Showing posts with label Apple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Apple. Show all posts

The Apple iPhone 5c Is No Failure

Sometimes your expectations can really cloud your view of reality.

According to a study from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, 64 percent of all iPhone buyers in the last days of September chose the iPhone 5s. Only 27 percent went for the 5c, which many analysts (including myself) have said is too expensive to play the role of a "low-cost iPhone."

That has led CNBC, for one, to go with the hysterically false headline "Nobody seems to want Apple's iPhone 5c."

But the 5c is performing comparably with iPhones in its price bracket over the past two years. For the past few years, Apple has always had three iPhones in the market: a new, high-end product for $200 with contract, last year's model for $100, and then the two-year-old model for free.

Apple iPhone 5c (Verizon Wireless)
In the quarter when the iPhone 5 came out, Strategy Analytics estimated that about 39 percent of iPhones sold were the 4s model, which held the same place in the market that the 5c does now. During the fourth quarter of 2011, the new iPhone was even more dominant: according to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, 89 percent of buyers picked the iPhone 4s, and only 7 percent chose the iPhone 4.

So it's obvious that when a new iPhone comes out, most iPhone buyers want the fancy one. The iPhone is a luxury item, and $100 doesn't make enough of a difference to drive most people to the cheaper model. The 5c is priced just like previous models in this cycle were.

Later in the purchase cycle, more sales may shift to the 5c. A less-expensive, non-flagship product is for later adopters, not the day-one buyers. That's why analyst Ben Bajarin is saying "the time for the 5c is early to mid 2014."


Why the iPhone 5C?
The iPhone 5c may have been a marketing experiment: can you juice up sales of, essentially, last year's iPhone by putting a colored back on it and giving it a new name? It looks like it's been moderately successful, just not disruptive.

Remember that the iPhone 5c is selling - it's just not selling as well as analysts hoped the mythical $300 iPhone would have. An estimate of 11.4 million iPhone 5c sales in a quarter is no mean feat, and according to analysts at Cannacord Genuity, this basically recycled phone is outselling Samsung's Galaxy S4 at AT&T and Sprint, a feat the older iPhone 5 couldn't accomplish over the previous few months. Apple probably couldn't have pulled that off without the new name and look.

There's also no proof so far that the mythically disruptive, low-cost iPhone would actually make money for Apple. Never confuse profit share with market share. Apple makes high-end, high-margin products. As long as it sells enough of them to achieve consumer critical mass - which it has done, consistently, since 2007 - that continues to be a very profitable business.

Apple can take some lumps for fooling itself to some extent here. According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple expected to sell more 5c phones and fewer 5s devices, and has thus had to tweak its order mix. Apple may have had more faith in the reality distortion field than was warranted. But once again, that doesn't make the 5c a failure. Not with 11 million sold.

The iPhone 5c is a tweak of Apple's strategy, not a complete re-envisioning. It's a test to see if more people will buy old wine when it's in a new bottle. It looks like that strategy's successful, just not as much as some people wanted it to be.

But please, let's not confuse "the iPhone 5c is selling as well as previous iPhones at its price point did" with "ZOMG THE 5c IS A FAILURE NOBODY IS BUYING THEM." Nobody is buying the Microsoft Surface. The 5c is a successful, midrange smartphone that could flourish as later adopters pick up iPhones early next year. It's not a disruptor, but given Apple's ongoing sales and profit success, it doesn't have to be.

Report by : Sascha Segan

5 reasons why the iPhone 5c might be a flop

Rumors are circulating that Apple is cutting orders for the iPhone 5c in the face of weak demand, and this in turn is fueling speculation that the handset might be a misstep by the Cupertino giant. This piece examines why this might be the case.
Rumors are circulating that Apple is cutting orders for the iPhone 5c in the face of weak demand, and this in turn is fueling speculation that the handset might be a misstep by the Cupertino giant.

But if the iPhone 5c ends up being a flop, what's behind the failure?

(Source: Apple)

First off, I think that it is far too early to call the iPhone 5c a flop. Even if Apple is cutting orders, this could be part of the normal scaling back that happens following a launch as Apple re-evaluates the supply chain and balances things out. This sort of thing is normal.

Apple likes there to be as short a gap as possible between stuff coming off the assembly line, and that stuff being sold, and strives to have around 4 to 6 weeks of channel inventory. Given that iPhone 5c handsets (of all colors) are shipping within 24 hours, while the higher-priced flagship iPhone 5s is on 2 to 3 week back order, it makes sense for Apple to concentrate more on the iPhone 5s.

Another point worth bearing in mind is that we are unlikely to ever find out the sales figures of the individual handset models as Apple only reports data on iPhone sales as a whole. So if iPhone 5c sales are poor, but this is offset by strong iPhone 5s sales (and there's data to suggest that the latter is outselling the former by a significant margin) then the overall effect on sales will be hard to notice. Pundits and analysts like to focus on iPhone sales figures, but revenue and margin data are more telling and as a rule are better indicators of the health of the product line.

Finally, it's worth pointing out that a lot of people who buy handsets are locked into contract and upgrade cycles, and this could mean a delayed or extended upgrade cycle that extends well beyond the initial release. This may be doubly so for the non-flagship handset where consumers might be unwilling to pay unlocked prices to get their hands on the phone and instead wait until they are eligible for a subsidized upgrade.

But, if despite all I've said above, the iPhone 5c is judged to be a flop, what could be the reason behind it being a flop? Here are five possible reasons why.


1) Old model in new clothes


While the iPhone 5c is undeniably a new handset, under the shiny polycarbonate shell it is essentially a rebadged iPhone 5. While it is unquestionably an upgrade for anyone running a non-retina display iPhone, for those already owning an iPhone 4s or iPhone 5, there's not much new beyond the color.


2) No sane color option


The iPhone 5c comes in white, pink, yellow, blue, and green, there's no subdued black/charcoal/space grey option. Given that a black (or a variant on black) has always seemed to be the most popular choice of finish, the fact that it is not on offer might be putting a damper on sales.

