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Today, Apple announced a refresh of four different products and introduced a new one. The refreshes include the much faster iPad 4 (called “iPad with Retina Display), a new faster, lighter and thinner iMac, a new faster Mac mini and a new 13 inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display. In this article we will discuss the new product, the iPad mini. First, we’ll start with the name.
Name
The name of the new product is indeed the iPad mini which, to me, is not the best they could have used. The iPad “mini” is not all that mini in comparison to the iPad. It is still over 75% the size of the iPad. I believe that a better name for it would have been the iPad Air, but oh well it is Apple, and Apple isn’t the best at naming things (just look at the iPad 4, it’s called the iPad with Retina Display”, um, we already knew it had a Retina Display).
Price and Storage
The iPad mini has been criticized for it’s higher price point for a 7 inch-ish tablet. The Google Nexus 7 for example is $199 (granted it is less featured than the iPad mini), the Fire starts at $159 (again with the less featured part), the 16 GB low end iPad mini starts at $329. That is a difference of $170 from the Fire, more than the price of the Fire itself. The price points of the iPad mini are as follows: 16 GB mini: $329, 32 GB mini: $429 and the 64 GB is $529. These points are expensive but in the next paragraphs, I’ll show you why, despite the price, the iPad mini is the one you will want to buy.
Design
The iPad mini comes with the best design in a tablet. The iPad mini has a stunning 7.9 inch display (just slightly off from everyone’s 7.8 inch guess) and features in 2 color choices, White and Silver and Black and Slate. It is 23 percent thinner and 53 percent lighter than the full iPad. It is 7.2 mm and 0.68 pounds, which is the thinnest and lightest iPad shipped yet (of course granted, it is a mini iPad so one would assume this to be the case). The battery is a single cell battery that fits in less space but provides the same power. The cameras are smaller but yet still takes the same 5 MP pictures as the iPad. The iPad has the same resolution as the iPad 2, in a smaller size of course, which makes it a better display than the iPad 2. It also has 35% more space on it than a 7 inch tablet, therefore everything is easier to read and yet it still provides a smaller profile. The distance between the screen and the edges is also thinner providing a more prominent display. The casing is an aluminum unibody providing a light, smooth feel. The design of this iPad is some of the best design work yet from Apple, and that’s saying something!
Processor
The iPad mini will have the A5 chip, the same one put into the iPad 2. The iPad 2 is a very strong and fast tablet that retains battery life like the sun retains light, it never dies. The specs of the A5 are some that we are familiar with and I am slightly disappointed they didn’t put something with a bit more power but with that said, the A5 is still very powerful.
Display
The screen is 7.9 inches and is not Retina Display. Despite that, the iPad mini does have more pixels per inch than the iPad 2 (iPad 2 has 132 ppi and the iPad mini has 163 ppi) and let’s not forget it is smaller than the iPad 2 so the screen definitely isn’t shabby.
Camara
It has a 1.2 MP camera in the front and is capable of 720p video on the front camera. The camera of course is the FaceTime camera and it will be even better than ever. It has face detection. The iSight camera on the back has 5MP and has autofocus, face detection, five-element lenses and a Hybrid IR filter. All these features add to the betterment of the camera. It is also capable of filming 1080p video, helping Apple destroy the consumer camera industry. It has video stabilization and face detection technologies. The camera is again the same as the one on the iPad, even though the mini is thinner, lighter and more portable.
Lightning Port
As with all devices that Apple sells now (including the iPad), it has the new thinner, lighter Lightning connector. People are complaining about the connector because their accessories won’t work with any future Apple products they buy. Of course, they can buy an adapter but as time moves on they can buy updated accessories. If you bought it from Costco, you can return it at any time and get a new one. There are ways you can avoid paying for Apple’s connector change. The new devices are thinner and lighter partly due to the new connector. Also, the connector is faster at charging the 10 hour battery.
4G and LTE
One of the best things Apple did with the iPad mini is make it available for 4G and LTE instead of settling for 3G. It also has the Nano-SIM card instead of the bigger Micro-SIM card.
Siri
Apple is continuing the “all devices will have Siri” tradition it started after iOS 6 gave the iPad and the iPod touch Siri. Siri is your personal assistant, capable of providing you information, make messages, set reminders, do web searches, check weather and much more.
