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.
No, it has not. But these manufacturer pages show what a beat up, falling apart next-gen iPhone with slightly off-white components would look like in a cheap case.
BestBuy.com has the iPhone 4 in White or Black for $49.99 with a two-year service plan on AT&T, Verizon or Sprint. We have seen many price drops of the iPhone 4 throughout the last few months, but most were specials or small drops. This one appears to be more permanent and may last through to the new iPhone launch.
What does this say for when the new iPhone is released? Will the iPhone 4 be free on contract or will it continue to be $49.99? If I had to guess, I would say it goes free in October with a two-year plan…if you can wait that long.
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).
With Apple and Samsung’s jury trial slated to kick off in a federal district court in San Jose, Calif., this Monday, AllThingsD points us to trial briefs where Samsung’s lawyers argued Apple’s inspiration for the original iPhone CAD drawings and designs were inspired by a Sony product:
Right after this article was circulated internally, Apple industrial designer Shin Nishibori was directed to prepare a “Sony-like” design for an Apple phone and then had CAD drawings and a three-dimensional model prepared. Confirming the origin of the design, these internal Apple CAD drawings prepared at Mr. Nishibori‘s direction even had the “Sony” name prominently emblazoned on the phone design, as the below images from Apple‘s internal documents show..
Soon afterward, on March 8, 2006, Apple designer Richard Howarth reported that, in contrast to another internal design that was then under consideration, Mr. Nishibori‘s “Sony-style” design enabled “a much smaller-looking product with a much nicer shape to have next to your ear and in your pocket” and had greater “size and shape/comfort benefits.” As Mr. Nishibori has confirmed in deposition testimony, this “Sony-style” design he prepared changed the course of the project that yielded the final iPhone design.
The article referenced above is from a 2006 interview with Sony designers that appeared in Businessweek.
We were pointed to this neat new Kickstarter project called the FLASHr case for the iPhone 4 and 4S. The concept is simple, and the designers of the case pulled it off very well. Starting in iOS 5, there is a setting on iPhones with a rear-facing LED flash (the iPhone 4 and 4S) to light up the flash when notifications, calls, etc. come in. When your iPhone is resting on your desk, a table, or some other object, that LED light becomes useless due to the iPhone’s flat design. The designers of the FLASHr, though, created an elegant solution. A case that takes the LED notification light and allows it to glow brightly via a slew of well-designed and colorful cases. Check it out on Kickstarter.
Codename One is an SDK launched by former Sun employees that allow developers to create a single native mobile app for multiple platforms (iOS/Android/Windows Phone, etc.) using Java and an optional GUI builder:
In other Apple Java news, a recent Apple job listing is looking for a Senior Java Engineer to join the Siri Server Platform team. Candidates should have experience in Java API design and will “lead and extend the core software infrastructure, algorithms, and APIs that let Siri move, understand, plan, learn, speak, and remember.” Like most huge Server Side Applications, Siri’s backend appears to be Java-based.
Broadcom just announced its next round of portable device wireless chip, the BCM4335, which includes the ability to connect to the superfast 802.11ac networks. Apple exclusively uses Broadcom chips in this family for its iOS devices (and a different family for its Macs). The current iPad and iPhone use the Broadcom BCM4330 802.11a/b/g/n baseband/radio with integrated Bluetooth 4.0+HS and an FM transceiver—and the xxx5 is just a minor step up.
We found some code that indicates the next iPhone will use the Broadcom BCM4334, which adds the 40nm process and Wi-Fi Direct capabilities (perhaps opening some Airdrop capabilities too).
The 40nm chip will continue to deliver Bluetooth 4.0 and FM, but its 802.11ac networking could save some power using the new standard. It also features the “industry’s most advanced idle power consumption performance, which significantly extends a mobile device’s battery life.”
Sample chips are already available with a full production expected to be delivered in Q1 2013, just in time for next year’s iPads.
Two security threats related to both of Apple’s respective operating systems have been unearthed today. Neither are worth immediately panicking over, however.
Malware in third-party App Store app:
CNET has highlighted that the iTunes App Store third-party app Instaquotes Quotes Cards for Instagram includes malware. The specific form is known as Worm.VB-900, and when CNET installed the worm onto a PC, it was immediately determined as malware and removed from the PC. The application’s file system includes two executables with the malware:
We recommend staying clear from this App Store app, and hopefully Apple removes it from the App Store as soon as possible.
Update: The creators of the Instaquotes app have provided us with the following statement. The app has also been removed from the App Store:
Dear 9to5mac ,
we want To let All our Users That we are working To Solve This Problem As Soon As Possible , with a New update .
We want also to Clear That we have Developed This Application by a Freelancer Developer , So we are investigating This issue with The Developer To Solve This Problem As Soon As Possbile .
Also reportedly on tap is the A5 processor from the iPhone 4S and a rear-shell that matches the iPad. The iPad sports a buffed aluminum shell, rather than shiny stainless steel like on the current iPod touch. A hole toward the bottom back of the device is also said to be present, but the report is unsure of the hole’s function. Perhaps it is a speaker, but that’s just speculation.