On top of that, the lack of a red option is particularly surprising, especially given Apple's desire to gain a foothold in the Chinese market (red is a color traditionally seen as symbolizing good fortune).


3) Stuck with one color


You can dress up the iPhone 5c is different colored silicone skins (at $29 a pop) or you can use third-party cases, but as to the actual color of your handset, you're stuck with it for the duration of ownership.

For the trendy or teens with short attention spans, this is a concept that might not float.

As an aside, the most popular color in the UK according to iPhoneStockChecker is pink, accounting for 46 percent of sales, followed by blue at 32 percent, and green at 12 percent. White is low down the list at 9 percent, and the yellow version seems to be the ugly duckling, only chosen by one out of every 100 buyers.


4) Price shock


Apple lists an unlocked 16GB iPhone 5c at $549, which is only $100 less than a 16GB iPhone 5s. You can pick up unlocked handsets for less than this, but that high official price – which got a lot of press attention at the iPhone unveiling – will have undoubtedly put some people off.


5) Second best


The popular perception is that iPhone buyers are swayed by style, and that owning the attest and greatest handset is a status symbol of sorts.

While there no denying that the iPhone 5c is a new handset, it isn't a flagship handset, and with so much attention focused on the iPhone 5s, does this make the iPhone 5c seems a lesser, inferior, second best purchase?

The bottom line


Apple CEO Tim Cook is on record as saying that the company doesn't fear cannibalization, and that extends as far as its own products cannibalizing one another. At the end of the day, whether consumers are buying the iPhone 5s or the iPhone 5c (or the older iPhone 4s), people are still buying an Apple product as opposed to the competition.

If the iPhone 5c is a viable product, then chances are that we'll see similar models coming down the pipe in the future, if not, then we may see Apple shift away from this approach. This is how businesses do business.

Apple rolls out first magazine ad for iPhone 5s with focus on Touch ID

Apple’s new iPhone 5s has now made an appearance in its first print advertisement, seen via MacRumours. The first print ad, seen on the back of this week’s issue of The New Yorker, focuses on the Touch ID feature integrated into the device’s home button. And Apple has prominently showed the new golden version of the high-end handset, no doubt capitalising on the runaway success the avatar has enjoyed in the markets.

The body copy of the advertisement also focuses on the fingerprint sensor of the 5s. The headline of the same simply reads, “Your finger is the password”. Emphasising on both the security and purchase aspects of the scanner, the company has said that “Touch ID was created not only to protect all the important and personal information on your phone, but to be so easy to use, you’ll actually use it. Its state-of-the-art technology learns your unique fingerprint, so you can unlock your phone or even authorise purchases with a simple touch.”

Apple has rolled out the first print ad for the new iPhone 5s (Image credit: MacRumours)

Apple was last seen advertising the iPhone 5c on television in the last few weeks. The higher-end 5s, though, was not seen much, possibly because the company has been facing a shortage in supply soon after the official launch. The print ad states that the iPhone 5s has “limited availability” in the fine print. It ends with a simple sentence, saying "Touch ID. Only on iPhone 5s."

While the new device has been generating a lot of buzz, many users have been complaining about a number of issues, ranging from the motion sensors being off to the Touch ID itself being vulnerable. These issues, though, aren't stopping Apple from rolling out the new iDevices across the globe. The new iPhones are slated to hit the Indian market on November 1. While the 5s is priced at Rs 54,000, the “budget” 5c will set you back Rs 42,000.

Report by : Anujeet Majumdar

Apple planning 12-inch Retina MacBook, cheaper iMac, higher-res iPad for 2014?

Apple seems to have big plans for the next year, if a new report from 9to5Mac is anything to go by. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, while summarising his expectations from the company, has now come up with quite a few details about what we might be seeing in 2014.

Chief among the predictions is a 12-inch Retina display-sporting laptop, a sharper, full sized iPad as well as a more affordable iMac desktop computer. While talking about the new MacBook, the source states the smaller laptop will come with an entirely new design. There are estimates that this new product will either be seen in the second or third quarter of 2014.

While the new laptop is slated to come with a 12-inch display, the analyst claims that it will be as portable as the current 11-inch MacBook Air and as productive as the 13-inch version of the same. The new offering might be lighter and thinner than the current MacBook Air, sporting a new clamshell structure. While talking about the price, the analyst speculates that the new laptop may be cheaper than current Apple notebooks.

Apple may have a host of new products for the next year

Next on the list is a cheaper iMac. The estimated timeframe for this device is next year, in the second or third quarter. The analyst, while talking about this, has said that the current iMac model has not shipped as many units as were expected. The new iMac is apparently being positioned to help the company muscle its way into the Windows desktop-dominated market. The analyst estimates that the new model will help to boost Apple’s desktop sales by around 10 to 20 percent. There was no mention on the kind of specifications or the price difference that the new desktop will bring.

Last on the list for Apple’s speculated offerings next year is a full sized sixth generation iPad. While the new tablet will come with the same 9.7-inch screen size as the current models, it may sport a higher resolution with a pixel-per-inch reading that is 30 or 40 percent higher. While talking about the smaller next generation iPad mini, Kuo said that the third generation tablet will come with the same 2048x1536 Retina display sported by the upcoming iPad mini 2.

All this is purely speculation, though. It is still unclear if Apple is really going to bump up the resolution of its tablet line-up next year. A higher pixel count on the full-sized iPad will force developers to re-create their app interfaces as well as the graphics once again.


So far, we have heard that the company has plans to bring in a new iPhone with a larger display. While the company might have big plans for next year, 2013 is still an important year for Apple, with an October 22 event being planned where we might be seeing two new iPads and possibly a few other things as well.

Report by : Anujeet Majumdar

Apps on iPhone 5s crash twice as much as other iPhone 5 devices

According to a study, apps on Apple's new iPhone 5s crash twice as much as other Apple iPhone 5 devices

The study, carried out by mobile app management platform Crittercism, looked at hundreds of millions of app launches and says that programs crash around 2% on the iPhone 5s in comparison to less than 1% on the iPhone 5 and 5c.

