Apollo update transforms the iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island into a home for ‘Pixel Pals’

The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max may have only arrived yesterday but developers are already dreaming up fun and interesting use cases for Apple’s new Dynamic Island interface. Take Apollo creator Christian Selig, for instance. On Friday, he updated his Reddit client to implement support for “Pixel Pals.” The feature adds a Tamagotchi-like critter that does cute things on top of your phone’s Dynamic Island while you have Apollo open. You can even choose between multiple creatures, including a cat, dog, hedgehog, fox or axolotl.

If you don’t have an iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max, don’t worry. You can also add the creatures to your phone as lock screen widgets – provided you have iOS 16 installed. On the subject of iPhone widgets, Google teased one that will function as a shortcut to Chrome’s Dino game.

Selig isn’t the only person doing something creative with the iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island. In a tweet spotted by The Verge, WaterMinder creator Kriss Smolka showed off Hit the Island, a game that uses the UI element for a Pong-style game. You can download it from the App Store. I can only speak for myself, but these apps make me a bit jealous I’m still rocking an iPhone 12.  

Apple fixes iOS 16 activation bug affecting iPhone 14 buyers

You might have a rough time activating your iPhone 14. As MacRumorsreports, Apple has fixed an iOS 16 bug that broke activation of iMessage and FaceTime on open WiFi networks. Your brand new device might not work properly out of the box, depending on your situation. You only have to install an iOS 16.0.1 update to address the bug, but you may need to restore the phone with a computer to load the new software.

It’s not clear whether Apple will have a solution apart from shipping future devices with iOS 16.0.1. MacRumors says it obtained a company memo indicating the problem was “under investigation,” while the support document for the patch only tells users to update. We’ve asked Apple for comment.

The flaw likely won’t last for long and should only affect a small number of users. Still, the timing is less than ideal. The iPhone 14 lineup is just reaching customers as of this writing — their first experience might not be very smooth if they expect to use iMessage and FaceTime on day one.

Engadget Podcast: Reviewing the iPhone 14, 14 Pro and non-Ultra Apple Watches

So after all the hype last week, are the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro any good? And are the Apple Watch SE and Series 8 worth an upgrade? This week, Cherlynn chats with Devindra about her furious rush to review all of Apple’s latest gear. It turns out the iPhone 14 Pro is a pretty big step forward, but the same can’t be said for the plain 14. Also, they discuss the wider impact of removing SIM cards from this iPhone lineup, as well as the value of the Pro’s new 48MP camera.

Listen above, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!

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Topics

  • Review of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 – 2:10

  • How does the iPhone 14 series stack up against this year’s other phones? – 45:07

  • Apple Watch SE and Series 8 reviews – 48:26

  • A few thoughts on iOS 16 – 54:25

  • Northeastern University VR lab targeted by mail bomb – 56:47

  • Period tracking app Flo gets anonymous mode – 59:22

  • We finally got a trailer for the Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – 1:01:11

  • What we’re working on – 1:03:07

  • Pop culture picks – 1:07:31

Livestream

Credits
Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien
Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos
Graphic artists: Luke Brooks and Brian Oh

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