iPhone 4

Today in Apple history: iPhone comes to Verizon at last

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Four years of AT&T exclusivity on iPhone finally comes to an end.
Four years of AT&T exclusivity on iPhone finally comes to an end.
Photo: Jon Fingas/Flickr CC

February 3: Today in Apple history: iPhone comes to Verizon at last February 3, 2011: The iPhone finally arrives on Verizon Wireless, the United States’ largest carrier, ending nearly four years of exclusivity with AT&T.

The move comes as Apple faces pressure to expand its customer base as Android phones grow in popularity. The deal commences with the iPhone 4 available for preorder by Verizon’s 93 million customers.

Today in Apple history: ‘Antennagate’ scandal hits its peak

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Antennagate
"Antennagate" caused big problems for Apple.
Photo: Apple

July 12: Today in Apple history: Antennagate scandal hits its peak July 12, 2010: The iPhone 4 suffers a major blow when respected trade publication Consumer Reports says it can’t, in good faith, recommend the new Apple smartphone.

The reason the magazine refuses to give its vaunted “recommended” label to the previously top-ranked device? A little Apple scandal called “Antennagate.”

Today in Apple history: Apple admits Antennagate is a thing

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Antennagate
"Antennagate" was a major controversy in Apple history.
Photo: Apple

July 2: Today in Apple history: Apple addresses Antennagate and iPhone 4 reception problems July 2, 2010: Apple opens up about “Antennagate,” addressing iPhone 4 reception problems for the first time publicly.

In a letter to customers, Apple admits to being “surprised when we read reports of reception problems, and … immediately began investigating them.” However, the company’s findings do little to dispel the growing Antennagate controversy.

Today in Apple history: iPhone 4 arrives with glorious Retina display

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iPhone4
The iPhone 4 marked the culmination of Steve Jobs' career at Apple.
Photo: Apple

June 24: Today in Apple history: iPhone 4 arrives with glorious Retina display June 24, 2010: Apple’s fourth-generation smartphone, the iPhone 4, goes on sale.

While the device is perhaps most remembered for the infamous “Antennagate,” it is otherwise a pretty great handset. In its first weekend, it sells 1.7 million units. That’s a major triumph for Apple.

Today in Apple history: iPhone 4 preorders set an impressive record

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Steve obs
The iPhone 4 sold 1.7 million units in its first weekend on sale.
Photo: Matthew Yohe/Wikipedia CC

June 16: Today in Apple history: Apple receives record preorders for iPhone 4 June 16, 2010: Apple reports a massive surge of interest in iPhone 4, with 600,000 sales on the first day of preorders.

The company calls the number “far higher” than expected. At the time, it’s the most iPhone preorders Apple has ever taken in a single day. AT&T suffers server problems thanks to the demand — with 10 times the usual traffic on its website. It’s proof positive that Apple is onto a winner!

Today in Apple history: Gizmodo tears down a lost iPhone 4 prototype

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Gizmodo buys iPhone 4 prototype
The iPhone 4 prototype bought by Gizmodo came disguised as an iPhone 3GS. But a teardown showed big differences inside.
Photo: Gizmodo

April 20: Today in Apple history: Gizmodo tears down lost iPhone 4 prototype April 20, 2010: A day after the most high-profile iPhone leak in history, tech news site Gizmodo dissects a prototype iPhone 4, then publishes the teardown — showing the world exactly what’s inside the soon-to-be-released device.

The iPhone 4 prototype, accidentally left in a bar by 27-year-old Apple software engineer Gray Powell, quickly becomes the biggest story in the tech world. And that’s where the trouble begins.

Claim deadline looms for iPhone owners with a faulty power button

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International governments plan to rethink tax rules for the ‘digital age’
Affected customers can claim their piece of the settlement.
Photo: Pixabay/Pexels CC

The deadline for California citizens who bought an iPhone 4, 4s or 5 with a defective sleep/wake power button to cash in is coming up.

A class action lawsuit against Apple was filed in 2013. It alleged that Apple knowingly sold iPhones with “defective” power buttons and then failed to properly remedy the issue. A settlement reached with Apple means that people who bought one of these devices can complete a form to receive “up to $24” for their troubles.

