Analysts believe that its the low prices of the older generation of iPhones that is driving the high sales rates. With consumers being able to purchase the iPhone 4 for $0 on a new two-year contract, and an iPhone 4S for only $99 on a new two-year contract, they’re more prone to opt for those devices than the more expensive $200+ iPhone 5. But the wide adoption of older iPhones isn’t a bad thing for Apple.

According to AllThingsD, and their interview with CIRP co-founder Michael Levin, low cost iPhone 4/4S devices have been helping Apple drive up sales. According to CIRP, 29% of iPhone buyers were previously feature phone users before upgrading, and another 29% of iPhone buyers came from another mobile OS like Android or Blackberry. A majority of those people are apparently not opting for the iPhone 5, but instead for the iPhone 4 and 4S. Michael Levin says,

“There’s plenty of demand for low- and no-cost phones, which tend to flow toward basic phone owners. On average they don’t seem to jump from a cheap or free flip phone all the way to iPhone 5.”

Jumping back to sales in Q4 2012, iPhone 4/4S sales generated exactly 50% of all iPhone sales. Perhaps these statistics show that it would be a good move for Apple to build that budget iPhone it has been rumored to be working on. According to analysts, if Apple were to create a budget iPhone, it could grab nearly 75 million sales for the phone by 2014. If you’re debating on joining the iPhone crowd, check out our reviews for the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and iPhone 5 to see which one will be enough to suit your needs.

[via All Things D]

When you get an iPhone 5 from T-Mobile normally, you’ll be paying $99.99 up front and $20 per month for 24 months. That’s $480 + $99.99 = $579.99 USD. This compares to two other prices you could potentially pay for the iPhone 5, both of them available both here and in our iPhone 5 T-Mobile pricing breakdown.

1. On-contract from non-T-Mobile carriers: $199 with subsidy costs built-in to your data/voice/text plan (you can’t see it, but it’s there).
2. Off-contract straight from Apple: $649 (we’ll stick to the 16GB version since T-Mobile is advertising that model as their hero with $99.99 down and so forth)
3. T-Mobile payment plan: $579.99 ($99.99 down with $20 per month for 24 months)

According to T-Mobile you’ll get the first $99.99 knocked off of your bill, bringing you back to the payments of $20 USD per month for 24 months, this ending up at $480 USD. T-Mobile also notes that your iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S might be worth more than that base $99.99 trade-in value:

“Depending on the trade-in value of their device, customers will also receive a credit of up to $120, which can be used toward monthly payments, an existing T-Mobile bill, or the purchase of accessories or another device.” – T-Mobile

We’ve reached out to T-Mobile to get clarification on what this added value might be: more than likely it’ll depend on how mint your device is and/or if you’ve got a device with more internal storage than the basic 16GB model. UPDATE: Below you’ll now find details on which device will get you the most from T-Mobile and what your minimum requirements will be as well.

Customer trades-in an iPhone 5
• $0 Down on new iPhone 5
• Monthly EIP payments are $13/mo for 24 months
• –OR- Customer receives up to $164 bill credit, which can be applied toward monthly payments, a T-Mobile bill or the purchase of accessories or another device

Customer trades-in an iPhone 4S
• $0 Down on new iPhone 5
• Monthly EIP payments are $15/mo for 24 months
• –OR- Customer receives up to $120 bill credit, which can be applied toward monthly payments, a T-Mobile bill or the purchase of accessories or another device

Customer trades-in an iPhone 4
• $0 Down on new iPhone 5
• Monthly EIP payments are $19/mo for 24 months
• –OR- Customer receives up to $24 bill credit, which can be applied toward monthly payments, a T-Mobile bill or the purchase of accessories or another device

“The used device must meet minimal criteria including being in good condition, having an intact and working display and being free of liquid damage or corrosion and also goes through security checks to ensure it is not a device that has been reported lost or stolen.” – T-Mobile Representative

NOTE: If you need convincing that the iPhone 5 is a device you need to own, have a peek at our full iPhone 5 review, now!

So is this trade-in worth it? You simply must see how much your iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S is worth on the open market to decide. If you sell your iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S on ebay, for instance, you might get more than $500 USD for it – but you’ll also have to make absolutely sure you know how to wipe out your device before you sell it, unlock it so the person you’re selling it to can use it, and have a basic knowledge of how to sell and ship items with ebay in the first place.

If these sorts of must-haves scare the living daylights out of you, you have three options, each of them better than the last:

1. Just keep your iPhone and buy a new iPhone 5 from T-Mobile so you’ve got 2 iPhones, the older one just as awesome as an iPod.
2. Trade your iPhone in with T-Mobile and get that new iPhone 5 – they’ll take care of the details.
3. Ask your nephew or niece how to make ebay sell your stuff – and don’t forget to give them a few bucks for the effort!

Stay tuned as we get the final details from T-Mobile on what they’ll be looking for in regards to the above-and-beyond $99.99 value of your iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S. Seeya then!

First off, this new Smarter Stand has a very unique design. It makes for a pretty good headphone wrapper by itself, but it also acts as a stand for your iPhone, allowing you to keep your headphones wrapped up while you have it propping up your smartphone. However, you’ll have to have your headphones plugged into your iPhone in order to use the Smarter Stand as a stand, since it uses the headphone jack as a fulcrum of sorts. The Smarter Stand has a convenient location to slide the headphone plug into, although it seems to only work best with the stock Apple earbuds (or EarPods, as they’re now calling them). The stand isn’t too friendly with other headphone plug designs, as you can see with my own pair of headphones in the gallery toward the bottom, but it at least still works, albeit not as great as using regular Apple earbuds.

However, what I really like about the Smarter Stand is how it allows for room to feed the headphone earpieces through the middle after you wrapped them up. It’s a small design facet, but it’s incredibly genius and really handy. The two forks at either end also make it really easy to wind up your headphones, although you have to be careful not to wind your headphones up too tightly or too loosely — too tightly can result in destroyed headphone cords, while wrapping too loosely can lead to unwanted unraveling.

As a stand itself, the Smarter Stand works pretty well. Again, you have to have your headphones plugged into your iPhone in for the stand to do its thing, but you can still have your headphones wrapped up if you want, and if you want to utilize your external speakers, you can simply unplug your headphones past that first notch to keep them plugged in, but not activated. Sadly, you can’t adjust the angle of the stand, but it sits at a nice 45-degrees (roughly), which we found to be optimal anyway.

