Then, you need to add the dark Dumb Phone wallpaper (Wallpaper in Settings), switch to dark mode (Display & Brightness in Settings), and turn off home screen animations: From Settings select Accessibility > Per-App Settings > Add App > Home Screen & App Library, then tap Home Screen & App Library and Reduce Motion, and set it to On.
With all of that taken care of, you need to hide other home screen app shortcuts, which you can do by pressing and holding on them, then choosing Remove App and Remove from Home Screen. You should be left with just your Dumb Phone widget and nothing else on a single home screen—though all of your apps are still available if you swipe left to get to the App Library.
Tap on any app listed in the Dumb Phone widget itself, and it opens as normal. You can also add a Dumb Phone shortcut to your minimal home screen and customize its look via the App Icon entry on the settings page for Dumb Phone. (Tap the gear icon, top left, to get to the settings.)
You’ll be asked to choose your most essential apps.
Other settings in the Dumb Phone app let you customize which apps are available through the widget and change the look of the widget itself—including the alignment of the text and the spacing between each shortcut. You can also swap the default white-on-black look for a black-on-white one.
In addition, the app gives you the option of creating separate profiles for your widgets—one for work and one for outside of work, for example—which you can quickly swap between as needed. For the full dumb phone experience, you might want to play around with some of the notification settings in iOS too.
Android
For Android users, the Minimalist Phone app is one of the best options available for this particular job. It’ll cost you $5 a month, though it’s less if you pay for a year at a time, and you can get a lifetime’s use out of the app for $30. There’s also a seven-day free trial that lets you see if you find the app useful before paying.
Minimalist Phone is what’s known as a launcher: a type of Android app that completely replaces most of the interface, including the home screens and menus. It’s a full reskin of your phone, and one that goes deeper into the operating system than anything that’s possible on iOS (but don’t worry, you can go back to normal whenever you want to with just a few taps).
On Monday, Apple held one of its splashy media events. This one was used to show off its next round of iPhones, AirPods, and Apple Watches. These are three of its biggest products, and all of the design tweaks feel very familiar to the current Apple universe. But Apple has also trotted out some new tricks, like sleep apnea detection in the Apple Watch and a new feature that instantly turns a pair of AirPods Pro into hearing aids. And of course, the company is also very keen to get consumers hyped up about the iPhone’s new Apple Intelligence features—even if those flashy AI tricks won’t start becoming available until next month.
This week on Gadget Lab, WIRED product reviews editors Adrienne So and Julian Chokkattu join us after Apple’s “Glowtime” event to go over all the big news from Cupertino.
Show Notes
Our roundup of everything Apple announced this week. Read Julian’s WIRED stories about how the iPhone 16 is incorporating AI and which iPhone 16 model is right for you. Dive into Lauren’s story about whether Apple’s AI promises will actually equate to more iPhone sales. Read Chistopher Null’s story about how AirPods Pro could disrupt the hearing aid industry. Follow all WIRED’s Apple coverage.
Recommendations
Adrienne recommends the book Status and Culture by W. David Marx. Julian recommends the Dev Patel action movie Monkey Man. Lauren recommends that you recommend a good chair to help her back pain. Mike recommends Manning Fireworks, the new album by musician MJ Lenderman.
You can always listen to this week’s podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here’s how:
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Whether you’re in the market for a new iPhone 16 or planning to go big with the iPhone 16 Pro, don’t just toss your aging phone in a drawer when you upgrade. Sell your iPhone! That old hunk of glass is more valuable than you might think. There are quite a few services that will give you cash or store credit for a used iPhone. We’ve compared some popular options for trading in an old device. Most of these services accept Samsung and Google devices too, and all of them take iPhones.
Updated September 2024: We’ve updated phones and pricing.
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Tips to Get a High Resale Price
If you want the maximum resale value for your phone, make sure you take care of it. Buy a good case (check out our guide on picking a good phone case) and consider a screen protector (AmFilm protectors work well). They’ll keep your device looking new, which is the best way to ensure you get the most money possible when you sell.
