Apple reportedly has a plan to silence annoying iPhones in movie theaters


The use of cell phones in movie theaters is a sore subject for many cinephiles, although it's a practice becoming more and more common (and defended). It might not be a problem for much longer, though, The Guardian reports: Apple leaker Sonny Dickson claims that the company is going to add the option to switch iPhones into "theater mode" — akin to "airplane mode" — in an operating system update later this month.
Another community of analysts specializing in Apple rumors, AppleInsider, doesn't quite agree on the assuredness of a "theater mode" rollout, but said the new update could "disable system sounds and haptic feedback, block incoming calls and messages, and reduce initial screen brightness during a movie." AppleInsider also floated the idea that Apple might use its technology to "[customize] phone settings automatically based on a phone's GPS position."
We'll know soon enough: AppleInsider and Dickson agree that the new iOS is likely to start rolling out around Jan. 10.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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