With the launch of the much hyped Samsung Galaxy S4 things seem to be a bit more bleak for Samsung in the US markets. Samsung has been making in roads into global smartphone markets by capturing almost 30% of the smartphone market share but it has been struggling to dethrone Apple in the US even after spending huge reserves of cash on marketing. The latest reports from Yankee Group suggests that Samsung will be loosing grounds over Apple in the next 6 months in US. The Galaxy S4 seems just like an iterative version of Samsung most successful smartphone yet, Galaxy S3. But Yankee Group suggests that the Galaxy S4 will still sell in large numbers and still is a good smartphone, but it isn’t good enough to convert more of Apple’s loyal base of customers.
The Korean tech giant and Apple’s main rival seems to be already gearing itself up to compete agains Apple’s much rumoured watch (iWatch) that is all set to be launched in the later part of 2013 as per rumours. Rumours have been flouting around since quite some time from various sources including analysts that Apple is preparing its next big thing which will be a wearable computer in the form of a watch. The Apple iWatch would be sporting an all metal and glass body that would also be capable of connecting to other iOS devices to control basic information like calendar, notifications, music etc. as per rumours.
A new patent application was unearthed by AppleInsider showing a different way devised to wirelessly charge devices. Apple’s Phil Schiller wasn’t took keen on wireless charging and downplayed the current systems saying they are no better than wired charging as users still have to connect a wire to the wireless charging dock. His words created an impression that Apple is not at all into wireless charging technologies. But guess what? Apple has different plans for it and hopes to create true wireless charging. Though companies like Nokia, Palm and LG already tried their hand at wireless charging, none of them took off quite too well.
In a move to diversify its supplier base KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that Apple might opt for Pegatron to manufacture major quantities of its rumoured low cost iPhone and the older models of iPhone like iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Apple currently relies on Foxconn for manufacturing majority of its product range. Pegatron has a share of manufacturing around 18% of iPhones produced last year which is predicted to move up to 27% due to Apple giving it more opportunities. It has been rumoured that Apple is diversifying its component manufacturers as well varying from Intel to TSMC.
An Engadget reader has tipped them about a possible launch of Google Now for iOS users that will be integrated right into the Google Search application on iOS. Google Now, which was touted to be a direct competitor to SIRI has soon surpassed SIRI in functionality and usability. Many users confirmed that Google Now understands and performs better than SIRI for general tasks. The new version of Google Now is a smart personal assistant that pops up information depending on a user’s search history, location data and usage history.
Adding to recent rumours about Intel and Apple to have begun talks over manufacturing of processors for future Apple devices there are a fresh set of rumours circulating around about Intel to start manufacturing A7 processors for Apple as early as 2014. Digitimes report that Intel might provide 10% of all Apple A7 processors while Samsung will produce 50% of them and TSMC will produce 40% of the orders from Apple. This seems to be a logical move for now as Intel can fill up its production idle capacity and also start exploring possibilities of full scale manufacturing of Apple processors eventually.
Most of the top companies in US take advantage of the tax laws which exempt the taxes on profits made on foreign lands as long as the cash isn’t brought back to the US. Because of this exemption the top 60 companies in US account to nearly $166 billion in cash outside of the US. Apple alone has a cash reserve of nearly $40 billion which Apple has saved in countries that have more relaxed tax laws.
Apple hasn’t really revealed any plans to make a good use of that money yet. But chief investment officer Howard Ward of Gamco Investors suggest that Apple is finally going to reveal its plans to make some enormous investments with its cash reserves next month. There have been overgrowing criticisms about Apple’s lack of plans for its valuable cash reserve of $137 billion and it is high time Apple proves them wrong says Ward.
Apple’s acquisition of AuthenTec last year for $356 million might show some effect with iPhone 5S, apart from that Apple also signed a deal with Microlatch, an Australian company specialising in biometric security through NFC. These strong backing and reports from KGI security and China Times suggest strongly that Apple might implement biometric finger print security and NFC in their upcoming iPhone. There were recent rumours that Foxconn has already started manufacturing of iPhone 5S as both sport almost the same housing but it seems that there will be lots of changes under the hood from Apple.
Last year Apple silently updated the internals of Apple TV when speculations were high of some major changes, especially with the processor user in Apple TV but finally it was found that Apple just reiterated the version of the same A5 processor and made it smaller. Back in January this year Apple made an update with the processor inside Apple TV and surprisingly it isn’t A5X just yet. Apple made the A5 processor even smaller this time according to MacRumours. The change was noticed when the software of Apple TV revealed the version of Apple TV as “AppleTV3,2″.
Brazil’s IGB Eletronica a telecommunications company currently own the iPhone trademark in Brazil and it sells its own make of iPhone in Brazil, the only twist is that it is a device running Android OS and not iOS. Apple seems to have been in discussion with IGB to get the trademark issue resolved and recently a Brazil’s largest daily Folha De São Paulo, IGB and Apple seems to have agreed to end the lawsuit over the trademark and come to some sort of agreement.
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