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You are here: Home / Archives for Apple

Apple

Apple Delays Release of HomePod Smart Speaker!

November 19, 2017 by Julie McGrath

Apple delays release of HomePod smart speaker, giving Google and Amazon a head start in Christmas sales this holiday season!

Apple has given Amazon and Google an even bigger head start in the race to get smart speakers into your home.

The tech titan said it’s pushed back the launch of its first smart speaker, the HomePod, from sometime in December (no specific date was ever offered) to “early 2018” so it can finish work on the device.

Missing the critical holiday season is a blow to Apple. The company loses the opportunity to sell the HomePod to shoppers in a more buying mood and help it break into the young smart speaker market. The delay comes as both Amazon and Google roll out aggressive discounts during Black Friday and beyond for their respective family of smart speakers, potentially cutting down on prospective HomePod customers.

For consumers, it means one less choice, even if the £349 HomePod represents a much more expensive option than the Echo Dot or Google Home Mini, both about £50.

Apple is likely being careful since it can ill afford a slip-up in this market.

“The only thing worse than this delay is introducing it and selling under a million and making no dent in the market,” said Michael R. Levin, of Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. “That would be really embarrassing.”

apple-wwdc-2017-homepod-speaker-3973
Say hello to Apple’s HomePod smart speaker

Apple declined to offer more information for this story beyond their latest statement.

So how much does this delay hurt Apple?

From a financial perspective, it’s going to be a hiccup because Apple makes most of its money from its iPhone lineup. The HomePod fits as an ancillary business similar to the Apple Watch or AirPods, which aren’t nearly as important.

The bigger concern is the loss of a key opportunity to get into your home. Apple is already late to this field, ceding ground to Amazon, Google and speaker makers like Sonos, Sony and Lenovo (many of which use Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant).

Amazon, which popularized the smart speaker category with the launch of its Echo in late 2014, has already sold 20 million smart speakers in the US, taking 73 percent of that market. Google, which launched the Google Home last year, takes up the other 27 percent, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners said this month.

If you’re investing in one or a set of smart speakers from one company, you’re less likely to mix and match brands.

There’s still hope for Apple, which is known for coming into an already developed market and quickly taking over, such as with the iPhone for smartphones or the Apple Watch for wearables. The company famously has a rabid fan base willing to buy many — if not all — of its products. If the HomePod ends up being successful anyway, no one will remember this monthslong delay.

Yet Amazon and Google have already shown up with second- and third-generation products, and started developing app ecosystems and partnerships with smart home equipment makers. The HomePod was a first step toward matching these efforts, and now catching up to competitors could be harder.

Apple also hasn’t proven there’s a sizeable market for a high-priced smart speaker, with the most popular device in the field so far being the £50 Echo Dot. (The Google Home Max is even more expensive, at £399, and already available for sale.)

Check out some of our latest featured Jobs, they may not be working with Apple, but it could be the next best thing!

 

  • TECH ADVISOR

Filed Under: Business Updates, Latest Industry News Tagged With: Apple, development, Digital, home tech, IT

iPhone 8 – All You Need To Know!

September 13, 2017 by Julie McGrath

Apple has launched two new smartphones, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, at a major event in California, which also saw the release of the premium iPhone X handset.

The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are upgrades to Apple’s current iPhone 7 and 7 Plus range, updating some of the main features found on Apple’s current products and Apps.

Initially, most pundits thought the iPhone 8 would be Apple’s main new phone – however it instead released three smartphones as part of the 10th anniversary of the original iPhone.

“Our intention has always to create something so magical, powerful, that the hardware virtually disappears,” said Tim Cook at the launch.

He added it was a “new step forward for iPhone” that will “set the path for technology for the next decade”.

Introducing the iPhone 8, Apple executive Phil Schiller said the device “improves on everything we love about the iPhone”.

 

With no charging cable required, iPhone 8 is truly designed for the future of wireless.

