Deutsche Bank claims iPhone 7 will ship with Lighting-to-3.5mm dongle, not Lightning EarPods

A Deutsche Bank research note based on supply-chain sources claims that Apple will sell the iPhone 7 with a Lightning-to-audio dongle, rather than providing Lightning headphones, reports Business Insider.

It also suggests that the iPhone 7 Plus will have 3GB of RAM. All of the note’s other predictions echo things we’ve heard many times before: similar design to the 6s; dual cameras on the Plus, improved camera on the standard model; better sound, possibly stereo; better waterproofing; and a touch-sensitive Home button.

Supply-chain sources aren’t always the most reliable source of information on Apple’s plans, as Tim Cook himself has observed, and there are a couple of reasons to treat this report with some suspicion …

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Apple retakes ‘world’s favorite company’ title as Google drops out on a technicality

Apple has once more been dubbed the world’s favorite company after last year losing out to Google.

Each year, FutureBrand looks at the world’s 100 largest companies and asks 3,000 consumers and industry professionals to score them on a range of factors, and to explain how they feel about their preferred companies. The two top feelings respondents had toward Apple were passion and admiration. Apple was ranked highly for individuality, authenticity, innovation and thought-leadership.

However, it’s possible that Apple may have retaken the number one slot on a technicality …

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Stagefright-style vulnerability discovered in OS X and iOS, update for protection

Security researchers last year discovered what they described as ‘the worst Android vulnerability ever,’ able to infect a phone with malware simply by sending an MMS message to it. The vulnerability, dubbed Stagefright, didn’t even require people to open the message for their phone to be infected.

A Cisco researcher has now discovered a similar vulnerability in OS X and iOS, that could allow an attacker to gain access to your stored passwords and files simply by sending you a malicious image file …

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Latest iPhone 7 leaks highlights new dual camera, video compares Rose Gold iPhone 7 to iPhone 6s

The iPhone 7 leaks continue in the run up to the launch expected sometime in early September. As has been widely reported by now, both the 4.7 inch iPhone 7 and the 5.5 inch iPhone 7 Plus will include significant camera upgrades with the latter getting a brand-new dual camera system. In a new photo leak from Weibo, the separate cameras (rumoured to be dual 12 megapixel sensors) are clearly visible. The redesigned camera with ~25% larger iris for the 4.7 inch iPhone 7 can also be seen although technical specifications of the new component is unknown.

A separate Weibo post also includes a 30-second clip comparing the Rose Gold iPhone 7 to a Rose Gold iPhone 6s with all the characteristics we’ve come to expect from an iPhone 7 leak. Watch the video below after the jump …

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Pokémon GO launches in Japan with sponsored gyms at 3000 McDonald’s outlets

Rounding out the major launch countries, Pokémon GO has hit Japan — the home nation of Nintendo and Pokémon. Due to the major cultural significance of the company and intellectual property behind Pokémon, developers are expecting Pokémon GO to be a big hit in the region.

The launch in Japan also has knock-on effects for the player base in the rest of the world as it shows how the game plans to add advertising to the game for additional monetization. In Japan, 3000 McDonald’s outlets have been turned into sponsored Pokémon gyms where players can go and take over the area after battling.

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Verizon to start pushing highest unlimited data users to tiered plans or cutting them off

Verizon has never had a good relationship with the few customers still holding on to its unlimited data plans. The company has been trying over the past few years to get those customers to upgrade to newer, restricted plans, but despite its best efforts, many customer still remain on these plans. For some users this is fine, but Verizon is sick and tired of those using “an extraordinary amount of data” on their unlimited plans and will soon disconnect those users.

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Review: Scosche’s MagicMount PowerBank adds a 4000mAh battery to iPhone only when you need it

Battery cases are bulky. The new MagicMount PowerBank from Scosche gives you all of the same benefits— a portable battery pack attached to your iPhone for extra battery life— but does so in a form factor that aims to be more convenient than a battery case. With the MagicMount, the battery magnetically attaches to your device using a very slim magnet, so you can quickly remove it when no longer needed. And you can continue to use your device with a case of your choice or no case at all, so you don’t have to put up with that bulky battery case all day.

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Filed under: Apple