iPhone News

Cellular data plans not cutting it for content-hungry 4G LTE iPad users

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 21, 2012

That entry-level data plan you signed up for to go along your brand spanking new iPad? It's obsolete, thanks to the device's 4G LTE networking that allows for speeds easily exceeding your home broadband connection. As a result, folks planning on enjoying 4G speeds on the go may likely blow past through their monthly allowance in a couple days. Your mileage may wary, of course, depending on your mobile usage habits.

Here in the U.S., entry-level data plans for iPad begin at $15 or $30 a month, depending on your carrier. AT&T's entry-level 250MB plan will set you back $14.99 a month, with 2GB/5GB plans costing $30/$50 a month. Rival Verizon Wireless is offering 2GB/5GB/10GB tiers priced at $30/$50/$80 a month.

But even five gigabytes a month is conceivable insufficient when you stream high-definition movies and television shows to your device over 4G LTE networks, upload big photos to your social networks or edit and upload full HD movies to YouTube, etc. The Wall Street Journal has the full story (subscription required)...

Apple upping iPhone orders from Pegatron, iPad touch modules from Wintek

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 21, 2012

A pair of reports from Asian trade publication DigiTimes appeared this morning, asserting Apple's iPhone orders from contract manufacturer Pegatron are on the rise while the company is also looking to source more touch panel modules from Wintek in the following quarter. According to the first story sourced from market watchers, "Apple continues to raise its iPhone orders to Pegatron as well as placing orders for new iPad".

Pegatron, whose plants are up for inspection by the Fair Labor Association, reportedly found itself under fire over Asustek Zenbook orders, according to a story by Chinese-language Commercial Times (Google translation).

You may also recall that Pegatron is rumored to be keeping its fingers crossed to land manufacturing orders for the so-called iPad mini that the usually credible Wall Street Journal raved about.

Apple imposing Nano SIM standard on Motorola, RIM and Nokia

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 21, 2012

When Apple was designing the iPhone 4, the company had adopted the smaller Micro SIM format for space constraints. Smaller in size compared to the standard Mini SIMs, Micro SIMs do the exact same job while using less space. But with mobile devices getting even slimmer these days, even Micro SIMs waste too much valuable space inside thin mobile gadgets.

Apple thinks smaller is better so last summer the company submitted a new requirement to the European Telecoms Standards Body for the use of even smaller SIM cards in mobile phones (AT&T followed suit). But the battle over the upcoming Nano SIM standard has put Apple once again on a collision course with its rivals in the smartphone space, namely the opposing group led by Android maker Google and joined by the ailing BlackBerry maker Research In Motion and Nokia of Finland, reports the Financial Times (subscription required)...

Microsoft allegedly halting iPad purchases made with company funds

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 21, 2012

Just as the new iPad landed two weeks ago, taking off to a great start, software maker Microsoft is reportedly looking to put a ban on iPad purchases made with company funds. According to ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley, a new policy is being put in place by Microsoft’s Sales, Marketing, Services, IT, & Operations Group (SMSG) which sent an internal email to employees specifically stating that iPads and Macs are a no-go.

Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit makes Office and other utilities for the Mac, but the company also makes iPad peripherals and a number of apps for iOS devices, such as the MSN and SkyDrive programs. They're also rumored to have been working on bringing the full-blown Office suite to iPad, which would help Apple's tablet penetrate deeper into enterprise world.

Even though SMSG encompasses 46,000 Microsoft employees worldwide, it's unlikely that the ban Apple products will put a noticeable dent in the iPad's performance. Apple shipped 55 million iPads as of last December and is projected to sell 12 million units of the new model in this quarter alone, excluding iPad 2. An alleged email to Microsoft employees is included right below...

Siri updated in iOS 5.1 with deeper Yelp integration

Cody Lee ∙ March 21, 2012

Apparently Japanese support wasn't the only Siri-related enhancement Apple included in its recently-released software update. It looks like iOS 5.1 also brought deeper Yelp integration to the digital assistant.

Siri has always returned Yelp-rated businesses on a number of queries, but tapping those results haven't always taken you straight to the Yelp application. Well, now it does...

World of Warcraft producer says they’re looking into iPhone version

Cody Lee ∙ March 20, 2012

Ah World of Warcraft. The number one MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing game) is also likely the number one reason why gamers aged 12 - 60 don't see much sunlight. But that may not be the case for long.

Eurogamer recently spoke with WoW's senior producer John Lagrave about the possibility of Blizzard bringing the popular game to the iOS platform. And his comments are actually a lot more positive than you'd think...

