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Apple previously scheduled the release of a white iPhone 4 for this summer 2010 but there has been a recent announcement from Apple HQ that the release has now been delayed until “later in 2010″.

Secretiveness among the Apple ranks is not anything new but [...]]]>

This is one of the main questions of many Mac-heads and technology analysts.

Apple previously scheduled the release of a white iPhone 4 for this summer 2010 but there has been a recent announcement from Apple HQ that the release has now been delayed until “later in 2010″.

Secretiveness among the Apple ranks is not anything new but the sudden delay is making some tech critics suspicious.

What could be the reasons in the delay of the white iPhone 4?

Here are 3 possible reasons.

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Reason 1: Antennagate

The most likely of explanations: Apple engineers need to address the issues with the iPhone 4′s faulty antenna design.

To address these issues, on Friday July 23rd, Apple released the iPhone 4 Case Program, an iPhone app that checks whether you are eligible to receive an iPhone 4 Bumper or a select third-party case from Apple at no charge.

Even though there is no mention of the antenna issues on the email sent to millions of iPhone 4 buyers, it is clear that it is meant to address the “Death Grip” (a specific grip from iPhone 4 users that interferes with the phone’s reception so calls are dropped and Internet use is slowed down).

However, some people and Consumer Reports believe that this is how the free iPhone case will protect against dropped calls:

Nonetheless, a delay in the release of the white iPhone 4 can be explained  as an effort for engineers to solve the antenna issues for this relase.

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Reason 2: Overheating and Discoloring

It’s already been reported that Apple’s manufacturers had trouble perfecting the “paint thickness and opacity” of the white glass of the white iPhone model. However there are also other issues. According to CNet, last year, owners of white iPhone 3GS handsets complained that overheating was discoloring the phones’ casing. Though the problem was far from widespread, the company updated its heat advisory for all 3GS models, and won’t want to make the same mistake with a higher profile model.

According to Chinese newspaper 21st Century Business Herald, this issues is being addressed by a little-known Chinese factory by the name of Lens Technology, which is apparently responsible for transforming fine raw glass into the majority of iPhone glass panels out there.

There are rumors that a worker from Lens Technology’s quality control department has allegedly admitted that the company’s screen-printing workshop may currently be dealing with some issues with the white iPhone 4 covers. Specifically, the factory’s still working out the perfect combination of paint thickness and opacity — the former to ensure the next sub-contractor has enough clearance for the digitizer overlay, and the latter for the absolute whiteness that Jonathan “Jony” Paul Ive, Senior Vice President of Industrial Design at Apple Inc., is striving for.

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Reason 3: Stocking up Before (Christmas?) Launch

Given the logistic failures of the iPhone 4 due to the high demand, it would make sense that Apple wants to have a head start this time.

Apple admitted it was having manufacturing problems with the white iPhone well before antennagate. It’s more likely Apple wants to meet demand for the black iPhone 4 first — and won’t release the white model until it is ready to supply them in sufficient quantities .

Or just planning a Christmas release.

After all, a white iPhone Christmas would surely be a hit!

Have a nice day! ; )

Even though the iPhone 4 had record pre-orders and orders that ended in record sales and excellent initial reviews, recent media coverage has focused on the phone’s “death grip”: a reception problem triggered by touching its antenna as pictured on the left.

To add [...]]]>

Apple’s iPhone 4 just can’t catch a break.

Even though the iPhone 4 had record pre-orders and orders that ended in record sales and excellent initial reviews, recent media coverage has focused on the phone’s “death grip”: a reception problem triggered by touching its antenna as pictured on the left.

To add insult to injury, Microsoft executive Kevin Turner says Apple’s latest smartphone release could fail, just like his own company’s Windows Vista.

Let’s analyze what are the iPhone 4′s current problems.

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Steve Jobs Rolls out an iLemon

The original claim of Apple regarding the new antenna design was that it would increase the signal performance of the iPhone 4 because the frame would act as a bigger, better antenna.

