Tag: iPhone

Apple Ordering Samsung’s Flexible OLED Screens For “iPhone Yoga”?

Apple may be preparing to include Samsung’s flexible OLED displays in future products – perhaps even the iPhone – according to a recent report. Samsung unveiled the displays at CES 2012 to general acclaim.

Kwon Oh-hyun, Vice Chairman of Samsung (which is based in Seoul) told Korea Times yesterday that Samsung was receiving “huge” orders for OLED displays from a variety of electronics companies.

Though Kwon does not say as much, the Korea Times suspects that one of the companies responsible for the huge orders may be Apple, which makes some sense, given that Apple is one of Samsung’s largest electronic components customers. They speculate that the flexible OLED displays could go in an “iPhone Yoga,” though they rightly point out that such technology isn’t likely to be present in the new iPhone.

According to Kwon, the flexible OLED displays will be going into mass production during the third and fourth quarters of this year in response to “significant” demand from Samsung’s clients.

At first glance, this seems like the kind of rumor that should probably be dismissed, and it may well be that Apple isn’t interested at all in Samsung’s OLED displays. On the other hand, though, there’s that patent application we told you about earlier this month. Apple has apparently been looking into haptic feedback display technology, and it just so happens that the technology that Apple has applied to patent consists of a series of “shape change elements” that would raise and lower to simulate the texture of whatever was on the device’s screen. Such technology would require a display very like the flexible OLED displays for which Samsung is apparently receiving “huge” orders.

Of course, it may well be that Apple will never do anything with the haptic feedback system, or with Samsung’s flexible displays. The fact that Samsung is receiving orders for a technology that is required by another technology Apple is trying to patent could very easily be a be a coincidence, and indeed it probably is. Nevertheless, the possibility that it isn’t a coincidence has some tantalizing implications.

[Image Credit: I Am Industrial Design]

May 14, 2012
iPhone 5 Rumor: Leaked Components Hint At Redesign

The iPhone 5 rumor mill got something new to chew on as images of supposed new components for the next iPhone surfaced over the weekend. Unlike the slightly redesigned iPhone home buttons that leaked a few weeks ago, this new component (assuming it’s genuine) provides solid evidence that the next iPhone will be getting a significant redesign.

The new components were discovered by CydiaBlog and are being sold by SW-Box, a Hong Kong-based website that deals in components for electronic devices. According to the listing, the component is the headphone jack, ear speaker, and wifi antenna for the new iPhone. The folks at iMore, however, disagree: they believe that the component is actually the dock connector, speaker, and cellular antenna for the new iPhone. Looking closely at the picture, it looks like they’re right.

This is important because the dock connector in the image is considerably smaller than the 30-pin dock connector that has been in all iOS devices since the original iPhone, and was on several models of iPod before that. One of the most consistent and reliable rumors about the iPhone 5 (or iPhone 6, or, most likely, “new iPhone”) has been that it would be getting a smaller dock connector, a move that would allow Apple to free up a little extra space inside the iPhone for other components. That rumor first surfaced back in February, and was apparently confirmed by a second report earlier this month.

If Apple really is shrinking the dock connector, it suggests that the new iPhone will indeed be getting a significant external redesign. Of course, the iPhone was due for a makeover, what with the iPhone 4S being externally identical to the iPhone 4. Leaks like this, though, confirm that that’s actually happening. That raises the question, though, of what other aspects of the phone will be redesigned. Could we see the long-rumored increase to screen size? What else might Apple change? Unfortunately, the odds are that we’ll have another 4-5 months of waiting to do before we find out for sure.

[Concept photo credit: Ciccarese Design]

May 14, 2012
iOS 5.1 Jailbreak “Weeks Away,” But Getting Closer

Yesterday we brought you news that iOS hacker pod2g had gotten an untethered jailbreak of iOS 5.1 working on his third generation iPad. In his tweet yesterday, he said that after a little more work, he would test it on the recently released iOS 5.1.1 to make sure that the same exploits would work.

Today, it seems that that test was successful, and that pod2g’s jailbreak works equally well on iOS 5.1.1. Here’s his tweet from earlier this morning:

@pod2g
pod2gOK, tested on an iPad 3,1 running 5.1.1. Jailbroken untethered. 🙂 No issue. 1 hour ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto

So, that’s one major question from yesterday answered: the iOS 5.1 jailbreak works on iOS 5.1.1, meaning that when the public tool is released, jailbreakers will be able to update their version of iOS to the latest version, rather than trying to jump through hoops to upgrade only to iOS 5.1. The second major question following yesterday’s announcement, though, is when the jailbreak will be ready for public use. It turns out that there’s still a bit of waiting left to do for that. Pod2g tweeted yesterday that a “nice, user friendly” jailbreak tool is still “some weeks away,” and that he would not be releasing a beta version of the tool earlier than that:

@pod2g
pod2gETA for 5.1 jailbreak: look at my previous tweets. Some weeks away to have a nice, user friendly tool. No beta, sorry, even for $1,000,000. 9 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto

So there you have it. iOS 5.1.1 has been jailbroken, and a public jailbreak tool is coming, you just have to hang on a few more weeks. Unfortunately, however, a hacker’s work is never done. With WWDC 2012 just a month away, there’s a fair chance we’ll be seeing iOS 6 soon.

