iPhone 5s vs. iPhone 5: The improved camera

Apple unveiled the iPhone 5s, the successor to its bestselling flagship phone, the iPhone 5, on Tuesday. The iPhone 5s is a much improved version of the iPhone 5 with new internals, although it sports almost the same design. It offers some revolutionary features including a new A7 chip with 64-bit architecture, a fingerprint scanner, new colour options and better battery life, among others.

The iPhone 5s also boasts of a much improved iSight camera. Apple has not increased the resolution of the sensor but has put a new 8-megapixel camera on the iPhone 5s that has a 15 percent larger sensor, bigger pixels measuring 1.5 microns and an aperture of f/2.2 allowing more light to come in, in addition to a backside illumination sensor (BSI). This, according to Apple, will allow users to take good quality pictures even in low light, apart from capturing sharper detail.

Also see: Take a look at our complete specification by specification comparison in tabular format here: Apple iPhone 5 vs. iPhone 5s comparison.

The Apple iPhone 5s' iSight camera comes with a continuous burst mode which is capable of shooting 10 pictures per second, and offers a real-time analysis suggesting individual shots or a sequence of photos that users might like best.

The iSight camera on the iPhone 5s comes with an accompanying True Tone Flash that feature a white LED and an amber LED which work with software algorithms to adjust flash intensity and colour temperature, with over 1000 unique combinations to light the subject.

The latest iSight camera also comes with auto-image stabilisation to help reduce noise and motion from shaky hands or moving subjects. The camera also offers a Slo-Mo mode to shoot slow motion video at 120 frames per second at 720p. It also comes with live video zoom for zooming in up to 3x while shooting a video, in addition to live photo filters that can be previewed before shooting a picture.

In addition to these, the iPhone 5s camera also offers a new Square mode for taking photos for sharing on social networks, and a Panorama mode for taking panorama photos. It's worth pointing out that these features are included in iOS 7 and would also be extended to the iPhone 5.

The iPhone 5s sports a new 1.2-megapixel front-facing FaceTime HD Camera that also comes with a BSI sensor for capturing low-light self-clicks and support for 720p HD video recording for high-quality video chats.

Overall, the iPhone 5s offers a better camera bringing the ability to take images in low-light conditions, and capture slow motion videos. It also offers a smarter dual-LED flash.

Touch ID: Inside the fingerprint scanner on Apple's iPhone 5s

Apple unveiled the new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c at a special event held at its headquarters in Cupertino. While the iPhone 5c did not live up to its promise of being a 'low-cost iPhone', the iPhone 5s showed off some promising innovations, like the new Apple A7 chip and, perhaps the highlight of the event, a built-in fingerprint scanner called Touch ID.

Touch ID can be used to unlock the phone, by simply placing a finger on the Home button. It can also be used to confirm purchases made on the App Store, iBookstore or the iTunes Store.

You can scan and add multiple fingerprints (e.g. left and right thumbs, as well as index fingers), including those from multiple people (e.g. your wife or kids), and Touch ID will authenticate based on any of stored prints.

In case you are worried about privacy, Apple assures that fingerprints are encrypted and stored in a secure area inside the new A7 chip. Fingerprints are not accessible to any third-party apps, and nor are they sent to Apple's servers or backed onto iCloud.

So what's the technology behind Apple's latest innovation? The Touch ID capacitive sensor embedded in the Home button scans your finger at 500ppi resolution to get a high resolution image of your finger. The sensor embedded in the Home button is just 170 microns thin.

The new Home button is made out of sapphire crystal, one of the "clearest, hardest" materials out there. The Home button protects the fingerprint sensor and also acts as a lens to precisely beam your fingerprint to the scanner. The Home button is surrounded by a steel ring, that can detect touches and tell Touch ID to start scanning when a finger is placed.

The sensor uses advanced capacitive touch to take high-resolution image of the sub-epidermal layers of your skin. The resultant image is then analysed, and grouped into one of three fingerprint types: Arch, Loop or Whorl. It then analyses ridges and other details too small for the human eye to see, to come up with a match for one of the stored fingerprints.

Here's a video that gives a closer look at Touch ID.

