Category Archives: iPhone

Sapphire Glass vs Gorilla Glass

Apple has been using Gorilla Glass for years when it comes to getting its products protected. Gorilla Glass is a sturdy glass material that is known to handle many impacts. However, a new glass display may be used in the future.

The Sapphire Glass display may be used by the iPhone 6. It is believed that it will provide iPhone users with an even stronger option that will prevent shattered screens from ever being a problem again while also keeping scratches from being a serious concern in any case.

As appealing as the concept of Sapphire Glass is, there is a need to compare the two options with one another. uBreakFix has taken a closer look at how the Sapphire and Gorilla glass options work as a means of figuring out which one is the better overall choice.

There were three tests that uBreakFix used – the scratch, impact and bend tests. These tests were designed to create a more well-rounded look at how these glass options can function. Here’s a look at how the two fared in all of those tests.

Scratch

A tungsten drill bit was used on both glass items to determine which could scratch first. The Sapphire Glass option resisted scratches better than the Gorilla Glass did. This is a big reason as to why Sapphire is used in the TouchID system on the iPhone 5.

Impact

Some hard impacts were also imposed on these two surfaces. These include cases where the phone was dropped from a distance. The damages to the Gorilla Glass were less intensive than they were for the Sapphire Glass. Therefore, the Gorilla option still works best when it comes to cases where the iPhone is dropped.

Bending

The four-point bending test was used to determine which glass body can handle pressure. The Gorilla Glass surface was more resilient and did not warp, crack or wear out from all the pressure it dealt with as it was being bent. While the Sapphire Glass can also handle such pressure, its threshold for how much it can bear with was much less than what Gorilla Glass can handle.

In summary, Gorilla Glass is still stronger than Sapphire Glass in terms of how resilient it it and how it can handle impacts. However, Sapphire Glass is a better choice when it comes to finding something that resists scratches. All iPhone enthusiasts should take a look at these points as Apple considers new glass materials for the future.

Preview: Quick look at the forthcoming iPhone 6

The iPhone 6 may be the most anticipated iPhone ever. Like every Apple product, there is always a plethora of rumors and speculation put out about the product months before the device is released. This year it looks like Apple will release two brand new iPhone models (last year they released the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c). 

iPhone Air: Screen Sizes

The most prominent rumor out there is that Apple will release two new iPhones with significantly larger screens. One will be a 4.7-inch iPhone, the other a 5.5-inch device. This also seems to be the most solid of the rumors we’ve seen thus far. 

When it comes to timing, the rumors are less clear. There have been some reports that the two devices will be released at the same time, while others claim that the 5.5-inch model will be delayed either later in 2014 or sometime in 2015. There are rumors from respectable tech blogs that Apple is planning to hold an iPhone-related event on September 9.

iphone-6-size-comparison
iPhone 6 size comparison

Another murky area is the resolution of the iPhone 6 screen. Some rumors claim that Apple will stick with their current aspect ratio and pixel density, while others claim that they will eschew it and go for a more standard resolution like 1080p. The current batches of iPhones are all situated at 326ppi. If Apple sticks with a resolution that keeps that pixel density, they will make developers happy, since apps will be easy to upgrade to the new resolution. However, a more standard resolution like 1080p may make the device more future proof.

iPhone 6: Internals

Beyond size, there are other less-certain rumors relating to the internal components of the iPhone 6. Battery life, for instance, is something that hasn’t been nailed down by the rumor mill. Some rumors claim that it will be about the same as on the iPhone 5s, while others claim that the iPhone 6 might see a 45% increase. 

As for chipset, many analysts speculate that the iPhone six will see a system on a chip called the A8. Some rumors point to this being the first Apple SOC to see 2.0GHz. 

Finally, we know for sure (or at least it’s safe to assume) that the iPhone 6 will be the first device that comes with iOS 8. iOS 8 was announced in June at Apple’s annual WWDC developer event. It comes packed with new features like extensions and Continuity. 

iPhone 6: The Name

Similar to before the iPad announcement in 2010, many are speculating that this will be the year Apple changes the iPhone naming convention. Some speculate that they will mimic the iPad name change, and release an iPhone 6 (which will be the 4.7-inch version), and the iPhone Air (the 5.5-inch version).

