Your iPhone 6 could be falling victim to ‘touch disease’
If you’ve ever seen a flickering gray bar at the top of your iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus lately, you may be the victim of a very serious problem plaguing your mobile device.
It’s a massive issue that’s been making the rounds on a staggering number of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Pluses sent in for repair each month, each displaying the same symptoms: the gray bar at the top of the screen and a touchscreen that refuses to work properly, almost as if it’s frozen.
According to IFixIt and Forbes, the issue is widespread enough to warrant several pages of complaints via the Apple support forums. The problem is, both the repair techs who continually see the issues coming in and the customers taking to the internet to make their concerns known aren’t seeing much done about it.
While there are some fixes by way of twisting the phone a bit or putting pressure on the screen, these are only temporary band-aids for a much larger problem. The malady may go away for a short time, but then return with a vengeance, eventually losing touchscreen functionality altogether.
Weirdly enough, replacing the touchscreen isn’t a proper fix. The gray bar will creep onto the new screen even when it’s been swapped out, because it’s not exactly a problem with the screen. It’s a problem with the Touch IC chips on the board inside the phone. They must be replaced for the problem to completely go away, and Apple’s Geniuses aren’t able to open up phones to go inside and replace them. Hence, the quandary. Instead, people are turning to smaller, third-party repair shops who are “unauthorized” to fix the issue.
Repair shops have been trying out various fixes to ward off the problem so that it doesn’t return. According to Jessa Jones, microsoldering specialist via IFixIt.org, placing a metal shield soldered over the sticker shield on the problem iPhones seems to fix the issue indefinitely, offering an “internal reinforcement,” a “futureproof shield,” as she calls it.
Unfortunately, since these kinds of fixes aren’t endorsed or OKed by Apple, Jessa and her colleagues have actually been banned from posting on the Apple Support Communities for offering their own views on resolving the problems that so many iPhone owners are experiencing. Apple is fine with having customers purchase new phones, but it doesn’t seem to want to include repair specialists who are finding success when it comes to actually fixing the issue.
It’s estimated, according to New York board repair specialist Louis Rossmann, that this “touch disease” malady could very well turn into a class action lawsuit at some point if customers make a big enough stink. And from the way things are going, it looks like that could be a very real possibility in the future.
Via: Forbes, IFixIt
This $19.99 OnePlus iPhone case will net you a OnePlus X invite
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No doubt many of you will be confused about the title of this article, but don’t be alarmed – it’s just a OnePlus marketing campaign. In a bid to presumably win over iPhone users this Holiday season, OnePlus is trying to cash in on its greatest resource – its fans. The strategy is thus – if you buy a OnePlus iPhone case for $19.99 USD (it’s compatible with an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6S), the case will also come with a free invite for the recently released OnePlus X. I’m assuming this is the case (pun not intended), otherwise if the invite is locked to the person that buys the case, that kind of puts them $20 out of pocket if they buy the case for the iPhone and then the OnePlus X. Well, actually, it puts them however-many-dollars-the-iPhone-cost out of pocket.
This campaign definitely showcases OnePlus’ textbook bravado, but it’s yet another that might have missed the mark. Owners of the iPhone 6 and 6S will only be coming off a year, maybe even a year and a few months, with Apple’s flagship device, and while we would love nothing more than people changing from iOS to Android, we’re not sure the $249 USD OnePlus X holds a torch to the iPhone as a whole package. That’s my opinion though – for all I know, this might be a genius ploy to get all frustrated iPhone owners onto a OnePlus X, but we’ll let the numbers talk for themselves somewhere down the track.
What do you think about the OnePlus iPhone case marketing campaign? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post This $19.99 OnePlus iPhone case will net you a OnePlus X invite appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
HTC extends trade-in offer: turn in an iPhone, get an HTC One A9 for free
HTC has decided to extend their incredibly popular trade in program all the way through January 7, 2016. The offer received very positive feedback when it was unleashed for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with droves of iPhone owners showing up to swap their Apple device for an HTC One A9. This promotional deal reportedly helped rocket HTC’s year-over-year sales 731% during the holidays — at least according to HTC.
