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.

Apple’s Black Friday Deals Revealed

Cody Lee ∙ November 23, 2011

Yesterday, we started seeing Black Friday banners pop up on Apple.com. The top of the image read "Every gift list has its day," and was followed by a request for customers to return to Apple's online store on November 25th for a special one-day shopping event.

Given Apple's track record, we weren't expecting the kind of deep discounts that other retailers will be offering this week. And it looks like we were spot on. 9to5Mac has gotten ahold of a copy of Apple's Black Friday deals, and as last year, they seem fairly modest...

New Samsung TV Ad Takes a Stab at iPhone Users

Cody Lee ∙ November 22, 2011

Apple and Samsung have been involved in quite the court battle over the last 6 months. Apple accused Samsung of copying the trademarked design of its products, and since then, the two companies have been in and out of court.

Now it looks like the war is about to spill out into the advertising arena. Although companies have taken shots at Apple's popular smartphone in commercials before, none of them compare to the Korean manufacturer's latest TV spot...

Apple Expands App Subscriptions to Games

Cody Lee ∙ November 22, 2011

Apple unveiled its App Store subscription service in February of this year to mixed reviews. Publishers appreciated the opportunity to expand into the iOS ecosystem, and its millions of users, but they hated the terms.

The company has since revised its in-app subscription policy, and the service has grown to be moderately successful. So successful, in fact, that Apple has decided to open up the service to game developers as well...

How to Send Group Messages and Emails With Siri

Cody Lee ∙ November 22, 2011

Now that folks have had over a month to play with the new iPhone 4S, more and more Siri tips are starting to surface. Siri can do so many things that new commands are constantly being discovered.

Earlier today we told you how to use Siri to see planes flying above you using Wolfram Alpha's database. Now we've come across a tip that lets you use the assistant to send group text messages and emails...

Just How Small is the Non-Apple Tablet Market?

Cody Lee ∙ November 22, 2011

To say that Apple dominates the tablet market would be an understatement. The iPad has been successful enough to not only run other companies out of the tablet-making business, but it has also been enough to make even PC manufacturers nervous.

We've seen statistics before regarding Apple's share of the tablet market, but we had no idea the numbers were this bleak for the competition. According to a recent NPD Group report, there has only been 1.2 million non-iPad tablets sold in the United States this year...

iPhone 4S Now the Second Most Popular Camera Phone on Flickr

Cody Lee ∙ November 22, 2011

The iPhone 4S' rebuilt 8MP camera is one of the new handset's most talked about features. It captures sharper images with much better color in low-light situations than its predecessor, with 60% more pixels.

Apple has even been touting the 4S as a point-and-shoot camera replacement, and it seems like iPhone 4S owners agree with that statement. The handset has just become the second most frequently used camera phone on Flickr...

Hidden Code in iOS 5 Contains Interesting iPad 3 References

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 2, 2018

The folks over at 9to5Mac have uncovered some interesting information hidden deep within the code of iOS 5. The site has exposed several secret features in the new software by code-digging over the last few months, including Siri.

Recent find pertain to an unreleased Apple product, codenamed "J2." The site believes that this could actually be the next version of the iPad. Not only that, but it thinks that this could be the Retina display-equipped tablet everyone has been talking about...

Banners Appear on Apple.com for Black Friday Sales

Cody Lee ∙ November 22, 2011

If you haven't quite finished your holiday shopping yet, you'll be happy to know that Apple has announced that it will be hosting a Black Friday sale this week. "Black Friday" is the Friday after Thanksgiving and is generally the busiest shopping day of the year.

On this day, retailers offer substantial discounts on their products to attract customers into their stores. Apple participated in the festivities last year by knocking up to $100 off its Macs and iOS devices, and it looks like its gearing up for another sale this year...

Apple Airs New iPad 2 “Love” Commercial

Cody Lee ∙ November 21, 2011

Last night, Apple aired a new TV ad for the iPad 2. The commercial is fairly similar to previous adverts, showing people from all walks of life using the tablet in different ways.

The ads are actually an accurate reflection of how the iPad has made its way into several industries. We've seen the iPad replace everything from voters ballads to NFL play books...

Google Search for the iPad Gets a Facelift

Cody Lee ∙ November 21, 2011

Google has had a rough time with its iOS software over the past few weeks. The search company released a disappointing Gmail app for the iPhone earlier this month, but immediately pulled it due to problems with push notifications and other glitches.

The app was resurrected in the App Store recently, but many of its problems were not resolved. Today, however, Google has redeemed itself a bit with an update to its search interface, as it brings several welcome changes to the iPad version...

iPhone 4S Moves One Step Closer to Mainland China

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 9, 2016

Apple's latest smartphone, the iPhone 4S, is arguably the year's hottest handset. Not only did the company sell 4 million units during the device's opening weekend, but the smartphone is still flying off of retailer's shelves a month later.

The handset is so popular, in fact, that carriers are having trouble keeping up with consumer demand — Apple can't make them quick enough. And the phone hasn't even found its way into mainland China yet, but it's getting closer...

Apple Claims it Could Lose $2.7 Billion in Motorola Lawsuit

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Earlier this month, a German court awarded Motorola Mobility a temporary injunction against Apple for infringing on its intellectual property. An injunction, in this sense, can prevent a company from selling its products in the area in which it's granted.

But the decision was made against Apple Inc., which doesn't actually sell products in Germany. Motorola also filed a lawsuit against Apple Germany. And the outcome of this case could cost the company some serious financial losses...