Category: Apple

This is Possibly the Best Time to Buy the iPhone 6s in India

Apple fanboys and fangirls rejoice. Those who have been checking online retailers regularly hoping for the price of the new iPhone 6s to drop can now check once again. A few days ago we mentioned that the iPhone 6s had received a major price cut in India. The devices were launched with a starting price of Rs. 62,000 and going up to a Rs. 92,000 and were much costlier than the same products in the American and European markets.

The prices have now come down significantly, especially after a decline in the demand in the country. This makes it the perfect time to buy the iPhone 6s especially before the holidays. The iPhone 6s shows a whopping price drop of Rs.11,000. There is a fall in prices of the iPhone 6s Plus as well but this isn’t as drastic as the 6s.

Currently, the 16 GB iPhone 6s (Rose Gold and Space Grey) is available at Rs. 49,900 on Amazon India.

This year’s iPhone has an improved outer shell which offers resistance against the “bendgate” issue of last year’s iPhone. The new reinforced and strong series 7000 Aluminium adds strength to the outer structure.

The new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus add an improved Apple A9 chip along with an M9 co-processor. Enhanced cameras both on the rear with a 12 MP shooter which now does 4k video. On the front with a 5 MP snapper, which however is still restricted to 720p.

Finally, the introduction of the 3D Touch functionality is the highlight of the new iPhones and he peek and pop UI of iOS 9 makes this feature infinitely fun. If you’re still unsure about the iPhone 6s, you can read our full review of the devices here.

December 19, 2015
Apple Music to Have 8M Paid Subscribers This Year, 20M in 2016

Music analyst Mark Mulligan has estimated that Apple Music will have more than 8 million paid subscribers before the closing of 2015. The number will be more than double in 2016 as it is expected to hit 20 million.

If these numbers indeed turn out to be correct then Apple Music would have gained twice the number of subscribers within 6 months of what Spotify did in the first 4 years of its launch. Apple Music had become the number two music service by mid-2015 in a very brief period post its launch.

“Apple might not have found the subscription market quite the plain sailing it had anticipated but it has still managed to establish itself as the second player with astounding pace,” says Mulligan.

Come 2016, if Apple does indeed manage to get 20 million paid subscribers, it will be very close to catching up with Spotify, albeit still being on the no.2 spot.

December 18, 2015
iPhone 6C: Everything We Know So Far

It’s sort of a tradition now for Apple to release a cheaper variant of its flagship devices. it was the case for the iPhone 5C and so will be the case with the iPhone 6C. For weeks now we have been hearing rumours that Apple is working on a 4-inch iPhone. The device is likely called the iPhone 6C and here’s everything we know so far from the various rumours that have been going around. Let it also be known that Apple has not confirmed any of this.

Design

Ming-Chi Kuo, a prominent and reliable Apple analyst, has predicted that the company will indeed bring out a new 4-inch model. On the design front, it remains unknown whether the iPhone 6C will follow the aluminum iPhone 5S design or the candy-colored polycarbonate iPhone 5C, though we’re leaning towards the latter as some colourful polycarbonate frame will be a welcome sight rather than the usual colours of silver, space grey, gold, and rose gold.

Other rumours have suggested that the miniature iPhone will not come with a physical home button and will also ditch the 3D Touch feature, which makes sense if Apple is going for a cheaper device.

Display

One rumour in particular that has been making the rounds for a while is that the device would sport a sapphire display, which is highly scratch and shatter resistant. In fact, some of the higher-end Apple Watch models have sapphire display as well as OLED technology, which Apple is rumoured to bring to its next flagship device, but will not likely be seen in the iPhone 6C.

Processor

The iPhone 6C will come as an entry-level device, which means that it will not feature current-gen processor. That being said, the new iPhone 6C will likely move on from the A7 chip found in the iPhone 5S to the A8 chip in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

Camera and Storage

On the camera front don’t expect a major bump. The iPhone 6C will likely stick with an 8MP rear from the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus and might even let go of OIS. Apple rarely changes the storage options with its iPhones and is not likely to do so with the iPhone 6C as well. You can expect the device to be available in 16 GB and 32 GB variants.

Apple may be planning to launch the 4-inch iPhone 6C in the first half of 2016. We’ll know how much of the rumours come true as we approach the launch. Follow this space for more on the iPhone 6C.

