AT&T Throws Apple Users A Bone In Wake Of iPhone 5 Release

As we move into Q2 2012, the rumors of a summer iPhone 5 release date continue to rage on. And just like we saw in the years past, carriers in the US who offer the iPhone begin to tempt users in whichever way possible so as to prevent them from jumping ship to another carrier.

ATT unlocks off-contract iPhone models as iPhone 5 release rumors grow

ATT for one is throwing a bone to Apple users by unlocking off-contract iPhones. According to MacRumors, ATT will unlock off-contract iPhones from April 8 (today). What this means is that you can use your iPhone on any compatible network:

“Beginning Sunday, April 8, we will offer qualifying customers the ability to unlock their ATT iPhones. The only requirements are that a customer’s account must be in good standing, their device cannot be associated with a current and active term commitment on an ATT customer account, and they need to have fulfilled their contract term, upgraded under one of our upgrade policies or paid an early termination fee.” – ATT statement to MacRumors

Back when the Verizon iPhone 4 rolled out, we saw ATT temporarily re-instate unlimited data plan signups for iPhone users so as to prevent its subscribers from flocking to Verizon. Now with Sprint in the game too and the iPhone 5 rumored to pack 4G LTE radios, the recent confirmation by Sprint that its LTE plans will be unlimited too, does sound enticing, especially since ATT was only recently in the spotlight for throttling its unlimited data plan holders as a measly 2GB.

As for those of you with an off-contract iPhone on ATT at the moment, you will now more easily be able to use your smartphone overseas.

Article source: http://www.motoringcrunch.com/news/mobile-tech/10339-att-iphone-5-release-date

iPhone 5 rumors round up: Foxconn employee says release in June

Apple iPhone 5 rumors suggest that its release date is approaching fast. Meanwhile a Foxconn employee has said that release is expected in June

Apple’s Chinese supplier Foxconn is recruiting 18,000 people to build new iPhone – and device is ‘due in June’

Leaks have shown that iPhone 5 is due for sale in June, preponing the launch date of previous rumours that5 had put the sale date to be sometime in October this year. Apple’s supplier Foxconn is the source of this new leaked information.

The news became public during an interview with a recruiter from the Chinese supplier. The interview was held in Tokyo and was about a recruitment drive in Foxconn to reach the early June release of iPhone 5.

The interview was broadcasted on TV Tokyo’s “World Business Satellite” (WBS) show. It showed a footage in which a personnel recruitment office for Apple manufacturing partner Foxconn said, “We’re looking for 18,000 employees…for the fifth-generation phone.”

To this the interviewer asked, “Is that because demand is high for the ‘iPhone 5’?”

“That’s right. It will come out in June.”

Mashable website, in its report of the news, was quick to add, “The June rumor, of course, should be taken with a grain of salt. Rumors of the iPhone 5 started almost immediately after the announcement of the iPhone 4S last year.”

A lot of skepticism is behind this sudden slip of date from the Foxconn employee and most consider the date very questionable. The Foxconn personnel was not high-level enough to know the date of release of iPhone 5, some argued. And the topic being Apple, it is even more unlikely given the notorious secrecy that shrouds every release date of Apple gadgets.

Besides, more reliable reports have been doing the rounds that hint at a release date more in keeping with a more plausible release date for iPhone 5. The general opinion is that the world would get to see iPhone 5 not before September October this year.

Only last week Foxconn was in news for announcing that it was buying a 10% share of Japanese LCD maker Sharp. Sharp is the supplier of Apple’s famed Retina Display.

Then last month the Chinese firm was caught in the controversy of making its employees work long hours without leave and for very paltry pay.

Apple set up the enquiry when the number of suicides in one of its Chinese a factories climbed drastically. It was found that in these Chinese factories employees often worked more than 76 hours a week and 11 days in a row.

The investigation was carried out in collaboration with America’s Fair Labour Association.

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Article source: http://nvonews.com/2012/04/07/iphone-5-rumors-round-up-foxconn-employee-says-release-in-june/

5 hot iPhone apps that Android still lacks

April 07, 2012, 7:51 AM — With Instagram’s arrival on Android, some snobbish iPhone users are making their disdain known for the new users who they claim are crowding and disrupting the Instagram social order.

