Buyer's Guide Accessory Discounts: Mini Jambox, Sony QX10, Apple Smart Covers, and More [iOS Blog]

Along with several Mac deals and an array of iPhone discounts from Best Buy, multiple companies are offering discounts on various iOS accessories, including the Mini Jambox, Griffin Survivor cases, the Sony QX10 iPhone camera accessory, and Apple Smart Covers and cables.



Jawbone's newest Mini Jambox can be purchased for $99 via Groupon, which is $30 off the standard price from Jawbone. It's available in Blue Diamond, Silver Dot, and Graphite Facet. The standard sized Jambox is also available at a discounted price of $89 on Groupon.





Apple Smart Covers for the iPad 2, 3, and 4 can be purchased for $19.99 via Groupon, a discount of $20 off the standard price.



Sony's DSC-QX10 18-megapixel camera lens that connects to an iPhone via Bluetooth can be purchased through Dealtek on Ebay for $169.99, a discount of $28.





CableJive, a site that sells cables and adapters for iOS devices, is currently offering a 20% discount site-wide with the code "Neverwinter." The sale will last through July 21. Lifeproof is also offering a 25% discount on several products on the Lifeproof website.



Scosche's retractable strikeLine Pro Lightning cable can also be purchased for half off through Woot, with a single cable available for $12.99 or two for $19.99 .





Standard Apple adapters are on sale at Walmart, with the retailer offering the Lightning to 30-pin adapter for $35 and the Lightning to Digital AV adapter for $43.37. Walmart is also selling the World Travel adapter kit for $33.



Groupon is offering a deal on Griffin Survivor Justice League cases for the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 5s, selling them for $15.99, a significant discount off the regular $60 price tag.





MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors.

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Posted in 2014 at 10:05PM, July 18

Analysts Predict Flat iPad Sales for Q3 2014, Slight Increase in iPhone Sales

Six months after the launch of the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPad Air and Retina iPad mini, analysts are expecting a slight rise in iPhone sales from last year, with little growth in sales of the iPad, according to new reports from Philip Elmer-Dewitt of Fortune



Q3 2014 iPhone sales estimates from 15 Wall Street professionals and 11 amateurs range from 31.8 million to 42 million, averaging 35.88 million. During the year-ago quarter, Apple saw 31.24 million iPhone sales, and the estimated year-over-year change is 4.64 million or 14.85 percent growth.





Q3 2014 iPad sales estimates from the 26 analysts range from 12.3 million to 16 million, averaging 14.43 million. During the year-ago quarter, Apple saw 14.62 million iPad sales, and the estimated year-over-year change is -0.19 million, or a slight -1.27 percent decline, which may not be as dramatic as the dip in sales during Q2 2014.

Did sales bounce back in Q3? The 26 analysts Fortune polled are almost evenly divided on the question, with slightly more expecting iPad sales to be lower this quarter than they were the same quarter last year.



The average estimate -- 14.35 million -- suggests that iPad sales were down sequentially and flat year over year. But behind that average is a rather wide range, from a high of 16 million (submitted by Asymco's Horace Dediu and Hilliard's Stephen Turner) to a low of 12.26 million (from Canaccord's T. Michael Walkley).

Thus far in 2014, Apple has not released new iPad or iPhone models. The company is expected to launch several new devices in the fall, however, including the iPhone 6 and updated models of the iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina Display, which will lead to much stronger sales later in the year.



Apple will announce its earnings for the third fiscal quarter (second calendar quarter) of 2014 on Tuesday, July 22. The earnings release is posted just after 4:30 PM ET following the close of regular stock trading, and the conference call is scheduled to follow at 5:00 PM Eastern / 2:00 PM Pacific.

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Posted in 2014 at 09:59PM, July 18

It looks like Microsoft was smart to scrap the Surface mini

And now we see another good reason for Microsoft to not release the Surface mini tablet. ITWorld reports that Lenovo has already stopped selling its two smaller Windows-based tablets in the United States because there simply isn't any demand for them. The decision comes to yank the smaller Windows tablets even though both of them — the ThinkPad 8 and the Miix 2 — haven't even been out for a year.

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Posted in 2014 at 10:00PM, July 18

Did Microsoft just cancel Windows Phone’s potential killer feature?

