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Tag: iPhone

  • Apple Reportedly Planning to Release Different Sized Iphones in 2020

    Apple Reportedly Planning to Release Different Sized Iphones in 2020

    Apple is reportedly planning to shake things up in 2020. A new report now suggests that the company will offer a smaller and a larger iPhone in 2020, different than those currently available.

    According to a report by Korean publication ETNews, Apple is planning to introduce a smaller 5.4-inch iPhone, a 6.1-inch iPhone model, along with a 6.7-inch iPhone with thinner OLED displays in 2020. The report says that the upcoming 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch model will use a new technology from Samsung that allows manufacturers to build thinner displays and also reduces production costs. Meanwhile, LG will reportedly supply an OLED panel for the 6.1-inch iPhone model.

    Multiple sources in the past have indicated that 2020 is going to be a big year for Apple, as the company plans to shake up the iPhone lineup with two new screen sizes mentioned above. Besides, reports also indicate a redesigned metal frame inspired by the iPhone 4, 5G support, and up to 6GB of RAM.

    Industry experts have also claimed that Apple plans to introduce an iPhone model featuring both Face ID and in-display scanner in 2020. The in-display Touch ID would allow user authentication by placing the finger anywhere on the display. However, it remains unclear whether the handset would arrive in 2020 or 2021.

    Credible Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also suggests that a smaller iPhone in 2020, possibly called the iPhone SE 2. Notably, Kuo’s predictions fall in line with other key sources who’ve also claimed that Apple plans to launch a cheaper iPhone next year in order to boost its share in the mid-tier smartphone market. It’ll be aggressively priced at around $399 and will rival smartphones from the likes of Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi.

    Kuo further notes that it’ll get powered by new A13 Bionic chipset, the company’s top-end chipset that powers the latest iPhone 11 Pro range. The chipset will be paired with 3GB LPDDR4X RAM, also found on the new iPhone 11. He also suggests that the iPhone SE2 will not be a smaller version of the iPhone 11. Instead, the handset’s form factor will be similar to the iPhone 8 making it much more compact than most of the smartphones currently available these days.

  • Facebook Working on Fixing Bug That Activates Your Iphone’s Camera

    Facebook Working on Fixing Bug That Activates Your Iphone’s Camera

    Facebook is reportedly working on fixing a bug that automatically activates users’ iPhone camera while using its iOS app. The social networking giant is aware of the bug and has promised to roll out a fix for the same by today.

    The bug was discovered earlier this month when Facebook slang words users started noticing that their iPhone’s camera was automatically activated while viewing photos and videos. Sources suggest that the bug appears to be limited to iOS as no Android user has noticed the glitch so far.

    Users reported that while viewing videos in full screen, the camera was running in the background while scrolling Facebook. The company has acknowledged the issue and says the glitch was introduced while it fixed another bug in version 244 of the Facebook iOS app.

    “We recently discovered that version 244 of the Facebook iOS app would incorrectly launch in landscape mode. In fixing that issue last week in v246 (launched on November 8th) we inadvertently introduced a bug that caused the app to partially navigate to the camera screen adjacent to News Feed when users tapped on photos. We have seen no evidence of photos or videos being uploaded due to this bug. We’re submitting the fix for this to Apple today,” Facebook said in a statement.

    Until the bug fix arrives, users are recommenced to deny camera access for the Facebook app. Facebook’s reputation when it comes to user privacy has taken a hit in recent years. In 2018, a study revealed how Facebook exposed information about nearly 87 million users to a political analysis firm for Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. It was later found that the data was used for targeted political advertising.

    While earlier this year, a security firm also found out that hundreds of millions of Facebook records were exposed on Amazon cloud servers.

  • Google Maps brings popular Waze-like features for iPhone users

    Google Maps brings popular Waze-like features for iPhone users

    Google is committed to improving the experience of Google Maps on all platforms. Hence, the company has announced a bunch of new features for the iPhone version of Google Maps, giving users the ability to report accidents, traffic jams, and speed traps. The feature arrived on Android earlier this year, and now both iOS and Android users can report about incidents such as road accidents, lane closures, along with other driving hazards such as obstacles or abandoned vehicles on the road.

