iPhone 7

Apple delayed the release of its new truly wireless earbuds called AirPods that it originally planned on launching in late October. It’s disappointing for some who wanted to use them with their new iPhone 7 that launched back in September. But what does the competition look like?

With the AirPods originally expected to launch sometime this month, right around the time of Apple’s MacBook Pro event and Apple Watch Nike+ launch last week, a lot of accessory makers have been planning launches to time and compete with Apple’s new wireless earbuds. Just this week a few new products launched, including Michigan-based Sol Republic’s first cord-free product called ‘Amps Air’, and today Best Buy is launching new $249 Skybuds that claim to offer 24 hours battery with an included charging case and improved connectivity.

If you just can’t wait for the AirPods, or want to check out the competition and see how Apple’s earbuds compare, these are the alternatives… 

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Audio accessory maker Sol Republic is today launching its first product in the cord-free headphone space, the ‘Amps Air’ wireless earbuds. The launch would have been timed with the now delayed release of Apple’s own similar wireless AirPods that were previously expected to launch late this month and possibly following the company’s Mac event today. Apple released a last minute statement yesterday informing customers it needs more time to get the product right before shipping.

But after using the new Amps Air earbuds from Sol Republic over the last week, I’m convinced they will be a better option for many…

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In this week’s top stories: What to expect at Apple’s Oct. 27 ‘Hello Again’ Mac event, the latest iOS 10 betas, Jeff gives iOS users 10 handy Safari tips, and much more. 
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With the release of Google Assistant, supplanting Google Now on the new Pixel with Android 7.1, Google’s speech recognition/AI engine is supposed to be more personable and less robotic. At the same time, Apple has been improving the accuracy and intelligence of Siri, which has until now been a distant second in the assistant space when it comes to accuracy. With the below video comparing iPhone 7 Plus and the the Pixel XL, YouTuber MKBHD shows that both have come a long way…
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iPhone 7’s lack of a headphone jack means more people than ever are considering an upgrade to new wireless, Bluetooth headphones. But if you don’t want to make the jump, or love your old headphones too much to part with them just yet, Griffin’s new iTrip Clip will let you add Bluetooth functionality to any set of 3.5mm headphones for $20.

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Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) reports that the iPhone 7/Plus accounted for 43% of all iPhone sales in Q3 despite being available for only the final two weeks of the quarter. The research company estimates that the iPhone 7 notched up 31% of sales with the larger Plus model at 12%, reports Investors.com … 

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An Australian surfing instructor has told 7 News that an iPhone 7 left in a car caught fire, destroying the vehicle.

Mat Jones says he had left the phone under clothes in his car while taking a surf lesson. When he returned, he was shocked to discover the vehicle filled with smoke.

It hasn’t yet been confirmed that the phone was the cause of the fire: Apple says that it is aware of the incident and is investigating.

Some commentators are drawing the inevitable but spurious comparisons with Samsung’s Note 7 fires …

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In this latest iPhone generation, Apple has brought to market two iPhone 7 variants: the GSM/WCDMA/LTE with Intel modem version, and the GSM/CDMA/WCDMA/TD-SCDMA/LTE version with Qualcomm hardware. A new report is highlighting the first performance differences between the iPhone 7 featuring Intel’s modem hardware compared to the iPhone 7 featuring Qualcomm modem hardware.

The report from Cellular Insights finds that iPhone 7’s equipped with Qualcomm’s MDM9645M modem, which powers the (A1660, A1661) Verizon, Sprint, and SIM-free models, features better cellular performance than the (A1778, A1784) Intel version. Not only that, but the Qualcomm version’s ability to take advantage of Ultra HD Voice has been disabled as well according to the report.
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Apple has released iOS 10.0.3 for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The update includes a bug fix for users who were temporarily experiencing loss of cellular connectivity on new iPhone models. Apple also pushed out an update to its Classroom app that should fix issues with the education app not being able to find other student devices.

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I traveled to Alabama over the weekend to attend my younger sister’s wedding and visit family which gave me a great opportunity to put some of the iPhone 7 Plus camera features to good use. I usually bring my three year old Nikon 1 J1 along during occasions like these for optical zoom, but the auto-focus and video quality just doesn’t compare to the iPhone these days.

The new Portrait mode was very impressive in outdoor lighting and 2x optical zoom was fun to try. We also took a walk through a bamboo park where I tried underwater video capture for the first time. Check out some of the shots and video below:

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Apple has confirmed iPhone 7 launch dates for more countries today on its website including Egypt on October 20, Korea and Colombia on October 21, and a handful more planned for a week later on October 28.

Korea and Colombia will also get access to the new Apple Watch Series 2 on the 21st.

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Apple appears to the be the primary beneficiary of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 recall blunders, with replacement devices also prone to catching fire which eventually resulted in the company cancelling production of the Note 7 entirely. This means Note 7 customers have no choice but to choose another type of phone. Obviously, Samsung hopes customers will flock to one of its other phones (like the Galaxy S7) but a report from KGI believes that Apple and Android manufacturer Huawei will be the biggest benefactors.

Ming-Chi Kuo estimates that 5-7 million ex-Note 7 orders will convert into iPhone 7 sales, predominantly iPhone 7 Plus thanks to the dual camera. KGI says Note 7 users will have lost faith in the Samsung brand and have a tendency to like iOS and camera features, making the new iPhone an attractive sale.

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iPhone 7’s new solid state Home button has been met with mixed reactions thus far. While the switch to a non-mechchancial implantation means there’s one less moving part to fail, it also comes with its own fair share of pitfalls. Apple, however, appears to have built in a new safeguard in the event the Home button does fail…

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Reuters reports that analysts believe strong iPhone 7 sales are behind A10 chipmaker TSMC reporting record profit and sales in Q3, and now raising its forecast for 2016 revenue.

TSMC reported July-September net profit climbed 28 percent to T$96.8 billion ($3.08 billion) […] 

TSMC, which doesn’t disclose details of customer orders, said on Thursday it now expects revenue growth to be 11-12 percent, compared with a previous estimate of a 5-10 percent increase. “Demand for high-end smartphones will continue to improve,” said co-Chief Executive Officer Mark Liu …

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iOS 10 is now installed on more than two thirds of the active iOS device install base, recording 66.7% twenty-seven days after iOS 10 was released according to Fiksu. Mixpanel is also recording iOS 10 adoption topping 66% since Sunday.

As shown by the graph, iOS 10 has the fastest adoption rate than any previous update, a month after release. Interestingly, iOS 10 initially lagged behind iOS 6, 7 and 9 until about two weeks in. The upgrade rate then rockets upwards to take the top spot at the end of September.

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Apple’s new Jet Black finish on the iPhone 7 has a high gloss look and a glass-like grip that makes it super tempting to use without a case. But Apple correctly warns customers that the shiny surface is prone to ‘micro abrasions’ from regular use and recommends using a case to avoid gathering these tiny scratches.

I really like using iPhones without a case, however, and the grippy finish makes handling my iPhone 7 Plus noticeably easier. So how well has the Jet Black glossy aluminum held up after more than a week of use without a case?