MacRumors

evans-michaelApple has hired Toronto healthcare doctor Mike Evans "to help chart the future of family medicine" at the company, although the specifics of his role have not been disclosed (via CBC).

Evans was said to catch Apple's attention through a series of videos he's posted on his YouTube channel, called DocMikeEvans, where he narrates discussions about health and mindfulness topics over cartoon characters.

Evans previously held a position as a staff physician at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, and is said to already have started his "digital health care work" at Apple. For the time being, he plans to communicate between his home of Toronto and Cupertino, while his son finishes high school. Apple had already approached Evans about a position at the company, which he turned down the first time, but said he eventually was won over by the company's messaging.

"I think why they are engaging me is the messaging," Evans told Matt Galloway on CBC's Metro Morning on Monday. "We're searching for consistency, not perfection."

"It's exciting. It's a bit nauseating and anxiety-provoking. We love Toronto but it's a chance to live another chapter of our lives somewhere else. I'm super-excited."

Evans' hiring also aligns with Apple's recent push into healthcare initiatives, especially with the doctor's beliefs on how technology can help with the treatment of sick individuals. Eventually, he sees a future where apps are "prescribed" to help guide patients through their prescription routine, diagnosis, and even diet, so as to balance out how little doctors see each patient throughout the year.


"What happens now is I see you. Let's say you have high blood pressure. I prescribe you a pill for that. I see you two or three times a year," he said.

"In future, I'll prescribe you an app. One of our whiteboards will drop in and explain what high blood pressure is. The phone will be bluetoothed to the cap of your pills. I'll nudge you towards a low salt diet. All of these things will all happen in your phone. I see you two or three days a year. The phone sees you everyday."

It's easy to see how his ideas could potentially fit into Apple's HealthKit platform, bolstered by apps on both the iPhone and even Apple Watch. Apple is continually trying to push itself to help customers live healthier lives, which it's begun to do through company acquisitions, new advertisements, and the announcement of the fitness-focused Apple Watch Series 2. Earlier in the year, CEO Tim Cook discussed Apple's push into the "next frontiers," including health initiatives, on Mad Money.

Google has announced it is updating its Photos app to make sharing photos and videos faster, with a new movie-making feature based on creative concepts also on the way.

Usually, Google Photos users who want to share photos in the app have to call up the iOS Share Sheet and select which app to share through. Photos now offers an arguably faster alternative to that, with a new option that lets users select individual people they want to share media with instead.

Google Photos faster sharing
If the people selected are on Google Photos they get a notification. If the user opts to share by phone number, people get a link to the photos and video via SMS, while email addresses get sent a link from Google Photos.

In addition, Google is bringing movie 'creative concepts' to the app that are similar to the Memories feature found in Apple's Photos app on iOS 10.


Photos already features automatically generated movies made from users' recently uploaded photos, but the update is introducing new themed movie concepts, such as watching kids grow up, capturing good times during the summer, and for formal events like weddings.

Google says it's rolling out the updates today, with the first movie 'creative concepts' coming this week, and more on the way.

Google Photos is a free download for iPhone and iPad from the App Store. [Direct Link]

HTC today announced two new mid-range Android smartphones, a budget-oriented model called the Desire 10 Lifestyle and a more capable, more expensive handset called the Desire 10 Pro.

The Lifestyle model is a 5.5-inch device with a 720p Gorilla Glass display, quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, 2GB or 3GB RAM, 16GB or 32GB expandable storage, a 13-megapixel f/2.2 rear camera, 5-megapixel f.2.8 front-facing camera, and 24-bit Hi-Res sound certified by Dolby Audio.

HTC Desire 10
The Pro handset is the same size and has the same storage capacity options and audio features, but comes with a 1080p display, 64-bit Octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 processor, 3GB or 4GB RAM, a 20-megapixel f/2.2 camera with laser autofocus, a 13-megapixel f.2.2 front-facing camera with selfie panorama, and a fingerprint reader.

The two "Art Deco" inspired phones – which include a headphone jack – are matte plastic with a metal trim, and take design cues from the HTC 10, the company's flagship smartphone for 2016, coming on the heels of last year's HTC One M9 device. Both phones will be available in black, white, light blue, and dark blue.

HTC 10 Desire
HTC's new Desire 10 range represents the company's attempt to compete below Samsung's and Apple's flagship high-end smartphones, in a cheaper market segment populated by devices like the Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus.

