Category: Apple

60% Of iPhone Users Running iOS 6

A new study says most iPhone users have updated to iOS 6, Apple’s latest operating system, despite a number of flaws that have plagued its launch.

After only two weeks on the market, iOS 6 is running on over 60% of iPhones, 15% more than on iPads. Chitika, an ad network and analytics firm, put together the study.

Apple is known for having fast adoption rates for its operating systems, but it wouldn’t have been surprising if iOS 6 bucked that trend after suffering from a plethora of problems that have embarrassed the Cupertino tech company since its launched.

iPhone users are adopting iOS 6 faster than iPad or iPod Touch users, likely because most iPhones support the upgrade, whereas the iPad 1 and iPod Touches before the 4th generation won’t be updated past iOS 4 or iOS 5.

In particular, the iPad 1, due to its limited 256MB of RAM, was not able to update past iOS 5.1, leaving many owners angry that their first-generation product is now obsolete. While most apps will still run fine for another generation or so on iOS 5, many developers will begin enforcing iOS 6 in the coming months.

October 4, 2012
Apple Slashes iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 Prices

Apple has announced a cut in prices of the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 models. According to an Apple spokesperson, the iPhone 4S 16GB model is now available for Rs 41,400, a reduction of Rs 3,100 from its earlier price of Rs 44,500.

The big news for Apple enthusiasts is that the company has slashed the price of the iPhone 4 (8GB) by Rs 9,600. The phone, which was earlier available for Rs 37,900 is now available for Rs 28,300. Further, Apple has discontinued the iPhone 3GS.

No exact date given, although word on the street is that the iPhone 5 will be launched just ahead of diwali, with the 16GB version costing around INR 45,000. Previously there were reports that Airtel, Vodafone and Aircel have placed orders for Nano-SIM cards which are used in the iPhone 5.

October 3, 2012
iPad Mini : Latest Specs Leaks

According to the latest leaks of the iPad mini, the 7.85-inch tablet will come in black and white colours, differentiating itself from the silver anodized aluminum of its bigger brother. The colour scheme gels with the iPhone 5, and could mark territory for Apple as they move away from the single-toned iPad.

Inside the device, we see a nano-SIM slot and antennas for 3G/LTE connectivity, so expect the iPad mini to come in both WiFi and cellular-compatible versions, likely for a smaller premium than we’re used to. The Lightning connector input is present as well, which is unsurprising.

You can see a hole for a rear camera, no flash, and the typical Apple logo with a simple ‘iPad’ insignia etched on the back. The black tone seems darker than the ‘Slate’ colour we are used to on the iPhone 5, though we don’t know what it will look like in the real world.

October 3, 2012
WSJ : Apple Begins Production of iPad Mini

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple has started mass producing “a new tablet computer smaller than the current iPad.” It’s heavily rumoured for months now that Apple will be launching the “iPad mini” and have it come with a display sized 7.85-inches – this is to compete agains all the other smaller tablets on the market, such as the Nexus 7, BlackBerry PlayBook, Samsung Tab, and the Amazon Kindle Fire HD.

It’s been rumored for weeks that Apple is planning to unveil an iPad Mini in October. In August, schematics of the new device were bouncing around the tech blogs. The new smaller iPad will be priced at around $250-$300 (£156-£187 respectively), T3.com reported, citing Chinese sources.

During an Apple’s earnings call in October 2010, the company’s late co-founder Steve Jobs once famously dissed mid-sized slates.

[quote]“The 10in screen size is the minimum size required to create great tablet apps. 7in tablets are tweeners: too big to compete with a smartphone, and too small to compete with an iPad,” Jobs said. These are among the reasons that the current crop of 7-inch tablets are going to be DOA — dead on arrival,” [/quote]

October 3, 2012
iPhone 5 Launch in India confirmed for End October, Prices add shock value!

Apple India is working hard to bring the iPhone 5 to India end October 2012. The iPhone 5 will be announced in India around the 28th/29th of October and will be available soon after. In the meanwhile carriers including Vodafone, Reliance, Aircel and Airtel have all ordered nano SIMs (the iPhone 5 uses nano SIM which is smaller and thinner than a micro SIM).

The pricing on the iPhone 5 seems off, where the iPhone 4s came into market for a price of Rs 44,500, the iPhone 5 is expected to launch for a price upwards of Rs. 46500 for the 16Gb variant. The price difference between capacity variants is also massive, where the iPhone 4s had an increment of Rs 5500 for the 32GB version, the iPhone 5 32GB will be approximately Rs 8000 more.

iPhone 5 will truly be the most expensive consumer smartphone in India. Those travelling abroad will prefer buying an importing the iPhone 5 since the price difference will be almost Rs 10,000 less compared to the Indian version.

