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Spotify is notifying users who’ve subscribed to its Premium service through Apple’s in-app purchase system that it will no longer be supporting it as a payment method. As a refresher, Spotify hasn’t allowed users to subscribe through Apple’s in-app purchase since 2016. However, those who had already subscribed via that method years ago could keep paying Spotify that way until now.

As reported by Variety, the company is emailing affected subscribers about the upcoming change. The email reads, “We’re contacting you because when you joined Spotify Premium you used Apple’s billing service to subscribe. Unfortunately, we no longer accept that billing method as a form of payment.” Spotify continues to say that those users will automatically be switched to the company’s Free, ad-supported tier at the end of the current billing cycle. “If you wish to keep your Premium subscription, you will need to re-subscribe after your last billing period has ended and your account has been moved on to the Free account.”

But that’s probably for the best. Due to Apple taking 30 percent of in-app purchases, Spotify users who were subscribed through in-app purchases were being charged an extra $3 per month compared to subscribing through Spotify directly. That’s despite the fact that Apple now reduces its commission rate to 15 percent on subscriptions after the first year. Apple said in a regulatory filing from 2019 that it collected that 15 percent fee on roughly 680,000 Spotify customers. Users transitioning from Apple’s payments can subscribe to Premium via a credit card or PayPal.

Both Apple and Google charge a “tax” on their respective app stores, regardless if a user is purchasing apps or subscribing through in-app purchase. Early last year, Google announced that it would be piloting a program that would allow third-party billing systems on Android, beginning with Spotify called User Choice Billing (UCB). Google began rolling out UCB to Spotify users late last year. Though, it’s unclear how many users are subscribing via UCB compared to using Google’s standard in-app purchase system. While there have been rumors about Apple allowing third-party app stores on iOS, there aren’t any official plans for those or for accepting third-party billing.

Music-streaming app Tidal has begun rolling out hi-res FLAC streams across the platform, according to CEO Jesse Dorogusker via a Reddit post. FLAC (free lossless audio codec) streams offer high fidelity audio up to 24-bit/192Hz. These files are on the larger side, taking up around four times the space of a standard MP3, which is why you rarely see the format on widely-adopted streaming platforms.

The feature is rolling out in early access for iOS users and the company says listeners can choose from over six million tracks available in the hi-res FLAC format, with more being added every day. All you have to do is update the beta app, if you have access, and select the “Max” quality in settings. Dorogusker says that Tidal is waiting for user response before making the tools more widely available. The CEO notes that the new streaming option will be available for all users in August, for Android fans and those not affiliated with the company’s early access plan.

Previously, Tidal used MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) audio for hi-res streaming, but this is more of an upscaling technique than an actual file type. Dorogusker hasn’t addressed the continued use of MQA, but has said that the company will “support multiple formats” of hi-res audio.

With more access to hi-res audio comes a hi-res price tag. You need a HiFi Plus subscription to access FLAC streams, which costs $20 per month. Tidal recently increased the price for standard subscriptions, from $10 to $11 per month. Rumors abound that industry leader Spotify is preparing its own hi-fi tier.

If cost has been standing in the way of you picking up that smart display you really want, then today might be your lucky day. Early Prime Day sales are here, and they're slashing the prices on some of our favorite smart displays, the Echo Show series. The Echo Show 5 third generation is at a new all-time low price, with a 50 percent discount bringing its cost to $45 from $90.

Amazon released its third-gen Echo Show 5 in May with better sound quality and 20 percent faster speeds than its predecessor. It uses Alexa to set timers, check the weather and turn on a playlist. Music-wise, it can stream Amazon Music (obviously), Apple Music and Spotify. You can use its 2MP camera to call loved ones or check in on your pets while out. The device itself is made of 100 percent recycled aluminum. 

Early Prime Day sales have also brought Amazon's Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 10 down to record-low prices. The Echo Show 8 second generation is down from $130 to $60 — a 54 percent discount — and features an eight-inch screen, 13MP screen for video calls, 1200 x 800 resolution and visual ID personalization. The third-generation Echo Show 10 is down from $250 to $163 — a 35 percent discount — and touts the same features found on the Echo Show 8, but on a 10.1-inch screen.

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for the best Amazon Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In the Know. Hear from Autoblog’s car experts on must-shop auto-related Prime Day deals and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

OnePlus has unveiled the Nord 3, and it's a significant upgrade over the 2T — to the point where you might prefer it over comparable rivals. The new mid-range model jumps to a 6.7-inch, 120Hz 2,772 x 1,240 screen, promising a big boost over the 6.4-inch, 90Hz 1080p panel from its predecessor. You'll also get 80W wired fast charging the company claims can deliver a 60 percent charge in 15 minutes.

The OnePlus Nord 3 also makes the leap to a MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chip (versus the 2T's Dimensity 1300), and it now comes with up to 16GB of RAM instead of last year's 12GB. The battery is larger, too, at 5,000mAh versus 4,500mAh. The device's 50MP primary camera is the same as on the higher-end OnePlus 11. That won't beat the absolute best cameras on the market, but it's more compelling in this price class. You can also expect an 8MP ultra-wide camera, a 2MP macro sensor and a 16MP front cam.

