Tag: iphone

Merging 3.5mm audio jack with the lightning port could be a disaster in iPhone 7

The internet world is on fire with the rumors of Apple giving away the headphone jack to create a thinner version of iPhone 7. There are already many news in the media about Apple filing a patent for a headphone jack that is D-shaped. Also, there have also been rumors surrounding a lightning connector that serves the dual purpose of being used for charging as well as serving as a headphone jack.

Apple giving away its 3.5mm jack

With the growth in the trend of using Bluetooth headphones these days, the change in the headphone jacks would impact quite a few users. The thickness of the current iPhone 6s is 7.1mm.The 3.5mm headphone jack would be too round if Apple plans to bring down the thickness of its upcoming model.

Image Credit: Buamdesign

Surprisingly, Apple is planning to ditch its 60-year-old innovation. The next generation device of Apple, iPhone 7, would be thinner than the current model by 1mm. The super slim design of the anticipated iPhone 7 would require Apple to get rid of its 3.5mm headphone jack. The rumors surrounding the use of a multipurpose lightning slot as a charger as well as a headphone port have already triggered anger amongst Apple users. There are also reports stating that Apple may start selling a converter that would let the users plug in their old headphones into their newer devices.

The latest smartphone from Apple, the iPhone 6s, is 7.1mm thick and features a jack of 3.5mm. Apple plans to reduce the device’s size by 1mm in its upcoming model by avoiding this jack. This change would also imply to those stereo headphones that are larger and those, that run on an internal battery would be able to draw power from the iPhone and other devices. Less signal interference or crosstalk would be experienced with the use of lightning-based headphones.

Third party manufacturers already sell lightning-connected earphones. Apple would want to monopolize the market by launching its accessory for its upcoming device. The company has the record of previously ditching its software and hardware support once they were believed to be obsolete.

Apple has plans to release Ear pods that are lightning-equipped. They may be included along with the accessories being offered with iPhone 7. It would also be sold separately for using with other iOS devices. If this rumor turns out to be true, this decision by the company for using a single port for charging as well as for audio output will trigger a controversy.

Ditching the 3.5mm jack would mean killing its history of 60 years

Killing the iPhone headphone jack in its upcoming new model would imply that the company is planning to ditch its history of 60 years. In the pursuit of thinness, the company is planning to lose its history. The 3.5mm jack has been there for as long as the transistor radio (which was developed during the mid-1950’s). Apple previously ditched its 30-pin connector in 2012 to bring in its the then brand new lightning plug. That shift resulted in the old charging cables not working with the new device and triggered anger among the iPhone users.

The change that is being planned by Apple with its upcoming device may also trigger the same response. Running audio through the same port as lightning implies that the users may have to purchase new headphones. Once the new device is out, we would be aware of Apple NIL the actual changes in its latest device that has already managed to create headlines.

Cover Image: Gigaom

December 12, 2015
10 things an Android fan would say about Your iPhone

Yesterday I posted up an article listing 10 things you’d expect to hear from an Apple fan about Android devices. Today I thought Id turn the tables and list the kind of things the Android user base would say about iPhones.

The software has no customization options

Android users seem to constantly praise the amount of customization options available to them, whilst the iPhone in comparison is left with very little flexibility in this area. It’s very true that Android has always been the more customizable operating system, but sometimes having a single, solid design is much easier and quicker, especially when you just want something to work for the sake of functionality.

iPhones are too expensive

Brand new iPhones are expensive – there is no denying that. If you were to look at the top high-end Android smartphones the pricing wouldn’t be that different. Manufacturers like Samsung often sell their latest flagship Android smartphones for very similar prices to new iPhones. If you want to pay less for a smartphone, then you’re going to be sacrificing on quality somewhere. With that being said, it is practically impossible to get a cheap iPhone unless you buy second hand.

There’s no variety – they all look the same

Because of the huge number of manufacturers working to produce Android smartphones, there is always a huge variety of new smartphones on the market every year. Compare it to the iPhone ecosystem and you’ll notice that Apple has a lot less to offer in comparison. Sometimes simplicity is the best way to be though. This year we’re expecting to see the iPhone 6S, the 6S Plus and the 6C and that’s more than enough variety for some people.

