Archive for October 7th, 2011

iPhone 4S: 5 Important Changes Introduced in Apple’s Latest Smartphone

1. Siri the Assistant: The virtual assistant lets you use your voice to set reminds, check the weather, search for information, and more. This could mean a lot for those looking to get their life in order through their smartphones. Will this transform the way we handle our day-to-day tasks?

2. Upgraded Camera: The now 8-megapixel quality camera will also have 1080p HD video recording capabilities. Face detection, reduced motion blur, and improved color accuracy are just a couple of the enhancements Apple’s made with their new camera. You can even edit right from your phone after shooting.

3. Notification Center: Keep track of all your notifications in this slide-down pane. Now, you will be able to access any incoming or ongoing updates from any screen. The preview lets you go straight to those notifications so you can navigate around more easily.

Article source: http://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/articles/226343/20111006/iphone-4s-5-important-changes-introduced-apple-latest-smartphone-siri-a5.htm

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Posted by admin - October 7, 2011 at 6:13 pm

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South Korea’s mixed reaction to Apple’s iPhone 4S announcement

iPhone4S 3up South Koreas mixed reaction to Apples iPhone 4S announcementWhen Apple CEO Tim Cook took the stage on Tuesday, many expected an iPhone 5 to be announced. What they got instead was a spec upgrade on the current iPhone, with improvements to the camera and the processor but no new form factor. In keeping with Apple’s nomenclature, the new iPhone is the “4S”. Not everyone was unhappy with the announcement, however, particularly South Korean companies Samsung and LG, who are hotly competing with Apple not just for the smartphone market, but for the country’s pride.

According to the WSJ Korea Realtime blog, the Apple versus Samsung battle isn’t just about technology, but it’s also driven by nationalistic pride, at least that’s what local South Korean media reporting would lead you to believe.

That story goes something like this: Samsung and LG were almost at the top of the smartphone heap when all of a sudden Apple came along and beat them; now it’s up to them to come back and win this thing, for honour and glory, for the country’s economy and pride. And since Apple “only” announced the iPhone 4S and not a radically redesigned iPhone 5, South Korea’s feels its chances of competing against Apple have improved. Markets reacted to the news with an increase in both companies’ stock prices in the 1% to 2% range, while the rest of the South Korean market declined 2%.

Many were underwhelmed by the announcement, like Ted Chung, CEO of Hyundai Card/Hyundai Capital, who tweeted: “For just ‘that’ announcement, it would be enough that they just send out a press release.” And Lee Chan-jin, one of South Korea’s leading software industry executives, wrote: “It seems [Apple CEO] Tim Cook chose safety and substance over innovative changes.”

Even with all the negative press, some Korean newspapers got caught up in the excitement surrounding the iPhone announcement, even going as far as printing “Apple announces iPhone 5″ stories in the hopes of getting the jump on other papers.

For now, Samsung has a little breathing room, but the battle is far from over.

Via: AllThingsD
Source: WSJ Korea Realtime
Image Credit: Apple

Article source: http://www.macgasm.net/2011/10/07/korea-mixed-reaction-apple-iphone-4s/

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Posted by admin - October 7, 2011 at 6:13 pm

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Friday Poll: No iPhone 5; so now what?

Apple’s much-anticipated “Let’s Talk iPhone” event came and went this week without the appearance of an iPhone 5. Some consumers expressed no uncertain disappointment about this development (“The S in iPhone 4S stands for Same,” one commenter said, echoing other observers’ expressions of letdown at not seeing a complete revamp of the smartphone).

Others, such as CNET’s Dan Ackerman, took the position that the iPhone 4S essentially is an iPhone 5. Yes, it may be wearing the same outfit as the iPhone 4, but with a dual-core processor, upgraded camera, voice-activated personal assistant, and improved battery life, Dan argues, it is, in fact, almost an entirely new device.

So, here’s what we want to know, readers. Now that the mystery’s over, you’ve familiarized yourself with the iPhone 4S’ features, and you know we won’t be seeing an iPhone 5 just yet, how (if at all) does this impact your phone plans for the near future? Vote in our poll, and be sure to elaborate in the comments section.

