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iPhone 6 launch broke app download records
The launch of a new iPhone always creates a bump in App Store downloads, but this year's iPhone 6/6 Plus debut was a special kind of crazy. According to a new report by analytics firm Fiksu, October saw a massive surge in iOS app downloads that shattered previous records and led to a daily download volume of over 7.8 million downloads for the top 200 apps on the marketplace. Fiksu's report emphasizes that user loyalty is a huge factor in device launches, suggesting the perceived devotion of Apple fans played a large role in the record breaking month. That trend is likely to continue into the holidays, as gift-giving leads to more upgrades and new iOS adopters who will undoubtedly be visiting the App Store to cash in their iTunes gift cards - everyone gets one or two of those every year, right?
Shipment times for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus start to improve
Shipment times for Apple's new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus handset in the US are improving with most models shipping in less than 10 days. The only configuration that is still constrained is the 128GB iPhone 6 Plus, which still has a target ship date of 3 to 4 weeks. In general, the iPhone 6 is more readily available than the 6 Plus, with all iPhone 6 storage options, color choices and carrier models available in under 10 days. The quickest shipper is the 16 GB iPhone 6, which is available in 5 to 7 days. Customers looking for an iPhone 6 Plus, still have a longer wait with the 16 GB iPhone 6 Plus are now arriving within 7 to 10 days. The 64 GB version also saw an improvement with estimated ship times dropping to 2 to 3 weeks from the previous 3 to 4 week timeframe. Apple introduced the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in September with strong demand fueling record-breaking sales in the first weekend of retail availability. Apple is continuing to boost production to meet global demand, which is evident in these dropping ship times. Customers who are looking for an iPhone and don't want to wait can use an online iPhone tracking tool to find out when their local store has iPhone models in stock. [Via MacRumors]
Boxwave Keyboard Buddy case: When a virtual keyboard isn't enough
Although I'm personally very comfortable with typing on the iPhone's virtual keyboard - especially on the iPhone 6 Plus - there are some people who just loved the old pre-iPhone "smartphones" with the little slideout keyboards. If you count yourself among that crowd and want a "real" keyboard for your iPhone 6, then you'll be happy to hear about the Boxwave Keyboard Buddy Case (US$89.95, on special for $79.95). For the rest of you, I recommend staying away from this expensive gimmick. Specifications Dimensions: 5.5 x 2.2 x .68 inches (13.97 x 5.59 x 1.73 cm) Weight: 3.2 ounces (90.7 grams) Includes built-in backlight, micro-USB charge cable Design The Keyboard Buddy Case consists of a rather plain black case with a slideout Bluetooth keyboard. That keyboard is really designed for thumb typing in landscape orientation, and I frankly found the case for the iPhone 6 to be just too wide for my thumbs to reach the center (g,h,t,y,b,n) keys and almost too wide to reach the space bar. The case is wider than the keyboard - there's about a half-inch of space on either side. On the right side of the keyboard, that space is taken up with three LEDs; a blue one to signify Bluetooth, a green one to signify that the battery is charged and that the device is powered up, and one that glows red during charging. Fan of diminutive keyboards who use their iPhones in the dark a lot (you'd better not be texting in movie theaters, just sayin'), you'll be thrilled to know that there's a backlight built in. The keyboard has a strange blockish shape, and includes fn, shift, alt, and command keys, as well as a home key and a set of arrow keys. The fn key serves to bring up all sorts of special features in addition to the number keys. Functionality The Keyboard Buddy Case is easy to set up - place the iPhone 6 in the case, press the Home and Fn buttons simultaneously to put the keyboard into pairing mode, then type a 4-digit pairing code into the keyboard when prompted by the iPhone. The battery life for the keyboard is listed as two weeks, but that may not take into account using the backlight. I found this keyboard to be just about unusable, but your mileage may vary depending on how you hold slide-out keyboards and whether you find pushing tiny little keys with almost no play to be your preferred method of typing on a smartphone. I don't. Conclusion The Boxwave Keyboard Buddy Case for iPhone 6 will probably be popular with those who just can't give up their BlackBerry or Sidekick. For use with an iPhone 6, I recommend the very usable iWerkz Universal Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard or the recently-reviewed Logitech Keys-To-Go keyboard. Either one has much longer battery life and if you actually want to type quickly and accurately, you'll spend the money to get a real portable Bluetooth keyboard. Finally, the price on this is ridiculously high - especially when you consider that the top-rated Logitech Keys-To-Go is actually $20 less expensive and the iWerkz sells for $35 or less! Rating: 1 star out of 4 stars possible.
Twelve South HiRise Deluxe: The only charging stand you need
The good folks at Twelve South today announced their latest adjustable charging stand for iPad and iPhone. The HiRise Deluxe (US$59.99) works with everything from the iPhone 5/5s to the iPad Air, and now comes in colors to match your favorite Apple device - silver, gold, and black (well, it's kinda close to Space Gray). Take a look at our review, then have a chance to win a gold HiRise Deluxe courtesy of Twelve South and TUAW. Specifications Height of front support: 1.65 inches (4.2 cm) Total height: 3.38 inches (8.6 cm) Width: 3.9 inches (10 cm) Depth: 4.8 inches (12.2 cm) Weight: 0.5 pounds (.22 kg) Design Like the original HiRise before it, the new HiRise Deluxe uses a large, stable base with two adjustable risers. One contains the Lightning or micro-USB adapter for charging your device, while the other is a "backstop" that holds the iPad or iPhone in place. Everything as usual comes in a well-designed box that Steve Jobs would have been proud of. Inside a smaller box in the big box are the rear support, cable clips, a Lightning cable and a micro-USB cable. Functionality Assembly is required, but it's quite simple and there are good instructions. First, you remove a support screw with a knurled knob and then attach the rear support with that same screw. Next, you remove the base cap by pulling a tab. Now you select your cable (I chose Lightning, but if you use a Mophie case you'll probably select the micro-USB cable) and thread it through the front support. Next comes the selection of one of three different cable clips, which are selected based on whether your device is in a case or not. The clip holds the cable at just the right distance to give your device clearance for the case if needed. The clip now slides into the front support and clicks into place, and all that's left to do is to route the cable through a channel in that base, then reattach the base cap. If you are carrying your iPhone "naked" and later decide to add a case, just be sure to keep all of the extra cable clips and also be sure to adjust the rear support with a twist of the screw. It's that easy, and took me only about a minute to set up. What you end up with is something that will hold your device solidly while it's charging, and look good in the process. Conclusion Twelve South has improved on a classic and now made it compatible with the most recent iPhones, iPads, and iPad minis. They've made the HiRise Deluxe coordinate beautifully with whatever finish you have on your Apple device, and by including a cable you no longer need to use your Apple-supplied cable. The HiRise Deluxe is a stable and attractive charging stand that should last you for years to come. Rating: 4 stars out of 4 stars possible Giveaway One lucky TUAW reader is going to have an early Christmas and win a HiRise Deluxe in gold! 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 November 22, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected in a random drawing and will receive a Twelve South HiRise Deluxe valued at $59.99 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Olloclip 4-In-1 Photo Lens for iPhone 6/6 Plus
Olloclip was one of the first vendors to come out with accessory lenses for the iPhone, so it's no surprise that the company has turned the design and manufacturing of its high-quality lenses into an art. The new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus version of the 4-In-1 Photo Lens is now available for pre-order from the company for US$79.99 in a number of finishes to accentuate your big new iPhone. TUAW had an opportunity to test the latest Olloclip, so keep reading to see how we liked it. Specifications Lenses included: Fisheye, Wide Angle, Macro 10X, Macro 15X Includes: Adapters for both iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, three carrying clips (black, green, blue), and a lanyard Works with: Both front- and rear-facing cameras Weight: 0.9 ounces (25.5 grams) including both fisheye and wide angle lens, but no lens caps. Lens caps add 0.2 ounces (5.67 grams). Finishes: Silver lens/White clip, Silver lens/Black clip, Gold lens/White clip, Red lens/Black clip, Space Gray lens/Black clip Design Olloclip keeps changing its design, and that's a good thing. The new design features a way to use the lenses with both the forward-facing and rear-facing cameras, meaning that you can do fisheye selfies if that's your desire. For carrying and using the fisheye and wide angle lenses, the aluminum and glass lenses are screwed onto the 15X and 10X macro lenses respectively. For macro photography, just unscrew the appropriate lens and use the lenses