0 iPhone 7: Our biggest question was just answered

By Gadget News | At 5:48 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Apple’s upcoming new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are the most talked about smartphones of 2016… and they don’t even exist yet. We’re less than one month away from seeing Apple unveil its next-generation iPhone lineup and if an earlier report from a reliable source ends up panning out, we’re almost exactly one month away from seeing the new iPhone models hit store shelves. Of note, a more recent report suggests that the iPhone 7 might be released a bit later than expected, but we’re not very confident that rumor is accurate.

Leaks and rumors from reliable sources have painted a near-complete picture of Apple’s upcoming new iPhones, but there are still a few questions that remain. Now, however, one of the biggest ones may have been answered.

MUST SEE: See the Space Black iPhone 7 Plus you’ve been waiting for in these leaked photos

At this point we know exactly what the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will look like. They’ll feature a familiar design in line with the current iPhone 6s and last year’s iPhone 6 lineup, but they’ll have new cameras and tweaked antenna lines. They will also reportedly feature a new home button design that utilizes Apple’s 3D Touch technology.

We can expect more power thanks to a new Apple A10 chipset, twice as much internal storage, better water-resistance and even a new color option — check out leaked photos of the iPhone 7 in both blue and black. But there’s one key area where no one really knew what to expect until now.

Apple is switching things up in 2016. Since the company has a completely overhauled iPhone planned for next year to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the original iPhone’s release, this year’s iPhone is going to be an “S” upgrade of sorts. Of course, last year’s new iPhone was an “S” upgrade as well. While everyone has been referring to the new 2016 iPhones as “iPhone 7” and “iPhone 7 Plus” to keep things simple, no one really knew what the phones would be named at launch.

Well, Mac Otakara has a good track record with reports covering unannounced Apple products, and on Wednesday morning the blog confirmed the names of Apple’s upcoming new iPhones. Are you ready? They’ll be called… the “iPhone 7” and “iPhone 7 Plus.”

It seems like a gimme since we’ve all been referring to them by those names for months now. Nothing was confirmed until now, however. Some reports suggested Apple’s new iPhones would somehow fall under the iPhone 6 name — “iPhone 6se” and “iPhone 6se Plus,” perhaps — while others suggested the larger iPhone model would be named “iPhone 7 Pro” to better align with Apple’s iPad lineup. According to this new report, however, neither will be the case.

Apple is expected to unveil its next-generation iPhones during a press conference on September 7th. Preorders will then reportedly kick off on September 9th ahead of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus release on September 16th.

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0 Someone figured out how to double iPhone battery life without making it thicker

By Gadget News | At 4:47 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Image Source: iFixit

One of the ugliest design choices for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s series is the protruding rear camera, which is a compromise between Apple’s design and camera teams. Some buyers concerned with battery life still say that Apple should increase the size of the iPhone and fix both the camera bump and battery life with one move. But Apple’s phones aren’t getting any thicker, and the camera bumps will still be there in the upcoming iPhone 7 models.

However, there’s an MIT spinoff company that has already figured out how to double iPhone battery life without making any changes to the phone’s thickness. And unlike other promising new battery technologies, this new type of battery is actually heading to mass production.

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Called SolidEnergy Systems, the startup developed an “anode-free” lithium metal battery that is twice as dense as lithium-ion batteries, and just as safe and long-lasting, MIT News reports.

“With two-times the energy density, we can make a battery half the size, but that still lasts the same amount of time, as a lithium-ion battery,” said CEO of SolidEnergy and inventor Qichao Hu. “Or we can make a battery the same size as a lithium-ion battery, but now it will last twice as long.”

The company demonstrated the first working prototype in October 2015 using the iPhone 6’s battery as a comparison tool. The SolidEnergy battery was just half the size of the lithium-ion battery in the iPhone, yet it offered 2.0 amp hours, slightly more than the iPhone’s 1.8 amp hour battery.

The company plans to bring its battery technology to drones this November, to smartphones and wearables in 2017, and to electric cars a year later.

The new battery technology uses an ultrathin lithium metal foil for the anode (the negative electrode), which is one-fifth the thickness of a traditional lithium metal anode and “several times thinner and lighter than traditional graphite, carbon, or silicon anodes.” This is how the company was able to shrink down the size of the battery without losing battery life.

SolidEnergy also came up with a solid and liquid hybrid electrolyte solution that allows the battery to operate safely at room temperature. The resulting product is a battery that has the energy capacity of lithium metal batteries, but the safety and longevity of lithium-ion batteries that operate at room temperature.

Now someone just needs to fix that camera bump…

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0 Photos show the aftermath of a Galaxy Note 7 that exploded while charging

By Gadget News | At 3:46 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Image Source: Zach Epstein, BGR

Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 7 is far and away the hottest new Android phone of the year at this point, and it’s unlikely that any new handsets set to launch in the coming months will outdo it. The phone’s design is gorgeous, the display is stunning, the Note software suite is still a class leader, and the new features Samsung introduced have made it one of the most sought-after devices of 2016. One eager user discovered a feature that isn’t quite as appealing as the curved display or Samsung’s new iris scanner, and it could have caused serious injury or property damage had the phone’s owner not been so lucky.

MUST SEE: 5 best new features in Android 7.0 Nougat

A user named “Mr. Ni 666666” on the Chinese forum Baidu posted photos (via Major Droid) of what he claims to be a Galaxy Note 7 that exploded on Tuesday while it was charging. In a series of posts, the user claims that his Galaxy Note 7 was plugged in at night charging when he heard a “sudden bang.” He then discovered his phone on fire, and a series of photos show the aftermath.

Here are the photos he posted:

Samsung has yet to comment on the incident and it’s not clear whether or not there will be an investigation, but it looks like the Note 7 owner was using a third-party microUSB charger rather than the charger and cable supplied by Samsung, so that may have played a part in the incident.

Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 7 ships with a white charger and USB cable, but the user in this case has a black cable that he is using with Samsung’s included USB-C adapter tip. It’s entirely possible that this was a manufacturing defect and the charger had nothing to do with it, but just to be on the safe side, Note 7 owners should probably use the equipment supplied by Samsung until we get to the bottom of this.

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0 Solid source says he knows exactly when Apple will release the iPhone 7

By Gadget News | At 2:45 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Image Source: iFeng

Apple has yet to announce the official date for its big iPhone 7 event, but we think we know when it’s all going down. We’ve got tentative dates for the press conference, preorders and launch. There are actually two potential launch dates that have been rumored for the new iPhones, but a new claim may have just firmed up the exact day when Apple will release its next-generation iPhones.

DON’T MISS: Apple’s iPhone 8 will feature the radical redesign we’ve been waiting for

A report from a trustworthy source recently stated that Apple will unveil the iPhone 7 on September 7th. Before that, well-known leaker Evan Blass tweeted that preorders would kick off on September 9th, with shipping and in-store launch set for September 16th.