Always buy an unlocked phone. This not only gives you the freedom to switch carriers, but you’ll get more for it when you go to sell it. Though the first few generations of iPhones had hardware that tethered them to carriers, for the past decade all iPhones in the US will work on any wireless network. There’s no reason to chain yourself to one carrier. Generally, unless a carrier tells you a phone is unlocked, it probably isn’t, especially if you buy it on a payment plan.
The last thing to do before you run off to cash in your old phone is to back up all your data using iCloud. Be sure to check the option to backup your Messages so iCloud will store your text messages, which sometimes include photos and videos you haven’t saved to your Camera Roll. Remember to unpair your Apple Watch if you have one, and wipe your phone’s data as well.
1. Best for Reliable Cash: Gazelle
Gazelle is the old hand in the world of used phones. The company has been buying phones since 2006 and has the simplest process. It also doesn’t require you to create an account just to get a quote on your phone.
You fill out an online form and answer some questions about your device—whether it works, which carrier it’s tied to, and whether there’s any cosmetic damage. You’ll then get an offer based on the answers you give. If you accept the offer, Gazelle will send a box complete with a shipping label, and you’ll ship the phone in for inspection. Once the company has looked over your device and verified that it’s in the condition you said it was, you’ll be paid—usually in seven to 10 days. Payment can be in the form of a check, PayPal, or Amazon gift card.
A factory-unlocked, 128-GB iPhone 15 in pristine condition will get you $390. A 128-GB unlocked iPhone 14 will net you about $300. Gazelle sometimes runs promotional offers around new device launches, so keep an eye out to snag the best deal.
2. Best for Pristine iPhones: Swappa
An eBay clone of sorts, Swappa seeks to eliminate some of the problems associated with eBay: high seller fees, poor seller-buyer communication tools, and too many poor-quality devices. You won’t be able to sell your iPhone here unless it’s in good shape, fully functional, and undamaged. You’ll also have to create an account and link it to your Paypal account before you can even see an offer.
So long as your phone meets Swappa’s listing criteria and you’re willing to put in a little effort, this is where you’ll get the most money for your old device. As you would on eBay, you’ll need to put together a listing with photos. Be sure to take the case off your phone, and be honest about the condition. Remember to factor in shipping when setting your sale price. Note that Swappa now requires you to link a Paypal account.
Apple’s forthcoming iOS 18 is loaded with a slew of artificial-intelligence-powered capabilities. The new mobile OS can rewrite your text messages, summarize emails, and identify objects in photos. But one of the most fun features is Image Playground, which generates cartoon-like illustrations based on a text prompt.
While Apple has shown examples of its output during its keynotes, demos, and product videos, we have yet to see a real-world example of an Image Playground character until now. Apple has shared with WIRED the first-ever example created by Image Playground that it’s shown outside of its pre-recorded keynotes and marketing materials.
This image of an adorable small dog smiling in front of a birthday cake wearing a party hat isn’t just any random pup. Her name is Bailey, and she belongs to Craig Federighi, senior vice president of software engineering at Apple, who created the image for his wife in honor of Bailey’s recent birthday.
Federighi referenced the illustration during his interview with WIRED’s Lily Hay Newman about Apple’s Private Cloud Compute, the secure server environment the company built to handle AI task requests that cannot be processed on a consumer’s device. Apple reps shared it later. It’s WIRED policy to clearly identify any AI-generated images we publish, so that’s why you see the watermark on the image.
Image Playground is debuting at a time when generative AI tools have been creeping into software from all the major tech companies, as Microsoft, Google, and Meta have released AI-powered software that focuses on productivity and creativity. While Apple’s approach in iOS 18 also prioritizes the practical side of AI, the company has included some purely fun apps too—Image Playground being a prime example.
It exists as a standalone app, but you can also access it through Messages. To generate an image, you can either type a description of what you want to see, choose a photo of someone from your photo library, or pick from some preloaded concepts. You can also opt between three different styles including Illustration, Sketch, and Animation. The feature is not to be confused with Genmoji, which allows you to generate custom emoji directly from the keyboard using text prompts.
