Apple Expected to Sell 4.63m Macs, 12m iPads in Record Quarter

A few days ago, MacStories had discovered that Apple had announced that they will announce their Q4 financial results on October 18th at 2PM PST. Today, Analyst Charlie Wolf with Needham Research predicts that Apple will report sales of 4.63 million Macs and 12 million iPads in its September quarter. Both of these would be records for the company, which topped off at 9.25 million iPads last quarter, and 4.1 million Macs last December.

In addition, Wolf’s Mac predictions are up from his previous forecast of 4.4 million, despite a weak overall PC market. He cited surveys that indicate Mac sales in the September quarter were stronger than previously expected.

Earlier this month, NPD Group released domestic sales figures that showed Apple on track to sell 4.5 million Mac this quarter. Mac sales were up 22 percent year over year in the US. Wolf also expects that the sales of iPads to end users will be around 9 million for this quarter, with total sales into the channel of 12 million. This would be a major improvement from the June quarter. He also expects that Apple will report sales of about 17 million for iPhone sales, which would be a decline from last quarter’s record 20.34 million iPhones sold.

Needham predicts that Apple will report fourth-quarter earnings-per-share of $7.37, with total fiscal 2011 EPS of $28. For 2012, the firm expects EPS of $33. It has maintained a price target of $540 for Apple’s share price.

HTC Sensation – Impressive Handset, But We’d Love A Better Screen

HTC has introduced a lot of nice and impressive handsets this year including the likes of HTC Desire S, HTC Incredible S and the HTC Sensation models that we are reviewing here. Now, while the Sensation is a pretty decent handset, the battery of the phone doesn’t support it all that nicely and that’s what stops us to give it our recommendations. But keeping the deficient battery aside, we think that the HTC Sensation is a rather dazzling smartphone and if you don’t mind carrying the charger with you then you won’t be having any problems.

That said, the competition in the market is still rather stiff, and hence whether the HTC Sensation having refurbished interface and a dual-core processor survives in the market remains to be seen.

Control and Design:

The frontage of the HTC Sensation is pretty much like all the other dual-core Android handsets including the likes of LG Optimus 2X and Motorola Atrix. But turn it over hand the handset is a classic HTC, this time the handset comes with striking 3-tone aluminum rear end. The Sensation feels nicely constructed and solid in hand, and that’s typical what’s expected from a HTC and a premium product. The metal is hugely away from the affordable plastic rear end of the Samsung Galaxy S2.

The connectivity ports for the device include the likes of a 3.5mm jack and micro USB for charging. The handset also gives you DLNA for wireless streaming; Bluetooth 3.0 and you even could use your handset for tethering. The storage options for the HTC Sensation includes the likes of Vodafone bundled 8GB microSD card and a 1GB internal. In spite of having a dedicated HDMI, to fasten the handset up to HD TV you will have to invest in the HTC Sensation MHL Cable.

HTC Sense and Android:

The HTC Sensation runs Android 2.3.3, and pressing the button instantly launches the handset. But what’s enticing for the HTC fanatics here is the all new variant of HTC Sense V 3.0, which looks rather different. The home screens for the HTC Sensation are 3D now and finally, you will be able to scroll 360 degrees.

Although we like the HTC Sense, but there still are certain aspects which lags. Making a folder still is a lot harder than it use to be.

Display:

The HTC Sensation  has a 4.3 in screen, which we think is rather impressive and the best thing here is that HTC has enhanced the resolution of the display screen to 960 x 540 pixels, which is equivalent to Motorola Atrix. The display screen here is sharp and bright and the movies appear pretty fantastic.

The overall design and appearance of the display is rather good and although it isn’t as impressive as the display ofiPhone but we still liked it.

Performance:

The HTC Sensation is powered by a 1.2 Ghz dual-core processor having 768 MB RAM. The Sensation is the first dual-core handset from HTC to enter the UK market. The dual-core processor of the handset has made a huge boost to the performance of the phone.

The dual-core processor of the handset makes everything feel fast zooming in and out from the web pages, and even scrolling up and down on the web pages was rather impressive. You easily could play back HD movies and even could stream movies without having any problems; even the downloading is rather fast.

