Prepare yourself for the AI smartphone wars

Prepare yourself for the AI smartphone wars

Prepare yourself for the AI smartphone wars, Smartphone innovation has largely slowed to a crawl over the last few years. We’re long past the days when each successive generation of phones offered up features that drove waves of excitement among consumers, who would then wait outside the Apple Store.

But that might be about to change thanks to artificial intelligence. At least, that’s what smartphone makers hope.Yes, we’re about to enter a new phase of smartphone sales spin. Prepare yourselves for the great AI smartphone war.

To be fair, smartphone makers have been adding AI and machine learning capabilities to their devices for years — for everything from improving photo quality to intelligent notifications. But generative AI technologies promise a whole new host of innovations ranging from fresh photo-editing tools and content summarization to live translation and transcription features. And, of course, smarter digital assistants.

Google (GOOG, GOOGL) kicked things off last year, including AI features with its Pixel 8 line of smartphones. Samsung (005930.KS) followed suit earlier this year with its Galaxy AI platform. And now, Apple (AAPL) is preparing to enter the ring with Apple Intelligence, which is set to launch later this fall.

Not to be outdone, Samsung and Google are also preparing their own major product events in the coming weeks that are expected to include even more AI news.

Samsung will host a Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris, France, on July 10, where it’s expected to show off the next generation of its foldable phone lines: the Galaxy Flip and Galaxy Fold. Google will hold its Made by Google keynote in Mountain View, Calif., on Aug. 13, during which it’s likely to show off its latest Pixel phones.

The thrust behind all of these moves is that AI will provide exciting new functions for your smartphone that were never before possible. It also means you’ll need to cough up some extra cash to get your hands on those features if your phone can’t take advantage of those AI capabilities.

A battle for your attention and wallet

Google and Samsung kick-started the AI smartphone fight, but Apple's impressive response managed to make generative AI look like a far more approachable and consumer-friendly technology.

The iPhone maker laid out its plans for Apple Intelligence during its June WWDC event, giving developers and fans alike a glimpse at how the software will work across its Photos, Messages, and Mail apps, as well as with its Siri assistant. The company says you’ll be able to do things like ask Siri to pull up specific pictures from the Photos app. So if you want to see a picture of that time you and your friend Susan went to New York, you can ask Siri to show pictures of Susan in New York, and it will surface them for you.

What’s more, Apple says it’s integrating OpenAI’s ChatGPT into its products, giving users access to the chatbot. The company says you’ll also need to give ChatGPT permission to search the web each time you use it, ensuring you know when you’re using Siri and when you’re using ChatGPT.

Apple also spent a significant chunk of its time going over how it intends to preserve its users' privacy while using Apple Intelligence’s online functionality. It says it won’t share data with OpenAI — and won’t save any private data from users’ interactions with Apple Intelligence.

Samsung is up next with its Unpacked event where, according to its latest advertising blitz, it will show off all-new generative AI options for its phones. So far, the company has mostly shown that its Galaxy AI can pull off some fancy photo-editing tricks and translation services, so it’ll be interesting to see what it has to rival Apple’s announcements. Especially as Samsung's mobile business is expected to post a drop in profit in its second-quarter results, according to analysts.

Google, which provides some of its AI know-how to Samsung, is in a similar position. The company let fly its generative AI-powered smartphones well before Apple did, with options to edit photos and videos, but the software felt more scattered than the kind of comprehensive services Apple plans to provide.

Now the company is gearing up for its next Pixel phone launch and specifically pointing to AI as a key aspect of the phones’ functionality. Google uses its Pixel line more as a blueprint for how its Android phone partners can innovate using its various software services. And part of that means proving to customers that its generative AI features can take on Apple Intelligence.

You can expect all three companies to start making major advertising pushes for their generative AI platforms throughout the fall and holiday shopping season as each tries to prove it’s the better choice for what they’re banking on as the next major paradigm shift in smartphones.

A choice that, ultimately, you and I will get to make.

Urgent warning to iPhone users after cyberattack targets all devices

Urgent warning to iPhone users after cyberattack targets all devices

Urgent warning to iPhone users after cyberattack targets all devices, An urgent warning has been issued to all 1.46 billion iPhone users after tech experts uncovered a new cyberattack targeting Apple IDs.

Bad actors are using SMS phishing campaigns that send messages claiming to be from Apple, prompting users to visit a link to an 'important request' about iCloud.

California-based Symantec security firm discovered the attack this month, warning the links lead to fake websites that urge users to hand over their Apple ID information.

Apple has established guidelines for such an attack, urging iPhone owners to use two-factor authentication that requires a password and six-digit verification code to access their account from an outside device.

'These credentials are highly valued, providing control over devices, access to personal and financial information, and potential revenue through unauthorized purchases,' Symantec shared on its website.

'Additionally, Apple's strong brand reputation makes users more susceptible to trusting deceptive communications that appear to be from Apple, further enhancing the attractiveness of these targets to cyber criminals.'

The company released the warning on July 2, noting it observed a malicious SMS floating around that showed: 'Apple important request iCloud: Visit signin[.]authen-connexion[.]info/icloud to continue using your services.'

Symantec found that the hackers added a CAPTCHA to the fake website to make it appear legit.

Once completed, it takes users to an outdated iCloud login template.

Apple noted on its support page that scammers may also ask iPhone users to disable features like two-factor authentication or Stolen Device Protection.

'They will claim that this is necessary to help stop an attack or to allow you to regain control of your account,' the tech giant shared.

'However, they are trying to trick you into lowering your security so that they can carry out their own attack.

'Apple will never ask you to disable any security feature on your device or on your account.'

There are ways to identify fraud - and a dead giveaway is the link in the text.

While the message may look credible, the URL will not match Apple's website.

The tech giant also shared that hackers usually send texts that look significantly different from the company's standard.

The scams are also not limited to impersonating Apple as many users have reported text messages claiming to be from Netflix, Amazon and other well-known companies. 

These fake messages claimed users' accounts were frozen or credit cards had expired, prompting them to click a link that asks for personal or bank account information.

'If you get a text message you weren't expecting and it asks you to give some personal or financial information, don't click on any links,' the Federal Trade Commission has warned.

'Legitimate companies won't ask for information about your account by text.'

'If you think the message might be real, contact the company using a phone number or website you know is real. Not the information in the text message.'