July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

You can write off the latest rumor about a potential suitor for the popular messaging app WhatsApp.

The company’s business development head, Neeraj Arora, confirmed to AllThingsD last night that WhatsApp isn’t in sales talks with Google. A report from Sunday claimed that Google was willing to pay $1 billion for WhatsApp, but that was based on statements from a single anonymous source.

Arora’s statements don’t rule out an eventual deal with Google — especially if Facebook starts negotiating an acquisition of WhatsApp, something that’s been rumored in the past. There’s no doubt that WhatsApp is one of the hottest apps right now, given that it’s the fifth highest revenue earner on the iTunes App Store and seventh on Google Play.

Facebook is still being threatened by messaging apps, so it makes sense for it to acquire WhatsApp or one of its competitors (like Kik or SnapChat). The social network already acquired messaging app Beluga a few years ago, but it looks like that deal was mostly for engineers to build out Facebook’s own messaging platform. I wouldn’t be surprised if Facebook is eyeing WhatsApp as well just to snap up its users (said to be over 100 million) and fast growth.

After all, Facebook paid $1 billion for Instagram before it even had a revenue model. On paper, at least, WhatsApp seems far more valuable.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

WhatsApp is fifth in the app store for monthly revenue. Fifth on Google Play for downloads, and seventh on Google Play for revenue. And it’s the second-most-downloaded app on Google Play.

Impressive? Sure. But a billion dollars impressive? Hard to say.

That’s the question as rumors continue to swirl of a potential Google acquisition in the billion-dollar range. According to Digital Trends, the acquisition talk has been ongoing for a month, and WhatsApp execs want more. Perhaps, I’m thinking they should recall what happened last time Google offered a company billions of dollars.

Groupon, anyone?

WhatsApp is a cross-platform mobile messaging app: It sends messages to anyone on iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, or Windows Phone via an iMessage-like network. The messages use your data plan, not text, and require that both sender and receiver have WhatsApp, which, of course, makes the service inherently viral. Perhaps 300 million WhatsApp users send hundreds of billions of messages daily.

Industry insiders I’ve spoken to don’t put a ton of credence in the acquisition rumors. My question is: WhatsApp is hot — there’s no doubt about it — but is being one of the top revenue-producing apps on the app store or Google Play worth a billion dollars?

Google already has many messaging apps and services currently, such as Talk, Messenger, and Hangouts. Too many, in fact, which don’t integrate or connect. Based on some leaks and screenshots, Google appears to be working on a unification of its communications platforms, called Babel. Adding yet another SMS-style communications app to its stable wouldn’t appear to simplify the situation.

In addition, Google has shown an impressive capability to create great apps and distribute to enormous audiences.

In February, ComScore’s Digital Future report said that Google has five of the top six apps in America on any platform. Maps, Google Play, Google Search, Gmail, and YouTube took positions two through six on a combined Google Play/iOS app store downloads list. And Google’s YouTube and Google Maps have been swapping top spot on the iOS-only download charts for months.

Which means that when and if Google decides to create and release a unified messaging platform for both iOS, Android, web, and Windows Phone, it could very well do so on its own and become very successful.

The thing that WhatsApp does have going for it, of course, is those hundreds of millions of users. That’s what Arjun Sethi, the founder of WhatsApp competitor MessageMe told VentureBeat today:

“At the end of the day, they’re valuable because they have a massive userbase.”

Others, like Hille Fuld, the senior evangelist for app monetization platform InnerActive, agree that a high valuation is warranted:

@johnkoetsier I’d say so, yes. Technology: check. Users: check. Retention: check. It’s a great success story.

— Hillel Fuld (@HilzFuld) April 8, 2013

The massive userbase worked, famously, for Instagram, which didn’t even have a revenue model when it was acquired by Facebook for what turned out to be a little under a billion dollars in post-IPO money. Instagram had about 30 million members at the time, which has now grown to over 100 million.

I just wonder if it’s billion-dollars valuable, when Google has shown the capability to grow its only solutions in-house.

When asked, a Google representative said only that “we don’t comment on rumors and speculations.”

Image credit: ShutterStock/Billion dollars

While previous rumors pointed to Microsoft unveiling its next Xbox this month, it looks like the company may now be aiming for a May event.

The Verge reports that Microsoft is targeting an event for May 21, a one-month delay from the previously reported April 24 date. That corroborates what tech reporter Paul Thurott said on a podcast last week.

You’d think that Microsoft would be rushing to show off its Xbox 360 successor following Sony’s February unveiling of the PlayStation 4. But given the mixed reaction to that event (and the fact the company didn’t show off actual console hardware), it certainly wouldn’t hurt Microsoft to wait until it had something more final to show off.

And as long as Microsoft manages to debut the next Xbox before June’s E3 convention, it shouldn’t see too much criticism from gamers. It makes more sense for Microsoft to wait a bit so that the Xbox 720, or whatever it’s called, will dominate the conversation at E3.

The rumor follows a recent apology Microsoft was forced to make over comments by Microsoft Game Studios director Scott Orth, who seemed mystified about why gamers were worried about always-on consoles. Some rumors have suggested Microsoft may force the new console to always be online, which could help with antipiracy efforts but would be a huge annoyance to gamers without decent Internet connections. Microsoft hasn’t divulged any details about the next Xbox yet, but you can expect it to match most of the Sony PlayStation 4′s specs.

Microsoft also announced this morning that it’s focusing its TV efforts entirely on Xbox, after selling its MediaRoom IPTV unit to Ericsson.

