Thứ Năm, 9 tháng 6, 2011

News Of Dual-Network iPhone 5 Benefits Verizon More Than AT&T

Verizon's recent gaffe confirms that the iPhone5 will indeed be a dual-network device that will work with both CDMA and GSM. While the notion of a dual-network iPhone 5 isn't much of a revelation, the news helps Verizon more than AT&T. Here's why:

Another slip of the tongue has confirmed yet another detail about the upcoming iPhone 5.

Less than three weeks after Sony CEO Howard Stringer tacitly admitted that the next iPhone 5 camera would be of the 8 megapixel variety, Verizon's Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo seems to have now confirmed that the iPhone 5 will indeed be a dual-network device, supporting both AT&T's GSM and Verizon's CDMA technologies. Venturebeat reports that "in an attempt to deflect an analyst probing for details on Apple's next phone, Verizon inadvertently mentioned that [the iPhone 5] will be a 'global device'."

While the iPhone community is always happy to have virtually any detail about the iPhone 5 confirmed or corroborated (except, perhaps, for the recent report of a late September release), news of a dual-network iPhone 5 should not come as an earth-shattering revelation to those who have followed the it over the past six month of so. It is true that Apple had to fashion an alternate CDMA-equipped iPhone 4 to work on the Verizon network, creating two network variants with very slight design differences between the two.

But the production of the CDMA model was a work-around for Apple; obviously, a deal with Verizon had not been solidified by the time the iPhone 4 was launched in the summer of 2010, meaning that the initial AT&T model had no CDMA capabilities. And as we all know, there was no way that Apple could have clandestinely outfitted the original AT&T iPhone to run on CDMA — too many iPhone geeks out there pop open their new iPhones to look under the hood. Any stealth move to equip the iPhone 4 for both networks would have been discovered. This time around, however, it makes good business sense to make sure that the iPhone 5 works on both networks; it will keep production costs down and make shipping and inventory far easier.

An interesting question to consider, however, is whether or not a dual-network iPhone 5 benefits either carrier, or is it just a wash?

I would argue that, while the dual-channel iPhone 5 revelation isn't going to be any kind of groundbreaking game-changer for either mobile carrier, it is Verizon that may have the most to gain from the notion that both companies will share the same iPhone design.

More than any other iPhone 5 topic on this blog, the subject of AT&T versus Verizon has inspired more angst, vitriol, and hurt feelings. We wrote an article about it a while back, and people weighed in on the issue with gusto, defending their mobile network providers with bravado. It's a fact: iPhone users are passionate about their carriers. AT&T and Verizon are like political parties around here. (I guess Sprint customers are the Independents.)

Thus, I know that I am stepping into a minefield with Verizon customers when I reluctantly state that CDMA is generally considered to be the slower of the two mobile technologies, disallowing the kind of multi-tasking that AT&T iPhone users typically enjoy. Whether or not this is true, however, is not the issue: the fact remains that this is the prevailing belief about Verizon.

With this is mind, one can imagine that it can only benefit Verizon for prospective iPhone 5 customers to see that the device works on both networks. Unlike the iPhone 4, which has two variants for GSM and CDMA, the iPhone is the same phone, same specs, same technology. AT&T will no longer be able to infer that they have the "better iPhone" model.

Sameness is the name of the game for Verizon this time around, as they will finally have a chance to compete with AT&T right out of the gate with the iPhone 5. The game plan will be the same for both carriers: AT&T will tout speed and versatility, and Verizon will roll out their maps. It should be a real hoot.

News Of Dual-Network iPhone 5 Benefits Verizon More Than AT&T

Another slip of the tongue has confirmed yet another detail about the upcoming iPhone 5.

An interesting question to consider, however, is whether or not a dual-network iPhone 5 benefits either carrier, or is it just a wash?

Reuters Joins the iPhone 5 News Blog In Predicting September iPhone 5 Release

Skeptics of a late-summer iPhone 5 release have balked at suggestions that Apple would depart from its usual June iPhone release. But new, well-sourced reports corroborate what the iPhone 5 News Blog has reported since January — that the iPhone 5 will ship in September.

It appears that the mainstream tech media has begun to embrace what the iPhone 5 News Blog has reported all along: that the iPhone 5 will be released at the end of the summer.

The news wires were abuzz Wednesday morning as Reuters and others reported that the iPhone5 is set to begin mass production in July, with a release planned for September. The Reuters report indicates that the iPhone 5 "will have a faster processor and will begin shipping in September, three people with direct knowledge of the company's supply chain said."

