Motorola has just introduced two new additions to its well-known Razr lineup: the Motorola Razr 2023 and the Motorola Razr Plus 2023, aimed at rivaling Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4.
Out of the two phones, the higher-end Razr Plus is the one that’ll draw double takes. Its signature feature is virtually unmissable: a front cover that’s basically all screen. In fact, it’s probably the largest cover screen on any commercially available flip phone right now, even bigger than the one on Oppo’s Find N2 Flip, which has a vertical orientation.
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The cover screen on the Razr Plus is “meant for much more than just checking the time or reading notifications,” according to CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco, who nabbed hands-on time with the Razr Plus ahead of the launch. “You can interact with apps and even type using a full keyboard.”
By comparison, the cover screen on the Galaxy Z Fold, located on the lower half of the phone, is distinctly smaller. It’s closer in size to the display on the regular Razr. For specific numbers, scroll down to the bottom of the page for a side-by-side specs chart.
The cover screen on the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is identical to the one on the Galaxy Z Flip 3.
Patrick Holland/CNET
As for the camera, the regular Razr seems to have a more advanced setup than its pricier sibling, the Razr Plus, as well as the Galaxy Z Flip 4, at least on paper. The regular Razr’s trio of cameras is headlined by a 64-megapixel main shooter, which is accompanied by a 13-megapixel wide-angle camera and a 13-megapixel front-facing camera.
Under the hood, the Razr Plus is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 Mobile chipset that’s backed up by 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 comes equipped with that same chipset, paired with 8GB of RAM and storage options ranging from 128GB to 512GB.
Both Razrs support 30W wired charging and 5W wireless charging, although the regular Razr has a larger 4,200 mAh battery compared to the 3,800 mAh battery inside the Razr Plus. You also get three years of operating system upgrades with both Razrs, which is one year less than what you get with Samsung.
The Razr Plus launches on June 23 for $1,000, while the regular Razr is set to arrive later this year for an undisclosed price. The standard Razr will cost significantly less than the Razr Plus, according to Motorola executives.
For more details on how Motorola’s Razr Plus and regular Razr compare with the Galaxy Z Flip 4, check out our specs chart below.
Galaxy Z Flip 4 vs. Razr Plus vs. Razr
Razr Plus
Razr 2023
Galaxy Z Flip 4
Display size, resolution
Cover: 3.6-inch OLED (1066 x 1056 pixels) Internal/Main: 6.9-inch FHD+ (2640 pixels x 1080)
Cover: 1.5-inch OLED (194 x 368 pixels) Internal: 6.9-inch
Main screen: 6.7-inch FHD Plus (2,640×1,080 pixels; 22:9); Cover screen: 1.9-inch (260×512 pixels)
Pixel density
External: 413 ppi Internal: 413ppi
External: 282 ppi Internal: 413ppi
External: 302 ppi Internal: 425 ppi
Dimensions (Millimeters)
Open: 73.95 x 170.83 x 6.99mm Closed: 73.95 x 88.42 x 15.1mm
Open: 73.95 x 170.82 x 7.35mm Closed: 73.95 x 88.24 x 15.8mm
The best current VR headset, the Quest 2, is getting a price drop down to $299 on June 4. But its replacement, the Quest 3, is arriving in the fall.
Meta announced the news this morning alongside details of the company’s upcoming improved Quest 3 VR headset, which will start at $499 and have a smaller size, a faster processor, improved controllers, and added color cameras that can add better mixed reality experiences to VR games and apps.
The new $299 price is for the version with 128GB of storage, while the 256GB storage option is getting a price drop to $349.
All indications suggest the Quest 3 will be worth waiting for, but Meta also announced an interesting performance update coming to the Quest 2 and Quest Pro that will add up to a 26% CPU speed improvement and 19% GPU improvement to the Quest 2, and an 11% improvement to the Quest Pro. The Quest 2 already has a lot of great games and apps, all of which are expected to also run on the Quest 3.
It’s surprising that Meta would find a way to unlock more performance out of the Quest 2 this late in its life cycle, but Meta has had Quest 2 updates in the past that have improved a number of hardware and software features.
