The White iPhone Hero

An interesting and somewhat funny piece of information that iDB reader @EpicGameReviews sent us about the white iPhone 4. If you go to Apple's website, right click on the image of the white iPhone 4 on the homepage, and select "view image" or "image info", you will see how Apple named the image: white_iphone_hero_20110425.jpg.

Does Apple really consider the white iPhone 4 as a hero? I highly doubt it. Does Apple web team have a funny sense of humor? Most likely…

UPDATE: Thanks iDB readers for pointing out how ignorant I am. I had absolutely no idea what a hero shot was until today. But hey, to my defense, I'm French and I'm still learning English everyday. Especially today </embarrassed face>It's always nice to see larger companies joking around a little bit.

What says you?

Apple iPhone 5 Release Date – Is it Worth Waiting?

Rumours are circulating as to when the iPhone 5 release date will be. Is it worth waiting for the new iPhone which is rumoured to have HD gaming?

Originally we were expecting the iPhone 5 to be released some time in late June, early July. This would have been consistent with Apple's previous iPhone launches. However the recent release of the white iPhone 4 has led to suggestions that we may not see the iPhone, or iPhone 4GS as it also may be know, until September at the earliest. This is certainly a blow for those who were holding out for the iPhone5.

The question is, is it worth the wait? We can only know for sure when the iPhone 5 features are announced. It is looking very positive for us gamers. Our wish for Flash support is not expected to be granted, as Apple continues in their believe that Flash is a security risk. What we can certainly expect is a higher resolution screen, hopefully HD. The camera is also expected to be significantly improved once more, rendering the need for a separate camera for anyone other than a keen photographer needless. Rumours are that it may be as powerful as 8 MP. Yet what excites us the most is the new dual core processors that will introduced. They will allow significantly more CPU hungry games to be developed. This can only increase the quality of iPhone games further. Before we know it standalone consoles will be needless. We will be able to plug our iPhone into the TV and use it as a console. Well maybe we can dream….

What are you hoping for in the iPhone 5 news?

iPhone 5 to be Verizon-AT&T hybrid, maybe LTE, data caps, says insider

If those who know don't speak and those who speak don't know, then Verizon's recent mouthing off about the unannounced iPhone 5, which includes the nugget that it'll be a Verizon-AT&T (CDMA-GSM) hybrid device and still yet might or might not sport 4G LTE, must be taken with a grain of salt. On the one hand, if anyone does know iPhone5 details outside of Apple itself, it's one of the phone's primary carrier partners. But on the other hand, the fact that so many companies can't keep their lips shut about Apple's secrets is reason enough to believe that Steve Jobs and company are smart enough not to give partners like Verizon the entire picture up front. Then again, this was Verizon's CEO Fran Shammo himself sharing purported iPhone 5 details to Reuters, and they're the kind of details which he and his company would know about. So here's what Verizon's honcho claims to know about the iPhone 5g.

First he says there will be a single iPhone 5 which works on both Verizon and AT&T. This is no surprise. The existing Verizon iPhone 4 uses a chip which some who've torn it apart believe could have been used as a GSM-CDMA hybrid chip now, if Apple had wanted to go there. So the notion that a single iPhone 5 will talk to both networks sounds plausible enough to be believable.

But whether the iPhone 5′s hybrid antenna system will include 4G LTE is another story. Verizon says that's still up to Apple, which can be interpreted in multiple ways. Either Apple hasn't made up its mind yet and Verizon's comments are merely reflecting that, or Apple is not planning to include 4G LTE but Verizon is still hoping to push Apple into changing its mind before launch. Yes, major companies, even partners, are not above using public comments like this to attempt to subversively push each other into making certain moves; if Verizon can create enough of an expectation that the iPhone 5 4G, then Apple might have to go ahead and make it happen just to avoid public disappointment otherwise.

Finally, Verizon's CEO spoke on something which is in fact his decision: the brief days of new Verizon iPhone customers getting unlimited data plans are over. Those iPhone users who haven't yet switched from AT&T to Verizon aren't going to be able to take their unlimited data with them if they're planning to wait until the iPhone 5 arrives before moving. This alone will keep a good chunk of AT&T iPhone users standing pat for the iPhone 5 and generations to come, as heavy mobile data users look to avoid getting caught in the prospect of either hefty overage fees or having to think twice every time they go to check their email on the iPhone. Here's more on the iPhone 5 news.

iPhone 5 Features

Dear Apple please be upstanding while we take you through a few pointers of the top 5 most wanted iPhone 5 features that will make us applaud you.

There are so many new features customers would love to have on the next generation Apple smartphone and if the iPhone 5 expected to release in September incorporated any of the ones we mention below then happy days all round as they say.

iDB have given a few features and we have a few more, 1080p video capture would be a fantastic addition if Apple could give users this on the new iPhone 5 because seeing 1080p streaming to the Apple TV would be amazing.

Many have the GSM iPhone 4 and Verizon has the CDMA version so it makes sense to give all a world phone, basically the new iPhone 5g should have both GSM and CDMA capabilities. The third feature has to be a 720p front-facing camera, which would be perfect for FaceTime as the video call would be of superior quality.

