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Dear Apple, please bring the iPhone 4s into the future
There's something awful about being in love with an outdated piece of technology, but I will hold onto my iPhone 4s until the day it dies. You may find yourself asking why, but the answer is simple. The iPhone 4s is the best designed phone Apple has ever released. Even as new generations of iOS and iPhones have been released the 4s keeps chugging along, showing its age with each new update but still powering on through waves of abuse from users and Apple alike. Now there are rumors Apple is going to release a 4" iPhone 6, and if they prove true I have one simple request for Apple. Just put new guts into the body of the iPhone 4s. For the love of god, don't try to make it any thinner. Sure, I would love to have something thinner, but the major problem with iPhones since the 4s is that they're fragile as hell. I've had my iPhone 4s for three years. During those years I've dropped it countless times on a cornucopia of hard surfaces without ever cracking the front screen. It almost reads like an infomercial: drop it on concrete, hardwood, tile, marble, dirt -- it survives them all. Yes, I finally earned myself a crack this year, but it took years of effort and constant use. Meanwhile my wife is now on her third 5c, with the screens on her first two each shattering the first time they fell on the ground. I've seen similar problems with the 5, 5s, 6, and 6 Plus. The guts are from the future, but the screen can't survive the war of actual daily use. You can make all the promises you want about futuristic glass, but if you keep making that glass insanely thin it will keep breaking. Yes, you can use a case but that doesn't protect your phone from everything. Even bulletproof vests have weak points. Even the 4s can be broken if you try hard enough. Apparently, I haven't tried hard enough. As an experiment, I've intentionally never used a case with my 4s. They've always been easy to replace, so I wanted to see what it would take to kill it. Right now I still don't entirely know how to kill this beast through everyday use. Your iPhone 6 may have a super computer brain, but my 4s has a bomb shelter body. Whether you call it the iPhone 6s mini or the iPhone Classic, please Apple, for the love of all that is good and decent in the world, keep your eyes on the under-appreciated design that still leads your other phones in sales in developing markets. Let the people who want massive thin phones have them, but also make room at your table for those of us who want a small, but hard to kill, beast in our pockets. Give the 4s body another shot at glory, and you'll find me lining up a month in advance. Please Apple, honor your best design. Improve its insides and bring a classic into the future.
Apple takes over HTC's home country, iPhone 6 most popular smartphone in Taiwan
HTC's home country of Taiwan is now devoted to Apple, according to new sales data. The iPhone 6 has driven Apple's rise in the region, and of the top ten best selling smartphones in Taiwan last month, various models of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus stole a total of four of those spots. That's a whole lot of Apple love from the country that HTC typically dominates. HTC still managed to slide into second place in overall sales volume, with Samsung, Asustek, and Sony trailing behind. Taiwan has a population of just over 23 million people, which is about the same as Australia and a bit less than the state of Texas, if you're looking for comparisons.
Heyday goes 2.0, adds sharing, locking via Touch ID, and more
About a month ago I wrote a review of Heyday, a free personal journal app that captures location and photo information and turns it into a wonderful day by day photo journal of your life. I love the app, but wondered "where can they go from here?" That question was answered today with the release of Heyday 2.0, which brings some new useful and fun features to the table. First up is the ability to lock your Heyday journal away from the prying eyes of others... with Touch ID. While I don't use Heyday to keep a written journal - that's what Day One is for - some people might, or they may have photos or location info that they'd like to keep hidden from others. You can now set Heyday up with either a 4-digit passcode or just turn Touch ID on for protection. The app fully supports the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus now, but the feature I'm impressed with the most is the ability to share a day with someone else. Just grab a day, any day, and tap the share button. A web page is created for you (see image above), and a link is sent to the recipient so they can see what happened on that auspicious day. Here's an example page from a weekend trip last year. One sad thing - videos just appear as images, which explains the blurry photos in a few locations. In the Heyday app, they are movies that were captured on that day, and you can experience them in their full cinematic glory with a tap. All in all, it's a great update to Heyday, and as one of the developers told me, "it lays the groundwork for a whole lot of goodness for 2015".