While the mainstream press has searched out reliable sources for months that could corroborate the theory of a late-summer release for the iPhone 5, the iPhone 5 News Blog predicted an August or September launch of the iPhone 5 on January 8th, 2011 on the heels of the Verizon iPhone announcement in this article, Verizon iPhone Announcement Clears Path For Future iPhone 5 Release.

From the outset of the Verizon iPhone release, it has been apparent to us that Verizon's deal with Apple would stipulate ample time to sell their version of the iPhone 4 without the disruption of a June iPhone 5 announcement to squelch spring sales. Just as AT&T enjoyed six months of uncontested iPhone 4 sales before the Verizon announcement, it stood to reason that Verizon too would expect a six-month sales window for the Verizon iPhone 4.

It now appears that well-placed sources are confirming this rationale for the iPhone 5.

The Reuters piece also reveals some other interesting details about the iPhone 5 as well, including some details about how it will look. The iPhone 5 is purported to look similar to the iPhone 4 in size and dimension. If the dimensions of the iPhone 5 remain true to the iPhone 4, then this would suggest that the only prospect of a larger screen would be if the iPhone 5 sports an edge-to-edge screen, maximizing the dimensions of the current chassis.

There's no word on the metal back rumor, however, which would indeed change the cosmetic look of the iPhone 5.

To be sure, even rumors that come from supposed well-placed sources "with direct knowledge of the company's supply chain" can never be completely trusted, especially considering that an audacious iPhone tip — whether true or not — most likely commands a great deal of money. However, another piece of this rumor, which reveals that Wintek, Foxconn, and Largan are producing the components for the iPhone 5, lends more credibility to the voracity of the claim, since Wall Street is responding positively. Reuters reports that "Largan's Taipei-listed shares ended up 3.7 percent, Hon Hai rose 4.3 percent and Foxconn rose 6.6 percent, outpacing the benchmark TAIEX share index's 2 percent advance."

The fact that top investors are staking their financial resources on these suppliers indicates that Wall Street is satisfied with this report on the iPhone 5′s release month.

While the tech community may not be completely convinced of a September iPhone 5 release until the WWDC has come and gone with no new iPhone announcement, this new Reuters report should begin to put to rest any lingering rumors of a June release.

The iPhone 5 Compendium: A Complete List Of Rumored iPhone 5 Features To Date

The tech community has been prognosticating about the features of the iPhone5 ever since the iPhone 4 made its debut in the summer of 2010. Here's a quick yet thorough list of purported features that very well may end up on the iPhone 5.

Do a quick review of the articles here on the iPhone 5 News Blog and you start to realize that there are a virtual myriad of new, possible features that could be coming to the iPhone 5. The list is staggering! For as much as we would like to see most of these features end up on the iPhone 5, that simply won't be the case: as the saying goes, you can please some of the people some of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but never all of the people all of the time.

Besides, Steve Jobs and Apple will have to hold some of these goodies back to make the iPhone 6 something to get excited about.

But because news sites and blogs tend to report on rumored features for the iPhone 5 as they pop up, you rarely get anything more than a "roundup" of the hottest iPhone 5 topics. What we've done here is listed everything that we've heard about for the iPhone 5, and give our take on both the coolness factor (how much of a "wow" it will cause at the iPhone 5′s announcement) and the probability factor that a feature will end up on the iPhone 5.

Be sure to check out our new page on all of the rumored iPhone 5 Features, and be sure to let us know if we missed anything!

iPhone 5 on September 13th: five reasons release isn’t worth waiting for

iPhone 5 on September 13th: five reasons release isn't worth waiting for

If the iPhone 5 really is to be a September baby, it'll be unveiled in September 13th. And that being the case, our official advice has changed: if you're sitting around waiting for more information on the iPhone5 in order to make a decision on whether to buy an iPhone 4 now or keep waiting, and it turns out the iPhone 5 really is coming in the fall instead of the summer, go ahead and take the plunge on the iPhone 4 now. Bear in mind that this advice is conditional upon the iPhone 5 being held back until the fall; if it does indeed arrive this June then you're best off simply waiting another six weeks. But Apple traditionally holds its fall press event on the second Tuesday of September, namely the 13th in 2011, and if that event is to be the first sign of the iPhone 5 along with the iPod models which will debut that day, don't bother waiting. Here's why.iPhone 4 rocks: Several members of the Beatweek staff have been using the iPhone 4 since last year, and while we'll likely all upgrade to the iPhone 5 as soon as it arrives, here's what we've learned about the iPhone 4 in the mean time. It's by far the most ideal smartphone on the market. It's faster, more versatile, thinner, and lighter than any previous iPhone model, and offers significantly more battery life with a much better screen. The supposed "iPhone 4 antenna issue" simply does not exist except in the minds of the deviants who concocted it. On its own merits, it's nearly the perfect smartphone; we'd be hard pressed to come with things we don't like about it.

