iFunia News Blog » Apple News

iOS 5 Gold Master(GM) expected to release during week of Sept. 23

macfunia — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:13:58 +0000

Already in its seventh developer beta, Apple’s iOS 5, which will run on iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch devices, is supposedly scheduled to reach golden master status—the official version which will be available to end users—during the last week of September. This latest tidbit comes from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, an Apple insider and analyst with Concord Securities who believes Apple will unveil what is essentially an updated iPhone 4 model in mid-October.

Kuo also puts the kibosh on rumors of there being two iPhone models, instead suggesting that Apple intends to offer a souped-up version of the iPhone 4 that has the same general form factor of the iPhone 4, including screen size and building materials, but with an improved camera and tweaked antenna band.

As for the N94 iPhone, Kuo also shares a few details on the device:

- 512 MB of RAM: This is to be expected, as the next iPhone should be using the same A5 chip found in the iPad 2, which does in fact offer 512 MB of RAM.

- Camera module height “almost same” as in iPhone 4: Camera thickness is the major limiting factor for overall device thickness, meaning that the next iPhone is not likely to be significantly thinner than the iPhone 4. Sony is said to have started shipping camera sensors to Apple’s manufacturers back in July, with OmniVision coming online to assist in September or October.
- 3.5-inch display: A number of rumors have claimed that Apple will be using a larger display for the new iPhone, but Kuo’s sources indicate the screen will be the same size as that found in the iPhone 4.
- Glass front and back: Although not 100% confident on this item, Kuo’s sources suggest that Apple will continue to utilize the same basic design of the iPhone 4, with glass on both the front and back of the device.
- Manufacturing shares: Foxconn is scheduled to handle 85% of the production load for the new iPhone, with Pegatron taking the remaining 15%. As previously noted, Pegatron will be a bit slower to ramp up production, and will primarily be supplying Apple’s Asia-Pacific markets.

Losing track of all the Apple iPhone 5 rumors? Be sure to check out What the iPhone 5 Might Look Like and iPhone 5 to Have 8-Megapixel Camera, you can also get more tips and tutorials on our iPhone column, Also this week, We’ll keep you updated on the latest iPhone 5 news, so stay tuned.

Apple News Stories round up September 6

macfunia — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:49:51 +0000

As sleepy vacationers slowly get back in the groove of things, and as parents start bundling their kids off to school once more. Who has time for the news under those circumstances? Well, We know our readers like to be informed. We have scouted out today’s most relevant news items and brought them to you all on one page. We hope you find this midday edition informative and useful.

iPod Touch White Next Generation Device Parts Photos Appear

iFixDirect (via Technobuffalo) claims to have obtained a white front cover for a next-generation iPod touch. This one showing a color change to reflect what we’ve seen in the most recent generation of iPhones (that being WHITE, of course,) and otherwise not not much else on the surface.

Report: Apple Setting Up Remote Diagnostics System for iPhones

Should your iPhone get a case of the mysterious illnesses, it appears that Apple is setting up a remote diagnostic system that will let Genius Bar techs get a peek under the hood even before you step over the Apple store threshold. Now that's efficient.

Android OS Makes Gains, iOS Stays Flat for Now

In other competition news, it looks like Android is continuing to grow while iOS stays flat, but that might just be the public holding off buying any new Apple phone until they get a looksee at what's coming down the pike this fall. Might be iOS gets a big uptick later this year, eh?

So there you have it, the top Apple stories for this afternoon.

Rumor: iPhone 5 to Have 8-Megapixel Camera

macfunia — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 09:16:28 +0000

What features the iPhone 5 will have is a question that has given rise to a vast range of speculations. While the abundance of rumors and assumptions made on the logical progression of the next-gen iPhone make it fairly certain that the device will be sporting an upgraded 8-megapixel camera.

The rumour mill

According to a report out of Taiwan Economic News, both Largan Precision and Genius Electronic Optical are set to supply Apple with lenses for 8 megapixel cameras for the iPhone 5. For those that don’t know, these two companies are responsible for many of the internal camera components found in the iPhone 4. This makes it all the more likely that they would have a hand in developing the next-generation device.

