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More purported iPhone 5S parts surface

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BGR claims to have gotten their hands on some iPhone 5S parts. At this stage they could be anything and the parts listed conveniently don’t detail any huge changes. The nano-SIM trays above are reportedly thinner and the different color shown could add weight to the multiple color options claims.

Other parts include the vibrating motor and Wifi chip assemblies that differ slightly from the iPhone 5 design.

These leaks are similar to a previous cache of random parts shown by Nowhereelse.fr. in March (below) and it is hard to know if they are valid parts.

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Report: Apple loses share to Android in Q1 but maintains lead in tablet market

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Research firm Canalys is out today with its latest report tracking worldwide smart mobile device shipments for Q1 with Android accounting for almost 60% of smart mobile devices shipped by OS. That’s compared to a 19.3% share for Apple and approximately 18.1% for Microsoft. Keep in mind Canalys’s report also includes notebooks, in addition to tablets and smartphones, which account for the majority of Microsoft’s share. When looking at tablets alone, Apple continued its lead with 46.4% share in the quarter, although Canalys warned Apple “lost share to its Android-based rivals for the third consecutive quarter.”

Though Apple continues to lead in the tablet space with a 46.4% share, it lost share to its Android-based rivals for the third consecutive quarter. ‘Spearheaded by Google and Amazon, the commoditization of the tablet market has happened far quicker than that of the wider PC market,’ said Canalys Senior Analyst, Tim Coulling. ‘Profit margins are being squeezed and vendors without a low cost structure will find it hard to compete. A solid range of must-have accessories and a software and services strategy are vital as vendors will increasingly need to make revenue around their devices.’

When it comes to smartphones, the report has Android at roughly 75.6% of shipments with around 32% of those shipments coming from Samsung. We know Apple sold around 37 million iPhones in the quarter but, as always, we warn that the stats from Canalys don’t include shipped vs sold data. 
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Apple’s product photographer interviewed

We remember Peter Belanger from pioneering iPhone photography for magazine covers in 2010. Turns out he is now doing regular photoshoots for Apple and often uses a Canon 5D Mark III with a the 24-70mm lens. He gave the Verge some insight on what its like to use the bigger camera for the most demanding clients in the world.

Belanger is the man behind some of Apple’s most iconic product images, a San Francisco-based product photographer at the top of his field. Apple is but one of his clients — he’s done work for everyone from eBay and Nike to Pixar and Square — and we sat down with Peter to talk about his work, his background, and some very, very expensive gear.

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Kwikset Kēvo transforms your smartphone into your smart key of the future

shark-tank-product-demo from Tech Blog on Vimeo.

In what is a breakthrough move toward my dream of a fully automated home, UniKey has built a smart door lock like something delivered by someone from the future.

We have all found ourselves with our hands full fumbling for the right key to our front door, but now the Kwikset Kēvo lock powered by UniKey allows you to unlock the front door of your home with just the tap of your finger.


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AT&T introduces new $100 phone trade-in program

via AT&T

AT&T will roll out a new trade-in program tomorrow allowing its customers to upgrade to a new high end (i)Phone with $100 of free spending money if you give them your old phone (restrictions apply).

Beginning May 1, consumers who trade in their current smartphone to AT&T* will be eligible to receive at least $100 off the purchase of a new smartphone, including the new Samsung Galaxy® S 4, BlackBerry® Z10 or 32 GB HTC One®.  These devices are normally $199.99 with a qualifying two-year agreement** but, with this limited time promotion, they will be available for $99.99.

This promotion applies to any smartphone AT&T sells, and gives customers access to the latest devices at a fraction of the cost or, in the case of smartphones priced under $99.99**, for free.  To take advantage of this offer, customers are encouraged to visit any AT&T company-owned retail store or participating authorized dealer with their previous smartphone that is no more than three years old and in good, working condition.  In stores, upon trading in their old phone, customers will receive the $100 credit on-the-spot and can use it immediately. ***

Some trade-in phones may have a value higher than $100.  In this case, customers will receive the credit at the higher value.

You are still better off with services like Gazelle but this is easier. See our full roundup of trade-in sites.

AT&T Offers Newest Smartphones at 50 Percent-Off with Trade-In of Current Smartphone

DallasTexasApril 30, 2013

Beginning May 1, consumers who trade in their current smartphone to AT&T* will be eligible to receive at least $100 off the purchase of a new smartphone, including the new Samsung Galaxy® S 4, BlackBerry® Z10 or 32 GB HTC One®.  These devices are normally $199.99 with a qualifying two-year agreement** but, with this limited time promotion, they will be available for $99.99.

