Cat iPhone 5/5S Case review

As I rule I usually buy just cheap cases for my iPhones. Although I’ve never broken one, I see more iPhones with dents and broken screens than any other phone. I don’t really like these cases, but they serve to keep the back scratch free, but let’s face it. I’m getting old and my phone hits the deck more often every day. (I’m not senile though, not yet)

Today we’re looking at a ruggedised case from Cat, that has changed my mind on iPhone cases. I remember Cat, when they were called Caterpillar. (I told you I was old, didn’t I?). When I say ruggedised I don’t mean waterproof or dust proof, I mean a sturdy shock proof case that feels and looks great.

The majority of the case is made from a very dense firm rubberised plastic (known as SAIF) with some side strengthening in aluminium. It’s that kind of rubberised compound that hardens in the impact zone when hit to protect the precious cargo, they also use the same stuff in crash helmets, so it’s a fair bet this stuff is good. It looks and feels great in the hand. As I’m getting old (Did I mention that?) the case has had about 10 drop tests in the 5 days I’ve been using the case. I’m not exactly sure how it landed, but neither the case or the phone have any signs of the drops.

I should say that the case looks that nice I’ve had several people ask what it’s like and where you can buy it.There’s not much else to say about a case, but this one is worth buying at the current price of £19.99 on Amazon. It feels and looks good and protects the phone very well from general daily use.

Buy it at Amazon

HTC One and Android – From an iPhone fan’s perspective

 

Introduction

I have been a fan of the iPhone ever since the iPhone 3G, but find that after around 12 to 18 months of using a phone I get very bored. The issue with iOS is that it looks and feels the same no matter which device you’re using, so from time to time I like to stray over to Android. I have been a user of the iPhone 5 since launch day and I am starting to look for my next move, so I jumped at the chance to try out one of the highest rated Android devices of the past 12 months – The HTC One.

Yes, I know I am late to the party on this one, but this review is mainly for iPhone users looking to move over to the Android ecosystem.

Packaging

There isn’t much to be said regarding the packaging a device arrives in. Not anything that would affect my choice to buy the phone, so I’m happy as long as it protects the phone in transit. That said, it is nice to see HTC move away from the traditional shape boxes of the iPhone and Samsung, so kudos to HTC for taking Apple’s advice and trying to “think different”.

Hardware

Materials

Notice I use the term “materials” rather than “build quality”?

This is because I am a strong believer in the fact that using aluminium to make a phone does not make it well made and therefore have good build quality. Both the One and the iPhone feel slippery in the hand when not used with a case, with the One feeling slightly more slippery in my opinion. As this is the case, I would recommend buying a case for both devices which really undermines the point of the aluminium feel. Many people hate the plastic used on phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 but at least the back panel is replaceable should you scratch it. Overall in this category though I have to admit that HTC seem to have trumped the iPhone in the finish of the device. My iPhone 5 has been in a very large number of cases since it arrived with me and never once has it been used without a case. That being said, HOW have I managed to chip the paint on the bottom chauffeured edge?? The finish on the iPhone feels thin and fragile where the HTC One feels scratch resistant and thick in comparison. Remember though that both handsets WILL scratch and chip if not treated with care and dropped onto hard surfaces when not protected.

Speakers

This is where the HTC One comes into its own. The stereo FRONT FACING speakers make a massive difference when compared to the single bottom mounted speaker on all iPhone models to date. The sound is LOUD, clear and well defined. However, it took me a while to get used to not having to cup my hand to channel the sound when watching videos. I really hope other manufacturers copy this idea!

Screen

The 4.7 inch screen on the “One” obviously beats the iPhone in the size war but that isn’t the whole story. The HTC screen is bright and so clear when viewing high def video that it is hard to believe this is on a phone. The issues I found were when using the phone as a sat nav mounted to the windscreen of my car. Compared to the iPhone 5 screen it feels like the HTC is more reflective and less visible in sunlight.

Camera

Under low light conditions there is a slight improvement over the iPhone 5 but overall both handsets are limited when compared to a cheap point and shoot camera, or even a phone with Xenon flash and in normal daylight the One is no comparison to the iPhone. I do like how HTC have tried to be different in going for the 4 megapixel camera to provide larger “ultrapixels” but in all honesty I don’t think the gamble paid off. The phone takes average shots overall and it would depend when you want to take your shots as to how useful the “ultrapixels” are. I would be interested though if their next handset features a similar idea with higher pixel count.

Buttons

There is a volume button there somewhere

The button layout takes some getting used to. The power button on the top is hard to reach and on the other side to the iPhone so it did take a day or so to adjust. The volume buttons are beautifully crafted and blend into the side of the phone so well that the are hard to find during a call and again are on the opposite side to the iPhone that I am used to. That said, I have always thought Apple put the volume buttons on the wrong side as the natural orientation for video viewing for a right handed person puts the home button on the right leaving the volume buttons below the screen.

The iPhone’s simplicity of a single home button is not copied at all on the HTC device with the capacitive buttons having number of functions depending on whether you single tap, double tap, tap and hold or tap whilst scratching your nose. Although the same can be said for the iPhone, the shear number of combinations I found annoying and not very intuitive to the end user as well as easy to activate in error.