“Dont follow me on instagram if you have an android….. Ew,” one iPhone user wrote on Twitter according to BuzzFeed, which has collected dozens of angry reactions from folks who hoped Instagram would remain an iPhone-exclusive club. The Twitter account @AndroidAGram is also collecting reactions.

Indeed, iPhone users are running out of exclusive apps to gloat about. But there are still a handful of iPhone exclusives to make Android users jealous. Here are five hot iPhone apps you still can’t get on Android.

Flipboard

The tech press’ darling news reader first launched for the iPad in 2010, and made its way to the iPhone last year. What’s neat about Flipboard is how it creates a magazine-like reading format for content from social networks, RSS feeds and curated news sources. The nearest equivalent for Android users is Zite, which just launched in the Google Play store last week.

Pinterest

If iPhone users want an exclusive club, they might still find it in Pinterest, the social network that lets users pin photos, videos and links to their own virtual wall of favorite things. Although anyone with an invite to the service can access it through the Web, for now the official mobile app is only available for iPhone.

Tweetbot

Twitter power users with Android phones might yearn for the slick interface of Tweetbot, which uses swipe-based shortcuts for replying, retweeting and viewing full conversation threads. And unlike Twitter’s official app, Tweetbot doesn’t try to shove popular hashtags down your throat.

Jetpack Joyride

Android users finally got one of the hottest time-wasters last month with the arrival of Temple Run, but they’re still missing out on Jetpack Joyride. While careening by jetpack through an endless laboratory, players must dodge obstacles while completing missions and racking up coins for better gear. Like Temple Run, one game is never enough.

Infinity Blade

If there’s one iPhone game that should made serious Android gamers jealous, it’s Infinity Blade and its sequel. The core game consists of one-on-one swordfighting, where swipes and taps fend off your opponent’s attacks. Meanwhile, a system of loot-gathering and leveling up is the glue that holds the game together. Publisher Epic said last year that it has no plans to bring Infinity Blade to Android, because the wide variety of hardware doesn’t offer a consistent enough experience across all devices.

Follow Jared on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for even more tech news and commentary.

Article source: http://www.itworld.com/networking/265016/5-hot-iphone-apps-android-still-lacks

Apple iPhone 5 Features: Why An OLED Screen Makes Sense, And Other Launch …

Apple fans are already clamoring for the iPhone 5 — at least they think that’s what it’ll be called — hoping Apple’s sixth-generation smartphone comes with plenty of killer features when it’s released later this year, either in June or October. And if the latest report is to be believed, future owners of the newest iPhone will be treated to the most beautiful, brilliant screen on any iDevice.

The Korea Times reported that Apple is interested in switching from LCD to OLED screens, and may implement the high-end displays in their next round of iPhones and iPads. The reason behind the potential move would be Samsung, which recently launched its spin-off company called “Samsung Display” that aims to pivot away from LCD to focus more on OLED technology.

“Thanks to the increased volume, chances have been raised to ship Samsung’s OLEDs for Apple’s iPads and even iPhones,” said The Korea Times, citing unnamed Samsung executives who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Despite ongoing legal battles between the two companies, Apple is by far Samsung’s biggest customer. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company bought $7.8 billion worth of components in 2011, ranging from memory chips to LCD panels, but the company will reportedly buy $11 billion worth of parts from Samsung, which could mean Apple is buying more expensive display material.

“LCD used to be one of the cutting edge technologies, but it is now a commoditized business,” said Jasper Kim, founder and CEO of Asia-Pacific Global Research Group. “It can be replicated and reproduced easily.”

OLED displays are picking up steam, as the technology can produce richer colors and better pictures in limited amount of space — think of large, gorgeous TV displays thinner than a pencil. Samsung primarily features its OLED displays on its mobile devices, such as the Galaxy S II smartphone. Yet, the company is considering expansion of the technology to compete with LG Electronics, which wowed audiences at CES 2012 with its large wafer-thin OLED TVs. 

Company spokespeople say Samsung will invest about $5.8 billion to develop its display business, but Samsung already brings in plenty of money. The Seoul, South Korea-based company is the world’s No. 1 supplier of TVs and flat screens, but also supplies the screens and the chips that power Apple’s newest iDevices, including the last two generations of iPads and iPhones.

