availability
Latest
Apple's iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are now available SIM-free
Apple is now selling unlocked versions of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, giving you options if you'd rather not be tied to a contract or want a handset that works in other countries. The downside, of course, is that you'll pay the full retail price without those carrier subsidies -- starting at $649 for the (controversial) 16GB iPhone 6s at Apple Stores or online. In addition, Apple has started rolling out its latest iPhones in 36 new countries, including Mexico, Russia, Taiwan and Spain. They're now available in 48 nations, and will hit about 80 more by the end of the year.
Apple Watch is coming to Target stores on October 18th
If you're shopping at Target, you'll soon be able to buy something other than picture frames and bedding. The Apple Watch arrives October 18th and be available in every store by October 25th. The retailer said it will stock 20 different models, with prices ranging from $349 for the 38mm Watch Sport, up to $599 for a stainless steel 42mm Watch model. Target is the second retail chain to get the Watch after Best Buy, and apart from Apple, only high-end department stores like Galeries Lafayette in Paris have carried it. The Target deal makes sense, however, since the chain already carries the iPhone, iPad and most other Apple products.
Tearaway Unfolded arrives adorably to PS4 on September 8th
Ready to guide a papercraft "You" through a world of hugs, malevolent squirrels and craft projects again? Yes, Tearaway Unfolded is coming at last to Sony's PS4 console on September 8th. The game is a remake of the Tearaway on PS Vita, but reworked extensively with better graphics and support for the PS4's DualShock 4 controllers. For instance, you can use the DualShock as a torch to attract (and then dispatch) enemy critters or catch objects "thrown" by on-screen characters. It'll cost the same $39.99 as the popular Vita original, and early adopters will get a limited "Crafted" edition with custom decor, costumes and the Tearaway Unfolded soundtrack.
Apple Watch finally arrives at Apple Stores in two weeks
Apple says the Watch will finally hit its US retail stores in two weeks, and it expects to clear up most of its May pre-order backlog by then, as well. The wearable is also coming to seven more countries starting June 26th, namely Italy, Mexico, Spain, Taiwan, Singapore, Switzerland and South Korea. Folks there will also be able to grab it at Apple's online and retail stores, along with other select upscale outlets. The news is a pretty good sign that Apple is beginning to clear its order backlog, though it emphasized that demand had "surpassed our expectations."
HTC One M9's leaked price and release date will give you deja vu
If you were still picking sides following the launch of HTC's One M9 and the Samsung Galaxy S6, there's now a bit more to work with. Retailer B&H Electronics has (accidentally?) revealed that a 32GB flavor of the HTC One M9 will start shipping on March 25th for $649, SIM-free. That's the exact same price (and release date) as last year's look-alike model and a bit less than an unlocked Galaxy S6 (non-Edge) is expected to cost. That said, you'll also need to weigh factors like Exynos versus Snapdragon CPUs and all-metal versus glass-and-metal designs. The listing could also be inaccurate or premature, so we wouldn't count on the pricing or date without official word from HTC.
LG's cheaper G Flex2 hits shelves
Quirky as it is, we quite like LG's G Flex2 for its pretty design, performance, camera and quick charging battery. The banana-shaped phone is now on sale in the US, Hong Kong, Singapore, France, Germany and the U.K. You can pre-order at Sprint for $504, or $21 a month for two years (on contract), at Carphone Warehouse in the UK SIM-free for £530 ($820) and in Germany for €649 ($740). That's a lot cheaper than the $940 of the original G Flex, and the new model has a bleeding-edge Snapdragon 810 CPU, 5.5-inch curved P-OLED Full HD display and 3,000mAh, 40-minute charging time battery. Pre-orders should pop up soon at other US carriers and it'll arrive to the rest of the world after MWC 2015, which starts next week.
ASUS' super thin UX305 laptop will be a relative bargain in the US
We've already seen what Intel's Core M chips can do to a laptop -- all of the specimens we've seen have been impossibly skinny and lightweight. The problem is, that brand of thin-and-lightness doesn't come cheap: Samsung's new ATIV Book 9 starts at $1,200, for instance, while the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro is currently going for $1,299 and up. Leave it to a slightly lesser known brand, then, to shake things up. ASUS is about to start selling that skinny, 0.48-inch-thick Zenbook UX305 we saw last fall, and the price is actually quite reasonable, especially considering its specs more or less match the competition.