Here are all the details, specs and, importantly, prices that you need to know

Key features | iPhone 8 and 8 Plus

The new gold finish APPLE
  • Silver, space grey, new gold finish
  • Apple claims it’s the most durable glass ever in a smartphone
  • water and dust resistant
  • 4.7″ display in the 8 and 5.5″ display in the Plus
  • Stereo speakers. 25% louder than the speakers in the 7
  • A11 bionic chip
  • 12MP camera
  • 4K 60fps video
  • Cameras calibrated for augmented reality
  • New Portrait Lighting feature: machine learning creates facial landmarks and enhances light effects on the face (8Plus)
  • Wireless charging
  • Pre order on September 15, available on September 22
  • iOS 11 available on September 19
  • 64GB and 256GB
  • iPhone 8: £649 for 64GB, £849 for 256GB
  • iPhone 8 Plus: £749 for 64GB, £949 for 256GB

Design and appearance

Credit: Apple.com

The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are similar in appearance to the current iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

The smaller version has a 4.7-inch screen, while the larger phone has a 5.5-inch screen and a dual camera lens on the back.

 

The processor is the A11 Bionic, “the most powerful and smartest chip ever in a smartphone,” Apple says.

Credit: Apple.com

There will be glass on the front and the back of the device, “reinforced by a laser welded steel and copper”. It will be water and dust resistant sealed.

“The new iPhone will have the most durable glass ever in a smartphone,” says Schiller.

Both models will have a HD retina display and feature a 12MP camera.

There will be glass on the front and the back of the device, “reinforced by a laser welded steel and copper”. It will be water and dust resistant sealed.

“The new iPhone will have the most durable glass ever in a smartphone,” says Schiller.

Both models will have a HD retina display and feature a 12MP camera.

What colours will it come in?

The iPhone 8 will be available in silver, space grey and a new blush gold colour.

Apple.com

When will the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus go on sale?

The iPhone 8 will go on sale on September 22.  You will be able to pre-order the new device from 15 September. iOS 11 will be available to download from 19 September.

The iPhone 8 will cost £699 for the 64GB version, while the iPhone 8 Plus will start from £799 (64GB). 256GB versions will also be available.

iPhone 8 and 8 Plus best features

Wireless charging

Like the iPhone X, the two new iPhone 8 and 8 Plus phones will come with wireless charging capabilities.

This means the phone can be charged by simply placing it on a power pad. It is the first time the technology has come to the iPhone range.

“This is a simple thing. We do it everyday. We use them every day and charge every night,” said Schiller.

“Words can’t describe how much nicer it is to never plug in a cable again.”

iOS 11

The new iPhones will come with Apple’s new operating system iOS 11. iOS 11 includes hundreds of new features like a redesigned control centre, better multitasking, improvements to the camera, peer-to-peer Apple Pay and new safety features.

Dual camera

The iPhone 8 Plus will have a 12MP dual-lens camera, similar to the one featured on the iPhone 7 Plus released last year.

It features a larger and faster sensor, a new colour filter and deeper pixels.

Video

Apple claims the new camera delivers “the highest quality video capture ever in a smartphone” with better video stabilisation and 4K video up to 60fps.

If you are interested in Mobile and App Development please visit our range of feature jobs that are available throughout the UK. If you are lucky enough to upgrade or purchase the new Iphone we would love you to send us your comments, thoughts and reviews on the product.
  • Telegraph

Filed Under: Career Advice Tagged With: App Development, Apple, ios, iphone 8

Experiencing Poor Phone Battery Life?

November 26, 2016 by Julie McGrath

Have you been experiencing reduced battery life on your phone recently?

Unsuspecting mobile phone owners may be left with flat batteries after they update their handsets, despite technology companies promising longer life and better performance from the new software.

It was recently discovered that when iPhones or Android phones are updated to the latest version of their operating systems, their battery life can fall by as much as three hours.

A two-year-old iPhone 6 lost 38 minutes of battery life when it was updated to the latest version of Apple’s iOS software, iOS 10. A Google Nexus 6P phone went from 12 to nine hours of battery life when the most recent version of Android was installed.

Both the iPhone and Android software claim that features in the latest versions improve battery life, rather than hurting it.

