Download Evasi0n7 1.0.1 Jailbreak For Windows And Mac

Evasi0n7 iOS 7 jailbreak tool has just been updated to version 1.0.1 for both Windows and Mac. The new version completely removes the controversial Chinese TaiG App Store from the install package.

From Pod2g on Twitter:

We have heard the community. Evasi0n 1.0.1 is available on http://evasi0n.con. TaiG has been removed from the package. Merry Christmas!

If you are already jailbroken on iOS 7 on a non-Chinese device, there is no need to re-jailbreak. But those of you who have had issues with version 1.0 may want to give this latest version a shot to see if it fixes the problem. Full how-to video tutorials for jailbreaking iOS 7 are linked at the end of this post.

Earlier today, Saurik rolled out Cydia 1.1.9 with a complete new design for iOS 7.

Download Evasi0n7 1.0.1 for Windows 
Download Evasi0n7 1.0.1 for Mac

Update x1: Looks like iPad 2 boot loop issue is still not fixed in v1.0.1:

@Pod2g: We still have to work on the compatibility issue with the iPad 2, but we have been busy celebrating with our family… Tomorrow probably!

Apple eyeing $4 billion iPad deal in Turkey

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook is reportedly going to travel to Turkey in February to attend the official opening of the first retail store in the country, but also to negotiate a $4 billion iPad deal with the country’s officials, Turkish publication Emlakkulisi (via AppleInsider) reported. Apple’s iPad could be a solution for Turkey’s “FATIH Project,” which aims to bring modern computing devices to classrooms. Should Apple win the bid, the Turkish government will buy 10.6 million tablets in a first phase, followed by a second 2 million to 2.5 million iPad purchase. The deal would be worth between $3 billion and $4 billion to Apple over the course of four years. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has already seen Apple’s headquarters in California back in May, during a visit that was likely related to the FATIH education project.

Apple’s first brick-and-mortar store in Turkey will be opened in the Zorlu Center in Istanbul, an over 21,500-square-foot location that will reportedly feature a glass structure similar to Apple’s iconic Fifth Avenue retail store in New York.

Apple on Sunday confirmed it has inked an iPhone deal with China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile operator, which could bring in an additional $13 billion in revenue next year alone.

iPhone 6 With Larger Display And 12.9-inch iPad Release Date Tipped By New Report

Rumors have been rife for quite a while now that Apple is readying a larger iPad for release at some point in the soon, and although the iPhone now boasts an ever so slightly larger display since last year’s release of the iPhone 5, there has also been plenty of suggestion that a future handset will take things a step closer to some of the Android and Windows Phone devices doing the rounds. DigiTimes has come through with more information pertaining both smartphone and tablet, suggesting that the new iPhone could launch as soon as May 2014 with the new iPad releasing in the fall.

DigiTimes is often way off the mark when it comes to casting aspersions about unannounced products, but since it has made some accurate calls in the past, we have to approach this new report with a fair amount of respect.

The article talks about Tim Cook’s company penning a deal with supplier Quanta Computer to produce the bigger iPad en masse, and with a 12.9-inch display, it would comfortably surpass the smaller MacBook Air in terms of display real estate. With this in mind, it would be conceivable that Apple could replace the less-favored configuration of the Air, since there would be too much of a crossover to justify having two separate products, and this is rumored to be something that the company is considering.

It seemed unthinkable under the Jobs regime that Apple would seek to diversify the iPad range to such an extent. But with the iPad mini releasing last year, and a second-gen follow-up bringing some genuine power to the mix, it would seem that the Cupertino company is more than willing to hedge its bets.

Surely, though, even a very large iPad wouldn’t be able to upstage an iPhone with an increased display, which this report also talks about in some detail. DigiTimes believes that Apple’s Next Big Thing will be exactly that, but while the notion of Apple releasing a bigger iPhone next year isn’t, in itself, particularly far-fetched, the fact that the report points to a May release makes us more than a little skeptical.

After all, you can get away with releasing three iPads within 19 months, but after all of the fanfare surrounding Touch ID, the gold coloring, and all of the other iPhone 5s perks, could it be that a new handset is just around the corner?

