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Today in Apple history: iPhone 5 brings big changes, new EarPods

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The iPhone 5 packed remarkable upgrades into an incredibly thin design.
The iPhone 5 proves thin is in at Apple.
Photo: Soldier Knows Best/YouTube

September 12: Today in Apple history: iPhone 5 brings big changes, new EarPods September 12, 2012: Apple introduces the iPhone 5, with a super-slim form factor that makes it the thinnest smartphone in the world.

The new iPhone also brings impressive upgrades such as a greatly improved display and the Lightning port. Despite some controversy, it proves a massive hit.

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.

This is the most realistic 2020 iPhone concept we’ve seen yet

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iphone-12
The 2020 iPhone could pack some serious camera upgrades.
Photo: Hacker 34

The grand unveiling of the iPhone 12 (or whatever Apple calls it) is still over half a year away, but you can already get a pretty good idea of what to expect thanks to a new concept video.

Most iPhone concept videos we see throw in a bunch of unrealistic features. Instead of focusing on what could be, the Hacker 34’s new concept video brings to life all the reliable rumors we’ve heard so far. The concept won’t wow you with promises of a holographic display and instead focuses on the iterative changes we’re likely to see in 2020.

This is about as close to the 2020 iPhone commercial you’re going to see right now:

Apple should totally make an all-screen iPhone SE [Opinion]

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all-screen iphone 5
Who wouldn't want an all-screen iPhone SE?
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Years ago, somebody dropped my old iPhone 5, and the screen exploded into a crazed sheet of splinters. Yesterday I finally “fixed” it by sticking a glass screen protector over the whole mess. It still looks terrible, but at least now I can use it without glass shards lodging in my fingertips.

And, now that I can handle the phone again, I realize that I love it. And it got me thinking. Why doesn’t Apple make a phone sized like the old iPhone 5, or iPhone SE, only with an edge-to-edge screen like the iPhones X?

Apple admits Qualcomm was the only choice for 4G iPhone chips

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iPhone 5
The iPhone 5 was a brilliant phone. And Qualcomm was a big reason for that.
Photo: Apple

Apple has admitted in court that, when it transitioned to 4G connectivity with the iPhone 5, Qualcomm was the only company capable of providing the chips Apple needed.

The admission of Qualcomm’s technical superiority over rivals came from Matthias Sauer, Apple’s director of cellular systems architecture. Sauer said that Apple considered working with Ericsson, Broadcom and Intel — but that none could deliver the chip specifications that Apple wanted.

Apple won’t repair your ‘obsolete’ iPhone 5 any more

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iPhone 5 1
The iPhone 5 was one of the best iPhones Apple ever built.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone 5 may be 6 years old at this point, but for many Apple fans this remains one of the greatest iPhone models ever built, and a genuine classic.

Sadly, there’s a bit of bad (if predictable) news from Apple: According to the company’s latest update of “vintage” and “obsolete” devices, the iPhone 5 is now considered too old for Apple repairs.

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!

Pokémon Go is dropping support for aging iOS devices

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Pokémon Go
Niantic Pika-chooses to freeze out old iPhones and iPads.
Photo: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon Go will drop support for aging iOS devices in its next major update, developer Niantic has confirmed. Only iPhones and iPads compatible with iOS 11 will be able to run the game as of February 28.

That’s bad news for players who don’t have an iPhone 6 or later.