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Tag: iPhone

  • iPhone Shipments Down on Eve of 5S Announcement

    It is now official that Apple’s big fall press event will be on September 10. On that day, Apple will reveal its new iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C smartphones. There is, as always, also still speculation surrounding other announcements Apple will make at the conference. Specifically, some type of smart watch reveal is expected, and new iPad and iPad Mini versions will probably show. The company could always announce a refresh of its Macbook or Mac Pro lineup, and the long-rumored Apple HDTV could also be revealed, though that’s unlikely.

    With hype for Apple’s upcoming products as high as it has ever been, it’s not surprising that consumers are being patient with their purchases. DigiTimes Research today reported that iPhone shipments during the second quarter of 2013 declined 6.2 million units from the previous quarter. The falling shipments were accompanied by a revenue drop, down to only $18.2 billion during the second quarter.

    While this trend would seem worrisome on its face, the reality is that Apple is still gaining in the smartphone market. Despite the lower shipment numbers, the company increased its smartphone market share during the first half of 2013. According to DigiTimes, much of this market capture is due to sales of older, less-expensive iPhone models.

    This demonstrates exactly the market Apple is shooting for with its new budget-priced iPhone 5C. It also once again highlights predictions that mid- and low-priced smartphones will be the major growth segment for the industry in the coming years. This effect will be particularly visible in emerging markets, such as Brazil and China. DigiTimes Research has warned that Apple is losing market share in China to Samsung, LG, and Chinese smartphone manufacturers. That is a market Apple will have to reclaim to stay on top of the smartphone industry.

    (via DigiTimes)

  • iPhone 5C: Welcome to the Apple Family

    iPhone 5C: Welcome to the Apple Family

    On September 10, Apple Inc. will introduce two new iPhone models. The iPhone 5S, the high end phone and the iPhone 5C, with plastic packaging, aka “The Budget iPhone.” The rumored release date is September 20. According to the Apple employee calendar, employees were unable to take time off between September 15 to September 28. T-Mobile also limited their employees vacation days between September 18 through September 22. Verizon did not comment when asked about blackout dates for employees. But, Apple and Verizon stores are preparing for a busy iPhone 5S release.

    The drive behind the iPhone 5C is to offer an iPhone to people who are currently Apple’s untouched markets, the lower income brackets, including China and India. Tim Cook, Apple CEO, has made visits to the largest telecommunications carrier in the world, China Mobile Ltd., with over 703 million subscribers. Coincidence? I think not. If Apple is able to create a cheaper iPhone, they can make a deal with China Mobile.

    Here’s some features to be unveiled on September 10:

    1. We finally have a choice of color! What?! It will likely be available in five “candy” colors: red, green, yellow, blue, and white. Basically pastels. The alleged photos show a black front face on all models, regardless of rear color, but it will likely be different for the white colored shell. Heck, sources are even predicting color front-face options when it is released.

    2. It will likely be that the iPhone 5C will have the same specs as the iPhone 5, with the 326 ppi Retina display, an A6 chip, a FaceTime HD camera and an 8-megapixel rear side camera. Rumors have predicted a faster processor and better Retina display. The 8-megapixel camera has already been rumored to have been on the leaked photos of the iPhone 5C. The aluminum shelled iPhone 5S will come with a dual-LED flash, which is meant to capture naturally looking pictures. A fingeprint sensor meant for user security is predicted be included on the device, after Apple purchased Authentec.

    3. The new iPhone 5C will come pre-loaded with iOS 7. This system will be released most likely on September 18, a few days before the new phone. Though the actual hardware typically gains more attention, the new iOS system is just as important. Apple has revamped the style, making changes to icons, textures, and features of the iOS system to bring a familiar, yet, new experience. This of course comes with a variety of new tools and features.
    The coolest features include :
    – the revamped Control Center that allows quick access to more important settings.
    – a way to Multitask apps.
    – the AirDrop feature for sharing pics and documents with other iPhones in your area.
    – the ability to shift the background image in response to one’s movements.

    Some surprise features were discovered in the very first iOS 7 beta release.