This New Accessory Turns iPhone Or Android Into A Dual-SIM Device, Also Acts As Camera Remote [VIDEO]

Dual-SIM smartphones are part of normal everyday life in countries like China. The majority of local Chinese manufacturers invariably offer some kind of low-end, low-cost piece of kit that mimics the look and feel of a popular device but comes with the ability to run two SIM cards at any given time. That type of device is extremely rare in the European and American markets, but does come with a very tangible benefits for the user. James Sung, the man behind the original dual SIM peel case, has recognized these benefits and is back with a new product called Teleza, which he thinks is the perfect solution to our dual-SIM requirements.

Teleza is essentially a stylish looking piece of hardware that connects to a smartphone or tablet through the Bluetooth protocol. The gadget is being advertised as a "Dual SIM Remote", which is actually a pretty apt description of its intended functionality.

The hardware has two SIM card slots built in that allows the user to compliment the manufacturer added slot on their smartphone, taking the total number of unique calling numbers on the device to three if required. Business travellers, regular tourists and international students will definitely see the benefit of being able to grab a local number when out of the country.

It could be set that the functionality alone is worth the $129.99 price-tag. However, there is more to Teleza than it meets the eye. The hardware can also act as a remote control for the camera on the connected device, allowing users to capture that all important selfie shot from up to ten meters away. The likes of Instagram and Vine will soon be overloaded with images and videos captured using the Teleza as a selfie aid. It also acts as a media remote control for music and movies playing on the device, allowing the user to play, pause and skip the currently playing media without actually having to have the iOS or Android powered device in their hand.

Teleza will be available in two different versions. The DSR iPhone Edition will support the iPhone 4, 4s, 5, 5s and 5c. The DSR+ Android and Tablet Edition will have the same level of support for Apple’s iPhones but also work with most Android powered devices and tablets.

However, it is noted that the DSR+ variant is still in a beta stage with some functionality no working correctly. The hardware will begin shipping in January 2014 for $129.99. You can find more info on the product by directing your browser to: Teleza.com

iOS 7 Compatible Jailbreak Tweaks And Apps In Cydia

The iOS 7 untethered jailbreak is here. Things have been a little quiet recently on the topic of a public jailbreak release, leading us all to think that it could be quite some time until we were able to see how iOS 7 performs when truly set free. The good news is that the wait is finally over. The bad news is that early discussions and word from Cydia creator Jay Freeman seem to suggest that the latest Evasi0n7 release might have been rushed out before the right people could get the necessary components in place to support users.

One of the most concerning areas of interest seems to be the lack of involvement from Saurik himself. We should all know by now that Cydia is a relatively small cog in the overall jailbreak machine, but nevertheless, it’s still a vitally important cog from the end-user’s perspective. Saurik has been using his Twitter timeline to inform his followers that he wasn’t told about the decision to release Evasi0n7, nor was he asked to provide an official iOS 7 version of Cydia to install alongside the jailbreak.

Freeman has also expressed concerns about the Evad3rs team not testing his official build of MobileSubstrate that had earlier been sent out to core developers within the iOS community. As things stand at the moment, anyone who jailbreaks using the initial release won’t have any Substrate support and therefore won’t be able to install any tweaks or offerings that rely solely on it. Pod2g, a security researcher and core member of the Evad3rs team, has also sent out the following tweet which echoes Saurik’s concerns:

Tweaks relying on mobilesubstrate have issues with early version of evasion. Keep away from that for the moment, we’re working on a fix.

The jailbreak loving iOS community have also been getting in on the action. A publicly accessible Google spreadsheet has already been created that lists a number of popular Cydia tweaks, outlining their current status and the device that they have been tested on. My3G and MyWi have both been confirmed to be working, as has PkgBackup. SBUtils and the extremely popular iFile are showing as have partial compatibility with iOS 7 with vital libraries like libstatusbar causing full system crashes.

The growing compatibility chart can be accessed directly from this link. This latest jailbreak has only been out for a matter of hours and has already proved to be one of the most controversial. Something tells us the full story is yet to unfold.

