Apple apologizes for slowing down older iPhones, offers $29 battery instead

Last week, Apple admitted that it has been reducing older iPhones' performance with software updates. Afterwards, many iPhone consumers filled action class lawsuits against the tech giant in various states of the US. To avoid facing even worse circumstances than this, Apple has issued a formal apology to its customers, with a price cut on battery fix of up to 60%.

The report from Geekbench founder John Poole which firstly indicated that Apple reduces the speed of the processors in iPhones with old and worn batteries, which makes their performance slow. Apple is able to do this with software updates. Most of the Apple users are claiming that since the update in iOS, their older devices including the likes of iPhone 6, iPhone 6S and even iPhone 7 are performing much slower.

Apple earlier addressed its consumers with a brief answer that it has been doing so, to avoid the unexpected shutdowns in older iPhones with aging batteries. As of now, after facing several lawsuits, the tech giant has decided that it's not too late to say sorry. Apple has issued a letter to its consumer, which states,

"We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down. We apologize."

"We have never — and would never — do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades. Our goal has always been to create products that our customers love, and making iPhones last as long as possible is an important part of that,"

The Cupertino-based tech giant has also promised a $29 battery replacement. The new battery will do magic and will immediately return an iPhone 6 or later model to its original performance. The new batteries, which normally cost $79 has now got a price cut of $50 and will be available starting in January 2018.

The iOS 10.2.1 update was the main culprit behind reducing older iPhones' performance, as the iPhone 6 was facing unexpected shutdowns, almost a year ago.

 

via: TECHJUICE PK

Samsung to officially release Galaxy A8 and A8+ in January 2018

Samsung's most talked about Galaxy A Series of 2018 has lastly gone official. The smartphones which have been beforehand rumoured to be the substitute for Galaxy A5 and A7 (2017) are lastly being made official as the Galaxy A8 (2018)and Galaxy A8+ (2018). The newly made official smartphones feature a big infinity display and dual front digital camera with Live Focus. Nonetheless, the units can't be known as a mid-rangers anymore as they've moved to a higher worth segment.

Samsung's Galaxy A8 was earlier rumoured to be the primary midrange smartphone by the corporate to have a Galaxy S8 like infinity display. However as the infinity display arrives, the price has gone volatile. The newly launched A8 variants have fairly comparable options as a flagship. The Galaxy A8 incorporates a 5.6-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display whereas the A8+ has a 6-inch HD+ Super AMOLED display.

Each Galaxy A8 variants have some options in common, just like the Infinity display, an immersive 18:5:9 aspect ratio, and 1080×1920 pixels resolution.

So far as the cameras are involved, each A8 variants feature a 16-megapixel digital camera on the back with f/1.7 aperture. In the meantime, all of the fascination is in regards to the front cameras that are paired as 16MP and 8MP with f/1.9 aperture. The dual front digital camera goes to be one of many greatest promoting factors of those units.

The Galaxy A8 comes with a 4GB of RAM and 32/64GB of inner storage and is powered by a 3,000mAh battery. The Galaxy A8+ gives 4/6GB RAM and 32/64GB storage choices and comes with an enormous 3,500mAh battery. It's possible that the 6GB RAM variant will probably be unique to China and some different Asian markets. There's a microSD card slot for exterior memory. Each unit provides IP68 dust and water resistance, just like last 12 months A series telephones. Each unit run Android 7.1.1 and will probably be up to date to Oreo soon. Each unit supports USB Type-C port and quick charging.

The Galaxy A8 and A8+ are more than likely to value around $590 and $690, respectively, which is kind of higher as anticipated from A-series. The telephones will probably be made obtainable in 4 colours i.e. black, orchid grey, gold, and blue. The units will go on sale from January 2018.

Prices of iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 plus to reduce as demand decrease

Apple is expected to take a bold step which is not usually practiced by the tech giant. Price slashes are not common for Apple. The company only reduces prices for its older iPhones once a new model hits the shelves in September. However, due to the low demand for the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus, the Cupertino based tech giant could cut down prices on these devices earlier next year.

As firstly reported on DigiTimes, a good news for Apple fans is the expected cut down in prices of some devices. Apple might consider reducing prices for its iPhone X, which is facing lower demand than expected and is not performing as good as expected by Apple. However, rumors suggest that not only the iPhone X but all of Apple's 2017 iPhones are not breaking as many sales records as expected, which will ultimately result in a price slash. iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus also falls in the same criteria and are likely to get a price cut.

The media outlet also affirms that major reason for decreased sales is that Apple's 2017 phones were not able to deliver much in certain regions. The affected regions which became the cause of decreased sales include Taiwan, Singapore and surprisingly the US too.

As of now, the report reveals that initial price cut in the devices will not be enough appealing as it is predicted to be around $50. However, if the sales of the devices will not improve after this price slash, the company may be looking for an even larger price slash.

The time frame of price slash is still unknown, while rumors suggest that it's going to happen somewhere near March when the company usually hosts a keynote at WWDC in 2018. Apple usually reveals products other than iPhones at WWDC, as it is a strictly software-centric summit. Hence, there will not be any better time to reveal price slash other than that.

 

Source: TECHJUICE PK

WhatsApp will stop working on a selection of smartphones and mobile platforms in the new year 2018.

WhatsApp will stop working on a selection of smartphones and mobile platforms in the new year 2018.

From 1 January 2018, the messenger service won't be available on any handsets running Windows Phone 8.0 (or older versions of the operating system), BlackBerry OS or BlackBerry 10.

The Independent reports that the company made the announcement in an update to a blog post that was originally published in February 2016.

The company statement reads: "When we started WhatsApp in 2009, people's use of mobile devices looked very different from today. The Apple App Store was only a few months old. About 70 percent of smartphones sold at the time had operating systems offered by BlackBerry and Nokia.

"Mobile operating systems offered by Google, Apple and Microsoft – which account for 99.5 percent of sales today – were on less than 25 percent of mobile devices sold at the time."

The platforms that are being cut are unpopular, and have been for some time. The company ended support for Nokia Symbian S60 devices in June.

It is also planning to cut support for Nokia S40 devices on December 31, 2018 and phones running Android versions 2.3.7 and older on February 1, 2020.

Although these platforms are still supported, WhatsApp is no longer actively developing for them, which means some features could stop functioning at any moment.

The company added that: "While these mobile devices have been an important part of our story, they don't offer the kind of capabilities we need to expand our app's features in the future.

"This was a tough decision for us to make, but the right one in order to give people better ways to keep in touch with friends, family, and loved ones using WhatsApp.

"If you use one of these affected mobile devices, we recommend upgrading to a newer Android, iPhone, or Windows Phone."

The shutdown had created a lot of online hysteria as online communities are wondering what has gone wrong.

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Samsung to officially release Galaxy A8 and A8+ in January