In the end, if you need a simple and cheap stand that also doubles as a headphone wrapper, this is probably what you want. You can get one for as low $9 (plus $3 shipping to US), and it’s made out of flexible, but stiff thermoplastic polyurethane, so while it looks like a cheap accessory, it’ll hold up quite well. However, it only works well if you’re using Apple’s own headphones. You can use other brands, but the stand doesn’t quite work as nicely. It’ll at least work either way, but that’s definitely something to be aware of if you’re planning on backing the project.

The Smarter Stand is available for the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 4/4S, as well as all generations of the iPod Touch. As for Android version, the company says that each Android device would require its own exclusive design (which can get expensive), but they’re open to making Smarter Stands for certain Android models if the demand is up.

Essentially in Real Racing 3, you buy cars and compete in events until you beat the game. There’s also “Driver Level,” in which you are awarded a certain amount of experience points after every race that go towards being an expert driver. I don’t really pay a lot of attention to that, since my only goal is raise as much money as I can so I can buy a new car and race in more events. You rely on “R$” currency and coins to get you through the game. The coins are there so that you can basically buy your way out of having to wait on various things, which I’ll describe here soon.

You might have heard about “Time-Shifted Multiplayer” before. It’s a new feature in Real Racing 3 where you play against real people in every event. Granted, you’re not all playing each other at the same time (hence the “Time-Shifted” name), but the other racers are essentially AI-controlled players that have completed in the event in the past. It’s similar to racing a ghost, but the ghost is AI-controlled and will respond to your movements in the race. It’s a pretty neat feature, and it’s more enjoyable this way knowing that you’re not just racing against the computer.

There are numerous types of races to choose from, including cup races, top-speed challenges, drag races, sprints, and eliminations. There also tons of new tracks and cars, including real tracks like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Mount Panorama, as well as fake tracks that exist in real locations, such as Melbourne. As for controls, it’s nothing that we haven’t experienced before with Real Racing 2 — tilting your mobile device steers the car, and tapping on the screen is the brake. You can also change camera angles, which includes a cockpit view if you really want a realistic experience.

As for graphics, they’re not bad, but also not great. There’s absolutely zero anti-aliasing, which makes the game a pixelated nightmare, and scenery could be a bit better, especially in Mount Panorama, where you can get a good look out at the horizon. The mountains in the background look pretty horrible, and it makes you feel you traveled back in time to the late 90s. However, I can’t be too harsh on the graphics. For a mobile game on a smartphone, the game looks pretty incredible.

As for the freemium model in Real Racing 3, this is where things can get a bit controversial. Since the game is free, Firemonkey and EA rely on the in-app purchases of coins to make revenue. Whenever your car needs servicing or you upgrade parts, you have to wait a few minutes for them to complete, sometimes up to 10 minutes. Of course, you can speed the process up by spending a couple of coins, but once you’re all out, you have to buy more if you don’t want to wait for things to finish. Essentially, Firemonkey and EA are counting on your impatience in order to make money with this game, and my guess is that they’ll make a fortune.

You can buy more coins starting at $1.99 for 10 of them, and you can also buy more in-game currency for buying cars and upgrades starting at $1.99 for R$50,000. And considering that Real Racing 2 only cost $4.99, you can end up spending way more in Real Racing 3. However, if patience is your virtue, then you probably won’t have a problem with the game, but if you’re the type of person who wants upgrades now and wants your oil change and tire rotation right this second, prepare to spend a ton of money on the game.

That’s a huge potential audience, Cook argues, highlighting China as one such area in which Apple has made inroads but still sees plenty of room for more. It’s worth noting that many emerging markets might not be able to stomach the pricing of the current iPhone range, something Cook did touch upon a little.

Apple’s existing lower-cost iPhone plans have centered around making the last-gen hardware more affordable. That, Cook says, actually led to a surprising degree of demand among consumers. In fact, the company “didn’t have enough supply” of the iPhone 4 when Apple cut the price, something which Cook says “surprised us” given there was a more up-to-date model on the market.

Nonetheless, the two-year subsidies familiar from many markets – and which allows for a “free” iPhone 4 on contract – simply won’t fly in other countries. There, cheap Android handsets have proliferated, and it’s questionable whether Apple could – even with two-year-old hardware – cut its production costs of any currently released devices to match.

Still, as we’ve seen before with netbooks, when Apple can’t hit something on price that it believes also meets with its ethos, it often goes a different direction (in the case of netbooks, it went to iPad). Whether that means the long-standing chatter of a budget Apple iPhone for developing nations could come to fruition remains to be seen.

What this map shows is an iPhone 5S coming in Q3, followed within weeks by a new design and release for the iPhone 5, complete with a set of case modifications we’ve been hearing rumors and suggestions about over the past week – how odd! These predictions include a device which has largely the same specifications as the iPhone 5 as it exists on the market today, but with a 1600 mAh battery instead of 1420, 8.2mm of thickness instead of 7.6, and a weight of 130g instead of 112.

Perhaps most interesting of all is the suggestion that the refreshed iPhone 5 will be coming with multiple different colors, not unlike the most recent push with the iPod touch. This release will also have plastic casing rather than aluminum, this keeping the cost of the device down considerably – and remind yourself here that these are all predictions from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, not assurances.

The price for this newly refreshed iPhone 5 will be between $350 and $450 unlocked (compared to the current $600-700 on the market today) and it’ll be completely free when purchased with a 2-year contract. This contradicts the pattern Apple worked with when the iPhone 4S was revealed, the “free” model being at that time the iPhone 3GS, aka the least powerful of the three models on the market. With this release there’d only be two.

This roadmap also predicts that there’ll be an iPad 5 released between the iPhone 5S and the modified iPhone 5, with a newly designed Retina MacBook Pro released at the same time. Also released with the iPhone 5S will be a modified iPod touch 5th gen and an iPod nano refresh. Predicted for Q1 is an Apple TV refresh of some kind, near the end of Q2 a new MacBook Air, and last in Q3 an iPad mini 2nd gen.