Mobile phone companies typically release major software updates every year as well as adding smaller changes throughout the year. When an update is released, users are sent notifications urging them to upgrade and are often given no way to revert to the previous operating system, meaning they are stuck with the new software even if they suffer from worse performance.

It was recently stated that software updates can also mean the memory of tablets and phones falling dramatically due to the extra capacity taken up by more advanced software. A Microsoft Surface Pro 3 tablet lost 30 gigabytes of storage when upgrading to the latest version of Windows – enough for thousands of photos.

The updates often include new features and important security changes that protect users from being tracked or having their details stolen, but early versions can be loaded with bugs.

It’s also been said that mobile phone companies should do more to warn users of the side effects of updating, and allow them to revert to older software if they wish.

It was found that battery life and storage were improved in some cases. Updating an iPad Air to the latest software improved battery life by two hours and updating a Samsung Galaxy tablet improved it by four and a half hours.

Richard Headland from ‘Which?’ said “Given how much we rely on mobile devices, companies should do more to tell us about the possible downsides of updates, as well as the benefits,”

Apple and Google declined to comment.

This year, Microsoft was forced to pay a travel agent (£8,000) after an unwanted automatic upgrade to her computer left it slow and prone to crashing.

 

If you found this article interesting, check out our ‘Latest Industry News’ page for more Technology insights. You can view it by clicking on this link!

– James Titcomb

Filed Under: Latest Industry News Tagged With: 10, Android, Apple, battery, google, ios, iphone, microsoft, news, Nexus, phones, smartphones, Software, tablets, tech, technology, windows

Apple computer prices are rising in the UK

November 12, 2016 by Julie McGrath

Apple has increased the prices of its laptop and desktop computers in the UK by hundreds of pounds.

Last Thursday, Apple unveiled new Macbook Pro laptops, with prices similar to the US after currency conversion and addition of UK VAT.

But the company also increased the prices of its older computer products, including the three-year-old Mac Pro, by hundreds of pounds.

One analyst said consumers should expect further price increases.

“Apple has to recalibrate prices after significant currency fluctuations, and since the EU referendum, UK prices are out of sync with the dollar,” said Patrick O’Brien, analyst at the Verdict Retail consultancy.

“Apple has taken the hit up until now. While price increases won’t look good to the consumer, it’s difficult to blame Apple.

“Once you strip out UK sales tax (VAT) and the currency conversion, the new UK prices could still be viewed as fair.”

A number of technology companies have increased their prices in the UK, reflecting the lower value of the pound.

Apple’s least expensive laptop – the 13in Macbook Air, last updated in March 2015 – now costs £949, up from £849.

Its Mac Pro desktop computer – last updated in December 2013 – now costs £2,999, up from £2,499.

“Apple suggests product prices internationally on the basis of several factors, including currency exchange rates, local import laws, business practices, taxes, and the cost of doing business,” the company told the BBC.

“International prices are not always comparable to US suggested retail prices.”

Rival Microsoft has already announced UK price increases for some of its business services.

Earlier in October, the company said some service prices would go up by 22% in 2017, reflecting the pound’s weakened value against the euro.

“We periodically assess the impact of local pricing of our products and services to ensure there is reasonable alignment across the region and this change is an outcome of this assessment,” the company said.

Mr O’Brien said it was “inevitable” that more companies would increase the prices of products and services.

“Retailers are struggling with increased costs to import goods, and it’s something they cannot afford to swallow themselves,” he told the BBC.

“We will definitely see further price rises, so if people are in the market for big-ticket items such as laptops, it might be a wise idea to buy now rather than later.”

 

Did you find this article interesting? For more news on the latest Information Technology Industry trends, why not check out our ‘Latest Industry News’ page on our website! You can visit it by clicking here…

 

– BBC

Filed Under: Latest Industry News Tagged With: Apple, britain, computers, desktop, laptops, macbook, prices, rise, technology, UK

10-WAYS you can look after your Smartphone

October 24, 2016 by Julie McGrath

Your Smartphone is valuable… but are you doing anything to make sure you are protecting it as much as possible?

We have become a smartphone society. In both the UK and the US, around two-thirds of people own smartphones, and many of those people consider their phones an essential device for getting online.

