Cases for both the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 have appeared in AT&T stores. In addition, screenshots of AT&T’s inventory system showed iPhone 5 cases, as well, and from the major manufacturer Case-Mate, which lends credence to the existence of an iPhone 5 (we wouldn’t expect them to screw up, in other words).

With all these evidence, we’ve believed for some time of the existence of both models.

The latest evidence of an iPhone 4S comes from 9to5mac, which has found references to the iPhone 4S in the latest iTunes for Mac Beta (10.5 beta 9). In addition, the reference indicates that the iPhone 4S will be a dual-mode CDMA / GSM phone. It also clearly indicates that the iPhone 4S will be the N94 that has been referenced for months and believed to be the next-generation iPhone.

9to5mac believes this means that the iPhone 5 does not exist, saying “Today, rumors of a re-design can essentially be put to rest.”

We don’t necessarily agree.

Just because there’s a reference to the N94 linked to the iPhone 4S does not mean there is no iPhone 5. In fact, our own source, who formerly worked for Apple and still has close ties to relatively loose-lipped Apple employees, says the iPhone 4S has always existed. Apple just decided after the Verizon iPhone launch that a summer iPhone launch (with the iPhone 4S) was too near the Verizon launch and would upset too many people.

At the same time, our source says he’s see both models. It was, he noted, unclear if the iPhone 5 was complete, but upper management had been pushing engineers to finish the iPhone 5 in time for this October launch.
Meanwhile, if the iPhone 4S is still launched, it won’t have an upgraded A5 processor. Instead, it will have tweaks, such as a dual-mode CDMA / GSM model so that it can be sold without having to manufacture two models for Verizon / Sprint and one for AT&T. It will also have the Verizon antenna system, to reduce the chance of a “holding it wrong” moment.

The iPhone 5, he says, is as described (teardrop shaped, slimmer, 8MP camera, A5 processor, and more) in many places. The only possibility is that despite pushing engineers to get it done early than originally planned, it may not be ready. A second source says Apple is having problems with the beveled edge of the screen.

In terms of the iPhone 5, we believe it exists and will be delivered in the form rumored, despite our second source’s doubts. We feel the evidence, as well as moves by multiple companies (not just AT&T, but Case-Mate, Otterbox, and others) point in this direction. In addition, we don’t think Apple would make anxious iPhone fans wait 16 months for “just” a revamped iPhone 4S.

We’ll see if we’re wrong — or right — on Tuesday.

[Thanks: http://hothardware.com]

And until one see the next-generation iPhone one can only imagine what it will look and feel like. Regardless, the iPhone 5 will be a step up from the current iPhone 4 and users are indeed anticipating many upgrades.

Here’s a roundup of what rumored features we would want to see in the new iPhone 5.

A Powerful A5 Chip: This is the same chip that gives the iPad2 its power. Rumors are that Apple will likely fit an A5 chip into iPhone 5, giving its speeds of about 1.2 or 1.5 GHz with 1GB RAM.

Battery Life: Apple is known to constantly improve its products. The iPhone 4 has about 40 percent more talk time than the iPhone 3GS. Therefore, it is no wonder that it is being rumored that the new iPhone will come with a thinner, lighter battery and may provide an extra 100 hours of standby time and more than two hours of talk time.

iOS 5: Everyone will decide on whether to get the new iPhone based this. Apple’s iOS is top-notch and is bringing some stiff competition to Google’s Android. If the iOS 5 gets in the new iPhone, it will be a winner. The iOS 5 comes with 200 new features to include an improved notifications system and iMessage.

A World Phone: iPhone 5 is rumored to have about two internal antennae for CDMA and GSM compatibility.

Curved Glass Display: Apple is rumored to release an iPhone 5 with a bigger screen size that could be about 4-inch. DigiTimes reported back in May that Apple ordered glass cutting machines that are able to make curved glass covers.

iCloud: Apple’s iPhone 5 needs to have the new iCloud for operating iTunes for wireless remote access of music from any computers and mobile devices. With iCloud, iPhone users can store all their photos, apps and more.

Apple hasn’t released any details on what the new iPhone will feature, but the next-generation of Apple smartphone would be solid with those features.

What are you most looking forward to having in your new iPhone?

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

Dropbox is one of the better-known, online storage services – along with Box.net and others – and among the reasons for its popularity is its drop-dead-easy setup and navigation. Begun as a browser-based service on the web, the iPhone app is just as simple.

The free download from Apple’s iTunes App Store took about a minute (on a Wi-Fi connection) and after logging in, we were ready to access our file library an upload more files in about another minute. Navigation is slick and intuitive. Inside the app, click the “Dropbox” icon to access the main file menu; there are also icons for “favorite” folders, to upload files from the iPhone, and to manage settings.

Moving back and forth between the iPhone app and the Web-based interface is a breeze and doesn’t take much thought work.

A couple of notes: You can open a Dropbox account for free and, with that, you get 2 GB of storage. For $99 per year, you can upgrade to 50 GB – essentially on par with the top-tier available from Apple’s iTunes once it launches. There are also options of 100 GB for $199 per year, and for work groups that need 350 GB , it’ll run $795 per year.

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

Dolphin for the iPhone version 1.0 offers features like the Webzine, which presents web pages in an easy to read article format, Gestures to quickly perform custom functions, easy, one-click sharing to Facebook or Twitter, the Speed Dial to access bookmarks quickly, tabbed browsing, SideBars that contain bookmarks and tool bars, the customizable MenuBar, and customizable user agents. Users of Dolphin for Android should feel right at home with the iPhone version.

Dolphin for iPhone is free and available in the iTunes App Store now. Take a look at the video below to see the Dolphin Browser in action on the various platforms it is available.

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

An Apple TV, which would run the company’s operating system, would allow people to do many things with their televisions they cannot do now. The most important of these would probably be the ability to run Apple apps. This would permit consumers to download applications from Apple’s store which has hundreds of thousands of products. The Apple TV would allow people to switch from Facebook to Google to their calendars all on one device in the living room.

Apple’s risk of failure is greater than it was in the multimedia, smartphone, and tablet markets. The iPod was launched into market in which multimedia devices were cumbersome and a great deal of music was pirated. The iPod was a first-of-its-kind device with seamless controls. The related ITunes store was a single stop shop for what became thousands and thousands of songs, all available at one place.

The iPhone was released when the smartphone industry was in its early stages. It was a sector dominated by Research in Motion’s Blackberry, which was much more a business device than a consumer one. Apple was able to use its iPod brand success to sell the iPhone. And, the much-used Google (GOOG) Android operating system reached the market well after the iPhone was far down its road of success. The iPad was also early into the tablet PC market. It benefited from the wild popularity of the iPhone and the App Store–a ready place for consumers to personalize their tablets.

Apple’s risk is that the TV market is already crowded. A number of large consumer electronics companies make screens. More importantly, the television in the consumer’s home is already attached to an array of powerful boxes from NetFlix, cable companies, satellite TV firms, and game console manufactures which include Microsoft and Sony.

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

The new version, which becomes available starting today, costs 99 cents for the iPhone or $1.99 for the iPad.

Moscow-based ZeptoLab, which released the first game with the help of Chillingo (now owned by Electronic Arts), decided to self-publish this title, following a similar path that Rovio took with Angry Birds.

In a statement, the company said, “Chillingo has been a great partner in publishing the original Cut the Rope on iOS, and we will continue our mutual efforts to update that game and bring even more content to its players. The success of Cut the Rope allowed ZeptoLab to gain the proper capacity to self-publish, which is the strategy we are planning to follow from now on.”

It also self-published the Android game, which was released about a month ago.

With the help of Chillingo, its original game clocked more than 45 million downloads across Apple and Android, with more than 9 million paid downloads at 99 cents apiece. Apple lists it as the eight-best selling app on iTunes.

The new game, formally called Cut the Rope: Experiments, will continue to promote the original app, by providing the option to buy it or send it as a gift to others from inside the game.

As with the original game, players are asked to swipe ropes, collect stars and deposit candy into the mouth of the little monster. In the new game, Om Nom is being studied by a mad scientist because of his sweet tooth. It also features new game mechanics, including a gun that shoots rope and suction cup holders. The game will also be connected to Apple’s GameCenter, so players can record their achievements.

Initially, it will come with three level packs and 75 new levels, but ZeptoLab says it plans to provide regular free updates to the game.

Here’s a trailer of the new game:

[Thanks: http://allthingsd.com]

Analysts, tech blogs and consumers oscillated between hyping the phone as the second-coming or deriding it as much-ado about nothing. In 2007, I was both an Apple fan (I purchased my first iPod in 2002) and a mobile phone fanatic. Still, I had my doubts about the iPhone because of its outlandish price, its carrier lock (and the carrier of choice) and the lack of third-party applications. I thought, OK, the iPhone will probably sell pretty well, but it’s not going to change the mobile phone industry.

