Journalists have been invited to a “Let’s talk iPhone” event at its California campus due to start at 10:00 PDT (18:00 BST).

Doubts surround how different the iPhone 5 will be to its predecessor though some do expect big changes.

The launch will be hosted by Tim Cook, now Apple’s full time boss following Steve Jobs’ retirement in August.

As ever with Apple launches, exact details of product features will not be known until the event. Expert opinion is divided with some expecting significant changes.

“We’re expecting a flagship, high tier product to cement the iPhone’s position as the must-have device,” said Ben Wood, director of research at analysts CCS Insight.

Gadget site Gizmodo took a different line and said there was only a 10% chance of seeing a new iPhone. Instead, it said, the iPhone 4S will be the new model and it will be cheaper than its predecessor.

Others say the cheaper model will be aimed at Asia, one of the few places where the smartphone has room for growth.

Rumours are also circulating that Steve Jobs will make a cameo appearance even though Mr Cook is expected to be the launch compere.

The event is the first since Mr Cook became official head of Apple. Before now he was an interim boss who oversaw day-to-day running of the company when Mr Jobs was on sick leave.

History lesson

The iPhone 4 debuted 15 months ago and the hiatus between that launch and today marks one of the longest periods without a new model in the history of the device. All previous versions, bar the first, have been unveiled in June.

Mr Wood said this might reflect the complexity of the task Apple set itself when getting the iPhone working the iCloud service. This acts as a network-based backup and synchronisation system for Apple’s smartphones and tablets.

“The announcement is definitely more about the holy trinity of device, software and applications, and services to which iCloud adds a completely new dimension,” he said.

The use of iCloud would help Apple stay one step ahead of rivals, especially HTC and Samsung, who were fast getting their own hardware to match the capabilities of the iPhone, said Mr Wood.

Apple will also be keen to put behind it the troubles that dogged the iPhone 4. Incorporating the phone’s antenna into its case was blamed for causing a loss of reception. The problem led to the company offering free cases to owners to combat the reception loss.

The launch of the phone is important to Apple which is keen to capitalise on its growing share of the smartphone market. It faces strong challenges from Google’s Android mobile phone operating system which, figures suggest, has become the most popular among new phone buyers in the US.

The ability of the phone to be activated and updated without connecting to a PC would help this push, said Mr Wood.

One strong competitor for the smartphone market is South Korean electronics firm Samsung. It produces phones that use Android as well as models that use its own operating system called Bada.

Apple and Samsung are locked in litigation around the world over who owns the rights to use many technologies found in both smartphones and tablets.

The court room clashes have led to a ban on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany and a ban on the sales of some Galaxy smartphones in the Netherlands.

In Australia, the row meant a delay to the launch of the Galaxy Tab 10.1. In the most recent development in that row, Apple has reportedly rejected Samsung’s offer of a deal to settle the case.

[Thanks: http://www.bbc.co.uk]

The latest generation of the iPhone — still the smartphone industry’s gold standard after four years — is expected to see the light of day this Tuesday, just in time for the holidays.

Even in a dismal economy, consumers should again line up in droves for a souped-up device that also marks Cook’s first major product launch since taking over from Jobs in August.

The so-called iPhone 5 is widely expected to have a bigger touchscreen and faster processor than the current iPhone 4, which helped the company stay a step ahead of rivals in an increasingly competitive smartphone market.

Its challenge will be to “wow” consumers with yet more game-changing innovations and top itself. The aging iPhone 4 is still an unqualified blockbuster: with more than 20 million sold in the third quarter that ended June 25 alone, it is likely to become the world’s top-selling smartphone.

“Consumers view Apple products as a must-have,” said Channing Smith, co-manager of the Capital Advisors Growth Fund, which owns Apple shares. “Apple phones and products have become almost a necessity. We don’t expect them to falter.”

But the latest version of the gadget that helped define the smartphone category is coming at a time when the world economy is slowing and competition is at its peak. More than 550,000 Google Inc Android-based devices — including tablets — are activated each day globally.

Apple’s ability to generate enthusiasm among consumers and its command of the higher-end market, however, may make it less susceptible to a broader slowdown, investors and analysts say.

