Apple (AAPL) is wildly expected to introduce a smaller 7.85-inch iPad mini at the company’s event on Tuesday, but that doesn’t mean a newer iPad isn’t making its way towards production for release in the spring. We have received photos of what we’re told is the 4th generation iPad’s lightning dock connector. The photo compares the 4th generation iPad’s dock to the iPad mini dock, and the connector looks to be a brand new design. This most likely signals that the 4th generation iPad will also feature a redesigned interior to accommodate different components. We were also told that this is not simply the refreshed lightning dock connector for the 3rd generation iPad. We’ll have much more shortly. Thanks to Apple.pro and the Apple Musium Taiwan
BGR has learned that Sony Electronics (SNE) is making plans to sell the company’s famed 550 Madison location in New York in order to raise money, according to a close source of ours. An internal email was sent to Sony executives detailing the plans recently, and Sony is currently considering a few different scenarios. We are told the selling price of the building will be in the $1.5 billion to $2 billion range. Sony Electronics is now making plans to sell the building and potentially lease back space for it’s various business units like Sony Electronics, Sony Music, and others, or completely move to another location entirely. Sony is coming off of four straight annual losses, and is “very mindful” of its cash position.
When Microsoft (MSFT) announced earlier this year that it will launch an own-brand tablet to compete directly with its various vendor partners working on Windows 8-based on tablet PCs of their own, there was some backlash. Privately — and sometimes even publicly — long-time Microsoft partners took it as an attack on their businesses and questioned why Microsoft would be so brazen. But with nowhere else to turn thanks to Windows’ overwhelming PC dominance, these vendors had no choice but to continue developing Windows 8 devices and compete directly with their software supplier. Though events may play out a bit differently in the smartphone market where Microsoft has yet to stage the comeback it promised two years ago, BGR has learned that the Redmond, Washington-based company plans to release its own Windows Phone 8 smartphone in the coming months. More →
We have checked with a number of AT&T (T) sources, and so far, the only thing that looks to be showing up is iPhone 5 cases from Speck. No Lightning to USB cables, no Lightning adapters and not even any car chargers. It looks like Apple (AAPL) kept its Lightning charging specification secret, just like rumors suggested. Here are a few different iPhone 5 cases you’ll be able to purchase tomorrow, though we’d courteously ask you to refrain from using a case this time. Please?
Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone 5 launches on Friday but we have been sent photos of the world’s first iPhone 5 unboxing. Apple has changed its packaging slightly with the iPhone 5, and as it announced last week, the company’s new EarPod headphones are bundled with the iPhone including a plastic travel case. Also included is a new power adapter that supplies more power to the phone when charging, and of course the Lightning to USB cable. Apple’s iPhone 5 goes on sale this Friday at 8:00 a.m. local time and in the meantime, be sure to check out a couple additional unboxing photos in the gallery below. Thanks to JDazzle for the photos!
BGR has confirmed with a trusted source that AT&T’s (T) upcoming flagship smartphones for the holidays — besides that flagship smartphone, of course — will be launching on October 21st. This will include the Nokia (NOK) Lumia 920 and the Samsung (005930) Galaxy Note II. An AT&T spokesperson had no comment. Nokia unveiled its flagship Lumia 920 smartphone during a press conference last week, and it features a 4.5-inch display, a unique design and Windows Phone 8. Samsung’s Galaxy Note II was announced ahead of the annual IFA trade show in August, and BGR took a hands-on look at the “phablet” earlier this week. Samsung’s mobile boss JK Shin was recently quoted as saying the Note II will launch in October.
One of our AT&T (T) sources sent over a few images of iPhone 5 cases that are already popping up in the company’s internal accessory systems. The images we obtained feature the iPhone 5 in two different manufacturer’s cases, and we have one additional render that shows a new screen protector. If you remember what happened last year around the same time, we posted images of iPhone 4S cases that turned out to be authentic ahead of the “disappointing” iPhone 4S, which launched instead of the much-rumored iPhone 5. Separately, iMore — which has a solid track record with information regarding unannounced Apple products — is reporting that it has confirmed the new iPhone will indeed be in line with the countless leaks that have been floating around the internet. Read on to see the rest of the photos.
Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre’s company has really taken off since launching the original Beats by Dr. Dre headphones. BGR has learned that while music is still at the core of Beats, the company is about to make some aggressive expansions into categories currently dominated by consumer electronics giants. First off, after HTC (2498) invested $300 million in Beats — which was a terrible idea — and then sold back half its stake — which was a less terrible idea — Beats is ready to make its own smartphone. More →
Sony’s (SNE) all set to launch a follow-up to the company’s first tablet with what we have been told is the XPERIA S. The tablet’s unique design identity is carried through to the new tablet, though it’s much more refined and more subtle. While the tablet itself is rumored to feature a 9.4-inch display, quad-core Tegra 3 processor, and 1GB of RAM, the real story is about the accessories Sony is planning on introducing. We were able to get photos of a majority of them, and they range from Microsoft Surface-style keyboard cover, to a privacy screen, to various different stands. It has also been reported that Sony is going to introduce multimedia stands as well that can be controlled from the tablet and play music or video to your home entertainment system. Photos of the XPERIA S tablet are in our gallery.
Motorola’s long-leaked followup to the Motorola DROID RAZR may finally be taking shape as the Motorola DROID M. We have been told by an anonymous source that the smartphone will be launching on Verizon Wireless (VZ) soon at an attractive $149.99 on contract. There will also be two color options: Black and white. The device is rumored to include a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor, a Kevlar case similar to the one that the DROID RAZR and DROID RAZR MAXX featured, and an HD display with 1196 x 720-pixel resolution. Motorola is holding a press conference on September 5th in New York City where it is expected to finally unveil the device.
Research In Motion (RIMM) responded to a recent BGR report on Wednesday by telling the media that “RIM will provide an upgrade to BES 10 in order to ensure that our enterprise customers have the most up-to-date technology available to manage their devices.” RIM also said that, “[BES 10] will support existing BlackBerry devices, including the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet,” and that, “BES 10 will be the ultimate management solution for all BlackBerry platform devices, as well as iOS and Android devices. BES 10 will launch simultaneously with the first BlackBerry 10 devices in Q1 calendar 2013.” More →