Since neither of these generative AI features are available in beta just yet (although a few other Apple Intelligence features are with the iOS 18.1 developer beta), the only examples we’ve seen of Image Playground’s and Gemoji’s output have been tightly controlled by Apple. Until the features are released, Federighi’s adorable dog is the closest we’ll get to seeing an example that exists beyond heavily produced and edited marketing materials. And I’d say it’s a pretty good one, and certainly not as creepy as the examples we saw during the keynote at WWDC. Good job, Craig.
WIRED’s Lily Hay Newman contributed reporting to this story.
Update: Wednesday at 7:33 pm. This story was changed to add the name of Federighi’s dog.
That said, the bigger iPhones do tend to have the best battery life. Apple says the iPhone 16 Pro Max delivers the best battery life in an iPhone, though we’ll have to test that claim. If battery life is your number one priority, choose between the largest models: iPhone 16 Plus and the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
All of these iPhones have the Action Button, which replaces the Mute switch and is now configurable, so you can replicate the Mute switch functionality or execute another action, like turning on a flashlight or triggering a shortcut. They all also have the new Camera Control button (yes, it’s a button). You can use it to open the camera and take a photo, but a light press shows different camera modes and you can slide your finger left or right across the button’s surface to cycle through various modes, zoom levels, and more. Eventually, you can use this button to trigger Visual Intelligence, which is like Apple’s version of Google Lens—point your iPhone at something in the real world to get more information about it.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Every iPhone 16 model can now take advantage of a cool video feature called Audio Mix. This lets you change up the way your videos sound when you’re editing them by choosing a sound profile. These include “In-Frame,” which focuses the audio on whoever is in the frame; Studio, which makes it sound like you were in a studio, cutting all background noise; and Cinematic, which makes sure whoever is at the center of the frame comes in clear, with a little bit of ambient noise mixed in. This feature will perform better on the iPhone 16 Pro models since they have upgraded microphones.
The redesigned Photographic Styles are also available in the entire range. These are almost like filters but better—instead of changing the look of the whole image, these “Styles” can maintain skin tones so they don’t look weird, and can adjust other parts of the photo like shadows and highlights. Apple is also giving you more control over how your skin tone looks, instead of going for more of a one-size-fits-all approach like Google does with its Pixel phones.
Apple Intelligence is the headline feature, and the only way to try out the new artificial intelligence capabilities is to use a phone that supports it: the iPhone 16 range, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. I covered these features in broader detail in our iOS 18 guide, but to summarize, it includes a revamped Siri experience, the ability to generate emoji (and Genmoji!), and writing assistance features like proofreading and changing the tone of your messages.
Some of these features won’t be available until next year, but Apple’s push to add artificial intelligence to the iPhone is still likely to drive a boom in sales, optimistic analysts say. Whereas in years past the iPhone’s hardware upgrades were the big draw, now the lure is how Apple’s hardware, like its custom chips, will be in service of advanced AI.
“Regardless of whether Apple Intelligence is supported from day one, the new iPhones are future-proof,” Paolo Pescatore, analyst and founder of PP Insights, says. Pescatore, like Ives, believes this is the start of an iPhone supercycle. “Apple’s prowess in silicon, hardware, and services will all converge to bring Apple Intelligence to life.”
Pescatore adds that Siri was in need of a much-needed overhaul, and he believes iPhone customers might now be willing to give Siri another chance.
Apple did not immediately respond to inquiries about the company’s potential for iPhone sales growth.
Super Unknown
Other analysts aren’t buying into the supercycle hype. Anand Joshi, an engineer by trade and former tech executive who is now an analyst for TechInsights, says the technical limitations of older iPhone models are likely to spur upgrades. But he believes there’s only a “50-50 chance of a supercycle.”
“The biggest driver is going to be AI, but I am still skeptical of the user experience,” Joshi says.
