Tag: apple

Apple iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C Launched : Pre-Order Starting 13th

As expected, Apple has unveiled two new iPhones today, the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C.

The widely-leaked phones speak to two different markets, with the more expensive 5S maintaining the same premium build, internal specs and price as the former iPhone 5, while the 5C enters the market as a so-called lower-cost variant.

First, the iPhone 5C. It will be available in green, yellow, blue, white and red. Apple claims that there are no seams or joints in the device — it is made with a single piece of “hard-coated” polycarbonate.

It has a 4-inch display with the same 1136×640 pixel resolution as the iPhone 5. It also has the same A6 chip and 1GB of RAM of the iPhone 5. There’s a new HD FaceTime camera on the front and an 8MP iSight camera on the back with BSI, IR filter and 5-element lens. Looks to be the same one as the iPhone 5, too.

It will also have full LTE connectivity and dual-band WiFi along with Bluetooth 4.0.

The company is touting the iPhone 5C as an introductory phone for many users, and the device will come with a variety of cases for $29 each.

The second phone on the docket today is the iPhone 5S.

The iPhone 5S has a 4-inch 1136×640 pixel IPS display, identical in size and resolution to the current iPhone 5. What’s different is tantamount to the typical evolution of an iPhone: a faster processor, improved camera, colour additions and, yes, a fingerprint scanner.

According to Apple, it’s the “most forward-thinking phone we’ve ever created.” It comes in a new gold colour, in addition to the existing white and slate.

Probably the most important improvement is the A7 chip, a 64-bit SoC that’s “the first ever of its kind in a smartphone.” It has over one billion transistors and a modern instruction set — this is truly a computer, just shrunk to a 102mm squared die size.

While apps will have to be re-engineered to support the new instruction sets, it opens up a number of possibilities for mobile computing (can’t wait to see what the A7X is capable of in the new iPad this fall).

To the layman, it means that the A7 CPU and GPU are twice as fast as the iPhone 5?s A6. The new GPU supports OpenGL 3.0, which is one of the newest programming frameworks for 3D games (which also came recently to Android 4.3).

There’s also something called the M7, a chip that works alongside the A7 to measure motion data, accelerometer, gyroscope and compass. It works with the newest generation of health and fitness apps such as Nike+ Move, to track all of your movement. This works instead of a Fitbit.

The iPhone 5S promises 10 hours of battery life from LTE browsing and 3G talk time, along with 40 hours of music playback and a staggering 250 hours of standby. Similar to last year’s model.

The new camera is also improved over the former model, with a wider f/2.2 aperture and bigger pixels despite the 8MP resolution. This lets in more light — a 15% larger active sensor area — which automatically makes better photos from the same lighting scenarios. There’s also a digital form of image stabilization, and a new burst mode at up to 10fps. The software analyzes multi-photo series and chooses the best one. This is similar to Best Shot from the HTC One and Galaxy S4. It also has dual flash.

The camera support 120fps slow motion (slo-mo) as well at 720p, and the built-in editor can speed up or slow down certain parts of the video for a great effect.

Perhaps the most important addition to the device is a digital fingerprint scanner. That ring around the mechanical home button indicates when it’s being used. Called Touch ID, “it reads your fingerprint at an entirely new level,” with 500ppi resolution and 360 degree readability.

The use cases are many, and Apple says Touch ID has been deeply integrated into iOS 7. It allows you to authenticate purchases using just a slight depression of the home button. There is a sapphire crystal lens that takes a photo of a user’s fingerprint and analyzes it for consistency.

In Apple tradition, Touch ID can be used by multiple people, and sensitive information is not stored on Apple’s servers at all. All data is encrypted, too.

Indian pricing has not been revealed yet but the US price points are the same as the iPhone 5 before it. Pre-order for the iPhone 5C will begin on the 13th while the iPhone 5S can be booked starting from the 20th.

