The iPhone SE gave Apple’s 4-inch line of iPhones a new life in 2016, but a noted Apple analyst does not believe that will be the case in 2018. KGI Securities Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is notable for having a track record of predicting Apple’s iPhone developments, said in a research memo obtained by MacRumors …

Android creator and Essential Products CEO Andy Rubin has reportedly returned to Essential after a short leave of absence. The leave followed a report that he’d engaged in an improper relationship during his time at Google. Rubin’s return was reported Friday by Recode, which cited two people familiar with his activities and said the nearly two-week leave was taken so …

Apple’s new iOS 11.2 software update went live Saturday, adding Apple Pay Cash and faster wireless charging to supported iPhones. For anyone with an iPhone 6 or later, the update’s Apple Pay Cash feature opens up the ability to send cash to friends and family over iMessage. While I didn’t see the feature immediately turned on after updating my own …

Phone calls are a relatively new feature for both the Amazon Echo and Google Home smart speakers, both of which focused on music and house controls before adding calling.  On Friday, wireless carrier Republic Wireless indicated it’s taking the opposite approach, saying it plans to enter the space with a speaker that appears to be all about phone calls. The Anywhere HQ …

Apple‘s animojis were a key part of the company’s iPhone X announcement last month — and are also key to a trademark lawsuit filed against the company this week. Japanese company Emonster filed a suit claiming it had already invented the term “animoji” back in 2014 and registered it with the US Patent and Trademark Office in 2015, The Recorder first …

Sprint’s $50 unlimited data plan for a single line is no more. The carrier’s website now lists the plan at $60 per month. A Sprint spokesperson confirmed the change to CNET, which went into effect Friday. The $50 Unlimited Freedom plan, introduced earlier this year as part of a promotion, will remain in effect for existing customers who have already signed …

Snapchat has been morphing your face into cats, dogs and White Walkers for years, and now the company is changing the way you see art. The company’s CEO, Evan Spiegel, announced Snapchat’s new art feature Tuesday: a series of Lenses that will add augmented-reality sculptures by artist Jeff Koons to specific locations worldwide. These include Central Park in New York, …

It’s been a crazy summer for fans of AltspaceVR, the social network that lets you hang out and watch events in virtual reality. The company behind the service first announced its closure in July, its revival in August and, now, a new owner in Microsoft in a deal announced Tuesday. The service has previously hosted events including presidential debates and concerts, and …

Update, Sept. 16 at 6:50 a.m. PT: T-Mobile CEO John Legere took to Twitter late Friday to announce that the carrier is adjusting its earlier plan to include faster 4G LTE speeds on the Apple Watch Series 3 at the $10 rate. The Apple Watch Series 3 plan on @TMobile will be $10/m for unlimited 4G LTE. Thanks for your …

Slacker Radio, one of the longest-running streaming music services in the US, is being acquired by the live music network LiveXLive Media in a deal worth $50 million in cash and stock, the companies announced Friday. Slacker Radio was founded in 2006 and offered a twist on streaming music by blending a Pandora-like service into its own iPod rival: the …