Tag: apple news

Round Up Of The Apple Event Held On 25 March

Cupertino based tech titan, Apple held an event on the 25th of March where it announced four brand new subscription services. The list of newly announced services includes Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade, Apple Card and Apple News Plus.

Apple Arcade

Apple Arcade is the company’s take on a gaming service which spans across the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac computers. The paid subscription will initially provide access to over 100 gaming titles which will sprout further over time. Noteworthy, it even allows the user to play games in offline mode. This is a significant aspect as its direct competitor, the newly launched Google Stadia lacks support for this notable feature. The service will roll out in autumn this year and its pricing details are yet to be revealed. Exceptionally, family members can also share the subscription across different devices without an additional cost.

Apple Card

Apple card is a virtual credit card service which is developed for iPhone users and is an extension of the Apple Pay and Wallet services. The service is intended towards lowering interest rates, removing unnecessary fees and simplifying the process of applications in obtaining a credit card. According to the company, the service will simplify the use of existing digital payment mediums to a great extent.

Notably, it is just a credit card service and not a banking service. Apple has partnered with Goldman Sachs and MasterCard that handle its financial end. As previously mentioned, the user can directly sign up for a card right from the iPhone which is generated in minutes, unlike conventional service which can take days. Reportedly, the service makes use of machine learning which can precisely reflect the spending patterns of the user and also offer rewards in cash. Distinctly, the service will not charge late fees from the however, its functioning is unclear as of now.

Apple News Plus

As the name suggests, it is a news service from Apple that again requires a paid subscription. It showcases the content in a user-friendly and elegant manner which is enriched with photographs, animations and typography optimised for Apple devices including iPhone, iPad and Mac. The news service incorporates content from over 300 established newspapers, magazines and digital publishers some of which include Vogue, WSJ, GQ, Traveller, Wired and The New Yorker. The service is currently limited to the US and Canada where the users can subscribe it at a monthly fee of $ 9.99 and $ 12.99 respectively. Admirably, six members of a family can share one Apple News Plus subscription.

Apple TV Plus

Also Read: Xiaomi Poco F1 Gets Game Turbo Mode For Better Gaming Performance

Apple TV Plus is the company’s attempt at a video streaming service which will take on the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime. The service is set to launch in over 100 countries which will roll out in Q4 of 2019. According to the company, around 30 original projects are currently in the works which will be exclusive to the platform. Additionally, content from renowned channels including HBO, Showtime, CBS All Access will also be available on the streaming service. Like the Apple Arcade, its price is also currently unavailable.

In addition to the Apple Plus subscription service, the company has also released an all-new Apple TV application which has a completely redesigned interface. The new version of the application is designed to serve on-demand digital content, without advertisement with the option of offline downloads. The new Apple TV app is now available for the Apple TV and iOS devices. While its support for third-party smart TVs from LG, Sony, Samsung and Vizio will be available some.

March 26, 2019
Apple Launches Apple News Plus And Apple Card

Apple’s Show Time Event saw the company launching its news subscription service, called Apple News Plus with a collection of over 300 magazines. The service aims to provide a high quality curated news experience, which forms the basis of any News application. With a premium catalogue of magazines such as the National Geographic, the Vogue, and the New Yorker, Apple News Plus launched the service in the US and Canada on March 25. In addition, the company also launched its own credit card application, known as the Apple Card, the much-awaited Apple TV+ Streaming service and the Apple Arcade, which is a game subscription service.

About Apple News Plus

The application will be rolled out in an update for Apple devices and will bring forth a wide variety of stories and news for its users. Making the Apple News service more “premium” was Apple’s goal all along, as showcased by beautiful magazine covers in neat and impressive layouts in the application. Some magazine covers are intricately and vividly designed, others are animated and some sport a bold typography style to make a premium statement.

Apple claims that it won’t track what its users read on the News Plus application, nor will it allow advertisers to track them without their consent. With more than 5 billion articles read on the Apple News app every month, the company wants its users to make the best use of its premium news plus app rather than relying on social media networks for news that may be adulterated.

