iPhone Rumour: Real or Fake? Another Next-Gen iPhone “Leak” Hits the Web!

Italian site iSpazio has posted up a couple images they received from tipster who claimed they’re shots from Apple’s development web server showing off pages that feature the next-generation iPhone (presumably what will go up post-WWDC keynote).

Of note, they highlight the Voice Memos app from iPhone 3.0 and — wait for it — a front facing camera, presumably for the oft-rumored Mobile iChat. As always, there’s no way to tell if these are real or fake.

The second image (after the jump), which features tethering, however, perplexingly shows off the iPhone 2.x, NOT 3.0 home screen layout. Roh-roh Raggy. That one has us immediately calling shenanigans…

All in favor?

iPhone Facts: Report: Missing iPhone Prototype Pressured Chinese Worker to Commit Suicide

We’ve heard plenty of stories about Apple employees getting fired for leaking secrets, but imagine how much pressure is on the company’s partners to keep products hush hush.

A Chinese publication reports that a 25-year-old employee of Foxconn, who manufactures Apple’s iPhones in China, committed suicide after losing a prototype of the fourth-generation iPhone.

Foxconn worker Sun Danyong was handling a shipment of 16 iPhone prototypes, and one of them went missing, according to ND Daily. Then, Foxconn unleashed its central security division to investigate Sun. Unable to take the “unbearable interrogation techniques,” Sun jumped from a 12-story building on July 16, according to the report.

Foxconn has issued a statement apologizing for the incident. The letter admits that the chief of Foxconn’s central security division, surnamed Gu, may have used “inappropriate interrogation methods,” including possible beatings, searching Sun’s house and holding Sun in solitary confinement. Gu is on suspension and under internal investigation, according to Foxconn.
In a statement provided to CNET, Apple confirmed Sun’s death.

“We are saddened by the tragic loss of this young employee, and we are awaiting results of the investigations into his death,” an Apple spokeswoman said. “We require our suppliers to treat all workers with dignity and respect.”

Apple is infamous for operating with a level of secrecy comparable to the Central Intelligence Agency. However, as Apple’s product line expands and accrues more partners, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for the corporation to guard its secrets. In the case of Foxconn, it’s clear why the company would exert so much pressure on its employees to protect Apple’s secrets: The manufacturer would not wish to lose this valuable partnership.

iPhone Rumour: T-Mobile Accidentally Posts Secret iPhone 3G S Specs

Apple has flatly refused to tell anyone just what chips lie inside the iPhone 3G S.

In fact, while Apple insists that the “s” in 3G S stands for speed, it could equally well stand for secrecy. But T-Mobile in the Netherlands apparently didn’t get the memo, and has gone ahead and posted the hardware specs on the product page for the new models.

The relevant numbers are 256MB RAM for the OS, double that of the 128MB in the original iPhone, and a 600MHz processor, up from the pedestrian 412MHz of the first two models. The added RAM alone probably makes a huge difference — if you have ever added memory to a Mac you’ll know how much OS X loves it some extra gigs to play around in. And that processor neatly leapfrogs the second-gen iPod Touch’s 532MHz. It also shuts up anyone comparing the iPhone to the Palm Pre, which has the exact same number of megahertz: 600.

Of course, this never really mattered — as soon as the iPhone goes on sale it will be torn apart like a gazelle being set upon by hunger-crazed lions and the innards cast across the floor for all to see. We wonder just how long the T-Mobile site will keep this information up.

iPhone Rumour: New iPhone to be called "iPhone Video?"

Further fueling the iPhone fire (try saying that one five times fast), TUAW has received an anonymous tip stating that AT&T's support website will be updated with "iPhone Video" as one of the model choices when choosing Apple as the phone manufacturer.

While I only see the original iPhone and 3G choices on the support site now, it stands to reason that this photo may have been taken from a screen showing unpublished support content. Click the image for the full-res photo.This adds to some already interesting news, reported earlier by AppleInsider, that new model placeholders have begun appearing in inventory for Carphone Warehouse, a retailer that resells the iPhone.

These models were labeled with a "V3", which could simply mean Version 3, or the V may also stand for "Video" or "Video 3G". Other retailers have also recently reported additional entries or placeholders showing up in their inventories, and many carriers have also received end of life notices for the current 3G models. So even if a new model isn't announced at WWDC, it's a pretty safe bet that Apple has something in the pipeline.

iPhone Rumour: More Apps, More Problems

Apple’s phenomenally successful iPhone application store surpassed 30,000 apps available for download Thursday afternoon, despite an increasing number of complaints from peeved developers in recent months.

148Apps, an iPhone app review site that has been keeping count of apps in the App Store, said Apple surpassed the 30,000-app milestone at 1 p.m. PDT.

This is rapid, remarkable growth, considering just in December, iPhone fans celebrated the App Store surpassing 10,000 apps. The App Store launched in July 2008 with just 500 apps available.

But of course, the more crowded the app store gets, the more difficult it is for Apple to keep iPhone developers satisfied. Fortune’s Philip Elmer-DeWitt lists a number of recent issues developers have been clamoring about regarding the App Store:

Delays in getting applications approved in the App Store. And in extreme cases, Apple doesn’t tell developers anything at all.

Delayed payments. At times, Apple has been late on paying developers, violating the App Store’s contract, promising payment within 45 days.

A refund policy that could potentially make developers go bankrupt. That is, Apple requires developers to issue refunds if a customer demands it within 90 days of purchase. But when the developer returns the money, it must return 100-percent of the app’s cost. The developer loses the 30-percent commission fee that Apple takes with each sale.

App Store piracy has been around since the App Store’s launch, and some peeved developers are complaining that Apple needs to help combat the problem.

Developer complaints are aplenty, but clearly they’re not enough to deter tremendous growth of the App Store. Would you put up with the above issues knowing you could make $600,000 in a single month with an app? I probably would.

iPhone Rumour: Video: Unlocking the iPhone 3GS

Over the holiday weekend, iPhone hacker George Hotz released a jailbreak solution for the iPhone 3GS.
(To clarify: jailbreaking is not the same as unlocking, but rather a hack to allow you to run unauthorized applications. Jailbreaking, however, is required in order to perform an unlock.)

The Dev-Team Blog, who regularly posts iPhone hacks and unlock tutorials, has taken the extra step and published a video demonstrating its unlock solution for the iPhone 3GS. Check it out above.
The unlock tool kit is dubbed ultrasn0w, the same program used to unlock the iPhone 3G. One warning: If you somehow obtain an early copy of iPhone 3.1, an upcoming software update for the iPhone OS, do not install it because it will kill the unlock.

What are you waiting for? Hack away!

Video Link: http://vimeo.com/5431060

iPhone Fact: Apple Rolls Out iPhone 3.0 Operating System Upgrade

Apple on Wednesday released iPhone 3.0, a major upgrade for its iPhone operating system, delivering capabilities customers have demanded, such as multimedia messaging, copy and paste and universal landscape mode.

The operating system, which Apple previewed in March, became available for download at 10:10 a.m. in the iTunes Store.

The update is free for owners of the original iPhone as well as the current iPhone 3G; iPod Touch users must pay $10. Users wishing to upgrade must plug their device into their computer with the USB dock connector and then load iTunes 8.2 (80MB), where they can download and install iPhone 3.0 (230MB).

iPhone 3.0 (which some have confused with the third-generation iPhone, iPhone 3GS), addresses many complaints about the current and previous iPhone operating systems. Despite iPhone 2.0’s introduction of the iPhone’s phenomenally successful App Store for distributing third-party applications, many Apple critics have blasted the iPhone for its lack of a basic copy-and-paste function, among other shortcomings. iPhone 3.0 adds copy-and-paste functionality and many new features that will give immediate benefits to end users, regardless of which applications they use.

Here are some other noteworthy end-user features:

MMS support. (One major caveat: AT&T customers may be in for disappointment, because Apple said at last week’s Worldwide Developers Conference that AT&T would not support MMS until late summer. AT&T declined to comment on the reason behind the delay, but the company said it’s not network-related.
Apps communicate with accessories via dock connector or Bluetooth.

Support for peer-to-peer Bluetooth. That will enable the iPhone to connect with other Bluetooth devices, including stereo Bluetooth headsets. Previously, the iPhone only supported Bluetooth for connecting to monaural phone headsets.

Global search feature. Enables users to search content in various applications on the iPhone from a single interface. Like the search feature in Mac OS X, this is called “Spotlight.”

Compose in landscape mode. The ability to compose e-mail messages, text messages and notes in landscape mode gives the user a larger, easier-to-use keyboard.

iPod Touch Fact: New iPod Touch Has Bluetooth Inside

The new iPod Touch announced on Tuesday has a hidden extra which joins the new hardware volume controls, speaker and curved metal back: Bluetooth.

The guys over at Mac teardown shop iFixit took one of the new Touches apart in the process of making one of their fix-it guides and found that the wireless chip is a Broadcom BCM4325. This is a single chip solution for Wi-Fi, FM and Bluetooth.

This could mean everything or nothing. The FM radio will probably never be activated, but the Bluetooth, which supports 2.1 + EDR could be useful. We assume that it is being used to talk to the Nike+ shoe-dongle (a capability built in to the new Touch), but this could surely be activated/hacked for VoIP, too.

iPod Touch Fact: 2G iPod Touch Jailbroken at Last

One oddity of the jailbreaking scene is that, while the iPhone 3G was liberated months ago, the second generation iPod Touch has remained hack proof. Until now, that is. Nitrokey Slipstream is a solution that claims to unlock the iPod and allow you to install non-App Store software on it.
We say "claims" as the product site looks a little suspicious. First, the team wants money. The software costs $15 and runs on Windows machines only (OS X support is promised "soon"). In addition, there is no demo video, no screen shots, nothing. The only hint of what you might get is a picture of an iPod Touch with the Cydia icon on its screen. Cydia is the jailbreak version of the official App Store.

This may of course be unfounded suspicion, but as ever it seems a little odd that hackers should charge for a hacking tool. It’s like expecting people to pay for a BitTorrent client. Besides, if this hack works, you can be sure that there will be a free version along soon from the iPhone Dev Team.

iPod Touch Rumour: iPods Nano and Touch to Gain Cameras

So says the Apple-centric Hardmac, citing “informations from one of our sources”.

The scoop says that the next-gen iPhone will look exactly the same as the current one from the outside, and that both the iPod Touch and the iPod Nano will gain cameras.
We’ll be kind and say that Hardmac has scored one out of three with its guesses. Sorry: “informations”.
The one feasible rumor here is that the Touch could get a camera. It’s a real lack when it comes to running iPhone software — Evernote, for example, is next to useless on the Touch and the general ease of taking grainy, noisy snaps with your phone of course disappears.
The 2G Touch gained external volume switches and a (tinny) speaker. Why not a camera for the 3G?
The Nano with a camera idea strikes us as nonsensical, though. But them so did a Nano with video until it happened. It seems unlikely, though, that Apple would put a camera into an iPod that doesn’t run the mobile OS X, and it would certainly mean a price hike, or at least a cut in profits, neither of which Apple likes.

Last, the non-updated iPhone hardware. This is clearly foolish. One of the main reasons to upgrade Apple hardware is that the new models always make the old ones look tired and clunky. This is why I have a Unibody MacBook when there’s a perfectly good last-generation MacBook Pro on the shelf (it’s for sale, by the way). That Apple would bump the specs of a product and not make it look sleeker, thinner and generally more desirable is quite unthinkable.

iPod Touch Rumour: Analytics Give Clues to Next-Gen iPod Touch

iPhone application analytics companies say their tracking tools have turned up a device ID that might represent a next-generation iPod Touch.

Two iPhone app analytics companies — Pinch Media and Medialets — say they’ve spotted a device-ID string labeled “iPod 3,1″ — which they believe to represent a prototype of a new iPod Touch.

The applications being run on the mystery device are larger, more popular titles, according to Pinch. Presumably Apple employees are testing the new iPod Touch with these more well known apps. The device ID began appearing in analytics reports since April, according to Pinch.

It’s reasonable to infer this is a new iPod: We all know Apple is going to keep rolling these babies out. The question is, when? Pinch Media in October spotted an unfamiliar device ID labeled “iPhone 2,1,” which turned out to be the string representing the iPhone 3GS that launched June.
If we’re to make a guess based on timing patterns (eight months between initial testing and release), then the next iPod Touch would likely be hitting stores around December.



