The next iPhone reportedly starts with twice the storage
Apple maintained that a 16GB iPhone was enough last year, but the company might be singing a different tune in 2016. A Wall Street Journal source claims that the next iPhone will start with 32GB of storage — at last, buyers of the base model won’t have to be quite so thrifty with their free space. That kind of entry capacity is far from new, of course (HTC, LG, Samsung and others have had 32GB starters for a while), but it’ll be more than welcome if you prefer iPhones and can’t justify more expensive versions.
It’ll certainly feel overdue for some. Apple started offering 16GB base iPhones back in 2009, with the 3GS. That was cavernous at the time, but it gradually became a tighter and tighter fit as apps and media collections grew larger. If you capture 4K video on the iPhone 6s or SE, it chews up 375MB per minute — a 16GB device user could easily run out of room.
The next question: what about other capacities? The insider doesn’t say (and Apple certainly isn’t commenting), but it wouldn’t be surprising if the new iPhone doubled the higher storage tiers to 128GB and 256GB. Notice how the iPad Pro’s options jump straight from 32GB to 128GB and 256GB? While we wouldn’t rule out a different strategy, it’d be consistent if the iPhone had the same storage choices as its bigger-screened siblings.
Via: AppleInsider
Source: Wall Street Journal
New York speeds up access to its train ticket mobile app
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority initially promised that smartphone-friendly train ticketing would roll out by the end of 2016, but (unlike some trains) it’s ahead of schedule. Governor Cuomo has revealed that the MTA eTix app will be available to all Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad customers by the end of the summer. The rollout will happen in phases. You can already buy tickets for LIRR’s Port Washington Branch and the Metro-North Hudson line. By August 22nd, there should be a “full system wide implementation” on both railways — you usually won’t have to worry about carrying physical tickets as long as you have an Android phone or iPhone.
The approach won’t be completely seamless. You’ll have to wait until next year to use a single app and account for trips that involve switching to and from New York City’s buses and subways. However, eTix could still be a huge convenience if you like to travel across southern New York state… or just hate carrying easily-lost pieces of paper.
Source: Governor Cuomo
Drawing App ‘Procreate Pocket’ Available for Free Through Apple Store App
Popular drawing and sketching app Procreate Pocket for the iPhone can be downloaded for free this week through Apple’s Apple Store app. Procreate Pocket has a wide range of painting, sketching, and drawing tools for making art on the iPhone.
On the iPhone 6s, it features 3D Touch pressure sensitivity, and it can be used with an Apple Watch for quick color selection. There’s a full layering system, 18 layer blend modes, tools for adjusting hue, saturation, brightness, and curves, and more.
To get the app, make sure to follow these instructions:
Open the Apple Store app.
Tap “Stores” on the tab bar at the bottom of the app.
Scroll down to “iPhone Upgrade Program.”
Swipe left three times until you see the Procreate icon.
Tap the icon.
Choose “Download now for free.”
When taken to the App Store, enter your password and then click “Redeem.” The app will start downloading automatically.Apple has offered several free apps through its own Apple Store app in the past, including Day One 2. The deal only pertains to the iPhone version of Procreate, normally priced at $2.99. [Direct Link]
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Apple Expands Shot on iPhone Campaign With Photos Focusing on Colors
Apple is expanding its “Shot on iPhone” advertising campaign with a new series of images focusing on color, reports TechCrunch. The images focus on “the bright, vibrant colors you’ll find in the world around you,” with Apple putting up new billboards and other imagery featuring the new photographs.
The “Colors” campaign will focus on sharing photographs taken by people local to the area where billboards and other signage are located, and new photographs are going up in the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, UAE, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Korea, China, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Thailand.
Image via TechCrunch
Apple’s “Shot on iPhone” campaign began in early 2015 following the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, and Apple re-launched it in early 2016 it to show off images taken with the improved iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. Most recently, billboards and artwork for the Shot on iPhone campaign featured snapshots of people.