However, a leak originating from AT&T retail staff suggested that September 23rd might be the actual launch date of the new iPhones.

Both September 16th and 23rd make sense. They’re both Fridays, which is when Apple launches new iPhones. And Apple is expected to release a brand new iPhone on the first or second Friday following the first day of preorders.

In a tweet from a couple of days ago that went largely unnoticed, Blass reiterated his belief that the iPhone 7 will launch on September 16th. “I’m very confident in this date,” he said, quoting his previous tweet in which he stated that the phone should be available in stores on September 16th.

FWIW, I'm very confident in this date. https://t.co/iaA7rZHpCa

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 23, 2016

Considering his track record when it comes to mobile leaks, we’re inclined to trust Blass more than an unverified AT&T leak. But nothing is official until Apple announces it, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

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0 Apple is already being sued over iPhone 6 ‘Touch Disease’

By Gadget News | At 1:44 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Image Source: Apple

Well, that didn’t take long. Less than a week after “Touch Disease” became a thing, Apple is already facing a class-action lawsuit over iPhone 6es which have unresponsive touchscreens and Touch ID sensors.

“Touch Disease” is the name coined by iFixit for a recurring problem with iPhone 6 and 6 Plus handsets. Owing to a design defect with the handsets, the touch controller is susceptible to physical damage, which in practice means a whole bunch of iPhones with non-working touchscreens, display problems, and faulty fingerprint readers.

DON’T MISS: How to get a ‘No Man’s Sky’ refund, even if you already played the game

As Reuters reports, a nationwide class-action lawsuit was filed on Saturday in federal court in San Jose, California. The suit has three initial claimants, Thomas Davidson of Pennsylvania, Todd Cleary of California, and Jun Bai of Delaware. The suit asks Apple to issue a recall for affected iPhones and offer an extended warranty period, along with paying out damages.

“Apple has long been aware of the defective iPhones. Yet, notwithstanding its longstanding knowledge of this design defect, Apple routinely has refused to repair the iPhones without charge when the defect manifests. Many other iPhone owners have communicated with Apple’s employees and agents to request that Apple remedy and/or address the Touchscreen Defect and/or resultant damage at no expense. Apple has failed and/or refused to do so.

As a result of Apple’s unfair, deceptive and/or fraudulent business practices, owners of the iPhones, including Plaintiffs, have suffered an ascertainable loss of money and/or property and/or value. The unfair and deceptive trade practices committed by Apple were conducted in a manner giving rise to substantial aggravating circumstances.”

The lawsuit lays the blame for the broken iPhones squarely at Apple’s door. It says that in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Apple failed to incorporate underfill or a metal shield, two ways of protecting chips on the logic board that have been seen on previous iPhones. It’s the same cause of defect as has been identified by other iPhone repair technicians.

The claimants may well have a valid lawsuit on their hands, but it’s unlikely that the case ever makes it to the requested jury trial. Apple has dealt with similar lawsuits before, and the likelihood here is that Apple will issue an extended warranty program, along with an option for customers who have already paid to fix the defect to get reimbursed.

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0 New MacBook Pro feature virtually confirmed in Apple code

By Gadget News | At 12:43 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Image Source: Martin Hajek

The MacBook Pro is getting a massive redesign this year, multiple reports have said. The laptop will be even thinner and lighter than predecessors, but its best new feature might be a touch-ready secondary OLED display that’s supposed to replace the entire function key row atop the keyboard.

DON’T MISS: The worst thing about yesterday’s big iPhone 7 specs leak

The secondary display would offer contextual shortcuts to the user, making it even easier to interact with frequently used features that will be just one touch away. The OLED bar should offer system-wide shortcuts, but also app-specific shortcuts, assuming developers will support them.

One of the first apps to allow the customization of the function row will be Apple’s Pages, a new leak indicates.

Credit: Consomac

Discovered by French site Consomac, the image above shows code from the Pages application that includes the phrase “Customize Function Row.” That’s a clear indication that users will be able to customize the function row inside Pages, likely to display shortcuts to some of their most frequent actions.

The leak doesn’t tell us what Apple will end up calling the OLED display on the 2016 MacBook Pro models. A report from Bloomberg on Monday said that Apple refers to it internally as the “Dynamic Function Row” but that’s not the official marketing name for it.

Apple’s MacBook Pro refresh is due in the coming months, though the redesigned new laptop might not be unveiled during Apple’s busy iPhone 7 event next week.

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0 The iPhone 7 will be a much better deal than the iPhone 6s

By Gadget News | At 10:41 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Image Source: iFeng

Apple will unveil the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in a few days, and it’s likely that most of the iPhone 7 rumors we’ve seen so far will be confirmed, including pricing. Recent reports have already revealed prices for the various iPhone 7 versions Apple will have in stores starting in mid-September, and a new leak further reinforces an interesting development: the iPhone 7 will be a much better deal than the iPhone 6s.

DON’T MISS: This is why it’s so great that the iPhone 7 is killing off the headphone jack

A Chinese website that has a reliable track record reporting Apple leaks, according to Forbes, posted the purported prices of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in China and Hong Kong. Anzuo.cn also offered current prices for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus models for comparison.

iPhone 7 and iPhone 6s prices for China (left column) and Hong Kong (right column), Image credit Anzuo.cn via Forbes

As you can see in the image above, the iPhone 7 will be a better deal than the iPhone 6s, even though prices are generally about the same. How is that possible you ask? Well, Apple is doubling storage across the board without increasing prices substantially. In case this sounds familiar, that’s because Apple pulled the same trick when it moved from 16GB/32GB/64GB to a 16GB/64GB/128GB setup with the iPhone 6.

Sure, Apple is overcharging for those storage bumps, and storage represents one clever way for Apple to make more money off the iPhone. But keeping prices roughly the same means that you can buy a 256GB iPhone for about what people pay today for the 128GB option. And in the US, pricing tiers are likely to remain exactly the same.

That’s still very expensive compared to what some high-end Android handsets might cost you, but you wouldn’t have to buy additional cloud space or external storage solutions for the iPhone. Also, the iPhone upgrade programs that are available in some markets will make it even easier to upgrade to an iPhone 7 model that has a decent amount of storage without taking a financial hit in the process.

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0 iPhone 7’s retail packaging may have just leaked

By Gadget News | At 9:40 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Image Source: Austin Evans, YouTube

We’re almost there, Apple fans: the iPhone 7 event you’ve been waiting for all year long is just one day away. But that doesn’t mean we’re done seeing iPhone 7 leaks. A couple of new images showing the alleged retail box of the iPhone 7 found their way online. But is this the real thing, or a fake?

