Thursday, September 13, 2012

Apple iPhone 5: Complete Rumour Roundup!


It’s that time of year again! No, not when you deck the halls and hang your stockings by the hearth; it’s time to loosen your wallets and spend that cash (which you didn’t on the Galaxy S3!) as the highly-anticipated event is just around the corner. The iPhone 5, or “the new iPhone”, is here, almost.

Last year saw the iPhone 4S turning heads with its voice assistant software SIRI, its iOS 5 coupled with a spectacular camera. The smartphone was an improvement to be sure, albeit a small one. It lacked 4G; a bigger screen and had the same design as that of its predecessor, the iPhone 4. But that couldn’t stop the iPhone 4S to measure up to the expectations of consumers and developers alike.

The next iteration of the iPhone is suited up and ready to please smartphone aficionados, Apple fan boys, music lovers and everyone else in between who waited it out for Apple to prove it’s got what it takes to plough away the competition.

So it says on the invite, “it’s almost here”, and the much-awaited event is to take place at the Yerba Buena Center for Arts in San Francisco. The 12th September event can also witness the introduction of the new iPad Mini plus with some new iPod models, throw in some Mac computers, the Macbook Pro and iMac and voila, an Apple extravaganza to sweep you off your feet.

As the rumour mill churns, the last of these rumours are doing their rounds.

We’ll give you complete roundup of all the rumours that have summed up what the iPhone 5 will mean for us. Looks like Santa’s early this year!

By the way, let us know what you want to see in this new iPhone. What other features you want and what features you’d expect to see on the device.

With just a day to go, here’s what you should be looking out for.

Dock Connector

According to various media reports, Apple hopes to make its connectors smaller for the entire iOS device family. The New York Times earlier said that the new connector could be 19 pins; but French blog Nowhereelse reports that the connector might even be 9 pins; this speculation suggests that Apple seeks to make slimmer devices in the future(could become a company standard with the next iPad release). Nowhereelse also reports that the new phone, plus other devices, will carry this slim port and a possible adapter might be on the anvil to connect the older 30-pin ports to the new 9-pin port.


4G LTE Connectivity

Long-Term Evolution or LTE is a feature one would expect the new iPhone to sport, since it has already had a go on the iPad unveiled earlier this year in March. From earlier experiences with LTE it is an exhaustive implementation as it sucks the life out of the battery, not to mention it requires a bigger chip which in turn requires a bigger phone size. With a slew of slim devices in the market (Galaxy S3 anyone?), Apple won’t be seen around with a bulk around the bezel and a thick waistline.

Owing to Qualcomm’s latest LTE chipsets, the iPhone will definitely be seen garbed in 4G LTE network. And as Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that people “familiar” with the matter expect the new iPhone to run on some 4G LTE networks though not all. And if it comes to that, Verizon, with more extensive reach than AT&T, will be bang for the buck.


Processor

Everything about the iPhone’s processor has been smudgy at best. It could be a S5L8950X chip, judging by Apple’s history of bringing in a new chipset for a new iPad and further optimizing it for the new iPhone, or the next- gen ARM powerhouse Cortex-A15, though the latter seems only a probability simply because putting in the latest in processor technology for mass production doesn’t seem to be on Apple’s cards at the moment.


Bigger Screen Size – Finally!

French blog Nowhereelse.fr and ETrade Supply both posted a video comparison of what looks like components from the iPhone 4S and the new iPhone prototype. Both comparisons pit the phones side by side thereby confirming the phone with the bigger size has got to be the iPhone 5.

Both the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 facing upwards are placed together. The front plates stretch 76.6 mm and 3.6 inches diagonally on the iPhone 4S. The new iPhone goes beyond that to 90.25 mm and 4.06 inches across.

In all probability, the new dimensions call for a bigger, wider viewing experience, laced with 1080p HD videos and spicing it up with a 16:9 aspect ratio.


No NFC??

A Japanese Apple blog, Macotakara, examined what it said was new photos released by Apple.pro, claiming that the chipset was an NFC sensor. But earlier breakdown of the phone shows that no new chip, for NFC or not, was to be found.

Through some speculations it can be stated that Apple might not go in for NFC given the design cost and the design compromise it will entail. Or, we we’ll wait for the September 12 even to unfurl. Who knows what Apple might have up its sleeves!


The New iPhone

According to Dutch blog iphonenieuwsblog.nl the new name for the next iteration of the iPhone will follow the trend set by the iPad release earlier this year. Termed as the “new iPad”, the next iPhone can very well be called “the new iPhone”.

The blog put out an image of the iPhone 5 labelled as “The New iPhone” printed across the packaging.


New additions to the iOS family

CBS News stated sometime back that "Apple is reportedly planning to update the iPod Touch, Shuffle and Nano. Updates to the iPod Touch may include a new design to accommodate the rumored, smaller dock connector on the next iPhone."

9to5mac.com confirmed the same, adding to the wide speculation that the new "iPod Touch will retail for about $299 and $399 and may come in a variety of colors."


Earphone Jack Location

The latest in leaked photos for the new iPhone shows a new location to host the earphone jack, which was earlier placed on the top right corner. The new earphone jack location seems to be on the bottom left corner of the phone.

According to SW-Box, a Hong Kong-based components supplier, the new location matches with what they claimed to have gotten hold of an ear speaker, a Wi-Fi cable component and the new headphone jack. This update corroborates with the 9to5mac and iFixyouri design releases.


Ah! Price

Once again 9to5mac states that the new iPhone may be priced at the same tag like the iPhone 4S. The device can be expected to sell between $199 and $399, which is the same what the iPhone 4S first sold at.


Camera Opening

Leaked photos of the iPhone 5 speak volumes. The photo releases show a slight change to the way the camera is placed. On the back panels of the device, a small space between that camera and the LED suggest that a small mic might be present, which could only mean that it would help capture audio while recoding.


September 21 release date

Rumours about the iPhone 5 release date have been corroborated by numerous media sources. To join the fray, Geeky Gadgets and, GottaBeMobile state that the company will start shipping the new phone on the said date while MacRumours stated that FedEx is waiting for a “surge” in volume from 21 and 24 September.


New Earphones?!

According to a Vietnamese tech news website, tinhte.vn, a new set of earphones could be seen working with the new iPhone. The ear-gear will probably be seen on the next generation of Apple devices as well.



There’s a lot more out there which we’d all expect to be on the next offering from the Cupertino-based tech giant. But, for now, all eyes are on the September 12 event and the wide array of goodies that it’ll bring with it.

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Apple iPhone 5 could boost US GDP by up to 0.5%: JP Morgan

The next generation iPhone 5, which Apple Inc plans to release this week, could not only boost the tech giant's bottom line - but could give a significant boost to the overall US economy.

Full Coverage on Apple's new iPhone

Sales of the new iPhone could add between a quarter and a half percentage point to fourth quarter annualized growth in the US, according to JP Morgan's chief economist, Michael Feroli in a note to clients on Monday.

Such an impact would be significant. "Calculated using the so-called retail control method, sales of iPhone 5 could boost annualized GDP growth by $3.2 billion, or $12.8 billion at an annual rate," Feroli wrote. That 0.33 percentage-point boost, he added, "would limit the downside risk to our Q4 GDP growth protection, which remains 2.0 percent."
Feroli laid out his math. JP Morgan's analysts expect Apple to sell around 8 million iPhone 5s in the fourth quarter. They expect the sales price to be about $600. With about $200 in discounted import component costs, the government can factor in $400 per phone into its measure of gross domestic product for the fourth quarter.
Feroli said the estimate of between a quarter to a half point of annualized GDP "seems fairly large, and for that reason should be treated skeptically." But, he added, "we think the recent evidence is consistent with this projection."
Feroli said that when the last iPhone was launched in October 2011, sales significantly outperformed expectations. "Given the iPhone 5 launch is expected to be much larger, we think the estimate mentioned ... is reasonable," Feroli wrote.
According to a recent Reuters poll of Wall Street dealers and economists, US GDP was seen at 2.0 percent on average in 2013, down slightly from estimates this summer.