Samsung's most talked about Galaxy A Series of 2018 has lastly gone official. The smartphones which have been beforehand rumoured to be the substitute for Galaxy A5 and A7 (2017) are lastly being made official as the Galaxy A8 (2018)and Galaxy A8+ (2018). The newly made official smartphones feature a big infinity display and dual front digital camera with Live Focus. Nonetheless, the units can't be known as a mid-rangers anymore as they've moved to a higher worth segment. Samsung's Galaxy A8 was earlier rumoured to be the primary midrange smartphone by the corporate to have a Galaxy S8 like infinity display. However as the infinity display arrives, the price has gone volatile. The newly launched A8 variants have fairly comparable options as a flagship. The Galaxy A8 incorporates a 5.6-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display whereas the A8+ has a 6-inch HD+ Super AMOLED display. Each Galaxy A8 variants have some options in common, just like the Infinity display, an immersive 18:5:9 aspect ratio, and 1080×1920 pixels resolution. So far as the cameras are involved, each A8 variants feature a 16-megapixel digital camera on the back with f/1.7 aperture. In the meantime, all of the fascination is in regards to the front cameras that are paired as 16MP and 8MP with f/1.9 aperture. The dual front digital camera goes to be one of many greatest promoting factors of those units. The Galaxy A8 comes with a 4GB of RAM and 32/64GB of inner storage and is powered by a 3,000mAh battery. The Galaxy A8+ gives 4/6GB RAM and 32/64GB storage choices and comes with an enormous 3,500mAh battery. It's possible that the 6GB RAM variant will probably be unique to China and some different Asian markets. There's a microSD card slot for exterior memory. Each unit provides IP68 dust and water resistance, just like last 12 months A series telephones. Each unit run Android 7.1.1 and will probably be up to date to Oreo soon. Each unit supports USB Type-C port and quick charging. The Galaxy A8 and A8+ are more than likely to value around $590 and $690, respectively, which is kind of higher as anticipated from A-series. The telephones will probably be made obtainable in 4 colours i.e. black, orchid grey, gold, and blue. The units will go on sale from January 2018.

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How to sell fast on Afrideals

 How to sell fast on Afridealsonline.com

1. Choose the right price

To choose the right price for your item, you can browse similar ads on our website. The more competitive your price is, the faster you will sell your item.

2. Write a detailed description

A detail description of your item will make it easier for the buyer to understand what you are selling. Make sure to keep the title short and clear.

3. An ad with pictures gets 7 times more views!

Add to your description one or several real pictures of your item using different angles and good lightening. You will sell your item seven times faster!

---

 How to Sell your House

Here you can find our best advice on how to sell your real estate property fast through https://afrideals.com.ng 

Write a detailed description

The description of your ad is the showcase of your house. It gives the buyer a first impression on the quality of your property. Make sure you define the location, square meters, number of rooms and strengths of your product properly.

Estimate your property at the right price

It is highly recommended to seek the support of an expert on this. Otherwise, you can compare prices among all of our ads on the website, taking into consideration the geographical location and the quality of the property. If your price is too high, you may have trouble finding buyers.

Upload many pictures

You should upload good and rewarding pictures to your listing. Take as many pictures as possible, of all rooms and all parts of your house. Try to use a digital camera for high quality pictures.

---

 How To Sell Your Car

This is our best advice to sell your car fast

Sell at a Good Price

Several criteria will influence the pricing of your car so browse similar ads (model, year of construction, mileage, engine type, similar options, etc.) on Afridealsonline website to get an idea of the value of your vehicle. Remember that selling at a fair and negotiable price will attract a lot of customers.

Pictures

It is recommended to take as many pictures as possible of both interior and exterior of your car. Pictures of the interior and engine have proven to be efficient when it comes to win the buyer's trust.

Description

Write a detailed description of your vehicle and mention all the options and equipments (AC, ABS, power steering, etc.). One option might determinate the purchase for the buyer. To gain the buyers' trust, explain why you are selling your vehicle: it could be because you just got a company car, you need a bigger car, you are moving abroad or just because you need money.

Special tips for buyers

• Make sure that the seller is actually the owner of the vehicle
• Always check the origin of the car before buying it (make sure it's not a stolen car).
• Try to check the authenticity of the mileage
• Make sure the technical inspection of the vehicle is up to date
• Have the vehicle checked by an independent mechanic
• Always use a purchase contract

---

 How to Sell your Mobile Phone

If you are listing your Mobile Phone on Afridealsonline, you might notice that your ad will not stand out from others. This is our best advice to help you sell your Mobile Phone fast

Post a Picture

Most of the searches are filtered by "ads with picture". Make your picture look clean, use good lightening on your product and upload as many pictures as you can (especially the brand name and the damaged parts if existing).

Be Up Front About Your Products' Condition

Don't forget that Afridealsonline is a marketplace for used items. Buyers will appreciate if you are honest about the condition of your item, so do not forget to mention the damaged areas in the description or show them in the photos.

