Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘iphone’

This chart reveals a growing problem for Apple — that ‘customers are getting less excited for each new generation of iPhone’ by Kif Leswing- – Business Insider

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on October 21, 2018| Leave a Comment »

This chart reveals a growing problem for Apple — that ‘customers are getting less excited for each new generation of iPhone’

Tim Cook
Apple CEO Tim Cook
Getty/Justin Sullivan
  • New iPhone models haven’t sold out as quickly as they have in years past.
  • Citi analysts have used search trends to surmise that “customers are getting less excited for each new generation of iPhone.”

Apple launched the iPhone XR at 3 A.M. in the morning on Friday, and when morning came, nearly all of the models were still in stock, according to Macworld.

It’s a change for Apple, which usually requires customers to wake up in the early morning to put in a pre-order if they want the new iPhone on the first day. Lines outside Apple stores when the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max went on sale were smaller than they were in years past.

These data points can be taken as a sign that perhaps an iPhone launch doesn’t generate as much buzz as it used to.

That’s what analysts from Citi concluded in a note distributed earlier this week, based on Google searches.

“We observed there are significant spikes for web searches after the launch event each year. We also see the momentum has been decreasing over time,” the analysts wrote.

“We believe this indicates the market has been maturing, and customers are getting less excited for each new generation of iPhone,” they continued. “We suspect this is because of a slowdown in innovation and the saturation of iPhone in the addressable market.”

Their research can be summed up in this chart:

iPhone search trends Citi

There are a lot of reasons why search traffic might be decreasing year-over-year, and it doesn’t necessarily suggest that iPhone sales will sag. “We are not expecting a ‘Super Cycle,’ but we do believe sustainable single-digit unit growth of iPhone is achievable,” the Citi analysts write.

One issue might be that the overall smartphone market has matured. Apple’s big new features include water-resistance, a facial recognition scanner called Face ID, and a display that covers more of the front of the phone. But none of those banner features represent as much of a jump as iPhones from 4 or 5 years ago, when the camera was improving by leaps and bounds and the displays were getting much larger on an annual basis.

It’s also possible that these search trends were collected before the iPhone XR went on sale. The iPhone XR comes in a bunch of colors, and starting at $749, is expected to be the most popular new iPhone this cycle.

Regardless of why, there certainly does appear to be less buzz around new iPhone launches. Perhaps that’s why Apple is pouring so much money into research and development— to find the next big thing.

Read Full Post »

People using their phones while driving is a huge problem, but a new iPhone feature is helping by Kif Leswing – Business Insider

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on April 18, 2018| Leave a Comment »

People using their phones while driving is a huge problem, but a new iPhone feature is helping

Kif Leswing
Phone while driving Getty
  • 37% of trips include at least some significant phone usage while the car is moving, according to a new study.
  • But features like Apple’s “Do Not Disturb While Driving” can reduce phone use by as much as 8%.
  • The results show that small software changes on big platforms like Apple’s can nudge people to make safer decisions.

It shouldn’t be surprising that people love to use their phones while driving — if you commute in a car, you see it every day, either in your car or other people’s.

But it’s somewhat surprising how many people drive while distracted: there’s significant phone use during as many as 37% of trips logged by Everdrive, an app developed by car insurance company Everquote.

During those trips, people were using their phones for as much as 11% of the time, or about 3 minutes during a 29 minute drive on average, according to the Everdrive study released on Wednesday, which examined 781 million miles of driving data from sensors like your phone’s GPS and accelerometer.

But there is one silver lining to the study: Apple’s new “Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature designed to reduce distracted driving is working. Basically, if your iPhone detects you’re in a moving car, it will turn off all notifications and you can set an automatic text response to tell your friends and family you can’t respond because you’re behind the wheel.

Everquote found that 70% of people in its study kept the DND While Driving feature turned on after Apple released it last September. And between September 19 and October 25 last year, people with DND on used their phones 8% less, according to the study.

So it’s not a silver bullet, but it turns out a software update can reduce distracted driving.

Other interesting stats from the study:

  • States with laws prohibiting phone use while driving showed the least phone use while driving.
  • Drivers tend to make a hard brake on 25% of trips.
  • The states with the worst driving scores are Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
  • The states with the best driving scores are Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Alaska, and Idaho.

