More iOS 4.3 digging hints at new iPad 2 camera, same 1024 x 768 display

We love all the little goodies that come out of iOS developer builds. It’s been only a day since 4.3 hit the scene and already we’ve seen hints of future iPhone / iPad models, a Find My Friends feature, and now more hints of a camera for the next iPad. Which, of course, is far from the first time we’ve heard iPad and camera in the same utterance (cases, mockups, paperwork, even more code). Today’s revelation comes in the form of shutter screens and camera / video icons care of 9 to 5 Mac, but here’s the catch: to believe these imagery to be the real thing is to also accept that the iPad 2 might have the same 1024 x 768 display, given that’s what these pictures are optimized for. You didn’t really believe the iPad 2 would have a 9.7-inch, 2530 x 1897 resolution retina display… did you? Well, it’s only speculative, anyway.

More iOS 4.3 digging hints at new iPad 2 camera, same 1024 x 768 display originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 22:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Multitouch Gestures Lead to Buttonless iPad Rumors

Along with the restoration of the hardware screen-orientation lock, the new iOS 4.3 beta for iPad adds new multitouch gestures to quickly switch between apps. Using four or five fingers, you can now swipe up to show the multitasking bar, and swipe left or right to switch between apps.

But it is a third gesture which is fueling speculation. If you pinch with your whole hand, you return to the home screen, no home-button press required. This, along with rumors supplied to the Boy Genius Report, has people wondering if the home button will be removed from iPad 2 and iPhone 5:

[We] are told that Apple, at some point in time, will remove the home button from the iPad’s design. Instead of button taps, you will use new multitouch gestures to navigate to the home screen and also to launch the app switcher.

Think about that for a second. With the current iPad (or iPhone), you can hand it to Aunt Flora and she’ll work out how to use the thing in a few moments. The single button does one thing* – returns you to the home screen, providing a notional reset for the user. At the very worst, if Aunt Flora gets stuck you can call across the room “Press the button. The only button.”

Compare this to a buttonless design. How will Aunt Flora work out how to get back to the home screen? Who would ever think to try a five-fingered pinch? And how would you even do that one-handed on an iPhone? I’ll bet that even you, tech-savvy reader that you are, has never tried a five-finger pinch on your iPad.

My guess is that the button will stay, despite Apple’s obvious hatred for buttons in general. I can’t wait to try those gestures, though.

*Sure, the home button also pulls up the multitasking bar, and helps with screenshots, but Aunt Flora will probably never use those, either.

Video of New Multi-Touch Gestures on iPad iOS 4.3 [MacRumors]

Apple will remove home button on next iPad and iPhone [Boy Genius Report]


iOS 4.3 code reveals new iPhone and iPad models, rumor mill suggests a dislike of the home button

History lesson, folks. If you dig far enough into iOS’s code, you’ll eventually come across iPhone3,1, which is the AT&T iPhone 4, and the analogous iPhone3,2 (i.e. Verizon iPhone). It’s nothing we haven’t seen before, but then along comes iOS 4.3 with a handful of new mystery identifiers to spurn speculation — namely, two new-generation iPhones (4,1 and 4,2) and three iPads (2,1; 2,2; and 2,3). Speculate all you want, but there isn’t much else at all we can say definitively here, but if we had to take a guess, it’s the GSM and CDMA variants of the next-gen models (plus a WiFi-only iPad). It is interesting to note the lack of an “iPhone4,3” given the yet-to-be-revealed iPhone3,3 is still there — will the last member ever see the light of day? Outside of iOS 4.3 but still very much related, BGR is claiming it’s heard from sources that the next iPhone / iPad models will eschew the physical home button altogether in lieu of the new multi-finger gestures and that employees at Cupertino are already testing such devices. That seems a little more out there to us; five-finger pinch to home feels extremely clunky. The real takeaway here? We can finally have an iPhone rumor that doesn’t involve wondering if it’ll head to a new US carrier.

iOS 4.3 code reveals new iPhone and iPad models, rumor mill suggests a dislike of the home button originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 23:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony to announce PSP2 at January 27th Tokyo meeting?

