Archive for September, 2014

According to the latest reports from people familiar with the matter and according to the recent web traffic data, the guys from Cupertino are currently testing three iOS 8 versions. This may indicate that Apple has come up with a new strategy of updating its mobile operating system. Earlier, a major update was released once in at least 5 or 6 months. For example, iOS 7 was released in September, 2013 and iOS 7.1 that contained the support of CarPlay, surfaced only in March of 2014. Taking into account the fact that Apple is already testing iOS 8.1, iOS 8.2 and iOS 8.3, it appears that the new versions of iOS may be released alongside new product launches.

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We all know that the latest iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are incredibly fast and efficient. But how much time does it actually take for the new handsets to boot and how this boot time is different from the time iPhone 5s and earlier models of the smartphone demonstrate? Let’s find out.

On the video below, you may take a look at the full line-up of iPhones taking part in the ultimate boot time test. The rules of this test are incredibly simple: all the handsets should be running the latest firmware version they support and be freshly updated.

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According to the latest reports from people familiar with the matter, Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have nearly reached the final regulatory approval of the Chinese authorities, which means that the handsets may soon go on sale in China. The purported launch date is October 10th.

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Earlier this week, Apple released iOS 8.0.1 and iOS 8.0.2, which contained a number of important fixes for Phone, Keyboard, Safari, Sharing, SMS/MMS messages, Photo Library and VPN. After seeding the new iOS 8 version to customers worldwide, the guys from Cupertino finally stopped signing iOS 7.1.2 firmware version. This means that all those people who migrated to iOS 8 or later no longer can downgrade.

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According to the results of a complex iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus teardown performed by  Chipworks, the guys from Cupertino have equipped their new handsets with two separate accelerometers. Such a decision is probably caused by the desire to reduce the power consumption of the devices and to improve the user experience. Whether it is a successful one or not we shall see very soon, after the product launch euphoria ends.

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According to the latest report from a research firm called Consumer Reports, Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus is not as bendable as it was believed. It took 90 pounds of force to bend the recently-released 5.5-inch iPhone and about 70 pounds of force to deform its 4.7-inch sibling. The larger handset is actually stronger, which is a bit of surprise for me.

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Apple on Thursday released iOS 8.0.2, which contains fixes for the bugs found in iOS 8.0.1 that disabled cellular service and Touch ID fingerprint sensors on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models. Apart from these improvements, the update contains those fixes that were originally included to iOS 8.0.1, namely, fixes for Phone, Keyboard, Safari, Sharing, SMS/MMS messages, Photo Library and VPN on the iPhones and iPads.

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As it was previously announced, Apple is today launching its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in 22 new countries. It is strange, but looks like the guys from Cupertino have enough handsets to cope with the demand in these countries. What do I mean by the word strange? Well, last year the initial batch of the iPhone 5s units was significantly smaller and that caused delays in shipping handsets to customers. This year everything is different.

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Apple on Wednesday released iOS 8.0.1 to users worldwide, but then pulled the update back as it contained a wide number of bugs affecting cellular service and Touch ID fingerprint sensors on many iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus units. Within few hours after the unpleasant incident, the guys from Cupertino released a support document, where told that the next update, which is iOS 8.0.2, is currently in the works and that it will be released as soon as possible. Apart from that, Apple gave detailed instructions as to how to reinstall iOS 8 via iTunes. I believe these instructions will be helpful for those who installed yesterday's glitchy firmware version.

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Microsoft has recently released two new ads mocking Apple's virtual assistant called Siri. The first is called Lost and describes the ability of Microsoft's virtual assistant to warn users about coming late to important meetings, parties etc. using recent traffic data. The second commercial is called Remind Me and it tells us about Cortana's ability to remind users about the people-related tasks. For example, when the user is talking with somebody on a phone, Cortana can remind to congratulate with this person with birthday (if this person is actually celebrating his or her birthday on that day).

Both ads are available below. You may take a look.

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According to the latest rumors, Apple is currently working on iOS 8.0.1, which will bring fixes for such features as Phone, Keyboard, Safari, Sharing and VPN on the iPhone and iPad. Whether there will be any fixes for Wi-FI and battery life issues discovered a couple of days ago is still a question without an answer. Nevertheless, we know that the update for iOS 8 is in the works and will be released very soon.

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According to the results of the teardown analysis performed by IHS, Apple spends only about $200 to $247 on components and the assembly of one iPhone 6 unit and $216 to $263 to produce one iPhone 6 Plus unit. This number doesn’t include costs on development of the products, advertising etc. Nevertheless, the difference between the net cost of the gadgets and their retail price is huge. In case you don’t know, the 4.7-inch handset is sold for $649 to $849 and the 5.5-inch smartphone - for $749 to $949.

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Yesterday I told you that it is possible to bend the iPhone 6 Plus while carrying it in the pocket of pants all the time. Today, a guy named Lou (from Unbox Therapy) decided to prove or refute the rumors and took his own iPhone 6 Plus to the ultimate bend test. As it turned out, it was a bad idea.

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According to the latest report from Re/code, the guys from Cupertino are planning to launch their revamped streaming music service with a new branding next year. To be more precise, this will happen during the 2015 Grammy Awards in February. Looks like Apple won’t shut or rename the recently-acquired Beats Music service until that time. A piece of good news for all Beats fans, right?

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