Subscription Plans And Availability

Similar to other mainstream subscription services, Apple News Plus aims to provide paid readable content from different magazines to its premium users, who will pay a monthly fee. One of the many news sources that Apple partnered with is the Wall Street Journal, which will cater general news to the company so that Apple can do the same for its users. The News Plus subscription service will be priced at $9.99 per month for users in the United States, whereas Canadian users will have to pay $12.99 per month for the same. A welcoming piece of information is the fact that up to six members of a family can share the subscription. Furthermore, the service offers its users a free month of trial before they decide whether to pay for the premium News curation or not. First seeing the light of Canada and the US, Apple News Plus will be launched in the UK and Australia later this year.

Apple Card

As mentioned before, Apple also unveiled its new credit card app, known as the Apple Card. The company clearly states that it is not just similar to a bank or online banking services, rather, the Apple card users will help its users be a part of a well-balanced financial life. Based on a simplicity factor that provides transparency and privacy at the same time, the Apple Card is designed specifically for the iPhone and will integrate directly with the Apple Wallet card.

Features

One of the many defining features of the Apple Card is the elimination of any transactional charges while using it. The app will encourage users to pay lesser interest and provide them with the lowest interest rate in the market. Moreover, the Card has a very attractive rewards program which gives back a percentage of every purchase made via the card. The rewards are stored as cash on the customers’ Apple Cash card, which can be used for making other transactions. A user will get 2% cashback on every payment made via the card, while a 3% cashback will be earned for every purchase made directly from Apple. Noteworthy, any purchase made via the physical card will earn just 1 percent cash back.

Also Read: Netflix Starts Testing Rs. 250 Monthly Subscription Plan In India

Mastercard will handle all aspects of payment processing for Apple. Rumours surrounding the Apple card have been rendered true, as the company has partnered with Goldman Sachs for the card. A unique card number will be generated on the user’s iPhone and will be stored securely on the device itself. Similar to the Apple News Service, the company won’t track the contents of the purchase made by the users, or any in-depth details of the same. Clearly, Apple is focusing on the privacy end here, which a lot of customers are skeptical about these days.

March 26, 2019
Apple’s Special Show Time Event, Here’s What To Expect

Apple will host its much-awaited launch event at the Steve Jobs Theater, California on March 25. Rumours have been around for a long time regarding Apple’s upcoming streaming service. The anticipated streaming service will go up against other popular services including Amazon Prime, Hulu and Netflix.

About The Streaming Service

As per reports, HBO and CBS, two very popular networks have agreed to partner up with Apple’s upcoming service, whereas Hulu and Netflix have chosen to stay away from the same for obvious reasons. This means that the company will source content from other channels as well as create original content for the streaming service. Reportedly, Apple spent over US$ 2 Billion to sign up major stars like Oprah Winfrey for the event that will shortly go live.

Apple is also looping a clip on the Apple Events web page, which shows a video feed from the Steve Jobs Theater itself. The stage has some sort of screen which is displaying a variety of content, including the Apple screensaver and interestingly, an incoming call from Captain America, hinting at the fact that the company has probably signed up Chris Evans for a project. It will also come forward with a host of other shows over varied genres such as drama, comedy, science fiction and movies for children.

About The News Subscription Service

Furthermore, Apple will also unveil its News Subscription service at the event, which will aim towards unifying major premium magazine content and news subscriptions. Apple News was first spotted in an iOS 12.2 beta update, confirming the existence of an idea that relates to its launch. Reports say that the company is asking for a whopping 50 percent cut from the publishers. The subscription cost hasn’t been revealed yet, but Apple may price it somewhere around US$ 10 per month.

How To Watch The Livestream?

Also Read: Apple iPhone SE 2 With Thinner Bezels Leaks Before Official Announcement

Users can watch the live stream from Apple on the company’s events page. The stream will go live at 10:30 pm IST (10:00 am PDT), and the company recommends its users to watch the stream on an Apple device, such as the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, MacBook etc.

March 25, 2019
Apple To Phase Out iPhone 6, 6 Plus In India, Also Rethinking Market Strategy

In an effort to strengthen its premium positioning in the Indian smartphone market, Apple has planned to halt the retail of older devices like the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. This may lead to a higher entry price barrier for other devices. The company is trying to shape the perception of Indian smartphone consumers towards Apple as a sumptuous brand.

The Company’s Market Strategy

As mentioned before, it has been confirmed that Apple is phasing out the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, leading to an increase in the entry price barrier for Apple devices. Consequently, Apple’s entry level smartphones will now be the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, which are already retailing at a higher price point compared to the previous entry level models, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus respectively. The American technology organization claims that even after reducing the selling prices of some smartphone models in the country, the market response is not up to its expectations. This is reflecting on the fact that Apple has a lower percentage of shares in the Indian smartphone market as compared to other countries, where Apple is the leader of market shares.