Similarly, Counterpoint Research senior analyst Varun Mishra says this is the start of a revenue “step-cycle” for iPhone—a series of incremental boosts—rather than a supercycle. This is partly due to the fact that the release of Apple’s AI features will be staggered over several months.
“Most of the use cases offered through Apple Intelligence are generally ‘nice to have’ and not so compelling that a large section of users will upgrade their devices earlier than expected,” Mishra says. “We also don’t see any pent-up demand, like the demand in previous supercycles, for GenAI features among consumers.”
There’s also the question of whether these new AI-powered iPhones will spur sales in China, one of Apple’s most crucial markets both in terms of sales and production of iPhones.
Last fall The Wall Street Journal reported that Chinese officials ordered workers at government agencies to stop using their iPhones and other foreign-made electronics for work, which doesn’t affect the majority of the Chinese population but could have a long-term “chilling effect” on Apple’s brand in China. As Apple has rolled out more AI features, which rely on both on-device processing and data sent and received from the cloud, questions have come up as to how exactly the company’s Private Compute Cloud will operate in China. Apple hasn’t yet shared details on how this will work.
Earlier today, during the iPhone launch event, Apple said it plans to expand its AI features into other languages, including Chinese, starting next year.
Joshi, from TechInsights, says he doesn’t believe the Chinese government’s crackdown on iPhones has much impact at this point. “China will continue to buy the iPhone,” he says.
Ives thinks the key to Apple’s success in that market will be an unusual one for a company that prides itself on its full-stack technology and tightly controlling the experience it delivers: “Getting a Chinese partner will be key for Apple to enable AI in China,” he says.
Apple has turned the page on the Apple calendar to introduce the next iPhone. To no one’s surprise, the iPhone 16 is the next model, coming after the iPhone 15. The lineup includes the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The handsets made their debut at the company’s annual September hardware event in Cupertino, California. (New Apple Watches were announced too.)
The latest iPhones have a few new tricks to differentiate them from their predecessors—the Action Button is now available on all iPhones in this lineup, and there’s a new Camera Control button dedicated to snapping photos. On the whole, many of the improvements are in the software—iOS 18—which is also available to download next week if you have a compatible device. The iPhone 16 models are designed to take advantage of all the Apple Intelligence features announced earlier this year, however, you won’t see many of these until the iOS 18.1 update arrives in October.
I’ve compiled everything you need to know about the iPhone 16 range below. Preorders for the iPhone 16 start September 13, and here are the prices: iPhone 16 is $799, iPhone 16 Plus is $899, iPhone 16 Pro is $999, and iPhone 16 Pro Max is $1,199. They’ll be available in stores starting September 20.
The iPhones 16
The iPhone 16 looks different from prior iPhones—the camera arrangement is vertical rather than diagonal—but otherwise, they’re identical. The iPhone 16 Pro range better resembles their predecessors but is slightly bigger: the iPhone 16 Pro has a 6.3-inch screen (up from 6.1 inches), and the iPhone 16 Pro Max is 6.9 inches (up from 6.7 inches). The phones aren’t dramatically bigger, but Apple has shaved the borders around the screen to maximize screen space.
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will be available in five bold colors: black, white, pink, teal, and ultramarine.
Courtesy of Apple
The lineup of the new Apple iPhone 16 Pro.
Courtesy of Apple
Every iPhone in this lineup has the Action Button, which Apple debuted last year. This replaces the mute switch. you can customize the Action Button to toggle on a flashlight, a Shortcut, or some other setting. You can even set to to function exactly like the mute switch if you miss the mute switch (though it’s far less satisfying).
Apple says the ceramic glass in these models is 50 percent tougher than the first generation of Ceramic Shield, and there’s a new manufacturing process that makes the body colors richer. The iPhone 16 comes in pink, teal, ultramarine, white, and black.
But there is a new button gracing the iPhone’s hardware: Camera Control. This is like a physical shutter button on cameras—a hard press takes a photo, a long press takes a video, and you can now make a light press to enable a cleaner viewfinder without all the user interface elements. Within this light press, you can slide your finger on the Camera Control button to swipe through zoom levels; if you do a double light press, you can move through other modes. On the Pro models, you can use this light press to maintain the focus on a specific subject.