The NBA season has reached its climax. After the Western Conference’s top-seeded Nuggets swept the Lakers and the Eastern Conference’s eighth-seeded Heat avoided a historic collapse to the Celtics, we have our NBA Finals matchup. The first contest of the best-of-seven series begins on Thursday night in Denver at 8:30 p.m. ET. All games will air on ABC in the United States.
Whether you live in the US or are looking to follow the basketball action from around the world, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to watch the 2023 NBA Finals live, no matter where you are.
Jamal Murray, left, and Nikola Jokic will look to lead their Denver Nuggets to their first NBA championship.
Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
Nuggets vs. Heat Game 1: When and where?
With the Nuggets having home-court advantage, the first two games of the series will take place at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. Tip-off for Game 1 is set for 8:30 p.m. ET / 5.30 p.m. PT in the US(that’s 1:30 a.m. BST in the UK, and at 10:30 a.m. AEST in Australia on Friday, June 2 ).
What is the schedule for the rest of the NBA Finals?
The schedule for the rest of the NBA Finals is as follows. As mentioned, all games will air in the US on ABC.
• Sunday, June 4: Heat at Nuggets, 8 p.m. ET (Game 2)
• Wednesday, June 7: Nuggets at Heat, 8:30 p.m. ET (Game 3)
• Friday, June 9: Nuggets at Heat, 8:30 p.m. ET (Game 4)
• Monday, June 12: Heat at Nuggets, 8:30 p.m. ET (Game 5, if necessary)
• Thursday, June 15: Nuggets at Heat, 8:30 p.m. ET (Game 6, if necessary)
• Sun., June 18: Heat at Nuggets, 8 p.m. ET (Game 7, if necessary)
How to watch the NBA Finals 2023 online from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch the game — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It’s normally $13 per month, and you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 49% plus get three months of access for free — the equivalent of $6.67 per month — if you get an annual subscription.
Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Livestream the Nuggets vs. Heat Game 1 in the US
All games for this year’s NBA Finals will be shown live nationally in the US on ABC and ESPN3. Most of the major streaming TV services offer ABC, however, it can be a bit complicated. Game 1 of the series is also set to be live-streamed on ESPN Plus.
Sling TV’s Orange plan doesn’t include ABC, however it does include ESPN3 which will also work for streaming the NBA Finals. Sling also offers a Blue plan that has ABC in select markets, but the Orange plan should do the trick and also includes the regular ESPN channel.
Hulu Plus Live TV costs $70 a month and includes ABC. Click the “View all channels in your area” link at the bottom of its welcome page to see which local networks are available where you live.
YouTube TV costs $73 a month and offers all the main channels that broadcast NBA basketball, including ABC. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area.
DirecTV Stream is expensive. It’s the priciest of the five major live TV streaming services. Its cheapest, $65-a-month Entertainment package includes ABC as well as ESPN and TNT. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels and RSNs are available in your area.
It is worth noting that DirecTV has an additional $15 “advanced receiver service” fee that automatically applies and is extra from the sticker price, which makes the Entertainment package $80 per month.
ESPN’s standalone streaming service costs $10 a month or $100 for an annual subscription. With it, you’ll be able to watch this opening encounter between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat. Read our ESPN Plus review.
Each live TV streaming service offers a free trial, allows you to cancel anytime and requires a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live TV streaming services guide.
Livestream Nuggets vs. Heat Game 1 in the UK
The great news for basketball fans in the UK is that every 2023 NBA Finals game will be shown live on Sky Sports. This first game will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Arena, with tip-off set for 1:30 am BST on Thursday night/Friday morning.
Sky subsidiary Now (formerly Now TV) offers streaming access to Sky Sports channels with a Now Sports membership. You can get a day of access for 12, or sign up to a monthly plan from 25 per month right now.
Livestream Nuggets vs. Heat Game 1 in Canada
Live coverage of NBA postseason games is split between TSN, Sportsnet, RDS and NBA TV in Canada. Thursday’s first game of the Finals is set to be broadcast on TSN, which means it can be watched via its streaming service TSN Plus. Existing TSN cable subscribers can meanwhile watch at no extra charge using the details of their TV provider.
TSN Plus is a new direct streaming service, boasting exclusive coverage of PGA Tour Live golf, NFL games, F1, Nascar and the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments. Ideal for cord-cutters, the service is priced at CA$20 a month or CA$200 per year.
