iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max announced: 6.5-inch model, new gold finish, much more

Apple has officially announced iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max. The intro video shows two sizes, both available in new gold finishes. Silver and space gray stick around. More details below:

The new iPhones are more water resistant, rated IP68. The glass has been updated to be more durable as well. Second model has 6.5-inch display, 2688×1242 at 458 ppi.

iPhone Xs Max name confirmed — because more screen space than a “Plus” phone. iPhone Xs Max display supports landscape two-column apps like previous Plus phones. 3D Touch sticks around for iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max (as expected). Wider stereo sound also included with upgraded speaker system.

Face ID reported to be faster thanks to faster Secure Enclave and faster algorithms. New chip is A12 Bionic, the first 7nm processor. Upgraded Neutral Engine is 8-core, up from 2-core, to power machine learning features.

iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max available with up to 512GB of storage, up from 256GB.

iPhone Xs camera upgraded with improved True Tone flash, larger sensor in 12M wide camera. Front facing 7MP camera has faster sensor. Phil Schiller says camera quality improved with new processors and the image signal processor. iPhone Xs features Smart HDR feature with zero shutter lag and exposure adjusting at different intervals of the shot.

iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max also feature blur adjustment after Portrait photos are taken. The new iPhones can also record sound in stereo thanks to a four microphone system.

iPhone Xs also touts 30 minutes longer battery life. iPhone Xs Max features the largest iPhone battery with 90 minutes longer usage. Giga-bit class LTE networking, most number of bands for worldwide roaming, and dual SIM support.

Dual SIM relies in part on eSIM, supports up to two phone numbers, and incoming calls specify which SIM is used. In China, eSIM is not supported so special SIM trays that support two physical SIM cards will be sold.

iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max up for pre-order on September 14 and shipping September 21. iPhone Xs starts at $999, and iPhone Xs Max starts at $1099.

iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max bring the best and biggest displays to iPhone

Most Advanced iPhone Ever Features a 5.8-Inch and 6.5-Inch All-Screen Design, with Powerful A12 Bionic Chip and a Breakthrough Dual Camera System

Introducing iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max, the most advanced iPhones ever.

Cupertino, California — Apple today announced iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max, the most advanced iPhones ever, taking the vision for the future of the smartphone to a new level. The 5.8-inch iPhone Xs and 6.5-inch iPhone Xs Max feature stunning Super Retina displays, a faster and improved dual camera system that offers breakthrough photo and video features, the first 7-nanometer chip in a smartphone — the A12 Bionic chip with next-generation Neural Engine — faster Face ID, wider stereo sound, a beautiful new gold finish and introduce Dual SIM to iPhone. iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max will be available for pre-order beginning Friday, September 14 and in stores beginning Friday, September 21.


iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max come in gorgeous gold, space gray and silver finishes.

“iPhone Xs is packed with next-generation technologies and is a huge step forward for the future of the smartphone. Everything is state of the art including the industry-first 7-nanometer A12 Bionic chip with 8-core Neural Engine, faster Face ID and an advanced dual camera system that shoots Portrait mode photos with Smart HDR and dynamic depth of field,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iPhone Xs is not one, but two new iPhone models, and iPhone Xs Max offers the biggest display ever in an iPhone with the biggest battery ever in an iPhone, delivering up to an hour and a half more battery life in your day.”


Featuring the best and biggest displays ever in an iPhone.

Two All-Screen Designs

iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max build on the all-screen design of iPhone X and feature the sharpest displays with the highest pixel density of any Apple device. Now offered in 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch sizes,1 these Super Retina displays with a custom OLED design support Dolby Vision and HDR10 and have iOS system-wide color management for the best color accuracy in the industry. iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max offer a million-to-one contrast ratio with remarkable brightness and true blacks while showing 60 percent greater dynamic range in HDR photos. iPhone Xs Max delivers a more immersive experience with over 3 million pixels for videos, movies and games, offering the largest display ever in an iPhone in a footprint similar to iPhone 8 Plus.


5.8-inch and 6.5-inch Super Retina displays are the sharpest with the highest pixel density of any Apple device.

A surgical grade stainless steel band now in gold joins finishes in silver and space gray. Wider stereo playback creates a more immersive soundstage. The front and back glass design features the most durable glass ever in a smartphone with improved scratch resistance, while the glass back enables faster wireless charging. iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max reach a new level of splash and water resistance of IP68 for up to 2 meters for 30 minutes and protect against everyday spills including coffee, tea and soda.2


iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max are splash- and water-resistant rated IP68 and protect against everyday spills including coffee, tea and soda.

