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Tag: iphone

  • iPhone 5 jailbroken from day 1, while breaking a pre-order record

    iPhone 5 kept busy the homepage of every smartphone website the last week and it is not surprising that there were so many things to write about it. Since the announcement of it, every Apple fan anticipated for the big news. Since its sale, every Apple fan pre-ordered it and by the time it was finally on stores, a skillful hacker managed to jailbreak it, in just a single day!

    The fact that iPhone 5 has been pre-ordered in 3 days 96% as the purchases of iPhone 4S for the whole first month, proves how big the anticipation was from every Apple fan. And this is not just an estimated number, but the stats that were released from Comscore. As it seems, Apple's fans have been greatly increased, with the promotion of iPhone 5 being successful. The difference between the sales of iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 is significant, which raises the expectations of its general sales even more.  As for the carriers, the majority of the pre-orders was recorded at AT&T, holding 68% of them, with Verizon following with 24%.

    And just when we were all impressed by the pre-orders of iPhone 5, a hacker managed to jailbreak it, even from the first day! Grant Paul posted a picture on Twitter showing an iPhone 5 that was running Cydia Store, which is for jailbroken phones. Although many were suspicious about the validity of his claim, he eventually posted additional pictures, in order to prove his claim. As it seems, he did manage to jailbreak iPhone 5 from day one, which gave him a lot of buzz the last few days.

    iPhone 5 is here to stay and it seems, we are all part of this mania. At least until the release of the next generation of iPhone.

  • iOS 6 already adopted 25-35% after 48 hours

    After the iPhone 5 mania the previous week, we now have the iOS 6 mania. Every iPhone user was expecting for this update, hoping that it will boost the performance of their phones.

    The update from iOS 5 to iOS 6 was rather smooth for most iPhone holders, since its adoption was fast, comparing to the previous updates.

    It is estimated that iOS 6 has been adopted by the 25%-35% of the iPhone holders in just 48 hours. David Smith, a developer of popular apps, measures the adoption of iOS and his data show an adoption of 35.4% for iOS 6, with iOS 5 being still at the top with 71.5%. Apart from Smith, Chitika, which is an iOS ad network, measured the adoption of iOS 6 at 25%, while iOS 5 reached the 21% adoption rate in 21 days.

    iOS 6 was a highly anticipated update. It was the time when Apple decided to get rid of Google Maps, Siri has also improved, but what's even more important, iOS 6 is the first update for iPhone that does not require the use of a computer. All you have to do is plug your iPhone in the charge, click on update and leave it do its magic for the next 30 minutes. Your pc is no longer needed when updating your iPhone, which means it is getting easier.

    According to the first reviews, the iOS 6 was a positive step for iPhone updates. It might need some improvements, but we didn't expect from a single update to fix everything. As always, there are lovers and haters and iOS 6 was not an exception. We just have to wait and see then how the iPhones perform now, in order to judge after using them extensively.

  • iPhone 5 to sell 58 million iPhones this year?

    iPhone craze hasn't stopped yet, with every tech fan discussing the announcement of the iPhone 5 and its features. Apple knows very well that this release will significantly boost their annual sales and this is what they are expecting anyway.

    However, who would have thought that iPhone 5 could become the fastest selling handset of all time? That's what analysts claim on Bloomberg, estimating that iPhone 5 is expected to sell 58 million units by the end of the year. This could bring a profit of 36.2$ billion for Apple, which is way higher than the initial sales of iPhone 4S, which had sold in the first quarter 37 million units.

    What's more, FBR Capital Markets analyst Craig Berger had already estimated that iPhone 5 will sell 250 million handsets in total, increasing Apple's profit by 144$ billion. Although this estimate seems rather optimistic, since it's three times the total revenue of iPhones in the last 5 years, it cannot be ignored. Apple is about to explore the Chinese market even more and due to the size of the market, the estimated 144$ billion profit might not be exaggerating.

    On the other hand, there are reviews that were not that positive about iPhone 5, since it has disappointed part of the loyal Apple fans. Apart from this, there is also Samsung that advertises Galaxy S III as a much better smartphone than iPhone 5, which might affect the estimated sales. Apple still dominates the smartphone market and it's time to prove they keep on selling handsets the way they did in the past. If the clients are still consistent in buying every iPhone product, there is no need to worry. All they need is to design the next generation of iPhone.

  • Apple unveils iPhone 5

    Apple finally presented the iPhone 5 and its new features and as it was expected, all the fans can't wait to buy it!

    In case you didn't hear the news yet, you might be wondering what is all the fuss about the iPhone 5. Here are the new features then:

    – Bigger Screen

    iPhone 5 now has a larger screen, which is not wider than the previous iPhones, with a resolution of 1136×640 and an aspect ratio that extends to 16:9.