    These all are the features that made Waze ever so popular among users, implying that Google wants to make Google apps more like Waze. Earlier, Google launched other Waze-like features on Google Maps such as speed limits, speed traps, as well as the ability to add a stop to a route and view nearby gas prices.

    Waze is a standalone navigation app also owned by Google. The company describes it as a “traffic navigation app,” which uses information submitted by users to avoid traffic jams, road construction sites, and other hazards that drivers must be notified of beforehand while en route towards a new destination.

    “We’re introducing the ability to report four new types of incidents–construction, lane closures, disabled vehicles, and objects on the road (like debris)–so you can quickly know if you’ll encounter one of these potential obstructions on your ride, and plan accordingly,” explained Google.

    iPhone users can now add a report by a simple tap while navigating a route in Google Maps. Once you tap on the screen, a pop-up will appear that lets users choose from a list of options such as Crash, Speed Trap, Slowdown, Construction, Lane Closure, Disabled vehicle and Object on Road.

    Google said that these new Google Maps features will begin rolling out globally this week. However, the feature is only limited to mobile, as support for these features hasn’t yet arrived on Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

  • State-backed effort responsible for the massive iPhone hack: Report

    State-backed effort responsible for the massive iPhone hack: Report

    Google’s Project Zero team recently found multiple flaws in iOS that allowed hackers to gain access to an iPhone. The attack involved a small group of websites which targeted visitors’ devices to gain access to their personal information, as well as location data. Besides, the attack could also gather encrypted information from apps such as WhatsApp, iMessage, and Telegram.

    According to sources, such websites have been running for two years, during which thousands of visitors possibly accessed them every week. Apple, however, was quick to roll out a fix for the flaw in iOS 12.1.4. Apple revealed in the update that the vulnerability, referred to as ‘memory corruption issues’, was fixed with ‘improved input validation. Hence, iPhone owners are most likely protected against these exploits, as a fix was rolled out for the same with iOS 12.1.4 on February 7.

    That said, the perpetrator behind these attacks remained a mystery. Now, thanks to some digging by TechCrunch, it turns out that the culprit behind these attacks was the Chinese government.

    The attack was apparently part of a campaign to gather surveillance on a minority Muslim group in China, the Uyghur community, residing in China’s Xinjiang territory. The Chinese government claims that Islamists militants and separatists target the country’s Xinjiang region. Reports indicate that China has forced nearly 2 million people from the Uyghur community and Muslim minorities into camps for indoctrination, prompting activists to call on China to stop such mass detention efforts.

    Google revealed in its disclosure that merely visiting the infected sites was enough for the exploit to attack your device. Therefore, even people outside the Uyghur community may have been affected by this state-sponsored spy effort. Key sources also indicate that not only iPhone users were affected by the attack, but even devices running Android and Microsoft’s operating systems. With thousands of visitors accessing such malicious websites, it allowed the Chinese government to capture their private data as well as their location data.

  • iOS 12.4 bug lets anyone jailbreak an iPhone

    iOS 12.4 bug lets anyone jailbreak an iPhone

    During the early days of the iPhone, jailbreaking was primarily done to install third-party apps that were not available via the App Store. Since then, there’s been no need to jailbreak iPhone thanks to the availability of thousands of apps and more customizable operating systems. That said, a new vulnerability was found this week in iOS 12.4, making it the first iOS jailbreak to be publicly revealed in years.

    First reported by Motherboard, the latest iOS 12.4 has a bug that Apple apparently fixed in iOS 12.3. Now, this essentially makes it possible to exploit the vulnerability to jailbreak iOS 12.4. Security researcher Pwn20wnd released the first free public version of the jailbreak that users are already using to customize the look of their Homescreen or to download unauthorized apps. That said, readers are advised not to do so, as jailbreaking makes your iPhone more susceptible to risks and hacks.

    Therefore, until Apple rolls out a fix for the same in iOS 12.4.1, many iPhones are at risk as the bug makes it easier to hack iPhones. A security researcher told Motherboard that hackers could exploit this vulnerability to develop a malicious app that could steal data from other apps on your iPhone. Given the security risks, readers are advised not to jailbreak their iPhones. Besides, they should also beware of the apps downloaded from the App Store until Apple rolls out a fix.

