Apple Set to Kick Off Year Of Innovation With 'Historic' iPhone Event (LIVE BLOG)

Apple CEO Tim Cook, who has been promising for months that the company will announce amazing new products starting this fall, is set to take the stage today at a company event where he’s expected to introduce new models of the iPhone.

“We believe this will prove to be a historic event for Apple as  we expect the company to begin segmenting the iPhone portfolio for the first time ever with a lower priced iPhone, the iPhone 5C,” said Brian White, an analyst with Cantor Fitzgerald. “We believe today’s event will prove to be part of a larger string of events over the next year as Apple enters a year of innovation.”

Apple and Cook, who celebrated his two-year anniversary as CEO last month, have been criticized by investors for the slow pace of product rollouts over the past year. Rivals including Google and Samsung have been churning out new iPhones and tablets as they work to chip away at Apple’s market position in its biggest markets. Together, the iPhone and iPad account for more than 70 percent of Apple’s sales. Analysts expect Cook to update the iPad mini and Apple TV in coming months to fend off competitors. More important, Apple watchers are looking for the company to step into new product categories, with a wearable computing device called the iWatch and a smartTV, to tap new markets that will fuel its sales.

Today, Cook is expected to  unveil sleeker, colorful new versions of the iPhone (the so-called iPhone 5S). He’s also expected to add a low-cost iPhone for cost-conscious buyers — especially those in emerging markets where there’s burgeoning demand —and finally announce a deal to sell the iPhone through China Mobile, the world’s biggest mobile carrier with some 700 million subscribers. He’s expected to be joined on stage by software chief Craig Federighi, who has been overseeing the development of the new iOS 7 mobile operating system along with design chief Jony Ive. Apple also said in June at its Worldwide Developers Conference that will launch a streaming radio service called iTunes Radio this fall, as well as release a new version of the Mac operating system software called Mavericks.

I will be live blogging the event, which starts at 10 a.m. California time. Refresh this page to see updates.
Source: http://www.forbes.com

Android 4.4 KitKat Update Predictions

Shortly after Apple announced its iPhone 5S launch date, Google announced something big of its own, confirming Android 4.4 KitKat for arrival sometime in the future. The update, which will replace Android 4.3 Jelly Bean as the most current version of Android, is still a bit of a mystery. However, in the build up to its release, it’s time to make some bold predictions about Google’s new Android 4.4 KitKat update.

In late July, after skipping an announcement at Google I/O, Google announced Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, its latest version of Jelly Bean that rolled out to Nexus devices and will be hitting big name devices in the coming weeks, a list that includes the HTC One, the Samsung Galaxy S4, the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note 2.

The update, unlike Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, wasn't a massive update and followed in the footsteps of Android 4.2 by building upon the foundation that Android 4.1 laid when it arrived back in July of last year.

Rumours for months suggested that the next version of Android, to follow Android Jelly Bean, would be Google’s ‘K’ update, also thought to be called Key Lime Pie or Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. It’s a name that had been around for awhile and that’s why it was so surprising to see Google announce something completely different just a few short days ago.

Companies have a habit of trying to one up the other when one tries to steal the spotlight. Several weeks ago, Samsung sent out invites for a September 4th event. A day before that event, which turned out to be for the Galaxy Note 3, Apple sent out an invite for its September 10th iPhone 5S event in Cupertino. And not to be outdone, Google announced something big of its own, Android 4.4 KitKat.

Instead of Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie, Google went in a totally different direction and partnered up with Nestle, the maker of KitKat, to deliver a bizarre name for its next update.

The company hasn't said much about Android 4.4 KitKat, other than confirming it for release. We also haven’t seen any major leaks emerge for the software, making it hard to predict. But not impossible.

Here, we make some early, bold Android 4.4 KitKat predictions including some guesses about its release date and its features.

Android 4.4 KitKat Release Date

This is probably the easiest piece of the Android 4.4 KitKat puzzle to predict because there is a history. In the past, we've seen Google release new Android updates with brand new pieces of Nexus hardware. We saw it with Android 4.1 and the Nexus 7, with Android 4.2 and the Nexus 4 and with Android 4.3 and the Nexus 7 2.

Google also, in the past two years, has released the Nexus smartphone in the fourth quarter. The Galaxy Nexus landed in December while the Nexus 4 arrived in November after an October launch. Unsurprisingly, Nexus 5 rumours point to a launch in October with Android 4.4 KitKat on board and at this point, this is exactly how we see this playing out.

Look for Google to take the stage, somewhere, maybe in New York City, and announce a trio of new products. Android 4.4 KitKat, the Nexus 5 or Nexus 5′s, and a new Nexus 10 tablet that could be made by Asus. Look for Google to announce specific release dates for these new products.

Google typically rolls out its Android updates for older Nexus devices either immediately after announcing the software or near the release date of its new Nexus products. With that in mind, we imagine that Android 4.4 KitKat will be released somewhere in between late October and mid November for owners of older Nexus devices.

Android 4.4 KitKat Updates

Of course, not all devices will get Android 4.4 KitKat right off the bat. Nexus devices always get the software first which means that the Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 will all likely get Android 4.4 KitKat right off the bat. Here’s a bold prediction, we think that the Galaxy Nexus will get Android 4.4 though we think it will be its last update.

If it does get an update, that will be two years of support for the device, and considering that Google says that it’s its “goal with Android KitKat to make an amazing Android experience available for everybody” we suspect that the Galaxy Nexus won’t be the only older device that gets the upgrade to Android 4.4 KitKat.

We suspect that it will take several months for Android 4.4 KitKat updates to start hitting devices, given how close we are to Android 4.3 for some devices. We think that Android 4.4 KitKat will likely start rolling out for devices in the second quarter of next year with flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S5 coming with it pre-loaded out of the box.

As far as the first non-Nexus smartphone to get Android 4.4 KitKat, that will likely be the Samsung Galaxy S4 as Samsung typically does a great job of updating its big name devices to major Android updates. After that, it’s impossible to say.

Android 4.4 KitKat Features

There is very little to go on in terms of Android 4.4 KitKat features as we haven’t seen much of anything leak out yet. Early rumors suggested that it could be a piece of software that is focused on getting Android onto a host of different types of technology including wearable tech and game consoles, and, Google’s tagline about Android 4.4 supports this.

We fully expect Android 4.4 to be optimized to run on devices that aren’t souped up with big time processors and specs. The thing to hone in on is the fact that Google says it wants to make Android 4.4 KitKat available to everybody. That means three things in our eyes:

• People that use devices other than phones: gaming systems, watches, refrigerators, etc.
• People that don’t want or need the top-of-the-line smartphones but want a great software experience. (Think iOS 7 on the iPhone 5C.)
• Google wants everyone, or most everyone, on the same version of Android.

By lowering the spec requirements, Google can put Android 4.4 KitKat inside a ton of different form factors including smartphones and tablets. It will also lower the costs that companies endure and it will ensure fluid experiences across all devices.

With this in mind, we have to think that Android KitKat will be focused on optimizing what’s already there. Google has shown a willingness to produce smaller updates that build upon what it has already. Updates like Android 4.2 and Android 4.3 which didn’t drastically alter the Android experience but added some beneficial features while upgrading others.

In our mind, Android KitKat will deliver new features, but we don’t think it’s going to be a massive overhaul like iOS 7 is going to be for iOS. Instead, we think Google is going to focus heavily on battery life and UI fluidity while also adding some new features and tweaking some things already on board the operating system.

The new name and software version are definitely signs that this will be more than what Android 4.3 and Android 4.2 were, but we don’t think it will be on the same level as the jump from Android 4.0 to Android 4.1.

Source: http://www.gottabemobile.com

Apple confirms Sept. 10 event, expected to reveal new iPhone

Apple has confirmed that it is holding an event on Sept. 10, sending out media invites for what is widely expected to bring the launch of at least one new iPhone model.

The event will be held on the Apple campus, starting at 1 p.m., ET, and will present a key moment for Apple to fight back growing concern that it is losing its innovative touch, nearly two years after the death of its iconic co-founder and chief executive, Steve Jobs.

The company’s smartphone is just about due for its annual refresh, but analysts are expecting that the firm may have at least one extra surprise up its sleeve in the form of a cheaper iPhone aimed at more price-conscious consumers.

The “iPhone 5C”, as alleged leaks have reported, could come in multiple colours, much like Apple’s iPod Touch line. The phone is also expected to use the same processor chip as the current iPhone 5 and have the same size screen.

Apple is also expected to offer a new colour — a sort of champagne-tinted light gold -- for its upgraded iPhone 5, nicknamed the “iPhone 5S” in keeping with Apple’s product naming habits. 9 to 5 Mac has also reported that some developers have spotted references to a fingerprint scanner on the iPhone, which could be located in the home button, in preview builds of the company’s next mobile operating system.

As for the internals, Business Insider reported that the phone could sport a larger battery and faster processor than its predecessor, while keeping the same specifications for its outside case. With the iPhone 5 launch last year, Apple made its first major change to the device’s overall form, by bumping the screen up from 3.5 inches on the diagonal to 4 inches. The change gave Apple the real estate for another row of apps on the home screen and also — at least in part — nodded to the trend toward the larger-screened “phablets” taking over the rest of the industry.

Given Apple’s track record on smartphone development, the “5S” probably won’t sport a major external revamp. But that doesn’t mean it won’t have new features to tempt those looking for an upgrade, particularly when it comes to software.

For proof, look no further than the company’s iPhone 4S, which was the first phone to include Apple’s Siri personal assistantsoftware and has gone on to become one of the best-selling devices in Apple’s history.
Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com

Google Announces 1B Total Android Activations, Names Next Version ‘KitKat’

Apple made waves this morning when it announced its oft-rumored September 10 event, but Google isn’t giving up the day’s limelight without a fight — according to a post on Sundar Pichai’s Google+ page, more than 1 billion Android devices have been activated to date. That’s not exactly a shock considering the sort of momentum we’ve seen in activations over the past few months. CEO Larry Page said there were 1.5 million Android activations a day back in July and Android device activations hit the 900 million mark earlier this year.

Even more puzzling than that is the name of the next version of Android, which bucks the long-standing trend of generic dessert names. As it turns out, Android 4.4 is going to be called “KitKat”and not “Key Lime Pie” as earlier thought, though at this point there’s still no official word on when we can expect to see the build go live. KitKats are of course a popular chocolate treat made by Nestle, and at this point we’re trying to determine how much this crazy little deal is worth, but the promotional blitz has already begun.

UPDATE: Google has confirmed to the BBC that the idea for the name originated with them, and that no money is changing hands as part of the deal.

Nestle has already kicked off a bizarre cross-promotion strategy that will bestow Nexus 7s and Google Play credits on those who find specially branded Kit Kat candy bars emblazoned with the Android logo, à la Willy Wonka. Yes, this is really happening. Apparently the agreement was finalized behind closed doors at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and all parties involved amazingly managed to keep the name under wraps (I slay me) for six months despite the fact that Nestle has been churning out that Android-laden packaging for 50 million candy bars.

Though the name itself is enough to get Android fans and mobile pundits talking, Google may be looking to expand its scope with this latest update. The newly anointed Android KitKit landing page claims that it’s the company’s goal “to make an amazing Android experience available for everybody,” which may hint at an expansion into different hardware segments. Google already has some skin in the smartphone and tablet games thanks to its acquisition of Motorola Mobility and hardware partnerships with Asus and LG, but it’s possible we could see Android KitKit powering a smartwatch — a move made partially possible by Google’s quiet acquisition of WIMM Labs last year.

Source: http://techcrunch.com