Lastly Kuo suggests that at the start of the fourth quarter of 2013 we’ll be seeing a new iMac and a new Mac mini – exciting times! Have a peek at our Apple hub for more Apple action through the year, and get ready for the multi-colored plastic of the iPhone 5 refresh – if that’s what you believe will be coming, of course.

[via MacRumors]

According to the announcement, the Straight Talk plan saves consumers an average of $950 a year in contrast to standard contract plans. The $45 Straight Talk iPhone plan offers unlimited talk, text, and data, though it it didn’t specify data speeds or caps. There’s also no word on how long customers with a Walmart credit card will enjoy the discounted plan rates.

The iPhone 4 will be available in both black and white in 8GB only for $449, while the iPhone 5 (16GB model only) will be available in both white and black for $649. In addition to the $45 plan, a $60 plan will also be available that offers Unlimited International Calling to over 1,000 locations, such as Canada, Mexico, etc. in addition to the unlimited talk/text/data.

TracFone Wireless’s President and CEO F. J. Pollak offered this statement. “We are thrilled to be bringing the remarkable iPhone 5 to customers looking for one of the most advanced smartphones with one of the most affordable No Contract plans ever. The advanced iPhone 5 with our unlimited $45 monthly plan and Walmart’s $25 special financing offer is a marriage made in heaven – making it the most affordable premium smartphone offer in America. With this exclusive offer the last reason for not purchasing the No Contract Straight Talk plan is gone,”

There are two separate patents at the center of this debate, both owned by Samsung in Japan. One deals with technology for downloading apps that bring increased functionality to the phone, while the other is for Airplane mode. Samsung said that the iPhone 4 and 4S were infringing on both of these patents, and naturally, Apple disagreed with that assertion. It seems that The Tokyo District Court is siding with Apple, as it said in a ruling that Apple isn’t infringing on Samsung’s first patent because the “app technology” on the iPhone is different than the tech on Samsung’s phones.

That ruling was handed down on September 14, whereas on October 11 the court decided that there wasn’t any infringement as it relates to Airplane mode on the basis that Airplane mode isn’t a new technology. So, that’s two Samsung patent claims that were denied by the Tokyo District Court. Elsewhere in the world, Samsung has been winning its claims, while in other places, the Korean company is coming up a bit short.

Still, the war between these two continues on, with no real end in sight. At this point, we’re thinking that both of these companies will continue fighting for as long as they have the money to hire lawyers, and indeed, these patent suits have apparently had a negative effect on Apple and Samsung’s manufacturing relationship. More details on these courtrooms brawls will undoubtedly be coming soon, so keep it tuned right here to SlashGear.

Personally, I don’t use a case on my phone since I’m not a huge fan of them to begin with. However, the Mummy case got my attention pretty quickly, and it’s one of the few cases that I was excited to actually try out. Obviously, right away you’ll notice the back of the case makes it look like the phone is wrapped with mummy wrappings (hence the name). The Apple logo and the “iPhone” are still visible, which is some clever design work to say the least. The mummy wrappings also serve another purpose besides just looking cool. You can stick credit cards, IDs, or cash in between the case and the phone, which also makes it a great makeshift wallet.

As with any silicone case, it can be a little difficult to slide your phone in and out of your pocket due to the rubbery texture, but the Mummy actually felt less rubbery, and it slid into my pocket a lot easier than most cases would. However, just like with any case, the Mummy does add a little bit of thickness to the iPhone, which gets rid of one of the features that makes the iPhone appealing in the first place. It can take time to get used to the size difference, but if you love the thinness of the iPhone, you’re probably not even using a case anyway.

The button “extenders,” so to speak, for the volume and power buttons work surprisingly well; they don’t take any more effort to push than normal, which can’t be said with most other iPhone silicone cases sadly. The opening for the ring/silent switch just above the volume buttons is a bit off, but that’s only because the case is catered towards both the iPhone 4 and 4S, which have slightly different placements when it comes to that small switch — not a huge deal there.

I did find it a bit of a nuisance trying to fit a credit card into the back of the case. Loop didn’t make it easy, since you kind of have to jimmy it in pretty good. There were even times where I was afraid I was going to scratch up the back of my iPhone with my credit card. Cash is even worse, since it’s more flimsy than a card. The trick is just to lift up the flaps and slide it in as best you can.

Overall, if you’re looking to get a minimalist and stylish silicone case for your iPhone, I’d probably tell you to get this one, despite the couple of very minor flaws. The case is well built, looks great, and has a one-of-a-kind unique Halloween theme that also works year-round.

Loop Attachment makes the Mummy case for the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and the new iPhone 5 (pre-order only). The iPhone 5 version will be available early next month for a special introductory price of $20. The iPhone 4/4S version costs $25, or you can get a bundle of three Mummy cases for $60.

The Mummy iPhone case is only compatible with Apple‘s newly-discounted iPhone 4/4S line currently, but the company has said they’re planning on stocking up on iPhone 5 cases sometime this month and early November, so stay tuned for those if you happened to upgrade to the latest iPhone.

When you put the case on your iPhone, it essentially looks like mummy wrappings are covering the back of your device (hence the name of the case in the first place). However, it’s not just all about looks. All that fancy silicone on the back is also meant to hold credit cards, money, ID, etc., so it actually doubles as a makeshift wallet, while at the same time providing your iPhone with a little protection. The Mummy is available in 10 different colors and is priced at $25 each, or three for $60.

Loop Attachment’s flagship product isn’t actually for the iPhone, though. It’s simply called the Loop, and it’s a wristband for your 5th- or 6th-generation iPod Nano that turns the device into a glorified watch. We’ve seen these types of products before, but the Loop is a unique one-piece band that snuggly fits an iPad Nano on top, and can be easily removed if need be. It comes in seven color varieties and will cost you $20 each or $50 for a bundle of three.

This device requires that you plug into the wall to work and works with remote control that’ll take 1 x CR2025 battery that’s included in the package. You’ll be connecting your device via the standard 30-pin iPod dock in the center of the device, though other connections are allowed via a standard Line In and Aux In – that’s a stereo RCA connector, incase you’re wondering about context. You’ve also got, interestingly enough, a Video Out port too – we’ll see how we can use that upon closer inspection.

