The All New i-Pad

Apple launches new iPad Air, mini

Apple on Tuesday launched latest models of its popular tablet computers called iPad Air and the new iPad mini with Retina display. 

The new Apple tablet is called iPad Air and is thinner and lighter than its predecessors iPad 4 and the mini. It looks just like the first generation iPad mini and is 25% thinner at 7.5mm thickness and has 43% smaller bezels. Apple claims it is the thinnest full-sized tablet in the world. 

iPad Air has the same 64-bit A7 chip and the M7 motion co-processor that was introduced with the iPhone 5S. It has the same 9.7-inch Retina screen and can open files twice as fast as the iPad 4. The new model will be available at $499 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model and $629 Wi-Fi and 4G variant. It will hit the market on November 1 and will come in Space Grey and Silver colours. 

Apple has retained the iPad 2, which was launched two years ago, in its lineup, but phased out the fourth-generation iPad that arrived only last October. 

Apple said it has sold over 170 million iPads and now has 4,75,000 iPad-exclusive applications in the App Store.

New Macbook Pro :*

Apple revamps Macbook Pro, offers free OSX Mavericks

 Apple has revamped its Macbook Pro laptops with two new models and rolled out the latest operating system OSX Mavericks as a free download later today.

At an event held in San Francisco, the company unveiled its next-generation 13-inch and 15-inch Macbook Pro models and will shortly announce the new series of its popular iPad and iPad Mini tablets. 

The 13-inch Macbook Pro will run on the fourth-generation Intel Haswell chip with 2.4GHz dual-core i5 processor and Iris GPU. The graphics of this machine are 90% faster than predecessors and battery is life now nine hours, up from seven hours in the previous model. It is also thinner and lighter and the flash storage and Wi-Fi are faster as well. 

Apple’s 15-inch Macbook Pro will pack the Intel Crystallwell chip and Iris Pro graphics under the hood. The battery life of the laptop is eight hours. 

The 13-inch and 15-inch Macbook Pro models will hit the market today at $1,299 and $1,999. 

Apple said that the Mavericks update, which was unveiled in June at WWDC 2013, will be available free for download starting today. It will support old devices like the 2007 iMac and Macbook Pro, along with newer Mac desktops and laptops. The iLife suite of programmes like iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iWeb etc will be available for free with any new iOS or Mac device, Apple said. 

The Mac Pro, which was also announced at WWDC this year, will also available in the market today at $2,999. This professional computer has a 3.7GHz quad-core Xeon processor, 12GB RAM and 256GB SSD.

Earlier, taking a jibe at Microsoft’s OEM partners, CEO Tim Cook called the competition “confused” and said they tried to make tablets into PCs and PCs into tablets and chased after netbooks. He reaffirmed the company’s commitment to desktops and described how the new Mavericks operating system update improves performance and battery life. 

Cook kicked off the event by describing the adoption rate of iOS (200 million downloads, running on 64% Apple phones), the new iPhones (9 million sold within three days of launch), iTunes Radio music streaming service and developer revenues. 

iMessages a threat ?

Apple reasserts claim it doesn't want to spy on your iMessages

Apple has said time and again in the wake of the NSA snooping scandal that it cannot read user iMessages. But new research has shown that it's theoretically possible.

Security firm QuarksLab on Thursday issued a white paper describing a method by which a hacker or Apple itself could access iMessages. The white paper states that Apple could intercept messages between sender and recipient and make them believe that their communication is secure. In order to do so, however, Apple would need to disrupt the encryption between communications and effectively change how iMessages works.

Back in June, Apple issued a statement on its site discussing its "commitment to customer privacy" in the wake of revelations about the National Security Agency. The company said at the time that iMessages are kept entirely secure.

"Conversations which take place over iMessage and FaceTime are protected by end-to-end encryption so no one but the sender and receiver can see or read them," Apple wrote in June. "Apple cannot decrypt that data. Similarly, we do not store data related to customers' location, Map searches or Siri requests in any identifiable form."

In a statement sent to All Things Digital in response to the new research, Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller said that Apple would have to jump through hoops to achieve access to iMessages and that it has no desire to do so.

"The research discussed theoretical vulnerabilities that would require Apple to re-engineer the iMessage system to exploit it, and Apple has no plans or intentions to do so," Muller told All Things Digital.

CNET has contacted Apple for further comment and will update this story when we have more information.

Has iPhone 5C proved itself ?

Has iPhone 5C proved Steve Jobs right?

   Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who emphasized high-end consumer gadgets over cheaper ones, may have been right all along. Last month, chief executive officer Tim Cook introduced the colorful iPhone 5C, a less-expensive version of Apple's smartphone, to "serve even more customers" around the world. It turns out people so far are more interested in its pricier, feature rich cousin, the 5S. 

