News: White iPHone 4 Released In Singapore (4/28/2011)

iPhone 4 white released TODAY in Singapore, 28 April 2011 at $888 for 16GB and $1048 for $32GB! 

News: White Apple iPhone 4 in transit to U.S. stores this weekend

Apple this weekend began preparing its retail segment for the imminent launch of the company's much-anticipated white iPhone 4 models, signaling the end of a somewhat embarrassing delay that has seen the handsets elude eager buyers since last July.

According to people familiar with the matter, Apple's U.S-based retail stores began receiving promotional information overnight that features the white iPhone 4, expected to launch for both Verizon and AT&T subscribers "within the next week."

In addition, several stores are said to have received shipment notifications for the various white iPhone 4 SKUs and have been instructed to hold those shipments in the back of the house until further notice. All indications point to an official announcement by Wednesday, April 27th.

Word that white iPhones are finally en route to Apple stores in the U.S. comes just days after the inventory systems of U.K.-based wireless carrier Vodafone indicated stock of the handsets while photos of a 16GB model in official retail packaging -- carrying model number MC604B/A -- were published online.

The arrival of white models is expected to serve as a boon for iPhone sales during a time of year when customers have historically held off purchasing new iPhones under the expectation of next-generation models making their debut during the summer.

This year, however, Apple is widely reported to have decided to forgo a summer iPhone introduction in favor of introducing so-called fifth-generation models in the fall, much closer to the holiday shopping season. According to AppleInsider's sources, these new models will go into production in September and sport a unified Qualcomm baseband capable of serving both GSM and CDMA networks.

Such a move is also expected to allow the Cupertino-based company to align fifth-generation iPhones for a simultaneous release on both GSM and CDMA networks, meaning both AT&T and Verizon customers should be able to buy the new handsets later this year at the same time. 

Source

News: White iPhone 4 to be launched on April 26?

In the last few weeks a lot of rumors concerning the white version of theiPhone 4 have been published, and you know something is in motion when a few respectable sources - like Bloomberg, WSJ and Reuters - have claimed that this mythical version of the latest iPhone is to be released very soon.

Now a source coming from Italy claims that the white iPhone 4 will be launched in this country on April 26, which is only 8 days from now! If this rumor comes true, it seems practically certain that we will see this handset around the same time in the US and other parts of the world - after all, it seems highly unlikely that this phone will see an exclusive release in Italy and nowhere else.

It's just a demonstration of the iPhone craze that a device, which - at the risk of stating the bloody obvious - is nothing more but an iPhone 4 painted in white is creating headlines around the world, and is much anticipated by plenty of people, not to mention that Apple seems to believe it will sell well - otherwise, why bother to release it at all?

This piece of information gives fuel to the report that the next-gen iPhone will be launched in very late 2011 or early 2012, as it seems unlikely that we will see the release of two iPhones within a few months of each other. It's said that the white iPhone 4 will be available for both AT&T and Verizon in the US.

Source 

News: Apple Suppliers Begin Making White iPhones 4

The Wall Street Journal reports that an iPhone 4 in a white glass chassis has been confirmed by Apple Thursday, although it doesn't specify by whom. 

This adds to the Bloomberg snippet the other day that a white iPhone 4 will appear on both AT&T and Verizon by the end of this month. Reuters also cites "two people familiar with the situation" that Hon Hai Precision, which is the manufacturing arm of Foxconn, has already started production of the initial batches.

Now that we have every reason to believe the elusive white iPhone 4 will finally see the light of day ten months later than promised, what are your thoughts? Are you still interested, or would you rather wait for the next iPhone version, the production of which is reportedly starting in September?

source: WSJ & Reuters

News: iOS 4.3.2 is out for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

Less than a month after releasing version 4.3.1 of the iOS, Apple is now pushing a 4.3.2 update. The update doesn’t bring anything major though, but it wouldn’t hurt to get it, since it packs the latest security fixes.