Reported up by AllThingsD, an inteview with Crittercism CEO Andrew Levy revealed, "Anytime there is new hardware or software release, we see issues. Inevitably, over time, those issues get resolved."

Levy suggests the reasons for the iPhone 5s crashing double as much as Apple's other two devices is due to developers not being able to beta test the compatability of iOS 7 with the new hardware.

The iPhone 5s comes with a new 64-bit A7 chip and an M7 coprocessor, compared to the 5c's internal hardware which is nearly identical to the iPhone 5.

Apple launched iOS 7 last month and has since pushed out two updates for the new OS.

The new operating system has also received complaints due to the new transition, zooming, animation, and parallax scrolling features which have reportedly been making some users sick.

Levy states that higher crash ratios are expected when new devices and new operating systems are launched but since Apple are now aware of the situation, it should be fixed in the near future.

Source: AllThingsD
Report by : Grace Dean

iPad mini with Retina display coming in Q3 this year: Analyst

A Retina display iPad mini see a release in the third quarter of this year if a prediction by an analyst is to be believed.

According to a new report by CNET, NPD DisplaySearch, a global market research and consulting firm focusing on the display supply chain, has predicted that Apple is likely to refresh the iPad mini with a Retina display in the third quarter.

The same firm had earlier told the online publication that it was expecting two iPad mini refreshes, with the first one coming in the second half of 2013 and the other in first quarter of 2014. It had also added that the Q1 2014 refresh would see a Retina display. However it didn't specify as to which display technology would be used by Apple.

The current generation iPad mini features a display that has a resolution of 768x1024 pixels, and pixel density of 163ppi.

In March, DisplaySearch had made a similar prediction. It had said that a new iPad mini with an upgraded display was likely to appear later in the third quarter or fourth quarter of the year, but a Nexus 7 with a very-high-resolution display might make an appearance soon.

Paul Semenza, an analyst with the firm had said that it speculated that Retina version of the iPad mini with a resolution of 1536x2048 pixels, and pixel density of 324ppi, might go into production in the third quarter of 2013, with availability expected in the third or fourth quarter, as per a guess based on supply chain data. Semenza had also added that Apple could shortlist from companies such as LG Display, AUO, Japan Display, and Sharp to make the next iPad mini's display. He had stated that the challenge would be to fit a Retina display into the iPad mini's 7.2mm chassis.

Report by : Anupam Saxena

Apple supplier to boost workforce by 40 percent for budget iPhone production

Pegatron Corp, an assembler of Apple Inc's iPhone and iPad, said it would increase its number of workers in China by up to 40 percent in the second half of the year, fuelling market speculation of a new cheaper iPhone. Pegatron currently employs 100,000 workers.

Suppliers have told Reuters that Apple is developing a cheaper model of the phone, broadening its sales base to lower-income buyers in growth markets such as China and India. A supplier source in Japan said small-scale production of the display panel for the model would begin in May, ramping up to mass production in June.

Apple to introduce budget iPhone?

Apple is widely expected to launch the cheaper version of the iPhone in the third quarter. Pegatron's Chief Financial Officer Charles Lin told Reuters on Thursday that 60 percent of the company's 2013 revenue would come from the second half.

He declined to comment whether the cheaper iPhone was among the new products to be made in the second half. He said there would be new computer models after Intel launches its new Haswell processor.

Pegatron President and Chief Executive Officer Jason Cheng told an investor conference on Wednesday that revenue from communication products would contribute up to 40 percent to total in the six months from June, compared to 24 percent in the three months in the beginning of the year, local media reported.

Pegatron posted a 81 percent surge in net profit in the first quarter from a year earlier to T$2.31 billion, while its operating margin improved to 0.8 percent from 0.3 percent in the previous quarter. "Making the cheaper iPhone will further help Pegatron's operating margin because its plastic casing is easier to make than iPhone 5's metal casing; this should ensure a good yield rate," said Fubon Securities analyst Arthur Liao.

Liao added a higher yield rate would also be bring an edge to Pegatron's profibility over Hon Hai Precision Industry, the major supplier to Apple.

Report by : Reuters

Apple borrowing from OS X team to expedite iOS 7 redesign

With Jony Ive leading the iOS team for a much-needed overhaul of the interface and design elements, we hear that work on the next version of the iPhone OS has reached a crescendo.

Apple’s iOS 7 is said to be a significant overhaul of the OS that is seen on iPhones, iPads and touchscreen iPods. AllThingsD reports that Apple is gathering additional engineers and UI designers from within the company to get a preview of the OS ready for the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June.

Sources close to the project say Apple has been “borrowing” engineers from the OS X team to double its efforts on iOS 7. “Yes, yes — it’s essentially a repeat of the iPhone/Leopard scenario,” a source told the website, in reference to when Apple reworked OS X for the iPhone. “Not as much of a fire drill, though. It will ship on time.”

What changes will iOS 7 bring to this iconic interface

Ive, who is the Senior Vice President of Industrial Design at Cupertino, is overseeing UI design. Sources say the new design is sparse yet elegant, which is something of an Ive trademark. iOS 7 will reportedly have a flatter design that eschews skeumorphism to go for a simpler aesthetic. “You know Game Center’s green felt craps table? Well, goodbye, Circus Circus,” another source added.

With Apple not having changed much in the OS’s look and feel since it debuted in 2007, critics feel it is time to give iOS some new UI elements as well as a redesign. This is especially true at a time when new OSes are arriving on the scene. Whatever the changes, one can expect Apple to retain the stellar hardware-software optimisation and the intuitiveness of the UI that are so crucial in the overall iPhone experience. “The key question here is whether those changes deliver on the core Apple promise of improving customers’ ability to make productive use of the device and deliver a clearly superior experience,” Forrester analyst Charles Golvin told AllThingsD. “Presumably they don’t need the flashy stuff to realise that vision,” he added

Apple's OS X 10.9 to have new power-user features

Apple will be releasing a new version, 10.9, of its desktop operating system – OS X – later this year. 10.9, is codenamed Cabernet and will be focusing mostly on “power user” enhancements, according to 9to5Mac. For a change, the new version of OS X won’t be a complete overhaul of the operating system.