The details and investment into the narrative surrounding the iPhone’s launch wasn’t like other tech products — or even other Apple products. It was more like a highly promoted, well publicized and much buzzed about movie. The only question was, would the iPhone be an Ishtar (a highly publicized failure), or a Titanic (surpassing even the most hopeful expectations)?

In four years, the iPhone has utterly transformed the mobile industry. One can debate how much Apple innovated versus refined when it comes to certain features (touchscreens and app stores existed before the iPhone), but when we look at the mobile industry, there is a very clear line between what happened before June 29, 2007, and what happened after. I would argue that every major smartphone that has gone into production since the iPhone’s release has, in some way, been a response to the iPhone itself.

The iPhone not only transformed the mobile industry, but changed Apple as a company. In 2007, Apple was nearly 10 years into a fantastic business turnaround. Propelled by the early success of the iMac and pushed further into the black with the iBook, iPod, iTunes and the transition to Intel processors, the iPhone took Apple into an entirely different direction.

As our lovely infographic showcases, Apple’s stock has nearly tripled over the past four years. The company now has a market cap of more than $300 billion, exceeding that of Microsoft. Apple’s revenues are now higher than Microsoft’s, too — something that would have been a laughable suggestion four years ago.

Four years after the first iPhone was released, a lot has changed in the mobile space. Smartphone adoption has finally gone mainstream. The fortunes of Nokia, RIM and Palm (now HP) have significantly changed. The big leader in the mobile OS space is Android, Google’s open source OS that debuted a year and a half after the original iPhone.

One thing that hasn’t changed (aside from Apple’s aversion to Flash on mobile devices) is the hype and furry that the iPhone still incites in both its supporters and its detractors. Rumors of the iPhone 5 are likely to continue to build throughout the summer, ebbing the hype to the point that all of us will ask, “Can anything really meet these expectations?” Only this time, we know how this story ends.

After all, if the iPhone was Titanic, the iPad was Avatar. Now we just have to wait for the sequels.

[Thanks: http://mashable.com]

The Outdoor Channel has launched a free iPhone/iPad/iPod touch app in the iTunes App Store. Key features of the app, according to the network, include:

• The ability to access video clips of Outdoor Channel shows, exclusive “talent footage,” and highlighted event clips. According to the network, the app takes advantage of Apple’s new AirPlay technology, allowing users to stream video from their iOS device directly to an Apple TV box.
• News on hunting, fishing, shooting, off-roading, adventuring, conservation and industry events.
• Information on Outdoor Channel programming, including show descriptions, talent overviews and schedules.
• The ability to search the network’s programming schedule.
• A range of social features, including the ability to connect to the Outdoor Channel Community (allows viewers to create and access profiles, share tips and stories, and upload photos), and to access the network’s Twitter and Facebook feeds.

The app was developed by Outdoor Channel’s Winnercomm division, in partnership with PointAbout. It was created using the latter’s AppMakr app-building platform, which powers apps for such companies as The Disney Store, Newsweek, and Huffington Post. “As a digital leader in the outdoor space, the debut of the Outdoor Channel App creates a rich, multiscreen experience for our valued audience,” Todd Merkow, Outdoor Channel’s president of digital media, said in a prepared statement. “With OutdoorChannel.com attracting over a million unique visitors a month, the newly launched app will offer our loyal fan base more digital options to engage with their favorite shows and talent than ever before. We’re especially proud to be among the first apps to let users stream video to their TV’s via Airplay-enabled devices and plan on adding other functions and features in the near future.”

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

While the industry muses over the hardware specifications, Apple has confirmed details about the software which will grace iPhone 5 by launching the iOS 5 at WWDC.

In the midst of Apple’s legendary silence over the hardware details, the best way to infer the specifications which will make their way into the iPhone 5 is to look at the competition. The Android breed of superphones reveals the critical minimum that iPhone 5 needs in order to stay in the smartphone race.

When Apple arrives in September at the iPod refresh event, or as some tech websites surmise that September 7 could be the day, Apple will meet a band of five stellar Android smartphones - Samsung Galaxy S 2, HTC Sensation, EVO 3D, Motorola Photon and Atrix.

However, another rumor from BGR which states that Google’s pure Android 4.0 version-based Nexus 4G is due to arrive during Thanksgiving does not bode well for Apple iPhone 5 release. The phone is touted to be “an absolute beast” of a phone.