HTC says the handsets will be released exclusively in Europe to begin with, with the Lifestyle available from today and the Pro model coming in November. Prices are as yet unconfirmed for the latter model, but the Lifestyle costs £249, which converts to around $325.

HTC 10 Desire
Some MacRumors readers may remember HTC was forced to deny claims last year that the company's flagship One A9 copied the iPhone. Apple declined to comment on the claims, but has taken legal action against Samsung for perceived copying in the past.

Tag: HTC

A spot check of Apple's reservation system for iPhone Upgrade Program members reveals iPhone 7 Plus availability is slowly improving in the United States.

iPhone 7 Plus models in select storage capacities and colors, sans Jet Black models, are available for reservation at select Apple retail stores in California, Florida, New York, and some other states as of the time this article was published. iPhone 7 models continue to be more widely available.

iphone-7-plus-wtc
Apple Century City in Los Angeles, for example, currently has 128GB iPhone 7 Plus models for AT&T and Verizon in Rose Gold available for reservation at 4:00 p.m. local time. Similarly, Apple Williamsburg in Brooklyn has 128GB iPhone 7 Plus models for AT&T and Verizon in Black, Gold, Rose Gold, and Silver.

iPhone 7 Plus reservations are available at six other Apple stores in New York City, including its Grand Central, SoHo, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, West 14th Street, and World Trade Center locations. Each location has iPhone 7 Plus models for all four major U.S. carriers, aside from T-Mobile models at Apple SoHo.

iPhone 7 Plus reservations in Florida are available at Aventura Mall in Aventura, St. Johns Town Center in Jacksonville, and International Plaza in Tampa Bay.

Elsewhere, customers can reserve the 5.5-inch model at Highland Village in Houston, South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Pasadena, Irvine Spectrum Center in Irvine, West County Center in St. Louis, Woodland in Grand Rapids, Fayette Mall in Lexington, Jordan Creek in West Des Moines, and some other stores.

iPhone 7 Plus stock both in stores and online has been limited compared to iPhone 7 since last Friday's launch. New data suggests the 5.5-inch model has outsold the 4.7-inch version for the first time ever, likely fueled by exclusive features such as dual cameras, longer battery life, and 3GB of RAM.

Yesterday, it was reported that some Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus pre-orders will be delivered sooner than expected as shipping estimates improve.

Related Forum: iPhone

Norway-based company Opera Software has brought its VPN feature to the masses with the release of Opera 40 desktop browser for Mac.

For those unfamiliar with the technology, a VPN creates an encrypted tunnel from the user's computer to the VPN server, which hides browsing activity from other users on the local network and enhances security and privacy online. It shields a user's real IP address, allowing them to bypass firewalls, block tracking cookies, and access geo-restricted content regardless of their true location.

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"If people knew how the internet truly works, I believe they all would use a VPN," said Krystian Kolondra, SVP of Opera browser for desktops, in a blog post. "By making our browser VPN free and easy to use, we hope to make it an essential tool, just as the lock and key is to your house."

We know that people are concerned about their privacy online and that the interest for VPN is increasing. However, two major obstacles are blocking people from using it: VPNs are too complicated to use, and they require a monthly subscription. Opera resolves both issues by introducing its free and easy-to-use service right into the browser.

Opera's VPN supports AES-256 encryption and auto-selects the best server to route users' traffic through, based on speed, latency, and traffic congestion. Currently the service has server locations in the U.S., Canada, Germany, Singapore, and the Netherlands.

VPNs typically come in the form of separate plug-ins or client apps, making Opera one the first major browsers to include one as standard. The feature comes after the company's acquisition of U.S. VPN company SurfEasy last March. Opera has been testing the VPN in developer betas since April, and says that neither it nor SurfEasy logs any information about a user's browsing history.

Opera 40 also includes an automatic battery saving feature, Chromecast support, video pop-outs, a newsreader with RSS support, built-in ad-blocking, and an overhauled browser engine.

The Norwegian firm is on the verge of a $600 million deal with a Chinese consortium which will transfer ownership of its apps to a group that includes anti-virus company Qihoo 360.

Users can download Opera 40 browser from the company's website.

iphone-trade-upFollowing last week's iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus launch, Apple has added the iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, and iPhone 6s Plus to its trade-up program in the United States, offering estimated trade-in values of $160, $275, and $315 respectively towards the purchase of a new iPhone.

Apple has also lowered its estimated trade-in values for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus by $25 each to $200 and $225 respectively, while the iPhone 5s now scores $90 instead of $125. iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c trade-in values are now $50 and $40 respectively, down from $75 each, and the iPhone 4s is no longer eligible for trade in.

• iPhone 5 - $50
• iPhone 5c - $40
• iPhone 5s - $90
• iPhone SE - $160
• iPhone 6 - $200
• iPhone 6 Plus - $225
• iPhone 6s - $275
• iPhone 6s Plus - $315

The iPhone trade-up program, not to be confused with the iPhone Upgrade Program, allows customers to trade in their old iPhone to Apple in exchange for credit to lower the full cost of a new iPhone, or to reduce the monthly payments of a carrier financing plan. Trade-in values, managed by third-party vendor Brightstar Corporation, may vary based on the condition of the iPhone traded in. Select Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone devices are also eligible for trade in.

iPhone owners looking to get the best value for their old smartphone should consider selling privately through websites like eBay or Craigslist, but Apple's trade-up program does provide a convenient and safe resale option.

Related Forum: iPhone

Apple is working on a fix for an issue that can cause the new Lightning EarPods designed for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus to stop working properly, the company said in a statement given to Business Insider.

When using the EarPods, there's an occasional bug that can cause the remote portion of the accessory to become unresponsive. While audio will continue to play, the remote does not work, so there's no way to control the volume, access Siri, or answer a phone call.

lightningearpods

The glitch doesn't happen every time. It's seemingly intermittent and random. (I thought I was going crazy until I saw some people with similar issues complaining on Twitter.) If you experience the problem, you can just unplug your EarPods and plug them in again to temporarily fix it.

An Apple spokesperson told me the problem will be fixed in a future software update.

Apple plans to issue a fix in an upcoming software update, but there's no word on when it might be released. Business Insider is not sure if third-party Lightning-based headphones are affected, but there have been reports of similar bugs with the Lightning adapter. Some headphones, such as Beats headphones with a 3.5mm connector, appear to have a non-functional remote when plugged into an iPhone with the Lightning adapter.

Because the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus do not have a headphone jack, Apple shipped the devices with a set of EarPods that feature a Lightning connector instead of a 3.5mm headphone jack. The EarPods plug into the Lightning port, making it more difficult to charge and listen to music at the same time. Apple has also included a 3.5mm to Lightning adapter for customers who want to use their own headphones.

Tag: EarPods

Apple's vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives Lisa Jackson today announced that Apple has joined global renewable energy initiative RE100, a campaign that's dedicated to getting the world's most influential companies committed to 100 percent renewable power.

Jackson shared the news at Climate Week in New York City, where she also shared some details on Apple's recent environmental progress. In 2015, 93 percent of Apple's worldwide operations were powered with renewable energy, and in the U.S., China, and 21 other countries, Apple uses renewable energy for 100 percent of its operations.

According to Jackson, Apple just completed work on its 50-megawatt solar farm in Arizona, which will power Apple's global data command center in Mesa, Arizona, the former location of Apple sapphire partner GT Advanced.

applemesaarizona
Jackson also gave an update on Apple's commitment to helping its suppliers use renewable energy, announcing that Apple supplier Solvay Specialty Polymers, which makes the antenna bands used in the iPhone, has pledged to use 100 percent renewable energy for all Apple production.

Catcher Technology, a supplier that provides aluminum enclosures for iOS and Mac devices, is also aiming to reach 100 percent renewable energy by the end of 2018.

"Apple is committed to running on 100 percent renewable energy, and we're happy to stand beside other companies that are working toward the same effort," said Jackson. "We're excited to share the industry-leading work we've been doing to drive renewable energy into the manufacturing supply chain, and look forward to partnering with RE100 to advocate for clean-energy policies around the world."

Other major companies who are members of RE100 include IKEA, Adobe, BMW, Coca Cola, GM, Google, HP, Microsoft, Nike, Philips, Starbucks, and Walmart.

iOS 10 has now been available for just under a week, and its adoption rate has been growing at a steady pace over the course of the last few days. According to data gathered by Mixpanel, iOS 10 is now installed on nearly 34 percent of devices.

iOS 9 is still the most popular operating system, installed on 62 percent of devices, while just under 5 percent of devices continue to use iOS 8 or older.

ios10adoptionrate
24 hours after iOS 10 was released, it was installed on 14.45 percent of devices, slightly outpacing iOS 9 adoption rates in the year prior. iOS 10 includes many appealing features that encouraged people to upgrade immediately, like a revamped Messages app with stickers and a full App Store, a Siri API for developers, a redesigned Lock screen experience, a new Music app, new facial and object recognition capabilities in Photos, and more.

iOS 10 did, however, see some installation issues early on that may have made people wary of downloading the update, but those problems are now resolved and customers should see no problems downloading the new operating system.

