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]

AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and reportedly Sprint each stand to grab a healthy slice of the market demand for the new iPhone. But each carrier brings something different to the table, making it difficult to predict which one might benefit the most, says ComScore.

AT&T holds the dominant share of existing iPhone customers. As of July, 81.9 percent of iPhone subscribers were with AT&T, leaving only 15.1 percent for Verizon, according to the report.

Following the launch of the new phone, all current iPhone carriers will likely continue to offer the iPhone 4 at a discount. AT&T could pick up even more customers by also continuing to sell the iPhone 3GS cheap. But that advantage may be short-lived since at some point, the older model iPhone will cease production, especially if Apple launches a low-cost iPhone 4.

Though Verizon’s percentage of iPhone users may be low, its satisfaction rates continue to be high. In July, ComScore found that more than 76 percent of Verizon smartphone customers graded the carrier with a score of 8 or higher out of 10, compared with 68 percent for other carriers. Among existing iPhone users, 23 percent said that they will switch or are seriously thinking of switching to another provider, opening the door for more business to come Verizon’s way.

However, Sprint also stands to do well if it gets custody of the new iPhone as it would be the only carrier to still offer an unlimited data plan. That benefit alone could scoop up new customers and prompt current data-slurpping users to switch carriers to grab the lower-price plan. However, questions have been raised as to how long Sprint could retain its unlimited plan, especially given a flood of iPhone users gobbling up data that the network might having trouble supporting.

No matter how the carriers fare with the new iPhone, the one company certain to come out ahead is Apple, ComScore said.

“Putting the operators aside, the one clear winner so far would appear to be Apple, which stands to gain market share from the additional market sectors penetrated by Sprint and providing another device option for customers of AT&T and Verizon,” the report noted. “As the Android platform continues to grow in popularity, it will be interesting to see the role the iPhone 5 plays in the platform share race and how this will ultimately impact the operator industry.”

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

Since January, bits and pieces about the next-generation smartphone have been making the rounds on the Internet, with different rumored specifications and concept images offered by various Web sites and blogs.

Apple is a couple of days away from announcing the arrival of the most anticipated iPhone to enter the U.S. smartphone market. The company has issued invites for an event Tuesday that will showcase the fifth-generation iPhone.

The iPhone5 is expected to run on the latest iOS5, which will come with 200 new features, including an improved notifications system, as well as the Newsstand and iMessage applications. In addition, the iPhone5 is expected to feature the new iCloud service for operating iTunes, enabling wireless remote access of purchased and personally collected music from all computers and mobile devices.

The iPhone5 will likely support HSPA+ networks that will provide faster Internet speeds compared with its predecessors, Japanese blog Macotakara reported, citing a China Unicom executive’s presentation at Macworld Asia.

The arrival of the iPhone5 will trigger a smartphone battle in the U.S. market as its strongest rivals — the Samsung GalaxyS2 and Motorola Droid Bionic — have come to this market after several design changes.

Samsung’s GalaxyS2 continues its strong march in the smartphone race, giving stiff competition to Apple’s iPhone4 as well as the upcoming iPhone5.

The GalaxyS2, which runs on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS and sports Samsung’s TouchWiz UI, comes with an 8-megapixel camera with flash and can record high-definition video in 1080p, offering the richest video content on a smartphone. The phone also has a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video chat.

The device, which was recently launched in the United States, sold a whopping 10 million units since its launch in late April 2011, not including sales from the U.S., the largest market for smartphones.

On the other hand, Apple sold 20 million iPhones in the third quarter. Though the Galaxy S2’s sales lag behind iPhone sales, it implies that the Samsung Galaxy S2 is the toughest rival Apple will face for its iPhone 5, which is expected to be launched in October.

Meanwhile, the Motorola Droid Bionic has undergone several design changes. At the beginning of this year, this smartphone looked like the Motorola Atrix, but now it looks very similar to the Motorola Droid 3, one of the latest high-end phones. However, the Motorola Droid 3 has a slider QWERTY, unlike the Droid Bionic, which is just a touchscreen phone.

Other changes in the Droid Bionic include higher RAM capacity, a change in chipset from the Tegra 2 AP20H to the TI OMAP4430 and, surprisingly, less battery capacity compared with the battery capacity introduced in previous iterations of the phone.

So the heated battle will begin with the arrival of the Apple iPhone 5. All the three smartphones are right up there in the hype cloud, and hopefully they will live up to it.

Meanwhile, Samsung has announced a press event on Oct. 11, exactly one week after Apple’s “Let’s talk iPhone” program on Oct. 4. It is expected that Nexus Prime, the flagship smartphone for the Google Android platform, will be officially presented at the Samsung event.

Samsung’s Nexus Prime will be the first smartphone with an Android 4.0 operating system, codenamed “Ice Cream Sandwich,” which is designed to provide strong competition to Apple’s iPhone 5.

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

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]

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]

We know one thing: Apple is hosting an iPhone-themed event Oct. 4 at its Cupertino, Calif., headquarters.

Beyond that, speculation abounds about Apple’s plans for moving its smartphone franchise into the future. For weeks, increasing chatter suggested Apple was gearing up to reveal the next iPhone, which the media has dubbed “iPhone 5.” According to a recent report by AllThingsD, whose sources accurately called that Oct. 4 event date, Apple CEO Tim Cook will take the stage to introduce the device.

At this point, various news outlets seem to agree that the next iPhone, whatever its name, will include Apple’s more powerful A5 processor, an 8-megapixel camera and perhaps an overall redesign.

The bigger question is whether Apple plans to unveil one iPhone or two. In September, former Vice President Al Gore, a member of Apple’s board of directors, reportedly told a conference about “new iPhones coming out next month.”

