A Chinese paper is reporting that Apple and Foxconn may have had a staggering setback in the production of the iPhone, with up to eight million iPhones returned to Foxconn because they didn’t meet Apple’s standards.
Back in February, I reviewed the The SurfacePad from Twelve South and called it the “Best iPhone Case Ever.” And had it stayed pristine and continued working like it did for the first few weeks, that would be it.
But it didn’t. The lovely, minimalist leather cover certainly kept working, but while it might be a great design for something like an iPad, for an iPhone – which is constantly being shoved in and out of pockets – it’s just too fragile. That, and it sucks for taking photos.
We’re pretty confident the iPhone 5S will look almost identical to the iPhone 5, but its insides are likely to be a little different. Recent rumors have claimed Apple could add a faster processor to the device, along with fingerprint technology and improved cameras. And one of those cameras may have been leaked.
The picture above shows what is believed to be a front-facing camera for the iPhone 5S.
Remember that fifth-generation iPad mould that we reported on earlier this week? Well, its source has now obtained what is believed to be the casing for Apple’s rumored low-cost iPhone.
It’s made of polycarbonate plastic just like the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 3GS, and it will reportedly pack a 3.5-inch display like previous iPhones — yet it’s both taller and wider than the iPhone 4S. It may also get its grand unveiling this October.
I have fond memories of the cassette tape. The first album I ever bought was on cassette — I won’t tell you what it was — and I used to spend hours taping songs off the radio so that I could listen to them on my cheap Bush walkman, which had just three buttons and a volume control.
The cassette’s pretty much dead now, of course, but you can help it live on with this cool cassette case for iPhone 5 from Rocket Cases. Priced at just $14.99, it’s made from a sturdy TPU plastic that provides your device with all-over protection from drops and scratches.
I’ve been testing it for a few weeks to find out whether it is worth its price tag, or whether it’s as useful as an actual cassette tape.
This video (found after the jump) of 10,000 iPhone 5 dominoes toppling over one another in a long, complicated course is cool, but it’s a huge fakeout, for the following reasons.
While companies like Samsung have been busy making mega-huge smartphones with gigantic screens, Apple’s aim has been to keep the physical footprint of the iPhone the same while adding better features, like the iPhone 5’s 4-inch display.
If Apple wants to make an iPhone with a 4.5-inch screen though, it’s going to come with some big changes. However, Ran Avni has created an iPhone 6 concept that gives big display fans the 4.5-inch screen they dream of, without making the device bigger. To achieve the thinner, smaller design all Apple would have to do is ditch the home button.
Here’s a video of the concept:
What can you hope for when you’re the last major U.S. carrier to get the iPhone? That at least a few people get in line to buy one on launch day.
Considering that the iPhone 5 has been out since last fall, you wouldn’t expect many lines to be forming outside of T-Mobile stores today. But surprisingly enough, people are showing up. “Uncarrier” FTW!!!
Only T-Mobile lets your iPhone 5 be as great as an iPhone 5. That’s according to the carrier’s new commercial, which has begun airing today to celebrate the launch of the iPhone on T-Mobile. It’s taken almost six years, but Apple’s popular smartphone is finally available on America’s fourth largest carrier. Watch the new ad below.
Samsung just announced a mega-sized phone. It’s freaking big. Like, it’s almost as big as the iPad mini, kind of. It’s called the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3, and it’s got a ridiculously huge 6.3-inch display.
If the Galaxy Note II was a puny “phablet” with its 5.5-inch display, then we have no idea what to nickname this gargantuan “phone.” Just look at how monstrous it is next to the iPhone 5! Have fun taking calls on that in public.
Source: Reddit
Even though the iPhone 5 was launched in October of 2012, many analysts and pundits believe that Apple will likely release the iPhone 5S sometime this summer.
KGI Securities analysts Ming-Chi Kuo thinks that you shouldn’t get your hopes too high for a new iPhone though. In a report he released today, Kuo claims Apple is facing production problems on both the iPhone 5 and cheaper iPhone and that they won’t launch until Q3 of 2013.
As the last major carrier in the U.S. to sell the iPhone, T-Mobile has a lot of catching up to do if it wants to become competitive with AT&T, Verizon, and even Sprint. With the iPhone 5 set to launch on T-Mobile tomorrow, the carrier is preparing a massive media blitz to try and win new customers.
Along with its “uncarrier” plans and the $100 iPhone 5 price point, T-Mobile has been busy training its employees on the benefits of switching to T-Mobile from a cost perspective, and right now it looks like T-Mobile is the cheapest carrier to roll with on your iPhone.
With so much interest in Apple’s unreleased iOS devices, the Cupertino has had a difficult time trying to prevent leaks of late. We saw numerous components for recent iPads, the iPhone 5, and the iPad mini ahead of their official unveilings, and now we’re beginning to see parts believed to be from Apple’s next generation of devices.
