Qualcomm S4 MSM8960 benchmarks, tech suits iPhone 5
A year or so ago it was easy to keep up-to-date with all the different processors within smartphones and tablets, however nowadays there’s so many different quad-core, dual-core and single-core options it’s hard to confidently talk about each chip out there and dicepher the good from the bad. Today we thought we would tell you a little about the Qualcomm S4 MSM8960 and how it boasts integrated multimode modem connectivity – something which we’d love to see in the next-generation iPhone and the iPad 3.
Recently Sascha Segan over at PCMag.com got to test out the Qualcomm S4 MSM8960 SoC, this powered a Qualcomm Mobile Development Platform which is basically a test-setup for development purposes. It boasts Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, a 1024 x 600 display and a 13 megapixel camera. Before we start telling you about benchmark results let’s tell you about the S4 MSM8960.
The S4 MSM8960 utilizes a 28nm process and boasts two Kraitt cores, each of which runs at 1.5GHz, this is then paired with the Adreno 225 GPU and should make quite a heavy impact in the smartphone and tablet markets. You can see this SoC’s fully detailed white papers by checking out this PDF file – the GPU is one of its greatest features, but there’s lots more to tell you about.
We’ve got lots to get get through, so let us explain why this SoC would be great for Apple’s future iPhone and iPad releases. The Snapdragon S4 Processor MSM8960 chipset boasts connectivity to all of the world’s 2G, 3G and 4G mobile broadband technologies (LTE FDD/TDD (Cat3), 3G (DC-HSPA+ Cat 24), EV-DO Rev. B, 1x Advanced, TD-SCDMA and GSM/GPRS/EDGE. If Apple’s A6 SoC offers such functionality it would mean that the 4G/3G-centric headaches we spoke about here shouldn’t occur after all. What it means is the same iPad 3 which connects to Verizon’s LTE network could also go over to the UK and connect to 3G mobile networks and more – neat eh? Not only does the MSM8960 offer plenty of mobile network connectivity but there’s also integrated Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi b/g/n, GPS and GLONASS support.
Below we have embedded two images, on the left there’s the SoC’s block diagram, this is made up of three subsystems (modem, multicore and multimedia). On the right you can see the great graphics processing power which the Adeno 225 GPU gives this SoC, when compared to the Adreno 220 there’s a 50% jump in power and six times the power of Adreno 200.
The MSM8960 has been specifically designed for mobile devices and is said to offer support for Windows 8, the 28nm process means it’s smaller than previous Snapdragon offerings and has a lower profile, advances in technology also mean that there should be improved thermal performance.
All of this sounds great, but performance junkies will want to see benchmark results, well luckily both PCMag.com and AnandTech.com put this new SoC through its paces and to say it held its own would be an understatement. In PCMag’s benchmarks the MSM8960-based Mobile Development Platform outdone the OMAP4-based Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Tegra 3-based Asus Prime in the Browsermark, Sunspider, An3DBenchXL and NenaMark 2 benchmarks, however in the Antutu tests it didn’t fare quite so well. You can see some of the benchmark results below. Check out this link for fully details scores and remember that the MSM8960 was outputting less pixels.
AnandTech’s benchmarks are far more detailed and we highly recommend checking them out for yourself, below we have embedded the results of the Linpack benchmarks below and as you can see the MSM8960 obliterates its rivals, including the Samsung Galaxy S II. In other benchmarks such as SunSpider Javascript, BrowserMark, GLBenchmark 2.1 it trumps the likes of the iPhone 4S – unsurprisingly the graphically intensive benchmarks suffer when high resolutions are reached, also Vsync plays a huge part. All in all we have to say that the MSM8960 is already becoming a force to be reckoned with in 2012.
With great performance and an amazing array of connectivity it’s hard to ignore the S4 MSM8960, we hope to see some smartphones and tablets utilizing this new SoC in the coming months, perhaps at MWC, when we do we will be sure to keep you posted.
