News

The days of swapping out a broken home button in a do-it-yourself (DIY) iPhone repair are over. Now that the iPhone 5s features Touch ID, iMore points out new hardware security features that could mean more trips to the Genius Bar. This is a side effect of protecting fingerprint data by locking down the Touch ID components.

The image above from iFixit shows the fingerprint sensor and component cable assembly, which are uniquely linked to each individual A7 chip. This extra layer of security means that each iPhone 5s has its own Touch ID harware, which will only work with that specific device. Swapping out the assembly for new parts results in a nonworking Touch ID system.

Despite all the rage surrounding the Gold iPhone 5s, consumers in the US have been more interested in space gray. This is according to research from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), in a report detailed by MacRumors. While the data shows the gold model trailing in last place, limited availability could be affecting the numbers.

At the same time, black iPhone models have historically been more popular. In any event, the data reflects that 43 percent of iPhone 5s units sold in the US were space gray. Silver came in second place with 30 percent of sales, and the coveted gold iPhone 5s clocked 27 percent. 400 consumers were surveyed for the study by CIRP during the month after iPhone 5s and 5c launch.

Bing has joined the ranks of redesigned iOS apps, taking on a new color scheme and flat look inspired by iOS 7. Color scheme and logo updates mean that the Bing app now matches the web version of Microsoft's search service. The revamp is not only cosmetic, but the company has added several new features to its search app.

Version 4.2 of the Bing app now supports animated GIFs, and makes it possible to erase the local search history. Microsoft account users can sign in and stay logged into the app for a longer time period, reducing the number of times a password needs to be entered.

If your iPhone 5s needs charging all the time, it turns out you're not alone. A relatively small number of users have reported that their brand new iPhone 5s battery drains abnormally fast. As it turns out, some iPhone 5s batteries are not performing as they should due to a manufacturing issue, and Apple is moving to correct the problem.

Apple did not specify exactly why the larger capacity 1570 mAh power pack was experiencing the problem in some units, however they are contacting affected customers about the issue. Of course, if you suspect that battery life on your iPhone 5s is substandard, the device is covered by a one year AppleCare warranty. Apple can test the device to confirm there's a problem before issuing a replacement or taking corrective action.

The iPhone 5 may take quality photos and videos, but the stock Camera app doesn't say much about how much storage is left on your device. Having a video stop recording because the iPhone is full means missing the action. Those who are still running iOS 6-6.1.2 can solve this problem with the jailbreak tweak FreeSpaceCam.

FreeSpaceCam adds more information to the in-camera heads up display. Battery percentage, video time remaining, and available storage capacity can be added to the stock Camera app. Each individual stat can be switched on or off, and the tweak can be disabled entirely if needed.