[toggle title=”Press Release”]Apple Announces iPhone 5s-The Most Forward-Thinking Smartphone in the World

Apple® today announced iPhone® 5s, the most forward-thinking iPhone yet, featuring an all-new A7 chip, making iPhone 5s the world’s first smartphone with 64-bit desktop-class architecture for blazing fast performance in the palm of your hand. iPhone 5s redefines the best smartphone experience in the world with amazing new features all packed into a remarkable thin and light design, including an all-new 8 megapixel iSight® camera with True Tone flash and introducing Touch ID™, an innovative way to simply and securely unlock your phone with just the touch of a finger. iPhone 5s comes with iOS 7, the most significant iOS update since the original iPhone, engineered for 64-bit technology and featuring hundreds of great new features, including Control Center, Notification Center, improved Multitasking, AirDrop®, enhanced Photos, Safari®, Siri® and iTunes Radio?.

“iPhone 5s is the most forward-thinking smartphone in the world, delivering desktop class architecture in the palm of your hand”

“iPhone 5s is the most forward-thinking smartphone in the world, delivering desktop class architecture in the palm of your hand,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iPhone 5s sets a new standard for smartphones, packed into its beautiful and refined design are breakthrough features that really matter to people, like Touch ID, a simple and secure way to unlock your phone with just a touch of your finger.”

The all-new A7 chip in iPhone 5s brings 64-bit desktop-class architecture to a smartphone for the first time. With up to twice the CPU and graphics performance, almost everything you do on iPhone 5s is faster and better than ever, from launching apps and editing photos to playing graphic-intensive games-all while delivering great battery life. Apple also engineered iOS 7 and all the built-in apps to maximize the performance of the A7 chip. iPhone 5s is the best mobile gaming device with access to hundreds of thousands of games from the App Store?, the A7 chip’s 64-bit architecture and support for OpenGL ES version 3.0. iPhone 5s delivers incredibly rich and complex visual effects, previously only possible on Macs, PCs and gaming consoles.

Every iPhone 5s includes the new M7 motion coprocessor that gathers data from the accelerometer, gyroscope and compass to offload work from the A7 for improved power efficiency. Developers can also access new CoreMotion APIs that take advantage of M7, so they can create even better fitness and activity apps that go well beyond what other mobile devices offer. The M7 motion coprocessor continuously measures your motion data, even when the device is asleep, and saves battery life for pedometer or other fitness apps that use the accelerometer all day.

iPhone 5s introduces Touch ID, an innovative way to simply and securely unlock your iPhone with just the touch of a finger. Built into the home button, Touch ID uses a laser cut sapphire crystal, together with the capacitive touch sensor, to take a high-resolution image of your fingerprint and intelligently analyze it to provide accurate readings from any angle. Setting up Touch ID to recognize your fingerprint is easy, and every time you use it, it gets better. The Touch ID sensor recognizes the touch of a finger so the sensor is only activated when needed, preserving battery life. All fingerprint information is encrypted and stored securely in the Secure Enclave inside the A7 chip on the iPhone 5s; it’s never stored on Apple servers or backed up to iCloud®. Touch ID can also be used as a secure way to approve purchases from the iTunes Store®, App Store or iBooks Store?.

iPhone 5s makes it even easier to take great photos with the world’s most popular camera. The all-new 8 megapixel iSight camera features a larger f/2.2 aperture and a new, larger sensor with 1.5? pixels for better sensitivity and low-light performance, resulting in better pictures. These improvements, along with the Apple-designed image signal processor in the A7 chip and the new Camera app in iOS 7, provide up to two-times faster auto-focus, faster photo capture, automatic image and video stabilization, and better dynamic range. iPhone 5s introduces the new True Tone flash-the world’s first for any camera-that variably adjusts color and intensity for over 1,000 combinations, so photos taken with a flash appear more natural. iPhone 5s also includes a new Burst Mode, Slo-Mo video with 120 fps, a new FaceTime® HD camera for better low-light performance and audio-only FaceTime calls with iOS 7.

