Hasta La Gadget!

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

Apple’s App Store has more smartphone apps than those of its competitors. But the sheer size of the library is not the only source of consternation for Google or Microsoft, which would both readily concede that it’s also important to obtain the kind of key apps, optimized apps and platform-first apps the iPhone enjoys. The iPhone’s commanding marketplace lead is due to several factors. These include the huge number and historical affluence of its users and the ease of its App Store.

The iPhone, though, was not the first phone to have apps. In fact, in its early days, it didn’t have apps at all as the company urged developers to create optimized web apps for the platform similar to what Mozilla is now advocating for its streamlined mobile operating system Boot2Gecko. Apple originally put its efforts into creating archetypical apps for tasks such as calling, browsing, email and mapping. Rather than open the iPhone to third-party developers at first, it handpicked partners for various features, such as Google for maps and Yahoo for weather and stocks.

Continue reading Switched On: iOS 6 gets back from the app

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software

Switched On: iOS 6 gets back from the app originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Sep 2012 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone line-sitting has never been a proud endeavor, but at least there was something pure about the diehards and wackos that set up shop outside Apple Stores for days, even weeks ahead of launch. This year? It’s just a bunch of sellouts and self-promoters. More »

Ready to hop on the iPhone 5 bandwagon after tuning into yesterday’s unveiling? Keep an eye on the clock and pull out a credit card, because Apple, AT&T, Sprint and Verizon will kick off online pre-orders tomorrow at 3:01AM (or at 12:01AM PT for folks on the West Coast). Sixth generation iPhones begin shipping on September 21st and start at $199.99 for 16GB models bound to two-year contracts. Those who relish a healthy dose of suspense can always test the hand of fate — and retail availability — by visiting Apple’s brick-and-mortar establishments at 8AM on launch day.

Continue reading PSA: iPhone 5 pre-orders kick off on September 14th at 3:01AM ET

Filed under: Cellphones

PSA: iPhone 5 pre-orders kick off on September 14th at 3:01AM ET originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 19:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink 9to5 Mac, Wired  |  AT&T (Twitter), Sprint  | Email this | Comments

It’s time to take a peek at the entirety of the iPhone 5‘s specifications, top to bottom, as the device hits the Apple Store online and we get our first full taste of Apple‘s new smartphone hero (be sure to have a look at our wrap-up of Apple’s big event). This device is the thinnest and lightest iPhone yet with a 4-inch Retina quality display up front and a new A6 chip under the hood. The iPhone 5 works with 4G LTE on a variety of networks both here in the USA and abroad and works with what Apple calls Ultrafast wireless or “LTE. The right way.” The iPhone 5 has a new set of earbuds called EarPods, a new dock connector called Lightning, and a boosted 8-megapixel “iSight” camera as well.

This device has an on/off sleep/wake button on top, a 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack at the bottom near two speaker grills and a Lightning connector. It’s got three microphones for HD recording, and two buttons on the left, one for turning the volume up and one for turning it down. Of course, the iPhone 5 also comes running iOS 6, which boasts a number of improvement and new features, including Apple’s new Maps app, Facebook and Passbook integration, and new Siri functionality (which includes support for additional languages). NOTE: Check out our full hands-on with the iPhone 5 soon in our Apple portal!

That A6 chip lends to “twice the CPU and graphics performance,” and that 8-megapixel iSight camera on the back comes with a sapphire crystal lens that not only provides “a crystal clear” image, but is also more durable than standard glass. The iPhone 5 takes advantage of Apple-developed single-radio LTE, and also has dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi support at its disposal. Even though the iPhone 5 comes with a brand new Lightning connector, users will be able to connect to legacy 30-pin devices through the use of a special adapter, so Apple has you covered there. On the front we also have a “FaceTime HD” 1.2-megapixel camera, capable of shooting in 720p.

So there you have it, the iPhone 5 is actually a thing and it’s already taken up residence on the Apple’s homepage. It’ll go up for pre-order later this week on September 14, and then Apple is set to begin its worldwide roll out of the new phone on September 21. Like iPhones in the past, this one comes in three different flavors: 16GB for $199, 32GB for $299, and 64GB for $399 (with a two-year agreement of course). Tell us – are you picking up the iPhone 5 next week?

iPhone 5 full details official as device hits Apple Store online is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The Apple Store is down, our liveblog is up, and the Apple event that’ll almost certainly be bringing on the iPhone 5 is less than an hour away! We’ve got several portals for you to jump in on the big Apple action for everything from software to various bits of hardware, starting with our liveblog portal at http://live.slashgear.com/. Next you’ll want to jump straight into our Apple portal for big news stories right as they’re announced straight from Apple!

If you’re so hungry for information that you’re going to burst right this second, you’re not alone! Have a peek at our pre-event round-ups of both hardware and software to keep your mouth from cracking apart with teeth grinding. In the Software rundown we’ve got all the information you can handle on iOS 6, the mobile operating system that the iPhone 5 will be running right out of the gate. For the Hardware wrap-up you’ll be seeing everything from the iPhone 5 to the iPod touch to the iPad mini – that more than likely being a device we’ll see later this year.

Stay tuned to our iOS 6 tag portal if you’re interested specifically in the software aspects throughout the day, and hit the iPhone 5 tag portal if you’re only interested in that device. We’ve got photos coming in as they’re taken in the live portal and we’re ready to stay on the case as it cracks all day long!

Starting times by region:
08:00AM – Hawaii
10:00AM – Pacific
11:00AM – Mountain
12:00PM NOON – Central
01:00PM – Eastern
02:00PM – São Paulo
06:00PM – London
07:00PM – Paris
09:00PM – Moscow
02:00AM – Tokyo (September 13th)
03:00AM – Australia (September 13th)

Check the short timeline below for additional last-minute leaks as well – and keep your scorecards handy!

iPhone 5 event liveblog starts in 1hr here on SlashGear! is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.