Articles about Apple

After years of avoiding getting in on the Black Friday action, 2016 sees Apple finally letting its hair down and joining in with everyone else. Earlier in the week we learned that there were some treats in store, and today we can reveal what they are.

If you were hoping to save some money on a new MacBook Pro (2016) or to bag yourself a cheap iPhone, you're going to be disappointed. Apple is not offering any Black Friday discounts whatsoever; instead the company is giving away gift cards worth up to $150 with every order placed. So here's the lowdown.

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Apple is planning some Black Friday offers, but if you’re looking to get a good deal on a new MacBook Pro (2016), you’re probably going to be very disappointed.

However, UK retailer Argos has the deal of the century on the new MacBook Pro with TouchBar -- it’s currently offering it for just £100 ($124) -- a significant saving over the recommended price of £1,449. And if that’s still a bit rich for you, there are credit options available.

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The recently unveiled MacBook Pro (2016) complete with its Touch Bar has been praised and criticized in just about equal measure. One of the biggest criticisms levelled at Apple is that RAM is limited to 16GB. Why such a cap on a professional device?

Apple has revealed that the reason for the limit is nothing to do with -- as some may have suspected -- keeping costs down (as if!), but rather due to concerns about battery life. The reasoning may be fairly sound, but the full explanation may not be enough to silence critics completely.

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Black Friday is mere days away, and shoppers are preparing to hit the streets and online stores. Big names like Microsoft have already revealed some of the bargains you can snap up, and this year Apple is getting in on the action too.

Apple has traditionally turned its nose up at Black Friday, but the lure of shifting a few extra units by lopping off a few dollars seems to have been too great this year. The company's Black Friday special offer site is up and running, but it's a bit of a tease at the moment.

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Apple's AirPort wireless routers are iconic -- well designed aesthetically, while being rock solid from a performance standpoint. The company even took an odd approach to management -- an app that was only available for macOS, iOS, and Windows. In other words, it did not use a browser-based web interface like routers from other companies.

The routers' lack of a web UI meant that it could not be managed from Linux-based operating systems. If you owned an Android device, Chromebook, or PC running Ubuntu, you could not change the AirPort settings. Some would argue that a lack of web interface made it more secure, but ultimately, it was a bit of an inconvenience. Linux users no longer have to worry about this snag, however, as -- according to Bloomberg -- Apple is reportedly stopping development of new AirPort routers.

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Apple has launched its second repair program in quick succession, this time focusing on iPhone 6s handsets that suffer unexpected shutdowns. The program will see batteries replaced in a number of affected phones.

The battery replacement program comes hot on the heels of a repair program for iPhone 6Plus handsets afflicted with 'touch disease'. Apple stresses that the battery problems are not a safety issue such as seen with the Samsung Galaxy Note7, and advises customers with problematic handsets how to get a repair.

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The iPhone 6 Plus' so-called "touch disease" has been known about for some time now, but Apple has only just got around to launching a repair program -- the Multi-Touch Repair Program for iPhone 6 Plus.

But in addition to taking its sweet time in getting round to addressing the issue, Apple is set to upset large number of users by charging them $149 for the privilege.

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iCloud is hardly the finest example of secure cloud storage, as numerous hacked celebrities will attest. So it is perhaps a little concerning to learn that Apple is -- according to a Russian security firm -- storing months of call logs to iCloud without many users being aware of what’s going on.

Elcomsoft, which specializes in cracking software, discovered that if you are an iPhone owner with an active iCloud account, four months' worth of your phone calls have been stored online. Many people will see this as a privacy concern but, worryingly, Apple does not provide a way to disable call log syncing.

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Apple is obsessed with making its products smaller and lighter -- and this shows with the latest-generation MacBook Pro. Both the 13-inch and 15-inch models are more portable than their predecessors, making the prosumer line a much better choice for road warriors. But, knowing that Apple does not always give without taking away, what is the catch?

Well, in the quest to improve the new MacBook Pro line, Apple has made them harder to repair and upgrade. The company is not renowned for making laptops that are easy to service, but with the 2016 MacBook Pro line it is taking things to the next level.

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Last month, Apple unveiled new MacBook Pro laptops. While the machines were undoubtedly great, their prices were very high -- even for Apple. Despite the cost, they are apparently flying off virtual shelves, as shipping dates are now in late December. In other words, price be damned, people will buy what they want, and they are willing to splurge on quality. The old adage of "you get what you pay for" is sometimes quite true.

Today, Apple announces a hardcover book called "Designed by Apple in California". It is a paper book comprised of high-quality photographs of the company's products. There are two sizes being offered, with the smaller (10.20" x 12.75") costing $200 and the larger (13" x 16.25") costing $300. Are those prices high? Yes. Is Apple crazy to ask that much? Nope. In fact, the company is wise to set a high price, as it sets the value and desirability at a high level.

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With the latest-generation MacBook Pro, Apple made a giant leap forward and fully-embraced USB Type-C. It went so far as to drop all other ports on its new prosumer-oriented laptops, even if the consumer market is not ready for it. The end result is that, if you want to use your existing peripherals and accessories, you will need (quite) a few dongles.

And this creates a problem. The new MacBook Pro does not come with any dongles in the box, so you will have to buy them yourself. This has angered quite a few prospective buyers, so, to make up for it, Apple has decided to do something it rarely does -- cut prices.

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Windows does not seem to have a future in the smartphone market, as the vast majority of consumers opt for either Android or iPhone. It is a sad state of affairs, but there is little that Microsoft and its partners can do now to turn things around. Judging by the software giant's most-recent press events, it seems that it has stopped trying to compete.

And this is reflected in the latest quarterly figures from Strategy Analytics. The report, which analyzes smartphone shipments in Q3 2016, puts Windows under the "Others" category, a place reserved for the least-popular platforms that only a handful of consumers are invested in.

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Apple's latest MacBook Pro is a connectivity nightmare. If you opt for the base 13-inch model you only get two USB Type-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports -- but when you charge it you can only use one. The pricier models do feature twice as many ports but, regardless, you still need to buy a bunch of dongles to use your existing devices with it -- or replace them with new ones.

However, if you are in the market for a new MacBook Pro your options are not as limited as they seem, as OWC just unveiled a 13-port hub -- called Thunderbolt 3 Dock -- that lets you use all of your peripherals and accessories with the new laptop. Let's take a look at what it includes.

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Last Wednesday, Microsoft revealed, among other things, an updated Surface Book. The following day, Apple introduced a new MacBook Pro. Both devices look great, sport powerful innards and come with a suitably high price tag.

Which you go for will likely depend on whether you’re a fan of Microsoft or Apple, but if you’re not firmly entrenched in either camp, and need a little guidance to decide which laptop to go for, here are all the details you need.

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The latest addition to the MacBook Pro range has seen Apple heaped with praise -- for the most part. While the reception has been largely positive, there have been pockets of criticism.

One thing for which the late-2016 MacBook Pro has been mocked is its lack of an SD card reader. Some critics have said that the absence of such a port means the laptop is not worthy of its 'professional' tag. Razer, the company behind high-end gaming laptops, today took to Twitter to take a swipe at Apple with a taunt that raised eyebrows and caused a degree of offense.

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