Category: Apple Insider

By Stephen Silver
Sunday, September 23, 2018, 07:44 pm PT (10:44 pm ET)

In the first major Apple store theft since the arrival of the new iPhones, several individuals carried out a robbery in Santa Rosa, and one suspect was caught.

In another of a long series of similar robberies in California, several men rushed into an Apple store in Santa Rosa, Calif., on Sunday and stole merchandise from display tables before running off. But this time, a bystander videotaped both the robbery itself and one of the suspects being wrestled to the ground by security guards and civilians.

The bystander, who uses the online username “Gooneryoda,” filmed the videos and later posted them to Twitter, YouTube and Reddit.

“I was at the Santa Rosa Plaza and I saw these six guys in jeans and hoodies making a their way to the Apple Store. I knew something was about to go down so I recorded it,” Gooneryoda wrote on r/Apple subreddit, before posting the video of the suspects running into the store:

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The user then posted a second video of one of the suspects being subdued, wrestled to the ground and handcuffed by a pair of uniformed officers and two men in plain clothes, in what appears to be a different part of the mall (caution: strong language):

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Later in the day, the Santa Rosa Police Department’s Facebook page reported that “several thieves entered the Apple Store at the Santa Rosa Plaza mall and ran away with multiple devices.”

Dozens of similar Apple store robberies have taken place this year throughout California, and at least two crews carrying out the crimes have been arrested. The thefts have often been caught on store security video, but rarely have they been recorded live by bystanders. The same Apple store, at Santa Rosa Plaza, was similarly robbed in late August, with thieves making off with $35,000 in merchandise.

Law enforcement sources contacted by AppleInsider in recent weeks are unclear on how many crews are at work and if they are connected. One officer, Lt. Robert Boll of the Burlingame Police Department, said there’s likely a copycat effect at work.

“They see how easy it is when the news plays the video,” he told AppleInsider.

Apple turned up the iPhone X to 11 with the iPhone XS and XS Max. AppleInsider goes hands on with the iPhone X successor, as well as the largest-screened iPhone ever, to provide our first impressions and thoughts on Apples latest handset.

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In the box

Taking a peek in the box, we have the same components as last year. nothing has changed. Still a 5W USB-A wall charger, still a Lightning to USB-A cable. This is especially disappointing on the iPhone XS Max because of this jumbo battery.

The usual set of Lightning-powered earbuds are also provided, though no Lightning to 3.5mm jack adapter is included, which is a drag for those who still rely on that over Lightning/wireless headphones.

The phone!

The iPhone XS Max feels huge because of that edge-to-edge OLED screen. Comparatively, it is actually the same size as any of the Plus-sized phones.

There is certainly some heft to it, but that and the glass back actually make it a bit easier to hold than the aluminum iPhone 8 Plus.

Otherwise, from the exterior, this looks like a scaled up iPhone X. We still wish Apple would make better use of the screen real estate by giving us extra rows of app icons, though. Maybe in a future version of iOS 12.

Initially, some mistakenly believed the iPhone XS comes with 120Hz ProMotion display, technology introduced with iPad that dynamically refreshes onscreen content at a rates reaching 120 frames per second. It does not. Apple did, however, carry over the 120Hz touch sample rate from iPhone X, meaning the screen assembly collects more information per frame displayed than previous iPhones.

Some also misunderstood Apple’s marketing material, thinking iPhone XS’ display achieves 60 percent greater dynamic range than prior models. In actuality, the company is referring to a new Smart HDR photo capture that boasts the dynamic range boost.

iPhone XS

Aesthetically, the iPhone XS is almost identical to last year’s iPhone X, but if you take a closer look, you’ll see that the speaker grille layout is completely different. The iPhone X had six speaker holes on the left side of its Lightning port, while the XS cuts that number down to three to make room for an added antenna band. Users will also notice a similar band at the top of the handset right above the camera lens.

Interestingly, the XS’ camera bump has gotten a bit larger as well. We tried to fit an iPhone X case on our iPhone XS, but it didn’t fit perfectly due to the bump’s larger dimensions. Users who have rigid cases that fit exactly to spec might need to purchase a new accessory.

Camera time

The first thing we did, after booting up the new phone, was jump straight into the camera. We’ve been dying to check out the new controllable aperture feature exclusive to these new phones.