Apple provides fix for degrading Touch ID Sensors on iPhone 5S

Apple’s Touch ID, which arrived on last year’s iPhone 5s, has been greeted with mixed reviews. In some cases users claim that it has changed their lives, and made the iPhone so much easier to use. Some users claim that it isn’t used broadly enough, and should have third party app support; others claim that it doesn’t work. Something that a lot of people have claimed is that it seems to degrade over time. For those users, Apple has a fix coming.

iphone-5s-sensor-tear-down-pictures
Apple 5S Sensor

Apple is prepping an update that will improve the overall performance of Touch ID, and will attempt to eliminate the so called Touch ID “fade” which makes the Touch ID sensor fail over time. The good news is that they think that this is a software problem, instead of a hardware problem. It is much easier to fix a software problem than a hardware problem.

From AppleInsider:

After launching iPhone 5s last fall, Apple has continued to work with the original AuthenTec team to improve its recognition software and will release an update relatively soon, the source confidently reported. However, AppleInsider could not verify whether the update will ship as part of iOS 7.1, which is expected to drop in mid-March.

This fade problem has been the focus of many Apple Support Forum posts since the iPhone 5S launched in late 2013. Owners of the 5s complain that they receive an increasing number of failed fingerprint scans as time goes on. It seems that deleting the fingerprint in iOS 7, would temporarily fix the problem.

Many iPhone 5S users have come up with clever workarounds, including overtraining the fingerprint sensor and scanning the same finger more than once. These seem to be only stopgaps that work for some users.

There’s not any timeline for when this fix might get out to the public, or if it will be part of the iOS 7.1 update that we expect will be posted later this month.

Touch ID on the iPad

Most likely Apple will get this fixed sometime before WWDC or the fall announcement. They are rumored to be bringing Touch ID to the iPad line. If that’s the case, they will want to have the bugs worked out before they roll it out to millions more people.

They will also want to make sure people can rely on the sensor. That will especially be the case if they plan on expanding the places where Touch ID can be used in the operating system. Bringing an uneven technology to a bunch of app developers could cause many not to adopt it. So it’s almost certain they’ll get this fixed before they roll out the Touch ID feature further.

Let’s hope they do expand this technology. It’d be great to see what app developers can do with it, especially developers of banking and password management apps.

Apple releases iOS 7.0.6 to fix SSL bug

We’ve been looking forward to Apple’s next big iOS bug fix release for many months. The wait continues, unfortunately. Apple, who seems to enjoy teasing its enthusiast community, has released iOS 7.0.6 via OTA update. It is not the update we were hoping for.

What’s in iOS 7.0.6?

So if you were hoping for fixes for the continuing crash problems in iOS, or perhaps fixes for some of the many bugs in iOS 7, you’ll be supremely disappointed in iOS 7.0.6. The only thing the Apple says is in this update is a fix for SSL connection verification.

  • Data Security
  • Available for: iPhone 4 and later, iPod touch (5th generation), iPad 2 and later
  • Impact: An attacker with a privileged network position may capture or modify data in sessions protected by SSL/TLS
  • Description: Secure Transport failed to validate the authenticity of the connection. This issue was addressed by restoring missing validation steps.
  • To put it into plain English, it allowed network snoopers to intercept SSL protected data.
The Wait for 7.1 Continues

While this is no doubt an important update, and security-wise it seems like a pretty big bug fix, it is a bit disappointing that this isn’t the 7.1 update. After all, it’s getting close to March. iOS 7 was released in October, and this will be the first major update. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to release several smaller updates that actually fixed some of the bugs users are experiencing? Instead it seems that most of the small releases up until now have all been for under the hood fixes, and a few small UI tweaks.

There are several things we’re waiting for. First has to be a fix for the constant re-springs that a ton of users are experiencing. We’re also waiting for several fixes to the way the iOS 7 user interface functions.