MacRumors reports on new research notes from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The reports are broken down into discussions about the next-generation iPod touch and iPod nano, iPad mini and iPad, and 13-inch MacBook Pro and iMac. Kuo is typically not the first to come out with information related to Apple products, but he does seem to typically have a handle on accurate information out of Apple’s supply chain.
We had a few hints in the past about Microsoft possibly preparing an iOS version of its Microsoft Office suite of apps. In May, The Daily posted an image of a supposed early build of the software—demoed by a Microsoft employee—rumored to launch in November.
Another hint that Microsoft could have iOS apps in the works comes from a set of job listings posted earlier this month. It looked for a software engineer on the Outlook Test team to work on “Microsoft’s next move on the Mac and on iOS.” Another was on the Powerpoint Test team.
This is not solid proof that Office is coming soon, since Microsoft does have several other iOS apps, such as SkyDrive, OneNote, etc. that could benefit from office integration, but the job listing specifically looks for someone to test Outlook/Powepoint on Mac and iOS.
Reutersadds its voice to the continuous next-generation iPhone rumor-mill, saying that the next-generation Apple smartphone will feature a smaller dock connector. The report goes on to say that the new connector will feature 19 pins, an 11-pin drop from the current 30-pin design. We note this report as Reuters is the first mainstream publication to call for a smaller connector:
Cash comes in before it goes out in part because Apple has incredible negotiating leverage vis-à-vis its suppliers. On average, in fiscal 2011 it didn’t pay suppliers for 83 days after being invoiced, according to Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi. Yet Apple collected on its customer invoices much faster, 18 days on average. Meanwhile, it paid to keep just four days of inventory on hand in 2011, versus an already impressive 10 days in 2010.
While the scenario above oversimplifies (it takes many months to set up device assembly lines including testing and fault tolerance for instance), capital investments in manufacturing are heading toward null game for Apple.
Apple has responded to the recent App Store in-app-purchase bug and fraud with an email and temporary solution for registered iOS developers. This email includes a link to a new Apple developer web document that describes the issue and teaches developers how to temporarily plug the issue. Apple says that it will fix the bug completely with the upcoming release of iOS 6 (thanks, @natesiphone).
A vulnerability has been discovered in iOS 5.1 and earlier related to validating in-app purchase receipts by connecting to the App Store server directly from an iOS device. An attacker can alter the DNS table to redirect these requests to a server controlled by the attacker. Using a certificate authority controlled by the attacker and installed on the device by the user, the attacker can issue a SSL certificate that fraudulently identifies the attacker’s server as an App Store server. When this fraudulent server is asked to validate an invalid receipt, it responds as if the receipt were valid.
iOS 6 will address this vulnerability. If your app follows the best practices described below then it is not affected by this attack.
Apple has provided a question, answer, and solution section for three common questions from developers during the past few days (since the major App Store flaw was discovered):
Sparrow has just announced that it has been acquired by Google. The company’s team will be integrated within the Google Gmail team.
We’re excited to announce that Sparrow has been acquired by Google!
We care a lot about how people communicate, and we did our best to provide you with the most intuitive and pleasurable mailing experience.
Now we’re joining the Gmail team to accomplish a bigger vision — one that we think we can better achieve with Google.
We’d like to extend a special thanks to all of our users who have supported us, advised us, given us priceless feedback and allowed us to build a better mail application. While we’ll be working on new things at Google, we will continue to make Sparrow available and provide support for our users.
We had an amazing ride and can’t thank you enough.
Full speed ahead!
Dom Leca
CEO
Sparrow
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lYitaF4lDo]Promo video for Sparrow for iPhone
Sparrow has long been noted as a great third-party email app for both the Mac and iOS, specifically on the iPhone. The application has a unique user interface that is intuitive and very well integrated into social networks.
Teaser for Sparrow for iPad
The company said that an iPad app is in the works, but it is unclear if this app will launch now that the team is integrated into Google. Notably, Sparrow says that its current apps will stay available. Sparrow will also still provide support for its users.
Sparrow has also long been noted as a great Gmail solution for iPhone users. Google’s official iOS Gmail application is definitely in need of new features – beyond just a web view – and we hope that Sparrow’s team has a part in creating a new Gmail experience for iOS users.
Screenshot of Sparrow for Mac
Sparrow has also just sent out a different, more personal note to its users. Notably: no new features or updates coming.
Hello,
We’re excited to let you know that Sparrow has been acquired by Google! You can view our public announcement here, but I wanted to reach out directly to make sure you were aware of the news.We will continue to make available our existing products, and we will provide support and critical updates to our users. However, as we’ll be busy with new projects at Google, we do not plan to release new features for the Sparrow apps.
It’s been an honor and a pleasure to build products for all of our wonderful users who have supported us over the years. We can’t thank you enough.
We look forward to working on some new and exciting projects at Google!
