Apple’s plan to replace Gorilla Glass with sapphire glass in iPhone 6 didn’t go so well as their partnership with GT Advanced resulted in dissolution due to production issues.

Apple and Corning’s Gorilla Glass share a long history. When Steve Jobs was working on the original iPhone he didn’t want to use a plastic screen, instead wanted it to be made of glass. Since glass screen would have been too easy to break someone recommended that Jobs should see what Corning was doing. At that time Corning was developing the Gorilla Glass technology however, it wasn’t ready for mass production. Jobs ordered a ton of Gorilla Glass and kept telling Corning CEO Wendell Weeks, “Don’t be afraid. You can do this.” In 2007 Apple introduced the iPhone with Gorilla Glass.

Corning’s Gorilla Glass has seen tremendous improvements since it began its first mass production in 2006. Gorilla Glass 2 was 30% thinner than the former, Gorilla Glass 3 used an entirely new composition. Gorilla Glass 4 which is expected to be featured on smartphones, tablets and other devices this year is twice as shatter-resistant in drop tests when compared to previous version.

It’s obvious that Apple makes for a large part of Corning’s revenue and they would’ve seen Apple’s move to consider sapphire for iPhone 6 as a possible threat. The company seems to have taken that as a challenge and started work on offering the same scratch-resistance as sapphire with ‘Project Phire’.

Competition in most cases can lead to innovation and if ‘Project Phire’ turns out to offer what Corning is promising then it is possible that Apple will continue to use Corning’s technology in upcoming iOS devices. Coring didn’t immediately provide any demo video or live demonstration of its new technology however, we can expect the company to share an update soon.

Glass used on smartphones and tablets is increasingly becoming another core technology. Apple has consistently shown interest in owning core technologies as it did try to “own” glass technology by partnering with GT Advanced for sapphire production.

It will be interesting to see if Apple continues to rely on Corning for its screen technology or develop something new.

Corning Gorilla Glass 4 Video

A larger iPad with a screen size of about 12.2 inches could potentially compete with the MacBook Air. While Apple has never shown any interest in developing a touch compatible version of OS X, it remains unclear if the iPad Pro will run iOS or a modified version of OS X. Apple has been known to be working on screen splitting on iOS and it’s possible that iPad Pro may introduce this feature if it runs iOS.

According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple could also be working on a stylus for the iPad Pro which would probably be an optional accessory as opposed to being a required accessory to use the device.

The photo of the purported third-party case of the iPad Pro certainly appears to be significantly larger than the cases of iPad Air 2 and also shows four cut-outs for the rumoured stereo speakers.

Apple’s current line-up of tablets offer both 7.9 inch and 9.7 inch screen options. Making the iPad Pro just larger probably won’t be the only differentiating factor that Apple is looking at. For the “Pro” moniker the company could be looking at offering significant differences to the features of the existing line-up. At this time not much is known about the rumoured device. The new device could feature a more powerful A9 processor and more RAM.

Release date of iPad Pro is being speculated to be sometime this year. Apple is on schedule to release Apple Watch in April. So we can expect an Apple media event in September / October.

What do you think about the possibility of the iPad Pro. Will you buy one based on the features being rumoured? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

We have a number of strategies in progress to increase loyalty and attract more customers, including our announcement today that we will begin offering Apple products later this year. By further strengthening our device portfolio, we’ll give consumers another great reason to switch to U.S. Cellular, and enable our existing customers to choose from an even wider variety of iconic smartphones, and enjoy the outstanding U.S. Cellular customer experiences they deserve.

The carrier announced that its smartphone penetration is at “43 percent of core market customers and growing quickly”. It is in Apple’s best interest to make its smartphones and tablets to more local carriers in the US and globally. The Cupertino, Calif., based company has been facing intense competition from Samsung. Increasing the availability of Apple’s devices on more carriers would help in gaining more market share and customer satisfaction.

Apple is known to ask carriers to commit purchase of certain number of iPhones and most carriers have been happy to strike deal with the iPhone maker. Major carriers like AT&T and Verizon have been reporting iPhone as a popular smartphone and accounts for a large portion of their activations.