October 3, 2012
Report: iPad Mini Oct 10th invites will go out next week!

According to a major Apple investor known to Fortune magazine, the invites for the iPad Mini event will go out next week. It has long been rumored that Apple will launch a smaller 7 inch version of the iPad, possibly in 16:9 aspect ratio.

Several mockups and case designs have leaked over time and it seem that the iPad is indeed coming. The most probable reason for the time of launch could be the upcoming Holiday season which will truly drive numbers through the roof.

October 2, 2012
After Swarovski S3, Here Comes the Gold iPhone 5

After the Swarovski studded Galaxy S3, a British firm is offering a blinged-up edition, made from solid gold and encrusted with 53 flawless diamonds.

Just 100 of the gem-covered handsets are going on sale – for a staggering £21,995 each.

Liverpool-based designer Stuart Hughes spends weeks making each pimped iPhone – taking an original 64gb model and furnishing it with jewels.

[quote]Stuart said: “This beautiful handset will take weeks of detailed intricate work to re-create the original chassis of the iPhone in solid gold, all of which was started and finished by hand. There will be gold dressing for the rear section and the logo in solid gold with 53 flawless diamonds amounting to 1ct.”[/quote]

It’s not the first time Stuart has cashed in on customised iPhones. He recently sold a one-of-a-kind iPhone 4S Elite Gold to an Australian businesswoman – for an incredible £6 million.

And the omens are good for his latest invention. The iPhone 5 has flown off the shelves since it was launched on September 12 – five million were bought in the first weekend alone.

September 30, 2012
Foxconn Plant Closed After Riot

Image Courtesy : Engadget

About 2,000 Chinese employees of an iPhone assembly company fought a pitched battle into the early hours of Monday, forcing the huge electronics plant where they work to be shut down. Authorities in the northern city of Taiyuan sent 5,000 police to restore order after what the plant’s Taiwanese owners Foxconn Technology Group said was a personal dispute in a dormitory that erupted into a mass brawl.

The company said the incident was confined to an employee dormitory and “no production facilities or equipment have been affected.” It said the cause of the disturbance was still under investigation.

One Foxconn employee reached by telephone Monday afternoon, however, said the incident began when workers started brawling with security guards. Unconfirmed photographs and video circulated on social networking sites, purporting to be from the factory, showed smashed windows, riot police officers and large groups of workers milling around. The Foxconn plant, in the Chinese city of Taiyuan, employs about 79,000 workers.

The Chinese state-run news media said 5,000 police officers had been called in to quell the riot. The disturbance is the latest problem to hit Foxconn, which also is a key supplier to Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft. It is part of Hon Hai Group of Taiwan and has been struggling to improve labor conditions at its China factories after reports about labor abuse and work safety violations.

Apple and Foxconn have worked together in the last year to improve conditions, raise pay and improve labor standards.

September 24, 2012
Apple sells 5m iPhone 5’s in first three days

Apple has said that it’s sold more than 5 million new iPhone 5s in the three days since the latest smartphone was launched.

It said orders for the phone exceeded the initial supply it had available, something confirmed by several carriers and stores, which reported selling out over the weekend. The iPhone 5 went on sale Friday in the U.S., Australia and elsewhere.

[quote]“Demand for iPhone 5 has been incredible and we are working hard to get an iPhone 5 into the hands of every customer who wants one as quickly as possible,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “While we have sold out of our initial supply, stores continue to receive iPhone 5 shipments regularly and customers can continue to order online and receive an estimated delivery date.”[/quote]

That device was seen as a smaller technological step forward compared to the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5 also had a bigger launch, going on sale in two more countries than its predecessor.

The company has aggressive rollout plans for the newest iPhone. Nine countries are now selling the iPhone 5, and that will grow to more than 100 by the end of the year.

Apple says it has shipped most of the phones that were ordered in advance. But it plans to ship many of them in October.

Check out the Press Release below :

[toggle_box title=”Press Release” width=”Width of toggle box”]

Apple today announced it has sold over five million of its new iPhone 5, just three days after its launch on September 21, and more than 100 million iOS devices have been updated with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system. iPhone 5 is available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK, and will be available in 22 more countries on September 28 and more than 100 countries by the end of the year. Demand for iPhone 5 exceeded the initial supply and while the majority of pre-orders have been shipped to customers, many are scheduled to be shipped in October.

