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How to use AT&T Next and Verizon Edge to your advantage

iPhone 6

We've received a few emails over the last few days from readers asking about switching to AT&T Next so that they can get the new iPhone 6 on Friday for no money down. AT&T has been notifying some customers who are mid-contract that they can switch to a Next plan at no charge, doing away with contracts going forward. Of course, there are those who are still under AT&T's grandfathered "unlimited" data plan, but others simply want to know if programs like AT&T Next and Verizon Edge are worth it, or if they're rip-offs. The thing is, early upgrade plans like Next and Edge basically allow you to divorce the act of owning and paying for a phone, from paying for cellular service. If you play your cards right, you'll actually come out ahead financially, and you'll be able to upgrade to a new device whenever you want. Let's walk through a scenario of buying a phone with AT&T Next.

Background
All currently available mainstream plans feature two components: a data charge, and a line charge. We will ignore the data charge aspect from here on out, because it's the same regardless of what plan you choose.

AT&T Next offers you a lower monthly line charge ($15 less for data plans under 10GB, $25 less for 10GB and over) in exchange for them not giving you a large subsidy when you buy your phone. Next plans never involve a contract, and you can get out of them at any time, penalty free, by paying off the balance you owe on your phone.

Click to continue reading How to use AT&T Next and Verizon Edge to your advantage


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Apple pre-installing iWork and iLife apps on 64GB, 128GB iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Software,

iPhone 6 space gray

 

Apple will be bundling in all of its free iWork and iLife apps for buyers of the 64GB and 128GB iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, an Apple Retail training document reveals. The apps included are iMovie, GarageBand, Pages, Keynote, Numbers, and iTunes U. iPhoto isn’t included, as it is being replaced by the new-and-improved Photos app in iOS 8 that includes more advanced editing tools and support for the new iCloud Photo Library.

For those who pick up the 16GB model, all of the aforementioned apps will still be available for download, they just won’t be pre-loaded on your iPhone when sent from the factory. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus go on sale this Friday at 8:00am at Apple Store locations, as well as cellular carrier stores. Pre-orders started this past Friday, and Apple has announced that it has sold 4 million iPhones within the first 24 hours of pre-sale availability.


Apple shatters record with 4 million iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus pre-orders in first 24 hours

Apple iPhone 6 Plus sales

Silencing critics who said it was late to the party with larger smartphones, Apple announced that it sold over 4 million iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus units in the first 24 hours of pre-order availability.  Apple hasn’t specified how many people pre-ordered the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 versus the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus (and we don’t expect them to, as evidenced by iPod and iPad sales numbers never being broken down by model,) but it is clear to see that many people didn’t just want a bigger phone—they wanted a bigger iPhone.

The 4 million figured is mind-blowing, as it equates to about 166,667 iPhone 6 smartphones sold per hour. To put it into even clearer context, prior to the iPhone 6, the biggest pre-order period for Apple was last year’s iPhone 5s and 5c, which saw “just” 2 million pre-orders in the first 24 hours. A year later, Apple doubled that number with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. With the iPhone 5s and 5c, Apple later announced that is sold 9 million units in the first three days. It will be interesting to see what the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus end up selling in the first weekend of availability in comparison.

Since the devices went on pre-order, the iPhone 6 is now sold out, showing a 7-10 day backorder. Meanwhile, the larger iPhone 6 Plus is showing a 3-4 week wait. If you want to get your hands on either of these new Apple smartphones sooner, you’ll need to wait in line at an Apple Store or carrier store and hope there’s enough stock this Friday morning.

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iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be released September 19, pre-order September 12

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

Excited about the announcements of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus from today's We Wish We Could Say More event? If you are wondering when you can get your hands on one, you won't have to wait long. As we reported a couple months ago, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will both go on sale on September 19th in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, and Singapore. That's the day you'll be able to go to an Apple Store, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, or your local wireless service carrier and buy an iPhone 6 (as long as it's in stock.) If you'd rather have it sent to you so that you can avoid the lines, you can pre-order the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus starting this Friday, September 12th. It may be an exercise in patience though, as iPhone pre-orders in the past have resulted in crashed Web sites, lost orders mid-checkout, and other frustrations.


iPhone 6 Plus: 5.5-inch Retina HD display, optical image stabilization, bigger battery for $299

iPhone 6 plus

The iPhone 6 wasn’t the only larger smartphone that Apple announced today at the We Wish We Could Say More event—meet the iPhone 6 Plus. Featuring a 5.5-inch 1080p Retina HD display, the iPhone 6 Plus is the biggest smartphone that Apple has released to date. It’s got a display that’s a full 1.5-inches larger than that of the iPhone 5s. Be sure to check out the details on the iPhone 6, since the iPhone 6 Plus has a fairly similar feature set.  However, there are a few key differences other than size.

The iPhone 6 Plus display has the same 16x9 aspect ratio as the iPhone 6, 5s, and 5c, but packs in more pixels due to the 1920x1080 resolution. The result is a 401 pixel-per-inch density, resulting in 185% more pixels than the iPhone 5s. That means it’ll be a lot sharper. It’s also thinner at 7.1 millimeters, compared to 7.6 for the iPhone 5s.

Click to continue reading iPhone 6 Plus: 5.5-inch Retina HD display, optical image stabilization, bigger battery for $299


Apple iPhone 6: 4.7-inch 1334 x 750 Retina HD display, A8 processor, NFC for $199 on September 19

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds,

iPhone 6

During it's We Wish We Could Say More event, Apple unveiled the iPhone 6. The updated smartphone sports a new 4.7-inch Retina HD display with a resolution of 1334 x 750, resulting in a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch. Apple is calling this a Retina HD display, and aside from the increased size and ppi, it also has the full sRGB wide color gamut. On front is ion-stengthened cover glass that is curved at the edges--so, no sapphire crystal display after all. Apple has developed the new A8 processor to power the device, bringing with it a 25% speed bost. A new M8 coprocessor can now measure distance and steps climbed thanks, in part, to a barometer. It can also decipher between running and cycling to better track your movements. The iPhone 6 measure in as just 6.9mm thin, which makes it the thinnest device Apple has ever made.

