The kit also comes with Phillips and Pentalobe screwdrivers. The iPhone 5 mod kit is available here, and a short promo video of the result is below. For comparison, images of the “real” thing are here.
Pinterest updated its entire line of mobile apps today with a completely refreshed design, and it released an all-new iPad app that the developer described as “the best Pinterest experience yet.” As for the iPhone, the app received a new two-column layout, improvements to speed, stability, and an overall refreshed UI. Pinterest walked through some of the new features in a blog post announcing the updated apps. The universal app is available as a free download on the App Store.
iPad owners may have the best Pinterest experience yet. Our new iPad app is perfect for sitting on the couch, on a train, or in bed where users can effortlessly discover, save and organize the things that interest them. The app offers users new ways to engage with pins, whether swiping the screen to resume browsing after viewing a board, or using the embedded browser to see what others are pinning from their favorite sites.
Update: The original source, Nowherelse, posted an update with new information regarding the leaked dock connector images claiming the connector has 16 pins, eight on each side, with eight likely being reserved for future uses:
We have obtained new information about this connector. We have indeed learned that it is not equipped with 8 to 16 pins but distinct functions or 8 on each side thereof to note that one of them would have no basis of record and would be for possible future use.
There has been a ton of alleged next-gen iPhone leaks in recent weeks including images of the device’s thinner, higher capacity 1440 mAh battery, SIM card tray, and other internal components. Today, we get a look at parts related to the smaller, redesigned dock connector, as well as what French site Nowherelse.fr claimed could possibly be the first images of the connector itself. In our own image above, we see an insert component for the new iPhone on the right showing the outline of the new iPhone’s dock connector. The unconfirmed images from Nowherelse below show what appears to be an 8-pin dock connector next to the USB end for context. We recently discovered possible references to a 9-pin dock connector in iOS 6, while previous reports claimed a 19-pin or 8-pin design was in the works. While our leak of the next-gen iPhone backs in May gave us a good look at the port for the redesigned dock connector, the pin layout for the connector itself is still unconfirmed.
Update: iFixit told MacRumors that the metal frame counts as its own pin even though there are eight gold pins. This adds up to nine pins, as we reported the other day based on iOS 6 source code, and this may mean these above photos are legitimate.
Also: We cannot help but notice that these connectors seem to have similar pins and size to MicroSD cards (image via).
We hope you are not sick of earlyiPhone prototypes just yet, because the monster Apple vs. Samsung trial is kicking off today and another prototype has hit the docket. This time, Apple is releasing images of its “purple” iPhone design from 2005. It actually has some, if not most, of the design elements of the iPhone 4 design, which Samsung accused Apple of lifting from Sony. This one, again, is labeled “iPod”.
The Verge has tracked down several images of old iPhone and iPad prototype designs from Apple the vs. Samsung trial case filings. Buzzfeed got their hands on a few more. Notably, many of these designs are codenamed N90, so what you’re mainly looking at are design considerations for the 2010 iPhone 4, the Apple device codenamed N90. Many of them are ugly and will hurt your eyes. Check out the entire gallery after the break or over at the Verge and Buzzfeed.
Besides iPhone prototypes, Apple was toying with an iPad design that featured an HTC Evo-like Kickstand. Given the above and below, we’re pretty happy with the decisions Apple made on these. Many, many more pictures below:
A quick Reuters report on an unsealed document in the Apple-Samsung trial reveals that iPhones are much more of a profit driver for Apple than its iPads. To the tune of double (!) per unit.
Apple Inc earned gross margins of 49 to 58 percent for U.S. iPhone sales between April 2010 and the end of March 2012…Apple had gross margins of 23 to 32 percent on U.S. iPad sales, the filing said.
That means Apple makes as much money on one iPhone as it does on two iPads (considering they cost roughly the same amount).
Australian airline Qantas previously announced it is dropping BlackBerry in favor of Apple’s iPhone and issuing iPads to pilots, but now it is rolling out iPads to passengers to compliment a new in-flight entertainment streaming service.
Qantas is abandoning RIM due to a recently conducted employee survey that indicated airline staffers prefer Apple’s smartphone offering. CIO Paul Jones told The Sydney Morning Herald that the iPhone offers a “user-friendly interface and simple access to emails, contacts and calendars, as well as meeting all Qantas’ security requirements.”
Staff members can also carry Android devices under the airline’s bring-your-own-device policy. The move to Apple’s iPhone will save Qantas millions of dollars, as will transitioning to the iPad to replace costly paper in the cockpit, according to NewStraitTimes. The airline will dole 2,200 iPads to pilots to improve communication and cutback on printed charts and manuals. The 64Gb iPads with 3G will save the airline about $1.5 million annually.
“Transition from the BlackBerry to the iPhone is part of Qantas’ broader mobility strategy and, once complete, will result in significant cost savings,” said a Qantas spokesperson.