Be Reasonable on Pricing

To get an idea of the price of your phone, look for similar products on Afridealsonline in your city. Picking the right price will help you sell your phone right away.

https://afrideals.com.ng

Is $10k the beginning of the end for Bitcoin?

Is $10k the beginning of the end for Bitcoin?

Not only did last week see Bitcoin break yet another record, it did so in spectacular form by reaching, and surpassing, five-figure status. After crypto enthusiasts did their $10k happy dance, Bitcoin did them one better by reaching and exceeding $11k.

However, with optimists come cynics. For each dollar gained, naysayers were ready and waiting with the "bubble" comments. The amazing fact that the currency has grown by over 900% actually seems to hammer home the bubble theory to these critics.

Even through all the negative comments, being called "a fraud" by JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon and all the usual doom and gloom, Bitcoin has persevered, and if it's astronomical growth is anything to go by, it will continue to do so.

Academic and CEO of Distilled Analytics, David Shrier, told CNBC that ongoing speculation about cryptocurrencies isn't necessarily a bad thing.

"There is enough utility and utilization of Bitcoin that it will retain some kind of value, even if the price settles down a bit. Amazon didn't go to $0 when the dotcom bubble burst, but other frothy stocks with no reality behind them did. Similarly, Bitcoin won't go to zero, but I do believe a number of these other cryptocurrencies will fail," Shrier said.

Chief scientist at the DFINITY Project research group, Dominic Williams, has however voiced his concerns about ICOs saying that "only a fraction of the projects holding ICOs have any chance of success."

"The vast majority have been created specifically with the ambition of collecting money from enthusiastic investors rather than delivering utility in the real world," Williams said.

Another concern, this time voiced by founder and CEO of Citadel, Ken Griffin, is that contributors and investors are confusing Bitcoin with blockchain, with the latter being the technology used to make cryptocurrencies possible. He went on to tell CNBC that many buyers do not understand blockchain.

Some experts in the financial industry are still bracing themselves for the bursting of the Bitcoin bubble. However, Shrier has stated that this "speculation helps attract new sources of risk capital and new entrepreneurs to the space." Because of this, he is not too concerned that a possible crash in Bitcoin's price will deter the banking industry's adoption of blockchain technology.

"Other market forces will assert themselves eventually, and what will emerge out of that is a new way of operating," he told CNBC.

Williams's also had something to say about Bitcoin being used as a regular medium of exchange. "The value of Bitcoin is notoriously volatile because it is created mainly by the interaction of speculative demand, which makes application as a normal currency impossible for now," he said.

In addition, Williams touched on the possibility that only early investors in Bitcoin will benefit financially, while late adopters could stand to lose a lot of money.

Even though exceeding expectations, the rise of Bitcoin may not be over just yet. Fund manager, Michael Novogratz, who actually predicted the cryptocurrency reaching $10k, says that it could reach $40k by the end of 2018. Novogratz has a vested interest in the industry as he has over 20% of his net worth invested in cryptocurrencies.

As Bitcoin continues to increase in both price and popularity, the "bubble" chants seem to grow louder and louder. However, this seemingly super virtual currency continues to prove cynics wrong in its quest for global adoption.

Register now 

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Apple sets to launch 6.1 inch LCD iPhone by 2018

After going through troubles with iPhone X which has been ranked even lower than iPhone eight by Customers Report due to its easily breakable sleek glass physique, Apple is planning to alter course. A brand new report from Nikkei has revealed that Apple's upcoming smartphone lineup will feature a metallic back just like the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

Based on the report, the upcoming iPhone, not sure whether or not it will likely be referred to as iPhone 9 or iPhone XI, will solely have a single change in its design and it's the metallic back. With this alteration comes the addition of colours, as this aluminium body will feature a number of new colours.

