O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: 12th

  • Apple announces iPhone 6, 6 Plus handsets, offers September 19th release date

    The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus handsets have been announced over at Apple’s media event.

    And you could have one within your paws come the 19th.

    Per Mac|Life, Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil W. Schiller introduced the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which will be available for preorder on September 12th, with in-store availability coming September 19th.

    In addition to a Retina Display HD and A8 processor, Schiller outlined a new addition to the iPhone 6’s M8 coprocessor lineup with a new barometer sensor, which measures relative elevation from air pressure — perfect for capturing footsteps moving up or down stairs, for example.

    iphone6wideshot

    Wireless has also been further improved on iPhone 6, with a new, advanced 150Mbps LTE that takes advantage of 20 different LTE bands — more than any other smartphone, according to Apple. Cupertino is now working with 200 LTE carriers around the globe, with support for Voice over LTE (VoLTE) and Wi-Fi calling as well.

    (more…)

  • T-Mobile to offer iPhone 5 on April 12th, will incorporate $99 upfront payment plan

    The day T-Mobile customers have been waiting for has arrived.

    And you’ll be able to snag an iPhone via T-Mobile on April 12th.

    Per AppleInsider, customers of T-Mobile, the fourth-largest carrier in the U.S., will get long awaited access to Apple’s iPhone when the iPhone 5 launches on the carrier’s network April 12.

    The announcement was made Tuesday by T-Mobile as part of the company’s “Uncarrier” branding, which seeks to differentiate the carrier from competing providers like AT&T, Verizon and Sprint — all of which already carry the iPhone.

    In standing out from the others, T-Mobile is offering a 16-gigabyte iPhone 5 for US$99 up front, with 20 additional monthly payments of US$20. With an April 12 sale date in T-Mobile’s retail stores, preorders will begin April 5.

    Joining the iPhone 5 will be the remainder of Apple’s current smartphone lineup: the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 4. As with other carriers, only the iPhone 5 will be compatible with T-Mobile’s new 4G LTE high-speed data network.

    T-Mobile officially announced its new LTE network at Tuesday’s event as well, available in a total of seven U.S. markets: Kansas City, Kan., Houston, Tex., Las Vegas, Nev., Phoenix, Ariz., San Jose, Calif., and Washington, D.C.

    T-Mobile’s new data plans include 500 megabytes of high-speed online data and unlimited calls and texts for US$50. For an extra US$10 per month, users get 2.5 gigabytes of high-speed data, while unlimited 4G access runs US$70 per month. In addition, users are simply throttled, not penalized, when they go over their data cap.

    Bringing Apple’s iPhone to T-Mobile with full support has been no small task. While the carrier counts some two million iPhone customers among its base — with about 100,000 added per month — T-Mobile’s reliance on the 1700MHz frequency for its 3G HSPA+ network proved an obstacle for T-Mobile with regard to Apple’s bestselling smartphone.

    The 1700MHz frequency, branded as “4G” but not “LTE”, is unique to T-Mobile among carriers, and allows iPhone users only very slow 2G connectivity. Given T-Mobile’s relatively small customer base, Apple never moved to support T-Mobile’s standard. Instead, T-Mobile has been working to switch much of its network to 1900MHz in order to allow iPhone connectivity. The company will be repurposing its 1700MHz band for 4G LTE.

    T-Mobile last year announced a deal with Apple to begin selling Apple products in 2013. Executives from the carrier said in January of this year that customers could expect Apple products on T-Mobile sooner rather than later, floating the possibility of “three to four months” rather than “six to nine.”

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

  • Rumor: Apple to hold “iPad-mini” media event in October

    The smaller, leaner iPad, it may have a launch date.

    Per All Things D, Apple is looking to hold a media event for Apple’s so-called “iPad mini” will be held in October, after the anticipated Sept. 12 iPhone event. That means Apple has two “blockbuster events” lined up for product debuts this fall.

    “Only after the next generation iPhone is out the door and on sale will Apple announce the smaller iPad it’s been working on,” author John Paczkowski wrote. “That device, which is expected to have a display of less than eight inches, will be uncrated at a second special event, which sources said is currently scheduled for October.”

    The anonymous sources who spoke with Paczkowski confirm earlier comments from both Jim Dalrymple of The Loop and John Gruber of Daring Fireball, both of which indicated this week that they expect Apple to hold two separate events for the new iPhone and iPad mini. Gruber said an event in the first or second week in October would be in line with iPod events that Apple has held for the last decade.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

  • Sprint offers $100 gift card with purchase of iPhone 4S, Apple offers $100 store credit in return

    Let the incentives roll.

    Per Business Insider, wireless carrier Sprint is now giving a $100 pre-paid gift card to new iPhone 4S buyers and Apple will be matching the deal by offering an Apple Store credit for the same amount.

    The new incentive, the second in as many weeks from Sprint, comes ahead of an expected Sept. 12 launch of the next-generation iPhone and has prompted> Apple to make good on its promise to match iPhone pricing from major resellers, Business Insider has learned.

    Sprint last week slashed the price of Apple’s iPhone 4S to US$149 not including a US$36 activation fee waiver, a move followed by other sellers including Target and Best Buy. Apple subsequently instructed its stores to match the discount prices being offered by the major retailers, limited to US$49 for the iPhone 4 and US$149 for the iPhone 4S.

    With the new US$100 American Express pre-paid card, US$149 discount, activation fee waiver and free shipping, Sprint has effectively whittled down the cost of buying an iPhone 4S to US$50. There are stipulations, however, as the added gift card bonus is online only and lasts until Aug. 26. It is unclear if Apple will continue to offer the store credits after Sprint’s sale ends.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

  • Rumor: Apple may begin selling next-gen iPhone in late September

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    The next-gen iPhone, it’s probably coming a lot sooner than you expect.

    Per the cool cats at Boy Genius Report, Apple, which is expected to formally introduce its latest iPhone to the world on September 12th, could begin shipping the device to customers and selling the handset in retail stores just a week or two later, according to a new report.

    Citing a trusted AT&T source, BGR reported Monday that the “carrier is currently planning to launch Apple’s next-generation iPhone during the third or fourth week of September, with an all-hands-on-deck policy in place for employees that will extend through to the middle of October.”

    A second source reportedly added that a large training event for regional AT&T employees has therefore been rescheduled from the first week of October due to a conflict with a “huge announcement.”

    A rapid go-to-market strategy that would have customers clutching Apple’s latest handset just days after being announced by the company is impressive but not unprecedented.

    After repositioning its iPhone introduction from the summer timeframe to the fall, Apple last year introduced the iPhone 4S on October 4th and began shipping the device to customers and retail stores on October 14th — Just 10 days later.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available