If you paid a full price for an iPhone battery, you’ll get a refund

Apple knows people have trouble with their iPhone batteries so, a few months ago, the company decided to offer some discounts. As a result, you can now have your battery replaced for $29, after its initial price of $79. However, if you got it replaced while it had a higher price, you might get those $50 back.

The refund applies to those who paid a full price for iPhone batteries

Last year, the standard price to get iPhone batteries replaced was $79. This applied to iPhone 6 or newer, and the replacements should have taken place at authorized Apple stores. Now, the official price of this operation has decreased to $29, but the company didn’t want to disappoint older customers. Therefore, those who got a replacement for $79 will get a $50 refund.

This should soon be available in all countries and for all official Apple stores. The refund should happen through an electronic transfer. If you used a credit card for the replacement of iPhone batteries, you’ll get that credit back on the card. However, you need to inform Apple of it.

Between May 23^rd and July 27^th, you can contact Apple through an email to find out more about the refund. You will need to prove you paid the extra price for a battery replacement and, then, Apple will give you info on how to get your money back.

The refund comes as a result of slower iPhones

There was an interesting reason behind this sudden lower price on iPhone batteries. At the end of last year, Apple announced it made quite a controversial change. The company noticed older iPhones unexpectedly shut down, creating unpleasant experiences for their users. Therefore, Apple announced officially it would slow them down to avoid such situations.

Users weren’t too happy of the news, but Apple found a solution again. To console them for their phones getting slower, it lowered the price of iPhone batteries by $50. Since there have been many people who had already paid the full price for a battery, they are now going to get this money back.

Image source: Max Pixel

According to the new Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ leaks, the models could sport some interesting new specs like intelligent scan biometrics and an extra camera mode. The official release date of the details is February 25.

SamCentral, which obtained the leaks, released a report on the features like intelligent scan. According to the website, the enhanced biometrics scan will be a mix of iris and facial scanning. The new tech is designed to be safer and more accurate than other technologies currently out there on the market.

The intelligent scan can be done even in dimly lit rooms or very bright light. (See video above). However, the new feature will not replace iris or face scanning, both of which will still be available as independent features.

Plus, the three features cannot be used all at once. When one is enabled, the other two are disabled.

Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ Will Have Intelligent Scan

Intelligent Scan is designed to remove the need for password, PIN, or a pattern. You can still use one of these extra security measures if you think they are more reliable. Intelligent scan, on the other hand, will unlock your handset as soon as you turn the screen on. You will not even have to swipe.

The new security feature will be compatible with various apps and websites to confirm your identity. The new Galaxy models, however, may not come with a fingerprint reader at all, according to the leaks.

Another interesting new feature is the camera mode called Tag shot, which automatically adds location- and weather-related tags to your pictures the moment you take them. However, Samsung warns that the new camera mode stores sensitive information like your location and weather data with every photo you take.

Samsung Galaxy S9 will also reportedly include the Smart stay and Smart rotation features, which means that the device will keep screen on as long as it detects your face looking at it.
Image Source: Pixabay

Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus and S8 users reported that their devices are not turning back on.

Dozens of users have reported that their Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S8 Plus phones failed to turn on after their batteries had been fully drained and recharged. Samsung seemingly doesn’t have an easy fix for the issue. As such, it is replacing the handsets on a case-by-case basis.

It is not the first time when Samsung is experiencing battery issues. More than a year ago, the South Korean tech giant had to discontinue the Galaxy Note 7 over battery problems.

Back then the faulty batteries prompted several phones to explode, hugely damaging the reputation of the Note brand. Samsung had to revamp its checks for battery safety for the first time in years.

However, fans quickly forgot the incidents and have been praising the Galaxy S8 series and the Note 7’s successor, the Note 8, like nothing happened. These devices have sold like hot cakes ever since their launch and reported no major battery issues.

While the latest battery problems may not seem as dangerous as those affecting the Note 7, a device that is not turning on after a full charge is still a nuisance.

Multiple users have complained on the company’s forums that after the battery hits the 0% mark and the Note 8 switches off, it refuses to get back on.

Galaxy S8 Plus Seems to Be Affected Too

Some users have reported that their  Galaxy S8 Plus handsets are facing a similar issue. However, these claims have not been fully investigated yet. In both devices, the LED charging light is unresponsive.

One user took to YouTube to show other device owners how he tried to resurrect a dead phone without success.

Other users confirmed that regardless of the charging cable used or the numerous attempts to reboot the handset in safe mode, the devices look dead.

