Apple iPhone 5c Review: A Colourful iPhone 5 with Better Battery Life

iPhones have always been aspirational, high-end products, for which people have been prepared to pay a hefty price in order to join the (not particularly exclusive) club. With Apple's 2013 handset launches that approach has changed slightly: the flagship iPhone 5s occupies the traditional premium-product slot, while the iPhone 5c, reviewed here, and comes in for those with less money to spare.

However, pricing is still high compared to the iPhone 5c's many Android-based rivals, with the entry-level 16GB model costing £469 (inc. VAT; £390.83 ex. VAT) SIM-free, rising to £549 (inc. VAT; £457.50 ex. VAT) for the 32GB model. Two-year contract prices from Vodafone, supplier of our review sample, start at £42 a month for a 3G plan with a free handset, or £47 a month for a '4G-ready' plan.

The flagship iPhone 5s costs £549 (inc. VAT) for the 16GB model, £629 for 32GB and £709 for 64GB, while Google's Nexus 4 — perhaps the best-value Android smartphone of the past 12 months — costs £159 (inc. VAT) for the 8GB model and £199 with 16GB of internal storage.

The iPhone 5c may be a budget buy in Apple's terms, but it isn't really one in the broadest sense.

Design

The most obvious innovation in the iPhone 5c is the chassis build, which uses a seamless plastic shell over a steel-reinforced frame. The general design is immediately recognisable as an iPhone, with the telltale home button beneath the screen, rounded corners and Apple logo on the back.

But Apple has decided, for the first time, to produce a handset with a range of pastel-coloured casings in addition to white: you can opt for green, blue, yellow or pink alternatives. There's no black, though. We were sent the pink version, which is unlikely to find its way into many businesses. It's worth noting that the only other handset maker that dares to be as bold with its handset chassis colours is Nokia.

The plastic that's used for the outer shell has a shiny but grip-friendly finish that's not completely scratch resistant. As with previous iPhones, the battery is sealed in behind a non-removable backplate.

The silent-mode switch and volume buttons are on the left edge, while the power switch is on the top. The headset jack is on the bottom edge, alongside the microphone, Lightning connector and speaker. There's a caddy for a nano-SIM on the right edge of the chassis.

The 132g iPhone 5c feels solid and substantial in the hand, yet is quite comfortable to hold — even for people with small hands. It's quite thin at 8.97mm and has a moderate-sized footprint at 59.2mm by 124.4mm.

The Retina display measures just 4 inches across the diagonal, but its 1,136-by-640-pixel resolution makes for a sharp and clear 326-pixel-per-inch (ppi) image. The backlit IPS LCD screen is vibrant and content seems to jump out at you. The iOS 7 feature that sees application icons jiggle about slightly as the phone moves in your hand is a little disconcerting, but it lends a faux 3D appearance to things.

There's nothing new about the screen specification — it's the same as both the iPhone 5s and the now-discontinued iPhone 5. That sets the tone for much of what's on offer here, for the iPhone 5c is essentially a rebadged iPhone 5 in terms of its core specifications.

Features

The iPhone 5c uses the same A6 processor as the iPhone 5. It also sports the same 8-megapixel iSight camera at the back, the same 4-inch Retina screen and the same local- and personal-area wireless connectivity (dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4 respectively).

There are some differences between the iPhone 5 and 5c though. The sensor on the front-facing 1.2-megapixel FaceTime camera has bigger pixels for better low-light performance, for example. The 5c also supports a full set of LTE frequency bands, while the iPhone 5 has limited LTE support. Battery life is better, too, the 5c offering a claimed 10 hours of 3G talk and LTE internet use compared to the 8 hours of each on the iPhone 5. As ever, one person's average usage is another's light use, so it's difficult to be definitive about battery life. Still, if you're a current iPhone 5 user, you should go longer between battery charges with the 5c. During testing, we certainly didn't need to rush off and find mains power during a typical day's use.