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Friday, February 3, 2012

Apple iPhone 5 rumors, reports say June release


(Credit: Apple)
(CBS) - The latest buzz over Apple's iPhone 5 is pointing at a June release date.
According to a report by the Chinese-language newspaper Commercial Times, a source at Daiwa Securities claims Apple will announce the next iPhone 5 at the Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco this June. DigiTimes picked up the story Thursday. 
Full coverage of Apple at Tech Talk
Apple iPad 3 rumors resurface, sources say March release
The move would return the iPhone 5 to its summer release schedule. To the ire of anxious customers, the iPhone 4S was not released until October 2011.
A June release would be in line with a previous report by 9to5Mac that Foxconn, the company responsible for manufacturing Apple devices, is gearing up for production of the iPhone 5. Sources inside Foxconn claimed iPhone 5 prototypes have been circulating around the factory. 
Some of the features rumored to make it to the new smartphone include a larger display, glass-to-glass touch panel technology and better and a symmetrical design.
Of course, any iPhone 5 news comes with a dark cloud hovering over it. A damning report by theNew York Times about the working conditions at factories that manufacture Apple products sparked a firestorm last week.
Working conditions are Foxconn, the factory where over 50 percent of the world's electronics are manufactured, have been so brutal that employees have committed suicide in masses in 2011. The suicides were so common, the company placed nets around buildings to prevent people from jumping.
Activists have petitioned Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook to release the first ethical iPhone, by pressuring manufacturers to improve work conditions.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Apple iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S3: Android vs Apple

Apple's iPhone 5 and Samsung's Galaxy S3 should debut this year with the latter possibly slated to debut at February's Mobile World Congress in Spain. Samsung debuted the Galaxy S2 last year at the event, so it could do the same this year. Apple, however, has not indicated when the iPhone 5 will arrive. iPhone 4S debuted in October, but it came out over a year after iPhone 4, so Apple could repeat that cycle, and that would put iPhone 5 nearly into 2013. Whatever Apple decides, legions of customers will line up to buy the newest device, but they will be endlessly comparing it to the Galaxy S3.


Because the Galaxy S2 is in many ways the iPhone 4S' biggest competitor, the same will likely hold true for iPhone 5 and Galaxy S3. Samsung is reportedly releasing the S3 with a 12 megapixel camera and 4.6-inch screen. Samsung's Galaxy Nexus is 4.65-inches and the Galaxy Note is 5.3-inches, so Samsung shouldn't have any trouble with a larger screen size compared to the Galaxy S2. Samsung could also debut a new quad-core system, extra memory and 4G LTE compatibility.
Apple won't release any details about iPhone 5, but that hasn't stopped people from creating their own designs for what they hope it will look like. Curved designs, larger screens, a thinner build and all kinds of extra features are on the table when it comes to Apple's next phone. Some reports even give credence to the idea it could be waterproof. The only time Apple might indicate much at all would be at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference in June. No doubt there will a few iPhone contenders released before iPhone 5 debuts, but Galaxy S3 is likely to be the next big super-phone to debut before then. Tell us in the comments if you think any other phone could hang in there with Samsung and Apple.

Apple iPhone 5 :- Top Competitors


We take a look at some of the smartphones that Apple’s latest iPhone is going to have to contend with when it’s released later in the year




