Prior to the release of any new device, the current batch always get its prices slashed so as to shift as many as possible as a kind of last hurrah, and it appears the iPhone 4S is entering its twilight phase. The iPhone 4, which has been around for over two years now, has seen price cuts here and there for a while, but the current flagship device, which released back in October of last year, has remained pretty much the same price hitherto.
As we move closer to the middle of August, and approximately four weeks away from the date that is said to hold the Apple media event which will introduce the world to the next-generation iPhone, we still haven't had any official word from the Cupertino giants that the event is taking place. Regardless of the lack of public interaction over the event, we stand firm in our belief that September 12th will be the day when we find out the official specifications and visuals of the new iPhone, with possible public availability being around September 21st.
The murmurs and speculation with regards to Apple's entertainment of a smaller iPad has fluctuated over the course of the past six months or so, and although the fruit company dominates the tablet market with an iron fist, bloggers, analysts and commentators seem generally convinced Apple will release a downscaled tablet to see off a lingering threat.
It may surprise some people to learn that the tablet has been around for quite some time, and although it was popularized across the world in 2010 when Apple launched the original iPad, it is worth remembering that this particular genre of consumer technology was merely brought to the world’s attention by Apple, not invented. With that said, we can pretty much thank the iPad and similar devices for giving us the tablet boom which we are currently experiencing, and as the market matures, things are only likely to get better in this space.
With hundreds upon thousands of people working in the manufacturing and supply chain for the iPhone, it’s no surprise that even a super secretive company like Apple is unable to keep everything under wraps. Recently, many different components were leaked for the Internet to enjoy looking at and draw conclusions from.
We've seen the drop tests, we've shrieked at seeing iPads doused in molten lava, but those intent on destroying their beloved gadgets never cease to discover new ways of bringing scratches, dents, and general harm to the most sought-after mobile devices on the market. In this case, the Samsung Galaxy S III is dragged along by a moving car in order for the tester - YouTuber “aperfectgalaxy” - to prove the incredible strength of the newish device's screen, and in order to give a sense of perspective, an iPhone 4S is also hauled along for the ride in what is known as the "scratch test drag race".
The introduction of the Retina-ready MacBook Pro was a fantastic achievement for Apple and represented a huge step forward for the Mac line of computers as Apple continue to develop both the hardware and software of their increasingly popular notebooks. The company is rightly proud of what they have achieved with the initial release of the MacBook Pro with Retina display, and pride themselves on being the first to market a notebook that features a display with 5.1 million pixels and a monstrous 2880 x 1800 screen resolution.
When we talk about Apple, the first products springing to mind are the MacBooks, iPhones, iPads, and iPods, devices of which have all had a hugely significant impact on their respective markets over the past 10-12 years. That said, before the last decade, Apple was nothing more than a computer company, competing with fierce rivals Microsoft while creating plenty of innovations of its own.
We are fast approaching the business end of Apple's sixth-generation iPhone release schedule, and if sources and intuition proves to be serving us correctly, then we should be getting our first official glimpse of the new piece of Apple hardware on September 12th. Apple is yet to officially come out and confirm that the event is happening, but a number of indicators seem to have given the game away with the extremely familiar Moscone Center in San Francisco looking likely to be the chosen venue.
There are many companies embattled in a quest to gain the largest market share in both the tablet and smartphone markets, and the recent court cases between Apple and Samsung has offered us a strong indication as to the inner workings of the firms locked in the fight for supremacy. Internal documents have been leaked to the San Jose case revealing much about the practices of both companies, while some of the big cheeses of both electronic outfits have leapt from obscurity to make their feelings known.