Cook is likely to take the stage at Apple central at Cupertino’s 1 Infinite Loop, where Wall Street will get a chance to see first-hand how the acknowledged operations maven fares at a major product launch. Although a highly regarded executive, he is not known for pitching products.

SILICON VALLEY DEBUT

Apple product launches are the most closely watched events on the technology calendar. The new model, which some have dubbed the iPhone 5, will have a bigger touch screen, better antenna and an 8-megapixel camera, one source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters in August.

The event will take place in Silicon Valley rather than downtown San Francisco where Apple made some of its most famous announcements.

“Most interesting is whether new CEO Tim Cook will lead the keynote and whether … Steve Jobs will participate,” Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu said.

“Tim is perceived as an operations and supply chain guru and that he certainly is, but we believe it is too early to write him off as not a visionary and showman like Steve Jobs.”

The Apple co-founder, a pancreatic cancer survivor who stepped down in August after his third medical leave, is expected to make an appearance, though a no-show by the Apple co-founder will not be a major disappointment.

“Investors would like to see Steve Jobs to confirm that he is still involved, but we have dealt with the fact that he’s not going to be as involved,” Smith said. “We’d love to see an appearance but it’s not critical.”

Apple’s iPhone has been a huge success since it debuted in 2007, transforming the company from a computer and music-player maker into one of the world’s leading mobile device makers. It accounts for about 40 percent of Apple’s revenue, with margins estimated at roughly 60 percent.

But it faces stiff competition from phones based on Google’s Android operating system, such as Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy line.

The iPhone’s U.S. market share in August was 28 percent, making it No. 2. Android was No. 1 with 43 percent of the U.S. market, Nielsen data show.

Yet longer-term, investors are more focused on Apple’s international push, particularly in Asia.

Cook has said China is a key market. The world’s most valuable technology company has mostly catered to the higher end of a booming market in those countries, but is now trying to release a cheaper phone, sources told Reuters in August.

WHAT’S IN STORE TUESDAY?

Finnish rival Nokia dominates the lower end of the lucrative Asian market. Some investors and analysts expect another version of the iPhone 4 to be launched along with the next-generation model.

“We also expect the announcement of a lower-priced iPhone that will basically be a lower-cost 3GS,” Jefferies & Co analyst Peter Misek said, referring to the event.

The new phone is prompting Wall Street to forecast that Apple will post enormous sales in the October-to-December quarter, with shipments expected to be in the range of 29 million.

The iPhone is currently sold by AT&T Inc and Verizon Wireless, a venture of Verizon Communications Inc and Vodafone Group Plc. Many analysts expect Sprint will become the third U.S. operator to sell the iPhone when the next version is launched.

The new phone is also expected to accelerate the momentum in Apple shares, which are trading at around $381, off a record high of $422.86. The stock remains a far cry from brokerage price targets that range from an average of $490 to a high of $666.

The launch event invite, when it landed last week, set off a typical frenzy of speculation. Various analysts quickly dissected one image in particular on the Apple invitation, which depicts four familiar icons found on iPhones, as a possible signal for the number of new phones to be unveiled.

Speculation about the new iPhone’s features is fevered, with the list of possibilities ranging from faster wireless Internet connectivity to voice-navigation capabilities.

“What we found most intriguing is that the green phone icon on the invite has a number 1 next to it, perhaps signaling that only one new iPhone will be announced,” Wu said.

[Thanks: http://www.reuters.com]

References to the much-used iPhone 4S moniker could be found in the Info.plist file of the MobileDevices bundle that was included with the ninth beta of iTune 10.5 released Friday. .

Specifically, device preferences for Item 7 and Item 8 in the Info.plist file describe a black and white iPhone 4S whose display icons (below) depict models that look identical to the existing black and white CDMA iPhone 4 introduced earlier this year.

The discovery can be seen as further evidence that Apple is gearing up to introduce iPhones next Tuesday, Oct. 4th that bundle an 8MP camera, 512MB of RAM, support for HSPA+ and the iPad 2’s A5 processor and dual graphics, but do so in a the current CMDA iPhone 4 design.

However, the new iPhone 4S is expected to be a dual-mode phone, meaning the same iPhone 4S can be used on either CDMA or GSM networks. Currently, Apple markets separate iPhone 4 models for CDMA and GSM networks.

