iPhone 7 Plus - page 8

Liveblog: Apple reveals its (relatively) meager Q4 2016 earnings

By

Will Apple reach its own targets for Q2?
Revenues are expected to be down year-over-year.
Photo: Ste Smith

Apple is set to report its Q4 2016 earnings today, only instead of it being a time for celebration, the company is expected to announce its first annual revenue decline in 15 years.

[contextly_auto_sidebar]

Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri warned Wall Street that this quarter wouldn’t smash any records, but with the iPhone 7 doing better than expected, could relief be on the way?

Investors and analysts will grill Apple about how well the company expects to perform next quarter during today’s earnings call. And Cult of Mac will be right here, liveblogging the whole shebang when it starts at 2 p.m. Pacific.

Come join the fun — it’s livestreaming on Apple’s investor site.

What to expect from Apple earnings call Q4 2016

By

money
Apple will reveal Q4 2016 earnings on October 25.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

During tomorrow’s Apple earnings call, Tim Cook is likely to unload some bad news. Wall Street expects Apple to report its first annual revenue decline since 2001, snapping one of the most impressive streaks ever witnessed.

Slumping iPhone sales mean Apple’s annual revenue could drop to $215.67 billion for 2016. That would be a significant decline from the $233.72 billion in revenue Apple posted in 2015 — but there may be light at the end of the tunnel.

macOS Sierra 10.12.1 is now available to the public

By

macOS Sierra logo
A new update for macOS is here.
Photo: Apple

The public release of macOS Sierra 10.12.1 has finally arrived for Macs everywhere, bringing a bunch of bug fixes and tweaks.

Apple Watch owners will definitely want to grab the new update ASAP because it makes unlocking your Mac with your watch a lot more reliable. There are also some new additions for iPhone 7 Plus owners.

iOS 10.1 brings Portrait Mode to the iPhone 7 Plus

By

iphone 7
Portrait Mode is finally here!
Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

iPhone 7 Plus owners can finally start using Apple’s highly-touted Portrait Mode starting today.

Apple released iOS 10.1 to the public this morning after weeks of beta testing the new Portrait Mode. The software update comes with a couple of other tweaks for iPhone and iPad as well as a number of bug fixes.

Google Pixel review roundup: iPhone’s toughest Android competitor

By

Google Pixel
Google's first phones are a hit.
Photo: Google

Google stepped up its fight against the iPhone with its new Pixel smartphone, but has it found a formula that’s good enough to worry Cupertino?

The Pixel looks pretty at first glance, and it’s the first handset to offer Google’s latest Android 7.1 Nougat software. It also promises a great display, stunning photos, and peak performance. Here’s what the first reviews have to say about it.

Public testers can now get iOS 10.1 beta 4

By

jet black iphone 7 plus
Portrait Mode is nearly ready for primetime.
Photo: Apple

The fourth beta build of iOS 10.1 was seeded to public testers today by Apple after the company gave developers a first look at the software last week.

The new beta comes less than a week after Apple seeded iOS 10.1 beta 3 to testers, bringing a number of bug fixes and as well as support for Portrait Mode on the iPhone 7 Plus.

HTC plans to copy iPhone 7’s most hated feature

By

The HTC Bolt in silver.
The HTC Bolt in silver.
Photo: Evleaks

Apple isn’t the only smartphone maker that wants to kill headphone jacks.

Removing the 3.5mm audio port from the iPhone 7 was the most controversial design decision Apple has made in years. Now some leaked photos have revealed that HTC plans to copy the move on its next flagship device.

Jet black iPhone 7 Plus is in stock at Apple stores — for now

By

jet black iphone 7 plus
The Jet Black iPhone will be a scratch-magnet.
Photo: Apple

Apple stores across the United States are suddenly flush with stock of the iPhone 7 Plus.

Finding the jet black iPhone 7 Plus at Apple retail outlets has been an impossible task ever since the device launched last month, but a site that monitors supply shows that tons of Apple stores just got the rare item in stock.

How to change the feedback strength of iPhone 7’s Home button

By

iPhone 7 Home button
iPhone 7's new home button is awesome.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus deliver an all-new Home button that uses the Taptic Engine inside your device to simulate clicks. It doesn’t actually move in and out like a traditional iPhone Home button, but that’s not a bad thing.

Not only does it make your iPhone more reliable (without a moving button there’s no need to worry about it failing), but it also makes it more water-resistant. It’s also customizable; you can adjust the strength of the haptic feedback to make your clicks more noticeable.

