Apple’s iPhone lost share among U.S. consumers who bought a mobile phone in the last three months, while the share for devices running Google’s Android climbed, Nielsen said Monday.

In August, 28% of those who had purchased a smartphone in the preceding 90 days said that they picked an iPhone, down from 31% who said the same three months earlier.

Android’s share of recent smartphone buyers jumped from 49% in May to 56% in August, according to Nielsen’s data.

However, more of Android’s gains came at the expense of Research in Motion’s BlackBerry than from Apple’s iPhone: RIM’s share of recent smartphone purchases fell from 16% in May to 9% in August, a seven-point decline that was more than double that of Apple’s.

“There’s always flux in numbers like these,” said Jack Gold, a telecommunications analyst at J. Gold Associates. “You can’t expect consistency month to month.”

The fall of RIM was even clearer when Nielsen’s total share numbers — all users, not just those who bought a smartphone in the last three months — were compared.

In August, Android and Apple accounted for 43% and 28% of all U.S. smartphones in use, said Nielsen, a five- and one-point increase, respectively, over May. RIM meanwhile, fell three points in August to 18%.

The biggest factor in Android’s rise in recent purchase share, said Gold, was the sheer number of new smartphones that have been released.

“I think we need to be careful how we take these numbers,” said Gold. “They’re not saying that there’s decreased sales or interest in the iPhone. But they do show that Android is overwhelming the market with devices.”

Naturally, people want the latest — and theoretically greatest — smartphone when they shop, argued Gold, and with the flood of new models powered by Android, it’s no surprise that Google’s operating system overpowers Apple’s in the numbers game.

“That trend will only continue, which is why Android is taking so much market share,” said Gold.

Don Kellogg, Nielsen’s director of telecom research, agreed.

“Android is available from any U.S. carrier,” said Kellogg, “and although Apple launched the iPhone on Verizon earlier this year, they haven’t had a new model for some time.”

Essentially, it’s a battle waged between the many — all the smartphone makers that produce Android devices and the carriers that support it — and the few, represented by Apple and its two U.S. partners, AT&T and Verizon.

“It’s Windows all over again,” said Gold. “In Windows vs. Apple, why did Windows win? It was because Microsoft had a lot of people on their side.”

Gold expects the same trend in smartphones. “I don’t see how, longer term, unless Google messes up, Android loses the battle of creating more market share.”

[Thanks: http://www.computerworld.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]

Suddenly Sprint faced the prospect of being the smallest remaining carrier and the only one without the iPhone, leaving it in a weak position to compete going forward. Option one: get sucked up by Verizon in response to the AT&T – T-Mobile merger. Option two: add a Sprint iPhone 5 to the mix, giving existing customers an extra reason to stick around while also giving Verizon and AT&T customers a reason to consider switching sides. Sprint is going with the latter.

The evidence is everywhere: Sprint subcontractors installing signal boosters around Apple Stores. Language in Sprint’s lawsuit against the T-Mobile merger pointing to a future landscape in which it feels it won’t get a fair shot at competing even with the iPhone 5 under its belt. But that may be mere posturing on Sprint’s part, as the carrier has multiple approaches for pinching competitors’ iPhone customers when it launches its own iPhone 5.

The first is Sprint’s unlimited monthly data offerings, which stand in contrast to the moves by Verizon and AT&T to assign monthly data caps for the purpose of hitting customers with massive overage charges in the same manner as they once did with text message overages. The second is that even as Verizon is diddling with 4G and AT&T is pretending to diddle with it, Sprint has a (slower) 4G network nationwide already, although it remains to be seen which 4G technologies if any the iPhone 5 serves up. Then there’s the crop of T-Mobile customers who don’t like the prospect of ending up being part of AT&T (or whoever ends up acquiring T-Mobile) and view Sprint as the top alternative thanks to the fact that A) it’s smaller than Verizon and B) it now also has the iPhone 5.

Sprint will still face challenges even with the iPhone 5 on its roster. Existing iPhone customers are locked into upgrade cycles which make it difficult to escape the two-year contract without financial penalty (essentially, you have to buy an iPhone and use it for two years without upgrading or your stuck in a contract loop forever). And someone will end up snapping up T-Mobile, leaving Sprint all alone at the bottom of the food chain in terms of U.S. carrier size. But with the iPhone 5 in hand, at least Sprint won’t be fighting with both hands behind its back.

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

There has been increasing speculation that the carrier could finally be getting an iPhone to offer to its subscribers, and now Sprint has scheduled a Strategy Update for Friday October 7. It has not been confirmed it is for the iPhone 5, but as AppleInsider are reporting it is around the time the handset is thought to become available for consumers.

The carrier has just sent out invitations for the event called dubbed “Sprint’s Strategy Update”, and is thought it may be about the carriers plans for its 4G network plans. There will be feature presentations by some of the top managers from Sprint, as well as a Q&A session.

While it may only be about the 4G plans for the future it could quite easily also contain news about the iPhone 5. There is a good chance that Apple will announce the handset next month in readiness for the proposed October launch date. There have even been rumors the handset could be put up for preorder at the end of September.

Normally when a new iPhone is released it is announced at Apple events, but this year we saw the Verizon version of the device announced at the carrier’s event in New York City. The iPhone 5 is rumored to be a dual-mode handset allowing for easier porting on various networks. Sprint employees were recently told to offer a “no comment” stance when replying to questions about the iPhone 5.

It makes sense for Sprint to get the chance to announce the iPhone 5 coming to their network and with an October date shouldn’t steal Apple’s thunder with details about the device. Weeks ago Apple’s Tim Cook said the company would be going through a major product transition in September, so a handset that works on all networks could be it.

Do you think the iPhone is finally coming to Sprint?

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

Apple is a company inextricably tied to the word “new” — new categories of consumer technology, new distribution models and, of course, when is the new iPhone coming out?

But when it comes to marketing, Steve Jobs has proven to be 100% old-school: back up great products up with creative advertising, big media spending and, don’t forget, smart retail.

As Mr. Jobs, arguably the brand’s beating heart, steps away from his role as CEO to become chairman, one can only hope his successor, Tim Cook, adheres to the marketing formula that, while far more rotary than iPhone, has helped propel the company to record revenue and profit.

“There’s exceptional sentiment that [Apple is] all about product design and proves that user experience is all that matters,” said Noah Brier, cofounder of content discovery startup Percolate and former exec-director strategy at the Barbarian Group. “Then why does Apple spend $400 million on the most traditional kind of advertising?”

Among largest spenders

Apple is among the top 100 U.S. advertisers by spending with $420 million dedicated to advertising last year, according to Ad Age Data Center. What’s more, the largest piece of that pie — almost $200 million — went to network TV.

Considering Apple billboards are a fixture in any high-traffic urban area — near Penn Station in New York and along the highway heading east into Chicago — it’s no surprise that Apple is the No. 10 outdoor spender among all U.S. marketers with $33 million in 2010.

“You don’t create a massive consumer company with just great product design,” Mr. Brier added. “If it was true, they wouldn’t go out and spend that kind of money.”

To boot, as other advertisers and media buyers focus on performance and efficiency in online advertising, Apple’s $24 million in measured internet media most likely went primarily to high-end home-page takeovers on newspaper sites belonging to the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today. These aren’t budget banner buys, but high-profile real estate more akin to the back cover of a magazine.

In another old-school move, Apple has stuck with one ad agency, TBWA Media Arts Lab, for the better part of 30 years. That’s a rarity in a world where marketers switch agencies just about as frequently as new iPads come out. Apple and TBWA have been together since the “1984″ Super Bowl spot.

Illustrating how closely linked Mr. Jobs has been to the marketing, the agency didn’t handle Apple advertising starting in 1986 — that’s one year after he was ousted Apple. TBWA came back on the account in 1997, the same year Mr. Jobs rejoined the company.

More than just advertising

But Mr. Jobs’ marketing genius embodies more than just advertising. Apple launched its first brick-and-mortar store in 2001, “designed and built to serve as high-profile venues to promote brand awareness and serve as vehicles for corporate sales and marketing activities,” according to Apple filings. Since then, those stores have catapulted Apple to be a gold standard in retail, too.

“To go out and compare [Apple] to other retailers, there’s not a lot of basis for a comparison,” said Stephen Baker, NPD Group’s VP-industry analysis for consumer electronics. After only 10 years in the retail business, Apple’s more than $5,000 in gross sales-per-square-foot best all other U.S. chains, including high-end jeweler Tiffany’s and leather goods retailer Coach, according to research firm RetailSails.

Apple’s strategy has also meant retaining solid distribution through third-party retailers. When the iPad first came out last spring, Apple limited distribution to its own stores and Best Buy locations, motivating the big-box retailer to give the new device prime real-estate and promotion in stores.

By the holidays, after iPad had become Apple’s fastest selling product in history, it added Target, Sam’s Club and Walmart as distribution partners to keep sales rolling.

“People tend to think of Apple as a very pristine brand, but at the end of the day, they’re retailers and sellers of stuff,” said Mr. Baker. “Almost everything they do is with that view.”

Even with such innovations as iTunes and the App Store, whose new channels to distribute content and software made the hardware that much more desirable to consumers, you can’t help but think that Mr. Jobs took a page out of marketing’s oldest book.

When the iPhone came out in 2007, the “App for That” ads were basically product demonstrations that showed off the apps and their benefits more than the phone. The move echoed a famous ad maxim that recalls how ad agency JWT crafted ads shilling grilled cheese sandwiches so its client could sell more Kraft Singles. In Apple’s case, the same principle at play: It shilled apps to sell more iPhones.

[Thanks: http://adage.com]

One picture of a back panel from a purported prototype fifth-generation iPhone shows a design essentially identical to the iPhone 4. Obtained by MacPost, it shows a white handset labeled “EVT2″ for “Engineering Verification Testing” with a date of June 7, 2011.

The early development prototype is labeled on the inside as “N94.” The iPhone 4 first released in 2010 is known as “N90,” while the CDMA iPhone 4 released earlier this year is dubbed “N92.”

As on other leaked prototype backs, the latest purported part has its model number, FCC ID and capacity information replaced with X’s, offering little indication as to what might be inside a next-generation iPhone. Apple is widely expected to add the A5 processor already found in the iPad 2.

The report noted that the camera flash is located in the same position, right next to the camera lens, potentially debunking earlier leaks that suggested the flash and lens would be separated. The report also noted the front cover “insinuates lots of internal circuitry changes.”

Separately, parts claiming to show a battery and logic board for Apple’s next-generation iPhone were also shared on Friday by AppleLeaks. The battery is manufactured by ATL Dongguan Amperex Technology Limited, which also made batteries for the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4.

The battery pictured has the same 3.7V 1430mAh capacity as the iPhone 4, though it has a different interface than the current hardware. It is model GB-510-423282-0100.

The site also has a picture that claims to show the logicboard of a next-generation iPhone. It features a different design for the power sensors and module, phone jack, and camera module.

Earlier this week, pictures of a potential fifth-generation iPhone casing suggested the device could have changes to its antenna. The pictures appear to show a unibody frame without case seams on the top or either side of the top of the handset.

Leading up to the launch of the next-generation iPhone, rumors have been scattershot, and there is a great deal of confusion as to whether the next iPhone will sport an all-new design, or have an appearance similar to the iPhone 4. This week, Reuters reported that the next-generation iPhone will look largely the same as the iPhone 4.

That’s in contrast to conflicting reports and even third-party cases suggesting the next iPhone could have angled sides and a flat back, with a design similar to the iPad 2.

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

That’s thanks to Gigwalk, a startup that offers smart phone users the opportunity to use their smart phone to tackle as many as 100,000 quick little tasks.

Many of those tasks are coming from Microsoft, which is using photos snapped by Gigwalk users to augment information offered by its Bing search engine, All Thing’s D’s Ina Fried reported Tuesday.

