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.
The Wall Street Journal has just issued an alert saying that Apple’s next-generation iPhone will sport a new screen technology. According to the publication, this new technology will make this new iPhone’s display even thinner. This will likely yield a thinner device overall, something corroborated by the numerous part leaks thus far.
Breaking: Apple’s next iPhone will use a new technology that makes the smartphone’s screen thinner. wsj.com
The Journal‘s full story claims that Sharp, LG, and a new company called Japan Display are developing the new screen technology for the next-generation iPhone. The new, “in-cell” technology does not seperate the touch sensors from the LCD itself, making the screen thinner:
The technology integrates touch sensors into the LCD, making it unnecessary to have a separate touch-screen layer. The absence of the layer, usually about half a millimeter thick, not only makes the whole screen thinner, but the quality of displayed images would improve, said DisplaySearch analyst Hiroshi Hayase.
The report notes that dropping the additional touch sensor layer will make gearing up the supply chain for production of the new device an apparently easier task.
For Apple, the new technology would also simplify the supply chain and help cut costs as it would no longer have to buy touch panels and LCD panels from separate suppliers.
David Hsieh, also an analyst from DisplaySearch, first reported on Apple’s move to in-cell touch screen technology for the 2012 iPhone in April.
Notably, the report also says that Wintek, the supplier of the Retina Display LCD found in the iPhone 4S, is currently left out of the next-generation iPhone part supply deals.
The next iPhone will likely launch in the fall, and past reports point to the new device carrying a taller, four-inch display, a redesigned, smaller dock connector, LTE network-support, and possibly support for a smaller SIM card standard.
Like it does with the iOS Personal Hotspot feature, U.S. carrier AT&T appears set to control and charge for the iOS 6 FaceTime over Cellular feature. This iOS 6 enhancement brings the formally WiFi only iOS device video calling feature into a more useful state, letting people use the feature practically anywhere they may be. AT&T provided us with the following statement:
We’re working closely with Apple on the new developer build of iOS6 and we’ll share more information with our customers as it becomes available.
We attempted to bring up the same same error message when enabling the FaceTime over Cellular feature on a Verizon iPad WiFi + Cellular, but the feature enabled without an issue. AT&T charges for a separate plan to use Personal Hotspot on its network, and the carrier appears set to replicate that process with FaceTime over Cellular.
To replicate the process of receiving the above error message, you need to restore your network settings. It is also appearing for some people who have restored to iOS 6 beta 3.
With the large amount of data that a FaceTime call over Cellular uses, it doesn’t seem like a stretch for AT&T to want to charge for the feature. At this time, other iOS device carrier-partner plans are unclear, but AT&T is the first carrier that demonstrates evidence (in iOS 6 beta 3) for a plan to charge for the feature.
Apple marks the updated webmail application with a beta banner. Also, you have new alias options, below.
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It appears that users with access to the beta iCloud website can send email from the new @icloud.com email domain, but recipients are yet to be able to reply to these @icloud.com emails.
Earlier this month, Apple rolled out the iCloud.com beta website with improved Find my iPhone features, a Notes app, a Reminders app, and a tweaked Calendar web app.
Here’s what’s new so far in iOS 6 beta 3. Let us know if you find anything else:
-There is a new Maps section in Settings for controlling unit labels (miles or kilometers), label sizes, and label language. Users are also able to now control the volume of turn-by-turn navigation.
Three weeks after it released iOS 6 beta 2, Apple has unleashed a third-beta of the next-generation version of iOS to developers. The new beta is currently available as an over-the-air update to those running iOS 6 beta 2, and the new version should be hitting Apple’s iOS Developer Center shortly.
It is unclear what changes this new beta holds, but they likely revolve around bug fixes and performance enhancements. We’ll be going through this new beta and will update with anything new that we find. If you find anything new, you can tip us at tips@9to5mac.com.
iOS 6 is launching to the public this fall, and it is a major release with over 200 new features. Some new features include an all-new Maps application with an Apple backend and 3D Flyover, Facebook integration, improved Siri, enhanced Phone features, improved Safari, improved Mail, and iCloud enhancements such as Shared Photo Streams.
