US, Africa, Europe, South America, and East Asia, also echoed previous concerns of government interference in the surveillance technology, which could include Apple being pressured to “extend notification to other accounts, and to detect images that are objectionable for reasons other than being sexually explicit”, such as: “human rights abuses, political protests, images companies have tagged as “terrorist” or violent extremist content, or even unflattering images of the very politicians who will pressure the company to scan for them”.

“And that pressure could extend to all images stored on the device, not just those uploaded to iCloud. Thus, Apple will have laid the foundation for censorship, surveillance and persecution on a global basis,” the letter states.

Apple had previously addressed these fears, maintaining that the technology would not scan users' iCloud uploads for anything other than CSAM, and that it would reject governmental requests to "add non-CSAM images to the hash list".

However, earlier this week, the tech giant appeared to bow down to some demands by announcing that it would only flag images that had been supplied by clearinghouses in multiple countries and not just by the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), as announced earlier.

The open letter comes as security researchers found a flaw in Apple’s NeuralHash hashing algorithm, which is used to scan for known CSAM imagery.

GitHub user Asuhariet Ygvar warned that NeuralHash “can tolerate image resizing and compression, but not cropping or rotations”, potentially reducing the success rate of the tech.

Apple has said the flaw only exists in a previous build of the technology and would not be present in the final product.

An 18-year-old has recreated Apple's iOS 4 as an iPhone app using Apple's SwiftUI developer program.

The app, called 'OldOS', is said to be an almost flawless copy of the iOS 4 system that originally appeared almost ten-years-ago on the iPhone 3G.

Its creator, a Twitter user known as 'Zane', said it is "designed to be as close to pixel-perfect as possible" with all its original built-in apps also recreated. For instance, 'Photos' allows the user to view their existing camera roll as they would have ten years ago and 'Notes' features the classic yellow post-it note-style outlay.

Some apps have so far been left out, such as YouTube, which Apple used to bundle into its operating system, but Zane is hopeful this can be solved. Everything else, however, is as it was ten years ago, including the old user interface for Safari.

The app also includes the old iPhone home button, which has been done using a haptic touch vibration to make it feel as close to a real physical button as possible.

The app is a huge slice of nostalgia that will take you back to the early days of smartphones, or introduce you to them if you're not quite old enough to remember. A similar app was launched in December 2019, which turned an iPhone into the classic iPod (with a virtual click wheel), but that was almost immediately removed by Apple for violating its app store policies. The creator claimed that Apple said it "copied the iPod's design", charged for Apple Music features, and could be "mistaken for an Apple product".

A similar fate could befall the 'OldOS' as it also falls under those stipulations. The app is currently available on Apple's TestFlight service, which is used to distribute beta versions of apps, with the entire source code for the project published on GitHub.

Apple's big developer conference, WWDC 2021, saw the announcement of features-galore for its desktop, smartphone and tablet operating systems.

While there was no new hardware on display, despite rumours that new a new MacBook Pro could make an appearance, macOS Monterey, iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 were all revealed during the virtual event, with each boasting new privacy features, productivity improvements and tools to help users stay focused.

macOS Monterey

The next iteration of Apple's desktop operating system has, again, been named after a place in California, this time 'Monterey' (the city, not the cheese).

The most interesting macOS update arrived in the form of new 'continuity features' that allow users with multiple Apple devices to work across them all at once. This is called 'Universal Control' and lets users take the cursor from their iMac or MacBook and drag it through to an iPad without having to connected it via cables. The cursor can be used to drag and drop content back and forth between either device, such as shifting drawing created on iPad to a Keynote slide on the Mac.

macOS Montery also comes with changes to Safari, which mainly consists of a new tab design that allows users to see more of the page as they scroll. A new tab bar takes on the colour of the webpage and combines tabs, toolbar and the search field into a single compact design.

There are new features for Notes, such as 'Quick Note', which lets users jot down ideas on any of the system's apps or even while browsing a website. This also includes adding links from apps, Safari or even an address from Maps into the Quick Note. It is also a collaborative feature, similar to Google's productivity suite, where users can tag and mention friends and colleagues, but all Mac mentions will show in the system's new Tag browser.

In contrast, if there are too many mentions and tags coming your way, macOS also has a 'Focus' feature that lets you block out distracting notifications. These can be customised to simply filter out notifications that are unrelated to the whatever workflow you have at the time. Once this is set up on one device, it automatically activates across all others.

In addition, Monterey will also add more features to Maps, machine learning-based text-detection that spots phone numbers or web addresses in photos, and improved Full Keyboard access with a new customisable cursor. There are also changes to iCloud with a VPN feature called 'iCloud Private Relay' and a 'Hide My Email' function that aims to keep spammers at bay by allowing you to create faux-addresses when filling out online forms.

iOS 15

While we are still some months away from a new iPhone, we have some idea of what it will feature thanks to an in-depth look at iOS 15.

Privacy took centre stage during Apple's unveiling of the operating system. For example, audio of Siri requests will be processed entirely on iPhone by default, and any emails a user receives will be partly blocked from senders - they won't be able to see whether it was opened and the IP address will be hidden. There is also the addition of the App Privacy Report where users can see which apps use and access their data, camera and mic.

Similarly to macOS Monterey, iOS 15 will feature 'Focus' tools to help users block out distractions. For the iPhone this will include options to have it custom to a user or a pre-selected setting. When a user's Focus is blocking incoming notifications, their status is automatically displayed to others in Messages, reflecting that a user is not currently reachable.

When you aren't blocking notifications you'll notice they have been redesigned, with larger icons for contacts. They will also be organised into 'priority' notifications, based on usage insights or summarised into a 'non-time critical' notice.

iOS 15 will also include Safari's new tab designs, compact tab bar and Tab Groups and updates to FaceTime that improve call and audio quality.

iPadOS 15

Along with macOS Monterey and iOS 15, Apple also unveiled iPadOS 15, which came with similar features. These included new keyboard shortcuts, a redesigned menu bar, and options to split the screen or have the keyboard as a side slider.

The updates also included the Safari tab changes, Focus, text-detection for photos, and Universal Controls. Updates specific to iPadOS 15 included an app builder called 'Swift Playgrounds' and a translation feature.

Apple will welcome developers back, albeit virtually, into its Cupertino campus for its 2021 Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) on Monday.

The event is typically heavy on software announcements, with operating system updates for Mac, iPad, Apple Watch and iPhone devices all expected. However, new hardware has also been unveiled at the developer-focused showcase in recent years, fuelling speculation that this year's WWDC will follow suit.

Many are expecting a new version of the MacBook Pro to be unveiled, with overhauled 14in and 16in models heavily rumoured. There is talk of Apple ditching the Touch Bar for a more traditional function row, as well as bringing back magnetic charging cables based on the MagSafe ecosystem that was launched with the iPhone 12.

There's also talk that a successor to the M1 chip will be announced, currently thought to be called M1X. Some suggest this arrive as a 32-core CPU for the 16in MacBook, complete with a new cooling system to accommodate the souped-up specs. The ARM-based architecture has proved to be a big hit with Apple users so far and WWDC 2021 is the most likely event for any updates here.

Along with new MacBook Pros, it's extremely likely that a new macOS will be revealed, with many speculating this will be dubbed 'macOS 12' as well as having a nickname taken from a California landmark, like Mojave and Big Sur.

"While there might be some product announcements with new MacBook Pros, WWDC is first and foremost a developer event focusing on software," said Forrester analyst Thomas Husson. "It is sometimes tricky not to get lost in the software details but this attention to detail is precisely what builds up and differentiates the Apple experience. The software announcement gives a hint of what new experiences brands will be able to build on top of Apple devices moving forward, as well as new products and services potentially to be launched in the coming months."

WWDC is also the event where new iPhone software is revealed, and we expect iOS 15 will feature heavily. However, Husson isn't expecting much of an update here, particularly given how significant iOS 14 was.

"It is realistic to expect Apple to introduce more privacy features, new notification controls, such as the ability to set preferences based on your current status, like if you're driving, sleeping, working, for example." he told IT Pro. "And an update on iMessage for iOS 15. But even with more powerful functionalities, iMessage won't become a social network per se and since it is restricted to Apple users, it won't compete like for like with WhatsApp."

New operating system updates are also expected for the iPad and Apple Watch, with the former thought to be a complete overhaul. Apple's virtual WWDC keynote will kick off at 6pm BST.

Only a fraction of iOS users have agreed to be tracked by third-party applications such as Facebook since Apple released its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) tool with iOS 14.5 a fortnight ago.

Just 13% of users worldwide have granted permission for tracking by any apps, according to data compiled by Flurry, with 5% of users setting themselves to ‘restricted’, meaning apps won’t even be able to ask them to opt-in.

It confirms the expectations that the rollout of ATT would result in a vast swathe of users choosing not to be tracked.

“With opt-in rates expected to be low, this change is expected to create challenges for personalized advertising and attribution, impacting the $189 billion mobile advertising industry worldwide,” said Flurry analyst, Estelle Laziuk.

Before iOS 14.5, iPhone apps would rely on Apple’s Identifier for Advertising (IDFA), to track and target users for marketing purposes.

ATT was introduced with iOS 14.5 as a means for users to be told explicitly what data will be collected, and which apps would be tracking them as part of IDFA. Apps also have to ask for users’ permission up-front, in the form of an opt-in, before being able to track them.

Facebook led a chorus of voices railing against the rollout of ATT, fearing the expected drop-off in users being tracked would have a negative impact on its revenues, and the revenues of its partners.

The social media network has publicly campaigned against ATT, forcing Apple to delay the move several times in order for developers and companies to prepare for the changes. It was supposed to be introduced during 2020 with iOS 14.5, but was pushed back and eventually came with iOS 14.5 two weeks ago.

While the main opponent of ATT is Facebook, the firm also argues that many of its smaller partners will be hit by the move due to the expected revenues losses incurred. Heather Federman, VP of privacy and policy at BigID, a data management firm, agreed upon the launch that it could massively impact SMBs.

“While this may hurt Facebook's third-party advertising programs," she said, "it's core services like Facebook and Instagram will be fine. Facebook has large quantities of first-party data compared to most other marketers and networks, so their first-party platforms will become more valuable than ever. As for other marketers, they will need to consider contextual based advertising or other alternative solutions to make sure they're reaching their audiences.”

“Apple has already been sending warnings to developers against workaround methods like ‘probabilistic matching’ and ‘device fingerprinting’ or even ‘bluetooth beacon tracking’ - prior to the official update. I don't see that stopping marketers and developers from developing methods. As the saying goes, it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.”

Google, last week, also suggested that by 2022, it would introduce a similar tool in its Android platform, asking users to consent to be tracked rather than being tracked by third-party apps by default.

Apple has released security updates addressing zero-day vulnerabilities in its WebKit browser engine, which is primarily used in Safari and any other web browsers available on iOS, as well as Apple Mail and the App Store.

The two vulnerabilities, known as CVE-2021-30665 and CVE-2021-30663, allowed hackers to execute arbitrary remote code execution (RCE) on any device that had visited a malicious website.

CVE-2021-30665 had been reported by Beijing-based security researcher Yang Kang and Bian Liang, who is reportedly a researcher for antivirus provider Qihoo 360 ATA. The researcher who had discovered CVE-2021-30663 opted to remain anonymous.

Devices that may have been exploited by the two bugs include iPhone 6s and later, all models of iPad Pro, iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, iPad mini 4 and later, the 7th generation iPod touch, as well as the Apple Watch Series 3 and later.

The security updates iOS 14.5.1 and iPadOS 14.5.1 were released on Monday to remedy the issues, which Apple described as “a memory corruption issue” and “an integer overflow”, which were “addressed with improved state management”.

The latest security update is also a fix for issues with Apple’s new App Tracking Transparency (ATT), which was released with iOS 14.5.

"This update fixes an issue with App Tracking Transparency where some users who previously disabled Allow Apps to Request to Track in Settings may not receive prompts from apps after re-enabling it," Apple stated in its iOS 14.5.1 release notes.

Apple also released an update for macOS Big Sur, labelled 11.3.1.

All three security updates were described as remedies to CVE-2021-30663 and CVE-2021-30665, with the tech giant stating that it “is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited”.

However, the scope of the issue, as well as the number of affected users was not made publicly available. IT Pro has contacted Apple for comment and will update this story when more information becomes available.

The new security updates come just days after iOS 14.5, released on 27 April, which removed default data tracking and made it a requirement for app developers to present users with a pop-up notification asking them to consent to be tracked.

In the months coming up to the release of iOS 14.5, Facebook publicly campaigned against this decision, arguing that it would severely harm the revenues of its advertising partners, many of which are smaller companies.

Apple took its sweet time getting the latest iPhone out. The launch of the iconic handset is normally an event to signal the beginning of autumn, but crispy leaves were already upon the ground when the iPhone 12 was unveiled in October.

It's the first iPhone with 5G and it's also sporting a refreshed design. Both make it genuinely feel like a new iPhone, something wholly different from its predecessor, and, on first impression, one worth waiting for.

Apple iPhone 12 review: Design

The first thing to say about the iPhone 12 is that while the design feels new, it's actually vintage. Hardcore Apple fans will spot the similarities with 2012's iPhone 5, which had the same basic shape. There's no curved edges here; everything is flat and squared off, and it's the only smartphone around that can stand up on its edge. The flat aluminium rails are cool to the touch but comfortable in the hand. The front of the device has Corning's 'Ceramic shield' and the back cover is 'Ceramic glass' - a new Corning product that's made with ceramic crystals and is said to have four times higher resistance to impacts than the iPhone 11.

When you consider that this is the first iPhone with 5G components crammed into it, the 12 is remarkably svelte. It's only 7.4mm thick, which is 0.9mm less than the iPhone 11. What's more, that's also thinner than the S21 5G and Google's Pixel 5. The only other 5G-enabled device that can match the 7.4mm thickness is the iPhone 12 Mini.

Apple no longer does pretentious colour names. 'Rose gold' was thankfully dropped ages ago and the iPhone 12 is available in a simpler palette of colours. Our review model is a luxurious midnight blue, but it also comes in white, black, green and the usual charitable Product (Red) variant, which supports HIV and AIDs treatment programs. Best of all, these finishes are globally available, with no shades saved for other regions, like Huawei and Samsung have done with recent devices.

The 12's stunning design does have one flaw; a notch at the top of the display. Not even a tear-drop notch at that, but a great big bar. This is most annoying when streaming and it's completely unnecessary. Cutting a miniature hole in the top corner of the display, a la Samsung's S10, S20 or S21, is the perfect way to embed a selfie cam that doesn't spoil the user experience - though you do have to find ways to embed the other sensors that sit within that top bar.

Apple iPhone 12 review: Display

The notch is a real shame, because otherwise the screen is very good. Apple has switched over to an AMOLED display for the 12, keeping it at 6.1in but with reduced bezels so you get a larger screen-to-body ratio than on the iPhone 11. The screen resolution has also been boosted from 1,782 x 828 to a much clearer 2,532 x 1,170 with a pixel density of 460ppi.

For its price, you might be disappointed to not have a 120Hz or even 90Hz refresh rate, but 60Hz is fine in practise. It's not as smooth as the Samsung S20, but it's not off-putting either. iOS14 is already quite fast and responsive, so 60Hz on the standard model is OK - however, the lack of 120Hz on the larger iPhone models seems like more of a shortcoming.

The switch to an OLED display means that its blacks are truly black and everything else is bright and crisp. This is partly due to its excellent support for the DCI-P3 display standard, which is a slightly larger representation of the gamut colour space, often favoured by film and TV creators. In our calibrator tests the iPhone 12 scored 96% for sRBG colour gamut coverage, which is near enough to Huawei's Mate 40 or P40 and also Samsung's S20, so the change is worthwhile.

This is without even mentioning the HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Vision capabilities which boosts the dazzling display that little further. During HDR video playback, the 12 hit a peak brightness of 1,090cd/m2.

Apple iPhone 12 review: Specs and performance

The quality of the display is underpinned by the other major new addition in the iPhone 12: its new A14 Bionic chipset. This is one of the first smartphone CPUs built using a 5nm process. Huawei's Kiri 9,000 was practically announced at the same time and it looks like Samsung will also be doing the same with the S21, which signals a new dawn for mobile processor technology.

