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]

Between now and Monday — the day before Apple announces the new iPhone — TheNextWorth says it is guaranteeing $250 for all AT&T iPhone 4s (16GB and 32GB). Traditionally, the least expensive iPhone 4 starts at $199, but that’s with a two-year contract. The unsubsidized list price of a 16GB iPhone in the U.S. is $649 (from Apple), and it’s even more expensive in other countries.

To qualify for the $250 trade-in, NextWorth says phones “must be in good working condition with no heavy scratches or cracks.”

You can learn more at NextWorth’s iPhone trade-in page. The company will lock in the price for 21 days.

Another site, Gazelle.com is offering good prices, too, with its standard 30-day price lock-in: $250 for a “flawless” AT&T iPhone 4 with 32 GB; $225 for a “flawless” AT&T 16 GB model. Verizon models of the iPhone 4 go for less — $201 for a “flawless” 32 GB model, and $180 for the 16 GB version.

A “flawless” phone, according to Gazelle, is one that has “no noticeable flaws, still in its package or looks like new,” has “zero scratches” and has “no dust under the glass.”

Why are the AT&T iPhone 4s getting top dollar over the Verizon versions?

Representatives from both sites say that’s because the AT&T iPhone uses GSM technology, which is predominant worldwide, and best for re-selling the phones. Verizon uses CDMA technology, which is primarily used in the United States by Verizon and by Sprint. An unlocked AT&T iPhone could even be used in the U.S. on the T-Mobile network.

“The best time to trade an iPhone is between right now and the day the phone’s announced,” said Anthony Scarsella, Gazelle’s “chief gadget officer. “Once the phone’s announced, prices will start to drop a little.”

Another trade-in website to consider is BuyMyTronics.com.

Buyers appear to be eager for the new iPhone — when the next iPhone launches, it will have been about 16 months since the last one came out — and that may explain the trade-in fever Scarsella says his site has seen.

“Last year, we were getting 100 iPhone (trade-ins) a day pre-announcement of the new phone, and that spiked to 2,000 per day post-announcement,” he said. “This year, we’re looking at 700 trade-ins a day in the past few weeks, with a potential spike of 20,000 post-announcement.”

On Tuesday, when Apple announced it would “talk iPhone” Oct. 4, “someone was trading an iPhone every 10 seconds,” on Gazelle, he said.

“This behavior is very unprecedented,” he said. “Gadget owners usually wait until the announcement (of a new device) itself, but this year because of all the rumors and hype, people are locking in their prices and trades early.”

[Thanks: http://technolog.msnbc.msn.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]

There are huge expectations for the iPhone 5’s features, which will boast significant hardware and software upgrades. Given the increasing rivalry in the smartphone industry, with Android smartphones catching up to Apple’s iPhone, the Cupertino, Calif.-based tech giant can’t compromise with the growing demand of high-end specs that are expected in the fifth generation iPhone.

Here are the top features that an iPhone 5 can’t afford to lose.

High-quality camera: In the tech world, a 5-megapixel camera seems passé and several of the iPhone’s competitors in the Android world have phones with an 8-megapixel camera.

Therefore, at this point an 8-megapixel camera on the iPhone 5 looks like a foregone conclusion. It is expected to include a dual LED flash, with rumors that the flash unit will be separated from the camera sensor. Apart from the rear-facing camera, Apple’s smartphone is also expected to have a front-facing one for video chat.

Hardware upgrades: Several of Apple’s rivals, mainly LG, Motorola and Samsung, have already released dual-core processor phones. Hence, it is expected that the iPhone 5 will integrate a faster 1.2-to-1.5 GHz dual-core A5 processor chip, which powers the iPad 2, with probably 1GB of RAM. This hardware upgrade will give the iPhone 5 better speed in processing information and apps.

New OS: Since each new model of the iPhone has been accompanied by an upgraded operating system, the imminent iPhone 5 is also expected to feature Apple’s newest mobile operating system version: iOS 5. The new OS comes with 200 new features that will include an improved notifications system and iMessage, along with new applications, such as the Reminders app and Newsstand, an application resembling Folders and iBooks.