that are built into the lens clip. The lens clip comes with an iPhone 6 spacer installed. For use with the iPhone 6 Plus, simply pop out the iPhone 6 spacer and put the iPhone 6 Plus spacer in. The lens clip snaps into any one of the three carrying clips included with the Olloclip kit. The carrying clips come with a lanyard if you'd like to carry the lenses around your neck, and there's an extra "key ring" that can be used if you'd prefer to clip it to a backpack, belt loop, or even a keychain. Functionality As usual, Olloclip provides the iPhone photographer with an excellent selection of macro, wide angle and fisheye lenses. With my other iPhones, I've always used the wide angle lens for really expansive landscape shots, the fisheye on those rare occasions when you really want to capture a 180° field of view in one shot, and the macro lenses for grabbing extreme closeups. Fisheye, 10X macro, and 15X images taken with the Olloclip are in the following slideshow: The lenses are typical Olloclip - high quality and well worth the price. With the iPhone 6/6 Plus lens set, I found that the accessories - lanyard, interchangeable carrying clips, and lens caps - were just what I needed to make me carry the lenses everywhere I go. No, I'm not going to have a lanyard around my neck 24/7, but the lenses and clip work beautifully attached to a zipper on the jacket that I wear when hiking. To capture a quick shot with one of the lenses, I just need to pop the lens kit out of the clip and place it on the iPhone 6 Plus. Olloclip is in the unenviable position of needing to design a new lens kit each time Apple changes the design of the iPhone, but the company has done an impressive job of coming out with the iPhone 6/6 Plus lens in record time and ultimately making it the best Olloclip so far. Rating: 4 out of 4 stars possible
Vainglory, the game Apple highlighted to show off the A8 chip, hits iTunes
Super Evil Megacorp has released its new multiplayer online battle arena game Vainglory as a free download on the iTunes store. If the game sounds familiar, it's probably because Apple has been promoting the game since the very day it announced the iPhone 6. When Apple announced the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, one of the major selling points of the device was the powerful new A8 processor, which boosted CPU performance by 25 percent from previous generations. To showcase how powerful the chip is, Apple brought out Super Evil MegaCorp co-founder Stephan Sherman to show off Vainglory. Utilizing Apple's new Metal platform, the game demo showed 100 fully animated characters interacting at once. It was an impressive demo to say the least. You can watch gameplay footage in the video below to get a grasp on just how advanced these graphics look. It's stunning on a basic aesthetic level, but when you factor in the technical achievement required to pull off the massive number of players it can access at once, the game becomes even more impressive. You can find the title in the iTunes store as a free download right now, although there are in-app purchases that can bring the cost of Vainglory up to $19.99. Continue reading after the video for a list of gameplay features. - FREE TO PLAY AS MUCH AS YOU WANT. - Dive into a complete MOBA by developers formerly at Riot & Blizzard. - Immerse yourself in a stunning world with ultra-high fidelity graphics. - Play with precision controls that amplify your skill. - Blaze through fast-paced, 20-minute matches. - Explore immense variety and flexibility in item builds for each hero. - True laning, ganking/objective-taking and teamfighting phases. - New heroes and features coming regularly! = POWERED BY THE E.V.I.L. ENGINE = - 60 frames per second! - Sub-30ms control responsiveness - 1.3 million polygons in the game map = WORKS ON THE FOLLOWING DEVICES = - iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus - Needs iOS 8.0 or later
Moment announces 18mm wide-angle and 60mm 2X telephoto lens for iPhone 6
The iPhone 6 already has an incredibly powerful camera but, as we learned with previous generations, that doesn't mean it can't be made better with a little help. Moment has announced two brand new add-on lenses for the iPhone 6 to enhance your shooting experience; a 18mm wide-angle lens and a 60mm 2X telephoto lens. Each retails for $99.99 and comes with a phone mount for easy installation. The phone mount is designed to work with or without a case. If you're worried about the mount adding extra thickness to your iPhone, rest easy knowing it only adds an extra millimeter to the top of the device. You can find both lenses for sale right now in Moment's online store.