Talk of Apple taking a dual-route strategy this year by releasing both an iPhone 4S and a more advanced iPhone 5 began to cool off this week, with leaked parts and casings all pointing to a product dubbed iPhone 4S.

In addition, insider Ming-Chi Kuo reported that his industry checks turned up no sign of a redesigned iPhone 5 in the pipeline. Instead, he told AppleInsider that Apple was manufacturing a model that looks largely the same as the current iPhone 4, only with an improved antenna design.

Dubbed “N94,” the new iPhone model will reportedly also use the same Gorilla glass for its back panel. Kuo also said it will be available in both black and white models at launch, and 60 percent of units assembled so far have been of the black variety.

Echoing a report from earlier this month, he also said that Foxconn will be responsible for manufacturing 85 percent of Apple’s fifth-generation iPhone units. The other 15 percent will reportedly be assembled by Pegatron.

Each will run iOS 5, which is rumored to bundle new voice recognition technology in the form of a new application dubbed Assistant, which will allow users to speak to their iPhone and accomplish a number of tasks through natural language, like sending text messages, looking up information, or scheduling an appointment.

The functionality is believed to stem from Siri, a “personal assistant” application for the iPhone that Apple purchased in April of 2010.

In all Apple is said to be building 30 million fifth-generation iPhone units by the end of calendar 2011. If Apple were to meet that goal and sell all of the handsets in the holiday quarter, it would easily best the record 20.34 million iPhones Apple sold in its June 2011 quarter.

[Thanks: http://www.appleinsider.com]

These images come via TUAW, and show placeholders for the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 4S. These screenshots do not show images of either device, but offer a look at the possible specs for Apple’s new iPhone.

Before you get too excited, these could just be placeholders put up by an expecting carrier — but even that is a telling sign. Just yesterday, we saw the Sprint iPhone 5 show up in Radio Shack’s inventory system.

You see, these screenshots appeared on the pre-paid pages of Cincinnati Bell. This is the first time we have heard about this carrier getting the iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S.

The first screenshot shows the specs of an iPhone 5. This includes a larger 4″ display, up from 3.5″ on the current iPhone 4. We also see an 8MP camera listed, which is an improvement over the current 5MP iPhone 4 camera, and we also see 4G data speeds listed. While this might get your heart beating a big faster, calm down. This isn’t real 4G LTE, which delivers super fast downloads. Instead, this is HSPA+, which is only 4G in a fantasy world where marketers control definitions.

Are these the iPhone 5 Specs?

Next up, we see a screenshot of an iPhone 4S placeholder. This is the rumored low cost, tweaked iPhone 4. The iPhone 4S claims to have the current iPhone 4′s 3.5″ display and 5MP camera, but has an upgraded A5 processor. This device is notably cheaper at $99 after an instant $300 rebate.

Are these the iPhone 4S specs?

We are waiting for Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, to announce the new iPhone on October 4th at the company’s headquarters in California. We expect at least one new iPhone, but we may actually get two unique devices on Tuesday. If the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S are announced by Apple, we expect a release date of mid October on Sprint, AT&T and Verizon.

Apple is also expected to announce the iOS 5 release date. iOS 5 is a new version of the software that powers the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. This new version is rumored to bring voice control in the form of a new Assistant app, only available on the new iPhone, as well as over 200 new features to the iPhone 5 and older iPhones.

This leak gives us hope that Apple may go even broader with the launch and allow regional carriers that use Verizon, AT&T or Sprint towers to get in on the iPhone 5 game.

[Thanks: http://www.gottabemobile.com]

A “Mr. X,” as well as other sources in the iPhone manufacturing chain, told 9to5mac that the newest version of the iPhone will likely come in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB capacities.

Each version will be available in black and also in white.

The data about capacities could be related to the rumored iPhone 4S or the iPhone 5.

In fact, there’s been some suggestion that the rumored 4S will be a less expensive, 8GB version of the iconic smartphone. Deutsche Bank’s Chris Whitmore said over the summer that Apple was ripe for releasing a cheaper, unsubsidized iPhone that could work with prepaid mobile plans; however, those comments were informed but still speculative.

At any rate, the rumors will all come to a halt (at least for the next month or two) on October 4, next Tuesday. That’s when Apple has scheduled its announcement of whatever is coming next for the iPhone. Stay tuned; our correspondents will be on the ground in Cupertino to give you the scoop.