Improved display: The iPhone 5 is anticipated to have an edge-to-edge 4-inch retina display. A curved glass display screen is also rumored, which may offer more privacy while viewing in public areas. The Samsung Galaxy S2 features a Super AMOLED Plus capacitive touch screen display. With the RGB matrix making the display sharper, the Super AMOLED Plus is considered the best available technology for mobile displays.

Considering this, the Quantum Dot LED technology could be a possible delivery system for the iPhone 5. The new technology needs less power consumption while delivering the same quality as an OLED screen.

Near Field Communication: Samsung Galaxy S2 supports NFC chip that allows data exchange, simplified transactions and connections with a touch. Given this, the iPhone 5 without NFC can turn out to be a setback.

There have been reports since early this year that Apple is testing an iPhone that incorporates Near Field Communication technology. Citing a source “with knowledge of the inner workings of” the iPhone 5, New York Times recently reported that a chip made by Qualcomm with NFC capability is expected to come with a future iPhone. The report, however, left open the possibility that that functionality could accompany the iPhone 6.

Enhanced battery life: “If the Galaxy S2 was used all the time, then a user will be lucky to get 10 hours of battery and that’s with the enhanced 1650 mAh battery widget on board,” according to Techradar.com review. In comparison, the iPhone 4 lasts up to seven hours on a 3G network. Since each successive iPhone has had a better battery life than the prior, why not iPhone 5?

More memory: Constantly growing app store and new features surfacing every other day have increased the demand for more space. The Apple iPhone 4 comes in 16GB and 32GB versions. However, it is expected that the iPhone 5 will have 16/32/64 GB internal storage.

4G: There have been a lot of rumors regarding the possibility of the iPhone 5 being available on 4G networks for AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. The consensus from analysts and tech experts seems to be that the iPhone 5 will not have 4G support.

Peter Misek, an analyst at Jefferies & Co., stated that Apple will not release a 4G LTE capability in the iPhone 5 this year because Qualcomm’s LTE chipsets, which Apple would have used, were not reaching the yields that Apple expects for its iPhone 5.

Meanwhile, along with the Samsung Galaxy Epic Touch 4G, Motorola Droid Bionic also features a powerful 4G LTE network.

[Thanks: ibtimes.com]

We should note right at the top that Adobe is not announcing (or delivering) Flash support on iOS devices. Apple has chosen not to support Flash on its mobile devices, citing a variety of issues centered around performance and battery life. Instead, Apple supports HTTP Live Streaming, which is what YouTube and other video streaming sites use to deliver their content to iPhones and iPads.

What Adobe has done with Flash Media Server 4.5 is add in support for HTTP Live Streaming so that content providers can use the software to deliver their video streams in whatever form the user’s device supports. If a Mac or PC with Flash installed calls up the video stream, it will automatically be delivered via Flash. If an iOS device calls up the video stream, Adobe’s software will deliver it via HTTP Live Streaming, all without the content provider having to worry their pretty little heads about it.

This is significant for Adobe, because it removes a reason for its customers to leave Flash behind entirely as the needs of iOS device owners increasingly dictate online standards. The company has simultaneously increased the relevancy of Flash, but has done so in a way that keeps the burden of supporting the technology on the server side.

Please note (again) that this is not the same thing as “Flash on your iPhone.” Today’s announcement has nothing to do with playing Flash games on your iOS device or viewing other interactive Flash content. It is instead about delivering streaming video in a format that is already supported by iOS.

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

A Best Buy source released a document to BGR.com, which shows that the store is anticipating the pre-sales and also that Sprint will be carrying the iPhone 5 at the launch of the new device.

Meanwhile, the next iteration of the iPhone is expected to boast of significant hardware and software upgrades, along with an 8-megapixel dual-LED flash camera and A5 dual-core processor found in the iPad 2 to give stiff competition to other dual-core smartphones found in the market today.

Apple is rumored to increase the screen size of iPhone 5 to compete with Android smartphones, probably going for a bigger edge-to-edge 4-inch curved glass screen, compared to the current iPhone 4 screen of 3.5-inch with multi-touch display.

Apple may boost the speed of its A5 chip in the range of 1.2 or 1.5 GHz with 1GB RAM. The iPhone 5 would feature iCloud that will store photos, apps, calendars and documents instead of the phone’s memory storage.

Apple is expected to release the iPhone 5 as a “World Phone” - both GSM and CDMA compatible. Another rumor suggested that the iPhone 5 will feature a SIM card slot for other countries except the U.S, allowing users to insert any SIM card when traveling abroad.

Meanwhile, here’s a look at the top Android smartphones features that will be missed in iPhone 5.

Near Field Communication (NFC) Facility:

Previously, a rumor that Apple will prepare its next iPhone with NFC had gained impetus when Google released Google Wallet, its NFC-based mobile payment feature, in May.

NFC technology can transform the device into a convenient way for payment and device communication. NFC has potential for more than just money transaction. The technology could offer features that allow multiple mobile devices to sync for speedier information exchange and gaming.

It was also said that Apple had disclosed in some of the meetings that it won’t feature NFC on the next iPhone. The Independent said that Apple will sacrifice NFC in its next iPhone due to lack of industry standards about the technology.

Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi cited that Apple will not adopt the NFC-based mobile payment feature in the upcoming iPhone 5 until Apple is convinced that the technology’s chicken-and-egg-problem is solved, as the NFC requires widespread consumer adoption and critical mass with merchants.

4G LTE:

Any phone coming with 4G technology has to bear the highest component costs than any other smartphone coming without it. The iPhone 5 has very little chance of being 4G LTE compatible. In fact, 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless chips required for the faster speeds in Thunderbolt cost an extra $39.75, according to industry researcher IHS.

Also, given the size of the LTE chip, Apple iPhone’s minuscule printed circuit board (PCB) will have to grow in size in order to support the first-generation LTE base-band processor as well as all the supporting chipset, which is in clear contrast against Apple’s plans to deliver a lighter and thinner smartphone.

So most likely, iPhone 5 will not be featuring 4G LTE support. Never a day passes without consumers using their smartphones for online searches, banking, bill payment and for booking tickets online. 3G doesn’t offer the cutting edge and the demand for more speed has become a necessity now.

Peter Misek, analyst at Jefferies & Co. had stated that Apple will not release a 4G LTE in iPhone 5 this year as Qualcomm’s LTE chipset, which Apple would have used, were not reaching the yields that Apple expects for its iPhone 5.

Keith Bachman, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets, also stated that Apple won’t release a fourth generation phone data transfer on 4G network that will severely impact iPhone’s battery life.

Operating System:

As Apple unveiled iOS 5 at the WWDC 2011, rumors about changes and improvements in iOS 5 are constantly surfacing.

The iOS 5 will now be arriving with iPhone 5, and analysts are saying that Android operating system features are copied by iOS 5. They added that Apple has borrowed a few features from Android, most notably: cloud synchronization, notification center, over-the-air updates, photo sharing and Twitter.

Entire Android OS is an open-source system. The open-source movement has inspired increased transparency and liberty. It also constitutes an example of user innovation. Being made publicly available enables anyone to copy, modify and redistribute the source code without paying royalties or fees.

This is also a double-edged sword, in the sense, it allows those with less-than-ideal intentions to discover any weakness of the phone. But that can be seen as an indirect plus because when weaknesses are found in the open source community, they are quickly fixed. There is hardly any cap on how much you can tweak your Android experience. The same thing cannot be expected in iPhone 5.

Display Size:

With a 4-inch display screen considered ideal for a smartphone, the possibility of Apple featuring a bigger screen seems remote. Apple previously moved its base of operations from Japan to Taiwan in the hope of finding “more cost-effective sources,” and Apple is unlikely to spend so much just to increase the screen size. But on the other hand, most of the smartphones that has Android OS will come with a 4.3-inch screen.

3D Display:

There are couple of 3D display smartphones in the market. However, it doesn’t seem to be featured in Apple’s next iPhone. For the most part, 3D functionality works best on larger screen sizes. Therefore, 3D would make sense on the iPad, but not for iPhone 5.

