February 2011 | Seav Eng2 iCenter

Update on iPhone 4 Unlock on Baseband 3.10.01 and 2.10.04

Its been a while since we last heard or read anything on the upcoming iPhone 4 unlock for 3.10.01 and 2.10.04 basebands. MuscleNerd of iPhone Dev-Team has already confirmed that unlock for iPhone 4 on newer basebands wont be released until Apple drops iOS 4.3 to public.

Now that iOS 4.3 is expected to drop soon, The iPhone Baseband hacker Sherif Hashim has provided an update of sorts, on the upcoming Ultrasn0w unlock for iPhone 4. According to him, the baseband crash which he has found is confirmed to be working on both the new basebands, that is: 3.10.01 and 2.10.04.

Don’t expect the unlock to drop right after iOS 4.3 is public. iPhone Dev Team will require at least a week or two for all the standard testing on the final iOS 4.3 code before releasing the updated Ultrasn0w unlock to public.
Also, in November last year, The iPhone Dev-Team released an Ultrasn0w update which enabled iPhone 3G and 3GS users to unlock their devices on iOS 4.2.1 by permanently (for now) upgrading it to iPad’s baseband 06.15.00. Rumor has it that there is soon going to be a way for iPhone 3G and 3GS users to downgrade the baseband back to the original 05.15.04 which ships with iOS 4.2.1 for these older devices.

We will have more on it as soon as we get more information on this. Stay tuned here............

HTC launches 1.5GHz, 7-inch Android 2.4 Flyer into the tablet wars

Boy oh boy, HTC is entering the tablet arena with quite a bang. The company has just taken the wraps off its brand new 7-inch Flyer Android tablet, which touts a 1.5GHz single-core CPU, 1GB of RAM plus 32GB of flash storage, an aluminum unibody construction, 1024 x 600 resolution, a tablet-optimized version of Sense, and... what's this, a pressure-sensitive stylus! The HTC Scribe trademark we saw floating around in legal waters turned out not to be the branding for a tablet, it's actually the name HTC gives to the technology enabling what it calls a "groundbreaking pen experience." Other details include a 5 megapixel camera on the back paired with a 1.3 megapixel imager up front, a 4000mAh battery rated to last for four hours of continuous video playback, and memory expandability via a microSD card.

The Flyer will ship in Q2 2011 with Android Gingerbread 2.4 on board. HTC says it'll be indistinguishable from 2.3 as far the end user is concerned, though we all know it won't be quite as good as the 3.0 stuff. We're told not to worry, however, since the new version of Sense being introduced with the Flyer will be the focal point of the company's software offering. As far as HTC is concerned, Sense matters more than the underlying platform, and the reason Honeycomb isn't the shipping OS here was explicitly stated as HTC not having enough time with the latest Google code to customize it to the full requirements of Sense. Guess that settles that.

There are a couple more software enhancements, both marking the introduction of the fruits of HTC's recent deals: OnLive cloud gaming will be coming with the Flyer in the form of an app you open up to access the web-connected bored-relieving service, while that Saffron Digital acquisition has turned into an HTC Watch app for movie streaming and downloading.

We spent a bit of quality time with a Flyer unit recently, although we weren't allowed to turn it on, and our early impressions are rather mixed. On the one hand, we do appreciate the ruggedness and durability that's afforded by the one-piece aluminum shell, but on the other, the Flyer is quite the chunky beast in your hands. We'd imagine strapping in such an extra-speedy processor is the main culprit for its extra girth, though the Flyer is, ironically enough, not terribly light either. We found it heavier and generally a lot less polished from a design perspective than Samsung's Galaxy Tab. Anyhow, HTC should have functional units for us immediately following its MWC presser this morning, and we'll be delving in deeper with this super-specced device. Hang tight!

iOS 4.3 Features Walkthrough

Apple is expected to release iOS 4.3 this week so we thought it might be a good idea to go through the new features and changes that have been discovered in iOS 4.3 beta 1, beta 2 and beta 3 that Apple has seeded to developers of iOS developer program so you know what to expect.

The Personal Hotspot feature can be enabled via the Settings app.

iOS 4.3 will bring the Personal Hotspot feature to GSM iPhone users. It is already available to Verizon iPhone users.

AirPlay:

Apple had introduced the AirPlay feature in iOS 4.2. It allowed users to stream digital media wirelessly from their iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch to Apple TV 2G or any AirPlay-enabled features. However, AirPlay feature was only limited to pre-installed apps like YouTube and iPod/Video app.

iOS 4.3 will allow users to stream media wirelessly from other third-party apps, Safari mobile browser and also the pre-installed Photo app, thus unlocking the full potential of the feature.

