The iPhone 5S and 5C

Apple held a special event yesterday, the 10th of September, to unveil their new iPhones - the 5C and 5S. A lot of leaked images and rumours showered the web before the launch, most of which happened to be true. Most surprisingly, the iPhone 5 has now been dropped from Apple's iPhone line-up.

The low-cost iPhone 5C was unveiled first, in which the 'C' presumably stands for 'colour'. It comes in a dazzling range of colours: yellow, red, blue, white and green. Silicone covers of the same colours are available for £25, they have holes on the back to create the "two-tone effect". Phil Schiller stated "There's colour throughout the product. Volume buttons, switches. The entire back and sides is made from a single part, and the front is a one glass multitouch surface."

The 5C has a steel-reinforced structure and a hard-coated polycarbonate back, making it more durable. Just like the iPhone 5, it has an A6 chip and a stunning 4-inch Retina display. The iPhone 5C's battery is a bit bigger than the iPhone 5's, therefore increasing battery life. It stands at 124.4 mm, it's 59.2 mm wide, 8.97 mm thin and weighs just 132 grams. The iPhone 5C has an 8 megapixel back facing iSight camera, which shoots 1080p HD video at 30fps. The rear camera features an LED flash, a backside illumination sensor, a five-element lense and a hybrid IR filter. The FaceTime camera shoots 720p HD video and has a backside illumination sensor too.


The iPhone 5C is available to pre-order from the 13th of September. Here are the prices:
- 16GB for £469
- 32GB for £549


Moving on to the iPhone 5S - as Schiller said: "The 5S is the most forward-thinking phone Apple has ever created. Perhaps the most forward-thinking phone anyone has ever made." 

It comes in three cool colours: silver, gold and space grey. As speculated, the iPhone 5S has the same 4-inch Retina display. It's 123.8 mm tall, 58.6 mm wide, 7.6 mm thin and weighs only 112 grams. The iPhone 5S features a super fast 64-bit A7 chip and an M7 motion coprocessor. The A7 chip is claimed to be up to twice as fast as the previous chip; and the CPU performance has apparently risen by 40x since the first iPhone - half of that increase coming from the A7.  The graphics have risen by an astonishing 56x since the first iPhone, and once again half of that increase comes with the A7.  The new M7 motion coprocessor "takes advantage of all the sensors and continuously measures the data coming from the gyroscope, accelerometer and compass without having to wake up the A7." This presumably saves battery life. Speaking of which, it is equal or greater than the iPhone 5's.

The biggest change comes with the home button, which now features a fingerprint sensor. You can easily unlock your iPhone with a touch of the home button; and best of all, it doesn't matter which way you place your finger. The user can also login top their Apple ID using their fingerprint. All of this means that your iPhone is safer than ever before, not to mention quicker to unlock.

The iPhone 5S has a top-end 8 megapixel iSight camera, which is kitted out to the max. It has a five-element lens with a Sapphire crystal lens cover. As well as that, it has a true tone flash, a backside illumination sensor and a hybrid IR filter. Burst mode has also been added - the camera takes 10 pictures per second - and all you have to do is hold down the camera button for as long as you like. The rear facing iSight camera shoots 1080p HD video at the standard 30fps. Surprisingly, Apple has added a slo-mo video option, which I believe shoots at about 120fps. The front facing FaceTime camera records 720p HD video and has a backside illumination sensor.

The iPhone 5S is available to order from the 20th of September. Here are the prices:
- 16GB for £549
- 32GB for £629
- 64GB for £709
The iPhone 5S also has a new range of leather cases to come with it.

Both, the 5C and 5S, will come with iOS 7 already installed. iOS 7 is compatible with: iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iPod Touch 5th gen, iPad 2, iPad with Retina display and the iPad Mini. You will be able to download it on the 18th of September. 


Visit my Apple blog for more news :)

Apple Devices can be Hacked Using a Malicious Charger

Current Apple devices - the iPhone, iPad and iPod - can be hacked using an innocent looking wall charger. A team from the Georgia Institute of Technology developed a charger, named Mactans, which installs malicious software onto an iDevice in less than sixty seconds.

The malware is practically undetectable, meaning that the user is oblivious to what's going on inside their iPhone, iPad or iPod. The USB charger has a BeagleBoard built into it, turning what you think is a standard charger into a harmful computer that is capable of doing quite a lot of damage. The BeagleBoard is a low-cost (£30 / $45), single-board open source computer produced by Texas Instruments to teach open source hardware and software capabilities. Once your device is plugged in, the custom software cracks the iOS code to install malware...

To read more visit my Apple blog.

iPhone Owners Spend 55% More Time on Their Phone Than Android Users

The war of the smartphones has been raging on ever since Apple unveiled their first iPhone back in 2007, mainly splitting the world up into Apple and Android fans. New research done by Experian Marketing Services shows that owners spend 55% more time on their iPhone than Android users. This maybe suggests that iPhones are more useful than Android smartphones.

The average iPhone user spends 1 hour and 15 minutes on their device everyday, this is substantially more than Android users, who only spend around 49 minutes on their handsets. Android phones are used for talking (28%) more than iPhones (22%), which in turn are used more for texting (22%) than Android handsets (16%). Android owners spend 16% of the time browsing the web, iPhone owners only spend 12%, which suggests that people prefer larger screens for visiting websites. iPhones, however, lead the way in social networking, sending emails and taking stunning pictures...

Read more on my Apple blog, or visit Macworld's website where this story has also been published.

Apple Sees Way of Using Multiple iPhones as Camera Flashes

Apple have filed a new patent, in which a primary iOS device controls many other secondary devices as assistant flashes; to light the scene. When taking photos in low light the outcome may not always be as desired, that's why we use flashes to light the scene up. But, one flash might not be enough or it might ruin a face shot, that is why Apple have come up with this new system...

You can read more on my blog or visit the Macworld website, where it has also been published.

iPhone Retains More Value Than Top Galaxy Models

A recent study has revealed that iPhones retain more value than the top Samsung Galaxy models. Samsung is supposed to be more and more popular everyday, therefore gaining marketshare and retaining it's important reputation for being so great at making new smartphones. But is it? The report actually shows that the iPhone is considered to be the most valuable phone out there. 

The iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, Samsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (all of them used, not new) were compared in the recent report, which shows US eBay auction prices for these smartphones. Piper Jaffrey analyst Gene Munster, who comducted the research, wrote "The key takeaway from 8 weeks of data is that the iPhone is holding slightly more of its value compared to the top two Galaxy phones." In the picture above you can see that the iPhone 4S lost only 7% of its value in the past two months, the iPhone 4 lost about 8.8% and the iPhone 5 was deprived of only 11%. It's a different story with Samsung . The S3 is currently auctioned at 13.9% less than its original value and the Galaxy Note 2 comes in at a staggering 15% below its actual selling price. These figures might not sound that bad but believe me, they're important for the sellers; who want to get the highest amount of money for their phones...

To read the rest of this post visit my Apple blog or the Macworld website, where it has also been published.

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Will We See an iWatch?

Many rumours are pointing towards Apple releasing an iWatch soon, but are they true? They suggest that the iWatch will take voice commands, thanks to Siri, and will be able to post Facebook statuses and tweets. The watch will have to be an intelligent piece of machinery in order to attract the attention that Apple might be hoping for. It is also rumoured that the iWatch will be able to communicate with other iDevices, but is that going a bit too far? We all love using high-tech devices and being able to keep up to date with the latest goings on, but won't that turn the 'still to be' iWatch into a much smaller version of the iPhone?

Apple haven't revealed any information yet as they like to keep things quiet, but they haven't denied the fact that there might be an iWatch coming this year, in September perhaps. Numerous rumours suggest that the iWatch will have a 1 inch retina display with multitouch capabilities, an aluminium body with a sleek finish and a clever wrist strap - also made of aluminium, or another 'space-age' material. It would be able to connect to other Apple devices via Bluetooth and connect to wi-fi networks, check the weather and maybe play a bit of music. But what about battery life? It would be nice if Apple fitted the iWatch with wireless charging, which would be similar to what Nokia are using on their phones. However, all that tech is sure to come with a hefty price tag, definitely in the region of £100 to £200. What do you think - will the iWatch even be materialised or is it just a distant dream? 

iOS 6.1 Released

When iOS 6 was first released it didn't get the expected 'thumbs up' from the public. Many improvements needed to be made, including an update to the maps application. However, iOS 6.1 is now available to download. After four beta versions, the final update has been released by Apple, to the relief of customers. But is it all that we wanted?

The update is available for the iPhone 3GS and later versions of the iPhone, iPad 2 and later versions of the iPad, iPod touch 4th generation and later versions of the iPod Touch. It takes about 5 minutes to install on the iPad mini and may take longer on older devices. Here are the improvements and bug fixes that Apple have made to the software:

• LTE support for more carriers (there is a complete list of supported carriers at www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/)
• You can now purchase movie tickets through Fandango with Siri (USA only)
• iTunes Match subscribers can now download individual songs from iCloud
• There is a new button to reset the Advertising Identifier

For information on the security content of this update, please visit this website: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222

Although most iDevice users were hoping for a Maps update, there is no sign of one at the moment. It looks like we will maybe have to wait until iOS 7 for that to come. There aren't any 'visible' updates to the new software but there are a lot of bug fixes which improve the whole user experience. What will Apple do next?