A Google spokesperson has reached out to provide the following statement:
The Sparrow team has always put their users first by focusing on building a seamlessly simple and intuitive interface for their email client. We look forward to bringing them aboard the Gmail team, where they’ll be working on new projects.
We’re also told that Google will support Sparrow in supporting its current Sparrow user-base and in providing essential app updates. The Sparrow team is also said to be focusing on new Google projects, likely related to Gmail. Google would not comment on specific future product plans.
The Verge says the purchase price was under $25 million.
One of the most widely publicized and important knocks against Sparrow’s iOS application is the lack of push notifications. As Sparrow CEO Dom Leca said, “now we’re joining the Gmail team to accomplish a bigger vision — one that we think we can better achieve with Google.” We think that bigger vision includes more resources; assets that will help Sparrow make email even better for everyone with features like push alerts.
The iPhone includes a great built-in weather application that is easy and intuitive. However, an even simpler, more intuitive weather application for iOS is making the rounds today. It’s not an App Store app, but a free web application for iOS Safari called Sun. When saved to your home screen, it appears just like a native iOS application, and it lacks the Safari menu bars. More screenshots and details:
Following the launch of iTunes Match in Poland and Hungary today, Apple also appears to be opening up its iTunes in the Cloud for movies in at least the United Kingdom, Canada, and Colombia, which previously only had access to music, music videos, apps, and books (and TV shows in Canada and the U.K.). There are also various other reports coming from Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland that claim the feature is going live.
Apple’s list of supported countries for the feature has not been updated to reflect the new countries. Let us know in the comments if you notice the feature rolling out in your country.
Australia, Argentine, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, the U.K., Venezuela, and Vietnam
Given that we reported that Apple had acquired C3 Technologies – a 3D mapping company – last year, we don’t think there has been any doubt that Apple is using C3’s data for iOS 6’s 3D Maps feature. However, we thought it would be interesting to show a comparison of how similar Apple’s implementation is to C3’s web implementation by way of Nokia. Notice the same iPad billboard and the alignment of the cars in the parking lot.
Meanwhile, AT&T rival Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), which still offers unlimited data to new and existing users on its network, said it has no plans to erect pricing barriers to FaceTime.
“We are committed to our unlimited data and that means not charging for data consumption based on the application,” a spokeswoman said.
The iPhone’s third wireless carrier in the United States, Verizon Wireless, did not immediately comment to the WSJ. Though, the carrier did provide GottaBeMobile with the following statement:
The timing of any pricing conversations related to future versions of iOS is premature.
Even with the lack of a detailed comment from the carrier, the barrier seen by iOS 6 users running on AT&T’s network is not present for Verizon Wireless users. This can obviously change between today and the launch of iOS 6 this fall.
Notably, Verizon Wireless’s Personal Hotspot feature is not an extra charge on Apple’s iPads, so perhaps this offer will transfer over to 3G/4G FaceTime video calling. Also notable is that AT&T is yet to announce plans for the Personal Hotspot feature on its versions of Apple’s latest iPad.
BusinessInsider highlights an upcoming story from Bloomberg stating that a UK Judge has ruled that Apple must publicly state that Samsung did not copy the iPad design for its tablets. The public statements by Apple must be carried out in two ways:
Apple must post a message up on its website
Apple must post this message in British newspapers
The report says that Apple must leave the notice up on its website for six months. Details about the notice in British newspapers are currently less clear. We will update when Bloomberg’s report with more details becomes available. (Image: DigitalTrends)
Update: Bloomberg has published its full report on the matter. According to the report, the ruling is noted as an “advertisment” from Apple for Samsung on its UK official website and in several UK-based news publications:
The notice should outline the July 9 London court decision that Samsung’s Galaxy tablets don’t infringe Apple’s registered designs, Judge Colin Birss said. It should be posted on Apple’s U.K. website for six months and published in several newspapers and magazines to correct the damaging impression the South Korea-based company was copying Apple’s product, Birss said.
Apple nor Samsung have yet to comment on the ruling.
Tablet design before and after the iPad (via OS X Daily):
Apple included a button in the Music and Videos applications in iOS 5 that took the user directly to the respective section of the iTunes Store app. Now, in iOS 6, Apple includes a new feature to the redesigned Music app that will make purchasing even faster and easier than before. The new button, which appears at the bottom of albums, is a Complete My Album toggle. Rather than pull the user out of the Music app and into the iTunes Store, the list expands to show the entire album and allows for purchasing the songs directly in the new Music app.
The Videos app is given the same treatment with a Complete My Season feature for buying TV episodes. Screenshots of these features are in the gallery below.
Back when we used to write phone numbers down, the Little Black Book kept our “contacts” and contact information in one handy place. Twelve South today brings us up to date with the attractively styled black version of the BookBook iPhone case.
You can grab the Classic Black BookBook for $60 from Twelve South or Amazon now.
Product Features
Handmade, genuine leather case protects iPhone with style
Includes wallet pockets for ID, cards and cash
Unique book design disguises iPhone for added security
Dimensions
Size (LWH): 7.1 inches, 1 inches, 4.1 inches
The older brown version can be seen in the video below:
