The countdown is over. See our updates below for the IPhone 5 specifications.

There are rumors already circling stating that it’s just going to be called the iPhone 5. Do you think so? We will find out shortly for sure. There have been numerous leaks ahead of Wednesday’s event, from individual components like screen size guestimates and dock plugs to full-fledged prototypes of the iPhone. Of course, all of these remain suspect until Apple makes it official. Some leaks even suggest that there will be new lineups for the Apple iPod but we don’t know for sure until about another hour and a half.

The press conference, which is expected to bring Apple’s next iPhone, takes place at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in downtown San Francisco and kicks off at 10 a.m. Pacific. CNET just so happens to be there and they have created a live blog for you to follow. Click here to see the blog updates. They will also be running live commentary from editors Molly Wood, Brian Tong and Donald Bell beginning at 9 a.m. PT. Some of you may want to see the live feed from Apple themselves but that’s not going to happen. There’s no live video of the presentation itself, which is the usual for Apple’s events so CNET is helping out by blogging it for us all to see.

To all the Apple lovers, what do you expect to see in the next iPhone? What would you like to see? Are you waiting patiently for the event to start? We sure are and we will be following CNET’s blog to get the best details. After you collect all of the information and feel like you need to share your opinion, come right back here and let’s talk about it. We want to know if you were shocked, surprised, excited etc. How does this big event today make you feel?

Source: CNET

[UPDATED]

Here’s what has gone on so far at the live event and what you can expect in the new IPhone 5:

• Name – Iphone 5
• Operating System – IOS 6
• Shipping – Possibly October 5th
• Made entirely of glass and aluminum with a metal backing
• Thinnest and lightest Iphone so far
• 7.6mm thick (18% thinner than the IPhone4)
• 20% lighter
• Retina display with a 4″ screen size
• 1136 x 640 resolution
• Old applications run letter boxed
• 44% more color saturation in the screen
• Ultra fast wireless
• LTE Support – Verizon, At&t and Sprint
• Max 100MBPS download speeds
• Single chip for voice and data
• A6 processor two times faster graphics and CPU, which is 22% smaller and more energy efficient
• Time shifted multi-player
• 8MP camera and a front facing camera (face time over cellular networks)
• Dynamic low light mode for camera
• 40% faster image capture in the camera
• Camera will have panorama mode
• Camera creates up to a 28 megapixel image
• Take photos while recording!!
• 3 microphones
• New, 80% smaller USB connector called “Lightning”
• Apple created adapters to work with the older accessories
• Turn by turn navigating from Siri
• Safari gets full screen mode

Do these specifications make you happy? Let us know how you feel in the comment section below.

#1 Android (Google Inc.) — 104.8 million units, 68.1 percent share (46.9 percent a year earlier)

#2 iOS (Apple Inc.’s iPhone) — 26.0 million units, 16.9 percent share (18.8 percent a year earlier)

#3 BlackBerry (Research in Motion Ltd.) — 7.4 million units, 4.8 percent share (11.5 percent a year earlier)

#4 Symbian (mostly used by Nokia Corp.) — 6.8 million units, 4.4 percent share (16.9 percent a year earlier)

#5 Windows (Microsoft Corp.) — 5.4 million units, 3.5 percent share (2.3 percent a year earlier)

#6 Linux — 3.5 million units, 2.3 percent share (3.0 percent a year earlier)

#7+ Others — 0.1 million units, 0.1 percent share (0.5 percent a year earlier)

The figures are a great reminder not only of the most popular devices but they let us keep up with what operating system is being used the most or the least. These are all important factors when it comes to knowing where the current operating systems stand as well as the development of newer technology. The figures show the developers of each operating system and device that they are either doing great, good or have more hard work to do. They can do the math! For you and I this means that we get to, as we always have, learn more with each new device and operating system while having fun at the same time. Surely these numbers come as no surprise to you, right? Let us know what you think!

Source: ABC / HTCPedia

May 23rd sounds a lot better than indefinitely!

