Digital Exclusive

I’VE already had a go with Mark Zuckerberg’s snazzy new smart glasses with a screen built in.

I’m out in California at Meta Connect where the company has unveiled the new Meta Ray-Ban Display smart specs – and I got an early demo with the new gadget.

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If you’re not familiar with Meta Ray-Ban gear, they’re a fairly simple concept.

They’re a pair of eyeglasses with cameras built in (for taking pics), microphones for calling, speakers for listening to music, and an AI assistant to answer your spoken questions. In fact, you can even ask about things you’re looking at – like a statue or a piece of art. Or your own wardrobe, if you want style advice.

Now Meta and Ray-Ban have created a brand new version with a built-in display, and they’ve aptly named it the Meta Ray-Ban Display.

This hi-tech gadget is the company’s first publicly available pair of smart glasses with a screen built in. And honestly, they’re pretty incredible.

Before I get into the features that I found most impressive, here’s what you actually get.

META RAY-BAN DISPLAY EXPLAINED

These glasses have all the features of a regular pair of Meta Ray-Ban specs.

But the main difference is that there’s a new full-colour hi-res display.

It has impressive clarity: I could easily read small text, see enough detail in images, and colour was bright and vibrant.

Obviously it’s nowhere near the screen experience of a smartphone, or a mixed-reality headset like the Meta Quest 3 or Apple Vision Pro.

But for an overlay on a pair of glasses, it’s pretty wild.

More importantly, no one else can see what you’re looking at. There’s no sign to the outside world that you’ve even got display running.

The display will show apps from your phone, like WhatsApp text threads, or Instagram Reels, or a Google Maps navigation window.

And you can also chat to the AI helper and see its responses in plain view – rather than simply relying on an audio reply.

To control what you’re seeing, you don a Meta Neural Band on your wrist.

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This picks up on tiny micro-movements, detects the gestures you make, and translates them as controls on the glasses.

So touching your index finger to your thumb is equivalent to a click or tap on a PC or phone.

You can go back by tapping your index finger to your thumb.

And rolling your thumb on your fist lets you scroll up and down, as well as left and right.

It’s very easy and intuitive.

And because it’s using the wristband and not cameras or sensors, you can have your hand off to the side or even behind you and the controls still work. This is pretty special.

So, what are the special tricks that blew me away?

META RAY-BAN DISPLAY HANDS-ON – MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE SPECS

First up is Live Captions.

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This will caption the words of someone you’re speaking to in real life.

So as you look at their face, you’ll see their words popping up as text in real time.

This is obviously life-changing for anyone with hearing issues.

But even if you’re just struggling to hear someone in a crowded restaurant, it’s pretty useful.

But that’s not all.

The glasses are directional, so they know where you’re looking.

I was chatting to someone from Meta while another person was nearby having their own conversation.

And my live captions focused in on the Meta person and cut out all of the ambient conversation.

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Then when I turned my head to look at the other person next to me, the captions switched to their speech instead.

This all happened in an instant. Incredible.

The next thing I was impressed by isn’t necessarily a life-changing mega-feature.

But it’s pretty neat and I think actually very useful. So it shouldn’t be overlooked.

Recipes.

Yes, you can ask Meta AI how to cook something, and it’ll conjure up the recipe.

Then it’ll hover in front of you in easy steps, and you can swipe along with the thumb gesture.

So you can follow along and cook without having a physical book or laptop there.

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And if you’re baking, you don’t actually have to touch a book or a device while your hands are covered in flour, or pizza dough, or whatever else. Very convenient.

Next is the Google Maps navigation, which is so plainly handy that it hardly needs me to explain why it’s useful.

Your exact directions will appear on the screen, telling you which way to walk.

And yes, it only works with walking. You can’t use this feature while driving. Safety first.

It’s a neat way to find your way around without having to constantly pull out your phone.

And that means it’s also a nice way to avoid falling prey to those pesky phone-snatchers too.

Video-calling is also on my list of incredible features.

Not that video-calling is anything new, of course.

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But dialling on WhatsApp and having the person’s face pop-up right in front of my eyes without blocking the outside world felt very sci-fi.

Except it’s not sci-fi, because I did it and it was seamless. It’s not quite teleporting, but it’s pretty close.

And lastly, I want to highlight how simple the controls are.

These are exceptionally easy to use, even if you have very little tech experience.

