Mobile menu toggle

iPhone - page 104

iOS nips at Android’s heels in user loyalty

By

iPhone Loyalty
Apple fanboys get a bad name, but Android users are less likely to switch.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Americans are far less likely to switch between an iPhone and an Android smartphone than they once were. A new study shows that virtually all users of both types have little interest in moving to the other team.

Loyalty to Android is just slightly stronger than it is to iOS. Nevertheless, more people are switching away from Google’s operating system than they are Apple’s.

‘Right to Repair’ bill could be coming to Apple’s home state

By

Cult of Mac's buyback program pays good money for your gear, even broken ones.
Lawmaker Susan Talamantes Eggman wants to bring 'Right to Repair' to California.
Photo: Warren R.M. Stuart/Flickr CC

Apple’s home state of California could embrace the “Right to Repair” act if a new bill introduced by lawmaker Susan Talamantes Eggman is passed.

California is the 18th state in the U.S. to look into the possibility of making electronic devices easier to repair. The Right to Repair act would compel tech companies to release repair guides and make official parts available to any customers or third-party repair shops who want them. Doing so could have multiple benefits, such as reducing the amount of e-waste produced every year.

Check out these amazing, creative iPhone home screens

By

squeeze iPhone
Grip and squeeze could be a feature on future iPhones.
Photo: Dan Rubin/Twitter

It’s not like you can ever find the app you’re looking for on your various home screens anyway, so why not do something fancy with those icons instead? Like, making your home screen an expression of your inner chakra, man. Or getting in tune with the color harmonies of the universe or whatever.

Whatever hippie crap you’re using to justify it, the results can be amazing. And who knows — if you arrange your home screens by color, then maybe you’ll actually end up finding things faster.

How to make your iPhone speakers louder [Quick Tips]

By

Tweak this iOS setting to make iPhone speakers louder. (Works with iPad and iPod, too!)
Tweak this setting to make your iPhone speakers louder. (Works with iPad and iPod, too!)
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple improves the speakers in iPhones, iPads and iPods with each release — usually making them louder than the previous generation. Still, people constantly complain that iPhones are not loud enough.

In our latest Quick Tips video, I’ll show you a super-easy way to boost those tiny speakers. Check out the video below to see how to make iPhone speakers louder!

Divisive iPhone ‘notch’ could disappear as early as next year

By

Apple Watch
The iPhone notch may not be long for this world.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

It’s probably the most iconic aspect of Apple’s iPhone X design, but according to a new report Apple will get rid of the “notch” design for future handsets released as early as 2019.

“Apple decided to get rid of notch design starting from 2019 models, and is having discussions with relevant companies,” an unspecified supply chain source is quoted as saying. “It seems that Apple is planning to implement full-screen that is more complete to its new iPhones.”

Family blames iPhone for house fire, wants Apple to pay

By

iPhone fire
A Canadian couple says this iPhone sparked a blaze that destroyed their home.
Photo: Langley Township Fire Department

A Canadian farm couple is demanding Apple pay them $600,000 because a fire they claim was caused by an overheated iPhone destroyed their home.

Ian and Cathy Finley of Langley, British Columbia, say the October 2016 fire was sparked by a three-month-old iPhone 6 left charging on a leather living room chair. Local fire investigators found a charred handset and cord and believe the device “generated enough heat to ignite” the chair.

Apple reseller forced to close after 11,000 fans turn up for sale

By

Sale from hell
Store had 200 products to sell. 11,000 people turned up.
Photo: Switch

An Apple reseller in Malaysia had to temporarily close after 11,000 would-be customers turned up to buy a small selection of discounted iOS and Mac products.

The incident took place over the weekend after the Switch store announced that it was selling off its stock of demo products, including iPhone models 5s to 7, iPads, Apple TVs, MacBooks and more. These devices were discounted to as little as $25 and as much as $514. Unfortunately, it seems that someone underestimated demand.

Here’s how much a new iPhone battery boosts performance

By

iPhone
A battery replacement can make a big difference.
Photo: Apple

Want to know how much difference replacing the battery in an old iPhone makes to the overall speed of the handset? A new video posted online by Bennett Sorbo compares an iPhone 6s with depleted battery against one with a fresh battery.

The two iPhones are then put head to head as they run through a variety of CPU-intensive tasks, including opening apps, using the internet, playing games and videos, and more. Check out the video below.

Chinese woman locked out of iPhone for 47 years

By

iPhone China locked
Not a message you want to see on your iPhone.
Photo: Kankanews

Do you want to continue being able to unlock your iPhone in a timely manner? Then maybe don’t leave a 2-year-old child playing with your handset.