The report additionally reveals that 6.1-inch iPhone model shall be featuring the identical previous LCD display, rather than OLED. Whereas the opposite two handsets with 5.eight and the 6.The three-inch display will feature OLED displays and metallic back.

One other source claims that Casetek, a supplier of Apple has been experimenting with new casing designs for the 2018 LCD iPhone. If this agency is ready to finalize manufacturing plan for a bigger scale, it might link up with parent firm Pegatron in fulfilling entire iPhone orders. The state of affairs will create a hell of a competition as one other supplier Foxconn is engaged in the process of its own metallic parts for mass manufacturing of iPhone units.

We're nonetheless very far to see Apple launching its subsequent 12 months' flagships, nevertheless, the tech giant's move back to an aluminium back design might be a cost-saving measure, as most of us can't bear the loss when the telephone drops and its all-glass body is a waste.

Google releases Android Oreo (Go edition) for low end smartphones

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Xiaomi RedMi 5 Handsets Launch THIS THURSDAY (And They Make The OnePlus 5T Look Expensive)

 

Xiaomi will unveil its new RedMi 5 lineup of handsets on Thursday, so what can we expect?

Xiaomi will unveil its brand new RedMi 5 handsets this Thursday (December 7) and, ahead of the event, Donovan Sung, Executive for Xiaomi, has shared a few choice snaps of the new phones on Twitter.

Looking at the renders, we can see that the RedMi 5 phones – the lineup will include: the RedMi 5 and RedMi 5 Plus – will feature an 18:9 aspect ratio, come in at least three colours, and feature a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

Previous leaks have claimed the handsets would feature the following specs, according to Phandroid: "Snapdragon 625 SoC, 3GB of RAM and 16GB or 32GB of storage for the RedMi 5. The RedMi 5 Plus will be powered the Snapdragon 630 SoC and 64GB of expandable storage."

How much will these new RedMi 5 phones cost? Not much at all; you're looking at $126 for the standard model and $200 for the RedMi 5 Plus – so 1/5 the cost of the iPhone X and about 60% less than the OnePlus 5T.

The only caveat, however, is that these phones will not get "official" launches in the UK and US. They will only be available in Xiaomi's native China, though punters will be able to pick them up via retailers like GearBest in the US and UK.

Xiaomi phones have become really popular in the western world during the past five years, thanks to their combination of high-end specs and design and ULTRA-low pricing. I mean, these phones even make the OnePlus 5T seem expensive.

The handsets will launch on December 7, via a showcase in China, so we expect a release date to follow very shortly thereafter.

Now, all we need is for Xiaomi to start retailing its handsets in the US and UK properly.

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OnePlus CONFIRMS Star Wars Edition OnePlus 5T Release

 

Do you like Star Wars? Do you like OnePlus? Well, you're in luck, as there is a limited edition Star Wars OnePlus 5T handset up for grabs

OnePlus has confirmed that it will be releasing a limited edition, Star Wars: Return of The Jedi OnePlus 5T handset. The company announced the phone at ComicCon in India.

So what's the deal with this phone? Don't expect anything new in the spec or hardware department. Ditto design. This phone is the same as the standard OnePlus 5T, save for its colour scheme – it's rocking Storm Trooper colours (black and white).

It also has a Star Wars logo on the back of the handset as well, though the bulk of the phone is basically the same, the new colour palette might well attract some hardcore Star Wars fans over to the OnePlus fold.

Beyond this, reports suggest that the phone will ship with some exclusive Star Wars wallpapers as well. The phone will be available from December 15 – AKA the release date of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

The only downside, if you go in for this type of thing, is that the Star Wars Edition of the OnePlus 5T will only be available in India – I think Samsung nabbed the rights for the US and elsewhere.