However, as The Unofficial Apple Weblog has noted, Apple’s iPods typically see a refresh around September for back-to-school season. Also, an iPod would likely take less time to QA test than a phone. So we would place our bets on September, too.

Best tidbit to derive from these sightings is they’re strong evidence that new iPods are coming soon. Even better, if the rumors are true, they’ll have cameras this time around.

iPhone Rumour: Gadget Lab Hardware News and Reviews Apple’s Next iPhone Will Rule at Gaming

The next upgrade to Apple’s iPhone will have a strong focus on gaming, analysts and developers agree.

That’s because the gaming market is an increasingly juicy segment of the mobile multimedia space — and it’s one that Apple’s phenomenally successful iPhone is well-positioned to dominate.
"The iPhone and iPod Touch are becoming a major new handheld gaming platform, and if you look at the App Store and look at what’s doing well, that’s reflecting," said Bart Decrem, CEO of Tapulous, developer of the popular Tap Tap Revenge iPhone game.
"I would look forward to improvements in the device as a gaming platform both for the phone and iPod Touch."

Apple made clear its plans to seize the gaming market in November 2008 when Apple marketing executive Greg Joswiak called the iPhone and iPod Touch "the future of gameplay," posing a serious threat to dedicated gaming consoles such as the Nintendo DS and SonyPSP.

The reasons? A few things: The quick, electronic distribution method of games and apps via the iPhone’s App Store; the accelerometer and multitouch display, which are introducing new approaches to gameplay;and the iPhone’s lighter, more portable form factor compared to its rivals.

Numbers say the iPhone is indeed in a position to assault the gaming market. Analysts predict Apple is on track to sell 40 million iPhones or more per year. By way of comparison, Nintendo sold 42 million DS consoles from January 2007 toJune 2008.

Add to that the fact that the iPhone App Store has already got the DS and PSP beat in terms of game titles available: When the AppStore was just three months old, it had 1,500 games; the PSP and DS had about 600 and 300 titles, respectively.

There are just a few weaknesses the iPhone needs to address before it’s truly acknowledged as a serious game device, said Steve Demeter, developer of the Trism iPhone game: Processing limitations, graphic capabilities and memory management. For example, the PSP’s advantage as a dedicated gaming device is that its application programming interface (API) is geared toward loading complex textures — a task the iPhone falls short on.

If Apple is serious about making the iPhone a gaming platform, it’s a good bet that the next upgrade to the iPhone will address those limitations.

Tero Kuittinen, a Global Crown Capital analyst, agrees that the next iPhone will have enhanced graphics and more powerful processing capabilities. And those improvements will likely be incorporated in a new ARM chip thatApple is developing in-house.

In April 2008, Apple acquired semiconductor company PA Semi to manufacture ARM chips for future iPhones.

Other than introducing graphical improvements it’s unlikely the iPhone will see dramatic changes. Kuittinen noted that Apple enjoys keeping its interfaces consistent to ensure software is backward-compatible — so forget about a slide-out keyboard or a screen that’s either much smaller or much larger than the current iPhone. Developers Decrem and Demeter agreed that Apple will likely be conservative with changes so as not to require software coders to rewrite applications to be compatible with the next iPhone.
One minor change Apple will likely introduce in the third-generation iPhone is an improved web camera with video-recording capability and a flash. Kuittinen said the camera will have to sport at least a3.5-megapixel resolution in order to compete with Research In Motion,Samsung, HTC and LG, which are already selling handsets with superior cameras to the iPhone.
When can we expect the next iPhone? Considering the first iPhone launched June 2007 and the second iPhone shipped July 2008, the third-generation iPhone should land no later than summer 2009.

Let’s hope this one has copy and paste.

Images purporting to be leaked photos of the next iPhone are making rounds on the web.

MacRumors and iPodObserver both claim receiving images capturing a new 16GB black iPhone.
In the images, the black iPhone case appears to ditch the smooth, plastic surface of the iPhone 3G in favor of a matte finish.

