Jordan Kahn

Following AT&T’s announcement this morning, Apple confirmed 2 million pre-orders in 24 hours. That statistic more than doubles the pre-order record of approximately 1 million units held by the iPhone 4S (600,000 for iPhone 4). Apple also noted demand is exceeding its initial supply and some pre-order customers will not receive their device until October. For those doing the math, that is 83,333 units an hour (or 1,388 a minute, or 23 a second, etc.) over the first day. That’s enough iPhone 5 boxes to stretch 190 miles (or 1 million feet). It is Interesting that iPhone 5 pre-orders seem to line up with Phil Schiller’s statement about new iPhones selling as much as all previous generations combined—an observation we like to refer to as “Schiller’s Law”.

According to Schiller, “iPhone 5 pre-orders have shattered the previous record held by iPhone 4S and the customer response to iPhone 5 has been phenomenal… iPhone 5 is the best iPhone yet, the most beautiful product we’ve ever made, and we hope customers love it as much as we do.”

Apple’s full press release follows:

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We already knew T-Mobile had big plans for the iPhone in coming months when it announced plans to launch the Unlimited & Unlocked iPhone marketing initiative on the same day as the iPhone 5 launch. Today, we get confirmation from TmoNews that nano-SIMs are indeed on the way to T-Mobile for customers wishing to use the new iPhone on its network. The carrier expects the SIMs to arrive in October, but we are hearing they have already started arriving. You will, of course, first have to get your hands on an unlocked iPhone 5.

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We heard yesterday that Walmart would begin pre-orders in-store at 8 a.m. this morning (that might not be so true). We also heard the retailer would offer the device for about $10 less than Apple’s price at $189.97 on a two-year contract. Now we get a look at Walmart’s entire iPhone 5 launch plan, which, according to the internal documents sent to us above, includes a $4.99 VUDU movie credit, but it does not seem to agree with the launch schedule originally reported. It appears Walmart is waiting for a FedEx shipment of $25 voucher cards that will come in today and tomorrow.

Anecdotally, we were told by a reader, who went to a Walmart this morning to pre-order an iPhone, that he just got blank stares. Another said:

Those who want to pre-order through Walmart will have to purchase a $25 reservation card, but Walmart documentation noted the cards might not arrive at some locations until Sept. 15. The document also provided employees with instructions to inform customers that it cannot guarantee availability for pre-orders on Sept. 21, but it will hold the phone for 10 days after it is available. Walmart limits pre-orders to two per customer. It also confirmed in the document that it would sell the iPhone 4 for $0.97 on a two-year contract and the iPhone 4S for $89.97.

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Unlike Verizon’s lineup of LTE Android smartphones, we just confirmed with the carrier that the new iPhone 5 would not support simultaneous voice and data over its LTE network.

A Verizon spokesperson told us:

“The iPhone 5 was designed to allow customers to place a voice call on the Verizon Wireless network, while simultaneously letting customers access the Internet over the WiFi.”

We confirmed with AT&T, however, that the feature will work on its GSM model of the iPhone 5. AT&T told us:

“AT&T customers can talk and surf simultaneously on the new iPhone 5.”

We know Apple is shipping the same CDMA model iPhone 5 to both Sprint and Verizon, so it is probable that Sprint’s iPhone 5 will not support simultaneous voice and data as well.

Some Android devices do simultaneous voice and data on Verizon, so it is probably Apple’s baseband processor choice that led to the situation.

Update: According to the New York Times, the change is due to Apple. An Apple spokesperson explained:

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Apple finally unveiled its new 9-pin Lightning connector yesterday as a replacement for its old, standard 30-pin dock connector on the new iPhone 5 and refreshed iPods. Despite Apple highlighting the benefits of the new Lightning connectors and cables, which included an 80 percent smaller, all-digital, reversible design, there were some concerns over legacy support and the $30 adapters many users would be forced to purchase. As first pointed out by iMore, Apple appears to have confirmed video out will not be supported on the new Lightning cables with only AirPlay listed under the iPhone 5’s tech specs. Unfortunately, it also does not look like it will be possible through the current Lightning to 30-pin adapter or cable and AV adapter, as product pages for the Lightning adapter verify “Video and iPod Out not supported”:

Those 30 pins could handle a whole hell of a lot, including serial, line-in, and component and composite video. With the switch to the new 8-pin Lightning connector on the iPhone 5, new iPod Nano, and new iPod Touch, some notable benefits were achieved, including a full digital pipe, a fully-reversible design, and a much smaller footprint. But some things might have been lost, like video out.