December 17, 2015
iPad Air 3 to Launch Early Next Year Without 3D Touch

According to popular and trustworthy Apple insider, KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPad Air 3 is set to launch in the first half of 2016. Kuo also stated that the upcoming 9.7-inch Apple tablet will not come 3D Touch capabilities.

…new iPad Air 3 in 1H16F unlikely to feature 3D Touch. We forecast that iPad Air 3 will opt not to feature 3D Touch because of production issues.

Kuo also said that the “3D Touch [is] one of the most severe production bottlenecks in iPhone 6s supply chain.” There have been no further details on the specs of the iPad Air 3 and we’ll no more as we approach the launch. It is likely that Apple will hold an event for the iPad Air 3 along with the rumoured 4-inch iPhone 6c.

Meanwhile, Kuo also states that the upcoming iPhone 7 flagship will include 3D Touch as was expected, and will have “similar technology & structure as the iPhone 6s.” The iPhone 7 launch will likely take place next September.

December 16, 2015
iPhone 6s Gets an 11K Price Cut in India

We hate to say,”we told you so”, but the cat is out of the bag. It is no big secret that India was one of the most expensive places in the world just two months ago if you were planning to buy the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. But as predicted by iGyaan a couple of weeks ago, the iPhones have undergone significant fall in pricing.

iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, launched with a starting price of Rs. 62,000 and going up to a Rs. 92,000, were much costlier than the same products in the American and European markets. The prices have now come down significantly, especially after a decline in the demand in the country.

 

The iPhone 6s shows a whopping price drop of Rs.11,000. There is a fall in prices of the iPhone 6s Plus as well but this isn’t as drastic as the 6s. Also, what is surprising is that the cheapest iPhone 6s Plus is the rose gold variant at a price of about Rs. 65,000 and Rs. 84,000 from its earlier Rs. 72,000 and Rs. 92,000 respectively. The rose gold variant was the most popular option for pre-order globally, but clearly it didn’t go down too well with Indian consumers.

 

Additionally, the iPhone 5s which was launched last year in 2014, is being sold at a price lower than most of the places in the world. The phone now falls in the mid-range price bracket with a price close to 20K.

 

Looks like there has never been a better time to buy iPhones in India.

December 16, 2015
Apple Reportedly Working on OLED Displays in a Secret Taiwanese Lab

Sources have revealed that Apple has opened a lab in Taiwan and has recruited at least 50 engineers to work on display tech for iPhone and iPad. It is further suggested that many of these engineers previously worked for companies like AU Optronics and Qualcomm.

While the company is working on making its displays thinner, lighter and more efficient, Bloomberg says Apple is working on OLED (organic light-emitting diodes) displays. They are not only thinner, but also require no back-lighting. LG and Samsung have previously employed the same tech in the screens of their various products from television sets to mobile phones.

The Apple iPad Pro

If Apple manages to incorporate its own in-house OLED displays, its supply demands from other manufacturers would go down, giving the company an edge over its counterparts. Any progress on the display front would mean less dependency on companies like Samsung Electronics, Sharp Corp. and Japan Display.

Meanwhile, there is immense secrecy around the lab with no external signs of Cupertino company anywhere close to it. Apple has declined to make any official comments about it.

Source

December 15, 2015
Samsung Drags Apple to Supreme Court Over Patent Lawsuit

Looks like the two tech-giants have taken it upon themselves to take care of the drama front of the tech world. As lawsuits and courtroom scenes between Samsung and Apple continue to persist, here’s the latest update.

Samsung had agreed to pay Apple $548 million this month after negotiating an initial penalty of $1 billion over a patent copyright infringement lawsuit. While many saw this as a stroke of luck for Samsung to be able to pay only half the amount of the initial fine, Samsung clearly disagrees.

The company requested the verdict to be over-turned by the Supreme Court by filing a motion with the highest court in the United States. Samsung believes the previous jury was not given enough material to understand the patent thoroughly.

Since the cases in the American Supreme Court are chosen by the justices, there is no surety that Samsung will get a chance to fight it out with Apple there. But if it does indeed land up there, both companies will be required to make 30 minute long oral-arguments each, along with file briefs. Time to bring out the popcorn and sit-back, folks. Team Samsung or Apple?