The Neural Band is very responsive, and even gives you haptic feedbacks – which feel like tiny nudges – to let you know you’ve successfully completed an interaction.

It takes literally 30 seconds to learn the moves, and then just a few minutes more to fully master them.

I had the specs on for about 20 to 30 minutes, and by the end, I was easily controlling the apps with my hands behind my back.

If that all sounds like great fun, you’ll be glad to know that the glasses go on sale in the US at select stores on September 30.

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They’ll cost you $799 for a pair, and that includes the Meta Neural Band and a case too.

If you want one in the UK, Meta says that you’ll have to wait until early 2026.

STRICTLY Come Dancing star Thomas Skinner has revealed that he had terrifying death threats after meeting up with the vice-president of the United States JD Vance.

The American politician reached out to him after seeing his social media posts saying he admired his positive attitude for life.

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And he invited him to the barbecue of the summer at 18th-century Dean Manor near Chipping Norton in the Cotswolds.

But afterwards The Apprentice star and market stall holder proudly posted a photo of them together on social media – and received a shocking backlash.

In an exclusive interview he admits: “Since I posted that picture I’ve had loads of death threats. People saying they want me dead, saying I am this political figure that I’m actually not. I actually really ain’t. I couldn’t tell you what’s going on in the world right now.

“Now the left seems to be attacking me every day on social media. The right seems to see me as this figurehead and it’s all been a bit much for me, if I’m honest with you.

“I was getting death threats and people calling me controversial. I was thinking, what have I ever done? What have I ever said that’s controversial? When you actually go through my tweets, apart from saying that knife crime is bad in London, yeah?

“I’m not this political figurehead that people believe that’s got my hand.

“I’ve had loads of death threats over the years, you know.

“I didn’t see it as anything more than a barbecue, if I’m honest with you. But I’ve been turned into this political figure that I’m actually not.”

But the East Londoner does admit he was nervous after accepting the invite along with Cambridge academic James Orr and Tory MP Danny Kruger.

He said: “I was very nervous about it, I didn’t know what to wear. When I arrived he literally was like, ‘Why have you got a suit on?’

“He was actually a normal bloke. We spoke about English cheese being so much better than American cheese, West Ham United and how they call football ‘soccer’.”

Fry-up fan Thomas was blown away by the food, laid on by the local pub, describing it as “the b******s.”

He said: “There was a pub in the town, and Jay wanted to go to a traditional English pub, but he knew by going to this pub it would obviously have to shut, because I’ve never seen so many security guys in my life… a proper entourage… he didn’t want it to affect the locals.

“So he asked the pub if they would kindly – he paid them a lot of money – bring some of their staff to cook at the place, and they did, they actually left this beautiful pub in the Cotswolds, they’d come round to the garden, and they cooked this fantastic spread, it was steaks, kebabs, halloumi, honestly it was unreal.  Everyone was really friendly.”

He didn’t take pictures, he says, because he didn’t want to “disturb his privacy”.

Joking, he adds: “When Trump comes he might invite me to a BBQ too.”

NO REGRETS

Despite the furore online Thomas insists he doesn’t regret posting the picture. He said: “I don’t regret it, I am a normal bloke and it was an amazing opportunity.

“Put yourself in my shoes. What would you do?  You’re a normal person.  And, I’ve been given this opportunity to sit with the Vice President of the most powerful country in the world, the United States of America. To me that was, “Wow’.

“And I would have gone, whether it was the leader of France, Germany, I think to sit there and learn, and experience that, whether you agree with him politically or not, it wasn’t about that for me, it was literally to say, ‘I’ve sat there and met the Vice President of the United States of America’.”

Yesterday, dad of three Thomas told how he had cheated on his wife – but bitterly regrets his mistake.

Sinead has been by his side since they got together nearly a decade ago.

Thomas began working part time as a market trader at 13 after being expelled from school. He found several businesses before starring on The Apprentice in 2019 after Sinead encouraged him to apply.

Since then he has appeared on Celebrity MasterChef, 8 Out of 10 Cats, and Michael McIntyre‘s Big Show.

But he is also known for his motivational videos on social media where he shares his love of kebabs and pints.

It was his conservative political views that led to US Vice President JD Vance actually getting in touch with him.

SPREADS POSITIVITY

He says he loves spreading positivity.

He said: “Even when JD Vance sent me a DM, he was like, ‘Look I love your energy, keep it up, I love seeing the high energy and the positivity you spread’.

