Apple Inc. (AAPL) will announce its Q4 FY13 earnings on October 28 during a conference call at 2:00 p.m. PT. AAPL CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer will discuss the results during the live earnings call.

The company set an all new record this year with the iPhone sales. Apple Inc. sold 9 million devices (iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c) during the launch weekend. Even though Apple did not release individual sales figures many reports published online have suggested that iPhone 5s sales were greater than the iPhone 5c.

Apple witnessed high demand for the iPhone 5s and because of the low yield rates of the fingerprint sensor the shipping date for many customers was pushed to October. The company is still struggling to meet the demand as the online store still mentions shipping in October as opposed to within 24 hours for the iPhone 5c.

iOS 7 has been a huge success for Apple has more than 200 million devices were upgraded to the latest operating system during the first week. Even iTunes Radio saw massive adoption with over 11 million unique listeners. The launch of the new streaming music service could have resulted in boost for the iTunes Match service as with the subscription iTunes Radio goes ad free.

Apple will be questioned about the rumored Apple television set and iWatch and the company as usual is unlikely to provide any update related to future products.

The shares of AAPL have improved in the recent past however it hasn’t recovered to the all time high of $700. At the time of writing the shares are trading at $490.97 and the company’s market capital is valued at $445.8 billion.

Apple has been widely rumored to be working on subscription based music streaming service for iOS devices. When Apple purchased LaLa, many believed that the company would introduce a streaming service. However, the purchase turned out to be to acquire talent to develop iTunes Match service.

Evad3rs released their ‘evasi0n’ unthethered jailbreak for iPhone5 on Tuesday and now 9to5Mac points us to hidden radio icons in iOS 6.1 release. Jailbreaking the iPad with evasi0n and then going through the files in Music.app revealed references to “radio button” with icons bearing resemblance to radio streaming icon in iTunes. Further, it was found that the button files are labeled with “buy” in the filename.

Many news publications like Bloomberg and WSJ previously reported on rumors about Apple working on Pandora competitor and cited music label licensing deals as being one of the hurdles being faced by the company. If those rumors are to be believed and with the hidden radio icons being revealed in iOS 6.1 is any indication then we could be seeing Apple announcing a new music subscription service soon.

Apple could be looking at allowing users to stream music tailored to their taste using the genius data and then integrating it with the iTunes store to allow purchase of favourite tracks. iTunes music store was recently made available in 56 new countries and the Cupertino, Calif. based company could now be looking at launching a music streaming service.

After releasing five betas to developers, Apple has finally released iOS 6.1 to the public, adding new LTE carriers for use on the iPhone 5 as well as the ability to purchase movie tickets with Siri through the new Fandango integration. Apple’s SVP of WorldWide Marketing commented on the update:

iOS 6.1 brings LTE support to more markets around the world, so even more users can enjoy ultrafast Safari browsing, FaceTime video calls, iCloud services, and iTunes and App Store downloads.

The update also brings smaller features such as the ability to download individual songs through iTunes Match as opposed to entire albums and a reset button for the Advertising Identifier.

This update contains improvements and bug fixes, including:

– LTE support for more carriers (complete list of supported carriers at www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/)
– Purchase movie tickets through Fandango with Siri (USA only)
– iTunes Match subscribers can now download individual songs from iCloud
– New button to reset the Advertising Identifier

The full list of LTE carriers includes the following:

• USA: Alaska Communications, Alaska GCI, Bluegrass Cellular, C Spire, Cellcom, Pioneer Cellular
• Canada: MTS, Sasktel
• Puerto Rico: Claro, Open Mobile
• Croatia: T-Mobile, VIPNet
• Denmark: 3, Telenor, Telia
• Finland: DNA, Elisa, Sonera
• Greece: Cosmote
• Hungary: T-Mobile
• Italy: 3, TIM, Vodafone
• Kuwait: Zain
• Luxembourg: Tango
• Philippines: Globe, SMART
• Portugal: Optimus, TMN, Vodafone
• Saudi Arabia: Mobily, Zain
• South Africa: Vodacom
• Switzerland: Swisscom
• UAE: DU, Etisalat

The new LTE carriers are currently supported only by Apple’s latest iOS lineup, which includes the 4th-generation iPad, the iPad mini, and the iPhone 5. They are not supported on the third generation iPad despite the device carrying 4G LTE connectivity. With this update, Apple made sure to thoroughly iron out any bugs, after the company experienced major issues with their iOS Maps application, as well as Siri which led to the ousting of iOS chief Scott Forstall.

Apple is expected to release iOS 7 later this year, likely alongside a refreshed ‘iPhone 5S’ or the rumored cheaper iPhone. The update is available for download via iTunes or as an OTA (Over-The-Air) update through Settings on any iOS device.

{Via MacRumors}

On Thursday, the same day Apple released the iOS 6.1 beta to developers, the Cupertino, California based company also released iOS 6.0.1 to users of the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. iOS 6.0.1 addresses a host of issues with iOS and brings minor bug fixes for all iOS devices.

The update addresses an issue where in some instances, the iPhone’s camera flash would not go off, as well as an issue that prevented the iPhone from connected to a cellular network. The full list of issues that iOS 6.0.1 addresses is below:

• Fixes a bug that prevents iPhone 5 from installing software updates wirelessly over the air.
• Fixes a bug where horizontal lines may be displayed across the keyboard.
• Fixes an issue that could cause camera flash to not go off.
• Improves reliability of iPhone 5 and iPod touch (5th generation) when connected to encrypted WPA2 Wi-Fi networks.
• Resolves an issue that prevents iPhone from using the cellular network in some instances.
• Consolidated the Use Cellular Data switch for iTunes Match.
• Fixes a Passcode Lock bug which sometimes allowed access to Passbook pass details from lock screen.
• Fixes a bug affecting Exchange meetings.

According to AppleInsider, rumors about the release of iOS 6.0.1 and iOS 6.1 were noted last month. iOS 6.1 is a larger update and is expected to arrive after the holidays. However, iOS 6.0.1 is available for download now as an OTA (Over-the-air) update under Settings on any iOS device and is also available via iTunes when a device is connected.

Apple has also released an “Updater for iPhone 5” which will run on the iPhone 5 prior to installing 6.0.1 which fixes an issue preventing the device from installing updates. After running Updater, the iPhone 5 can then download and install iOS 6.0.1.

{Via AppleInsider}

Apple introduced its iTunes Match services last November, allowing its users to create a music locker by matching their music libraries with songs available on iTunes from major music labels and artists. After bringing the service over to a number of countries, including Brazil last December, the company has now decided to release it in a list of new countries including Austria, Greece, and Italy.

Earlier Tuesday, MacRumors received reports that Apple was planning to launch iTunes Match in new countries, with many users reporting that they were prompted to agree to updated iTunes Store terms and conditions while others were unable to complete registration for the Match service.

Apple’s support document for the service has a running list of all the countries that the service is available in, however, at this point has not been updated and does not contain other countries slated to receive the music locker, such as Bulgaria, Portugal, and Slovenia. Alongside the feature of iTunes Match, users should also be able to use iTunes in the Cloud features as well, allowing them to re-download any previously purchased app, song, or music video from iTunes.

Apple’s introduction of the iTunes Match service in a number of international countries is only one of the many ways that the company is targeting customers abroad. iTunes Match is a different approach to the “cloud”, allowing users to access copies of the music files in their library as opposed to spending hours uploading their entire music and video libraries.

{via MacRumors}

Apple Inc. (AAPL) recently launched a new TV ad called “Harmony” which in 30 seconds highlights iCloud service for iOS and OS X. AAPL has been posting a series of iPhone 4S ads which show the all-new voice assistant Siri and the much improved camera and now with the latest ad the focus has turned to iCloud.

iCloud automatically stores music, photos, apps, calendars, contacts, documents and keeps all your iCloud enabled devices in sync. When Apple introduced iOS 5 during WWDC 2011 Steve Jobs took to the stage to talk about iCloud and repeatedly said, “it just works”. The new TV ad in a similar theme conveys that iCloud is “Automatic. Everywhere.”

The ad begins with the all-new welcome screen in iOS 5 which gives you an option to use iCloud and then goes on to show an album being purchased on iPhone 4S which then shows up on iPad 2 and MacBook Air. Then photos, calendar, app purchases, contacts update and iBooks are all shown to sync between different devices.

With the introduction of iCloud users can not only keep their iOS devices in sync but can also backup to the cloud, set up the device without connecting to iTunes and with iTunes Match they can upload their entire music library to the cloud.

iCloud is a free service available on devices running iOS 5 or higher however, if you need to add more space for backup then you could purchase additional storage right from your device.