Article source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20117022-1/friday-poll-no-iphone-5-so-now-what/

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Posted by admin - October 7, 2011 at 6:13 pm

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Nexus Prime Release Postponed, while Preview Leaked on Video

It is somewhat comforting that Samsung is giving the world enough time to mourn for the loss of Jobs, a genius visionary who changed the world, before continuing on the relentless competition in the smartphone market.

Ahead of Samsung’s official unveiling of Nexus Prime, whenever that may be, a video of Nexus Prime, the next Google flagship smartphone, has been apparently leaked.

The video below was uploaded by Mobilissimo, showing the 4.65-inch Android smartphone in action.  

Nexus Prime will be the first Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone, and is expected to house a curved 4.65-inch 1,280×720-pixel Super AMOLED Plus touchscreen. Other tipped features include a 1.5-GHz dual-core processor, a 4.5-inch screen,1GB of RAM and 720p (1280 by 768) video resolution.

The latest report comes from BGR who say they have confirmed that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus will be a pure Google Experience device without any third party UI or modifications. The phone is also expected to be a Verizon Wireless exclusive in the U.S.

A teaser video released by Samsung earlier this week farther fueled the mounting expectation for a curved screen.

“Something BIG is coming,” reads the tagline as the screen shows a curved profile of a slender device.

The entire world focused on Apple’s “Let’s Talk iPhone” event on Tuesday, where the highly anticipated iPhone 5 turned out to be a non-event. The new iPhone coming on October 14 turned out to be 4S, a faster phone with some improved qualities. The 4S, however, was not redesigned with a teardrop design on a slimmer body as many expected in the iPhone 5.

After the iPhone 5 letdown, Samsung is ready to compete with Apple heads on, rolling out Nexus Prime with a curved, slender body – but just not yet. 

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Article source: http://newyork.ibtimes.com/articles/227071/20111007/nexus-prime-samsung-release-screen-iphone-5-apple.htm

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Posted by admin - October 7, 2011 at 6:13 pm

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Apple iPhone 4s disappoints those looking for iPhone 5, but new hardware, Siri …

But what did reviewers think? Here are some highlights from hands-on first impressions.

Design: The external design is essentially the same as the iPhone 4. “Do you have an iPhone 4? Pick it up. Look at it. Turn it over. There, you’ve just done an iPhone 4S hands-on. Congratulations!,” wrote Thisismynext’s Joshua Topolsky. Apart from being .1 ounce heavier than its predecessor, CNET’s Bonnie Cha and Kent Herman couldn’t find any design differences at all.

Processor: The processor on the new iPhone is zippy, since the same A5 core processor that’s in the iPad. Most reviewers said they noticed an immediate difference. PCMag’s Dan Costa said he tried to “tax the new A5 CPU” and found that the game he played was very fluid. The Loop’s Jim Dalrymple said that the processor upgrade is “huge, because it can easily handle Apple’s more advanced technology like its voice assistant, Siri.”

Camera: The camera is another key new feature on the phone, and here Apple has definitely not disappointed, according to the first impressions. While most only had a brief amount of time playing with the new 8MP sensor, reviewers said that the camera was a definite improvement. “[The] camera really does stand out here,” Topolsky said.

One of the most exciting features of the iPhone 4S is Siri, the application which was advertised as an intelligent personal secretary on your smartphone. As Joshua Topolsky explained
:

The launch wasn’t really about the phone at all. It was about the software inside and possibly the kick-start of the next big revolution in how we interact with our gadgets.

That software is called Siri, but Apple would like for you to think of it as your “intelligent assistant.” And what Siri does is nothing short of amazing.

Siri can listen to your “natural language” (that is, words spoken as you would to another human, not a computer) questions or requests and respond like a digital secretary. It’s not just that Siri listens, either. The software is capable of understanding the context of what you’re talking about, so if you ask it to set an alarm on your phone, it will ask you for what time. And again, you don’t. Have. To. Talk. Really. Slowly.

If you ask Siri to schedule an appointment, it will not only check to see if it conflicts with any of your other meetings but will help you juggle the time slot until you have your day’s events mapped out. Siri will find movie theaters close to you or tell you how to get home from your current location. It can identify family members, spouses and co-workers you’re always talking to, and it knows when people’s birthdays, anniversaries or other big events are coming up.