“Which is literally all I do, all I do is share videos of me having a roast dinner, and do a morning video to say, ‘Have a good day’,  because I know what it’s like to wake up and feel like you can’t do this. I’ve been there, and that’s why I won’t ever give up spreading the positivity.”

Throughout the ups and down in his life Sinead – who he dubs Super sensible Sinéad – has been at his side throughout.

He admits the past few weeks have been tough and he has struggled with the public scrutiny.

He said: “It does affect you. I’ve always put on this brave face. But it’s alright to be vulnerable and be down and be upset. There are times I’ve felt low.”

CLOSE PALS WITH RYLAN CLARK

His close pal Rylan Clark also faced backlash recently over his views on migrant hotels which sparked over 700 Ofcom complaints.

Thomas said: “Rylan has been a friend of mine since I was a teenager. I love him. He’s a family friend, he comes to our family events. I go round to his and I bring him round to ours.

“He’s a top guy. And the thing that I just worry about is nowadays, whether someone’s got a different opinion to you, or you say something that might be slightly incorrect or you don’t agree with, everyone should be allowed to have their opinion, and everyone should be allowed to express it and argue it and talk about it.

“But if your opinion is different to someone else’s, people shouldn’t be able to attack you and ram it down your throat, and I think that’s wrong, if I’m honest with you.

“Poor old Rylan got a bashing, and obviously I know what it feels like, because I’ve had a bashing in the last couple of years.”

What Rylan said was: “How come if I turn up at Heathrow Airport and I’ve left my passport in Spain, I’ve got to stand at that airport and won’t be let in? But if I arrive on a boat from Calais, I get taken to a four-star hotel?

“I find it absolutely insane that all these people are risking their lives coming across the Channel like they are. But when they get here, it seems, ‘Welcome, come on in’.”

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He later said he was angry at being “put in a box” over his opinions and called for more intelligent debate. Rylan posted on X: “You can be pro immigration and against illegal routes. You can support trans people and have the utmost respect for women.

“You can be heterosexual and still support gay rights. Stop with this putting everyone in a box exercise and maybe have conversations instead of shouting on Twitter.”

Thomas says the pressure that he and other celebrities receive due to fame can be hard to deal with.

And key to helping keep his mental health stable is the group of friends from the market that he still meets every Friday for “a pint”.

He said: “I think that’s so important, they think it’s funny I’m going on Strictly.

“Every Friday, and I’ve done this for years, you know, since I started out, no matter what, me and my group of little pals have a pint on a Friday afternoon.

“Some of us could be skint on our arse, some of us could be flying, we’re all having the same beer, in the same circle, talking the same thing, and we always, we always talk about what’s been a bad week, sad week, a happy week, a good week, a great week, and we all support each other, and I think that’s so important.”

And his biggest fan – his mum couldn’t be prouder.

Both his parents still work and are real “grafters” – which is where he says he gets his work ethic from.

His mum works in a call centre – but until this week hadn’t revealed who her famous son was, because she says they “never asked”.

He said: “She’s one of the people, when your boiler goes, she’ll ring up, my mum’s the one that you abuse on the phone saying, ‘My boilers gone,” she’s got one of the hardest jobs in the world. bless her.

“When she asked for the day off she said her son was on Strictly. They said, ‘What who’s your son? What do you mean?’ She showed them a picture of me.”

Her son is still a market trader with his own stall selling mattresses and pillows. He survives on just five hours sleep a night and even when rehearsing for the BBC show he says he will set up his stall first.

He still loves his work and feels proud to be helping Britain’s High Street.

Thomas said: “I’m going to try and set up at 6am. Markets help the shops, but then the shops are suffering, the high street’s dying.”

One thing that isn’t dying is his fan base.

Thomas confesses that he has been inundated with direct messages from celebrities on social media offering support for the new dance show.

He said: “I’ve had hundreds of messages, footballers, TV stars, all sorts.

“But I don’t think it’s fair to say who, because they’ve said that to me confidentially, and I respect that.

“People like my energy and the positivity I spread, which is literally all I do.”

Thomas has experienced financial highs and lows, and even homelessness.

He said: “I know what it’s like to have a few quid in my pocket, when everything’s going well, and your business is flying, and you’ve got everyone around you.

“But I also know what it’s like to be on your a***, not having anywhere to live, and not knowing how you’re going to pay your next bill. I’ve been at both spectrums.