    4. Plastic – This is a major difference from previous iPhones. This is cheaper, but sturdier and more scratch proof than the iPhone 5 anodized aluminum body. Jeremy Horwitz, iLounge editor-in-chief spoke in January that the iPhone being a love child between the existing iPhone 5, the 5th Generation iPod Touch and the iPod classic. They’re going old school and I like it. The iPhone 5S features a 4-inch screen like the iPhone 5, with a tapered bottom like the 5th Generation iPod touch, and the rectangular shape inspired by the iPod classic. The iPhone 5C will be made mostly of plastic, but also manufactures with a hybrid plastic and metal chassis. The same locations of the camera, microphone of the iPhone 5, but the rear flash similar to the iPod touch.

    5. It will be cheap. (That’s what she said.) This selling point was the driving point behind the new exterior shell. On-contract: $99. Off-contract: between $450 and $500 (via MacRumors).

    The iPhone 4S from 2011 may sell for the same price of the plastic iPhone 5C at $0 on-contract. Apple may eliminate the iPhone 5 from the iPhone family altogether, or drop its price to $99. But perhaps it won’t be discontinued yet, due to having the same specs. The iPhone 4 after being on the market this long, may be endangered.

  • Flickr Just Launched A Big Improvement For iPhone Users

    Yahoo announced today that it is launching a new photo taking experience for iPhone users aimed at taking better advantage of what the device’s camera has to offer. The iPhone 5, by the way, is the most popular camera on Flickr.

    “In our view, taking a photo should be an enhancement of what you’re experiencing and seeing through your device,” says Markus Spiering, Head of Product at Flickr. “We’ve come up with a camera that gives you full control over how your final photo looks, even before you snap the shot. Our goal is to make it effortless for you to have a beautiful result, with simple but powerful features.”

    Yahoo is taking advantage of recent acquisitions like GhostBird Software and KitCam to improve Flickr. Much of what they’re adding now comes from these.

    This includes live filters, which show you how your photo looks while you take it. You can swipe through filters as you’re setting up your shot, and and view preview tiles to see what it will look like.

    “All of our filters are also customizable after you’ve taken the photo,” says Spiering. “You don’t have to leave the camera and lose focus on your perfectly melting ice cream shot. In addition to our magic wand, we’re adding all the advanced tools so you can enhance, crop, sharpen, balance color, use Levels, add vignette and more – for free. You now have a complete photo studio in your hands.”

    Flickr filters

    Yahoo continues to update its offerings on a daily basis. This follows a slew of redesigns the company launched this week.

    Yahoo also made another acquisition regarding Flickr recently, so we’ll probably be seeing further improvements from that in the near future.

  • Samsung Will Continue to Supply Apple, Says Report

    Samsung Will Continue to Supply Apple, Says Report

    As Samsung grew into Apple‘s main competitor in the high-end smartphone space, Apple used all of its might to hold back the Korean company while at the same time still using Samsung as a supplier. Apple did attempt to weaken its ties with Samsung last year, ordering DRAM chips from a different company, but it seems now that Samsung is one of the only companies in the world capable of supplying Apple with certain iPhone and iPad components.

    DigiTimes Research today reported that Samsung will remain a major Apple supplier throughout the next year. Apple will be ordering panels from Samsung for the foreseeable future.

    Apple had been rumored to be switching more panel orders to companies such as LG and AU Optronics, but it seems that is no longer the case. DigiTimes cites unnamed supply chain sources as stating AU Optronics is running into difficulty manufacturing Retina displays for the upcoming refresh of the iPad Mini. Samsung, LG, and Sharp are expected to land extra orders due to these difficulties.

    Samsung and LG are also reported to be the major suppliers for iMac panels, with LG supplying the majority. As for iPhone panels, LG and JDI are rumored to be expanding capacity to draw orders away from suppliers such as Samsung and Sharp.

    (Image courtesy Apple)

    (via DigiTimes)

  • iPhone 5S Chinese Release Date Expected To Be In November

    The iPhone 5S anticipation is building up around the world, as the expected unveiling event for the device approaches. Apple is expected to show it off on September 10th, and while we don’t know the actual release date yet, rumor has it that it will hit China in November.

