Metal Back Would Be a “Mea Culpa” For Apple

The “Antennagate” scandal of 2010 spooked iPhone users and marred the early image of the iPhone 4. While Apple fought hard in the press to brush off the reception issues, if the iPhone 5 features either an Internal Antenna and/or metal back, will it be a tacit admission that the iPhone 4 was flawed?

We’ve talked in the press about a panoply of possible new features for the iPhone 5. However, the discussion of either a return to the internal antenna or a metal back (or both) is seldom mentioned in iPhone rumor roundups. The primary reason for this is that the appearance of either or both of these features on the iPhone 5 would not in fact constitute “new features,” but rather would be “fixes” to the contentious Antennagate issue that gripped the tech world in the summer and fall of 2010.

Regardless of where you might be on the antenna issue for the iPhone 4, few current or prospective iPhone users seem to be against the iPhone 5 design returning to earlier, more reliable reception technology. In their March 17th posting, 9 To 5 Mac aptly stated the high probability of the reemergence of the metal back feature. Referencing a reliable source from Foxconn, writer Mark Gurman reported that “Apple has decided to move away from the back-glass enclosure found on the fourth-generation device and move to something similar to the back of the first-generation iPhone from 2007.”

Gurman went on to explain that “if Apple keeps the same antenna design (which was not mentioned by sources) as the iPhone 4 and adds the flat aluminum back, this back should not cause any reception issues.” International Business Times seconds this rumor, and also adds that the iPhone 5 will indeed revert back to the internal antenna seen on the iPhone 4. In this way, Apple is essentially doubling up on fixing the antenna issue.

However, should these two fixes show up on the iPhone 5, how is Apple going to handle it from a PR perspective?

After all, Steve Jobs and the rest of Apple’s marketing and PR mechanism worked overtime last summer to squelch the escalating criticism about the purported faulty antenna and “death grip.” Their approach to dealing with the problem turned out to be complex at best: while on one hand they brushed off the criticism as “overblown,” affirming that the iPhone 4 had the same level of reception quality as its competitors, Apple also responded by distributing free bumpers for the iPhone 4, which was seen by many to be a work-around for an obvious design flaw in the antenna.

This time around, with the iPhone 5, Apple will have to address the decision to return to previous designs when it comes to reception. By utilizing either the internal antenna or metal black, it will be a de facto admission that the iPhone 4 was indeed flawed to some extent. With the metal back, Apple will have some plausible deniability — they can always claim that the decision was entirely aesthetically motivated, especially if they go with a Liquid Metal over Aluminum.

But a return to the internal antenna on the iPhone 5 will be harder to spin.

Apple has always prided itself as a product leader when it comes to quality, performance, and innovation of personal computers and mobile computing devices. And for the most part, the company has managed to live up to the reputation that it espouses. And while the iPhone 4 was indeed an advancement of the iPhone technology as a whole, it is more likely to go down in history as the first hiccup in the iPhone lineage. Let us hope that the hiccup ends with the iPhone 5.

What do you think? Was “antennagate” just a witch hunt by the press, or was it a big enough problem to be newsworthy? And will a return to the internal antenna and/or metal back on the iPhone 5 convince you that the iPhone 4 antenna design was indeed faulty?

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Apple Shipping White iPhone 4 This Month?

It's been a long time since we've been able to run a story on the white iPhone 4 without a question mark in the title. Now Bloomberg reports the long-awaited white iPhone 4 will be available by the end of this month. Previous reports have also pointed to an April release, however nobody is counting their chickens before they hatch.
apple iphone 4 white

Best Buy leaks pointing to a February 27 white iPhone release have already turned out to be false. Apple continues to stick by its spring 2011 launch schedule although the season officially began on March 20. After a 10-month wait since the iPhone 4 keynote what's a few more weeks?

The late white iPhone 4 release has analysts buzzing about a possible iPhone 5 delay. After all, why launch last year's product in a different color just two or three months ahead of rolling out the newer model? Those who claim to be connected with Apple's supply chain have not seen the kind of ordering and movement that has characterized previous summer iPhone announcements. This has led some to speculate that Apple will wait unti September or October to launch the iPhone 5.

