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Apparently everything about the iPhone 6 is already known
Well, that's it, everyone! According to this BGR story, there's nothing left to know about the iPhone 6; we have all the information already. Wait, no we don't. The "insider" mentioned in the headline is none other than Ming-Chi Kuo, analyst with KGI Securities. Granted, Kuo has had some reliable reports about unreleased Apple products in the past, but he's also been wrong -- a lot. And not just wrong about small things, like the TouchID sensor being convex (it's recessed and flat) or his insistence that the iPhone 5s would have a 128GB model at launch, but bigger things, such as all-new Retina MacBooks and the launch of a "low-cost" iPad mini. So, with that all in mind, allow us to react to this allegedly thunder-stealing report that "may have taken all the mystery out of Apple's upcoming next-generation iPhone launches later this year." Beginning with the main flagship iPhone 6 model, Kuo reports that it will indeed feature a new 4.7-inch display panel. The analyst also says Apple's new iPhone will feature a big design overhaul that is much thinner, and the bezel on the sides of the display will be reduced by between 10% and 20% so that the phone can still be used comfortably with one hand despite the larger screen. Interestingly, Kuo believes that Apple will add NFC chips to this year's iPhone models. The new iPhone phablet will feature a full HD 1,920 x 1,080-pixel display that measures 5.5 inches diagonally, according to Kuo. That works out to a pixel density of 401 ppi. Apple's first phablet will seemingly sport specs that are very similar to the smaller iPhone 6 model, including the A8 processor, NFC and Touch ID. The battery will be much larger, however, with Kuo suggesting that it will be between 50% and 70% bigger than the current iPhone 5s battery. Kuo also says that the power/sleep/wake button on both new iPhone models will be moved from the top of the phone to the side, so it can be reached more easily on the larger phones. Many large Android phones have the power button situated on the side as well. The analyst claims that Apple will switch from Gorilla Glass to sapphire crystal to cover the iPhone's displays, but possibly only on the high-end models with 64GB of memory. This is due to supply constraints, Kuo said, though ultimately Apple will supposedly move all of its iPhone models to sapphire.
A look at common tablet gripes
BGR reports that FixYa has released its December 2013 Tablet Report. This report summarizes problem complaints from over 10,000 posts on the Fixya site. The devices in question include the Apple iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display, Amazon Kindle HDX 8.9, and Microsoft Surface 2. BGR lists the top five problems for each device listed above, but none of those problems are a deal breaker if an iPad Air or iPad mini with Retina display is on your Christmas wish list. If a Kindle (main complaints are browser and apps) or Surface 2 (main complaint is no apps) are on your wish list, well ... you need a new list. Complaints with Apple iPads include Safari instability and crashes, grey lines or a yellow tint on the iPad Air, and display issues on the iPad mini with Retina display. Ghosting, in which you can see a faint image of the app you were using when you switch to another app, seems to be the most common complaint with the smaller iPad. FixYa recommends the fix for an off color tint on the iPad Air is to go to settings and turn off sleep mode. Next turn up your screen brightness to full and let the battery die down. If that doesn't work, either call Apple support or bring the Air into an Apple store. FixYa does not say whether Apple will replace or fix the iPad Air. To fix the ghosting on an iPad mini, Fixya recommends you change the contrast and brightness settings, plus reduce the motion in the accessibility settings. If that doesn't work, again talk with Apple support. FixYa is a troubleshooting site that provides a place for users to post complaints and solutions to a wide variety of products from sewing machines and microwaves to cars and variety of electronic equipment. It's a modern version of our once beloved MacFixit.com site that was solely devoted to Apple products (now owned by Cnet), but Fixya covers every product category. You can see a list of Fixya's summary reports on Smartphones, Mobile Browsers, Fitness Bands, Headphones, and more on the Fixya Blog Reports page.
