Protect your iPhone 6

Protect your iPhone 6 from spills, splashes, and submersion with one of these 11 cases

We were hoping that Apple might take a little inspiration from Sony and make the new iPhone 6 and the 6 Plus waterproof, or at least water resistant. One of the most common culprits for smartphone damage is liquids. Phones get dunked in the toilet, dropped in puddles, and have drinks spilled all over them. You can take your chances, or you can shop for water resistant or waterproof iPhone 6 cases.

Updated on 1-02-2015 by Joe Donovan: added new cases by Lunatik and New Trent and up-to-date information for Incipio, Catalyst, and Lifeproof.

Lifeproof Fre Case ($80)

One of the best waterproof iPhone 6 case manufacturers is Lifeproof (now owned by Otterbox), which has a reputation for delivering consistently dependable iPhone cases. The Fre has a scratch resistant touchscreen cover and can also be submerged in up to 2 meters of water for up to an hour. For waterproof cases, Lifeproof is tough to beat on usability and style.

Griffin Survivor All-Terrain ($50) 

Griffin Survivor All-Terrain

This water-resistant case comes from a big name manufacturer you can trust. These cases meet military standard 810G, so drop damage up to 2 meters is not a problem. They also keep the rain out, as every angle of the phone is covered, but there’s no guarantee it will cope with submersion. The iPhone 6 Plus version costs $10 more.

New Trent Trentium Case for iPhone 6 ($22)

This water resistant case is best for anyone who wants to mix things up. Maybe you don’t need a completely waterproof case, but you’d like something that’ll shed water and not look like a brick. This is your best bet–rubber bumper seals the ports and keeps debris and moisture out. The case includes replaceable rear panels in silver, gold, and “gun metal.”

LK Waterproof Case ($13)

This case can be submerged in 3 meters of water for up to 30 minutes. It will also keep dust, dirt, snow, or ice away from your iPhone 6. There is one major catch though; it won’t allow you to use your phone when it’s inside. The Touch ID, the touchscreen, and even the buttons are not accessible. It’s really a waterproof storage case.

JOTO Waterproof Bag ($10)

If you already have a case for everyday wear and you just want a waterproof solution for days at the beach or out on a lake, then you could just opt for a bag like this and avoid spending a lot. It will fit a wide variety of devices including the iPhone 6. You can see the phone and even use it through the clear windowed sides. The snap lock at the top keeps it completely safe from the elements, and there’s a strap to make it easy to carry or hang round your neck.

iBeek Waterproof Case ($17)

There’s a version of this for the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, but it is suspiciously cheap for a rugged case. It claims to be waterproof up to 6 meters depth for up to 12 hours. It also claims to be dust, snow, and shockproof, but we’re a little skeptical about the quality you’ll be getting here. Reviews are mixed and we’re not sure the Touch ID will work with the case on. Could be worth a gamble, but we haven’t had a chance to test it so proceed with caution.

Supcase Unicorn Beetle Case

Supcase Unicorn Beetle Case ($25)

This one definitely isn’t waterproof, but it is a rugged case that should safeguard the iPhone 6 against light rain and the odd splash. It offers all around protection and that includes a built-in screen protector and port covers. Cut-outs for the camera and speaker mean that any submersion is still going to be disastrous, but this is one of the cheapest rugged cases around that is still decent quality.

Related: The bigger they come, the harder they fall: Our favorite iPhone 6 Plus cases

Coming soon Catalyst Waterproof Case ($70)

Catalyst expects to start shipping waterproof cases for the iPhone 6 in mid-January, delayed from the case’s initially slated December release date. The manufacturer made a solid line of cases for the iPhone 5S that were IP68 rated, waterproof up to 5 meters, and also tested to military standards 810G, which means drops and bumps are not a problem. You’ll also be able to use your iPhone 6 while it’s in the case and that includes the touchscreen, Touch ID, and the physical buttons. You can preorder now.

Incipio Atlas Case

The waterproof case Incipio made for the iPhone 5S could handle depths of 2 meters for up to 30 minutes. It also allowed you to use the Touch ID, though some reviews complained about it making the touchscreen hard to use and muffling audio. We’d expect Incipio to improve the line with the iPhone 6 version, so it could be worth waiting for.

