iphone5s
Latest
Apple begins marketing the iPhone 5s in magazines
MacRumors tips us off to the fact that Apple has begun advertising the iPhone 5s in various magazines. Up until recently, there hasn't been much advertising in the way of the iPhone 5s. Indeed, most iPhone advertising over the past few weeks has focused on the iPhone 5c with a series of really great and delightful commercials. Apple has also been advertising the iPhone 5c heavily via billboards in large cities like Chicago, San Francisco and New York. As for the 5s, MacRumors notes that the following ad appears on the back of this week's edition of The New Yorker. The tagline reads: Your finger is the password. Touch ID was created not only to protect all the important and personal information on your phone, but to be so easy to use, you'll actually use it. Its state-of-the-art technology learns your unique fingerprint, so you can unlock your phone or even authorize purchases with just a simple touch. Touch ID. Only on iPhone 5s. It stands to reason that with the holiday shopping season slowly creeping up on us, Apple will soon begin to ramp up its iPhone 5s marketing. This is admittedly nothing more than speculation, but perhaps Apple has been slow to roll out iPhone 5s ads because supply continues to remain strained across the country. After all, if you take a look at the fine print in the advert above, you'll note that it says "Limited Availability" -- though perhaps that's in specific reference to the gold model. Similar ads have reportedly been spotted in other high-circulation magazines such as Entertainment Weekly and Sports Illustrated.
Wall Street Journal: Apple cutting iPhone 5c orders (Updated)
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple has told two of its manufacturing partners to ramp down production on the iPhone 5c. Apple told its two assemblers, Taiwan-based Pegatron Corp. and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., that it would cut this quarter's orders for the iPhone 5C, the people familiar with the situation said. Pegatron, which analysts said assembles two-thirds of iPhone 5Cs, was told the order would be cut by less than 20%, a person familiar with the matter said. Hon Hai, which assembles the remaining 5Cs, was told the order would be cut by a third, two people familiar with the matter said. What's more, a component supplier was told that orders for iPhone 5c parts would be cut in half. At the same time, orders for the iPhone 5s have reportedly increased. So what are we to make of all this? Well, it's hard to say. Now assuming that Apple has, in fact, slashed orders for the iPhone 5c, we have no way of knowing if this is due to lower than expected demand, or perhaps, the result of Apple initially ramping up production to account for iPhone 5s shortages. Speaking of, the iPhone 5s is another wildcard to consider. A recent survey found that the iPhone 5s is outselling the iPhone 5c by a factor of two to one. And though the iPhone 5s launched about three weeks ago, Apple is still struggling to keep up with demand. So for all we know, perhaps weaker-than-expected demand for the iPhone 5c is the result of stronger-than-expected demand for the iPhone 5s. Remember that it's always dangerous to read too much into reports detailing alleged iPhone and component orders. Tim Cook even addressed this point himself during Apple's earnings conference call last January. I suggest its good to question the accuracy of any kind of rumor about build plans. Even if a particular data point were factual, it would be impossible to interpret that data point as to what it meant to our business. The supply chain is very complex and we have multiple sources for things. Yields can vary, supplier performance can vary. There is an inordinate long list of things that can make any single data point not a great proxy for what is going on. What will really be telling is how many iPhones Apple shipped for the entirety of the current quarter. Apple's next earnings release date is on Monday, October 28 so we won't have to wait long. While Apple, if history is any indication, will not break down sales figures across various iPhone models, the cold hard data will be a much better indicator of Apple's success than rumors that portray, at best, an incomplete picture. Update: The Journal has toned down its initial story, changing the title from "Apple Cuts iPhone 5C Orders" to "Apple's Dual iPhone Strategy in Doubt." The revised story also contains a quote from an executive at Orange that contradicts the initial story. AppleInsider has a detailed look at what's changed in the Journal piece over the last 24 hours.
