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This could be our first look at iOS 18’s huge redesign

By Prakhar Khanna Published April 2, 2024

iOS 18 Camera app with visionOS-style design elements. — MacRumors

While iOS 17 fell short on a visual overhaul, Apple is rumored to be working on an updated identity for its next iOS version. Previous reports have claimed that the upcoming iOS 18 will feature visionOS-like elements introduced on the Apple Vision Pro. A new report confirms this with a leaked image of the iOS 18 Camera app.

According to a report from MacRumors, the next version of the Camera app could feature visionOS-style design elements. It is based on an iPhone frame template that the publication received from an anonymous source who claimed to have received it from an iOS engineer. It is said to have been included as part of the Apple Design Resources for iOS 18.

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The Camera app seems to be replacing the black bars on top and bottom with a translucent grey color with glass-like elements, which you can make out if you focus on the “Cinematic” mode area of the app. It’s clearly taking inspiration from visionOS, which has translucent design elements with reflective edges. The new design would make the two Apple operating systems more streamlined. The company is also said to have redesigned several other system apps, including Safari.

Earlier, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman indicated in his newsletter that Apple’s senior management had described iOS 18 as “ambitious and compelling.” iOS 18 is said to include “major new features and designs.”

One of them could be the ability to customize your home screen better. Currently, if you move an app on the home screen, the next app fills the empty space. Unlike Android, iOS doesn’t allow free space. However, that could change with iOS 18, as it could let you place app icons anywhere on the home screen grid.

Overall, it seems like iOS 18 will be more flexible and visually pleasing and get a major design overhaul, including in various system apps. It is building up to be the biggest iPhone update in years with built-in AI features, RCS support, and more.

Mobile Writer

Prakhar Khanna is an independent consumer tech journalist. He contributes to Digital Trends' Mobile section with features and…

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Phones

Enter the wrong PIN 13 times and your Galaxy phone is locked for good

New Galaxy phones will require a factory reset after 13 failed unlock attempts

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra smartphone in blue color.

Samsung is making the lock screen much harder to break on Galaxy devices launching with Android 17-based One UI 9. Enter the wrong PIN, pattern, or password 13 times, and the phone will stop accepting attempts. A full factory reset will then be the only way to use it again.

The change is designed to stop brute-force attacks, where someone repeatedly guesses different passwords until one works. It is a major shift from older One UI versions, which mainly relied on temporary waiting periods rather than a mandatory final lockout.

Computing

Stop fighting with your roomie over outlets and get one of these multi-port chargers before you head back to school

One plug, zero drama, all your devices charged by morning.

Satechi ChargeView

Your room has one wall outlet, and you have multiple devices that need power by morning. Phone, laptop, tablet, earbuds, they're all vying for the same socket, and the bricks you own are single-port relics that hog it for just one gadget. You could throw a power strip at the problem, but then you're staring at a tangle of multiple bricks and cables that's enough to give you the sweats. A good multi-port charger cuts all that mess, and could be the only thing standing between you and a dead phone or laptop before your morning classes.

Back-to-school season is a smart time to buy one. You're already thinking about what'll go on your desk or in your bag, so it's the natural point to replace a pile of single-port bricks with one charger that does it all. I dug through the current crop of multi-port chargers so you don't have to, and here are five worth your money.

Phones

Back-to-school phone shopping on a tight budget? Here’s the one phone I’d recommend without hesitation

The budget phone market got messy this year, but one phone still makes sense.

Galaxy A17 in all colors on gradient background

Somewhere between the last day of school and the first day back, your phone conked out. Perhaps the screen shattered after a particularly nasty fall, or its battery regularly gives up by noon, or apps take so long to launch that by the time they do, you've forgotten why you opened them in the first place. You don't think it'll last another school year, but between all the school supplies and everything else, a budget phone is all your wallet can handle right now.

Fortunately for you, cheap phones have come a long way, offering better screens, bigger batteries, and more capable cameras than devices launched just a couple of years ago. Since you're already prepping to head back to school, this is as good a time as any to lay your old phone to rest and lock in an upgrade. But unfortunately, the timing isn't great for the smartphone industry in general, and that has had a real impact on entry-level phones.