10 new features in Apple's iPhone 5s

Apple unveiled the next-generation iPhone, iPhone 5s along with the new iPhone 5c at a special event on Tuesday. The iPhone 5s is a much improvised version of the iPhone 5 with new internals, although it sports almost the same design. It offers some revolutionary features. Here's a look at 10 new features of the iPhone 5s.

1. New A7 chip with 64-bit architecture
According to Apple, the iPhone 5s is the first smartphone in the world to be powered by a chip with a 64-bit architecture. The iPhone 5s' A7 chip delivers CPU and graphics performance up to 2x faster than the A6 chip that powered the iPhone 5.The phone runs a 64-bit version of iOS 7, designed to take advantage of the A7 chip. The A7 chip supports OpenGL ES version 3.0 to deliver gaming console-level detailed graphics and complex visual effects. The iOS 7 native apps including the Camera app takes advantage of the new A7 processor.

2. Touch ID - the fingerprint scanner
The most talked about feature of the iPhone 5s, the Touch ID is a new fingerprint identity sensor integrated with the phone's Home button. Fingerprint recognition can be used for unlocking the phone and also for approving purchases from iTunes Store, the App Store, and the iBooks Store. The Touch ID feature is capable of 360-degree readability allowing users to enter fingerprints in portrait, landscape, or any other position. It even supports multiple fingerprints. The iPhone 5s Home button is made from sapphire and is scratch resistant.

3. A new M7 coprocessor for efficiency
The iPhone 5s' A7 processor is supported by its M7 coprocessor that takes care of measuring motion data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass sensors of the phone, sending them to new fitness apps without waking up the A7 processor, leading to improved battery life. It also recognises different types of motion.

4. A new iSight camera
Apple has put a new 8-megapixel camera on the iPhone 5s that has a 15 percent larger sensor, bigger pixels measuring 1.5 microns and an aperture of f/2.2 allowing more light to come in. It comes with a Continuous burst mode which is capable of shooting 10 pictures per second, and offers a real-time analysis suggesting individual shots or a sequence of photos that users might like best.

The camera comes with an accompanying True Tone Flash that feature a white LED and an amber LED which work with software algorithms to adjust flash intensity and colour temperature, with over 1000 unique combinations to light the subject.
The iPhone 5s camera comes with auto-image stabilisation to help reduce noise and motion from shaky hands or moving subjects. The camera also offers a Slo-Mo mode to shoot slow motion video at 120 frames per second at 720p. It also comes with Live video zoom for zooming in up to 3x while shooting a video, in addition to live filters.

5. A new FaceTime HD front-facing camera
The iPhone 5s sports a new 1.2-megapixel front-facing FaceTime Camera that comes with a Backside illumination sensor (BSI sensor) for capturing low-light images and support for 720p HD video recording.

6. Support for a large number of 4G LTE bands
The iPhone 5s has up to 13 LTE bands, more than any other single model of a smartphone. This will allow iPhone 5s users to access high-speed Internet in more countries around the world. The new iPhone even supports Band 40, which is the same frequency band on which Airtel's 4G service has been deployed in India.

7. Two new colour options
The iPhone 5s is based on the iPhone 5's design complete with the chamfered edges. However, Apple has scrapped the Black variant and introduced a new Space Gray colour, in addition to the widely rumoured Gold colour variant.

8. iOS 7
The new iPhone 5s will run iOS 7 that leverages its 64-bit A7 chip, the Touch ID fingerprint identity sensor, and the new iSight camera. It also sports a brand new user interface and brings new features, such as a refreshed multitasking view, AirDrop, and Control Center. It also offers new native apps and a new version of Siri.

9. Better battery life
The iPhone 5s claims to offer up to 10 hours of talk time on 3G and standby time of 250 hours. In contrast, the iPhone 5 claims to deliver 8 hours of talk time on 3G and standby time of 225 hours.

10. Free bundled apps
Apple will also offer its premium iWork and iLife apps including Pages, Keynote, Number, iLife and iMovie, free to customers who buy the new iPhone 5s.

Apple unveils iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s

Apple Inc introduced two new iPhones on Tuesday including the "iPhone 5c" that comes in five colors and starts at $99 with a contract, priced to bring one of the industry's costliest smartphones within reach of the masses in poorer emerging markets.

Chief Executive Tim Cook kicked off the event at the company's Cupertino headquarters which also ushered in the pricier iPhone 5s. Shares in Apple, which had been in negative territory most of the morning, briefly went positive and were down just 0.5 percent at $503.48.

