'iPhone 5' Silicone Sleeves Already Arriving at AT&T Retail Stores

Earlier today, we noted that Case-Mate cases for the redesigned "iPhone 5" had appeared in AT&T's inventory database. The addition yielded the interesting observation that AT&T is apparently placing orders for the cases despite the growing feeling that Apple may not be releasing such a device and instead releasing only the "iPhone 4S" design that is nearly identical to the iPhone 4. 

We now have evidence that cases for the rumored iPhone 5 redesign have already begun arriving at AT&T retail stores, as one reader has sent us alleged photos of iPhone 5 silicone sleeves that appear to have arrived at his AT&T store today. Like other cases for the rumored redesign of the iPhone 5, these cases appear to show a tapered design and the mute switch moved to the opposite side of the device. 

 

Third-party cases continue to be essentially the only evidence in favor of a redesigned iPhone 5 even as evidence for the iPhone 4S continues to mount in the form of parts leaks, inventory database listings, and other reports from sources.

 Source:Macrumors.com

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Physical Mockup of 'iPhone 5' with Tapered Design

Although hope for the redesigned iPhone 5 seen through third-party case designs is waning as evidence continues to stack up for the "iPhone 4S" design and no sign of the larger, tapered iPhone 5, that hasn't halted interest in the iPhone 5 design. 

And while we took a stab at some renderings of a potential iPhone 5 based on the case designs, benm.at has now taken things a significant step further and created a physical mockup of the device.

"Based on CAD designs, hardware components, several leaked hints, cases and recent, believable mockups we created a three-dimensional computer model. This virtual model was then used to build a very detailed, true prototype that you can hold in your own two hands. 

The process to create this prototype is the same that’s used to create the iPad. The back was machined from a sold block of aluminium, which was later treated with glass pearls to get the same slightly rough touch that we already know from the iPad."

The mockup offers an excellent view of what the rumored iPhone 5 design might look like, and while the actual device may not be making an appearance next week, it is possible that the design may have been from a prototype that Apple could be working toward for a future generation of the iPhone. 

Left to right: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, "iPhone 5" mockup

 Source:Macrumors.com

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Apple's 'N94' iPhone 4S Appears in Inventory Database

Yesterday, word surfaced that entries for revised iPhone 4 models had appeared in Apple's inventory database, but at the time there was no sign of new iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 models. 

Back cover of iPhone 4S
9to5Mac now reports that entries for an iPhone identified as "N94" have indeed appeared in the database, courtesy of reliable source "Mr. X". The N94 iPhone has been the subject of numerous parts leaks that have revealed it to be iPhone 4-like in appearance, with the device having been rumored to be called the iPhone 4S. 

With one of higher-end models of the N94 iPhone listed in the database with a model number of MD234, the developments may lend credence to a leaked photo of what was claimed to be a label for the white 16 GB iPhone 4S. That label, which surfaced on a Chinese forum yesterday, refers to the lower-end device as model number MD239. 

That label, presuming it is genuine, also makes reference to both IMEI and MEID numbers, which would indicate that the device is indeed a world-mode phone capable of operating on GSM (IMEI number) and CDMA (MEID number) networks. 

There continues to be no sign of the rumored redesigned iPhone 5 that has been the subject of much discussion since case designs based on a leaked design document began appearing several months ago. 

Mr. X also indicates that Apple's iPod touch line may be seeing some price drops next week, at least in international markets. It is unknown exactly what price points the iPod touch will come in at in the United States, as it is unclear how much of the international price adjustment is due to currency fluctuation and how much might be due to an actual price cut. 

The report suggests, however, that the entry-level 8 GB iPod touch could come in at $199 or below, down from its current $229 price point. The iPod touch is expected to see only very minor updates next week, with the addition of white models, improved ambient light sensors, and oleophobic coatings for the displays being the primary changes.

 Source:Macrumors.com

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'iPhone 5' to Support 21 Mbps HSPA+ '4G' Technology

Japanese blog Macotakara reports (via MacPost) that a China Unicom executive apparently confirmed during a presentation at this week's Macworld Asia that the "iPhone 5" set to be announced next week will indeed support HSPA+ sometimes-called "4G" technology, offering a maximum theoretical data speed of 21 Mbps (up from 7.2Mbps). A slide showing the information was photographed by Japanese site PC Watch.

