iPhone 4S

Business
March 21, 2012
by

Sprint CEO defends company’s decision to bet it all on Apple’s iPhone

By on March 21, 2012 at 10:05 AM.

Sprint CEO defends company’s decision to bet it all on Apple’s iPhone

Sprint chief executive Dan Hesse is being watched closely by the company’s board of directors, but the CEO has to answer to investors and subscribers as well. Last year in October, Hesse revealed that the company is placing a massive $15.5 billion bet on Apple’s iPhone, and in a recent interview with the GSMA’s Mobile World Live blog, Hesse defended the move, which has been criticized by a number of industry watchers. Read on for more. More →

No Comments
mobile
March 20, 2012
by

Death once had a near-Chuck Norris experience; now iPhone users can as well

By on March 20, 2012 at 12:05 PM.

Death once had a near-Chuck Norris experience; now iPhone users can as well

The man who counted to infinity twice is invading iPhone 4S handsets around the world thanks to an incredibly useless but fantastically amusing Siri tweak. iOS developer Wonderbread recently released an add-on dubbed “Chuck Norris Facts” for the AssistantExtensions platform that brings powerful new functionality to Apple’s voice-controlled virtual assistant, Siri. After installing AssistantExtensions and the Chuck Norris Facts add-on, the command “let’s chat” will activate AssistantExtensions’ chat-bot feature, and users who dare to speak his name can simply say “Chuck Norris” to hear Siri reply with one of countless faux factoids from the popular Chuck Norris facts meme. Chuck fans will need to jailbreak their iPhones in order to download and install the tweak from the Cydia app store, and caution is recommended when jailbreaking or when doing anything involving Chuck Norris — there used to be a street named after Chuck Norris, but it was changed because nobody crosses Chuck Norris and lives.

No Comments
mobile
March 20, 2012
by

Nokia is building a revolutionary new phone to combat the ‘poorly designed’ iPhone

By on March 20, 2012 at 10:10 AM.

Nokia is building a revolutionary new phone to combat the ‘poorly designed’ iPhone

Nokia’s upcoming Lumia 900 Windows Phone could be the first smartphone running Microsoft’s mobile operating system to really make a splash in the United States. BGR exclusively reported that the new flagship 4G handset will hit AT&T store shelves late next month alongside a massive marketing blitz and a big subsidy program that will leave the phone with a surprisingly low $99.99 price tag. As impressive as the Lumia 900 is shaping up to be, however, Nokia is apparently working on another smartphone with new technology that will blow us all away. Read on for more. More →

No Comments
Legal
March 14, 2012
by

Apple’s iPhone 4S cleared of infringement claims in the Netherlands

By on March 14, 2012 at 1:15 PM.

Apple’s iPhone 4S cleared of infringement claims in the Netherlands

A Dutch judge on Wednesday ruled that the iPhone 4S does not infringe Samsung’s patents, Dutch website Tweakers reported. The Hague court has not yet ruled whether Apple’s earlier models and iPad 2 tablet infringe the vendor’s patents due to different implementations of 3G technology that may be protected. Samsung accused Apple’s iPhone 4S of infringing its industry essential 3G patent, although Qualcomm already licensed the technology for the chip, which is found within Apple’s handset. Apple’s earlier devices, however, use 3G chips supplied by Intel subsidiary Infineon, which reportedly never licensed the technology from Samsung. The court also ruled that, because of Apple’s negotiation efforts, the Cupertino-based company’s products can remain on sale in the Netherlands throughout the remainder of the trial. More →

No Comments
mobile
March 13, 2012
by

NPD: One third of all smartphones sold in Q4 had 4G connectivity

By on March 13, 2012 at 8:30 PM.

