You’d be forgiven for not thinking the iPhone 6 is particularly "chunky" at .27 inches thick, but that didn’t stop Chinese manufacturer Oppo Electronics from one-upping it with its new R5 phone — now the slimmest on the market.
Coming in at a slender .19 inches thick, the R5 has been touted as the skinniest smartphone money can buy, and it’s a hard claim to refute. It’s thinner than...
Samsung’s Galaxy S5, which comes in at .31 inches...
The Sony Xperia Z3 Compact at about .28 inches and...
Your average pencil, which is about .26 inches thick.
While Oppo’s phone is thin, looks can be deceiving: It’s actually heavier than the iPhone 6 (4.6 ounces), Samsung Galaxy S5 (5.1 ounces), and surely a host of other smartphones at 5.5 ounces. It also lacks a Micro SD port and headphone jack, which means users who want to listen to music or take calls with earbuds need to use a micro-USB adapter or go wireless with Bluetooth, assuming they have compatible headphones.
That super-thin shell only fits 16GB of storage—a pretty major step back from the iPhone 6’s maximum capacity of 128GB.
Don’t be too bummed if your handset is significantly more robust than this one, though. Keep in mind that the difference in thickness between all of these phones is still pretty minor: close to the thickness of a dime or two.
"Thinnest" is also a title that tends to move around: In early 2013, the Alcatel One Touch was called the thinnest at .25 inches, but it was trumped a few months later by the Huawei Ascend P6 at .24 inches, and later, the Umeox X5 at .22 inches.
The R5 runs on ColorOS, Oppo’s own operating system based on Android. Neither the operating system nor Oppo is well known in the United States, so you may have a hard time finding the R5 in stores when it launches in a few months. Oppo’s ownstore locator digs up nothing in North America. Still, you may be able to find it online: It’s set to retail for $499 off contract.
At its most recent results announcement, JB Hi-Fi signalled it was expecting strong growth in sales thanks to “a good pipeline of new products” between August and the end of the year, and it wasn’t wrong: a swathe of new phones, convertibles and gaming consoles have given JB Hi-Fi a much needed boost. Here’s what’s the company has been selling most of.
Richard Murray, JB Hi-Fi’s newly minted CEO addressed the company’s Annual General Meeting, and crowed about how the company is now looking at positive sales growth thanks to the launch of new products.
Products like the new iPhone 6 and Microsoft Surface Pro 3 have been walking out the door at JB Hi-Fi, leading to positive results for the retailer.
The restocking of next-gen Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles have also been a boon to sales and will “help drive sales through the Christmas period,” according to CEO Murray.
The company highlighted in August that the sluggish sales of tablets as well as poor consumer sentiment looked set to negatively affect the company’s sales figures for the year, but these new products have lifted those numbers back into positive territory.
Online sales are also driving revenue, with a 13.9 per cent increase in sales in FY2014.
The company’s stock is up eight per cent on the ASX as a result of today’s address.
Learn how to use the iPhone 6 Plus better with this list of iPhone 6 Plus tips and tricks that will help users learn what they can do with the new iPhone. The larger iPhone 6 Plus display makes it easier to use some iPhone features and Apple packs in a few cool new iPhone 6 Plus features you might miss if you are new to the iPhone.
With iOS 8 and iOS 8.1 on the iPhone 6 Plus you can use your new iPhone to its full potential and get more for your money. You will need a Mac on OS X Yosemite or an iPad on iOS 8 or higher to take advantage of some of these tips and tricks.
We’ll even share a few iPhone 6 Plus hidden features that fix some major complaints about the large iPhone so you can enjoy it more.
Most of these iPhone 6 Plus tips and tricks work right out of the box, but you’ll need some accessories and apps for a few of the iPhone 6 Plus tips that involve Touch ID or your HDTV.
You don’t need to read the iPhone 6 Plus manual to become a master of this device. Just keep on reading to learn how many of the iPhone 6 Plus features work and what all you can do with the new iPhone 6 Plus.
Some of the iPhone 6 Plus tips and tricks we’ll show you are already turned on, you just need to use them, while others will require steps to set up on the iPhone 6 Plus and on your other devices.
Here is our growing list of iPhone 6 Plus tips, tricks and hidden features.
Use the iPhone 6 Plus One-Handed
The iPhone 6 Plus is a large device that can be difficult to use with one-hand, but there is a built-in tool to make using the iPhone 6 Plus easier when you can’t use your other hand.