    Jailbreaking allows iOS users to add apps and other functions that Apple wouldn’t usually allow users to perform on their iPhones. iOS has rather strict limitations that are designed to protect users from malicious apps but also gives Apple more control over the ecosystem. Therefore, jailbreaking has an adverse effect on your iPhone’s security, but at the same time gives users more control over the phone.

  • Apple likely to tweak namimg scheme for next iPhones

    Apple likely to tweak namimg scheme for next iPhones

    Just like last year, Apple is widely expected to launch three iPhone models in 2019. With only a few weeks left before the official unveiling, leaks about the iPhone 11 are pouring thick and fast. The latest leak via Twitter suggests that Apple plans to change the naming scheme for its 2019 iPhone lineup slightly.

    Multiple sources point to the fact that Apple will incorporate a triple-lens camera setup for this year’s flagship iPhone model. Now, the latest leak via Twitter suggests that Apple’s top-end iPhone model for 2019 might have the word ‘Pro’ in its name, as opposed to the ‘Max’ moniker.

    This suggests that Apple’s top-end iPhone for 2019 might be called the iPhone 11 Pro, or simply the iPhone Pro. Whether this could be a step in the right direction, it remains to be seen. That said, incorporating the Pro moniker for the flagship iPhone makes more sense, as it clearly suggests the device offers top-of-the-line features to help distinguish it from other models in the iPhone lineup.

    As already mentioned, Apple plans to launch three iPhone models in 2019. These include the successor to the iPhone XR with a 6.1-inch LCD screen, along with two OLED models with 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch displays. The upcoming iPhones are expected to get similar screens as the current-gen iPhone models, though with larger batteries.

    New iPhones coming in September

    The flagship iPhone 11 Pro or Max is expected to pack three rear cameras. The selfie camera is likely to get an upgrade, while one of the rear lenses is expected to boast a 14-megapixel sensor.

    Meanwhile, leaks indicate that the iPhone XIR is expected to boast dual-rear cameras, as opposed to a single-lens primary camera found on the current iPhone XR. Also, analysts at Citi Research have indicated that Apple Pencil support might arrive with the iPhone 11.

    As far as the release goes, leaks suggest that Apple will unveil its 2019 iPhone range on September 11, while shipping is likely to commence on September 20.

  • iPhone sales drop by 15 percent in third quarter: Report

    iPhone sales drop by 15 percent in third quarter: Report

    iPhone sales have seen a decline in the second quarter of 2019, according to research provided by IHS Markit. The study further notes that shipments will continue to drop, primarily due to high prices.

    Apple sold 35.3 million iPhones in the last quarter, down by 15 percent year-over-year and 19 percent quarter-over-quarter. The company was able to sell 43.8 million units in Q1 2019, while shipments reached 41.3 million units in the second quarter of 2018.

    “Apple continues to face challenges in terms of unit shipments—a trend that is unlikely to be fixed soon. Apple shipped 35.3 million iPhones in the second quarter, down 14.6 percent from 41.3 million units one year ago” explained IHS Markit

    Samsung retained the top spot, which sold 75.1 million units in Q2 2019, an increase of 6 percent compared to the same quarter a year ago. Huawei remained the runner up despite the challenges imposed by the US government ban.

    The Chinese brand sold 58.7 million units in the second quarter of this year, which is a 1 percent drop from the previous quarter. That said, it’s still an 8 percent increase from the 54.2 million units it shipped in the Q2 2018.

    According to IHS Markit, one of the main reasons for iPhones sales going down is the price.

    “Apple continues to be more aggressive with its promotional activities, but still faces two key challenges: super-premium pricing for its latest models and insufficient price elasticity in its older models to drive significant additional shipments of two-to-three-year-old devices,” IHS Markit further explains in a statement obtained by 9to5mac.

    Apple is widely expected to introduce three new iPhones next month, while sales of Apple’s 2019 iPhone range is expected to begin by the end of September.

