‘Tetris’-Loving iPad Owners Just Got EA’d Hard
Eerily similar to getting Samsunged, iPad-owning Tetris fans got EA’d today. iPhone Tetris fans will know this song and dance all too well, as EA pulled it on them late last year. In a nutshell, the Tetris for iPad that you may know, love, and already own now ceases to exist. EA pulled it off the App Store to make room for the “new and improved” Tetris for iPad.
What’s new with this version of the game? A whole hell of a lot of in-app purchase, extending as far as monthly and yearly memberships to the T-Club, which will get you a 15% bonus on top of the lines and T-Coins (the game’s consumable currency) that you earn by playing. Oh, EA’s Origin has also been shoehorned in.
The sad part is that the Retina-ready graphics in this new Tetris look great on the new iPad, and the addition of the “one touch” control method make the game a lot more fun to play. But, again, much like the iPhone version, it makes absolutely no sense why this couldn’t have been an update to the existing game that everyone already paid anywhere between 99¢ and $7.99 for.
It’s really hard to get behind EA as a developer or publisher on the App Store when they’re more than willing to pull these kind of hijinks. It’s one thing to submit new users to a bevy of IAP options, but by pulling the old game from the store entirely, if you lose the original Tetris .ipa file for any number of reasons, getting the game again is going to set you back the full purchase price.
So, if you’ve got the original Tetris for iPad, make sure you keep it backed up in a safe place.
Article source: http://toucharcade.com/2012/04/12/tetris-loving-ipad-owners-just-got-ead-hard/
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5
Ahead Of iPhone 5, The iPhone 4S Still Drives Big Demand
Why not wait for the next model?
A new report from ChangeWave Research revealed that more than half of prospective smartphone buyers prefer Apple’s latest iPhone.
The survey was focused on the answers provided by 4,413 consumers, most of them Americans, from the early-adopter category.
The research firm takes periodical surveys on the purchase intention of customers. This time, 56 per cent of the polled people said they want an iPhone 4S, by two per cent more compared to the previous survey, published last December.
Apple’s fifth generation iPhone only reached a higher score than this at the release, when 65 per cent of the people declared they wanted an iPhone 4S. Meanwhile, Apple’s main rival, Samsung, holds on to the second position, with 13 per cent.
The South Korean manufacturer had the same percentage this March as it did three months ago. Conversely, Motorola lost one per cent and now only 6 per cent of the polled customers admitted they want a smartphone from this brand.
The same report shows RIM’s BlackBerry at the bottom of the hierarchy with 3 per cent purchase intent, up one per cent compared to December 2011.
Source: Tech CNN
Article source: http://www.itproportal.com/2012/04/13/ahead-iphone-5-iphone-4s-still-drives-big-demand/
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5
How Cameras May Compare On The iPhone 5 And The HTC One X
It is widely believed that when the new iPhone 5 from Apple is launched it will boast the very highest specification that will put it ahead of many rival handsets. Unfortunately we may still have a lengthy wait for this new phone but one major phone manufacturer has released a premium smartphone of their own that they hope will rival this new Apple handset. The HTC One X is an excellent new device but does it offer enough quality to match the iPhone 5 when it is finally launched. We look at how the two phones may match up for processing power and camera features.
The HTC One X is the first quad core handset launched by HTC and it is the most impressive of the handful of similar devices that are currently available. The model runs on an Nvidia Tegra 3 chipset which is widely regarded as one of the very best available. This chipset includes a powerful 1.5Ghz quad core processor. The four cores that are available help to provide the ultimate multi tasking facilities as each individual core is capable of running its own tasks. This means that the user could be listening to music while browsing the web without any negative effect on performance speeds. The chipset used in this model also includes a ULP Geforce graphics processing unit which is powerful enough to handle any software and applications currently available. The iPhone 5 is also expected to be launched with a quad core processor although the speed is likely to be clocked at a lower level which will be around 1Ghz. This chip will form part of the new Apple A6 architecture which will also feature the very latest in graphics processing technology. The iOS operating system used by Apple offers superb power efficiency so the handset does not require a processor as powerful as what many rivals offer but we still feel the HTC device will have the edge in this department as it will offer 50 per cent more power together with unrivaled graphics processing.
