If you’re still married to your iPhone 5 or 5c, you might have heard worrisome reports that Apple’s next major phone update would be the end of software support for these devices, effectively rendering them obsolete. However, that may not be the case [More]
iphone 5
Court Rules That Police Can Force You To Tell Them Your Phone’s Passcode
By 12.13.16
Smartphones have taken over our lives faster than the law is able to deal with. For a few years now, it’s been kind of an open legal question whether or not law enforcement can force you to provide them with the password or PIN you use to unlock your phone. A few previous courts have ruled no, that having to provide your passcode is tantamount to self-incriminating testimony. But recently, an appeals court in Florida has found the other way. [More]
CashForiPhones Keeps My iPhone, Cuts Cash Offer By $222
By 9.12.14
Apple announced new iPhone models earlier this week, which means that for many people, it’s time to trade up. While your mobile phone carrier might offer a sweet trade-in deal, some customers are able to get even more by using outside trade-in services. That’s what Steve tried to do, selling his iPhone 5 to the site CashForiPhones.com. The site offered him $263, but once they had the phone, only sent him a check for $41. [More]
Apple Will Replace Your Defective iPhone 5 Battery
By 8.25.14
Is your iPhone battery failing, but your device is now out of warranty? We have good news for some owners of that model of iPhone: Apple has announced a repair program for certain iPhones that have a reputation for bad battery life. [More]
BlackBerry Reminds Everyone It’s Still Relevant By Suing Over Slip-On Keyboard Design
By 1.3.14
One of the most common things to come out of a person’s mouth who has just switched from a BlackBerry to an iPhone is probably: “It’s so hard to type on this dang screen with my big fat fingers.” Nevertheless, BlackBerry has seen swarms of customers go rushing into the arms of the iPhone and other smartphones in recent years. In a stab at reminding everyone that it’s still a relevant brand, BlackBerry is now suing the makers of a slip-on keyboard for the iPhone, claiming it’s a blatant copy. [More]
How To Keep iOS 7 From Sucking Your iPhone’s Battery Dry
By 9.19.13
Whether you’re awaiting the arrival of a shiny technological baby in the form of an iPhone 5C or 5S, the new iOS 7 is here already and iPhone 4 or later users as well as iPad owners may be updating their phones with it. But what if you don’t want your constant companion to lose its battery life due to the upgrade? First of all, stop playing with your phone so dang much, if that’s possible. [More]
Best Buy Will Trade You A Free iPhone 5 For Your Old Smartphone
By 9.13.13
Yet another retailer really wants your old phone and is willing to give you something pretty decent in exchange for it. Through Sept. 16, Best Buy is offering a minimum $100 trade-in credit to customers who trade in their old phones and switch to an iPhone 5. [More]
Report: Apple Asked Supplier To Ship Two Kinds Of iPhones, Which Means Double The Hype
By 8.20.13
What’s more fun than getting all worked up about the new iPhone? Getting worked up about two new iPhones, of course! It’s been whispered, buzzed and otherwise fervently discussed that perhaps Apple was working on a lower cost iPhone in order to broaden its appeal in certain markets. Now comes the fact that one of Apple’s suppliers was reportedly asked to ship not one, but two kinds of iPhones. [More]
It’s That Time Of The Year When The New iPhone Rumor Mill Gets To Spinning
By 8.12.13
Doesn’t it feel like the only time people aren’t breathlessly guessing when the next iPhone is coming out is perhaps the minute after an announcement is made as to when the next iPhone is coming out. Heck, even though the newest iteration of Apple phoneage is rumored to thwack us in the faces on Sept. 10, we’re sure someone is already wondering when the one after that will arrive. Such is the world we live in. [More]
Apple Investigating Death Of Woman Who Died Answering iPhone 5 While It Was Charging
By 7.15.13
An unfortunate reality of electronic devices is that once in a while, those consumer contraptions can malfunction in the worst of ways. It’s not clear yet exactly what went wrong in the case of a Chinese woman who was electrocuted and died while answering a call on her Iphone 5 while it was charging, but Apple says it’s looking into the matter. [More]