Rumors earlier in the week suggested that Apple Inc. (AAPL) was looking to roll out their iTunes in the Cloud services to its Japanese users, and on Wednesday, Apple did exactly that. This allows Japanese users to freely download previous content from the iTunes Store.

A report from 9to5Mac also revealed that AAPL included a number of other features to the Japanese iTunes Store, including iTunes Plus, 3G downloads, Ringtones, and Complete My Album. Apple has posted a What’s New page [Google translation] on its Japanese iTunes site, highlighting some of the new features:

– 3G downloads: Music downloads from iOS devices had previously been restricted to Wi-Fi only, but users can now access content over 3G networks.

– iTunes Plus: The Japanese iTunes Store now supports the DRM-free 256 kbps iTunes Plus format, up from the previous 128 kbps versions carrying usage restrictions. Labels will need to upgrade their content to the new standard, so it may take some time for all music to become available in iTunes Plus format.

– Ringtones: Music ringtones are now available for purchase in the Japanese iTunes Store.

– Mastered for iTunes: Rolling out on a worldwide basis, Apple is now featuring songs and albums that have been specifically mastered for the iTunes Store to provide the best sound quality for the format.

– Complete My Album: Users who previously purchased individual tracks from an album can now purchase the entire album for a discounted price based on a credit for their individual-track purchases.

With the latest update, Apple has not brought over almost all of the new features, except the iTunes Match service, currently available in only 37 countries. The iTunes Match service allows users to match or upload their entire music libraries to access from any iCloud-enabled device.

Apple has not commented as to whether they will bring over that service to the Japanese iTunes Store, but reports suggest that Apple is looking to bring over the service during the first half of 2012. A large part of Apple’s revenue stream now comes from Japan and China, only two of the countries in Apple’s Asian market.

{via MacRumors}

On Tuesday, Apple launched iTunes Store, the popular music, movies, and app download service introduced by Apple over 5-6 years ago, in a number of Latin American counties. The Latin American countries receiving Apple’s iTunes Store include Brazil as well as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela.

iTunes in the Cloud is available today for free in Brazil and Latin America and iTunes Match is available today for a $24.99 annual fee in Brazil.

The iTunes Store in Brazil offers over a thousand movies to rent or purchase, with many in stunning HD, from major studios including 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Universal Pictures, The Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures. The iTunes Store in Brazil now joins the revolutionary App Store™, which offers more than 500,000 apps to consumers in 123 countries, reaching hundreds of millions of iPad, iPhone and iPod touch® users around the world. Customers have downloaded more than 18 billion apps to date.

Apple also introduced the iTunes Match service to Brazil, giving customers the opportunity to take advantage of Apple’s music matching and cloud services. Apple is expanding its reach with many of its products, rolling out in international countries.

Recently, Apple announced that the iPhone 4S would be launching in Saudi Arabia as well as a number of other countries. With Apple improving its cloud services and iTunes products each year, Apple is gaining more revenue not only the US but a large chunk from international markets too.

{via TiPb}

In addition to the release of iOS 5.1 beta 2, Apple also released iTunes 10.5.2 with iTunes Match updates and fixes for an audio distortion issue experienced by customers on select CD’s that they attempted to scan.

Apple is keeping on top of issues reported by customers and is very efficient with addressing the problems as soon as possible. Apple is cranking out software updates now for the Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, as well as Safari updates and numerous others for the Mac.

About iTunes 10.5.2

iTunes 10.5.2 includes several improvements for iTunes Match and fixes an audio distortion problem when playing or importing certain CDs.

The download is available via Apple’s download page as well as the separate iTunes download page. The iTunes download is 102 MB for Mac, 66.13 MB for 32-bit Windows, and 68.01 MB for 64-bit Windows.

Apple introduced iTunes Match with the update iTunes 10.5.2. Apple will continue to release updates to improve the service slowly with other features available in iOS and Mac OS X.

After weeks of speculation, Apple finally released their new music locker service, iTunes Match. Apple pegged the release for an October release, but delayed it until the first week of November. iTunes Match is currently available to US customers for a $25/ a year fee, which will allow them to scan their iTunes music library and replicate it in the cloud.