Unsurprisingly, the iPhone 12 is fast. Apple's handsets reliably lead the industry in terms of performance, and this trend continues here. Apps load instantly and there is seemingly no lagging in any task you throw at it. Even the most feature-loaded web pages render swiftly. It didn't sweat our benchmark tests either, notching 1,591 for single-threaded and 4,053 for multi-threaded performance in Geekbench 5. That's 17% faster than the iPhone 11, which was also a super fast device. Hardly any Android phone can match the 12 for performance, though it is worth noting that phones generally don't have issues in this department. Google's Pixel 5 has a rather low-spec Snapdragon 756G and still handled capably.

You can get the 12 with either 64GB, 128GB or 256GB of storage but only 4GB RAM. That's a little poor (the S21, for example, offers double that), but it probably isn't going to be much of a deal-breaker. It won't surprise Apple fans, however; the 11 had 4GB, the X only 3GB, and it's very much on brand for an iPhone.

Apple iPhone 12 review: Battery

Another historic fault of the iPhone is its battery life. The iPhone X only managed 9hrs 22min under our looped video test and the Xs that followed held out for just 12hrs 45mins. Last year's iPhone 11 bucked that trend with 18hrs 36mins, but the iPhone 12 has taken a few steps back in this regard, lasting for only 16hrs 12mins.

The two hour drop is arguably due to switching the battery from a 3,11omAh to a 2,815mAh one and the reason for that, we assume, is to make room for 5G components. There's a necessary balancing act that comes with 5G; the larger phones have a slight advantage in that they have more space inside for antennas and so on, but the more 'regular' sized phones need to make some sacrifices. To Apple's credit, the drop isn't massive - it's still better than the X and Xs, by a long way, but it's worth pointing out that cheaper rivals have added 5G and kept long battery life. The Pixel 5, for example, lasted 6 hours more.

Apple iPhone 12 review: Features

Being the first iPhone with 5G makes the 12 a significant improvement on the 11, but it might not be that much of a selling point. Apple didn't jump on the bandwagon with everyone else in 2019, presumably because the 5G networks weren't ready. Now it finally has, but the networks still sort of aren't ready. 5G connectivity in the UK remains decidedly patchy, and thanks to the national lockdown, we can't even take advantage of the few city centre deployments that have been set up. It's a nice bit of future-proofing, but sadly it's not that useful at the moment.

There's also no fingerprint sensor, which might have been OK were it not for the fact that we're all wearing masks in public. The facial recognition is really good, and super fast, but it can't identify you just from the eyes. Apple has revealed an update that will enable users to open devices with masks on, but you'll need an Apple Watch for it to work.

The real star feature of the iPhone 12, however, is Magsafe. This is Apple's magnetic system for all iPhone accessories, such as the handset's case, the wireless charging pad or even an Apple-brand wallet that attaches to the back of the phone. Think of it as the early stages of an entire magnetic accessory ecosystem. Apple hopes to build it out and add more and more things to attach to your device over time. It's intriguing, but it's a question of what third-party companies can come up with to make this an unmissable feature.

Apple iPhone 12 review: Camera(s)

On paper the camera hardware on the iPhone 12 probably isn't going to raise any eyebrows. The Pro Max has the top photography spec, whereas the standard 12 has stuck with the same number and resolution of lenses as the iPhone 11; a 12MP f/1.6 wide lens and a 12MP f/2.4 ultrawide camera, plus a 12MP selfie camera.

That's not to say the iPhone 12 is poor; on the contrary, the underlying software that powers all three lenses is superb. That A14 chip enables improved capabilities, such as night mode, Deep Fusion and portrait mode, all of which are available on each of the lenses rather than just the rear ones, as was the case on the 11. The night mode, in particular, is very good, as it captures lots more light and detail, than previous iPhones.

There's a lot of competition in this space, with the likes of the Pixel 5, the P40 and the S20 all having made rapid advancements in such a short space of time. However, the iPhone 12 is a very worthy rival, largely thanks to the addition of Deep Fusion. This is where machine learning is used to process pixels and bring out more details. It's the most obvious improvement from the 11, with much clearer shots from all three lenses.

Apple iPhone 12 review: Verdict

There's a lot to like here, but the iPhone 12 is a bit of a mixed bag and for all its best features, there are a few underwhelming elements, such as the poor battery life and that god-awful notch. It's amazing that the world's most iconic smartphone still sports a long bar across the top of its display. It isn't surprising though; Apple does things when it's good and ready, not as we demand it.

In all fairness to Apple, when it is ready it usually delivers. The iPhone 12 has superb performance thanks to its A14 Bionic chip, arguably the best around. And it has also finally embraced 5G. What's more, the design really does make it feel like a new iPhone, which is odd because in many ways it's a modernised iPhone 5 - but maybe that's part of the charm. It's almost a perfect mix of cutting edge and comforting nostalgia.

The iPhone 12 is available for £55 per month with an upfront cost of £29 on the Vodafone network

Apple iPhone 12 specifications

Apple will soon roll out an update that’ll enable users to unlock their iPhone while wearing a mask using a new “Unlock iPhone with Apple Watch” feature.

After downloading iOS 14.5, now available as developer beta, users can choose to unlock their iPhones using a less accurate Face ID option. The user must activate the “Unlock iPhone with Apple Watch” first, and their Apple Watch must be nearby or on their wrist, unlocked, and passcode protected to use this less-accurate Face ID option. If a user tries to unlock their iPhone with a mask on, it will vibrate the user’s Apple Watch to let them know their iPhone is unlocked.

Keep in mind that this feature is only available for unlocking iPhone using Face ID. Apple disables it when users must authenticate Apple Pay transactions. As an added security measure, it’ll also ask users to type in their passcodes every few hours, even when they have “Unlock iPhone with Apple Watch” enabled.

Twitter had mixed reactions to the update. “So if someone else is wearing a mask, they can unlock my iPhone while I'm wearing my Apple Watch. But there is a proximity element, so I have to be right there or it just stays locked and says move closer to the watch,” posted one user.

“The new iPhone update lets users with Apple Watches unlock their iPhone with Face ID even while wearing a mask. If there’s one thing I like about being in the Apple ecosystem, it’s the convenience it brings,” posted another user.

Apple is reportedly considering moving to an in-screen fingerprint reader, like Samsung uses, for its upcoming iPhone 13. The feature will complement Apple’s new Face ID update.

For owners of older iPhone models who don’t want to shell out hundreds of dollars on a new Apple smartwatch to unlock their phones while wearing a mask, they can enter their passcode instead. It’s secure and reliable at all times. What’s more, using a passcode avoids the notification each time they unlock their phones via the Apple Watch.

With Apple’s iOS 14 privacy changes rolling out imminently, Facebook will begin to push its own notification asking for users to consent to targeted advertising in an attempt to “provide more information”.

The two companies have been at loggerheads over proposed changes that mean apps sharing data with third parties for advertising purposes will need to seek explicit permission to continue doing so.

These changes were supposed to be first introduced with iOS 14 last year but had been delayed. In practice, it means users of apps like Facebook will be met with a prompt from Apple asking whether they opt-into ad tracking.

However, Facebook’s VP ads and business products Dan Leavy claimed, because Apple’s prompt suggests there’s a tradeoff between “personalised advertising and privacy”, the app will show a screen of its own. This will appear immediately before Apple’s pop-up from next Monday.

“If you accept the prompts for Facebook and Instagram, the ads you see on those apps won’t change,” Leavy said in a blog post. “If you decline, you will still see ads, but they will be less relevant to you.

“Agreeing to these prompts doesn’t result in Facebook collecting new types of data. It just means that we can continue to give people better experiences. We feel that people deserve the additional context, and Apple has said that providing education is allowed.”

When iOS 14 was launched in 2020, Apple teased this change, among other updates, which aimed to protect and bolster user privacy.

Facebook has long disagreed with the move and has publicly fought Apple on its rollout, managing to delay its launch in September, for example, after arguing it would knock the revenues of its advertising partners.

Shortly after, in November, Apple publicly criticised the business model of Facebook and similar tech giants for their reliance on ad-tracking and targeting of user data.

This ongoing privacy dispute could also lead to a legal war, according to the Information, with Facebook working with external legal forces to draft an anti-trust lawsuit against Apple.

Facebook has consistently argued that the change, which is now expected to come into force early this year, would cause financial harm to its advertising partners, as well as itself.

The expectation is that a large number of Facebook users would opt-out, rendering Facebook’s packages less attractive, with fewer buyers targeted with ads relevant to them.

The material impact of the change is estimated to be as much as a 7% loss in revenue in the second quarter of 2021, according to AdExchanger. This could translate to roughly $5 billion, depending on the financial projections.

The company’s CFO David Wehner wrote the company expects “more significant advertising headwinds” during 2021 in the company’s latest financial report.

“This includes the impact of platform changes, notably iOS 14, as well as the evolving regulatory landscape,” he added. “While the timing of the iOS 14 changes remains uncertain, we would expect to see an impact beginning late in the first quarter.”

Apple has reported revenues of $111 billion (£81bn) for the final quarter of 2020, partly fueled by record smartphone sales.

The company shipped 81.8 million units of the iPhone between October and December, a 4% increase from the previous year and the most it has ever sold in a single quarter, according to Canalys.

The global smartphone market actually declined by 2% annually, with 359.6 million units sold in the final quarter of last year. Samsung saw a 12% decline between October and December with only 62 million units sold, and the launch of Apple's iPhone 12 was actually delayed by a month, releasing in October rather than September. However, it has proved to be a "hit", according to Canalys analyst Vincent Thielke.

"Apple is better positioned than its competitors on 5G, being heavily skewed towards developed markets, and mobile operator sales channels," said Thielke. "But it also made savvy moves behind the scenes to propel its sales and profitability.

"The omission of a power plug from the iPhone retail box, which reduces weight and size, is making logistics significantly more efficient, amid the ongoing high cost of air freight due to the pandemic. And it also implemented channel-centric growth initiatives to target small and medium-sized business customers, which have bolstered demand for its entire range of iPhones."

Despite being in second place for the quarter, and significantly behind Apple, Samsung still maintained its leading position for the full year, with 20% global market share. Apple and Huawei took second and third respectively for the year, although Huawei's consistent decline means it's unlikely to remain in the top three for much longer.

The embattled Chinese firm fell to sixth place in Q4, managing to sell just 32 million smartphone units, the first time in six years it had fallen out of the top five global vendors. A blacklisting from Google's Android OS and Play services, being forced into exile by the security community, and increased competition with other Chinese firms, have all contributed to the company's downfall.

Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo, for example, have all seen by far the largest gains of all providers, with 31%, 15%, and 14% year-on-year growth respectively.

Apple has placed one of its supply chain partners on probation following reports of student labour violations at some of the manufacturer’s China-based facilities.

Pegatron, which is one of Apple’s biggest suppliers and currently manufacturers some of company's iPhone 12 models, reportedly falsified paperwork in order to cover up violations of Apple’s code of conduct.

Apple told Bloomberg that the Taiwanese manufacturer misclassified its student workers and allowed them to work nights and unpaid overtime hours, as well as “perform work unrelated to their major”.

This is in violation of Apple’s code of conduct for suppliers, which requires that they “ensure the intern’s work is related to their major and prohibits overtime or night shifts”. Consequently, Pegatron also falsified official documents in order to hide the incidents of code violations.

Apple stated that it “has placed Pegatron on probation and Pegatron will not receive any new business from Apple until they complete all of the corrective actions required".

Pegatron released a statement in which it claims that “upon discovery of this non-compliant activity”, it “immediately took the student workers off production lines”.

It also said that it has cooperated with its “customer and third-party experts to make appropriate arrangements for them to return to their homes or schools with proper compensation alongside all necessary support and care”.

The supplier had also fired the manager of its student worker programme but did not disclose how the probation imposed by Apple will impact the company and its financial results.

The incident isn’t Pegatron’s first instance of reported student labour violations. In 2013, China Labor Watch released a report that found the company engaged in cases of unpaid overtime and underpayment of student workers at its Shanghai factory.

The report claims that around 100 student workers “were not paid for 20 to 30 minutes of daily mandatory overtime meetings, had wages deducted, or only received 80 percent of the wages of normal workers despite doing the same work”.

“Many other student workers, who have not yet been reached, likely have suffered the same unfair treatment,” it added.

Apple is reportedly gearing up to launch a new range of MacBooks that will feature the company’s own processors for the first time in the 36-year history of the Mac.

The company on Monday announced that it will hold a special event on 10 November, with an invitation that features Apple's famous "one more thing" tagline.

While Apple didn't reveal any further details, it looks likely that we can expect the announcement of new MacBooks, which will feature ARM-based processors designed by Apple, following the company’s decision to abandon the Intel chips it had used since 2006.

In June, Apple announced that it would be abandoning Intel in favour of custom ARM-based Mac processors. At the time, the company said the first ARM-based Mac would ship by the end of 2020, which coincides with the 10 November launch date.

The custom 'Apple Silicon" will equip Macs with "industry-leading" performance-per-watt, higher-performance GPUs and improved power efficiency, according to Apple, as well as open up technologies such as its Neural Engine to third-party developers.

According to Bloomberg, the lineup revealed next week will feature new 13-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros and a new 13-inch MacBook Air.

The publication reports that the two smaller MacBooks are being assembled by Foxconn, while the larger MacBook Pro is being built by Quanta Computer.

According to Bloomberg’s sources, both manufacturers are said to be “ramping up production”, with the two smaller MacBooks reportedly further ahead in production and likely to debut at the 10 November event. According to the sources, the devices are not expected to have any major design changes apart from the change in processor.

The 10 November event comes almost a month after Apple unveiled four new iPhone models: the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. All four models had been fitted with Apple’s A14 Bionic chip and 5G support.

Last week, it was reported that the decision to delay the launch of Apple’s iPhone 12 lineup by a month temporarily cost the company $100 billion in stock market value.

The decision to delay the launch of Apple’s iPhone 12 temporarily cost the company $100 billion in stock market value, as it plunged over 5% at one point in after-hours trading on Thursday.

Apple reported the most significant quarterly decline in iPhone sales in two years, following its decision to postpone the traditional September launch event by one month to 13 October. This largely contributed to iPhone sales plummeting 20.7% to $26.4 billion globally, and by 28.5% to $7.95 billion in China.

September has been Apple's favoured release window for the past seven years, however, after what appears to have been manufacturing delays due to the coronavirus pandemic, the company announced in August it would be postponing the release.

Due to the delay, the opening-weekend sales of Apple’s flagship smartphone are not included in the fiscal fourth-quarter results, which ended on 26 September. Apple CEO Tim Cook told Reuters that, based on the first five days of shipping data, he remains “optimistic” about the iPhone 12’s success.

“What we’re seeing in the early going in the first five days gives us a lot of confidence that China will return to growth in our fiscal Q1,” he said, describing 5G as a “once-in-a-decade kind of opportunity”.

“We could not be more excited to hit the market exactly when we did,” he added.

The $100 billion drop in stock market value has exposed how heavily Apple relies on timing to generate the success of its financial results, although the decline is more a symptom of difficult market conditions rather than a reflection of Apple's worth.

Overall, Apple exceeded analyst revenue and profits expectations, reporting $64.7 billion and 73 cents per share instead of the $63.7 billion and 70 cents estimated by IBES data from Refinitiv.

Despite poor iPhone sales, the company said that the revenue from its accessories segment was up 20.8% to $7.9 billion, compared with Refinitiv estimates of a 13.5% rise to $7.4 billion. Mac and iPad sales were also strong, at $9 billion and $6.8 billion, compared with analyst estimates of $7.92 billion and $6.12 billion – likely buoyed by strong demand for hardware as many continue to work from home.

Apple’s ramping up its efforts to create its own search engine to possibly compete with Google, according to a Financial Times (FT) report. If true, this would indicate Apple’s estimated $8-$12 billion per year to make Google the default search engine on iOS devices is in jeopardy.

Last week the US Department of Justice (DoJ) charged Google with multiple antitrust violations. The charges claim that Google has a number of agreements that have locked up “the primary avenues through which users access search engines.” The deal with Apple is likely under scrutiny too. If the antitrust case prevents Google and Apple from renewing this deal, this would be a prime opportunity for Apple to launch its own search engine.