Apple’s newest iPhone will be released to a vastly different market than the first device was back in 2007. The world is now awash with super-smart phones that offer everything from HD displays to near compact quality cameras, with a whole lot in between, and capturing the hearts of an increasingly savvy market is going to be a lot more challenging for Apple this time around.
Some of the devices that we expect the iPhone 5 to have to go up against are going to prove hard to best, and we’ve put together a list of the top 5 devices that pose a serious threat to Apple’s smartphone monopoly.
Sony Xperia S
The upcoming Android powered Xperia S from Sony is a fine example of how manufacturers are upping their game to wrest market share from Apple’s behemoth.
The device features a dual-core 1.5GHz CPU, 12-megapixel autofocus camera with an LED flash, geo-tagging, touch focus, face& smile detection, 3D sweep panorama and image stabilization, as well as 1GB RAM and 32GB of on-board storage.
Another key feature of the device is the 4.3-inch LED-backlit LCD display, which offers a pixel density of 342ppi, which is more than Apple’s current best can offer.
The Xperia S is the first device to be released solely by Sony since 2001 and it looks like the company has pulled out all the stops to make it work, and we’re tipping it for success.
HTC Titan II
The Titan II from HTC is a Windows Phone 7.5 powered device that packs plenty of power.
The device is driven by a 1.5GHz single-core CPU, offers a huge 4.7-inch S-LCD display with a pixel density of 199ppi and a stunning 16-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash and BSI sensor for improved low-light performance.
HTC’s Titan II follows in the footsteps of the well received Titan, running the latest version of Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform, and the OS is maturing really well, with many notable improvements included in this most recent iteration.
We’re hoping the Titan II’s performance lives up to its spec-sheet, because it has huge potential.
Nokia Lumia 900
Nokia’s Lumia series devices are making great names for themselves, offering excellent performance and value for money and the latest device to be announced, the Lumia 900, looks a dead-cert to raise the brand’s profile even higher.
As with previous Lumia devices, the 900 runs on Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7.5 operating system and, as we’ve previously mentioned, the platform is an excellent, usable piece of software. The number of apps on offer for the OS is growing daily too, with some very impressive apps already on the market.
The hardware of the device is pretty special too though. It’s powered by a 1.4GHz CPU, features an Adreno 205 GPU, and an excellent 8-megapixel camera driven by Carl Zeiss optics.
The Lumia 900 also boasts an impressive 4.3-inch AMOLED screen that operates at a resolution of 480 x 800 and has a pixel density of 217ppi, which is capable of sharp, lustrous visuals.
However, it's doubtful whether this smartphone will ever make it to UK shores - it's currently only pencilled in for a US launch.
Samsung Galaxy NoteAnother big screened beasty is Samsung’s Galaxy Note. It features a huge 5.3-inch Super AMOLED display with a very healthy pixel density of 285ppi.
The device is Android powered, running on version 2.3.5 of the OS, and also offers Samsung’s TouchWiz 4.0 UI, which adds some nifty features to the already fully featured Android base.
The Galaxy Note boasts an 8-megapixel camera with LED flash, autofocus and all the trimmings, including 1080P video capture, and also has a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls.
The whole package is run capably by a dual-core 1.4GHz CPU and also packs a Mali-400MP GPU and 1GB RAM, as well as 16 or 32GB storage.
Oh, and as it was released back in September the Galaxy Note can be grabbed on some great post-Christmas deals!
Samsung/Google Galaxy NexusThe Galaxy Nexus is a pure Android device, developed by Google and ably built by Samsung.
Starting from the top the Galaxy Nexus features a pin-sharp 4.65-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen with a resolution of 720 x 1280 and a pixel density of 316ppi, 1GB RAM, a dual-core 1.2GHz CPU and 16 or 32GB of storage space.
But the hardware’s only half of the package with the Galaxy Nexus. The device also runs a vanilla version of the latest iteration of Android, version 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich, which features a new UI, improved core applications and new voice and facial recognition features.
Ice Cream Sandwich is the future of Android, and judging by the Galaxy Nexus the future is very bright, indeed it must be because there are currently more Android smartphones being activated every day than there are babies born!
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Thursday, January 19, 2012

Apple's iPhone Strategy Cutting Into Android Market Share


Apple's strategy to take over the lead in the smartphone market from Android is working. In new numbers from research firm Nielsen, 37% of recent (within the last three months) smartphone buyers chose the iPhone, well above the 25.1% that did so in October 2011. Android still holds the market lead but the margin is beginning to shrink.
Android rose to the top of the smartphone heap by sheer volume. It has a plethora of original equipment manufacturers pumping out new devices every week that are distributed across the four major U.S. mobile carriers along varying price points. Why has Apple caught up? Well, because it now does that too.
For the most of the life of the iPhone, its major limiting factor? It was only available at AT&T. In March of 2011, the iPhone 4 came to Verizon and the world seemingly rejoiced. While Verizon iPhone sales have been solid, they have not been quite as killer as Apple or the pundits had originally thought. People have expensive contracts and early termination fees to contend with and the notion of jumping from one carrier to another does not make sense for a lot of consumers.
nielsen_q4_2011_smartphone_1.jpg
Those AT&T contracts are starting to expire. That does not mean users are dropping the nation's second largest cellular operator in droves, but would-be iPhone buyers finally have freedom of choice. There are also a variety of price points available. The iPhone 3GS is now free from AT&T on a contract. The iPhone 4 is $99 on Verizon and AT&T with a contract while the iPhone 4S is available across AT&T, Verizon and Sprint for $199. That makes the iPhone available to more than 260 million Americans whereas it used to only be available to the 95-100 million or so on AT&T.
Market depth + price = more smartphone sales. It should come as no surprise and we have been curious to see these numbers since Apple made the announcement of the 4S last October. It is also no surprise that the 4S is leading the charge. Of new iPhone buyers, 57% chose the 4S.
nielsen_q4_2011_smartphone_2.jpg