“This proves we can handle the scale,” CEO Ariel Seidman said in an interview, noting that one of the big questions when Gigwalk launched was whether it could generate and handle enough gigs to make it pay off for both those assigning and those performing tasks. About 20 percent of those doing tasks are what Seidman calls “professionals” that have come to view Gigwalk as a serious second paycheck, while the remainder are more casual users of the service, performing tasks on occasion.

Gigwalk is available only on the iPhone, for now. An Android version of the app is expected later this year.

No word on whether the company is working on a version of its service for, oh, Windows Mobile.

[Thanks: http://blogs.forbes.com]

The most recent rumor suggests that the “revolutionary” iPhone 5 is not due until mid-2012. Another report suggests not one but two iPhones, an iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S, will be released in September this year.

It’s not just the iPhone 5 release dates which have kept the media bemused. It’s also the ever-growing list of specifications the next iPhone will boast. However, a careful analysis of past comments by Apple executives and reports by research firms reveals some features that will surely not be showcased in iPhone 5.

To that end, here’s a list of rumored features that will NOT wind up featured in the Apple iPhone 5:

NFC-enabled mobile payment

In May, BusinessInsider, quoting a Bernstein report, said that Apple’s next iPhone will not support NFC-based mobile payment. The Independent, citing some of the largest mobile carriers in the UK, said that Apple will forego NFC in its next iPhone due to lack of industry standards about the technology. The rumors that Apple will equip its next iPhone with NFC gained momentum when Google released its NFC-based mobile payment feature in the form of Google Wallet in May. The Google Wallet will currently be available with Google’s Nexus S 4G phones available on Sprint network.

Flash Support

If there is one certainty about iPhone 5, it is that it will not support Flash. In an open letter Apple CEO Steve Jobs in April 2010 stated that Apple would not support Adobe Flash. He said: “Flash was created during the PC era — for PCs and mice.” He further said: “But the mobile era is about low power devices, touch interfaces and open Web standards — all areas where Flash falls short.” Jobs cited other reasons to the list like Adobe’s proprietary control over the Flash platform, the existence of its favored HTML 5 platform, besides questioning the reliability and security of Flash, citing it as the No. 1 reason behind Mac crashes.

Higher Internal Storage

Apple’s iPhone 4 comes in two internal memory specification, 16/32 GB. However, since Apple unveiled its cloud-locker facility the iCloud at WWDC, the possibility of Apple offering a 64GB or higher internal memory configuration in iPhone 5 is suspect. iCloud presently gives users 5GB storage in the cloud. Users can store music, documents, apps and calendar on iCloud. Thus, Apple can leverage iCloud support to limit the iPhone’s internal memory requirement. This would also keep Apple’s costs low, as there is a significant price difference between a 16GB and 32GB iPhone model. A 16GB iPhone 4 costs $199 and a 32GB model costs $299 with contract.

Larger Display

Apple may follow its iPad 2 specs and may maintain the existing 3.5-inch display size in the upcoming iPhone 5. When Apple released its iPad 2 it did not change the display size, keeping it at the 9.7-inch form factor, even while multiple Android tablets were released with 10.1-inch, 7-inch and 8.9-inch displays. Apple launched the iPhone 3GS with the same form factor 3.5-inch screen and instead of increasing the size of the iPhone 4 display, Apple focused on offering higher-resolution retina display. Also keeping the display size at 3.5-inch offers significant economic benefits to Apple, as it does not have to re-work its manufacturing process, since increasing the display size requires a major capital outlay. Thus, Apple could possibly optimize the display rather than increase the display size.

4G LTE iPhone 5

Jefferies & Co. analyst Peter Misek had stated that Apple will not release a 4G LTE iPhone this fall as Qualcomm’s LTE chipset, which Apple would have used, were not reaching the yields that Apple expects for its iPhone 5. Also BMO analyst Keith Bachman stated that Apple will not release a 4G phone data transfer on 4G network that will severely impact iPhone’s battery life.

While these features will be missing from iPhone 5 it is rumored that the next iPhone will feature an 8MP camera with dual-LED flash, edge-to-edge screen, tear-drop design, voice recognition features, 1080p video playback support, A5 processor and SIM-less worldphone design with 3-4 internal antennas for GSM and CDMA compatibility.

