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• Sony seems to be redoubling efforts on single-player game output
• The company claims it will release "major" single-player games every year
• Ghost of Yōtei and Death Stranding 2 are coming in 2025

Sony has pledged to continue its single-player game output on PS5 and - seemingly - future PlayStation hardware.

As reported by IGN, Sony finance and IR head Sadahiko Hayakawa expressed the desire to keep up single-player game release on PlayStation consoles during an investor call.

According to Hayakawa, Sony plans to “continue releasing major single-player game titles every year from next fiscal year onwards.” To back this up, Hayakawa highlighted Sucker Punch's Ghost of Yōtei and Kojima Productions' Death Stranding 2: On the Beach - both of which are slated to launch in 2025 exclusively for PS5. We also can't neglect to mention Astro Bot, which launched this year to near-universal acclaim.

As for what we can expect in 2026 and beyond, well that's a little up in the air. We know that Insomniac Games is hard at work on its Wolverine title, and beyond that, PlayStation Studios has no shortage of development houses including Guerrilla, Naughty Dog, Bluepoint Games, Bend Studio, Housemarque, and Bungie to name but a few.

It is a bit of a relief to hear that Sony plans to keep up with single-player games releases especially after its form on live-service titles. While Helldivers 2 continues to enjoy a healthy playerbase, the same cannot be said of the canceled The Last of Us multiplayer game or Concord - which abruptly shut down two weeks after it launched. That said, Bungie's Marathon and the Horizon multiplayer title are also still in development, so expect even more stabs at the live service model in the future.

It's also very likely that future first-party PS5 games will receive PS5 Pro enhancement features such as better framerates at higher resolutions and support for PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) which dynamically adjusts image quality as you play for the smoothest possible experience.

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• The new M4 Mac mini’s power button is placed underneath the chassis
• It’s not the only strange design choice made by Apple recently
• Apple VP Greg Joswiak states that it’s due to the reduced size of the Mac mini

The new M4 Mac mini will be Apple’s smallest Mac ever and wields plenty of power, but not without a few odd design choices - and one that seems to have particularly upset some users is that the power button has been moved to the bottom of the tiny PC.

However, Apple seems ready to defend its decision. As noted by IT Home (in Chinese), a video posted on the Chinese social media platform Bilibili shows Apple’s VP Greg Joswiak address the matter when questioned, revealing the reasoning behind the design choice - it was simply down to the reduced size of the Mac mini and the idea that “you pretty much never use the power button on your Mac”.

Joswiak also said “I can’t remember the last time I turned on my Mac,” which suggests that Apple’s official position is that most users should leave the system in sleep mode instead. While this is certainly an option for Mac mini owners, it may not sit well with some users (especially considering most traditional desktop PCs and their prominent power button positions).

(Image credit: gizmochina) Will this impact the M4 Mac mini in any capacity?

There’s no doubt that the new placement of the power button is a bit of an odd choice, and we noted as much in our M4 Mac mini review, but it’s nowhere near as strange as what we’ve seen with the new Magic Mouse’s charging port still on the bottom and brand-new M4 Macs omitting Wi-Fi 7. Besides a minor change to how you power on your M4 Mac mini, this shouldn’t impact your experience in any significant manner.

Considering the reduction of the Mac mini’s size coming from the 2023 M2 chip version, this seems to be a small but worthy sacrifice - if placing the power button in a more convenient area meant losing out on the smallest Mac ever, then I stand by Apple’s decision here.

Despite this, I must say that leaving your Mac mini (or any of the best computers, for that matter) in sleep mode constantly probably isn’t the best idea - while it may be more convenient to dive right back into your tasks, it isn’t ideal for saving power (even if it isn’t using much in sleep mode) and periodically shutting down and restarting your devices is good for their performance as it enables you to apply any updates and refreshes your system cache.

While some of the design choices made in the new Mac mini may be worthy of scratching your head at, the power that the M4 chip provides in performance across the board and a price tag starting at just $599 (£599 / AU$999) still leaves this being one of the best Macs ever made.

