Is Apple going to fight in the budget/mid-range market now? It looks like it. According to BGR’s “solid source,” Apple will be launching a low-cost iPhone in September, and it’s set to go along with the expected iPhone 5. It doesn’t look like it’s going to be an all-new model though. It could likely be the 3GS – modified in some way to keep things current – but whatever it’s going to be, the source says that it’s going to cost around $350 without a contract.
The title pretty much says it all. While it’s not an official claim, Jefferies analyst Peter Misek laid out some of the next iPhone’s details. According to industry checks, Misek said that the 5th-gen iPhone will be called the “iPhone 4S,” which points to a model that will feature an upgrade from the iPhone 4, and not a major overhaul.
If you’re still rocking a stock (non-jailbroken) iOS device, you probably know the drill. A friend asks if your iPhone (or iPod touch or iPad) has been jailbroken. You say no. Friend asks, “why not?” You answer “why should I?”
If you thought jailbreaking was only a means for loading cracked apps on your phone and you’re perfectly happy paying for your apps, then kudos to you. Just know that jailbreaking isn’t just for downloading illegal apps (and it was never intended for that purpose. At least not originally). It’s also a way to load a whole lot more functionality into your phone, which, for some reason, Apple doesn’t approve of. What kind of functions? How about fitting five shortcuts on the dock? Or the ability to drop down a quick toggle menu for turning off 3G and Wi-fi with a swipe of a finger? We could talk about it some more, or you could just listen to Jay “Saurik” Freeman, the creator of Cydia, talk about it himself. The video for that after the break.
With the number of Magic the Gathering-related apps available for the iPhone, fans of the trading card game are pretty spoiled these days. Thanks to all the apps, you don’t have to create decks using a pen and paper or lug around a bunch of counters to your next game anymore. But seriously, this has got to be the most creative (not to mention the most expensive) MtG-related use for an iPhone we’ve ever seen. To hell with bringing your actual cards with you. That’s so analog. (more…)
T-Mobile just answered what could probably be the biggest consumer question floating around since the acquisition by AT&T this weekend. So, should we expect to see the iPhone on T-Mobile soon? The short answer appears to be “no.” T-Mobile just put out an FAQ page to deal with topics such as “why is T-Mobile doing this?” and should you be jumping ship right now (according to T-Mo’s FAQ, you shouldn’t, since you get the same service anyway, but you get wider coverage and it gives them the ability to upgrade to 4G LTE networks). Regarding the iPhone question, the FAQ offered up this answer: “T-Mobile USA remains an independent company. The acquisition is expected to be completed in approximately 12 months. We do not offer the iPhone. We offer cutting edge devices like the Samsung Galaxy S 4G and coming soon our new Sidekick 4G.”
