According to sources, the production of the larger iPad has been delayed to early next year by Apple suppliers due to high demand for the flagship iPhone 6. Anonymous Apple suppliers have told WSJ that the iPad was to go on a large scale production in December, though the high demand of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus has led Apple to delay the production of the larger 12.9 inch iPad.
“The top priority for the supply chain is to meet the overwhelming demand for the larger screen iPhones. The output of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus remains unsatisfactory,” a supply chain source said, “It would be challenging for display makers to split resources and spend a few months to ramp up production for a new large screen iPad now.”
Apple revealed that it sold more than 10 million new iPhones in the first weekend since launch September. Pre-orders for the Indian sub continent have started as well. This time around, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have been listed at Rs 53,500 and Rs 62,500, respectively. The 64GB version of the iPhone 6 is priced at Rs 62,500, the 128GB version will be available for Rs 71,500. Meanwhile, the 64GB version of the larger Apple iPhone 6 Plus will retail at Rs.71,500 and the 128GB variant of the phone will be available for Rs 80,500.
Apple has sent out invites for its October 16 event, wherein the company is all set to unveil its new line of iPads. The invite says, “It’s been too long”. Well, we’ve barely recovered from the last event where Apple announced the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The iPhone maker is expected to unveil the new iPads as well as an updated iMac line.
Multiple reports over the past week have pointed to the next iPad landing with a Touch ID fingerprint sensor directly targeted towards enterprise customers along with Apple Pay, though without the counterpart near-field communications (NFC) chip.
It’s also the first time new iPads have made an appearance since the Apple-IBM deal was announced in mid-July. Apple CEO Tim Cook called Apple’s new partnership with IBM a “catalyst for future iPad growth.” Apple is also expected to finally launch its new operating system, dubbed Yosemite. It comes with a number of “continuity” features that bridge the divide between its desktop and mobile devices and platforms, such as ‘Handoff,’ which allows users to transition working in-app from one device to another.
Recently, there were reports of Apple planning to launch a gold iPad Air 2. According to another report, new versions of the 9.7-inch iPads which are expected to be unveiled at the Oct 16th event will include a golden coloured rear metal cover in addition to the silver and gray that are already available in previous products.
It is also noted that the logo on the invite is similar to the one Apple used to mark the 30th anniversary of the Mac earlier this year, which has sparked the hope for a refreshed line of Mac computers.
So, the Apple logo from the invite is the same as the Mac 30th anniversary logo. So, new Macs indeed. pic.twitter.com/cn3aEcCCS5
It is said that the refreshed version Apple’s iPad Air is going to launch as soon as the end of this month. The rebooted version of the 2013’s hugely popular 9.7 inch tablet is tipped to feature the company’s new A8 system on chip and TouchID, and many other features which debuted with the iPhone 6.
According to reports, suppliers are gearing up to begin production of the next-generation iPad Air dubbed iPad Air 2 later this month.
Design and Hardware
Back in June, Ortud forum shared some images of the dummy unit claiming it’s not a working model but all the dimensions, design, ports and buttons will be in the exact same place. The dummy illustrated the change in the home button which seemed like the Touch ID style from iPhone 5S. All the buttons are in their normal place with the rocker on the side but the lock key on this model is missing. Another big change is a small microphone next to the rear camera.
It is said that the big changes will be on the inside; a new CPU, more RAM and the implementation of TouchID, as well as Apple’s new iOS 8 software will make up the share of USPs for Apple’s 2014 iPad Air. Apple has now launched the iPhone 6 with a next generation A8 processor on board and it is likely Apple will follow suit and use the same technology on the iPad Air 2. On the iPhone 6, the A8 chipset comes with a clock speed of 1.39GHz and on the iPhone 6 Plus it’s a little less powerful at 1.32GHz.
Display
Number of reports have claimed that Apple is adopting IGZO display technology in its next-gen iPad models. IGZO display panels are said to offer better viewing angles, improved colour reproduction, as well as being more power efficient than existing LCD setups. However, it is said that this may not happen because of the never ending production issues. According to Korea’s ETNews, “The reason for this is because Sharp is currently facing low yield issues which will not be dealt with in a timely manner”. For this reason, the report adds, Apple will wait until at least 2015 to debut iPads with IGZO panels, meaning we’re likely to see them implemented inside the iPad Air 3
Color Variants
According to Bloomberg, sources close to the production of the new iPad Air 2 suggest there will be a new colour option. Plans are in place to manufacture a gold version of the new 9.7-inch iPad as well as the usual grey and silver colour options. The publication’s sources claim it is in an effort to increase sales in the iPad market that is, as we know, been flagging recently.
Release Date
Apple has planned a major event on October 16th, and it seems like it would be the day the sleek tablet is unvieled. Last month, Bloomsberg reported that the production of the iPad Air 2 is now underway and Apple is looking to bring the slate to market in late-Q3, early-Q4. They said, “Mass production of a full-sized iPad with a 9.7-inch screen is already under way, with an unveiling projected for the end of this quarter or early next year. A new version of the 7.9-inch iPad Mini is also entering production and will probably be available by the end of the year.”
Earlier, it was believed that Apple might launch the iPad Air 2 alongside the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. This of course didn’t happen and Apple instead focused on handsets, mobile payments and wearables in the shape of the Apple Watch. With regards to a new iPad Air, nothing so far is known, apart from it being in production and tipped to launch before Christmas. The iPad Air launched in October last year and Apple, known for repeat launch dates, is expected to launch the new iPad Air during the same time frame.
Latest figures show that Apple’s iOS 8 usage has grown by a mere 1 per cent in the last three weeks. Which means fewer than half of its users are running iOS 8, nearly three weeks after launch. Compared to previous roll outs of new versions of iOS, these figure are shockingly low.
Despite the introduction of custom keyboards, the Notification Center widgets and a lot more, there has been a slow adoption. By September 21, iOS 8 was installed on 46 per cent of devices, 47 per cent of iOS users continue to stick to iOS 7, possibly due to a number of bugs that had plagued the launch of iOS 8.
By this point last year, iOS 7 uptake was already hovering around 60 per cent, according to analytics firm Fiksu. Apple said on its developer pages that it measures usage from App Store visits over a period of time. Figures are typically released every two or three weeks. iOS 8, which comes re-installed on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, has been dogged with problems from its initial release.
Just ahead of the launch of iOS 8, all Health Kit-enabled apps were pulled from the App Store due to a major HealthKit bug. A fix was quickly released, but the update, iOS 8.0.1, disabled the cellular service and Touch ID functionality on iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices. iOS 8.0.2 fixed the problems introduced with iOS 8.0.1 and brought several other bug fixes. The publicity surrounding the iOS 8.0.1 issue may have discouraged some users from updating.
It is said that the major problem with the new iOS 8 is also the large file space; it needs almost 4.6GB of free space to install and then update. Users with 16GB and 8GB iPhones struggle to spare that much memory for the upgrade.
Apple’s latest flagship iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are all set to launch on October 17th, right before Diwali. The launch, about a month after the phone arrived in the US, will go down as the fastest launch of a new iPhone model ever.
This time around, Apple has chosen e-commerce dealers for the new iPhones. Amazon.in and Ahmedabad-based Infibeam promise a firm dlivery date for iPhone 6 sales in India. Both website will take pre-order starting noon today. The online retail firm has promised to deliver iPhones 6 and iPhone 6 plus on October 17 in all urban areas, and in rural areas in a couple of more days.
The 16GB version of Apple iPhone 6 will be available for Rs. 53,500, while the 64GB version is priced at Rs. 62,500. The 128GB version of the phone will sell for Rs. 71,500. The 16GB version of Apple iPhone 6 Plus will be available at Rs. 62,500, while the 64GB version is priced at Rs. 71,500. The 128GB version of the phone will sell for Rs 80,500.