We noticed that XS Max was quicker than our iPhone X in activating the Portrait Mode blur effect as we aimed at our subject.

Our photo loaded, and a moment later an adjustable row of f-stops appeared below the image. As we increased or decreased the aperture, the level of blur in the background would increase and decrease. It looks pretty slick. There is going to still be a difference in the look of the blur on an iPhone versus a DSLR, but being able to adjust it was pretty amazing to see.

We will certainly be spending much more time testing out this new feature, as well as the other improvements to the camera soon.

Stay tuned

We’ve only just had a chance to play around with the new iPhone XS and XS Max but we are pretty happy with both. It doesn’t quite feel like there are as many new things to play around with compared to the X, but anyone who appreciates large displays will love the XS Max.

Be sure to keep your eyes on AppleInsider in the coming days and weeks as we continue coverage of Apple’s new handsets.

Deals on the iPhone XS and XS Max

If you haven’t already preordered Apple’s iPhone XS or XS Max, the following wireless carriers are incentivizing the purchase.

• AT&T Wireless: Buy one iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max, get a second $700 off when you add a line.
• Verizon Wireless: Buy one iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max, get a second $700 off when you add a line. Or save $100 with an eligible trade.
• Sprint: Get the 64GB iPhone XS for $0 per month with eligible trade-in and Sprint Flex lease.
• T-Mobile: Buy one iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max, get a second $700 off when you add a line. Or save up to $300 with eligible trade.

By Andrew O’Hara
Thursday, September 20, 2018, 07:24 pm PT (10:24 pm ET)

This isn’t the news you want to see if you ordered your iPhone XS at 12:01 AM PST and expected to have it arrive Friday. A number of new iPhone shipments processed through UPS are showing delivery dates pushed back to Monday, though the carrier in some cases is claiming the estimate is an error.

The issue appears to be exclusively with orders that were shipped via UPS rather than FedEx. One Twitter user said that UPS quoted a “customs issue” as the culprit for the supposed delay, while another said the estimate is a website error.

AppleInsider staff are among the many affected, with iPhone XS Max shipments initially set to be delivered tomorrow now showing delivery dates changed to Monday.

Confusingly, Apple’s own order status page still shows delivery tomorrow, contrary to UPS tracking information. This could be a database syncing issue, but UPS customer service has reportedly replied to at least one distressed early adopter, saying the Monday delivery estimate is erroneous.

According to one Twitter account a UPS representative chalked up the misinformation to a glitch in its system caused by the vast number of iPhone shipments being processed. The buyer was assured that their order would arrive on Friday as promised.

The contradictory statements issued by UPS representatives, and disparate delivery times quoted on UPS and Apple websites, leaves customers very much in limbo. Until the supposedly inaccurate website is fixed, or official confirmation from Apple or UPS is received, customers are unlikely to find out whether their respective shipments are actually delayed until tomorrow.

The scope of the problem is unknown, though quite a few people are taking to Twitter to complain about the issue.

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Frustrated users have taken to Twitter — pitchforks in hand — calling out UPS for the non-launch day deliveries that they were expecting:

#UPS screwed up! Apple phones were supposed to be delivered tomorrow and now they’re not coming till Monday

— Cindy Golembuski (@goldengirl269) September 21, 2018

Uh oh #Apple #UPS

— Jeff True (@jtrue28) September 21, 2018

#iphoneXsMax delivery delayed. #UPS very impressively saw my tweet, contacted me, looked into it and got back to me in less than 10 minutes. Delayed due to customs. I blame #Apple for not anticipating this issue.

— Ron Mummaw (@rmummaw) September 20, 2018

If you are eagerly awaiting your new phone’s arrival, now might be a good time to double check the tracking info.

Video

By Andrew O’Hara
Wednesday, September 19, 2018, 05:04 pm PT (08:04 pm ET)

To go alongside the latest iPhones — the XS and XS Max — Apple has updated its lineup of first-party cases, which include leather, silicone and folio options. AppleInsider goes hands-on with the accessories to see what has changed and find out if they are compatible with the iPhone X.

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All of Apple’s cases are great quality while staying minimalist in nature. They are thin, with tactile buttons and made from premium materials. The leather cases all utilize anodized aluminum buttons on the sides, always a nice touch. Interiors are lined with microfiber on each case, protecting the iPhone from loose debris.

