Phone Scoop - Apple iPhone 6 Plus Updates

Apple Lowers Battery Replacement Cost to $29 Immediately

Sat, 30 Dec 2017 15:51:11 GMT

Apple made $29 replacement batteries available to owners of older iPhones effective starting today. The drop, announced earlier this week, was originally slated to go into effect in late January. "We expected to need more time to be ready, but we are happy to offer our customers the lower pricing right away," said Apple in a statement provided to Axios. "Initial supplies of some replacement batteries may be limited." Apple uses software to limit the performance of some older iPhones in order to prevent battery-related shutdowns. Replacing the original, aging battery with a new one resolves such issues and leads to better performance of the smartphone. The battery replacement service typically costs $79, but Apple has lowered the cost to $29. The program will run through December 2018 and targets the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, and SE.

Apple Drops Price of iPhone Battery Replacement In Wake of Slow-down Kerfuffle

Thu, 28 Dec 2017 22:00:52 GMT

Verizon Wireless Offering Same-Day Screen Repairs

Thu, 09 Feb 2017 14:16:26 GMT

Verizon Wireless today said customers who subscribe to its Total Mobile Protection plan can take advantage of same-day screen repairs at some 220 Verizon Stores across 34 states. Many of the company's most popular phones are eligible for same-day repairs, including the Apple iPhone SE, 5c, 5s, 6, 6 Plus, 6s, and 6s Plus; Samsung Galaxy S5, S6, S7, Note 4, and 5; and the Motorola Droid Turbo and Droid Maxx. Verizon says it will add more devices to this list over time. Customers who don't live near one of the 220 stores may be eligible for same-day repairs completed by an in-home mobile technician. The Total Mobile Protection plan costs $11 per month for smartphones and $9 per month for tablets/feature phones. Families can protect multiple lines: the first three lines are $11 each, but lines 4-10 can be added at no additional charge. Cracked screen repairs require a $79 deductible, but Verizon upped the number of yearly claims from two to three per line. All lines can take advantage of Verizon's Tech Coach for personal/technical assistance. The new Verizon Wireless Total Mobile Protection plan is available beginning today.

Apple to Charge $149 to Repair 'Touch Disease' Afflicted iPhones

Fri, 18 Nov 2016 13:14:54 GMT

Apple has launched a repair program for the iPhone 6 Plus to fix what has become called touch disease. The issue, according to a class-action lawsuit filed against Apple, leaves the display unresponsive to finger-touch input. "Apple has determined that some iPhone 6 Plus devices may exhibit display flickering or Multi-Touch issues after being dropped multiple times on a hard surface and then incurring further stress on the device," said Apple on its web site. "If your iPhone 6 Plus is exhibiting the symptoms noted above, is in working order, and the screen is not cracked or broken, Apple will repair your device for a service price of $149." Owners of the iPhone 6 Plus who've already paid for a screen repair to resolve this issue will be refunded the difference between the price they paid for the original service and the new $149 repair amount. Apple's carrier partners are not participating in this program, so any and all repairs need to go through Apple directly.

Review: Otterbox Universe and Olloclip 4-in-1

Tue, 05 Jul 2016 15:00:14 GMT

Olloclip's 4-in-1 lens is one of the first few accessories to work with Otterbox's new Universe modular case system. The case provides rugged protection, while the lenses let you be more creative with your Apple iPhone's camera. Here is Phonescoop's in-depth review of how these two products work together.

Dish Will Send a Tech to Your House to Fix Broken Phones

Tue, 03 May 2016 13:47:59 GMT

Dish today launched a new service called Smart Phone Repair that involves technicians making house calls. Smart Phone Repair is available to Dish and non-Dish consumers. Dish charges a $35 travel fee to send a tech, who can replace broken screens or dead batteries for the Apple iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, 6 and 6 Plus. Dish says techs can fix one or many phones once on site, and pricing for the repairs will be the same nationwide. Dish plans to expand the service to other handsets over time. Dish mentioned that it uses "respected third-party replacement parts," which means it does not use genuine Apple screens or batteries. Dish offers next-day appointments, available seven days a week, in all 50 states. The company is pitching the service as a more convenient way to deal with phone repairs. Pricing varies by model.

Apple Accepting Broken iPhones As Trade-Ins

Fri, 05 Feb 2016 17:23:44 GMT

Apple will now accept damaged iPhones as trade-ins when people wish to upgrade to a new iPhone. Previously, Apple only accepted working iPhones as trade-ins, but will now take in iPhones with "damaged displays, cameras, and buttons within reason." Apple will credit people who turn in a damaged iPhone 5s with $50. The company will credit people $200 for a broken iPhone 6 and $250 for a broken iPhone 6 Plus. Phones that don't have cracked screens or broken buttons may be worth up to $350. Apple hopes the change in policy will convince people holding onto older, possibly busted devices to upgrade. The new Apple trade-in policy is available at Apple's retail stores, but not online.