DON’T MISS: How to tell if your Galaxy Note 7 might explode

We saw a few leaks showing purported iPhone retail packaging in the past, but they didn’t look very convincing. After all, iPhone 7 clones are already in the wild in China, complete with retail boxes meant to make them look like the real thing.

The following images, obtained by @the_malignant, show an iPhone retail box that doesn’t mention the iPhone version on the box, listing a generic “iPhone” product name instead. And that’s definitely a bolded font. Also interesting is the choice of imagery featured on the front side of the box. Rather than having the picture of an iPhone with the screen turned on, the picture shows the back of the device — which reveals that this particular box should house a 4.7-inch iPhone 7. Check out that single-lens camera in the top left corner of the phone:

Credit: @the_malignant

The contents of the package are not shown, and the text on the back of the box isn’t photographed either. So we don’t have any other clues to work with at the moment. What’s interesting is that Apple’s media invite for the iPhone 7 seems to focus on camera features. And showing the rear shell of the iPhone on the retail box can only be about the improved camera experience. Right?

Apple will unveil the iPhone 7 on September 7th, and will likely start selling the handset later this week, with preorders likely set to begin on September 9th.

Credit: @the_malignant

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0 Apple decided to copy Samsung for a change

By Gadget News | At 11:42 AM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Image Source: Marek Weidlich

Apple’s 2017 iPhone, a device which may very well be called the iPhone 8, is shaping up to be the game-changing device iPhone owners have been hoping for. Aside from reports that the iPhone 8 will feature a curved OLED display with an embedded home button, we’ve now heard more rumblings that the device may include an iris-scanning feature as well.

DON’T MISS: This is the huge iPhone 7 leak we’ve been waiting for

According to a translated report from the Chinese-language site MoneyDJ (via Digitimes), Apple has already begun placing orders for “iris-recognition” chips for its 2017 model iPhone.

Xintec is expected to enter mass production for iris-recognition chips in 2017, which will boost the backend house’s revenues for the year, the report cited market watchers as saying. New orders for iris-recognition sensors include those for the chips that will be embedded in the 2017 series of iPhone, the watchers were also quoted in the report.

Iris scanning technology, we should note, isn’t new to the smartphone world, but perhaps Apple’s implementation will actually make the feature practical as opposed to merely a cool technology that no one uses. Should this rumor pan out, it will be interesting to see how Apple positions the iris-scanning feature alongside Touch ID.

It’s also worth mentioning that reputed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo earlier this year suggested that Apple was keen on adding new biometric sensor technologies to the iPhone. Specifically, Kuo said that Apple was working on an iris-scanning solution that would enable users to authenticate themselves (and perhaps transactions) with their face and/or eyes. To this end, Apple earlier this year acquired a Emotient, a company whose software is able to analyze and identify a particular face and even varying expressions and emotional states.

As a final point, remember that Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 already boasts an iris-scanning feature, video of which can be seen below. We’d suggest you pick one up and try it out for yourselves but there is that little problem of Samsung halting shipments amid reports of exploding devices.

 

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0 Apple filing shows off the all-glass iPhone of the future

By Gadget News | At 8:39 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Image Source: Mesut Designs

The iPhone 7 will continue to lay the groundwork for the major iPhone redesign expected for the near future, maybe as soon as next year. Removing the headphone jack and the physical home buttons are two of the steps Apple is taking towards the iPhone of the future, a device that may have a glass-only housing and a wraparound display. Such an iPhone model could also lack any physical buttons, and offer even better waterproofing than the iPhone 7.

DON’T MISS: All the reasons Apple’s ‘boring’ new iPhone 7 will be its most exciting iPhone ever

Filed on July 30, 2015, well ahead of Samsung’s Galaxy S6 announcement, Apple’s Glass enclosure patent was awarded to the company on Tuesday.

The document describes means of building a mobile device, including a mobile phone, out of glass. The abstract is very telling:

“A handheld computing device that includes an enclosure having structural walls formed from a glass material that can be radio-transparent,” Apple writes. “The enclosure can be formed from a hollow glass tube or two glass members bonded together. A laser frit bonding process may be used to hermetically seal the two glass members together to create a water resistant electronic device.”

Apple further explains that a glass-only mobile device would let it place antennas needed for wireless communications inside the device. The structure should add rigidity to the phone, and protect the device from water damage or scratches.

Interestingly, the enclosure would not be made of two different parts, as is the case with the iPhone 4 or Galaxy S6/S7.

“The housing 52 generally includes a main body 54 in the form of an integral tube,” Apple writes, suggesting with its language and drawings that the device would have curved edges.

“By integral, it is meant that the main body is a single complete unit. By being integrally formed, the main body is structurally stiffer than conventional housings, which typically include two parts that are fastened together. Furthermore, unlike conventional housings that have a seam between the two parts, the main body has a substantially seamless appearance. Moreover, the seamless housing prevents contamination and is more water resistant than conventional housings.”

Special caps would be placed on the top and bottom of the enclosure to seal the device.

An internal rail system could be used to install components easily. We don’t dare utter the words modular and iPhone in the same sentence, but this type of technology could make replacing iPhone parts, and even upgrading them a reality in the future.

The device should be “aesthetically pleasing” as well, and could be made of opaque glass.

Finally, Apple also wants a glass structure that would let it “quickly and easily” install internal components inside it.

And yes, Apple does mention “mobile phone” specifically when describing the kind of devices that would benefit from such a design.

It’s unknown whether these technologies will be used in next year’s iPhone, but this patent seems to prove that Apple is really keen on making glass iPhones again. But they won’t be anything like the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s. The full patent is available at the link below.

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0 The new iPhone 7: waterproof, all black, and no headphone port in sight

By Gadget News | At 7:38 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Image Source: Apple Inc.

So after all the leaks, snafus and bad Tweets, this is it. The iPhone 7, Apple’s latest and greatest phone, is here in all its glory. It’s water-resistant, has new cameras, better battery life, and a new all-black color that makes my knees weak.

DON’T MISS: Live coverage of Apple’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus event

Apple’s breaking out all the new stuff into 10 distinct features, and the first one is design. As expected, there’s a new color called Jet Black, a high-gloss aluminum body with a stainless steel Apple logo, and a seamlessly integrated camera module. There’s a second color as well, a matte black simply titled “Black.”

An even bigger deal is the new Home button, which takes the Force Touch technology in Apple Watch and the Macbook trackpads. So, the button itself won’t physically move any more, but the button is still there, and you’ll get the same sensation of a click. It also opens the door to all sorts of new UI tricks.

The new iPhone is also water and dust resistant, meeting the IP67 waterproofing standard. That standard is defined as complete resistance to dust, and water-resistant in a meter of water for 30 minutes.

Updates to the camera are always exciting, and Apple went big here. There’s optical image stabilization across all models (previously limited to just the Plus), a new lens, new sensor, and new flash. The flash even has a “flicker sensor” that compensates for the flickering of artificial light.