LTE is updated to 150 Mbps, and it supports 20 LTE bands, which is the most in any smartphone. VoLTE is also built-in, which will allow voice call data over an LTE network. 802.11ac Wi-Fi finally comes to the iPhone 6, giving it a 3x faster wireless connection. Wi-Fi calling, allowing you to place calls when connected to a Wi-Fi network. The first networks to support VoLTE will be T-Mobile in the US and EE in the UK.

Click to continue reading Apple iPhone 6: 4.7-inch 1334 x 750 Retina HD display, A8 processor, NFC for $199 on September 19


Apple releases iOS 8 Golden Master to developers prior to September 17 public release

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Software,

iOS 8 golden master 12a365

After all of the We Wish We Could Say More announcements from Apple today that saw the unveiling of the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Watch, and Apple Pay, the company released the Golden Master seed of iOS 8 to developers. Build 12A365 should be the same version that is pushed to the world when iOS 8 is released on September 17th via an over-the-air update. Registered iOS developers can grab the download in the iOS Developer Center now.


iOS 8 will be released on September 17

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Software,

iOS 8 compatibility

During today's We Wish We Could Say More event, Apple announced that iOS 8 would be released to consumers as a free update on September 17th. If you're curious if your device supports the next Apple mobile operating system, check out the image above which details all of the iOS device it will run on. iOS 8 brings with it a host of new features, including:

  • Photos: The new Photos app will allow you to access your entire photo collection with the iCloud Photo Library. New editing tools also make it easy to make your shots look even better, with all edits syncing back to the cloud and available on all your other devices.
  • Messages: In iOS 8, Messages will allow you to easily send voice messages, quick selfies, and videos to your contacts. Easily share your location and see the location of friends you've chosen to share that info with as well.
  • Keyboard: There are a few notable improvements to the keyboard in iOS 8. First, Apple now has a predictive typing system that learns the way you talk, offering up a quicker typing experience. Even more exciting, though, is that you will be able to download third-party keyboards from the App Store that will take the place of Apple's keyboard entirely. If you've been waiting for Swype on iPhone, it's almost here.
  • Interactive Notifications: Notifications are interactive in iOS 8. For example, you can reply to a message right from the notification without having to switch over to the Messages app, or accept/decline a calendar invite right from the dropdown. Notifications are also interactive on the Lock screen as well.
  • Family Sharing: Family Sharing makes it easy for up to six people in your family to share each other’s iTunes, iBooks, and App Store purchases. Whenever one person buys a new song, movie, or app, everybody gets access to that content. Accounts must all share the same credit card number to be added to a family account. Members of a Family Sharing account also get access to a family Photo Stream, calendar, Reminders list, and can share location.
  • iCloud Drive: Apple is finally allowing access to data stored on iCloud with the iCloud Drive feature. You can use iCloud as a storage folder for anything you'd like to put there, and can add storage space by upgrading to a higher tier.
  • Health: Fitness tracking is one of the pillar features in iOS 8
  • Continuity: Continuity will allow your Apple devices to talk to each other over Bluetooth. Start an email on your Mac, and continue it on your iPhone. Start messaging someone on your Apple Watch, and continue on your iPhone 6 Plus.

Apple also released the iOS 8 GM seed today.


Purported iPhone 6 review video leaks ahead of Apple event

iPhone 6 leak video

Apple is set to begin it's major We Wish We Could Say More event in just over 20 minutes, where the company will announce the new 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. However, it looks like someone may have beaten the company to the punch on the unveiling of the device. The PhoneEvaluation YouTube channel, based in China, has a 7-minute look at what appears to be a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 unit. No telling how accurate it is until Apple shows us the real thing, but if we had to guess, you'te looking at a genuine iPhone 6 in the video. We've embedded it below for your viewing pleasure. It'll kill time before the Apple event kicks off.

Be sure to check out how to watch the Apple event live to keep up with today's news as it happens.

Click to continue reading Purported iPhone 6 review video leaks ahead of Apple event


How to watch today’s Apple iPhone & iWatch event live

Apple event live stream

Today, Apple will be holding its We Wish We Could Say More event where it’s expected to reveal the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iWatch, and a new mobile payment processing system. Some are also expecting an update to the iPad Air, and the Apple TV set-top box. This is shaping up to be one of the biggest Apple keynote events in company history—certainly the biggest yet for Steve Jobs successor, Tim Cook—and the company wants you to see it all go down, live as it happens. Here’s how you can watch today’s Apple Event:

  • If you have an Apple TV, Apple has added a dedicated Apple Events channel. Fire it up at 10:00am PDT (1:00pm EDT), and you’ll be able to tune in. You need to have a second- or third-generation Apple TV running software version 6.2 or later.
  • If you want to live stream the event from your desktop, you’ll need to be running OS X 10.6.8 or later and Safari 5.1.10. From there, just head to the Apple Live page
  • You can also stream the event in the Safari web browser on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch as long as you are running iOS 6.0 or later.

Of course, if you’re somewhere that you aren’t able to live stream video, you can keep it locked right here to Gear Live, where we will be bringing you reports of all the announcements at breakneck speed. Additionally, you can also follow along at The Verge, Recode, and Engadget.

Once things are wrapped up, Apple will make the video of today’s presentation available for on-demand viewing and downloading later today.

So there you have it! How will you be following along?


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