Apple is likely to continue on with the Shot on iPhone campaign for some time, as the upcoming iPhone 7 Plus is rumored to feature a much-improved dual-lens camera that will allow for crisper, sharper images and other notable improvements. The iPhone 7, while not gaining a dual-lens camera, is expected to include similar improvements introduced through the inclusion of a larger sensor.
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Facebook Slideshow livens up your photos and videos
It’s easy to post a ton of photos from your weekend adventures to Facebook, but let’s face it: there are only so many people willing to flip through your photos one at a time. Facebook might just have a way to spice things up, though. It’s trotting out a Slideshow feature that turns your photos and videos into themed clips that will be easier to watch. All you need to do to get one is take five or more photos or videos in 24 hours — Facebook will create an initial clip all on its own. After that, it’s a matter of customizing the slideshow by adding or removing shots and choosing the theme. The feature is only reaching iOS users this week, but it’ll be a big help if it gets friends to check out your vacation gallery.
Microsoft puts your company intranet on your iPhone
Look, we know: accessing your company’s intranet is about as exciting as watching paint dry. However, wouldn’t you rather have the option of using it from your phone, instead of having to sit at a computer? Microsoft thinks so. It just launched SharePoint for iOS, its first mobile SharePoint app. The tool gives you access to the files, portals, sites and teams that you’re used to on the desktop. It’s also smart enough to hop between apps depending on what you’re accessing. It’ll jump to OneDrive if you’re peeking at the company’s document library, for instance, or switch to one of the Office apps if you’re opening a recent file.
Microsoft is quick to admit that this is a “first step,” and that there may well be features you’ll miss (such as company-wide announcements) that are coming later this year. You should also see Android and universal Windows apps in a similar time frame. So long as those aren’t showstoppers, though, the app should be worth grabbing — if just because it can keep you away from your desk for a little bit longer.
Source: Office Blogs, App Store
Sonos puts speaker controls on your iPhone’s lock screen
Ask iPhone-toting Sonos speaker owners about their biggest gripe and they’ll probably point to the lack of at-a-glance controls. You have to launch the app every time, which is a pain when you just want to pause a song from across the room. Life is about to get much easier, though: Sonos has updated its iOS controller app to introduce lock screen controls. They behave almost exactly like what you’d see for on-device music playback. The only big difference is that it’ll identify both the source of the tunes and where they’re playing. You can’t switch rooms or audio sources, alas, but it’s still far more convenient than unlocking your phone.
There’s more. If you have an iPhone 6s or 6s Plus, you finally have 3D Touch support for shortcuts to common tasks from the home screen (such as accessing favorites) and peek-and-pop access to content. You’ll get Split View and Slide Over on the iPad, too, so you don’t have to constantly juggle apps to see what’s playing. There’s simpler Trueplay speaker tuning and higher-quality Napster/Rhapsody streaming as well. About the only thing missing is an Apple Watch app to control tunes from your wrist (seriously, Sonos, get on that). If that’s not an obstacle, though, you can check out the new features today.
Source: App Store
WSJ: This year’s iPhone won’t feature big changes
If you’re eagerly awaiting a load of new features for this year’s iPhone, you might be a bit disappointed come fall. The Wall Street Journal reports that the upcoming models will offer only modest changes from the current iPhone 6S and 6S Plus rather than a more robust redesign. Apple has been trotting out new designs every two years with the “S” models offering mostly internal tweaks in between. According to WSJ’s sources though, that won’t be the case this year.
WSJ reports that both the 4.7- and 5.5-inch models will return, and they’ll do so without a 3.5mm headphone jack. Rumors have gone back and forth on whether or not Apple will ditch the port entirely, and we’ve even caught a glimpse of alleged iPhone 7 parts that indicate the jack is staying. The rumblings about the company’s preference for Lightning connectivity for headphones began late last year and has been the most discussed tweak for the new models. Nixing the 3.5mm port is said to not only improve the phone’s water resistance, but also allow for a thinner handset.