  • Apple reportedly working on a foldable iPhone

    Apple reportedly working on a foldable iPhone

    UBS has claimed in an investor note that Apple is reportedly working on folding devices. The report indicates that a folding iPhone is already in the works, but Apple might initially launch a folding iPad. Additionally, the report notes that a folding device from Apple is more likely to release in 2021, but it could also arrive early in 2020.

    According to UBS, Samsung dominates intellectual property filings for folding display and device technologies. However, Apple has been continuously working on the technology for folding display. UBS added that Apple might launch a folding device as early as next year, though 2021 seems more likely for now. Furthermore, UBS suggests that Apple’s first folding device will more likely be an iPad than the iPhone.

    The report, however, notes that pricing would be a significant hurdle which shouldn’t come as a surprise. Customers are willing to shell out a little extra for folding devices, but not the outrageous $2000 price tag of the Samsung Galaxy Fold.

    “The survey indicates greater willingness to pay a premium ($600) and generally higher interest among Apple buyers for foldable products. This suggests that the industry will need to work to reduce costs for foldable mobile devices further to take off as a products category,” said UBS.

    UBS also indicates that the concept of a folding phone held a much higher appeal for more than a third of customers. That said, Apple will likely adopt a different approach than Samsung. The Korean brand didn’t have the start they might’ve have hoped for with the launch of the Galaxy Fold.

    The device was earlier set for a release in April; however, the launch was pushed back due to screen issues found by reviewers. Samsung now claims it has fixed such problems and announced the handset would go on sale in September.

  • Apple faces another lawsuit over slowing down iPhones

    Apple faces another lawsuit over slowing down iPhones

    It appears the iPhone slowdown saga won’t come to an end, as Apple is being sued again for slowing down iPhones unethically, so to speak. In the lawsuit filed in Northern California, a group of 18 individuals have taken the company to the federal court.

    The plaintiffs claim that Apple is apparently responsible for ‘one of the largest consumer frauds history’, as the company intentionally slowed down iPhones starting January 2017.

    In late 2017, Apple admitted that it rolled out software tweaks in an iOS update in order to handle battery degradation issues. Shortly after, the company announced a discounted battery replacement program and shipped more iOS updates that showed battery health of every iPhone.

    That said, the new lawsuit alleges that Apple did so only to make money, as it forced many customers to purchase new iPhones because of performance issues.

    “While Plaintiffs and the class need not attribute any motive behind Apple’s intentional degradation of the Devices, it is evident that Apple continued to do so for the simple reason most frauds are committed: money,” the lawsuit states according to documents obtained by MacRumors.

    “Although technically complex in part, the scheme was logical and simple: The Devices were designed defectively, and Apple released software updates to conceal the Defects, all the while exacerbating the effects of the Defects – principally decreased performance – so that Device users had no choice but to purchase new batteries or upgrade their Devices, resulting in additional payments to Apple and a sustained (albeit forced) customer base.”

    Apple is yet to offer any statement on this new lawsuit. Sources, however, indicate that the company is currently involved in nearly 60 similar class action lawsuits internationally. Hence, it could take a while before we could arrive at a conclusion for all them.

  • Google finds major iPhone text bomb that bricks the device

    Google finds major iPhone text bomb that bricks the device

    A serious iPhone text bomb has now been discovered which can only be fixed with a full device wipe. Google’s Project Zero found this critical bug, who’ve also reported about other major issues of products from different companies.

    Google found the bug in April this year. However, as per the group’s policy, a public disclosure is only allowed if Apple fixes the bug or after 90 days since informing them of the vulnerability. As expected, Apple rolled out a fix for the same in iOS 12.3. Hence, all details about this issue are now disclosed to the public, such as steps to reproduce the bug.

    Google’s Project Zero team found that sending a malformed iMesage to a Mac or an iPhone causes several issues on these devices. For instance, a malicoius message receieved on the Mac can crash the soagent, however, users can recover by relaunching the service.

    Bug causes Springboard to crash on an iPhone

    Things, however, go up a notch on the iPhone as the bug causes the Springboard to crash and then fails to reload. Even rebooting doesn’t help in this case, as the bug reappears after unlocking the iPhone.

    Google explained the only way to rectify the issue is to wipe the device completely with Find my iPhone, put it in recovery mode and update via iTunes. However, in case of a device where iMessage is disabled, it will not be affected.

