apple iphone 6 Archives - Argyll Free Press

The iOS 9.3 Update Error 53 Bricks Your iPhone 6

February 5, 2016 By Cristopher Hall Leave a Comment

A huge notice for any iPhone user attempting or considering to switch to the new version of the operating system is the fact that the iOS 9.3 update error 53 bricks your iPhone 6. There has been a fair amount of individuals that have already fallen into the trap and now have to deal with completely unusable phones. And they can’t even be held accountable for it on nearly any degree either.

Never mind the mere hassle of getting your phone upgraded to the latest iOS version with the common nuisances such as not having enough space, having to back your data up and so on. Some individuals who have recently attempted to upgrade were greeted by an Error 53 screen and can no longer restore their phone or do anything with them.

The reason? While it’s not 100% clear yet, the number one suspect seems to be non-Apple performed fixes to the phone. At least this is the only thing that the victims of the error seem to have in common: nearly all reported to have gone to a non-Apple service center to repair their home button. The ones who have not reported that instead said that they are experiencing issues with the home button at the time of the update.

This is a ghastly thing to consider, especially since a part of the people who are currently staring at their never-to-function-again phones because they had no other alternative than to go to a third party service center due to the lack of Apple stores where they live, for example.

Naturally, an uproar was expected to come. It didn’t take long either; ever since Apple stated that there is nothing else that can be done if you’re plagued by error 53 than to buy a new replacement, it’s not unheard of for people to speculate that this is a poor attempt by Apple at a ‘money grab’ while also subtly attacking the third party phone repair market.

The most worrying part of it all is the fact that Apple is not actively attempting to stop this from propagating. Not only has Apple not even made an effort to officially announce the issue to people who attempt to update their system to the latest iOS 9.3, but they are not restricting the possibility of upgrading to those they detect to have made third party repairs.

If you know your phone to have issues with the home button or have had them in the past and fixed them anywhere else than an Apple Store, it’s advisable that you refrain from upgrading until Apple releases an official fix or remedy to the situation. It is unknown what fate the already affected devices will have.

Image Source: 1

iPhone 6c has been leaked!

April 1, 2015 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

Since its release in 2007, Apple’s iPhone has become one of virtually synonymous with smartphone, to some, and is directly responsible for making them popular household items.

It has been a little over a week since the company announced that they would be releasing three new iPhones this year, and already images of one these have been leaked on the internet.

The phones announced were the iPhone 6s, the iPhone 6s Plus, and the iPhone 6c.

Apple have yet to release a 4-inch version of the iPhone 6, but it would seem that the company is preparing to do just that this year with the iPhone 6c. Images leaked on FutureSupplier.com show a smartphone that is very similar to the previous budget-friendly 5c, but with a few cool changes.

Like the iPhone 5c, the 6c has a plastic body, and is expected to feature the same colors. The size of the rear shell indicates that the phone will be in the 4-inch range. However, there are two really notable differences, namely the pill-shaped flash LED next to the camera, and two rows of speaker grilles on the bottom of the phone.

Given the shape of the flash LED and the speaker grilles, there is a pretty good chance that the new 4-inch iPhone will have the same internals as the popular 5s, which is now already two generations old.

With Android phone popularity not showing any signs of slowing down, releasing another affordable version of the new iPhone, like they did with the previous iPhone 5, would be a really smart move on Apple’s side. Many people were surprised when the iPhone 6 Plus came out, but many were also disappointed for not having a 4-inch option.

Having three different sizes on offer for customers to choose from would be in accordance with the company’s new approach of giving clients more options, and it is my personal opinion that this is the best way of making everybody happy.

Apple have not made any announcements as of yet, so really all we can do is speculate and look forward to the phones’ release date later this year.

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LifeProof iPhone 6 Fre Case Review

January 25, 2015 By Nancy Young 1 Comment

The new frē case from LifeProof protects your iPhone from water, dust, snow and drops. This new case is also the thinnest waterproof one we’ve even seen on the iPhone 6 and it also allows Touch ID functionality. There is a whole series of iPhone 6 cases from available from the company but this is our LifeProof iPhone 6 fre case review.

With this kind of waterproof case, like the fre case from LifeProof you can take your smartphone wherever you want – to a pool or hot tub, in the snow or in the shower where you can listen to music or watch YouTube videos (although we don’t think a lot of people watch YouTube videos in the shower). Many people are looking for a case from LifeProof that protects their smartphones from water, snow, drops or any other threats that come from using the device daily.