A12 Bionic and Next-Generation Neural Engine

The Apple-designed A12 Bionic, the smartest and most powerful chip in a smartphone, features the first 7-nanometer chip ever in a smartphone that delivers industry-leading performance in a more power-efficient design. A12 Bionic features a six-core fusion architecture with two performance cores that are up to 15 percent faster, four efficiency cores that are up to 50 percent more efficient, a four-core GPU that is up to 50 percent faster, powerful Apple-designed Image Signal Processor (ISP), video encoder and more. A fast storage controller can deliver iPhone storage up to 512GB. All of this unlocks new experiences for games, photography, video editing and graphics-intensive apps. Even with all this power, iPhone Xs offers 30 minutes longer than iPhone X, and iPhone Xs Max offers an hour and a half longer than iPhone X, between charges.


A12 Bionic unlocks new experiences for AR, games, photography, video editing, graphics-intensive apps and more.

The next-generation Neural Engine is built for advanced machine learning in everything from photography to augmented reality. A new eight-core design allows it to complete up to 5 trillion operations per second compared to 600 billion in A11 Bionic. This enables new capabilities like faster plane detection for ARKit and new features that use real-time machine learning. For the first time the Neural Engine is open to Core ML, empowering developers to build apps that utilize this highly efficient machine learning engine. Core ML running on the A12 Bionic Neural Engine is up to nine times faster than on A11 Bionic, with as little as one-tenth the energy usage.

Breakthrough 12MP Dual Camera System

iPhone Xs continues to bring innovations to photography, things not possible before iPhone. Capabilities like advanced depth segmentation using the Neural Engine, Smart HDR creating photos with high dynamic range and great image detail, advanced bokeh quality in Portrait mode photos and dynamic depth of field that is user adjustable in the Photos app, are all huge improvements in state-of-the-art photographic techniques that everyone can use.


A breakthrough new 12MP dual camera system with 2x optical zoom and dual optical image stabilization introduce a new era of iPhone photography.

The 12-megapixel dual camera system features dual optical image stabilization with 2x optical zoom, while a new sensor is twice as fast. Smart HDR creates photos with more highlights and shadow detail. Larger and deeper pixels improve image fidelity and low-light performance.


Advanced Portrait mode comes to iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max for even more sophisticated bokeh.

iPhone and iPad tips offered via Apple’s new YouTube channel

So you’re fiddling about with your new iPhone and you can’t work out how to perform some relatively simple tasks. You might hit Apple’s online support pages for a solution, or try your luck DMing the company’s support service on Twitter. Or maybe load up Apple’s support app if all else fails.

Well, thanks to a new YouTube channel launched by the Cupertino-based company on Tuesday, you now have another option.

Apple Support on YouTube is a collection of how-to videos for anyone looking for tips on getting the most out of their iPhone and iPad. Most of the videos will also work for those of you with an iPod Touch, though Apple only mentions its more popular iOS devices on its new YouTube channel.

Apple support via YouTube channel

Having been up for just a few hours, the site so far shows only 10 how-to videos, including how to take a screenshot on your Apple device (by far its most popular video so far and embedded above), how to change the wallpaper, how to delete the call history, and how to link duplicates or delete contacts.

It seems like all of the videos are going to follow the same format — a split screen with a written explanation on the left and the device on the right, and a narrator explaining the steps you need to take. The videos posted so far run for between one and two minutes.

As we said, the channel has only just gone live, so expect Apple to add lots more how-to videos over time.

And if you can’t find what you’re looking for, then check out DT’s own comprehensive guides for Apple devices, including 27 tips and tricks for its latest operation system (iOS 11), handy tips for the new iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, 15 tips and tricks for the iPhone SE, and how to navigate iOS 11 using the iPhone X.

If you’re really starting from scratch with Apple’s mobile operating system, then our guide to getting started with your new iPhone or iPad (or iPod Touch!) should sort you out nicely.

iPhone 8 release date, price, rumours: All you need to know about Apple’s upcoming phone, or phones

There’ll almost certainly be three new phones this September

Apple’s next iPhone is on its way. It’s probably the worst time in the world to buy a new one – but the best time to start thinking about it.

This year, little has been revealed about the phones in advance, in keeping with a commitment from Apple to shut down leaks more effectively.