Offline retailers have repeatedly complained to phone brands about low prices being offered by online retailers. As a result, companies are increasingly going through ‘exclusive’ partners for online selling to retain control over prices. The prices announced by Infibeam are exactly the prices that Apple has stipulated, and not lower than that. The prices are what you can get in offline stores as well.
This was a bad week for Apple. The technology giant had to face massive social media bashing for news that their new iPhone 6 Plus has the tendency to bend in tight pockets. Apple’s biggest competitors like Samsung, LG and HTC got together with some brutal take downs of Apple’s latest flagship in an event dubbed “bendgate”. Adding to the woes was the faulty iOS 8.0.1 update which caused issues in the new iPhone and had to be withdrawn. But it seems like these dark clouds have a silver lining.
Consumer Reports (CR), an American magazine known for its scientific testing methods and unbiased reporting has put the iPhone 6 Plus to test. The magazine has an extensive testing facility where they test the products.
The magazine had previously tested the Apple iPhone 4 which also garnered negative reception because of its antennae issue. For the iPhone 6 test, CR brought the phone and its competitors for a comparative test. The results seems to be working in favor of Apple.
Through its torture testing CR found that iPhone 6 Plus was actually stronger than what was purported. Apple’s biggest phone yet took 90 pounds of pressure to bend while its smaller sibling, the iPhone 6 and HTC One (M8) gave up at 70 pounds.
Deformation
Case separation
HTC One (M8)
70 pounds
90 pounds
Apple iPhone 6
70 pounds
100 pounds
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
90 pounds
110 pounds
LG G3
130 pounds
130 pounds
Apple iPhone 5
130 pounds
150 pounds
Samsung Galaxy Note 3
150 pounds
150 pounds
The tests also found the toughest phone in the market and it turns out to be Samsung’s Note 3 which faced 150 pounds of pressure before giving up. CR also said that Apple uses the same techniques to test their phones but their machines only go up to 55 ponds.
Overall, the testing seems pretty genuine based on their testing process. This is a good news for Apple at the end of a terrible week. Though it is also good news for LG G3 which seems to be much stronger than the metallic bodied HTC One (M8.) Now it is up for the market to decide how it is going to approach the new iPhones.
The iPhone 6 is finally in our studio and we get our dirty hands with the next generation of Apple phone. The iPhone 6 is going on sale in India on the 17th of October for an expected price of Rs. 48,500 for the 16GB variant, whereas the big brother, the 6 Plus, will be available for Rs. 54,500 for the 16 GB as per information available to us.
The box of the iPhone is no different than the previous generations, and you can expect to find the same things in the box, including a cable, a wall charger, Apple EarPods, along with some basic paperwork.
The phone is light out of the box, which may be the biggest reason behind #bendgate. It feels light and nimble although the front display is big and beautiful which immediately captures your eye.
The rounded edges sit very comfortably in your hands, many times better than the previous gen, which without a case was slightly sharp in the hand.
You see a boost in the performance out of the box. The iPhone is much smoother and the rounded display gives it a natural feel when sliding between pages. Websites look much better on the large display, which is bright and super crisp.
Apple has put in a lot of new hardware into the new iPhone since it was a number change edition Apple A8 chipset with 64 bit Architecture along with a hexa core GPU. Ram wise you still get 1 GB but that seems more than sufficient for the phone. Storage is dependent on what model you buy and cameras have not been bumped up in specs but in tech, adding phase detection, autofocus along with improved pixel capture. Slow motion video at 240 fps on a 720p resolution is really impressive.
This time around the iPhone 6 has a 1810 mAh bumping up from the 1560 of the iPhone 5s. Stay tuned for our Full Review out shortly.