In the meantime, while we wait for the jailbreak tool for iOS 5.1.1 to be ready, here’s a video pod2g posted of the untethered jailbreak of iOS 5.1 in action.

May 11, 2012
iOS 6: Apple To Drop Google Maps For In-House 3D Maps

When the original iPhone launched in 2007, the world was a different place. More specifically, the relationship between Google and Apple was a very different thing. Back then, Apple was taking a gamble on the smartphone market, and the two companies enjoyed a relationship that you could almost describe as cozy. Google, after all, was neck-deep in the iPhone. Not only was Google the default search engine in the iPhone’s Safari browser, Google Maps also formed the backbone for the iPhone’s Maps app.

Over the next couple of years, the relationship between Apple and Google soured (to put it mildly). Steve Jobs was furious in 2008 when Google debuted Android, which Jobs regarded as a ripoff of the iPhone’s operating system (the name “iOS” was still a few years away). As Android grew in popularity, Apple and Google became less and less friendly. And yet, Google remains just as integrated into the iPhone in 2012 as it was in 2007.

That, it seems, may be about to change. Citing “trusted sources,” 9to5Mac is reporting that Apple may finally be about to ditch Google Maps in favor of a completely in-house mapping solution that will include some pretty amazing 3D technology. While the basic design of the Maps app itself will remain unchanged, the backend – the actual, you know, maps – will no longer be Google Maps. The new maps app is expected to be “a much cleaner, faster, and more reliable experience.”

There have been hints that this was coming for awhile now. Over the last few years Apple has acquired three separate map companies – one per year from 2009-2011. Ever since the first acquisition – Placebase – in 2009, there has been speculation that Apple would drop Google Maps from iOS. The most recent purchase – C3 Technologies, bought in October – provided the first real clues as to what those maps might look like. It seems that C3 specializes in highly detailed 3D map data. With these three acquisitions, Apple gains the ability to create a pretty amazing 3D maps app entirely in-house, and it seems that that’s just what they’ve done.

Adding weight to the rumors, 9to5Mac points out that most of the executive who came to Apple in the C3 acquisition have now left, a common practice when the task their company was initially acquired for is finished.

Of course, this is still rumor at this point, but it seems pretty likely. There’s a good chance that Apple will take the wrapper off iOS 6 at WWDC 2012, so with luck we only have a month to wait to see Apple’s new Maps app for ourselves.

May 11, 2012
iPhone Inadvertently Saves Kentucky Factory

While the vast majority of Apple iPhones are assembled in controversial Foxconn plants in China, much of the glass produced for the screens is made in Harrodsburg, a town of 8,014, roughly 30 miles southwest of Lexington, Kentucky. Glass and ceramics manufacturer Corning Inc., has a plant located there that makes Gorilla Glass, which is in turn shipped to China for device assembly. Here is a CNN report on the Harrodsburg plant:

Back in 2007, Steve Jobs tapped Corning to build a strong, yet thin glass for the iPhone 1. Corning had six months to develop a solution, which would evolve into Gorilla Glass. “This glass is pretty strong it can take keys. It’s damage resistant. It can take keys it can take some drops,” according to a Corning spokesperson. Around the time Jobs called, the Corning plant in Harrodsburg was struggling to remain open, suffering the effects of the great recession. Another Corning employee adds, “Late 2008 and into 2009, the world experienced a real crisis. So we were extremely fortunate at that time to have a new business, Gorilla, that was growing and could really help this plant stay viable.”

Now Corning supplies LCD screens to over 30 different manufacturers, and recently announced its Gorilla Glass 2 at CES 2012:

Corning states that it seeks to protect its patented, globally popular Gorilla Glass ingredients. There aren’t many places better to hide high technology than in rural Kentucky – the constitution of the panels can now join Colonel Sanders’ Original Recipe as a well-kept regional secret.

Hat tip to CNN.

May 10, 2012
Google Updates Its Google+ App – But Only For iPhone

Google today released an update for its Google+ app – but only for the iPhone. The update includes a new stream and a new, more visually appealing, interface.

Vic Gundotra, Senior Vice President for Engineering at Google, announced the update over on the Official Google blog. There he explained that Google is aiming to make its apps look and perform better on smartphones that have higher resolutions and more sensors. He also went over the update in more detail, stating that crisper fonts, larger profile pics, a “friendlier” homescreen, new overlays, new gradients, and other visual elements are the focus of the update. Also, the Google+ stream has gotten performance tweaks and “fun” upgrades. Conversations now fall into view as users move through the stream and items that have been +1’d now float atop the stream. From Gundotra’s post:

The end result—we hope—is an app that brings you closer to the people you care about, and the stuff you’re into; an app with sense and soul.