iPhone 5s features a remarkable thin and light, precision-crafted design that customers around the world love, including an anodized aluminum body with diamond cut chamfered edges, a stunning 4-inch Retina® display and glass inlays. iPhone 5s is available in three gorgeous metallic finishes including gold, silver and space gray. To complement iPhone 5s, Apple designed premium leather cases in six rich colors-beige, black, blue, brown, yellow and (RED)-with soft, color-matched microfiber lining.

iPhone 5s makes it even easier to connect to high-speed networks with support for up to 13 LTE¹ wireless bands, more than any other smartphone in the world. With download speeds up to 100 Mbps², you can browse, download and stream content even faster. iPhone 5s includes dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi support for up to 150 Mbps² and Bluetooth 4.0. iPhone 5s delivers an amazing 10 hours of talk time on 3G networks, up to 10 hours of web browsing on Wi-Fi and LTE networks and up to 8 hours on 3G networks, and up to 10 hours of video playback and up to 40 hours of audio playback.³

iPhone 5s comes with iOS 7, the most significant iOS update since the original iPhone, engineered to support the A7 chip’s 64-bit architecture, the new iSight camera and Touch ID fingerprint sensor. iOS 7 features a stunning new user interface, completely redesigned with an elegant color palette, distinct, functional layers and subtle motion that make it feel more alive. iOS 7 has hundreds of great new features, including Control Center, Notification Center, improved Multitasking, AirDrop, enhanced Photos, Safari, Siri and introduces iTunes Radio, a free Internet radio service based on the music you listen to on iTunes®.?

iPhone 5s customers have access to the revolutionary App Store, which offers more than 900,000 apps to iPhone, iPad® and iPod touch® users in 155 countries around the world. More than 50 billion apps have been downloaded from the App Store to date, offering customers an incredible range of apps in 23 categories, including newspapers and magazines in Newsstand, games and entertainment, business, news, sports, health and fitness and travel.

Designed specifically for iOS, iPhoto®, iMovie®, Pages®, Numbers® and Keynote® are among the most popular apps in the App Store and are now available as free downloads with the purchase of iPhone 5s. iPhoto and iMovie enable you to do more than you ever thought possible with your photos and movies, and with Pages, Numbers and Keynote you can create, edit and share stunning documents, spreadsheets and presentations on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

Pricing & Availability

iPhone 5s comes in gold, silver or space gray, 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 5s will be available from the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores, and through AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 5s cases will be available in beige, black, blue, brown, yellow and (RED) for a suggested retail price of $39 (US) through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Authorized Apple Resellers. iPhone 5s will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the UK on Friday, September 20. A new iPhone 4S 8GB model will also be available for free.? iOS 7 will be available as a free software update starting on Wednesday, September 18 for iPhone 4 and later, iPad 2 and later, iPad mini and iPod touch (fifth generation). Some features may not be available on all products.[/toggle]

September 11, 2013
iPhone 5s has a Fingerprint Sensor : TouchID : Here is what it does

The iPhone 5s is a beefed up on steroids version of the iPhone 5, with a new A7 SOC and new hardware on the inside the iPhone 5s is twice as fast and has 56 times as fast graphics. A new camera system with a 5 element system and a new f2.2 lens along with a new flash technology refine its already leading optics. But possibiy the biggest change on the iPhone 5s is the industry first fingerprint sensor dubbed “TouchID”.

A capacitive touch glass pasted on top of the home button makes for a new technology (touchID): 170 microns in thickness with 500 ppi resolution, it reads the fingerprint of the owner to unlock the phone.

But thats not where it stops : The high resolution image of the fingerprint is “encrypted and stored securely in the Secure Enclave inside the A7 chip” after which is can be used to authorize several things.

Examples include a singe finger swipe to buy apps or authorize buying apps, in-app purchase authorizations and even purchases within apps like Amazon or eBay would make for a much better payment system. The sensor uses a laser cut sapphire crystal cover; it retains a tactile input for those wary of the sensor wearing down after lengthy use.

Apple has dubbed the iPhone 5s as the most secure smartphone yet thanks to “touchID”, with a great play for marketing, making it a boon to the enterprise industry.

How useful do you think a fingerprint sensor will be ? And what do you think it should be really used for , let us know below.

