Apple Releases iOS 6.1, With Expanded LTE Support, Siri Movie Ticket Purchases, and More::

After much anticipation, and 5 separate developer betas, Apple has finally released iOS 6.1 for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.  The update adds LTE support for 36 additional iPhone and 23 additional iPad carriers worldwide, brings the to purchase movie tickets in the U.S. using Siri and the Fandango app, and allows users to download songs individually from iTunes Match on iOS devices.

From Apple’s press release:

Apple® today updated iOS to version 6.1, adding LTE capabilities to 36 additional iPhone® carriers and 23 additional iPad® carriers around the world, so even more iPhone 5, iPad mini and iPad* with Retina® display users can experience ultrafast wireless performance** to browse, download and stream content at blazing fast speeds. To date, iOS users have uploaded over nine billion photos to Photo Stream, sent over 450 billion iMessages and received over four trillion notifications. 

“iOS 6 is the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, and with nearly 300 million iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices on iOS 6 in just five months, it may be the most popular new version of an OS in history,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iOS 6.1 brings LTE support to more markets around the world, so even more users can enjoy ultrafast Safari browsing, FaceTime video calls, iCloud services, and iTunes and App Store downloads.”

Also worth noting: iOS 6.1 brings Bluetooth keyboard support to the Apple TV— a long-rumored feature that should be VERY welcome for users. The update comes about three months after the initial beta, and just three days after their latest iOS 6.1 beta for developers. The update is available now through iTunes. We’ll update this post with direct links as soon as we have them.

Update: Direct links to iOS 6.1 firmware can be found below (via TheNextWeb)

• iPhone 5 (A1428 AT&T)
• iPhone 5 (A1429 CDMA)
• iPhone 3GS
• iPhone 4
• iPhone 4 (CDMA)
• iPhone 4S
• iPad 4 (WiFi)
• iPad 4 (GSM)
• iPad 4 (CDMA)
• iPad 3  (WiFi)
• iPad 3 (GSM)
• iPad 3 (CDMA)
• iPad 2 (rev b 2, 4) (WiFi)
• iPad 2 (rev a 2, 1) (WiFi)
• iPad 2 (GSM)
• iPad 2 (CDMA)
• iPad mini (WiFi)
• iPad mini (GSM)
• iPad mini (CDMA)
• iPod touch 4G
• iPod touch 5G

Apple Confirms: There are Now 300M iOS Devices Running iOS 6 or Later::

Alongside the release of iOS 6.1 on Monday, Apple announced that there are now a massive 300 million iOS devices running iOS 6 or later. Considering that there are now about 500 millon iOS devices in use worldwide, that’s a pretty impressive adoption rate (around 60%)! If you judge by developer stats, the number may be more like 80%!

From the press release:

“iOS 6 is the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, and with nearly 300 million iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices on iOS 6 in just five months, it may be the most popular new version of an OS in history,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iOS 6.1 brings LTE support to more markets around the world, so even more users can enjoy ultrafast Safari browsing, FaceTime video calls, iCloud services, and iTunes and App Store downloads.”

Over 100 million of those devices were upgraded to iOS 6 within the first week after it launched – and all devices sold since them have been pre-loaded with iOS 6. That’s a lot of iOS devices, and a pretty impressive figure from Apple. I wonder how many Android devices are running Jelly Bean? Oh, yeah – about 10 percent. How embarrassing.

Samsung Demands Access to Apple’s iOS 6 Source Code, Apple Says ‘Hell No!’

Samsung is back to their old legal tricks, and has once again demanded access to Apple’s iOS 6 source code, this time in a Korean court. The Korea Timesreports, noting Samsung’s argument that they need access to the source code to verify that Apple isn’t violating their patents:

Samsung Electronics claimed Friday it should be able to access Apple’s software source code to confirm whether or not its technology patents were infringed upon in the latest i0S 6 operating system powering iPhones and iPads.

Samsung claims that Apple’s i0S 6 borrowed from one of its software patents without consent.

Apple, of course, had something to say about this, issuing a response that effectively amounts to “Hell no!”

Apple has denied the request of its Korean rival, calling it ridiculous. Both Motorola and Google have also asked for the source code to be supplied but to no avail. 

“It doesn’t’ make any sense. Samsung is saying that we should give up protecting our most important data,’’ court officials recalled Apple lawyers as saying. The court requested Apple to have its software designers and engineers testify, but the American technology giant refused. 

It’s pretty obvious why Apple doesn’t want their competitors taking a lookie-loo at their source code – but Samsung’s argument isn’t completely ridiculous either (albeit that source code would need to be reviewed by legal counsel rather than any actual Samsung employee).