Three surveys in the past two weeks said the company's new high-end model is outselling the 5c by at least 2 to 1. KGI Securities, a brokerage firm, slashed its quarterly estimates for 5C sales by a third, and retailers like Wal-Mart Stores and Target have reduced the phone's price. The Wall Street Journal reported Apple's orders to suppliers for the iPhone 5C have been cut by a third. 

Customers are shrugging off the $99 iPhone 5c even as Apple spends heavily to advertise the handset, which is last year's model repackaged in a colored plastic case. The 5C, which costs $100 less than the souped-up iPhone 5S, is Apple's attempt to lure buyers in developing markets like China, where Samsung and other Android phone makers lead. Even so, big sales of the pricier model are a boon because they carry fatter profit margins. 

"Apple customers are still interested in premium products from a premium brand," said Laurence Balter, an analyst at Oracle Investment Research in Fox Island, Washington. "If anything, the 5C is a failed experiment in trying to please the masses. Apple should stay focused on the premium and let Samsung take the lower end of the market."

What a reverse feedback ;) Unexpected :o

iPhone 5S outsells 5C two to one: Analyst

Apple's iPhone 5S is outselling any other iPhone model by a huge margin, including its cheaper cousin iPhone 5C. In fact, iPhone 5S is overselling iPhone 5C by a ratio of two to one. 

According to a report by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) while iPhone 5S accounted for 64% of all Apple smartphone sales, iPhone 5C sales were only 27% in September. The 2011 released iPhone 4S accounted for just 9% of the sales. 

The new data suggests that despite its cheaper price tag and colourful back covers, cheaper iPhone 5C has failed to cash in on the hype of a new iPhone launch as the bulk of buyers are flocking to buy the better endowed iPhone 5S. 

Both the models were launched together by Apple on September 20, the first time ever that the tech giant has come up with two new iPhone models at the same time. 

However, in due course, the sales of iPhone 5S are expected to slow down in favour of iPhone 5C. 

According to CIRP co-founder Josh Lowitz, "Over time, the lower-priced phones have tended to gain share versus the flagship phone, after the initial rush of dedicated upgraders to the newest device. So we expect that the 5C will account for a higher percentage of the total US iPhone sales in the coming months. But the design changes may alter that dynamics. iPhone 5C may appeal to different buyers than the legacy iPhone 4S did last year, or the new 5S will this year." 

The cumulative first weekend sales of the iPhone 5S and 5C at the time of launch stood at a record 9 million units.

Apple Invites You ;)

Apple sends invites for 'iPad launch' event

 Apple is holding an event in San Francisco next week to announce new products - likely updated iPads.

The company announced its most recent iPads around this time last year. The announcement included a smaller version, called the iPad mini, for the first time.

New iPads would get Apple's latest operating system for mobile devices, iOS 7. The invitation sent on Tuesday includes a graphic that mimics the colour scheme in iOS 7.

Next Tuesday's event will take place at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco, a venue Apple has often used in the past.

It follows last month's release of new iPhones with iOS 7 -- the 5S model with a fingerprint sensor and a cheaper, 5C model with a variety of colour options.

It's also possible Apple will use the event to release its new Mac operating system, Mavericks. Apple unveiled the system in June. The system will support tagging to help find files more easily. It also promises better battery life and a way to keep track of passwords across multiple devices more easily. Apple may also announce new Mac computers at the event.

4S Price cuts.

iPhone 4S gets price cut in India

 Apple has cut the price of the iPhone 4S in India, which is now the base model in its smartphone portfolio. This price cut comes in the wake of the launch of its two new smartphones - iPhone 5S and 5C. 

iPhone 4S will now be available at Rs 31,500, down Rs 7,000 from the previous official price tag of Rs 38,500. 

While announcing the iPhone 5S and 5C globally, Apple had announced that it will discontinue the iPhone 5 as well as iPhone 4 and make iPhone 4S the entry level model. 

The now-defunct iPhone 4 is available at approximately Rs 21,000 and Rs 25,000 for the 8GB and 16GB variants. 

Apple has also confirmed the India prices of the iPhone 5S and 5C, just one day after telecom carriers Airtel and RCom announced the same. 

iPhone 5S, the top model in Apple's smartphone portfolio, will retail at Rs 53,500 for the base 16GB variant. The 32GB and 64GB versions of the device will cost Rs 62,500 and Rs 71,500, respectively. 

The 'cheaper' model, iPhone 5C, has been priced at Rs 41,900 for the 16GB variant, while the 32GB version has been priced at Rs 53,500. 