Apart from the new optics, Apple has also put in a new image processor. Behind the scenes, that should mean photos with much better color and exposure than you’re used to. In the same way that GPUs can make gaming so much prettier, a brand-new image processor can make all the difference for the final product.

Sample photo time!

Apple claims these are untouched photos, which if true, means whoa.

A huge change for pro photographers is the option for RAW photos. RAW files are far bigger, but retain far more detail. It’s typically a must for professional photographers.

It’s not just the camera on the back, either. There’s a new 7MP selfie camera that looks truly fantastic, or at least as fantastic as a selfie camera can ever be.

Having got us all excited for the camera on the iPhone 7, Apple just blew everything away with the setup on the iPhone 7 Plus. As rumored, there’s two lenses on the 7 Plus, a telephoto lens and a wide-angle lens. By combining images from both cameras, Apple has created a new kind of zoom, not a conventional optical zoom, or awful digital zoom.

Apple claims a 4x better image than with digital zoom, which is a big improvement. The sample image below shows it off: the zoomed-in image on the right looks great, far better than the digital zoom you’re used to.

But the two-lens system isn’t just for zoom. As we expected, Apple uses the two cameras in the 7 Plus to create a shallow depth-of-field to replicate the results you get with expensive DSLR cameras. The results look pretty good, although artificial bokeh would have to be truly incredible to match the results you get with a good lens.

In the sample image Apple showed off, the bokeh does look game-changingly good. Apple is saying it’s the best camera in any smartphone ever, which is bold.

The screen is getting a bump, but not in resolution. Apple is claiming 25% better brightness and a wider color gamut, which should make things look prettier. Mostly, it seems to be an update designed to show off the awesome new cameras on the back of the iPhones.

Along with the better screen, there’s also better speakers. Yeah, that’s speakers plural: one at the top, one down bottom, like the old HTC One.

The least-surprising announcement is about headphones. Yup, the headphone port is gone, and it’s going to be Lightning-powered headphones from here forwards. Apple is touting the abilities to have battery-free noise cancelling and better sound quality over Lightning. Lightning EarPods and a headphone adapter (not a dongle!) will be shipped in the box with every iPhone 7. Apple describes the move as taking “courage,” which is certainly true.

Where Apple taketh away, Apple also giveth. Apple is trying to do wireless headphones better than anyone else by creating a whole new standard for wireless audio. There’s a new pair of headphones called Airpods, which look faintly Tron-like. There’s two standalone earpods, each controlled with touch sensitive controls. You can read more about them here, but basically they’ll work with your iPhone and Apple Watch, come in a wireless charging case, and generally look awesome.

Last, but certainly not least, there’s a new processor, the A10 Fusion. As per usual, it’s the fastest, most efficient chip on the planet (according to Apple). Twice as fast as the A8 chip in the 6S, it proves Moore’s Law is alive and well.

Apart from raw power, Apple has taken a leaf from Samsung’s book. Four cores are max performance, while the other two are high efficiency. Software balances the load to save battery life for nearly everything.

To prove a point about the newly-improved graphics, Apple is showing off F1 2016, which yeah, is coming to the iPhone. Adobe Lightroom is also getting an update to properly handle those RAW files.

To put some perspective to the claims of battery life, Apple says the iPhone 7 will last two hours longer than an iPhone 6S.

What about practicalities? Well, storage is changing. The options are now 32GB, 128GB and 256GB, starting at $649. Shipping starts with 28 countries, including the US, on September 16.

Developing…

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0 The 32GB iPhone 6s is finally a thing, but you should avoid it like the plague

By Gadget News | At 6:37 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Image Source: Zach Epstein, BGR

Apple on Thursday unveiled the iPhone 7 family complete with release date and prices. In the process, Apple discounted the aging iPhone 6s, while the even older iPhone 6 was discontinued. There’s nothing out of the ordinary with that. That’s exactly how Apple does things. But the iPhone maker came out with an iPhone version that so many people wanted last year, a 32GB iPhone 6s that Apple never made, choosing instead to somewhat force buyers to pick the next best thing, a 64GB iPhone priced $100 extra.

DON’T MISS: iPhone 7 release date announced: Preorders start Friday, release on September 16

Could Apple troll us any harder? For $549, you get an iPhone that’s one year old and has 32GB of storage. Pay $649, which is how much the 32GB iPhone 7 costs, and what the 16GB iPhone used to cost, and you get a 128GB iPhone 6s that’s exactly $0 cheaper than its original price.

In other words, if you haven’t purchased the 32GB iPhone 6s, there’s no point doing it now. Stay away from it just like you should stay away from the 32GB iPhone 7. 32GB of built-in storage is always better than 16GB, but it won’t be nearly enough for many smartphone users. And for $100 extra you get four times as much memory. 128GB of storage should certainly suffice. After all, that’s how much storage you find these days on entry-level MacBook laptops.

You can’t order a 32GB iPhone 6s just yet, even if you can choose it on Apple’s site. However, you can purchase a 128GB iPhone 6s for $649 right away.

If there’s one thing clear here is that Apple is still making plenty of money from iPhone storage upgrades. But the company is also ready to pass on savings to customers, by keeping prices the same (or slightly bumping them), and significantly increasing built-in memory.

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0 Airlines are now banning Galaxy Note 7 usage on flights

By Gadget News | At 5:36 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Image Source: Zach Epstein, BGR

The Galaxy Note 7 fiasco is seemingly getting worse for Samsung with each passing day. Even though Samsung recently initiated a massive recall for its phablet amid reports that it likely to catch on fire or explode while charging, reports of Galaxy Note 7 fire incidents are still rolling in. Earlier this week, for example, we reported on how a Note 7 owner in Australia saw his device explode, catch fire and cause nearly $1400 in damage to his hotel room.

DON’T MISS: I already hate my new iPhone 7 and I don’t even have it yet

Not willing to take any risks, Reuters relays that three Australian airlines (Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia) have since taken precautionary measures to prevent Note 7 devices from wreaking any havoc in the air. While passengers will be allowed to bring their Galaxy Note 7 devices on-board, the new airline directives will prevent owners from charging their device via the USB ports on flight entertainment systems. What’s more, Qantas in particular would rather not have Galaxy Note 7 devices even being used in-flight.

In a statement provided to Reuters, Qantas explained: “Following Samsung Australia’s recall of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 personal electronic device we are requesting that passengers who own them do not switch on or charge them in flight.”

Australia, of course, isn’t the only place where Note 7 bans are being contemplated. Earlier this week, reports surfaced indicating that the FAA was considering its own Galaxy Note 7 ban.