Smartphones aren’t cheap, either. While the average price of an Android phone is around £200, the average price of an iPhone is around £570 and there are many phones that cost even more. Believe it or not, if you have the funds, you can pay thousands or even millions of pounds for a smartphone.

Most people take a deep breath when it’s time to replace their phone, because they know it’s going to hurt their wallet. But you can put off that painful experience by keeping your phone in good health. Here’s a checklist of ways to protect your smartphone. Let’s start with external threats.

 

1. Get a Case

There’s nothing worse than dropping your phone and shattering the screen. It happens a lot, and there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to get it fixed. The answer is to protect your phone with a case.

There are dozens to choose from for every model. If you know you often drop your phone, get a case that will protect your phone against anything (even driving a car over it!). It will make it heavier, but it’s worth it. Otherwise, a slimmer case or simple sleeve will do.

One tip: if you’re using a clip on case, make sure it’s got a decent-sized lip all around so if the phone does drop, it doesn’t land directly on the screen.

 

2. Protect Your Screen

Speaking of screens, consider a screen protector. Some screens are made of a tough material and may not need them. However, a protector may keep your screen together if you drop the phone. It also means it’s harder to scratch your screen, which can affect its responsiveness. Get a protector that’s easy to apply and is right for your phone.

 

3. Be Careful How You Put It Away

Unless you’re using a super-effective case or screen protector, ladies, avoid putting keys in the same section of your handbag as your phone. Gents – keys and phones don’t belong in the same pocket.

If you’ve ever had a scratch that is right in the middle of the area you need to swipe, you’ll know that key scratches (and other scratches) can seriously ruin the touchscreen experience.

While you’re at it, don’t put the phone in dangerous places, like on a balcony railing, for example. That’s just asking for the phone to fall and get smashed to pieces. When you put your phone down, keep it away from hazards so it will survive till you’re ready to upgrade.

 

4. Avoid Water and Extreme Temperatures

Most people don’t put their phones in water deliberately, but lots of people forget they have a phone in their pocket when heading to the beach or pool. One dip later, and the phone is toast (unless you manage to dry it out with rice).

 

5. Keep it Clean

You might not be able to see dust particles, but they get into your smartphone, even if you’re using a case or screen protector. Too much dust will result in your phone’s performance taking a hit. Use a soft screen-cleaning cloth with an appropriate screen cleaner to wipe your screen gently. Open the case every now and then to give the phone a wipe and get rid of the dust.

The five tips above help you provide external smartphone maintenance and protection, but safeguarding your phone is also about keeping it running smoothly. Here are some tips for doing that.

 

6. Streamline and Update Your Apps

Most smartphones include a bunch of apps that the manufacturer has installed. Chances are, you don’t need all of them. Since the more apps you run, the shorter your battery life, disable or uninstall any apps you don’t need.

For the apps you DO use, make sure you’re always running the latest version. App developers update apps regularly, to add new functionality, cut down on resource usage and guard against malware and security threats.

Tip: Either set your apps to update automatically, or update them manually at least once a week.

 

7. Clear the Cache

When you install apps or when they run, they may leave junk files behind in the cache. Those take up valuable memory which could be put to better uses. Clear these files out from time to time. Both Android and iOS allow you to do this.

 

8. Use Trusted Sources

Sometimes you want to download and install a new app, but where should you get it from? With the rise of malware on phones, the best advice is to use the app store for your device or another trusted app store, such as Amazon’s.

 

9. Expand Your Storage

If your phone allows it, install an external SD card to increase the available storage, then run any apps you can from this storage. You can also use it to store media files. This frees up the phone’s internal memory, resulting in better performance.

 

10. Look after the Battery

Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for looking after your battery. Depending on the age of your phone and the battery it’s using, this might include:

  • charging your phone before it runs down completely
  • letting it run down fully once in awhile
  • restarting your phone from time to time
  • turning off services you don’t need (like mobile data when you can use Wi-Fi and live wallpaper)
  • keeping the battery cool (and turning off the phone to let it cool down if it overheats)

There’s plenty of advice online about the best practices for your particular smartphone model. Finally, you also need to ensure you can find your phone if someone steals it. Use the security features built into your device to help with this:

  • Lock your phone with a pin, password or pattern.
  • Don’t share your password.
  • Install a security app to help you track your phone if it gets into the wrong hands.