The 5c may not be Apple's flagship handset, but its price sets it apart from mid-range offerings from other vendors — and for the money, its feature set is a little bland. Apple has saved its iTouch fingerprint scanner for the top-end iPhone 5s, for example, and we're surprised there's no place for Near Field Communications (NFC) here (or on the 5s for that matter). And while some people dislike the huge array of extras with which Samsung peppers its handsets, we'd have appreciated a little more innovation from Apple on the iPhone 5c.

OS upgrade: iOS 7

The main innovation work with this refresh cycle has gone into building iOS 7, of course — but that's not exclusive to the new iPhones. Apple's new mobile OS is downloadable to the iPhone 4 and later, iPad 2 and later, and the 5th-generation iPod Touch — although not all devices get the full gamut of features. This is not the place for a full review of iOS 7, but it's worth noting some key points.

iOS 7 has had a complete visual makeover. Apple follows the chassis colour through to the iOS 7 theme, and the overall design is flatter, cleaner and leaner. Third-party apps are already starting to follow suit. There are plenty of new features, including a swipe-up settings area that you can set to be accessible from the lock screen and which, among its features, lets you use the camera's LED flash as a torch.

A new app switcher appears when you double-tap the home key, letting you see everything that's running and sweep anything upwards off the screen to close it. There are many other changes under the surface that add new features and enhance older ones.

LTE ('4G') support is likely to be a key draw for some users, and if that's the case then it's worth checking your chosen operator's coverage. Our iPhone 5c review sample came from Vodafone, where it's available with Spotify or Sky Sports Mobile TV preinstalled. If you sign up for the handset before the end of October, you get 4GB of 4G data added to your contract for its duration. Vodafone's UK 4G rollout currently only covers London. At the end of September Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield will be added. By the end of the year 4G coverage will also include Bradford, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle.

Conclusion

The iPhone 5c's colourful appearance puts it firmly in the consumer camp, although the relatively sober white version is certainly an option for business users. If you're an existing iPhone user and weren't tempted by the iPhone 5, then the 5c is worth considering as an upgrade. However, iPhone 5 owners should think carefully: there's very little difference between the core specifications of the two handsets, and iOS 7 is just a download away.

Source: http://www.zdnet.com

Gold iPhone 5S No Longer Available Online This Month

If you're planning to order a new gold iPhone 5S online, don't expect to have it in your hands just yet.

Apple updated its shipment times for online purchases on Friday and gold models won't be ready until October, according to its website. Meanwhile, silver and space gray models won't ship for seven to 10 days after an order is placed.

Apple fans lined up nationwide to get their hands on the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C on Friday morning, but those looking for higher-end devices in gold have largely been out of luck. The good news is Apple reportedly asked suppliers to increase the production of the model by one third.

The iPhone 5S comes in three shades (space gray, silver and gold), with pricing starting at $199 for the 16GB version, $299 for 32GB and $399 for 64GB.

Apple's flagship store in New York City attracted the largest crowd ever for an iPhone launch day, with about 1,417 people in line as of 8:00 a.m. ET Friday, according to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. But lines in other parts of New York City were relatively flat with a slight tick upward.

Apple is expected to sell between 5 million and 8 million new iPhones this week.

Source: http://mashable.com

Inside Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 & Gear media blitz in Times Square

Samsung spared no expense hyping the unveiling of its Galaxy Note 3 smartphone and Galaxy Gear smart watch in New York City on Wednesday, utilizing prime real estate in Times Square for a live music performance, a video stream of its keynote presentation, and an opportunity for pedestrians to be among the first to try out its latest gadgets.

While the "Unpacked 2013 Episode 2" presentation was being delivered from Berlin, Samsung made sure to reach potential customers across the world by setting up a stage and special "Experience Center" in the middle of Times Square Wednesday afternoon. AppleInsider was on-hand to see the event, and get a first look at the Note 3 and Gear.

Passersby were encouraged to watch the event by a number of Samsung promoters, who passed out white and blue "Galaxy" branded hats as a gift to those who would stay.

Those who did stick around saw a performance from Swedish duo Icona Pop, who performed their hit single "I Love It." Soon after, a live stream of the Samsung Galaxy keynote from Germany began on the big screen.

