Unlike iOS, Android gives users full access to the file system. This makes it a viable option for transferring files and more. According to Microsoft, accessing those files is getting a lot easier with File Explorer.

Today we are beginning to gradually roll out the ability to see your Android phone in File Explorer to Windows Insiders with Android phones across all Insider Channels.

With this new experience, you will be able to wirelessly browse through all your folders and files, including media that is on your Android phone. You can open them, copy them to your PC, copy PC files to your phone, rename files, move them, and delete them.

Microsoft says the Android phone must be running at least Android 11 or later, and a beta version of the Link to Windows app is necessary. Users will also need to register for the Windows Insider Program while the features is still in testing.

To enable this experience, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mobile Devices and choose “Manage devices” and allow your PC to access your Android phone. You’ll then be able to see a toggle to show your phone in File Explorer. If you do not see this toggle, that means the experience hasn’t yet rolled out to you yet.

The feature will be a nice addition for Android users, and will help ease cross-platform file sharing and access.

Fortunately, there are some easy strategies that can help you do it.

Common Reasons Phones “Die”

Phones don’t last forever, but if we want to maximize how long they last, we need to first understand why they “die” or become no longer useful.

These are the usual culprits:

·       Physical damage. Most of us have had the experience of dropping a phone, then picking it up and resuming normal use. But unfortunately, all it takes is one bad point of physical damage to completely compromise your phone’s functioning capacity. Dropping your phone into water, causing forceful damage to the phone, and in some cases, even cracking the screen can prevent the phone from being functionally useful. Thankfully, you can protect most phones with the right phone case – more on that later.

·       Battery issues. Some phones die simply because their batteries no longer hold an adequate charge. We rely on our phones for their portability, giving us access to communication and various technological features no matter where we go. Once the battery is no longer able to hold many hours of a charge, the phone no longer works as a mobile device.

·       General slowdown. Sometimes, phones become in need of replacement when they experience a general slowdown. They’re no longer as responsive as they once were, and certain apps no longer work as we’d like. This is often because operating systems and software evolve to keep pace with the latest hardware, so it’s only a matter of time before old hardware can no longer keep up. However, this may also be attributable to hardware mismanagement.

·       Lack of support/compatibility. Phones eventually reach the end of their life permanently when they experience such a lack of support and so many compatibility issues that they’re no longer worth using. For most users, a manufacturer terminating support is the end of the road.

Use the Right Case

One of the best strategies to make your phone last longer is to use the right case. A good case can protect your phone from almost any kind of physical damage, though admittedly, no case is perfect.

·       Fit. Make sure you’re using a phone case that’s approved for your specific phone model. You need a case that fits snugly around your phone, while still providing ample flexibility.

·       Materials. It’s also important to consider the materials used. Soft materials are flexible and capable of absorbing impact, while harder materials provide even more durability. Most people benefit from using a combination of both.

·       Port coverage. Ports gather dust and debris, eventually compromising their effectiveness. Ideally, you’ll have a case that can protect them.

·       Screen protection. You should also have something in place to protect your screen. If your case doesn’t come with one, invest in a separate screen protector.

Handle Your Phone Responsibly

No matter how good your case is, it’s still a good idea to handle your phone responsibly. Driving over your phone with a car, throwing it recklessly, or submerging it into water can cause irreversible damage, even if you have a nice phone case in place.

Upgrade/Replace Your Battery

No matter how well you take care of it, your phone battery is going to start losing capacity within 2 or 3 years. Once you start noticing a discrepancy in your battery life, consider upgrading or replacing the battery. This is usually inexpensive, and it might even be something you can do on your own, but it can add years of life to your existing phone model.

Install Updates Regularly

Turn on automatic updates and make sure your phone and all its apps are updated regularly. Updates are made for several reasons, such as adding new features, improving efficiency, boosting security, and ensuring compatibility. It’s one of the best ways to make sure your phone continues functioning throughout the end of its natural life.

