new iPhone

In what seems an unlikely idea, a research note from KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that Apple could first show this year’s iPhone models in August, before making them available for sale in September, reports The China Post.

Kuo said that Apple is expected to unveil the next iPhones in August, a month earlier than the market had widely anticipated. The new devices are expected to hit store shelves in September.

While Kuo has a good track-record at forecasting what Apple is planning, his record on when things will happen is less reliable, so we view this prediction with caution … 
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I like my gadgets, and generally consider myself an early adopter. When my friends are looking at buying a new piece of technology, I’m the one they ask as they know I’ll either own it or have tried it.

So you might be surprised to learn that my phone is an iPhone 4S and that after yesterday’s unveiling of the 5s (no, I don’t know why it suddenly became lower-case either), I’m planning to wait for the iPhone 6 before upgrading.

It’s not that the 5s isn’t impressive from a purely technological viewpoint. It is. A 64-bit phone? That’s a pretty incredible achievement. Delegating sensor functions to a separate chip to enable constant use without the usual battery-drain? Brilliant. A truly state-of-the-art fingerprint sensor? Fantastic. A larger phone sensor with lower pixel-density? Exactly the right approach, and I was delighted to see Apple refusing to join in the stupid megapixel race.

But I’m still not going to buy one, and the reason for that is two-fold. Before I get to that, one piece of context. In the U.S., upgrading can be a no-brainer as you end up on the same tariff either way. In the UK, it’s better value long-term to buy the phone outright at full retail (around $1120 for the 64Gb 5s), so you have to balance incremental benefit over other gadgets you could buy with the same money – like a new iPad. So, back to those two reasons …
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Along with the new iPhone 4S this afternoon, Apple has announced a new program called AppleCare+ that covers the iPhone for up-to two accidents. The new program costs $99, and on top of accident coverage you get the AppleCare usuals, like phone support and Genius Bar appointments. Don’t think you’ll be getting off that easy, as each accident will be an additional $49.

AppleCare+ is available October 14th, the same day as the iPhone 4S. Full description below:

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