This week attention remained on iPhone 4 reception issues. A software update is on the way, but some reports say that this update merely changes how signal strength is reported on the phone in “bars” rather than changing actual reception. Other reports indicate that bars are indeed the issue, and that holding an iPhone 4 the wrong way won’t necessarily cause calls or the Internet connection to drop. Many iPhone 4 owners make this a non-issue by simply getting a protective case for the iPhone.
Meanwhile, AT&T said that upload speeds for some iPhone 4 users may not be as fast as they should be, due to a software problem on the AT&T side that should be fixed soon.
Apple continues to update its MobileMe service. After just completing an update of web-based email, there is now a beta test of a new web-based calendar interface. You can see the new interface by going to your MobileMe calendar on the Web, and clicking on a link to request to be part of the beta. Apple has posted a FAQ with details about the new calendar.
Rumors this week include talk of a new Apple TV that may more closely resemble the iPod Touch than a Mac running Front Row. There may even be an app store. Also, fresh rumors point to a new iPod Touch with cameras and support for FaceTime video calls.
Apple moved 1.7 million iPhone 4s in the first three days of sales to five countries. Steve Jobs called it the most successful product launch in Apple’s history. iPhones ordered online now aren’t scheduled to ship for three weeks. Apple and AT&T stores often receive a small number of new phones each day, but sell out quickly, making the iPhone hard to find anywhere.
Some of those who have been able to get the new iPhone are complaining about a reception issue that occurs when the iPhone is cupped tightly in hand. This same problem occurs on other phones, including older iPhone models, but is reportedly more pronounced on the iPhone 4, which uses its external metal band as an antenna. Using an Apple “bumper” case or any other case seems to eliminate the problem.
One lawsuit over the issue has already been filed against Apple, and others have threatened to sue. There have also been rumors of a coming software fix from Apple that will alleviate the problem.
Other rumors this week also pertain to the iPhone. One has Apple coming out with the iPad iWork apps for the iPhone 4. iOS 4 does support the use of Bluetooth keyboards, which makes using something like Pages more plausible. There are also more rumors this week of a Verizon version of the iPhone coming later this year or early next.
This week was dominated by iPhone news. Monday saw the release of iOS 4, the fourth major revision of the iPhone OS. Thursday morning the iPhone 4 became available across the U.S. and several other countries. During the week, the new iBooks app for iPhone and iMovie app for iPhone 4 were released.
The release of iOS 4 brought new features like multitasking and app folders to the iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch 3rd generation. In addition to these major features, dozens of minor improvements to the operating system and base apps were introduced. Some of these improvements also work on the older iPhone 3G and 2nd generation iPod Touch. iOS 4 will eventually make it to the iPad as well, although not until the fall.
The iPad iBooks app, an e-book reader, is now also available on the iPhone and iPod Touch. Books purchased in the iBooks store can be spread across each of the devices if you own more than one. Bookmarks and your place can be synced between devices as well.
Thursday morning saw huge lines at Apple stores, partially fueled by rumors of iPhone 4 shortages. But reports from around the U.S. suggest that Apple has enough on hand to fulfill all reservations, plus perhaps hundreds of walk-ins per store. Fewer reservations and no walk-ins at all were available at AT&T stores and other retailers that carried the iPhone on launch day.
The new iPhone features a front-facing second camera for video calls, a 5 megapixel camera for photos and HD video, a new design, faster processor and longer battery life.
Apple has had a busy week setting the stage for the arrival of the iPhone 4. But its biggest announcement was that of a new Mac: a re-designed Mac mini. The new mini is shorter and wider than the old model, with the power supply inside the case, rather than in a separate unit. The most notable change is the inclusion of an HDMI video out port. This shows that Apple recognizes the mini as a in-the-living room device that people may use to hook up to televisions instead of computer screens.
The new mini also includes a mini DisplayPort video connection, an SD card slot, upgraded processor, video chipset and 2GB of RAM by default. The price has gone up, however, with the base price of $699 instead of $599. There is also a $999 version with a second hard drive in place of the optical drive and Snow Leopard Server installed.
Along with the new Mac mini is a new version of Mac OS X — version 10.6.4 — to support it. This release is for all Intel Macs, and includes numerous bug, security and performance fixes, but no notable new features. You can get the new version by using Software Update.
Also available this week is iTunes version 9.2, which will support the new iOS 4 coming out on existing iPhones on June 21 and then the iPhone 4 on June 24.
Pre-orders for the new iPhone 4 in the U.S. began on the 15th, with reports of widespread ordering troubles. Those that wanted to pre-order the iPhone were faced with error pages on both the Apple and AT&T web sites. Apple reported that 600,000 orders did get through and currently orders are being taken only for shipments in July as it appears that launch day stocks are already sold out. Many ordered an iPhone for delivery, while others did it for in-store pickup which will start at 7 a.m. in Apple stores on June 24.
Take a look at 10 iPad apps that do things you may or may not have known the iPad could do.
Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference keynote did not disappoint, at least not for those looking for a new iPhone model. The iPhone 4 will be released on June 24 and will include a front-facing camera for video calls, an Apple A4 processor like the iPad, a high resolution screen, and a new thinner design. Pricing for the new phone will be essentially the same as the iPhone 3GS.
The new phone will also use a new version of the iPhone OS, now officially called iOS. It features multitasking, folders to help organize apps, and improvements to the Mail app. It will also be available for the iPhone 3GS, and a lesser version for the iPhone 3G and iPod Touch.
While the keynote did not mention anything new for the Mac, later in the day Apple released a whole new version of Safari for both Mac and Windows. The new version can be downloaded by using Software Update. In includes address bar enhancements, more HTML5 tag support, performance enhancements, and Bing as a search option alongside Google and Yahoo. A new feature, called Safari Reader, will extract article text from a page and display it without surrounding content.
You can find out more about both iPhone 4 and Safari 5 in videos posted earlier this week.
Apple also announced changes to the iBooks app, which will soon be available on the iPhone as well as the iPad. Users will be able to purchase books once, and have them appear on all devices using iBooks. The new app, due later this month, will also support PDF files.