Thanks to Inside Sprint Now for a little hope.

According to an Inside Sprint Now blog ALL pre-orders are in a “Pick and Pack” status. So wouldn’t that mean that the pre-orders are basically ready to go and we are really just waiting to find out what is happening on the legal side of things.

I personally like thinking that they will have enough on hand to ship out the orders all at once, but I am not sure how I feel about being told the phones are at customs when the above makes it sound like they are not.

What are you thoughts on this? Do you think that all orders are really ready to go like mentioned in the Inside Sprint Now blog? Do you think they are truly still sitting at customs? Is it possible that this is just a scheme in Apple’s master plan to sue everyone into dumbing down their products so Apple can catch up? ((Ok, maybe that last question was a bit “aggressive”.))

Thanks to Inside Sprint Now for their insight on the this story here: http://insidesprintnow.wordpress.com/2012/05/16/update-htc-evo-4g-lte-delayed-launch-status/

Word has it that HTC released the following statement:

The US availability of the HTC One X and HTC EVO 4G LTE has been delayed due to a standard U.S. Customs review of shipments that is required after an ITC exclusion order. We believe we are in compliance with the ruling and HTC is working closely with Customs to secure approval. The HTC One X and HTC Evo 4G LTE have been received enthusiastically by customers and we appreciate their patience as we work to get these products into their hands as soon as possible.

What do you think? Will this affect the pre-orders and in stores stock, just in store stock?

This news was first posted on The Verge.

Story developing…

Samsung has finally leaped over Apple to become the number one smartphone manufacturer.  Until Q1 2012, Apple was the world leader in smartphone sales, but IDC has released shipment figures showing Samsung leading the pack!

Apple did sell an impressive 35.1 million iPhones in Q1 of this year, but Samsung did better with 42.2 million units sold.  Nokia is also continually falling in market share where they once were the overwhelming leader of phone sales.   With the eminent release of the SGS3, Samsung could jump to an even more commanding lead since rumors point to an iPhone 5 October release!

Well, what we basically thought the new iPad was going to be is basically what it is.  Apple is calling it “the new iPad” so we’ll see if that name sticks or if you will actually have to say that when asking for it at the store.  Let’s talk specs:

*4G/LTE capable on Verizon and AT&T, and of course HSDPA and HSPA+

*5MP rear camera with “advanced optics,” all the others sensors and such, and 1080p HD recording.

*A5X dual-core CPU with a quad-core GPU means 4x the graphics performance and a faster chip while maintaining the same battery life

*Retina display at 2048×1536 means everything looks more crisp and clear and movies are going to look awesome on 3.1 million pixels.

*Form factor remains identical to the iPad2

You can get the 16GB WiFi model for $499 up to $829 for the 64GB WiFi + 3G/4G model.  This also drops the iPad2 price by $100 if you’re looking to get a good deal.  You can pre-order the new iPad online right now and be one of the first to own it, iPads generally sell out fast when they get released.

When comparing iOS to Android in terms of how well HTML5 web rendering can be done, Spaceport.io found that iOS smokes the competition.  The Galaxy Nexus, the Android device with the latest hardware and the very latest software, did the best as far as Android devices go, but it fell very short of the iPhone 4S.  Overall, it looks like Apple is way ahead of its competition in HTML5 rendering, although everyone has a ways to go before HTML5 becomes a significant daily player.

Take a look at the comparison below to get the concept of how the two largest mobile operating systems stacked up!

(via AllThingsD)

One of the main reasons people flocked to get a 4S was the introduction of Siri, a personal assistant and amazing voice recognition agent that has not been successfully emulated and is the envoy of the other phone operating systems at the moment.  Siri can perform hundreds of tasks by voice activation and even responds with witty remarks should you get creative with your voice commands.

Now, thanks to the iTweakers, you can now change Siri’s accent in a number of ways, using the app AnyVoice.

Some of the accents sound better than others, so try them out and see which one sounds best for you!