“Demand for iPhone 5 has been incredible and we are working hard to get an iPhone 5 into the hands of every customer who wants one as quickly as possible,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “While we have sold out of our initial supply, stores continue to receive iPhone 5 shipments regularly and customers can continue to order online and receive an estimated delivery date. We appreciate everyone’s patience and are working hard to build enough iPhone 5s for everyone.”

iPhone 5 is the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever, completely redesigned to feature a stunning new 4-inch Retina display; an Apple-designed A6 chip for blazing fast performance; and ultrafast wireless technology*—all while delivering even better battery life.**

Pricing & Availability
iPhone 5 comes in either white & silver or black & slate, and is available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the 64GB model. iPhone 5 is available from the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores, and through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, select Best Buy, RadioShack, Target and Walmart stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 4S is also available for just $99 (US) and iPhone 4 is available for free with a two-year contract.***

iPhone 5 will be available on September 28 in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

* LTE is available through select carriers. Network speeds are dependent on carrier networks, check with your carrier for details.
** Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.
*** Qualified customers only. Requires a new two year rate plan, sold separately.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices

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September 24, 2012
iPhone 5 Teardown : Apple Impresses With Higher Repairability, Bigger Battery

It’s barely hours since the iPhone 5went on sale and iFixit has already completed its now-traditional teardown to reveal the handset’s juicy innards.

The site awarded the new iPhone a repairability score of 7 out of 10, reporting that the easily smashable glass screen is also easily replaceable (it takes just one step to get the iPhone 5’s screen off, compared to 38 repair steps on the iPhone 4S).

Aside from the space saving aspect of the new in-cell technology, Apple will cut down on phone replacements this way, potentially saving millions of dollars.

iFixit have also uncovered a new higher capacity battery, made with a new manufacturing process. The 1440mAh cell is rated for 3.8V, making for 5.45Wh of total uptime. As most reviews have already found the battery life is significantly better, even over LTE.

Also something to note, Apple has notably lessened its reliance on Samsung DDR2 RAM; many of the new models come with parts from Elpida, which is expected to send nearly half its output to Apple this year.

September 21, 2012
New Samsung Ad Makes Fun of iPhone 5

Samsung is poking fun at Apple fans and the upcoming Iphone 5 in an advert designed to make us realise that its Galaxy S3 is the best handset around.

The advert shows a bunch of young trendies queueing outside an Apple store and talking excitedly about the incoming phone.

“All I’m saying is they should have a priority line for people who’ve waited five times,” one guy says at the start of the 90-second ad.

While the iPhone is never referred to by name, many of its specs are mentioned. “You have to have an adapter to use the dock on the new one,” one guy in the line says rather forlornly. “Yeah, but they make the coolest adapters,” says another.

Then a group of Galaxy S3 owners enter the area and talk about the features of the phone, causing curiosity among those standing in line.

The advertisement comes at a time when Samsung is still recovering from the major legal blow it suffered in its patent war with Apple last month.

Check out the advertisement below!

September 20, 2012
Fix your Macbook Pro Battery life as Apple releases Mountain Lion Software Update 10.8.2
Just some time back Apple started pushing iOS 6 to all iOS devices (compatible ones at least), in support Apple has also started seeding the newest Software Update to the Mountain Lion users. The 10.8.2 brings several things including Facebook Integration and most importantly for Macbook Pro users the update is said to bring a secret Battery life Fix.

Check out the full Changelog below:

Facebook
- Single sign on for Facebook
- Adds Facebook as an option when sharing links and photos
- See Facebook friends’ contact information and profile pictures in Contacts
- Facebook notifications now appear in Notification Center
Game Center
- Share scores to Facebook, Twitter, Mail, or Messages
- Facebook friends are included in Game Center friend recommendations
- Added Facebook “Like” button for games
- Challenge friends to beat your score or achievement
Other new features
- Adds Power Nap support for MacBook Air (Late 2010)
- iMessages sent to your phone number now appear in Messages on your Mac*
- You can now add passes to Passbook (on your iPhone or iPod touch) from Safari and Mail on your Mac*
- FaceTime can now receive calls sent to your phone number*
- New shared Reminders lists
- New sort options allow you to sort notes by title, the date you edited them, and when you created them
- Dictation now supports additional languages: Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, Korean, Canadian English, Canadian French, and Italian
- Dictionary app now includes a French definition dictionary
- Sina Weibo profile photos can now be added to Contacts
* Requires iOS 6