“It’s taught me to be strong, and taught me to try and help other people, because life can be so hard.”

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I WAS one of the first people in the world to have a go with the new iPhone Air.

Details about the ‘thinnest ever’ Apple mobile had leaked before this week’s launch event and I was expecting to think it was a bit pointless. But actually, it’s quite brilliant.

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I had a chance to go hands-on with the ultra-svelte smartphone at Apple Park in California this week.

Apple showed off four new mobiles including the iPhone 17, plus three upgraded Apple Watch models and a fresh pair of AirPods.

But the iPhone Air – with its shockingly skinny 5.6mm side profile – stole the show.

It’s what everyone is talking about. Just trying to get a hold of it at the Apple event felt like entering a warzone.

Once I managed to squeeze past an army of influencers and the world’s tech press, I got a good 10 minutes with the new model.

Here’s what I was worried about.

Firstly, I’m quite used to giant phones. I usually use the Pro Max models, and they fit in my pocket just fine.

Secondly, when you make a phone very thin, you usually have to make some compromises.

It often means sticking a rubbish camera on the back, or slashing battery life, or both.

Apple has managed to produce what is an extremely pocketable mobile with seemingly very few compromises.

The screen is a fairly giant 6.6 inches, making it bigger than the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro.

It’s also very lightweight at 165 grams.

By comparison, my iPhone 16 Pro Max is 227 grams. The difference is night and day.

The iPhone Air felt feathery in my hand, even though it’s built from weighty (and tough) titanium.

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It’s also nice to hold because of the slim frame.

Apple has crammed most of the core components into the camera bump, leaving the rest of the phone’s body free for battery.

It’s impressive engineering and looks great.

On top of that, my early fears about camera and battery life might come to nothing at all.

Apple says you’ll get a very healthy 27 hours of video playback per charge from the iPhone Air.

I think as long as it gets you through a day comfortably, it’s perfectly fine.

Of course I won’t know for sure until I test it out, but Apple has made a promising…promise.

The camera also looks quite clever.

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I had a quick (and successful) demo in the Steve Jobs Theater, but it’s a beautiful and brightly lit room, so that doesn’t tell me much.

But on paper, the camera sounds decent enough.

You’ve got a 48-megapixel Fusion camera system that allows for multiple focal lengths, plus a telephoto-style system that delivers 2x zoom to what Apple calls “optical quality”.

And it can even capture video in 4K Dolby Vision at 60 frames per second.

The phone packs in Apple’s brand new and very powerful A19 Pro.

And at £999/$999, it’s cheaper than both of Apple’s top-end models – the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max – by £100/$100 and £200/$200 respectively.

It’s one of the most striking iPhone models we’ve seen in years, and I’m excited to test it.

Air we go…

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WHEN Rio Ngumoha curled in his historic goal for Liverpool, fans of Chelsea AND Manchester United should have felt a kick in the guts.

Because although the teenage winger left the Blues’ Academy to join the Reds last year, London-born Ngumoha was a childhood United fan who spent time with the Red Devils before opting for Anfield.

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The wonderkid’s sensational winner against Newcastle made him the youngest scorer in Liverpool’s history and the fourth youngest in the Premier League era.

At 16 years and 361 days, Ngumoha was just one day older than Wayne Rooney when he announced himself to the world with an amazing strike against Arsenal in October 2022.

And it left Chelsea supporters in particular wondering how the club let one of English football’s greatest young talents get away.

Stamford Bridge legend John Terry is among those devastated that the club lost Ngumoha to their rivals.

Terry told SunSport: “He is a very ambitious boy that wanted to play first-team football and believed that was his pathway into Liverpool’s first team.

“I’m still in contact with him, but just a fantastic player. 

“There’s going to be many more over the years that as an academy you lose, but there’s always one that you think, a bit gutted we missed out on that one.”

Terry has been back at Chelsea for a couple of years as a mentor to players at the club’s Academy and knew Ngumoha was something special.

BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK

Terry said: “We had a really good under-14 team and he was a big part of that.

“Just seeing him taking it and driving the defenders, being a defender myself, [I was] thinking I wouldn’t have liked that at all.

“You don’t see too many players that are exciting like him anymore. 

“He was a very confident player, taking the ball on the back foot, lots of personality, very confident in himself.