The app requires that you be jailbroken and is accessed via Cydia.  Just search for AnyVoice, install it, and there you have it!  If you would like to learn how to jailbreak your device, head over to our iPhone forums.

(via redmondpie)

In its injunction, Apple claims that the Galaxy Nexus violates four of Apple’s patents. These  include the “slide to unlock” feature, a word completion patent, one relating to search and Apple’s Siri voice recognition software and a data tapping related patent.

The Galaxy Nexus was first launched in late 2011.  Samsung collaborated on the smartphone heavily with Google thanks in part to the fact that the Galaxy Nexus was also the first smartphone installed with Google’s Android 4.0 operating system.

This is, of course, just the latest salvo in the patent war between Apple and Samsung. The two companies have been fighting this war in several countries. A few days ago, Apple lost a battle when a German court ruled that Samsung’s modified Galaxy Tab 10.1 N tablet could be sold in that country over Apple’s objections. Samsung also won the right to sell the original Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in Australia back in December.

*You know I like apple but this is just getting tedious and ridiculous that every time a phone sells better than the iphone they sue someone. I hope one day a judge will finally put Apple in their place and end this nonsense!

Thanks to neowin for the tip.

Back in October of this year Apple released the iPhone 4S, which too many was a letdown. The media had hyped up the rumored iPhone 5 which was thought to have had a 4 inch display, and much to our surprise Apple stuck with its traditional 3.5 inch display, while other Smartphone manufactures such as Apple’s rivalry Samsung,  are sporting a 4.3″ WVGA SUPER AMOLED Plus in their latest devices.

Now less that 2 months after its realse a new set of rumors are floating on the boards today. Hitachi Displays, Ltd. and Sony Mobile Display Corp. have reportedly already begun shipping 4-inch displays for the next iPhone and also displays for the iPad 3, slated for release next year, according to MacRumors.

Originally posted by Japanese website Macotakara:

According to Asian source, Hitachi Displays, Ltd. and Sony Mobile Display Corporation started to ship 4-inch LCD for new iOS device and LCD for iPad 3. These 2 companies will be merged their business with Toshiba Mobile Display Co., Ltd., as “Japan Display” in 2012 spring.

Let’s just say that we’ll need a little more in the way of evidence before we start pinning our hopes on the iPhone getting a larger display anytime soon. The report doesn’t specify which iOS device that the screens would be used for, but the most natural choice would be the next generation iPhone. Apple has been said to be exploring the use of a 4″ display for their upcoming iPhone. iLounge previously indicated that the 2012 iPhone would use a 4″ display.

“Adobe is all about enabling designers and developers to create the most expressive content possible, regardless of platform or technology. For more than a decade, Flash has enabled the richest content to be created and deployed on the web by reaching beyond what browsers could do. It has repeatedly served as a blueprint for standardizing new technologies in HTML.  Over the past two years, we’ve delivered Flash Player for mobile browsers and brought the full expressiveness of the web to many mobile devices.

However, HTML5 is now universally supported on major mobile devices, in some cases exclusively.  This makes HTML5 the best solution for creating and deploying content in the browser across mobile platforms. We are excited about this, and will continue our work with key players in the HTML community, including Google, Apple, Microsoft and RIM, to drive HTML5 innovation they can use to advance their mobile browsers.”

Developers of current Flash sites and applications will be able to be repackage their Flash content using Adobe Air. This is very good news for the industry because, after a period of adoption and transformation, all mobile devices will be able to view all web sites in [nearly] the same fashion. More from Adobe:

Our future work with Flash on mobile devices will be focused on enabling Flash developers to package native apps with Adobe AIR for all the major app stores. We will no longer continue to develop Flash Player in the browser to work with new mobile device configurations (chipset, browser, OS version, etc.) following the upcoming release of Flash Player 11.1 for Android and BlackBerry PlayBook. We will of course continue to provide critical bug fixes and security updates for existing device configurations. We will also allow our source code licensees to continue working on and release their own implementations.

