iOS devices refer to any of Apple’s hardware that runs the iOS mobile operating system which include iPhones, iPads, and iPods. Historically, Apple releases a new iOS version once a year, the current version is iOS 10. Here is the complete list of iOS 10 compatible devices.
iHome today has unveiled a handful of new accessories at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The well-known accessory maker has unveiled a new version of its popular SmartPlug, a handful of Bluetooth accessories, and a pair of new docking stations.
This morning Fitbit took the stage at CES to announce its latest activity tracker. The Fitbit Blaze sits between the Charge HR and Surge trackers in the company’s current product lineup. While it may look a whole lot like many full-blown iOS/Android smartwatches, its main focus is still fitness rather than third-party app complications. Expand Expanding Close
Following its annual tradition, Seagate has announced a new collection of stylish, premium-priced drives in time for the 2016 CES, most now featuring USB-C and USB 3.1 connectors. Three of the drives carry Seagate’s LaCie branding; one is a handsome but Seagate-branded model.
The apparent flagship in the series is the LaCie Chromé ($1,100, shown above left), a 1TB SSD featuring a 10GB USB 3.1 interface with “up to 940MB/second speeds for intensive applications.” Described as “a trophy for tech connoisseurs,” Chromé is a Neil Poulton design that holds a boxy chrome SSD enclosure on an angle atop a circular pedestal. Additional models are discussed below…
Jaybird, maker of the popular sweatproof X and X2 Bluetooth headphones, has announced two new models planned for release in the second quarter of this year. Designed to appeal to athletes, the X3 ($150) and Freedom ($200) have both been redesigned from earlier, similarly-named models, and now use power-efficient Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology for full compatibility with current-generation iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches. Each will be available in five colors, and work with Jaybird’s MySound app to create user-defined equalizer settings…
Having acquired Bluetooth keyboard maker ClamCase last year, Incipio today announced five new high-end iPad keyboards under the ClamCase name, including one for the iPad Pro, three for the iPad Air 2, and one for the iPad mini 4. Some of the keyboards feature premium features such as an integrated screen for notifications, a built-in battery pack, and keyboard backlighting. Details and a photo gallery are below…
Before Christmas, the Apple community spurred a huge controversy as Macotakara claimed that the iPhone 7 will ditch the 3.5 mm standard headphone port completely, to enable further thinness and internal space savings for other components. The 3.5mm jack is a hundred-year old technology based on analogue signals, so although it is ripe for replacement, almost all headphones sold today rely on the 3.5mm jack. Cutting the port for the iPhone 7 could be a painful transition. Today, the Chinese media has posted further news confirming the original story, claiming that Apple will drop the next-gen iPhone’s 3.5mm headphone jack in favour of wireless headphone standards and Lightning …
Honeywell has today announced the second-generation version of the Honeywell Lyric thermostat. The first version (currently discounted ahead of the new hardware) was labelled with HomeKit advertising in various places, but that support never materialized. Honeywell has clarified that interested customers will have to buy the new $249 hardware to use the Lyric with HomeKit, currently available for preorder from the Honeywell website.
If you don’t want to wait, check out the ecobee3 system. You can buy a comprehensive thermostat and remote sensor smart home system with full HomeKit support through ecobee today.
Welcome to the latest edition of Jeremy’s 5, my latest quick roundup of 5 interesting little things that aren’t big enough for full articles, but are still worth sharing with you.
My first edition of 2016 looks at two separate topics related to this week’s 2016 CES: first, Apple’s continued absence from the show, and second, the annual event’s seemingly declining interest to Apple fans. I also wanted to share some additional thoughts on Apple’s Remote Loop for the new Apple TV’s Siri Remote, the classic (but ever-evolving) iOS app Akinator the Genie, and the continued scourge of free-to-play games…
Apple has seeded the second beta of iOS 9.2.1 for developers and pre-release testers, a minor enhancement and bug fix release for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The new seed has a build number of 13D14, a small bump over the previous seed. iOS 9.2.1 was released to developers on December 16th. The same build is also available to Apple Beta Program members.
As always, we’ll update this post if we spot anything new and notable …
Hyper’s new iShowFast Lightning drive adds a few features not available from competitors: USB 3.0 for faster performance, support for files over 4GB in size, and new low power consumption features that mean you’ll never have to charge it.