The HTC One X boasts one of the leading camera features currently available and Apple will be keen to match this on their new iPhone 5. It is widely expected that the new Apple phone will include more features and quality than what can be found on the 4S model although the resolution is likely to remain the same at 8 mega pixels. Some of the new features that we expect to be included are smile detection and image stabilisation. There are also a number of rumours that suggest that the camera may be able to record 3D images which would be a very welcome addition. The HTC One X sports an 8 mega pixel still camera together with a 1080P video recording facility. The beauty of this model is that users can capture still photographs while recording video footage thanks to a dedicated camera chip. Some other useful features offered by this device include a clever panoramic mode and an HDR mode that helps the user to achieve the perfect exposure levels.
At this moment in time the HTC One X is the leading smartphone available. Even after the iPhone 5 is launched the HTC is likely to offer more in the way of processing power although both models look like being very evenly matched for camera features.
For the latest iPhone 5 news and HTC One X prices please visit our website.
Article source: http://www.newsbroadcast.co.uk/30716/how-cameras-may-compare-on-the-iphone-5-and-the-htc-one-x
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5
Samsung sold 44 million smartphones in the first quarter
Samsung sold 44 million smartphones in the first quarter
Samsung probably sold 44 million smartphones in the first quarter, more than tripling from a year earlier, Matt Evans, a Seoul-based analyst at CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets, said in an April 2 report.
Samsung, which plans to introduce a successor to the Galaxy S II by June, is still facing competition from Apple.
“The S III is going to come just before the iPhone 5 launches,” Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Gartner Inc. said. “Although Samsung seems to be doing no wrong in the Android camp, I think with the Galaxy S III it is going to struggle to get the same success as the S II had.”
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Article source: http://www.sananews.net/english/samsung-sold-44-million-smartphones-in-the-first-quarter/
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5
Apple iPhone 5: 10 Most Prevalent Rumors About New Features
Apple iPhone 5: 10 Most Prevalent Rumors About New Features
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Page 1 of 2 )
Apple hasn’t yet launched its iPhone 5, despite hopes that it would do so last year before it offered up the iPhone 4S. But that doesn’t mean the company won’t do it this year. In fact, rumors abound, suggesting Apple will launch the iPhone 5 this year. The stage is set, according to the latest rumors, for Apple to blow smartphone users away with its next smartphone.
That said, it’s hard to determine what the device might come with when it launches sometime later this year. Over the last several months, a host of rumors have surfaced that either corroborate or counter earlier claims. All that has created a scenario where rumors keep coming and consumers have no idea what to believe. It’s a real issue for analysts, too, who want to predict Apple’s future financial success.
To provide some understanding of the rumors circulating about the next Apple iPhone model and to provide some guidance about which ones might be more plausible than others, this column will examine 10 of the more prevalent rumors. Then readers can decide which ones make sense and which ones don’t.
1. A bigger display
The iPhone’s 3.5-inch screen looks awfully small compared with competing devices featuring a 4.3- or even 4.6-inch display. Now a host of rumors suggest that Apple could launch either a 4- or 4.6-inch screen with its new iPhone 5. If so, that just might make current iPhone customers want to ditch their current devices and take advantage of the bigger screens.
2. A June launch
According to the latest rumors, all signs point to a June launch for Apple’s iPhone 5. The rumor mill, citing information supposedly leaking out of Apple supplier Foxconn, claims that the device will be unveiled at the Worldwide Developers Conference—an event used in the past for new iPhone launches—and be released at some point around that time.
3. An October launch
Guess what? Another rumor out of Foxconn says Apple doesn’t want to launch the iPhone 5 in June, since it would be too close to the launch of the iPhone 4S. Therefore, the company is reportedly considering launching the device in October to give the 4S enough room to generate massive profits for the tech giant.
4. 4G LTE iPhone
When Apple launched the new iPad with 4G LTE connectivity, nearly everyone believed that the iPhone 5 would follow suit. Now, a host of rumors have surfaced confirming that speculation. What’s not clear, though, is how Apple will handle battery drain that inevitably comes with LTE support.