Acme Made Charge iPhone case hides a Lightning cable inside kickstand
The last time we heard from Acme Made, the company was in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign for its Ergo Book iPad case. That project was successfully funded, and now the San Francisco-based designers are working on a new campaign. This one is for the Charge iPhone case, and it's already reached its modest funding goal with 23 days to go. What makes Charge so different from the ten bazillion other iPhone 6/6 Plus cases already on the market? Well, it not only has a built-in kickstand, but that kickstand just happens to have a built-in Lightning to USB cable for charging on the go. You can pre-order a Charge case by backing the project for US$35 or more. I'm probably going to hold out for the grey one with the red stripe, because that's the way I rock. If you're looking for a unique iPhone 6/6 Plus case that actually provides more than just looking good, get over to Kickstarter and give this proven team your backing.
AT&T will give you $50 to upgrade to a new iPhone
If you're an AT&T subscriber and needed a little extra bit of incentive to convince you that now is a good time to dive into the iPhone 6 waters, AT&T is offering a $50 bill credit to anyone who upgrades an existing line to an iPhone 5s, 5c, 6, or 6 Plus through the Apple Store -- online, or in-person. The catch? You have to finance the phone through the AT&T Next installment plan and keep the line active for at least 45 days. The Next installment plan can end up costing you a good bit more in the end, especially if you don't want to trade the phone in for another Next upgrade after twelve months, but if you don't have the cash saved to make a new purchase it'll help you score a new iPhone anyway. The deal is scheduled to end on December 31st, but AT&T notes that it could end at any time, without notice.
It's time for another iPhone 6 case roundup and giveaway
The initial trickle of cases designed for the iPhone 6 and especially for the iPhone 6 Plus has turned into a torrent, and we've received a pile of cases and other protective accessories to review over the past month. For TUAW readers, that means it's time for another one of our case roundups and giveaways. Let's get started... Moshi iGlaze Armour for iPhone 6 Plus (US$44.95) Coming in three different color combos (see above) to match the colors of the iPhone 6 Plus, the Moshi iGlaze Armour includes a hardshell case with an aluminum diamond-cut backplate. The case has a slightly raised bezel to protect your screen from face-down drops, and the volume and power buttons are covered with pass-through buttons. I really like the looks of the iGlaze Armour, especially with the cutout on the back that proudly displays the Apple logo on the back of your phone. Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible Moshi Overture premium wallet case for iPhone 6 Plus ($49.95) Looking for a folio-style wallet case for the iPhone 6 Plus? The Overture is a reasonably-priced and durable-looking case that is perfect in the inside pocket of your business suit. The phone sits comfortably and securely in a polycarbonate shell attached to a nice faux-leather folio. That folio has space for bills, ID, credit cards, and more. It comes in three colors to match the exteriors of the iPhone 6 Plus, and includes a screen cleaner that you can wash and reuse time and time again. The folio also flips into a handy stand for video viewing. It's a bit thicker than the iGlaze Armour, but shouldn't be overwhelmingly large for those who want a full folio type wallet case. Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible Moshi iVisor AG Anti-glare screen protector for iPhone 6 Plus ($29.95) While it's not a case, the iVisor AG for iPhone 6 Plus is an accessory you might want to consider if you've found you're prone to scratching the screen on your device. The iVisor AG installs quickly onto the screen of your device and is washable if it gets messy down the road. It comes with white or black bezels to match your particular iPhone 6 Plus. If you're worried about bubbles forming when you install it, note that the Moshi folks have pretty much figured out how you can install this repeatedly without bubbles forming under the display. A bit pricy, but cheaper than replacing an iPhone 6 Plus screen. Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible. Amzer Crüsta Rugged Case for iPhone 6 Plus ($45.00) Looking for rugged protection for your iPhone 6 Plus? Amzer's Crüsta has four functional layers of protection, comes in a huge variety of color combinations, and - unlike some ultra-rugged cases - doesn't come with a big price tag. The four layers consist of a tempered glass edge to edge screen protector, and embedded tempered glass polycarbonate hard shell case, a textured finished thermoplastic rubber ring complete with plugs for all of the ports, and a functional belt clip holster. It's a bit bulky with the holster at 1.25 inches thick, but not too bad if you go holsterless and pocket the case and phone - that's only .59 inches thick. Installation was quite easy, there are tons of color choices, and altogether Amzer's Crüsta case looks like it will be quite popular with the outdoor - and clumsy - crowd. Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible Silk Innovation PureView for iPhone 6 ($11.99) Maybe I've just been writing too many reviews of iPhone cases lately, but the three Silk Innovation cases I'm looking at seem way too familiar - like they came out of the same Chinese factory as some other cases... The least expensive of these is the PureView, an ultra-slim case in either black or gold that features a clear back panel that can be adorned with your own artwork, a raised bevel to protect your screen, and a screen protector - all for twelve bucks. While I can't say it's the most beautiful or functional case I've ever seen, it certainly protects your device without denting your wallet. Rating: 3 stars out of 4 stars possible Silk Innovations Vault Slim Wallet for iPhone 6 ($14.99) Once again, I'm feeling deja vu for the Vault Slim Wallet for iPhone 6. It comes in three colors: midnight black, champagne gold, and pacific green. It has a slot on the back for three cards (credit cards or IDs) and cash, and includes a screen protection film. Design-wise, it's rather plain-jane, but the price is incredible. A functional wallet case for iPhone 6 for fifteen bucks. Rating: 3 stars out of 4 stars possible Silk Innovation Stealth Armor Tough Case for iPhone 6 ($17.99) So, you need a bit more protection than the Vault Slim Wallet can provide? The Stealth Armor has a two-layer design with a rubber core and polycarbonate shell to provide excellent protection at a minimal cost. The case comes with three interchangeable backplates - gunmetal, gold and silver - so you can change the look of your iPhone 6 as you wish. Gotta admit, I like the protection and the interchangeable back. It also includes the screen protector that Silk Innovation throws in for the other cases. Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible Speck MightyShell for iPhone 6 ($49.95) Take one part bright colors, two parts military-grade drop protection, and a super slim design, and you have Speck's MightyShell iPhone 6 cases. They come in black/slate grey/gravel grey, fuschia pink/heritage grey/cupcake pink, carrot orange/slate grey/speck blue, lilac purple/soot grey/raisin purple, or clear/slate grey/clear. The big point here? The case meets double the requirement for MIL-STD-810G military drop test standards, yet is only 0.18" thick. There's a nice rubberized bumper around the exterior for good grip, and a "radial impact geometry" that looks like an elongated bulls-eye in the back of the case that compresses on impact. It also has a lifetime warranty, which is nothing to sneeze about. Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible Bodyguardz ScreenGuardz HD Impact for iPhone 6 ($29.95) If you'd like to do without a case but want anti-glare screen protection, the ScreenGuardz HD Impact screen protector is a PET-based film that is applied with an optical grade silicone adhesive. At only .35 mm thick, it keeps your screen from impacts and scratches. Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible Bodyguardz ScreenGuardz Pure for iPhone 6 ($39.95) Like the HD Impact, the ScreenGuardz Pure is only a screen protector treated with an anti-glare agent. But unlike the HD Impact, this screen protector is actually made of chemically strengthened tempered glass. Maximum protection for the most delicate part of your iPhone, with minimum additional thickness and weight. Rating: 4 stars out of 4 stars possible Zagg Invisible Shield hdx for iPhone 6 ($24.99) Even if you plan on buying another protective case of some sort for your iPhone 6, you might still want to consider some sort of screen protection. After all, many times when you drop an iPhone, the screen - one of the most expensive components to replace - shatters. The Invisible Shield hdx uses a material that was designed to protect military helicopter blades, so it keeps your iPhone display safe from impact. If it's scratched, the material is self-healing and those scratches will eventually disappear. What's really great is that you might be able to find an Invisible Shield mall cart near you, which will provide on-site installation. Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible Zagg Invisible Shield Glass for iPhone 6 ($34.99) What's even better than Zagg's Invisible Shield hdx? How about a shield made out of tempered glass? The Glass for iPhone 6 has the best possible clarity, is only 0.4 mm thick, and comes with a lifetime guarantee. It too can be used with most cases. As noted before, if you don't want to install the screen protector yourself, Zagg has a nationwide network of mall carts where you can have the protector installed professionally for free. Rating: 4 stars out of 4 stars possible Giveaway And that is hopefully the last case roundup we'll see for a while! As with our previous roundups, you now have an opportunity to win one of these fine products for your very own iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. 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 November 15, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time. You may enter only once. Fourteen winners will be selected in a random drawing, each winning one of the cases or screen protectors reviewed here. Prize values are noted in the prize selection pop-up menu. Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
ComfortWay Travel Case: International data roaming for $2/day
Up to now, international travelers have had a few very expensive options for using data roaming off of their carrier network. You could just leave everything on your iPhone turned on, then pay an arm and a leg for all of that bandwidth you chewed up sending Vines from the Parthenon to your friends at home. You could unlock your phone, then pick up a prepaid SIM for a network in a country that you're visiting. Or you could do what I usually do on my trips - shut off the cellular part of my phone and just use Wi-Fi when you can find it. A new Kickstarter campaign aims to create iPhone 5 and 6 cases that enable mobile internet service in over 100 countries for just US$2 per day. The ComfortWay Travel Case for iPhone is a battery case that also features a router module with a multi-carrier virtual SIM. The idea is that when you're off your home network, you shut off cellular data access on your iPhone and then plug it into the Travel Case. The case connects to the local cellular data network and then acts as a Wi-Fi hotspot for your iPhone and up to nine other users. ComfortWay says that the Travel Case will provide internet speeds of up to 42 Mbps on HSPA+ networks, and the company provides you with pay-as-you-go rates of $20 per GB, or about $2 for a normal day's usage of 100 MB of data. The company currently sells a small Wi-Fi hotspot device that works in the EU only and provides unlimited data for $5 per day. The virtual SIM module automatically downloads the correct SIM specifications from the local carriers, then selects the mobile network with the best data connection speeds. An iOS app gives users control over charges, adding money to their prepaid account, and more. The idea here is to build upon the success of the current device and expand the number of countries in which ComfortWay can provide low-cost data service. The company currently has working agreements and letters of intent with over 50 mobile operators in Europe and North America, and is continuing to work on ironing out more agreements before the product hopefully ships in 2015. Of course, this could all be just a pipe dream unless Kickstarter backers cough up $120,000. So far, backers have only shelled out $1,816 (as of November 7, 2014), but there are 42 days left in the campaign. If by some miracle the campaign reaches a $1,000,000 stretch goal, ComfortWay plans to make an iPhone 6 Plus Travel Case.