Samsung's massive setup included a stage with a screen for the live stream, a sound mixing area, and a mysterious platform concealed by white sheets. Samsung promoters told passersby to wait around for a "big surprise" at the end of the presentation, after which they would be able to get their hands on the South Korean company's latest devices.

A number of onlookers took Samsung up on this offer, and by the time the keynote was nearing its end, dozens of people wearing blue and white Samsung hats were waiting in line. Once the presentation concluded, Samsung representatives pulled the white sheets away to reveal a layout much like Apple's own retail stores, with a number of tables showcasing the new Galaxy Note 3 "phablet" and Galaxy Gear smart watch.

Visitors were allowed into the Samsung "Experience Center," which was raised up on a platform in the middle of Times Square, in small groups. Each group was then given a total of five minutes to play with both the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear. Absent from Wednesday's event was the latest Galaxy Tab 10.1, which Samsung also announced on Wednesday.

At each table were numerous Notes and Gears, paired together side by side. A Samsung employee stood near each of them, showing off new features and capabilities of the gear, such as the functionality of the updated S-Pen or connectivity of the Gear watch.

Samsung's media blitz came less than a week before Apple is set to hold its own keynote presentation next Tuesday, at which the company is expected to unveil two new iPhone models. While Samsung pulled out all the stops, Apple is also planning more hype than usual, and will even hold a separate eventon Sept. 11 in China for local media.

More pictures of the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear, taken at Wednesday's event in New York, are included below.

Source: http://appleinsider.com

Microsoft has gone ahead and made it official by slipping a $7.2 billion ring on Nokia's finger to acquire the Finnish company's phone business. The deal, which had been rumored for some time, puts that last big piece into place for Microsoft to have end-to-end control over the Windows Phone ecosystem. In essence, Microsoft has become Apple.

Except it isn't Apple. Certainly, the Nokia deal is basically an admission that Apple's approach in mobile — that is owning and operating the hardware, software and services around its devices — are best one. But Microsoft and Windows Phone are different animals from Apple and iOS. Besides ecosystem and market share, the companies have wildly different cultures.

True, Microsoft is undergoing a top-to-bottom organizational shift to adapt its culture, and having 32,000 Nokia employees (including 18,300 who are "directly involved" in manufacturing) will inject a little Finnish sauce into Redmond. But you don't just become Apple by adopting its strategy. And if Microsoft needs reminding of that, it should look no further than its own Surface tablets, which have failed to become the viable iPad competitor they were meant to be.

Apple, Google and Microsoft

In other ways, the deal makes Microsoft more like Google, since both companies acquired a hardware partner (in Google's case, Motorola) to give them some device clout and beef up their patent and IP portfolios (Microsoft's was actually already pretty big). At the same time, they have to keep existing partners happy. HTC, Samsung and Huawei can't be as excited about Windows Phone today as they were yesterday.

But when Google acquired Motorola, it was a struggling player in the crowded field of Android handset manufacturers. By contrast, Nokia is by far the biggest maker of Window Phones — again making Microsoft more like Apple in bringing that manufacturing in-house.

There is another pesky problem that some others have already pointed out: We already have an Apple. Smartphone users who are willing to pay a premium to buy a device with a tight ecosystem (not a healthy app catalog) have, for the most part, already done so. How can Microsoft hope to make future gains with less of the market to work with?

Rising From Asha

The answer lies in a key part of the deal, which is Nokia's feature phone business. As part of the acquisition, Microsoft gets Nokia's Asha-based handsets and the right to market them under the Nokia brand. Microsoft says it wants to use Asha phones as an "on ramp" to Windows Phones.

The Asha phones could play an important role in overseas markets, particularly places like India, Brazil, China and Russia, which a Nielsen study recently found were areas ripe for smartphone growth. While it's hard for any smartphone maker to stand out over others in these areas, there are two brands that have some pre-existing clout in those markets: BlackBerry and Nokia.