The customers of Apple are not having a good time lately. The company that recently launched its latest flagship, the iPhone 6 has been mired in consumer complaints. One major complaint is that the screen bends in tight back pockets. Now the company is also rushing to fix the iOS 8.0.1 update whose bugs have caused multiple issues for customers who bought it.
The folks who updated their phone soon found out that the phones had lost cell service and the Touch ID. The Cupertino-based tech giant apologized for the error and pulled back the update stating that they will be bringing out a fix in the next few days.
The recently released update shut down cell service and Touch ID on the new iPhones
Apple had released the update to fix minor bugs and some bugs in the Health App. But it, unfortunately, caused major headaches to new iPhone buyers. The older phones on which the update was installed didn’t have any such problems though.
For people who have already updated to the faulty update, Apple is offering a simple workaround. It is asking the users to reinstall iOS 8 through iTunes. This will however make the Health apps nonfunctional, which the company says will be fixed in an upcoming update.
Apple is no stranger to bad response from consumers, it has faced several major complaints in the past. After the iPhone 4 launch, it was observed that the faulty antennae design led to dropped signals. In 2012, the Apple Maps was the cause of a lot of furore. Recently during the launch of the iPhones, the live stream debacle caused a lot of heartbreaks for folks who had been waiting for the show for a long while.
The iPhone 6 and the 6 Plus are still Apple’s best phone outing, and we’d all be waiting to see how the fix works out for the folks who raided their pockets to buy the device.
Dropbox has updated its iOS app to fix a number of issues which arose with the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system. The file-sharing application has rolled out its iOS 8 upgrade, which now includes a new Notification Center widget of its own, offering a quick overview of your files and recent changes.
The problem was spotted just before the release of iOS 8. There was a bug in the operating system that broke Dropbox’s automatic backup of photos and videos. The compatibility issue led to the feature being temporarily put down for iOS, but Dropbox swiftly fixed this backup problem.
With this upgrade, the biggest iteration is that Dropbox can now be added to the iOS 8 Notification Center, providing a view of your most important files, including those associated with business or personal. For those with only either of the two, you’ll just see a single list, instead of three separate tabs which were earlier left empty consuming unnecessary space.
The widget is another major change in the upgraded version. You can track newly added files, as well as changes like renamed files and edits directly from widget. With a tap on a file name, you can quickly launch Dropbox without needing to locate the app on your phone.
Also, the app includes new Shared Folders feature, which can now be created and managed on the go from the Dropbox app on iPhone and iPad. You can also share the link to a folder from an action menu in the app, or invite users to a folder and manage their access levels.
Another feature is that with iOS 8 supports app extensions, so you’ll now be able to import and export files to and from other iOS apps that support Apple’s “Storage Provider App Extensions” functionality. And, for Business or Pro users, the new upgrade enables the users to set and manage read-only permissions on shared folders via the Dropbox app, for control over what’s being shared.
According to a new report, Beats as a brand is going to fade away as Apple plans to modify it over time and integrate it into its own music streaming service through iTunes. TechCrunch reported that Apple plans to eliminate the Beats Music streaming service, which it acquired in May.
Earlier, the reports said that the Cupertino, California based company will shutdown the service. However, Apple declined the reports saying, “Company (Beats) may modify over time, and one of those changes could involved changing the Beats Music brand.” It is still unclear what Apple is planning to do with the service. It seems quite possible that the Beats Music product could be rolled into iTunes rather than being shuttered.
If Apple rolls Beats Music into iTunes and removes the dedicated Beats Music app from the App Store, it might be the end of the service. Beats Music itself came from a rebranding MOG music streaming service it acquired back in its heydays.
Apple has been tight-lipped about its plans for Beats since it acquired the popular headphone maker back in May for $3 Billion. Prior to the mega launch event of the iPhone 6 and the Apple Watch, there had been rumours that Apple will include Beats earphones within the new white box. There was also nothing said about Beats Music during the Apple Watch reveal, even though the service could have worked well on the wearable. Seems like an odd decision on Apple’s part to simply eliminate or ignore a service they paid billions for.