Like clockwork, the Discover Samsung Fall Sale has arrived. The sale happens seasonally, and this time, the deals are live from now through September 15. There are different deals that go live each day on smartphones, appliances, TVs, tablets, and more. To learn more about the products, check out our buying guides, like the Best Android Phones, Best Folding Phones, Best Tablets, and Which Samsung Galaxy S24 You Should Buy.
Smartphone and Tablet Deals
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
This deal was slightly better during the Spring Discover Samsung Sale, but the $20 difference is negligible. We still think $720 is a good deal for the flagship Samsung Galaxy S24 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) that was released back in January. The phones have great performance, day-long (if not more) battery life, and stunning displays. There are smart, fun software features, and while we think the design is a bit uninspired, the phones are available in neat colors. This basic model will serve most people just fine. Be sure to protect your new purchase with one of these great S24 cases.
The price on this deal is $50 lower than previous discounts we’ve seen during Samsung’s seasonal sales. The Galaxy S24+ has a larger 6.7-inch display compared to the basic S24 model’s 6.2-inch screen, so it’s a better option if you prefer more real estate for your smartphones. It also has a bigger battery, more RAM, and a larger baseline storage capacity than its smaller sibling. Read more about their differences and similarities in our buying guide. We’ve tested many Galaxy S24 cases—these are our favorites.
To round out the S24 discounts, we have this deal, which doubles previous price drops we’ve seen from this sale and makes it much more appealing than what we’ve tracked in the past. It’s the biggest phone in the lineup and is made of titanium rather than aluminum. It also has a built-in S Pen stylus and more versatile cameras compared to the S24 or S24+. Just note that the stylus really makes this phone stand out, so if you don’t reach for a stylus very often, you’ll probably be fine with a different (and less expensive) model. Our buying guide is full of detailed advice. Don’t forget a phone case!
This is close to the best price we’ve tracked for this phone—it dropped by another $100 last Black Friday, but if you’re spending four digits, that difference might not necessarily make or break your decision. The Z Fold5 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a sleek smartphone that opens up like a book. The displays are bright and immersive, the cameras are good, and it has one of the best update policies you can get on an Android. We do wish the front screen was a bit wider. Once your new purchase arrives, be sure to check our Best Apps for Folding Phones guide.
Photograph: Samsung
This deal beats previous discounts we’ve seen for this model by about $10. The Galaxy Tab S9 Series (7/10, WIRED Review) is full of some of the best Android tablets around, but they’re usually too expensive. The hardware is excellent, from the bright screens to the included S Pen stylus, and Samsung’s security updates and Android OS upgrades will keep the gadget up-to-date for years. The discount makes now a smarter time to buy if you’re interested—with the important caveat that we think this baseline model is the worst of the series, and we suggest going with the Tab S9+ (on sale for $823, nearly $300 off) or S9 Ultra if you can afford to.
Beating last year’s discount by $80, the S9+ is a great middle-of-the-road option for anyone who wants to use a tablet for both work and play. The 12.4-inch AMOLED screen has enough real estate for most tasks, and this model of the S9 series comes with 12 gigabytes of RAM compared to the basic S9’s 8 gigs. Since they’re both on sale right now, we think this option is the better buy. Read more in our review.
We see deals on other models from the S9 lineup on a regular basis, but finding a discount on the Tab S9 Ultra is a harder endeavor. This matches the best discounts we’ve seen and the deal gets even sweeter if you have a device to trade in. We wish there was an option for cellular connectivity instead of just Wi-Fi, but if that isn’t a dealbreaker, this luxe tablet is worth checking out. The screen is massive, measuring almost 15 inches, and the snappy screens and best-in-class performance round everything out. If you don’t need a gigantic screen, the S9+ on sale for $823 is cheaper and easier to use handheld.
