Sony Xperia 1 VI might drop 4K resolution and 21:9 screen ratio

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Sony Xperia 1 VI might drop 4K resolution and 21:9 screen ratio
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There is a continuous design language that Sony’s Xperia smartphones have followed over the years and the upcoming Xperia 1 VI will likely continue this trend. However, there are slight changes imminent with the newcomer’s design. The Xperia 1 VI will surely make its debut in May, and it might leave behind two of its predecessors’ trademark characteristics.

Sony Xperia 1 VI going wider with a new display ratio and lower resolution

To start with, the Xperia 1 VI will not have a 4K display which has always been a hallmark of Sony’s smartphones. Sony pioneered the introduction of 4K screens in mobile devices. But, according to rivals who prefer lower resolutions, 4K doesn’t have any significant effect on user experience. So, the company could allegedly drop this feature. This implies that there would be other areas concerning how well the phone performs and what it does.

Also, the Weibo leak claims that the Xperia 1 VI will not follow the tall cinematic 21:9 aspect ratio as found in previous Xperia models. Instead, it will utilize a 19.5:9 one. As seen from concept renders, this adjustment will make it shorter and wider than its predecessors. Although Sony’s aspect ratio was unique at 21:9, it might have failed to resonate with consumers thus necessitating alternative approaches by makers.

These rumored modifications are pointing to potential strategic changes that may be happening with Sony’s smartphones, aligning them with market trends and consumer preferences. However, it is important to note here that these are just rumors until Sony confirms them officially. But while the suggested decisions might have some logical reasoning behind them, their accuracy is yet to be established.

More leaks abound leaving fans excited about the upcoming Xperia lineup

Leaks in recent times have also disclosed RAM configurations of Sony’s soon-to-be-released Xperia 1 VI. As well as the Xperia 5 VI, and Xperia 10 VI. Further raising expectations for Sony’s imminent releases. Consequently, as fans anticipate more information and official statements from Sony, the exiting of the Xperia 1 VI from the realm of 4k display and tall aspect ratio represents an interesting turn of events.


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Samsung AI will generate customized summaries, patent reveals

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Samsung AI will generate customized summaries, patent reveals
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Samsung has just disclosed a patent for an AI that will summarize documents. It will tailor these summaries according to learned behavior. Tech_Reve, famous for their leaks and breaking news on X, talked about Samsung’s patent. This move shows Samsung’s continued interest in dominating the AI tools market. Following Galaxy AI in its newest Galaxy phones, this document summarizing AI will be yet another tool in the company’s arsenal.

Samsung AI will output custom summaries

The patent for this feature talks of an AI tool that will read user inputs and provide related documents to the user. It can also read documents and output a summary. This output can be customized according to a user’s commands. For example, if the user tells the AI to provide a short and skeptical summary, the summary will be drafted as such. Other than that, the AI will make summaries of documents according to the user’s interests in the absence of direct instructions.

These interests include a user’s political beliefs, preferences, browsing history, and “knowledge levels”. Conjecture dictates this might also include what the AI has learned from analyzing a user’s emails and texts. The patent was filed on February 29, 2024. According to the South Korean site ChosunBiz, this feature might be available on new Samsung products going forward. This includes the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, which is still yet to release.

 

Implications of customized summaries

Though it would be kind of irresponsible for Samsung to do so, it does appear this new feature might further the societal divide. The AI isn’t out yet, of course, so it can’t be said for certain just how it would work. But if the patent is taken at face value, this feature will trap people even further in their echo chambers.

Politically charged folk often have a habit of staying within their social media circles. This is usually done by design on many social media platforms. It keeps users enraged and coming back for more, resulting in more ad revenue. Staying in these echo chambers, people miss out on alternate worldviews and other news sources for current events.

An AI that outputs customized summaries will only further this behavior. The fact that it takes a user’s political beliefs into account is somewhat concerning. If every summary is designed to appease a user and is thus biased, there will be a lot more societal infighting going forward. It remains to be seen how precisely Samsung rolls this out, and how it combats the potential dangers of such a technology.