Double tap on the home button to use Reachability. Don’t press, just tap on it like you would on the iPhone screen. This drops the iPhone 6 Plus screen down so you can reach the upper corners without juggling the iPhone 6 Plus in your hands.
Watch this in action in the video above, using an iPhone 6 that also supports this one-handed use feature.
Slow Motion Video on the iPhone 6 Plus
You can shoot super-slow motion video on the iPhone 6 Plus at 240 frames per second. That means you capture video at incredibly slow speeds, showing dramatic movement at speeds you eye’s can comprehend.
From a slow motion video of your kid scoring a goal, a bee buzzing along your garden or any other moment, sometimes slower is better.
Watch the video below to learn how to use the iPhone 6 Plus slow motion at 240 FPS. You need to open the camera app, slide until you see slow motion and make sure 240 FPS is in the upper right. From there record like you normally would and the video will then include options to start and stop slow motion like in the video above.
iPhone 6 Plus Landscape
The iPhone 6 Plus supports landscape mode that includes a new landscape keyboard, new layouts for apps and landscape for the home screen. This acts a lot like an iPad and it is only available on the iPhone 6 Plus.
On the home screen if you turn the iPhone 6 Plus on the side you’ll see the apps adjust to the landscape view.
When you open an app like Mail, Notes or Calendar in landscape you can see more information on the screen, just like on the iPad.
Finally, when you use the keyboard you can see the new landscape keyboard for iPhone 6 Plus that includes shortcuts and more punctuation options.
iPhone 6 One-Handed Keyboard
You’ll need to buy a third-party keyboard for this to work, but if you use the iPhone 6 Plus on the go a lot, you’ll love this Phone 6 Plus one-handed keyboard.
Apple does not include this on the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus by default, so you will need to go to the App Store and buy one. For this example we are using One Handed Keyboard by Terry Demco. It is $1.99 in the App Store and includes options to change the color.
Watch video above to see how this works and how to turn on the one-handed iPhone 6 Plus keyboard. You can also use this guide for a closer look at how to use and change iPhone 6 Plus keyboards.
Touch ID for Passwords
Touch ID lets you unlock the iPhone 6 Plus and make purchases in iTunes, but it can do much more. If you install an app like LastPass or 1Password you can use the new Safari extensions to log in to websites you are browsing with LastPass or 1Password.
This lets you create a secure password and simplifies using good passwords on your iPhone without the normal hassles of long passwords on smartphones.
The video above shows how you can set this up with LastPass and how it fills in your passwords and usernames with Touch ID.
Better iPhone 6 Plus Battery Life
For most users the iPhone 6 Plus battery life lasts more than a full day, but if there is something wrong the battery will drain faster and could leave you with a dead battery in hours. You’ll know something is wrong if the iPhone 6 Plus is hot all the time or if the usage shows the same number as standby.
Find apps that use your power to get better iPhone 6 Plus battery life.
Go to Settings -> General -> Usage -> Battery Usage to see if there is one app using all your battery power. If there is a culprit you can uninstall it or stop using it to see if that fixes your iPhone 6 Plus battery life. Removing Facebook helps deliver better battery life, but not everyone will take this step.
If that fails you need to reset all settings by using these directions. Go to Settings -> General -> Reset -> Reset All Settings. Hopefully this solves the problem. If not you will need to go to an Apple Store or try a full reset.
Track Steps, Stairs and Health
The iPhone 6 Plus includes a sensors that can track your steps, how many flights of stairs you walk and much more without buying any accessories or apps.
Open the Health app on the iPhone 6 Plus home screen and then tap on Health Data, Fitness and choose the options you want to show on the dashboard.
Watch the video above to see how this works on the iPhone 6 Plus.
Change Vibration Alerts
The iPhone 6 Plus vibrations are obnoxiously loud, at times they are louder than the ringer on the iPhone 6 Plus. Even when the iPhone 6 Plus is on silent a call or a text is loud enough to interrupt meetings and wake up a spouse sleeping nearby.
Go to Settings -> Sounds -> Tap on Ringtone -> Vibration -> Create New Vibration -> Tap out and save a new vibration.
You can do this for different alerts and for individual contacts so you know who is calling or texting based on the vibration alone. Watch the video above to see this in action.
Connect the iPhone 6 Plus to your HDTV
If you want to show your iPhone 6 Plus screen on a larger screen you can use the iPhone 6 Plus and an Apple TV to mirror the display or to AirPlay video or games to the big screen.
