iPhone 5s

449 'iPhone 5s' stories January 2013 - November 2013

Released in mid-September 2013, the iPhone 5s ($99 to $149 from the Apple Store) is a cosmetically minor but internally significant update to the iPhone 5. Featuring the same aluminum and glass design as the iPhone 5, including the same 4″ screen size, dimensions, and weight, the iPhone 5s introduced gold and space gray options to Apple’s product lines, while remaining available in the same white and silver combination as the iPhone 5.

From the outside, the most obvious change was the addition of Touch ID: a fingerprint sensor inside of the iPhone’s Home button. Ringed with metal color-matched to the iPhone 5s’s body, the sapphire-crystal coded fingerprint reader can unlock the screen by matching its scan to 5 distinct fingers, and similarly substitute a scan for a password when making iTunes purchases.

Internally, the iPhone 5s makes significant improvements over the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c in two main categories: processing and cameras. Replacing the iPhone 5’s A6 processor is a new A7 chip with twice the speed, much improved graphics, and a 64-bit architecture. The A7 enabled the iPhone 5s to be the first 64-bit smartphone, capable of enhanced gaming, video processing, and even more advanced apps in the future. It continues to support LTE cellular networks and 802.11n wireless.

The camera system benefitted from an all-new rear 8-megapixel sensor with improved light sensitivity for low-light photography. Also new is a True-Tone flash, a dual-LED flash that increases skin color accuracy when taking photos in the dark. Apple also added a Burst Mode feature to capture 10 photos per second, and a new Slow-Mo video capture mode to take 120FPS video.

As of 2015, the iPhone 5s is in the middle of the iPhone pack in performance, but still the best option available for users with small hands and/or small pockets. Everyone else should give serious consideration to the thinner, faster, and longer-running iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. The iPhone 5s is sold only in 16GB and 32GB storage capacities, the former very small. If you’re going to buy this model, we’d strongly advise spending the extra $50 for the 32GB model.

iPhone 5s supplies almost caught up with demand, says U.S. store survey

Ben Lovejoy Nov 26 2013 - 6:30 am PT

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A biweekly survey of 60 U.S. Apple Stores says that availability of the iPhone 5s has reached 90 percent of all iPhones in stock, almost triple the 31 percent figure measured just a fortnight ago, reports CNET.

Apple’s online store lists a ship time of three to five business days for the iPhone 5S, down from two to three weeks earlier this month. Munster said he believes that supply of the 5S will meet demand in early December, mimicking the same route taking by the iPhone 5.

However, the figures come from Gene Munster, an analyst not always a reliable source when it comes to predictions, and not everyone agrees.

[tweet https://twitter.com/llsethj/status/378343208377663488]

Time will tell, but if you’re planning to buy one as a holiday gift, sooner rather than later remains advisable. Even more so for the Retina iPad Mini.

As always, the best deals for iPhones and other Apple and Apple-related products for the shopping season will be on 9to5mac’s product pages and 9to5Toys.

‘Toaster’ dual-iPhone charging dock appears on Kickstarter

Benjamin Mayo Nov 26 2013 - 4:35 am PT

3 Comments

The Foaster is a new novel charging dock for your iPhone and the creators are currently running a Kickstarter to put this neat dock into production. As you can tell from the video, the novelty here is the fact it resembles a toaster. The creators say that the kitchen is one of the most common places where people charge their phones, so they thought they would design a dock to suit.

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Review: mik Sound Case cranks up the volume on your iPhone

Sarah Guarino Nov 23 2013 - 12:00 pm PT

11 Comments

The mik Sound Case is a new type of phone case available for the iPhone 4/4S and iPhone 5/5s. It amplifies the phone’s speaker by an additional 15 to 20 decibels and improves the clarity and quality of the sound. By blocking the speaker, the case forces the sound to travel through a hollow space and out an opening on the back of the phone. Thankfully, the lightweight case doesn’t add any additional weight to the phone.