“The FAA and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration are working on guidance related to this issue,” an FAA spokesperson said in a statement to Gizmodo a few days ago. “If the device is recalled by the manufacturer, airline crew and passengers will not be able to bring recalled batteries or electronics that contain recalled batteries in the cabin of an aircraft, or in carry-on and checked baggage.”

Of course, Samsung has already issued a recall but the FAA’s hardline rule above would only take effect if Samsung initiated its recall via the US Consumer Protection Safety Commission. Consequently, the FAA is still trying to figure out how to handle the matter.

That said, it will be interesting to see if any U.S. airlines step forward and issue a ban on their own accord. Of course, a ban on potentially explosive gadgets wouldn’t be unprecedented as a number of U.S. airlines famously banned hoverboards last year.

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0 A silly iPhone 7 EarPods rumor that actually makes some sense

By Gadget News | At 4:35 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Image Source: iPhone 7 Concept

These days, iPhone 7 rumors are a dime a dozen, with some making more sense than others, considering the general pictures most reports have painted for this year’s new iPhone series. A new rumor from Japan suggests that Apple will indeed remove the headphone jack from the iPhone 7. But the report says Apple will not bundle the new phones with redesigned EarPods that would connect to the device via Bluetooth or Lightning port. Instead, Apple is supposedly shipping new iPhones with 3.5mm-to-Lightning adapters. The rumor might sound silly, but it does make some sense.

DON’T MISS: This year’s new Nexus phones could be 2016’s most powerful handsets

Most reports seem to indicate that Apple will kill the headphone jack starting with the iPhone 7, while only a few sporadic rumors say the 3.5mm headphone jack isn’t going anywhere.

Japanese Apple blog Macotakara says Apple isn’t ready to release a new EarPods design. Some reports suggested that Apple is either packing wireless or Lightning earphones with the iPhone 7, rather than regular EarPods with a Lightning adapter. The site says EarPods with a Lightning adapter will be included in the iPhone 7 box, without explaining Apple’s reasoning behind this decision.

By sticking with regular EarPods, Apple might be acknowledging the fact that iPhone users may want to use the earphones that ship with the iPhone 7 with other devices. Lightning-only EarPods would only work with iOS devices – and would probably anger buyers. Wireless EarPods would be a better alternative, though they would require constant battery recharging, and re-pairing with various devices that support Bluetooth connections.

Speaking of Bluetooth, Apple might be waiting for the new Bluetooth 5 spec to be released before launching any wireless products that would rely on Bluetooth to connect to iPhone and other gadgets.

The adapter would also work with any expensive wired headphones iPhone 7 buyers might already own.

On the other hand, adapters are very easy to lose, and might be somewhat bulky.

Macotakara also says the headphone jack will be replaced by a secondary speaker, and that the iPhone 7 will have a 256GB storage option.

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0 OnePlus 3 firmware updated to fix RAM and screen, but you’ll have to wait

By Gadget News | At 3:34 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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The hottest Android phone right now is the OnePlus 3. The third flagship from the Chinese company is far better than predecessors, but it also has some flaws. Luckily for buyers, the RAM management and screen color issues can be fixed with the help of a firmware update. However, there’s a catch: It’s only review units that will receive the over-the-air (OTA) fix initially, with a public release expected to go out in the future.

DON’T MISS: Galaxy Note 7 shaping up to be Samsung’s most powerful smartphone yet

Recent comparisons between the OnePlus 3 and flagships from the competition, including the Galaxy S7 edge and the iPhone 6s showed that the OnePlus handset is the slowest of the three, in spite of packing 6GB of RAM. An unofficial fix proved that the RAM management can be improved, while OnePlus explained that the poorer RAM performance is intentional, as it’s meant to conserve battery life.

When it comes to the phone’s display, many people criticized OnePlus’s screen choice and its overall color performance. Thankfully, OnePlus acknowledged this issue and promised an update that would fix color accuracy.

But you’ll have to wait a while for your OnePlus 3 to get better. According to Android Authority, OxygenOS version 3.1.4 is being pushed out to review units only, which will be treated as beta testers for the public OTA release that will follow “later on.”

That’s as vague as you’d expect from a smartphone maker talking about firmware updates. At least OnePlus is tackling these issues head on. However, this shows that the Chinese phone maker still has things to learn about making a great phone. Cutting corners isn’t acceptable just because the device is super affordable, at least not as long as the phone wants to compete in the big leagues.

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0 Reports about Galaxy Note 7’s battery size may have been greatly exaggerated

By Gadget News | At 2:33 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Image Source: Zach Epstein, BGR

The Galaxy Note 7 is almost upon us, and with a little over a month to go until Samsung takes the wraps off its 2016 flagship phablet, multiple reports have already spilled the beans on the phone’s design, specs, and software features. A new report, however, indicates that existing rumors are wrong about battery size and that the Galaxy Note 7 will not pack a massive 4,000 mAh battery.

DON’T MISS: Galaxy Note 7: How does 6GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage sound?

Russian blogger Eldar Murtazin, who’s often coming out with extensive reports about unreleased Galaxy flagships, says the battery life of the Galaxy Note 7 will get you 20.5 hours of video playback at maximum brightness. He also says that the phone will have a 3,0 mAh battery, rather than the rumored 4,000 mAh.

Even so, the Galaxy Note 7 should offer better battery life than its predecessor. The Galaxy Note 5, pictured above, shipped with a 3,000 mAh battery last year.

Other battery-related features include fast-charging modes for both wired and wireless charging, and two energy saving modes, including a “conventional” and an “extreme” mode, according to Murtazin’s extensive preview of the Galaxy Note 7.

The report covers the design, specs, and features of the Galaxy Note 7, providing details that are in line with recent rumors – read the entire preview at the source link below.

The Galaxy Note 7 is expected to be unveiled on August 2nd, and go on sale in various markets a few weeks after that.

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0 This crazy graphic charts all of the scientific advancements behind the iPhone

By Gadget News | At 1:32 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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This week marks the 9th anniversary of the iPhone, the game-changing device that quite literally changed the way hundreds of millions of people around the world live. So while we’re busy praising the iPhone and the smartphone revolution that it helped usher in, we thought now was as good a time as any to talk about the myriad of technical and scientific advancements throughout history that helped make the iPhone a feasible product.

DON’T MISS: 5 ways the iPhone is still better than Android after all these years

To this point, Quartsoft has a fascinating and incredibly detailed infographic, which while too large to post in its entirety here, does an incredible job of highlighting the entire history of every piece of technology that makes the iPhone the marvel that it is, tracing developments from ancient times all the way to the present.

Whether it be David Edward Hughes who in 1880 was responsible for the “first intentional transmission of a signal by means of electromagnetic waves” or Germany’s Georg Ohm who came up with the concept of electric resistance in 1827, the infographic provides a fascinating history lesson which cleverly showcases how technological innovations were slowly but surely built on groundbreaking scientific advancements throughout history.

