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.

Pokemon Trading Card Game coming to iPad

Cody Lee ∙ August 16, 2014

Good news Pokémon fans, the company is bringing its popular Trading Card Game to the iPad. While we've seen several Pokémon and Pokemon-related apps released for Apple devices, this will be the first time that a full game from the franchise has landed on iOS.

That's the actual title in action shown in the photo above. A beta version of the game is being shown off to some attendees at The Pokémon World Championship, which takes place this weekend at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C...

New photos claim to show 5.5-inch iPhone 6 display, logic board and battery

Cody Lee ∙ August 16, 2014

Some new photos popped up online this evening, showing what are said to be components for the 5.5-inch version of the iPhone 6. The claim is significant, as unlike the 4.7-inch model, we've seen just a handful of parts belonging to the larger handset.

Among the parts are a display panel, logic board, and perhaps more interesting, a battery. The battery runs at 4.35 volts, and has a capacity of 2,915 mAH. If legit, this would put the 5.5-inch iPhone ahead of the Samsung Galaxy S5 in terms of battery size...

Apple working with Quanta to correct labor violations found in FLA report

Cody Lee ∙ August 15, 2014

Apple is once again being criticized for the behavior of one of its Asian supply chain partners. The Fair Labor Association (or FLA) has released a new report, auditing two factories operated by the company's partner Quanta, and it found quite a bit of non-compliance at both facilities.

The issues detailed in the report range from inappropriate recruitment fees, to extended overtime. In fact, the FLA found that 62% of Quanta employees at its Changshu plant failed to receive mandatory rest days at least once over a three-month period during the fourth quarter of 2012...

Apple adds Beats Music to ‘Apps Made by Apple’ section in App Store

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Following its addition to the 'new user' prompt in the App Store earlier this week, Apple has added the Beats Music iOS client to the 'Apps Made by Apple' section of its digital storefront. The move comes just two weeks after the two companies made the acquisition official.

If you've never seen the section, you can find it in under the Quick Links portal of the App Store—either on the right-hand side of the desktop version, or the very bottom of the iPhone version. And it houses a number of Apple's iOS apps including iBooks, Podcasts, and Remote...

Shareholder files class action suit against Apple over anti-poaching agreements

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

It looks like tech employees aren't the only ones upset with Apple's anti-poaching agreements. Shareholder R. Andre Klein has filed a class action lawsuit against the Cupertino company, saying the deals caused it to grossly mismanage its assets, mislead its investors, and hurt its overall value.

According to the filing, Klein is suing on behalf of all Apple shareholders and has named a number of its executives as individual defendants including Tim Cook, and even the late Steve Jobs. He is seeking a jury trial, and asking for a settlement that would resolve "millions of dollars in damages."

Samsung acquires smart home startup SmartThings for $200 million

Cody Lee ∙ August 15, 2014

With much of the ‘next big thing in tech’ talk focused on wearables and mobile payments, it’s easy to forget about the connected home. But all of the major tech companies are making major moves in this space, including Google, Apple and now Samsung.

Following Google’s Nest acquisition and Apple’s HomeKit unveiling, Samsung announced this week that it has purchased smart home startup—and former Kickstarter sensation—SmartThings. The money is said to be in the neighborhood of $200 million...

Vimeo app updated with new uploading, private sharing options

Cody Lee ∙ August 15, 2014

Vimeo users will be happy to hear that the video site has rolled out a new build of its iOS client. The update brings the app to version 4.2, and it brings about new video upload and private sharing options, as well as new find and follow features.

With Vimeo 4.2 on iPhone and iPad, you can now upload videos from your device’s Camera Roll, straight to Vimeo from within the app. You can also now share videos with people you follow on Vimeo privately, so they won’t show up in your feed…

Beats Music posts video celebrating Spike Lee’s ‘Do the Right Thing’ film

Cody Lee ∙ August 14, 2014

Apple's recently acquired Beats Music has posted a new video on its YouTube channel this evening. The 22-minute-long clip is called 'Do The Right Thing 25 Year Anniversary: A Beats Music Experience,' and it's a documentary that revisits the cast and location of Spike Lee's popular film.

As the name suggests, the video celebrates the 25th anniversary of 'Do The Right Thing,' a 1989 film about the consequences of hate and bigotry in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York. The movie was controversial, but received critical acclaim and a number of major awards...

Tom Hanks promotes new iPad app in App Store interview

Cody Lee ∙ August 14, 2014

Here's something you don't hear every day. Actor Tom Hanks participated in an App Store interview this afternoon, in an effort to promote his new iPad app 'Hanx Writer.' The conversation happened via Twitter, with Mr. Hanks answering questions asked by the official App Store account.

Hanx Writer aims to recreate the experience of a manual typewriter on the iPad, with authentic sounds and graphics. And while there are already a host of similar apps on the App Store, early reviews say that none of them come close to Hanx in terms of polish and attention to detail...

‘Epoch 2’ goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Cody Lee ∙ August 14, 2014

Apple has just named Epoch 2, by Uppercut Games, its 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 solid savings of $5.

For those who haven’t played it before, Epoch 2 continues the post-apocalyptic storyline of the original with new weapons and gameplay modes. New players will enjoy its sharp graphics, engaging plot and deceptively simple gameplay...

WSJ: higher-end 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 models to get sapphire displays

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

The Wall Street Journal reports this afternoon that Apple plans to use sapphire crystal displays in higher-end models of both the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 models this fall. The news directly contradicts recent reports, which said the company had scrapped such plans due to complexity and cost.

According to today's report, though, the firm is still very much pondering the idea, and plans to move forward with it if it can get enough sapphire produced in time for launch. The outlet says that Apple may charge more for the phones due to the material's higher costs, a long-running theory this year...

New close-up photos show iPhone 6 front panel, power button and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

As production for the iPhone 6 begins to ramp up ahead of next month's unveiling, we're starting to see more and more part leaks for the highly anticipated handset. We've seen several over the last few days, and this afternoon, new photos of alleged components surfaced.

This latest batch gives us a close-up look at what is said to be the front panel and display assembly for the 4.7-inch model of the iPhone 6, with its very clearly tapered edges. The photos also show the new Power button, which is expected to be relocated, and its Mute Switch...