Next week Apple will be closing its huge Covent Garden store in London early, as they can host a press gathering to watch the press event that will be streamed from the California headquarters. The store will be closing early at 3:30pm to get ready for the media event that will start at 6:00pm. Its Covent Garden store normally stays open until 9:00pm on that day.

MacRumors are reporting that Apple notified staff about the event, but couldn’t go into details about what was going to be presented at the event. This was likely to prevent any leaks to the media ahead of the presentation.

Apple has launched press events in London before but they were mainly held away from its retail outlets. With the iPhone 4 that went on sale in June 2010 the company’s flagship store on Regent Street opened early at 7am to meet demand for the device.

There is likely to be many Apple fans trying to get a look inside to see what is going on during the keynote speech by Tim Cook. The store may blackout its windows though as the anticipation for the next handset grows. We told you earlier about a survey that found a big percentage of consumers are looking to get the iPhone 5.

Are you holding out for the iPhone 5?

[Thanks: http://www.product-reviews.net]

The two anticipated new iPhone models are expected by analyst Chris Whitmore with Deutsche Bank to push Apple’s smartphone sales even higher. He sees the so-called “iPhone 4S” as a handset with a bill-of-material cost lower than $150, allowing Apple to sell it for between $300 and $350 without a carrier subsidy.

Whitmore sees a low-cost iPhone giving Apple even greater market penetration into the midrange smartphone market, where he estimates there are about 1 billion prepaid customers. Such a move would “drastically expand” the addressable smartphone market for Apple, he believes.

The anticipated iPhone 4S is viewed as essentially an 8GB iPod touch with an added cellular antenna. Whitmore believes such a device could achieve margins of around 50 percent, if it were to be sold for more than $300. He noted the current 8GB iPod touch, which sells for $229, has margins of about 38 percent.

In his note to investors on Monday, Whitmore also made brief mention of Apple’s fifth-generation iPhone, which he expects will be a completely redesigned handset. Specifically, he said he expects the device to have an aluminum unibody construction to replace the current glass back of the iPhone 4.

In addition, Whitmore also believes that the so-called “iPhone 5″ will sport a better camera and a slightly larger screen size. Various rumors have suggested the next handset will have an 8-megapixel camera along with an edge-to-edge screen.

Claims that Apple’s next iPhone will sport an aluminum back first surfaced in March, when it was said that ditching glass could allow the handset to be even lighter. It was claimed again in August that Apple’s iPhone 5 will sport a “metal chassis” replacing the reinforced glass on the back of the iPhone 4.

Leading up to an anticipated iPhone announcement from Apple, a number of alleged parts have leaked from the company’s overseas supply chain showing a handset largely similar to the iPhone 4. Some reports have claimed that these are for Apple’s new low-cost iPhone 4S, while others have said the iPhone 5 will look largely the same as the current model.

Though no components showing a drastically redesigned iPhone 5 have appeared, a number of third-party cases have shown a redesigned iPhone with curved sides leading to a flat back. In addition, The New York Times has claimed that the iPhone 5 will sport a “fairly different” look on the outside.

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

In third place is RIM, which slipped dramatically from a 62 percent retention rate to 33 percent, followed by Samsung with 28 percent, Motorola with 25 percent, and Nokia with 24 percent.

When looking at the software platforms rather than the hardware, Android fared better with a 55 percent retention rate. However, 31 percent of Android users have expressed that they are considering switching to the iPhone for their next handset.

Overall, UBS finds Apple’s retention rates to have held up “incredible well.” Of all the current handset owners looking to switch for their next handset, more than 50 percent say that they plan to pick up an iPhone. Only about 10 percent plan to switch away from the iPhone.

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

The new images were sent to AppleInsider by iRepair India, and are claimed to be of a soon-to-be-released “iPhone 4S” model. The parts were reportedly supplied from Shenzhen, China.

The person who sent the components actually referred to the handset as an “iPhone 4GS,” referencing the name of Apple’s iPhone 3GS, first released in 2009. The supplier claimed there will be “no iPhone 5 this year,” suggesting a major hardware revamp in 2011 could be questionable.

The supplier indicated that sample parts of virtually all components of the so-called “iPhone 4S” are available for purchase, including the battery, camera, home button, dock connector assembly, and display glass.

The co-founder of iRepair India told AppleInsider that he has been servicing Apple’s portable hardware for three years and has known this particular Chinese supplier for that duration. He said the information provided by the source is “credible enough” for him.

The source reportedly indicated they are “really, really” sure that the components are genuine, and represent an unreleased iPhone from Apple.

The pictures provided show a number of components claimed to be from a new, unreleased iPhone from Apple. They include a camera housing, home button, front glass pane, and other internal circuitry.

Just this weekend, a leaked photo showed an “iPhone 4s” in AT&T’s inventory system, generating more speculation about Apple’s next iPhone upgrade. There have been suggestions that Apple will release two iPhone models this year, with a new low-end model that could help Apple break in to the pre-paid mobile market.