The new version of OS X will add tags and tabbed browsing modes to the Finder application. There will also be a new version of Safari that will have a redesigned backend to improve page loading, speed and efficiency.

There will also be proper support for multi-monitor setups. The new version of OS X will have the ability to keep a different full-screen app open on a different monitor. This is a good move by Apple, since OS X Mountain Lion users complained about the lack of multi-monitor support.

Which cat will it be this time? (Image Credit)

So far, it is also unclear if OS X 10.9 will have Siri. There have been rumours about this for quite some time now, but Apple could also tie the Siri functionality with newer hardware, much like it did with the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S.

Much like Mountain Lion did, OS X 10.9 will also be taking some cues from iOS, but this time around, it will focus more on system fundamentals. According to reports, Apple has been testing an app switcher-styled multitasking system, like the one present on iOS devices, that will be functional for all applications running in the background. This could also mean that Apple might include the ability to pause apps to help distribute performance between apps better.

While there will be changes to how the new OS X looks, these will not be drastic changes.

The operating system was originally going to be previewed earlier this year, but Apple instead opted to introduce it alongside iOS 7 at the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference.

Report by : Shunal Doke

Apple's iOS 7 to sport a flatter look, more 'glanceable' info

While everyone is looking forward to the next iPhone, many industry watchers are more excited about iOS 7 and the direction Apple takes with the next iteration of the operating system. 9to5Mac cites multiple sources who have seen or used iOS 7 saying that the operating system sports a redesigned user-interface that will be more in line with Microsoft’s flat-looking UI rather than the skeumorphic interface we have become so used to seeing on Apple devices.

Apple’s redesigned iOS experience has been developed by Apple Senior Vice President of Industrial Design, Jony Ive, who has long been known as the man behind iconic products such as the iPad, iPhone, iPod, and the Mac computers.

iOS 7 won't change how the homescreen looks

The new interface is “very, very flat,” one source said, while another said that the interface has lost the gloss, shine, and skeuomorphism (using design elements to make any UI seem like its real world counterpart, like the yellow background on a note-taking app) seen across all versions of iOS till date. A third source said iOS 7 has a kind of flatness that will remind many of Microsoft’s Windows Phone interface.

iOS 7 also reportedly retains all the user-friendliness of its earlier versions while never presenting a steep learning curve for long-time users. While iOS 7’s UI will definitely look different, the core apps and essentials, such as the famous lock screen and the home screen, will continue to function in a way iOS loyalists are used to.

The operating system is codenamed ‘Innsbruck’, according to three sources familiar with the development. The interface changes include cosmetic changes to the icons for Apple’s native apps and redesigned toolbars, tab bars, and other interface features across the system.

In addition, Apple has reportedly been mulling how to add more ‘glanceable’ information in the Notification Center, as well as system options in the panel. One idea is to implement new panels via swipes from the left and right sides of the display. Whether this feature will work like Android 4.2 Jelly Bean’s dual-notification drawer is not known.

Judge Lucy Koh sets November date for renewed Apple vs Samsung patent battle

A federal judge has set new trial dates in November to decide whether $450.5 million of damages awarded by a jury to Apple in a patent dispute with Samsung should stand, according to a court filing.

In March, Apple had a major setback in its ongoing mobile patents battle with Samsung when Judge Lucy Koh slashed a $1.05 billion jury award by more than 40 percent and set a new trial to determine damages. Koh ordered on Monday that the new trial on damages should take place between November 12 and 18.

The court will not permit Apple and Samsung to expand the scope of the damages trial by relying upon new sales data, new products and new methodologies or theories, the order said.

Back in the courts

Koh had previously said the jury had incorrectly calculated part of the damages and that a new trial was needed to determine the actual, final dollar amount. That could end up less than or more than the original $450.5 million set by the jury.

Koh, rejecting Apple's motion for an increase in the jury's damages award, ordered a new trial on damages for 14 devices, which include Samsung's Galaxy SII. The jury's award to Apple for 14 other products, totalling almost $599 million, was maintained. The court also reinstated the jury award of $40.5 million relating to one Samsung phone, the Galaxy SII AT&T, which will not be included in the new trial on damages.

The case in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California is Apple Inc. vs. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd et al, 11-1846

Report by : Reuters

iPhone Users Go on More First Dates

Sorry, singles with Android, BlackBerry, Windows or old-school cellphones. Your iPhone-toting compatriots are getting more first date action than you, according to a recent survey of singledom.

The survey, conducted by Match.com, drew on singles both in and outside its service. Some 5,000 non-married men and women in the U.S. were asked more than 200 questions, including whether they had been on one or more first dates in the last year. None were in a serious relationship.

The results, broken down by type of smartphone, look like this: 49% of iPhone singles went on at least one first date in 2012. Next up were Windows Phone users, 46% of whom had first-dated; for Android users, it was 44%. BlackBerry owners were the least likely to have been on a first date that year; only 42% of them had done it.

You've no doubt noted that more than half of each singles group, including 51% of iPhone owners, aren't going on first dates. Does this mean they're too busy with their noses buried in their smartphones to interact with new people?

Not likely: just 27% of old-school feature phone owners went on a first date in 2012. And among singles who don't carry a phone at all, the number was a mere 18%.

So does owning an iPhone actually make you more outgoing? Or is it merely a function of this sad socio-economic truth: wealthier people are more likely to attract partners, and also more likely to shell out for iPhones? Share your thoughts — and your first-date smartphone experiences — in the comments.

Report by : Chris Taylor

Apple's iPhones do not violate Google patent, rules US trade commission

Apple scored a win yesterday when the US International Trade Commission ruled that it did not violate a Google patent to make the popular iPhones.

Apple had initially been accused of infringing on six patents for iPhone-related technology covering everything from reducing signal noise to programming the device's touch screen so a user's head does not accidentally activate it while talking on the phone.

