Apple is rumored to be working on the next generation iPhone, currently being called the “iPhone 5S”. According to Jeffries analyst Peter Misek, Apple is now testing two prototypes of the next gen iPhone, and will start initial builds in March in order for a early release date in June or July. Since the iPhone 4S, Apple has been releasing iPhones in the Fall, alongside or close to the iPod refresh. Now, with rumors that the Cupertino company is creating a ‘cheaper’ iPhone for emerging markets, Apple is expected to move up the iPhone debut to the June/July timeframe in order to release the new device in the Fall.

Misek claims that the iPhone to be released in June will be only an incremental upgrade, likely internal changes such as a faster A6X chip, and better cameras and that an entirely new design with a larger 4.8” screen will be seen with the next generation iPhone 6. As noted, the cheaper iPhone will likely be a more concentrated device, such as the iPad mini, which isn’t built of cheaper materials, but rather of a smaller size.

As expected, Misek believes that with reports of a “iPhone 5S” on the horizon, sales of the current iPhone 5 would slow, although he also predicts that Apple will sell 44 million iPhones in the March quarter. He also pinpointed some reasons as to why a decrease in iPhone 5 part orders does not necessarily mean a decline in demand for the product.

– An assembly bottleneck that caused component inventories to rise in the holiday quarter.
– Planning for preliminary production of the next iPhone in March.
– Demand may be either in line or “slightly below optimistic expectations

It seems that Apple will likely keep its iPhone line consistent and in line with Misek’s claims. Since the iPhone 3G, the company has always followed with an ‘S’ version, with the letter signifying a new feature. In the iPhone 3GS, it was Speed; the iPhone 4S was Siri, and the 5S will likely signify a newer feature.

{Via AppleInsider}

Following the introduction of the iPhone 4S, Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPhone 3GS dropped down to $99 and eventually was available for free with a 2 year contract. According to a report from The Telegraph, Apple is now making moves to introduce an 8GB iPhone 4S for $99 and eliminate the iPhone 3GS altogether.

This would allow for the iPhone 4 to remain and take the place of the 3GS as free on contract option for users. An iPhone 4 for free with a two year contract would also give users many options, with both GSM and CDMA as the free iPhone 3GS was limited to AT&T subscribers only.

The new update will mean that the 8GB version of the iPhone 4 will be the entry-level iPhone, probably given away free on £20 per month contracts, as the 3GS is currently. Sources close to retailers also suggested that an 8GB version of the 4S could be introduced.

The report also mentions that the iPhone 5, to be introduced next Wednesday will be available in three capacities, 16 GB/32 GB/64 GB. They will likely all be available with the same price points of the iPhone 4S upon introduction, $199/$299/$399. It makes sense for Apple to phase out the iPhone 3GS, as it would not run apps much like the newer iPhones.

The iPhone 4 as the free on contract option would allow for all of Apple’s device to be in sync in terms of design and features, offering FaceTime, CDMA networking, and a faster A4 chip. The iPhone 5 is scheduled to be announced next week, on September 12th and is expected to go on sale on September 21st.

{Via MacRumors}

Apple’s popular iPhone has been on the market since 2007 and has picked up a number of new features since then, including video chat capabilities, and even Siri, a voice controlled personal assistant. However, even with a variety of innovative technology, the iPhone always fell short when it came to emergency notifications or access. As a result, Apple is now working in tandem with the national government to provide users with automatic alerts in the case of a national emergency in iOS 6.

The new feature in iOS 6, named “Government Alerts” will provide any information regarding national security as well as any major announcements from the local, state, or federal governments. The feature is even being utilized by the National Weather service which will be allowed to issue whether emergency notifications directly to iOS 6 users, and is expected to be up and running later this month.

Users can opt out of receiving the notifications, which can be switched off in the Settings app although it is unclear whether the feature is already running when the device is purchased. The new feature will be available in the iOS 6, and will work on all iPhone models capable of running the next iOS software update, including the iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 4.

{via AppleInsider}

Apple introduced the iPhone 3GS in June of 2009, following the iPhone 3G as the next hit phone in the market. With faster 3G speeds, boosted CPU and GPU speeds, and video recording, the iPhone 3GS was the most sought after iPhone since the original.

Apple’s third generation phone sold for US$199 and later dropped in price to $99 following the release of the iPhone 4. It is now 2011, and with the iPhone 4S, the best and fastest iPhone, the 3GS is still being offered on AT&T for free on a two year contract.

Since 2009, Apple is expected to be hitting new levels in the production of the phone. In the final quarter of 2011, Apple will have produced over 2 million iPhone 3GS units and counting, more specifically, 1.4-1.6 million units. The iPhone 3GS is still seen as a viable option in the smartphone market, and out performs some of the other phones deemed “smartphones”, including several types of Blackberry and Android phones.