Even though Apple did not have a booth at CES 2012, the company had about 250 secret employee ninjas hiding among the masses, and it knows that OLED simply beats the pants off LCD. What makes this news even more interesting is that among those ninjas, the one prominent engineer in attendance was none other than the head of Apple’s mobile division:

“While wandering around the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center Tuesday, I bumped into Greg Joswiak, head of iOS product marketing for Apple, just outside of Sony’s booth,” said Tom Krazit, a reporter for PaidContent.org. “Joz, as he’s known within the Apple community, grinned sheepishly upon being recognized by a reporter and stopped to chat for a few minutes.”

“Joz” added that he wasn’t impressed with Sony’s offerings. But as companies like Samsung and LG fight to put OLED into televisions, it makes sense that Apple would want to try OLED displays on different-sized devices before anyone else thinks to do it.

Apple has plenty of money to afford OLED screens in an iPhone-sized display. The company recently announced its most successful quarter in its 35-year history in January, and Apple is expected to announce another killer quarter on April 24. Analysts even believe Apple will be the first company in history to achieve a $1 trillion market cap, even though that’s somewhat unlikely.

Apple had reportedly tapped Hitachi and Sony to build the 4-inch LCD panels for the iPhone 5 back in January, but given the success of the new iPad, there’s an excellent chance Apple will return to Samsung to help build displays for the next-gen iPhone. Samsung knows how to build big, beautiful 4-inch screens: Arguably the company’s best offering, the Galaxy S II, features a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display. Just imagine what Samsung could do with Apple’s Retina technology implemented into an OLED. Apple would effectively put distance between the iPhone and all other smartphone competitors for another five years, at the very least.

iPhone 5: Other Likely Features

It’s already a foregone conclusion that Apple will implement radio bands for 4G LTE in the iPhone 5, given that Apple introduced the high-speed network on its new iPad, released on March 16, which was likely done as a “practice run.” 

LTE features significantly higher download and upload speeds compared to 3G technologies, but previous implementations of LTE in smartphones tended to ravage battery life, which was a major complaint from users. If Apple wanted LTE in the iPhone 4S at the time, it would have been forced to increase the phone’s thickness to accommodate a larger circuit board and a bigger battery. Apple CEO Tim Cook, in a company earnings conference call in April 2011, said ”first-generation LTE chipsets force a lot of design compromises.”

“The iPhone 4 PCB [printed circuit board] is already incredibly small, not leaving any room for an extra chip to enable LTE without shrinking the size of the battery,” said Anand Shimpi, a chip expert and CEO of Anandtech.

Fortunately, Qualcomm recently unveiled the fifth iteration of its new chip, which supports TD-SCDMA, TD-LTE, HSPA+, EV-DO, embedded GPS, and LTE on TDD and FDD networks worldwide. The chip works with Android and Windows 8 devices, but there’s a great chance this will be the chip inside the iPhone 5.

Apple’s next iPhone may also include a number of the company’s recently granted patents. Apple won a major patent on March 6 for a piece of technology called the “iWallet,” which is a digital system that gives users complete control over their subsidiary financial accounts on their iPhones, and also leverages Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology to complete credit card transactions directly on the phone as well. The iWallet has many different features, including giving users the ability to see their entire credit card profiles, view statements and messages from their banks, and even set parental controls for their children, should they also want to use their iPhones as digital wallets. Outside of the iPhone, users can keep track of their payments and statements within the iTunes billing system, which keeps credit card information and records safe and secure. There’s a possibility that iWallet could also work with other Apple utilities, which could allow users to buy things like movie tickets directly within the apps, but only time will tell with that one.

The iPhone 5 might also be the first phone to feature a new piece of software for multi-player gaming. On March 15, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that describes a system for multi-player gaming, which allows groups of people to play the same game together and even see it from different perspectives according to the devices’ physical relation to one another. The system actually mimics that of the “Find My Friends” app, in which a user’s device detects other nearby devices that it recognizes as “friends,” and invites them to all join a common application. The technology also determines the relative position of those devices, so some games — like turn-based role-playing games or card games — can be played in a specific order.