This device is compatible with a variety of Apple products right out of the box including iPhone / iPod / iPad compatibility: iPhone 4 / 4S / 3GS / 3G, iPod Touch / Nano / Classic (5th Generation), iPad 1 / 2, and The New iPad. The remote control included in the package works with most iOS devices, but will not be compatible with your iPad 2 or iPad 3. NOTE: This device does not work with the iPhone 5 – yet. You can control the volume of the set with the collection of physical buttons that sit atop the machine or you can control the sound from your audio-wielding device.

This beast looks and feels extremely basic – it’s a big hunk of black, essentially, but inside we’re pumped to hear the blasts of beats that are sung about in legends of this speaker. We’ll be getting our hands on this device sooner than later for a full review for you and yours – can’t wait! Meanwhile keep your ear to the review circuit here on SlashGear for all things great and loud!

This set of cases has a headphone clip, camera lens ring, USB drive (removable), kickstand for both portrait and landscape (using the USB drive stick as the stand), and multi-tool. The multi-tool has a standard blade, serrated blade, flat-head screwdriver, bottle opener, and a choice of colors – black or silver! Of course you’re going to want to pop the tool off the case when you’re heading to the airport – not allowed!

The case fits on your phone like a charm and adds less than 3mm to its surface. The bulk of the case is made of aerospace grade composite materials as well, so you’ll have some basic protection for the back and sides of your device. The USB stick comes in two iterations – 8DB or 16GB, and again, fits into the case in several different ways allowing you some on-the-go stand-up action for your phone.

The headphone clip allows you to keep your phones tight to the device when you’ve wrapped them around the phone, and the integrated lens ring works with a variety of lenses, each of them included in the package. There’s a macro lens, a fish-eye lens, and a wide-angle lens too.

For those of you still wanting to contribute to the Indiegogo campaign, there’s good news – if you’ve got an iPhone 4/4S now and plan to update to the iPhone 5, no worries! You get both an iPhone 4/4S case and an iPhone 5 case in the package together – and the multi-tool and USB stick fit in both! Check it out!

While we’re pretty sure many of you are patiently waiting for that shiny new iPhone 5 to arrive, for those that didn’t upgrade you can surely get close with iOS 6. Apple’s new Siri improvements, Their own home-brewed 3D Maps with flyover, passbook and more. I’m sure you all know plenty about iOS 6 already and just would like to know how to get it.

The folks from Cupertino have been working hard and are pushing the update out as we speak. We’ve been hearing from multiple sources that the rollout has just begun and is rolling out in stages. Users of iOS 5 devices should be able to update over-the-air right on their devices, and as usual all can use iTunes to do the same. As a precaution it’s always good to backup your iPhone or iPad first just to be safe.

We mentioned this morning the update would start rolling out around 1:00 PM EST and that is in just a few minutes. Most likely the masses will start seeing the update arrive shortly. The update is likely being staggered so if you don’t see it right away don’t be too upset, try again in a few minutes and you’ll be enjoying that iOS 6 greatness soon enough. You might also want to make sure you’re running the latest iTunes 10.7

For more details on iOS 6 you’ll want to check out our Apple Hub, or take a peek at our in depth iPhone 5 and iOS 6 review.

First step of that process is wheeling out the Samsung YP-Q3, a media player from back in early 2010, and one which Samsung believes is surprisingly similar to the industrial design of Apple’s iPhone 4. That smartphone actually launched in 2010 as well, but two months later than Samsung’s PMP did.

It’s not the only Samsung-branded gadget that pre-empted the iPhone 4 with some passably similar styling, the company would like to point out. The YP-Zt, another media player, also had a now-distinctive black fascia and silver surround, with crisp corners like the iPhone 4/4S.

Then, of course, there’s the Samsung F700. The 2006 touchscreen smartphone was a center point of Samsung’s defense strategy for the iPhone design suit, though it failed to help the company escape final censure.

It’s not the first time we’ve seen Samsung look to sway public opinion when its ability to convince the court was less than successful. The Korean company encountered a furious Apple and an angry judge after it released a dossier of design arguments contrasting the iPhone’s style with its own design output. Whether this latest attempt will prove at all useful for Samsung’s appeal is questionable.

The iPhone 5 will be appearing in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore first, with a major list of additional countries coming soon. This device will be appearing in 100 countries and on 240 carriers eventually, with additional countries from the first standard list coming on the 28th. You’ll be able to pre-order from Apple.com starting this Friday.

Check out the rest of our iPhone 5 news today in the timeline below and through our big Apple portal – and let us know if you plan on purchasing this next-generation device now, later, or maybe even not at all! If you’ve got a past-generation device you’ll also be getting a FREE upgrade to iOS 6, the company’s next-generation software one way or another – wirelessly, too!

That pretty much confirms that T-Mobile isn’t going to be getting the next iteration of Apple‘s famous device, but that probably isn’t going to shock anyone. T-Mobile lacks the LTE network needed for the next iPhone, so instead of offering that, it will be offering consumers new Monthly4G Micro SIM kits that are compatible with the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. TmoNews takes this to mean that T-Mobile will be making some announcements about its network refarm soon.

So, T-Mobile won’t be offering the iPhone 5, but one of the ways it’s trying to compensate for that is by inviting consumers to bring in their unlocked iPhones and pick up a Micro SIM kit. Aside from giving us a glimpse at some of T-Mobile’s plans for the next month, these leaked internal documents also mention the date that everyone has been talking about: September 21.

It’s on that day that Apple is supposedly launching the iPhone 5, after revealing it at an expected Apple event on September 12. These new training materials meant for “selling against the iPhone” are scheduled to arrive at T-Mobile stores on September 21, which backs up the rumor that the next iPhone is launching on that day. We shall see soon enough, but for now, have a look at our story timeline below to see what else has been going on at T-Mobile lately.

This next-generation device has been tipped to have a 4-inch display, components that allow for a much bigger battery size than in previous models, and a new configuration at the top and bottom of the unit. The bottom of the device now appears to have two screws (as per the previous generation) but moves the headphone jack from the top of the device down to the bottom. The bottom of the device also utilizes individually drilled holes in the aluminum ring that surrounds the device rather than relying on separately attached grilles.