September 10, 2013
Apple’s iPhone Event Is Today At 10:30 PM IST, Get Your Live Blog Here!

Apple will start its 2013 iPhone event at 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT, for those in India the time is IST 10:30 PM. Bookmark this page and catch our live updates below.

The event 2013 will likely see the official announcement of the next generation iPhone (5S) and possibly the much humored budget iPhone 5C. If the leaks and rumors become true, we may see an iPhone 5S with a fingerprint sensor (Touch ID) on the home button, a 12- or 13-megapixel camera with a dual-LED flash, and a gold-colored model. iOS 7 is been in Beta for months now, so we expect some news for the final release of iOS 7. Other rumored products that may be launched are the updated iPad and the iPad mini with retina display.

No matter what happens, we will be there to bring you the latest updates below:

September 10, 2013
Apple Testing Six-Inch iPhone For Next Iteration

Apple is reportedly testing iPhones with larger screens than previous models, according to a new report. The Wall Street Journal says Apple is going as large as 6 inches, which would be 2 inches bigger than its current models. The publication cites people familiar with the matter to report that the company is introspecting whether it should offer screens ranging from 4.8-inches to 6-inches on future iPhones.

Although Apple is expected to unveil two new handsets next week – the iPhone 5S and cheaper iPhone 5C – its research and development boffins never rest, and have long been working and experimenting with plenty of designs for possible future handsets and other iDevices.

Nearly every Apple rival sells phones with screen sizes much larger than the one found on the iPhone 5. In recent years, many top devices have come out with screens larger than 5 inches and, in some cases, 6 inches.

Apple may choose to sell the iPhone with a larger screen, or it could take an approach similar to that of Samsung and HTC by offering multiple versions of the iPhone with different screen sizes.

Either way, such moves would be counter to what late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs said during his final years with the company.

Jobs was known for being adamantly against making an iPhone with a screen larger than 3.5 inches (the first five iPhones had that screen size) and a smaller-sized iPad. Since his death, Apple has released both, and it appears it will continue to follow that strategy.

September 6, 2013
iPhone 5C Revealed In Entirety By Case Manufacturer

If one needed any more proof of the iPhone 5C existence, here’s some: case manufacturer CaseMate has actual renders of the device adorned with its glitzy cases on its website.

The company cites a sell-before date of September 20th at 8am, likely aligning with the availability of the phone in stores.

The first case, pictured above, shows a foldable flip cover for the iPhone 5c, which reminds us a lot of Apple’s Smart Cover for the iPad.

Another render, seen above, shows the iPhone 5C as it will look inside a couple of different cases: a bumper-style case, and a hardshell case. More intriguingly, the leak specifies a very particular launch window for Case-Mate’s cases: “EST. SHIP DATE 9/20/2013 08:00:00 AM.”

It’s unknown whether CaseMate is using its own renders (likely) or an official one (unlikely) for this mockup, but the delineated plastic volume buttons shown through the small side gap indicate that this is indeed different from the iPhone 5.

Additionally, 9to5Mac has posted photos of promo shots for a number of new Switcheasy cases — new cases from the company’s Numbers, Colors, Nude, and Tones lines. Most of the cases are for the iPhone 5C, but the Odyssey case is notably listed as compatible with the iPhone 5 and 5S, according to the post.

We’ll know more in the coming days — Apple is likely sending its invite for the September 10 event this week — but for now, enjoy the bedazzlement.

[Via, Via]

September 3, 2013
Apple Patents New iOS Unlocking Features

A patent just awarded to Apple allows for a user of an iOS to lock or unlock a device based on a gesture — perhaps the equivalent of a child-proof cap.

The patent, as spotted by AppleInsider and reported by TechCrunch, would allow access to one set of apps — let’s say games for instance — with the drawing of a letter with a fingertip, and then another set, say email, with another, separate gesture.

Apple’s U.S. Patent No. 8,528,072 for a “Method, apparatus and system for access mode control of a device,” describes a system that creates user access modes guarded by predetermined gesture inputs.