Gundotra did not specify when an update for the Android version would roll out, only saying that it will be coming “in a few weeks.” He did hint, though, that the Android version of Google+ would get some features left out of the iPhone version, saying it would have “a few extra surprises.”

What surprises do you think might be in store for the Android version? What could be worth Google delaying the update until after the iPhone version has been released? Leave a comment below and let me know.

May 10, 2012
Google+ App For iOS Gets A Facelift, Android Version Coming Soon

Google has rolled out an update to their Google+ app for iPhone. Google+ 2.0 gets a major overhaul for the user interface and a streamlined navigation experience. If you’ve used Google+ for iOS before, you know that the interface left quite a lot to be desired. It wasn’t really bad, per se, it was just… unimaginative. While it had a solid feature set for a social network app, the overall package wasn’t great. With that in mind, the overall package is what Google has updated.

The new Google+ app doesn’t actually deliver much at all in the way of new features. In terms of the feature set, everything is still pretty much the same. The only real changes are in the look and feel of the interface. The goal of the update, according to Google’s announcement, is to create an experience that’s “immersive.” In that regard, they have very much succeeded.

Items in your stream are now take up the entire screen. If you’re sharing a news story with an associated image, the image fills the entry, and the story’s headline is at the bottom of the screen:

Google+ 2.0 for iOS” />

They’ve also added a really interesting animation effect to the stream. As you scroll down from the top, stories appear to “drop” into your stream. It’s a really neat transitional effect apparently designed to make it easier to focus on a single post at a time.

Google+ 2.0 gives a what used to be a very ordinary (and a little bland) user interface a much-needed overhaul. Whether you’re a fan of Google+ or not, the app itself is pretty slick.

Google+ 2.0 is currently available in the iOS App Store for free. At present there is (still) not an iPad version of the app. Ironically, the iOS version of the app is getting the update first. According to Google’s announcement, the Android version won’t hit Google Play for “a few weeks,” though apparently when it does it will bring “a few extra surprises.”

What do you think of the new Google+ iPhone app? Check it out and let us know in the comments.

May 9, 2012
Sprint’s LTE Network To Be Slower But More Consistent Than Verizon, AT&T

As you may have noticed, LTE is all the rage these days. Everyone, it seems, is in the process of building a 4G LTE cell phone network. Verizon already has a fairly sizable one up and running, and AT&T isn’t all that far behind. Sprint is set to roll out their network later this year, and even T-Mobile is getting in on the game. LTE is the next evolution in wireless data technology. And I mean that literally: the LTE stands for Long Term Evolution.

At the same time that the carriers are rolling out these zippy new networks, the handset manufacturers are cranking out 4G-capable devices (and you can bet the iPhone will be one of those when it launches later this year). And of course, every phone manufacturer is going to tell you that their phone is better, and some certainly are, but the networks are pretty much all the same, right? After all, 4G LTE is 4G LTE, isn’t it?

Well, it turns out that that’s not exactly the case. Not all 4G networks are created equal, as Sprint executives revealed today at the CTIA conference in New Orleans. Sprint’s new 4G LTE network, it seems, will not be as fast as the competition. Whereas Verizon and AT&T use 10 MHz channels for their network, Sprint will only be using 5 MHz channels at the beginning. That means that Sprint’s network will be a bit slower than the competition.

Now, before you give up on Sprint altogether, the slower speed doesn’t mean that their network will necessarily be worse. For one thing, as PC Mag is reporting, the network is being designed with consistency in mind. Verizon’s 4G speeds can be a bit varied, and the network has distinct difficulties when a user passes from a 4G coverage area to a 3G area. Sprint is working to make sure that their network suffers from neither of those problems.

Sprint is also planning to make several other network improvements, according to today’s report. For one thing, they will be moving voice calls to the spectrum that will be freed up when they shut down the Nextel network. That should take some of the load off the company’s current 3G network, which should improve its data performance.

Of course, it also bears remembering that of the three largest carriers, only Sprint still offers an unlimited data plan. Verizon and AT&T have long since abandoned unlimited data in favor of a tiered system. Those data plans – and their caps – remain unchanged on the much faster 4G networks. Sprint, on the other hand, insists that they will keep their unlimited data plans even after the switch to 4G LTE.

So, for all that Sprint’s 4G network will be a bit slower than the competition, you have the option of unlimited data as a tradeoff. Considering how easy it is to burn through those data caps on any 4G network, unlimited data is nothing to sneeze at.

What do you think? Is it a problem that Sprint’s 4G LTE network will be a little slower than the competition? Does the promise of unlimited data change how much you care about network speed? Let us know in the comments.