The photos shown here show what’s said to be the iPhone 5 (or whatever the next-generation iPhone’s final name will be) using the new “mini dock” which we’ve been hearing tips and rumors about for several months. Pictured here is an inside view as well as an outside view, showing that the connector’s size makes a major difference on the inside as far as size goes, with little space necessary for the far fewer pins this futuristic connector certainly requires. We’ve heard several different possibilities ranging from a 16-pin connector to a 9-pin to an 8-pin.

Those of you waiting for the new iPhone should prepare to purchase a converter accessory if you plan on using your previous generation accessories. Apple has been rumored to be making a low-cost converter device for its loyal consumers so that it might stay in the good graces of the massive amount of 3rd party accessory makers in the field today. This accessory may also be included in the box when users pick up a brand new iPhone 5 later this year.

Check out the timeline below to see what else has been rolling around the tip mill over the past few days and set your calendars for September 12th – that may well be the day!

[via MacRumors]

If you’re ordering this hot little number from the web you’ll be getting it in 4-6 business days, while users headed to physical shops across the nation may well be able to pick one up this afternoon. Though it may not look it from the images above and below, this bumper is two-toned and is made of durable rubber and molded plastic.

This unit is only the latest in a line of Apple-made iPhone 4/4S bumpers, with other colors including pink, orange, green, white, blue, and black. All bumpers will cost you a cool $29.00 not including shipping. All of your buttons will continue to be accessible while the bumper is installed, and both your front and back panels are still wide open and viewable.

The RED model does give some bit of its proceeds to the program, with this playing a big part in Apple’s charity efforts on the whole. In an Apple town hall meeting that took place in February of this year, CEO Tim Cook let it be known that sales of (PRODUCT) RED Apple products had at that point generated a whopping $50 million USD – fabulous!

[via MacRumors]

That, obviously, is because Apple requires that customers present evidence of a lower price before it will drop its own prices. Apparently, Apple is willing to part with the iPhone 4 for as low as $49.99, while iPhone 4S models can dip down to $149, $249, and $349. That’s a discount of $49.01 on all models, which isn’t too bad.

Apple has rolled out this price match promotion in response to carriers and other major retailers who have been dropping the price on the iPhone in order to get more people through their doors. In the past, Apple hasn’t really cared too much about partners dropping their prices below its own, with the mentality being that a sale is a sale, and more having more iPhones in the hands of consumers is a good thing. Apple makes more money on iPhone sales at its own stores though, so we can’t really blame the company for trying to bring in as much money as it can on each iPhone sold.

There isn’t any word on how long this promotion will last, and Apple is telling employees that they can only price match offers from “approved” retailers and carriers. We don’t know which retailers those are, precisely, but it seems safe to assume that prices from all the big carries and retails chains (AT&T, Best Buy, Verizon, etc.) are fair game. Keep an ear to SlashGear, as we’ll be sure to let you know if Apple gets any more specific about this price match promotion.

Checking over at Best Buy’s website this doesn’t appear to be a sale of any sort, and is the actual price moving forward. For those that don’t need the iPhone 4S, this is a solid price and comes just in time for those back to school shoppers. This new price comes just a few days after Apple’s Q3 earnings report earlier this week. Where they stated to have sold around 27 million iPhones this quarter, which was viewed as low numbers.

We can expect sales of the older iPhone 4 to soar a little bit with the new competitive pricing, although with all the recent rumors of the iPhone 5 (or the new iPhone) some might be waiting to see what Apple has up their sleeves. If you’re eligible for an upgrade and are ready to sign a new contract, head to Best Buy and snag the iPhone 4 8GB for just $49.99 available today.

[via Tuaw]

Let’s get the basics out of the way. It’s a huge number of phones, especially when you consider it’s made up, not of dozens of variants of devices as in Samsung’s expansive range, but of three different models with a few color and capacity choices. It’s also very lucrative; Apple’s Q3 2012 revenue hit $35bn with $8.8bn profit for the three month period.

A good question is which version, exactly, fell in popularity. Apple doesn’t break down individual iPhone sales, so we don’t know if the decline in Q3 versus Q2 was across the board of iPhone 3GS, 4, and 4S versions, or biased toward one or two of those. Given the 3GS is now almost three years old, and very obviously a “previous gen” model from the aesthetics, it’s perhaps not unreasonable to assume that it would carry the brunt of the decline.

On the horizon, meanwhile, is the iPhone 5. Apple’s cyclical refresh pattern makes for a comfortable pace for the company, but it also leads consumers to expect a new model at a certain time of year. That can have a distinct impact on sales – it’s hard to recommend buying even an iPhone 4S today, when a new iPhone is likely just around the corner. Even if that expectation is limited to the rumor-tracking minority of potential iPhone owners, that’s still a chunk of sales Apple could have missed.

It’s also worth remembering that product cycles are just that: cycles, with a peak of demand and then a tail-off afterwards. The iPhone in its current forms has done well to hold out to 26m sales, but there’s no denying that the competition has raised its game since we saw it arrive with Siri and a better camera in late 2011. Samsung’s Galaxy S III mustered almost Apple-degrees of pre-launch intrigue and rumormongery, while HTC has, current struggles aside, had its moment in the spotlight with the capable One X and One S.

Many have a taste for bigger touchscreens and more superlatives on their spec sheets, and Android has, in its most recent iterations, come on in leaps and bounds to close the polish gap between it and iOS. In short, the iPhone isn’t the only game in town, and opting for Android needn’t be an act just as much of masochism as intentional preference.

The iPhone certainly looks weaker this quarter than it did the period before. But rivals should be wary of reading too much into Q3 figures. If the rumors are true, Apple is readying itself for the “revolutionary” phase of its biannual revolution/evolution pattern: a new phone as different from the iPhone 4S as that handset was similar to its predecessor. Factor in the iPhone 4 being the new free-on-contract option, the iPhone 4S getting a price cut to $99, and a glistening new flagship, and the Android army can expect a fight once more.

While Virgin Media claim that the plan comes with unlimited data, the reality is that after 2.5GB you’ll start to see some throttling. Having said that, the deal does work out cheaper in the long run compared to AT&T or Verizon if you’re willing to shoulder the initial cost of the phone.