Fix iPhone Stuck At Apple Boot Logo Loop After iOS 7 Jailbreak

The recent release of the iOS 7 untethered jailbreak has clearly taken most of the iOS community by surprise. The Evad3rs development team have been hard at work in the background pulling together the necessary components to jailbreak all devices capable of running iOS 7.0.x. As with all first version jailbreaks, it is to be expected that there will be a few teething problems, and it looks like the latest Evasi0n release is proving no different. A growing number of users are reporting that their attempts to jailbreak iOS devices is failing, with the process falling over on the Apple boot logo, which as you might expect stems from a small oversight on the developers side.

Enthusiastic iPhone, iPad and iPod touch owners have been downloading the latest Evasi0n release in their droves. Individual mileage from the jailbreak seems to be varied depending on who you speak to, but seems to fall into three categories: the user either couldn’t download the jailbreak due to server demand. The user successfully downloaded the tool and performed the jailbreak without issue. Or finally, the user downloaded the jailbreak but couldn’t complete the process due to the device hanging on the Apple boot logo at a pivotal part of the jailbreak. If you fall into the latter category then the good news is that there is a resolution.

The Evad3rs team have reacted quickly to users taking to social media sites such as Twitter and Reddit to express their concerns at the failing process. The Apple boot logo issue only seems to occur on those devices that are running a version of iOS 7.0 that has been installed via an over-the-air (OTA) update. If you’ve downloaded your current version of iOS through a prompt within the Settings.app then it’s likely this issue could occur. The team behind the jailbreak have updated the Evasi0n website with the following notice:

Over The Air updates of iOS 7 are known to create an issue and make the jailbreak fail. Some devices are then stuck on the Apple Boot Logo. Until we fix that, please restore your device to 7.0.4. with iTunes first.

It may be an extra step in the process that users would prefer not to go through, but it represents an almost immediate resolution to a pretty big problem and should be considered a fix at this time. If you are stuck, enter your device into DFU mode:

• Connect your iPhone to your computer.
• Turn iPhone off.
• Start iTunes.
• Hold Power and Home buttons together for 10 seconds or so.
• Release Power button but keep holding the Home button until your computer recognizes a new USB device.
• iTunes will now recognize your iPhone.

Now Restore it to iOS 7.0.4 using iTunes.

Connecting the device to iTunes, performing a backup of the content and finally restoring through Apple’s desktop software to the latest version of iOS should leave the device ready to liberated from Apple’s walled garden.

Untethered iOS 6.1.3 / 6.1.4 Jailbreak For A5+ Gets A New Video Demo

iOS developers ih8sn0w and Winocm have been working together on the iOS 6.1.3 untethered jailbreak for a while now. Today they have released a new video showing the untether working on a 5th-generation iPod touch 5.

While Winocm previously confirmed “before 2014” as definite ETA for iOS 6.1.3 / 6.1.4 jailbreak release, today he said that he is giving “No more ETAs”:

This untethered jailbreak is confirmed to be working on iOS 6.1.3, 6.1.4 and 6.1.5 running on A5+ iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple TV 2 devices, as confirmed by ih8sn0w on Twitter. Apple TV 3 is not supported.

@ih8sn0w: youtube.com/watch?v=pf-v51XaO5c … works on all devices running 6.1.3 -> 6.1.5 (except AppleTV3). Only 6.1.3 A5+ device I have on me is an iPod touch 5.

So why is this not public yet? According to the video description on YouTube, some of the vulnerabilities used in this jailbreak are still available in iOS 7.

For those of you who are waiting for iOS 7 jailbreak, there hasn’t been much progress on it, except that it’s still being worked on by a separate team named Evad3rs, and there is no ETA in sight for it either.

Like always, we will keep you all updated whenever there is any further progress on the jailbreak front. Given the higher adoption rate of iOS 7, I don’t know if anyone would care for an iOS 6.1.3 untether at this point. Are you running iOS 7?, or still on iOS 6.1.x waiting for jailbreak? Let us know in the comments section below.

Google Play Music Updated For iOS 7: Genre Search, I’m Feeling Lucky Radio And More

It may have taken months to get to iOS, but Google’s Music app isn’t going to stand still now that it’s finally on Apple’s platform. Instead, just a month after its release the Google Play Music app has received a sizeable update, bringing it up to scratch with other apps that are designed with iOS 7 in mind.