That’s the lesson learned by a mom who ended up locked out of her iPhone for 47.5 years because her son entered the passcode incorrectly enough times.

Galaxy S9 vs. iPhone: Did Samsung beat Apple’s best?

By

Galaxy S9
Does the Galaxy S9 have what it takes to take on iPhone X?
Photo: Samsung

Samsung’s Galaxy S8 series, with its edge-to-edge display and features like iris scanning, offered smartphone buyers a refreshing alternative to an all-too familiar iPhone experience in early 2017. Now the Galaxy S9 is here and things are a little different.

The iPhone isn’t boring anymore. With an edge-to-edge display of its own, as well as Face ID, dual cameras, and the incredible A11 Bionic chip, iPhone X has made Apple the smartphone maker to beat once again. Does the Galaxy S9 have what it takes?

Check out our in-depth comparison to find out which is better.

Galaxy S9 can’t match iPhone’s 4K video recording

By

Galaxy S9 camera
Galaxy S9 can shoot 4K video at 60 fps, but not for long.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung tries desperately to outdo the iPhone every year, but it doesn’t always work. Its bid to battle the iPhone X with the Galaxy S9 looks a little weak, with early benchmarks suggesting the South Korean company’s flagship is nowhere near as powerful.

That might explain why the Galaxy S9 can’t match Apple’s latest devices in 4K video recording.

A stunning 2/3 of Apple devices ever sold remain in use

By

Apple Customer Satisfaction
Customers keep using Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple’s devices don’t end up in the rubbish bin very often. In fact, an analyst determined that about 64 percent of iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple Watches ever sold remain in active use.

This might be the most accurate way of measuring just how satisfied people are with Apple’s products. Far better than customer surveys!

Moby doesn’t want to brag, but he totally invented the iPhone

By

Moby
Move over Jony Ive!
Photo: Apple

World-famous DJ Moby may have an estimated net worth of around $32 million, but it could’ve been a whole lot more. You know why? Because according to a new interview with the musician, he helped Apple come up with the idea for both the iPod and the iPhone.

And to think we figured his biggest contribution to the world had been “Southside.”

Remaster music on your iPhone or iPad with Grand Finale

By

mixer
Mastering music mixes makes musicians mad.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Mastering is the final stage of making a record. After all the playing, recordings, and mixing is done, you send the stereo track off to the best mixing guru you can afford, and they work their special magic, probably surrounded by all kinds of fancy machines.

And while you probably don’t have the experts’ golden ears, or their golden years of experience, now you can have a crack at mastering right there on your iPad (or even iPhone), with Klevgränd’s new mastering app, Grand Finale.

Vintage computer museum on sale with 80 classic Macs

By

Benj Edwards Computer Collection
This is about half of Benj Edwards‘ computer collection
Photo: Benj Edwards

Many people can’t bear to part with their old computers, and slowly build a collection of aging models in their basement. Benj Edwards took that impulse to the next level: He owns at least 228 unique devices, many of them classic Apple products going back to the 1980s.

Now he’s put them all up for sale. Ready to start your own computer museum?

Apple drops some photography tips in new iPhone ads

By

iPhone X
iPhone X takes the best still images.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Want to take your iPhone photos to the next level? Apple’s got a few tips that just might do the trick.

The iPhone-maker dropped two new ads today that are focused on helping iPhone users improve the composition and framing of their photos. Apple’s new how-to videos cover using the telephoto lens on the iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X. There’s also some info on how to experiment with framing.

Watch both ads right here:

Apple targets Android switchers in latest series of simple ads

By

Apple
iPhone has better support.
Photo: Apple

Apple is hoping to convince Android users to switch to iPhone with its latest set of short ads that highlight some the iPhone’s best features.

Five new ads were published by Apple this afternoon covering everyone from ease-of-use to customer support. Most of the ads are less than 15 seconds long and similar in style to the simple campaign Apple launched last year.

Watch all five ads right here:

Apple repair centers are accidentally calling 911 dozens of times a day

By

Apple Watch Emergency SOS
Emergency SOS isn’t always useful.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Emergency responders in Elk Grove and Sacramento Country have received over 1,600 accidental 911 calls from Apple repair facilities in the past four months.

The calls waste valuable time and resources and potentially slow down the response to genuine emergencies. The problem seems to have been introduced by iOS 11, which added an Emergency SOS shortcut to iPhone and Apple Watch.