cdma

Stop whining, this is the iPhone 5

The headlines were flying fast and furious online, even before Apple's iPhone press event ended. With only an updated iPhone 4, called the 4S, and no iPhone 5, today's news was labeled a "big disappointment," and it was said that the iPhone 4S "disappoints Apple fans (and Wall Street)."

On Twitter and Facebook, comments included: "The S in iPhone 4S stands for Same," and even, "If I just tell myself it's an iPhone 5, I'll be happy with the iPhone 4S." That last comment caught my attention. It's author has stumbled onto the great untold truth from today's Apple news. If you look past the fact that this is essentially the same glass-and-metal case and 960x640-pixel display, it's an almost entirely new device, at least as different as the iPad 2 was from the original iPad.

The CPU? Different, moving up to a dual-core Apple A5. The camera? Upgraded from 5 megapixels to 8mp, and with video recording bumped from 720p to 1080p.

Perhaps as important, the hybrid GSM/CDMA architecture and improved antenna for what Apple claims will be 4G-like download speeds. (Of course, we'll believe this when we see it--an actual 4G iPhone would erase any doubt that this is an entirely new generation of iPhone). Finally, Apple says the iPhone 4S offers improved battery life with eight hours of talk time. … Read more

iPhone 5 to be major makeover, 'shatter' sales record

The iPhone 5 will represent a major upgrade over its predecessor, helping "shatter" the sales record captured by the iPhone 4 at launch last year, says an analyst with Ticonderoga Securities.

Providing his take on the new iPhone ahead of today's launch event, analyst Brian White expects the iPhone 5 to offer a "sleek, aluminum unibody enclosure" that's more like the MacBook Air than the iPhone 4. The new enclosure will not only look better but be stronger and lighter, avoiding the cracks that sometimes appear in the glass back of the iPhone 4.… Read more

iPhone 5 to offer 1GB RAM and voice control?

Apple's iPhone 5 will include a whopping 1GB of RAM and a voice-control system known as the Assistant, according to the latest reports hopping onboard the iPhone rumor mill.

Word of these potential new features was apparently leaked to TUAW by an unnamed but "reliable source" last week. However, the tech news site said it was hesitant to publish the details without corroboration.

But yesterday 9to5Mac said it received the same information from a "source familiar with the SOC's manufacturing," which refers to the phone's expected A5 processor, or system-on-a-chip.

Based on details … Read more

The 411: Locked-down phones

Welcome to the 411, my column answering all your questions about cell phones and cell phone accessories. I receive plenty of questions about these subjects via e-mail, so I figured many of you might have similar queries, too. At times, I might solicit answers from readers if I'm stumped. Send your questions and comments to me at nicole.lee@cnet.com. If you prefer to remain anonymous, let me know in the e-mail.

I currently carry 2 phones, one Verizon (CDMA) and one AT&T (GSM). This has served me well at getting coverage most everywhere I go. But what I would really love to do is combine the 2 accounts onto 1 phone. Are there any devices available that I could combine the 2 accounts (Verizon & AT&T) onto a single phone? -- TC, via e-mail

I would say probably not. There are dual-mode CDMA/GSM phones like the Verizon world phones, but the GSM chip in those handsets can only be used with overseas carriers. These phones can be SIM unlocked, but even then, many of them have additional locks that make them unusable with either AT&T or T-Mobile. If you do want to use two accounts in one phone, I can think of dual-SIM card handsets like the Blu Speed and the Duet D888, but these are GSM-only. If anyone has other ideas, please let us know in the comments.… Read more

Sprint reportedly prepping for iPhone 5

Sprint is said to be preparing to sell the iPhone 5 by setting up new cellular equipment in Apple stores, according to a story in Beatweek Magazine earlier this week.

Citing an anonymous source, Beatweek said that Sprint is installing network repeaters at Apple retail stores to ensure a strong signal so that potential iPhone 5 buyers can test the device on the carrier's cellular network.

The source, who lives in Austin, Texas, is quoted as saying "one thing I can tell you is that the electrical contractor that I work for is contracted to install Sprint 'repeaters' at The Domain. There is a Apple Store at The Domain. One of the 'repeaters' is to be installed INSIDE the Apple Store. There is to be a total of 5 'repeaters' installed. The equipment is CDMA and 4G (Sprint)."

The Apple store located in the Domain is also in Austin, Texas. Sprint uses CDMA for its 3G network, the same as Verizon Wireless. But analysts and other industry watchers have expressed doubts that the next iPhone would be a 4G device, citing Apple's concerns that the technology isn't yet mature. Apple and at least one iPhone carrier have reportedly been testing 4G LTE internally, but an actual 4G iPhone isn't likely to surface until next year.… Read more

Facebook bumps up privacy controls

The new iPhone may land on Sprint by mid-October, developers can start submitting apps for Windows Phone 7 "Mango" due out next month, and Facebook has announced new privacy controls.

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded:

New BlackBerry Curve arrives

RankMyHack.com lets hackers brag about their latest endeavors, the iPhone 5 is rumored to be a dual-mode device, and Research In Motion has released a new BlackBerry Curve.

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded:

iOS 5 code points to two iPad 3 models

A peek into the code for Apple's upcoming iOS 5 reveals two new iPad 3 models potentially in the works, according to sources at tech site TUAW.

Checking out the code files for USB devices in the iOS 5 firmware, TUAW uncovered references to an iPad3,1 and an iPad3,2.

The current iPad is identified as three separate models internally--iPad2,1 (Wi-Fi version), iPad2,2 (GSM version), and iPad2,3 (CDMA version). So the two models found in iOS 5 may be for a Wi-Fi version and a cellular version, suggesting to MacRumors that the iPad 3 cellular … Read more

Sprint again delays BlackBerry tablet

Potential BlackBerry PlayBook customers apparently will have to wait a while longer before they can buy the tablet through Sprint.

In a document addressed to dealers and revealed this week by mobile-device blog BriefMobile, Sprint broke the news of another delay in offering Research In Motion's new tablet. This latest delay follows initially promised launch dates of April 19 and May 8, according to BriefMobile.

Announcing the delay, the document promises that a new launch date will be communicated as soon as it's available. It also advises dealers who've bought PlayBook display pedestals to hang onto them … Read more

Report: Apple slashes CDMA iPhone 4 production in half

According to a report from industry tech newspaper DigiTimes, Apple is cutting its production of CDMA iPhone 4s for Verizon by half, from a projected 10 million to about 5 million.

The report comes behind news that Pegatron, the company chosen to help Apple build the CDMA components of the iPhone 4, reported a net quarterly loss of nearly $20 million.

This news is in contrast to reports that strong sales of Verizon iPhone 4s are boosting Apple's smartphone share. CNET's Josh Lowensohn cited Apple's quarterly earnings, which noted that "sales have been brisk."

Verizon … Read more