Article source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/apple-iphone-4s-disappoints-those-looking-for-iphone-5-but-new-hardware-siri-are-major-improvements/2011/10/06/gIQAFkdrQL_story.html

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Posted by admin - October 7, 2011 at 6:13 pm

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No, the iPhone 4S isn’t the iPhone 5

Apple introduced a new iPhone this week, but it wasn’t the iPhone 5 that everyone was hoping to see. The iPhone 5 is the phone we have been talking about for months, with a larger screen, a sleek new look an aluminum back.

Instead, Apple’s new iPhone is the iPhone 4S.

While the iPhone 4S doesn’t look like the iPhone 5 we were expecting, it has many of the same internals and new software features. This is also a bit confusing, because the iPhone 4S is the fifth iPhone, but it is not the iPhone 5.

iPhone 4S side

Will there be an iPhone 5? I’d bet that Apple is already working on the iPhone 5, a new iPhone that will arrive sometime in 2012 with a new look and 4G LTE connectivity. Who knows, Apple might end up calling the next iPhone the iPhone 4GS.

Apple is working on products in cycles. Apple has an internal roadmap, and a plan for the iPhone product line over a number of years. If leaked, the iPhone product road map would tell us all about the iPhone 5, future iPhones and perhaps show off some of the features in this iPhone 5 concept video.

So, what is the iPhone 4s, if it isn’t an iPhone 5?

You can get a good look at the differences between the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 4 in our comparison article, but in short, the iPhone 4S is a better iPhone 4. The iPhone 4S looks just like the iPhone 4, which means you’ll be able to use the plethora of iPhone 4 accessories with your iPhone 4S.

Because the iPhone 4S doesn’t have a new teardrop shaped design, larger screen and aluminum back, Apple was able to focus on the internals. While some are disappointed with the iPhone 4S, it does include almost every internal spec that we thought the iPhone 5 would have.

Let’s look at the features we were expecting.

Faster processor that delivers better looking graphics and adds the ability to wirelessly mirror your iPhone 4S to an HDTV with an Apple TV? Check.

8MP camera with 1080P HD recording and a better camera sensor? Check, and it even has video stabilization.

Assistant App that can read texts, tell you the weather, help you schedule appointments and reminders? Check.

New antenna design, available from Sprint and world phone capable? Check, Check and Check.

These new features, combined with iOS 5, are how Apple plans to get you to purchase the new iPhone 4S.

Before you do, be sure that you read our guide: iPhone 4S: Should I Buy the New iPhone. This guide will help you cut through the hype to see if you need the new iPhone 4S, hold off for the iPhone 5 in 2012, or look at an Android smartphone.

Category: Mobile

Article source: http://www.gottabemobile.com/2011/10/07/iphone-4s-iphone-5/

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Posted by admin - October 7, 2011 at 6:13 pm

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iPhone 4S vs. Android: Top Five iPhone 4S Rivals (PHOTOS)

Apple’s iPhone 4S has some unique features that make it tough for Android phones to knock off. Siri, the digital voice assistant is one feature none of the Android sets in this list have.

Apple also has its own operating system that, if it lives up to its promise, will also be a contender until iPhone 5 gets here. Besides that, iPhone 4S doesn’t have the variety and flexibility to be found in Android phones, so its only a matter of time before public opinion shifts away from Apple as the number one smartphone maker.

Samsung’s Galaxy S2 leads off the list of top five iPhone rivals, but there is another Samsung phone on this short list and it promises, Something Big is Coming. Here are the top five iPhone 4S rivals.

Must Read: Apple iPhone 4S Now Has a Huge Target on its Back

Must Read: Google’s New Android OS and Samsun Nexus Prime: A Real Threat to iPhone 4S


Article source: http://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/articles/226334/20111006/phone-4s-vs-android-top-five-iphone-4s-rivals-photos.htm

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Posted by admin - October 7, 2011 at 6:06 am

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Apple’s Mistake: Not Naming It iPhone 5

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The first rule of business is to give your customers what they want. The second rule is don’t insult your friends in the media. On Tuesday, Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL  ) broke both rules.

