iPhone 227

Tuesday, 10 May 2011

Redrawing the 4G Line: Is a “Fake” 4G Tagline Coming to the iPhone 5?

Reports indicate that iPhone users may be in for a colossal bait-and-switch with the iPhone 5, branding the next iPhone as a “4G” smartphone, due to its near-4G speeds, thanks to technologies like HSPA+. Read why Apple wouldn’t dare.

For those who love fast, reliable, seamless data rates for their iPhones, the famed and fabled 4G network continues to represent the Holy Grail of cellular wireless standards. It also remains elusive; while top mobile network providers like AT&T and Verizon continue to promise a 4G future to their smartphone users, the path to getting to that future seems more like a continuous circle than a straight line.

Of the many open questions about the iPhone 5 is whether or not it will be Apple’s first true 4G smartphone. Because mainstream adoption of true 4G still seems to be a way’s away, the prevailing logic up until recently has been that 4G may be more realistic for the iPhone 6 in 2012, rather than for the iPhone 5 in late summer 2011. But a recent fascinating insight from 9to5mac.com suggests that AT&T might try to brand a supercharged 3G HSPA+ iPhone 5 as “4G,” since the data rate would indeed peak within the 4G standards.

The article explains that AT&T has already started doing this with some of its other smartphone products that feature 14.4Mbps HSPA technology, deeming devices that run at 14.4Mbps as “4G.” Because the iPhone5 is likely to feature the same Qualcomm chips as the other smartphones that AT&T is branding as 4G, ”most industry watchers expect the next iPhone to run on some version of the Qualcomm chip that the Verizon has, which would let it do double radio duty and be operable on all US networks.”

You can read the entire article here.

Trying to navigate 3G, HSDPA, HSPA+, and 4G can be thorny: evolved HSPA+ can pump out data rates that approach the low end of 4G, but in theory only: typically they operate at 14.4Mbps. However, ITU-R data rate requirements promise up to 1 Gbit/s for 4G systems, well above what AT&T seems comfortable as calling 4G.

So, what’s the rush to call the iPhone 5 4G smartphone, even if it really isn’t?

The answer is simple: money. Just as many in the tech world looked to Apple to launch the first mainstream tablet device, so too has the iPhone become a critical milemarker for 4G: once the iPhone officially becomes a 4G smartphone, that will in essence usher in the 4G era. And once this happens, Apple — and all of the rest of the smartphone manufacturers and network service providers — will be able to cash in on the investments they’ve already made in 4G technology. After all, everyone is waiting for it to arrive.

But given the gravity of Apple sticking the 4G sticker on its iPhone, is it likely that Steve Jobs would ever run the risk of classifying the iPhone 5 as “4G” if it is nothing more than an HSPA+ 3G device? Moreover, would Apple ever allow AT&T to refer to the iPhone 5 as possessing “4G speeds?”

AT&T may be able to get away with calling the 14.4Mbps-clocked HPalm Veer 4G, HTC Inspire 4G and Motorola Atrix 4G smartphones as 4G, but branding the iPhone 5 as 4G is another matter indeed; if the iPhone 5 is called “4G,” it better adhere to true 4G standards.

If you process all of the rumors and desired features for the iPhone 5g, one quickly comes to realize that the success of the next iPhone does not hinge on it being a true 4G phone. Take a quick gander at our ongoing poll on this blog’s iPhone 5 Features page, and you’ll see that 4G capabilities are behind other desired features, such as a larger screen, better battery, and 8 megapixel camera.

Furthermore, we also know that Steve Jobs takes a slow, steady, measured pace when it comes to adopting new standards and technologies for the iPhone. This is why Flash is still a no-show on the iPhone (which, ironically, comes in just behind 4G in our poll).

The bottom line is this: if the iPhone 5 gets branded as a 4G smartphone without truly qualifying for 4G speeds, the tech media will dime out Apple en masse. Similar to doing a simple refresh and/or naming the next iPhone the “iPhone 4s,” calling it a 4G when it is in fact a beefed up 3G will be a critical marketing mistake for Apple, since iPhone users’ collective tech I.Q. is too high to be that easily fooled.

And because Apple and Stev e Jobs knows this, you can rest assured that the iPhone 5 won’t be 4G unless it really is 4G.

iPhone 5 again rumored to have NFC

It’s a game of rumor volleying when it comes to the iPhone 5 and Near Field Communication. Early rumors suggested the iPhone 5 would include NFC technology, but recent information from UK-based The Independent hinted Apple would launch its own NFC-based payment system with the iPhone 6. Now that we have adapted to the idea of an NFC-less iPhone5, Forbes has charged in with another rumor that places NFC back in the upcoming smartphone.

The source of this rumor is a friend of an entrepreneur who is working with Apple on a “top secret” NFC product. The unnamed individual believes the fruits of the friend’s labor will debut in the iPhone 5. The source also claims manufacturers of NFC readers are preparing for a deluge of business when the iPhone 5g hits this summer.

While the possibility of NFC is exciting, the Forbes report is based on second-hand information and cannot be corroborated. Yes, it is possible the iPhone 5 will include an NFC mobile payment system, but it is not a guarantee by any stretch of the imagination. Sit tight and wait for the iPhone 5 rumor mill to kick into overdrive in the next few months before you start investing in VeriFone and other NFC makers.

Apple Partners With Nuance For Voice Recognition Technology In iOS 5 Rather Than Microsoft?

