Apple looking at bigger iPhone screens, multiple colors: sources

Apple Inc is exploring launching cheap iphone 4 cases with bigger screens, as well as cheaper models in a range of colors, over the next year, said four people with knowledge of the matter, as it takes a cue from rival Samsung Electronics.The moves, which are still under discussion, underscore how the California-based firm that once ruled the smartphone market is increasingly under threat from its aggressive South Korean competitor. Samsung has overtaken Apple in market share through the popularity of its bigger-screen Galaxy "phablets" and by flooding the market with a range of products at different prices.

Apple is looking at introducing at least two bigger iPhones next year - one with a 4.7-inch screen and one with a 5.7-inch screen - said the sources, including those in the supply chain in Asia. They said suppliers have been approached with plans for the larger screens, but noted it is still unclear whether Apple will actually launch its flagship product in the larger sizes.

cheap iphone 4s cases possible shift to offer what is often referred to as "phablets" - chunkier smartphones not quite big enough to qualify as tablets - comes as the long-time consumer and investor darling faces pressure to deliver more than one new handset model a year. Critics say its pace of innovation has slowed since the death of legendary co-founder Steve Jobs.

The iPhone 5 launched last September was the first to veer away from the Apple phone's 3.5-inch screen, which Jobs famously deemed "the perfect size for consumers" and had been used in every iPhone since the iconic device was unveiled in 2007.dfdf1323D

The current iPhone 5 has one of the smaller screens among the best-selling smartphones in the mobile market, where consumers spend more time browsing the web and streaming content. Samsung's Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 2 have 5-inch and 5.5-inch screens, respectively.

For this year, Apple is expected to launch two new models, widely referred to as the iPhone 5S, with new fingerprint technology, and a cheaper version in plastic casing, supply chain sources have said. Apple plans to dress up the cheaper phone in a range of 5-6 colors to differentiate it from the more expensive model that has traditionally come only in black and white.

The U.S. firm has discussed a price of $99 for the cheaper phone, the timing of which could slip to next year, one of the people said. It's not yet clear what the final price would be.apple accessories - whose revenue growth has decelerated from the heady days of 2010 when it introduced the iPad and when the iPhone was the world's top selling smartphone - has sought ways to re-energize its flagship line.

Analysts say the company needs a cheaper gadget to push on in growth markets in China and India, and to counter Samsung's edge in having phones priced up and down the spectrum. China, the world's biggest smartphone market, is set to grow 48 percent this year, outpacing the global increase of 31 percent, according to industry forecasts. While Apple only offers a single phone model across all markets, it has successfully marketed the iPod music player and its iPad in different sizes and at varying prices. Asked at last month's AllThingsD industry conference why Apple hasn't launched different sized best iphone 4s accessories, CEO Tim Cook said: "We haven't so far. That doesn't shut off the future."

He explained that the range of iPods serve different audiences and needs. "On the phone, that's the question. Are we now at a point to serve enough people that we need to do that?"Cook noted a larger screen comes with trade-offs on features such as battery life, resolution and brightness.

Test production for both the standard and cheaper iPhone models aims to start next month, with mass production ramping up in August to meet a September launch target, two people said."Trial production was originally planned to start in June, but the mixing of colors is taking longer than expected as Apple has very high and idealistic standards," said one source in Asia, adding 20 million plastic iPhones are expected to ship in the October-December quarter.

Japan's Sharp Corp and Japan Display and South Korea's LG Display will supply the panels for the aluminum iPhone 5S and the plastic iPhone, while Hon Hai Precision Industry will assemble the higher-end phone and Pegatron will put together the cheaper model.

Server logs hint at new versions of iPhone and iPad running iOS 7

In a routine scan of their logs, they noticed what appeared to be evidence of someone testing a new cheap iphone 4 cases and iPad using the new iOS 7.But Trademob Chief Executive Ravi Kamran said what caught the eye of folks at the company were identifiers for hardware they had not seen before. The known identifiers for current and past models of the iPhone and iPad can be seen here.

The last identifiers for the iPhone 5 were iPhone5,1 and iPhone5,2. The last identifier for the iPad was iPad3,6. But on the logs for what Kamran said were the "world's largest hotel booking app" and an app from one of the "world's largest gaming companies," his company spotted someone downloading the apps to devices with the identifiers iPhone6,2 and iPad4,2.

Kamran said he couldn't disclose the name of the company's partners whose apps were downloaded.Still, that pattern seemed to indicate that someone was testing how apps downloaded onto current and old gadgets, as well as new ones in the works, Kamran said. "We were like, 'Whoa!" he said. "Maybe we're getting a new cheap iphone 4s cases sooner than we expected."

In the case of the iPad, this would be the fifth version of the gadget. As for the iPhone, it's unclear from the logs whether it would be the iPhone 6 or iPhone 5S. The identifier numbers don't necessarily correspond to the version of the phone. For instance, the first iPhone 4 had an identifier of iPhone3,1.

