Category Archives: iPhone 6
New Patent Suggests Apple Working on 3D iPhone Tech [video]
We love us some patents here at RedmondPie, and Apple is one company that just likes to apply for patents as if the fate of the world depended on it.
Of course, this being Apple, their patent applications tend to get picked up by the technology press and then picked apart in the hope we find a future product or service hidden in there somewhere!
Today is one day when such a patent has reared its head, and this one appears to pertain to a spot of 3D technology, something that Apple has yet to bring to any of its devices, be they iOS or Mac.
AT&T Doubling Upgrade Fee to $36 From Feb 12th
If you’re planning to upgrade to iPhone 5 / iPhone 6 (depending on what Apple decides to call their next generation iPhone) then it has just got a little bit more expensive.
BGR reports that AT&T is increasing the upgrade fee charged when customers upgrade to a new handset on contract from $18 to $36.
The new upgrade fee goes into effect from Sunday, February 12th. BGR reported earlier:
Apple To Release Devices With Curved Glass Displays Next Year [REPORT]
According to a new report published today, Apple is looking to release handheld devices with curved displays next year.
The report comes from the usual bunch of imaginative folks on DigiTimes – a news outlet dedicated to covering the supply side of the semiconductor and electronics industry. They cite industry sourceswho claim that Apple has bought equipment for production of devices having curved glass displays.
Curved glass displays aren’t very mainstream at the moment; there is only one smartphone that we know of which comes with a curved display (marketed as Contour Display) i.e. that Google Nexus S. Apparently, smartphone manufacturers are looking towards curved touchscreens to gain an edge over Apple but, reportedly, Apple is interested in them too.
From DigiTimes:
Suppliers of the non-Apple camp are working on products with curved cover glass in attempts to gain a competitive edge in the handheld device market dominated by Apple, sources in the glass industry said.
But Apple reportedly also has bought glass polishing equipment for its suppliers in preparation for the production of devices fitted with curved cover glass.
If it turns out to be true, glass supply companies such as Lens Technology, Fuji Crystal and G-Techwill be the ones manufacturing the displays for Apple’s iPhone, iPod touch and iPad products.
Samsung Plans To Get iPhone 5 Banned in Korea; Official Hints At NFC Enabled iPhone 5?
Add Samsung’s lawyers to the list of people eagerly waiting for the launch of the iPhone 5.
A report carried by The Korea Times quotes a Samsung official saying that the company intends to seek a ban on the sales of the iPhone 5 in Korea as soon as the device lands on Korean shores. The official claims that every Apple device that includes mobile telecommunications in any possible form violates Samsung’s patents.
This move is a part of Samsung’s strategy of battling Apple’s lawsuits and injunctions by counter-suing the company in various countries claiming patent infringement. The company filed such suits against Apple in Japan, Germany, Australia and Korea. With regard to seeking a ban on the sales of the rumored iPhone 5, a Samsung official said:
“Just after the arrival of the iPhone 5 here, Samsung plans to take Apple to court here for its violation of Samsung’s wireless technology related patents. For as long as Apple does not drop mobile telecommunications functions, it would be impossible for it to sell its i-branded products without using our patents. We will stick to a strong stance against Apple during the lingering legal fights.”
Another Samsung official, on the same subject, said:
“We are taking different tactics since we are quite confident. If Samsung wins in Germany that will give us a big breakthrough and so will other envisioned efforts against such products as the iPhone 5.”
Redesigned iPhone 5 Will Come With 8-Megapixel Camera, Faster A5 Dual-Core Processor & Possibly Also Include NFC Chip
New York Times reports that according to an Apple employee who did not want to be named, iPhone 5 announcement is just weeks away, in line with what some of the rumors have suggested.
Interestingly, NYT also claims that the design of the Case-Mate cases that briefly showed up on their website few hours back are “authentic”.
NYT reports:
We’re just weeks away from the announcement of the new Apple iPhone 5, according to an Apple employee who asked not to be named because he was not allowed to speak publicly for the company.
On Thursday the technology blog Boy Genius Report posted images of a new iPhone case from the site of a company called Case-Mate. The images were visible on the company’s site for a short period of time before they were replaced with a curiously cryptic page that says, “We’ll have your cases when you have your new iPhone.”
From descriptions I’ve heard of the new iPhone from Apple employees, the images seemed potentially authentic.
NYT reports that according to an engineer familiar with the new iPhone, it will:
- be fairly different from the iPhone 4 — including on the inside
- come with an eight-megapixel camera
- have a faster A5 dual-core processor
A6 processors being built now at TSMC
A few weeks ago, we learned that Apple would likely abandon Samsung and turn to Taiwanese company TSMC for production of the A6 processor expected to power 2012′s iDevices. According to Reuters, Apple has indeed begun “trial manufacturing” of the A6 processor at TSMC.
If the company is able to crank out A6 chips quickly enough and with a low enough defect rate, Apple may select TSMC as the sole manufacturer of the A6 chip.
Currently, Samsung is the only manufacturer of the A5 chip that powers the iPad 2. The same chip will likely power the iPhone 5 and the next-gen iPod touch (if there is one). Samsung stands to lose a great deal of money if Apple turns to TSMC for production of the A6 chip that’s likely to power the iPad 3 and iPhone 6.
Samsung and Apple have
