A leaked sales flyer for Sam’s Club reveals that the wholesale retailer will begin selling the iPhone 6 for as low as $99 with a new two-year service agreement starting November 15th. The upcoming Black Friday promotion will see each iPhone 6 model on sale for $100 off their standard on-contract prices: 16GB ($99), 64GB ($199) and 128GB ($299).
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Right as news is breaking that the Apple and Beats deal is finally official for $3B, the Beats iOS app has just been updated with new pricing and an extended free trial for all users.
Up from the previous free 7-day trial offered by the service, Beats Music now offers a “no strings attached trial” for 14 days to all users. Most notable in the update, however, is the fact that the service is slashing pricing from $119.88 a year to $99.99/year:
We’ve dropped price of our yearly subscription to $99.99, down from $119.88.
The service will continue to charge $9.99/month for users not purchasing a yearly subscription. The Beats Music website FAQ has been updated to reflect the new pricing and also continues to list $15/month family plans and extended free trials offered to AT&T customers.
Apple also confirmed today that it will continue to operate Beats Music as a separate service including Android and Windows phone apps.
Version 2.1.0 also includes “tons of bug fixes so the whole experience runs smooth as silk.”
● We’re stoked to announce that our no strings attached trial has been extended to 14 days to ensure everyone gets ample time to explore the full Beats Music experience.
● We’ve dropped price of our yearly subscription to $99.99, down from $119.88.
● To top it off, we pushed tons of bug fixes so the whole experience runs smooth as silk.
Following the announcement for Moga’s new iOS 7 game controller yesterday, Logitech today officially announced its new MFi controller, the PowerShell. Like Moga’s controller, Logitech’s also doubles as a battery pack with a built-in 1500mAh battery (slightly smaller than Moga’s 1800 mAh) and will sell for the same $99 that Moga is asking.
Both of the new controllers are using Apple’s new MFi iOS 7 game controller program, which offers accessory makers and developers one standard framework for implementing support for iOS compatible game controllers. Apple allows two types of game controllers and two configurations all with pressure sensitive buttons and consistent layouts. The first type of controller is the form-fitting controller (like the Moga and the new Logitech), which allows your iOS device to be docked right into the controller. There will also be standalone controllers that connect over Bluetooth.
Logitech is using Apple’s standard MFi configuration, which gives you a D-Pad, A/B/X/Y face buttons, and left and right shoulder buttons. Moga, on the other hand, is using Apple’s extended layout, which adds an extra set of shoulder buttons and left and right thumbsticks.
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Remember that report from Reuters claiming Apple is building a low-cost iPhone that will sell for mere $100? This morning a report from ChinaTimes claims Pegatron chairman Tong Zixian dismissed the rumors by claiming the word “cheap” shouldn’t be associated with the product and that the “price is still high.” We have a feeling some of the company’s comments might have been lost in translation, but it’s only stating the obvious: Apple’s doesn’t make cheap products and $99 without some sort of subsidy is probably out of the question for the company’s much rumored “low-cost iPhone”.
According to the analysts, Apple’s low-cost iPhone will likely debut for somewhere in the neighbourhood of $300.
Zagg, a company that makes high quality keyboard cases for iPads that we’ve reviewed in the past, today introduced two brand new keyboard cover and folio designs for iPad mini. Zagg says both products are ultra-thin Bluetooth keyboards that take advantage of “a unique, patent-pending hinge system that enhances the iPad mini user experience with a full range of viewing angles up to 135 degrees.” Get full details on both new products below:
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We can’t say we didn’t know it was coming. T-Mobile already started accepting preorders for the iPhone 5 back on April 5, and today marks the first day of official availability for the iPhone on the carrier’s revamped “Un-carrier”, no-contract, unlimited voice and data plans.
To accompany the launch, T-Mobile is also kicking off its first iPhone ad campaign today that begins with the first TV spot above (via TMO News). Of course the ad not so surprisingly focuses on its new carrier approach more so than the device itself:
“It’s the phone that’s revolutionizing phones, make sure its running on the carrier that’s revolutionizing wireless… Only T-Mobile lets your iPhone 5 be as great as an iPhone 5.”
Earlier this month T-Mobile started rolling out a carrier update for existing unlocked iPhones on its network that brings LTE support, improved battery life, visual voicemail support and more. It also started a campaign offering users trade-in value for their old devices to make the switch to T-Mobile.
The iPhone 5 is available to purchase for $99 down with a $20 per month financing plan through T-Mobile’s website and brick-and-mortar stores. As noted by TMONews, the carrier has also started setting up its in-store displays and advertising for the iPhone (Gallery below):
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SKWY4ZMjVwg]
FreedomPop launched its free 500mb monthly data plans in beta earlier this month with a conventional hotspot and USB dongle free to users with a refundable deposit. The promised WiMAX-enabled iPhone and iPod cases were not yet available, but today the company announced availability of a $99 4G Hotspot sleeve for iPod touch called “Freedom Sleeve Rocket” (via TechCrunch). It’s not the best-looking case we’ve seen, and still no iPhone version, but it is free data to third-gen and fourth-gen iPod users in reach of partner Clearwire’s network. FreedomPop will charge you $10 per GB after the free 500MBs, but it will also allow up to eight other devices to connect to the 4G sleeve. TechCrunch said the iPhone version would launch in November.