Until the beast arrives, Apple has got a lot to contend with. There is Samsung Galaxy S II and HTC Sensation, Android Gingerbread-based phones which pack 1.2GHz dual-core chips. When Motorola Atrix arrived in January at the CES 2011 event, it flaunted a 1GHz NVIDIA dual-core chip, which was then considered a milestone. However, Galaxy S 2 and HTC Sensation have changed the benchmark and now Apple has to contend with 1.2GHz dual-core chips. It is rumored that iPhone 5 will be powered by the A5 dual-core chip which currently powers the iPad 2.

The Android superphones sport an average screen-size of 4-inch. Samsung Galaxy S 2. HTC Sensation, HTC EVO 3D and Motorola Photon sport a 4.3-inch screen while the Motorola Atrix sports a 4-inch screen. Courtesy Nuance Technologies screenshots coupled with its SpeechTrans app available on iTunes, it is reported that Apple is planting an edge-to-edge screen on the iPhone 5. It is also rumored that iPhone 5 could sport a 3.7-inch curved glass screen.

Apple is also packing its iPhone 5 with an 8MP camera with an improved flash as revealed by the reduction in order for Philips LED flash which is currently found in iPhone 4. Galaxy S 2, HTC Sensation and Motorola Photon sport 8MP cameras. However, it not just the camera pixel that Apple has to deal with but also HTC EVO 3D that comes with 3D camera which captures pictures and videos in 3D. It also allows users to watch 3D content sans 3D glasses. EVO 3D uses a camera which can capture stereoscopic photos (2-megapixel only) and videos. And it can also capture videos at 1080p (2D) and 720p (3D).

Another facet that Apple has to deal with is the “worldphone” concept. Recently Apple released its unlocked version of iPhone 4 which allows users to run the phone on GSM networks. The phone comes without a micro-SIM thus allowing it to be used on GSM networks internationally. It is rumored that the iPhone 5 will feature a SIM-less design with 2-3 internal antennas which will be GSM and CDMA compatible. However, Motorola has already launched a “worldphone” in Photon. The phone which has been launched on Sprint Network offers both 4G and 3G support. It can be used on CDMA and WiiMAX in US and on GSM network internationally. Also MobileFun reported that Motorola is launching an unlocked version of Motorola Atrix in Europe from Aug. 2.

Another feature which Apple has to counter is the docking facility that Motorola Atrix and Photon offer. With the docking accessory, the phone’s content can be accessed through a PC or a TV. The Atrix comes with an 11.6-inch laptop dock which runs on Linux OS. Both the Atrix and Photon use the Webtop software which allows them to be docked with other devices.

Apple is gearing to meet this competition though in November it will have to deal with Nexus 4G which is touted to have a “monster screen” and will be powered by a 1.2GHz or 1.5GHz chip. The phone will feature Google’s next version of Android, the Ice Cream Sandwich, which is unified version of Gingerbread and Honeycomb.

Apple is also due to add NFC-capable mobile payment feature to counter Google Wallet, voice recognition feature and a digital locker service through its iCloud. The iCloud is better than Google’s music locker Music Beta as it eliminates the need to upload music to the cloud. It uses a feature called “scan and match.” It matches the music stored on a user’s device with its own catalogue of music and then allows users to download the music on to any iOS 5 device.

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

Earlier this week, Apple showed off the latest version of its mobile operating system iOS 5, the next generation Mac operating system OS X Lion and its new cloud-based music, photo, video and data back-up service called iCloud.

All three received a great deal of attention as they were the latest advancements in Apple’s software and services.

OS X Lion has 250 new features but only 10 features were presented by Apple at WWDC 2011. Some of them were Multitouch Gestures (which till now was only available in iOS), Full Screen Apps (the apps can be enlarged to fit the screen), Mission Control (combination of Expose and Spaces), Auto Save (Lion will automatically be able to save frequently what you’re working on), Resume (like iPhone users, Mac users will now be able to instantly resume an application where he/she had quit), Versions (the Lion can save all versions of the file you’re working on) and AirDrop (Wi-Fi based peer-to-peer file moving utility).

iOS 5 is also a formidable new mobile operating system. Apple said iOS 5 comes with 1500 new APIs and 200 new features, but walked the audience through top 10 features including improved Notifications, News Stand (similar to iBooks but dedicated to magazines and newspapers), Twitter Integration (Apple has integrated Twitter UI with the camera, Photos, Maps, Safari and Contacts), Reminders (the new Reminders app, which even has geolocation capabilities, now makes it possible to maintain multiple list and save them with dates to alert you), PC Free Function (no need to hook up mobile Apple devices with PC to access iTunes as iOS updates are now possible over the air), Delta Updates (now download only the necessary update and not the entire app/software) and iMessage (iMessage, which comes with read and delivery receipts and real time typing indication, allows iOS users to send text and multimedia messages over Wi-Fi and 3G).