We tested the case thoroughly and put it through different scenarios over the time, including letting a kid watch videos on it in the bath tub. You don’t have to have children to know just how much sense a LifeProof case makes. However, if you do have children and regularly give your expensive iPhone to them this accessory is something you should purchase.

The LifeProof case comes in six different colors including pink, red, purple, blue, white and black so you can choose whatever color fits you best. There are also grey cases offered by LifeProof so you won’t lose your expensive phone in the snow.

The case provides great protection and for its size and thickness this is one of the best iPhone 6 cases available at the time. There are some bad things about the case but is one of the most protective cases available for anyone and will certainly protect your device against every season and every environment it is used in.

The LifeProof iPhone 6 frē case costs $79.99 and you can purchase it directly from the company and they also offer free shipping. There is another case from LifeProof called nüüd that covers on the screen but doesn’t include protection for the display like the frē does that is going to be available soon on the iPhone.

You might expect from a waterproof case to make your iPhone look a lot bulkier and make it difficult to handle the device with just one hand but the frē case doesn’t add much to the iPhone’s thickness and is about the same size as a standard leather case from Apple.

You still have to adjust to using the iPhone with just one hand with the case, but this doesn’t mean it’s difficult to do so. There are also some cases when it will be easier for you to hold the iPhone 6 with just one hand when the case is covering it than without the case.

The case design hides the curviness of the iPhone 6 but it looks really good and its edge combines great with the screen protector and keeps the display protected against scratches and cracks.

The case protected our iPhone 6 from water when doing dishes and in the shower. It also protected the device against snow during shovel trips and longer ones when playing and enjoying the snow. Even though we didn’t use extreme measures to test the frē case also protected the iPhone 6 from falls on tough surfaces from the waist.

Even though you can still use Touch ID with the case installed, it is not as dependable as it is when the smartphone isn’t covered by it. But it is still easy to use functions even with the edge of the case on the screen. The protector isn’t as good as a glass one but it is still pretty reliable and looks very good.

There is a jack cover that you have to unscrew for you to plug in some headphones into your iPhone. The jack cover stays attached to the case so you won’t lose it when listening to music. Even though you can plug Apple EarPods in the iPhone without the adapter LifeProof included in its package, the device won’t be waterproof. You will have to use the included adapter to hold water away from the device and to use different kinds of headphones.

There is another flap that covers the Lightning port. The flap folds down when you have to access the port and it came off when we didn’t snap the flap when taking the case off of the device. It is pretty easy to put back but you should remember to open it before taking the frē case off.

The microphone and speakers are also covered and while they do degrade the audio quality a little bit, we believe it is a small price to pay for how well the cover protects the iPhone 6. LifeProof did improve sound quality from previous cases, however. All buttons are still accessible and the frē case has a nifty toggle that switches the iPhone to silent mode pretty easily.

The LifeProof iPhone 6 frē case is a great way to protect the smartphone and is an accessory that you should own if you want a waterproof case or don’t wish to purchase AppleCare+.

The case protects the device from pretty much everything. Snow, dirt, lots of dropts and water do nothing to the device when it is tucked inside the frē case.

The case isn’t as stylish as other cases out there, including LifeProof’s Nuud series, but it does offer great protection and we consider this to be much more important. The plastic screen protector is a step backwards from glass, which we like a lot more and are used to and the sound is a little bit disappointing. The case also has small ports for the Lightning cable and the headphone jack. Apple connectors work well on the case but if you have a third party connector or cable you might find it’s difficult to plug into your smartphone.

PROS

– The case is thinner than ever before

– It’s waterproof, snow proof, dust proof and is resistant to shocks

– Volume, Touch ID and camera work well

CONS

– Lightning cable and headphones port require smaller connectors

– Plastic screen protector seems cheap and gets pretty dirty

Images source: gottabemobile.com

iPhone 6 Review: Price, Features Performance & Beautiful Design

December 11, 2014 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

There seems to be recurring theme we are dealing with here: the American giant comes up with a smartphone planned to impress and mere months later the hype turns to the next big thing. The same thing happened with the iPhone 6. Apple took a considerable turn from its previous device designs and came out with something people had been eagerly awaiting for ever since rumors of the sixth version of the iPhone ever started travelling around.