Get Rid of Whatever You Don’t Need

Be sure to regularly offload any apps, photos, and other media you no longer need. Maintaining a leaner phone can help it run faster and more smoothly; plus, the fewer apps and items you have to deal with, the fewer potential issues you’ll face.

Use Low Power Mode

Even if your battery is quite high, consider using low power mode. When in low power mode, your phone uses far fewer resources and operates much more efficiently. It’s not especially detrimental to most tasks, but it can greatly extend your battery life and cause less wear and tear to the phone itself.

Periodically Clean

Cleaning out phone ports is easier than you might think, and it’s something you should do regularly. Taking just a few minutes to clean out your ports can ensure they maintain clean, consistent contacts, ultimately prolonging their lifespan.

As you can see, even a handful of simple strategies are enough to boost the functional, useful life of your phone. As long as you’re willing to make a few investments and maintain your phone as necessary, you can probably get many additional years out of each model you buy.

Apple has long been rumored to be working on a foldable iPhone, with many experts and critics believing the company cannot ignore the form factor forever. In true Apple fashion, however, the company has been in no hurry to release its first foldable, waiting for the technology to mature so it can release a device that meets its exacting standards.

Apple’s summary provides some interesting details:

An electronic device may be provided with a foldable housing. The housing may have first and second portions that are coupled by a hinge for rotation about a bend axis.

A foldable display may be mounted to the foldable housing. The foldable display may have a display cover layer and a flexible display panel. The foldable display may bend around the bend axis. The display panel may have an array of pixels configured to display an image through the display cover Layer.

The display cover may be formed from a layer of glass. A recess may be formed in the layer of glass that extends along the bend axis. The recess may form a flexible locally thinned portion in the layer of glass that allows the glass layer to bend about the bend axis.To ensure that the display cover layer exhibits satisfactory impact resistance during drop events, corner portions and other edge portions of the display cover layer may have increased thickness relative to other portions of the display cover layer outside of the locally thinned portion.

The hinge and/or other structures in the display may be configured to help hold the display flat when unfolded during normal use, while causing the display to slightly fold about the bend axis when the electronic device is jolted during a drop event. This helps prevent the display from impacting a hard surface while fully opened.

Apple’s summary focuses heavily on addressing one of the biggest criticisms of many foldable devices, namely their fragility. Users have complained about screens becoming unusable after small drops, something Apple focuses heavily on in its summary.

Apple has a long history of incorporating fall detection measures. The company incorporated Sudden Motion Sensor technology in its laptops as early as 2005. The feature was designed to detect a fall and instantly park the heads of traditional spinning hard drives to prevent damage from the fall. A decade ago, the company received a patent for technology to help iPhones better survive falls.

In view of that history, it’s not surprising that Apple is focusing so heavily on helping a foldable iPhone survive a drop event intact.

Android 5.0 was first released in 2014, marking a decade of varying levels of support. While Lollipop has not received upgrades or security updates, the decade-old OS could still use Google Play Services.

According to a company support article, Android 6 is now the minimum supported version:

Google Play Services connects apps to other Google services, like Google Sign In and Google Maps. Google Play Services isn’t the same as the Google Play Store app, and is included with Android.

Google Play Services doesn’t make your battery drain faster or use too much of your mobile data plan. You can’t force stop or uninstall Google Play services.

Important: Google Play services are only supported on devices with Android 6.0 (API level 23) or higher.

Fuchsia has been Google’s other OS project since at least 2016 when its existence became known publicly. It has been rumored to be Google’s replacement for Android and Chrome OS, a more modern OS that could unify Google’s OS strategy.

According to Android Authority, it appears Google is finally bringing the new OS to Android devices, but not as a native OS. In one of the outlet’s excellent deep dives, writer Mishaal Rahman uncovers evidence that Google is working on a project called “microfuchsia,” which would allow Fuchsia to run in virtualization.

