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Current Topic: Technology |
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Motorola Droid Bionic Dwarfs iPhone 5 In Every Aspect |
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Topic: Technology |
7:41 am EDT, Jul 18, 2011 |
Motorola Droid Bionic will come with several enhancements, including expanded features, functionality and an improved form factor. The latest photo leaks revealing Motorola Droid Bionic showed that the smartphone looked very similar to Motorola Droid X2, another powerful dual core smartphone without 4G support. The design changes from original Droid Bionic which looked similar to Motorola Atrix surely is one of the biggest enhancements in terms of form factor. It seems Motorola with its failed attempt to impress consumers with Motorola Atrix has allowed Motorola Droid Bionic to undergo changes in order to pick up the momentum with the release of the upcoming smartphone expected to be launched in August. One of the several leaked images supporting the looks of Droid Bionic to that of Droid X2 showcased version 1.3.0 Webtop application support. With Webtop application, Motorola brings mobile computing allowing users to experience cloud-based computing with easy-to-use docking stations. The ease of docking allows users to get online just the way they would with their regular laptops or office desktops. It provides full Firefox browser, doc editing and multimedia access on a large screen almost anywhere. Here is a look at the comparison between Motorola Droid Bionic and most speculated features of new iPhone 5. Display: Motorola Droid Bionic will come with 4.5-inch 540x960 pixels (qHD) TFT capacitive touchscreen display. In case of iPhone 5, most rumors point towards 3.5-inch or 3.7-inch, 960x640 resolution at 312 ppi display screen. Input features: Droid Bionic input features include multi-touch input method, accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate, touch-sensitive controls, and proximity sensor for auto turn-off. The features like biometric fingerprint reader, MOTOBLUR UI with Live Widgets and Gorilla Glass display similar to Motorola Atrix cannot be ruled out in Motorola Droid Bionic. Last month leaked photo shot from Droid-life showed the Droid Bionic featuring new 3D home screen previews in Blur plus lock screen. With iPhone 5 expected to closely resemble iPhone 4, expect scratch-resistant oleophobic surface, multi-touch input method, accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate, three-axis gyro sensor and proximity sensor for auto turn-off. Memory: Now the confusion remains whether Motorola Droid Bionic comes with 512 MB RAM, 2 GB ROM and 16 GB storage which was found in original Motorola Droid Bionic showcased during the CES. In fact, Droid X2 has 512 MB RAM but Motorola Atrix comes with 1 GB RAM. The probability of Motorola Droid Bionic featuring 1 GB RAM is highly expected as the latest ad described Droid Bionic to be ferocious force and an all powerful unstoppable device. With Apple upgrading its RAM during release of their newer version every year, the possibility of Apple iPhone 5 featuring a 768 MB RAM similar to HTC Sensation 4G... [ Read More (0.7k in body) ] Motorola Droid Bionic Dwarfs iPhone 5 In Every Aspect |
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Is Apple iPhone 5 Arriving Even Late Due to A5 Chip Overheating? |
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Topic: Technology |
4:57 am EDT, Jul 15, 2011 |
When will the next generation of Apple iPhone - iPhone5 - be launched? Well, there have been a lot of speculations regarding that and many others are surfacing every other day. A recent job posting on Reed, which was first spotted by CNET UK, has indicated a mid-August launch for the highly expected iPhone 5 smartphone. The job posting asked for "full-time iPhone Sales Staff for an exciting project to work 5 days a week (Tuesday-Saturday) for the period August 16 to October 29 within key retail stores." However, the Chinese website Sohu.com has a different story to tell. As per the site, Apple has been delaying the launch of iPhone 5 due to the A5 chip overheating and not for Japan tsunami or the Verizon iPhone release. This was the reason Apple postponed the next iPhone launch from June-July to the late August-early September timeframe. According to the report, Apple's silicon team finds it difficult to keep the dual-core A5 chip cool in the iPhone's small chassis, 9to5Mac reported. The Chinese website also said that with the A6 chip, which is apparently due next year, Apple will be transitioning to a 28-nanometer manufacturing process. The dual-core A5 chip, which is found in iPad 2, is manufactured on Samsung's 45-nanometer process, and