Hasta La Gadget!

Today Apple began sending out invites for its September 12 event, where the company is widely expected to reveal the next iPhone. The iPhone 5 is rumored to come complete with LTE functionality, but there’s just one problem with that: Samsung has said that it will sue Apple if it releases a device with LTE. Since Apple’s iPad already has LTE, we can take that to mean that Samsung will sue if Apple releases an iPhone with LTE capabilities.

Samsung has a significant number of of LTE patents at its disposal, whereas Apple had none. That has all changed, however, as it’s been revealed that Apple has bought up a ton of LTE patents (and even developed some of its own) in anticipation of such a lawsuit and/or the launch of the next iPhone. The Chosen Ilbo reports that last year, Apple didn’t have any LTE standard patents registered. Now that number has grown to 318 according to Korea Intellectual Property Office, meaning that Apple has 4.9% of all LTE patents – enough for Apple to become one of the top 10 LTE patent holders worldwide.

Of those 318 patents, Apple developed 44 on its own. The rest were purchased from Nortel and Freescale at some point last year. Furthermore, Apple owns a majority stake in Rockstar Bidco, a company which holds another 116 LTE patents, bringing Apple potential LTE patent portfolio up to 434. Samsung, by comparison, holds 819 LTE standard patents, so Apple has just over half as many LTE standard patents as Samsung.

That could provide a layer of defense should Samsung decide to take Apple to court citing its LTE implementation, but some are wondering just how much defense it will provide. The Chosen Ilbo points out that undisclosed commercial patents would prove to be a better defense than disclosed standard patents, so Apple may still have a fight ahead of it. We shall see, because regardless of whether or not Samsung will take it to court, the next iPhone appears to be on the way. Stay tuned.

iPhone 5 prepared for Samsung legal war with 434 LTE patents is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Apple has officially announced its September 12 2012 event, where the company is expected to unveil the new iPhone 5. As before, the much-anticipated event will take place at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, with the show kicking off at 10:00am PST; the iPhone 5 seems a lock-in, given the “5″ shadow conspicuously placed in the invite and the tagline “It’s almost here.” And, just in case you weren’t sure, SlashGear will be liveblogging the whole thing.

September 12 hardly comes as a surprise, that date having been rumored for some time now. Some speculation had tipped a simultaneous iPhone 5 and iPad mini launch, though the latter is now believed to be coming later in Q4.

According to the leaks and rumors, Apple’s new iPhone will include a larger display though the width of the smartphone will remain roughly the same as now. Instead, it will be a longer device, giving Apple more screen-room to play with for apps.

There’s also expected to be integrated NFC, which will be used for mobile payments, and 4G LTE connectivity for high speed downloads. Apple has already used 4G in its new iPad, but held off from including it in the iPhone over battery and size concerns.

SlashGear will be at the Apple event and liveblogging the whole thing at http://live.slashgear.com/, so join us on September 12 for all the details as they’re announced!

Apple September 12 iPhone 5 event confirmed: We’ll be liveblogging! is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you’re holding out on buying an iPhone until the new one is out, mark down Apple’s just-announced September 12 event on your calendar: that could be the day the phone is revealed. Posted by The Loop, the invite says the event will begin at 10 AM PDT at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco. More »

Apple’s iPhone 4S has been knocked from the US smartphone sales top spot by Samsung’s Galaxy S III, retailer checks suggest, though the fast-approaching iPhone 5 may well flip things back in Cupertino’s favor. August was the first month that the iPhone 4S wasn’t the best-selling smartphone in the US, Canaccord Genuity analyst T. Michael Walkley told CNET, having crunched the figures from retailers across the country.

Instead, Samsung’s Galaxy S III managed to grab pole position, Walkley claims. Stats for the Android flagship remain strong, too, the analyst says, while conversely Nokia, HTC and BlackBerry demand continues to waver.

That impressive GSIII demand has already caught the attention of Apple’s lawyers, of course. The Cupertino company has added the phone – along with the Galaxy Note, and other devices – to the list of models it hopes to have barred from sale in the US as part of the ongoing patent litigation between the firms.

Of course, the marketplace will shift again once the new iPhone arrives. Apple is expected to reveal the new model at an event on September 12, with sales tipped to begin roughly a week after that. Demand for the iPhone 5 will undoubtedly be high, and indeed the Canaccord Genuity analyst suggests that slowing sales of the iPhone 4S are likely prompted by customers holding off on picking up a new smartphone until the new model hits shelves.

Galaxy S III knocks iPhone 4S from US top spot (but iPhone 5 looms) is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Supplies of the Nano SIM cards Apple is expected to switch to for the iPhone 5 have reportedly begun arriving at carrier stores, a week in advance of Apple’s rumored launch date for the new iOS smartphone. Signs of the smaller SIMs was spotted at German T-Mobile locations, iFun reports, along with letters informing retail staff that the new chips were for “the latest generation of smartphones” expected “in the near future.”

The letter does not make specific mention of the new iPhone, but so far Apple is the only company believed to be using the very latest standard. Unlike the existing Micro SIM used in the iPhone 4S and new iPad, which measures in at 15 x 12 x 0.76 mm, the Nano SIM is smaller in all dimensions, measuring 12.3 x 8.8 x 0.67 mm.

That allows for a smaller device altogether, though the chip on the card itself remains the same size as before. The slight plastic edge which stays around it acts as a buffer to avoid short-circuits with the body of the phone; adapters will make it compatible with larger slots in other devices, and Apple is expected to continue to use a SIM tray design as with previous models.

“Dear partners,
You will receive today a new generation of SIM cards for the latest generation of smartphones that come in the near future on the market. Sort your SIM card please first not in their cards in hand and give it not out to customers. We will inform you shortly about how to proceed.” T-Mobile Germany letter

Nano SIM design led to manufacturer arguments in recent months, with Apple’s preferred design not meeting with approval from all of its rivals. However, the company’s insistence paid off, with the standards-setting ESTI settling on the Nano SIM proposal.

Apple is tipped to launch the new iPhone 5 at an event on September 12.

[via 9 to 5 Mac]

iPhone 5 Nano SIMs reportedly hit retailers for “near future” launch is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.