BlackBerry obviously has its own problems, and the generational shift from the old BlackBerry OS to BlackBerry 10 hasn't been much of an on ramp for those phones, at least not yet. Looking at some recent numbers, however, Windows Phone is having better luck, and if Microsoft could come up with some key services that cut across the Asha/Windows Phone divide, it could push the platform even further.

That's a big if, though, and looking at Microsoft's previous attempt at creating robust feature phones, the ill-fated Kin line, doesn't give much hope. But that product failed because it targeted the wrong market (kids) at the wrong time (the iPhone was ascendant). Played right, Asha could help solidify Microsoft's mobile game.

The Last Mobile War

Buying Nokia's device business isn't a genius move. In fact, it's incredibly obvious — but at least it puts Microsoft on par with the other major mobile platforms. That's a good thing for Windows Phone, but the question is: Is it forward-looking enough?

By emulating Apple's ecosystem strategy, I can't help but think Microsoft just put into place a great strategy for winning the last war. The smartphone market certainly still has lots of opportunity, but it's much closer to a finished work than a blank canvas. Microsoft's now ready to put its mark on mobile with Nokia's phone business, but what about wearables, data-based services and in-car integration? The biggest innovations yet to come in mobile have nothing to do with phones.

It's an interesting coincidence that Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia phones comes about a day before Samsung will debut one of the most anticipated gadgets of the year: the Galaxy Gearsmartwatch, which connects with your phone to open up entirely new experiences with apps. Which story do you think will better define the mobile in the years to come?

Source: http://mashable.com

Apple Offers New iPhone Trade-in Program

On Friday, the company began offering a new trade-in program that gives customers store credit for their old iPhones that can be used toward the purchase of a new phone. Customers can expect between $120 and $250 for each non-water-damaged device they turn in to an Apple store. 

"iPhones hold great value. So, Apple Retail Stores launched a new program to assist customers who wish to bring in their previous-generation iPhone for reuse or recycling," according to Apple's statement e-mailed to the Monitor. 

But the wording is important here: unlike other Apple trade-in deals, where you mail in your old phone and receive a gift card in return, this new program lets customers swap in their iPhone at an Apple store, but the gift card must be used toward the purchase of a new iPhone. That means you can continue with your old contract, get a new contract, or get an unlocked device. All options turn a nice profit for Apple.

If you're a devoted Apple user, this might be a good deal. The company is likely to unveil two new iPhone models: the 5S and the 5C on Sept. 10th, and if you want an upgrade, why not cut off some of the cost by trading in your old device? 

"If you look at Apple's overall business model, it's not just about the devices but the overall universe," Todd Day, a senior industry analyst for Frost & Sullivan told CNBC. Offering a competitive trade-in program helps ensure those customers stick around, according to CNBC. Since new iPhone upgrades usually run at $199 for customers, Apple's $120 trade-in minimum could be a major incentive to keep customers in its ecosystem.

Source: http://www.csmonitor.com

Apple Officially Launches iPhone Trade-In Program

It's been rumored for weeks and tested in some stores, but on Friday Apple officially launched its in-store trade in program for used iPhones. Under the program called "iPhone Reuse and Recycling Program," Apple will offer an in-store credit for used iPhones good towards the purchase of a new one.

CNBC broke the story, but Wired reported that Apple is working the program through BrightStar, a services company specializing in the mobile market. Apple Store retail employees will enter details about your iPhone into an Apple app on their iPhones and get a real-time quote from BrightStar.

If you accept the deal, your iPhone will be wiped on the spot in front of you. If you don't like the price, no harm and no foul, and you're free to leave and take your iPhone with you.

9to5Mac noted that current prices—and realize that these prices will fluctuate according to market conditions—are thus:

·         $250-$253 value for a 16GB iPhone 5 in good condition.

·         $120-$140 for a GSM 8GB iPhone 4

·         $80 for the CDMA version of the same phone

Apple's program launches just a few weeks ahead of Apple's rumored launch of the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C. This gives Apple's retail staff time to get familiar with the program before being inundated with trade-in demand for the new devices.

One note: I've seen several pieces questioning whether or not Apple can be successful with this program considering the crowded space—Gazelle, Amazon, Verizon, AT&T, Best Buy, and many others offer similar services.