Do you think Apple’s A6 SoC could learn a thing or two from this Qualcomm chip?
Article source: http://www.product-reviews.net/2012/02/23/qualcomm-s4-msm8960-benchmarks-tech-suits-iphone-5/
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5
iPad 3, iPhone 5 Release Date? Check Out iOS 5.1 Pre-GM Leaked Siri Details
I figured you guys are tired of the countless rumors mostly about iPad 3 with some iPhone 5 sprinkled in. In the near future, Apple will release iOS 5.1 and it doesn’t look like it’ll bring Siri to non 4S devices.
What looks like it will bring are a different lockscreen camera icon and more importantly, Japanese language Siri per Macrumors via BlogdoiPhone.
“One is an ever-present camera icon on the lock screen of iOS 5.1. In present versions, the camera button only appears if you double-tap the home button. In this version of iOS 5.1, the camera icon is there at all times, but instead of a button, it’s a slider. ”
“The other finding is the presence of a Japanese language setting in Siri. This has beenrumored to be an impending feature for Siri. ”
iOS 5.1 might release publicly on or around iPad 3 announcement and reveal on March 7.
Article source: http://theappera.com/2012/02/23/ipad-3-iphone-5-release-date-check-out-ios-5-1-pre-gm-leaked-siri-details/
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5
iPhone 5 will reportedly launch in the fall
(Credit:
Apple)
(CNET) – The iPhone 5 will make its debut in the fall, at least according to Japanese blog Macotakara.
Pointing to a scoop from an “Asian reliable source,” the site says that Apple will unveil its next iPhone in September or October and maintain that same launch cycle for years.
Full coverage of Apple at Tech Talk
In the past Apple has traditionally released its latest iPhone in the early summer, with the iPhone 4 and 3GS reaching customers in June and the 3G in early July. But last year the company broke the mold by delaying the debut of the iPhone 4S until October.
Macotakara’s information contradicts opinions from Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster and other Apple watchers that the iPhone 5 would reach consumers midsummer. The report itself was short and sweet, with no explanation given as to why Apple would permanently alter the release cycle. But if Macotakara’s source is on the level, there are a few reasons why the company might keep the fall timeframe.
Apple has typically held an iPod event in the fall. But iPod sales now account for a much smaller piece of Apple’s pie, notes Apple Insider.
The 2010 iPod lineup, including the iPod Touch, Shuffle, Nano, and Classic, sported few changes from the previous generation, so the focus last October was clearly on the new iPhone.
Launching the iPhone 4S in October just ahead of the holiday season also helped Apple ring in a record quarter as eager shoppers scooped up the new phone for themselves and as gifts. Even further, with iPhone 4S sales going gangbusters, it seems unlikely Apple would release a new iPhone less than a year after the current model.
For now, we’ll have to add this latest report to the rumor list.
This article first appeared at CNET.
Article source: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-57382143-501465/iphone-5-will-reportedly-launch-in-the-fall/
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5
Curvaceous iPhone 5 concept emerges
It’s been a little more than a year since we compiled as many iPhone 5 concept designs as we could find on the web and delivered them in a nice tidy iPhoneys slideshow for you. And of late, more of the buzz has been about a potential iPad 3, possibly being announced in early March (See: “Hottest iPad 3 design concepts”).
But across our radar today has flitted a fresh iPhone 5 design concept that’s worth sharing — a curvaceous imagining of the next iPhone This courtesy of Cicarresedesign, which designs iPhone/iPad accessories. Among other things, the design company envisions a glowing Apple logo.
Follow Bob on Twitter at www.twitter.com/alphadoggs
Article source: http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/79883
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5
Most smartphone owners say they’re ready to make payments with their phones
Rumor has it that Apple is looking to add near-field communication technology to its next iPhone, allowing customers to use their smartphones to pay at registers in brick-and-mortar stores. And it seems that many smartphone owners are ready to do just that.
