Verizon accounts for 32 percent of U.S. iPhone 4 market
According to a study from Localtics, Verizon has captured 32 percent of the US iPhone 4 market since it introduced the device in February of this year. Localtics suggests that Verizon's growth in share of the iPhone 4 market is due to existing AT&T customers switching to Verizon's unlimited data plan, which has now been discontinued (see next item).
Verizon offers new data plans; discontinues unlimited option
Verizon has discontinued unlimited data plans for the iPhone and other smartphones, and will instead offer tiered data plans to new customers. The new options will be as follows:
- 75MB – $10/month
- 2GB – $30/month
- 5GB – $50/month
- 10GB – $80/month
Existing Verizon customers will be able to keep existing unlimited plans and grandfather them when upgrading to the next generation iPhone. Verizon also has a mobile hotspot option ($20/mo, 2GB data per mo) allowing customers to use their iPhone as a mobile hotspot for other computers.
Sprint iPhone before Christmas?
News sources have reported that Sprint may start offering the iPhone during the Christmas season this year. Unlike AT&T and Verizon, which no longer offer unlimited data plans for the iPhone, Sprint is likely to continue offering unlimited data plans for the device. Analysts also note that Sprint's competitive data plan pricing may attract new customers, especially if they launch with the next generation iPhone 5.
AT&T offers standard mobile insurance plan to iPhone customers
Current iPhone customers will be allowed into AT&T's mobile insurance program, which offers protection against damage (physical or liquid) as well as loss or theft. The plan has a $50 or $125 deductible for each claim (depending on iPhone model) and costs $4.99 a month. Customers can only enroll within 30 days of a new activation or upgrade; prior activations or upgrades outside of 30 days are not eligible.
iPhone 5 and iPad 3 to launch in October?
Speculation based on info from the manufacturers of Apple's mobile devices is that Apple will launch the third edition of the iPad and iPhone 5 in October along with the release of iOS 5.
iPad HD
Recent rumors about the yet-to-be-released (or even acknowledged) next gen iPad indicate that Apple is working on a new device with 2048 x 1536 pixel display. According to unnamed sources, the new device will be marketed alongside the iPad 2 and will be targeted at users who need higher graphics capabilities. It is unclear whether this device will be the third-generation iPad or an additional version of the iPad.
Next-gen iPhone
Based on reports from industry sources, the next version of the iPhone will not only be thinner and weight less that the iPhone 4, it will incorporate an improved 8-megapixel camera.
iPhone/Android sales
While Android smartphones still outsell the iPhone (38 to 27 percent of the market), a recent Nielsen survey indicates that the iPhone is gaining on the Android devices. Reporting on February to May 2011 sales, the survey indicates that iPhone sales rose from 10 to 17 percent of new phones. Android sales remained flat during the same period. Speculation is that Apple's growth will increase with the release of iOS 5 and the next gen iPhone later this year.
Apple files Samsung complaint
According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple filed a complaint against Samsung with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). The complaint seeking to block the import of Samsung smartphones and tablets is based on a suit filed by Apple in April alleging that Samsung's Nexus S smartphone and Galaxy tablets copied design elements from the iPhone and iPad.
iOS security flaw reported
The Federal Office of Information Security in Germany has issued a warning that iOS has a security flaw that could leave iOS devices open to malware attacks when users view PDFs on the devices. The statement says that no attacks have been observed as of yet, but the potential for accessing confidential information is there, and it is not limited to jailbroken devices.
Apple working on a fix to security flaw
Apple announced that it is working on a fix to the security flaw reported by the Federal Office of Information security in Germany.
App Store reaches 15 billion downloads
In early July of this year, Apple announced that customers have downloaded more than 15 billion apps from the iTunes App Store, which opened in July of 2008. Apple said that the App store has posted a 23 percent growth each quarter during its existence. During the last (January to March) quarter, its revenues were 1.6 billion dollars (US).