Some contribute the recent announcement by Adobe to an open letter that the late Steve Jobs published in April, 2010 entitled “Thoughts on Flash.” In that letter Jobs stated that while Flash was a good, marketable choice for Adobe, he believed that they should instead put more effort into adopting a higher degree of HTML5 support.

So what should we think; is Adobe moving ahead or giving into the technology advancements of mobile devices? With these changes coming quickly, does this mean that Apple will sell even more iPads and iPhones, now that Flash will no longer be a factor? Is there any reason that Adobe shouldn’t do this? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

According to several threads on Apple’s support forum many users of the new iPhone 4S model are experiencing an audio echo during voice calls while using a wired headset. The bug seems doesn’t seem to be carrier specific.

Users claim the bug does not always occur immediately, it can vary anywhere from 30 seconds to 9 minutes later.  The bug as of now has only been associated with the use of a wired headset and when the headset is unplugged the annoying echo goes away.

Users have reported a workaround us to enable the handset’s speakerphone during a call one the echo begins and then disable it. This will restart the cycle, and the call quality will return to normal temporary until the echo begins again. This can be a vicious cycle for those iPhone users who spend a long period of time on the phone using a wired headset. Let’s hope Apple comes out with a fix or resolution to this soon.

(CNET)    Apple Co-founder and Chairman Steve Jobs died today.  He was 56.

Steve Jobs had been suffering for many years a long hard battle with a rare form of pancreatic cancer.  Apple announced in January  that he would be taking an indeterminate medical leave of absence. Jobs then stepped  down as chief executive in late August, citing his inability to “meet my duties and expectations” stemming from his illness.

Jobs started Apple with a high school friend in a  Silicon Valley garage in 1976, was forced out a decade later and returned in  1997 to rescue the company. During his second stint, it grew into the most  valuable technology company in the world with a market value of $351 billion.  Almost all that wealth has been created since Jobs’ return.

He was the reason many of us got into this industry, or even care about technology at all. He made the computer personal, and the smartphone fun. Bill Gates may have put a computer on every office desk, but it was Steve Jobs who put one in every dorm room and bedroom and living room. And then, years later, he repeated the trick, putting one in every bag and every pocket, thanks to the iPad and iPhone. If you use a computer or smartphone today, it is either one he created, or an imitation of his genius.

He changed the way movies are made, the way music is sold, the way stories are told, the very way we interact with the world around us. He helped us work, and gave us new ways to play. He was a myth made man.

Cultivating Apple’s countercultural sensibility and  a minimalist design ethic, Jobs rolled out one sensational product after  another, even in the face of the late-2000s recession and his own failing  health.

He helped change computers from a geeky hobbyist’s  obsession to a necessity of modern life at work and home, and in the process he  upended not just personal technology but the cellphone and music industries.

One of my more favorite Steve Jobs quotes was, “We used to dream about this stuff. Now we get to build it. It’s pretty great.” taken at the Keynote address at the Worldwide Developers Conference (June 2004). Steve helped us believe if you can dream it, it can come true. Steve Jobs was a true invetor and a pioneer of our times.

Goodbye, Mr. Jobs. We will miss you so very much.

Photos: The life of Steve Jobs

From Apple’s site if  you would like to share your thoughts, memories, and condolences, please email rememberingsteve@apple.com

Samsung waisted no time in going after Apple and the release of the iPhone 4S. Just a few hours after the announcement the director of PR sent out a helpful comparison chart showing how the iPhone 4S stacks up against the company’s newest flagship phones, the Galaxy S II.  The company also announced that they’re seeking to block sales of the iPhone in France and Italy, citing patent infringement. Sound familiar? This fight is going to be good.

Looking at hardware alone, you have to admit that Samsung has the advantage if you want a large screen and masses of storage. You also have to wonder how the iPhone 4S will stack up in a few months as new Android smartphones keep appearing such as the Samsung Nexus Prime.

With that being said let’s see  how the iPhone 4S stack up against the competition.