Apple confirmed the Applebot Crawler’s existence as far back as 2015. The FT report claims that in a new iPhone update, Apple is starting to show its own search results and link directly to websites when users search from the home screen. This small step could indicate advancement in Apple’s search capabilities and hint at a larger move to come.

This is still just speculation based on what Apple could do, but Apple has shown disdain for ad-funded services like Google. Apple CEO, Tim Cook, issued an open letter to customers in 2014 that read, “Our business model is very straightforward: We sell great products. We don’t build a profile based on your email content or web browsing habits to sell to advertisers. We don’t “monetize” the information you store on your iPhone or in iCloud. And we don’t read your email or your messages to get information to market to you.”

Apple lured Google’s head of search John Giannandrea to the company in April 2018. The FT also quotes two former Google execs who believe Apple’s in a position to expand into search and has the capability.

All this recent activity at Apple could be a push to improve Siri, but the possibility of losing up to $12 billion annually lends credence to the speculation that an Apple search engine could be in development.

Rumours that Apple's forthcoming iPhone 12 may be delayed beyond its usual September release window have this week been strengthened by news that silicon manufacturer Broadcom is expecting demand for its components to ramp up later than expected.

Broadcom revealed that its annual spike in chip shipments would be coming in Q4 this year, according to reports from Reuters, as opposed to Q3 when the company usually sees shipments accelerating. Analysts generally believe that this pattern coincides with the launch of each new generation of iPhone; a delay in Broadcom's shipment patterns, therefore, is likely to mean that that the iPhone 12 is similarly delayed.

In the past, Apple was known to release new phone models in late September. However, new estimates predict that the iPhone 12 could only be launched in the final quarter of 2020, without ruling out a delay which could drag the release date to 2021.

Last year, Apple provided around a fifth of Broadcom’s revenue, making the chip manufacturer heavily reliant on the iPhone-maker. At the beginning of the year, the two companies agreed on a $15 billion (£11.3bn) deal which entailed that Broadcom would supply Apple with wireless chips until at least mid-2023. In June, it was announced that Broadcom’s quarterly revenues were impacted by the delayed phone launch of the manufacturer’s “large North American mobile phone customer”, largely believed to be Apple.

Apart from Apple, Broadcom’s customers include notable tech companies such as Motorola, IBM, Dell, Asus, Lenovo, Linksys, Logitech, Nintendo, Nokia, and Cisco Systems.

However, manufacturers across the tech industry had been heavily impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions imposed to curb its spread, such as factory closures or delays in transportation.

Despite this, Broadcom forecast its fourth-quarter results above Wall Street estimates. The predicted revenue of $6.4 billion (£4.82bn), plus or minus $150 million (£112.87m), was significantly more than the average $6.14 billion anticipated by analysts, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

The pandemic had also kick-started a new-found demand for semiconductors, due to the sudden shift to working from home on an unprecedented scale. However, companies such as HPE and Intel were unable to meet the high demand for the components, causing declining revenues as well as PC shipments.

Apple made the controversial, and ultimately very costly decision back in 2017 to throttle its older iPhone models, limiting the power of the device in an attempt to mitigate a pervasive battery discharge issue.

Its intentions were supposedly innocent but by slowing down the devices of its users, unsurprisingly, this was met with widespread anger as users suddenly had to wrestle with a noticeably worse user experience every time they wanted to perform a task like texting, making a FaceTime call, or playing a game on the commute to work.

Indeed, users were unhappy that they had what was essentially a fraction of the phone for which they initially paid a sizeable sum. Apple defended its decision by saying the throttling feature helped to maintain the user experience in older iPhones but complaints escalated into a class-action lawsuit which Apple ultimately settled with a $500 million (£368.4 million) payment.

With the throttling feature still in place, iPhones running iOS 11.3 or later are able to switch it off, though it’s worth mentioning Apple does not recommend doing this. We’ll explain the possible consequences of this and why the feature works in the sections below.

What is iPhone throttling?

Throttling is a term used across the computer hardware industry and in this case, it refers to a manufacturer deliberately forcing an update to a device telling it to not perform at its maximum capabilities.

Theoretically, this will prolong the device’s lifespan - allowing it to function at a usable level for a longer period of time. Apple once introduced this on MacBooks to stop them from overheating, but iPhones can also be throttled to preserve battery life.

Elsewhere in computer hardware, throttling can also be a term used to refer to computer components limiting the performance of other components. For example, a higher-performance computer usually requires a robust cooling system in order for the CPU to operate at maximum capacity. If a CPU is not adequately cooled, it can lead to poorer processing performance in a process known as ‘thermal throttling’ - the cooling system here throttles the CPU.

Why does Apple throttle its iPhones?

While it’s no fun to suddenly have your iPhone running at a fraction of its power, there’s a good reason why Apple throttles its iPhones past a specific age. The iPhone’s battery capacity reduces with each charging cycle and gradually loses its ability to offer peak power. Once the battery reaches a certain threshold, your iPhone might also randomly turn off after a few hours of usage.

Apple created software to throttle the iPhone’s performance and reduce the load on the battery. The throttling may prolong the battery's lifespan and help it retain its charge, but performance is noticeably reduced.

How to turn off battery throttling on the iPhone

In the light of the controversy, Apple allowed users to manually disable the throttling feature, starting with iOS 11.3 via the Battery Health feature.

In order to access the battery throttling menu, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the “Battery” tab and tap the “Battery Health” button.
2. Check under the “Peak Performance Capability” section to see if your battery supports normal peak performance or if performance management has been enabled. If it shows that performance management is active, the iPhone throttling software is enabled.
3. If your iPhone throttling is enabled, you’ll see an option to toggle it to the “Off” position to disable the throttling.
4. Toggle performance management to “Off” to disable it.

How to install the latest version of iOS on your iPhone

The option to disable iPhone throttling is only available in iOS 11.3 or later versions, so you may need to upgrade to take advantage of it.

Here’s how you can upgrade to the latest iOS on your iPhone:

1. Open “Settings”
2. Under “General,” tap on “Software Update.”
3. The “Software Update” screen will either tell you whether you have the latest iOS installed or prompt you to upgrade to the newest iOS. If you are on an iOS older than version 11.2, you’ll have to perform more than one update to bring your phone up to date.

Should you turn off iPhone throttling?

If you prefer performance over extended battery life, then switching off the performance management makes sense. However, this will shorten your battery's lifespan.

Instead of buying a new phone, another affordable option is to replace the battery for $49 or $69, depending on which model you own.

If you own a reasonably modern iPhone, like the iPhone 8, battery replacement may make more sense than buying a brand new iPhone. After all, $49-$69 is a lot lower than the price of a new iPhone.

The new Optimized Charging Feature

Apple released another battery-focused feature in iOS 13 called “Optimized Battery Charging.” The feature reduces the wear on your iPhone battery and improves its lifespan by reducing the time your iPhone takes to charge fully.

When you enable this feature, your iPhone learns your daily charging routine and delays charging past 80% in specific situations.

For instance, if your iPhone predicts you’ll charge it for an extended time or overnight, it’ll automatically activate Optimized Battery Charging to delay charging. The algorithm prevents the battery from overcharging and losing its capacity.

The Optimized Battery Charging feature is on by default when you update to iOS 13 or later. To turn the feature off, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health > Optimized Battery Charging.

When the Optimized Battery Charging activates, a notification will appear on the lock screen to inform you when your iPhone will charge fully. If you want your iPhone to charge sooner, touch and hold the notification and tap on “Charge Now.”

Facebook has accused Apple of forcing it to remove a message from its iPhone app that informed users about the company's mandatory 30% App Store "tax".

Facebook recently announced plans to release a new tool that would let online influencers and small businesses host paid online events as a way to offset revenue lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, Facebook said it would allow creators to keep 100% of the revenue they generate - unless the user is paying using an iOS app.

Due to Apple’s in-app purchase fees, which the company allegedly refused to waive despite Facebook's pleas, the social network said it planned to label online event ticket purchases with a message that read: “Apple takes 30% of this purchase."

However, Facebook told Reuters this week that Apple blocked it from pushing out this message on the basis of it being "irrelevant" information.

“Now more than ever, we should have the option to help people understand where money they intend for small businesses actually goes,” Facebook said in a statement.

“Unfortunately Apple rejected our transparency notice around their 30% tax but we are still working to make that information available inside the app experience.”

Facebook isn't the only company to have recently called out Apple's 30% fee on in-app purchases, as the company is currently embroiled in a legal row with Fortnite creator Epic Games over the same issue.

The developer attempted to bypass Apple's proprietary payment system by announcing a 20% discount to users who purchase the game’s virtual currency directly from Epic, which prompted Apple to remove the game from the App Store. It also

In response, Epic filed a lawsuit against Apple and released a video lambasting the company's decision based on its own classic 1984-themed advertisement.

Apple will push back the introduction of privacy changes set to launch with iOS 14, which would require apps to ask users for permission to collect their data

The privacy-centric feature was set to feature in the next major Apple operating system upgrade, but will now be delayed until early next year to give developers more time to react, according to Reuters. The shift comes after Facebook publicly complained it would harm the revenues of its advertising partners.

The iPhone manufacturer announced the AppTrackingTransparency feature in June, revealing it would require apps to allow users to opt-in for ad tracking and data sharing using Apple’s device identifier. Currently, iPhone users must opt-out of such tracking, but changing the regime would likely mean a huge dropoff in users who can be tracked.

“When enabled, a system prompt will give users the ability to allow or reject that tracking on an app-by-app basis,” Apple said in a statement, according to Reuters. “We want to give developers the time they need to make the necessary changes, and as a result, the requirement to use this tracking permission will go into effect early next year.”

Expected to be released in Autumn this year, iOS 14 will also introduce a host of new features including picture-in-picture, new widgets for the home screen and a new home screen with the App Library.

08/27/20: Facebook warns iOS 14 privacy changes will hurt ad revenues

Facebook has warned its advertising partners and third-party developers that privacy changes set to be introduced by iOS 14 could limit their capacity to target iPhones owners.

The next major iOS update for iPhones is will require apps to ask users for permission to collect and share data using Apple’s device identifier. Facebook, however, claims this change will put the revenue streams of smaller companies that rely on its ad network at risk.

Apps will be required to obtain users’ permission before gathering data that allows tracking and ad targeting through a pop-up window. The concern, for Facebook and its partners, is that a swathe of users will decline to allow apps to track their data and target them with ads, severely limiting the monetisation potential.

Currently, iPhone users can opt-out of such tracking, but changing the regime to a conscious opt-in will likely mean a huge number of users falling away.

“We expect these changes will disproportionately affect Audience Network given its heavy dependence on app advertising,” Facebook posted in a blog entry. “Like all ad networks on iOS 14, advertiser ability to accurately target and measure their campaigns on Audience Network will be impacted, and as a result publishers should expect their ability to effectively monetize on Audience Network to decrease.”

“Ultimately, despite our best efforts, Apple’s updates may render Audience Network so ineffective on iOS 14 that it may not make sense to offer it on iOS 14.

“We expect less impact to our own advertising business, and we’re committed to supporting advertisers and publishers through these updates.”

Facebook’s public statement slamming Apple’s iOS 14 changes represents another row between the two tech rivals, with both companies at major odds over privacy. Apple, for instance, stripped Facebook of its developers’ license in January 2019 after the social media firm was found to be distributing a research app to children as young as 13.

It also emerged in April 2020 that Facebook had once tried to buy the infamous Pegasus spyware from the Israeli spyware firm NSO Group in order to spy on iOS users. NSO Group only develops surveillance tools for government agencies, but Facebook hoped to acquire usage rights and embed this tool into the now-defunct Onavo Protect app, which purported to be a virtual private network (VPN) tool.

Outlining how it plans to address the privacy changes in iOS 14, Facebook said it would not collect the device identifier for advertisers (IDFA) information used to track data so targeted advertising could be delivered.

Facebook will also release an updated version of its Facebook SDK to comply with the iOS 14 restrictions. This will provide some support for the Apple SKAdNetwork API, which limits the data available to businesses for running and measuring campaigns.

The social media giant will also ask businesses to create a new ad account dedicated to running app install ad campaigns specifically for iOS 14 users, in an effort to limit the impact on the efficacy of app install campaign measurement.

Facebook has called for Apple to reconsider the changes imposed with iOS 14, suggesting a wider consultation is critical to the broader business landscape and development ecosystem.

Adobe has admitted that users' images and presets have been permanently deleted due to a bug in the latest version of the Lightroom app for iOS and iPadOS.

As first reported by PetaPixel, users started reporting missing files after updating Lightroom to version 5.4 earlier this week.

Those affected lost photos, presets, edits, watermarks, and more. One Reddit user said that he lost two years of edits, and there are a number of similar complaints from people who lost important data.

The majority of those hit by the glitch were using local storage and hadn't upgraded content to Adobe's cloud storage service, although some paid users were also impacted and lost thousands of photos.

Adobe has since pulled the botched update and release a new version of Lightroom for iOS and iPadOS (5.4.1) that "prevents this issue from affecting additional customers".

However, in a forum post, the company warned that "installing version 5.4.1 will not restore missing photos or presets for customers affected by the problem introduced in 5.4.0."

"We know that some customers have photos and presets that are not recoverable. We sincerely apologize to any customers who have been affected by this issue," Adobe added.

In a follow-up statement, the company recommended that affected users try to restore an iCloud backup that might have the lost content, but reiterated there's no solution on Adobe's end to address the loss and no fix if there's no ‌iCloud‌ backup.

News of this glitch comes just weeks after Canon warned that some users’ media has been permanently deleted following a coding error that arose from a botched attempt to switch its image.canon service to new software.

If you believe the hype, the new iPad Pro is utterly magical. It redefines what you can do with a tablet, with a portable computer and probably with your life too. That’s a lot of hype to live up to - but the question is, does the reality come anywhere close?

First, let’s cover the basics. The 2020 iPad Pro is available in two sizes: 11in and 12.9in. You can buy it any colour (as long as it’s silver or Space Grey) and you can choose between 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage, with the option of upgrading to 4G cellular support in addition to Wi-Fi. Pick and choose between these options to fit your needs, with no lockout combinations to avoid.

In terms of price, the 11in model with 128GB of storage and Wi–Fi is £769. Go to the other end of the scale, and the 12.9in iPad Pro with 1TB and cellular will cost you £1,619. Or £1,748 with AppleCare+. This, naturally, is the version we went for.

Of course, this price doesn’t include all of the optional accessories, with the most important being the new Magic Keyboard. Again, this comes in two sizes: an 11in version costs £299, and the larger 12.9in model is £349. And let’s not forget the Apple Pencil, which is £119.

Tick all the boxes and the bill comes to £2,219 inc. VAT, but you’ll be relieved to know that the AppleCare+ covers the Magic Keyboard too. It’s an awful lot of money to spend on a tablet, however hard you crank the numbers. So the obvious question is whether it’s madness, or whether there’s a justifiable investment here.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2020) review: Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil

First, let’s concentrate on the new Magic Keyboard. As you’d expect for the price, this is a beautiful piece of engineering. The iPad Pro mounts into the keyboard using strong magnets, but removing it is a simple (albeit two–handed) operation.

Unlike typical tablet keyboards, the Magic Keyboard raises the iPad Pro up and away from the keyboard. The range of adjustment is adequate, but we’d have liked more tilt. However, that would have exacerbated one of the niggles of this combination: if you do much work using the numeric key row at the top of the keyboard, you’ll find your fingertips tapping onto the bottom edge of the iPad Pro itself. We got used to it after a while, but it was disconcerting at first.

This issue explains why the iPad Pro can’t be tilted back further – the finger interference problem would become a real issue. It also explains why there isn’t a function key row above the numeric row. The Esc key is also notable by its absence, although Cmd+full stop has the same function.

What’s it like to type on? When the keyboard is flat on a table, the key action is positive, with a solid bottom stop and a pleasant action. We’ve had no problems typing on this for hours at a time, and indeed have largely used it to write this review.