The problem is that those questions are idiotic. Apple is going to quickly become the biggest player in this market for two reasons.

The first is that we're talking about Apple, but the biggest reason is Apple's line of retail stores. Those retail stores see a ton of foot traffic already. On average, those customers will be far, far more comfortable trading in their iPhones in an Apple Store than they would be with any of the mail-centered operations.

No questions, no wondering, and no waiting. That's the makings of a solid customer experience.

This isn't to say that Gazelle can't continue to do well or that Amazon will be chased away, but Apple is going to do a very brisk business in these trade-in devices. More specifically, it will dwarf these competitors in little or no time.

Source:http://www.macobserver.com

Apple Buys Transit App Maker Embark

Apple's location startup buying spree isn't over yet — the company has acquired transit company Embark for an undisclosed sum.

The news, firstreported by Jessica Lessin, comes about a month after the acquisition of another transit app, HopStop.

Embark currently has transit apps for 10 different transit systems in the App Store. The startup has received money from Y Combinator, SV Angel and BMW.

According to Lessin, Apple will integrate some of Embark's subway mapping technology into the next version of Apple Maps. Direct transit map integration is a feature Apple declined to add to the initial version of Apple Maps that launched last fall. Instead, Apple made it possible for users to open third-party apps (including HopStop and Embark) from the main mapping interface.

As someone who uses public transit every day, I can say that the de-coupling of built-in transit directions is one reason I almost always use Google Maps for iOS.

Apple has had a busy summer on the location acquisition front. In addition to HopStop and Embark, the company also acquired location data company Locationary.

When reached for comment, Apple gave Mashable its boiler-plate statement about acquisitions:

"Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans."

It's interesting that Apple would acquire Embark in addition to HopStop, given the similarity in purpose (and considering HopStop has a much larger user base and supports more transit systems). We look forward to seeing how this will impact Apple's future mapping plans.

What do you think of Apple's Embark acquisition? Let us know in the comments.

Source:http://mashable.com

Apple Tries to Patch Up iPhone Charge Port Security Flaw Found by Researchers

Some Apple customers were annoyed when the company changed the shape of the charging port for the iPhone 5. Now, another grievance can be attributed to Apple's charging port, but this time it's not just an inconvenience. It's a security flaw.

Apple says its forthcoming operating system will address the flaw, but the researcher who discovered it questions whether Apple's approach so far truly fixes the problem.

Billy Lau, a research scientist at Georgia Institute of Technology, gave apresentation at the Black Hat USA conference that demonstrated how to hack iPhones and iPads. He and two of his colleagues, Yeongjin Jang and Chengyu Song, hid a miniscule computer in a charger. The computer was able to get access into the devices and install its own apps.

Normally, Apple users peruse the App Store to pick and choose the apps that they want. However, there are very few safeguards set up to prevent a malicious app from being installed without the user's knowledge.

"There's another channel that's normally accessed by iOS developers in order to test their app before it hits the market," Lau told ABC News.

When developers connect a device to the computer to test their particular app, the computer reads the device's Unique Identifier, or UDID. After reading the UDID, the device will generate what's known as a provisional profile.

"Then, they can install any of their own custom-made apps," Lau said.

While the UDID isn't public information, it can be easily accessed once a device is plugged into a computer.

"The computer reads the UDID from the device instantaneously," said Lau.

A hacker with less-than-noble intentions can hide a computer in a charging device or a bigger object, like a music docking station. Once connected, it can generate its own provisional profile and gain access to both iPhones and iPads.

SIM Hack Can Expose Cell Phones to Crooks

A hacker also isn't limited to a single device.

"There are Apple lounges with USB charging stations," said Lau. "It's a prime target that the [hacker] can use to reach many devices quickly."

If a charging station has been tampered with, then the hacker can gain access to many phones very quickly.

Lau and his colleagues notified Apple about the security flaw shortly after their presentation was approved for Black Hat back in May. Apple invited them to test their hack on a beta version of iOS7, the newest version of the operating system that is yet to be released.