 

Even if you do apply all of these factors to taking care of your smartphone, things may still go wrong on them from time to time. If you are interested in Mobile Phone Repairs and Maintenance, check out our latest job vacancy by following this link!

– Sharon Hurley Hall

Filed Under: Latest Industry News Tagged With: 10, Android, Apple, ios, protect, security, smartphone, Tips, ways

Making a Mobile App: 6 Key Factors You Should Consider Before Starting

October 23, 2016 by Julie McGrath

Building a mobile app can be time consuming and challenging however, extremely rewarding afterwards.

If you’re considering making your first mobile app, check out these 6 factors you should take into consideration before attempting to do so.


  1. Are you making a mobile app to promote an existing business or to make money from it?

Do you want your mobile app to be a promotional tool for an existing business? If your app will showcase your own business, boat club, local pub or community centre, then the fastest way to get it done is probably to hire a local app development company to make it for you. You don’t need to learn too much about the process. Just show them some apps that you like in the store, and bring along the text, photos and videos you want in your app. If you can, try to design your app to do something useful. Apple have tightened up a lot and will not publish apps that are primarily marketing material. If you want the most possible downloads, set your app’s price to ‘free’. Then once it’s live tell all your customers about it.

Is your main goal to make money from your app? If you want to make money, the app should not be targeted towards one country. You will not make money by creating an app about something which is native to only one country. Steer clear of making an app for a seasonal events as well at the start. To maximise your revenue, start small and use your first few apps as a hands on education. You can buy source code, reskin it by updating all the graphics and publish it, often for under £400-£800 per app. The less you spend, the faster you will become profitable. Ideally spend no more than £400 per app on your first few apps. Researching what is currently popular in the store by looking at the top charts is a great way to reduce risk, and make an app type that already has proven market demand. Of course the more work you can do yourself, the more money you will save on developers.

 

  1. Should you make an iPhone app, an Android app, or both?

Android and iPhone/iPad use different languages so most people usually choose to develop one at the beginning to keep costs down. If you want to make money,  for now choose the iPhone/iPad. A lot of app developers find it’s more difficult to get downloads and revenue from an Android app. Learn more about How to Make an iPhone App. But if you think Android suits your market demographic better, choose Android development.  If you want the app to promote a business, think seriously about Android. There are no ‘reviews’ prior to your app being published, and your app will go live automatically about 20 minutes after you have submitted it.

 

  1. Should the mobile app be free?

Pricing works differently for different app categories. Free is very popular in games and entertainment, especially on Android. Unless it’s an incredibly complex niche app, the safest option is to make two versions, paid and free. See which makes you the most money and work from there. To start making money from a free app, try putting some ad networks into your app. After a few months once you get up to speed, you can experiment with in-app purchases and other monetization options. If you want the most downloads, make your app free.

 

  1. What kind of app should you make?

The best way to make money from your app is to know that there is market demand for your app before you start to develop it. Go into the iTunes store every day, look at the top free, top paid, and top grossing apps in the categories you are interested in. Download the apps and play with them. Are people downloading the type of app you want to make? If they are not, maybe put that idea aside and move on to your next app idea. Don’t ever fall in love with an idea. (If you do, only make it from the profit you have earned from your other apps!). From my experience and from talking to many other developers, the category with the most revenue generating potential, both from ads and in-app purchases, is games. And if you want to start your own app business, that’s probably the best tip which can be given.

 

  1. Should you hire someone or learn how to make the mobile app yourself?

If you want to start an app business, then it would be advised that you start to learn about making apps. Learn the common pitfalls and how the app market works. Learn from success stories and what they did to get there. You can lose a lot of money in the beginning paying developers WAY too much money to make an app if you do not have a basic knowledge of what’s involved and how much effort it should take. Check out the Chocolate Lab developer blog for insights and tips, and teach yourself how to reskin a game and integrate ads with our Udemy courseLearn xCode, reskin an iPhone game, integrate ads and upload to Apple (FREE preview.)

