SEO Werkt!

There’s never a dull day in the world of iPhone component rumors.

The latest leak comes from 9to5Mac, which has published what it says is the battery for Apple’s next iPhone. While it’s physically identical to the current iPhone battery, it does feature a 1440 mAh battery, a slight bump up from the 1430 mAh batteries currently in use.

But there’s one problem if this battery turns out being legit: It’s not nearly big enough.

Right now, an LTE-ready iPhone 5 is basically a sure thing, which means that this battery can’t possibly belong to it. LTE, the next-generation of high-speed network connectivity, is a notorious battery hog, which is why manufacturers have been forced to give LTE phones hefty batteries to compensate.

For example, consider recent LTE phones like the HTC EVO 4G LTE and Droid Razr Maxx, which feature 2,000 mAh and 3,300 mAh batteries, respectively. In order for the next iPhone to offer any semblance of respectable battery life, it’s going to have to feature a battery with a similar capacity.

While there is a slight chance that the iPhone 5 will be optimized for better power consumption, it’s going to be tough for even Apple to tame the battery-draining beast that is LTE.

So, there are two possibilities: Either we will see a much more sizable battery in the next iPhone, or Apple is going to have to bundle Mophie battery cases with every device. Guess which one is more likely.

Filed under: mobile

In the blogosphere’s continuing quest to assemble a virtual iPhone 5 before Apple unveils a real one in September, 9to5Mac has published images of what appears to be the next iPhone’s battery. Juicy stuff!

As expected, the battery is a bit larger than the last iPhone, but not by much. It jumps from 1430mAh in the iPhone 4S (up from 1420mAh in the iPhone 4) to a 1440 mAh battery. With the expected inclusion of LTE, plus Apple’s turn-by-turn mapping (which is a huge battery drain, at least in iOS 6 beta), we must simply hope that Apple’s dual-core SoC will use this relatively limited power source efficiently.

According to the label on the battery pack, it was created in June of this year, which is right in line with Apple’s iPhone 5 timing.

So what else can we expect in Apple’s next-gen iPhone? For one, a larger 4-inch display at a resolution of 1,136 x 640, along with a new two-tone back panel. You’ll also see a much smaller connector dock along the bottom, as Apple is allegedly replacing the worn out 30-pin dock Apple’s used for so long in its iThings with a 19-pin mini dock.

Of course, iOS 6 will ship with the device.

Well damn. If there wasn’t already enough fuel on the “new iPhone will have a taller screen” fire, 9to5Mac happened to discover something terribly interesting after playing with the iOS 6 simulator.

The full explanation can be found here, but in short they found when setting a simulated device’s screen resolution to 1136 x 640, iOS 6 would neatly arrange apps on the homescreen into five rows — a homescreen layout that the iPhone rumor mill has pointed to for the past few months.

Suffice it to say that wasn’t the case when they did the same thing in iOS 5.1 — all the app icons remained in four rows, though they were set further apart from each other to fill up that additional space. What’s more, changing the resolution in the iOS 6 simulator to anything but 1136 x 640 (and the standard 960 by 640, naturally) yields a sort of “iPad-like” layout with peculiar proportions.

It’s not exactly a smoking gun (finding a prototype unit a la Gizmodo would be ideal) but it’s pretty damning stuff nonetheless. Rumors of an iPhone with a taller screen have been circulating for what seems like ages now, and if that particular screen resolution sounds familiar, that’s because 9to5mac pointed to it as a likely suspect for the new iPhone back in May.

At the time, they (along with quite a few others) reported that a 4-inch screen would be doing all that pixel pushing, yet another bit of iPhone scuttlebutt that seems like a lock as we head into the final stretch. With a grand unveiling reportedly taking place just over a month from now, it’s little wonder that these juicy new tidbits are coming hard and fast — here’s hoping the suspense ends sooner rather than later.

Apple gave developers a temporary way to stem the flow of stolen in-app purchases today, after a Russian hacker published a technique for downloading goods without paying for them. The issue overall should be fixed in iOS 6, the company says.

According to 9to5Mac, Apple identified the issue in an e-mail to developers, saying it stems from a vulnerability in iOS 5.1 and earlier. Russian hacker Alexey V. Borodin exploited the vulnerability and later published a video to YouTube (which has since been removed) that explained how to use the hack. Here’s what the e-mail said:

A vulnerability has been discovered in iOS 5.1 and earlier related to validating in-app purchase receipts by connecting to the App Store server directly from an iOS device. An attacker can alter the DNS table to redirect these requests to a server controlled by the attacker. Using a certificate authority controlled by the attacker and installed on the device by the user, the attacker can issue a SSL certificate that fraudulently identifies the attacker’s server as an App Store server. When this fraudulent server is asked to validate an invalid receipt, it responds as if the receipt were valid.

iOS 6 will address this vulnerability. If your app follows the best practices described below then it is not affected by this attack.