Then there’s the touchpad, a new feature for Apple on the iPad Pro platform. This introduces significant changes to iPadOS, bringing a seamless automatic switching between pointer and touch mode. The pad is a reasonable size, although no match for that on a MacBook Pro. Still, what it lacks in size it makes up for in responsiveness, and if it starts to annoy, then you can always pair an Apple Bluetooth mouse to the iPad Pro.

Application support for the touchpad is spotty at the moment. Apple’s own apps work well, but Microsoft’s Office apps are currently less successful. We found Word to be sufficiently annoying and clunky that we switched to Apple’s Pages app, which runs very smoothly indeed.

The Pencil, should you buy it, sits on the top edge of the iPad Pro with strong magnets, and it automatically charges inductively. In appropriately updated apps, moving between touchscreen, keyboard, touchpad, mouse and Pencil is seamless and just works. Using the right tool for the task is something we just don’t think about anymore.

Want to fold up the iPad Pro and keyboard? Just pull on the top of the iPad Pro, and it folds down in one smooth action. Take the iPad Pro off the keyboard? Easy, with no fiddly cables or latches. You’ll soon start doing it without thinking.

This is helped by the location of a USB–C socket on the left-hand side of the keyboard hinge, which can power the iPad Pro through the connector pins built into the keyboard. However, it doesn’t support data, so any interface dongles will still need to connect to the iPad Pro’s USB–C socket.

The combination isn’t small or particularly light, but it’s built like a tank. Carry it around and you know the combination is more than just a tablet. If you want to use the thinner lightweight iPad Pro by itself, just lift it from the keyboard. We’ve been using it this way since it arrived, and it’s a natural operating mode.

It’s worth noting that the new Magic Keyboard works just fine with the 2018 iPad Pro too. So if you want the benefits, you’re not forced into upgrading to this year’s model – just buy the appropriately sized Magic Keyboard, update to the latest iPadOS version and it’ll seamlessly work.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2020) review: Hardware and performance

In terms of the iPad’s history, the big change came in 2018. This took out the Lightning port and moved to USB–C, along with a host of other tweaks. It was a complete re–engineering. The 2020 version takes this further, albeit in a more evolutionary way – the CPU enjoys a modest update, but the bigger shift is to 802.11ax, or Wi-Fi 6. There’s also a Lidar depth sensor, which uses laser light to measure 3D depth. More of that later.

The next obvious question is performance. Apple has updated the core hardware but the changes aren’t profound if you’re coming from the 2018 model. The results of our standard Geekbench 5 benchmark tests show modest improvements - with the 2020 model scoring 1,125 and 4,671 for single and multi-core operations versus 1,119 and 4,539 respectively for the earlier model - but we couldn’t feel any significant differences in daily operation. Our 2016 iPad Pro, however, definitely feels less snappy and responsive.

The change to 802.11ax, also known as Wi-Fi 6, is significant: the 2020 iPad Pro screams on a Wi-Fi 6 network. But you will need the latest Wi–Fi 6 router, and this arena is currently somewhat of a Wild West. However, in our testing against just about every Wi-Fi 6 router and access point on the market, it’s clear that Apple’s Wi-Fi 6 implementation in the 2020 iPad Pro matches that in the iPhone 11 Pro Max, and is damn fast and reliable too.

Battery life, on the other hand, is… strange. In various runs on our 1TB model, we saw runtimes of anything from 6hrs 15mins to 14hrs 29mins – and pretty much anything in between. None of this was repeatable, nor predictable, despite controlling everything from the screen brightness to the wireless radio configuration.

We’ve seen this before on new Apple hardware on a new operating system, and we expect it to stabilise over the next couple of releases. Nevertheless, we haven’t had any issues with battery life in real-world use.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2020) review: Display

Predictably, the display is superb. We measured around 520cd/m2 at maximum brightness (lower than Apple’s claimed 600cd/m2), with good evenness across the display. The colour performance is also excellent, with an average Delta E of only 2.2, a consistently strong performance that is typical for the iPad Pro. This, of course, requires you turn off the stupid True Tone and Night Shift nonsense, but if you care about colour accuracy, this won’t be an issue.

With no home button to worry about, the screen stretches from edge to edge. The explosive colours mean images look fantastic, and note the 120Hz refresh rate for an added dollop of smoothness.

Audio performance is good, but it won’t replace your hi-fi system. It’s at its weakest when handling bass, with the weedy sound you would expect from such a small device, but the voice clarity is strong and it works well for its intended operation. We use it with the AirPod Pro noise cancelling in-ear headphones, and the quality there is superb. As with the 2018 iteration, there’s no 3.5mm headphone socket.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2020) review: Camera

Camera performance is definitely an improvement over the 2018 model, with the arrival of some of the camera technology from the iPhone 11 family. Images look natural, with good colour balance, and don’t suffer from that nasty artificial and over-processed look that some vendors prefer. It even had no issues shooting directly into bright sunshine, with the sun in the shot – there was a remarkable lack of flare, but we mean that in a good way.

All of this is good, and part of the improvement package from the 2018 model. But the dark horse here is the Lidar scanner. This is essentially the same as radar, except that it uses reflected light to measure distance rather than radio. Apple claims that it works from up to 5m away, “both indoors and out”, and we’ve seen nothing to suggest otherwise.

Lidar really comes into its own with augmented reality (AR) applications because it allows the AR platform to accurately measure the 3D space far more quickly, and with more precision, than can be done with a standard optical camera image.

It works well on the few apps that currently support it. The downside is that those apps are rarer than Dominic Cummings fans in the Labour party. However, developers have only had access to this technology, and its support with the development toolset, for a limited time. We expect to see a lot more AR apps taking advantage of Lidar over the coming months, and the rumoured inclusion of the Lidar sensor in the next iPhone will be a key tipping point for wider support.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2020) review: Software and UI

Over the history of the iPad Pro product line, we’ve tried hard to justify the “Pro” tag. This implies serious work, and most definitely means “content creation”, rather than just “content consumption”. It has sometimes worked, in a variety of niches, but we’ve never felt comfortable that the iPad Pro, even with the additional keyboard, really delivered. There were too many compromises, too many gotchas and too many occasions where we really needed a proper laptop.

Today, though, things are very different. The Magic Keyboard is transformative for the iPad Pro. The key action, trackpad operation and the iPadOS integration is a huge leap forward. Then consider the mouse capabilities and the superb Apple Pencil, and this is a UI experience that frankly leads the world.

App developers have moved on too. There’s a wide range of funky apps out there, including incredible packages that can do 3D CAD modelling through to serious photo and video editing, and thence to Pencil-driven music page notation. And we haven’t even begun to see the impact of Lidar yet.

With this new release, encompassing the iPad Pro itself, the Magic Keyboard, iPadOS and the maturity in the application base, we have a device that we really can use day to day. It’s the most versatile computer we’ve ever owned. If we need hardcore OS capabilities, Parallels Access gives us immediate remote access to a 27in iMac or Windows desktop in the lab. Firing up a VPN gets us straight into the internal network, and we can access any of the NAS stores via the Files app. The built-in LTE option is a must too, even if you don’t enable it initially.

We confess that we tend to run apps in full-screen mode, but the multi-window drag and drop works just fine, especially if you have the larger 12.9in display.

The downsides? The range of swipes and operating controls can be confusing because they’re not in total alignment with our MacBook Pro or a conventional Windows 10 desktop. There are new actions to be learned, but this doesn’t take long and they have their own logic and structure.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2020) review: Verdict

We’ve followed the iPad Pro since its launch some four years ago, buying each new model as they came along. With the 2020 version, there are significant changes to the platform. The big question, however, is whether it’s worth it: is this a good inflection point for an upgrade, and does it deliver sufficient capability and value for money? In short, should the new iPad Pro be on your Lidar?

Yes, with some caveats. If you need to run a line-of-business Windows app, then the iPad Pro is not for you (unless you have a VDI infrastructure in place). Remote access works, but should always be a fallback emergency position.

Where the iPad Pro shines is in the range of its capabilities, the way you can switch between the various modes of operation, and the sheer quality of the OS integration. Windows 10 on a tablet can work well, but we would cheerfully never see that awful onscreen keyboard ever again, especially when battling with a ten-year-old 32–bit Windows app being dragged screaming into the modern touch world. By contrast, serious content creation isn’t a problem on this new iPad Pro platform – and some of the tools out there are genuinely breathtaking.

Is it worth upgrading from the original 2016 version with its weak “folding octopus” keyboard? Absolutely: our 2016 version is now relegated to second-screen operation. Upgrade from the 2018 version? We’re not so sure – you can have all the goodness of the Magic Keyboard, and the Pencil and mouse support too. Upgrading is worth it if you want the Lidar unit or the 802.11ax/Wi–Fi 6 support, but for most customers with the 2018 unit, that’s not really a big draw today. You might be wise to await the arrival of a 5G version of the iPad Pro in 2021/2022.

However, don’t even consider the iPad Pro without the new Magic Keyboard. It’s truly transformative for the platform, and despite the wallet-shredding price, you won’t regret it. The Pencil is rather more niche, but it has a place even in mundane mainstream apps such as the word processor. We wouldn’t give consideration to the 11in model at all – for us, the smaller version is an irrelevance. You’ll want the bigger screen, and you’ll want the bigger keyboard.

Is it worth so much more than an iPad, or a competitor running Android? Absolutely yes, but only if you’re prepared to explore the professional aspects. Using the iPad Pro to mostly read on the train, or simply to browse Facebook, is a criminal waste of its capabilities.

For once, Apple is justified in its hyperbole. While we can’t force ourselves to say that it is “utterly magical”, it’s the best all-round computing platform we’ve used in the past decade. Maybe even longer.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2020) specifications

Pity the poor owners of the original iPhone SE. They’ve waited four long years for this refresh, with Apple no doubt hoping they would instead shell out on an iPhone 11 or iPhone XR. But with iPhone sales declining recently, Apple evidently felt the need to appeal to people unwilling to spend more than £600 on a new handset.

Hence, an all-new version of the iPhone SE, small in size as well as in pricetag. The previous SE was an impressive package, managing to fit most of the best qualities of the larger iPhones into a compact frame, and Apple is hoping to repeat the trick here.

Apple iPhone SE (2020) review: Design

In terms of design, the new iPhone SE duplicates the appearance of the iPhone 8 to the millimetre and gram. It’s 138mm tall, 67mm wide, 7.3mm thick and weighs 138g. Glass panels sandwich an aluminium frame and it’s available in black, white and “Product Red” colours (a portion of funds raised from the Product Red phone contribute to the Global Fund to combat COVID-19).

All the buttons and external features are in the same place as the iPhone 8 too. The single camera sits at the rear in the top left corner, the volume buttons and Do Not Disturb switch are on the left edge, while the power button is on the right. The Lightning connector on the bottom is flanked by a pair of speaker grilles and the Touch ID button on the front is haptic instead of mechanical – note this phone’s IP67 rating against water and dust.

Apple iPhone SE (2020) review: Display

When you’ve spent the past two years looking at phones with edge-to-edge displays, a handset with honest to goodness bezels at the top and bottom comes as a shock. No matter how much we try to love the smaller size (it’s nice to operate a phone with one hand again) there’s no denying that a bigger screen is much better for watching TV and movies, and playing games on. That dinky screen makes it more fiddly to type out emails and social media messages too.

Still, what’s here is pretty good. It’s an IPS panel measuring 4.7in across the diagonal and it has a Retina-class resolution of 750 x 1,334 with a pixel density of 336ppi. That, incidentally, is the same as the original iPhone SE’s 4in screen and the iPhone XR with its 6.1in screen.

It’s also good from a technical standpoint. We measured it with the office calibrator and found that peak brightness settled at 571cd/m2 and contrast at 1,427:1 – both solid figures. Colour performance is as good as ever from Apple, with sRGB coverage hitting 95.5% and the average Delta E at a healthy low of 0.96.

Apple iPhone SE (2020) review: Specs and performance

With the same Apple A13 Bionic chip as its more expensive siblings, although half as much RAM at 3GB, you’d expect a performance boost over the older iPhone SE. And, at triple the speed in Geekbench 5’s multicore test, it certainly delivers. What’s most eye-opening, however, is how much faster this phone is than Android rivals at a similar price - specifically the £349 Google Pixel 4a.

While our Pixel 4a review is still in progress, we can reveal that the SE’s single-core and multi-tasking scores of 1,330 and 3,291 handily doubled those achieved by the Pixel 4a, which is extremely impressive.

In short, the iPhone SE is easily the most powerful hardware in a phone costing less than £500. It’s also worth noting that it’s more than a match in raw performance terms for the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 phones such as the Oppo Find X2 Pro.

Sadly, there’s one crucial area where the new iPhone SE can’t match its competitors and that’s battery life. With the same tiny 1,821mAh power pack as the original iPhone 8, stamina suffers badly. The SE only lasted 11hrs 35mins in our fairly undemanding video-rundown test, which is better than the iPhone 8 but worse than the original iPhone SE.

Apple adds fast 18W charging this time around, which takes the phone from flat to 50% in 30 minutes, but when most flagships are lasting more than 20 hours in this test, it’s impossible not to be disappointed by this result.

Apple iPhone SE (2020) review: Camera

In stark contrast to flagship phones with their ridiculous haul of cameras, the iPhone SE offers only two: one 7-megapixel f/2.2 selfie camera and a 12-megapixel f/1.8 main camera at the rear. The specifications are the same as the iPhone 8, although the power of the A13 Bionic processor means image quality is much improved.

There’s neither Deep Fusion low-light mode nor night mode, but the photographs we’ve grabbed with the 2020 iPhone SE have been good across the board. Perhaps most notably, Apple’s portrait mode brings out the best from the 12-megapixel sensor, providing all the same lighting effects as you get in the pricier iPhones.

Still, it can’t match the iPhone 11 Pro Max’s incredibly sharp images. For instance, even in its strong suit of portraits, the iPhone SE’s skin textures are softer and the hairs not as sharp. As a general rule, the iPhone 11 produces crisper details and a richer palette of colours.

Surprisingly, in low light, the iPhone SE holds its own against the iPhone 11 Pro Max. Although there’s clearly more noise in the SE’s images, it isn’t overly distracting and colours are still nice and neutral.

Perhaps more impressive than this, however, is how good the iPhone SE’s video capture is. The phone’s A13 Bionic chip really comes into play here, enabling Smart HDR to keep exposures even, and it can apply image stabilisation to 4K footage recorded at 60fps.

The video quality is simply sumptuous, with plenty of detail, stabilisation that’s smooth without looking overly artificial and a frame rate that ensures your home movies look great in most situations.

In short, there is nothing else that can compete with the iPhone SE’s video-capture capabilities at this price. Despite the lack of ultra-wide-angle and zoom options, you’re getting a top-quality camera here.

Apple iPhone SE (2020) review: Verdict

On the face of it, the iPhone SE is little more than a warmed-up iPhone 8 – a hotchpotch of parts old and new that shouldn’t really work together. It has a tiny display and it looks old-fashioned with those enormous bezels. And, yet, there are many reasons you might consider it.

It has a great camera and amazing performance, it’s smaller and lighter than most phones released today and it’s the cheapest iPhone by a considerable distance. We haven’t even mentioned the fact it supports Wi-Fi 6, which is a notable inclusion in such a well-priced phone. The fly in the ointment is desultory battery life, which makes it impossible to award the phone a full five stars.

Still, if you have less than £500 to spend (the 128GB version still costs only £469), just don’t get on with bigger phones or simply must own an Apple handset, the updated iPhone SE is well worth considering. It may be the cheapest iPhone, but it’s mightily impressive.

Apple iPhone SE (2020) specifications

As the world adapts to working and socializing remotely, video conferencing platforms are jostling for position. Google Meet may have just nudged its way to the top by announcing it will now be available on smartphones through Gmail.

Making its product free was the first step in overtaking Zoom, a video conferencing platform with free and paid options. Zoom users who don’t wish to pay for a subscription can have 40-minute meetings with up to 100 participants and unlimited one-on-one meetings. Users who opt for paid Zoom plans get stronger encrypting to keep their meetings secure. Zoom paid plans start at $14.99 per month and go up from there.

