performance - page 2

Apple teases iOS 11.3 with new Animoji, big improvements

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iOS 11.3 ARKit
Augmented reality will be even better with glasses.
Photo: Apple

Apple today offered fans a preview of a big iOS 11.3 update coming this spring.

Alongside 16 new Animoji characters for iPhone X owners, the update will bring big improvements to ARKit and Messages, the ability to view battery health on all iOS devices, music videos for Apple Music, and lots more.

U.S. officials probe Apple over iPhone throttling

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iPhone
Don’t miss out on iOS 13. Ditch your old iPhone now.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

U.S. officials are questioning Apple after the company admitted to throttling the performance of older iPhones.

Apple has already apologized for the practice and set up a battery replacement program in an effort to fix affected units. But that hasn’t saved the company from getting into hot water with authorities in a number of countries.

iPhone throttling lands Apple in hot water with Brazilian authorities

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iPhone battery
Brazil demands easy iPhone battery replacements.
Photo: iFixit

Apple is in trouble with Brazilian authorities for throttling the performance of older iPhones.

A state agency dedicated to tackling consumer issues has demanded that Apple explains to customers how they can obtain cheap battery replacements. Company employees have reportedly refused to sign the notification.

No, Apple is not slowing down your iPhone to force upgrades

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5 tips to fix an unresponsive iPhone screen
Is your iPhone slower with iOS 11? It's all in your head.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Every major iOS update slows down older devices to force users to upgrade. At least that’s what recent reports have suggested.

The truth is, Apple is doing no such thing. Benchmark data proves that iPhone performance drops over time are just a myth. The 4-year-old iPhone 5s is about as fast with iOS 11 today as it was with iOS 7 when it made its debut in 2013.

How Google’s new Pixel 2 stacks up against latest iPhones

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Pixel 2
Prepare for new Pixels right after iPhone X Plus.
Photo: Google

Google’s new Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL might be a little disappointing to some Android fans, but they’re still stellar smartphones. Both sport attractive designs that pack the best hardware available, including excellent cameras, and the speedy Snapdragon 835 chipset.

But can they convince iPhone fans to jump ship? Here’s how the new Pixel lineup compares to iPhone 8 and the upcoming iPhone X.

Apple Watch 3 reviews: LTE is big, but battery life suffers

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Apple Watch Series 3
Get yours for as little as $259.
Photo: Apple

Early reviews of the Apple Watch Series 3 are now dropping ahead of its official debut on Friday, September 22. If you’re still in two minds about whether you should upgrade, they should help you make that all-important decision.

The general consensus is that LTE is a great addition to Apple’s wearable lineup. Just don’t expect a drastically different experience, and prepare yourself for some early teething troubles.

Galaxy S8 review roundup: Samsung just schooled the iPhone

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Galaxy S8 Infinity Display
Samsung has a winner in the Galaxy S8.
Photo: Samsung

The first reviews of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have dropped a day ahead of their official launch in many markets, and there’s one thing to take away from them: Samsung just knocked it out of the park with its best smartphones to date.

Despite the problems the company encountered with the Galaxy Note 7 last fall, it has managed to produce two new devices that don’t disappoint. From gorgeous design and impressive cameras to the best display on the market, the Galaxy S8 series has it all.

It might not perfect, but the changes and improvements Samsung has made show Apple what a smartphone should be in 2017, and make it even more difficult for the iPhone to catch up.

Here’s our review roundup.

Apple Watch Series 3 manufacturer focuses on better battery life

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Apple Watch
Apple has already improved performance and battery life once.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has chosen its manufacturer for the next-generation Apple Watch and tasked the company with delivering better battery life, according to a new report.

Apple Watch Series 3 is also expected to bring improved performance, but its hardware is unlikely to come with any major changes.

Google Pixel review roundup: iPhone’s toughest Android competitor

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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.

iPhone 7 first impressions: The smartphone you love, only better

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iPhone 7 back
iPhone 7 has landed.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

At first glance, the iPhone 7 looks just like the iPhone 6s … and the iPhone 6. It feels the same in your hand, too. Unless you buy the jet black model, or you’re upgrading from a 4-inch iPhone, you’re not going to get any surprises when you pull this baby out of its box.

But there are some subtle changes you’ll appreciate. This is the iPhone you already know and love — only much, much better.

Galaxy Note 7 review: The best smartphone money can’t buy

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Galaxy Note 7
Don't let a few explosions put you off.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Forget what you’ve read about the Galaxy Note 7 exploding (and wiping out family cars, hotel rooms and homes). Samsung’s latest phablet delivers an improved design, faster internals, an iris scanner, the same great camera we got with the Galaxy S7 and an even better display.

When this baby goes on sale again, without that dreaded battery fault, it will be the best smartphone available — and the iPhone 7 (probably) won’t change a thing.