Version number 1.1.0.988 is now in the App Store and brings some important changes to the app. The first that most people will notice is the completely new user interface that is built for iOS 7. That means that the app will now look right at home alongside the plethora of App Store apps that have ditched their existing look in favor of a more flat, more clean interface that more closely resembles the operating system that it runs atop of.

- UI updated for iOS7
- Added support for I’m feeling lucky radio
- Auto-playlists (including Thumbs Up playlist) added to playlist view
- Genre radio stations added for All Access users
- Added ability to search for genres

Arguably more useful additions include a new ‘I’m feeling lucky radio’ feature as well an added ability to search for genres when on the hunt for new music to listen to.

In this new version of Google Play Music users will also see that auto-playlists are now in the playlist view, and that genre radio stations have been added for All Access users.

The world of streaming music has changed quite a bit over the last few years, and Spotify, Rdio and Google Play Music are all battling it out for supremacy in what some may call the post-iTunes era. Given the popularity of the recently iTunes-exclusive release of Beyoncé’s latest album though, it might be a little early to write iTunes off just yet.

The newly updated version of Google Play Music is available to download in the App Store now. If you’re a Google Play Music subscriber and happen to have an iPhone, then you’ll be wanting to get this downloaded sooner rather than later.

(Download: Google Play Music for iPhone on the App Store)

How To Get 60% Off On Popular iOS Apps This Christmas

It’s that time of year again, and if you’ve sufficiently recovered from all the over-indulgence and big tech savings over the Thanksgiving weekend, you’ll be more than ready for round two. Christmas is just around the corner, and developers usually cut the prices of their apps amid the celebrations. This is all fine and dandy, but with hundreds of thousands of entries to the famed App Store, it’s hard to keep track of what’s cheap and also, worth purchasing at the discounted rate. Luckily, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users have the appropriately named App Santa at their side to help them to discover and take advantage of these bargains.

With savings of up to 60 percent, it’s a great opportunity to stockpile some of the greatest apps to ever be released, and with a fairly decent list already and likely more to arrive as Christmas approaches, you’d be crazy to miss out.

The great thing about snapping up a bargain on apps is, unlike your physical products, the stock never runs out, and you don’t have to mingle with the hordes of other anxious shoppers as the panic quickly begins to set in.

Right now, App Santa is showing quite a few decent apps, including the likes of Clear, 1Password and Tweetbot 3 – three of our favorites hear at Redmond Pie.

We were full of praise for Clear when it first arrived in February of last year, and although there have since been a number of simple, swipe-happy to-do apps since, Clear is the original. You can easily build up lists of your tasks in hand, and once they’re complete, swiping them away is effortless. It’s very much designed for the here-and-now as opposed to those wanting to make extensive lists, but for what it purports to do, it does so with aplomb. Right now, it’s down to a very reasonable $1.99.

1Password, currently at $9.99, needs no introduction, either, allowing you to securely manage all of your login credentials and keep them safe forever. And fans of The Twitters will know that, on iOS at least, Tweetbot is head and shoulders above the rest in terms of general functionality. Now’s the time to purchase, with the price down to a very agreeable $1.99.

For these and a host of other great price-drops, head to: AppSanta.co

The iPhone 5c may be a costly mistake for Apple

It’s hard to say whether the iPhone 5c is an out-and-out flop but many reports we’ve read suggest that its sales haven’t lived up to Apple’s own expectations so far. And now one analyst who has a reliable track record with Apple information thinks that the iPhone 5c could be costing Apple more than just missed sales. 

AppleInsider points us to the latest dispatch from KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who writes that weaker-than-expected iPhone 5c sales are big reason that the company has yet to reach a deal to sell the iPhone on China Mobile. In fact, Kuo believes that China Mobile has decided to play hardball with Apple now that it’s seen that the iPhone 5c isn’t quite the dynamo in emerging markets that many analysts had been expecting.

“We believe that weak sales of iPhone 5C may trigger a re-negotiation of the Apple-China Mobile partnership,” Kuo writes. “However, the indications are that the deal is nearing an end. While recent market speculation calls for the deal to boost 1Q14 iPhone shipments to 45-50mn units, we think this is overly optimistic.”