According to Digitimes and multiple sources, Apple’s success with the iPhone 3GS is due in part to their penetration in the entry level smartphone market. The iPhone 3GS is over 2 and a half years old and is still experiencing strong producion rates. The 3GS is expected to be sold under AT&T’s 2 year contract until the introduction of iPhone 5 or 6. Apple does not currently have any plans to eliminate the device.

{via TiPb}

With the iPhone 4S at the new $199 pricepoint and the iPhone 4 occupying the new $99 pricepoint, the iPhone 3GS is now offered for free with a 2 year contract, exclusively on AT&T.

We have another device that I think is going to dramatically change those people that are on smartphones and quick messaging devices, the [iPhone] 3GS, which is free with a 2-year contract. We’ve seen a tremendous, tremendous demand for that device even though it’s a generation old. And actually, we’re getting more new subscribers coming on the 3GS on the average than other devices. So we also have an inventory sold out on that device.

De La Vegas also mentioned that AT&T quarterly sales were slightly lower than analysts expected due to the early October release of the iPhone 4S in the 4th Quarter rather than the 3rd Quarter. He also commented on the upcoming holiday season, saying, “very, very optimistic on what the fourth quarter is going to look like in terms of smartphone growth.”

AT&T exclusively held the iPhone until the introduction of the iPhone 4 on Verizon, and now the 4S on Sprint, ramping up competition for the carrier. However, the iPhone 3GS’ continuing availability positively affects AT&T and boosts quarterly revenue.

{via Mac Rumors}

This also suggests that Apple could be looking at a September launch event for iPhone 5 which would leave iOS 5 for the fifth gen and fourth gen iPhone.

It’s worth noting that Apple released iOS 4.0 for iPhone 3G, 3GS and fourth gen model. But, they stopped supporting iPhone 3GS since the first beta of iOS 4.3 was seeded to developers.

Earlier today MacStories noted that Eldar Murtazin, editor-in-chief of Russian mobile phone blog Mobile-Review in a tweet commented:

Just one comment. Apple iPhone 3Gs wont be upgradable to iOS 5.x. iPhone 4 will.

There is obviously no way to confirm this claim however, MacRumors notes that Murtazin “does have a very solid reputation in the mobile phone rumor community.”

This rumor is contrary to the report published by 9to5 Mac which noted that Apple had begun widespread testing of iOS 5 and iPhone 3GS was indeed included in the testing.

Older generation Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) devices, such as the iPhone 3GS and the first-generation iPad, still outsell their latest Android competition according to analyst Michael Walkley with Canaccord Genuity. In a note to investors today, Walkley noted that while Apple’s iPhone 4 is the top-selling smartphone for both AT&T and Verizon in the U.S., the iPhone 3GS still outsells new Android smartphone offerings from AT&T, and the first-generation iPad still outsells non-iOS tablets offered by Verizon.

Interestingly, our April checks indicated continued strong demand for the iPhone 3GS at AT&T and iPad 1 at Verizon, as these older generation products with reduced prices often outsold new Android products. We believe this highlights Apple’s significant competitive advantage, and these older products help Apple offer a tiered pricing strategy at key channels.

Since the release of the iPhone 4 and the iPad 2, predecessors to the two devices have continued to sell at discounted prices. The iPhone 3GS currently sells at $49 at AT&T stores and outsells newer Android smartphones such as the HTC Inspire and the Motorola Atrix.

Walkley found that the iPad is by far the best selling tablet, with competition such as the BlackBerry PlayBook and Motorola Xoom only achieving “modest sales.” 16GB and 32GB models of the iPad 1 sold out in less than two weeks after the debut of the iPad 2 thanks to the price reduction.

The fact that older generation Apple devices continue to sell better than new Android, Windows Phone 7 and BlackBerry releases is a clear sign of the success of the iOS platform. It used to be the case that people would buy second-hand Macs to get their hands on the Mac OS operating system, and now it seems people will settle for older Apple devices just to get their hands on iOS.

We recently reported that iOS 4.3.2 was expected soon and Apple on Friday released the software update for iPhone 4 (GSM), iPhone 3GS, iPod touch (3rd and 4th gen) and iPad (1st and 2nd gen).

The update as the release notes state “contain improvements and other bug fixes”. In particular iOS 4.3.2 fixes a bug which would occasionally cause a blank or frozen video during FaceTime call. It also fixes 3G connectivity issue being faced by some iPad users and contains security updates.

Apple has been releasing maintenance updates quite frequently of late. This probably won’t be an issue for many however, users who jailbreak their devices need to first wait for the Dev-Team to confirm if existing hack works or if it requires an update to work with with latest update.

This time just hours after the update was released, the firmware was jailbroken and a tethered solution was available for users. 9to5 Mac notes that:

You will need custom PwnageTool bundles for iPhone 4, PwnageTool version 4.3 and tetheredboot utility. A Mac OS X machine and iTunes 10.2.1 are also necessary. Do not jailbreak if you’re device is unlocked because there is no unlock for the new baseband on iOS 4.3.2 yet.

