Apple is no stranger to lawsuits. They were in a decade-long battle with Samsung that finally came to an end last month, and they've been duking it out in the courtroom with Qualcomm since last year. The more recent case has seen both companies file suits and counter-suits, but now, Qualcomm is claiming that Apple's new iPhone X infringes on patents from a long-deceased mobile operating system.
It's been a busy week for Apple. After two beta updates in one week, iOS 11.2 was released to the public around 1:30 a.m. PT on Saturday, Dec. 2. Usually, Apple releases updates around 10 a.m. PT, but this one was rushed in the wake of a huge time/date bug that was causing some iPhones to crash on Dec. 2 once 12:15 a.m. local time hit. But bug fixes aren't the only thing in this new iOS version.
The official release iOS 11.2 appears to be right around the corner. Apple seeded the sixth beta of iOS 11.2 to both developers and public testers on Friday, Dec. 1, just three days after beta 5. As with the fourth and fifth versions of the beta, no major changes are found here — but this one actually means something.
The past year brought about a number of trends in the smartphone space. More immersive displays, better processors, and portrait mode for cameras come to mind as big steps forward. One of the most polarizing trends that continued in 2017 is the removal of the 3.5 mm headphone jack from flagship phones. The number of manufacturers that have completely dispensed with wired audio is staggering, so let's run down the full list!
Samsung just announced that the Galaxy S8 is getting a fresh coat of paint, launching a burgundy red color of the flagship in their home market of Korea. There is currently little information about whether this color will come to the US for the S8, but this could be a preview of things to come. The Galaxy S9 is set to arrive in January and may also come in a beautiful red variant.
We're getting closer and closer to a final iOS 11.2 release for everyone. Apple just pushed out beta 5 for iOS 11.2 to developers and public testers on Tuesday, Nov. 28, and much like its predecessor from a few weeks ago, there's not much included but bug fixes and security patches.
The Essential Phone didn't have a hot start when it was released back in August. A delayed release, poor camera performance, and high price tag led many to avoid the otherwise well-received device. But after a few software updates and price drops, it's now a steal of a deal.
If you know your internet history, then you fondly remember the Star Wars Kid and his epic lightsaber display on YouTube. Now, many years later, everyone is following in the footsteps of the Star Wars Kid thanks to the Lenovo Mirage and the new Star Wars: Jedi Challenges app.
There are a lot of holiday tech deals starting to trickle out as Black Friday approaches. We've already rounded up some of the best deals for Android, iPhones, and headphones, but Google just dropped a big announcement for users of their Project Fi MVNO service. Now through December 17, you can earn yourself a free Moto X4 or Chromecast by referring your friends and family to Project Fi.
Apple seeded the fourth beta for iOS 11.2, just one day after releasing iOS 11.1.2 to the public. The new iOS 11.2 beta 4 has also already hit public beta testers and includes mostly bug fixes and security patches to improve the overall experience for iPhone owners.
Samsung kicked off their Android Oreo rollout earlier this week. The update already improved the lock screen significantly with new wallpaper color-matching for the clock. With the newest update, we also get the ability to tweak the transparency of lock screen notifications.
Google launched the Pixel 2 XL with a unique pinch-to-zoom feature in the YouTube app. The feature is pretty basic, allowing users to expand the video to full-screen on devices with 18:9 aspect ratios with a simple pinch gesture. Considering its simplicity, it was strange that the feature was limited to the Pixel 2 XL. Today that exclusivity has ended as the feature is rolling out to the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, Note 8, LG V30, and LG G6.
Razer took to the stage this month to unveil their new flagship phone, fittingly called the Razer Phone. The device is targeted at gamers, but has a list of specs that make it an intriguing daily driver for any user. Its headlining feature is an 120 Hz IGZO display, the first of its kind in a flagship smartphone released in the US. Tonight, Razer officially opened up orders for the new phone on their website.
Samsung just began rolling out the Oreo Beta 2 to registered users of the Galaxy S8 and S8+. The update's changelog promises the inclusion of the October 2017 security patch. Unfortunately, after downloading the update, we've noticed this is not the case. Omission of the more recent security patch is notable in that it leaves devices vulnerable to several known exploits, such as KRACK.
It was a long overdue announcement when wireless charging was revealed as a feature in Apple's 2017 iPhone lineup. While certainly a welcome addition, wireless charging would only work with up to 5 watts of power, which meant no fast-charge capabilities. That's not the case anymore — here's how to fast-charge wirelessly with the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, or iPhone X.
Apple released iOS 11.2 beta 3 on Monday to developers, with only a handful of changes over Beta 2. Still, it's always recommended you upgrade to the newest version of iOS, so if you are running any of the previous 11.2 betas, make sure to update.
Good news for those suffering from the "i" glitch, otherwise known as the "A [?]" bug: Apple has just released an official patch to fix the issue, in the form of a software update named iOS 11.1.1.
There may be many third-party file managers for Android to choose from, but until now, Google offered no proprietary option. Enter 'Files Go,' which, while initially anticipated for December, is now available for you to try.