In many ways, such an approach makes sense and taps into Fuchsia’s core benefits. The OS uses a completely different kernel than Android—the Zircon kernel—which offers some significant security benefits. Because Zircon is a “microkernel-like architecture,” Fuchsia can operate with very few services utilizing trusted code, unlike Android which needs to run trusted code for far more functions.

There’s still no word if Google plans to wide its use of Fuchsia. The company uses the OS to power its Nest Hub devices, but it has yet to make its way onto any Android devices as a primary OS, despite Samsung teasing in 2021 that the S22 could run Fuchsia.

In late 2023, Linux kernel developer Jonathan Corbet announced that support for long-term support (LTS) kernels would drop from six years to just two. LTS kernels form the basis of some of the most popular Linux distros, such as Debian and Ubuntu. LTS kernels have security and bug fixes backported throughout the life of the kernel, allowing distros to provide long-term stability and reliability while still having the latest security and bug fixes.

“There’s really no point to maintaining it for that long because people are not using them,” Corbet said at the time.

“Maintainers are burning out [because] maintainers don’t scale,” added Josef Bacik, kernel file system developer and kernel maintainer.

“This cannot stand,” added Darrick Wong, a senior kernel maintainer. “We need help.”

Google uses LTS Linux kernels as the backbone of Android, benefiting from the security and bug fixes those kernels provide to help protect Android users. The company describes its kernel strategy for Android common kernels (ACKs):

When a new LTS is declared upstream, the corresponding common kernel is branched from android-mainline. This allows partners to begin a project prior to the declaration of the LTS version, by merging from android-mainline. After the new common kernel branch is created, partners can seamlessly change the merge source to the new branch.

Other common kernel branches receive regular merges from their associated LTS kernel. These merges are normally done immediately after the LTS release is posted. For example, when Linux 6.1.75 was posted, it was merged into the 6.1 common kernel (android14-6.1). Partners are strongly encouraged to update their kernels to stay up-to-date with LTS and Android-specific bug fixes.

Needless to say, the changes to the Linux kernel LTS period directly impact Google’s efforts, limiting the viable kernels that can be used for Android:

Before Android 15 (AOSP experimental), any of the three most recent kernels could be used for device launch. Starting with Android 15 (AOSP experimental), the two most recent kernel versions can be used for device launch. The launch kernels for Android 15 (AOSP experimental) are android15-6.6 and android14-6.1.

Because of these changes, Google says it will now provide four years of support for the LTS kernels it uses as the basis of Android, going above and beyond the initial two.

ACKs might be supported for longer than the corresponding upstream stable kernel at kernel.org. In this case, Google provides extended support until the end-of-life (EOL) date shown in this section. When kernels are EOLed, they are no longer supported by Google and devices running them are considered to be vulnerable.

Beginning with kernel 6.6, the support lifetime for the stable kernels is 4 years.

The company provides the following table to show how long each specific kernel will be supported:

Google’s announcement should be welcome news for Android developers and vendors.

Users took to Reddit to post screenshots of their phones receiving the update to the latest version of Android. Interestingly, both users are Cricket Wireless customers.

Although the update is good news for Motorola Razr customers, as many pointed out, it’s hard to excuse Motorola for taking this long to release the update. Users were even less happy that it took this long for an unlocked phone they paid for outright.

“I can’t believe that the factory unlocked Razr is dead last to receive updates,” said user sunjay140.

“Really great that unlocked Razr owners will be the last to receive Android 14,” added ProgressiveSquirrel.

“I’m totally stoked I bought my phone outright and I’m being treated like I’m less of a Razr owner than someone making monthly payments and literally doesn’t own their phone.”

Slow updates have long plagued the Android ecosystem, in comparison to Apple’s iOS, with users very much at the mercy of manufacturers and their timetables. It’s one of the reasons that Samsung, and recently Google, have become so popular. Samsung and Google provide some of the longest support periods for individual phones, and roll out updates responsibly fast.

