Tag: iPhone
Gareth, Jay and Micael and get together for one last chat about Mobile World Congress 2015 before some big changes are employed.
Featuring Gareth, Jay and Micael
Email us: [email protected] Tel: 0208 123 3757
Show notes
Phones
Asus Zenfone 2 pushing 4GB of RAM
LG to develop a Super Flagship later this year
The Galaxy S6 has a removable non-removable battery
Tablets
Macbook
Wearables
Time to consider the Apple Watch
Oppo’s 5 minute charge Smartwatch
Other Shi…zzzle
Acer CB5 Chromebook Benchmarks
Nikon Coolpix P900, a thing of beauty
Email us: [email protected] Tel: 0208 123 3757
Gareth Myles – @garethmyles
Jay Garrett – @JayGarrett
Micael Samuelsson – @smicael
Dan Carter – @mobilemandan
Matt and Tracy Davis – @tracyandmatt
Phil Lain – @low405
PowerA officially introduced a new Moga controller on Wednesday, built for the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5 and fifth generation iPod Touch running iOS 7. The Moga Ace Power game peripheral is available now for $99.99 at Apple Retail Stores, from the Apple Online Store, or at the official Moga website shipping worldwide.
The controller connects to the iPhone 5 and iPod Touch via the Lightning connector. As the images show, on the left side iOS gamers will find the L1/R1 buttons on the shoulder, an analog stick on the top portion, a directional button below that, pause and select buttons, and a switch for turning on the peripheral. On the right are the L2/R2 buttons on the shoulder, the typical XYAB action button setup, and a second analog stick below those.
The Ace Power also has a built-in 1800 mAh battery and Moga Boost technology for charging the phone or iPod Touch during gameplay. “With the new Made for iPhone controller framework built into iOS 7, Moga anticipates a flood of game developers to take advantage of controller support,” the press release adds. “Mobile versions of traditional game genres such as first-person shooters, action, arcade, family, and sports/racing games will now be played with console-style controls.”
Since BlackBerry resumed the BBM roll-out to iOS and Android devices, it has been downloaded tens of millions of times and has been consistently at the top of the app download charts.
BlackBerry recently spoke to Slashgear and Andrew Bocking confirmed that BlackBerry are working on a new version of BBM specifically for WiFi-only iPod’s and iPad’s. At the moment users must have a cellular capable device in order to register and set up BBM. This is a situation that BlackBerry are looking to resolve and the update is said to be coming any time now. This will mean that BBM does not have to be tied to a specific mobile number.
However, there’s no news from BlackBerry for WiFi only versions of BBM for WiFi only Android tablets but one would hope that if there’s to be an iPad and iPod WiFi version then an Android version should not be too far behind.
No iPad specific BBM
Perhaps one piece of news that may disappoint iPad owners, though, is that BlackBerry are said NOT to be working on an iPad specific version of BBM, one that would make better use of the larger display. At the moment BBM will work on iPad devices but just a larger version of the iPhone version. iPad users have been hoping for an iPad specific version that was more akin to the interface and layout from the PlayBook.
Hopefully BlackBerry will change their mind!
According to Bloomberg, Apple will be releasing two brand new iPhone designs next year. One to have a 4.7 and the other to have a 5.5 inch display.
In the report posted by Bloomberg yesterday, the new devices will not only have larger displays but they will also have curved glass.
Certainly it would make sense for Apple to release larger phones as many of their competitors have already released phones in sizes up to and over 6 inches. With these larger screen sizes I would also hope that we’ll at last see a 1080×1920 full HD display from apple, where again many competitors are already there and playing keep-up is not a game Apple likes to play.
The report also suggests that Apple are working on pressure sensitive screens that will allow greater control and varied line thickness when drawing for example. If you’re looking for a great phone repair shop for your phone, check out iPhone Battery Replacement Gold Coast.
Just a quick review of a case that I picked up at the weekend for my new iPhone 5S that I’ve been using since launch day without a case.
I previously had an iPhone 5 and I used that with a shell case from launch day until I got the new S model.
I was quite shocked at the condition that the iPhone was in. It appeared that small pieces of grit had somehow managed to get between the case and the phone and has scratched the finish off the edge of the phone.
