GoKawiil
Tech News
Apple's Dynamic Island, introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro to house Face ID sensors alongside the camera, displays Live Activities for timers, navigation, music, sports scores and supported third-party apps. Users can check and enable Live Activities per app under Settings > Apps, and ensure they appear on the Lock Screen via Settings > Face ID & Passcode.
Apple's iOS includes a Low Data Mode, found under Settings > Cellular > Data Mode, that reduces streaming quality, pauses automatic updates and backups, and limits background refresh to conserve mobile data. Users can also disable Background App Refresh selectively through Settings > General, or block individual apps from using cellular data entirely via the Cellular settings menu.
Unlike iPhones, which let users lock individual apps behind Face ID with a simple long-press, Samsung's Galaxy phones have no built-in one-tap app-lock feature. Instead, Samsung splits the function across two separate tools: Secure Folder, which hides and protects a set of apps behind authentication, and app pinning, which restricts the phone to a single app until unlocked.
Apple's first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, is set to go on sale October 23 with pre-orders starting a week earlier, following the already-available iPhone 18 Pro. Competitors including Xiaomi, Oppo, Motorola and Samsung have been developing foldable phones in a similar compact 'passport' format, positioning themselves ahead of Apple's entry into the category.
Foldable phones like Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold8 and Apple's new iPhone Duo include a factory-installed protector on their flexible inner displays, since the screens use layered flexible material rather than rigid glass. Apple's version adds a nano-texture coating that creates a matte finish and reduces crease visibility. Both companies warn against removing or replacing this protector yourself, offering official repair channels instead.
Following Apple's unveiling of the iPhone Duo foldable, launching October 23, social media users have been using third-party apps and GitHub developer tools to recreate its cascading unfold animation on Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8. Samsung's One UI software, unlike Apple's iOS, does not include such a transition effect when switching between the cover and inner displays.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that customers who buy the iPhone Duo at a US Apple Store will see a personalized greeting with their name when they first turn on the device. The feature, exclusive to the iPhone Duo, will support English and Spanish and launch alongside the device on October 23, with pre-orders starting October 16.
Amazon is continuing a post-Prime Day discount on Apple's 2026 AirPods Max 2, pricing all five colorways at $429, down from the $549 list price. The deal matches fall Prime Day pricing and is only the second time the headphones have dropped this low, after a limited-time $399 offer last summer. Other lingering Apple deals include M6 Mac mini and M5 MacBook Air price cuts, though some discounts like the AirPods Pro 3 offer have already started rising.
Nikkei Asia reports Apple has told suppliers to cut October component orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max by roughly 15-20% versus original requests, citing sources who say demand has softened since early September. Sources attribute part of the slowdown to $100 price increases on both models, with one supplier noting demand is weaker than in past years when Apple released its full lineup simultaneously. Apple hasn't confirmed further cuts beyond October, and the report suggests similar reductions could hit the upcoming iPhone Duo.
Apple has pushed a new carrier settings update, version 72.0.3, to iPhone 18 Pro Max users running the iOS 27.2 beta on AT&T, following last week's fix for devices on the stable iOS 27.0 release. The update addresses the same issue in which some users lost cellular service entirely, with affected phones showing an 'SOS' status indicator.
TextExpander now offers a free tier that includes unlimited library storage, unlimited text expansions, and up to 5 team members, alongside 5 active Snippets. The plan syncs across Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows, and Chrome, and allows one active Snippet to be swapped every two weeks.
Tim Cook, speaking to The Independent during a visit to Apple's Battersea campus in London, discussed his first month as Apple's executive chairman after handing the CEO role to John Ternus. Cook said the leadership transition had been planned for years and that he now focuses on worldwide policy and government relations rather than day-to-day operations. He said he and Ternus maintain a relationship built on trust and frequent communication, and he told Ternus not to imitate his own leadership style.