If Apple had been found guilty of violating the patent, its devices could have been banned from being imported into the United States.

Google can appeal the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. "We're disappointed with this outcome and are evaluating our options," the company said in a statement. A spokeswoman for Apple declined to comment.

Another courtroom victory!

The smartphone industry has seen dozens of lawsuits on several continents as Apple vies for market share with companies that make smartphones that use Google's Android software.

Google acquired the patents in the case along with the lawsuit when it purchased Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion last year, partly for its library of telecommunications patents.

Google's Android software, which the company lets handset makers use for free, has become the world's No. 1 smartphone operating system, ahead of the iOS software used on Apple iPhones.

The ITC, a U.S. trade panel that investigates patent infringement involving imported goods, is a popular venue for patent lawsuits because it can bar the importation of infringing products and because it issues decisions relatively quickly.

Motorola Mobility, which has since been acquired by Google, accused Apple in 2010 of infringing on six of its patents. Two were terminated from the case, and the ITC said last August that Apple was innocent of infringing three others.

But the commission had also asked its internal judge, Thomas Pender, to reconsider its finding that Apple did not violate a fourth patent, which is for a sensor to monitor the location of a user's head to keep it from maneuvering on the touch screen. Pender found that patent obvious in December, and the full ITC came to the same conclusion on Monday.

The case in the ITC is In the Matter of Certain Wireless Communication Devices, Portable Music and Data Processing Devices, Computers and Components Thereof, 337-745.

Report by :

When Apple sneezes, suppliers and investors catch a cold

Apple Inc marketing chief Phil Schiller let slip during last August's courtroom battle with Samsung that when setting forecasts for new iPhones, the inside joke was that people should assume sales would equal all previous versions combined.

That quip, uttered in front of Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's trial lawyers and the media, no longer rings true as Apple appears to be losing a once vice-like grip on its supply chain and Wall Street.

Suppliers and investors are struggling to gauge demand for the iconic smartphone as Samsung and up-and-coming rivals grab market share. Indications of reduced shipments now send shares in Apple and its component-makers into a tailspin. And criticism that innovation has stalled after the death of its legendary co-founder Steve Jobs 18 months ago is hurting sentiment in a stock that closed the week below $400 for the first time since December 2011.

Sources at several Asian suppliers, which for years basked in the glow of Apple's success and enjoyed stock gains even on rumors they might be among the select group of companies to sell components to Apple, told Reuters this week about ever-moving deadlines and said they were trying to reduce their reliance on the company.

An Apple supply chain source in Japan said those in the industry often jokingly refer to the company as "Poison Apple" because of its hard-to-meet high standards and low price expectations.

"'Apple can do no wrong' can only work until Apple does wrong," said Roger Kay, president of researcher and consultancy Endpoint Technologies Associates. "It's like the rubber band effect. The more you stretch it, the more snap you get coming back."

Apple reports quarterly results on Tuesday and declined to comment for this story. It has consistently said it focuses on making the best products - its iPhones remain the industry gold standard - and avoids discussing product strategy.

CEO Tim Cook stressed on the last quarterly earnings conference call that it's difficult to paint a complete picture of its production process from "a few data points".

Supplier sources in Japan and Taiwan, home to dozens of Apple suppliers, said they initially expected mass-production of the nextiPhone to begin in June.

That date may have begun to slip beyond June, the sources said. The phone, widely referred to as the iPhone 5S, is expected to include new features such as a fingerprint sensor. A supply chain source in Taiwan said Apple was trying to find a coating material that did not interfere with the fingerprint sensor, and this may be causing a delay.

In addition to the 5S, suppliers say Apple is also developing a cheaper model, which can appeal to lower-income buyers in growth markets such as China and India. A supplier source in Japan told Reuters small-scale production of display panels will begin in May, ramping up to mass production in June.

Both phones will use the same 4-inch screen, but the cheaper version will probably not include the new fingerprint technology and sport a cheaper plastic casing, the sources said.

Speculate at will

Wild rumors plague every new iPhone launch. But this year much of the blogger and industry speculation has centered on whether demand for the iPhone is waning as an increasing number of consumers choose alternatives, including phones from Samsung - now the world's biggest seller of cell phones - and those produced by other adopters of Google Inc's Android software.

Apple, the former darling of Main and Wall Street, rode a seven-fold increase in its stock price in the four years to September 2012. So Apple fans watched with increasing consternation as the shares fell 44 percent since then, shedding some $280 billion in market value along the way.

That fall was mirrored in the smartphone arena. In 2012, Samsung became No.1 in the global market with a 30.3 percent share, knocking off Apple which had a 19.1 percent share partly by flooding the market with cheaper devices. For the fourth quarter, Apple's share of the global smartphone market fell to 21.8 percent from 23 percent a year earlier, according to research firm IDC.

The erosion of Apple's industry and market supremacy over the past year may embolden carrier partners and suppliers, analysts say. That could mean tougher negotiations over component costs and the subsidies carriers pay to stock iPhones.

To be sure, Apple had a record 2012 in sales and profit. Its iPads lead the tablet market, and its Mac computers continue to outperform in a shrinking PC market. Analysts also say slowing growth is inevitable for a company its size.

But its recent stock-market descent has unnerved many investors struggling to get a read on what Apple's numbers could look like on Tuesday - just days away from when Samsung begins selling a new Galaxy S4 smartphone with a sharper screen and plethora of software-enhanced features.

Look no further than Cirrus Logic Inc. The chipmaker, with just $700 million in revenue, precipitated an 8 percent drop in Apple's share price over Wednesday and Thursday when it warned of reduced forecasts from one customer, widely assumed to be Apple. The warning spooked investors because Cirrus Logic relies on Apple for more than 90 percent of its sales.

Shares in Apple suppliers across the globe, including chipmaker Qualcomm, South Korea's LG Display Co Ltd andJapan's Toshiba Corp, declined as a result.