Livestream Nuggets vs. Heat Game 1 game in Australia
This year’s NBA Finals can be watched Down Under on ESPN via Foxtel. If you’re not a Fox subscriber, your best option is to sign up for streaming service Kayo Sports.
A Kayo Sports subscription starts at AU$25 a month and lets you stream on one screen, while its Premium tier costs AU$35 a month for simultaneous viewing on up to three devices.
The service gives you access to a wide range of sports including F1, NRL, NFL, F1, NHL and MLB, and there are no lock-in contracts.
Better still, if you’re a new customer, you can take advantage of a one-week Kayo Sports free trial.
Quick tips for streaming the NBA Finals using a VPN
With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming NBA Finals games may vary.
If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
Google Wallet has been around for over a decade, but the latest iteration, first unveiled at Google I/O 2022, officially relaunched during the summer last year — and there are finally some major changes to the Android digital wallet.
Today, in a blog post, Google announced several new features for Google Wallet, including the ability to digitize your physical passes and use your driver’s license or state ID with your Android phone. If you plan on creating a digital version of your health insurance card or other cards with sensitive information, Google has also added a “private pass” feature to provide better security.
If you want to check out what Google Wallet has to offer, here’s what you need to know.
Digitize your real-world passes into Google Wallet
Do you have a physical gym membership pass or library card that you can’t access on your phone? Google Wallet now gives you the option to take photos of those same physical passes — as long as they have a scannable barcode or QR code — and convert them into digital passes you can store in your Google Wallet. That way, instead of rifling through your wallet, you can quickly whip out your Android device and have your pass scanned.
That includes your health insurance cards
One of the more important documents that you may have to carry is your health insurance card, which is proof of your insurance and helps facilitate your visits to the doctor or the hospital. These health insurance cards carry a lot of personal information, like your member ID, group number and employer (if you’re covered through your job), so if you plan to digitize one, Google Wallet has a “private pass” feature, which requires you to use biometrics to add, use or view passes with sensitive information on your Android device.
Private passes in Google Wallet are protected by biometrics, like your fingerprint or face.
Google
You can also add your ID to Google Wallet — but only if you live in this one state
Late last year, Google started beta testing support for digital driver’s licenses and state IDs in Maryland — and that feature is now available to all eligible residents of the state. As long as you’re running Android 8.0, you can now use your ID in Google Wallet to get through TSA PreCheck lines at select airports, like LAX and DFW. Later this year, Google expects to roll out more uses for digital IDs, including booking a car and verifying your online accounts.
In the coming months, the digital ID feature will expand to residents of Arizona, Colorado and Georgia.
Google
And you can save passes directly from your text messages
If text messaging is your preferred method of communication, you’ll be happy to know that you’ll soon be able to receive boarding passes and train tickets via Google Messages (with RCS enabled) and then save those passes directly to your Google Wallet. This feature will begin rolling out with Vietnam Airlines and Renfe (Spain’s national railway company).
This feature will also extend to restaurant reservations.
Sling’s rebranded free streaming service, Sling Freestream, is now available to use for free. It features over 200 ad-supported channels and more than 40,000 on-demand titles that you can enjoy without the need to add a payment method or even create an account.
When compared to Sling’s paid plans, Sling Freestream certainly has less in the way of premium channels but there is still a wealth of content on the service. We’ve outlined a few of the best free shows on Sling Freestream below, but it’s well worth checking out the service for yourself to see if there’s anything that interests you.
Best free shows on Sling Freestream
While there’s a a strong emphasis on news on Sling Freestream, plenty of the channels and on-demand content available there service up some solid entertainment with everything from game shows to documentaries, comedy, drama, and even e-sports content.
With plenty to choose from on the service, we’ve picked out a few popular choices below:
America Dad
Dr. G: Medical Examiner
Forensic Files
From
Hell’s Kitchen
H2O: Just Add Water
Impossible Builds
Kitchen Nightmares
Line of Duty
Rick & Morty
Samurai Jack
Shameless
The Boondocks
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Joy of Painting With Bob Ross
The Walking Dead
Unsolved Mysteries
21 Jump Street
20/20
Not every episode of every show is available with some being offered as sneak peek content to encourage premium channel add-ons, but you can see the breadth of content available and maybe check out something new without having to sign up for another paid streaming service.