NPD: One third of all smartphones sold in Q4 had 4G connectivity

Smartphones with 4G connectivity grew from 6% in the fourth quarter of 2010 to 35% in the fourth quarter of 2011, according to a report from The NPD Group. HSPA+ “4G” accounted for 22% sales, however, leaving LTE and WiMAX technologies with a much less impressive share of the smartphone market. Older HSPA+ technology was the only 4G offered by AT&T up until recently, and it is still the only 4G technology offered by T-Mobile. The firm also counts AT&T’s iPhone 4S among the 4G phones sold last quarter, giving the category a significant boost. LTE-enabled handsets, on the other hand, accounted for just 7% of the smartphone market, while WiMAX made up only 6%, dropping from its third-quarter high of 10%. Verizon’s HTC Thunderbolt was the most popular LTE handset in the fourth quarter last year, while Sprint’s HTC EVO was the most popular WiMAX device. Read on for NPD’s press release. More →

No Comments
Legal
March 12, 2012
by

Apple sued over ‘misleading and deceptive’ Siri ads

By on March 12, 2012 at 4:05 PM.

Apple sued over ‘misleading and deceptive’ Siri ads

Apple is being sued in New York by Frank Fazio, who claims that Apple falsely advertises Siri as a responsive and helpful when in fact the virtual assistant is allegedly anything but, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. Represented by Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd, Fazio’s class-actions suit seeks unspecified damages and and a court order demanding that Apple cease all misleading advertising that depict Siri as responsive, user-friendly feature. “On many of Apple’s television advertisements, individuals are shown using Siri to make appointments, find restaurants, and even learn the guitar chords to classic rock songs or how to tie a tie,” Fazio’s complaint reads. “In the commercials, all of these tasks are done with ease with the assistance of the iPhone 4S’s Siri feature, a represented functionality contrary to the actual operating results and performance of Siri.” Fazio’s attorneys argue that their client and the class he represents have had nothing but trouble with Siri, which is unresponsive and often doesn’t understand what is being asked of it. Fazio’s full complaint is embedded after the break. More →

No Comments
mobile
March 7, 2012
by

Apple’s iOS 5.1 update is now available for download

By on March 7, 2012 at 3:30 PM.

Apple’s iOS 5.1 update is now available for download

Apple announced during its press conference on Wednesday that the latest version of its mobile operating system would become available for download later in the day. iOS 5.1 has now been released for the iPad 2, iPad, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and second and third-generation iPod touch handhelds, and the new iOS build brings Japanese language support for Siri along with a number of additional updates. And ridiculous though it may be, AT&T iPhone owners will now see “4G” in place of 3G next to their signal bars while connected to HSPA. We detailed key changes in our exclusive hands-on with the software last month. iOS 5.1 is currently in the process of being made available through iTunes and over the air, but impatient users can download the appropriate update via the read link below. More →

No Comments
Legal
March 7, 2012
by

Samsung files a new lawsuit against Apple in South Korea

By on March 7, 2012 at 8:35 AM.

Samsung files a new lawsuit against Apple in South Korea

Samsung on Wednesday confirmed that it has filed another lawsuit against Apple in South Korea, according to a report from Reuters. Since last year, the two companies have been involved in heated legal battles throughout 10 different countries, racking up more than 30 separate complaints that have been filed. The newest lawsuit targets the iPhone 4S and iPad 2, and Samsung claims both devices infringe three of the company’s “utility” patents, which involve methods of displaying data, a device’s user interface and short text messages. Apple’s former CEO Steve Jobs vowed to destroy Android, and since then the Cupertino-based company has been involved in numerous patent disputes with Motorola, HTC and Samsung, the top three Android vendors in the world. More →

No Comments
mobile
March 5, 2012
by

China Mobile has over 15 million iPhone users, all 15 million didn’t buy them from China Mobile

By on March 5, 2012 at 3:38 PM.

China Mobile has over 15 million iPhone users, all 15 million didn’t buy them from China Mobile

China Mobile, the largest mobile carrier in the world, still does not have an agreement with Apple to sell the company’s iPhone its 655 million customers. Despite that, the company has announced that it has surpassed 15 million iPhone users on China Mobile’s network, Sina Tech reported on Monday. The carrier has added more than five million users since October, a rate of more than 35,000 users per day. Those customers can use text, voice and only 2G data, however China Mobile has built out a nationwide Wi-Fi network to make up for its 3G shortcomings. Apple’s exclusive deal with China Unicom is coming to an end as the nation’s third largest operator, China Telecom, will begin selling the iPhone 4S on Friday. Analysts at Morgan Stanley predicted earlier this year that if a deal with China Mobile were reached, the carrier could sell an additional 60 million devices by the end of 2013. More →

1 Comment
mobile
March 1, 2012
by

Apple’s OS share skyrockets in February as Android inches up, BlackBerry slides

By on March 1, 2012 at 1:20 PM.