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Apple looking to launch trade-in programs for emerging markets in Asia Pacific, Latin America

Jordan Kahn Nov 22 2013 - 1:45 pm PT

1 Comment

After launching a new iPhone trade-in program through its retail stores in the U.S and UK and another initiative in India, Apple appears to be planning even more trade-in programs in emerging markets. A new job listing posted on the company’s website seeking a Reuse (Trade-In) Worldwide Program Manager is looking for someone to assist in “developing and implementing programs in emerging markets, with emphasis in APAC and ALAC, while enhancing current EMEIA and North American programs.”

That sounds a lot like Apple is planning to launch new trade-in programs in some of its emerging markets across Asia Pacific (APAC), Latin America and the Caribbean (ALAC). Apple describes the trade-in programs as a “mega trend” and lists its objectives as increasing its share of the used electronics market and “reducing the flow of Apple-branded materials into unauthorized markets, which tarnish the Apple Brand.” The job listing adds, “Scaling these programs to keep Apple on the leading edge of this emerging mega trend is a priority,” something it has already started doing in recent months with its new retail store trade-in program in the US and UK.

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Apple starts selling unlocked, SIM-free iPhone 5s in the U.S.

Mark Gurman Nov 22 2013 - 7:02 am PT

22 Comments

Apple today released an unlocked GSM version of the iPhone 5s on its online store for the United States. This version of the iPhone 5s includes the same exact capabilities of the non-unlocked models, but does not include a SIM card. Users who buy this version of the iPhone will need to supply their own SIM card. The central benefit of an unlocked iPhone is that it can work on many GSM networks across the globe with no contract. For frequent world travelers, this option is worth looking into…

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Game on! MOGA officially announces its iOS 7 compatible game controller, available tomorrow

Benjamin Mayo Nov 19 2013 - 4:09 am PT

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MOGA have been making gamepad accessories for Android devices for a while. Today, they have announced on their website an adapted version compatible with iPhone and iPod touch. The company is the first to officially announce availability of an accessory that works with iOS 7’s GameController API (but not the last this week ;).

Logitech, ClamCase and others have hinted that they have competing accessories nearing release, but MOGA is the first company to openly announce available. The accessory will be available tomorrow — priced at $99 — from the Apple retail stores and the Apple Online Store in addition to MOGA’s site.

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9to5Toys Last Call: LifeProof iPad mini giveaway, Logitech iPad keyboard cases, Seiki 4K UHDTVs, MacBook Air Haswell, more

Nov 18 2013 - 10:00 am PT

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Take a few minutes out of your lunch to cash in on some incredible deals. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Giveaway: LifeProof iPad mini frē case ($100 value)

Refurb. Logitech protective keyboard folio for iPad mini $33, full-size iPad w/ FabricSkin $25

Seiki 39″ 4K UHDTV $500 shipped (Reg. $700), 50″ $722 w/ free pickup (Reg. $1,500)

13″ Haswell MacBook Air: $975 shipped, $925 for .edu email addresses, Apple SuperDrive $70

50% Off Popular AT&T Smartphones: iPhone 5s $100, 5c $50, more

$50 iHop or Applebee’s gift card for $40, perfect stocking stuffers! http://t.co/Mer6Rl1QfB

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) November 18, 2013

Other great deals from today:

New! Black Friday Deal Frenzy at eBay Deals: iPad mini $239, Target gift card 10% off, COD: Ghosts $40, more
New! 3M portable wireless projector w/ Roku streaming stick $150 shipped (Reg. $300)
New! Game/App Deals: $50 GC from Toys R Us w/ 3 Xbox purchases, 2 for $40 3DS games, iOS freebies, more
New! Logitech Bluetooth Wireless Boombox Speaker Refurb. $49 shipped (Reg. $99)
New! 2 sets of Logitech Ultimate Ears 200vi noise-isolating earphones: $18 shipped (Reg. $38)
New! RCA 32″ LED HDTV with Built-in DVD Player $200 shipped (Reg. $350)
New! On-Ear Wired Headphones: Sennheiser HD $25 shipped (Reg. $60), Beats by Dre $175 shipped (Reg. $250)

The best deals that are still alive:

Free voucher to save 50% on Apple accessories from Incase
ASUS RT-N56U Dual-Band Gigabit Wireless N Router $85 shipped (34% savings)
RAVPower Element 10400mAh external power bank $26 shipped (Reg. $38)
Adobe Photoshop Elements 12 (Mac/PC) download $50 (Reg. $100)

Black Friday:

Seiki’s new 55″ 4K UHD TV will drop to $850 on Black Friday ($650 off!) or 39″ for $520 right now at Amazon.
Staples Black Friday: Nexus 7 2nd gen 16GB $199, Toshiba 1TB $50, ZAGGkeys Pro $50, more
Black Friday H.H Gregg ad leaks w/ $249 iPad mini & big deals on TVs, cameras, & smartphones
Walmart will credit YOU $30 to get an iPhone 5c on contract this Black Friday
Best Buy & Walmart Black Friday ads bring the year’s best Apple deals
Target Black Friday Ad: iPad Air w/ $100 gift card $479, iPad mini w/ $75 gc $299, Apple TV $89, HDTVs, games, more
Guitar Center’s Black Friday ad leaks: instruments, Sennheiser headphones, iRig Pro, 15% off store-wide, more
Leaked Dell Black Friday Ad: Windows 8 laptops, monitors, HDTVs, memory, more
Target’s PS4 launch week ad leaks: will offer buy 2 get 1 free on PS4, Xbox One games, others
Toys R Us Black Friday ad leak reveals early start time and ample video game deals
Radio Shack Black Friday ad leak: Beats Pill, Apple TV, Roku 2, PS3/Xbox 360 consoles

New product announcements & reviews:

PlayStation 4 launches tonight at midnight, reviews from around the web
The best gets better: reVOLT 12W + 12W Dual USB Car Charger for iPod, iPhone and iPad $30 shipped
Onkyo’s new headphones line-up boasts slick metal design, in-line controls and iOS app integration

Review: Studio Credence leather & felt book-style iPad case (and iPhone sleeve)

Ben Lovejoy Nov 18 2013 - 7:20 am PT

4 Comments

While I may be known for my addiction to all things anodised aluminum, I also have a love of natural materials, wood and leather especially. My MacBook Pro and MacBook Air both travel in BookBook leather cases (reviewed here by Jordan), so when Studio Credence announced a book-style case for the iPad, I decided to take a look.

First impressions

Studio Credence is clearly going for a bit of a rustic look. The packaging is undyed cardboard, with the case itself in a muslin-type drawstring bag. Open this, and what you have inside is a very similar approach to the BookBook range …
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Foxconn stops iPhone 5c production at one factory, switches capacity to 5s

Ben Lovejoy Nov 18 2013 - 5:47 am PT

9 Comments

Photo: Sunday Mirror

Foxconn is ceasing production of the iPhone 5c at one of its factories in order to boost production of the iPhone 5s, according to sources cited by Digitimes.

Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) will stop production of the iPhone 5c at its factory in Zhengzhou, northern China, and shift the capacity to iPhone 5s, according to industry sources.

Digitimes is not the most reliable of sources, but this one gels with other reports suggesting that Apple is cutting back on production of its plastic handset in order to keep up with demand for the iPhone 5s.

The reports can, of course, be viewed as indicating either success for the 5s or failure for the 5c. Given the numbers reported last month, following on from record opening weekend sales, it seems pretty clear that while Apple got its predictions wrong, the reason is good news rather than bad: more people than expected opting for the high-end handset.

Mint refreshes its iPhone and iPad app with iOS 7 design, brings Trends to mobile

Benjamin Mayo Nov 14 2013 - 6:18 am PT

4 Comments

The Mint mobile app is rarely updated with new features, but it’s not like it has been abandoned — it receives maintenance updates every few months. Today, though, Mint has pushed version 2.7 to the App Store which does bring more than just bug fixes.