If you don’t have the time or a big enough desktop monitor to quickly peruse through the infographic, not to worry. Quartsoft also has a text-based timeline on its homepage which chronologically lists all of the important scientific developments across the following categories: electricity, battery technology, Internet, computing, radio breakthroughs, telephone advancements, Wi-Fi, photography, LCD displays, video cameras, and touch screen technology.

Make sure to hit the source for the full graphic.

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0 BlackBerry kills the Classic to make way for new Android phones you won’t buy

By Gadget News | At 12:31 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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It’s the end of an era. Again.

On Tuesday, BlackBerry COO Ralph Pini confirmed that the company would no longer manufacture BlackBerry Classic smartphones, putting another nail in the coffin for the physical keyboards that have defined the company for years.

DON’T MISS: Foxconn spy shot reveals new iPhone 7 details no one saw coming

“For many years, Classic (and its BBOS predecessors) has been in our portfolio,” Pini explains. “It has been an incredible workhorse device for customers, exceeding all expectations. But, the Classic has long surpassed the average lifespan for a smartphone in today’s market. We are ready for this change so we can give our customers something better – entrenched in our legacy in security and pedigree in making the most productive smartphones.”

BlackBerry is clearing the way for new devices, but the company isn’t ready to discuss any of those devices in detail just yet. Thankfully, mobile sleuth Evan Blass is on the case, and the surprise might have been spoiled.

A source briefed on BlackBerry’s plans tells Blass that the company is planning one Android phone every quarter for the next three quarters.

The first, codenamed Neon, is said to feature a 1080p 5.2-inch touchscreen display, a Snapdragon 617 processor, 3GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and a 20 mAh battery. It is also expected to be composed of an aluminum frame with a plastic back and come equipped with a 13 megapixel rear camera. Neon is expected to go on sale in July or August at a budget price.

Argon, the second phone, has significantly more impressive specs. The device will reportedly feature a 5.5-inch Quad HD display, Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 3000 mAh battery and a 21-megapixel rear camera. Sources believe it should launch some time in October.

Mercury, the third and final phone revealed by the source, has fairly moderate specs, but the big news is that this 2017 device has been said to include a physical keyboard. Whether or not this phone (or any of these phones) actually release remains to be seen, but Blass has a pretty good track record, so don’t be surprised if BlackBerry Android devices start launching at a rapid pace.

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0 Let’s talk about how hot the iPhone 7 looks in these leaked photos

By Gadget News | At 10:29 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Image Source: Weibo

OK, dear readers, it’s time for another quick chat about the iPhone 7. Walk with me.

Last week I decided I just couldn’t take all this talk about how “boring” the iPhone 7 is shaping up to be, so I wrote something about it. I mean seriously, does this new phone really sound boring to you? Really? That article resulted in thousands of shares on social media, hundreds of comments and dozens of emails. Many people disagreed with me and many more agreed, but there’s little question based on our coverage thus far that the iPhone 7 is the most hotly anticipated smartphone of the year — boring or not.

Another day, another leak, another reason to revisit this polarizing issue.

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In the wee hours of the morning on Tuesday while the rest of the world was gearing up for Amazon’s insanely huge Prime Day 2016 sale, French gadget blog NowhereElse was posting another round of leaked iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Pro photos that it dug up somewhere on a Chinese website. We’re not sure exactly where the photos were found since NowhereElse doesn’t always credit its sources, but they appear to be the real deal.

We already covered some of the images in an earlier post because they showed a potential change that no one saw coming, but now let’s focus on a few of the other ones.

Now, these photos don’t show us a finished iPhone 7. The handset pictured also isn’t a prototype or even a working model. As was the case in past years ahead of Apple’s iPhone launches, these are likely finished iPhone 7 parts taken and assembled from a Foxconn or Pegatron factory. As a result, the odds are good that the photos show us just about exactly what the iPhone 7 will look like once it’s released this coming September.

How does it look? Hot. It looks hot.

Click to view the full size photo. Here’s another one:

Does the iPhone 7 sport a groundbreaking new design? No, of course not — that’s coming next year. But it’s not exactly a spitting image of the iPhone 6s either. Apart from the new and improved antenna lines and the larger camera lens, the phone appears to be significantly thinner than last year’s model. That’s pretty impressive when you consider all the rumored changes.

Here’s a recap, from my earlier post:

• Faster, more powerful next-generation Apple processor
• Thinner housing
• More attractive antenna lines
• New 3D Touch home button
• At least one new color (Space Black or deep blue)
• New 12-megapixel camera on the iPhone 7
• New dual camera on the iPhone 7 Plus/Pro
• Smart Connector for accessories on iPhone 7 Plus/Pro
• Double the storage — 32GB, 128GB and 256GB options
• Wireless charging
• IP68 water- and dust-resistance

If you want a new iPhone that has been redesigned from the ground up, you’ll have to wait until the tenth-anniversary iPhone that will launch next year. But if you think 2016’s iPhone 7 is shaping up to be a “minor” or “boring” interim update, I definitely don’t agree.

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0 iOS 10 public beta now available to download

By Gadget News | At 11:30 AM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Image Source: YouTube

As promised back during its WWDC 2016 keynote, Apple has released a public beta for iOS 10 that anyone can download. This is one of the most substantial updates the mobile operating system has received in years, so despite the fact that they will have to deal with bugs and incomplete features, we expect thousands of iPhone users to install the public beta in the coming days.

DON’T MISS: Apple fixed that annoying new iPhone unlock gesture in iOS 10 beta 2

If you want access to the iOS 10 public beta, all you need to do is head to Apple’s Beta Software Program webpage, click the blue “Sign Up” button, sign in with your Apple ID and agree to the terms of the beta.

[Fair warning: Although the public beta is clearly rolling out today, I haven’t actually been able to access it yet on my personal iPhone 6.]

Anyone that has been testing the developer beta will tell you that the current version of the software is anything but perfect, but if you simply can’t wait to see what the next generation of iOS has in store, be sure to back up your data before you install the public beta. Plug your iPhone or iPad into your computer, open iTunes, select your device and hit Back Up Now. You can’t be too careful.

Once you’ve taken the appropriate precautions, you can begin installing the beta by following the steps on Apple’s website. Here are some posts detailing a few of the features you’ll be able to take advantage of once you’ve updated:

• My 5 favorite new iOS 10 features that no one is talking about
• Video walkthrough shows best new features in iOS 10 beta 2
• Video shows off 50 new features Apple added to iOS 10 beta 2

That might not be enough for a casual user, but avid fans are understandably going to have a hard time waiting for September to check out all of the new features on display in iOS 10.

Additionally, the macOS Sierra public beta will be available for download today as well. Not quite as exciting as the iOS 10 beta, but you can also find instructions for how to get the Sierra public beta on Apple’s Beta Program site.