On Tuesday, Apple is expected to report a mere 8 percent increase in revenue in its fiscal second quarter, among the weakest showings in years, according to average analysts' estimates. And net earnings are expected to inch up just 2 percent as the intensifying competition compresses its margins.

Some say Apple's current market malaise is a re-balancing from the years when the stock was celebrated as a sure-fire bet.

The market became "irrational" about Apple with some analysts floating a $1,000 target price a year ago, said one hedge fund manager focused on the technology sector. Investors should have taken note when Apple missed revenue expectations in each of the past three quarters, said the manager, who declined to be identified.

"The market is not being irrational with Apple today," he said. "The market was being irrational with Apple last year, when they kept taking the stock price higher."

Report by : Reuters

$15 million iPhone with black diamond is world’s most expensive smartphone

Stuart Hughes, known for crafting luxury Apple devices covered in precious metals and encrusted with rare stones, has created the most expensive iPhone 5 - embedded with a rare black diamond. News has it that a Chinese businessman, the owner of the black diamond, contacted Stuart Hughes about his gold iPhones, and commissioned the handset. The Black Diamond iPhone 5 is priced at a whopping $15 million.

World's costliest iPhone 5

Apparently, it took nine weeks to re-create the chassis of the iPhone 5 in solid gold, and the complete handset has been finished by hand. The single, flawless, deep cut black diamond weighs in at 26 cts and aptly replaces the home button of the smartphone. The chassis is inlaid with approximately 600 white flawless diamonds with full gold dressing on the back. It has about 135 grams of 24ct gold and a sapphire glass set in the screen. The back also has the Apple logo showing off 53 flawless diamonds.

This isn’t the first time that the iPhone 5 has got such luxurious treatment. We have seen Hughes create the limited-edition (100 units) iPhone 5 decked in 18-carat gold and gold and diamond finishing. It also boasts of a diamond studded Apple logo. We have seen Apple’s iPad too flaunt not only precious stones and metals but also a T-REX's thigh bone and a 75-million year old rock. It was called the world’s most expensive iPad 2 dubbed History Edition built with 2kgs of gold and several diamonds.

In the meanwhile, here is a quick look at the specifications of the iPhone 5:
  • 4-inch, 326ppi Retina display at 1136 x 640 pixels
  • GPRS, EDGE, EV-DO, HSPA, HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, LTE and Wi-Fi
  • GPS
  • Bluetooth
  • 8 megapixel camera with 1080p HD recording, 720p front-facing camera
  • 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions
While all this looks and sounds fancy, do you think a tech enthusiast with $15 million to throw away would ever buy such a device?

Report by : tech2 News Staff

iPhone 6: Release date, rumours, features and news

Here you'll find all the latest news on the iPhone 6 release date, the rumours, upcoming features and of course specs on the eagerly anticipated iPhone update

The next iPhone – which the internet is nominally calling the iPhone 6 through basic numerical guesswork – is probably the most hotly anticipated gadget on the planet right now.

Previous wisdom would suggest we could be in line for a stopgap, perhaps in the form of the iPhone 5S, before the year is out. What these article is concerned with is rumours relating to the next fully new smartphone.

Here you'll find all the latest news on the iPhone 6 including possible release dates, the rumours as well as upcoming features and specs that T3.com has managed to sift from the big, bad world of the internet.

Apple’s policy of zero information prior to actually launching the product has always acted as petroleum for the iPhone 6 rumours.

As such, tips, speculation and murmurings as to what the iPhone 6 will be started to appear almost as soon as the iPhone 5 was launched.

Some industry punts are so specific they cause some eyebrow raising – one even predicts not only that a cheaper iPhone will be launched, but that we’ll see it in May, and that by the end of the year it will sell 53 million units.

While the analyst in question will certainly be on for a big win at the bookies if that particular bet comes in, we bring you a round up of some of the other seemingly logical rumours.

iPhone budget device

Let’s start with the fact that alongside a full fat iPhone 6, there are rumblings that Apple will launch a budget iPhone - possibly called the iPhone Mini or iPhone Math - which will revert back to the plastic chassis found on the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 3GS.

While this would go against the somewhat ‘premium’ pricing model of Apple products, DigiTimes reports that sources within the upstream supply chain have confirmed that Apple is in the process of sourcing the plastic parts needed for a budget iPhone including a chassis.

In a recent earnings call CEO Tim Cook made the fair point that taking any particular bit of data relating to a supply chain of a big firm like Apple won’t necessarily tell you much about the bigger picture.

However he then also blurted out, when asked about the possibility of cheaper iPhones – “We’ve had a great track record on iPod of offering different products at different price points.” – which many have taken to mean confirmation they’re working on one.

Apple iPhone 6 - screen

Now, onto the iPhone 6 proper – and we’ll start with the screen. Often the display on a new Apple product pushes the boundaries of the industry.

Many saw the increased 4-inch screen size on the iPhone 5 as a move on Apple’s part to keep up with the screen sizes of the larger Android powered phones like the recent Sony Xperia Z or Samsung Galaxy S4. However, 5-inches is more like the premium screen size right now – so for the iPhone 6, we could see apple stepping up the size once again.

According to MacRumours, one analyst has suggested that Apple could be looking to implement a 4.8-inch Retina+ IGZO screen made by Sharp, which will make the iPhone 6 display thinner, brighter and much clearer – boasting better than HD resolutions.

The other area where we might see some significant improvement for the iPhone 6 is in the sensitivity of the screen. According to a report picked up by PatentlyApple, Sharp has been busy putting together a capacitive display with a panel eight times more sensitive than current screens.

The rumour says that the technology can be implemented in any screen from 5-inches to 60-inches across. So, if there’s a grain of truth in the Apple TV rumours that keep appearing – this might be suitable for that too.

A few advantages of this display are that it’s a great deal thinner than current screens and the fact that you can use it in winter with gloves on. And, as residents of the UK, that’s a big win for all of us. What’s more, this display isn’t a prototype; it’s actually in production right now over at Sharp’s top secret facility.

Apple iPhone 6 - 3D render video

Following the patent filed by Apple last month, we took to our 3D render machine to come up with a concept of what the next-gen iPhone could look like. Article continues after the video.



