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.

Sapphire compared to Gorilla Glass in durability test

Cody Lee ∙ August 29, 2014

The repair experts over at uBreakiFix have posted a video comparing the durability of smartphone displays made of sapphire and Gorilla Glass. The comparison comes amidst ongoing speculation that the upcoming iPhone 6 may feature a sapphire screen.

Results from the test may surprise you, as although the sapphire display did prove to be significantly more scratch resistant than Gorilla Glass, it was also far more susceptible to impact breaks due to its stiffness and brittleness. Watch the full video below.

T-Mobile sends out invites for September 10th ‘Uncarrier 7.0’ event

Cody Lee ∙ August 29, 2014

T-Mobile today sent out invitations to a media event scheduled for September 10th—notably the day after Apple's iPhone keynote. As you can see in the image above provided by TmoNews, the invite reads "This time it's personal," with "7.0" printed largely in the background.

The event will be held in San Francisco, at the T-Mobile store on the corner of Market and 3rd street, and begins at 1 pm on the aforementioned date. There's no word on what will be discussed, but T-Mobile usually uses these occasions to make major strategic announcements.

iPhone 6 built from various leaked parts partially boots up on video

Cody Lee ∙ August 29, 2014

Modified iPhone vendor Feld & Volk has posted a video this afternoon of what is believed to be a complete 4.7-inch iPhone 6. The firm, which has demonstrated its ability to get its hands on rare parts in the past, says it constructed the device from leaked parts.

We've seen a plethora of these leaked parts over the past few weeks, as Apple suppliers are presumably ramping up next-gen iPhone production ahead of next month's event. But this is the first time we've ever seen the handset wholly assembled, and turned on.

Apple reportedly working with NXP on NFC solution for iPhone 6

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

The Financial Times is reporting this morning that Apple has tapped Dutch chipmaker NXP to produce NFC chips for the upcoming iPhone 6. Citing several people familiar with the project, the site claims the secure, short-range wireless technology will facilitate transactions in a new mobile payment service.

The report doesn't add much in the way of new details, but it does corroborate with the ongoing consensus that after shunning the technology for several years, Apple has finally decided to add NFC to its handsets. Wired and Recode had similar scoops yesterday, as did well-connected blogger John Gruber.

New reports suggest only more expensive 4.7-inch iPhone 6 to be unveiled next month

Cody Lee ∙ Updated September 26, 2016

Apple this morning sent out invitations for a media event on September 9th, where the company is expected to unveil the iPhone 6 and a new wearable device. We've heard conflicting theories on whether or not we'll see one or two new handsets on stage, but a new report out this afternoon suggests the former.

According to website GforGames, "informed sources" are telling Chinese media outlets that only the 4.7-inch version of the iPhone 6 will make an appearance at the event, alongside a new 5s model with 8GB of storage. Apparently the larger 5.5-inch iPhone will make its debut later this year in limited quantities.

Instagram is down, it’s not just you! [update: it’s back]

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 11, 2016

If you've noticed that Instagram isn't working properly this afternoon, it's not just you. Several users have taken to Twitter to complain that the popular image-sharing service is down, and a few of us here at iDB have confirmed the outage.

While parts of the app are still working for some folks, it seems that the Explore tab isn't loading for most users, and many are having issues getting their personal feeds to load. We're also seeing '503 Service Unavailable' in the News tab.

Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Cody Lee ∙ August 28, 2014

Apple has named Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage it's App of the Week for this week. This means that from now through next Thursday, you’ll be able to pick up the popular game for both iPhone and iPad for free—a decent savings of $1.

For those who aren't familiar with the game, it was created by Angry Birds hit-maker Rovio Entertainment and Nitrome. It's essentially a Cut The Rope-style physics-based puzzler, which has you rescuing vikings from blocks of ice.

Bioshock now available in the App Store for $14.99

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 30, 2018

Heads up gamers, a major new title has landed on iOS this evening. The official mobile port of 2K Game's Bioshock—thought by some to be one of the best first person shooters of all time—is now available in the App Store, for both the iPhone and iPad, for $15.

For those unfamiliar with the game, it's set in an underwater Utopia in the midst of a civil war. You play as Jack, a cast-away from an airplane crash who finds himself trapped in this mysterious world filled with powerful technology and fascinating characters.

Starbucks offering free month of Lumosity Premium as its ‘Pick of the Week’

Cody Lee ∙ August 27, 2014

Heads up US-based readers, Starbucks is currently offering a free month of Lumosity's Premium service as its App Store 'Pick of the Week.' The promotion is worth a solid savings of $15, and opens up additional games and features for an already extremely popular app.

For those unfamiliar with Lumosity, it's essentially "sophisticated, scientifically designed brain training for anyone." The iOS app, which currently has a 5-star rating on 85K+ reviews, offers games that help improve skills in the areas of memory, problem-solving and more.

Apple once again denied US sales ban on select Samsung devices

Cody Lee ∙ August 27, 2014

Apple has once again been shot down by US District Judge Lucy Koh in its ongoing effort to win a sales ban on Samsung devices. In San Jose, California today, Koh denied the Cupertino company's latest bid to ban select Samsung smartphones.

Despite two US juries finding multiple Samsung products to be infringing on its patents, Apple has seen little success in its injunction attempts. This time, the company had hoped to make its request more viable, asking for a "narrowly tailored" ban.

‘Madden NFL Mobile’ is now available in the App Store

Cody Lee ∙ August 26, 2014

Just in time for NFL season, EA Sports has released a mobile version of its latest Madden NFL game, aptly-named 'Madden NFL Mobile.' The release coincides with the game's highly-anticipated console release, which began hitting store shelves early this morning.

The good news is, it appears that EA has really improved graphics and animations over last year's mobile Madden title. The bad news, however, is that not much else has changed. The game still requires an Internet connection, and it's littered with in-app purchases.

New ad formats coming to iAd: pre-roll video and full-screen interstitials

Cody Lee ∙ August 26, 2014

Apple announced to iOS developers today that it has enabled new ad formats that could help them generate more revenue. Developers can now add pre-roll video and full-screen advertisements to their apps, via iAd.

The news makes good on a report from back in March, which said the ads would be capable of interrupting a user in-app. It's more likely, however, that the ads will play at moments of transition, such as at the end of a level.