Photo: Scott Akerman/Flickr

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GamesBeat 2013 is our fifth annual conference on disruption in the video game market. You'll get 360-degree perspectives from top gaming executives, developers, and analysts on what’s to come in the industry. Our theme this year is “The Battle Royal.” Check out full event details here, and grab your early-bird tickets here!

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July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Apple’s next iPhone could land as soon as this summer, judging from a Wall Street Journal report today.

Sources tell the paper that Apple plans to start production of its latest iPhone during this quarter, which means it could be ready for the third quarter in the summer. Much like the iPhone 4S and 3GS, Apple will likely debut a slightly revamped “iPhone 5S” this year, which will share the same basic design of the iPhone 5.

Intriguingly, the WSJ’s report also notes that Apple is still planning to launch a cheaper iPhone later this year. It would be unusual for Apple to announce two new iPhone models in a single year, but given the increasingly strong competition from cheap Android phones and Samsung’s wide variety of handset choices, Apple certainly has to step up its game.

The WSJ’s report also corroborates iMore’s iPhone 5S prediction from a month ago, which pointed to an August launch for the new phone. That would give Apple a new device to compete with the upcoming Galaxy S IV and HTC One much sooner than the October launch dates we’ve seen over the past two years, and it also leaves room for Apple to announce a cheaper lineup before the holiday season.

As for more iPhone color options, the WSJ notes that Apple has been developing additional colors, but right now it’s unclear how it’ll release them. Previous rumors suggested that different colors could be a big selling point for Apple’s cheaper iPhone.

Photo: Devindra Hardawar/VentureBeat

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Whatever surprises Samsung had in store for the launch of the Galaxy S IV later today have likely been spoiled by this latest round of leaked pictures and videos.

We got a glimpse of what could be the Galaxy S IV earlier this week, along with  a short low-resolution video showing off the phone, but this morning leakers have bestowed upon us a bounty of gifts: high-resolution shots of the Galaxy S IV and videos showing off some of its most interesting features.

The latest photos show a device that looks a lot like the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note 2, something Samsung has already hinted at. It’s a shame that Samsung didn’t change up its plastic design in any significant way — as it simply makes the Galaxy series feel cheaper than the iPhone or HTC’s new lineup. Still, Samsung fans certainly won’t be disappointed by the lack of a bold new style.

A Bloomberg report from yesterday revealed the phone would come with a 13-megapixel camera, a 5-inch screen (which has been expected for some time), and a quad-core Qualcomm processor. The photos below also show the phone running an eight-core Samsung Exynos CPU. Rumors say international versions of the phone will get the Exynos CPU, while the U.S. will get the Qualcomm chip (which comes integrated with LTE).

While we previously heard that the phone would ship with eye-tracking to help scroll through text, more recent rumors dismissed that notion. One of the videos below shows off a feature that could be related: SmartPause, which pauses videos when you stop looking at the screen. (I wonder if this is a significant problem for smartphone users or if Samsung’s just trying really hard to differentiate itself.)

Far more interesting than SmartPause is a video showing off a new floating touch feature, allowing you to hover your finger over the screen to interact with it. Samsung originally debuted this feature with the Galaxy Note 10.1 and Note 2, though it required a stylus. It lets you do things like preview photos and videos without actually opening them, or take advantage of “hover” design elements on websites (which normally require a mouse). Being able to hover with just your finger would be a significant smartphone interaction leap for Samsung. Also, it just looks freaking cool.

Check back later today for live coverage of the Galaxy S IV’s launch.

Apple’s next-generation iPhone and iPads could appear surprisingly soon.

The iPhone 5S is reportedly planned for release in August, a few months earlier than the October release of the past two iPhones, while the iPad 5 and new iPad Mini could appear as soon as April, reports iMore.

While we typically don’t give much credit to most Apple rumors, iMore’s Rene Ritchie has proven himself as a reliable prognosticator for Apple’s updates. He was one of the first to report on the iPhone 5′s Lightning connector last year.

Not surprisingly, Ritchie notes that the iPhone 5S will feature the same design as the iPhone 5, but will pack in a better camera and faster processor. That’s typical for Apple, judging from the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4S. Given how thin Apple was able to make the iPhone 5, I didn’t expect a completely new case to appear this year.

We’re still hearing rumors about a slightly cheaper iPhone as well as one with a slightly bigger screen than the 4-inch iPhone 5. The latest rumor, somewhat perplexingly, noted that Apple’s cheaper iPhone could also sport a bigger 4.5-inch screen. It could be that we’re hearing about changes that will appear in next year’s iPhone line, much like how we heard rumors of the iPhone 5′s design almost two years in advance.

As for the April iPad announcements, Ritchie notes that “we’re not sure what to make of that yet.” Apple announced the iPad Mini and fourth-generation iPad in October, so an April upgrade seems a bit too soon. Ritchie expects a slightly redesigned case for the iPad 5, but only a slight specification bump for the next iPad Mini. Those hoping for a Retina Display iPad Mini will likely have to wait until the next refresh.

“Apple is not going to release iPads that costs more or don’t get as good battery life as the current models,” Ritchie wrote. “So if the next iPad Mini does end up getting slated for April, it could be a spec bump, or have something other than Retina as a differentiator.”

Phhoto: Devindra Hardawar/VentureBeat

Follow our PlayStation 4 coverage

It’s the laziest kind of dialogue you’ll hear in an indie film. A couple of guys sitting on a couch or at the bar will say something like “Who do you think would win a in fight, Dan Rather or Barbara Walters?” It’s a hypothetical exercise done for fun since we can’t possibly know who would really win — although, clearly Barbara Walters would.