Just as with all the other HTC handset the text wraps routinely. The handset has Flash support as native application and hence you won’t have any problems in playing videos.

 

Verdict:

The HTC Sensation is an outstanding handset in more than one way. The metal body of the handset is precisely what we expected from a handset of this status. Even the performance is exceptionally well, the phone loads programs quickly and never felt slow. The HTC Sense is impressive as well; off course there are quite a number of things that we’d like to see included, but more competent User interface still is the best that you can get on an Android handset. The main problem that we have here is the display screen, which clearly is impressive, but not as impressive as the screen of Samsung Galaxy S II.

Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE Touting A 720p HD Screen Announced

Along with the Samsung Galaxy S II LTE, Sammy also announced the Galaxy S II HD LTE. The HD LTE is similar to the S II LTE, except for the screen. The S II HD LTE is the first Android phone to sport a massive 4.65-inch screen with a 720p (1280×720) HD resolution. This makes the S II HD LTE the first Android phone to have a eye-busting PPI of 316. As its name suggests, the S II HD LTE also supports the blazing-fast LTE network.

Like the S II LTE, the S II HD LTE is also powered by a blazing fast 1.5GHz dual-core Exynos processor, and packs 1GB of RAM along with 16GB of internal storage capacity. The usual connectivity features like GPS with A-GPS, Bluetooth 3.0+HS, Wi-Fi b/g/n, FM Radio, a microSD card slot, MHL port, NFC along with a bunch of sensors like Gyroscope, Ambient Light Sensor and Accelerometer etc.

The handset runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread, with TouchWIZ 4.0 on top of it. Like the S II LTE, the HD LTE is also powered by a 1850mAh battery. The Galaxy S II HD LTE will be available under all the three Korean networks – SK Telecom, KT Telecom and LG U+. Sammy did not mention anything about the pricing or the availability of the device.

Samsung Galaxy S II Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread Firmware Leaks

It was just a few of days ago, that Samsung started rolling out the Android 2.3.4 update for its best selling smartphone, and the hottest Android phone on the planet, the Galaxy S II.  While officially, Samsung is rolling out the Android 2.3.4 firmware update, unofficially the Android 2.3.5 firmware for the Galaxy S II has leaked online.

The leaked Android 2.3.5 for the Galaxy S II does bring some new changes, and also improves the performance of an already fast phone. Users over at XDA forums who flashed the leaked firmware ((KI3) are reporting Quadrant scores in the range of 3900 to 4100. One notable change in the new firmware is that Samsung has replaced the bounce animation at the end of a list, with a  blue over scroll glow effect.

Sadly, the leaked firmware still lacks the latest version of Google Talk with video chatting capabilities. Samsung has also removed the USB Host APIs in this firmware, rendering apps like DSLR Controller useless. The USB Host APIs are also missing from the official Android 2.3.4 firmware.

Galaxy S II owners who are interested in flashing this leaked firmware on their handset, can head over tothis thread at XDA forums for the required instructions and files.

Details of LG Optimus EX Dual-Core Android Smartphone Leaked

It seems that LG has developed a special affection for the lovely region of South Korea. If not that, then they just want to give all their next-generations handsets to South Korea first, because just a couple of days ago we saw the first real-life photos of LG Optimus LTE, and now here we are hearing about LG’s another next-level phone the LG Optimus EX. Now, if the reports claiming the LG Optimus EX are to be believed, let us tell you that the LG Optimus EX is another dual-core handset from LG, and has a pretty bleak and developed design having a speaker grill on the base and top of a flat display screen.

Not much is known about the handset as of now, but we do hear that the handset will be called LG-SU880. In addition, the handset is said to be launched initially only on Korean network SK Telecom only and it’ll be running on Android 2.3.x Gingerbread. This Smartphone will measure 9.5 mm at its thickest point and again it will be having a dual-core processor inside. Having said that, we don’t have any information on what make or processor the handset will be having, but we predict that it most probably will be having Qualcomm or Texas Instruments, with NVIDIA.

Some other details that we’ve known about the LG Optimus EX tells that the handset will be having Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi connectivity over b/g/n, and the complete casing of the handset will come out in a black and white version. The LG Optimus EX will be having a 4 in WVGA TFT LCD display screen and the device will measure 118 mm x 63.4 mm x 9.5 mm
.

iPhone 4G: Is the iPhone Growing?