Apple Found Guilty of Infringing U. of Wisconsin Patent

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 23:00:00 GMT

Apple is facing a massive judgment in a patent complaint concerning processors found in the iPhone and iPad. A jury in Madison, Wisconsin, found Apple guilty of using a patent owned by the University of Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) without permission. The patent involves increasing the efficiency of chips. The technology is found in the A7, A8, and A8x processors, which power the iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus, and the iPad Air 2. Apple sought to have the patent declared invalid, but the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected Apple's bid. WARF originally filed the lawsuit in January 2014 and just recently filed a second lawsuit concerning the A9 and A9x chips, which are in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus and the forthcoming iPad Pro. Apple could be on the hook for up to $862 million. The trial is now moving to the penalty phase to determine how much Apple owes. Apple maintained its innocence.

T-Mobile Rolls Out $5 iPhone 6s Lease Payment

Wed, 23 Sep 2015 13:44:42 GMT

T-Mobile said it will drop the Jump On Demand lease payment for the 16GB Apple iPhone 6s to just $5 if customers trade in an iPhone 6. Customers who trade in an iPhone 6 Plus can lease the 16GB iPhone 6s Plus for $9 per month. Without the trade-in, the lease payment is $20 per month for the 16GB 6s. T-Mobile says the out-the-door cost is $0, and the full price of the 16GB iPhone 6s totals $523.99 for customers who remain with T-Mobile for 18 months. By way of comparison, Sprint's iPhone lease program costs $15 per month with a trade-in or $22 without a trade-in. T-Mobile also said it will sell the Apple Watch Sport beginning Friday, Sept. 25, the same day the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus go on sale. T-Mobile is offering the wearable for $0 down and 24 monthly payments of about $14.50 for the 38mm Watch Sport ($349) and $17 for the 42mm Watch Sport ($399).

Apple Drops Prices of Last Year's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus

Wed, 09 Sep 2015 19:05:13 GMT

Apple today changed up its pricing mix for existing iPhones. The iPhone 5s drops to free with a two-year contract, while the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will cost $99 and $199 with a two-year contract, respectively. The space gray and silver versions of the 6 and 6 Plus are still available, but the gold options gone. The new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus will cost $199 and $299 with contracts, respectively. Monthly prices for financed iPhones will vary by carrier. Apple is offering its own leasing program that ranges between $32 and $45 per month.

Twitter Unifying iPhone and iPad App UIs

Wed, 09 Sep 2015 12:57:39 GMT

Twitter said it is bridging the gap between its iPhone and iPad applications so users have the same experience no matter which device they pick up. The iPhone and iPad apps were originally developed separately, according to Twitter. This meant the iPad app often lagged behind the iPhone app in terms of features and capabilities. Moving forward, Twitter will rely on an adaptive user interface that takes into consideration factors such as the orientation of the phone or tablet, the size of the screen, and typography settings and constraints. Twitter believes this will allow it to support a broader range of iOS devices in the future, no matter the screen size or resolution. Twitter further thinks it can add new features faster, such as those that take advantage of the multitasking powers included in iOS 9. Twitter said the new version of Twitter for iOS is rolling out to iPhone and iPad owners now.

Twitter Adds Landscape Support to iPhone 6 Plus

Wed, 05 Aug 2015 12:38:40 GMT

Twitter updated its iOS application today and the chief new feature is landscape support for the iPhone 6 Plus. Owners of Apple's larger iPhone will now be able to use the app when holding their phone in either portrait or landscape orientation. Twitter is free to download from the iTunes App Store.

Verizon Expands XLTE to 6 More Markets

Tue, 19 May 2015 14:11:32 GMT

Verizon Wireless today marked the one-year anniversary of its XLTE service by expanding coverage to six additional markets. XLTE is now available in Marshalltown, Iowa; Madisonville and Owensboro, Ky.; Traverse City, Mich.; Meridian, Miss.; and Martinsville, Va. Verizon's XLTE coverage is available in more than 400 markets. It combines Verizon's 700MHz and AWS spectrum to boost capacity of its LTE 4G network. Verizon says it has more than 40 XLTE-capable devices, including the Apple iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S6.

iOS 8.4 Beta Adds Text Books to iBooks App

Mon, 11 May 2015 21:05:37 GMT

Apple distributed a third beta of iOS 8.4 to developers today and the pre-release operating system revealed at least one new feature. The iBooks app now supports textbooks created by Apple's iBooks Author tool. iBooks Author textbooks were initially limited to the iPad at launch, but eventually added to the OS X iBooks app last year. iOS 8.3 beta 3 marks the first time textbooks developed with Apple's iBook Author tool will be available to the iPhone. iOS 8.4 beta 3 also makes some refinements to the music player application, which is in the process of being overhauled completely. Apple is expected to say more about iOS 8.4 at its Worldwide Developer Conference slated in June.

