iPhone

The VAVA Portable SSD Touch is a new product launched via Indiegogo recently. It is a stick-like drive with a hardware-based fingerprint scanner on the top of its aluminium, supposedly shock-proof casing. It also apparently packs AES 256-bit encryption on top of that and USB 3.1 Gen 2 speeds into its compact form-factor.

Aukey has launched a new member of its Omnia series of chargers. It is rated for the Power Delivery (USB-PD) standard; however, unlike some of its high-powered type-C siblings, this Nano goes at 20 watts (W). The OEM hints that this ultra-compact accessory would be ideal for Apple's upcoming iPhone 12 line.

Apple could be set to launch the iPhone 12 in two waves according to a report from supply chain rag Digitimes. Based on the supply of components, it believes that the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 models will be the first to ship followed by the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Counterpoint Research has published its latest report on the premium (~US$400 or more) sector of India's smartphone market. It declined by 32% in the second quarter of 2020 (2Q2020) - although this drop was less severe than that of the entire market for the same quarter. OnePlus took the #1 spot here again, just edging Samsung out with a 29% share.

Zhiyun is known as a maker of smartphone-videography aids. The Smooth XS is the latest product in this line. It, like its recently-launch DJI counterpart, is a motorized gimbal with an optional tripod. However, unlike the OM 4, the XS has a telescopic arm for selfies and also costs under US$100.

A market analyst report concerning the best-selling smartphones of the first half of 2020 has placed the Apple iPhone 11 in top position with remarkable sales of 37.7 million units. The six months have also been kind to Xiaomi, with four Redmi devices, including the Redmi 8A and Redmi Note 8 Pro, making it into the list of the top 10 most-shipped smartphones.

An alleged video of an iPhone 12 prototype has been published online. The 15 second hands-on offers a good look at the device, but its camera arrangement suggests that someone is trying to pull the wool over people's eyes.

The latest version of iOS, released today, includes a new system for tracking and notifying users that have been exposed to COVID-19. iOS 13.7 now drops the need for public health officials to maintain an app for exposure tracking. Instead, the system is baked directly into iOS 13.7.

Square Enix has announced that the remastered Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles title has gone live. It has PS4, Nintendo Switch, Android and iOS versions, across which gamers can form teams and explore all the dungeons. It also has a Lite (or free) version and a Mimic Mode for those who want to play as original characters.

Apple had warned that it might terminate the developer account page on its Store for Epic Games. The studio is currently involved in action that challenges the Cupertino giant's app-revenue model. Now, this threat has come to fruition, meaning that access to all of Epic's apps on iOS or iPadOS has been revoked.

The Taiwanese foundries are already building a new R&D center for 2 nm technologies and beyond in Hsinchu, which should be ready some time in 2021. The exact timeline for the 2 nm volume production is not yet known, but TSMC reports that it has been collaborating with some of its customers on the development of this advanced node. Market analysts claim that Apple will be first to launch 2 nm SoCs thanks to a five-year production deal with TSMC.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max will have a 120 Hz screen and a LiDAR camera, according to new leaks by Jon Prosser and Everything ApplePro. There is even a video showcasing the two features, cementing the validity of the leak somewhat. The iPhone 12 Pro Max will be the first iPhone to support either technology.

Owners of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (Snapdragon variant), Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, and Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ have been taking to online forums to report the well-known green tint display issues that many flagship devices have suffered from in the past. The same green tint problem recently affected Galaxy S20 Ultra smartphones too but was fixed with a software update.

The Osmo Mobile is DJI's take on the motorized smartphone gimbal, which may make for improved stability in video and selfies. A new leak points to a 2020 model of this product which, unlike the current third-generation iteration, will have a magnetic system to secure the phone in question to the rest of the robot arm-like device.

There are two major smartphone releases on the horizon with the upcoming Huawei Mate 40 series and the Apple iPhone 12 series. New renders of the Huawei Mate 40 Pro smartphone show it off in the best possible way with its elegant waterfall display and characteristic circular camera housing making it arguably more eye-catching than the iPhone 12.

Adobe representatives have acknowledged a critical fault in a recent update to its version of Lightroom for iOS. It follows multiple complaints from users that they have lost their photos, presets or both in the event these were not backed up beforehand. The company has released a subsequent update that avoids these issues; however, it will not be able to restore the data for affected customers.