Of all smartphone owners (not just recent acquirers) that Nielsen surveyed, 46.3% are Android owners. Apple has risen several points in the overall market share to 30%. Research In Motion's BlackBerry has dropped precipitously in these types of surveys, going from near 22% at this time last year to 6% of new buyers in Q4. Windows Phone and Windows Mobile (which indeed still exists) made up for 3.8% of new users and 5.9% overall in Nielsen's numbers with Windows Mobile making up for 4.6% of that.

nielsen_q4_2011_smartphone_3.jpg
The smartphone market is cyclical. Apple made its big push with iOS 5 and the iPhone 4S in the fall. The company is likely to do that again this year with a late season rollout of the iPhone 5. Meanwhile, it is time for Android to reassert itself as version 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich makes its way to new devices across carriers. The seesaw battle will continue and when we see Nielsen's numbers for Q1 or Q2, the tone of this story might be quite different.
It is not like Android is losing much steam. Of recent acquirers, more than half chose Android at 51.7% in Q4. The growth of Android and Apple comes to the detriment of, well, everybody else, but especially RIM. Of all smartphones purchased in Q4, 88.7% were either iOS or Android. That leaves several billion dollar companies such as Microsoft, RIM and to a certain extent Hewlett-Packard to battle over a very small slice of the pie. 


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Upcoming iPhone 5 May Be Thinner Than Original


An analyst revealed that the reported iPhone 5 of Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) will be thinner compared to the existing version of the device. The analyst also revealed that the upcoming version of the smartphone of Apple will be unveiled by the third quarter this year.
This was revealed by Katy Huberty of Morgan Stanley, who believes that the latest touch panel technology of the iPhone 5 will be the reason why eh device will be thinner compared to the current versions of the device.
However she indicated that the information about the upcoming iPhone 5 has remained limited although she revealed that the device will utilize a quad-core processor from Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM).
Upcoming iPhone 5 May Be Thinner Than Original
iPhone 5
The processor will reportedly allow the upcoming iPhone 5 to link up to all types of 3G as well as LTE networks. This will make it unnecessary for the company to develop different versions of the device depending on the network of the service provider.
Huberty also indicated that the demand for the upcoming iPhone 5 will be high following the strong demand for the Apple iPhone 4S, which has amazed the supply chain of Apple and Apple itself. This will reportedly increase the sales of the upcoming iPhone 5 once it enters the market.
This observation was released recently through a note that Huberty wrote for investors. The statements of Huberty were similar to the statement of Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray, who hinted that the iPhone 5 will feature a new design. Munster also revealed that the iPhone 5 will enter the market by August and that the demand for the device will be strong.
Aside from the iPhone 5, Huberty also indicated that the iPad 3 will feature a better screen resolution and may be unveiled during the first half of the year. The manufacture of the tablet offering of Apple will reportedly increase near the end of the current quarter.

Apple iPhone 5 to have ’squeeze to unlock’ feature


There are a lot of rumours surrounding the iPhone 5 that is currently in development by Apple and one of the rumours is that it will have a new way of unlocking the phone. Currently, users actually swipe across the screen to unlock the device but now, it is thought that Apple will actually be getting rid of the home button and incorporating two home buttons on the sides of the device.
These two home buttons will have an entirely new feature which will be the squeeze to unlock feature. Users will simply be able to squeeze the phone to trigger both of the buttons at the same time and the phone will unlock. This will also mean that the home button that has always been on the front of the phone will be removed from the device, allowing Apple to incorporate a whole new larger screen on to the device.
A larger screen is something that many users of the phone have been looking for since the release back in 2008 and now, it could be happening. The phone will also be thinner than the current iPhone 4S model it is thought and have a redesign.