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• A leaked benchmark has appeared for the ROG Phone 9
• The score points to a jump in AI processing performance
• Asus will unveil the gaming phone on November 19

The Asus ROG Phone 9 is likely to be one of the best gaming phones of the year, and we know it's being officially launched on November 19. Now a new benchmark leak gives us some idea of just how powerful this handset could be.

As spotted by MySmartPrice, the Asus ROG Phone 9 has shown up on the Geekbench ML database. The ML (machine learning) benchmark tests how well a phone can handle a variety of artificial intelligence tests, and the Asus device scored 1812.

For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S24 scored 1243 in the same test, so we're looking at a pretty substantial leap forward as far as AI goes – even if the Asus ROG Phone 9 won't have all of the Galaxy AI software tricks offered by Samsung.

We'll have to wait and see if the phone comes with Gemini Nano on board – that's the local AI model developed by Google, which helps run AI tasks (such as image and speech recognition) on-device without sending anything to the cloud.

Specs appeal

The Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro launched in 2024 (Image credit: Future)

The benchmark listing also confirms that the Asus ROG Phone 9 will run the new Snapdragon 8 Elite processor from Qualcomm – something we already knew – and will boast a huge 24GB of RAM to further improve performance.

Those spec bumps help to explain the high AI processing score: if you read our Asus ROG Phone 8 review, you'll see it tops out at 12GB of RAM, and has the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor inside, which launched at the start of 2024.

However, the current Pro model does hit the same 24GB of RAM mark – see our Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro review for details – so it's likely that we're looking at the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro here, rather than the standard version.

We were particularly impressed with what the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro had to offer, so we're eager to see what its successor is going to bring with it – and as soon as Asus makes all the details official, you'll be able to read about it on TechRadar.

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Samsung is working on some kind of XR hardware and, while it has yet to detail the product publicly, a newly published patent (spotted by 91mobiles) has given us our best look yet at what it’s working on – as well as teasing that Samsung is unsure what form its XR gadget should actually take.

That’s because the patent describes “electronic devices” which “may be AR glasses and/or a head-mounted device.” This suggests that at this time Samsung is either unsure what kind of XR device it should release, or that it is working on both a Samsung XR headset as well as AR glasses to compete with the likes of the Meta Orion AR glasses.

This vagueness continues throughout the patent description, with Samsung describing the device as potentially having a processor, a display for seeing virtual overlays on the real world, some communications abilities – so it can wirelessly communicate with local devices, like a controller, and the internet – and movement sensors for head tracking, among other ‘standard’ XR device specs.

A battery problem

Scanning through the translated document (the patent was initially filed in Korean) one noticeable omission is the mention of any internal battery, which could suggest the device will need to be connected to a compatible Samsung phone or battery pack to function. A phone connection would align with the approach Xreal glasses have taken, and would be a more achievable target for Samsung’s first AR glasses outing rather than a completely standalone product.

Batteries add a lot of bulk to a wearable, and would force Samsung to have to balance functionality, battery life, and comfort – a tough act considering its relative inexperience in this area of tech.

A wired connection to a phone would also increase the glasses’ reliance on a Samsung/Android device to function, which seems like something Samsung and its partner Google would want as a way to convince techies to leave the AR glasses-less Apple behind.

Connecting to a battery pack would also make sense as the likes of the Xreal glasses do burn through a phone’s charge somewhat rapidly. A battery pack would also allow a user to rely on their phone and glasses without one drastically reducing the remaining battery life of the other.

Still no mention of software

For me, this patent also doesn’t go into much detail on what is by far the most important feature: software. I’m fairly confident Samsung’s hardware will be at least ‘fine’ given its expertise in phones and TVs. For me the biggest question is how will it handle software.

I’ve tested a number of standalone VR headsets, and some wired AR glasses too, and my main critique is most of them don’t offer you enough things to do with them, save one. In my experience Meta’s Horizon OS is ahead by a mile thanks to its huge catalog of software, excellent exclusive apps, and clean layout.