Virgin Mobile joins Cricket Wireless as yet another MVNO to offer prepaid plans for the iPhone. Cricket offers the cheaper phone ($499.99 for the 4S), but you’ll be spreading the savings over a higher monthly tariff ($55 for an unlimited plan).

Would you really spring for an iPhone 4S at this stage when the next iPhone is on the horizon? Rumors have indicated that the next iteration of Apple’s smartphone will come with a larger 4-inch display and a bump in resolution to 1136×640. Apple is said to have redesigned core apps for the device to take advantage of the increased real estate, and will encourage developers to do the same. Alleged parts for the next iPhone have also made several appearances, indicating the use of a smaller 19-pin dock connector and two-tone metallic back.

Hardware

The Arcadie doesn’t look quite as swanky as the iCade, constructed from plastic with stickers adorning the sides, but it stands up to the task of holding your iTouch device in place while you play the games. A button on the top will pop the back open, allow you to place your device into the 30-pin dock connector found at the bottom of the slot.

Some rubber bumpers, meanwhile, rest on the bottom portion of the device’s screen so it doesn’t get scratched while inside the cabinet. There’s two additional “springy” bumpers that retract when you place a thicker device in the cabinet, like the iPhone 3GS, all to make sure that everything fits nice and snugly inside.

Otherwise all the action happens up front: there’s a joystick which supports eight directions along with an A and B button just waiting to be mashed. After the games fire up, there’s a brief calibration period that prompts you not to touch the buttons. When we did eventually jump into gameplay, we found that the joystick works without any issues, and that the two buttons worked well for the most part with good feedback. Occasionally some of our presses weren’t registered, but it was a rare occurrence.

Software

Right now there are three games available for free on the App Store that work with the Arcadie: Ping, Blasteroids, and Alien Invaders. See what they did there? You can probably guess which games they’re emulating, with a few graphical improvements to bring the classics into the 21st Century. If you’ve played the originals, you’ve played these too. Three more are said to be coming in the future too, including Planet Defender, Stacker, and Invaders!

The games have been designed to use only the top half of your iDevice’s screen thanks to the design of the cabinet, but there isn’t any touch support at all. They’ll only work with the Arcadie, so if you’re hoping to get some retro gaming done on the go, you can forget about it. It’s not a big deal, and we’re sure you can find other versions that are designed for touch capabilities with relative ease. The Arcadie supports the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4/4S, and iPod Touch 3rd Generation.

Wrap-Up

What more is there to say about the Arcadie? It’s a fun little product that’s also simple to use. Firebox is currently selling the Arcadie for £14.99 (~$23.39), so it would make a very inexpensive gift or indulgence. The gaming selection is pretty limited right now though, so how much value you get out of it depends on how many more games become available in the future and if developers show any interest. Still, it’s cheap, and a nice way to kill some time or avoid doing work. Now, if you’ll excuse us…

“Samsung welcomes the decision of the court in The Hague, which again confirms that Apple makes free use of our technological innovations” the Korean company said in a statement on the court’s ruling. “In accordance with this statement, we will recover adequate damages that Apple and its products have caused.”

The most recent phone and tablet from Apple escaped the umbrella ruling because Apple switched to a new chipset supplier, namely Qualcomm, and the court deemed that those radios did not overstep in terms of Samsung’s patents. Qualcomm had already licensed the necessary patent from Samsung, and it was decided that such licensing covered Apple as a Qualcomm customer.

Exactly what sort of damages Samsung is considering requesting are unclear, and Apple is yet to comment on the ruling. The decision is the latest of many court appearance for the two companies, which have been firing intellectual property salvos at each other for several months now.

Meanwhile, Samsung also finds itself under EC antitrust investigation, after complaints from rivals that it has contravened rules around fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) patent licensing.

[via AllAboutPhones - thanks Danijel!]

The battery pack, which doubles as a case for the phone, features a 2,000mAh battery that should provide up to 8 hours additional talk time using 3G, 7 hours of browsing, 44 hours of audio playback, and 11 hours of video playback. The top and bottom caps come with a “snap” design so you can easily access the 30-pin dock connector, although there’s a pass-through USB cable included so you don’t have to remove the phone from the case.

On top of that, there’s a standy and charging switch so you can choose when to utilize the extra power, and the 4 LEDs will indicate how much power is remaining in the case. What about added thickness? The case itself is 0.71-inches thick, and weighs 2.5 ounces, but that’s better than lugging around a charger or additional external battery pack.

Starting from today the case is now available at Apple’s retail stores in addition to the online store, or you can pick it up from Mophie’s own store. Whatever you choose, expect to pay around $99.95.

Because the hack requires third-party file installation – and it’s not the sort of thing Apple would allow in the App Store – and that iOS 6, even when jailbroken, can’t access the Cydia unofficial download store, the process is a little more involved than usual. Full instructions are here, though you attempt it at your own risk.

Performance, based on Titkov’s videos, looks reasonable, though it’s worth noting that iOS 6 is still a few months away from official release and this is all based on beta software. Exactly how pleased Apple will be to see the hack is another good question; we’re guessing the answer is “not so much” and wouldn’t be surprised to see it blocked in future iterations.

As for turn-by-turn directions, another feature in the new iOS 6 Maps app (that replaces Google Maps in iOS), so far that’s not been hacked to run on older phones. Apple quietly detailed those limits earlier this week.

[Thanks Den!]

If you’ve got an iPad 2 or 3 (that being the 3rd generation iPad with Retina display), you’ll have access to everything outside Siri and the newly announced Made of iPhone hearing aids. If you’ve got an iPhone 4S or iPad 2 or later, you’ll have access to all of the new Apple Maps features including Flyover as well as turn-by-turn navigation. Siri will be available for the iPad for the first time with this update, but will require a web connection and you will need at least an iPad 3 to run it.

The iPod touch will not be getting Apple maps, Siri, hearing aids, Shared Photo Streams, FaceTime over a cellular network, and several other newly announced features simply because in its current iteration, the device does not have the power requirements or setup it needs to fun such powerful applications. We’ve yet to hear if it will make a difference whether you’ve got a data-connected iPad or not to get some of the features mentioned, but we do expect Siri to make an appearance on the iPad 3 regardless of if you’ve got a wi-fi only device or not.

