iPhone 6 and 6 Plus See Low-Key Launch in China as Uber Delivers Phones in Shanghai [iOS Blog]
Following a successful week of pre-orders, Apple today started selling its iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in China. The launch was relatively calm with hundreds of people reportedly waiting in lines at each retail store amidst strong security, according to The Wall Street Journal.
About 100 customers waited in line Friday morning outside Apple’s store in Beijing’s upscale Sanlitun shopping district, which opened its doors at 8 a.m. for buyers who had pre-ordered their new wares—the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6+. That was in part because the phone also went on sale at midnight elsewhere, including offices of China’s biggest telecom carriers.
This orderly gathering is a marked difference from some previous iPhone launches which were marred by fights and near riots by waiting mobs of mostly scalpers.
Those waiting in line reportedly were interested in the bigger screen of the new iPhone with customers opting for the pricier 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus over the 4.7-inch iPhone 6. This preference also was apparent in pre-orders with Chinese e-commerce site Jingdong Mall (JD.com) processing more reservations for the iPhone 6 Plus.
As retailers handle in-store customers, car service Uber, which is known for occasionally offering delivery of offbeat items such ice cream or playtime with kittens, offered on-demand delivery of their 16 GB iPhone 6 units in Shanghai earlier today. Customers who requested the Uber service were able purchase a phone from an authorized specialist who was driven to the customer’s desired location.
Beyond China, Apple this month is expanding its iPhone 6 and 6 Plus to 36 additional countries in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. It is the company’s fastest iPhone rollout ever, with a goal to launch the iPhone in 115 countries by the end of the year.
iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 Now Available for Pre-Order
Apple has begun accepting online pre-orders for the iPad Air 2 and the iPad mini 3 in the United States and several other countries around the world. Rumors have suggested that initial supplies of the iPad Air 2 might be somewhat constrained, so prospective buyers should make their purchases as soon as possible. All models are currently showing shipping estimates of 2-4 business days in the U.S. store.
AT&T is also accepting pre-orders on cellular models of the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 with shipping estimates of 6-10 business days.
Announced on October 16, Apple’s second-generation iPad Air offers several significant improvements over the original iPad Air, including a thinner design, an A8X chip, Touch ID, 802.11ac, support for LTE Advanced, an improved 8-megapixel camera with an f/2.4 aperture, and an anti-reflective screen coating that cuts down on glare.
The iPad mini 3 offers the same internals as the iPad mini 2 (aka the iPad mini with Retina display), but it does come with Touch ID and a new gold color option.
Available in white/silver, white/gold, and black/space gray, the iPad Air 2 is available in 16, 64, and 128GB configurations, with the Wi-Fi only models priced at $499, $599, and $699, respectively. Wi-Fi + Cellular models carry a $130 premium over Wi-Fi models and are priced at $629/$729/$829 for 16/64/128GB capacities.
The iPad mini 3 is also available in white/silver, white/gold, and black/space gray, and it also comes in 16, 64, and 128GB configurations. The corresponding Wi-Fi only models are priced at $399, $499, and $599, while the Wi-Fi + Cellular models are priced at $529, $629, and $729 for 16, 64, and 128GB configurations.
Both models can be pre-ordered immediately from Apple’s online store. The company has not yet provided information on when the iPad mini 3 and the iPad Air 2 will be available in stores, giving an availability date of “later next week.”
New MasterCard combines a fingerprint sensor with NFC
For awhile now, there’s been a number of companies trying to simplify payments for everyone. Google did so with Wallet and, most recently, Apple announced it would be doing something similar with the soon-to-be-launched Apple Pay, among others. Not surprisingly, MasterCard’s, synonymous with paying for stuff, is working on a product of its own. In partnership with Zwipe, a company that focuses on biometric tech, MasterCard has built a charge plate with a built-in fingerprint sensor and NFC, albeit for trial purposes. The Zwipe MasterCard, as it is currently known, is said to be extremely secure — all data is stored directly on the card, rather than an outside database, for example.
It’ll be simple to use too; you put tour thumb on the sensor, point it toward the terminal, the card makes sure it’s really you and voila, kind of like how Apple Pay works using Touch ID. Zwipe says it is already working on a standardized card, which is designed to support all payment terminal expected to be released next year. Theoretically, it could be adopted by more credit card brands, like Visa, American Express and Discover, but we shall see.
Filed under: Misc, Peripherals
Via: Digital Spy
Source: Zwipe
Apple aesthetics: A look at the iMac’s design history
A new version of Apple’s iMac desktop machine doesn’t always come with a retooled exterior. As has become the norm with the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, a spec boost via new internals is the case more often that not. This week, in addition to packing in a load of updated components, the company outfitted the all-in-one option with a new high-res Retina display that should translate to some stellar views. With a product line that dates back to the late ’90s, let’s take a closer look at the iMac’s notable design changes over the years.
No one has a platinum album in 2014
The decline in album sales is certainly nothing new, thanks to the smattering of streaming options now available to eager listeners. However, 2014 looks to be particularly awful. Forbes reports that nearly 10 months into the year, no release since January has yet to reach platinum status — a release that sells 1 million copies. What’s more, only one has sold a million copies: the Frozen soundtrack that hit shelves last year. At this point in 2013, five different albums had hit that sales mark (Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience led the pack). How bad are the numbers? Well, the best-selling effort that was actually released in 2014 is fourth on the year’s sales tally (Eric Church’s Outsiders). And singles are seeing the same fate, albeit at a slower pace. So far, 60 tracks have sold a million — down from 83 at this point last year. As Forbes points out, sales usually see a boost during Q4 (holiday bump), but popular artists like Adele, Katy Perry and others capable of selling loads of albums don’t have new material on tap before the year’s end.
[Photo credit: Gabe Souza/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images]
Filed under: Misc
Via: Fact Mag
Source: Forbes
Amazon UK reveals Nexus 9 prices to start from £319
Google may have finally made its latest Nexus devices official, but it’s kept UK pricing for the Nexus 6, Nexus 9 and Nexus Player under wraps. Fortunately for us, Amazon is keen to highlight that it’ll range the 8.9-inch HTC tablet, and has now started taking pre-orders for both black and white variants of the device before they’ve even appeared on Google’s Play Store. The online retail giant has revealed that the 16GB Wi-Fi model will cost £319, with its 32GB counterpart coming in at £399. After the 4G-equipped 32GB Nexus 9? Expect to pay £459 for the privilege. If you decide to take the plunge today, Amazon says it will get it to you by November 3rd. It’s a blow for those hoping Google would keep parity with the US/UK exchange rate, which would have put the 16GB WiFi-only model at around £250. Unfortunately, Amazon nor Google have confirmed UK pricing for either the Nexus 6 or the Nexus Player, but we’ll bring you the very latest as soon as we get it.
Filed under: Tablets, Mobile, HTC, Google, Amazon
Source: Nexus 9 (16GB White), (16GB Black), (32GB White), (32GB Black), (32GB 4G Black)
VPN Unlimited Premium: 3 years of safeguarded activity $19, ends today [Deal of the Day]
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Nexus device packaging to get new look
Unboxings are pretty boring, so that’s why I like this one of the Nexus 6. It’s a short Vine, but what’s most interesting is the packaging. It’s all new and the emphasis is on the number. I wonder what they will do with the Nexus Player?
Hit the break for the quick, and I mean very quick, Vine video.
https://vine.co/v/OqXigYblJh5/embed/simple
source: PocketDroid
Come comment on this article: Nexus device packaging to get new look
Sony Z4 to be a hardware juggernaut according to tipster
Not so long that the newly announced Xperia Z3 has lost any if its newness yet are we seeing information leaked regarding the Z4. Now before you groan and roll your eyes about seeing the Z4 in six months, know that Sony is looking to somewhat future proof its next flagship, at least if this tipster is correct.
If the source can be believed, the Z4 will sport a 5.5-inch screen of the qHD variety. Under that screen will be a Snapdragon 810 at 2.8GHz, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal storage. It looks like the camera for the Z4 will take advantage of a curved Exmor RS CMOS sensor with a similar resolution of previous Z# flagships.
Sony is also planning to create a superior audio experience by adding amplifiers behind its stereo speakers on the front. However, it should be said — not that it needs to, really — these are highly unsubstantiated specs. Should they pan out though, you’ll be able to rest assured that this will be it for Sony for 2015 as the company is suggesting that it’ll be getting rid of its six-month update cycle.
source: Android Origin
via: Phone Arena
Come comment on this article: Sony Z4 to be a hardware juggernaut according to tipster
T-Mobile Galaxy Note 4 receiving minor update
With today being the day that the Note 4 is launching in the United States officially, and T-Mobile customers who pre-ordered the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 getting a nice surprise earlier this week when they started receiving their orders, users on the uncarrier network are seeing a minor update pop up. The 65MB update looks to fix performance problems and increase battery performance. The carrier’s web site has nothing yet regarding details on the new update but if you’re on T-Mobile and have a Note 4, you should see a notification pop up. If not you can manually check for the update in the settings menu.
source: T-Mo News
Come comment on this article: T-Mobile Galaxy Note 4 receiving minor update
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