iOS Devices

As the launch of the next iPhone approaches, rumor and speculation about what Apple’s latest and greatest smartphone could bring to the highly-competitive mobile marketplace is increasing. Based on the latest chatter, a reasonable snapshot of the new iPhone seems to be an “iPhone 5S” with the same design as the iPhone 5, a stronger processor, and an improved camera system.

But what about a “cool factor?” Apple’s previous “S-iPhone” upgrades” both included unique features to set it apart from either previous iPhones or other devices on the market. The iPhone 3GS included new Video Camera and Voice Control hardware and software to differentiate itself from its predecessor, while the iPhone 4S introduced Siri.

At a time where the marketshare of Apple’s competitors like Samsung and Google is consistently growing, the answer to what the next iPhone’s “surprise” feature will be is not so clear. There has been some chatter regarding a fingerprint sensor system, but nothing absolutely concrete.

Perhaps more likely than a new hardware-based feature is something related to camera software.

Over the past few years, Apple has attempted to innovate in the mobile camera department. The iPhone 3GS brought advanced video recording and face detection, the iPhone 4 brought 720P video recording, the iPhone 4S introduced an advanced optics system and 1080P recording, and the iPhone 5 introduced a glitzy, simple-to-use Panorama tool. With no sign of a new camera feature (other than filter effects) in the already-announced iOS 7, what camera improvements can we expect in the new iPhone?

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We have already rounded up what’s new in iOS 7 beta 3 with a full change log and screenshots, and now we have created a full video hands-on to demonstrate the interface changes. As iOS 7 gets closer to shipping this fall, Apple continues to tighten up the user interface with subtle tweaks.

Video below:

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Two weeks following the release of iOS 7 beta 2 to developers, Apple has seeded a third beta to developers for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The update is available via the Software Update function in the iOS 7 Settings application. It will be available soon to download from the iOS Developer Portal.

iOS 7 beta 2 brought several enhancements including new Voice Memos and Nike+ apps, improving messaging functionality, more realistic Siri Voice, tweaks to the FaceTime, Reminders, Music apps, new accessibility features, and various user-interface tweaks across the system. We previously detailed past changes to major iOS versions during the developer beta phase.

This third beta likely includes performance and bug fixes. We will update this post with a running list of changes discovered by users. If you spot anything new, you can reach us at tips@9to5mac.com. 

Find our running list of the iOS 7 beta 3 changes below:

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In what must rank as one of the more frivolous of the many lawsuits brought against Apple, a Florida lawyer has filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple for charging him an extra dollar for an HD movie which he rented from  the iTunes Store in 2010 using a non-HD device (presumably an iPhone 3 or 3GS), reports TUAW.

A Florida lawyer has filed a class action lawsuit against the company after he rented the more expensive HD copy of Adam Sandler’s Big Daddy from the iTunes store in 2010, only to find the standard-definition version delivered to his non-HD device … 
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Click for higher quality images

We’ve been looking at plastic renderings of the highly anticipated plastic “budget” iPhone for almost 6 months now. Analysts, leakers, and reports from all over have pinpointed a plastic shell in a variety of colors. We even commissioned a ten-color rendering way back in April (above). Now Techdy shows us what it would look like if one of those shells was put on a screen and given a high quality video/image treatment.

As can be seen from the images above, all the rumors about the low-cost plastic iPhone seem to be true. The budget iPhone will be made substantially from plastic (we can feel it’s actually polycarbonate material). It will have a 4” screen, like the iPhone 5, and interestingly, the budget iPhone actually has a shape that’s similar to Apple’s original iPod. When we hold the budget iPhone in our hands, the plastic chassis does not feel cheap at all. Unlike the plastic build quality of the Samsung Galaxy phones, the plastic material used on the budget iPhone feels more sturdy.

And guess what, we were able to fit the display assembly into the new budget iPhone’s rear shell. The display assembly just seemed to fit perfectly inside of the rear shell.