It’s a possibility, as noted by iMore, that we will see video-out support added through a Lightning/USB to HDMI breakout cable in the future, but it is also possible Apple will promote AirPlay and Apple TV only from here on out. As of right now, the iPhone 5’s spec page only lists “AirPlay Mirroring to Apple TV support at 720p” and “AirPlay video streaming to Apple TV (3rd generation) at up to 1080p and Apple TV (2nd generation) at up to 720p” under TV and Video support.

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Apple just posted the full video of this morning’s media event, where Tim Cook and other Apple execs unveiled the iPhone 5, a refreshed iPod lineup, and announced release dates for iOS 6 and a redesigned iTunes. You can watch the entire presentation on Apple’s website.

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rme3uZ_abc&feature=plcp]

We told you they were coming: Apple officially unveiled its new “EarPods” earlier today. The company explained during this morning’s media event that the EarPods are three years in the making. Apple has yet to post the video of the full iPhone 5/iPod event, but now we get a look at a video played during the presentation. It features Jony Ive explaining the process of creating the new earbuds. In addition to the engineering process described by Ives above, Apple explained on its website that it tested over 100 prototypes to make the EarPods more durable and stable than its previous-generation earphones:

Apple engineers asked more than 600 people to test over 100 iterations of the Apple EarPods. Testers ran on treadmills in extreme heat and extreme cold. They performed various cardio workouts. They were even asked to shake their heads side to side, up and down. The result: Apple EarPods provide stronger protection from sweat and water, and they’re remarkably stable in the ear. Which means they stay in, even when you’re on the go.

Apple already detailed the specific iOS 6 features that would be available to certain iOS devices in June. For instance: Flyover and turn-by-turn would be limited to iPhone 4S and iPad 2 (and up), while FaceTime over cellular and Siri would be available only on iPhone 4S and iPad 3. Today, following the introduction of the iPhone 5, Apple’s product page for the new device linked to a comprehensive list of features that are not available in certain countries. Some of the iOS 6 features limited to specific countries include: Facebook, Twitter, local search integration in Siri, turn-by-turn and 3D buildings for Maps, and dictation.

To find out if specific features of Maps, Siri, iTunes, Dictation, and the App Store are available in your country, check out Apple’s full iOS 6 feature availability list.

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Following today’s event, where Apple unveiled the iPhone 5, a refreshed iPod lineup, and a number of new accessories, the Apple Store has now been updated with listings for many of the new products pictured above. Apple also updated its website with the iPhone 5 video it played at the event earlier today, showing off the manufacturing process of the new iPhone’s body. The Lightning and 30-pin adapter, which has a $30 price tag and ships in October, are among the new product listings.

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We already got a look at Apple’s redesigned earphones and shared some more details this morning including the “EarPods” name. Apple has now officially unveiled the new “EarPods” and explained they have been in the works for the last three years. The company also confirmed that the new Earpods would come packaged with the new iPod touch lineup, iPod nanos, and the iPhone 5. The EarPods will also be available as a standalone accessory starting today, but there is no word on pricing as of yet. Unfortunately, we did not get too many new details about the specs of the new earbuds, but they do appear to sport slightly larger physical controls.

Apple explained the process of creating the new EarPods on its website:

Using optical scans combined with silicone moulding, Apple designers created 3D models of various ear types to find a common shape across many different people. That shape led to the unique look of the new Apple EarPods. Unlike traditional circular earbuds, their design is defined by the geometry of the ear. Which makes them more comfortable for more people than any other earbud-style headphones… Apple acousticians re-engineered an earbud speaker diaphragm with both rigid and flexible materials to minimize sound loss and maximize sound output. Adding to the superior audio quality are strategically placed acoustic vents. The most notable of these vents is the one located in the stem of each EarPod. It allows air inside the stem, which acts as an acoustic chamber, to flow out. So you hear deeper, richer bass tones. The overall audio quality of Apple EarPods is so impressive, they rival high-end headphones that cost hundreds of dollars more.