Apple iPhone 6 - features

While there will certainly be some hardware upgrades to Apple’s next phone, it’s worth pointing out that Apple isn’t usually at the top of the pile when it comes to lining up new components. For example, the iPhone 5 famously left out NFC compatibility – something many hope to see in the iPhone 6.

In terms of the chassis, a polycarbonate body is one of the more frequent mutterings heard flapping through the internet rumour breeze.

Elsewhere, a new top of the range iPhone model would presumably need some sort of decent camera upgrade – as this is an area that’s been particularly busy in smartphones since the iPhone 5 was launched. The HTC One and Nokia 920 in particular boast interesting new camera features, other than simply megapixel escalation.

A new feature that could well appear on the 6th generation iPhone is the use of sonar as a replacement to the current infared sensors which use sound as a proximity sensor – according to this report in Apple Insider – letting the phone detect where it is, either as a way of alerting the user about an incoming object, or as a way of detecting whether the phone is being held to the users ear.

One of the intriguing features to appear on several rumour feeds is the introduction of a “smart bezel” which would display information around the screen. It emerged from an actual patent that Apple filed and, according to Macworld, the smart bezel could be a place for flashing buttons and symbols that compliment the on-screen action.

The patent states: "The primary display could be used to convey visual content to a user, and the secondary display could be used to guide a user providing inputs to the device. For example, the secondary display could be selectively illuminated to provide one or more indicators that represent where or how a user can provide inputs to the device."

Another feature gaining ground in the tech press is the inclusion of a fingerprint scanner. This follows a report that Taiwanese chip maker Chipbond are making components for future iPhones and has also been flagged up as a potential feature for the iPhone 5S.

Of course, what we can say for certain is that Siri’ll be back for another appearance.

Apple iPhone 6 – specs

Perhaps the hardest thing to gauge about any new iPhone is what exactly is going to be inside it.

If Apple decides to update the current dual-core A6 to a quad-core A6X for the iPhone 5S, then we can assume it will make the jump to an A7 chip in time for the iPhone 6.

Given Apple’s history with incremental updates, any A7 chip is likely to be a quad-core affair rather than the octo-core chip inside the Samsung Galaxy S4.

We’ve already discussed NFC, but the iPhone 6 will certainly have plenty in terms of wireless connectivity, including 802.11ac Wi-Fi, the latest iteration of the technology which, in theory, will allow you to hit browsing speeds of 1GBps.

There’s almost certainly going to be more advanced 4G LTE on board the iPhone 6, which is a good thing as by the time it gets here, the standard will have been adopted by all the main UK networks.

In terms of storage, we’d expect the conventional 16, 32 and 64GB options to appear as standard. But, given the recent 128GB upgraded iPad range there’s nothing to suggest Apple couldn’t provide a 128GB iPhone 6 model.

Apple iPhone 6 - release date

One of many analysts jumping in with thoughts on the iPhone 6 release date has said it won’t be ready until 2014.

“Apple's iPhone uses a technology called 'in-cell,' which essentially meshes the touch screen with the glass screen into one thin display. Its partners can't get good enough yields making those displays bigger to launch the iPhone 6 this year," says Peter Mise, an analyst at Jeffries & Co, in a report picked up by Macrumours.

The report goes on to say that the software will also have a bearing on development, as the next version of iOS isn’t likely to be ready until next year.

"The next iPhone will run on a 20 nm processor, allowing it to add more cores, possibly four or eight. To take advantage of the new processing speed, iOS will have to be upgraded. The new iOS architecture might not be ready until 2014,” the report says.

Serial rumour-peddler Digitimes disagrees with us however, citing that a mid-2013 release could be on the cards for the “next generation iPad and iPhone series”. This would of course work with Apple’s annual conference, the WWDC. But there's a good chance we won't see the iPhone 6 until next year.

Report by : Michael Sawh

Apple Stock Plunges to $400 After Supplier Warns of Weak Sales

Stock briefly dips below $400 USD, analyst predicts earnings miss

After quarters of confounding Wall Street "expert" analysts with better-than-expected earnings, could Apple, Inc. (AAPL) be on the verge of a highly uncharacteristic miss of its own earnings target? That's what Citigroup Inc. (C) analyst Glen Yeung predicted in his research note, citing supplier information as pointing to weaker-than-expected iPhone and iPad sales.

That prediction has been boosted by Cirrus Logic Inc. (CRUS), which provides audio chips for the iPhone and iPad. Cirrus warned investors Wednesday in its fiscal fourth quarter earnings results that its margins had weakened and that it was taking a large charge on unsold inventory of audio chips.

Cirrus's chip stock fluctuates primarily with the sales of its largest customer Apple's devices. Thus the large stock of unsold chips indicates weak sales of Apple's flagship devices.

Vernon Essi Jr., an analyst at Needham & Comp. told The Wall Street Journal, "[The warning] indicates that the recent fears of Apple's lackluster iPhone demand...are warranted."

Since the passing of iconic leader and late CEO Steven P. Jobs, Apple has continued to grow steadily under the quiet leadership of new CEO Tim Cook, but some fear the company is losing its marketing luster. Apple's faces tough competition from Android rivals -- particularly Samsung Electronics Comp., Ltd. (KSC:005930) and Google Inc. (GOOG) -- who have been more aggressive in updating their products' hardware and software.

Apple, which last year bumped the screen size of its iPhone to 4-inches, has largely been coasting on a "if-it-isn't-broken-don't-fix-it" approach to its operating system. While sales were strong last quarter, investors hammered the company's stock, concerned about weakening margins (profitability).

For a while it looked like $420 was a solid floor that the stock would resist breaking through. But amid the supplier warning Apple's stock plunged briefly below $400 USD. It is currently trading around $403 USD. Apple has lost over a quarter trillion dollars in market capitalization over the last half year, since hitting a record $700 USD per share last September.