Now AT&T started selling Apple’s iPhone 3GS (in 8GB guise) for just $49, though the small print does indeed mention the necessary two year contract. The panicking cell phone carrier has even put together a new ad to whet the appetite.

It’s going to be interesting to see how this works out for AT&T, especially with the iPhone 4 on the same stands as the 3GS. Have price-conscious buyers been waiting for a cheap iPhone or have they already either ponied up or gone for an Android handset?

One thing is for sure though – that two year contract sure seems a long time when your new phone will be nearly three generations old by the time it’s over.

{Via: Engadget}

RedmondPie reports on an app that just became available on Cydia, the app store for jailbroken devices.

I say kinda, as the 3GS obviously doesn’t have a front-facing camera, and the other participant of the call won’t see anything at their end. You will, however, see what is being broadcasted from the other side. All fairly useless, but it’s a start.

The hack is available for download now from Cydia, and would love to hear from anyone that’s given it a whirl!

This tweak is available now on Cydia for free. All you have to do is to add http://apps.iphoneislam.com as repository in Cydia, and then search for “FaceIt-3GS” to install it. Once installed, reboot your iPhone 3GS and navigate to Settings –> Phone and turn on the toggle for FaceTime.

Video below for your viewing pleasure.

The home button and the sleep/wake button remain unusable once you bypass the lock screen with this method however, you can browse the contacts, access visual voicemail or make a call using the keypad.

Apple will most probably fix this bug with the final release of iOS 4.2. Check out the video below to see the software glitch.

(via engadget)

SquareTrade, a consumer electronics warranty firm, has released the results of a study it has put together comparing the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 3GS in terms of the frequency and type of damages.

They had this to say…

Our data shows that iPhone 4 owners are reporting accidents 68% more frequently than iPhone 3gs owners. 4.7% of iPhone 4 owners reported an accident to SquareTrade in the first 4 months of ownership, almost 70% higher than iPhone 3gs owners, 2.8% of whom had an accident over the same time period.

Accidents related to the iPhone 4’s glass front and back are slightly under double that of iPhone 3GS incidents. Which makes sense when you consider that the iPhone 4 has twice the glass of the iPhone 3GS.

It’s really a personal call on whether you feel that the design aesthetics of a phone make it worth taking a little bit more care with it. For me it’s no problem, but it may not be for you.

Either way, these figures are not shocking. Simply about what one would expect. If you want to throw your phone around buy a Nokia I say!

Do you think the ease with which the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS glass breaks is unacceptable? Or something you can live with? Have your say in the comments…

[via SqaureTrade] ]]> https://touchreviews.net/iphone-4-glass-damage-iphone-3gs/feed/ 0 https://touchreviews.net/jailbreak-iphone-3gs-ios-4-0-2-pwnagetool/ https://touchreviews.net/jailbreak-iphone-3gs-ios-4-0-2-pwnagetool/#comments Thu, 19 Aug 2010 19:35:56 +0000 https://touchreviews.net/?p=8934 Read More]]> Apple recently released an update for iOS 4.0 users who were exposed to a pdf file security threat and if you have already upgraded your iPhone 3GS and wish you jailbreak it again then you can use the unofficial release of PwnageTool.

Redmond Pie has published a detailed walkthrough of the entire process which can be easily followed to jailbreak your iPhone. It is important to note that even though the website has posted complete How To steps they do not recommend the unofficial release as it may have bugs.

If you like to regularly update your device and jailbreak it often then you should probably save your SHSH blobs to Cydia which would enable you to downgrade your iPhone/iPod touch to previous version of iOS and jailbreak your device easily using jailbreakme.com

iPhone 3GS jailbreak details are available here.

Some pundits went into the event secure in their own personal mind bubble that Steve knew about the issue with the iPhone 4, it wasn’t fixable, and he was a liar. Others went in equally sure that he didn’t know about it, and it could perhaps be fixed by software, but Apple were struggling with that task. Overall though, a very large percentage of all of them went in assuming that Apple would have to grovel their way out of this situation, offer some kind of mea culpa, recall the iPhone 4 (at least with some kind of voluntary return scheme) and then crawl away licking their wounds.
Unfortunately what a lot of the pundits, who themselves contributed to creating this 22 day circus forgot was that “Pride always comes before a fall”. They also forgot that Apple has said all along that if you don’t like the iPhone 4 you can return it within 30 days for a full refund.

Apple’s senior management wasn’t even on the same planet as most industry pundits when they entered the Press Conference. By that I mean that their perception of the issue was one based in reality, 22 days of hard work and investigation and several years of hard work prior to that. What it was certainly not based on was self-aggrandisation, a grubby search for page-views, or a self inflicted forced feedback loop of rumor and speculation feeding on itself in a piranha pool like frenzy.

