has been a busy week for Apple news this week. Here are just a few of
the stories AppAdvice covered during the past seven days.
The Big Three News Stories Of The Week
1. This is the next iPhone
Photo: iPhone 6 renderings by MacRumors
There comes a point each year when outlandish iPhone rumors fall by
the wayside, and the many stories begin to converge around the same
specifications and features. We’ve probably reached that point for
Apple’s next iPhone.
The next iPhone
is almost certainly going to feature a 4.7-inch sapphire crystal
display. This larger and more durable screen will come at a higher
price, probably $50 to $100 more per unit.
The new handset will feature a pill shaped power button on the right side of the device, as opposed to the top, and a battery that Apple will claim is better than anything that came before it.
It will also come with an “A8” processor and “M8” motion coprocessor, and a better camera.
There are still some unknowns, including available capacities and
color choices, and the name for the new device. I expect that we’ll see
our first 128GB iPhone, and it will go by the name “iPhone Air.”
2. Data overages are going bye-bye
carriers to lower the price on many cellular plans. The No. 4 carrier is
now leading the charge to end those nasty data overages industry-wide.
This week, T-Mobile CEO John Legere declared that overages
are “just plan wrong” and “must end.” As a result, he wants the other
large carriers to take T-Mobile’s lead and abolish overages “once and
for all.”
The carrier says that it will end all domestic overages starting in
May for the June billing cycle. It is likely to continue charging
overages for international use.
Instead of automatically charging for data overages, T-Mobile offers
day- or week-long data passes for those who wish to go over their limit.
So far, there has been no comment from AT&T or Verizon on T-Mobile’s plan to end data overages.
3. The next iPad will be thinner
than its predecessor and include LCD and cover glass manufactured as a
single unit. These are the conclusions drawn from new images leaked this
week purportedly showing parts for the upcoming device.
As you can see above, the front assembly shown in the images looks
similar to the one found on the current iPad Air. For the rear assembly,
however, it is a different story. Here, it looks like the connector
configuration is different. Also, the LCD appears to be bonded directly
to the cover glass.
This Week’s Awesome App Updates
David. was our Game of the Week, while Carousel by Dropbox celebrated being named AppAdvice’s App of the Week.But what were the best app updates this week?
Flickr 3.0
Flickr 3.0
Yahoo’s Flickr includes a number of new features
including Auto Sync, which lets you upload all your photos from your
phone automatically to your account. The update also has new editing
tools, including live filtering, vignettes, and auto-enhance. Flickr 3.0
also adds the ability to record up to 30 seconds of HD video using the
same filtering tools available for photos.
Meanwhile, the Pandora Radio 5.4 update brings the Pandora alarm clock feature to the iPad. Originally arriving for iPhone users late last year, all users can now pick their favorite station to play as an alarm.
Finally, Facebook has unveiled a huge update for its Paper
App. Version 1.1 includes new tools for birthdays and special events,
and a new feature for group updates. It also features new story buttons,
and more article covers.
Head Scratcher of the Week
Jay Blahnik
What’s happening at Nike is fascinating. On Saturday,
CNET reported that the apparel giant has decided to throw in the towel
on its development of wearable fitness-related hardware, including the
Nike+ FuelBand. This comes just months before Apple is expected to
unveil the so-called “iWatch.”
Last August, Jay Blahnik confirmed
that he had taken a job at Apple. Blahnik was a central figure in the
development of Nike+ FuelBand and in the fitness industry in general.
Could more Nike+ FuelBand employees be making the jump to Apple now that their jobs have been lost?
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