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iPhone

Apple iPhone 7 release date, rumors, features and design

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iPhone 7 Summary

Models: iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 7 Pro

  • Expected Release Date: September 2016
  • Faster Processor
  • No headphone jack
  • Two screen sizes
  • Dual camera lenses
  • Standard, Plus and Pro versions
  • Antenna bands redesigned

No headphone Jack

Recently Mac Fan a poplar mac enthusiast website in Japan released leaked schematics of the new iPhone 7 Pro that indeed shows the standard headphone jack is no more.

This means that the iPhone Lightning Cable port will most likely serve a dual purpose as both power input and audio headphone out.

One downside is that the schematics from Mac Fan also show no speaker replacing the missing headphone input area. Which leaves many fans questioning, why no dual speaker?

There are also some rumors that Apple has been developing wireless earbuds for the iPhone 7.

mac fan iphone 7 pro
Mac Fan

Leaked Images

Recently leaked images show the iPhone 7 design with dual camera lenses.

iphone 7 pro
macotakara.jp

New Sizing

Some new renderings show the new iPhone 7 may actually be thinner than the previous iPhone 6s. The exact width and height of the dual lens camera is yet to be verified.

iphone 7 thickness
Feld & Volk

Dual Camera

There has been a lot of speculation about the dual lens for the iPhone 7. Unfortunately early leaked photos did not show any anticipated new lens designs. That is until now.

New photos are popping up showcasing dual lenses. However, it seems the new iPhone 7 Pro will be the only iPhone to showcase this new feature. Many believe the “Pro” model will be Apple’s new flagship phone.

iphone 7 pro dual camera
iPhone 7 Rendering of the Dual Lens Camera

In addition to recent leaks Feld & Folk have released a rendering based of those photos that shows dual lens incapsulated in a pill-like structure.

Smart Connector

The mysterious three dots at the bottom of the iPhone 7 Pro design leads many to believe that it is a Smart Connector similar to that found in the iPad Pro. The Smart Connector allows you to add accessories (like a keyboard for the iPad) without using cables.

smart connector iphone 7
Could these be smart connectors?

Home Button

Initial rumors reported the possibility of the home button being removed as this would create more screen area. All schematics and leaked pictures say otherwise at this time.

iPhone 7 Design

Many news agencies are reporting that the iPhone 7 design will be boring and lack features. From the leaked images and rumors this unfortunately seems to be the case. With iPhone sales suffering this could raise some issues with Apple investors as new and better features generally spark interest and in turn sales. Lets hope Apple surprises us on

Hold out for the iPhone 7S if you can

The lack of features for the new iPhone 7 have people bummed, but if you can hold out for the iPhone 7S you might be blown away. According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who states the iPhone 7S will come with an OLED screen even though every iPhone previously came with an LCD screen.

Additionally various news agencies are reporting the iPhone 7S could ditch the “S” and go right to “8” or ditch the numbering system all together.

Release Date

In accordance to previous iPhone release dates the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 7 Pro are scheduled to be announced and released in early September.

News

iPhone sales struggle as Apple posts first quarterly sales decline since 2003

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With how well Apple has been doing in recent years, most expected the first quarter of 2016 to be another success. After all, Apple stock has continued to grow for years now and they continue to dominate the smartphone and tablet market. Unfortunately, the first quarter of 2016 was not kind to Apple.

According to Apple’s quarterly report released this week, the first quarter revenue for 2016 was $50.55 billion, which is down by 13% from their $58 billion quarter last year. Not only that, but profit was down as well–Apple reported a profit of $10.52 billion compared with $13.57 billion the previous quarter.

In addition to this, Apple reported that iPhone sales were just 51.19 million for Q1 2016. This represents a significant drop from the 61.17 million units sold last quarter. iPad sales were down for the ninth straight quarter as well. The Apple Watch generated $6 billion in sales during its first year, which might seem significant–except it’s just a drop in the bucket when compared to the company’s $233 billion revenue overall for last year. Sales for the Mac line of computers were down, too.

Given the sharp sales decline across the board, some may assume that Apple is in bad shape. That’s not really the case, though. Apple currently is said to have cash on hand of over $200 billion. They have announced plans to return roughly $250 billion to shareholders by April 2018. They will also be buying back roughly $175 billion in stocks.