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RCS messaging broken on Samsung Galaxy phones, working fine on Google’s app?

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RCS messaging broken on Samsung Galaxy phones, working fine on Google’s app?
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Rich Communication Services or RCS messaging is broken for some Samsung Galaxy smartphone users. RCS is reportedly fumbling with messages or dropping them entirely.

RCS offers enhanced functionality compared to standard text messaging (SMS) and has built-in encryption and read receipt support. Google’s long-standing dream is fast becoming a reality, oftentimes forced, for Android smartphone users and the cracks could be showing.

RCS is broken on Android smartphones but primarily affects Galaxy devices

Several Samsung Galaxy smartphone users have complained that messages sent using RCS as the backend, aren’t reaching their intended recipients. Strangely, switching over to Google’s Messaging app, ensures the messages are delivered normally and reliably.

Some users have observed that people whose chats are constantly switching between RCS and conventional SMS are using Samsung devices. This is probably due to the users who are unable to use RCS falling back to the traditional SMS backend, which is crude but reliable.

As the RCS bug has just been discovered, and it is affecting only a few Android smartphone users, it is not clear what may have gone wrong. Moreover, neither Samsung nor Google have reportedly issued any statement acknowledging the problem affecting RCS messages.

How to fix/mitigate the RCS bug not letting messages through

It is quite likely the RCS bug is a server-side issue. Hence, it may need Google or Samsung’s intervention. However, several end-users have been trying to address the problem, with some success.

One of the methods to try and fix RCS messages is to force-close the malfunctioning app, go to its settings, and clear its cache memory. Users must not clear ‘All Data’ as this might erase all messages. While this method appears to work, its efficacy is questionable as the issue reappears after some time, forcing users to repeat the steps.

So far, the RCS bug has primarily affected Samsung’s One UI. It hasn’t impacted smartphones made by Xiaomi, Realme, and others.

This suggests Samsung may have to release a server-side fix. Hence, affected Samsung Galaxy smartphone users could switch to other popular messaging platforms such as WhatsApp or Telegram while the company addresses the RCS bug.


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YouTube has some new rules for AI-generated synthetic videos

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YouTube has some new rules for AI-generated synthetic videos
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To make sure there is proper transparency in the labeling of videos created using artificial intelligence (AI), YouTube has introduced new rules. According to the official blog post, the new rules require creators to declare that their works constitute altered or synthetic media including generative AI.

YouTube crackdown on synthetic content: New rules for AI-made videos

If a video looks real and is easily confusable with reality, it must carry an appropriate label as stipulated by YouTube. This rule affects videos with digital alterations like graphics or audio which can lead to confusion by the viewers.

Labels are necessary when creators replace faces in footage, alter voices with synthetic versions of actual people, or manipulate real events and places. If people do not follow those instructions, YouTube may impose penalties including intervening by adding labels to videos that creators have not labeled correctly.

At first, these disclosure labels will simply appear in the expanded description on various YouTube videos but the company will stagger the rollout in stages. Labels will also be prominently displayed on sensitive topics such as news, elections, finance, and health directly on the video player so as to increase visibility and awareness.

However, generative AI for script creation alone for idea generation only or even automatic caption generation does not need any labeling from content makers. Similarly, minor alterations like color change and blurring of backgrounds are mostly inconsequential hence labeling will not be necessary.

Other new rules by YouTube keep famous individuals safe from synthetic face or vocal modifications

YouTube also said they are working on improving how they handle requests for the removal of content featuring identifiable individuals who have had their faces or voices synthetically modified. More information about this updated process will be provided soon by YouTube.

These new labeling rules set up by YouTube are an attempt to keep things transparent while enhancing trust among viewers because they should know what content they consume on its platform.