Article source: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Apple-iPhone-5-10-Most-Prevalent-Rumors-About-New-Features-402914/
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5
iPhone 5 Rumors: Larger Screen, Retina Display Possible
The latest scuttlebutt on Apple’s new iPhone or iPhone 5 is suggesting that the next-gen smartphone will feature a larger screen size and Retina Display.
This is contrary to early reports that the iPhone 5 would not likely be expanding its screen size from the conventional 3.5 inches used on previous versions. However, it’s been a while since those reports were published, and the chances of a larger display seem to be better than ever before.
Nevertheless, when we say “larger” we mean only 4 inches – an increase over the previous size, but not as big as the displays on phones such as the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, or even the Samsung Galaxy S2. In order to achieve this, Apple would need to alter its aspect ratio from 3:2 to 9:5.
Moreover, Apple’s possible move to increase the iPhone’s screen size may be more of a necessity than anything else. If rumors that the iPhone 5 would support 4G LTE and include a bigger battery are accurate, then increasing the phone’s actual size would be imperative. The new iPad increased its battery size to accommodate Retina Display and 4G LTE, so it’s likely the iPhone 5 would follow suit.
Chances are we’ll have to wait till a month or so before the iPhone 5’s tentative release date before we find out more concrete information on the handset’s display. Most sources are figuring the iPhone 5 will be out either in June or October 2012, though October sounds more realistic at this point.
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Article source: http://easternmorningherald.com/iphone-5-rumors-larger-screen-retina-display-possible/123974/
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5
Apple: Piper Looks to FYQ3 Forecast for iPhone 5 Clues
By Tiernan Ray
Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster this morning reiterates an Overweight rating on Apple (AAPL), and a $910 price target, writing that the company should produce “typical impressive results” in the fiscal Q2 ended in March, with perhaps $38.3 billion in revenue and $11.41 in EPS versus the consensus of $36.45 billion and $9.92 per share.
Munster bases his estimates on sales of 33 million iPhone units and 13 million iPad units, and 4.3 million Macs.
The outlook for the June Q3, moreover, should make clear the prospects for an iPhone 5 introduction, Munster writes.
Assuming an historical average for a decline of 2% in revenue in fiscal Q3, and a drop of 9% in EPS, Munster is modeling $37.1 billion for Q3 and $9.86 per share.
That is about slightly below the consensus of $37.2 billion and $9.92.
Munster sees the iPhone 5 timing being of little concern given demand is “captive”:
The most important point is iPhone 5 is coming, and the Street’s 8% y/y unit growth estimate for the December-12 quarter is likely too low. While our model currently assumes iPhone 5 in August, it is more likely the phone launches either late in the June quarter or early in the December quarter based on past launches. Apple’s guidance will offer a hint as to the timing of the iPhone 5. The reality is the “when” question doesn’t matter for shares of AAPL as we believe consumer demand for the iPhone is captive and buyers are unlikely to go out to buy a different phone if launch is not until October.
Apple shares today are down $16.63, or almost 3%, at $606.14.
Previously: Apple: Wedge Again Warns iPad Estimates Out of Control, April 13th, 2012.
Article source: http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2012/04/13/apple-piper-looks-to-fyq3-forecast-for-iphone-5-clues/?mod=google_news_blog
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5 News
iPhone 5 rumor rollup for the week ending April 13
iPhone 5 prototypes are popping up like Spring daffodils, and the iOSsphere is intoxicated with them even though none have
yet turned up in a beer house.
This week: disguised prototypes at Apple‘s headquarters, aspect ratios and screen sizes, recycling rumors of the aluminum iPhone, and life-changing, mind-altering
software.
You read it here second.
__________
“Unlike the iPad 2, the new iPhone packs 1GB of RAM, according to a source familiar with the SOC’s manufacturing.”
Mark Gurman, 9to5Mac, Sept. 11, 2011, before the announcement of iPhone 4S
“Like the A5X-powered iPad, these new iPhone prototypes are packing 1GB of RAM.”