    CNET points to a report from China’s First Financial Daily (in Chinese) that indicates the iPhone 5S will see a November 28th Chinese release. According to CNET, the date has also been reported by BrightWire News, citing a telecommunications expert.

    The main global launch has been rumored to come on September 20th, but this obviously isn’t confirmed. We’ll find out soon enough.

    As usual, Apple’s next iPhone device has been the subject of many rumors. Some of them will be proven right, and others will be found false at the company’s September 10th event.

    The latest rumors have the device supporting motion tracking, and an A7 chip making it a reported 31% faster than the iPhone 5.

    Another longstanding rumor has Apple putting out a less expensive model of its flagship smartphone, which is frequently being called the iPhone 5C. This is expected to come in a broader range of colors, possibly even including a gold color that has graced one of the company’s iPod Mini models in the past.

    More on some of the recent iPhone rumors here.

    Image: Apple

  • iPhone 5S Rumor Has The Device Supporting Motion Tracking, Being 31% Faster

    As we get closer to the expected unveiling, more rumors continue to trickle out about the next iPhone device, typically referred to as the iPhone 5S.

    The latest comes from Clayton Morris at Fox News, who tweeted that its chip will run about 31% faster than the chip used in the iPhone 5.

    According to him, or at least his sources, the device will also support motion tracking:

    While that’s the extent of what we know about any possible motion tracking support, MacRumors speculates that Apple could use this for motion gestures like on Samsung’s Galaxy S phones, pointing to a Bloomberg profile of Jony Ive from earlier this year talking about interest in altering how people control their computers, and how Ive met with makers of gesture technology that lets people navigate their gadgets by moving their hands without touching the screen.

    9to5Mac says it has heard independently that “some of the iPhone 5S internal prototypes” have included 64-bit processors, which “will assist the A7 chip in making animations, transparencies, and other iOS 7 graphical effects appear much more smoothly than on existing iOS devices.”

    More recent rumors about the device here.

    Apple has an event scheduled for September 10th, when the iPhone 5S, as well as “iPhone 5C” (as it’s often referred to) are expected to be unveiled.

  • That Cheap iPhone Will Launch Next Month [Report]

    All signs are now pointing to a September reveal for the iPhone 5S. There’s speculation that Apple will also use the event to unveil its long-rumored cheap iPhone, but there’s not been much said about that until now.

    The Wall Street Journal reports today that Apple has requested Foxconn to start shipping what it calls a “low-end” and a “high-end” iPhone in September. Foxconn reportedly began mass producing both versions of the new iPhone in June. The newspaper doesn’t go into what we can expect from the iPhone 5S and the cheaper iPhone, but other rumors were already doing a pretty job of that already.

    For the iPhone 5S, you can expect a phone that looks very similar to the iPhone 5. Beyond looks, the iPhone 5S is rumored to feature a fingerprint sensor and a dual-LED flash. Apple is also expected to bump up the specs a little bit.

    As for the cheap iPhone, current rumors suggest that Apple will call it the iPhone 5C. The C stands for color as the device will be the first iPhone to be offered in colors beyond the usual black and white. A leak from April gave us a look at what appears to be the iPhone 5C, including the rumored plastic shell that’s being used to cut down on the costs associated with the iPhone 5’s aluminum shell.

    We’ve yet to see what kind of specs the “low-end” iPhone will be packing, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple made it similar in power to last year’s iPod Touch. The point is to sell the iPhone 5C in emerging markets where devices like the iPhone 5 are way out of most consumers’ price range. Cheap Android devices and Firefox OS are making a killing with devices that cost either nothing or less than a $100 up front, and Apple will need to replicate that with the iPhone 5C for it to have any chance at making a dent in emerging markets.

    We all know that the iPhone 5S is coming, but the official stance is that the iPhone 5C isn’t real. I highly doubt that, but Apple could very well be right in its insistence that it’s not making a cheaper iPhone. We’re likely to find out one way or another on September 10.

  • Gold iPhone On The Way [Report]

    Rumor has it that Apple will be expanding the number of colors for its iPhone line, though in what capacity remains to be seen.