Only being able to install from the iTunes App store sucks

On Android, you can install apps from the internet, whilst non-jailbroken iPhones can only have their apps installed from the iTunes store. Yes, iPhone users may be missing out on some applications, but being limited to the iTunes store offers a great degree of security. iOS applications have to go through a screening process before they even get uploaded to the app store.

Having no microSD storage must be a pain

Being able to add extra storage on the fly via a microSD storage card does sound like a nice commodity but in 2015 finding a flagship Android smartphone with this feature is becoming harder to do. More manufacturers are dropping microSD compatibility to make room for more internal hardware, and to make up for that, internal storage is usually increased to up to 128GB. 128GB is more than enough storage for most smartphone users.

iPhones have worse internal hardware

Comparing the iPhone 6’s specs with the Galaxy S5’s specs on paper will make it sound like the S5 is far superior to the iPhone 6.

The iPhone 6 comes with a Dual-core 1.4 GHz processor and 1GB of RAM whilst the S5 comes with a quad-core 2.5GHz processor and 2GB of RAM. It’s clear to see which one sounds better, but performance tests show that both devices perform equally well. This is mainly to do with how the operating system is compiled on iPhones – iOS has been optimized a lot more.

iPhones have smaller batteries

Here’s another area where the paper stats are different to real life results. The iPhone 6 has a 1,810mAh battery whilst the Galaxy S5 has a 2,800mAh battery. Does this mean the S5 has a considerably longer battery life? Perhaps, but it’s not as huge as the numbers would make you think. Less powerful hardware means less of a strain on battery life.

Personalizing your iPhone is practically impossible

Making your own iPhone truly feel like your own, the personal device is apparently impossible as far as some Android owners are concerned. With iOS 8, you can install your own keyboard, set up different personal settings and if you want to take it a step further, jailbreaking your iPhone opens up new opportunities for personalization.

Apple Maps is terrible

Well … Okay, this is true. Apple Maps just doesn’t quite cut it. Fortunately, Google Maps can be picked up on iOS too – it’s certainly not exclusive to Android devices.

iPhones Break Easily

It’s not that iPhones break easily, but it could be argued that they break easier. If you’re going to be dropping your caseless smartphone from head height anytime soon, you may want to stick to an Android phone. I’ll leave the video to do the talking.

Image credit: Samsung.com; Devianart, Bleson

August 18, 2015
How to transform your iphone into a cool iPhone Desktop phone?

Desktop phone is one such product that never can be replaced with any technology. But yes, if you wish to transform your simple iphone into a cool iPhone Desktop phone then it is really easy and you can do it quite efficiently without any problem. So, you can use your iphone while at home or in office just like your desktop phone. You just need to purchase an iPhone desktop handset and this handy device will transform your iPhone into a comfortable handset. You can use your transformed desktop phone to enjoy the hand free, feature navigation, and enjoy the calls. So, you can use different applications, send emails, and browse the internet as well as enjoy the chatting with your family and friends.

For transforming your iphone into a cool iPhone Desktop phone, you need to place your iphone above the stand and plug in the headphone jack into the headset. The headset works on charging so you can use the wall socket to charge your handset. Moreover, if you are unable to find a wall socket nearby then just use your computer USB port to charge the handset. The iPhone desktop handset has been produced from anodized aluminum and it contains four silicon non-slip pads fixed on the underside of the phone. You can place your smartphone vertically or horizontally according to your ease and enjoy the new transformed desktop handset.

The importance of desktop phone can never been neglected for a business concern and even in the era of high technological devices, it is necessary for business personnel to have a desktop phone. There are many companies out there with smart accessories to transform your iphone into a desktop phone. With the help of these accessories, you can transform your smartphone into a cool iPhone Desktop phone within minutes.

Moreover, you can enjoy the most innovative business applications like facetime or skype while sitting before your new transformed desktop phone and you don’t need to turn on your computer for this purpose. It will help you to minimize the operating cost as well as enjoy the increased advantage of uninterrupted communication. Now, you don’t need to send an application for a landline and don’t wait for the service.