Number four has to be a brand new design, please get rid of the glass back and bring us the old aluminium back cover or push the boat out and make it carbon fibre.

The Apple Mac Pro and Mac Airs feature the Thunderbolt port so surely the new upcoming iPhone 5 should have the same port. So far that is the top 5 most wanted iPhone 5 features 2011, if you have any more features you would like the iPhone5 to have please let us know.

Pushing The Boat Out (More Features): Edge-to-Edge display, 3D cameras, 4G technology, Smaller SIM cards, better battery life, 8-megapixel camera or better, Speech to Text Conversion

Here's more on the iPhone 5 news.

iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S Release Date Before Black Friday?

As days go by, the rumor-mills for the iPhone 4S nee iPhone 5 is becoming more prevalent. This time, several sources are confirming its production will start in August and its fastest launch time will arrive on September, whereas some pundits believe its release date could go as late as October or even November – before Black Friday 2011.

For those who are unaware, last week saw a revelation that the next-generation iPhone will be called as iPhone 4S, whereas the model "iPhone 5" will only be revealed next year.

According to DT, due to the large production unit for the iPhone 4, increased with the revelation of its CDMA version for Verizon; it would be lucrative for Apple to adjust its release date later than June.

Question is when?

In our previous report, we revealed that if all the upgrades for the next iPhone would only be about its A5 CPU and 8MP camera, without changing its display or entire façade like the previous model, it's believable that Apple can pull it for a quick release on September; which also means the next iPod Touch model would have its launch pushed on a later month – could be before Black Friday.

Then again, there's still some morsel of doubt that iPhone 4S may have a delayed release, and can be pushed before the holiday period, if some problems for its "manufacturing process" will occur again – just like on the White iPhone 4.

But the bottom factor is, the company wouldn't miss the fat holiday this year without revealing another hardware upgrade for the iPhone. That's too big to miss even for a company like Apple.

Apple Slows Production of iPhone 4 In Anticipation of iPhone 5/4S

In what is now actually being deemed the 'iPhone 4S' (albeit to the disagreement of many tech analysts), Digitimes has reported that Apple has reduced their production of the iPhone 4 in anticipation of the iPhone 5 release this fall.Although Apple hasn't come out and outright said that they're not releasing the iPhone 5 this summer, the release of the white iPhone 4 earlier this month was more than enough to confirm that it won't be.

According to Digitimes, Apple is preparing for a Fall 2011 launch of the iPhone5 or "iPhone 4S" as they've put it and has lowered their expected shipment volumes for the iPhone 4 accordingly.

The report goes on to state that the "iPhone 4S" will feature the rumoured 8 megapixel camera that tech industry analysts have been buzzing about and also went on to confirm that it will also include an A5 dual-core processor that is also featured in the iPad 2 review (pretty powerful for a smartphone eh?).

The report also agreed with a handful of rumours that have been circulating recently about the re-locating of the LED flash and that the iPhone 5g/4S will not carry LTE (an unsubstantiated rumour that we didn't report on for just that reason).

The biggest news from this report is definitely the confirmation of the iPhone 5/4S and the growing likeliness of it having an 8MP camera, which is definitely a huge upgrade from the iPhone 4′s 5 megapixel camera. We're pretty excited about Apple's upgrading of the camera as it was an issue that was pretty unanimously targeted by Apple consumers, tech analysts and their competitors alike.

Catch up on previous iPhone 5 news here

Apple and Verizon to deliver over-the-air iOS updates to Verizon iPhone

Apple has long used the proxy of iTunes to push updates to its iOS devices: when a new software update is available, users need to plug their device in via USB, click update, and the new software version is downloaded and installed.

Smartphone competitors have long offered a different, more direct method for software updates that happens over-the-air. Specifically, when an update to Google's Android operating system or HP/Palm's webOS is released, users are provided an update notification and can update the software right on their phone. No computer required.

Now, Apple wants to provide the same convenience to their iPhone users and is preparing to provide over-the-air iOS updates, starting this fall.

Multiple sources (one as far back as March) say the new feature will debut in iOS 5, meaning iOS 5 will not come over-the-air but following point updates to it will. Just like tethering in iOS 3, Apple has the technology but cannot just unleash it everywhere. Apple and Verizon Wireless are said to have been in talks over these wireless software updates since early this year. Sources could not comment on whether or not Apple is negotiating similar deals with AT&T or international iPhone carriers.

The iOS-based AppleTV has been able to update itself without iTunes intervention so the hooks are obviously in iOS.  Two things to note:

1. Updates are now over 600MB.  Apple would have to make these smaller to get the carriers to agree to push these things as they are.  We believe that Apple will make the updates much smaller by using incremental patches rather than full OS downloads
2. iTunes provides the backup to the iOS device so a failed update would need some sort of backup.  We think there will be a Cloud-based backup system.

Obviously, if this is a feature in iOS 5, it should conceivably make its way to iPad and iPod touches as well.  That means  iTunes may no longer be a needed conduit for updating iOS devices in the future.  It would also mean that the iPad could finally be a stand alone device.

Mockup below