Microsoft Surface Pro Launches in U.S. and Canada on February 9::

Microsoft has officially announced that the high-end Windows 8-powered version of its Surface tablet will be available starting on January 9th in the U.S. and Canada. Microsoft initially announced a January launch, but missed their launch target.

The base model of the Surface Pro starts at a whopping $900, and includes 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage (expandable up to 128GB using MicroSD), and an Intel Core i5 processor. The high-end model will be available for $999, and includes 128GB of storage with the same specs as the 64GB version.

It’s also worth noting that the Surface Pro’s $900 starting price doesn’t include a keyboard – the magnetic Touch Cover ($120) and Type Cover ($130) have to be purchased separately. A fully-functional Surface with PC-like input and a keyboard will cost over $100. At those prices, you could purchase a MacBook Air or an Ultrabook, which would have more power, more storage, more power, could be configured with more RAM, and which are all-around more capable of computing tasks.

It will be interesting to see how well the Surface Pro performs in its first round of sales – but it’s hard to imagine these flying off of the shelves… For more information, head on over to the Microsoft Store.

Photos Released From Upcoming ‘Jobs’ Movie::

A couple of photos from the upcoming movie about Steve Jobs have been published by USA Today, and while I’m not convinced about the actor portraying Steve Wozniak, Ashton Kutcher looks incredibly like Steve Jobs did back then. Going by the pictures, I’m struggling to understand why people have been saying Kutcher is a bad choice for the part.

Nevertheless, you’ve got to credit Josh Gad, who portrays Steve Wozniak, for the effort he’s put in. Hour after hour of studying Wozniak and even attending a programming course takes some dedication.

Kuo: Apple’s 2013 Lineup to Include Multiple iPhones, Retina iPad mini, All-Retina MacBook Pros::

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has an excellent batting average when it comes to predicting Apple’s product plans, has released a new research report. It outlines his expectations for Apple’s 2013 product releases.

MacRumors:

Kuo believes that Apple will focus its launches on the third quarter of this year, with a number of updates throughout the company’s various product families.

iPhone

Kuo sees Apple as introducing both an iPhone 5S and a revamped iPhone 5 around June or July of this year. The 5S will look similar to the 5, but will have a number of upgrades, such as a better performing A7 system-on-a-chip, a fingerprint sensor, and improvements to the camera, which could include an f2.0 aperture and a smart LED flash.

He says the lower cost iPhone 5 will be basically a repackaged iPhone 5 in a slightly thicker, plastic enclosure available in six colors.

iPad and iPad mini

Kuo forecasts updates for both lines during Q3, as the iPad mini will get a Retina Display, and the full-size model will become considerably lighter and thinner.

MacBook Pro

Kuo sees the non-Retina Display Pros saying goodbye, with Apple releasing an all Retina line of notebooks at lower prices than the current Retina lineup. Kuo also believes the design of the Retina MacBook Pros will be tweaked a bit.

MacBook Air

Kuo predicts no Retina Display for the Air line, given their relative thickness. He sees a move to Intel’s upcoming Haswell platform, and says that will be the main upgrade for the lineup, coming as soon as late Q2.

Desktop Models

Kuo doesn’t see the Retina Display making into the iMac family on 2013. He does say the iMac and the Mac mini will move to the Haswell platform in the fourth quarter.

Kuo’s report doesn’t mention a new Mac Pro, even though Apple CEO TIm Cook has been quoted as saying a significant update for the venerable machine was in the cards in 2013.

iPod touch

The 4th-generation touch will be discontinued, Kuo says, and in order to fill that gap, a scaled-back version of the 5th-gen model with 8GB of storage, and no rear camera will be sold at $199.

Apple TV

Kuo sees a minor update coming to Apple’s “hobby” as soon as late this quarter, but offers no details. He doesn’t see Apple’s actual television set appearing any time this year, citing content issues, and Apple’s lack of experience in the television market.

iPhone 5S Said to be Set for June/July Launch, Production to Ramp Up in March::

Jefferies analyst Peter Misek is at it again. Following his report about two weeks ago about multi-colored iPhones, Misek has now released a new research report, once again claiming that the ‘iPhone 5S’ is due to launch in June or July, with production set to start ramping up sometime in March.