Apple Users Angry at Google

Apple's browser, Safari, is one of the most used web browsers in the world - it's in a close competition with Firefox, Chrome and Internet Explorer. Millions of people from around the world use the Internet daily, whether it's for checking the latest news or shopping online; but everyone wants some privacy, don't they? Recently, a group of Safari users have claimed that Google has dodged Safari's privacy settings and installed cookies, which track their movements on the Internet. The cookies enable Google to place appropriate adverts on webpages by looking at which websites an individual has been visiting. This has caused the Safari users to launch a campaign against Google over privacy terms, and one person has gone as far as beginning legal proceedings against the worlds most used search engine.

Google has committed this 'crime' before. In 2012 the US Federal Trade Commission fined them $22.5m for the exact same actions as this time, which of course don't please the public. It looks like the firm haven't learned from their previous mistakes. Google's chairman, Jon Leibowitz, stated that all companies must "keep their privacy promises to customers." Yet THEY breached Safari's privacy terms, making many customers unhappy. If the firm are doing this to Apple's browser, then all the others, like Firefox, must be at risk from this too. Apple might once again send Google to court themselves over this incident, in a battle to prove that Google had not been following Safari's privacy terms, therefore angering the majority of iDevice users. From where things stand at the moment, Google want to prove to the world that they are innocent over this scandal and have only been trying to provide their users with appropriate advertising. However, as everyone knows from past incidents like this, it's better to not get on the wrong side of Apple, as you might find yourself wishing you have never angered the world's leading technology firm.

iOS 6.1 GM Released to Developers

iOS 6 was released in September last year for most Apple devices. Now the final beta version for iOS 6.1 is available for developers to download. The new software caused a storm, but for all the wrong reasons. The Maps application was and is the worst, users have stated that the maps are inaccurate, black and white in some areas, small sections of the map are covered by clouds and that the 3D mode isn't the best. Recently, the Do Not Disturb mode has encountered a bug which hasn't yet been fixed, although Apple promised they would sort it out soon. But that was over a week ago now.

The first iOS 6.1 beta version was released in November and since then the company issued three more betas, including the 'Golden Master' version which is the final one, hopefully. It is said that the new software version fixes a lot of bugs in the interface and with connectivity. Nothing has been said about an update for the Maps application, lets hope there is one. The new version will, if people are right, be available for the iPhone 5, iPhone 4 and 4s, iPhone 3gs, the fourth, third and second generation of the iPad, the iPad mini and the fifth and fourth generations of the iPod Touch. It's likely that iOS 6.1 will be released in the next two months to users worldwide and it better be 'polished down' enough.

iPhone 6 Rumours

Recent rumours suggest that Apple have been testing hardware which relates to a new 'iPhone 6,1' identifier, powered by a device running iOS 7. So we might see a new iPhone and software version coming out later this year. However people are still waiting for an update to the not quite successful Maps application. Apple received piles of complaints after its release stating that the maps are inaccurate, black and white in some places and that the 3D mode suddenly decided that roads shouldn't be straight. You can see an example of that at the Hoover Dam on the maps; a bridge is nowhere near the shape that it should be. The same can be said for the surrounding roads. The Eiffel Tower doesn't look too good either. It appears to be squashed to the ground in 3D mode and people agree that mistakes like these shouldn't even be happening with a company like Apple. A Map update is expected to be released shortly, in the meanwhile Google Maps is available to download from the App Store.

There haven't been many changes made to the current iPhone 5 as there aren't many differences between it and the iPhone 4s. However, the iPhone 5 has had a screen size update and it has been fitted with a very fast and powerful A6 chip, it comes with better cameras and a beautiful display. Some of the differences have been made by iOS 6, which is available for most iOS devices. The iPhone 5 has only just been released, but people are already thinking about the next generation. Here is a list of what people want to see in the new iPhone 6:
 - A quad core processor
 - A wider screen, people say that the current iPhone has a display that is too tall and it needs to be wider
 - Siri to be able to translate speech, to and from different languages
 - Expandable storage
 - Near Field Communication technology (NFC)
 - A lower price, not a higher one
 - Wireless charging