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0 New leaked photo shows the iPhone 7 in every single color

By Gadget News | At 9:28 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Shocking though it may seem, we have another big iPhone 7 leak for you today. This time around we have an image featuring what appear to be dummy units of the 4.7-inch iPhone 7, which are supposedly used by third-party companies to build accessories since they’re assembled either from actual iPhone 7 parts or from parts made using actual iPhone 7 schematics.

What’s interesting about the leak is that it shows iPhone units in multiple colors, but unfortunately not the new colors we’re looking for.

DON’T MISS: Look at this new leaked photo and tell me which phone is hotter than the iPhone 7

Posted by Italian blog Macitynet, the image shows a familiar device. That’s because the iPhone 7 in this photo matches previous leaks. We’ve got a bigger rear camera and single-line antenna lines that run along the top and bottom edges. There’s even “iPhone” branding on the back.

It still looks gorgeous, though. I mean, look at this new leaked photo and tell me which phone is hotter than the iPhone 7.

The new image features four iPhone 7 units, each in a different color. Sadly, however, we’re still looking at the “regular” iPhone color options that are available for the iPhone 6s, including Silver, Space Gray, Gold and Rose Gold. There’s no black or blue iPhone 7 pictured here.

Even if the prototypes in the image below are accurate, Apple still could launch the iPhone 7 in a new color this year. It could be that Apple is more protective of the black/blue model.

It’s not clear who the source for these images is, but the unnamed person told Macitynet that Apple would launch three iPhone versions this year, including a 4.7-inch iPhone 7 and two 5.5-inch models, the iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 7 Pro. While earlier rumors kept saying three iPhones are in the cards for this fall, most people expect Apple to stick to releasing two new iPhones in 2016, as has been the case in previous years.

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0 iPhone 7 shows up in new hands-on video comparison with iPhone 6s

By Gadget News | At 8:27 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Image Source: Martin Hajek

It seems that all you need to do to get your hands on an iPhone 7 shell is go to China, were parts providers would sell you such parts. A new video from the region features a comparison between the iPhone 6s and an iPhone 7.

DON’T MISS: Upcoming iPhone 7 looks hotter than ever in new leaked photos

YouTube channel BeSound obtained the rear shell of the iPhone 7 from a local manufacturer, and while we can’t confirm whether we’re looking at the real thing here, the metal shell definitely looks exactly as we expect, after seeing so many iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus leaks.

The iPhone 7 will be nearly identical to the iPhone 6s, and you might not be able to tell them apart from the distance. Once you get closer, you’ll immediately notice the obvious differences. The iPhone 7 has a bigger rear camera, redesigned antenna bands, and no headphone jack on the bottom. The video mentions all these design choices for the iPhone 7, showing this purported iPhone part from all angles.

At this point, it’s hardly unlikely that Apple will surprise us with the iPhone 7’s design, which many people deem boring already. What’s more interesting, however, is what’s under the hood.

Unfortunately, we’re not looking at a functional iPhone 7 that would reveal details about its hardware, and we wouldn’t really trust such a leak just yet. That said, we still have about two months to go until the 2016 iPhones hit stores, and it’s very likely we’ll plenty of leaks to look at until then.

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0 T-Mobile is giving free data and calls to customers in Brazil for the Olympics

By Gadget News | At 7:26 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Downside of going to Rio for the Olympics: you might get Zika. Plus side of going to Rio (at least if you’re a T-Mobile customer): free data for the duration of the games.

The carrier-that-isn’t-a-carrier announced on Thursday that any customers heading to Rio for the Olympics will get free data, free calls back to the US, and free worldwide texting. Given that you can pick up a pre-paid SIM for less than my monthly plan, might be worth buying if you’re heading to Rio this August.

DON’T MISS: If you want to be the best at Pokemon Go, you have to pay

Any T-Mobile customers in Rio will get free, unlimited LTE data for the month of August. Given that 100,000 Americans are estimated to be heading to Rio for the games, that’s not a bad giveaway.

To further the PR stunt points, T-Mobile is also giving away a Samsung Galaxy S7 edge to the families of athletes heading to the Games, so every celebratory Snapchat you see will be courtesy of the magenta mafia.

T-Mobile’s roaming plans are already generous (by which I mean, often free), and this kind of move cements T-Mobile’s reputation as the best plan for frequent travelers.

All in all, it’s a good move from T-Mobile. Although it’s not spending money to be an official sponsor for the Olympics (unlike AT&T and Samsung), most of the US visitors there are likely to be using its network.

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0 Here’s what Apple might name the iPhone 7 instead of ‘iPhone 7’

By Gadget News | At 6:25 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Image Source: Martin Hajek

It’s a tiny bit amusing that despite everything we know about Apple’s upcoming next-generation iPhone, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus/Pro, there are still some pretty basic things we don’t know.

We know just about exactly what the iPhone 7 is going to look like, and we also know what the larger iPhone 7 Plus will look like. We know the phones will lose the 3.5mm audio port and gain thinner housings with redesigned antenna lines that are much easier on the eyes. We also know that both phones will feature new and improved cameras, though the camera on the Plus model will be a much bigger upgrade than the one on the smaller iPhone 7.

But ironically, we still don’t know one of the most basic things about these two upcoming new phones: We have no idea what they’ll be called.

DON’T MISS: iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Pro look hotter than ever in new leaked video

Logic dictates that this year’s new iPhone models will be called the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. In the past, Apple has released new iPhone numbers on alternate years with “S” upgrades separating them. Then there have been some rumblings that Apple would switch the name of the larger iPhone from “Plus” to “Pro.” This would align better with Apple’s iPad naming scheme — and “Plus” was always an awful name anyway.

But there have also been some claims that this year’s new iPhones would stray from convention and not be named iPhone 7 at all. Instead, Apple is said to be saving its big redesign for next year’s tenth-anniversary iPhone and potentially keeping 2016’s new iPhones in the iPhone 6 family. But what would Apple name new iPhones in the same lineup for the second year?

According to a new report from German Apple blog Apfelpage, the new phones will be branded “iPhone 6se.” There’s certainly a logic to the name, which would align with the iPhone 5se Apple launched earlier this year, but it would be a curious move in some ways. Apple already has to deal with the media narrative that this year’s new iPhones represent a “minor” upgrade that is “boring,” so why make the task of convincing fans that this is a big upgrade even more difficult? As we’ve noted, the new iPhones are shaping up to be anything but boring. In fact, they’re shaping up to be pretty massive upgrades — and launching them with new names would help support that idea.

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0 Samsung found a way to turbocharge smartphones without upgrading chips or RAM

By Gadget News | At 5:24 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Image Source: YouTube

“[A] common belief is that phone performance can only be improved in two ways, either using a faster processor or increasing the RAM.”