According to a story from The Verge, 71 percent of smartphone customers are willing to use their smartphones to pay for transactions at physical stores, and 29 percent go to their smartphones for information when shopping. The numbers come from the third quarter of 2011, according to Nielsen, which finds that plenty of users rely on their smartphones for all manner of shopping help.
Nielsen’s research also found that users tend to fire up their smartphones to gather information about products, using their phones to comparison-shop and browse the Internet. Meanwhile, 32 percent used their devices to read product reviews, while 24 percent looked for coupons to knock down the price of products.
Twenty-two percent actually purchased the product on their phones in the end.
The number of customers who actually use their smartphones to pay for things at registers is pretty low still – only 9 percent – but that may well have to do with the fact that there aren’t a lot of pay-at-the-register options for smartphone users. Apple’s iPhones pack a few apps like that of Starbucks, which lets users show their phone screens instead of a Starbucks card to pay for drinks, but only a few Android devices currently offer NFC and the potential payments that come along with it.
Near-field communication tech lets smartphones issue short-range broadcasts to exchange information with other devices. In the case of transactions at cash registers, NFC would allow iPhone owners to wave their phones over a special terminal and instantly transmit all the necessary information to complete the transaction. It’d be the same as swiping your credit card and your loyalty cards, except it’d be a lot closer to instantaneous.
According to rumors, Apple engineers are hard at work bringing NFC technology to the iPhone 5, the announcement for which is expected to come this summer. And if Nielsen’s data is to be believed, it seems iPhone owners are more than ready for Apple to add the technology to its next smartphone. That kind of demand and willingness to adapt will likely factor into Apple’s decisions in making NFC available in its devices.
Article source: http://www.appolicious.com/tech/articles/11139-most-smartphone-owners-say-theyre-ready-to-make-payments-with-their-phones
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5 News
iPhone Jailbreak: 5 Apps to Control your Privacy
Don’t bet on the new agreement between the State of California, Apple, Google and others to protect information on your iPhone from data-snooping third-party apps such as the social networking service Path. If you really want to protect your data, there’s only one way to do it: jailbreak your iPhone. Jailbreaking gives you complete control (and responsibility) over your phone, enabling you to install all kinds of tools that make sure your data stays where it belongs: under your control.
Here’s a look at five post-jailbreak tools that don’t leave it up to Apple, Google or any other company to look after your best interests and put you in complete control of your data.
The state of smartphone privacy
California on Wednesday announced a new agreement with Amazon, Apple, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, and Research In Motion. These companies in the coming months will ensure that third-party apps in their respective stores supply a privacy policy that you can review before you install an app detailing any personal data the app wants to access. Any app that doesn’t comply could be prosecuted under California’s Unfair Competition or False Advertising Laws.
The agreement was six months in the making, but comes after recent high-profile incidents where apps were found to be grabbing a user’s personal data without notifying that individual. The most notable was Path, a social networking app available for iPhone and Android that was uploading users’ address books to their servers without notifying them. Path has since changed its ways, and since then numerous apps have been outed as data-grabbing software including Foodspotting, Twitter, and Yelp.
While California’s move to protect user privacy is welcome news, the agreement still requires users to trust that California prosecutors, app store providers, and app makers are all doing their job and behaving themselves.
If that idea makes you nervous here, without further ado, are examples of five tools for jailbroken iPhones that just might convince privacy-conscious users to jailbreak their device.
This free extension automatically alerts you the first time an app wants to access your address book. If you say no, the app won’t get access to your contacts, but it may cause the app to stop working properly. ContactPrivacy was created by jailbreak app maker Ryan Petrich in direct response to the recent Path address book controversy.
A step up from ContactPrivacy, Protect My Privacy prevents any app from grabbing your contacts, location and your device’s unique identifier information. Instead of blocking the information, however, PMP will supply an app with fake information to prevent it from crashing. You can even specify a phony location for any app that wants your current locale, but doesn’t necessarily need it. PMP was developed by two professors at the University of California San Diego. PMP is free and works with iOS 4.0 or higher.
