iPhone

The Nikkei Asian Review has an interesting piece looking back at the impact of a decade of iPhone production, examining how it made some companies rich, some considerably poorer – and even bankrupted one major supplier.

Foxconn is, it says, the obvious success story, but not the only one.

In 2006, Hon Hai Precision Industry was about to take on a major role in an epochal shift in consumer electronics, though few of the Taiwanese company’s employees could have imagined what was about to hit them […]

Over the next decade, the iPhone would help push Foxconn’s revenue from $38 billion to $145 billion and turn it into one of the world’s largest employers …

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There are lots of third-party products to choose from when it comes to charging your Apple Watch, but not many of them include a built-in magnetic charging puck. For the last couple of weeks I’ve been testing out a unique offering from UGreen, the new 4400mAh portable power bank for Apple Watch, which also includes a built-in Lightning cable.

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[Update: Developer Guilherme Rambo has discovered the software system, powerd (short for power daemon), that Apple put in place in iOS 10.2.1. powerd controls CPU/GPU speed and power. It also responds to thermal pressure and helps iPhones from catching fire.

Since powerd was first released in 10.2.1, this looks to be separate from the Low Power Mode feature and directly related to the performance and battery age issues.]

Last week we reported on the news that a new battery could solve performance issues with older iPhone models like the 6s. Today, Geekbench founder, John Poole, published an article describing his findings after diving deeper into the relationship between iPhone performance and battery age.

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If you’ve ever battled with your kids to limit their screen time to the recommended 1-2 hours per day, there’s good news: it doesn’t appear to be necessary.

A joint study between the Oxford Internet Institute and Cardiff University published in the journal Child Development found that there was ‘no consistent correlation’ between limiting screen time and a range of child well-being measures …

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India has increased its import tax on mobile phones from 10% to 15%, a move which will hit Apple harder than other smartphone manufacturers. The tax on video cameras has been increased by the same amount, while that on televisions has been doubled to 20%.

The government made the announcement late last night, as part of its Made In India initiative, a program designed to encourage companies to manufacture products within the country …

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Apple and the Indian government are reportedly clashing over plans to expand iPhone production in the country.

Wistron assembles iPhone SE models in India for Apple, but the components are all imported. Under a current agreement, most of these components can be brought into the country tax-free, but the government wants to impose import tariffs on more of them as a way to encourage more local manufacturing …

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One longstanding complaint from iPhone users is how their device slows down over time, specifically as the device ages and Apple releases new software updates. A Reddit thread has emerged this weekend with some interesting theories as to why this may happen…

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It’s easy to focus on the new tech we’ll see from Apple and its flagship iPhones in the coming years after the iPhone X has paved a whole new course. However, iDrop News today has shared an interesting concept for how the iPhone X might influence its entry-level models. Yep, iPhone X meets iPhone 5c.

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Following the release of new Apple Watch bands and iPhone X cases earlier this week, Apple has added even more new accessories to its online store in time for holiday shopping.

For iPad Pro users, there’s a new Leather Sleeve color choice and Apple Pencil Case color choice, while the Apple Watch adds a new Hermès band…

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Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities is out with his latest investor note this evening covering more changes we can expect with next year’s iPhone refresh. Kuo writes that Apple will bring L-shaped battery designs to the 6.5-inch and 5.8-inch OLED iPhones introduced next year, allowing for increased capacity and improved battery life…

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Apple’s iPhone has once again topped the most used camera list for the popular photo sharing website, Flickr. And not just smartphone cameras. All cameras. This comes as no surprise as Apple has long been the reigning champion of the most used camera in the world.
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If you use the Activity or Health app on your iPhone to keep track of the number of steps you walk each day, you’re probably doing better than you think. A study by the University of British Columbia found that the iPhone underestimates the number of steps people take by up to 21.5% …

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Last month, Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities indicated that Apple would unveil a new 6.1-inch iPhone next year with the iPhone X design, but a traditional LCD display instead of OLED. A new report from Nikkei this evening offers more color on that device, saying it will feature a metal back similar to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus…

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Consumer Reports has published its 2017 iPhone comparison and in it the publication has somehow rated the iPhone X below the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, but there’s certainly no need to trade down if you’re an iPhone X owner. While there’s nothing wrong with either iPhone 8 model, CR points to differences in battery life and durability testing for its ranking that may not apply to real world usage.

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Chipmaker Dialog Semiconductor has seen its shares drop by as much as 19% after admitting that its contract to supply power management chips to Apple could be at risk. The company is believed to derive the majority of its income from Apple.

This is, of course, not the first time that a company’s shares have dived following fears over loss of Apple business …

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Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities is today out with a new investor note, obtained by 9to5Mac. In the piece, Kuo breaks down how Apple is working to integrate faster and more versatile circuit boards across its product lineup come 2018…

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The iPhone X and iPhone 8 are Apple’s first smartphones to officially support fast charging with USB-C. A new study from Tom’s Guide, however, shows the iPhone X and iPhone 8 both lag behind competing flagship Android devices in terms of fast charging capabilities…

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Just days after the huge root security flaw on macOS earlier this week, a growing number of iPhone and iPad users are reporting serious reboot and respring issues. The problem, detailed in a growing Reddit thread and on Twitter, seems to stem from apps that use local notifications, such as reminder applications like Headspace and Calm…

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Changes to the way that Apple protects encrypted iOS backups leave devices more vulnerable to certain types of attack, says ElcomSoft, a Russian company used by law enforcement agencies and others to access iPhones. However, it only applies if the attacker has physical access to the device and can crack the passcode.

The changes were deliberately introduced as part of iOS 11 …

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Hex has today announced a brand new lineup of official Star Wars cases for the iPhone X and 8/8 Plus and 7/7 Plus. The cases are all made from genuine leather and offered in the company’s “Snap” form factor as well as its folio wallet and zipper case styles.

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