Boiling an iPhone 6 in Coca-Cola, for science
In case you didn't know: Destroying expensive things has become its own little subgenre on YouTube in recent years, and the iPhone is one of the gadgets that content creators absolutely love to torture in all kinds of, um, "interesting" ways. It's been a while now since the iPhone 6 debuted, and it seems that the video makers are growing a bit desperate for new and unique ways to destroy it. Here we have TechRax -- one of the preeminent iPhone assassins on YouTube -- firing up the stove for an iPhone 6 boiling test. But boiling an iPhone 6 in water is played out and has been done before, so TechRax decided to switch it up and swap the H2O for some Coca-Cola, because why not? As you can see above, the results are pretty much what you'd expect when you combine a smartphone, sugary water, and fire in a pan, which is to say it isn't pretty. By the end, the poor iPhone looks like it accidentally fell into some wet pavement, and a knife is employed to chip away at its thick sugary casing. It's clear that the iPhone is pretty much trash at that point, but the video lacks a certain epicness that I expect from the destruction of an expensive gadget. How about for the next video the Coca-Cola finds its way back into the pantry and TechRax whips up some home-made napalm instead? Now that's something I think we'd all enjoy.
Google pretends the iPhone 6 doesn't exist in year-end roundup
If you were looking for further proof that the iPhone 6 is setting a new standard for smartphone popularity the world over, look no further than Google's 2014 search trend wrap-up. In the U.S. and abroad, the iPhone 6 tops virtually every tech search term chart, while the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Nexus 6 trail behind. Of course, Google isn't a huge fan of the iPhone for obvious reasons, so in the "Explore the Year in Search" feature -- which editorializes on the highlights all the top search terms from across virtually every category and recaps the biggest trends of the year -- Apple and the iPhone are completely absent. In fact, of the nine global search categories, only "iPhone 6" and "Jennifer Lawrence" (whose search ranking was of course boosted by the leaked photo scandal that she probably doesn't want being rehashed again anyway) didn't receive any attention in Google's curated collection of story summaries. Google still found a way to sneak in a photo of an Android Wear smartwatch and mini-summary of the wearable movement in the "Mobile Life" section, despite the fact that the only wearable that actually showed up on the top search terms was the Apple Watch in the #8 spot. I can't help but imagine that if Google's devices headlined these charts that they would get a whole lot more attention. I certainly understand the fierce competition and whatever-it-takes mentality of massive electronics companies, but it's a shame that it comes at the expense of an honest picture of what 2014's searches actually were.
Apple Watch and iPhone 6 rank high in Google's 2014 "Year in Search"
Google today unveiled its annual "Year in Search" overview, which profiles the most popular search terms for 2014. As you would expect, Apple ranked high in the Consumer Electronics category, grabbing the number one spot with "iPhone 6" and following with the "Apple Watch" at number eight and the "iPad Air" at number 10. While no Apple products appear in the top overall searches for 2014, the company's influence is felt with viral iOS game Flappy Bird grabbing the number six spot overall. Apple's iPhone 6 Plus also appears among the top YouTube videos for the highly controversial iPhone 6 Plus bend test. [Via MacRumors]
Walmart to slash iPhone 6 and 6 Plus prices by $50 in holiday sale
Shoppers looking for a deal an iPhone should swing by their local Walmart retail store this weekend. According to Bloomberg, the retailer is slashing the price of the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and the iPhone 5s by as much as $50. These reductions are taken off Walmart's original retail prices, which already are lower than Apple's standard pricing. Pricing for the iPhone 6 starts at $129 for the 16GB model and $229 for the 16GB iPhone 6 Plus. Walmart also is selling the 64GB iPhone for $229. The 16GB iPhone 5s is eligible for a $30 discount, selling for $49. All these prices require a new two-year customer agreement with A&T, Verizon or Sprint. Unlike Walmart's earlier sales which were available both online and in stores, these iPhone discounts will be available only in retail stores.
Snapchat updates with iPhone 6 and 6 Plus support and improved text editing
Once you've upgraded to the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, using apps that don't take advantage of the full large screen can be aggravating, especially if one of those apps is an image service like Snapchat. Thankfully, Snapchat users no longer must suffer with wasted screen real estate. The iOS app has been updated with new layouts specifically for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Even if you're on an older generation of iOS device, this update has something for you. Captioning of images has been improved, including new features like pinch to resize, dragging of text, and changing the color of special text. Filter stacking has also been enabled, allowing you to add up to two filters to each of your photos. You can find the update right now in the iTunes store.