Conclusion
The iPad mini is Apple’s solution to take the 7 inch tablet industry. It may be a bit more expensive than other 7 inch tablets, but it’s beautiful slightly-bigger-than-7-inch screen, camera, iOS 6, Siri, LTE availability, beautiful, not to be matched design, lightweight and thin profile, lightning port and powerful processor will allow Apple to be a very well developed and powerful competitor against other 7-inch tablet makers such as Google and Amazon. Only time will tell how much Apple can take from them.
Thanks for reading,
Joe
Image courtesy: www.apple.com/ipad-mini/overview/
After Apple has all but announced that they are holding an event on October 23rd, rumors around the internet went crazy about a new iPad mini. I for one happen to disagree about an opinion made apparent by Dillon a few months ago about the iPad mini. He disagreed so much with the idea that he even sent an email to Tim Cook. I am not as quick to jump the gun and send Cook an email. It is my opinion that Apple should enter the 7 inch tablet market because it would allow it to enter another market it could easily succeed at. After all, many Android tablets are 7 inch tablets so it would help Apple take over the industry further. With all that said, what will Apple include in the iPad mini anyways? Let’s find out.
Name
Just what will this device be called? So far, it’s been called the new iPad mini, iPad mini, iPod touch pro, mini iPad, iPad air just to name a few with the first one being the one most people agree with. It will probably be called the iPad mini but hey we were all wrong when we said “the new iPad” would be called the iPad 3. We’ll just have to see.
Screen
While I stated that the new iPad mini will be 7 inches, I am slightly off. It is believed that the new iPad mini will actually be 7.85 inches, closer to 8 than 7 actually, but still smaller than the almost 10 inch iPad. I feel that the screen size is a compromise between now-deceased Jobs and the other execs. At first, Steve Jobs completely denounced the idea but it was revealed that in an early 2011 email from Eddie Cue, that Jobs became more and more interested and open to the idea. I believe that he ultimately fought the idea of the 7 inch tablet so they compromised to a slightly bigger 7.85 inch. Of course, that may not be what happened, but it isn’t unlikely. It is also not believed that the new iPad mini will have a Retina Display since Apple still needs to keep it’s famously high margins.
Lightning
I believe that Apple will never introduce a product with a 30-pin dock connector again. I believe this to be the case because once Apple drops something, its never brought back again. Therefore, one must conclude that the new iPad mini will have the new smaller, lighter Lightning connector. This is a good thing because unlike current iPhone users who have accessories with their iPhones that need an adapter, no accessories will need an adapter for the iPad mini, because there aren’t any to begin with! It’s a new, unreleased design. I’m glad I won’t need the adapter should I buy the iPad mini.
Design
The design will be very similar, if not identical to that of the iPad. There will be a few changes, such as the most apparent one, the screen size! Also, it will be lighter and thinner than the regular iPad. There is even speculation that it will be multi-colored like the new colored iPod touch that definitely would add a “fun” element to the device but let’s remember there are a lot of people who aren’t kids who use the iPad. A lawyer with a baby blue iPad just doesn’t seem right. Of course should they offer color, it wouldn’t matter anyways since they would offer the bland white and black one, so it actually isn’t a bad idea. A kid can have a blue iPad and a lawyer can have a blander white iPad, unless of course the lawyer wants the blue iPad, it’s his choice after all.
Processor
What power could this new device possess? The current iPad runs on a A5X chip and I think it will run on the same chip as we move to next March where the iPad will sport the A6 chip that is now only on the iPhone. Both the A5X and the A6 chips are incredible. The A5X chip provides great graphics and the A6 provides insanely great graphics. The A6 on the iPhone 5 is the most powerful processor they have shipped and it makes the graphics look stunning. They did an amazing job with both chips.
Camera
I believe that, like the iPhone, iPad, and the iPod touch that Apple will put a front facing FaceTime camera and a back facing camera on the new iPad mini. I believe that the new mini will sport a 4-5 MP camera, similar to that of the one in the iPad now. Of course, it is possible that it may only have a FaceTime camera or no camera at all with the latter of the two choices more likely since Apple’s gotta place a difference between the iPad and the mini.