Also, the iPhones which are recently launched did not come pre-installed with Beats Music, while several other Apple apps came loaded on the 6 and 6 Plus. All of these point towards the company’s plan to show red flag to the Beats. This, or they may be working on something and better for the to combine Apple services with Beats. Let’s hope for Beats sake, it’s the latter.
With the new Apple iOS 8 update, Twitter app for the iPhone just got slicker. Earlier layout of the Twitter app for iOS was clustered and has been criticised for not being user friendly. With the new updated look, Twitter seems have used the earlier feedback to make the new and improver interface more user friendly and declustered.
The updated app has got a brand new design for profiles, which brings your bio front and center. Earlier users had to swipe the user name window to see the bio. Also, the company has added different timelines for tweets, pictures/GIF uploaded and favorite tweets for easy reading.
The new profile layout will show up on both iOS 7 and iOS 8. So, if you haven’t upgraded yet to the new iOS, you can still enjoy the new layout in your iPhone. However, you get some extra perks with iOS 8 such as the power to retweet, follow and favorite posts right from the notification center.
Apple is rolling out the new iOS 8 update tonight and the iPhone 6 devices are all prepped to be shipped. According to The Verge, the company appears to be expecting that a lot of people will be switching from Samsung, HTC, and other devices to their new iPhone.
To help users switch from Android to Apple devices, the company has provided a handy guide for moving all your digital documents from Android to an iOS device. The guide explains how Android users can transfer their important data including contacts, pictures, music, documents, and calendars from their old device to their new one.
It is said that users can move information over through iTunes and iCloud. However, it seems that the company hasn’t come up with any tools moving data between operating systems. The company also pointed out user ‘probably’ find the apps they like, but they’ll need to head to the Apple’s App Store and find them on their own.
The two new phones by Apple – the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, announced last week, went up for pre-order on 12th September. Apple reports that within the first 24 hours they recorded more than 4 million orders.
The new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are expected to do well in India, especially considering the launch date which falls just shy of major festivals of our country. Oct 17th (the official launch of both big iPhones in India) is also just 4 days prior to the mega festival of “Dhanteras” which celebrates gold and anything that represents gold. A few days post that is the biggest festival of India, Diwali/Deepavali, which again brings about the act of gifting, shopping and spending money like there is no tomorrow. And finally “Bhai Duj” which again ensures that people are buying gifts for their respective brothers and sisters.
In 2013, Apple launched the gold color iPhone 5s, which was sold out within hours and remained out of stock for many a days. It is assumed that there was a high demand of the gold color due to the excitement around the time of the above stated festivals. However, the way the iPhone was launched in India was the complete opposite of how Apple does things globally.
Apple in India, unfortunately does not have any of its own stores, no online store, no flagship stores and well nothing close to a “5th Ave” store. The company has its distribution tied up with Indian distributers “Ingram” and “Reddington”, who make a spectacle of the launch, by making available “limited” number of phone in limited cities. This redundant process has left people who actually want to buy an iPhone with a horrible taste.
Poorly Orchestrated iPhone 5s Launch
The launch is nothing close to what happens, for example, at a US store (or any other Apple store). There is this strange coupon system that lets you stand in line to buy an iPhone. Then there is a “special” coupon that lets you skip the line and jump ahead to a “special” area for VIP guests of big distributers i.e. Ingram, Reddington and networks like Airtel.
The standard line is essentially made up of store owners and employees of store owners, who want to essentially get stock that they can then sell from their respective stores to their respective “best clients”. There is a huge inflation of price of the iPhone as well. The same day as the launch of the gold iPhone 5s for (Rs. 54,500 for the 16GB variant), the phone was available at most dealers and brick mortar stores for as high as Rs. 70,000. An inflated price you had to pay for not standing in line.