Microsoft Office for iPad reportedly on track for November release
A recent report from BGR reiterates the earlier claim from The Daily that Microsoft is working on a version of Office for the iPad. According to BGR, Microsoft is bringing the complete Office suite to both the iPad and Android tablets by November of this year. BGR's source claims the version he saw was almost identical to the one leaked earlier this year by The Daily. The Daily got wind of the BGR report and responded with a post directed at Microsoft that was sharp and forthright. The authors called Microsoft "filthy, lying liars" for allegedly showing The Daily a version of the Office software for the iPad and then saying publicly it was "not a real picture of a real Microsoft software product." You can read The Daily's response on its website.
WSJ: upcoming iPhone will not support 4G LTE or WiMAX
The Wall Street Journal is chiming in with a last-minute rumor suggesting the iPhone will not support 4G LTE or WiMAX. The next generation Apple handset will be a 3G only device similar to the current iPhone 4. This information contradicts a widely circulating rumor from BGR that claimed the iPhone 5 would support WiMAX and debut as a Sprint exclusive. This WSJ revelation that the next iPhone will be 3G is not surprising. Earlier this year, Tim Cook confirmed in an earnings conference call that Apple would delay adopting LTE until the second generation chipsets hit the market. The current LTE radios were too bulky to fit the strict design requirements of the iPhone. The next generation LTE radios may offer a smaller and more energy efficient design that'll accomodate future iPhones. WiMAX is also an unlikely candidate as it is a dying 4G technology. Sprint is expected to turn off its WiMAX network and switch to LTE in the upcoming year.
Carriers testing LTE-enabled 4G iPhone?
Earlier this year, Verizon CEO Dan Mead all but confirmed that an LTE Apple device would be making its way to Verizon. Eventually. And no 2011 Apple rumor spattering would be complete without at least a casual mention of the high-speed 4G network. Now, BGR claims to have received an internal iOS test build from a major carrier, revealing a property list file for LTE. This of course doesn't guarantee that Apple will be shipping an LTE iPhone flavor later this year, but that it at least remains a possibility. Still, an October iPhone launch would fall nicely in line with recent confirmation that AT&T will be releasing an LTE smartphone in "late 2011," and 4G compatibility could definitely explain Cupertino's holdup in announcing the iPhone 4's successor. So, will you be flying through the wireless web at lightning-fast speed later this year? Hopefully we need not wait much longer to find out.
Motorola XOOM available soon at Sprint, shipping with WiMAX on-board?
We received a tip earlier today that Sprint stores were finding boxes of Motorola Xoom accessories this morning, ahead of what would presumably be a launch of the tablet on that carrier. Now BGR has some pics of what is certainly a Xoom case along with an entry in the store's inventory system, strong indicators that the tablet will indeed be soon available there. Of course, we're all still waiting on the LTE wizardry Moto is said to be enabling on the Verizon flavor, but we would naturally expect Sprint's version to be packing some WiMAX whenever it ships. Word is the tablets themselves will be arriving in stores sometime before the end of the month, but let's just wait and see what Sprint has to say before we get too excited this Tuesday morning.
iOS 4.3.2 rumored to arrive within two weeks
On the heels of the March 25 iOS 4.3.1 release, BGR suggests that another update is on the way. iOS 4.3.2 is rumored to be released within the next two weeks for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. There's not much information yet, but it's expected to fix some security issues, add a few enhancements and squash some bugs that have bitten users. Do I smell a battery life fix coming?