The first bullet that Apple dodged was the amount of mileage that other manufacturers were planning to make out of “Antennagate”.

“Every Magic Trick consists of three parts, or acts.”

“The First part is called The Pledge. The Magician shows you something ordinary.”

So Steve started with the iPhone 4. He also softened us up with the now famous iPhone 4 Antenna song, and an admission that Apple makes mistakes.

Steve carefully orchestrated the way his monologue ran so that it led smoothly through a winding tail reenforcing just how good the iPhone 4 is at handling radio signals, and then arrived at a tantalising moment where he flirted with his own “pet theory” about why a minuscule number more calls have been recorded as dropped by AT&T on the iPhone 4 than on the iPhone 3GS.

With the dropped calls figure he gave us something which sounded like a negative, just briefly, before hinting at something a lot of people were salivating for – something free! And then he changed tack. That fleeting proposition seemed to be gone. So we listened all the more intently to what he had to say next…

In my own view the sampling for the iPhone 4 is so small by comparison to the 3GS it seems that comparing the two is irrelevant at this stage, whichever way you lean. But what it did do was put things in perspective and give Apple a really minor piece of bad “hard data” to take responsibility for, which it would later use as a reason to offer an appeasement to its customers.

As Steve continued to lecture us he dragged some of the iPhone 4’s main competitors into the room by the scruff of their necks, metaphorically; in the form of their handsets, and showed us their flaws also.

Now, in the UK it is illegal to produce adverts which criticise your competitors. At least it was the last time I checked. And I am pretty sure that although it used to go on in the US, it is now at least frowned upon, if not illegal in some states.

However, under the guise of a kind of public service announcement, or technical lecture, Steve Jobs spent about a third of his Press Conference showing us some of Apple’s leading competitors mobile devices dropping signals right in-front of our eyes. Just like the iPhone 4 has been reported as doing.

“The second act is called the turn. The Magician takes the ordinary something and makes it into something extraordinary.”

In one fell swoop he had created a global advert, sure to be replayed on news networks around the world, and streamed to people’s computers shortly after the Press Conference concluded. Levelling the playing field in Apple’s most important industry. Undoing harm, and putting previously falsely smug competitors on notice.

It is interesting to note that Apple got the video of the press conference up on its website in record time. And that there were clips from it playing on global news networks even before the Q&A immediately after the press conference had finished on the Apple campus.

This morning, instead of crowing about Apple’s troubles, as they were earlier in the week, Nokia and RIM are on the back foot and rushing to distribute their own Press Releases criticising Apple’s methods at the press conference. They’re in the offices emailing and faxing over the weekend! Apple is not. Apple’s competitors are now finding themselves doing their best to dispute the videos of their devices that Steve Jobs managed to get a global community looking at. But no-one, apart from tech. sites are picking any of this up. Because it’s not Apple, and it’s not interesting, and it’s the weekend now.

But back to the conference…

The second bullet that Apple dodged was the outcry that would come from third party iPhone 4 case manufacturers when they realised that Apple had just killed their business by giving away free Bumpers to a lot of their potential customers.

At the point where we all expected the “free Bumper” announcement I have already mentioned that Steve skilfully wheeled away and took us on another brief joy ride ride through how good the iPhone 4 is, just like that final twist on a roller coaster. And then he threw the free Bumper line out almost casually, as we were all looking the other way.

“But you wouldn’t clap yet because making something disappear isn’t enough. You have to bring it back.”

It was almost as if Jobs had watched “The Prestige” recently, and recalled perfectly how Michael Caine explained exactly the perfect steps a magicians trick should follow. (The quotes I am using are from that great movie, by the way.)
Now, something that had occurred to me a few days before the Press Conference, and one of the reasons I had my doubts about Apple giving out free Bumpers was that it could potentially alienate the entire third party product industry built up around the iPhone ecosystem.

Another reason that giving out Bumpers might be a bad idea is that I think it potentially opens a crack in Apple’s legal defence against the class action lawsuits that some initiated against Apple in the first few days that the iPhone 4 was on the market. But that is a subject for another article.

In any case Apple is giving out free Bumpers to all customers, and they have managed to make sure that there will be plenty on hand, and at the same time they won’t get more bad PR by gutting the relative cottage industry that iPhone third party accessories make up when compared to Apple’s corporate juggernaut.

Apple did that by “admitting”, or seeming to admit, that they couldn’t possibly manufacture enough Bumpers to satisfy all their customers themselves. And that they would get around that “problem” by enlisting the help of selected third party manufacturers, so that they could not only offer their customers a more diverse range of iPhone 4 Bumpers and covers to choose from. But also get them to them sooner rather than later. Whilst there may be some truth in the explanation that they could not produce enough Bumpers, it is certain that the thinking that went into that strategy ran deeper than simple supply issues.

To round the event out Steve confirmed that the white iPhone 4 would be available at the end of July. He assured us that Apple exists only to make its customers happy, and that they take all this very personally.