Grovemade's beautiful handcrafted Walnut iPhone Case
Grovemade makes some amazing cases and accessories out of wood, and we've covered a few of them before. Recently, a Walnut iPhone Case for iPhone 6 (US$99) came into the TUAW Labs for our inspection, and it's a gorgeous piece of work. Check out this review and then enter for a chance to win this hand-finished beauty from Portland, Oregon. Specifications Material: Oregon Claro Walnut Sizes: iPhone 5/5s ($79), iPhone 6 ($99), iPhone 6 Plus ($109) Weight (iPhone 6 case): 0.7 ounces (19.8 grams) Design The Walnut iPhone Case comes in two parts - a "bumper" that protects the sides of the phone and a back that adheres to the back of your iPhone with a removable adhesive patch. This design results in an extremely light and sturdy case. The wood is hand finished and is quite attractive; there are precisely-machined holes for speaker, Lightning port, headphone port, mute button and camera. For the power switch and volume toggle, wooden pass-through buttons make it easy to control power and volume. And hey, did I mention that the Oregon Claro Walnut looks great? I think Grovemade outdid itself with the Walnut iPhone Case. Functionality As opposed to earlier wood iPhone cases from Grovemade and other producers, the two-piece design makes installing the case a snap. You just place the iPhone into the bumper part, turn the iPhone and bumper over onto the screen, remove the paper covering the adhesive on the back, and press the back into place. Despite being hand sanded and finished, there's still a little bit of grain to the wood that makes it very easy to grip. I'd say that my favorite feature of this case is the fact that each one of these is totally unique in terms of the grain pattern and color. Conclusion Grovemade has taken their wood case design to the next level with the Walnut iPhone Case, making it lighter, easier to install, and just as protective as the earlier version. With their somewhat luxury price tag, these cases aren't for everyone, but if you're looking for something unique and handcrafted, this is it. Sadly, the Walnut iPhone Case is only available for pre-order now, so it won't make the perfect Christmas gift. Rating: 4 stars out of 4 stars possible Giveaway Yes, I know I said that these cases are only available for pre-order now, but one lucky iPhone 6 owner is going to win the Grovemade Walnut iPhone Case. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before December 14, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected in a random drawing and will receive a Grovemade Walnut iPhone Case for iPhone 6 valued at $99 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
The iPhone 6 is causing a slapping epidemic
Way back when the iPhone 5s launched -- along with its 120fps slow-mo video capabilities -- it spawned a whole bunch of YouTube videos showing guys and gals slapping each other just to watch it back in slow motion. Now the iPhone 6 and its even-slower-slow-mo feature is giving slap-happy friends a reason to assault each other once again. Behold: More people willing to be hit in the name of iPhone science.
White House photographer uses iPhone 6 to catch people off-guard
Christmas at the White House means a whole lot of camera flashes, poses, and smiles, and that usually means plenty of fancy camera equipment. For one seasoned photographer, Apple's iPhone is the tool of choice this year. As Time reports, photographer Brooks Kraft -- who has spent over a decade covering events at the White House, decided to take a different approach to capturing this year's Christmas festivities. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are his go-to tool this time around, and in addition to the fact that it's a fast-shooting, all-around capable photo gadget, one of the reasons he's doing so may surprise you: It tends to catch people off guard. "I notice that people just don't react the same way [when you're using an iPhone]," he told Time. "If you are looking to capture something candid, people are so used to seeing mobile devices that their reaction time is slower. You have a better chance of getting the shot, and that was the case at the White House." Of course, being a professional photographer, he notes that his DSLR is still his primary tool of choice for more, shall we say, important events, but the iPhone 6 twins performed well during the holiday photo event. [Photo via Time/Brooks Kraft]
Acme Made Charge Case for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is a Kickstarter winner
