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Ben Lovejoy

benlovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer who started his career on PC World and has written for dozens of computer and technology magazines, as well as numerous national newspapers, business and in-flight magazines. He has also written several books, and creates occasional videos.

He is old enough to have owned the original Macintosh. He currently owns an M1 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro, an M1 13-inch MacBook Air, an iPad mini, an iPhone 16 Pro Max, and multiple HomePods. He suspects it might be cheaper to have a cocaine habit than his addiction to all things anodised aluminum.

He’s known for his op-ed and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review:

He speaks fluent English but only broken American, so please forgive any Anglicised spelling in his posts.

He gets a lot of emails and can’t possibly reply to them all. If you would like to comment on one of his pieces, please do so in the comments – he does read them all.

Connect with Ben Lovejoy

A small but crucial detail provides a clue on iPhone Fold pricing

A small but crucial detail provides a clue on iPhone Fold pricing | Render shown

There’s never been any doubt that next year’s iPhone Fold is going to be an extremely expensive device, but a small detail in a report published yesterday provides a further steer on what to expect.

We’ve so far seen pricing estimates in the $1,800 to $2,500 range, and yesterday’s report may be one reason to expect something closer to the higher end …

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Here’s everything expected from next year’s iPhone Fold

Here's everything expected from next year's iPhone Fold (render shown)

Next year’s flagship iPhone is widely expected to be a folding phone branded as the iPhone Fold. With a great deal of consistency across leaks and other reports, we do now have a pretty good idea of what to expect.

The latest post by a Chinese leaker with a pretty decent track record differs from previous ones in a few small respects, but the fundamental elements remain the same …

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PSA: Better mobile carrier deals may be yours for the asking

Better carrier deals may be yours for the asking | Photo shows, calculator app, and graphs

Competition between mobile carriers is now so intense that they are not only trying hard to poach customers from each other, but even fighting legal battles over their tactics.

AT&T has sued T-Mobile over its EasySwitch tool, intended to allow customers to compare rates and receive a personalized deal from the self-proclaimed “uncarrier” …

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Apple and Google will be asked to block nude photos unless user age is verified

EU also investigating as Grok generated 23,000 CSAM images in 11 days | Pixelation shown

A new report says that the British government will be asking Apple and Google to block the taking and sharing of nude photographs unless the user has been verified to be an adult.

Additionally, the report says that the government wants iOS and Android to prevent nude images even being displayed on the device unless the user has been verified as an adult …

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Would you accept this compromise for the 20th anniversary iPhone? [Poll]

Would you accept this compromise for the 20th anniversary iPhone? | Render shown with no visible bezels or cutouts

There have been persistent rumors that Apple will be pulling out all the stops for the 20th anniversary iPhone in 2027. It’s been suggested this will be the year the company will finally achieve its long-held ambition of turning the iPhone into “a single slab of glass.”

What’s meant by this is that there will be no visible bezels and no Dynamic Island or cutout of any kind on the display. While this is already technically achievable, it would involve one significant compromise …

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Startup wants to relaunch Twitter, as Reddit launches verification checkmarks

Startup wants to relaunch Twitter, as Reddit launches verification checkmarks | Stylized 3D version of Twitter logo

Deciding to abandon one of the world’s best-known brands was one of a number of imaginative decisions made by Elon Musk when he purchased Twitter and renamed it X. Now a startup wants to revive the name, arguing that X corporation no longer has any use for the trademark.

The legal arguments could get interesting, especially given that one of those involved in the venture is Stephen Coates – Twitter’s former general counsel …

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Attackers using ChatGPT to trick Mac users into installing MacStealer

Attacker used ChatGPT to trick Mac users into installing MacStealer | A close-up photo of fingers typing on a Magic Keyboard attached to an iMac

Security researchers have found that attackers are using ChatGPT to trick Mac users into pasting a command line into Terminal which installs malware. Specifically, it installs MacStealer, which allows the attacker to obtain iCloud passwords, files, and credit card details.