Finally in the Q&A he called both the New York Times and The Wall Street Journals liars.

“Now you’re looking for the secret. But you won’t find it because of course you’re not really looking. You don’t really want to work it out. You want to be… fooled.”

To be clear though, that last line I am quoting from “The Prestige” is not really where I am at personally. I never really saw there being a serious problem with the iPhone 4.

But that’s because I actually have one, and have been using it since a few days after launch, and have not had a single – not one – dropped call. And I use mine without a case in areas where both Nokia phones and previous iPhones had problems getting and keeping signals. So I don’t need to be convinced that the iPhone 4 is a great product.

Unfortunately Apple wasn’t trying to convince me. It was trying to convince an industry that exists on rumors and smoke and mirrors itself. Ironic when you consider that most rumor sites are the ones who feel they are drawing the curtain back on Apple’s “evil” PR machine. When in actual fact they are at best victims of their own forced feedback loop they create by stealing content from one another on the internet, and at worst vultures trolling for page views.

Overall I give Apple, and Steve Jobs 10 out of 10 for their handling of “antennagate”. So far…

I say so far, because it is not over yet. Those same sites, currently in some disarray as they work out their next move, already have their sights set on September the 30th. A deadline that Apple set for the end of free Bumpers. And one they are already assuming is the date that Apple will produce a hardware fix for the iPhone 4 that will change the laws of physics.

Woe betide Apple if they don’t come up with it. We might all be back at Cupertino in the first week of October otherwise.

Do let us know in the comments how you feel Apple has dealt with “Antennagate” so far…

Included for completeness below are the Press Releases from Nokia and RIM in response to Apple..

Nokia

Antenna design is a complex subject and has been a core competence at Nokia for decades, across hundreds of phone models. Nokia was the pioneer in internal antennas; the Nokia 8810, launched in 1998, was the first commercial phone with this feature.

Nokia has invested thousands of man hours in studying human behavior, including how people hold their phones for calls, music playing, web browsing and so on. As you would expect from a company focused on connecting people, we prioritize antenna performance over physical design if they are ever in conflict.
In general, antenna performance of a mobile device/phone may be affected with a tight grip, depending on how the device is held. That’s why Nokia designs our phones to ensure acceptable performance in all real life cases, for example when the phone is held in either hand. Nokia has invested thousands of man hours in studying how people hold their phones and allows for this in designs, for example by having antennas both at the top and bottom of the phone and by careful selection of materials and their use in the mechanical design.

RIM

Apple’s attempt to draw RIM into Apple’s self-made debacle is unacceptable. Apple’s claims about RIM products appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the public’s understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apple’s difficult situation. RIM is a global leader in antenna design and has been successfully designing industry-leading wireless data products with efficient and effective radio performance for over 20 years. During that time, RIM has avoided designs like the one Apple used in the iPhone 4 and instead has used innovative designs which reduce the risk for dropped calls, especially in areas of lower coverage. One thing is for certain, RIM’s customers don’t need to use a case for their BlackBerry smartphone to maintain proper connectivity. Apple clearly made certain design decisions and it should take responsibility for these decisions rather than trying to draw RIM and others into a situation that relates specifically to Apple. – Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie

John Lewis, a large UK retailer, has put on a presentation at an event called Christmas in July where it has detailed the specifications for the next iPod Touch revision, that it says it has heard from reliable supplier sources.

Basically they are saying that the next iPod Touch will have a 5MP camera, LED Flash and an accelerometer and a gyroscope. They obviously missed the fact that all members of the iPod Touch family to date have had an accelerometer. But anyway…

The Rumors they are passing onto us are probably not too far from the truth. The iPod already has a GPU comparable to the iPhone 4. Actually it’s identical. And Apple could use either the iPhone 3GS supply lines, or the iPhone 4 lines to put out a device capable of supporting a camera.

We reported on iPod Touch prototypes that leaked with cameras a month or two back. But they were on the back of the unit. In other news today, images of what may be new iPod Touch LCD panels seems to show a space for a “FaceTime” camera.

Apple has typically brought the iPod Touch into line with the core specs of each new iPhone launch anyway. But they won’t want sales of one device to threaten another if at all possible. So they’ll keep parity for games with the gyroscope and perhaps bumping the CPU a bit with an A4.

The hard thing to call is will Apple go with both a front and back facing camera, or choose between a front facing camera for pictures, and a back facing one for FaceTime?

My bet is if they go with one camera it will be one that gives us FaceTime. So no Flash, and no 5MP stills camera, and the iPhone 4 keeps a big exclusive feature to keep driving its sales.

What do you think? Let us know your guesses in the comments.

The store attendant gleefully told me that iPhone 4’s are sold out across the world. His smile dropped a little as I pulled my own iPhone 4 from my pocket. I was of no further interest to him so he moved on to the next customer.

