Review: iPhone SE is just a (really nice) phone for a great price (with a few oddities)
There was a time just a few years back when the 4-inch screen was considered Apple’s big phone. After five generations of 3.5-inch screens, Apple made the iPhone taller in 2012 with the 4-inch iPhone 5. The width remained the same in a “common sense” move that maintained easy one-hand use for most people, and the 16:9 aspect ratio framed video playback perfectly. Two years later, Apple upgraded the iPhone with two new models: 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch, but no new 4-inch iPhone until now.
iPhone SE is the first upgrade to this size since the iPhone 5s in 2013. It’s a huge specs upgrade if you’re coming from an iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, or earlier. And in some cases like mine, iPhone SE is mostly on par with Apple’s iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus flagships. But there are a few limitations of varying importance plus a few oddities that should be considered before buying … even with the relatively competitive price tag on iPhone SE.
Filed under: iOS Devices, Reviews Tagged: iPhone SE
iPhone 7: Everything we currently know about Apple’s next flagship
With the iPhone SE behind us, those that didn’t jump on the new 4-inch iPhone are now looking to the fall when Apple is expected to introduce its true next-generation smartphone with the iPhone 7. Or at least that’s what we’re calling it until things become official, and from the sounds of the latest rumors and reports, there’s a lot more up in the air than just the device’s name when it comes to new features, design changes, and more.
Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: 256GB, dual camera, Headphone Jack, iPhone 7, rumors, waterproof
9to5Toys Lunch Break: Crucial/Lexar Storage Sale – 1TB SSD $200, Leaf RSS Reader free, Philips Hue 4-pack $199, more
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:
Crucial/Lexar Gold Box: 1TB SSD: $200, 16GB RAM: $46, 128GB USB Stick: $25, much more
Leaf RSS News Reader for Mac goes free for the first time (Reg. $8+)
Philips Hue discounted bundles: 4-pack A19 white & color bulbs (2nd gen) $199 shipped (Reg. $240), more
Apple Watch Leather band knockoff in 5 colors for a tenth of the price ($14.49 Prime shipped)
What if I told you that you could get a great Apple Milanese Loop knockoff for a tenth of the price ($16 Prime shipped)?
Apple Watch 42mm Space Gray Milanese Loop Band + Aluminum Dock: $27 Prime shipped (Reg. $35)
Apple TV 4th gen: 32GB $109 (Reg. $149), 64GB $154 (Reg. $199) w/ VISA Checkout
App Store Free App of the Week: Cut the Rope Time Travel for iPhone and iPad goes free for the very first time (Reg. $1)
Apple’s Pay Once & Play 50% off iOS game sale: Transistor, Brothers, Rules!, Implosion, Radiation Island, more
Brothers A Tale of Two Sons iOS puzzle-adventure game gets its first price drop: $2 (Reg. $5)
Apple offers Day One 2 iOS journal app for free ($10 value)
MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:
Headphones: SOL REPUBLIC Tracks Air Bluetooth $60, Sennheiser Momentum Earbuds for iOS/Android $65, more
- Networking: TP-Link Archer C7 AC Wi-Fi router + DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem $110 (Reg. $145+)
- Garmin fēnix 2 GPS multi-sport watch w/ heart rate monitor $150 shipped (Reg. $200)
- Upgrade your TV audio w/ Sony’s Bluetooth 2.1-Ch. Soundbar System for $90 (Orig. $140)
- Games/Apps: Far Cry Primal $35, Xbox One Charging Dock $16, iOS freebies, more
- Smartphone Accessories: Marsboy Portable Mini Wireless Bluetooth Speaker $15, more
- Daily Deals: 1byone Belt-Drive 3-Speed Portable Stereo Turntable $57, more
- Amazon Gold Box – AR Blue Clean 14 Amp Electric Pressure Washer $109 shipped (Reg. $150)