Exciting ‘iPhone 12’ concept imagines dramatic design changes

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iPhone-12-concept
It's like an iPhone 4 for the modern day.
Photo: PhoneArena

Your brand-new iPhone 11 is about to look outdated already thanks to these exciting “iPhone 12” concept images.

The renders imagine what next year’s refresh will look like based on the rumors that have surfaced so far. It takes design cues from the iconic iPhone 4 while improving on what we have today.

Every iPhone ranked, from worst to best

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Nicole Arbour 3
What was your favorite iPhone?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The new iPhone XS and XS Max are generating rave reviews. Having marked the iPhone’s 10th anniversary with last year’s awe-inducing iPhone X, Apple has now set the stage for a second decade of smartphone innovation.

But what about all the awesome iPhones that led us to this point? Which models are the classics that will occupy museum shelves long after they’ve stopped working? I decided to dive in at the deep end and rank every phone Apple ever made. Wish me luck!

WhatsApp confirms plans to drop support for iOS 7

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Facebook messaging apps
Coming soon to an iPhone near you?
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

WhatsApp has confirmed plans to drop support for iOS 7.

The hugely popular messaging service, owned by Facebook, will continue to work for a little while yet. However, WhatsApp warns that it is no longer actively developing for iOS 7, and certain features could stop working at any time.

iPhone 4 as iPhone X? Some people will believe anything.

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Passersby get excited about the
Passersby get excited about the "iPhone X" in their hands.
Photo: Jimmy Kimmel/YouTube

Late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel featured the iPhone X on Tuesday night’s edition of Lie Witness News, asking people on the streets of Hollywood to hold the handset and give their impressions of Apple’s $1,000 smartphone.

Few realized they in fact held an iPhone 4 from 2010.

Apple faces ugly lawsuit for breaking FaceTime

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FaceTime
A judge has ruled a lawsuit against Apple can proceed.
Photo: Apple

A judge has ruled that a lawsuit against Apple for breaking FaceTime in iOS 6 can continue.

It is alleged that the iPhone-maker purposely allowed the feature to be disabled on older devices in an effort to force users to update to iOS 7.

This ugly case disguises iPhone prototypes in the wild

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Apple is ultra-protective of prototype iPhones.
Apple is ultra-protective of prototype iPhones.
Photo: Sonny Dickson

It’s no secret that Apple loves to keep products secret, but thanks to a new leak we can now see the crazy lengths the company goes to just to keep prototype iPhones under wraps.

Notorious Apple leaker Sonny Dickson has put out some new images of an ugly iPhone case allegedly used by Apple to keep the iPhone 6s secret. From the outside it doesn’t look like much, but there are a bunch of tiny details that help Apple keep features from leaking.

Watch what happens when an iPhone drowns in molten aluminum

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This isn't your normal stress test.
This isn't your normal stress test.
Photo: The Backyard Scientist

Apple’s iPhone empire has been made possible thanks to the magic of aluminum. But under certain circumstances, Jony Ive’s favorite metal can be the iPhone’s worst enemy.

The folks behind the YouTube channel Backyard Scientists decided to see what happens when you dunk the iPhone in molten aluminum. Seeing the iPhone get a Terminator 2 type of death is oddly beautiful.

Check it out:

How to give your iPhone 7 a retro iPhone 4 makeover

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Don't try this at home.
Don't try this at home.
Photo: PeripateticPandas

The design of the iPhone 7 is awfully disappointing to Apple fans who were hoping for a major change this year, but there’s still a way to get all of the new device’s features into a totally different form factor.

All it takes is a giant saw and an industrial sanding belt and you’ll be on your way to getting the sleek straight edge frame of the iPhone 4. YouTuber PeripateticPandas created a new video showing the full process that will give you the most unique looking iPhone 7 in the world.

Check it out:

Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs introduces the iPhone 4

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Steve obs
The iPhone 4 sold 1.7 million units in its first weekend.
Photo: Matthew Yohe/Wikipedia CC

tuesday_7_360 Apple hasn’t always left users waiting until September to get their paws on the latest iPhone. Back on June 7, 2010, Steve Jobs took to the stage at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference to introduce the iPhone 4.