5 Reasons Apple Fans Don’t Care About Its Factories


iStockphoto
Crowds grew unruly outside Apple’s flagship store in Beijing last Friday. But they weren’t there to protest overworking conditions at Apple’s Asian manufacturers — they were after the new iPhone 4S.
That day, Apple released a report stating that 62% of its suppliers failed to comply with working-hour limits and five facilities employed underage workers. There has also been a spate of worker suicides at a major Apple supplier, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. in Taipei, Taiwan. Apple, which declined to comment, has not been accused of any wrongdoing in relation to the suicides. “We are saddened and upset by the recent suicides at Foxconn,” Apple said in a statement last year (Foxconn is the trade name of Hon Hai.) And the company’s 27-page report into working conditions in its factories says, “We require that our suppliers provide safe working conditions” and “treat workers with dignity and respect.”
But while Apple says it’s taking the report seriously, experts say consumers have been far less concerned. In fact, many are just as worried about the battery life of the iPhone 4S, what the voice-activated search engine “Siri” will or won’t and whether the iPad 3 will be released by Feb. 24 – the birthday of the late founder Steve Jobs. Indeed, many fans are more interested in getting their hands on new gadgets than what goes into making them, says Tina M. Lowrey, professor of marketing at the University of Texas in San Antonio.
Here are 5 possible reasons our experts say Apple’s report has been largely overlooked by consumers:
1. Convenient Technology Trumps Controversy
The unauthorized concept videos for what the iPhone 5 might look like when it’s released – extra thin, holograph images, a laser keyboard –attracted over 47 million hits on YouTube. “Most people are not asking, ‘was the factory in compliance when they made this?’” says Rick Singer, CEO of GreatApps.com. Only if the upgrades stopped coming, or failed to impress, would their focus change, says Yung D. Trang, president of TechBargains.com. “Then, consumers might take working conditions in Chinese factories into consideration.”
2. Apple Is Part of the American Dream
Consumers see Apple as a powerful symbol of American innovation and regard the manufacturing problems as par for the course or even a price worth paying, says Robert Passikoff, co-founder of marketing consultancy Brand Keys. Even older products like the iPod will have value as collector’s items, he says. As SmartMoney.com reported, the death of Steve Jobs last October sealed Apple’s place in U.S. corporate history, according to L. J. Shrum, president of the Society for Consumer Psychology. “Jobs was one of the few people who had that rock star status in a quintessentially non-hip industry.”
3. iFans Are Tweeting About Other Issues
While Apple fans appear to be to be the very type of consumer who would be a little more activist-oriented, Lowrey says, many of these consumers are busy campaigning against more populist issues like bank fees and high earners on Wall Street – or the so-called “1%” as described by the Occupy Wall Street protests. “This is ironic,” she says. “Appleites don’t want to believe that their beloved company could possibly be engaged in such practices.”
4. People Are Addicted to their iPhones
Many customers are simply unwilling to part with their iPhones, which means they have less reason to care where or how they are made, experts say. According to a new study by the University of Worcester in the U.K., many owners are addicted to their smartphones, become obsessed about checking their email and hear phantom rings/buzzing in their pockets. It’s easier to persuade people to give up fur than a smartphone that connects them to the world, says Seth Rabinowitz, partner at management consultancy Silicon Associates: Apple has created a desire for new products that people didn’t know they wanted.”
5. Apple Is Good At Damage Control
Experts point out that Apple’s report on its suppliers will help steal the thunder from any independent reports or news stories, says Rick Singer, CEO of GreatApps.com. “Apple is saying all of the right things and seems to be taking the proper steps to full disclosure,” he says. Plus, as long as Apple outsources its production, the problem remains thousands of miles away from the Apple brand, he says. The title of Apple’s report makes this clear, he says. It’s called “Apple Supplier Responsibility” – not “Apple Responsibility.”

