iPad 5 Rumor Roundup

If history is any indication, we can expect Apple to unveil the latest iPad and a new iPad Minisometime this fall. In October 2012, Apple updated its popular Retina Display iPad with slightly better specs and introduced a smaller, more portable tablet called the iPad Mini.

The rumor mill quieted for a few months after last fall's iPad launches, but it didn't take long before people started wildly speculating about the next generations of Apple's tablet line. Now, with possibly only a few weeks to go before we expect to see some new iPads, the rumors of a delayed iPad Mini with Retina Display and a thinner iPad 5 are cropping up every few days...

Read the full story here... Source: CNET

Rumor Has It: iPad rumor avalanche

If it weren't for the redesigned Home button and larger flash, the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5 would look like identical twins, at least on the outside. Take the new 5S apart, however, and the differences are more apparent -- even if only slightly so. And although it isn't the easiest phone to repair, with the right tools and a little patience, it is possible...

Read the full story here... Source: CNET

Galaxy Note 3 rumor roundup – everything we think we know

The Galaxy Note 3 will be officially unveiled on September 4 during a special Samsung media event scheduled to take place in Berlin, Germany, a few days ahead of the IFA 2013 show.

As you expect, the web is filled with Galaxy Note 3 rumors and leaks, with more reports appearing day after day – even Samsung has mentioned the product’s name a few times on certain pages of its website. With less than three weeks to go, we’re going to tell you what we think we know about the device based on these unconfirmed reports mixed with educated guesses on the matter...

Read the full story here... Source: Android Authority

Rumor: Android 4.3 coming to Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2, not Android 4.2.2

A new report says that Samsung is already working on the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update for some of its top devices, with the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 said to make the jump directly to Android 4.3 and skip Android 4.2.2.

We will remind you that this is just a rumor at this point, so don’t get too excited about it at this time, as we can’t confirm the news just yet. Temefy has it from sources close to Samsung India that the company is working on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update for the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note, but also on the Android 4.3 update for the same devices.

Android 4.2.2 was already leaked for the Galaxy S3, but so was an Android 4.3 build for the Galaxy S4 Google Play edition.

Since Google is expected to launch Android 4.3 in the near future, it would make sense to see some devices skip a Jelly Bean version in order to run the latest Android OS available. But that doesn’t mean that Samsung will necessarily choose this route.

The report also says that an Android 4.2.2 for the Galaxy S3 and Note 2 would arrive in November instead of July, as initially expected. If true, that would be another reason to have the handsets move directly to Android 4.3 instead.

Finally, the publication says that the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 2 will all be further upgradeable to the next major Android version – supposedly Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie – but not all of them will receive it at the same time.

We’ll be back with more details about software updates for these particular handsets once we have them.

Source: Android Authority

 

iOS 7 Running Behind, Rumored to Have Significant Visual Makeover

In a Branch chat, which at the time of this writing is still going on, Daring Fireball's John Gruber says, according to what he's heard, iOS 7 is running behind schedule and that it will bring a significant user interface (UI) refresh. 

What I've heard: iOS 7 is running behind, and engineers have been pulled from OS X 10.9 to work on it. (Let me know if you've heard this song before.)

Gruber went on to say that he's heard that iOS 7 is a "significant system-wide UI overhaul" and the iOS engineers who are allowed to carry around devices with iOS 7 on them even have special privacy filters on their devices which reduces viewing angles. This is to prevent others from accidentally getting a glimpse of the new iOS design. 

Back in 2007, Apple delayed the release of OS X Leopard to concentrate work on iPhone. Gruber hints that this could be the case with Mac OS X 10.9 and iOS 7.

iMore's Rene Ritchie follows up Gruber's comments, saying that he's heard that Ive's work with iOS 7 is "making many people really happy, but will also apparently make rich-texture-loving designers sad." 

His comments come during a Branch talk that includes Gruber, Ritchie, TechCrunch's MG Siegler, Engadget's Tim Stevens, The Next Web's Matthew Panzarino and more. 