{via MacRumors}

According to a new report Apple is expected to launch lower priced iPad mini this year that could hit the market at $199 – $249 price points. With Android gaining market share in the smartphone and tablet market many analysts believe that the Cupertino, Calif., based company should address the low priced market segment.

We’ve reported on rumors about Apple working on a cheaper iPhone and now as iPad mini refresh is expected soon reports about cheaper iPad mini are beginning to flourish. The second gen iPad mini is expected to carry the same design but feature high resolution retina display and upgraded cameras. The processors and RAM would also see an update to support the high processing power required by the retina display.

In a research note, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo mentions:

Prior to iPad mini 2 launch, Apple might roll out a more affordable iPad mini to compete with Android products. To cut costs, Apple might push for lower component prices, use a more advanced process to produce the A5 processor, simplify metal casing production, remove the rear camera, cut storage to 8GB and find more component suppliers to lower costs. We think this cheaper iPad mini retail for US$199~249.

Kuo believes that at a lower price point Apple will be able to cater to the low end of the tablet market which is currently dominated by Android tablets. Apple has publicly denied all reports of a low-cost product and have continued to stress on quality of the products. However, it will be interesting to see if the company introduces a low cost tablet in the market to remain competitive and stop Android from dominating any particular market segment.

{via MacRumors}

China is quickly becoming the focal point of the smartphone market, with the country slated to surpass the United States and become the world’s largest smart device market in the world. According to mobile analytics platform, Flurry, China has the most active Android and iOS tablets and smartphones. China has been in close competition with the United States since last year, with a user base of 222 million in the United States and 221 million in China.

The report also notes that China will surpass the US with an estimated 246 million devices as opposed to the 230 million devices in the United States. In the first fiscal quarter of 2013, Apple reported a 67 percent revenue increase in China, coming out to about $6.8 billion. During past earnings reports, CEO Tim Cook mentioned that China is a major growth opportunity for Apple as it is the second largest region and a large part of the company’s revenue comes from the country.

Apple has continued to expand in China, adding over 10 retail locations and focusing on making the country among the first to receive new product releases. China has continued to add more smart devices, with over 150 million additions in the year of 2012 in comparison to the 55 million in the United States.

China also has massive influence in the manufacturing of these products, as it is the location of major companies such as Foxconn which builds devices for Apple and many other companies in the United States. Other markets trailing China and the US include the U.K with 43 million smart devices, South Korea with 30 million, and Japan with 29 million devices.

{Via MacRumors}

On Tuesday, Apple Inc. (AAPL) introduced the widely rumored iPad Mini. Although the iPad mini was exactly what users were expecting, a smaller screen, a full sized experience, many are still disappointed with the pricing of the device, which starts at $329. Users expected AAPL to introduce a device in the $199-$299 price range, usually what Android tablets are selling for in the market.

According to Reuters, Apple’s SVP of Product Marketing, Phil Schiller was quick to defend the iPad mini pricing at $329, saying that it is correct when compared to Apple’s product category.

“The iPad is far and away the most successful product in its category. The most affordable product we’ve made so far was $399 and people were choosing that over those devices,” Schiller said.

“And now you can get a device that’s even more affordable at $329 in this great new form, and I think a lot of customers are going to be very excited about that,” Schiller said.

Apple’s competitors such as Google and Amazon are mainly content based companies and are looking to make money off of the services that they offer, selling the device as a secondary accompaniment in order to sell content and advertising. However, Apple is selling the hardware and software first, and is looking to give customers an experience, rather than to simply sell content. As the holiday season approaches, it will be interesting to see how Apple’s iPad mini plays out with customers and if the pricing will affect the sale of the device in the long run.

{Via MacRumors}

On Monday, a report from The Wall Street Journal mentioned that Apple Inc. (AAPL) has placed orders for around 10 million iPad mini tablets to supply chain vendors. This information reportedly came directly from the chain vendors in Asia who claim that they received the orders from AAPL.

