Hasta La Gadget!

Apple regularly likes to kickstart major launches with early retail openings, and it’s just confirmed that the natural order of things is intact: both its own stores as well as those for AT&T, Sprint and Verizon will open at 8AM local time on September 21st to take iPhone 5 sales from anyone who missed out on the pre-order rush. As for how well those pre-orders have gone so far? Apple’s statement on the subject doesn’t give us concrete numbers at this stage, but it certainly hints at an upbeat outlook:

“Pre-orders for iPhone 5 have been incredible,” said Apple spokeswoman, Natalie Kerris. “We’ve been completely blown away by the customer response.”

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Apple, carrier stores open at 8AM on September 21st for iPhone 5 sales, early pre-order tallies are ‘incredible’ originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 18:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

When we suggested it would be a good idea to stay up late (or wake up early) to guarantee a launch day iPhone 5, we meant it. Those bent on pre-ordering through the Apple Store saw the company’s online portal exhaust itself within an hour of the 3:01AM availability — faster than the iPhone 4 and 4S, and no doubt crushing the hopes of North Americans who value their sleep. Individual US carriers weren’t quite so quick to sell out, although they weren’t far behind. AT&T is now quoting two to three weeks for any new orders, and Verizon doesn’t see any new orders on their way until September 26th. Only Sprint is left taking pre-orders with the expectation that they’ll arrive next Friday, and it’s certain that the supply situation won’t get better in the near future. We’re curious to see just how many iPhones sell before the weekend is out, or even the day; given the briskness of pre-orders for the iPhone 4S last year, we wouldn’t be surprised to see some braggadocio from Apple or the carriers by the time Monday rolls around.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

iPhone 5 shipping times slip almost immediately to 2 weeks, early birds feel validated originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 14:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Apple, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon  | Email this | Comments

If you’re still struggling to decide which carrier to use for your iPhone 5, you may have had some of the decision made for you. Following statements by Verizon that hinted simultaneous voice and data still wouldn’t be an option despite the inclusion of LTE, which theoretically frees up CDMA for calls, we’ve confirmed with Apple spokesperson Natalie Harrison that this is indeed the case. It’s “not yet possible” to do side-by-side CDMA voice and LTE data on a “single-radio” design like the iPhone 5, she says. That’s technically true, although it may be a case of Apple wanting to keep hardware differences to a minimum between CDMA and GSM users. AnandTech founder Anand Lal Shimpi tells the New York Times that Verizon phones like the Galaxy S III, which don’t have this limit, follow a different approach: where Apple uses a second antenna to improve overall reception for a single connection, Samsung and other phone makers use theirs to keep both data and voice flowing in harmony. While it’s a tradeoff with its own benefits, the choice means that iPhone 5 units for Verizon, Sprint, and every other CDMA carrier still won’t let you check your e-mail in mid-call without WiFi. If that’s an issue, you’ll have to turn to AT&T (or T-Mobile with an unlocked phone) to get your fix.

Filed under: Cellphones

Apple confirms iPhone 5 won’t do simultaneous voice and LTE data on CDMA networks originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 20:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  New York Times  | Email this | Comments

Isis must have spoken too soon. Just days after the alliance committed to launching its mobile payment system in September, its marketing lead Jaymee Johnson has warned FierceMobileContent that the rollout won’t make the promised summer target. The delay is portrayed as a collection of minor hiccups, although we’re not bracing ourselves for a short wait: Isis plans to update us on the situation in October, and that suggests we won’t be making NFC-based purchases on Isis any sooner. It’s another disappointment for the future-is-now crowd hoping to leave cash behind — not that Apple and Google will object to a rival’s misstep.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Isis’ NFC mobile payments delayed past September target originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 17:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  FierceMobileContent  | Email this | Comments

If there’s a common barrier to playing with a Kinect controller, it’s free space. The sheer amount of necessary distance between sensor and player is fine for suburbanites with expansive living rooms, but not so hot for apartment dwellers. Thankfully, BitGym is doing its best to bring hands-free gaming to small spaces with a new Motion SDK for Android and iOS developers. The kit takes advantage of the front cameras on phones and tablets to track three-axis movement, leans and multiple players without any special hardware — and without necessarily rearranging the furniture. It’s built to work with Unity 3D and most common app code on both platforms, all with a reportedly low overhead for mobile processors. Just don’t anticipate any leaps and sidesteps in your loft for the next little while. Although the SDK is ready today, we won’t see shipping games built on the motion-friendly framework until early 2013.

Continue reading BitGym Motion SDK brings Kinect-style games to Android and iOS, no huge living room required (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Tablets, Mobile

BitGym Motion SDK brings Kinect-style games to Android and iOS, no huge living room required (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 03:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  BitGym  | Email this | Comments