Apple has set a lofty goal for itself: use only renewable materials in its products to protect the environment and avoid “blood minerals.” In its 2017 Environmental Responsibility Report, released today ahead of Earth Day, the company said it is “challenging ourselves to one day end our reliance on mining altogether.” Greenpeace, however, thinks that’s not enough. The non-profit praised Apple’s commitment, but had a caveat: it also wants the company to make devices that last longer and are easier to repair.

In an interview with Vice News, Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environmental, policy and social initiatives, said “we’re actually doing something that we rarely do, which is announce a goal before we’ve completely figured out how to do it. So we’re a little nervous, but we also think it’s really important, because as a sector, we believe it’s where technology should be going.”

Using only recycled materials not only reduces environmental impact, but also helps prevent human rights abuses, such as the use of child labor to mine cobalt, which is essential for lithium-ion batteries, and minerals from conflict zones. (Apple recently stopped buying cobalt mined in Congo and audited its supply chain).

Other mined materials used in Apple products include aluminum, copper, tin and tungsten. In its Environmental Responsibility Report, Apple said “to start, we’re encouraging more customers to recycle their old devices through Apple Renew. And we’re piloting innovative new recycling techniques, like our line of disassembly robots, so we can put reclaimed materials to better use in new products. It’s an ambitious goal that will require many years of collaboration across multiple Apple teams, our suppliers, and specialty retailers—but our work is already under way.”

Of course, one reason why Apple is doing this is the publicity that will be generated if it is able to declare iPhones and other products conflict-free.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say that one of the reasons that it appeals to us to use more recycled materials is that it gives us a different potential answer to that question,” Jackson, who served as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency from 2009 to 2013, told Vice News.

This may help Apple foster goodwill among consumers, who are starting to make more purchasing decisions based on social issues.

For many smartphone users, however, a sticking point is that Apple products, including iPhones, have a reputation for being harder to repair than devices from other manufacturers. Greenpeace called the company out on this issue, saying that “while transitioning to 100 percent recycled materials is critical to reducing the sector’s footprint, it is also fundamental for Apple and other major IT companies to design products that last, are easy to repair and recyclable at the end of life.”

Jackson told Vice News that “a lot of people buy Apple products because they know they do last.” But as the publication points out, electrical appliances in general have shorter lifespans than they did just a decade ago and that Apple itself says iPhones and Apple Watches are only supposed to last three years.

Still, Apple’s promise is a step in the right direction, even if the company still doesn’t know how exactly it will come to fruition. For one thing, it puts onus on competitors to keep up.

“This commitment, and Apple’s recent progress in transitioning its supply chain in Asia to renewable energy, puts it far ahead of others in the sector,” said Greenpeace in its statement. “Major IT brands such as Samsung, Huawei and Microsoft should quickly match Apple’s leadership, if they don’t want to risk falling even further behind.”

“Apple’s announcement comes less than a month after Samsung’s commitment to refurbish and recycle 4.3 million Galaxy Note 7s recalled worldwide, sending a strong signal to Samsung and the rest of the sector that much greater innovation is possible,” it added.

Featured Image: Zhang Peng/LightRocket/Getty Images

iPhone 8 design rumors have been circulating the web like wildfire in recent days, with reports conflicting most notably in regards to Apple’s plans for the upcoming flagship’s Touch ID sensor positioning — among a horde of other design characteristics, including the bittersweet decision to axe the iPhone 8’s rumored curved OLED display. But a new schematic that was leaked on Wednesday morning, if indeed it turns out to be the real deal, could effectively put many of those Touch ID-related rumors to rest.

Posted by the famed but historically inconsistent serial leaker, Sonny Dickson, to his official Twitter account, the leak shows what appears to be a 2D schematic depicting the iPhone 8’s back chassis. What’s sure to stand out most of all though, is that gaping, circular cut-out plastered just beneath the Apple logo on the back of the device, suggesting that Cupertino might have unfortunately resorted to a rear-mounted Touch ID sensor after all.

Worth noting, however, is that while the front of the iPhone 8 — which has also been rumored to be dubbed the ‘iPhone Edition’ — is expected to boast minimal bezels all the way around its massive 5.8-inch OLED display, a slew of conflicting reports have surfaced in recent weeks suggesting that, well, Apple could ultimately go one of several different routes with Touch ID.

For the record, Apple has been rumored to be working on an embedded Touch ID solution for what seems like years now; meaning that the sensor would essentially be built into the OLED display, itself, allowing the user to unlock, interact with, and carry out Apple Pay transactions on their device by merely placing their finger on the front display glass. However, it was rumored recently that due to a number of unforeseen manufacturing issues, Apple had decided to scrap the embedded Touch ID concept — instead opting for a rear-mounded fingerprint sensor, similar to a host of high-end Android devices, that would enable the company to expedite the iPhone Edition to market and release it alongside its iPhone 7s and 7s Plus counterparts this September.

Other reports, however, have suggested that Apple is in fact still working on the glass-embedded Touch ID solution; and while lower than expected yield rates have caused skepticism among some analysts, Apple could potentially still deliver the Touch ID-embedded device perhaps in October or November of this year, albeit in lower quantities to start, while unveiling it on stage alongside the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus.