Samsung and Google (who appears to be developing an AR android) need to seriously stick the landing. Either give us some amazing apps out the gate, or keep the price cheap and affordable (ideally do both). Exclusive AR apps would help justify a more premium price, while conversely a lower cost would help to convince people the XR device is worth trying even if it doesn’t do much at first.

We’ll have to wait and see what Samsung announces in the coming months in terms of its software and hardware. There were rumors it might show off a developer kit this year – to tie into the promise of a reveal Samsung and Google made back in July – though as the year comes to a close we might have to settle for a 2025 showcase – though even that might require some luck according to other recent leaks.

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• The rumored Samsung Galaxy Z Flip FE may come equipped with the Exynos 2400 chipset
• The Exynos 2400 also features in some regional versions of the Galaxy S24
• Samsung has yet to confirm the existence of the Z Flip FE or any of its specs

The rumored Samsung Galaxy Z Flip FE could come equipped with the same chipset as some of the company’s flagship Galaxy S24 models.

New tipoffs from noted leaker Jukanlosreve point towards the Samsung Exynos 2400 for the company’s long-suggested cheaper flip foldable, the same chipset issued to Samsung Galaxy S24 handsets in large swathes of Europe and Asia.

In North America, the Galaxy S24 comes equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, commonly considered the class leader for Android chipsets.

Samsung’s foldable lineup is currently exclusively equipped with Snapdragon chipsets, reflected in the devices’ high price tags and premium positioning – in fact, both the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 6 feature in our lists of the best folding phones and best Samsung phones.

As for why the rumored Z Flip FE would use an Exynos chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 may be prohibitively expensive to put into a lower-priced foldable device, or it may simply be easier for Samsung to keep up a supply of Exynos chips.

Alternatively, this could be part of an Apple-style push to reduce reliance on third-party chipset manufacturers – as Android Police notes, Jukanlosreve also suggests that the rumored Z Flip 7 will use an Exynos chipset, too, albeit the updated Exynos 2500 version.

Flipping the script on Samsung foldables

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 in blue  (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

We’ve been hearing rumors of a cheaper Galaxy Z Flip phone for months now, and lately, we’ve heard a lot about other potential expansions to Samsung‘s folding phone lineup.

Back in May, we reported that a cheaper version of the booklet-style Galaxy Z Fold had likely been cancelled, but that an FE rendition of the Z Flip was still possible.

More recently, we’ve heard continued rumors of the Z Flip FE launching alongside either the Z Flip 7 or a new tri-fold Galaxy device, though we’re yet to hear of a convincing release date.

At a starting price of $1,099 / £1,049 / AU$1,799, the Z Flip 6 is the cheapest Samsung foldable and the likely candidate for a budget-conscious rework, though we wouldn’t expect it to be particularly cheap by conventional pricing standards.

Phone makers charge a premium for the utility, novelty, and complexity of folding devices, and as such we would expect a cheaper Galaxy Z Flip to cost as much as, if not more than, a conventional flagship phone.

As of now, this is all based on unconfirmed rumors, and as such there’s no sign of any official explanation from Samsung.

In any case, for the latest official announcements as we hear them, be sure to check in with our Samsung phones coverage.

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• The iPhone SE 4's camera module will reportedly enter mass production in December
• This iPhone component usually enters mass production around three months before the phone launches
• That would mean a launch around March, which is in line with previous leaks

It’s looking ever more likely that the iPhone SE 4 will launch soon, as following reports that Apple has begun placing orders for the display, we’re now hearing that the camera module might enter mass production in December.

This is according to South Korean site AjuNews (via @Jukanlosreve), which claims that LG Innotek will start mass-producing the camera modules for the iPhone SE 4 in December.

The site adds that LG Innotek usually begins mass production of iPhone camera modules around three months before the launch of the phone they’re destined for, which would mean we’re likely to see the iPhone SE 4 in or around March.

Exclusive: Apple’s camera partner, LG Innotek, has decided to start mass production of the camera module for the iPhone SE4 in December. They are currently conducting tests ahead of mass production.LG Innotek typically supplies camera modules about three months before a…November 11, 2024

While we’d take these claims with a pinch of salt, this does line up with previous leaks, the most recent of which comes from Mark Gurman (a leaker with a great track record), who claimed in October that we’d see the iPhone SE 4 sometime between March and June.