Cook expects Apple to ship the 700 millionth device - an iPhone or iPad - based on iOS mobile software sometime next month.

The world's most valuable technology company is trying to beat back rivals like Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Huawei Technologies Co Ltd in markets like India and China, where it is quickly losing ground.

Wall Street approves of the move to offer a more basic version of the device, although some investors warned initially that it would reduce margins and potentially tarnish a brand that has been linked to premium users since its 2007 inception.

Now they hope a bigger emerging-market presence can help reverse a 29 percent fall in the company's share price since it hit a record high of $702.10 a year ago. The selloff was fueled by fears of slowing growth and a perception that Apple's ability to innovate and shake up industries was dwindling.

The new iPhones, coupled with a belief that Apple will announce a deal with the world's largest carrier in China, have spurred investors to build bullish share and options positions in the company over the past two weeks.

Also sparking Apple's upward momentum was hedge fund billionaire Carl Icahn's revelation last month that he had taken a large position and was pushing for the company to expand its program of share buybacks.

He has said the stock may rise to as much as $700 if Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook pushed for a larger buyback. The shares were down 0.5 percent at $503.64 in morning trading.

Industry observers said Apple had not turned out a category-defining electronic device since late co-founder Steve Jobs made a bet on the iPad in 2010. Speculation revolves around a smartwatch along the same lines as Samsung's recently introduced Galaxy Gear, or some sort of TV product.

But analysts said neither was likely to generate numbers anywhere in the neighborhood of the iPhone, which supplies half of Apple's revenue and is the company's highest-margin product.

"Apple needs to demonstrate in the coming months that it has other product lines which can start to make up for slowing growth and falling margins in (the) iPhone and iPad," said Jan Dawson, a chief telecoms analyst for Ovum Research. "That's a tall order."

More immediately, Apple will get a boost if it succeeds in enlisting China Mobile Ltd in its iPhone network. For the first time, the company will host media in Beijing just nine hours after its Cupertino, California, launch, spurring speculation it will announce a distribution agreement with the Chinese carrier.

The world's largest wireless carrier serves more than 740 million users and is perceived as more amenable to carrying the popular smartphone now that profit and subscriber growth are decelerating. Net income grew just 2 percent in the quarter that ended in June.

And smaller rivals China Unicom and China Telecom, which both already sell Apple's iPhone are making headway against the market leader.

Separately, Japan's largest carrier, NTT DoCoMo, is expected to begin selling it as soon as this fall, other sources said.

One key question is whether Apple will also sell its cheaper iPhone 5c in more mature markets like Europe or the United States, heightening the risk that it will begin cannibalizing sales of the flagship 5s.

Globally, the market for cheaper smartphones priced around $300 - the iPhone 5 now starts at $649 without a contract - may grow to 900 million units by 2015, Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi estimated. Assuming Apple manages to capture just 10 percent of that market, the 5c would bring in revenue of $30 billion annually.

"The only real potential to surprise investors (on Tuesday) seems to be in the scope and velocity of a new China strategy, and any new features within iOS 7 and fingerprint scanner technology," said Barclays analyst Ben Reitzes.

"Since it missed the trend toward larger screened phones and seems poised for only incremental iPad improvements, we believe that Apple needs to prove it can innovate in software and services."

iPhone 5C leaked specifications point to dual-core CPU, Siri support

We've seen the low-cost iPhone or the iPhone 5C a number of times in multiple colours thanks to leaked videos and images. However, not much is known about the hardware specifications of the phone except that it might feature internals similar to the iPhone 5. A new report claims to shed some light on the specifications of the low-cost iPhone.

According to SIM Only Radar, the iPhone 5C will be powered by a dual-core CPU, and will have a 4-inch screen, just like the iPhone 5, with a resolution of 640x1136 pixels. The site cites a specs sheet that it received from a tipster as the source for this information.

The sheet mentions that the iPhone 5C will have 1GB of RAM, and will come in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB storage variants. It will sport an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.2-megapixel front facing camera camera and run iOS 7 complete with Siri which would be available in English, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Italian and Spanish, as per the tipster.

The iPhone 5C will reportedly be 6 grams lighter than the iPhone 5 at 106 grams and will measure 124.2 x 58.4 x 7.6 mm. The iPhone 5 measures 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm. If the rumoured specifications are true than the phone would almost be the same size as that of the iPhone 5.