"The device will now ask if you want to trust the computer you plug it into," said Lau.

However, Lau added that users might not know that the computer or peripheral they plugged into is an untrustworthy computer and can still be vulnerable to the hack.

"Fixes for the charger pairing vulnerability have been addressed in the latest beta of iOS7," Tom Neumayer, a spokesman for Apple, told ABC News. "We would like to thank the researchers for their valuable input."

Apple'sproactive effort to fix the bug surprised Lau.

"Most of the time, Apple just seems to not respond or pretend that there is no problem," he said. "We demonstrated the weakness and it seems that, this time, they are really trying to do something."

The hack and Apple's response was first reported by Reuters.

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/

Apple Update To Tackle Charger Hack Attack

Apple plans to issue a software update to help its products avoid falling victim to booby-trapped chargers.

The update has been prepared in response to research that created malicious chargers that could upload code onto devices plugged into them.

The work by computer scientists at Georgia Tech in the US can compromise iOS devices in about 60 seconds.

Apple's pending update warns users to be sure they are using a trusted charging point when they plug in.

The custom built chargers include a small computer alongside the electronic components that pipe power into an Apple iOS device.

The tiny computer interrogates an iPhone or tablet and copies a unique ID number that identifies that phone.

This is then used on an Apple website to take advantage of an uploading tool usually used by developers to test their software on an iOS gadget.

Instead of uploading a program in development, the trio of researchers, Billy Lau, Yeongjin Jang, and Chengyu Song, managed to upload an application that stole data.

The malicious chargers and their associated data-stealing application were demonstrated at the Black Hat hacker conference currently under way in Las Vegas.

In the demo, the trio showed off a fake Facebook app that could grab screenshots of passwords and make calls on behalf of an attacker.

The limited nature of the attack, which requires phones to be unlocked and for attackers to be a registered developer with Apple, were noted by tech news site Ars Technica.

The researchers from Georgia Tech's Information Security Center gave some details about their attack in June and this prompted Apple to prepare an update for devices running version seven of its iOS operating system. The update is currently part of the beta release for iOS 7. The final version of iOS7 will be released in the Autumn.

The update asks users if they are sure they can trust the device they are using to charge their phone or tablet.

Untrusted devices get no access to the internals of an iOS gadget.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk

New iOS 7 Beta Supports Fingerprint Recognition In Next iPhone's Home Button

A London programmer named Hamza Sood has found evidence of support for fingerprint recognition through the home button in the latest version (V4) of the iOS 7 beta released yesterday to developers. Sood found a BiometricKitUI folder within the AccessibilityBundles in the Library directory of the new OS that contains the code in the above image.

Sood told 9to5Mac that the text in the <string> tags in the image “are what an iPhone with VoiceOver on would read to a user.”  9to5Mac also reported that another source told them that “the user-interface for the fingerprint scanning system has been complete.” If this is to be believed, then these text strings describe the images in an on-screen tutorial instructing users how to touch the home button on an iPhone to scan their fingerprint to unlock the phone. Apparently the image of a fingerprint (whether generic or particular) appears on the screen and changes color during the recognition process (Sood, being in London ostensibly has the UK version of iOS that spells this as “colour.”) This second source also told 9to5Mac that “the technology is focused around unlocking the phone, so it is unclear if it is built for a payment system (as rumored) in the next iPhone.”

That next iPhone has been rumored to make use of the fingerprint recognition technology that Applehas acquired from AuthenTec. If iOS 7 supports fingerprint recognition using the home button, that would further suggest that this rumor is true.

But it’s potentially even more interesting than that. As Bulgarian designer/developer Pavel Simeonovjust tweeted, “Fingerprint sensor in iPhone 5S is much more than a gimmick. This + iCloud keychain = end of passwords.” So this is not just about security, but also convenience. If iCloud keychain converts and safeguards all of your passwords that you—and only you—can access via your iPhone, then Apple will have scored a tremendous usability coup that potentially makes its phone the key to your life—quite literally. These 14 lines of code could indeed have big implications!

Source: http://www.forbes.com