Hasta La Gadget!

This afternoon, Apple will finally lift the veil on its latest iPhone, lock in the goodies iOS 6 has in store, and maybe intro a new iPod or two. And we’ll be covering it all right here. More »

Tomorrow may well be the day that Apple reveals their next-generation iPhone 5, a device that’ll be bringing their newest mobile operating system, iOS 6, to the forefront. We’ve seen quite a bit of this operating system already as it was revealed in part as an “iOS 6 Preview” back at the developers conference known as WWDC 2012. Let’s have a look here at what iOS 6 is set to bring to the iPhone 5 before we liveblog the main event in less than 24 hours – it’ll be fun!

NOTE: We’ve also got a hardware round-up prepared for you for your pre-event consumption – have a peek!

One of the more important elements that Apple’s made clear here with iOS 6 is that it’ll be “free and easy to upgrade wirelessly on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.” This is a move that’s really not replicated at such an all-encompassing level by any other company at the moment, and now that it’s all wireless, it’s easier than ever before. Not all devices will be compatible with the upgrade, but chances are if you’ve got an Apple mobile device that was released in the past several years, aka everything except the oldest generation devices, you’ll be good to go.

Safari is still the web browser that you’ll be working with, and now you’ll be seeing iCloud Tabs to keep track of what you’re looking at – and were looking at recently – no matter what device you’re working with. This browser also has offline browsing so you can save pages you want to read on the airplane, and includes the ability to select and post images to webpages from your Camera role without leaving the app. This new OS comes with Lost mode and Find My Friends – your device will be able to transmit its location – if you want – even if you’ve not got it in your hands when you want it.

Guided Access is a new feature which allows you to turn off certain areas of the screen and/or your hardware buttons. This will be great for users hoping to use their device as a display for an art project or if they’re handing it off to a child who – believe it or not – is able to accidentally access the bits you don’t want them too – keep them in the game! Mail has also been bumped up with swipe-down for refresh, VIP list inclusion, and a much more streamlined user interface.

The Phone interface has been updated with Do Not Disturb, Reply with Message, and Remind Me Later buttons. Never again will you have to hang up on a call that you can’t take just because you can’t take it right that minute. If you’re planning on calling with video, you’ll be glad to find FaceTime now working with your cellular connection – before you had to rely on wi-fi for this video chat system to work.

Passbook is one of the more stimulating stand-alone app upgrades you’ll find in iOS 6 since it is indeed a whole new app that’s not existed on the standard build of the software before. With Passbook you’ve got a collection of cards you can use for various situations – there’s a Starbucks card you can fill up with cash, a set of coupons for various retailers, and Airline check-in cards as well.

You’ll be able to share your Photo Streams with new sharing tools, connected with iCloud to your Mac and back across your mobile devices and over to your Apple TV. It’s simple to use and works over wi-fi as well as cellular networks. Facebook is also much more present throughout iOS 6 than ever before – you can post directly to Facebook from a webpage in Safari without leaving that page. You can access your Facebook contacts and calendar right from your basic Contacts and Calendar apps. And of course the omnipotent “Like” button will be present in quite a few places.

Siri will be bringing you a collection of new languages and will now be able to give you sports scores and statistics, movie information – including a connection to Rotten Tomatoes, and restaurant information. Siri will also be able to set up a reservation for you at a local restaurant via OpenTable. Then there’s Maps – now using Apple’s non-Google interface and data sources. You’ll now have turn-by-turn directions, 3D follow-along live interaction (with live rerouting), and tappable nearby locations along your way – these will connect with Passbook cards as well – it’s all intertwined!

This new Maps app and interface includes traffic information and nearby alerts for construction, accidents, and the like, and you’ll have ETA information for your intended final destination. What’s set to be the most impressive element here with Apple’s new Maps in the visual spectrum is “Flyover”, a 3D map of cities able to show you not just where you’re going, but what the environment looks like as near to reality as you can get without actually being there.

See all this and more in both our Apple portal as well as our liveblogging portal, the big event set to bring on a whole new device – or set of devices – as well as iOS 6 in its final form. You’ll more than likely be able to download iOS 6 for yourself within the month as well with legacy devices – get pumped up!

iPhone 5 software rundown pre-event: the iOS 6 we know today is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

In less than 24 hours we’ll be liveblogging the Apple event that will almost certainly play host to the new iPhone 5 – what we’re doing here is preparing you for the event with everything we’ve seen thus far. What you’re going to see with the iPhone 5 event that commences tomorrow (September 12th) at 10AM PST at the Yerba Buena Center is the smartphone itself, complete with details unknown but tipped and leaked to high heavens – of course there’s no telling if anything we’ve seen yet is real or true without final confirmation from Apple, but let’s have a look anyway!

One of the first things Apple will be looking out for during this event outside the proceedings is a Samsung booby-trap with LTE patents galore. HTC might also be coming for them. Analysts have been projecting that this release will spur 10 million unit sales for the new product alone in September.

The images you see above and below are all renders as created by a talented designer/artist/rendered by the name of Martin Urecht. They were made several weeks ago but remain as accurate as ever, matching several supposed leaked photos of parts from all angles. Note that the iPhone 5 here is shown in a couple of color combinations too – also more than likely accurate.