General fixes

The OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.2 update also includes general operating system fixes that improve the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac, including the following fixes:
- Adds an option to discard the changes in the original document when choosing Save As
- Unsent drafts are now opened automatically when launching Mail
- Receive Twitter notifications for mentions and replies from anyone
- URLs are shortened when sending tweets from Notification Center
- Notifications are disabled when AirPlay Mirroring is being used
- Adds SSL support for Google searches from the Smart Search Field in Safari
- Adds a new preference to have Safari launch with previously open webpages
- Resolves an issue that may cause the “Enable Autodiscover” checkbox to always remain checked
- Enables access to the Mac App Store when Parental Controls are enabled
- Support for @icloud.com email addresses
- Resolves a video issue with some VGA projectors when connected to certain Mac notebooks
- Addresses an issue that may prevent Active Directory accounts from being locked out
- Resolves an issue that may cause the policy banner to re-appear prior to logging in
- Improvements to SMB
- Addresses an issue with NIS users when auto-login is enabled
- Addresses an issue in which the Keychain may not be accessible
- Ability to pre-authenticate a FileVault protected system
- Addresses an issue that may cause Xsan to not automatically start after migrating from Mac OS X Snow Leopard
September 19, 2012
iOS 6 starts pushing out to iOS devices all over the world. (Changelog)
Apple has started pushing out iOS 6 as we speak, while we download and update our iOS devices, you can check out the full log below.

The iPhone 4S version is about 626 MB OTA.

iOS 6 Software Update

This update contains over 200 new features, including the following:

• Maps
- Apple designed vector based maps
- Turn-by-turn navigation with spoken directions on iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (2nd and 3rd generation)
- Real-time traffic information
- Flyover for photo-realistic, interactive 3D views of major metro areas on iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad (3rd generation), and iPod touch (5th generation)
- Local search results with Yelp photos, ratings, reviews, and available deals
- Siri integration for requesting directions and finding places along a route
• Siri improvements
- Sports: scores, player stats, game schedules, team rosters, and league standings for baseball, basketball, football, soccer and hockey
- Movies: trailers, showtimes, reviews and facts
- Restaurants: reservations, reviews, photos and information
- Send a Tweet
- Post on Facebook
- App launch
- Eyes Free in supported automobiles
- Local search available in Siri supported countries (availability may be limited during initial rollout)
- Additional country and language support for Canada (English and Canadian French), China (Mandarin), Hong Kong (Cantonese), Italy (Italian), Korea (Korean), Mexico (Spanish), Spain (Spanish), Switzerland (Italian, French, German), Taiwan (Mandarin), US (Spanish)
- Supported on iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad (3rd generation) and iPod touch (5th generation)
• Facebook integration
- Single sign-on from Settings
- Post from Photos, Safari, Maps, App Store, iTunes, Game Center, Notification Center and Siri
- Add location and choose audience for any post
- View up-to-date Facebook profile photos and contact information in Contacts
- View Facebook events and birthdays in Calenda
- Like content and see your friends’ Likes in App Store and iTunes Store
• Shared Photo Streams
- Share selected photos with the people you choose
- Friends can view shared photos in Photos app, iPhoto and Apple TV
- Friends can like and make comments on individual photos
• Passbook
- One place for boarding passes, store cards, movie tickets and other passes
- Barcode display for boarding flights, buying coffee, getting into movies and other actions
- Passes displayed on Lock Screen based on time or location
- Passes can be automatically updated
- Supported on iPhone and iPod touch
• FaceTime improvements
- FaceTime over cellular support for iPhone 5, iPhone 4S and iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (3rd generation)
- Receive FaceTime calls, sent to your iPhone number, on your iPad and iPod touch
• Phone improvements
- Do Not Disturb to suppress incoming calls and notifications
- ‘Reply with message’ option when declining a call
- ‘Remind me later’ option based on time or location when declining a call
• Mail improvements
- VIP mailbox to quickly access mail from important people
- Flagged email mailbox
- Insert photos and videos when composing email
- Open password protected Office docs
- Pull down to refresh mailboxes
- Per account signatures
• Safari improvements
- iCloud tabs to see open pages on all your devices
- Offline Reading List
- Photo upload support
- Full screen landscape view on iPhone and iPod touch
- Smart app banners
- JavaScript performance improvements
• App Store and iTunes Store improvements
- Updated store design
- iTunes Preview history
- Complete my season
- Complete my album
• Game Center improvements
- Challenge friends to beat high scores and achievements
- Post high-scores and achievements to Facebook and Twitter
- Friend recommendations based on your Facebook friends
• Accessibility improvements
- Guided Access to limit device to one app or restrict touch input on certain areas of the screen
- VoiceOver integration with Maps, AssistiveTouch and Zoom
- Support for Made for iPhone Hearing Aids for iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S
• Improved privacy controls for Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Photos and data shared over Bluetooth
• Reminders can be reordered in the Reminders app
• Custom vibrations for alerts on iPhone
• Clock app for iPad
• Clock alarm with song
• Search all fields in Contacts
• Automatic movie mode for improved video sound quality
• Definitions of a selected word for Chinese, French, German and Spanish
• New keyboard layouts for French, German, Turkish, Catalan, Arabic and Icelandic
• Keyboard shortcuts shared across devices via iCloud
• Bluetooth MAP support
• Global network proxy for HTTP
• Features for China
- Baidu web search
- Sina Weibo integration
- Share videos to Tudou
- Share videos to Youku
- Improved text input for handwriting and Pinyin
• Bug fixes