I've got to admit that whenever I hear the name "Acme Made", I think of those Acme products in the Road Runner cartoons. But instead of making anvils and other products of questionable utility, San Francisco design house Acme Made produces some very useful protection products for MacBook, iPad, and now iPhone. There's a Kickstarter campaign about to wrap up for Acme Made's Charge Case for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, and I received a pre-production case for review. Let's take a look, and then you can pre-order a Charge Case by becoming a project backer. Specifications iPhone 6 Dimensions: 2.7 x .5 x 5.5 inches (6.9 x 1.2 x 14 cm) iPhone 6 Weight: 1.5 ounces (42 grams) iPhone 6 Plus Dimensions: 3.1 x .5 x 6.3 inches (7.9 x 1.2 x 16 cm) iPhone 6 Plus Weight: (unknown, did not have a sample) Design You know how you never seem to be able to find a charge cable for your iPhone when you need it? The big idea behind the Charge Case is that it has a USB to Lightning cable built in, hiding behind a pop-out kickstand. The Charge Case is made of very tough polycarbonate, and will come in two colors - black or gray with a red kickstand and cable. The polycarbonate is matte on most of the body, but the kickstand is glossy - a nice design touch that really looks good. Pop the kickstand out and the Lightning cable is tucked away, held in place so that it doesn't flop out. The bottom of the case is wide open for plugging in cables and headphones, and there are cutouts on both sides for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus switches. Functionality OK, I wasn't able to actually test the case fully as I have an iPhone 6 Plus and the sample case was for an iPhone 6. But it definitely stood up properly in both landscape and portrait orientation, the cable came out when pulled and worked properly to charge my 6 Plus, and all in all I think the design will keep your phone well protected. If you have any problems "picking" the cable out of its secure spot behind the kickstand, Acme Made came up with a solution for that as well. Pop your iPhone out of the case and there's a small square hole that you can push a finger into that will release the Lightning end of the cable. It's a small touch, but it works really well. Conclusion Sure, the Acme Made Charge Case isn't waterproof or even water resistant. It doesn't come in paisley prints and you can't have a custom design printed on the outside. But if you want solid protection for your iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, a nice little kickstand, and a Lightning charge cable at your fingertips all the time, you owe it to yourself to back this project on Kickstarter. The project is currently 187 percent funded with just three days to go; you can back the project for as little as $35 and get your case in March of 2015. Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible
This is what a 12-story fall will do to your iPhone 6
Aside from the first week torture test videos that always accompany the release of a new iPhone, it's rare that we get to see one of Apple's smartphones undergo the type of real-world durability trial that a fall from a tall building can offer. That's exactly what happened to the poor iPhone 6 seen here, as is owner claims it took a tumble of 12 stories before meeting its untimely end. Surprisingly, aside from the absolutely destroyed display and massive bend and dent on the corner that, one would assume, took the brunt of the impact, the rest of the phone is still very much intact. All the insides appear to be in their configuration, so there is likely a good portion of this poor soul which can still be salvaged as parts.
Today is the best day to buy an iPhone from T-Mobile
Holiday deals on the iPhone are sometimes underwhelming -- mainly because the phones sell so well on their own that they don't really need any help finding homes -- but T-Mobile's Cyber Monday deal is actually pretty fantastic. For today only, T-Mobile is selling iPhones with higher memory capacities for the price of the lower tier models. Here's what the company is offering: Buy an iPhone 6 16GB and we'll upgrade you to an iPhone 6 64GB Buy an iPhone 5s 32GB and we'll upgrade you to an iPhone 5s 64GB Buy an iPhone 5c 8GB and we'll upgrade you to an iPhone 5c 32GB Yes, a 64GB iPhone 6 for the price of the 16GB version. That's a $100 savings on the newest iPhone on the block. The other upgrade offers are similarly great, and all told this is one of the better Cyber Monday deals on Apple gear across the web. The deals are only available online -- Cyber Monday, yada yada yada -- so head to T-Mobile's site if you're hoping to score a free upgrade before the stocks run dry.
Three kicks off same-day smartphone deliveries in London
Christmas is coming, and that might mean it's time to treat yourself or a loved-one to a phone upgrade. To get customers signing on with Three, the UK network has begun trialling a same-day delivery service in London, removing the need to walk into a store or wait around for an online order. Next-day deliveries are notoriously expensive but, similar to Amazon and Argos, Three hopes to stand apart with even faster shipments. The offer is restricted to "selected postcodes" and only covers the iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S5, so the chances of you using it are probably pretty slim. Although you can check online to see if your address is eligible, Three requires that you call between 7AM and 3PM to actually complete an order. If approved, you'll be charged £15 for the privilege and should have a shiny new smartphone sitting on your doorstep before 6PM. Of course, if the trial is successful, there's always a chance Three will expand it to new areas and handsets, eradicating gadget lust for those of us just too busy (or lazy) to venture into town and speak to a rep.
