It’s official. Apple has just announced the availability of its latest iDevices in China. The news today comes after the official approval of the iPhone 5 in the country. Apple says that the iPhone 5 will be available on the 14th of December, Friday, in China. Local pricing has yet to be confirmed. On the other hand, the Wi-Fi version of the iPad mini, as well as the iPad 4, will be launching earlier in the country on December 7, also a Friday. Local pricing has yet to be confirmed. Check out Apple’s official statement after the break.
Tim Cook may love secrecy, but those pesky government notices always seem to rain on his classified parades. Apple has confirmed that the fourth-generation iPad and iPad mini will arrive in China on December 7th, while the iPhone 5 turns up a week later on December 14th. Customers eager to reserve the devices can do so the day before launch, and while the company hasn’t detailed which networks the hardware is coming to, we’re reasonably sure that China Unicom and China Telecom will be making some announcements of their own very soon.
The iPhone 5 received its final regulatory approval, the crucial “network access license” from China yesterday, but the original report from the Wall Street Journal only found approval for the China Telecom version of the device. Now, however, Chinese news sources report that the iPhone 5 variant which works with China Unicom has also received network access approval.
That means that the iPhone 5 will likely hit both networks by sometime in mid-December, if Apple sticks to the timeline of putting its device up for sale around 2 to 3 weeks after receiving this final necessary approval from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. China Unicom uses a WCDMA network, and China Telecom uses a CDMA-based network, and now versions for both (codename A1429 and A1442, respectively).
A simultaneous granting of licenses should indicate neither provider will get a head start on the other, despite comments earlier in the month from the chairmen of both companies that seemed to indicate different levels of confidence in being able to launch the iPhone 5 before year’s end. It should also mean Apple will be launching the iPhone 5 to as broad an audience as possible when it debuts the smartphone in December, though subscribers on China’s largest network, China Mobile, will still have to get the device unlocked and off-contract to be able to join in on the fun.
Still, the launch should be impressive. Apple had to actually halt the iPhone 4S launch in China as crowds became unruly when it made it available to China Unicom customers in January. Then, when the 4S went on sale at China Telecom in March, Apple racked up an impressive 200,000 pre-orders for the device. That was China Telecom’s first introduction of the iPhone, making it the largest carrier in the world by subscribers to offer the CDMA version of the iPhone.
If you’ve been waiting to buy an unlocked iPhone 5, you have your chance now. Apple just began selling the unlocked iPhone 5 after promising it’d become available “several weeks” after the initial launch. The prices will be $649 for 16GB, $749 for 32GB and $849 for 64GB. Ship time is a week and be sure to check if the unlocked iPhone 5 works on your carrier. [Apple via Apple Insider] More »
Starting today, Apple is now selling unlocked iPhone 5 handsets for those who want to eschew a contract and drop a few more Benjamins in the process. The unlocked units are available online via the U.S. Apple Store. All three models are available, with the price starting out at a hefty $649. Limit two per customer.
The 32GB model is priced at $749, and the 64GB is priced at $849. As notes Apple, the unlocked handset can only be used with supported networks, including AT&T. The phone requires a GSM network, and can be used in conjunction with a nano SIM card when travelling abroad. Because the phone requires a GSM network, it can’t be used with Verizon and Sprint or other CDMA options.
The handset doesn’t include a nano SIM, so be sure to factor one into your budget. Using one is simple: insert the SIM, then turn the phone on. A series of step-by-step instructions will appear on the screen. Follow them carefully, and you’ll be up and running in no time. Overall, this is an ideal way for users to get their iPhone fix without being bound to a two-year contract. The freedom comes with a substantial price tag, though.
The iPhone 5 features a 4-inch Retina display, and weighs in at a mere 112 grams. The handset is made from anodized aluminum, and is the same width as the 4S despite its larger screen size. Inside you’ll find an A6 chip. The purchase is rounded out with the inclusion of a pair of EarPods with a remote and microphone, as well as a Lightning-to-USB cord and a power adapter.
Apple has yet to release the unlocked iPhone 5 in the U.S., even though early on they let images leak depicting pricing of that device on its website. Now a new report from 9t05Mac claims that the company will start selling unlocked iPhones as early as tonight via its online store, with physical retail availability coming shortly thereafter. As we reported at launch, unlocked pricing for the iPhones will be $649, $749 and $849 respectively for the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions.
9to5Mac’s generally solid retail sources say that the phone will be made available unlocked beginning around 9 PM PT tonight at the earliest, and that physical stores will have them “soon,” but haven’t received a firm starting date for sales as of yet. The report does claim that unlocked device inventory is already making its way out to retail locations, however, in advance of being put on sale. Finally, their sources also indicate that customers will start being able to reserve devices ahead of time anytime, rather than just after 10 PM, as is the current practice.
Unlocked devices are on the market through Apple in other markets, like the Canadian store. These come SIM-unlocked, meaning you can use them with the carrier and plan of your choice. Customers still have to ensure that the version of the iPhone they pick up is compatible with the network of their choosing. In the U.S., Apple offers two versions of the iPhone, one that works with Sprint and Verizon 4G networks, and one that works with AT&T frequencies. It’s unclear from this report whether both versions will be made available unlocked, but hopefully we’ll find out later this evening.