Twelve South SurfacePad for iPhone 6 / 6 Plus: Review and giveaway
Twelve South produces a lot of really impressive accessories that are designed for Apple products alone. A while back, the company developed the sleek SurfacePad for iPhone, a leather folio case with a difference - it's incredibly thin and light. Now the company has started shipping the SurfacePad for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus (US$39.99 and $49.99 respectively), and TUAW's not only going to review the new model, but give away two of the cases each for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Specifications iPhone 6: Thickness - .07 inches (2 mm), Weight - 1.02 ounces (29 gm) iPhone 6 Plus: Thickness - .07 inches (2 mm), Weight - 1.48 ounces (42 gm) Material: Napa leather Colors: Black, Red, White, Camel Design The design of the SurfacePad hasn't changed from our first review in early 2013, but the size has of course increased to match Apple's new, larger iPhones. The folio is one piece of luscious leather, with a pad of what's called SurfaceGrip on the back inside. It's an amazingly sticky material that holds the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus securely in place, but you can remove your phone in seconds with a firm pull and then reattach the case again later. The leather comes in four different colors. The black is rich and deep, the red is bright, white is very ... white, and the new camel is a nice tan leather finish. All are professionally stitched with coordinated thread. The cover of the folio folds over to protect the screen of your device, and it's also equipped with two slots for ID or credit cards that aren't yet compatible with Apple Pay. The folio also folds into a nice landscape-mode stand for your device, perfect for shooting images or watching your favorite movie. Functionality Twelve South has been making the SurfacePad for quite a few years now, both for iPad and iPhone. The design makes for one of the most functional cases for an iPhone, basically doing it all - protecting the front and back of the phone, acting as a mini wallet, and providing a stand when you really need it. The SurfaceGrip technology works very well; I've had one of the iPad cases for a few years and have removed and reapplied it many times in order to try out other cases. While I've seen issues with some of the other "sticky back" materials wearing out, SurfaceGrip seems to keep on going without fail. Conclusion A lot of companies have basically hijacked Twelve South's design for the SurfacePad, but the original is still the best lightweight folio case out there. It's thin, light, and very well made, and sold at a price won't break the bank. Rating: 4 stars out of 4 stars possible Giveaway We have four of these lovely cases to give away to TUAW readers. For the iPhone 6 owners, there is the choice of camel or black leather, while iPhone 6 Plus owners get the choice of white or red. 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 November 10, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time. You may enter only once. Four winners will be selected in a random drawing. Two will win the SurfacePad for iPhone 6 valued at $39.99, while two will win the SurfacePad for iPhone 6 Plus valued at $49.99. Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
AT&T, Verizon agree to VoLTE interoperability in 2015
One of the big features touted for the future of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is support for Voice over LTE (VoLTE). Phone calls made over VoLTE are expected to not only have superior call quality, but some future capabilities like video phone calls and rich messaging depend on the technology. There's only one problem -- in the few markets where VoLTE is enabled at this time, users are only able to make phone calls to other individuals on the same carrier's network. Today, AT&T and Verizon pledged to allow interoperability of their VoLTE networks, making it possible for users to make VoLTE calls between the two networks. Verizon's CTO, Tony Melone, said that the company will seek similar arrangements with other carriers as they begin VoLTE deployments. AT&T has started VoLTE deployments in selected markets, while Verizon's Advanced Calling 1.0 rolled out nationwide in the US in September. Verizon users need to add the services to their account through the carrier's website, while VoLTE is immediately available to AT&T customers in supported markets. It's simple to enable VoLTE on an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus - just fire up Settings, then select Cellular > Enable LTE > Voice & Data. The interoperability between the AT&T and Verizon networks is expected to begin sometime in 2015, although the carriers did not say exactly when.
Sound Off! Has NFC finally hit the mainstream?
You can find NFC technology in many of the gadgets released in the last few years, but it seems like it never gained much traction in our common lexicon. Sure, there's Google Wallet and using it to easily pair with things (like your camera), but you didn't really see people using it everyday. With Apple Pay recently arriving in consumers' hands, more people are starting to becoming aware of this technology. Did you just start using it or have you been an early adopter all along? What are some cool things that you've done with it? Share your stories and impressions over in the Engadget forums.