You may think that’s a quote from Apple, perhaps the introduction of an explanation of why the iPhone regularly bests Android flagships in performance despite having specs that never seem to measure up on paper. But you’d be wrong. That’s how Samsung starts a new video intended to explain that mid-range devices can be very powerful without sporting high-end specs. This only begs the question: If Samsung can pull off amazing performance without bumping up processor speed or adding more RAM, why does it keep doing that with every new Galaxy S and Galaxy Note model it launches?

MUST WATCH: Two new videos get up close and personal with the iPhone 7 like never before

Samsung posted the new video on its Samsung Mobile India page to describe a new feature of the Galaxy J2 Pro 2016 edition, the Turbo Speed Technology (TST) that’s supposed to offer a fast, fluid smartphone experience. Samsung says its engineers went back to the drawing board to come up with software and hardware optimizations meant to improve smartphone experience even on a device that doesn’t have a cutting-edge processor or tons of RAM.

Samsung did shrunk some of the most used smartphone apps down, so that they consume less RAM while in use. TST also includes a “proactive app management” feature that lets the phone automatically kill apps that aren’t being used to free up more RAM. Finally, an “intelligent memory control” feature is supposed to rearrange and declutter RAM, to make more RAM available when it’s needed.

The TST feature is available only on the Galaxy J2 Pro, but it’ll presumably come to other Android smartphones from Samsung in the near future.

In fact, it’ll be interesting if TST will be included on the Galaxy Note 7, one of those upcoming devices that will have both a faster processor and more RAM – 6GB of RAM to be more precise. We won’t be able to answer that question until next Tuesday when Samsung unveils the new Note 7, so check out the video below in the meantime.

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0 This is the reason next year’s Galaxy S8 will be so powerful

By Gadget News | At 4:23 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Image Source: Zach Epstein, BGR

It’s too early to talk about Samsung’s next-generation Galaxy S8 smartphone, especially now that the South Korean smartphone maker is getting ready to unveil the Galaxy Note 7. But a new report provides more details about what might be one of the processors that will power some of the best Android smartphones launching next year, including the Galaxy S8.

DON’T MISS: Crazy iPhone trick turns your wallpapers into optical illusions

A message posted on Weibo picked up from GizmoChina says that Qualcomm’s CEO confirmed that the Snapdragon 830 processor will be made on a 10nm process, and should be released early next year.

It’s likely that at least one version of the Galaxy S8 will have a Snapdragon 830 processor inside, and so will many other flagship devices from the competition.

What’s exciting about this rumor is the 10nm process manufacturing detail. By moving to 10nm chip technology, Qualcomm will be able to make faster and more energy-efficient processors. Since Samsung is going to actually manufacture the new Qualcomm silicon, it’s likely that next year’s Exynos processors will also be 10nm chips. That’s because Samsung typically uses both Exynos and Snapdragon processors in its top mobile devices, but tries to offer the same overall smartphone performance.

It’s not just Android that’s about to make the jump to 10nm silicon. Apple’s future iPhone is also expected to pack 10nm chips, which should be made by TSMC. MediaTek is also rumored to be working on its own 10nm chips for mobile devices.

It’s unclear so far what a 10nm Snapdragon 830 processor will have to offer, but GizmoChina says that earlier rumors suggested the processor will use a 10nm FinFET process and Kyro 0 architecture, featuring an Adreno 540 GPU, X16 baseband that supports download speeds of up to 980Mbps, LPDDR4X RAM support, and 4K/2K video recording at 60fps, among other things.

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0 One of Apple’s carrier partners might have just leaked the blue iPhone 7

By Gadget News | At 3:22 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Details surrounding Apple’s new iPhones always leak out well ahead of their official unveiling. First we hear rumblings, then more details start to trickle out, then mockups made using leaked schematics fill in the blanks and show us exactly what Apple’s next iPhones are going to look like. That’s exactly what happened with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, as was the case with the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus last year.

Typically, the leaks and rumors originate from bloggers, reporters or China-based gadget leakers. But on Tuesday, one of Apple’s official wireless carrier partners decided to get in on the action with a fresh leak of its own.

DON’T MISS: 10 awesome Galaxy Note 7 features you won’t find on any iPhone

It’s not every day you see one of the companies Apple partners with jump on the rumor train, but that’s exactly what happened on Tuesday when official iPhone carrier China Unicom posted a teaser image that may confirm some key details surrounding Apple’s upcoming iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. China Unicom is the fourth largest wireless carrier in the world by subscriber base, and it’s clearly anxious to let all those customer know about Apple’s new iPhones.

Here’s the picture posted by the carrier (via TechOrz):

First of all, it looks like China Unicom is saying that Apple’s next-gen handsets will be called iPhone 7. That hadn’t been confirmed, and it was a bit up in the air considering how similar the phones appear to look compared to Apple’s previous-generation models.

Also shown in the image is a dual camera setup, which was believed to be coming on the iPhone 7 Plus or iPhone 7 Pro, whichever name Apple chooses. Finally, the background of the image includes four panels that mirror Apple’s iPhone colors — or at least, three of the colors correspond to existing iPhones. The fourth is a blue color that isn’t currently offered by Apple, though rumors have suggested that a deep blue iPhone 7 might replace the current Space Gray color.

Apple’s new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are expected to be released on September 16th following an announcement on September 6th or September 7th.

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0 Real iPhone 7 shown powered on for the first time in new leaked photos

By Gadget News | At 2:21 PM | Label : smartphones | 0 Comments

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Image Source: YouTube

The endless stream of iPhone 7 leaks continues today with new images originating from Asia, where someone appears to have gotten their hands on a functional iPhone 7 prototype — the first we’ve ever seen.

DON’T MISS: Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus might be even more impressive than we thought

Posted online by NowhereElse, a trustworthy source of iPhone leaks, the following images show us the same 4.7-inch iPhone 7 we’ve seen many times before. The device looks just like an iPhone 6s, but features several distinct characteristics.

The phone lacks a headphone jack on the bottom (which is replaced by a secondary speaker), has a bigger rear camera, single-line antennas, and what looks like a capacitive home button. Finally, this appears to be the gold version of the iPhone 7. All in all, the design should look very familiar if you’ve kept up with iPhone 7 leaks.

However, the device in the picture is turned on, running an internal software build rather than the iOS 10 beta you might have expected. Whoever has access to this device (which seems to be the real thing) might discover more details about Apple’s unreleased iPhone, and confirm rumored specs for the handset. After all, you only need a few tools to pry it open and inspect the hardware.

NowhereElse says the photos come from Geekbar, a reliable source for leaks. Furthermore, the site notes the team specializes in electronic device repairs, which could explain how they got their hands on an alleged functional iPhone 7 prototype. Check out all the leaked images of the iPhone 7 below.

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