In the meantime, at least Motorola Razr user are finally getting Android 14. Better late than never…

According to MacRumors, citing Taiwanese outlet CTEE, Apple has reportedly increased its order of TSMC-manufactured chips for the upcoming iPhone 16. The company believes there is significant pent-up demand for the new model, leading to the increase.

The iPhone 16 is expected to use the new A18 chips across the entire lineup. In contrast, the iPhone 15 saw the use of two different chips, the A16 on lower-end models and the 17 on the Pro series.

MacRumors reports that the iPhone 16 is likely to see a RAM upgrade on the standard models from 6GB to 8GB, making 8GB the standard across the lineup. The move is likely a result of Apple’s decision to include on-device AI models, which the company indicated would require at least 8GB.

The new version is expected in September, if Apple holds to its usual release pattern. Given how well its AI announcements at WWDC were received, Apple could very well be looking at an upgrade supercycle.

The Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event is slated for July 10 in Paris, Fance, and will showcase Samsung’s Galaxy AI.

The next frontier of Galaxy AI is coming. Prepare to discover the power of Galaxy AI, now infused into the latest Galaxy Z series and the entire Galaxy ecosystem. Get ready for a world of possibilities as we enter a new phase of mobile AI.

The company says that users who reserve a new Galaxy device anytime between the 25th and July 10 will be eligible to receive the credit.

Starting today [June 25] through July 10, consumers who reserve one of the new Galaxy devices on Samsung.com are eligible to receive $50 instant Samsung Credit and save up to $1,500 when you pre-order a new Galaxy device.1 Those who reserve on Samsung.com are also eligible to enter into a sweepstakes for a chance to win $5,000 in Samsung Credit

Apple surprised the industry when it announced it would adopt RCS to replace the aging SMS for communication between iOS and Android devices. RCS offers many of the benefits of iMessage, including read receipts, group administration, file sharing, high-resolution media, and more. The feature is slated for iOS 18.

According to users on Reddit, the feature appears to be enabled in the latest beta. User “harry_1” showed a sent message that included a high-resolution picture.

While Apple will likely never support RCS to the extent it supports its own iMessage, RCS adoption should still go a long way toward improving text messaging between the two platforms.

Apple was already on the verge of becoming the first Big Tech company to be fined under the DMA for failing to do enough to allow third-party developers to bypass its App Store rules and fees. The DMA is designed to regulate gatekeeper companies, such as those that control an entire platform and meet certain user and revenue thresholds.

In an interview with CNBC, Vestager said Apple’s non-compliance was a serious issue.

“We have a number of Apple issues; I find them very serious. I was very surprised that we would have such suspicions of Apple being non-compliant,” Vestager told CNBC’s Silvia Amaro.

″[Apple] are very important because a lot of good business happens through the App Store, happens through payment mechanisms, so of course, even though you know I can say this is not what was expected of such a company, of course we will enforce exactly with the same top priority as with any other business,” Vestager added.

The DMA forced Apple to open iOS and allow third-party app stores and side-loading apps. While Apple did comply, it introduced a whole new set of fees that many saw as a way to try to dissuade developers from choosing alternative payment methods.

Vestager told CNBC said she hoped the probe would wrap up soon, but her comments certainly raise significant doubt that any outcome will be favorable for Apple.

Burke made the announcement in an X post:

So… after 14 yrs leading Android engineering, I’ve decided it’s time for a change. An awe-inspiring ride helping build the biggest OS on the planet (+ many Nexus/Pixel). I’m forever grateful for the opp. Continuing as advisor while figuring out what’s next in AI/bio.

— Dave Burke (@davey_burke) | June 12, 2024

In a post on LinkedIn, Burke provided additional details, including what he is most proud of:

But at the end of the day, what I’m most proud of is the team I helped build as we scaled Android users 3000x from 1 million to over 3 billion. Working with you, and representing your work publicly, has been the biggest honor of my career. It’s important for me to leave you in good hands with a well thought out succession plan. We’ll be following up shortly with some additional specifics about this change, so please keep an eye out for that.