Couple of days back, we reported that Apple was negotiating with Nuance Communications to use its voice recognition technology in iOS 5 – the next generation iOS that will be unveiled at WWDC 2011 next month.

TechCrunch has just reported that they’ve received some more interesting information from their source about Apple’s partnership with Nuance.

According to TechCrunch:

Apple is already using Nuance voice recognition technology in their new data center in North Carolina.
Apple is expected to announce the partnership at WWDC 2011.
Apple may also be running their hardware so that it can process the information faster and also avoid sending data to third party servers.
As rumored earlier, Siri’s artificial intelligence and assistance technology has been “deeply integrated” into iOS 5.

We won’t be surprised if Apple partners with Nuance for the voice recognition technology that drives Siri’s personal assistant iPhone app as it is a leader in this space and also holds wide range of patents. It makes a lot more sense than buying the company, which currently has a market cap of $6.5 billion.

You can checkout the aerial view of Apple’s $1 billion data center in North Carolina:

TechCrunch also reports that Microsoft was pushing Apple to use its voice recognition technology:

one anonymous tipster who correctly knew other information about the two companies tells us that Microsoft had been pushing Apple hard to use their own voice recognition technology in iOS. That attempt was rebuffed, apparently. It will be Nuance all the way.

We’ve also heard that iOS 5 will be heavily built around the cloud and expected to include features like digital music locker that might be dubbed iCloud.

As of now, based on the rumors and speculations, iOS 5 will be all about the cloud and voice recognition technology. It looks like the day when we can tell our iPhone to give us directions to an empty parking spot in the area isn’t too far away (a combination of iOS 5′s speech recognition technology, turn-by-turn navigation apps like Navigon’s MobileNavigator, TomTom and apps like SFpark that allow iPhone users in San Francisco to find an empty parking spot). Voice recognition technology deeply integrated in iOS 5 will also make it a lot safer for such use cases as users won’t have to focus on the iPhone while driving.

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Droplist is a Fantastic List Maker with DropBox Support

There are 2 reasons why I like using a list maker on my iPhone. The first is because I am notoriously forgetful. Sometimes I have so much going on that I forget to do things if I don’t have them written down, or set in a reminder in my calendar.

The second reason is that I like to stay organized. While most list makers are kind of overkill for me, I was persistent on finding one that met my needs functionality wise, with a sharp user interface. After loads of searching, I finally came across Droplist…I wanted an application that would open quickly and give me the immediate options to create, edit, and delete lists. Droplist definitely meets those requirements, as there is no splash screen or confusing menus to sift through.

Once installed, you simply open up the application, and you are presented with an extremely simple interface. The main screen is called the Corkboard, which is where you can view and edit all of your previously made lists. There is also a button in the top right hand corner to allow you to create a new task.

The controls are very Apple-like, making the app easy to operate. Holding down on a list title or item allows you to edit, and swiping right allows you to delete. You can even choose to have an optional box next to a list item in order to manually check later as you complete the task.

Droplist also supports syncing with your DropBox account, so lists can be shared between your device and your computer. You can also set reminders for your lists, and get notified via the standard push notification system when a task is overdue.

DropList is feature-packed like some of the other options out there. But if you are like me and are looking for a lightweight list maker with a clean interface, this one is definitely top notch. If you haven’t checked it out yet, Droplist can be downloaded from the App Store for $1.99.

Have you tried Droplist? What app do you use to make todo lists?

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review: Photojojo Telephoto Lens for iPhone 4 camera (and 3G/3GS)

It’s a well-known fact that the digital zoom on the iPhone, even with the higher megapixel of the iPhone 4, is terrible if you use it to fully zoom in on an image. That’s why sometimes we end up taking a picture from far away, with a bit of zoom, and then perhaps crop it out later in a photo editing app.
Not anymore!
Photojojo has developed an actual telephoto lens for the iPhone 4 (as well as the iPhone 3G/3GS and Verizon model iPhone 4) that can attach itself to a protective case.The case itself is a thin, plastic shell that covers the iPhone from the sides. On my iPhone 4, the top and the bottom are not protected. However, there is a space on the side for full access to the volume and ringer buttons. The back will have a precise cutout for the camera and flash, but there is also a round bulge that allows the telephoto lens to connect to your iPhone.
The 8X telephoto lens itself is fairly small, being no taller than your thumb. It’s about an inch or so wide, so you can carry it around pretty easily without it being noticeable.

When the lens is on, you can launch a camera app on your phone and adjust the focus of the lens by twisting the focal ring. But it seems that no matter how much you focus the lens, there is a kind of tilt-shift effect, where the edges are slightly blurred with a sharper focus to the middle. If this is not the preferred look, the included tripod can be used for more stability and sharper overall focus.
The ball-and-socket joint of the tripod allows you to adjust your iPhone at any angle for your photographs. It’s stable and handy to have, but definitely not for candid snapshots. The tripod also does not stand by itself when the iPhone is in portrait mode – you must use the phone in landscape mode for the tripod to stand freely. Another option is to simply hold the iPhone in portrait mode while it’s in the tripod.
If you’ve ever needed to take close-up shots from afar, or even just want to get more creative with your iPhone photography, then the Telephoto Lens from Photojojo is a great fit for your iPhone.
Photojojo’s 8X Telephoto Lens for iPhone includes the case, lens, tripod, cleaning cloth, and a carrying pouch to store everything. This lens case is available for iPhone 3G/3GS and iPhone 4 (AT&T and Verizon compatible) for $35 from the Photojojo Store.

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