On the underside, the bottom of the phone is exposed, a design that has its pros and cons. We prefer this design as it allows easier access to ports and works seamlessly with many docks, but at the same time it opens more of the phone up to possible damage.

Last year, the folio was exclusively available for the iPhone X, but this year it comes in two different sizes for the XS and XS Max.

Colors for everyone

Externally, the biggest change to all of the cases is a smattering of new colors.

Silicone cases now come in Nectarine, Lavender Gray, Blue Horizon, Stone, Pink Sand, Midnight Blue, White, Black, and (PRODUCT)Red while the leather case will be available in Peony Pink, Cape Code Blue, Forest Green, Taupe, Midnight Blue, Saddle Brown, Black, and (PRODUCT)Red. The leather folio comes in Peony Pink, Cape Code Blue, Forest Green, Black, (PRODUCT)Red.

Changes between X and XS cases

Notable changes between last year’s cases and the models offered in 2018 include slight tweaks to the camera bump cutout. The latest iPhone’s have a slightly larger camera bump, which could cause compatibility issues when using the new cases with iPhone X. If you put any of Apple’s iPhone XS cases on an iPhone X, you will notice a slight gap around the otherwise precision-designed case.

There are also changes to the arrangement of the Hall Effect sensors between generations. The auto wake/sleep functionality doesn’t work when using the iPhone XS folio on the iPhone X, and vice versa.

Where to buy

Right now, the cases are available exclusively through Apple. Silicone cases cost $39 and the leather run $49. If you’d like the leather folio, it runs $99 and $129 for the iPhone XS and XS Max, respectively.

Apple’s cases not doing it for you? Check out AppleInsider’s roundup of excellent iPhone XS and XS Max cases that are available now.

By Andrew O’Hara
Monday, September 17, 2018, 07:15 pm PT (10:15 pm ET)

As we head towards the release of the iPhone XS, the first speed tests are teasing what we can expect when it comes to LTE speeds across the major carriers. According to results from SpeedSmart.net, iPhone XS and XS Max will boast quite the improvement from last year’s iPhone X.

Of the three major carriers — AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile — AT&T looks to be the fastest with average download speeds of 72.24Mbps. That figure compares to average recorded iPhone X speeds of 27.67Mbps.

Verizon was the second fastest in this test, with average downloads of 62.20Mbps, up from 26.08Mbps. T-Mobile came in a close third with 59.92Mbps on the iPhone XS, compared with 29.82Mbps on the iPhone X.

When looking at the increases, the new iPhone XS and XS Max show a 233-percent average bump in download speed across the three networks.

Upload speeds were slightly less impressive, with iPhone XS on T-Mobile netting 19.35Mbps, up from the 12.22Mbps seen on iPhone X. Verizon and AT&T hit 16.10Mbps and 14.88Mbps, respectively, up from 10.92Mbps and 10.28Mbps.

The survey was taken using the SpeedSmart Speed Test app on iPhone X, XS, XS Max between Sept. 12 and 16. Though early and surely limited due to a small sample size, the results show impressive gains that should be in line with speeds consumers can expect come Friday.

The greatly enhanced data transfer statistics comes thanks to new Gigabit-class LTE with 4×4 MIMO technology and LAA. With iPhone X, Apple employed two LCP FCPBs to power 2×2 MIMO, while the iPhone 8 series used a single LCP module. The integration of 4×4 MIMO standards with iPhone XS and XS Max delivers much improved bandwidth capable of supporting higher throughput.

By Christine McKee
Saturday, September 15, 2018, 08:16 pm PT (11:16 pm ET)

Now that preorders have begun for Apple’s iPhone XS and XS Max, wireless carriers are offering deals on the new devices. We’re rounding up where to get the best discounts, including buy one, get one $700 off promotions.

AT&T Wireless

Kicking off our wireless deal roundup is AT&T Wireless. The wireless giant has added Apple’s iPhone XS and XS Max to its popular “buy one, give one” program, which provides shoppers with $700 off when two qualifying devices are purchased. The promotion requires users to buy both devices on AT&T Next with a minimum wireless plan of $65 per month (combined) after the discount. It also requires a new line in order to secure up to $700 off in credits over 30 months. As with other wireless deals, if service is canceled, the device balance becomes due. An activation fee of $30 does apply.