OtterBox Preserver Case

As one of the biggest brands in rugged cases, OtterBox has already released a line for the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, but it hasn’t yet updated the waterproof Preserver series that was released for the iPhone 5S. It could handle submersion up to 2 meters for up to 30 minutes and provided sturdy drop protection too, all without preventing you from actually using the touchscreen, Touch ID, or buttons.

Lunatik Aquatik Case ($100)

Available early spring. This one of the few fully waterproof cases with a slim and colorful design, though Lifeproof has a line of colorful cases debuting in the spring too. TouchID compatabile and rated to IP68, which means the case will, at least, protect your phone when submerged for 30 minutes in 3 feet of water. Lunatik has another, beefier case that’ll withstand higher impact falls.

Alternative water resistance solutions

If you don’t want to stick your iPhone 6 in a chunky waterproof or water resistant case or bag then you might consider another approach. You could get your iPhone treated with a liquid repellant coating that could save it in the event of a splash, spill, or even a dunk.

You could also try Liquipel. For $60 they’ll coat an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, but you do have to send your phone to them and it will take a couple of days to get it back.

There’s also a service called Impervious that sells kits. The full waterproofing kit ($40 for iPhone 6, $50 for iPhone 6 Plus) requires some tinkering and you’ll have to take your iPhone apart to properly apply it. They also offer an exterior spray kit ($30 for iPhone 6 or 6 Plus), but it won’t safeguard your phone from submersion.

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'Price Is Right' contestants think iPhone 6 costs $7,500

In the New Year's "best of" edition of the famous game show, contestants aren't too sure at all about how much an iPhone costs.

 

16GB iPhone 6 costs, well, how much? Price Is Right.

Being a game show contestant is a little like making a speech to Congress naked.

You're already so exposed that the chances of impressing are small.

However, on the New Year's edition of "The Price Is Right," the question of what an iPhone 6 might cost exposed -- well, you decide. The show was revisiting some of its greatest moments of the year.

Here we had a 16GB iPhone with a one-year calling plan, 4 gigs of data and unlimited talk and text . Who would guess what it cost?

The first contestant offered $7,500. Which seemed a little steep, even for Apple prices.

The next one knew better. Or at least thought he did. For he guessed $7,501.

The third was a little more sanguine: $850. The last lady suggested $930.

At this point, presenter Drew Carey's face resembled that of a man who had swallowed a wasp's nest. He mused: "I hope the marketing people at Apple are watching this."

I'm almost certain that Jony Ive doesn't miss an episode. As for the marketing people, well, perhaps they're too busy for such fripperies.

Should you wonder what the right price was, it was $1,969. Which, when you give it careful consideration, is still a remarkably large amount of money.

It may well be that the first contestant was merely dazzled by being on the show, while the second was doing that thing that game-show people do of not thinking but just betting on one number more.

I wonder, though, whether one or two of Apple's marketing executives might now be wondering: "Hey, are we charging enough?"

(Via Mediaite)

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Apple sued because iPhone isn't really 16 GB Really?

  How much does your iPhone really cost? NEW YORK (CNNMoney) If you have a 16 GB iPhone, you've probably noticed that you don't really have 16 GB of storage space -- some of that space is taken up by Apple's iOS software. But you probably haven't thought to sue Apple over it.

That's the difference between you and two Apple (AAPL, Tech30) customers in Miami who sued Apple for their incredible shrinking storage.

The plaintiffs filed their lawsuit in a California federal court on Tuesday, and they are seeking permission to make their complaint a class action suit. They are seeking more than $5 million in damages for what they say is Apple's false advertising.

Apple's new iOS 8 software takes up 3 GB of storage on an iPhone 6. That's 19% of the phone's 16 GB of advertised storage. The iOS 8 software takes up 20% of an iPhone 6 Plus' storage and 21% of an iPad's free space.

"Apple's misrepresentations and omissions are deceptive and misleading because they omit material facts that an average consumer would consider in deciding whether to purchase its products," the plaintiffs say in their complaint.