If the proposed information turns out to be true, this means that Apple has long finalized the design and the hardware internals of the device as it is now in production and that the rumors about the Mini seen in the past may very well be true.

Some component suppliers to Apple in Asia say they have received orders to make more than 10 million units of the smaller tablets in the fourth quarter. That is roughly double the order that were placed for Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets in the same quarter, these suppliers say. The figure indicates that Apple believes demand for the product will be strong, despite stiff competition in the market. Apple hasn’t responded to requests for comment on the smaller tablet dubbed by the industry as the iPad mini.

Over the past few weeks, rumors about the new iPad Mini have slowed down, likely pointing to the fact that there are no new part leaks, and all of the rumored information available may be what is going to be in the final version.

Apple currently dominates the tablet industry, with its 9.7 inch iPad, however, consumers are also beginning to opt for smaller screen sizes for portability and cheaper prices. With a 7 inch iPad Mini, Apple can continue to lead the market and provide users with a cheaper, smaller option without sacrificing any features.

{Via iMore}

In an interesting turn of events in the ongoing legal battle between Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Samsung a U.K court ordered the Cupertino based company to publish notice saying that Samsung didn’t copy the iPad.

AAPL lost a patent lawsuit against Samsung in a London court on July 9 and Judge Colin Birss ordered a ruling which stated that Samsung’s Galaxy tablets don’t infringe Apple’s iPad design. The Judge has now ordered Apple to post the notice on it’s U.K website for a period of six months and also run advertisement in several newspapers and magazines to correct Samsung’s impression in the eyes of the customers.

Bloomberg was first to report on the developing story and has published a statement by Richard Hacon, a lawyer who is representing Apple in the U.K courts.

The order means Apple will have to publish “an advertisement” for Samsung, and is prejudicial to the company, Richard Hacon, a lawyer representing Cupertino, California-based Apple, told the court. “No company likes to refer to a rival on its website.”

The latest development in the international patent lawsuits between the two tech giants comes as an embarrassment to Apple as the company has repeatedly said that Samsung ‘slavishly’ copied it’s iPad and iPhone. Apple is free to appeal the decision and will most likely do so.

Competition in the tablet market is heating up as Android market share is on the rise and Galaxy Tablets finally beginning to see some success. Apple is clearly in the lead with its iPad being a major success in all major international markets however, the ruling by U.K judge could put some pressure on Apple and think of alternate ways to tackle and defend it’s intellectual property rights.

It will be interesting to see how Apple lawyers respond and appeal this decision in the U.K. This ruling could also be seen as first major victory for Samsung. The South Korea-based company had to face injunction against its Galaxy Tab in Australia and the U.S.

Apple’s rumored 7 inch iPad has been trending on the web since late last year, and now details about the device are beginning to emerge. Japanese site Macotakara reported late last week that Apple is slowly beginning to ramp up production of the 7.85” iPad mini at its Foxconn location in Brazil. The source also mentions that the tablet will, in fact be called the iPad Mini and that production tests on new cutting machines have already been done in China.

Source said that, production phase of this tablet will be started since September, and this tablet should be shipped until holiday season, but announcement will not be so soon.

The smaller version of the tablet has been reported to have 3G capabilities, but will likely be set up similar to the current iPad, with both WiFi and 3G versions available. Other details about the device remain unclear, and may appear as the announcement date gets closer. The iPad Mini would be competing with other smaller tablets on the market such as the Kindle Fire and Google Nexus 7.

The iPad Mini is expected to be thinner than the Kindle Fire, and will likely adopt an almost identical, albeit smaller design. According to Bloomberg, Apple is expected to release the iPad Mini later this year, during the same October timeframe as the next gen iPhone 5 and the public release of iOS 6.

{via MacRumors}

Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) and Apple Inc. (AAPL) have been competing in the ereader and tablet market for over a year now, since the iPad was introduced. On Friday, a report from Bloomberg mentioned that Amazon is now looking to introduce its own smartphone to take on the iPhone and some of the leading Android devices in the market.