Both Apple’s cash on hand and buyback program point to the company continuing to be very financially secure. In fact, Apple CEO Tim Cook told Wall Street Journal this week that it was “a very challenging quarter,” but that Apple is not in decline.

I am inclined to agree with Cook’s assessment of the news. With how hot Apple’s iPhone has been since debuting in 2007, slowed growth was inevitable. Factor in that Apple’s current iPhone is so good that upgrading yearly is no longer absolutely necessary, and it’s easy to see why demand for new iPhones might be down. Other manufacturers are dealing with the same problem of slowed growth in the smartphone and tablet market, as well.

What will be telling is Apple’s revenue and profit for the remaining 2016 quarters. Continued sharp decline will not bode well for the company. At this point, though, there’s nothing to be worried about.

News

Apple releases gorgeous Rose Gold MacBook with better battery and faster processor

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Finally, Rose Gold fans can rejoice. When Apple released the first 12″ MacBook last year, it was met with a lot of controversy. Users disliked its single USB-C port and slower processor, as compared with the MacBook Pro, of course. Still, the unit appears to have been a success, which is why it’s no surprise that Apple has announced a new 12″ MacBook.

According Geekbench, the speed of the processor is 20% better than the original 2015 MacBook model. This is a very respectable speed improvement and one that is sure to satisfy at least some of the critics.

Rose Gold MacBook
Apple

In addition to this, the disk-write speeds are considerably better–estimated to be as much as 80-90 faster compared to the 2015 MacBook. As with the processor speed improvement, the disk-write speeds being significantly faster should lead to a smoother, better performing machine.

Apple claims that the 2016 MacBook has a web browsing battery life of 10 hours. This is quite a bit better than the MacBook Pro and on par with the MacBook Air. However, as we’ve seen with many devices, a claim of 10 hours does not mean that the device will actually last that long in between charges.

New! Rose Gold Color

The new 12″ MacBook comes in four color options–gold, silver, space gray, and rose gold. The same Retina display, Force Touch trackpad, USB-C port, and ultra slim design are also found in the 2016 MacBook. New to the mix is a sixth generation Intel dual-core 1.3 GHz processor that is said to have Turbo Boost with speeds up to 3.1 GHz. Faster 1866 MHz memory is here, too.

MacBook in Rose Gold
Apple

Apple has the new MacBook on its website as of today and it is set to hit Apple’s retail stores and authorized resellers on 4/20/2016. The unit starts at $1,299 all the way up to $1,599 USD depending on the configuration chosen.

How-To

How to reset Time Capsule and other AirPort Base Stations to factory default settings

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How to reset time capsule or other AirPort Base stations.  If your Apple AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme or AirPort Time Capsule is failing to respond to your commands it may be time to do a factory reset. Additionally, this is an option if you’ve lost your password or your AirPort base station isn’t functioning as it has in the past. Lets learn how to reset Time Capsule and others with these quick tips.

reset-time-capsule
Reset button location for: AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule 802.11ac

It should be noted that a factory reset will not erase any of your files from the AirPort base station. However, as in other articles, we always recommend having a fail proof backup system or at least a quick temporary backup.

Apple likes to make things a little confusing when it comes to resetting. In fact, there are three types of resets: Soft, Hard and Factory Reset.

hard reset time capsule
Reset button location for: AirPort Extreme 802.11n (top) and AirPort Time Capsule (bottom)

For this how-to article we are going to assume you have a Time Capsule for simplification purposes. Don’t worry if you have an Express or Extreme you can follow the same procedures.

reset apple time capsule
Reset button location for: AirPort Express 802.11n (2nd Generation)

If you are interested how to reset Time Capsule and you still have control of your AirPort Utility (Applications > Utilities) then you can try a soft or hard reset first. You should start with a soft reset first and the main difference between a soft and hard reset of your Time Capsule is the amount of time you hold the reset button. If you can not access the AirPort Utility then do a full factory default reset of your Time Capsule.