Read Full Post »

New leaked images claim to show the screen of a massive ‘iPhone X Plus’ by Avery Hartmans – Business Insider

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on February 26, 2018| Leave a Comment »

New leaked images claim to show the screen of a massive ‘iPhone X Plus’

Avery Hartmans
iPhone X Hollis Johnson
  • New leaked images claim to show parts from a 2018 iPhone.
  • The photos show a large notched display that would reportedly be for an “iPhone X Plus,” a massive 6.5-inch phone said to be coming later this year.
  • The parts may not be for an Apple phone however, since the original post claims they were manufactured by LG rather than Samsung.

New leaked photos claim to show the screen of an “iPhone X Plus,” a 6.5-inch iPhone said to be coming in 2018.

The photos first showed up on the MacX forums, although the post has since been taken down. MacRumors saved the images and said the original post claims the parts are from an LG facility in Vietnam, and are part of a “trial run of production equipment.”

Apple is said to be releasing three new iPhone models in 2018: an upgraded iPhone X with a 5.8-inch OLED screen, a larger model with a 6.5-inch OLED screen, and a third iPhone model with a less expensive LCD screen.

The leaked parts would seemingly be for the larger, 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus:

—MacRumors.com (@MacRumors) February 25, 2018 //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js ” data-e2e-name=”embed-container” data-media-container=”embed”>

It’s clear from the photos that the screen is larger than the iPhone X but has the roughly the same size notch at the top of the screen. According to MacRumos, the part number printed on the flex cable attached to the screen is similar to Apple’s format. Still, there’s no way to verify whether these parts are legitimate and not made for an iPhone knockoff.

Plus, if the original post is to be believed, the parts were manufactured by LG in Vietnam. While Apple did reportedly invest $2.7 billion in LG Display to build the OLED displays, Samsung was Apple’s exclusive OLED supplier for the iPhone X.

Read Full Post »

Now is the best time to sell your iPhone by Dave Smith – Business Insider

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on August 26, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Now is the best time to sell your iPhone

The iPhone 7. Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

Have you been thinking about selling off your iPhone for one reason or another? Maybe you plan on upgrading to that swanky iPhone 8 we’ve been hearing about, or maybe you just want to make some money off your old handset.

Whatever your situation might be, if you’re thinking about selling your iPhone, you might want to pull the trigger sooner rather than later.

Every time Apple announces new iPhones, the sellback prices of older iPhone models drop considerably — sometimes by $100 or more — across most sites, from Gazelle to eBay and the like.

If you need a good place to sell back your iPhone, you’ll find plenty of options. You’ll probably get the most money from eBay, but several other sites like Gazelle, Glyde, Swappa, buymyi, and even Amazon make it incredibly easy, as most of them will offer to send you a box and a label to ship off your iPhone for free, and either pay you via PayPal, Amazon.com gift card, or a check in the mail just a few days later.

Keep in mind: The new iPhones will likely be announced in the next few weeks, and released shortly thereafter. So if this iPhone you plan on selling is the main phone you use, make sure you’re going to be okay if you’re phone-less for awhile, or just have a backup phone ready.

 

Read Full Post »

8 reasons why Google’s Pixel is better than the iPhone by Antonio Villas-Boas – Business Insider

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on December 4, 2016| Leave a Comment »

8 reasons why Google’s Pixel is better than the iPhone

pixel and iphoneAntonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider

I’ve been using Google’s Pixel XL smartphone for a few weeks, and it’s been highlighting the iPhone’s glaringly lacking key features.You should note that everything here is subjective. The iPhone has great features that the Pixel doesn’t have, and the Apple ecosystem is in a league of its own.

But damn the Pixel is good.

You should also note that I’m comparing the Pixel XL experience with my iPhone 6s and not the iPhone 7 series. That’s because I have more experience with the 6s Plus, as it’s been my phone for the last 9 months. On top of that, the iPhone 6s Plus isn’t that much different, as a whole, than the iPhone 7. The performance between both phones is still comparable, and the 7’s camera upgrades aren’t as important as some of the Pixel’s more functional features.

Check out what I think makes the Pixel a better phone than the iPhone:

The Pixel is lighter.

The Pixel is lighter.

Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider

My iPhone 6s Plus’ weight (192 grams) never bothered me until I picked up the Google Pixel XL (168 grams). The iPhone 7 Plus is slightly lighter than the 6s Plus at 188 grams, but only by 4 grams, so I’d still consider the 7 heavy compared to the Pixel.

The Pixel’s lighter weight has no ill effect on its reliability, and it’s easier to manage in your hands.

The Pixel’s screen is stunning.

The Pixel's screen is stunning.

Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider

Above, the Pixel XL and iPhone 6s Plus are showing the same photo on full brightness (taken with the Pixel, by the way). The iPhone’s LCD screen is nice, but the colors aren’t as rich, and the contrast isn’t as pronounced as on the Pixel’s AMOLED display.

The Pixel’s design is more utilitarian than it is beautiful, but its sharper AMOLED screen outshines the iPhone’s Retina display.

The iPhone 7 Plus has a 1080p screen that’s fine and sharp enough, but the Pixel’s 1440p screen is sharper.

More importantly, the Pixel’s AMOLED screen makes everything it displays look better than on the iPhone’s LCD display. Pictures, videos, and apps pop with inky blacks and vibrant (but not oversaturated) colors on the Pixel, which makes for a more premium and modern look overall.

The Pixel has a clever way to add grip.

The Pixel has a clever way to add grip.

Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider

I don’t like cases, but I have to use one for my iPhone. As nice as the iPhone’s metal back and edges are, they don’t offer any grip, and I’ve dropped and dinged my iPhone a couple times as a result.

The glass inlay on the Pixel’s back doesn’t look particularly nice (it looks better on the white model), but it’s actually a great grip for your index finger, which makes the Pixel feel more secure in your hands as you hold it.

Fast charging.

Fast charging.

SuperSaf TV/YouTube

Above, SuperSaf TV, a tech YouTube channel, tested the charging times of the Pixel XL, iPhone 7 Plus, and Galaxy S7 Edge with the chargers included in each phone’s packaging. After two hours of charging, the Pixel XL is nearly 100 percent charged while the iPhone 7 Plus is dragging its feet at 72 percent. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S7 wiped the floor with the other two, having charged to 100 percent after an amazing one hour, 29 minutes.

Fast charging is actually a huge deal. The Pixel’s USB-C fast charging is faster than the iPhone’s comparatively slow charging, and it’s one of the harder things to adjust to when I switch back to the iPhone.

I can choose to make the Pixel work faster.

 

I can adjust Android to make it feel faster than iOS by cutting down, or removing altogether, the animations when I open apps and swipe between screens.

iOS, on other hand, won’t let me touch its animations.

Pixel has better battery life, thanks to Android.

Android’s Doze feature is exceptionally effective. It does a fantastic job of reducing the Pixel’s power consumption when I’m not using it compared to iOS on my iPhone.

The Pixel is slightly smaller, but has the same size screen.

The Pixel is slightly smaller, but has the same size screen.

Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider

The difference is slight, but it’s there and noticeable on a device you hold and use multiple times a day.

The iPhone is in the lower end in terms of screen-to-bezel ratio (67.7 percent) compared to the Pixel XL (71.2 percent).

I prefer Android overall.

I prefer Android overall.

Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider

I simply get along better with Android than I do with iOS.

Apple still hasn’t figured out how to show me notifications in iOS as well as Android does. They’re easier to manage from the Android lock screen, where I can clear notifications away with one swipe compared to iOS’ swipe-and-tap to clear. I can also pull down on the notifications to peek at more details compared to iOS, too, which doesn’t show me very much.

Notifications also manage themselves better in Android. For example, when I open a new email or Hangouts conversation on my computer, Android will automatically clear those notifications on the Pixel, whereas the notification remains on my iPhone until I manually clear them.

It’s also impossible in iOS to swipe up the control panel for things like changing the brightness when the on-screen keyboard is on. On Android, I can easily swipe down from the top of the screen to get access to the most important settings from any app, whether the keyboard is on or off.

The universal back-button that simply brings you back to the last screen or page you were on is incredibly useful, as it’s always in the same place. On iOS, the back button for apps and screens can differ from app to app.

There’s also the usual “I can hide my apps in the app drawer and put them wherever I want on the home screen” customization argument, which has been a classic Android argument since its release.

Finally, for those who use voice-activated assistant, Google’s Assistant has proven to be far more advanced than Siri, too.

Read Full Post »

Older Posts »