Alleged video of iPhone SE leaks showing a headphone jack

The iPhone SE originally launched in March 2016 as a refreshed update to the iPhone 5S’ body with the internals and updated camera of the iPhone 6S. It’s been over two years and rumors point to Apple possibly releasing a new version of the popular 4-inch iPhone form factor some time next month.

The latest leaks shows the new supposed iPhone SE with a glass back. The result reminds us of the iPhone 4’s design, which featured a totally glass back. Later, metal and glass was used on the back of the iPhone 5. What’s interesting is the phone was previously rumored to nix the headphone jack, but this model has the jack right at the bottom.

The model was not shown with the screen on, which suggests that it is likely dummy unit. The thing about dummy units is that they are hard to validate. We’ve seen hardware leaks about iPhones in the past but oftentimes dummies are not a reliable source. It’s entirely possible that this model is based on the leaked photos from this past week. The bottom of the phone looks exactly like the iPhone 5’s, not a speaker hole out of place.

View image on Twitter

Ben Geskin@VenyaGeskin1

New iPhone (probably SE2) coming soon - code name: Jaguar
Glass Case, Wireless Charging, In Mass Production already.

2:48 PM - Apr 21, 2018

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The iPhone SE was the last Apple phone released to have a headphone jack, but this leak contradicts the previous rumor that the headphone jack won’t exist on a new iPhone SE.

If Apple does end up keeping the headphone jack on this rumored device, it will bring up an interesting conversation – will Apple have the “courage” to explain why it contradicted its own “courage”?”. If Apple does remove the headphone jack, it needs to have either: waterproofing, a taptic feedback engine, or a larger battery to justify. At this point, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether the iPhone SE will have the precious headphone jack.

Via 1 | Via 2

Survey says over 80% of US teens prefer iPhone over Android

The average American teenager is more likely to own an iPhone than ever before. The latest survey performed by investment firm, Piper Jaffray. The survey asked over 6,000 American teenagers across 40 different States about their smartphone preferences. The teens were of an average age of 16.

82% of the teens asked owned an iPhone while 11% were team Android. These numbers were recorded in the first quarter of this year and the numbers have steadily increased over the last few years with the latest numbers the highest Jaffray ever recorded. Meanwhile, 84% of teens said they anticipated their next device to be an iPhone.

Source: Piper Jaffray

As the numbers show, the Apple iPhone is very trendy among high school students in the United States. It’s been a while since any of us were in high school, so the kind of smartphone you have is very likely to come across as a status symbol. We’d imagine it’s probably like a blue bubble vs green bubbles ordeal (whether or not you have iMessage). Of course, this only represents a particular age demographic since the total market share in the US for iOS smartphones is teetering just around 45%, according to Statista.

The survey also conducted that 15% of teens had an Apple Watch while 20% of them planned to buy one in the next 6 months.

Via 1 • Via 2

Apple announces iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus Product Red Special Edition, goes on sale April 13

Apple has announced a Product Red Special Edition variant for the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus. Both models feature a stunning red finish for the glass back and a matching red aluminum frame around the sides. The front of the phone is now in black, unlike the white front of the red iPhone 7 models.

If you were waiting for a red iPhone X, unfortunately, you will be disappointed as there isn't going to be one. Instead, Apple has launched a Product Red Leather Folio case for the phone, which features a deeper red finish and joins the other Product Red cases for the phone.

As is the case with Product Red branded products, an unknown portion of all purchases go to the Global Funds for fighting HIV/AIDS. Apple claims to have donated over $160 million to Global Funds over the years through its many Product Red devices.

The red iPhones will be available Friday, April 13 and the red iPhone X case will be available tomorrow on April 10.

Source

Caviar will sell you a gold iPhone X if you have a spare $4,510 lying around

The iPhone X wasn't an easy device to get a hold of when it launched last year, and the fact that it only comes in two colors, none of them gold, has frustrated quite a few would-be buyers. Leave it to Russian company Caviar to fix that, though.

It's now introducing not one but two golden iPhone X variants, and as usual this isn't just a different paintjob. Instead, you're treated to a pure 24K gold coating, because if you're going to buy a gold iPhone X you deserve the real thing.

Caviar iPhone X Classic Gold

The two versions are called Classic Gold and Classic Liquid Gold, the former retailing for a whopping $4,510, while the latter will set you back an even more eye-watering $4,805 (based on the current exchange rates). If money is no object and you truly want your iPhone X to stand out in a sea of silver and Space Gray models, then this will feel pretty reasonable to you.