Any later would cut into holiday sales, making a 2012 iPhone 5 launch unlikely. When it comes to the white iPhone 4, it sounds like Apple finally has a handle on manufacturing issues. Problems with light leaking into the camera through the white-painted glass back and color matching issues between the bezel and home button were just two of the issues cited. The process for painting and curing the iPhone 4 glass in white was also mentioned as a difficult one that was time consuming and didn't meet quality control standards.

Regardless, several white iPhone 4 models have been spotted in the wild. Presumably those with a white iPhone 4 know someone at Apple, and these sightings have fanned the flames of hype surrounding the device. If Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal are talking to the right sources, pretty soon the white iPhone 4 will be in the hands of millions of consumers who are AT&T and Verizon customers.
Source : http://www.iphonefaq.org/archives/971332

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iPhone 4 Survey: Verizon Drops Less Calls Than AT&T

ChangeWave Research contacted 4,068 iPhone 4 users to get a detailed comparison of Verizon Wireless vs. AT&T Mobility services. According to the survey results, AT&T customers experienced dropped calls almost three times as often in the past 90 days as those with a Verizon iPhone 4. Whereas Verizon subscribers reported a dropped call rate of 1.8 percent, AT&T clocked in at 4.8 percent for the same question.
att vs verizon dropped calls

You might think these numbers would pose a problem for the AT&T customer service department. Actually, when looking at overall customer satisfaction with their iPhone 4, both companies came out even. Very satisfied and somewhat satisfied customers together made up 98 percent of respondents from both AT&T and Verizon.

Although consumers are satisfied with their iPhone 4s, the dropped call woes for AT&T don't stop there. ChangeWave also performed another study and asked customers with any cellular phone from the four major US carriers about dropped call frequency in the past 90 days. Guess who came in last.

- Verizon Wireless 1.6%
- T-Mobile 2.3%
- Sprint/Nextel 2.7%
- AT&T Mobility 4.6%

A survey of future iPhone 4 buyers paints an interesting picture. Of those planning to purchase an iPhone 4, ChangeWave found that 46 percent planned to buy from Verizon. 27 percent indicated they would go with AT&T and 27 percent were in the "Don't Know/Other" category. On the surface this looks good for Verizon and bad for AT&T, however as more iPhone 4 users sign on to the Verizon network, their service could suffer.

As more subscribers start using loads of data it will inevitably put more pressure on Verizon's systems. Similarly, AT&T could see in improvement in future survey results as some customers will make the switch to Verizon. What's clear is that US consumers are incredibly satisfied with their iPhones and the user experience they provide, regardless of how many calls are dropped.
Source :
http://www.iphonefaq.org/archives/971325

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Video Unlock the iPhone 4, 3GS, 3G Using UltraSn0w

Video Unlock the iPhone 4, 3GS, 3G Using UltraSn0w

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11 iPhone tips for total novices

1. When in doubt, go Home.
Want to go back to the main screen, the one with all the icons? That's called the Home screen. It doesn't matter which app you're using or task you're performing--a single press of the Home button (the only physical button on the front of the iPhone) will return you to the Home screen.

2. Always turn your iPhone off before you slip it into your pocket.
Although your iPhone will switch itself into idle mode (where the screen turns off but the phone stays on) after a designated period of inactivity, you should get in the habit of manually turning off the screen. Otherwise you might accidentally place a call or run a battery-draining app while slipping the phone into your pocket. So remember: when you're done using your iPhone, press the top button (aka, the Sleep/Wake button).

3. Send calls straight to voice mail.
Don't want to answer the incoming call, but don't want your iPhone to keep ringing and/or vibrating until it finally goes to voice mail? Just quickly double-press the Sleep/Wake button to immediately route the call the voice mail.

4. Double-tap the space bar at the end of a sentence.
Speaking of double-presses, if you quickly tap the space bar twice at the end of a sentence, the iPhone will insert a period and a space, then enable the Shift key for the start of your next sentence.

Tap the Keypad button while on a call to access a numeric keypad.

