Latest news with #smartphones
France 24
an hour ago
- Business
- France 24
Apple profit beats forecasts on strong iPhone sales
Revenue was $94 billion for the usually slow quarter ending in June, the iPhone maker said. "Apple is proud to report a June quarter revenue record with double-digit growth in iPhone, Mac and Services and growth around the world, in every geographic segment," said Apple chief executive Tim Cook. Apple shares were up more than two percent in after-market trading. Revenue from iPhone sales during the quarter was $44.6 billion, compared with $39.3 billion in the same period a year earlier, according to Apple. Global shipments of smartphones fell marginally to 288.9 million units in the recently-ended quarter, according to market-tracker Canalys. Samsung was the largest vendor, shipping 57.5 million smartphones, while Apple finished second with iPhone shipments down two percent at 44.8 million units, Canalys reported. "Apple's performance showed strong resilience amid fierce competition in China and an inventory correction in the US as it adjusted to the rapidly changing tariffs," the market tracker said in its findings. Cook said that the Trump tariffs cost Apple $800 million in the quarter that just ended. Cook said on a previous earnings call that most iPhones sold in the United States will come from India as Apple worked to navigate US President Donald Trump's trade war with China. While iPhones produced in mainland China still account for the majority of US shipments, production in India has been ramping up, according to market trackers. Trump has since taken aim at India with a 25 percent duty to begin Friday -- slightly lower than previously threatened -- after talks between Washington and New Delhi failed to bring about a trade pact. Tit-for-tat exchanges have seen hefty US levies imposed on China, with Beijing setting retaliatory barriers on US imports. Sales of iPhones in mainland China were $15.4 billion in the quarter, compared with $14.7 billion in the same period a year ago, according to Apple. © 2025 AFP
ABC News
an hour ago
- Health
- ABC News
Smartphones affect young people's mental health so are dumbphones the answer?
How old were you when you got your first smartphone? For many Aussies born in the past two generations, such as Ekaager, 16, Kian, 15, Daiwik, 16, and Jiujiu, 15, smartphones have been a part of life since early childhood. "I think I was 12 or 11, around that age," Ekaager said. Kian said: "I think I was like 10 or 11." "I was definitely 12," Daiwik said. "Yeah, something like 12," Jiujiu said. A global 2024 study commissioned by tech company Human Mobile Devices (HMD) found that young people were being given smartphones at an average age of 11 years old. In some cases, smartphones were being introduced as young as three years old. This early introduction to smartphones has "dramatically reshaped childhood and adolescence", according to new research published in the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities. Using survey data from more than 100,000 18 to 24-year-olds, researchers found that the younger those surveyed got a smartphone, from the age of 13 and under, the worse their mental health was. The specific symptoms reported included suicidal thoughts, aggression and detachment from reality. When asked what they thought about the findings, the teens BTN High spoke to said it made sense. "Especially because a lot of the platforms I use, like Instagram, can be a little addictive … it's hard for me to put it down," Lily, 15, said. "I remember in year 10 I was really at my lowest and I think that social media was the significant contributing factor to it," Eric, 17, said. Harsimrat, 15, said it was not just the mental health impacts. "There are many issues like attention span," he said. "Because even myself, sometimes in class, I just doze off because I just can't spend that much time looking at the board." Child psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg led a review into phone use in schools in 2018, which has since resulted in a nationwide ban on phones in public schools. Dr Carr-Gregg said that while the study's results were new, it was something experts had suspected. "I think it was 2007, the Apple iPhone was launched, we started replacing a play-based childhood with a screen-based childhood," he said. "And right across the western world … we have seen an increase in depression and anxiety and self-harm. "Therefore, this is just a confirmation of what we already knew." The study also recommends "graduated access restrictions," keeping anyone under 13 from having a smartphone, which Dr Carr-Gregg approves of. "Smartphones tend to be a distraction. They do interfere with sleep," he said. "They do create, I think, avenues for cyberbullying, extortion, those sorts of things. "So, for me, the result is from the university of the bleeding obvious, which is why I think a restriction, a delay, on young people having smartphones is sensible." Some of the teens BTN High spoke to also agreed it was a good idea. Lachlan, 15, said: "It's just probably for the better in future life." Others, like Angus, 16, weren't keen on it. "Thirteen is past that age where we … enter high school," he said. "I feel like phones are a big part of socialising and that sort of connection that many people rely on. "So I think it's a bit harsh." A "dumbphone", also known as a feature phone, is a basic device with limited functionality. No internet browsing, no apps, no complex multimedia functions – and that's the appeal for some young people, such as 18-year-old Jameson Butler. She is the co-founder of The Luddite Club, a group of teens in New York dedicated to promoting the conscious consumption of technology. "My sleep schedule was off the charts," Jameson said. "I was staying up until 3am. I was staying in my room, you know, on my phone. "And I just felt bad … I didn't feel there were any options or ways to combat that." Jameson said after ditching her smartphone, life improved. "I'm more present at family dinners. I do my schoolwork faster, I have better grades, I've become a lot less scatterbrained, and I've just become a lot more driven and ambitious." The Luddite Club has been gaining popularity. Jameson told the ABC's Brain Rot Podcast that she was seeing Luddite Clubs starting to pop up in Florida and Philadelphia, and she had even had some enquiries from Australia. While the dumbphone trend has been growing in the US and Europe, I want to find out if it is something young Aussies are doing too. After sitting at the University of Adelaide for more than an hour, no young people I spoke to even knew of anyone who used a dumbphone. "Yeah, this is too old," said one student. Harsimrat agreed, saying, "No, that's back in the old days." None of Dr Carr-Gregg's clients are on board either. "I can honestly put my hand on my heart and say I don't have one who's doing that," he said. "Once you've got a smartphone, I think the likelihood of you going back to a dumbphone is very, very small. "And that's because really the way in which my clients communicate with one another these days is through social media. "And therefore the smartphone is absolutely essential." Alex, 17, said a loss of connection might be putting young Aussies off. "I think there's a big fear of missing out," he said. "It's like if people aren't connected with their screens and social media and stuff, they … can't see what other people are posting, [what] they're doing on it. "A lot of my friends live in different places throughout the world, and I wouldn't be able to call them on a phone like that," Lily said. Despite social media being a major part of smartphone use, some teens, such as Alex, reckon Australia's incoming ban for under-16s won't change too many minds. "There are other things you can do on [smartphones], like games and stuff, even though you don't have social media," he said. Simar, 16, said in her case, a smartphone was handy for her parents to know her location because she had to walk to school by herself. Ekaager thinks young people will keep their smartphones and find ways around the ban. Nevertheless, Ekaager was open to giving the dumbphone trend a go, as was Eric. "Maybe I should with the current exam season coming up," Eric said. Lily agreed that it would be "a nice experiment to try". And Alex said, "I'd probably struggle to, but I would maybe give it a try just to improve my mental health."
CBC
3 hours ago
- Business
- CBC
Paying for parking from your phone? You'll need to get Montreal's new app
Mobicité is now the only way Montrealers can pay for street parking from their smartphones. For now, the app is similar to the old one, P$ Service mobile, but the city's mobility agency says other functions including parking information and customer service will be added over the next few years.
Forbes
7 hours ago
- Forbes
US Pixel 10 Pro Pricing Reveals Google's Competitive Choice
Ahead of Google's launch of the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro smartphones in August, new details on how much the Android-powered flagships will cost have leaked. Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro Pricing We now have US pricing to go with the European pricing previously reported. The four main model will be priced similarly to the Pixel 9 family. Specifically, the Pixel 10 will start at $799 for the 128 GB model, the Pixel 10 Pro starts at $999, the Pixel 10 Pro XL at $1,199 for 256 GB and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold at $1,799 for 256 GB. As suspected, Google is dropping the 128 GB model for the Pixel 10 Pro XL. While it was not listed in European pricing, there was a question whether this was a regional quirk, but with European, US, and Canadian pricing all missing the 128 GB option, the higher starting price on the Pixel 10 Pro XL is because there's no 128 GB to 128 GB comparison possible. However, note that the 256 GB to 256 GB price is matched from the Pixel 9 Pro XL. Pixel 10 And Pixel 10 Pro Design Google has already confirmed the general design of the Pixel 10 family by publishing a teaser image of the smartphone on the Pixel Store front page. The thinner bezels were on show, as was the third lens added to the Pixel 10's main camera and the smaller camera island. The real changes will be inside. The move from Samsung to TSMC to manufacture the Tensor Mobile chipset should result in both improved performance and enhanced thermal management. Google will undoubtedly use the Pixel 10 family as the base for the next generation of mobile artificial intelligence, with the Tensor Mobile chip bringing tailored hardware to support the Gemini AI software. Pixel 10 And Pixel 10 Pro Release Goole will be holding its 'Made By Google' event on Aug.20 where the new Pixel family of smartphones and accessories will be launched. Retail sales will follow one week later in select regions. Now read more about the various retail options for the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro...