What does it mean for image quality?
As a fan of iPhoneography I was interested in this news, and curious as to what this news might actually mean for the picture quality. What do you guys think? Will we see an 8 MP camera in the iPhone 5, or do you picture something different for the next-gen device? Weigh in below in the comments or on facebook.

Will this be the new iPhone 5?

macfunia — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 09:24:59 +0000

With the iPhone 5 expected to launch in October, knockoffs of the rumored phone have already started. Now a Chinese website has posted images of a fake iPhone 5 that may reveal details of the highly anticipated device’s design. The knockoff was produced in Shenzhen, China, the very same city where the iPhone 5 is allegedly in production.

These knockoffs seem to be based on the leaked designs and specs from case manufacturers. giz-China reported that the “iPhone 5″ is being sold for $108 USD with a JAVA based OS, MP3, MP4 playback and Wi-Fi.

The knockoff hardware shows a flat curved design, with tapered edges however, the mute switch and the home button remain untouched. According to earlier reports the mute switch could be placed on the opposite side of the phone and introduce an elongated home button.

We won’t know for sure how the new iPhone sizes up until Apple takes off the wraps, but a writer at Gizmodo, which famously leaked photos of a prototype iPhone 4 that it obtained months before the device’s launch, is so confident that this is in fact the iPhone 5′s design that he has sworn to wax his entire body and eat vegetarian for a month if he’s wrong. Your move, Apple.

Since we’ve seen some pretty accurate clones before, it’s not too crazy to think that these pictures are far off from the real deal. It looks like the clone of the iPhone 5 is a hybrid of the iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 4. It keeps some of its flat surfaces, but adds some curves to the sides. If this is what we can look forward to in terms of design, I’d be happy – the curves do add a more organic feel in the hand. What about you, do you think this is the new iPhoine 5 design? And do you like it?

Report: Next generation iPod Touch To Get 3G Option

macfunia — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 09:41:09 +0000

Where everyone is engaged in predicting the features in iPhone 4S/5, A Dutch blog called AppleSpot.nl is reporting that the next version of the iPod Touch will have 3G wireless connectivity built in which bringing the consistently-popular MP3 and media player one step closer to the more full-featured iPhone.

Translated, the report says:
It will work just like the iPad; you get a 3G enabled simcard from your provider and put that in you iPod Touch. Apple’s choice of bringing 3G to the iPod Touch isn’t all that weird, if it’s true of course. Question remains how the providers will react to this, since the use of, for example, Skype will skyrocket.

So does the rumor hold water?
9 to 5 Mac is skeptical, and Wayne Lam, a senior analyst for IHS iSuppli, told CNET that a 3G antenna would likely be cost prohibitive for Apple. Still, it’s worth pondering the existence of a 3G-capable iPod Touch, especially since Apple has forecast “cloudy” skies ahead. Witness the rise of iCloud, a service that only works with an Internet connection. 3G antennas means that the Web would extend beyond the reach of normal Wi-Fi. Plus, considering all those VoIP programs, with a 3G iPod, you could just do away with your iPhone, right?

Some other reports from 9to5Mac suggested that Apple would make the iPod touch 5G a cheaper iPhone by using the 3G/GPS Baseband chips. It could help the company to target the medium range of Android smartphones where it looses most of its shares. This could even increases the prices to a little extent. However, there is no confirmation on it yet.

If ever this rumor is true, it could have a massive impact on the iPhone sales. You see, the iPod Touch is without a doubt more affordable than the iPhone. And since the current iPod Touch already supports Skype for VoIP calls, having it work on the 3G version would be fantastic.

iPad 3 to be called iPad 2 Plus, available this year?

macfunia — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:37:45 +0000

2011 looks like the year of the “plus”. While Google has the recently launched Google+ social network, rumors show that Samsung is about to release its Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus. Now an report comes from FBR Capital Markets analyst Craig Berger suggestions that Apple intends to release an “iPad 2 Plus,” essentially a slightly upgraded iPad 2 which is said to have a higher resolution display (250-300 ppi), an improvement over the iPad 2′s 132-ppi resolution.

