iOS 7 Video Review

iOS 7 has landed! Check out the new features below!

iPad Mini 2 Aspirations

Last year around this time, following the iPhone announcement, Apple held a conference centered on the next-gen iPads. If Apple were to follow the same pattern this year, it would be logical to assume the conference to take place somewhere in the fourth week of October.

I currently own an iPad 2, and I'm looking to, sometime, upgrade my hardware. Once the iPad mini came out last year, I immediately knew that I wanted that form factor for my next iPad. The only problem was that it lacked a significant upgrade

There are currently four main things that I would like to see that would totally sell me for the new iPad mini.

Retina Display:

In all honesty, this really should've been on the very first iPad mini to begin with. It's understandable that Apple wanted to keep light, with plenty of charge to last the day. But, come on! Hopefully Apple can make this a reality this time around. A retina display would finally complete the line of iOS devices all having retina displays.

Better Camera:

This shouldn't even be a discussion. Apple will update the camera. The question is, "How good will it be?" Recently Apple updated the iPhone 5s with a wider camera aperture, a new burst, and most notably, a slow-mo mode. With all these new additions to the phone, the camera app has become increasingly popular and very fun. In addition to iOS 7's new camera filters a refreshed camera will certainly be appreciated.

Biometric Sensor:

Also, new to the iPhone, the long-rumored fingerprint sensor has been a huge hit. I was very disappointed to see that the iPhone 5c didn't have one. Perhaps, because it was meant to be a lower-end device, or just a premium iPhone 5 exclusive. Either way, a fingerprint sensor for an iPad would be a giant leap forward for the iPad in terms of security and technology.

Faster Processor:

This is yet again a given, but it needs to be voiced. The first iPad mini had so much potential. It was a pretty big letdown for the phone (iPhone 5 at the time) to be faster than the iPad. Having only an A5 chip and the same resolution as the late iPad 2 it was more or less a step backwards.

This year Apple needs to bring it in terms of performance. The iPad mini is perfect for just about everything, and they need to make a processor that an keep up. With games such as Infinity Blade 3 and Injustice, an iPad needs more processing power. As we move forward in our post-computer age, mobile power is becoming more and more essential.

What do you think would be a killer feature in the new iPads? Let us know in the comments below!

My New Favorite Wallpaper. (iPhone)

Hey guys, so recently I've been looking for a worthy wallpaper to go along with iOS 7, and I stumbled upon this one as I was going through my wallpaper archives. I'm not sure exactly sure where I got it from, but I though I'd share it with you. Hope you enjoy! Let us know what you think in the comments below.

 

If you know where to find the original image ,comment below. Thanks!

 

 

iPhone 5S review and comparison

As promised, here is a video of the review, un-boxing, and comparison of the new iPhone 5s. A few things not mentioned in the video: the iPhone 5s has a slow motion camera that shoots at 120 fps (frames per second), and a new burst mode that takes as many pictures as you want, really fast. It then groups those pics into a group that you can then go into and choose which ones you want to keep, and which ones you wish to discard.

 Check out our thoughts after the jump!

After just unboxing the brand new iPhone 5s we noticed a startling difference between the unboxing experience between the 5s and the 5. The color of the box no longer corresponds to the color if the iPhone therein.

 Before the if the iPhone was black, the box would be black, if the iPhone was white, the box would be white. No more! It seems now with apples new iOS 7 push for everything to take on a lighter tone, and be more simplistic, (and perhaps to save ink) they have opted for white boxes for all three colors of the iPhone. 

This might not seem like a big deal. But for a company that obsesses painstakingly over every single detail this is a major departure from their customary packaging.

For the rest if the unboxing experience, it remains much the same. Coming with a pair of EarPods, the regular wall-adapter, lightening cable and instruction guides. I did however notice that the box was strangely heavier than I first remembered. This detail is probably inconsequential but nevertheless deserved to be said.

Don't forget to check out our unboxing video and comparison with the late iPhone 5! Let us know what you think of the new iPhone 5s in the comment below.

 

 

iPhone 5S

Brandon and I will be doing a review on the new iPhone 5S to be uploaded on Thursday. Please stay tuned and check out some of our other posts!

iOS 7 Release Tomorrow

Tomorrow iOS 7 lands finally! Its been a long time coming, and the revamp will certainly be a crowd pleaser. Expect to see iOS 7 land at 10:00 PST, that's 12:00 noon for us here in Dallas. iOS 7 is either an OTA update or you could do it the old-fashioned way of syncing up to your computer. iOS 7 will be available on iPhone 4 and later, iPod 5th gen, and iPad 2 and later. Check back later to hear when iOS 7 becomes officially available tomorrow!

iPhone Launch Dates

Apple has just released info,at their press conference, when the new iPhones will be available. The iPhone 5C will be up for preorder this Friday, on the 13th. While, the iPhone 5S will have to wait until next Friday, September 20 for a chance to cop. 

We personally can't wait to get our hands on the 5S and anxiously await the time of preorder. Keep it right here on MacRepublic for more updates soon. 

Report: iOS 7 Lands on Sept. 18

Reported less than an hour ago, Apple has set the release date for their highly anticipated iOS 7 for September 18. We hope to get our hands on the GM before that so we can give you a heads up before it drops next week. Until then, keep it tuned here for more updates from Apple! 

