HTC U24 Pro leak shows phone’s official design and specs

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HTC U24 Pro leak shows phone’s official design and specs
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HTC is readying the reveal of its next phone, which the company is slated to announce officially on June 12, but ahead of the event tomorrow the HTC U24 Pro design appears to have leaked. In addition to the design, all of the specs appear to be available as well.

HTC teased the coming of a new ‘U’ phone back on June 7. At the time it didn’t confirm what the model was. The company did however tease it with an image that said “All 4 U“. The key takeaway from that teaser was that the second “L” in the word ‘all’ and the “4” were squished together and they were both a separate color from the rest of the phrase. Hinting very obviously that this upcoming phone reveal is for the U24 Pro.

We also spotted the HTC U24 Pro name back at the end of April, and then it popped up again in the Google Play Console a few days later.

The HTC U24 Pro leak shows the phone design in a brilliant blue color

There are a few things to note about this phone’s design. It comes in a stunning blue color, it has curved glass for the display, and it’s got three cameras on the back. Some of those things may or may not make the phone stick out for you. What’s more intriguing is the pairing of the design and the specs.

GSMArena has listed what appear to be the full specifications (spotted by DroidLife). According to the specs listing, the HTC U24 Pro comes with a 6.8-inch display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400. It has 256GB of storage and comes with 12GB of RAM as well as a 5,000mAh battery. Without going any further, the HTC U24 Pro will already likely sound appealing to some based on these factors. But it gets better.

The display is also an OLED panel and it has a 120Hz refresh rate. Which means good things for both gaming and general use. Because scrolling around the phone should appear more fluid with little to no snags. As for the processor, it’s listed as coming with a Snapdragon 7 Gen 3. That’s no slouch of a chipset. It’s not a flagship mobile platform but the phone should still perform just fine.

The cameras sound somewhat impressive too. With the triple camera arrangement on the back, HTC went with a 50MP main camera in pairing with a 12MP telephoto lens that has 2x optical zoom, and an 8MP ultrawide camera. On the front, it’s using a 32MP selfie camera.

The phone will cost “about €450”

It was already rumored that HTC wasn’t bringing this phone to the US, and that may hold true. There’s no mention of availability in the specs listing but there is a brief mention of the price. It’ll cost about €450 which means it should be launching in Europe sometime in the near future. With HTC planning to unveil the phone tomorrow, chances are availability and official pricing will be announced at the same time.


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Spotify’s Hi-Fi plan may be really expensive; AI to blame

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Spotify’s Hi-Fi plan may be really expensive; AI to blame
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For months, it has been rumored that Spotify will launch a new plan with superior audio quality this year. Now, a new leak reveals the possible price of Spotify’s Hi-Fi tier, and it looks like it won’t be cheap.

Spotify had already officially confirmed that they would launch a Hi-Fi plan. However, the company said it in 2021, so it’s been quite some time. It is not known why the arrival of the new plan has taken so long. But it seems that 2024 will be the year when the service will receive the long-awaited tier. That said, according to a recent leak, it would cost at least $5 extra over your current plan.

Enjoying Hi-Fi audio on Spotify would cost $16–$17/month in the US

According to the Bloomberg report, Spotify’s Hi-Fi plan would actually be an add-on for the premium plans. This means that the final price you will pay depends on the base plan you have. The add-on in question would cost around 40% more than your current paid tier. The percentage may vary slightly due to price differences between different regions.

Currently, in the United States, Spotify Premium subscribers pay $11.99. So, if the leak holds true, enjoying lossless audio quality would have a monthly cost of $16–$17. Taking into account the current market, the offer does not seem too attractive on paper. There are services like Amazon Music ($9,99), Apple Music ($10,99), and Tidal ($10,99) that include Hi-Fi audio as an integral part of their premium plans.

Hi-Fi add-on would include generative AI features for playlists

Spotify would seek to justify the potentially high price of its Hi-Fi plan with AI-powered playlist creation tools. The company has already been experimenting with the Spotify DJ feature. According to the report, paying for the Hi-Fi add-on would also allow you to generate playlists or mixes for specific activities or dates. Everything would be generated according to your specific musical tastes.

The company would also seek to use the social section as a selling point. Every year, millions of users around the world share their Spotify Wrapped summary on social networks. The company would take advantage of this to make moves in favor of its Hi-Fi plan. Be that as it may, price can be a fundamental factor in its success or failure. Having a cost well above the vast existing competition would be a risky move.