    A report out from MG Siegler at TechCrunch (perhaps one of the most well-known Apple fans in tech blogging), says, “Yes, there will be a gold iPhone.”

    He seems pretty sure, citing multiple sources.

    There have been rumors about a gold colored iPhone circulating over the course of the past few weeks. There have been parts leaks and mock-ups showing what it could look like. Here’s one from MacBoutiq.fr (via MacRumors):

    Gold iPhone parts

    Siegler suggests that Apple could offer the color for the rumored “iPhone 5C” (the cheaper model) and keep the classic colors for the higher-end version of the device, noting that there have been rumors about that launching in a wider variety of colors. As he points out, this wouldn’t be the first time Apple has offered a gold-colored device. They used to offer this iPod Mini:

    Gold iPod Mini

    (image: atma brother #1 on Flickr)

    The iPhone 5S is expected to be revealed on September 10th, and the “5C” could be as well. This may only be released in international markets like China.

  • Samsung Catches Up With Apple’s Brand Recognition

    Samsung Catches Up With Apple’s Brand Recognition

    As Apple and Samsung continue to dominate smartphone sales, and smartphone market share, the two companies could now be seen as equal competitors. A new analyst report this week shows that Samsung has even caught up to Apple in the minds of consumers.

    The report, put out by analyst firm TrendForce, shows that Samsung now trails Apple in smartphone brand recognition by only 1%. When asked what brands come to mind when they hear the word “smartphone,” 80.6% of consumers surveyed said Apple, and 79.6% said Samsung. HTC and Nokia are far behind in brand recognition, coming in at 28.4% and 27.2%, respectively.

    The TrendForce report also surveyed customers on which smartphone brands they use most and which they anticipate purchasing. Samsung dominated both questions, with over one-quarter of survey respondents saying they use Samsung most (iPhone was second with 12.5%) and a full 27.7% saying they hope to purchase a Samsung smartphone in the future (Apple was again second, with 20.9%).

    Also of note in the report is that Chinese smartphone brands such as Xiaomi, Lenovo, and Huawei are enjoying an increase in brand recognition while Nokia and HTC fall. These same companies also show rising trends for the most-used smartphone and the smartphone purchase anticipation categories. TrendForce predicts, as other analysts have, that mid-priced smartphones from Chinese manufacturers will continue to compete as the smartphone market grows in developing markets, such as China, Brazil, and India.

  • iPhone 5S Rumor: Production Slow Due to Fingerprint Sensors

    As with the launch of every new iPhone model, millions of people around the world will be clamoring to get their hands on the new device. This year, however, relatively few Apple fans will be able to get their hands on the iPhone 5S, if new production rumors out of Taiwan are to be believed.

    DigiTimes is reporting that only 3 to 4 million iPhone 5S units will be available during the smartphone’s launch quarter later this fall. The report cites unnamed “industry sources” as saying slow production of the fingerprint sensor equipment long rumored to be a part of the new iPhone will limit stock this year. Apple and its suppliers were reportedly preparing to have 10 million iPhone 5S units available during the third quarter of 2013.

    The report specifically states that the production is slow due to low yield rates of the sensors’ packaging, as well as “issues” integrating iOS 7 with the sensors. Apple and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the company manufacturing the sensors, have reportedly sent and engineering team to improve yields at the facility packaging the sensors.

    Though production of the sensors was expected to begin in May, DigiTimes sources now put full production closer to the end of August. This is expected to propel shipments of the new iPhone into the tens of millions during the fourth quarter of 2013.

    (via DigiTimes)

  • The Latest iPhone 5S Rumors Get The NMA Treatment

    Did you hear? The iPhone 5S is going to be revealed on September 10. That’s at least what industry sources are saying.

    Over the past few months, those same industry sources have said that the iPhone 5S will include a fingerprint scanner, a dual-LED flash and other improvements to the tried and true iPhone hardware. It will be interesting to see how Apple sells these features to the public, such as the enhanced security features afforded by a fingerprint scanner. Everybody’s favorite Taiwanese animators point out, however, that it may not as foolproof of a plan as Apple may think:

    I can see it now – “Man has arm torn off by random thug in iPhone theft.” And Apple thought its knock-off charger problem was bad.