Skyrocketing ‘failure rate’ means iOS is less stable than Android

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iOS and Android are killing off the competition.
Want stability? Choose... Android?!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iOS is generally considered more stable and more secure than Android, but boy how the tables have turned.

According to new data, the failure rate of Apple’s platform rose significantly during the second quarter of 2016, making it more unstable than Google’s for the first time ever.

Galaxy Note 7 gets embarrassed by iPhone 6s in speed test

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Galaxy-Note-7-iPhone-6s-speed-test
Specs aren't everything!
Photo: PhoneBuff

Compare their specifications on paper and the Galaxy Note 7 looks like it would be leagues ahead of the iPhone 6s in performance, but real-world speed tests prove that the reality is very different.

Despite being almost a year older, Apple’s latest smartphone well and truly embarrasses the Galaxy Note 7 in app loading times.

How Intel’s Skylake processors will supercharge your MacBook

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Intel-Kaby-Lake
Intel's Skylake chips are coming to your MacBook.
Photo: Intel

This year’s MacBook and MacBook Pro upgrades are expected to bring Intel’s latest Skylake processors. Delivering more than just speed improvements, the new chips will bring far greater performance, graphics and battery life to Apple’s notebook lineup for 2016.

Here’s what makes those Skylake processors so special — and how they’ll supercharge that new Mac you’ll soon be drooling over.

These wraparound sports shades won’t screw up your look

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Lust List Spy Sunglasses Screw
I Spy some pretty sweet shades.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Best List: Screw sports sunglasses by Spy Optics

Choosing a pair of sports shades is always a balancing act of form versus function. Luckily, Spy Optics makes sunglasses for every face and every activity.

With its Screw series of shades, Spy found the sweet spot where you get what you need while sweating your ass off without looking like an ass when standing in line at the coffee shop.

Vulkan is Google’s answer to Apple Metal for Android games

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vulkan-is-googles-answer-to-apple-metal-for-android-games-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201506E3_thumb-jpg
Vulkan will bring better games to Android.
Photo: Samsung
Vulkan is coming to Android. Photo: Samsung
Vulkan is coming to Android. Photo: Samsung

Apple Metal, introduced at last year’s WWDC, gives developers low-level access to the GPU to maximize the graphics and performance potential of their games. Now Android gamers are going to get a taste of that, too.

No, Apple isn’t bringing Metal to Android — but Google is adopting an alternative called Vulkan.

Even in Low Power Mode, your iPhone 6 is still faster than the iPhone 5c

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The successor to the iPhone 5c is nearly here.
Low Power Mode will still make your iPhone 6 more powerful than the 5c.
Photo: Apple

It’s no surprise that the iPhone 6 and iPhone 5s are significantly faster than the iPhone 5c. Yet, even with iOS 9’s Low Power Mode turned on, the newer phones still manage to make long strides over that plastic (yet colorful) contraption.

Geekbench released an update to its app today, adding support for iOS 9. Even though iOS 9 is still in beta, the new tools have already revealed some surprising facts about the iPhone 6. Upon running benchmarks on an iPhone 5c and iPhone 6 in low power mode, the tools show that the iPhone 6 is still more powerful that the 5c.

Why The PC Is Dead: Five Years Of iPhone Benchmarks [Chart]

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6a0120a85dcdae970b017ee3e42e5e970d-800wi (1)

In a post by Jeff Atwood over at the excellent Coding Horror, there’s this brilliant chart showing the “hyperbolic performance improvement” of the iPhone since it first debuted in 2008. As Jeff points out, in just five years, the iPhone has seen a factor of 20 performance improvement in Browsermark and a factor of four improvement in GeekBench, at least doubling performance every year.

iPhone 5 Beats Everything In Javascript Benchmarks, Twice As Fast As iPhone 4S

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Beat that!
Beat that!

On Tuesday, the first Geekbench benchmarks surfaced for the iPhone 5. Those have been followed by SunSpider Javascript benchmarks which show Apple’s latest iPhone 5 beats everything when it comes to Javascript performance. It’s twice as fast as the iPhone 4S, and significantly snappier than high-end Android handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S III, the HTC One X, and the new LG Optimus G.

The iPhone 5: How It Stacks Up Against The Competition [Chart]

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Screen Shot 2012-09-12 at 3.00.05 PM

 

Today, Apple made official the eagerly-awaited latest version of the world’s most popular smartphone, the iPhone 5. Apple has historically been a trendsetter when it comes to building smartphones, using cutting-edge technology and top-of-the-line materials, but over the past few months, the competition — Samsung, Motorola, Nokia and HTC — have started catching up.

So, spec-by-spec, how does the iPhone 5 stack up? We have compared the specs of the iPhone 5 with the iPhone 4S, Nokia Lumia 820, Nokia Lumia 920, Motorola DROID RAZR HD, Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX HD, Motorola DROID RAZR M, Samsung Galaxy SIII and the HTC One X. To see how the iPhone 5 fares, check out the comprehensive table below.