Talking about the Apple stores, the American Multinational company also plans to adopt newer strategies to improve its marketing statistics. The company will pay more attention to particular stores in a given area that have a higher chance of maximising sales. Accordingly, the company would allocate more sales executives to those outlets, consequently resulting in a sales performance boost. Also, the company wants to spread its footing via bigger stores that are more capable of increasing sales as a whole.

Partnerships

Also Read: Samsung Launches New 12GB RAM Modules For Future Smartphones

Apple is also putting an end to its distribution partnership with RP Tech for iPhones. Starting April, the company will focus on improving its partnership with Redington and Ingram Micro, both of which are reputed IT product distributors. Noteworthy, Apple has already terminated its relationship with HCL Infosystems and Brightstar as of the year 2018. Furthermore, Ashish Chowdhary (ex-Nokia Global Leadership Team Member) took charge of Apple’s India Operations in January and reportedly has been touring the market in order to strengthen trade relationships.

March 15, 2019
Apple May Launch Its Subscription News Service On March 25

Apple is planning to launch its paid “Apple News Subscription” at an event expected on March 25. The event will probably take place at the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park Campus, with a special focus on Apple’s newest News service.

About The Event

Apple hasn’t ‘officially’ sent out invitations yet, but its only a matter of time before Apple announces the event. In the past, Apple has targeted its March events in the past towards iPad launches. We can expect to get a refreshed iPad Mini. Especially because the iPad Mini would be the perfect companion to the new Apple News Subscription service. We could also see the new AirPods or the long-awaited AirPower charger.¸

About The Apple News Service

For a long time now, reports have been passed around that the company will soon add a paid subscription to the Apple News Bundle, which will include premium magazine and news subscriptions in a single package. This looks very similar to the service that Hulu provides for movies and shows. Last month, images surfaced which showed the Apple news service in an iOS 12.2 beta update, so this confirms the fact the service is indeed going to launch soon. Also, Apple is reportedly asking for a 50 percent cut from the publishers, depending on the number of times their articles will be read.

Also Read: Apple AirPods 2, AirPower Leaked, Launching Soon

Although the subscription cost hasn’t been revealed yet, it is rumoured that the Apple News Service will launch at approximately $10 per month. Apple is known to take bigger steps than its competition and succeeding at them, so we’ll have to wait for the event to unearth all the details.

February 13, 2019
Job Opening At Apple Hints At Health-Centric Processor

With its disputes with Qualcomm, Apple decided to use Intel chipsets in its upcoming smartphones. However, the company also announced that it will focus on using in-house chipsets for the iPhones. Which is why along with the iPhone X and iPhone 8, the company introduced the A11 Bionic chip. This chip has a dedicated neural processing unit for AI applications. A new job posting on Apple’s website shows that the company may be planning on bringing a health-centric chipset to its products.

In the list of Apple products which would use a health-focussed chip, the Apple Watch could be the first. According to the job post, the company is looking for ASIC (Application-specific integrated circuit) architect. Unlike common SoC, an ASIC chip only has a specific task to perform. For instance, high-efficiency Bitcoin miner is an ASIC. In simple terms, a Bitcoin is a form of electronic cash. However, the Cupertino company wants to use these ASIC chips for health focussed functionalities. The previous job openings at the company were for people with experience in health, wellness, and fitness sensors. These listings hint at the company’s future plans with its products, including, but not limited to, the iPhones.

Image: Apple ASIC Architect Job Opening

The current line of Apple iPhones including the iPhone 8 and iPhone X use the A11 Bionic chipset. This chipset uses a custom Apple GPU for graphics output. For LTE connectivity one of the iPhone variants uses a Qualcomm modem while the other variant uses an Intel modem. This is also what the company could be planning to move away from. In favour of in-house chipsets and modems, Apple may soon drop Intel and Qualcomm modems. However, the new 2018 iPhone lineup would most likely use the Intel modems. There is no word on the availability of this ASIC chipset but we think it could be seen in the next generation-Apple Watches. Stay tuned as we will be bringing more updates on the story on further development.

