iOS devices refer to any of Apple’s hardware that runs the iOS mobile operating system which include iPhones, iPads, and iPods. Historically, Apple releases a new iOS version once a year, the current version is iOS 10. Here is the complete list of iOS 10 compatible devices.
Another month, another batch of numbers from ComScore that give us a glimpse into the United States smartphone market. The research firm is out with July 2012 numbers today, and the results show market share across the mobile platforms from April 2012 to July 2012, without many big surprises. During the period, Cupertino-based Apple led in total gains. It boasted a 2-point change in overall smartphone platform (OS) market share and a 1.9-point change in total U.S. smartphone and non-smartphone sales. However, South Korea-based Samsung continued its strong lead as the world’s top handset manufacturer. It boasted 25.6-percent of the total marketshare in July 2012, while Apple held 16.3-percent behind LG. Furthermore, Android continued to lead in OS marketshare with 52.2-percent. Apple fell behind in second place with 33.4-percent.
The amount of growth could be considered a little odd for Apple, especially considering the much-anticipated iPhone 5 nearing its release (remember these numbers are from July). Apple invited select members of the media today to a Sept. 12 event where the next iPhone out of Cupertino is expected to be unveiled. A Sept. 21 release date is also rumored and could kick off what analysts think may be record-setting sales for the September quarter. You would think the slow down of sales for the iPhone 4S would contribute to a slow down in growth, as indicated earlier today:
All these new lines will come in multiple colors, one of the lines will come in two size capacities, and the other two lines will come in a single storage capacity.
With the current iPod nanos and iPod shuffles both available in multiple colors (and with the nano currently available in two capacities and the shuffle in one), we think it is likely that new iPod nanos and iPod shuffles are launching next week.
However, it is possible that there is a third line as well (that, too, comes in multiple colors). With the iPod touch currently available in two colors and three capacities (black/white, 8GB, 32GB, 64GB), we don’t believe the iPod touch is the third line that comes in multiple colors.
Ahead of Apple’s apparent October event to show off its upcoming “iPad mini,” two reports are showing physical mockups of the device. These mockups appear to both be identical to the iPad mini design information and previously leaked iPad design schematics that we reported on. The smaller iPad physical shown above comes by way of Apple.Pro, and it is sourced from online commerce website Taobao. The physical mockups show the skinnier side bezels – that we previously reported on – in addition to a very-thin design, a smaller dock connector and more. Additionally, this particular mockup features cutouts for a SIM-card slot and an an antenna cutout at the top of the device.
Earlier today, Giga.de posted its own series of photos of a physical iPad mini mockup. Unlike the first mockup above, this physical mockup is constructed of pure metal. However, these photos give an idea of size compared to an iPhone.
With the September 12th Apple event approaching, anticipation for a redesigned iPhone is heating up. Besides the legitimate information leaking over the course of the past months, there has been fake information, mockups and hoaxes about the device floating around. Over the past few days, the increasing anticipation and speculation for the new iPhone has led to a new level of mockups and hoaxes.
As part the International keynote presentations at IFA this year, AMD exec and president of the HSA foundation, Phil Rogers, took the stage to give an update on the current state of the not-for-profit alliance. For those of you unfamiliar with the foundation, HSA (Heterogeneous System Architecture), is described as “a heterogeneous compute ecosystem, rooted in industry standards, for combining scalar processing on the CPU with parallel processing on the GPU while enabling high bandwidth access to memory and high application performance at low power consumption.”
While the addition of Samsung, among other partners Texas Instruments, ARM, AMD, and Imagination Technologies, was the big news of the day for most, a short demo by partner Apical was what really caught our attention.
Apical’s “Assertive Display” technology is already present in a few devices, such as Sharp’s AQUOS PHONE SH-01D, but during its demo for the HSA keynote, Apical showed off the tech working on an iPad…
Vietnamese website Tinhte, which has a solid record of procuring pre-release Apple products, has headphones that it claimed the new iPhone will come with next month. The current iOS device headphones have remained largely unchanged since the launch of the original iPhone in 2007, and many complain they fit poorly or fall out often (guilty!). Apple also makes in-ear headphones that many consider over-priced and under-performing (also guilty!).
These headphones appear to be a hybrid of the two current versions that Apple offers. It is not certain if they will be offered with the product or as a new add-on accessory.
Some stills from the website are below, including the comparison to current iPhone headsets, and the telltale “Designed in California, Made in Viet Nam” written along the cable:
If the accessory in the video above turns out to be legit, it would certainly indicate Apple is making some improvements to its headset…or at least trying.
We had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with Sharp today at its IGZO display booth. While they would not say which Apple products would incorporate their new displays, they did seem to insinuate these were the best displays on the market, and Apple is the type of company that uses the best displays.
Just one week after Samsung’s patent trial loss against Apple in the United States, a Tokyo-based court ruled in favor of Samsung in regards a media syncing patent. According to Bloomberg, the Tokyo court ruled that Samsung does not infringe an Apple patent “related to synchronizing music and video data in devices to servers.” (Image: AllThingsD)
The App Store on iOS 6 beta, which is software currently only available to those a part of Apple’s Developer Program, scored a nice little update this evening. Most notably: the layout when searching for an app was given a considerable redesign. It now displays apps in swipeable cards on both the iPhone and iPad. In the nifty cards, users are presented with a screenshot of the app, along with the five-star rating system, and a handy button to install the app on your device.
