Rumors

Verizon appears to be following up the entry-level Pantech Marauder with yet another smartphone aimed at first-time Android adopters. Android blog Droid Life recently caught wind of a Samsung model, which could be a similar offering only from a bigger brand. … Read more

The iPhone 5 will sport the usual home button, front camera, and a currently unidentified component that could be an NFC chip, according to AppleInsider.

Scouring photos posted by Taiwan-based blog Apple.pro (English translation), AppleInsider discovered a part that had not appeared in previous photos. The size of the part has lead to speculation that it could be a chip for near-field communication, or NFC.

Positioned next to the front camera, the square part matches the size of other NFC chips, such as the one made by NXP, AppleInsider noted. Of course, the photos by themselves don't prove … Read more

Apple's much-rumored iPad Mini will in fact be called the iPad Mini.

At least, that's the latest from Apple blog site Macotakara. Citing info from an "Asian source," the Japanese site said the 7.85-inch tablet is expected to sport the familiar iPad logo on the back.

If true, this means that news reports and blogs speculating about the tiny tablet actually got the name right. Apple sometimes surprises its audience with its choice of names. Those of us expecting an iPad 3 earlier this year were treated simply to the iPad or the new iPad, … Read more

Apple will unveil an "iPad Mini" in October after a September 12 coming-out party for the new iPhone, according to a report in AllThingsD.

ATD's John Paczkowski cited several unnamed sources in reporting the separate events.

As outlined by CNET's Chris Matyszczyk recently, there were reports in July that both devices would be announced by Apple on September 12 -- with the new iPhone actually hitting store shelves on the 21st -- and the shared-event claim was later called into question by Daring Fireball's John Gruber.

Of course, it remains to be seen how it … Read more

If you want to buy a mod kit that will turn your iPhone 4 or 4S into what some expect the next iPhone will look like, you've only got two more days.

iPhone5mod.com, a China-based site selling iPhone 5 mod kits, posted on its blog today that Apple is stopping the company from selling any more its product. A company authorized by the iPhone manufacturer sent the site a cease and desist letter, saying iPhone5mod.com is selling "counterfeit Apple merchandise," according to the blog post.

"We are sorry to announce that we have received … Read more

Rumors of a slightly improved HTC One V recently started leaking online, alongside hints of an HTC fall refresh.

Details for the so-called HTC Proto point to a larger 4.0-inch display and 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor. Nothing major to be sure, but it can't hurt HTC's chances against other models due this year. Additional specifications for the handset fall in line with the One V and should include 512MB RAM, 4GB internal storage, and a 5-megapixel camera.

The first official-looking images of the HTC Proto show a more rounded design, with no signs of the One … Read more

Apple's purported iPad Mini could offer a rear camera if the latest scuttbut is on the money.

Alleged Chinese cases for the much-rumored 7-inch tablet posted by Giz-China.com show a plastic clip on the rear cover, a sign that the iPad Mini could provide a rear-facing camera but one without an LED flash. On the front would be a FaceTime camera at the top center of the screen, just like on the 9.7-inch iPad.

The cases also seemingly reveal a thinner bezel than the one on the larger iPad. The volume control would rest on the right … Read more

Apple and its suppliers face a busy season if rumors of its iPad Mini are true.

The company's manufacturing partners will reportedly kick out 4 million units of the small tablet each month starting in September, according to the folks at Digitimes.

Citing the usual "supply chain sources," DigiTimes said that Apple is aiming at those numbers in order to satisfy the expected demand from holiday shoppers. The supply chain has already been building the tiny tablet since June at a rate of around several hundred thousand per month, the sources added.

The iPad Mini would reportedly … Read more

Leaked parts purportedly for Apple's next iPhone that recently surfaced have been assembled by an electronics repair company and have been found to fit "perfectly."

iResQ published photos today of the smaller docking port and headphone jack assembly attached to the frame of what is believed to the next generation of Apple's smartphone.

"The docking port and headphone jack assembly seemed to fit perfectly inside of the frame," the firm said in a blog post. "One of our technicians was even able to screw the assembly into the pre-aligned screw holes inside of … Read more