Given iOS 10's steady growth, it could potentially overtake iOS 9 as the operating system with the fastest adoption rates. Last year, less than two weeks after it was released, Apple said iOS 9 was installed on more than 50 percent of active devices, the quickest adoption rates it had seen for an iOS update.

If iOS 10 adoption grows by another 16 percent over the next week, it should take the title of fastest adopted software update ever.

Related Forum: iOS 10

With the controversial absence of a headphone jack on the iPhone 7 now a reality, accessory companies are busily churning out wireless alternatives, and that's as true of Bose as it is of other big audio brands.

Its latest QuietComfort 35 over-the-ear headphones ($350) are a wireless version of the company's flagship premium QC25 cans ($300), seen by some as offering the best active noise-canceling in the business.

The QC35's retain the same established design and patented ANC smarts, so as an owner of a pair of original QuietComfort 25 headphones, I was interested to see how the new Bluetooth model compared.

Bose QC35

Design and Features

The box that the QC35's come in is reminiscent of the QC25's, and the included compact travel case that the cans fold up into boasts the same assured sturdiness. You get a thinner 1.2 meter lead for wired connections, a micro-USB to USB-A charging cable, and the same airline adapter is also included.

Taking the QC35 cans out though and weighing them against the wired model, it's clear the transition to Bluetooth meant the QC35's had to put on a little weight - 115 grams' worth, to be exact, for a total of 309g. So what brings the added heft?

➜ Click here to read more...

Tag: Bose

twitterlogoTwitter today announced that its long-awaited changes to the Tweet character limit have been implemented, giving Twitter users more room for text when sharing media.

Photos, videos, GIFs, polls, and Quote Tweets no longer count towards the 140-character limit, freeing up character space. Previously, media content took up approximately 24 of the 140 available characters.

Twitter originally said that all @names, such as @MacRumors, would also no longer count towards the 140-character limit, but that change does not appear to have been implemented. There is no mention of it in Twitter's announcement and @names are still counting in the character limit.


It is not clear if Twitter plans to eliminate @names from character count in the future, but the company has said it is exploring additional ways to allow people to better express themselves, so more changes could be in the works.

Many customers who pre-ordered a Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus received shipping estimates ranging into October and November, but it appears Apple is working hard to overcome supply constraints and get shipments out earlier than expected.

Starting this morning, MacRumors began hearing reports from customers who originally had deliveries scheduled for a month or two out but will now be receiving their devices over the course of the next few days.

iphone7jetblackdesign
MacRumors reader Daniel was told to expect his Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus in November, but will be receiving it tomorrow, while another customer had a delivery scheduled for October 4 to 10, but will instead receive his iPhone on Wednesday. There are also multiple reports on Twitter from customers who have had similar good news, including some improved delivery estimates from carriers.


The new Jet Black iPhone offers both a unique mirror-like finish and a new deep black color, which has made it one of the most popular choices with customers. It uses a different anodization process than the other iPhones to achieve the shine, perhaps explaining why it is in shorter supply.

Reports of improved shipping estimates are encouraging for customers who are expecting to wait until November to receive a new iPhone. When pre-orders for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus took place on September 9, shipping estimates for Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus models slipped to weeks and then months within a matter of minutes, leaving customers who wanted the new color waiting. If Apple can continue ramping up supply, orders may be going out much earlier. Orders placed today on Apple's website for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus continue to have November delivery estimates.

For those who have ordered a Jet Black iPhone or plan to, Apple warns that the device is prone to significant scratching because of its finish, something that has indeed been seen in early reviews and in the wild already.