We can’t vouch for the validity of the images, but they do appear believable. Developers and analysts are predicting the next iPhone will sport very similar dimensions and resolution to its predecessors, so as not to require applications in the App Store to undergo major rewrites.
Otherwise, not much is known about what Apple has in store for the third-generation iPhone.

However, there is strong, well-supported speculation that the next iPhone will be souped-up for gaming.

iPhone Rumour: Next-Gen iPhone Specs, Launch Date Revealed?

A source closely connected to Apple’s hardware team claims to possess knowledge of the next-generation iPhone’s specifications and release date.

The source told iPhone fan blog Apple iPhone Apps that the new iPhone will launch July 17. Many of the provided specifications corroborate with past rumors that the device will introduce a digital compass and a video recorder, among other features. (The source did not provide a photo; the image to the right is from a past rumor report for the sake of comparison.)

Here’s the list:
32GB and 16GB storage (up from the current 16GB and 8GB models)
$199 and $299 price points to be maintained
3.2-megapixel camera (up from the current 2-megapixel camera)
Video-recording and editing capabilities
Ability to send a picture & video via MMS
Discontinuation of the metal band surrounding the edge of the device
OLED screen
1.5 times the battery life of the current models
Double the RAM and processing power
Built-in FM transmitter
Apple logo on back will glow
Rubber-tread backing
Sleeker design
Built-in compass
The camera, GPS, compass and Google map combined will identify photo and inform about photo locations
Turn-by-turn directions



Overall, if these claims are true, this is a relatively minor upgrade. The most notable new features would be the built-in compass (which appeared in earlier rumor reports), the video recorder and editor (the current iPhones don’t support video recording unless you Jailbreak them), the built-in FM transmitter and the OLED screen (which would improve battery life).
One of the features that sticks out to me is the built-in FM transmitter. I see no compelling reason for Apple to put this in the iPhone, as it is not a feature that users have been demanding, and it hasn’t appeared in other iPods.



Another specification I find strange is the OLED screen. That would be a welcome change because it would look nicer than the current LCD screen. But OLEDs are generally pricey, and if the current price points are maintained, I’m not sure if I believe this one.
Otherwise, the rest of the specifications appear not too far-fetched. If the source is simply taking shots in the dark, then most of these specifications are very conservative guesses derived from previous rumor reports.



What do you think, readers? I’m curious as to whether this list of purported specifications is enough to get you to upgrade from a current iPhone. Or if you don’t own one, will you buy one if these rumored features turn out to be true? Let us know in the comments below.
I, for one, will be standing in line for Apple’s next iPhone this summer whether or not these rumors are true. After all, my iPhone is resting in rice.

iPhone Rumour: Next-Gen iPhone Will Be a Snoozer Upgrade

The most elaborate rumor to date about Apple’s next iPhone is somewhat of an anticlimax, as it suggests the upgrade will be a minor one with few physical changes.
A commenter at Chinese Apple fan blog WeiPhone claims to have tested a prototype of the next-generation iPhone and describes it as a “repeat” in physical design. The tipster says the major changes are internal: a faster 600MHz processor (up from 400MHz in the current iPhone), 256MB RAM (up from 128MB), and a larger storage capacity of up to 32GB (up from a maximum of 16GB).
The commenter also repeated previous rumors about iPhone hardware: a digital compass and a 3.2-megapixel camera with auto-focus capability. Otherwise, Apple’s next iPhone will have the same 3.5-inch, 480×320-pixel touchscreen — so overall the handset will look the same, the tipster claimed.
The commenter also provided a screenshot (right) purporting to reveal the handset’s capacity (32GB), model number (MB717LL) and firmware version (3.0). AppleInsider notes model numbers for the iPhone 3G only range to MB705LL.
Nothing official is known about what Apple has in store for the next iPhone. However, analysts, journalists and enthusiasts agree an upgrade to the popular handset is imminently approaching — most likely by summer, as the current and previous iPhones were launched July 2008 and June 2007, respectively.

Analysts and developers told Wired.com that they believe the next iPhone’s improvements will have a strong focus on gaming. A faster processor and more RAM, as the Chinese tipster suggests, would certainly contribute to that.