Here’s how.

Cheaper iPhone 7 models may be slower, too

By

iPhone 7
Lower storage could mean less speed.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple finally bumped the storage on the baseline iPhone model to 32GB this year, but it looks like choosing the cheapest model may come with some serious speed setbacks.

The 32GB versions of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus suffer from slower storage speeds, according to benchmarks that reveal the memory chip on the baseline model scores markedly worse than other versions.

Forget the Galaxy Note 7 and buy an iPhone 7 Plus

By

Galaxy Note 7
R.I.P., Galaxy Note 7.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Still thinking about making the Galaxy Note 7 your next smartphone? Forget about it.

I gave Samsung’s latest flagship a glowing review last month. But amid reports that supposedly “safe” replacement devices are overheating and exploding, there’s no good reason to buy a Galaxy Note 7 anymore.

Do yourself a favor and get the iPhone 7 Plus instead.

AirPods point to Apple’s domination of ‘ambient paradigm’

By

x
AirPods may miss Christmas while Apple works out audio problems.
Photo: Apple

The Apple Watch and new AirPods may seam like silly side projects to fans, but some analysts on Wall Street believe the company is using the two new products to lay the groundwork for the next era of personal technology.

While Silicon Valley is obssessed with virtual reality headsets, Apple is obsessed with making gadgetry less visible. UBS analysts Steven Milunovich and Benjamin Wilson told clients that while many firms see a lot of downside for Apple, the company’s “ambient paradigm” could be a huge money maker.

Replacement Galaxy Note 7 catches fire on a plane

By

Galaxy Note 7 water wet
Galaxy Note 7 owners should keep a bucket of water nearby, just in case.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Southwest Airlines was forced to evacuate a flight from Louisville to Baltimore this morning before it hit the runway, thanks to a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone that caught fire.

Explosive Note 7 units have been reported around the globe thanks to faulty lithium-ion batteries. In this instance though, the Galaxy Note 7 in question was a replacement unit that the owner received after Samsung issued its global recall.

Everything that’s new in iOS 10.1 beta 2

By

iOS 10 Messages
See all that iOS 10.1 beta 2 has to offer.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iOS 10 has only been available to the public for a few weeks, but developers are already receiving updates for iOS 10.1 beta 2. Along with bug fixes and a beta version of Portrait Mode for the iPhone 7 Plus, beta 2 offers a few new minor improvements and features.

Check them out in action in our video below.

Google Pixel first impressions: Solid build, fugly back

By

Google Pixel
It's in talks to buy HTC, maker of the Pixel lineup.
Photo: Google

Google’s new Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones are ready to do battle with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus and based on the first hands-on reviews, Apple could learn a few things from the new devices.

Apple’s shadow loomed large during today’s Google event. Exec from the search engine giant threw plenty of shade at the iPhone-maker for its lack of a headphone jack and storage limitations. Even though Google’s new devices look like total iPhone ripoffs the initial reaction has been mostly positive.

We’ll have to test Pixel in the wild before making our final judgement but here are some of the first reactions to the device from people that got to play with it:

Apple gives devs new betas for iOS, watchOS and tvOS

By

iPhone 7
iOS 10.1 brings some tweaks to the iPhone.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Developers received a batch of new beta software updates today bringing a bunch of bug fixes to the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV.

iOS 10.1 beta 2 is the most notable of the new beta builds. The last version added the new Portrait Mode to the iPhone 7 Plus, which has earned rave reviews so far, though some early images have shown it still needs some tweaking.

How Google’s Pixel phones stack up against iPhone 7

By

Pixel
Pixel and Pixel XL.
Photo: Google

Google’s new Pixel smartphones have landed, and they’re here to show the world that Android is stepping up its fight against the iPhone.

The Pixel lineup shares a lot in common with the Nexus family it replaces, but it’s not designed with pure Android enthusiasts in mind anymore. Google wants to reach everyone with its new Pixel and Pixel XL, and it has gone all out to make that happen.

But does the Pixel duo have what it takes to beat iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and other high-end rivals? Find out in our smartphone comparison below.

Pixel phones are Google’s chance to out-innovate Apple

By

Pixel by Google
Will Google deliver?
Photo: Google

The twin phones Google will launch Tuesday will show the company is finally serious about tackling the iPhone head-on. And they couldn’t be arriving at a better time.

With iPhone demand falling and many fans disappointed with the improvements Apple has made with the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, it’s a perfect opportunity for Google to prove it can out-innovate its biggest rival in the smartphone industry.