But we do know some things about the upcoming handset – including the fact that there probably won’t be just one of them, but three. And there’s some things that even Apple has accidentally said.

Release date

The most certain thing about the new iPhone is that there will be one. (Or at least one.) The second most certain thing is when it will be launched.

Apple has fallen into a completely predictable pattern in recent years, holding its iPhone events a couple of weeks into September, near Labor Day weekend. That’s almost certainly going to happen again this year, and so it’s probable that Apple will hold an event sometime around 12 or 13 September.

It’s unlikely that it would step out of that pattern, since so much is riding on the iPhone. It could bring it forward – but doing so would bring it into collision with summer plans and other events – but pushing it back would be likely to cause panic among shareholders.

But it’s very possible that it could change the schedule on which those phones become available. The launch date and the keynote presentation’s timing might be all but guaranteed – but it could easily opt to say that one or more of the phones will actually be released at a later date.

Some have already suggested that the much posher, more premium and more pricey iPhone will be delayed until later in the year.

Line-up

The big change this year will be that there’ll almost certainly be three iPhones. The 7s and 7s Plus, as expected – and then a whole extra phone that costs more and is perhaps the most dramatic redesign ever seen.

That phone – variously rumoured to be called the iPhone Pro, iPhone 8, iPhone Edition or even Apple Phone – is probably going to be the thing everyone’s talking about after Apple’s launch in September.

Almost every feature that’s been rumoured for the iPhone is expected to come in this model. That includes depth-sensing cameras, an entirely new display technology, a screen that wraps all the way over the front of the phone and many more.

Indeed, many of those features have been revealed by Apple itself, when it mistakenly made software for the new phone available to the public. That includes information about its design, its lack of home button, and facial recognition features.

The 7s and 7s Plus will probably be much more in the mold of recent updates. They’ll probably feature the same outside design, with an upgraded camera, chip and other internal parts.

This isn’t as radical a switch-up as it might seem, in that Apple expanded the line-up from one to two just a couple of years ago, with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. But that time the main distinguishing factor was the screen size, and the two packed in many of the same features.

Price

If this rumoured premium iPhone does emerge, then it’s going to have a top-level price to match. All rumours point to Apple pricing its iPhone 7s and 7s Plus as normal – and then sticking the new one at the top of that.

If true, that means the phone is likely to cost as much as $1200, and maybe even more. It will without doubt be the most expensive iPhone ever to be sold.

What remains uncertain is how Apple will seek to encourage people to pay for that extra power, and how it will keep the 7s interesting at the same time. But the might of Apple’s marketing department has never failed to make expensive things seem attractive before.

iPhone 8 Leak Reveals Massive New Secret

Apple is about to supersize the iPhone. But the iPhone 8’s huge 5.8-inch display is only one area which is going to be bigger than ever before…

New data from MacRumors (verified by BGR) has revealed Apple is set to also give the iPhone 8 a larger screen resolution than any previous iPhone. In fact extrapolating the data both sites have collected suggests the iPhone 8 will have a native resolution of 2800 x 1342 pixels. This is dramatically up from the iPhone 7 Plus native resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels.

iPhone 8 design with enlarged display based on leaked leaks.

MacRumors got the ball rolling. In recent years it has spotted Apple visit its site from Apple-owned IP addresses using unknown devices running new versions of iOS and the same is true again. In recent months the frequency of an unknown Apple device visiting the site from the same IP ranges and running iOS 11 has increased.

More intriguingly, it notes these devices are running displays at 387 x 812 pixels. This sounds low but since arrival of the ‘Retina Display’ on the iPhone 4 in 2010, Apple has increased resolutions by using pixel doubling and tripling to increase sharpness and maintain app compatibility.

For example: the iPhone 7 (750 x 1334) actually shows up as 375 x 667 pixels (two pixels per point) in analytics while the iPhone 7 Plus detects as 414 x 736 pixels (three pixels per point) giving the phone an actual native resolution of 1242 x 2208 which Apple scales down to 1080 x 1920.

Take the same logic with the mysterious 375 x 812 iOS 11 devices showing up on both MacRumors and BGR and you extrapolate to 1125 x 2436 pixels, which fits proportionally given the elongated shape change the iPhone 8 will have (minus the expected new ‘Function Area’).

Concept of the iOS 11 ‘function area’ for the iPhone 8 which is expected to be used for contextual controls and notifications.