Download sizes: 323MB/347MB delta on iPhone 4S, 424MB delta on third-generation iPad.
We have seen a lot of third-gen iPad deals recently in 9to5Toys offering the entry-level 16GB model, for instance, in the neighborhood of $460 to $470, approximately $30 to $40 off the normal retail price. Those deals usually go quick, but one big retailer plans to offer a similar deal this coming week. Starting July 15, Target will offer a free $25 gift card with the purchase of any iPad 2 or new iPad. The deal will last all week until July 21, and, as always, Target REDCard users can get an additional 5 percent knocked off their purchase, giving the iPad 2 an effective price of $355. New iPads will start at $450 with the discounts. Find a location with stock here.
Target will advertise the deal in its flyer this weekend, we are told, which features a number of Apple products on its cover (pictured above). Other deals include the 16GB iPhone 4S discounted slightly to $179, a free $20 gift card for the 8GB iPod touch priced at $195, and a free $10 gift card for the 8GB iPod nano at $129.
Update: With insight and feedback from the comments on this post, Swipe Cases has pivoted its design to a less expensive model that focuses just on the swipe screen cleaning feature. Be sure to check out Swipe Case’s updated campaign.
Our attention was brought to a new Kickstarter posting for a new iPhone case called the Swipe. This case is one of the more interesting propositions floated on the site, and we see some very real-world uses out of the case. The Swipe Case features a built-in screen cleaning system. The Swipe Case is a case at heart, but when you push the top of the case down, it cleans your iPhone’s display. According to the company’s video, it works very well.
The Swipe cleaning system is patent pending, and, while it works well, it’s hidden from the user when not in use. Swipe touts the feature as making the iPhone much easier to use, as touch inputs into the iPhone display are more accurate and smooth when the display is clean. Touch screens are naturally prone to smudges and input marks from fingers, so the Swipe case offers an easy and integrated solution for that unsolvable problem (until this case launches).
Another neat trick with the Swipe Case is that it also functions as a tripod 1/4-20 mount. That feature allows users to dock the Swipe Case (and the iPhone it is protecting) into a tripod, bicycle, or other supported things with mounts. Swipe also touts that its case provides iPhones with great radio performance, while the materials appear top-notch. Swipe says its case works on the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and that the company is already planning a version for the yet-to-be-announced next-generation iPhone.
Nashville, TN – July 10, 2012 – Griffin Technology, one of the world’s foremost creators of innovations for everyday life, is excited to announce the availability of MIDIConnect, a MIDI in and out interface for iPod touch, iPhone and iPad.
“MIDIConnect offers musicians a compact and portable solution to create and edit music on the go, at a fraction of the cost of a recording studio,” said Ethan Opelt, Line Manager of Griffin’s Audio category. “We are excited to be showcasing MIDIConnect as well as Griffin’s lineup of music products at Summer NAMM, taking place in Nashville, our home town.”
MIDIConnect adds a MIDI input and output to iOS devices. Intuitive to use, MIDIConnect allows you to plug MIDI keyboards and other MIDI-capable devices into an iPad, iPod touch or iPhone. Play your MIDI instrument straight into GarageBand or other MIDI-capable apps, or download MIDI Controller apps to use the MIDI out port and your touchscreen in performance, as a MIDI controller. Both MIDI in and out ports are industry-standard 5-pin DIN connectors, compatible with most commonly available MIDI cables and connectors.
