iPhone

Winter is officially here in the Northern Hemisphere, and that means it’s cold enough in a lot of locations to start wearing gloves. Recently I’ve been testing out Mujjo’s Double Layered Touchscreen Gloves, a great way to a stay warm without giving up iPhone usability.

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One of my-all time favorite additions to the iPhone’s camera app is Live Photos, the feature that saves a short, 3 second video clip with each photo you take. Playing back Live Photos from an event has always been cumbersome though, requiring you to swipe through each photo and play each clip separately. Now, a new app aims to solve that problem by instantly turning groups of your Live Photos into shareable video clips.

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KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted earlier this month that new iPhones next year will pack noticeably higher capacity batteries, but that move may not be entirely to extend battery life. Kuo’s latest investment advisory predicts “upgraded 3D-sensing and AR-related functions” that are more power-hungry.

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Apple caused a furore yesterday when it admitted that it deliberately slows down older iPhones.

The issue first came to the fore with a Reddit thread, which showed a significant difference in performance on the same device when fitted with old and new batteries. Geekbench founder, John Poole, confirmed the phenomenon, and developer Guilherme Rambo subsequently identified the code that controlled it.

Apple then confirmed the facts, and explained its reasons …

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There have long been rumors that Apple plans to eventually converge Macs and iOS devices into a single product line running the same operating system. I expressed my own concerns about this way back in 2013, though also listed some things from which we could draw reassurance.

Apple has consistently denied the rumors, Tim Cook doing so with a particularly striking phrase back in 2012.

You can converge a toaster and refrigerator, but these things are probably not going to be pleasing to the user.

But yesterday’s news that Apple plans to support cross-platform apps that run on iPhone, iPad and Mac does raise a variation on this concern …

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After our initial report earlier this month, and more evidence from other sources, Apple today officially commented on reports that it slowed the performance of older iPhones in order to stabilize battery performance.

What do you make of this tactic and Apple’s reasoning for it?

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Looking to speed up your iPhone? A battery replacement may be one of the best options. Apple has shared that it decreases iPhone performance to guard against less predictable, older batteries from early shutdowns. However, if you plan on keeping your iPhone for a while longer or want to hand it down, a $20-$29 battery investment may be well worth it.

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Speaking to TechCrunch today, Apple has shared an official statement regarding the decreased performance of iPhones with older batteries. While Apple’s response doesn’t offer much that’s new, it does reveal that the company plans on rolling out the battery stabilizing feature to more iPhones. TechCrunch’s Matthew Panzarino shares a thorough look at this situation with some actionable feedback for Apple.

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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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