Overall, the tech sector was down on Wednesday, but Apple's stock sunk more than most, dipping over 5 percent on the bad news. Rival Google Inc.'s (GOOG) stock is trading around $780 USD, down ~1.5 percent. Google's market capitalization is currently around two-thirds that of Apple, as its stock hovers around record highs of $800 USD per share.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has voiced concern about his company's plunging share prices.

Report by : Jason Mick

Apple to Ship Updated A1428 iPhone 5 With AWS WCDMA Enabled for T-Mobile USA

Back when I did my Qualcomm modems and transceivers piece, I gained a deeper understanding about the cellular RF engineering side of the handset puzzle. Specifically, how an OEM can enable LTE on some bands and not enable WCDMA on those very same bands. The interesting and relevant takeaway from the whole exploration is that all ports on the transceiver are created equal, and that if an OEM implements LTE on a particular band, that usually means that the device design can inherit support for 3G WCDMA on that same band, given the right power amplifier. I alluded at the end of the article to the fact that if you see an OEM implement band 4 on LTE and not band 4 on WCDMA, it's just a matter of a firmware lock and appropriate certifications to enable it, and what I was alluding directly to was the A1428 iPhone 5.

Today T-Mobile USA formalized their LTE plans and announced that the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (as predicted), Blackberry Z10, and Sonic 2.0 hotspots would immediately work with their Band 4 LTE which is either 5 or 10 MHz FDD depending on market. In addition the upcoming HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S 4 will support T-Mobile LTE. The operator also launched its LTE network in Baltimore, Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Jose, Calif., and Washington, D.C. I plan to drive up to Phoenix at some point this week and test the network out there.

Among all that other news however was news that T-Mobile would finally be carrying the iPhone 5, specifically an updated version of the A1428 hardware model which included Band 4 (AWS) LTE support. This was the variant aimed at AT&T specifically, with both Band 4 and Band 17 LTE included, in addition to a number of other bands as we noted in the iPhone 5 review. As I mentioned earlier, what's interesting about A1428 is that it always had the necessary power amplifiers for AWS WCDMA, but only enabled it on LTE. The hardware could support AWS WCDMA, but that was locked out in firmware — until now. Apple gave a statement to Engadget which confirmed my earlier suspicions – beginning 4/12, Apple will ship a new A1428 with different firmware onboard that enables AWS WCDMA. There won't be any software update for existing A1428 owners, meaning if you bought an iPhone 5 AT&T model, you're not going to be able to get AWS WCDMA on T-Mobile overnight unfortunately, instead new shipping A1428 models will simply have different firmware on them which enables the AWS paths through the transceiver for WCDMA to be enabled. I'm unclear how Apple will choose to differentiate the two identical A1428 hardware models for users or on their own spec lists, either way there will be an old version and new version which differ in this regard. In addition, existing A1428 hardware without AWS WCDMA support will be phased out.

In fact, there's the same FCC-ID for the A1428 with AWS WCDMA enabled, it's still BCG-E2599A. I was surprised to see that Apple has already in fact processed the Class II Permissive Change and added Band 4 (AWS) WCDMA tests as necessary, dated today March 26th 2013.

So there we have it, the new A1428 with AWS WCDMA for T-Mobile is identical hardware to the previous A1428 hardware, it's just a matter of enabling those modes in the transceiver for WCDMA. The hardware will also support DC-HSPA+ (42.2 Mbps downlink) on AWS, which means speedy fallback if you detach from LTE and are in a T-Mobile market with two WCDMA carriers.

Report by : Brian Klug

Apple keeps Siri's recorded voice commands for up to two years

Ever since Apple introduced Siri, there have been security concerns revolving around the voiced-based virtual assistant, especially about how long Apple keeps users' voice commands that Siri sends back to its servers. According to Wired, Apple has revealed how long it keeps the voice information in an attempt to ease users' minds about privacy.

According to Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller, the company keeps the voice commands on its servers for two years, albeit without keeping any user information.

“Our customers’ privacy is very important to us,” says Muller.

She explains that when used, Siri ships recordings of the voice commands to Aple's servers for analysis. The recordings are represented in the servers by a randomly generated number, instead of the user's Apple ID or email address.

After six months, Apple "disassociates" the user number from the recording, but the file itself is kept for up to 18 more months. This is so that the company can test and improve on Siri.

“Apple may keep anonymized Siri data for up to two years,” Muller says. “If a user turns Siri off, both identifiers are deleted immediately along with any associated data.”

Siri raises some privacy concerns

Back in November, it was revealed that Apple has been working on getting Siri to use more languages. The tech giant had posted a job listing that stated that it was looking for people fluent in Arabic, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, Korean, Norwegian and Swedish. Siri is currently available in a host of languages. However, some of the languages mentioned here are not known to Siri yet.

Siri, dubbed as an intelligent personal assistant, works with devices that ship with iOS 5 and later. It uses voice recognition technology to answer questions, make recommendations and perform actions. Apple claims that the software adapts to users' individual preferences over time and personalises results.

It was originally introduced as an app that was available on the iOS App Store. The developer, Siri, was acquired by Apple. The software made its debut as one of the core features of iOS with the iPhone 4S. It was later added to third-generation iPad.

Currently, Siri supports English, French, German, Japanese, Italian, Spansih, Mandarin, Korean and Cantonese. Outside the United States and Canada, the software has very limited functionality. For example, you can use Siri to look for a restaurant in Mumbai.

The software has been ported into older iOS devices through jailbreaking, but uses different backend servers than the ones used by Apple.

Report by : Shunal Doke

Hack Your iPhone With These 3 Tricks

Have you ever needed to charge your phone in a hurry before heading out the door? Or do you want to discover the little-known tricks you can pull to personalize and further protect your device?

Our smartphones are incredibly complex little machines, and though we know them intimately, there's probably something you haven't discovered yet. There's always something you can do to make your phone feel more complete — more yours.

As always, HackCollege can help you out, with the first installment in its new series: Hack Tricks. Here, you'll find three more ways to get the most out of your mobile phone.

Got any tricks up your sleeve? Share them in the comments section.

Report by : Bob Al-Greene

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