In addition to episodic TV shows, you’ll also find a large selection of movies and long-form documentary films, including:
Blitz
Bowie: The Man Who Changed the World
Flyboys
Hamilton: One Shot to Broadway
Man of the Year
My Scientology Movie
The Contract
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
The Goonies
Train to Busan
While you don’t need an account to watch content — you can just load up the Freestream site and begin watching — there are some benefits that come when you sign up for a Sling Freestream account. These include favorites and watchlists, parental controls and, importantly, the ability to automatically pick up a series where you left off.
With hundreds of live channels and a library of TV shows and movies to watch on-demand for free, and no credit card required, you can check out what Sling Freestream has to offer without spending a dime.
With so many streaming services readily available these days, having a pricey cable subscription is no longer necessary to get access to live sports. There are several different sports streaming services out there, and right now, one of our favorites is offering a deal to new members. For a limited time, when you sign up for an Orange, Blue or combined plan from Sling TV, you’ll get your first month at 50% off. There’s no expiration stated for this offer, so we’d recommend signing up soon if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.
With this deal, you can get your first month of Sling TV for as little as just $20 if you sign up for an entry-level Orange or Blue plan. Both plans are typically $40 per month, and come with a different selection of channels. Sling recommends the Orange plan for sports fans and families, and it includes channels like ESPN and ESPN2. If you’re primarily interested in football, Sling recommends the Blue plan, which gives you access to channels like Fox Sports 1 and Fox (in select markets). Sling also offers a combined Orange and Blue plan so you don’t have to choose. It’s typically $55 per month, but right now you can get your first month for just under $28. After the first month of service, your subscription will revert back to the usual monthly price. Sling also offers a variety of add-ons so you can customize your plan with more channels.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard the term “generative AI” at least a handful of times now, perhaps thanks to the wildly popular ChatGPT service. The AI-powered chatbot’s success didn’t just shine a spotlight on OpenAI, the creator behind it, but it also catalyzed an AI arms race in the tech industry – a race from which Apple has been noticeably absent.
In May, Google made a flurry of AI-related announcements at its annual developer conference, including a new AI-infused version of search and Bard, its AI-powered chatbot, which is being rolled out across the world. It’s not just Google. Before that, Microsoft built generative AI into its suite of long-established productivity apps like Word, PowerPoint and Outlook in a move that’s changing how more than a billion people work. In February, Meta released its own sophisticated AI model, which has many of the same capabilities at ChatGPT and Bard, as open-source software for public use.
But what about Apple?
The short answer: Even though AI technology is hardly new to Apple, the iPhone maker still remains missing – at least publicly – from the current generative AI gold rush.
“We’re in the heart of the generative AI hype cycle, and there are major new developments weekly, ” Avi Greengart, analyst at Techsponential, told CNET. “Apple can afford to be deliberate in how it applies new technologies to fit its ecosystem.”
OpenAI recently dropped a ChatGPT app for the iPhone. The new app, which is free, gives you a way to take OpenAI’s AI chatbot on the go.
Theodore Liggians/CNET
Apple’s wait-and-see approach
Apple has typically adopted a wait-and-see approach around emerging technology, and that has often worked for the tech giant. For instance, the iPad wasn’t the first-ever tablet, but for many, including CNET editors, it is the best tablet. A more recent example on the hardware side is foldable phones. Apple is the only major holdout, with Google beating it to the punch. The search giant launched its inaugural foldable phone, the Pixel Fold, at its developer conference in May – and it hasn’t been making phones for as long as Apple. There are rumors, however, that a foldable iPhone, possibly known as the iPhone Flip, could go to market in 2025.
Based on remarks from CEO Tim Cook, it seems like Apple may be taking a similar approach with generative AI. “I do think it’s very important to be deliberate and thoughtful in how you approach these things,” Cook said in response to a question related to generative AI on Apple’s earnings call in May. “And there’s a number of issues that need to be sorted… AI is being talked about in a number of different places. But the potential is certainly very interesting.”