The result? The company’s latest addition to a long family of phones brings new challenges to the table of the smartphone market. The improvements are definitely tangible and a pretty big leap in comparison to the iPhone 5, when it was first released.

The iPhone 6 comes in to show off the most powerful Apple processor, an upgraded camera, a battery to make its host proud and numerous upgrades.

Taking Apple users’ demands for a larger device to compete with its Android rival in consideration, the company had two options: give in to the demands and go for a device that would lightly step into the field of phablets, or maintain the organization’s belief and apply their technology to feasibly-sized phones. The verdict turned out to be a definite “Why not both?” from Apple, giving their users the power to choose between a still-larger-than-iPhone 5 4.7” screen and the staggering 5.5” display iPhone 6 Plus.

The tech specifications are not different between the two versions of the iPhone 6, but naturally the experience slightly differs between the classic version and the Plus.

Design

So for the first time since the iPhone 3GS, the design has reverted to rounded edges to compliment the new release, which make the phone pleasant to hold. The reason Apple has been wary of larger screens until now is the downside of having to use both hands to be able to operate it properly and make use of even the most basic features such as texting. Luckily, the classic version of the iPhone 6 shows off a larger display and still holds on to that belief by letting you use the device in every way you see fit – be it texting, taking photos, reading or using apps.

The iPhone 6 is certainly the thinnest version ever made with a thickness of 0.27” in comparison to iPhone 5’s 0.30”, and still rates as one of the thinnest phones on the market. Its back is a combination of metal and plastic strips that are not the most iPhone-y thing you’ve ever seen but serves its purpose of improving the signal.

The screen of the iPhone 6 is made of shatter proof glass with an oleophobic coating, wrapped around the edges with a rounded material to make the device resistant to the occasional water droplets or wisps of dust.

The buttons seem to have been shuffled around a bit as well. The power key has been moved from the top of the phone to the right side, which makes this the first time Apple changes the classic position of the power button for so many of its devices (I’m thinking iPods here). All the keys seem to have been raised, which makes using them a little easier than before and the design for the volume buttons has been changed into thin, elongated keys that are easier to press than the iPhone 5’s round ones, very noticeable trait especially when a plastic or rubber case comes into play.

While it’s somewhat understandable why you would switch the headphone port from the top of the phone to the bottom – the way it happened with the iPhone 4 to iPhone 5 transition – next to the device’s speakers, I think I speak for quite a few iPhone users out there when I say that seeing the port still there for the latest Apple mobile device release upset me in the slightest.

The camera of this version of the iPhone stands out. Literally. In order to keep the phone as thin as possible while not sacrificing camera quality, Apple seems to have chosen to let it peek out of the back of the phone. It is not an upsetting feature, despite strangely unfamiliar to people used to the iPhone design. The lens of the camera is covered with sapphire glass to prevent scratches on its surface even if you place it down on a rough material.

Both the classic iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus come in 3 colors only – Silver, Gold and Space Gray – strangely skipping on the usual black model. The capacity of the phone deviates from the 16/32/64 classes that we have got used to, and instead goes for a 16, 64 and 128 GB of memory capacity respectively.

iPhone 6 Price

The price of the phone ranges from $649 for the lowest memory capacity of the normal iPhone 6 model and goes up to $949 for the high-end iPhone 6 Plus, if you wish to purchase it outside of contract. If you’re ready to start with a new mobile company or simply upgrading, most carriers will offer a considerable discount on purchasing it, taking it as low as $199.

Processor & Camera

The iPhone 6’s processor is definitely a hike up the processor social ladder. The A8 chip built on second-generation 64-bit desktop-class architecture, which is estimated at approximately 25% speed increase in comparison to the iPhone 5s. The A8 is made on a 20 nanometer process and contains 2 billion transistors. In spite of that being twice as much as its predecessor, A7, it has been reduced in size by 13% and has 1 GB of LPDDR3 RAM included in the package. The iPhone 6 is the only Apple product that includes the A8 processor right now, with the exception of the iPad Air 2 that incorporates the A8X variant, released on October 16^th this year.

The camera of the iPhone 6 models does not put up much of a fight in the face of Samsung and Sony rivals when it comes to megapixel capacity, Apple having decided to stick to the 8MP camera while competitors go as high as 21. But it’s not all about the sensors when it comes to quality photos and videos – the quality feels like a bit of an overhaul over the iPhone 5 from several perspectives.

