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.

Apple offers peek at iPhone stress testing process

Cody Lee ∙ September 25, 2014

Apple invited a handful of reporters to visit its iPhone testing facility in Cupertino on Thursday, to offer a peek at where and how it puts its handsets through the paces. The move comes in response to growing concerns over "bending issues" with the new iPhone 6 Plus, following this YouTube video.

The facility sits a few blocks away from Apple's Cupertino campus, and contains a lot of equipment for testing the strength and durability of the iPhone. Here, engineers for the company put handsets through a variety of tests including torsion (or twisting) and pressure, to make sure they will hold up.

FBI director says he’s ‘very concerned’ about new privacy features in iOS 8

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

The FBI is very concerned with the new privacy features Apple is touting in iOS 8, the organization's director James Comey told The Huffington Post on Thursday. In particular, he's concerned the company is marketing something "expressly to allow people to place themselves above the law."

Comey's remarks follow Apple's move last week to be more transparent and informative about its user privacy policies. In a new webpage on the topic, the Cupertino firm said it no longer stores encryption keys for devices running iOS 8, meaning it can't bypass pass codes—even under subpoena.

Mattel’s Whac A Mole goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 30, 2018

Apple has named Mattel's 'Whac A Mole' its App of the Week for this week. This means that from now through next Thursday, you’ll be able to pick up the title for both your iPhone and iPad, for free—which will save you a buck.

For those unfamiliar with it, Whac A Mole is essentially a touchscreen take on the classic arcade game with the same name. Players are given a mallet and tasked with navigating their way through 60+ levels by...whacking moles.

Apple responds to bending iPhone concerns, says only 9 people have complained

Cody Lee ∙ September 25, 2014

Apple has officially commented on the ongoing bending iPhone 6 controversy, saying that an iPhone bending with normal use is "extremely rare." In a quote to the Financial Times, a spokesperson for the company said that only 9 people have complained of the issue since the 6 and 6 Plus went on sale last Friday.

Expert says Touch ID has improved with iPhone 6, but is still vulnerable to hack

Cody Lee ∙ September 24, 2014

Touch ID in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus has improved, but it's still vulnerable to attack according to Lookout Mobile Security researcher Marc Rogers. Rogers says that the same fake fingerprint hack he used to bypass Touch ID on the iPhone 5s works flawlessly on the new handsets.

The improvement comes in the form of better accuracy, thanks to its higher resolution scanner, which Rogers has found makes it harder to clone fingerprints. But, he says, Apple has done nothing to tighten up Touch ID's security in the iPhone 6, leaving the door open for determined hackers.

Don’t update to iOS 8.0.1

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 15, 2023

Warning: we are noticing that after installing iOS 8.0.1, our iPhones are showing 'no service' and Touch ID no longer works. We've confirmed this with several readers as well, so until we know more, we recommend holding off on the update. Video below.

Apple has released iOS 8.0.1 to the public this morning. The update comes exactly one week after the official iOS 8 release, and includes a myriad of bug fixes pertaining to third-party keyboards, the Reachability feature for newer iPhones, and uploading content in Safari.

Another notable item in the 8.0.1 change log is that the bug that prevented HealthKit-enabled apps from entering the App Store has been remedied. Apple says that it will now start approving HealthKit apps, meaning it shouldn't be too long before they start popping up.

Photo comparisons show how the iPhone’s camera has evolved over the years

Cody Lee ∙ September 23, 2014

The folks over at Taptaptap, the creators of Camera+, have posted an interesting set of photo comparisons, showing how the iPhone's camera has evolved over the years. Included in the set are photos taken using Camera+ on the original iPhone, iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S, 5, 5s and the new iPhone 6, in various situations.

Your $650 iPhone 6 only cost Apple around $200 to build

Cody Lee ∙ September 23, 2014

Your $650+ iPhone 6 (or $199+ with carrier contract) only cost Apple around $200 to build, according to a new report from Recode. Using teardown data from research firm IHS, the site says that the Cupertino firm spends between $200 and $247 in parts and labor to build an iPhone 6.

For the larger iPhone 6 Plus, IHS says that Apple spends between $216 and $263 on parts and labor, depending on the model. The estimates include the cost of labor associated with assembly as between $4 and $4.50 for each device, but not R&D, shipping, marketing and other affiliated costs.

Riffsy launches customizable GIF keyboard for iOS 8

Cody Lee ∙ September 23, 2014

Riffsy has added to the onslaught of third party keyboards we've seen since iOS 8 launched last week with its new GIF Keyboard. It installs natively, and as the name suggests, it allows you to quickly send a variety of animated GIFs directly from your keyboard.

While it may sound gimmicky, the app has a library of "millions" of GIFs that Riffsy has collected over the past year. And since many of them are tagged with hashtags, it's actually pretty easy to search for and find a specific GIF that conveys your current mood.

Apple rumored to unveil rebranded Beats Music service in February

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 20, 2018

Following up on yesterday's news that Apple is looking to sunset the Beats Music brand, Recode reports today that Apple has picked a timeframe for when it wants to unveil the new service. The site says it hopes to make the introduction sometime in early February, possibly time to the Grammy Awards.

Recode's John Paczkowski hedges on the claim, calling it "a guess backed up by some industry scuttlebutt," but given his track record in predicting Apple's plans, we'd be crazy not to pay attention. The one thing he hasn't heard, however, is what the company plans on calling the new subscription service.

iOS 8.0.1 said to bring fixes for bugs in keyboard, Safari, Phone and more

Cody Lee ∙ September 23, 2014

Apple has provided carrier partners with a pre-release version of iOS 8.0.1, reports MacRumors. This means that, barring any major issues, the public release shouldn't be far behind, and it sounds like it's going to include a number of bug fixes.

According to the site, iOS 8.0.1 will address the bug in mobile Safari that causes some videos not to play, and one that prevents Passbook passes from being shared over AirDrop. It will also address an issue with installing VPN profiles, and more.

Apple posts two new iPhone 6 ads: “Cameras” and “Huge”

Cody Lee ∙ September 22, 2014

Apple has posted two new iPhone 6 ads to its YouTube channel. The commercials are titled "Cameras" and "Huge," and they highlight some of the benefits of the updated cameras and larger displays found on the recently-launched handsets.

The two videos are very much inline with the spots we saw during the iPhone 6 event, in that they feature voice overs done by celebrities Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon running down various new features of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.