And what did famed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo say in February? That the iPhone 8 would have a 5.8-inch 1342 x 2800 native resolution but, minus the Function Area, the usable space would be 5.15-inches with – you guessed it – a native 1125 x 2436 resolution.

iPhone 8 resolution and Function Area predicted by Ming-Chi Kuo in February

Of course, like the iPhone 7, there’s every chance Apple will slightly scale down the iPhone 8 display as it does with the iPhone 7 Plus to find a resolution to its liking.

But regardless, it is increasingly clear the iPhone 8 is going ‘big’ in ways no iPhone has gone before and as we get closer to the official release every new piece of information is neatly slotting neatly into place…

iPhone 7: Updated release date, news and price rumours surrounding Apple’s next-generation smartphone

Can Apple continue to dominate the smartphone market? There are several online leaks and rumours hinting at what the tech giant has planned for iPhone 7

These excellent iPhone 7 concept images are the work of Netherlands-based graphic designer Yasser Farahi
These excellent iPhone 7 concept images are the work of Netherlands-based graphic designer Yasser Farahi

The iPhone 7 is undoubtedly one of the most hotly-anticipated gadgets of the year.

After last year’s iPhone 6s upgrade, tech fans are eager to see what the world’s most valuable company has planned for 2016.

And even thought the official announcement is months away, there are a host of rumours already circulating online.

These include predictions and comments from analysts through to leaked pictures supposedly showing early prototypes of the new iPhone.

Whatever Apple is building will have to work hard to keep pace with brand new phones from the likes of Samsung and LG.

We’ve gathered together all the latest news surrounding the phone into one place and will continue to update this as we learn more.

Imagined appearance: This might be what the iPhone 7 looks like- but it's not out 'til next year
Imagined appearance: This might be what the iPhone 7 looks like- but it’s not out ’til next year

Apple iPhone 7: Release date

Taking Apple’s release date history into account, it’s likely we’ll see the iPhone 7 officially revealed in September 2016.

Both the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6 were revealed in September and Apple has no reason to change its strategy.

There’s also nothing wrong with taking advantage of Black Friday sales and the run up to Christmas.

The iPhone 7 could be even slimmer than the iPhone 6
The iPhone 7 could be even slimmer than the iPhone 6

If we had to be specific, we would estimate the announcement date for the iPhone 7 being on a Wednesday or a Thursday in either the first or second week of September.

The iPhone 6s announcement was held on September 9, 2015 and Apple could plan a repeat performance.

Apple iPhone 7: Design

Apple’s iPhone 6s has been a big hit for the technology giant – but it didn’t alter much when it came to design.

That could be about to change as rumours suggest next year’s model may drop the iconic home button on the front of the gadget.

Designers around the world are speculating on what Apple has planned and one artist, Marek Weidlich, has created an intriguing concept.

Is this what the iPhone 7 will look like?
Is this what the iPhone 7 will look like?

Weidlich has turned the entire front of the futuristic smartphone into a screen – leaving no home button or any visible bezel.

“I focused on simple design language which is very important for Apple,” Weidlich said.

“I designed a curved display without a bezel, and equipped with a software home button.”

Both Samsung and LG have embraced curvy screens with the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and the LG G Flex 2 respectively.

It’s unlikely Apple will follow suit but then the world’s most valuable company has frequently had a problem with bending phones.

Apple’s last two releases have been with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screens. This covers a broad range and the tech giant could decide to keep things as they are.

Amazing-liquidmetal-iPhone-7-concept-shows-what-Apples-next-generation-smartphone-could-be

Dropping the headphone socket

Fans have been infuriated by new which claim to show a drastic change in one of the key features of the iPhone.

Pictures were obtained by the Taiwanese site Apple Club , which previously published the first schematics showing the protuding iPhone 6 camera lens, before being republished by 9to5Mac.

They appear to confirm rumours that Apple is set to remove the headphone socket from the iPhone 7.

If true, this will probably mean anyone who buys the next version of Apple’s iPhone will have to use wireless headphones or fork out for a pricey converter.

Iphone-7-leak-pictures_0083

In January, the usual shadowy “supply chain sources” told a Chinese website that the 3.5 inch headphone jack will not be included on Apple’s next mobile.

Recently, these rumours have been fuelled by images of a case for the new phone that apparently show no hole for the headphone wires.

