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Review: Prong’s iPhone 6 PWR Case adds folding wall blades + a 100% recharge to 4.7″ iPhones

I’ve tested lots of iPhone battery cases since 2007, and quite a few great iPhone 6 battery cases over the past year. It’s extremely rare to find a battery case with integrated wall plugs that recharge both the battery and iPhone, but a company named Prong is now on its second-generation version of exactly that product. Prong’s first iPhone cases had no batteries, but included wall plugs so you could recharge wherever you found a standard wall outlet. Then it took the next logical step and added a spare battery for iPhone 5/5s users.

After a very lengthy pre-order process, Prong is about to release PWR Case for iPhone 6 ($100), a bigger and more powerful version of its earlier iPhone 5/5s case. PWR is atypical in several ways, starting with the aforementioned fold-out wall prongs, but also that it includes a detachable case, and is offered in a fully transparent version that may appeal to techies…


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How to take professional looking photos with the iPhone 6s and a few bucks [video]

Fstoppers does a nice quick video tutorial on how to get professional looking photos from the already amazing shooter in the iPhone 6s. The only tools they used can be picked up at Amazon for a few bucks:

  1. Black foam core ($11)
  2. White foam core ($9+$6 shipping)
  3. LED flashlight ($10)
  4. LED panel ($30)

Five years ago I filmed the iPhone Fashion Shoot, a 10-minute video in which I take professional looking images with the iPhone 3GS. That video was supposed to inspire photographers who assumed that their work was suffering because their gear wasn’t ultra expensive. The video became extremely popular and became very polarizing. The majority of people thought my images looked good because I used fancy lights.

For the last five years people have been asking me when I was going to revisit the iPhone Fashion Shoot. I had already proven that you can take a great picture with any camera, but when was I going to prove that expensive lights and modifiers aren’t what make images look good? At first I said I never wanted to do another professional photoshoot with my phone because I didn’t want to become “that iPhone photographer” but as time went on I thought, ahhh who cares. When I heard the iPhone 6s was coming out on September 25, I decided now was the best time to create a new video to prove once and for all that quality photography can be taken with any budget.

Also helps if your neighbor looks good in a bikini.

iPhone 6s Plus: Living with Live Photos

Live Photo Still
Linked to this still iPhone 6s Plus photo are both motion and audio that further capture the moment

Live Photos aren’t perfect. The video shot in a Live Photo is a mediocre 12 frames per second, compared to the 30fps iPhones generally capture. Low-light photos are noticeably less vibrant when Live Photos are enabled. Shoot a Live Photo in the wrong orientation then rotate it, and you’ll revert back to a standard photo. Sharing Live Photos is fairly fragmented by Apple standards, even on Macs running the latest versions of OS X El Capitan. And it’s not easy to frame the perfect Live Photo; great ones tend to happen by chance, not technique.

But despite obvious day one omissions in the Live Photo experience, I’m honestly quite surprised at just how much I appreciate the new iPhone 6s/6s Plus feature. Using my iPhone 6s Plus for a full week now, my take on Live Photos has evolved from “curious but confused” to “I get it but when should I use it?” to wishing I had Live Photos years ago. Read on for how I believe Apple can improve the Live Photos experience and how the new iPhone 6s feature has changed my approach to shooting photos and videos…

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Early iPhone 6s + 6s Plus buyers report Touch ID, 3D Touch, speaker + power problems

Following last week’s release of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, Apple’s support community pages are lighting up with new reports of problems with the new iPhones for some customers. The issues range from overheating Touch ID buttons to random power-offs, significant audio distortion, and 3D Touch glitches.

Below, we look at some of the most interesting iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus problems users are reporting, as well as possible solutions…


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IHS teardown estimates “more robust” iPhone 6s Plus cost at $236, iFixit finds liquid proof seal

iFixit’s teardown <a href="http://ifixit.org/blog/7408/iphone-waterproof/" target="_blank">reveals</a> a liquid resistant seal

iFixit wasted no time in carrying out its teardowns of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, and now IHS has weighed in with its usual estimate of the component and assembly costs. It reckons the total cost of materials and manufacturing of the 16GB 6s Plus to be $236.