Related Forum: iPhone

The Apple Watch Series 2 didn't change much visually from the original version of the device that launched in 2015, but Apple did introduce one new version of Series 2 that could be immediately distinguished from earlier iterations: the Ceramic Apple Watch Edition. The Ceramic model comes packed in with a Magnetic Apple Watch Charging Dock and a Cloud Sport Band, so many users were curious about what the color would look like with other Apple bands, and one Redditor has posted an extensive collection of photos to showcase just that.

ceramic-bands-2
Sold for $1,250 (38mm) and $1,300 (42mm), the high-end model of Series 2 is definitely expensive, but still far below the first generation's $10,000+ "Edition" models that were made in pure gold. In vvedge's Imgur album, the Ceramic Edition is paired with a few Woven Nylon bands, including Gold/Red, Gold/Blue, Yellow/Light Gray, Space Orange/Anthracite, and Black.

ceramic-bands
Higher-priced bands also got paired with Ceramic, in a variety of colors. Vvedge showed off the Space Black and Silver Link Bracelet, the Space Black and Silver Milanese Loop, and the Marine Blue and Saddle Brown Classic Buckle. Because the stainless steel of the lugs and bands are visually in opposition to Ceramic's smooth white surface, some users might not like the look of the more costly bands paired with Ceramic.

ceramic-bands-3
The Stone and Storm Gray Leather Loop pair better with the device, as do a few of the basic Sport Bands Apple offers. Sport Bands in White, Black, Turquoise, Light Pink, Midnight Blue, Lavender, and Red are all displayed in the album. Apple's intended paired band with Ceramic -- dubbed "Cloud" -- caps vvedge's image collection, and remains the only Sport Band with matching white pin.

Apart from the Ceramic Edition, Apple introduced a number of new collections for the Apple Watch Series 2 and Series 1, as well as a few new colors of the Sport Bands, Woven Nylon, and Classic Buckle. Most users began receiving their Series 2 models on Friday, but a few late pre-order customers still have a few weeks to wait until their Apple Watch comes in the mail.

Check out vvedge's full Imgur album to see all of the Ceramic Apple Watch Edition band combos.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

iphone-7-front-backDisplayMate Technologies has declared iPhone 7 has the "best LCD display" it has ever tested, calling it "truly impressive" and a "major upgrade" over the iPhone 6 based on a series of advanced viewing tests and measurements.

iPhone 7 achieved the highest color accuracy, peak brightness, and contrast rating in bright light of any smartphone display, the highest contrast ratio of any IPS LCD display, and the lowest screen reflectance of any smartphone display.

Apple's latest flagship smartphone also has image contrast and intensity described as "visually indistinguishable from perfect," and the smallest color variation when viewing the screen at an angle of any smartphone display.

Color Accuracy and Power Efficiency

iPhone 7 has two color gamuts, including a new 26% larger DCI-P3 Wide Color Gamut, as found in 4K TVs, and a traditional, smaller sRGB / Rec.709 gamut. DisplayMate said both gamuts have been implemented with absolute color accuracy that is "visually indistinguishable from perfect," which is "truly impressive" and a "major competitive advantage" over other smartphones.

DisplayMate said the iPhone 7 has "the most color accurate display" that it has ever measured, adding that the smartphone's display is "very likely considerably better than any mobile display, monitor, TV, or UHD TV" that consumers have. In technical terms, the iPhone 7 has a "Just Noticeable Color Difference" (JNCD) rating of 1.1, which is the best result of any smartphone it has ever tested.

Despite having a much wider color gamut, the iPhone 7's display is 7% more power efficient than the iPhone 6's display.

Wide Color Gamut LCDs like the iPhone 7 instead use specially tuned Red and Green phosphors to optimally transform the light for the chosen saturated Red and Green primaries, which improves their light and power efficiency.

Brightness

The measured peak brightness for the iPhone 7 is 602 cd/m2 (nits), the highest of any smartphone DisplayMate has ever tested.

The measurement increases up to a record 705 nits when Automatic Brightness is turned on under brightly lit conditions.

On the iPhone 7 the Maximum Screen Brightness can go much higher when Automatic Brightness is turned on, so that users can't permanently park the Manual Brightness slider to very high values, which would run down the battery quickly. High Screen Brightness is only needed for High Ambient Light, so turning Automatic Brightness On will provide better high ambient light screen visibility and also longer battery running time.

Contrast Ratio

DisplayMate said the iPhone 7 has a record-breaking contrast ratio among IPS LCD smartphone displays.

The iPhone 7 has a measured Contrast Ratio of 1,762, which is Very Good for a mobile display, and the highest we have measured for any IPS LCD display. It is also 26 percent larger than the 1,400 that Apple lists as Typical. However, Contrast Ratio is only meaningful in low ambient light, which is seldom the case for mobile displays.

iPhone 7 also has the highest contrast rating (137 to 160) in high ambient light of any smartphone.