In April, Google announced it would integrate Meet with Gmail and make it free to all Gmail users. On May 12, Google completed the integration, but it was still limited to online and desktops, not through smartphones.

Today, the integration is ready for Android and iOS devices. Mobile Gmail users will find a Meet tab when they open their Gmail app. Clicking on the tab will allow you to do everything you can currently do online, such as start a new meeting, schedule a meeting, see who’s in the call and check your video.

Gmail users who don’t wish to use Google Meets can jump into their settings page and disable the function so the tab disappears.

Apple’s iOS 13.5 boasts a number of new features, including those targeting coronavirus-related iPhone issues. It also includes a patch for a serious bug in Apple Mail. However, the update contains several serious bugs affecting iPad and iPhone users. In addition to high battery drain, iPadOS can cause boot loops on the iPad Pro, while media playback of the MP4/MPEG-4 container format doesn’t work for iPads or iPhones.

The bug in iOS 13.5 causes the 10.5-inch iPad Pro to reboot between 30 and 45 seconds after logging in. Full factory resets and putting devices into DFU mode haven’t fixed the problem across all devices. Some iPhones have had the same problem, and the issue also affects iPadOS / iOS 13.4.1 and 13.5.

The MP4 playback issue, which also affects iOS 13.4.1 and 13.5, causes users to lose access to their video libraries with native and third-party apps, such as NPlayer or InFuse. Although Apple switched default video recording to HEVC in iOS 11, this option has mixed support. Switching to MP4 is the most popular option, as it is the most popular format.

One affected user said, “I reported this to Apple and the only suggestion they gave me that I hadn’t already tried was to delete and reinstall the TV app. But that did not help. Good luck to all of us!”

Apple released iOS 13.5.1 as an update, but it doesn’t address either problem. As of now, there is no timeline for a fix. This update patches a zero-day vulnerability in all iOS 11 and later devices.

Apple has denied that three severe flaws in its Mail app for iOS devices have been used to attack iPhone users, suggesting the flaw does “not pose an immediate risk”.

Researchers with ZecOps outlined in detail the mechanism by which two severe flaws in the in-built iOS Mail app had been used to attack individuals since at least January 2018.

The flaws, present in the flagship operating system since at least iOS 6 in 2012, allowed hackers to leak modify or delete emails. On one occasion, they were used in combination with a third unknown vulnerability to give cyber criminals full control of a device.

The alleged targets, identified by the researchers, included MSSPs and individuals from a Fortune 500 company, among other victims, although Apple has found no evidence that its users were attacked.

“We have thoroughly investigated the researcher’s report and, based on the information provided, have concluded these issues do not pose an immediate risk to our users,” Apple said in a statement, according to Reuters.

“The researcher identified three issues in Mail, but alone they are insufficient to bypass iPhone and iPad security protections, and we have found no evidence they were used against customers.”

ZecOps has stood by its initial research, however, suggesting in a response that several targets were indeed affected by the vulnerability, which has not yet been officially patched. The firm reported the issue to Apple on 19 February, with the developer issuing fixes in a publicly available iOS beta between 15 and 16 April.

“According to ZecOps data, there were triggers in-the-wild for this vulnerability for a few organisations,” the cyber security company said in response to Apple's statement.

“We want to thank Apple for working on a patch, and we’re looking forward to updating our devices once it’s available. ZecOps will release more information and POCs once a patch is available.”

To initiate the attack, a hacker would only need to send email messages that consumed significant amounts of memory in order to trigger a buffer overflow. This means the attackers could fill a block of memory beyond its capacity and overwrite areas that hold executable code, with their own malicious code.

The flaws can be exploited in a ‘zero-click’ fashion on iOS 13, meaning no user interaction would be needed, and attackers could trigger the pathways while Mail was running in the background. On iOS 12, by contrast, users would need to click on the malicious email messages received, unless the cyber criminals also controlled the email server.

All iOS versions are vulnerable, including iOS 13.4.1, although the researchers haven’t been able to test the Mail app on versions prior to iOS 6. MacOS is not vulnerable to either flaw.

It appears Apple is developing a way to offer specific parts of third-party apps without requiring users to install them first.

This feature would allow users to experience a sampling of an app’s functionality by scanning a QR Code. The report is based on information found within the iOS 14 code, meaning that while this is not necessarily an indication of launch plans, it provides insight into some of the features Apple’s developing.

The feature is referenced internally as the “Clips” API. Based on 9to5Mac’s analysis, the “Clips” API works in conjunction with a device’s QR Code reader and will allow a user to scan a code linked to an app, then interact with that app through a window that appears on their screen.

For marketers, such a feature could become a rather powerful tool. Allowing a user to preview and interact with an app before actually downloading it presents a unique opportunity that’s likely to become far more effective than app developers using banner ads or social media advertisements to promote their apps.

According to findings, Apple is currently testing this feature with OpenTable, Yelp, DoorDash, Sony’s PS4 Second Screen app, and YouTube.

Google’s Android platform already offers a similar feature known as “Slices.” Launched in 2018, Android’s Slices feature drives the usage of apps without having to locate and launch the app first.

Perhaps Siri or Spotlight Search will play a role in pulling up these “clips,” if it ever comes to fruition.

While it’s currently unclear what Apple’s intentions are with the “Clips” API, we certainly look forward to learning more about this potential new feature.

Since the release of iOS 13.1.2, Apple iPhone and iPad users have complained about intermittent Wi-Fi hotspot disconnects. For the most part, the complaints have gone unaddressed, but a new report from MacRumors shows Apple is likely aware of the situation.

According to the report, Apple distributed an internal document to its authorized service providers, telling them to expect customers with complaints about hotspot-connection issues, including intermittent disconnects.

Though there is no fix yet, the memo advised service providers of a workaround – simply turn the hotspot off and back on. While this is just fine for the occasional hotspot users, if you travel for business and rely on this hotspot for your on-the-road connection, this could become quite a headache.

iOS 13.4 is due out soon, and some are hoping this update will address the issue. Unfortunately, Apple has not mentioned this in any of its update notes.

Until Apple releases a patch for this issue, we recommend verifying you are connected before submitting any long forms via your Wi-Fi hotspot. Few things are more frustrating than completing a long form and hitting “submit,” only to get the dreaded “Can’t reach this page” error.

We’ll bring you updates as we learn more about Apple’s fix for this now-known hotspot issue.

Smartphones are like little filing systems for your digital life. You have apps for just about everything and pages upon pages of space to house them in. If you're super organised you can even put them in little boxes marked "social media" or "streaming services" and have all those icons tucked away neatly. Or, alternatively, you can go all Marie Kondo on your phone and get rid of all the apps that don't bring you any joy.

However, getting rid of apps is not just a case of holding an icon down until you can swipe it into a virtual bin - that's just the face of it - you also need to delete the data it creates. When you download an application, it will come with a trove of data, but over time your interactions with the said app will accumulate even more. Once the app is removed, you may then need to go find the data and delete that too.

Often this can be quite a large chunk of info, especially when you consider the amount you use certain apps, such as Twitter or Facebook, which take up lots of your phone's storage space. Also worth bearing in mind that it can be fairly sensitive data too, the kind you might not want to leave in your phone's memory.

For this reason, it's important to give your device a good old clear out every so often and free up some storage. In this article, we will explain how best to do that on iOS and Android phones...

Deleting apps on Android

How to delete pre-installed apps on Android

Rather frustratingly, there's no simple way to remove pre-installed apps from your device, without hacking into the core system (i.e. rooting) your Android phone. This is because the majority of the pre-installed apps are either necessary to running your device, or are branded apps straight from your phone's manufacturer, or Google itself, that they have no incentive to allow you to remove.

That means that there's no way to remove them from your phone altogether. If you want to stop them cluttering up your apps tray, however, you can stop them from showing up in your list of installed apps by disabling them. To do so, open Settings, select Apps and Notifications, tap the app you want to disable and then tap "Disable". You can turn it back on again the same way by selecting "Enable".

How to delete third-party apps on Android

If you've downloaded apps from the Google Play Store, you can very easily uninstall these from your device, either by heading to your apps drawer or via the settings.

To delete from the apps tray, press the round icon with six dots on it. From here, you can press and hold the app you want to delete, release and a red x' icon will appear in the corner. Tap this to uninstall the app. On some versions of Android, when you press and hold the app icon, "uninstall" will appear at the top of the screen. Just drag the icon here.

The alternative is to delete the app via the settings. Head to settings > apps. Now select the app you want to delete and tap "uninstall".

How to check apps have been deleted on Android and re-install them

To see whether the app has been uninstalled, you can venture to the Apps Store itself and search for the app. If it's previously been installed but has been successfully deleted, you will see the option to reinstall it here. If it hasn't been removed from your device, it will show the option to open it instead.

Alternatively, you can head to the Play Store, tap the three lines next to the search bar and select My apps and games' from the top of the list. Choose Installed' if you want to see whether the apps you deleted are still installed on your device or Library' to see the apps you've deleted. From here, you can re-install them.

Deleting apps on iOS

How to temporarily delete apps on iOS

If you want to temporarily remove apps from an iPhone or iPad that are taking up space, without losing all the data associated with those apps, you can take a look at the Offload Unused Apps settings, which will remove the apps you don't use, without removing the data. This means when you re-install them, the data will be restored.

How to permanently delete apps on iOS

An ongoing bugbear among the iPhone user base for a number of years had been having to contend with being forced to keep a plethora of pre-installed apps, such as Stocks, that may never be used. Apple finally gave in and from last year allowed users to use the same app-deletion method to remove this potentially unwanted software.

Your device must be running iOS 10 or later, however, and certain apps that are necessary for the iPhone to function, such as Messages and Wallet, cannot be removed.There are two methods that can be used to remove both third-party and pre-installed apps from an iOS device, with the quickest and most common to do so directly from your layout.

By tapping and holding any app, they will all begin to wiggle in their spots, and deletable apps will show an x' in the top-right corner. Tapping the button, and confirming the action, will remove the app from your device. You'll also be told this will remove any data the app keeps on our device.

For those seeking to delete unused applications to free up storage space, the information needed can be found nestled in the Settings app by heading to Settings > general > iPhone Storage. After a quick calculation, you will see a list of all the apps installed on your device as well as how much space they're consuming.

How to check apps have been deleted on iOS and re-install them

You can easily find out whether the apps have been deleted from your iPhone be heading to the App Store on your iPhone. Select Updates', then Purchased' and then Not on This iPhone/iPad'.

Here, you will see a list of the apps that you've previously purchased but are not on your iPhone. You can also re-install them from here, by clicking on the download arrow next to the app name.

Loyalty to an operating system can sometimes be compared to that of a football team or a political party. And this is certainly the case when it comes to Android vs iOS. Most iPhone users are Apple-til-they-die and can be keen on pointing this out at any given moment. These are the 'brand lovers' that wittingly chose vendor lock-in and have MacBook's and iPads to go with their iOS-based smartphones.

While there are many solid reasons to be an Apple-ite, the world's most popular mobile operating system is actually Android. With Google's OS, user can choose pretty much any other smartphone manufacturer (except Huawei) and arguably enjoy more interoperability with different laptop, tablet and smartphone ranges.

You may have one or the other as a consumer, but what should you do as a business? Do you kit your employees out with the best of Apple or do you sign them up to Google's Android and let them have a bit more device choice?

Unfortunately, there's a lot more to it than that. Security is arguably the most pressing concern for businesses – particularly as most will have been working remotely and look set to continue doing so. Then there are key details such as cost, compatibility, how easy it is to instal, use and learn. You may be an Apple aficionado, but does Jeff in accounting know his way around an iPad?

These are the consideration you need to make when choosing a business-wide operating system. Just like being Liverpool or Everton, Labour or Tory, you can be Apple or Android (or neither if you find a niche OS).

Android vs iOS: Hardware choice

Although we are mainly focusing on the operating systems, your choice will almost certainly be led by the hardware they support. It is very unlikely that a consumer will choose an iPhone because they prefer iOS as it is usually a case of having iOS because it is on the iPhone they want.

So, the choice of hardware is a little more limited on Apple's iOS as it only offers iPhones. However, now is a pretty good time to go for one as they've had a strong couple of years. The current crop includes the iPhone 14 Pro –with iOS 16 – which has some of the best camera and video technology around. The design is also pretty much the same as the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12, both of which are very high-quality devices – with these, you can also get an iPhone mini. There is also the more budget-friendly iPhone SE, which has an older design and none of the fancy features.

With more than 1 billion of them in circulation, the iPhone is the world's most popular smartphone, however, this doesn't automatically mean iOS is the most popular mobile OS. That title is taken by Android and the main reason for this is because it works with more manufacturers. So while iOS only works on Apple iPhones, Android is used by Samsung, Sony, Google (of course), OnePlus... practically every other brand.

Overall levels of choice is the biggest bonus of being on Android and not just choice of brand - there are more different types of handsets available here, from standard 6.1in screens to massive phablets, such as the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. Plus, it gets bigger still as you have a number of foldable devices on offer, such as the Z Fold 4 and the Huawei Mate Xs2.

Android vs iOS: Design

The latest version of Google's OS is a far cry from the days of clunky Android KitKat. Android 12 is a more slick and gorgeous experience with a plethora of features that help it to adapt to users' preferences. The Material You interface allows users to change themes and colours to their own preferences, even adapting from their own wallpaper uploads – a feature that isn't available on iOS.

However, Apple's OS has an established reputation for its simplicity and ease of use. The learning curve for new users is astonishingly low, and its commands and functions are simple to pick up. The design is based heavily on the idea that most users don't really need all the adjustable bells and whistles that platforms have normally offered. Google's Android system, meanwhile, suffers from its reputation as being a little confusing to navigate. By contrast, this offers an insurmountable depth of customisation, but much of this is hidden deep inside menus and interfaces.

One of the main issues with designing your user interface to be overly simplified, however, is that it normally comes at the cost of functionality. By default, iOS just doesn't give you the kind of space to adjust your user interface, or its functionality, to make it stand out in the same way you can with Android devices. Google's OS is so much more feature-rich, offering greater customisation options and an array of settings to tweak your device to fit your precise needs.

While iOS on iPhones looks great, it has conventionally shone on tablets where the software can take advantage of powerful multitasking features supported by superb Apple processors. The laptop-style experience you can create on an iOS tablet is simply far superior to anything an Android unit can offer. Having said that, however, Apple will soon roll out a dedicated iPadOS, breaking free of the iOS mould with specially-tailored software.

Android vs iOS: Compatibility

The iPhone is the most popular device in the world, so it's absolutely no surprise that software makers and accessory manufacturers generally choose to prioritise it over Android. This means if you've got an Apple device, you can all but guarantee whatever app, platform, plugin or attachment you want to use will be supported – though there are some companies that take issue with its 30% app store tax, so not all are available.

Another potential issue for some users will be the fact that Apple has chosen to remove the headphone jack on later devices. This isn't a major problem, given that there's a Lightning to 3.5mm jack adapter supplied in the box and Bluetooth headphones are widely available. And although some devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy S20, have ditched the headphone jack too, an Android device may be a better option if you're dead set on the 3.5mm port – though it is very rare to see one at all.

Connectivity is a consideration if you want a USB Type-C connection as that is the default for seemingly all modern Android devices. Apple's handsets are all on its lightning cables, though EU court rulings may change that for future iPhones.

Android vs iOS: Security

Mobile security is too often overlooked by businesses, but if you're issuing devices to your employees, you should make certain that they're as secure as humanly possible. The list of vulnerabilities, exploits and other security flaws that have been discovered in the Android OS is long and extensive, as is the list of malware-riddled apps found on the Google Play Store.

iOS benefits from a better reputation, but it's far from unhackable. Recent notable flaws include the HomeKit bug and the Meltdown/Spectre debacle. Instances of major exploits in Apple's devices are much, much fewer than on Android, however, and it benefits from faster software rollouts, too. Apple can push updates to all of its handsets directly, whereas Android users must wait until their phone maker has implemented a version of Google's update that works with its own Android skin.

Android vs iOS: Verdict

Android has millions of fans around the world, and with good reason; it's matured into a powerful and versatile operating system, with heaps of functionality. With time, the OS has offered a smoother user experience and a more aesthetically-designed interface too. However, for business devices, the fact is that Apple's software remains king of the hill.

iOS is slick, easy to use, good-looking and boasts absolutely stellar security and privacy features. While it's not without its flaws, the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages, and for corporate devices, iOS should still be your first port of call.

