iPhone

Android users who want to see if the grass really is greener on the Apple side of the fence now can try out the new color scheme debuting in iOS 7.

A theme called jbOS7 marries the Jelly Bean version of Android with the iOS 7 style. Its creator, shmogt, used some custom icons and TeslaCoil Software's Nova Launcher home screen replacement app.

"It is more than just a background image with some icons," shmogt said by e-mail. "The theme also has a lock screen as well as two additional screens that act as apps. For … Read more

Apple is one step closer to launching a low-cost iPhone, according to a recent report.

Earlier this week, the China Times reported (translate) that several suppliers working on Apple's behalf have shipped out parts for an upcoming low-cost iPhone.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has shipped 28-nanometer processors for the device, according to the report, while Largan Precision has delivered its 8-megapixel camera. Several other companies, including Texas Instruments and Chipbond, are also reportedly providing parts for the handset.

AppleInsider earlier reported on the rumor.

Rumors have been swirling for months that Apple is planning to launch a cheaper iPhone … Read more

With one small feature, iOS 7 might introduce the biggest change in iOS gaming since the App Store.

There's something I've wished for on both the iPhone and iPad for years: a true, universal, dedicated game controller. iOS 7 has granted my wish: indeed, one of the small but very significant additions to the next mobile OS announced at WWDC allows for third-party controllers. It's funny this happened to be announced during E3, because it just might be the trigger to change the mobile gaming industry.

Why it's big Third-party accessory-makers have tried making game controllers … Read more

You've probably not been the same since you saw the latest Apple ad.

It's helped you understand your indispensable place in the world, your iPhone's indispensable place in your life, and Apple's indispensable place in American business.

For those who didn't quite get it, the folks at Funny or Die thought they'd rewrite the voiceover to make things a touch clearer.

"We spent a lot of time developing things so that you don't have to watch concerts you paid for," explains the very level voice of Apple reason. … Read more

This week has been just crazy.

Among all the fun and games: At WWDC, Apple announced a completely revamped iOS 7, iTunes Radio, new MacBook Airs, a new Mac Pro, and a new OS X. At E3, Microsoft announced a price and release date for the Xbox One. And Sony announced the price, release date, and used-games policy for the PlayStation 4. Everyone cheered, and then passed out from exhaustion.

But because of all the hoopla, I think that Microsoft is going to ease up on its restrictions. What do you think?

Also, Samsung could beef up its Galaxy Note lineup, and an analyst predicts you'll be wearing an iWatch by the end of the year. … Read more

An otherwise undocumented iOS 7 feature has been discovered that lets users view the entirety of large, panoramic photos on their iPhone's lock screen.

The feature uses the device's built-in gyroscope to track movement, and pans across the photo. In its demos of the software at the Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, Apple had only shown off that the background of the lock screen and home screen would move slightly as users tilted the phone.

A Vine of the eye candy, spotted by Business Insider on Wednesday, shows the feature in motion. Try not to throw up watching … Read more

iOS 7 is still not quite the Droid I've been looking for in an iPhone.

I've been an Android devotee for about three years now, but ever since the introduction of the iPhone 4S and Siri -- something totally new running on a nice piece of hardware -- I've been considering making the switch to iOS. As intriguing and enticing as the 4S was, I balked due to the lack of LTE. The iPhone 5 fixed that, but by then iOS seemed stale to me, and the lack of any major new innovations kept me tapping away on my aging Droid Razr and led me to declare that the iPhone and the ascendant Apple of this century's first decade had peaked. (Actually, the phrase I used was "jumped the shark" -- I suggest reading the original post for an explanation.)

So I watched with great interest on Monday as Apple unveiled a reboot to its mobile operating system in the form of iOS 7, which is being hailed as beautiful and ambitious. CNET editors have dubbed it a "radical new look" and part of Apple's "quest for perfection and the devotion to creating objects of profound and enduring beauty," as our Dan Farber put it.

From what I've seen of the OS, you'll hear no disagreement from me, but I'm still left comparing Apples and Androids.… Read more

Apple has played the game long enough to keep its secrets heavily guarded, but a close look at some of iOS 7's lesser-known features hints at a few hardware changes we should count on (or not) for the next iPhone -- and maybe for the next iPads, too.

Camera enhancements It doesn't take an OS upgrade to guess that Apple will improve its camera's still-life and video capture hardware. That's a given.

Now here's a little evidence: iOS 7 supports 60fps video capture, while 30fps is the smartphone standard.

That means that the next iPhone … Read more

The iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S4 -- two sparkling smartphones at the top of their game. But which mobile is tougher? That's what our in-depth and brutal destruction video aims to discover. Hit play on the clip above to witness the world's greatest mobiles drowned, scratched, dropped, and crushed -- with surprising results.

For our first test you'll see both phones, which were kindly donated by U.K. gadget insurance company Protect your bubble, dunked underwater, an ordeal from which Samsung's mobile made a truly miraculous recovery. Find out exactly how much … Read more