It's worth pointing out that Apple hasn't officially acknowledged the presence of a low-cost iPhone. The low-cost iPhone or iPhone 5C has leaked several times. Alleged pictures of the iPhone 5C have revealed a plastic polycarbonate body back panel in White, Blue, Red, Yellow and Green colours, a round camera lens and LED flash, lightning connector port, Apple logo and iPhone branding.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 5S along with the iPhone 5C on September 10 at an event in San Francisco.

iPhone 5C spotted in new high-resolution pictures, expected price leaks

The purported low-cost iPhone just doesn't stop when it comes to making appearances online.

New high resolution photos of the alleged device have surfaced online, once again, courtesy Sonny Dickson who had earlier shared a video of a partially assembled low-cost iPhone (also identified as iPhone 5C).

Dickson has posted an entire picture gallery featuring close up shots of the low cost iPhone's back and sides, in addition to photos of its internals.

The device pictured matches the one that previously appeared in high resolution images and video.

The pictures show the same plastic polycarbonate body back panel that appeared in recent leaks, in glossy White, complete with a round camera lens and LED flash, Apple logo and iPhone branding.

At the bottom of the phone, there's a small hole for the second microphone, next to the 3.5mm headset jack port, two screw holes with the Lightning connector port at the centre, and four holes for the speaker towards bottom right.

It's worth pointing out that similar to previous appearances, the shell does not have any buttons or even a SIM-tray, though it does have holes at the designated places in line with the iPhone 5. It also doesn't have any certification logos. Perhaps the device is still a stage away from the final product. The pictures of the internals also don't reveal much as they don't feature the main board.

While the device is said to be the low cost iPhone, it's still difficult to confirm if Apple will indeed launch it this fall when it's expected to announce new devices.

It's also being rumoured that Apple will launch the phone at a price of 3000 yuan ($490 or Rs. 30,000 approximately). According to a post on Sina Weibo by C technology (via PhoneArena), as expected, the low cost iPhone might not be a budget device though it will be priced relatively less compared to the iPhone 5.

iPhone 5C, fifth-generation iPad and iPhone 5S parts spotted in fresh, separate leaks

While the purported low-cost iPhone (also referred to as the iPhone 5C) has made a number of online appearances, alleged pictures of the next generation iPad's rear shell surfaced last week.

Following up on the previous rumours, Apple focused Japanese website Mac Otakara has published(via Sonny Dickson) two new videos of partially assembled low cost iPhone (iPhone 5C) and next-generation iPad.

The first video shows the front and back panel of the fifth-generation iPad assembled together. Interestingly, unlike the back panel that appeared in leaked pictures, last week, this one shows a transparent or translucent Apple logo similar to the one seen on MacBooks. The leaked images featured a case that had the Apple logo carved out.

 

The second video shows a similar assembly of the back and front panels of the alleged low-cost iPhone or iPhone 5C. It shows the same White coloured plastic back panel that we've seen several times. It also reaffirms that the phone's front panel will be all black, similar to the image and video of the phone posted by Techdy in July.

 

New images featuring alleged iPhone 5S parts have also surfaced online courtesy Sonny Dickson. The parts include the nano-SIM tray and speaker button, flex cables for the home button, charger connector, Wi-Fi component, and speaker. However, there are no signs of a fingerprint scanner, support for which is said to be included in iOS 7.

As always, we'll add that the leaks should be taken with a pinch of salt as there's no way to verify the authenticity of the parts that appear in the video. Even if they're authentic, they could be from internal prototypes of these devices and not the final versions. 

Apple is expected to release the iPhone 5S, the next generation iPhone, along with the low-cost iPhone or iPhone 5C in fall with iOS 7. The new iPad and iPad mini are also expected to be released in the fourth-quarter.

iOS 7 beta 4 code 'confirms' fingerprint sensor in new iPhone

Looks like rumours of a new iPhone with a fingerprint sensor might finally turn out to be true, going by close analysis of the latest beta of iOS 7.

