If analysts’s predictions are to be believed, the numbers shared this morning by Needham’s Charlie Wolf and Susquehanna’s Jeff Fidacaro are surely interesting. With 16.24 million iPhones and 7.33 million iPads sold in the last quarter, Wolf notes that 300 millions smartphones were sold last year, and Apple’s sales trajectory appears to be “higher than expected”. Wolf estimates 75 million iPhone units will be sold in 2011; last year, he predicted 40 million sales and Apple actually sold more, 47.5 million iPhones. Read more
Last.fm Radio for Mobile Apps To Become Subscription-based Service
Earlier today music streaming service Last.fm announced that, starting February 15th, the radio functionality built into mobile apps (for iPhone and Android) and home entertainment systems will become a subscription-based service with a $3 monthly fee. The service is currently free in various countries but ad-supported; next week, Last.fm Radio for mobile will become ad-free and offer users the possibility to create personalized stations basing on their music preferences.
The service will, however, remain free in some countries and platforms:
Last.fm Radio will remain free on the Last.fm website in the US, UK and Germany and for the US and UK users of Xbox Live and Windows Mobile 7 phones. We’ll also continue to offer radio for free via the Last.fm desktop app.
The mobile music streaming landscape has become very competitive over the past months thanks to services like Spotify and MOG that provide access to large music libraries either for free or through a Premium subscription, like Spotify – which is still struggling to find its way in the U.S. market. And always in the United States, Rdio has recently revamped its website with lots of different features and social functionalities, many of them accessible from the companion iPhone app.
Last.fm Radio won’t provide users a choice to pick tracks on demand, but the offer is attractive if you’re a heavy Last.fm user who has built a music library over the years worth connecting to the Radio service.
Best Buy Tag Suggests White iPhone Coming Within Weeks
It’s pretty clear at this point that the white iPhone 4 is launching in the next few weeks. Engadget just got a picture of a Best Buy tag spotted in Houston over the weekend, and it points at an AT&T white iPhone sold at $599 off contract.
This Best Buy tag adds speculation to several reports surfaced in the past weeks, such as production issues fixed by a new Japanese paint and the unit spotted on various international carrier websites.
The mythical white iPhone really seems to be coming now, indeed in Spring 2011.
“The Daily” Super Bowl Commercial [Video]
In case you missed it a few minutes ago, here’s the commercial News Corp. ran during the XLV Super Bowl to promote its iPad-only newspaper, The Daily. The ad is admittedly cool and nicely animated, too bad we’ve seen the app is nowhere near the fluidness from the video below. If The Daily was as fast and stable and snappy as the app from this ad, it would be perfect.
Nice commercial, but we’re still waiting for a better app. Read more
Hacker Brings FaceTime to iPad
In spite of the iPad lacking a camera (that should change very soon with the iPad 2), hackers have managed to port the FaceTime application for the iPod touch 4th gen to the tablet and make it work even without access to any kind of camera. The hack, called Intell, requires a pretty laborious installation process you can check out here, and involves changing permissions and values to a series of files inside the iPad’s filesystem.
The FaceTime app has been resized to scale nicely on the iPad’s larger screen, although it’s very clear that is an iPhone / iPod touch app running on a screen that’s not meant for it. The hack works from iPad to any other FaceTime device and, of course, iPhone users calling iPad owners will only receive audio. The app works over WiFi as required by FaceTime.
With the next-generation iPad coming in a few months with FaceTime capabilities it shouldn’t be so hard to wait for video calling on the tablet, but if you really want to try it now, follow the instructions and check out the demo video below. [via 9to5mac] Read more
AT&T’s New iPhone Commercial Is About Old Tricks
With Verizon airing minimal yet emotionally powerful iPhone commercials to feature the product (they don’t even have to mention the name “iPhone” in the ads) that’s launching on their network on February 10th, you’d think AT&T would come up with something of a little more impact than the usual “talk and surf the web at the same time” story.
Well, apparently they still think that’s all they can have in their commercials. Personally, I think that while it’s incredibly cool to be able to have a phone call and use a browser at the same time, I can’t remember a single situation where I found myself needing to do that. It’s cool and it’s there, but it’s old stuff we know and, quite possibly, never used as much as AT&T wants us to.
As 9to5mac says, maybe it’s too late. Read more
Angry Birds Gets 15 New Levels→
Angry Birds Gets 15 New Levels
An Angry Birds update for iPhone and iPad just went live in the App Store, bringing 15 new levels and a new golden egg that, according to Rovio, is “as mad as a bag of hammers”.
The update, version 1.5.1, also adds compatibility for the secret code that will be given away during a Super Bowl commercial, which will let users unlock another additional level which, once completed, will give every Angry Birds fan a chance to win a ticket to Fox’s premiere of the animated film “Rio” in Rio de Janeiro.
A special version of Rovio’s game, Angry Birds Rio, will be released in March.
60% Of Initial iPad 2 Shipments To Be 3G Models
According to AppleInsider, a new report by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of Concord Securities details the amount of different iPad 2 models that will be shipped in the “first wave” of the device’s introduction.
According to the report, 60% of these units will be 3G-enabled models, either GSM/UMTS units or iPads capable of running on CDMA/EVDO networks.
In speaking to AppleInsider, Kuo said his checks in the Far East indicate production figures of 38 percent for the K93 WiFi model, 46 percent of the K46 3G model, and 16 percent for the Verizon-compatible K95 CDMA version. This indicates that Apple apparently expects most iPad 2 users will opt for 3G models, even on Verizon where new iPhone buyers have the option to pay $20 for hotspot service through their new smartphone.
Last week, Ming-Chi Kuo claimed the iPad 2 won’t have a Retina Display but an anti-reflection screen similar to Amazon’s Kindle, iPod touch-like cameras and a faster processor. Right after the official announcement of the Verizon iPhone, a report suggested Verizon would start selling an iPad “that can connect directly to its network” soon. DigiTimes also reported the 60% of iPads shipped during the December timeframe were 3G models.
On a side note, iPad owners that also have an iPhone will soon be able to share an internet connection through their phone to the tablet thanks to the Personal Hotspot functionality that will be introduced with iOS 4.3. Undoubtedly, the ease of use of Personal Hotspot will make unnecessary for some to upgrade to a WiFi + 3G iPad model. It is unclear, though, how many carriers will support Personal Hotspot on launch.
iPad 2: Carbon Fiber, NFC Features, 7-inch Model?
A report posted by iLounge details some of the new features and tech specs that may go into the next-generation iPad. First off, the website reports a 7-inch model of the device is still being tested by Apple, in spite of Steve Jobs claiming that 7-inch tablets will be “dead in arrival” because of their form factor, not suitable for portable computing.
Our source notes that a key iPad, iPhone, and iPod component provider has been asked by Apple to develop a part for use in a seven-inch iPad. Our source believes that this part is for a new version of the device that is still in development, and doesn’t know whether it will go into production.
The fact that Apple is still considering the idea of a smaller iPad sounds reasonable, but it’s highly unlikely that we’ll see a 7-inch iPad by the rumored April launch. iLounge goes on to report the iPad 2 may have a new shell in carbon fiber to reduce weight:
While our source urges caution on this point, it’s possible that the company will use a new material similar to carbon fiber rather than aluminum for upcoming iPads.
Some people claim carbon fiber enclosures for the iPad have already been spotted, although it’s unclear whether they came from OEM, or unauthorized third-party manufacturers. Last, the most interesting tidbit is about the iPad 2 and Near Field Communication (NFC) capabilities:
In the most basic implementation, an accessory could announce its presence and potential functions to an iPad or iPhone without the need for a Bluetooth or similar connection; our source suggests that an otherwise simple case could include a radio chip so that an inserted iPhone or iPad could go into power-saving hibernation mode automatically. More complex accessories will go far beyond that.
Several reports in the past suggested Apple is willing to implement NFC in future iOS devices. [via MacRumors]