  • iPhone 5S To Be Revealed On September 10 [Report]

    As soon as the iPhone 5 launched, rumors started to circulate regarding the iPhone 5S. We started to hear from rumors and supply chain reports that the iPhone 5S would launch in summer, but that’s obviously not the case as summer is almost over. Despite missing the usual summer reveal, we won’t have to wait long to hear about Apple’s new mobile device.

    All Things D reports that the iPhone 5S will be revealed at an event on September 10. The date comes from unnamed sources, but it’s the most likely reveal date yet for the device as most other rumored launch dates have come and gone already. In fact, the September reveal date nicely ties into a previous report that said the iPhone 5S had been delayed until later this year due to a last minute change to the display size. Whether or not Apple upgrades the display remains to be seen, but the company has taken longer than usual to reveal the latest iPhone.

    One reason for that may very well lie in iOS 7. The latest version of Apple’s mobile OS, which was revealed in June at WWDC, is the most dramatic change it has ever seen. Most of the changes are purely aesthetic as it has been redesigned from the ground up by Jon Ive – the man behind the design of the iPhone’s hardware. Of course, any new major redesign to iOS would require more time to work any and all kinks so Apple may be taking its sweet time to make sure iOS 7 is perfect upon launch.

    Another reason behind the late iPhone reveal could be that Apple will be revealing two iPhones in September. For the past year, there has been an increasing number of reports saying that Apple is working on a cheaper, plastic iPhone for emerging markets. We got to see pictures of it back in April and there’s been more leaks since then to confirm that Apple really is working on a cheaper iPhone despite the denials coming from the company.

    So, what else can we expect to see from the iPhone 5S? A rumor that just won’t die is that the device will feature a fingerprint scanner, and recent code found in the latest iOS 7 beta seemingly confirms that Apple is finally putting its acquisition of AuthenTec to good use. Another rumor stated that the iPhone 5S would be available in a wide variety of colors, but recent reports say that only the cheaper iPhone will be available in more than just the standard black and white.

    Like always, all of this merely speculation until we get to see the device for ourselves. If it is revealed on September 10, you can be sure that we’ll bring you all the juicy details from the event.

  • Shark on a TRAIN! New York Subway Shark had Nude IPhone Pics

    A body dead on a New York subway. A mystery abounds. Move over “Law and Order,” because this “dead meat” goes great with mushrooms.

    A dead shark found on a New York City subway left many city riders asking questions. One rider said she was simply shocked.

    “It smelled extremely fishy,” Isvett Verde said. “I mean, I thought I’d seen it all, but even that was a bit much. I have no idea how it got there or how long it had been there.”

    The mysterious nature of the event virtually sparked an Internet sensation. Police say no one is really in trouble as everyone can only speculate how the shark came to be on the train.

    “The Metropolitan Transportation Authority discovered a dead shark shortly after midnight on Wednesday on an N train at Queensboro Plaza,” according to police. “If the responsible person were found, he or she would not be charged for littering because police would need to witness the act.”

    It wasn’t just so bizarre the fact a dead animal was left rotting aboard a train. It was the timing of the bizarre occurrence. This month is “Shark Week,” on the Discovery Channel. So, in celebratory fashion, riders took pictures of the shark with a few props added here and there. One media company took things a step further.

    Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week,” is a series of annual television shows dedicated specifically, of course, to sharks. Airing for the first time more than 20 years ago, the series has reportedly since become a staple in cultural consciencenous.

    “When the photos started going viral, many assumed right away that it was part of a promotion for Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, which was ongoing at the time.”

    Turns out, one family believes they know how the baby shark came to be on the train. Bergen Beach resident, Alicia Vicino says she and her kids first encountered the shark while at the beach after a lifeguard pulled it from the water. After taking a fews photos, Vicino says some teenagers came up wanting to touch it, as well.

    “The were very sorry that it died, and they were very upset to see it on the subway,” Vicino said. “It was so weird.”

    It didn’t take long for things to get back to New York “normal.” Subway personnel took care of business rather quickly.