According to a report by 9to5mac.com, iOS 7 beta 4, which was seeded to registered developers on Monday, includes a folder named "BiometricKitUI." The code present in the Accessibility section of the OS contains text strings related to a VoiceOver tutorial with instructions on using the fingerprint sensor on the iPhone. The report is in turn based on observations by Hamza Sood. The text strings mention:

"Photo of a person holding an iPhone with their left hand while touching the Home button with their thumb 
Photo of a person holding an iPhone with their right hand while touching the Home button with their thumb 
A fingerprint that changes colour during the setup process. 
Recognition is %@ complete"

The string indicates that the fingerprint sensor would most likely be present on the iPhone's Home button and it's likely that it would be deployed in the unlocking mechanism of the phone.

Previous reports had indicated that Apple had selected Taiwanese chip maker Chipbond for sourcing a number of components for the iPhone 5S, including the touch display driver and hardware to support fingerprint sensor and near field communications (NFC) functionality. The report suggested that Apple would integrate the fingerprint sensor with NFC driven mobile payments to strengthen security, which remains a major concern for the company.

Apple had acquired mobile security firm AuthenTec, last year, in a deal valued at about $356 million. AuthenTec makes security software and chips including chips for fingerprint recognition and near-field communication (NFC) for mobile phones that it licenses to companies like Samsung. After the deal, analysts and tech pundits have been expecting Apple to use the technology in its next generation iPhone. Another report had pointed out to the company's notice to its customers saying that it won't offer its technology to them starting 2013.

While the Apple iPhone 5 was also rumoured to support NFC before its launch, the company did not include it. It does support mobile payments via Passbook, Apple's software-based wallet. 

Earlier, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had also claimed in his new research report that the Apple iPhone 5S would have a fingerprint reader under the Home button for security.

Meanwhile, the iOS 7 beta 4 brings several performance, usability and cosmetic changes. In terms of UI changes, the beta fixes the position of the 'slide to unlock' arrow in the lock screen, brings new buttons to the dialler and call answer screens, a Cancel option in universal search (Spotlight) interface, ability to swipe between different sections in Notification Center, visual tweaks in Safari and Mail apps, tweaked filters UI and HDR button in the Camera app, new Airplay icons, and improved transparency and animations in folders.

Usability wise, the new beta supports unlimited apps in the multitasking view, faster Compass calibration, new sound alert for AirDrop, Siri Q&A feature, new resolution switch in the iPad while running iPhone apps, ability to shuffle all songs in the Music app, and search functionality in Reminders app, amongst other changes.

Apple's cheaper iPhone to be called iPhone 5C?

While rumours are rife about Apple launching a new low cost variant of the iPhone, it's still not known what the purported phone will be called. 

However, a new leaked photograph of plastic retail packaging that appeared on a Chinese website shows white plastic boxes marked 'iPhone 5C' complete with the Apple logo. It's hard to confirm if the packaging boxes are genuine, or whether they're being made for Apple's upcoming low-cost iPhone. 

If we assume that these boxes are genuine, then it's likely that Apple would use them for it's budget iPhone which is rumoured to come in a number of colour options. The leaked picture was posted on Chines website WeiPhone and was first spotted by Nowhereelse.fr.

While the next generation iPhone is likely to be called the iPhone 5S, inline with Apple's nomenclature pattern for the iPhone, the 'C' in iPhone 5C could denote 'colour/ color'.

Another interesting thing to note here is that the plastic boxes seen in the leaked images appear to have a lining inside where a front cover, which would most likely be transparent, can fit. So the packaging would be pretty similar to the iPod touch's packaging to highlight the new iPhone's coloured trims. 

The budget iPhone has made several appearances in pictures and videos. The leaks hint at colourful back panels made of polycarbonate/ plastic and a 4.0-inch screen. 

A video of the phone appeared on the blog of Techdy, showing the  plastic polycarbonate body back panel of the alleged low-cost iPhone that appeared in recent leaks.

French website Nowhereelse.fr had earlier shared a couple of pictures that originally appeared on a Chinese website depicting Red, Yellow and Green plastic shell cases of what looks like the back of a new variant of iPhone.

Another picture of the rear shell appeared in April, and was shared by case manufacturer Tactus. The case maker had said that the cheaper iPhone would be available in Black, White, Blue, Red and Yellow colours, citing the 'factory producing this secretive project' as a source. Tactus had informed that the actual phone might be around 9mm thick, 120mm in height and around 62-65mm in width, making it both taller and wider than the iPhone 4 and 4S.