[Thanks: http://venturebeat.com]

In a study released yesterday, the mobile ad network discovered that 41 percent of mobile users in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada will buy the new iPhone, with 50 percent of those planning to pick one up within the first six months of the phone’s debut. If those numbers hold true, the iPhone 5 would become the most successful product launch yet from Apple, according to InMobi.

Apple has an iPhone event planned for next week, at which the tight-lipped company is widely expected to unveil the iPhone 5.

Further, the new iPhone could easily shake up the battle between Apple and Android by boosting the market share of iOS to 41 percent from its reported 27 percent in June, the study said. A small survey conducted in early August by Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster found similar results, prompting the analyst to forecast that the iPhone 5 could double Apple’s market share.

The iPhone 5 is also expected to steal business from other platforms as it’s being eyed by 51 percent of current iPhone users but 27 percent of Android owners and 52 percent of BlackBerry users. Some of the new features that consumers are hotly anticipating in the new iPhone include better battery life, faster performance, higher screen resolution, and stronger phone service, InMobi said.

(Credit: InMobi)

Though most people may be expecting Apple to unveil a totally new phone at next Tuesday’s event, past reports have claimed that the device will just be a revamped iPhone 4 with a few improvements but the same basic features. Even if such rumors prove true, a new “iPhone 4S” will scoop up business from 11 percent of current iPhone users, 11 percent of Android owners, and 28 percent of BlackBerry customers.

As a mobile ad network, InMobi has seen an increase in ad impressions for iOS, particularly in iPod Touch devices. Including all of its mobile devices, Apple currently holds the leading share of impressions on InMobi’s network at 29 percent.

Though demand for its mobile devices is still running hot, Apple’s iOS has seen its once dominant lead in the smartphone OS market overtaken this year by Android. InMobi points to iOS as the top dog on its network, but fellow mobile ad network Millennial Media has been tracking Android in first place since shooting past iOS early this year.

[Thanks: http://news.cnet.com]

Though we’re certainly not sure of the legitimacy of the online sales site (our tipster encouraged us to buy, so we’ll tell you NOT to buy, of course), it’s interesting to see these new renders.

Or perhaps they’re photos? More likely they’re not quite real in the sense that they probably haven’t been manufactured quite yet, but they certainly appear real enough to be real in the near future. There’s one called “Air Series”, another called “2.0 Cover”, and another called “Ex-Sleek”. Legitimate names, right? The online store says they’ll be shipping these cases on October 1st, 2011, this of course tying up nicely with the early October guess for the Apple event.

What these cases reveal (see the gallery below) is that this iPhone will have its camera on the same side that it is on the iPhone 4 but that the flip switch (normally in the upper left) will now be in the upper right – right next to the camera, that is. The volume rocker, on the other hand, appears to be in the same place it’s is on the iPhone 4. The location of the headphone jack also appears to be in the same location as the iPhone 4, right at the top and to the side.

Beyond that, we can see in the dummy image of the actual iPhone that the display seems to be enlarged beyond the borders of the iPhone 4 and that there’s a slightly different background to the icons dock at the bottom of the display. Also the time display reads 9:42 AM, this perhaps pointing at the time of day that the device will be announced. Take a look at all the photos from the online store below, then note that we’re not going to link to the store because that would be silly since its obvious that they shouldn’t have the cases already anyway.

Next notice the complete lack of a flash light for the camera on the back of the device. Interesting! And finally, there’s the curvature to the backs of the devices, closer to the original iPhone or the iPod Touch than they are to the iPhone 4.

See the rest of our iPhone 5 / 4S / everything else news by hitting our big iPhone portal and find out everything there is to know (and to wait for.)

[Thanks: http://www.slashgear.com]

The rumours are growing every day that Apple is about to launch not one, but two new phones in October: the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5. Here’s all you need to know about the feasibly forthcoming iPhone 4S.

It seems unlikely that Apple will launch two new phones at once, as the previous phone (in this case, the iPhone 4) is always made available at a lower price with a smaller storage capacity.

