iPhone News

T-Mobile announces accessory payment plans coming July 20th

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

As expected, T-Mobile has announced that it plans to begin offering accessories under its equipment installment plan. The program, which initially launched last year, allows customers to purchase mobile devices [and now accessories] for $0 and small monthly payments spread out over two years.

The plan does not require a downpayment for qualified customers, and applies to all accessories priced between $69 and $250. Customers must be a T-Mobile subscriber, with a Simple Choice plan, and if the service is ever terminated, they'll be required to pay the remaining monthly payments in full...

HUDSpeed: speed up the volume HUD fade out animation

Jeff Benjamin ∙ July 16, 2014

One of my personal iOS pet peeves is how long it takes for the volume HUD to fade away after adjusting the volume. It seems to linger there for an absurd amount of time, wearing out its welcome in the process.

A new jailbreak tweak called HUDSpeed has been released to combat the extended presence of the overlay. HUDSpeed is a tweak that takes a logical approach to fixing this issue—it speeds up the HUD animation forcing it to disappear quicker.

Does it work? Have a look at our video walkthrough past the break for the answer.

Senate passes cellphone unlocking bill

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

The Senate has passed a bill legalizing cellphone unlocking this week. The unanimous decision to pass the legislation, which was penned by Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, came last night, and it will now move to the House and onto President Obama.

The bill reinstates a 2010 ruling by the Librarian of Congress so that consumers can 'unlock' their cell phones without worrying about copyright laws. It also directs Congress to consider whether other wireless devices, such as tablets, should be eligible for unlocking...

Apple agrees to pay $450 million to settle e-book price fixing case

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 16, 2014

Reuters is reporting today that Apple has agreed to pay $450 million to settle its long-standing e-book price fixing federal court case with class action lawyers and state district attorneys.

As a reminder, the government alleged that Apple conspired along with five major U.S. publishers to fix e-book prices to the detriment of consumers, denying them the choice of price, while stifling competition.

$400 million of the $450 million will cover damage to consumers, with the remaining $50 million earmarked for recovery if liability must be retried...

Can’t wait for the official iPhone 6? Here come the clones!

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 2, 2017

If the very thought of waiting until September when Apple is expected to formally announce its next iPhone is making you nervous and edgy because you simply need an iPhone 6 now, your best bet is one of the iPhone 6 knock-offs that are now cropping up all over the place in China.

Granted, it's easy to make the argument that Apple should send its legal sharks after China's well-versed knock-off makers and put a stop to them.

However, these iPhone 6 lookalikes are already here and not really going anywhere, as is limned in a pair of videos embedded right after the break...

Instapaper creator launches Overcast, free podcast app for iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 16, 2014

Following an extensive beta testing period, Marco Arment - the creator of Instapaper, founder of The Magazine and co-host of the Accidental Tech Podcast - today unveiled his latest creation, an iPhone podcast client dubbed Overcast.

Available with basic features free of charge in the App Store (advanced stuff can be unlocked through a one-time In-App Purchase), Overcast for iPhone is accessible to novice users yet packs a lot of punch to make podcast die-hards happy.

Having taken Overcast for a brief spin with our own Let's Talk iOS and Let's Talk Jailbreak podcast series, I came away pretty impressed.

I think Marco's full-featured app has mass appeal (at least in podcast circles) to win over folks who are unhappy with the existing podcast clients on the App Store with its sleek user interface, simplicity and elegance.

If not, perhaps advanced capabilities will make you a convert? I'm talking stuff like Smart Speed, Voice Boost and Smarter Playlists to help you listen to more podcasts in more places, try new shows and completely control your experience...

Logitech announces Protection+ iPhone 5/5s case, arriving next month

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 16, 2014

Accessory maker Logitech on Wednesday announced a new rugged case for Apple's iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s featuring sleek appearance and offering shock absorption and protection from drops of up to six feet (works out to about 1.8 meters).

In addition, the company introduced the +Trip accessory for mounting an iPhone or just about any other smartphone to your car's air vents. The Protection+ case works with Logitec's new +Drive and +Trip attachments that let you affix your iPhone to a car’s windshield or dashboard using built-in suction cup...

Could this be iPhone 6’s improved, more durable Touch ID sensor?

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 16, 2014

Purported iPhone 6 parts continue leaking out ahead of the handset's assumed September unveiling. We were recently treated to a stress, bending and scratch test videos of a piece of a purported sapphire-coated iPhone 6 cover glass.

And earlier this summer, alleged leaks revealed a claimed front LCD frame, an alleged rear shell and a SIM card tray, while questionable mockups piqued everyone's interest. It's now time to turn our attention to Apple's next-generation Touch ID.

As you know, the sophisticated fingerprint scanner debuted as an iPhone 5s exclusive last September. Touch ID is expected to expand to new iPhone and iPad models this year and TSMC is said to be already building a more durable variant of Touch ID.

New images that surfaced Wednesday promise to offer a glimpse of what an improved, slightly revamped Touch ID for the iPhone 6 looks like...

iOS 8 Beta 4 could arrive next Monday

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 16, 2014

If history is anything to go by, Apple could seed the next beta of iOS 8 to its registered developers later this month. As in, precisely two weeks after iOS 8 Beta 3 dropped.

As you know, the third beta arrived on July 7, bringing Wi-Fi Calling for T-Mobile iPhones and a host of under-the-hood tweaks and enhancements.

If BGR's sources are right, iOS 8 Beta 4 should be expected on Monday, July 21. Keep in mind that BGR does not have the most reliable of sources and that the publication has been wrong before in predicting dates for iOS betas...

Jawbone’s Up fitness band app gains weight management features

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 17, 2019

Jawbone, the maker of the Up fitness band, wireless Bluetooth headsets and a host of other mobile accessories, today pushed a major update to its iPhone and iPad app.

The refreshed software brings new calorie and nutrition tracking tools, food and restaurant logging, as well as comprehensive weight management features to the popular fitness tracker.

Other enhancements include a new food score and a redesigned food experience with brand new tools such as a dedicated water logger, restaurant menus, common pairings and frequent meals...

BookSong: make the Music app remember where you left off

Jeff Benjamin ∙ July 15, 2014

BookSong is one of those jailbreak tweaks that sounds a bit silly in description, but turns out to be fairly interesting when you begin using it. It's a tweak that allows you to automatically reestablish the spot where you left off on a song even if you kill the stock Music app or perform a respring.

Without this tweak, iOS will not remember where your song left off, regardless of where you were mid tune. With BookSong, iOS remembers exactly where you left off, and picks up the jams from that exact spot. Have a look at our video walkthrough after the break to see BookSong in action.

Volkswagen to embed CarPlay in 2016 VW models

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 15, 2014

German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen is in talks with Apple on bringing CarPlay to its 2016 lineup, according to a new report. This is an important development as Volkswagen, itself notably absent in Apple's press release announcing CarPlay, files as the biggest German automaker and the second largest automaker in the world.

According to a source with knowledge of the discussions, a formal announcement is expected in the coming months...