WSJ reports Apple cutting orders for the iPhone 5c, invites you to speculate
Apple broke routine when it launched not one, but two new iPhones at its last event. Analysts, media and consumers alike have been quick to offer opinion on how that's working out for the firm. Not least because -- despite being pitched as a cheaper alternative -- Cupertino still priced the iPhone 5c in the upper reaches of many people's budgets. So, fresh reports from The Wall Street Journal today, then, that Pegatron and Hon Hai (the two firms that assemble the iPhone 5c) have been told to cut back on production has triggered new waves of speculation. And speculation it is. The WSJ's sources suggest that orders will be cut by between 20 and 30 percent, which analysts are quick to confirm points to a slump in demand. What's not mentioned is that the same thing happened with the iPhone 5 not long after its release. Not to mention the potential impact of high demand for the iPhone 5s in its gold variant (and iPhone 5s generally, as the WSJ also notes). Or that Apple might very well have just got their stock right for the first wave of orders -- including inventory for the next round of countries to get it. We'll perhaps get a better idea from the firm's forthcoming financial reports, but for now we're left navigating passage through the bandwagons.
Sports photography with the iPhone 5s
The 10-frame-per-second burst mode of the iPhone 5s camera makes it possible for it to capture action like no smartphone camera has done before, and for at least one photographer, that's stirring up thoughts of replacing a DSLR with a big zoom lens with an iPhone. Jim Zellmer of Madison, Wisc., doesn't think the iPhone 5s is ready to replace those expensive cameras and big lenses you see on the sidelines of sports events, but conjectures that the next generation or two might just do the trick. Zellmer normally uses a Canon DSLR with a 70-200 mm f/2.8 zoom lens to shoot sporting events, but recently tried some shots with the iPhone 5s burst mode that look almost pro quality. He notes that the "lack of a big zoom requires quite a bit of moving around, something that is not always possible in an active sports venue." Rather than use the big glass to shoot a tennis match, Zellmer got about 20 - 25 feet away from the players, used the digital zoom of the iPhone 5s, and then used the burst mode to capture a series of images. The result, seen in the image at the top of this post, shows just how well the 5s works for action photography. The tennis player is literally captured in the air, the ball frozen in place just before it is hit with the racquet. Zellmer speculates that some current technologies (including light field photography) applied to future generation iPhones could be just what is needed to make Apple's smartphone the go-to camera for sports photographers. Image © 2013 Jim Zellmer, Zmetro.com
iPhone 5s, 5c debuting on prepaid carrier Cricket October 25
It ended up taking almost no time at all for a prepaid wireless carrier to announce that it will begin selling the iPhone 5s and 5c, with Virgin Mobile jumping on the new phones at the beginning of October. Now competitor Cricket Wireless has announced that both of the newest iPhones will be available on the prepaid network starting October 25. Cricket hasn't announced what pricing will be like for the phones. At the present time, they sell the 16 GB iPhone 5 for US$600, the 16 GB iPhone 4S for $500, and the 8 GB iPhone 4 for $400. The company uses an installment plan to sell the phones, with an iPhone 5 going for $25 down and 23 payments of $25 -- similar plans with smaller down and monthly payments are available for the other phones. The Cricket network currently serves 6.2 million customers in the US, offering 4G LTE connectivity in some metropolitan areas. The company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on phone purchases.
iPhone 5s reportedly outselling the iPhone 5c by two to one
In the months leading up to the iPhone 5s and 5c unveiling, there were no shortage of analysts quick to declare that the iPhone had peaked. Everyone who wanted an iPhone, these analysts claimed, most likely already had one. Consequently, the narrative went, Apple's days of impressive iPhone growth were a thing of the past. Of course, reality told a much different story. During launch weekend, Apple sold 9 million new iPhones, setting a launch weekend record in the process. While Apple doesn't break down sales figures on a model by model basis, a new report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) relays that the iPhone 5s is outselling the 5c by a factor of two to one. All Things D reports: According to CIRP's survey of consumers who purchased Apple's latest iPhones during the last days of September, the 5s accounted for 64 percent of total iPhone sales following its launch that month. Meanwhile, the the 5c accounted for 27 percent, with the legacy iPhone 4S making up the remaining 9 percent. So not only is the 5s outselling the 5c, it's outselling it more than two to one. This is good news for Apple on a number of fronts. First, Apple likely enjoys healthier margins on the 5s model, so the more of those they can sell the better. Second, it's proof positive that as long as Apple continues to deliver innovative new iPhone models, the masses will willingly and gladly fork over their hard earned money for a first-rate smartphone experience. Indeed, we're a few weeks out from the iPhone 5s launch and the device is still in short supply. While some handset manufacturers can't seem to give their devices away, Apple is still struggling to manufacture enough devices to keep up with demand.