Though some reports have claimed that Apple’s fifth-generation iPhone will sport a design largely similar to the current iPhone 4, a number of third-party case manufacturers have designed housings to fit a radically redesigned handset with curved sides and a potentially larger screen. Last week, The New York Times reported that Apple is just weeks away from announcing a new iPhone 5 that will have a “fairly different” appearance from the current iPhone 4. That report made no mention of an iPhone 4S.

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

Previously, orders of the iPhone 4 for both AT&T and Verizon shipped within 24 hours. That fast turnaround applied to both black and white models, in capacities of 16GB and 32GB on both carriers.

But as of Thursday, AppleInsider discovered that the iPhone 4 now takes one to three days to ship direct from Apple, for all colors, capacities and carriers.

Similarly, the $49, 8GB iPhone 3GS, only available through AT&T in the U.S., also takes one to three business days to ship. The same applies for those who want to buy the unlocked GSM iPhone 4.

Lengthening shipping times are often an indication that Apple is running low on inventory ahead of a product refresh. For example, in February MacBook Pro shipments slipped to three to five days immediately before new models were introduced.

However, while shipping times for the iPhone 4 have slowed in the U.S., abroad they still have a 24-hour turnaround time. For example, in the U.K. and France, new orders still ship within a day of being placed.

Last year, the iPhone 4 debuted in the U.S., France, the U.K., Germany and Japan, before quickly expanding to other countries. In its first three days of availability, the iPhone 4 sold 1.7 million units.

This year’s introduction of a fifth-generation iPhone will come with a later-than-usual launch date, as Apple in years past has released a new iPhone in the months of June or July. Apple is widely expected to host an event in the coming weeks to introduce the so-called “iPhone 5″ ahead of an anticipated October launch.

The updated handset is expected to include a new, higher resolution 8 megapixel camera, as well as the high-speed A5 mobile processor currently found in the iPad 2. Rumors have been split as to whether the fifth-generation iPhone will sport an all-new design or one similar to the iPhone 4.

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

The rumblings of a Sprint iPhone 5 have been growing louder as we’ve marched toward the device’s rumored October arrival, and today we’ve got more evidence to support the claims that Hesse and Co. may soon be landing Apple’s upcoming smartphone.

A Best Buy document sent over to BGR shows that the retailer is expecting the iPhone 5 to come to Sprint and that the new handset could be launching in the first week of October. Additionally, it sounds like Best Buy may be planning to begin taking pre-orders for the iPhone 5 as soon as this week. The leaked doc also notes that, as usual, launch dates and product intros are always subject to change.

Keeping up with the iPhone 5 rumors, a separate Best Buy leak shows that the retailer has an “Apple Fixture Installation” scheduled for Friday, October 21st, and that managers will need to be at their stores at 6AM on that date. The source of this image says that it’s not normal for a Best Buy manager to come in until 7 AM and that a similar scheduling was made when the iPhone 4 launched last year. Best Buy Mobile managers are also prepping for a meeting on October 10th to “discuss upcoming BIG release dates,” claims the tipster.

So there are a couple of new potential iPhone 5 release dates to pencil in on your calendar. The rumor that the iPhone 5 will be launching in the first week of October lines up with previous claims that the device could be arriving early next month, although a recent report from the Wall Street Journal alleged that the new iPhone (including a Sprint version) is due in mid-October.
Right now it looks like the iPhone 5 release date waters are still a bit murky, but we’ll be sure to pass along more info when we get it to try and clear things up a bit.

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

Now, my friends are my friends because I can trust them. But it’s nice to know that the new McAfee WaveSecure app can protect my security and privacy against those prying eyes intent on securing things like passwords and financial data from my handset. There is no denying the power of the mobile marketplace. The fact that McAfee is wisely moving into this area of expertise proves that mobile is the wave of the future in all software and hardware consumer-electronics applications.

Since all you have to do is walk by someone at an outdoor café has a laptop and hacking software searching for open networks, cyber attacks have now reached the mobile landscape in epic proportion. McAfee hopes to be the leader in preventing these types of attacks. Actually, according to Lianne Caetano, product marketing director for McAfee’s Consumer Mobile Solutions, the traditionally PC-based antivirus software manufacturer has been in the mobile marketplace for 10 years.

The WaveSecure iPhone software works by allowing you to back up photos, contacts, videos and other software, and also track the location of your iPhone remotely via another computer. So, if your phone is stolen, damaged or lost, you can access your sensitive data immediately. Also, if you accidentally release your data or delete it, you can get it back.

The anti-theft Apple app is available in English, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish, Spanish and Russian. The WaveSecure app is available in the Apple App Store for $19.99.