    As already mentioned, Apple shipped a fix for this issue in iOS 12.3. Hence, all users are advised to update their iPhones or iPads as soon as possible to ensure they are safe. Also, users are recommended to activate the automatic software update in iOS 12 in order to be not impacted by such issues. Tu tuen on automatic update in iOS 12, Just head over to Settings, then navigate to the General Section, and select the software update option.

  • Apple reportedly prepping a cheaper iPhone for the Chinese market

    Apple reportedly prepping a cheaper iPhone for the Chinese market

    Apple is expected to announce its 2019 iPhone-lineup in September. And just like last year, the Cupertino giant is said to announce three iPhone models this year as well. These will be direct successors to the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. That said, a new report has emerged which indicates that Apple could add a cheaper iPhone model to the lineup.

    However, this particular affordable model will lack features such as FaceID, given that facial recognition is one of the more expensive parts of a handset. Instead, this model could mark the return of Touch ID with a fingerprint sensor. That said, the cited source also suggests that Apple is working on two options for the Touch ID. One of them being the addition of TouchID on the back of iPhone, just like you’d find on Android devices. The other being placing the fingerprint reader under the screen.

    Cheap iPhone Only for China

    The report further adds that this more affordable iPhone model would be specifically aimed at the Chinese market. Now, this essentially means that this particular model with TouchID and no FaceID won’t be available anywhere else.

    The reason being that Apple wants to handle the increasing popularity of cheaper handsets in China to compete against likes of Huawei, Xiaomi, and more. In markets like China and India, cheap Android alternatives keep popping up every day featuring bezel-less screens, more RAM and storage, and cameras with multiple lenses. Hence, in order to tackle the popularity of cheap Android alternatives, Apple needs to develop budget iPhone models for these markets.

    That said, we’d take this infirmation with a pinch of salt as Apple has traditionally never compromised on features to bolster iPhone popularity and demand. Only time will tell whether this report turns out to be accurate.

    As per earlier reports, Apple is widely expected to introduce three iPhone models this year as well. These are said to be the iPhone XI, iPhone XI Max, and iPhone XIR. Key sources also indicate that Apple’s 2019 iPhone-lineup will be the last generation to include an LCD model, as Apple plans to switch to OLED screens entirely from 2020 onwards.

  • CAD renders of Apple’s 2019 iPhone range allegedly leaked

    CAD renders of Apple’s 2019 iPhone range allegedly leaked

    A bunch of CAD renders claiming to be of Apple’s next-gen iPhone models slated for a launch in September have been spotted on the web. These CAD renders give us an early idea as to what Apple’s next gen iPhones could look like.

    The latest CAD renders show all three iPhone models slated for a release in 2019. These include the iPhone XI, iPhone XI Max, and iPhone XIR. The leak nicely falls in line with earlier rumors about Apple’s next iPhone. For instance, all three iPhone models are said to sport a square camera bump on the rear. The iPhone XI and iPhone XI Max are said to feature three rear rear cameras, up from dual lens cameras found on current-gen iPhone XS and XS Max. Meanwhile, the iPhone XIR is expected to boast dual-rear cameras, as opposed to a single-lens primary camera found on the current iPhone XR.

    Moving on to the front, the latest renders show a similar notch found on the iPhone X and iPhone XS, so there aren’t many changes on the handset’s front. Apart from the sqaure camera bump on the back, the next-gen iPhone range will look much like their predecessors, a design inspired by the iPhone X.

    Rumor also has it that Apple might ditch Ligtning for USB-C, however, these CAD renders do not offer any information about the connector Apple will use in next-generation iPhones. Both USB-C and Lightning connectors are similar in size, and the angles shown in these CAD renders do not reveal whether Apple has made the switch to USB-C.

    Key sources also indicate that Apple’s 2019 iPhone-lineup will be the last generation to include an LCD model, as Apple plans to switch to OLED screens entirely from 2020 onwards.

    More leaks about Apple’s 2019 iPhone -lineup are likely to surface as we near the official release. We’ll update you as soon as we hear anything new. Until then, keep checking back for more.