Another video courtesy of @MTPFlyers:

And a third video from @DetroitBORG:

Thanks Cyril! More high quality images below:

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iOS 7 Dictation Interface

Apple is testing a local, offline version of Dictation voice input for iOS devices, according to strings of code found inside of the iOS 7 beta. The code, which was discovered by Hamza Sood, is located inside of both iOS 7 betas, but it is not present in iOS 6. Currently, when an iOS user uses their voice to input text using Dictation, the iOS device will use software that uploads your speech to the cloud to be converted into text. Because this relies on an internet connection and a cloud backend, this could sometimes mean errors and long-loading times, as well as some unwanted data usage…

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Jack Dorsey’s Square payments company has teamed up with Apple to sell the new Square Stand point-of-sale system through Apple’s large chain of retail stores, according to multiple sources. The Square Stand is an iPad accessory that works with the Square Register app to turn in the iPad into a tool that can run a business. The Square Stand’s main feature is its ability to connect to several devices like cash registers, barcode scanners, and printers. Additionally, the device includes a built-in credit card reader…

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We’ve seen a few patents from Apple that cover flexible components that would be suitable for its much-rumored watch product in the past. Some of which include a couple for flexible displays and another that details a device that changes functionality as it bends. Today we get a look at another patent application from Apple, this time covering battery designs that could very well end up in a flexible or bendable product such as a wristwatch (via PatentlyApple):
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Image via Getty Images

Apple CEO Tim Cook and his leadership team are moving to implement sweeping changes to the way iPhones are sold and marketed in order to deflect competition from smartphones running Google’s Android operating system. Hints of the new iPhones sales push were described at a secretive summit at San Francisco’s Fort Mason for Apple Retail Store Leaders from across the globe, according to multiple people familiar with the internal event…

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According to a report from the BostonHerald, Boston University is the latest to sue Apple for patent infringement claiming several Apple products use technology covered by its 1997 patent for highly insulating monocrystalline gallium nitride thin films. The university filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts yesterday listing Apple’s iPhone 5, iPad, and MacBook Air as infringing devices.

“Defendant’s acts of infringement have caused and will continue to cause substantial and irreparable damage to the University,” BU alleges in its complaint.

The highly technical patent, which can be viewed on the USPTO’s website, was originally awarded in 1997 and lists computer engineering professor Theodore D. Moustakas as its inventor. BostonHerald notes that the university has also used the patent in cases against Samsung and Amazon, and “plans to illustrate that at least one other company pays a licensing fee to use the component in question” during its case with Apple:
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French site Nowhereelse has posted what it claims are more leaked photos from China of casings for the long-rumored plastic iPhone.

We’re not entirely convinced these are the real deal and not just clones made based off of plastic iPhone rumors stretching back months. While the colors are  broadly consistent with those of the iPod touch/nano, and we’d expect to see differences between metal and plastic, those colors look rather garish even allowing for the poor lighting. Comparison after the break … 
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Yesterday we noted that Best Buy retail sources indicated the popular ‘Pebble’ Bluetooth smart watch would be landing on at least some of the retailer’s store shelves this weekend. Today Pebble and Best Buy have finally made things official by announcing the partnership that will bring the most successful Kickstarter-backed device of all time to both Best Buy online and across all its U.S. brick and mortar locations.

It’s definitely big news for the company ahead of Apple’s rumored smart watch, as well as Sony and others getting deeper into the space. The exclusive retail partnership with Best Buy also marks Pebble’s first retail launch of the device following raising over $10.2 million from around 68,000 backers on Kickstarter.

“It’s been so rewarding to see and share the great things our early backers and development partners have done with Pebble already,” says CEO Eric Migicovsky. “Their work and our evolving app ecosystem has kept demand very high. Best Buy’s partnership with us is a big step towards meeting that demand.”

As we first reported yesterday, Pebble confirmed today that the device will be landing in all U.S. Best Buy locations starting Sunday, July 7, and Jet black and Cherry red editions of the smart watch are already available through Best Buy’s website. The Jet black models will be shipping starting today through the retailer’s online store, while the Cherry red models will arrive sometime later in August.

The packaging for Pebble also appears to have received an upgrade for Best Buy’s store shelves since we first saw it back in January right before the device started shipping to Kickstarter backers:

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<a href="http://9to5mac.com/2013/03/12/more-interesting-iwatch-concepts-imagine-ios-on-the-smaller-screen-curved-displays/">iWatch Concept Art</a>

In addition to filing a trademark for the name “iWatch” in Russia and Japan, Apple has requested a trademark for “iWatch” with Mexico’s Institute of Industrial Property. The Mexico-based filing was made public in recent days, but the request was originally filed on June 3rd. Apple filed the iWatch trademark under two categories relating to the hardware and software of mobile devices, according to the submitted documents. Apple’s submitted “iWatch” graphic in the filing:

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