    “A supervisor unceremoniously tossed the dead fish in a garbage bag and dumped it in the trash. The car was then put back into service,” a MTA spokesperson Adam Lisberg said. “MTA has no further information as to who left the shark on the train and do not intend to investigate further.”

  • Ultima Returns As A Free-To-Play Mobile Title

    There has not been a main entry in the storied Ultima series since its ninth entry in 1999. Since then, the series has moved into the world of MMOs and online free-to-play Web-based games. Now EA has brought back the main series, but on a platform you may not have expected.

    EA announced that Ultima Forever is now available for iOS. This latest entry in the franchise is a top-down cooperative action RPG for up to four players. The game also boasts a story that’s affected by the actions and choices you make throughout the game.

    As the first main Ultima entry in almost 13 years, some fans are no doubt unhappy with the direction that Ultima Forever has taken. That being said, the game looks solid. The only downside is that its free-to-play with a heavy focus on in-app transactions. That alone may drive away the more hardcore player base that yearns for a mobile title to take their needs seriously.

    If you want to try it out for yourself, you can download Ultima Forever for free right now from the App Store. It’s compatible with the iPhone 4 and up, and requires iOS 5.0 or higher.

  • Apple Will Replace Your Third Party iPhone Charger With Official Hardware Later This Month

    You may have seen recent reports of people either being killed or shocked into a coma by an electrical charge emanating from an iPhone charger. It’s a PR disaster for Apple even if the chargers used were cheap third-party knock-offs. That’s why the company is now offering cheap official chargers for everybody using fake knock-offs.

    Apple announced a new program today called the “USB Power Adapter Takeback Program.” In short, it allows you to trade in any third-party USB charger you own for the iPhone, iPad or iPod, and get an official Apple USB charger for only $10.

    So, when can you start to get cheap official chargers? Apple says the program will start on August 16 and last all the way through October 18. To qualify, you must bring a third-party charger and your iOS device to any Apple Retail Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider. From there, they will check your iOS device’s serial number to make sure you’re a legitimate customer, and then sell you an official power adapter on the cheap.

    The best part about this program is that Apple is accepting all third-party power adapters, even the non-faulty ones. The company says that it would too much of a hassle to test every power adapter they get in so they’ll just sell you a cheap official Apple charger upon trading in any third-party adapter.

    Apple may be doing this to save face, but it’s an excellent opportunity for everybody to get cheap official hardware. The official hardware only costs $19 normally, but you’re still saving $9. That’s worth a trip to a local Apple store to toss away that cheap power adapter you bought from a shady guy in an alley.

    [h/t: 9to5Mac]

  • Playing This Game Will Probably Destroy Your Phone

    Would you throw your smartphone into the air? You would normally say no. Now, would you do it if it was a competition? Most of you would probably still say no, but one developer has something for those of you willing to risk it.

    SMTH (or Send Me To Heaven) is a “sports game” according to developer Carrot Pop. It challenges players to toss their phone as high as they can into the air. The app will then measure how high the phone went, and upload your score to the leaderboards. It’s like a game of chicken where the winner gets a high score, and the loser gets a broken phone.

    As you would expect, the game’s developers say that you play their game at your own risk. There’s a pretty high chance that you will murder your phone by playing this game. Apple rejected the game for obvious reasons, but Google Play apparently doesn’t care if you’re an idiot.

    If you want to test fate, you can grab SMTH from Google Play now. Just be warned – you’re going to break your phone if you don’t catch your phone on the way down. Don’t say I, and the app, didn’t warn you.

    [h/t: Kotaku]

  • Galaxy Owners Now More Satisfied Than iPhone Owners, Shows Survey

    Galaxy Owners Now More Satisfied Than iPhone Owners, Shows Survey

    For years, iPhone owners have been the most satisfied smartphone owners. Apple‘s “it just works” design philosophy and brilliant marketing consistently put the company at the top of satisfaction surveys. Now, however, it seems that Apple’s monopoly on smartphone satisfaction is cracking.

    The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) today released the results of a new study on smartphone satisfaction. The study ranks the top-selling smartphones of the past year using a proprietary scoring system for customer satisfaction. Apple does not top the list.

