iPhone 3GS refurb drops to $9 at AT&T as update looms

AT&T gave a clue that the iPhone 3GS was on its way out Friday after it dropped the price of a refurbished iPhone 3GS down to $9. The terms still demand a two-year contract but put it at its lowest official, non-promotional price yet. New devices are still on sale.

Apple has been giving small clues of an upcoming iPhone update that would phase out the iPhone 3GS. Canadian provider Koodo started off its support of Apple by selling only the iPhone 4 in what's likely a reflection of any remaining iPhone 3GS units being cleared out.

Most anticipate the iPhone 5 launch following its pattern of the past two years, where the once-current phone stays on sale but in a discounted and possibly storage-reduced form. If so, it's possible the iPhone 4 will cost $99 or less.

By Electronista Staff

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Sterne Agee: Components, production looking up for Apple

Supply chain checks show increased production capacity, better component availability and cheaper component pricing for Apple, according to Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu. Cheaper parts in particular are forecast to help Apple in its third-quarter results, which will be announced on Tuesday. Wu is calling for $24.6 billion in revenue with $5.98 in EPS, based off a 39.8 percent gross margin, as compared with a consensus of $24.7 billion and $5.73 in EPS stemming from a 39 percent margin. Apple itself has only been guiding to $23 billion, $5.03 in EPS and a 38 percent margin.

Sterne Agee and the consensus are roughly in line when it comes to unit predictions, Wu comments. The analyst is anticipating 17 million iPhones, 6.8 million iPads, 3.9 million Macs and 8.3 million iPods. iPods have been on a continual decline since the introduction of the iPhone.

Consider Apple's fourth quarter, which wraps toward the end of September, Wu is estimating $27.7 billion in revenue and $6.57 in EPS versus a consensus of $27.6 billion and $6.37. "We see several potential product catalysts ahead including the launch of iCloud and its [Apple's] next-generation operating systems including Mac OS X Lion and iOS 5; further refreshes of its Mac line (MacBook Air, MacBook, Mac mini, Mac Pro) to the Sandy Bridge architecture; and an interim but important iPhone update in the Fall timeframe featuring dual-core processors and better cameras," he elaborates. Lion and new MacBook Airs are thought to be arriving next week.

by MacNN Staff

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Korean game rule change may favor iPhones, mobile gaming

A new change to South Korea's rules on gaming could lead to an explosion in mobile gaming that might also tip the balance in favor of iPhones. A rule that had required government review of games for sex and violence had been dropped as of July 6 and should let Apple's App Store and Google's Android Market freely carry games with their own review systems. The two platform makers have had to withhold games but are likely to add the game category in Korea as soon as possible.

Usage habits elsewhere in the world could lead to spikes in adoption for smartphones as a whole but may play most into Apple's hands. With games the dominant form of mobile app in the countries where regulation isn't an issue, iPhones are used twice as often for gaming. iOS has also usually had a much wider range of gaming and has seen top tier game developers turning down Android due to piracy and fragmented device requirements.

Google's main advantage in the country has been support from LG and Samsung, which dominate the mobile landscape in the area. Smartphones have been growing quickly in the region but, by necessity, have downplayed any entertainment outside of music and movies.

Gaming is considered a major hobby in Korea and plays a large part in technology in the country. The country follows games like the StarCraft series to the extent of making them competitive sports and broadcasting live games on TV. [via Bloomberg]

By Electronista Staff

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New study claims no link between cellphones, tumors

A new, large-scale study found that people who used a cellphone for over 10 years do not have an increased risk of a non-cancerous brain tumor. According to a Thursday report, the study looked at 2.8 million Danish adults who have used a cellphone for between 11 and 15 years. The study concluded that the group was no more likely to develop acoustic neuroma than newer or non-users.

The slow-growing tumors are also called vestibular schwannomas and form on the main nerve running from the inner ear to the brain. They have the potential to cause ringing in the ears, balance problems and dizziness. In some rare cases, they can be large enough to press against the brain and become life-threatening.

Acoustic neuromas grow in the area of the brain where greater energy emitted from the cellphones is absorbed said Dr. Joachim Schuz, a member of the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), who headed up the new study.

The argument is that those with acoustic neuromas may have them as a result of cellphone use, especially if it's on the same side as where they frequently hold their cellphones. Schuz's team found that this wasn't the case, however, and wrote so in their American Journal of Epidemiology report.