Verizon iPhone rumored to launch on February 3
Over the past few months, the rumors of a Verizon CDMA-based iPhone have reached a fever pitch. Now the folks over at BGR think that they've come up with the exact date that the fabled VZW iPhone will hit the streets -- February 3, 2011. Why the day after Groundhog Day? Well, they based it on confirmed stories from "sources close to Apple" that retail employees have been told that they cannot take vacation between Thursday, February 3 and Sunday, February 6. This is a usual Apple retail response to the impending release of a new product. We reported on this vacation moratorium yesterday, but the timeframe was vague. Now it's been pinned to a specific four-day period. The Loop is also reporting that there's a Verizon special event planned for 1/11/11 at 11 AM ET. The event, which will be held at Rose Hall in the Time Warner Center (the home of Jazz @ Lincoln Center) in New York City, may or may not be about the Verizon iPhone -- for all we know, it could herald the availability of yet another Android phone. Our sense is that it would be out of character for Apple to let Verizon make the announcement without an Apple-controlled event being held in Cupertino or San Francisco, but there is the contrary notion that outside the US, second or third carriers picking up the iPhone barely merited a press release from Apple HQ. Obviously, AT&T losing its exclusivity is a big deal... but we don't know yet what's happening next Tuesday. Update: Well, if you like reading tea leaves, consider the fact that Gizmodo hasn't yet received an invitation to the Verizon event; that's unusual, considering there's no particular bad blood between the site and the carrier. That's not true for every company out there, obviously, and if it turns out to be an Apple/VZW collaboration then the edited guest list would make a lot of sense. As of Friday afternoon, though, Macworld hadn't gotten an invite either. As BGR points out, the iPhone 4 was launched over a 4-day period (June 24 - 27, 2010) that was also a Thursday to Sunday slot. Verizon also likes to launch new products on Thursdays, and as far as we know right now, Apple has no other big surprises (i.e., iPad 2) to amaze the world with in that timeframe. Personally, I'd love to see a Verizon iPhone that runs on their new 4G network and allows tethering. If that happens, I'll be jumping to VZW faster than you can say "Can you hear me now?" How about you, TUAW reader? Would you drop AT&T for Verizon? Take our poll. %Poll-58361%
Walmart to carry iPhone, but not 4GB, not for $99
Whither the cheap, low-capacity Walmart iPhone? MacRumors' Arnold Kim now anticipates that Walmart will be offering 8GB iPhones for $197, with no mention of smaller capacities or lower prices. The price is two bucks cheaper than at an AT&T retail store. MacBlogz's Aviv Hadar mentioned late last week that their sources at AT&T said a 4GB model was "simply not true." The original story, from BoyGeniusReport, was treated with a heavy dose of skepticism even from them, as the source wasn't one of their usual fonts of reliable information. In related news, the San Jose Mercury News notes that Bay Area Walmart stores may begin carrying iPhone handsets before Christmas, citing employees and managers at those stores. Otherwise, expect the devices to go on sale December 28. [Via MacDailyNews.]
BGR: Walmart to sell $99 iPhone?
Your source for all iPhone-slash-Walmart news, BoyGeniusReport, has a whopper for you: Walmart might offer the 4GB iPhone for $99 when they start selling the handsets after Christmas. Even they're skeptical, though: Their tipster isn't one of their regulars, and so they can't say with any certainty that it will come to pass. The discount makes sense, in a way. Selling the low-end iPhone at a ridiculous price will turn it into the new Motorola RAZR. Apple would love everyone in the country to own one, I'm sure. It's not clear who will eat the discount, though -- Apple, AT&T, or Walmart -- but my guess is that it's mostly Apple. Apple has other revenue streams for the iPhone, such as the App Store and iTunes, and AT&T still has its spendy two-year contract. If this is what Apple needs to do to make this the ubiquitous handset to have, then it may be worth the cost to them. On the other hand, as many commenters at BGR have pointed out, with ubiquity comes rejection. Suddenly, the iPhone isn't the cool status symbol to have anymore. This doesn't bother me one bit, but to some people -- for whatever reason -- it's important to them. (I have special names for those people.) Nevertheless -- will it impact sales? How much is the "hip" coefficient driving purchases? In any event, consider this one of those situations where the Internet is writing checks that Walmart's butt might not be able to cash. But pretty sweet if it does.