Flash Integration:

Apple’s unwillingness to include Flash has taken away the experience of accessing full Flash Web sites, watching Flash videos, or playing Flash games. Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to Web pages. A previous estimation suggested that 95 percent of PCs have it. Adobe, however, claims that 98 percent of U.S. Web users and 99.3 percent of all the Internet desktop users have installed the Flash Player. Flash, recently, has been positioned as a tool for Rich Internet Applications.

Battery:

Although the iPhone 4 has an amazing battery life, it is still limited. The batteries are also not replaceable. Like every battery ever made, it’s going to lose the ability to hold a charge over time. The fact that previous versions of iPhone did not feature a removable battery means even the iPhone 5 will not have it.

App Integration:

Application integration allows users to send messages and files back and forth between systems, transforming the messages and automating the process. The process also provides end-to-end and real-time connectivity between internal applications, existing Web-based applications and other software products. The true benefit of internal application integration is that it allows businesses to computerize and manage end-to-end business processes that involve both human and electronic operations. Apple is yet to showcase anything like this.

If Google Voice is considered, it is available in iPhone as well as in Android phones. It’s altogether a different experience in Android and iPhone. Other iPhone apps always direct you to the default dialer and visual voicemail apps, so even if you want to use Google Voice full time, you have to manually navigate it to yourself, but that’s not the case with Android. In Android, Google Voice integrates directly with the operating system. That means, when you try to make calls with Google Voice, as you click on a phone number in your browser or in Google Maps, it goes through Google Voice instead of sending you to wrong dialer.

Computer-Smartphone Adaptability:

One of the major features of Android smartphones is that there are a few apps that can be controlled from the computer. The iPhone 4, however, has to be Jailbroken to allow the same. But, anyway, it is not the same as using a separate app that accesses its base functions, similar to the ones used in Android.

Over-The-Air (OTA) Updates:

OTA has become an increasingly important feature for new updates and services come on stream as mobile phones accumulate new applications and become more advanced every day. The updates are sent out by the carrier and the Internet is needed to receive them. Apple, however, may not introduce such a feature now. Currently, Android devices are updated via OTA method.

Expandable Memory:

Over the years the iPhone has offered impressive internal storage (from 8GB to 32GB), however, some iPhone users are unhappy over the lack of a memory card slot, which can expand the handset’s storage capabilities and provide a quick and easy way to back up data. On the other hand, almost all the Android smartphones have an external memory card slot.

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

Apple is prepping for a bigger iPhone market in this second half of the year analysts say, ramping up the orders of its current iPhones and also stepping up production of the anticipated iPhone 5.

However, the technology giant is expected to face tough competition from Android smartphones, particularly from HTC that has planned to introduce its biggest smartphone known as the HTC Holiday.

Let’s see how the HTC Holiday would fare with the iPhone 5:

iPhone 5:

The iPhone 5 is expected to run on an upgraded operating system, iOS 5, and is supported by a strong ecosystem including iCloud. iCloud will store photos, apps, calendars and documents without storing them onto the phone’s memory storage.

Apple may fit a near-field communication chip in the iPhone 5 as some high-end Android devices are expected to sport the NFC chip. NFC allows for simplified transactions, data exchange, and connections with a touch. A smartphone or tablet with an NFC chip could make a credit card payment or serve as keycard or ID card.

Apple is rumored to increase the screen size of iPhone 5 to compete with Android smartphones, probably going for a 4-inch screen. The iPhone 4 has a 3.5-inch screen.

Apple is expected to release the iPhone 5 as a “World Phone” - both GSM and CDMA compatible. It is conjectured that the phone will have a SIM-less design with 3-4 antennas. Another rumor suggested that the iPhone 5 will feature a SIM card slot for other countries except the U.S. This will allow users to insert any SIM card in the iPhone when traveling abroad.

Apple has made improvements in the camera department by fitting a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash. Apple’s iPhone 5 is expected to sport an 8-megapixel camera.

There is also near-unanimity in gadget circles that Apple will bring its A5 chip on to the iPhone 5. The A5 processor is the same one that Apple rolled out to power its iPad 2. Apple may boost the speed of its A5 chip in the range of 1.2 or 1.5 GHz as several Android smartphones are coming with 1.2 GHz processor.