Caviar iPhone X Classic Liquid Gold

Both Caviar handsets are decorated with "a legendary apple symbol", for the first time in the company's history, and with the Liquid Gold iteration you get an unusual shape that creates a sensation of "liquid" metal, "as if it was transforming in the hands of its owner". Sales have already started, at the Source linked below.

Source (in Russian)

MWC 2018 is over, here are the highlights

MWC 2018 was jam-packed with exciting tech, which we had a lot of fun experiencing and reporting on. Hopefully you took just as much enjoyment reading our coverage and hands-on impressions. Just in case you missed something from the busy schedule, we have prepared a quick rundown of all the highlights of the Barcelona venue.

And just in case you prefer the more retro approach to things, here are some key points in writing as well:

alcatel

In keeping with its track record, the TCL company unleashed a slew of new devices complete with some confusing and open-to-change-upon-order specs sheets. To be fair, this year's lineup is a bit more premium than usual, with devices like the flagship alcatel 5 likely to end up in users hands even without a carrier contract deal. Joining its ranks are four alcatel 3 variants - the basic one, 3X, 3V and 3C, all rocking trendy new 18:9 panels. Even the entry-level actatel 1X gets to participate in the extra-tall display fun.

Alcatel at MWC 2018

Huawei

No real mobile announcements from the Chinese giant this year. Well, that does depend on your definition of mobile, since a new MediaPad M5 tablet did make an appearance, alongside a gorgeous, ultra-light MateBook X Pro laptop.

ZTE

ZTE's new additions to the budget-friendly Blade family can potentially make a big market splash, given their aggressive sub-$300 pricing. The Blade V9 and Blade V9 VITA promise premium looks, strong mid-ranger specs and a solid camera experience. ZTE also showcased the Tempo GO as a part of the Android Go initiative.

ZTE Blade V9 and Blade V9 VITA hands-on

Nokia

HMD brought a full and rich roster of new devices to Barcelona. The nostalgia train is running on full steam, as the Finnish company officially resurrected the Sirocco branding, in its shiny new Nokia 8 Sirocco flagship.

Surprisingly, it was not the only flagship product to appear on stage. Well, a bit debatable, since the Nokia 7 Plus is based on a Snapdragon 660, but they've packaged that in an exquisitely crafted aluminum body with ceramic-like finish.

The same overall praise for build quality and bill of materials applies to the new Nokia 6 (2018) as well, refreshed for 2018.

HMD has an Android Go offer as well in the retro-infused Nokia 1, complete with Xpress-on covers - another old-school Nokia branding brought back from the glorious days of yore.

But all the exchangeable cases in the world pale in retro-coolness compared to the 2018 Nokia 8110 4G - reborn in Matrix-worthy black and banana yellow.

Nokia 8 Sirocco, 7 Plus, and 8110 4G hands-on review

Samsung

As expected, after an avalanche of leaks, Samsung launched the S9 pair at this year's MWC. Design-wise, the Galaxy S9+ and Galaxy S9 are more of a refinement on their predecessors than anything else, but with a lot of extra features and goodies hiding underneath.

Some highlights include a dual-aperture main camera for both phones, aided by a secondary snapper on the bigger S9+. 4K@60fps video recording and slow motion 720p@960fps are now possible with the new generation of chipsets from Qualcomm and Samsung themselves. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ hands-on review

Sony

A pair of exciting new flagships from the Japanese giant. Pretty controversial ones at that. The Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact feature a fresh new "Ambient Flow" design, a lot curvier than before, complete with 18:9 displays. Underneath, both are true powerhouses, built around the Snapdragon 845 and a refined version of Sony's familiar 19MP Motion Eye camera system.

HDR recording and display panels are some of the other highlights in the new Xperia XZ2 pair. The Dynamic Vibration system is a peculiar novelty as well.

Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact hands-on review

Vivo

Vivo managed to soak up quite a lot of spotlight at this year's MWC with the APEX concept phone. It’s a unique device, or rather a unique tech demo (because it's what it is), for more than a few reasons. Thanks to new advancements in OLED technology, the APEX's 5.99-inch panel spans nearly the entirety of its front and also doubles as a speaker and earpiece. Plus, the company's next generation under-display fingerprint technology now spans the entire bottom half of the screen. To top it all off, the selfie camera pops-up when needed via a small motorized dome. If you haven't done so already, you need to check the vivo APEX out.