Apple's new iPhones outsell the Galaxy Note 4 in Samsung's home country of Korea
In a strange twist, Apple's new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are outpacing the sales of the Galaxy Note 4 on Samsung's home turf in South Korea. According to the Wall Street Journal, pre-orders for the new iPhone models reached 100,000 units on the first day, as compared to 30,000 for the Note 4. Sales were brisk at carriers KT and LG Uplus, with the providers processing more than 70,000 orders in the first 30 minutes of ordering. Rival carrier SK Telecom failed to disclose its sales figures, but confirmed it had sold through its first two batches of inventory and has opened up reservations for a third. This jump in iPhone sales may only be the beginning, with analysts such as Lee Seung-woo of IBK Securities predicting the new iPhones will generate five times the sales of the Note 4. Samsung is the current leader in the Korean smartphone market with 63 percent market share as compared to Apple's 6 percent. Long a leader in the large phone category, Samsung lost its competitive edge following the launch of the larger 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus launched in September 2014 with record first weekend sales of 10 million.
iPhone 6 beating out its bigger brother by a 6-to-1 margin
For the first time in the history of the iPhone, Apple launched two new sizes of its iconic handset this year, so which way the sales would swing was anyone's guess. The smaller -- and cheaper -- iPhone 6 was obviously going to beat out its bigger brother, the 6 Plus, but by how much? App analytics firm Localytics has some early usage data that shows sales of the iPhone 6 beating out the 6 Plus by a huge 6-to-1 margin. The data was pulled from a pool of 1.5 billion devices, so it's likely a good sample from which to draw conclusions. Of course, with early sales of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus experiencing huge bottlenecks, some hoping for an iPhone 6 Plus may have settled for the smaller model, and vice versa, so it could change a bit as supply meets demand. [via VentureBeat]
Chinese store makes sure that iPhone 6 Plus fits in your pocket
Let's face it: When it comes to the iPhone 6 Plus, size really does matter.
Apple releases iOS 8.1 with Apple Pay support, expanded Continuity features
Apple today released iOS 8.1, bringing the version out of beta and making it available to the public. As announced last week, the latest version of iOS brings Apple Pay to supported devices and adds Photo Library access to iCloud. It also enables Continuity features, such as Instant Hotspot and SMS relay, for users who own both an iOS device and a Mac. Instant Hotspot is a convenience feature that allows Mac owners to connect automatically to a Hotspot-enabled iPhone with minimal configuration. Another phone-centric feature, SMS relay expands text messaging, forwarding all iPhone text messages to an iPad and Mac. SMS Relay also allows owners to send new text messages and respond to existing messages from any device. iOS 8.1 brings back the Camera Roll, which had gone missing in iOS 8.0. iPhone, iPad and iPod touch owners can download the iOS 8.1 update over the air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Owners also can connect their iOS device to their computer and install the update via iTunes.
Dropbox's iOS 8 app adds support for Touch ID
Not to be outdone by Microsoft's recent refresh of OneDrive, Dropbox has now made its iOS app compatible with Apple's fingerprint-scanning technology, Touch ID, as well. You'll need iOS 8 in order for the feature to work, but chances are you're already running the latest and greatest software from Apple anyway. Aside from adding the ability to unlock the application by way of Touch ID, Dropbox also updated it to support the bigger screens of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus -- something that owners of Apple's newest smartphones will definitely appreciate. Now someone tell Google to hurry and do the same for Drive.
Apple's 2014 iPad event: A closer look at the numbers
There are a few things you can count on when Apple releases a new iPad: it will be thinner, it will be faster and there will be a LOT of hyperbole. Amidst the claims of magical devices, record-breaking sales and "very cool stuff" there are also a lot of numbers. Here's a closer look at the big digits from today's event.