The vibration motor and switches pictured above are reportedly destined for Apple’s rumored low-cost iPhone, which could launch sometime this year.
Speaking at a conference for the National Association of Broadcasters conference, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam mentioned that he had talked to Steve Jobs about the power of LTE in a meeting with the late Apple CEO. McAdam said that he spent some time trying to convince Jobs to add an LTE radio to Apple’s then-unreleased iPhone.
“I was really trying to sell him and he sat there without any reaction. Finally, he said, ‘Enough. You had me at 10 Mbps. I know you can stream video at 10 Mbps,'” said McAdam.
T-Mobile USA has announced a new iPhone trade-in program ahead of the carrier’s official iPhone launch on Friday. Customers who trade in their old iPhone 4 or 4S will see the $99 down payment for a 16GB iPhone 5 dropped to $0, plus they’ll receive up to $120 additional credit.
Topeka Capital analyst Brian White received some criticism last week when he revealed in a note to investors that he expects Apple’s much-anticipated television set to come with a “mini iTV” tablet and an “iRing.” But rather than going into hiding until the whole thing is forgotten about, White has revealed his predictions for the iPhone 5S.
The device will be available with “at least” two screen sizes, White claims, giving those who might switch to Android for a larger display a reason to stick with the iPhone.
True to its word, T-Mobile just pushed out an update for all unlocked iPhones on their network that enables LTE, Visual Voicemail, HD Voice and more.
Users can get the update via OTA or manually updating through iTunes. The update doesn’t change the software version on your device, so if you’re worried about losing your jailbreak, this should be safe.
Here are the official notes from T-Mobile:
LockLauncher, a handy tweak that allows you to run apps from the lock screen on jailbroken iPhones, has today been updated to add support for the iPhone 5 and iOS 6. You can download it now from Cydia’s BigBoss repository.
There is nothing worse than going somewhere and realizing you forgot your iOS charging cable. I’ve been there – and it sucks.
I’ve seen a number of cables – manufacvtured by Apple and by others – that could serve as my alternate charging cable (for travel or for home purposes), but there’s something about the one we’re offering here at Cult of Mac Deals that is particularly appealing. Perhaps it’s the length of the cable, making it more versatile than my stock cable. Maybe it’s the quality and the durability.
Actually, it’s both of those things – and the price is appealing as well…just $14!
Apple and T-Mobile have begun pre-orders for the iPhone 5. The launch date for the iPhone 5 is scheduled for April 12th, so if you’re eager to jump the gun on the T-Mobile iPhone 5, here’s your chance.
T-Mobile is the last of the four major carriers in the U.S. to start selling the iPhone. To attract new customers, T-Mobile is selling the iPhone 5 for $99 without a cellular service contract. Although the carrier is still working to expand its LTE network as fast as possible, customer might not mind the service renovations in exchange of a cheaper monthly bill.
Source: T-Mobile
With five days to go, the MiDock Kickstarter project has just been funded for it’s £7,000 asking price, and with good reason. This brushed aluminum, glass bead blasted, anodized metal unibody iPhone 5 dock looks like it could have come out of the design work of Apple itself.
For the £34 (a bit over $50) asking price, you can get any of the colors of MiDock now as a reward for pledging to the Kickstarter project.
I really like Nikolai Lamm’s concepts for imaginary, rumored, (and possibly forthcoming) Apple products, and this transparent concept for a cheaper budget iPhone is no exception. I love how it merges the 2012 iPod touch’s candy colored backshell with the iMac G3’s transparent casing.
I think there’s little to no chance Apple would actually make an iPhone that looks like this — in the mind of Jonny Ive, transparent gadgets are so 1998, I bet — but heck, I’d buy a phone like this.
Source: Myvouchercodes.co.uk
The only way to get an iPhone on T-Mobile the past few years was to go out and buy an unlocked iPhone and put a T-Mobile SIM card in it. Now that T-Mobile has become an official carrier, a lot of iPhone users that are already on the carrier want to be able to use LTE but can’t.
To make things better, T-Mobile says they’re going to rollout an update for all unlocked iPhones on the network starting April 5th. The update will flip the switch on features that aren’t currently available, like LTE and Visual Voicemail.
We’ve heard rumors that Apple will unveil the iPhone 5S in June of this year, and it turns out that there might actually be some truth to the rumors.
The Wall Street Journal reported today that Apple plans to begin production of the next iPhone in Q2 of 2013. The new iPhone will have the same shape and 4-inch screen as the iPhone 5S and will probably launch this summer.
There’s nothing worse than having to carry too much in your pockets. Keys, pocket change, a wallet, and now…your iPhone. That’s why Krome has developed the perfect case to consolidate your daily belongings. Not only does the Krome CargoCase sport a durable polycarbonate shell with an aircraft aluminum hinge to keep your iPhone in pristine condition, but it maintains all your valuables in one, safe location.
And Cult of Mac Deals has some special pricing on the Krome CargoCase for the iPhone 5. – only $29!