Soft Reset

  1. Press and hold the Time Capsule reset button for 1 second, then release (LED will begin flashing).
  2. Open the AirPort Utility (Applications > Utilities).
  3. After you select the Time Capsule, Click Edit.
  4. The Time Capsule is now in Soft Reset Mode.
  5. Simply move through the settings tabs and make adjustments as you see fit.
  6. Click Update or Continue as needed.
  7. Quit AirPort Utility.

Hard Reset

    1. Press and hold the Time Capsule reset button for 5 seconds (LED starts to flash rapidly).
    2. The Time Capsule will restart. (Takes about 1-2 minutes)
    3. Open the AirPort Utility (Applications > Utilities).
    4. Select the Time Capsule from Other Wi-Fi Devices, then click Edit.
    5. Select the Other Options button, Click Restore Previous Settings and then Done.
    6. Quit AirPort Utility.



Factory Default Reset

  1. First unplug your Time Capsule’s power cord.
  2. Press and hold the Time Capsule reset button.
  3. While continuing to hold the reset button plug in the power cord to your Time Capsule.
  4. Continue holding until the LED starts to flash rapidly.
  5. Your Time Capsule has now completed the Factory Reset.

Always reset Time Capsule before trying other options. If the soft, hard and factory reset do not solve your problems with your Time Capsule it may be a sign of a more significant problem like hard drive failure. In that case we recommend contacting Apple support or visiting your local Apple store for help.

News

Recently leaked iPhone 7 images may be the real thing

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There’s one thing that you can be sure of in the months leading up to the next iPhone: many images of the device will be leaked. The vast majority of these images end up being fake and ultimately disappointing those who hoped the iPhone would look just like the leaked image. However, it appears that a recently leaked image of the new iPhone 7 may, in fact, be the real thing.

iPhone 7 May Have Smart Connector

AppleInsider was first to report on and share the leaked image last month. Initially, many believed that this supposed leak was fake because of the 3 dots on the back of the iPhone. These 3 dots represent Smart Connector, a feature that was first brought to the iPad Pro. Smart Connector allows the iPad Pro to magnetically connect to Apple’s Smart Keyboard. The connection also draws power from the iPad Pro, which means that the keyboard does not have to be charged prior to using it with the iPad Pro.

Smart Connector seems like an odd feature to bring to the iPhone 7, given the substantial difference in size when compared with the iPad Pro. However, it is possible that the iPhone 7 will use Smart Connector for another accessory besides a keyboard–perhaps a headphones accessory with rumors that Apple will be doing away with the headphone jack on the new iPhone.

iphone 7
macotakara.jp

iPhone 7 Design Is Nearly Identical to iPhone 6/6S

A recent report from Macotakara.jp, a Japanese blog that is typically very reliable, suggests that leaked image is actually the iPhone 7 Plus. They point to the outer shell/casing and the screen size as evidence that this is the larger version of the iPhone and not the 4.7″ iPhone 7. What’s more, the leaked iPhone 7 Plus is exactly the same size as the iPhone 6S Plus and iPhone 6 Plus before it.

This indicates that the new iPhone 7 Plus won’t be any thinner than the current model. It also indicates that the screen may be the same as the existing iPhone, with no upgrades to the resolution. For those hoping for a higher resolution screen like that which is found on the Samsung Galaxy S7, this may be a disappointment.

iphone 7 look
nowhereelse.fr

iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus Will Have Some Upgrades

However, it does appear that the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will have significant internal upgrades. In the leaked image, you can see what looks to be a dual lens camera. This is rumored to be exclusive to the iPhone 7 Plus and may lead to DSLR quality photos with the iPhone. While the existing iPhone’s camera is quite good, this new dual lens camera could put it far ahead of any other smartphone on the market.

Additionally, it is expected that the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will come with faster processors. Apple has a habit of putting a new processor in each generation of the iPhone, so a new one in the iPhone 7 is pretty much a given. A new processor will make the phone faster and more responsive.

The iPhone 7 may also see an upgrade to the RAM. The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus had 2GB of RAM, which is still less than what many Android phones have, for example the Samsung Galaxy S7 is rumored to have 4GB of RAM. What remains to be seen is how much RAM the new iPhone will have.

iPhone 7 Will Debut In September or October 2016

As with previous years, it is expected that the new iPhone will be available to the public in either September or October 2016. More leaks and information is expected to come out as we get nearer to this date.