His use of the plural refueled rumors that Apple plans on releasing a line of lower-cost iPhones, with an eye toward combating the midmarket Android devices that have swallowed up a sizable portion of the mobility market in recent years.

One reason for Android’s strength is its presence on multiple carriers, something Apple could counter during the Oct. 4 event by announcing that Sprint is joining Verizon and AT&T as iPhone carriers in this country.

Following previous rumors that Sprint would carry Apple’s next iPhone, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster estimated that such a move would boost the smartphone’s overall sales by 6 million units. A Sprint iPhone would also leave T-Mobile as the only major U.S. carrier without an Apple phone in its portfolio, unless AT&T manages to complete its planned T-Mobile acquisition in the face of federal scrutiny. (T-Mobile’s parent company, Deutsche Telekom AG, has offered the iPhone for years in Germany.)

Apple’s next line of mobility devices will certainly run iOS 5, a major upgrade to the company’s mobile operating system. New features include boosted interoperability with Twitter and a Newsstand application that consolidates e-periodical subscriptions. Apple is also launching an iCloud service, which will sync user content across various iOS devices via the cloud.

Apple could use the Oct. 4 event to announce new iPods. The company usually reserves a September event for unveiling revamps to its multimedia-player line, something that didn’t happen this year.

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

With Apple virtually certain to announce a release date for the next-generation iPhone next week, lots of current iPhone owners (always an excitable bunch) are no doubt counting down the minutes — and wondering what to do with their current phones.

While some retailers offer discounts for a trade-in (Radio Shack was offering $100 for some previous models when the iPhone 4 was released), Apple stores and their designated carriers generally don’t give back as much cash, or credit, as an owner might earn outside the store.

But a growing online resell market has emerged to give folks another option.

Between now and Monday, the day before Apple has scheduled an iPhone-related event, one of those sites, Nextworth, is offering $250 for 16GB and 32GB iPhone 4s that are in good shape.

The company, which also has trade-in programs at some retail stores, bills itself as a way to get value out of your aging electronics while keeping the products out of landfills, where they can cause environmental problems.

The services wipe all data from your phone as soon as they get it, they say.

Nextworth, and others like them, refurbish used electronics and resell them. In the case of items like the iPhone, they sell them in countries where the items are typically unavailable, presumably bringing a healthier price.

Gazelle.com is offering $250 for a 32GB iPhone 4 in “flawless” condition and $169 for one in good condition. Got a busted model? It’ll give you $85 for one even if it won’t turn on or is physically damaged.

Of course, there are always the direct-sale sites like eBay and Craigslist.

You might earn more in exchange for the hassle of posting, selling and delivering the phone yourself. Folks were selling 32GB iPhone 4s on eBay on Friday for prices ranging from $245 to $634. In Atlanta, people had listed 32GB iPhone 4s for prices ranging from $290 to $450.

(We’re using prices on that model because it’s the top of the line. Older phones, like the 3GS, and 16GB and 8GB models obviously have a market as well, generally at lower prices).

Of course, the low-effort way to deal with a phone upgrade is to buy the new one at full price and just hold on to your current model. Even retired, your current phone can be a music player or Internet-surfing device when you have a Wi-Fi connection.

[Thanks: http://edition.cnn.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]

The Life of George is based around the Life of George iOS app, a game that provides the user with prompts for different shapes built in LEGO bricks. The user has to build that shape as fast as possible, photograph it, and place it on a card, at which point the smartphone will evaluate how accurate it is. The faster you build the model, the more points you get.

The eponymous George is a software engineer LEGO model that goes to different locations in his photo album, which show different themes for the other models. The Game mode focuses on these collections of models, while the Creation mode lets users make their own models and share them with friends for challenges.

The app is currently iOS-only and limited to the iPhone and iPod touch, though an Android version is being considered. The Life of George will retail for $29.99, and initially be available only at LEGO’s Web site and LEGO retail stores.

The Life of George is LEGO’s first attempt at a mobile game that works with building, but it isn’t the first time LEGO has combined its building sets with technology. The LEGO Mindstorms robotics set combines LEGO blocks with programmable modules that let users build functional robots. LEGO Digital Designer is a PC program that lets users model LEGO sets in 3D for free, and then order all the blocks you need to build that model.

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

Instead, it’s business as usual for the carrier as it just announced two new handsets slated to launch on the company’s 4G HSPA+ 42 network.

“Our research shows almost every U.S. consumer wants a smartphone,” said T-Mobile chief marketing officer Cole Brodman at the GigaOM Mobilize mobile conference this week.

To appeal to that wide market, the service provider will launch the Samsung Galaxy S II and the HTC Amaze 4G on October 12.

T-Mobile’s 4G network is similar to the pseudo-4G network originally offered by AT&T, but the difference is T-Mobile has actually worked to strengthen the technology and offer speeds that are competitive with rivals like Sprint.

AT&T, meanwhile, is working on replacing its 4G structure entirely and building a new network based on the Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard, which has made Verizon the fastest 4G operator on the market right now.

Both the Galaxy S II and the Amaze 4G will run on Android 2.3. The latter will also be NFC compatible, allowing the phone to be used as a virtual credit card in stores.

Both phones will be in the $230-$250 range for customers who sign up for a new two-year service agreement.

It seems like the AT&T merger isn’t slowing down T-Mobile one bit. The only thing that seems uncertain as a result of the proceedings is T-Mobile’s ability to land the iPhone. With Sprint rumored to be picking up the device this year, T-Mobile will be the last major player with no iPhone love, but that may be because Apple expects it to be rolled into AT&T.

However, with the batch of lawsuits and regulatory trouble AT&T has faced over the last month, the deal seems far from an open-and-shut case.

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