- Canvas Vintage-Style Messenger Bags: 15-inch $45 (Reg. $60), 13-inch $20 (Reg. $44), more
MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:
Audio-Technica ATH-M30x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones: $49 shipped (Reg. $69)
Audio-Technica’s best selling ATH-M50x studio headphones + FiiO A3 amp $130 ($180+ value)
Green Deals: Aukey 20W Solar Dual-USB Port Charger $39 (Reg. $47), 1.3-Gallon Compost Bin $19 (Reg. $26), more
- Bags: Tamrac Messenger for 15-inch MacBooks $25 (Reg. $43), more
- Get a 2-Pack of Mr. Beams Wireless Motion-Sensing LED Lights for $16 (Reg. $22+), more
- Add Bluetooth to nearly any speaker w/ the Mpow Streambot Mini for $14 Prime shipped
- Smart 3D 120Hz HDTVs: Samsung 55-inch Curved 4K $1,449 (Reg. $2,000), more
- Smartphone Accessories: Apple MFi Certified OLALA 13000mAh Power bank $32, more
- PS4 Call of Duty Black Ops III Bundle + Sharp 43-inch Smart LED Roku TV: $500, more
- DJI Phantom 3 Advanced Quadcopter with built-in 2.7K camera: $629 (Reg. $730+)
- Watch your TV from anywhere with the Sling Media Slingbox M1 for $90 shipped (Reg. $118)
- Smartphone Accessories: GOOLOO Car Jump Starter Power Bank $64 (Reg. $100), more
- LEGO Deals: Big Bang Theory Living Room $46, Minecraft Ender Dragon $49, more
- Mojang reveals 27 new skins for Minecraft Story mode, here’s how you can get them for free
- Browse reddit like a boss with a free 3-month gold membership upgrade ($12 value)
- Green Deals: Philips hue LED Starter Bundle w/ HomeKit Bridge $170, more
- Harman Kardon Onyx Studio Wireless Bluetooth Speaker (Refurb) $60 (Orig. $400)
- ESPN magazine + digital Insider access 1-year subscription: $4.50 (Reg. $26+)
- iPhone SE and Galaxy S7/Edge cases in a variety of styles/colors from $3 shipped
- Walmart launches iPhone SE $100 discount, other Apple/Samsung devices too!
- Smartphone Accessories: Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Speaker III $249 (Reg. $300), more
- Learn to build amazing apps with the Apple TV Developer Course: $19 (Orig. $199)
- Buy 3 accessories, save 20%: iPad Pro Keyboard $143, Apple Pencil $87, more
- Aukey Aluminum USB-C Hubs w/ Prime shipping: 7-ports for $19 or 4-ports for $8
NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:
GoPro’s new Omni Virtual Reality rig leverages six HERO4 Black action cameras
- Epson’s latest ‘Small-in-One’ printer weighs in at a fraction of the competition
- Twelve South introduces new TimePorter capsule for Apple Watch and charger
- Ryobi’s new Ultra Quiet Garage Door Opener has a Bluetooth speaker and more
- Roku introduces a new quad-core streaming stick with a slimmed down design
- Apogee releases its most affordable full-featured Mac recording interface yet
- The Yecup 365 travel mug uses your iPhone to heat or cool your drink
- ROAM-e follows you around in the sky and takes selfies on demand
- Sprint customers can now (but probably shouldn’t) pay monthly for Amazon Prime
- Seagate unveils the “world’s first” USB-powered 8TB desktop hard drive
Filed under: Tips and Tricks Tagged: 9to5Toys, Amazon, app deals, Best Buy, Crucial, Daily Deals, free apps, Gold Box, Leaf News, Lexar, Philips hue, RSS Reader, video games
Jay Blahnik hosting Q&A w/ Christy Turlington Burns to talk Apple Watch + Boston Marathon training
Apple’s fitness expert (and former Nike FuelBand developer) Jay Blahnik is hosting an upcoming Q&A session with Christy Turlington Burns and others to discuss training for the Boston Marathon using Apple Watch. The event takes place in Boston on Saturday afternoon at the Boylston Street Apple Street at 3 pm. If you’re in town and interested in hearing the supermodel discuss her experience with Apple’s fitness tracker, you can RSVP ahead of time to guarantee a spot here. The event is free to attend.