    – LTE technology

    LTE technology is getting popular latel y and iPhone 5 will be the first iPhone that will have it integrated. It will work on Verizon, Sprint, AT&T and in other countries throughout the world. Moreover, there wil be different models of iPhones, according to the LTE bands.

    – iPhone gets thinner

    iPhone 5 will be thinner than the previous iPhones, being just 7.6 mm thin, which makes it 18% thinner than iPhone 4S.

    – A6 Chip

    A6 chip is proud to be faster than A5 chip, with 50% better performance in graphics, 22% smaller and what's more important, less battery consuming.

    – Smaller Connector

    The connector we all knew about iPhones has just changed. iPhone 5 has a smaller lighning connector, which makes previous handsets useless, although there will be compatible devices, too.

    – EarPods

    Earphones are changing, too, with the new EarPods having a much better design, deeper bass, fitting to every ear and every music taste.

    – Better Camera

    Camera is also improved, with the rear iSight remaining at 8 MP, although there is ow a built-in panorama mode that can merge photos into one of 28 MP.

    – Siri is improved

    Siri is more mature on iPhone 5, being able to launch apps, post tweets, Facebook updates and also understand sports scores.

    When can I buy it?

    iPhone 5 is expected on September 21 in USA, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. It will be available by the end of the year to more than 100 countries.

    How much will it cost?

    It is priced at $199 for 16GB (2-year contract), 299$ for 32GB and 399$ for 64GB.

  • Goophone I5: a Chinese iPhone 5 lookalike

    If you are among the Apple fans that simply cannot wait about the iPhone 5, imagine your reaction on hearing that you can get a first impression on it before anybody else.

    That's what some iPhone fans thought when they saw an iPhone 5 lookalike leaking on the Web, which is known as  Goophone.  Well, don't be fooled, this is not the iPhone 5, but it really looks a lot like it. Although Goophone seems identical to iPhone 5, it is definitely not one. Goophone I5 is a Chinese phone from the company Goophone that might look like an iPhone 5, but ironically it runs on Android software!

    Goophone I5 has a 4-inch screen, a 1280×720 pixel display, a Tegra 3 quad-core processor of 1.4GHz and a RAM of 1GB. What's more, it has an 8MP back camera and one in front of 1.3MP.  Except for the Android, the other difference with the iPhone 5 is that it does not have a bigger screen, which is expected on iPhone 5. As you can see from the picture, the resemblance with the iPhone is quite obvious, although we are not sure whether this will have any implications on them, similar to the ones that Samsung had recently. Apple knows that iPhone 5 is a much anticipated product and they significantly count on it for their annual sales.

    In addition, the Chinese market is really big to be ignored and the fact that some people will already hold such an iPhone 5 lookalike might affect their sales. However, Apple is planning a big collaboration with China Mobile in the near future, which might turn things around. For the time being, Apple fans are counting down the days to the release of iPhone 5 and hop they won't be disappointed!

  • iPhone 5 to sell 250 million units?

    iPhone is about to be released very soon, but the rumors keep going about it. This time there is an estimate of the units it will sell, which seem pretty impressive, if they are achieved of course.

    According to Craig Berger, an analyst from FBR Capital Markets, iPhone 5 will sell 250 million units, which will bring for Apple a revenue of $144 billion! And the numbers can be even more impressive, if you consider that Apple has made $50 million from the sales of all the previous iPhones in the US market, over the last 5 years!

    If you are wondering how he justifies his claims abou such a big increase in the sales, there are two major factors. The first one has to do with the loyalty of Apple's customers. When you own an iPhone you feel the need to buy the new one, evn though you might not need it and even more, even though it might not add any impressive features. This loyalty is important in the smartphone market, since Apple knows that their customers will follow them.

    However, it's not just loyalty that could boost so much the sales. The second factor is Apple's intention to cooperate with Chine Mobile, the biggest carrier in the world. This deal is expected in the beginning of 2013 and it will definitely boost Apple's sales in China, which is a huge market.

    Bearing these two factors in mind, Apple might see a rise in the sales with iPhone 5, but can they really sell 250 million units? Nobody can tell yet, but nobody would be really surprised either. We just have to wait for now!

  • Nokia to Launch Windows Phone 8 Smartphone

    Nokia used to be dominant in the smartphone market share, but the arrival of iPhone has dropped their sales significantly. The company seems to insist in releasing Windows Phone handsets and that is why they are about to release Windows Phone 8 smartphone.