I decided that I wouldn’t be using this case with my new 5S but I tried it on there for an hour or so and it felt a little loose on the new phone. I decided that I would use the phone without a case and see how I got on. I quickly found that I don’t like the way the iPhone 5/5S feels without anything on. It is too slippery and too thin for my liking and I was constantly scared that I was going to drop it whilst removing it from my pocket.
Whilst walking past an Apple store I thought I’d take a look at the different cases that they had available and the Apple case really caught my eye for the simplicity and quality. It seemed a little expensive at £35.00 but I thought that if I can buy one case and stand a good chance that it would look after the finish of my phone in everyday use it was worth a go.
This is what your £35 gets you.
I chose the black but it is also available in brown, beige, yellow, blue and a special (Product) Red version where some of the profits go to a Charity set up by Bono of U2.
The back of the case has a nice embossed Apple logo and the leather feels very nice. There is a warning on the back of the packaging that the case is made of natural leather and that the finish will change with use.
There is a nice large cut out for the camera and flash but all of the buttons are covered and have little bumps so that you can feel where they are. No need to try to reach through the case to press them with a fingernail here. Unfortunately apple chose not to replicate the ring/vibrate switch as part of the case and it might be a struggle for those with larger fingers to operate. As a plus it will not get knocked accidentally.
The case is lined with a nice, soft suede/micro-fibre material which should help to prevent scratches like I experienced before.
Inserting the phone is easy, just push it in.
The case fits the phone perfectly. If it had been any other way I would have been shocked.
The case offers a small lip to provide some protection to the screen if laid on a surface face down.
The headphone and Lightning connector ports are nicely exposed for the majority of things that you’d want to use them for but strangely the lighting connector will not work with one of Apple’s own accessories that I use every day. I have still not updated my bedside dock to one with native Lightning and so, I have been using the 30 Pin to Lighting adapter. As you will see this will not work with this case.
The mic and speaker ports in the case line up perfectly with those on the phone and no difference in call quality or speaker volume can be noticed.
Apple iPhone 5s leather case Verdict.
Over all I am extremely impressed with the case but it does have a couple of downsides but for me these are not enough to make me want to return it and search for something else.
Pros
- Quality looks and finish
- Perfect fit
Cons
- Not all Lightning accessories will be compatible
- Ring/Vibrate a little difficult to access.
- £35 is quite a lot to spend on a case.
Several weeks ago Apple launched the latest iPhones, the iPhone 5c and the iPhone 5s. As always, the launched has been met with a very mixed response, from those loving the new phones to those seeing them as a pointless incremental and even a disappointing update.
We’ve spoken about the issues with iOS 7 a few times already and the expected iOS 7.0.3 has yet to surface as expected.
I’ve finally managed to get my hands on the iPhone 5s, my mistake was in ordering a gold 64GB version initially which is, apparently, the model seeing the highest demand. As a consequence my gold phone still isn’t here.
I realise that there are lots of iPhone unboxing videos out there but sticking with the tradition of the site and unboxing everything that comes through the door, this is ours:
Few system updates have attracted as much attention as Apple’s latest iOS 7 update for its mobile devices. With flourescent colors and a flat design, the update’s drummed up some controversy with Apple enthusiasts.
But whether you love the new look or not — beyond the cosmetic changes, it’s packed with some useful hidden features. Here are nine iOS 7 features you probably haven’t figured out on your own.
Use Siri As Your Secretary
Siri now has the keys to your call log and email. Here are just a few questions you can ask the now more helpful Siri:
- “Do I have any voicemails?” – Siri tells you which numbers have left you a voicemail
- “Did anyone call me?” – Siri pulls up your missed and most recent calls
- “Do I have any emails?” – Siri shows any unread email in your inbox
- “Read me my most recent email” – Siri will read the most recent unread email in your inbox
Teach Siri How to Pronounce Your Friends’ Names
Siri may be quick, but she’s not a very skilled linguist. Another neat Siri feature allows you to tell her how to pronounce your contacts’ names. Just say “that’s not how you pronounce” and she’ll give you a chance to teach her the correct pronunciation.
Change Font to Bold
As part of the update, there’s now a thinner font used throughout the system. While it looks good, some find it difficult to read. You’re able to change the fond to bold by going to Settings > General > Accessibility and then selecting Bold Text.
See Time Stamps on Any Text Message
One of the strangest features of text messages on iPhones is the lack of consistency with time stamps. Sometimes you’d see what time a message was sent, but other times you wouldn’t. This was addressed in iOS 7, and now you can view time stamps on any message by touching the message bubble and swiping to the left.
Block Texts and Calls from Any Number
Cut off contact with an annoying ex, telemarketer, or even a family member by blocking their number. Open the person’s contact info, then scroll to the bottom and select “Block this Caller.” Anyone you block won’t be able to message, call, or Facetime you. However, you can still call or text someone you’ve blocked.
Put Unlimited Apps in Your Folders
If you keep your apps neatly organized in folders, you’ll be happy to know you’re no longer restricted on how many apps you can place in a single folder. Now, there’s no limit on how many apps can go in the same folder.
Add Filters to Your Photos
You can add Instagram-like filters to your photos directly in the Camera app. With only 8 filters and not much variation, this feature is somewhat limited but convenient. Just open a photo, select Edit, and tap the Filters icon in bottom middle of the screen.
Swipe Downward to Access Spotlight Search
Spotlight Search was formerly found by left-swiping from the home screen. It’s now accessed by downward swiping from the middle of the screen. The downside is you can no longer search the Web — you’ll need to open Safari for that.
View Apple Maps in Night Mode
This user-friendly feature keeps you from going blind when using your Apple Maps navigation in the dark, like when you’re driving at night. There’s no way to turn this feature on or off — your phone will automatically adjust the screen brightness based on the time. In addition to Night Mode, Apple’s added some other nifty features to Apple Maps, with more on the way.
Disable or Enable Automatic App Updates
Before iOS 7, you had to open the App Store and select which apps to update. Now you can set all apps to automatically update by going to Settings > iTunes and App Store, then turn on Updates in the Automatic Downloads section. Since app updates drain data, you’ll only want to enable this feature if you have an unlimited data plan or if you can easily use a WiFi connection, like from your FiOS Internet service.
Now that you’ve gotten used to the bold new look and major features of the iOS 7 update, try out the above features to dig deeper into what your iPhone and iPad can now do.
Have you found any hidden features in the iOS 7 that we didn’t cover here? Share your tips in the comments below.
Several years ago, most smartphone manufacturers all began to adopt a standardised charging connector for their phones. The connector to win out was, of course, the microUSB and that can now be found on the vast majority of phones now sold, with one significant exception, Apple.
Apple have always had their own proprietary connectors, starting with the 30 pin connector first seen back in 2003 on the 3rd generation iPod’s. Apple stayed with the dock connector until they released the iPhone 5 in September of last year and switched to the Lightning Connector. The change from the 30-pin connector to Lightning caused a bit of a stir and rendered existing iPhone/iPod accessories all but obsolete.
One of the reasons Apple stuck with the dock connector for so long is that those 30-pins aren’t just for sync and charge. Not only does the connector include USB and serial connections but also video out and audio in/out. This is perhaps one of the main reasons for Apple not heading down the mini or microUSB road.
Announced a little over a week ago, I’ve just managed to get my grubby paws on the new iPhone 5.
The iPhone 5 has had something of a mixed reception, many reviews claiming it’s just a longer iPhone 4s and that it’s a lot of money to pay for an extra row of icons. However, there are just as many reviews claiming it as the best phone ever and lauding its stunning looks and performance.
As is our way, we’re unboxing a black iPhone 5 in the video below and you can see it beside the 4s and compared to the white version.
The new Apple iPhone 4 is without doubt the one phone that has had the most attention this year. With a new design and improved specification the iPhone 4 is more than worthy of sitting in top place in the smart phone wars but how does it truly compare in my opinion with the many top of the range Android devices that are constantly hitting the market?
With some data issues from day one Apple have made various excuses and seem to be happy with the consumer spending extra money on a bumper to solve the problem. Is this issue a problem for me and will it affect sales? You will have to read on to see what I think about it.
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