The CDMA iPhone (Verizon iPhone), while still far behind from its GSM brother, got an update to version 4.2.7. It doesn’t really address the recent complaints users have with failing to connect to the 3G network, but rather includes the same security fixes as the 4.3.2 version.

The other tweaks and tunes in iOS 4.3.2 include fixing the occasional blank screen during a FaceTime call and addressing a problem which prevented international users from connecting to 3G networks. If you have the GSM version of the iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS, any of the iPads, and iPod touch (4th generation and 3rd generation), you can go and get the update from iTunes right away. Pack some patience, though, because it’s north of 600 MB in size.

HTC ThunderBolt vs Apple iPhone 4

Conclusion:

So here comes the tough part…is there a clear winner between these two smartphones? If you go by specs alone, the winner would be the HTC ThunderBolt, due to its larger display, higher resolution camera, and 4G data connectivity. We agree that there is a lot to like about the ThunderBolt, but its downfall is the not-so-hot battery life, occasional 4G dropping, and lower than expected call quality. On the other hand, the iPhone 4 seems to be better made, call quality is very good, and battery life is better, but at the cost of using a smaller screen and 3G data. So with all things being considered, we’d suggest the iPhone 4 if you are in a 3G area and use the phone a lot to talk on, but if you are in a 4G area and want the faster data speeds, then the ThunderBolt is the only way to go – or wait for more 4G smartphones to come out.

Software versions of the reviewed units:

HTC ThunderBolt: Android 2.2.1, Build 1.12.605.6, Kernel 2.6.32.21 Sat Feb 19 2011

iPhone 4: Version 4.2.6 (8E200), Firmware 1.0.005

Nokia E7 vs LG Optimus 2X vs Apple iPhone 4

All the three phones are having great design and hardware that is more than competent for the job, especially the Optimus 2X with its dual-core chipset. The call quality is good as all three are equipped with noise-canceling microphones. The iPhone 4has this grip reception issues sometimes, which most probably won't affect you, unless you live on the very edge of the signal tower. 

It is not all about hardware these days, not even about having the slickest interface, but rather the amount and quality of third party apps that can make your phone so much more versatile. This is where the App Store excels, as it got a head start of about a year before Android Market even appeared, not to mention Nokia's Ovi Store, and it is still most profitable for developers to write apps for iOS.

Considering that these phones cost more than $600 unlocked, and the Nokia E7 actually takes the crown as the most expensive at this very moment, so at this price you'd probably set your eyesight on it only if you definitely need a physical keyboard to type comfortably, and already have some experience with Symbian, i.e., if you are a Nokia fan. As we said, its market timing is the worst now, with all the noise surrounding Nokia Windows Phone.

Now the tough call is between the iPhone 4 and the LG Optimus 2X. Android Market might not have an app for everything, but the 150 000 + applications thereabout cover most basics, and then some. The dual-core chipset allows for Full HD video recording, fast page load times with zippy Adobe Flash support, and thus makes for the best hardware of all the three phones. This unlocks a different set of apps and possibilities, which have not yet materialized on Android Market, though, and matter most for more technically inclined people, which are the most likely to fall in love with the Optimus 2X.

The iPhone 4's thin steel and glass frame is very appealing, especially if you are coming from a phone with a plastic chassis, which the overwhelming majority of them are built with. It doesn't do Full HD video, and the browser can't load Flash to save its life, but those are obviously not considered a necessity, since most people that buy the iPhone 4 prefer the smooth experience, devoid of hiccups. The other thing they are looking for is the possibility to  have these numerous apps and versatile accessories everyone is talking about, as well as ease of use, which is very visible in the dead simple camera interface, for example. The sheer fact that it is a 9 month old phone, and still in the mix, comes to show that you are only likely to switch camps if you are getting bored with one mobile OS or the other, and want to try something new for a change. 

As for the Nokia E7, we know the company has its loyal fanbase that is dying to get its hands on the latest piece of design art from it, so we are sure the E7 will do fine, once the price starts going south.