Direct Material Costs (Component Costs)

 

 

$231.50

Conversion Costs (Assembly / Insertion/ Test Costs)

$4.50

Total Cost (Direct Materials & Manufacturing)

$236.00

Tim Cook would doubtless take issue with this estimate, as he has with others.

There are cost breakdowns around our products that are much different than the reality. I’ve never seen one that is anywhere close to being accurate.

IHS said that 3D Touch and the associated haptic engine were the most obvious new components over the previous year’s model, with an estimated $10 of additional costs, but also noted three improvements geared to making the device more robust … 
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Happy Hour Podcast 034 | iPhone 6s and 6s Plus impressions

Apple’s iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are finally here and we’re giving you a rundown of our favorite features and overall impressions. Does the iPhone 6s live up to the hype? Check out this week’s episode for more details. The Happy Hour podcast is available for download on iTunes and through our dedicated RSS feed.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/226144945″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”150″ iframe=”true” /]


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iTunes Connect update adds Push Notifications for app review and other important status changes

Apple has rolled out version 3.1 of its mobile client for iTunes Connect for iPhone and iPad users. The update adds new push notification options to keep up to date with changes to your apps as a developer. For instance, you can now be informed when your app moves to in review, when your iTunes Connect contracts expire or when you receive royalties for incoming payments.


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Apple updates Privacy website with details on latest iOS 9 and iPhone features

Site default logo image

Apple has updated its Privacy website with details about how the company uses your data to serve the newest iOS 9 and iPhone 6s features, like Apple Pay, Apple News and Hey Siri. Consistent with Apple’s messaging, they reiterate how everything they make is designed to store as little personal information as possible with anonymity wherever possible. Contrary to other reports, the Tim Cook cover letter fronting the Apple Privacy page is not new and has been posted on the website for some time.


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Apple’s iPhone 6s has two different sized A9 processors, Samsung version 10% smaller


According to Chipworks, there are actually two different sized A9 processors floating around in the iPhone 6s and 6s plus released last week. That’s not really a surprise because Apple likes to have redundancy, especially when one of the manufacturers is Samsung. We’d heard that both Samsung and TSMC would be producing A9 processors destined for the iPhone 6s.

However, there appears to be a difference in size of the two A9s which might play a role in how the iPhone performs…


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How to repair/replace iPhone 6s/6s Plus battery and display (Guides)

With the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus officially going on sale and delivering to pre-order customers over the weekend, it’s just a matter of time before you smash your display to pieces and drain your battery’s capacity. While some screen breaking and defective batteries might be covered under AppleCare and the 1 year hardware warranty included with all iPhones, otherwise you’ll need to refer to one of these handy guides from our friends at iFixit.
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Opinion: The iPhone 6s vs. iPhone 6s Plus choice was trickier than expected

I honestly did not want to order both an iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus this year. After many years of comprehensively reviewing iPhones — an exhausting process — I was looking forward to spending this year’s iPhone release kicking back and enjoying one of the two new models like a regular customer.

The only problem: I couldn’t decide which model I wanted.

I’ve used an iPhone 6 Plus for the past year, loving the typing experience (for the first time on any iPhone) but hating its size in my pockets (also for the first time on any iPhone). My hope was to switch to an iPhone 6s, and I expected to do so if the 6s proved to be nearly as good as the 6s Plus. But after a weekend playing with both new iPhones, alternating full days of usage between them, I think I’ve come to a different conclusion…


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9to5Toys Last Call: iTunes Gift Cards 20% off, APC 8-Outlet UPS $42, Anker 15,600mAh Power Bank $24, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