StreetInsider reports (via 9to5Mac)

Misek [...] said checks indicate that preliminary builds for the iPhone 5S will start in March for a launch in June/July. “As word of the earlier production schedule starts to spread, we believe we could see a slight slowing of demand CQ1 in anticipation of the new product launch and Apple will likely start curtailing channel inventory. Therefore we tweak down our CQ1 iPhone shipment estimate from 48M to 44M, which is still well above widespread fears of shipments in the mid-30Ms.”

MacRumors provides additional details regarding Misek’s comments. Misek makes a number of interesting claims regarding possible features of the ‘iPhone 5S’, which he classifies in terms of likeliness. He also makes note of 6 separate iPhone prototypes reportedly in testing at Apple:

 Based on our checks, likely updates include a new super HD camera/screen, a better battery, and NFC. Possible updates include an IGZO screen for Retina+, 128GB storage, and coming in 6 to 8 colors.

Several iPhone 6 prototypes appear to be floating around. The model with a 4.8″ screen is the most interesting. It has a Retina+ IGZO screen, a new A7 quad-core processor variant, and a new form factor with no home button. Full gesture control is also possibly included.

Misek also chimes in to back up recent rumors that Apple may release a significantly cheaper iPhone, possibly targeted at a $200-250 price range.

It’s unclear how much stake should be put in Misek’s claims. On the one hand, a June or July launch would make for a faster release schedule than we are used to for the iPhone – indeed the fastest release schedule yet. However, Apple made a similarly surprising move when they released the 4th-gen iPad just 8 months following its predecessor.

Horace Dediu of Asymco hypothesizes that Apple may be doing so in order to mitigate the loss of sales that occurs when users are expecting new Apple hardware. If they break up their release cycle, consumers may not hold back as much in advance of new product launches.

Misek also claims that a new 5th-generation iPad could launch in June, with a thinner build (due to a thinner and lighter IGZO display). Meanwhile, the iPad mini will also reportedly be updated on the same time table, with the most persistent claim being that it will receive a Retina display.

Leaving no stone unturned, Misek even makes some claims about Apple’s long-fabled television set, which has been rumored so deeply that it has attained unicorn-like mythical status. Misek claims that Apple might release such a product sometime in September or October of 2013.

It’s worth noting that Misek does have a somewhat mixed track record, and analysts generally shouldn’t be considered as insider’s into Apple’s plans. We’d recommend exercising extreme caution with Misek’s latest sky-high dish of Apple Rumor Salad. I’d say it’s about as credible as our “authentic” iPhone 5S header image at the top of this post…

Apple Blocks Java from Running on Macs Due to Major Security Concerns:

If you frequently use Java-based apps or websites on your Mac or PC, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has a bit of concerning news. A major security flaw within Java 7 has caused the department to warn users to disable or uninstall Java on their computers until a workaround is released.

From ZDNet:

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has warned users to disable or uninstall Java software on their computers, amid continuing fears and an escalation in warnings from security experts that hundreds of millions of business and consumer users are vulnerable to a serious flaw.

Hackers have discovered a weakness in Java 7 security that could allow the installation of malicious software and malware on machines that could increase the chance of identity theft, or the unauthorized participation in a botnet that could bring down networks or be used to carry out denial-of-service attacks against Web sites.

“We are currently unaware of a practical solution to this problem,” said the DHS’ Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) in a post on its Web site on Thursday evening. ” [...] Java users should disable or uninstall Java immediately to mitigate any damage.

Fortunately, as MacRumors notes, Apple has been swift to respond in defense of their users, remotely disabling the plugin on Macs which have it installed without the need for user intervention. The block works by telling OS X to require a version of Java 7 which has not yet been released – and which will presumably contain a fix when it is released.

iPhone mini release date, rumours and leaked images::

When is the cheaper iPhone mini coming out?

Welcome to our new iPhone mini release date, rumours and leaked images article, here we plan to do everything that the title suggests. We are going to bring you everything we know about the new iPhone mini release date you'll know when the new iPhone mini is coming out. Also, we'll be bringing you a few of the juiciest spec rumours that are flying round the web's most trusted Apple websites too. Finally we're going to include any iPhone mini leaked images and the best iPhone mini mock-ups, so you get the best idea of what the iPhone mini will look like. So sit back and relax we've got the new iPhone mini covered.

'Apple working on an iPhone mini' rumours have been circulating for a while now. That Apple will one day make a cheaper, smaller, lighter more accessible iPhone is likely: after all it made a iPod mini, and iPad mini, not to mention the Mac mini. So an iPhone mini is more a question of when and why.