Lightning thumb drives have become more popular in recent years. With a standard USB connector on one side and Apple’s Lightning connector on the other, the product allows iPhone and iPad users to quickly and easily transfer files between devices (iOS and desktops) or stream content directly from the drive to their device. Expand Expanding Close
Accessory maker Brydge has today announced a pair of new keyboard accessories for the iPad mini 4 and iPad Pro. The BrydgeMini and BrydgePro are on display at CES this week in Las Vegas and feature a variety of unique capabilities that the company hopes will make them standout from the growing number of keyboard accessories on the market.
If you have a 12-inch MacBook and are looking for an external monitor for it, Lenovo and Acer have each announced the neatest solutions yet, with a choice of 24-, 25- and 27-inch USB-C monitors.
Lenovo’s ThinkVision X24 Pro is the most basic, with a 1920×1080 resolution starting at $399, with availability in May. Acer’s H7 series monitors offer 2560×1440 resolution in 25- and 27-inch variants, and you’ll be able to get your hands on one of those next month, starting at $499.99.
Finally, Lenovo’s ThinkVision X1 is a 27-inch model offering 3840×2160 resolution, again from May, priced at $799 …
Apple’s iPhone 6c, set to be the first iPhone ever released in the Spring, has got the die-hard 4-inch iPhone fans excited for a return to the smaller form factor smartphone. From what we’ve heard, the iPhone 6c may have new colors that resemble an iPod Touch as much as it’s said to resemble the current crop of iPhones in terms of the physical design. This mockup imagines what the iPhone 6c would look like with iPod and iPhone colors, rounded edges and iPhone 6/s design.
A recent report from KGI anticipates an A9 processor, 16GB of storage, NFC, Touch ID, and 2GB of RAM internally, which will make it extremely fast, especially with the fewer amount of pixels to push compared to Apple’s larger iPhones. Many, including China Times, expected the iPhone 6C to be released last year, but KGI also was the first to suggest a H1 2016 launch.
A series of Chinese reports noted that a larger 1,642mAh battery is in the cards for the 6C– an upgrade from the battery in the 5s– but support for 3D Touch is likely not. That’s a feature Apple will likely want to reserve as a highlight feature of its flagship handsets for some time. And the reports again suggested that the 6c will get Touch ID and an NFC chip to support Apple Pay.
A new report from Chinese media site MyDrivers is starting up the rumor mill for the iPhone 7, Apple’s next major revision to the iPhone due later in 2016. The iPhone 7 is expected to feature external design changes which means big changes inside and out. The report claims specifically that the iPhone 7 Plus (5.5 inch screen) will come in a new 256 GB storage configuration and feature a larger internal battery, rated at 3100 mAH.
For battery comparisons, it’s important to remember that the batteries actually got smaller with the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. 3100 mAH exceeds the battery sizes of the 6s Plus and 6 Plus, featuring 2750 mAH and 2915 mAH respectively.
The track record of the site is somewhat dubious, so it’s probably foolish to treat anything as for certain, but it is thought provoking and both points indicate Apple will be addressing too major pain points with the iPhone range with the iPhone 7 …
With Apple’s big fall product launches behind us and the last of its 2015 lineup launching with the iPad Pro, we now turn our focus to what’s on deck for 2016. Should you buy a new Apple Watch, MacBook, iPad, or iPhone now? Or wait until Apple’s inevitable refreshes coming later this year?
Below we roundup all of our info on what we expect from the company this year, starting with a March Apple Watch 2 event through the much rumored 4-inch iPhone, new MacBooks, iPad Air 3, an Apple TV streaming service and much more… Expand Expanding Close
When it was discovered that Apple applied for trademarks for Beats 2, 3, 4, etc, it seemed pretty obvious the company was considering expanding its 24/7 Beats 1 radio station that it’s promoted as a key part of its new Apple Music service since launch.
And it’s not a stretch to imagine how it could easily expand on the mainstream programming found on Beats 1 currently. Think of a 24/7 station that focuses specifically on one genre like rock, jazz, or hip-hop, for example, with shows programmed to focus on subgenres or featuring guest hosts and regular segments much like Apple’s Beats 1 station. To me this seems like a natural progression for Beats radio as part of Apple Music, but it’s possible Apple could also include more than just more music with Beats 2, 3, and beyond.