Join Christy Turlington Burns, ultramarathoner Scott Jurek, and Heather Armstrong, founder of dooce.com, as they share their experiences training for the Boston Marathon. The group runs to raise awareness for Every Mother Counts, a nonprofit organization founded by Christy that is dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother, everywhere. Apple’s Jay Blahnik will moderate a Q&A about their shared passion for running and their experiences training with Apple Watch.
Turlington Burns previously appeared on stage with Apple CEO Tim Cook to talk about the benefits of the Apple Watch’s fitness features ahead of its release last year. In an effort to promote her organization Every Mother Counts, Turlington Burns maintained a weekly blog on Apple.com detailing her experience with Apple Watch while preparing for and participating in the London Marathon. Blahnik and Turlington Burns similarly discussed Apple Watch together in a 1-on-1 interview a year ago.
Filed under: Apple Watch Tagged: Apple watch
Apple reportedly working with Chinese server vendor to help bring cloud services in-house
Apple is reportedly working with Chinese server vendor Inspur as it seeks to bring the infrastructure for its cloud services in-house.
Apple currently relies on third-party companies to host its cloud content, most of the capacity currently provided by Microsoft and Amazon Web Services, with Google also recently joining the roster. However, the company is said to be working on developing its own data network and infrastructure in a project codenamed McQueen.
While part of the motivation will be cost, it was also recently reported that security is another significant consideration, Apple being concerned that servers received from third-parties may have been tampered with prior to delivery …
Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Apple data center, Apple data centers, icloud, Inspur, project mcqueen
Apple’s Japanese R&D center apparently delayed, now opening in March 2017
Apple’s planned R&D center in Yokohama, Japan, appears to have fallen behind schedule. We got our first look at renders of the funky-looking building a little over a year ago, when the city’s mayor reported that construction would begin in 2015 and complete in 2016. But Japanese blog Macotakara now reports that a construction board outside the site says that it will instead complete in March 2017.
Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: AAPL, Japan, R&D, Yokohama
Company which accessed San Bernardino iPhone 5c ‘optimistic’ it can also access iPhone 6
Cellebrite, the company widely believed to have accessed the San Bernardino iPhone for the FBI, is reportedly ‘optimistic’ that it will also be able to access a locked iPhone 6.
CNN reports that Italian architect Leonardo Fabbretti met with the company last week to see whether it could help gain access to his dead son’s iPhone. Before his death from bone cancer, 13-year-old Dama Fabbretti had added his father’s thumbprint to allow him access – but the phone required the passcode after a restart, and his father doesn’t know the code.
Apple had told him it was impossible to access the iPhone without the passcode, but Fabretti told CNN that Cellebrite has already made progress …
Filed under: iOS Devices
KGI forecasts Apple Watch shipments will fall 25% year-on-year, be below 7.5M units vs. 10.6M in 2015
A KGI investment note seen by 9to5Mac suggests that Apple Watch shipments will fall by more than 25% this year. The note estimates 2015 sales at 10.6M units, and predicts that full-year shipments this year will be below 7.5M units. The fall would be even more dramatic in real terms, as it would be comparing 12 months of sales in 2016 against 8 months of sales last year.
The company cites two reasons for the forecast. First, that the wearable device market is still a fledgling one, not yet mature in terms of behaviour. But KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo also believes the Watch itself falls short …
Filed under: Apple Watch Tagged: 2nd-gen Apple Watch, Apple watch, Apple Watch sales, Apple Watch sales 2015, Apple Watch sales 2016, KGI
Apple shares new fourth-gen Apple TV ad featuring Kobe Bryant
Apple today has shared a new advertisement for the fourth-gen Apple TV. The ad follows the same theme as “The Kiss,” which was released last month and starred Allison Brie. Today’s new ad, however, features Lakers player Kobe Bryant and actor Michael B. Jordan using the Apple TV and accompanying Siri Remote.
Filed under: iOS Devices
App Store app prices and in-app purchases to rise in Norway due to exchange rate fluctuations
Periodically, Apple updates App Store prices in certain regions to account for global changes in exchange rates. Today, Apple has notified developers that it will be raising app prices for customers in Norway in response to currency fluctuations.
Filed under: AAPL Company, Apps, Developers, iOS, iOS Devices, Tech Industry Tagged: app prices, App Store, Apps, iOS, norway, prices