With the full-scale shift to iOS in progress, Qantas further announced it plans to launch QStreaming across its B767 fleet. Qantas Domestic CEO Lyell Strambi revealed customers travelling on a Qantas’ B767 aircraft would now experience “in-flight entertainment streamed direct to iPads in every seat.”
“Following the successful trial of our QStreaming service this year, we will partner with Panasonic and use their eXW solution to provide over 200 hours of on-demand IFE content via iPads to every passenger in Business and Economy travelling on our B767 fleet,” Strambi explained. “QStreaming will be available free of charge to all our passengers across the B767 fleet.
According to a report this evening from Finnish pub SK24, a 17-year-old Finn named Henri Helminen was carrying his iPhone in his back pocket (stick with us here) when it spontaneously started smoking in a big way. We all know Lithium batteries can— if something is wrong— explode or behave like in the video. But, usually there has to be some major malfunction. An Australian man’s iPhone blew up recently, but it was traced to a poorly done third-party repair.
This is a little too close to Nokia’s headquarters for us to believe off the bat. We will continue to follow the story to see what has happened.
Following our report from this morning on what may be the new iPhone back plate, MacRumors published three new images that it received from another parts supplier. You will obviously note that the “iPhone” font on this one looks much different from ours and the joints appear to be slightly…disjointed.
We are not exactly sure what is happening here, but this is interesting timing. And, we have more coming in 3…2…1…
Most would assume that the currently free on-contract iPhone 3GS will discontinue with the introduction of the sixth-generation iPhone later this year, but one analyst claimed its life would go on. According to Jefferies analyst Peter Misek in a note released last night (via Fortune), Apple signed an agreement “with a major global distributor” that will bring the iPhone 3GS to pre-paid carriers and developing countries for an even cheaper price. Misek said the 3GS would be priced between the $200 to $250 range, which is cheaper than the $375 price point that it is now priced at wholesale. The analyst further estimated iPhone shipments for the June quarter.
UPDATE: Sprint confirmed the promotion today with an email to 9to5Mac:
Beginning today, May 18, for a limited time only, customers can bring in their current iPhone from any other carrier to a Sprint store (or online and telesales) and receive at least $100 off the purchase of a new iPhone 4S (excludes upgrades) with a new line of service and two year agreement. Below are the two ways people take advantage of this limited time offer:
Save in store:
Reserve your iPhone 4S online at www.sprint.com (excludes upgrades)
Bring your old iPhone with you to a Sprint store
Save $100 instantly when you activate a new line of service!
Save Online
Go to sprint.com/iPhone to buy your iPhone 4S through our online store and open a new line of service (excludes upgrades)
After you receive your new iPhone, visit sprint.com/buyback and click Trade in my device to receive a shipping label via email. (Note: If your Buyback value is less than $100, we’ll make up the difference with an additional account credit. You’ll need to activate your new phone by 7/3/12 and trade-in by 8/14/12.)
Receive a credit on your bill within 2 to 3 billing cycles. Your credit may be spilt into 2 payments. Please wait the full 3 month billing cycle to receive your full $100 credit.
TechnoBuffalo reported that an upcoming Sprint trade-in promotion will allegedly give existing iPhone owners at least $100 toward an iPhone 4S—if they sign a two-year contract and open a new line of service. The deal will supposedly run between May 18 and June 30:
If you’re an iPhone customer considering jumping ship to Sprint, the Now Network’s upcoming promo just might be enough to influence your decision. A trusted source has shared with us that starting on May 18th Sprint will begin offering a minimum of $100 on any iPhone trade-ins towards an iPhone 4S.
T-Mobile offered a similar deal earlier this month, where the carrier promised $200 trade-ins for any iPhone.
If you are looking to pick up the iPhone 4S in the next couple of days, make sure to check your local Target store before purchasing. Thanks to a couple of tips sent to us by email, we now know that various Target locations are running a deal on the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 for all carriers. The 16GB iPhone 4S is available for $149.99 on a two-year contract, while the iPhone 4 is $49.99 on two-year contract — both at a $50 discount. Let us know in the comments if your local Target is running this deal. Sadly, it is not available online.
Weiphone’sHacker Loktar_Sun just unearthed how to unlock an iPhone—including the iPhone 4S.
To complete Weiphone’s step-by-step unlock tutorial, the latest version of iTunes and a jailbroken iPhone is required. For those unaware, unlocking is the process of modifying an iPhone’s software so that it can operate through carriers other than its official carrier in a given country. Also, a jailbroken iPhone simply means it is freed from the limitations imposed by Apple for safety measures. In other words, continue at your own risk.