This promotion applies to any smartphone AT&T sells, and gives customers access to the latest devices at a fraction of the cost or, in the case of smartphones priced under $99.99**, for free.  To take advantage of this offer, customers are encouraged to visit any AT&T company-owned retail store or participating authorized dealer with their previous smartphone that is no more than three years old and in good, working condition.  In stores, upon trading in their old phone, customers will receive the $100 credit on-the-spot and can use it immediately. ***

Some trade-in phones may have a value higher than $100.  In this case, customers will receive the credit at the higher value.

AT&T offers a broad variety of smartphones that run on the nation’s fastest 4G LTE**** network. AT&T 4G LTE currently covers nearly 200 million people; with plans to expand to cover 300 million people by the end of 2014.  In a report***** by independent testing organization RootMetrics, AT&T’s 4G LTE network was called “blazing fast.”  The report found AT&T’s 4G LTE network delivered the fastest pure LTE speeds in markets where AT&T provided 4G LTE.

“This offer is a great opportunity for AT&T customers to get their hands on the newest smartphones in our portfolio at an outstanding price,” said Eric Goldfeld, AVP- marketing management, AT&T.  “With graduation and Mother’s Day coming up, people can take advantage of this promotion to surprise someone – or even treat themselves – to one of our hottest smartphones.  The best part is that you’ll receive credit for your old phone instantly on-the-spot in AT&T stores.”

In AT&T company-owned retail stores, AT&T’s Trade-In Program lets customers turn in old wireless phones and receive an AT&T promotional card reflective of the device’s trade-in value and condition. Customers can use the card to offset the cost of some of the latest wireless devices or the purchase of other AT&T products and services.***  All devices, including tablets data cards and feature phones – regardless of manufacturer or date purchased – will be considered for trade-in.

Beyond seeing a little more green in their pocket, AT&T customers that use our trade in program are also doing their part to support the company’s sustainability initiatives. In 2012 AT&T customers recycled more that 3.1 million phones and broke the world record for cell phones recycled in a one-week period as certified by Guinness World Records.

Switching to a new smartphone has never been easier with AT&T Mobile Transfer, an app that syncs contacts, photos and videos from your old phone to your new phone.  Just visitwww.att.com/mobiletransfer to make sure both phones are compatible, download the app and follow the instructions to transfer.

Likewise, setting up your new smartphone is a snap with AT&T Ready2Go, a free service that helps you to easily set up and personalize your device in minutes from the comfort of your personal computer. With Ready2Go, it’s easy to set up your email accounts, import your contacts, connect to your social networks and more.

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Cricket lowers iPhone plan rates, rolls out family bundles

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Though T-Mobile probably has more name recognition than no-contract carrier Cricket, the latter carrier is speaking up about its competitive iPhone plans.

Cricket is making its iPhone plans more affordable starting today, lowing its unlimited calling, messaging, and 1 GB data plan to $50, which has been standard for other devices. Customers can opt for 2.5 GB or 5 GB of data at $60 and $70, respectively.

Customers with two smartphones on a family plan can save $10 for each line at $40 per line for the standard plan.

It appears that Cricket isn’t going to sit back and watch T-Mobile and Virgin run away with pre-paid iPhone sales.

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Verizon bids for spectrum from Clearwire while Dish attempts merger with Sprint

Verizon Wireless, which recently teamed up with telecommunications giant Comcast Corporation, is reportedly offering Clearwire Corp $1.5 billion in an effort to lease spectrum from the wireless communications company, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Meanwhile, Dish Network has motioned toward a $25.5 billion bid to merge with Sprint, which is notable as Dish and Sprint both competed toward buying out Clearwire in January.

It seems all three major telecommunications companies are moving toward owning expanded space in mobile broadband as well as home services like cable and voice, much like AT&T’s unified package.

BlackBerry 10 launch: Over 50% returns, 71% don’t want ever, 83% unaware it even launched

Six years after Apple took the smartphone industry by surprise with its release of the iPhone, former market leader BlackBerry Limited, or RIM as it called itself until just recently, launched what some consider to be a true iPhone competitor.

The problem is that almost no one has seemed to notice, and half of those who have were unhappy.


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Verizon CEO takes credit for convincing Steve Jobs to make iPhone 5 LTE, says half of wireless traffic is now video

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At NAB, Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam told attendees that half of his network’s wireless traffic is used for downloading video. McAdam reportedly added that he expects video to take over 2/3 of the Verizon network by 2017. The CEO thanks the carrier’s investments in LTE technology for making this happen.