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Apple Maps and Apple Music are getting these new features in iOS 18

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Apple Maps and Apple Music are getting these new features in iOS 18
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It almost felt as though Apple Music wasn’t invited to WWDC yesterday, and the app may look the same following the update to iOS 18. However, Apple Music will have a couple of new features that will kick in once you install iOS 18 on your iPhone. One new feature, called Music Haptics, uses the Taptic Engine on an iPhone to produce taps and vibrations that will match the song being played on Apple Music.

This new feature is actually more important than you might think since it will help those who are deaf or have difficulty hearing “feel the music.” And that is why the feature will be found under the accessibility settings in iOS 18. After installing the latter, go to Settings > Accessibility > Music Haptics and toggle on the feature. You’ll also be able to test out Music Haptics.

The other new feature allows those without an Apple Music subscription to have control over the music heard on a SharePlay session. Instead of requiring SharePlay users to have an Apple Music subscription, users can share control of music sourced from a HomePod, Apple TV, or any Bluetooth-enabled speaker. As Apple itself notes on its iOS 18 Services preview page, “Participants do not need to have an Apple Music subscription to contribute to what’s playing.”
Create custom walking routes in Apple Maps with iOS 18 - Apple Maps and Apple Music are getting these new features in iOS 18

Create custom walking routes in Apple Maps with iOS 18

What changes are coming to the always-improving Apple Maps app in iOS 18? Suppose we told you that hikes and custom walking maps will be available. According to Apple, users will be able to browse through thousands of hikes found in U.S. national parks. These can be filtered by length, elevation, and route type and can be saved for those times when you’re offline. With just a few taps, users will be able to create a custom walking route whether it’s a local exercise route or a full-day walking tour in a city you’ve never been to before.

With the all-new Places Library, you can save your national park hikes, custom walking routes, and other places and you’ll be able to add personal notes about each one. This way you can remind yourself about certain aspects of these routes that might be important to remember. And helping Apple Maps create these hikes and walking maps will be the app’s new ability to show topographic maps. These maps show the ups and downs of an area’s terrain in 3D shown on a 2D map.

Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services, said about Apple iPhone users, “We’re excited to give them even more to love about our services, like the ability to explore national parks with hikes in Apple Maps…and enjoy music with loved ones through SharePlay in Apple Music.”

As you know, the iOS 18 developer beta is available now and the public beta will be available next month. The stable final version of iOS 18 will be available this September.


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It looks like Spotify may soon deliver on its promise of a HiFi tier offering

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It looks like Spotify may soon deliver on its promise of a HiFi tier offering
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Image credit: PhoneArena

Spotify may finally be making good on its promise to deliver a high-fidelity audio experience, according to recent reports. After years of anticipation and speculation, a Bloomberg insider has shed light on the company’s plans for this premium tier, suggesting it will be offered as an add-on to existing subscriptions for an additional $5 per month.This news comes on the heels of Spotify’s recent price hikes, which saw the individual plan increase to $10.99 per month. With the HiFi add-on, users could potentially be paying $15.99 per month for access to higher quality audio. This is a more reasonable price point than some had anticipated, with speculation previously suggesting a potential cost of around $20. It’s possible that the recent price increase was a strategic move to make the HiFi tier seem more palatable to consumers.In addition to enhanced audio quality, the new tier is rumored to include new playlist creation features. Users will reportedly be able to generate custom playlists based on specific dates, events, or activities, and the algorithm will even attempt to predict user preferences and create playlists accordingly.
It looks like Spotify may soon deliver on its promise of a HiFi tier offering

Image credit: PhoneArena

While there is still no official release date for the HiFi tier, these rumors hint that Spotify is finally ready to deliver on its long-standing promise. The company has been teasing the launch of lossless audio since 2021, and it seems that the wait may soon be over for audiophiles and music enthusiasts.

The addition of a HiFi tier could be a significant move for Spotify, potentially attracting new users and retaining existing ones who value high-quality audio. It will also put the company in direct competition with other streaming services that already offer lossless audio, such as Apple Music and Tidal. Only time will tell how successful this new tier will be, but for now, it’s safe to say that the anticipation is building among users who are eager to experience their favorite music in a whole new way.


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Elon Musk could ban Apple products from his companies

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Elon Musk could ban Apple products from his companies
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Apple just held quite possibly its biggest WWDC to date, and Apple users are all waiting to get their hands on the new AI tools coming to iOS. However, one billionaire is not happy about this. Elon Musk threatened an Apple ban throughout his companies because of iOS 18’s ChatGPT integration.