Vivo APEX concept hands-on: a half-screen fingerprint scanner and a periscope camera

Asus

Asus also brought a full bag of new handsets to Barcelona, namely a fresh new Zenfone 5 line (not to be confused with the 2014 original). Asus is clearly shooting for feature-rich flagships on a budget with the Zenfone 5 and 5z. Both come with tall 19:9 panels, complete with an iPhone X-style notch, live animated emojis and a generous amount of AI sprinkled all over - a recipe worthy for 2018.

With a notch less and some downgrades in internals here and there, the Zenfone 5 Lite still promises to deliver all the software goodies and revamped experience of its bigger sibling. And last, but not least, there is the slightly more traditional Zenfone Max (M1) - no AI treatment for this one, but plenty of juice from the 4,000 mAh battery.

Asus Zenfone 5, 5z, 5 Lite hands-on review

LG

LG jumped hard on the AI bandwagon as well, releasing a new and ambitious in scope ThinkQ platform. To go along with it - a pair of devices, or should we say memory options for the V30, descriptively titled the LG V30S ThinQand V30S+ ThinkQ, with 6GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage, respectively. The only other change is the duo of new colors.

There wasn't really any new hardware to speak of in LG's "K" lineup either, although, technically, these were refreshed with 2018 versions as well.

LG K10/K10+ (2018) and LG K8 (2018) hands-on at MWC

So there you have it - the MWC 2018 at a glance. We're looking forward to a few other exciting announcements scheduled for later this month so consider this just the start of an exciting season.

The biggest iPhone yet may have 1,242x2,688 resolution, A12 chip, gold color option

It's long been rumored that Apple is going to launch three new iPhones this fall, all with a design very similar to that of the iPhone X from last year. One model will keep that device's screen tech and size, another is apparently coming with a 6.5" OLED panel, while the third model will be a more affordable 6.1" handset with an LCD display and lower resolution.

Today a report from Bloombergbasically confirms all of that, adding a few new bits and pieces of intel allegedly coming from "people familiar with the products".

The biggest iPhone yet is to have a screen "close to 6.5 inches", while design-wise it will act like a Plus version of the successor to the current iPhone X, keeping the overall shape, the notch, and the stainless steel frame and glass back. Its display's resolution could be 1,242x2,688, since at least one prototype is boasting that. If so, it would be the highest-res iPhone ever. The body will be about the same size as that of the iPhone 8 Plus, with the extra screen real estate made possible by cutting the bezels.

Furthermore, Apple is reportedly thinking of releasing it and the iPhone X successor in a gold color version. This was planned for the X but abandoned in the end because of production problems. The two premium 2018 iPhones are to be powered by the upcoming A12 chipset.

The larger iPhone may also have dual-SIM functionality for the first time in Apple's history, to appeal to travelers in some markets. That said, the company may simply forego this and wait for eSIM to become more accepted by carriers.

The lower-cost model (don't read that as "cheap") will have the same edge-to-edge screen design as the premium offerings, complete with notch and Face ID support (and no Touch ID). Its cost will be cut by using the cheaper LCD technology and an aluminum frame. It was also rumored not to pack 3D Touch.

Source | Via

Major new iOS bug can crash iPhones and disable access to apps and iMessages

Here we go again

By Tom Warren 

on February 15, 2018 5:58 am

Apple had a shockingly bad week of software problems just before the end of 2017, and it looks like 2018 isn’t starting so well either. A new bug has been discovered in iOS 11 that lets people send a specific character that will crash an iPhone and block access to the Messages app in iOS and popular apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Outlook for iOS, and Gmail. Italian Blog Mobile World spotted the bug, and we’ve tested it successfully on multiple iPhones running iOS 11.2.5, and found it also works on the macOS versions of Safari and Messages.

The bug itself involves sending an Indian language (Telugu) character to devices, and Apple’s iOS Springboard will crash once the message has been received. Messages will no longer open as the app is trying and failing to load the character, and it appears that the only way to regain access to your iMessages is to have another friend send you a message and try to delete the thread that contained the bad character.

We’ve also tested the bug on third-party apps like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Gmail, and Outlook for iOS and found that these apps can become disabled once a message is received. It might be difficult to fix and delete the problem message for apps like WhatsApp, unless you have web access enabled. Telegram and Skype appear to be unaffected. The public beta version of iOS 11.3 is also unaffected, so Apple will clearly fix this once iOS 11.3 is available broadly sometime this spring. We’ve reached out to Apple for comment, and it appears the company was notified at least three days ago.

APPLE HAS A HISTORY OF WEIRD IOS CRASH BUGS

This isn’t the first time that iOS has crashed due to weird characters, URLs, or even videos. Last month a single link could freeze an iPhone, but Apple was able to resolve it with the release of iOS 11.2.5. Back in 2015 a tiny string of text disabled iMessage, and a year later in 2016 a 5-second video crashed iPhones. Apple also experienced issues with an iOS 11 bug in December that crashed iPhones, and the company took the unusual step of issuing a significant iOS update just hours after the bug started occurring.