These days, with the iPhone 4 no longer capable of running the latest version of iOS, it’s easy to look back on the fourth-generation handset as a piece of ancient tech. In fact, the device was incredibly significant: The iPhone 4 introduced some very important features — and also addressed concerns that are still important today.

Check out Steve Jobs unveiling the iPhone 4 below.

Does Apple’s design team need some fresh blood? [Friday Night Fights]

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fnf1
Or is its best yet to come?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

You can’t think about Apple without thinking about great design. The two go hand-in-hand, thanks to the company’s incredible ability to churn out hit products that make billions of dollars one after the other, year after year.

FNF-bugBut Apple’s design team isn’t perfect. There have been some missteps over the years, and it seems like they’ve become more common under Tim Cook. Its design has also become predictable; even before we get a new product, we have a good idea what it will look like.

Are we worrying about nothing, or is it time Apple invited some fresh blood into Jony Ive’s lair? Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we fight it out over this and more!

Steve Jobs actor still uses a broken iPhone 4

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Michael Fassbender
Even his Ancient Greek character in 300 had a 5s.
Photo: Warner Bros.

Michael Fassbender is a lot of things: actor, producer, Magneto … but one thing he isn’t is on the cutting edge of technology.

The man playing Steve Jobs in the upcoming biopic from director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) confessed in a recent interview that he is a little behind the times, phone-wise.

Nearly half of UK BlackBerry owners dream of upgrading to… iPhone 4

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BlackBerry's biggest threat: the iPhone 4?
BlackBerry's biggest threat: the iPhone 4?

Although BlackBerry hasn’t been a serious competitor to the iPhone in years, the UK phone trade-in website “Cash for phones comparison” has published some pretty damning statistics, showing just how massive the gulf is between the two “competitors.”

Only 8 percent of customers who traded in an old BlackBerry phone claimed any kind of loyalty to the brand, while an overwhelming majority of 66 percent decided to switch to an iPhone. However, it seems that these people weren’t looking so much to get a new iPhone as they were to get any iPhone — since 42.1 percent of respondees decided to ditch their trustworthy BlackBerry for an iPhone 4: a phone which was introduced all the way back in 2010.

Apple withdraws iPhone 4 from India. Again.

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india
Apple is doing all it can to grow in India.
Illustration: Cult of Mac

Less than four months after relaunching the iPhone 4 in India, Apple has decided to ditch the strategy and take the phone off the market again.

The January move had made the iPhone 4 one of the cheapest unsubsidized iPhones in the world, with the aim of growing market share by appealing to a percentage of the population who would not usually be able to afford iPhones.

By Resurrecting The iPad 4, Apple Moves Closer To A Lightning-Only World

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(image credit: Ars Technica)
(image credit: Ars Technica)

You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who would argue that Apple’s Lightning connector isn’t superior to the old 30-pin connector in every way. That’s why it’s surprising that it has taken Apple so long to phase 30-pin out of its product lineup.

Today Apple brought back the fourth-gen iPad to replace the non-Retina iPad 2. While the press release focuses on the obvious display upgrade, discontinuing the iPad 2 means something else that’s important: another nail in the coffin for 30-pin.

iOS 7.1 Makes The iPhone 4 Usable Again

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IMG_7243-640x418

Up until now, iOS 7 on the iPhone 4 has been painful to use. The New York Times calls it “planned obsolescence,” but it’s really just old hardware having a difficult time powering new software.

The good news is that the newly released iOS 7.1 has noticeably sped up animations on the iPhone 4, reports Ars Technica. “iOS 7.1 solves the problem for people who don’t tweak their devices’ settings or for people who like the way the animations look but not how they feel,” according to Ars. “Animation durations have been shortened noticeably throughout iOS 7.1, and toggling “reduce motion” is now purely cosmetic.”

Apps open generally faster, and opening interfaces like Control Center feels smoother. Since iOS 7.1 will likely be the last major update that’s available on the iPhone 4, there is no reason to not download it.

Source: Ars Technica