Have a peek at our timeline below to catch up with all of the iOS 6 news that’s dropped over the past couple of days and get pumped up at the prospect of a release in the coming weeks and months!

The original iPad won’t get iOS 6 at all, staying on iOS 5, while the iPad 2 will miss out on Siri functionality, unlike the new iPad on iOS 6. Flyover and turn-by-turn navigation in Apple’s new Maps app – replacing Google Maps in iOS – will be limited to the iPhone 4S and iPad 2/new iPad.

The list of omitted features for the iPhone 3GS also includes VIP list support, VIP/Flagged smart mailboxes, and Offline Reading List, all of which are only on the iPhone 4 or later, and iPad 2 or later. Apple’s plans for Made for iPhone hearing aids, meanwhile – which will offer certification to compatible hardware – will demand the iPhone 4S.

Although several Android OEMs have opted not to upgrade their older phones to newer releases of the OS, a common explanation has been that the usability experience is not necessarily worth the accompanying performance compromise. Limits on functionality for older devices is not particularly unusual – hardware requirements for more processor-intensive features are always going to rub difficultly with lower-power chips in earlier phones and tablets – but Apple’s decision to mock Google and Android while slipping these omissions into the small-print is likely to earn the company some criticism.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Carriers use device subsidies to lure you in: they know a five hundred dollar phone is a turn-off to most shoppers. They’re not discounting it out of the goodness of their own heart, however; with the subsidy comes a contract, usually two years in length, and the operator makes back what they’ve subsidized up front with the calling plan fees.

Paying for the phone itself upfront, however, as Virgin Mobile demands you do, can add up to big savings. For an iPhone 4S, total cost of ownership over two years with Virgin’s new offer is $1,369. Look to AT&T and that jumps to $1,640 (with no inclusive messaging and just 300MB of monthly data); Verizon, meanwhile, would charge $1,880 (again, with no inclusive messaging but with 2GB of data).

Virgin Mobile isn’t the only one willing to cut you some contract slack if you pay more upfront. Verizon offers month-to-month iPhone plans if you pay full-whack for the iPhone 4S, basically matching its CDMA rival with $649.99 for the 16GB model. The difference is that Virgin Mobile’s monthly fees are considerably cheaper, even when you’re not tied into an agreement.

So, while $30 per month gets you 300 minutes, unlimited messaging and 2.5GB of “unlimited” data per month on Virgin Mobile, Verizon’s cheapest monthly spend is still $69.99. That gets you more minutes – 450 in fact – but no bundled messaging and 2GB of data. If you want unlimited (again, still with that 2.5GB limit) across the board on Virgin Mobile it’s $50 per month, versus $119.99 for unlimited calls and messages on Verizon (though still with 2GB of data; the carrier offers 5GB or 10GB for $20 or $30 more a month, respectively, but Virgin Mobile offers no way of bypassing its fair use data policy).

It’s not quite the Independence Day from carriers that we’ve been demanding for years - unlike in countries where GSM is the prevalent standard, you can’t just take the Virgin Mobile iPhone and decide to drop, say, a T-Mobile USA SIM into it instead - but it’s a good step in the right direction. The lingering message is that, while hundreds of dollars of subsidies might get you in the door, you’re playing directly into carriers’ pockets.

The electronics warranty fulfillment company pitted the iPhone 4 and Galaxy S III through three tests – the first was dropping it from ear-level. The second was to rigorously toss each device back and forth. And finally, each phone was left unattended on the top of a speeding car before it fell off. Yes, believe it or not, there was at least one phone that survived all of those.

That phone was the iPhone 4. At the end of the first test, the Galaxy S III already proved problematic – there was a single crack on the display that went all the way from top to bottom. The iPhone 4 just had a few scrapes on the sides. After test #2, the iPhone 4′s back was shattered but otherwise survived. The Galaxy S III had pretty much the same result. And finally, the car test only proved to have minor impact on the iPhone 4 while it absolutely destroyed the Galaxy S III.

[via LA Times]

$30 per month – or $35 if you don’t agree to automatic billing – gets you 300 anytime minutes and unlimited messaging, along with “unlimited” data subject to a 2.5GB fair-use policy every month. $40 per month – or $5 more without auto-billing – increases the minutes to 1200.

Finally, $50 per month – again, $5 more without auto-billing – steps up to unlimited minutes. If you want to use your iPhone as a mobile hotspot, that’ll be another $15 per month, with a step up to 3.5GB of data.

For those unwilling or unable to get a regular contract, and still desperate for an iPhone, the Virgin Mobile option does introduce some flexibility compared to on-contract service from rival carriers. The handset will go on sale come June 29.

This news will likely be seen as another blow to T-Mobile who remains the only one of the four top mobile carriers in the USA to not have the iPhone in their store. We have heard, on the other hand, that the pink network may be offering off-contract deals to iPhone owners sometime in the future – when, though, is still a mystery.

Leap is set to start selling the iPhone on the 22nd of June for $499.99 in its 16GB iteration as the iPhone 4S and for $399.99 as the iPhone 4 with just 8GB of internal storage. These prices are very likely similar to what Virgin Mobile will be selling the devices for when they’re allowed to offer the device later this year. Virgin Mobile currently offers a $35 a month unlimited data plan with throttled speeds after 2.5GB of use, while Leap’s similar plan is $55 for unlimited data, text, and talk, also with a throttling clause after just a couple of GB per month.

Have a peek at our timeline of iPhone news from the past couple of weeks to see what you’ll be grabbing this summer.

The Cricket iPhone 4S will cost you $499.99 for a 16GB (the smallest version) while the 16GB version of the iPhone 4 will ring you up to $399.99 USD. These prices are roughly the same as what we’ve seen thus far from the off-contract phones you can buy directly through Apple. They’ll also have you paying Cricket specifically for your data plan.

Your data plan with Cricket Communications, starting on June 22nd if you order now, will be $55 per month. This cost includes unlimited talk, text, and data, and will have no contract attached to it. This compares with the data plans you’ll find on each of three of the top four mobile carriers in the USA whose plans will cost you between $60 and $80 a month for many of the same perks.

Pre-Paid phones are generally considered a budget option for mobile users all around the globe, but this particular release from Cricket and their overarching company Leap Wireless International has their 6.2 million current customers and potential millions more today considering the way we see the “pre-paid” classification.