The negotiations between Apple and China Mobile have been one long, interminable stare-down for the last couple of years. Apple is used to getting its way when it negotiates with mobile carriers but no other carrier in the world offers the potential value of China Mobile, which has more than 750 million mobile subscribers. Many observers were expecting a deal between the two companies to be finished this week although China Mobile announced on Wednesday that negotiations with Apple were still ongoing.

New patent suggests Apple could follow Samsung’s lead for once

According to Patently Apple, Apple has received a patent for creating flexible sapphire displays using liquid metal. The patent describes wrap-around displays in various shapes including a hollow cylinder and elongated rectangle. They would be created by extracting a sapphire crystal seed from a crucible of molten liquid aluminum. The shape of the display would depend on the shape of the crystal seed. Apple has increasingly shown interest in advanced sapphire displays.

The iPhone 5s uses sapphire to cover the Touch ID sensor. This November, Apple bought sapphire display maker GT Advanced Technologies. For a while, there have been rumors that Apple will replace the iPhone’s Corning Gorilla Glass display with a sapphire display, since sapphire is virtually scratch-proof. While the iPhone 6 may include a sapphire display, the wrap-around display described in this patent is likely a long ways away. That doesn’t mean people wouldn’t want one; last month, a concept design for the iPhone 6 circulated featuring a very nice looking wrap-around display. And the flexible display could also be used in a watch, a product category Apple is rumored to be entering.

Of course, Apple wouldn’t be the first company to use curved displays on its devices since Samsung has already pulled the trick with its Galaxy Round, as has LG with its G Flex smartphone.

Meet ioPhone, the Apple knockoff that makes GooPhone look good

Consider the stakes raised in the battle to release the world’s most blatant iPhone knockoff. CNET points out that Japanese manufacturer Iosys has released a marketing video for its new ioPhone 5, a device that just happens to bear a striking resemblance to Apple’s iPhone 5c. CNET says that the ioPhone costs around $150 off-contract and comes with some truly horrid specifications including a display with a resolution of 480 x 854 pixels, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, and a 2-megapixel camera.

How much of a ripoff is this? Consider that the knockoff artists at GooPhone are selling their own iPhone 5c clone for just $99 and have packed it with a 4-inch QHD display, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM and an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera.

Such a shoddy product deserves an equally shoddy marketing campaign and Iosys delivers with an amazing low-budget video that features, among many other wonderful things, two people talking to one another on their ioPhones even though they’re literally standing two feet apart from one another.

Philips Hue App Receives iOS 7-inspired Makeover, Sidebar Navigation And More

The Philips Hue app for iOS has been offered a handsome update today that not only brings that modern, flat aesthetic to the fold, but adds a plethora of other new features besides. We’ve got all of the details in one place for you below.

68% of Americans projected to own an iPhone by 2017

Apple’s iPhone lineup is losing ground to Android globally when it comes to smartphone market share, with the latest numbers suggesting Android’s share of the worldwide market climbed to a remarkable 81% last quarter. 

Meanwhile, Apple’s share of the market fell from 14.4% in the third quarter last year to 12.9% in Q3 2013. In the United States, however, a very different picture is being painted and according to new projections from Asymco analyst Horace Dediu, Apple’s lead will continue to grow in the coming years. In fact, Dediu believes that a staggering 68% of the addressable U.S. population (U.S. consumers older than 13 years of age) will own iPhones by 2017. Of course this forecast presumes nothing major will come along and rock the boat over the course of the next four years, which is obviously anything but certain.

Download iOS 7 Final IPSW For iPhone 5, 4s, 4, iPad And iPod touch [Direct Links]

Update: This post has been updated with latest version of iOS 7 download links, as well as a video tutorial on how to download and install iOS 7 on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Apple has finally flipped the switch and final iOS 7 download links are now live for everyone. More details as well the direct IPSW links can be found right here.

The visual and usability changes to iOS 7 represent the biggest overhaul to the OS in the last six years. Apple has described iOS 7 as "the mobile OS from a whole new perspective", and in all honesty, it is extremely difficult to argue with that description of what they have brought to the table. The firmware carries an all-new design, multiple new features and a plethora of new tools and frameworks for developers to dig into to create their apps. iOS is the foundation of the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and it’s available to download now for users everywhere around the globe.

Apple’s iOS 6 has undoubtedly served us well over the last 12 months. After a relatively rocky start amid the Maps controversy, it has managed to claw its way into our affections thanks to a number of bug fixing updates and has managed to prove extremely stable ever since. Still, everything has a shelf life, and when Scott Forstall parted from Apple, it signaled the end of his reign over the design and implementation of iOS. Jony Ive’s vision of iOS is definitely polarizing, but it represents a new beginning for Apple’s mobile OS.

The firmware update will be available to all users with a compatible iOS device. iPhone owners using an iPhone 4, 4s or 5 will be able to grab hold of the new firmware for their devices, although some restrictions do apply to the iPhone 4 and 4s in terms of features. Owners of the second-generation iPad and above can also go through an OTA or iTunes download route with the same restrictions on older, less powerful tablets. The only iPod touch that is currently supported is the fifth-generation model.

iOS 7 Download Links:

• iPad (4th generation CDMA)
• iPad (4th generation GSM)
• iPad (4th generation WiFi)
• iPad mini (CDMA)
• iPad mini (GSM)
• iPad mini (WiFi)
• iPad 3 Wi-Fi (3rd generation)
• iPad 3 Wi-Fi + Cellular (model for ATT)
• iPad 3 Wi-Fi + Cellular (model for Verizon)
• iPad 2 Wi-Fi (Rev A)
• iPad 2 Wi-Fi
• iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G (GSM)
• iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G (CDMA)
• iPhone 5 (CDMA)
• iPhone 5 (GSM)
• iPhone 4s
• iPhone 4 (GSM Rev A)
• iPhone 4 (GSM)
• iPhone 4 (CDMA)
• iPod touch (5th generation)

Check out our complete video guide on how to download and install iOS 7 on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch the right way:

Update x1: iOS 7.0.2 has now been released with bug fixes and more. You can grab iOS 7.0.2 download links for the new iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and all older compatible devices from here.

Update x2: iOS 7.0.3 and iOS 7.0.4 are also now available. Apple has also released iOS 7.1 betas. You can find more info on the latest iOS 7.1 beta 2 download from here.

Apple iOS 7.1 beta 2 now seeding to developers

The second beta version of the iOS 7.1 OS is now seeding to all the registered iOS developers. As usual, the newest firmware comes with several changes and bug fixes to enhance the overall performance.
With the iOS 7.1 beta 2, we also get Touch ID and Passcode options in the main Settings menu instead of being buried inside the general menu. There is also a new accessibility setting, which allows you to turn on button shapes.
Apart from that, the animations speed has been increased and the iTunes matching is a lot faster now. The second beta also brings the bounce animation for the control center when it is pulled down.

iOS 7.1 now brings the option to minimize the top and bottom header of Safari when the page is actually loading. Apple has designed a new toggle for car display and listing the events in calendar application is a lot easier now.
There is also a new wallpaper for the iPad that comes with the latest beta version. Lastly, the "same default tone" bug from the previous release has been fixed.
Apple has already started rolling out the iOS 7.1 beta 2 update and you will get a pop up notification to update your registered devices.

Apple Loop: 'Vintage' Holiday Ads, Counting China Mobile, Chrome Apps Go Mac, iPhone 5s Is Tops - Forbes

Keeping you in the loop on just a few of the things that happened around Apple this week.
Holiday nostalgia. With the holidays upon us, I went to EveryAppleAd on YouTube and scoured the collection for notable Apple holiday ads. And I decided that after all these years, my favorites are still two animated commercials featuring the voices of John Hodges as “PC” and Justin Long as “Mac” from 2007 and 2008. They seem so vintage now. I particularly like the Mac and PC rendition of “Santa Claus is coming to Town” because of the line, “He sees you when you’re in sleep mode.” What I can say. I like cheesy commercials. Enjoy.

