Apple is expected to use sapphire glass in its iPhone 6 front panels that cover the handset’s screen, although reports thus far have different takes on the scope of the company’s sapphire display use. Some say Apple will have enough sapphire displays for all iPhone 6 models this year, while others say the special glass will be used only on the 5.5-inch model, as the company will struggle to mass-produce enough units. Now, a new note to investors from JPMorgan Securities, obtained by Taipei Times, says that Apple will not have enough sapphire displays ready for the iPhone 6 launch.

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The new Microsoft layoff wave will axe thousands of employees from Nokia’s old handset unit and will close down the once crucially important Oulu R&D center that used to be the source of global phone innovation, from internal antennas to 3G tech. Many now view the handset industry as an unprofitable sunset business that has little relevance outside Apple and Samsung.

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It’s not always easy to find innovative, high-quality iPhone accessories amid all the garbage out there. We discussed the problem recently while reviewing the only iPad stylus you should care about, and it will remain an issue for the foreseeable future. There are some great accessories out there though, and a new one that will be released later this year could very well be the greatest iPhone accessory we’ve ever seen.

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Google is the preferred search engine for millions of people, with the giant company having many other web-related products available for users, all built around, or in relationship with search and ads. While most users know how to perform a search, use Gmail or navigate with Maps, they may not be aware of some of the nifty hidden tricks Google has included in its online services.

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The iPhone 6 will reportedly feature a new Sony Exmor camera sensor, G for Games reports after picking up a post on a Chinese forum from a source that has “a great track record when it comes to Sony-related rumors.” According to the poster, the iPhone 6 camera will have an Exmor IMX220 sensor with 13-megapixel resolution, 1/2.3” and 1080p video recording support (3,840 x 1,080 resolution sampling).

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This week has been a fantastic one for paid iPhone and iPad apps that have gone on sale for free. In fact, we’ve shared more than $50 worth of iOS apps so far that could have all been downloaded without paying a dime (and some are still free if you move quickly). Today, we’re back with another four apps to add to the list, and they’re all terrific offerings you won’t want to miss out on.

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A report last week revealed iPhone 6 battery details, suggesting that Apple’s 2014 iPhone models may offer similar or even better battery performance as last year’s iPhones, as they will have slightly bigger batteries. The 4.7-inch iPhone 6 was expected to have a battery capacity of 1,800 mAh to 1,900 mAh, while the phablet version of the handset was said to have a 2,500 mAh battery. Now, French publication Nowhereelse has obtained an image of the purported 4.7-inch iPhone 6’s battery, which may confirm that the battery has a capacity in line with previous reports.

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It’s safe to say that Stephen Elop really isn’t very popular in Finland, especially after Microsoft announced on Thursday that it was laying 12,500 people who currently work for its Nokia devices and services division. Since Elop is both the former CEO of Nokia and the current boss of Microsoft’s devices and services division, we were very curious to get his take on this week’s massive layoffs that hit his division harder than any other.

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Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S is the company’s best tablet family yet, especially considering the stunning 2K AMOLED displays Galaxy Tab S models pack. But the Galaxy Tab S tablets are still made of plastic, which, while good enough for Samsung, may not be as great for some users because plastic appears to be significantly affected by dissipated heat in some cases. Russian publication hi-tech.mail.ru has posted a gallery of images showing the 8.4-inch version of the tablet and its heat-damaged rear plastic shell.

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So far it seems like Microsoft’s decision to unbundle Kinect from the Xbox One has been a good one. Microsoft said this week that monthly sales of the Xbox One in the United States more than doubled ever since it decided to start offering the console by itself without the Kinect sensor for $400, or $100 less than what the console cost with Kinect.

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