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Chrome for Android will soon allow you to use your preferred password manager

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Chrome for Android will soon allow you to use your preferred password manager
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Google Chrome might be the default browser on many Android phones, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only – or even the best – option. Browsers like Firefox, with its expanded extension support, and privacy-focused browsers loaded with anti-tracking features, offer compelling reasons to switch. Now, Chrome is making a change that lessens one major reason for users to jump ship.Historically, if you wanted to use a password manager on Chrome for Android, you were stuck with Google’s solution. However, a new hidden setting finally lets you choose your preferred password manager. This means if you use a service like LastPass, Bitwarden, or 1Password, you can now integrate it seamlessly into Chrome on Android.

This was spotted by Leopeva64 on X who shared his discovery while going through the code. According to him, this can be enabled right now on the Stable, Beta, and Canary builds of Chrome on Android, but the experimental flag “enable-autofill-virtual-view-structure” will need to be enabled first before the setting can show up. Once enabled, a new autofill option will appear within settings that will allow you to decide between the default (Google Password Manager) or other providers.

According to Android Police‘s reporting, this new feature is currently in development and not yet working as it should. For instance, attempts to save a new password after entering one failed, indicating that there is still work to do before the public can use it. The feature will likely undergo further testing and improvements before it no longer needs an experimental flag.

Chrome’s lack of flexibility in this respect was a point of frustration for those who preferred a dedicated password manager. This integration, when released, will streamline your browsing and give you greater control over the password services you use. While a little more polish is needed, users now have more reasons to consider sticking with Chrome on Android.


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Samsung to cut chip expenses with increased use of Exynos

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Samsung to cut chip expenses with increased use of Exynos
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Samsung plans to increase the use of Exynos processors in its Galaxy smartphones and tablets in 2024. The company is considering this move to keep costs down as chip prices increase globally. We might see MediaTek and Qualcomm chips in fewer Galaxy devices this year.

Samsung plans to put its Exynos processors in more Galaxy devices

Despite manufacturing Exynos processors in-house, Samsung uses chips from MediaTek and Qualcomm in a lot of Galaxy devices. Its foldables have always used Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors, while S-series flagships have historically come with Exynos and Snapdragon chips. Budget and mid-range models also use Snapdragon and MediaTek’s Dimensity chips along with Exynos.

Last year, Samsung exclusively used Snapdragon in the Galaxy S23 series. This led to its AP (Application Processor) expenses growing almost 50% from 7.63 trillion won (approx. $5.7 billion) in 2021 to 11.38 trillion won (approx. $8.5 billion) in 2022. Since a substantial chunk of chip purchases for the Galaxy S23 series were likely made in 2022, the expenses increased that year.

Samsung returned to Exynos for the Galaxy S24 series. While the Ultra model still uses Snapdragon globally, the other two models ship with an Exynos chip in most markets. This helped the company keep the chip expenses for 2023 almost flat at 11.73 trillion won (approx. $8.8 billion), a 3% increase from 2022. However, it is still a lot higher than what Samsung spent in 2021.

While a global increase in chip prices may be the main reason, the Korean firm using more MediaTek and Qualcomm processors has also added to the cost. A recent report revealed that only 13 million devices shipped globally in Q4 2023 featured an Exynos chip, down 48% from the same period in 2022. Samsung’s revenue from chip sales also dropped 44% during this period.

Since Exynos chips are primarily used in Galaxy devices, this shows that Samsung is moving away from its in-house processors. This is a loss of business opportunity for the company’s semiconductor division, while the smartphone division is also incurring extra costs for buying chips from external brands. Increasing the use of Exynos processors in its Galaxy devices is a win-win for both divisions.

This strategic shift is already underway

Samsung has already begun shifting from MediaTek and Qualcomm chips to Exynos. It recently launched the Galaxy A35 with the Exynos 1380. Last year’s Galaxy A34 featured MediaTek’s Dimensity 1080. The Galaxy A25 also switched from MediaTek to Exynos. We may see a similar trend across other Galaxy lineups in the coming months. The new foldables are unlikely to use Exynos chips, though. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 should arrive in July.