After over 6,500 votes, and more than 125 comments, we have a clear answer: roughly 2/3 of readers said Apple made the right call leaving 4K support out of the Apple TV, as they didn’t care (yet) about the feature. That’s a decisive majority. But a solid 35% of readers opined — often strongly — that neglecting 4K support had cost Apple their business, given that 4K Ultra HD TVs are becoming affordable and more popular.
I hoped we’d see some intelligent discussion, and was thrilled that so many comments actually delivered, including insights on why Apple’s approach was practical — for now. Here are some of the best comments readers posted on each side of the debate…
There have been a number of predictions that Apple will next year report a year-on-year decline in iPhone shipments for the current quarter, KGI among them. Most such reports are based on extrapolating from supply chain data which attempts to estimate production volumes.
These reports contrast with Apple’s own guidance for record revenue of $75.5B to $77.5B. Tim Cook argued in October that some two-thirds of existing customers are still using older phones, leaving plenty of room for upgrades this quarter, and that Apple is winning over Android owners in record numbers.
One analyst believes he knows how the conflict can be resolved…
Apple will be offering two new workshops at Apple Stores in the new year, CNET reports, each designed to help customers bring out their artistic side. One is geared to creative photography techniques on the iPhone, while the other is about using iPads for sketching, drawing and painting.
“We’ll help you try out various accessories and techniques — like long exposure for light trails, using Time-lapse to show progression, or getting up close with nature using a macro lens,” Apple said in a statement. “Then, we’ll explore artistic ways to adjust and edit your photos, so you can create a work of art, find your style, or just improve your skills.”
Every time we post an Apple TV-related opinion piece, the comments show that some people are still really upset that Apple left 4K Ultra HD support out of the fourth-generation model when new Roku and Amazon boxes included it. It seems like merely mentioning the new Apple TV is enough to start fights, which commenters have spread from article to article without resolution. So we wanted to give everyone with opinions (strong or otherwise) a place to share their thoughts on this subject — hopefully to spark an intelligent, well-reasoned discussion.
Does 4K support matter at this point, given how many/few 4K TV sets are in use today? It’s been suggested by some that it really should have been included in the new Apple TV, given that 4K video recording was a major new feature for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. But there are also a few reasons 4K support might have made the set top box impractical to release this year…
Apple, which was accused by the Italian government of failing to declare more than $1.3B of income when paying corporation tax in the country, has now agreed to pay the full €318M ($347M) claimed by the Italian tax office. The company has 16 Apple Stores in Italy.
Apple was accused of funnelling profits from Italian sales through its Irish subsidiary in order to benefit from the lower tax rate the company had agreed there. (Those tax arrangements are the subject of a separate EU investigation.)
La Repubblica (via The Local) reports Apple Italia was listed as a “consultant” for Apple Ireland, enabling the company to book profits through Ireland, paying just 2.5% tax under the terms of an agreement said to have first been reached with Steve Jobs back in the 1980s …
Rumors that Apple will be switching from IPS LCD to OLED displays for future iPhones have been doing the rounds for many years – though the latest one reported by Reuters does get a little more specific than most.
LG and Samsung Display are close to a final agreement with Apple for the screens, the Electronic Times report said, adding the two Korean firms plan a combined 15 trillion won ($12.8 billion) in capital expenditure to build up OLED production capacity over the next two to three years.
It was claimed last month that Apple plans to start using OLED screens for iPhones starting in 2018, supporting an earlier report that Apple would be sticking with LCD for the iPhone 7.
There are pros and cons to the competing display technologies …
In a new class action lawsuit, Apple is being accused of deceptive trade practices and false advertising due to its claims of iOS 9 being compatible with older iOS devices, primarily the iPhone 4s. The lawsuit claims that iOS “significantly interferes” with the performance of the iPhone 4s and that Apple is in the wrong for not allow users to downgrade to older versions of the operating system.
Two new reports today from publications with mixed track records claim to share details of Apple’s upcoming iPhone lineup including the much rumored 4-inch iPhone “6c” and plans for the company to bring waterproofing and other new hardware features to future iPhone models. Expand Expanding Close