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Motorola says new Moto G outperforms iPhone 5s display at a third the price

Jordan Kahn Nov 13 2013 - 6:22 am PT

18 Comments

Motorola is hosting a live stream as we speak to announce its new Moto G smartphone, which was rumored to be a slightly lower cost follow up to its flagship Moto X launched earlier this year. At just $179 for the 8GB model of the Moto G off contract, Motorola is strongly positioning the colorful device as a competitor to the iPhone 5c, and it made a point of comparing the devices during its presentation today. While mentioning several times that the Moto G is a third of the price of the iPhone, it also presented the slide above noting that the Moto G “outperforms the most popular smartphone” by beating out the iPhone 5s display in both screen size and resolution.

The other specs might not be anything to brag about, but with really aggressive pricing and colorful replaceable backplates, Motorola could have a serious iPhone 5c competitor on its hand.

Sapphire iPhone screens just might be cost-effective sooner rather than later

Ben Lovejoy Nov 12 2013 - 5:39 am PT

6 Comments

TechCrunch has an interesting piece in which it suggests that the sapphire crystal Apple currently uses in the Touch ID home button on the iPhone 5s might prove a cost-effective option for iPhone screens sooner than we thought.

Sapphire is very, very tough. Short of scraping it with your diamond ring, you’re unlikely to scratch it. But it’s also very, very expensive. A sapphire outer layer on an iPhone would likely cost ten times as much as the Gorilla Glass Apple uses at present.

But Apple recently struck a deal with sapphire manufacturer GT Advanced Technologies to boost production by 2000 percent, and GTAT just happens to have acquired a solar panel company that developed a new technique for slicing hard materials very thinly using an ion particle accelerator.

If the same technique can be applied to sapphire, and if it could be combined with a sapphire laminating system already patented by Apple, the cost could plummet.

Apple could drive the costs of sapphire sheets down incredibly low in comparison to the traditional method. It will be able to create many of these super thin sapphire sheets from the same amount of raw material it would take to make one full piece of sapphire cover glass. It could then laminate the assembly together in the way that it currently does iPhones […]

This, in turn, could mean sapphire cover sheets that are harder and tougher than standard glass materials on your iPhone years sooner than most analysts have predicted.

Those are two big IFs, so we’re not holding our breath, but it’s certainly an intriguing possibility.

Best Buy & Walmart Black Friday ads bring the year’s best Apple deals

Nov 12 2013 - 5:16 am PT

3 Comments

From 9to5Toys.com:

Yesterday it was Target. Today the Best Buy and Walmart Black Friday / Thanksgiving deal advertisements are now official. Both ads feature heavy discounting on iPads, iTunes cards, iPods, Macs, and more. The most impressive deals at Walmart include an iPad mini for $299 with a free $100 gift card, and free gift card offers with the purchase of an iPhone 5c/5c. Best Buy offers up to $200 off a new Mac laptop, 15% off iTunes cards, and an Apple TV for $85.

While we haven’t seen Apple’s Black Friday deals for this year, it’s pretty safe to assume they won’t stray too far from the ‘education pricing for all’ strategy implemented at preceding Black Friday promotions.

Head over to 9to5toys for complete coverage of these ads and all others that have leaked thus far as well as best deals as they happen.
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Report: GlobalFoundries Apple tie-in not as big a deal as it sounds, might be overflow supply line

Ben Lovejoy Nov 12 2013 - 4:27 am PT

3 Comments

Suggestions that Apple is looking to chipmaker GlobalFoundries to reduce its reliance on Samsung chips are rather wide of the mark, according to sources cited by AllThingsD. The rumors followed a story in the Albany Times Union that Apple might be looking to the Malta, New York, chipmaker to make iPhone and iPad chips.

In the most likely scenario, Samsung will still be the primary manufacturer of Apple’s chips for the iPhone and iPad, they said, continuing the role it has played since the earliest days of the iPhone: Building the chips that Apple designs under contract […]

Samsung will use GlobalFoundries for what is known as “flex capacity.” This is a long-standing industry practice under which a chip manufacturer pays to occasionally use another company’s factories when demand on their own factory is running higher than they would like, and they need a little help …
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Apple’s market share in Japan overtakes USA, with more to come

Ben Lovejoy Nov 11 2013 - 7:40 am PT

5 Comments

Photo: japantimes.co.jp

Apple’s share of the smartphone market in Japan has hit 37 percent, greater than the 36 percent share in the USA, reports the WSJ.