Storage and Pricing
In order for Apple to keep profitable margins, they may need to move back a space. They may need to go to 8, 16 and maybe a high end 32 GB model. It’s been said that the 16 GB would cost $299 and the 32 GB would be $399, the price of the to-be-discontinued iPad 2. The 8 GB model would probably be at $249, but it remains to be seen what the pricing will be. They could of course pull a MBA vs. MBP, making the iPad mini close in price to the iPad now, just appealing to different markets. The MacBook Airs and Pros are priced fairly close together, especially the lower-end models. For instance, both the low end 13 inch MBA and MBP cost the same, they just appeal to different people, Air for consumer and Pro to Professionals or people who need more power. It would be the mini for the consumer and the iPad for the person who can afford the little bit more money for more features, a person who would need those features and be able to afford them. I am very interested to see how exactly Apple prices this thing.
3G/4G service?
I think that Apple will probably only ship the iPad mini with wifi as to keep the prices down. Of course, it is possible that it will have 3G/4G but Apple’s gotta make a profit so they probably will not.
Who will this appeal to?
I think the iPad mini will appeal to people will can’t quite afford an iPad but want an iPad. People are strapped on cash and how perfect it is for Apple to release a more affordable iPad right before the holiday season. There are a few groups of people that it will particular appeal to when buying in mass. Businesses will buy it because of it’s cheaper price from the iPad. The iPad may finally get it’s biggest break in education yet. Many schools around the country use iPads and now with the mini, more and more school districts will be able to afford to get iPads into classrooms.
Conclusion
The new iPad mini has been speculated and debated about for some time now and it appears to be around the bend. With a 7.85 inch screen, lower price, hopefully colored chassis, thin body, Lightning connector, fast A5X processor, acceptance by more educational facilities, the new iPad mini will be an exciting new addition to the iPad family and I can’t wait to see it in person come a few months.
Thanks for reading,
Joe
Ping was introduced September 1, 2010 with a million+ users to start with, which isn’t bad for a startup of a media network. Unfortunately from there though, instead of increasing it’s users, it decreased. Apple never released numbers for Ping and they never talked about it since they really didn’t want people to see what a failure it was. Ping was supposed to be a social media network in which users could share and discover music with their friends, discover new music similar to the music they listen to, and communicate with artists. It did work that way to a certain extent, however a lack of advertising, lack of artists communicating with fans on it, and a lack of support from Apple itself led to Ping’s downfall. Apple announced last week that Ping will be discontinued next month with the release of Apple’s next version of iTunes. For me, it’s a good thing. I much rather use Facebook or Twitter integration with iTunes then keep seeing that annoying banner on the right side of iTunes advertising Ping. I never used it and I am not surprised. It was one of the very few Apple failures in the past decade. This was a Microsoft stunt. Just as Microsoft is too late to everything, Apple was too late to the social media market. It’s the simple too late approach. Of course, it wasn’t the only flaw of Ping, but it was the biggest one. Ping was too late to capture any market share. Hopefully, Apple won’t try it again and I am glad to finally see that banner in iTunes gone, because that’s all it was to me, a banner. Nothing more. I am sorry if you liked Ping but if you do, you are one of few and far in between. I must admit it was a good attempt but it wasn’t insanely great. And that’s what Apple needs their products to be for them to succeed. Ping just wasn’t it. RIP Ping September 2010-September 2012.
Thanks for reading,
Joe
The new iPhone 5 was the main event of Apple’s Media Event this week as it was the product that everyone was waiting for. It was the one that skyrocketed Apple stocks before the event, and it is the one that continues to skyrocket that stock price. Pre-orders for the iPhone 5 sold out in an hour, the first for any of Apple’s hyped product releases. You can expect long lines of people with umbrellas and lawn chairs in front of the Apple Store soon. Apple stock as of Friday is 691.28, a stunning record for the company. Let’s take a detailed look at this new iPhone.
Design
The new design of the iPhone 5 has, at first glance, little to no change. However, it has changed. The iPhone 5 is 18% thinner than the iPhone 4S, 20% lighter, and 12 % less volume. It is 7.6 mm thin and weighs 112 grams. It is 3.31 in squared. It is marketed as the thinnest smartphone ever. Apple engineers really had their work on for this one. They made the new nano-SIM card. They combined LTE data and voice onto ONE chip instead of two individual ones. The new Lightning connector is 80% smaller. The A6 chip is more powerful but even smaller than the A5 chip. The display has been made thinner by making a integrated touch technology screen while keeping the Retina Display that has come to partly define the iPhone. It is made of a single piece of aluminum, therefore it is unibody. It is a super-smooth piece of aluminum too!
