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.

Fantastical for Mac and iPhone on sale for a limited time

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 19, 2018

Ok, this is getting a bit out of hand. After the EA sale, and the Disney and Warner Bros. sale, and the App Santa sale, I'm just not sure how many more purchases my wallet can handle. Luckily, I already own two of the three apps we're going to be talking about this morning.

Flexibits announced via their Twitter account last night that they have placed all of their apps on sale for the holidays. That means that for a limited time, you can snag the popular Fantastical app for Mac and iPhone, as well as the Chatology messaging app, at a nice discount...

Google Play Music app updated with new UI for iOS 7 and other improvements

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Folks trying out Google's recently-released Play Music app for iOS will be happy to hear that a new version popped up late last night. The update, which brings the app to 1.1.0.988, brings about a refreshed UI and a handful of new features.

Among the new features is support for 'I'm feeling lucky' radio, which builds an instant playlist based on your listening habits, and other new radio options. Users now have access to Genre radio stations and the ability to search for them...

Snapchat updated with photo filters, message replays and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

In an odd late-Friday release, Snapchat has posted a new version of its popular iOS messaging client this evening. The update, which brings the app to version 6.1, is fairly significant as it adds camera filters, message replays and other new features.

For the new filters, you can pick between black and white, sepia and vintage, and you can also add data points like time, weather, and how fast you were going when you took the photo. And as for the new Replay feature, it lets you take a second look...

Give your iPhone the power of wireless charging with the iQi Mobile

Cody Lee ∙ Updated June 14, 2016

Despite a number of rumors and patent filings, Apple has yet to give any of its iOS devices the power of wireless charging. While many manufacturers have built the technology into their handsets, iPhones continue to use the plug-n-charge approach.

Luckily, for those looking for wireless charging, there are a handful of third party options available. And today, we're going to talk about a new one called iQi Mobile. It's a Qi standard wireless charging receiver, with a unique, ultra-thin flexible design...

EU lawmakers drafting legislation that could force Apple to change its Lightning plug

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 9, 2016

EU lawmakers agreed yesterday to draft legislation that will force all mobile phone manufacturers to consent to the use of a common standard for battery chargers which can fit any device. The draft could be voted on by the EU Parliament as early as March 2014.

While many see this as a huge win for consumers, who would no longer have to purchase new charging accessories for different devices, it would be a huge blow to Apple. The company uses a propriety plug, the Lightning connector, in all of its iOS product lines...

Nintendo warming up to idea of producing content for mobile devices

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Industry watchers have been making the case for Nintendo to bring some of its storied games over to mobile for years now. The Wii U isn't selling very well, and many think that focusing on software—particularly for smartphones and tablets—is the answer to its struggles.

And up until now, the company has responded to the idea with a resounding 'no, never going to happen.' But it would seem that the tide has begun to turn. In a recent interview, the Nintendo America President said they're experimenting with smartphone and tablet content...

Disney, Warner Bros. and others join EA in holiday game sale

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 27, 2019

Following the lead of Electronic Arts, a number of game publishers and developers have heavily discounted their most popular iOS titles for the holidays. They're hoping to take advantage of all the new iPhones and iPads set to be gifted in the next week.

Disney and Warner Bros. are among those participating in the big sale, as are Square Enix, Activision and many others. And many popular games like Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour, Deus Ex: The Fall and Infinity Blade III have been heavily discounted...

BlackBerry: upcoming BBM app update to add Voice, Channels and more

Cody Lee ∙ December 20, 2013

Good news out there for the handful of you that are using the iOS BBM client. BlackBerry has announced that it is working on a major update for the app that is going to add a number new features and improvements.

Among the new features are BBM Voice, which will let you make free voice calls to any contact, anywhere in the world, and something called Channels, which are like little mini chatrooms. More details after the fold...

Weak iPhone 5c demand possible factor in missing China Mobile deal

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

The entire tech world let out a simultaneous gasp when China Mobile launched its 4G network on Wednesday and made no mention of the iPhone. Up until then we had seen a flurry of reports and evidence suggesting that Apple had finally reached a deal with the carrier.

But clearly that's not the case, and the big question now is: what's the holdup? Well according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the deal may have been slowed by unexpectedly weak demand for the iPhone 5c versus the iPhone 5s among China Mobile customers...

Halfbrick’s Colossatron: Massive World Threat now available in the App Store

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

It seems like today has been a big day for game releases. Cut the Rope 2 landed in the App Store this morning, followed by Sony's new Ratchet & Clank game. And now we have a new release from Halfbrick Studios.

For those unfamiliar with Halfbrick, they're behind several very successful mobile games including Jetpack Joyride and Fruit Ninja. And today they're out with a new iOS title called Colossatron: Massive World Threat...

Olloclip introduces new 3-in-1 photo lens for the iPhone 5c

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

Olloclip, the makers of the widely popular clip-on iPhone lens kits, has announced a new accessory just in time for the holidays. It's a 3-in-1 photo lens made specifically for Apple's just-released iPhone 5c handset.

The new kit features familiar attachments—a macro lens, a fisheye lens and a wide-angle lens—and comes in the 5 colors of the iPhone 5c. And, like its 5/5s counterpart, it's made of very high quality materials...

First OS X 10.9.2 beta seeded to developers

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Apple has seeded the first OS X 10.9.2 beta to registered Mac developers this afternoon. The release comes just three days after the public version of OS X 10.9.1 hit the Mac App Store.

The new build is available to registered developers through the Software Update tab in the Mac App Store, or as a full download via the Mac section of Apple's online developer portal...