is almost twice the size of the A4 processor found in iPhone 4. The new A5 chip measures 10.1 x 12.1 millimeter compared to 7.3 x 7.3 millimeter for the A4 chip. According to Chipworks' chip experts, more space is needed on the A5 chip for an additional processing core and enhanced graphics. The report also speculates that iPhone fans will be kept busy by the upcoming iPhone 4S, an upgrade from iPhone 4, until Apple's engineers figure out a solution to the overheating problem. The story mentioned some insiders who repeated many of the specs of the iPhone 4S that have been rumored for quite some time. Some of those specs are: an 8 megapixel camera, a Gorilla glass display, a dual-core chip and "4G network" support. The Overheating problem, what could it mean for iPhone 5? The iPhone 5 News Blog has given a detailed analysis of the overheating problem. According to the analysis, heat issues generally occur due to smaller chassis and/or bigger battery. But there are possibilities that because of some strong new feature, the A5 chip is working its tail off as well. As new hardware drives a battery harder and hotter, the same can be the case with chip also, the iPhone 5 News Blog report. Does the bigger chip and bigger plus hotter battery suggest 4G? Since a 4G radio requires a lot of energy to run, the report speculates that "overheating in the early iPhone 5 samples could have been a result of a better, beefier battery pack pushing a 4G radio". If the overheating issue is to be believed, the upcoming iPhone 5 is not likely to be a mere "simple refresh" of the iPhone 4. Other than iOS 5 and the A5 chip, if iPhone 5 brings little updates to iPhone 4, then why all the heat is getting generated? Indications are strong that Apple iPhone 5 would have to have new features, not being a "minor update". Follow Us - Twitter | Like Us - Facebook | Follow Us - Digg | Newiphone5.net Is Apple iPhone 5 Arriving Even Late Due to A5 Chip Overheating? |
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iOS 5 Beta 3 Jailbreak And Secrets Revealed |
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Topic: Technology |
3:01 pm EDT, Jul 14, 2011 |
Apple’s released the third beta version of iOS 5 – the forthcoming major OS update that will likely launch with the iPhone 5. No sooner had it been released, it emerged that it had been cracked by those ever-industrious hackers. Read on to find out more about this jailbreak, as well as some of iOS 5 beta 3′s new features. A couple of hacks So far there are two jailbreak solutions for the new developer pre-release version of iOS 5. The first comes from MuscleNerd, although the surprising news is that this solution isn’t really new. Last month we reported on the hacker’s work breaking into the first release of iOS 5, and what do you know? That very same Redsn0w tool (well, version 0.9.8b2 anyway) can be used to crack the new beta 3 version of the OS too. Presumably Apple doesn’t care a whole lot about this unofficial version being hacked, and it would be a waste of time and resources patching it up. The second jailbreak method is from hacker ih8sn0w (gotta love these names). It’s an update to the Sn0wbreeze tool, which comes with the added benefit of being able to preserve your baseband. We’re not particularly up on all this hacker speak, but this seems to mean you can always roll back to a working version if everything goes pear-shaped. Check out Redmondpie for more information on these jailbreak methods, as well as guides on how to execute them. Be warned, though – you need to know what you’re doing. Beta than all the rest That’s quite enough hacker talk. To be honest, most of the excitement to be had with iOS beta 3 (for the average Apple enthusiast, anyway) relates to its new features. As well as general improvements to speed and the tidying up of a number of bugs, a couple of all-new additions stand out. One is the ability to set custom tones for your text messages. Yes yes, we’ve been doing that for years, even on cheap old Symbian phones, but it’s nice to finally see it on an Apple device. Another addition is a touch-based control panel that mimics the functions of gestures and the physical Home and volume controls. Tapping the virtual button (which can be placed anywhere on the home screen) will bring up a menu filled with all the commands that usually require a physical action of some kind to execute. This seems to be aimed at improving one handed operation, and could even point to a completely button-free future for the iPhone and iPad ranges. Facing up to a launch Another exciting feature that’s been uncovered, as reported by Electric Pig, is the ability to output your FaceTime calls to your TV – provided you have an AirPlay-compatible device hooked up, like Apple