Software support is stronger this time around. OnePlus now promises three years of major OS updates for the Nord 3 compared to just two for the 2T. You'll also receive four years of security fixes. That's not as extensive as for the OnePlus 11 or rivals like Samsung, but it still means your phone will likely remain up to date until you're ready to replace it.

OnePlus is taking Nord 3 pre-orders today, starting at €449 ($488) for 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Pay €549 ($597) and you'll get 16GB of RAM alongside 256GB of storage. At the moment, though, it's only poised to reach 16 European Union countries as well as key markets like India. It's not surprising that OnePlus won't release the phone in the US (the company only offers its entry Nord N-series stateside), but it's also not coming to the UK as of this writing. A spokesperson toldTech Advisor last week that "logistical challenges" with customs prevented it from offering the Nord 3 and other phones online. You may still see a UK debut, but not in the immediate future.

Whether or not it's a good buy versus the Google Pixel 7a or Samsung Galaxy A54 depends on your priorities. OnePlus is offering some of the best display, camera hardware and memory in this category, but Google typically produces better real-world photos and offers a 'pure' Android interface with timelier upgrades. Samsung, meanwhile, offers better secondary cameras than OnePlus, more updates and tight integration with its ecosystem.

Fairphone is at long last bringing its sustainability-focused smartphones to the US. The company has teamed up with Murena to start offering a version of the Fairphone 4 in the country. The Murena Fairphone 4 is available to order now. It starts at $599 for 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, according to the Murena store. A variant with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage will run you $679. Storage is expandable via microSD.

Those prices might seem fairly steep for a two-year old device with a mid-range Qualcomm chip from 2020, but the Murena Fairphone 4 is about much more than the pure specs. For one thing, it's a privacy-centric device with a version of Android that's detangled from Google. Murena's /e/ operating system eschews Google's stock apps. For instance, rather than Google Maps, you'll get an open-source alternative by default. The device has its own directory that gives each app a privacy rating. As such, you'll have some information about how each app tracks your data before you install one.

You can still install Google-built apps. Murena purports to snag apps from the Play Store without directing your information to Google. You can install a standard version of Android if you like, but Murena warns that this will void your warranty. (For what it's worth, Fairphone 4 buyers in Europe can opt to have either stock Android or /e/ out of the box). Murena plans to provide software updates and security patches for at least five years, while Fairphone offers a five-year hardware warranty.

Fairphone's ethos centers around repairability and as such the smartphone is designed to be long-lasting. The Fairphone 4 has a 10 out of 10 repairability score from iFixit. It has a modular design and it's said to be the first such phone with an IP rating of IP54. That means the phone should be protected from dust and rain. None of the components are glued together and you can use a regular screwdriver to swap them out.

The Murena Fairphone 4 has a 3905mAh battery as well as 5G and dual-SIM support. On the camera front, you'll get a dual 48MP rear camera and 25MP selfie camera. The device's body, camera array, loudspeaker, USB-C port and 6.3-inch display are all individual parts and you'll be able to buy replacements from Murena. Meanwhile, the Murena Fairphone 4 doesn't come with a USB cable, power adapter or headphones in the box. Murena sells those separately as it encourages buyers to use cables and adapters they might already have stuffed in a drawer somewhere.

Although the device is unlocked, T-Mobile and mobile virtual network operators that use the T-Mobile network are the only recommended carriers for it in the US. Fairphone is framing the device's US debut as a pilot as the company is primarily focused on the European market. "This collaboration with e/OS/ is a great opportunity for us to pilot selling devices in the US market with a long-standing partner and learn more about the American market," Fairphone CEO Eva Gouwens told Engadget in a statement.

Amazon Prime Day is upon us, and with it comes great deals on many of our favorite smart home devices, including already well-priced speakers. We're big fans of Amazon's Echo Dot, recently naming its fifth generation the best smart speaker available for under $50, and now it's at an all-time low of $23. This 54 percent discount brings one of the most affordable smart speakers on the market down to a small fraction of what its competitor's cost.

Amazon released the Echo Dot fifth-gen last year with improved sound quality compared to previous models. It plays Amazon Music, Spotify and Apple Music, has Alexa on hand to answer any questions or tell you the weather and comes with a mic off button for when you don't want her listening. 

Echo Dots are compatible throughout your home, making them ideal for parties or larger spaces. They can also sync with your Fire TV and create a home theater system of sorts. Since the current discount lets you buy two for the price of one (with a few dollars for movie snacks left over), it's worth thinking about whether you want a more expansive sound. 

If you're looking for a smart speaker for a more compact space — and to save a little more money — Amazon's Echo Pop is also touting a big markdown for Prime Day, with a 55 percent discount bringing the speaker from $40 to $18. The new arrival has a front-facing speaker and can lose a little bit of sound quality at high volumes, but other than a few different color options, it doesn't vary too much from its sibling. 