(Credit: Screenshot by Rick Broida)

5. Access the keypad while you're on a call.
Need to "press 1 to leave a message" or enter a security code while on a call? The iPhone has no keypad, so how are you supposed to do that? Simple: just take the phone away from your ear, then tap the Keypad icon that appears in between the Mute and Speaker icons (which can also come in handy when you're on a call). Now use the onscreen keys to enter the necessary numbers. When you're done, just hold the phone back up to your head.

6. Don't forget to sync.
Your iPhone is not an island; it needs to connect with your computer, even if it's just once in a while. That means installing iTunes if you don't already have it and plugging that little white sync cable into a USB port (and then into your iPhone, natch). Although you can download apps, music, and the like directly to your device (i.e., no computer required), syncing makes a backup of everything on your handset (contacts, appointments, apps, etc.)--something you might need in the event you have to replace a lost, stolen, or broken phone. It also allows you to install operating-system updates.

7. Master autocorrect.
Even savvy users sometimes get thrown by the little word-bubbles that sometimes appear as you type. This is the iPhone's autocorrect feature: it's trying to guess which word you're trying to spell. If you want to accept the suggestion (even before you finish typing), just tap the space bar. Don't want the suggested word? Tap the little X in the bubble before you hit the space bar.

8. Fix "jittery" icons.
Did all your icons start shaking all of sudden? Don't panic! You've inadvertently put the iPhone into "rearrange icons" mode, which allows you to organize the icons to your liking by tapping and dragging them. This happens when you hold your finger down on an icon (any icon) instead of just tapping it. How do you stop the shaking? Easy: just press the Home button.

9. Learn to use Airplane Mode.
Federal law says your phone needs to be off when you're in the air. But that doesn't mean off, off; you simply have to disable its wireless capabilities. To do so, put it in Airplane Mode: tap the Settings icon, then tap the Airplane Mode on/off switch (which is conveniently located at the very top of the Settings screen). When it's set to On, your iPhone won't be able to make calls or send text messages--but it'll still work as an iPod. In other words, you can still read books, listen to music, watch movies, play games, and so on. After you land, just return to the Settings screen and set Airplane Mode back to off.

There's an iPhone User Guide hiding inside the Safari app's bookmarks.

(Credit: Screenshot by Rick Broida)

10. Access the built-in User Guide.
Apple sure didn't provide much in the way of an instruction manual. Fortunately, for anyone who needs help on the go, there's a user guide built into the iPhone--sort of. To access it, tap the Safari icon (which opens the Web browser). Next, tap the Bookmark icon (it looks like a little open book) at the bottom of the screen. You should see an entry for iPhone User Guide. Tap it to gain access to a full roster of subjects, everything from Getting Started to Using the App Store.

11. Turn off "Ask to Join Networks"
Everywhere you go, your iPhone keeps asking you if you want to join this network or that network. These are Wi-Fi hot spots, and if you're tired of the iPhone bugging you about them, you can turn off these notifications. To do so, tap the Settings icon, then tap Wi-Fi. On the following screen, find Ask to Join Networks and tap the On button (which will switch to Off). The only caveat here is that if you want to view and join an available network, you'll have to return to this screen and select it manually. Find out more in the aforementioned User Guide.

OK, those are my tips--now let's hear yours! After all, everyone was an iPhone novice once, so what advice would you offer to the newbie user?

Source : Cnet
Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-20049382-233.html#ixzz1IGRNguCz

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Will the White iPhone 4 Ever Launch?

Things are not looking good for the mysteriously absent white iPhone 4. With the Verizon iPhone launch six months after the iPhone 4 first became available and an iPhone 5 announcement looming, will Apple even bother? Since the first white iPhone 4 pre-orders were cancelled, the release date for the white iPhone 4 has been moved forward several times.
apple iphone 4 white

The latest we heard from Apple was the white iPhone 4 was coming in Spring. The season officially starts in just two weeks and Apple has been silent on the issue. Another white device has dominated the news, with Apple announcing the iPad 2 will ship in white and black next week.