Software
Android 4.3 update

During my testing I received the 4.3 (sense 5.5) update to the device. The update process was easy to follow and quick. Overall I did not see any major difference with the update other than the flexibility of the lock screen was REDUCED. Before the update you could have photo galleries scrolling or productivity notifications, music controls and a whole host of other choices found under the personalise menu. After the update you are restricted to adding widgets which mean you need to swipe to the right to view the information whereas it was right there on the first screen before. HTC claim this is from customer feedback but unless I am missing something I cannot imagine any consumer saying “please make my information harder to see at a glance”. Overall I found the Android implementation to be smooth and mature and I personally welcomed the option to disable blinkfeed.

Beats Audio

My understanding of Beats Audio is that is simply an EQ setting to make music sound fuller. During my testing I found it to sound good on quality headphones but muddy and awful on my car speakers. HTC have ended their relationship with Beats and that isn’t any real loss as far as I can see.

App store/Play store
For day to day apps, both application stores have most bases covered but the Google Play store excels in customisation options from launcher replacements to custom keyboards. I also loved the fact that you can trial an app for 15 minutes and remove it for a refund if you don’t like it. This is far better than the bigger Apple App store.

Annoyances
My first annoyance with the Android device was ENTIRELY Apple’s fault and is something to be aware of when moving from iPhone to any other platform. When you enable iMessage on the iPhone this registers your number on Apple’s servers so that, when other iOS users open a new message to you, Apple can instruct the device to default to iMessage to send the message. When you move to another platform you must disable iMessage on your old device before removing the SIM. I did this but still experienced 24 hours where people were having issues sending me messages as their handset still thought I was on iMessage. This did resolve itself but don’t forget to disable iMessage first.

The HTC One does not allow you (currently) to turn off screen timeouts! This is very annoying when listening to music on a treadmill and needing to skip or pause the track. This also proved an issue when listening to music in the car although I found a workaround for this in the “car” app which overrides the timeout settings. People rave about Android being more customisable so this seems a massive oversight on HTC’s part to not allow this simple option.

Gapless design
When this phone launched HTC pushed the gapless design of the aluminium and polycarbonate construction so I was shocked to find that the top right of the screen had a lip where the top left did not. Obviously this is a review handset and I do not know what life it has had but there does seem to be plenty of other quality control issues being reported on forums. (I haven’t forgotten about the iPhone 5 Scratchgate fiasco).

Mum test
When looking to recommend a phone to the average user I use what I call the Mum test. If I gave this phone to my mum, could she use it with little help. My mum recently went from a Sony Ericsson slider to an iPhone without any major drama. Honestly I do not think the same would have been said for this handset. To some this could be seen as a positive but it completely depends on the purchaser.

Conclusion

I have really enjoyed my short time with the HTC One and it has reminded me how much I love both platforms. The HTC One does show the industry many good ideas (mainly the speakers) but overall I’m not sure it is the “One” for me. My next handset is more than likely going to be an Android device so lets wait and see what HTC, Samsung and LG can offer early next year.

Gallery

Android users switching to iPhone in increasing numbers

A recent survey done by CIRP (an American research company) has found that more and more users are switching from Android to iPhone and more people are upgrading from iPhone to iPhone than a year before.

 

Last year 55% of iPhone buyers were upgrading from a previous iPhone, this year it is 65% and over 20% of buyers are switching over from Android, although the stats don’t say which manufacturer in particular is losing out.

A previous report by the same company 3 months ago found that Apple customers are most likely to come from a Blackberry whilst Samsung owners are most likely to have come from a Nokia or HTC.

 

Admittedly this is a survey of just 400 new iPhone 5c and 5s buyers but does seem to tally with the flattening of Samsung’s financial figures. Are you an Apple convert or have you switched away from iPhone for whatever reason?

Source: CIRP

Via: AppleInsider

Official HPI Check available for iPhone and Android

Buying a second-hand car is always a bit of a minefield. Finding the right one is tricky enough, but even after going to have a look there’s still the chance that the car could have outstanding finance or mileage issues on it. How are you supposed to know if someone has “tweaked” the mileage?

If this is your situation, give the official HPI Check App a spin. It’ll give you the model details plus the colour, gearbox, fuel type, age, BHP and engine size that is recorded against the car for free. Then, for £16.99, you can get a comprehensive histoty check with data sources from the Police, DVLA, finance and insurance companies, garage and the HPI National Mileage Register.

Although £16.99 might seem a lot it’s a small price to pay to be sure that your vehicle isn’t a “wrongun”, and it’s actually cheaper that their usual £19.99 web-check. You can get the Android or iPhone version.

If nothing else, you can at least (for free) see if the your neighbours’ new car has a bigger engine than yours. ;)

New HPI Check App provides used car history at the touch of a button
Wednesday, 06 November 2013
Despite a buyer’s best intentions, if a dream used car becomes available at the right price, the all important checks are often quickly forgotten as the heart leads the head. However, even when on the move buyers can now obtain crucial information about a used car’s history from the first name in vehicle checking services, HPI, with its new App.

Available to download for free from the App Store and Google Play, the HPI Check App provides the most comprehensive vehicle history check available on the market, direct to a Smartphone. With a rich heritage dating back to 1938, HPI uses data sources including the Police, DVLA, insurance companies, finance houses, industry bodies, garages and the HPI National Mileage Register, to provide the fullest possible picture of a car’s history.

Phil Peace, Operations Director for HPI, comments, “Making sure the car is all that it seems to be might not be the most exciting aspect of car buying, but it is certainly one of the most important. If someone buys a car which turns out to be recorded as stolen by the police or subject to outstanding finance, they could lose the car and the money they paid for it. With our new App buyers can speed up the process by doing their history check standing by the side of car they are looking to buy, which will give them instant confidence to make an informed purchase decision.”

For just £16.99, the HPI App offers consumers the best defence against all the dangers of used car buying, informing them if a vehicle has any outstanding finance, is recorded as stolen, has previously been written off, or has a mileage discrepancy*. 1 in 3 vehicles checked by HPI has a hidden history, making it crucial the buyers don’t take chances and use the App to check a vehicle before purchase.

In addition to giving buyers all the facts about the history of a vehicle, the new App will also tell them how quick, green and economical it is. Where available, the App details car performance and CO2 data for free. Plus, the App provides road tax costs and MPG information – giving consumers a true idea of the cost of ownership and environmental impact of their prospective purchase.

“The new HPI Check App delivers the facts straight to a mobile device to provide an instant snapshot of a vehicle’s history, arming buyers with the information they need for the all important negotiations at the point of purchase” concludes Peace.

“Although it is an emotional purchase, buying a car is also a huge financial outlay, so the correct precautions need to be taken to avoid being taken for a ride. The new HPI App makes getting a history check as easy as touching a button – so why chance it?”

New Samsung Galaxy Gear ad seems to ape first iPhone advert

 

You may not remember the first ever iPhone commercial. After all, it was 6 years ago. It featured scenes of people using various telephones in movies and TV shows. At the end the first ever iPhone is displayed with a catchy strapline.

Matthew Panzarino (@panzer), remembers this well and found that the new Samsung advert for the Galaxy Gear was rather similar. This, as usual, has caused more than a few ripples with Apple fans.

The new Samsung Galaxy Gear advert is strikingly samey, showing TV and movie characters and various famous wristwatches over the years. It closes with a shot of the new phone and a catchy strapline.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this one. Check out the new Samsung ad below..

Apple’s record-smashing iPhone sales seen as split evenly between 5s, 5c

 

6:15 PM

There have been a lot of different estimates about the breakdown of last weekend’s 9 million iPhone sales but KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks that it’s more likely that Apple actually sold more iPhone 5c models than iPhone 5s models. Per AppleInsider, Kuo has sent out a new research note claiming that Apple sold between 3.5 million and 4.5 million iPhone 5s models during its opening weekend while also selling between 4.5 million and 5.5 million iPhone 5c models. Kuo has established a pretty reliable track record when it comes to insider Apple information so it wouldn’t be surprising if his estimates were more on the mark than other analysts’ projections.

Apple iPhone 5C – Review

 

The iPhone has become somewhat synonymous with quality, it’s seen by some as the ultimate status symbol. I’ve never bought into that idea, almost resisting it, just because rather than by choice. But now and again I do like to see how the latest iPhone shapes up.

Whether or not the new cheaper iPhone will be as successful as previous generations remains to be seen. The Apple iPhone 5C sits in a position that would normally taken by the previous years model. The 5C is of course something that we’ve seen before, or the internals are anyway. It’s just that they’re covered in a lovely bright coloured shell. That isn’t a bad thing either, it seems if anything that the 5C is going to be Apples main marketing tool this year. (judging by the number of adverts I’ve seen so far anyway)

I’ve had the iPhone 5C for about a week now, running on the Vodafone network and it’s time to bring you my review. Starting as usual with the good and bad points.

Good Points

Lightweight and compactNice mature OS with nice optimised appsFast feel throughout the entire OSGreat cameraGreat sound quality

Bad Points

Battery lifeCasing quite slippyiOS 7 still lacks in certain areas

Design

The iPhone 5C is made of plastic, steel reinforced plastic, formed into a seamless shell and covered with a shiny lacquer. It makes for a really solid device and also a device that feels amazing in the hand. But the nice gloss shell does make for a slippy device. Once or twice the 5C nearly slipped out of my hand, you’re definitely going to want to get a case if you go for the 5C.

The buttons, ports, switches and logos are all in the usual spots, the nice thing with the 5C is that the buttons and the mute switch are all made of the same plastic as the shell, which adds to the seamless feel of the device.

At some point in the review I do have to add that I feel the iPhones are just too small, yes the OS is optimised to work with the screen size and yes the keyboard is super predictive. But at times I really struggled to tap certain elements on the screen, like the “clear” on the notification drop down. It could just be me, I don’t know, it’s just my opinion.

Hardware

The iPhone has pretty much the same spec as the last years iPhone 5, but being the lower spec device it is nothing but expected.

Display – 4” 1136×640 resolution at 326 ppi, LCD IPS, fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on frontCPU – Dual Core 1.3 GHz Apple A6GPU – PowerVR SGX 543MP3Network – UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA/LTECamera – 8 MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture, Backside illumination sensor, Five-element lensVideo Camera – 1080p HD video recording, 30 fps, 3x zoomFront Camera – 1.2MP photos (1280×960), 720p HD video recording, Backside illumination sensorSensors – Three-axis gyro, Accelerometer, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensorInternal Memory – 16 or 32 GBRAM – 1 GBSIM – Nano SIMBluetooth – 4.0Battery – 1510 mAh Li-PoDimensions – 124.4 x 59.2 x 8.97 MMWeight – 132gColour – White, Blue, Green, Yellow, PinkOS – iOS 7

Highlights of the spec in my eyes are the camera and the screen. Both perform admirably well. The screen is incredible, everything is clear and the colours are great, outdoor visibility was pretty good and I barely had to clean the screen during my time with it thanks to the oleophobic coating. The screen is one of those that look like a high resolution printed image of a screen stuck on top of the glass. Although the small size of the screen does make things like browsing web pages, filling in web forms or typing up articles for Coolsmartphone a little cramped and awkward.

The nice thing about Apple hardware is that the hardware and the software work in harmony, the OS is tweaked to work with every single little chip inside. Everything just works, really well. Perfectly you could say.

I was really surprised by the camera, I’ll cover that later.

Battery life wasn’t the best, once I had set up my few email addresses, my selection of social networks, cloud storage, my collection of hundreds of RSS feeds and a few apps for posting stuff to Coolsmartphone, I found I was killing the battery by lunchtime. But I must stress I usually kill my Galaxy Note II by mid afternoon, so I’d imagine a normal person who uses a mobile phone in the normal way could probably get through to hometime.

Software

Having seen and heard lots of cleverly arranged words a few weeks ago at the announcement of iOS 7 and also having spent weeks listening to people complaining about how buggy iOS 7 was, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I found setting it up way easier than before thanks to improvements in the accounts setup side of things and the Google made Gmail app made push email a doddle, even using my three different Gmail addresses. I didn’t come across any bugs, everything worked as you’d expect.

Dare I say it, but I actually quite liked iOS 7, everything just pretty much worked, notifications were pushed through when you’d expect, speaking of which the new notification area in iOS 7 is pretty handy, handling calendars, weather and all your notifications has never been so easy.

 

The iOS launcher takes a bit of getting used to, especially coming from Android and Windows Phone, I just wished I could have had a 4×2 clock widget at the top of the first page. The new style folders are nice, although the way they display more than 9 icons creates a non symmetrical mess that jabs at my OCD side.

 

The new multi-tasking thing is nice, it reminds me of Windows Phone and Web OS. You double tap the home button and then swipe through your opened apps, with a quick swipe up to close the app.

 

The control centre is a nice new feature of iOS 7 that allows you to access basic settings with a quick swipe up from the bottom of the screen, this works in most apps including the lockscreen, which luckily you can turn off.

 

The new search feature is accessed by pulling down on your homescreen and it searches for whichever app you want.

 

Other notable stuff

Camera 

The camera on the 5C is really quite good, I found it to be a quick easy way of getting great shots. I set it to take HDR photos and normal photos simultaneously and found that often the HDR images were better than the normal ones. I liked the way you could quickly open the camera from the lockscreen and quickly take a shot, rather than having to fiddle with scenes and modes to get the perfect shot.

The camera did struggle in low light though, adding lots of noise to images took in the semi dark without a flash.

Siri is an interesting feature, it allows you to do all sorts with your voice, I was lying on the sofa the other night and thought I’d have a chat with him. Take a look below.

 

I wasn’t happy with the answer so I pressed on.

 

It was late and we’d had a long day, I just went to bed. The rest of the time though SIRI performed well, advising me of the weather and helping me with web searches.

iOS in general

I’m warming to iOS now, the apps I use in the Windows Phone and Android world’s are so much more polished on iOS and are often packing extra features over the other OSs.

I did miss being able to do basic things though like sharing images from the photos app to something else than Facebook, Twitter or Flickr. Although the various apps do allows you to upload themselves rather than the other way round.

 

I also missed out on social networking integration in the contacts app, Windows Phone has this nailed and I just don’t get why no one else can implement it properly (apart from HTC with their Sense People app).

Conclusion

The Apple iPhone 5C is a great device, with a decent spec, great build quality and a stigma of being the cheaper and inferior product. Which is true but also slightly unjust, the iPhone 5C is a totally different product. I think the issue will possibly be that people will just spend a little bit more money on their new iPhone and get the 5S instead and getting an improved camera and improved processors.

If you’re on the lookout for a deal for an iPhone on a contract then the iPhone 5C might be the one for you. You can see all the different Vodafone offers on their website here

The iPhone has become somewhat synonymous with quality, it's seen by some as the ultimate status symbol. I've never bought into that idea, almost resisting it, just because rather than by choice. But now and again I do like to see how the latest iPhone shapes up. Whether or not the new cheaper iPhone will be as successful as previous generations remains to be seen. The Apple iPhone 5C sits in a position that would normally taken by the previous years model. The 5C is of course something that we've seen before, or the internals are anyway. It's just that they're covered in a lovely bright coloured shell. That isn't a bad thing either, it seems if anything that the 5C is going to be Apples main marketing tool this year. (judging by the number of adverts I've seen so far anyway) I've had the iPhone 5C for about a week now, running on the Vodafone network and it's time to bring you my review. Starting as usual with the good and bad points. Good Points Lightweight and compact Nice mature OS with nice optimised apps Fast feel throughout the entire OS Great camera Great sound quality Bad Points Battery life Casing quite slippy iOS 7 still lacks in certain areas Design The iPhone 5C is made of plastic, steel reinforced plastic, formed into a seamless shell and covered with a shiny lacquer. It makes for a really solid device and also a device that feels amazing in the hand. But the nice gloss shell does make for a slippy device. Once or twice the 5C nearly slipped out of my hand, you're definitely going to want to get a case if you go for the 5C. The buttons, ports, switches and logos are all in the usual spots, the nice thing with the 5C is that the buttons and the mute switch are all made of the same plastic as the shell, which adds to the seamless feel of the device. At some point in the review I do have to add that I feel the iPhones are just too small, yes the OS is optimised to work with the screen size and yes the keyboard is super predictive. But at times I really struggled to tap certain elements on the screen, like the "clear" on the notification drop down. It could just be me, I don't know, it's just my opinion. Hardware The iPhone has pretty much the same spec as the last years iPhone 5, but being the lower spec device it is nothing but expected. Display – 4” 1136x640 resolution at 326 ppi, LCD IPS, fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front CPU - Dual Core 1.3 GHz Apple A6 GPU - PowerVR SGX 543MP3 Network - UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA/LTE Camera - 8 MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture, Backside illumination sensor, Five-element lens Video Camera - 1080p HD video recording, 30 fps, 3x zoom Front Camera - 1.2MP photos (1280x960), 720p HD video recording, Backside illumination sensor Sensors -…82

The Apple iPhone 5C is a great device, with a decent spec, great build quality and a stigma of being the cheaper and inferior product. It just needs to be a bit bigger.

8

iPhone 5c already selling at a discount in China

11:15 PM

Apple may never have had any intention of selling a budget smartphone but its iPhone 5c is already on its way to becoming one in China. Caijing reports that China’s largest business-to-consumer retail platform has slashed the price of the 5c from 4488 yuan (or around USD $733) to 3699 yuan (USD $604). Caijing says that the discount comes amid weak early sales for the 5c, which has been eclipsed in the high-end Chinese market by the iPhone 5s. The general consensus among analysts so far has been that Apple’s iPhone 5c was not priced aggressively enough to appeal to most consumers in emerging markets. If the device keeps getting the discount treatment from other outlets this early after its release then it seems that conventional wisdom will have been right.

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View the original article here

BREAKING -- iOS 7 download now available for all compatible iPhone, iPad and iPod touch models

12:57 PM

Just as promised, Apple on Wednesday released the final version of its brand new iOS 7 operating system to the public. The new mobile software is available immediately for the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPad (third and fourth generations), iPad 2, iPad mini and iPod touch (fifth generation). We called iOS 7 a major renovation that for the most part lacked real innovation when we previewed the software back in June. In our full iOS 7 review earlier this week, however, we explained why that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

UPDATE: iOS 7.0.1 has already been released for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, according to 9to5Mac. The update fixes a Touch ID bug and users will be prompted to update as soon as they receive their new devices.

iOS 7 represents the biggest overhaul to Apple’s massively popular mobile operating system since it debuted in 2007, and now it’s finally available to the public. It also lays the groundwork for some real innovation in future iOS versions, and many will be waiting anxiously to be wowed by more than just a new design in iOS 8 next year.

Last year when Apple released iOS 6, more than 100 million people installed the update within its first week of availability. As such, patience will likely be a virtue since Apple’s servers will undoubtedly be hammered in the hours and days to come as people seek out the latest and greatest Apple has to offer.

Some key features in Apple’s new iOS 7 software include the redesigned Notification Center, the brand new Control Center that provides quick access to various apps and settings, a new app switcher interface, AirDrop file-sharing, iTunes Radio and of course a fresh new look that users seem to prefer by a wide margin over iOS’s old interface.

The brand new iOS 7 update can be installed over the air (OTA) by opening the Settings app on your device and tapping on General > Software Update and following the on-screen instructions. iOS 7 can also be downloaded shortly via iTunes, and it requires Apple’s newly released iTunes 11.1 update in order to install. iTunes 11 can be download from Apple’s website.

Be sure to check out our full review of iOS 7, which can be found here.

Morgan Stanley: iPhone sales to grow 28% year-over-year in Q3

 

8:40 AM

Apple looks set to get a big boost this quarter from the launch of its new iPhones. Fortune points us to new research from Morgan Stanley that projects Apple will sell 34.5 million iPhones this quarter, an increase of 28% from the 26.9 million iPhones it sold in the same quarter in 2012. Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty says that the firm projects smartphone sales based on web search data culled from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, China and Japan that has in the past been a leading indicator of consumer interest for new smartphone models. Morgan Stanley’s model still has Samsung’s army of Galaxy-branded devices outselling Apple’s iPhones on the quarter, however, as the firm projects the company will 47 million Galaxies in Q3.

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Video: iPhone 5s easily survives drop test – iPhone 5c, not so much

 

10:40 AM

The new iPhones have been out for less than a day but we already have our first drop test video. This particular video comes to us from the team at Android Authority, which bought both the iPhone 5s and 5c in Hong Kong early Friday morning and gave each device chest-high drop tests on a concrete sidewalk. The iPhone 5s fared remarkably well in the drop test and its aluminum body barely registered a scuffle when dropped on its back, side and front. The iPhone 5c, on the other hand, fared less well.

The plastic iPhone’s casing survived the back-end and side drops easily enough but its display cracked in multiple places when dropped flat on its face. The good news, however, is that the 5c still worked even with multiple cracks in its screen of course — though it’s advisable to get cracked screens repaired as quickly as possible despite the fact that you see people using iPhones with broken screens everywhere you go.

The full video follows below.

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Old-school cases for your iPhone

The best bit? I only charge £400 for the privilege. Boom.

Oh wait no. Sorry. This is meant to be an item about the new Rocketcases kit – retro gamer cases. They fit the iPhone 5s, 5, 4s and 4 and will make your handset look like something out of the ’80s. The G Boy and Controller cases protect your device from falls and scratches but won’t work with your NES unfortunately.

They do lots of other cases too, including ones that look like cassettes. Yes, cassettes… anyone remember those? You can still buy them on eBay. TDK D90 baby. Always the best.

OCKETCASES PROTECTS YOUR NEW IPHONE 5s WITH
RETRO GAMER CASES

Best Selling Classic Gamer Cases for iPhone 5s, 5, 4s, & 4 -
Blow Your Friends Away with a Pocket Full of Nostalgia

Vancouver, BC, Canada, September 17, 2013 – Rocketcases www.rocketcases.com announced today the best-selling Retro Gamer case line for iPhone 5s, 5, 4 and 4s. Rocketcases gamer G Boy and Controller themed iPhone cases protect your iPhone from falls and scratches with hard silicon and plastic materials, while at the same time bringing back memories of old-school gaming fun.

Rock that Retro Gamer Nostalgia Everywhere You Go

The G Boy retro cases are made of silicone in black and white and the Controller cases are made of hard plastic with the original NES controller styling. These cases are packed full of nostalgia that give your iPhone a head-turning unique look. Available immediately with a street price of $14.95 and a suggested retail price of $19.95 from Rocketcases at www.rocketcases.com and select retailers, these iPhone cases will be an instant focus of attention and conversational piece wherever you go.

Bring Back Tetris, Mario Brothers, and Donkey Kong

“The original handheld is back for iPhone 4, 4s, 5 and 5s. Way before Angry Birds, school hallways were filled with the sounds of Tetris, Mario Bros, and Donkey Kong Land,” said Rocketcases CEO, Jim Sced. “Blow your friends away with a pocket full of nostalgia every time they see you rock this case. Duck hunt not included.”

For more info, Website: www.rocketcases.com, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rocketcases, and Twitter: https://twitter.com/rocketcases.

About Rocketcases – Cases as Cool as they are Protective

You need to protect your iPhone from falls, scratches and its plain looking exterior. Rocketcases has the perfect cases for that. You want something unique and original that also gives you peace of mind if your prized possession were to accidentally slip from your fingers. That is exactly why Rocketcases was started. They wanted a case that was as cool as it was protective, so they set out to design the best. They’d never sell a case they wouldn’t use themselves. For more information, see www.rocketcases.com.

Three confirm iPhone 5s Pricing

Three have finally revealed to us the pricing for the new iPhone 5s. It comes on the day that the handset goes on sale across the country.

Three are the last of the networks here to announce their pricing. It’s perhaps because many are interested to see what they can offer and their free 4G offer and unlimited data includes tethering on certain deals. Buy an iPhone 5s on Three and you’ll know, come December, that you won’t be paying any extra for the 4G service.

iPhone 5s and 4s Pricing

Three today announced it will offer iPhone 5s, the most forward-thinking smartphone in the world, and iPhone 5c, the most colourful iPhone yet, beginning Friday, September 20. iPhone 5s will be available starting at £99 and iPhone 5c will be available starting at £49 on a 24-month contract from Three stores, online at three.co.uk or by calling 0800 358 1799.

“We are very excited to announce that the much anticipated iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c are now available on our network,” said Thomas Malleschitz, marketing director at Three. “iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, along with our commitment to provide 4G at no extra cost, means that our customers can look forward to an even better network experience. We will also continue to offer all-you-can-eat data, so customers can truly enjoy the full capabilities of iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c without having to worry about exceeding their data allowance.”

£99 upfront + £37/mo for 24 months£99 upfront +£39/mo for 24 months£99 upfront + £41/mo for 24 months£99 upfront + £42/mo for 24 months£99 upfront +£44/mo for 24 months£99 upfront + £46/mo for 24 months£99 upfront + £47/mo for 24 months£99 upfront +£49/mo for 24 months£99 upfront + £51/mo for 24 months£0 upfront + £27/mo for 24 months£99 upfront +£30/mo for 24 months£0 upfront + £33/mo for 24 months

 Your thoughts? For me the £37 per month package with only £99 up-front is the best offer we’ve seen so far for the iPhone 5s 16GB model, and you get unlimited data, which has to be a huge bonus. No need to worry about your data use and no need to think about how much extra 4G will cost in December because it’s all included.

Vodafone reveal iPhone 5s pricing. Spoiler – You need to save.

Let’s face it, the super-cheap iPhone 5c failed to really materialise. Sure, it’s here, but is it super-cheap? No. What you’re left with is (effectively) an iPhone 5 with a bit of colour or, if you’re loaded, the all-new iPhone 5s.

Today Vodafone have revealed their prices for the latter and, with their shiny new 4G network and Sky Sports or Spotify Premium packages, they’re keen to get you on-board.

Now, I’ll do some preparation before you read these iPhone 5s prices. They’re going to be expensive. Very expensive. If you decide to go on a two year 4G plan and want 2GB of data to use (it’ll be 6GB per month if you sign up before the end of next month) then you’ll be paying £47 per month and, if you choose the top-of-the-range 64GB iPhone 5s, you’ll need to pay £229 up-front. That’s a two-year cost of £1357. I could buy a car for that! Unlimited texts and calls are included though, and you can choose to reduce that up-front cost by going for the slightly cheaper 32GB or 16GB model.

 

Switch to 3G-only and the two-year plans are .. well.. have a look for yourself below. For £42 per month you’ll get a measly 1GB of data and unlimited texts / calls. The iPhone 5s has an upfront cost of £79 for the 16GB model, £149 for the 32GB version and £229 for the 64GB version. That, my friends, means you’ll be paying a £1237 overall cost over two years.

 

If you’re sold on your 4G stuff and want to have the Sky Sports Mobile package or the Spotify Premium package then go for it, but you can get the iPhone 5s (16GB model) on 4G with EE for £46 per month and you get a whopping 10GB data allowance, plus you’re paying £49.99 up-front. Compare this to the Voda 4G plan where you pay a pound more per month (£47) and £79 for the iPhone 5s 16GB.. and you get 6GB for the duration of your contract if you sign up before the end of October, otherwise you get just 2GB.

Oh and to top it all, we originally thought that the EE iPhone 5s prices were expensive!

Let me know what you guys think, because I’m just scratching my head in amazement here.

Full details in the press release below.

It’s likely that both versions of iPhone will be popular, so any customers unable to get hold of an iPhone on day one will be able to order across all our channels (telesales, online and shops) and we’ll deliver it as soon as stock becomes available again.

iPhone 5s is a 4G-ready device, available from launch on Vodafone’s Ultrafast* 4G network – with a choice of either Sky Sports Mobile TV or Spotify Premium included, and we’ve set out the 4G plans below.  Once online ordering of iPhone 5s goes live on Friday morning you’ll be able to find out more here http://www.vodafone.co.uk/iphone/pay-monthly-iphone/index.htm.

iPhone 5s will be available on both Vodafone Red 4G-ready  and Vodafone Red 3G 24 month plans. We’re also offering both 4G-ready SIM Only plans (from £26) and 12 month plans.

Our 4G-ready plans come with a minimum of 6GB data (that’s the standard 2GB you get with Vodafone Red 4G-ready plus the ‘4GB bonus’ which is an extra 4GB per month for the duration of your contract for anyone who signs up before the end of October), unlimited calls and texts and a choice of either Sky Sports Mobile TV or Spotify Premium.

Upgrade early to Vodafone 4G

Customers with an iPhone 5, Samsung SIII or Galaxy Note II don’t have to worry if they’re not due for an upgrade yet. They can bring it back to one of our stores, even if their plan hasn’t ended. We’ll knock 75% off their remaining charges, let them upgrade early and start a new 4G plan. iPhone 5, Samsung SIII or Galaxy Note II customers can take advantage of the 4G Phone Promise until the end of the year (for more details see http://www.vodafone.co.uk/4g/vodafone-4g-promise/) .

Business

Business users will also be able to buy iPhone 5s on both 4G-ready and 3G plans.  Those who want to enjoy Ultrafast* 4G and the ability to share their data allowance at no extra cost with Vodafone Red Business 4G-ready, will also receive an extra 4GB of data for the length of their contract as part of the 4GBonus.

As we’re sure you know, we’ve already launched 4G in London, will launch 4G in Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield on 28 September and by the end of year will have extended that further to Bradford, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle.  By 2015 we’ll have reached 98% of the population with indoor 2G, 3G and 4G coverage.

Consumer 24 month Vodafone Red 4G-ready plans (including VAT)

12 month Vodafone Red 4G-ready plans (including VAT)

Consumer 24 month Vodafone Red plans (3G) (including VAT)

12 month Vodafone Red plans (3G) (including VAT)

So it begins: iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c now available for purchase in stores

8:00 AM

Lines as long as the eye can see formed overnight outside Apple Stores in major metropolitan areas, which can only mean one thing: iPhone launch day is finally here in the U.S. Both of Apple’s new iPhone 5s went on sale in the middle of the night online, but those who want a flagship model or an iPhone 5c in hand this weekend have no choice but to battle the crowds and hit the stores. Odds are good that most people out there this morning will be looking to get their hands on a flagship iPhone 5s, and we hope black and space gray is the color combination of choice for most of them — other colors might be hard to come by at many stores. Best of luck to those brave souls who trekked out today in search of a 5s. To everyone else, it’s time to sit back and wait for the inevitable stories of sellouts, POS system failures, activation server failures and all the other chaos that comes with the debut of a new iPhone.

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iPhone 5s now available for sale online

3:00 AM

Apple fans’ alarms are ringing all over the country right now as Apple’s flagship iPhone 5s finally becomes available to purchase online. The company curiously decided against making the 5s available for preorder alongside the iPhone 5c last week, though numerous reports including a BGR exclusive point to severe supply constraints as the likely reason. The wait is finally over, however, and the iPhone 5s can finally be bought online on Apple’s website or on some carrier websites including Verizon Wireless and AT&T. Considering how tight inventory is expected to be, odds are good that we’re looking at a couple of hours of availability at most before we see those delivery dates begin to slip back. So, those hoping to get their hands on an iPhone 5s sometime soon, and who have no interest in battling through lines come daylight, should probably head over to Apple’s website right away.

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iPhone 5c could spell serious trouble for Apple

1:50 PM

The first projections covering iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s launch-week sales are in — and they seem to indicate that Apple’s worries about cannibalization are valid. Citi Research estimates that Apple will sell 4.5 million iPhone 5c units and 3.2 million iPhone 5s units between pre-sales and the upcoming opening weekend. If these numbers are in the ballpark, they imply that consumers went for the cheaper option in a big way even though the price differential is a slim $100 on contract, and Apple went to great lengths to stress how the 5s is superior to the 5c. As we head towards the Christmas season, the gap is likely to widen further. The Christmas period in North America and Western Europe is defined by handset sales tilting towards cheaper, more basic models as people buy “sensible” gifts for their kids and inamoratas.

If U.S. consumers tilt this strongly towards the cheaper option even with only a slight price gap, it is clear that a truly affordable iPhone would have triggered a stampede. A model coming free with a contract and costing $425 in retail might have easily sold between 100% and 200% more than the iPhone 5s. In this narrow sense, Apple’s defensive decision to price the 5c so high is understandable. But this also means that at least for the moment, Apple has run out of ways to make its flagship model truly compelling. The fingerprint sensor may have dazzled early reviewers, but it might not be enough to persuade most mainstream consumers to opt for the most expensive iPhone, even in affluent America.

Based on conversations with two Indian industry sources, it looks like the iPhone 5c is now expected to debut in India close to the nosebleed level of 30,000 rupees. This would be nearly identical to the launch price of the Samsung Galaxy Mega smartphone with its 6.3 inch display. Budget smartphones Samsung Galaxy S Duos and Nokia Lumia 520 cost about 70% less in India.

So it seems that Apple opted to launch the cheaper iPhone… well, why? To cannibalize U.S. sales of the pricier model, yet get priced out of Asia and Latin America? What was the point of the 5c, the world’s most expensive value model? It’s hard to see Apple making this move that is so weirdly blurry under Steve Jobs. He made some big blunders, but muddled compromises were not his bane. Apple’s 10% share price tumble since the 5c was announced shows how deep Wall Street’s concern about Tim Cook now runs.

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iPhone 5s Launch – The queues

Depending on which side of the fence you sit, this morning was either carefully orchestrated planning or a sure sign of the iPhone success. Many waited patiently at large Apple stores up and down the country, eager to get their hands on, let’s face it, the iPhone 5s.

We’ve been reporting all morning from various locations and Dan headed into London to see both the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c up-close. Meanwhile, networks here in the UK are more than a little frustrated at the uncertain stock levels and O2 went as far as not putting any in store. The company now admit that customers wanting the handset on their network could be waiting three to six weeks.

We anticipate that orders made in our stores for the 5S will be available to collect at the store in three to six weeks. The customer will receive a text when their handset is ready for collection.
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This, combined with the fact that Apple on-line orders won’t arrive until October has basically meant that iPhone customers wanting the handset today have mostly ended up in queues outside Apple stores. It’d great for PR and creates great headlines.

So, while Dan was hands-on with the iPhone 5s, outside there was a lot of people waiting for their iPhone. The Covent Garden Apple store looked like this..

Of course, if you want an unlocked one quickly and don’t want to join the queues, you can always head over to eBay and pay a grand for one!

If you’ve got a shiny new iPhone today, do let us know how and where you got it, and whether you got stuck in a queue!

It’s iPhone launch day – here are videos of ridiculously long lines around the world

9:30 AM

Can Apple’s new iPhones still draw a crowd? The answer, of course, is a resounding yes. We have all seen photos and video footage of the lines at Apple Stores in New York City and a few other major U.S. cities, but America isn’t the only country with iPhone fever. Fortune put together a nice little compilation of iPhone lines around the world, from London and Sydney to Paris and Munich. Millions of people around the globe are out hunting down new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c handsets on launch day, and with supply so severely constrained according to our sources, there are inevitably going to be some angry Apple fans out there who aren’t able to buy a new iPhone despite having waited on one of those ridiculously long lines. While they’re out drowning their sorrows in Candy Crush Saga on last year’s iPhone model, sit back and enjoy a couple of iPhone line videos from around the world. The rest can be seen on Fortune’s site, which is linked below in our source section.

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Apple iPhone 5s – Good luck getting one today, you’ll need it

Further evidence is emerging this morning following our earlier story on the iPhone 5s stock situation. It all began when we started seeing lots of pre-order offers for the iPhone 5c but absolutely none for the iPhone 5s. Yesterday we then spotted that O2 would not have any in store today.

EE have stated that the 5s won’t be in all stores (most major ones will), and now the BBC has picked up on our story, stating that Apple could be trying to drive sales of the iPhone 5c, which doesn’t appear to have captured the imagination in quite the way Apple would have hoped. A “network spokesman”, who didn’t want to be named, has stated that there’s “crates and crates” of the 5c but that the 5s was being “drip fed” onto the market. It’s perhaps an effort to create panic amongst customers and the usual large queues outside Apple stores.

We went onto the Apple website this morning because, quite frankly, it’s too cold to queue. Surprisingly, if you order online, you’ll not get your iPhone 5s until October as the device isn’t going to be dispatched for 7-10 business days.

Whatever happens, networks will probably end up shouldering the blame for not having enough iPhone 5s handsets in their stores whilst Apple, who don’t appear to have supplied enough stock, will continue to be seen as a customer-friendly brand.