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CEO Jiang Fan outlines future strategies as Alibaba International exhibits steady growth driven by AliExpress in December quarter, 2023

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CEO Jiang Fan outlines future strategies as Alibaba International exhibits steady growth driven by AliExpress in December quarter, 2023
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On Feburary 7, Alibaba released its financial results for the quarter concluding on December 31, 2023. Alibaba‘s International Digital Commerce Group (AIDC) largely surpassed expectations, delivering an impressive performance with a 44% year-on-year increase in revenue, and an overall orders growing by 24% year-on-year.

Within AIDC’s commercial structure, which splits into a wholesale segment represented by Alibaba.com and a consumer retail branch encompassing platforms such as Lazada, AliExpress, Trendyol, Daraz, and Miravia, AliExpress has notably risen as the standout performer in the retail sector for the past quarter. This achievement is largely driven by an impressive order growth of over 60% quarter-on-quarter, significantly influenced by “Choice,” a premium service designed to enhance the cross-border shopping experience.

According to Club Ecommerce and EGI Group, AliExpress became the second most frequented e-commerce platform in Spain by December 2023. In the United States, data from Similarweb shows that AliExpress saw an average of 24.2 million visits per month in 2023, marking a 290% year-on-year surge and establishing it as one of the country’s most rapidly expanding e-commerce sites. Furthermore, mobile analytics firm WiseApp reported that the number of monthly active AliExpress users in South Korea nearly doubled to 7 million in November of the same year.

AliExpress’s European Commercial Director, Gary Topp, described Choice’s launch as a “turning point” for the company, noting it bolstered customer loyalty and market presence via features like free shipping and easy returns.

According to AliExpress, in January 2024, the orders of Choice accounted for about half of the total orders of the platform and continued to grow rapidly.

This impressive growth in the retail business did not occur in isolation. Since December quarter, 2022, under the strategic guidance of CEO Jiang Fan, AIDC’s retail business has been on a remarkable upswing, consistently achieving double-digit year-on-year growth. The growth momentum has continuously outpaced market anticipations over the past six quarters.

On the conference call, Jiang Fan attributed the robust financial performance of AIDC to three key drivers: enhanced consumer experience as a result of the business model and supply chain services upgrade, product and technology innovation, and finally, AIDC’s targeted expansion in priority markets.

In addition to AliExpress, Trendyol also continued to record strong double-digit quarter-on-quarter order growth in the past quarter, maintaining its leading position in the Turkish e-commerce market while further expanding its business to the Middle Eastern region.

Similarly, in Southeast Asia, Lazada continued to focus on improving operational efficiency, and with further improvements in monetization rates and reductions in logistics costs, the loss per order continued to narrow year-on-year this quarter.

When proposing forthcoming strategic initiatives, Jiang Fan stated that AIDC will execute a comprehensive strategy aimed at amplifying its business performance and extending its global presence.

One of the key pillars of this strategy, according to Jiang, is the enhancement of AIDC’s hybrid business model, known as the AliExpress Choice model. This model, designed to integrate a fully entrusted business model, aims at optimizing the platform’s supply chain, striking a balance between user experience and product variety, while reducing barriers for merchants to participate in cross-border commerce. By investing in this model – which has been proved successful through the robust growth in the past quarters – AIDC aims to provide more seamless and enriched experience for both merchants and customers.

Another crucial aspect of AIDC’s future strategy revolves around product and technology innovation. The company plans to continue optimizing its products based on local preferences in key countries and regions. Furthermore, AIDC intends to deploy advanced AI technology to enhance operating efficiency and provide advanced services. These services include real-time language translation and rapid generation of marketing images and videos, which will further lower the barriers for merchants and streamline their operations on the platform.

In this context, AIDC has already introduced multiple innovative AI tools and services, including the “Business Assistant”, “OKKI AI” and “Aidge”, in late 2023. These tools and services, equipped with a comprehensive suite of features, are all aimed at empowering merchants and tailored to trading scenarios.

