iPhone
Apple looking at altering how iPhone prices are set internationally
Every year we get a new iPhone. Well, every year Apple releases a new iPhone. You can get it, if you want or if budget allows. But every year we also get a price increase for said iPhone, a phenomenon that prompted Apple to start releasing explicitly cheaper editions of their mobile phone. But, if Apple’s Tim Cook is to be believed, we could experience something strange soon. The price of an...[Read More]
Apple wound up replacing 11 million iPhone batteries in 2018
Apple recently announced that it was expecting revenues to take a hit, as a result of several factors. Economic slowdown and increased competition from China were blamed but another cause seems to be the company’s discounted battery replacement program. Apple may have been expecting to replace between one and two million batteries for the year but things didn’t work out that way. Accor...[Read More]
Triple the fun? Apple is planning three iPhones this year
Apple thinks it’s found the recipe for Tim Cook’s happiness, and will release three new iPhones to the world in 2019. This year we’ll likely see another ‘budget’ device like the iPhone XR — something many users were looking forward to in 2018 (especially in the harsh South African economy). Apple will also continue the newly acquired tradition of offering multiple sizes at multiple price poi...[Read More]
After a stratospheric 21-year run, gravity has finally caught up with Apple’s share price
Wow. After a charmed 21-year stratospheric run, gravity has finally caught up with Apple’s share price. It has grown steadily since Steve Jobs took over in 1997, and became not only the most valuable listed company in the world, but the first to hit the unprecedented US$1-trillion mark last August. Until last week. In a 1,400-word letter to investors, CEO Tim Cook that Apple was expecting a ...[Read More]
How to take better smartphone photos, thanks to computational photography
Each time you snap a photo with your smartphone – depending on the make and model – it may perform more than a trillion operations for just that single image. Yes, you expect it to do the usual auto-focus/auto-exposure functions that are the hallmark of point-and-shoot photography. But your phone may also capture and stack multiple frames (sometimes before you even press the button), capture the b...[Read More]
Apple’s reduced revenues are about more than economic slowdown – it’s about the competition
If you’re still in holiday mode, eschewing all forms of tech (and thus reading this late), you may not realise that Apple’s value took a bit of a knock in the last week. The result of the first decline in revenues for the company in sixteen years, the news that Apple was not going to reach its estimated target of $89 to $93 billion for the past quarter wiped $55 billion off the value o...[Read More]
When to expect the first 5G-enabled devices in South Africa
Before you get too excited, it’s safe to say that 5G is still quite a way off for South Africa. The problem is two fold. First, in order to roll out commercial 5G services mobile network operators need access to the radio frequency spectrum 5G requires. The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) is responsible for making that happen, but is bogged down in arguments about how ...[Read More]
iPhone XR review – All things bright and beautiful
Launched a while after the iPhone XS and and XS Max, this colourful powerhouse is the youngest (and funnest) member in the X family. Think Jack-Jack in The Incredibles 2, but far more reliable. While it might not have the specs to match the XS duo, it certainly has many of the same perks. Apple has dropped the price (by Apple’s standards), switched out OLED for LED and scrapped a camera sens...[Read More]
These are iStore’s Black Friday deals
iStore has unveiled its Black Friday 2018 specials, and they include special pricing for everything from iPhones and Apple Watches to MacBooks and even DJI drones. If you’re not one to deal with crowds you’ll be pleased to know the iStore’s deals are available online on the day too. Another upshot is that the specials are available from Friday 23 November (D-day) to Sunday 25 November,...[Read More]
A leaked icon may give us a glimpse at the upcoming iPad Pro
With the Apple event so close we can almost smell the freshly picked fruit, there has been a leak. Of course there’s been a leak. There’s always at least one leak this close to an event, and this time it’s the upcoming iPad Pro. The leaders in Apple leaks, 9to5Mac, spotted an iPad Pro icon in iOS 12. It’s a fairly basic design which shows the tablet with no home button, just like we expected. This...[Read More]
Beta yourself: iOS 12
The latest version of Apple’s mobile OS looks much like the old one, but it has plenty of new features – Stuff shows you where to find them, and how to make the most of the best bits. The basics Start using Siri: Siri’s more powerful in iOS 12, learning your habits and making lock-screen suggestions. Often, though, you’ll have to manually manage its capabilities. Luckily, doing so is simple. In Se...[Read More]
Apple is giving away their original content… for free?
Earlier this year Apple announced that they are producing their own range of original shows. And initially, it sounded like a strange thing — for Apple to go up against the likes of Netflix and Amazon, but now it looks like they just want to spoil their users… or further ingrain their loyalty. Anyone with an Apple device, be it iPhones, iPads, or Apple TVs (but not Macs, for reasons un...[Read More]