Next-generation iPhone rumors are a bit like ants—no matter how much you try, you just can’t keep them out. Elsewhere, RIM presses pause on the PlayBook, an iPhone jumps and lives, and Samsung digs itself even deeper into the copycat hole. The remainders for Monday, July 18, 2011 swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Apple to launch low-priced iPhone for $350, iPhone 4S/5 end of summer (Boy Genius Report)
I’m not quite sure it’s fair to call “the iPhone Rumor of the Day” a feature—really, it’s more of a bug. Still, these remainders don’t write themselves and we’ve gotta put food on the table for all the little remainderlings. Once again, we’re back to the “low-cost iPhone” idea: BGR says that Apple will have a full range of iPhones available on the low-, mid-, and high-end. Along with rumors of T-Mobile and Sprint models, that means that—if my math is correct—Apple will be producing roughly 847 different versions of the iPhone this year.
RIM rumored to cease production of ‘weak’ selling Wi-Fi PlayBook (AppleInsider)
Whoa, a PlayBook rumor? I thought those were extinct. Well, not quite yet, but they may be soon, if this report is any indication. RIM may be ceasing production of the Wi-Fi-only version of its tablet, due not only to weak sales, but also to devote more energy to the 3G/4G-enabled version of its tablet. Yes, that was totally the device’s weak spot, guys! You’ve nailed it!
iPhone 4 survives fall from skydiver’s pocket (CNN)
Both the front and back of the iPhone 4 may be made out of glass, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not capable of taking a pounding. Witness the iPhone 4 that fell from a skydiver’s pocket while he was making his jump—and which still works, despite the shattered glass. Word on the street is that the iPhone 5 will be so rugged that dropping it while skydiving will actually cause it to punch a hole all the way to the center of the Earth. Which, admittedly, makes it hard to retrieve.
Family ties earn this Smart Cover knock-off a Samsung certification and a place on their store shelves (9 to 5 Mac)
Yes, it’s a Smart Cover knockoff for Samsung’s Galaxy Tab. But the interesting part is that the CEO of the company behind the copycat accessory, Sang-yong Kim, is apparently the nephew of Samsung chairman Kun-hee Lee. Given that Apple is suing Samsung for “slavishly” copying its products, Lee might want to send Kim a memo titled “Not Helping.”
Product News:
USAA App for iPad 2.0 – Version 2.0 of USAA’s mobile finance application for the iPad lets iPad 2 users deposit checks by using their device’s camera. Free.
FX Photo Studio 4.0 – MacPhun has updated its photo-editing software for iPhone to version 4.0, bringing a masking feature that lets users apply filters to any portion of an image, seven new effects including a 3D filter, Instagram sharing, printing support, performance improvements, and more. $2.