December 15, 2015

iPad Pro Official in India: Unboxing and First Look

Apple’s iPad Pro is finally official in India. The massive iPad is available at a starting price of Rs. 67,900.

The 12.9-inch LED display iPad Pro is powered by an A9X processor with a 64-bit architecture and the M9 motion co-processor seen in the current-gen iPhones. The device also features an 8MP rear camera with f/2.4 aperture and a 1.2MP front. Check out the unboxing of the iPad Pro below.

The price of the iPad Pro as well as the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard are now listed in the Apple India website. The iPad Pro comes in 3 variants:

iPad Pro	Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi + Cellular
32 GB	Rs. 67,900	–
128 GB	Rs. 79,990	Rs. 91,990

Meanwhile, the Apple Pencil will cost Rs. 8,600 in India while the Apple Smart Keyboard has a price tag of Rs. 14,900. Here’s a spec table of the iPad Pro:

Specification	iPad Pro
Display	12.9-inch, LED backlit display
Resolution	2732×2048 resolution at 264 ppi
Dimensions	305.7×220.6×6.9 mm
Weight	713 grams (Wi-Fi) 723 grams (Wi-Fi + Cellular)
Chipset	A9X third-generation chip 64-bit architecture, M9 co-processor
RAM	4 GB
Front Camera	1.2 MP
Rear Camera	8 MP f/2.4
Storage	32 GB/ 128 GB
Battery	10,307 mAh battery
Connectivity	Wi?Fi (802.11a/b/g/n/ac); dual channel (2.4GHz and 5GHz), MIMO, bluetooth 4.2, LTE (for Cellular)
SIM Card	Nano SIM
Operating System	iOS 9

Source

December 15, 2015

Has Apple Given Up on its Final Cut Pro X Video Editing Software?

You may be familiar with Apple’s Final Cut Pro X video editing software that was touted as quite a breakthrough in the software world. However, after its launch four years ago, the software has earned the complete opposite title for itself. It has come to be a software that video editors love to hate. Quite rightly so, as the Final Cut Pro X focused a lot less on professional photography than it was supposed to.

Missing features and issues essential to professional video production in FCPX included lack of edit decision list (EDL), XML and Open Media Framework Interchange (OMF) support, inability to import projects created in previous releases of Final Cut Pro, and a lack of a multicam editing tool (which it tried to fix in later updates), among other things.

Basically, the software was so maligned by the public that its very own creator, Apple, has now refused to endorse its use internally. In a job listing for Assistant Editor under Beats by Dre, the Final Cut Pro X software seems to be completely missing from the positions required skills and know-how.

Judging by this, it looks like Apple has finally called it a day with its software, which is currently lying under a layer of dust. But Apple may not forget about the software entirely, and will likely have to do something about it in the near future. Whether the Cupertino company will go for a complete overhaul or return with minor updates is unknown.

Via: The Verge

December 14, 2015
Now Use the Apple Watch to Control Your GoPro

GoPro has an iOS app and it’s great. But this was not enough and so, now the app has an amazing update which allows GoPro to be controlled using the Apple Watch.

The most important GoPro functions like starting or stopping recording, previewing shots and adding “HiLight” bookmarks can now all be taken care of using the Watch. This iOS app is compatible with the GoPro HERO3 or any of the Wi-Fi equipped GoPro models, though previewing shots on the Apple Watch is not compatible with the HERO3 or the HERO2 with Wi-Fi Bacpac.

The app has definitely made things more convenient for GoPro users by allowing them easier movement, especially if their devices are needed to be mounted in inaccessible locations minus any kind of viewfinders.

Apple Watch, after being panned by the majority of users, has still a long way to go in terms of customer satisfaction. The GoPro-Watch app has definitely helped its case but it’s still not too conclusive a factor. While GoPro users stand to benefit incredibly from it, it is pretty much pointless for others.

December 12, 2015
Apple Filed a Patent for Waterproof iPhones Last Year

Earlier this week, Apple publicly revealed filing for a patent for waterproof devices. The paperwork was completed in June 2014 and is centered around making iPhones waterproof using rubber or “self-healing elastomer” that gains or loses its shape to protect the device from moisture and dust.

Ports like that of chargers or headphones on the phone would be protected with a rubber covering that would be removed when an external device or chord is to be inserted. Once the external device is removed, the rubber device would go back to covering the port.