    Nokia realized that Symbian cannot compete with iOS and Android, so they decided to cooperate with Microsoft and launch Windows Phone handsets. Lumia 900 was quite a success, selling 4 million units during the Q2. Many customers turned to Nokia one more time, finding an alternative to iPhone, at a much lower price. However, the upcoming release of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 from Microsoft has become a problem for Nokia. They decided to drop the price of Lumia 900 by 50$, but the fact that those who bought it were informed that they wouldn't be able to upgrade to Windows Phone 8, was rather disappointing. Hence, they seem to be preparing for the release of new smartphones, coming along with Windows Phone 8 and trying to save the game.

    Windows Phone 7, which became Windows Phone 7.5, has received good reviews and although it is still a new operating system, it has the potential to be competitive the next few years. Nokia believes that they can boost their sales with the support of Microsoft and they stick to Windows Phone handsets. During September we are expecting the announcement of the new smartphones and by the end of the year they will be available in the market.

    However, with the release of the highly anticipated new iPhone, is this a good time for a new smartphone? Actually, it might be. Not everyone can afford an iPhone and if Nokia can provide them with another good smartphone, why not buy it?

  • Samsung Breaks the Shipping Record on Smartphones

    Samsung seems to enjoy its latest success on smartphones, with the numbers of the second quarter being more than satisfactory.

    As it seems, Samsung is finally a real competitor for Apple, with their recently popular Galaxy series selling even more than what they expected. According to Strategy Analytics, Samsung shipped in the second quarter 50.5 million smartphones, which is a new record in the shipments of smartphones. Meanwhile, Apple sold only half of Samsung's numbers, with just 26 million units. These recent stats indicate that Samsung holds the 35% of the global market in the second quarter, while Apple is behind, with the 18% of the market.

    What's more, Samsung had a 5.86$ billion profit, which is 79% more than the one they had just a year ago. Of course, Galaxy S has affected a lot the sales, since there are many customers that are preferring it over the anticipation of a new iPhone. As it seems, it is the only smartphone that can really compete with iPhone and Samsung seems to enjoy this privilege. However, how long is this heyday going to last?
    According to Neil Shah, Strategy Analytics analyst:

    “We believe Apple’s lackluster performance was driven by some Apple fans and operators holding off iPhone purchases in anticipation of a rumored new iPhone 5 model around September or October this year.”

    It cannot be denied that an Apple fan is on hold for the arrival of iPhone 5, but how will Apple react to the competition?

    Nobody can tell yet. For the time being, Samsung can celebrate on their quarterly victory. As for Apple, they are waiting for the next crucial quarter. 

  • iPhone 5 to have short battery life?

    New rumors about iPhone 5 are spreading all over the internet and they refer to its possible short battery life. It is well known from the previous iPhones that battery drains easily, due to the heavy use. However, every year there is an optimism before the release of the new iPhone that battery life will be extended. And although developers try hard to satisfy the customers, multitasking always creates a longer need for battery's use.

    According to 9to5Mac, the iPhone 5 battery won't differ a lot from the one the iPhone 4 had, which might disappoint Apple's fans. Battery is rumored to be with a capacity of 1440 mAh, while the iPhone 4S had a capacity of 130 mAh.

    What's more, the fact that iPhone 5 will have a larger screen and LTE capability, means that battery life might be indeed shorter than what we were hoping. This can be guessed even without the rumors, as it happens with every new smartphone. Unfortunately, the fact that the smartphones are nowadays for various uses, makes them have their batteries draining every day, with the need of an extra battery increasing.

    Until the market finds a way to increase significantly the battery life of the smartphone, we have to deal with the current battery and focus on all the other features that iPhone 5 will have. There are so many advantages anyway that we don't have to be disappointed yet. At least, not without actually using it. Wait until September 12 then!

  • Twist: an iPhone app that estimates your arrival time

    Twist is here and can become your favourite iPhone app, if you are usually running late.

    Are you among those that are never on time at their meetings with partners and friends? If you lose track of time without even realizing it, there is an iPhone app just for you. Twist is a new iPhone app that was released exactly for this kind of people. By the time you leave home, its algorithms calculate your estimated arrival time, in order to notify your friends. The most interesting part is that the algorithms take into account all the factors that might make you turn up late, such as traffic, transportation, but also your own habits. This means that before calculating your arrival time, it measures all the variables that might affect you, even your tendency to lose track of time.

    And just when you feel like you are running late, you can send a message to a list that you will have previously created, in order to tell the app to notify your friends about you being late, letting them know of your arrival time, too.

    As Bill Lee, the CEO of the Twist app, told to Mashable:
    "At its core, we like to think Twist is the easiest and most accurate way to let people know when you’re going to arrive"

    And he continues:  “We’ve really reduced that to a few keystrokes. It’s better than what Google Maps has today and better than what Apple Maps has today.”

    Even though there are many fans of Google Maps and Apple Maps, Twist is here to stay and we can predict that it would be useful for many of us out there!