iPhone

With the release of the iPhone XR, the comparably 'budget' SE line seemed to have been killed off by Apple. Now, however, there are hints that it may be resurrected for this year or the next. A new post on SlashLeaks shows a phone that could be a convincing contender for a genuine iPhone SE 2019.

The legal procedures were initiated by attorney Larry Williams II who claims that key persons were able to eavesdrop on his sworn testimony given during a client deposition via the FaceTime bug. Apple appears to have known about the problem since early last week, but it only issued a temporary fix on February 28, and a full patch is expected to be released later this week.

Apple’s iPhone revenue plunged a precipitous 15 percent on a year-over-year basis for the holiday quarter, as it had indicated in a rare revenue warning to investors. Despite this, it remains the second largest quarter in Apple’s history as other areas of its business managed to keep the overall slide to just 5 percent year-over-year.

As the demand for OLED displays continues to grow, Taiwanese manufacturers are stepping up to the plate and adjusting their business structures for increased production. Many companies, such as AU Optronics and Novatek Microelectronics, are expecting a massive boom in OLED sales and are more than willing to provide the necessary supply.

The mobile versions of Fortnite (those that work on the Android and Apple platforms) now allow the use of Bluetooth controllers rather than on-screen controls. This new level of support comes with the 7.30 patch update, which also adds the 60Hz support for select Android devices. It also offers the Chiller grenade, a new, seasonal, ranged weapon.

Some alarming reports of a serious error in Group FaceTime associated with iOS 12.1 or later, have emerged. This bug allows an iPhone user to activate the call microphone of a second iPhone, whether its own user is aware of this or not. Apple has announced that they are working on a solution, and has also addressed it in the interim by shutting the video-call service down on their end.

The iPhone has had a bumpy couple of months. iOS 12.1.2, released last month, broke cellular connectivity for some users. The problem got so bad that Sprint issued a warning to its customers to wait on updating. There doesn't seem to be any relief in sight; not only does iOS 12.1.3 not bring a fix for the cellular issues, but the latest update has actually broken WiFi for several users in addition to cellular connectivity.

The widely respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has reduced his expectations for iPhone shipments in the first quarter of 2019 (1Q2019). However, he also projects that these numbers will pick up in 2Q2019. Kuo believes that up to 35 million iPhones will be sold in this quarter; however, this is still less than the general consensus on the same figure.

Although more images shot in various scenarios would be needed for a final decision, the image showing the same night scene as captured by the iPhone XS and the Pixel 3 that was posted on Twitter by Google's Marvin Chow has a clear winner. However, Apple still has to add a dedicated night mode to its handsets and, once that happens, things might change.

In order to promote the capabilities of the iPhone XS camera Apple teamed up with Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke to make a film that was entirely shot on an iPhone XS. The result is the short film The Bucket, which was released today.

A new report by ResearchAndMarkets.com indicates that the wireless headphone market will continue to show healthy growth into the year 2024. At that point, it could be worth as much as US$34 billion. The report indicates that this could be driven by increasing sophistication in wireless audio features and technology.

Thanks to its arrival on the Mac App Store, Microsoft Office 365 can now be downloaded and installed by Mac users with a single click. This cloud-connected office suite includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and OneDrive. Office 365 for macOS supports Dark Mode, Continuity Camera, OneDrive Files on Demand, and more.

Our last report on the Apple AirPods 2 covered rumors that they could have been released by now, at least. However, their maker failed to live up to this leak, and the 2nd generation of these wireless earbuds has yet to appear. A newer article in DigiTimes alleges that these wearables will be here by July 2019.

Apple released 3 iPhone models last year; however, the 2 more premium, OLED-equipped variants appear to have done better in some estimates. This impression was recently reinforced when the company's traditional LCD supplier, Japan Display, was reported as having entered talks to sell a stake in its company to investor groups with the cash to keep it going.

A concept video of the next-generation iPhone has been uploaded to YouTube by Hasan Kaymak. The clip shows a beautifully crafted smartphone that would either be the device of an Apple fan’s dreams, or a huge disappointment for those who are concerned that the Cupertino company could emulate Huawei by incorporating a square-shaped triple camera setup on the rear.

Apple has surprisingly re-listed the iPhone SE on its online store. The popular smartphone, which was released in March 2016, was recently discontinued (September 2018), so its reappearance has created some speculation. Apple might be just looking to boost iPhone sales figures and clear out old stock; it’s unlikely that this development will point to the announcement of an iPhone SE2.

Apple’s stock price has been experiencing an upturn over the last couple of weeks. After reaching a 52-week low of US$142, the Apple empire struck back, and the latest price for the Cupertino company currently stands at US$156.82. In terms of market capitalization value, Amazon has now overtaken Microsoft.

