CNET yesterday
reported that Verizon has announced a "hard requirement" that all future smartphones released on the carrier support 4G LTE technology for faster data speeds. That requirement has naturally led to speculation that the carrier has all but confirmed that the iPhone 5 will support LTE, which had already been widely assumed and rumored.
Verizon's statement does, however, come with a minor catch, as there will reportedly be occasional exceptions to the LTE requirement, although those exceptions seem to be planned for the carrier's push-to-talk business.
From now on, nearly every smartphone, wireless hot spot, tablet, and Netbook that Verizon offers will come with LTE guns a-blazing. Yes, Virginia, that includes Windows Phone and BlackBerry devices, too.
There will be the occasional exception, however. For instance, phones on Verizon's push-to-talk network are 3G-only for now, and will remain that way until further notice.
Verizon's clear, unyielding stance on 4G--"a hard requirement," according to Verizon--may partially explain why it has picked up only one Windows Phone so far.
The report notes that Verizon currently leads the pack among U.S. carriers when it comes to LTE deployment, already covering 200 million people in 190 markets with plans to complete the buildout by the end of next year. Unsurprisingly, Verizon is seeking to use its lead in LTE to its advantage by pushing its users onto devices offering the faster speeds.
Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
•
Sony's 'Music Unlimited' Service Headed to iPhone and iPod Touch
•
UMichigan Professor Uses iPads to Remake the Chalkboard
•
Infinity Field HD First App to Include Multiplayer Joypad Support
•
CES 2012: BulletTrain eXpress Enclosure for Magic Trackpad and Apple Keyboard
•
CES 2012: Behringer's $30,000 iNuke Boom Speaker on Display
ChangeWave has a new survey out indicating that 54 percent of near-term smartphone buyers are planning on picking up the iPhone 4S over competing devices.
The late December survey looked at smart phone demand trends going forward, and finds Apple iPhone demand remains incredibly strong more than two months after the iPhone 4S release. Among respondents planning to buy a new smart phone in the next 90 days, better than one-in-two (54%; down 11-pts) say they’ll get an iPhone. Apple has never dominated smart phone planned buying to this extent more than two months after a major new release.
The survey, conducted in late December, studied 4,000 North American consumers with the results suggesting huge demand for the iPhone 4S even with it being more than two months old. Based on ChangeWave’s history, this also advocates the iPhone 4S as being Apple’s most popular release, as they’ve never covered the spread of planned smartphone purchasers this far after a major iPhone release.
In addition, Apple continues to lead smartphone satisfaction rates with 76 percent being very satisfied with their iPhone, compared to the nearest competition coming in at around 47 percent with Samsung.
Source: ChangeWave
Apple has apparently sent a few high-level employees to CES to scout out the competition and see how other companies present future products.
Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) famously avoids the biggest event on the tech industry calendar, and given the traffic on Paradise Road this morning you can’t exactly blame them. But that doesn’t mean Apple isn’t scouting the competition in person at CES 2012.
A reporter from PaidContent says he ran into Greg Joswiak, head of iOS product marketing for Apple, who answered a few questions as to why he was there. Apple is interested in learning more about presentation techniques from competitors, including the layout, aesthetics and which products are at the forefront.
Source: Paid Content
Late last year, reports suggested that Apple may dump Samsung in favor of Sharp to manufacture the LCD panels for the third generation iPad or Sharp will at least be one of the companies to supply the LCD panels for iPad …
Continue reading →
Lauren from Case-Mate gave us a look at all their brand new, shiny and stylish iPhone cases at CES 2012. We all know how much Georgia loves her metallic cases and we don’t think she’ll be disappointed with Case-Mate’s new offerings.
If sparkles and glitter aren’t for you, they’ve still got you covered whether your main concern is fashion, protection, or discretion. Besides brand new designs, some old favorites have been updated with new colors and slightly changed form factors as well.
Ford talks Focus Electric and it’s deep integration with iPhone
Ford’s Sync system has been leading the way as far as in-car mobile technology is concerned. With the upcoming launch of the Focus Electric, Ford is leaping into the mobile space with a new app that allows owners to manage their vehicle remotely. While it won’t let you drive (sorry James Bond wannabes), the MyFord Mobile app they’re showing off at CES 2012 enables Focus Electric owners to manage how and when their cars charge at home, allowing you to set it so the car charges at night off peak hours with lower electric rates or override it to get your car charged up for an impending trip. MyFord Mobile users will also be able to find charging stations out and about and even plan trips around those charging stations (useful, given the 100 mile range of the all-electric vehicle).
The app, which will be available for iOS, Android, and BlackBerry smartphones is launching with the Focus Electric, which itself is ramping up production right now.
SuperSwitcher is a new jailbreak mod in Cydia that offers extended functionality and settings access to the Fast App Switcher on your iPhone.
Don’t you just hate searching for your favorite app icon in between so many Springboard pages? Wish you could just “bookmark” your favorite apps in the multitasking bar? Now you can with SuperSwitcher!
With SuperSwitcher you can bookmark your 9 favorite apps in the menu above the multitasking bar, and the apps can be set through Settings. But that’s not all! You can also change the system settings right from the menu above the multitasking bar!
- Toggle Bluetooth
- Toggle WiFi
- Change volume and brightness settings
- Respring
- Reboot
- Safe Mode
- Tweet, SMS, Mail or Call anyone on the fly
SuperSwitcher takes your multitasking bar to the next level!
This is a really great mod that adds a lot of value to the Fast App Switcher. You can customize your favorite apps for instant access, control brightness and other settings on-the-fly and then some.
If you run into any trouble you can always jump into our Jailbreak and Unlock forums or post it in the comments!
