Items tagged with iphone 6s
Friendly reminder that if you were planning to participate in a proposed $500 million settlement with Apple over reduced iPhone performance, you now have less than a week to do it. The deadline to submit a claim (or multiple claims, depending on your situation) is next Tuesday, October 6. Any claims received after that date will not be eligible for any benefits under this particular settlement. The settlement stems from what has been unofficially referred to as "throttlegate," in reference to the discovery that Apple was slowing down the processor on some iPhone handsets with older batteries. If taking Apple at its word, this was intended to "deliver the best experience for customers." Here is...
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The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s are old devices now, but there are a lot of people out there who are still using them -- and Apple was still producing the smartphones as of August 2019. For those who have an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6s that is now failing to power on despite your best efforts, Apple may fix your device at no cost. Apple says that it has determined that some iPhone 6 and 6s devices may not power on due to a component failure, and the issue affects a "limited serial number range," according to Apple. All affected devices were built between October 2018 and August of 2019. Owners of an iPhone 6 or 6s device that won't power-up can see if they have a device in an impacted serial number range...
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Apple has a controversy brewing on its hands, and it all started because of a reddit thread that gained traction earlier this month. One redditor complained of poor CPU performance on his iPhone 6s (which was confirmed with multiple Geekbench runs), that was magically "cured" when he installed a new battery. He along with other redditors in the thread surmised that Apple was purposefully throttling CPU performance on iPhones whose batteries had fallen below a certain threshold. Primate Labs founder John Poole (and the brains behind Geekbench) basically confirmed these initial findings with some deeper analysis of his own, concluding, "The problem is due, in part, to a change in iOS. The difference...
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It looks like the developers behind the popular cross-platform Benchmark have confirmed suspicions that many users have amassed with regards to overall system performance on "older" iPhones. Earlier this month, we reported on a link between CPU throttling on some previous generation models and iOS updates that were pushed out to address unrelated battery-life issues regarding premature shutdowns. Some users reported that replacing their old and well-worn battery with a new battery (OEM or third-party) restored overall system performance to a like-new state. It was surmised that Apple was throttling iPhones whose batteries capacities had fallen below a certain threshold in order to preserve battery...
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There is quite a controversy brewing in the Apple community today, and it is specifically related to the batteries and the performance of older iPhones. It's a given that a smartphone's battery performance will deteriorate over time, but some iPhone users are alleging that not only have their iPhones lost battery life over the years (which is to be expected), but that overall system performance has also suffered as a result. A reddit thread has popped up in which redditor TeckFire alleges that his iPhone 6 Plus had been slug-like in performance since upgrading to iOS 11. Anecdotally, iPhone users tend to complain every year when a new iOS release becomes public, alleging that Apple is purposely...
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There has been a weird bug attached the past few iPhone models in which owners of affected devices have complained that their handsets sometimes suddenly turn off for no obvious reason. Apple even opened up a battery replacement program for certain iPhone 6 models that were manufactured between September and October 2015. The company claimed that a "very small number" of devices were affected by what it deemed to be a faulty battery component, though now it is saying that installing iOS 10.2.1 can alleviate the issue. In a statement provided to TechCrunch, Apple claims the latest version of iOS contains a fix and that over half of active iOS devices have already been upgraded. Combing through...
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Late last month, Apple opened up a battery replacement program for certain iPhone 6s models that were manufactured between September and October 2015. At the time, Apple said that a "very small number" of devices were affected by an issue that would cause their smartphones to unexpectedly shutdown despite have a sufficient charge. Today, Apple is finally giving us a little bit more insight into what is actually causing the problem for customers. Since Chinese customers have complained the loudest about the issue, the statement was issued via Apple’s Chinese-language website: We found that a small number of iPhone 6s devices made in September and October 2015 contained a battery component that...
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Apple has begun providing free battery replacements to iPhone 6s owners who have been bitten by a battery bug that causes affected handsets to shut down prematurely. According to Apple, only a "very small number" of devices are affected by the issue, all of which fall within a limited serial number range and were manufactured between September and October 2015. "If you have experienced this issue, please visit an Apple Retail Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider and have your device's serial number checked to confirm eligibility for a battery replacement, free of charge.," Apple states on its website.Apple says there is no safety issue associated with the battery quirk, an important...