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.
iPhone 5s and 5c approved for China Mobile, the world's biggest carrier (updated)
Apple's mission to bring the iPhone to the world's largest mobile operator has apparently dragged on since 2007. Now, however, it finally looks as if Tim Cook's latest round of secret negotiations has paid off. TENAA, China's equivalent to the FCC, has released documents clearing a pair of iPhones packing GSM-enabled TD-LTE radios. Considering that China's other two carriers (Telecom and Unicom) use the more common CDMA2000 or WCDMA, this is a very hefty hint that the iPhone 5s and 5c will shortly be available to China Mobile's 740-million plus subscribers. Update: Looks like these variants were actually first made public on TENAA back in September, according to our friends over at The Next Web, but a tease can only last for so long. China will just have to hurry up with its official TD-LTE roll-out, which is rumored to take place later this year.
Camera showdown: iPhone 5s vs. iPhone 5 tested in the wilds of Patagonia
One of our favorite travel photogs, Austin Mann, snapped up an iPhone 5 and flew to Iceland last year in order to pit Apple's latest flagship against its prior king in a bitterly cold camera test. This year, Mr. Mann hopped a flight down to Patagonia in order to pit the iPhone 5s' sensor against that of the 5. One of the more remarkable findings was the dynamic exposure applied to panoramas with the 5s; in his testing, pans that involved dark and light subjects were accounted for properly without the use of HDR. The result was a far more evenly lit panoramic image, whereas prior iPhone cameras tended to blow out a portion of the image to compensate for another portion. The 5s also demonstrated dynamic range that was said to be "remarkably better" than on the 5. In post-processing, images taken with the 5s maintained integrity far better than the 5 when using Snapseed to recover details lost in shadows. Not surprisingly, shutter lag has gone from impressive to "nonexistent," and he noted that the 5s' burst mode is intensely useful for action shooters who need to quickly grab a litany of shots (say, of a lion pouncing on its next meal) and select the one with just a few swipes. The iPhone 5's camera was certainly no slouch, but Apple's tweaking seems to have produced a markedly superior camera on the 5s. Interestingly, in a gallery of side-by-side comparison shots, the 5s displayed results that were a bit flatter with less noticeable contrast. According to Mann, "photographers will liken this to a RAW image, which doesn't look as nice off the bat, but has a lot more flexibility for editing on the backend." For more comparisons -- including a look at the 120FPS Slo Mo mode -- point your browser of choice right here.
Dutch telco KPN's 4G network is ready for iPhone 5c, 5s
Later this month, on October 25, Apple's latest smartphones will land in the Netherlands, and if you're a customer of KPN, one of the country's wireless providers, you'll be happy to hear that its network will indeed support 4G on both the iPhone 5s and 5c. KPN is currently leading the way in 4G in the Netherlands, using a variety of bands for its network, which should cover roughly 80 percent of the country by the end of the year. While 4G compatibility is typically a given in many countries, KPN's 4G network originally wasn't compatible with the iPhone 5 due to its use of an unsupported band. Now that the iPhone 5s and 5c have launched with support of KPN's 800MHz band, the groundwork is set for plenty of high-speed iPhone fun. [via ZDNet]
Apple receives clearance to sell iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c in Brazil
Apple yesterday announced that both the iPhone 5s and 5c will be launching in more than 25 countries on Friday, October 25. Just one week later, more than a dozen additional countries will be getting the iPhone treatment as well. You can check out a full list of those countries over here. While the list includes countries from all across the globe, from Albania to Moldova and everything in between, one country conspicuously missing from the iPhone launch festivities is Brazil. That, however, may soon change. ZDNet is reporting that the Brazilian National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) recently granted the requisite authorization for Apple to sell its new iPhone lineup in the country. The new Apple devices will be compatible with the 4G technology available in Brazil and work at the frequency adopted locally, which is 2600 MHz. The previous iPhone and iPad sold in Brazil operated in the 700 MHz band. According to Anatel, the iPhones will be manufactured by Foxconn in the company's factory in São Paulo, in the countryside town of Jundiaí. However, the company is yet to announce the release date and the price of the devices. While no release date has yet been announced, both the iPhone 4s and iPhone 5 launched in Brazil in December of their respective release years. So, perhaps, the 5s and 5c will see similar launch windows.