If you’re desperate to know what we think will be coming from the top end new Apple device, check out our iPhone 5: All You Need To Know video below:

But with more information emerging about a phone with ‘minor updates’ from the iPhone 4 emerging all the time, here’s what we know about the rumoured iPhone 4S:

The iPhone 4S will be a minor update to the iPhone 4

In a similar move from the iPhone 3G to the 3GS(which saw only a slight processor improvement, video camera and compass added) the iPhone 4S will only feature slight spec upgrades, according to Jefferies and Co. analyst Peter Misek:

“According to our industry checks, the device should be called iPhone 4S and include minor cosmetic changes, better cameras, A5 dual-core processor, and HSPA+ support,” he wrote.

These claims of ‘better cameras’ have been corroborated by leaked images of the new cameras from Apple.pro to be used in the next version of the phone - the iPhone 4S will reportedly have a separate flash from the main sensor.

The iPhone 4 has the flash built directly into the camera unit, so the new design could herald an even thinner iPhone 4S too.

iPhone 4S construction

Photos of what is supposedly the iPhone 4S were published in July showing a familiar-looking handset with a plastic casing in place of the iPhone 4’s glass finish.

It’s almost impossible to tell if these photos are the real deal; they could easily be of a regular iPhone 4 onto which an enterprising fraudster has transplanted into a plastic casing - or simply a pasted a matte cover - but it would go a long way to removing the possiblity of Antennagate again, plus would bring down the cost of building the device to help make it a truly budget iPhone.

iPhone 4S screen

Conflicting reports in August suggested the next Retina Display in the new iPhone will remain at 3.5-inches.

A leaked prototype LCD display component uncovered by the MacPost website fits exactly the same form factor as the iPhone 4.

That discovery could be interpreted in two ways. The first is that the iPhone 5 design will remain unchanged.

Secondly, it could add credence to rumours that Apple will launch a second tier ‘iPhone 4S’ that sticks to the iPhone 4 design.

The iPhone 4S is just a developer’s version of the iPhone 5

The nickname iPhone 4S could just represent a devloper’s version of the forthcoming iPhone 5, in order to stop the final hardware being leaked.

A select few games devs reportedly received a new iPhone in April, to help them prepare the best titles possible for the iPhone 5 launch.

9to5Mac reports that the new handsets feature Apple’s super-nippy A5 chip, allowing developers to create the fastest and best-looking mobile phone games yet possible.

9to5Mac’s source claims that the “iPhone 4S” is almost identical to the current iPhone 4, apart from the inclusion of the newer, faster processor.

The iPhone 4S replaces the faulty iPhone 5

Rumours of delays have dogged the upcoming iPhone 5 for months now, and rumours persist the device may be held back until early 2012.

The reason behind the hold-up, sources say, is the dual-core A5 processor that Apple is intending to use has been overheating - presumably this is a space issue in the thinner device, given the iPhone 4S is supposed to run with the same chip.

Many have speculated that this will see Apple waiting until the A6 chip is available, which won’t be until the beginning of next year.

If true, this could mean we will see a slightly updated iPhone 4S launch in autumn (another recurring rumour), with a more major upgrade made public after Christmas.

…or the iPhone 4S will launch with the iPhone 5

This one seems a lot more credible, with the iPhone 4S coming as an upgraded iPhone 4 to sit alongside the iPhone 5 on shop shelves.

Images have emerged of what is said to be components of the iPhone 5 as well as the insides of a re-tooled version of the iPhone 4, likely the iPhone 4S.

The images show a re-jigged A5 chip inside what is believed to be the iPhone 5, as well as a bigger battery capacity.

Alongside that are purported images of components inside something that looks like an iPhone 4 - showing off a plastic white casing and a dual core A5 chip.

Credit: MacPost

And more innocuously, Al Gore - a member of the Apple board - recently outed ‘new iPhones’ in a speech, which led to speculation of more than one model emerging.

Gore apparently told a leadership conference in South Africa: “Not to mention the new iPhones coming out next month. That was a plug.”

It remains unclear whether Gore meant that there would be multiple models or many of the same new model. The source, Stuff Magazine South Africa’s Editor Toby Shapshak, says Gore did not clarify.