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We expected to see refreshed iPod lineups today, and Apple is not disappointing by following up the iPhone 5 announcement with the introduction of a completely refreshed seventh-generation iPod nano. It sports a larger display, Bluetooth, Home button, and Lightning connector. The new Nano is also the thinnest at just 5.4mm, and it includes play/pause, forward/back physical buttons in addition to an iPhone-style Home button. The Nano also come in seven colors, and it has the longest battery life of any Nano with up to 30 hours of music playback. Other new features: FM tuner with live pause, built-in pedometer, and a 38 percent thinner frame over the previous generation. The new iPod nano will be available for $149 in October.

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Apple just confirmed pricing and availability for the new iPhone 5. Preorders for the device start Sept. 14, with pricing taking over the old iPhone 4S at $199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB, and $399 for 64GB. Apple announced all models would ship Sept. 21 to the following countries: the U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Germany, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. More countries will also get the device on Sept. 28, and Apple plans to ship the iPhone to 100 countries and 240 carriers by December 2012. A full list of the 22 countries getting the iPhone 5 in September includes:

Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

The 16GB iPhone 4S will remain available for $99. As for the 8GB iPhone 4, it will become free. Get all the details regarding specs for the new iPhone here.

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As we previously unveiled, prior to the iPhone 5 media event taking place right now, Apple took the wraps off its new smaller dock connector and cables today with a new “Lightning” brand to go hand-in-hand with its Thunderbolt moniker. While we already had many of the details and images of the dock connector, Apple confirmed today that the new reversible connector includes an “all-digital, 8-signal design”, adaptive interface, and improved durability. It is also 80 percent smaller than the old connector. As previously rumored, Apple also briefly showed off a 30-pin adapter for the new dock connector but did not go into details. 
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Senior Vice President of  Worldwide MarketingPhil Schiller is on stage right now unveiling features for the all-new iPhone 5, and during the demo he provided a list of carriers that will support the new LTE-capable device:

U.S.: Sprint, Verizon, AT&T

Canada: Bell, Rogers, Telus, Fido Virgin, Koodo

U.K. & Germany: Deutsche Telekom, EE

Asia: SK Telecom, Softbank, KDDI, KT, SmarTone, SingTel,

Australia: Telstra Optus Virgin Mobile

A long list of carriers will also support dual-band HDPA+:

TellaSonera, Elisa, Tele2, Telenor, Deutsche Telekom, Sunrise, Vodafone, O2,Swisscom, SFR, tmn, Bouygues,Telefonica

[tweet https://twitter.com/dannysullivan/status/245971967201665024]

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Apple’s iPhone 5 media event just kicked off with CEO Tim Cook hitting the stage and providing some updates on numbers for various products. Among them: Mountain Lion downloads are up to 7 million since Apple announced 3 million copies in July, 17 million iPads were sold between April and June this year, and a total of 400 million iOS devices have been sold through June:

• 400 million iOS devices sold through June
• 83 million visitors to retail stores
• 380 stores
• 7 million copies of mountain lion
• 17 million iPads last quarter
• 84 million iPads sold through June
• 250,000 iPad apps
• 200 million iTunes in the Cloud users
• iTunes is in 63 countries
• 26 million songs on iTunes/ 20 billion songs purchased
• 435 million iTunes accounts with credit cards
• 350 million iPods sold

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We posted images last month of what appeared to be a logic board for the next-generation iPhone showing an internal look at the A6 chip expected in the iPhone 5. New images of the logic board from HDBlog.it today show an A6 chip and what could be some of the other updated internal components of the iPhone 5. Earlier this year, we reported Apple was internally seeding a faster iPhone with 1GB of RAM and a variation of the A5x chip in the new iPad. However, in February, before the new iPad launch, we found evidence Apple was working on both new A5x and A6 chipsets.

Also present in the images: Qualcomm’s MDM9615M LTE modem and flash memory provided by Hynix. Qualcomm was showing off some new LTE chipsets in February, which we said could very likely end up in the iPhone 5, and one, of which, was the MDM9615 spotted on the logic board in today’s photos. The Hynix-supplied memory could of course be an indicator that there is some truth to recent reports of Apple reducing component orders from Samsung, but we will have to wait for the official teardowns to know for sure.

[tweet https://twitter.com/avaleriohdblog/status/245880426789486593]

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