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

The device will include the A5 processor, the more powerful chip that Apple added to the iPad 2 earlier this year, along with an eight-megapixel camera, up from the five-megapixel model in the iPhone 4.

Apple is also testing a new version of the iPad that has a higher-resolution screen, similar to the one now used in the iPhone 4.

The iPhone is Apple’s top seller, accounting for half its revenue last quarter. A faster chip will enable speedier data downloads and help the device vie with handsets being introduced by rivals such as Samsung that are powered by Google’s Android software.

The iPhone’s gains against the BlackBerry partly explain why Research In Motion last week forecast its first-ever quarterly sales.

The new phone will run the iOS 5 operating system that Apple previewed at a developers’ conference this month. Codenamed ”Telluride”, it will feature already-announced features such as improved messaging and photo-sharing. It also is designed to run on all Apple’s mobile devices.

Until late last year, iPads, iPhones and iPod touches used slightly different versions of iOS.

Apple pushed back the release of the next iPhone - its fifth - to coincide with the release of the iOS 5 operating system.

Apple has not kept pace with Google in the smartphone market. This year, Apple is projected to account for 18.2 per cent of the global market, compared with 38.9 per cent for devices that run Android.

[Thanks: http://www.smh.com.au]

“Survey data indicates Apple may sign up 150 million iCloud and up to 150 million iMessage users. Proprietary RBC survey data (1,500 respondents, June 7-14) shows 76 percent of iPhone users intend to use Apple’s iCloud service, unveiled at WWDC. This high response rate affirms the growing interest in storing, syncing and sharing music, photos, documents across multiple devices (e.g. Smartphones, Tablets, PCs, TVs, etc),” said Mike Abramsky, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets.

Abramsky said Apple, based off the survey data, could sign up estimated 150 million iCloud users, moving into the scope of leading of online user bases (Facebook (700 million), Microsoft/Skype (700 million), Twitter (300 million), Yahoo! (300 million), and Google/Gmail (200 million)).

Abramsky said 30 percent of surveyed iPhone users are very/somewhat likely to spend $24.99 per year for iTunes Match to host their non-Apple music libraries in iCloud. (This equates to a nominal $1.5 billion per year revenue for Apple (1 percent of annual revenue) with nominal EPS impact (assumes iTunes Match gross margins are 10 percent, inline with iTunes content sales).

Abramsky said Apple may plan to launch additional services over time on iCloud. Examples may include audio and video streaming, photo and video sharing, hosted Time Machine backups, document management and storage and others. Apple is likely to build iCloud service into all iOS devices, possibly including even entry-level products like the iPod Nano and Shuffle.

Abramsky said 73 percent of iPhone users intend to use iMessage, equating to up to about 150 million iMessage users. iMessage thus has the potential to strengthen loyalty among existing iPhone users, as well as incent 60 millino-plus iPod Touch users to favour iPhone over other smartphones (e.g. Android) if they upgrade.

“As it stores user data, iCloud, along with iTunes is expected to enhance loyalty and stickiness of Apple’s customers, helping defend against threats from Android, helping grow a defensible install base of users who continually upgrade to next generation Macs, iPhones, iPads, and iPods,” said Abramsky.

The brokerage maintained its “outperform with above average risk” rating on shares of Apple, while reiterating its price target of $450.

Abramsky said impediments to his price target include: unknown market acceptance of new products, new product launch delays, stronger than expected competitive response to iPhone, slower than expected international expansion, greater than expected iPod cannibalization, slower than expected Macintosh market share gains, channel conflicts or execution, and key executives or staff departures.

“We see Apple’s valuation multiple as vulnerable should market sentiment continue to deteriorate and it could compress further on unexpected competitive developments, execution stumbles, unexpectedly slowing growth, declining margins, PC market concerns, or decline in overall market or technology market valuations,” said Abramsky.

Apple stock rose 1.68 percent to $320.62 on the NASDAQ Stock Market at 10:16 am EDT.

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