His pricing for the devices does tend to reflect the supply chain news that we are hearing for Apple’s latest hot products.

iPhone 4 supplies are expected to be constrained until sometime in August. But analysts still expect Apple to sell over 10 Million units by then. By year end the same analysts are suggesting that Apple will sell 40 Million of more iPhones.

But Apples manufacturing partners are operating as fast as they possibly can simply to keep up with demand for the latest iPhone, as well as the the previous generation iPhone 3GS which is also still selling in large numbers.

The iPad supply chain seems to be under less pressure now. And that makes sense as it is now where the iPhone supply chain will be in August / September in terms of throughput stability.

Estimates for iPad sales in the June Quarter are now slightly up at 3.5 Million units. And the end of year estimate is for around 10 Million iPads in total.

Manufacturers involved in the production of the iPad for Apple in Taiwan seem on target to deliver 2 million units in July, and through each subsequent month for the foreseeable future.

The number of WiFi only and 3G units sold to date seems to be fairly evenly split, at 58% of sales going to 3G and 42% to WiFi.

Have you got your iPad or your iPhone 4 yet? Or are you still waiting? Let us know in the comments..

[AppleInsider] ]]> https://touchreviews.net/iphone-4-supplies-constrained-ipads-shipping-quantities/feed/ 0 https://touchreviews.net/apple-discontinue-iphone-3g-iphone-4g-announcement/ https://touchreviews.net/apple-discontinue-iphone-3g-iphone-4g-announcement/#comments Mon, 24 May 2010 19:48:38 +0000 https://touchreviews.net/?p=6828 Read More]]>

We reported just a scant few moments ago that analysts expect the iPhone 3GS to be reduced to $99 in the very near future. Most probably when the iPhone 4G / HD is announced officially at WWDC 2010.

We theorised that this may mean that the iPhone 3G will be phased out, and the low end iPod Touch with it too.

Boy Genius Report has just filed a report saying that it has heard that the iPhone 3G is no longer being shipped to AT&T stores in its 8GB configuration. And that orders for it are no longer being placed. Coincidentally this is also the amount of memory in the base iPod Touch model.

Both the iPhone 3G and the 8GB iPod Touch are not OpenGL ES 2.0 compatible, nor are they the most powerful devices in Apple’s iDevice portfolio. So not well suited to multi-tasking (in Apple’s opinion), a key part of iPhone OS 4.0.

I think its very easy to read into this that there will be sweeping changes to the current Apple iPhone and iPod touch lineup announced at WWDC. And we can expect iPhone 4G and new iPod touch to be more than 8GB and OpenGL ES 2.0 compatible by default. And to have more onboard RAM (like the iPhone 3GS) to deal with multitasking which will come on all new devices as part of iPhone OS 4.0.

I expect that the base model iPod touch will now be the 16GB model, which is more akin to the iPhone 3GS, and will therefore support multi-tasking better.

Apple is very obviously moving to consolidate its iDevice lineup for iPhone OS 4.0.

I also expect prices for the iPod touch 16GB will be the same as the price that the 8GB iPhone touch is currently. So perhaps hold off buying for a few days.

Will you be sad to see the iPhone 3G and the base iPod Touch model go? Or are you happy to have the opportunity to pick up a cheap iPhone 3GS, and better graphics and more RAM on all of Apple’s lineup? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Some interesting speculation out of Morgan Stanley today. Katy Huberty has revised her estimate of the Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) stock target price up from $275 per share to $310.

Even more bullish banks are setting a top limit of a possible $400 per share for Apple, moving forward. Making Katy’s impressive estimate look rather conservative!

Katy bases her estimate on four factors :

• Anticipated increase in iPhone sales.
• Better-than-expected iPad demand.
• Growth in the Chinese market.
• Improved corporate sales.

She also predicts 61.5 million iPhones will have sold by 2011.

Those figures come by and large from a joint Morgan Stanley and Alphawise survey in which there were details of predicted increases in users upgrading their iPhone. Fairly likely with a new iPhone on the way. And even more increased consumer interest, if only Apple would launch the iPhone on other networks.

Interestingly, in the same survey she predicts that the iPhone 3GS will be dropped in price to only $99. That’s an amazing deal for what is still a pretty awesome iPhone. It’s similar to what Apple did to the price of the 3G when they launched the iPhone 3GS not so long ago.

But it beggars the question, what will happen to the lower end iPod touch, and the iPhone 3G. If they are to be phased out it means that all new iDevices are now OpenGL ES 2.0 in the graphics department, and Apple’s mobile hardware ecosystem becomes more unified again. It also means that all new hardware going forward can expect to have more fully featured graphics effects across the board as developers can focus on one flavour of OpenGL ES for games.

Apple (AAPL) stock is rising again today, and sits at $249.00 (up $7 today) after dropping quite sharply in uncertain markets last week, only to rally back a little on Friday to $242.00.

