All Articles Tagged rumor

I recently tried out a friend’s battery charger case and my iPhone 3GS began to buzz and flash between locked, wallpaper, and temperature warning screens.

Not to be all Wall Street Journal about it, but according to sources in a position to know, this is not an uncommon problem and Apple is set to address it in the next firmware update, which should be coming soon — 3.1.

3.1 you ask? It’s what we asked as well, and were told the iPhone 3GS is already running what’s considered 3.0.1 and the next update would likely be 3.1 (though 3.0.2 or an “official” cross device 3.0.1 still sounds more like as a bug fix release to us).

Consider it a rumor for now, but at the very least, if your charging case is giving you headaches, rest assured help is on the way.

(And it’s recommended you don’t use it until the problem is addressed).

UPDATE: AT&T has a press release up. It’s for real.

A toss-away line in Walt Mossberg’s iPhone 3G S review (yep, it’s up already!) made us do a double take. Then a spit take. Then… (what other kinds of takes are there again?)

AT&T, stung by criticism in recent days, has just decided to offer the lower, new-customer prices at launch to iPhone 3G owners eligible for upgrades at any time up to Sept. 30 of this year, even if they were originally told they’d have to pay the $200 premium.

No, we don’t believe it either. But we’d love to believe it. AT&T, some confirmation?

If it’s true, it’s a catastrophically generous gesture from AT&T to it’s beaten (by network issues) and battered (by lack of MMS and tethering) customer base. In essence, it’s like handing every iPhone 3G upgrader $200 in cool hard cash. (That’s why we’re having such a hard time believing it!)

If it’s true, however, (and not to look a gift carrier in the mouth) what’s going to happen for those who already pre-ordered at the $499/$599 price?

Gearlive (via BGR) is reporting that Apple will not only announce the third generation “iPhone video” (that’s the name they use, so we’ll mirror it here) this Monday, June 8, but actually have it available for sale at Apple stores the same day.

it will be available in 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB models. A 4GB model is in the works as well, but it won’t be available on Monday, and when it is released, it won’t be sold in Apple Stores. All the things you’ve been seeing about an auto-focus camera, compass, etc. are all true. A camera on front along with a camera on back, that is the real deal - although it may just be for you to take video of yourself, and not for iChat video communication (although that would freaking rock.) A faster processor is also a lock (although I have heard nothing on additional RAM, it would make sense.)

Gearlive basically thinks Apple was going to release in July, but are rushing it up in an effort to counteract the release of the Palm Pre tomorrow, June 6.

TiPb isn’t so sure. Last year’s iPhone 3G was announced at WWDC on June 9, was cleared by the FCC that same day (presumably to prevent leaks), and went on sale July 11. Could iPhone video get announced, clear FCC, and hit the streets all in one day?

Also, last year Apple announced their carrier partners at WWDC, and those carrier partners spent the next month unveiling rate plans, upgrade paths, etc. Has AT&T, or any carrier, breathed a word about an MMS plan for iPhones? A way to upgrade from the iPhone 3G to the iPhone video? Would releasing the iPhone video not create an immediate customer service nightmare for Apple and AT&T as everyone showed up, nothing but questions to ask?

We don’t know. Only Apple does. We know we want it though, and figure you do too. But could Apple really release the iPhone video this Monday?!

Looks like some of those super-crazy iPhone 2,1 rumors might not have been so crazy after all. Or, at least, aren’t alone in their craziness. After some additional black-bezel rumors yesterday, today CrunchGear gives us a companion to the glowing Apple Logo rumor:

A tipster has seen the new matte iPhone and the bugger has a light-up Apple. That’s right: it lights the freak up.

Alrighty then. We go back to asking if it will multitask as a camera flash or notification light?

And what about that July 17 release date…

UPDATE: Full super-rumored specs list, via Engadget after the break!

ORIGINAL: Palm Pre announces a release date and all of a sudden iPhone and Apple blogs have to rumor up a next generation iPhone release date? Yep, that’s how we roll… right over the news cycles.

So when’s the rumor? July 17, 2009. And no, no idea if that’s an international roll-out like last year. Speaking of which, Apple introduced the iPhone 3G at WWDC 2008 and had it on sale July 11, so a similar pattern this year makes the kind of sense that does, even if July 17 just also happens to be the default date on every iCal instance in the world…

As to specs, pretty much what we’ve seen rumored already, 32GB, 3.5mp camera, video recording, digital compass, OLED screen, and here’s a kicker — illuminated Apple logo like the MacBooks.

