iPhone 5 - page 4

If I have to put my new iPhone 5s in a case because I forgot to buy AppleCare+ during the first 30 days and I’m terrified I’ll drop it on its face, then I want that case to be sleek and simple and made of leather. The CalypsoCase Loop is all of those things.

Handcrafted by a team of skilled craftsmen in Ljubljana, Slovenia, the Loop is a beautiful slip-on sleeve made of only the finest leather that provides your iPhone with all the protection it needs when it’s not in use. It has laser-cut titanium foundations that retain its shape and offer impact protection, and a soft inner lining that lovingly caresses your iPhone’s aluminum without marking it.

The Loop is available in four colors, and it’s priced at €89 (approx. $120) with free shipping. Let me tell you why it’s worth that price tag.

This Cult of Mac Deals offer features an addition to your arsenal that MacGyver would be proud of.

The team at IN1 must’ve had these words in mind when designing this product, because prepared is what you’ll be with this veritable Swiss Army Knife of iPhone cases.
Combining sleek design with multi-tool functionality, The Multi-Tool iPhone 5/5S Case is a modern solution for life’s little emergencies. And Cult of Mac Deals has it for only $35.99 – a savings of 28%!

Do you have a brand new iPhone 5S? Want to protect that beautiful piece of hardware but still want to show off its shiny gold or silver backing? This Cult of Mac Deals offer gets you not one, but two protective, minimalist cases that won’t hide your phone’s backside.

The iPhone 5/5S Accessory Bundle includies the Ice and Dry Ice iPhone 5/5S cases and the new Spark In-Ear Headphones – and all for just $57.99 during this limited time offer.

If you’re worried about your iPhone getting damaged the next time you’re involved in a heavy turf war, then check out Proporta’s new case for iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s. It looks like a standard leather folio case from the outside, but it’s lined with carbon fiber that’s so strong, it will comfortably withstand a shotgun blast from 20 yards.

RunKeeper, one of the most popular fitness trackers for iPhone, now boasts a number of cool new features that take advantage of the M7 motion coprocessor built into the iPhone 5s — thanks to a new update that hit the App Store today. The app also supports AirDrop, allowing you to share your workouts with nearby friends.

You can never have too many headphones. I’ve written before about how I’ve got different ones for different use cases, so when an ergonomic set of earbuds suited for the iPhone 5, 5S, and 5C become available at a low price — well…I’m all ears.

Cult of Mac has a set of earbuds that meets that criteria, The iPhone 5/5S/5C headphones are only $14.99, but you’ll also get free shipping to select countries. Plus, if you buy two pairs, you’ll get one at 50% off the already low price!

On Friday, we caught an early glimpse at MOGA’s upcoming iPhone control pad, the Ace Power, thanks to leaked photos that were published ahead of its official debut. And now we have a leaked trailer, too. The 30-second clip shows off the Ace Power’s features, including that neat portable design.

Let’s face it, the stock Lightning cable that comes with your iPhone 5 is just too short. And there’s not much worse than having a cable that is too short to be very useful in most situations. This offer from Cult of Mac Deals delivers a cable your way that is both useful and priced just right.

This 10 foot USB 2.0 cable is lightning fast and will keep your iDevices charged, updated, and ready for use whenever you need them. And Cult of Mac Deals has it for just $13.99 including free global shipping – that’s a savings of 51%! But it’s available only for a limited time.

My friends and family love Pad & Quill cases, mostly because Brian, the P&Q founder, keeps sending me cases to review, and I keep testing them for a month or so and then giving them away.

The Luxury Pocket Book is another of the bookbindery iPhone cases, this time with an absurdly luxurious list of materials (hence the name I guess). It’s also likely to cause fights to break out amongst my family and friends as they battle for ownership.

Only three weeks have passed since the iPhone 5s and 5c became available for sale, but already, total webshare traffic of the iPhone 5, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s are up 4% to 40.6 percent.

While the iPhone 5s is still difficult to get hold of more than three weeks after its debut — particularly if you want a gold or silver model — you shouldn’t have any problem picking up an iPhone 5c at your local Apple store. That’s because the cheaper device isn’t selling anywhere near as much as its high-end sibling.

According to new research from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), the iPhone 5s is currently outselling the iPhone 5c more than two to one.

Your swanky new iPhone 5s may be significantly faster than its predecessors, but it’s twice as likely to crash when running third-party apps as the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 5c. New research from Crittercism, a company that monitors mobile app performance, has found that apps crash around 2% on the iPhone 5s, but under 1% on its siblings.

I’ve applied dozens of screen protectors to my iPhones over the years, and I’d say less than 10% of them actually went on straight. They almost always go on wonky first time, and that means pulling them away and applying them again.

Fortunately, I don’t have to worry about this anymore, because I have the ALIN from TYLT. The ALIN plastic alignment tool that clips into the side of your iPhone 5 or iPhone 5s and ensures that every single screen protector you apply goes on completely straight first time.

