Apple ordered to suspend iPhone 6 sales in Beijing

BEIJING — A Chinese regulator has ordered Apple Inc. to stop selling two versions of its iPhone 6 in Beijing after finding they look too much like a competitor, but Apple says sales are going ahead while it appeals.

The ruling by an intellectual property tribunal is the latest legal stumbling block for Apple in its second-biggest global market following the suspension of its iTunes movie service in April. The company also faces rising competition from local brands including Huawei and Xiaomi, which have gained market share.

The order by the Beijing tribunal said the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus looked too much like the 100C model made by Shenzhen Beili, a small Chinese brand. The order was issued in May but reported this week by the Chinese press.

Apple said a Beijing court stayed the administrative order on appeal and the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus still were on sale.

Apple suspended its iBooks and iTunes Movies services in April, which news reports said was due to an order by Chinese regulators. The company said it hoped to resume service soon.

In May, Apple suffered another setback when a court ruled that a Chinese company is allowed to use the iPhone trademark on bags, wallets and other leather goods. Apple said it would appeal.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Upgrading to iOS8: The agony before the ecstasy for iPhone 4S users

 

By now, iPhone users should be scrambling to get a taste of the promised ecstacy iOS 8, the latest operating system for mobile devices, after Apple released it early Wednesday (PHL time).

 

However, before iPhone owners connect to WiFi to download the new OS, they have to be warned: there's a lot of agony to go through.

 

First is the requirement for up to 5 GB space on the iPhone, which required most users to delete cherished photos, videos and other media content, tech site Mashable said.

 

"Apple released the update Wednesday, sending customers in a blind fit of rage upon realizing they'd have to delete apps, photos and music — basically everything they have ever been and ever will be — to make room for the software upgrade," it said.

 

Mashable cited rants on Twitter about the upgrade process, including Digg.com editor Josh Petri, who said: "If you have enough space to update to iOS 8 who are you?" 

 

Petri also noted added Apple apps like "Health" that cannot be deleted.

 

"In order to download IOS 8 you must delete every app in your phone and sacrifice your first born child," tweeted Ryan Schultz.

 

More agony for iPhone 4S users

 

The woes don't end there for users of the iPhone 4S, once the high-end version of the popular smartphone some years back.

 

Ars Technica said the iPhone 4S won't quite get features that need newer hardware, such as AirDrop and TouchID.

 

Worse, it said the 4S uses 2.4GHz-only 802.11n Wi-Fi, has no LTE, and uses an Apple A5 chip that is no match for the 5S' A7 chip, let alone the A8 in the iPhone 6.

 

Even worse, the 3.5-inch screen on the 4S will appear "cramped" with iOS 8, it said.

 

"If you don't mind (or actively prefer) your 4S' screen size, by all means, continue to enjoy it. You'll just have to do more scrolling than you do on and iPhone 5 or an iPhone 6," i said.

 

The benefits

 

All those issues aside, iOS 8 promises new things, including replying to text messages immediately from iOS notifications, and having an easier time sharing to other services.

 

Owners of devices running the new iOS can also use third-party keyboards, Quartz.com said.

 

"And our favorite feature: You can now minimize an email you’re writing by swiping down—to look through other emails, or copy some text—without losing your work," Quartz.com said.

 

Also, iOS 8 should be one more step toward Apple Pay, the new mobile payment system for iOS devices. — Joel Locsin/VC, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Working iPhone 6 knockoffs already hit the market

Fakers seem to have beaten Apple to the punch, with fully-functional iPhone 6 knockoffs hitting the streets in China long before the phone's official launch.

Enthusiast site 9to5mac.com cited photos by French blog NowhereElse.fr showing "working" iPhone 6's—or at least phones that look like the upcoming iPhone 6—online.

Apple is expected to announce the real iPhone 6 in September, with the new iPhones expected to have larger 4.7 and 5.5-inch displays, it added.

The site said the clones appeared to use the rumored specification and schematics of the actual iPhone 6, "but obviously use off-the-shelf internals and don’t run iOS."



It speculated the knockoffs may be running a version of Google's mobile operating system Android, plus a skin that makes it look like iOS 7.

"The Google Play store is already full of iOS 7 Home Screen and app clones," it said. — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Apple's China success sets stage for iPhone 6, new products

Strong sales of iPhones in China and emerging markets sets the stage for Apple Inc to reap even higher profits after it launches the next iPhone and other new products, analysts said.

At least 15 brokerages raised their price targets on the stock by as much as $60 to a high of $700 after it reported bumper results.

Shares of the company were up 8.5 percent at $569.49 in premarket trading on Thursday.

Apple's enlarged share buyback, bigger dividend, a larger iPhone 6 and new products would all drive the stock higher, RBC Capital Markets analyst Amit Daryanani said in a note titled "Buy before Tim does it himself".

On Wednesday, Apple reported sales of 43.7 million iPhones in the quarter ended March 29, far outpacing the 38 million that Wall Street had predicted. Revenue from greater China climbed 13 percent and Japan sales rose 26 percent.

Apple approved another $30 billion in share buybacks till the end of 2015 and authorized a rarely seen seven-for-one stock split, addressing calls to share more of its cash hoard while broadening the stock's appeal to individual investors.

Many Apple observers are betting on another successful product emerging from its secretive labs in Cupertino, California in the second half of this year - perhaps an iWatch for users to wear on their wrist. Chief Executive Tim Cook has promised new product categories for 2014.

"We believe the iPhone 6 will prove to be a big hit in China and elsewhere around the world, while the iWatch opens up a new product category for Apple, and we believe the ramp with China Mobile will accelerate in the second half of the year," Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brian White said in a note.  — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com