Samsung announced that affected users could return their faulty devices and get a warranty replacement.

Image Source: StaticFlickr

Experts agree that smartphone addiction is real, and we can see it all around us from people walking like zombies on the streets to those fully immersed in the digital world while commuting.

Luckily, an Austrian designer invented a device to help addicts recover when their mobile phone is not there. The device is called the Substitute Phone. The father of the invention, Klemens Schillinger, designed five different models for the Substitute Phone, but the idea behind them is basically the same.

The substitute enables users to touch it and “swipe,” “scroll,” or “pinch” its surface. The fake phone is mainly designed to help phone users not miss their phones too much when they are not around. This could also entice them to check their smartphones less.

The data shows that smartphone addiction affects at least 40 percent of teens. 2015 data shows that one in 10 adolescents were sleep deprived because of too much screen time. This marks a 58-percent increase from 1991 levels and a 17-percent increase from 2009 levels when the smartphone first hit the market.

Smartphone Addiction’s Mechanisms

A research team from the State University of New York found that too much screen time can lead to sleep deprivation especially among females.

Lead author Prof. Isaac Vaghefi, who teaches Binghamton University-State University of New York, explained that cell phones offer immediate satisfaction, which is why they can be so addictive.

He explained that when we use a smartphone, neurons are triggered and the brain releases dopamine. The mechanism is also behind our problems with boredom and short attention spans.

Moreover, another culprit behind smartphone addiction is apps since they enable users to access their favorite content much easier. In return, they flood us with updates, which we tend to check out regularity because we unknowingly seek more dopamine releases in our brains.
Image Source: Pexels

iPhone X users have been reporting that their devices are freezing in the cold weather.

According to an increasing number of user reports, Apple’s iPhone X is having some issues in dealing with the cold season. Reportedly, the smartphone seems to be freezing off in what many believe might be caused by the increasingly cold weather in the northern hemisphere.

The weather-related issue was first noted, or at least first mentioned online on Thursday, November 09. At the time, a Reddit user took to the platform and started a new thread named “iPhone X screen not responsive in the cold.” in the r/iPhone Subreddit.

Apple to Solve its Weather Problem Through an Update

Apparently, according to the user reports, as the iPhone X owners step out into the cold their devices stop functioning as they become unresponsive. Some state that these don’t even register the user’s touch anymore.

In the Reddit thread, a number of users pointed out that the issue might not be weather-related, but instead light-based. The post claims that the light changes from indoors to outdoors ones might be causing the delay.

Others underline the fact that it is to be expected that the phone might slow down when used in temperatures under 0 degrees Celsius.

Some even asked if the issues might not actually be linked to the software they are using. One of the pointed out that the problems seem to have started after updating to the iOS 11.2 Beta.

As it is, Apple later confirmed the problem and issued a statement with some advice and a possible solution. This states that the company is “aware” that some users are seeing their iPhone X’s screens become temporarily unresponsive after ‘a rapid change to a cold environment’.

After several seconds the screen will become fully responsive again. This will be addressed in an upcoming software update,” Apple representatives were reported as declaring by The Loop, an Apple blog.

The company also offers some possible fixes to the issue on its Support page. With the update reportedly ‘soon’ to come, the only solution found as of yet by the users is to reset their phones, although inconvenient.

Image Source: Pixabay

Samsung DeX, the company’s take at Linux on a Samsung, is now closer to becoming available.

Sometime earlier this year, Samsung announced that it was working on bringing Linux closer to its users that needed mobility. Named Samsung DeX, this should be able to push the boundaries of smartphones and help any interested user run Linux on their phone.

“The DeX ecosystem continues to expand with our strategic partnerships and app development community. This growth is a key to its success,” writes Samsung in a new post.

The tech company declares that it is making “substantial progress” all thanks to the help of “key partners and productivity, collaboration, content creation, and entertainment content providers”.

Samsung DeX, Still in Trial but Open For News Registration

Samsung’s DeX is still in trial phase but is reportedly well on its way to bringing the Linux experience from the PC to the mobile. The company is also intent on transitioning this system onto larger displays as well.

Samsung DeX will work not by changing the smartphone’s software and modifying root info but simply through an application. Called Linux on Galaxy, this should offer a toolset and an environment familiar to all those using Linux for software development and multimedia work.

There already are several ways of installing Linux software on other devices. For example, even Microsoft built and integrated a Linux subsystem in its latest OS, Windows 10.