Unfortunately, after the iPhone 4′s release, 2 things happened:

1. “Death Grip” of users interferes with the phone’s reception so calls are dropped and Internet use is slowed down.

2. The bars indicating the phone’s reception were not reflecting the actual reception.

To address these 2 issues, users found a simple solution:

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Antennagate

The interesting reality about the iPhone’s Antennagate is how Jobs and his team first completely dismissed it and asked people to stop holding the phone “incorrectly”. However, on July 16, 2010, Apple published on its website an explanation about smartphone antenna performance:

The opposite of amplification, attenuation happens whenever a signal is obstructed. All antennas — including television, radio, GPS, and cellular antennas — can experience attenuation. And with most antennas, the density and composition of the human hand can cause attenuation to a greater degree than some other materials. On a mobile phone, signal loss typically occurs when your hand attenuates the most sensitive part of the antenna. In the photos and videos below, we demonstrate how different grips cause attenuation on many popular smartphones — including iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS.

Despite showing similar cases of signal attenuation on other phones, providing an update that fixes the incorrect display of signal strength, and contemplating how to issue free bumper cases to iPhone 4 buyers (see image below); there is still talk about a possible iPhone 4 recall due to the ‘antennagate’.

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Beyond Antennagate

Besides the problems with the iPhone’s antenna, Apple has a bigger issue to deal with.

An investigation by Apple was prompted by a report in the London newspaper Mail on Sunday, which insinuated that workers at the Foxconn’s plant — E3 –were being treated unfairly and forced to operate under sweatshop-like conditions.

Foxconn’s Longhua facility is reported to house over 200,000 workers — or a population larger than the British city of Newcastle. Its exterior gates flaunt billboards encouraging anyone over the age of 16 to apply for a job.

Inside Longhua, workers labor a 15-hour day building iPods and iPhones, for which they usually earn about $50 per month. When they’re not on the assembly lines, they live in secluded dormitories that each house 100 people and prohibit visitors from the outside world. The workers are allowed “a few possessions” and a “bucket to wash their clothes.”

Foxconn, the Taiwanese computer and electronics manufacturer of the iPhone, maintains that its “employment practices are completely in accordance with the requirements of Shenzhen labor supervision departments.”

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The Future of the iPhone

While sales of the iPhone 4 continue to climb, there are 3 key questions about the iPhone:

1. Will a bumper case giveaway by Apple be enough to silence the requests for an iPhone 4 recall due to the phone’s signal problems?

2. If Apple does not rectify the ‘sweatshop’ accusations of its iPhone manufacturers, would customers decide to boycott Apple a la Nike in the 1990s?

3. Would a launch of the iPhone on the Verizon network be sufficient to settle all the problems with signal strength finally to rest?

4. What is the future of the debate: iPad and iphone vs. laptop and desktop computers?

Leave a comment below and let us know what you think about the future of the iPhone.

Look out Star Trek, here comes the iPad. Looking very similar to the handheld devices in the hands of Captain Jean Luc Picard on the Enterprise, Apple has presented us with the iPad.

The commercials and media coverage has all but declared [...]]]>

[This is a guest contribution by Eric Rea of Orange Soda]

Look out Star Trek, here comes the iPad. Looking very similar to the handheld devices in the hands of Captain Jean Luc Picard on the Enterprise, Apple has presented us with the iPad.

The commercials and media coverage has all but declared this next new addition to our technology arsenal as nothing less than a must-have. Having only been available for just over a month, Apple is reporting sales of 200,000 of these little miracles a week.

Naturally, the media coverage on these technology puppies has been growing like virtual kudzu on the net. One in five people have reported that they have plans to buy an iPad within the next year. Consumer reviews state that there’s a reported 92 to 99 percent of satisfied iPad users according to a poll conducted by ChangeWave.