Reflectance

DisplayMate said iPhone 7 has 4.4% screen reflectance, which is a record low among smartphones it has ever tested.

However, the iPhone 7 doesn't come close to the record low 1.7% screen reflectance of the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, which has a special anti-reflective coating.

Unfortunately, AR coatings still can't be used with smartphones, which have much higher abrasion and scratch issues than tablets and other touch screen displays because they are small enough to be carried in pockets and bags that have all sorts of scratchy things inside. A number of companies are working on technologies that can produce both low screen reflectance and high abrasion and scratch resistance […] but it's challenging and also has to be cost effective. Since peak brightness can't keep increasing due to battery power limitations and thermal issues, developing a low reflectance screen will be the key to improving display performance in high ambient light.

Viewing Angle

DisplayMate said the iPhone 7 has "excellent viewing angle performance" with no visually noticeable color shifts. The display had the smallest color variation when viewed at an angle, earning a JNCD rating of 2.1 or less.

With its Dual-Domain Pixels, the iPhone 7 Contrast Ratio remained close to 1,000 at 30 degrees for both the Portrait and Landscape modes, which is the highest we have measured for LCDs. However, all LCDs do have a strong decrease in Brightness (Luminance) with Viewing Angle, and the iPhone 7 showed (as expected) a 55 percent decrease in Brightness at a modest 30 degree Viewing Angle.

DisplayMate shared more in-depth analysis in its iPhone 7 vs. iPhone 6 display shootout.

Related Forum: iPhone

Cables and adapters outfitted with USB-C have been becoming increasingly popular as smartphones and computers alike have adopted the standard, including Apple with its 12-inch Retina MacBook that launched in the spring of 2015. Accessories such as USB drives that make file transfers easier and larger docks have proven for users dealing with Apple's decision to include just two ports on the MacBook: USB-C and a headphone jack.

nupower-review-1
NewerTech's NuPower 60W USB-C Power Adapter is less flashy than some of the new feature-intensive products, but that's largely a positive. The Power Adapter replaces Apple's bundled 29W USB-C adapter to charge the MacBook, with the added bonus of a 12W USB-A port to simultaneously charge any traditional USB-powered device -- like an iPhone or iPad -- from the same adapter.

As a replacement to Apple's power adapter, NewerTech's accessory has a slight edge in providing simultaneous charge to a second device, making it a potentially compelling alternative for Retina MacBook owners. The added visual clutter of thicker cables, however, might not be worth the $59.99 price for some people.

➜ Click here to read more...

Tag: NuPower
Related Forums: MacBook, iPhone

iphone6-ios9-settings-cellular-cellulardata-dataroamingApple is aware of and investigating an iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus issue that can result in the loss of cellular service after turning off Airplane Mode on the devices, according to internal documents obtained by MacRumors.

In the meantime, Apple has advised authorized service providers to instruct customers to restart the affected iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus. If no service persists, Apple advises customers to remove and re-insert the device's SIM card.

In a video shared with MacRumors by reader Yasser El-Haggan, an iPhone 7 can be seen with no service alongside an iPhone 6s with two bars of LTE after Airplane Mode is toggled off on both devices. Both of the iPhones are said to be AT&T models, which means the iPhone 7 has an Intel modem rather than a Qualcomm modem used for Verizon and Sprint models.

All of a sudden today my iPhone 7 Jet Black model started not getting internet service -- can’t make outbound calls or receive calls -- even though it showed 4 bars. I then put it in Airplane Mode, and back off, then it showed no service. It got pretty warm in the top right hand corner.

I then took a video of my wife's iPhone 6s right next to my iPhone 7, put them both in Airplane Mode, and then switched Airplane Mode off and you can see immediately that the iPhone 6s gets signal instantly, and the iPhone 7 just sits there searching. I then took her SIM and put it in my iPhone 7, no luck, put my SIM in her phone, and it got signal right away.

El-Haggan said he took his iPhone 7 to an Apple Store, where the Genius Bar swapped out the device with a new one. The employee had allegedly seen the issue on a few previous handsets, and he immediately replaced the device per Apple's instructions in lieu of running a basic diagnostic test. Apple appears to have replacement iPhone 7 models reserved for these scenarios per standard policy.