The best patent of them all, however, may be Apple’s patent for crack-resistant glass, granted on Nov. 15. Basically, the crack-resistant glass solution utilizes the same alumino silicate glass used in the iPhone 4 and 4S, but by chemically treating it with potassium and sodium ions, the glass can then achieve greater compression thresholds on the surface and edges of the glass, making it less susceptible to cracks. The patent also involves a shock mount between the glass and the body of the device that will instantly inflate if the device senses it’s falling, which is determined by the device’s internal accelerometer. An actuator within the device sucks in the cover glass as it accelerates to the ground, protecting it from damage.

iPhone 5: What Will It Look Like?

Even though nobody outside of Cupertino knows what the iPhone 5 looks like, what it can do, or when it’s coming out, various reports say the new iPhone will look similar to its predecessors, but could feature a screen that ranges anywhere from the current 3.5-inch size to 4.6-inches. The report of a 4.6-inch screen came from the Maeli Business Newspaper, which quoted an unnamed “industry source,” according to Reuters. 

Two days later, a new report from iMore’s editor-in-chief Rene Ritchie stated the iPhone 5 would retain the current 3.5-inch screen – the same size as all previous generation iPhones — but adda few new features to keep users interested. Ritchie believes the iPhone 5 “could get a little bigger” than its predecessors, but he said that it would not be nearly as big as those 4.5-inch-plus Android smartphones.

The truth seems to be somewhere in between Ritchie’s report and the Korean source. In early January, as Apple was reportedly gearing up to begin production on the iPhone 5. A source from within China’s Foxconn manufacturing plant told 9 to 5 Mac that various sample iPhone 5 prototypes were floating around the factory floor, but there were a number of common features among the phones, including a display that measured at least 4 inches, and a longer and wider form factor that did not match that of the iPhone 4 or 4S. The Foxconn sources believed the iPhone 5 would retain the rectangular shape of its predecessors, which, if true, would put to bed any rumors of a slimmer teardrop design.

iPhone 5: When Is The Release Date?

While it’s unclear if this latest rumor can be trusted, previous reports also said Apple would release the iPhone 5 in June. In March, Reuters reported that Apple plans to unveil the next iPhone “around the second quarter” of 2012. While this report would mean a release in June or July, it did contradict an earlier report from Japanese blog Macotakara, which believed, citing inside sources from the supply chain, Apple would release the iPhone 5 in September or October, effectively abandoning mid-year iPhone launches for a 11-month upgrade cycle starting in the fall.

Macotakara’s report of a fall release date is bolstered by iMore’s editor-in-chief Rene Ritchie, who said on March 23 that the iPhone 5 will be released in October 2012. Ritchie has a solid track record with Apple news. Last August, Ritchie correctly reported Apple’s next iPhone would be unveiled in the first week of October and would be called “iPhone 4S,” while all other reporters at the time called the speculative device the “iPhone 5.” Ritchie also correctly pegged the new iPad’s unveiling on March 7.

Apple’s last iPhone, the iPhone 4S, was the first Apple smartphone released outside the summer months; the original iPhone, as well as the iPhone 3G, 3GS and 4, were all released in either June or July. While there is no clear reason why the 4S was the only iPhone released in the fall, analysts believe the Cupertino, Calif.-based company attempted to implement LTE into the phone, and failed. Now, it would seem the company wants to wait a full year until releasing its next iPhone.

Moving the iPhone’s annual release date to October makes sense, given the wild success of the iPhone 4S. Although the phone was largely unchanged from the iPhone 4, Apple added a couple of features like Siri and an 8-megapixel camera, and it became the most-popular and fastest-selling iPhone of all time. No one should be surprised, then, if Apple wants to repeat that formula, releasing its “best smartphone yet” around the holiday season. 

While the report from Foxconn should be recognized, if any report about “release dates” is to be believed, it should be Ritchie’s. Ritchie has valuable sources from within Apple, and his reports have always been highly reliable and accurate. Given that Apple just released its new iPad in March and it will reportedly release a new line of MacBooks in April or May, it would make for Apple to hold onto the new iPhone, let it continue to build hype for several months, and then release it in October, making it a great Christmas gift.

Article source: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/324074/20120404/apple-iphone-5-features-oled-screen-rumors.htm