Archive for October 29th, 2011

A couple of days ago we reported that Apple is unlikely to release updated Mac Pro line until 2012 and Intel's Sandy Bridge E processors should be implemented in new computers. Apple's current dual-processor Mac Pro lineup utilizes Intel's "Westmere" processor family, priced at $387, $996, and $1440 respectively.

Newly-released pricing information for processors of E5-2600 series allows us to make suggestion that  Apple will be able to use the $406 6-core 2.0 GHz E5-2620 in its low-end dual-processor configuration at or near the current $3499 pricing. At the mid range the 8-core 2.0 GHz E5-2650 that costs $1106.  But such price may be high, so Apple could released a limited number of this model with such processor. Apple is more likely will use a cheaper a 6-core chip running at 2.5 GHz E5-2640 that costs at $884. The high end of Mac Pro may be run by the 8-core 2.6 GHz E5-2670 processor coming in at $1552 or the 8-core 2.4 GHz E5-2665 processor, which is expected at $1440.

For the lower-end single-processor Mac Pro, Apple is likely to utilize Intel's E5-1600 series processor line. Pricing on those chips was revealed last month. So, for low- and mid-end single-processor Mac Pro Apple is likely to use the quad-core 3.6 GHz E5-1620 ($294) and 6-core 3.2 GHz E5-1650 ($583), the high end of the single-processor line -  the E5-1660 at $1080.

Chinese customers prefer to buy Apple’s iPhone than Nokia’s smartphones, according a report published by the investment bank Morgan Stanley. As more than a third of 2,050 surveyed urban Chinese mobile phone users express a preference for iPhone, twice that for Nokia's models.

Apple presence on Chinese smartphone market grew significantly in 2011. Not surprisingly that over fiscal 2011 the company managed to earned as many as $13 billion, comparing with $3 billion in fiscal year 2010. Morgan Stanley says it believes "China could surpass the US as Apple's largest market in about three years, adding nearly $30 billion more per year to the top-line along the way." The firm notes that sales of iPhones are also driving purchases of related Apple products, noting that Mac use is nearly four times higher among iPhone users, where Mac user share jumps to 35 percent from the standard 9 percent of the general population.

Morgan Stanley’s survey demonstrates that Apple increased its share by 6 percentage points to reach 34 percent of planned purchases in the region. Nokia dropped 8 percentage points to make up just 16 percent of the nation's planned purchases.

Check out this humorous Siri video made by LaughPong, 'Siri, Will You Marry Me?'.

Since the iPhone 4S launch, some users have complained about battery life issues. Apple actually reduced the battery life in a standby mode from 300 hours on previous iPhone model to 200 hours on the iPhone 4S, but battery life in active mode was considered to be the same or even better.

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Apple's online store in Sweden

Yesterday Apple launched the iPhone 4S in 22 additional countries, starting the second wave of launches for the new iPhone model. Last week the company began to take pre-orders ahead of the release planned for Austria, Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, Slovakia, Singapore, Norway, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Denmark, Belgium, Mexico, Luxembourg, Latvia, Italy, Sweden, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Hungary, Estonia and Finland.

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