It takes the hassle out of the whole process, and it turns a ten-minute job into a two-minute one. And as you might expect, ALIN is reusable, so you can keep hold of it and put it to work every time you need to apply a new screen protector.

ALIN costs $25, and for that you get the alignment tool, plus four screen protectors — three clear ones, and one anti-glare one. Is it worth your money?

Most of us still don’t have an iPhone 5s, and that’s quadruply true of the hard-to-get gold model, leading to a perception of extremely limited demand. But how accurate is that perception? Not very, according to new channel supply tracking data from Piper-Jaffray. In fact, the iPhone 5s is easier to find two-and-a-half weeks after release than the iPhone 5 was.

Back when the iPhone 5 first came out, there were a surprising number of reports of people whose iPhones suddenly bent themselves. This did not seem to be an issue with accidental damage en masse: most of the people who reported the issue noted that their iPhones bent back at the volume button, and hadn’t been kept in a back pocket or sat on.

It seems with the iPhone 5s, this mysterious predilection towards bending has returned.

While the iPhone’s Retina display may no longer be king when it comes to pixel count, it’s one of the fastest smartphone displays on the market, easily outpacing all of its rivals.

According to a TouchMark test carried out by Agawi, the Retina display responds more than twice as fast as any of its rivals — including the Galaxy S4 and other high-end Android devices — even on the three-year-old iPhone 4.

The new iPhones have arrived and there’s no time like the present to ensure that you protect your new device from wear and tear. Cult of Mac Deals has a great offer lined up for those who’ve picked up an iPhone 5S (or  have an iPhone 5) so that they can protect from even the worst of scenarios.

Spigen has been developing some top-notch products (check out a review of one of its screen protectors here) and for a limited time we’ve got the latest offering from the company: The iPhone 5S Tough Armor Bundle – featuring the Tough Armor case & popular all glass screen protector (GLAS.t). And, we’ve got it for 50% off the regular price – just $36.99.

At this point, there have been eight iPhones, and with the exception of this year’s iPhone 5c, each has a faster chip and more all around chutzpah than the model that precedes it. You’d naturally think, then, that if you lined them all up in a row and ran a speed test on them, each successive model would accomplish tasks faster than the model that precedes it. But as this video proves, the reality is more complicated than that.

Nothing makes Microsoft happier than seeing an iPhone user ditch their device for a Windows Phone smartphone. In fact, the company will even buy your iPhone off you if you promise to make the switch.

Starting this Friday, you’ll be able to take your old iPhone 4s or iPhone 5 into select Microsoft stores across the U.S. and Canada and receive a minimum of $200 in-store credit for a new Windows Phone device. The move comes weeks after Microsoft kicked off an iPad trade-in program to encourage consumers to switch to its Surface tablet.

Apple sold 3 million iPhone 5s and 5c units everyday for the past three days this weekend for the most successful smartphone launch in history. Not only did Apple completely dominate its old sales numbers set by the iPhone 5, but based on this handy chart that Horace Dediu whipped up, Samsung has never even come close to any of the iPhone’s launch day performances.

Sure the Galaxy S 4 comes close to the iPhone 3G and 3GS sales numbers, but that was over five years ago. Looks like Samsung still has a lot of catching up to to do, and if early morning trading on AAPL shares is any indication, Wall Street agrees.

Source: Horace Dediu

The iPhone 5s is undoubtedly the biggest iPhone ‘S’ upgrade Apple has released to date. Not only does it come with the usual improvements you’d expect from an “incremental” upgrade — a faster processor, better graphics, and an improved camera — but it also boasts Touch ID, a fingerprint scanner built into its home button; the M7 coprocessor, and a new dual-LED flash

Touch ID will change the way we manage security on our iPhones. No longer must we remember 4-digit pass codes that have to be entered dozens of times a day; we can simply scan our fingerprint to quickly gain access to our device. It takes the hassle out of securing our data, and there’s no good reason why you wouldn’t use it.

The iPhone 5s is the biggest iPhone ‘S’ upgrade to date.

As for the M7 coprocessor, that’s “like a sidekick to the A7 chip,” Apple says. It’s specifically designed to measure motion data recorded by your iPhone’s built-in accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass — a task which was previously handled by the processor itself. Why? Well, the M7 chip is more efficient and handling this task, and with little input needed from the main processor, there’s less drain on your iPhone’s battery.

While the iPhone 5s make look identical to its predecessor on the outside, then, there are lots of improvements under the hood. But are those improvements worth your hard-earned cash?

So Apple won’t let you pre-order the iPhone 5s and the very thought of waiting in front of an Apple Store for eight hours send spasms of dread from your eye sockets all the way down the nether regions you don’t even want to think about. Standing in an a line, any line, for hours, sucks.

Yes, it’s a huge time investment, and no one really wants to sit outside an Apple Store for a couple of hours before the break of dawn, but we’re here to help you come prepared and make the most of your iPhone 5s launch line waiting experience. In fact, this could even be a lot of fun. Just follow this guide and you’ll be in and out of the store and cradling your precious golden iPhone  in no time.

The iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c has just gone on sale in Australia, and the team at iExperts have already gotten their hands on the new devices and given them their first teardown.

Thanks to all the leaks we’ve been enjoying in recent weeks, many of the components you’ll see below have already been seen before. But if you get a kick out of seeing expensive gadgets being pulled apart — or you just admire Apple’s incredible build quality — then you’re in for a treat.

This is the Cult of Mac’s exclusive column written by an actual Apple retail store genius. Our genius must remain anonymous, but other than “Who are you, anyway?” ask anything you want about what goes on behind that slick store facade.  

Answers will be published first in Cult of Mac’s Magazine on Newsstand. Send your questions to with genius in the subject line.

With iPhone 5 warranties about to expire for early adopters, our Genius runs through the litany of legitimate issues you can use to get your iPhone replaced for free. We also dive into whether it’s better to be upfront about water damage and switching colors when the Genius Bar replaces your device.

1. My iPhone 5 warranty is about to expire.  How can I get my device replaced for free so I have a new iPhone from the warranty of the old one?

Like any piece of advanced tech, the iPhone certainly has its faults and manufacturing defects, even if they are somewhat rare.

Hardware defects are the easiest way to go

One of the biggest problems we have to swap iPhones for is the sleep/wake button. That button often gives out or gets jammed and becomes unresponsive. If that happens we swap the device. Same thing for the volume buttons. The home button isn’t as common a replacement. We may be able to do a modular repair to replace the flex assembly that goes to your home button. Often times that fixes it, but if it doesn’t we’ll swap it out.

Essentially, hardware defects are the easiest way to go. Camera defects come up frequently too, with issues like spots or lines on the sensor and shutter fails being the most common issue. We don’t have a camera replacement for the iPhone 5, so if you have any of those issues, definitely bring it in. There have also been issues with the iPhone 5’s metal enclosure getting bent out shape. As long as the screen isn’t cracked and the bend or morphing is noticeable, your warranty covers that as well.

Getting an iPhone replaced under warranty for a software issue is a bit trickier. Most software issues that people see will not lead to an iPhone replacement. Before you come to the Genius Bar you’ll be reminded to try rebooting your iPhone and restore from a backup. Those two quick steps usually do fix most software issues. Some software issues – like maybe your WiFi has gone out – can get you a replacement iPhone as long as the Genius can observe and verify the issue.

The good thing about taking your iPhone 5 in for those issues:  it won’t cost you anything and extends your warranty for another 90 days. After two replacements we have to ask a manager for permission to replace an iPhone, even if it’s a legitimate reason. Most of the time managers are cool and will just tell us to go ahead and swap it, but the two-replacement policy is supposed to act as a safeguard from people who try to milk Apple for an infinite number of replacement iPhones.

2. Why won’t the Genius Bar let me change the color of my iPhone when I get it replaced under AppleCare+?

Essentially, we don’t allow it in order to benefit our customers and make sure that inventory flows through the channels in the most efficient way possible.

When you buy a black iPhone, Apple keeps track of how many models it has sold in each color and plans out how many it will need to supply for replacements at the Apple Store. It’s a complicated process to get all the Apple Stores stocked with the right amount of iPhones in the various configurations, even though Apple makes it look easy.

Allowing customers to change colors at random would add an extra element of variation to Apple’s supply chain and could result in supply shortages. And then customers who actually need a device swap in their original color would get screwed over. So, sorry, you’re stuck with your original color choice. Choose wisely.

3. My 30-day-old MacBook Pro had a little accident involving water on the ride home. The screen isn’t working, but it will output video to an external monitor. What’s my best bet when approaching the Genius Bar – pretending I don’t know what happened, or fessing up?

Honesty is the best policy right? The Apple Geniuses are going to find out one way or another that your MacBook is water damaged. It’s better for them to find out from you right away, so fess up to it, but ask them what the best options are.

The Genius Bar is there to fix your computer, but it’s really about fixing your relationship with Apple

Ask them what was damaged and what repairs can be done. Sometimes – especially in your case where you purchased it very recently – they may be able to talk to a manager to help you out, so it’s good start off on the right foot.

The Genius Bar is there to fix your computer, but it’s really about fixing your relationship with Apple. Because the company wants to represent itself well and get great customer satisfaction scores, a manager might give you a break and only make you pay a partial amount of the repair, or even hook you up with a free repair.

Apple isn’t allowing pre-orders on the iPhone 5s this year, but if all you want is the colorful new iPhone 5c, Sprint and Verizon have already confirmed pre-orders will begin by 12AM exactly… the same time iPhone 5 preorders started last year.

The iPhone 5c is likely to be one of Apple’s most wildly in-demand phones ever, thanks to its cheaper price and variety of colors, and while Apple is attempting to balance the crush on their website by starting pre-orders in the middle of the night, it will, in all likelihood, still be a madhouse when Apple starts selling iPhones later tonight.

Hence this guide. We’re going to walk you through the the most efficient ways to absolutely ensure you get your iPhone 5c pre-ordered at the stroke of midnight so you can get back to sleep and enjoy your device on Friday.