Sept. 10 iPhone Event LiveBlog Services (UPDATED)

Ok, so we all know by now that Apple is hosting a press conference regarding the next-gen iPhones, which we know almost everything about, the next thing we want to know is what's going in every single minute of that conference, right?

Apple iPhone Invite

September 10

 

When to Expect iOS 7

Apple's event is currently less than 24 hours away! Can you believe it? Along with the guaranteed talk about the new iPhones(iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C), there is also the release of iOS 7 to be excited about. I've gotten to play around with iOS 7 for a while now and am fully confident that Apples new iOS will truly amaze.

Around this time last year Apple held their press conference on September 12, and later released iOS 6 on September 19, a week later. This year, Apple's conference lands two days prior, on September 10 Following the previous years pattern, it would be expected for Apple to release iOS 7 a week from tomorrow, September 17 Also for those of you beta testing, expect the Gold Master of iOS 7 beta tomorrow.

Stay tuned tomorrow for coverage of Apples press event. Don't forget to head over to CNET for live blogging as the event happens! What are you looking forward to mot about tomorrow? Leave your answer in the comments below!

UPDATE : iOS 7 will be released on September 18. 

 

New iCons Incoming!

iOS 7 is just around the corner, and with it a whole new slew of icons. If you haven't been living under a rock since June, you definitely heard of the revamped, all new, iOS 7.  Coming with this new software are many new icons to add to the look. Icons that are flatter and simpler than previous iterations of iOS.

IG in iOS 7?

In the past, app developers have tried to make their app icons to assimilate well into whatever Apple serves up as part of their new software. iOS 7 will be no different. You might've noticed ,lately, but companies have started updating their apps with new icons, to further match the new, flatter look of iOS 7.

Recently, Apple has even gone as far as to send developers a note to change the dimensions of their app icons. The reason for this is that the icons in iOS 7 are a couple pixels wider and taller. New dimensions were set so that the old icons wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb when the new icons had taken precedence over the old ones.

Below is an example of one of my favorite pass "productive" pass times: a word search app. As, you can see the app is much more simplified, compared to the its previous icon that had tiny letters instead of circles. Its... simple, and elegant at the same time, while still getting the point across, just like iOS 7. Here, the developer used the "less is more" technique Apple is pushing, and it looks pretty darn cool!

New Word Search App Icon

Along this line of thinking, different people have begun to speculate that app developers might change the UI of their app to match iOS 7, also. This would be a welcome sign to many, me especially. On the whole, I believe iOS 7 has changed for the better, and it only goes up from here!

Keep it right here on Tuesday to get updates on all things Apple!

iOS 7, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5S, and iWatch

As announced by Apple on Tuesday, the iPhone 5S keynote will be held on Tuesday, September 10th at 10:00 PT. Sources tell me that along with the iPhone 5S they will also be announcing the iPhone 5C, revealing the release date for the new Mac Pro as well as demoing it at the event. My sources also tell me that later this fall or early next year, Apple will be unveiling the long awaited for iWatch.

   
The iPhone 5C is a cheaper alternative to a regular iPhone, kicking the iPhone 4S out of the running in the iPhone market. The lineup for this quarter will be iPhone 5S, iPhone 5, followed by the iPhone 5C. Leaked pictures and specs have revealed that the iPhone 5C will have a 4 inch display like that of the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5C will come in an assortment of colors including red, yellow, light blue, lime green, and white. 

The iPhone 5S will come in 3 colors this time including: black (slate), white (silver) and a new white and champagne color. 

My sources tell me that the iWatch has a touch screen display, along with a headphone jack, a built in pedometer, Siri integration, along with many other features. The iWatch streams via Bluetooth from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Pictures can be viewed on the watch as well a music listened to via the headphone jack.

Samsung's recently released gear watch only plays music via the phone itself, which could be a hassle if you are in class and hit the play button (oops!). The iWatch will give you the option of playing on the watch or the iDevice before it plays.

     

Apple CEO Tim Cook hinted to even more new product lines being released in fall of 2014 in a recent interview. He may have been hinting to the iWatch along with long awaited iTV. Instead of having a console hooked up to your TV, the iTV will be contained in one unit in three sizes.

 
Apple hasn't even released these products, yet they are already boggling the minds of millions. Once again Apple has outdone themselves.

Also, follow me on Instagram (@technomarshall) for pictures of the event and links to the live feed. 

Get in the iOS 7 Spirit! (Wallpapers)

For those of you can't wait to get their hands in the new iOS 7, here is a new wallpaper to get in the spirit. I hope you enjoy it.  I know I do. I cannot wait till Tuesday for the new iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C.

 Marshall hopes to get the iPhone 5S. Hopefully we can get some first impressions whenever the iPhone does drop. 

The new iPhone is set to release on September 20, if reports are to be believed. We won't know for sure until Tuesday ,whenever Apple announces it at their press conference.

Below is the wallpaper for the invitation Apple sent out back on Tuesday for iPhone five:

iPhone 5 (iOS 7)

Credit : idownloadblog.com

Enjoy!