Later on Twitter, Shapshak followed up by saying “I clearly heard “iPhones”. I recorded it. Double checked. Clearly plural but could be millions of one model.”

iPhone 4S release date

If an upgraded iPhone 4 does launch with the iPhone 5, then it’s highly likley the two devices, running iOS 5, will be launched at the same time, with reports of a release between the 10 and 20 October seeming the most likely at this stage.

It will be interesting to see whether Apple does indeed bring out a dual-core model of the iPhone 4 - if so, then surely the company has big plans in store for the more powerful devices, so we should probably all get pretty excited at the possibility of all new applications being able to take advantage in the huge ramp up in power.

[Thanks: http://www.techradar.com]

iOS5, the next version of Apple’s iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad operating system, is heading towards a release in the next two weeks, developers say - which means that a refreshed iPhone is almost certain to be announced in the same timeframe.

iOS developers were warned by Apple on Sunday that on Thursday 22 September “the iCloud backup data will be reset. Backing up to iCloud or restoring from an iCloud backup will be unavailable from 9am PDT-5pm PDT… After this reset, you will be unable to restore from any backup created prior to September 22. A full backup will happen automatically the next time your device backs up to iCloud.”

Why does this matter? Because iOS5 has been in beta since 6 June, when it was announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers’ Conference (WWDC). The expectation is that its final GM (”gold master”), working version will be released to the world this month - and what would x.0 Apple iOS release be if it didn’t bring a new phone with it too? According to the Wikipedia article on the timing of iOS releases, that would be unusual. So people are expecting the next iPhone at the same time.

Why though were developers told that their existing backups would be wiped? “Because the backup format has been finalised and old ones that aren’t in that format shouldn’t remain [in iCloud],” one developer told me. There’s that word - “finalised”.

Developers that I contacted say that iOS 5 seems to be ready for prime time: “[the most recent] iOS 5 beta 7 is two weeks old. I have faith that Apple has an internal build which fixes most of the outstanding issues. We’ve been told iCloud will be reset on 22 September, which seems to indicate something is happening,” said one. “My guess would be another beta on Friday (which may be the same as the GM), followed by an Apple event on [September] 28 or the following Wednesday where the GM will be released.”

So that gives you a couple of dates to mark on your calendar. Some aren’t waiting - the perhaps opportunistic businessmobiles.com is already faxing companies and people (I forbear to say “junk-faxing” - I’m sure some people are happy to receive them) with the fabulous chance to pre-order the iPhone 5: here’s the picture of the fax, via Matt Brian of The Next Web. (Unfortunately they haven’t actually got a picture of the iPhone 5. Now that would be news.)

When I phoned businessmobiles to ask where it was getting them from, and how soon, the answers were “don’t honestly know” (though obviously it will be a carrier) and “before Christmas”. OK, so that’s your backstop date. But the salesperson said that since the faxes started going out on Thursday he personally had taken 15 (individual) orders, and that interest was running higher than for the recently released range of BlackBerry phones (which you would expect would do better than iPhones, being usually thought of as a business phone).

Apple PR did not respond to a request for comment on the timing of the iOS 5 or next iPhone launch by time of publication.

So what should you expect from iOS 5 - which you’ll recall introduces Android-like notifications, BlackBerry Messenger-killer (or at least pain in right knee-er) iMessage, geofenced reminders, deep Twitter integration and various other things (such as being able to take a picture without unlocking the camera - though we can see that one going wrong).

Here’s the view from a mixture of developers who’ve been trying it.

How different does it look?
Developer comment:

“From a user’s front end, it’s probably not going to feel like a huge jump straight away, so I think you’ll find a lot of ‘huh? Is that it?’ comments. Visually, the core thing that changes is how the system deals with notifications from apps, which is now very Android-like.”

He adds:

“Some of the biggest changes come within what apps can do themselves (and so general users are unlikely to directly credit Apple with some of the changes coming).”

What’s the Twitter support like?
Developer:

Twitter support is baked in, although oddly you do need to download the free Twitter app to activate it. This may be a pre-launch requirement rather than an ongoing thing, of course. Once iOS devs can release code built on the v5 code, Twitter apps will be able to use any account info defined within Settings as well as use a special Twitter-friendly keyboard with @ and # available from the off (kind of like the email and URL special keyboards).

What about iCloud (which synchronises between your computer, tablet and phone)?