Before hopping in, if you want to know more about WWDC 2024, you can check out our coverage. The company announced new goodies coming to iOS 18 along with additions to iPadOS 18. Also, if you want to know how to install the WatchOS 11 beta, we have a guide.

Elon Musk is not happy about Apple’s AI

Soon after Apple brought its AI tools, the internet quickly became flooded with comments about them. Many of them were positive and hopeful, but not everyone was impressed. Elon Musk voiced his anger at the company in a couple of tweets. He was not happy with the company partnering with OpenAI to implement ChatGPT into iOS.

To catch you up, iOS 18’s AI tools are powered by its own models and can also use ChatGPT when needed. Apple AI couldn’t quite develop large-scale models in time, as it was slow to jump on the AI train. So, it needed some help. The phone performs most of its AI on-device, but it will contact GPT-4o when it needs a larger language model.

Well, Musk does not like the fact that the company chose to do this. “Apple has no clue what’s actually going on once they hand your data over to OpenAI.” He’s referring to the fact that OpenAI could have access to users’ data when they need to contact the cloud. It harkens back to the age-old question “What happens to my data when I turn it over to the cloud?”

He also threw more shade at Apple by saying that it’s “patently absurd that Apple isn’t smart enough to make their own AI, yet is somehow capable of ensuring that OpenAI will protect your security & privacy!” Right now, we don’t know just how OpenAI manages data. Obviously, companies like Meta, Google, and Amazon are gluttonous for your data. So, using ANY of their products turns over your entire identity. However, we don’t know how OpenAI is.

What we do know is that the company does have a bit of a history. It’s been involved in a few security breaches. So, Musk has a point there.

Elon Musk could ban Apple products from his companies

In a separate post, Musk said that if Apple implements OpenAI’s models on the OS level, Apple products could be banned from all of his companies. The billionaire owns several companies including X, Tesla, Space X, The Boring Company, etc. So, no one within those companies would be able to use their iPhones.

Elon Musk tweet apple chatgpt (1)

That could be a bad move on his part, as iPhones are…. kinda popular. We love Android devices, but we have to admit that iPhone users make up a significant portion of any group of people. Also, any company can benefit from having a diverse collection of tech users from both sides of the OS pond. Banning Apple devices could have a negative effect on these businesses.

Elon Musk tweet apple chatgpt (2)

Elon Musk needs to think about this before making this drastic change. It will have a sweeping effect on the people working at these companies. Many jobs are already at stake because of AI and the poor economic conditions. Workers don’t need any more reason to fear for their jobs.

But, this might just be because of bad blood

As many people may not know, Elon Musk had some deep ties to OpenAI; he was a co-founder. He cut ties with the company years ago, but he has since sparked a squabble with the company. Just a few months ago, Elon moved to sue OpenAI because he feels that its current trajectory clashes with its original vision.

OpenAI was founded on the dream of creating AI for humanity, not profit. However, the company has since moved over to a for-profit model. Not only that but it’s become a bit of an AI powerhouse for Microsoft. Elon feels that OpenAI has become a for-profit subsidiary of Microsoft. He’s suing the company to force it to make its source code public.

During the case, we got some pretty damning evidence pointing to Elon himself wanting to push the company to become a subsidiary of Tesla. Also, an email confirmed that Musk also wanted to keep OpenAI’s source code behind closed doors. So, the messages point to some extreme hypocrisy on Musk’s part.

So, there’s a chance that Elon is making this decision because of his feud with the company. In any case, Musk’s opinions or Apple’s AI aren’t important in this matter. The workers’ jobs are important. Let’s hope that Musk and Apple can come to some sort of agreement that won’t lead to a rapid shake-up. Jobs are already at stake.


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iFi launches LAN iPurifier Pro under new sub-brand

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iFi launches LAN iPurifier Pro under new sub-brand
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iFi is a brand that specializes in high-quality audio equipment like DACs and amplifiers. If you’re in the audio business, you’ve undoubtedly used some of its products. Today, iFi just announced a new product and an entire new sub-brand. iFi announced the LAN iPurifier Pro under its new brand named Silent Power.

Most of the time, we tend to think that the best way to get the highest-quality audio is to buy an expensive pair of headphones. However, there are more ways to get the best audio from your system. The fact of the matter is that, while streaming your music, you run the risk of introducing electrical noise into your sound. That can be distracting if you’re an audiophile. Having clear audio is always a good thing, so this is where iFi comes in with its new brand.