There’s no inexpensive situation here, ladies and gentlement, only a place for those who feel they “need” an iPhone to splurge once then forever be able to only pay for the months they can afford an active device. Watch out for de and re-activation costs as well, folks, they might sneak up on you!

Finally and perhaps most important of all there’s the idea that Cricket’s data plan is “Unlimited.” While you may indeed access as much data as you like during the month, after 2.3 GB of data, your data speec will be slowed to as low as 56 Kbps from that point forward. See how fast you can download a song with that!

Cricket will allow you to purchase the iPhone 4S 16GB for $499.99, or the iPhone 4 8GB for $399.99. You’ll be able to use both phones on the unlimited voice, text, and data plan which will set you back $55 a month. Be warned, though: the data package does have a fair usage policy, said to be in the region of 2.3GB a month. Still, it’s better than nothing, and cheaper in the long run than other networks.

The iPhone 4S and 4 will be available in Cricket stores and on its website starting from June 22nd in over 60 markets across the United States. If you want to be kept abreast of the situation in the meantime, make sure to check out Cricket’s website and plug in your information.

[via The Next Web]

This case line is offered starting today in Pink Sapphire, Pacific Green, Pearl White, and the classic Black Onyx. This case has a soft-touch rubber and premium fabric setup, is able to carry three cards as well as a small folded-up roll of cash, and is made to eliminate as much bulk as possible in your pocket as soon as possible! And what better way to do that than to push it all up into the device that already eliminates the necessity for so many oddities: your iPhone!

The Q Card Case works with what the manufacturer calls Natural Throw buttons as well as patent-pending construction on the whole unit so you’ll be assured fine abilities in function as well as protection. Each case also comes with a bonus Screen Guard so you’ll be protected up front as well. This case is currently available over at CM4′s online shop for $39.99 – grab one!

The coders behind the hack do recommend performing a full backup before hand, and then erasing everything from your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch before jailbreaking. That makes the whole thing run quicker, they claim, plus it’s good advice just in case something goes wrong.

Currently, the iPad (1,1 – 2,1 – 2,2 – 2,3 – 3,1 – 3,2 – 3,3), iPhone (2,1 – 3,1 – 3,3 – 4,1) and iPod (3,1 – 4,1) are supported. If you have an iPad2,4 – i.e. the iPad 2 model using 32nm chips released earlier this year – you’ll have to wait a while, as that’s coming later on.

Once you’ve backed-up, wiped and then plugged in via USB, you can run Absinthe 2.0 and simply wait for it to do its magic. A restore-from-backup brings all your content and apps back home. It’s available for OS X 10.5/10.6/10.7 and Windows XP/Vista/7, as well as Linux x86/x86_64 from here.

Both RadioShack and Target also have sales currently for the newest model on the market, the iPhone 4S, this also triggering analysts to suggest that Apple is cleaning stock for the 2012 generation. The iPhone 3GS, on the other hand, is still as free as it was when the iPhone 4S was released – though good luck to you on finding one in-stock anywhere online at the moment. The iPhone 5 (or The New iPhone, iPhone 4G, or whatever it will end up being called) will likely be popping up in October, the same month that last year’s iPhone 4S was announced and released.

In years past it was June that the new iPhone was released, both the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 3GS being announced and released inside that month. The next-generation iPhone has been tipped to be coming with a profile that’s nearly identical to the current-generation iPhone 4/4S but with a 4-inch display instead along with 4G LTE and several other next-level additions. Have a peek at our iPhone 5 timeline below to see all there is to see on the iPhone 5 before it’s revealed for real!

The major change is that the case will no longer give 1GB of data: FreedomPop has decided to drop the amount to 500MB to play it safe. In addition, the deposit idea has been scrapped, with users simply buying the case outright for $99. They can return it for a refund if they’re not happy, so while nothing has really changed for the end-user, the accounting department has a slightly easier job.

500MB isn’t a lot to play with, especially with potentially fast WiMAX speeds, so how can you accrue more? FreedomPop is planning to let users earn more bandwidth by connecting with each other via social networks. How much you earn for these interactions isn’t clear, but it’s said that the monthly limit on data can be raised to 1GB if you play your cards right. FreedomPop users will also be able to transfer data between one another: if you’re having a lighter month, you could send your 500MB over to a friend so that they could take advantage of it instead.

Overage charges will still apply if you do break the 500MB threshold, with data costing one cent per megabyte. The case otherwise remains the same, attaching to your iPhone 4/4S and acting as a WiFi hotspot that the phone connects to while providing additional power. The video below gives a demo of the device, including speeds, and you can head over to this link to pre-order now.

[via TechCrunch]

One of the biggest possibilities is that Apple will expand the number of parts that the iPhone uses currently made with Liquidmetal tech – that’s right, Apple already has a metal bit made with the technology right now. Both the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S use a SIM card ejector tool made with Liquidmetal technology. The iPhone 5 may well be taking what might have simply been an experimental usage here and expanding it across the body of the device. Have a peek at a demonstration of the abilities of Liquidmetal technology here:

What you’re seeing (and hearing) is a powerful representation of what the technology can do for the iPhone 5. This next model smartphone probably wont have a full body made with as 100% wild an amount of Liquidmetal tech across it like the metal ball above has – that would have the phone jumping like a rabbit. Instead what we’re much more likely about to see is a phone whose ability to resist damage is unmatched.

Have a peek at the timeline below to gain more insight on the iPhone 5 and what it’ll end up looking, feeling, and acting like closer to the tail end of 2012 when it’s revealed.

Verizon says it sold 2.1m LTE-enabled smartphones in Q1 2012, more than a million less than the 3G-only iPhone. With long-standing rumors suggesting Apple will launch an LTE fifth-generation iPhone later this year, however, the carrier’s 4G network is likely to get a real work-out then.

Still, either way, data revenues are up. Verizon customers helped push data revenue up to $6.6bn, up 21.1-percent year-on-year; data income now comprises 42.9-percent of all service revenues for Verizon. In contrast, a year ago data revenues were $5.5bn.

Meanwhile, Verizon threw its oar in with Windows Phone, with Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo saying the carrier felt a third platform was very important in the smartphone marketplace.