HTC Holiday

The Holiday is rumored to boast a 4.5-inch display, supposedly the first of a new wave across the Android landscape with 4.5-inch displays.

The recent breed of Android phones, like Samsung Galaxy S2, HTC Thunderbolt and Motorola Photon, found expression in 4.3-inch displays. The trend seems to highlight that the next barrage of Android phones will follow the 4.5-inch form factor.

HTC Holiday is expected to run on the latest version of Google Inc.’s smartphone operating system, Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread OS.

The Holiday will sport an 8MP dual-LED flash rear-facing camera with 1080p video playback and a 1.3MP front-facing camera for video chat. The device is expected to have a 4.5-inch qHD display with 960×540 screen resolution.

The Holiday will be powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 1GB RAM.

The Holiday is expected to have HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) 21 Mbps and HSUPA (High-Speed Uplink Packet Access) 5.76 Mbps support. In addition, the smartphone would have Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot support along with advanced Bluetooth version 4.0 with A2DP and EDR

There is no word about internal storage details of the HTC Holiday yet, but it is expected to have an external storage via a microSD card slot of up to 32 GB.

On the pricing front, Apple’s iPhone 5 has been rumored to be priced at $600, while iPhone 4 is listed on AT&T at $299 for 32GB version with a 2-year contract. The Holiday is expected to be priced at $199 to $249 at AT&T.

However, Apple certainly knows how to surprise and already has a few things in place like iCloud which can steal the thunder from Android devices. Apple’s iPhone features are extensively varied from HTC Holiday, which means the loyal Apple fan base remains the same. And for Apple, there is no reason to fear a potential loss with respect to buyers.

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

Apple Inc’s newly minted CEO needs a revolutionary product to prove he has the chops to succeed Steve Jobs, and that may be a full-on assault on the living room by as early as 2013, analysts and industry experts say.

Jobs has called Apple TV — a 4-inch-square box launched in 2006 that connects your plasma or LCD TV to the Web — a hobby, but it is also one of the rare missteps in the course of Apple’s meteoric ascendance.

If Cook can succeed where Jobs has failed, he would put to rest questions over whether he has the vision to lead Apple, in addition to widely respected operational skills.

“The TV is the obvious gap in Apple’s product line up,” CCS Insight’s John Jackson said. “There’s pressure to constantly innovate, (but) there’s more than sufficient momentum at Apple right now that they don’t need to reinvent the movie screen the TV, the car or the horse and buggy in the immediate term.”

Getting Internet programing off computers and onto television sets has long been viewed as the next big thing for consumer technology companies, but none has succeeded so far with a product that has gained wide appeal.

Cook and the $350 billion company he now leads would be jumping into a field crowded with Microsoft, Google , Sony and Samsung.

“The Holy Grail is the living room,” said David Rolfe at Wedgewood Partners, which devotes 9.5 percent or about $1 billion of its portfolio to Apple. “They wuld get into it, only if they can make a significantly better product than what currently exists.”

OBSTACLES

It remains far from clear what Jobs — and now Cook — intends on the TV front. There are persistent rumors that Apple may produce an actual television to go along with content in an iTV, as part of the ongoing debate over whether the beleaguered television industry is ripe for an Apple-style shake-up.

The current market offers a confusing array of options — from video streaming through game consoles like Microsoft’s Xbox to Google-powered TV sets from Sony, Samsung and others.

Apple has “been the early follower in the iPad-tablet space, been the early follower in the music space, the early follower in the smartphone space,” said independent digital media strategist Mark Mulligan. “They wait for a market to get primed, learn from the mistakes and then go and do everything better than anybody has done before.”

Analysts estimate Apple takes roughly five years to develop a wholly new product, so either Jobs has already started down the TV road or Cook needs to start thinking now.

Chief among the obstacles would be concerns in the entertainment industry about potentially aggressive video licensing terms that Apple would seek — and has gotten in the past for music and video licenses on iTunes. Executives say Apple had asked for 30 percent of rental fees for iTunes, which is blamed for smothering the music recording industry.