The pictures, spotted by Nowhereelse.fr after they were published on Twitter, seem to support the rumour that Apple will ditch the headphone socket.

There’s no hole in the case for where a headphone socket should be – instead there are just spaces for the charging port and speakers.

Of course, there’s no way of confirming the legitimacy of the case – but it serves as an interesting indicator for a potentially big design change.

Tech experts reckon that by removing the headphone socket, Apple engineers will be able to shave 1mm off the thickness of the phone.

Because the new iPhone will likely arrive with Apple’s yet-to-be-confirmed iOS 10 software and an upgraded processor, it will offer even more power and better efficiency.

Likely to be boasting a processor called the A10 chip, the iPhone 7 will surely boast more power – although it’s anyone’s guess as to how much this will translate into actual usage.

Apple iPhone 7: Specs

The iPhone 7 will likely come in different colours - including a gold version
The iPhone 7 will likely come in different colours – including a gold version

Because the new iPhone will likely arrive with Apple’s yet-to-be-confirmed iOS 10 software and an upgraded processor, it will offer even more power and better efficiency.

Likely to be boasting a processor called the A10 chip, the iPhone 7 will surely boast more power – although it’s anyone’s guess as to how much this will translate into actual usage.

Apple will pack the very latest technology into its new flagship handset
Apple will pack the very latest technology into its new flagship handset

At the moment, we don’t know what kind of battery the iPhone 7 will use – but at least there’s now a Low Power Mode built into iOS 9 to help it last even longer. We expect this will continue into an updated version of iOS.

According to Korean site ETNews, Apple is currently in discussion with arch-rival Samsung over supplying OLED screens for its next phone.

This would shift the display over from the current LED model to a much more vibrant OLED screen. Such a move would likely make for better colour reproduction for videos and games, but might hamper battery life.

However, one change could be a huge boon for Apple fans.

Waterproof iPhone

Constructed using liquidmetal, the iPhone 7 could be completely waterproof
Constructed using liquidmetal, the iPhone 7 could be completely waterproof

The misery of dropping your iPhone down the toilet could soon be over as the latest rumours suggest Apple’s next iPhone could be completely waterproof.

According to a report in the China-based Commercial Times , Apple is working on a new “compound material” that repels water for use in its forthcoming smartphone, which it is thought will be called the iPhone 7.

This new material will also reportedly remove the need for the two strips of plastic that run across the back of the current generation of iPhones to allow mobile signals to reach the antennas.

This suggests that the body of the next iPhone may not be made from metal at all, but some other kind of material that allows radio waves to pass through it.

Industrial designer Herman Haidin has taken a stab at predicting the next version of Apple’s handset and reckons the American tech giant could use a material known as ‘liquidmetal’.

Apple acquired a patent for liquidmetal back in 2010 and uses it to make the small SIM ejector tool that comes in each iPhone box.

The material itself is a type of alloy that’s tougher and more water-resistant than typical aluminium.

In the concept, Haidin envisions the iPhone 7 as a mere 3mm thick with a body formed of glass and liquidmetal.

Amazing-liquidmetal-iPhone-7

There has also been some suggestion that the iPhone 7 could include a cutting-edge technology known as LiFi, that is capable of transmitting information at 100 times the speed of WiFi.

However, this is unlikely, given that LiFi is still in the early stages of development, and researchers don’t expect it to be ready for commercial use before the end of the decade.

Apple iPhone 7: Price

It’s unlikely that Apple’s main iPhone 7 will be any easier on the wallet than past variants.

Most experts reckon the new iPhone will start at €659 for a 16GB model, effectively taking the place of the current iPhone 6s – which will see an incremental drop in price.

If true, we could expect other models with larger storage – 64GB and 128GB most likely – to stick with the €769 and €869 prices.

Apple fixes bendgate with new stronger, lighter frame for iPhone 6S

No more Bendgate ... Apple has designed the iPhone 6S to be stronger at its most vulnerable spot.
No more Bendgate … Apple has designed the iPhone 6S to be stronger at its most vulnerable spot.

A NEW video claiming to show leaked parts of the next Apple iPhone shows how the technology giant plans to kill Bendgate — the flaw in the iPhone 6 Plus design that had some people folding their giant smartphones.

The video at Unbox Therapy shows what is claimed to be leaked parts of the Apple iPhone 6S, the smaller of the two new iPhones that Apple is expected to unveil at a rumoured launch on September 9.