This free app creates a global opt-out to stop apps with analytics information from tracking your location and harvesting other data. It was specifically designed to stop analytics collection from Pinch Media, Flurry, Medialets, and Mobclix. PrivaCy was created by Jay Freeman, the creator of Cydia, the App Store equivalent for jailbroken devices. Pinch Media and Flurry announced a merger in late 2009.
Obscure your passcode keypad with this free extension that makes your phone’s passcode difficult for others to read if they’re looking over your shoulder. A handy tool, but it can’t stop your greasy fingerprints from giving away your code.
Filter your phone calls and SMS messages with this app. MCleaner lets you create phone and SMS blacklists, whitelists, profiles (such as “only accept calls from address book contacts”), and a scheduler to stop calls and messages at certain times. Not only will this app keep unwelcome callers away, but it’s very useful for anyone managing a high call volume on their iPhone. MCleaner costs $12, but you can try it free for 15 days.
There’s never been a better time to jailbreak your iPhone, especially if you’re concerned about privacy and protecting your data from corporate interests.
Connect with Ian Paul (@ianpaul) on Twitter and Google+, and with Today@PCWorld on Twitter for the latest tech news and analysis.
Article source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/250539/iphone_jailbreak_5_apps_to_control_your_privacy.html
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5 News
The Curved iPhone 5
Third-party iDevice design concepts are always interesting. This is especially true this year as we await the next-generation iPhone, which should include the first significant form factor change since the introduction of the iPhone 4 in 2010. Today’s iPhone 5 concept comes from Ciccaresedesign, creator of the iPhone Air concept.
Looking a lot like an Apple Magic Mouse, this “Curved iPhone 5″ concept handset includes a headphone jack on the side, rather than on the top like other iPhone models. In addition, the phone’s camera is now centered instead of at the top left.
iPhone 5 Concept
Of course, the concept’s most impressive feature is its curved design, which looks ergonomically sound and yes, a whole lot of cool. Remember, this is only a concept, but an extraordinary one at that. The next iPhone should arrive sometime later this year.
The Curved iPhone 5 Concept
Would you purchase a curved iPhone or is this concept too much of a change for Apple to make?
Article source: http://appadvice.com/appnn/2012/02/the-curved-iphone-5
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5 News
Apple’s iPhone 5 Launching Later Than Expected?
If there’s one thing consistent in the wildly erratic Apple (AAPL) rumor mill, it’s the overwhelming indifference to the public’s patience and emotions. Whether it’s a pipe dream feature, a speculated lack of support, or a shuffled release date, Apple fans’ anticipation and excitement is at the whim of every “source familiar with the matter.” Will it be quad-core? Will it have 4G support? Will it be released sooner than later? For every up, there’s inevitably a down.
This new rumor, unfortunately, is a down.
According to the often reliable Japanese blog Macotakara, the iPhone 5 will not be released in the summer as previously expected. Rather, new word suggests that the highly anticipated smartphone will launch in the fall.
It wasn’t too long ago that early word from DigiTimes and 9to5Mac pegged the iPhone 5′s unveiling and debut in June. The early info related that Apple would break the fall release schedule set by last year’s iPhone 4S, which was the first iPhone unveiling that didn’t take place midsummer. However, returning to the original June release schedule would put the interim between the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 at eight months — a particularly short life cycle, even for Apple. Considering that the iPhone 4S is posting fantastic sales numbers, it does seem unlikely that Apple would be quick to introduce the new and improved model.
Despite Android’s (GOOG) rapid release schedule which introduces new flagship phones practically every month, Apple has no reason to rush. Aside from maybe pining for 4G support, iPhone 4S users aren’t, by and large, itching for a replacement. But as with any delayed entry into the smartphone marketplace, consumers will see increased competition — in Apple’s case, from Android and perhaps even Windows Phone (MSFT) and Nokia’s (NOK) joint efforts on a Windows 8 device. Then again, Apple has rarely been left wanting for customers.
