Battery

Making your iPhone and iPad charge faster

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 22, 2019

It's somewhat depressing that Android manufacturers increasingly outfit their flagship smartphones with fast-charging capability while iPhones, and especially iPads, still take forever to charge from zero to hundred percent. And if you happen to actually use your iOS device while it's connected to power, you'll experience even slower-than-usual charging times.

But as it turns out, there's one simple trick everyone should employ every time they plug their iPhone, iPod touch or iPad into a power brick in order to make it charge faster.

PersonalAssistant: a 7-in-1 tweak that supercharges your Lock screen

Anthony Bouchard ∙ May 10, 2016

There comes a time every once in a while where a jailbreak tweak is groundbreaking and has the potential to shake up the entire jailbreak community, and folks, we definitely think a new tweak release in Cydia called PersonalAssistant is one of those tweaks.

In this review, we'll walk you through this monster of a tweak, which the developer notes has seven tweaks built into one unified interface.

Excited yet? You should be...

Satellite TV provider Dish launches iPhone repair service

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

In a surprise move today, satellite television provider Dish Network unveiled a brand new smartphone repair service for customers in the United States who can ask for a technician to visit them and fix their iPhone's screen or battery. The service is called 'Smart Phone Repair On Your Turf'.

Dish has deployed its nationwide fleet of technicians who can reach homes or businesses in any of the 50 U.S. states to repair iPhones for consumers whether or not they are Dish customers.

So, what kind of prices does Dish charge for screen and battery repairs?

iPhone 7 may come outfitted with a slightly stronger battery than iPhone 6s

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 2, 2016

According to a post on the Chinese social network Sina Weibo, Apple's next-generation iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus smartphones may come outfitted with slightly larger batteries than the current-generation iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus models. Based on a claimed spy shot of purported battery packages for the upcoming devices, the iPhone 7 should have a one percent stronger battery than the iPhone 6s while the iPhone 7 Plus should pack in a more than two percent stronger battery versus its iPhone 6s Plus counterpart.

KUKE: an affordable iPhone battery case with built-in storage expansion

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated November 10, 2022

Because your battery is such a precious asset to your iPhone, you can never go wrong with trying to expand its life. This is especially the scenario for people who put a lot of miles on their device each day, sending hundreds of text messages back and forth with friends and checking social media on a regular basis.

The KUKE, made by Kuner Tech, is a battery case for the iPhone, fresh out of an Indiegogo campaign, that does away with the clunkiness of many third-party options, and blows Apple's Smart Battery Case out of the water in performance and usability. Not only will it give you a truckload more battery life for your iPhone, but it also provides additional storage space for your documents, media, and more.

In this review, we'll show you what the KUKE case is all about!

Apple updates 12″ MacBook with faster CPU/GPU, Rose Gold model, longer battery life & more

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 19, 2016

Apple on Tuesday via a press release and a website update announced a second-generation twelve-inch MacBook with Intel's latest Skylake chips with faster graphics, a longer battery life, faster flash storage, a brand new Rose Gold color option and more.

The twelve-inch notebook is now available in four aluminum finishes: Gold, Silver, Space Gray and Rose Gold. In addition, the Cupertino firm has made 8GB of memory standard across all configurations of the 13-inch MacBook Air.

The refreshed twelve-inch notebook starts at the same $1,299 like before and will be available starting tomorrow.

Pod Pro review: the portable Apple Watch & iPhone battery dock

Anthony Bouchard ∙ April 18, 2016

Those who need a portable battery pack for the Apple Watch that aren't so keen on just plugging the USB end into the receiver of a battery pack and letting the magnetic end dangle around everywhere are going to be hard-pressed to find a good portable battery pack made specifically for the Apple Watch's proprietary charging platform.

Fortunately, Nomad has the Pod Pro, which can be had on Amazon for $85, and is a great solution for on-the-go Apple Watch charging, and even includes a built-in Lightning cable for charging your device, whether it's an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. We'll show you what the Pod Pro is all about in this review.

Timeframe: the Apple Watch desk stand that doubles as a case

Anthony Bouchard ∙ April 13, 2016

Fellow Apple Watch users, the Timeframe by Ten One Design is a wonderful way to enjoy Night Stand mode while it charges at night.

Moreover, it'll still feel as though your device is well-protected from falls or pets that might like to climb up on your night stand at night because it offers a protective bezel that surrounds all of the delicate parts of the device.

In this review, we'll walk you through our thoughts on the Timeframe.

BatteryBox Mini keeps your iPhone (and much more) powered while on the go

Anthony Bouchard ∙ April 11, 2016

Because I'm always out and about, and my iPhone can always use a good charge when I'm away from an outlet, external battery accessories are always of great interest to me. BatteryBox, which you may remember made it to both my top 5 accessories for iPhone and top 5 accessories for Mac lists, has long filled that void for me.

Nevertheless, I've been looking for something a little easier to carry around with me when I leave the house or leave the car, and something I can use a little more easily while walking around and while not carrying a backpack.

One solution I've found to work quite well for this need is BatteryBox's little brother, dubbed BatteryBox Mini, which can be had on the BatteryBox website for less than $35. In this review, we'll take you through the features of BatteryBox Mini and show you whether it's a good investment for your needs.

iFixit: 9.7-inch iPad Pro uses ‘gobs of adhesive’, making repair ‘miserable’

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 4, 2016

Repair wizards over at iFixit have torn apart Apple's new 9.7-inch iPad Pro (model A1673) only to discover that the device is extremely difficult to repair due to “gobs of adhesive” used to keep the components secured in place.

In addition to copious adhesive, the device's smaller form factor, the addition of four speakers and some “weird cabling choices” have earned the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro a sad 2 out of 10 repairability score, same as the original iPad Air and a point less than the first iPad Pro. “We think this is the most glue we’ve seen in an iPad to date, making repair miserable,” concluded iFixit.

Fixing common problems with charging your iPhone or iPad

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated March 20, 2020

Not only did Apple spend a ton of money and time in the research leading up to its proprietary reversible Lightning cable for charging, but they've also made the software that handles charging your iOS device intelligent too.

Nevertheless, charging your device can sometimes be followed by some frustrating problems, and they're all too common. In this piece, we'll go over some of those problems charging iPhone and iPad, and what you can do to troubleshoot them.

iFixit tears down iPhone SE, reveals some interchangeable 5s parts

Anthony Bouchard ∙ March 31, 2016

Following the first day of availability of the iPhone SE, iFixit has gotten their hands on their own unit and has started their ritualistic practice of disconnecting every little screw, cable, and hinge that comes on it.

The iFixit teardown comes a day after Chipworks' version, which revealed a lot of familiar parts in the iPhone SE that could be found in previous iPhone models, such as the 5s, 6, and 6s.

iFixit has not only confirmed these findings from Chipworks, but also provides some new insight about the iPhone SE's parts that is sure to interest its consumers.