The attack targeted people who were searching Google for instructions on how to free up some disk space on a Mac …

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Apple reportedly broke the law by ignoring US sanctions on apps

Apple reportedly broke the law by ignoring US sanctions on apps | App Store icon overlaid on a Russian flag

Apple has been accused of breaking the law by failing to comply with US sanctions after the App Store was found to have contain dozens of apps from sanctioned companies. The same was true of Google, though at a smaller scale.

The banned apps were identified by the Tech Transparency Project, which says it demonstrates that Apple failed to live up to its promises that the App Store represents a safe and trusted source …

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Apple may have accidentally made it almost impossible for governments to ban iMessage

Apple may have accidentally made it impossible for governments to ban iMessage | Image shows iMessage bubbles floating in space

Authoritarian governments don’t like their citizens being able to have private conversations using end-to-end encrypted messaging apps. This is the reason Russia has just banned FaceTime, but it was surprising iMessage had escaped a ban.

A potential reason for this has now been discovered: Apple may have accidentally made it almost impossible for a government to ban its end-to-end encrypted text messaging app …

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iFixit launches FixBot AI repair helper, with free and paid versions

iFixit launches FixBot AI repair helper, with free and paid versions | App seen on an iPhone along with an instructional photo of the iPhone 15

iFixit has launched a new AI repair assistant known as FixBot. The company says Fixbot will make it faster and easier than ever before to figure out what’s wrong and how to fix it.

There are both free and paid options, although the feature list suggests that the free option is very limited. The subscription tier is free for a limited time …

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Reddit making global changes to protect kids after social media ban

Reddit making global changes to protect kids after social media ban | Photo shows a close-up of social media apps on an iPhone

Australia will tomorrow become the first democratic country in the world to ban children from using social media. However, it seems unlikely to be the last, as many other legislators around the world have expressed concern about the mental health harms that may be done to teenagers by social media.

Reddit is seeking to get ahead of the game by implementing new teen safety features globally instead of only within Australia …

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Even as a Liquid Glass fan, I’m looking forward to a new Apple design era

Even as a Liquid Glass fan (design detail shown), I'm looking forward to a new Apple design era

You almost have to feel sorry for Alan Dye at this point. It was pretty clear he expected news of his departure from Apple to be something of a bombshell, and Meta clearly thought their acquisition of Apple’s former VP of Human Interface Design would be perceived as a coup.

Instead, the prevailing opinion among Apple commenters appears to be succinctly summarized as a collective sigh of relief …

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After Apple refusal, Indian government completes U-turn on mandatory iPhone app

After Apple refusal, Indian government makes complete U-turn on mandatory iPhone app | Photo shows a U-turn sign ahead of a bend

The saga of a mandatory government security app which Apple and Google had to preinstall on their phones didn’t last long after Apple refused to play ball.

The Indian government had already backed down on preventing iPhone owners from deleting the “security” app, and has now made a complete U-turn in the space of just 48 hours …

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Four iPhones will provide live footage of Saturday’s MLS Cup match

Four iPhones will provide live footage of Saturday's MLS Cup match | Twice-up photo of MLS soccer ball

Saturday’s Major League Soccer championship match between Inter Miami and the Whitecaps will incorporate footage from four iPhones. Apple previously used iPhones to capture live game footage during two Friday Night Baseball broadcasts.

MLS said that the weekend telecast will involve the league’s largest ever set of cameras, giving fans access to an unprecedented range of angles …

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Spotify Wrapped arrives after Apple Music Replay – with a new party feature

Spotify Wrapped arrives after Apple Music Replay – with a new party feature | Spotify app open with Billie Eilish on-screen

Most of the major streaming music services now offer their own version of the annual Spotify Wrapped feature, providing insights into our most listened to songs and artists.

Yesterday saw the unveiling of Apple Music Replay 2025, after YouTube Music rolled out its own take, and now Spotify Wrapped 2025 has landed – this year with a new party feature …

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