It features an all new design, has a 4-inch gorgeous Retina display, the new powerful Apple A6 processor, is billed as being the best thing to happen to the iPhone since the iPhone, and now thanks to AT&T in the United States, the eight week old iPhone 5 is available for consumers to obtain through as a refurbished device with a severely reduced price-tag. Because the sixth-generation iPhone is relatively new into the world we haven't yet seen Apple offering any refurbished models of the device through their usual channels so it's great news for consumers that AT&T are stepping up with this offer.
With Thanksgiving day, followed by Black Friday, and inevitably, Christmas, the consumer electronics market will be abuzz with savings, as each vendor and retailer looks to attract additional custom at this most lucrative time of year.
It was approximately ten days ago when Apple and HTC announced that they had come to a global settlement that would eventually see their ongoing legal dispute come to an extremely welcome end. Both Peter Chou and Tim Cook expressed their delight in reaching the agreement that they hoped would see their respective companies focusing in innovation and customer satisfaction rather than pumping endless resources into fighting one another in a courtroom. Although both HTC and Apple refused to publicly reveal the intricate details of the agreement, a US based Magistrate judge has ruled that Apple will be required to let Samsung in on the bigger picture and inform them exactly what deal has been reached between Apple and their Taiwanese rivals.
It may have been relatively quiet on the patent front in comparison to the no-holds barred playground that we have been used to over the last twelve months, but Samsung is ensuring that the litigation surrounding alleged patent infringements will continue well into next year. We all remember the major Apple victory earlier this year in a San Jose courtroom, but it appears that Samsung is now going on the offensive side by ensuring that a number of Apple's recently released products are added through a court filing that should see the two technology powerhouses duking it out once again in another bitter legal battle.
We're just two days away from Black Friday, and as retailers prepare for a frenzy of shoppers this weekend, some of the deals on offer are just starting to be revealed. Many of those looking to grab one of the specials this weekend are in search of an Apple product. Aside from the general popularity of the iPads, iPods and Macs, it's one of the very few occasions where Apple's prices budge, and with the holiday season looming, it's the perfect opportunity for everybody to stock up on gifts for friends and loved ones.
iTunes 11, which, among other new features and implementations, is set for a major design overhaul of the store, was supposed to have arrived at some point last month, but thanks to numerous delays, has not yet seen the light of day. It's scheduled to finally be shipping at the end of this month, and a post over at the MacRumors forums suggest Apple may have finally gotten iTunes sorted out. The post screenshots an email that was sent to artists by German music distribution service Feiyr, which says iTunes 11 is "about to be released within the next days."
Siri has been around for longer than a year now, and while some consumers - particularly those residing in North America - have found the voice-recognition software to be of some use, many other nations and continents haven't had such enjoyable experiences. Here in the UK, I still have to "put-on" an American accent in order for Siri to understand me first time, every time, but considering how little support there is in other places across the world, I count myself among the lucky few that can still have a little fun with the relatively new implementation.
Advertising a product can be as important as the quality of the product itself, and in the run-up to the holiday season, every company wishing to capitalize on the frenzy of shoppers will need to deliver a bunch of enticing TV commercials. We already know that the kids of today have their eyes firmly on an Apple product this holiday, but despite what Santa might say, it's not all about them.
Over the years, the want lists of children have gotten more and more gadgetry, and according to a recent study by Nielsen, it's those of the Apple variety kids looking to receive this year. It's not a new trend, either. Over the past few years, it's become increasingly clear the devices most sought by American youngsters between the ages of six and twelve are those Designed by Apple in California, with half of those studied pining for the larger Apple iPad.
In the age of the internet that is packed full of inquisitive minds, it is extremely difficult for companies to keep things a secret or hide their intentions away from eager prying eyes and ears. Over the last week or so, we have been hearing murmurings that Apple were planning on opening up an official online eBay outlet store to gain some additional exposure for their officially refurbished products, and it looks like that additional sales channel is now in full swing, although there remains some question over whether it is actually operated and controlled officially by Apple or whether or not it is just an Apple sanctioned and approved reseller offering the refurbished goods.
