The AppAdvice Week In Review: New iPhone Sept. 10, iOS 7 Beta 5 And More

by Joe White

August 11, 2013

While Bryan Wolfe takes a short break, Joe White has excitedly jumped into the Week In Review captain's chair - and what a week! Apple sent iOS 7 beta 5 out to developers while rumors concerning the company's "iPhone 5C" have continued to circulate online. Recent data on Apple's performance during Q2 2013 brings both good news and bad. Finally this week, AT&T saw the light, T-Mobile dealt a rough blow to prospective iPhone customers, and Best Buy announced a killer deal that'll only be available for a few more hours ...

Save the date: Sept. 10

First up, however, is one big piece of news which came to us late in the day. In an article published by AllThingsD, it's claimed that Apple will unveil its next-generation iPhone (along with additional lines of iDevices) at a special event on Sept. 10, 2013. Citing reliable "sources," the website explains:

One of the key questions is whether Apple adopts a new tactic to address the mid-range of the smartphone market. Historically, Apple has gone after those customers by offering its year-old and two-year-old models for $100 and $200 less than a new iPhone. However, there has been a great deal of talk that the company will debut a new lower-cost iPhone alongside whatever update it has in store for the current iPhone 5.

The new upgrade, we believe, will be the "iPhone 5S," while a low-cost smartphone called the "iPhone 5C" is expected to be announced, too.

Hopefully, we'll hear more about the next-generation iPad, iPad mini, iPods, and iOS 7 alongside Apple's iPhone-related announcements. Below, we have more information on the forthcoming products, but for the time being, it looks at the very least like Sept. 10 is a date worth saving.

Apple releases iOS 7 beta 5

Apple sent iOS 7 beta 5 to registered iOS developers over-the-air this week, and changes - albeit small ones - are aplenty. Our own article on the subject talked readers through a number of alterations made to the built-in Mail app:

Deleting multiple emails in the Mail app was once performed by tapping the Edit button at the top right of the screen, followed by checking them off. From there, you had to tap the Delete button at the bottom left. Apple moved the Delete button in iOS 7 beta 5. Now called Trash, this button is now located at the bottom right of the screen. The Mark button has taken its place on the left side. At first, I found the change disruptive. Now, it makes a lot of sense. The last task you perform before hitting the Trash button is always to check off an email. This means that you must now move your finger from left to right, as opposed to simply moving down. This helps guard against deleting emails you really wanted to keep.

However, there's more. In a follow-up article, we spotted five additional changes made in the latest iOS beta, which include the option of switching Control Center off, a revamped Power-Off button, a new Twitter icon, altered in-call icons, and - sadly - the disappearance of rotating panoramic wallpapers (here's hoping this interesting feature makes a return before iOS 7 is released!).

Apple's performance in Q2 2013

Apple's performance during the second fiscal quarter of 2013 was examined this week, bringing both good news and bad for fans of the Cupertino, Calif. company. Apple continues to dominate the PC market Thanks to the iPad, Apple continued to dominate the PC market in Q2 2013 (despite losing 11.5 percent of its market share compared with the previous year's quarter). In our article, we explained:

In fact, despite its sustained, iPad-powered dominance in the PC sphere, Apple actually lost market share of 11.5 percent during the quarter, and so holds 19.4 percent of the overall market. It’s likely that once the next-generation iPad and iPad mini are announced, the Cupertino, Calif. company will regain some of the ground lost here, since sales of the 9.7-inch and small-size tablets will almost certainly increase.

Lenovo, however, is gaining on Apple, due to sustained interest overseas in its low-cost tablets:

The vendor gained 7.3 percent of the PC market in the same quarter, and so holds a total share of 12.1 percent. Samsung, too, continued to see an increase in market share, but is still some way off assuming the No. 2 spot when it comes to PC shipments.

Here's a chart, which explains how the PC market looked during the quarter. Apple, as you can see, is doing well, but both Lenovo and Samsung saw an impressive increase in market share during the three-month period.

