Later this year, the AI features will roll out to the OnePlus 13 series, with other devices to follow.
Ricoh Has a New Pocket Camera Ricoh has announced the GR IV pocket camera, the successor to the GR III, one of the best pocket cameras I’ve ever tested.
The GR IV has an updated APS-C sensor that bumps the resolution slightly from 24 megapixels to 26.
The GR IV is set to arrive this fall, with another model featuring a Highlight Diffusion Filter coming “after winter 2025.”
Interestingly, Ricoh says production and shipment of the Ricoh GR III will stop in July 2025, due to difficulty in procuring parts and components.
You are not alone if you are perplexed by Apple’s naming practices. According to Bloomberg, Apple intends to reveal a significant update to all of its operating systems at WWDC this year. Renaming them to be more consistent is part of that. According to reports, Apple will start designating each OS version for every product by year this year rather than by version. It’s confusing that, like cars, it will begin the following year instead of this one. That means that instead of iOS 19 and watchOS 12, we’ll see iOS 26 and watchOS 26 at this year’s WWDC.
According to reports, the action is a component of a broader effort to create a consistent user experience across platforms. It is anticipated that the redesign will be consistent across all operating systems and may include everything from new buttons, apps, icons, and design language. Given that Apple’s UI is essentially straightforward and irresistible, it will be interesting to observe how consumers respond to a significant redesign—ideally one that is better than the one for Apple Photos. WWDC, which begins on June 9 at 1 pm ET, will tell us. —So Adrienne.
The AI Overtakes OnePlus.
When OnePlus released the OnePlus 13 in January, it offered a few features, but now it is prepared to fully invest in AI for its phones. Though it replaces the original OnePlus Alert Slider, its strategy is fairly similar to that of the Nothing Phone (3a) series, which debuted a few months ago and featured a dedicated AI button on the side of the phone.
The Plus Key, which has an interface that resembles Apple’s Action Button almost exactly, can be set up to activate particular apps or shortcuts on the phone. It automatically starts AI Plus Mind, a program that stores anything on the screen for later recall. The concept is that you will press the Plus Key when you see an event invite or a concert advertisement while browsing. This will save the pertinent information in the companion app, which will then extract useful information to create a calendar event on your behalf.
The Plus Key and AI Plus Mind will make their initial appearance on the OnePlus 13s, a phone that will launch in a few markets this June but won’t be available in the US. The OnePlus 13 series will get AI features later this year, with additional devices to follow. AI VoiceScribe, which records, summarizes, and translates calls and meetings; AI Translation, which combines all translation functions into a single app; and AI Reframe, which uses generative AI to modify the composition of your photos, are among the additional features that OnePlus claims to be actively developing.
The Next Folding Phones from Samsung Are on the Way.
In a blog post announcing the launch of the One UI 8 beta program, Samsung formally confirmed that it will be releasing the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7, its next generation of folding phones, sometime this summer. Version eight is based on the next iteration of Android 16, and Samsung’s Android layer is called One UI.
Although the beta program will be accessible for current devices, Samsung claims that One UI 8 will “debut on Samsung’s newest foldables this summer,” which will be the first to run Android 16. Normally, Google’s Pixel devices are the first to run the most recent version of Android, so this is unusual. The reason for this is probably that Google pushed back the release date of Android 16 from October to midsummer.
Google Photos Turns 10.
Google released some new features to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Google Photos on May 28. One of these features is the expansion of some Pixel 9-only features, such as the Reimagine and Auto Frame AI features.
More editing tools are now visible at a glance in the redesigned editor, and you can access particular tools by selecting portions of the image rather than having to search through menus. To change the intensity of the background blur effect, for instance, tap the image’s background to bring up the portrait blur tool. Additionally, a new “AI Enhance” button will combine various Google AI features, such as Magic Eraser, with other common editing tools to expedite the editing process. In June, the updated editing layout will be available on Android devices, and later this year, iOS devices will receive the update as well.
Another feature is the ability to create a QR code that can be printed out for group gatherings or used to share albums with others nearby. People who scan the code can also add their own photos to the album.
A new pocket camera from Ricoh.
One of the best pocket cameras I’ve ever tested, the Ricoh GR IV, is the company’s latest model. Despite having seven new elements, the GR IV’s focal length is still 18.3mm f/2.8 (about 28mm in 35mm equivalent). There is currently no information on whether the 40mm lens model will be replaced by a GR IVx.
The resolution of the GR IV’s upgraded APS-C sensor has been slightly increased from 24 to 26 megapixels. The basic silhouette is the same, even though the exterior looks to have been redesigned with slightly different buttons. The neutral density filter is still there. Just like the GR III, it lacks a flash. Although the GR II had a built-in flash, the GR IV’s ISO range is superior, reaching 204,800 ISO at the top end, which should aid in low-light photography. Additionally, five-axis stabilization is available (up from the GR III’s three-axis).
Fans of the GR camera series may find the announcement that face and eye detection autofocus tracking will be available most intriguing. This suggests that autofocus has been enhanced. Autofocus is the GR III’s weak point. The GR IV will use microSD cards instead of full-size SD, which dampens my enthusiasm for the 53 gigabytes of usable built-in storage that is ideal for a camera like this.
The GR IV will be available this autumn, and a second model with a Highlight Diffusion Filter will follow “after winter 2025.”. Remarkably, Ricoh claims that because of the challenges in obtaining parts and components, the Ricoh GR III will no longer be manufactured or shipped after July 2025. For the time being, the 40mm GRIIIx will still be available. — Gilbertson, Scott.