Walmart will sell iPhones starting Dec. 28
Walmart will be taking a pass for most of the holiday shopping season with one particular item: the iPhone. It will begin selling the handset December 28, according to Jamie Townsend, of research firm JRPG. Boy Genius Report also notes that the phone will be sold in some Sam's Club stores as well. The blog broke the news about Walmart's talks with Apple, but originally said the smartphone would hit shelves last Saturday. Walmart seems to be capitalizing on post-holiday shopping fervor, with BGR's Zach Epstein speculating, "Won't people be happy when they find out Apple's handsets popped up at discount prices three short days after Christmas?" It depends on how meager Christmas is, I suppose. The handsets will apparently be activated in-store. No pricing details were released.
BGR Radio a good way to stay on top of Kim Kardashian's phone purchases
If we were wealthy beyond mortal comprehension, we'd be earmarking a sizable percentage of our mammoth budgets to acquiring opulent, ridiculous, and unreleased mobile tech -- that's just how we roll -- but for the Kim Kardashians and Carmelo Anthonys of the world, it seems garden-variety BlackBerrys are the way to go. Who knew? Boy Genius Report is parading out a list of musicians, athletes, and "stars" to chat up phones 'n such on its new BGR Radio segment, and in case you're interested, it turns out Kim's rocking nothing more than a Curve at the moment while Melo's excited about the Bold (and really, who isn't?). It looks like the show's lined up to become a regular segment, so if you've ever wanted to know just how tech un-savvy a celebrity can be, we've found your nirvana.
The Boy Genius Report: AT&T gets Vu in January, K850i in March
Field tidbits from Engadget's mobile insider, The Boy Genius.Remember way back when we caught wind that AT&T was eying Sony Ericsson's initial American 3G efforts -- the Z750 and K850 -- for release? Well, it's looking good! This slide, imploring employees to focus on "exclusives," shows us that AT&T has locked onto launching a version of the K850 as the "Ansel" (seriously?) come next March. Seems like an awfully long time to wait, but in the meantime, we can check out the MediaFLO-equipped LG Vu in January. Why must you make it so hard on us, LG -- Voyager or Vu? Decisions, decisions!
Motorola ROKR E8 gets checked out
Boy Genius scored a Motorola ROKR E8, so if you're stoked about this funky morphing handset, he has the pics. We've seen the specs, but it's nice to get real world confirmation that the keypad actually works and that it apparently delivers key presses with haptics, not just a vibration. Though the language on the handset's OS is clearly English, we're totally digging the virtual keys with the alien inscriptions on them, and how purdy it seems to look in the right lighting. While we still haven't heard a date here's hoping it lands stateside soon.
The Boy Genius Report: Motorola W490 on T-Mobile October 1
Field tidbits from Engadget's mobile insider, The Boy Genius.If you close your eyes and trace your fingers along the midrange W490, you could almost fool yourself into thinking it's a KRZR -- open your eyes, though, and you'll discover that it's a whole lot more colorful for a fraction of the price. The handset launches on October 1 in "licorice" (you may know it better as black) for $49.99 on a two-year contract, but bright green and purple are on the docket in the not-too-distant future, fitting for a phone that T-Mobile is positioning to take over for the discontinued RAZR V3t. Features include a 1.3 megapixel camera, microSD slot, the obligatory myFaves support, and Bluetooth, and the carrier is saying that it's using the handset to take aim at Verizon's u540, Sprint's M500, and Samsung's SYNC. The first two we can see, but isn't the SYNC just a tick higher on the totem pole? At any rate, look for it as an "exclusive" to T-Mobile's retail stores, Target, and Costco on launch day with full availability following on the 8th.
The Boy Genius Report: AT&T's N75 training docs!