2020's iPhones are thought to come with a base model that has a 5.4-inch display and a design that, as with its larger siblings, recalls the iPad Pro. These details come to the forefront in the latest renders of this device. Made by SvetApple, it shows the "12 5.4" in all colorways projected for this variant.

The gloves are well and truly off in the fight between Apple and Epic Games. Following Epic’s decision to initiate a lawsuit against Apple over its App Store policies, Apple has responded advising Epic that its developer account will be terminated on August 28.

Chargeasap, the maker of the Indiegogo hit the Flash power bank, is back on crowdfunding with another potentially groundbreaking power accessory. This Omega wall-wart has 2 versions: one that rated to charge at up to 100 watts (W), and one at 200W. It had a goal of US$10,000 on Kickstarter, but left this threshold behind a long time ago.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has posted a thread on Twitter outlining some of the basic thoughts behind the company’s lawsuit against Apple, in particular. At its core, Sweeney’s argument is that Apple’s approach to the App Store fundamentally undermines both consumer rights and the rights of developers.

In what is set to be a titanic court battle, Epic Games massive hit game Fortnite has been banned from both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Both tech giants argue that Epic has violated their respective store policies and in response, Epic has launched a lawsuit against Apple alleging monopolistic and anti-competitive behavior.

Recently, a leaker claimed to have spoiled the line-up of Apple's upcoming launch event, to be held online this year. It was to have introduced various products, the new iPhones and Watch included, in a specific order. Now, another tipster asserts this is not the case at all and that some new devices will not get to debut on stage at all.

Apple and Samsung have secured first and second positions in terms of smartphones shipped in the US for the second quarter of 2020, with Apple doing especially well by shipping a domestic record of 15 million iPhones. However, around 70% of the total smartphones shipped in the US in that quarter were made in China.

Tipster @komiya_kj shared rather remarkable specs for a purported upcoming Apple foldable product. The foldable will evidently fill the gap between the iPad and iPhone by folding out into tablet form and folding into smartphone form. The Apple foldable reportedly features an A16X SoC, microLED tech, and phone call support.

Rumour has it that Apple has dropped the 64 GB storage option for the iPhone 12 series. The change will see a US$50 increase in the price of the cheapest iPhone this year, as the series will now start at US$749. Prices will rise to US$1,449 for the 512 GB edition of the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which is also the only model to have a battery of over 3,000 mAh.

The Apple A14 Bionic is probably about a month away, and a new leak has detailed some of the performance improvements that the upcoming chipset will offer. In short, we should be excited for the arrival of the iPhone 12 series and giddy with anticipation about the prospect of the A14X Bionic in the rumoured ARM-powered 12-inch MacBook and MacBook Pro 13.

The PowerCore Play 6K is a power bank specifically designed with smartphone gaming in mind. Not only does it has a controller-grip-style shape, it also packs a fan for active cooling. It is compatible with Android and Apple mobile devices, and is available on Amazon from now.

According to a DigiTimes report, the chairman of Epistar, a manufacturer of microLEDs purportedly working closely with Apple, claimed that smartwatch vendors are “showing an interest” in microLED technology. However, volume adoption will take a couple more years at least.

The well-regarded analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has reportedly issued a new research note that may help explain why Apple may have to put off launching its iPhone 12 line until later in the year than usual. It seems the OEM is having trouble sourcing good-quality wide-angle lenses for the cheaper variants of this series.

According to Pangu Team, a Chinese hacker group, an “unpatchable” exploit has been uncovered for Apple’s Secure Enclave, the co-processor that stores keys for Face ID, Touch ID, and passwords. This potentially puts the personal data and biometric information of millions of iPhone and iPad users at risk.

Apple announced a pandemic busting Q3 2020 result today, but also getting headlines is that its iPhone 12 launch is officially delayed. During the earnings call, Apple CFO Luca Maestri also confirmed rumors that Apple’s new iPhones will ship later than usual this year because of global disruptions.

New leaks have presented a look at the various screen sizes of the iPhone 12 sizes. The iPhone 12 will be the easiest to use with one hand thanks to its 5.4-inch screen and may be a similar size to the iPhone SE. The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will look noticeably larger than their predecessors, though.