Not many unknown details are shown in these images, but the design is said to be thinner than that of the current-generation 9.7-inch iPad. Also, the rumored smaller dock connector is shown between dual speaker grills. More after the break:
GottaBeMobile claims to show photos of what it is calling “iPhone 5 engineering samples.” These photos appear to be of a physical construction of the rumored next-generation iPhone design. The report calls the metal mockup (which in the end may simply be a case maker’s mold, we speculate) slightly taller than the iPhone 4/4S, yet thinner and a design with the same width…
The last time we updated you on the Federal Trade Commission’s investigation into Google’s method of bypassing the default Safari browser settings on iOS devices, reports claimed the company was facing possible fines that could reach tens of millions. Today, The Wall Street Journal said Google is close to reaching a $22.5 million settlement with the FTC, according to people close to the negotiations:
The fine is expected to be the largest penalty ever levied on a single company by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. It offers the latest sign of the FTC’s stepped-up approach to policing online privacy violations, coming just six months after The Wall Street Journal reported on Google’s practices.
While the fine likely will represent only a tiny portion of Google’s revenues—last year, the Internet giant raked in that much cash roughly every five hours or so—it counts among a series of negative reports about Google’s privacy practices that could undermine users’ trust in its services.
iOS 6’s redesigned App Store has leaked a major forthcoming update to Twitter’s official iPhone application in its update history section. Twitter, in recent months, has come under fire due to potential new changes to its mobile application API and the lack of power-user features in its official mobile device apps. It appears that this controversy may change in the coming days, as leaked release notes show some impressive new changes. Twitter for iPhone 4.3 is incoming and it brings several new features focusing on interactivity, enhanced notifications, searching, performance, and more. You can find all of the new features – summarized from Twitter’s release notes – after the break: Expand Expanding Close
Ever wondered how long a new version of iOS is in beta stage? Well, Will Hains did (via iPhoneClub). He used the available data from Wikipedia to create bar charts, revealing some interesting information.
The fastest release was iPhone OS 2.1 in 2008 (iPhone OS was later renamed to “iOS”), with a total of 50 days in beta spread over four developer versions. iOS 5.0, which released Oct. 12, 2011, spread over eight beta versions with a record-holding total of 128 days.
NetMarketShare is out with new numbers this morning that portray iOS’ continuing dominance over web marketshare. The firm found that in the month of June, iOS web marketshare rose almost 3 percent, pushing it past 65 percent, which is an almost 15 percent increase year-over-year. Compared to the competition, iOS is blowing 0thers out of the water. Android currently sits at 1 percent, with the dying BlackBerry just under 2 percent…ouch.
With Android leading in total OS marketshare, it is definitely interesting that Apple continues to kill with its Safari sword. Android currently sits at over 50 percent of total OS marketshare, according to April numbers, with Apple at 30.2-percent. Android has a comfortable lead in total marketshare. So, why is Apple leading in web marketshare?
It is no secret that Apple’s Internet browser offering, Safari, is one of the best and easiest mobile browsers to use. I do not care what any Mozilla engineer has to say. It is fast and sleek, and it gets the simple, daily browsing done. That being said, I think iOS numbers are so high because iOS users can comfortably browse. Sure, that could all change with Google Chrome on both iOS and Android, but I seriously doubt it will make that big of an impact.
As for the almost 15 percent year-over-year increase, I would contribute that to huge sales of iOS devices—particularly the iPhone 4S. The iPhone 4S saw a great start in Apple’s fiscal Q1 by selling a record 37 million devices. Combine that with sales of the new iPad, we are talking about a sizable amount of customers using iOS for the first time and contributing to web marketshare numbers. Moreover, I think we will see a bigger jump as iOS 6 and the launch of the new iPhone come about this fall. Perhaps an even bigger jump will come about if Apple launches a 7-inch iPad, giving users a completely different type of mobile consumption.Check out the full graph below:
With 1080P hitting the new iPad and Apple TV a few months ago, and the new Retina MacBook Pros now reaching people’s hands, some of you are perhaps now looking to send your Blu-ray collection over to Apple devices.
Here is the easy part: Buy a Toshiba Lightscribe Blu-ray Player for just$42 with free shipping (via 9to5Toys) in white or black. It also burns DVDs, and Lightscribe media will even do some art on the cover. Oh, and it is USB bus-powered, so it is nice and portable.