Screen
Like all of Apple’s refreshes this week, the iPhone got a screen size bump and one’s gotta love the new display. It is a beautiful 4 inch Retina Display. They make it so it isn’t awkward to use, like some of the other smartphone makers who go with awkward, big screens. It has the same width, just a new height, so you are not stressing your thumb, trying to reach the the other side, and you can still reach the top with ease. The apps for the iPhone are already being made to fit the gorgeous display, and if they haven’t been, don’t worry, they won’t pixelate like iPhone apps do on the iPad. The display gives you 18% more pixels than the iPhone 4S. It has impressive 1136by640 resolution. Incredible! Colors also get a boost with 44% more color saturation.
4G and LTE
We all saw this one coming. The iPad 3 came with 4G and LTE so we knew the iPhone 5 would. The speeds are incredible. It has 100 Mbps for LTE. Also, Wifi gets a boost as well-up to 150 Mbps. Incredibly fast.
A6
The fastest iOS processor has come and this processor brings high quality graphics. In fact, I believe the graphics can be compared to this generation consoles (PS3, 360) fairly and some would say favorably. The graphics performance is twice that of the amazing A5 chip of the iPhone 4S. The processing performance is also twice as fast so you’ll notice applications opening and loading even faster. It will just be a more smooth experience. Also, the A6 chip will not deplete battery and you will get 8 hours on wireless and 10 on video. I believe that at a point in the near future, Apple iOS products will be able to rival that of the laptops because of the performance they build into it, the first being the iPad.
EarPods
I know I brought these up in the iPod nano and touch articles but since it will come with all of them, I have mentioned them in all three articles. Again, these headphones are supposed to rival my expensive pairs. According to Apple, they tested hundreds of prototypes on hundreds of people. I hope that those hundreds of people were right about the prototype they chose to become the Apple EarPods. I just hope Apple can make them a lot better than the last earphones they made.
Camera
Panorama, like the new iPod touch, is a new feature in the iPhone 5 that allows you to take stunning 240 degree photos. The panorama can be up to 26 MP, a stunning MP count for a phone. It reminds me of something I’ve seen, an app called 360 degrees, I just hope this new panorama feature is a lot better than that app. The camera of course takes 1080p video. It also has more stabilization to prevent shaky footage. It can now detect up to 10 faces in the camera’s face detection software. You can now take photos while you are recording. The FaceTime front camera is 720p and looks stunning. You can make FaceTime calls over cellular now, allowing you to not have to be at a wifi connection, giving it a boost against it’s Microsoft rival Skype.
Lightning
Like all of Apple’s releases this week, the new iPhone 5 also features the new Lightning adapter. It marks the first time Apple has changed the adapter since the inception of the iPhone 5 years ago. It is supposed to be more durable and faster than the 30 pin connector. As accessory manufacturers catch up to Lightning, you can buy an adapter so that all your stuff is still compatible.
Wow Factor?
One question that was on everyone’s minds was, what is that “one more thing”? After looking into the iPhone 5 and throughly investigating it for this article, I realized that Apple didn’t really innovate here. It didn’t wow me like all other releases of iPhones have, although I am impressed by the engineering that went into making it so thin and light. I believe that this could actually be a good thing. The iPhone is mature. Apple didn’t bring something revolutionary to the table because they didn’t need to revolutionize what they had. All the releases of the iPhone have always improved from the last, and they change from their predecessors in a usually significant way. The iPhone 5 didn’t change that much from the iPhone 4S because there wasn’t really a change needed. The iPhone 4S has been their most successful phone up until now. Just the velocity at which the iPhone 5 preorders sold at is an indication that the iPhone 5 will take that role. Apple doesn’t need to change what works. If you look at the features of each iPhone, you can tell that the change from the last one to the next decreases and that is because the iPhone has matured and doesn’t need any more radical change to it. Of course, none of what I’m saying should hold Apple back from innovating. If Apple has a good idea they will use it, just as they changed the screen size, which in my opinion was a good idea. Also, if Apple goes too long without innovation, this could be a problem. I think that Apple brought more to the table from the last generation to the next in their new iPods, one can easily see the radical and effective changes to the iPod nano and touch as compared to not being able to see it as well with the iPhone 4S to the 5. Don’t get me wrong, the iPhone 5 is a great release but it isn’t revolutionary, and perhaps thats the way it should have been. Don’t change what works is the wow factor here (and yes the 30 pin dock connector works, if Apple saw something better in Lightning, then they should, by all means, change it, because that is taking a risk and it is innovative, I will discuss the new Lightning connector in another article). Apple did do right here, no changes needed.
Thanks for reading,
Joe
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Thanks,
Joe
In Apple’s media event, they announced three amazing updates to their products. They look truly spectacular and I can not wait to get my hands on them. Next, let’s discuss the new iPod touch.
The iPod touch has been around for five years, just as the iPhone has. The iPod touch has truly revolutionized the iPod line and has become the most popular iPod. Since it’s inception, it has sold more iPod touches than any of the other models. It is the only iPod to feature iOS and was once described by Steve Jobs as the “training wheels for the iPhone”. The iPod touch is the only model of iPod that keeps selling and in the end, along with the iPod nano, will be the remaining iPods with the iPod classic the first to go and then the shuffle.
Screen Size
As I mentioned in the article about the iPod nano, the main idea of the Apple Media Event this week was the enlargement of the screen. The iPod touch, like the iPhone, has a Retina Display 4 inch screen. The previous screens were 3.5 inches. I believe the change of screen size is a good thing. It gives more ability to see while still being able to use it with one hand.
New Design
The first thing you’ll notice about the new iPod touch is that there are multiple colors to choose from. Like the new iPod nano it has blue, yellow, pink, white, and black (again with the white color with it). However, unlike the new iPod nano, it does not have green or purple, which I wish they kept green for the iPod touch. The color is on the back of the iPod touch, while it is white on the front. Therefore, since many people have a case on their devices anyway, one will not see the color and it won’t matter much. Another thing you’ll notice is that it looks a lot thinner. It is just 6.1 mm thin. It is even lighter than before at 3.1 ounces. The previous generation was 3.56 ounces, not much of a difference, but it is following Apple’s thinner is better technique, so I’m glad they are continuing it. It is made out of brushed aluminum which it gives it a smooth, light feel. You can also attach a colored Apple-provided strap to it allowing you to keep it secure in your hands.
Camera
The camera is something I am very excited about. The camera on the back went from 780p HD recording and a ridiculous 0.8 MP to an incredible change of a 1080p video recording and 5 MP (7 times more MP than the iPod touch 4th Generation). It also now comes with LED flash, a first in iPod touch and a definitely must have feature. It has the tap to focus feature and the face recognition feature that only up until now the iPod touch has not enjoyed. It also comes with panoramic view, allowing you to take 270 degree pictures. This feature is only available on iPod touch 5G and the iPhone 5 and it looks stunning.
Dual-Core A5 chip
Think about putting the processing power of the iPad 3 and you have the processing power of the new iPod touch. It is twice the processing power and up to seven times the graphics performance. It truly is incredible and it also means that the iPad 4 will either have the A6 or something even better. It isn’t a power hog and will keep the same, if not better, battery life than the previous generation.
Siri
Apple has now completed it’s iOS Siri line-up. All the products that Apple has from the iPhone 4S, the iPad 3 and the fifth generation iPod touch have Siri. With Siri on the iPod touch and iPad 3, you will need a wifi internet connection for it to work (unless of course you have a 4G iPad), however it is truly a great step in the right direction. Now all they have to do is move it out of beta.
Media
Of course the iPod touch plays music as it is an iPod and it plays movies, TV Shows etc etc. However with the new 4 inch screen and 44% more color saturation, the colors will pop more on movies and you will have a better movie experience with the bigger screen. The bigger screen and better graphics will also make playing games even better. The playing experience will be the best it has ever been on the iPod touch.
AirPlay
The new iPod touch, like the iPad 2 and greater and the iPhone 4S and greater, has screen mirroring which allows you to mirror what’s on your device to the TV via Apple TV. You can share music, movies, TV shows, and media to your heart’s desires. It has truly changed the way I use my iPad and it will change the way I use my iPod as well.
EarPods
Apple is getting rid of the old earphones that we all stash away whenever we get our new iPod because we don’t need them, our more expensive earphones will do the job. Now, Apple says that the new engineered EarPods are made to last and sound great, in fact they say it’s made to sound so great, I will use them instead of my high dollar, high quality headphones. I accepted the challenge so when I get a chance to use the EarPods, I will let you know if Apple speaks the truth.
iOS 6
Please check out our article on iOS 6 here.
Lightning
The new, controversial, 5-pin dock connector called Lightning has drawn a lot of attention. It is the first time that Apple has changed the dock connector and it is certainly a bold move, considering that people are used to and recognize the 30-pin dock connector and use it on their devices all the time. Not to fret though. If you will still use 30 pin, Apple will be selling a Lightning to 30 pin adapter so that you and accessory manufacturers have time to catch up. It is a lot smaller than the 30 pin and it allows you to plug it in either way, similar to that of the MacBook Air/Pro MagSafe connector. I hope Apple knows what they are doing.
Price
The new 32 GB iPod touch starts at $299 while the 64 GB starts at $399. This compares to 8GB for $199, 32 GB at $299 and 64 GB at $399. It also compares to the fourth generation iPod touch models they still sell which are 16 GB for $199 and 32 GB $299.
All in all, Apple has produced yet another solid update to a solid product. The iPod touch has been a major part of Apple’s success since 2007 and with this update with Siri, A5, and a new camera just to name a few, will definitely continue to be part of that success.
Thanks for reading,
Joe
The biggest change to the iPod nano has come. A few years back, Apple introduced a watch-face like 1 in x 1 in touch screen square that I felt was their weakest iPod nano. One would navigate the screen purely through touch as there was no home button. Many people have complained about it being too small and shuffle-like (such as myself). I feel that the last generation iPod nano will be the iPod shuffle in a year or two once the price to make such a thing isn’t as expensive. The watch idea was taken into full effect as 3rd party manufacturers made wristbands that would fit the iPod and make it into a watch, which I think Apple was going for. The idea itself sparked the concept that Apple might be working on an iPhone watch but it has since been mostly discarded. Apple, it seems, has used the iPod nano as their design testing device with more changes to the chassis each time a new one comes out. Apple, this year, has returned to the long, thin, skinny chassis with a twist…
Screen
The major concept of Apple’s event was the enlargement of screen sizes and the iPod nano is no exception. Featuring a 2.5 inch touch screen, the iPod nano goes back to the long thin chassis. I predicted and even suggested to Apple that they make a larger touch screen on the nano and whether knowingly or not, they listened and I’m glad they did.
Home Button
The iPod nano has now become more iOS like through the use of the home button. It features the same concept as the home button of iOS devices- bring me back home. It is a step forward into the iOSification for Apple’s second most popular iPod (second only to the iOS device, iPod touch).
Chassis
The Chassis, as always, is colored and is advertised on Apple’s site as being glass and smooth aluminum. The iPod comes in seven different colors (all colors are featured with white as well), gray, purple, yellow, blue, green (my favorite), black and pink. It has the thinnest chassis of any iPod ever- 5.4 mm thin and it is about the size of a credit card. The chassis is made out of aluminum and glass, as all of the products Apple announced this week.
Connections and buttons
In terms of buttons, for the first time ever, the iPod nano will feature two new distinct iOS device features. First, the aforementioned iOS-like home button. I say iOS-LIKE because it isn’t the exact design as the iOS home button. It also has, for the first time ever, a volume control bar on the side of the iPod. In terms of connecting, it features the same 3.5 mm headphone jack, but it features the new controversial 5 pin dock connector at this charger and USB, marking the first time ever in five years that Apple has changed it’s dock connector. Whether or not it was for the better, I will discuss in another article.
Interface
I mentioned iOS-like features earlier but the new interface, while iOS inspired, is not iOS itself. Icons for “apps” are circles instead of rounded squares giving them a sort of PS Vita look but better and more organized. In pictures, it appears it has two home screen pages and like iOS, show tiny gray circles on the button to include page # and amount of pages. Don’t get too excited because, it doesn’t have wifi therefore no App Store. Whether Apple will release a modified app store to buy apps remained to be seen, but that’s what the iPod touch is for so I doubt it.
Music
The music app on the iPod nano is very similar to the music app in iOS. Search music or browse by artist, album, genre, composer, title etc. just as before in the old iPod nano but now you can actually see the results due to the larger screen. Genius is a built in feature of the new iPod nano that allows you to play songs similar to the one you are currently listening to, so you can keep the mood created by the original song.
Video
The video app is, again, very similar to iOS. You can watch TV shows, video podcasts, movies, music videos etc. If it’s a video, it works! Tap the 2.5 inch multi-tocuh display to stop, skip, play, rewind etc. just as in iOS devices. It really is cool.
Bluetooth 4.0
Bluetooth is absolutely a strong new feature of the iPod nano. With it, you can pair the iPod nano with wireless headphones, speakers or car audio systems. It of course takes no wires so it’s just wireless audio coming from your speakers. It is a very cool feature that whenever I get the new iPod nano, will be a widely at use feature and I am very glad they brought it.
Radio
FM radio has been a feature in the iPod touch before so it isn’t new but they brought interesting new changes to it. You can now pause live radio for up to 15 minutes which is incredible. You can rewind back 15 minutes to catch something you might have missed or wanted to go back to and then you can zoom back up to live radio. The only thing I’ve ever seen pause live radio is an app on iOS, so it really is a cool feature.
EarPods
Apple has changed it’s earphones. For me, it’s thank goodness as i never really like those headphones, I usually gave them away to someone who didn’t have any since my 3rd-party headphones are way better. Apple did say this time however, that these headphones, called EarPods can sound better than my expensive, high-quality sound. So as soon as I can get my hands on them, I will compare the two. I hope what they say is true, so other people can get higher quality sound than what they are used to.
Lightning Connector
As aforementioned, Apple changed it’s dock connector and whether or not that was a good idea or not remains to be seen. However, I feel that if Apple does something, it must be for a reason since such a company knows what it is doing. Apple says it is thinner, lighter, smaller and can connect to the iPod on both sides like the MagSafe connector on the MacBooks. They will offer a 30-Pin to Lightning adapter so don’t worry, you can still use 30-pin, as manufacturers for cases, accessories etc. are switching to the new standard. However, with wireless capabilities of BlueTooth, it will become less and less relevant anyway.
Other Features
Fitness features will put a pedometer in your pocket and while you to connect wireless via Bluetooth to heart-rate monitors. In addition, you can connect to nikeplus.com and keep track of your progress. Photos, of course, will look better with the bigger screen. It will come with the same iOS features such as pinch-and-zoom. You will have access to Podcasts through iTunes and you can put Podcasts onto your iPod nano. Accessibility features are all new with the ability to help blind people use the iPod. These features are known as some of the most helpful to those who can’t seen and are universally known by the disabled. It comes with VoiceOver, Invert Colors and Mono Audio.
Price
The iPod nano only sells at one model now which is a 16 GB model at $149 which I believe to be a bargain becaus of all of the great features.
The iPod nano is bound to be the best selling and quite frankly, the best iPod nano yet. Perhaps this is the iPod nano in which they will stick with, because it is truly the best one they have made, no if’s and’s or but’s about it.
Stay tuned for my report on the iPod touch and iPhone 5.
Thanks for reading,
Joe
Apple has finally announced the media event in which they will announce the new iPhone 5. With a very obvious picture that they sent out to media this morning, Apple put the number 12 and the shadow reflecting from that 12 is a 5, so one can assume that the iPhone 5 will be announced on September 12th. Don’t worry, you actually don’t even need to assume, the iPhone 5 WILL be announced on September 12th. But what are we going to see from the iPhone 5? Let’s take a look a at popular rumors and come to a consensus on what the new iPhone will look like, it’s name and when it will be released.
Release Date
After being confirmed that the iPhone 5 will be announced on September 12th, it has also become a general consensus that it will be released nine days later on the 21st. As usual, the release will cause stores to crowd and shipping dates to be put backward. Apple stocks have gone sky high due to talks about the iPhone 5 so expect a huge following from the phone, perhaps bigger than that of any of the other iPhone releases.
Name
While it is most likely that the new phone will be called the iPhone 5, it is still possible, especially with the iPad 3 being called the new iPad, that the new iPhone will be called just that. Apple has never really been super great at naming things but they do a whole lot better at doing so than Windows PC machine manufacturers who name their products random letters and numbers no one can remember. We believe it is most likely that it will be called the iPhone 5, since Apple is giving complaints to the people who currently own iPhone5.com and their developer numbers are iPhone 5,1 and iPhone 5,2.