Apple also said that the cases for iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C will cost Rs 3,200 and Rs 2,300, respectively. 

The two iPhones will be launched in India on November 1, just two days before the festival of Diwali.

iPhone 5S & 5C price revealed :)

iPhone 5S to debut at Rs 54,000; 5C @ Rs 42,000

Leading telecom operators Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications will start selling Apple's iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C smartphones from November 1. 

Airtel has started pre-bookings for the latest iPhones which saw record sales in the first three days of launch in the US market. 

"Interested customers can visit select Airtel Retail Store for pre-registration," Airtel said in a statement. 

RCom said it will offer the iPhones "to customers beginning on November 1, 2013." 

iPhone 5C would be available at price starting from about Rs 42,000 and iPhone 5S at Rs 54,000, market sources said. 

A contract-free and unlocked 16GB version of the iPhone 5C is available for $549 (about Rs 34,700) in the US, while an unlocked and contract-free iPhone 5S can be bought for $649 (about Rs 41,000). 

iPhone 5C will be a choice for consumers evaluating Apple's 16GB model of iPhone 5 while iPhone 5S can be an option for customers looking for an alternate option to 64GB model of iPhone 5. 

The 16GB variant of iPhone 5 is available in the country for around Rs 45,000 and 64GB variant of the smartphone is available for around Rs 59,000. 

Apple last week announced that iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C would be available in more than a dozen countries on November 1, including India, without revealing their prices. 

Apple has timed the release of latest iPhones in India before Diwali, which is on November 3. Apple products have previously hit the Indian markets in the last fortnight of November or the first fortnight of December.

Higher-res iPad, lower-cost iMac coming ???

Higher-res iPad, lower-cost iMac coming, KGI says

KGI Securities has offered a veritable data dump of speculation on upcoming Apple products, including a higher-resolution iPad, a low-cost iMac, and an iPad Mini Retina.

Pixel-packing iPad 6: Forget the iPad 5 -- KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is talking iPad 6. He anticipates a 9.7-inch iPad with a pixel density that exceeds today's iPad by 30 percent to 40 percent, as reported Saturday by MacRumors.

That's considerable, as the iPad 4 already has a pretty high pixel density of 264 pixels per inch. (The iPad 5 is expected to maintain that pixel density but be thinner and lighter.)

That iPad would appear in mid-2014.

"Contrary to speculation that next year's iPad next year may come in a 12-inch form, or larger, we think it will not change from the current 9.7-inch format as we think a 12-inch iPad would not provide a good mobility experience given today's technology limitations," he predicted.He does not expect, however, a large 12.9-inch iPad.

Whether that speculation about the non-appearance of a large iPad is borne out, remains to be seen as there has been a lot of supply chain chatter about a large iPad.

Kuo also expects Apple to announce an iPad Mini Retina at Apple's media event later this month. Analysts have told that though they anticipate Apple's announcement of a Mini Retina, supply may be constrained this year.

Lower-cost iMac: A cheaper iMac may also be in the works, according to Kuo. The current iMac just isn't selling in large numbers.

"Our surveys indicate that Apple's last iMac model...shipped fewer-than-expected units in the worldwide market. We think the price was set too high," Kuo said. "We thus think Apple may offer a budget iMac model to push shipments among non-US markets in the face of solid competition from Lenovo (CN), HP (US) and other rivals."

12-inch MacBook: Kuo also chimed on a new 12-inch MacBook, as reported earlier this week, based on data from NPD DisplaySearch.

The 12-inch MacBook appears to be, for all intents and purposes, a new version of the MacBook Air. Kuo doesn't call it an Air, but NPD DisplaySearch characterized it that way.

Whatever Apple calls it, the 12-incher is expected to be even thinner and lighter than the current Air, according to Kuo. "The high-resolution display will also offer the outstanding visual experience of the Retina MacBook Pro," he said.

5S getting on nerves :@

iPhone 5S apps more vulnerable to crashing than older models

The apps on Apple's latest iPhone5S are more crash-prone as compared to those on the older models of the tech giant's flagship product.

A mobile app analytics company, Crittercism has revealed that apps running on the iPhone 5Scrash twice as often as those available on theiPhone 5 or iPhone 5C, and this data came from analyzing hundreds of millions of apps.

According to CNET, hardware problem could be the reason for the increased crash chances; however, since the iOS 7 developers were fixing flaws in the operating system before the launch, the app crashes on the iPhone5S could be limited now.

Crittercism doesn't anticipate higher crash rate to last forever, as its CEO Andrew Levy said that over time these issues get resolved, the report added.

iPhone 5S issues ??

