iPhone

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Is Apple developing a physical gaming controller for iOS devices?

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 2, 2012

That Apple is toying with a bunch of varied gaming controller concepts is anything but unknown. Two years ago, an interesting Apple patent detailing an accessory for playing games with portable devices surfaced in the United States Patents & Trademark Office's database.

It was originally filed back in September of 2008, meaning the company had likely begun researching the invention ahead of the original iPhone debut five years ago. The patent outlines a few exciting gaming accessories for portable devices, such as a receptacle system of sorts that could let your iPod be inserted to play games.

Another highlight worth mentioning is a gaming controller featuring cameras, motion sensing, a dual-display configuration and physical buttons on the back coupling a multitouch surface on the front.

And now, AnandTech drops a little nugget with claims that yes, Apple is in fact working on a gaming controller for iPads and other iOS devices...

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Check out this “iPhone Pro” concept with DSLR lens mount

Cody Lee ∙ April 2, 2012

As most of you know, we love a good iPhone concept here on iDB. Concepts allow us to see what kind of features could be implemented in the handset if conventional design rules didn't exist. And they're fun to look at too.

This latest mockup, which comes from designer Choi Jinyoung, is certainly no exception. The iPhone Pro, as he calls it, comes fully loaded with a 4.5-inch display, a built-in nano projector and a DSLR lens mount...

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Nokia lampoons the iPhone with web videos ahead of Lumia 900 launch

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 1, 2017

AT&T is saying its high-profile launch of the Nokia Lumia 900 in the United States will dwarf the iPhone. We'll see about that, but if a new Smartphone Betatest website is anything to go by, the Finnish cell phone giant isn't afraid at all to take pot shots at the carrier's 'hero' device.

Specifically, Nokia-posted videos on the site allude to the iPhone 4's perceived weaknesses, including the infamous cellular reception issue that culminated under the controversial Antennagate headline in 2010.

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pod2g gives us a status update on iOS 5.1 jailbreak

Cody Lee ∙ March 30, 2012

When iOS 5.1 launched alongside Apple's new iPad earlier this month, we saw three different jailbreak methods quickly surface. But it seems like the trail has since gone cold, as we haven't heard any news on the jailbreak front in the past couple of weeks.

That, however, changed this morning, as infamous iOS hacker pod2g finally gave us an update regarding the status of the iOS 5.1 jailbreak. And just as we expected, it looks like it's going to be a while before we see a public release...

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RIM accuses Apple of dirty tricks as ETSI postpones vote on Nano SIM

Oliver Haslam ∙ March 30, 2012

Apple's push for a new SIM card standard dubbed Nano SIM is in troubled waters as BlackBerry maker Research in Motion has sent a letter out suggesting that foul play may be afoot. Meanwhile, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has postponed vote on Nano SIM due to a dispute between Apple and Nokia over Nano SIM patents.

RIM's letter claims Apple's own personnel register themselves as working for the competition in order to try and rig a vote that will decide the outcome of a bid to make the Nano SIM a new standard.

The Canadian firm believes that members of Apple's team have registered to vote claiming to work for Bell Mobility, SK Telekom and KT Corp. If true, Apple may have some answering to do...

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Forget wallet-case combos, this money clip attaches directly to your iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ March 29, 2012

If you're looking for a way to combine your wallet with your iPhone's carrying case, there are dozens of options. We've even covered a number of wallet-case combos right here on iDB.

But if you haven't come across a case that tickles your fancy, you might want to check this out. The iPhone Money Clip, made by Poddities, attaches directly to your iPhone 4 or 4S...

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One in three smartphones sold in the US is an iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 29, 2012

A new survey out of Nielsen today says nearly one in three of all smartphone users in the United States have an iPhone, or 32.1 percent. For comparison, 48 percent opted for an Android device, or nearly one in two. As for recent acquirers who got their smartphone within the last three months, 43 percent bought an iPhone versus 48 percent for Android.

Together, the two platforms pretty much own the entire US smartphone market. More important than this, in my opinion, is the overall U.S. smartphone penetration rate which approached the psychologically important 50 percent milestone during the month of February. How is smartphone penetration important?

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iOS earns Google four times the revenue of Android

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 24, 2016

Though Google does not profit directly by giving away Android software to phone vendors, they do take 30 percent cut on app sales, just like Apple. This is peanuts compared to Google's indirect, mobile advertising-based revenues. Understandably, of course, as Google's ad-based business model benefits from people using their many services on the go, such as maps and search.

The more people use Google on their handsets, the higher advertising revenues the company pulls. At Android's scale, it's easy to think that Google gets more revenue from Android phones and tablets than Apple's iPhones, iPads and iPod touches.

According to a newspaper article today, based on court documents, Android’s total revenue from the launch of handsets at the end of 2008 through to the end of 2011 was $543 million. Still, Google made four times as much revenue during the same period on iOS devices.

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Tim Cook views Android litigation as “a necessary evil”, not a thermonuclear option

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 11, 2017

Remember how Steve Jobs told his biographer Walter Isaacson that he is willing to wage a "thermonuclear war" on Android because it's "a stolen product"? Having already spent an estimated 100+ million dollars on war on Android, Apple certainly means business. Sadly, the larger contest between Apple and Google is nowhere near resolution.

According to a fascinating cover story by Bloomberg, Apple is in it for the long run. The company is well-aware that many people have yet to choose a smartphone, a decision which usually entails loyalty to that phone's operating system. Yup, it's all about the same ol' lock-in.

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Don’t want your free bumper case? Claim your $15 Antennagate settlement now

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 13, 2016

Remember Antennagate? As you know, a settlement was reached in the class-action lawsuit concerning the signal attenuation issue stemming from the iPhone 4 antenna design. The settlement includes Apple issuing a free iPhone bumper case or $15 to eligible iPhone 4 owners in the United States.

In case you don't want a free bumper case for your device, you can now register for a $15 cash payment at the official Antennagate class action settlement website which has just gone live. As always, there are some caveats worth pointing out...

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Windows Phone considered legitimate iPhone contender, but has no apps

Cody Lee ∙ March 28, 2012

Earlier today we reported that AT&T is preparing to launch the Nokia Lumia 900 — a Windows Phone handset that the carrier believes could outsell the iPhone when it debuts next month. And according to a new survey, that may not be as crazy as it sounds.

PC World recently conducted a large-scale survey for its annual Readers' Choice Awards. The poll collects consumer feedback on wireless carriers, mobile operating systems, and smartphones. And some of the results may surprise you...

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