iPod shuffle stocks are dwindling
Apple fans looking for the diminutive 2 GB iPod shuffle (US$49.00) may have to wait a while to get one, as stocks at both the online Apple Store and brick-and-mortar Apple retail outlets are running low. Currently the online store is showing a 7 to 10 day wait prior to shipment, and searching personal pickup availability -- usually a good indicator of stock on hand at local Apple Stores -- shows "ships to store" as the status for many of those stores. So what's the cause of the shortage? There are several possibilities. First, it could be that Apple has decided to drop the iPod shuffle entirely from its product line. That's not entirely out of the question; the company killed the iPod Classic last September with nary a word from Cupertino. Next, Apple might be in the process of transitioning to a new manufacturing partner in order to reduce the cost of what has to be a fairly low-margin product, in which case the shortage could be temporary. Or perhaps Apple is considering replacing the existing iPod shuffle with a newer model with more capacity and/or Bluetooth. The iPod shuffle has always been a popular model for running and working out, as the .44 ounce (12.5 gram) device is easy to clip onto a collar or waistband. But the current model seems a bit dated in an Apple world where more and more devices are going wireless. What are your thoughts on the fate of the iPod shuffle? Let us know in the comments.
Alienware puts its new gaming desktop and 13-inch laptop up for sale
If you liked the looks of Alienware's new thin-and-light 13-inch laptop or its bigass, futuristic-looking Area-51 desktop, then listen up: Both are on sale beginning tomorrow, with shipments starting in November, and we finally know the full specs. Starting with the Alienware 13, it goes from $999 (£949 in the UK) with a dual-core Core i5-4210U processor, 8GB of RAM, a 2GB NVIDIA GeForce 860M GPU, 1TB 5,400RPM disk and a fairly low-res 1,366 x 768, non-touch matte display. If you like, you can step up to 16GB of RAM, either a hybrid hard drive or up to a 512GB SSD, and either a 1080p non-touch display or a 2,560 x 1,440 touchscreen. It would seem, though, that despite those various upgrade options, there's only one choice for the CPU and graphics card. Regardless of the configuration you get, the whole thing comes wrapped in a slimmed-down package that weighs about four and a half pounds and measures an inch thick.
Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus coming to China on October 17th
Apple has finally revealed the date that its new iPhones will be available to eager users in mainland China: Friday, October 17th. The devices had been delayed pending regulatory approval, but Apple was granted a license earlier today by the Chinese government -- despite some security concerns. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will go on pre-order starting October 10th, with units available a week later at Apple Stores and all three major carriers. Both phones will support TD-LTE and FDD-LTE, meaning 4G speeds will be available to users at China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom. So far, the lack of availability has meant extortionate prices for smuggled models, though there's been an alarming lack of demand in the gray market. But at least Chinese Apple fans will avoid the parade of early iOS 8 bugs.
LG's first big 4K OLED TV may have a non-ridiculous price tag
If you're set on an OLED Ultra HDTV instead of LCD, you can now put a price and date on your idealism: LG's 65-inch 65EC9700 4K model will reportedly ship in September with a sticker price of $8,999. Apart from those deep OLED blacks, the model also features passive 3D, Miracast/MHL and nearly invisible bezels. The first 4K OLED models, including that one, arrived earlier this year at CES, but so far none have hit stores. We also haven't seen any pricing, other than for a few exotic models like LG's $30,000 curved 77-inch UHDTV. Though the 65-inch model is far more reasonable, according to HD Guru, the lowest possible price (UPP) set by LG is $6,999 -- still more than double LG's 4K LCD model.
Daily Update for November 26, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Why was the iPad Mini with Retina Display released with little fanfare?
With little to no fanfare, Apple this week released the iPad Mini with Retina Display. There were no slickly produced videos accompanying the launch nor were there any grand pronouncements from Apple. Indeed, if you don't regularly follow Apple blogs, you might have been completely unaware that the iPad Mini with Retina Display was even available yet. Apple, for its part, simply updated its online store and issued a press release early on Tuesday morning. Naturally, some folks began wondering why Apple didn't create more of a hoopla surrounding the iPad Mini with Retina Display launch. While Apple has been known to implement subtle product upgrades from time to time, the iPad Mini with Retina Display is a highly anticipated product that is without question a step above its predecessor. You would think that a launch of such a product would be accompanied by a little bit more pomp and circumstance. So what gives? What might have prompted Apple to seemingly roll out its second-gen iPad Mini under the cover of darkness, so to speak? Addressing that very question, Ed Dale offers a theory which I think is spot-on. The last thing Apple wants is 100's of customers turning up everyday to be dissapointed in a store which is meant to be a happy place – Apple does not want their stores to be associated with disappointment and frustration!! From the get-go, we knew that supply of the iPad Mini with Retina Display was going to be constrained. Tim Cook admitted as much during Apple's October earnings conference call, noting that it wasn't clear if Apple was going to "have enough" stock of the new iPad Mini at launch. As it already stands, finding the right model iPhone 5s is still a taxing endeavor, and that device was released nearly two months ago. While new Apple products tend to be in short supply at launch, the limited availability of the iPhone 5s really took things to an entirely new level. As Dale astutely observes, Apple wants its stores to be places where people can go and have a positive shopping experience. The last thing they want is to create a dynamic where new product releases are greeted by lukewarm responses along the lines of, "eh, why bother trying to get one when they'll be out of stock for 2 months anyways." By releasing the iPad Mini with Retina Display somewhat under the radar, Apple, to a certain extent, can limit the disappointment that necessarily accompanies the "sorry, we're out of stock" response.