Ritchie follows up his earlier predictions, noting that he's heard that an event for a new, 9.7-inch iPad is or was planned for April, but it was contingent upon the new iPad being ready for release. He also notes that he's hearing the iPhone 5S will arrive in August, although Ritchie also says it could be a July/August window rather than a specific month. 

As for what could be on the iPhone 5S, both Siegler and Panzarino say they've heard a lot about biometrics on the new device. The feature would apparently be used for payments and identification. Panzarino notes it wouldn't be surprising to see AuthenTec's biometric technology in Apple devices so soon after Apple purchased the company last July because of the urgency of the deal. 

Finally, Siegler says he's heard "a whisper" that Apple's Passbook team is due for a shakeup and is in "shambles," though Ritchie points out that Forstall's departure could be the reason for the Passbook team's troubles.

[Source: MacRumors]

Updated Nexus 7 with new screen and Qualcomm CPU coming in July, says Reuters

"Power reasons" force the switch from NVIDIA's Tegra platform to Qualcomm according to the source

A report from Reuters earlier says that come July, we'll have a new version of Google's popularNexus 7 tablet. ASUS will still be the manufacturer, but a few key things will have changed. Expect a higher resolution screen with smaller bezels, and concerns over "power" (we take that to mean battery power) have forced a switch to Qualcomm for the CPU.

Pricing is said to still be in limbo, but the $199 figure has been mentioned. This is the same base priceas last year's Nexus 7, and a key to its success. 

If this rumor turns out to be true, a July release would work well with an unveiling at Google I/O this May. ASUS sold an estimated 4.6 million Nexus 7s in the second half of last year, and updated specs at the same price will draw plenty more interest. We're keeping an eye on this one.

[Source: AndroidCentral]

Apple “iRadio” Service Reportedly Launching this Summer

Apple will reportedly launch its own music service, possibly dubbed “iRadio,” later this summer sources speaking to The Verge said Friday. Apple has struggled to get music labels on board with its alleged plans to launch either a subscription music service or a radio service similar to Pandora, but apparently it has made headwinds with Warner and Universal, two companies who had previously been wary of such a service from Apple.

“iRadio is coming,” one source told The Verge. “There’s no doubt about it anymore.” Depending on the rates Apple earns, potential competitors such as Pandora could take a huge hit. We imagine that the product will be announced when the iPhone 5S is unveiled in June, although it’s possible that Apple will hold a separate event for it.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Is this the Samsung Galaxy S IV or is it in disguise again?

Mere days before Samsung unveils its newest phone, a Chinese forum post has offered some purported shots of the Galaxy S IV. Now it's worth mentioning from the outset that Samsung plays a good game of subterfuge. It masked the Galaxy S III ahead of its reveal last year in a blockier plastic frame and it could be that this phone, with a very Note-esque face and outline, is also a filler ahead of the final reveal. It could also be yet another phone that will slot in elsewhere in Samsung'sever-expanding Galaxy family, or even a Shenzhen knock-off that's jumped the gun -- we spotted that the front-facing camera hole doesn't quite align properly.

However, with that said, there's still plenty here to muse on. The shots appear to be taken in a phone unlocking shop somewhere in China, with this GT-i9502 model apparently bound for carrier China Unicom. Interestingly (at least for a flagship), it appears to be a dual-SIM version, with the mono-SIM version apparently picking up model number GT-i9500 -- a number that would fit in with the series so far. According to the leak, it's running a fresh version of Android (4.2.1) with a 1080p display (no word on dimensions just yet), 2GB of RAM and a 13-megapixel camera on the back. The mention of a "5410" CPU suggests it's Samsung's Exynos Octa chip powering it and while AnTuTu might only recognize that as a quad-core chip, we noted during our hands-on with the new chipset that only four cores were being used at a time. We're still hoping Samsung's final design pushes the envelope a little further than a repositioned camera sensor and a new glossy texture -- we've added a shot of this after the break. Rest assured,Jeremy will be letting us in on the big secret later this week.

[Source: Engadget]

Google will launch a free music streaming service, FT says

As if branching out into hardware like phones and tablets, driverless cars, and even augmented reality glasses wasn't enough, Google is also working on a free music streaming service, the Financial Times reports.