Curb the China Mobile enthusiasm — at least for now. It’s been touted for years as the biggest distribution deal for the iPhone outside the U.S. But if China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile subscriber with 759 million subscriber, does as expected and announces on Dec. 18 that it will finally start offering the iPhone, it may take a while for the upside to be realized. So says Toni Sacconaghi of Sanford C. Bernstein & Co, the top-ranked financial analyst covering Apple. Here’s what he told investors this week in a report calling them to “caveat” their enthusiasm.
“We estimate that China Mobile could add up to 15 million incremental phones to Apple in its first full year. Our estimate is based on China Mobile selling an incremental 10 million postpaid devices and 5 million prepaid devices. We have assumed that China Mobile’s rollout is relatively immediate across its major affluent Eastern cities and that the iPhone’s post paid price is competitive with other Chinese carriers. A big question is how many iPhone customers might switch from China Unicom (CU) and China Telecom (CT) to Mobile; Bernstein’s survey results suggest that cross SIM ownership is high, meaning that Apple and China Mobile could enjoy a surge in migrating customers in year 1 (and perhaps 2) as users switch, but that overall market expansion for the iPhone may not ultimately be as big as first might appear,” Sacconaghi said. Those 15 million users, by the way, will deliver a potential $9 billion in added revenues and $3 in extra earnings per share in the first year, he adds.
iPhone 5s wins popularity contests. The iPhone 5s is the top selling smartphone in the U.S. at all four major mobile carriers, according to Canaccord Genuity analyst T. Michael Walkley. He also had good thigns to say about the colorful iPhone 5c. “Our surveys also indicated steady iPhone 5c sales with the smartphone’s color options and more affordable price point proving popular with its intended audience,” Walkley said. Why is that notable? Because before the iPhone 5s and 5c, the iPhone only held the top spot at AT&T; it was No. 2 at Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint. Now it’s been the top seller at the carriers in September, October and November.
Canaccord isn’t the only one pointing out the success of the iPhone 5s. The iPhone 5s was the top selling smartphone worldwide in October, according to Counterpoint Technology Market Research. The firm also found that Apple quadrupled its share in the Chinese market.
Calpers calls Icahn a ‘Johnny come lately. Billionaire investor Carl Icahn, who has been pushing Apple to return some of its $147 billion cash hoard to shareholders, portrays himself as an advocate for investors (See ‘Carl Icahn Wasn’t Joking About That $150 Billion Buyback by Apple‘ for  details.” But at least one prominent Apple investor isn’t so keen on Icahn’s plan, which calls for a $150 million share buyback. The California Public Employees’ Retirement System, the largest U.S. public pension and owner of about 2.4 million shares, said Apple’s share buyback and dividend program is fine the way it is. “We are uncomfortable with a raider coming into a company with a proposal to disgorge cash,” Anne Simpson, Calpers’ head of corporate governance, told Bloomberg News this week. “Carl Icahn is a Johnny come lately…[Apple has] a significant program for returning money to shareholders…Carl Icahn is late to the party. This debate’s already been had. I’m not sure what Carl Icahn’s proposal adds.” As for Icahn, Bloomberg notes that he “ has become a billionaire by buying stakes in companies and then publicly pushing for changes to boost the stock.” He currently owns 4.7 million Apple shares, or about a 0.5 percent stake in the Cupertino, California company. This is what he had to say about Calpers. ““I don’t understand what this has to do with the democracy of voting,” Icahn said in a statement to Bloomberg. “I guess if your family didn’t come over on the Mayflower, then you don’t have the right to vote.”
Chrome Apps for Mac. Apple CEO Tim Cook made headlines this fall when he updated Apple’s iWork productivity and iLife creativity apps and gave them away free to Mac and iPhone and iPad users. Well, Apple isn’t the only one trying to win over Mac users. Google this week said Chrome Apps, introduced in Septmber for Windows and Chromebook users, now run on the Mac. “A few months ago we announced Chrome Apps which bring the best of productivity, games and more to your desktop. Starting today, you can access these apps on any computer with Chrome, including Mac,” Google said. “Chrome Apps work offline, update automatically and sync to any computer where you’re signed into Chrome, so you can pick up where you left off. Your Chrome Apps on Mac behave and feel just like native software. For example, you can find your Chrome Apps in the Applications folder on the Dock. Search for apps by name in the Spotlight search—just like any other Mac program that you already use.“