Let’s give it a try ourselves: What would win in a fight? Microsoft’s rumored next-gen system “Durango” or Sony’s PlayStation 3 followup codenamed “Orbis”?

Eventually, we’ll know exactly which system punches harder and moves faster (Sony’s holding a major event on Feb. 20 that may involve the next PlayStation), but for now we’ll have to work from the rumored specs for each new piece of hardware. Most of this information comes from VG Leaks’, which published documentation on the Orbis and Durango in recent weeks.

Let’s get ready to force-feedback!

In this corner: PlayStation Orbis

Sony’s next system is a wrecking machine according to the data we have. It features a powerful graphics processor and the speediest memory on the market.

Here’s what we’ve heard:

• Eight-core 1.6 GHz AMD “Jaguar” CPU 
• 18-core GPU based on AMD’s Radeon HD 7000 Series
• Capable of 1.843 TeraFLOPS (floating-points operations per second)
• Shared 512 KB of read/write L2 cache
• 4GB of GDDR5 RAM
• GDDR5 does 17 GB of data per second
• Around 3.5GB of RAM available to game software
• 50GB Blu-ray disc drive

And in this corner: Microsoft Durango

Microsoft’s latest gaming hardware doesn’t like a bum, either. It has an identical CPU to Orbis and a similar GPU. The graphics processor is a bit short on compute-unit cores, however, and while Durango supposedly has twice the memory of Orbis, it’s of the slower (and cheaper) DDR3 variety.

Here’s the system’s stats as far as we know:

• Eight-core 1.6 Ghz AMD “Jaguar” CPU (same as the Orbis)
• 12-core GPU based on AMD’s Radeon HD 7000 Series
• Capable of 1.23 TFLOPS
• 32MB of fast embedded SRAM
• SRAM capable of 102GB of data per second
• 8GB of DDR3 RAM
• DDR3 does 102GB of data per second
• 6.5GB available for games

So, who wins?

I already told you: Barbara Walters.

It all depends on how you define “winning.” On paper, the Orbis is more powerful. The six extra cores in the GPU and the faster RAM could really boost visuals to a very high level if game developers take full advantage of the system’s capabilities. Most studios, though, don’t usually do that.

Games are still gonna look amazing on Durango, and while it looks like the Orbis can punch harder, Durango could outmaneuver Sony’s hardware in terms of features.

The intangibles

Orbis reportedly has 512MB of RAM reserved for the operating system and extra features. The Durango has 1.5GB of RAM set aside for the same thing.

This is where the two systems, so similar in hardware architecture, will attempt to separate themselves from one another.

What is going on in the Durango that requires an extra gig of RAM at all times. Does a new version of the Kinect require that memory, or is it a whole suite of social and media features?

Meanwhile, 512MB for the OS sounds like Sony might skimp on ever-present software features or maybe it’s using the cloud-streaming functionality of Gaikai to pack a major wallop in a small memory footprint.

We’ll know the answers to some of these questions soon. It’s only a week until that Sony event. GamesBeat will have coverage of that and any other announcement, so stay tuned.

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GamesBeat 2013 is our fifth annual conference on disruption in the video game market. You'll get 360-degree perspectives from top gaming executives, developers, and analysts on what’s to come in the industry. Our theme this year is “The Battle Royal.” Check out full event details here, and grab your early-bird tickets here!

---

New photos of Apple’s alleged ‘iPhone 5S’ have surfaced on a Chinese technology website, supposedly revealing that, just as the iPhone 4S looked basically identical to the iPhone 4, Apple’s newest upcoming iPhone model will look identical to the current flagship iPhone 5.

According to the rumor, Apple’s new iPhone 5S is already in production.

The photos, if real, were certainly hurriedly snapped by someone fearfully of being caught and are poor quality, but do show electronic calipers in almost every shot reveal relative size, apparently the same as the iPhone 5. Sharp eyes in Germany have noticed one minute difference: the vibration motor (which you can see in the shot below).

The motor appears to have been updated from the iPhone5′s to address concerns that it was too noisy.

Source: http://sjbbs.zol.com.cn/2/30_11361.html

iPhone 5S with a new vibration motor?

One thing that might cast some doubt on the images, and the source, is that the Chinese site also claims that the iPhone 6 will have a 4.8″ to 5″ screen, significantly larger than the current iPhone 5′s 4″ and much bigger than the iPhone 4S’s 3.5″. On the on hand Apple faces increasing competition from large-screen smartphones, or “fablets,” but on the other, Apple has gone on record that it is not interested in make phones that can’t easily be used one-handedly.

Of course, Apple said that it would never make a mid-sized tablet, too.

Here are all the images for your viewing pleasure:

A whole lot of money’s in scrapbooking, apparently.

Pinterest, every mom’s favorite web diversion, is in talks to raise a meaty financing round valued up to $2.5 billion, sources tell the Wall Street Journal.

The talks are still in the early stages, but the deal would be a major addition to the $138 million Pinterest has raised so far. Its most recent round came last May, when Japanese e-commerce site Rakuten helped it raise $100 million.  

Founded in 2008, Pinterest has been on a major tear. Its visitor numbers have climbed past 25 million, it’s making big acquisitions, and it’s even expanding its relationship with brands.

The problem, of course, is revenue stream, which Pinterest still seems to be largely without. But with the latest funding rumor, it’s clear that investors see some major potential in the site

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Apple chief executive Tim Cook was surprisingly talkative during the company’s first quarter earnings call today.