As for iCloud, it could very well be Apple’s shot at redemption especially after it pulled a bummer with MobileMe service.

Though cloud-based services are not new, Apple’s iCloud is probably the first cloud-based service that automatically stores content in cloud and wirelessly pushes them out to all Apple devices.

Unlike Google’s Music Beta digital locker and Amazon’s Cloud Drive, iCloud will be able to scan a user’s library and make mirror copies available instantly.

iCloud, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs said, “is going to be pretty big” as everything is now automatic, seamless and effortless and it could mean the end of file storage system.

In iCloud, one can not only store contacts, calendars, mail and documents. One can also store music, photos, videos, apps, and e-books (iBooks) but iCloud can also be used to store APIs.

The App Store and iTunes are also now on iCloud, which means that any music, movies or apps purchased through iTunes or App Store can be pushed down to any Apple device.

The best thing, however, about iCloud is probably iMatch.

For just a flat $24.99 annual fee, iMatch will match the user’s ripped songs with 18 million+ songs in iTunes and upgrade them to higher quality 256kbps AAC DRM-free.

The remaining songs that could not be matched has to be uploaded manually. “First time we’ve seen this in the music industry,” Jobs said. “If you don’t think we’re serious about this, you’re wrong.”

However, despite all these, Apple has managed to disappoint millions of fans, especially those who were expecting the technology giant to present the much-awaited iPhone 5.

It has been nearly a year that Apple launched iPhone 4 and over the period, several high-end models of Android smartphones have reared their heads, threatening to topple iPhone from its lofty perch.

According to a recent ComScore report, the market share of Google’s Android surged to 36.4 percent even as Apple’s iPhone dropped down to second place with 26 percent market share. Apple was barely ahead of RIM’s BlackBerry (25.7 percent).

In terms of mobile phone sales in the U.S., Apple also lagged, ranking No.4 (8.3 percent) behind Google Android smartphone makers like Samsung (24.5 percent), LG (21 percent) and Motorola (15.6 percent).

A Nielsen survey has also revealed that Android smartphone users download more apps on average than iPhone users despite Apple’s App Store being more than twice bigger than Android Market Place.

Apple’s stubborn decision to say no to Adobe Flash, the “antennagate” issue and Foxconn sweatshop controversy have marred iPhone 4’s success even as emergence of high-end Android smartphones such as LG Optimus 2X (the first Android phone with 1GHz dual-core processor) and Samsung Galaxy S II and HTC Sensation 4G threaten to erode iPhone’s popularity.

Other Android smartphones lined up for launch and expected to give iPhone a run for its money are HTC Evo 3D, the Motorola XPRT, the Motorola Titanium, Samsung Gravity Smart and Samsung Exhibit 4G.

iPhone 5, though not expected to feature radical hardware changes, will come with beefy specs such as 8 MP camera, A5 processor, a 4-inch display, 1080p output, curved glass screen, a SIM-less design, 3-4 internal antennas for both GSM and CDMA networks and 4G connectivity.

Had iPhone 5 been released this month, it would have stood a chance, perhaps even stolen a march over Android rivals, thanks to iOS 5 and iCloud.

However, by not presenting iPhone 5 at the WWDC 2011, Apple could have just shot itself on the leg as by the time iPhone 5 is unveiled, Android smartphones will be boasting of similar features if not superior ones.

Apple is making a big gamble and Steve Jobs knows it. But Jobs is a man who hates to lose and so iPhone 5 could, after all, have a few tricks up its sleeve that the world does not know about.

Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White feel that Apple would probably put off iPhone 5 launch till September, when the company begins its new financial year, rather than launch it within months of the launch of the white iPhone 4, which is doing extremely well.

The September launch will also help Apple tide over problems related to supply delay, the analyst said.

Agrees Susquehanna Financial analyst Chris Caso. “Our checks at multiple levels of the supply chain point to a one-to-two-month delay in the production start for the next-generation iPhone vs. our earlier view of a July production start,” Caso wrote in a note to clients.

[Thanks: http://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/]