![SuperSwitcher adds more to the iPhone's Fast App Switcher [jailbreak]](http://cdn.tipb.com/images/stories//2012/01/SuperSwitcher.jpg)
As expected, Apple’s iPhone 4S goes on sale in China and 21 new countries on Friday, January 13th. Folks at Tech in Asia are reporting that there are already long lines outside Apple Stores in China. Tech in Asia reports: There …
Continue reading →
A newly published patent application describes Apple’s experiments with 3D GUIs, utilizing the wide array of sensors available on iOS devices. The patent, titled “Sensor Based Display Environment,” begins by describing the problems associated with navigating 3D GUIs using fingers or styluses …
Continue reading →
HzO is a waterproofing technology for smartphones like the iPhone that won’t be available to us (the consumers) but will be available to device manufacturers like Apple for use in the production process. (Whether Apple decides to make use of it — or something similar — is another story.) The thin coating, which they have named WaterBlock, once applied prevents water from coming in contact with the electronics inside the device, thus making it water resistant and giving you the ability to dunk it and not have worry.
If you’re wondering whether it works or not, it surely seems to. Walking around CES 2012, I saw the HzO display with some devices sitting… underneath falling water, still fully functional, like it was nothing. People were using the phones, playing music, just like normal. Even with SIM card and battery exposed, an Android phone remained fully functional. There appeared to be zero damage to any of the electronics.
Again, there’s no way to know if Apple will ever use something like this for the iPhone, but we sure hope they do.
One of the known issues of the untethered jailbreak released for iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 1, iPod touch 4G and iPod touch 3G is that it breaks iBooks, which is quite annoying if you use iBooks quite a lot …
Continue reading →
Octa WhaleTail and Vacuum Dock is a tablet holder that suctions to the back and contours the hand very nicely. To get the back to stick on the iPad all you have to do is put it on there, give it a few pumps and it’s on there, and rather firmly. Releasing the holder is pretty simple (once you get the hang of it) — pull up slightly on the two tabs and then push them in, and off it comes. Also included is the WhaleTail which hooks onto the back of the Vacuum Dock which allows the tablet to be propped up and it also doubles as a security measure for when you are carrying your tablet around so it doesn’t just fall right out of your hands.
Check out our live hands on from CES 2012.
Even as some sources are claiming that
iPad 3 production is underway with Sharp providing the displays for the device, Korea's
Electronic Times reports (
via Patently Apple) that Sharp has failed to meet Apple's requirements and is out as a display supplier. According to the report, Samsung and LG will be providing the displays for the iPad 3.
An industry source said on January 9, “LCD manufacturers started mass production and supply of LCD panels for the iPad3 late last year. Samsung Electronics’ LCD business unit was the first to start mass production, and LG Display has participated in mass production with full capacity, beginning this year.” [...]
Sharp has competed with Samsung Electronics and LG Display over the development of display panels for the iPad3, but reportedly failed to pass Apple’s approval process for mass production.
Apple is said to be requiring at least 65 million iPad 3 display panels for 2012, with an initial batch of 5 million being produced for launch.
A decision by Apple not to go with Sharp for the iPad 3 display could have consequences for the device's design, as the two companies have been reported by several sources to be
working together on Sharp's indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) technology to achieve thinner, lower power displays.
If Apple does utilize more traditional low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) displays from Toshiba and LG, that decision could require a
dual light bar system to support the higher resolution of the iPad 3, thus necessitating the
slightly thicker profile that has been rumored for the device.
Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
•
Sony's 'Music Unlimited' Service Headed to iPhone and iPod Touch
•
UMichigan Professor Uses iPads to Remake the Chalkboard
•
Infinity Field HD First App to Include Multiplayer Joypad Support
•
CES 2012: BulletTrain eXpress Enclosure for Magic Trackpad and Apple Keyboard
•
CES 2012: Behringer's $30,000 iNuke Boom Speaker on Display
With close to twelve hours still to go until opening time,
Tech in Asia reports that Apple's five retail stores in China are seeing huge lines for the iPhone 4S, with stores said to already be seeing hundreds of people in line.
At the two stores in Beijing, and the three in Shanghai, there are clearly lines stretching hundreds of meters, with reports of hundreds of queuers at each, snaking around city blocks (see more photos below). Most stores have a ticketing system to deter queue-jumpers, but that won’t stop the ‘scalpers’ who buy the phones to resell later at a profit.
Apple's Xidan Joy City store in Beijing
The report notes that Apple's iPhone partner China Unicom will begin selling the iPhone 4S online at 12:01 AM, but that there is undoubtedly significant interest in unlocked devices sold directly from Apple. Pricing is set at the equivalent of $790/$932/$1,074 for the three capacities of unlocked iPhone 4S models.
Apple's Pudong store in Shanghai
For those customers willing to sign up for a contract with China Unicom, the carrier is offering the iPhone 4S
for free under certain rate plans and contract lengths.
Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
•
Sony's 'Music Unlimited' Service Headed to iPhone and iPod Touch
•
UMichigan Professor Uses iPads to Remake the Chalkboard
•
Infinity Field HD First App to Include Multiplayer Joypad Support
•
CES 2012: BulletTrain eXpress Enclosure for Magic Trackpad and Apple Keyboard
•
CES 2012: Behringer's $30,000 iNuke Boom Speaker on Display
Change Wave Research surveyed 4,000 North American consumers in December 2011, asking them about their current smartphone, and future purchases, if any. As we reported earlier, the survey found that, one in every two people planning to buy a smartphone …
Continue reading →
With only hours before sales begin, customers are lining up to buy the iPhone 4S in China. There are five Apple Stores in China, and 
For today only, the 
