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.

SoftBank completes Sprint buyout, drops the ‘Nextel’ name

Cody Lee ∙ July 11, 2013

It's official. Sprint Nextel is now simply Sprint Corporation, as SoftBank completes its high-profile buyout of the wireless provider. Japan’s third-largest carrier now owns a controlling stake in the United States' third-largest carrier. Fitting, isn't it?

The deal, which has been in negotiations since last fall, is worth some $21.6 billion. $5 billion of it is being used as a cash infusion to take on future projects, and the other $16.6 billion is going to Sprint shareholders. And Nextel? It's gone for good...

Disney to honor Steve Jobs with prestigious ‘Legends’ award

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Disney announced its 2013 Disney Legends Award honorees today. The awards will be presented next month at Disney's D23 expo, a 3-day event held for fans, giving them a rare opportunity to be a part of the always touching and memorable presentation.

The Legends award is the media conglomerate's highest and most coveted honor, and is reserved for extraordinary visionaries and artists behind the "Disney magic." This year's honorees include the likes of Dick Clark, John Goodman, and yes, Steve Jobs...

Apple to finally make shift to IGZO displays next year

Cody Lee ∙ July 10, 2013

According to a new report, upcoming iPads and MacBook laptops should feature significantly better battery life thanks to their use of IGZO display panels. The technology, which uses indium gallium zinc oxide, was co-developed by Sharp and Semiconductor Energy Laboratories.

Apple has long been rumored to adopt the use of IGZO display panels in its mobile products, but production issues and other barriers have prevented this from happening. But if today's news holds true, that could change as early as this year thanks to supply chain advancements...

Facebook app updated with new icons for verified accounts and more

Cody Lee ∙ July 10, 2013

Facebook has posted a small update for its iOS application this afternoon, bringing the mobile client to version 6.3. The update only brings about a handful of improvements, but one of them could have major implications for the social network.

New in version 6.3 are blue check mark icons for verified accounts—similar to what you see on Twitter. This makes it easier to find pages of celebrities, public figures and brands that have been officially confirmed and authenticated by Facebook...

Foxconn said to be hiring workers to build next-gen iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ July 10, 2013

According to a new report, Foxconn—Apple's go-to manufacturing partner for many of its iOS devices—has begun hiring workers to help it produce the next-generation iPhone. A recruiting firm that works with the company has reportedly started large-scale recruitment.

The boost in hiring makes sense, as recent reports suggest that Apple has begun ramping up production of its next-gen handset ahead of what is expected to be a fall launch. We saw a similar bolster in Foxconn's workforce ahead of the iPhone 5's launch last summer...

Apple asks ITC for stay on sales ban affecting older iOS devices

Cody Lee ∙ July 10, 2013

Apple has asked the United States International Trade Commission (or ITC) to stay a ban on sales of older iPhone and iPads while a court considers an appeal. The company filed a motion on Monday arguing that the ban, which is the result of a Samsung patent infringement complaint, will 'sweep away an entire segment of Apple's products...'

Tumblr updates iOS app with new search and discovery features

Cody Lee ∙ July 10, 2013

Tumblr users will be happy to hear that the micro-blogging service has posted a new update for its iOS client. The update, which brings the app to version 3.4, includes a handful of very useful enhancements.

And all of these enhancements have to do with search and discovery. Users can now search for specific tags and blogs, or explore various trending tags and blogs, right from within the mobile Tumblr application...

AT&T to host event on July 16 to discuss ‘what’s next in wireless’

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

AT&T, the second largest wireless provider in the United States by customer base, started sending out invitations yesterday to several major media outlets for a mysterious media event it's going to be hosting on July 16.

Other than the cryptic message "Get ready for what's next in wireless," the invites don't really offer up any details on what the event could be about. But given that AT&T is a carrier, it's not hard to speculate on the matter...

Plants vs. Zombies 2 lands in Australia and New Zealand App Stores

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Good news this afternoon for those looking forward to the highly anticipated Plants vs. Zombie sequel. Plants vs. Zombies 2: It’s About Time has started hitting App Stores around the world, despite EA's warning that the game wouldn't make its July 18th deadline.

Don't get too excited though. Apparently, today's release is just a limited soft launch to help the developers fine-tune the game's new free-to-play experience. For now, only folks in Australia and New Zealand (or with iTunes accounts in either country) can download it...

Hidden code suggests the iPhone 5S could record video at 120FPS

Cody Lee ∙ July 9, 2013

We don't know much about the next-generation iPhone, which is Apple is expected to introduce later this year. It's believed to be an 'S' model, with a faster processor and other upgraded internals. Outside of that, however, we literally know nothing about the handset.

But if past 'S' iPhone releases are any indication, the iPhone 5S will surely offer at least one 'stand-out' feature. The 3GS had video recording, for example, and the 4S added Siri. So what will the 5S' killer feature be? A new report says it could be slow-motion video...

Yelp iOS app updated with new feature for ordering food

Cody Lee ∙ July 9, 2013

Popular rating and review service Yelp has posted an update for its iOS application today, bringing the app to version 6.9.1. The update only really includes one new notable feature, but it's a big one: the ability to order food without leaving the app.

That's right, in the new version of Yelp, you can actually order food for pickup or delivery—provided the option is available. So if you're browsing the app, and come across a restaurant review that makes your mouth water, you can order it instantly...

p0sixninja’s ‘openjailbreak’ website now up and running

Cody Lee ∙ Updated June 25, 2016

Late last month, Joshua Hill—aka p0sixninja—unveiled a new project he's been working on called 'openjailbreak.' From what we've gathered, it's an open source jailbreak repository that will allow hackers and developers to work collectively on future jailbreak releases.

It's not just Hill. There's a whole team of people working on the project, including popular graphic designer Surenix, who has been working on the website. And while we're still not sure what to make of the whole thing, it appears that the site has just gone live...