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August 16, 2018
Apple Watch Hits One Million Pre-Orders on its First Day

According to reports from Slice Intelligence, Apple’s smartwatch kicked off to a solid start by receiving almost a million pre-orders in the US. Slice Intelligence is a firm that tracks and projects US consumer spendings through e-commerce mail receipts. Slice Intelligence projections showed Apple, on its first day of accepting orders, hit a million pre-orders based on 9,080 online shoppers.

Saw the estimates of 1M Apple Watch pre-orders in my inbox. Won’t be surprised by an official Apple statement tomorrow saying 2M.

— Kevin C. Tofel (@KevinCTofel) April 13, 2015

According to Slice reports, 71% of the Apple Watch pre-orders were for the larger 42mm case and 32% of the aluminum Sports Watch. The expensive 19-karat Gold model did not have enough pre-orders to be included in the list. The report also revealed that 28% of the pre-orders included a black Sports band, thus making it the most popular option for its customers. The steel Milanese Loop came in second with 25% after which came the Link Bracelet with 14%.

Apple has not given any verification to the data yet or the official sales figures of the Apple Watch. The smartwatch sales will begin on 24^th April in over nine countries: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, UK and the US. The company is encouraging pre-orders, which seem to be quickly selling out. The availability of the watches have been pushed to May or June due to the massive demands.

To read more about the Apple Watch, click here.

April 13, 2015
Apple iPhone 5 16GB costs nearly $168USD to build

The iPhone 5 is going to be another huge success for Apple. This is a foregone conclusion. The company sold nearly 30 million iPhones last quarter, and that number is expected to grow with the introduction of the iPhone 5.

So how much profit does Apple make on each iPhone? We know that last quarter, with sales of 26 million iPhones the product line brought in approximately $16 billion in direct revenue, around 46% of the company’s entire take-home for the quarter. About $167.50, according to TechInsights. The company’s research found that the display costs $18, the camera costs $10, the processor is priced around $28, and a variety of other parts costs between $4.00 and $38.

The biggest expenditure for Apple is the A6 chip, which costs $28; the Qualcomm baseband chip costs $25. That upgraded Retina display only costs Apple $18 to manufacture, only $3 more than the previous 3.5-inch part. While these are still estimates based on what TechInsights knows about the supply chain, it’s clear that Apple’s sizeable margin is no less than it was a year ago with the iPhone 4S.

The Apple iPhone 5 comes in either white and silver or black and slate. Its prices start at $199 for 16GB (with a two-year service contract). The iPhone 5 will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 for the 16GB model, $299 for the 32GB model and $399 for the 64GB model.

If each phone nets Cupertino $482, or somewhere close to it, you begin to understand why Apple has $100 billion sitting around in the bank, and is one of the fastest-growing companies in the world despite its size.

It sure doesn’t look like the cost of the iPhone has risen drastically, so where is that extra revenue going? Straight to the bank.

September 15, 2012
New iPod Nano, Touch and “EarPods” revealed! (PR)

Apple has revealed the latest iteration of the iPod Nano, which comes with the new lightning corrector. It’s 5.4mm thin, which is a third thinner than the previous generation.

The physical controls are on the side, and there’s a 2.5-inch multitouch display. There’s an FM tuner with a DVR; pause live radio and go back and listen.

Fitness and pedometer built in, which the current nano has as well. Also Bluetooth, which is new and great.

Also revealed was an updated iPod touch! It’s 88 grams and just 6.1mm thick. It also has a larger 4-inch display, presumably retina as well. Apple has included the dual-core A5 chip which is bound to enhance the gaming experience on the iPad touch. It too comes with the lightning connector.

The camera has been updated as well, it now has a 5MP sensor, backside illumination and f/2.5 aperture, 1080p videos. Facetime HD front-facing camera, 720p with face detection.

Also, Siri will be moving to the iPod touch as well. It’ll also come in white, black, blue, and yello, and red.

It will also come with an armband and iPod Touch Loop.

Apple has also released new head phones called EarPods! The shape is “defined by the geometry of your ear” but doesn’t create a seal. There’s a port in back for midtones, a port in the stem and a port that points to your ears. It’s to “maximize airflow”.

They will be shipping the EarPods as standalone items and will also be included with all the new devices launched today. The EarPods will come in their own cases.

iPod shuffle: $50, 2GB, 7 new colors. iPod nano: 16GB for $150.