Side Switch Toggle (iPad Only):

In iOS 4.2, Apple had changed the rotation lock to mute switch like the iPhone.

In iOS 4.3, iPad users will get an option to select the side switch at the top right corner either as a rotation lock switch or mute button.

New font for Notes:

Apple had given users the option to select from two new fonts in iOS 4.2: Helvitica and Chalkboard instead of only Marker Felt.

In iOS 4.3, Apple has replaced the Chalkboard font with the Noteworthy font.

Cancel/Delete App Installations Mid-way:

iOS 4.3 finally gives users the option to cancel downloading apps and delete them mid-way. Earlier the only option, one had was to pause the download.

Customize Alerts for Messages (iPhone only):

iPhone users will be able set the number of times they want to be alerted for an unread SMS/MMS.

Repeat Alert option has changed to Play Alert Tone and you can select from Once, Twice, 3 Times, 5 Times and 10 Times.

Redesigned App Store Updates page:

The App Store gets a redesigned updates page for the iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad. It will make it easier for users to install apps that you’ve already purchased (that they had deleted previously).

Push Notification For Ping:

iOS 4.3 allows users to setup push notifications for Ping - Apple's social network for music so that they can find out what their favorite artists or friends are up to as soon as possible.

New Wait Button:

Apple has added a wait button to the Add contact extended keyboard and has moved some of the buttons around.

Tapping on the Wait button will add a semicolon to the number as opposed to pause which adds a comma.

The pause button has moved to where the ghosted 4 button used to be, the plus button has moved to where pause was, star has moved to where plus was and a new wait button has been added to where the ghosted 6 button used to be.

Below is the screenshot of the Add contact screen with extended keyboard in iOS 4.2.1:

And the Add contact screen with extended keyboard in iOS 4.3:

Parental Controls:

iOS 4.3 gets a new parental control for Ping – Apple’s social network for music.

Location Services Settings:

Location Services settings in the Settings app has been moved to the top-level instead of under General to make it more easily assesible.

Compatibility:

iOS 4.3 is compatible with iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch 4th generation, iPod Touch 3rd generation and iPad. Unfortunately, iOS 4.3 will not available for and iPod Touch 2nd generation, which means that iOS 4.2.1 is the last iOS software update for these devices.

It needs to be seen if all the new features and changes mentioned above makes it to the final version of iOS 4.3 and if Apple will surprise us with additional new features.

So are you excited about the iOS 4.3 software update? Which one is your favorite feature? Let us know in the comments below.

iPhone 5' Larger 4-inch Screen Leaked

A photo of the front glass panel of the iPhone 5 has reportedly been leaked online, according to iDealsChina.
China's 1st iPhone 5 photo has surfaced! From this photo it seems that the screen size will be larger than iPhone 4. There has been a lot of specualtion about a larger screen and maybe this will be one of the upgrades we will see when iPhone 5 is released this summer.
Recently, DigiTimes reported that Apple is interested in expanding the size of the iPhone's screen and has begun testing the next generation device.
From the photo below it seems that Apple may be able to keep the overall size of the iPhone the same using an edge-to-edge display.
iDealsChina says more photos are coming...
Update:
Nowhereelse.fr has done some analysis on the image finding replication of artifacts and incorrect lines of perspective. They believe it to be fake. Thanks stagueve.

Apple Finalizes iOS 4.3? Release Next Week?

On March 2nd, We just can say hello to iPad 2? We hope Apple can give us more suprise, according to a BGR report, Apple has reportedly finalized iOS 4.3 and may even release it at the iPad event on March 2nd, .

One of our Apple sources has just informed us that it looks like Apple has finalized the code for its upcoming iOS 4.3 release. The build, we’re told, is 8F190 for those keeping track. Maybe we’ll see this release unify the Verizon iPhone OS-wise as well? We’ll probably see this in the wild next week if we had to bet…

Wow...... Samsung Galaxy S II available on pre-order for £650

Galaxy S II - Samsung's most advanced phone up to date - has just popped on pre-order at a UK online retailer. The offer says it can be yours on 31 March for £650. This price will definitely empty lots of wallets.
We know flagships are meant to cost a lot, but that's a small fortune. The UK online retailer Play.com offers the gadget on pre-order for £650, which is about €760 and more than $1050.