Apple is planning the mother of all hardware releases between August and October. The AirPods Studio, the iPhone 12 series and a HomePod refresh are all due, as are Apple's first ARM-powered laptops. The ARM MacBook and MacBook Pro 13 will be joined by a new iPad Pro too.

Corning’s next-generation Gorilla Glass for premium smartphones, tablets and laptops is official. The sequel to Gorilla Glass 6 is called Gorilla Glass Victus and brings combines the best features of Gorilla Glass 6 and Gorilla Glass 5.

Mozilla, the maker of Firefox, has announced that it is also stepping into the virtual private network (VPN) arena. This new product apparently has over 280 servers in over 30 different countries, and has a no-logging or -tracking policy. However, it will be available in only 6 countries on its launch.

A well-known Twitter leaker claims to have found a new Korean safety approval for a battery that may go to an Apple device with the model number A2431. Therefore, it may pertain to an iPhone 12 variant. If so, it may be much smaller than those of the 11 series.

A disturbing Apple patent indicates that upcoming versions of the Face ID biometric technology could generate a map of the veins in a user’s face. While Face ID already has a one in a million false-positive rate, vein mapping could dissuade hackers from attempting to use life-like masks to bypass Face ID.

Mobile cameras with periscope lens have been around for a while, and it looks like Apple will use this technology for the iPhone as well. However, nothing is official yet and this is only expected to happen in 2022. For now, it seems that the tech giant is looking for suppliers to provide the needed hardware parts.

TikTok posted an impressive 67 million official downloads onto iOS devices in the US in the first quarter of 2020 (1Q2020). However, in 2Q2020, this stat has been eclipsed by one of approximately 94 million by the collaboration app Zoom. This is a major factor in a trend favoring business-focused apps on the Cupertino company's platform.

The latest report on the market for mobile devices in India by Canalys has shown that its shipments totalled 17.3 million for the second quarter of 2020 (2Q2020). That sounds fine - until one compares it to the figure of 33 million from 2Q2019. This contraction was attributed to factors such as supply disruptions among the OEMs concerned.

Multi-functional USB hubs have become a solid trend on crowdfunding websites, particularly those that bake additional functions into these ultrabook accessories. The Fophie is one such hub that adds wireless charging and phone-holding options to its ingredients list. It has now attracted just over 2000% of its original Kickstarter goal.

TSMC has outlined its fabrication plans for its 5nm fabrication process and what that means for investors in its latest conference call. It is buoyant about what its 5nm node will mean for next generation mobile chips and says chips using the tech, including Apple’s A14, will contribute around 8 percent to its revenue for the next quarter.

A Chinese blog claims to have laid hands on a new kind of charging cable developed at Apple for its upcoming 2020 iPhones. It is an upgrade on the current standard accessory in that it is braided, which is often perceived as higher-end and more durable. In addition, its Lightning-end contacts are rumored to be upgraded with new materials.

Belkin has debuted BoostCharge wireless charging accessories that support the iPhone, Apple Watch or AirPods, or, in some cases, all three at once. One of these can also become a power bank at need. They start at US$49.95 on the OEM's website at present.

US owners of a number of iPhone 6 series smartphones and iPhone 7 series devices who were affected by the “Batterygate” controversy can now submit a claim via online form or by mail to get their share of Apple’s US$310 million to US$500 million settlement payout pool. Apple still contends that the payout is not an admission of wrongdoing.

Analyst Jeff Pu predicts that the upcoming iPhone 12 may start at a US$50 higher base price compared to the iPhone 11 owing to the inclusion of 5G and transition to an OLED display. This price rise is despite the fact that the iPhone 12 is not expected to include EarPods and a wall charger in the box. Further adding to the chagrin of prospective buyers is the fact that the iPhone 12 lineup may sport significantly smaller batteries than the corresponding iPhone 11 variants.

Foxconn, the Taiwanese manufacturing giant is said to be investing US$1 billion into their iPhone production plant in India. Foxconn has factories right around the world, but India is currently the only location outside of China where they assemble iPhones.

Apple recently launched the iOS 14 open beta program. iPhone and iPad users enrolled in the beta program can easily get hold of the first public beta build. iOS 14 features a number or improvements including a redesigned home screen and Apple Pencil handwriting recognition.