Burke reiterated that he will be taking on an advisory role focused on AI:

I’ll be stepping away from leading Android Engineering and shifting into an advisory position while exploring AI / bio projects. AI has the potential to play a pivotal role in accelerating drug discovery, with wide applicability, including in hard-to-treat pediatric cancers, a topic close to my heart. I’m working with Sundar to explore relevant roles at Alphabet.

Google has yet to announce Burke’s replacement.

The Fitbit.com web dashboard was launched when the company first launched its products, but the company says developments since then have made the dashboard unnecessary.

We launched Fitbit with the Fitbit.com web dashboard to offer users a new way to interact with and log their data. Since then we introduced the Fitbit app, a robust health and wellness app that includes the features users love about our Fitbit.com web dashboard and many other features that were exclusively developed for the app.

The company also says that being purchased by Google has also been a factor.

Combined with Google’s decades of being the best at making sense of data, it’s our mission to be one combined Fitbit and Google team. Consolidating the Fitbit.com dashboard into the Fitbit app is a part of that mission, and will allow us to focus on features that provide even more valuable insights to our users.

The data and features of the Fitbit.com dashboard are available in the Fitbit app which you can download on Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The web browser will no longer offer access to the Fitbit.com dashboard after July 8, 2024, but all your details and logging for activities, nutrition, sleep, and weight continue to be available in the Fitbit app.

According to Kyodo News, the bill prohibits Apple and Google from blocking third-party app stores, but it goes much further. It also prohibits the companies from prioritizing their own services over competitors, and ensures developers can use the payment options of their choosing.

The outlet reports that new law will likely take effect by the end of 2025. Once it does, the law will penalize companies that violate it 20% of their domestic revenue, with the possibility of that penalty increasing to 30% if companies do not change course.

Jurisdictions are increasingly cracking down on Apple and Google, concerned about the duopoly they represent. The EU passed similar legislation, aimed at forcing the companies to change how they do business. If more jurisdictions follow suit, the mobile landscape could look very different in the coming years.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has teased the possibility of a Tesla phone in the past, and is no fan of Apple. The executive has been critical of the company many times, most recently saying he would ban Apple devices from his companies’ buildings if Apple continues with its integration of ChatGPT.

Morgan Stanley believes these factors play a role in possibility of a future Tesla phone. The note, seen by Slashdot, is copied in its entirety below:

From our continuing discussions with automotive management teams and industry experts, the car is an extension of the phone. The phone is an extension of the car. The lines between car and phone are truly blurring.

For years, we have been writing about the potential for Tesla to expand into edge compute domains beyond the car, including last October where we described a mobile AI assistant as a ‘heavy key.’ Following Apple’s WWDC, Tesla CEO Elon Musk re-ignited the topic by saying that making such a device is ‘not out of the question.’ As Mr. Musk continues to invest further into his own LLM/genAI efforts, such as ‘Grok,’ the potential strategic and userexperience overlap becomes more obvious.

From an automotive perspective, the topic of supercomputing at both the datacenter level and at the edge are highly relevant given the incremental global unit sold is a car that can perform OTA updates of firmware, has a battery with a stored energy equivalent of approx. 2,000 iPhones, and a liquid cooled inference supercomputer as standard kit. What if your phone could tap into your vehicle’s compute power and battery supply to run AI applications?

Edge compute and AI have brought to light some of the challenges (battery life, thermal, latency, etc.) of marrying today’s smartphones with ever more powerful AI-driven applications. Numerous media reports have discussed OpenAI potentially developing a consumer device specifically designed for AI.

The phone as a (heavy) car key? Any Tesla owner will tell you how they use their smartphone as their primary key to unlock their car as well as running other remote applications while they interact with their vehicles. The ‘action button’ on the iPhone 15 potentially takes this to a different level of convenience.

The Verge was the first to notice a couple of subreddit posts that indicated Best Buy was ending its Samsung ASP. The outlet spoke to a GeekSquad employee who confirmed the reports and provided corroborating documentation.