Earlier tonight we ran a post listing what appears to be a silicon case in the Best Buy inventory system for the iPhone 4G.  One of our eagle-eyed readers noticed the listing of the dimensions of the case and did some sleuthing of his own.

Having all the information on the maker of the case with the branding of the Orlando Magic NBA team, he found a listing for an iPhone 4 case on Wayfair.com.

Everything seems to match, but then comes the issue of the dimensions.  The specs listed on Wayfair are universally smaller than of those listed in the Best Buy screenshots we showed you.  Here is a comparison of the two.

Now, before we jump to too many conclusions, in my life before TechnoBuffalo, I spent over a quarter century working in and around retail, and there is a chance that the Best Buy dimensions are taking into account the packaging for the case. Sometimes when retailers receive information on a newproduct, you get the listing for the total dimensions so you can work them into your planogram of how your shelves will need to be spaced for each item.  The bigger the retailer, the more important this is, so it’s totally reasonable to suspect that this may be the situation with this phone case, but there just isn’t any disclaimers  to be certain here.

Yes, that is a lot of disclaimers, but the size difference was enough to warrant being addressed, and a big thank you to Daniel for his sleuthing work.

What do you think?  Is the iPhone 4G slightly larger than the iPhone 4?

Sony’s Upcoming S1 & S2 Tablets Get Some Early Specs

Sony hasn’t exactly been highly secretive about its upcoming tablet duo - currently codenamed the S1 and the S2. The devices have already enjoyed fame in a series of teaser videos that began last month, and Sony even allowed the press to play with the devices following the company’s announcement with AT&T a couple of weeks ago.

However, there’s a few things that Sony has so far neglected to mention, and the one we’re most interested in is specifications. We already know how pretty these tablets are on the outside, but will their internals make them a worthwhile purchase?

Thanks to a source for CNET, who is “familiar with the company’s plans for the S1 and S2,” the wait for some specifications is now over. Of course, until this information comes officially from Sony, it’s best to take it with a pinch of salt.

According to the source, both the S1 and the S2 will be available in 16GB and 32GB models. The S1, which seems to be the better of the two tablets, will have both a Wi-Fi-only model and a Wi-Fi plus 3G model. The S2, however, will be available with Wi-Fi only.

The S1 is said to sport a 9.4-inch IPS display, just 0.3 inches smaller than Apple’s iPad, with TruBlack and Bravia display technologies. The device will also feature a full-sized SD card slot, with battery life “comparable to the iPad 2.” That’s around 10 hours while surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching movies, or listening to music; and around 9 hours while surfing the web using a 3G data connection.

As for accessories, a dock and at least one wireless Bluetooth keyboard, which will clip to the bottom of the device when not in use, is planned for the S1.

The S2 is the smaller of the two tablets, featuring two 5.5-inch displays that fold together when closed. Both devices are said to be PlayStation certified and will run Android 3.0 Honeycomb, with a custom interface that features some of Sony’s existing services like Qriocity.

Unfortunately, CNET‘s source did not provide details on the processors and RAM packed into each device, so we’re still left to wonder just exactly what these devices may be capable of.

Both tablets are expected to hit Europe in September, but information regarding their U.S. release is yet to be revealed.

Based on those specifications, do either of Sony’s upcoming devices interest you? I certainly like the sound of the S1 - especially with that PlayStation certification - but it’s too early to say whether the device will do enough to tempt me away from the iPad.

3.5 Million Galaxy S II Units Sold In South Korea

Samsung Galaxy S was the most popular Android smartphone of 2010. Samsung has sold more than 10 million units of this handset in less than 6 months. On the other hand, Samsung Galaxy S II is the most popular Android smartphone of 2011. It is the successor of the original Galaxy S smartphone. Samsung sold 3 million units of this handset in just 55 days and then, Samsung reached another milestone of 5 million units in less than 85 days.

Samsung Galaxy S II was first launched in its home country on April 28. Even in South Korea, the powerful Galaxy S II is the most popular smartphone. According to MK News, Samsung managed to sell more than 3.5 million units of this handset in South Korea alone. Samsung is currently the market leader in South Korea, with more than 50% market share.