Rather than try to cram everything into what little space they have on their smartphones, many people choose to back up their photos, videos and other content on cloud services, such as Apple's iCloud. But the plaintiffs say that's all part of Apple's game.

"Apple exploits the discrepancy between represented and available capacity for its own gain by offering to sell, and by selling, cloud storage capacity to purchasers whose internal storage capacity is at or near exhaustion," the complaint says.

Apple did not reply to a request for comment.

Related: Is Apple the perfect stock?

This is not the first time Apple has been sued for misleading customers about storage space. In 2007, angry iPod Nano customers filed a lawsuit against Apple for only providing 7.45 GB of storage in their 8 GB iPods (less than 7% for those scoring at home). That case was ultimately dismissed.

Other companies have faced similar lawsuits. Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) was sued in 2012 for falsely advertising the amount of storage available to Surface tablet customers. But those tablets, which run the much more data-intensive Windows operating system, actually have less than half their 32 GB of advertised storage available for customers' use.

Related: iPads won't be stuffing stockings this year

Related: Surface goes after MacBook

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Samsung Galaxy S6 Rumors: Multiple Prototypes Reportedly Being Tested, Some With Curved Edge Screens

Could this be the next Samsung Galaxy S6 ?

An anonymous Samsung employee has reportedly confirmed previous rumors that the South Korean technology giant is planning a massive overhaul of its next-generation flagship smartphone, dubbed the Galaxy S6, which is being developed under the codename, “Project Zero.” The purported official source also revealed more information about the Galaxy S6, adding that the company is testing several prototypes of the upcoming handset.

Confirming that “Project Zero” is the real deal, the Samsung employee -- who goes by the username SamsungRep2015 on Reddit -- claimed that Samsung is working on at least three variants of the Galaxy S6, SamMobile reported. According to the employee, one of the variants features a normal display, while the other two are being tested with a one-sided curved edge screen and dual-sided curved edge displays. 

“Project Zero is indeed a real thing. I’ve also seen two different GS6 Edge variants, one with the normal Youm display on the Edge, and one with dual curved edges,” the Samsung employee reportedly wrote on Reddit. “However, when I went to my orientation, a few weeks before the S5 came out I got to physically see the 5.2 inch version. Samsung prototypes a lot and things change extremely rapidly.”

Samsung's mobile business has suffered over the past few quarters, with growing competition from main rival Apple, and several low-cost producers in fast-growing markets like China and India.

Initial details about “Project Zero” appeared in November with media reports claiming that the plan is part of Samsung’s broader overhaul strategy, as the company was rumored to be developing the Galaxy S6 from scratch. The code name for the Galaxy S6 is also different from ones used in earlier versions of Galaxy-branded smartphones, such as Galaxy S5 (Project K), Galaxy S4 (Project J), Galaxy Note 3 (Project H) and Galaxy Note 4 (Project T).

Here are more details from SamsungRep2015, first reported by BGR:

As far as performance, benchmarks are noticeably higher but not by earth shattering amounts. Overall device responsiveness is vastly improved, and memory consumption is way down. Some build have freed over a gig of memory consumption from cold boot… [It’s] not just specs Samsung is focusing on this time around. I’ve heard lots of rumblings about crazy new designs (and I’m not just talking Galaxy Alpha ‘redesigns’ either.) Spec wise though, that all lines up with what I’ve seen/heard, but again there’s quite a good chunk of time between now and April.

Rumors have it that the Galaxy S6 could feature a larger, 5.5-inch QHD display with a screen resolution of 2560x1440 pixels, a 20-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera. The device could be powered by a 64-bit octa-core Exynos 7420 processor and 3GB RAM, and the phone could run on the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system.

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Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Vs iPhone 6 Plus Vs LG G3: Specs, Hardware, Design, Display, And Prices Showdown! Which Device Is The Best Purchase?