The news is another blow to Samsung’s reputation as a phone manufacturer that supports right-to-repair. Repair expert iFixit.com recently ended its Samsung partnership, saying the company was not really committed to effective self-repair options.

“As we tried to build this ecosystem we consistently faced obstacles that made us doubt Samsung’s commitment to making repair more accessible,” Scott Head, iFixit Operations and Logistics Supervisor, said at the time. “We couldn’t get parts to local repair shops at prices and quantities that made business sense. The part prices were so costly that many consumers opted to replace their devices rather than repair them. And the design of Samsung’s Galaxy devices remained frustratingly glued together, forcing us to sell batteries and screens in pre-glued bundles that increased the cost.”

Samsung is quickly getting a reputation that may come back to bite it.

Live Photos quickly became one of iOS’ signature features when it was introduced in 2015. While appearing to be a still photo, a Live Photo is basically a short video clip, giving users the ability to see more than a single-frame still photo can capture. Unfortunately, the format is difficult to migrate to Android, meaning the Live Photos do not transfer well.

In one of their APK teardowns, the folks at AA have discovered that Google is working on a new feature of its Data Transfer Tool that will support importing Live Photos and automatically converting them to Google’s competing Motion Photos format. Significantly, the imported photos will be stored directly on the phone, rather than being processed in the the online Google Photos like past versions, which could be a problem for Google One accounts with limited storage.

The update should remove one more barrier for iPhone users that may be looking to switch it up a bit.

But why should you care?

These numbers hold the potential to reshape users’ digital experiences fundamentally. Here’s a sneak peek into the mobile development trends for 2024 and beyond, providing insights that can steer you towards creating compelling and future-ready mobile applications. 

On-Demand Apps 

As technology continues to evolve and consumer preferences shift towards convenience and instant gratification, the on-demand app trend, along with mobile app development services, is expected to continue growing and shaping the future of various industries. On-demand apps empower businesses to improve customer experience, reach new heights, and operate more efficiently. 

IoT-Powered Mobile Apps 

2024 is set to bring about greater integration with Internet of things (IoT) devices, creating interconnected ecosystems that offer a smooth user experience. 

IoT isn’t just about smart homes; it’s an omnipresent force reshaping entire industries. Picture your smartphone transforming your vehicle into a self-diagnosing asset, always ensuring peak performance. 

From smart home controls to wearable devices, IoT-powered mobile apps will become central hubs, allowing users to effortlessly manage and monitor their surroundings. 

What does this mean for businesses? Enhanced operational efficiency, reduced costs, and improved sustainability. 

5G Integration 

The widespread adoption of 5G networks is set to revolutionize mobile app development. With lightning-fast speeds and virtually zero latency, 5G enables developers to create more immersive and real-time experiences.  

Blockchain for Security 

As concerns about data security and privacy continue to escalate, blockchain technology is emerging as a game-changer in the latest mobile app security trends. Blockchain ensures secure, unbeaten and transparent transactions as it stores data in isolated blocks. It’s a perfect solution for applications that deal with sensitive information and demand an extra layer of security.  

Voice Users Interfaces 

Voice-activates applications, powered by natural language processing (NLP) algorithms, will offer users an intuitive experience. From virtual assistants to voice-activated commands within applications, this trend will not only enhance accessibility but also redefine how users interact with their devices. 

With Voice User Interfaces (VUIs), you won’t need to interact with your smart devices through predetermined commands anymore. No more tapping, typing, or swiping. Instead, you’ll converse with your technology as naturally as you would with a friend. 

Augmented Reality (AR) Navigation 

The Forbes Technology Council predicts a significant rise in AR navigation, anticipating it will play a crucial role in various sectors, particularly travel and urban navigation, in 2024. AR technology enhances navigation by overlaying digital information onto the physical world through devices like smartphones and AR glasses. This advancement aims to make navigation more intuitive and interactive, providing real-time directions, points of interest, and contextual information tailored to the user’s location and needs​ 

Customizable Apps for Foldable Devices 

Statista anticipates that over 50 million foldable smartphones will be shipped globally this year. This creates a distinctive opening for entrepreneurs and app developers alike. 