When asked if Apple was worried about competing with larger smartphone screens from other phone makers, Cook boasted that the iPhone 5′s 4-inch screen was the most advanced screen in the industry. “No one comes close to matching the quality,” he said. “We don’t sacrifice the one-handed ease-of-use our customers love. We put a lot of thought into screen size and feel confident we picked the right one.”

That doesn’t mean Apple will never aim for a bigger screen, but for now, Cook sounds confident that the iPhone 5′s screen can take on the increasingly (and hilariously) large competition. Apple said today that it sold 47.8 million iPhones last quarter, missing analyst expectations.

Surprisingly, Cook was also quick to chime in on the rumors of the iPhone 5′s slowing demand, which were mostly based upon supply chain analysis. “I would suggest it’s good to question the accuracy of any kind of rumor,” he said. “Even if a particular data point were factual, it would be impossible to accurately interpret the data point for what it meant for our actual business … the supply chain is very complex … yield can vary, supplier performance can vary.”

It’s strange for any company to respond to rumors, let alone the CEO of one of the most secretive companies in the world. Cook’s eagerness to respond to the rumors could be a sign that the initial analysis from the Wall Street Journal (and others) was completely off. Or he could just be playing the defensive. In either case, it’s interesting that he said something.

Citing “supply-chain sources,” Taiwan-based Digitimes is saying that Apple “will roll out a low-cost version of the iPhone for China and other emerging markets in the second half of 2013.” Paradoxically, the new, cheaper iPhones are supposed to come with a bigger 5″ screen and a brand-new form factor. And, a new CPU: Qualcomm’s Snapdragon.

Well.

Digitimes has a fairly spotty track record on rumors, but sometimes it hits. And while Apple marketshare in mobile has never been higher in the U.S., hitting 53 percent in the pre-Christmas quarter, emerging markets — and Europe, for that matter — are an entirely different story. Android grabbed 75 percent of global market share in the third quarter of 2012, and likely had similar numbers in the fourth.

So a cheaper iPhone does indeed make sense, as I have mentioned in the past. Analysts agree, with Gene Munster calling for a sub-$200 iPhone and Ben Reitzes looking for a sub-$150 phone from Apple in a recent research note. And Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights and Strategy told me recently that “Apple has done pretty well with its ‘one size fits all’ approach. It won’t be enough in the future to keep a commanding presence like they have today in phones.”

But a whole new form factor? And a bigger screen? That doesn’t really make sense.

I said back in December that Apple had to do something crazy to maintain its smartphone and tablet market leadership. That “something crazy” is to build an inexpensive mass-market phone, which could either be focused on emerging markets or on the low end of the North American and European smartphone market.

I sincerely doubt that this is it — particularly the big-screen part.

But something does tell me that if Apple decides to do an inexpensive — not cheap — iPhone, the company might build a completely new form factor and not simply reissue old models, as it has done to this point. Jony Ive and company like to design perfect products for specific niches, and this would be perhaps Apple’s biggest challenge yet.

But I guess I’ll believe it when I see it.

Image credit: Nak Studio

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

We’re two days away from Apple’s iPhone 5 unveiling in San Francisco, and not surprisingly, analysts are sharpening their sales estimates.

In particular, these prognosticators are interested in just how many iPhones Apple can sell before its 2012 fiscal year closes at the end of September. Rumors suggest that Apple will release the iPhone 5 on September 21, which gives the company just eight days to make iPhone 5 sales count for this fiscal year.

At the high end, Topeka Capital Market’s Brian White believes Apple can sell between 10 million and 12 million iPhone 5s this month, while Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster aims a bit lower with an 8 million estimate (from a range of 6 million to 10 million units). Janney analyst Bill Choi is mostly in line with Munster, with his 7 million to 10 million sales prediction.

Late last month, Baird analyst William Power predicted that Apple could sell 50 million iPhone 5s in the U.S. alone in its launch quarter — though his prediction likely assumed Apple had a full quarter to work with, and not just eight days. Last year, Apple sold a record 37 million iPhones  (both old and new models) during the iPhone 4S launch quarter.

Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank’s Chris Whitmore predicts that the iPhone 5 is going to be Apple’s biggest smartphone upgrade yet — but at the same time, he doesn’t think it will have many surprises. Whitmore points to the many iPhone 5 rumors — which have predicted a longer 4-inch screen, LTE connectivity, and a smaller dock connector — as the main culprit.

Indeed, it must be tough for Apple to keep major iPhone 5 details under wraps, but we’re hoping that the company still manages to surprise us somehow. I argued earlier this year that iPhone 5 rumors would be a snoozefest, since many of the rumors about the phone have been around since last year (even before the iPhone 4S rumor).

Via Fortune, Apple Insider; Image via Vgoo

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

We know Apple is going to show off the iPhone 5 (or whatever it’s called) at its media event on September 12, but a release date is still up in the air.

So far, rumors point to September 21 as the iPhone 5 release. Now, a FedEx warning to employees is making that rumor seem even more believable.

FedEx is reportedly planning for a major “surge volume” event between September 21 and 24, according to MacRumors report. That fits in nicely with the past release date rumors, and it’s especially noteworthy since Apple typically relies on FedEx for device shipments.

The FedEx warning also lends some credence to a rumor that Apple would offer preorders for the iPhone 5 on September 12, right after announcing it. Last year, Apple waited three days after announcing the iPhone 4S before taking preorders. We’ve also heard that both AT&T and Verizon Wireless are blocking out employee vacation time in late September.

VentureBeat will be on the ground at next week’s iPhone 5 event, so check back here for some live coverage.

