According to a Weibo post discovered by Android Authority, Motorola is silently working on a third-generation Razr foldable phone. Chen Jin, general manager of Lenovo’s mobile business group in China, hinted on the Chinese microblogging site that the company is working on developing a new and improved iteration of the iconic phone.
Though the original post is in Chinese, a Google translation of the post indicates that the third-generation Razr will have improved processing power, a more user-friendly interface and a new appearance.
A screenshot of Chen Jin’s Weibo post. Translated by Google.
Weibo
Beyond what was revealed in Jin’s post, little is known about what you can expect from the new Razr as far as specific improvements over previous versions. Motorola revived the Razr in 2019, and in 2020 refined its design, improved its battery life and added 5G support.
The translation of the Weibpo post also hints that the third-generation Razr will perhaps launch first in the Chinese market, but there doesn’t seem to be any indication of when that may be.
Motorola didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Google’s device line could end up having a particularly important moment in 2023. The company usually announces new Pixel products throughout the year. Google is expected to release its first foldable phone this year, however, which would directly compete with Samsung’s proven line of Galaxy Z Fold devices. Google also introduced its own ChatGPT rival, …
Apple and Google have both put the kibosh on an app that was hijacking the passwords of Instagram users.
Known as “Who Viewed Your Profile – InstaAgent,” the app claimed to help Instagram users find people who were viewing their profiles, The Guardian reported on Wednesday. Instead, the app was grabbing account credentials of Instagram users who logged into it. The app then uploaded those credentials in an unencrypted format to a third-party server, tweeted Peppersoft developer David Layer-Reiss, who caught the malicious activity.
Google has been criticized in the past for allowing malicious apps onto its Google Play store without performing a thorough review process. In this case, Apple also failed to properly vet the app. The episode shows that clever malicious apps can skirt even Apple’s strict guidelines and that users face risks when downloading mobile apps, even ones as popular as InstaAgent.
Before it was removed by Apple and Google from their respective app stores, “Who Viewed Your Profile – InstaAgent” earned a spot as the top free app in the UK and Canada, though it wasn’t as trendy in the US, according to MacRumors. At the Google Play store, the app could’ve been downloaded by as many as 500,000 users. The numbers may have been similar at Apple’s App Store, Layer-Reiss speculated.
Those of you who installed “Who Viewed Your Profile – InstaAgent” should delete the app immediately and change your Instagram password. If you used the same password on any other sites, you should change that one as well. The remote server to which the passwords were uploaded — instagram.zunamedia.com — is identified as a suspected phishing site, so you’re urged to avoid it.
“All apps on Google Play are required to follow our policies,” a Google spokeswoman said. “While we don’t comment on specific apps, we remove applications that violate these policies. If users come across any such apps, we encourage them to report it to our support team.”
A search on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store shows other apps that help you find people who follow you on Instagram. But you should be wary of such apps, according to Instagram.
“These types of third-party apps violate our platform guidelines and are likely an attempt to get access to a user’s accounts in an inappropriate way,” an Instagram spokesperson said. “We advise against installing third-party apps like these. Anyone who has downloaded this app should delete it and change their password.”
In September, Apple’s App Store was hit by dozens of malicious apps built with a phony version of Apple’s Xcode program, which developers use to create apps for the iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. The company was forced to remove the infected apps and make sure that developers were using the proper version of Xcode.
Apple did not respond to CNET’s request for comment.
Update, 1:15 p.m. PT: Adds comment from Instagram.
The iPad is dead — long live the iPad. Apple has killed off the current iPad, replacing it with the iPad mini and a new full-size iPad. But the current model is hanging around long enough to bag you a refurbished bargain.
Alongside the smaller 7.9-inch iPad mini, Apple has refreshed the specs of the full-size 9.7-inch model. It’s now known as the iPad with retina display, and packs a new A6X processor and 4G Internet.
The iPad with retina display replaces the previous model, the third-generation iPad. That third-gen model was known as ‘the new iPad’ when it was launched barely seven months ago, which makes it now the… old new iPad? I swear, Apple is just messing with us with these names.
Anyway, the third-gen is no longer for sale new from Apple, online at least. If you want a brand spanking new iPad, the version with the A6X chip is the only option. Oh, and it’s not on sale until a week on Friday.
For £315 you get a Wi-Fi-only 16GB third-generation iPad, which still has a retina display and dual-core A5X chip and is, lest we forget, less than a year old. A 32GB model costs £370, and the 64GB version £440.
Add 3G to your 16GB refurb for a total cost of £415, bag a 32GB 3G model for £470 or max out on the 64GB 3G model for £540.
Refurbished models are devices returned to Apple by unhappy customers. They’re tested and cleaned and any defective parts are replaced, and they come with a new box, battery and outer shell — plus the same one-year warranty as a new device. I don’t imagine these deals will hang around long, so don’t hum and haw too long.
Sure, three hundred quid isn’t peanuts, but it’s significantly less than a brand new box-fresh model, and is a hefty discount for a device that’s less than a year old. It’s even cheaper than the older iPad 2! If you’re not fussed about 4G and can live with not having the very latest kit, this is the iPad to go for.
As much as that’s a decent bargain — by Apple standards, anyway — it’s bound to be galling for anyone who paid top whack for the third-generation iPad over the past few months. Sorry chaps. If you bought one in the last two weeks, you can take it back and swap it for a new one — so it can be snapped up by someone on the refurb programme.
What do you think of Apple’s prices? Have you ever bought a refurbished product, and was it worth every penny or a false economy? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.
