Apple Warns All iPhone and iPad Users to Update Devices Immediately—Here’s Why
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People can go to great lengths to take care of their smartphones and tablets. But besides making sure the devices are in peak physical condition, it’s also essential for users to stay on top of the software that keeps them functioning. Now, Apple is urging users to get the latest version of its operating system for many of its devices, MacRumors reports.
On Feb. 13, the company released updates for its iOS and iPadOS operating systems to version 16.3.1. The move comes as the first significant software fix since Apple pushed iOS 16.3 less than a month ago. But while the latest update doesn’t come with the same exciting addition of new features and capabilities as its predecessor, it’s still vitally important to users.
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The latest iOS update comes in response to what’s known as a “zero-day” vulnerability in the software that can leave iPhone and iPad users open to attacks from hackers and nefarious actors, Lifehacker reports. Specifically, a security flaw in the outdated operating system’s WebKit can be taken advantage of if a user clicks on a malicious link .
“Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited,” the company wrote on its support page touting the latest software update.
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Many users opt to automatically update their devices with overnight downloads they rarely even notice. However, since this can sometimes take a while , users should still verify that iOS 16.3.1 has been installed as soon as possible. You can check by clicking on the Settings icon on your iPad or iPhone and then tapping General and Security Update. If the latest operating system isn’t already installed, you can actively initiate the installation from this screen.
Apple says that the latest update is required for most models of its devices. The list includes iPhone 8 and later, all iPad Pro models, iPad Air third generation and later, iPad fifth generation and later, and iPad mini fifth generation and later.
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Besides the vital security patches, the latest iOS update includes fixes for some other known bugs and issues with the devices, such as a problem with voice assistant Siri and the company’s iCloud remote storage settings, Mac Rumors reports. Notably, it also made further improvements to the latest iPhone’s Crash Detection feature—which has created a notorious issue for some users by accidentally calling for help when it isn’t needed.
The ambitious new technology uses built-in sensors and sensitive software that can detect when someone carrying an iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Pro phone is involved in a car crash or sudden fall. This allows the devices to call 911 automatically if the user is unresponsive or can’t reach their phone, providing quick assistance in an emergency situation where time can be of the essence. However, users have reported that the feature may work a little too well after discovering it can also be triggered by perfectly safe events, including riding roller coasters or skiing down a slope.
Unfortunately, the well-intentioned and potentially life-saving feature is making it more difficult for emergency dispatchers to do their job . “My whole day is managing crash notifications,” Trina Dummer , interim director of emergency services in Colorado’s Summit County, told The New York Times . She noted that calls this year have roughly doubled from the same period last year, which can lead to overworked dispatchers and misdirected resources needed for actual emergencies.
The latest update comes in the wake of software fixes that have aimed to improve the feature and make it more accurate. “We have been aware that in some specific scenarios these features have triggered emergency services when a user didn’t experience a severe car crash or hard fall,” Alex Kirschner , an Apple spokesperson, told The Times in a written statement. The company also pointed out that it plays a loud warning sound for 10 seconds to alert the user, which allows them to cancel the 911 call.
Apple Will “Aggressively” Price Your Next iPhone, Leaked Report Reveals
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.”