4th gen iPod touch, 16GB for $200. New iPod touch, 32GB for $300

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

Apple Introduces New iPod touch & iPod nano

World’s Most Popular Music Players Reinvented With Ultra-Thin Designs & Amazing New Features

SAN FRANCISCO—September 12, 2012—Apple today introduced the new lineup of the world’s most popular music players including the incredible all-new iPod touch and reinvented iPod nano. The new iPod touch is the thinnest iPod touch ever and features a brilliant 4-inch Retina display; a 5 megapixel iSight camera with 1080p HD video recording; Apple’s A5 chip; Siri, the intelligent assistant; and iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system. The new iPod touch comes in a gorgeous new ultra-thin and light anodized aluminum design, and for the first time ever, iPod touch comes in five vibrant colours. The new iPod nano is the thinnest iPod ever featuring a 2.5-inch Multi-Touch display; convenient navigation buttons; built-in Bluetooth for wireless listening; and the new iPod nano comes in seven gorgeous new colours.

“With over 350 million sold, iPod is the world’s most popular and beloved music player,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Music lovers may have a difficult time deciding between the reinvented iPod nano, the thinnest iPod ever, and the all-new iPod touch with its stunning 4-inch Retina display, 5 megapixel iSight camera and ultra-thin design—both in beautiful new colours.”

The new iPod touch has been redesigned with a brilliant 4-inch Retina display in an ultra-thin and light anodized aluminum body—the thinnest iPod touch ever at just 6 mm thin and weighing just 88 grams. With Apple’s dual-core A5 chip inside, iPod touch delivers up to twice the processing power and up to seven times faster graphics than the fourth generation iPod touch, all while maintaining incredible battery life of up to 40 hours of music playback and up to eight hours of video playback.* And, for the first time ever, iPod touch is available in five vibrant colours.

The new iPod touch includes a 5 megapixel iSight camera with autofocus, support for 1080p video recording with video image stabilization, face detection and an LED flash, and the new panorama feature that lets you capture gorgeous panoramic photos by simply moving the camera across a scene. Every new iPod touch comes with a colour-matched iPod touch loop, a clever and convenient wrist strap you can use while taking photos, recording video and playing games.

The new iPod touch comes with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 features, and for the first time, features Siri, the intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking. Siri arrives on the new iPod touch with support for more languages, easy access to sports scores, restaurant recommendations and movie listings.** The new iPod touch also includes: built-in Facebook integration with ability to post directly from Siri; Shared Photo Streams via iCloud; and other key iOS features like iMessage, FaceTime, Mail and Game Center. Now you can wirelessly display your iPod touch screen right on your HDTV with AirPlay Mirroring, allowing you to stream photos, videos, music, apps and play games on your big screen TV.***

The reinvented iPod nano is the thinnest iPod ever, at just 5 mm, and features the largest display ever built into an iPod nano, allowing you to enjoy more of your music, photos and widescreen videos. The new iPod nano features a 2.5-inch Multi-Touch display to make navigating your music even easier; a home button to quickly get back to your home screen; and convenient buttons to easily control volume and quickly play, pause or change songs without looking. The new iPod nano gives music lovers built-in Bluetooth for wireless listening with Bluetooth-enabled headphones, speakers and cars. At 30 hours, the new iPod nano offers the longest music playback of any iPod nano so you can enjoy your playlists* and FM radio even longer. With built-in fitness features including a pedometer and support for Nike+, iPod nano users will be ready to take their music walking, running or anywhere they like. The new iPod nano comes in seven gorgeous new colours with fun colour-matched wallpapers.

With the App Store on iPod touch, users have access to the world’s largest and best collection of over 700,000 apps, including over 175,000 game and entertainment titles. Customers also have the iTunes Store at their fingertips, giving them instant access to the world’s largest catalogue of over 26 million songs, 190,000 TV episodes, 45,000 movies and 1.5 million books to purchase and download directly to their iPod touch.*****

Both iPod touch and iPod nano come with the new Lightning connector that is smaller, smarter and more durable than the previous connector. The all-digital Lightning connector features an adaptive interface that uses only the signals that each accessory requires, and it’s reversible so you can instantly connect to your accessories. The Lightning-to-30-pin Adapter is also available to connect iPod touch and iPod nano to legacy 30-pin accessories.****

iPod touch and iPod nano also come with the new Apple EarPods featuring a breakthrough design for a more natural fit, increased durability and an incredible acoustic quality typically reserved for higher-end earphones.