As Apple faces more security issues and software bugs, the company is reportedly focusing on reliability and performance in iOS 12 over new features. Reports suggest that Apple is taking a new approach to iOS updates, allowing engineers to push features to later releases instead of trying to cram them in for big annual updates. Some features have reportedly been pushed back as a result, allowing Apple to address some of the security and reliability issues discovered in both iOS and macOS recently.

Update, 7AM ET: The Verge has discovered this also affects third-party apps, making it far more troublesome.

Users report issues with answering incoming calls on the iPhone X

While far removed from its humble stationary origins, smartphones should still be able to make and take calls. Apple’s iPhone X seems to be making a mess of the latter as multiple people report they can’t answer a call for several seconds.

What happens is that the ringtone starts playing as soon as the phone is called, but the screen stays off for several seconds, preventing you from answering. Going by the “I have this question too” count on the support page, close to a thousand people are affected by this issue.

People have tried resetting their phones and installing the latest version of iOS, but that proved to be only a temporary fix. Apple is looking into the issue.

Source | Via (paywall)

Apple sold fewer iPhones this holiday season, still made more revenue

Apple’s latest quarter report is out for the Holiday Season. This report includes initial iPhone 8 sales, as well as the first wave of iPhone X sales. Combined, the company shipped 77.3 million iPhones. This is just 1.15% below the same quarter from the previous year.

The higher cost of the iPhone X was just enough to offset the slight decline in total iPhone shipments, just enough, in fact, to bump Apple’s revenue for this quarter over the previous one: $88.3 billion vs $78.4 billion in revenue. The posted revenue was just above the predicted amount: between $84 to $87 billion.

iPhone X and the iPhone 8

During this quarter, Apple also sold 13.2 million iPads and 5.1 million Mac computers. The same quarter last year did fewer iPads (13 million), and slightly more Macs (5.4 million). Apple also highlighted that it has reached 1.3 billion active Apple devices around the world in January.

We’ve discussed this in the past: the smartphone industry is becoming very saturated and increasingly marginal updates year over year. A company even as big as Apple has had trouble keeping up with the slowly declining industry and analysts have even suggested that Apple may discontinue the iPhone X early.

What’s amazing is that Apple managed to market and sell a smartphone experience for $1000. What’s not amazing is that this may be prompting other smartphone makers to try the same thing. The first one on that list is Samsung with the Galaxy Note8, it was $950 when it launched and we might be able to expect that its successor will be sold for $1000.

In any case, we don't see Apple slowing down any time soon. 2018 rumors have swirled about three new iPhones this year, all of which may have employ the same iPhone X notch-style display.

Source

Component supplier says production cut to iPhone X not as severe as reported

Nikkei Asian Review reported that Apple will halve iPhone X orders, based on information from the supply chain. The predicted number didn’t quite line up with other estimates and it seems that the component suppliers themselves are hearings different numbers.

Murata claims “the figure sounds a little bit bigger”, referring to the 20 million iPhone Xs estimate by Nikkei. Murata provides some of the wireless connectivity components for this generation of iPhones.

The company has heard talks of production cuts, though it seems no one is certain of the extent of those cuts. Apple will publish its quarterly financial reports on February 1 (this Thursday).

Source

There may not be an iPhone SE 2 after all

There have been rumors swirling about the iPhone SE getting an update sometime in 2018, but KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has thrown some cold water on those fires. A new research note claims that Apple might not have an updated SE in the cards at all — or if there is one, customers can expect a minor update that amounts to a run-of-the-mill spec boost and no new features like wireless charging or Face ID, via MacRumors.

According to Kuo, between the three phones Apple released last year (iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X) and the three phones rumored to be released this fall, the company may not have enough development resources for an SE follow up as a fourth phone for 2018. That said, Kuo also does acknowledge that a basic processor update could still happen, but it seems that SE fans should keep expectations low.

SE FANS SHOULD KEEP EXPECTATIONS LOW

The iPhone SE still fills an interesting place in Apple’s lineup. It uses the same design as the iPhone 5, which was released in 2012, with the 2015 internals of an iPhone 6s. This means the current model would get a boost in processor speed — something that will likely continue to get worse with the presumed release of iOS 12 this fall. But SE is still popular for its low price and smaller size among consumers. Compared to the giant 6-inch-plus phones Apple is rumored to be releasing this year, it could make sense to keep an updated version of the smaller SE around.