Samsung has filed two separate motions for preliminary injunctions in Paris, France and Milan, Italy on October 5th seeking to block the sale of Apple’s upcoming iPhone 4S in each respective market. The company posted the complaints on its corporate blog on Wednesday, just one day following the unveiling of Apple’s next-generation iPhone 4S smartphone. Samsung’s motions allege that Apple’s new smartphone infringes on two Samsung-owned patents related to wireless telecommunications technology, specifically Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) standards for 3G mobile handsets.

“The infringed technology is essential to the reliable functioning of telecom networks and devices and Samsung believes that Apple’s violation as being too severe and that the iPhone 4S should be barred from sales.”

“Apple has continued to flagrantly violate our intellectual property rights and free ride on our technology,” Samsung said in a blog post. “We believe it is now necessary to take legal action to protect our innovation.”

The move is hardly unexpected. Reports surfaced last month suggesting that Samsung was already planning to target Apple’s next-generation smartphone in a wave of patent attacks. Samsung then later went on record just days later stating that it planned to turn up the heat in its ongoing patent disputes with the Cupertino, California-based tech giant.

 For Sprint iPhone enthusiast yesterday was a day of good news, it was finally confirmed the third largest carrier in the U.S. would now carry the iPhone.

As promised, Apple shows off its latest iPhone Tuesday at “Let’s Talk iPhone Event”, and although the new handset was packed with new features and hardware like a new chip and improved camera, the general reaction was less than spectacular. Many had hoped to see the new rumored iPhone 5 released but this was not the case.

 On the carrier front, Sprint will become the third U.S. wireless provider to carry the iPhone, but it won’t come easy for the company. Like the other carriers, Sprint will have to buy the phones for around US$600 each, and then sell them at the suggested retail prices, starting at $199 with a two-year contract.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Sprint — the third-largest carrier in the U.S. and in a more difficult financial position relative to rivals AT&T and Verizon — made a commitment to purchase more than 30 million iPhones over the next four years. Neither Apple nor Sprint has confirmed that number.

The move has the potential to be a lifesaver for Sprint, especially as future iPhones with more advanced wireless capabilities come along. However, the initial capital could put a strain on current balance sheets.

John Feland, CEO of Argus Insights, said “It would make sense strategically for both companies. Sprint has the most mature and widespread true 4G network in the U.S. They are in desperate need of a winner. Apple needs a 4G network to push new experiences out to the iPhone faithful, especially in the face of competition heating up from Amazon.”

It’s a risky move for the company, but it’s the kind that can pay off well, especially when the company is in the position of going big or going home.

In my years of writing I have yet to see a day that makes me go WOW! Did that just happen. But today while opening the Internet became reality.

Steve Jobs effective immediately is no longer CEO. He resigned today for unknown reasons, although with his medical situations of late it would appear that that may be the primary reason. With a personal letter to Apple Board asking to execute the succession plan and announce Tim Cook as CEO.  They quickly voted him Chairman of the Board, however, so he can still help direct how the company operates without the heavy burden and long hours of being CEO.

Click here for the new brief from MSN.

Here is the resignation letter he gave to the board:

To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:

I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.

Steve

How do you think this will help or hurt the company? Do you think this will impact their idea’s marketing and overall devices? Let me know below PPCGeeks.

[UPDATE]

Tim Cook (new CEO of Apple) has released the following email to Apple employees assuring them that nothing is going to chage:

“Team:

I am looking forward to the amazing opportunity of serving as CEO of the most innovative company in the world. Joining Apple was the best decision I’ve ever made and it’s been the privilege of a lifetime to work for Apple and Steve for over 13 years. I share Steve’s optimism for Apple’s bright future.

Steve has been an incredible leader and mentor to me, as well as to the entire executive team and our amazing employees. We are really looking forward to Steve’s ongoing guidance and inspiration as our Chairman.

I want you to be confident that Apple is not going to change. I cherish and celebrate Apple’s unique principles and values. Steve built a company and culture that is unlike any other in the world and we are going to stay true to that—it is in our DNA. We are going to continue to make the best products in the world that delight our customers and make our employees incredibly proud of what they do.