In August 2023, Alibaba.com unveiled AI applications “Business Assistant” and “OKKI AI”, to streamline digital trade operations for foreign trade suppliers, both within and outside the Alibaba ecosystem. In November, AIDC introduced “Aidge,” an AI suite powered by its proprietary LLM model, featuring capabilities in translation, marketing, and design. This pilot launch is designed to cater to independent software vendors and SaaS providers, aiming to address global business challenges such as language and cultural barriers, high marketing expenses, and talent shortages. Aidge represents an innovative solution poised to transform how businesses across the world overcome these common obstacles.

These trailblazing AI e-commerce products represent the first of their kind, combining industry-specific integration with a viable business model.

Pandaily has learned from Alibaba.com that following the launch of these products, the volume of overseas inquiries for AI-optimized products on Alibaba.com saw a 15% surge. Internal testing data further revealed that the AI Business Assistant could potentially boost a cross-border trade merchant’s exposure by approximately 19%.

Jiang Fan further identified market expansion and consumer experience enhancement as the third cornerstone of AIDC’s future strategy. Jiang’s vision includes sustaining and accelerating growth in crucial markets such as Turkey and Europe. This growth strategy will leverage strategic acquisitions like Visable, a B2B digital trade platform.

Simultaneously, AIDC is dedicated to refining the consumer experience from start to finish. This involves guaranteeing consistent product quality, offering competitive pricing, improving delivery times, and introducing value-added services, including localized product returns. This dual approach reflects Jiang Fan’s commitment to both expanding AIDC’s market presence and elevating the customer journey.


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Fujitsu Scrambles After Malware Attack: Customer Data Potentially Breached

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Fujitsu Scrambles After Malware Attack: Customer Data Potentially Breached
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Fujitsu Scrambles After Malware Attack: Customer Data Potentially Breached

Japanese tech giant Fujitsu is investigating a potential data leak after malware infected company systems – This could expose the personal information of customers and employees.

Fujitsu is investigating a possible data leak caused by a malware infection that may have allowed unauthorized access to personal information, according to its press release on Friday.

Fujitsu confirmed the presence of malware on multiple work computers, suggesting a potential entry point for unauthorized access. The company quickly launched an investigation. Initial probing has revealed that the malware could have accessed and extracted sensitive personal and customer information. 

“We discovered that files containing personal information and customer information could be illegally taken out,” Fujitsu stated in its press release.

However, the tech giant is yet to confirm the nature of malware used to target its computers, the number of affected computers, and the type of data breached in the attack. Fujitsu discovered the cyberattack on 15 March but has not disclosed other details, including whether contact details, passwords, and payment details were compromised and the time of the attack.

It has implemented strict security measures, isolating affected computers and strengthening network surveillance. The company has disconnected affected systems from its network and is investigating the type of malware used, the nature of the cyberattack, and the method of the intrusion. 

Fujitsu has not disclosed who has been affected, including employees, corporate customers, and citizens using the company’s technologies. 

The company claims to be informing “the targeted individuals and customers” about the possible data breach and has notified the Personal Information Protection Commission, Japan’s data protection authority.

“To date, we have not received any reports that personal information or information about our customers has been misused” the company concluded.

Fujitsu is a leading Japanese ICT company, employing 124,000 people in over 100 countries. The company has been involved in wrongful convictions due to bugs in its Horizon computer software.

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March update available for Samsung Galaxy S22, A54 & A33

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March update available for Samsung Galaxy S22, A54 & A33
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After the US, Samsung‘s Galaxy S22 series and Galaxy A53 are receiving the March update in international markets. The new security patch is also available for the Galaxy A33, which wasn’t released in the US. The updates should reach all users worldwide over the next few weeks.

Galaxy S22, A53, and A33 get March update globally

Every month, Samsung pushes new software updates to dozens of Galaxy smartphones and tablets. The company updates more devices than any other phone manufacturer and still does it faster than almost all of them. It has already updated around 30 Galaxy models this month, pushing the March 2024 security patch.