TV. Less exciting but probably more useful, iOS beta 3 has added a stack of new toggles aimed at giving you finer control over which services can make use of your location. There’s also an additional option to help you avoid incurring massive costs when roaming across networks. There are plenty more little tweaks and additions, but these seem to be the most interesting. If previous iOS versions are anything to go by, we’re nearing the end of Apple’s test period. The company should really be nailing down the feature list around about now, so much of what we see in this latest beta version should make it through to iOS 5 proper come autumn. Follow Us - Twitter | Like Us - Facebook | Follow Us - Digg | Newiphone5.net iOS 5 Beta 3 Jailbreak And Secrets Revealed |
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iPhone 5 Release Date Brings 4G Confusion, Verizon Data IRE |
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Topic: Technology |
5:51 am EDT, Jul 14, 2011 |
The iPhone 5 is bringing more than just a hardware turnover with it. Along the way it’s ignited controversy over its 4G prospects, anger over how Verizon is handling data plans for new and existing iPhone users (and in fact all of its customers), mixed views of an Here’s more on the iPhone 5. Expansion to Sprint, and finally, some users of aging iPhones who are showing a surprising level of patience when it comes to waiting it out for the lagging release date of the iPhone 5. On the topic of iPhone 4 users thinking their iPhone already has 4G, Nathan Lamb writes in to opine that “I guess it’s easy for someone to think they have 4G if they’ve never had a 4G phone. Certainly when your phone has a “4″ in the name” while Michael Beers shares that his mother refers to her iPhone 4 as an “iPhone 4G” and raises the issue of whether a 4G LTE enabled iPhone 5 (or not, as the case may be) will really matter in the eyes of consumers on the kind of level which the carriers are hoping. Then there’s this bit of confusing yet plausible bit of information which one Beatweek reader says comes from iPhone 5 carrier AT&T itself: “I was told by an AT&T employee that while AT&T is upgrading the edge network to the 3G that they added the lte equipment while they were at the towers so that meant that when they flip the switch it will be a majority 4g for everyone. Trust me I have lived on edge for years and now have the best 3G you can get at my house. And the microcell that I got will be upgraded to a 4g model in November. That’s enough for me to read between the lines and say mass 4g this year and iPhone 5 LTE!!!” Take it for whatever it’s worth. On the subject of whether Apple should add a separate iPhone 5 hardware model if that’s what it takes to expand the iPhone to Sprint, at least one reader thinks that would be overkill for under-delivery: “Granted the strategy of attacking the android market by selling an iPhone on sprint and t-mobile makes sense, I don’t think Apple is going to spend anymore money developing new hardware to support Sprints Wimax 4g footprint. Sprint is already trying to purchase LTE bandwidth to keep up with At&t; and VZW. I think if they do get an iPhone it will just be the CDMA version that Verizon offers now it will be far more cost effective. Then once Sprint has a bigger LTE footprint they can get whatever (insert number) iPhone that will be cable of supporting LTE. The only reason it made sense for apple to build a CDMA iPhone for VZW was because it represented 80 million customers. Sprint and T-mobile together only represent 25% of the untapped wireless market. T-mobile’s faux 4g is basically the same HSPA+ that At&t; is trying to call 4g as well before they complete their LTE netw... [ Read More (0.2k in body) ] iPhone 5 Release Date Brings 4G Confusion, Verizon Data IRE |
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iPhone 5 Seeks Google+ App As 1/3 of iPhone 4 Users Think They Have 4G |
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Topic: Technology |
3:29 am EDT, Jul 13, 2011 |
Apple’s focus behind the scenes right now is in readying the iPhone 5 for launch, even as Google is nagging it to approve an iPhone/iPad/iOS app for its new Google+ social network. And in other news, whether the iPhone 5 includes 4G networking may not matter as more than one in three iPhone 4 users believe they’re on 4G already, in a week in which the iPhone news keeps getting stranger. Google’s main priority right now is cradling its newly launched Google Plus social network, which wants to rival Facebook but is still in the early invite-only stages. One Google employee claims that Google has already submitted a Google+ iPhone app to Apple for inclusion in its App Store, but there’s no sign of it having gone live – raising