Apple’s OS share skyrockets in February as Android inches up, BlackBerry slides

Apple’s share of global smartphone and tablet usage skyrocketed in February after remaining somewhat flat over the previous three months. Analytics firm Net Applications on Thursday released mobile phone and tablet operating system share data for February, and Apple showed the most gains last month by a wide margin. The Cupertino, California-based company saw its share increase to 60.59% from 53.65% in January as Android inched up less than a point to 19.02% and RIM’s BlackBerry platform slid nearly a point to 2.59%, it’s second lowest monthly share over the past 12 months. Java ME share of mobile and tablet operating system usage plummeted to 14.16% from 19.19% in January, and Symbian dropped to 2.77% from 5.20% over the same period. A chart outlining Net Applications’s data follows below. More →

5 Comments
Business
February 23, 2012
by

Go Apple or go home? T-Mobile continues to flounder without the iPhone

By on February 23, 2012 at 10:01 AM.

Go Apple or go home? T-Mobile continues to flounder without the iPhone

T-Mobile USA on Thursday reported a rough holiday quarter during which the company lost a net 802,000 contract subscribers. In its earnings release, T-Mobile mentions Apple’s iPhone — a device is does not sell — a total of seven times, repeatedly blaming its poor fourth-quarter performance on the absence of Apple’s smartphone from its store shelves. “The sequential and year-on-year increase in customer losses is a result of intense competitive pressure from the launch of the iPhone 4S by three nationwide competitors in the fourth quarter of 2011,” the carrier said in its press release. Looking beyond the fourth quarter, however, T-Mobile said in a separate press release that it now has a “reinvigorated challenger strategy focused on making amazing 4G services affordable.” This doesn’t bode well — according to T-Mobile’s own statements, 4G networks and affordable service are the least of the carrier’s concerns. Read on for more. More →

2 Comments
Business
February 23, 2012
by

T-Mobile reports big subscriber losses in Q4, says it will launch LTE in 2013

By on February 23, 2012 at 8:25 AM.

T-Mobile reports big subscriber losses in Q4, says it will launch LTE in 2013

T-Mobile on Wednesday reported earnings for the company’s holiday quarter, which saw the carrier lose 802,000 customers causing revenue to drop 3.3% to $20.6 billion. The Deutsche Telekom-owned company is the only major U.S. carrier that does not carry Apple’s iPhone, which it blames for the defections, however T-Mobile is looking to bounce back with the launch of a 4G LTE network in 2013. “Though we are not satisfied with the contract customer losses and the decreased total revenues, the quarterly margin improvement year-on-year was impressive,” said CEO of Deutsche Telekom René Obermann. “The spectrum gained through the break-up fee empowers T-Mobile USA to start LTE-based services in key US markets and strengthens its competitiveness.” The company is the last major U.S. carrier to announce plans for an LTE network, with Verizon and AT&T already offering the service and Sprint preparing to launch its new network this year. Read on for T-Mobile’s press release. More →

2 Comments
Business
February 21, 2012
by

iPhone 4S launches on China Telecom next month

By on February 21, 2012 at 8:35 AM.

iPhone 4S launches on China Telecom next month

Major Chinese carrier China Telecom announced this week that it will begin selling Apple’s iPhone 4S on March 9th. The popular smartphone will start at free on contract for China Telecom subscribers, and it will be available for purchase online and through authorized retailers. ”iPhone 4S has been an incredible hit with customers around the world,” an Apple spokesperson told The Loop. “We’re thrilled to be launching iPhone 4S with China Telecom and can’t wait to get it into the hands of even more customers in China.” Apple’s entrance into the Chinese market began with the iPhone’s launch on China Unicom, but this new China Telecom deal is seen as potentially having a huge impact on Apple’s position in the region. China Telecom currently has more than 130 million subscribers on its network, making it even bigger than Verizon Wireless, the largest wireless carrier in the United States. More →

No Comments