What happened? Apple didn’t deliver the much-ballyhooed iPhone 5. Instead it came out with an improved device that it had the gall to call … iPhone 4S.

Yes, iPhone 4S.

This thwarting of the number line was a mistake for two reasons.

One, the media was expecting to hail a device called iPhone 5. Talk of “Let’s Talk iPhone” was all over the Web and “iPhone 5″ was all over television. The announcement was so anticlimactic that bloggers felt cheated and wrote tons of nasty stuff about it.

Two, customers felt similarly cheated. How am I, a loyal Apple customer, supposed to brag to my iPhone 4 friends about a spanking new “IPhone 4S”? That seems so lame. At least if it was called iPhone 5 I could be all nonchalant and like, “Hey dudes, in case you haven’t seen one, here’s an iPhone 5.” But the 4S moniker is a total buzzkill. Customers wanted iPhone 5, but didn’t get it.

It’s not about features!
The utter ridiculousness is that Apple could have just called the 4S the iPhone 5. No one would have cared. It’s not like the iPad 2 was really that different from the iPad, besides a faster CPU (sound familiar?), and yet the media and customers ate it up. And Suri — which uses voice recognition from Nuance Communications (Nasdaq: NUAN  ) — seems like a real feature to me.

But Apple’s naming department didn’t seem to realize what most of the media and its customers subconsciously know. It’s not about features.

It’s about status. It’s about image. It’s about cool. It’s about style. All things Apple competitors Research In Motion (Nasdaq: RIMM  ) and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG  ) have struggled at. That doesn’t mean Apple can neglect features in the long run, but competitors have been so disappointing as of late that Apple can take a breather with the iPhone 4S.

So cheer up Apple. the next time you have to introduce a lackluster product, puff up your chest, look into the camera, smile confidently, and call it iPhone 6. And they will be yours…

…. well, until Amazon‘s Jeff Bezos makes a phone. But that’s another story.

Click here to read “Steve Jobs: Tribute to a Visionary” by Fool contributor Evan Niu.

Article source: http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2011/10/06/apples-mistake-not-naming-it-iphone-5.aspx

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Posted by admin - October 7, 2011 at 6:06 am

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What’s In a Name?

Apparently a few billion dollars, but does it really matter?

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) wrapped up its “big” iPhone press conference yesterday, and actually failed to live up to expectations for the first time, in what seems like forever. Or did it?

Apple announced the iPhone 4S, not the iPhone 5, as was the expectation of many on Wall Street, the press, and Apple fanboys alike. Instead, there was no drastic new product, at least that is what some would like you to believe.

If someone told you that a phone was being announced, and it had a new operating system (which deeply integrates Twitter), a faster chip than its predecessor, a better camera, a new app that allows essentially for the removal of the card industry, (bye-bye American Greetings (NYSE: AM) and Shutterfly (NASDAQ: SFLY) ), and new software that would radically change the way people interact with their phones, would you think it is a new phone? Of course you would. Unless you were Apple. Or its fanboys, Wall Street, and the press. The iPhone 4S is not being seen as a new phone, but merely a placeholder until the iPhone 5, and that is disappointing investors, and some tech geeks alike.

In addition to all the specs I mentioned above, the new iPhone 4S will be a world phone (running on GSM and CDMA networks), and tweaked the wireless networks and antennas as a result. Oh yea. It also includes a full 1080p HD resolution video, which Phil Schiller said, “”To many customers, this will be the best still camera they’ve ever owned, and the best video camera they’ve ever owned.”

The reason behind this? Expectations. The expectations were for the iPhone 5, and perhaps the iPhone 4S, and maybe even a pre-paid or entry level. I was talking with my fellow tech writer, Louis Bedigian about the fact that if Apple only released a iPhone 4S, it might shoot itself in the foot. From the look of the instant reaction, that appears to have happened, as Apple shares initially fell 4% after the end of press conference, but recovered to end down 0.6% on the day.