Mark Gurman, 9to5Mac, April 9, 2012, before the announcement of iPhone 5
__________
iPhone 5 is in disguise at Apple headquarters and will have 1 Gig of memory
“Apple has internally seeded a prototype next-generation iPhone with the iPhone 4 design,” Mark Gurman at 9to5Mac confidently declares. That seems to be geekspeak for “some Apple employees have a prototype iPhone 5 that looks like the iPhone 4.”
With the assurance of an experienced rumorster, Gurman doesn’t bother to cite even an anonymous source for this conviction.
“The actual next-generation iPhone is specifically said to not include the iPhone 4/4S design, but Apple is testing these
new devices in older casings to throw off leaks,” Gurman says. The passive tense “is…said” raises the obvious question of
who, exactly, said this. But let’s not get bogged down by Lamestream Media concerns over things like reliability of sources
and, you know, facts.
“The purpose of the prototype iPhone that we heard about is to test a variation of the ‘A5X’ chip in an iPhone,” Gurman continues.
“The A5X processor in the new iPad was specifically built to drive the new Retina Display, so that chip wouldn’t make much
sense in an iPhone.”
The principal change in the new iPad’s dual-core A5X is the addition of a quad-core graphics processor. It drives not just
a Retina Display, which the iPhone 4 and 4S also has, but a much larger 9.7-inch diagonal Retina Display, with more pixels
than a high-def TV. So, if that doesn’t make sense for an iPhone, then what would the A5X “variation” be? Gurman doesn’t speculate
and apparently neither did his source, or sources.
“Like the A5X-powered iPad, these new iPhone prototypes are packing 1GB of RAM,” he declares, again without any attribution.
But perhaps Gurman is relying on the same source that told him, way back in September 2011 that the about-to-be-announced
iPhone 5 (which turned out to be the iPhone 4S) would for sure definitely absolutely have 1GB or RAM.
“The new [to-be-announced] iPhone features Apple’s dual-core A5 processor like the iPad 2 for even faster performance, better
gaming, and drastically improved graphics,” Gurman wrote then. “Apple didn’t stop there though. Unlike the iPad 2, the new iPhone packs 1GB of RAM, according to a source familiar
with the SOC’s manufacturing.”
The great thing about insisting year in and year out that the next iPhone is going to have 1GB of RAM or more storage or a
more powerful processor is that, eventually, you’ll be right.
Article source: http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/041312-iphone5-rumor-258261.html
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5 News
Why the iPhone 5 headset could be…an iPod
“The inevitability of gradualness cannot fail to be appreciated.” – Sidney Webb
Apple [AAPL] is planning this year’s late summer music product refresh. Scratching the rumor machine, its plans could include improvements within iTunes, an upgraded iPod touch, a 7-inch iPad/iPod touch hybrid and a new headset combining iPod shuffle-like music playback with Bluetooth which should work like a dream with iPhone 5.
The iPhone 5 headset — an iPod shuffle
Apple’s latest patent filing (Wireless headset with integrated media player) takes the iPod shuffle and transforms it into an essential item for any iPhone user. The description is of a device which integrates a Bluetooth headset, microphone and MP3 player.
The headset can be pre-loaded with music over USB, so you get to play music even when you aren’t carrying or don’t own an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.
As reported by Wired, Apple already has patents for headsets which switch the music off when you take them off your head, for advanced noise cancellation for headset mics and more. However, as Wired notes the design of this device reflects that of the Bluetooth headset Apple briefly offered in 2007. This makes it possible development of this product isn’t happening, but if it is, now is a perfect time to field a solution like this.
Why? Because there’s approximately 316 million iOS devices in use worldwide. That’s a huge market for an Apple headset, particularly one that integrates strongly with iOS 6, including the capacity to cue up tracks using Siri voice controls if the headset were twinned with an iPhone, for example.
The patent description includes a small display and start, stop and record buttons. The description also includes the capacity to listen to your voice messages.
That you can just use the headset at those times you might choose to leave your iOS device at home is an additional fillip, and means many in the low-end music player market (such as it is, these days) will choose an Apple headset just because they want an iPod or iPhone.
And, of course, it isn’t much of a stretch to imagine a pair of compatible video glasses being bought into this equation at some future point for augmented reality applications and movie playback. Apple has been working on video goggle solutions for years.