(Photo : Michael Buckner | Getty Images Entertainment)

Which of these devices is the best purchase? The Samsung Galaxy Note 4, the iPhone 6 Plus, or the LG G3

In terms of design and display, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has the biggest screen among the three, It measures 5.7 inches and it’s Super AMOLED has a resolution of 1440×2560 pixels at 515ppi. The LG G3 supports the same resolution, but offers a higher pixel density of 534ppi on its 5.5inches True HD IPS LCD, outperforming the iPhone 6 Plus 5.5 inches Retina HD IPS LCD display which has a smaller resolution of 1920×1080 pixels with 401ppi.

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The Apple device's thickness is at 7.1 mm, and weighs 172 grams. The Samsung phablet features a polycarbonate rear cover with faux leather pattern but it lacks the fake stitching from the edges. There is a metal frame surrounding the edges and physical button on the front panel hiding the fingerprint scanner. However it does not have protection against water and dust and it’s thicker at 8.5mm compared to 8.1mm. The LG G3 has also a plastic back but with a metal finish (faux brushed aluminum) and a floating arc design. It’s thicker than the other two devices, measuring 8.9 mm, but lighter at 149 grams.

For the hardware, and OS, the iPhone 6 Plus has a A8 chipset partnered with a dual-core Cyclone processor, clocked at 1.4GHz, that pairs with a Power VR GX6650 GPU and it has has 1GB of RAM. It supports better multitasking and it’s extremely fast, but its main disadvantage is that it comes with unexpandable internal memories and you have to choose between 16, 64 and 128GB.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 features a quad-core Snapdragon 805 CPU clocked at 2.7GHz and has 3GB of RAM and Adreno 420 graphics. It offers a similar performance as the iPhone 6 Plus, but in terms of internal storage, it supports a microSD card slot to expand the capacity from 64GB to 128GB.

The LG G3 has quad-core Snapdragon 801 CPU clocked at 2.5GHz, an Adreno 330 GOU and 2GB or 3GB of RAM for 16GB or 32GB of internal storage, but this phone also supports expansion up to 128GB.

For the camera and battery specs, the iPhone 6 Plus is Apple’s first smartphone equipped with optical image stabilization, but the iSight camera has the same resolution of 8MP. It features an f/2.2 aperture, phase detection autofocus, sapphire crystal lens cover, HDR and video recording capabilities at 1080p@60FPS with OIS. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 camera supports 3546×4068 pixel instead of 3264×2448 pixels, and also features OIS and HDR, but it it’s capable of recording 2160p@30FPS, but 4K is also present on the LG G3, which has a 13MP rear camera, but with OIS+ laser sensor and laser autofocus. It supports 3840x2160pixel and video capture 2160p@30fps.

iPhone 6 Plus 16GB cost $749 without a contract and $299 with a two-year contract. The 64GB variant costs $399 off contract and $849 with a two-year contract and users could add $100 for the 128GB variant. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 cost $ 723, and the LG G3 16GB variant cost $425, while the 32GB variant is $115 more expensive.

source:  KDramaStars.com

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Samsung could abolish bloatware lags in Galaxy S6 with TouchWiz built from scratch

Santa it seems hasn’t been the only one busy in the workshop, Samsung has been reported to be working on building the user interface for their next Android smartphone, the Galaxy S6, from scratch. This could do away with many bloatware and lag problems that the company's phones had previously experienced.

  

The Galaxy S6 will have TouchWiz built up from scratch, and possibly a slopped screen like the Galaxy Note Edge. / © ANDROIDPIT

Each time Samsung brought out a new phone, it would patch and refurbish the existing user interface without bothering to start from scratch. This means that many Sammy phones were based on the very old Gingerbread version of Android, which was the cause of all the pesky bugs and lags. Thanks to recent information from an alleged Samsung rep SamsungRep2015 on Reddit, it now seems that Samsung will be starting fresh with the Galaxy S6 and using the newest APIs that are used for Android 5.0 Lollipop.

As far as legacy features, in not 100% sure what is being brought forward, mostly because they didn’t just do a patch to the newest release from their existing codebase like usual, they built it from scratch.