Sales got another boost in late September when NTT DoCoMo Inc., Japan’s largest wireless carrier, began offering the iPhone for the first time to its 61.8 million customers. Even before that, the iPhone was Japan’s best-selling smartphone, with a 37% market share in the six months ended Sept. 30, according to Tokyo’s MM Research Institute. That’s comparable to the iPhone’s 36% share in the U.S. in the third quarter, according to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech …
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Bloomberg: Apple to introduce larger, curved screen iPhones in Q3 2014, enhanced pressure sensors for later models

Benjamin Mayo Nov 10 2013 - 2:29 am PT

41 Comments

Concept render by <a href="http://news.softpedia.com/newsImage/Brilliant-iPhone-6-Design-with-Fingerprint-Scanner-and-Curved-Glass-Envisioned-Video-5.jpg/">Federico Ciccarese</a>

Bloomberg is reporting that “sources familiar with the plans” say Apple is planning to release two new iPhone models next year with curved displays. The two phones would have 4.7 inch and 5.5 inch displays respectively, both substantially bigger than the 4 inch Retina Display currently offered in the iPhone 5s and more in line with Samsung’s S4 and Note 3.

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PCalc iOS app updated w/ 64-bit support, new nighttime theme, & much more

Jordan Kahn Nov 8 2013 - 9:45 am PT

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Popular scientific calculator app PCalc was updated today with new features including 64-bit support for the iPhone 5s and new iPads. The updated app also includes a new nighttime theme on iOS 7 called “Samurai Night” that can automatically switch on when it’s dark.

Along with PCalc, we’re also huge fans of Digits Calculator in iOS.

Version 3.1 of PCalc for iPhone and iPad also includes a long list of other new features and fixes:

What’s New in Version 3.1

Added 64-bit support for the iPhone 5s and new iPads.
Added a new darker iOS 7 theme, “Samurai Night”.
Added an option to automatically switch to “Samurai Night” when it’s dark outside.
Added an accounting mode that automatically enters a decimal point and rounds the display to two decimal places.
Added an option to make the text on the keys bold.
Added new commands to the user functions and conversions.
Now display dark menus on an iPhone when using a dark theme.
Now disable the deg / rad buttons when not in decimal mode.
Now support touch typing using VoiceOver.
Fixed a problem adjusting sliders using VoiceOver.
Fixed a problem displaying the tape and registers in certain themes.
Fixed a problem hiding the status bar.
Fixed a problem with double-height status bars.
Fixed the sorting in the “Density” section of the conversions.

PCalc 3.0 is available for $9.99 on the App Store.

Boost Mobile starts selling the iPhone 5s and 5c today for $200 off for new customers, starting at $349 unsubsidized

Seth Weintraub Nov 8 2013 - 7:07 am PT

2 Comments

From 9to5Toys.com:

As we’ve noted on a few occasions, Sprint pre-paid subsidiaryBoost Mobile is now carrying the iPhone for the first time in its history. Launching today, the iPhone 5s and 5c are $100 off of Apple’s retail price if ordered online. However, Boost is running a special promotion until November 24th where you get an additional $100 off if you switch in store from another carrier. I confirmed the deal with a PR rep who said:

Yes. Now through Nov. 24 new customers who come into a participating Boost Mobile store and switch to Boost Mobile from another carrier will be eligible for a special in-store promotion of $100 off any device bringing new customers additional cost savings. The link below will help consumers find participating stores in their area that are selling iPhone.

Boost Mobile plans start at $55/month but drop significantly as you make payments on time. Find the nearest Boost Mobile here.
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RunKeeper for iPhone updated with background walking detection, AirDrop sharing, more

Zac Hall Nov 7 2013 - 6:23 am PT

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RunKeeper, one of my favorite fitness apps for iPhone, received a notable update utilizing technologies for iPhone 5s owners.