In order to utilize the new service, users must update to the new iTunes 10.5.1, which was also released on Monday. Both iTunes Match and iTunes 10.5.1 were released to developers for a beta preview multiple times in order for Apple to work out any issues and bugs associated with the service.

Currently, Apple is only operating the iTunes Match service in the United States but is working to secure licensing to expand availability to other countries.When iTunes Match rent live due to overwhelming response from customers subscriptions were down for bit, with iTunes putting up a message prompting users to “check back in an hour”. iTunes Match joins the market with a number of other cloud locker competitors, including Google and Amazon’s own Cloud services.

Apple will likely expand the Match service to all devices and integrate it more into Mac OS and iOS as more software updates are released and eventually make it a prime part of their cloud expansion.

Are you signing up for iTunes Match? Do you think the $25/year is a reasonable price to pay?

Apple appears to be preparing for iOS 5 release date as it wiped iTunes Match data on Monday at 9AM PDT. Last week we reported that Apple posted a notification on the iOS developer portal mentioning that iCloud backup data would be deleted on Thursday, September 22nd.

In an email to developers Apple mentioned that in order to “improve the overall quality and reliability of iTunes Match” all current iCloud libraries would be deleted. After the seventh iOS 5 beta release no new beta has been made available to developers. It is widely believed that the company is now ready to seed Gold Master (GM) seed to developers in the coming week.

With iTunes Match roll-out Apple has tested all features planned for iOS 5 and wiping the data at this stage could point to a near release date for the next major software release for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The Cupertino, California-based company is rumored to hold a media event on October 4th, which is believed to be date when iPhone 5 will be unveiled. It’s possible that the company could be looking at making the GM seed available after iPhone 5 announcement and make it available to all users when the fifth-gen iPhone goes on sale.

iOS 5 will feature more than 200 new user features including Notification Center, iMessage, Newsstand, Reminders, WiFi Sync and much more. According to various reports and speculation iPhone 5 will support all-new design, A5 processor, 1GB RAM and 8 megapixel camera.

{via Mac Rumors}

One of the largest music streaming giants, Spotify, announced today that they would be debuting their services in the United States. The launch is currently in beat phase and is available as an invite only Free service along-with two paid versions: Unlimited at $4.99/month and Premium at $9.99/month.

Spotify has also released an iPhone app in the App Store for users to take advantage of Spotify’s offerings on their iOS device. However, mobile users must be subscribed to the Premium service in order to use the iPhone app.

During our invite-only beta phase, we’ll be offering three great services – from absolutely free to paid subscriptions. The services we’re launching today are:

– Spotify Free – the unsurpassed free music service. With an invite, enjoy on-demand, buffer-free access to over 15 million songs on your computer and great social features. Manage your own music files through Spotify, and sync with your cellphone or iPod. Features occasional advertising.

– Spotify Unlimited – all the special features of our free service, but with uninterrupted, ad-free access to Spotify on your computer. All for only $4.99 a month.

– Spotify Premium – the top-of-the-range Spotify experience. Premium gives you access to all the music, all the time. Listen online or offline, on your computer, your cellphone and a whole heap of other devices. Enjoy enhanced sound quality and access to exclusive content, competitions and special offers. Premium costs just $9.99 a month. (That’s the equivalent of a couple of fancy coffees.)

Spotify’s debut in the United States is backed by ad partners including Coca-Cola/Sprite, Chevrolet, Motorola, Reebok and Sonos who are developing specific ads for the service. Spotify has seen much success in Europe and is going to get the chance to establish itself in the US and possibly compete with other music giants such as Napster, iTunes, and Pandora.

{via MacRumors}

Spotify is finally coming to the United States and has already started accpeting signups for invites in the US. Visitors in the U.S. are now redirected to a signup page where you can enter an email address to be one of the first to receive an invite.

The Sweden-based streaming music service allows users to listen to any music that the company has licensed. Apple’s iTunes on the other hand only allows users to listen to music that they have purchased from the iTunes Store or other sources.

There are free subscriptions in Spotify that are limited by hours of listening time, similiar to Pandora. Then, there are paid subscriptions that offer features such as offline mode, the ability to download songs to iPods and more. Subscription fees range from €5 to €10 per month.

Spotify has been growing steadily since it’s introduction and it will be interesting to see it’s adoption rate in the United States.

Will you sign up for Spotify when it releases? Are you going to be using the service if an app comes to iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch? Sound off in the comments below!

{via MacRumors}