Posts tagged iphone
Apple announces iPhone 4S: A5 processor, HSDPA/CDMA, 8 MP, dual antenna
Oct 4th
Many expected Apple to launch a redesigned iPhone 5 at its phone event earlier today, but the company instead announced the iPhone 4S, an upgraded iPhone 4 that includes:
- Dual-core Apple A5 processor (ARM Cortex A9)
- Both HSDPA and CDMA radios built in (instead of separate variants, as in the iPhone 4)
- 8 MP camera with 1080p video recording
- Dual antenna (to split send/receive and address iPhone 4 “death grip” issues)
- Siri voice control
Apple also announced a Find My Friends feature that lets iPhone users track their friends on a map, similar to Google Latitude.
In the US, the new phone will be available on AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint for $199 (16GB), $299 (32GB), and $399 (64GB) on a 2-year contract. Meanwhile the iPhone 4 (16GB) will drop to $99 and the iPhone 3GS will be free, both on 2-year contracts.
Presales of the iPhone 4S begin Friday, and the phone should hit stores by October 14.
Source: Apple
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Nokia CEO to employees: “We poured gasoline on our own burning platform”
Feb 8th
Nokia’s new CEO Stephen Elop, formerly of Microsoft, just sent out a fairly devastating internal memo to all Nokia employees. It’s a brutally honest portrayal of the mess the company is in and an interesting example of how to kickstart a company that on the surface appears to be doing fine (positive growth, still the largest market share globally) but actually faces serious threats that it has failed to address.
On the smartphone front, Nokia’s lead has severely eroded thanks to modern platforms like the iPhone and Google’s Android OS, which Nokia’s Symbian platform is still not competitive with and its Maemo OS has yet to battle. In emerging markets, its long-standing lead has been eaten up by Chinese manufacturers (many based on the city of Shenzhen, a famed hub of knock-off electronics).
Some tidbits:
- “Chinese OEMs are cranking out a device much faster than, as one Nokia employee said only partially in jest, ‘the time that it takes us to polish a PowerPoint presentation.’”
- “The first iPhone shipped in 2007, and we still don’t have a product that is close to their experience. Android came on the scene just over 2 years ago, and this week they took our leadership position in smartphone volumes. Unbelievable.”
- “Our competitors aren’t taking our market share with devices; they are taking our market share with an entire ecosystem.”
- “We poured gasoline on our own burning platform. I believe we have lacked accountability and leadership to align and direct the company through these disruptive times. We had a series of misses. We haven’t been delivering innovation fast enough. We’re not collaborating internally. Nokia, our platform is burning.”
- “They changed the game, and today, Apple owns the high-end range.”
- “Google has become a gravitational force, drawing much of the industry’s innovation to its core.”
Full memo after the break- it’s worth a read.
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The Verizon iPhone 4
Jan 7th
It’s finally here– after years of speculation, Apple’s iPhone has at last launched on Verizon’s CDMA network in the U.S. Executives from both companies presented the new device, an iPhone 4 with a CDMA radio instead of GSM/HSDPA, at a media event in New York this morning. The device is otherwise the same and will launch on February 10 for the same price as on AT&T (16GB for $199, 32GB for $299 on a 2-year contract). Verizon is, however, tossing in a Wifi mobile hotspot feature, which will allow up to 5 local clients to access the internet through the phone’s CDMA 3G connection.
Being a CDMA phone, the Verizon iPhone 4 will not be able to use voice and data simultaneously on 3G, nor will it be able to roam outside the United States. On the upside, it does have a redesigned antenna that sounds like it may fix the “deathgrip” issue plaguing the standard iPhone 4 (gripping the phone from a joint on the side causes it to entirely lose its cell reception).
The end of AT&T’s exclusive hold on the iPhone should allow Apple to significantly boost its U.S. sales as it battles an onslaught of competitors running Android and other mobile OSes. From Verizon’s perspective, the iPhone could have made a great introduction to its 4G LTE network, but integrating today’s first-gen LTE chipsets into the iPhone 4 would’ve required significant re-engineering, which Apple wasn’t willing to do.
More info: Verizon Wireless
Press release after the break.
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Aug 25th
A new video from Pocketnow compares browsing speed on a Windows Phone 7 prototype from LG, the iPhone 4, and Google’s Nexus One on Android. Even though the software’s not finalized yet, Internet Explorer on Windows Phone 7 is surprisingly competitive with the WebKit-based browsers on the iPhone and Android, beating or matching them in most tests. No Flash, Silverlight, or HTML5 A/V support yet, but the browsing experience is at least on par with the competition and at least won’t be a hindrance to the platform’s success.
While the rendering engine is a mix of IE 7 and 8, Microsoft has clearly put a lot of effort into the user experience, with silky-smooth scrolling, multi-touch zoom, and tab management. It’s a completely different animal from IE Mobile 6 on Windows Mobile 6.x (though most WinMo owners use Opera Mobile or other browsers in any case).