Now that we've had significant time with Samsung's Oreo Beta for the Galaxy S8, many interesting features have come to light. As we continue using the new software, we have uncovered more subtle changes. The home screen already received a few new customization features, it's only fitting that the edge screen get some love, too.
First showcased back in June at WWDC, Apple Pay Cash is Apple's answer to Venmo. Although iOS 11 has been out in the wild since September, this new iMessage feature has been mysteriously absent. That's finally changed with the second beta of iOS 11.2 — Apple Pay Cash is here.
Trendy restaurants are fun, but waiting in line isn't. Too often, we arrive at a location to find a queue between us and our dinner. If only we could know when wait times were down so we could go out at the optimal time.
OnePlus has officially given us a date for when the OnePlus 5T will be announced. We've known about most of the specs for a while, and we just found out about the potential pricing, so a release date is the final piece of the puzzle. Consider this puzzle solved.
Apple released the second version of its iOS 11.2 developer beta Monday, exactly one week from beta 1, then opened up the public beta version on Tuesday. While beta 2 has been available on iPhone X since Friday, Nov. 3, all compatible iPhones can now update to this version.
Face ID is one of the big selling points of the iPhone X, and the reception has been fairly positive so far. It's pretty impressive to watch the iPhone X magically unlock just by looking at it, but it's even more impressive to see how Face ID works its magic.
After multiple leaked references in Samsung apps, the Oreo Beta Program for the Galaxy S8 and S8+ is official. Yesterday, we posted a full changelog from users that obtained the beta a day early. The update brings many new features from Oreo to the S8, including notification channels and autofill API support. If you're quick, you can enroll your Galaxy S8 in the beta today.
Current shipping estimates for the iPhone X are 5–6 weeks, but is there a chance you'll get yours tomorrow?
For those worried that a lustful gaze at a new app on their iPhone X will authorize its purchase, we have great news for you.
Apple rarely changes the ringtones on its iPhones. In fact, the last addition was all the way back in iOS 7. However, it appears they wanted to do something special with the 10th-anniversary edition iPhone, so Apple included a unique ringtone called "Reflection" on the iPhone X.
The iPhone X's "notch" is now possibly as notorious as Apple's decision to cut ties with the headphone jack. With that said, a cautious consensus can be made from first impressions of the X that the notch isn't all that bad. Still, one problem has shown up in reviews again and again — apps are not optimized to fit the notch.
The preorder period for the wildly anticipated iPhone X began on Oct. 27, and ever since, it seemed like the wait was going to be long for those who didn't preorder in the first ten minutes. Some reports have claimed users might not see their iPhone X until December. However, news on Monday may show that fate has changed.
The fifth developer beta for iOS 11.1 was released on Oct. 24, and the official iOS 11.1 update was pushed out to iPhones everywhere on Oct. 31. However, that isn't stopping Apple from seeding developers with the iOS 11.2 beta already.
It's an ongoing saga, and it's on the verge of ruining one of the most anticipated smartphone releases this year: LG's new POLED displays certainly seem to have a few issues. But the biggest issue of them all — an apparent susceptibility to screen burn-in — may not be the problem we thought it was.
HDR, or high-dynamic range, is currently the best way to view movies and TV shows on your iPhone 8 or 8 Plus. With a wider color gamut and a broad luminance range, there's no beating HDR video for the ultimate viewing experience. Unless, of course, you don't have the storage to hold those giant Dolby Vision or HDR10 files.
When it comes to Hi-Fi music streaming services, Jay-Z's Tidal is one of your only choices. But as you can imagine, true High Fidelity audio requires faster download speeds than your average music service. So the question becomes, how do you listen to Hi-Fi tracks on Tidal when a speedy internet connection isn't available? Offline music is the answer.
While it's easy enough to ask websites not to track your browsing activity in Safari, they do not have to honor your request. Plus, some of the third-party content providers that websites use can actually invasively track you across other websites. Thankfully, iOS 11 includes a way to minimize companies from tracking you across the web on your iPhone.
Alright, calm down and take a breath! I know the object creation chapter was a lot of code. I will give you all a slight reprieve; this section should be a nice and simple, at least in comparison.
Discovering you're on a route filled with tolls while you're already on the road, with no cash on hand, is never a pleasant surprise. Fortunately, Waze has an incredibly simple solution to nip this potential headache in the bud and save you money while navigating.
If your iPhone is acting up, frozen on a screen, and/or won't respond to you, force-restarting it is a surefire way to whip it back into shape. And the process is easy on older devices ... just hold down a two-button combo until the Apple logo appears. That's no longer the case with the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, which require a more extensive procedure that's harder to remember.
AirDrop is an underrated feature that lets you to quickly transfer files like songs and photos via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi from your iPhone to Macs and other iOS devices. It's been a staple in the Control Center ever since iOS 7, prominently displayed for easy access. However, with iOS 11, that quick access to AirDrop has seemingly disappeared.
The new iOS 11 update provides an easy software-based solution to shut down your iPhone in case the power button, officially known as the Sleep/Wake button on all iPhone models except the iPhone X, goes bonkers. In addition to this, there's also a hidden setting that lets you instantly restart the device, and it's better than the "Bold Text" trick that's been around since iOS 7.