Currently, as Apple Insider reports, Apple’s iOS offers passcode unlocking as a means of access control. Under this method, users must input a simple code or password to gain complete access to the device. Apple also provides a certain level of user configuration, allowing access to Siri, Passbook and Reply with Message even when a device is locked.

Such unlocking methods are definitely not new and various Android devices in the past along with custom ROMs have allowed similar functions, whereby a user can “draw” a letter or a shape to launch a specific app, such as the drawing of an envelope that would launch the email app.

This patent by Apple is also accompanied with the effective feature of “Guest Mode”. In this feature Apple will build a lock screen launcher that will easily be accessed by the user through gestures, voice, keyboard, mouse or stylus, already covered in the Apple patent.

September 3, 2013
Report : Apple Buys Data Compression Startup AlgoTrim

Swedish news agency Rapidus reports (viaTechCrunch) that Apple has acquired AlgoTrim for an undisclosed sum.

Apple has already reportedly acquired 6 start-ups in this year. AlgoTrim is the number 7. Apple has not given any comments till now about this acquisition.

AlgoTrim is a software firm that develops advanced solutions for mobile devices to maximize their performance in the area of data compression, mobile imaging, video, and computer graphics. As depicted by its name, firm develops such compression algorithms that use less bandwidth, power and memory and faster image processing specially JPEG ones.

AlgoTrim mostly use faster codec solutions in its mobile softwares that are best in the market. Apple has already acquired another Swedish face recognition firm, Polar Rose and 3D mapping company, C3.

But it’s not hard to think of benefits of AlgoTrim’s technology for a company like Apple. Squeezing the file size of software updates could be a big plus for Apple, whose App Store must constantly issue numerous updates to countless apps. And any technology built into iOS that could render images on the screen faster would be a boon for any app that shows graphics — which is to say almost any app ever written.

Last year, AlgoTrim reported a revenue of 3.0 million USD, with an net income before taxes of EUR -1.1 million. Until now, AloTrim has been focused mostly on Android development.

August 28, 2013
iPad Charger Explodes in UK

Tim suffered a terrible electric shock when his daughter’s iPad charger exploded in his hand. Tim Gillooley claims his eight year old girl(Chloe) could have been killed if she had been the one to reach down and unplug the device. Tim was burnt by the shock.

As reported by Mirror news, this comes a month after the family of a Chinese woman, Ma Ailun, claimed she was killed as a result of being electrocuted while chatting on her iPhone 5 as it charged. Mr Gillooley, from Warrington, bought the iPad from the Apple Store in Liverpool for his daughter.

He said: There was a huge bang and it blew me across the room. I was in shock. I was hysterically laughing for about two minutes. It was a bad shock that went down my arm. My mum was panicking and Chloe burst into tears. Nine times out of 10, Chloe would have gone to get it herself. I think it would have killed her.”

Tim noticed Chloe’s iPad had charging problems so he returned it to the Apple Store three months earlier but was told there was nothing wrong with the charger or the device. They even bought a new official charger and lightening cable to see if it would solve the problem.

He added. “We were big fans of Apple but I won’t let my daughter near her iPhone if it’s a ticking time bomb.”

Apple has asked Tim for the burnt remains of the charger to review.

[via]

August 28, 2013
iPhone 5S & 5C Show up in a Video

iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, the rumored next-generation iPhone and the so called ‘cheaper iPhone’ respectively, are supposed to be unveiled on September 10. As the date approaches closer, we’re seeing details leak out often, but this time its not an image, or group of iPhones, But a video showing the possible golden iPhone 5S and the cheaper version of the iPhone famous as the iPhone 5C.

Looking at the video, there’s no way to tell if the parts shown in this video are real, but they line up with previous leaked photos.

[youtube id=”m-Ib6NME-DE” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

The video clearly shows both the alleged upcoming iPhones together. The 5S might get launched with a faster processor as per the rumors but there is not much information about the ‘5C’ except it being made with a polycarbonate shell. We will have to wait and see if Apple will really launch two phones, specially a cheaper one ? This question will remain unanswered till September 10 irrespective of any new leaked images that might come up.

