Posts in news

Apple Actually Had Considered AMOLED Displays

It turns out that Apple really thought about implementing AMOLED displays in the next generation iPhone, but had to reject the idea due to problem with supply and technology.

As Digitimes reports:

“According to our sources, Apple had spoken with Samsung Mobile Display (SMD) about the possibility for AMOLED panels since the development of the iPhone 3GS, but production capacity remains a big issue. SMD only has the capability to fulfill 50-60% of iPhone orders at the moment even it dedicated all AMOLED capacity to Apple.

Of course, cost is always a concern. AMOLED panels cost US$34-38. TN panels cost less than US$10 and IPS panels around US$20.

AMOLED also has display weaknesses. SMD uses PenTile technology developed by Clairvoyante to produce AMOLED, which is less suitable for displaying text. With Apple quite keen on pushing e-reading businesses, AMOLED may not be the best solution at the moment.”

So there you have it, folks. The whole truth is coming in 12 days, by the way.


They’re Telling Us We Shouldn’t Hold Our Breath for WWDC

Gene Munster is telling us that we shouldn’t hold our breath for the upcoming WWDC and the stuff Steve Jobs is going to announce. He says that Apple has “little room for surprise”.

Let me ask you this: even if you knew that Apple was set to announce a tablet device back in January, did you enjoy the event? Even if you thought you knew what the device might look like, didn’t your jaw drop when you saw the iPad in action?

These predictions are useless. It’s like saying “don’t read that book because we all know it’s got a happy ending”. What about the content of the book? What about how the iPhone 4G works and relies on the new iPhone OS 4.0 features? Here’s a suggestion for analysts: try to focus more on the content sometimes, because Apple is not about surprises - not as much as it’s about refinements.


Apple Is Now Worth More Than Microsoft

Business Insider reports that Apple’s business value is now higher than Microsoft’s. Apple’s business is in fact now worth $200 billion, while Microsoft’s is worth $197 billion.

“A company’s stock market capitalization includes the net value of the cash and debt on the company’s books. To figure out the imputed value of the company’s actual business, therefore, you have to adjust for the value of those other things.”

It will be interesting to see what’s Microsoft gonna do next, specifically in the mobile market.


App Store Now Showing 200 Apps in Top Charts

Apple is making some small changes to the App Store (maybe because the iPad is becoming available in other countries) and one of these changes includes the revamped top charts.

Now you’ll be able to see the top 200 apps both in free / paid charts and single categories instead of 100 apps. A very welcome change for developers and users who want to see what’s trending and selling in the Store.

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Extensions Coming to Safari?

John Gruber is well known for making predictions weeks before Apple announces stuff. He usually puts it as a joke, but God knows why he’s usually right.

The latest from our beloved John is the following piece about Safari:

“The other big thing that’s missing (compared to both Chrome and Firefox) is a proper extension API. If only Apple had an imminent developer conference where they could unveil such a thing.”

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