4G pipedream: Even if the iPhone 5 does end up offering 4G networking, that'll only work in the scant areas in which Verizon and AT&T have actually built 4G networks. For the vast majority of iPhone 5 customers, it'll be the same 3G or even EDGE experience that they'd have gotten on the iPhone 4. Unless you live in one of a handful of big cities where 4G LTE will arrive early, this is not a reason to wait for the iPhone 5.

Verizon already has the iPhone: For those Verizon customers who wanted an iPhone but skipped the iPhone 4 because they thought the iPhone 5 was just around the corner, we'll ask you this: what exactly have you gained by waiting? A few more months of being stuck with your existing phone, which you clearly don't want? And now you're looking at another few more months of doing the same? You're not winning this battle.

Question marks: In other words, it's all we know about the iPhone 5. Will it offer better specs and features than the iPhone 4? Certainly. What will those specs and features be, and will any of them be relevant to you? No way of knowing. Waiting means you're gambling that the iPhone 5 will offer something over the iPhone 4 which will have justified your wait. Waiting does not equal playing it safe; it's just a different kind of gamble.

Have it both ways: The real clincher is that even if you buy an iPhone 4 now, you can still buy an iPhone 5 later. Sure, you'll end up paying $200 above sticker for the iPhone 5 because you'll have used up your upgrade cycle on the iPhone 4 purchase. But nothing says you can't turn around and sell your iPhone 4 in September (for more than you paid for it, thanks to the magic of unsubsidized pricing), and put that money toward paying your iPhone 5 ransom. You'll still end up having paid at least little bit for the privilege using an iPhone 4 between now and iPhone 5 launch day, but it won't preclude you from getting to experience both iPhone generations. Here's more on the iPhone 5.

iPhone 5 on September 13th: five reasons release isn’t worth waiting for

iPhone 5 on September 13th: five reasons release isn't worth waiting for

iPhone 5 design secrets revealed by rounded, white, A5 iPad 2

The iPhone 5 come in white and employ the A5 processor, and it'll lose the bezel of the iPhone 4 and feature rounded edges throughout, unless the entire iPad 2 was merely one big head-fake. Those looking for the skinny on the design secrets of the forthcoming fifth generation iPhone ahead of its still-unknown release date are looking in the wrong places, if they're looking anywhere other than the second generation iPad as a starting point. When the first iPad launched back in early 2010, few realized at the time that it was a partial blueprint for what could be expected from the then-forthcoming iPhone 4. From the hefty brushed metal silver side bezel to the A4 processor inside, the iPad 2 gave generous hints that spring as to what could be expected from the next iPhone that summer. And now, thanks to the iPad 2, we now have a blueprint for the iPhone 5. So just what are we looking at?For starters, say goodbye to that fat perpendicular bezel. Apple's attempts at squaring off the iPhone and iPad resulted in the thin devices looking and feeling like they were thicker (and heavier) than they really were. Apple wisely dumped that particular design flair with the iPad 2, and while the new model is only fractionally thinner and lighter, the most common response among upgraders is that it looks and feels significantly thinner and lighter. In other words, by simply (re-)rounding off the iPhone's corners, Apple can get more public credit for making the iPhone 5 thin than it did for having shaved an actual twenty-four percent of the iPhone's thickness away with the iPhone 4. Perception trumps reality in these matters, and Apple has presumably learned its lesson: the appearance and illusion of thinness is just as important as actual thinness.
The iPad never came in white, so the inclusion of a white iPad 2 was gratuitous enough that Apple could easily have left it out of the company were trying to make consumers forget that the whole white iPhone 4 ever happened. Instead, by offering a white iPad 2, Apple is making clear that it wants consumer demand for white Apple products to remain in place, which is a hint that there will indeed be a white iPhone in the near future. The iPad 2′s use of an A5 processor means the iPhone 5 will certainly do the same. The intriguing part is whether the lone gaping chasm between the iPad 1 and the iPhone 4, namely the use of radically different materials for the rear surface, will resolve itself in 2011 with the iPhone 5 adopting the same brushed metal backside as the iPad 2. But them some details will merely need to be watched for. Here's more on the iPhone5. Here's more on the iPad 2.