However, with a fast-developing AI technology, Apple could risk falling far behind its rivals. For all Apple’s business success, it has lagged in specific categories. For instance, its HomePod smart speaker didn’t hit the market until years after the Amazon Echo and Google Home, which have a far higher market share than Apple in the smart speaker category.
When it comes to the topic of AI, Apple isn’t alone in adopting a cautious approach. It’s also coming from the technology’s own backers – including the founder and CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, who has concerns ranging from election disinformation to mass jobs displacement.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman describes Microsoft’s AI partnership at a Bing search engine press event.
Stephen Shankland/CNET
Last Tuesday, speaking before a Senate subcommittee, Altman said he’s “eager” for artificial intelligence to be regulated. He also spoke about the promise of artificial intelligence and discussed its potential harms. “If this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong,” he said.
Altman’s comments followed calls by a group of AI researchers and tech leaders, including Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak, to pause development of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4 over concerns about runaway risks without sufficient guardrails. Geoffrey Hinton, credited as the “godfather of AI,” resigned from Google in May so that he could freely share his concerns about the technology he helped create, which he says could cause the world serious harm.
Does generative AI fit into Apple’s business?
Although Apple hasn’t publicly entered the generative AI fight, a recent 9to5Mac report said that the iPhone maker is working on an upgrade to Siri, one that could improve the virtual assistant’s conversational abilities via ChatGPT-like AI concepts. Apple didn’t reply to a request for comment.
While Apple hasn’t publicly discussed any plans for generative AI-based products, Cook did discuss the company’s focus on AI during its May earnings call. He cited AI-powered features like fall and crash detection, which are both available on the latest iPhones and Apple Watches.
“We view AI as huge,” he said. “We’ll continue weaving it into our products on a very thoughtful basis.”
AI is far from a brand new concept to Apple. Siri, which was released 12 years ago, uses speech recognition and machine learning to understand a query and serve up an answer. In recent months, Apple debuted camera enhancements such as photographic styles and the ability to cut and paste a subject from an image, both of which depend on AI.
In addition, Apple’s Macs and MacBooks, which now run on Apple-designed M1 and M2 chips, have dedicated neural engines with 16 cores, which are aimed at AI and machine learning tasks. Apple says AI performance is 40% faster than with its old Intel chips.
“You can expect that AI performance will become more and more important as more developers figure it out,” wrote CNET’s Stephen Shankland in a January article detailing Apple’s M2 chipset.
But as Greengart highlights, it would make sense for Apple to bring the tech to certain products that extend beyond Siri as well as its current AI-powered offerings.
“Apple likes to position itself as being at the intersection of technology and liberal arts,” Greengart told CNET in an email. “Generative AI would fit nicely into tools and software that Apple provides for artistic and personal expression; that could include anything from GarageBand to photo editing to email across iPhones, iPads, and Mac.”
However, a chatbot in the vein of OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Bard is likely not in the books for Apple. The underlying technology behind those chatbots, known as large language models, has a high resource requirement for development. That means significant investment in the form of computing resources, human talent and power, rendering it a possibility for huge enterprises with vast resources. While Apple presumably has those resources, it’ll have to be a worthwhile investment for the iPhone maker.
All eyes on WWDC
After Google devoted a considerable amount of air time to generative AI at its conference this month, all eyes are on Apple and what it might reveal at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 5. Apple executives could offer more clues on how the iPhone maker views generative AI and how it fits into the broader business. At WWDC, Apple typically introduces new software for the iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad and so on, and it’s possible that Apple could bake more AI into those updates.
Ahead of the conference, Apple previewed a slew of accessibility software features expected to make their way to its upcoming iOS 17 mobile operating system. One of the noteworthy drops is called Personal Voice. It uses on-device machine learning to allow users at risk of speech loss to replicate a voice after about 15 minutes of training. The phone can then speak aloud typed-out phrases, and it’s compatible with FaceTime and phone calls in a feature that could be a form of generative AI for voice.
More likely to take center stage, however, is Apple’s highly anticipated mixed reality headset, which would mark the company’s first entry into a new hardware category since 2015. According to a January Bloomberg report, it’ll cost around $3,000, run on Apple’s latest M2 chipset, boast eye- and hand-tracking systems, and feature a digital crown that lets users switch between AR and VR modes. It’s also probable that Apple will take advantage of fast-developing AI technology for its latest device as well, even if it’s doesn’t receive explicit mention.
