iPhone 6

The controversy over Apple’s introduction of performance throttling of older phones continues, almost three years later. A consumer group is saying that some European iPhone 6 owners should receive compensation.

Apple quietly introduced the measure in 2018 to prevent random shutdowns of older iPhones with degraded batteries. Following complaints, Apple offered cut-price battery replacements, and also allowed users to disable the throttling – but a European group says this isn’t enough …

France has fined Apple €25M ($27M) for the battery-management features that slowed the performance of older iPhones in order to prevent unexpected shutdowns.

It’s taken quite a while to reach this point: the French consumer watchdog DGCCRF began its investigation more than a year ago…

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Over the last few months, Apple has quietly relaunched the iPhone 6 in a ‘new’ 32 GB configuration around the world. The company has opted not to sell the product directly, instead distributing the device via carrier partners.

The 32 GB iPhone 6 originally debuted in emerging markets, presumably as a lower cost option, but has more recently appeared in the US — and now it has hit the UK too …

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A special budget edition of the iPhone 6 originally created for India and subsequently seen in a number of other countries before it hit the U.S. is now available for just $200 without a contract.

When the iPhone 6 was launched, it was available only in 16/64/128GB tiers, but a 32GB Space Gray model went on sale in India last month before showing up in other countries including the United States. AT&T offered it for $345, but Virgin Mobile is now offering it for just $199.99 as a promo price …

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Apple is re-launching the iPhone 6, originally released in 2014, in a 32 GB gold configuration. This model is technically ‘new’ as Apple never sold the iPhone 6 in a 32 GB SKU before; it debuted with 16/64/128 GB options.

The 32 GB iPhone 6 is going on sale at select carriers in Asia as a low-end model; the device is not sold by Apple retail. The device is launching on Taiwan Mobile on March 10 and has been quietly available in China since late February …

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Last fall a growing number of iPhone users started experiencing random shutdowns, particularly with iPhone 6s. After Apple launched a battery repair program to solve the issue for some devices, they stated that the problem may be more widespread than first thought and that a fix for some iPhones could come in the form of a software update…

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When Apple launched a free battery replacement program for iPhone 6s units experiencing unexpected shutdowns, some iPhone 6 owners reported that they had experienced the same symptoms. Now an unconfirmed report from Japanese site Macotakara suggests that Apple may be preparing a similar program for the iPhone 6 …

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A few months back, we reported on a hardware flaw plaguing a growing number of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users, which garnered the name of “Touch Disease.” Shortly after the flaw was initially reported on, a trio of iPhone users filed a class action lawsuit against Apple, claiming that Apple refuses to repair devices affected by Touch Disease for free. Over a month later, Apple has yet to publicly acknowledge the issue.

Now, Motherboard reports that the push to get Apple to respond to the issue is growing thanks to more backing behind the original class action lawsuit in California and a separate, new lawsuit in Utah…

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Apple officially unveiled the oft-rumored iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus earlier this week. Preorders are set to kick off early tomorrow and naturally, potential customers are in the midst of research both devices to figure out which one works best them. As it usually does, Apple is also keeping the last generation iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus around at a more affordable price point, while the iPhone SE is also still available.

Gone are the days of there being one iPhone model to choose from, so a little research is required before pulling the trigger. Read on as we compare every iPhone model you can buy right now…

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Could the iPhone SE get even cheaper with the iPhone 7 launch?

When Apple launches a new iPhone, it usually maintains pricing for the top models as the previous generation models get price reductions and possibly discontinued. It typically bumps the oldest models out of production entirely, keeping four to five models for sale including the new flagships.

With the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus introduction, for example, Apple kept the iPhone 5s and an 8GB iPhone 5c around at reduced prices. With the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, it discontinued the 5c and kept the 6/Plus, 6s/Plus, and 5s at reduced price points until ultimately replacing the 5s with the new 4-inch iPhone SE in March.

But this year there are some questions about what Apple will do with the iPhone lineup following the iPhone 7 launch this fall. Reports of increased storage options and a new “Pro line” for iPhone 7 could change Apple’s usual approach if true, not to mention the new iPhone SE, now the only 4-inch device in the lineup, was a rare mid-year iPhone release earlier this year. 

Can iPhone SE get even cheaper with iPhone 7 launch? Will Apple keep the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus around or discontinue those models while offering discounted 6s and 6s Plus models only?

