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How to check if you have TSMC or Samsung chip in your iPhone 6s

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 15, 2019

For the first time ever, Apple has dual-sourced the engine that drives the new handsets from more than one supplier. Both Samsung and rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) won contracts to build the Apple-designed 'A9' system-on-a-chip for the new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

While these chips offer literally the same compute and graphics power, both synthetic benchmarks and real-life tests have shown small yet notable difference in terms of battery as the TSCM-built A9 appears to be more power efficient than its Samsung counterpart.

The question is, does your brand spanking new iPhone 6s have the TSMC or Samsung-built chip? You can find that out in just a few simple steps, let me show you how.

Samsung-built A9 chip in iPhone 6s found to drain battery faster than TSMC one, Apple doesn’t really agree

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 9, 2018

Does your iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus come outfitted with Samsung or TSMC-built A9 processor? The answer to that question could determine how long your device will run before its battery needs recharging.

Your key takeaway is this: while the dual-sourced chips perform identically in synthetic Geekbench tests in terms of sheer CPU compute power and GPU performance, there's a marked difference in observed battery life ranging from six to eleven percent.

You could argue the difference is barely felt in day-to-day use, but I beg to differ: energy efficiency is paramount for mobile devices and the battery-friendlier the main processor is, the longer it will run on a single charge.

Verizon raising price of grandfathered unlimited data plans by $20 in November

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

Verizon on Thursday announced that it will soon be raising the price on grandfathered unlimited data plans by $20. As noted by CNET, this will bring the monthly price tag of unlimited data to $49.99 per month, which is in addition to the standard talk and text plan, and the change is set to take place in November.

The amount of people affected by this move should be relatively small. Verizon says that less than 1% of its 100+ million subscriber base still has an unlimited plan, and those that do still have one and are currently under contract from a previous phone purchase won't likely see the price hike until the contract expires.

Wi-Fi calling now available for AT&T customers

Sébastien Page ∙ October 8, 2015

Two days after being granted permission to offer Wi-Fi calling by the FCC, AT&T activated this feature today, allowing its customers to make and receive calls and text messages over Wi-Fi when located in areas with poor or no cellular coverage.

CheatSheet brings iOS 9’s keyboard shortcuts overlay to the Mac

Timothy Reavis ∙ October 8, 2015

iPad power users received a nod from Apple this year with iOS 9’s new feature set. Aside from Split View and Slide Over, anyone using a physical keyboard in conjunction with their iPad can now hold down the Command key to get a list of all the shortcut key presses available in the currently running app. This is an excellent way for users to discover non-obvious key combinations in order to help speed up their workflow.

In OS X, discovering hotkeys is a bit more difficult than iOS 9's new simplified method, as many are hidden in crowded drop down menus, while others can be even harder to find. CheatSheet is a Mac app that brings iOS 9’s Bluetooth keyboard feature to OS X, adding the same hotkey-sheet functionality when holding down the Command key.

Next-generation 21.5-inch iMac with 4K screen could hit as soon as next Tuesday

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 8, 2015

Code strings discovered in El Capitan Developer Preview earlier this summer have pointed at a substantial refresh coming to Apple's 21.5-inch iMac, even more so given that computer wasn't updated alongside its 27-inch sibling in May 2015.

A next-generation 21.5-inch iMac with an ultra-sharp screen featuring a glorious 4K resolution is now expected to launch as soon as next Tuesday, as per multiple reliable sources who spoke with 9to5Mac.

New Apple TV and iPad Pro launching online in late-October, in-store sales from early-November

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 8, 2015

The fourth-generation Apple TV set-top box and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro tablet with Apple Pencil are due to hit retail tories in the first week of November after launching online toward the end of this month, according to reliable sources who spoke to 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman.

“The revamped Apple TV set top box and iPad Pro will both begin showing up in Apple Retail Stores for sale during the first week of November after going on sale via Apple’s website in late October,” wrote the publication.

References to Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Trackpad 2 discovered in OS X code

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 8, 2015

References to unreleased Apple-branded mouse, keyboard and trackpad accessories have been discovered in OS X code by French blog Consomac. Code strings discovered in the latest OS X 10.11.1 beta 3 point to the Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Trackpad 2, which are likely next-generation versions of Apple-branded mouse and trackpad. In addition, the strings hint at a brand new keyboard, dubbed the Magic Keyboard.

Gonzo action game The Executive is IGN’s Free Game of the Month

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 10, 2015

So you want to be the CEO of a trillion dollar mining company that has been infiltrated by werewolves? Look no further than The Executive by Riverman Media, a title unlike any other mobile game on the market.

The Executive, normally a $4.99 download from the App Store, has just gone free via IGN's ongoing Free Game of the Month promotion, marking the first time the game has hone free since its July 2015 debut.

Best of all, there are no ads and no In-App Purchases in The Executive so this single free download is all you need. The Executive is part rhythm game and part 2D fighter and can be yours at no charge if you follow our instructions on redeeming your free copy.

iOS 9 adoption hits 57 percent after three weeks

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 8, 2015

According to Apple's own data, the adoption rate for iOS 9 has reached 57 percent of iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices in the wild after three weeks of availability, as measured by the App Store on October 5, 2015. By comparison, it took iOS 8 nearly six weeks to zoom past the 50 percent barrier.

A total of 33 percent of iOS devices running iOS 8 visited the App Store on October 5, while earlier version of the mobile operating system accounted for the remaining ten percent of hardware in the wild.

Adobe makes Lightroom for iOS free for everyone, no subscription needed

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 8, 2015

Since its April 2014 debut, Adobe's Lightroom mobile app has required you to subscribe to Adobe’s Cloud service in order to use the app, but not any longer. As first noted by The Next Web, both Lightroom for iPhone and Lightroom for iPad are now available for everyone without the desktop app, without a Creative Cloud Photography Plan subscription and even without an Adobe ID.