    Samsung‘s Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II smartphones have toppled the iPhone. Both received a ACSI score of 84. That’s two points higher than the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S, which got scores of 82. The iPhone 4 follows just behind with an 81. Samsung smartphone owners were not as satisfied with the Galaxy S II, which scored only a 78 to put it at 7th place in the list.

    “Not only does Samsung edge ahead of all iPhones, Apple customers themselves don’t see much difference between the iPhone 4, 4S or 5,” said David VanAmburg, director of ACSI. “The latest earnings report from Apple was better than expected, but the name of the game for Apple has always been innovation. Samsung, on the other hand, shows a strong upward ACSI trend from the Galaxy S II to the Galaxy S III. If the S4 performs as well—or even better—in the eyes of customers, Samsung could threaten Apple’s dominance in overall customer satisfaction.”

    Motorola’s Droid Razr Maxx HD took 6th place with a score of 80, and the company’s Droid Razr came in 8th with a 77. Rounding out the top ten is BlackBerry, with its Curve and Bold devices scoring a 67 and 64, respectively.

  • Apple Brings In $35.3 Billion, Sold 31 Million iPhones In Q3

    Apple’s third quarter was going to be interesting no matter how you look at it. The company hasn’t released any major hardware all year, and its year old iPhone 5 had to fight off competition coming from new devices like the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One. With all that in mind, Apple did pretty good for itself this year, especially with the iPhone.

    Apple announced today in its third quarter earnings that it pulled in $35.3 billion in revenue and quarterly net profit of $6.9 billion. That’s a little up from the previous third quarter revenue of $35 billion, but its net profit was down from the previous third quarter’s $8.8 billion. The company noted that international sales accounted for 57 percent of its third quarter revenue.

    As for individual device sales, iPhone sales were way up at 31.2 million units sold during the third quarter. The company only sold 26 million iPhones in the previous third quarter. It wasn’t quite as sunny for Apple’s other hardware, however, as iPad sales were down to 14.6 million units sold from last year’s 17 million units. Mac sales were also down a little to 3.8 million units from last year’s 4 million.

    “We are especially proud of our record June quarter iPhone sales of over 31 million and the strong growth in revenue from iTunes, Software and Services,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We are really excited about the upcoming releases of iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks, and we are laser-focused and working hard on some amazing new products that we will introduce in the fall and across 2014.”

    As for its fourth quarter, Apple predicts that we’ll see the following:

  • revenue between $34 billion and $37 billion
  • gross margin between 36 percent and 37 percent
  • operating expenses between $3.9 billion and $3.95 billion
  • other income/(expense) of $200 million
  • tax rate of 26.5%

    • Despite the decrease in profit, Apple is up 21 points in after hours trading.

  • Apple Is Working On Larger iPhones, iPads [Report]

    A rumor emerged last week that Apple had delayed the public unveiling of the iPhone 5S so that it could implement a larger display at the last minute. Now a new report suggests that Apple is considering larger displays for all of its devices.

    The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple’s Asian suppliers are currently testing larger displays for the company’s devices. To be more specific, Apple is testing iPhone display sizes larger than 4-inches, and it’s also looking into a 13-inch display for the iPad.

    These devices will probably not see the light of day this year, or anytime soon for that matter. The WSJ is quick to point out that Apple is only testing these new display sizes. There’s no word yet on whether or not Apple actually wants to make a larger iPhone or iPad.

    Of course, a larger iPhone is far more feasible than a larger iPad at this point. It’s been rumored for months now that Apple would be introducing a larger iPhone in 2014. Many point to increased competition from Samsung and its larger screens as the leading cause behind Apple’s decision to increase the display sizes of its own devices.

    What’s interesting about this latest report, however, is that it shows an Apple that might start offering more than one display size. Instead of alienating one consumer base in favor of another, Apple might try to be like Samsung and offer a display size for every need. What this means is that we might soon see an iPhone that’s offered in both 4 and 5-inch variants.