Apple is planning a massive overhaul for 2017’s 10th anniversary of the iPhone, according to WSJ. Those updates are said to include an edge-to-edge OLED display while nixing the iconic home button entirely. Sources say that the Touch ID security features would be part of the display itself. Of course, that release is well over a year away, so things could change significantly between now and then.
What’s the reason for not having a major update this year? Apple’s coming off its first quarter of sales decline in the iPhone’s history, but WSJ reports that the reason for subtle changes is due to tech that’s currently in the works taking more time to finish. While the iPhone 5S featured the addition of Touch ID, last year’s 6S and 6S Plus focused largely on internals with 3D Touch and improved cameras. Both kept the same overall design as the iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 the year before. Nixing the headphone jack wouldn’t be a small change though, especially if you’ve already invested in a set of wired headphones.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Massive iPhone 7 leaks reveal OLED screen, dual camera, 256GB, Lightning adapter and more
The good ship Apple appears to have an iPhone 7 shaped hole in its hull as the smartphone is leaking all over the net. Lots of rumoured specs have suddenly emerged from a number of different sources.
First up, the widely rumoured OLED screen has made another appearance. According to Asian website Nikkei, Samsung is spending $6.8 billion on OLED production this year to supply Apple, thought to be for the iPhone 7. The orders appear to be for 5.5-inch OLED display panels.
Next, the Lightning port has long thought to become the sole connection on the device, with Apple rumoured to ditch the 3.5mm headphone slot. Japanese site Otakara continues along those lines.
It reports that Apple will ship its EarPod headphones with Lightning connections only, as part of the iPhone 7 package. But Apple is also rumoured to be throwing in a Lightning to 3.5mm adapter that will allow current headphones to work on the new phone. The rumours go on to say the 3.5mm jack space left on the phone will be filled with an additional speaker.
Finally, leaked images from Rock Fix, a Chinese repairs shop, have appeared via Weibo and show what’s claimed to be the iPhone 7 dual camera unit. It also features 256GB storage from SanDisk and a dual-SIM unit, apparently.
Pretty much everything leaked afresh from these sources has already been rumoured before. This suggests that the Apple rumour mill could be getting it spot on this year, taking a lot of the surprise out of Apple’s expected iPhone 7 unveiling event in September.
READ: Apple iPhone 7: What’s the story so far?
E-Book Buyers to Start Receiving Credits on Tuesday as Part of Apple Price Fixing Settlement
Starting on Tuesday, June 21, U.S. customers who purchased e-books from Apple and other retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble will begin receiving payouts from the $450 million settlement Apple agreed to pay after being found guilty of conspiring to fix the prices of e-books.
Customers will be receiving a $6.93 credit for each book that was a New York Times bestseller, and a $1.57 credit for other e-books. Customers eligible for credits include those who purchased e-books between April 1, 2010 and May 21, 2012.
Attorneys say the process is uniquely simple for consumers — credits will be automatically sent directly into the accounts of consumers at major book retailers, including Amazon.com Inc., Barnes & Noble Inc., Kobo Inc. and Apple. Retailers will issue emails and put the credits in the accounts simultaneously.
If e-book purchasers requested a check in lieu of a credit, they will receive a check. If purchasers received a credit during the first round of distribution of publisher settlements, and they did not opt out, they will automatically receive a credit.
The U.S. Department of Justice first accused Apple and five other publishers — HarperCollins, Simon and Schuster, Hachette Book Group, Macmillan, and Penguin — of colluding to fix the prices of e-books in 2010, suggesting they had worked to raise prices of e-books to weaken Amazon’s dominant position in the market and restructure the business model of the industry.
While all of the publishers settled early on, Apple fought the accusation for years and maintained its innocence, but ultimately, a ruling in 2013 found the company guilty of price fixing. A series of appeals were unsuccessful, and after the Supreme Court declined to hear the case, Apple was forced to pay a $450 million settlement.
$400 million of that $450 million is earmarked for customers who purchased e-books, with $30 million going towards legal fees and $20 million going to states who were also involved in the lawsuit.
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