“Since the likes of [Eden] Hazard and Joe Cole and those types of players that are very confident and get the fans off their seat as well…I think football’s become a little bit stale and a little bit kind of tactical over the last four or five years. 

“It’s refreshing to see players like him in the team and I’m sure the Liverpool players are speaking very well of him.

“He will be a top, top player, I’m sure of that.”

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From the moment Ngumoha came on against Newcastle, he showed the same confidence that had seen him grab the headlines in pre-season.

Terry was speaking after the winger had crowned a brilliant run with a fabulous finish in a friendly against Athletic Bilbao at Anfield, following an earlier strike against Yokohama Mariners during the Reds’ Far East tour. 

Terry said: “He’s still only 16, which is incredible, but the confidence to kind of shrug people off, well-known established players in the Premier League, and go on and kind of chop inside and then put it in the bottom corner is a very good thing to do.

“But he showed that ability in the academy and unfortunately we’ve lost him.

“I don’t want to put too much pressure on the boy, and I wish him well because he’s a great player.

“He’s also a great little kid as well, someone who wants to learn and wants to get better.”

Chelsea fans will be as gutted as Terry about losing Ngumoha, but United supporters should also wonder what might have been.

Because in one of his few interviews, he revealed that he was a United fan.

In a viral TikTok video promoting Adidas’ F50 boots, in which he was made to choose between David Beckham and Jude Bellingham, Ngumoha admitted: “I’m a Man United fan, I didn’t really watch Beckham, but I have to go with David Beckham”

In June last year Ngumoha spent time with United, who pushed for his signature, but admitted defeat to their rivals who were further ahead in the race to sign the talented youngster. 

Mystery surrounds the details of Ngumoha’s move from London to Anfield.

Often when the hottest young talents change club, the saga is played out in public in a bitter row. 

In response to losing one of their most talented teenagers, the Stamford Bridge hierarchy reportedly DENIED accreditation requests from Liverpool and Manchester United scouts who would be looking to poach their top players – though those in charge denied having done so.

In Ngumoha’s case there is radio silence, with no confirmation of what compensation Liverpool have had to pay Chelsea to snatch the player who joined the Blues Academy when he was eight.

Compare and contrast what happened when the Reds poached two other youngsters from London clubs.

Fulham were furious when Liverpool moved for Harvey Elliott in 2019 when he was 16.

It was not until February 2021 that the Reds were ordered to pay £1.5m, plus up to £2.8m in performance-related add-ons – a record fee at the time for a player of that age.

Further back, Liverpool caused controversy with their signing of Raheem Sterling.

The QPR youngster was only 15 when the Reds made their move in 2010, joining for an initial fee of £450,000 which would rise to up to £2m.

Ngumoha’s brilliance was no secret to anyone involved in youth development in English football.

He played a key role in Chelsea’s under-16 team being crowned national champions.

Ngumoha’s amazing individual goal for the Blues against Wolves in the Premier League Cup final for Under-17 sides in April 2024 was perhaps the first time a wider public saw his talent up close.

Ngumoha joined Liverpool officially in September last year, a few days after turning 16.

That is the age at which young players can sign two-year scholarship terms at clubs which combine more intensive training with ongoing academic execution.

Only Chelsea know what they offered him to sign scholar’s terms.

Transfer commentator Fabrizio Romano reported that the Reds broke their usual pay structure for young players to sign Ngumoha.

Others, including Terry, say that Ngumoha was impressed by the pathway for young players at Anfield after Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah were fast-tracked into the first team.

But the reality is that clubs poach each other’s top young talent all the time and Chelsea do it as much, if not more, than anyone else.

Tyler Dibling, like Ngumoha, was 16 when he left Southampton for the Blues in 2022, only to return to the Saints later the same year.

Dibling has just joined Everton in a deal worth up to £40m and is regarded by some as a potential superstar. 

But Terry is not the only one to believe that in Ngumoha, Chelsea lost a generational talent.

And the young man himself has big dreams.

“I truly believe I can win the Ballon d’Or one day.

“I want to be regarded as one of the best players to ever play football and be a legend of the game.

“The love for football started when I was four or five, I was watching my brother, and I wanted to be like him.

“I was going to academies from a young age, and it was a big thing when so many clubs wanted to sign me.

“I have learned you have to be resilient and believe in yourself, you can have a few bad games, but you have to have that belief that you are the best.”

What Ngumoha did on Monday night at St James’ Park was the first step to fulfilling those dreams. 