May 9, 2012
Facebook Now on 488 Million Mobile Devices

Out of the 901 million Facebook users, 488 million of those log into the social network using a mobile device. A new infographic, courtesy of the kind folks at socialbakers has revealed some interesting demographic data regarding the word’s largest social media platform:

Interestingly, the study shows that Android and iPhone are neck and neck when it comes to mobile Facebook usage, both at 19%. RIM/Blackberry use beats out iPad at 8% and 5% respectively. The U.S. has the most mobile Facebook users with roughly 106 million, and Indonesia (?) comes in second at about 29 million.

As for Facebook mobile penetration, 81% of Nigerians access the social network via a handheld device. In Japan, where Facebook adoption is still a bit culturally iffy but still gaining traction, 72% use their phones.

All in all, over half (54%) of Facebook users access the site via mobile, though the study is not clear on the overlap – surely a huge amount of users access the network using both desktops and their phones.

May 9, 2012
Redsn0w Jailbreak Tool To Support Downgrading iOS

When iOS 5.1 released last month, it didn’t really have a lot in terms of new features. Apart from a new (and, to be fair, much improved) camera shortcut and a few other little odds and ends, iOS 5.1 didn’t have a lot to offer those who weren’t rushing out to get the new iPad.

If you’re a member of the jailbreak community, though, the update to iOS 5.1 did bring with it two separate but related headaches. First, with iOS 5.1 Apple fixed all the exploits that allowed iOS 5.0.1 to be jailbroken. The Dev Team – and pod2g in particular – were forced to start over on the new update, just a few short months after finally cracking the previous version. Then, to add insult to injury, Apple made it extremely difficult to downgrade to an older version of iOS. That meant that those upgraded their device accidentally (or because they bought an April Fools gag) were stuck waiting for the iOS 5.1 jailbreak, rather than downgrading back to iOS 5.0.1 and getting their jailbreak back.

Well, if you’re one of those people, it looks like you may be in luck. According to iPhone hacker MuscleNerd, the next version of the redsn0w jailbreak tool will offer the ability to downgrade to older, jailbroken versions of iOS, provided you have access to the SHSH blobs. It even works for devices running on the newer A5 and A5X processors (the iPhone 4S, iPad 2, and new iPad), which are proving resistant to jailbreak efforts.

Check out MuscleNerd’s tweet on the new redsn0w update below, along with the pic that he included:

@MuscleNerd
MuscleNerdUpcoming redsn0w supports restoring, including iPad2/3 and 4S downgrades (with blobs) http://t.co/XRxSTHr4 ..also stitches on the fly 🙂 16 hours ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto

Unfortunately, MuscleNerd declines to say when the new version of redsn0w will be available, so if you’re one of the unlucky few who accidentally updated to a non-jailbroken version of iOS, you’ve still got a bit of a wait left before you can downgrade and re-jailbreak.

Meanwhile, the work on the iOS 5.1(.1) continues. Last week pod2g tweeted that he had gotten an untethered jailbreak working on his iPhone 4. Unfortunately that still leaves the more difficult A5 and A5X devices left to jailbreak, but hopefully it will be sooner rather than later. Just don’t bug him with questions.

May 9, 2012
iPhone Coming Soon To Three New Carriers

When someone asks which carriers have the iPhone, what names pop into your head? First on the list of course, is AT&T, followed by Verizon, then Sprint. After all, AT&T was the first carrier to get the iPhone, and the only one to have it until Verizon got the iPhone 4 in 2010. When Sprint cut their own deal with Apple last year, they became the third of the four largest U.S. carriers to offer Apple’s flagship phone. T-Mobile, of course, still doesn’t have the iPhone.

But what about other carriers? After all, not everybody who wants an iPhone wants to go through the Big Three. Well, it turns out that Apple is beginning to spread the iPhone widely among smaller, local carriers. Last month we brought you news that the iPhone would be coming to five local carriers – Alaska Communications, Cellom, MTA Solutions, GCI, and Appalachian Wireless.

Now, the list of local carriers who offer the iPhone has grown by another three carriers. Kentucky-based Bluegrass Cellular, California-based Golden State Wireless, and Kansas-based NexTech Wireless all announced yesterday that they would be offering the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 as of Friday, May 18th. In almost identical press releases, the three companies unveiled their pricing and plans for the iPhone yesterday afternoon.

As with the five carriers mentioned above, Bluegrass, Golden State, and NexTech will all be offering the iPhone for $50 less than AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint. The 16GB iPhone 4S will sell for $149, the 32GB for $249, and the 64GB for $349. All three will also offer the iPhone 4 (8GB) for either $49 (Bluegrass and NexTech) or $50 (Golden State). The carriers’ plans vary somewhat, though they all give their larger-scale competition a run for its money. For example, all of Bluegrass Cellular’s and Golden State’s plans come with unlimited texting, while half of NexTech’s come with unlimited texting and all come with unlimited data.

