Find hidden discounts with brainy new phone trick that instantly slashes cost of shopping – I've already tried it out
Apple has just announced a clever upgrade for millions of iPhones that may be able to help you bag a top deal, and I've already seen it in action.
7
Your iPhone has a new feature coming that lets you 'highlight to search'
Credit: Apple
7
You'll be able to quickly track down items that you want to buy
Credit: Apple
7
Then you can snap up the one with the best price
Credit: Apple
I took a trip to Apple Park HQ in California this week, where I was able to check out some of the new iPhone upgrades coming in iOS 26 later this year.
One of the big changes was an improvement to Visual Intelligence, which is an iPhone feature that 'scans' what you're looking at through the camera.
With the new update, you can now 'scan' what you're looking at on screen.
That means you can take a screenshot of an object you like the look of, and have it 'scanned' by Apple Intelligence AI tech.
HOW NEW VISUAL INTELLIGENCE WORKS
Imagine you've seen a lovely lamp in the background of a picture.
You can screenshot it, and then use Visual Intelligence by scrubbing your finger over the lamp (or circling it works too, I found).
Your iPhone will then surface that exact lamp and/or ones that look exactly like it.
It'll list them alongside their prices on Google, Etsy, and other supported shopping apps on your phone.
So you can then find the exact type of lamp you're looking for, and nab it from wherever is offering the best price.
It won't just work with lamps: you could do this with a pair of trousers, or a drinks coaster, or even a sofa.
Apple interview with Greg Joz Joswiak on new artificial intelligence, screening, hold assist, carplay, liquid glass and ios updates
And even if you don't want the exact item, you can find similar ones – making it the ultimate "dupe" hunter.
I tried it out at Apple HQ and it managed to track down a specific bird feeder almost instantly.
And it offered very similar alternatives – all of which were varying in price.
It was quick and easy, and took me from seeing the item to finding it on sale in a matter of seconds.
7
7
7
You can imagine this being a godsend for trying to find a nice jacket that you saw a celeb wear, or snapping up a nice bowl that you saw at a hotel on holiday.
HOW TO ACCESS VISUAL INTELLIGENCE TODAY
So when can you use it?
Well Visual Intelligence is already available now, but it's only for telling you about items you've snapped a pic of – like identifying a dog breed, for example.
The new screenshot-scanning feature is coming in iOS 26.
IOS 26 SUPPORTED DEVICES – THE FULL LIST
Here are the iOS 26 supported devices... iPhone 16e
iPhone 16
iPhone 16 Plus
iPhone 16 Pro
iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 15
iPhone 15 Plus
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 mini
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone SE (3rd gen)
iPhone SE (2nd gen)
Picture Credit: Apple
If you want to use Visual Intelligence with your camera today, you'll need to press the Camera Control button.
That's the button on the side of the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
If your iPhone doesn't have that, you can instead customise the Action Button or Lock Screen to do Visual Intelligence instead – or you could add it to your Control Centre.
That's what you'll need to do if you've got an iPhone 16e, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max.
7
The new Visual Intelligence features are arriving with the upcoming iOS 26 update for iPhones
Credit: Apple
If you have an older iPhone, this feature won't work – as it relies on Apple Intelligence.
Then just snap a pic and you'll be able to get info about what you're seeing.
When iOS 26 lands later this year (likely in September), you'll just need to take a screenshot of an image, rub your finger on the item, and then search it using the built-in tool.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
Google Pixel 9 Pro now £679 in major Amazon price drop
The Pixel 9 Pro is one of the best flagship smartphones out there - and it's now an absolute bargain | Amazon This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. The Google Pixel 9 Pro is now available for £679 on Amazon – a major saving on a flagship phone that only launched last autumn. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Flagship smartphones are normally tricky to find for less than £1,000 - and that was the starting price for Google's Pixel 9 Pro, a handset that brought plenty of new buyers to the Pixel brand when it first started shipping in September last year. It moved the game on significantly from the relatively lacklustre Pixel 8, and the fabulous but flawed Pixel 7, and it set Google up as a serious contender in the hard-fought world of top-end telephones. Enough time has passed now, since its launch in the autumn, for the price to have taken a major tumble - but this week it's seen its biggest price drop yet. The Amazon deal is for the 128gb version, and only in Obsidian | Amazon It's now possible to pick one up for just £679, and that's for an unlocked, sim free handset, supplied by Google, and shipped through Amazon - so next-day delivery for Prime members. The Pixel 9 Pro is powered by the Tensor G4 chip and introduces Gemini Live, Google's next-gen AI assistant capable of real-time conversations and live translation. It features a 6.7-inch LTPO OLED display with up to 120Hz refresh rate, a triple rear camera system (including a 5x periscope zoom), and upgraded computational photography. The design is sleeker with a more refined camera bar, and it was one of the first phones to ship with Android 15 out of the box. It also supports seven years of updates, making it a future-proof flagship for Pixel fans. Amazon's limited-time 32% discount is on the 128gb version, and only in the Obsidian black colour. The other storage or colour options don't attract the same discount, so choose carefully at the checkout. We don't know how long this deal lasts, so if you're due an upgrade, or you've always fancied going sim free and saving a few quid every month, this might be a golden opportunity. Canva Is your surname a clue to Viking ancestry? Start tracing your Norse roots now £ 29.00 Buy now Buy now Think you're purely British? You might be surprised. Many people across the UK – especially in northern England, Scotland and coastal areas – still carry surnames with strong Viking origins, passed down from Norse settlers who didn't just raid, they stayed. Names like Gunn, Thoresen, Croft and Skene hint at a warrior past and a shared history stretching back over 1,000 years. We've listed 30 surnames with deep Viking links – check the full list in the article here. Want to take things further? MyHeritage DNA makes it easy to build your family tree and explore your ancestry. For just £33, you can uncover your genetic links to Scandinavia and the Viking age. Your surname might be just the beginning! Canva Get beach-ready with MySweetSmile's gentle teeth whitening range £ 20.99 Buy now Buy now Sunshine, selfies and holiday cocktails – summer is here, and so are all the moments you'll want to capture with a glowing smile. Whether you're jetting off for a beach escape or heading to a sunny staycation, MySweetSmile can help you look your best. This UK best-seller offers peroxide-free, gentle whitening that works its magic without harsh ingredients or faff. Their powder is perfect for whitening before take-off, while the handy on-the-go pen is great for keeping your smile photo-ready poolside. Shop the full MySweetSmile summer-ready range here.