the question of whether the Google+ iPhone app might or might not even arrive before the iPhone 5 itself. Apple typically takes a bit of time to hand-test every app submitted before green-lighting it in order make sure it won’t break your iPhone, but some iPhone-using Google+ testers are beginning to wonder if Apple isn’t holding up the works on purpose. After all, Google and Apple have become bitter rivals ever since Google CEO Eric Schmidt was secretly working on the Android OS at the same time he was also sitting on Apple’s board of directors and had access to iPhone secrets. Apple fired him, and has subsequently won a lawsuit against Android hardware manufacturer HTC which is claims was more or less xeroxing the iPhone’s underlying technology for use in its Android phones. Whether cold blooded payback or mere procedural patent protection, relations between Apple and Google are at an all time low. And now the two appear to be engaged in a game of chicken to see whether public opinion among iPhone users turns against Apple for not greelighting the Google+ app, or against Google for launching Google+ at a time when it didn’t already have all its ducks lined up. Thus far, nearly all Google+ users come from the geekiest one percent of the population, a group which has largely forsaken the iPhone in favor of the geek-leaning Android, even as the mainstream continues to drive iPhone sales higher. The remarkable part of this game of chicken over the Google+ iPhone app, if indeed there is one, is that Apple and Google don’t even compete in the social networking space (unless you count Apple’s Ping, and at this point no one does). Or it could just be that Apple’s approval process is a bit bogged down as Apple puts its focus into launching not just the iPhone 5 but also iOS 5, which will require many App Store apps to be updated in order to take advantage of its new features. Or it could be that the Google employee who claims a Google+ iPhone app has been submitted to Apple was wrong. This one bears watching further. Meanwhile, the brouhaha inside the tech beltway about whether the iPhone 5 should have 4G LTE (or any kind of 4G) n... [ Read More (0.2k in body) ] iPhone 5 Seeks Google+ App As 1/3 of iPhone 4 Users Think They Have 4G |
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Wireless Charging for IPhone 6 |
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Topic: Technology |
2:45 pm EDT, Jul 12, 2011 |
Apple’s new patent filing points to the possibility of wireless charging in a future iPhone, as the company continues to look for innovative ways to stay ahead of the competition. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company is experimenting with wireless charging to debut on its next-next-generation iPhone to release in 2012, according to the Wall Street Journal. In May, Apple filed a patent application for “wireless power utilization in a local computing environment,” adding credibility to the Journal’s report. The new patent links Apple to startup company WiTricity, which first debuted its wireless-charging technology at the 2009 Technology Entertainment and Design Conference. In WiTricity’s demo, the company embedded metal coils in an iPhone and in a secondary device that resembled a large radio antenna. Through the coils, the secondary device created a magnetic field that can wirelessly charge devices, as long as the two were within several meters. Companies have attempted wireless charging in the past, but it has not been on the level the WiTricity hopes to achieve. The original Palm Pre shipped with a device called the Touchstone, an electronic stand that would charge the Pre when people put the phone on it. WiTricity’s technology is similar, but does not require any physical contact with another device to work. The idea that Apple may somehow incorporate this tech into the iPhone 6 is purely speculative. Apple filed several patents in the past that have proven not to be indicative of the features in its next iPhone. Patents for a 3D and solar-powered iPhone, as well as a gesture-based controls have all been filed without any real reports that the technologies will be featured in the company’s next handset. Recent history indicates Apple likes to stack its patents, but it’s unclear when the company will sharpen these technologies for public distribution. Wireless charging may be Apple’s big highlight for next year’s new iPhone, or it may just be another trick the company is holding up its sleeve for a later date. Apple has yet to release the iPhone 5, expected in September, but its successor is already inviting speculation with the buildup of patents. Follow Us - Twitter | Like Us - Facebook | Follow Us - Digg | Newiphone5.net Wireless Charging for IPhone 6 |