"Japanese IT news site "PC Watch" tells that, Research vice president of China Unicom, Huan Wenliang, told iPhone 5 will support W-CDMA based high-speed data transfer standard HSPA Evolution "HSPA+" (21Mbps) at keynote speech in Macworld Asia 2011."

Many had been hoping that the next iPhone would support the even faster LTE 4G standard that has begun rolling out on a number of carriers, but rumors have consistently suggested that Apple will hold back on supporting the technology until appropriate chips of acceptable size and power consumption are available to meet Apple's needs. Apple has historically been conservative in adopting the latest cellular network technologies, having elected to release the original iPhone as an EDGE-only device even as many carriers were already rolling out 3G technology. 

Claims of the iPhone 5 supporting HSPA+ surfaced earlier this year, with many noting that the move would result in a significant network speed difference between AT&T and Verizon/Sprint customers in the United States. AT&T has rolled out the intermediary HSPA+ technology as a bridge to LTE, and has been calling HSPA+ "4G" in its marketing -- though many believe "3.5G" is a more accurate description. So, existing AT&T iPhone 4 owners upgrading should be able to see a speed boost if they live in a supported area. In comparison, Verizon's data speeds max out a theoretical maximum of 3.1 Mbps. Meanwhile, true 4G (LTE) support for both Verizon and AT&T is not expected until the 2012 iPhone model at the earliest. 

Qualcomm's world-mode MDM6600 chip found in the Verizon/CDMA iPhone 4 already supports 14.4 Mbps HSPA+, but the device itself is limited to CDMA networks. 

China Unicom is Apple's current carrier partner for the iPhone in China, although China Mobile and China Telecom are also working hard to secure the ability to offer the device.

 Source:Macrumors.com

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Chinese Authorities Break Up Counterfeit iPhone Ring

Counterfait iPhone 4

Chinese authorities have arrested five people in conjunction with manufacturing and sale of counterfait iPhones.

"Police said those arrested were part of an organised gang that bought components for the phones from Guangdong in southern China and assembled them in rented apartments in Shanghai, the Shanghai Daily said. 

About 200 fake iPhones were found during the crackdown. 

The cost to make one fake iPhone , which used some genuine parts, was around 2,000 yuan ($313). It was sold on unauthorised markets and on the Internet for around 4,000 yuan, only a few hundred yuan cheaper than the real iPhone, the newspaper said."

The counterfait iPhones were very good and almost like the real ones in the looks and functions, making it for the costumers very hard to distiguish.

In china there are many counterfait Apple products as also fake stores. It is unclear what role or if Apple played any role in the arrest of the five people involved.

Apple is expandig to China and along the expansion it tries to exterminate the black market of counterfait products.

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iTunes Music Store Goes Live in 12 New European Countries

Late yesterday, we reported that Apple appeared set to launch iTunes Music Store offerings in ten new countries, all from the European Union, "at any time". Reports are now flowing in from users in those countries that the music offerings have been gradually going live over the past few hours and are now essentially fully functional. 

Contrary to the earlier report from Polish media, all twelve European Countries that had been without iTunes Music Store access now appear to be offering music content to customers. The list of countries includes Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. 

Apple is also making other expansions to its iTunes Store content offerings today, with reports coming in from a number of European countries where users are seeing their first movie downloads available for rental and purchase and the first paid content coming to the iBookstore. 

Update: Pigs, Gourds, and Wikis reports that the iBookstore expansion includes 25 new countries, and authors and publishers are now able to select the new countries where they wish to distribute their works in iTunes Connect.

"Christian Peters just alerted me to the fact that he can choose Spain as a market for his books on the iBookstore. Before today, you could only choose US, UK, France, Germany, Australia, and Canada. 

Now, you can add twenty-five new markets for your iBooks: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Replublic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portgal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland."