On the subject of LTE networks, McAdam also shared an interesting tidbit regarding an encounter with Steve Jobs and Apple during the development of the current iPhone, the iPhone 5. One of the latest iPhone’s premier new features over its predecessors is support for LTE networks in regions across the globe. McAdam says that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was initially reluctant about including LTE in the iPhone 5, but McAdam’s descriptions of LTE’s speed capabilities changed Jobs’ mind:


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Apple patent allows you to buy music even when offline

offline

An Apple patent granted on Tuesday would allow you to buy some music and other iTunes content even when offline.

It appears that iTunes would proactively download locked versions of new recommendations (and perhaps more generally new releases) which you could later unlock by using credit stored on the device. So if you are both very impatient and without wireless data access, Apple may one day have you covered.

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iPhone 5 coming soon to regional carrier Strata Networks covering Idaho, Utah and Colorado

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It looks like another regional carrier is set to receive the iPhone 5. While it has yet to post pricing or exact availability dates, Utah-based Strata Networks recently started advertising that the device is “coming soon” to its network. In November, Strata officially rolled out its LTE network, the first in the Uintah Basin covering several counties in Utah, and the carrier also has local coverage in Idaho, Utah, and Colorado. A map of the carrier’s LTE coverage in Utah is below, while a full map of nationwide coverage can be found here.

Many other regional carriers have been known to offer the device at a discounted price compared to Apple and the major carriers with the iPhone 5 starting at $149 on a two-year contract through many. We’ll update when Strata confirms pricing and availability.

Strata-LTE-coverage

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Twitter puts TweetDeck’s mobile apps out to pasture

tweetdeck-iphoneTwitter updated TweetDeck for Mac just last month with over 90 new fixes and features.

However, for those of you who use TweetDeck on iPhone, there is some bad news afoot:

To continue to offer a great product that addresses your unique needs, we’re going to focus our development efforts on our modern, web-based versions of TweetDeck. To that end, we are discontinuing support for our older apps: TweetDeck AIR, TweetDeck for Android and TweetDeck for iPhone. They will be removed from their respective app stores in early May and will stop functioning shortly thereafter. We’ll also discontinue support for our Facebook integration.

“Oh, and screw Facebook too.”

[tweet https://twitter.com/brucecaraway/status/308735851150573568]
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iPhone concept imagines a 4.8-inch bezel-less display (Gallery)

Nowhereelse.fr posted another set of high-quality renders from designer Martin Hajek today that seem to be the illegitimate lovechild of a Samsung Galaxy device and the iPhone 5. In the images below, we get the designer’s take on a 4.8-inch “iPhone 6” with a super thin bezel and black and silver anodized backs. He’s also included a 4-inch version of the concept that clearly takes cues from Samsung’s Galaxy devices.

More images at Nowhereelse.fr.

iOS 6.1.1 build 10B145 being rushed to address 3G performance and enterprise concerns, some carrier testing completed

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Following reports about some carriers in Europe issuing warnings not to upgrade to iOS 6.1 due to issues with 3G performance, it seems a fix is already in the works. The issue was not just with 3G through carriers such as Vodafone and three in Austria, many users in Apple’s own forums complained of similar problems, degraded battery life, and more. Users have also had problems with Exchange support, causing AOL corporate to temporarily disable the ability to manage mobile meetings from iOS devices running iOS 6.1.

Today, a report from German language blog iFun claimed that carriers have already completed testing a 6.1.1 update to address the bugs and a 23MB update carrying build number 10B145 should be available over-the-air soon:

After ifun.de this information is already in version 6.1.1 of the night on Monday as “Testing Complete” and should be offered the iPhone community with little flow as a wireless update. Sources which are applicable in the past on the issue dates of iOS 6.0.2 and iOS 6.1 as well as the eradication of the “SMS spoofing problem” have informed, indicate the large 23MB update with UMTS-compatible.

Apple’s first beta release for 6.1.1 was released last week with build number 10B311.

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Mophie announces $79 ultra thin/light 1500mAh juice pack ‘Helium’ for iPhone 5

Mophie announced on Tuesday that its latest juice pack for iPhone 5, an ultra-thin, 1500mAh battery case that the company said is 13 percent thinner than its popular previous-generation juice packs. Mophie is making the $79.95 case available to loyal customers while supplies last on its website, and the battery case will give you around six extra hours of talk time, Internet use, and video playback, and up to 30 hours of audio playback. The darker Metallic color will ship by Feb. 14, and the lighter, silver color will go out sometime in March.

It’s a slightly smaller battery that comes with the 2000mAh juice pack plus that Mophie sells for iPhone 4S, but it’s slightly slimmer than both the “air” and “plus” models at 2.49 in x 5.49 in x 0.59 in.