This rumor started with a note FBR Capital analyst Craig Berger wrote to Forbes’ writer Eric Savitz. In this note Berger explains that such a move would fit in with production goals and part availabilities:
“We hear Apple could migrate the iPad’s display resolution from a current pixel density of 132 ppi to 250-300 ppi for the ‘iPad 2 Plus’ (note that the iPhone 4′s screen is 326 ppi),” he writes. “If this device does come out as a high-end iPad for the holidays, then Q4 production volumes could diminish somewhat as screen constraints again arise as LG and/or Samsung would likely have difficulties ramping screen yield rates for these high resolution displays right out of the gate. While we find this new commentary interesting, we await more confirming data points from other supply chain contacts before fully believing a new iPad device is coming in 2011.”

Berger’s view of the next-generation iPad as a tweaked iPad 2 is essentially the reverse of theories that initially appeared earlier this year in the lead-up to the iPad 2 launch. At that time, some observers had considered what would become the iPad 2 to be an interim release to carry Apple through until it could release a more significant update later in the year.

But with Apple actually having made fairly substantial improvements in the iPad 2 with the addition of dual cameras, a 33% thinner enclosure, and processor and graphics enhancements, Berger’s report takes the view of the next-generation iPad being an enhanced iPad 2 rather than a full iPad 3 update.

Regardless of the name attached to the rumored next-generation device, a shift to a higher-resolution display approaching “Retina” resolutions in the range of 250-300 ppi would of course be a substantial improvement even on its own, and with Apple reported to have ordered 5 million iPad 2 touch sensors this month, there’s a possibility of the sensors being used for this iPad 2 plus. Well, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens. Stay tuned.

Apple iPhone 5 VS. Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus

macfunia — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 10:28:10 +0000

Today, the Samsung Galaxy S2 is arguably the most loved Android smartphone. With a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, Android Gingerbread OS, and much more powerful features it is geared to compete with Apple’s iPhone 5 or 4S (depending on what you believe Apple’s next generation smartphone will be called), which is said to launch late on August or early on September

Today, the Samsung Galaxy S2 is arguably the most loved Android smartphone. With a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, Android Gingerbread OS, and much more powerful features it is geared to compete with Apple’s iPhone 5 or 4S (depending on what you believe Apple’s next generation smartphone will be called), which is said to launch late on August or early on September.

The current S2 features a 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A9 dual-core processor Exynos chipset with a Mali-400MP GPU. Its predecessor the S2 Plus is said to sport a 1.4 GHz dual-core processor. That’s 200 MHz of clock speed on each core. This means more performance and processing speed.

Overseas sales have been strong for Samsung’s Galaxy S2 and high expectations are placed on the U.S. release. The Galaxy S2 Plus version is rumored to be released soon after the S2 launch in order to contend with the iPhone 5. The S2 Plus is expected to have a beefed up 1.4 GHz dual core processor that runs on the latest Android OS Ice Cream Sandwich.

The iPhone 5 rumored specs list is a long one that includes: A dual processors possibly ranging from 1.2-1.5 GHz, teardrop design which tapers from top to a skinny bottom, aluminum metal body backing, 8 megapixel camera with dual LED, 4 inch curved glass touchscreen display which is edge-to-edge, SIM-less design, 4G and LTE compatibility, iOS 5, iCloud enabled, NFC technology, and antennas for GSM and CDMA networks.

Apple iPhone 5 Vs Samsung Galaxy S 2 battle will be a great stunt in the tech world this year. Last year it was only Samsung Galaxy S that stayed competitive to Apple’s dominating iPhone 4. Can Apple compete? Definitely, but that will depend on how the company will market the iPhone 5.

Apple about to release OS X 10.7 on July 6 or July 14

macfunia — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:32:03 +0000

After the continuous Mac OS X Lion previews for over a month, Apple has finally released the OS X Lion Gold Master to developers. suggesting that the official release of the new operating system, OS X 10.7, is only a few days away. “Gold master” (GM) is a label some developers use — Microsoft calls it “release to manufacturing,” or RTM — which indicating that the company is done making changes to the software, and the final version has been minted, which is then destined for retail and virtual shelves.

At its World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, Apple said it would release Lion — Mac OS X 10.7 — at some point in July, but did not give a specific date. Since that several prospective release dates have been forecast by blogs, In fact we already have rumors circling the web that offer us an actual release date for Mac OS X Lion.