Our only hope is the price gets reduced near the premiere. Otherwise there will be quite few early adopters.
In case you've missed some Galaxy S II details, you're welcomed to check our MWC 2011 coverage.
Source

Apple Confirmed ! iPad 2 Event on March 2nd

It’s official: Apple has just started sending out invitations to the press for a media event to unveil the much awaited iPad 2. The event will be held at the famous Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.

So. there is no doubt iPad 2 will say hello in next week, but what about Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who recently took a medical leave of absence from his company is unlikely to be present at the event. In his absence, either Phil Schiller or Tim Cook will be on stage for the keynote.(I really hope Steve can make it on the iPad 2 event)

We could see a 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab unveiled next month

Reportedly, a Samsung spokesperson contacted a Korean news outlet informing them Samsung will release a 8.9-inch Android tablet in the first half of the year. Following the official announcement of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, the manufacturer is about to unveil a smaller tablet, but still one that’s bigger than the original Galaxy Tab.
gsmarena 001 We could see a 8.9 inch Galaxy Tab unveiled next month

gsmarena 001 We could see a 8.9 inch Galaxy Tab unveiled next month

It seems there’s no stopping the tablet war from escalating.

There’s no official word whether this is a revamped Galaxy Tab or an altogether new device. It could be that the first generation is getting a screen bump or that the latest Galaxy Tab 10.1 is losing some of its weight.
So far we don’t have any specs on the device but we assume it will be running the latest Android 3.0 Honeycomb.

Apple iPad 2 Event Set for March 2 in San Francisco?!

Allthingsd Reported that Apple will be holding their iPad 2 unveiling on March 2. Sound like a strong rumor, But still no official invites have gone out yet. Here's an outline of what we think the next iPad is going to have. And even if you don't believe ATD's "confirmed" rumor, a bunch of signs are pointing at an event or announcement very soon.

The iPhone 5 Rumors !

Rumors regarding the next iteration of the iPhone have been flying left and right. If you’ve been following the rumor mill, you know that there’s a lot of potential innovations to be implemented into Apple’s next iPhone.
Will Apple release several different iPhone models at once? Will the next iPhone be considerably smaller than its predecessors? Will Apple release the iPhone 5 on all carriers with a universal baseband?
These, among others, are all questions being asked about the next iPhone. Let’s examine the rumors and try and make sense of it all…

What’s Expected

What we do know, based on Apple’s product cycle, is that a new iPhone announcement should happen this summer. About a month ago, Digitimes released some interesting information regarding Apple’s supply chains. Digitimes reported that Apple was ramping up for iPhone 5 production, which would place Apple’s projected announcement date right around the normal time of the WWDC conference in June (possibly on June 5th).

Apple is planning on increasing the battery life of its next iPhone. A patent has surfaced revealing that Apple is planning on improving the iPhone’s battery life by increasing battery cell density. Every new iteration of the iPhone has had better battery life than the last, so this improvement is almost a given for the iPhone 5.

The next iPhone will most likely have Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. NFC is a relatively new breakthrough in mobile payment, and reports from the likes of Bloomberg claim that Apple will implement NFC into the iPhone 5.
NFC would primarily be used to let the iPhone interface with and make payments for physical products and ads through RFID technology. If you’ve ever used a mobile device to scan a bar code or a QR code, you should have a good grasp of how NFC works.
AppleInsider reports that Apple plans to implement NFC in a new and interesting way,

“White said that his sources have indicated to him that the next iPhone will include NFC technology. However, Apple’s approach will reportedly have “a twist that will make it unique versus his peers.” White did not give any indication as to what the “twist” could be.”

Apple will reportedly make its cloud-based service, MobileMe, free with the release of the next iPhone. MobileMe has always been overpriced and lacking in key functionality when compared to other free web services like Google.
Rumors say that Apple is bringing significant updates to MobileMe. Along with the remarkably reduced price tag, speculation says that MobileMe will become a much more integrated part of the iOS experience in the near future. A streaming iTunes media service could also work in tandem with an updated MobileMe. If the next iPhone is indeed mostly cloud-based, these MobileMe rumors make sense.

