The iPhone 16 Pro just launched this past Friday, but there are already some issues surfacing in regards to the touchscreen. According to a report from 9to5Mac and complaints on Reddit, it seems that a number of iPhone 16 Pro users have noticed that some taps and swipes are being ignored on their iPhone 16 Pro display, which in turn affects interactions like scrolling and button presses. Those with a regular iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Plus are not affected.
The reason for this touchscreen issue? Because of the much thinner bezels of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max display, the accidental touch rejection algorithm seems to be more sensitive than before. This is a software bug that is likely the culprit causing ignored taps and swipes. The software algorithm is triggered when the user makes unintentional contact with other parts of the screen around the edges, causing the rejection of intended taps on the screen.
The most common cause of this issue seems to be the finger resting near the edge closest to Camera Control. However, the issue also occurs with all four screen edges.
When the system is activated, all new touches on the display will be ignored for a brief amount of time. Again, this is likely because of the incredibly thin bezels on the iPhone 16 Pro models, which would make it easier for your skin to unintentionally come into contact with the screen. This bug is also easier to occur on an iPhone 16 Pro without a case, as cases typically have bezels and edges that wrap around the phone edges.
The unresponsive screen only happens when the device is unlocked and active, such as scrolling through apps or swiping between multiple home screens. It does not occur when the iPhone 16 Pro is idle or on the lock screen.
Users have reported the issue on both iOS 18 and iOS 18.1 betas. Since this appears to be a software bug, Apple should be able to address it with a software update. Here’s to hoping that happens, because this sounds like a mighty annoying bug.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.