Speculation has been that the company will likely launch a new iPhone this fall. The logs don't give any indication of what new specs and features it might have. Citi Research analyst Glen Yeung called this big-screen model iPhone 6 and said it is likely to be launched in the first quarter of 2014. This smartphone has come up as iPhone Math in previously leaks. Apart from the 4.8-inch screen, it is rumoured to have an 8MP camera, while other details are yet unknown.xc5CGsdh

Don’t expect anything on the new iPhone 5S or apple accessories, or whatever the next iteration of the popular mobile phone will be. That’s probably being saved for the usual fall release.

Today will all be about a new version of the iPhone and iPad operating system, also known as iOS. And it’s liable to be a big change from before.

Since the first iPhone debuted six years ago, its operating system has been based on one design philosophy, known as skeuomorphism, in which the look of the interface is based on textured, everyday household objects. For example, the "Game Center" feature is covered with green felt and wood trim, like a playing card table. The "Contacts" template is made to look like a day planner, and the best iphone 4s accessories and iPad clock looks like an old analog face with a ticking second hand.

Thief tells sob story to borrow woman's iPhone

Police are looking for a well-dressed thief who duped a 34-year-old Boca Raton woman with a baby stroller into handing over her cheap iphone 4 cases at the Town Center mall.Sandra Sanges exited the Glades Road shopping center at about 1:25 p.m. on Friday, according to a Boca Raton police incident report.

Around the same time, a white man in his 20s with short, spiky brown hair slipped out of a silver car and held up a cracked cell phone, said the victim's husband, Chris Sanges, 37. The man asked to borrow the victim's iPhone, police said, to call his mom. She handed it over and he jumped back into the driver's seat and sped off.

"I'm kind of disgusted by it," said Chris Sanges, who suspects his wife was targeted because she had a stroller and couldn't run after him.Boca Raton police spokesman Mark Economou said the incident is under investigation. He said the case is a reminder that iPhone thefts are an ongoing problem across the U.S. and that there are a few things that iPhone users can do to protect themselves.dfsWF2FR

Number one, he said, is to enable the Passcode Lock function, a tool that prevents unauthorized users from accessing a phone. It's important because it stops thieves from disabling the phone's GPS capability, and with it, the free-to-install Find My iPhone app, which works when set up with a user's iCloud account, Economou said.

The app is frequently used by law enforcement — and sometimes victims — to locate stolen cheap iphone 4s cases. In this case, Sanges said, it looks like the thief shut down the GPS function right away.Economou also said iPhone users should never talk on their phone while walking to and from their car."At that point you're very distracted about your surroundings," Economou said. "Walking and talking, it's not a good idea."

T-Mobile said the full price for the apple accessories, now at $629.99, is still lower than purchasing an unlocked iPhone 5, which typically costs $650.

T-Mobile also said users can take advantage of another promotion it has going on that lets them trade in an old iPhone 4S or iPhone 4 to bring the down payment cost of a new iPhone 5 to $0. That promotion lasts until June 16, which is Father's Day.

The T-Mobile iPhone 5's new price now brings it in line with that of the iphone 4s headphones, which also has a down payment of $149.99. Meanwhile, the HTC One, another top-of-the-line smartphone that came out in April, is still available with a down payment of $99.99.

Harvard liquidates Apple stake after iPhone sales drop

Harvard University, the world's wealthiest university, has liquidated its stake in cheap iphone 4 cases Inc. as the iPhone maker's shares tumbled after reaching a record high of $702.10 in September.

The university, which is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has a $30.7 billion endowment, sold shares valued at about $304,000, according to a quarterly filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The sale comes as growth in demand for the iPhone has lost steam and investors and consumers await new products from Tim Cook, the chief executive officer who replaced Steve Jobs.

Harvard's endowment owns about $1.1 billion of publicly traded securities, according to the filing that was released today and reflects the university's holdings as of March 31. It also liquidated $42.3 million of shares in Warnaco Group Inc., as well as a number of exchange-traded funds.

Like to go to the beach but hate worrying about your phone getting wet? InnoPocket now has the Amphibian waterproof case available for the cheap iphone 4s cases. The case has a 2-in-1 design that allows it to be used as an everyday shell case, and when going to the beach, you can add the waterproof casing. Not only does it protect your phone from water damage, but the touch screen and camera are able to be used underwater up to 33 feet. A lanyard can also be attached to keep the phone close to you.sfdD3Ssjh

Notably, Barrett expects the apple accessories to help with this switch to device based authentication."It's widely rumored that a large technology provider in Cupertino, Calif., will come out with a phone later this year that has a fingerprint reader on it," he said. "There is going to be a fingerprint enabled phone on the market later this year. Not just one, multiple." Elementary school kids in England got a glimpse of space through the lens of an iphone 4s headphones. A free iPhone game is available for those who are trying to quit smoking, hot on the heels of a successful iPad release.