Steve Jobs also seems quite bullish in emails he is sending out today, as we already reported. Most of his emails are in reply to consumers asking questions about Apple’s plans to respond to Google’s recent keynote and Google I/O event, and the Apple bashing they did there.

So it sees quite likely that we may see some bold moves from el-Jobs at WWDC 2010. Perhaps those moves will indeed include slashing iPhone 3GS prices, ending the 3G line, phasing out the lower end iPod touch, and replacing it with a version more in line with the 16GB or 32GB versions. And even perhaps rolling the iPhone out on another network (Verizon?) or two.

Does a $99 3GS sound like a bargain to you? Or are you committed to an iPhone 4G? Let us know in the comments…

Whenever statistics like this come out, one of the main points of contention is their reach. It’s very common for those that question the reach of Apple and their products to say that such statistics are misleading; Apple may have a healthy lead in North America but in the rest of the world they aren’t dominant. It should be noted that these are global numbers, not just North American ones. Anyone that doesn’t believe Apple is on the cusp of a dominance in the mobile market unseen by anyone, only need to look to these numbers. A 46% smartphone operating system share approaches the kind of commonplace ubiquity Microsoft currently enjoys in more traditional computing spaces. Although I’m not suggesting Apple is the new Microsoft, they are certainly moving into the same kind of market share space. Look around you. If you personally don’t own an iPhone you probably know at least two other people who do. Look around the bus or train during your next commute. How many people are talking, using, or playing a game on an iPhone? If you didn’t realize the dominance Apple has very quietly moved into, you will with that simple exercise.

So what does all of this mean? In my mind it means two things. First, Apple knows what it’s doing. You can dislike Apple or Steve Jobs on a personal level or disagree with their business practices but the numbers don’t lie. In the iPhone, Apple has created an interesting synthesis of style, function, and approachability. To paraphrase something I heard the other day (and I apologize for not being able to attribute it correctly) “Apple doesn’t always make something new, they take something that exists and make it better.” The MP3 player preexisted the iPod, the smartphone preexisted the iPhone, and tablet computers preexisted the iPad. Apple’s genius is in taking such a product and making it so much better that it seems like they created something new.

Second, Apple is making products people want. I think sometimes we, the tech industry, get so deeply entrenched in our own niche that we lose sight of the larger world. We sit around in our closed circle of news and friends and complain about how Apple makes closed systems and how they exert a draconian authority over their device and think the rest of the world agrees with us. Lift up your head everyone and look around. The iPhone is as ubiquitous as the Blackberry and those Motorola Razrs were 10 years ago. Apple has had to delay the international release of the iPad twice because they can’t make them fast enough. What we see as “closed” and “authoritarian” the rest of the world sees as “easy” and “intuitive”. We may not like it, but Apple is making what the everyday person wants; computing devices that don’t require a manual you’ll never read or color coded connections you still can’t get right. No solder guns or pin alignments required. That may be a hard pill for a lot of people to swallow but that’s life. We’re in a new world here and all the keyboards, mice, and home brewed, water cooled computers aren’t going to change that.

Are these statistics further proof of Apple’s growing dominance in the mobile computing space? Will the revolution in computing be lead by Apple or some other competitor? Weigh in on the topic in our comments section.

It’s with this in mind that an article from iPhoneWorld becomes very interesting. A video has been found on YouTube using the same visual style and musical synchronization we have come to know from Apple’s iPhone commercials. It displays a completely redesigned iPhone with a larger screen and rectangular speaker and home button. As the phone flips around through the course of the commercial we see the rear of the device has two openings where one would assume is a camera and flash. Probably one of the most interesting aspects of the commercial though starts at the 19 second where it purports to show a video call. If you pause the commercial and look closely you see a small opening embedded in the far right hand side of the reshaped speaker. Front facing camera perhaps? If they’re demonstrating video calling it would be a must. It all ends by informing us the new device will be called the iPhone HD and that it’s “The most social iPhone yet”. Watch the full video below. More after the break.

Pretty compelling isn’t it? Even if this is the greatest KIRF in the history of iPhone KIRF’s, this is the iPhone Apple needs to make. A larger, presumably HD, screen with combined with a forward facing camera would bury the Nexus One and reestablish the iPhone as the preeminent smartphone. Mix in improved hardware under the hood and software features like the much desired multitasking and iPhone popularity would rocket into the stratosphere.

Is this the iPhone you’ve been waiting for? Would it make you drop your Nexus One, Droid, or even 3GS to climb on the Apple bandwagon? Is this the most glorious KIRF in history? Drop us a comment and let us know.

Palm Pre’s WebOS features a very intuitive interface to switch active applications without actually closing the app, which makes the device capable of multi-tasking. If your iPhone or iPod touch is jailbroken then you don’t have to hope that Apple adds ‘backgrounding’ ability in iPhone OS 4.0. ProSwitcher adds Palm Pre-style application switcher to any jailbroken iPhone running iPhone OS 3.0+

iPhone is truly a revolutionary device, its strength lies in the seamless integration of hardware and software. We hope that Apple will eventually update iPhone OS with multi-tasking feature to remain competitive in the enterprise sector.