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Shenzhen Baili, the Chinese company that last week managed to win a Beijing patent office ruling that the iPhone 6 copied its own Baili 100C smartphone, is effectively defunct, reports the WSJ.

[Parent company] Digione had collapsed, brought down by buggy products, mismanagement and fierce competition, according to former employees and investors. Digione has been absent from China’s mobile-phone market for at least a year and Baidu has accused it of squandering its investment.

When the WSJ attempted to track down the company behind the alleged patent, it found no signs that it was still operating …

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Update: Apple has now issued a statement.

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus as well as iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone SE models are all available for sale today in China. We appealed an administrative order from a regional patent tribunal in Beijing last month and as a result the order has been stayed pending review by the Beijing IP Court.

Bloomberg reports a Beijing Intellectual Property Office ruling that the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus violate the design patent of a Chinese phone, and that Apple must cease sales of both models within the city.

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus infringe on Shenzhen Baili’s patent rights because of similarities to its 100C phone, the Beijing Intellectual Property Office wrote in its decision. Apple, whose iconic gadgets helped define the modern smartphone industry, didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Bizarre intellectual property rulings are not unusual in China – witness Apple losing the exclusive right to the iPhone trademark there last month – but this one does appear to set a new record, as the iPhone 6 looks nothing like the Baili 100C …

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Siri unlocks a new dimension of functionality in iOS 10, allowing third-party apps to integrate inline into the Siri voice assistant experience. Any developer integration expands utility of Siri dramatically but it’s important to note the limitations of the system Apple announced.

For iOS 10.0, the Siri API will only work with six kinds of application: ride booking (think Uber), messaging, Photo Search (find photos and videos in a particular app), payments (‘Send $100 to John with SquareCash’), VoIP Calling (e.g: Skype) and Workouts (for starting health and fitness activities) …

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At WWDC on Monday, Apple will unveil the latest version of its mobile operating system, iOS 10. With the conference being light on hardware, expectations are high for Apple to announce some major new features for iOS 10 on iPhone and iPad. The rumor mill is quieter than usual, so there’s definitely a bigger opportunity to be surprised with this year’s keynote.

We have some idea about what to expect but we want to hear what you want to see Apple announce next week. Join in the poll after the jump to have your say on what you want to see in iOS 10 …

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Apple has released a special ‘Shot on iPhone’ TV commercial for European markets called ‘The beautiful game’. It features iPhone photography of football stadiums, goalposts and players. The ad will likely air during the UEFA European Football Championship games, which kicks off tomorrow …
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Apple has today launched its Back to School deals for students. Similar to last year, Apple will bundle a free pair of Beats headphones with the purchase of an eligible Apple product for college. If you buy an iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, Mac Pro or MacBook Air, you get a free pair of Beats Solo2 wireless headphones worth $299. iPad Pro, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6 buyers can get a free pair of Beats Powerbeats2 wireless headphones, worth $199 retail.

Standard Apple student education discount also applies on Mac and iPad purchases. Although this is one of the best times to buy a Mac or iPad direct from Apple Store, you may save money from buying elsewhere …

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Following the expanded launch of Apple Pay in Singapore this week, TechCrunch spoke with Apple VP Jennifer Bailey about Apple Pay’s roadmap. The Apple executive said the company wants to bring Apple Pay to every significant market in which it operates with particular focus on rapid expansion in Europe and Asia. Apple Pay is currently available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, China, Singapore and Australia. Apple has already said the mobile payments service will reach Hong Kong soon …

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An unusual iPhone 7 leak is making the rounds today, showing some changes that have not be seen before. An Italian case manufacturer is showing a potential chassis design that features ‘four speakers’ and new layout for the rear camera and flash, including a hole for a larger aperture (via NowhereElse). As pictured, there are two speaker grilles cut into the top of the case and another two grilles on the bottom side.

This is not corroborating with previous leaks, that showed an iPhone 7 design near identical to the existing iPhone 6s. The rearrangement of the flash is particularly unusual although the larger camera hole has been suggested by previous leaks. As expected, the case leaks do not include holes for a 3.5 mm headphone jack which is rumored to be going away for the iPhone 7 — Apple will rely on Lightning connector and Bluetooth wireless headphones for audio output ..

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