Samsung is reportedly activating 23,000 units of Galaxy S II daily, while Apple is activating only 3,000 iPhones each day in South Korea. Samsung recently announced 3 variants of this smartphone exclusively for the AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint customers in the US. Samsung is expected to reach the 10 million mark by the end of October.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread Update Rolling Out Now

Sony Ericsson has a very bad reputation, when it comes to updating their handsets to the latest version of Gingerbread. However, since the beginning of 2011, the company has been trying its best to keep its 2011 range of Xperia handsets up to date.

Around a month ago, SE promised that it will start rolling out the Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread update for its current range of Xperia handsets, with some new software enhancements as well.

Now, according to the Xperia Blog, it looks like Sony Ericsson has not only kept its promise, they have actually bettered it. The company has started rolling out the Android 2.3.4 update for the Xperia Neo, nearly a month ago of its promised release date.

The new software update (v4.0.1.A.0.283) also brings some new features like a swype like text-input system, ability to take screenshots, enhanced Facebook Inside Xperia, ability to click 3D panorama pictures, and the ability to playback 3D videos on a compatible 3D TV. Google Talk with video chatting facility is also on-board.

At the moment, the update for the Neo is being rolled out only in the Nordic region. It’s just a matter of time, before Sony Ericsson starts rolling out the update to other regions of the world, and to its other Xperia branded handsets as well.

Google Wallet Service Goes Live! Available On Sprint’s Nexus S 4G

Back in May, Google announced its Google Wallet service, which as the name suggests makes your Android phone your wallet.

Today, Google has released its ‘Wallet’ app for Sprint’s Nexus S 4G. With the Wallet app, Nexus S 4G owners can use their phone instead of their CitiBank Credit Card to pay their bills. The Wallet app works via the NFC chip found on the Nexus S. Yeah, Google finally found a good use of the NFC chip, which it introduced with the Nexus S nearly 10 months ago.

Below is a video of Google Wallet in action-:

Right now, the Google Wallet service is available for only for CitiBank and MasterCard customers, with Visa, Discover and American Express already supporting the service. As a gesture of thanks to early adopters, Google is also adding $10 free bonus to Google Prepaid card, if Wallet users set it up before this year’s end.

Interested Nexus S 4G owners can find more information about the Google’s Wallet service and app from here.

Nexus S 4G owners will get the Google Wallet app via an OTA update, which will also bump the Android version to 2.3.7.

Samsung to Target Apple’s iPhone 5 with Patent Lawsuits in Korea

When Apple launched the iPhone in 2007, no one, except maybe Steve Jobs, foresaw how successful it would become. None of the existing platforms could match what the iPhone offered, and it soon became the number smartphone in the U.S.

Even Android wasn’t able to offer devices which could compete with the iPhone, no matter how hard its partners tried. But then, Samsung launched the Galaxy S. It was probably the first Android smartphone which could go head to head with the iPhone. It was the most popular Android smartphone in 2010, and probably the only phone which Apple could possibly have perceived as a threat.

Apple recently filed lawsuits against Samsung in multiple countries, alleging patent infringement. It claimed that the Galaxy devices by Samsung copied many of the design elements of the iPhone and theiPad.

Apple and Samsung have been involved in a mud slinging contest ever since. Apple has won a couple of injunctions barring the sale of the Samsung Galaxy Tab in Europe and Australia. Samsung recently filed apatent infringement lawsuit against Apple in France, over the use of UMTS in the iPhone 4. Even though Samsung’s components make up a large part of Apple’s devices, both parties seem to be in no mood for any kind of settlement.

According to Apple Insider, Samsung is already planning to block sales of the soon to be launched iPhone 5 in its home turf — Korea.

“Just after the arrival of the iPhone 5 here, Samsung plans to take Apple to court here for its violation of Samsung’s wireless technology related patents. For as long as Apple does not drop mobile telecommunications functions, it would be impossible for it to sell its i-branded products without using our patents. We will stick to a strong stance against Apple during the lingering legal fights,” said an anonymous Samsung senior executive.