A new design and plenty of power

So, there’s a good chance the iPhone SE 4 will be with us soon, and based on other leaks, we have a decent idea of what to expect from it, too.

Leaks suggest the iPhone SE 4 will have a larger 6.1-inch display than the 4.7-inch iPhone SE (2022), though there’s some disagreement over whether it will have a notch or a Dynamic Island. Either way, though, that should be an upgrade on the dated design of the current model.

It also looks likely to have a single-lens camera, and it may support Apple Intelligence, which would mean at least an A17 Pro chipset and 8GB of RAM. That would make for a significant power upgrade on the iPhone SE (2022).

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• The new L'OR Barista was created by Italian design company Alessi
• Its pleated finish is the work of designer and architect Michele De Lucchi
• It goes on sale this week for £159.99 (about $200 / AU$300)

French coffee company L'OR has unveiled a new pod-based espresso machine that will bring a touch of Italian style to your kitchen.

Capsule-based coffee makers are a handy way to enjoy espresso without the mess of weighing and grinding beans, but they sometimes look rather bland and utilitarian compared to a manual espresso machine. That's not the case with the new L'OR Barista, which has a striking pleated-effect case created by Italian design company Alessi.

The ridged finish of the L'OR Barista by Alessi was created by artist, architect and designer Michele De Lucchi. De Lucchi, known for his experimental creations, has designed and restored buildings in Japan and throughout Europe, and has received scores of product design awards throughout his career.

(Image credit: L'OR) Double shots

The L'OR Barista by Alessi can take standard-size coffee pods, including L'OR and Nespresso capsules. It's also compatible with L'OR Barista XXL capsules, which contain twice as much coffee as a regular pod. This lets you easily make a double shot of espresso (ideal for cappuccinos and lattes), or pour two shots at once using the machine's double spout.

The new machine will be available this week direct from L'OR and from John Lewis for £159.99 (about $200 / AU$300), and will roll out more widely over the coming months.

If you're in the market for a new coffee maker but would prefer a bean-to-cup model, we're rounding up all this year's best Black Friday espresso machine deals to save you time, effort, and money. For offers on capsule coffee makers and pods, take a look at our guide to the best Black Friday Nespresso deals.

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• Intel acknowledges Arrow Lake CPUs underperformed at launch
• A full and detailed audit is going to take place as to why this happened
• Fixes for the issues are coming, promising significant performance gains

Intel’s Core Ultra 200S processors have got off to a shaky start, it’s fair to say, and Team Blue has acknowledged this – and pledged that fixes are coming.

The new Arrow Lake desktop CPUs – comprising of the Core Ultra 9 285K, Core Ultra 7 265K and Core Ultra 5 245K – have been greeted with a lukewarm reception, particularly for gaming performance, and reviews have been rather varied in the benchmark results they’ve uncovered in this respect.

Robert Hallock, who is VP of marketing at Intel, spoke to Hot Hardware, and said the company takes full responsibility for the initial launch performance of Core Ultra 200 chips being under par compared to Intel’s own expectations (and prerelease hype).

Hallock told the tech site that “our wounds with Arrow Lake not hitting the performance we projected were self-inflicted.”

The Intel marketing guru added: “I can’t go into all the details yet, but we identified a series of multifactor issues at the OS level, at the BIOS level, and I will say that the performance we saw in reviews is not what we expected and not what we intended. The launch just didn’t go as planned. That has been a humbling lesson for all of us, inspiring a fairly large response internally to get to the bottom of what happened and to fix it.”

Hallock underlined that while he couldn’t give specifics, Intel plans to conduct a full audit and will present an itemized list of Arrow Lake problems, explaining every single glitch, along with its performance cost, and what the company is going to do to fix these issues.

Analysis: Intel’s continued run of bad form in 2024

Intel is being refreshingly honest, or Hallock is, rather, which is good to see – and something of a growing theme of late for Team Blue, we’ve noticed. With all the problems Intel has been running into in recent times – throughout this year – this appears to be the decided tactic to try to rebuild trust with the computing public.