“We need to keep in mind that generative AI is not only about generating text but also other types of content like graphics,” Will Wong, of market researcher International Data, told CNET. “Thus, it will be an area that is favorable for Apple to look into, especially if there is an AR/VR headset that comes into its product portfolio.”
If you’ve spent any time texting on an iPhone, then you know all about autocorrect — both its strengths and its shortcomings. You know autocorrect can be a supremely helpful tool, fixing common typos like “adn” to “and” or “teh” to “the” without a hitch. But you also know that sometimes this modern typing technology doesn’t function in the way that it was intended.
Sometimes autocorrect capitalizes words in the middle of a sentence, other times it veers into overcorrection territory by changing correct words it deems incorrect, and more infamously autocorrect doesn’t want you to swear.
There are several ways to work around these issues such as boycotting texting altogether and using voice notes or turning autocorrect off. But perhaps one of the cleverest solutions is via the text replacement feature on your iPhone.
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This advertising widget is powered by Navi and contains advertisements that Navi may be paid for in different ways. You will not be charged for engaging with this advertisement. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, this advertising widget does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We make reasonable efforts to ensure that information in the featured advertisements is up to date, each advertiser featured in this widget is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its offer details. It is possible that your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms in this advertising widget and the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser which will be presented to you prior to making a purchase. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.
It’s a feature that lets you automatically expand abbreviations like BTW to “by the way” or omy to “on my way” but it also lets you add words that autocorrect might not recognize to your iPhone’s dictionary.
How to use text replacement:
Open the Settings menu on your iPhone
Tap General > Keyboard
Choose Text Replacement
Tap the + button in the top-right corner
Enter your word in the first field, Phrase.
Enter the text you want as a shortcut in the second field, Shortcut. You can also enter the entire word again.
Tap Save, and then you’re done.
But if you’re absolutely done with autocorrect, here’s how to turn it off once and for all:
Open the Settings app.
Tap General > Keyboard.
Toggle off on Auto-Correction. By default, Auto-Correction is on.
Apple’s expected VR/AR headset reveal looks like it’s right around the corner, but Meta has leaped ahead with headset news of its own. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s Instagram channel revealed a lot more about the Quest 3, which had been expected by the end of this year. The price, starting at $499, will be more than that of the Quest 2, but less than that of the PlayStation VR 2. Zuckerberg said on his channel that more details on the Quest 3 and the launch date will happen around Meta’s Connect developer conference on Sept. 27.
A follow-up to 2019’s Quest 2, the current most popular headset on the market, the Quest 3 was already known to exist since last fall. A number of details, including a hands-on test drive of a prototype version, had leaked before Zuckerberg’s news drop today.
The Quest 3’s biggest new additions are color cameras that allow for better mixed reality that blends video from the real world with VR on the headset’s displays, along with a new Qualcomm VR/AR chip that promises speedier performance. The headset is also significantly smaller and lighter, and has redesigned game controllers. The hardware will work with the existing Quest 2 app library, but looks to lean on more mixed reality features.
The Quest 3 doesn’t have eye tracking like the far more expensive, work-targeted Quest Pro that debuted last fall, but it also looks to be a better VR headset overall. Along with a lineup of new VR games being announced today, Meta’s clearly aiming at continuing to own the VR game console market as Apple possibly readies a very different route with its expensive and possibly work-focused headset.
Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 2023 kicks off on Monday, and Apple is expected to unveil iOS 17, the next version of its software for iPhones, at the event. WWDC comes about a month after Google I/O 2023, where Google showcased its next smartphone software, Android 14.
In the US, iPhones recently wrestled the crown away from Androids as the most popular smartphone, but this comes after more than a decade of Android dominance. And Android reigns in the global market, usually by wide margins. In South America, for example, Android represents about 88% of all smartphones, and iPhones trail with about 11%, according to the IT site SOS Support.
But for as long as Apple and Google have been fighting like Godzilla and King Kong for smartphone market superiority, they’ve also seemingly been stealing ideas from each other. For example, notification badges debuted on iPhones, and Androids had home screen widgets long before iPhones, as Popular Science notes.