The best business smartphones won't have everything you need to get you through the workday, but they can be a reliable backup option should tasks need finishing on the go. That requires snappy processing power, long battery life, and enough display space to see read your emails and even fix spreadsheets. 

Over the last twelve months we have tried and tested some of the best around, from the latest iPhone to the best Samsung has to offer. In this article, we will provide you with a detailed review of each device, what to look for when purchasing a new smartphone for work, and also an insight into our testing methodology. 

The Best Business Smartphones 2026

If you're an iOS person or you're business is deep into Apple's product ecosystem then the iPhone 14 Pro is, in our opinion, the best value for money right now. The 15 models are out, but there isn't enough of a difference between the two to go for the absolute latest but there will be a price difference. 

With its A16 Bionic processor, the 14 Pro is an extremely powerful smartphone. In Geekbench 5, the 14 Pro hit 5,497 for multi-threaded workloads, leaving its Android rivals in the dust. For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra only managed 3,475. If it's speed you need, the iPhone 14 Pro is the clear winner in that regard.

The iPhone 14 Pro is currently priced at $999, which is still admittedly high – though that is far more affordable than the very latest iPhone 15 Pro. An argument could also be made for an older model, such as the iPhone 12, which has almost the same design, and most of the necessary features, for almost half the price – something businesses are most likely going to weigh up.

However, the 14 Pro has plenty of worthwhile extras, such as the Dynamic Island which makes emails and notifications that little bit easier to deal with.

Read our full Apple iPhone 14 Pro review for more information.

Google has found great success in the smartphone market with its Pixel range and that is partly to do with its innovative AI-based features. Take the Pixel 7 Pro, for example, which captured the imagination with its 'Magic Eraser' tool that allows users to make groundbreaking edits to photos.

The element that made us all go 'wow', and what really sold most on the Pixel 7 Pro, was the ability to remove objects and people from images. This is down to the innovative Tensor G2 chip and its machine-learning capabilities. It's also worth noting that it is still early days and AI capabilities on phones will become very advanced in the years to come. But for right now, the Pixel is arguably the best around.

For businesses the most appealing aspect of a Google Pixel is its native links to the Workspace suite of apps – there is no phone around that can replace the performance of a laptop, but for quick checks, minor tweaks, and little notes, the Pixel 7 Pro is great for Gmail, Google Docs, even Google Sheets. There is also potential space here for AI in the future.

Read our full Google Pixel 7 Pro review for more information.

Flip and foldable phones might seem gimmicky in the consumer space, but they do have a reasonable purpose for businesses. This is largely because they're mini tablets, offering larger screen space than your average phone. And the absolute best of the best here is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. 

Packing an octa-core snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip, the Fold 4 is a smooth operator and business-friendly handheld. Switching apps is effortless, editing Google Docs is actually doable, and the larger screen really does allow you to work on the go.

Its Geekbench 5 scores are also noteworthy, with a multithreaded score (3,960) far above the likes of the Pixel 7 Pro and the Huawei Mate X2s. You have the processing power to handle the heaviest of work apps.

However, what really matters, and what businesses should take note of, is the inclusion of a Samsung S-Pen. The whole experience of a foldable screen gets better with a stylus, from annoying docs to creating doodles, it just offers that little bit more.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review for more information.

There is something to be said for smaller phones; they're easier to handle and ultimately use on the go, for example. But what Sony has with its Xperia 5IV is a narrow smartphone with its compact 6.1in display and its slender 8.2mm thick chassis. It is a very unobtrusive device, perfect for minor business needs. 

The OLED display and its 21:9 aspect ratio and a 120Hz refresh rate are the big plus points of the device. The size is great for your thumb, as it can actually reach all parts of the display, but also good for streaming content as the aspect ratio takes away those annoying black bars. What's more, it's also very vivid with 99.9% of the sRGB color space covered under our calibrator. This is a display that matches the likes of the S22 Ultra and the iPhone 14 Pro but in a smaller way.

There is also a stellar camera system on the IV, which is less important to business users, but it does mean that the device has a more premium quality to it and therefore a more premium price. It is still under $1,000, but only just. 

Read our full Sony Xperia 5 IV review for more information.

What to look for in a business smartphone

When shopping for a smartphone, it’s easy to be lured into thinking that you should simply go with whichever device boasts the highest specs - but this isn’t always the case, and in some instances, more technically advanced devices can actually offer a less satisfying experience.

For example, while a super-powerful processor may seem attractive, most flagship phones have far more CPU power than the average user needs, so unless you’re planning on using your phone to handle extremely demanding tasks like professional videography, you may find that a mid-range processor offers better value for money. It may also result in better battery life thanks to less power-hungry components, which applies equally to screen technology.

The higher a display’s resolution and refresh rate, the more charge will be needed to power it, which can quickly sap your battery. While most devices with a high refresh rate also include dynamic optimisations to mitigate this, it’s nonetheless worth bearing in mind. Generally, you should aim for a resolution of between 1080p and 1440p, and a refresh rate of at least 60Hz, which will ensure the best blend between battery life and user experience.

Regardless of how long the battery lasts, however, you should make sure to look for devices that include fast-charging support, as this will inevitably come in handy at some point. Wireless charging is also a nice feature to have, but unless you own a wireless charging pad, or your work has them dotted around the office, it's unlikely to be a feature you use very often.

You should, however, make sure that your chosen phone supports Wi-Fi 6 and 5G; these technologies may still be comparatively nascent, but skip this functionality and you may need to upgrade sooner than planned as it becomes more widespread.

Those seeking the most secure phone possible should check our best secure smartphones list.

FAQs

Are iPhones or Android phones better for business use?

There’s a certain amount of animosity that can sometimes be observed when it comes to Android vs iPhone; Android fans contend that Apple devices are needlessly expensive, prone to failure and restrictive to use, while iPhone devotees insist that Android devices are cheaply-made, poor quality hardware brimming with malware.

All of these arguments have grains of truth behind them, but on balance, it’s iOS that comes up trumps for business. As the dominant platform, it tends to be prioritised by software developers, and although high-end manufacturers like Samsung and Google can offer experiences that compete with Apple’s smartphones, the wider Android ecosystem does contain more than its fair share of duds.

However, the simple fact is that in most cases, Android and iOS are equally capable for business users. The software required for business smartphones - enterprise collaboration apps, document management systems, device management tools, and so on - are all available across both platforms, and as long as organisations don’t try and cut too many corners on the price of the unit itself, device quality is unlikely to be an issue.

How often should I update my employees’ company smartphones?

Smartphone technology moves at a seemingly breakneck pace, and every year manufacturers are touting more and more impressive specs and features. This leaves businesses with a dilemma: do they invest more money in upgrading employees’ devices every year or so, or do they sweat them for a longer period and risk missing out on the latest capabilities?

The key thing to bear in mind is that many of the features these newer smartphones boast are geared towards personal use, as opposed to business. While an improved camera is nice for taking holiday snaps, it doesn’t make much difference for most workers’ day-to-day use. With this in mind, it’s better to invest in buying higher-end devices and sweating them for a longer period of three to five years, which will offer better long-term value.

Should I get a 5G business smartphone contract?

5G has been around for a number of years now, but its introduction somehow doesn’t seem as revolutionary as previous generations of mobile broadband. Many contracts will now include 5G connectivity as standard, but it’s still worth paying a bit extra to secure a business smartphone contract that supports the latest standard - assuming your corporate devices do as well.

When employees are on the road - or working flexibly from a third location - the added speed and stability that 5G can offer is an excellent way to ensure consistent productivity, and sharing a 5G connection via hotpot can even be used as a backup broadband connection for PCs and laptops in the event of a connection failure.

How we test

We measure the effectiveness of a smartphone in a number of ways; to test the quality of the display, we’ll use a colour calibrator and the open source DisplayCal app to measure how much of the sRGB colour gamut it covers, as well as the Delta-E rating. This tells us how much of the colour spectrum it’s able to represent, and how accurate those colours are. We’ll also test the maximum brightness and contrast ratio.

Performance testing is carried out using the Geekbench 5 benchmark app, which gives separate results for single-core and multi-core operations. For phones that don’t support this app, we’ll use a different benchmarking app, then run that same app on a phone which does support Geekbench, and then use that as a basis for comparison.

To test the battery of a smartphone, we’ll charge it to 100%, use the calibrator to set the brightness to 170cd/m2 (or as near as possible) and then play a looped video in flight mode until the battery runs out. This gives us a figure that can be compared across models, but to assess real-world longevity, we track how long the battery lasts on average during our testing period.

iOS 12, Apple's new operating system for the iPhone and iPad, will be officially launched on 12 September, following a developer beta that launched back in June.

As the name suggests, this is the 12th iteration of the mobile operating system, succeeding the current version, iOS 11. Some key improvements have been confirmed, which users and developers alike will welcome. Read on to find out the latest news and rumours about the next version of iOS.

iOS 12 news

12/09/2018: iOS 12 will be generally available from 12 September

Apple launched not one, two, but three new versions of the iPhone at a special 'Gather round' event hosted today. A raft of enhancements to the devices were also showcased, including beefed-up battery life, sophisticated camera functionality and advancements to the processor technologies used.

watch Series 4 was also announced in addition to Apple detailing its plans to be a more environmentally friendly company from production and use right the way through to device end of life.

The event was jam-packed full of news, with a lack of iPad updates as expected by many. However, towards the end of the event, Apple's CEO Tim Cook confirmed that two of the OS updates talked about at WWDC back in June, iOS 12 and macOS Mojave, would be available on 17 and 24 September respectively.

15/08/2018: Apple rolls back iOS beta update after it crashes devices

Apple has withdrawn the latest iOS 12 beta update after it crashed devices and prevented people from being able to log into the lock screen.

The company was forced to stop sending out the iOS 12 beta 7 OTA when testers of the upcoming phone platform reporting various bugs and problems that essential bricked their iPhones. Luckily, some were able to find fixes, restoring their device via iTunes to a previous version of the software.

YouTuber Michael Gillig said: "iOS 12 Beta 7 just BRICKED my iPhone X. Can't turn on after trying EVERYTHING. And not detected by iTunes," although shortly after he said he's managed to rectify the issue by holding the power button down for five minutes and then it was detected by iTunes.

Although Apple has stopped pushing the update out automatically, users are still able to install the OTA beta 7 testing software manually, by downloading the IPSW file from its developer website and installing it on their device.

Apple is said to be working on a fix for the problems caused in the update and although it hasn't revealed when it might roll out another update, any significant delay could prevent the final version becoming available on time.

This isn't the first time Apple beta testers have come up against problems in the beta builds of the software. Group Facetime, which was one of the headline features of iOS 12 will now not launch with the update because of major problems with its functionality. Apple said in a statement "[the feature] has been removed from the initial release of iOS 12 and will ship in a future software update later this fall."

31/7/2018: Newly released iOS 12 beta updates iPhone glyph designs

A new iOS 12 developer beta is now available, introducing a handful of new changes mostly concerning glyphs and icons in the settings.

The new beta, reviewed on 9to5Mac, has updates to the News buttons, with 'Today', 'Spotlight' and 'Channel button' all slightly redesigned with updated glyphs - the icons used to describe a feature or button within the settings of a phone's operating system.

There are also new icons in the Albums tab, where photo categories have been tweaked with redesigned icons. Also, the 'Use as wallpaper' glyph has been changed.

Tweaks to the stock information tabs are also present, where neater, appropriately sized icons allow more information to appear.

The 'Copy link button' has been corrected so the text now reads 'Copy iCloud link' with a new icon.

Moving on from glyphs, there are new search options in Apple Music; the search bar now prompts you to search for 'Artists, songs, lyrics and more'. Searching for lyrics is a new feature Apple is keen to push as it also has its own new search box. Below the box you can find trending music searches, too.

Did you notice the pause button being slightly off centre when playing music? Probably not, but this new beta has addressed that 'issue' and corrected its 'wonky' pause button.

Continuing with hardly noticeable updates, there are new sound effects on FaceTime that don't add anything to the feature.

Despite the largely superficial changes with Beta 5, there are some worthy changes, such as the battery health no longer being in beta and the 3D touch icons being clearer thanks to a change in contrast.

The full version isn't due till the autumn and iOS 11 had ten updates, so expect some more betas before then with, hopefully, more significant changes.

16/07/2018: Adobe will release a full version of its Photoshop imaging application on iPads next year, with all the features of its desktop counterpart, but with a more user-friendly, made-for-tablet OS, the company has revealed.

Adobe has been hinting at better creative apps for larger-screened tablets for some time and although it hasn't committed to a timeline yet, Scott Belsky, the company's chief of Creative Cloud, told Bloomberg it wants to push the new mobile-centric apps out as fast as possible.

"My aspiration is to get these on the market as soon as possible," Belsky said. "There's a lot required to take a product as sophisticated and powerful as Photoshop and make that work on a modern device like the iPad. We need to bring our products into this cloud-first collaborative era."

Some of the app's new features include the ability to start a design on desktop or tablet and then switch seamlessly between the two, without losing any changes.

Adobe is most likely to offer the app for free to Creative Cloud customers, which has packages starting at 9.98 a month for the Photography Plan or 49.94 for the entire suite of Adobe applications.

Adobe will launch Photoshop CC for iPad at its annual MAX creative conference in October according to Bloomberg, citing "people with knowledge of the plan". However, the publication's sources said engineering delays could still alter the timeline.

10/07/2018: The latest public beta of iOS 12 now includes a beta version of the Siri Shortcuts app, according to reports from MacRumors.

The new app enables developers to build workflow-like shortcuts and link Siri commands to them, meaning that users can talk to their phone and perform various actions.

The new app is based on Workflow, which Apple bought last year. This enables users to create workflows with multiple steps that use first- and third-party apps as well as Apple services and settings in order to simplify tasks.

Users can create Siri Shortcuts to, for example, turn the lights off at night. Users can say "goodnight" and a shortcut can use the Home app to tell various smart lights to switch off.

The beta version of Siri Shortcuts is available through TestFlight, with a "Request" option for access available after logging in to the Developer Center. When installed the app comes with a gallery of ready-to-use options as well as any Workflow shortcuts users of that app created. The pre-loaded shortcuts can be customised for use by anyone.

The Shortcuts app will launch alongside iOS 12 this autumn.

iOS 12 features

Here are all the major new features you can expect when you download iOS 12:

Augmented reality

Apple kicked off WWDC 2018 with a new file format for augmented reality applications that have been developed with animation studio Pixar, called ISDZ.

Users can now measure objects and walls in augmented reality by dragging the viewfinder across an object in the camera frame, an innovation that could see the end of the trusty tape measure.

Apple also announced its second version of its augmented reality developer kit, ARKit 2, which will give developers the ability to create shared experiences where two users on different iPhones can see the same thing when running the same app.

The AR technology also lets users try a neat Lego game that allows the plastic brick-built characters to be brought to life on everyday surfaces through the camera. For example, your children could play with Lego Batman in your living room without leaving you to fear of treading on stray bricks.

Camera

FaceTime will now allow 32 users to participate in a conversation, with each person appearing in a tile that grows when they speak. What's more, participants can 'emoji-fy' themselves in a conversation. For photos, sharing and searching have been improved with the app suggesting search options for people, places or categories, and users will be able to search for businesses or place names.

Siri's comeback

Apple's voice assistant has been left for dead in recent years by the brilliance of Alexa and Google Assistant, but iOS 12 might change that. Siri will now be able to add shortcuts to other apps, create phrases to open third-party apps and generally become more useful with the help of machine learning. Granted, the user will have to put most of the work in, but it's probably the best way to tailor the experience because Siri will learn every time it interacts with the user. Also, if you have a house full of IoT gadgets, you can get them ready for your arrival by saying the phrase 'heading home' to Siri.