Smartwatch and Headphone Deals
Photograph: Samsung
This is the best price we’ve seen for the Galaxy Buds2 Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends). It only beats the previous best by six bucks. But still! A win is a win. These earbuds are supremely comfortable and they come in a few different snazzy colors. They’ve also got great noise canceling and high-quality sound during both listening and calls. They’re our favorite headphones for Samsung owners.
We’ve seen this price before and we’ll probably see it again, but it remains the lowest discount we’ve tracked for the Galaxy Watch6. We’ve reviewed the Watch6 Classic (7/10, WIRED Recommends), which has a rotating mechanical bezel. The Watch6 that’s on sale doesn’t have the bezel, but otherwise it’s pretty similar. It comes running Wear OS 4 and has most of the same health and fitness tracking features as an Apple watch does. It’s important to note that it only works with Android phones, and the electrocardiogram and irregular heart rate notifications only work when the watch is paired with a Samsung phone. Read more about it in our Best Smartwatches guide.
Gaming, Laptop, and TV Deals
Photograph: Christopher Null
Not everybody needs or wants a CoPilot+ PC. But if you’re in the market for an AI-forward computer, the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is the one to get. The 16-inch touchscreen display is gorgeous, though the laptop struggles with good graphics performance, and the battery life boasts over 14 hours per charge. The biggest reason to get this laptop would be for the AI-driven tasks like Live Captions and chat summaries. Read more about it in our review.
This projector basically always sells for $598 or $798, but we’ve not tracked it dropping lower than it is right now. This little projector offers up to 100 inches of screen real estate, and it also features a built-in smart interface and gaming hub. It’s compatible with specific USB-C power banks for extra portability. Find other recommendations in our Best Projectors guide.
A phone with magnetic mods, a new handheld gaming console, and a robot vacuum that can climb stairs. Here’s the best new gear announced at IFA in Berlin.
With a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and 12 GB of RAM, performance is silky smooth. You also get a generous 512 GB of storage. I played hours of Kingdom Rush: Alliance on the Magic V3 without a stutter, and it never got warm. The big screen is ideal for gaming and video, but I enjoyed reading on the Kindle app too. I prefer a laptop for work, but the Honor Magic V3 also proved handy as a surrogate second screen when I was missing my dual monitor setup.
Battery life is excellent. Honor’s third-generation silicon carbon battery has a 5,150-mAh capacity, and I was surprised to find it regularly lasted two days between charges. When you need to top up, you can charge wirelessly at up to 50 watts or plug in for up to 66 watts, enough to fully charge the Magic V3 in under an hour. It warns you to unfold the phone to juice up the dual batteries at maximum speed.
Final Hurdle
Photograph: Simon Hill
The Honor Magic V3 is a delightful device. Honor’s hardware is deeply impressive, but there’s always a but. As I found with the Honor Magic 6 Pro (7/10, WIRED Review), its software doesn’t quite reach the same heights. Pleasingly, the Magic V3 feels far more polished, but I still encountered a few wee irritations.
The transition between the front and inside screens occasionally went wrong and displayed something stretched or squashed. Once, the inside screen was completely unresponsive, but closing and opening fixed the issue. I got sick of the battery warning about the Oura app but could not find any way to stop it. Certain apps, like the Play Store, kept displaying the wee red icon to show something new long after there was nothing new to see.
Photograph: Simon Hill
The Honor Magic V3 runs Android 14 with MagicOS 8 on top, but it is easy to customize and comes with just a sprinkling of bloatware. You can also decide how to take advantage of the dual screen with multiple windows and different layouts in the settings. You can expect four years of OS updates and five years of security patches (short of the seven years Google and Samsung promise, but not bad).
The obvious competitors for the Magic V3 are the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 and the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and it’s a familiar trade-off: Do you opt for slick software or superior hardware? The Xiaomi Mix Fold 4 is the closest device in terms of design, but won’t be released outside of China, so the Honor Magic V3 is a better choice for most folks. Despite the minor foibles, this is a truly excellent folding phone, maybe even the best folding phone you can buy right now. That said, you still don’t need a folding phone.