The following process is straightforward for anyone familiar with unlocked or jailbroken iPhones: Expand Expanding Close
Following Nielsen’s latest survey that showed over 90 percent of United States smartphone buyers are choosing iOS or Android, research firm comScore today released its data of the top smartphone platforms and OEMs in the U.S. The survey included more than 30,000 people over a three-month period ending February 2012. It found Android was up 17 percentage points from a year ago with 50.1-percent of the U.S. smartphone market. In comparison, Apple’s 30.2-percent accounted for an increase of 5 percentage points from the same period a year ago.
According to comScore, Google passed the 50 percent milestone for the first time during February 2012. The numbers represent a 3.2-percentage point increase over previous three-month period for Google, and a 1.5-percentage point increase for Apple.
This “iPhone PRO” concept from designer Choi Jinyoung (via Plusmood) takes the 4.5-inch edge-to-edge rumors to another level with the addition of “Pro” features including a 1.2-megapixel 3D camera, mount for DSLR lenses, a removable hard disk, and a built-in projector system. Go past the break for a full gallery. Expand Expanding Close
With iOS gaining roughly 30 percent United States marketshare as of Q4 2011 at the expense of RIM, Nokia and Microsoft, new numbers from Nielsen’s latest study show just how much of a duopoly the U.S. market has become. While noting about 50 percent of mobile subscribers in the U.S. are now smartphone owners, Nielsen gave a breakdown of how the two leading platforms continue to dominate as of February 2012: Expand Expanding Close
So about two weeks ago we got a tip from a reliable source that Apple was going to call the iPhone 5 (or whatever)- the new “iPhone”.
That seemed a little nuts at the time but what a difference a Keynote makes. As Christian explained, Apple chopped the suffix off if the iPad as part of a branding makeover that will likely expand. Just like iMac is not called iMac 1,2,3 it looks like Apple won’t be doing the numbering on iOS devices (though it never did with the iPod touch).
So that tip –That the next iPhone is simply the new “iPhone” – seems a lot more plausible now.
It appears another tethering app snuck into the App Store. QuasiDisk ($1.99) purports to be a file manager for the iPhone, but it appears that in the most recent update over the weekend, it stealthily got the ability to tether via proxy. Apple is usually pretty quick to pull these, so you might want to jump on this app if you want some tethering without a carrier plan.
We heard earlier today that the next iPhone may have a bigger screen which could make the chassis slightly bigger. How do you feel about this? What size would you prefer?
A new hack by a Chinese manufacturer will allow a user to make an iPhone 4/4S’s Apple logo glow. Much like the MacBook’s, the logo will glow once you turn the device on.
K.O. Gadget, the maker of this mod, said it can be done at home in less than five minutes. For $42, K.O. Gadget will send you the kit to perform this hack, but it would void an iPhone’s warranty.
The mod is easy because all you’re doing is replacing the back panel on the iPhone. The backpanel has a transparent Apple logo that allows light to pass through, but the key is the “light strip” that is added in. You can see the addition in the video below.
The light strip and custom backing doesn’t add any thickness to the device, because it uses the same glass material that Apple uses. K.O. Gadget also said there isn’t any over heating issues or battery life issues.
If you’re the adventurous type, this is something definitely worth checking out. Check out the install process below:
Macworldreminds us of a cool trick for iPhone photographers that will enable steadier shots than using the volume button on their iPhone. The trick is related to the volume trigger button on your iPhone’s Remote Earbuds, where you open the camera app, and then use the volume button on the headphones as a trigger. This is already helpful for steadier shots, or taking a better front-facing shot.
However, this trick can even be used with a Bluetooth device, as a sort of wireless remote, once paired. Interested in more iOS 5 camera tricks? Check out the iPhone’s built-in panorama mode.
This week, we are co-sponsoring iPhone 4S + Monster Accessory Pack giveaways with Monster Cable. You can win the iPhone 4S + Accessory Pack from Monster Cable by liking their Facebook page and entering their contest here: https://www.facebook.com/monstercable. Enter once for a chance to win every week until December 23rd.
Additionally, this week only, we at 9to5Mac are offering you guys the Monster Accessory Pack which can be won by liking our page https://www.facebook.com/9to5mac.
Monster’s 8x iPhone 4S Sweepstakes: What better way to fully enjoy Monster Cable’s lineup of mobile-friendly accessories than on the supreme gadget of today – the iPhone 4S! Monster is giving its fans the chance to win an iPhone 4S & Monster Accessory Pack every week for eight straight weeks! In addition to the iPhone 4S, the Monster Accessory Pack includes our sleek ($300) Turbine In-Ear Monitors, the static-free Monster iCable 800, the convenient Monster Mobile PowerPlug Dual USB 700, and the practical CleanTouch Pen! So go ahead, click the button… and remember, you only have to enter once and you’re then eligible to win each of the 8 weeks! (sorry this is for US residents only).
We were all ready to start making fun of these guys for being wacko gun nuts and wasting a perfectly good $650 iPhone until the slo-mos came in about halfway through the video. OK, that was cool. Where’s the Android version? Via Giz (of course)
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