And that’s just in America. It hasn’t even started infiltrating the rest of the world. But, what’s the real deal on the iPad? Is it just another unneeded device, or is it on the road to revolutionizing the way we do things, like the commercials proclaim?

iPad Pros

The iPad has been consistently compared to its older sister, the iPhone. It’s in between size will be a huge plus for viewing content, movies, pictures, and Web surfing, which on the iPhone, can be a little tedious to the eye. It could be much easier to travel with than a bulky notebook, and easier to keep track of the little iPhone.

iPad Cons

Like all new technology, there are always bugs and inconveniences to work out. Some new iPad users are complaining about the lack of a camera, the spotty Wi-Fi reception, the lack of support for Adobe Flash, its inability to create content effectively using spreadsheets and document programs, the costs of adding applications to make things work, and the substandard presentations of many of the apps that haven’t been fitted for the iPad yet.

Plus, its ability for storage and communication with other PCs hasn’t been fully explored. So, if you’re looking for something that has data recovery potential, you aren’t going to find it here.

The Bottom Line

So, the real deal? It really is a cool product, and has tons of potential. It still has some improvements to go through to really change the world, but it’s also just a toddler at this point. If Apple keeps improving, then we really could be on the road to exploring new universes.

Back in March 1, 2010, we discussed 3 Problems with Apple’s iPad.

I choose the image on the left because talking about the iPad is literally a hot topic.

Whether you support or hate the iPad, if you talk about it, you will easily find that people have a strong opinion about [...]]]>

Back in March 1, 2010, we discussed 3 Problems with Apple’s iPad.

I choose the image on the left because talking about the iPad is literally a hot topic.

Whether you support or hate the iPad, if you talk about it, you will easily find that people have a strong opinion about it.

On the previous article, it was concluded that:

Unclear customer value, unreliable data network service of AT&T, and poor brand name cast a shadow of doubt on the performance of the iPad.

I received a lot of comments, both positive and negative, regarding this conclusion and the 3 problems that were pointed out.

Here is a further discussion of those 3 points based on feedback received from readers at http://idaconcpts.com, followers at @idaconcpts, and online forums.

Problem #1: What is the value of having an iPad?

From the feedback received, it was very interesting that there was most discussion did not focus on the intrinsic value of the iPad itself but rather on the lack of support for Adobe Flash on the iPad.

Apparently there appears to be a consensus that some people might not see the value of owning an iPad. However, calling the inability of Adobe Flash support a problem, bugged several iPad supporters.

Mashable discusses this issue in more detail:

The above shot taken from Apple’s presentation (hat tip: Engadget) demonstrates quite clearly another big omission from the iPad: support for Adobe Flash. It’s bad enough on the iPhone, but imagine loading up a nice video link on the iPad only to have it… simply not play.

We know Apple dislikes its lack of control over the whole Flash ecosystem, and that Flash is the leading cause of crashes on OS X. We can also prognosticate that Apple is hoping that HTML5 will take off quickly and start to disintermediate Flash as the primary technology powering video playback on the web.

Still, YouTube just announced their HTML5 player last week. It’s getting out there, but it’s the early days for widespread HTML5 support. It’s doubtful it will be in a position two short months from now to completely replace the Flash experience for web video, leaving a lot of ugly “plug-in missing” boxes to make an appearance on one’s expensive iPad tablet.

As of the time that this article was written, there were still developments on this issue.

In the same article, Mashable also went to warn potential users of the iPad about other technical difficulties.

When buying the Apple iPad, you really need to understand all the implications of what the iPad can do and can’t do. Having a real perspective on what the specs of the iPad will allow you to make a better decision on whether or not to buy one.

Problem #2: Another monthly bill of AT&T’s 3G network.

Supporters of the iPad claim that this is not true.

However, isn’t the 3G service from the iPad tied only to AT&T?

Apple indicates on its website:

In the U.S., 3G service will be available from AT&T.

The poor performance of AT&T’s 3G service has been widely reported by Business Week (among other publications):

• AT&T’s iPhone Dilemma (April 30, 2009)
• Apple-AT&T: Hints of Strain (June 12, 2009)
• Can AT&T Meet iPhone Network Demands? (August 23, 2009)
• AT&T Mulls Plans to Deal with iPhone Data Demand (December 21, 2009)
• An AT&T Mystery: Abrupt New York iPhone Shutdown (December 28, 2009)
• Apple iPad Adds to Pressure on AT&T (January 28, 2010)
• AT&T’s iPhone Mess (February 03, 2010)

Do you really want more of AT&T’s spotty service?