How does that sound to you? Perfect timing? To soon? Too late? Too many crazy rumors, bring on WWDC already?!

[TUAW via AppleiPhoneApps]

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Yeah, this story is thin. iPod nano thin. But Wired (via MacRumors) is claiming that Apple recent Mac OS X 10.5.7 Leopard update gives netbooks running the software (aka Hackintoshs) a significant boost to battery life (up to 33%).

This has led to some speculation that Apple maybe — just maybe — built in better power management and other optimizations for lower end processors like the Intel Atom.

Of course, that type of speculation is but one tiny little step to yet more rumors of Apple preparing to launch a netbook-like laptop of their own (or perhaps a full own OS X iTablet).

Hope springs eternal… especially when spring is right before WWDC. TiPb’s still leaning towards a larger-screened iPod touch as being more likely, but what do you think?

MacRumors, via a user in their forums, is reporting that iTunes 8.2 could have some Blu-Ray functionality? Check out their post for details.

Steve Jobs famously called Blu-Ray licensing a “bag of hurt” when asked about it previously, but there’s been some chatter to suggest licensing has been somewhat de-hurt-bagged recently. Still, Apple hasn’t announced any first-party Blu-Ray hardware, so we’re not sure what to make of this at the moment.

In any event, unless they start including iPhone-friendly “digital copies” for transfer directly from the BD disks, it won’t change things for our mobile devices anyway.

USA Today rumors hope for the US’ largest network:

Verizon (VZ) and Apple (AAPL) are discussing the possible development of an iPhone for Verizon, with the goal of introducing it next year, people familiar with the situation say.

Talks, claim their unnamed sources, began before Steve Jobs’ leave of absence. How would this effect the major players:

• Verizon would get the iPhone. Give Apple’s disinterest in CDMA, it would more likely be 4G LTE device, which Verizon has already been sniffing around. Given less than spectacular competitive launches of the Instinct and BlackBerry Storm, Verizon would get the highest profile smartphone on the fastest next-generation 4G LTE technology. Would it be ready by 2010? Either way, it would be a monstrous marketing coup that would prevent users from leaving the network for AT&T and may bring many who’d previously left running right back.

• AT&T last quarter had the iPhone to thank for a large part of their results. 40% of iPhone activations went to new customers and 75% of net new bill-paying customers were iPhone users. If Verizon were to get the iPhone, even if non-exclusively, it would likely be a huge roshambo to AT&T’s bottom line. (Like why AT&T is trying to extend it’s deal with Apple).

• Apple would gain access to Verizon’s monstrous user pool — people unwilling or unable to switch to AT&T for the iPhone. No carrier has complete coverage, after all, and Apple likely doesn’t want to see that large a group of customers left lying on the table.

We know many of you want to see your iPhone on Verizon, is 2010 soon enough for you? Or don’t you see AT&T giving up their golden exclusivity any time soon?

Okay, technically one was on Monday, but following up the story on Apple ordering netbook-class panels, Dow Jones (via MacRumors) is following up with the always popular anonymous sources, said to be two people close to the situation:

The mini laptop computers will likely have monitor screens that are between 9.7-inches and 10-inches, one person, who declined to be named, said.

Will this be the 12″ Powerbook replacement many have been clamoring for? Will Apple really leave iTablet and large-size iPod touch demanders hanging again? Or will they combine the two products and make a netbook-sized device with a detachable multitouch-screen that works like a tablet?

It would have to move components from the keyboard section to the screen, making the top thicker and the bottom thinner (a la HTC Advantage).

Would it run iPhone OS X, however, or would people demand Mac OS X, paving the way for a really small, highly optimized version of Snow Leopard? It is building in multi-touch and CoreLocation… And could it be combined with the next generation MobileMe for online storage and cloud functionality, synced both to the full-sized Mac and even more portable iPhone…

Either way, TiPb predicts a fun, rumor-filled 2009!

We’re still considering these iPhone nano rumors to be way over on the far side of fetched, by they just keep on keeping on, so here’s the latest (via MacRumors):

DigiTimes highlights a report from Taiwan’s Economic Daily News stating that two chip manufacturers, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and United Microelectronics Corporation, are expected to receive chip orders for Apple’s rumored iPhone nano. The report states that orders would likely come in March, leading to a June release of the iPhone nano at the earliest. [...] Meanwhile, American Technology Research analyst Brian Marshall believes that the iPhone nano will not initially be launched in the United States.

Marshall (via International Business Times) bases this claim on no word of AT&T testing an iPhone nano, and then leaps to the speculation that China would be a likely place to the launch the new device.

Aiya.