Apple and Android have seemingly been copying features from each other for years.
James Martin/CNET
That back-and-forth continued with Android 14, as Android phones seemingly copied iPhones again with an updated Find My Device feature and added unknown tracker alerts. We don’t know what Apple has in store for iOS 17, but we think the company should incorporate some of the new Android features into the software.
Here are the new Android features I think Apple should include in iOS 17.
More lock screen customization options
Lock screen customization was one of the most substantial updates to land on iPhones when iOS 16 was released in September 2022. With iOS 17, I want to see Apple give iPhone users more customization options, like Google is doing with Android 14.
Android 14 will let users change the size and design of their lock screen’s clock — in addition to its font type and color — and the software lets users add shortcuts to their lock screen. Changing your lock screen clock is nice — you can already change the font and color of your iPhone’s lock screen clock — but I’d really like to see Apple add the ability to edit or add to the shortcuts on the lock screen.
I regularly use the flashlight shortcut, but I back-tap my iPhone to pull up the camera, so the camera shortcut doesn’t get used as much. Being able to change that shortcut to my Wallet app, or a search shortcut, would be great in iOS 17.
There are only four lock screen spaces for widgets in the current iOS.
Apple
It would also be nice if Apple added more widget spaces to the iPhone’s lock screen. With iOS 16, your iPhone has four grid spaces for widgets, and some widgets, like the Weather widget, take up two of those. It would be great if iOS 17 gave you at least four more grid spaces for widgets, giving you more ways to access your favorite apps.
AI-generated wallpapers
Android 14 will use artificial intelligence to let users create custom wallpapers. People will prompt their phone, which will use AI to generate a few wallpaper options. It would be great to see Apple roll out AI-generated wallpapers in iOS 17, but I’m not getting my hopes up.
While other companies have begun developing their own AI tools, Apple hasn’t made any public announcements about developing, or partnering with another company to produce, such tools.
“I do think it’s very important to be deliberate and thoughtful in how you approach these things,” Apple’s CEO Tim Cook said when asked about generative AI on the company’s earnings call.
It’s possible Apple will introduce more AI tools and functions in iOS 17, like AI-generated wallpapers, but I wouldn’t expect it. I’d bet Apple will integrate AI tools into functions most people already use, like Siri, first.
More emoji wallpaper customization options
Google announced at its I/O 2023 event that certain Pixel phones will let you create custom wallpapers using emojis, but this isn’t exclusive to Android 14. Users will be able to choose up to 14 emoji, the color of the background and the layout the emoji are set in. But Apple already brought this feature to iPhones.
Emoji wallpapers are already available on iPhones.
James Martin/CNET
To create a custom emoji wallpaper on your iPhone, go to Settings > Wallpaper > + Add New Wallpaper, and under the Emoji section are some premade emoji wallpapers. Tap any of these and you can edit what emoji are used, the layout and the color of the background. However, you can select only up to six emoji.
It would be fun if Apple allowed you to use more emoji and gave you more than six layout options in iOS 17 to further customize these wallpapers.
Cinematic wallpaper
Also not exclusive to Android 14, certain Pixel phones will let Android users create cinematic wallpapers. This feature will allow people to take a photo and give certain elements of the photo a depth effect. Once you’ve applied the effect, you can shift your Android device around and the wallpaper elements will shift around as well, making your wallpaper look three dimensional.
Cinematic wallpapers on Pixel devices will give certain wallpapers a three-dimensional look.
Screenshot by CNET
Apple introduced a similar lock screen feature in iOS 7, and this feature morphed into Perspective Zoom in some iOS 16 betas. However, the feature is no longer available in recent iOS 16 updates. Apple does let you apply a depth effect to your lock screen, but that just places your clock behind certain wallpaper elements. Enabling this also disables your lock screen widgets.
Cinematic wallpapers on your iPhone would be a nice touch to include in iOS 17, and they’d make some wallpapers on your home and lock screen really stand out. And if Apple doesn’t allow cinematic wallpapers in iOS 17, it would be great if the company at least allowed widgets to work on your lock screen when your depth effect was turned on.
