Tag: iPhone

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An “action” button might still be coming to the iPhone 15 Pro this fall

A reprogrammable “action” button might still make its way into the iPhone 15 Pro series, according to a new report from 9to5Mac. The latest obtained CAD files indicate the new button is still part of the phone chassis — albeit without any of the fancy haptic technology previously rumoured.

A new haptic button was previously expected to make its debut on the 2023 Pro i{hones, alongside a haptic volume rocker. These new buttons wouldn’t physically click. Rather, they’d simulate the sensation of a click using haptic vibrations.

Newer reports indicated Apple is no longer going through with solid-state buttons due to “unresolved technical issues.”

If the action button does make it into the final product, it looks like it will click more conventionally. The new button would replace the iconic ringer switch in favour of something that can be assigned to various functions.

The iPhone 15 Pro lineup is expected to launch in September.

Source: 9to5Mac Via: MacRumors

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Microsoft begins rolling out support for iPhone in its Phone Link app

The latest feature coming to Microsoft’s Phone Link app is iPhone support. The new Windows 11 app update is rolling out globally, according to Microsoft, and will be available for all PC users by the middle of May.

With the update, iPhone users can access phone calls, notifications, and iMessage threads directly on their PCs. While it’s a step in the right direction for cross-platform compatibility, the implementation is limited.

iMessage support is limited to one-on-one conversations, so don’t expect to participate in green bubble group chats from your laptop. Other functionality, like quick camera roll access, is only available for Android phones.

Microsoft has been slowly but steadily providing updates to Phone Link, including an interface redesign and an ‘Instant Hotspot’ feature last year.

The Phone Link app is available in the Microsoft Store and works on Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Source: Microsoft Via: The Verge

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iOS 17 might arrive with updates to lock screen, Apple Music, App Library

The iOS 17 rumour mill keeps churning.

A new leak from Weibo suggests we might be in for several small-yet-appreciated software adjustments when the new iPhone software is finally launched.

  • We can expect these new additions according to the post on the Chinese site:
  • Lock screen font size adjustment and sharable layouts
  • Apple Music interface tweaks and access to lyrics on the lock screen
  • The ability to rename App Library folders
  • Freely adjustable LED flashlight brightness slider
  • Control Centre design updates

The source doesn’t have a particularly reliable track record when it comes to leaks, but it did correctly anticipate the ‘Yellow’ iPhone 14 in advance of its official announcement.

Apple is expected to unveil iOS 17 at WWDC on June 5th.

Source: Weibo Via: MacRumors

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Stranded Utah students saved by Apple’s Emergency SOS via Satellite

A trio of Brigham Young University students were recently left stranded in an Emery County, Ohio, canyon. What started as a pleasant hike took a nightmarish turn when the students became unable to escape a particularly deep slot, according to a local 2KUTV report.

Thankfully, one of the students had an iPhone 14 on them, fully equipped with Emergency SOS via Satellite functionality. With the help of the technology, the three students were able to alert authorities of their location and survive to tell the tale.

Apple unveiled Emergency SOS via Satellite during its iPhone 14 keynote last year. Available in a limited selection of countries, including Canada, the feature allows for emergency communication using satellites up in space.

Users are prompted to answer simple questions while the phone searches for a satellite connection it can work with. The bandwidth is limited, and so only texts can currently be sent using the technology.

Since launching on the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro series, the SOS via Satellite feature has reportedly saved a number of lives. This includes the lives of some Canadians as recently as this winter.

While Emergency SOS is one of those features nobody hopes to ever have to use, it certainly provides some peace of mind in the event that cellular reception and Wi-Fi are both unavailable.

Reports indicate that upcoming Android phones powered by Qualcomm chips might be next in line to get similar, potentially life-saving technology.

Source: 2KUTV Via: 9to5Mac

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Apple might be working on a journal app for the iPhone

Apple is hard at work building a native journaling app for the iPhone, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal. Codenamed “Jurassic” internally, the new software will supposedly use on-device user data to make logging suggestions.

Journaling suggestions might include prompts like logging a completed workout or writing about a sudden change in daily physical activity. The data and processing will take place locally, with suggestions deleted after one month, according to The Wall Street Journal report.

Apple introducing new apps into its iPhone software is nothing new — the company has previously created its own version of other popular third-party apps and services. Unlike third parties, Apple preinstalls its new apps directly onto iPhones. This gives the app a massive boost in both scope and reach.

With Apple leveraging its user data to make logging suggestions, other iPhone journal apps might have stiff competition in the not-so-distant future.

If a journal app does launch, it will likely be unveiled alongside iOS 17 and will release in the fall.

Source: The Wall Street Journal Via: The Verge

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Apple commits to using 100 percent recycled cobalt in batteries by 2025

Apple has announced that it’s expanding the use of recycled materials across its devices by 2025. This new commitment sees the tech giant utilize 100 percent recycled cobalt in all Apple-designed batteries.