Toshiba advertises it as “Mac compatible,” but we all knew that the late and great Steve Jobs viewed Blu-ray as a “bag of hurt” from the “mafia.”
So, the hard part is getting Blu-rays to your Mac…
LunaTik, the creators of the famously well-funded TikTok iPod nano watch band, have launched a pair of well-designed and well-functioning styluses, optimized for iOS devices.
We’ve been using the LunaTik Stylus and the performance of the stylus is very precise. Our tests were conducted by playing around the iPad operating system, but the true results come via an app like Paper.
This precise stylus also doubles a real ink pen, making it versatile. The pen, itself, works like your standard ink pen. It’s nothing too special alone, but the cool part is that it’s not only your physical paper pen, but your virtual paper pen.
The creators of the stylus explain the technology and history behind the product on their Kickstarter page.
As noted by Phillip Elmer-DeWitt at Fortune, Apple analyst Gene Munster published a note to clients today that contained the results of a Siri vs. Google search 1600-question showdown.
While it is not exactly a test of how well the companies’ various voice services stack up against one another (since Google Search queries were typed-in and not spoken), but it is a good indication of just how viable Siri is as an everyday mobile search product and alternative to Google. In the test, both Google and Siri were asked 800 questions in a quiet location. Another 800 questions were asked among the loud street traffic in Minneapolis. The results, according to Fortune: Expand Expanding Close
We told you the other day that Apple began seeding the iOS 6.0 Beta 2 OTA update to developers with an update to Apple TV beta 2. One new feature of the Apple TV update spotted by MacMagazine.com.br(via MacRumors) is the ability to reorganize icons on the main UI. Much like the wiggling animation when reordering icons on iOS devices, holding the Select button will allow you to move icons while others reorder automatically the same as on iPhone and iPad. The feature, unlike on other iOS devices, only activates the mode for the currently selected icons, opposed to sending all icons into “wiggle mode”, and does not yet allow icons to be deleted.
According to a report from research firm Strategy Analytics, covering its Global Handset Shipments Forecast for Q2 2012, the company provided insight about the number of iPhones Apple has sold since the device’s launch five years ago on June 29, 2007. The report estimated that Apple sold 250 million iPhones, which accounts for $150 billion in revenue:
“The iPhone portfolio has become a huge generator of cash and profit for Apple. A quarter of a billion iPhones have been shipped cumulatively worldwide in the first five years since launch and Apple reaches its fifth birthday at the top of its game. However, there are emerging signs that the iPhone’s next five years could get tougher. Some mobile operators are becoming concerned about the high level of subsidies they spend on the iPhone, while Samsung is expanding its popular Galaxy portfolio and providing Apple with more credible competition.”
At its Q2 earnings report, Apple announced it sold 35.1 million iPhones during the last quarter, with 365 million iOS device sales to date.
Update: A report fromBloomberg Businessweek confirmed with some clarification. As we reported in April, the ITC will have to review Judge Pender’s previous ruling that Apple infringed on one Motorola patent related to industry standard 3G and wireless technologies. The date for that hearing is now scheduled for August 24 and could result on a block of iOS devices from Asia to the United States:
The U.S. International Trade Commission said it will review ITC Judge Thomas Pender’s findings that Apple was violating one of four Motorola Mobility patents. The commission is scheduled to issue a final decision on Aug. 24, and has the power to block devices made in Asia from entering the U.S.
According to several tweets from financial analyst @zerohedge, Google is apparently attempting to block shipments of the iPhone and iPad in the U.S. related to 3G patents. We do not have any more information at the moment, but we will keep you updated as the story unfolds…
Earlier today, Apple released a new iOS 6 beta to developers, introducing the usual “bug fixes and improvements”. Below is a list of all the new buttons and changes we’ve found so far. If you happen to spot any more, send them our way at tips@9to5mac.com.
The first thing you’ll see when installing beta 2 is actually a change that was technically made in beta 1: when installing an OTA update, the cogs in the Settings icon on the Software Update page spin (not the ones on the actual home screen, though).