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Topic: Technology |
6:33 am EDT, Jul 12, 2011 |
Apple released the third beta version of iOS 5 to developers on Monday, a sign that the company is moving closer to finishing the software for its public release later this year. The new version replaces beta 2, which was delivered to developers on 24 June. Unlike that version, which added the Wi-Fi sync feature, the new beta of the system software for iPhones, iPads and the iPod Touch appears to contain bug fixes and slight tweaks. Among the changes, It's All Tech (via Macrumors) has studied the new software and unearthed a more granular location-services settings pane where users can turn on and off specific location features. This means users can turn off things like location-based advertisements, while keeping traffic tools on. Apple has also included an option to enable or disable location services when first setting up an iOS device. iOS 5 beta 3 is compatible with the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, both iPads, and the third and fourth gen iPod touches. That’ll be the case with the final version too, when it’s released later this year. Follow Us - Twitter | Like Us - Facebook | Follow Us - Digg | Newiphone5.net iOS 5 Beta 3 Released |
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iPhone 5 Meets Android Exodus As Apple Picks Up Cheap Squatters |
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Topic: Technology |
3:15 pm EDT, Jul 11, 2011 |
The iPhone 5 scooped up more good news today as yet more evidence reveals that Android users are simply not buying apps for their devices. Even as the latest data shows that iPhone/iOS users are gobbling up apps at more than a fifty percent increase over the previous year, Android developers are crying broke over not being able to sell their apps for even a smidgeon of a price tag. To an extent this could mean that those who buy an Android phone are simply cheap and are not the types to pay for apps. But in an arena where most Android phones come with an initial price tag of some kind (and some Android phones are more expensive than the iPhone), and all smartphones come with a bill in the rough ballpark of a hundred bucks per month per user once all the fees are added up, the unwillingness on the part of Android users to buy paid apps even as iPhone users are gobbling up apps at an increasing rate and leaning more toward higher priced apps signals something deeper happening: Android users aren’t paying for apps because they’re mere squatters who don’t plan on being on the Android platform for long and they know they can’t take the apps with them. People invest money into infrastructure for a house they own, but less so for a house they’re leasing – and almost nothing if they’re living in a short term rental they don’t plan to be in for long. They only investments they’ll make are in the kinds of things they know they can easily take with them and use in the next house. With the iPhone 5 around the corner and so many Android users having decided that it’ll be their jumping off point for iOS instead of Android OS, it’s no wonder they’re not willing to pour money into Android-specific apps and are instead sticking primarily to free apps. The ways in which this phenomenon can be attributed to a planned exodus in favor of the iPhone 5 are varied but all contain a similar theme. Carrier – There are users who have wanted an iPhone since 2007 but haven’t been willing or able to move to AT&T, so they’ve gone with the best of what their current carrier has offered. In many cases that’s been Android. But with Verizon about to participate in the launch of a new iPhone for the first time with the iPhone 5, this marks the ideal jumping off point for Verizon customers. When it comes to T-Mobile and Sprint customers, although there’s no word yet on whether they’ll gain the iPhone 5, those users are expecting the iPhone to come to them eventually so they also see their Android experience as a short term rental. Contract – Just because Verizon launched an iPhone 4 a few months ago doesn’t mean all of its Droid users have already reached upgrade-eligible pricing; in fact the vast majority haven’t. They’ll make their... [ Read More (0.2k in body) ] iPhone 5 Meets Android Exodus As Apple Picks Up Cheap Squatters |
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Is Apple iPhone 5 Gearing For September Launch? |
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Topic: Technology |
6:25 am EDT, Jul 11, 2011 |