If you only want to make one app, for example to promote a business, you probably want to hire a team. Hiring locally is probably the easiest but may cost more. Outsourcing has its own challenges but may come with a lower cost. Attend networking events, try and meet contacts either in person or over LinkedIn. The quality of your team’s skills will be critical, so keep searching for contractors until you have put together an AAA Level Team.

 

  1. How much risk should you take when making an app?

Aim to create a portfolio of successful apps, rather than putting all of your energy into one big app. Keep your risk low and your prospects for success high. At the beginning, it’s easier to make money from lots of small apps than it is from one big app. You will learn a lot from every app you publish, so the quality of your apps will keep increasing. You will make mistakes and learn valuable lessons. So keep your costs low at the start so you don’t bankrupt yourself. Apps can be created and published at very little expense. It is possible. By learning the basic coding skills yourself,  you can save a lot of money. Aim to be profitable as fast as you can, ideally in 14 days after launch. Do not spend 6, 12 or 18 months by yourself working on getting your app perfect. Get a small section of the app done, maybe just one module or chapter, and upload it to the store straightaway. Ship fast. Customer feedback will be invaluable to you. Validate your assumptions – pricing, app type, design, theme, features, marketing material, etc – as soon as possible. The information you learn from going through the publishing process and confirming your monetization choices were correct will allow you to make more educated choices and increase your revenue in the future.

Common concerns from people making an app for the first time:

  • “There is an app like mine in the store already“ That is great news. Go to the website www.topappcharts.com and type in the name of the app. If it’s not in any of the top rankings for its category, then you’ve just saved yourself a lot of time and money, and you have now found out that demand for that app type is not as strong as you would like it to be. “I truly think my app idea is INCREDIBLE and I still want to make it.” Ok, great enthusiasm! What you need to do now is to put that idea in a drawer. If this is an excellent idea, you want to give it every chance of success. So for the next 2 months, plan on publishing 10 small apps. A good way to keep costs low is to buy source code on the internet, change the graphics, integrate ads and upload it yourself, or hire a developer to put in some ads, so you can start to earn money. After the 2 months you will be MUCH more knowledgeable, hopefully profitable, and in a much better position to do justice to your big app idea. If you want to do justice to you app, it has to look INCREDIBLE. It should look like it was made by a multimillion pound studio. People download beautifully designed apps.
  • “I don’t have any money.” It’s still possible to make apps. The cheapest way to get started is to use the machine you have right now. If you have a mac, build iPhone/iPad apps. If you have a PC, build Android apps. You do not need to buy a smartphone in the beginning. The software you use (xCode and Eclipse) to make the apps comes with a free phone simulator so you can view the app on your Mac or PC. To build an app, check out online app building platforms for an affordable way to start. To publish an app, you will need to pay Android $25, or Apple $99 for a developer’s license.
  • “I have this app idea but I don’t want to tell you in case you steal it.”  Don’t say this too often. Instead say “I have an idea for a photography/health/game/entertainment iPhone/Android app. Do you have any experience publishing apps in this area?”


To do it right, there is a lot of hard work involved and you will get addicted to your laptop. There’s a steep learning curve at the start, and you might not see your family and friends for a good while. But if you can stick it out and start getting things working, it is definitely worth it. The people who are the most successful in this area learn as fast as they can and execute every day.

Are you interested in mobile phones? Take a look out our new IT Repair Technician role specialising in mobile phone repairs and problem diagnostics. You can view it by following this link!

If you are interested in Software Development, we also have Software Developer vacancies covering both Junior and Senior levels. If you’re a junior software developer, explore our junior role vacancy by following this link.

If you’re an experienced Software Developer looking to take the next step in your career, check out what could be waiting for you by clicking here!

– Elaine Heney

Filed Under: Latest Industry News Tagged With: Android, app, Apple, applications, Developer, development, ipad, iphone, mobile, phones, smartphones, Software

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