Just explore the market to purchase an iPhone desktop handset and convert your smartphone into an attractive and cool iPhone Desktop phone. It is easy to receive calls on this transformed desktop phone and you just need to pick up your conventional handset or through the iPhone. So, the conclude the features of iphone desktop phone, you can list first of all the transformation from an iPhone into a corded desktop phone, enjoy the hands free, can be used as speaker dock, you don’t need batteries and it is compatible with all iPhone or iPods.

June 15, 2015
Diversity: Amazing iPhones Cases

From a living cell to a developed organism, everything in this world has a diversity. So, iPhone cases have also adapted themselves to this diversity. Not only they protect your iPhone now but also show some unique features. Here are some:

Weird: They seem mutated and may change the expression of some people.

Multitasking: Who doesn’t like to have a multitask tool?!

Artist: They might catch your eye!

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December 8, 2013
5 Apps that has been redesigned to use Apple’s new 64-bit processor

Apple released the new iDevice few days ago, and it does power some unique technology that could be sought to the mainstream cautiously by Apple once again. The new iPhone 5S is packed with two amazing features – “fingerprint ID scanner” and world’s first “64-bit A7 CPU” on the smartphone.

While most of the people won’t see any visible benefits of the new CPU, but it can certainly improve the performance by distributing the application thresholds efficiently. There is only a handful of applications that benefits from the 64-bit architecture of the processor.

See Also: Apple announced iPhone 5S, Is it better than iPhone 5? [Specs]

Apple is pretty confident about the performance of their new CPU which is complemented with their new M7 sensor — together performs all the magic we see on the iPhone. Apparently we got to know that Apple’s A7 64-bit processor was actually manufactured by the furious rival “Samsung”.

See Also: Apple A7 64bit chip was actually built by Samsung

The new iPhone 5S features cortex A7 64-bit chip, which is claimed to be twice as fast as the previous generation of the gadget. Apple attached a new sensor to the device – “motion coprocessor,” that determines whether the owner of the device is stationary or in motion (like walking, driving, sprinting etc.), which could be very useful for the app developers.

So, which of the top apps really benefited from the Apple’s new CPU? We have a small list of random ones here:

1. Infinity Blade III ($4.99)

Infinity Blade III is one of the most loved games on the iPhone, and the latest release looks incredible on an iPhone 5S. The game now has full-screen anti-aliasing, full-screen vignettes, high-resolution shadows, and environmental reflections. The developers made a few other improvements to cut down on loading times, too.

2. 123D creature show

With 123D Creature Show, also made by graphics powerhouse Autodesk, you can take 3D models of, well, various creatures and pose them on top of your own photos. The app uses the A7 processor as if it were a chip inside a full desktop workstation rather than a mobile phone to pull off some pretty complex posing and deformation calculations.

3. Total Conquest

Gameloft’s Total Conquest is a social strategy game about the Roman Empire, and it’s been updated to make use of the 64-bit power of the A7 for graphics. A fire effect in battle mode has been enhanced, for example, and you’ll find some animated semi-transparent clouds that you can move through as you zoom in and out.

4. Pixlr Express Plus

Count on Autodesk (known for its professional-grade software applications in design and graphic arts) to make use of the A7 processor with an image editing app. Pixlr Express Plus lets you edit images right on your phone but with tools that make the experience comparable to using a desktop application. The number of editing tools is remarkable, and the precision with which they work is astounding. There are simple buttons for whitening teeth and removing red-eye, but the most exciting ones can balance colours or lighter areas of an image that were cast in shadow. Very cool.

5. djay 2 for iPhone ($1.99)

The next generation of the world’s best-selling iOS DJ software and winner of the Apple Design Award has been redesigned from the ground up to match the iPhone 5S standards. The app has been optimized for the new A7 processor on iPhone 5S, fully leveraging the new 64-bit architecture.

October 5, 2013
5 things you should do to improve your iOS7’s battery life

Apple’s new iOS 7 was released publicly few weeks ago, but it has been a tremendous pain if we count it in the discussion of battery performance.