Depending on the kind of elastomer, it can provide protection against dust, debris, water, and gas. Hello, pretty pictures in all kinds of environmental conditions.

Companies like Samsung and Sony have employed waterproof tech in their devices in the past. Having said that, this patent does not mean whether we can expect the iPhone 7 to be entirely water-resistant.

At the same time, it should be kept in mind that iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are modeled on similar principles of water-resistance and are definitely more resilient than previous Apple devices. Let’s see if the iPhone 7 actually turns out to be the hardiest of all the iPhones so far.

December 12, 2015
Apple Rumoured to be Working on a Customised GPU

After working on its own own processors since the iPhone 5 (Apple A6 chip) and 64-bit CPU, Apple is now rumoured to be working on a customised GPU. The company is exploring in-house solutions for coprocessors and sensors.

In order to get rid of its dependency on PowerVR graphic units, Apple has been working on a proprietary GPU for a while now.

The company’s Korean counterpart, Samsung, is also developing similar tech. Samsung is expected to reveal its first in-house processors and Exynos 8 chipset in the Galaxy S7 early next year.

Even if everything goes smoothly, we cannot expect to see Apple’s new custom-GPU in iPhone 7 in 2016. It’ll probably be a few years before Apple is ready to take this leap. Let’s see how these plans pan out for the company.

December 11, 2015
Apple Watch Gets Improved Language Base and Bug Fixes With New Update

Apple has recently issued a version 2.1 software update for the Apple Watch. This update mainly incorporates improved language support and bug fixes. The system now includes several European languages, East Asian languages and Arabic.

Apart from a larger language base in the software, the update also supports a right-to-left UI mode, which is an obvious feature considering the fact that Arabic is read from right to left. Adding to this, Siri has also been upgraded to understand Arabic that is spoke in Saudi Arabia and UAE; while a dictation-only support is added for a number of other languages.

Apple seems to have incorporated the Arabic language rather efficiently into its system as they even added the Islamic and Hebrew calendars in the update.

For more information about this software update, please click here.

December 10, 2015
Apple Reveals a Lightning To SD Card Reader For the iPad Pro

Apple has created yet another accessory and this time it is for the USB 3.0 port on the Apple iPad Pro. This Lightning to SD Card Reader, which is available at Apple’s online store, will allow the user to transfer media directly from their digital camera to the iPad Pro at USB 3 speeds. This device will also allow you to transfer data from other Apple iPad models and iPhones at USB 2 speeds.

The accessory that costs $29 will allow you to transfer data ten times faster than USB 2.0 and supports images using JPEG and RAW. To add to that, it also works on SD and HD video formats. How this works is, once you microSD card from your camera is inserted into the card reader, the Photo app on your iPhone or iPad will automatically open. These Photos are divided into Moments, Collections, and Years that you can store in the iCloud and limit those who can view your data with iCloud Photo sharing.

Apart from this accessory Apple had also just revealed a Smart Battery Case for iPhone’s battery issues and now this. Looks like Apple is recognizing its faults and making amends before anybody else does.

December 9, 2015
Apple To Host Apple Watch Event In March, May Launch 4-Inch iPhone

Reports suggest that Apple is planning to host a product launch event in March 2016 where it might announce the Apple Watch and the 4-inch iPhone 6C.

Kevin Wang from IHS has stated that Apple is working on a budget-oriented iPhone 6 handset. This handset will be a smaller version with a 4-inch display and will come with a plastic body similar to the 5c. The scaled down version of the iPhone 6 will indeed come with a few missing features. As the device was pegged as a cheaper iPhone 7 variant rather than a 6, what’s for certain is that the 6c will not come with 3D Touch.

Other reports also suggest that the iPhone 6C could come with a smaller screen, and thereby making it much easier for users to navigate through the device. After iPhone screens becoming larger and larger most people seem to have faced a rather annoying inconvenience to always move their hand to the top of the screen for the menu or back button. So, many are hoping for a drop in the screen size.

About the second device mentioned – the Apple Watch – unfortunately there’s not much to know about it. However, some rumours have suggested that the tech wear gadget could arrive with a FaceTime camera and Wi-Fi connectivity along with health sensors and sleep tracking. As of now Apple has not confirmed anything officially, but let us hope to see these gadgets soon in March.

December 9, 2015