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Best Buy drops iPhone 4 price to $50
Saturday, 19 May 2012 03:43
Best Buy drops iPhone 4 price to $50

iPhone prices have been dropping like flies this month, with Best Buy the latest retailer to join in with its own deal on the .

Starting this week, Best Buy is offering its stock of 8GB iPhone 4 handsets for $50.

The deal is good on both black and white models of the iPhone 4 bought along with a two-year contract through either AT&T, Verizon Wireless, or Sprint.

and started similar sales last week, offering the same discounted price on the iPhone 4 with additional deals for the iPhone 4S as well.

Like last week's deals, the $50 iPhone 4 is only available at brick and mortar Best Buy stores, which are becoming increasingly hard to find as the retailer closes locations.

Dealing in June

Best Buy is offering the discounted iPhone 4 through the end of June, ending the same day as other third-party retailer deals.

The sale's timing makes speculation very tempting. Rumors have already pointed to June for the much anticipated launch, making each retailer that jumps on the discount bandwagon look like an attempt to clear out old stock in preparation.

Best Buy's sale is somewhat disappointing in that regard, since the retailer isn't budging on the price of the yet.

Of course, each Apple iteration is accompanied by its own price cuts on last year's model, so a June iPhone 5 wouldn't give Best Buy much choice for long.

 
Google to split Android 5.0 love among manufacturers, cut out networks?
Saturday, 19 May 2012 03:43
Google to split Android 5.0 love among manufacturers, cut out networks?

Google is reportedly planning on giving up to five mobile makers early access to (otherwise known as Jelly Bean) rather than focusing on just one flagship Nexus device.

This new plan, which the Wall Street Journal has on good authority from people familiar with the matter, will see a portfolio of Nexus devices launch at once, including both smartphones and tablets.

At the moment, Google uses just one manufacturer (most recently ) to create a flagship Nexus device with the new version of Android on board (currently ).

Googley eyes

The problem is that it then takes other manufacturers a good few months to bring out similar hardware that makes the most of the software.

This change in strategy could see each iteration of Android have a bigger impact than the current method which trickles updates out as and when.

Google's other problem is that Android manufacturers are wary of its plans for Motorola, so giving them all early access to the software at once could calm their fears.

The search giant is also apparently planning on selling the handsets directly rather than relying on networks – so you'll only be able to buy an unlocked, SIM-free handset from Google and possibly some retailers in Europe, Asia and the US.

It's a plan that makes a fair amount of sense. But we think sticking with the Nexus name across all devices is less likely given that it's more of a stand-alone product name than a brand.

But hey, anything's possible – and we won't know for sure until Google breaks its silence, possibly at this year's Google I/O in June.

Rumourometer

 
HTC Ville C leaked as cheaper One S clone
Saturday, 19 May 2012 03:43
HTC Ville C leaked as cheaper One S clone

HTC said it was going to cut down the number of handsets it produced in 2012 as it looked to save money, but after a recent 'leak', we're not so sure.

The HTC Ville C is the latest phone rumoured to be appearing from the maker of the of handsets, and this is after we saw the officially break cover earlier this week.

The details of the handset were uncovered by a Brief Mobile source, who claimed that the Ville C will be a cheaper version of the .

Why bother?

However a brief look through the reported specs and we're struggling to see why HTC would even bother with the Ville C.

It's set to pack a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 4.3-inch qHD display, 1GB RAM, 16GB of internal memory, Android with Sense 4.5, 8MP camera with LED flash and 1080p video recording and a 1650mAh battery.

All sounding awfully familiar? Well it should, as the only spec which differs from the One S is the processor, which has been downgraded from the 1.5GHz dual-core chip. Oh, and we guess the name counts as a change too.

To be fair there's no mention of Beats Audio technology, but seeing as this is including in the lower-end and Desire C, we can only assume it will make its way on the Ville C as well.

In short, we really hope this leak fails to follow through to an actual product, otherwise HTC has just filled a hole between the One V and One S which wasn't even there.

 
Apple gleefully picks apart Siri class action suit
Saturday, 19 May 2012 03:43
Apple gleefully picks apart Siri class action suit

Apple is no stranger to the courthouse and it's seasoned lawyers are clearly taking quite a bit of joy in the latest class action suit against it, gleefully picking apart claims that has caused such distress to owners that the only course of action available to them is to call their lawyers.

A group of Californian consumers are hoping to wrest a few dollars from Apple because they reckon Siri is oversold in Apple's advertising, encouraging users to shell out more money on the than it's worth.

But Apple argues that anyone with a genuine complaint against Siri would first have sought a refund and that would have been the end of it, something that none of the claimants tried before heading to court.

What's more, the lawyers say the claimants' complaints fall apart under close examination:

"They offer only general descriptions of Apple's advertisements, incomplete summaries of Apple's website materials, and vague descriptions of their alleged – and highly individualised – disappointment with Siri," reads Apple's motion to dismiss the claim.

Avail yourselves of this, suckers

"Tellingly, although Plaintiffs claim they became dissatisfied with Siri's performance "soon after" purchasing their iPhones, they made no attempt to avail themselves of Apple's 30-day return policy or one-year warranty - which remains in effect," it continues.

Everyone knows you don't use the term "avail themselves" without intending it to be read in a biting, sarcastic tone.

"Instead, they seek to take an alleged personal grievance about the purported performance of a popular product and turn it into a nationwide class action under California's consumer protection statutes.

"The Complaint does not come close to meeting the heavy burden necessary to sustain such claims."

And all that's not to mention the fact that Siri is still in beta, something that Apple has never made a secret of.

Zing! Your move, Siri-haters.

 
iPhone 5 display 'will be at least 4 inches' in size
Saturday, 19 May 2012 03:43
iPhone 5 display 'will be at least 4 inches' in size

Reports from Asia are suggesting Apple has placed orders for larger screens for the upcoming .

Since the first graced the world in 2007, Apple has stuck with the same 3.5-inch display for all five iterations of the popular smartphone.

Apple must be given kudos for sticking to its guns, but it's hard not to yearn for a bigger screen as the likes of the , and huge parade around with their imposing visual aids.

Production starting next month

The Wall Street Journal reports that sources familiar with the situation revealed the production of the displays, measuring at least 4-inches, would begin next month.

If production of the larger display is only set to start in June, it pretty much puts a nail in the coffin for a in the same month, with the touted looking ever more likely.

Details on Apple's sixth generation iPhone are still thin on the ground, but it could very well join the quad-core brigade and the 4G version may even make its way to the UK – a boy can dream.

 


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