There have been some rumors suggesting that the next generation of iPhones would, like the iPad Pro 2018, switch to USB-C for their singular data/charging/audio connection. However, the latest leak on the subject contradicts them again, claiming that Apple will stick with its proprietary Lightning connectors for the upcoming flagships.

It's the season of new Qualcomm flagship benchmarks, ahead of the processor's official release in the form of 2019 premium mobile devices. Some of them have claimed that it does better than the A12 Bionic found in the most recent iPhones. However, Antutu has released what may be the definitive benchmark for the new chipset.

The Windows Mobile platform is all but dead at this point. Microsoft will finally let it rest forever this year. The company will withdrawing support for the latest version of its OS, as well as the second-latest, by December 2019. It is recommended that their remaining users switch to another ecosystem that will have continual support, like iOS or Android.

The worldwide market for wireless charging products was worth just over US$2 billion in 2017. However, this figure is projected to grow by about $19 billion in the next 4 years. The market research group BIS Research concludes that this is due to the increased uptake of global standards (e.g. Qi) and the integration of wireless chargers into everyday objects such as cars.

Apple has posted sales pages for new Smart Battery Cases. These products have been designed for the iPhone XS, XS Max or XR, and are available in white or black. Apple claims that they can deliver up to 9 hours of additional active screen use.

The first benchmarks using a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 reference device have started to roll in. This new processor has done impressively well compared to its predecessor in two separate tests. It has also outdone devices with the Kirin 980 and A12 Bionic chipsets, albeit mostly in terms of graphics performance

Recently, Twitter revamped its platform with the 'Interesting Tweets' feature. However, some users have asserted that the tweets chosen by its algorithm persisted in timelines regardless of whether they turned it off in Settings or not. Now, a new option to return to a completely chronological order of tweets is being rolled out.

Although Apple has recently asked its suppliers to cut the iPhone production by 10 percent in the second quarter, it looks like the brand's handsets are not doing well in China. In an unprecedented move, Apple authorized mid-cycle price cuts that go as high as 22 percent for the iPhone 8 and 20 percent for the iPhone 8 Plus handsets on JD.com.

Apple has been teasing the release of the AirPower since 2017. However, the company has let numerous subsequent relevant launches go by without mentioning it again. Nevertheless, a credible source now claims that a known supplier to the OEM has started to manufacture these products.

An article posted to the online outlet Motherboard has alleged that the carriers T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T have been selling their US customers' geolocation data to private companies, who then went on to sell it to other parties such as those who issue bail bonds. The carriers in question have subsequently committed to put an end to these practices.

A new article in the Wall Street Journal has lent further weight to speculation that Apple will jump on the triple-rear-camera bandwagon this year. According to the report, this feature will be found in the most premium model the company will release this year. It may be accompanied by two additional SKUs with dual rear cameras.

Apple's hardware suppliers have been hit by a 10% decrease in the volume of new iPhone production requests for the first quarter of 2019. These claims have emanated from sources cited by a new report on Nikkei. It suggests that Apple's recent financial woes have translated into an anticipated negative effect on sales for the first 3 months of this year.

AMS, one of the suppliers of Apple, has published a light and IR sensor that can be placed under an OLED display. This could make the notch of the iPhone and other smartphones much smaller in the future.

At one point, Belkin was the go-to brand for third-party Apple accessories, not to mention USB power banks and cables. However, it had gone quiet for a good while following its amalgamation with Foxconn. This year, Belkin and its current international brands (Linksys, Wemo and Phyn) have made a comeback to CES this year to showcase their new products.

Apple may not be at CES this year; however, that hasn’t stopped them poking fun at other companies who are likely to present at the show. A billboard that was almost certainly commissioned by the Cupertino giant had appeared on an exterior face of the Marriott Hotel in Las Vegas on January 5, 2019. It reads: “What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone”, alongside a black-and-white outline of a 2018 Apple flagship mobile device.

Thanks to Google Analytics, Macrumors has noticed that some of the devices visiting their website were running the beta version of iOS 13. Devices with iOS 13 installed have been spotted on the website as early as October 2018.

US President Donald Trump has been giving his opinion about Apple’s recent rollercoaster ride at the stock market. The POTUS stated that he had told Tim Cook, who is apparently one of Trump’s friends, that Apple should bring production of the iPhone and its other hardware to the US. The Chinese-US trade war is believed to have affected the Cupertino company’s revenue.

Project Soli is a Google initiative that wants to make in-air, screen-less gestures to control technology a reality. In other words, the user should be able to control their devices through certain hand gestures, which are converted into workable commands by innovative little radar sensors. Google has reportedtly secured FCC approval for this form of hardware.