There’s no doubt iOS 7 is an amazing improvement over its predecessors by offering fabulous features and crazy new options to interact with the device. New gesture based techniques and wireless data transfer mechanism keep us stunned every time we use them.

No matter how much if hate it for few things that went wrong, you still don’t want to go back to the same old chunky, fat and boring OS that has been exactly the same since the beginning.

See Also: 5 things about iOS7 that you’ll hate and how to fix them

So, what actually making the iOS 7 ‘wanna’ go back to the iOS 6.1? You guessed it! As discovered by Ars Technica, iOS 7 kills battery life faster than iOS 6.1 on every device you can use it on. Here are some tips to keep you happy.

1. Turn Off Parallax and motion

Do you love your new iOS 7 right? It got all those funky moves and 3D user interface that gives you a new feel and for the first time a new environment to work upon. But, these effects and animations sucks juice from your battery. We don’t actually need to turn it off completely, but you can reduce the effects to minimize the parallax usage.

Go To Settings > General > Accessibility > Toggle Reduce Motion.

It will stop the parallax effect, and you will notice some minor battery improvements.

If you have noticed, the new moving backgrounds that iOS 7 offers are super cool, but they will totally kill your battery. To change your iPhone’s wallpaper, just

Go to Settings > then Wallpapers & Brightness. Try out one of the beautiful new static wallpapers or use a photo of your own.

2. Tell iOS 7 exactly what to index for spotlight

iOS 7 enables users to search for anything from the home screen of your phone, with the new gesture-enabled “spotlight” feature. As the name suggests, the spotlight can help you search pretty much every part of your phone, from notes to music, to mail by simply activating it from the pull-down gesture on your home screen. Convenient right? but, it sucks battery because searching and indexing data requires high processing power, and thus reducing the battery juice.

So, what really you can do to minimize this? Fortunately, you can change exactly what Spotlight looks in when you use it for search.

Go to Settings > General > Spotlight Search

You can specify what you want to index and search for.

3.Turn Off Bluetooth, Airdrop and WiFi whenever not in use

It is a general suggestion to turn off your Bluetooth, WiFi, and other non-frequent mobile modules to save some battery juice. You can keep these features turned off when not in use – and yes, you can live with it.

iOS 7 also introduced a new Airdrop feature that allows you to quickly and easily share files with your friends’ iPhone. This is only available for iPhone 5 and newer. It is a great feature, but you don’t need to keep it on when you’re not using it. It’s not like the girl sitting beside you in a public transport is going to share some awesome shots with you. Just, minimize the chances of sharing unwanted stuff and still keeping your phone battery up to the par by simply turning it off when not in use.

If you are a lazy one, Apple has introduced a new Control Center that you can activate by simply applying the “pull up” gesture from the bottom of your screen. It has most basic functions listed to be toggled, with ease.

4.Turn you brightness down and disable Auto Downloads

This is a classic way to save battery life, and it’s been made even easier with iOS 7. Instead of going through Settings to get to your brightness, you can change your screen’s brightness from the Control Center. Just pull up from the bottom of any screen.

Your iPhone now downloads app updates from the App Store automatically, draining your battery. This feature also automatically downloads purchases from iTunes and the App Store you’ve made on different devices to your iPhone, which you may not want. To stop this and just update your apps and music manually:

Go to Settings > iTunes & App Store > and scroll to Automatic Downloads. There you can turn Automatic Downloads off for music, apps and books.

5. Turn Off Frequent Locations

Your iOS 7 powered device now tracks your every move to “provide locations related information.” It might be useful for some, but I always prefer to minimize the tracking events by my digital devices. I am sure most of the DigitFreak followers believes the same.

Tracking your device and location, drains the battery and yet it is not very much beneficial for you unless you are a sole traveler and are really keen to know your history of daily activities.

Go to Settings > Privacy > then Location Services. There, scroll all the way to the bottom and hit System Services.

There you can also turn off Location Based iAds (ads from Apple based on your frequent locations). Then go to Frequent Locations and turn that off, too.

October 2, 2013