Photo via iLabFactory

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

As impressed as we were by Nokia’s new Lumia 920 and 820 Windows Phone 8 smartphones, it’s a shame that the company didn’t having pricing or release details to share earlier this week.

Now, the Verge and Techradar are reporting that the phones will hit AT&T on November 2, while Reuters points to a European launch later that month.

While no solid Windows Phone 8 release date is available yet, we’re expecting the updated OS to launch at the end of October. If so, the early November timing makes sense for Nokia, especially since it’s the flagship handset maker for Windows Phone. Still, if the phones were coming so soon, it’s surprising that Nokia couldn’t reveal the release date at its launch event this past Wednesday.

Pricing details, unfortunately, are still up in the air. But I’d be shocked if Nokia priced the Lumia 920 above $200 (on contract). And given that both Nokia and Microsoft will be contending with the iPhone 5′s release, which we’re hearing could be around September 21, the company could entice consumers to the Lumia 920 by pricing it around $150. As for the Lumia 820, I expect that to cost around $100 on contract.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

It seems the proof of the iPad Mini pudding might be found in read it later application Instapaper’s device stats. Founder Marco Arment says while checking his logs yesterday, two unfamiliar devices tried to access the app.

Arment said he saw “iPad 2,5″ and “iPad 2,6″ in the stats, which follow the nomenclature of Apple’s iPad versions — iPad 2,4 being the cheaper, but upgraded version of the iPad 2 released alongside the latest iPad — though they do not yet exist in the market. Arment believes they may reference the rumored iPad mini, which some reports say might launch in the fall.

During Apple and Samsung’s patent trial, Samsung revealed an e-mail between Apple vice president Eddy Cue and a few of his colleagues in which he says the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs was willing to create a smaller version of the iPad.

“I believe there will be a 7-inch market and we should do one,” said Eddy in the e-mail. “I expressed this to Steve [Jobs] several times since Thanksgiving and he seemed very receptive the last time.”

Arment believes the two iPad references could be a nod toward the Wi-Fi and GSM versions of the iPad Mini, though he does mention the possibility that one of his users could be using a jail-broken phone made to trick people.

“But who would fake an oddly numbered iPad 2?” he said in his blog post. “A faker would almost certainly choose iPad4,1.”

It is rumored that the iPad Mini will launch in October after the iPhone 5, which is expected to be released on September 12. In the lead-up to that rumored date design company, iColorOS set up what it believes the next iPhone will look like, next to the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS. It’s notably longer and thinner than the other two. Check out the image right.

Interested in all the rumors floating around about the iPhone 5? Check out this post.

hat tip Wired, 9to5Mac; iPad Mini image via Repairgenius, iPhone comparison image via NoWhereElse

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

If you haven’t yet heard about the latest iPhone release, then you, my friend, can officially change your name to Patrick the Starfish, because you’ve been living under a rock.

Since Apple established the annual release cycle of its iconic smartphone, it seems like rumors about the next iPhone pop up only months after the latest launch. The mystique keeps us guessing, and the public sure is happy to keep the momentum alive. Over the last year we’ve heard of different iPhone lengths, the materials it will be made from, thinner casing, new battery, smaller charging dock, larger screens, new chips, and a lot more.

What do we know for sure? The latest operating system iOS 6 is in production and has some nifty new features for the next line of Apple mobile devices. These include a new maps application, Facebook integration, and Siri integration for the iPad (did we mention the iPad mini rumors?!). Some apps may be missing from iOS 6, however, such as the Google-owned property YouTube.

All signs also seem to point toward a launch date of September 12 with a ship date of September 21. It looks like both Verizon and AT&T blocked out employee vacation days during that time period, presumably so they can keep staff on hand for a big event like an iPhone launch. Sprint also cut its iPhone 4S pricing from $200 to $150 and offers free activation for purchases made online. Apple followed suit with its iPhone 4S pricing, but only if you ask for it at purchase.

Check out the infographic by MobilePhoneFinder below for all the rumors we’ve heard to date:

Produced by MobilePhoneFinder.com.au

Top image photoshop via Meghan Kelly

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Just yesterday we reported on a compelling argument for why Apple would separate its iPhone 5 and iPad Mini events, and now it looks like Apple will indeed debut its long-rumored smaller iPad in October, sources tell AllThingsD.

If true, the report means that the iPad Mini will likely debut alongside new iPod models. It would also give Apple a month to devote to hype for the iPhone 5, which is expected to be announced at a September 12 event.

While we’ve been using iPad Mini name as a placeholder for the new smaller tablet, Japanese blog Macotakara claims that will indeed be the name. That wouldn’t be too surprising, since it would harken back to Apple’s popular iPod Mini line.

Moving the iPad Mini event to Apple’s typical media event is somewhat telling — after all, when was the last you were truly excited by a new iPod? Apple could end up pitching the new iPad as more of a portable media device than the 10-inch iPad. We’ve heard that the smaller iPad could look a lot like a bigger iPod Touch as well (which is particularly funny, since that was a common criticism of the first iPad).

Macotakara also reports that the revamped iPod Nano could get Wi-Fi, which would make it ready for a future cloud-based iTunes service. At this point, I wouldn’t be too surprised if that prediction came true. The iPod Nano is still a strong seller, and Apple would want to keep it compatible with its new services.

Via MacRumors; Photo via Repairgenius

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

So far we’ve been hearing that Apple could debut both the iPhone 5 and smaller iPad at a September 12 media event, but with cold hard logic, No. 1 Apple fan John Gruber argues that it makes more sense for Apple to host two separate events.