Pricing & Availability

The new iPod touch will be available in October through Apple Authorized Resellers. The fourth generation iPod touch is available in black and white for INR15,900 (INR 14,009 ex VAT) in a 16GB model and INR 23,900 inc VAT (INR 21,057 ex VAT) in a 32GB model through Apple Authorized Resellers. iPod touch requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 port, Mac OS X v10.6.8 or later and iTunes 10.7 or later; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 3) or later and iTunes 10.7 or later. An Apple ID is required for some iPod touch features. iOS 6 will also be available as a free software update for iPod touch (fourth generation) customers allowing them to experience the amazing new features including Facebook-enabled apps like Photos; Shared Photo Streams via iCloud; and Passbook, the simplest way to get all your passes in one place.

iPod nano will be available in October in pink, yellow, blue, green, purple, silver and slate for a suggested price of INR12,500 inc VAT (INR 11,013 ex VAT) in a 16GB model through Apple Authorized Resellers. iPod shuffle is available today in pink, yellow, blue, green, purple, silver and slate for a suggested price of INR 3,700 inc VAT (INR 3,260 ex VAT) in a 2GB model through Apple Authorized Resellers. iPod shuffle requires a Mac with a USB 2.0, Mac OS X v10.6.8 or later and iTunes® 10.7 or later; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows 7, Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 3) or later and iTunes 10.7 or later. iPod nano requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 port, Mac OS X v10.6.8 or later and iTunes 10.7 or later; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows 7, Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 3) or later and iTunes 10.7 or later.

* Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.
** Not all features are supported in all countries.
*** AirPlay Mirroring is only supported on the fifth generation iPod touch.
**** Sold separately.
***** Content varies by Country.

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September 13, 2012
iPad Stats Revealed at Keynote! Blows Competition Away

Before the launch of the iPhone 5, Apple revealed some interesting facts and statistics related to the iPad! Here are the major ones :-

1. Apple had 62% market share last year for tablets, this year so far it’s at 68%.

2. iPad accounts for 91% of traffic from tablets.

3. Almost all of the Fortune 500 are getting in on the iPad action.

4. Apple sold “more iPads than any PC manufacturer sold of their entire PC line”.

5. Apple has 700,000 apps in the App Store, 250k are tablet-optimized.

6. Apple sells 17 Million New iPad’s : Tim Stevens :”We sold more iPads than any PC manufacturer sold of their entire PC line”.

September 12, 2012
iPhone 5 : Rumours Recap

1. Larger Screen

The most significant rumour leading up to the next iPhone is talk of a larger screen. Numerous sites have reported Apple will give its device a 4-inch screen, changing the 3.5-inch screen size of the iPhone for the first time. This will likely come true.

It is probably going to use Sharp’s IGZO display technology. IGZO screens are thinner, because they use smaller transistors, allowing more light to pass through. That means they use fewer LEDs, and therefore take up less space and consume less power.

2. Appearance

The phone will reportedly be a unibody design, with a two-tone back, and come in both black and white. And it turns out, all of the leaked internals fit perfectly into the leaked outer casing.

There likely won’t be any significant use of liquid metal in the next iPhone but Apple is indeed working with a company named Liquidmetal Technologies and the two firms extended their contract by two years this summer.

3. Smaller Dock Connector

Talk that Apple would change the iPhone’s dock connector for the first time since launching the iPhone in 2007 began this summer. Pictures have surfaced since then and the new piece looks about half as small as the current dock connector. This might just be true!

The latest reports are saying it’ll be called a Lightning connector, and look basically the same as all the leaks we’ve seen.

4. LTE connectivity

A few days ago a report said the iPhone will definitely get LTE connectivity, the fastest type of cellular Internet speeds available. Of course, it won’t be definite until Apple says so, but we expect this to be true too.

5. iOS 6

We all know that the next iPhone will come with iOS 6. And we’ve learned a good deal about Apple’s next mobile OS, too, since it was announced at WWDC in June. It will feature Apple’s own mapping system, as well as some pretty cool new features like Passbook.

6. Name

Given the design of the invite which hid “5” in the shadows of “12”, the next iPhone is almost certainly going to be branded as the “iPhone 5”.

Just a few more minutes to go before the next iPhone is released. Let’s wait and see what Apple has in store for us!

September 12, 2012
New iPhone To Support LTE

Expect the next iPhone to be 4G LTE compatible, a report released Friday said.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the flagship Apple smartphone will receive 4G LTE compatability, which is the latest generation of cellular technology and is supposed to provide faster mobile Internet speeds than previous technologies such as 3G.

4G LTE technology was largely expected to be included in last year’s iPhone model, the iPhone 4S. Apple chose instead to go with HSPA+, a slightly speedier 3G technology, but a far cry from what can be had on the 4G LTE spec, which can be ten times as fast.

Wireless carriers are eager to drive more customers to those networks, which are more efficient and could spur faster growth in data revenue by making it easier for consumers to use services like streaming video.

Another report early Friday said the next iPhone will likely cost the same as the iPhone 4S and start at $199 for a 16 GB version, going up from there.

Apple is expected to debut its next iPhone at its press event Wednesday. It kicks off at 10 a.m. PT. Expect more details on that early next week.

September 8, 2012
Apple planning Pandora-like music service?

Apple is planning a Pandora-like music service, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal, as part of a bid to become a major player in the online music space.

According to people “familiar with the matter,” the report says Apple would like to create stations similar to the ones on Pandora or Spotify, which play genres of music and are interspersed with ads from sponsors.

The Wall Street Journal said Apple’s service would work on the company’s hardware, including the iPhone, iPad and Mac computers, as well as potentially on PCs using Microsoft’s Windows operating system.

In recent years, though, with the proliferation of smartphones, iPads and wireless Internet access that perpetually connects those devices to online sources of music, Apple’s iTunes approach to selling songs for $1 or so apiece has come to seem antiquated in comparison with music streaming services like Spotify and others.

September 7, 2012
Apple Reaches Record U.S. Market Value on IPhone Expectation

Apple Inc. surpassed Microsoft Corp. Monday as the largest U.S. company ever, measured by stock-market value.

Apple hit the new milestone — $623.52 billion — at a time when its influence on the economy, on the stock market and on popular culture rivals that of some of the most powerful companies in U.S. history: General Motors Co., whose Corvette and Impala typified a confident postwar manufacturing giant; Microsoft, whose technology heralded the arrival of the personal computer and the early Internet age; and International Business Machines Corp., whose buttoned-down rigor inspired rivals to reach for greatness.

The shares of Cupertino, California-based Apple rose 2.6 percent to $665.15 at the close in New York yesterday, for a market value of $623.5 billion. That overtook Microsoft’s $616.3 billion closing market capitalization on Dec. 27, 1999, according to data compiled by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. Apple extended the gains today, advancing as much as 1.5 percent.

Apple is preparing to introduce the next version of the iPhone on Sept. 12 in what will be a design overhaul of its top- selling product, two people with knowledge of the company’s plans said last month. The next iPhone “could be the most impactful product upgrade in Apple’s history” and the company will probably sell as many as 250 million units over the life of the device, according to analysts at FBR Capital Markets.

[quote]

“With the iPhone they have successfully created a strong customer following in an absolutely enormous marketplace,” Toni Sacconaghi, an analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., said yesterday. “They have captured the hearts and minds of consumers.”

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August 21, 2012
Google says voice is the future of web search, introduces Siri-like app for iOS

Google Inc showed off enhancements to its voice-based search technology for Apple Inc’s iPhone and said it was testing a new service that will combine its Web-based email with its search engine.

The new version of Google’s search app for the iPhone and iPad, expected to be available within a few days, will let users find information about everything from the weather to nearby movie showings by speaking into the devices, matching some of the capabilities offered by Apple’s own Siri technology.

Google’s new app recites answers to search results in a human sounding voice, similar to Apple’s Siri, which some analysts and technology observers believe could make iPhone users less reliant on Google’s search service.

The news comes as the relationship between the two companies grows increasingly competitive. On Monday Apple said it would no longer offer Google’s YouTube app as a pre-loaded app in future versions of its iPhone.

Google, which unveiled a version of the voice-based search app for its Android software earlier this year, showcased the version for Apple devices at a press event at its San Francisco offices on Wednesday.

The company also announced a test version of a new service that will integrate users’ personal emails into searches on the Google website. The service, which Google said will initially be available to 1 million users, aims to make it easier for consumers to access information such as flight schedules or shipping orders.

A truly universal search will “have all the information that humanity has put on the Web and information that’s your information,” Amit Singhal, senior vice president of Google Search.

The initial “field trial” will work with Google’s Gmail, but Singhal said the company was open to working with other email providers.

Source : Reuters

August 9, 2012