Smartphones cases are becoming pretty dry nowadays — it’s mostly just the same old thing for every case. However, one case in particular, called the popSLATE, slaps on a 4-inch e-ink display on the back, effectively giving your iPhone 5 two screens. It’s currently trying to get $150,000 in funding on Indiegogo.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen something like this, though. During IFA 2012 back in August, we checked out a similar concept that involved a smartphone with two screens — one LCD, and the other e-ink. However, the popSLATE case simply adds an e-ink display to your existing iPhone 5, which seems a bit more practical at this point in time.
The 4-inch e-ink screen is always on, but the company claims it’s very energy efficient. The screen can be used for all sorts of things, including notifications, sports scores, maps, and lists and notes. Plus, since it’s always on, you don’t have to worry about the screen going into sleep mode with the rest of the phone when you’re reading something. The company is building an API for the screen, which means that we should be seeing a lot of third-party apps add support for the second screen.
The company is still in the early stages of development and the case itself is only in its prototype stages, but the company has already gathered a team of designers, engineers and developers to make the case. They also have a partnership with E Ink in order to use the latest e-ink technology. Two colors will be available at launch (black and white), and it will start at a price of $79 for the first 500 supporters, then $99 and up from there.
This week the folks at Merrill Lynch – specifically analyst Scott Craig – have suggested that the iPhone may finally be on its way to official carrier support from T-Mobile. This suggestion comes in the form of a note written by Craig that said “speculation is heightening” that Deutsche Telecom (owners of T-Mobile) will announce a deal at next week’s analyst’s day – that being 12/6 and 12/7 of 2012. Now we must sit back, wait, and dig our fingernails into our kneecaps in anticipation of a brand new HSPA+ iPhone 5.
It’s not unheard of that T-Mobile has been considering making an attempt at the iPhone for the near future – since well before the iPhone 5, in fact, T-Mobile has bee speaking openly about the prospect. T-Mobile COO Jim Alling spoke at the Morgan Stanley 12th Annual Technology, Media & Telecoms Conference in Barcelona, Spain on the 19th of this month where he mentioned the iPhone more than once.
“Make no mistake about it: We would love to carry the iPhone. However, we want the economies to be right for us.” – Alling
Earlier this year T-Mobile made an effort to attract those wanting to work with their wireless service but wanting the iPhone hardware even more. With an advertising program that assured users that their unlocked iPhone 5 would work with T-Mobile’s newly cut nanoSIM cards, the carrier made it clear that they didn’t mind people coming in with the device purchased from elsewhere, just so long as they used T-Mobile wireless data.
Craig spoke on how a move to actually have the iPhone carried – hardware and all – by T-Mobile would be “incrementally positive” but would have “limited” financial impact. His estimates place iPhone sales by T-Mobile (if they start immediately) to be somewhere around 4 million units for calendar 2013, this adding to his estimated 179 million sold total in this upcoming year.
This is pretty darn cool. It’s called Popslate — an iPhone 5 case with a four-inch E Ink screen on the back — and it’s launching right now on Indiegogo for $79 in two colors. Combined with a bespoke social imaging app, it lets you take and share pics, then “pop” them to the back of your phone. Better yet, the always-on, ultra low-power, black and white display becomes a canvas for notifications, sports scores, maps, lists and notes, all just a glance away.
An open API allows third-party developers to design custom apps for Popslate — including accelerometer support to interact with the backside screen by tapping on it. Imagine a micro e-reader app which uses the E Ink display instead of the main panel to conserve battery.
The company is still in the early stages of development and sadly didn’t have a prototype to show us, but it’s already gathered a team of talented designers, engineers and developers. It’s also secured a partnership with E Ink to use the latest in ruggedized e-paper technology and is hoping to raise enough funds to make Popslate a reality. Two colors are available at launch (black and white) with prices starting at $79 for the first 500 supporters, then $99 and up. Hit the break for the demo video and IndieGogo link.
Things seem to be on track for the iPhone 5 to meet its December release timeline in Greater China, since the device has now received approval for the final piece in the regulatory puzzle required for it to go on sale. The Wall Street Journal reports that it has now obtained its “network access” license, and the notice mentions China Telecom by name, though not a version of the phone that would work with China Unicom.
China Telecom backed up the timeline proposed by Apple CEO Tim Cook during a conference call earlier this month, saying at an event that the phone would arrive on its network by early December at the latest. At the time, China Unicom did indeed express skepticism about when exactly the phone would be hitting its network, suggesting it was all in the hands of regulators at that point. If China Telecom has an exclusive head start on iPhone 5, it could attract away some subscribers hungry for the device.
People are interested in watching the iPhone 5′s progress in China because there’s a feeling that the company would be better served by getting its devices to market in that country as quickly as possible among analysts. Rival devices from Android handset makers are said to be growing in market share, according to recent info from Gartner, as consumers wait on the iPhone (or give up waiting) in order to get the latest model.
Generally, devices go on sale in China within a few weeks of receiving this final regulatory approval. Apple may do its best to hasten the device out the door, however, but that could depend on its manufacturing capacity. A big reason why it often waits so long to enter China is ensuring it has sufficient stock to cover other markets first: shortages meant the wait for iPhone 5 in its original markets was long until very recently, with shipping times recently improving to just one week in the U.S.
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It’s official. Apple has just announced the availability of its latest iDevices in China. The news today comes after the official approval of the iPhone 5 in the country. Apple says that the iPhone 5 will be available on the 14th of December, Friday, in China. Local pricing has yet to be confirmed. On the other hand, the Wi-Fi version of the iPad mini, as well as the iPad 4, will be launching earlier in the country on December 7, also a Friday. Local pricing has yet to be confirmed. Check out Apple’s official statement after the break.