Find out how to take advantage of the deal by visiting AT&T Wireless’ website.

Verizon Wireless

Like AT&T, Verizon Wireless is running its own buy one, get one $700 off promotion. Shoppers can mix and match any two iPhone XS Max, XS, X, 8 Plus or 8 256GB devices, and you will need to add a new line to one of the phones. You’ll then see a credit of $29.16 per month over 24 months on your bill.

If you do not wish to add a line and have an old device lying around, you can instead take advantage of Verizon’s $100 trade-in deal with the iPhone XS or XS Max. To qualify, you must have a qualifying trade-in that’s in good working and cosmetic condition. You’ll then see $100 over 24 months as a small monthly credit starting in one to two billing cycles. This ends when the balance is fully paid, or if you cancel or transfer your line to another plan. Luckily, if the market value of your trade-in is higher than $100, you’ll get the full value as an account credit in one to two billing cycles.

The following iPhones are eligible for the trade-in promotion:

• iPhone X
• iPhone 8 Plus
• iPhone 8
• iPhone 7 Plus
• iPhone 7
• iPhone 6s Plus
• iPhone 6s
• iPhone 6 Plus
• iPhone 6
• iPhone 5s
• iPhone SE

Devices from other brands also qualify, including:

• Google Pixel 2
• Google Pixel 2 XL
• Google Pixel
• Google Pixel XL
• LG V30
• LG V20
• LG V10
• LG G6
• LG G5
• LG G4
• Motorola Z2 Force
• Motorola Z Force
• Motorola Z2 Play
• Motorola Z Play
• Motorola Z Droid
• Motorola Z Play
• Motorola Turbo 2
• Samsung GS9
• Samsung GS9+
• Samsung GS8
• Samsung GS8+
• Samsung GS7
• Samsung 7 Edge
• Samsung 7 Active
• Samsung GS6
• Samsung 6 Edge
• Samsung 6 Edge+
• Samsung 6 Active
• Samsung GS5
• Samsung GS4
• Samsung Note 8
• Samsung Note 5
• Samsung Note 4
• Samsung Note Edge
• HTC 10
• HTC M9/M9+

Sprint

Sprint is also running a promotion that offers shoppers the 64GB iPhone XS for $0 per month after a $41.67 per month credit. You must have an eligible trade-in and sign up for Sprint Flex Lease, the latter of which includes Sprint’s iPhone Forever perk, allowing you to return and upgrade to the latest iPhone any time after 12 lease payments.

Those wanting the new iPhone XS Max are also eligible for a discount under the same terms. However, the monthy payment will be $4.17 per month with an eligible trade-in.

Full terms and conditions can be found on Sprint’s website. Offer ends Sept. 27.

Mac Deals

AppleInsider and Apple authorized resellers are also running a handful of additional exclusive promotions this month on Apple hardware that will not only deliver the lowest prices on many of the items, but also throw in discounts on AppleCare, software and accessories. These deals are as follows:

See if there is a Mac, iPad, Apple Watch or Certified Used iPhone deal that will save you $100s by checking out prices.appleinsider.com and deals.appleinsider.com.

By Stephen Silver
Friday, September 14, 2018, 02:09 pm PT (05:09 pm ET)

In a new video, Apple shows all there is to show about its latest flagship iPhone models that were introduced at a special event on Wednesday.

On Friday, two days after its “Gather Round” event in Cupertino, Apple released a video to its YouTube channel showing “everything to know in 54 seconds” about the new iPhone XS and XS Max. The video surfaced on the day those two devices opened for preorders.

Combining beautiful video of the two new devices with words illustrating its features, the video touts the iPhones’ big screens, water and dust resistance, gold color, improved Face ID, better cameras, A12 Bionic chip, and better speakers.

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“It’s not just one amazing iPhone,” the video concludes. “It’s two.”

It’s not clear whether the video will ever run as a TV commercial, but Apple typically saves summary clips for use on social media.

The video’s fast-paced format is similar to a clip Apple published summarizing all the big announcements from the “Gather Round” event.

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Apple’s iPhone XS and XS Max, as well as the new Apple Watch Series 4, went up for preorder earlier today on the company’s online storefront. Launch day supply of the handsets quickly sold out, with nearly all U.S. carriers showing depleted stock just 30 minutes after sales went live.