One of them is the focus power of the camera – the new device incorporates a feature called Phase Detection Autofocus that works a little differently when it comes to detecting light sources. In essence that means the camera takes less time to autofocus and give way to crisp-clear photos in no time. There is a technical difference between the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus,

the latter coming with an optical image stabilization feature. Its purpose is to reduce the amount of blur that results from shaking hand movements, and also seems to be doing better in low-light environments as well. In comparison to its predecessor, iPhone 6 does a way better job at capturing photos, detailing images in high-color palette and really showing off some impressive quality. While it’s a very good camera, it still falls short from some of the competitors’ devices, such as the Galaxy S5.

The front facing camera hasn’t gone anywhere and comes with several improvements itself, the most important being along the lines of the application that accompanies it. You can now select filters before taking a photo and the HDR mode will take care of your photos in low light environments.

Display & Keyboard

iPhones have never had a problem with the display, actually making it ahead of most other phones way before rival devices would incorporate the technology to prove otherwise. Color accuracy has not changed much since the previous model, but greyscale and contrast seemed to have received slight uplifts. Resolution is still not the strongest feature of Apple phones: the iPhone 6’s 1,344 x 750 resolution may be higher than the 1,136 x 640 one of the iPhone 5/5S but proves to be scoring the same pixel density (326ppi).

The aspect ratio remains the same 16×9 we got used to but due to the extra 0.7” of the screen, you can now fit more applications per page than ever, the grid being a 6×4 now. The iPhone 6 Plus however does it better; not only does it have a higher pixel density, scoring 406 ppi, but the 1,920 x 1,080 resolution is certainly a big step outside of the regular comfort zone that is iPhone displays. The usual HD Retina Display that the Apple products have been spoiling us with for years is just as wondrous as ever, keeping your display visible no matter what angle you are looking at your screen from.

In addition, the iPhone 6 is also introducing dual-domain pixels, a feature which arranges the display’s subpixels in a manner that will reduce the contrast you normally get when viewing the display from an angle. Simply said, the display is just as bright and colorful whether you are looking at your phone from the side, or straight on.

The new version seems to be trying to make as good use of the larger display as humanly possible – features such as display zoom and the one-handed mode are meant to make your life easier in your transition to the iPhone 6. The display zoom magnifies your icons, text and a few other parts of the UI while the one-handed mode will bring content to your hand instead of you having to stretch all the way for it. Certainly not something you’re meant to use all the time as it tends to become confusing or inefficient, but surely handy.

The keyboard isn’t in the slightest different from what we got accustomed to until you flip the phone over and go in landscape mode. Suddenly, you will be able to notice a series of punctuation marks and options on the side of the regular keyboard, making your typing easier than before, not having to open the symbols menu for every single basic mark. Not the hugest surprise considering this is iOS 8’s doing, but it certainly feels like the upgrade was meant for the newest iPhone.

Battery Life & Other Details

Let’s face it: battery life is a touchy subject when it comes to smartphones. Considering they basically fulfill most things a lower-end computer would, we involuntarily begin tapping at them for prolonged amounts of time, whether we’re talking emailing, texting, reading news, watching media or taking photos. That proves to be quite a problem when you start realizing that you are starting to run low on battery before you’re even halfway through the day.

The iPhone 6 really tries to give a helping hand to keeping your device alive for as long as possible, its new technology promising 50% less power usage on the processor alone and a better battery altogether. There’s no denying it, the phone does last longer than what we are used to, going as far as 12 hours on medium amount of usage. Take it up a notch however, and the batter will be drawing its last breaths surprisingly soon. The technology, in all respects, is heavily improved from the earlier versions of the iPhone, we are just “not there yet” when it comes to making our 16-hour long mobile usage dream come true.

The sound quality of the iPhone 6 is really booming over the iPhone 5S, though the latter was far from complain-worthy. The speakers are powerful and give off a crisp sound, even off the bottom of the phone. There are updates in the works in what regards the high-res audio file support, making 24-bit, 192Khz possible. The fact that Apple decided to boost the memory capacity to up to 128GB will only make it easier for you if listening to music and watching videos is your preferred past-time.

Verdict

There are plenty of reasons for which we could call the iPhone 6 the best phone of the year but we’re not going to go there as it all falls down to preference for most part. Either way, the phone definitely delivers where it aims to – excellent quality, great hardware, beautifully designed and comfortable.