News tagged ‘iPhone’

Taiwan's NMA News has posted a video animation of the iPhone 4 and antenna story:

Research in Motion's Chief Executive Officers Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie have released an official statement on the Apple's latest press conference, where the company showed the antenna issue on BlackBerry 9700 to prove that such a problem a normal thing for every smartphone. Both of the directors were stunned that Apple mentioned RIM in order to justify their mistake:

"Apple's attempt to draw RIM into Apple's self-made debacle is unacceptable. Apple's claims about RIM products appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the public's understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apple's difficult situation. RIM is a global leader in antenna design and has been successfully designing industry-leading wireless data products with efficient and effective radio performance for over 20 years. During that time, RIM has avoided designs like the one Apple used in the iPhone 4 and instead has used innovative designs which reduce the risk for dropped calls, especially in areas of lower coverage. One thing is for certain, RIM's customers don't need to use a case for their BlackBerry smartphone to maintain proper connectivity. Apple clearly made certain design decisions and it should take responsibility for these decisions rather than trying to draw RIM and others into a situation that relates specifically to Apple."

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.

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So yesterday Apple had a press conference in its campus in Cupertino to talk about iPhone 4 antenna issue. It was revealed that every new iPhone user will have an opportunity to order free case for his smartphone through Sept. 30. Because Apple cannot produce enough number of cases at the moment, it will source cases from other vendors and then give customers a choice so they would be able to pick the one they like.

Jobs said that the cases will be available for order on the Apple's site in the end of the next week.

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This week Steve Jobs had been seen enjoying his vacation in Hawaii. According to Gawker.com, which in turn referred to some tipster, who actually saw Apple's CEO, the latter had a lunch at Kona Village Resort with his family. The spy also heard that Jobs was explaining the positive uses of LCD to his kids, the subject which was described earlier in the latest issue of Vanity Fair.

Though nobody else did not confirm this information, the news are certainly entertaining.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NctJy9SxSds

In the latest episode of The View (ABC's TV show) Whoopi Goldberg told about her experience of using iPhone 4, which eventually ended by its "murdering". As she speaks about Apple products, it looks like her problems weren't about antenna issues - she just bought a faulty device (at least, as she said, she didn't have any problems with her previous iPhone).

“The people couldn’t get a hold of me…my phone would ring and ring and ring to them, but wouldn’t do anything to me... My phone was bad; it wasn’t just that the antenna was bad, it was bad!”

Well, that's not a lucky situation for Apple at all.

French TV channel Canal+ has recently released its new iPhone app which is now available in App Store. To promote it, the company decided to air very original commercial.

Wow! Did you know that Wired magazine already knew about iPad back in 1999? Here is a scan of April 1999 issue, take a look:

“The next iMac attack promises new lollipop laptops, a more serious series of professional machines, and a wireless handheld dubbed the iPad”.

Well, it was known that Steve Jobs thought about iPad before the first iPhone was actually released, but who could think about 1999?

Today Advertising Age reported that Virgin plans to release its new magazine called "Maverick". It will be targeted on the international audience with covering such areas as travel, technology and entrepreneurism. But its main idea is that it will be fully digital, with no print version available anywhere. First of all the app for iPad will be developed, then the content will be brought to iPhone and Android. By making "Maverick" digital only Virgin hopes to substantially reduce costs.

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Yesterday Silicon Alley Insider reported that Palm had a chance to be acquired by Apple, but eventually HP’s bid was higher. Referring to an anonymous source that was familiar with the negotiations, author Dan Frommer wrote:

"Apple was mostly interested in Palm's huge library of intellectual property and patents (450+ patents on file, another 400+ applications on file). And unlike some other bidders, Apple even seemed committed to funding Palm's operations, perhaps to challenge RIM's dominance in the keyboarded segment of the smartphone industry, our source says."

It is reported that Google also wanted to purchase Palm to spite Apple, but the company didn't know whether Apple was actually bidding for Palm, so no moves were made in that direction.

Eventually HP acquired Palm and now has plans to use its webOS in company's future tablet devices that will compete with Apple's iPad.

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.

Here's what hackers tweeted about new Apple firmwares 4.0.1 for iPhones and 3.1.2 for iPad:

DevTeam:

As with *any* new FW, jailbreakers + unlockers must avoid this upcoming 4.1 update until our tools are updated

3GS, ipt3G, iPhone4 users (regardless of current FW or JB status) should backup 4..0 SHSH blobs http://is.gd/dskh9 soon

MuscleNerd:

Obviously avoid today's 4.0.1 update until JB tools are updated. Luckily, no baseband change so ultrasn0w lives on

each FW version has unique blobs. But using http://is.gd/dskh9 you can get 4.0 blobs on PC while you stay at 3.1.2

Hah for those iPhone3G or ipt2g(non-MC) users at 4.1beta1: use redsn0w from 2 wks ago to JB http://is.gd/dstU3

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Following the release of the 4.0.1 firmware for iPhone and 3.2.1 for iPad Apple has released the SDK to go with it. Although the update seems like nothing, and is really is nothing, developers need to update in order to run their apps on new iOS 4.0.1 iPhone or 3.2.1 iPad.

Apple has just released iOS 4.0.1 for iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4. The free update fixes the issue with signal indication - the math formula to display the iPhone's service signal bars. Official changelog for iOS 4.0.1:

• Improves the formula to determine how many bars of signal strength to display

The updates for the iPad OS 3.2.1 are:

• Improved Wi-Fi connectivity
• Fixed an issue that could prevent copy and paste of single-page PDF attachments in Mail
• Addressed an issue that could cause video playback to freeze
• Improved reliability of video-out when using iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter
• Added Bing as an option for Safari's search field

You can get the update right now via these links:

• iPhone 4 - 4.0.1
• iPhone 3GS - 4.0.1
• iPhone 3G - 4.0.1
• iPad - 3.2.1

Here is a screenshot of the new signal bars:

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The release of the iPhone 4 turned out to be one of the most favourable developments for Apple for all the time. However the situation is deteriorating because there have already been calls to withdraw iPhone 4. Supposedly Apple released the iPhone knowing about the problems with the antenna reception. The company seems to have not focused too much on testing the phone by wireless communications experts.

Now it is called ‘Antenagate’, and this could have some very negative consequences for Apple. This topic has caused strong public reaction, and a Washington senator has requested Steve Jobs to find a solution without prejudice to the customers.

On 16 July Apple plans to hold a press conference.