Over the past ten years, Apple’s iPhone has become the company’s most valuable —and recently, somewhat volatile— asset. Since its introduction in 2007, the iPhone helped to jumpstart the smartphone revolution, and with it came some big innovations. The App Store, touchscreen gaming, the mass adoption of social media, and protecting user data with biometrics. Its product lineup is enmeshed in Apple’s ecosystem, and the impact that it continues to have around the globe is vast.
Apple may launch a new affordable iPhone next week with Face ID, Apple Intelligence, and a single rear camera.
Apple will reveal its next device on February 19th.
9to5Mac spotted a Hackintosh Reddit community post in which user OceanDepth95028 showed off what they say is a near-total replacement of the 2013 Windows phone with the guts of a 3rd-gen iPhone SE.
They even preserved the iPhone’s Touch ID button (now on the back) and Lightning port (subbed for the Lumai’s Micro USB).
Apple Intelligence is to be powered primarily by Alibaba, with a few features — including Visual Intelligence — handled by Baidu, according to Bloomberg. Apple’s own software will handle on-device processing, with Alibaba and Baidu stepping in for server-side tasks, including censorship.
Apple is reportedly targeting a mid-year launch, but has regulatory hurdles to clear first.
The Google AI assistant’s Deep Research mode now works on both Android and iPhone, though is still exclusive to paying Gemini Advanced subscribers. The mode, which can produce relatively detailed research reports, launched as a web-only option in December. It expanded to Android last week and iOS yesterday.
ChatGPT has its own deep research feature, which we tested last week to mixed results.
[9to5google.com]
0
According to Bloomberg and user reports, T-Mobile’s list of eligible devices for beta testing Starlink direct-to-cell connections now includes iPhones. While only a few Samsung Galaxy devices were supported at first, now iPhone owners with the most recent update can reportedly connect, as well as some people with Android 15 devices.
That gives those owners an alternative to Apple’s Globalstar-connected service while off the grid that works without pointing their phone at the sky first.
And 76 percent of iPhone introduced in the last four years are on it, too, according to Apple’s iOS adoption stats that were spotted by 9to5Mac. The figures, from Apple, are “As measured by devices that transacted on the App Store on January 21, 2025.”
[developer.apple.com]
Atari’s Space Race debuted in 1973 with a limited number of arcade machines featuring a futuristic fiberglass cabinet design.
They’re now hard to come by, so the Retro Collective recreated one from scratch using a crude 3D iPhone scan of an original unit that was refined, 3D-printed, and assembled like a giant retro gaming puzzle with some added electronics.
Dbrand said in November 2023 it would freely replace purchases of the Ghost Case, a clear smartphone case it claims will never yellow, but which was overly scratch-prone when released.
After manufacturing delays, Dbrand emailed The Verge to say it’s finally sent replacements to customers, who seem to be pleased with the results so far.
Maybe it’s the lack of Apple Intelligence in China, or maybe it’s the Mate 70 series’ performance.
Either way, MacRumors points out these Counterpoint Research stats showing iPhone sales in China put it in third place in Q4, behind both Huawei and Oppo (which includes OnePlus), and fourth place for the full year, despite its second-place finish globally.
That seems to be what Evan Blass is suggesting in an image leak about new Apple products posted to his private X account.
The leak also includes a post that appears to show parts of URLs about the upcoming products. The products include an “iPhone SE (4th Gen),” a new 11th-generation base iPad, and 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Airs with M3 chips.
According to a behind the scenes look at its creation, it took eight days and 1,043 takes for the band to shoot the 64 one-shot videos used in the music video for “A Stone Only Rolls Downhill.”
The band is already well known for its creative music videos, but a sequence featuring 42 iPhones playing a mosaic of synchronized clips is especially mind-boggling.
Sonny Dickson is doing his annual thing of leaking non-working iPhone “dummy units” used by case and accessory makers. This is the fourth-generation of the budget iPhone SE that should have an improved OLED display amongst other improvements. Importantly, it’s also expected to have a USB-C jack so it can once again be sold in the EU.
Bleeping Computer points out why so many of those phishing texts about packages or unpaid tolls urge you to reply with something like a “Y” these days.
It’s because when the iOS Messages app’s “Filter Unknown Senders” option is on, links from those senders are disabled by default. Replying activates the link so you can tap it, which savvy Verge readers know you should never, ever do.
[BleepingComputer]
After Apple discontinued its short-lived Apple Pay Later service last year, it picked up several third-party BNPL options instead, including Klarna and Affirm. BNPL usage has been on the rise, and surveys have indicated that users have overspent and missed payments. Last year, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ruled to classify BNPL services as credit card providers.
Per NBC reporter Scott Budman. As a “one-stop shop for everything needed during a fire emergency,” the Watch Duty app has become a lifeline for people trying to navigate the wildfires around Los Angeles.
Code spotted in iOS 18.3 beta 2 hints at an Apple Invites app that could help users plan in-person events and manage invites, according to 9to5Mac. It’s still too early to tell how it might differ from the Calendar app, though.
The Planck SSD is drop-proof, IP65 water-resistant, and weighs just 10 grams, meaning you’ll barely feel it attached to your smartphone.
With transfer speeds up to 1,050MB/s it’s fast enough to unlock ProRes 4K 60fps recording on the iPhone 15 and 16. ShiftCam will launch the Planck through a Kickstarter in February in 1TB and 2TB capacities, according to 9to5Mac.
They include 2-in-1 and 3-in-1 OntheGo folding chargers that feature a 15-watt Qi2 magnetic charging pad and an Apple Watch pad with 5-watt output to AirPods. The 3-in-1 supports Apple Watch fast charging.
Satechi also announced a set of magnetic Qi2 power banks reminiscent of Anker MagGo chargers like this one. Satechi says it’s all coming in the second quarter, with prices ranging from $69.99 to $99.99.
Similar to the Dockcase Smart Magsafe SSD, SanDisk’s new Creator Phone SSD sticks to the back of your phone using magnets while connecting with a short USB-C cable. It offers read speeds up to 1,000MB/s and write speeds up to 950MB/s, which is fast enough to unlock ProRes 4K recording at 60fps on the iPhone 15 and 16.