In case you missed the OnePlus 5T launching, here's a quick recap of its key specs and features:

• Dimensions: 156.1 x 75 x 7.3mm
• Weight: 5.7oz (162g)
• Material: Anodized Aluminum
• OS: OxygenOS based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat
• Display: 6.01-inch AMOLED display with 1080 x 2160 resolution (401ppi)
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (Octa-core, 10mn, up to 2.45GHz)
• GPU: Adreno 540
• RAM: 6/8GB LPDDR4X
• Storage: 64/128GB UFS 2.1
• Front Camera: 16MP Sensor
• Rear Camera: 1 x 16MP and 1 x 20MP Sensor w/ Dual-LED Flash
• Sensors: Fingerprint, All, Accelerometer, G-sensor, Electronic Compass, Gyroscope, Proximity, Ambient Light Sensor, RGB, Sensor Hub
• Ports: USB-C, Dual nano-SIM, 3.5mm headphone jack
• Battery: 3,300mAh non-removable battery, Dash Charge
• Buttons: On-screen navigational support, power button, volume rocket, Alert Slider

The Star Wars Edition phone will be available via OnePlus' store from December 15.

May the force be with you.

(Sorry.)

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It’s Apple’s PayPal competitor and it's called Apple Pay Cash -- Everything You Need To Know

It's Apple's PayPal competitor and it's called Apple Pay Cash

PayPal, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Android Pay. Everyone is getting in on the digital payments bandwagon. It seems all the tech companies are trying their hardest to replace cash. And why should cash stick around forever? 

As Recode points out: "For all its worth, money, unlike cash, is nothing but an intangible idea, its value expressed by anything we choose — from cowry shells to bear skins to metal coins. Today, we embrace money's intangibility as pixels on a screen. We accept digital money in nearly all fiscal functions — from purchasing bonds and stocks, to managing checking and savings accounts, to simply splitting a dinner bill — removing the need for physical money."

The removal of the need for physical money is one step closer thanks to Apple's release of Apple Pay Cash, introduced in iOS 11.2, which just shipped to user this week. But what is Apple Pay Cash–and how can you get some? Here's everything you need to know.

Apple Pay Cash: What Is It?

Apple Pay Cash is an expansion of Apple's Apple Pay digital payment service, which stores your credit and debit cards in your iPhone. But Apple Pay Cash is different. It's a digital card/account that lives on your iPhone. This virtual debit card can store money you put on it and you can use it to pay for goods and services anywhere that accepts Apple Pay payments–whether that's websites or contactless terminals in off licenses.

Though you can use the Apple Pay Cash card virtually anywhere that accepts Apple Pay payments, the service is really set up to be a peer-to-peer payment system allowing friends and family to easily send money to one another through iMessage.

Apple Pay Cash: How Does It Work?

You first need to set up your Apple Pay Cash card on iOS 11.2. You'll need to link it to a debit or credit card and then transfer money from one of those cards onto your Apple Pay Cash card. You can find out how to set up your Apple Pay Cash card here. Once you've set it up all you need to do is then launch the Apple Pay Cash mini-app in iMessages or tell Siri to use Apple Pay Cash to pay one of your friends and they'll be texted the virtual money, which they then accept and the funds you sent are deducted from your Apple Pay Cash balance and added to theirs.

Apple Pay Cash: Where Does It Work?

Apple Pay Cash works wherever Apple Pay is accepted. This means you can use money on your Apple Pay Cash card to pay for iTunes purchases or show at tens of thousands of websites and brick-and-mortar retailers. You can also deposit the balance on your Apple Pay Cash card into your linked current account, meaning you can convert the digital currency into real, hard cash.

Apple Pay Cash: Are There Fees?

If you are stocking your Apple Pay Cash card with funds from a current debit account, there are no fees. If you are using a linked credit card to fund your Apple Pay Cash balance a 3% transaction fee will apply.

Apple Pay Cash: What Devices Support It?

Apple Pay Cash is only available to those in the U.S. at the moment, but it should roll out to more countries in 2018. Apple Pay Cash works with the following devices:

• iPhone SE
• iPhone 6 and later
• iPad Pro
• iPad 5th generation
• iPad Air 2
• iPad Mini 3 and later
• Apple Watch

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