You need to purchase an Apple TV for $99 and then when you are in the same room you can open Control Center -> AirPlay -> Apple TV to show your screen on your HDTV.
You can also use the AirPlay icon when watching a video to AirPlay that video or sometimes even a game direct to your HDTV.
Games like SketchParty TV also use this to turn the TV into a big screen for a digital game of Pictionary.
Arrange Your Apps Better for the iPhone 6 Plus
It’s annoying to reach to the upper right of the iPhone 6 Plus, or upper left if you hold your phone right-handed. Instead of using Reachability every time, it’s easier to organize your apps so that you can quickly reach them with your thumb all the time.
We all have apps we need, but rarely use. Instead of putting these in folders you can use them to bumper your regularly used apps towards the center or bottom of the iPhone 6 Plus. Check it out in the video above.
Instant Hotspot for Your Mac
Once you turn on Instant Hotspot for the iPhone in iOS 8 you should see it listed in the WiFi options for your Mac and can click to connect without worrying about grabbing your iPhone to turn anything on.
On iOS 8 devices and on a Mac with OS X Yosemite you’ll see the signal strength and battery life of the device you use as an iOS 8 hotspot.
You can also see the iPhone 6 Plus battery life and signal listed so that you know if using it will drain your battery too much and so you know that there is a signal. Check out this guide to using the iOS 8 hotspot.
Read iPhone 6 Plus Texts on Your Mac
With the iPhone 6 Plus and iOS 8.1 you can now read and respond to text messages from a Mac running OS X Yosemite.
Send texts from your Mac through your iPhone 6 Plus.
You need to turn this on in the messages Settings and on your Mac, using the directions in our How to text from your Mac guide. After you set this up texts show on your iPhone 6 Plus and on your Mac at the same time and you can respond from either device.
Answer iPhone 6 Plus Calls on your Mac or iPad
The iPhone 6 Plus also connects to your Mac or iPad so you can answer or make a call. If you don’t want to hold the iPhone 6 Plus to your ear for a long conversation you can just answer on your Mac. It’s also a handy thing to do if you already have headphones plugged in to your Mac.
In a shocking turn of events, Apple and Android fans on reddit have joined forces to collectively boycott the unethical blocking of NFC payment system by certain retailers, which affects both Apple Pay and Google Wallet users.
If you're not aware, some of the retailers in the US have started disabling their NFC systems in their stores to prevent people from using Apple Pay or any other NFC based payment system. The reason for this is that these retailers are part of an organization called Merchant Customer Exchange, or MCX, which has its own payment system Called CurrentC.
Instead of a secure, wireless system, CurrentC requires users to download an app and fill in their debit card information in that. Then every time you have to purchase something you have to scan a QR code with the app, and then pay for it. The app is also used to shove promotional content and coupons to users, which they may or may not want.
Other than being inconvenient and annoying, CurrentC is nowhere as secure as either Apple Pay or Google Wallet. But having an alternate payment system is one thing. Blocking out competitive services entirely so that users have to either pay cash, card, or use CurrentC is another, entirely unethical and anti-competitive business strategy.
While the law would eventually come into the picture, people are now starting to boycott this practice. /r/Apple and /r/Android are fairly popular subreddits and if the two can actually come together and manage to get this done it will for the good of everyone.
Following in the footsteps of the LG G Watch and the Moto 360, the Samsung Gear Live is now in the process of receiving an update to the latest version of Android Wear.
This is the same build that has rolled out to the other aforementioned smartwatches a few days ago. After applying the update, you’ll be on Android Wear 4.4W.2, build number KNX01Q.
The new software brings with it support for playing music locally from the watch by pairing Bluetooth audio accessories to it. You also get the option of hiding the notification cards from the watch face.
Apparently there’s no way for you to manually force the update to come through, and as this is a staged over-the-air rollout you might still be waiting a few days to get it.
Many people are complaining that their new iPhone 6 is slowly changing color as the dye from their jeans is rubbing off on the plastic strips found on the reverse side of the phone.
An investigation by BGR reveals that "Dyegate" is becoming a problem for iPhone 6 customers. People say their phones are turning blue after weeks of removing and inserting the phone into their jean pockets.
BGR reports that it's difficult to get the blue stains off the plastic strips. However, we've heard that the blue coloring can be removed by wiping the phone down and that Apple hasn't received any formal complaints about the issue.
Apple moved quickly to dismiss the claims, playing down the number of people affected, but damning video evidence showed that the phone could indeed be bent if enough pressure were applied in the right place.