“Mac OS X Lion, the latest version of Apple’s Server and Desktop Operating System for Macintosh computer will be released on 6th or 14th of this month,” cited on a tech blog.

Before releasing any OS publicly, wether it is meant for mobile or laptop, Apple always seeded the Gold Master version which is assumed to be equivalent to the final release for developers. It implies that developers should test all of their application or games which will use the capability of the next generation OS. Apple previewed some of the unique features of Mac OS X Lion at WWDC keynote such as airdrop, autosave, launchpad, mission control, full screen applications, etc.

What does this mean for you? Well you’ll be able to upgrade your Mac to the latest Mac OS version by simply heading to the Mac App Store with virtual cash in hand to download the update. Mac OS X Lion is packed with brand new 250 features along with iCloud support and 3K latest developer APIs. Apple announced that new version OS will cost $29.99, which is a great offer, while the server version of OS X Lion will retail for $49.99.

Prototype iPhone 4 Appears on eBay for $101,110

macfunia — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 15:20:32 +0000

jtmaxo, who lists a device on eBay as “Apple iPhone 4 black APPLE GENUINE PROTOTYPE, GENUINE”. In the description he states the device as a GSM iPhone labeled with the model number XXXXX FCC ID: BCGAXXXXX IC ID: 579C-AXXXXX. While it cannot be activated on AT&T, we’re sure that any number of Apple fanboys would love to have it as a collector’s piece.

This prototype iPhone 4 has many of the signs that it is a pre-release device. the volume buttons are missing ‘+’ and ‘-’ labels and storage information (XXGB) on the back of the device. Also, the seller says the device won’t activate through an AT&T SIM card plugged in through iTunes. Lastly, on the front of the device a ’DF1692′ label is shown, which is thought of as a tracking code used by Apple. When the seller searched the serial number on Apple.com, it returned no results. So, where did the seller get this device? The eBay description details the findings:

1. iPhone has wear on the frame, some small marks on the rear cover, small marks on the screen. No cracks and no deep scratches.
2. Volume buttons don’t have the usual + for upper button and – for lower volume button
3. Phone will not activate on at&t and when syncing with iTunes it says that this phone can not be activated with at&t sim card it won’t activate (please review picture #10)
4. On rear cover Model No.: XXXXX FCC ID: BCGAXXXXX IC ID: 579C-AXXXXX (please review picture #8)
5. Front screen and rear cover has some type of numbers printed on the inside.

The bid is currently at $101,110.10 with 7 days remaining, and there is no guess as to how high it will go—or if it will even make it that long without being removed by Apple and eBay.

Report: iPhone 5 and iPad 3 Scheduled for October Release

macfunia — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 09:19:32 +0000

DigiTimes – The Taiwan-based blog, a frequent purveyor of Apple rumors, has now reports that Apple’s supply chain is now preparing materials for the production of the iPad 3 and iPhone 5. According to the site’s “industry sources,” both products will be unveiled in September and arriving on the market in October.

DigiTimes didn’t give any details as to what could be included in the iPhone 5, but it said the iPad 3 will be even lighter and thinner than the current iPad 2 model, and may include a 250dpi display — better than this iteration’s 132dpi screen, but still a bit under the iPhone 4′s ultra-dense retina display, which sits pretty with a dpi of 326.

The same sources say that the iPhone 5′s supply volume should be around 6-7 million units in Q3 2011, so expect the usual “hard to get” scenario if Apple chooses to launch it on a global scale in October. There’s always the chance of it being released in the U.S. first though, given the fact that there’ll be at least two carriers offering it from day one.

DigiTimes reports:
Upstream component makers including Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry), which is in charge of assembling the devices; Simplo Technologies and Dynapack International Technology, in charge of manufacturing batteries; TPK Holding and Wintek, in charge of touch panel modules; Catcher, in charge of chassis; and Largan Precision, in charge of webcams, are all expected to benefit from the orders.

Now, I know these types of rumors swirl around the blogosphere all the time, but it’s probably safe to say that the market can expect a new iPhone device by year’s end. On the other hand, another iPad doesn’t sound realistic since Apple just released the iPad 2 about eight months ago. It might be a bit too soon for that launch but still would be cool.