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TRANSFER NEWS LIVE – KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST FROM A BUSY SUMMER WINDOW

A COMMON phone mistake that you think is saving battery life is actually doing the opposite.

Millions of us do it every single day – but even Apple has warned users not to bother.

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Loads of iPhone owners spend time every day quitting their apps.

They’ll swipe them closed, quitting them in order to save a bit of battery life.

But Apple says it doesn’t actually save battery life at all.

“You should only close an app if it’s unresponsive,” Apple said.

The iPhone maker continued: “Typically, there’s no reason to quit an app.

“Quitting it doesn’t save battery power, for example.”

In fact, it could even be making things worse.

After you move to a different app, the old one will be “suspended”.

“After you’ve switched to a different app, some apps will run for a short period of time before they’re set to a suspended state,” Apple explained.

“Apps that are in a suspended state aren’t actively in use, open or taking up system resources.”

They’re kept in a suspended state so that it’s quicker and more power-efficient to relaunch them.

But if you fully force-quit an app, it will need to reboot from scratch, which is slower and takes up more power.

So it’s better to just leave them in a suspended state unless there’s an actual issue with the app – like it keeps freezing or crashing.

HOW TO CHECK WHAT’S REALLY DRAINING YOUR BATTERY

So what are you supposed to do if your iPhone’s battery life isn’t as good as you’d like?

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Well you can very easily check to see which apps and features are draining the most battery.

Just go into Settings > Battery and you can look at a long list of apps order by how much charge they’re using.

If there are any high-drain apps you don’t really care about, consider deleting them.

Or try turning off Background App Refresh for that app if you don’t want it to periodically check for new info (like email notifications). Just note that this might make the app work less well.

BATTERY SWAP

Another option is to check up on the health of your iPhone’s battery.

Over time – as you charge and discharge them – phone batteries get worse. This is just the nature of lithium ion batteries.

That means the more you use your iPhone, the less charge it will hold over time.

So your iPhone will run out of battery more quickly.

IPHONE BATTERY SWAP – HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?

Here’s how much you’ll pay for iPhone battery replacements in the UK and the US..

iPhone 5 Series

iPhone SE Series

• iPhone SE (1st gen) – £N/A / $69
• iPhone SE (2nd gen) – £65 / $69
• iPhone SE (3rd gen) – £65 / $69

iPhone 6 Series

• iPhone 6 – £N/A / $69
• iPhone 6s – £N/A / $69
• iPhone 6s Plus – £N/A / $69

iPhone 7 Series

• iPhone 7 – £65 / $69
• iPhone 7 Plus – £65 / $69

iPhone 8 Series

• iPhone 8 – £65 / $69
• iPhone 8 Plus – £65 / $69

iPhone X Series

iPhone XR/XS Series

• iPhone XR – £85 / $89
• iPhone XS – £85 / $89
• iPhone XS Max – £85 / $89

iPhone 11 Series

• iPhone 11 – £85 / $89
• iPhone 11 Pro – £85 / $89
• iPhone 11 Pro Max – £85 / $89

iPhone 12 Series

• iPhone 12 mini – £85 / $89
• iPhone 12 – £85 / $89
• iPhone 12 Pro – £85 / $89
• iPhone 12 Pro Max – £85 / $89

iPhone 13 Series

• iPhone 13 mini – £85 / $89
• iPhone 13 – £85 / $89
• iPhone 13 Pro – £85 / $89
• iPhone 13 Pro Max – £85 / $89

iPhone 14 Series

• iPhone 14 – £95 / $99
• iPhone 14 Plus – £95 / $99
• iPhone 14 Pro – £95 / $99
• iPhone 14 Pro Max – £95 / $99

iPhone 15 Series

• iPhone 15 – £95 / $99
• iPhone 15 Plus – £95 / $99
• iPhone 15 Pro – £95 / $99
• iPhone 15 Pro Max – £95 / $99

iPhone 16 Series

• iPhone 16 – £95 / $99
• iPhone 16 Plus – £95 / $99
• iPhone 16 Pro – £109 / $119
• iPhone 16 Pro Max – £109 / $119

Picture Credit: Apple

You can get to see how degraded your iPhone’s battery has become by going into Settings > Battery > Battery Health.

Normally you’d expect to be at around 80% capacity versus new after two years – or roughly 500 “charge cycles”, which are full charges and discharges.