Related Forum: iPhone

After the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus began arriving to the first round of pre-order customers on Friday, a few users noticed what's become known as a "hissing" sound emanating from the back of the device, where the Apple logo is located. The first reports began on Friday, but the occurrence gained ground when 512 Pixels' Stephen Hackett tweeted about it, posting a video with the "terrible noises" produced by his iPhone clearly audible, which he determined to be caused by heavy performance at the time.


When he brought the issue to AppleCare, Hackett was told to bring the iPhone into an Apple retail location to swap it out, but given the low stock of nearly all iPhone 7 models, that solution isn't particularly helpful at the moment. Friday night, a member of the MacRumors forums, liorgr, confirmed the somewhat "common" issue facing the iPhone 7, although it's still unknown as to whether the noise could come from all versions of the device, or if it's just "a faulty batch."

I just came back from the Apple Store.

They had no idea what it is and what could it be (not surprising as this phones just came out today), so they ordered a replacement phone for me /:

They could reproduce the issue easily. Also I noticed that when turning on the phone you can hear it very well, I guess because of the extra processing that is being done while booting the device.

Kind of disappointed they don't have a few in stock for cases like this, but on the other hand it sounds like an issue more common than 1 damaged phone. so I hope that if it is a faulty batch or something like that so the wait my pay off and by the time I get my replacement phone it will be fixed.

Since his tweet, more and more iPhone 7 users have come forward about the issue and corroborated Hackett's story. On the MacRumors forums, mentions of a "buzzing" and "static" sound coming from the back of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus began on Friday afternoon. Specifically, forum member maxlind noted that the noise happened on his 128GB iPhone 7 Plus under load, without charging or restoring from an iCloud backup.

My new iPhone 7 Plus (128GB, Black) has an odd buzzing / static sound coming from it. Specifically, if I put my ear up to the back of the phone where the apple logo is, I can hear the battery or processor or something “working”… note the sound file attached.

Nope, not charging. I thought maybe at first it was just the phone overworking itself during an iCloud restore (it got pretty hot too)... but the noise is still there.

One Redditor who got his iPhone 7 Plus replaced at an Apple store noticed immediately that his new iPhone was making a similar sound, so the issue could potentially be affecting a large number of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models due to the high-capacity performance abilities of the A10 chip. Since there are no actual moving components on the chip, it's still unclear what could be making the noise.

As pointed out by The Verge, the consensus of the noise's origin online is that it's caused by a phenomenon known as "coil noise."

What’s going on here? Potentially nothing major, and Apple declined to comment on this story. So we can’t say for sure what the cause is yet, nor how widespread it is — though to the latter point, it doesn’t seem to be affecting a large number of users.

The consensus around the web right now is that this is some form of “coil noise” or “coil whine” — the sort of sound a high powered processor or virtually any electronic part can make, especially when it’s not properly dampened. It can crop up when the chip is under heavy load, and you might be able to hear it on any recent phone if you put it under load and listen very closely. I can, for example, hear some high-pitched noises on my Galaxy S7 Edge if I hold it up to my ear in a quiet room.

Still, despite the problem slowly becoming infamous over the weekend, some sites tried to replicate the issue and failed. Using performance benchmark software 3D Mark "Ice Storm Extreme," Engadget ended up hearing "no hissing at all" on the 4.7-inch iPhone 7. As many users have theorized, the sound issue could "stem from a manufacturing issue instead of an inherent design quirk." Until Apple addresses the problem, that still leaves affected users to either deal with the noise, or attempt to get a replacement that could potentially face the same sound.

Related Forum: iPhone

tweetbotPopular iOS Twitter client Tweetbot has been updated to version 4.5, adding new functions for iOS 10 users as well as a few other improvements.

The update, which is free to existing users, means Tweetbot users on iOS 10 will see slightly richer notifications. The update also introduces a new feature called Profile Notes, which lets users add brief notes to the profiles of people they follow - to remind them why they did so in the first place, for instance.

Developers Tapbots explains that Users' Profile Notes remain private and sync with iCloud. To access them users should tap the gear menu when viewing a Twitter account profile they follow.

Version 4.5 also brings improved scrolling and a new verified timeline filter that limits the tweets users see to those posted by verified accounts. Additionally, the app's mute filters have been updated to match accented text characters – so a filter to block Pokemon will mute Pokémon too.

Tweetbot 4.5 is available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad for $9.99. [Direct Link]