Zepp's multi-sport sensor arriving November 19th for $150
Most of us flail wildly at a ball without any clue about what happens to it, then wonder why we don't get better. To help out, Zepp's 3D sports motion sensor is designed to put hard numbers to your golf, baseball or tennis swing by showing you (via an iOS or Android app) your swing's speed and contortions. We now know that you'll be able to grab one for $150 from Zepp now, or at Apple and Verizon on November 19th, though personally? We're kind of afraid to see exactly how bad we are.
Apple-Tracker.com creates online tool for searching iPad Air availability
If you want to save yourself a trip to a nearby Apple Store only to be disappointed because they didn't have the exact model of iPad Air you wanted in stock, you'll want to point your favorite Web browser to Apple-Tracker.com's new iPad Air search tool. It's very easy to use: just select the color and carrier you desire, type in your zip code, and press the big blue button. Within seconds, you'll see with a glance if your local Apple Store has that specific model available, and in what storage capacities. A green box with white checkmark indicates that it's currently available, while a red box with a black X says that you'll need to wait a while. At this point, the tool seems to indicate that the 128 GB iPad Air models are in short supply at many Apple Stores across the USA. However, if you're willing to drive a bit to get to another nearby store you might just get that "loaded" iPad Air you're dreaming of.
Ouya retail presence expands to all Target locations
The Ouya's brick and mortar retail presence will grow to include 1,800 Target locations, Ouya founder Julie Uhrman told Polygon. While the Ouya has existed within Target stores for some time, its availability has been limited to select locations, rather than every location, as will be the case now. The Android microconsole's retail packaging has been spruced up to take advantage of its new-found exposure, Uhrman said. Target will push the device in its winter circular, through video adverts in its electronics departments and with special displays starting in December, though the Ouya's expanded availability goes into effect this month. Demo units are planned for early next year – Uhrman called production of the kiosks "incredibly expensive," a fact compounded by the necessity to design a wired controller for the system. In related news, Ouya is also in the process of negotiating availability at Wal-mart. "I would expect something, us to announce something with them soon," Uhrman said.
iPhone 5s now shipping in 2 to 3 weeks
Good news to all of you still trying to get your hands on the new iPhone 5s; Apple's official ship times in the US online store now list the flagship iPhone as shipping in two to three weeks. That goes for all models of the iPhone 5s, in all storage sizes and all colors -- including gold. The two- to three-week ship time, while still frustratingly long for those longing for the 5s, is much better than the rather ambiguous "October" ship time still listed for Apple online stores in Europe and many other pats of the world. However, no matter what country you are in, if you don't want to wait two to three weeks for your iPhone 5s, you could always try your luck and just walk into an Apple store to see what's available. Each retail store gets daily shipments of the various models, and though the pickings are slim, chances are if you try often enough, you'll walk out with an iPhone 5s sooner than you would get one if you waited three weeks for it to ship.
OUYA makes broader push into European market
OUYA, one of Kickstarter's more high-profile success stories, is looking to make more of an impact overseas. The company announced plans today for its massively funded Android mini-console to be available across a wider swath of European markets. According to a report on Gamasutra, deals with select distributors are already in place and consumers in both Western and Eastern Europe should see stock appear at retail outlets by the end of October. It's not yet known exactly which Eastern European countries will be privy to this retail expansion, but chances are, if you're living on the Western end, you're more than adequately covered.
Jawbone's Mini Jambox now available for purchase with regular-sized dollars
If you like your Bluetooth speakers nearly pocketable and can live without wall-shaking volume, the Jambox's diminutive offspring is now available for $180 at Jawbone.com. The aptly named Mini is available in nine colors and five textures and debuts alongside iOS and Android streaming apps that are compatible with iTunes, Spotify and Rdio. The speakers will be available at US retailers "shortly," according to the company. Hit the source below to get your Mini jams on.
AllThingsD: carriers indicate lower than usual iPhone 5s stock ahead of Friday's launch
If last week's announcement got you all worked up about a new Apple handset, you may have to wait a little while longer. AllThingsD reports that sources from multiple US carriers are showing "grotesquely" low inventory leading up to Friday's iPhone 5s launch. It's worth noting that stock numbers typically fall short of the demand (especially at the start), but it seems that this release may be even worse than years past. Of course, with a rainbow of other options hitting shelves on the same day, perhaps the high-end model isn't demanding the same amount of attention this time around.