It’s a convincing argument: After all, why would Apple want to have two major announcements share the spotlight, when it could whip up a media frenzy with multiple events?

Gruber’s post also led The Loop’s Jim Dalrymple to make a curious comment, “Oh, that Gruber is a smart fellow.” Dalrymple is known for confirming Apple rumors with a simple “Yep,” so his cryptic response this time around has many Apple watchers convinced that Gruber is spot on (or at least very close) with his prediction.

Apple has traditionally held a “music” event in October, when it debuts new iPhone models and makes announcements specifically related to the iTunes Store. According to Gruber, it makes sense for Apple to announce the iPad Mini at this event, since it will give the iPhone 5 the spotlight for at least a full month.

However the events pan out, this cryptic back-and-forth lends more weight to the idea of an iPad Mini. Surprisingly, we haven’t seen any leaked hardware online from the smaller iPad, even though plenty of supposed iPhone 5 hardware is floating around.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

The plethora of leaked iPhone 5 parts makes it easy to visualize what Apple’s new phone could look like, and now a new video compares some of those parts to the iPhone 4S.

The video, from the folks at SmartPhone Medic, shows the slightly longer front panel (expected to fit a 4-inch screen) as well as Apple’s smaller new dock connector. Unfortunately, it doesn’t give us a look at the unibody shell of the next iPhone, which according to current mockups will bring a nice slab of metal to the phone’s rear.

As for the smaller dock connector, a photo last night from a Veister.com representative shows us what a potential new charging cable for the iPhone 5 looks like. It’s tough to tell if the cable is legit, but we’ve been haring about the smaller dock connection for so long now, I wouldn’t be surprised if it is.

In other iPhone 5 news, LG announced today that it has started production of next-generation smartphone display panels, Reuters reports, which are widely expected to be used in the next iPhone.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 5 (or whatever it ends up being called) at a September 12 event, with a release to follow on September 21. That date seems particularly solid now that we’ve heard Verizon and AT&T are blocking out vacation times for employees around September 21.

Via MacRumors, iLounge

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Here’s yet another reason to gear up for the launch of the iPhone 5 on September 21: It looks like Verizon is blacking out vacation time from that date until September 30, a Verizon source tells TechCrunch.

That coincides with a report from last week that AT&T was preparing for the new iPhone launch by blacking out vacation days in late September. If the carriers are indeed closing off those vacation dates, then it’s a sign that they’re preparing for something big, hence the logical leap to the iPhone launch.

So far we’ve seen several reports that point to Apple holding an event on September 12 to announce the iPhone 5 (or whatever the heck it’ll be called), and potentially a smaller iPad. Most recently, we’ve heard that Apple will open up pre-orders for the new iPhone on September 12 as well. The reports have also indicated that September 21 would be the day Apple releases the new iPhone.

Based on the rumors so far, we expect the iPhone 5 to feature a longer (but not wider) 4-inch screen, a unibody design with metal on the back, and LTE 4G connectivity.

iPhone 5 case mockup via iLabFactory

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

We’ve seen a lot of leaked iPhone 5 parts, including a new battery and longer cases, but so far we’ve had to imagine how they would all fit together. Thankfully, a new diagram from the folks at iFixYouri makes sense of the madness.

Using what’s supposedly a leaked version of the next iPhone’s motherboard, the repair firm was able to make educated guesses of where many of the other leaked components would fit in, 9to5Mac reports. While it’s far from conclusive evidence that any of these parts are legitimate (especially since it’s not scaled to size), the diagram certainly hints at some interesting connections.

Or maybe we’re just reading way too much into images of mystery hardware.

Don’t expect the iPhone 5 rumors to slow down anytime soon. The closer we get to the phone’s announcement, currently expected on September 12, the more gadget geeks will scoop up any crumb of new information. And the potential for juicy revelations will be huge, since the next iPhone will likely be a major revamp on the iPhone 4′s design.

The next iPhone (which will likely just go by “iPhone,” like the new iPad) will likely sport a longer screen of around 4 inches (compared to the standard 3.5-inch screen), as well as a thinner body. Sharp has said that it will begin shipping displays to Apple this month, which should be enough time for Apple to make a September launch. Sprint has also lowered the price of its iPhone 4S models, which is a sign that it needs to clear out stock to make room for something new.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

There’s never a dull day in the world of iPhone component rumors.

The latest leak comes from 9to5Mac, which has published what it says is the battery for Apple’s next iPhone. While it’s physically identical to the current iPhone battery, it does feature a 1440 mAh battery, a slight bump up from the 1430 mAh batteries currently in use.

But there’s one problem if this battery turns out being legit: It’s not nearly big enough.

Right now, an LTE-ready iPhone 5 is basically a sure thing, which means that this battery can’t possibly belong to it. LTE, the next-generation of high-speed network connectivity, is a notorious battery hog, which is why manufacturers have been forced to give LTE phones hefty batteries to compensate.

For example, consider recent LTE phones like the HTC EVO 4G LTE and Droid Razr Maxx, which feature 2,000 mAh and 3,300 mAh batteries, respectively. In order for the next iPhone to offer any semblance of respectable battery life, it’s going to have to feature a battery with a similar capacity.

While there is a slight chance that the iPhone 5 will be optimized for better power consumption, it’s going to be tough for even Apple to tame the battery-draining beast that is LTE.

So, there are two possibilities: Either we will see a much more sizable battery in the next iPhone, or Apple is going to have to bundle Mophie battery cases with every device. Guess which one is more likely.