The iPad has been especially buggy, with multitasking not working most of the time, apps crashing all over the place, and several minor UI inconsistencies, all adding up to a really poor experience. Here’s hoping that iOS 7 brings some relief for these bugs.

It seems we’re destined to wait until at least mid-March before iOS 7.1 comes out. According to iMore, the update is still on track for a March release.

Bottom Line

The wait for iOS 7.1 has seemed unbearable this go-round. Perhaps it’s that iOS 7 has been unusually buggy. iOS 7 was completely redesigned, so it was thought when it first came out that Apple would release quick updates in order to polish the several areas that were less than perfect.

They have released several updates to iOS 7 since October, and each time users waited by their phones, drooling with anticipation, hoping for that one bug fix that they really desired. Every time, they were disappointed because the release was just another minor under the hood tweak.

Apple iPhone Touch ID security review

Real life is imitating science fiction with the latest Apple development, seen on the brand new iPhone 5s. Fingerprint scanning, or “Touch ID” as Apple has dubbed it, is the latest in smartphone protection and convenience. This incredible technology has the world abuzz – with many people marveling at how far mobile phones have come, some raising concerns over security issues and a massive amount of consumers clamoring to be among the first to own a 5s.

Touch ID is centered on the iPhone’s home button, which on the 5s is now made of sapphire crystal, a material similar to glass that protects the sensor underneath. Sapphire crystal also acts as a lens so the sensor can focus on your fingerprint. Around the edge of the home button is a steel ring, which helps it to detect your finger, prompting the sensor to read the ridges and patterns in your print and function accordingly.

Touch ID Place Your Finger
Touch ID iPhone Instructions

When initially setting up your new iPhone 5s, you’ll be required to register your fingerprint on the device by touching it to the home button. From then on, a match will unlock your phone. It can also be used in place of a traditional password to make purchases through iTunes, iBooks and the Mac App Store.

While some people have voiced concerns over the level of security a fingerprint provides, Apple ensures that it is both incredibly safe and remarkably convenient. A fingerprint, according to the computing giant, is one of the best passwords going. You always have it with you, you can’t forget it, and no two are alike.

Fingerprint data stored within the iPhone 5s is encrypted and stored securely within that smartphone’s lightning-fast new A7 chip, where it is locked away from everything but the touch sensor itself. It is worth noting, for those who do have concerns, that the iPhone 5s does not store images of fingerprints, and print data isn’t kept in Apple’s servers or on the iCloud. It is also not available to app developers.

New technology always excites would-be hackers. With the iPhone 5s, much like any other computing device, there is always a chance someone may attempt to crack the encrypted chip. However, a fingerprint provides an exceptional level of security of that is the case. Unlike cracking traditional passwords, there is no way to reverse engineering fingerprint data, making the data stored within your smartphone incredibly safe.

Touch ID Adjustments
Touch ID Adjustments

Furthermore, for those who may raise security concerns likely based on something from films or television, it should also be pointed out that artificial fingers molded with stolen fingerprints won’t work to unlock the iPhone 5s. More morbidly, neither will a severed finger! The sensor under the sapphire crystal home button doesn’t read the dead level on the outside of your finger. Rather, it detects prints based on sub-epidermal layers of skin. That makes it effective only with real fingers – still attached to the rest of your body.

Apple advises that Touch ID technology is extremely accurate, and the sensor on your iPhone 5s will get better the more you use it. While it can read multiple fingers in any orientation, keep in mind that it’s not effective with fingers that are sweaty, have had lotion freshly applied or are marred with burns or scars.

At present, the only other smartphone on the market with fingerprint technology is Motorola’s Atrix Android phone, which has been out since 2011. However, it seems that many people have either forgotten or just don’t know about it, as the hype over the 5s has far overshadowed that fact. Even Motorola seems to have forgotten they offer it, judging by a recent tweet poking fun at consumers getting excited about the new 5s. Given the excitement over Touch ID, though, it is likely that Apple’s main competitors, such as Samsung, may follow suit and come out with something similar soon.

In the meantime, with the iPhone 5s’s Touch ID, Apple has shown once again that they can indeed still innovate.