'Blue Screen of Death' haunts iPhone 5S users

Several users of Apple's latest iPhone, iPhone 5S, are complaining that their phone's screen keeps turning solid blue and then restarts. The glitch, populary called Blue Screen of Death ( BSOD), where a computer or phone freezes and displays a blue screen, plagued some old Windows PCs.

Apple Support communities and MacRumors forums are flooded with users reporting this 'BSOD' issue that reboots their devices. The 'BSOD' reportedly lasts only few seconds before the screen goes black, and the Apple logo appears, signalling a reboot.

Posts regarding this glitch have been crowding Apple's support forums since September. Says one user on Apple support forum "When using my phone going in and out of apps, my phones screen will suddenly turn solid blue for about 2 seconds then the apple logo will appear and it restarts my phone. anyone else having this issue? it seems to happen more when i am exiting apps back to the home screen."

"I had the same thing just now after installing a new app fromt the app store. After I pushed the home button it went to the home screen, followed by blue screen, followed by reboot." writes another user on the forum.

According to videos detailing the problem, Apple users are reporting 'BSOD' while using or performing functions like multi-tasking between apps, FaceTime, Safari, camera etc.

A suggested a fix to the issue as per The Verge is to "alleviate the iWork-related reboots is to disable iCloud syncing for Apple's Pages, Keynote, and Numbers apps."

For this, users can find the iCloud tab in 'Settings' app and then set those particular apps to 'off'.

So far Apple has not commented on the issue.

Redesigning ;)

Apple likely to redesign MackBook Air

Apple might be planning a makeover for its range of MacBook Air laptops, a research data suggests.

A research note from analyst firm DisplaySearch indicates at a revamped MacBook Air with a 12-inch pixel-packing display, likely to be unveiled in 2014.

According to the research firm, the tech giant would roll out a 'new' MacBook Air with a bigger screen having a much higher resolution.

The firm hints at a display having 226 pixels per inch resolution (PPI) from an unimpressive 127 and 135 PPI for the current 13.3-inch (1,440x900) and 11.6-inch (1,366x768) MacBook Airs.

It is also anticipated that the revamped MacBook Air would have a 227-PPI Retina display, that is currently on the 13.3-inch Retina MacBook Pro.

The report said that the MacBook Air hasn't seen a physical redesign or display change since late 2010, when Apple introduced a new chassis and debuted the 11.6-inch Air.

Better Hurry Up!! Production Halves

Apple halves production of iPhone 5C

 Apple has reportedly cut down onproduction of its latest iPhone 5C, the low-cost model, a month after its release.

The tech giant will halve the current 3,00,000 unit-a-day pace to 1,50,000 unit-a-day.

According to news.com.au, the poor demand for the low-cost iPhone5C is speculated to be behind the cut down of production.

Apple has made no comment on the reason for the cutback.

The report said that in China, demand for the 5C has been so low retailers were forced to lower the sale price even further, however, the demand for the standard iPhone 5S is still high and the company warns orders for the 5S is on back order.

New iPad Mini?

iPad Mini: 'Apple to unveil new iPads on October 22'

It has been almost a year now since the iPad 4 was released. Ever since the first version hit shelves in April 2010 fans have not waited longer than a year for a new iPad. Experts are predicting the next-generation tablet to be thinner and lighter than previous models, with an improved camera and a look that closer resembles the iPad Mini.

In terms of cost, Apple is expected to keep the same price tags as previous launches. That would put a 16GB iPad 5 at $499 (£280) and could mean a 128GB iPad 5 with 4G LTE would cost a whopping $929.

iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S on Nov 1 ?

iPhone 5C, iPhone 5S to go on sale in India on Nov 1

 Apple will start selling iPhone 5Sand iPhone 5C from November 1 in India. The launch is part of the company next phase ofiPhone launches worldwide. On October 25, the two models of iPhone will become available in 25 countries.

However, India is part of the list of another 12 countries that will get the devices on November 1.

For now Apple has not revealed India-specific prices of iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C. But in the US the devices cost $649 and $549, respectively, in their 16GB variant.

While iPhone 5S is a flagship phone with an all-aluminum body and features like TouchID, iPhone 5C uses plastic body and is similar to the existing iPhone 5 in terms of its core hardware.

The India price of iPhone 5C is expected to be around Rs 40,000 while the price of iPhone 5S could be slightly above Rs 50,000.

On Wednesday Apple said that every customer who buys an iPhone 5S or iPhone 5C at an Apple retail store will be offered free personal setup service, helping them customize their iPhone by setting up email, showing them new apps from the app store and more, so they'll be up and running with their new iPhone before they leave the store.

However, Apple doesn't operate any retail store here and it is not clear if this service will be offered by its authorized distributors in India.