Well, rumors around iPhone 5 are getting bigger and bigger. This one is really big in terms of dollars. WSJ reports that Sprint, the third largest wireless operator in the US, committed to buy 30.5 million new iPhones for $20 billion.
BGR has heard that Sprint will actually get the much rumored iPhone 5, that is said to be a 4G LTE device. AT&T and Verizon would launch the iPhone 4S and get the iPhone 5 some time in the first quarter of 2012 as an LTE device. Globally, the iPhone 5 might be available as a 4G HSPA+ device.
According to BGR's source the iPhone 4S will feature the A5 processor, an 8MP camera with 1080p video recording, a Multiband 3G Qualcomm chipset, NFC support, and a metal or premium plastic back casing.
The Sprint exclusive iPhone 5 is said to feature a faster CPU, 4-inch screen, 1 GB of RAM, slightly larger design (though thinner), larger battery, 32GB of storage, Assistant, and possibly a new home button which integrates activating assistant.
There are lots of benefits, when you're a president. One of them - you get Apple gadgets before everyone else does.
In an interview ABC's George Stephanopoulos, President Obama reveals that Steve Jobs gave him an iPad 'a little bit early', reports the National Journal.
“Steve Jobs actually gave it to me, a little bit early. Yeah, it was cool. I got it directly from him.”
TUAW reports that iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S were revealed on i-Wireless, prepaid cell phone section of the Cincinnati Bell website. Cincinnati Bell is a regional carrier in the US, not a major carrier like AT&T or Verizon. Information was quickly removed from the site, but we have couple screenshots
iPhone 5 was accompanied by a $639.99 price tag and a handful of specs: 32GB, 8MP camera, 4" screen and 4G data speeds. These specifications align with most of the rumors that we've heard about the device.
9to5Mac reports that Apple has leaked the iPhone 4S alongside a picture of the old design in its latest iTunes Beta:
Inside the latest iTunes beta is a specific mention of the "iPhone 4S." Along with the new iPhone name of "iPhone 4S" comes an image, and it is of a CDMA iPhone 4. Unless Apple still has the CDMA iPhone 4 as a placeholder image until the new iPhone is announced, we're fairly confident that the iPhone 4S will pack the CDMA iPhone design.
It's interesting that iTunes holds just two references to the iPhone 4S (black and white) while the iPhone 4 has four references two for CDMA and two for GSM devices. This once again proves rumors that iPhone 4S will be a dual standard world phone.
According to a survey, conducted by a mobile advertising company InMobi, 41 percent of US customers is going to purchase the next-generation iPhone. 50 percent of them will do it within the first six months after public launch. This time Sprint customers will also have access to the new iPhone, so Apple seems to open new market for its smartphone, taking in account that Sprit has 52 million customers.
If consumers put their money where their mouths are, these numbers could go a long way to bumping up Apple’s overall market share in the UK and the U.S.. According to figures from Kantar Worldpanel, in Q2 Apple had an 18.3 percent share of the UK smartphone market; another research group, comScore, puts it around 20 percent. If people follow through with their purchasing intent, InMobi says this share would go up to 40 percent. In the U.S., the market share would grow to 41 percent.
Nevertheless, despite the InMobi’ estimates, Apple could release slightly revised version of the iPhone 4 – co-called iPhone 4S, reducing number of customers who will purchase such device.
According to Reuters, five persons were arrested in Shanghai for manufacturing and selling fake iPhones. As police said, these people were from an organized gang that assembled iPhone from genuine components for the Apple’s smartphones. Police found about 200 fake Apple’s smartphones during the raid.
Today Amazon announced their tablet called Kindle Fire. It has 7" IPS display, custom android OS, weights 413g, has 8Gb of storage, Wifi. Unfortunately it does not have 3G. The price is attractive though - $199. Shipments start November 15.
We are not sure that this device can be a real iPad killer. However it will definitely compete with other Android tablets, like Blackberry Playbook, HP Touchpad and others.
AllThingsD reported on an interesting app from Disney that uses iPad’s capabilities in unusual way. So-called Appmates are toy cars that interact with the app via the iPad’s display. Writer of the publication Tricia Duryee explains:
The first hearing over Samsung’s claims that Apple’s iOS devices violate the Samsung’s wireless patents has already begun in The Hague.The Korean company requested to ban Apple’s devices in The Netherlands.
Comcast, the U.S. largest internet and cable provider, plans to release a television streaming service for iPads. The company will compete in this market segment with Time Warner and Cablevision. The details of this product and its release dates haven’t been disclosed until now.
Multiple sources suggest that Apple is facing constant production and design delays that can result in shortages of iPhone 5 all the way into 2012. DigiTimes has reported additional information which corroborates these rumors and lays the blame on touch panel producer Wintek that is said to supply one-quarter touch panels for iPhone 5. According to the report:
Research firm Gartner has published sales forecasts for the tablet market, stating that a lack of momentum from competitors will allow iPad to be absolute leader during the holiday shopping season. Looking further ahead, Gartner predicts that Apple will maintain more than 50 percent share of this market segment through 2014 even as Research in Motion’s QNX and Microsoft's Windows 8 platforms are expected to build up some momentum. Research vice president at Gartner Carolina Milanesi explains:
“This is because Apple delivers a superior and unified user experience across its hardware, software and services. Unless competitors can respond with a similar approach, challenges to Apple’s position will be minimal. Apple had the foresight to create this market and in doing that planned for it as far as component supplies such as memory and screen”.
Gartner has lowered its estimates for sales of Android tablets in 2011 by 28% over second quarter’s projections, noting very weak adoption due to its interface issues, high prices and limited app availability.
The company expects that Android will see growth as Google releases its next-generation Android’s "Ice Cream Sandwich" and addresses fragmentation across the Android ecosystem. However, according to Gartner's sales forecasts, Android tablets will not catch up the iPad by the end of projection period of 2015.
Keeping to the Apple’s schedule, the company opens six more stores on this weekend. It starts with the Nanjing East store in China opening tomorrow (Friday, September 23) and then the IFC (Hong Kong), Hornsby (Australia), Centro Sicilia (Italy), New Haven (Connecticut) and Metrotownn (Canada) Apple Stores will open on Saturday. The Nanjing East store (shown above) is the third Apple in Shanghai. IFC store is the first store that locates in Hong Kong. ifoApple Store notes that this store features a unique design:
The rear wall of both levels are glass windows looking out towards the city. On the inside, the lower level has two wide stainless steel walls, with a visitor entrance in the middle. The walls include back-lit display cases promoting Apple’s products. The upper level has an all-glass front window visible from the mall hallway.
After Apple and Intel made joint announcement of the new Thunderbolt input/output technology, one of the highly anticipated products to work with this technology has been the Little Big Disk from LaCie. This drive, which comes in SSD and HDD variants, in February was announced to be launched in summer, however only now it have eventually arrived at Apple Stores worldwide. LaCie notes: