iphone 4

iPhone 5 beats Galaxy S3 as top seller, says report

The iPhone 5 surpassed Samsung's Galaxy S3 last quarter as the hottest-selling smartphone worldwide, according to a Strategy Analytics report out today.

For the final quarter of 2012, Apple shipped 27.4 million iPhone 5 units globally, winning a market share of 12.6 percent. In contrast, Samsung shipped 15.4 million Galaxy S3 phones for a 7.1 percent slice of the market. Samsung actually saw its S3 shipments and market share both drop from the third quarter's numbers.

Strategy Analytics senior analyst Neil Shah attributed the success of the iPhone 5 to a "rich touchscreen … Read more

iOS 6.1.1 causes battery drain, say some iPhone 4S users

Rolled out this week for the iPhone 4S, iOS 6.1.1 may have fixed one problem only to create another, at least according to some users.

Several iPhone 4S owners chiming in on Apple's Support Communities say their battery drains faster after updating to iOS 6.1.1. In a discussion thread labeled "My iPhone 4S battery life is terrible, Even with iOS 6.1.1," many report that their battery life was much better under iOS 6.1.

Here's just a sampling of the comments:

The battery life on my iPhone 4S was fine … Read more

Apple sells 47.8M iPhones in Q1

Apple closed out 2012 on a high note with its iPhone sales, but many fear its momentum is already beginning to peter out.

The Cupertino, Calif., company said today that it sold 47.8 million iPhones in the fiscal first quarter (or the last quarter of the calendar year). The results were above analysts' average projected sales of 46 million to 47 million units, although many analysts had higher estimates, and were left disappointed. It sold 37 million units a year ago.

What remains to be seen is whether the iPhone 5 can keep up with the pace of sales … Read more

T-Mobile expands iPhone-compatible 4G service, unveils HD voice

T-Mobile USA said today that it had enhanced its coverage in several cities, allowing unlocked iPhones to tap into the network's highest speeds.

The carrier said it has built out its HSPA+ network in four cities -- Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver, and Virginia Beach, Va. -- utilizing the 1900MHz spectrum. That's important because the iPhone is compatible with 1900MHz, but not the other frequencies that T-Mobile uses.

In total, T-Mobile's 1900MHz footprint covers 46 metro area and about 126 million people.

T-Mobile also fast-tracked the carrier's 4G LTE plans and plans to cover 100 million … Read more

T-Mobile expands 4G network, sort of offers 4G iPhone

If you're desperate to stay with T-Mobile's service and rock an iPhone, the nation's fourth-largest carrier has good tidings on both fronts.

Today, T-Mobile unveiled plans to expand its 1,900MHz band in 14 new markets, bringing its grand total to 37 cities covered by the faster network.

In addition, the carrier announced a partnership with Solavei, a no-contract carrier that resells T-Mobile's service -- and the iPhone. Customers who sign up with Solavei in any of T-Mobile's 4G markets will be able to purchase the iPhone and sign onto an unlimited talk, text, and … Read more

4G LTE smartphone shipments to triple next year -- study

Shipments of 4G LTE smartphones will triple next year, research firm Strategy Analytics predicts.

The research firm sees shipments rising to 275 million next year from this year's 91 million, a rise of 203 percent resulting in a record year for LTE phone vendors. Companies that stand to benefit the most include Apple, Samsung, and LG, with the iPhone 5 and Samsung's Galaxy S3 among the most popular handsets.

But other vendors will participate in the LTE push, such as Nokia, HTC, Motorola, Blackberry, Huawei, ZTE, and Pantech. Growth in LTE smartphones will be driven by demand in … Read more

Best Buy trims $50 off iPhone

Holiday shoppers looking for an iPhone 5 or 4S can save some cash courtesy of a new sale at Best Buy.

The retailer is currently discounting all the various flavors of the iPhone by $50.

That means the 16GB iPhone 5 is selling for $149.99, the 32GB for $249.99, and the 64GB for $349.99. The 16GB iPhone 4S can be had for $49.99. Both the black and white versions are up for grabs.

All of them naturally require the standard two-year contract with Verizon Wireless, AT&T, or Sprint.

A few of the variants can … Read more

Chat and set up audio or video calls easily with this popular app

Skype is one of the most widely used messaging and calling applications available on practically every current platform. Skype for iPhone is, as the name implies, the iOS port that works on iPhone and iPad. Available for free from iTunes or several download sites, including the publisher's, Skype installs and configures easily.

Skype lets you message or chat with anyone on your contacts list. You can also set up either audio or video conferences easily with Skype, as well as conference calls, by hitting a single button after choosing the contact. Calls over standard data networks, from one Skype … Read more

View and edit Office format files on the iPhone with Quickoffice Pro

Quickoffice Pro for iPhone is an office productivity app that lets you work with most popular file formats on your iOS device. Quickoffice Pro is available through iTunes and other download sites. It installs easily. Quickoffice Pro is sold for $14.99, and there are versions specific to iPhone and iPad.

Quickoffice Pro was one of the first apps for the iPhone that supported all the popular Microsoft Office formats, and the software has continued to evolve and improve over the years. It consists of viewers and basic editors for document, presentation and spreadsheet files (so it opens and saves … Read more

Boombox iPhone case styles up speakerphone situations

In the early days of '80s hip-hop, you were almost sure to see one item on the streets of any major city: the boombox.

More recently, city ordinances and personal music players have all but eliminated the chance of encountering a wild boombox blasting tunes, but you can resurrect the iconic look of the gaudiest piece of consumer electronics ever with the $17.50 Boombox Ghetto Blaster iPhone case by Caseorama on Etsy (available for iPhone 5 and 4/4S). … Read more