The promise of iTunes 11
iTunes has seen lots of evolution since its original incarnation as the audio-focused Soundjam application, (History fans will know Apple acquired the software from Casady and Greene and morphed it into iTunes.) These days iTunes combines media management and acquisition tools, along with device management.
It is to be hoped Apple will be focusing on performance in the software, in an ideal world the device management features would morph into a second application in order to make the software run more smoothly, certainly reports claim the company is focused on under the hood improvements at this stage of development.
iTunes 11 will, of course, support iOS 6 with its iPhone 5 support, Apple Maps, Siri, iCloud and other interesting improvements. Content discovery will also be improved across apps, music and media as the company deploys discovery technologies acquired when it purchased Chomp.
The iTunes Store seems set for redesign, with a focus on user-friendliness. Previous reports have claimed plans to introduce a Spotify-competing music streaming service within iTunes. The introduction of LTE support within the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 could underpin such a service, enabling users to stream whole chunks of music while on the move: likely including all the music you own via iCloud and music you don’t possess in exchange for a small fee.
Apple is also focused on making iTunes more interactive, which will hopefully include Facebook support for its never-used “social network for music”, Ping.
Finally, conjecture suggests iTunes may also gain new micro-payment options, in which users would be able to pop small amounts of cash into an account for use when making NFC transactions using an iPhone 5 as an iWallet.
That’s in keeping with many of the ways in which NFC transactions are being tested globally. Many of these tests support small payments for small items, such as drinks at Starbucks and public transit fees. If Apple does move ahead to the iWallet, I suspect many of these new features will be launched in the US first.
New devices
It seems inevitable the iPod touch will be given a new processor, in keeping with the most recently-introduced iPhone 4S. This also implies some form of limited support for Siri.
There’s also been a crop of recent claims Apple has a plan to introduce a 7-inch iPad. This could also be marketed as a dedicated iBook reader and aimed directly at Amazon’s Kindle Fire — a not unreasonable move, given the recent move by the DOJ to launch an investigation into Apple’s relationship with publishers.
So there you have it, all the latest rumor, speculation and fantastical dreams as Apple approaches its late summer music product refresh. Have you heard any more claims which may inform this debate? Let us know in comments below.
Got a story? Drop me a line via Twitter or in comments below and let me know. I’d like it if you chose to follow me on Twitter so I can let you know when these items are published here first on Computerworld.
Article source: http://blogs.computerworld.com/20025/why_the_iphone_5_headset_could_be_an_ipod
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5 News
Would You Buy An iPhone 5 If It Looked Just Like iPhone 4?
When it comes to the iPhone, it isn’t just about how well it works but also how good it looks. The iPhone 4 and 4S are without a doubt one of the most stylish smartphones on the market right now. While most smartphones seem to take on very similar design cues, Apple went with sandwiching its sole phone between two plates of glass with a highly-polished metal trimming. As much as we do adore the design however, we’re not sure it can last another cycle.
iPhone 5 rumors: will it get a redesign this time around?
When the iPhone 4S launched back in October last year, there was a lot of criticism from tech pundits and consumers about the design. Everyone was expecting something brand new other than just a doppelganger of the iPhone 4. Nevertheless, the iPhone 4S went on to sell extremely well and became the top selling iPhone model for Apple to date.
Now as we approach another possible iPhone launch (iPhone 5), we come back to the same situation. Rumors suggest a teardrop design, larger display, use of aluminum instead of glass and an overall slimmer form factor. While all that sound great, what we think people really want is just a new design for the iPhone 5. After all, one of the many joys of buying a shiny new toy is letting other people to be able to see that, and also how something new feels in your hand.
The faster processor, better camera, LTE and iOS 6 upgrades aside, what I really want is just a new design. The last thing you want is your brand new iPhone 5 which you will likely need to be living with for the next two-years of your contract to resemble the then 4-year old iPhone 4.
Do you think Apple will be able to pull of having the iPhone 5 look just like the iPhone 4 once again? If they did, would you buy it or explore other mobile platform alternatives like Android and Windows Phone? Sound off in the comments below.
Article source: http://www.motoringcrunch.com/news/mobile-tech/10372-iphone-5-pictures
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5