THE ROLE OF CHARISMA

Jobs’ charisma and negotiating power were crucial to the launch of iTunes in 2003 and the then-unprecedented sale of songs rather than albums on the Web. Cook remains untested on this front, despite his deft hand dealing with the supply chain partners that make Macs, iPhones and iPads.

“It was Steve’s rock-star status that convinced these guys, they were in awe of him,” said a former major recording label executive involved in the negotiations before iTunes was launched. “Without him Apple would never have been able to pull off that deal.”

There’s some evidence that Cook can be as tough at the negotiating table. Peter Misek at Jefferies cites Cook’s command of the iPad 2 rollout, and his firm stance this year when the Japan earthquake and tsunami threatened to turn off one of the world’s largest semiconductor-component spigots.

“Cook was able to double or sometimes triple source component suppliers,” Misek said. “To date, no competitor has been able to gain meaningful share in the tablet market and … Cook’s leadership during the introduction was critical to this.”

Now, the former Compaq executive needs to prove that he can not only execute his boss’s vision and keep Apple’s fabled product pipeline alive, but that he can also make that intuitive leap to tell consumers what they want.

Wall Street will be watching.

“The market and the organization needs to see that Tim has the judgment to pick a winner,” said Jane Stevenson, vice chairman of Board and CEO Services at Korn/Ferry International.

“The market will need to see a continued stream of innovation that has his fingerprints on it,” ranging from launching new products to turning around products that haven’t much success, like Apple TV.

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

The other event was the resignation of Steve Jobs as Apple’s Chief Executive, and the naming of Tim Cook as the successor. Though the news was widely anticipated, it really saddened Apple fans. There were media reports that Apple may send out invites for the iPhone 5 event sooner rather than later as the California-based technology giant may want to erase the exit of Steve Jobs from people’s mind with the release of iPhone 5.

Well, what is the connection between these two distinct events? The answer is here.

There were doubts in the minds of technology enthusiasts that whether the exit of Steve Jobs may affect the release of iPhone 5.

But few would have thought that Hurricane Irene may force Apple to postpone the release of iPhone 5, which is expected to be launched in late September or early October.

It is strange that a hurricane would delay iPhone launch. But, it could be possible.

Though the potential iPhone launch event is expected to be held in California, journalists from New York City attending the event may experience some travel delays due to the hurricane.

Moreover, the hurricane may shut down the airports in the East Coast, making it difficult for Apple to send inventories to the region.

Also, consumers residing in hurricane Irene’s path would predominantly think about their survival and would spend their resources primarily on the basic neccessities and recovering themselves from the impact of hurricane.

In addition, a weak U.S. economy may force consumers in other parts of the country to tighten their budgets and cut down on discretionary spending. Though economic uncertainities may not have impacted Apple unlike others, it is a risk that cannot be ignored.

Let’s take a look at the rumored specifications of iPhone 5:

The iPhone 5 is expected to run on an upgraded operating system, iOS 5, and supported by a strong ecosystem including iCloud. iCloud will store photos, apps, calendars and documents without storing them onto the phone’s memory storage.

Apple is expected to release iPhone 5 as a “World Phone” - both GSM and CDMA compatible. It is conjectured that the phone will have a SIM-less design with 3-4 antennas. Another rumor suggested that the iPhone 5 will feature a SIM card slot for other countries except the U.S. This will allow users to insert any SIM card in iPhone when traveling abroad.

Apple has made improvements in the camera department by fitting a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash. Apple’s iPhone 5 is expected to sport an 8 megapixel camera.

There is also near-unanimity in gadget circles that Apple will bring its A5 chip on to the iPhone 5. The A5 processor is the same one that Apple rolled out to power its iPad 2. Apple may boost the speed of its A5 chip in the range of 1.2 or 1.5 GHz as several Android smartphones are coming with 1.2 GHz processor.

Apple may fit a near-field communication chip in the iPhone 5 as some high-end Android devices are expected to sport the NFC chip. NFC allows for simplified transactions, data exchange, and connections with a touch. A smartphone or tablet with an NFC chip could make a credit card payment or serve as keycard or ID card.

Apple is rumored to increase the screen size of iPhone 5 to compete with Android smartphones, probably going for a 4-inch screen. The iPhone 4 has a 3.5-inch screen

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