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Google asks court to halt app store overhaul as it mounts new appeal
Aug 1 (Reuters) - Alphabet's Google on Friday asked a U.S. appeals court to keep on hold an order that required sweeping reforms to the technology giant's app store Play, after losing a key ruling this week in a lawsuit brought by 'Fortnite' video game maker Epic Games. Google in a new filing, opens new tab to the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said it planned to further challenge the lower court's October injunction, which a panel of appeals judges upheld on Thursday in a unanimous decision. The injunction, which was paused while the 9th Circuit considered the case, required Google to restore competition by allowing users to download rival app stores within its Play store and by making Play's app catalog available to those competitors, among other reforms. Google said the lower court's injunction is expected to take effect in 14 days absent a court order blocking it. The filing said an administrative stay of the order was necessary to let the company later ask the full appeals court to take up the appeal, and if necessary seek review by the U.S. Supreme Court. Google and Epic did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Epic in its 2020 lawsuit accused Google of monopolizing how consumers access apps on Android devices and pay for transactions within apps. The Cary, North Carolina-based company convinced a San Francisco jury in 2023 that Google illegally stifled competition. U.S. District Judge James Donato in San Francisco issued his Play store injunction against Google in October after a jury earlier ruled for Epic. Google has denied any wrongdoing. In upholding the injunction on Thursday, a 9th Circuit panel said the record in Epic's lawsuit was 'replete with evidence that Google's anticompetitive conduct entrenched its dominance." The case is Epic Games v. Google, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 24-6256. For Epic: Gary Bornstein of Cravath, Swaine & Moore For Google: Jessica Ellsworth of Hogan Lovells Read more: Google loses US appeal over app store reforms in Epic Games case Apple cites Supreme Court's birthright ruling in fight over Epic Games injunction US judge delays Texas antitrust trial over Google digital ads Epic Games settles lawsuit against Samsung over app controls
Scotsman
4 hours ago
- Scotsman
Google Pixel 9 Pro now £679 in major Amazon price drop
The Pixel 9 Pro is one of the best flagship smartphones out there - and it's now an absolute bargain | Amazon This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. The Google Pixel 9 Pro is now available for £679 on Amazon – a major saving on a flagship phone that only launched last autumn. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Flagship smartphones are normally tricky to find for less than £1,000 - and that was the starting price for Google's Pixel 9 Pro, a handset that brought plenty of new buyers to the Pixel brand when it first started shipping in September last year. It moved the game on significantly from the relatively lacklustre Pixel 8, and the fabulous but flawed Pixel 7, and it set Google up as a serious contender in the hard-fought world of top-end telephones. Enough time has passed now, since its launch in the autumn, for the price to have taken a major tumble - but this week it's seen its biggest price drop yet. The Amazon deal is for the 128gb version, and only in Obsidian | Amazon It's now possible to pick one up for just £679, and that's for an unlocked, sim free handset, supplied by Google, and shipped through Amazon - so next-day delivery for Prime members. The Pixel 9 Pro is powered by the Tensor G4 chip and introduces Gemini Live, Google's next-gen AI assistant capable of real-time conversations and live translation. It features a 6.7-inch LTPO OLED display with up to 120Hz refresh rate, a triple rear camera system (including a 5x periscope zoom), and upgraded computational photography. The design is sleeker with a more refined camera bar, and it was one of the first phones to ship with Android 15 out of the box. It also supports seven years of updates, making it a future-proof flagship for Pixel fans. Amazon's limited-time 32% discount is on the 128gb version, and only in the Obsidian black colour. The other storage or colour options don't attract the same discount, so choose carefully at the checkout. We don't know how long this deal lasts, so if you're due an upgrade, or you've always fancied going sim free and saving a few quid every month, this might be a golden opportunity. Canva Is your surname a clue to Viking ancestry? Start tracing your Norse roots now £ 29.00 Buy now Buy now Think you're purely British? You might be surprised. Many people across the UK – especially in northern England, Scotland and coastal areas – still carry surnames with strong Viking origins, passed down from Norse settlers who didn't just raid, they stayed. Names like Gunn, Thoresen, Croft and Skene hint at a warrior past and a shared history stretching back over 1,000 years. We've listed 30 surnames with deep Viking links – check the full list in the article here. Want to take things further? MyHeritage DNA makes it easy to build your family tree and explore your ancestry. For just £33, you can uncover your genetic links to Scandinavia and the Viking age. Your surname might be just the beginning!