I love Apple and I am looking forward to diving into my new role. All of the incredible support from the Board, the executive team and many of you has been inspiring. I am confident our best years lie ahead of us and that together we will continue to make Apple the magical place that it is.

Tim“

The chart Strategy Analytics shows it best:

RIM and Microsoft has made a slight increase as well, accounting for another 8%.  This all adds up to a real eye-opener for Apple seeing as Android is taking a large jump in sales and continue to come out with ‘bigger and better’ devices every day!

An interesting little interview mentioned over at droid life talkes about the NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang’s opinion that Android will overtake iPad eventually. He notes the use of NVDIA’s Quad-core chips and the interest in the new  Kal-el quad-core processor that he firmly believes will take Android tablets to the next level. Here is a quote from that interview:

“The Android phone took only two and a half years to achieve the momentum that we’re talking about. I would expect the same thing on Honeycomb tablets,” Huang told the Reuters Technology Summit in New York on Monday

We can see the changes / improvements / break-throughs Android makes almost daily with all the new devices coming out, open-source development and news releases seemingly hourly some days, so we know Google is making great strides. The wild card (as always it seems) is Apple…they have always been secretive and usually only releasing minor or needed tweaks/repairs until a major release blows the market away.

What do you think? It won’t be easy, nay take years and I am sure we will see a lot of broken transistors and cracked screens along the way, but does android have what it takes to overcome the iPad? I wouldn’t want to see either OS go down in flames, they both have their strong points, but it makes for a fun race that works out in our favor with competitors usually releasing better devices at lower prices…..Win-Win for us!!!

Sources: Droid-Life Sys-con TechRepublic

UPDATE:  It seems as if the first 10 complaints filed in march have been reviewed by the ITC, and the ITC has shot down 8 of the 10 patents and found HTC guilty of violating 2 of them. With 10 more still up for evaluation.

U.S. Patent No. 5,946,647 on a “system and method for performing an action on a structure in computer-generated data” – such as recognizing of phone numbers.

U.S. Patent No. 6,343,263 on a “real-time signal processing system for serially transmitted data”

Both patents seem to be over 15 years old and very generic.

As always, Apple is requesting a ban on all imports of HTC products. But don’t fret, HTC is expected to file a claim for an appeal. We may just have to wait for some time, occupying ourselves with other things such as partypoker and our other electronic devices. And Motorola is already working on getting those patents invalidated by the UPSTO.

If worse comes to show, HTC still has another trick up their sleeve in the form of S3 Graphics which it acquired recently.   A few month back, Apple has been found in violation of (2) S3 Graphics  patents by the ITC. Thus if the appeal fails, and Motorola is unable to invalidate those patents, HTC can always hold these 2 patents as a bargaining chip to achieve a cross licensing deal.

—–

So today Apple files a new patent complaint with the International Trade Commission looking to block the sale of several HTC devices it claims infringe on Apple patent. Apple recently filed a similar complaint with te ITC looking to block several Samsung smartphones and tablets. Apple feels that Samsung and HTC are copying the iPhone and iPad devices. The move was the latest in an ongoing legal battle between Samsung and Apple surrounding multiple patent disputes.

Apple’s patent disputes with HTC date back even further, however Apple filed first with a patent complaint against the Taiwan-based smartphone maker in early 2010. HTC responded by denying claims that it was infringing on Apple Patents, and the HTC later filed a counter suit in May 2010 alleging that Apple was in fact infringing on five of its patents.

The ITC Lawyer said ealier this year that siding with HTC in the patent disputes was best for the public, and today’s filing suggests that Apple is undeterred by the lawyer’s recent comments.

So what do you think is Apple just making these arguments to stay top-dog i nthe phone world? Or are companies like HTC, Samsung (and others possibly) really infringing on Apple’s patents? You tell us PPCGeekers!

Source: BGR