One dev says:

“The integration with iCloud is looking very smart, but I haven’t got any apps which need that functionality so I’m not too hot on how it works in reality compared with how the docs /say/ it will work… Similarly, I know of several magazine publishers who are waiting to release apps that integrate with the new Newsstand folder. Until they do, it’s just an undeletable icon that does nothing of use.”

Another says:

“The riskiest bit seems to be iCloud at the moment, specifically iTunes Match. In early beta’s the whole syncing/backup piece was a bit hit and miss - duplicating contacts, bookmarks and the like - but I’ve been testing across multiple Mac’s and iOS devices and those kinks seem to have been worked out. Since iTunes Match was released to developers, the Music app has became quite unstable - its slow and a bit unpredictable. Some songs won’t play, it starts playing randomly (this is a bit strange, seems to be tied to when I go from signal/no-signal areas).”

How does it compare to Android?
Developer:

“I’m probably biased… but in terms of user experience, iOS is still the best choice for consumers - its so easy to pick up and use. While Android has been making big strides over the past few years, it still feels more…. complicated than it needs to be. The App ecosystem is also fragmented and less consumer friendly.

“iOS 5 takes an already great platform and builds in more incentives to buy into the whole iOS/Mac ecosystem. iCloud/iMessage are great examples of this - and they are also things which separate it from Android. No Android device vendor can offer that fully integrated solution.

“For developers, iOS has always been the better choice in terms of tools and SDK - Android has always been a bit sparse in this area. With iOS 5, Apple has introduced a lot of new API’s and features which will make it easier to write apps.”

Another dev:

“The only real advantage for developers that Android [now] has, and it depends what kind of app you are writing, is that with Android there is no app store review/approval process.”

“The new functionality for the most part seems rock solid - Reminders, Notifications, Sync/Backup, Twitter, iMessage….

What’s new under the hood?
• Developer support for creating multi-touch gestures,
• CoreImage which allows developers to manipulate 2D images and apply photoshop-like effects and filters,
• ARC which I suspect is part of a much larger plan. ARC basically makes developing for iOS much more accessible, and negates the need for developers to do complicated memory management.
• Full support for UI automation and testing

Any problems?

One dev says:

“My biggest bugbear at the moment (on my lowly 3GS) is the number of times app quit due to memory shortages, or because they’ve taken too long to load. I’m hoping that the debugging code within the iOS core is partly to blame here, and once it reaches release the core’s footprint will shrink and things will run as smoothly as iOS 4.

If it doesn’t, and I have to get used to frequent app crashes on my 3GS, then I’ll be disappointed. Of course, I’ve had it so long that an upgrade to a 4 or (more likely) a 5 isn’t too far away, but I’d like my iPhone to remain functional but slow. It’s hard to type on an iPhone keyboard when you’re also crossing your fingers it won’t crash.

(Note that the 3GS is the oldest model that will be supported by iOS5.).

So the drums are beginning to beat.

[Thanks: http://www.guardian.co.uk]

9to5Mac is reporting that it’s heard the iPhone 5 — the slightly taller, wider and thinner version “is seeing continued design and production delays, at least on one assembly line (Apple has multiple production sources - Pegatron, Foxconn, etc).  We therefore think that iPhone 5 will be delayed slightly at the very least and may see shortages all the way into 2012.”

A shortage? Is that really a surprise? Not really. Whether it’s a production problem or a consumer one, Apple’s mobile devices hve historically managed to sell out — as was the case with the iPhone 4 and iPad 2. Shortages are to be expected. The problem is, Apple just won’t be able to meet demand.

Meanwhile, Case-Mate who “accidentally” posted pics (since removed) of cases for the iPhone 5 online also backs claims that the device will sport a new form factor, going as far as to say that the screen will be 4-inches, the home button will elongated, camera will jump up to 8-megapixels, and will feature wireless charging.

Case-Mate claims both an iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 model will be launching in early October. The New York Times also says an iPhone 5 is on its way in the next few weeks.

For sure, iPhones are en route — two of them — but what’s the hold up? We’ve heard nothing about Apple’s annual September music event, that usually brings with it redesigned iPods. Maybe those production problems are real. The only way to guarantee you get an iPhone 5 will be to pre-order one as soon as Apple and its wireless carrier partners all buyers to do so.

[Thanks: http://dvice.com]