Sony has a January 27th meeting in Tokyo to discuss “business [overview] and strategy.” That much is true (and confirmed by Joystiq to Sony). What we don’t know is whether MCV and VG247’s sources are worth their weight in Lucida Grande. Both sites claim to have heard this meeting will be the launch platform for the PSP2. (VG247, for its part, has previously published pictures of an apparent PSP2 dev kit.) No major trade show debut, just a Tokyo meeting of unknown spectacle… then again, 3DS’ unveil was a random press release, so stranger things have happened. We’d wager on another PlayStation Phone non-confirmation at the very least, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Sony to announce PSP2 at January 27th Tokyo meeting? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone Personal Hotspot feature headed to all iPhones in iOS 4.3?

So, by now you’ve had a chance to digest the fact that Verizon‘s getting the iPhone, right? A standout from yesterday’s news is of course the iPhone Personal Hotspot feature that those lucky red devils are being treated to. Hopefully the rest of us won’t have to remain envious for to long, though — BGR says its sources have confirmed that that feature is headed to all iPhones once iOS 4.3 lands. The word is the OS version with this shiny treat will be 8F5148B with a baseband version of 04.08.00. Of course, your carrier is likely going to have to be on board, a-la tethering support, but once that dust settles not only will you be able to tether your device, but your friends will be able to join in — and rack up your data usage, too. So sit back, relax, and all will be revealed if and when this bridges the gap between rumor and reality.

iPhone Personal Hotspot feature headed to all iPhones in iOS 4.3? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 09:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Everything We Know about the Verizon iPhone So Far [Apple]

Tomorrow’s the day a lot of you have been waiting for—the iPhone 4 taken under Verizon’s big red wing. We know the announcement’s happening, but what else do we know for sure? And what about those floating rumors? More »

Verizon reportedly ready to offer unlimited data plans on iPhone


Still not believing that Verizon Wireless will introduce a CDMA’d iPhone for its network tomorrow? We can’t say we’re completely sold either, but it’s getting harder and harder to fight off the emotions pointing to “yes.” The Wall Street Journal has followed up on its earlier reports by suggesting that not only will VZW soon carry Apple’s iPhone 4, but that it will make no changes to its data plans once that happens. Of course, it’s not like anyone actually expected Big Red to do such a thing, but it’s definitely one more reason for heavy users to consider Verizon Wireless over AT&T. Grandfathered customers notwithstanding, AT&T users who buy a new iPhone 4 are hit with a few tiered data plan options, with the largest ($25 / month) being capped at 2GB. With Verizon, $29.99 per month nets you “unlimited” data, though you could run into issues if you routinely suck down more than 5GB — a rather typical ‘gotcha’ in the American cellular space. The real question, however, is this: will the Verizon iPhone be compatible with Verizon’s $14.99 / month (150MB) plan, and moreover, will it ever be upgradable to handle the LTE network we heard oh-so-much about just days ago? Bookmark our liveblog and tune in tomorrow to find out!

Verizon reportedly ready to offer unlimited data plans on iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 11:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Arc seeing an April release?

We’ve gotten up close and personal with Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Arc this week at CES, but one bit of information that the firm refused to hand over was an estimated release date. If the outfit’s Indonesian portal is to be believed, however, we’ve just three more months to wait before at least some portions of the world have access. The image shown above translates into “three more months,” which means that we’ll be both saddened and depressed if our pals in the Asia-Pacific region don’t have one by April. Don’t make us weep, SE.

[Thanks, Matthew]

Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Arc seeing an April release? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 19:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook using a 1GHz OMAP 4430 processor

We already confirmed that RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook was deadly fast in use, but up until now, we’ve still been left to wonder what kind of silicon was powering it. According to a RIM representative that spoke to us just now on the CES show floor, a dual-core OMAP chip from Texas Instruments is doing the honors — more specifically, it’s the blisteringly fast 1GHz OMAP 4430. And now, you know.

RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook using a 1GHz OMAP 4430 processor originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 18:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WSJ: Verizon iPhone due out near the end of January

Okay, so the general assumption at this point is that Tuesday’s big Verizon announcement will be the oft-rumored CDMA iPhone. But as for when it comes out, well… the Wall Street Journal is saying (by way of its long-standing sources) near the end of the month. Nothing else to go by at this point, but it’s definitely not out of the question. At least we won’t have to wait long to find out — say, have you bookmarked our liveblog yet?

WSJ: Verizon iPhone due out near the end of January originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 17:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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