Engineered with edge-to-edge protection and outfitted with 80% more battery life to keep your iPhone 5 safe and charged, the juice pack helium allows you to truly Do more™. Its elegant, thin design makes it the perfect accessory, easily fitting into any pocket or handbag. The enhanced forward-ported acoustics redirects the iPhone audio towards you, optimizing playback and maximizing your experience.

Xfinity TV Player, DataMan Pro, PaperPort Notes, PDF Expert Enterprise, more

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Xfinity TV Player version 1.2: Comcast updated its Xfinity TV Player app today to allow users to download TV shows & movies from the following networks: Starz, Encore, Showtime, and MoviePlex.

DataMan Pro for iPhone version 6.1: A new feature for tracking data used by apps hourly comes in an update to the DataMan for iPhone app today. The app is also 50% off in our deals (below).

・Advanced App Watch. See how much data is being used by each app every hour, every day.

PaperPort Notes version 2.0.0: This free note taking app from Nuance was recently updated with an interesting new feature: the ability to “convert your scanned documents from the camera or photo album into editable text” using the Nuance OmniPage Cloud Service.

PDF Expert Enterprise version 4.2:

• Full compatibility with iOS 6
• Workflow improvements:
o Search inside Briefcase
o “Completed” folder for document reference
o “Always Flatten” policy support when submitting a document
o Confirmation of “Compete” document action

Assassin’s Creed Rearmed version 3.0.1:
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Regional carrier Bluegrass Cellular to offer iPhone 5 for $149 starting Nov. 2, iPhone 4S for $49

Kentucky-based regional carrier Bluegrass Cellular originally had plans to offer the iPhone 5 at the end of September following its launch, but today announced it will finally have the device to offer its customers starting Friday, November 2nd. Like it and other regional carriers have done in the past with the latest iPhone models, it will offer the entry-level iPhone 5 for $50 less than you’ll find it through most others. You’ll of course need one of the carrier’s 3G plans starting at $64.99/month and a two-year commitment to take advantage. Bluegrass will also have the 32GB iPhone 5 for $249, and the 64GB model for $349.

As for the iPhone 4S, the carrier’s customers can now pick it up starting at just $49, while iPhone 4 is still be offered on contract for $0.99. Details on Bluegrass Cellular’s iPhone plans below:

Bluegrass Cellular to Offer iPhone 5 on November 2

Elizabethtown, KY—October 30, 2012—Bluegrass Cellular announced it will offer iPhone 5 beginning Friday, November 2. iPhone 5 will be available starting at $149 for the 16GB model, $249 for the 32GB model and $349 for the 64GB model in all Bluegrass Cellular Customer Care Centers, select Authorized Agent locations and online at www.bluegrasscellular.com/iphone. In addition, iPhone 4S will be available starting at $49 and iPhone 4 will be available starting at $0.99. Bluegrass will allow iPhone 5 customers to connect to its fast 3G network.

iPhone 5 is the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever, completely redesigned to feature a stunning new 4-inch Retina display; an Apple-designed A6 chip for blazing fast performance; and ultrafast wireless technology—all while delivering even better battery life.* iPhone 5 comes with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new features including: Shared Photo Streams, Facebook integration, all-new Maps app, Passbook organization and even more Siri features and languages.

“We are pleased to offer iPhone 5 to our customers throughout the Bluegrass Cellular service area nationwide,” said Ron Smith, President and CEO, Bluegrass Cellular. “Our customers are excited to experience this new device’s unique features and applications on our exceptional network, wherever they go.”

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Review: iPhoneography gear series: $15 Easy Macro Cell Lens Band

Photo-editing apps have dominated the App Store ever since Apple’s iPhone launched in 2007, but they especially grabbed ahold of pop culture after famous photographers and photojournalists—such as Damin Winter’s prize-winning Hipstamatic Afghanistan war series and The New York Times’ Instagram summer series—advocated the iPhone as a premiere device for capturing special moments.

Here’s the thing, though: there are plenty of ways to beautifully snap an image or film a video with the iPhone that will contribute to the after-effects of apps. How so? iPhoneography gear.

Yes, iPhoneography is an actual name (it even has a Wikipedia page), and it essentially, as one might guess, involves shooting and processing with an iOS device. With that said, the iPhone 5 launched almost one-month ago, and it’s 8-megapixel camera, Sapphire lens, Panorama mode, and 1080p HD video are making tidal waves in the iPhoneography world.