Will it be enough? The trouble is that the perception is increasingly becoming one of Intel stumbling from one blunder to another, at least with its desktop CPUs (laptop chips are a different kettle of silicon, and Lunar Lake has landed as a major success, in the main).

We’ve had all the messiness around 13th and 14th-gen desktop CPUs being wonky and unstable (and while that’s finally been put to bed, some folks may still be worried), and now with the 15th-gen on the desktop, there’s a new set of problems at launch. And anecdotally, across various forums, we’ve noticed a fair few complaints from folks who’ve upgraded to the Arrow Lake platform (the CPU has a new socket, requiring a new motherboard) hitting various teething issues which sound unpleasant to say the least.

All in all, with continued issues seeming to crop up around Intel’s desktop processors, creating a general air of uncertainty, these products will hardly be inspiring confidence in the PC community. Intel needs to come back with a strong response here, and a full, transparent audit on Arrow Lake will be a good start – hopefully with the issues fixed down the line, as promised.

We should temper expectations, of course, and it’s not likely that this will be some kind of miracle cure for the performance of the Core Ultra 200S range. However, it promises to deliver a ‘significant’ boost on the gaming front. Also, Hot Hardware’s tweaking of a Core Ultra 9 285K flagship – comprising of memory tuning, Windows configuration adjustments, and disabling some CPU features – reportedly did witness impressive results, at least for some PC games. As ever, gains may vary based on the individual game, and, of course, the configuration of your PC.

However, fundamentally, Arrow Lake still remains more about pushing forward with efficiency than generational performance leaps when it comes to gaming, and that obviously isn’t going to change with some patching work. Here, the predecessor flagship, the Core i9-14900K (or indeed the 13900K) is still likely to remain a better bet, particularly considering pricing (with previous-gen price tags dropping), as was shown in the gaming tests during our review of the new Core Ultra 9 285K.

Furthermore, all this is compounded by the release of AMD’s peppy new Ryzen 9800X3D on the PC gaming front (when stock issues settle down for that CPU, which is a sizeable caveat currently).

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• LG’s stretchy screen now boasts 50% elongation for… bodycon clothing?
• It can fold, bend and twist without damaging the display
• It's the shape of things to come

We've been following LG's quest to make practical, stretchable displays for some time now. And a new report states that while Apple is also experimenting with the tech (as we discovered earlier this year, Apple has patented its own "Stretchable Display") LG has beaten it, and flexible display rivals such as Samsung, to the punch.

LG has announced a new stretchable display prototype, and it's much more bendy than anything we've seen from the firm in the past: where previous prototypes could be stretched out by 20%, this prototype can achieve the kind of deformation that even the Fantastic Four's Reed Richards might consider a bit of a stretch: it can expand by over 50%.

What is a stretchable display for?

LG's stretchable display is designed to change shape according to what you want your device to do. It doesn't just stretch; it can be twisted and folded too, all without damaging the screen. While the image above shows extreme examples, one application might be a tablet that rolls into a foldable phone, or a phone that becomes a wearable.

There are even applications in clothing. LG's concepts include smart displays attached to the uniforms of firefighters to provide real-time information to them and their team, although the announcement skips over the heat protection requirements such a display would require.

The new display uses a micro-LED light source, an improved silicon substrate that's also used in contact lenses, and a new wiring design. The result is a promised lifespan of 10,000 stretches without damaging the display.

We're still a long way from the commercialization of this technology. But it's still enormously exciting; we've seen the future, and it's stretchy.

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• Scammers are targeting pensioners with phishing scams
• Fake winter fuel support texts have been sent to trick victims
• Phishing scams are on the rise, increasingly targeting older victims

With the cost of living crisis and the recent introduction of a means tested winter fuel payment, many in the UK are looking for guidance and support this winter- but scammers are taking advantage of the confusion by sending fake ‘winter heating allowance’ and ‘cost of living support’ texts.