RIM is wounded, and predators are starting to pick up the scent.

RIM has attracted the attention of IBM, which may be interested in buying its Enterprise Services unit, a pair of sources told Bloomberg.

Enterprise Services is RIM’s bread and butter. It’s the link between BlackBerry devices and the software that manages them, and the unit generated at least $4.1 billion in revenue last year. It would take a pretty compelling offer from IBM for RIM to part with the unit, which is why the sale seems so unlikely.

(And if you doubt the importance of that $4.1 billion, consider that it’s almost the exact value of RIM’s recent market cap estimates.)

RIM isn’t saying much about the report. ”We don’t comment on rumors and speculation,”  Nick Manning, a company spokesman, told VentureBeat this morning. IBM also gave a “no comment” on the rumors.

While there’s very little to go on in the report, we do know that RIM CEO Thorstein Heins is extremely unlikely to go for a deal like this — at least at this point. Right now RIM is more interested in seeing how well its BlackBerry 10 devices do next year, so don’t expect any high-profile sale any time soon.

Photo: Shutterstock/Joanne Weston

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Apple already has stunning industrial design. Now the fruitarian Cupertino company is going all supermodel on us.

9-5 Mac played with the iOS Simulator app that Apple provides developers for testing and found that it works perfectly with an extra 176 pixels in height … meaning that Apple has enabled a higher screen resolution either for testing or, perhaps more likely, in preparation for the iPhone 5.

176 pixels more is exactly one additional row of icons on the home screen. And … it would be almost exactly a 16 x 9 ratio: perfect for high-def video entertainment.

To be specific, this means the iPhone 5 screen would be 640 pixels wide by 1,136 pixels tall, as opposed to the current model, which is 640 by 960. Presumably the screen resolution would stay the same at  326 pixels per inch.

In case you’re wondering, here’s how the new size would compare to the iPhone 4s:

Source: John Koetsier

iPhone 5 versus iPhone4s

While nothing is confirmed until it ships, this is consistent with both the rumors of a larger iPhone 5 screen and Steve Jobs’ obsession with making the phone, for lack of a better term, one-hand-able … not so large that ”you can’t get your hand around it.”

The current iPhone has a 3.5″ screen, while competitors such as the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III have 4.7- and 4.8-inch screens, respectively. A 640 x 1,136 iPhone 5 would be compatible with a rumored 4″ screen size.

More screen real estate is always welcome, but so is pocketability. And one-handed use is important to both Apple and busy, preoccupied users.

The new iPhone 5, if indeed these are the measurements, might just satisfy all three requirements.

Image credit: photofriday / Shutterstock.com

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Samsung is riding high on the Galaxy S III after selling 10 million phones in under two months, but as attractive as its new smartphone is, it still can’t compete against Apple when it comes to consumer demand.

According to the latest survey from ChangeWave Research, 14 percent of consumers said they were “very likely” to purchase an iPhone 5, while 17 percent were “somewhat likely.” In comparison, only 2 percent of those surveyed said they were very likely to get a Galaxy S III, and 7 percent said they were somewhat likely.

Apple’s next iPhone is expected to land sometime in the fall (likely in October like the iPhone 4S), so at least Samsung has a good lure for consumers who need a new smartphone right away. 19 percent of consumers said they were planning to buy a Samsung smartphone over the next three months, according to the ChangeWave survey.

The big takeaway is that demand for the iPhone 5 has reached far beyond demand for the iPhone 4S. ChangeWave’s numbers from last year showed that only 10 percent of consumers were very likely to get the 4S and 11.5 percent were somewhat likely. Given that the iPhone 4S is the most successful smartphone ever, with 4 million units sold in just its first weekend, you can expect the iPhone 5 to see even crazier numbers upon its release.

In other iPhone 5 news, it looks like all of those past rumors about a smaller dock connector are likely true. Two sources tell Reuters that the next iPhone will sport a smaller 19-pin connector, which should be considerably smaller than the wide 30-pin port that has been standard on the iPhone and iPods over the past decade. The new dock connector should allow Apple to make the iPhone thinner and to cram in more hardware.

Not surprisingly, the new dock connector will likely spur on a new wave of iPhone accessories. But I suspect Apple will offer some sort of of adapter to let the iPhone 5 work with older accessories.

Based on current rumors, Apple’s iPhone 5 is expected to feature a longer, 3.95-inch screen and a quad-core A6 processor. Various case leaks online have pointed to the longer screen as well as the smaller dock connector.

Updated: iMore, which was one of the first sites to report on news of the iPhone 5′s smaller dock connector, reports that Apple will indeed have an adapter available to let the new iPhone use older accessories.

iPhone 5 mockup via Niilo Autio

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

It looks like the rumors of a longer iPhone 5 may be true, at least according to leaked case images from this morning.

Several photos of the alleged next iPhone’s rear case hit the web today, some from the repair company iFixyouri and 9to5Mac, and others from uBreakiFix.

While the images are somewhat grainy, they look legit enough to warrant our interest, especially since they sport both the longer screen and smaller dock connector of the most reason iPhone 5 rumor. The metal portion of the rear cases also aligns with rumors we’ve been hearing since last year.

9to5Mac claims the Chinese supplier of its image is reliable and is already selling the part. The supplier also claims to have seen at least two other colors for the back plate beyond black and white.

Judging from the images, the next iPhone will likely be thinner (as expected). You can thank the smaller dock connector for that, as it opens up more internal space within the iPhone for Apple to stuff more hardware. 9to5Mac’s source also claims there’s extra space in the back of the case to enhance the phone’s speaker, which will be “louder and of a higher quality” than current iPhone speakers.