Correction: Removed reference to iPhone X SE name, which is reportedly not actually referenced in Kuo’s research note.

Apple updates pricing in the App Store for selected countries

JANUARY 2018

Apple started contacting developers regarding tax and foreign exchange rate changes that will affect pricing on the App Store in addition to adjusting developer proceeds within selected countries.

The countries that will see their App Store prices change are:

Czech Republic: Prices will decrease for apps and in-app purchases (excluding auto-renewable subscriptions)

India: Prices will decrease for apps and in-app purchases (including auto-renewable subscriptions)

Turkey, Nigeria, Belarus, Armenia: Prices will increase for apps and in-app purchases (excluding auto-renewable subscriptions)

Behind the scenes, Apple will administer the collection of taxes and remittance of tax to authorities in following countries in accordance with the tax rates:

Armenia: 20%

Belarus: 20%

Saudi Arabia: 5%

Switzerland: changed from 8% to 7.7%

Turkey: 18%

United Arab Emirates: 5%

iOS 11.3 will let you disable battery-related throttling

iOS 11.3 will add more detailed info on the battery’s health and whether or not the chipset is throttled. If it is, there will be an option to return it to full speed.

This new version of iOS came out in beta today, but the battery toggle has not been implemented yet. It will be added in a later beta release.

Some of the other additions in iOS 11.3 are available, though. New animojis for one: dragon, bear, skull and lion bring the total of available characters to 16.

Business Chat will go into beta when iOS 11.3 comes out. It allows consumers to interact with businesses like Discover, Hilton, Lowe’s and Wells Fargo. You can chat with a representative, make an appointment and even make a purchase with Apple Pay.

 
Business Chat (new in iOS 11.3) will connect users with businesses

ARKit will be bumped up to version 1.5, allowing it to recognize vertical surfaces as well (walls, posters on those walls, doors, etc.). It will also do a better job at tracking irregular horizontal surfaces (say, a round table).

Health Records will show your data from hospitals and clinics, organized in one easy to browse view. You’ll also receive regular notifications with your lab results. All data is encrypted and protected with a passcode.

  
Health Records show information from hospital and clinics and will notify you when lab results arrive

A few more features include music videos in Apple Music, Advanced Mobile Location for emergency services.

Source

Tim Cook says the next iOS update will allow users to disable intentional battery slowdowns

Apple CEO Tim Cook today shared that the next update to iOS 11 will allow users to disable battery performance throttling on their device. The move comes after Apple last month admitted it intentionally slows down iPhones as they get older to prevent issues that may arise as the batteries depreciate.

In an interview with ABC News, Cook said the update will arrive next month in a developer release before a wider public rollout. “We’re going to give people the visibility of the health of their battery so it’s very, very transparent,” he says. “This hasn’t been done before.”

PhotVergeo by James Bareham / The 

Cook also says the update will more clearly inform users when their iPhone is automatically reducing its performance in an effort to prevent unexpected shutdowns. “If you don’t want it, you can turn it off,” Cook says, though he maintains that this is not recommended — something Apple stands by in its apology letter that addressed consumers after the backlash in December. Apple currently faces multiple class action lawsuits after admitting to intentionally slowing down iPhones.

The next iOS 11 developer beta is expected in early February, which means a public release will follow some time in March.

(Source)

iPhone users will be able to disable "power management" to prevent CPU throttling

Late last month, Apple iPhone users were flabbergasted to discover that an earlier iOS update allowed Apple to throttle the CPU on the iPhone 6 and later models. This was done in the name of "power management." Because many of these older models were being powered by older batteries, certain heavy duty tasks risked shutting down these particular iPhone units. While the actual act of throttling the processor bothered some users, the majority were more upset that the story had to be coerced out of Apple. The company, looking to buy its way back into some users' hearts, took $50 off the price of a battery replacement which now costs $29 for the rest of the year.

On Wednesday evening, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Apple will soon allow iPhone owners to monitor the health of the battery that powers their device. In addition, Apple will offer users the option of disabling the power management system that throttles the CPU. Those who would rather take the gamble of a particular task shutting down their phone will be warned that by disabling power management, they risk having their phone shut down.

Cook, appearing on ABC News, also said that Apple will create 20,000 new jobs over the next five years and at the same time, invest $350 billion in the U.S. economy. In addition, the executive said that under the new tax laws Apple will make a huge $38 billion one-time tax payment. Employees will also receive a $2,500 stock grant allowing practically all Apple employees to become owners in the company.

(Source)