Prior to the release of iOS 6, however, Apple urges developers to have in-app purchase receipts sent to personal servers for validation before being sent back to Apple’s App Store servers. It has also provided a bit of code developers can use to protect themselves. The hack is fairly user-friendly and doesn’t involve jail-breaking the phone, which makes it even more of a thorn in a developers’ side. This sort of stealing cuts off a major source of revenue for iOS developers, particularly those who make free-to-play apps.

After finding out about the hack, Apple went after Borodin, cutting off his IP address’ access to the company’s servers. It also asked Borodin’s Internet service provider to shut down his website, which was collecting donations to keep the hack running, and requested that YouTube take down the video he uploaded explaining the hack.

PayPal has since shut down donations to Borodin.

However, Borodin was later able to reinstate the website using an off-shore ISP and figured out a way to continue stealing in-app purchases without accessing the App Store. Apple responded Wednesday by sending in-app purchase receipts to developers with a UDID assigned to each one. The UDID is a means to identify a phone and could be used to see who is using the hack.

hat tip 9to5Mac; Screen shot via Borodin’s removed YouTube video

Filed under: mobile, VentureBeat

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson took the stage this afternoon at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference in Aspen, where he was asked about a recent report in 9toMac that AT&T might charge customers extra if they want to use FaceTime over 3G cellular networks (a feature that was announced for iOS 6).

The company previously offered a generic “we’ll share more information with our customers as it becomes available” statement with 9to5Mac. Stephenson didn’t go too much further, but he certainly didn’t rule the charge out.

“I’ve heard the same rumor,” he said, insisting that for now, AT&T is focused on working with Apple to get the technology stabilized, so “it’s too early to talk about pricing.”

Speaking of controversial pricing news from AT&T, Stephenson was also asked about the “toll free” data idea that been the company has been discussing, where app developers pay for their users’ data usage, either with a direct payment or by giving AT&T a cut of ad revenues.

Stephenson acknowledged that this is something people get “emotional” about (when the idea was first reported, our own Jordan Crook called it a “boondoggle”), but he compared it to toll-free, 1-800 phone numbers. Just as it helps Sears to pay the bill for calls from its customers, there are mobile companies that have “business models premised on traffic,” so why not pay to remove any barriers to that traffic? In fact, Stephenson claimed this is something that some of the content providers are asking AT&T for.

Another day, another leak.

On Friday we saw what was reported to be an iPhone 5 prototype unit, and today an entirely different version of the “iPhone 5″ casing has found its way on to the interwebs. Oddly enough, this latest leak looks an awful lot like images of iPhone 5 parts published by 9to5mac.

Of course, it’s possible that none of these leaks are the real thing, but it sure does help pass the time until Apple hops on stage in October. The latest leak comes by way of a Chinese site called Apple.pro who seemingly found the images on Photobucket. No one working at Apple would post a picture of the iPhone 5 on Photobucket, though that’s not to say that someone in the supply chain didn’t snap a pic or two.

Either way, I’m approaching this leak as I have all the others — with a massive salt shaker.

There are two “leaked” cases here: one white and one black. They show that the front-facing camera for video chat has been centered above the speaker grill. This matches up splendidly with images shown by 9to5mac, especially since this image also shows a taller screen with the same exact width and bezels as the iPhone 4/4S.

We’ve heard previously that the next-gen iPhone will have an aluminum (or metal) back panel, matching up more uniformly with the iPad and other Apple products. TechCrunch has also exclusively confirmed that the usual 30-pin dock will be replaced with a 19-pin mini connector. And lest we forget, a 4.08-inch display is also expected. Macotokara reports that production on the iPhone 5 has already begun, so we should see this bad boy no later than October, if not earlier.

Here is a larger version of this latest leak:

And here’s that 9to5mac pic that seems to line up:

Mark Gurman is the 18 year-old high school student and part-time Apple tracker at 9to5Mac who had a prodigious series of successful predictions leading up to this week’s Apple WWDC. His sources indicate that Apple will be unveiling Retina display versions of the MacBook Air in the near term:

Apple also working on MacBook Airs and iMacs with Retina Displays Mark Gurman via 9to5Mac

According to sources, the MacBook Retina Display that will debut at WWDC will not stay exclusive to Apple’s Pro notebook, but it will come down to the MacBook Air family as well.

Apple’s new MacBook Air will not see major changes across the entire computer like the next-generation MacBook Pro, but this update will truly be all about the Retina Display. The current MacBook Air form-factor is less than two years old. Just like the new iPad added components such as an A5X processor and 5MP camera to support the headlining 2048 x 1536 Retina Display, the new MacBook Air’s other enhanced components will be built-around the presentation of its gorgeous new screen.

Apple is preparing both new 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch models. These new Airs lack notable design changes, but feature fast and power-efficient Ivy Bridge processors and improved graphics engines to support the Retina Display, according to supply chain sources. The new Airs will also use improved Apple internal battery technology in order to support the battery life required by high-pixel-density screens such as the Retina Display, according to sources familiar with prototype versions of the super-thin notebook’s internal components.

I was considering buying a new 11” MacBook Air — mine is from late 2010 — but now I will wait. It would really make a big difference when using such a small screen.

As eager developers and journalists line up for Apple’s WWDC keynote this morning, some intriguing new details about Apple’s Mac hardware announcements have leaked out.

Among the scheduled hardware upgrades, Apple will offer the MacBook Air with up to 8 gigabytes of RAM and a 512 gigabyte SSD for storage, its first Mac Pro update in two years, and the long-awaited MacBook Pros with sharp Retina Displays, reports 9to5Mac.

Many of the upgrades have been expected and/or rumored for some time, so there’s not much left to surprise us. Though it sounds like you’ll be paying more than you thought for that Retina MacBook Pro — according to 9to5Mac’s sources, that machine’s high-end specs could surpass $4,000 in some countries. Even at the low-end, the Retina MacBook Pros look like powerhouses, as they start out with a 2.3 gigahertz quad-core processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD for storage.

The current details don’t mention anything about thinner MacBook Pros, which have been rumored for the past year, but we could still end up seeing them announced today.

It doesn’t look like much has changed with the MacBook Air, aside from the new high-end models with 8GB of RAM and higher capacity 512GB SS for the 13-inch model.  Like all of  Apple’s new hardware, the revamped MacBook Air will sport Ivy Bridge processors starting at 1.7 Ghz and 1.8 Ghz for the 11-inch and 13-inch models respectively.

The Mac Pro upgrades should make desktop power users especially happy. The lowest-end Mac Pro will start with a 3.2 Ghz quad-core processor, 6GB of RAM, a 1TB hard drive, and a Radeon 5770 graphics card. Of course, you’ll be able to mix and match all sorts of crazy hardware into the Mac Pro as well.

Among other new announcements, 9to5Mac notes that Apple may announce a refresh for its MagSafe power adapters, and it may also rebrand its current external CD drive as the “USB SuperDrive” (right now it’s the “MacBook Air Superdrive”).

We have several writers currently waiting to get into Apple’s WWDC keynote, so stay tuned here for official updates on Apple’s new hardware, iOS 6, and much more!

Filed under: VentureBeat

The iPhone 4S’ Siri voice assistant will finally land on the iPad this fall with the release of the iOS 6 operating system, 9to5Mac is reporting this morning.

The launch of the newest version of the iPad tablet went incredibly well for Apple, and we think it’s the best mass-market tablet available hands-down. But many were disappointed when the latest iPad model launched without support for the Siri voice assistant. Because the third edition of the iPad wasn’t lacking in power, there frankly was no excuse not to include Siri. Frankly, it looks like Apple kept Siri as an iPhone 4S exclusive to help with its celebrity-filled marketing.

But if 9to5Mac’s reporting turns out right (and it’s pretty easy to believe), the iPad will offer its own kind of Siri voice assistant in the coming months. Instead of taking up the whole screen like it does on the iPhone 4S, Siri will pop up from the bottom of the screen and keep a portion of the 9.7-inch panel free. (Check out 9to5Mac’s mockup here.)

The report indicates that Siri will likely launch for just the new iPad, which would certainly bum out iPad 2 owners (like me) and those who still have the first iPad. That would jive with Apple’s decision to keep Siri off of the iPhone 4 and earlier models.

Apple will no doubt debut iOS 6 at its upcoming WWDC conference, which will kick off on June 11. Keep your eyes peeled here next week for live coverage of that event.

Photo credit: Apple

Design is determining the winners in everything mobile. The most successful players are focusing on one thing: How to make products, services, and devices as compelling and delightful as possible – visually, and experientially. MobileBeat 2012, July 10-11 in San Francisco , is assembling the most elite minds to debate how UI/UX is transforming every aspect of the mobile economy, and where the opportunities lie. Register here.

Filed under: mobile, VentureBeat

Het waarheidsgehalte van dit soort geruchten is bijna nooit te achterhalen. Sterker nog, meestal blijken ze fake of niet juist. Een Chinese onderdelenfabrikant heeft een aantal kiekjes van iPhone 5 (of New iPhone) onderdelen naar 9to5Mac gestuurd……