Apple-focused Japanese blog Macotakara had also suggested that the new low-cost iPhone will come in multiple colours.

Researchers hack Verizon device, turn it into mobile spy station

Two security experts said they have figured out how to spy on Verizon Wireless mobile phone customers by hacking into devices the U.S. carrier sells to boost wireless signals indoors.

The finding, which the experts demonstrated to Reuters and will further detail at two hacking conferences this summer, comes at a time of intense global debate about electronic privacy, after top-secret U.S. surveillance programs were leaked by a former National Security Agency contractor, Edward Snowden, last month.

"This is not about how the NSA would attack ordinary people. This is about how ordinary people would attack ordinary people," said Tom Ritter, a senior consultant with the security firm iSEC Partners.

Verizon said it has updated the software on its signal-boosting devices, known as femtocells or network extenders, to prevent hackers from copying the technique of the two experts.

But Ritter said motivated hackers can still find other ways to hack the femtocells of Verizon, as well as those offered by some 30 carriers worldwide to their customers.

Femtocells, which act as tiny cellphone towers, can be purchased directly from Verizon for $250. Used models can be obtained online for about $150.

Ritter and his colleague, Doug DePerry, demonstrated for Reuters how they can eavesdrop on text messages, photos and phone calls made with an Android phone and an iPhone by using a Verizon femtocell that they had previously hacked.

They declined to disclose how they had modified the software on the device, saying they do not want to make it any easier for criminals to figure out similar ways to hack femtocells.

The two said they plan to give more elaborate demonstrations two weeks from now at the Black Hat and Def Con hacking conferences in Las Vegas. More than 15,000 security professionals and hackers are expected to attend those conferences, which feature talks on newly found bugs in communications systems, smart TVs, mobile devices and computers that run facilities from factories to oil rigs.

Verizon Wireless released a Linux software update in March that prevents its network extenders from being compromised in the manner reported by Ritter and DePerry, according to company spokesman David Samberg.

"The Verizon Wireless Network Extender remains a very secure and effective solution for our customers," Samberg said in a statement. He said there have been no reports of customers being impacted by the bug that the researchers had identified. The company is a joint venture between Verizon Communications Inc and Vodafone Group Plc.

Samberg said his company uses an internal security team as well as outside firms to look for vulnerabilities in the devices it sells, before and after they are released.

Still, the two researchers said they are able to use the hacked femtocell to spy on Verizon phones even after Verizon released that update because they had modified the device before the company pushed out the software fix.

The researchers built their "proof of concept" system that they will demonstrate in Las Vegas with femtocells manufactured by Samsung Electronics Co and a $50 antenna from Wilson Electronics Inc.

They said that with a little more work, they could have weaponized it for stealth attacks by packaging all equipment needed for a surveillance operation into a backpack that could be dropped near a target they wanted to monitor.

For example, a group interested in potential mergers might place such a backpack in Manhattan restaurants frequented by investment bankers. Verizon's website said the device has a 40-foot range, but the researchers believe that could be expanded by adding specialized antennas.

The iSEC researchers are not the first to warn of vulnerabilities in femtocells, but claim to be the first to hack the femtocells of a U.S. carrier and also the first running on a wireless standard known as CDMA.

Other hacking experts have previously uncovered security bugs in femtocells used by carriers in Europe.

CTIA, a wireless industry group based in Washington, in February released a report that identified femtocells as a potential point of attack.

John Marinho, CTIA's vice president for cybersecurity and Technology, said that the group is more concerned about other potential cyber threats, such as malicious apps. He is not aware of any case where attacks were launched via femtocells.

Still, he said, the industry is monitoring the issue: "Threats change every day."

Apple to probe death of woman who used charging iPhone

Apple Inc is investigating an accident in which a Chinese woman was killed by an electric shock when answering a call on her iPhone 5 while it was charging, the U.S. technology company said on Monday.

Last Thursday, Ma Ailun, a 23-year-old woman from China's western Xinjiang region and a flight attendant with China Southern Airlines, was electrocuted when she took a call on the charging mobile telephone, the official Xinhua news agency quoted police as saying on Sunday.

(Also see: Chinese family says daughter got electrocuted while using iPhone)

"We are deeply saddened to learn of this tragic incident and offer our condolences to the Ma family. We will fully investigate and cooperate with authorities in this matter," Apple said in an e-mail.