Animated emojis

After scoring a huge hit last year with iPhone X, Apple have added even more emoji upgrades for the latest iOS. This includes the tongue detection feature, where you wag your tongue and your digital replica does the same, for purposes unknown. New emojis include a ghost, a koala bear, a tiger and a T-rex, just in time for the latest Jurassic Park film. Arguably the best update, although still not really useful, is 'Memoji', where users can create a tiny digital avatar of themselves with choices of hats and other accessories.

Phone interventions?

In somewhat ironic fashion, Apple used its event of new shiny features to tell you how to use your phone less. So, after you've waggled your tongue at your new Memoji, you can turn on a 'Do not disturb' feature to block notifications and avoid further distractions. This section of the event got a big round of applause as the feature will allow you to block notifications at night, turn them off when you are busy and 'Grouped notifications' will block seemingly endless streams of notifications from those family and friends groups you have. Or, you know, you could just put your iPhone in Airplane mode.

Apple has also added the Screen Time app to let you know in detail how you use your iPhone and iPad, monitor how many times you pick it up, what apps you use most and offer limits on certain apps you think you're overdoing it on.

iOS 12 release date

Apple released iOS 12 in beta for developers on 4 June, the same day as WWDC. A public beta arrived on 26 June, before iOS 12 becomes generally available on 17 September.

iOS 12 availability

iOS is only available on Apple mobile devices, which is to say iPhones and iPads, and some older models won't receive the update, although which ones we can't yet predict.

Unlike Android, however, all eligible mobile devices will be able to download iOS 12 at the same time.

iOS 12 previous news

26/06/2018: Apple releases iOS 12 public beta

Apple has released the public beta for iOS 12, allowing iPhone and iPad users to download the next version of its mobile software ahead of general release.

The new software brings with it a handful of notable tweaks, including making the camera and keyboard faster and more responsive, improvements to phone call quality and better Siri functionality.

There are also new features in the form of group FaceTime chats with up to 32 people, new animojis and 'memojis' - an animoji based on your face, similar in style to Samsung's AR Emojis.

As with any beta software release, users are discouraged from downloading the software onto their primary phone, as any glitches in the new OS could potentially wipe your data or even brick your device. You should also make a point of backing up all of your data prior to installing iOS 12, should you choose to do so.

If you do fancy making the switch, you can go to the website for Apple's beta programme, sign up (if you haven't already), then download and install the software from the iOS section.

The full release of the new OS is due in September and is expected to coincide with the launch of Apple's next iPhone. Recent leaks have suggested that the next generation of the device will see the company expand the iPhone X family with an even larger 6.5in unit and a more wallet-friendly 6.1in model.

Expect leaks to reveal further details in the lead-up to the official announcement, but as always, nothing will be confirmed until September.

04/06/2018: Apple previews iOS 12 with a raft of new and enhanced features

Apple used its WWDC conference keynote today to confirm the new and tweaked features users and developers alike can expect to find in the latest iteration of its mobile operating system - iOS 12 - when it arrives for general release.

New features include beefed-up augmented reality features for developers, in the form of ARKit 2, Group Facetime - with the ability to chat with up to 32 participants at one time - new animojis and the ability to create emjois that are more like you (memojis).

That's in addition to ways to help users better strike a balance between the time they're depending on their device and using apps as well as Siri shortcuts to provide better assistance in a range of ways from lost keys to more advanced functionality.

The focus is on ensuring superb performance, even for older devices running the OS, according to Apple. That's because even those with older handsets or tablets like to be on the latest version of the software - some 81% of the more than one billion Apple devices out there are running the latest version of the OS, with iOS 11 boasting 95% user satisfaction levels.

The camera in iOS 12 is 70% faster to launch, while the keyboard is much more responsive and up to 50% faster. Indeed, Apple said, even when you're multitasking and demanding more of the system, apps can generally launch up to twice as quickly as before.

There's also a new 'For You' section in Photos, which helps identify photos you might want to share with friends and, then, on receipt, searches their photos from the same event and suggests ones you may have missed they might want to share back.

"We're very excited about the new communications features we're bringing to iPhone and iPad with Memoji, a more personal form of Animoji, fun camera effects and Group FaceTime," said Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering.

"With iOS 12, we're enabling new experiences that weren't possible before. We're using advanced algorithms to make AR even more engaging and on-device intelligence to deliver faster ways to get things done using Siri."

Apple's iOS 12 update is already available for developers to download for $99 if they are registered with Apple, but everyone else will have to wait until the public bata becomes available in later in June or until the final release in September. The new update is available to every iPhone model back to the 5S that used iOS 11 and will boost performance, load apps faster and hopefully not suck too much out of the battery.

11/05/2018: iOS 12 may add horizontal Face ID support

iOS 12 may introduce horizontal Face ID support, designed specifically for iPads and the rumoured larger iPhone X, Apple blog Macotakara and MacRumors report. However, the landscape mode will also probably work on other iPhones with Face ID, which currently just means the iPhone X.

The incoming iPad Pro models are expected to pack in Face ID and Apple's True Depth camera system too, albeit on a much larger scale than the iPhone X.

The potential reasons behind this change are apparently because iPhone X users were complaining that Face ID is much more picky and harder to unlock a phone with compared to Touch ID.

This will be the main update to Apple's latest operating system, with the majority of its other debuting features focused on bug fixes and minor updates to the running of the platform.

However, there have been some rumours that iOS 12 will offer a personalised version of Siri, which will be able to identify the user based on their voice. As well as offering extra security, recognising just the owner means that if you're in a room of iPhone users, only the owner of the phone will be able to trigger Siri.

20/04/2018: Apple CEO condemns convergence of iOS and macOS

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, revealed his dislike for the idea of merging iOS with macOS, despite a report claiming that Apple is doing just that.

"We don't believe in sort of watering down one for the other," said Cook in a recent interview with the Sydney Morning Herald. "And if you begin to merge the two, you begin to make trade-offs and compromises."

The comment was in response to a report by Bloomberg which discussed rumours that Apple was going to merge iPhone, iPad and Mac apps in a secret programme called "Marzipan".

Currently, developers have to make an app for iOS for Apple's mobile devices and a version of the same app for macOS so it can run on Mac devices. In addition to the extra time and costs, Bloomberg calls the Mac App Store "a ghost town of limited selection and rarely updated programs".

With a single app, all devices would get updates and new features at the same time, and the apps would run on both iOS and macOS with either a keyboard or touchscreen.

Cook agrees that it might make the company more efficient, but said: "That's not what it's about. You know it's about giving people things that they can then use to help them change the world or express their passion or express their creativity."

Despite complaints about Mac apps, Cook maintained that he doesn't think a merger is what users want.

With the Bloomberg report suggesting a merger and Cook disavowing it, the project could go either way.

22/03/18: Apple will switch to a two-year development cycle for future iOS iterations from the release of iOS 12 according to reports, meaning some major features may be held back as the company perfects them.

According to Bloomberg, iOS boss Craig Federighi told software engineers at Apple about the changes, saying that they will no longer need to deliver a raft of new features every year. Instead, they will be expected to focus on refinements of the operating system, taking some pressure off the company.

It's not a hugely surprising move as recently, the mobile platform has experienced a lot of bugs and has come under fire for allegedly slowing down the performance of older devices in the hope people will upgrade their devices. Apple also wants to take the pressure off developers so they're not under such stress to get major updates and feature showcases ready for the annual WWDC conference.

"This change is Apple beginning to realize that schedules are not being hit, stuff is being released with bugs which previously would not have happened," someone "familiar with the company" said.

With the previous system, "inevitably, some things will be late because you underestimated how long it would take. Some things have to be cut, some things have to be rushed. It's the result of having thousands of people working on the same schedule," the source explained.

31/02/2018: Apple will make sure enterprise security is a key feature of iOS 12, which is expected to launch at the end of year alongside a new range of iPhones.

According to Axios, Apple the upcoming operating system will focus will be on improving the reliability and performance of its platform, including improving the security of devices and addressing battery life problems experienced on older devices, as well as improvements to augmented reality and digital health features.

However, some planned iOS features a refresh of the home screen and in-car UI, as well as improvements to core apps like mail and photos, will be held back until 2019, Axios said, claiming Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, told employees of the plans earlier in January.

In a separate report, Bloomberg suggested macOS and iOS will become more of a close-knit platform, with third-party apps being "merged" across the platforms, although there's no further details on what that means in practice. The outlet also seemed to back up Axios' claims about iOS 12's delayed features through its own sources, once again citing AR improvements as one of the changes definitely on the menu for this year, with changes to the home screen being held back.

Typically, Apple releases a new version of iOS with its new range of handsets in September, which means users have at least seven months to wait until they see any sign of iOS 12 at all. In the meantime, however, an update of the company's existing mobile operating system, iOS 11, is coming this spring.

iOS 11.3, as the update is called, was released to developers just over a week ago and includes changes such as the ability to turn off a feature that slows down older iPhones and iPads in order to preserve battery life, new Animojis for the iPhone X and new features for Apple Music.

Despite being launched nearly five years ago, the iPad Air and iPad Mini 2 are well worth considering if you're looking for a cheaper and more entry-level alternative to the beefy iPad Pro 10.5, or 2017's widely-acclaimed Apple iPad.

Indeed while the latest iPad is available for upwards of 289.99, these legacy models can be snapped up for up to 100 less - depending, of course, on where you shop, and which model you decide to pick up.

Despite boasting a reasonable price tag, these models clearly don't come packaged with the best technical specs available in the tablet market today. But they're good enough to perform the simplest of tasks - and will often come packaged with enough features to prove themselves an asset.

Both the iPad Air and the iPad Mini 2 are still solid options, and below we've rounded up the specs and features fitted into both devices to help you decide which model is best for your needs. These include the following:

DisplayBattery Life Hardware/Connectivity/ReparabilitySoftware/AppsPricingVerdict

Beyond that we've included comparisons with the older iPad Mini, as well as its latest iteration the iPad Mini 4, to give you a flavour of how Apple's hardware compares to its younger and older counterparts. If you have a bit more cash at your disposal, meanwhile, we've also included comparisons with the two iPad Airs available.

Display

The iPad Air has a 9.7-inch screen whereas the iPad Mini 2 sports a smaller 7.9in screen, and both have the same 4:3 ratio. The Air used to be the largest model available before the newer iPad Pro 10.5in and 12.9in models were introduced recently.

If you're viewing media such as TV shows, films or playing some games then the iPad Air's bigger screen is obviously the better option, even though the iPad Mini 2 has the same number of pixels in its smaller screen.

The latter is also the lighter option with the device's weighing 314g. Its bigger brother weighing in at 478g, although the thickness of both devices is the same, packing a 7.5mm chassis.

Thanks to Apple's Retina Display technology you won't be able to see any pixels when holding them at arm's length. The Air has a resolution of 2048x1536 and a pixel density of 224ppi. The iPad Mini 2 has the same resolution, it's just spread across a smaller area, giving it a denser 324ppi.

When it comes to brightness and contrast ratio the iPad Air (below) has the edge. The maximum brightness is 410cd/m2 and its contrast ratio is 1,000:1.

The smaller iPad Mini 2 (below) measured a maximum brightness of 396cd/m2 and a contrast ratio of 729:1.

The best choice when it comes to the two displays has a lot to do with your size preference. Do you want a portable device to fit into a large coat pocket, or do you want the biggest possible screen?

Winner - iPad Air - The Air is technically the superior display with higher brightness and contrast ratio.

Battery Life

iPads have always performed well in battery tests, and the iPad Air and iPad Mini 2 are no exceptions. The Air has an 8,837 mAh battery, whereas the Mini 2 has 6471 mAh battery to power its smaller 7.9-inch display.

Apple's website claims the devices have a 10-hour battery life for Wi-Fi browsing or video playback. We ran both devices through our Iron Man video playback test, with Wi-Fi turned off and the brightness set to 75 per cent. The two devices actually managed to surpass Apple's battery life claims.

Of course, you'll be looking at battery life closer to the 10-hour mark with Wi-Fi turned on, but this is still impressive.

Winner - iPad Air - Both tablets have exceptional battery life but the Air shaded it in our test.

Hardware, connectivity & reparability

The fifth-generation iPad and second-generation iPad Mini are neck-and-neck in terms of hardware. Both use a dual-core A7 1.3 GHz chip, which supports 64-bit apps and is paired with 1GB of RAM.

The entry-level models start with 16GB of internal storage and both offer up to 128GB of internal storage.

The iPad Air and iPad Mini 2 also have the same connectivity options. Both ship with minimal ports, with a Lightning connector on the bottom of the device, to transfer media and charge the device and a headphone jack at the top. There's no way of expanding the physical storage, however, so you'll have to choose carefully when you're buying.

The iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina share the same 5-megapixel iSight rear cameras, with a front-facing 1.2-megapixel snapper for FaceTime calling.

Wireless connectivity is also identical, with Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4 and 4G support included. Both iPads have the same sensors too a three-axis gyro, accelerometer and ambient light sensor.

iPads are notoriously difficult when it comes to user repair. Both the iPad Air and iPad Mini 2 received an abysmal reparability score of 2/10 from teardown site iFixit. That means that if you ever need to replace a damaged screen or ailing battery, then it's best to get it done professionally or risk damaging vital components and connectors.

Winner Tie

Software and apps

Software support for both devices is expected to be extended for a number of years to come, with Apple's 2011 iPad 2 receiving the iOS 7.1 update when it was released.

The iPads come with access to Apple's App Store and iTunes ecosystem, which boast the largest collection of tablet-specific apps, music, TV shows and films for you to enjoy.

Winner - Tie

Pricing

The iPad Air starts at 399 for the 16GB Wi-Fi-only model, with the price jumping by 80 every time you bump the storage up a level. The iPad Mini starts at 319 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only edition. Like the Air, each additional storage tier adds another 80 to the price.

Winner - iPad Mini 2 is the cheaper option, as it's smaller.

Verdict

The iPad Mini 2 and the iPad Air are pretty evenly matched in key areas such as their OS, software, hardware, connectivity and reparability.

The larger iPad Air has a higher brightness and contrast ratio with its display, and we also measured a longer battery life. The iPad Mini 2, on the other hand, is the smaller and cheaper option.

The Mini is still a wide device, however, and so isn't as adapt to fitting into jacket pockets as easily as something like the Nexus 7.

It's a tough choice but, based on the brightness and contrast ratio and slightly longer battery life, we'd have to go with the iPad Air.

This article was first published on 12/03/14 and has been updated multiple times (most recently on 21/07/14) to reflect new information that has become available since its original publication.

Apple has finally released an iOS update that will prevent law enforcement and hackers from accessing iPhone data through its Lightning port.

As reported previously by IT Pro, the move is intended to close a loophole used by the police to access protected iPhone data.

The update brings a new default setting called "USB restricted mode" which has been present in developer betas for both iOS 12 and iOS 11.4.1. The feature will block all communication through a Lightning port to USB connection on unlocked and dormant devices.

This will prevent a device called GreyKey from working. This tool uses two Lightning cables that can unlock password encryptions on iPhones and extract data from them. The feature is also present in the beta version of iOS 12.

The iOS 11.4.1 update is bug fix release. It should also improve the reliability of a feature called Find My AirPods. The issue concerned the prevention of some users from viewing the last known location of their AirPods in Find My iPhone.

The update should also improve the reliability of syncing mail, contacts and notes with Exchange accounts.

Apple's security update web page also lists a few security issues that the update intends to fix. Among them include: unexpectedly persistent cookies in Safari, processing an emoji under certain configurations may lead to a denial of service, local users able read kernel memory because of an out-of-bounds read issue in Kernel.

Also fixed are issues around applications being able to gain elevated privileges from a memory corruption issue in libxpc, and read restricted memory from an out-of-bounds read in libxpc.

To update to iOS 11.4.1, users can open up the Settings app, tap "General," then "Software Update", then follow instructions to download and install the latest OS.

There are few things as annoying as spam calls. If you're waiting for an important business call, or simply trying to enjoy some time off, answering your phone to discover you've been targeted by a nuisance caller is a frustrating experience.

Spam callers exploit our habit of having our phone permanently switched on and in-hand, making them the ideal medium for rogue marketers and cyber criminals. Although GDPR regulations promised to put an end to nuisance callers, it's still an everyday occurrence for most - according to recent figures from Ofcom, Brits are subjected to a whopping 996 million nuisance calls and texts a year.