Microscope analysis of A5X chip finds jumbo-sized GPU, 310% larger package

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

While guys over at iFixIt have done their trademark awesome job peeking under the new iPad's hood, one aspect of its bowels hasn't been scrutinized yet: the Apple-designed A5X chip labeled "S5L8945X" and fabbed on Samsung's 45-nanometer process. Enter silicon analysis firm Chipworks which just released a high-resolution photo depicting so-called "floorplans" of the A5X package.

Their analysis corroborates speculation on the A5X architecture and offers a fascinating insight into the innards of the A5X package. As you can see in the above shot, a large portion of the A5X's die is dedicated to the four graphic cores, found to be comparable to Nvidia's Tegra 3 chip in terms of speed.

Apple does not publicly specify the type of GPU/CPU used, but it's been widely rumored that the A5X packs in Imagination Technologies' PowerVR SGX543MP4 technology versus a dual core PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU found inside the A5 chip from iPad 2 (both pieces of silicon run dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore CPU). Read on for the nitty-gritty details depicted in the polysilicon die photos...

The new iPad review

Jeff Benjamin ∙ March 20, 2012

The new iPad. Two generations from the somewhat enigmatic, yet overwhelmingly successful debut, Apple’s latest tablet is firing on all cylinders.

No longer is there a question as to whether such a device has a place in people’s day to day lives, it’s now a question of how many such devices are necessary to have for one household.

Indeed, the iPad is about as mainstream as mainstream gets, only a few years removed from many pundits, including myself, questioning its viability.

The truth is that maybe only a handful of people knew how insanely successful Apple’s tablet would be, but now everyone but the most blinded of opposers is a believer. Even if you don’t own an Apple device, you’re compelled to give credit where credit is due...

Sprint reportedly readying Total Equipment Protection coverage for iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

Sprint, the third largest wireless provider in the United States, is reportedly in the process of readying its own warranty plan that should offer extended coverage to their iPhone customers, if a rumor published by SprintFeed is anything to go by.

The publication stopped short of saying whether Sprint's Total Equipment Protection coverage for the iPhone is anything like Apple's own AppleCare+ extended coverage that allows for two accidental damage repairs with a $49 service in exchange for a one-time payment of $99.

Just like AppleCare+, Sprint's Total Equipment Protection coverage reportedly will have to be purchased within a 30-day window. Sprint's regular Total Equipment Protection warranty covers both mechanical and accidental damage, loss or theft for a monthly payment of eight bucks. This translates to $96 a year or as much as $192 if matching a two-year span offered by the AppleCare+ coverage...

Leaked screenshot suggests Verizon shared data plans are coming soon

Jake Smith ∙ March 20, 2012

A new plan from Verizon that will allow its customers to share a data plan between their iPhone and iPad has been rumored to launch for quite awhile. In May of 2011, Verizon’s CFO Fran Shammo hinted towards it rolling out, but offered no time frame.

In January, we saw a picture of Verizon's back-end that hinted to the plan launching soon. Today, a screenshot of the family data usage calculator that will be used when first signing up for the plan has leaked, showing that the plan may be launching soon...

Heatgate looms as Consumer Reports launches probe confirming iPad overheating

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 21, 2018

An influential United States consumer advocacy group Consumer Reports is investigating online reports describing overheating issues experienced by some owners of the new iPad, which went on sale last Friday to sell three million units during the launch weekend. The consumer watchdog also runs a monthly magazine since 1936 that features exhaustive product reviews widely accepted as credible.

A preliminary report states that the tablet hits 116 degrees Fahrenheit, or a whopping 46 degrees Celzius, while running graphics-heavy games such as Infinity Blade II. According to Reuters, Consumer Reports will publish its full findings this coming Thursday "after finishing a battery of tests", per their spokesperson.

It's interesting to note that Consumer Reports last Saturday published a quick review of the new iPad on its blog, proclaiming Apple's device "the best tablet yet"...

Sprint bankruptcy a legitimate risk as Apple jumps on the LTE bandwagon

Cody Lee ∙ March 20, 2012

Sprint's stock fell 4% yesterday as investors reacted to a report that the risk of the carrier going bankrupt was increasing. Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett downgraded Sprint shares from "market-perform" to "underperform" based on the news.

While the company, which happens to be the third largest wireless provider in the US, has had a long string of poor quarters over the past few years, analysts had high hopes for the carrier after it finally became an iPhone partner late last fall...