For those of us who have been paying attention to the iPhone since it debuted in 2007, the idea of Apple giving it to small, local carriers almost seems odd at first glance. After all, we got so used to thinking of the iPhone as a relatively exclusive gadget. The fact is, though, that this is a pretty big – and obvious – move for Apple. The iPhone accounted for two-thirds of the smartphones sold by the big three carriers last quarter.. With sales numbers like that, the iPhone appears to be well on its way to reclaiming its place as the holder of the largest share of the smartphone market, a title lost to Android in recent years.

Of course, small carriers like Bluegrass Cellular or Alaska Communications aren’t going to do a lot to boost the iPhone’s sales figures on their own. On the other hand, if the iPhone comes to enough of these carriers, and if they all sell iPhones at the same rate as the big carriers, then it could wind up being pretty significant indeed.

Does your local carrier offer the iPhone yet? If they do, does the promise of a lower price, unlimited texting, and unlimited data make you inclined to choose them over one of the larger carriers like Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon? Tell us what you think in the comments.

May 9, 2012
iPhone 5 Rumor: iPhone Coming In September, iPad Mini In August

Pegatron, one of the Apple’s major manufacturing partners, has begun receiving orders for the next round of Apple products, according to a recent report. Pegatron is currently in the process of allocating resources to prepare to fill the orders.

DigiTimes, citing “Taiwan-based supply chain makers,” is reporting this morning that Pegatron has received orders for the new iPhone and another model of 10-inch iPad. They claim that the iPhone is slated for a September launch, and this mystery iPad for a launch in the fourth quarter.

In addition to the new iPhone and iPad, the report also claims that Foxconn is gearing up to produce a 7-inch iPad that will be releasing in August. This “iPad Mini” has been the subject of rumors for years, though recently it has begun to look as though Apple really is thinking of releasing it.

While most rumors have put the release of the new iPhone (as it will almost certainly be called) in October, matching the release of the iPhone 4S, which launched in October 2011, a September launch is not beyond the realm of possibility. If Apple wants to move back towards the summer release schedule they followed for the first four iPhones, inching it backwards a little each year would be the way to do it.

As to this mysterious second iPad, it’s highly unlikely that Apple would launch another full-sized iPad model in the third quarter, less than six months (at the most) before the launch of the 4th generation iPad. It’s possible, however, that this is the 4th generation iPad, and that DigiTimes sources are wrong about the launch date. The fourth quarter is when production on a new iPad usually starts to ramp up, and it’s possible that Pegatron is already preparing for that. On the other hand, it’s possible that DigiTimes is just wrong. That happens with enough regularity that it’s as likely as explanation as any.

Could Apple be preparing another 10-inch iPad for the fourth quarter? What about an iPad Mini just five months after the launch of the new iPad? Let us know what you think in the comments.

May 9, 2012
TwitPic iPhone Application Finally Released
One of the great aspects of the social networking and microblogging medium of Twitter is that you can automatically post pictures to its service on the fly via a mobile device. The default website that these photos automatically are uploaded to is a quality website called TwitPic, making this website one of the largest social media picture websites out there.

Recently, TwitPic released an application for the iPhone; however, it may be too late for its popular, due to its competitor Instagram, which has had its iPhone application on the market for quite a while.

The TwitPic iPhone application allows the user to perform the following tasks:
- View and add comments to uploaded pictures.
- View daily/popular content.
- Edit photos, including crop, rotate, enhance.
- Apply various and unique filters.
To download this quality app from TwitPic, be sure to visit the Apple App Store.

What do you think about this newly released application from TwitPic? Do you think it will be a hit, or will it flop? Let us know in this post’s comments section.
May 8, 2012
iOS Trouncing Android In Gaming Revenue

Depending on what crowd you run in, calling a smartphone or tablet a “gaming” device will get you widely varied reactions. Tell a group of hardcore gamers that you use your iPhone for “gaming,” and you’re likely to get flat stares if you’re very lucky, derision and mockery if you’re not. If, on the other hand, you said it to executives at Nintendo, you might get a different reaction. The rise of gaming on devices like the iPhone has put a serious dent in sales of Nintendo’s 3DS.

But whether gamers and console makers like it or not, smartphone and tablet gaming is an extremely lucrative market. Some of the most popular apps in the history of the iOS App Store have been games. Of the top grossing apps in the iOS App Store, 21 are games. Of the top 25 grossing Android Apps on Google Play, 24 are games. Smartphone and tablet games are worth staggering amounts of money.

But that raises a question: which platform is more lucrative. That is, who pays more for their games: iPhone users, or Android users? A new study by Newzoo which appeared today in Forbes answers that very question. It turns out that iOS gamers spend more than five times as much on their games as Android gamers. The iOS platform with its combined 30.7 million mobile gamers across three devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) took in 84% of the revenues generated by mobile gaming in March.

