I will probably upgrade to the iPhone 6s, but not for the reasons you might think. Yes, Apple claims "The only thing that’s changed is everything" and that's true. Almost every element of the iPhone 6 has been enhanced. The metal is stronger. The screen has 3D Touch. The camera is a big improvement. The processor is faster, as are the graphics and networking. If your job was to repair iPhones, there are almost no components from the older iPhone 6 that could be reused in the iPhone 6s. It is entirely new. Everything has indeed changed. Apple has a valid point and it is also trying to head off the inevitable "nothing's changed" criticism that comes with any "s" model.
Cases
iPhone 6 Cover Review: 3 Options from Qmadix
By Daniel Rasmus
I am always overwhelmed by iPhone cases shipments. A few days ago a big box arrived from Qmadix with one of every case they currently distribute for the iPhone 6.
An iPhone 6 Case Roundup 1- Post CES 2015
By Daniel Rasmus
This case round-up looks at the first big wave of iPhone 6 cases that I received after the Consumer Electronics Show. Keep in mind that price doesn’t necessarily reflect the quality or protection attributes of the cases. It is very difficult to compare cases to each other because you need to include your own personal use case in the equation. As you read these reviews, think about the following questions:
CES 2015: Rugged Gear Highlights
By Dig Om
After scouring the sprawling sea of tech-gear that is CES, here's a compilation of the best of the adventure-proof, rugged gear that was on display. While not all of the items featured here are available for order quite yet, all of these products are expected to start shipping by Q2 this year, sometime around March most likely. Read on after the break to see what's coming in the world of heavy-duty gear for our iOS devices.
Deciding Which Essential Accessories to Buy for Your New iPhone
By Daniel Rasmus
You just bought a new iPhone, or better, received one as a holiday gift. It comes in a perfectly wrappable white box, complete with headphone, a charger and a cable for charging and data interchange. It even comes with a bit of iCloud storage for backups and file access.
What more could you want?
It's that time of year again. Right after a new iPhone comes out there is the inevitable deluge of great cases to protect your new investment. This happens with every iPhone release, but perhaps never more markedly than with the introduction of the completely new form factors of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. If ever an iPhone needed a case, it is these larger models, with their increased real estate, slick, rounded edges, and extra weight. Rather than clump a bunch of individual cases together into one roundup I'll be focusing on one great iPhone 6/6 Plus case each week over the course of the coming months. This week's featured case is Pelican's ProGear Voyager.
Pelican has long been considered a pioneer in the design and manufacture of high quality, rugged gear that's designed to last and withstand significant abuse. Their new ruggedized iPhone 5/5s cases continue in this great tradition. With its minimalistic yet highly protective design, the Pelican Voyager ($50) is the latest heavy-duty iPhone case offering from one of the leaders in reliably protective cases. This well-designed case not only meets the demanding Military Standards of device defense, it actually outshines the competition in one critical area.
CES 2014 saw a slew of protective cases for the new iPad Air in all shapes, styles, and colors. Finding a case that stood out from the crowd was no easy task. After looking closely at what seemed like hundreds of cases, the Pelican Pro Vault ($99.95) emerged as one of best cases for the iPad Air, and certainly the best case for the Air if you are looking for rugged, heavy-duty protection.
A Rock Solid Case for Your iPad Air from Pelican
By Todd Bernhard
I love my iPad Air, but it's probably the most expensive gadget I carry around on a daily basis. And as an app developer, I depend upon my iPad Air. So I need to protect it. I was able to try the appropriately named Vault from Pelican ($99.95) and it's a serious case.
iPad Air Case Roundup: First Looks at 19 iPad Air Cases
By Daniel Rasmus
It used to take forever for new iPad cases to arrive. Now it takes days, at most weeks. Many of the new iPad Air cases got the size and shape right, but a few missed the magnets on folios that enable sleep/wake. This first batch of iPad Air cases doesn’t offer any new twists or innovations, instead continuing mostly with cases that are one-offs of earlier iPad cases. The variety does, however, suggest that iPad Air owners will have plenty of options to choose from.
Look for CES announcements to greatly expand the number of options available.