[Apple]
September 19, 2012
iOS 6 to hit iPhones in a couple of hours – Jailbreaker/s and Unlocker/s should stay Wary!

iOS 6 is going to hit your iPhones at about 10:30 PM IST (GMT +5:30) today. If you have a phone that relies on software unlocks to work, of if you are someone who simply enjoys the freedom Jailbreak offers, then you might wanna hold on to your horses. iOS 6 brings about lots of new changes to existing iPhone users, and extra ones to iPhone 4s users (like flyover and Panorama) while the new iPad owners get Siri!

If you are ready to make the shift, then keep your bandwidth ready, because considering the amount of iOS devices out there (despite Apple’s massive CDN) this might be a slow download.

September 19, 2012
Breaking : iPhone 5 Pre-Orders cross 2 Million in one day (PR)

Apple has just confirmed the numbers, and despite several issues, more than 2 million iPhones (iPhone 5) were pre-ordered in the first 24 hours. For those who missed the Pre Launch booking spree will be able to get their hands on the iPhone 5 post 2nd week of October.

The iPhone 5 is still expected to hit India by end October as earlier reported by iGyaan.

[quote]iPhone 5 pre-orders have shattered the previous record held by iPhone 4S and the customer response to iPhone 5 has been phenomenal,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iPhone 5 is the best iPhone yet, the most beautiful product we’ve ever made, and we hope customers love it as much as we do.”[/quote]

[toggle_box title=”Press Release” width=”Width of toggle box”]

iPhone 5 Pre-Orders Top Two Million in First 24 Hours

CUPERTINO, California-September 17, 2012-Apple® today announced pre-orders of its iPhone® 5 topped two million in just 24 hours, more than double the previous record of one million held by iPhone 4S. Demand for iPhone 5 exceeds the initial supply and while the majority of pre-orders will be delivered to customers on September 21, many are scheduled to be delivered in October. iPhone 5 is the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever, completely redesigned to feature a stunning new 4-inch Retina™ display; an Apple-designed A6 chip for blazing fast performance; and ultrafast wireless technology*-all while delivering even better battery life.**

“iPhone 5 pre-orders have shattered the previous record held by iPhone 4S and the customer response to iPhone 5 has been phenomenal,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iPhone 5 is the best iPhone yet, the most beautiful product we’ve ever made, and we hope customers love it as much as we do.”

iPhone 5 comes with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new user features including: an all new Maps app with Apple-designed cartography, turn-by-turn navigation and an amazing new Flyover™ view; Facebook integration for Contacts and Calendar, with the ability to post directly from Notification Center; Passbook®, the simplest way to get all your passes in one place; new Siri® features, including support for more languages, easy access to sports scores, restaurant recommendations and movie listings;*** Siri and Facebook-enabled apps like Photos, Safari® and Maps; and Shared Photo Streams via iCloud®.

Pricing & Availability

iPhone 5 will be available at 356 Apple retail stores in the US beginning at 8 a.m. local time on Friday, September 21. Every customer who buys an iPhone 5 at an Apple retail store will be offered free Personal Setup service, helping them customize their iPhone 5 by setting up email, showing them new apps from the App Store and more, so they’ll be up and running with their new iPhone before they leave the store.

iPhone 5 comes in either white & silver or black & slate, and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the 64GB model. iPhone 5 will be available from the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores, and through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, select Best Buy, RadioShack, Target and Walmart stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 4S will also be available for just $99 (US) and iPhone 4 will be available for free with a two-year contract.****

iPhone 5 will roll out worldwide to 22 more countries on September 28, including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

* LTE is available through select carriers. Network speeds are dependent on carrier networks, check with your carrier for details.
** Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.
*** Not all features are supported in all countries.
**** Availability varies by carrier.

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[Apple]

September 17, 2012