News24
8 hours ago
- News24
What SA buyers want in a foldable phone
In South Africa, foldable phones are no longer a novelty. They've matured beyond their early teething problems, shifting from futuristic flex to functional form. Many global players are entering the market with sleeker designs, improved hinges and bigger promises but beneath the hype, consumers are increasingly asking smarter questions. Beyond the hype: Foldables face their reality check There's no shortage of headlines promising 'the most powerful' or 'the thinnest' foldable phone. The real test is clearer for South Africans Will it last a full day without a charge? Can it handle two SIMs? Does it work outside under our sun, not just inside a launch demo? Foldable smartphones are no longer just a flex. They're talked about as everyday technology, still cutting edge, but with more expectations built in – tech that has to prove themselves practically. This means addressing real-life pain points such as battery life, durability, multitasking, and day-to-day usability across different networks and apps. The reality is though, many of the most talked-about devices still appear to compromise with trade-offs. What most users want to avoid is: Short battery endurance Bulky designs that don't fold flat Fragile hinge mechanics over time Limited SIM flexibility Software ecosystems that limit choice For South African users, who often rely on dual-SIM setups, experience power cuts, and move across multiple apps and languages in a day, these trade-offs aren't just inconvenient. They're deal-breakers. Quietly rewriting the rules: HONOR magic V5 This is where the HONOR Magic V5 arrives with a quieter, but more meaningful kind of innovation, addressing the challenges directly. Instead of headline chasing, HONOR has focused on folding function back into form, with a foldable that's thin, yes, but also powerful, durable and considerate of how people actually live. 'We didn't build the Magic V5 to win a spec sheet,' says Fred Zhou, CEO of HONOR South Africa. 'We built it to win long-term trust.' The Magic V5 comes in at just 6.43mm thin when unfolded, with a reinforced titanium hinge, up to 5,820mAh battery as well as a dual nano-SIM support. Its AMOLED display is glare-resistant, designed for use under bright skies, not just in glossy press events. Importantly, it doesn't force users into a closed app or ecosystem environment. It plays well with others, including the full Google-native suite. Ultimately, it offers what it says it does: Industry leading 8.8 mm thickness Super Steel Hinge IP58 & IP59 Dust and Water Resistance Magic Portal 2.0 (which is shareable with iOS & MacOS) Duel SIM cards are available And it includes that impressive up to 5820mAh battery Designed for South African realities Mzansi moves fast, from entrepreneurs to students, content creators to lovers of the latest tech, we expect devices that adapt. Now, battery endurance, app flexibility, multi-SIM support and durability aren't just nice-to-haves. They're non-negotiables. 'A phone should adapt to your life, not the other way around,' says Zhou. 'That's the philosophy behind every part of the Magic V5. It's premium but also practical. Smart but real.' HONOR's Magic V5 introduces smarter software, power-saving modes built for unpredictable loadshedding, and a screen that survives in real bags, not just velvet-lined demo boxes. The Foldable truth? Innovation should feel invisible In 2025 and beyond, South Africans don't want louder launches. They want phones that last longer, work harder - devices don't get in the way but walk the journey with you. The HONOR Magic V5 isn't trying to out-shout its competition. It's quietly raising the standard and folding the noise out.