The texts have been sent to UK residents, encouraging the recipient to click on a link that takes them to a webpage made to mimic the official GOV.UK website, where they are prompted to fill in a form with personal information and payment details.

Scammers often try to create a sense of urgency to panic victims into action without the time to think through the implications or details that may look out of place. This scam is no different, with the text telling victims that this is the ‘last notice’ before the deadline.

600 domains identified

Researchers from BleepingComputer identified 597 unique domains related to this campaign, which shows how far reaching the threat is. Similar campaigns have been observed in Lancashire and Belfast, using fake regional support networks to trick victims.

“Please note that the government has decided that the Winter heating_allowance and Cost of Living_support for 2024 have been fully implemented, you have met the requirements,” the text obtained by researchers reads.

“Please be sure to fill in the application information as soon as possible, we will release the money to you within 3days, please note that check, this will be the last notice to you, the online application channel deadline is November 12,” it continued.

By promising a payout but imposing a fake deadline, the scammers create a false sense of urgency so that victims don't are hurried into entering sensitive information.

Phishing scams are on the rise, and are becoming harder to spot, we always recommend taking your time, not clicking any links from untrusted sources, and always getting a second opinion if you aren’t sure.

Via BleepingComputer

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• PS5 Pro pre-orders are “slightly stronger” than the PS4 Pro
• The console’s high price tag seems not to have impacted sales
• PS5 is still on track to sell 18 million units by the end of the fiscal year

Sony Group President Hiroki Totoki has discussed the PlayStation 5 Pro at a recent conference after the company’s latest earnings release.

According to a new report by Nikkei Asia, Totoki described the PS5 Pro as “a high-end product targeted at core customers” which didn't have “a large sales plan to begin with.” He went on to say that he believes it is “performing slightly stronger than the pre-orders of the PS4 Pro during the same period”.

He then concludes that the console’s relatively high price tag is not “adversely affecting the product's sales plan."

The PS5 Pro released earlier this month and is now readily available to buy. It costs $699.99 / £699.99, a price that raised some eyebrows when it was initially revealed and led some to speculate that it could impact sales.

Unlike the original PS5, a disc drive and vertical stand is also not included with the PS5 Pro out of the box. These need to be purchased separately, which further increases the total investment for players who need them.

Totoki also commented on the sales of the PS5 as a whole, a figure that includes the PS5 Pro, and stated that it is on track to meet its sales target of 18 million units by the end of the fiscal year.

According to Totoki, this has so far been achieved “without implementing a permanent price drop as we did for the PS4,” which would suggest that there aren’t any plans for a major PS5 price cut to drive up sales in the near future.

Elsewhere, the developer of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 stated that the PS5 Pro version of the game was the “quintessential version”. Sony has also patented a PlayStation controller with a dedicated rewind button - which might hint at a new feature for an upcoming console or future PS5 controller.

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• Final Fantasy 14's character portrait system is getting a welcome update
• It resolves an issue that reverts portraits to default upon making changes
• A pop-up will now let players instantly update their portraits for duties

Final Fantasy 14's much-loved - but clearly somewhat unfinished - character portrait system is getting a much-needed update in the MMORPG's next patch.

Patch 7.1, Crossroads, is the first major patch for the Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail expansion. It's launching on November 12 and bringing with it a bunch of new content to get stuck into, including new main scenario quests, a new 24-man raid based on Final Fantasy 11 and no shortage of quality-of-life additions.

One such quality-of-life change, located deep within the 7.1 patch notes, finally addresses a long-standing issue with the character portrait system first introduced in early 2023. The patch notes read:

"If the gear shown in a saved instant portrait differs from what you have equipped after updating or swapping gear sets, you can update your instant portrait via the displayed window. Adjust this setting by checking or unchecking the 'Use as Instant Portrait' option in the Edit Portrait window."

For context, Final Fantasy 14 allows players to craft bespoke portraits for their characters which show up for all players to see at the beginning of a light party, full party or alliance duty. Everything from pose and expression to background, flair and camera angle can be adjusted.