Daily Roundup: HP Chromebook 11 review, Samsung's Galaxy Round, a gold HTC One and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
iPhone 5s and 5c will be available in more countries on Oct. 25
Apple has announced that the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c will be available in 35 additional countries starting October 25, including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, French West Indies, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Reunion Island, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and Thailand. In addition, the iPhone 5s and 5c will debut in the following countries on Friday, November 1: Albania, Armenia, Bahrain, Colombia, El Salvador, Guam, Guatemala, India, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and UAE. Happy shopping, folks. We look forward to your stories and photos from the Apple Store near you.
Apple bringing iPhone 5s and 5c to more than 35 countries by November 1st
Apple appears to have weathered its iPhone supply issues because its newest smartphones are set to go on a world tour. The company announced today that it will launch the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c in Italy, Russia, Spain and over 25 new markets on October 25th, heading to further ten new markets by November 1st. As always, the new iPhones will available through Apple retail stores, online and select Apple Authorized Resellers. You can find the full list of countries just after the break.
National Geographic photographer praises the iPhone 5s' camera
National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson has praised the new camera in the iPhone 5s after using it to shoot more than 4,000 photos on his recent trip to the Scottish highlands. In a blog post on NationalGeographic.com Richardson writes: With intense use (I've made about 4,000 pictures in the last four days) I've discovered that the iPhone 5s is a very capable camera. The color and exposures are amazingly good, the HDR exposure feature does a stunningly good job in [tough] situations, the panorama feature is nothing short of amazing -- seeing a panorama sweeping across the screen in real time is just intoxicating. Best of all it shoots square pictures natively, a real plus for me since I wanted to shoot for Instagram posting. Once I figured out what the camera could do well, I began to forget all the things it couldn't do at all. Understandably, after Richardson's article went live, Apple's Phil Schiller tweeted a link to it with the word "iPhoneography." You can check out more of Richardson's iPhone 5s pics from Scotland at his Instagram account.
Booq offers Complete Protection Kit for iPhone 5s and 5c
Booq is best known for its stylish protective bags for iPads and MacBooks, but last week they surprised the iPhone accessory market by announcing the Complete Protection Kit for iPhone 5s and 5c (both US$34.95). Booq's unique idea is to keep the focus on Apple's amazing product designs, and as such they've created extremely thin snap cases (one black, one clear) that are protective, but somewhat understated. According Booq's lead designer S. Kema Subsomboon, "We've heard so many people say that they wish they didn't have to have a case on their phone because they love the iPhone the way it is. That was the thought process behind the kit; thinking about the beauty of the iPhone and the complete protection it deserves in an intelligent and simple way." In addition, each kit comes with a tempered glass screen protector. For the 5c, you can take advantage of covers that adhere to the home button and offer even more protection. The clear case is perfect for those who want to show off the sleek silver, gold or space gray finish of the iPhone 5s, or for people who want to protect their iPhone 5c, but want to keep the colorful shell of the device in front of the public. We hope to get one of the Complete Protection Kits for iPhone 5s soon and will have a full review at that time.