On top of transitioning to 100 percent recycled cobalt, Apple will use magnets that will exclusively use rare earth elements. Plus, the Cupertino company has committed to using 100 percent recycled tin soldering and 100 percent recycled gold plating across all Apple-designed printed circuit boards.

In a statement released today, Apple CEO Tim Cook said, “Every day, Apple is innovating to make technology that enriches people’s lives, while protecting the planet we all share.”

In 2022, Apple reaffirmed its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. The designs across the entire Apple Watch series utilize recycled materials. The AirPods Pro are another sustainability-focused product that uses fewer plastics and rare earth elements.

The company is also making a firm commitment to eliminate plastics from the company’s packaging. Apple products have been steadily adopting sustainability efforts. In the past, Apple has removed the use of plastic wrapping in exchange for rip tags. In 2020, Apple removed the power brick from the packaging of iPhones. This measure is intended to reduce waste and allow Apple to create smaller packaging designs. The company also digitally prints labels onto the box of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, removing the use of labels and adhesives.

Apple is already using recycled cobalt across its devices. 25 percent of the cobalt Apple used in 2022 was recycled. However, that figure jumped from 13 percent the year prior. This upward firing trend is ambitious, yet the company claims it’s committed to the goal. Plus, devices like iPhones, iPad, MacBooks, etc. feature 38 percent recycled tin.

Apple is also leaning on its iPhone disassembly robot, Daisy, to help recover cobalt and other materials. The company estimates that since 2019, it has extracted more than 11,000 kgs of cobalt from devices thanks to Daisy.

Image credit: Apple

Source: Apple

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I’ve been trying to find a better iPhone camera app, and it’s tough

While I love the power of the iPhone 14 Pro’s camera, there are a few things on the software side where I crave a little more control.

There’s weird HDR to deal with, super blue skies, auto-brightening people and other minor tweaks in Apple’s photo-developing pipeline that make the iPhone act less like a camera and more like a memory capture device. This is probably a good thing for most people, but I’d rather handle edits myself.

I snapped some shots a few months ago when I was visiting the new GM assembly plant, and my iPhone 14 Pro butchered several photos of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In an attempt to brighten the subject of the image, my iPhone created weird edges around the Prime Minister and the flags on stage.

Since I had forgotten to toggle ProRAW mode, the edits were burned into my file. To make matters worse, whenever I long-pressed on the picture, the ‘Live Photo’ would show the scene as it properly looked, but that version of the photo was too low-resolution.

This led me to look at other apps that could be used to replace the default camera app that’s always been trusted on iPhones. When it came down to it, I almost went with an app called Obscura 3, but the fantastic iPhone 14 Pro review from Sebastiaan de With, the founder of the Halide app, swayed me towards his software. His photos were great, and the reviews of the most recent version of Halide Mark II led me to big things. But most importantly, you can set it to capture RAW images and JPEGs simultaneously like a real camera.

This means that when you snap a photo, you have an easy-to-share JPEG and, if you want to edit, a RAW DNG file. While taking up more storage space, these retain more information about your scene, giving you more detail and the ability to adjust highlights and shadows easily. The downside is that your photos will all be larger than regular JPEG files. Although, this does depend on what you’re taking a picture of. Trees with tons of detail make big photo files, but smooth surfaces in even lighting can be much smaller. That said, I haven’t seen anything over 150MB.

There are still some processing issues, but having a RAW file each time at least gave me an unedited file to work from without fear of Apple taking the edits into its own hands.

Halide has an easy-to-use Auto mode that helps the app replicate some of the point-and-shoot functionality of the default app, plus it still gives me a RAW file to edit. I’ve admittedly spent most of my time in this mode since subtle exposure adjustments are the only thing I often change. Shutter speed and ISO are nice to be able to control if I jump into manual mode, but I don’t need these from a phone unless I’m trying to take a long exposure. For me, this exercise is just to get the most editable file possible.

Manual mode toggle on the left and a long exposure shot on iPhone.

From there, I removed the default camera app from my home screen and replaced it with Halide. The app even has a widget that makes it easy to open from the lock screen. However, it lacks one crucial feature that keeps me diving back into Apple’s camera — video mode.

Bouncing between separate apps to create videos and photos is not a very efficient way to work. While I like having a backup RAW file to work in case everything goes wrong, the hassle of switching apps has become too annoying. Combining that with Halide’s $14 per year subscription, there seems to be more pulling me away from the app than in.

I still need to test Obscura 3, and as a big fan of Obscura 2, I have hopes it can solve my problems. It does have a built-in video mode, but for now, I’ll likely try switching back to the default camera app and toggling ProRAW on when I need it. Two apps for one feature is too much for how little it changes things.

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Thieves carve hole into Washington Apple Store, steal $500,000 worth of iPhones

Barcelona, Spain – June 7, 2018: Logo of Apple Inc. on a Apple store. Apple is the multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California and sells consumer electronics products.