SanDisk Connect Wi-Fi Flash Drive for iOS/Android: 64GB $50 (Reg. $60), 32GB $30 (Reg. $40)

iTunes gift cards 20% off: $100 for $80, $50 for $40, $25 for $20 shipped

Gift Cards w/ email delivery: Staples $100 for $85, Applebee’s $50 for $40, other restaurants, more

Daily Deals: APC Back-UPS 550VA 8-outlet UPS $42, BenQ 1080p DLP Projector $630more

Keep your Wi-Fi running during a power outage – APC Network Backup UPS w/ dual USB: $40 shipped (Reg. $65)

USB Power: Anker 15,600mAh Battery Pack $24 (Reg. $30), Lumsing Wall Charger + 3-ft. MFi Lightning Cable $10more

GoPro introduces a new cost-effective action camera with Wi-Fi capabilities

Review: JBL’s new Xtreme Bluetooth speaker goes big on sound and design

More new gear from today:

Games/Apps: Dishonored Definitive $30, Disney Infinity 3.0 Star Wars Starter Pack $50, iOS freebiesmore

More deals still alive:

App Store Free App of the Week: Doodle Jump SpongeBob SquarePants ($2 value)

GoPro HERO4 Session + $40 Amazon Gift Card: $299 ($440 value)

New products & more:

You can make the new J-Force electric surfboard go 0-35MPH with the bend of your finger

Apple’s new Beats Active Collection brings sporty colors to familiar headphones

Bad low-light photos on iPhone 6s? Try turning off Live Photos for a better picture

The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus have new cameras on the front and rear as well as featuring the new Live Photos mode, a combination of photo and short 3 second video, which is enabled by default. The quality of both cameras has been considerably improved, beyond the raw increase to 12-megapixel back camera and 5 megapixel front camera.

However, there have been some reports of customers getting grainy, bad photos on the new iPhone 6s in low-light scenarios, despite Apple touting the new cameras’ improved low-light performance. Whilst its true that you will always get better-looking shots in well-lit environments, it turns out that having Live Photos enabled significantly impacts the photo quality in dark shots. Why?


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Apple announces more than 13 million iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus sold in opening weekend

Following two weeks of preorders and the public launch on Friday, Apple today announced it has sold over 13 million iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus in the first three days of availability.

The company had previously stated it was on pace to beat last year’s 10 million unit sales record and has cleanly done so, topping its previous record by 3 million units. Apple iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will be available in an additional 40 countries beginning October 9th. It is worth noting, however, that China was not part of the initial rollout for iPhone 6, distorting the comparison somewhat.

Tim Cook, Apple CEO, says iPhone 6s sales are ‘phenomenal’ …


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The best iPhone 6s 3D Touch features [Video]

Apple’s iPhone 6s is finally here and it comes along with a new feature that you may not be familiar with. Today we’re checking out the best 3D Touch features. Some of you are probably thinking, how is this any different from a long press, right? Well its uses may not be very different at the moment, but the technology that makes this possible is a very different thing.

3D Touch will sense the amount of pressure your finger applies to the screen and trigger various actions. So instead of a short press or a long press, 3D Touch enables a soft press and a hard press. So you can “tap” on the display, but then you can go even further (quite literally) and press into the display at multiple levels. Once you’ve reached the amount of pressure to trigger an event, the iPhone will provide slight haptic feedback to let you know. So what can 3D Touch actually do?


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iPhone 6s and 6s Plus hold up surprisingly well in waterproof test [Video]

Update: Straley has shared a new video detailing the functionality of the devices 48 hours after being submerged in water. Check it out at the bottom of this post.

We’ve already seen how well the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus hold up in bend tests and drop tests, and now a new video from YouTuber Zach Straley shows how well the devices fare when submerged in water.


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iPhone 6s vs iPhone 6s Plus: Dual unboxing + impressions [Video]

Meet the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. I’m almost certain this isn’t the first time you’ve seen these phones, but I thought I’d give you my voice on the matter. Sure, we may be on the “S” cycle this year, but does that mean there’s nothing special to look forward to?