That means your phone only holds 80% of the charge it held when it was new.

There’s no way to fix that beyond getting a new battery.

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Apple will replace your iPhone’s battery at the Apple Store. It usually costs somewhere between £60 and £100 / $60 and $100 depending on the model, but it could be more or less than that.

This will give you like-new battery life, and costs far less than buying a new iPhone.

You might even find that your iPhone’s performance improves, as sometimes processor speed can be limited as a protection feature if your battery is severely degraded.

THERE are loads of ways for Brits to use apps to slash bills this summer.

You can easily find the cheapest prices for food, petrol, flights and parking. If you use them regularly, you could easily save hundreds a year.

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CHEAPER PETROL

One great option for drivers is the PetrolPrices.

The name is the giveaway here. This app is designed to help you find the cheapest petrol prices in the area.

You can see the locations on a map, or find them as a list sorted by lowest price, distance, and even brands.

Site owners can upload their own prices, and users can report the fuel costs too.

It means you don’t have to drive around looking for the cheap prices – or face a price shock at the pump.

Another handy tip is using the Google Maps fuel efficiency feature.

Turn it on by going into Google Maps > Profile > Settings > Navigation > Route Options > Prefer Fuel-Efficient Routes.

“Google Maps can estimate fuel or energy efficiency for different vehicle types, including electric and combustion engine cars, as well as petrol motorcycles,” Google explained.

“The more fuel or energy efficient the route, the lower your vehicle’s fuel or energy usage.”

You should also tell Google your engine type in Google Maps > Profile > Settings > Your Vehicle.

That can give you even better fuel-efficiency.

“The most fuel or energy-efficient route can be different based on the engine type,” Google said.

“For example, diesel vehicles’ relative fuel economy advantage is generally greatest in motorway driving.

“Hybrid and electric vehicles tend to provide greater efficiency in stop-start town and hill driving where they can benefit from regenerative braking.”

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FOOD PRICES

For food savings, you’ll want to first take a look at Trolley.

It lets you compare prices for groceries across supermarkets, with a long list of stores including:

• Asda
• Sainsburys
• Aldi
• Home Bargains
• Morrisons
• Tesco
• Boots
• Wilko
• Coop
• Waitrose
• Superdrug
• B&M
• Ocado
• Iceland
• Savers
• Poundland

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The app says it’ll save you up to 30% on a weekly shop, but your own success will vary depending on what you buy and how much you spend.

Another option – recently tested by The Sun’s tech desk – is to use the Google Gemini chatbot.

You can use it to plan your food shop by asking the bot to find the cheapest prices.

It’s also worth noting that you can bag cheap or free food by picking up leftovers or stuff that would be otherwise thrown away.

Two apps – Olio and Too Good To Go – are packed with food bargains.

And if you want free food, Sky customers can bag a weekly treat from the Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference range through the MySky app.

Just go to the Sky VIP panel (which is free to join) to claim your freebie.

We’ve seen ice lollies and pizzas so far, but there’s a new option every week.

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FLIGHT COMPARISONS

There’s no denying that Skyscanner is a brilliant option for finding cheap flights.

But you should also take a look at Google Flights, which has some clever tricks.

For a start, when you’re searching for flights, it can show you the cheapest window to book.

“For example, these insights could tell you that the cheapest time to book similar trips is usually two months before departure, and you’re currently in that sweet spot,” Google said.

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“Or you might learn that prices have usually dropped closer to takeoff, so you decide to wait before booking. Either way, you can make that decision with a greater sense of confidence.”

You can also turn on price tracking for specific dates (like if you’re off to a wedding) or for any dates (if you just want a holiday at some point soon).

This feature will only appear if you’re signed in to your Google account.

And right now, Google Flights is getting an upgrade with the Flights Deal feature.

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It’s currently only in the US, Canada, and India – but it looks likely to land in the UK eventually too.

The feature works using AI with Google saying it’s “for flexible travellers whose number one goal is saving money“.

“Instead of playing with different dates, destinations and filters to uncover the best deals, you can just describe when, where and how you’d like to travel — as though you’re talking to a friend — and Flight Deals will take care of the rest,” Google said.

For example, you could search for a “week-long trip this winter to a city with great food, nonstop only”, Google revealed.

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Then it’ll use Google Fights data to show you the latest options from loads of airlines.

CHEAP PARKING

Lastly, make sure you’re not overpaying on parking.

There’s a great app called JustPark, which you might be familiar with as a way to pay at some car parks.

But it also lets people rent out their driveways, which means you can bag some great bargains.

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We tried it out earlier this year and found £6 for all-day parking in London on a weekday.

You can book them far in advance, and even add on insurance that covers the excess if your car ends up getting damaged.

You can easily check and amend (or cancel) your driveway parking through the app from anywhere. So you could add extra time if you’re running late.

And it’s potentially a great way to bag a bargain for sports fixtures by getting near-stadium parking.

You could also turn it into a side-hustle by renting out your own parking space.

So you wouldn’t just be saving money, but making some quick cash too.

FOOTBALL isn’t just about goals and ­trophies — it’s about people.

After all, clubs don’t make anything, don’t manufacture anything; all our assets are people.

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Dealing with people is a key part of my job as West Ham CEO. And dealing with a wantaway player is one of the toughest jobs in football.

We had our own Alexander Isak moment at West Ham in 2017 when Dimitri Payet wanted out… and the whole club felt it.

One day he just packed his bags, went to the airport and took a flight to Marseille.

That was despite the fact we told him we did not want him to leave, expected him to honour his contract and had done no deal with Olympique de Marseille for him to be transferred there.

We loved him, our supporters loved him, but he didn’t love us back and that’s hard to take.

The fans were heartbroken, the dressing room unsettled and every training session turned into a circus.

That’s the reality when a star man downs tools. The ripple effect is huge.

The press were camped outside, questions wouldn’t stop and the tension was obvious.

BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK

I look at Newcastle’s situation with Isak and genuinely sympathise.
He’s a top striker, adored by the Toon Army, but once a player has his head turned, it changes everything.

Suddenly, the focus isn’t on football any more — it’s on one man’s future.

The hard truth is you can’t make an unhappy player happy. But that doesn’t mean you roll over.

The club has to stay strong, because it’s bigger than any one player.
Fans rightly expect loyalty, but as club executives, we have to protect the value of the asset and the pride in the badge.

With Payet, we stood firm. We made sure West Ham got the right deal. It hurt at the time, but the club came out stronger.

Newcastle will be thinking the same way. They will fight to keep Isak if they can, but if the moment comes where he has to go, they’ll make sure it’s on their terms — not his.

That’s exactly how it should be. Players come and go. Clubs don’t. That’s the heartbeat we’re all here to protect.

Isak has not been an isolated case — but the dynamics don’t change much. Remember Pierre van Hooijdonk ­refusing to play at Nottingham Forest?

Isak to Liverpool transfer saga timeline

• JANUARY: First links to Liverpool emerge

• FEBRUARY: £150million record fee mooted

• MARCH: Isak denies Newcastle contract talk

• APRIL: Eddie Howe hails Isak as “very professional.”

• MAY: Howe insists Isak will not be sold
• Last match in Newcastle shirt

• JUNE: Transfer links to Liverpool heat up

• JULY: Flies with Newcastle for Austria training camp
• Left out of Celtic friendly
• Liverpool hijack Toon’s Hugo Ekitike deal after making Isak enquiry
• Doesn’t travel for pre-season tour of Singapore and South Korea, citing injury

• AUGUST: Training by himself at Newcastle
• Liverpool have £110m bid rejected
• Isak stops training and goes on strike
• Moves out of his apartment
• Releases angry statement blasting ‘trust has been lost’
• Newcastle respond by insisting he won’t be sold unless it benefits club

And what about William Gallas, Peter Odemwingie, ­Carlos Tevez, Saido Berahino and even Cristiano Ronaldo’s ill-fated decision to return to Manchester United?

For a CEO, the challenge is balancing three things: the expectations, hopes and dreams of the supporters, the manager’s needs, and the dignity of the badge.

It’s not about forcing anyone to stay against their will. Unhappy players rarely, if ever, perform at their peak.

But it’s also not about rolling over at the first sign of discontent. The club’s interests must come first.

That means securing fair value, protecting the integrity of the squad and making sure supporters know their loyalty is matched in the boardroom.

In Payet’s case, we stood firm until the right solution came and the player moved. The lesson was that while football is very emotional, decisions must be rational.

Players come and go but, West Ham, like every great club, remains. That’s what we protect every single day.

Newcastle have been a football club for 144 years. And they will be around a lot longer than any one footballer.

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