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iOS 18.2 Beta 3: Apple’s latest effort to tackle Samsung’s Galaxy AI lead
iOS 18.2 Beta 3 comes with new Apple Intelligence features to combat Samsung’s Galaxy AI. The iPhone maker is trying hard to rival Samsung’s smart and useful features derived from artificial intelligence and GenAI.
Apple released iOS 18.2 Beta 3 to developer beta testers. The iPhone 16 series along with iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will benefit from the new array of Apple Intelligence features apart from changes and improvements.
The latest beta brings Image Playground, Genmoji, Siri with ChatGPT integration, Writing Tools, Visual Intelligence, and Image Wand features. The release also debuts the new Mail app that sorts your email into categories.
New Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.2 Beta 3
- Image Playground: Apple Intelligence’s image generation tool.
- Image Wand: An Image Playground-related feature in the Notes app that turns sketches into AI-generated images.
- Genmoji: A tool for generating custom emojis created off of text prompts.
- Writing Tools: The Writing Tools feature now offers a “Compose” button and “describe your change” option.
- Visual Intelligence: Uses the iPhone 16’s camera to provide information around you, similar to how Google Lens works.
- Siri ChatGPT Integration: Users can choose to integrate ChatGPT with Siri, allowing the virtual assistant to use ChatGPT for certain requests.
The new Apple Mail is capable of sorting your email into categories such as Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions. In addition, the iOS’ Find My app allows you to share the location of a lost AirTag with others.
Apple Intelligence in iOS 18.2 vs Galaxy AI
Apple is sequentially rolling out new AI features to iPhone users. The company is far behind Samsung in terms of making AI accessible. Restricted availability and gradual adoption of features are the biggest downfalls.
Debuted with the Galaxy S24 series, Samsung’s Galaxy AI added many new features with Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6. The company is now exploring more new ways to utilize Galaxy AI to uplevel the user experience on Galaxy smartphones.
Samsung has collaborated with F45 Training to offer free access to a variety of workouts on 2024 Samsung Smart TVs through the Samsung Daily+ lifestyle hub. The company aims to make it easier for people to enjoy all types of content on their TVs, whether it’s movies, games, or fitness routines.
This partnership lets users enjoy a wide range of on-demand fitness classes, including cardio, strength, hybrid, and recovery workouts, all from the comfort of their homes.
F45 Training is a leading global fitness community known for its 45-minute group workouts that combine functional exercises to improve everyday movement. Now, with this new integration, users can access F45’s workout library directly on their Samsung TV, which makes it easier to stay active and fit without leaving home.
The Samsung Daily+ platform, powered by Tizen OS, gives users access to more than just fitness content. It also connects to apps like Samsung Health, SmartThings, and Workspace to help users manage their daily activities all in one place.
F45’s workouts are designed for all fitness levels to offer flexibility with different types of exercises. Whether you want to improve your strength, boost your cardio, or focus on recovery, there’s something for everyone.
In addition, the F45 community offers motivational content to keep users inspired and connected. More workouts will be added to the Samsung Daily+ platform in the coming months.
Samsung Health Monitor app ends support for Android 11 and older phones this December
Samsung has introduced some useful new features for its SmartThings Hub, which make it easier to manage your smart home and keep everything running smoothly. The fresh update improves connectivity, reliability, and performance to provide a seamless smart home experience.
Back in 2023, Samsung introduced Hub Group and Hub Replace to create more robust mesh networks and upgrade their hub seamlessly. We are in 2024, and Samsung has announced two new features for the SmartThings app, Hub Manager and Hub Backup.
Hub Manager
The new Hub Manager feature helps you easily manage your hubs and Hub Groups. A Hub Group lets you connect multiple hubs to extend the range of your smart home network.
With Hub Manager, you can create, edit, or delete Hub Groups, making it easier to organize your devices and ensure they stay connected across a larger area.
Create SmartThings Hub Group:
You can easily create a SmartThings Hub group, just need to follow a few steps. Open the SmartThings app >> Go to the Favorites page and tap the (⋮) More Options >> Select Manage Hubs >> If no Hub Group exists, you’ll see the option to Create a Hub Group.
If a Hub Group already exists, the new hub will be automatically added as a secondary hub.
Edit SmartThings Hub Groups
To edit a Hub Group, go to Manage Hubs from the Favorites page >> tap Edit a Hub Group. You can now change the primary hub for the group as well as add or remove secondary hubs.
Hub Backup
The Hub Backup feature ensures your smart home keeps working even if your main hub goes offline. If the primary hub stops working, a secondary hub automatically takes over, so your devices and automation continue to run without interruption.
Hub Backup is enabled by default in Auto Hub Backup mode. To disable or enable, go to Manage Hubs and toggle Auto Hub Backup off.
If you prefer, you can also manually switch to a backup hub, giving you more control over the process. To set a Preferred Hub, you just need to go to Manage Hubs >> select Preferred Hub >> Choose the hub you want to be the default primary hub when it comes online.
Samsung just dropped a bold new SmartThings update, with he latest version adding a new AI-powered Home Insight feature. Samsung says the platform has upgraded with a new app home page, replacing Favorites.
The new SmartThings app homepage is designed to adapt to users’ lifestyles. The service will offer tailored features, which simplify home management and improve automation such as controlling lights, managing appliances, or creating custom routines.
Samsung SmartThings users can receive real-time summaries of their home’s status through the AI-enabled Home Insight feature. It will also present suggestions for necessary actions, achieved by analyzing various data sources, including:
- User lifestyle patterns
- Device usage history
- Home and device status
- Daily weather
- Indoor temperature
For instance, if a device is left on while no one is home, SmartThings will recommend turning it off to conserve energy. Another notification could include changes in indoor temperature or humidity that deviate from the usual levels, which will prompt suggestions to adjust devices for optimal comfort.
Samsung has also updated the SmartThings to function even better with ecosystem devices. The expanded device card now allows users to access key functions without navigating to the devices’ detail page.
- Available through the Device Control panel on Galaxy devices — as well as from the new Map View and the new SmartThings app on the Tab S10 Plus and Tab S10 Ultra.
Home Insight Widget
Samsung brought a Home Insight Widget to Galaxy Tab S10+/Ultra. It offers immediate access to SmartThings, transforming the tablet into a personalized home dashboard.
The major update to the SmartThings UX on Windows brings a panel-style interface. Key features include support for camera streaming and phone-finding functionality.
Additionally, users can instantly control important functions such as temperature while receiving doorbell notifications with a live streaming view that allows them to see who’s at the door.
- Supported on PCs running Windows OS 10 20 H1 and more recent models.