Earlier this year, we heard that Microsoft was working on something called 3D Touch, a new system that would integrate the Xbox One's Kinect technology into Windows Phone. WPCentral's sources now say, however, that plans to release a device with 3D Touch have been put on the shelf for the time being because Microsoft execs and engineers couldn't escape the nagging sensation that it was nothing more than a gimmick.

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Posted in 2014 at 09:15PM, July 18

Get up to $125 off the Moto X right now

Motorola's Moto X is definitely showing its age at this point, but for people on a budget looking for a capable mid-range smartphone with no service contract, the X is still a terrific option. And for the next five days, it's an even better option than it normally is.

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Posted in 2014 at 08:40PM, July 18

Buyer's Guide: Discounts on MacBook Air, Retina MacBook Pro, AppleCare, and More [Mac Blog]

There are some solid deals on Apple's Retina MacBook Pro this week, as well as some decent deals on the iMac, the MacBook Air, and AppleCare.



Retina MacBook Pro



Like last week, multiple retailers are offering $100 to $150 off most Retina MacBook Pro models. The 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro with 4GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage is $1,199 at Adorama and B&H Photo. The 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is $1,399 at Adorama and B&H Photo. The lower-end 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro with 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage is $1,849.99 at Amazon, Adorama, and B&H Photo, while the higher-end model with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage is $2,449 at Amazon, Adorama, and B&H Photo.





iMac



There are some small discounts on the iMac this week, with both Adorama and B&H Photo offering the 21.5-inch iMac with 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive for $1,349, a savings of $150 off the standard price. Adorama and B&H are also offering the 27-inch 3.2GHz iMac with 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive for $1,679.99 and the two sites also have the higher-end 27-inch 3.4Ghz iMac for $1,879.99 (B&H, Adorama).





MacBook Air



There aren't many MacBook Air deals this week, but both Adorama and B&H Photo are offering the 13-inch model with 4GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for $1,099.99, a savings of $100.





Buying from Adorama and B&H Photo gives the benefit of no sales tax in many states, as these two stores only charge tax in New York/New Jersey and New York, respectively.



AppleCare



B&H Photo is offering several discounts on AppleCare this week. The AppleCare Protection Plan for the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro and the 15-inch MacBook Pro is available for $244, $105 off Apple's regular price.



The AppleCare Protection Plan for the MacBook Air and the 13-inch Retina Macbook Pro is available for $174, $75 off Apple's regular price.



The AppleCare Protection Plan for the Mac Pro is available for $174, $75 off Apple's regular price, while the AppleCare Protection Plan for the iMac is available for $129, $40 off Apple's regular price.



Before making a purchase of a Mac or iOS device, make sure to consult our Buyer's Guide to find out if it's a good time to buy. For example, because the MacBook Air was updated in April, the Buyer's Guide indicates that now is a good time to purchase.



MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors.

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Posted in 2014 at 06:22PM, July 18

Best Buy Offers Free iHome Speaker With $0 Down iPhone Purchase, Other Deals [iOS Blog]

Best Buy is offering several deals on the iPhone throughout the end of July, beginning with a $100 discount on the 16GB Verizon iPhone 5s, which is available now through Saturday, July 26. Verizon's iPhone 5s is typically priced at $199 at Best Buy.





Beginning on Sunday, July 20, Best Buy will be offering a free iHome portable speaker (a $299 value) for any customer who purchases an iPhone with $0 down using monthly installment plans from various carriers including AT&T Next, Verizon Edge, or Sprint Easy Pay at a Best Buy Mobile specialty store location.



Customers who purchase a phone using one of these plans will be given a code to redeem for the speaker, which will be sent to their home address. Best Buy's speaker deal lasts through Saturday, July 26.



Best Buy is also offering a $200 Best Buy gift card with the purchase of any open box iPhone (4s, 5, or 5s) on AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint with a two-year activation. The gift card can be used towards the smartphone purchase. Open box phones are available in Best Buy stores, Best Buy Mobile Specialty Stores and on BestBuy.com. This deal lasts through August 2.



Finally, Best Buy is giving select iPhone buyers a $100 Best Buy gift card with purchase, both in-store and online. The gift card is available for the following models on AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon: 8GB iPhone 4s ($1.00), 32GB iPhone 5c ($199), and 64GB iPhone 5s ($350). Either a two-year contract or a $0 down monthly billing plan with AT&T Next, Verizon Edge, or Sprint Easy Pay is required.

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Posted in 2014 at 05:14PM, July 18