A Washington Apple Store was robbed of around $500,000 USD (around $675,500 CAD) this past weekend. A duo of robbers exacted a heist that sounds very much inspired by a 1950’s cartoon.

As first reported by the Seattle outlet King 5 News, two thieves broke into an adjacent coffee shop at the Alderwood Mall as the Apple Store was closed for the evening. The thieves then went into the shop’s washroom, cut a hole into a wall and crawled into the Apple Store.

Once the thieves were able to infiltrate the Apple Store, the duo were able to steal a total of 436 iPhones. It’s estimated that the total loss of merchandise is nearly half a million dollars. Nothing was stolen from the coffee shop, however.

Seattle Coffee Gear manager Eric Marks spoke to King 5 News. In an interview, he says that due to the layout of both the coffee shop and the location of the Apple Store, he never thought they were connecting in such a way. “I would have never suspected we were adjacent to the ‌Apple Store‌, how it wraps around I mean,” Marks says. “So, someone really had to think it out and have access to the mall layout.”

CEO of Seattle Coffee Gear Mike Atkinson also posted a photo of the damaged bathroom on Twitter. From the photo, the thieves merely had to cut through drywall, remove the insulation and they were able to access the Apple Store.

Thankfully, the Apple Store was closed for the evening. Staff were not onsite at the time. Therefore, nobody was injured during the robbery. It’s said that authorities do have access to surveillance footage of the theft. However, it is not being released due to it being an active investigation. The thieves have yet to be apprehended.

Apple has yet to comment on the matter.

Source: King 5 News Via: MacRumors

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Standard iPhone models rumoured to expand to ProMotion in the future

An exclusive staple of Apple’s iPhone Pro models is allegedly coming to non-pro iPhones in as little as two years.

Ross Young, the CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, tweeted an outline regarding display-related technology coming to future iPhones. It shows that ProMotion will be enabled on standard iPhones by 2025.

This new addition will allow the display to reach a 120Hz refresh rate, smoothing out both scrolling and video playback on the device.

Additionally, including ProMotion would allow older models to scale down to lower refresh rates, making for better power efficiency.

ProMotion was initially reserved for Pro models in the iPhone lineup, but Apple is no stranger to expanding its exclusive features to standard models as time goes on.

The roadmap tweeted by Young goes on to hint that the alleged iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Plus will also feature ProMotion as well as an always-on display.

Source: @DSCCRoss Via: MacRumors

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iPhone 15 to have Apple Watch Ultra-like ‘Action’ button: leak

Rumours have swirled about the upcoming iPhone 15 series and changes Apple intends to make to the buttons on the device, namely making them capacitive buttons instead of physical buttons, like how the iPhone 7 changed from a physical home button to a capacitive one. Now, new details indicate Apple is working on a low-energy mode to power the capacitive buttons and that one of the buttons will be a user-programmable ‘Action’ button.

The Action button rumour is quite interesting as it builds on a previous rumour that Apple wants to replace the mute switch with a mute button. The details come from a leaker who previously revealed Apple’s Dynamic Island plans ahead of the iPhone 14 Pro launch, via a post on the MacRumors forum.

The leaker refers to the “action (currently ringer switch) button” in the post, which is about all we’ve got to go on. Admittedly, it’s not much — and you should definitely take it with a grain of salt — but the idea is an exciting one. Like the Apple Watch Ultra’s Action button, this new button for the iPhone could let users map certain actions to a single- or double-press. Some posit potential contextual features, such as different actions depending on the app you’re using.

However it ends up working (if it even ends up on the iPhone 15), an Action button could be a major improvement for iPhone users. On my iPhone, I set it to silent and never touched the switch again — I’d love to have some alternate functionality rather than a mostly useless switch.

Capacitive buttons might use new low-energy microprocessor

The other part of the leak and, arguably, the primary focus (though, in my opinion, not the most interesting part) discusses a potential new low-energy microprocessor to handle various tasks, including the rumoured capacitive buttons.

The key thing to understand is that capacitive buttons require power to function, which is a problem if the buttons will handle turning the iPhone on or off.

According to the leaker, the microprocessor will replace the existing low-energy mode that can handle things like Apple Pay or tracking devices via Find My when your iPhone is dead. Along with those features, the new microprocessor will supposedly allow the iPhone 15 series to sense capacitive button presses when the phone is dead or powered down.

The leaker also suggested the capacitive buttons would offer a 3D Touch-like functionality where the pressure applied would change the result. For example, pressing harder on the volume button would increase or decrease the volume faster.

However, the leaker does acknowledge that the 3D Touch-like features may not make it into the final device. They did claim the microprocessor was a “definite.” But as always, you should take this information with a healthy dose of skepticism.

Source: MacRumors forum Via: 9to5Mac