Apple's Find My network is a separate, crowdsourced Bluetooth feature from the standard Find My app, and it must be manually enabled to locate an iPhone that is offline, in Power Reserve mode, or powered down. Users can verify and adjust these settings under Settings > [Name] > Find My, and should also enable Send Last Location, Location Services, and Bluetooth to ensure tracking works. Disabling Control Center access from the lock screen can also stop thieves from quickly enabling airplane mode to cut a stolen phone off from the network.
With Apple's new iPhone lineup arriving and starting storage now set at 256GB, buyers face the usual question of whether that capacity will last. Analysts note 256GB can hold roughly 70,000 photos, enough for most casual users, but heavy 4K video recording or large AAA games can eat through that space quickly.
A tech writer tested the redesigned Siri AI in the iOS 27 developer beta for a month, initially impressed by its polished interface and ability to search personal data like old texts and photos. Despite genuine improvements over previous Siri versions, daily usage tapered off as the writer reverted to manual browsing and continued relying on Anthropic's Claude chatbot instead.
Apple maintains significantly higher price points for iPhones compared to iPads despite similar underlying technology, reflecting deliberate business positioning rather than manufacturing differences. The pricing gap stems from the iPhone's role as an essential daily device with premium brand positioning, while iPads serve as secondary devices where Apple needs affordability to compete with Chromebooks and grow its ecosystem.
Safari now includes a Notify Me tool that lets users describe custom conditions, such as a price drop or restocked item, and get alerted when those conditions are met. The feature is accessed through the address bar menu, works on iPhone, iPad and Mac, and lets users choose how often it checks for changes.
Clucky is a new iPhone alarm app founded by former Fanatics engineer Adrian Angelo Abelarde that forces users to complete tasks like math problems, push-ups, or an AI camera challenge before the alarm can be silenced. It offers sound options ranging from a crowing rooster to gentle chimes, plus a group feature called 'Nest' or 'Flock' letting friends hold each other accountable for waking up together. The app is free to download with a $39.99 annual pro subscription.
Apple has revealed more details about iPhone Handoff, a feature coming with iOS 27 that lets a user pair two iPhones so both can use the same phone number, with one device set as primary and the other as a companion. A demo showing setup through Xcode 27's Device Hub surfaced after the feature was first teased at WWDC in June without specifics.
Ahead of installing an iOS public beta, users are advised to make a computer-based backup rather than relying on iCloud, since iCloud automatically overwrites backups with newer beta versions. This can leave users unable to restore a stable iOS version if they need to downgrade. The recommended process involves connecting the iPhone to a Mac or PC, creating an encrypted local backup, and archiving it manually.
Apple's free iCloud storage is capped at 5GB, which is often too little to hold a typical photo library, messages, and app data. Apple's iCloud+ paid tiers start at 50GB for $0.99/month, with a 200GB option at $2.99/month being the most popular choice for syncing large photo and video collections across devices.
A CNET reviewer says the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has become their favorite phone to use daily, citing its slim 4.5mm unfolded profile, 9.7mm folded thickness, and light 201-gram weight. The device lacks a telephoto camera and has an average 4,800-mAh battery, but its compact form factor and versatile display have made it stand out compared to past innovative designs like the Galaxy S25 Edge and iPhone Air.
iPhone users can check the Settings app's Battery section to see a breakdown of which apps consume the most power, including both active screen time and background activity. This feature has been built into iOS since iOS 8, so it works even on older iPhones.
Apple is expected to phase out sales or software support for roughly ten legacy products across its iPhone, iPad, Watch, Mac and display lineups in 2026. This includes models that will be pulled from Apple's online store as newer versions launch, as well as older devices that will stop receiving the next major operating system update.