A reliable protective case not only comes in handy to ward off scratches and scrapes, and a good, heavy-duty protective case can make the difference between a catastrophic, life-ending event for your iDevice and a mere bump in the road. Whether you are a bathtub iBook reader or an outdoor adventurer who always has their iPad in tow, a ruggedly protective case that offers a high measure of insulation from outside elements can be a very worthwhile investment.
With that in mind, check out these ultra-protective iPad cases, each with its own unique features and advantages, yet all designed to absorb and redirect the shock and potential damage to your iPad.
A reliable protective case comes in handy not only to ward off scratches and scrapes, a good, heavy-duty protective case can make the difference between a catastrophic, life-ending event for your iDevice and a mere bump in the road. Whether you are a bathtub iBook reader or an outdoor adventurer who always has their iPhone in tow, a ruggedly protective case that offers a high measure of insulation from outside elements can be a very worthwhile investment. Read on to find out which are the best iPhone 5s and 5c heavy-duty cases available right now.
The Bravo ($99.99, special offer) is an aluminum, waterproof and rugged, heavy-duty iPhone 5/5s case. It enters an increasingly crowded field of extreme-protection iPhone cases. Not only does this case manage to hold its own and shine amongst a crowd of excellent waterproof cases, with its ability to be submerged to about 7 feet and its drop-test rating of over 6 feet, the Bravo actually exceeds the highest standards of some of the industry leading alternatives for waterproof iPhone case protection.
TaskOne iPhone Case - A Swiss Army Knife For Your Phone
By Paula Bostrom
When I received TaskLab's TaskOne iPhone case ($99.95) to review, my 15-year-old son grabbed it and immediately declared it the "coolest case ever!"
I have to agree. The TaskOne case, not only protects your phone, but transforms it into a multi-tool. Think Swiss Army Knife for your iPhone.
If you don't know the name Gary Rayner, chances are still good you know the company he built from the ground up. Rayner is the visionary genius behind the phenomenally successful and multiple-award winning Lifeproof protective cases. Over the years, I've had several opportunities to write about Mr. Rayner, his demanding standards of quality, and the Lifeproof line of cases, arguably some of the best iDevice cases on the market.
Last week at the CTIA Wireless Association convention in Las Vegas, not only did Lifeproof win three trophies at the iPhone Life Best of CTIA Awards, it also played a significant role in a major announcement from Brian Thomas, CEO of Otterbox. Live on the iPhone Life iZone stage, Thomas made the announcement that Otterbox had acquired Lifeproof in a move that according to iPhone Life CEO David Averbach “adds substantially to the Otterbox legacy and solidifies the company’s hold on the case market.”
The new Otterbox Armor ($99.95) iPhone cases are arriving in stores Friday and with them a level of protection unprecedented in the world of rugged cases.
The Otterbox Armor series consists of possibly the toughest heavy-duty cases on the market. And of all the companies introducing waterproof cases this year, Otterbox is the only one I know of with offerings for the iPhone 4/4s series, capitalizing on the huge demand for the older iPhones.
Learning About Strategy by Watching the iPhone Case Market
By Daniel Rasmus
Incipio Stashback
With the iPhone 5 comes the next wave of great new cases of all shapes, sizes, colors and prices. And I know that many of you will be eager to have a case for your new iPhone just as soon as possible!
One of the press releases I got today was for the Ballisitic line of cases. In particular, the Hard Core is one of the Ballistic cases that consisitently made my top 5 lists for Best Rugged Cases for the iPhone 4/4S. I expect similar standards of excellence in the new iPhone 5 version of the Hard Core. Read on for the press release and find out more about Ballistic's great line of protective cases.
After months of anticipation and rumored development, Lifeproof, (arguably one of the best protective case manufacturers for iDevices) has produced, and now released, their version of the award-winning Lifeproof case, for the iPad 2 and 3rd generation models.
Called the “nüüd”, this new, completely submersible iPad case is a revolution of design and functionality. This cleverly designed case provides a high level of defense for our precious iPads, unlike anything else on the market.
TinyLightbulbs.com is a ingenious young company that specializes in bringing independently funded and crowd funded projects to greater public awareness. Recently they turned me on to a product called The Flex Kit. Here is a case solution that stands out from a very crowded field of iPad cases. Uzibull has created a versatile and unique product, a protective and functional line of accessories for the iPad that is The Flex Kit.