Apple Inc. is gearing up production of iPhone 5 but some analysts say iPhone 5 is unlikely to be revealed before 2012. But, there is little doubt with the Apple's plan of producing 25 million iPhones units by the end of 2011, that the release of iPhone 5 is round the corner. In addition, recently Taiwan-based notebook-maker Pegatron Technology received an order for 15 million iPhone 5 units from Apple with a September shipment date. Hence, it is known that Apple is trying hard to face the competition from Google Inc.'s Android. Speculation about possible upgrades coming the iPhone 5 way have escalated. It is reported that iPhone 5 will feature an 8MP dual-LED flash camera with 1080p video playback and panoramic photo capture, A5 processor, edge-to-edge display, 3.7-inch curved glass screen, tear-drop design, thinner casing and a SIM-less design. It is also expected that iPhone 5 will be running on iOS 5 which is the newest version of the OS versions. The new iOS 5 is expected come with 200 new features which will include Improved Notifications System, News Stand and iMessage. The new Apple iPhone 5 is expected to have a bigger edge-to-edge 3.7 to 4-inch curved glass screen, and is rumored to sport a 1.2 to 1.5 GHz dual-core A5 processor, which powers the iPad 2, with probably a 1GB RAM. It is expected that iPhone 5 will have 16/32/64 GB internal storage. In addition, Apple has filed a patent application related to 3D picture taking to the US Patent and Trademark Office later in March, according to an AppleInsider report. The filing described a system that would be capable of capturing, processing and rendering 3D images with the additional dual-camera hardware. For the uninitiated, Apple has obviously passed up what would have been a normal release date for iPhone 5. Instead of unveiling the iPhone 5 at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, Apple gave a sneak peek into the possible software upgradations of the next iPhone when it unveiled the iOS 5. Apple said the iOS 5 would be ready for rollout in the Fall. Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore kicked up a storm by predicting that Apple will launch a cheaper iPhone 4S in September, while Keith Bachman of BMO Capital Markets says the new iPhone 5 will launch in mid-2012. Whole lots of theories about how a cheaper iPhone will fit into Apple's global strategy and its quest to lead the global smartphone market emerged following this report. RBC Capital analyst Mike Abramsky said he thought the "baby" iPhone, the cheaper version for the emerging markets will not be launched until 2012. "We continue to expect Apple to launch a smaller, prepay iPhone – but more likely in 201... [ Read More (0.3k in body) ] |
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Topic: Technology |
5:49 pm EDT, Jul 10, 2011 |
We’ve just been tipped by a tipster by the name of fishtoon that the next big iPhone iteration will not only be called iPhone 5, but that it’ll have two cameras on its back. This certainly isn’t the first time we’ve heard of the 3D functionality coming to Apple, as far back as July of 2010 when we heard that the company had hired Poly9 3D experts, inside December of 2010 when we saw Apple patent 3D glasses-free displays and Apple patenting 3D cameras as recently as March 31st, 2011. The most recent talk of 3D in Apple devices calls for a “paradigm shift from the known software-based approaches.” Is this the iPhone 5′s big surprise? The photos we’re looking at here come from 175wan a site we’ve literally never spoken about or referenced before here on SlashGear, so take these photos with a glass of salt, but there’s a first time for everything, right? Are the photos above and below to be believed? Is a big 5 in a lovely swoop font ready to sit after the established iPhone brand name, and will there be two cameras instead of one on the back and of this new monster? These photos come from someone in Shenzhen, Guangdong China, says the original release, and they’re photographed “by accident.” More than likely an accident in translation, these photos are quite obviously photographed with a purpose. Both to show off what the photographer hopes you’ll believe are a 4-inch display (with a lovely smaller bezel around the screen) and yes, behold, two camera lenses on the back! How easy would this be to fake, we musk ask ourselves, and is that shiny bump at the bottom of the back indicative of the entirety of the back of the device being a nicely printed sticker? Additionally, the iPhone 4 box can be seen in the background – that large side-view of the device being only present in the newest series of devices, of course, and of course it’s important to note that these photos are blurry. Why on earth there can never be a decent photographer out there with the goods will continue to baffle us all into the future. Follow Us - Twitter | Like Us - Facebook | Follow Us - Digg | Newiphone5.net Is this the iPhone 5 3D? |
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