Samsung may have some kind of advantage over Apple in Korean courts, as it is one of the biggest Korean companies. However, Apple’s potential sales in Korea are much smaller compared to Samsung’s potential sales in Europe and Australia, so Samsung will still be at a disadvantage even if it wins, unless all the lawsuits are settled.

iBall Enters The Tablet War With Their iBall Slide

Almost every manufacturer these days is entering the tablet world, and that has made the admired digital daily life products manufacturing marque, iBall to foray into the already crowded now makes its foray into the already herded market with their iBall Slide. The all new iBall tablet will run on Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Now, though we haven’t heard anything more about the tablet as for now, but still here’s all that we know about the tablet.

• 1 Gigahertz ARM Cortex- A8 Processor
• Complete Capacitive Multi Touch
• 7-inch WVGA display having native resolution of 800 x 480 pixels
• 4400 mAh lithium-ion battery
• Android 2.3 Gingerbread
• Connectivity Bluetooth, 3G on Data Card and Wi-Fi
• 8GB in-built Memory which further could be expanded to 32GB
• HD Video – Video and Music Player having Admired format support
• HDMI Outport
• Pre-loaded applications

Furthermore, iBall also claims that the tablet will be having a front camera of 2.0 mega pixel, which will be capable of delivering incredibly high-quality images. The all new iBall Slide also has the capacity to support HD quality video and 3D games, says the company.

Some other major highlights for the iBall Slide tablet includes the likes of applications from the Android app market in addition to features such as social networking, chat, HD video and Music, e-book, gaming, weather and news.

The all new iBall Slide will be priced at Rs. 13, 995, in Indian market, and we have no information on the price of the system in international market, but as soon as we get the information we will be updating it here.

HTC Flyer Bootloader Now Unlockable Using HTC’s Developer Portal

Last month, HTC released its much awaited web-based boot loader unlock tool for the HTC EVO 3D and the various variants of the HTC Sensation.

While the boot loader unlock tool from HTC does what it states, it does not provide a user with S-OFF access. This does complicate matters a little, but thankfully modders have already found a workaround. Today, HTC has updated its web-based tool to add support for the various versions of its first ever Android tablet, the Flyer.

Flyer owners who are interested in unlocking the boot loader on their tablet should head over to HTC’s developer website. Flyer owners should keep in mind that by unlocking the boot loader on their tablet, they will be voiding its warranty.

Hopefully, HTC will soon add support for more devices like the HTC Thunderbolt, Incredible S and the Desire S to its boot loader unlocking portal.

The HTC Flyer will also get its Honeycomb update sometime soon. Recently, a Honeycomb based ROM for the Flyer had leaked on the Internet.

Rumor: Apple is Building iMessage into OS X Lion’s iChat

This year at WWDC, Apple unveiled a new service called “iMessage”. iMessage is a a unified messaging service for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch that allows users to send text and multimedia messages over Wi-Fi and 3G with read and delivery receipts and real-time typing indication. It is also one of the major new features of the upcoming iOS 5 update. Currently, iMessage is not integrated into iChat.

A developer has discovered strings of code for “timeDelivered” and “timeRead”, which has ledMacRumors to speculate that Apple could eventually bring support for its iMessage protocol to iChat.

Samsung’s New Lawsuit Targets Apple’s iPhone, iPad in France

Last month, Apple won a preliminary injunction granted by the German court to block the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the entire European Union except for Netherlands. Last week, Apple successfully gotSamsung to pull the Galaxy Tab 7.7 from a German trade show floor after a court injunction forcedSamsung to cease promoting its newly unveiled tablet. This week, Samsung has announced yet another lawsuit against Apple. The lawsuit was filed in France, accusing Apple of infringing three mobile phonepatents with the iPhone and iPad. The first hearing is expected to occur in December, according toAgence France-Presse.

According to the report, the complaint is related to three Samsung patents covering UMTS, or third-generation high-speed data transfer on cell networks. The lawsuit targets the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, as well as the first- and second-generation iPad models with 3G radios. ”The complaint focuses on three technology patents, and not on the design of the tablets,” a Samsung spokeswoman reportedly said.

Unlike Germany and Australia, where Samsung is banned from selling its Galaxy Tab 10.1, the tablet is currently available in France.

Apple is currently involved in legal disputes against Android handset makers, including Samsung and HTC. The company has recently won cases against both Samsung and HTC.