Apple TV channels new content. Apple didn’t deliver a new version of its AppleTV set-top box this fall as expected, but it has been adding more channels. This week it added “Watch ABC,” which lets some cable subscribers to watch content from their local ABC affiliate through Apple TV, according to MacRumors. AppleTV owners can now also tune into Bloomber’s financial news channel Bloomberg, streaming movie and TV show channel Crackle, and Korean channel KORTV. In recent months, Apple has added Yahoo! Screen, PBS, Major League Soccer, Disney Junior and HBO Go. Apple may also be in talks to add channels from Time Warner Cable and The CW network.
iTunes Radio’s international ambitions. Apple has hired a new executive to oversee international ads for iTunes Radio, the Internet radio service it launched in September in the U.S . “Apple’s iTunes Radio has poached a top radio ad exec as it prepares to offer the service widely to advertisers in 2014. Former Cumulus Media executive VP-sales Michael Pallad is now overseeing ad sales for iTunes Radio internationally,” said AdAge, which reported on the hire. When Apple launched the music streaming service, it did so with a small group with a handful of “category-exclusive launch advertisers, such as Nissan, Pepsi and Procter & Gamble. Those initial deals expire at the end of this year, when Apple will begin pitching the service more broadly to brands. Like everything Apple has tried in advertising, it’s going out with ambitious pricing, reportedly looking to sign 12-month commitments that are worth at least $1 million apiece,” AdAge said.
That’s it. Happy weekend.

iPhone 6 Concept With EYE ID Retinal Scanner Makes Touch ID Look Like Tech From Yesteryear

As if the existing concepts weren’t enough already, SET Solution has come up with a new one for the upcoming (next year, of course) iPhone 6 (or whatever it gets to be called in the end) – one that takes on a completely different subject, that of security. This new concepts shows iPhone 6 taking a leap further from Touch ID and integrating what SET is calling ‘EYE ID’ – a retinal scanner to provide security and safety on your iPhone.

The concept video released today shows a larger device with a completely modified design much akin to iPad Air, something which looked at yesterday, but that’s not the highlight of this concept iPhone 6. The spotlight shines on the brand new EYE ID technology, which basically lets you unlock and operate your iPhone 6 using retinal scans as opposed to relying on just finger impressions. In fact, SET Solution goes on to claim that:

“Safety is a factor that should never be underestimated! Precisely for this reason, our experts, with the new iPhone 6 have devised a new technology for smartphones: EYE-ID retinal scanner for the iPhone 6.

With iPhone 6 EYE ID you will be able not only to unlock your iPhone but it will be also possible to sign-in to your app store, bank account, and all of yours favorite services with a level of security never reached before!”

iPhone 6 is far from being ready, yet there hasn’t been a device for which we’ve seen so many concepts already before now. When Apple unveiled Touch ID on iPhone 5s this year, it sent ripples through the market, and while haters continue to claim that Apple isn’t the first one to take advantage of fingerprint scanning on a portable device, they choose to ignore that no one before the fruit company has been able to make it mainstream the way Apple did. It’s one thing to have something, and entirely different to make it successful. Apple achieved the latter.

The concept of EYE ID, or any form of retinal scan on a mobile phone, for that matter, is something that has quite a few challenges to overcome. Firstly, the technology is expensive, and in a competitive market, might not find that much user base. Second, miniaturizing it to such a level is also going to be hardship. Finally, it does beget the question of whether it’s even needed at this point or not. With Touch ID barely out of the proverbial bag, it might be wise to let it establish roots first before trumping with something more futuristic. Then again, with Apple, you never really know.

iOS 7.1 beta 2 hints iOS in the Car is on its way

Apple’s big push to integrate itself even further into your daily life might be right around the corner. When the latest iOS 7.1 beta was sent to developers on Friday, 9to5Mac noticed an interesting inclusion to the Restrictions Settings menu: a toggle for Car Display. Apple originally announced iOS in the Car quite a while ago, but it was not ready for the initial release of iOS 7, and so it was pushed back for a future update.

“iOS in the Car seamlessly integrates your iOS device — and the iOS experience — with your in-dash system,” according to the description on Apple’s website. “Now you can easily and safely make phone calls, access your music, send and receive messages, get directions, and more.”

Although there are no assurances that iOS in the Car will be finished in time for iOS 7.1, the evidence from the beta release speaks for itself.