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.

How the iPhone camera has improved over the years

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

The iPhone may be one of the most popular cameras in the world today, but it hasn't always been like that. The original iPhone (and the iPhone 3G) had just a 2MP camera, with no flash, putting the handset well behind the competition in terms of photo-taking.

Since the 3G, however, Apple has made sure to update the phone's camera with ever iteration. It went from a 3.2MP sensor to a 5, and then to 8. And wouldn't you know it, someone has created an image showing its improvement in picture quality over the years...

Apple orders messaging app ‘Line’ to remove paid virtual gifts

Cody Lee ∙ May 10, 2013

Apple's app approval team has seemingly been on a warpath lately, pulling popular titles like AppGratis from the App Store without much warning or explanation. It's clear that the company is in the process of revamping some of its policies.

Case in point, LINE, a popular free messaging app, was forced by Apple to remove one of its key features today. Per company orders, the developers had to eliminate the ability for its users to purchase and send sticker sets as gifts to friends...

T-Mobile offering iPhone 5 for $0 down with trade-in this weekend

Cody Lee ∙ May 10, 2013

If you're still looking for that perfect Mother's Day gift, you might be interested to know that T-Mobile is going to be hosting a nice little sale this weekend in honor of the holiday. And it looks like the iPhone 5 is going to be one of its featured bargains.

According to a new report, the fourth largest US carrier is going to be offering the handset as part of a special trade-in deal. Customers will be able to score Apple's flagship smartphone for $0 down, a savings of $100, with the trade-in of a valid mobile device...

14-year-old discovers iPads can be dangerous to heart patients

Cody Lee ∙ May 10, 2013

As Apple has proven in its TV ads, you can use a number of words to describe its products. But I imagine it never thought that one of those words would be "dangerous." According to new research, though, that's exactly what the iPad is for certain heart patients.

A 14 year-old has discovered that the tiny magnets inside Apple's tablet, used for Smart Covers, can inadvertently shut off a heart patient's implanted defibrillator–a battery-powered electrical impulse generator— if near their chest for an extended period of time...

New bill introduced that legalizes cellphone unlocking and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Back in January, the mobile homebrew community suffered a major blow when several DMCA exemptions expired. Among them was a rule that made unlocking cellphones legal, effectively making the practice illegal here in the United States.

But it may not be that way for long. A new bill just landed in the House of Representatives called The Unlocking Technology Act of 2013, which, among other things, would make the process of unlocking your cellphone unequivocally legal...

Apple still negotiating with Sony over iRadio terms

Cody Lee ∙ May 9, 2013

For months we've been hearing rumors regarding iRadio, Apple's upcoming streaming music service. It was initially supposed to launch in Q1 of this year, but the company has reportedly been having trouble reaching royalty terms with the record labels.

Then in April came word that it had locked up a deal with Universal, putting the project on track for a summer release. But it seems to have hit another snag this week, as a new report claims that the other record labels are still looking for better terms...

Amazon said to be developing glasses-free 3D smartphone

Cody Lee ∙ May 9, 2013

Now that Facebook has finally fulfilled the prophecies, and entered the smartphone market, all eyes are on Amazon. The online retail giant has also long been rumored to be looking to get into the space with its own handset.

And today comes a new report that adds weight to the story. Citing sources familiar with the company's plans, The WSJ says Amazon is working on a number of new hardware products, including a glasses-free 3D smartphone...

Facebook reportedly buying Waze for $1 Billion

Cody Lee ∙ May 9, 2013

Waze must be doing something right. Earlier this year, the popular crowdsourced GPS application was reportedly being courted by Apple for a possible buyout. And today comes a rumor that Facebook is also interested in an acquisition.

How interested? Well according to a new report this morning, the deal could be worth in upwards of $1 Billion. Apparently, the two companies have been in negotiations for the last six months, and are now in advanced due diligence...

Facebook updates Pages Manager app with photo filters, stickers and more

Cody Lee ∙ May 9, 2013

Facebook rolled out its Pages Manager app about this time last year as a way to help users—you guessed it—manage their Facebook Pages. These are essentially profiles for businesses, schools and other organizations that want a presence on the social network.

Anyway, users will be happy to hear that the app received a fairly significant update last night, bringing it to version 2.0. Facebook says that it has completely rebuilt the app for better performance, and it's added support for photo filters, stickers and more...

New Nokia video pits PureView camera against iPhone 5, Galaxy S3

Cody Lee ∙ May 9, 2013

Nokia has yet to find an answer to the iPhone or Samsung's Galaxy line, but it's hoping it's getting closer. The Finnish phone-maker is expected to release a new flagship handset, the Lumia 928, within the next few months featuring its patented PureView technology.

Adding to the speculation, Nokia posted a new video yesterday on the Lumia's landing page of video shot with the 928's PureView camera, and compared with footage taken with the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy SIII. And I'll give you one guess who comes out on top...

Popular sketch app Paper by FiftyThree updated with pinch to zoom and more

Cody Lee ∙ May 9, 2013

It was just a little over a year ago that FiftyThree launched Paper for the iPad. But during its short existence, the sketch app has amassed quite a few accomplishments, including winning an Apple Design award.

Last night, Paper received its first major update since its original debut. And the release, which brings the app to version 1.3.1, offers a few improvements, including the highly-requested pinch-to-zoom feature...

Apple product photographer talks tradecraft, gear and more

Cody Lee ∙ May 8, 2013

Apple is well-known for its minimal, yet seemingly flawless product shots. With their realistic lighting and signature white backgrounds, the images of iPhones and iPads scattered across the company's website almost look like they were computer rendered.

But as photographer Peter Belanger can attest to, that's definitely not the case. The longtime product-shooter spoke with technology blog The Verge recently about his experience working with Apple, and what kind of preparation goes into each photo shoot...