Steve Jobs seemed to joke about the matter when he emphasized that the iPad 2 will ship in white "from day one" at the keynote speech. Apple's official statement in June 2010 was that white iPhone 4 units "have proven more challenging to manufacture than expected, and as a result they will not be available until the second half of July." As we know, July came and went with Apple postponing the device. The white iPhone 4 manufacturing issues cited in reports included paint thickness problems, the home button plastic not matching the white paint and the slow speed at which the white glass pieces were produced.

Now there are additional problems surrounding the camera. Some people have been lucky enough to get their hands on an official white iPhone 4, however they can't take decent pictures with the flash on. Due to the translucent nature of the white-painted glass, the images get washed out thanks to light leaks. The problem also happens when the iPhone 4 is modified to remove paint from the back glass panel, giving it a transparent look. In contrast, Apple can easily make the iPad 2 bezel white without affecting the back camera, especially since the tablet doesn't include a flash.

Strangely, as late as this February reports of retailers setting up displays for the white model have surfaced with no actual device in sight. Best Buy displays and leaked inventory listings seemed to confirm that the white iPhone 4 launch was imminent. Even Wal-Mart was putting stickers for the white iPhone on their shelves in September of last year.

The clock is ticking. Unless Apple decides to postpone the iPhone 5 until September, releasing a white iPhone 4 doesn't make much sense this late in the game. It's more likely the company will focus on its redesign efforts and offer a white iPhone 5 to match the latest iPad.

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iPhone 5 price shrinking, not screen, claim insiders

Persistent rumors of a smaller – or, more recently, larger – iPhone are apparently untrue, with insiders suggesting that instead Apple is looking to shrink the price of the iOS smartphone. According to the NYTimes‘ anonymous sources the new iPhone 5, expected to arrive this summer, will offer voice command control and perhaps a broader range of SKUs, all with the same physical size but differing in certain core ways.

“Although the innards of the phone, including memory size or camera quality, could change to offer a less expensive model, the size of the device would not vary” claims the source, who has supposedly worked on multiple versions of the iPhone 5. Changing the physical scale, with a smaller display, is unlikely to actually work out cost-effective for Apple, and would require that iOS developers rework their apps to suit.

Meanwhile, earlier talk of a MobileMe makeover has apparently been corroborated, becoming a free service offering wireless sync and media streaming. “The goal is that your photos and other media content will eventually just sync across all your Apple devices without people having to do anything” the source claims, suggesting that reducing the amount of onboard storage future iPhones required – since content could be streamed instead – would add up to a cheaper handset.

Source Slashgear

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Report: Verizon to end unlimited iPhone data plans this summer

Verizon's "darling" status with iPhone users may quickly be coming to an end as a new report from Bloomberg cites Verizon's Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo saying unlimited data plans will no longer be available from the new iPhone carrier.

Current switchers can grab the $30 per month unlimited data plan for their iPhone 4, but that could all change shortly. The offering, which Shammo said was "not a long-term solution," was likely just a marketing tool to entice the first wave of iPhone users to jump from AT&T, which currently does not offer an unlimited data plan.

Some users may see this as a "bait and switch" by Verizon, though considering the smartphone landscape, offering an unlimited data plan does not seem to maximize profits. Verizon will be switching to a tiered structure, much like the one that AT&T offers (currently $15 for 250Mb or $30 for 2Gb).

"We see the potential of our customer base spending in that $30 to $50 range," Shammo said. "As smartphone prices come down, more people will be able to afford them. We have to get those customers a sufficient entry point. We're still wrestling with what that entry point is."

Translation: the money is in the data.

Reuters and the Wall Street Journal have follow-up reports stating that Verizon's new pricing will take place in the middle of the summer, likely corresponding with Apple's release of the iPhone 5.

"We will probably do that in the mid-summer time frame," said Shammo, adding that initially Verizon, "didn't want to put up a barrier" for new customers hoping to find a better network.

Would the lack of an unlimited data plan keep you from switching to Verizon this summer? Let me know in the comments below!
Source Cnet
Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-20037878-233.html#ixzz1FXem8QK6

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