Update: We’ve added some higher resolution images from 9to5Mac, including a front case part that looks like it can hold a taller display. Notably, the front-casing camera has moved to the center of the iPhone, and the headphone jack is now located on the bottom (like the iPod Touch).

Nothing gets a company’s stock price moving quite like rumors of a Facebook acquisition.

The latest beneficiary is browser maker Opera, whose shares jumped 26 percent Tuesday on the speculation that it’s in Facebook’s acquisition crosshairs, Bloomberg notes. The move brought the share prices to its highest since the company began trading in 2004.

Rumors of the deal came last week, when Pocket-Lint reported that Facebook was mulling over buying Opera in an effort to increase its presence in the browser market.

The deal, of course, made sense. As VentureBeat’s Devindra Hardawar noted, buying Opera would give Facebook a big competitor to mobile browsers like Safari and Google’s Android Browser. It would also help solve Facebook’s general inability to make money on mobile, seeing as how Opera actually makes money in that realm. Sounds like a perfect fit.

Opera has also been in the midst of an expansion push, adding 150 million users of month in high-growth countries. Those could be the type of metrics that would attract Facebook’s attention.

As far as pricing goes, some analysts speculate that the deal could cost Facebook $1 billion.

What a difference a rumor makes. Samsung, which supplies some of Apple’s mobile parts, lost $10 billion off its market cap yesterday after a report surfaced that Apple had taken some of its business elsewhere.

Yesterday, DigiTimes reported that Apple turned to the financially troubled Elpida for a large order of dynamic random access memory, or DRAM. The Japanese company, which recently filed for bankruptcy, could act as an agent for keeping competition high and prices low among Apple suppliers, according to Reuters. And the move is already starting to take a toll on Apple’s current DRAM manufacturers.

South Korea’s Samsung and SK hynix both experienced major drops in stock. Samsung suffered a six percent loss, plummeting far enough to make it the largest drop the company has experienced in four years, says Reuters. SK Hynix also closed down nine percent.

While Apple and Samsung have had a seemingly strong relationship on the supplier side, the two are embattled in lawsuits over a large variety of infringement cases. Most recently, Samsung was effectively spanked by a California judge who said the company was taking too long to comply with discovery orders. The judge ordered that Samsung not be allowed to defend itself in that particular case using the evidence it failed to hand over in the discovery process.

via Reuters; Image via Kyle Taylor, Dream It. Do It. World Tour/Flickr

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

We’ve already seen a fair amount of rumors regarding a smaller iPad (our own sources pointed to Apple buying 7-inch screens), but now Apple’s biggest fan John Gruber is saying the company is testing smaller 7.85-inch iPads in its labs.

Speaking on The Talk Show podcast, the Daring Fireball writer said that the smaller iPad being tested runs the same 1024-by-768 resolution of the iPad 1 and iPad 2, which means apps should run just fine without any tweaking.  “I’ve heard from multiple people that this is something that they’re kind of noodling with,” Gruber said.

He went on to clarify it’s unclear if this small iPad will ever hit the market. It’s well-known that Apple likes to test all sorts of far-fetched products in its labs, most of which never get released. But as far as crazy Apple rumors go, I wouldn’t count out a smaller iPad. Such a device would be cheaper than the current iPad (likely even cheaper than the $400 iPad 2) and far more portable.

Most importantly, a smaller iPad could make sure Apple doesn’t lose too much ground to the cheaper $200 Kindle Fire, which has a 7-inch screen and remains the only Android tablet to take off with consumers.

Via The Next Web

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Now that the new iPad is out, the tech world is beginning to anxiously report on details about Apple’s next iPhone (let’s just call it the iPhone 5 for now).

But while it’s sometimes fun to dive into rumors, I’ve noticed that, this time around, the rumor-mill is particularly boring. And it will likely remain yawn-inducing until the next iPhone’s launch.

Why? Because we already went through this last year. In the run-up to the iPhone 4S’ release, there were multiple reports from trusted sites about a new iPhone with a slimmer design and a larger screen. We saw legitimate-looking iPhone 5 cases, and some fans even created a semi-realistic iPhone 5 mockup. And thanks to the new iPad, we can predict some of the features  — in particular, LTE 4G –  that the new iPhone will sport.

Aside from revealing a new naming scheme (and after the new iPad, we’re sort of expecting that as well), there seems to be little room left for iPhone 5 rumors to truly surprise us.

Take the latest bit of speculation from iMore, for example. The site reports the iPhone 5 will have a mini-dock connector that will allow more room for internal components (it already reported this back in February), LTE 4G (no surprise here), and a release in October (again, what pretty much everyone is expecting). iMore’s big revelation: the iPhone 5 may have a screen that’s the same 3.5-inch size as its predecessors (I’m hoping this one isn’t true). But the site also notes the decision hasn’t been finalized yet.

Earlier last week, we saw a far sketchier rumor from Reuters (via a South Korean newspaper) claiming the next iPhone would sport a 4.6-inch screen and would be released in the second quarter. While an extremely large iPhone screen seems interesting, everything else about that report rang false.

Those iPhone 5 rumors from last year didn’t just come out of thin air — they were likely just a year too early. Based on the past rumors, we expect a new iPhone with a radical redesign, a slightly larger screen, LTE (for sure), and a faster processor than the new iPad’s A5X (hopefully quad-core).

Like any iPhone owner, I’m excited to see what Apple comes up with next — but I’m far less amped for several months of rehashed rumors.

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