UMPCFever, a Chinese blog, has posted photos of what it claims to be the first photos of the next gen iPhone in action. According to the Google translated page, these pictures show the new iPhone but as it is a prototype the external design may change so it’s not featured.

According to this blog, the new iPhone does contain an autofocus camera that is uses an on-screen square that can be moved by the tap of a finger to chose the object of focus. Also shown, is the digital compass feature (pictured above) that has been in rumor reports for the longest time. Those features seem to be specific to the next generation iPhone, though the site also demos MMS and Copy/Paste with Images.

We can’t judge their credibility as we’ve never seen any reports from UMPCFever, but the features shown seem consistent with circulating rumors.

- source: umpcfever.com

Apple has announced its launch of annual Back to School promo for U.S. education customers. This year, Apple Back To School promo is offering a rebate of up to $229 on the full line of iPods when purchased with a qualifying new Apple computer, which includes all Macs except the Mac mini. Free iPod Touch anyone?

Both the Mac and iPod must be purchased at the same time on the same receipt, and purchases must be made either directly from Apple or at an Apple Authorized Campus Store. This year’s program runs through September 8th, 2009.

Sadly, they don’t offer a rebate for an iPhone but perhaps next year.

Luckily for our fellow Canadian neighbours readers, Apple is currently running a similar program in Canada and typically offers such programs in a number of other countries later in the year.

Today, AT&T announced its plans to deploy a HSPA 7.2 3G wireless network, topping out at 7.2mbps it’s faster than internet from a typical household. AT&T plans to start rolling out the improvements later this year and will take till 2011 to full deploy the necessary equipment for this new network. Trials are scheduled for 2010 with deployment to begin in 2011.

The upgrade to High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) 7.2 technology is part of AT&T’s plan for continued investments to deliver the nation’s best mobile broadband experience – the ideal combination of speed, coverage and best device line-up. AT&T today has the nation’s fastest 3G network and has attracted more than twice the number of smartphone users than any other competitor.

With its network built on the 3G UMTS technology that is commonly deployed throughout the world, AT&T can boost the speed of its mobile broadband network and offer a wide variety of devices to take advantage of it well in advance of 2011-2012, when most industry observers expect 4G LTE networks and device availability to scale. AT&T plans to begin LTE trials in 2010, with deployment beginning in 2011.

Along with the move to HSPA, AT&T announced a series of initiatives that it is planning to undertake this year

• Near-Doubling Radio Frequency Capacity. In 2008 and 2009 to date, high-quality 850 MHz spectrum has been deployed in more than half of AT&T’s 3G network footprint to improve overall coverage and in-building reception, with additional markets planned for later in the year.
• More Bandwidth to Cell Sites. We are adding fiber-optic connectivity and additional capacity to thousands of cell sites across the country this year, expanding the critical connections that deliver traffic from a cell site into the global IP backbone network. These upgrades will support the higher mobile broadband speeds enabled by both HSPA 7.2 and LTE.
• More Cell Sites. Deployment of about 2,100 new cell sites across the country.
• Wi-Fi Integration. Many AT&T smartphones will be able to switch seamlessly between 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity. AT&T customers with qualifying smartphone and 3G LaptopConnect plans have access to the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network and more than 20,000 hotspots, including locations in all 50 states at no additional charge. AT&T’s global Wi-Fi footprint covers more than 90,000 hotspots, and AT&T also can create permanent or temporary extended Wi-Fi zones in areas with high 3G network use, like a grouping of hotels or a festival.
• MicroCells. Customer trials leading toward general availability of AT&T 3G MicroCell offerings, which utilize femtocells to enhance in-building wireless coverage.

Perhaps the upcoming iPhone will support this new network!

A MacTalk.com.au forum thread has revealed an icon in the iPhone OS 3.0 SDK of the, previously referenced, unreleased iPhone 2,1 model. The icon appears to be exactly the same as the iPhone 1,2 model which is, of course, the iPhone 3G.

Of course, with the icon being so small it’s hard to say whether or not there are any physical changes, however, the iPhone1,1 (1st Generation iPhone 2G) icon does appear distinct and physically accurate in the images. Keep in mind that iPhone 3G (iPhone1,2) icons were also spotted before it’s release with only slight differences.

This is not a groundbreaking finding, but it is consistent with circulating rumors that next generation iPhone will keep a similar form factor to the current model.

- source: forums.mactalk.com.au

T-Mobile briefly advertises a 32GB iPhone then gets taken down. Makes you wonder what T-Mobile Austria knows that the rest of us don’t know for certain.

Additionally, MacTalk.com.au reports that according to their sources, Vodafone has sent out an email to retail staff indicating that the 16GB iPhone has been marked “end of life” by their supplier.

With WWDC weeks aways, this could be a legitimate leak suggesting an imminent iPhone refresh.

John Gruber of Daring Fireball speaks out about what the next generation iPhone revision will include. His list of details closely match with circulating rumors.

Gruber believes the next iPhone processor will indeed be a next generation processor that will be disproportionately faster than clock speed alone would have you believe. Indeed, we’ve heard that the next iPhone will use the Cortex processor.

Let’s say the rumors are right — and I believe they are — that the next-generation iPhone’s CPU will be running at 600 MHz. In the same way that, say, a 90 MHz Pentium was more than 1.5 times as fast as a 60 MHz 486, the 600 MHz CPU in the next iPhone will be more than 1.5 times as fast as the current 400 MHz iPhone CPU.