However, DeX should have a few distinct advantages over it, one of them being the fact that Android is Linux-based, to begin with. This should ease the access to its resources.

The second advantage is that Samsung DeX is set to be the first truly mobile variant of this type. Thanks to its being an app, smartphone users will be able to use it anytime they need while also not having to change their phone’s OS.

Instead, they can run their much needed Linux-based distributions in a Linux OS environment on the go.

Although users still have to wait some more for this app, those interested can sign up and receive early notifications about availability.

Image Source: Pixabay

Earlier this week, HMD announced that the new Nokia 3310 would be getting 3G support.

On Thursday, September 28, Nokia announced that its Nokia 3310 phone, the reinvented version, of course, will be getting 3G support. This means that starting with this future version, the reinterpreted classic will be able to support smart apps.

HMD Global, the Nokia licensee, pulled the tech nostalgia card back in February, this year. At the time, it released the highly mediatized reemergence of a classic, Nokia’s 3310 model.

The new version could do the same things as its predecessor. Namely, it allows its users to talk on the phone and send messages. Also, and very importantly for some, it comes with the Nokia Snake game.

A true classic – reimagined. Say hello to the #Nokia3310 3G. Colorful, customizable and more connected than ever! #Nokiamobile pic.twitter.com/2QTViTyyyr

— Nokia Mobile (@nokiamobile) September 28, 2017

The Latest New Nokia 3310 Wil Be Able to Support Smart Apps

Now, the company announced that it would be expanding the capabilities of its reinvented phone. New models will start getting a 3G support. Currently available 3310 phones work with a 2G GSM tech that is much slower and perhaps even unsupported by some carrier.

With the introduction of the 3G radio, Nokia 3310’s users will be able to utilize Facebook, Twitter, and Skype on the same phone. The additional functionalities will nonetheless be coming with shortages in other departments.

The phone is getting ergonomically redesigned so that the space between the buttons will be bigger. However, the new versions of the device will have a shorter lifespan as it will support only 6.5 hours of talk instead of the 22.1 hours available for the current models.

Still, the soon to come Nokia 3310 will also get around 27 days of standby time, slightly more than the 25.3 days currently touted for the 2G version. The new device will also be coming with a modified OS, one capable of supporting 3G.

“The Nokia 3310 3G combines the talk and text appeal of the current model with a 3G data connection, meaning you can now enjoy the classic across more countries,” presented HMD in a press release.

The 3G version of Nokia 3310 will start being available sometime in mid-October, and will slightly more expensive than the 2G model. Further details on the release will be announced over the following weeks.

While some will be pleased to hear about the added functionalities, there might nonetheless be others that see this as a departure from the idea behind both the original and its redesign.

Image Source: Flickr

The Mi A1, which runs on Android One, is the result of the latest partnership between Google and Xiaomi.

Xiaomi’s Mi A1, this latest smartphone from the company is quite different from its usual models. This is because Xiaomi collaborated with Google in its creation. More exactly, the new device, as even its name suggests, runs on Android One. This comes to replace the MIUI user interface with which the owners had gotten used to.

The Mi A1, a Google-Xiaomi Mix

This latest smartphone from Xiaomi is quite a significant departure from the usual releases of the company. Known for its lower-price range phones, this new one is higher priced than what has come to be expected from the company.
However, the phone is also more technically impressive than its predecessors.

The Mi A1 runs on Android One and comes with a 5.5 inches touchscreen with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution protected by a Gorilla Glass piece.

This all comes set in an aluminum unibody 7 mm thick which also neatly conceals its antenna bands. The device features two camera lenses on its back, one being a telephoto and another a wide-angle. They can work together in snapping portrait images with a blurred background.

The default camera app appears to still be the one developed by Xiaomi, despite its running on Android. It will also have a 5-megapixels selfie camera.

Mi A1 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor and a 3,080 mAh battery. It comes equipped with a Type-C USB and a fingerprint sensor. The smartphone offers three color schemes: black with a fingerprint-resistant coating, gold, or rose gold. It will come with 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM.

The Android One interface will be stock, and the phone will be offering Google Assistant and come without bloatware. It will also have the Google Play store pre-installed, instead of the MIUI’s one, and have pre-installed Google services.

The Mi A1 will first become available in India starting with September 12, 2017, and in another 40 countries sometime later this month. It will cost the local equivalent of $235. Android One has no official sellers in the United States or the United Kingdom.

Image Source: Wikimedia