The brand is called Silent Power. As its name suggests, this is a brand that will bring equipment designed to reduce the noise in your audio system. If you’re a person who likes to get the most from their music, then you’ll want to give its products a look.

iFi introduces the LAN iPurifier Pro

The christening product from Silent Power is called the LAN iPurifier Pro. No, this is not a fancy-looking air purifier. Rather, it’s meant to purify the audio pushed through your network-connected audio setup.

Streaming music wirelessly can be a hassle, and noise only makes things worse. The LAN iPurifier Pro can fix that. It uses advanced optical galvanic isolation technology. This tech actually converts the LAN signal into an optical signal. Then it converts the signal back into a LAN signal. In doing this, the company can effectively isolate the electrical signals between input and output. The result is a much cleaner sound coming through your audio system. If you’re curious about some of the specs, you can check out the table below.

iPurifier Pro Specs

Are you looking forward to this device? You can pick it up for $299.99. Check out the link below to go to the official website.

LAN iPurifier Pro official site


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YouTube now testing AI summaries in Shorts comments section

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YouTube now testing AI summaries in Shorts comments section
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It seems that YouTube is currently testing AI summaries in Shorts comments section too. The feature was originally available for long videos, helping to automatically organize comments according to topics.

From time to time, Google introduces experimental features to its services. These features are initially available to a limited audience, and are not always widely implemented. For example, last year, some users started receiving an AI-powered topic generator for comments in long videos. This feature basically analyzes the comments and organizes them into specific topics.

The feature allows you to know the main topics that people in the comments are discussing. It also helps creators know their viewers’ favorite topics, which is useful for making more engaging content. The option to filter comments by topics is placed between “Top” and “Newest.” However, the company has not yet implemented the feature en masse. That said, it seems that doesn’t mean it was scrapped. Now, YouTube is testing AI summaries for comments in Shorts.

AI summaries for YouTube comments now available in Shorts as a limited test

As with long videos, AI summaries for YouTube Shorts comments are available only through the mobile app. In addition, it is a test of very limited scope among selected users. Even those who receive the feature will not be able to use it in all Shorts. It will only be available in some Shorts with full comment sections.

YouTube AI summaries Shorts comments
AI summaries in YouTube video comments

Google allows channel owners where the option is available to delete individual comments within topic threads. The company also states that topics are generated only based on published comments. That is, those under review do not count for the system.

It is not known when YouTube will massively implement the AI summarizer. However, the fact that they are now testing the option in Shorts too is indicative that the plans are still on track. In any case, Google seems to be taking the implementation of functions related to AI-powered summaries more cautiously. The controversy surrounding the bizarre results that AI Overviews showed in Search generated a lot of noise. So, they will probably take their time before a massive rollout.


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Samsung mocks Apple’s AI features shown at WWDC

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Samsung mocks Apple’s AI features shown at WWDC
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Apple just held its developer conference, revealing its developments in the field of AI and the new iOS 18 features. However, it seems that Samsung was not impressed and did not miss the opportunity to mock Apple’s announcements during this year’s WWDC.

In the smartphone segment, Android brands were the pioneers in terms of AI implementation. Google has been the main driver in the integration of AI-powered advanced features. The company then worked with Samsung to bring this experience to flagship Galaxy devices as well. Other big names, such as OPPO and Honor, are also working on it.

Samsung mocks Apple for its late AI implementation

That said, Apple officially announced its own suite of AI-powered features during WWDC24. The company used “Apple Intelligence” as its marketing name for its own AI experience. This does not seem to have pleased Samsung, who in a post in X wanted to remember that it arrived first with its Galaxy AI suite:

“Apple Intelligence” offers multiple advanced possibilities to use in almost any app. However, there are also multiple features that Android users will find familiar. There are transcriptions and summaries in the Notes app, the removal of elements from photos, etc. So, Samsung makes fun of having offered features of this type before Apple.

In addition to AI features, Apple announced other more “common” ones related to customization. One of the advantages of Android over iOS has always been the customization aspect. However, Apple’s mobile OS has been catching up in recent years by integrating more possibilities. Now, with iOS 18, the company has taken another step forward.

