Showing posts with label Apple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Apple. Show all posts

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Apple iOS 4.3 beta 1 Available to Developers Now

Apple released the Software Development Kit (SDK) for iOS 4.3 beta 1 to it's developer network.  iOS is the operating system based on Mac OS X, that runs the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.

Unfortunately at this time you need to be an Apple Developer in order to gain access to iOS 4.3 information.  If you are interested in being a developer, you really should have a programing background to understand some of the more technical aspects of the website, but by all means give it a try.

The following appear to be some new features in iOS 4.3:
  • Mobile Hotspot - this will allow iPhone users to set up a mobile Wifi network to connect Wifi enabled devices to the cellular data stream on their iPhone.  This feature is reported to already be present in the Verizon iPhone.  Be aware that the cell provider (AT&T) will have to enable this feature and there is a reasonable chance the end user will have to pay an additional charge for this feature. This feature is certainly another effort to decrease the recent spike in Android phone sales as Android phones have had a mobile hotspot feature for some time now (since Android 2.2).
  • Airplay Streaming for Video: allows 3rd party app developers to enable streaming of video from Apple TV. 
  • New FaceTime Icon 
  • Live Streaming Statistics
  • iPad Specific:
    • Orientation lock can be enable for the iPad switch.
    • 4 and 5 Finger Multitouch Features: pinch to the home screen, swipe up to reveal multitasking tray, swipe left/right to switch apps.  See video below:

For end users the most important features are probable the the mobile Wifi hotspot and additional gestures on the iPad.

One big negative is that iOS 4.3 WILL NOT support the iPhone 3G.  Maybe its time to start running Android 2.3 on your iPhone 3G !

I am sure that soon enough, iOS 4.3 will be available to jailbroken iWhatever devices. Check back soon to with an update to let you know how to do so...

Friday, January 7, 2011

iPhone Holds on to the Lead in US Smartphone Market, But Android is Catching Up Fast

iPhone maintains the lead in the US smartphone marked at 28.6%.  BlackBerry countinues to slide to 26.1%.  Rounding out the third spot is Android at 25.8%.

Please note the general trend of Android increasing at a much faster rate than either iPhone or BlackBerry.

Android may be third in overall US market share, but if the trends on this graph continues, that may change very quickly.

The graph below shows something a little more concerning for Apple.   Since July of 2010, Android phones have significantly outsold the iPhone by 13.9%. Blackberry did even worse, by trending toward a 21.9% deficit. If this trend continues, then Android will be the most popular smartphone in the US. This will probably occur before the end of the first quarter of 2011.






If I were Apple, I would get out of the contract with AT&T ASAP, and release a CDMA version of the iPhone as soon as possible.

This will help keep the iPhone ahead of the rise in Android popularity for a little longer and may take the steam out of Android's meteoric rise.