Apple News: 2014 at 11:46AM

Showing posts with label 2014 at 11:46AM. Show all posts

Apple to Reportedly Stop Production of iPhone 5c in 2015

Posted by Unknown on 4:01 AM

Apple will discontinue the iPhone 5c next year, according to Taiwan's Industrial and Commercial Times. Production of the handset is said to be stopping in the middle of the year, as Apple suppliers Wistron and Foxconn will look to wind down production of the device. The news follows a report from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo earlier this week which noted that production of the iPhone 5c and the iPhone 4S would end later in 2015 after promotional plans.

iphone5c

Originally released as a lower-cost option last year, the iPhone 5c is currently available in a single 8GB configuration alongside the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus. It is likely that Apple will stop production of the iPhone 5c to streamline its iPhone lineup, as every handset would then likely be equipped with a Touch ID fingerprint sensor.

Apple's iPhone 5c saw lower-than-expected sales after its debut in 2013 due to high demand for the then-flagship iPhone 5s. Apple did attempt a renewed push late last year to promote the iPhone 5c, debuting ads for the device on popular blogging platform Tumblr and on websites like Yahoo.com. Other reports also suggested that Apple cut iPhone 5c production significantly while ramping up iPhone 5s production to meet customer demand last year.

Microsoft plans to take the fight directly to Apple in NYC with a massive new retail outlet

Posted by Unknown on 4:59 AM

Microsoft isn't about to let Apple hog all the prime retail real estate in New York. The New York Daily News reports that Microsoft is in talks to open up an enormous new 8,700-square-foot two-story retail outlet on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, just blocks away from Apple's own giant retail outlet.

Continue reading...

Apple and Samsung Trying to Find 'Common Ground' in Efforts to End Patent War

Posted by Unknown on 5:13 AM

Apple and Samsung are attempting to find "common ground" in efforts to end their ongoing legal battle, reports The Korea Times (via GforGames ). Citing sources "familiar with the negotiations", the paper notes that both firms are "trimming the number of disputed issues", stating that both Apple and Samsung are attempting to become "more practical" about finding a solution.

apple_samsung_logos

Another source also claimed that Apple would like to keep Samsung as one of its main parts suppliers, with the report referencing the long-rumored iWatch:

"As technology shifts toward wearable devices, Apple still wants to keep Samsung as its top-tier parts sourcing channel," another source said.

"The recent release of the Samsung OLED tablet is an indication that Samsung can manage OLED displays to be used in almost all wearable devices, a segment that Apple is greatly interested in."

In the past two years, Apple and Samsung have been in two trials over the issue of patent infringement. The first trial in 2012 awarded Apple more than $1 billion in damages, however a damages retrial last November brought that amount down to $290 million. Meanwhile, the second trial wrapped up last month and found both companies guilty, although Samsung was ordered to pay $119.6 million while Apple was to pay just $158,400. Samsung has since filed an appeal to challenge the second verdict.

Last week, both companies also agreed to drop their cross-appeal rulings on an ITC ban for older Samsung products, which focused on patent 7,789,697, and dealt with the concept of accessories being recognized when they plug in to devices.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and Samsung Electronics CEO Oh-Hyun Kwon also reportedly attending a mediation session earlier this year, however both parties failed to reach an agreement in their ongoing legal battle. While a new agreement would take some time to reach, a move to end the ongoing legal battle would prove to be very beneficial for both Apple and Samsung.