Also adding to the iOS 6 App Store updates, Apple enabled the Genius recommendation section this evening to provide users with apps that may be in their interest to download. Furthermore, the purchased section also joined the party. It displays all the apps users have downloaded to their accounts, making it easy to retrieve favorite apps. Last but certainly not least, the iTunes Store was updated with the ability to once again search for podcasts. When a podcast link is opened, it requires Apple’s Podcast app to listen. All three features were available in the previous version of the App Store on iOS 5, so there is really nothing new here—except that Apple has finally chosen to give them the light of day within iOS 6.
The revamped iOS App Store and iTunes Store were both introduced at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference in June as a part of iOS 6. Apple is expected to unleash iOS 6 to the masses this fall, with more details expected to be announced at the company’s rumored Sept. 12 media event. We previously reported that Apple is working on a revamped desktop version of iTunes, but there is no word if it will be highlighted at the upcoming event. At any rate, this evening’s changes seem to show that Apple is getting closer and closer to a final product for its iOS 6 stores. Find any thing we have not mentioned? Let us know below!
ZAGG, perhaps best known for its invisibleShield screen protector, is adding two new additions to its also popular lineup of keyboards and cases tonight with the unveiling of two super-thin Bluetooth keyboards designed specifically for iPad. The keyboards, ZAGGKeys PRO for $99 and PRO Plus for $129, feature the usual iOS specific functions such as media playback and volume controls, copy and paste keys, as well as keys for the Home button, search, etc.
Think the backlighting might drain the battery? HA! If you use the keyboard for eight hours a day, you will get up to three weeks of normal use…and remember that is the backlit model! The keyboard will come in English, French, and German models at launch.
We got our hands on the new keyboards tonight at the ShowStoppers IFA press event and were quiet impressed with the overall build quality. They do not feel cheap (the opposite), which is not too surprising given ZAGG’s reputation of building military grade screen protectors and other quality protective accessories.
The two models are identical to one another, including a magnetic closure that allows it to act as a screen protector when not in use. However, an extra $20 will upgrade you to the Pro Plus model with a backlit keyboard, which is a feature that has noticeably been missing from the go-to iPad keyboards currently on the market.
LifeProof already made a splash with its water, dirt, snow, and shockproof cases for iPhone 4 and 4S ($54). Today, at the ShowStoppers IFA event in Berlin, we were able to get our hands on LifeProof’s latest creation: an iPad version of the popular Nüüd case. If you are unfamiliar, the Nüüd cases feature no screen protection (although there is now an optional display cover that doubles as a stand), but it instead protects your iPad from the elements by creating a seal around the perimeter of the display. The case is currently available for iPad 2 and 3 through the LifeProof website and bundled with the screen protector/stand for €127.53 ($160 USD).Go past the break for another video demo of the Nüüd case ‘skinny dipping’ (being submerged in water).
Several rumors and leaks have pointed to the next-generation iPhone as having an updated, smaller dock connector. With the updated connector, this will force many accessory manufacturers to make changes to their lineup. iLoungejust shared a first look at some accessories for the new dock connector. One of the accessories leaked is from company Scosche. You can see a dual-device wall charger above, from a company called the “syncABLE Pro”, featuring a cable that converts a standard microUSB cord to a compatible cord with the smaller dock connector.
The Telegraph reported Apple would unveil an update to its AirPlay platform at its rumored Sept. 12 media event alongside the next-generation iPhone. Currently being referred to as “AirPlay Direct” internally, the updated platform will allow users to stream media from an iOS device to speakers without the need for Wi-Fi. According to the report, AirPlay Direct is a working title and could be subject to change. The feature, perhaps called “AirPlay 2.0”, would virtually allow AirPlay to setup its own network via Bluetooth 4 between devices to play music—which could be very useful.
A report surfaced this morning about T-Mobile sending a memo to its sales staff that encourages them to sell against Apple’s iPhone beginning Sept. 21. Unsurprisingly, the memo confirmed T-Mobile would not be a carrier for the next-generation iPhone due out next month. Adding a bit to this morning’s story, TmoNews followed up with a new flyer that T-Mobile aims to show customers. The flyer boasts just how much iPhone users will save if they ditch AT&T and bring their unlocked iPhone to T-Mobile. Magenta is promising customers can save up to $1,500 over two years if they switch. T-Mobile’s single line offering actually sounds fabulous, as it offers customers truly unlimited data, text and minutes for only $75. That seems like a plan you can’t beat…unless you want 3G speeds. T-Mobile made a recent push to iPhone-compatible 1900MHz 3G network (and 4G at WWDC), but we are not sure how well it is doing on that front. Until then, EDGE 2.5G is as fast as you will get.