A Possibility

Apple could release a smaller iPhone dubbed the “iPhone Nano.” This miniature iPhone would probably be sold unsubsidized (no $200 hardware fee) and depend on internet streaming for content.
The Wall Street Journal has also reported that the iPhone Nano will posses an “edge-to-edge” screen and have voice navigation. A cheaper iPhone Nano could have the potential to increase Apple’s smartphone revenue by over 250% and saturate the market with cheap iPhones on different carriers.
It is worth noting that there have been conflicting reports about the iPhone Nano. The New York Times claims that the iPhone Nano will not be any smaller than the iPhone 4, but that it will be cheaper. The NY Times also corroborated the report that Apple will make MobileMe free.
We shall see what happens.

The next iPhone could have a larger 4 inch display. Digitimes has claimed that Apple will increase the iPhone’s display size to compete with current Android handsets that all boast 4 inch screens.
While Apple has never really been one to feel the pressure of competition, a slightly larger screen on the next iPhone wouldn’t be a stretch. This idea also compliments the rumor that the next iPhone will not have a home button. (Don’t worry, we’ll get there.)

An iPhone with a slideout keyboard? Hey, it could happen.
While the idea of an iPhone with a slideout keyboard does seem unlike Apple, it’s entirely possibly that the (or “a”) next iPhone could have a slideout keyboard. A Taiwanese site called tw.Apple.pro claims that Apple will implement a slideout keyboard in the iPhone 5. We’ll see if this rumor ever comes true.

The next iPhone could have no home button. Boy Genius claims that Apple will replace the home button’s functionality with new multitouch gestures.
A home buttonless iPhone would definitely be a drastic design change. It’s unknown as to how this would effect the jailbreak process (it’s kind of hard to put an iPhone in DFU mode without a home button), but I guess we’ll find out this summer.

The iPhone 5 could have a universal baseband and sport a dual core CPU. Apparently, the Verizon iPhone actually has a universal Qualcomm chip, but Apple has it disabled. It makes sense that Apple would introduce an iPhone 5 “world phone” with the ability to run on any carrier.
A dual core CPU also makes sense for the internals of the next iPhone. Apple always improves performance with each new iteration, and the ARM Cortex A9 processor seems like the next logical step for the iPhone 5.

iPhone 5: White iPhone 5 Getting Touch Panels from Wintek !!

Apple appears to have already made up its mind on the touch panel supplier for the white version of the next-generation iPhone 5. The current generation iPhone still falls short of a white model, which Apple promised to launch this Spring.

White iPhone 4 sitting on a wooden surface

Citing the Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN), DigiTimes reinforces a report which names Wintek as the touch panel supplier for Apple’s white iPhone 5.
Specifically, the paper noted that Wintek will be “the sole touch panel supply for white iPhone 5s and may replace TPK Touch Solutions to become the leading touch panel maker worldwide in 2011 as Apple plans to focus on white models for the iPhone 5,” according to DigiTimes, which draws its information from said EDN report (emphasis ours).

The EDN said Wintek declined to comment, and we can expect things to stay this way.

Apple has delayed the launch of its white iPhone 4 not once, but three times since the smartphone was introduced in the summer of 2010.

In June 2010, Apple accused manufacturing difficulties posed by this version of the already controversial device.
The company continued to sell the black version as planned, promising to get around to launching the white model soon.

Such plans got foiled, with Apple announcing the following month (July 2010) that iPhone 4 White was still not ready for shipping.

At the time, high-profile blogs and websites focusing on Apple news went on record to say that Apple wasn’t likely to ever release the smartphone.

iPhone 5 Will Run With 4-inch Display And A5 Processor

A new report from Digitimes claims that the next-generation iPhone 5 will feature a 4-inch display to take on Android-powered phones head-to-head as the battle for the supremacy in the next-gen smartphones heats up. They have received this piece of info directly from the component suppliers.

http://mobile-latest.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Google-Android-Phone-vs.-Apple-iPhone_0.jpg

The component suppliers noted that the production lines for Apple’s next generation iPhone have begun testing, and Apple is interesting in expanding the screen size to 4-inches to support the tablet PC market as the vendor only has a 9.7-inch iPad in the market.

Another report from the same source claims that iPhone 5 will sport a faster A5 processor (Dual-Core perhaps?) to take on the likes of recently announced Samsung Galaxy S II, while the iPad 2 will feature an enhanced version of the current A4 chip.

Apple is reportedly looking to outsource the production of its A4 processor as well as the next-generation ARM Cortex-A9-based A5 processor to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), according to industry sources.
According to Digitimes Research, the iPad 2 will support an enhanced version of the A4 and the A5 will power the iPhone 5. TSMC will initially produce the improved A4, and could likely become the exclusive manufacturer of the A5.

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