This year, the iPhone is now available in a new Rose Gold color option, but no matter which way you slice, that color is pink. There’s also the typical Gold, Space Gray, and Silver available as well, but colors aside, what makes this iPhone better than last year’s model?


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iPhone 6s Plus: hands-on & first impressions with Space Gray + Rose Gold [Gallery]

Ben’s six hours ahead of me in the UK and had fallen in love with his iPhone 6s before I rolled out of bed, but UPS held my iPhone 6s Plus as requested so I was able to pick it up and spend the morning trying it out before the usual evening delivery. 3D Touch, Live Photos, 4K video, 60 fps 1080p video, faster hardware… it’s all great, but moving from the 4.7-inch screen to the 5.5-inch screen is the real reason I upgraded.

I moved from 2-year commitments to AT&T Next last year so the upgrade process was mostly painless. I would have used Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Plan if it weren’t for the need to complete the process at the Apple Store; that’s a 90 minute drive compared to the UPS center 10 minutes away, but maybe next year they’ll support web orders.

That being said, the move from an iPhone 6 to an iPhone 6s Plus is a dramatic one even before you consider the new features and enhancements. I also opted for space gray after trying gold for a year; my wife naturally picked rose gold while making the same switch from iPhone 6 to iPhone 6s Plus. So what’s changed year over year for iPhone and how does that new finish look in the real world? Read on for answers…
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Foursquare uses its foot traffic data to predict opening-weekend iPhone sales

Foursquare is tapping into its data of foot traffic for the first time to predict Apple’s iPhone sales as the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus launch this weekend. The company notes that it has “the world’s largest database of information on the foot traffic of people around the globe,” courtesy of its app users that use the app to check-in at locations they visit. 
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iPhone 6s diary: Day one first impressions – forget the similarities, this is a whole new phone

Put the iPhone 6s next to its predecessor, and I’d challenge anyone to tell them apart. You start to notice the difference as soon as you put your thumb on the Touch ID sensor. Apple says that the new sensor is faster, and I was surprised to find that the difference – while small – is definitely noticeable. I had to use both a number of times to persuade myself that it wasn’t just a placebo effect, but I did end up convinced.

I’m going to play with the camera this evening when I have something a bit more interesting to photograph than my office and a view through the window of a very ordinary street, so mostly what I’ve been playing with today is the new Peek and Pop features using 3D Touch.

I was impressed by the idea – it was really this that persuaded me to upgrade despite my earlier doubts – and now that I’ve used it, I would now say there is no doubt at all: 3D Touch fully justifies the upgrade from the iPhone 6 … 
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This documentary film was shot entirely in 4K on the new iPhone 6s Plus

We’ve seen some great photo galleries from professional photographers using the new iPhone 6s ahead of its retail launch today, but now we get our best look yet at the upgraded camera’s new 4K video ability courtesy of ryot.org

‘The Painter of Jalouzi’ is a short documentary (embedded below) following one man’s mission to transform a slum in Haiti by painting the drab surroundings on the town’s hillside buildings in bright colors. The film was done by David Darg & Bryn Mooser for Ryot and shot entirely on an iPhone 6s Plus. The team shared some thoughts on the experience filming with iPhone 6s Plus:
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Roundup: The best apps with 3D Touch to try out on your new iPhone 6s

The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus launch today, with a pressure sensitive 3D Touch screen being touted as one of the phone’s flagship new features. Apps can take advantage of 3D Touch in many ways, such as using firm presses to reveal quick actions on the Home screen or use Peek and Pop metaphors to quickly preview content from within the UI.

Naturally, Apple has added 3D Touch features to its own apps. Try firmly pressing on a link from within Safari, or quickly call one of your Favorites by using the Phone app’s 3D Touch quick actions. You can even force press on the keyboard to enable trackpad cursor input. However, as is true in most cases, the most interesting innovations come from the third-party App Store community.

We’ve compiled a list of the best third-party apps that have updated to include 3D Touch features, so you can try them out on your brand new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus …


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