With millions of foldable phones hitting the market, it’s a goldmine for creative minds. These devices boast huge screens and can juggle multiple apps at once, opening doors for developers to craft experiences unlike ever before. This could totally redefine how we build apps in the future. But that’s not all! The trend is hot for wearable devices too. Imagine designing apps specifically for smartwatches or fitness trackers, perfectly tailored to your audience’s needs.  

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning 

In 2024, we’re just scratching the surface of AI’s potential in mobile app development. But as we delve deeper, humanity is on the brink of experiencing a revolutionary shift. With AI and machine learning, developers are set to create apps that understand users better, anticipate their needs, and offer personalized recommendations. This is just the beginning of a journey toward a more intelligent and tailored user experience. 

Cloud Computing 

In mobile development, a cloud-centric approach utilizes cloud computing services for tasks like data storage, processing, and authentication. This enhances scalability, enables easy updates, and improves data security, optimizing overall mobile app performance and user experience. In fact, this trend will continue to grow as the adoption of cloud-native development is expected to advance by 25.28% through 2028. 

Chatbots 

Chatbots are transforming mobile apps. They are certainly on the rise as a key customer service tool. Chatbots offer intuitive, personalized experiences driven by NLP and machine learning. Natural Language Processing (NLP) and machine learning are making chatbots smarter and more effective. They redefine user interaction, enhance engagement, and drive innovation across various app functionalities beyond customer service. 

Minimalistic Mobile UI/UX Design 

In a recent design trend analysis, Forbes industry experts have observed a significant shift in mobile application design, with principles of minimalism and neomorphism taking center stage. 

Minimalism will drive a reduction in clutter and unnecessary elements within mobile app interfaces. This will lead to cleaner designs, with a focus on essential features and content. Users will appreciate the ease of navigation and the reduced cognitive load when interacting with these apps. 

By prioritizing simplicity, realism, and intuitive design, app developers can create multiplatform user experiences that resonate with users and elevate the overall quality of the mobile app ecosystem. 

mCommerce 

Mobile commerce is on track to reach over $740 billion in 2024, a significant jump from just a few years ago. This shows a clear shift in consumer behavior towards mobile shopping. 

Why is mCommerce a trend? 

There are several factors driving the mCommerce boom: 

• Convenience: Consumers can shop from anywhere, anytime, with just their smartphones. This ease of access is a major advantage. 
• Personalized Experiences: Mobile devices allow for more targeted marketing and promotions, creating a more personalized shopping experience. 

What’s next for mCommerce? Emerging mobile technologies. Technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) could revolutionize product visualization and try-on experiences. 

By staying on top of these eCommerce mobile app trends, businesses can ensure they’re offering a mobile-first shopping experience that meets the evolving needs of consumers. 

Final Thoughts 

As mobile development trends continue to evolve, staying ahead of the curve is key. Embrace all these mobile application development future trends not only to survive but to thrive in the competitive mobile tech landscape of 2024. 

Remember, investing in trending mobile app development technologies isn’t just a short-term gain—it’s a commitment to the enduring success and relevance of your mobile app. So, stay agile and let your app journey seamlessly into the tech future! 

At Silk Data, we deliver customized mobile app development services with advanced AI integration, designed to address the specific requirements of our clients. Our offerings extend beyond development to include robust IT consulting and app prototyping services. Our team of experts meticulously analyzes current systems to identify areas for enhancement, creating innovative and effective AI-driven solutions. This comprehensive approach ensures a smooth and efficient journey towards achieving business growth and long-term success for our clients. 

iFixit has been at the heart of several companies’ efforts to provide DIY repair services to their customers, including Samsung. Despite the two companies working together for two years, they are ending their deal, with iFixit questioning Samsung’s commitment to self-repair.