Apple has been the king of managing expectations, and this might be the first time ever that it really did not live up to expectations, if you believe the populace. On Twitter, Facebook, blogs, TV, and other forms of media, everyone seems to be disappointed. I suspect that if Apple had called this the iPhone 5 instead of the iPhone 4S, that the reaction would not be nearly as bad. Sure the two phones would look the same, but the differences between the screen size, thickness, and length would be negligible. The real differences are the A5 chip, powered by ARM Holdings (NASDAQ: ARMH) intellectual property, and the Siri™ personal assistant, which may be the most impressive thing Apple has ever done. Not to mention it is also now available on the Sprint (NYSE: S) network, and is in over 70 countries on over 100 carriers.

The prices for the iPhone 4S will be $199 for the 16 GB model, $299 for the 32 GB model and $399 for the 64 GB model. That is what is most important. Along with the specs, and the price, the name does not really matter. Yet, to investors, the tech press, and the fanboys, it does.

They will soon see the meaning behind the phrase: “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

The same thing applies to an Apple as well.

ACTION ITEMS:

Bullish:
Traders who believe that the iPhone 4S will still sell incredibly strong might want to consider the following trades:

  • Apple is getting hit here, but use the dip to add or initiate a position.
  • Also consider the suppliers, such as ARM Holdings, Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM), Broadcom (NASDAQ: BRCM) and Omnivision Technologies (NASDAQ: OVTI).

Bearish:
Traders who believe that the iPhone 4S will be a let down may consider alternate positions:

  • Expectations WERE for the iPhone 5, and Apple did not deliver. This could be seen as a letdown to consumers, and they might push off buying the phone until the real iPhone 5 is announced. That could cause an Apple earnings miss, which is almost unthinkable at this point.

Neither Benzinga nor its staff recommend that you buy, sell, or hold any security. We do not offer investment advice, personalized or otherwise. Benzinga recommends that you conduct your own due diligence and consult a certified financial professional for personalized advice about your financial situation.

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Article source: http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/11/10/1966330/whats-in-a-name

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Posted by admin - October 7, 2011 at 6:06 am

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Verizon Wireless Gears Up for iPhone 4S Launch

Verizon Wireless confirmed on Thursday it will begin selling Apple’s iPhone 4S on Friday, Oct. 14. Consumers can pre-order the device beginning tomorrow at 3:01 a.m. EDT at www.verizonwireless.com/iPhone.



The company also announced that the iPhone 4 (8 GB model) is available for $99.99, and Verizon Wireless has lowered the price for the iPhone 4 (16 GB and 32 GB models).

Basking Ridge, N.J.-based Verizon Wireless noted its iPhone 4S subscribers will be able to travel globally with the gadget, using it to talk in more than 220 countries and for data in roughly 205 countries.

Prices on the device will be $199.99 (16 GB model), $299.99 (32 GB model) and $399.99 (64 GB model) with a new, two-year contract.

Verizon Wireless said customers must buy a voice plan beginning at $39.99 for 450 minutes and a data plan beginning at $30 for 2 GB monthly access.

The iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 will be available at roughly 2,200 Verizon Wireless stores nationwide, online at www.verizonwireless.com/iphone as well as by calling 1-800-2 JOIN IN.

ATT and Sprint also have rights to sell the iPhone 4S, which Apple debuted earlier this week before the passing of its former chief executive, Steve Jobs.

In February, Verizon Wireless joined ATT as the only other U.S. mobile operator with the rights to sell the iPhone. In the second quarter, Verizon Wireless activated 2.3 million iPhones – fewer than ATT (3.6 million).

Verizon Wireless is the largest U.S. mobile operator with 106.3 million connections based on second-quarter results. In a research note last month, Goldman Sachs analyst Jason Armstrong forecast that the company will add 1 million postpaid subscribers in the third quarter.

Armstrong also had said he expected record U.S. iPhone activations in the fourth quarter, but that was in anticipation of ATT, Sprint and Verizon selling an entirely new model, the “iPhone 5.” As we know now following Apple’s press event Tuesday debuting the iPhone 4S, there is no iPhone 5 – at least not yet.

Article source: http://www.vision2mobile.com/news/2011/10/verizon-wireless-gearing-up-for-iphone-4s-launch.aspx

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Posted by admin - October 7, 2011 at 6:06 am

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