The new line of Apple mobile products will likely use a new mini dock connector with 9 pins on each side – interchangeable! This iPhone will almost certainly be working with 4G LTE connectivity from a variety of carriers. The iPhone 5 will likely keep iPhone 4S prices while the iPhone 3GS is phased out entirely.

One big CERTAINTY we’ve got is the fact that the next iPhone will be running iOS 6 which we’ve covered extensively in it’s pre-release phase here since WWDC 2012. Check out our WWDC 2012 tag as well for more information on the software end of things – check the 80-second greatest hits video above to see the key points from the event, too – iOS 6 is on the way!

The iPhone 5 has been tipped to be carrying a much larger battery than ever before so it can support 4G LTE drain. The new smartphone will likely use a Nano SIM card. There’s a set of updated earbuds in the mix as well (slightly different from above.)

T-Mobile is reportedly ramping up for the event – though they’ll probably not be doing it with the iPhone 5 – they’re aiming for unlocked counterparts galore. The release date for the iPhone 5 has been tipped as September 21st for in-store sales. The iPhone 5 will likely have a 4-inch display and thinner body while its width remains the same. You’ll want to see some HD photos and video of the device – or just the display, that is – before you jump on in.

There’s also word that there’ll be an iPod touch with boosted Retina display and a slightly more powerful processor under the hood – not to mention a brand new dock connector. Several sources have reported iMacs and Retina MacBook Pro 13-inch models heading out from suppliers now as well. The iPad mini looms as well, but is much more likely going to be revealed in October instead of here in September. The Apple Thunderbolt Display may be coming with a refresh here at tomorrows event as well.

The iPhone 5 has been foreseen as the “biggest upgrade in consumer electronics history” and will very likely bring in a giant wave of news coverage for Apple. You can join us in the main SlashGear news feed or through our [Apple Portal], and certainly through our big Liveblogging feed at SlashGear Live (http://live.slashgear.com/) as well!

iPhone 5 pre-event wrap-up is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Several photos have appeared in the wild this morning showing off what very much appears to be the rumored iPhone 5 dock connector USB cable. This cable’s head is compared to a microUSB cable head, the most common cable head in the mobile device industry today. These cables have been shown to be significantly similar – so much so that we’ll certainly be grabbing twice in our barrel of cords once this new head appears, that’s for certain.

What you’re seeing here is a collection of iPhone 5 (or The New iPhone, whatever you want to call it), cords right alongside some microUSB cords from the Meizu MX, a popular smartphone in China. It would appear that some manufacturer partners have gotten their hands on this collection of next-generation cords in preparation for the iPhone 5 being released later this year. The cord currently appears to have 16 pins – 9 on one side, 9 on the other, interchangeable in the plugging.

With this new cord, the iPhone – and possibly the rest of the Apple mobile universe – will be able to plug without looking. Where before when you’d plug your Apple cord into your iPad or iPod touch or iPhone, you’d have to make sure it was facing forward. Now it’ll be a whichever-way-you-want sort of situation. it’s also been tipped that the cord will be held in with magnets so that if it’s pulled out with force, your device wont go with it.

This device cord will likely appear again on the 12th of this month – Wednesday of this week! That’s the day that Apple holds their iPhone 5 event: and we’ll be there liveblogging the whole event for you! Check our liveblogging portal for all your Apple action right from the sourcd, and don’t forget to check our Apple portal as well for news bits right on the money, as fast as they’re announced!

iPhone 5 mini dock connector photographed with microUSB is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The next-generation iPad mini, a device tipped to work with what’s essentially iPad 2 specifications save it’s smaller display, has appeared in several high-definition photos this week. The device appears here from Tech163 as a slightly more blunt version of the larger iPad 3rd generation device on the market today, including here a new dock connector hole and two sets of machine-drilled speaker holes. This device’s docking port is likely matching that of the rumored 9-pin connector set for the iPhone 5.

This device is appearing with a standard design on the back with the Apple logo shining bright and the iPad name sitting halfway between the logo and the bottom of the slate. The innards of this casing show a top-mounted headphone jack and a back-facing camera as well as a microphone hole at the center of the back of the device near the top (portrait-style) for noise cancellation as it almost certainly works with another mic closer to the bottom. The edge of this casing also shows that the front glass of the device will not be surrounded by much of any sort of hard border.

There’s a screen lock switch hole as well as two longer holes up near the upper-right of the device’s casing which are almost certainly in place for volume up/down. This device’s 7.85-inch display will more than likely be high definition as it will contain the same resolution as the current iPad 2, but smashed into a smaller space. This device will also likely be offered in at least a wi-fi-only iteration while no word has yet surfaced on the possibility of a 4G LTE or otherwise mobile-connected version of the tablet.

The iPad mini – or iPad Air, possibly, will be appearing at an event separate from the September 12th event we’re about to attend which will be the home of the iPhone 5. This October event for the iPad mini will likely also bring a refresh of the 3rd Generation iPad with an updated dock connector as well. Stick around SlashGear’s liveblogging portal for instant coverage of the September and October events, and hit our Apple portal for news everywhere in between here, there, and through the future!

[via Apple Insider]

iPad mini backplate appears in HD photos is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.