Some people pointed out that you can only pay for 3G service only when you need it….yet why would you pay for service that you anticipate to be bad?

Some people pointed out that you can get a WiFi only version….yet why would you want another device that can only work at home (don’t you have a laptop, desktop, etc) and that does less efficiently basic features (e.g. try writing a 500 word essay on a laptop or minibook versus the iPad)?

Problem #3: Social Media is mocking the iPad.

Viral mockery is one of the key elements of Apple’s “I am a Mac” TV ads.

Funny that Mac fans love those ads.

Funny that when successful viral mockery turns against Apple, the Mac fans revolt!

Let’s not take ourselves so seriously! Yes, that’s right I am an Apple fan as well.

Conclusion

I still stand by the previous conclusion that unclear customer value, unreliable data network service of AT&T, and poor brand name cast a shadow of doubt on the performance of the iPad.

Current pre-order sales of the iPad appear to be healthy and it appears that this pre-order inventory is already  sold out. That is not a surprise and should be taken with a grain of salt,  this is done on purpose.  I would wait until around the holiday season to truly evaluate the performance of the iPad.

Thank you to everybody for the feedback! I enjoy healthy discussion. Feel free to leave a comment here or contact me at @idaconcpts on Twitter.

On January 27th, 2010 Apple launched the iPad.

“iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and [...]]]>

On January 27th, 2010 Apple launched the iPad.

“iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.”

What is the iPad?

The iPad is tablet PC that runs the iPhone operating system.

Basically, it looks like a giant iPhone.

Scratch that, a giant iTouch.

The iPad’s responsive high-resolution Multi-Touch display lets users physically interact with applications and content. iPad is just 0.5 inches thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds— thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook, but still bigger than a portable iTouch or iPhone.

The iPad includes 12 new innovative apps designed especially for the iPad, and will run almost all of the over 140,000 apps in the App Store. iPad will be available in late March 2010 starting at a rumored price of $499.

The iPad comes in two versions—one with Wi-Fi and the other with both Wi-Fi and 3G. iPad includes the latest 802.11n Wi-Fi, and the 3G versions support speeds up to 7.2 Mbps on HSDPA networks. Apple and AT&T announced 3G pre-paid data plans for iPad with on-device activation and management.

The iPad has 3 important problems.

Let’s start with the biggest issue .

Problem #1: What is the value of having an iPad?

The question you have to ask yourself:  what is an iPad worth to me?

If you already have an iPhone and a MacBook, why would you need an iPad?

Let’s put in much more simple terms. If you are thinking about buying your son a computer, would you buy him a netbook, a MacBook, a Windows 7 computer or an iPad?

Answers will vary. Personally, I think that the iPad is:

• Not as portable as an iPhone.
• Still Flash-challenged.
• Yet another monthly bill.
• And worst of all, leading to problem #2…

Problem #2: Another monthly bill of AT&T’s 3G network.

I <3 my iPhone.

I h8 AT&T’s spotty service.

Apparently, I am not the only one that has serious doubts about the ability of AT&T in meeting the data demand from iPhones around the country, and now Ipads.

A quick search of “AT&T customer” on Business Week reveals the following articles:

• AT&T’s iPhone Dilemma (April 30, 2009)
• Apple-AT&T: Hints of Strain (June 12, 2009)
• Can AT&T Meet iPhone Network Demands? (August 23, 2009)
• AT&T Mulls Plans to Deal with iPhone Data Demand (December 21, 2009)
• An AT&T Mystery: Abrupt New York iPhone Shutdown (December 28, 2009)
• Apple iPad Adds to Pressure on AT&T (January 28, 2010)
• AT&T’s iPhone Mess (February 03, 2010)

Yet another monthly AT&T bill? No thanks.