iPhone 5 rumors: iOS 5.1 makes reference to Facebook integration


Hints that Apple is working on a tight integration of Facebook into future iOS devices were discovered in the last beta circulating among developers.
Codes in the iOS 5.1 beta 3 firmware seeded to developers shows that Apple could plan introducing Facebook into the contacts, just as the current version does with Twitter.
Baked-in Facebook would give users the opportunity to post pictures and videos to their accounts directly from iOS, without having to open the Facebook app.
Tech site iMore was the first to discover the reference to Facebook in the iOS 5 beta late last week.
The team found that the operating system features a field for a Facebook user name in the contacts app and came up with a demonstrative screenshot.

iMore.com
As the caption shows, users can add info to their Facebook account in the same way they can currently add Twitter usernames.
However, this is pure speculation and it’s still uncertain if Apple will make the feature available, or even if they will release it one day.


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Apple iPhone 5 To Replace Swiping With Squeezing Read more: http://www.itproportal.com/2012/01/18/Apple-iPhone-5-To-Replace-Swiping-with-Squeezing/#ixzz1jtAsEtjz



There is still more than a half of year to immerse ourselves in to the rumour frenzy surrounding the release of the sixth generation of the Apple iPhone. However, the speculation has started early, as the rumours are getting more intriguing and becoming increasingly hard to keep up with.
The latest news on this topic suggests that Apple should be implementing a new concept in the design of iPhone 5 - two home buttons, on either side of the mobile. Kris Groen has sent a mock-up video to AppAdvice has suggested the cool and captivating concept.
The video shows an iPhone 5, with a big display, a slim body, with the device lacking the well-known home button. Instead, there are two home buttons placed on either side of the concept iPhone.
Squeezing the two buttons at the same time would take the user to the Apple handset's home screen, while squeezing just once would replace the swipe move.
In using these side home buttons, users can browse through apps, songs, photo albums, emails, calendar, videos or any other files.
Having the old home button removed from the home screen would allow for a bigger screen too. To make the next generation iPhone even more enticing, the AppAdvice reader suggests that iPhone 5 should have, in addition to a 4 inch Retina Display, a 10 MP large sensor camera.

Courtesy 

Monday, January 16, 2012

Apple iPhone 5 Features

Apple iphone 5

As the 5th generation of the iPhone is on the verge of being released, and with all the speculations spreading on the Internet about the iPhone 5, people are anticipating and desperately waiting for the launch of the smartphone. Many fans and current Apple iPhone consumers are wondering what groundbreaking features Apple will add to the new iPhone 5.
UPDATE: It is official, it is a refreshed iPhone 4, called the iPhone 4S – read about it here, but we will keep updating this post with new iPhone 5 features and news, so this is the latest we know about the iPhone 5:
This article summarizes the various features and specifications that are expected to sport the device.

iPhone 5 Features

Although Apple does not reveal the exact specifications and features until the device is officially unveiled, we could dictate some of the main features that are expected. However, rumor of the new iPhone 5 features, in terms of both hardware and software upgrades, will definitely entice any smartphone buyer.
The upcoming phone is expected to sport the Apple’s latest and greatest A5 processor chip, iCloud service, higher-resolution camera, and a 4-inch screen size. Here are some of the most anticipated iPhone 5 features:

iOS 5

Apple announced iOS 5.0 and its features during the WWDC 2011 keynote address on June 6, 2011. The user interface is based on the concept of direct manipulation, using multi-touch gestures. It is expected to come with more than 200 new features that will include improved Notification System, News Stand and iMessage.
iMessage is an application that is developed to compete with Blackberry Messenger. The app will allow iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad users to communicate (much like a chat service) with each other. The iMessage feature has been integrated into the SMS/MMS application used originally on the iPhone models.



iPhone 5

iCloud

The iPhone5 is expected to have the iCloud service.
Apple’s iPhone 5 is expected to feature the new iCloud service for wireless remote access of music from all computers and mobile devices.
The iPhone5 will automatically sync with the iCloud which will allow users to store photos, apps, calendars and documents without having them to store in the phone’s memory. Apple is also looking to tie up with top music label companies to license songs for the iCloud service.
However, rumors state that Apple might release a low-cost “iCloud iPhone” alongside the iPhone 5. It could be named the “iPhone Mini”
“The iPhone Mini (or iPhone Nano, or whatever) could have significantly less storage than a typical iPhone. Most likely 8 gigabytes of storage – the same as the lowest end iPhones right now. Apple won’t prevent users from storing their own content, because that would be crazy. But since it has a small amount of memory, Apple will likely push the ability to stream media via MobileMe as well.”