Long-term users also didn't exhibit larger-than-expected tumors, nor did they have tumors on the right side of their head, despite usually holding the phone on that side.

But Shuz admits that even the long-term cellphone users in this study didn't use their devices for that long. Acoustic neuromas grow so slowly that often many years can pass between the first symptoms and a diagnosis.

By Electronista Staff

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Gresso exhibits $30,000 diamond-encased iPhone

Gresso, a design house which specializes in creating customized expensive and exotic renditions of devices, has just released a $30,000 diamond bedazzled iPhone 4. The Lady Blanche features a coating of diamond-coated mineral glass on the case and six panels imbedded into the back of the iPhone. Three contain Swiss watch movements, each showing the time in a different time zone. The other three chambers contain diamond crystals freely floating around.

For those who cannot afford the price tag, Gresso is offering a version of the phone with Swarovski crystals instead of diamonds. It sells for $7,000.

This is not the first iPhone treatment for the Russian designers. They offer three models embellished with African Blackwood. In December, they gave the iPad the same Blackwood treatment. [via Pocket-lint]

By Electronista Staff

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Amazon said skimping on tablet features to undercut iPad

Amazon may be trimming as much as it can on its upcoming Android tablet to get the price down, an internal source divulged on Thursday. The previously leaked decision to pass on any cameras is being joined by intentional limits on storage, accessories, and other extras, the NYT heard. CEO Jeff Bezos had decided just after the iPad launch to make a more Kindle-friendly tablet and that lower prices were the key to challenging Apple.

In the earliest stages, Amazon's Lab 126 hardware team had also purportedly considered using a more in-house OS like the Linux variant on the Kindle but had decided to use Android after once again considering the iPad. A custom OS would have left the tablet starting from scratch with apps, leaving it at an automatic disadvantage to the iPad. Higher-ups in Amazon's ranks were worried that their tablet would be overshadowed by the sheer number of other similar Android devices but eventually gave way.

Normally Apple-focused John Gruber has added that he understands that Amazon has heavily customized the OS beyond just including its own apps.

Amazon has wanted to use its buyout of Touchco for the multi-touch in the tablet, but it was supposedly having trouble rolling that into e-paper Kindle readers due to the inherent dulling effect of the touch layer on top of the display.

Only 3G may be a distinct hardware advantage for Amazon, according to the insider. Hints are that it may try to get lower pricing than the $15 or $25 per month that iPads and other tablets need for their prepaid data. It's not clear if Amazon would be successful since it would be using the same Android foundations as many of its competitors.

The combined effect may lead to a device significantly cheaper than the iPad but will also be a gamble that an in between tablet will be popular relative to either the Kindle or a full-featured tablet like the iPad. Amazon has addressed the low end by offering a $139 Kindle 3G but won't have the same luxury for the high end. Proximity to the iPad's price or price cuts from rivals could eliminate Amazon's advantage.

The nine-inch slate is expected to ship by October and will mostly be a vehicle for Amazon's own services, including the Appstore, Cloud Player, Instant Video, and Kindle. Lab 126' involvement won't necessarily lead to a distinctive Amazon design as the core is believed to have been outsourced to an Asian company such as Samsung.

By Electronista Staff

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Square offers KIF framework for iOS user-interaction testing

Square, the credit-card processing company that offers payment apps for both iOS and Android, has released a new testing framework it calls KIF -- standing for "Keep It Functional" -- that allows developers to rapidly test new features in an automated way to assist in continued rapid development and growth of apps. The framework allows developers to run tests of their software either on the iOS simulator or on-device.

KIF is written in Objective-C and requires minimal setup, using the same language as the rest of the developer's project. It can be easily extended for more complex testing and works in continuous integration (CI) setups. It comes pre-integrated with a number of basic test steps, such as "tap this view," "type this text" and "turn on this switch." It leverages the accessiblity capabilities of iOS to traverse the view stack, making it easier for developers to bear in mind the needs of visually-impaired users when designing.

New steps can be easily added, such as "simulate a memory warning" or "receive a push notification." Developers get feedback about the stability and health of the codebase via CI using WaxSim.

The KIF framework will be made available on GitHub as an open-source project. The company is also supporting a Google-based discussion group and a community on Stack Overflow.

by MacNN Staff

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