    As for the iPad, it’s hard to see Apple going for a 13-inch display just yet. The WSJ’s supply sources confirmed just as much by saying that the new iPad will remain at 9.7-inches. The only difference between the new and old iPad is that the new one will be thinner, and use touch sensors with a thin film instead of glass for the display.

    All of this doesn’t change the fact that we’re going to see a new iPhone and iPad this year. Like usual, we’ll be seeing the new iPhone first with its launch reportedly set for August. Production on the new iPad has just started to ramp up this month so we’ll probably not see new tablets from Apple until September or October.

  • Second iPhone Electrocution Case Emerges In China

    Earlier this week, news began circulating that a young woman was killed when she was electrocuted by her iPhone. Police and Apple are still investigating the incident, but many believe that the deadly shock was due to a problem with the phone’s charger. Now another iPhone electrocution incident has occurred in China.

    Want China Times is reporting that Wu Jiantong was charging his phone on July 8 when his sister, Wu Jianxing, heard him exclaim that he was being electrocuted. She found him on the floor convulsing with the plugged in iPhone next to him. She unplugged the device, but reports feeling a slight shock herself from the charger.

    Unlike the previous case of Ma Ailun, Jiantong didn’t die from the shock. He is, however, in a coma, and has been in one for 10 days. There’s no word on his current condition beyond that.

    After two of these incidents happening so close together, people are obviously wondering what the hell is going on here. It seems that both victims were using unofficial chargers not made by Apple. These chargers reportedly have a small uninsulated metal part that could deliver a deadly shock if touched.

    There’s another theory going around as well regarding the unofficial chargers. An engineer said that Apple’s official chargers drop the voltage from 220 volts to 5 volts when charging a phone. These unofficial chargers may be delivering the full 220 volts to the phone, and therefore could deliver a deadly shock to the person using it.

    Obviously, this is nothing but speculation for now. We won’t know what really happened for sure until the police and Apple finish up their investigation into the matter.

  • iOS’ Deus Ex: The Fall Patched To Run on Jailbroken iPhones

    Whatever your position on mobile device/touchscreen “serious” gaming, the kind that goes beyond the arcade-like Angry Birds/Candy Crush Sagas of the world, there is no denying these devices have become a viable destination for games with a more serious tone and more complicated control schemes. With that in mind, the moderate level of interest surrounding Square Enix’s Deus Ex: The Fall, a Triple A title that is normally found on the PS3/Xbox 360/PC Game environment, is warranted.

    Deus Ex: The Fall is an ambitious title, at least regarding mobile gaming, offering a level of depth not normally found in less-serious mobile gaming environment. Because, however, there is a tendency in the video game publishing community to treat everything related to jailbreaking devices with piracy, and so, when the game was first released, iPhone owners who purchased the game and tried to play it on a jailbroken iPhone–a completely legal activity–they were greeted with the following screen:

    Deus Ex Jailbreak Fiasco

    Needless to say, such a programming decision was met with much scorn. The response, which featured a large Reddit contingent, was so loud, it caused Square Enix to respond:

    “We have not been clear in our communication earlier this week when we launched Deus Ex: The Fall. We did not state clearly that the game would not support jailbroken devices and so we will be switching this off via an update, so that all the supported iOS devices will be able to play the game in the near future.”

    “We feel it’s the right thing to do in this situation and apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused. No customer should be out of pocket when we were not clear from the start, so we’ll get the game updated as soon as possible so that everyone who wants to play Deus Ex: The Fall can do regardless of whether their device is jailbroken or not. As soon as this update is live we will communicate this via the Eidos Montreal Community channels.”

    To their credit, Square Enix was true to their word and quickly issued an update, which is available for download. The update notes include the following:

    – Restriction on weapon firing which affected jailbroken devices have been removed;
    – Improved enemy AI reaction and combat behaviour;
    – Increased XP rewards for completing objectives;
    – Increased the amount of credits gained as rewards, across the game;
    – Improved damage and accuracy stats for the Combat Rifle;
    – Increased accuracy of Shotguns for better mid-range effectiveness;
    – Reduced some weapon costs (including high-end Plasma Rifles and Rocket Launchers).

    It should be noted the developers are planning to release an Android version of Deus Ex: The Fall, although, no date has been discussed.