So with a fall debut now being bandied about, the race is on between the iPhone 5 and an honest-to-goodness BlackBerry 10 (RIMM) device.
But even if we don’t see an iPhone 5 until December, call me crazy, my money’s still on Apple.
For an investment angle on these and many more tech stocks, take a FREE trial to the TechStrat Report by Sean Udall.
Article source: http://www.minyanville.com/dailyfeed/2012/02/21/apples-iphone-5-launching-later/
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5
iPhone 5 may not launch until the autumn
The latest wave of reports about Apple’s plans for 2012 suggest a major revamp of the iDevice portfolio, to try to put clear water between the firm and its increasingly powerful Android challengers. A new iPad, perhaps with LTE and a RetinaDisplay, is slated for next month; the iTunes and App Store platforms could be given a major makeover later this year; but the iPhone 5 is reported to be planned to launch in the fall, rather than Apple reverting to its traditional summer schedule.
Last year’s iPhone 4S was unveiled in the autumn, which caused one of Apple’s rare disappointing quarters as the market waited for the new model – though it more than compensated for that with a huge fourth quarter performance based heavily on the 4S. However, Apple supporters will hope it goes back to its old summer timeframe for this year’s iPhone, since it is increasingly seeing Samsung grasping the high end initiative with a host of LTE models, and the promise of an ultra-high resolution display.
But according to Japanese blog Macotakara, citing “reliable Asian sources” in the supply chain, Apple will choose September/October for its handset launches for the foreseeable future, perhaps to make maximum impact during the important holiday quarter and also to replace the iPod in the autumn debut slot as the music player becomes less significant to the product mix. And as the iPhone 4S is still selling rapidly, Apple will not want to stem that tide too early with a new handset. Waiting a few extra months could allow it to create a really bighitting redesign, while taking advantage of falling prices and sizes in LTE chipsets.
The source of the report about a redesigned iTunes Store and App Store is the 9to5mac blog, which says Apple is working to make the platform simpler and more navigable. Apple has reportedly told its music and other content partners that it wants to make the iTunes Store a “much more engaging experience”, which will be important as it faces rising competition from Amazon, Spotify and others in music.
One long running rumor which has come true is Apple’s deal with China Telecom. The third Chinese cellco will now offer the iPhone 4S, starting on March 9, ending rival Unicom’s three-year stint of being the only supplier. Telecom will offer the 16Gbytes model for free with contract. The cellco has about 12% market share in the Chinese mobile market, but punches above its weight in 3G, where it has over 25% of the base.
Article source: http://www.rethink-wireless.com/2012/02/21/iphone-5-launch-autumn.htm
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5 News
iPhone 5 Expected to Hit the Market in September or October 2012
If you want a break from the frenzy surrounding the upcoming iPad 3, here’s a fresh rumour about the iPhone 5, expected later this year.
According to a ”reliable source” who spoke to Japanese site Macotakara the sixth generation iPhone is going to be unveiled one year after the current top model, in October, or at earliest September, this year. Furthermore, Apple will be maintaining this annual release period “for years” to come, Apple Insider reports.
Last year Apple changed its traditional launch schedule to announce the iPhone 4S in autumn, after three years of summer iPhone releases which took place in June or July.
In October 2011, when Apple decided to unveil the highly anticipated iPhone 4S, the company gave it a big boost for the holiday season; this proved to be a winning strategy as the latest sales report revealed.
The Macotakara source reveals that even Apple officials were surprised by the sales success, the Cupertino based company sold 37 million iPhones in the December quarter, the highest sales volume for Apple’s smartphones.
Consequently, Apple has no reason to change this release strategy since it was so successful.
Article source: http://www.itproportal.com/2012/02/23/iphone5-expected-hit-market-september-october-2012/
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5 News