The fact that Apple has been working on this under-the-glass Touch ID technology for years is a clear indication that it won’t simply settle for the status quo, though. To that end, Apple is rumored to have been working with various prototypes of the iPhone Edition, with some embodying the embedded Touch ID solution, and some featuring the sensors embedded around back — a la Samsung’s hot new Galaxy S8/S8+ flagships.

But that would be unlike Apple to simply follow in the footsteps of its fiercest rivals in the tech space, right? Therefore, as with all rumors, we highly recommend taking this rumor, too, with a heaping grain of salt, at least until the iPhone manufacturing season kicks into full swing this summer.

Read Our Comprehensive Overview of iPhone 8▶

Last month, iDrop News received a bevy of exclusive information pertinent to Apple’s upcoming iPhone 8 flagship, which could actually be dubbed the iPhone Edition, according to several supply chain sources who shared their knowledge of Apple’s imminent plans. And while we’ve had a few weeks or so to let those rumors sink in, fairly substantial amounts of additional information supporting the claims have surfaced.

The latest round of credence is coming to us this morning courtesy of a report published by the popular Japanese blog, Macotokara, which seeks to shed light on several of the iPhone Edition’s design elements that have previously taken center stage.

According to the report, Apple’s next-generation iPhone will likely borrow several design cues from the glass and metal iPhone 4 handset from 2010. However, while both the front and back of the upcoming device is expected to be covered in sheets of glass, as opposed to a thick metal frame wrapped around the edges, Apple’s iPhone Edition will boast a considerably more durable stainless steel frame — a feature that was first spearheaded by KGI Securities analyst, Ming Chi Kuo, and all but confirmed earlier this year by DigiTimes.

Meanwhile, echoing iDrop News’ sentiments which were recently divulged in leaked schematics, the report goes on to suggest that the top-tier flagship’s dual-lens camera system around back will, in fact, be reoriented to a vertical position. As noted in our previous report, however, this reorientation — as quirky as it may seem — certainly won’t come without benefits to the user. By shifting the camera sensors to a top-bottom position from their current side-by-side orientation, iPhone Edition owners will be able to achieve greater depth of field, forthcoming AR/VR applications, and more when the device is used horizontally.

Image Copyright 2017 iPhone 8 Concept, iDrop News. Attribution required.

Specifically, the report details how the iPhone Edition will feature a ‘glass sandwich’ design, boasting glass on the front and back, with a solid stainless steel frame holding it all together. It’s important to note, however, that while many might speculate that the device will embody the iPhone 4 and 4s, Apple’s design will more than likely be refined in many ways — in other words, merely borrowing some of the 2010-era handset’s aesthetics, while incorporating several newer, more durable materials, and using current manufacturing techniques to achieve a unique design.

The report also goes on to suggest that the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus duo, which should be unveiled alongside their iPhone Edition counterpart, will feature a chassis that’s slightly thicker than the current iPhone 7 and 7 Plus’ — and while that could mean a number of things, such as that the devices will ship with higher capacity batteries. If true, it also means that the current range of iPhone 7 cases probably won’t fit the new devices, accordingly. We’ll just have to take that with a grain of salt, though, since Apple isn’t known for shaking things up too dramatically when s-model refreshes are in the pipeline.

Around this time every year since the event’s incorporation back in 1999, thousands of happy-go-lucky festival-goers have gathered amidst the heat of California’s Inland Empire to attend the world-famous Coachella Valley Music and Arts festival. To the backdrop of vibrant culture, live musical performances, and exciting fanfare, Coachella is essentially a 21st century Woodstock, where fans come together with their friends, and like-minded strangers from all around the world, to experience the latest in rock, Indie, hip-hop, electronic dance music, and to savor the myriad of sights and tastes that you probably won’t see anywhere else. And so the story goes, according to an article published by the Los Angeles Times, that amidst the backdrop of star-studded musical performances, tasty foods, and groovy art installations that simply screamed “take a picture with me,” at least 100 people fell victim to the tasteless acts of a single, desperate man.

As these unsuspecting concert-goers were simply going about their day, enjoying the festivities they rightfully paid for, 36-year-old Reinaldo De Jesus Henao, a New York native, was seizing on the opportunity to swipe cellphones from their owners’ pockets. Unfortunately for Henao, however, he likely wasn’t expecting the group of victims to be so tech-savvy, or to fight back with such a vengeance.

Realizing their devices had been “lost” amidst a sea of their peers, several of these quick-thinking individuals activated the Find My iPhone feature on their devices — which ultimately led them to Henao, who they followed closely around the venue, until he was later detained by on-site security personnel. One thing led to another, and when police officers from the Indio Police Department arrived on scene shortly thereafter, over 100 cellphones were discovered floating around in Henao’s backpack.

Of course, he was then arrested on multiple charges, including suspicion of grand theft and possession of stolen property. Several of the victims got their devices back right there on the spot, however, while the rest were returned to lost and found to await their rightful owners, police reports say.

According to LA’s ABC 7, “Henao was booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Center. . .  He was released on Saturday after posting $10,000 bail, according to inmate records.”