It looks as though Apple might be smoothing out some of the iPhone’s sharp edges for the low-cost version of its popular smartphone. Japanese blog Macotakara has posted some pictures of a case designed for the upcoming low-cost iPhone by third-party accessories manufacturer MGM Corp. that suggests the device will feature rounder edges than traditional iPhone models. AppleInsider notes that “the case for the low-cost iPhone is about 2 millimeters thicker than a similar accessory designed for the iPhone 5″ that conforms to the iPhone 5′s sharper edges. The round edges on the leaked case seem to confirm earlier reports about the low-cost iPhone having more rounded edges compared to other iPhone models, and it certainly looks like it could fit over the purported entry-level iPhone housing that leaked recently. Pictures of the case are posted below. More →
It looks like the initial reaction to Apple’s reworked iOS 7 software might not have been as bad as the loudest naysayers made it out to be. Social media intelligence firm Viralheat analyzed more than 417,000 tweets relating to Apple that were posted during and after the company’s WWDC 2013 keynote, and it compared the sentiment surrounding Apple CEO Tim Cook and design boss Jony Ive, who oversaw the iOS 7 overhaul. More →
Apple unveiled its vision for the future of mobile computing last week and the Internet erupted. A new feud was born, not between iOS fans and Android fans or between Apple fans and Samsung fans, but among iOS users themselves. On one side, a legion of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users were fawning over the redesigned software shown off by Jony Ive and company. It’s a breath of fresh air… it’s amazing… it’s “positively mind-blowing.” On the other side, iOS 7 was panned. Many longtime Apple fans watched in horror as Apple peeled back the layers on its new iOS interface, and all the great features were instantly overshadowed by Apple’s controversial new design. Is iOS 7 a brilliant push forward? Is it a tragedy in the making?
It has been a week since iOS 7 debuted and now that the rush-into-print, knee-jerk reactions are behind us, let’s take a closer look at the future of Apple’s mobile devices. More →
Though the visual elements took center stage, Apple showed off plenty of new functionality last week when it unveiled its completely redesigned iOS 7 software. According to a new report, however, there might be a number of upcoming new functions that the company is saving for iOS 7′s public launch this coming fall. iOS developer Hamza Sood has discovered a series of secret settings menus in the iOS 7 beta that reveal intriguing features such as new system-wide gestures and the ability to hide default apps. More →
A report from early last month suggested that mass production of Apple’s next-generation iPhone 5S displays would begin in June. Now, right on cue, the first complete display assemblies from Apple’s upcoming new high-end iPhone have seemingly leaked. The purported iPhone 5S displays pictured in leaked photos published by MacRumors have yet to be analyzed, but they appear to be very similar to iPhone 5 displays, as expected. Internally, however, there are some differences in the panel’s design that allow it to fit on the tweaked logic board from the new 5S. More →
We have all seen plenty of images and videos of Apple’s new iOS 7 software running on the iPhone, but Apple was so rushed ahead of WWDC this year that it didn’t even have time to get an iOS 7 beta for the iPad ready for last Monday’s debut. While the iOS 7 experience on the iPad will obviously be similar to the iPhone experience in many ways, the iPad’s interface always varies from the iPhone’s in a number of areas, of course. Now, Apfelpage.de has posted several images of iOS 7′s iPad UI that were pulled out of Apple’s emulator software. Several additional screenshots of iOS 7 on the iPad follow below, and Apple’s first beta of iOS 7 for the iPad is expected to become available in the coming weeks. More →
Apple on Monday morning issued a public statement regarding customer privacy after having been named as one of several technology giants accused of cooperating with the NSA’s PRISM program. The company was one of the first to issue a flat-out denial when news of PRISM first broke, stating that it had never even heard of the NSA snooping scheme prior to being asked about it by news organizations. Now, Apple has issued a statement elaborating on how and when it cooperates with U.S. law enforcement agencies seeking private data about its customers. More →
Apple revealed earlier this week that its iTunes music store is now home to 575 million users. Horace Dediu of Asymco noted that the company is adding roughly a half-million new accounts on average per day. At its current rate, Apple will add another 100 million iTunes accounts by the end of 2013. The analyst found that while more consumers are using the service, revenue per account has actually decreased over the past few years. He explained that each of the 575 million accounts generates about half as much revenue, or $3.20 per month, as Apple’s 100 million iTunes accounts did in 2009. Dediu doesn’t think Apple is in trouble, however. He notes that customer satisfaction and loyalty is still high, and the number of new customers is increasing at higher rate than the decline in spending.
We already know Apple’s next-generation iPhone 5S is getting an extensive internal overhaul following BGR’s exclusive report from last month, and now new purported components have leaked that once again show several internal design changes. Mobile accessory and component retailer TVC-Mall on Friday posted images and details surrounding two new parts it claims are included in Apple’s upcoming iPhone 5S. More →
Apple’s new entry-level iPhone and its next-generation iPad mini with a Retina display will reportedly begin shipping from Apple’s manufacturing partner later this summer ahead of launches this fall. Numerous earlier reports claimed Apple is diversifying its manufacturing a bit this year, and now Digitimes’ unnamed supply chain sources claim that Pegatron has indeed been tasked with building a portion of two upcoming Apple devices. iPhones and iPad tablets had previously been built by Foxconn. The report says Pegatron will begin taking delivery of components for the entry-level iPhone and Retina iPad mini next month and the devices will start shipping in August.
Just one day after BGR speculated that Apple might do away with the “Black & Slate” color option on its next-generation iPhone and replace it with a color combination that includes a light gold-colored metal, a new report claims a gold iPhone 5S is in the works. Japanese Apple blog Macotakara, which has a mixed track record when reporting details about unannounced Apple products, claimed on Thursday that Apple’s iPhone 5S will come in a new gold color. The report states that this new color will be offered in addition to the white and black iPhones, however, rather than in place of the black model. In the same report, the blog also noted that Apple’s upcoming new cheaper iPhone model will ship with several new color options pulled from Apple’s bumper cases.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office plans to issue a reexamination certificate confirming four of Apple’s claims regarding its rubber-band patent, according to FOSS Patents. The patent is one of Apple’s most famous technologies and relates to the bouncing effect in iOS when a user reaches the end of a page while scrolling. One of the claims validated by the USPTO, claim 19, was successfully used by Apple in its $1 billion victory over Samsung. The South Korea-based smartphone maker had previously attempted to invalidate the patent, however it failed to convince the patent office to uphold the ruling. The USPTO’s recent decision has been called a “huge win” for Apple.