Form Factor
Unlike the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 5 will be a completely new design. It has been wildly rumored to have a bigger four-inch screen and while it may sound unlikely Apple would change the screen size, rumors are pointed towards the otherwise. Bigger speaker grills and a two tone back with brushed aluminum is expected. One of the biggest changes will be the relocation and redoing of the connectors which I will talk a bit more about in a minute. As Apple always heads for the “thinner is better” mentality, you can expect that the iPhone 5 will be thinner than it’s predecessor, the iPhone 4S. It is expected to be 7.4 mm, a 1.7 mm difference from the 9.1 mm of the iPhone 4S. As a result of it being thinner, expect it to weigh somewhat less.
Connections
The biggest change to the bottom of the iPhone is about to occur. Apple, in the first time since the original iPhone, will change it’s dock connector. It is planning to adopt a 8,9 or 19 pin dock connector with most sources pointing at 9. The 3.5 mm headphone jack is expected to be at the bottom of the device along with a aforementioned bigger speaker grills.
Specs
It is expected we will see a quad-core processor debut in the iPhone 5 especially since other phone manufacturers have already adopted it. It will probably be called the Apple A6, and of course, be faster than it’s predecessor. The processor certainly needs to faster in order to impress people into buying it. Reports are saying we will see 1 GB of RAM in the phone and it makes sense that we will.
4G
Due to the fact that “the new iPad” has 4G, you can expect the iPhone 5 to have it as well and since other smartphones released this year have it, I can almost guarantee you that you will see 4G. 4G can be up to 10 times faster than 3G depending on the circumstances.
Screen
Many sources have been claiming that the new iPhone 5 will have a bigger screen size. It has been rumored that the iPhone 5 could have curved glass screens but that is unlikely. it is most likely that it will be the standard flat screen. It will have a 4.x screen size, and while many reports claim 4.1 inches, there are a few who say more than that, up to 4.6 inches. The display of course will be a retina display as the iPhone and iPod touch have been Retina since 2010. It has been said it will be made by Sharp or Sony.
NFC
Some rumors detailing NFC (Near Field Communications allows devices to communicate with credit/debit machines for fast payments) have been rampant in the rumor community. NFC has been featured on other phones in the past and with the iOS 6 app Passbook, it gives Apple reason to add such a thing.
Cameras
Sony currently creates the cameras for iPhone 4 and 4S. Sources have claimed it will again feature a 8 MP camera but with newer, more stable features. Many reports say the iPhone 5 will feature a HD front-facing camera
Liquid Metal?
Liquid metal is an alloy that is very strong and built to last. Many people are interested in the fact that Apple has extended it’s contract of exclusivity with a company that makes liquid metal technology considering that Apple only used it for it’s iPhone 3G’s SIM card ejector. While it may be unlikely that the iPhone 5 will have liquid metal, don’t discount it entirely as it could happen. If Apple kept it’s exclusivity, they kept it for a reason. The more probable device is the iPhone 6 but we’ll just have to see what Apple does on the 12th.
The iPhone 5 is shaking up to be revolutionary, the biggest step up since the original iPhone. While people were originally upset that the iPhone 5 came last year, perhaps it was actually a great idea since it gave them more time to deliver a product that will be truly amazing and on September 12th, something truly amazing may be an understatement as to what’s to come that day.
Thanks for reading,
Joe
UPDATE: The Apple Store is open again and the robbers were caught, he left his license plate at the scene.
Early this morning an Apple store in the Promenade mall in Temecula, CA was smashed and grabbed by unidentified suspects in an unidentified vehicle, presumably a truck. The incident happened very early last night. No reports of injuries or even employees in the store at the time of the robbery have been reported. Multiple suspects broke into the store by driving a truck into the glass windows of the store and stole various Apple hardware and left undetected by local law enforcement. As of this hour, the suspects have not been apprehended but the case is actively being investigated and let it be known that they will be caught.
The Apple Store in that mall remains closed as employees and officials try to pick up the pieces and rebuild what was probably the most popular store in that mall. Whether or not the store will reopen for the iPhone 5 release in a few weeks has yet to be determined, but my guess is that it won’t be considering the amount of damage involved. It is a really great thing that no one got hurt there and for that I am thankful and I hope the perpetrators will be caught, arrested and dealt with to the fullest extent of the law.
Thanks for reading,
Joe