Field tidbits from Engadget's mobile insider, the Boy Genius.Did you know that AT&T plans on marketing the N75 to males and females ages 25 to 45? Or that said individuals should be "spontaneous and fun"? Personally, we think that North America's first 3G-compatible S60 device suits 18 year old curmudgeons and 80 year old hermits just as well as it does anyone else -- just don't expect your friendly local AT&T sales associate to agree after he or she takes a gander at AT&T's training guide for the device. Nothing too surprising in here from a device features perspective, though we're glad to see that AT&T lists "hundreds of compatible applications" as one of Symbian's selling points, suggesting that the carrier is going to be making at least a half-hearted attempt to keep the phone open. Hit the gallery for the full doc! AT&T's traning guide for the Nokia N75
The Boy Genius Report: More detail on Sprint's summer plans
Field report tidbits from Engadget's mobile insider, the Boy Genius.We have some additional details to fill in some blanks created by Sprint's last roadmap document -- nothing groundbreaking, but we now know exactly what it is that'll be discontinued over the next few months, and admittedly, there are a few surprises. But before we talk about phones riding off into the sunset, let's touch on some new arrivals, shall we? The PPC-6800 and Treo 755p are set to show on on exactly the same day -- May 14 -- which should lead to an interesting sales face-off. Sprint's brief description of the 755p is kinda interesting: "1st Palm EVDO Treo w/intern antenna. In box support for IM, NFL Mobile, Mobile Voice Control, voice dialing, replaces Treo 700P." Actually, it's not that interesting, we just really like to see the phrase "1st Palm EVDO Treo w/intern antenna" all official-like. Also of note, the Sanyo Katana II hits June 18 to replace the Katana (obviously), though Sanyo fans' excitement is going to be quelled a bit by the knowledge that the M1 is now chalked up for decommissioning in the May - June timeframe. Seems like a short life for a relatively powerful handset, no? Anyhoo, follow the break for a full list of Sprint pieces getting the proverbial axe in the coming months.
A look at Sprint's summer fashions
Sprint's "3 Month View" spreadsheet makes for some absolutely fascinating reading -- as long as it proves to be nonfiction, anyway. The document gives us an in-depth look at Sprint's (and Nextel's) launches for the months of April, May, and June, and needless to say, we're liking what we're seeing. Starting with standard phones, the Samsung M300 should make its grand entrance next month in silver alongside the Sanyo 3200 -- which replaces the 3100 -- in black, blue, and pink (the latter will run $200; no pricing on the former yet). Moving upmarket, the Samsung M510 replaces the M500 in May for an as-yet-undetermined price. In PDA land, no surprises here; the HTC Titan launches in PPC-6800 guise next month (sorry, no price here either), as does the Palm Treo 755p in blue and burgundy. Nextel users get the ic502 in black with an extended battery bundled (whooptie doo) for $270 next month, and if you wait until June, you'll get a crack at the ic902. Finally, road warriors will be pleased to hear that the Rev. A ExpressCard AC595E from Sierra Wireless gets launched in May, though a price remains to be set.[Thanks, Terry]
BlackBerry 8300 coming to AT&T next month?
Rumors are just that -- rumors -- until they start to take shape and more people can confirm them. That being said, this one's pretty juicy: sources tell us AT&T the BlackBerry 8300 has appeared on their internal website with a tentative ("tentative" as in "close our eyes and hope for the best") launch date of May 25th. That date would fall right in line with Boy Genius and his predictions, making for a fabulous month of May (for BlackBerry fans, anyhow!).[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Could the LAZR be the RAZR 2?
And just when we thought "LAZR" was about the least creative name Motorola could've possibly dreamed up for its shiny morsel with the giant external screen, Boy Genius reports that the handset will roll out the door with the "RAZR 2" moniker instead. The choice of verbage there is actually very interesting, because it indicates that Moto views this clamshell as the true successor to the RAZR -- not only one of the first true fashion phones, but the singular device that pulled Motorola out of its rut and back into the manufacturer big leagues. Whether the RAZR 2 will be able to perform the same magic trick, of course, remains to be seen. Boy Genius also reports that the phone will be available in both GSM and CDMA versions (cross your fingers, Sprint and Verizon customers) and will in fact rock a memory expansion slot by the time it makes it into stores. We're wearing our lucky baseball caps today in the hope we see it in official form this week at CTIA in Orlando, and we suggest y'all do the same.