 Source:Macrumors.com

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Survey Says 41% of US Mobile Phone Users Would Buy Redesigned iPhone 5

A new survey proffers the debatable conclusion that 41 percent of US consumers plan to buy the iPhone 5 according to mobile ad company InMobi. According to the survey, 50 percent of those planning to buy the next iPhone will do so within the first six months. It is expected that the iPhone will be made available to Sprint's 52 million customers, opening a new market to the smartphone for the first time. 

From PaidContent: 

"If consumers put their money where their mouths are, these numbers could go a long way to bumping up Apple’s overall market share in the UK and the U.S.. According to figures from Kantar Worldpanel, in Q2 Apple had an 18.3 percent share of the UK smartphone market; another research group, comScore, puts it around 20 percent. If people follow through with their purchasing intent, InMobi says this share would go up to 40 percent. In the U.S., the market share would grow to 41 percent."

Other surveys have shown similar demand for the next iPhone, with very high "intent-to-buy" numbers. 

However, InMobi notes that if Apple releases a mere product update -- perhaps called the iPhone 4S -- rather than a full product redesign, significantly fewer consumers will purchase the updated phone. If Apple is planning to release a completely redesigned iPhone 5, the company has kept it quiet. There have been very few solid leaks about the next-generation iPhone, aside from the release of some speculative teardrop-style case designs. 

PaidContent has much more detail on the survey and its results.

 Source:Macrumors.com

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Apple Adds Revised iPhone 4 and White iPod Touch Models to Inventory Database

Reliable source "Mr.X" relates that Apple has added three new iPod Touch models to it's internal inventory along revised iPhone 4 models. According to that report, the new codenames for the iPod Touch's are N81A. The threenew models are the three different capacities of the new White iPod Touch model. The current black one is built under the same codename as before, N81.

We can confirm that Apple is going to launch a white iPod Touch. This information lines up with the report of last week.

The black line will benefit from a new screen glass coating, said to be more oleophobic than the presentone and a new ambient light sensor.

The new units related to the iPhone 4 are marked with the code N90A. The current iPhone 4 is marked N90, the CMDA is N92 and the iPhone 4S is going to have N94, but it didn't was listed yet. The new two N90A based iPhone 4 units are most probably low-end units with 8GB of internal storage.

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Apple Rolling Out iTunes Movie Content in New European Countries

At the same time Apple is preparing to offer iTunes Music Store to 10 more EU countries, they are beginning to grant access to iTunes Movies for the countries that already have iTunes music store.

Movie from Danish iTunes Store

The stores from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands and Sweden offer allready movies but without a propper movie section. They can be reached by search.

Movie from Finnish iTunes Store

Content changes aren't limited to music and movies but also to books. In the Swiss iBookStore appeared paid content. The Swiss iBookSTore has been limited to free content primarily from the Project Gutenberg.

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Grove Introduces Bamboo Backs for MacBooks

Grove is known for offering bamboo cases for all the Apple products sich as the iPhone, iPad and the iPod Touch. The company now introduces bamboo plates for the MacBook series. They fit every size (11", 13", 15", 17").

Grove also does laser cuttouts for the back, allowing people to put on their very own logo to personalize their laptops even further.

Kelly Guimont at TUAW writes:

"I've seen these in person, and my initial impressions are all favorable. I saw one applied and removed and it pops off flawlessly. They really are thin, and they look really nice once installed. I also got to see a few of the logos in person and they are all wonderful."

The Bamboo Backs are made by Grove in Portland, Oregon. They sell them for $29 and ship in 1-2 weeks.

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iTunes Music Store Coming Soon to 10 New European Union Countries?

Apple is planning to expand his iTunes Music Store to another 10 EU countries . It isn't clear when but it could be anytime. Most probably next month.

The first countries to have iTunes introduced next month seem to be Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. The other seven are not specified. Of the 27 European Union member states, twelve currently do not offer iTunes Music Store services: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

Cyprus and Malta are the two counties that could be left outside because of their geographic position and becouse of their small population.

The iTunes Music Store is wide spread but adding 10 countries is very important and very big because Poland (38 million) and Romania (22 million) are the two countries with the most population from the list of the 10 candidates.

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