You Shouldn’t Need A Daily Replacement iPhone 5 Days In A Row
By 6.10.13 — Updated: 6.26.13
A few weeks ago, we ran reader Stephen’s sad tale of iPhone warranty replacements and reached out to our readers to see whether anyone else had gone through similar cycles of endless replacements. We’re sad to report that yes, some iPhone users have ended up trapped in smartphone replacement purgatory. When a phone only has four buttons, we suppose things are pretty awful when one of them stops working. [More]
My Fifth Replacement iPhone 5 Doesn’t Work Either
By 5.24.13
Usually, it’s owners of Android devices who get cast into the terrifying outer circles of Smartphone Replacement Purgatory, but owners of Apple devices aren’t immune. Reader Stephen first wrote to us back in February as he got his third replacement iPhone 5. Since then, he’s received two more phones. It’s nice that his phone is under warranty and all, but he’s on a two-year contract. Will he be stuck getting replacements every few months the entire time? [More]
Turns Out That $99.99 Upfront Price For T-Mobile iPhone 5 Was Only A Monthlong Promo
By 5.13.13
Customers shopping around for a good deal on an iPhone 5 might be a little confused if they’re checking out T-Mobile’s site: Clicking on the “Buy Now” button below the promo will garner one downpayment amount for the 16GB phone, $149.99, while choosing “Learn More” touts the phone for $50 cheaper at $99.99 upfront. So what gives? [More]
SquareTrade Hurls Samsung Galaxy S4 At The Ground, Probably Denies Own Claim
By 4.30.13
Do you enjoy product reviews from our sibling publication Consumer Reports, but wish that there were more smashing? Do you love the classic “Will it Blend?” YouTube videos, but want to see items destroyed in more realistic situations? You’re in luck. The hard-working experts at extended warranty/protection plan provider SquareTrade conducted a publicity stunt series of tests on current top-of-the-line smartphones to see which was most likely to survive being dropped on a corner from shoulder height, dunked in water, and slid across a table. That last one is kind of anticlimactic. [More]
If You’re Looking For An iPhone 5, Consider Going No-Contract
By 1.25.13
If you’re looking for an iPhone 5, do you want to pay an extra $450 now, or an extra $1000 over the next two years? Buying an unlocked phone and using a no-contract carrier can give you sticker shock initially, but you can save quite a bit of money in the long run. Our number-crunching colleagues down the hall at Consumer Reports looked into it, and found that if you can pay for your new phone itself out of pocket, going unlocked and contract-free is a much better deal. [More]
Best Buy Gave Me A Free iPhone. What Should I Do?
By 1.15.13
After he had already picked up his iPhone 5, Edmund got received an e-mail from Best Buy reminding him to come get the phone that he had ordered. He didn’t think much of it until he received another e-mail telling him that his preorder was canceled…and then he got a refund of the purchase price of the phone that he allegedly didn’t pick up. He’s not about to take the phone back, but he wonders: is he obligated to even let Best Buy know? [More]
Straight Talk Wireless Introduces iPhone 5 With $45 Unlimited Everything: What’s The Catch?
By 1.11.13
Starting today, you can go to your neighborhood Walmart store and pick up an iPhone 5 from Walmart’s own house-brand carrier, StraightTalk Wireless. With it you’ll get a $45 unlimited talk/text/data plan. Instead of a phone subsidy, you’ll be paying the unlocked-phone price for your handset: $649 for a 16GB iPhone 5. That’s the same price you’ll pay for an unlocked phone straight from Apple, but Walmart offers something extra: you can finance your purchase and pay $25 per month with no interest…for 26 months. [More]
iPhone 5 Case Does The Opposite Of What A Smartphone Case Is Supposed To Do
By 12.10.12
Ilya just got a new iPhone 5, and a $35 case from Incase to go along with it. The problem is that the case sort of did the opposite of what protective phone cases are supposed to do: it damaged his phone, instead of protecting it from damage. [More]
