Apple

Photos picture plastic iPhone shell next to iPhone 5

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

With both big media, Chinese blogs and everyone and their mother in between seemingly betting on the arrival of Apple's polycarbonate-made mid-range handset later this year, small wonder purported spyshots of the device's casing have been leaking out from Far East.

iOS developer Sonny Dickson, who has previously proven himself a reliable source of information about unreleased Apple products, has been on a roll these days tweeting out a number of purported plastic iPhone images. The newest series of authentic-looking images depict several colorized plastic iPhone shells, including one comparing the current iPhone 5 to the purported less-pricey model...

As iWatch anticipation builds up, smartwatch market to grow tenfold in 2014

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

The smartwatch market is about to explode - never mind not a single device from Apple or Samsung has shipped. Despite all those troublesome facts, one analyst firm is out with a prediction that five million "smartwatches" will ship in 2014, ten times the current number. How can this be? Welcome to defining tech 2.0. The research firm Canalys defines smartwatches as "smart wearable bands" that are worn on the body and run third-party apps...

iPhone 5S to have 4.3-inch screen? Probably not

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 17, 2013

With last month's trial production and this month's ramp-up underway, all checks now point to Apple having finalized the next iPhone and now mass producing the device, in time for a presumed Fall launch.

A Chinese website behind alleged iPhone 5S production shots is adamant the iPhone 5S has the same four-inch display as its predecessor.

That may not be the case: if a Taiwanese newspaper is to be trusted, Apple has increased the iPhone 5S's screen to measure 4.3 inches diagonally. Worse, the move, the story goes, may delay the handset's introduction until the end of the year...

Genuine-looking iPhone 5S production images and specs leak

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 17, 2013

Just a day after AllThingsD confirmed analyst Piter Misek's claim of the iPhone 5S production ramp-up in July, a Chinese website leaks a few images that appear to depict a bunch of production iPhone 5S units.

There's no way of determining authenticity of the photos because the iPhone 5S is widely expected to re-use the two-tone design of the current-generation iPhone 5.

The Chinese source also spelled out technical specifications that match up with past rumors.

Go past the fold for the full breakdown...

Stop-motion vid pays homage to retro gaming using iPad mini and Nexus 7 components

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 28, 2017

Over the years, repair shop iFixit has torn apart hundreds, if not thousands, of mobile devices so the world could understand how these things are made, and more importantly - how our gadgets fare from the repairability standpoint.

Today, the iFixit blog is highlighting something completely different, a cool stop-motion animation by Martin Spengler and German ad shop LAB BINÆR.

The charming video is well worth a watch: it's a clever homage to retro gaming that uses the disassembled iPad mini and Nexus 7 components to build levels reminiscent of some of the widely popular old-school games...

All-time iPhone sales are about to surpass all-time iPod sales

Cody Lee ∙ July 16, 2013

The iPhone, Apple's wildly successful smartphone, is coming up on a significant milestone. The handset is about to pass another one of the Cupertino company's wildly successful products, the iPod MP3 player, in all-time sales.

The achievement was noted on Twitter this morning by Ender's analyst Benedict Evans, who pointed out that with cumulative iPhone sales at 356 million units and lifetime iPod sales at 375 million, it should happen this quarter...

AllThingsD confirms July iPhone 5S production, new mid-tier iPhone variant

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 16, 2013

The-not-so-reliable analyst Peter Misek made rounds last week convincing clients that mass production of the iPhone 5S was about to start later in the month, in time for a late-September or early-October launch.

Misek's mixed track record and another surprising claim of his - that Apple has already begun production of a rumored lower-cost iPhone - led us to file the report under the 'Unlikely' drawer.

But the story unexpectedly grew more legs today as AllThingsD, the respectable blog owned by the credulous Wall Street Journal, independently confirmed that this is indeed the case...

Here’s why Apple dropped the ball in Russia

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

Russia is one of the BRIC countries mentioned alongside Brazil, India and China as areas where demand for smartphones is increasing rapidly. Yet, recently, the last of Russia's big-three carriers stopped selling the iPhone, leaving it up to resellers and Apple's new online store to meet demand.

Why are Russian carriers saying no to the iconic handset - and adopting competitors, such as Samsung and Microsoft? The answer could be as simple as 1-2-3...

Griffin’s multi-device charging station now shipping

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

The accessory maker Griffin at this year's CES in January 2013 took the wraps off the PowerDock 5, an intriguing charging station capable of charging and syncing up to five devices at once. Each of its five bays features an individual 10-watt, 2.1-amp power supply.

This lets you charge any iOS device, including the power-hungry iPad 3 and iPad 4 (which can be docked even in their cases). Those eyeing this ultimate charging station should be pleased learning that Griffin today started shipping the PowerDock 5...

Over 50% of all streaming set-top boxes sold are Apple TVs

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 15, 2018

According to the latest Frost & Sullivan Consumer Video Devices Market report, the Apple TV currently accounts for more than half of all streaming set-top boxes sold worldwide. That makes it the leader in the space by a long shot, with Roku coming in second at 26%.

The market research outlet posted the report this morning, which details a number of data points including market drivers, restraints to growth, product and pricing trends, and competitive landscape. And Apple's $99 hockey puck-shaped device came out on top...

Microsoft turns Outlook Web App into a native client for iPhone and iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2018

Despite the ongoing iPad-bashing in television commercials, Microsoft over the past month has managed to release brand new Office 365 for iPhone (check out our review) and SkyDrive Pro apps, while revamping and enhancing a cross-platform note-taking software, OneNote.

Today, the Windows giant has added another productivity app to its stable of App Store offerings, the Outlook Web App for iPhone and iPad.

Despite what the name might have you believe, it's a native app. The software offers the same email, calendar and contact functionality you get in Outlook Web App on the browser, "but with additional capabilities that are only possible through native integration of the app with mobile devices," such as notifications, Microsoft argues...

PrimeSense dismisses Apple buyout chatter, Intel buys perceptual computing startup Omek

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 22, 2017

The Israeli newspaper Calcalist in late-2011 accurately reported on Apple's $500 million purchase of the Israeli Flash memory startup Anobit.

Yesterday, the paper claimed Apple had been mulling buying PrimeSense, the motion control specialists behind the original Kinect motion sensor for Microsoft's Xbox console.

It now appears that any such talk could be premature as an unnamed source associated with the motion-gesture startup debunked the rumor in an interview with TechCrunch...