Video after the break.
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Microsoft reveals Windows Phone 7 games: Xbox Live in your pocket
Aug 17th
Microsoft has finally launched a portable Xbox. It’s neither a dedicated gaming device like Sony’s PSP or Nintendo’s DS nor just a casual gaming platform like the iPhone/iPod Touch. The software maker has fully integrated its Xbox Live experience into its upcoming Windows Phone 7 operating system– every WP7 phone will be able to play Xbox Live Arcade-style games with graphics reportedly exceeding anything seen in mobile gaming so far. The platform includes avatars, achievements, and more, though head-to-head multiplayer is not on the cards for the initial version.
Microsoft revealed over 60 launch titles, including Assassin’s Creed, Crackdown 2, Castlevania, Earthworm Jim, Guitar Hero, Halo: Waypoint, Splinter Cell, Star Wars, and more. Let’s just say it’s a pretty solid lineup.
Head over to Engadget for a full preview of what Windows Phone 7 gaming will have to offer.
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iPhone 4 screen smashed in first drop test
Jun 12th
Apple’s new iPhone 4 isn’t even on sale yet, but it’s already been put through a series of drop tests. iPhone repair site iFixyouri managed to get an iPhone 4 (minus the motherboard inside) and dropped it from pocket height (3.5 feet). The good news? It survived two drops. The bad news? On the third fall, a loud popping sound was heard, and the phone’s glass front was smashed to bits.
iFixyouri comments that the new phone’s construction – essentially two pieces of glass with aluminum sandwiched in between – made it particularly vulnerable compared to earlier iPhones, which had a slightly recessed glass screen surrounded by a chrome bezel.
Source: iFixyouri
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Apple’s new iPhone 4: A4 CPU, HD video, high-res screen, video chat, 3-axis gyro for $199/299, June 24
Jun 8th
Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the iPhone 4 at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) yesterday. The phone sports a high-resolution screen, thin new (though repeatedly leaked) design, front-facing camera for video chat, the iPad’s A4 processor, HD video capture and playback, a three-axis gyroscope, and the newly-renamed iOS 4.
The iPhone 4 will be available starting June 24 for $199 (16GB) / $299 (32GB) in either black or white, on a 2-year contract– and yes, it’s still tied to AT&T in the U.S.
Read on for our full coverage of Apple’s fourth-generation iPhone.
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Second iPhone prototype leaked: A4 processor confirmed, design slightly refined
May 16th
As if one prototype of Apple’s upcoming fourth-generation iPhone being left in a bar and delivered to a tech blog weren’t enough, a second prototype iPhone has now found its way into some Vietnamese forum posters’ hands. Unlike the Gizmodo bloggers, however, these people had no worries about damaging the phone and took it apart to reveal whatever wasn’t already known. At this point we’re left wondering if Apple will have anything left to surprise us with when the new iPhone launches next month.
Read on for more details, lots of photos, and a video of the next-gen iPhone. More >
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Next-Gen iPhone 4G/HD Revealed: The Details
Apr 23rd
Apple will be launching its fourth-generation iPhone in June. Thanks to an Apple employee who left a prototype in a bar, we’ve seen several photos and videos of the new phone, which could be called “iPhone 4G” (unlikely, given that it’ll still be using AT&T’s 3G network), “iPhone HD,” or something different.
Read on to learn what we know about Apple’s new phone so far.
More >
Apple unveils iPhone OS 4.0, adds multitasking
Apr 8th
Earlier today, Apple unveiled its new iPhone OS, version 4.0. The new software will power the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad and adds a variety of new features to the mix. Chief among these is a form of multitasking, and other “tentpoles” include an Xbox Live replica called “Gaming Center,” enhanced email support, and more:
- Multitasking on iPhone 3GS
- User-changeable wallpaper (something jailbroken users have enjoyed for years)
- Bluetooth keyboard support (from iPad)
- Spell check (also from iPad)
- Tap-based autofocus for video (not just photos) on 3GS
- 5x digital zoom for camera (why?)
- Enhanced playlist support (on-device playlist creation, nested lists)
- iBooks (from iPad)
- App folders (another jailbreak favorite- you can finally sort multiple apps into folders)
- New mail features (unified inbox for multiple accounts, threaded email, in-app attachment viewing, support for multiple MS Exchange accounts)
- Enterprise enhancements (remote device management, wireless app distribution)
- iAd (Apple’s new mobile advertising system, promising more interactive ads than ever before, 60:40 revenue split with Apple)
- Game Center (Apple’s mobile replica of Xbox Live for iPhone games, including matchmaking, achievements, and leaderboards; will launch sometime later this year (after OS 4 launch))
More details after the break. More >
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