Interestingly, the vast majority of the mobile gaming revenue does not come from the purchase of the games themselves. For both platforms, in-app purchases accounted for 91% – yes, ninety-one percent – of gaming revenues (not counting mobile ads). The study found that those patterns tend to hold – though with rather less staggering majorities – in various countries around the world.

What do you think? Do you use your smartphone or tablet for gaming? Does mobile gaming really count as “gaming”? Let us know in the comments.

May 8, 2012
Infographic Asks Which Came First: The iPhone Or The Android

Some debates just never seem to have a clear winner: Mac vs. PC, Star Wars vs. Star Trek, Ford vs. Chevy, Tastes Great vs. Less Filling, iPhone vs. Android. Debates have ranged among various fans and factions on these sorts of topics for ages – or, in the case of iPhone vs. Android, since 2008. And while we can talk about market share or handset sales or profits or penetration into the enterprise market, the debate rages on.

One of the more interesting aspects of the iPhone vs. Android debate, though, is which came first. Of course, everybody knows that the iPhone beat the first Android phone to market by about a year, but fewer people know that Google had been working on Android for quite some time before that (though they made some major modifications once the iPhone proved popular). The timeline of the two platforms’ development turns out to be a pretty interesting story.

To tell that story, the folks at AppleGazette put together an infographic showing the development of the iPhone and Android in parallel, so you can really see which came first. It even contains a few surprises. For example, it turns out that the iPad was actually in development first, and was put on hold so Apple could work on the iPhone. Check out the infographic below, then let us know what you think in the comments:

May 8, 2012
iOS 5.1.1 Jailbroken, But Don’t Update Just Yet

Yesterday we brought you news that Apple had released iOS 5.1.1, a minor update that focused mainly on squashing a few bugs that had been discovered since the release of iOS 5.1 back in March. As usual, those whose iOS devices are jailbroken were warned not to update to the newest version. We are, after all, still waiting on a working jailbreak of iOS 5.1. Even if we weren’t, there’s never a guarantee that the jailbreak that works on an X.1 release will also work on X.1.1.

In a cruel twist of fate, though, it turns out that iOS 5.1.1 has already been jailbroken, but that the wider jailbreak community won’t be able to jailbreak their devices any time soon. Not long at all after Apple pushed out the update yesterday, Stefan Esser (i0n1c) posted the following tweet:

@i0n1c
Stefan EsserOhhh no while I was sleeping my girlfriend accidentally upgraded my iPad 3 to iOS 5.1.1 – http://t.co/Dip8t8Eq 20 hours ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto

The tweet includes a picture of the Cydia store running on his new iPad with iOS 5.1.1 installed:

Now, you may be wondering why I called this a cruel twist of fate. After all, this is a working, untethered jailbreak. It’s what we’ve all been waiting for for two months, right? Well, yes, but the problem is the source. You may recall that shortly the new iPad launched, we ran a story about iOS 5.1 being jailbroken on the iPad 2. Well, the dev who accomplished this wondrous feat back in March was none other than Stefan Esser. Of course, the fact that we’re still waiting for a public jailbreak means that Esser didn’t share what he’d learned with other jailbreak devs. A few weeks later he explained why. In a Twitter conversation last month with another jailbreak dev, pod2g, Esser expressed his opinion that releasing a free-to-the-public jailbreak tool like the one pod2g is working on was a waste, and that having iOS exploits that Apple didn’t know about was a “huge research advantage.”

So there it is: iOS 5.1.1 has, like iOS 5.1 before it, been jailbroken. Unfortunately, the person who did the jailbreaking isn’t inclined to share with the rest of the class. While that’s absolutely his prerogative, one could wish he would refrain from rubbing our noses in it.

On the bright side, if you’re one of the few who is running a tethered jailbreak on an older device – original iPad, iPhone 4 or older – MusclenNerd tweeted yesterday that the redsn0w tool used to establish the tethered jailbreak for iOS 5.1 on those devices would also work for iOS 5.1.1:

@MuscleNerd
MuscleNerdOn the other hand, tinkerers with older devices can tether jailbreak 5.1.1 using last month’s redsn0w (just pre-select the 5.1 IPSW) 21 hours ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto

The fact that the tethered jailbreak solution works for iOS 5.1.1 gives some cause to hope that iOS 5.1.1 didn’t close the exploits pod2g is working with. With luck, that means that the release of iOS 5.1.1 won’t delay the jailbreak by much, if at all. Whatever you do, though, don’t ask pod2g when it will be done.

May 8, 2012
iPhone Coming To T-Mobile This Year?

T-Mobile is preparing to make changes to their wireless network that will make it compatible with Apple’s iPhone, the company announced today. They have partnered with Nokia Siemens Networks and Ericsson to roll out a $4 billion network upgrade that will enhance the company’s 4G network by rolling out broader LTE coverage.

