Cody Lee

Cody Lee, iDownloadBlog.com’s longest-serving Editor, joined the site in 2008. He specializes in uncovering the best deals on Apple products, apps, and accessories. With years of experience in technology journalism, Cody helps readers save money while staying informed about the latest trends and updates in the Apple ecosystem. Cody’s history with smartphones goes almost as far back as he does. As the son of a Nokia employee, he was exposed early on to handsets like the N91 and the Communicator. He has since been involved in nearly every aspect of the mobile phone industry. While going to college, he worked at a Nokia factory, building handsets, and later moved on to a sales position at a major wireless carrier.

ZAGG offering 20% off everything sitewide this week

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 8, 2017

Folks who picked up a new smartphone or tablet over the holidays, or are just in the market for some new accessories, will want to visit ZAGG's online store this week. From now through January 9th, the manufacturer is offering 20% off of everything sitewide.

ZAGG makes a wide variety of products for both iOS and Android devices, including headphones, cases and of course the InvisibleShield screen protectors. It also has a line of highly regarded tablet keyboards, which will see significant discounts during this promo.

Apple now offering SIM-free iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models in the US starting at $649

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

As expected, Apple has begun offering SIM-free models of its new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus handsets in the United States this morning. The company unveiled the two devices in early September, and launched carrier versions of them later that month for Verizon, Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile.

Pricing for the new unlocked iPhones falls in line with Apple's past behaviors, with the 16GB model of the iPhone 6 starting at $649 and each storage tier jump adding an additional $100. The larger iPhone 6 Plus also adds $100 for each tier, so the 128GB model will cost you $949.

EA posts new trailer for upcoming game ‘Need for Speed: No Limits’

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

EA mobile today posted what it is calling the "Official Gameplay Teaser" for its upcoming Need for Speed: No Limits title. Like the previous teaser, it runs about 30 seconds long, but this time there's a lot more in-game footage, and a lot less Ken Block.

Unsurprisingly, the new Need for Speed is being built by Firemonkeys, the combined teams of Firemint and IronMonkey Studios, who both have extensive backgrounds in racing. The game will have a heavy focus on street racing and vehicle customization.

Apple to announce Q1 2015 earnings on January 27

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 20, 2018

Apple just announced via its Investor Relations portal that it will be announcing the financial results for its first fiscal quarter of 2015 on Tuesday, January 27. As usual, the company will be hosting a conference call to discuss its earnings, beginning at 2:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. ET.

Apple to begin selling SIM-free iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models in the US this week

Cody Lee ∙ January 5, 2015

Apple will begin selling fully unlocked, SIM-free iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models in the United States this week, according to a new report from 9to5Mac. Citing sources familiar with the launch, the site's Mark Gurman says that the unlocked iPhones will be available starting January 6th via Apple's online and retail stores.

Montblanc debuts new ‘e-Strap’ smart band for traditional watches

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Luxury brand Montblanc has announced its first foray into the booming wearables market with the 'e-Strap'. The German company, which is known for making fine pens, watches and other jewelry, hopes the accessory will allow traditional mechanical watches and wearable tech to co-exist.

The e-Strap is an Italian leather watch band that features an embedded tracker with a tiny 0.9-inch monochromatic OLED touchscreen display (128x36). That display is capable of showing activity-tracking data and a variety of push notifications from a connected iPhone, or similar device.

Heads Up and Facebook Messenger among most downloaded iOS apps in 2014

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

Apple has shared some cumulative end-of-the-year lists for best performing iOS apps of 2014. The lists, which have been posted in the App Store, include top paid apps for iPhone and iPad, top free apps for iPhone and iPad, and the top grossing apps for iPhone and iPad.

There aren't too many surprises here, with familiar names like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat ranking high. Still, it's interesting to see which titles had major success this year, and which ones didn't. Below you'll find the top 10 apps from each of the categories.

Parking garage and event theater beginning to take shape on Campus 2

Cody Lee ∙ December 23, 2014

Apple's Campus 2 continues to take shape, as evidenced in the latest drone footage. The folks over at AppleInsider used their DJI Phantom 2 Vision Plus to capture new video showing the continued progress of the construction site, which now has large amounts of concrete poured and several cranes moving about.

The earth-built ramps previously used to gain access to the site are now gone, and work on an underground channel access has begun. The plan is to connect the main employee entrance off of Wolfe Road to the garage underneath the main Campus 2 building, as well as the two above-ground parking garages.

Apple-backed Rockstar consortium agrees to sell bulk of patents, end lawsuits

Cody Lee ∙ December 23, 2014

The Apple-backed Rockstar consortium has agreed to sell off more than 4,000 patents from its IP portfolio to RPX Corp. for $900 million. The move will effectively end several high-profile lawsuits filed by Rockstar, and is another sign that patent wars are starting to cool in Silicon Valley.

To that end, it's worth noting that the $900 million offer is substantially less than the $4.5 billion the consortium paid for the full portfolio just 4 years ago, and that RPX is a San Francisco-based patent clearinghouse, which helps companies protect themselves against patent litigation.

New report claims Apple is considering return of 4-inch iPhone in 2015

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

A new report claims Apple is considering the return of the 4-inch iPhone in 2015. In a note to investors (via AppleInsider), analyst Timothy Arcuri of Cowen and Company said he believes Apple could launch three new versions of its handset next year.

Citing sources in the Asian supply chain, Arcuri calls the 4-inch device the "iPhone 6s mini," and says it will likely feature specs similar to the iPhone 5s. Additionally, the phone will sport improved internals, and a curved design akin to the iPhone 6.

CNN names Tim Cook ‘CEO of the Year’

Cody Lee ∙ December 23, 2014

Time Warner's Cable News Network (or CNN) has named Tim Cook its "CEO of the Year" for 2014. Cook finished ahead of several other high profile chief executives including Meg Whitman of HP, T-Mobile's John Legere and Yahoo's Marissa Mayer.

CNN justifies its picking of Tim Cook for the prestigious honor by pointing to his company's stock performance this year. "Apple is the apple of Wall Street's eye again" the outlet says, noting that shares of AAPL are up 40% in 2014 an near all-time highs.

Tempo Smart Calendar updated with widget, interactive notifications and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Tempo Smart Calendar for iOS just received a big update, bringing the app to version 1.6. The update allows the app to take full advantage of the new functionality in iOS 8, adding a new Notification Center widget and support for interactive notifications.

With the new Tempo Widget, users can see their upcoming events, as well as information about their next immediate meeting. And with interactive notifications, users can get directions, dial-in to conference calls, and check on things like their flight status.