Year: 2016

Why Apple shouldn’t pass on the rumored Jet White iPhone 7

Steffen Reich ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

On Tuesday, Apple afficionados were treated to a new wave of white shell iPhone 7 mock-ups and purported leaks hitting the internet, advancing the notion that the Cupertino-based company could plan to release a white counterpart to their Jet Black coating some time around March 2017.

From an aesthetic standpoint, everyone is going to have their two cents on the necessity of it in the grand scheme of things. Simply by moving the discussion from the fashion sphere to the finance department though, the ambivalence in regard to whether or not this iPhone release is genuinely necessary quickly crumbles and clearly comes down on one side of the fence.

As we will learn in late January, Apple’s first quarter of the fiscal year 2017 is going to look after itself nicely, but in view of the Q2 figures and a long summer following, Jet White definitely needs to happen. Two key reasons must be paid attention to in order to understand the imperative of a Jet White iPhone for a healthier bottom line in the fiscal year of 2017.

NYT details Foxconn’s Zhengzhou facility that manufactures iPhones on a massive scale

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 29, 2016

Most of the iPhone models Apple develops, markets and sells are being assembled by Foxconn, the world's leading contract manufacturer. In a new investigative piece, The New York Times newspaper delves into the inner workings of Foxconn's iPhone manufacturing plant in Zhengzhou, a city of six million people in an impoverished region of China.

Fun fact: the world’s biggest iPhone factory, referred to as “iPhone City” by the locals, is capable of churning out half a million iPhones per day at peak.

Sign up on Google Play Store to be notified when Super Mario Run launches on Android

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 29, 2016

Following its December 15 debut on App Store, Nintendo's one-handed side-scrolling platformer Super Mario Run will be coming to Android sooner than later: you can now pre-register on Google's Play Store to be alerted when the game is available to download.

Super Mario Run is free to download on iPhone, with a $9.99 In-App Purchase required to unlock the 24 levels across six worlds.

Sharp working to secure iPhone camera lens orders from Apple

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 29, 2016

According to Japanese outlet Nikkei, cited by DigiTimes, Sharp is hoping to secure some camera lens orders from Apple for future iPhones. To boost its chances of cutting a lucrative deal with Apple, Sharp is now speculated to increase its investment in Japan-based lens module maker Kantatsu, in which it currently holds a 44 percent stake.

Sharp would need to compete with Taiwan-based Largan Precision, which currently supplies iPhone camera lens modules in volume. Sharp is owned by Foxconn, the world's top contract manufacturer that assembles iPhones.

Samsung rumored to be lone supplier of AMOLED panels for 5.8-inch iPhone 8

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 29, 2016

Barclays Research analysts think Apple might offer iPhone 8 in two screen sizes, one measuring five inches diagonally and the other 5.8 inches. DigiTimes claimed in March that Apple had picked Samsung Display as the main supplier of 5.8-inch AMOLEDs.

In a follow-up report Thursday, DigiTimes reiterated that Samsung Display will be Apple's exclusive supplier of 5.8-inch AMOLED display panels for iPhone 8.

Consumer Reports reportedly stands by its controversial MacBook Pro battery findings

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 29, 2016

As you probably heard, the influential consumer organization Consumer Reports is not recommending Apple's new MacBook Pro due to inconsistent battery performance. Apple's marketing honcho Phill Schiller responded by saying that the product-testing magazine's test results don't match the company's own data. 9to5Mac reached out to Consumer Reports to learn more about their findings, here's what the magazine had to say.

Reminisce more efficiently with ‘Show Photos from this Day’ in iOS

Steffen Reich ∙ Updated February 26, 2024

The holidays are a natural time to sit down with friends or loved ones and flip through all of your photos ad nauseam. iDB features help and guides aplenty for confident navigation of the Camera and Photos app, however one little trick has managed to fly under the radar for many, albeit its capability to save you valuable time when browsing your compendium of years and years of photos.

The tutorial below will teach you how to ask your iPhone or iPad to show you all remaining photos captured on the same day the footage you were initially looking at has been taken. In simpler words, say you are laughing at a vacation video taken at the pool and want to reminisce what else went on that day - here is what you should do instead of going back to your collection and painstakingly scanning your catalogue for that day.

StatusFolder displays the Status Bar even when you’re in a folder

Anthony Bouchard ∙ December 29, 2016

Just yesterday we showed you a tweak that brought the Status Bar to the App Switcher on jailbroken iOS 10 devices, and if you’ve gotten used to seeing it there already, you probably wish you could see it in your folders too.

A newly released jailbreak tweak in Cydia called StatusFolder adds the Status Bar to the iOS folder interface whenever you’re peering inside folders to search through the apps within them.

Cuttlefish tints 3D Touch menu backgrounds on the Home screen to match the app color

Anthony Bouchard ∙ December 29, 2016

Those who use 3D Touch to access the Home screen menu shortcuts from application icons know its usefulness for getting to specific app actions quickly. On the other hand, all of the 3D Touch Home screen menus are pretty bland, and no matter what app you use the 3D Touch gesture on, the menu is always the same color.

A new free jailbreak tweak called Cuttlefish aims to change that by dynamically colorizing the menu background blur to match the dominant color of the application icon you’re using the 3D Touch gesture on.

Prometheus downgrade tool released: here is what you need to know

Joaquim Barbosa ∙ December 28, 2016

Today hacker tihmstar released his tool Prometheus, which can be used (in some cases), to upgrade or downgrade iOS to currently unsigned firmwares. The tool is not foolproof however, so in this article I'll briefly explain what its limitations are and how to follow tihmstar's guidance on the tool.

How to use your Apple AirPods like a pro

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated September 21, 2020

So you've treated yourself to a nice pair of AirPods, Apple's Bluetooth earbuds based on custom silicon that enables low power consumption, reliable connections, automatic pairing, Hey Siri and other perks. To master them, follow our tutorial showing you how to use your AirPods like a pro.

Cook says AirPods are a runaway success

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 28, 2016

Asked by CNBC to share some thoughts in terms of AirPods, Apple's boss Tim Cook responded by calling his company's first Bluetooth earphones “a runaway success”. The CEO visited the floor of the New York Stock Exchange earlier this morning while on vacation.

“We're making them just as fast as we can,” Cook responded when asked about the lack of available stock. Cook also shared a few tidbits regarding Apple's holiday sales in a quick interview with CNBC.