T-Mobile’s current 4G network is reliant on HSPA+ technology. While arguably fast enough to earn the “4G” moniker, it is not as fast as the LTE networks currently operated by Verizon and AT&T (and currently being built by Sprint). Lacking sufficient wireless spectrum to build a full-sized LTE network, though, T-Mobile insists that HSPA+ counts.

The network improvements will utilize the wireless spectrum licenses T-Mobile acquired from AT&T due to the breakup of the proposed merger. T-Mobile is planning to bring LTE coverage to 75% of their top 25 markets (i.e., 18-19 markets). Their HSPA+ network is currently available in 229 markets.

Quibbling about what counts as 4G aside, though, this move is a big one for T-Mobile, as the expanded HSPA+ network will improve the carrier’s compatibility with the iPhone. The iPhone 4S is compatible with HSPA+ networks, but not with T-Mobile’s current AWS spectrum network. That incompatibility is the main reason that T-Mobile is the only one of the four major U.S. carriers that does not carry the iPhone.

Rolling out a more widespread HSPA+ network accomplishes two things for T-Mobile. First, it makes the carrier more attractive to iPhone users with unlocked phones who bring them to T-Mobile to get activated on the company’e network. Second, and more importantly, it makes T-Mobile more attractive to Apple. As T-Mobile itself has admitted, the lack of the iPhone has hurt the carrier tremendously in recent years.

T-Mobile has been hoping for the iPhone for a long time, and has hinted several times that they might finally be getting it. Back in January T-Mobile’s chief technology officer, Neville Ray, said that the next iPhone would carry a chipset supports T-Mobile’s AWS network. If that is so, then improving their 4G capabilities is bound to make T-Mobile even more attractive to Apple, especially considering the fact that the next iPhone will almost certainly have 4G LTE capabilities. By adding some LTE coverage and improving HSPA+ coverage, T-Mobile ensures that customers can take at least partial advantage of their device’s capabilities on T-Mobile’s network.

T-Mobile’s network improvements begin today and are expected to take much of the rest of the year. T-Mobile is expected to announce their quarterly earnings later this week.

What do you think? Would you switch to T-Mobile if they had the iPhone? Let us know in the comments.

May 8, 2012
Apple Releases iOS 5.1.1 With Bug Fixes

Apple has released an update to their iOS software for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. This update, iOS 5.1.1, is focused mainly on fixing bugs that have been discovered in the two months since iOS 5.1 was released.

Released on the same day as the new iPad was announced, iOS 5.1 brought a handful of new features, including an improved camera shortcut on the lock screen. Now, instead of double-tapping the home button to bring up the camera shortcut (a feature introduced with iOS 5), the shortcut appears automatically, and you swipe up on it to open the camera. Unfortunately, this shortcut introduced a bug for how the camera handles high dynamic range (HDR) photos. The latest update fixes that bug. It also deals with problems the new iPad was having in switching between 2G and 3G data networks. Bugs related to AirPlay playback, Safari syncing, and an iTunes Store error message have also been dealt with.

You can download and install the newest update through iTunes or from the Settings app on your device. To download the app over the air (i.e., via the Settings app) you’ll have to be connected to a wi-fi network, and you may want to have your device hooked up to a power source, especially if your iPad’s battery is low, or you have an iPhone 4S.

It should probably go without saying, but if you have a jailbroken device that you would like to keep jailbroken, do not download or install this update. Though it’s getting closer, there still isn’t an untethered jailbreak available for iOS 5.1. If you update your jailbroken device to iOS 5.1.1, you’ll lose your jailbreak and be stuck waiting for the jailbreak to be ready.

That said, if your phone (or iPad) isn’t jailbroken, or you don’t care about losing your jailbreak, download iOS 5.1.1 and check it out. Then come back and let us know whether the bug fixes work like they’re supposed to in the comments.

May 7, 2012
Apple Trying To Seize iPhone5.com Domain

Apple is taking steps to seize control of iPhone5.com. The company filed a complaint last week with the World Intellectual Property Organization over the domain, which currently hosts a small discussion forum centered on iPhone-related news and rumors.

According to Fusbile, the site was founded a few months after the launch of the iPhone 4 in 2010 and has focused primarily on rumors surrounding – as you might expect – the iPhone 5. The discussion forum at iPhone5.com is very small, with only six discussion threads on the News page (three of which are focused on Apple’s complaint).

Interestingly, the forums members appear to be divided on whether Apple deserves to own the domain name or not. One of those three forums was begun by a member who argued that Apple had every right to the name, due in large part to the fact that “iPhone” is an Apple trademark, and that once the “iPhone 5” (more likely “the new iPhone,” but we won’t quibble) is out, a discussion forum focused on news and rumors about the device will become obsolete. Another thread contains a poll concerning whether Apple should be allowed to take over the domain. Of the 20 members who have responded, 13 said that Apple should not get control of the domain, 7 said that they should.