It's a lovely feature, but until now, if the player changes their character's armor in any way, the portrait reverts to a default state while in these duties. It's often begrudgingly referred to as the 'DMV portrait' by Final Fantasy 14 players, as it reverts the portrait to a default blue background with their character directly facing the camera with an expressionless face.

As of patch 7.1, a pop-up will let players instantly update their portraits after making armor or gear set changes, which saves you from having to delve into the feature's quite convoluted menu system. Sure it's more of a band aid fix than the overhaul it arguably needs, but it's an extremely welcome change that should have less players despairing over default portraits.

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• Raw support is coming to more Android apps
• Google is updating a developer library to make the change
• The raw format offers more user control and flexibility

Google is making moves to expand the number of third-party camera apps able to support the raw format on Android – something which will give serious mobile photographers more flexibility when it comes to the tools they use.

The necessary updates for supporting raw – specifically to the Jetpack CameraX library in Android – were spotted by the team at Android Authority, and are currently in testing. Before too long, they should roll out to Android proper.

Third-party apps that want access to the camera on Android have two options for getting it: the Android Camera2 API and the Jetpack CameraX library. The Android Camera2 API is the one aimed at fully-fledged camera apps, and already has raw support built in.

The Jetpack CameraX library is aimed at apps that are less focused on photography – such as social media or journaling apps, for example. Once this developer tool has been updated with raw support, the format will be available to many more apps.

What are raw photos anyway?

A RAW setting is available in the default Android Camera app (Image credit: Future)

In simple terms, the raw format just dumps everything captured from the camera lenses as-is, without any tweaking or compressing. For most users, it's far too much data – but for photo pros who want to spend more time editing and refining images, it's perfect.

You might not realize it, but every standard picture you take on your phone has some automatic tuning applied to the brightness, color, and contrast, to make it more aesthetically appealing. It'll also be compressed to a certain extent.

When you shoot in raw, that goes away. Photos may look unnaturally dull or lack detail in their original form, but there's much more flexibility in terms of making enhancements later on, so you can get a picture looking exactly the way you want.

One of the big downsides of raw photos is they take up a lot more room on a device, which is something to bear in mind. As with other aspects of the finished photo, the type and level of compression used is down to you.

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• A user in the Philippines has spotted a Google Gemini app on the App Store
• The app gives iPhone users access to Gemini Live
• No timeframe on when or if the app will roll out worldwide

You could be using Gemini Live on your iPhone very soon after a standalone Google Gemini app has appeared on the App Store.

U/lostshenanigans, based in the Philippines, found the app and shared the link via Reddit. Unfortunately, the app isn't live in the UK, US, or Australia yet, but this could be a sign that the Gemini app is about to roll out worldwide.

The Gemini app gives iPhone users access to Gemini Live, the paid AI voice bot that was previously exclusive to the best Android smartphones. Gemini Live lets you talk with Gemini rather than typing and uses Google's AI model to produce eerily realistic conversations.

From the screenshots shared in the Reddit thread, it looks like the Gemini Live works as a Live Activity, allowing you to chat with Gemini from your Lock Screen. This would be a huge coup for iPhone users who haven't been able to use Gemini outside of the Google app, giving an alternate option to Siri.

We're yet to hear of any reports of other users accessing the Gemini app, so either Google is currently testing this new addition to its app family or U/lostshenanigans is fooling us all (I'm leaning towards the former).

As soon as we have more updates on a standalone Gemini app for iPhone we'll be sure to give it a download. After all, Gemini Live is one of the best examples of AI we've tried so far - it's just a shame it's exclusive to Android (for now).

Gemini Live on iPhone

(Image credit: Future, Lance Ulanoff)

I've been waiting for Gemini Live to come to iPhone for a while, so this news of a potential standalone Gemini app with Live functionality is incredibly exciting. I've used Gemini Live briefly on Android but as an iPhone user I've been wanting to test it on a daily basis and I might not have long to wait to finally be able to do that.

Gemini Live's natural voice is seriously impressive and as a fan of ChatGPT's Advanced Voice mode but without a Plus membership, Live could be the voice assistant I've been waiting for - at least until Siri gets its Apple Intelligence overhaul next year.

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