A5 Processor to power the iPhone5Apple A5 Processor to power iPhone 5

iPhone 5 will house the A5 as the main processor, which technically is the same chip that currently powers the iPad 2. The A5 contains a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU with NEON SIMD accelerator and a dual core PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU, which means that the iPhone5 can do twice the work at once. The processor speed will be somewhere between 1.2 to 1.5 GHz, with probably a 1GB RAM.
The processor upgrade is done not just to increase the processing speed of the phone, but also to compete with the newly launched Samsung Galaxy S II.
The A5 chip might effectively increase the power use, however, it is said that the chip has “got a dynamic power management”, which can lower the [speed] depending on the workload, and thus efficiently make use of the power.

iPhone 5 to Sport a Better Camera

The iPhone 4 sports a 5 megapixel camera, so I’m expecting that the iPhone 5 will have a rear-facing 8MP dual-LED flash camera. However, this isn’t really “awesome”, since most of the high-end Android smartphones come with an 8MP camera. Along with that, the iPhone 5 is expected to have a front-facing camera for video chatting.iPhone FeaturesAccording to sources, Apple has filed several patent applications relating to 3D picture capturing to the US Patent and Trademark Office later in March. This indicates that the iPhone 5 might feature a 3D camera. The filing indicates that the device will be capable of capturing, processing and rendering 3D images with dual-camera hardware.
Another interesting feature is that the iPhone 5 will be capable of taking pictures in Panorama. It will work similarly to the ’360 Panorama’ application in the App Store. It will let you take pictures in a sequence as you move the camera from one side to another, which in the end will effortlessly stitch the images together to create a panorama.
Additionally, if Apple really wants to keep up with the competition to Android, then it might consider improving upon the video resolution to a full 1080p HD recording. Currently iPhone 4 has a 720p video capture at 30 frames per second.

Display and Resolution


There hasn’t been a better screen resolution since the release of the iPhone 4. Currently the iPhone 4 has a 3.5 inches screen size, and sources indicate that Apple might stay locked with the current size. But a few other sources say that Apple is planning to increase the screen size to 4-inch with higher screen resolution. I feel that Apple could compromise at 3.7-inch or 3.75-inch.



Apple iPhone 5
Image credits: PhoneArena.com

However, the iPhone 5 could be slightly wider and thinner. The dimensions are calculated to be: 4.33″ x 2.36″ and .27″ thickness at the top and .21″ at the bottom, whereas the dimensions of iPhone 4 are: 4.5″ x 2.31″ x .37″

Other iPhone5 Features

Here are some of the other features that we can expect from the iPhone 5:

Other iPhone 5 Features

  • Face Recognition Security
  • 4G/LTE support *
  • A new, sleeker body design
  • OLED screen
  • Scratch proof and shatter proof screen
  • Wireless sync with iTunes
  • Extended battery life
  • Flash support
  • SIM-less phone **
  • Physical keyboard
  • Increased RAM (from 512MB to 1GB)
  • New multi-tasking look
  • HD audio
  • Built-in GPS
(*) According the AT&T documents leaked by LulzSec, the Apple iPhone 5 will offer 4G and will be LTE (Long Term Evolution) network compatible. LTE is a project of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), and is the latest standard in the mobile network technology.
(**) According to International Business Times, it is rumoured that the iPhone 5 will feature a new SIM-less design with 2 to 3 internal antennas for CDMA and GSM compatibility, which will make it a “worldphone”.
The above mentioned features are some of the improvements that we can expect from Apple. However, we cannot assure you that they can be true, but most of the upgrades are more likely to be utilized.
Apple definitely wants to fight back against Android smartphone makers like HTC and Samsung, and perhaps it is why the new iPhone 5 will host some of the outstanding features.

iPhone 4S Mock Illustration




iPhone 5



Courtesy