Along with 128MB of additional RAM (256MB total), this should improve app launching times, faster web browsing, and overall better performances which is always a good thing. Storage will also increase to a max of 32GB.

He also suggests that the new case changes will be subtle and retain the current iPhone’s form factor. Circulating rumors of a magnetometer and video editing are also believed to be true:

What the new iPhone’s video capabilities might lack in terms of image and sound quality will be made up for by two things: convenience and software. Convenience in that the best camera is the one you have with you, and if you’ve always got your iPhone, you’ve always got a camera; software in that iPhone OS 3.0 is set to include basic video editing (think: selecting just the good parts) and uploading features that regular cameras, which aren’t computers and which aren’t networked, just can’t match.

Much of what Gruber reported has been circulating around the internet, but he’s known to have accurate sources in past so we’ll see how things turn out. Apple is expected to announce the new iPhone at WWDC, which takes place June 8-12th in San Francisco.

Stay tuned!

- source: daringfireball.net

Ralph de la Vega, AT&T CEO, has confirmed reported that the company is considering a cheaper monthly data plan option for the iPhone. Considering 90% of the US population is having financial difficulties, this would be a good option — Assuming of course that you absolutely don’t need the unlimited data.

The executive said it would be costly for AT&T to cut the price of its unlimited Web surfing service. The minimum plan for iPhone users is $70 a month, which includes unlimited Web surfing and a certain amount of voice calls.

Of course, the cheaper data plan will have limitations on the amount of data that can be transferred monthly. The current iPhone Data Plan is unlimited for a $30/month fee. While such a move may make sense for the price conscious consumer, much of the iPhone’s success as a mobile net device seems directly related to the unlimited nature of its data plan.


De la Vega also dismissed the possibility of an iPhone with no data plan as AT&T makes the bulk of its income from selling these add-on services.

- source: reuters.com

Apple announced, in an email sent to developers testing the iPhone OS 3.0 Beta, the start of testing of high-volume Push Notifications using a pre-release version of the Associated Press iPhone application. This test will run for seven (7) days.

As a developer actively working with iPhone OS 3.0 beta, we would like your help in testing the Apple Push Notification service. We have selected a pre-release version of the Associated Press app for iPhone OS 3.0 to create a high-volume test environment for our servers.

To participate, we ask that you follow these steps:

1. Download the pre-release version of the Associated Press app for iPhone OS 3.0 from the iTunes Store via your desktop by entering this unique redemption code in the ‘Redeem’ section of iTunes, found under the ‘Quick Links’ section:

[code redacted]

This unique redemption code and the functionality of the application will expire in seven days.

2. Install the application on a development device running iPhone OS 3.0 beta 5 by synching it to iTunes. Make sure to accept notifications when prompted after installation. This application can only be installed on devices running iPhone OS 3.0 beta 5.
3. When you first run the app, choose U.S. English as your region when prompted. The U.S. English region will receive alerts, the Canadian English region will not. For purposes of the test, AP will be sending a high-volume of real news alerts.
4. If you do not receive notifications from the app within 48 hours after installation, let us know.

Apple flipped the switch from off to on for the Push Notification service just over a month ago, to allow developers to begin testing their applications with the service, which allows iPhone applications to receive updates while they are not actively running.

Apple has fixed DFU Mode and enabled iPhone notes syncing in the just released Mac OS X 10.5.7, according to an iSpazio report.

With the new Mac OS 10.5.7 DFU mode session are fully functional, which is certainly a good thing! We can also synchronize notes between the iPhone 3.0 and iTunes 8.2 via USB. Take a Look at a screenshot by Mark Sfreddo that shows the ability to synchronize notes in iTunes.

This is great news to everyone out there having trouble using DFU mode. For some reason I never had any. Thank God. Anyway, this will surely help everyone out.

- source: spaziocellulare.com

BusinessWeek reports that AT&T is considering a discounted limited data plan for the iPhone at $20USD per month option. AT&T currently only offers a unlimited data plan for the iPhone for $30USD per month. The data transfer cap for the rumored discounted data plan is yet unknown. Considering it’s $10USD less than unlimited then the cap should be around 256MB or 500MB. If it’s anything less it’ll be a complete rip off at the rumored $20USD price. What do you guys think?

Analyst Richard Doherty claims that this additional data plan option is being driven by Apple, which wants to offer a lower-cost entry point for the iPhone.

The exclusive U.S. iPhone service provider is considering cutting the price of its monthly service package or offering a range of lower-priced plans, say people with knowledge of the company’s thinking. One plan that could be introduced as early as late May would include limited data access at a $10 monthly reduction, the people say.

The possible price cut likely reflects the back-and-forth between AT&T and Apple (AAPL) as they work out whether and under what terms AT&T would remain the sole U.S. iPhone carrier. Apple may want flexibility in pricing as a condition, analysts say. “We understand it’s part of the extension [of its contract] that AT&T wants to maintain,” Richard Doherty, director at consultant Envisioneering Group, says of the prospect of lower data-plan prices. As Apple considers whether to widen its circle of U.S. providers, AT&T may have less ability to balk at Apple’s requests.

The report also hints on the on-going rumor that AT&T is considering dropping the price from the entry-level iPhone to $99USD from the current $199. A prepaid iPhone is also rumored to be under consideration.