An official Huawei Twitter account (@Huawei) has been caught sending its celebratory New Year's message from an iPhone. It was quickly picked up by the vlogger MKBHD on his own Twitter feed. A Reuters report claims that the employees responsible for this mishap had been fined and sanctioned by the company, as it "damaged the Huawei brand".

Mophie has launched new Powerstation PD and Powerstation PD XL battery packs that will fast charge both supported iPhone and Android smartphones. Compared with the standard 5W charger that Apple ships with its iPhones, the Mophie Powerstation battery packs will charge an iPhone 2.5 times faster.

Apple’s stock price plummeted on the NASDAQ today. The previous close for the Cupertino company stood at US$157.92. However, at the time of writing, the stock price had fallen to US$142.19, leaving the iPhone maker with a market capitalization value of around US$674.7 billion. Apple’s stock price hasn’t been this low since the first half of 2017.

Tim Cook has had to start his year by sending an open letter to Apple's investors, telling them the company's revenues for the first fiscal quarter of 2019 had been revised downwards. Cook noted that this decision had been influenced by factors such as the increased strength of the US dollar and reduced iPhone revenues. However, the letter also also highlighted areas in which Apple performed well in 2018.

The Pocophone F2 may be the second device to come from the popular Xiaomi brand POCO. A new concept illustration for this smartphone suggests that it may upgrade to a newer, more waterdrop-like notch rather than the larger, iPhone-esque one of last year. It seems that this device has also made it onto Geekbench; according to these listings, it will stick with the Snapdragon 845 of yesteryear.

2018 has come and gone and with it the promise of an Apple-made wireless charging pad. Announced back at the 2017 iPhone X event, Apple's AirPower wireless charging mat is still MIA. At that event, Apple promised a 2018 release. However, the company has silently removed all references of AirPower from its website and hasn't said a word about the product since its 2017 announcement.

Apple retained a majority in the premium smartphone market in the third quarter of 2018, as iPhones made up 47% of all phones sold in it. Samsung achieved second place in this arena, with 22% of the market share. On the other hand, the growth of this market was driven by increased brand diversity; for example, Huawei captured a share of over 10% for the first time this year.

Citing predictions that the 2018 iPhone line may soon enter a destocking phase, Citi Research cut production estimates for the iPhone XR, iPhone Xs, and iPhone Xs Max by a collective 10% (50 million to 45 million). Most of this cut was driven by lowered expectations of the iPhone Xs Max; Citi Research estimates Apple will produce only half as many iPhone Xs Max units as previously predicted.

An article published by iDrop News reports than an Ohio man has suffered injury from his iPhone XS Max catching fire whilst in the back pocket of his pants. Apparently, the device was completely destroyed in the incident, and the blaze also damaged his pants and burned the skin of his buttocks. It seems the individual is now considering legal action against Apple.

With already half the smartphone camera market cornered, Sony has unveiled what it thinks will continue to drive OEM interest in its camera sensor technology. It’s new 3D-capable rear camera sensor features the same type of Time of Flight technology found in the front-facing Face ID camera in Apple iPhones with Face ID and it has got Apple interested, reports Bloomberg.

The Zanco smart pen is a stylus with (nearly) all the features of a smartphone crammed into it. It has physical buttons, a click-pad, front and rear cameras and even a teeny tiny screen. It is intended as a smartphone replacement or companion (much like the Palm phone) and can also function as a Bluetooth remote for screens for purposes such as presentation. So far, it has raised just over US$50,000 on Kickstarter.

Google’s relatively new Pixel 3 finally made the trip over to DxOMark and earned an overall score most would consider to be lacking. Here, we take a closer look at the Pixel 3’s review with a focus on elements that may have contributed to it being ranked below unassuming devices like Xiaomi’s Mi Mix 3.

Lemmings, the classic PC puzzler, has launched on iOS and Android. The smartphone port retains many of the gameplay elements of the original, but controls and level design have been optimized for mobile gaming. The levels themselves will be procedurally generated, but there will (sadly) be a variety of in-app purchases.

Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Google (Alphabet Inc.) have been experiencing further depressions in the stock market, according to recent NASDAQ data. Apple has seen its stock price fall under US$160 as Microsoft continues to lead in terms of market capitalization value. The Cupertino-based iPhone maker also has had bad news in regard to “Bendgate 2.0” and a legal battle against Qualcomm.

Qualcomm's patent war against Apple has escalated this December following bans in China and now Germany on the sale of iPhones. Intel has now accused Qualcomm of "stifling competition" in a scathing Intel Newsroom article that alleges Qualcomm's actions will only serve to "reduce innovation and increase prices."