[via]

August 27, 2013
Apple iWork For iCloud Beta Now Open For Everyone

Previously available only to Apple’s registered developers and and later on to some select users, Apple has today decided to open iWork for iCloud web apps to everyone ahead of its September 10 keynote.

This online version of the iWork suite offers Web-based versions of the three iWork apps—Pages, Numbers, andKeynote—enabling you to create and edit iWork documents stored in iCloud from almost any Web browser.

In addition to Pages, Keynote and Numbers, Apple of course offers other web-based applications via the iCloud interface, including Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Notes, Reminders and Find My iPhone, which was yesterday updated on the iOS side.

Apple first introduced iWork for iCloud during its annual Worldwide Developers Conference back in June, and sent invites to registered developers soon after before gradually adding non-developer users. The web services work on both Mac and Windows computers in various browsers with support for Chrome, Safari, and Internet Explorer, as well as mobile devices. iCloud itself also received an iOS 7-inspired makeover earlier this month on the beta site, although iWork for iCloud icons on the beta site have so far retained their iOS 6 look.

If you’ve got an Apple ID already, just head over to iCloud.com, sign in, and you’ll see the Web apps show up. If you don’t have one, you can sign up at Apple’s website, activate iCloud on an Apple device, and you’ll be good to go.

August 23, 2013
Apple Patents 3D Gesture Control On Touchscreen Devices

As Apple Insider reports, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday published an Apple patent for a method of generating and manipulating a three-dimensional object on a computing device, with the process controlled by special gestures made above a touchscreen’s surface.

The system Apple envisions would work in tandem with its existing multi-touch input controls on devices like the iPad, allowing a user to lift their fingers off of the screen in order to sort of pull out a 3D shape from a 2D one in software like CAD programs, and then twist, turn and modify it in 3D space using gestures in the air just above the device’s screen.

As the patent application explains it:

The CAD program may provide a drafting area showing 2D or 3D objects being processed by the user, and menus outside the drafting area for allowing the user to choose from various tools in generating or modifying 2D or 3D objects. For example, there may be menus for 2D object templates, 3D object templates, paint brush options, eraser options, line options, color options, texture options, options for rotating or resizing the objects, and so forth. The user may select a tool from one of the menus and use the selected tool to manipulate the 2D or 3D object.

Other uses for the new technology include the ability to use 3D gestures to sculpt using virtual clay-like materials and to change parameters such as shadows, brightness, textures and more.

[Via]

August 20, 2013
Alleged Rear Shell Of Upcoming iPad 5 Leaks

A couple of pictures leaked on the Weibo forums in China seem to depict the back shell of the next-generation iPad 5, next to the counterpart for the iPad mini (possibly second-generation model).

The iPad 5 is almost confirmed at this point, with every new leak pointing to a design akin to that of the iPad mini, including the chamfered edges, the super-slim body, and even the reduced bezel size.

We’ve seen leaked images of iPad 5 parts previously, including back covers, and these latest photos tie in with long-time and widespread rumours that Apple would be able to reduce the overall size of its next iPad.

It’s expected that the iPad 5 will release in Q4 alongside the iPad mini 2, although we don’t expect them to be officially introduced at the September 10 event where the reveal of the iPhone 5S is anticipated. You can be sure we’ll bring you further news on all of these devices as we hear it.

Meanwhile, a report last month stated that the next-generation iPad mini will likely include a Retina display, and will potentially be available with back covers in a number of colours.

Moving on to smaller side of the iOS family, a report from MG Siegler has shed a bit more light on the rumored gold iPhone 5S. Siegler claims to have been told by “multiple sources” that Apple is indeed planning to introduce a gold-colored version of its next iPhone that will feature a more “subtle” shade that’s akin to champagne.

[Via]

August 19, 2013
Images Of Rumoured Gold iPhone 5S Leak, May Come With 128GB Storage

Rumours have been swirling over the past few days that Apple plans to introduce a third color option with the launch of the iPhone 5S. Now, images of what are claimed to be the casing from Apple’s next-generation smartphone in gold have been published by French blog MacBoutic. While the authenticity of the device pictured is unknown, the casing and internal markings do jibe with earlier leaks that were believed to be authentic.

