iPhone 13

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iPhone 13 And Apple Watch Carrier Rebate Wrangles

Charlotte Henry ·

A significant number of customers have reportedly found it difficult to get an expected rebate back from carriers on various products, including the iPhone 13 and Apple Watch. One of those was Bloomberg News’s Mark Gurman. In his latest Power On newsletter, he described the issue and the various ways some people had resolved it., which is likely to be useful to others.

My struggles with the rebates process started with the Apple Watch. I had purchased the Apple Watch Series 7, which came out in October, and submitted a request to T-Mobile for its $100 rebate.  Several weeks after my submission, to my surprise, T-Mobile’s promotion website said that my claim was denied because the product wasn’t activated during the promotion window. This, of course, was false. Multiple hourlong phone calls with T-Mobile customer service didn’t resolve the situation, nor did messages sent to the company’s support team over Twitter. Ultimately, the issue was only fixed after talking to T-Mobile at the corporate level. We figured out that my rebate was denied because the fine print of the deal—depending on how you read it—requires the opening of an entirely new phone number.

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Apple Set to Overtake Samsung, 5G iPhone SE on Way

Charlotte Henry ·

Apple is set to overtake Samsung as the world’s top smartphone brand in the fourth quarter of this year. Furthermore, it could launch a 5G iPhone SE in the following three-month period. The finds from Trendforce, reported on by AppleInsider, could have very interesting consequences for the smartphone market going forward.

Trendforce…estimates that Apple will overtake Samsung and become the world’s top smartphone brand in the fourth quarter — the busy holiday shopping season — with 23.2% of the market. The analysis firm also forecasts that Apple is on-track to release with a third-generation iPhone SE in the first quarter of 2022. It believes that the device could be a “major instrument” in helping Apple achieve a more foothold in the midrange 5G market.

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Apple to Stop Breaking iPhone 13 Face ID After Screen Replacement

Jeff Butts ·

Earlier in November, we learned that Apple had engineered the iPhone 13 in a way detrimental to Right to Repair. Currently, if Apple doesn’t “bless” your iPhone 13 screen replacement, iOS deactivates Face ID. Now, the iPhone maker has told The Verge it’s backing down on that requirement. A software update is coming to make things a lot easier. Repair technicians replacing iPhone 13 screens won’t have to worry about that microcontroller.

Apple tells The Verge it will release a software update that doesn’t require you to transfer the microcontroller to keep Face ID working after a screen swap.

Cool Stuff Found

The Slow Mo Guys Look at iPhone 13's 120hz ProMotion Display

Andrew Orr ·

The Slow Mo Guys are back with a new episode, and they compare the 120hz ProMotion display of the iPhone 13 Pro models to a 60hz display. The video was shot at 2,000 fps. The team shows the screen’s refresh rate in various apps as well as the camera feed. The iPhone 13 Pro refresh rate changes depending on what’s on the screen in order to save battery.

Cool Stuff Found

The iPhone 13 Candy Catapult Case

Jeff Butts ·

I’ve been thinking about getting a 3D printer for quite some time, and now I may have the perfect excuse. While waiting for his iPhone 13 Pro Max to be delivered, Matty Benedetto designed and produced his own custom case. Benedetto, over the past two years, has “designed and fully prototyped over 280 new inventions that solve problems that don’t exist”. I think Benedetto has cited the problem of the boring phone case with this one, though. This case actually stores pieces of candy, which it dispenses through old-school pinball mechanics. If designing and crafting something like this isn’t a good enough excuse to buy a 3D printer, I don’t know what is.

iFixit Shares New Teardown Wallpapers for iPhone 13 Pro Models
Cool Stuff Found

iFixit Shares New Teardown Wallpapers for iPhone 13 Pro Models

Andrew Orr ·

iFixit has recently shared teardown wallpapers for the iPhone 13 Pro | Pro Max. These wallpapers show the internals of the devices, including the remixed Face ID system, a combo digitizer and display, and a “parts replacement nightmare.” Apple has thoughtfully labeled your processor and the Pro-exclusive L-shaped battery text now has a chic minimalist look.