iPhone sales exceed Windows Mobile sales for first time
Gartner’s latest and greatest analysis of the global smartphone industry is in, and there are quite a few interesting nuggets tucked within all those percentages. For starters, the sector still managed to grow 11.5% in Q3 2008 compared to a year prior, but that increase is the smallest since it began tracking. Of course, given the current economic climate, we’d say it’s a win to see any number not in the negative. Moving on, we see Nokiamaintaining its numero uno status with 42.4% market share, though it did recognize a rare decline in sales of 3% year-on-year; as for RIM, its BlackBerry phone sales increased an amazing 81.7% in Q3. We’re also clued in to why Apple was rumored to be hacking its iPhone productionsome 40% in Q4, as the company has some two million units of inventory built up in the supply channel. Finally, we’re told that “for the first time (meaning in this quarter), iPhone sales exceeded sales of Microsoft Windows Mobile devices worldwide and in North America,” and beyond that, “open-source initiatives like Android and Symbian Foundation [are set to] challenge Windows Mobile’s licensing model in the short-term.” Need we really reiterate how badly WinMo 7 is needed?
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Apple, Walmart to do $99 4GB iPhone?
Look, we know you’ve been holding out for the iPhone to hit Walmart before you pick it up, sandwiched between the fishing gear and row upon row of exercise videos — and we don’t blame you. You’ll ride your shopping cart down the wide aisles like a chariot, and when you get home with the phone you’ll dial up all your friends and let them know how much cheaper your iPhone was than theirs. What was that? Yeah, the new word on the street is that Walmart is getting a 4GB iPhone 3G for a mere $99, according to Boy Genius Report, and whileBGR was previously reporting a November 15th launch date at Walmart, and can’t vouch for the accuracy of this new report, Walmart training materials (pictured above) have been seen in the wild, so there’s a grain of truth to this madness somewhere. Plus, a $99 iPhone just sounds so Walmart-ey, doesn’t it?
Josh’s Verdict: Hey, look at the times we’re in now.. This MIGHT just be true. We’ll see.
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Apple In-Ear Headphones Finally Shipping
Apple describes the new In-Ear headphones as being “engineered for superior acoustic accuracy, balance, and clarity” and were originally promised in October. They retail for $79.00.
The new headphones are
also mostly compatible with the iPhone and iPhone 3G although the volume controls will not work. Apple has also released a technote on getting optimal audio quality from your In-Ear headphones.New to Josh’s Blog? Make sure you follow my RSS feed so you don’t miss anymore great stuff!
Macworld 2009: New Macs, 32GB iPhones?
A number of products are expected to be unveiled at or around Macworld. Long running rumors have suggested that Apple’s iMac and Mac mini are due for imminent updates. Mac Pro suitable Nehalem processors are
due in the first quarter and we’ve long heard that the remainder of the Cinema Displays will be updated at MWSF.Meanwhile, an
unconfirmed tip at MacBlogz even claims that Apple might introduce a 32GB iPhone at Macworld 2009. While these “storage bump” predictions are easy to make, the technology may be poised to become available at the right timeframe.The reason the largest iPhone (16GB) currently has 1/2 the memory of the largest iPod touch (32GB) is that the iPhone can only house a single NAND Flash chip while the iPod touch can accommodate two. The additional space in the iPhone is taken up by its communication hardware. In
August, Toshiba announced that they would begin mass production of higher density 32GB chips in the 4th quarter of 2008. These chips could presumably be used in future iPhone and iPod touch models. Another intriguing annoNew to Josh’s Blog? Make sure you follow my RSS feed so you don’t miss anymore great stuff!
Apple gives free Mini DisplayPort spec licenses
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The Simpsons mocks Apple
Few have been spared the satire of Matt Groening’s long running animated sitcom. Last night, The Simpsons took on Apple, or uh, Mapple for a full 6 minutes of lampoonery — a pretty harsh ride at a two-joke per minute pace. It all starts when the Springfield mall gets its very own Mapple store, “it’s so sterile,” gasps Lisa upon entering. Perhaps the best exchange comes from Bart’s dubbing of a Steve Mobs’ product announcement in front of a crowd of gaping nerds, “You think you’re cool because you buy a $500 phone with a picture of a fruit on it. Well guess what? They cost 8 bucks to make and I pee on every one!” A Mapple store employee then angrily responds, “Who dares question the boss we fired 10 years ago and then brought back!” Yuk yuk. Videos after the break for as long as it takes for the copyrighters to wake up.
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Milestone: 10,000 iPhone Apps
148Apps, which tracks and reviews iPhone Apps, says 10,000 applications have now been released on the iPhone App store (the site is named after the fact that you can add up to 148 applications to an iPhone or iPod touch).
A tribute page shows a mini icon for every application. And it also gives some interesting data. About 24% of apps are free; 35% cost $.99. The average cost is $3.12, including free apps. About 34% are games or entertainment, and there are 49 weather related apps for the iPhone despite the fact that a weather app is built in.
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Linux hits the iPhone!
We knew this day would eventually come, but somehow we’re still misting up a little — Linux has been ported to the iPhone and iPod touch. Dev Team member planetbeing is the mastermind in charge of bringing everyone’s favorite open-source OS to Apple’s handhelds, and while it’s a little rough around the edges (read: no touchscreen drivers, sound, or WiFi / cell radio support), it’s definitely the first step on the road to hacking nirvana. The team is hard at work, and it even sounds like they’re thinking about porting Android in the near future (!), so hit the read link to try it out and lend a hand if you can — or just head on past the break for a quick vid of the port in all its text-scrolling glory.
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Apple’s US Black Friday sale now live
What started down under has followed the sun home, Apple’s Black Friday sale is now live at the US Apple store. At first glance the sale is consistent with years past and what we’ve already seen In Australia and elsewhere — so much for all the analyst expectations of a big blow out. Read
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Apple’s Black Friday deals appear on Australian site
Apple’s Black Friday sales have appeared on their Australian site, giving us a little insight into the ‘deals’ we in the US can possibly expect tomorrow. It looks like the biggest cut will be on the new MacBooks and iMacs — up to $100 off, with some smaller discounts on iPods and the Apple TV. Everything else falls pretty much in line with what we’ve seen in previous years. It’s nothing terribly exciting or unexpected for sure, so if you were thinking about busting down the doors in search of a $7 iPhone tomorrow morning, you might want to cuddle in for a few extra winks instead.
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