Since the trade-in was so well received, HTC wants to give as many people as possible the opportunity to take advantage of it. So here is how it works: if you have an iPhone 6, 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, or iPhone 6S Plus, you can trade it in and get the HTC One A9 for absolutely free. Other devices qualify for the trade-in too, but you’ll have to pay the difference in trade-in value. The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, for instance, will get you $200 credit toward the A9, and LG G3’s or G4’s will net you $100. While these are still pretty reasonable trade-in values, the real draw is clearly for iPhone 6 owners.
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If you’re ready to make the swap to Android, HTC is certainly going out of their way to make it easy. This might just be your opportunity. Alternatively, if you want to toss your current Android to get your hands on a gorgeous HTC One A9, this will probably be your best option this year!
Click the button below to visit HTC’s promo site and trade up to the A9.
Trade Up to A9
How does this deal sound to you guys? Worth it or not worth it? Let us know in the comments!
OnePlus now making an iPhone case, comes with a OnePlus X invite inside
OnePlus has begun making its very own sandstone-textured clip-on cases for the iPhone 6/6S. It’s probably one of the best marketing tactics OnePlus has come up with yet, having the message “Get a grip. #NeverSettle” placed on the inside of the case.
This case OnePlus is selling is very special, though. You don’t need an invite to buy one, but when it comes in the mail, it does come with an invite to buy your very own OnePlus X. Some of the invite codes sent out will even let you purchase the limited edition ceramic OnePlus X. Other invite codes are giving away a OnePlus X for free, though your chances on receiving one of these is pretty slim.
The new sandstone iPhone 6S case is identical to the back plate on the OnePlus One and Two. With that in mind, putting this clip-on case makes your iPhone look like one of those aforementioned devices. It’d be nearly unrecognizable from the back if it weren’t for the camera placement on Apple’s devices.
Click here to view the embedded video.
OnePlus is selling the case for $19.99 at their online store. It goes without saying, this is a very nice and sleek case, but it’s difficult to determine how many OnePlus will actually sell to iPhone owners.
OnePlus is doing one thing right: trying to get their name into every corner of the world.
source: OnePlus
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Apple won’t be suing HTC over the One A9’s blatant iPhone 6S-like design
HTC this week announced the One A9, and the design turned out to be a blatant copy of the iPhone 6/6S. HTC claims that it was actually Apple who copied the Taiwanese manufacturer, but Cupertino won’t be serving papers to HTC anytime soon either way.
Apple was quick to start the litigation process with Samsung over every little minuscule patent, but not HTC. And that’s because in 2012, HTC and Apple reached a deal where the Taiwanese company would pay Apple $6-$8 per Android device the manufacturer ships in return for the patent battles to stop.
The terms of the deal remain confidential to this day. The agreement was for 10 years, and we’re only three years into it so far. HTC China’s President Ray Yam said this in 2012:
“The settlement with Apple will start to pay off next year, and the fourth quarter of this year is still going at a set pace. The biggest benefit to us is that we can put more energy into innovation, which is more important than anything else for a technology company.”
In other words, we won’t be seeing any litigation over the One A9, unless HTC breaks some confidential term of the deal. And in the meantime, HTC continues to “innovate” with blatant copycat devices.
What’re your thoughts on the One A9?
Come comment on this article: Apple won’t be suing HTC over the One A9’s blatant iPhone 6S-like design
HTC executive answers backlash to the HTC One A9’s design, saying “Apple copied us”
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There’s been somewhat of an uproar after HTC announced the HTC One A9 a few days ago, primarily because of the appearance of the device – to the average consumer, it looks very much like HTC lifted the design of the One A9 from the iPhone 6. It’s been a sentiment that’s been echoed around the world, but a HTC executive has come out guns blazing, saying “Apple copied us”. The comments were made by Jack Tong, President of HTC North Asia, who said:
“We’re not copying. We made a uni-body metal-clad phone in 2013. It’s Apple that copies us in terms of the antenna design on the back.”