WhatsApp for iPhone Gains Voice Calling

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 18:58:36 GMT

WhatsApp is rolling out voice calling to its iPhone application beginning today. The feature launched on the Android platform last month. With the feature on board the iOS app, WhatsApp users will be able to chat with and make voice calls to their WhatsApp contacts. WhatsApp calls use your the iPhone data connection rather than voice minutes. WhatsApp is owned by Facebook, which has already added calling features to Facebook Messenger. WhatsApp voice calling isn't available to the iPad tablet. The update is rolling out over the next few weeks.

Sharp Develops 4K Smartphone Display Prototype

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 12:57:09 GMT

Sharp has engineered a 4K (Ultra HD) screen for smartphones. The prototype measures 5.5 inches across the diagonal and includes 3860 x 2160 pixels, giving it a pixel density of 806 pixels per inch. By way of comparison, the iPhone 6 Plus's 5.5-inch screen has 1920 x 1080 pixels, or 401 pixels per inch. The prototype LCD relies on Sharp's IGZO technology, but the company is not sure if the prototype will ever be used. "Currently there are no driver ICs for small 4K panels, so the panel is not ready for mass production at this point," said Sharp spokeswoman Miyuki Nakayama in an email to Computerworld. Some of today's flagship devices (LG G4, Motorola Nexus 6, Samsung Galaxy S6) have jumped from full HD to quad HD, or 2560 x 1440 pixels. The majority of high-end phones still use full HD screens, while mid-range phones have moved to 720p screens. Entry-level phones generally offer 800 x 480 or 960 x 540 resolution displays.

iOS 8.3 Lands with New Emoji and Message Filters

Wed, 08 Apr 2015 17:08:00 GMT

Apple today made iOS 8.3 available to the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. The update adds several new features to Apple's mobile devices, including more than 300 new emoji and an updated keyboard for using the emoji to personalize messages. The update adds the ability to filter incoming messages to help sort out junk. Siri gains the ability to speak Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Thai, and Turkish in iOS 8.3, and can now initiate phone calls via the speakerphone when requested. iOS 8.3 was released as a public beta earlier this year. The update is free to download. Apple also released OS X 10.10.3, which, among other things, adds Apple's new Photos application. The Photos app on Apple's Mac computers now mirrors the version on iOS devices. Apple is offering users a handful of cloud storage options for managing images stored in Photos, which can be accessed from Macs, smartphones, and tablets. OS X 10.10.3 is also free to download from Apple.

More Banks Supporting Apple Pay

Wed, 08 Apr 2015 16:18:21 GMT

MasterCard today announced that 25 of its financial institution partners now support Apple Pay with their credit and/or debit cards. Some of the new banks allowing Apple Pay include Centennial Bank, GTE Financial, KeyBank, Meijer Credit Union, and US Bank. People who have an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus will be able to use the cards issued by these and other banks to make mobile payments at participating retailers, as well as within select applications. MasterCard also said it has updated its MasterCard Nearby application to help iPhone owners find retail establishments that accept Apple Pay. MasterCard Nearby is free to download from the iTunes App Store.

Twitter's Periscope App Powers Live Video Streaming

Thu, 26 Mar 2015 12:43:41 GMT

Twitter today released a new application for the iPhone called Periscope. The app lets people broadcast live video to their Twitter followers. When Periscope users choose to publish live video, their followers are notified and can view the stream, comment on the video, and send feedback in the form of hearts. Periscope saves broadcasts for up to 24 hours for replay, and permits people to share live video privately if they wish. Periscope will suggest who to follow based on the user's Twitter network, as the app allows people to follow/unfollow other Periscope users at will. Users can easily act on or ignore incoming notifications when others in their network begin streaming live video. The feedback mechanism, which uses hearts, tells Periscope streamers how much love their video receives. Periscope is battling a third-party app called Meerkat, which similarly offers live video feeds via Twitter. Periscope is free to download from the iTunes App Store. Twitter didn't indicate if it will release a version for Android devices.

Opera Boosts Coast Browser for iOS

Tue, 17 Mar 2015 15:48:09 GMT

Opera Software today made an updated version of its Coast browser available to Apple's iOS devices, including the iPhone. The primary new feature is Opera's video boost technology, which uses Opera's Rocket Optimizer engine to smooth out video playback. Users will have to turn the feature on, which is under the Opera Turbo setting. Opera makes use of compression technologies to deliver web sites and the video contained therein faster and more efficiently to devices over mobile networks. The browser also added sharing support for Pinterest, Evernote, Pocket, and Kik. Coast 4.1 is free to download from the iTunes App Store.