A smartphone would give Amazon a wider range of low-priced hardware devices that bolster its strategy of making money from digital books, songs and movies. It would help Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos — who made a foray into tablets with the Kindle Fire — carve out a slice of the market for advanced wireless handsets.

Amazon has one of the most popular ereaders out on the market, the Kindle and is also leading the industry with some of its other products, including its cloud services and tablet computer, the Kindle Fire. The report mentions that Amazon is set to acquire a portfolio of patents that would allow the company to take steps in competing directly with some of the top competitors.

The rumored smartphone would likely borrow certain aspects of the Kindle Fire, including features such as purchasing books, magazines, and newspapers from Amazon’s store as well as using Amazon’s Cloud Drive as external storage. Amazon currently operates services that control a considerable portion of the digital content available online. By introducing a smartphone alongside its tablet and pairing with its online content, Amazon could very well present the iPhone with a serious competitor in the smartphone market.

{Via MacRumors}

AT&T is reportedly planning to launch a blocking service that will allow users to report stolen phones and tablets, a service which of course, includes the iPhone as well. On Friday, The Verge reported based on a source that AT&T is in fact, looking to launch this blocking service on Tuesday, July 10th.

According to our source, AT&T “will have no directory of blocked phones,” but it is not yet clear what this means in practice. AT&T’s guidance states that “only the person who originated a block may request block removal,” a rule which suggests that the company will keep a central list of blocked phones matched to customers.

Apple already offers Find my iPhone for its users to help track iPhones, iPads, and Macs and allows them to remote wipe all of the data, including a tracking service via iCloud that pinpoints the location of the phone on a map. The blocking service by AT&T does something similar, but also blocks the voice, data, and messaging plans.

Perhaps, AT&T’s plan with this new service would block all services, and would shut off the SIM card, as opposed to a customer reporting it themselves. U.S Carriers already have a directory of lost and stolen cellphones, but this new service will likely allow the users to control when and how their data would be protected by using the new service.

According to the report, the same user who initiates the block can only request a block removal. It is unclear exactly how AT&T plans to incorporate the service into their current plans and already existing technology, but will likely explain in a press release on the assumed launch date of July 10th.

{via iMore — Image Credit: The Verge}

In 2011 we’ve already witnessed all major players in the smartphone industry catching up with Apple by introducing their own version of tablets. Even though many tablets introduced this year have struggled to match iPads sales it’s certainly worth noting that Samsung has emerged to be one of the key players to watch out for.

In a recent interview with Goldman Sachs analyst Bill Shope Apple’s COO Tim Cook said, “he sees no reason why the tablet market shouldn’t eclipse the PC market over the next several years,”.

We’ve heard Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs share similar thoughts during D8 when he compared the PC market to trucks and tablets to cars and said that eventually cars replaced the trucks.

I use my iPad 2 everyday and it’s clearly very efficient at doing some key tasks while on the other hand for more heavy duty tasks I still go back to my Mac. The iPad has certainly reduced the amount of time I used to spend with the Mac. When Apple introduced the iPad Jobs very clearly explained that the tablet would not necessarily replace laptops or smartphones but, it would make accomplishing certain tasks more enjoyable and intuitive.

It’s important to note that the tablet market is probably evolving much faster than any other consumer product. As the mobile technology matures further we could be seeing much more powerful devices in near future.

So, is Tim Cook referring to “iPad 2″ when he talked about tablet market outselling PC market? No! The current gen iPad is great but it would require a few more years and some more innovation to reach there.

As a standalone tablet machine, the PlayBook won’t have access to PIM functions such as email, calendaring and contacts. All these features requite a smartphone in order to function – a limitation sure to put some potential purchasers off.

But fear not PlayBook fans, for BlackBerry’s Senior Product Manager Ryan Bidan says the device is still a capable machine ‘in its own right’ while going on to say, “This is not a device that is reliant on a BlackBerry.”

Interestingly however, Bidan did stop short of addressing the issue of the missing apps directly but he did say that PIM functions “will come as the platform evolves’.

That’s no good now though is it, Ryan?!