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KGI: All 2017 iPhones to retain Lightning ports while supporting faster charging

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 2, 2017

Contrary to controversial claims made in a recent Wall Street Journal piece alleging Apple would do the unthinkable—ditch the Lightning port on new iPhones in favor of USB-C—KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo shared his thoughts on the topic in the latest notes to clients, obtained by MacRumors. According to Kuo, all three iPhone models released in 2017 will retain Lightning connectors.

This includes the expectedly iterative, LCD-based iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus models, as well as a brand new, OLED-based iPhone 8 model with a radically changed industrial design. However, the underlying technology behind the charging may change with built-in support for USB Power Delivery that should enable a lot faster charging.

Taiwanese carrier relaunching iPhone 6 in Gold

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 2, 2017

Taiwan Mobile announced Thursday that it's relaunching Apple's discontinued iPhone 6. The Taiwanese wireless carrier has begun taking pre-orders for the 32-gigabyte version of iPhone 6, but it's only available in Gold. The handset will go on sale on March 10. Last month, Apple relaunched 32-gigabyte editions of iPhone 6 in China, priced at 3,900 yuan unlocked, or approximately $567.

The iPhone 6 lineup was discontinued last September, when iPhone 7 launched and iPhone 6's spot as the entry-level iPhone has since been taken by iPhone SE.

iPhone chip maker TSMC also eyeing Toshiba’s flash memory business

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 2, 2017

According to DigiTimes, Apple chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is also interested in acquiring a stake in Japanese giant Toshiba's memory business. The semiconductor foundry has been looking to expand into the lucrative 3D NAND memory sector.

Apple's top supplier of memory chips, Toshiba is looking to spin off its flash unit into a separate company after reporting a massive $6.3 billion loss, with the split to become effective on April 1, 2017.

Firms like storage maker Western Digital and iPhone manufacturer Foxconn are among the potential bidders seeking a stake in Toshiba's memory business, too.

Apple and other companies sign Supreme Court brief in support of transgender student

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 2, 2017

After decrying U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw anti-discrimination protections for transgender bathroom use in schools, Apple and 52 other firms like Amazon, Apple, IBM and Microsoft have signed a Supreme Court brief in support of Gavin Grimm, a transgender student who's fighting against his school district over which school bathrooms he may use.

The New York Times reported that the Human Rights Campaign, a nonprofit organization supporting gay rights, plans to file the signed brief on Thursday.

Watch Apple’s new video showcasing what iOS 10’s Home app is capable of

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 2, 2017

Apple has updated its webpage dedicated to HomeKit with refreshed design and a new 45-second video showcasing what the tock Home app on iOS 10 is capable of. While not yet available on Apple's official YouTube channel, we have embedded it in this article so give it a quick watch and let us know how you liked it in the comments.

How to hide contact photos from the Messages app on iPhone

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated December 12, 2025

Don’t like seeing the photo or the initials of your contacts in the Messages app on iPhone and iPad? This functionality can be toggled on or off, and we’ll show you how to do just that.

Tip: open video pages in Safari from YouTube app

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 22, 2018

Thanks to iOS's deep linking feature, YouTube URLs automatically open in the mobile app on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Unfortunately, you cannot temporarily disable this feature for those times when you might prefer YouTube links to always open in Safari instead of the mobile app.

But don't you worry—you just have to work around a bit to have the mobile app open a video link in YouTube's mobile interface in the Safari browser.

iTunes carrier billing now available in Italy, Singapore and Austria

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 1, 2017

Customers in Italy, Singapore and Austria who lack a credit or debit card can now take advantage of carrier billing on iTunes to have app and media purchases made on Apple's content stores (including Apple Music subscriptions) billed directly to a monthly mobile phone bill from their carrier.

As per Apple, carrier billing's been enabled for select carriers—in Austria for Drei customers, Italy for Three customers and Singapore for M1 Limited users.

Foxconn serious about bidding for Toshiba’s memory chip business

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 1, 2017

Contract manufacturer Foxconn Technology Group, which assembles Apple's iPhones and other companies' products, is “very serious” about bidding for Toshiba’s memory chip business. Toshiba is currently Apple's top supplier of flash memory chips. Foxconn's founder and chairman Terry Gou said the firm cannot afford not having this technology.

Toshiba recently moved to sell some or all of its memory chip business after reporting a massive $6.3 billion loss. According to Bloomberg, Gou was present at an event in southern China to open a new $9 billion display plant.

Leaked render depicts nearly full-screen Galaxy S8 design with utterly minimal bezels

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 1, 2017

Revered smartphone leakster Evan Blass yesterday leaked out what appears to be a genuine press shot depicting Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S8 flagship.

Not only does the image give us a better look at the device's extra button, said to summon Samsung's new Bixby digital assistant, it's a preview of sorts of the kind of form factor we're expecting from Apple's iPhone 8 when it launches in September.