It appears that the new iPhone 5S will launch along with a 128GB variant similar to the iPad that was released back in February. The report comes from a well-known analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Security, who has been quite accurate when it comes to rumors regarding unreleased Apple products.

Kuo has made a number of predictions about the upcoming iPhone 5S, with one them being that it’ll share the same design as its predecessor. The alleged iPhone 5S is expected to feature Apple’s latest A7 SoC with 1Gb LPDDR3 RAM and an improved camera, along with various other enhancements and features. A number of rumours also suggest the upcoming iPhone 5S with sport a 12-13MP camera with dual-LED flash.

According to Kuo, the new A7 processor will not only be faster than the earlier version, but it will offer 20% greater efficiency.

Apple is rumoured to reveal the new iPhone 5S on September 10. The new iPhone is rumoured to feature a sapphire-covered home button with a fingerprint sensor and will of course run the new iOS 7.

Would you like to see a gold iPhone 5S from Apple?

[Via]

August 17, 2013
Bloomberg : Retina iPad Mini Will Come Out By Year End

Reports of a retina display for the iPad mini aren’t aren’t new, but an end-of-the-year release date is. And according to Bloomberg, Apple is looking at a very busy holiday season, with a new iPad mini as well as a new, redesigned iPad, both available before the end of year.

The next version of the iPad will be adapted to look more like the current iPad Mini, with rounded corners and thinner sides, one source told the news organisation.

Details on the new iPad mini were sparse apart from the addition of a Retina display, as featured in the current iPad.

A Retina display would also bring the new iPad Mini in line with other Apple devices, including the iPhone, iPod Touch and MacBook Pro. The current iPad Mini comes with a lower-resolution 132ppi screen from LG and Taiwan’s AU Optronics.

Retina display is a brand name used by Apple for their liquid crystal displays, in which pixelation is imperceptible to the human eye. Other brands also offer higher resolution screens, marketed simply as high definition.

With no firm confirmations, however, the iPad mini with Retina may only be a product refresh rather than the iPad mini 2, which was rumoured to have been pushed back to a 2014 release.

As The Verge reports, the Bloomberg News article makes no mention of the larger, 12.9-inch iPad that’s been rumored previously, and it’s not clear whether we’ll see an iPhone 5S or a new, cheaper model at September 10th event. We’ll just have to wait and see.

[Via]

August 13, 2013
WSJ : Next iPad To Be Thinner, Will Use iPad Mini’s Light Touch-Panel Technology

Various sources have been mulling for months that Apple’s fifth-generation 9.7-inch iPad will adopt the overall appearance of the iPad mini, including its skinnier side bezels and thinner, lighter enclosure. And as if you ever needed more proof, now the credulous Wall Street Journal is finally out with its own report :

The same touch-panel technology that made the iPad mini thin and light will likely feature in the next iPad, which is currently being produced by Apple Inc.’s Asian suppliers, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

What many consumers generally call a “screen” consists of multiple layers, and the “touch panel” specifically refers to the layer equipped with touch sensors, between the liquid-crystal display and the outermost cover glass. The iPad mini, according to a teardown report by research firm IHS iSuppli, uses a film-based touch panel, which is thinner and lighter than the glass-based touch panel that the current full-size model uses. Following the iPad mini’s success, Apple plans to use the film-based touch panel in its next regular-size iPad, the people said.

Apple’s next iPad is expected to take other design cues from the iPad mini, including a thinner bezel on the sides of the device, allowing the overall frame to become smaller while still offering the same 9.7-inch display. It’s also possible that the fifth-generation iPad will include stereo speakers, like the iPad mini.

In the second quarter, Apple was still the largest tablet vendor accounting for 32.4% of the market by shipments, but its share had declined from 60.3% a year earlier, according to research firm IDC.

Apple’s next big event is scheduled for September 10th.

[Via]

August 12, 2013