ProSwitcher iPhone Multitasking App

How To Get and Use ProSwitcher! Make Your iPhone like a Palm Pre! – Mod

Source

iZombie Death March brings blood-soaked Zombie shooting experience with it’s gory graphics and shrieking sound effects to your iPhone/iPod touch!

Survive zombies, and defend against chainsaw monsters, demonic dogs, flying skulls, and Mama. Six chilling missions with 4 difficulty levels – Easy, Normal, Death Wish, and Nightmare. Unlock missions, weapons, and cheats. Battle through graveyards, abandoned fields, industrial bunkers and treacherous roadways. Avoid being eaten alive!

The main objective of iZombie Death March is to shoot all the Zombies to stay alive. iZombie Death March has six chapters (Point Blank, Guardian, Bunker, Graveyard, Runaway and extraction) and within each chapter it features 4 levels (Easy, Normal, Death Wish and nightmare)

The gameplay is very simple, intuitive and enjoyable. You shoot the Zombies by tapping on the screen. SonicBOOM incorporates the tilt control very well within some chapters where you need to turn your device on flashlight and driving levels. iZombie Death March lets you concentrate on the main objective of the game by giving unlimited Ammo with automatic weapon reloading.

Each chapter in iZombie Death March has a unique gameplay and features weapons and cheats that can be unlocked which makes the game very interesting.

iZombie Death March is a remarkably well built first person Zombie shooting game with great graphics and sound effects.

Touch Reviews Highly Recommends iZombie Death March!

Price $.99

The Good

• Great graphics and sound effects
• 6 Chapters with unique gameplay
• Challenging levels

The Not So Good

• We would like to see an online multiplayer with Push Notification
• More chapters
• Online Scoreboard

iZombie Death March Tips and Tricks

• In the first chapter try and anticipate the Zombies direction and shoot
• In Runaway continue shooting in one direction (front)
• In Extraction use multitouch and cover the directions with less distance first.

iZombie Death March Sreenshots

Share your Tips in the comments!

The free iPhone OS 3.0 Software Update includes some great new features, as well as all the features from previous updates. iPhone OS 3.0 also lets you run the next generation of iPhone apps, like peer-to-peer games and more. If you’ve never updated before, now is the perfect time.

Download the 3.0 Software Update.

iPhone OS 3.0 is expected any moment. Use the space for comments below to share your experience, screenshots or anything else you like.

Check back soon for an update to this post

[UPDATE] OS 3.0 is NOW LIVE!

When Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in Macworld 2007 it was primarily promoted as a widescreen iPod with touch controls, revolutionary mobile phone and breakthrough internet communications device. Over the past two years a lot has changed and it would not be wrong to say that Apple has not only reinvented the Phone but has also changed the entire mobile gaming industry.

The introduction of App Store has caused a revolution in the way software for phones should be made available and developed. iPhone/iPod touch apps and games have been successful due to iPhone’s revolutionary UI, interplay of hardware-software and the growing creative development community.

iPhone OS 3.0 will be released on June 17 which brings a lot of feature enhancements and speed bumps, but it will also push iPhone gaming to the next level with Push Notification, In app Purchase and Peer to Peer Connectivity.

Push notification

There are a number of ways to send a push notification. Send a message with text that lets the user launch your app. Trigger audible alerts with your own custom sounds. Add a numbered badge to your app icon when it’s important to let the user know how many things are waiting for them.

iPhone OS 3.0 will enable developers to add a new feature to their apps/games with which they will be able to engage and unite users all over the world with a simple sound or text alert. Push Notification will bring new meaning to online games enabling users to connect instantly anywhere and anytime. Today Tap Tap Revenge 2 was updated with push notification service which allows you to challenge your friends to beat your high score. It will be interesting to see how iPhone game developers further make use of this service to enhance mobile gaming. ngmoco:) has already demonstrated how LiveFire (multiplayer first-person shooter) will utilize push notification service allowing you to ask your friends to help you out in game missions which will certainly add great replay value and unique gaming experience.

Wondering how to do everything on iPhone? Preparing for the iPhone 3G S launch?

Head over to apple.com to read and view basic How-Tos and learn more about specific iPhone features.

Top How-Tos

• Conference Calls
• Wi-Fi Networks
• Web Browsing
• Sync with iTunes
• The App Store
• Setting Up Voicemail
• Stereo Headset
• Syncing Calendars
• Emailing Photos
• Favorite Calls
• Setting Ringtones
• Email Organization
• Using iPhone Abroad
• Converting Video
• Managing Contacts

Or watch videos of iPhone in action in the Features section.

If you find something we haven’t heard of yet, use the space for comments to let us know!