Apple posts tips and tricks guide for the iPhone 5s and 5c
Apple today posted new pages to its website highlighting a number iOS 7 tips and tricks for iPhone 5s, 5c, and 4s users. Truthfully, I'm surprised Apple hasn't done something like this before given that there's so much power in iOS that the general public is often unaware of. While the tips listed by Apple may, on the whole, be familiar to anyone who keeps up with Apple-centric blogs, Apple's new webpages provide a nice resource for users new to iOS and even for seasoned users who haven't yet experienced the full power of iOS. The new pages put up by Apple are even more timely given the recent release of iOS 7 which, as has been said time and time again, marks the biggest change to iOS since the 2007 release of the original iPhone. The tips are broken up by categories which include Photography, Swipe Gestures, Maps, Siri, Safari and more. It's well worth checking out. Speaking of tips, don't forget to check out our series of TUAW video tips for iOS 7. via MacRumors
iPhone 5s tops sales at big US carriers
Not surprisingly, some analysts tried every which way to downplay the fact that Apple sold 9 million iPhones in just three days. Some claimed, with no evidence to back it up, that the 9 million figure included devices shipped to carriers, but not yet purchased to consumers. Still others were quick to point out that the 9 million figure encompassed iPhone 5c sales, while noting that Apple last year did not include weekend sales of the iPhone 4s in its iPhone 5 weekend launch tally. While analysts can tinker with numbers and speculate all they want, it's damn near impossible to argue that Apple's most recent iPhone launch was anything but an overwhelming success. All that said, a survey conducted by Canaccord Genuity reveals that the iPhone 5s is the top-selling smartphone across all four major US carriers. What's more, the iPhone 5c is the second-most popular smartphone on both AT&T and Sprint. On Verizon and T-Mobile, the iPhone 5c is the third-most popular smartphone. AppleInsider adds: According to the report, September brought "very weak" demand for HTC's flagship HTC One, while the Taiwanese company posted the first quarterly loss in its history earlier Friday. The story was similar for BlackBerry, which saw "very soft" sales of its new Z10 and Q10, and Motorola, where sales for its refreshed Droid lineup declined after Apple's new iPhones became available. Even more impressive is that the iPhone 5s remains in tight supply across a number of major US cities. So not only is the device the most popular smartphone on the market, but also demand still far outstrips supply. If anything, it stands to reason that the 9 million figure Apple announced last week would have been even higher had Apple's initial supply of iPhone 5s devices been greater.
OtterBox Commuter Series Wallet: To protect and to serve
OtterBox has been making protective cases since 1998, making the company the great-granddaddy of the entire huge smartphone/tablet case market. The company announced a new member of the family yesterday, introducing the Commuter Series Wallet (US$44.95) for the iPhone 5/5s. We've been seeing a lot of different wallet cases lately, many of which are more wallet (think leather) than protective case. OtterBox has taken the protection of the Commuter Series cases and merged it with a slide-out drawer-like back that can hold up to three credit or ID cards and one folded bill. Like the other members of the Commuter Series, the Wallet wraps your iPhone 5 or 5s in rubbery silicone that is then surrounded by a tough polycarbonate shell. The screen is covered with a stick-on screen protector (it leaves space for the Touch ID-enabled home button of the iPhone 5s), so your preciousss is going to be in good hands while living in the Commuter Series Wallet. There's a silicone door that covers the Lightning port, another one that covers the headphone jack, and soft buttons that cover the volume toggle and power switch. Installing the case is a piece of cake, although it takes some muscle to take it back off. Once the case is on your iPhone 5, you can rest assured that whatever you put into the wallet "drawer" is going to stay put. It makes an audible "click" when shut, and requires a bit of pressure to open. I can verify that two credit cards and a driver's license fit into the case snugly, but I had no cash with which to check out the "one folded bill" claim... If there's one negative I can find with the Commuter Series Wallet, it's that it's somewhat difficult to get cards out -- a small ramp on the bottom edge of the drawer would have made it a bit easier to slide cards out. As it is, you have to kind of pick them out with your fingers. The Commuter Series Wallet is available now from OtterBox in black and glacier (white hard shell with gray silicone), and will soon be available in primrose (pinkish hard shell with light gray silicone). The case weighs just 2.0 ounces (56.7 grams), not bad considering the level of protection it provides. Unsurprisingly, it's a little thick at .71 inches (1.8 cm), but when you consider that the case can eliminate the need to carry a separate wallet, that's not a real issue. Check out the video below for a demonstration of the Commuter Series Wallet Case, and then read on for a chance to win one of these cases. Conclusion With the Commuter Series Wallet for iPhone 5/5s, OtterBox has entered the case wallet market with a bang. The case provides the excellent drop protection that the company's line is known for, and provides a convenient and secure way to carry an ID card and some credit cards. Pros Reasonably priced for a high-quality protective product Very lightweight Positive feedback on the drawer mechanism insures that your cards remain safely stowed Excellent build quality Cons It would be nice if the cards could just slide out with pressure from a thumb; as it is, they must be picked out of the drawer one by one. Who is it for? The iPhone 5/5s owner who is looking both for the protection of one of OtterBox's Commuter Series cases and the convenience of not having to carry a separate wallet Giveaway Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before October 8, 2013 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected and will receive an OtterBox Commuter Series Wallet valued at $44.95 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Daily Update for October 4, 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