BlackBerry offers up to $550 if you ditch your iPhone for a Passport
If the industry based its grades solely on effort, there's no doubt BlackBerry would be among the first top spots. Now, whether or not those efforts are actually effective, well, that's a completely different story. Since its notable decline, the Canadian company's had to get creative to try and bring back customers it lost, namely to other competitors in the mobile space like Google and Apple. With that in mind, BlackBerry has a introduced the Trade-Up Program, which it intends to use to convince iPhone users to trade in their device for its flagship smartphone, the Passport.
Analyst predicts Apple will sell 71.5M iPhones in Q4
Considering that Apple just hit a record $700 billion market valuation, it's probably going to be a happy holiday around the Cupertino offices, but there may be even more cause for celebration. Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at KGI, is predicting that Apple will sell 71.5 million iPhones this quarter thanks to demand for the iPhone 6. The report was discovered by AppleInsider. It's interesting to see just how important to current iPhone demand the iPhone 6 is, even when considering lower level iPhones like the 5s and 5c. According to KGI Apple is expected to 41.6 million units of the iPhone 6, but only 15.1 million of the 6 Plus. For comparison, the 5s is on track to sell 8.8 million units while the 5c is predicted to move 4.3 million. Those are all impressive numbers, but they're dwarfed by the massive number predicted for the iPhone 6. Of course the lower numbers for the iPhone 6 Plus aren't from a lack of demand. Kuo's report says that the continuing product shortage shows there's a desire for the product, and confirms that rumors of production issues are true. If the supply issue can be fixed, the report says the final numbers may change. The report also suggests that Q1 will see sales drop below 50 million units. We look forward to the next earnings call to see how these numbers pan out.
Apple rolls out two new subpar iPhone ads: "Gamers" and "Reservations"
Apple yesterday began airing two new iPhone ads, one dubbed "Gamers" and another called "Reservations." Like previous iPhone 6 ads, Apple's new commercials are voiced by Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake. And while these ads are slightly better than what we've seen before, I still find them surprisingly weak and straining, unsuccessfully, to be funny. First up, we have "Gamers." The commercial touts how Apple's new A8 chip "brings gaming to the next level." Initially, Jimmy Fallon and JT play it off as if they're not into gaming, only to be followed by them talking like seasoned gamers while playing Vainglory. While a decent attempt at a common comedic setup, the commercial, I think, ultimately falls flat. Perhaps I'm too caught up in who the voice actors are, but Jimmy Fallon calling Justin Timberlake a "Noob" sounds phony and seemingly drawn up in a boardroom meeting by an ad exec with a powerpoint presentation titled "Gaming Lingo." Second, we have an ad dubbed "Reservations," which highlights the ability to make phone calls from Apple devices like a MacBook and an iPad. The feature is undoubtedly cool, but the commercial's effort to showcase it is an annoying, bumbling mess. The ad is far too preoccupied with trying to be funny and fails to relay a clear message. I have no idea what's going on with Apple's ongoing and rather forgettable iPhone 6 ad campaign, but consumer demand clearly isn't a problem. iPhone 6 and 6 Plus sales thus far have been through the roof and are poised to comprise Apple's most successful iPhone launch to date.
No CNN, the iPhone 6 is not better than a professional TV camera
CNN is committed to asking the hard hitting, need to know, questions that haunt everyone. The big questions, like is the iPhone 6 camera as powerful as CNN's multi-thousand dollar professional TV camera? The answer will probably not surprise you, given one sells for a few hundred dollars and the other is a professional-grade piece of equipment used by a powerful news agency. Still the video does feature a handful of helpful tips at the end for your own personal cell phone shots. While we're incredibly confused by CNN's choice to ask this question, we're amused by this video. Thanks to The Loop for initially catching it. Enjoy.
A new project promises to turn your iPhone into a VR headset
Thanks to accessories like Google Cardboard and Samsung's Gear VR, using a smartphone to enter a virtual reality world has become relatively simple. However, those options have the limitation of being available to use only with Android, leaving iOS users wondering what it would be like to access something similar on their device. Here's where a new Indiegogo campaign comes in. Pinć VR is a novel peripheral which, along with a companion application, can morph your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus into a virtual reality headset (similar to what Gear VR does with the Galaxy Note 4).
