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News from category ‘Hardware’
iPhone 5 Due for Release in September-October Timeframe
Citing a “reliable source”, Japanese blog Macotakara reports that Apple is expected to launch its next-generation iPhone in September or October of this year, about a year after the debut of the iPhone 4S that was released in October of 2011.
According to Asian reliable source, next iPhone will be released in September or October, and this cycle seems to be kept for years.
MacRumors also heard from a representative of a supplier known to provide parts for the iPhone that Apple's ordering plans are pointing toward a launch of new hardware in the September.
Photos of future iPad 3 compared to iPad 2
M.I.C. Gadget has posted some high quality photos comparing the iPad 2's back enclosure to the expected iPad 3's back enclosure.
Highlights:
- iPad 3 bezel will be slightly narrower than the iPad 2′s bezel.
- iPad 3 camera lens is noticeably larger than its predecessor.
- The unit is about 1-1.5mm thicker.
- The iPad 3 edges are tapered.
Take a look at the photos below:
iPad 3 with More Tapered Edge and an 8 Megapixel Back Camera
Apple Daily claims to have received the photo above that shows what is claimed to be an overview shot of the new iPad 3 back enclosure (top of image) as well as a comparison shot between the original iPad, the iPad 2 and the New iPad (inset).
The shot reveals the familiar form-factor but the lightning that looks much better in the shot seems to have undergone significant changes. The iPad 3 enclosure seems to have also a more gradual taper to the edges than the iPad 2. As a result of this longer taper, the iPad 3's camera rests on the taper itself.
The absolute positioning of the camera doesn't seem that far off from the iPad 2, but the lens does appear larger. According to NextMedia, the new iPad 3 camera will see a significant upgrade to 8 megapixels. The current iPad 2 back camera is 1 megapixel in resolution.
Apple Settles Class Action Suit Regarding iPhone 4 Antenna
Apple has reportedly settled a class action suit over the iPhone 4's antenna.
The settlement comes from 18 separate lawsuits that were consolidated into one. All share the claim that Apple was "misrepresenting and concealing material information in the marketing, advertising, sale, and servicing of its iPhone 4--particularly as it relates to the quality of the mobile phone antenna and reception and related software."
Confirmed: iPad 3 Has a 2048x1536 Retina Display
MacRumors managed to obtain the rumored iPad 3 displays, of course, these iPad 3 screens weren't directly sourced from Apple, and examined them under a microscope to determine if they are indeed an ultra-high resolution Retina displays.
Physically, the purported iPad 3 display is the same size as the current iPad 1 and iPad 2 display at 9.7" in diagonal, and looks quite similar to the naked eye.
However, when comparing the iPad 3 display to one from an iPad 2 under a microscope, the difference in resolutions becomes readily apparent, with the iPad 3 display's pixels appearing to be one-quarter the size of those on the iPad 2.
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Apple wins German injunction against Motorola over 'slide-to-unlock'
Judge Dr. Peter Guntz of the Munich Regional Court on Thursday found that a number of Motorola products had infringed on Apple's slide-to-unlock patent that gives the iPhone maker the option to enforce a German injunction against any offending devices. Apple's first win against Motorola could result in a complete reworking of how Motorola devices handle screen unlocking.
The German court looked at three different Motorola implementations of gesture-based device unlocking and found that two infringed on Apple's patent, namely those used by the RAZR maker's Android smartphones.
iPad Issues in China
Yesterday the iPad had been pulled from sale at online retailers Amazon China and Suning.com. The Wall Street Journal now reports that the iPad had been removed at Apple's request rather than as a result of actions associated with the trademark dispute, but Apple's reasons for the request were unknown. However, Apple may request that Amazon China remove the iPad from sale, simply due to Amazon China not being an officially authorized retailer.
The Cupertino, Calif., consumer electronics giant asked Amazon in China to stop selling iPads because it is not an authorized reseller, according to people familiar with the matter. Amazon has since removed iPads offered by other resellers on its Chinese website as well.
Samsung Underestimating Apple's Potential Impact on Television Market
Not all TV manufacturers seem to be afraid of Apple’s rumored television. For example, Samsung is confident that its massive investment in picture quality improvements will trump anything Apple might be able to put together in other areas.
"We've not seen what they've done but what we can say is that they don't have 10,000 people in R&D in the vision category," [Samsung product manager Chris Moseley] said.
"They don't have the best scaling engine in the world and they don't have world renowned picture quality that has been awarded more than anyone else."
iPad 3 Announcement on March 7th
Citing a "reliable source," Apple blog iMore on Monday claimed that the much anticipated iPad 3 announcement is imminent, and new whispers suggest that the date will be March 7.