  • Cellebrite claims its hacking tools can bypass any iPhone or iPad

    Cellebrite claims its hacking tools can bypass any iPhone or iPad

    Israeli forensics company Cellebrite claims its hacking tools can break into any iPhone or iPad. The company also adds that devices running the latest version of iOS can be broken into.

    Cellebrite recently announced that it has ability to perform a ‘full system extraction on any iOS device’, and notably, its services are for sale, though only to law enforcement agencies.

    In case you didn’t know, Cellebrite is a well-known Israeli security company whose expertise was used by the FBI in 2016 in order to crack into the iPhone 5c belonging to San Bernardino killer Syed Rizwan Farook. And the company’s latest product, called UEFD Premium, can nullify any and all passcodes on an iOS device to unlock them. The company also brags that its newest product can even unlock iPhones and iPads running latest iOS 12.3.

    However, the good news is that Cellebrite promised its hacking devices are specifically designed for law enforcement agencies. The company explains that agencies can use its tools to unlock devices belonging to a suspect who is unwilling to provide his passcode or biometric authentication.

    Besides, Celleibrite also stated that its tools require you to physically have possession of the iPhone or iPad, if you want to use its brute force methods to hack into smartphones and tablets. Additionally, the Israeli-company also claims it performs proper security checks to determine whether its hacking tools fall in the right hands.

    That said, despite all the security measures, there’s always a risk that these hacking tools could fall into the wrong hands. Not to mention, some of Cellebrite’s iPhone hacking tools have been found listed on eBay for as little as $100. Besides iOS devices, Cellebrite also claims its hacking tools can infiltrate Android devices from Samsung, Motorola, Huawei, and Xiaomi.

  • Apple to launch three new iPhone models in 2019: Report

    Apple to launch three new iPhone models in 2019: Report

    Apple reportedly plans to release three new iPhone models in 2019. These will include the successor to the iPhone XR, while the other two will also be direct successors to the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.

    According to a report by Wall Street Journal, Apple plans to stick with last year’s trend and launch three iPhone models this year as well. All three models will be direct successors to the current-gen iPhone lineup.

    However, the report notes that top-end iPhone model will feature a triple rear camera setup, while the other will have dual rear cameras. The report further adds that the company will stick with LCD screens for the iPhone XR successor.

    However, come 2020, the report notes that Apple plans to ditch LCD panels entirely. Apart from this, not much is known about Apple’s future plans, but they better be good as current iPhone models aren’t selling like hot cakes like past iPhone models. For one, we can blame the atrocious price tag. Besides, customers still prefer older iPhone models in several markets.

    Over the past few months, key sources have also claimed that Apple has had to cut down production orders for its 2018 iPhone lineup due to sluggish demand. Sale of iPhone units falling short of expectations has always been rumored shortly after their official release in September 2018. Apple CEO, Tim Cook, also admitted they have had a severe blow because of weakening sales in China, which has traditionally been one of the biggest overseas market of Apple iPhone after the US.

  • WhatsApp starts testing new features for iOS

    WhatsApp starts testing new features for iOS

    Popular IM app WhatsApp has reportedly started testing several new features for iOS. A recent beta build of the app gives us an idea of what new features are arriving for iPhones.

    According to a report by WABetaInfo, these new features and improvements are a part of beta build 2.19.10.21. The build includes a new feature that allows users to add stickers in images, further adds the report.

    The upcoming WhatsApp update should allow iPhone users to edit a sent image by adding a drawing or emoji. Besides, starting with this update, sticker support will arrive on iOS for additional customization options.

    whatsapp update

    Another handy addtion is the private reply option in group chats, somethig similar we’ve seen in Android beta builds of the app. With this functionality, users can tap on a messsage from a particluar contact in a group and then choose to reply privately. A private chat window pops up and the message you chose is highlighted so users know from where the conversation started.

    The upcoming WhatsApp update will also bring improved 3D Touch support for iPhones, making it possible for users to peek and pop messages in the Status section.

    That said, there’s np specifc timeline as to when the update will be available for everyone. However, given that beta testing has already begun, it’s safe to assume that it wouldn’t take too long before the rollout begins.