Samsung is said to be working on a few new prototypes of the Galaxy S6 with the fresh faced version of TouchWiz. One of the models in question is reported to look like the Galaxy Note Edge, meaning that one side is sloped in providing a second display which adds a lot more functionality to the phone. The other prototypes are one with a dual-sided curved display, and another with just a regular display.

Project Zero is indeed a real thing. I’ve also seen two different GS6 Edge variants, one with the normal Youm display on the Edge, and one with dual curved edges. However, when I went to my orientation, a few weeks before the S5 came out I got to physically see the 5.2 inch version. Samsung prototypes a lot and things change extremely rapidly.

The Galaxy S6 has been rumored to be unveiled at the CES 2015 which kicks off in a few days in early January, however other sources mention that the Mobile World Congress in February would be more realistic.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Galaxy S6! Read more about Galaxy S6 rumors on tech specs, release date, price and other pieces of news.

Are you looking forward to a fresh new user interface for Samsung's next smartphone? Would this persuade you to make the Galaxy S6 your next phone?

Via: Android Headlines Source: Sammobile

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Smartphones Face-Off: BlackBerry Classic Vs. iPhone 6 Vs. Galaxy S5

It would be interesting to pit three smartphone devices from Blackberry, Apple and Samsung which have marked the year with a bang. As the year ends, it will be relevant to take another look at the design, specs, features and prices of some of the big names in the smartphone category for 2014. The stiff rivalry is on, among the Blackberry Classic, the iPhone 6 and the Galaxy S5.

Design

The Blackberry Classic which is making its comeback still sports its trademark QWERTY keyboard yet with a fresher approach and a much bigger display.  The Classic's "throwback" feel targets to entice the old users of this BlackBerry device and hopes to attract new users as well. However, in an era where in touch-enabled smartphones abound, the BlackBerry Classic is sure to have a hard time competing in the design category.

The iPhone 6 on the other hand obviously has an edge in this category. According to Forbes, this device sports beautifully chartered edges and has a matt aluminum uni-body back and edges. However, the iPhone 6 still has some adjustments to do. Its protruding camera is getting some bad feedback from consumers and even from people at Apple's headquarters.               

Samsung's Galaxy S5 appears to be the more practical handset but its rectangular form does not fit to everyone's taste. The S5's texture and curves makes this high-end device easier and nicer to hold.

Processor and Operating System

Compared to its rivals, the BlackBerry Classic's processor seems to be weaker. The Classic is equipped with Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon dual-core 1.5GHz Krait. Meanwhile, the Classic uses its very own operating system, the BlackBerry 10 OS 10.3.1 allowing the device to perform almost at par with its rivals.

The iPhone 6 is powered by 1.39GHz dual-core A8 processor with 64-bit architecture and 1GB of RAM. Apple's flagship device uses its own iOS 8 as its platform and according to the company, the new OS is packed with a handful of features which provides better experience for its users. It offers features like an app which gathers health and fitness data to be used by doctors for health analysis and the benefit of using Siri to control other devices owned by the users.

Samsung's Galaxy S5 is powered by Snapdragon 801 system chip (MSM8974-AC) which happens to be the most powerful version available, as reported by Phone Arena. Its processor sports the super-fast quad-core Krait 400 CPU that has an impressive clock frequency of 2.5GHz and it is also equipped with Adreno 330 graphics processing unit. About its OS, Samsung still has to confirm when the S5 will get the Android Lollipop. However, rumours say that the big change will commence by December of this year.

Camera

Apparently, the Blackberry Classic sports a mediocre camera with 8-megapixels which produces a resolution of 3,264 x 2,448 pixels, while iPhone 6's camera has the option to shoot 1080p HD videos at 60fps, 240-fps slo-mo and time lapse video. Samsung S5 boasts its powerful 16MP camera which is one of the best in the market.

Memory and Storage

The Classic is equipped with 2GB internal memory which is higher compared to the iPhone 6. Its storage on the other hand can be increased to 128GB through its micro-SD functionality. Apple's iPhone 6 offers 128GB storage without the need to upgrade via micro-SD, while the S5 comes with either 16GB or 32GB of internal memory and it also has the option to increase up to 128GB via micro-SD card.

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