All iPhone Users Warned to Update Device Now Amid 3 Major Security Threats

Kicking Studio / Shutterstock

Apple makes it pretty simple to update your devices via the automatic updates feature. Once you have the option on, your iPhone installs new software on its own—typically during the night while you’re sleeping—as long as it’s connected to WiFi and charging. But in light of three new security threats, iPhone users are urged to take initiative and update their devices immediately. Read on to find out why you shouldn’t want for your device to update itself.

READ THIS NEXT: 5 Warnings to Shoppers From Ex-Apple Store Employees .

sergey causelove / Shutterstock

According to Forbes , both iPhone and iPad users must update their devices to the latest software , iOS 16.5. Three major security threats are addressed in the update, all of which are “zero-day” threats. According to McAfee, a “ zero-day ” is an attack that the occurs before or on the same day that the manufacturer is made aware of the vulnerability—meaning they had “zero days” to address it.

By Forbes’ estimates, over 1 billion iPhone and iPad users could be impacted—and Apple confirmed it received reports that each threat “may have been actively exploited.”

The three zero-days affect all iPhone users with an iPhone 8 or later model. The threats also impact all iPad Pro models; iPad Air models from the 3rd generation on; iPad models from the 5th generation on; and iPad Mini from the 5th generation on, per Apple.

If you’re unsure which iPhone or iPad model you have, go to Settings, then General, then About, where you’ll find your model name and number listed.

Shutterstock

Forbes reported that the zero-days are just three of 39 vulnerabilities addressed in the update—and according to Sean Wright , principal application security engineer at Featurespace, this “mixed bag of vulnerabilities” could have “quite severe impacts if an attacker were able to successfully exploit them.”

Wright added that when some of these vulnerabilities are “chained together,” a bad actor could gain full remote control of your device.

However, he’s the most concerned about the zero-days, which are related to WebKit, the browser used to power the Safari search engine. According to Apple, the vulnerabilities can put your sensitive information at risk or introduce malicious web content.

As the WebKit vulnerabilities are already “being exploited in the wild,” Wright told Forbes they’re “the ones that I would be concerned about.”

Shutterstock

Wright recommends that you update your device when you can, but also stressed that the average user might not be in as much danger.

“There’s no reason to panic about these vulnerabilities either,” he said. “They will likely be targeted vulnerabilities, targeting high profile users such as media, politicians, etc.”

You can easily update your advice by going to Settings, General, then clicking Software Update.

DenPhotos / Shutterstock

In addition to keeping your device and information protected, iOS 16.5 also offers some unique new features .

Sports fans will enjoy the update, as there’s a Sports coverage tab in the Apple News app, allowing you to get the latest updates even quicker. Apple also rolled out game pages, where you can find details about specific sporting events.

In honor of Pride Month, which occurs every June, Apple is offering a new Pride Celebration wallpaper, which you can use as your lock screen “to honor the LGBTQ+ community and culture.”

The update also addresses issues where Podcasts may not load through Apple CarPlay, issues with the Spotlight search feature, and complications where Screen Time settings reset or fail to sync across your Apple devices.

Apple Will “Aggressively” Price Your Next iPhone, Leaked Report Reveals

Shutterstock

As one of the biggest names in the tech world, Apple has an endlessly loyal following. These are the customers willing to line up for just about any new product that Apple is dropping—even if it’s just an upgrade of something they already have. But if you’re planning to buy the next iPhone, whether right away or a little down the line, you should be aware that it’s not going to come cheap. Despite expectations of prices going down, a leaked report has revealed Apple’s plans to “aggressively” price its next iPhone. Read on to find out more about the tech company’s next move.

READ THIS NEXT: Apple Under Fire—Lawsuit Claims This Product Caused “Significant Injuries.”

Shutterstock

The iPhone 15 is expected to hit markets this fall. According to Mac Rumors, the newest iPhone collection is likely to be released in Sept. 2023, “if Apple follows its traditional September launch timeline.”

The news outlet said that the upcoming iPhone reportedly entered its early trial production stage on Jan. 9—but that doesn’t mean rumors and leaks haven’t already started flying. Based on the latest intel, the iPhone 15 models are “expected to feature USB-C instead of Lightning, solid-state volume and power buttons, new camera technology, and more,” Mac Rumors reported.

But alongside these features, there’s another big change coming to the price

Shutterstock

The most recent leaks on the iPhone 15 indicate that its price tag is set to skyrocket, Forbes reported on Jan. 9. At the start of the month, “historically reliable” industry insider yeux1122 posted a blog post implying that Apple will be “aggressively” pricing some of its upcoming collection, according to the magazine. And now, notable anonymous leaker LeaksApplePro has written a report for HowToiSolve corroborating cost concerns.

According to the leaked report, Apple will raise the price of the iPhone 15 Pro after choosing not to hike the cost for customers with the release of the iPhone 14 collection.

“Unfortunately, it is high time for the Pro models to go up in price. It’s something that was expected last year and that Apple decided not to do,” LeaksApplePro wrote on Jan. 6. “But rising production costs, inflation and shrinking profit margins are already starting to take their toll on the Californian company’s revenue reports, and this pricing strategy to encourage sales of the upcoming iPhone 15 Plus seems like the perfect time to implement a price hike that hasn’t happened since the launch of the iPhone X in 2017.”

Best Life has reached out to Apple for a comment on a potential price hike for the next iPhone, but has not yet heard back.

Shutterstock

Apple just launched its iPhone 14 models last fall. The collection included four new smartphones : As “budget options,” the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus were released on Sept. 7, while the “premium” iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max were made available on Oct. 7, according to Insider. Since then, sales for some of these newer phones have struggled.

According to yeux1122, sales of the iPhone 14 Plus have fallen “far beyond” even the lowest estimates from Apple, MacWorld reported. This may be because the Plus model and the Pro Max model in this collection are too close in price.

“The iPhone 14 Plus starts at $899 while the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which has the same screen size, costs just $200 more with numerous extra features: A16 chip, ProMotion display with the Dynamic Island, telephoto camera, and stainless-steel design,” MacWorld explained.

Shutterstock

It might not seem unusual for Apple to raise the price on new products, but expects were actually expecting the opposite for the iPhone 15 amid disappointing iPhone 14 Plus sales.

“This iPhone, which Apple launched in September 2022, has failed to meet the California company’s sales expectations,” LeaksApplePro wrote for HowToiSolve. “It has probably been the model that has sold the least of this year’s four models, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better.”

As Apple is expected to launch the same structure of smartphones for the iPhone 15 collection—the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max—many assumed that the tech giant would slash the price of the iPhone 15 Plus to avoid sales flopping similarly to those of the iPhone 14 Plus. But LeaksApplePro said that the price of this model “will be the same,” while the iPhone 15 Pro price will go up to “provoke more sales.”

“The biggest problem of the iPhone 14 Plus has been, and is, that many customers find it worth paying $100 more and buying the iPhone 14 Pro instead of the Plus,” LeaksApplePro noted. “The solution is simple: raise the price of the iPhone 15 Pro. This way, buyers who want the iPhone 15 Pro will buy it anyway, and those undecided between the Plus and the Pro will likely opt for the Plus.”