“The A9 is made thinner and more lightweight than our previous metal-clad phones. This is a change and evolution, and we’re not copying.”
The device in 2013 Tong refers to is of course the HTC One M7. However, while we agree with Tong that the concept of a uni-body metal phone may have been copied from Apple, the fact that the One A9 shares so much of its overall design with the iPhone 6 (and we’re talking about the detailed design, not the overall concept of having a metal phone) and was released a full year after the iPhone 6 is hard to swallow as a mere coincidence.
What do you think about Tong’s comments about the design of the One A9? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Want China Times via Phone Arena
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All the colours of the HTC Aero leak out, bears striking resemblance to a certain other phone…
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We’ve been hearing quite a bit about HTC‘s upcoming mid-range device, the HTC Aero – or HTC One A9, depending on who you ask. Today, leaker @evleaks has provided us with an image that shows the colour palette the HTC Aero is going to be available with. The colours themselves seem nice enough – it’s good to see HTC move away from just fifty shades of grey – but the design of the HTC Aero looks strikingly like the iPhone 6. Maybe we’re crazy, but the bands on the back of the device, and the single speaker on the front of device don’t look very HTC to us.
HTC Aero. Also: Intro – https://t.co/tu4JtfFgQN Branding – https://t.co/7KROIOrrIp Specs – https://t.co/I3AHAKpRs1 pic.twitter.com/cFYtDgJYc8
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) September 23, 2015
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Now, sure: HTC probably did do metal unibodied smartphones before anyone else, but we have a feeling nobody’s going to buy that once the Aero is announced. As for what’s powering the device, the Aero is rumoured to be using a Snapdragon 617 processor and a 1080p display – the device is also rumoured to be launching with Android Marshmallow and Sense 7, and will be announced on September 29th.
What do you think of the HTC Aero? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Twitter via Droid-life
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Verizon simplifies its BYOD process, allows compatible unlocked phones to be activated on its network
Verizon has made some effort to become a little more friendly towards unlocked devices, which means getting on their network is easier than ever. Now any compatible, unlocked iPhone 6 or Nexus 6 can be brought to Verizon’s network with little effort. You’ll just need to punch your phone’s device ID into Verizon’s site and purchase a Verizon SIM card to get started.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean you’ll be able to take any unlocked phone to Verizon’s network, since there aren’t many phones that have the required CDMA and LTE radios to work properly. That might change as LTE becomes more prevalent, but as of right now, you’re pretty much locked to the handful of devices that include tons of radios.
source: Verizon Wireless
via: Engadget
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Samsung may be #1 in the USA, but they are still losing!
Despite Samsung’s recent onslaught of bad fortune, the latest smartphone data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech puts the popular phone maker back in the #1 spot in the USA. This is good news for Sammy, as they have finally taken back the crown they once held so dearly. The sad news is that chances are no one is celebrating in Samsung’s Korean head quarters. Even though Samsung is winning, they are still losing!
The report states the Android operating system continues to grow its market share when taking a look at the three months of the year ending in May 2015. Android now holds 64.9% of the US smartphone market, showing a 2.8% increase over last year. The real question is whether this is, in large, thanks to Samsung or not.
The Galaxy phone maker is reported to have regained the market lead in the US with an increase from 52% (3 months ending in April) to 55% (three months ending in May). This means they were able to retake 3% of the market in just one month, mostly thanks to the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. The Galaxy S6 went on to become one of the best-selling smartphones in the US after the iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S5.
How is Samsung losing?
Here’s where things get interesting: Samsung also improved their year-over-year statistics, with market share only down by 0.5%, as opposed to 2014’s 1.6% during the same period of time. According to these numbers, Samsung is still losing sales… they are just losing them slower.
Regardless, these changes don’t seem significant enough to place Samsung in a victorious state. A big factor is that Apple is beginning to lose sales as the iPhone 6 hype starts to die down. Meanwhile, Samsung’s flagship device is brand new and should probably be doing much better. The real numbers will come once we compare both devices’ statistics on equal terms. Keep in mind the Galaxy S6 is still the third most sold smartphone in the USA, not the first.