For example, users of devices running iOS 18 will be able to freely change the placement of app icons on the home screen. While this seems pretty basic, it wasn’t even a possibility on iOS. Samsung also mocks this new feature presented at Apple’s WWDC, remembering that this has been possible on its devices for more than a decade:

There was also an unexpected guest at the party: Nothing. During WWDC, Apple announced that iOS 18 users will be able to change the color of their icons. After that, the company founded by Carl Pei posted a screenshot showing that Nothing OS allows you to apply a monochromatic tone to the icons. Additionally, Android’s Material Theming feature analyzes the colors of your wallpaper to offer you a selection of tones that you can apply to your icons.

However, to be fair, Apple allows you to freely choose a wider range of colors to theme the icons. That is, you are not limited to the base colors of your wallpaper. Will Android 15 bring a feature like this in the near future? Only time will tell. Also, some of Apple’s AI features are more advanced than what Samsung currently offers. That said, several will arrive “over the next year,” so Samsung has time to catch up.


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OnePlus 13 camera might get better zoom capability and new ultrawide sensor

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OnePlus 13 camera might get better zoom capability and new ultrawide sensor
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We recently reported that the OnePlus 13 will feature three 50 MP cameras. Now, there are rumors that the camera will get better zoom and will come with a new sensor for the ultrawide camera. The information has come from Digital Chat Station, the tipster who earlier tipped about the three 50 MP camera setups.

The OnePlus 13 is expected to get a better zoom and a new sensor for its ultrawide camera

The OnePlus 12’s periscope camera uses an OmniVision OV64B sensor with 3x optical zoom and an additional 6x sensor zoom. The ultrawide camera relies on a Sony IMX581 sensor. However, leaks suggest the OnePlus 13 will receive upgraded sensors for both the periscope and ultrawide cameras compared to its predecessor.

The OnePlus 13’s ultrawide and periscope cameras are rumored to use the Sony IMX882 sensor. And, the periscope lens will offer a 3x zoom. This sensor is already found in mid-range phones like the Poco F6 and the OnePlus Ace 3V.

Digital Chat Station post on OnePlus 13 camera specs.

The company is reportedly sticking with the same main camera setup as the OnePlus 12. This means a 50-megapixel sensor with Sony’s LYT808 technology. While some users might have hoped for the newer Sony LYT-900 sensor found in the Oppo Find X7 Ultra, leaks indicate no change for the main camera in the OnePlus 13.

The OnePlus 13 is losing wireless charging support

The upgraded zoom and ultrawide camera in the OnePlus 13 are definitely on par with the best aspects of the smartphone. But unfortunately, unlike the OnePlus 12, the OnePlus 13 might not support wireless charging. This is definitely a surprising move from OnePlus, especially after receiving a lot of praise for adding 50W wireless charging to the OnePlus 12.

The phone will run on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and will have a new design compared to its predecessor. You will get a 6,000mAh battery that will easily last a couple of days on normal usage.

The phone is still a long way off from its release. Therefore, expect many more rumors to surface in the coming days.


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WhatsApp testing the ability to pin up to two channels

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WhatsApp testing the ability to pin up to two channels
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Image credit: PhoneArena

WhatsApp, the global chat app owned by Meta, is ever-changing and evolving by adding new user features. Lately, it was found that WhatsApp was enhancing its user experience with a new feature currently being tested in the Android Beta version 2.24.13.3. Select beta testers are now able to pin up to two of their favorite channels to the top of their channels list, making it easier to stay connected and informed with the content they value most.Before, users had to scroll through their entire channels list to find their most frequently visited ones. However, this newest update has been reported to address this issue by allowing users to select and pin up to two channels to the top, making them easily accessible whenever they open the updates tab.

In addition to pinning, users can now perform bulk actions on multiple channels simultaneously, such as muting, marking as read, or even pinning them together. This streamlined functionality is a welcome addition for users managing numerous channels, where taking these actions could become time-consuming.

WhatsApp testing the ability to pin up to two channels

WhatsApp multiple channel pinning feature | Image credit: WABetaInfo

By pinning their favorite channels, especially when there is more than one, users can easily access them without scrolling through their entire list. This not only saves time but also improves the overall navigation experience within the app. This enhanced accessibility encourages users to stay more informed and engaged with their preferred channels, as they are more likely to see and interact with the latest updates, which would be more visible if they are pinned.The new multiple pinning feature is currently available to a limited number of beta testers who have installed the latest updates of WhatsApp beta for Android from the Google Play Store. However, it is expected that WhatsApp will gradually roll it out to more users in the coming days, offering users a new way of organizing their WhatsApp channels.

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