“Consumers may expect more from their iPad than the network can deliver at this point,” says Shira Levine, an analyst with Infonetics, a telecommunications market research firm. “There’s potential for more consumer dissatisfaction.” This reaction reflects the consumer dismay with the performance of AT&T’s wireless network and concern that adding the iPad will only add to the strain.

There is the option to buy the WiFi only iPad. But then again, that takes us back to the question posed under Problem #1: What is the value of having an iPad?

Problem #3: Social Media is mocking the iPad.

Mac heads love the “I am a Mac” ads that poke fun at PC users.

Nobody likes to be poked fun at.

Remember Apple’s Newton? Mac heads don’t like to be remembered about that one.

The iPad is heavily used to poke fun at Mac lovers.

It appears that the marketing department and Jobs did not do their due diligence when choosing the iPad name.

Conclusion

Unclear customer value, unreliable data network service of AT&T, and poor brand name cast a shadow of doubt on the performance of the iPad.

How many Mac users are there in the world?

Pretty straigthforward, huh?

Not so much.

According to Apple in May 2006, there were about 15 million Mac OS X active users worldwide.

In March 2007, the number of Mac OS X users was estimated to be 22 [...]]]>

How many Mac users are there in the world?

Pretty straigthforward, huh?

Not so much.

According to Apple in May 2006, there were about 15 million Mac OS X active users worldwide.

In March 2007, the number of Mac OS X users was estimated to be 22 million strong, according to analysts at Bank of America Securities.  The Leopard release generated about 6 million more users.

From their 2008 10-K form, you can see that their total Mac unit sales (desktop and portable, no iPod, no iPhone) were:

2008………9.71 million units
2007………7.05 million units
2006………5.30 million units

Why I mention this? Well, there has been a steady increase of about 2 million unit sales in the last 2 years, so if this trend was to continue, we could expect 2009 to have about 11 million unit sales, 2010 to have about 13 million unit sales, and 2011 to have about 15 million unit sales.  Of course, this is a very linear assumption but I find it hard to find any analyst willing to predict a growth number beyond 1 quarter ahead.

Therefore, the number of 22 million Mac users seems quite low.

The well-respected research firm Gartner (after tweeting about them for a bit at http://twitter.com/idaconpts, now they are following me) estimated the installed Mac base at 25 million in 2007.

Apple has sold about 10 million Macs in 2008, and nearly half to switchers from Windows (what they say in their earnings conference calls).

So we can agree that 22 million Mac users worldwide is pretty low.  Dave Zeiler from the Baltimore Sun wrote an interesting article about the number of Mac users back in 2002 and he told me that “I don’t think anyone really knows what the Mac installed base is. That 25 million number from 2002, I believe, was uttered by Steve Jobs himself.  The most recent estimates I’ve seen place the current installed base for Mac OS X at 25 million, which seems impossible given the explosive growth in Mac sales in recent years.  Perhaps Jobs was exaggerating in 2002. So I’d guess that by the end of 2008 the Mac installed base should be close to 30 million. But I’m guessing.”

Net Applications estimates Apple’s market share to be 8.87% for this November 2008. The question is: 8.87% of what? I wrote a couple e-mails to NetApplications and they replied: “The market share data is worldwide. The data is compiled from approximately 160 million visitors per month.The visitors are to a network of 40,000 websites.”

So if the world has about 6.6 billion people, that would mean 0.57 billion Mac users. Somehow I think that’s too high.  I am trying to find how many people have access to a computer worldwide, maybe that would make more sense.

However, my boss at iLovePhotos found an interesting way to approach this problem:  find the number of users for a must-have Mac application.  The Mail app from Mac seems like a good choice (Finder would be even better!).  Gabor Cselle from San Francisco wrote an interesting piece on the estimated number of users of popular e-mail applications and he estimated the number of Mail users to be around 50 million.

So, which answer do you think is more sensible to the “how many Mac users are there in the world?” question:

a) 25 million

b) 30 million

c) 50 million

d) 0.57 billion

e) none of the above

What do you think?