It could be argued that Apple numbers are going down thanks to Samsung’s awesome smartphones, which offer an improved build quality, stunning design, an insane camera and top-notch performance. The phone is a beast, but we can’t give Samsung all the credit for taking down Apple; LG has managed to nearly double its market share year-over-year, which is helping the cause. Now that is an impressive statistic!
Not to mention, Samsung continues to report more quarterly profit drops, with Q2 2015 expected to be the 7th in a row (wow!) Not even their best smartphone ever was able to take them out of this whole they are digging themselves into.
Why is this? These matters are complex and no one can give you a straight explanation as to why Samsung keeps spiraling down. Some say it has to do with Samsung’s supply not being able to meet customer demand. That may be a factor, but we also have to consider Samsung’s phones haven’t exactly been meeting consumer expectations either.
Previous Galaxy smartphones performed great, but the build quality was horrendous. Samsung went back to the drawing board after realizing a change was due. They wanted to improve their strategy and create a Galaxy S6 worthy of consumer envy. This thing had to be powerful and well-built, and they sure accomplished it. The Samsung Galaxy S6 really is amazing in many ways, but it’s still not the hero Samsung was looking for, nor the one we deserved.
I believe Samsung is still trying way too hard to compete with Apple, as opposed to placing more attention on what their customers want. One of the main reasons why Samsung critics stuck to Galaxy phones was that these devices continued to support expandable storage and removable batteries. It was what differentiated them, yet the Samsung Galaxy S6 got rid of both features. And chances are the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 will do the same.
There are good arguments to the exclusion of these, something we make sure to mention in our opinion piece regarding the Note 5’s lack of microSD support. My gripe with this whole issue is more about the lack of a removable battery. Have you used a Samsung Galaxy S6? Its battery life is disgusting! The thing seriously won’t last me half a day. And now I can’t even swap batteries when one dies? One day I said “forget this” and just stopped using it.
If Samsung was going to improve the build quality by sacrificing battery life (or the removable battery), we would have liked it to be a sizable battery, at least. This is why so many are finding refuge in LG’s latest smartphone, the G4. It offers a huge removable battery, great performance and a design that is also amazing. In a different way, but it’s amazing.
The real question is whether the Galaxy S6 will continue to sell as well as it has. And if all my beliefs on Samsung’s decline are right, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 won’t really help much, as the latest rumors suggest the it will pretty much be a larger Galaxy S6 with a stylus.
Like I said above… Samsung may be #1, but they are still losing. Their numbers are still going down, their new devices have flaws they don’t plan on changing and the awesome improvements pale against the sacrifices Samsung had to take. But tell us, guys. Would you agree with me that Samsung made some bad decisions? What factors would you credit their decline to? Sound off in the comments and let us know whether you agree or disagree with me.
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HTC One M9 wins every time in a series of blind tests
HTC has launched a new marketing campaign in Australia to compare its One M9 to Apple’s iPhone 6 and Samsung’s Galaxy S6 in a series of blind tests. There are three ads, all ranging from thirty seconds to a little over two minutes.
Some of the tests they put the devices through are how fast apps can open, sound quality, and how good selfies look in low-light conditions. All of the devices are covered in a black square case so the user can’t tell what device they’re using.
Click here to view the embedded video.
While the HTC One M9 is certainly a good device, it tends to win in all of HTC’s ads, for obvious reasons. However, it’d be more interesting to see the three devices compete in an unbiased video where they all have a fair chance. Whether it be the HTC One M9, the Samsung Galaxy S6, or the Apple iPhone 6, they all have their strengths and are great in their own ways, whereas in these ads, the HTC One M9 is fantastic all the time.
Click here to view the embedded video.
HTC has a few more posted on their YouTube channel. Just hit the source link below if you’re interested in seeing the final few. What do you think of these blind tests from HTC? Sound off in the comments!
source: HTC (YouTube)
Come comment on this article: HTC One M9 wins every time in a series of blind tests
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