iPhone 5

Is Samsung copying Apple’s paranoid secrecy?

Ed Sutherland ∙ January 15, 2013

First, South Korean smartphone maker Samsung tries to steal Apple's coolness, now the company is trying to mimic the California firm's penchant for secrecy. Samsung reportedly is now asking suppliers to sign non-disclosure agreements with penalties of up to $1 billion (you read that right).

The push for an NDA comes as Samsung Electronics is reportedly developing a next-generation Galaxy smartphone. At the heart of the secrecy agreements is preventing disclosure of product information, which has become an industry all of its own as Apple and its rivals alternately build hype while suppliers leak product details...

Survey: the iPad mini becomes ‘kid’s tablet’ for holiday gifts

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

We're still gaining insights from holiday sales of Apple products. The latest finding: the iPad mini is now dubbed the "kid's tablet" after one survey found post-Christmas usage of Apple's smaller tablet rose 270 percent among families with young children. The new data comes from the makers of Kindertown.

Kindertown makes an app which helps parents find child-suitable apps. Among other findings culled from the software's more than 200,000 users: while the iPad 4 was popular as a family gift, children also adopted the original iPad as a technological hand-me-down. Elsewhere, iPhone's were not a big gift item for this demographic, after-Christmas usage of Apple's handset not rising following the holidays...

iPhone 5 order cuts not nearly as severe as demand remains robust

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 15, 2013

After The Wall Street Journal relayed the vague and anonymously-sourced Nikkei newswire report on the supposed iPhone 5 order cuts amid what the Journal interpreted as a "weaker than expected" demand for the handset, nervous investors have immediately hit the panic button and punished the stock. Sane analysts, however, now are putting down the flames of the rumor, warning that the iPhone 5 demand remains robust as those order cuts aren't nearly as severed as originally reported...

Why Apple isn’t responding to vague claims of iPhone 5 order cuts

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 14, 2013

So Apple in a heartbeat dispatches its marketing honcho Phil Schiller to talk to a Chinese newspaper and kill the cheap iPhone chatter for fear the rumor might affect sales and yet the company remains completely mum on The Wall Street Journal article claiming iPhone 5 orders were cut in half amid what the author interpreted as a 'weaker than expected' demand.

It just doesn't make sense, no? I mean, the first rumor hasn't even had a chance to materially impact Apple's business while the other sent shares below $500 in pre-market trading this morning. What's going on here? Well, even if it wanted to, Apple couldn't officially respond to the rumor. Blame it on the United States government and its rules of the game...

Do reports of iPhone 5 part order cuts mean Apple’s in trouble?

Cody Lee ∙ January 14, 2013

The Wall Street Journal reported last night that Apple has been contacting suppliers to reduce iPhone 5 part orders due to 'weaker-than-expected demand.' The story has made some serious waves today, causing Apple's stock price to drop (at the time of writing) 16 points.

But for several industry watchers, including myself, the math on last night's report just doesn't add up...

AAPL tanks below $500 on ‘weaker than expected’ iPhone 5 demand rumor

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 27, 2017

AAPL fell briefly below $500 this morning following The Wall Street Journal and the Nikkei newswire reports of the iPhone 5 part orders halved amid what's being claimed a 'weaker-than-expected' global demand for the handset. Specifically, shares briefly sank to $497 in pre-market trading Monday as investors reacted to the news.

It's the first time since February 2012 that AAPL tanked below $500 a share. AAPL lost nearly 26 percent since a September 2012 all-time high of $705.07 a share. In the last three months alone, the Apple stock lost seventeen percent of its value. Rival Samsung seized its opportunity, having released this morning official numbers proving flourishing sales of its Galaxy S smartphone series, which surpassed the accumulated sales record of 100 million units (from the supply side) since its launch in May 2010...

Apple seen cutting iPhone 5 part orders due to weak demand

Cody Lee ∙ January 14, 2013

The Wall Street Journal issued a report late last night, claiming that it had it on good authority that Apple has been telling its suppliers to cut their iPhone 5 part orders due to, what is believed to be, weak demand.

The publication's sources, who — you guessed it, are familiar with the situation — say that Apple has cut orders for multiple iPhone 5 components, but say screen orders specifically have been cut by nearly 50 percent...

AL13: a slim aluminium bumper for your iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ January 12, 2013

Here at iDB, most of us have adopted the "no-case" policy for our iPhones. Cases are typically bulky, ugly, and although they are made to protect our handsets, they cover up the beautiful design Apple has worked so hard to achieve.

But the folks at the design firm 'm' think they have a cure for the common case. Their new AL13 is an ultra-thin bumper for the iPhone 4/5 that protects the device with lightweight aerospace aluminum without altering its look...

AT&T’s ‘best-ever’ smartphone sales hint at 8M iPhones in Q4 2012

Ed Sutherland ∙ January 9, 2013

What can be divined from AT&T's announcement of record smartphone sales during the holiday quarter? According to one Apple watcher, the fact that the Dallas-based carrier sold ten million Apple, Android and Windows smartphones likely means the bulk - more than eight million - were iPhones. According to Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster, during the holiday quarter of 2011, the wireless company sold 9.4 million smartphones, 7.6 million of which were Apple's handset. Because of that trend, Munster is forecasting 8.1 million iPhones were sold during the fourth quarter of 2012...

Walmart to begin offering the iPhone 5 through Straight Talk this week

Cody Lee ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Walmart and Straight Talk Wireless have issued a press release announcing that starting this Friday, the retail giant will begin offering the iPhone 5 through the popular prepaid service. The phone will come with a $45 unlimited talk, text and data plan, and no contract. And Walmart will be offering special financing for those who can't pay for the device up front...

Translucent mod kit for the iPhone 5 arrives

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 8, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5jUBKMkg_M

Modders are gonna have a field day with this new kit from iPhone5mod, the accessory firm that brought you cheap (and unofficial, of course) Lightning cables and adapters, docks, iPhone 5 backplate replacements and what not. So, if you're afraid of dings and scratches appearing on your brand spanking new iPhone 5 the instant you look at it the wrong way - but dislike cases and sleeves for their bulk and because they hide the beauty of your 'Rolex of smartphones' - you should check out iPhone5mod's new mod kit for the iPhone 5.

That is, assuming you're okay with voiding your warranty as you should look to pros who are adept at disassembling gadgets because half a dozen parts need replacing with their scratch-proof, anti-fingerprint, see-through counterparts. As a bonus, replacements for the top and bottom panels on the back come in seven interesting colors so you can mix'n'match them for some unique styles. Oh, once pimped up, your device will be even lighter...

Kantar: the iPhone is America’s top smartphone as Android falters

Ed Sutherland ∙ January 7, 2013

Apple's iOS is now the top-selling smartphone operating system in the United States, capturing for the first time more than 50 percent of sales, a new survey finds.

The improvement is the result of repeat iPhone buyers and new smartphone owners purchasing the discounted iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S, researchers say.

Android sales fell to 41.9 percent of the US market, a 10.9 percent drop during the same three-month period ended November 25. Meanwhile, Microsoft landed in third place, registering just 2.7 percent of smartphones sold domestically...