Whether Apple ought to be allowed to seize the domain or not, the fact is that they will certainly succeed in doing so. The company has taken similar actions to gain control of other domains related to their products in recent years, including iPhone4S.com, , iPhone4.com, and many others.

Nor is this sort of thing new. Companies buy or seize domains related to their products all the time in order to protect their brands from squatters who might capitalize on a product’s popularity. Back in March Google bought up a whole slew of domains associated with the phrase Google Play. At the time it was thought that the phrase might refer to Google’s long-rumored tablet, though it turned out to be a re-branded Android Market that included Google’s e-bookstore and music service.

At any rate, it really isn’t a question of whether Apple will get control of iPhone5.com, it’s a question of when. What’s really interesting is the fact that they’re taking this step now, several months before the next iPhone’s release. Often they refrain from acquiring product-related domains until after the product releases, so as not to give hints about upcoming products. Apple’s next iPhone has been referred to as the iPhone 5 since right after the 2010 launch of the iPhone 4. Last year’s iPhone was widely expected to be the iPhone 5, though it turned out to be the iPhone 4S. Since then, general usage has retained the iPhone 5 name, though this year’s iPhone will actually be the sixth generation. The launch of the latest iPad, though, suggests that Apple will drop the numbering of iOS devices altogether. That would make the upcoming iPhone simply “the new iPhone.”

What do you think? Should Apple be allowed to take the iPhone5.com domain? Let us know in the comments.

May 7, 2012
Cause For Australian iPhone Explosion Revealed

All sorts of strange things can happen when a plane takes off. Maybe it’s happened to you: an ink pen bursts from the pressure changes and gets ink all over your stuff; an empty water bottle expands on the way up, then goes back to normal on the way down; you fall asleep at cruising altitude and wake up just before landing to find that your ears haven’t popped during the entire descent (trust me, that’s not fun); or maybe your iPhone cracks, glows red, and starts to smoke.

Okay, maybe that last one is pretty rare. But it has actually happened. Back in November passengers on an flight from Lismore to Sydney, Australia were dismayed to find that an iPhone carried by one of their number had begun to glow red and emit dense smoke. The rear panel of the phone even cracked – and lost part of the glass.

At the time, it wasn’t clear what had caused the problem. The iPhone is hardly a perfect device and certainly has its fair share of flaws and glitches, but you can usually trust them not to spontaneously combust in your pocket. Well, ZDNet is reporting that the cause of the malfunction has been revealed. After the incident, the phone was sent to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau for examination. It seems that not long before the incident, the phone’s owner had gotten the iPhone’s screen replaced by an unauthorized third-party. When the replacement was done, a screw from the bottom of the phone, near the dock connector, was not sufficiently tightened. That screw managed to work its way all the way up to the top of the phone and punch through the casing surrounding the battery.

As you might expect, poking something metal through the housing of a battery is not a good thing. In this case it caused a short circuit that in turn cause the phone’s battery to drastically overheat, producing the red glow and the smoke. In the photo you can see an x-ray image of battery compartment and the offending screw.

So it looks like the moral of the story is that if you want repair work done on your iPhone, you’re probably better off to just pony up and have Apple do it. Otherwise your phone could catch fire, apparently.

May 4, 2012
Apple, Samsung Take 99% Of Mobile Phone Profits

There’s been a lot of discussion lately of who the top smartphone maker is. In the previous quarter Samsung became both the top smartphone maker and the top mobile phone maker overall in the previous quarter, all three of the biggest carriers activated more iPhones.

Ultimately, though, questions of unit sales and market share are secondary. The big question is, simply, who made more money? Samsung may have beaten Apple by just over 7 million unit sales, but which company turned a higher profit? In this, Apple is the winner by a sizable margin. According to a recent study by Asymco, Apple raked in a whopping 73% of all profits in the smartphone market. Samsung came in a distant second with 26%. That, you may notice, leaves a mere 1% for every other smartphone maker to share. As it turns out, though, the other smartphone makers don’t actually share that last 1%. It all goes to HTC. Every other smartphone maker – RIM, Nokia, LG, Motorola, etc. – lost money in the past quarter.

While the percentage graph is impressive, it’s also a bit misleading, as it ignores the changes in the amount of available profit in the mobile phone industry. When the fact that profits have grown dramatically over the past few years is factored in, the picture becomes much more remarkable.

The first graph could make it seem that Apple (and, to a lesser extent, Samsung) ate away at the profits of their competitors, The second makes it clear that, in a addition to that, Apple also drove massive overall growth in the mobile phone market. When the iPhone came along in 2007, the profits for the entire mobile phone industry (which was dominated by Nokia at the time), were around $4 billion. In the years since the iPhone – and especially since 2010, the mobile phone market’s profits have grown astronomically, due primarily to the iPhone.

May 4, 2012