T-Mobile has not been able to sign up as an official iPhone carrier, so it has always made strides to welcome unlocked iPhone users. We previously reported there are roughly 1 million iPhone users on T-Mobile’s network. T-Mobile offers a MicroSIM kit to make the switch on your iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S a little easier. An updated version of the kit will hit stores beginning Aug. 29.
iOS developers: If you were unable to fly to Melbourne, Australia in May for the One More Thing Conference, you can now download presentations given by the impressive array of developers.
http://onemorething.com.au/videos/ — Videos for all the talks from both days in 720p HD, no DRM, and streaming and download for just $49.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XJPE0-z8fA&feature=youtu.be] Expand Expanding Close
In what should not be a surprise to anyone, it looks like T-Mobile won’t carry Apple’s next-generation iPhone. In a memo to employees, leaked by TmoNews, T-Mobile is encouraging its retail staff to begin “selling against the iPhone” on Sept. 21. Of course, Sept. 21 is the rumored launch date for the latest handset out of Cupertino. T-Mobile is probably just making an assumption, rather than having inside knowledge, but you never know.
T-Mobile has been battling for the iPhone for years and does not have much to show for it. Last holiday quarter alone, the nation’s fourth-largest carrier lost 802,000 contract customers (many of whom moved to pre-paid plans).
T-Mobile hosts over a million iPhone customers on its network. Thanks to T-Mobile’s recent push to 1900MHz 3G network (and 4G at WWDC), customers are able to enjoy magenta’s network. Luckily, for those who want to take the unlocked route, another leaked memo today shows that T-Mobile will sell an updated MicroSIM kit that allows customers to use their iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S on the network. The new “Monthly4G microSIM kits” will begin arriving in stores Aug. 29 and will allow for T-Mobile’s awesome new unlimited data plan to be used. [TmoNews]
Ahead of Apple’s September and October media events that focus on Apple’s post-PC devices, a string of new rumors regarding a new iPod touch, iPod nano, and smaller iPad have surfaced.
Next-generation iPod touch case may point to new design:
The first rumor comes from GizChina, who has photos of a case purportedly for the next-generation of Apple’s iPod touch (shown above). The site believes that this new case shows less prominent tapers than found on the current, fourth-generation iPod touch. However, it’s difficult to actually see that based on this plastic case.
Additionally, the site claims that the iPod touch will have an LED flash based on this case. However, current iPod touches feature a video camera microphone next to the camera on the top left of the device. The same elongated hole on this iPod touch case (above) is found on fourth generation iPod touch cases. We believe that this case may point to the camera microphone, rather than an LED flash.
Also present on this case is a circular cutout on the bottom left corner of the device. The cutout’s purpose is currently unclear based on physical evidence, but it may be a speaker. If, in fact, the new iPod touch has a thinner design, it would likely be more difficult for Apple to retain the speaker on the bottom of the device, making it necessary to be moved to the bottom back (like on the move from the original iPad to the 2nd and 3rd generation, thinner designs).
iPod nano may gain WiFi for iTunes music downloads:
The consensus for the past month is that Apple will simultaneously announce the next-generation iPhone with the rumored iPad Mini at a media event in September. Rene Ritchie at iMore, who was first to “reveal” the event dates, said:
The iPad mini will be announced at the same September 12 event, as will the new iPod nano. We haven’t heard a release date for the iPad mini yet, but it could be the same as the iPhone 5.
Reports further noted the iPhone would ship Sept. 21, with the iPad Mini shipping later in the fall. This evening, however, some new speculation is afoot:
Google unveiled a new feature within its iOS search app in August that reminds us a lot of Siri. Taking features from its Siri competitor Google Now, Google announced the search app would now allow folks to use natural voice commands to make searches. For example, a user can “ask for the weather in a natural way and it will provide results,” Google explained. Google noted during its announcement that the updated app would be available in a few days. But, two weeks later…nothing.
After the announcement, Google told reporters the app was submitted a week before the event. So, Google’s updated app has been going through Apple’s App Store approval for three weeks. We have to wonder: What is the hold up?
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.
For those of you who enjoy a little Chrome in your iOS experience, Google updated Chrome today with some nice social-sharing features. Posting to Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus are all included with the ability to push pages to the email application. The additions start to bring Chrome up to par with Apple’s Mobile Safari, which still benefits from speed due to an optimized Nitro engine that sandboxed apps do not have access to.
It would not be a Chrome update without a few “stability and security improvements” and “bug fixes addressing user feedback” either.
USB cable specialist Veister claims to have its hands on a sync cable for the next generation iOS devices with smaller dock connectors. The company tweeted the above image (via iLounge) to a number of publications and case makers today. Apple is including a smaller dock port on the new iPhone, but is also rumored to include it on a tweaked third-generation iPad, iPad mini, and on new iPods. According to iOS 6 beta code, the new connector will feature nine pins.
TechCrunchtalked to a Verizon rep who will not be taking any days off in late September. Not really surprising since everyone except Apple (directly anyhow) has called for the release date of the new iPhone on Sept. 21.
Any T-Mobile reps out there with any unexplained vacation blackout windows? Now THAT would be interesting.
