Apple

First Time Smartphone Buyers Prefer Android Over iPhone

Guest Author ∙ February 6, 2012

According to research firm NPD Group, Apple has passed up Samsung and LG to become the #1 selling US handset brand in the fourth quarter of 2011. Between the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, the iPhone accounted for 43% of the US smartphone market, even though Android's market share increased to 48%.

Combined, iOS and Android devices accounted for over 90% of US sales, leaving Blackberry, Windows Phone and other mobile OSs under 10%.

The NPD went on to say that 57% of first time US smartphone buyers go with an Android device, while only 34% of first time buyers purchased iPhones...

HTC Says Sacrificing Size and Battery Life for LTE Was a Big Mistake

Cody Lee ∙ Updated July 10, 2017

Apple has received a lot of criticism for leaving LTE out of its two latest iOS devices. After all, Android manufacturers have been implementing the 4G technology in handsets and tablets for over a year now.

But as Tim Cook noted last Summer, LTE chipsets have been too big and too battery-intensive thus far for Apple to justify using them in its devices. And it looks like HTC had to find that out the hard way...

Shoot Videos and Take Photos at the Same Time with QuickPix

Guest Author ∙ Updated February 21, 2018

Have you ever shot a video on your iPhone then uploaded it to your computer just so you could grab a few screenshots from the video? Well, it's now safe to say there's an app for that, and it is called QuickPix.

QuickPix allows you to snap photos while capturing video. The photos are sent directly to your camera roll for easy access. But that's not all...

HTC Profits Drop 26%, Cites Apple’s Heavy Competition

Guest Author ∙ February 6, 2012

Today HTC has reported a 26% drop in its fourth quarter profits. They went onto express the fear of that number growing to 36% by the end of 2012's first quarter.

The company had visions of a brighter future as they will announce new products at Barcelona's upcoming Mobile World Congress later this month, however this appears to not be the case.

CFO Winston Yung told analysts "Our weakness in first-quarter guidance [...] comes from facing competition in the U.S. from iPhone and Samsung." Samsung is currently the number one smartphone manufacturer in the world, but Apple, the 3rd largest, is gaining ground quickly...

iPhone 4S Pushed Apple Store Sales Through the Roof Last Quarter

Cody Lee ∙ Updated June 13, 2016

When Steve Jobs unveiled the first Apple Store back in 2001, critics laughed at him. Many believed that Jobs' plan to open retail stores on prime real estate to spotlight Apple's products would send the company into bankruptcy.

But as we all know, things didn't quite play out that way. As with a majority of its other endeavors, Apple's retail chain is the best, and most lucrative in the business. And thanks to the recent iPhone 4S launch, the best just got better...

Another Theory on Why Siri is Limited to the iPhone 4S

Cody Lee ∙ February 6, 2012

When Apple announced that its new Siri assistant would only be available on the iPhone 4S last October, it caused quite a commotion in the iOS community. It meant that millions of iOS users, even those who recently purchased new devices, would have to go without the feature.

We've heard a couple of theories on why Apple chose to make Siri 4S-only, including the need for a solid selling point for its new handset, and the fact that it's still in beta. But according to a recent CNET report, it's all about the processor...

Motorola Wants 2.25% of Apple’s Sales in Exchange for Patent License

Cody Lee ∙ February 4, 2012

The legal battle going on between Apple and Motorola in Germany's Mannheim court is starting to get pretty intense. Just yesterday, Apple was forced to pull some of its 3G products from its German online store as the result of a temporary injunction.

Although Apple quickly won a suspension on the ruling and the products are on sale again, the damage is done. The court has ruled that it believes that Apple is using one of Motorola's wireless patents. And for that, Motorola wants to get paid...

6 hidden keys on the iPad split keyboard

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 4, 2016

The ability to split up the iPad's keyboard is one of my favorite lesser-known features in iOS. I don't use it all the time. But it really comes in handy when I need to rattle off an email or conjure up other large bodies of text.

Apple obviously put a lot of thought into getting the split keyboard just the right size for its tablet, and it shows. In fact, there are even some elements of the keyboard that you can't see. Did you know there are hidden keys on the iPad split keyboard?

Apple Pulls Several Misleading Applications From the App Store

Cody Lee ∙ February 4, 2012

Even with Apple's notoriously strict approval process, misleading applications constantly make their way into the App Store. We've covered a number of these titles on iDB — most recently Craft-Build Terrain, a fake MineCraft game.

These fraudulent applications have been making some serious waves in the developer community over the last few weeks. Developers believe these apps give their titles, and the App Store in general, a bad name. And Apple has responded...

Apple Pushes Out New Genius Feature to Apple TV

Cody Lee ∙ February 3, 2012

As noted by AppleInsider, Apple has quietly pushed out a tiny update for its Apple TV. Users will notice a new 'Genius' option on the Apple TV menu when browsing through movies or TV shows.

The Genius feature has been available on iTunes for years now, helping folks discover new music based on their previous purchases. And now Apple TV owners can use it to find new video content...

Apple Made 75% of All Mobile Phone Profits in the World Last Quarter

Cody Lee ∙ February 3, 2012

We've seen a lot of interesting data regarding Apple's latest quarterly earnings report over the last few weeks. What some are calling, "the quarter heard around the world," will go down in history as one of the most profitable three month periods of any company (not just technology-related) ever.

Popular Apple analyst Horace Dediu added to the pile of statistics this morning with a report about Apple's mobile profit earnings. Apparently, the Cupertino company raked 75% of all mobile phone profits (worldwide) last quarter...

Apple 3G Devices Briefly Banned From German Online Store

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated May 16, 2016

I woke up this morning finding out that the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and 3G iPads had been banned from sales on Apple's online store in Germany, due to an injunction won by Motorola Mobility, following the company's first big legal victory against Apple in the country a couple months ago.

By the time I took a shower and got to my computer though, the ban had already been lifted. That was quick...