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for the best Amazon Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In the Know. Hear from Autoblog’s car experts on must-shop auto-related Prime Day deals and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

8BitDo is reviving and modernizing the classic NSK Neo Geo controller. The new controller, based on the Neo Geo CD controller released in 1994, supports Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless and is compatible with Windows and Android as well as the significantly less common Neo Geo Mini series. The controller lasts 35 hours wirelessly and will take one hour to charge. You can optionally plug the controller into your device to eliminate any sort of latency or interference.

The officially-licensed NSK controller also features L/R shoulder buttons, button layout swapping and a turbo function to help with compatibility across a wide range of games and platforms. According to 8BitDo, it was able to create a "flawless remake" of the unique joystick found on the original, including the clicky feel and sound of the joystick.

In the past, 8BitDo products have been solid, and the Neo Geo CD should hopefully be no different. With its wide platform support, it’s a great companion for those who are constantly gaming on the go, though Apple fans will be left out for starters. 8BitDo announced earlier this year that all of its controllers now support iPhones, iPads and Macs. The company says that support for Apple devices is coming, but didn’t provide a specific timeline for when that may happen.

8BitDo is known for making customizable and often less expensive controllers compared to the equivalent first-party controllers as well as modern riffs on other classic controllers like those for the NES, Super NES and Sega Genesis. In early 2022, the company released its Ultimate Wired Controller, which included Xbox-specific face buttons, haptic feedback and a built-in headphone jack.

The 8BitDo Neo Geo CD will be available in four limited edition color options in addition to the standard black. The controller will be available for pre-order on Amazon starting today at $34.99 and will be available on August 15th.

You'll have some good choices for summer gaming if you have an Xbox Game Pass subscription. Microsoft has revealed that Capcom's dinosaur shooter Exoprimal will be available to Game Pass members on Xbox, PC and the cloud when the title launches July 14th. If you were hesitant to buy the hybrid PvE/PvP game sight unseen (or weren't sure about the beta), you won't necessarily have to.

Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V is also making its third appearance on Game Pass, albeit only for Xbox and streaming — sorry, no PC downloads this time. There's not much more to add about the decade-old classic at this point, but it's likely worth checking out if you somehow haven't played GTA V before or simply miss the escapades of Michael, Franklin and Trevor.

Other additions include adventure game pioneer Ron Gilbert's The Cave (July 18th for cloud and Xbox), Insurgency: Sandstorm (July 11th for PC), McPixel 3 (July 6th for all platforms), Common'hood (July 11th for all platforms) and the preview for Techtonica (July 18th, all platforms). You may want to play Spelunky 2 soon, though, as the side-scrolling cave explorer is leaving Game Pass on July 15th.

These arrivals aren't necessarily as sweet as Sony's free PlayStation Plus games for July, which include Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Alan Wake Remastered. That's not true every month, though, and it's clear there are different objectives this time around. Microsoft is hoping to reel in people who look for launch day games and long-time favorites. Sony, meanwhile, is choosing well-known games that shine a spotlight on Microsoft's attempt to buy Activision Blizzard.

Several days after Twitter stopped showing tweets to logged-out users, that basic functionality seems to be returning. Several Engadget editors are once again able to see individual tweets without being logged into their accounts. Profiles still seem to be busted for those who aren’t signed in, however. For instance, I’m able to see a user’s bio, but their feed of tweets isn’t showing up. Meanwhile, tweet previews are working in iMessage again for some folks.

Making tweets inaccessible to logged-out users was a “temporary emergency measure,” according to Twitter owner Elon Musk. “We were getting data pillaged so much that it was degrading service for normal users,” he wrote.

The company gave a similar explanation as to why it temporarily put limits on the number of tweets each user is able to read per day. On Tuesday, it said it made that move, which busted various Twitter apps, to “detect and eliminate bots and other bad actors that are harming the platform,” such as those who are scraping data to train artificial intelligence models. Twitter added that the rate limits were affecting a small percentage of users at that point.

Twitter no longer has a communications department that can be reached for comment. Still, public tweets are once again becoming available for anyone to view just as Meta starts rolling out its Twitter competitor, which is called Threads. That service is expected to go live in several markets on Thursday, but not in the European Union.

Audi's original E-Tron was really just an electric Q8. Now that it uses the E-Tron moniker as a label for all of its EVs, the carmaker has rebadged the updated E-Tron as the Q8 E-Tron. Yet this is more than just a facelift. Instead, Audi took the opportunity to make the vehicle better based on what it's learned over the past few years as an EV builder.

The biggest difference from the offset is the increased range. The previous E-Tron had a range of 204 miles at launch. This new Q8 E-Tron manages a more impressive 285 miles on a single charge, which should appease most people looking to buy an EV.

Behind the wheel, the new Audi is just a better driving vehicle than the original E-Tron. It's less performance-centric than you would expect from a brand like Audi, instead the automaker has targeted a luxury ride and frankly, it's nailed it. It's a good example of automakers taking what they've learned while building EVs over the past few years and evolving their platform. For the full story, check out our video below.