News & Reviews:   Apple iPhone

By now you should have known that Maxis 4G LTE is fully compatible with your Apple iPhone 5 and certain iPad models. To activate your LTE settings just do the following steps:

1. Get your Carrier Update

• Download the latest iOS (6.1.3 or higher). To update to the latest iOS tap Settings > General > Software Update.
• Start the update. Tap Settings > General > About > Update.
• Reboot the device. Make sure the Carrier is Maxis 14.1.

oncept renders often reveal new possible models, and these new concept images of the Apple iPhone may just reveal two brand new models, mainly the rumoured cheap Apple iPhone and the new Apple iPhone 5S. In a side by side comparison with the Apple iPhone, the red coloured version looks like it was made with plastic marking it as the possible cheaper Apple iPhone.

Maxis recently confirmed what many Apple iPhone 5 and some iPad users in Malaysia are now finding out. Those who were on the Maxis 4G LTE plans now have LTE speeds for their devices. Maxis officially confirmed this recently along with an update of their new LTE coverage areas as shown below:

When the HTC One went for an aluminum unibody (ala Apple iPhone) it upped the prestige level for Android smartphones around the world. Nokia's Windows Phone powered smartphones are looking to get the same aluminum unibody treatment with the Nokia Catwalk and the Nokia Lumia 928.

Maxis is just dropping prices for their various bundled devices. This time around it is their Samsung Galaxy S III Mini which used to go for RM399 under their TalkMore48 + 1GB data plan. Now, in a move that will make those who don't call or SMS that much very happy, the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini is available with the Maxis TalkMore28 or TextMore28 from RM76 a month (the original site may say as low as RM56 but this applies to the HTC Desire C with 200MB Mobile Internet Plan). The fineprint for this deal is that the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini is only available under a 24 month contract and new subscribers have to pay an advance payment of RM500. Existing Maxis customers who have been using Maxis Postpaid plans for more than a year don't have to pay this advance payment.

A few days back we talked about possible features of the Apple iPhone 5S (and other future Apple iPhones). One of the main rumours that we brought up involved a curved wraparound display. At the time of writing, the pictures available were figures used within the patent filing, however, recently photos of a possible Apple iPhone 5S prototype with almost exactly the same curved looking screen have surfaced.

Great Design, Drops Better than the iPhone 5

While the HTC One managed to beat out Apple's iPhone 5 in drop tests recently it should be noted that it is a lot harder to repair. The HTC One recently got a teardown at iFixit (a site which takes apart smartphones and tries to put them back together). In that particular iFixit teardown, the HTC One is the only smartphone to get a repairability score of 1/10, which means it is next to impossible to repair (the Apple iPhone 5 has an iFixit repairability score of 7/10). Tearing down the HTC One the folks at iFixit found:

• Most of the components are covered with copper tape for shielding which when removed looks like used aluminum foil (almost impossible to fix back)
• The battery is attached to the midframe and covered by the motherboard, making it very difficult to replace.
• To replace the display you have to remove the rear case which may require taking apart the entire HTC One.

In a move that will make some people who have always wanted an Apple iPhone very happy, Maxis is now offering the Apple iPhone 4 (8GB) for FREE with their TalkMore48 plan and a 1GB data plan. In effect it means that all you're really paying for are the TalkMore48+1GB data plan bundle. You will have to sign up for a 24 months contract though. Like other Maxis TalkMore48 bundle promotions you'll have to pay RM96 (RM48 + RM48) per month.

Rumours about new phones constantly crop up and Apple's iPhone 5S is no different. For the first rumour about Apple's iPhone 5S unveiling date, while a few sources have said that it could be in August 2013, some are saying that it could go on sale one month earlier in July. This rumour is based on a prediction by an Apple tech fanzine. Other launch dates include June which would allow it better competition with the Samsung Galaxy S4. If the Apple iPhone 5S were to be launched on 20 June 2013 it would also nearly coincide with the anniversary of the original Apple iPhone's launch (29 June 2007).

Those looking to make the most of their not-so-smart cars with their smartphones will certainly get a kick from the Kickstarter project called Dash.

Plug The "Dash" into Your Car and Wirelessly Sync Your iPhone to Monitor Your Driving Profile

Consisting of a Bluetooth 4.0 enabled dongle and an iPhone app, the project looks to provide in-Car diagnostics on the fly while you're driving. While it is good to let you know about the small stuff that need replacing, the really cool feature about this is that you can set it so that you'll know when you're driving the most optimal and fuel efficient way possible.