Hey Geeks! Dhvanesh here, your friendly neighborhood Apple enthusiast and editor-in-chief of iGeeksBlog+.
We're making a slight change to the schedule for your favorite newsletter! Starting next week, you'll receive our updates on Fridays instead of Mondays.
This change will allow us to deliver a more curated and insightful newsletter, packed with the latest news and information you can use.
Don't worry, you won't miss a beat! If any important updates, breaking news and anything & everything about Apple comes our way, we'll still send out a special edition email to keep you in the loop.
We appreciate your understanding and hope you enjoy the new format!
See you on Friday from next week,
In this issue, you'll find:
- Apple just changed messaging forever
- Everything New in iOS 18 Beta 2
- How Long Do iPhones Actually Last??
- Wallpaper of The Week
- & more!
💬 Apple just changed messaging forever
After promising this feature last year, iPhone users can now enjoy RCS (Rich Communication Services) with iOS 18 Beta 2. This means you can text non-iPhone users without many of the previous limitations. Here are some of the new perks:
Right now, this feature is available only on AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile in the US.
- Full-quality media files: Share photos and videos in their original quality.
- No character limit: Say everything you need without worrying about cutting down your message.
- Typing indicators: See when someone is typing back.
- Emoji tapbacks: React to messages with emojis.
- Wi-Fi messaging to Android users: Stay connected even without cellular data.
A couple of things to note: Android messages will still appear as green bubbles, as the change is in the messaging standard, not in Apple's iMessage service.
POLL
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🤔 Everything New in iOS 18 Beta 2
Apple today released the second betas of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 to developers, and the software adds support for new features that Apple is working on, plus it tweaks some of the interface changes that have been made in the updates.
- iPhone Mirroring: When paired with a Mac running macOS Sequoia beta 2, iOS 18 beta 2 supports the Mac-based iPhone Mirroring feature. With iPhone Mirroring, you can control your iPhone using your Mac. We have made a hands-on video to test-drive iPhone Mirroring to showcase its capabilities.
- RCS Toggle: iOS 18 beta 2 adds a toggle for the new RCS messaging protocol that will replace SMS and MMS, but RCS is not yet functional. Right now, the RCS toggle only shows up for U.S. iPhone users who have a carrier that supports RCS, which includes T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T.
- Home Screen: The App Store icon on the Home Screen now has a dark mode, which changes the background color of the app. There's also a wallpaper tinting toggle that can be used in automatic mode, something that wasn't an option before. The toggle makes the wallpaper you've chosen darker.
- Widgets: There's a new Connected Card Wallet widget app, but it does not appear to be functional as of yet. Connected Cards integrate with the Wallet app to display total card balance and transaction history. In the United States, this feature only works with Discover at the current time.
- Control Center: The power button in the Control Center has a more pronounced haptic feel when pressing it, and it only triggers with a press rather than just a tap. The change will prevent the power button from accidentally being activated when using Control Center.
💬 Apple will let you send messages via satellite in iOS 18
- With the launch of the iPhone 14 series, Apple introduced a revolutionary feature called Emergency SOS via Satellite that lets you contact emergency services when there’s no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage in an area by connecting to communication satellites in low Earth orbit.
- Now, in the sea of amazing iOS 18 features, Apple is expanding the functionality of this feature in the form of Messages via Satellite. But what exactly is this feature, and how do you use it? Let’s take a look.
🤖 ChatGPT Mac app is now available to all users
- When OpenAI announced GPT-4o, one of the more exciting pieces of news was that its beloved ChatGPT app would come to Mac. It's been pretty quiet since then, but the company has officially released the app, making it available to many Mac users.
- It's worth noting that the app is only available for devices running macOS 14+ with Apple Silicon (M1 or better). If you're on an older device or a newer one with an Intel chip, you won't able to enjoy ChatGPT in app form.
- Get faster access to ChatGPT to chat about email, screenshots, and anything on your screen with the Option + Space shortcut.
🔋 Apple's new tech make iPhone battery replacement easier
- According to CultofMac, Apple could use electrically-induced adhesive debonding to make battery removal easier on future iPhones. The company could reportedly use this technology in at least one iPhone 16 model this year.
- This move could help Apple make iPhones more repair-friendly and adhere to upcoming EU laws.
- Apple will also have to improve the iPhone’s design to make accessing its internals easier for end users. Despite notable improvements, this process is still challenging, especially without specialized tools and equipment.
📲 How Long Do iPhones Actually Last??
- This video answers you a very common question: how long do iPhones actually last? 1, 2, 5 years? Are they built to live that long?
- The lifespan of an iPhone can vary, with performance starting to decline after the first year and noticeable slowdowns and battery issues by the second year. Despite possible problems after 3-5 years of use, an iPhone can still be used daily with software updates but may struggle with compatibility and performance after seven years.
- If you are planning on buying a new iPhone or if you are just curious about the phone you already have, this video answering that question.
Quick Bites
🖼️ Wallpaper of The Week
House of the Dragon iPhone wallpapers
With the new season of House of Dragon in full swing, it is the right moment to adorn your iPhone with some epic wallpapers. Whether you’re a die-hard Targaryen supporter or just love the thrill of dragons, these wallpapers will bring the fiery spirit of Westeros to your iPhone screen.
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Thank you again for joining iGeeksBlog+. I look forward to embarking on this exciting journey with you!
Best regards,
Dhvanesh
Founder, iGeeksBlog
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