Apple's iPad Pro when combined with the Apple Pencil accessory is arguably one of the best portable drawing tools you can buy out there today. The main problem is that the Apple Pencil is a very expensive accessory and there's really no two ways about it, but if you want the Apple Pencil but don't want to pay the Apple tax, you're in luck.

Apple has announced a new Apple Pencil. This new accessory isn't the successor to the second-gen Apple Pencil, but rather it's a cheaper alternative. Its physical design is pretty much identical to the second-gen Apple Pencil, but there are some features that it is lacking compared to its more expensive sibling.

For example, it lacks pressure sensitivity. It also does not support the double-tap feature that lets you switch between tools, and there is no support for wireless pairing and charging which is admittedly one of the best features of the second-gen Apple Pencil, which brings us to our point about the questionable design choice Apple has made.

The new Apple Pencil has a sliding cap that when removed, reveals a USB-C port. This is to allow users to charge the accessory when it runs low on battery. I'll be honest, I kind of hate this design and it is almost as silly as the first-gen Apple Pencil which you had to plug into your iPad's Lightning Connector to charge.

This is admittedly a slightly better solution but it still feels kind of dumb. Users will still be able to mount the new Apple Pencil to the iPad magnetically, but while it is mounted, it enters sleep mode to preserve battery life as opposed to charging. This means that if you're planning to travel with it, you'll want to make sure you have enough battery life in the Apple Pencil.

Thankfully, Apple has the decency not to overcharge users for the new model. It is priced at $79 which is about $50 cheaper than the second-gen model and is expected to be released in November. If you don't want to spring for the (better) second-gen model, you can always get the first-gen model which at least has pressure sensitivity for $99.

Apple has released iOS 17.1 beta 3 and watchOS 10.1 beta 3 for developers. Per 9to5Mac, the tech giant said that when an Apple Watch running watchOS 10.1 beta was paired with an iPhone running the stable version of iOS 17, the result would be "increased power consumption." In other words, pair an Apple Watch running the watchOS 10.1 beta with an iPhone powered by iOS 17, and the battery on the phone will drain faster than normal.

The battery draining also occurred when an Apple Watch running watchOS 10 was paired with an iPhone with an iOS 17.1 beta version installed. All of this ends with the installation of iOS 17.1 beta 3. Users running the iOS 17.1 beta or watchOS 10.1 beta should update to the newest beta version as soon as possible to prevent getting impacted by another bug that crashes the Wallet app as soon as it is opened.

Apple says that this bug was causing the wallet app to crash when opened by users who connect their cards to bank accounts and did so while using iOS 17.1 beta 1 and iOS 17.1 beta 2. The company explains all of the fixes and known issues in the iOS & iPadOS 17.1 Beta 3 Release Notes. Another issue with the Wallet app listed in the Release Notes could cause the connection between a card and a bank account to "revoke."

If a connection is revoked, Apple suggests going to Settings > Apple Pay & Wallet > Connections. Remove the connection between your card and your bank and re-connect your card again to to workaround the issue.

If you're not on the iOS 17.1 beta and are looking forward to some of the features coming in iOS 17.1, the update will add the ability to "favorite" a song in Apple Music which will automatically add the tune to the user's Favorite Songs playlist. To access this new feature, tap the three-dot menu icon on a song or album and look for the Favorite icon. The update to iOS 17.1 adds a feature that allows AirDrop to continue a transfer via the internet even if the two iPhones are separated. A new toggle in Settings will allow a user to use cellular data to complete an AirDrop in addition to Wi-Fi.

Also coming to iOS 17.1 will be a new feature allowing users to access their credit card and bank account balances in the Wallet app although this will only be available in the U.K. as of now.

When Apple introduced their iPhone 15s, only the Pro and Pro Max models (read more expensive) came with a frame made with a titanium alloy. We suppose that's Apple's way of differentiating its Pro and Pro Max models from the rest of the lineup.

Thankfully, it seems that Samsung could be a bit more generous with its upcoming Galaxy S24 series, where apparently all the models, which includes the base Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra, will come with a titanium frame. This is according to a post on X by @Tech_Reve.

That being said, we should point out that not everyone agrees with this rumor. A comment by reputable tipster Ice Universe claims that titanium will only be available on the Galaxy S24 Ultra model, but @Tech_Reve believes otherwise. Of course, since these are just rumors it's probably best taken with a grain of salt.

Assuming the rumors are true, it could mean that we might be able to expect a price increase in the Galaxy S24 series since titanium is not only more expensive, but has also been known to be difficult to work with. Hopefully Samsung's use of titanium will yield better results than Apple, where the titanium iPhone 15s have been found to be less durable than you might expect of a phone made using titanium.

It's undeniably one of the most popular smartphone brands in the world, but even Apple's newest iPhone 15 Pro models aren't safe from performance issues. In particular, a number of iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max owners have reported overheating problems on their devices, shortly after the launch of the phone.

According to different reports online, users have experienced overheating on their iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max units while performing different tasks, such as charging, camera usage, social media apps, and gaming. It would appear that Apple has been listening, after the Cupertino-based company issued a statement acknowledging the overheating problem on its devices. As per Apple:

"We have identified a few conditions which can cause iPhone to run warmer than expected. The device may feel warmer during the first few days after setting up or restoring the device because of increased background activity. We have also found a bug in iOS 17 that is impacting some users and will be addressed in a software update. Another issue involves some recent updates to third-party apps that are causing them to overload the system. We're working with these app developers on fixes that are in the process of rolling out."

Based on this, Apple is adamant that the overheating issue can be solved by a software fix, as well as working with third-party app developers to fully optimize their software for the 15 Pro Models. The company also refuted speculations that the titanium frame contributed to the heating problem on the phones, a theory which some have claimed to be the root cause.

In any case, iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max users should keep an eye out for any new software updates from Apple soon.

Remember all those years ago when Samsung was having issues with its Galaxy Note 7 batteries where they would swell, explode, and catch on fire? It looks like Apple is close to having its own Note 7 moment with its brand new iPhone 15s.

This is according to an image shared on X in which it showed off a brand new iPhone 15 Pro with its screen sticking out slightly, which apparently was due to a swollen battery that caused the display to be pushed out.

One of the criticisms of the new iPhone 15 models is that they seem to run really hot, a lot hotter compared to their predecessors and the competition. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that this might be a software issue that can be fixed with a patch, but it might come at the cost of throttling the A17 chipset so that it won't draw too much power, thus reducing the amount of heat produced.

Now to play devil's advocate, some have pointed out that in the photo, there appears to be some kind of dent/scratches at the corner of the phone. This suggests that the reason the display popped out might have been because the user tried to pry it open, as opposed to it being caused by a swollen battery.

It's hard to say for sure if the claims in the post are legit, so maybe approach it with a healthy dose of skepticism. But what's undeniable is that Apple's new iPhone 15s do have a heat issue, but the jury is still out as to whether or not Apple will ultimately find itself in a similar situation as Samsung did all those years ago.