Apple confirmed it will unveil the next iPhone on October 4, and Amazon showed off the Kindle Fire, its new tablet slated to go head-to-head with the iPad.
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Apple Confirms IPhone 5 Event, Release to Follow
Apple invited members of the media to a keynote event on October 4 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time at its own Town Hall Auditorium where it is expected to unveil the iPhone 5. The invitation to the event features the iOS icons for the calendar, clock, Google Maps and phone applications. Beneath them is a tagline that reads, “Let’s talk iPhone.”
Analysts expect Apple to release the device shortly after the October 4 event. Apple reportedly instituted a vacation blackout for employees in the U.S. and the U.K. from October 9 to 12 and again on October 14 and 15. The dates back up earlier reports the company’s AppleCare divisions have been told to prepare for heavy traffic.
Consumers are excited about the upcoming iPhone 5, but Apple is already thinking further into the future. The company’s Xcode developer tool now includes support for Marvell’s quad-core ARM-based Armada XP chips. Apple may use the chips in prototypes of future iPhones and iPads as a placeholder while it designs its own proprietary next-generation processor.
Apple is also expanding so it will have more places to sell its future products. The company opened a Shanghai store and plans to open its first store in Hong Kong this weekend. The iPhone maker has already opened six of its planned 25 stores in China, but construction taking a slower pace than expected in the rapidly emerging market.
Despite growing demand in markets like China, Apple cut iPad orders by 25 percent according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. The report didn’t list the companies affected by the cutback, and Apple would not confirm the news.
Analysts believe Apple cut orders from Chinese suppliers because it plans to build a new iPad plant in Brazil. Foxconn reportedly negotiated a deal to manufacture $12 billion worth of products in the country, starting in December. However, concerns over taxes and labor stalled the closing of the agreement. Foxconn and the Brazilian government are now reportedly discussing opening a smaller plant to salvage the deal.
Amazon Unveils Kindle Fire, Browser Takes Criticism
Amazon announced the Kindle Fire, a full-color, touch screen device for $200 expected to launch on November 15. The Fire, which weighs just under a pound, features a 7-inch multi-touch display, dual-core processor, 8-gigabytes of internal storage and 8 hours of battery life. Amazon’s new tablet is powered by Android and runs the company’s new Web browser Amazon Silk.
Amazon did not reveal much about Silk, a browser powered by cloud-based features, but marketed it as one of the device’s key selling points. However, security firm Sophos said the browser connects users directly to Amazon’s servers, giving the company a record of customer’s browsing history as well as IP and MAC addresses for 30 days. The process leaves users private information on the server and vulnerable to hackers.
Read More >>
Apple Confirms IPhone 5 Event, Release to Follow
Apple invited members of the media to a keynote event on October 4 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time at its own Town Hall Auditorium where it is expected to unveil the iPhone 5. The invitation to the event features the iOS icons for the calendar, clock, Google Maps and phone applications. Beneath them is a tagline that reads, “Let’s talk iPhone.”
Analysts expect Apple to release the device shortly after the October 4 event. Apple reportedly instituted a vacation blackout for employees in the U.S. and the U.K. from October 9 to 12 and again on October 14 and 15. The dates back up earlier reports the company’s AppleCare divisions have been told to prepare for heavy traffic.
Consumers are excited about the upcoming iPhone 5, but Apple is already thinking further into the future. The company’s Xcode developer tool now includes support for Marvell’s quad-core ARM-based Armada XP chips. Apple may use the chips in prototypes of future iPhones and iPads as a placeholder while it designs its own proprietary next-generation processor.
Apple is also expanding so it will have more places to sell its future products. The company opened a Shanghai store and plans to open its first store in Hong Kong this weekend. The iPhone maker has already opened six of its planned 25 stores in China, but construction taking a slower pace than expected in the rapidly emerging market.
Despite growing demand in markets like China, Apple cut iPad orders by 25 percent according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. The report didn’t list the companies affected by the cutback, and Apple would not confirm the news.
Analysts believe Apple cut orders from Chinese suppliers because it plans to build a new iPad plant in Brazil. Foxconn reportedly negotiated a deal to manufacture $12 billion worth of products in the country, starting in December. However, concerns over taxes and labor stalled the closing of the agreement. Foxconn and the Brazilian government are now reportedly discussing opening a smaller plant to salvage the deal.
Amazon Unveils Kindle Fire, Browser Takes Criticism
Amazon announced the Kindle Fire, a full-color, touch screen device for $200 expected to launch on November 15. The Fire, which weighs just under a pound, features a 7-inch multi-touch display, dual-core processor, 8-gigabytes of internal storage and 8 hours of battery life. Amazon’s new tablet is powered by Android and runs the company’s new Web browser Amazon Silk.
Amazon did not reveal much about Silk, a browser powered by cloud-based features, but marketed it as one of the device’s key selling points. However, security firm Sophos said the browser connects users directly to Amazon’s servers, giving the company a record of customer’s browsing history as well as IP and MAC addresses for 30 days. The process leaves users private information on the server and vulnerable to hackers.
Read More >>