Apple declined to comment on details, such as whether this was an isolated case.

Ma's sister tweeted on Sina's microblog saying that Ma collapsed and died after using her charging iPhone 5 and urged users to be careful, a message that went viral on the site.

In April, Apple apologised to Chinese consumers and altered iPhone warranty policies in its second-biggest market after its after-sales service suffered more more than two weeks of condemnation by the state-run media.

Apple signs fresh agreement with Samsung for supplying iPhone chips: Report

Apple and Samsung have renewed their agreement related to sourcing of mobile processors, if a new report is to be believed.

According to The Korea Economic Daily, Apple has signed a new deal with Samsung under which the latter will supply processors for Apple's iPhone, starting 2015. The report cites industry sources to inform that the agreement was signed on July 14, and that Samsung will produce the new chips deploying the 14 nano FinFET technology for Apple's iPhone 7 which is expected to release in the second half of 2015.

Samsung has produced chips for Apple's iPhone since it was first introduced in 2007. It still manufactures the Apple A6 processor that powers the iPhone 5. However, it was reported that Apple was cutting Samsung from A7 production as the two companies were at loggerheads after their rivalry in the smartphones segment and patent disputes across the world. Apple signing a new deal with Samsung comes as a surprise as it was believed that the former was cutting its reliance on the South Korean company.

In fact, the news comes shortly after it was reported that Apple had signed a three year agreement with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company(TSMC) and its partner Global UniChip to make its new A-series chips built through 20nm, 16nm and 10nm process nodes. The report had cited industry sources to inform that TSMC would commence production of the Cupertino giant's A8 processor in small quantities in July 2013, and increase production capacity after December. It also said that a part of the chip maker's capacity would be used for manufacturing new Apple A9 and A9X processors.

The Apple A8 processor is expected to power a new iPhone which is expected to release in early 2014, while the A9 and A9X chips are likely to power new iPhone and iPad products.

Another report by The Wall Street Journal had reiterated that Apple had indeed signed an agreement with TSMC, citing unidentified TSMC executives as source. It said that the move was the latest in a series of efforts by Apple to lessen its reliance on parts produced by Samsung, however, it added that Samsung would remain Apple's main supplier of high-resolution screens, memory chips and processors used in mobile devices through next year.

Chinese family says daughter got electrocuted while using iPhone

Relatives of a 23-year-old woman from northwest China have claimed that she died after being electrocuted while using her iPhone.

The older sister of victim, Ailun, said on Sina Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, that Ma was electrocuted while trying to answer a call on her iPhone while the device was charging, Xinhua reported.

"(I) hope that Apple Inc can give us an explanation. I also hope that all of you will refrain from using your mobile devices while charging," her post read.

The post has gone viral online, with many forwarding the message and warning others of the dangers of using mobile devices while they are being charged.

Ma's father, Ma Guanghui, confirmed that his daughter was electrocuted, adding that her body showed signs of electrocution.

Ma, a resident of Xinjiang's city of Changji, was previously employed as a flight attendant at China Southern Airlines.

Ma's sister said she hopes to seek justice from Apple.

Apple said Sunday the company felt "deeply sorry for the unfortunate accident" and expressed condolence to the victim and her family. It said it would have a thorough probe into the case.

Chinese family says daughter got electrocuted while using iPhone

Relatives of a 23-year-old woman from northwest China have claimed that she died after being electrocuted while using her iPhone.

The older sister of victim, Ailun, said on Sina Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, that Ma was electrocuted while trying to answer a call on her iPhone while the device was charging, Xinhua reported.

"(I) hope that Apple Inc can give us an explanation. I also hope that all of you will refrain from using your mobile devices while charging," her post read.

The post has gone viral online, with many forwarding the message and warning others of the dangers of using mobile devices while they are being charged.

Ma's father, Ma Guanghui, confirmed that his daughter was electrocuted, adding that her body showed signs of electrocution.

Ma, a resident of Xinjiang's city of Changji, was previously employed as a flight attendant at China Southern Airlines.

Ma's sister said she hopes to seek justice from Apple.

Apple said Sunday the company felt "deeply sorry for the unfortunate accident" and expressed condolence to the victim and her family. It said it would have a thorough probe into the case