Aside from the date of the announcement, iMore also claims that the iPad 3 will feature a 2048x1536 Retina display, possibly manufactured by Sharp, as well as a redesigned case that could allow for a larger battery than current models. It was reported that in order to implement the high pixel density screen, a unique dual LED backlighting arrangement would be needed, and the larger battery could be in response to the extra energy requirements. Other rumors suggest that the next-generation iPad may receive a quad-core A6 processor and "possibly" 4G LTE networking.
Apple Working with Suppliers on 8-Inch iPad
The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple and its suppliers are working on a smaller iPad that would carry a 8-inch display.
Officials at some of Apple's suppliers, who declined to be named, said the Cupertino, Calif.-based company has shown them screen designs for a new device with a screen size of around 8-inches, and said it is qualifying suppliers for it. Apple's latest tablet, the iPad 2, comes with a 9.7-inch screen. It was launched late last year.
Apple earned $1 out of every $5 US consumers spent on electronics this holiday
NPD's Retail and Consumer tracking Services and Mobile Phone Track found that Apple accounted for 19 percent, or nearly one in five, of all U.S. consumer dollars spent on electronics, during the busy holiday shopping season. Apple, consequently, remained the largest consumer electronics brand for the second year in a row.
All of the other top five brands beyond Apple actually saw a year over year decrease in revenue in 2011. HP's sales dropped by 3 percent, third-place while Samsung dipped 6 percent, fourth-place Sony slid 21 percent, and Dell, in fifth, lost 17 percent.
ITV Warns Apple (Again) Not to Use Their Name
As rumors of an Apple television set continue to swirl, The Telegraph reports that the UK TV network ITV has written a letter to Apple to warn it against using the name "iTV" for its future television product. Though, ITV said that there has been "no communication" between it and Apple. The "iTV" name was previously rumored to be used for Apple's revamped iOS powered Apple TV in 2010, which was said to have made network executives "furious."
Apple anticipated television has been called the "iTV" by some pundits, following the same branding as Apple's other popular products like the iPhone and iPad. ITV, short for Independent Television, has been on the air since 1955, and is the broadcaster of the popular show "Downton Abbey." The network has also spawned three sister channels using its same name: ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4.
Apple reportedly assured the ITV network in 2010 that Apple would not use the "iTV" name. But the death of Steve Jobs is said to raise a serious concern of the network. ITV executives are said to be concerned that Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook could take a different stance from his predecessor.
Chinese Authorities and Retailers Removing iPads from Sale Over Trademark Issues
Last week, Apple was said to be facing a potential fine of approximately $38 million as a result of a trademark dispute in China between Apple and Proview Technology, which claims to have held ownership of the "iPad" trademark there since 2000. Noteworthy, Proview is seeking as much as $1.6 billion in damages. Apple believed that it had acquired the rights to the iPad trademark in China in an earlier $55,000 deal with Proview's parent company that also included European rights. But the Chinese arm of the company now claims that the Chinese rights could not have been part of the deal because those rights were not controlled by the parent company.
Now DigiCha and China.com. report that China authorities have begun taken steps related to the trademark issue, confiscating iPads from retailers' shops. DigiCha reports:
iPad 3 to Pave Way for 1080p iTunes Content and a New Apple TV
Apple is widely expected to reveal its next-generation iPad at a special media event in the first week of March. The iPad 3 is believed to carry a ultra-high resolution 2048x1536 display that exceeds the resolution of 1080p content. Now Apple offers a maximum of 720p HD content on their iTunes Store.
We've already seen evidence that Apple has been working on a next generation Apple TV. Back in October, references to an unreleased "AppleTV3,1" model were found in the latest versions of iOS 5. Meanwhile, Apple has reportedly asked movie studios to start submitting 1080p content to the iTunes Store late last year.
US Air Force may buy 18,000 Apple iPads for cargo aircraft
According to Nextgov, the U.S. Air Force's Air Mobility Command recently put out a notice that it plans to buy as many as 18,000 of Apple's iPad for use on cargo aircraft. Such order could be the largest single federal order for the iPad 2. The Air Mobility Command revealed on Federal Business Opportunities that it plans to buy a "minimum of 63 and a maximum of 18,000 iPad 2" units or "equal devices."
Though the iPad was the only tablet named specifically in the listing, Glen Roberts, AMC public affairs director, said the command seeks "a tablet device" but "not necessarily an iPad." The Air Force seeks proposals from tablet makers and seeks to obtain them at the lowest possible fixed price. A move to tablets, iPad or otherwise, would allow the Air Mobility Command to adopt an electronic flight publication system to save time and money, as well as boost efficiency.
First iPad was brought to the U.S. Air Force by the Federal Aviation Administration which started using Apple's touchscreen tablet as an electronic flight bag last July. Previously, commercial and charter airlines relied on cumbersome 40-pound paper manuals.