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Today is a brand new day, folks, and things you thought would not be possible have come to fruition. No, this isn't a political post talking about last night's presidential election (we figure you're already inundated with political chatter on your social media feeds, you don't need us adding to it). We're referring to Apple selling refurbished through its online store. Apple isn't in the habit of selling refurbished handsets and hasn't done this since the iPhone 3G. Sure, the Cupertino outfit has sold refurbished Mac systems, refurbished iPad tablets, and and refurbished accessories on occasion, all at nifty discounts and backed by the original warranty. But before now, refurbished iPhones have...
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It’s no secret that Google and Apple have a strained relationship. Late Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs once openly declared thermonuclear war on Google for "theft" when it comes to the Android operating system, but that hasn’t stopped Google from bestowing on iOS a bevy of apps. Everything from Gmail to Maps to Chrome to YouTube to Gboard (which currently is an iOS-exclusive) is available on the iPhone. This is great for people that like Google services, but prefer Apple hardware. Given this embrace of cross-platform app support on the part of Google, it should come as no shock that its Chairman, Eric Schmidt, carries around an iPhone 6s during his daily travels. He was even seen taking...
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The immediate comparisons are inevitable. Apple and Samsung are the two most dominant smartphone manufacturers in the world right now, commanding an overwhelming combined market share that dwarfs their competitors. So, when one of these mobile juggernauts releases a new flagship device, analysts, press, and consumers alike want to know how that new competitive product performs versus the other brand's current offering. The interest and buzz is logical. New doesn't always mean significantly more powerful or more innovative. Some product launches are mild refreshes, while others are major overhauls. To look at Samsung's new Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, on the surface, you might might think it's...
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Apple offered a logical explanation as to why iPhone 6 users might see the dreaded "Error 53" code on their smartphone after having an unauthorized repair person replace a defective screen, but will that explanation hold up in court? A class action lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California aims to find out. Let's back up a moment. The Error 53 code appears on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s devices that detect a change to the Touch ID sensor. It's a security feature designed to prevent unauthorized users from being able to access a person's sensitive data and to ensure that Apple Pay and other "iOS features related to Touch ID remain secure." Normally that wouldn't...
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It's another day, and that means another iPhone rumor. There's already been plenty of online chatter about one of Apple's next generation handsets, one that will bring modern hardware and amenities to customers who prefer a smaller size phone than either the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. Rumor has it the phone will be called iPhone 5se, and if the latest leaked photo turns out to be legit, it will look at lot like the iPhone 6, only smaller.The photo was posted to a Dutch-language discussion forum by user Gijs Raggers, a name that might look familiar due to past leaks. He's the same guy who uploaded photos of the first iPad Air in 2013 months before Apple officially announced the tablet, though...
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Is there anything more skittish an Apple stock holder? I'm beginning to think not. Case in point, Apple's share price is trending below $100, a mark it hasn't dipped under since last summer, and it's all because the Cupertino outfit might have cut combined iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus orders for the March quarter.The latest rumor comes from Nikkei, a major newspaper in Japan that serves millions of readers. According to the report, Apple is reducing current generation iPhone orders by 30 percent for the January to March period so that retailers can sell the inventory they already possess.Maybe that's true and maybe it isn't. Apple doesn't comment on rumors, nor does it have a history of divulging...
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Although many shrugged off Live Photos as a superfluous addition to the iPhone 6s, the small video clips are starting to gain some traction. If you need a refresher, Live Photos capture 1.5 seconds of video footage before you hit the camera shutter button and 1.5 seconds after, giving you a 3-second 960x720 video that is stored with the original 12MP image you captured. “A still photo captures an instant frozen in time,” says Apple when describing the feature. “With Live Photos, you can turn those instants into unforgettable living memories.” Just last week, Tumblr added support for Live Photos, and today, Facebook is joining the fray with support baked right into the latest incarnation of its...
