Refurbished 2014 15-Inch Retina MacBook Pro Now Available in Apple's Online Store [Mac Blog]

Apple today added several new models of the current 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro to its online store for refurbished products, marking their first availability at a lower cost since their July 2014 launch date.



There are six different models available, which are currently mistakenly listed under the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro section, an error that should be corrected soon. While one machine displays a shipping estimate of 24 hours, the rest offer shipping estimates of three to five days.





Discounts of more than $400 are available on some models, with prices that are approximately 15 percent off the standard pricing on brand new machines. Available models are as follows:



- 2.2GHz quad-core Intel i7 with 16GB RAM, 256GB flash storage, and Intel Iris Pro Graphics: $1,699 ($300 savings)



- 2.2GHz quad-core Intel i7 with 16GB RAM, 512GB flash storage, and Intel Iris Pro Graphics: $1,949 ($350 savings)



- 2.5GHz quad-core Intel i7 with 16GB RAM, 512GB flash storage, and Intel Iris Pro Graphics/NVIDIA GeFore GT 750M: $2,099 ($400 savings)



- 2.8GHz quad-core Intel i7 with 16GB RAM, 512GB flash storage, and Intel Iris Pro Graphics/NVIDIA GeFore GT 750M: $2,289 ($410 savings)



- 2.5GHz quad-core Intel i7 with 16GB RAM, 1TB flash storage, and Intel Iris Pro Graphics/NVIDIA GeFore GT 750M: $2,549 ($450 savings)



- 2.8GHz quad-core Intel i7 with 16GB RAM, 1TBGB flash storage, and Intel Iris Pro Graphics/NVIDIA GeFore GT 750M: $2,719 ($480 savings)



Models of the latest 2014 13-inch Retina MacBook Pros have not yet shown up in Apple's refurbished store.



(Thanks, Steve!)

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Posted in 2014 at 01:21AM, October 31

Consumer Reports: iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus Not As Bendable As Believed

Just a day after Apple issued its first statement regarding the ongoing complaints that the iPhone 6 Plus bends in user pockets, Consumer Reports has released its test results for how "bendable" Apple's new phones are. In summary, the results show that the new phones are far stronger than what some testimonies have suggested in the past few days.

To test the phones, Consumer Reports put them through the "three-point flexural test", which has the phone supported at two ends and has pressure applied at a third point, alongside competitors like the HTC One (m8), Samsung Galaxy Note 3, LG G3 and iPhone 5.

Consumer Reports' tests pushed the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus much further than [Apple's test of 55 pounds of force]. We started light, applying 10 pounds of force for 30 seconds, then releasing the force. Then we upped the force in 10-pound increments, noted when the phones first started to deform (that's what our engineers call it) and stopped the test for each phone when we saw the screen come loose from the case.

The results showed that the 6 Plus was actually stronger than the iPhone 6, starting to deform at 90 pounds of force and having its screen and case separate at 110 pounds of force. The iPhone 6 started to deform at 70 pounds of force and started coming apart at 100 pounds of force. The HTC One (m8) performed the worst in Consumer Reports' test, deforming at 70 pounds of force and coming apart at 90 pounds of force.




iPhone 6 Plus after Consumer Reports' test


The LG G3 started to deform and come apart at 130 pounds of force while the iPhone 5 deformed at 130 pounds of force and came apart at 150 pounds of force. The Galaxy Note 3, on the other hand, deformed and came apart at 150 pounds of force. Consumer Reports notes that while other phones, like the iPhone 6 and HTC One, were still functioning after deforming and coming apart, the Note 3 stopped working right away.



Overall, the magazine notes that while none of the phones they tested were indestructible, all devices tested should hold up fine under everyday use

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Posted in 2014 at 01:21AM, September 27

Apple Acquitted in Mexican 'iPhone' Naming Lawsuit [iOS Blog]

The Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) has resolved the dispute between Apple and Mexican telecommunications company iFone over the rights to the phonetic name "iPhone", acquitting Apple of any wrongdoing, reports El Universal [Google Translate].





The IMPI found that the "iPhone" trademark can only be infringed by iFone's fellow telecommunications companies. Because Apple is a hardware company and does not own a wireless network, it is not technically infringing the trademark.



Instead, the IMPI will fine Mexican telecommunications companies Telcel, Iusacell and Movistar and require them to remove "iPhone" advertising and branding from its stores within 15 days. Apple will still be allowed to sell iPhones, however.



Apple has been fighting this case since 2009, losing the court case in November 2012 and then losing an appeal in March 2013.

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Posted in 2014 at 01:21AM, June 06