Apple iPhone 4 Review

Key features

• Quad-band GSM and quad-band 3G support with 7.2 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
• 3.5" 16M-color LED-backlit TFT capacitive touchscreen of 640 x 960 px resolution
• Scratch-resistant glass front and rear, with fingerprint-resistant coating
• 1GHz Apple A4 SoC; 512MB of RAM
• 5 MP autofocus camera with LED flash and touch focus
• 720p video recording at 30fps
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
• GPS with A-GPS connectivity; digital compass
• 16/32GB storage options
• Accelerometer, proximity sensor and three-axis gyro sensor
• Active noise cancellation with a dedicated secondary microphone
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack, stereo Bluetooth v2.1
• Excellent audio output quality
• Slim waistline at only 9.3mm
• Secondary front-facing camera
• Some degree of multitasking
• Rich AppStore

Main disadvantages

• Hardware design is prone to reception issues
• MicroSIM card support only
• No Flash support in the web browser
• No true multitasking for all applications
• FaceTime video calls work only over Wi-Fi
• No file transfer over Bluetooth or USB Mass Storage mode
• No hardware shutter key for the camera
• No FM radio
• No stereo speakers
• No microSD card slot
• No smart dialing
• Too dependent on iTunes for loading multimedia content
• Poor loudspeaker performance

Nokia N8 vs Apple iPhone 4

The Nokia N8 has a lot going for it. It is a multimedia powerhouse, packing a 12MP camera with a huge sensor, Carl-Zeiss lens, and a powerful Xenon flash. The Finnish handset also adds other notable virtues, that the iPhone 4 doesn't have, namely the ability to play almost any HD video file on a big screen via HDMI-out, with 5.1 channel surround

LG Optimus 2X vs Apple iPhone 4

Motorola ATRIX 4G vs Apple iPhone 4

Whichever way you view it, these are unanimously the best two smartphones that are currently gracing AT&T’s lineup. Overlooking the two completely different platform experiences you’ll be greeted with, there are actually tons of commonalities in their performance. For starters, they have above average battery life, shoot stunning looking photos and videos, are enabled for video chat, and feature brilliant looking high-resolution displays. However, it always comes down to whether your prefer the easy to learn and simplistic experience with iOS, or the personalized functionality with Android 2.2 Froyo.  Of course, it helps that the Motorola ATRIX 4G boasts some innovative functionality with its optional docks, but at the cellular level, these two titans are equal in providing the best performance on any mobile device out there – especially when they’re priced at $199.99 with a contract.

Google Nexus S vs Apple iPhone 4

If there's one thing you can sleep easily about at night, it has to be that both smartphones will continue to receive the latest and newest updates. Being the kind of developer phone it's made out to be, the Google Nexus S provides users the complete control of the entire platform – which is great if you're into hacking your device. Furthermore, Android 2.3 Gingerbread closes the gap in the speed performance of the platform versus iOS 4 on the iPhone 4. It also manages to radiate a sense of customization with its interface which provides a personalized experience over its competitor.

But it appears as though that the Apple iPhone 4 showcases its prowess in the multimedia department as it excels in taking photos and videos. And while it doesn't have the level of customization that Android offers, iOS easily provides the user with a much better app support to diversify and enhance the experience. When you consider its $200 on-contract pricing, there's no arguing that the premium feel of the iPhone 4 stands taller. All in all, its well rounded performance and continuous set of polished features would more than likely appeal to a broader audience than the Google Nexus S.

HTC HD7 vs Apple iPhone 4

When they're priced evenly, it's ultimately going to come down to which platform experience you'll want to side with. Needless to say that iOS shows its maturity and depth thanks to features like multi-tasking and copy & paste on board, but the HD7 provides for a fresh experience that's remarkably polished from the onset. Sure there are some standout features with both devices, like taking photos with the iPhone 4 or the superior calling quality of the HD7, but these two high-end smartphones will easily satisfy the needs of just about anyone out there. In any event, you really can't go wrong choosing either handsets as they establish themselves as being in the upper echelon of the smartphone market.