RunKeeper now supports the iPhone 5s M7 chip, which allows the app to detect steps throughout the day without having to manage that activity within the app manually.

Version 4.1 also brings support for AirDrop (another example of the software being on the cutting edge) allowing users to share workouts with nearby friends as well as build your RunKeeper friends list by sending friend requests.

RunKeeper has a clean iOS 7 design and tends to quickly embrace hardware features and technologies (it even interacts with the Pebble smart watch) so check it out for free in the App Store.

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Apple Stores to soon offer iPhone 5s & 5c screen replacements, other repairs

Mark Gurman Nov 6 2013 - 8:33 pm PT

43 Comments

iPhone 5s Teardown via <a href="http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPhone+5s+Teardown/17383">iFixit</a>

Apple is gearing up to soon begin hardware repairs for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c in its chain of retail stores, according to sources with knowledge of the upcoming initiative. These sources say that Apple Stores will be able to replace several parts of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c on-site, meaning that Apple will no-longer need to fully replace iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c units with damage or other problems…

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iPhone and iPad stock tracker site pulled after Apple issues takedown notice

Ben Lovejoy Nov 6 2013 - 6:23 am PT

24 Comments

The handy Apple Tracker site that allowed people to check Apple Store availability for new products has closed its doors after receiving a DMCA takedown notice from Apple.

I’ve decided to turn off the site. I’m not doing this because I want to, but rather because I received a DMCA takedown notice (you can see the full text below) from Apple. I’m not really interested in picking a fight with apple so … I guess it time to just say good bye …
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Ten days of iPhone 5s and 5c sales help Apple break 40 percent in U.S. smartphone market

Ben Lovejoy Nov 6 2013 - 5:22 am PT

1 Comment

Apple’s share of the U.S. smartphone market grew by 0.7 percent in the last quarter to reach 40.6 percent, according to comScore data.

Sales of low-cost handsets mean that Android’s position as leading mobile platform is safe, with a marginal drop to 51.8 percent of the market, but Apple remained top of the vendor rankings …

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T-Mobile sells 550k iPhones in Q3, 10% of total smartphone sales

Jordan Kahn Nov 5 2013 - 7:06 am PT

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While T-Mobile didn’t disclose specific iPhone numbers in its Q3 earnings report this morning, BTIG analyst Walter Piecyk has followed up with numbers from the company’s conference call. According to T-Mobile, iPhone sales accounted for almost 550k units, or 10% of its total 5.6 million smartphone sales including pre-paid and MetroPCS branded devices. Piecyk notes that number is around 15% of the carrier’s post-paid smartphone sales under its own brand, which is down from approximately 950k last quarter. T-Mobile confirmed the numbers in a statement to AllThingsD:

Sales of iPhones represented about 15 percent of T-Mobile-brand smartphone sales, CMO Mike Sievert said. T-Mobile sold about 3.6 million smartphones under its own brand, meaning it sold about 540,000 iPhones in the quarter.

T-Mobile today reported that it sold a record 5.6 million smartphones during the quarter, which includes sales to prepaid customers, accounting for around 88% of total phone units sold. The carrier didn’t have much time to sell the new iPhone 5s and 5c in its third quarter as the devices launched late in September, but the company did make a point of noting that it launched the new iPhones at “very attractive introductory prices of $99 down and $0 down” in its earnings release today. Piecyk notes how that compares to the other guys in Q3:

[tweet https://twitter.com/WaltBTIG/status/397743765474930688]
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The inner workings of Touch ID: Each fingerprint sensor is paired to a specific A7 chip

Mike Beasley Oct 31 2013 - 5:13 pm PT

12 Comments

When Apple introduced Touch ID on the new iPhone 5s, the company provided some basic information about the kinds of security used to protect users’ fingerprints and data. A new discovery by iMore reveals that Apple has even more security in place than they discussed with the public.

According to iMore, each individual Touch ID sensor is paired with its corresponding A7 processor. To confirm the pairing theory, iMore switched the Touch ID sensors from two brand new iPhones and attempted to setup each device. Each phone failed to recognize the sensors and returned an error until the sensors were swapped back to their original phones.

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