Originally published at: http://appletalk.com.au/2016/09/tuesday-morning-news200916/
Analysis of the new display in the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus from DisplayMate reveals a screen that’s visually indistinguishable from perfect, which is about as high praise as you can get. Apple is currently one of only three smartphone manufacturers that features a wider colour gamut on its displays, which also features a record high contrast ratio for IPS LCD displays and a record low for screen reflectance, despite not having the same anti-reflective coating as the iPad Pro.
While everyone was busy talking about the new stuff Apple released over the past week, Apple has quashed rumours of a potential acquisition of Jay Z’s Tidal streaming music service. Apple Music chief Jimmy Iovine told Buzzfeed that Apple was not looking to acquire any streaming services, ending longstanding speculation about Apple’s acquisition of Tidal.
Strangely, Apple has stopped refunds and exchanges for purchases of Apple and Beats products at its Hong Kong locations, coinciding with the launch of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. While the exact reason for the change is unknown, speculation from AppleInsider claims it’s a move to stop fraud. Imagine if the same thing happened here — the ACCC would have a field day.
The new solid-state home button in the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus means that in order to put your device into DFU mode, you’ll need to hold down the power button and volume down.
The Verge notes that Apple’s updated battery case for the iPhone 7 has a battery that’s 26% bigger in terms of capacity than the version sold for the previous model iPhones. The bump in battery capacity from 1,877 mAh to 2,365 mAh is presumably due to a similar bump in iPhone 7 battery capacity, which went from 1,715 mAh to 1,960 mAh.
While the price of AppleCare+ has gone up this time around (now $189 compared to two years ago when it was $129), the price for accidental damage coverage incidents has gone down. Screen replacements now attract a $45 service fee, and any other damage will set you back $149. It might be worth if it you drop your iPhone frequently, but the catch is that you only have 60 days from date of purchasing your iPhone to buy it.
Six Colors says that the proliferation of good widgets means you don’t have to unlock your iPhone to see when the next train or bus is, or what the weather is like. IOS 10 puts widgets a swipe away from your lock screen, but for best results you should probably turn on the setting to “rest to unlock”, if pushing the home button to unlock your device isn’t your thing.
Google’s latest app is Trips, an app to organise and manage everything about your travel. It does so by harvesting trip information from your Gmail account, storing it offline so you can access it even when you don’t have an internet connection. When you’re travelling, the app will also give you suggestions on things to do.
Has anyone picked up a 1Password personal subscription yet? You can get the first six months by signing up before tomorrow (or the day after, if we’re lucky), but I’m unclear on what it will give me versus just paying for the apps and syncing via Dropbox or the like.
Apple’s latest Apple Music ad features James Corden brainstorming with Apple’s Jimmy Iovine, Eddy Cue, and Bozoma Saint John about potential Apple Music ads. It’s a lighthearted one.