Articles about iPhone

Apple explains the battery problem leading to iPhone 6s shutdowns

Smartphone apps

It is a couple of weeks since Apple announced a battery replacement program for iPhone 6s handsets suffering with random shutdown issue. At the time, the company gave nothing away about what the root cause of the problem was, but now it has opened up.

In a posting on its Chinese website, Apple confirms that the shutdown problems were indeed related to a battery problem. Specifically, the company explains that it was "a battery component that was exposed to controlled ambient air longer than it should have been".

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99 percent of fake Apple chargers are unsafe

When the time comes to buy a charger for your Apple device, you better make sure that what you are getting is the real deal. Why? A new report from UK's Chartered Trading Standards Institute says that the vast majority of counterfeit chargers for Apple products are not safe to use.

CTSI purchased 400 fake chargers from suppliers across the globe and discovered that 397 of them -- or 99.25 percent -- fail to meet what it considers a "basic safety test". In other words, if you use one to top the battery on your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, MacBook or other Apple product you risk damaging the device -- or worse.

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A Christmas gift from SwiftKey -- free themes for iOS and Android

It's December and the season of giving and -- of course -- receiving is just around the corner. You may have written your Christmas wishlist, dropped subtle hints about what you wanted, and you're now just waiting for your desires to be fulfilled. While it's unlikely that keyboard themes and skins featured highly, SwiftKey today announced that all of its themes are now available for free.

If you've harbored a secret desire to sex up your phone's keyboard but simply couldn't justify splashing any cash on something so frivolous and, ultimately, pointless, now's your chance to skin away to your heart's content. Free SwiftKey themes for everyone!

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The 30 percent bug sees iPhone battery life dropping dramatically in iOS 10.1.1

If you've updated your iPhone to iOS 10.1.1, you may have started to feel that your battery is not lasting as long as it used to. You are not alone; you could be experiencing what has been named the 30 percent bug.

Many users are complaining that their iPhones will suddenly drop from 30 percent battery charge to 1 percent, and then shutdown. The problem does not seem to affect one particular generation of iPhone, suggesting that the issue lies with iOS itself, but at the moment Apple does not have a fix available.

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Apple's disappointing Black Friday deals -- gift cards worth up to $150 with every order

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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Satechi unveils elegant Smart Charging Stand for smartphones and wearables

Wearables are all the rage nowadays, and I expect them to be very popular holiday gifts this year. While Microsoft has killed its Band, there are still many other great options such as Apple Watch, Fitbit, and more.

Unfortunately, a smartwatch or other wearable is yet another thing to charge. As a result, many people have wires all over the place, leading to messy nightstands and kitchen counters. Luckily, a good charging station can make things much more tidy. Today, Satechi unveils its Smart Charging Stand for smartphones and wearables. This elegant product will not only reduce clutter, but offer much convenience too.

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iOS bug means glitchy videos can kill any iPhone or iPad

iPhone users are familiar with strange bugs that crop up from time to time that can, temporarily at least, kill their cell phone. We've seen specially-crafted text messages crash iPhones, and now there is a video which can render Apple smartphones useless -- until they are restarted, that is.

The video takes advantage of a bug in iOS relating to the handling of media files, and it appears to affect both iPhones and iPads. The model of phone or tablet doesn’t seem to matter, and the problem affects iOS 10 and goes back as far as iOS 5. So, if you feel like pranking a friend -- or you're just curious -- here's how to kill an iOS device.

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Apple launches battery replacement program for iPhone 6s handsets with shutdown problems

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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Apple launches costly repair program for iPhone 6 Plus 'touch disease'

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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Privacy alert -- Your iPhone is secretly sending your call history to iCloud

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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Google PhotoScan turns your smartphone into a scanner for your old photos

Despite the name, smartphones are generally used for anything but traditional phone related activities -- and one of the most popular usages of the devices is snapping photographs. But while an entire generation of photographers has grown up with digital photography, there are plenty of physical photos out there waiting to be digitized.

Google thinks it has the answer in the form of PhotoScan. The app is available for iOS and Android, and it transforms your smartphone into a scanner so you can preserve old photos. Unsurprisingly, it is packed with smarts to simplify the whole process, and it all ties in neatly with Google Photos.

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Microsoft's Windows is one of the 'other' smartphone platforms, says Strategy Analytics

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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Belkin 6,700 mAh 'Valet Charger Power Pack' charges both iPhone and Apple Watch

Having a removable battery in a smartphone can be convenient, but portable USB battery packs have made that concept obsolete. Investing in extra batteries which are designed for only one specific device can be costly and wasteful when you change phones. A USB pack can be used with many devices, making it a good investment.

Today, Belkin announces one of the most elegant such products -- especially for Apple device owners. You see, the 6,700 mAh 'Valet Charger Power Pack' can charge both iPhone and Apple Watch. In addition to a USB port, it offers wireless charging for Apple's wearable, making this an indispensable tool to keep in a bag. It does not come cheap, however.

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Facebook adds augmented reality Halloween masks to Live video plus spooky reactions

Out on the streets people may be keeping an eye open for killer clowns, but on Facebook this Halloween things are also taking a frightening turn. The social network is using this spooky time of year to introduce augmented reality masks to Live video -- with a Halloween twist, of course.

At the same time, Facebook is also adding "limited-edition" Halloween reactions. These transform the now familiar Like, Love, Haha, Wow, Sad and Angry reactions in something rather more ghoulish.

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Apple fiscal Q4 2016 by the numbers: $46.9B, $1.67 EPS

Two days before Apple's next media event, where long-overdue new laptops presumably arrive, the Cupertino, Calif.-based tech giant released fiscal fourth quarter and full-year 2016 results. You could feel the anticipation after the Bell closed on Wall Street today—and, honestly, it had been palpable for weeks. Shares closed $118.25, up .51 percent.

The drama is a TV thriller: Release of iPhone 7 and 7 Plus set against a backdrop of saturated global smartphone sales; launch of Apple Watch Series 2 into an already declining market for smart timepieces; analyst data showing calendar third quarter to again be bad for PC shipments—with even Macs losing momentum. So everyone wants to know: What was the quarter's financial crop?

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