“Two years ago we launched iFixit’s Samsung Repair Hub with the goal of building an incredible, repair-friendly ecosystem,” said Scott Head, iFixit Operations and Logistics Supervisor. “We aimed to set the gold standard for repair documentation and empower local independent repair businesses with the tools and parts they needed to thrive, all while keeping Galaxy devices running.

“Despite our best efforts, we have not been able to deliver on that promise.

“As we tried to build this ecosystem we consistently faced obstacles that made us doubt Samsung’s commitment to making repair more accessible. We couldn’t get parts to local repair shops at prices and quantities that made business sense. The part prices were so costly that many consumers opted to replace their devices rather than repair them. And the design of Samsung’s Galaxy devices remained frustratingly glued together, forcing us to sell batteries and screens in pre-glued bundles that increased the cost.”

Head goes on to say that Samsung relied on flashy press release, but provided little to no follow through.

“Despite skepticism from the repair community, we tried to work with Samsung to create repair documentation for a few initial devices,” Head added. “However, flashy press releases and ambitious initiatives don’t mean much without follow-through. We’ve been through this with Samsung before with Galaxy Upcycling, the amazing device reuse idea that we helped them announce. Then they ghosted us and never released it. We clearly didn’t learn our lesson the first time, and two years ago we let them convince us they were serious about embracing repair.”

Head also reassures users that iFixit will continue to support Samsung devices, just as it did before an official deal with the company.

“That said, Samsung phones clearly need repair,” Head explains. “No worries on that front: we will continue selling Samsung parts just as we have since 2015, well before our partnership. Although we won’t be making in-house Galaxy guides, we invite our community to keep sharing what you know about repairing Samsung devices. Anyone can make an iFixit guide—in fact, over half of our 100,000+ guides were not written by our in-house team. And for our repair shop customers, we’re no longer beholden to the miserly quantity limits you’ve been so frustrated by.”

The executive goes on to say that iFixit is determined not to let one bad apple spoil everything the company has worked for, which is why it’s ending its relationship with Samsung now.

Apple unveiled AirTag in early 2021 as a way for users to easily keep track of items that are easily lost. Unfortunately, the devices quickly “the weapon of choice of stalkers and abusers” who used them to track their victims. A lawsuit filed in late 2022 described the extent of the issue:

One of the products that has revolutionized the scope, breadth, and ease of location-based stalking is the Apple AirTag. Introduced in April 2021, this device is roughly the size of a quarter, and its sole purpose is to transmit its location to its owner.

What separates the AirTag from any competitor product is its unparalleled accuracy, ease of use (it fits seamlessly into Apple’s existing suite of products), and affordability. With a price point of just $29, it has become the weapon of choice of stalkers and abusers.

With Google unveiling its own network designed to rival Apple’s Find My capabilities, the two companies have been working together to make it easy for users to know when they are being tracked against their will. Apple outlined the new feature in a post on its site:

Apple and Google have worked together to create an industry specification — Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers — for Bluetooth tracking devices that makes it possible to alert users across both iOS and Android if such a device is unknowingly being used to track them. This will help mitigate the misuse of devices designed to help keep track of belongings. Today Apple is implementing this capability in iOS 17.5, and Google is now launching this capability on Android 6.0+ devices.

With this new capability, users will now get an “[Item] Found Moving With You” alert on their device if an unknown Bluetooth tracking device is seen moving with them over time, regardless of the platform the device is paired with.

If a user gets such an alert on their iOS device, it means that someone else’s AirTag, Find My accessory, or other industry specification-compatible Bluetooth tracker is moving with them. It’s possible the tracker is attached to an item the user is borrowing, but if not, iPhone can view the tracker’s identifier, have the tracker play a sound to help locate it, and access instructions to disable it. Bluetooth tag manufacturers including Chipolo, eufy, Jio, Motorola, and Pebblebee have committed that future tags will be compatible.

While competing companies within the tech industry don’t always work well together, it’s good to see Apple and Google cooperating on such an important issue.