Photojojo.com offers an impressive, mouth-watering catalog of photography and videography gear for the iPhone 5, so we at 9to5Mac decided to get our hands on some of the site’s hot accessories. And, over the next month, we will test and review only what’s best for helping creative folks step up their iPhoneography game. Hopefully, as the holiday season is practically here, the series will inspire a few gift ideas. The previous-generation iPhone, by the way, is on par with the iPhone 5, in terms of the camera, so we will look at iPhone 4S-specific accessories too.

Check out the first review below on the tiny, yet ever-so useful, Easy Macro Cell Lens Band.


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Supply shortages notwithstanding, 59 analysts predict 26.3M (mean) iPhones sold in Q4

Apple has been selling iPhone 5’s as fast as they can make them since its mid-September launch. However, pre-order delays and retail shortages related to manufacturing troubles meant Apple was a little shy of the 10 million units predicted by analysts for opening weekend. We know Apple sold at least 5 million iPhone 5 units during the first three days of its retail launch starting Sept. 21. With a slow start and strong finish to the quarter ending on Sept. 29, today we get estimates from 59 analysts predicting iPhone sales for Q4 courtesy of Fortune. Apple is set to announce earnings for Q4 later this month on Oct. 25.

The average of the group is 26.3 million units, just slightly over the 26 million Apple sold in Q3 2012 (pros in blue, amateurs in green):

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Hey guys, check out my sweet Klout Passbook Ticket

Klout for iPhone just pushed out version 1.8, and the update notably adds…wait for it…Passbook support!

The changelog mentioned users can show off a “Klout Card” equipped with their name, photo, and score to brag about their social influence. Yeah. Just what the world needed. Aside from Passbook support, the app is newly optimized for the iPhone 5. Users are also now notified of eligible Klout perks and can claim them right from their iPhone.

So, what are you waiting for? Start sharing your Klout Card now! Heck yes. And this.

[tweet http://twitter.com/MikeBeas/status/258597530592505856]

[tweet https://twitter.com/schwa/statuses/258601121302581248]

[tweet https://twitter.com/panzer/statuses/258604898449514496]


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Some iPhones coming off the assembly line with backward volume keys (iPhone 5 version)

Remember this?

Although it isn’t going to change your life, it looks like a few iPhone 4s are coming off the assembly line with reversed volume buttons.  Reader Eric sends us his which he says works like it should if the buttons were reversed.

Fast-forward a year:

.

Thanks Donut Bandit!

Those fine folks at Foxconn might have missed this one.

Apple Retail scheduled to launch Personal Pickup for iPhone 5 tonight (Update: Confirmed by Apple)

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If you missed purchasing an iPhone 5 this weekend, we might have some good news for you. We are hearing Apple expects to launch its in-store product reservation system, Personal Pickup, for iPhone 5 tonight at 10 p.m. Eastern. Customers can use the Apple Store app or website between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. nightly to pre-purchase available iPhone 5 inventory for the next day. Because customers are actually purchasing the iPhone, they will have upwards of two weeks to pick up the phone (when it becomes available).

This certainly seems to be the best way to get your hands on Apple’s newest phone as ship times at Apple.com are still delayed “3-4 weeks”. Demand has been extremely high for this phone, so we recommend logging on to the reservation system as it becomes available.

Update:  It appears Apple’s iPhone 5 Personal Pickup page has been updated ahead of the 10 p.m. launch.  It reaffirms the reservation process which we outlined early this afternoon.  All pre-purchased iPhone 5 units will be available for in-store pickup the next business day and any units not pre-purchased will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.


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First third-party Lightning to 30-pin adapters show up on Amazon for $10-18 (Ebay too)

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Look what just popped up on Amazon: A company called Nanotch is offering pre-orders for 30-pin to Lightning adapters. There had been concern when a report last month said the 9-pin adapters were only going to cost $10 each and Apple would be the sole manufacturer, but neither looks to be true.

The company listed the following features:

  • Lightning cable adapter for newest generation of Apple products.
  • Adapter to use your new Apple products with older accessories.
  • Use your iPhone 5 with older models of accessories.
  • 20cm cord.
  • Small adapter for easy connection.

There was some controversy in the first few hours of the iPhone 5 pre-orders because Apple’s Store website said a 30-pin adapter was included with the iPhone 5. Apple quickly removed the error but confused some customers in the process.

The Nanotch item is currently listed for pre-order. As with most third-party Amazon sales, buyer beware.

Update: Ebay has these as well and another item, which more closely resembles Apple’s adapter, is from seller ‘iTronz” below and ships next week:
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Totally redesigned Apple headphones spotted in Asia, morph current and in-ear

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Gx5MA1tBfKY

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.


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