There are a few who actually brave it and stand in line, but their numbers are limited and their wait times are catastrophically high. The event itself is loud and disorganized, usually outdoors and in the open (except a few), leading to long wait times and a chaotic atmosphere. The company also tries to build in live music and unnecessary shows with loud emcees making it look like a typical Indian fair (mela).
Despite claiming that the gold color had reached “out of stock” status, Apple India warehouses were full of them, and Apple chose not to sell anymore gold colored iPhone 5s, because it was affecting the sales of the other colors.
Why does it have to be so difficult, and complicated for a user to buy a phone that they want to pay money for. Apple needs to bring their user experience to India, considering India is an important market for them. Apple is planning to officially be in India by next year, that means that the company will finally set up shop which may end all these theatrics. However if there are limited number of handsets to sell, a simple pre-order system should suffice, or a registration system which lets actual buyers who want to own these phones buy them. Apple asks for identification and credit cards at the time of purchase in the US and also limits the sale to a maximum of two handsets.
However in India, most purchases are made by cash and why should the company care about identification as long as phones are getting sold? To make matters worse, the people who are supposedly selling you the phones have not been trained as you would expect at a “genius bar”, they have been debriefed a few hours prior to the launch and know basic things like “turning on the iPhone” and “inserting a sim card”. They usually freeze up if you ask them questions around “iCloud” or some new elements like “handoff”.
The one good thing out of all of this is the fact that Apple has made the phones available in India early, unlike the iPhone 4s which was launched a good 9-10 months later, the iPhone 6 will launch a month after the US launch. However, this year expect the problems to be big, or well “bigger than bigger”. #BigFailSale anyone?
Apple users have been eagerly waiting for the latest iOS 8 software update. Following the announcement of the latest iPhones and smartwatch, Apple has now announced it will be rolling out the iOS 8 update this month and it is finally going to launch tonight after 10.30pm IST.
It will, of course, come pre-loaded on Apple’s new iPhone 6, but if you have no plans to upgrade your smartphone, you’re in luck. Current Apple phones users after the iPhone 4s model can upgrade to iOS 8. Read about all the new features of the iOS 8 here.
The devices which are compatible with the new upgrade include the iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S. The 5th generation iPod touch and all iPads except for the original one are also compatible with the iOS 8 update.
According to Apple, the iOS 8 is the biggest iOS upgrade since Apple store’s origin. The new upgrade includes better photo-centric features with Photos app for the smarter shutterbug; messages with capability to share video and audio messages directly (aka Whatsapp). Notifications have been given a major facelift as well to aid better iOS experience for iPhone/iPad users. Also third-party keyboard apps will be supported in iOS 8 for typing convenience.
The two new phones by Apple – the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, announced last week, went up for pre-order on 12th September. Apple reports that within the first 24 hours they recorded more than 4 million orders. The deliveries of these phones will begin on Friday.
In terms of the previous models, for the iPhone 5, Apple took two million orders when it was first launched in September 2012. However, the company did not reveal the numbers for the editions that came in 2013; the iPhone 5S and 5C.
The new iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, have a 4.7 inch display and a 5.5 inch display respectively. The phones despite being bigger, are lighter and thinner. The iPhone 6 is 6.9 mm and the new iPhone 6 Plus is only 7.1 mm thick. At the mega-event held in Cupertino, Apple also announced that the iPhone 6 is up to 50% more energy efficient. The new A8 chip has up to 25% faster processing power and up to 50% faster graphics.
The major development with these iPhones was that Apple launched a new Apple Pay payment system that uses NFC and Touch ID. Virtual credit cards can be stored in Passbook, without the actual number being stored, for which Apple creates a secure temporary payment ID.
This year, Apple received quite a bit of criticism for slow adaption of technology. Clearly, these numbers speak otherwise. We’ll have to wait till next month to see how the Indian market responds.