On the upside, if you own an iPhone, there are a number of methods you can use to block spam callers. The best part is the nuisance caller won't even realise they've been blocked, as this trick will send their calls straight to voicemail.

Here's our guide to block nuisance phone calls on every model of iPhone, from the iPhone 6 to the latest iPhone 12.

iOS 7 to iOS 14 using the 'Recents' tab

If someone has just called and you decide you don't want to hear from that number again, you can block the number by first opening the Phone app located at the bottom of the home screen. In the 'Recents' tab, you'll find a list of any recent calls, each with its own 'i' next to it. By clicking the 'i' and scrolling to the bottom, you can click 'Block this Caller'.

And that's it. It's an easy way to get rid of any nuisance calls you have just received.

iOS 7 to iOS 14 using the Blocked List

You can also block calls from contacts saved to your address book. To do this, head to the general iPhone settings menu app on the home screen and select 'Phone'.

Scroll down until you see the 'Blocking and Identification' option, then 'Block Contact', which will show you a list of any blocked numbers. In iOS 11, you'll then be able to add a phone number manually or choose to head to the contacts screen where you can add a phone number from your contacts app. The number will then appear in your blocked list.

In previous iterations of iOS, you were only able to block numbers already in your contacts list, so you have to click 'Add New' and select the contact you want to block, and then hit confirm.

Blocking a number on iOS 10 and later

While you can still follow the above steps to block calls on iOS 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14, Apple's latest operating systems have allowed developers to come up with apps that block entire groups of callers through a tool called CallKit.

This means developers are launching apps that make it a whole lot easier for you to keep an eye out for unwanted callers, from telemarketing firms to fake insurance companies, and remove them instantly.

One of the most impressive and useful apps using Apple's call SDK is the 'Hiya' app, available for free on the App Store. It notifies you if an incoming call is suspected to be a scam or a nuisance company based on a shared database of numbers, including specific details of the type of fraudster trying to reach you. It allows for automated blocking if you just want it to stop all detected spammers getting through to you, or you can manually block them too. You can also use the app to manage your own list of blocked numbers, with an UI that is a little easier to use than the iPhone menus.

Blocking a number when the caller masks their ID

Getting around a call block is fairly easy to do. You can simply hide your caller ID in the iPhone settings, which will bypass any blocks and allow your call to go through. Your call simply appears as unknown, withheld or 'No Caller ID'.

Unlike 'hidden' or 'private', which tends to be users deliberately withholding their ID, 'unknown' numbers are those that your phone company has failed to recognise, typically when telemarketers or dodgy insurance companies try to get hold of you. Unfortunately, iOS users are still waiting on a feature that blocks all unknown calls, which is already available on Android.

Blocking hidden calls using 'Do Not Disturb'

Antoher way way of blocking unknown callers is by modifying the Do Not Disturb feature to filter only numbers that your device does not recognise.

To do this, go to the Settings app and look for the 'Do Not Disturb' option. Click 'Allow Calls From', and then hit 'All Contacts'. This will allow all calls from numbers on your contact list to reach you while blocking out everything else.

Of course, the problem with this method is that it sends any call from a number not on your contacts straight to voicemail, although they can leave a message as normal.

Blocking numbers through a network provider

You can also try contacting your mobile phone provider to see if they provide any call blocking services. Sadly, most will only offer some vague advice about how to speak to telemarketers, and cannot put a block on specific callers or unknown numbers trying to reach you. In rare circumstances, a network may be able to uncover who the caller is, but this typically only happens during a police investigation.

Later this year, the latest version of Apple's OS will be coming to a device near you. For businesses using Apple devices, getting the new features into the hands of users without disrupting workflows or slowing productivity can be a challenge, especially when factoring in the speed at which Apple users like to upgrade.

Contrary to other ecosystems, major new versions of Apple's operating systems - macOS, iOS, watchOS and tvOS - are released annually. A combination of the simple upgrade path and no cost helps to drive impressive adoption rates for consumers. This is in stark contrast to Windows, where Windows 7 still remains more popular than the newer Windows 10, or Android where the latest OS is slowly rolled out, resulting in just a minority of devices running the latest version.

There's a strong case to be made for allowing end users to update their devices on the day the new operating systems are released. Old versions of software are always less secure, and encouraging users to upgrade to the latest operating systems as soon as possible will help ensure your business doesn't fall prey to data breaches and system vulnerabilities.

So what's the best way to prepare for and implement an upgrade in your business?

Upgrading to the latest version of macOS

There are several ways to carry out upgrades on a Mac. The most common upgrade path for macOS is an in-place upgrade, which involves installing the operating system while keeping user data intact.

One method for conducting an in-place upgrade is to send an MDM command to Macs enrolled in Apple's Device Enrollment Program (DEP). Like iOS, this MDM command will trigger your Macs to download the new OS from Apple and automatically install it on devices. However, this will only work for Macs enrolled in DEP.

For Macs not enrolled in DEP, it is easier to carry out in-place upgrades by pre-packaging the macOS installer for the user, which is then installed automatically.

Imaging, which is a set of technologies that are used in a variety of deployment scenarios, is being replaced with native Apple technologies. Long-term, imaging options will continue to become less relevant when it comes to managing a Mac deployment.

The latest upgrades for macOS requires users to be connected to the internet when upgrading. This is due to firmware updates Apple installs on the Mac, further strengthening device security. Only the macOS installer can download and install these firmware updates, which validates Apple as the source of the critical firmware.

Upgrading to the latest version of iOS

Unlike macOS upgrades, there is only one workflow for iOS upgrades. They are made available by Apple and are then installed by the end user. While organisations can't block end users from upgrading, they can mass upgrade end users on supervised devices (running iOS 10.3 or later), leveraging the upgrade MDM command.

With iOS 11, organisations were able to manually enroll iOS devices regardless of how they were purchased, using the Apple Configurator to retroactively add devices into DEP.

During DEP enrollment, MDM is no longer optional and all iOS devices will now be supervised. While this may not impact your workflows, consider the potential impact to the end-user experience and setup process, and keep in mind that supervision and DEP now go hand in hand.

Communicate the plan to end users

When it comes to upgrades, it's better to err on the side of caution and overcommunicate than for people to miss out key details of the plan. Not every end user is aware of the time it takes to upgrade a Mac. It is wise to inform users in advance of the average upgrade time, and communicate the best time of day to upgrade.

It is also essential that your end users back up their device(s) before they update just in case there are any hitches with installation, regardless of whether their backup is localised or through iCloud.

The iPhone 6s was a smash hit when it first launched back in 2015 and it remains one of Apple's most popular smartphones to date. It's easy to see why; the iPhone 6s offers a sleek design, user-friendly software, heaps of functionality and great performance, and the fact that it's dropped in price since its original launch makes it a pretty good deal.

The iPhone 6s may be two and a half years old, but don't let that put you off; there's life within the old dog yet. In fact, you may be surprised by how well this device holds its own against newer rivals.

Apple iPhone 6s review: Design

The design and construction of the 6s remains unchanged from the iPhone 6, sporting the distinctive rounded aluminium body that Apple was using up until the iPhone 8. It's still an attractive design to this day - elegant, understated and classy. However, it's also one of the most widely-copied aesthetics in tech history, inspiring legions of copycats.

This detracts somewhat from the originality of its looks, but thankfully the design is also effective from a practical standpoint. With a weight of 143g and measuring 7.1mm thick, it's slimmer and lighter than both Apple and Samsung's most recent devices. It's still a great-looking phone, and save for the smaller-than-average screen, it doesn't look remotely out of place next to modern flagships.

If we have one gripe with the iPhone 6s' design, it's that the rounded edges and slim profile make it somewhat slippery to hold. It's not a huge problem though, and it's not nearly as awkward to use as its larger-screened stablemate the iPhone 6s Plus.

Apple iPhone 6s review: Display

Another thing that the 6s has borrowed from its predecessor is the 4.7in, 1334 x 750 display. This, sadly, is one of the few areas in which the 6s starts to look a bit behind the curve - even budget and mid-range phones now come with 1080p screens, and the likes of the Galaxy S8 with its QHD OLED panel positively leaves the iPhone 6s in the dust.

While there's nothing technically wrong with the display - which delivers bright, accurate colours, excellent contrast and wide viewing angles - it's outclassed by more modern screens, and we found ourselves longing for a higher-resolution display when watching videos.

Apple iPhone 6s review: Specs and hardware

The 6s uses Apple's dual-core 1.8GHz A9 processor, which offers a considerable boost in speed over the iPhone 6's 1.4GHz A8 chip. In our benchmark tests, the iPhone 6s was over 50% faster than its predecessor, and even compared favourably with current-generation Android flagships, beating the Galaxy S8's score for single-threaded operations.

Of course, it's lagging considerably behind Apple's latest devices, and the iPhone X racked up roughly double the 6s' score in our tests. However, when compared to Android devices, the iPhone 6s is more than holding its own.

Apple iPhone 6s review: Battery Life

The only downside is that all this extra power comes at the cost of battery life. In our continuous video playback test, the 6s lasted 11h 18m with the screen set to 170cd/m2, which is almost two hours behind the iPhone 6 when tested under the same conditions and more than two and a half hours behind the iPhone 8 Plus.

It's also light years behind current-generation Android devices, which are now regularly racking up a battery life of 20 hours or more. In light of this, the fact that the 6s will struggle to get you through a full day is a disappointment.

Apple iPhone 6s review: Camera

Apple's put a lot of work into the 6s's camera, fitting it with a larger 12-megapixel sensor this time instead of sticking with the 6's eight-megapixel sensor. This increases the amount of detail present, but its lack of optical image stabilisation means its low light performance isn't a match for the 6s Plus and more recent iPhones.

The difference in quality between the 6s and Android cameras isn't nearly as clear-cut, either. In fact, The Galaxy S8 and Google Pixel 2 have, by our reckoning, quite handily surpassed the 6s in terms of the quality of their photos. While it's still an excellent camera, it's no longer the world-beater that it once was.

Apple iPhone 6s review: Features

3D Touch is the iPhone 6s's biggest feature. Much like Apple's pressure sensitive Force Touch technology on the Apple Watch and 12in Retina Macbook, 3D Touch allows you to press harder on the screen to access different shortcuts and options.

On home screen app icons, it works in a similar way to right-clicking an icon on a Mac or PC, allowing you to jump to certain tasks straight away without having to navigate to them manually within the app. For example, you could go straight to video recording in the Camera, or send a direct message in Twitter. In-app, 3D Touch doubles up as a preview tool, allowing you to peek into emails and URLs with an initial firm press, and then opening them fully by pressing even harder.

In most cases, 3D Touch is a great addition. It not only saves time, but it's also extremely practical, particularly if you're using the phone single-handedly. It's a shame not all apps work with 3D Touch right now, but this is sure to change over time. Likewise, Apple's clever haptic feedback system lets you know whether or not you've pressed the screen with enough force.

However, the 4.7in screen also has its downsides when using 3D Touch, as preview windows could often be obscured by our thumb. This is less of a problem on the larger 5.5in 6s Plus, but it's easy to work around once you get the hang of it.

Apple iPhone 6s review: Verdict

Compared to Apple's more recent devices, the iPhone 6s may seem a little underwhelming, but it's worth remembering that it's also the company's most affordable mainstream handset. At 449 including VAT, it's around 250 cheaper than the iPhone 8, and less than half the price of the iPhone X.

It should also be noted that the iPhone 6s still compared very favourably to modern Android devices, rivalling devices like the Galaxy S8 and OnePlus 5T in terms of performance. It's not quite the equal of the 5T in terms of sheer value for money, given that the 5T has a much more impressive camera, screen and battery life, but it's still a worthy contender.

There are certain areas that let it down - an underwhelming display and distinctly sub-par battery life, for example - but the iPhone 6s isn't as outdated as you might think. For businesses that want to deploy iOS devices throughout their business without the extortionate pricetag of a current-generation iPhone, the iPhone 6s is still well worth taking into consideration.

Verdict

It's not quite as new and shiny as it once was, but the iPhone 6s still has a lot to offer for budget-conscious users. Performance is still up there with some of the best Android devices on the market, and the design hasn't aged all that much. If you can look past an unimpressive battery life and a somewhat outdated screen, the 6s is still a good bet as a company smartphone.

OS: iOS 9 (preloaded)

Display: 4.7in, 1334 x 750 (326ppi)

Processor: 1.8GHz Apple A9 dual-core 64-bit + M9 co-processor

RAM: 2GB

Biometrics: Touch ID fingerprint sensor

Storage: 16/64/128GB

Camera: 12-megapixel with autofocus, flash, five-megapixel front-facing

Connectivity: Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, 4G, GPS/GLONASS

Ports: Lightning connector

Dimensions: 138 x 67 x 7 mm (WxDxH)

Battery: 1715mAh

Weight: 143g

Designed for hassle-free printing from macOS and iOS devices, Apple's AirPrint is great for those that want to print on a whim. A major drawback for businesses though, is its lack of access security as once enabled on a compliant printer, anyone on the same network can use it.

The primos from SEH Technology looks like a great security solution for SMB,s as this little slab of black plastic takes over AirPrint duties, enforces access permissions, encrypts communications and logs print jobs. It discovers AirPrint-enabled printers on your network, creates new print queues for them and can apply local or Active Directory (AD) authentication.

The primos is simple to set up; we plugged it into the lab's network and used the SEH Windows app to discover it. Double-clicking on the device entry took us straight to its Control Center web interface and after logging in, we were presented with a quick start printer discovery wizard.

For testing, we used Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4720 inkjet and Brother MFC-L8900CDW laser AirPrint-enabled colour MFPs. To highlight the AirPrint security issues, on both these printers we could enable and disable the service but neither offer any access controls.

Discovery only took a few seconds, where the primos spotted both printers and created separate job queues for them. For easier identification, the primos takes the printer's AirPrint name and prepends it with a global identifier which can be customised to suit.

There is one more task you must carry out to lock down security which, surprisingly, isn't mentioned in the primos user manual. Once your queues are configured, you must disable the printer's AirPrint service, otherwise users can simply sidestep the primos and go direct to the printer.

And this is where the fun starts, as each printer vendor has different methods of handling AirPrint. On our Brother printer, we simply disabled AirPrint from the web interface but kept the mDNS service enabled to allow Bonjour to continue running.

Epson proved more problematic as you can disable AirPrint by turning off its Bonjour service but this will stop the primos seeing it. Bizarrely, the only way to achieve this was to turn off the 'Paper Setup Auto Display' option at the printer's LCD panel which disabled AirPrint, left Bonjour running but stopped the primos displaying the printer's consumables status.

We also suggest you stop users installing iOS apps that provide direct network access to the printer as these will circumvent the primos. For our test printers, this meant blocking Brother's iPrint&Scan and Epson's iPrint apps.

The primos defaults to allowing unfettered access to its AirPrint print queues and we found it easy to lock this down. For local authentication, you create users and groups on the primos, add them to the respective print queue and decide whether to allow or deny access.

When we accessed the AirPrint queue from our iPad, the device showed a padlock symbol next to it and requested a username and password which our users only had to enter once. For more centralized management, the primos can link up with AD and LDAP servers.

Another issue with Bonjour is it isn't designed to be routed across different networks so users on one subnet can't see AirPrint devices on another. The primos solves this with its Wide-Area AirPrint feature and to use it, you reconfigure your DNS server, create a new subdomain and add it to your iOS devices as a Wi-Fi search domain.

Access security is a major problem for AirPrint users and Apple had done little to remedy it. There are some third-party solutions available such as Xerox' AltaLink printers and Canon's uniFlow software, but these are aimed at enterprises and far too expensive for SMBs.

Although we had some issues with our Epson printer, the primos offers valuable access controls for AirPrint use in SMBs. It's easy to install, will work with any AirPrint-enabled printer and costing only 210, is a snip.

Verdict

Although we had some issues with our Epson printer, the primos offers valuable access controls for AirPrint use in SMBs. It's easy to install, will work with any AirPrint-enabled printer and costing only £210, is a snip.

Desktop unit

10/100 Ethernet

USB 2 (future use)

External PSU, SEH primos Windows app

Web browser management

108 x 108 x 33mm (WDH)

5 year hardware warranty