iPhone

Stay up-to-date on the latest iPhone news and learn new tips and tricks with our comprehensive tutorials. From software updates to new features, we’ve got you covered.

iPhone 7 to run Synaptics’s display driver chips as Apple delays own in-house single-chip solution

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes is reporting that Apple has placed orders for display driver chips from supplier Synaptics for 2016 iPhones. This is interesting because rumors were swirling back in 2014 that Apple was buying Renesas SP Drivers, a division of Renesas Electronics and a sole supplier of LCD driver chips for iPhones.

The deal was supposed to help Apple “improve image sharpness and battery life” on iPhones, but negotiations broke down. Renesas was later acquired by touchscreen chipmaker Synaptics which wanted to combine its touch technology with Renesas’ display drivers into one chip.

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Google Drive gets better with sharing notifications and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 5, 2015

Google has updated its Drive cloud storage client for iOS with mobile notifications when files or folders are shared, or when someone requests access to a file you own.

The change allows for a more consistent sharing experience across platforms and includes enhancements such as jumping directly to a shared file by tapping on the notification banner and providing a custom message when sharing a file or folder with others.

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Apple exploring panic mode for Touch ID

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 5, 2015

Apple has submitted a new patent application with the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) Thursday that would make the iPhone more secure by allowing users to place their device in a lock-down mode simply by putting a certain finger on the Touch ID fingerprint sensor.

Titled “fingerprint activation of a panic mode of operation for a mobile device,” it describes unlocking a Touch ID device with a specific finger to activate a special lock-down mode that would make personal data stored on the device inaccessible to the user, or activate different modes of operation based on the particular fingerprints.

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Facebook reportedly launching standalone news app next week

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

Facebook is preparing to launch a new standalone news app next week, according to The Financial Times. Citing sources familiar with the project, the outlet says that the app is going to be called Notify, and it is going to feature content from dozens of media partners including CBS and Vogue.

As reported by BusinessInsider in August, the app will look similar to Twitter, in that it will allow publications to blast short push notifications to “followers” when they have urgent news to share. If users want to read more about a headline, the can click a link that will take them to the full story.

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The Room Three hits the App Store

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 4, 2015

Following the success developer Fireproof Games has seen with The Room and The Room Two, it's now posted the third installment in the series to the App Store. Following the established naming convention, the game is aptly titled The Room Three and priced at $4.99 a pop.

For those who haven't played Fireproof's BAFTA award winning Room games yet, the physics-based puzzle series challenges you to navigate the trials devices located on a deserted island by rotating, zooming and examining dozens of artifacts in order to discover their hidden secrets.

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iOS 9.2 beta 2 brings AT&T Wi-Fi Calling to the Mac

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 4, 2016

The latest beta version of what would become the second major update to iOS 9, which was seeded to developers yesterday, enables Wi-Fi Calling through AT&T on your Mac, 9to5Mac discovered.

While Wi-Fi Calling allows you to place a phone call in an area with little or no cellular coverage, bringing AT&T Wi-Fi Calling to the Mac and other devices you own lets you make and receive phone calls on your Mac (or iPad or iPod touch, for that matter) without needing to be on the same network, or even in the same area, as your iPhone.

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Microsoft invites a limited number of iOS users to beta-test Cortana assistant

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Microsoft today announced that a limited number of iPhone owners in the United States and China can now sign up to test-drive the first public beta of its personal digital assistant, called Cortana. “Over the coming months, we’ll continue to deliver frequent updates to the app to expand the features and functionality,” notes the Windows maker.

While Cortana offers the most complete experience on Windows devices due to its tight integration with Microsoft's operating system and Apple-imposed restrictions related to iOS development, Cortana for iOS does take the intelligence of its Windows counterpart and brings that experience to the user's iPhone.

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4-inch iPhone refresh rumored to include A9 chip, iPhone 5s-style looks, Touch ID but no 3D Touch

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 4, 2015

In addition to calling for an iPhone 7 with three gigabytes of RAM, the mostly reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted in a note issued to clients Tuesday evening, a copy of which was obtained by AppleInsider, that the company is working on a major refresh for its four-inch iPhone.

“Resembling an upgraded iPhone 5s,” Kuo says the refreshed device will run Apple's A9 processor that powers the iPhone 6s and be released in the first half of next year, which would mark the first time an iPhone launched outside of its autumn (in the past: summer) schedule.

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KGI predicts A10 chip with 3GB of RAM in iPhone 7

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 2, 2017

The next year's iPhone, let's call it an 'iPhone 7,' is expected to be outfitted with three gigabytes of RAM, according to the revered analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities. If true, the iPhone 7 will pack in fifty percent more RAM than this year's iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus that sport 2GB of RAM.

According to Kuo' note issue to clients Wednesday, a copy of which was obtained by AppleInsider, this will help the new phone multitask even better than the current iPhone 6s, which has doubled the amount of RAM relative to last year's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

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iOS 9 is now powering two-thirds of Apple’s mobile devices in the wild

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 4, 2015

Apple's iOS 9 mobile operating system is now installed on two out of each three iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices in the wild just a little over a month and a half following its September 16, 2015 release.

According to the official stats available through the company's App Store dashboard for developers, iOS 9 is now powering 66 percent of Apple's mobile devices in active use versus the adoption rate of 61 percent recorded just two weeks ago.

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Review: Emojify turns your photos into emoji artwork, ASCII art and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 4, 2018

Have you ever wanted to effortlessly create a collage of emoji emoticons from your own photos? As in, with just a few taps and no prior Photoshop knowledge whatsoever?

I'm a big sucker for ASCII art and there certainly is no shortage of such apps in the App Store, but I wanna move beyond ASCII and have the freedom to create collages based on my iPhone's emoji keyboard.

I'm also interested in experimenting with app icons and other icons sets. If you're anything like me, you'll want to check out Emojify, a cool iPhone app by Singapore-based studio called VoidWorks.

With Emojify, you can quickly turn your pixels into pieces of art comprised of a bunch of tiny icons and emoji characters, and even export them in high-resolution to create stunning 20-by–20 inch prints.

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