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Apple's iPhone business is pretty much a license to print money, but even with record iPhone sales each quarter now the norm, the Cupertino outfit wants to see more users make the jump to its latest generation handsets. To encourage that, Apple's pushing pop-up ads in the App Store on older generation iPhones promoting the iPhone 6s. These aren't just quick pop-ups or banners, either. A user on Reddit ("evenifoutside") posted a screen grab of the full screen advertisement, which marks a first for Apple. The ad shows stock images of the "Ridiculously Powerful" iPhone 6s and serves as a wall between the user and the App Store until it's manually dismissed by tapping the Skip option in the upper...
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Feeling disappointed with the battery life of your iPhone 6s or iPhone 6 smartphone? One solution is to buy a case with an integrated battery. There's no shortage of options from third-party accessory makers, and if you listen closely, you can hear their collective groan as Apple's enters the fray with its own battery case option. Apple's new Smart Battery Case comes in Charcoal Gray or White. It's made of pliable silicone and has a soft microfiber lining on the inside to protect your iPhone. Apple claims installation is easy-cheesy thanks to a soft elastomer hinge design that won't give you fits when you put the case on or take it off.If you've ever shopped around for a third-party battery case,...
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Apple for years shunned the shift in the consumer market to larger-screened smartphones. The iPhone debuted with a 3.5-inch display in 2007, and upped the ante slightly with a 4-inch display with the 2012 debut of the iPhone 5. But Apple finally went after the bread and butter of the smartphone market (long after its Android competition had made the leap) in 2014 with the release of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. Needless to say, iPhone sales skyrocketed with these new larger-screened offerings. Not everyone was happy with Apple’s move to larger displays, however. Many of the Apple faithful clung to the iPhone 5/iPhone 5s form-factor, citing it as being absolutely perfect for...
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Ever since we first saw renders of the One A9 leak to the web, we all took notice of its similarity to the iPhone 6 (and the iPhone 6s). Some thought that the overall shape of the smartphone and the plastic antenna lines running across the back of the device bared more than a passing resemblance to the Apple’s best-selling smartphone. However, many were quick to point out that it wasn’t HTC that copied Apple — it was the other way around. HTC brought out the One (retroactively named the One M7) in 2013 which featured an aluminum unibody design and those same, thin antenna breaks in the rear of the case. So it could be said that the One A9 is simply an evolution of the One M8 and the One M9 that...
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Listen up folks, any battery life woes you might have heard about or experienced yourself with the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are exaggerated and not indicative of real-world performance. Scout's honor. How do we know that? Because Apple said so, that's how. Case closed and let's move on, right? Not so fast. Let's pull the train back in the station before heading down the tracks, shall we? It was discovered that Apple's been dual sourcing production of the custom A9 System-on-Chip (SoC) found in the latest iPhone 6s models to Samsung and TSMC. No big deal, except there are reports that TSMC's larger 104.5mm2 chip is both a little bit faster and a lot more battery efficient than Samsung's 96mm2...
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It recently came to light that the custom A9 processor Apple is using in its iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus handsets is being dual sourced from Samsung and TSMC. If that's the case, does it matter which one you get? There's evidence to suggest that it does, both in terms of raw performance and battery life.Before we get into that, let's back up a moment and look at each chip. According to the folks at Chipworks, Samsung is likely using a 14nm manufacturing process resulting in a die size that's about 10 percent smaller than the one being produced by TSMC, which is believed to be using a 16nm FinFET process."From a benchmarking point of view, the smaller die size shows a leadership in technology...
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Apple’s iPhone 6s and 6s Plus were two of the most highly anticipated smartphones to launch so far this year. The excitement surrounding Apple’s new “refresh cycle” flagships was so great that the company reported record first weekend sales, with 13 million devices finding their way to customers. However, it appears that some of those customers are having a puzzling issue with their brand new iPhones. Owners are reporting that their phones are turning off randomly when left alone — even when the smartphones have sufficient battery remaining to avoid falling into a “no power” coma. This odd behavior has been picked up by both reddit and the official Apple Support Communities. “New Phone 6s 128GB...
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