A source has revealed code in iOS 4 showing that new iPhone and iPad models may be set to begin field testing. The relevant code allows devices carrying the designations of iPhone3,2, iPhone3,3, and iProd2,1 to "auto-activate", a process said to allow carriers to test the devices without requiring manual activation through iTunes.
Software evidence of Apple's future devices tends to appear rather early in the development process, as evidenced by iPhone3,1 appearing in iPhone OS configuration files in March 2009. That device turned out to be the iPhone 4, released 15 months later. Evidence of field testing of the iPhone 4 appeared by late November 2009, more than six months before its public launch. The fact that the new iPhone models carry the iPhone3,2 and iPhone3,3 designations rather than "iPhone4,1" suggests that the hardware is a relatively minor revision to the existing iPhone 4, although it is unclear why there are two new iPhone models in testing.
In the world, the Apple's Regent Street store is still the busiest selling point, according to senior vice
president of Apple's retail sales Ron Johnson. He has highly appreciated Regent Street considering that undertaken
risk has been justified. Now, in the Regent Street store has one of the best traffic performances in the world.
The Apple network has had a significant impact on the retail sector. Many other stores around the world seek to
repeat their success.
Apple has removed the updated of the Camera+ application from the App Store within two weeks. It happened because Cupertino found out that the current app has some hidden downsides allowing let the volume buttons on the iPhone side to act as a camera shutter button, each time a user comes opens Mobile Safari and searches for the URL camplus://enablevolumesnap.
It definitely violates the regulations and rules of Apple, that’s why the company decided to get rid of this application quite unceremoniously. What does it mean? It means that when you try to buy the app, you’ll get the following error: “the item you are trying to purchase is currently unavailable”.
The developer of the Camera+ photography application, TapTapTap, might think about creating new versions of the app in future, but we hope it won’t have such “surprises”.
According to UBM TechInsights, Apple had been testing an InvenSense gyroscope in its iPad prototypes, but final version of the next-gen iPad will use a component from STMicroelectronics, which is also used in the iPhone 4. The company's product manager Steve Bitton wonders why there is no gyroscope in the current iPad.
“It seemed strange at the time that a product like the iPad would have been designed to not include a gyroscope but an iPhone 4 that was being designed at around the same time would”.
Moreover, Bitton disassembled an iPad and found an empty space where gyroscope exactly fits. And if InvenSense unit requires 24 pads, STMicro L3G4200D unit needs only 16 pads and is already used in the iPhone 4, so it obviously will be easier for Apple to use a component, which is also already supported by an iOS4.
"Apple probably chose to wait until the next iteration of the iPad to introduce gyroscope capabilities [and plans] to use [the] ST Micro’s L3G4200D to reduce the amount of [software] development required”.
The Flash port project is called Frash. Recently it became available for iPad, now iPhone users can install it on their devices. Of course you need to jailbreak, since Apple doesn't support Flash in iDevices.
Credits go to hackers Comex for the Frash port and Grant Pannell for iPhone 4 compilation.
Guys from 9to5mac decided to count how much data FaceTime uses over 3G. They made a 5 minute test call, and concluded that FaceTime takes 3 Mb every minute. Not much at all!
Here are the screenshots before and after the call.
Recently tech journalist Stephen Fenech wrote an interesting iPhone 4 review for Australian Daily Telegraph. Besides saying that iPhone 4 is "a massive jump" in the smartphone industry, Fenech also tried to reproduce the antenna issue. To make sure his results are correct he used his phone on 6 different Australian carriers - Optus, Telstra, Vodafone and 3 other networks in different parts of Sydney. Here is his conclusion:
"I tried the 'death grip' on the bottom left while making test calls in areas I knew to have weaker reception and the times I did manage to reduce the signal bars... my calls were still not affected. The worst thing that happened was a web page I was loading timed out but after refreshing it came up fine. I even managed to watch a YouTube video over 3G while in the 'death grip.'"
Fenech also added that the "death grip" is unnatural and iPhone 4 call quality was significantly improved in comparison to iPhone 3GS.
Apple’s iPhone 4 handset is scheduled to hit Canadian stores this Friday. According to a recent report by CBC, Canadian customers will have the option of buying the phone unlocked, directly from Apple:
This week developers started receiving Microsoft’s test units, which will allow them to test the performance of their apps for WP7 instead of using an emulator. The test smartphones are produced by Samsung and LG and have a Technical Preview version of Windows Phone 7, and guys at NewsGeek decided to compare its browser speed with iPhone 3GS' that runs on iOS 4.
Since the difference in speed is so huge it is noted that both of the phones used 3G network (not Wi-Fi) and iPhone 3GS is a completely finished product, while Samsung's test unit is a prototype with an unfinished OS that is still in development.
Newsgeek also found Internet Explorer in the Windows Phone 7 to be "surprisingly competent and quick" though it was mostly built off of IE7's desktop version.
CNet made a quick testing of one of the most interesting smartphones on the market today: Apple iPhone 4 and HTC Evo 4G. Guess who is the winner? Let's take a look:
Yesterday new unknown Apple product was approved by Federal Communications Commission. Page 45 in the FCC documents reveals that the product is named as a"Bluetooth Trackpad". It's a rectangular shaped device with a model number of A1339. It can connect to a MacBook via Bluetooth, but Wi-Fi or cellular data wireless radios were not mentioned in the filings.
The documents about this device were submitted to the FCC last October, the same time when its initial testing was completed.
Last year it was rumored that Apple prepares a multi-touch standalone trackpad style device which was called as the "Magic Trackpad". Looks like this is finally it.
Yesterday Steve Jobs told many interesting facts about antenna issues and iPhone 4. Those who doesn't want to watch the video from the event here, you can study the next list:
Over 3M iPhones 4 were sold since its release three weeks ago;
The antenna issue can be reproduced on any other phone. The details can be found here;
Apple has special testing rooms, which cost it $ 100 million. You can learn more about it on Apple's new webpage here;
Only 0.55% of all iPhone 4 users complain on antenna issue;
AT&T return rate with the iPhone 3GS was 6.0%, with the iPhone 4 - 1,7%;
The proximity sensor problem will be fixed in the next update;
White iPhone will be shipped at the end of July;
On July 30th iPhone sales will be launched in 17 more countries.
According to Wall Street Journal, Apple will not recall those 2 million iPhones 4 that have been already shipped worldwide.
The source, which is familiar with the matter, told that Jobs knew about possible antenna issues nearly a year ago, but he was so amazed by new design that "Apple went ahead with its development". That person also confirmed that the problem was not discovered until now because the units that were tested by the company and its carrier partners were covered in different cases to obscure the design and some functions.
"Those test phones are specifically designed so the phone can't be touched, which made it hard to catch the iPhone 4's antenna problem".
Moreover, carrier partners had limited time to test the new phone, not to mention that Apple equipped them with "fewer devices to test than other handset makers."
Today Apple is going to hold a special press conference about iPhone 4, so there are all chances the true story about antenna issue will finally be revealed.