The Galaxy S22 series and Galaxy A53 recently picked up the latest SMR (Security Maintenance Release) in the US. The company wasted no time in bringing the update to other regions. This month’s security fixes are now rolling out to the 2022 flagship trio in Europe with the firmware build number S901BXXS7DXBD. The Galaxy A53 is getting the update in Latin America with firmware version A536EXXS8DXB5.

Additionally, the March SMR is available for the Galaxy A33 in South Korea with the build number A336NKSS6DXC1. A wide rollout should begin soon. None of these devices are getting anything more than this month’s security fixes. Samsung has included 37 Android OS patches and 9 Galaxy patches to the latest SMR. These include at least two critical patches and dozens of high-severity vulnerability fixes across the Galaxy family.

If you are using any of these Galaxy smartphones, watch out for an update in the coming days. It will not add new features or improvements to your device but will make it more secure. You should get a notification once the update is here. Tap on it to download and install the update. Alternatively, you can go to the Software update menu in the settings app to check for updates manually on your Galaxy device.

These devices will get the One UI 6.1 update

The Galaxy S22 series, Galaxy A53, and Galaxy A33 all run on Android 14-based One UI 6.0. Samsung plans to update them to One UI 6.1 in the coming months. Introduced with the Galaxy S24 series, the updated version brings some UI tweaks and new features. The Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A33 may not get the AI features found in the new flagships, but a few of them may make it into the Galaxy S22. Samsung will begin the One UI 6.1 rollout later this month.


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Leaked Apple roadmap hints at low-end Vision Pro & AR Glasses

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Leaked Apple roadmap hints at low-end Vision Pro & AR Glasses
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Apple might launch a foldable iPhone before a foldable iPad. An alleged product roadmap posted on X shows the company plans to release the phone in 2026, while the tablet would come in 2027. The roadmap also mentioned the iPhone SE 4, a low-end Vision Pro, and AR Glasses.

A low-end Apple Vision Pro might be on the way

Rumors about Apple working on foldable iPhones and iPads aren’t new. However, there are contrasting reports about their release timeline. Some say the iPhone will arrive earlier, by the end of 2026. Others say the company will first launch a foldable iPad. There are also reports saying one or both could be delayed until 2027.

While we wait for more concrete information, noted X tipster @Tech_Reve recently posted an image that allegedly shows Apple’s product roadmap for 2023-2027. The source says the roadmap comes from Samsung Securities, a financial services company under the Samsung group. We cannot vouch for the legitimacy of the information, but there are some notable takeaways here.

Firstly, Apple will launch its first OLED iPad later this month or next. There are no other major new products planned for 2024. This means the iPhone 16 series won’t bring any hardware innovation—the iPhone 15 Pro Max brought a periscope telephoto zoom camera with 5x optical zoom. The solution may expand to the Pro model this year but Apple won’t add anything new.

In 2025, the company will introduce the iPhone SE 4 with a 6.1-inch OLED display and a 48MP primary camera. Apple will also allegedly upgrade some iPhone 17 models to 12GB RAM and 48MP cameras. All three rear cameras and the selfie shooter could feature 48MP sensors. These upgrades should be accompanied by enhanced software optimization, making an already-strong iPhone camera stronger.

Apple will follow up with a foldable iPhone in 2026. It will feature a 6-inch cover screen and an 8-inch inner display. The roadmap says we will see an OLED iPad Air in the same year. It will come in 8.4-inch and 10.9-inch models. We will also get an OLED MacBook in 14-inch and 16-inch models. The company could launch a low-end (more affordable) version of its revolutionary Vision Pro XR headset.

Apple has a foldable iPad and AR Glasses planned for 2027

In 2027, Apple plans to bring another revolutionary wearable product to the tech industry. It has AR Glasses in the pipeline. The glasses will feature 1.4-inch RGB screens with MicroOLED or MicroLED panels. 2027 will also bring the first foldable iPad from Appl, according to the leaked roadmap. The device will feature a 20-inch display. Whether the next three or four years pan out like this for Apple, only time will tell.

Leaked Apple roadmap


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