Alex Heath

Apple to Sell More Phones than Anyone Else in 2011

Today, Digitimes published a forecast reporting that Apple will sell a staggering 86.4 million iPhones in 2011, blowing past Nokia to become the world's leading smartphone vendor. Apple is slated to see a 82% increase in shipments from the 47.5 million units shipped in 2010.

It was recently announced that Apple had already overtaken Nokia globally in terms of units manufactured, and Apple is also projected to overtake the Finnish juggernaut in shipment volume by year's end...

GameStop to Begin Selling Apple iDevice Lineup, Now Accepting Trade-Ins

As of this week, GameStop has begun accepting iDevice trade-ins at its retail outlets for in-store credit. 9to5Mac is reporting that GameStop will soon offer Apple's entire lineup of iDevices for sale, and it's speculated that GameStop is accepting new and used trade-ins first to make room for new products this Fall, like the iPhone 5.

Resellers are gearing up for a mass influx in used iPhone trade-ins, with Apple's next smartphone slated to make its debut before the end of next month.

Picks of the Week: Photo Stats, PhoneDrive, Match Panic

Every week, iDownloadBlog shows you a selection of app picks that we think are interesting. While we tend to choose apps from the App Store, we occasionally throw in a web or jailbreak app as well. This week, we've got three awesome App Store apps for you to check out. We hope you enjoy this week's picks!

Apple Manufacturers Begin iPhone 5 Production for October Release

A report from Japanese site Macotakara claims that Apple OEM manufacturers have begun iPhone 5 production for an October launch. Foxconn will allegedly assemble 85% of the units, with Petragon accounting for 15% of production volume.

While iPhone 5 units are being assembled, Apple has yet to install iOS 5 on the devices. This is due to the fact that iOS 5 is still in the final beta stages, and the software will be installed on the new hardware when it reaches its final GM version in the coming weeks.

How to Create Your Own Cydia Repo on the iPhone

In the jailbreak store known as Cydia, apps and tweaks are distributed by means of independent repositories. These 'repos' serve as distribution channels for offering Cydia packages to customers from different companies and developers.

While larger repos, like BigBoss, index hundreds and hundreds of Cydia packages for users to install, many smaller repos can tend to clutter up the Cydia experience. If you're interested in creating an independent repo of your favorite tweaks, or hosting your own packages in Cydia, there's an easy way to create your very own Cydia repo right on your iPhone...

SmartKeyboard Concept Gives the iPhone a Physical Keyboard Based on the iPad’s Smart Cover

When Apple introduced the iPad 2, the Smart Cover also debuted as a new accessory for the device. Apple designed the iPad 2 with magnets that interface with the Smart Cover to wake the device from sleep when opened.

The iPhone's virtual keyboard is a fantastic replacement for a physical keyboard, but some consider the lack of physical buttons to be the iPhone's main downfall. A genius new concept takes the Smart Cover approach to offering a detachable physical keyboard for the iPhone...

Play App Store Games on the Apple TV with Joypad

So far, Apple has missed a huge opportunity for gaming on the Apple TV. Short of a jailbreak and third party firmware, it's nearly impossible to do anything but stream and play back media on the set-top box.

The App Store is home to thousands of awesome games, and a new iOS app lets you play games on your Apple TV by turning your iDevice into NES-like controller...

Apple Gestapo Reportedly Impersonates Police in Attempt to Find Lost iPhone Prototype

This story keeps getting crazier and crazier. As you recall, we told you the other day that another next gen iPhone prototype was presumably lost at another bar in San Francisco. CNET reported the news, citing unknown sources.

The scandal got even juicier this morning when another report from The San Francisco Weekly unveiled that no police records for the incident actually existed. Apple hadn't opened an official investigation with the police. Instead, it's being reported that an Apple security team illegally impersonated police officers and searched a man's home for the lost iPhone 5 prototype...

Help Make this Cool iOS Jailbreak Game

It's a rare occasion that we stumble across a good game in Cydia, so it caught our eye when iEnthusiast mentioned that developer "ntrfc0" is working on a Zelda-themed iOS game for jailbreakers.

He has good ideas for the game, but he needs help from the community...