The service would try to drown out the likes of Spotify, Deezer, and Nokia Music. The launch is said to be "impending", so it seems Google is still just tuning up.

According to the FT, Google will offer subscriptions as well as free unlimited listening. Though you will have to put up with ads if you don't want to pay, just like on Spotify.

Why would Google go into unchartered territory then? Especially seeing as its Play Music service, which launched in 2011 as Google Music, is only available in the US and a handful of European countries. Well it's another way for Google to make money, seeing as at the moment 95 per cent of its revenues come from advertising. Streaming is big business, being one of the fastest growing areas of the music market.

Apple is also rumoured to be working on a streaming service, which would put it and Google in direct competition on yet another front. As if the smart phone war wasn't already bloody enough.

Google could preinstall the service on all Android devices. And seeing as the operating system is on three out of four smart phones, that should give Google quite some reach. Not that it wouldn't be short of competition though. I'm sure Spotify and its good buddy Facebook wouldn't be too happy about the Google boys crashing their party. The music industry is also no fan of Google -- just this week, the Recording Industry Association of America attacked the search giant for linking to pirate sites. It claimed Google had gone back on its promise to shunt such sites further down its search rankings.

[Source: CNET]

iPad 5 Case for Rumored Redesign Surfaces

With numerous specs circulating for the iPad 5, it isn’t surprising that we have seen the first potential case surface.

Case maker MiniSuit has supplied MacRumors with an image of a case the firm has already made for the fifth generation iPad based off of specs it has received from a source. The case is similar to the leaked iPad 5 rear shell that surfaced back in Jan. that showed a relocated microphone. It also follows along with the rumors we’ve heard that the new tablet will share more design characteristics with the iPad mini, and also come in somewhat slimmer than the fourth generation iPad.

It is not unusual for case manufacturers to begin work on cases based solely on rumors. While they could end up being wrong, if they’re right, and able to get their cases to market quickly after the announcement, it can be a financial windfall for them.

Currently rumors for the release of the fifth generation iPad range anywhere from March to October, but June seems to be taking the lead as of late as the probably release window.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo] 

Alleged Photos of Apple’s iPhone 5S Are Fake

Photos of what are allegedly Apple’s iPhone 5S assembly line were recently leaked. As always, it’s hard to tell if these images are legitimate or not, but 9to5Mac originally suggested that the photos could be showing us a new iPhone 5S with a few tweaked internals. Turns out the images might not only be fake, but they might actually be parts of a knockoff iPhone 5.

MacRumors says that it’s fairly certain the leaked parts are of an iPhone 5 clone, a fake version of the iPhone 5 that’s likely sold as a cheap knockoff, and that it’s most certainly not the iPhone 5S. The site noticed that the battery is smaller than the iPhone 5, there’s a microSD card slot, there’s a connector that doesn’t resemble the new Lightning port and there are “loose red and black wires.”

We imagine that the iPhone 5S will resemble the iPhone 5, as the photos above do, but apparently these aren’t the real deal.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Could Google be working on a unified messaging platform?

The screenshot above, while not Android, is extremely interesting regardless because of what it may be showing off. Posted by developer François Beaufort, what's seen here is a Chrome OS desktop with both a new notifications system and more interestingly a new app icon that we've never seen out of Google before. The "rich notifications", which show messages, calls and Google+ activity all in-line and within one pane are displayed in a new Jelly Bean and Google Now design. The new icon, to the right of the Google Drive app in the dock, shows four cascading Google-themed chat boxes.

This screenshot raises a whole lot more questions than it answers, and instantly gets us speculating as to whether or not this new notification system and app are a sign of something bigger than just Chrome OS notifications. Could this finally be a unified messaging service from Google? This could quite easily be just Google+ notifications -- missed hangout calls, Google+ Messenger messages and picture shares -- but we surely hope it's more than that.

Now of course this isn't Android, but it could have a huge impact on Android users if this turns out to be a true unified messaging service from Google. A unified messaging system that brings together Google Voice, Talk, Google+ and others would be a huge step forward for the integration of Google's often-disjointed services.

[Source: AndroidCentral]