No More Bendgate

Shortly after the release of Apple’s first phablet, the iPhone 6 Plus, some customers complained that the 5.5-inch smartphone had a weakness in the frame that meant they bent if you applied force in a particular way, such as sitting on it.

Apple later admitted the problem although it said it was “extremely rare”.

The Unbox Therapy video out today shows the backplate for the iPhone 6S, the smaller of the new iPhones, compared with the backplate of the iPhone 6.

The new design is slightly bigger: 138.2mm tall by 67.16mm wide versus the current design of 138.09mm by 66.91mm. Yet despite the slight increase in size, the new frame is 2g lighter, suggesting that Apple is using a higher grade aluminium which it uses in the Apple Watch Sport.

The key design change means that the Apple iPhone 6 is stronger in its most vulnerable point.

The video today is a sign that Apple is keen not to have another Bendgate, although it should be viewed with a few qualifications.

Firstly, the leaked iPhone 6 backplate might not be a final version. Also, Bendgate was only a problem with the bigger phone, and the video does not show proof that the new design is across both models of iPhone.

iPhone Photography Awards Winners Revealed

From thousands of entries, the judges at IPPAwards select the top three photographers of the year and finalists in 19 categories

The iPhone Photography Awards, an international photography contest that fosters iPhone and mobile photography, has announced the winners of its eighth annual competition, with Michał Koralewski of Poland coming on top, and David Craik of the United Kingdom and American Yvonne Lu following the second and third spots respectively.

“It’s an incredible surprise for me to be given this award,” Koralewski tells TIME. “I’ve taken part in the IPPAwards contests for three years, and this is the first time I won something more than an honorable mention.”

Reviewing thousands of entries from all over the world, the jury selected the top three, as well as three winners in each of the 19 categories, which included travel, architecture, food and portrait. “This year’s entries were especially impressive ranging from intimate, thought-provoking moments to stunning, captivating imagery,” says the awards’ founder Kenan Aktulun.

Koralewski won best Photographer of the Year with the shoot Sounds of the Old Town, which depicts an elder accordionist playing traditional Polish songs in the market square of Warsaw. He captured the dreamy scene with an iPhone 5 equipped with a COVR photo lens – a sliding camera lens that allows photos to be taken discreetly from the waist.

First place, Sounds of the old town.
First place, Sounds of the old town.

As an amateur photographer, Koralewski enjoys the portability and low-profile nature of the device: “I have it with me all the time. It’s fast and always ready to use so I almost never miss the fleeting moment,” he says. “It allows me to stay almost invisible to the neighborhood when shooting.”

Craik won second prize with Cafe Birds, an image taken with his iPhone 5s in a café in Dorset, a fishing town in South England. “I’m overjoyed because I’ve finally won some recognition with a wildlife photo, and with an iPhone photo as well,” he says.

Second place, Cafe Birds.
Second place, Cafe Birds.

A self-taught photographer, Craik admits his “gut-wrenching passion” for wildlife inspired his shot. “I saw the birds, I saw the shadows on the wall, and I saw the corner of the table,” he says recalling the moment he noticed starlings reaching for crumbs on his table. “I saw this image happen in front of me.”

Craik applied minor edits to the photo using Pixlr to lighten it up. Although photo-editing apps were allowed in the contest, laptop post-production programs such as Photoshop were not.

With Before Sunset, an intimate photograph of a sleeping couple traveling by train along the Hudson River, photographer Yi-Chieh Lu – who goes by Yvonne – won third place. A fine art professional photographer, Lu relies on her phone mostly for street photography, as she values the “real-eye point-of-view” it provides, and praises the ability to share shots quickly on social media to reach a broad audience. Lu used VSCOcam to enhance her photograph.

Third place, Before Sunset.
Third place, Before Sunset.

Founded in 2007, the same year the iPhone was launched, the IPPAwards celebrates the power of the mobile device to produce valuable visual work.

The three winners learned to hone their skills through practice: “If you want to take a good photograph, first you need to cut out distractions in the background and focus on the essential parts of the frame. It’s especially important if you take photos with a smartphone,” says Koralewski who also encourages attention to light and experimenting with different angles for varying perspectives. The key is to be patient and to refrain from the natural instinct to rush, which might lead to blurry outcomes, Craik suggests while Lu reminds photographers to always have their iPhones with them. “Take your phone with you all the time, don’t put it in the bag!” suggests Lu. “That way, you can always capture beautiful moments just with your phone in hand.”