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

I’m guessing Apple won’t be exactly pleased with Best Buy right now. Almost immediately after an internal document was leaked detailing an Apple fixture install occurring on October 21st, another shows up hinting at a pre-order date. This, as you can tell from the watermark, comes from BGR. In the original article the site claims that the iPhone 5 is set to be available for pre-order from the first week of October. Despite the fact that it would fit in with a launch later in the month, it’s not how I understand the document.

At the top of the document it clearly states “Week 9/4 continued“. So, using some simple common sense, it would seem this schedule is specifically to educate staff on what is happening this week: September 4th-10th. “iPhone 5 introduction expected, pre-sales begin for expected October week 1 launch” is a phrase which is pretty self-explanatory, and somehow seemingly misunderstood by BGR. (Unless I’m misunderstanding the Boy Genius article.) To me, it clearly indicates that Best Buy is expecting the iPhone to be introduced this week, and pre-sales should begin in preparation for an early October launch. There’s also the “Launch dates subject to change” tagged on to the end. Essentially it indicates that Best Buy don’t really know when it’s coming, they’re just expecting something soon.

So, unfortunately, this gives no specific detail. Since Apple haven’t sent out any invitations to any event yet I doubt anything is going to be unveiled this week. We’ll keep you up to date on anything else that’s going on in preparation for the iPhone launch. One tiny tasty tidbit is the Sprint iPhone tagged on at the end. Best Buy management is clearly expecting an Apple flavored handset on the Sprint network. Interesting? It’s about time the device made its way to the other carriers in the States.

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

Since the early adopter crowd is the group most likely to cycle through devices quickly, this makes sense. Android handset makers usually don’t adhere to any hard-and-fast update schedule, and they often release multiple devices or iterations of the same device within a single calendar year. If what you’re after is the latest available tech, Android has the edge, regardless of whether or not the overall user experience of iOS is arguably better.

Of course, it helps that Android has around a dozen hardware partners in the U.S. alone offering a variety of devices across all major carriers, but even among that crowd, some single device makers are beginning to pull away from the field with aggressive hardware upgrade plans.

The best example is Samsung, which announced a new 5.3-inch smartphone on Thursday at the IFA 2011 European tech conference. The new Galaxy Note, as the monster phone is called, also has a 1.4 GHz dual-core processor under the hood, as well as a pressure-sensitive touchscreen that can be used with a stylus for accurate drawing, sketching and writing. The huge 5.3-inch display boasts an impressive 1280×800 resolution, on par with many netbooks. Bristling with new shiny bits, it’s an early adopter’s dream device.

The features mentioned above won’t appeal to all, because as Steve Jobs has rightly pointed out in the past, most consumers are after an overall experience, not a list of specs. But one group, namely the early adopter group, is very much focused on the list of specs, and Samsung is showing that you can do well by appealing to that level of interest.

Early adopters buy early and buy often. The nature of Android devices makes it more possible for those on the edge to stay there, no waiting required. Given the rise in popularity of smartphones, combined with a generation of device buyers that grew up using them, we might see more and more consumers comfortable with device updates that are much more frequent than once (or less) yearly.

Apple doesn’t adhere to a strict yearly schedule with its Mac releases; approximately every six to eight months, it introduces minor overhauls and spec bumps when new processor tech is made available to keep its machines more or less current in terms of specifications. Doing the same with an iPhone might make sense and attract the wandering gaze of customers focused firmly on the horizon of mobile tech.

[Thanks: http://gigaom.com]

Openwave’s action sees claims filed with a Delaware court which state that both Apple and RIM are infringing Openwave’s patents. That action is accompanied by the now-routine filing with the US International Trade Commission for a ban on US imports of infringing products.

Openwave was formed more than a decade ago when Phone.com and Software.com merged to create an internet browser and supporting application suite which could be sold to handset manufacturers and/or network operators. That suite included messaging and synchronisation clients, as well as the servers they relied on.

While doing that, the company created all sorts of innovative technologies and techniques for managing mobile data, but what it clearly failed to do was create a solid patent portfolio on the back of those developments.

That was admitted in an open letter from CEO Ken Denman, which explains that Openwave decided, two years ago, to get itself straightened out and begin making some money. That involved paying off Myriad, as that company had some claims over the patents and required $12m to be silenced, but with that process complete the time has come to start litigation against those companies Openwave reckons are infringing.

The complaint targets RIM and Apple, though at a glance it seems the patents could easily be applied to Android handsets too. Openwave’s reticence to take on Android could be down to Android’s dispersed responsibility, but it is also likely to be historical: many Android manufacturers have licensed Openwave software in the past, which could confuse the matter, and might also annoy future customers.

But Apple and RIM aren’t going to be buying mobile software any time soon, and so are the obvious first targets.

The patents are described in full in the ITC complaint (40-page PDF/1MB, full of impenetrable legalese) and seem very broad, enough to ensure Openwave’s financial security for a long time if upheld. The company reckons the ITC should rule within 18 months, though the courts will take a lot longer and we’ve yet to see how the accused companies respond.

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