These are some of the more sensible and possible ideas. One of the not so possible ones is a projector fitted into the iPhone, I think we will have to wait a few more years for that one. A source has revealed that it is possible for the next generation of the iPhone to have a curved glass screen. Apple have apparently bought over 200 glass cutting machines, which are said to be specialised in cutting curved glass. Furthermore, it is said that Apple have been granted a patent which indicates that the iPhone 6 might be made of a single piece of metal, making the phone lighter and thinner. Recently, Sharp has developed a new generation of displays, called p-Si LCD. It stands for PolySilicon Liquid Crystal Display, which is said to have numerous advancements and new features that will make the display brighter and sharper than it already is. The Retina display has beautiful colours and an astonishingly good resolution, I can't imagine how good Sharp's new display is going to be.

iOS 6 still needs a lot of improvements, mostly with Maps. To many people it seems that the release was rushed and it wasn't 'polished down' enough. It is suggested that Apple may release iOS 7 later on this year with the iPhone 6, but only if the rumours are true. A majority of users are wanting live widgets on the home screen to be introduced to the software, as they will make it more interesting and fun to navigate through the device. However, others are saying that the current look is very original and if it is changed it will ruin the simplicity and ease of use.

Apple better have something big and exciting up their sleeve, otherwise the public will lose interest in the company and their devices. It looks like without Steve Jobs Apple isn't the same anymore. The firm are making the wrong decisions too quickly and definitely need to slow down and think about what their next step is going to be. Luckily for them, this hasn't had a big impact on the company or their sales. The technology world is growing and developing faster than ever. What seemed to be the impossible a few years ago has been made into reality today. Who knows what gadgets we will end up with in a hundred years. People all over the world are already buzzing about the hopeful release of the iPhone 6, what will Apple come up with?

iMessage Killing Text Messaging?

Recent figures show that more people are using data based messaging, iMessage for example, leaving a decline in normal messaging; which now costs a fair amount. An analyst stated that texting was down in the third quarter of the year, to 678 texts per user each month from 696 texts in the previous quarter. Therefore, texting revenues have experienced an unusual decline. However, this does not mean that a decline is being experienced by network providers at this moment.

This dip was also noticed by American businesses that provide mobile phones for employees; on average one employee is sending 5 to 10 percent fewer text messages than last year. Surely this has to be a good thing, right? People can now waste less money on texting and not worry about running out of credit. Moreover, network providers don't experience a revenue loss, so it doesn't really matter to them.

iOS 6.0.1 Update

Yesterday, Apple released a new update for iOS 6. They haven't done anything noticeable with the software; but improvements and bug fixes have been made. The update is only available for the iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS,  iPad 3, iPad 2 and the iPod Touch 4th generation. However, the iPhone 5 is not able to download software updates right now; iOS 6.0.1 will allow it to update. iPhone 5 users need to download an app from the app store to update to this new version. This problem might occur in the iPod Touch 5th generation too. Here is the full list of barely noticeable improvements:

 • Fixes a bug that prevents iPhone 5 from installing software updates wirelessly over the air
• Fixes a bug where horizontal lines may be displayed across the keyboard
• Fixes an issue that could cause camera flash to not go off
• Improves reliability of iPhone 5 and iPod touch (5th generation) when connected to encrypted WPA2                
    Wi-Fi networks
• Resolves an issue that prevents iPhone from using the cellular network in some instances
• Consolidated the Use Cellular Data switch for iTunes Match
• Fixes a Passcode Lock bug which sometimes allowed access to Passbook pass details from lock
    screen
• Fixes a bug affecting Exchange meetings

As well as this, the App Store doesn't crash when trying to update, search apps or look in the Genius section; but it still does when you want to look at the apps you have already purchased. It seems that Apple are still working on the Maps app, which has been designed with appalling accuracy and detailing. There will hopefully be another update early next year, maybe in February or March.

Apple Tracking Their Customers?

Recently, some news have emerged that Apple seems to be tracking their customers; without the infringement of privacy. The new mobile operating system, iOS6, has an unknown feature that allows different advertisers to track potential customers. There is a randomly generated number, made by the Identification For Advertisers (IFA); which is assigned to every Apple device. The IFA allows advertisers to access peoples app history and search history on their device, without revealing any personal information.

Apple have had numerous complaints about this in the previous operating system; which is why they have decided to turn the IFA off. Unfortunately, for those who wish to do that, they have to overcome many obstacles that take time. However, mobile app providers are taking advantage of this, as it will help them find their target audience. On the other hand, Apple's customers aren't too happy about this, but as long as none of their personal information is revealed; Apple will get away with it.

To read more stories like this visit my blog by clicking here.