See also: iPad mini 2 release date, rumours, and leaked images

The demand for an iPhone mini is high. The iPhone is a fantastic piece of kit, but it's big and fairly expensive, a smaller cheaper iPhone mini would be fantastically popular with people who want to buy into the iPhone experience, but don't feel they can afford or justify a full iPhone.

See also: iPhone 6 release date, rumours and leaked images

So demand is high, but that doesn't always translate into Apple actually selling an iPhone mini. Apple is known to test products, but never release them; and often has a better idea of what people really want than we garner from surveys and customer polls. It's unlikely that Apple will release an iPhone mini if it believes the full iPhone is a better solution.

iPhone mini release date

The iPhone mini release has been rumoured since early 2011 and the rumours have been going hot, then cold, and hot again ever since.

Most recently, a report from the Wall Street Journal suggested that Apple will launch its iPhone mini towards the end of 2013, cutting costs by using a less expensive plastic body for the device.

In this iPhone mini release date article Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer and VP of Internet Services Eddy Cue, Cook said Apple doesn't want the iPhone to be “just for the rich,” and is “not ceding any market.” Sacconaghi says Cook “appeared to reaffirm the notion that Apple is likely to develop lower priced offerings” to expand the market for the iPhone mini. Cook also pointed out that Apple was spending “huge energy” in China, which was he said, “a classic prepaid market”

Sources suggested that the iPhone mini was coming in Summer

In July 2011 this Boy Genius Report claimed: "an anonymous source says Apple plans to launch a prepaid, contractless version of the iPhone for just $350. BGR also reports that a iPhone mini release date will be "at least announced by the end of summer, late August-ish,"

In August 2011 Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research said that an iPhone mini release date was "totally expected". After it was reported by Reuters Apple would launch a "lower-priced" iPhone mini "within weeks."

Sources suggested that the iPhone mini release would be coming soon

More recently, in November 2012 Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster wrote to his clients suggesting that Apple is ready to release an iPhone mini for Chinese and Indian Markets.

So Apple is clearly toying with the idea of a cheaper, low-cost, accessible iPhone mini releasethat has a different feature set to the main iPhone. But it decided, for one reason or another, not to do an iPhone mini launch in 2012. Even though some analysts said that Apple "would be stupid not to pursue" the cheaper iPhone mini market

Sources suggested that the iPhone mini release wouldn't happen

The question is will Apple ever release the iPhone mini, and if so when? Gene Munster has changed his mind, in July 2012 saying "probably not". “The biggest question we get is ‘is Apple going to do a small iPhone, an iPhone mini’. The reality is, based on our discussions with Apple, that they are probably not. In Apple’s words they are going to do a ‘continuation of their existing strategy’,” he says. However, the phone does have room to grow, especially in “emerging markets”.

Sources suggest that the iPhone mini will be happening in 2013

However, Gene changed his mind again about the iPhone mini release telling iPhone Hacks that “We think that it is inevitable that Apple launches a tailored, low-cost iPhone in 2013 to address the burgeoning mass market opportunity. We note that there are over 150 million subscribers in Europe on pre-paid contracts whom Apple is not really addressing today."

Then, in December, Munster said that it is "inevitable" that Apple will launch an 'iPhone for the masses'.

We're also not sure Apple has abandoned the idea of an iPhone mini release. As the the iPod mini became the nano, which is increasingly looking like a iPod touch mini. We are seeing how this design could easily become an iPhone mini as well. The only thing that's lacking is a reason for Apple to release an iPhone mini, rather than keep selling iPhones for circa £500.

One thing that might spur Apple on could be the Google Nexus 4 phone, which is a 4.7in Smartphone that Google is selling for £239 (8GB). This is a low cost version of Google's Nexus 7 smartphone and has been consistently selling out since it's launch in October 2012.

Just as it did with the iPad mini (which is a response to the Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire HD) Apple may be have an iPhone mini release to respond to the arrival of cheaper (yet still effective smartphones). It certainly won't be in 2012, but 2013 may well be the year we see an iPhone mini release date.

Topeka Capital analyst Brian White thinks the iPhone mini could come in May, as part of Apple's iPhone 6 (or 5S) launch. White says that he expects Apple to make the iPhone 6 available in up to eight colours and three different screen sizes, including a smaller one.

Strategy Analytics' Neil Mawston certainly thinks Apple should release an iPhone mini in 2013, because it could be the only way to stop Samsung extending its lead over Apple in the smartphone market. Mawston believes, however, that Apple will wait until 2014 before launching the iPhone mini. Could it be too little too late?

SEE: Woz worried about iPhone rivals

New iPhone mini rumours

Rumours surrounding the iPhone mini and wide and varied, most centre on the cost and feature set. Here we will collect iPhone mini rumours as they come along.

iPhone mini will come in multiple colour options

Apple's iPhone mini could come in up to eight colours, and be part of Apple's plan to bring more choice to its customers. According to Topeka Capital analyst Brian White, Apple could launch its next iPhone in three sizes, including the iPhone mini, in order to expand its reach.

iPhone mini will run apps from the Cloud

One interesting suggestion is that Apple will save on storage space by releasing an iPhone mini with little, or no storage, that is designed to run apps and other content straight from the cloud.

Apple's iTunes Match service has demonstrated that Apple is capable of streaming music, and other content, directly to iOS devices.

It's not a massive leap to move from music and video to apps. Like iTunes Match the iPhone mini could use minimal storage to keep Apple apps in onboard RAM, and load other apps as it requires them from the cloud. This may sound suspiciously spotty, but the launch of 4G/LTE ensures more reliable data transfer

iPhone mini will be 4G/LTE

If the iPhone mini has a cellular connection, it will almost certainly have a 4G/LTE connection. Although it may seem an obvious way to cut cost and introduce differentiation Apple has shown with the iPad mini that it wants 4G/LTE on all devices that offer it.

iPhone mini will be similar to iPod nano 2012

One idea doing the rounds is that the iPhone mini may be similar in design to the recent generation of iPod nano.

The latest iPod nano features a 2.5in touch-screen display (smaller than the 3.5in of the original iPhone, or 4in of the iPhone 5) and a Home Button. It's absolutely tiny compared to the current iPhone, but is capable of playing music, video, and podcasts. Although it can't install apps, and there is no ability to connect to WiFi or browse the web.

Google Takes on Amazon and Apple With Free Cloud-Based Music Matching Service:

Ever since Apple unveiled iTunes Match back in late 2011, their competitors have been desperately trying to catch up by offering similar services for competitive prices. Amazon was first, with their Cloud Player service, and now Google has updated their Google Play music service with an iTunes Match-like music matching service as well.

 What’s especially notable about Google’s matching service (and the biggest edge it carries over Amazon Cloud Player and iTunes Match) is the price: it’s completely free!

From the official announcement late last month:

Add up to 20,000 songs from your music collection to Google Play and stream it to your Android devices and your computer, anywhere you go.

Our new music matching feature gets your songs into your online music library on Google Play much faster. We’ll scan your collection and quickly rebuild it in the cloud – all for free. And we’ll stream your music back to you at up to 320 kbps.

Google’s new service will scan your entire iTunes library, and allow you to access and stream your music for free from anywhere you have access to the internet. Compared to Amazon and Apple’s $25-per-year subscription pricing  for their own matching services, Google Play stands out as an absolute bargain.

For more information, or to sign up for the new service, head on over to the Google Play website.

Next-Gen iPhone to Launch in June, in Multiple Colors and Screen Sizes?

2013 has arrived, and with it comes a fresh new next-gen iPhone rumor! According to Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White, Apple’s next-gen iPhone is expected to launch in June – and it could come in multiple colors and screen sizes!

BGR reports, quoting White:

“Our checks indicate that the next iPhone will have more choices for customers,” the analyst wrote. “This entails an expansion in both the color patterns and screen sizes with the next iPhone (i.e., likely called the iPhone 5S) that we currently believe will be launched in May/June with certain supply production starting in March/April.”

White believes the next iPhone will be available in five different colors: pink, yellow, blue, white & silver and black & slate. He also believes there will be two different screen sizes available on the device, marking the first time Apple has released one phone with multiple display size options.

“Our checks are also indicating that the next iPhone will offer customers more choice in terms of screen size,” White reported. “Although Apple offers a 4-inch screen on the iPhone 5 and a 3.5-inch screen on the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4, the Company has never offered multiple screen sizes for a single model. We believe this is about to change with the next iPhone offering different screen sizes that we believe will allow Apple to better bifurcate the market and expand its reach.”

The report mirrors a similar claim from Jefferies and co. analyst Peter Misek, which made the rounds last month (which we opted not to cover, as it seemed very unlikely). It’s a surprising and unlikely rumor for several reasons, not the least of which is that offering multiple screen sizes in a portable device is unprecedented for Apple, and would cause significant fragmentation issues for developers and consumers alike.

It’s also worth noting that White’s record isn’t exactly spotless – he predicted that Apple would launch a television in 2012, with a screen manufactured by Sharp. That clearly never happened. I’m keeping a skeptical eye raised towards this rumor for now, and would advice that you do the same.