Both Apple's iOS and Google's Android are driving the PC market, the study concludes, despite "recent innovation" in the form of Microsoft's Windows-powered tablet software, which indeed is "struggling to take off." With new lines of iPads set to be unveiled in the coming months, it’ll be interesting to see how the PC market looks in the near future. In the U.S., iTunes is the most popular video streaming service

It’s official: iTunes is the United States’ favorite video streaming service, according to a recent consumer satisfaction survey conducted by ForeSee. In the research firm’s 2013 Mobile Satisfaction Index: Media and Entertainment Edition, consumers were asked to choose their favorite of 22 video services, which included HBO Go, Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and Hulu Plus. Top of the list, however, was Apple’s iTunes Store, with the online service scoring 80 out of a possible 100 points. HBO Go and Netflix shared the No. 2 position, and each scored 79. The average score for such services was 78, and Hulu Plus was awarded a below-average 75. Of course, Apple’s iTunes has proven to be popular all round: Recently, the service served more than 1 billion podcast subscriptions, and in May more than 50 billion iOS applications were downloaded through the App Store. Rumors concerning an Apple HDTV and accompanying television service, however, could see the Cupertino, Calif. company further assert itself as a popular movie- and TV-streaming option. Apple holds on to just 13 percent of the smartphone OS market It seems the low-cost smartphone strategy adopted by countless manufacturers is continuing to pay off, as Google’s Android is said to have secured almost 80 percent of the smartphone operating system market in the second fiscal quarter of 2013. Apple on the other hand isn’t doing so well, and instead held a mere 13 percent during the same period, according to data recently published by IDC. More specifically, Android’s second quarter market share weighed-in at 79.3 percent, while Apple’s was 13.2 percent. The Cupertino, Calif. company saw a year-over-year change of 20 percent exactly, proving that iOS is continuing to be adopted as a smartphone operating system. Android, however, is growing at a huge rate, and increased by a massive 73.5 percent during the same period.

Here's hoping Apple's next-generation iDevices can help the company regain marketshare across the world. Apple's share of the Chinese smartphone market drops to five percent In the second quarter of 2013, Apple’s share of the Chinese smartphone market fell to just five percent, according to data published recently by Canalys. The research, which reached us from Bloomberg, means that over the course of one year the Cupertino, Calif. company has lost four percent of its share of the smartphone market in China. In the second quarter of 2012, Apple accounted for nine percent of smartphone sales in the country.

One problem presently facing Apple is the availability of low-cost Android-powered smartphones in China, India, and elsewhere. Capturing market share is therefore a problem for the company, since less expensive alternatives manufactured by the likes of Lenovo, ZTE, and Xiaomi are dissuading consumers from paying more and purchasing an iPhone. As such, Apple’s anticipated low-cost “iPhone 5C” can’t come quick enough. Once available, it’s expected that the company will have a better chance of regaining lost marketshare both overseas and in the United States.

More news on Apple's next-generation iDevices

As each week passes, more news - and rumors - concerning Apple's anticipated next-generation iDevice surfaces online. Here's the latest selection from the last week. iPhone 5S First up, don't get too excited over Apple's seventh-generation handset, because according to one recent article, the Cupertino, Calif. company's next great iPhone won't launch until 2014. The iPhone 5S will look similar to its predecessor, the iPhone 5. Differences noted on the inside of the device include a longer and redesigned ribbon cable on the front panel, and screws in different locations.

The bottom line: Like the iPhone 4S before it, the iPhone 5S will be exactly like its predecessor except for a faster processor and improved rear facing camera. iPhone 5C There's more news on the iPhone 5C front, too. Namely, a number of images of the anticipated handset surfaced online, all of which indicate that the low-cost model will include a plastic outer shell, a built-in camera and flash, a speaker, and a Lightning port.

From what we understand, Apple plans to launch the handset in the coming months. iPad 5 More images of the iPad 5 appeared online, too, which suggest that the forthcoming tablet will feature a Retina display of similar resolution, but will include a thinner bezel.

iPad maxi? Could Apple have an iPad maxi, featuring a 12.9-inch display, in the works? If so, the below rendering gives iDevice fans an idea of what the rumored tablet could look like. What do you think?

AT&T, T-Mobile, and Best Buy

AT&T reduces "Next" pricing As mentioned above, AT&T saw the light this week - namely, the carrier altered the pricing for its "Next" service, making the yearly upgrade offering cheaper than competitor Verizon's "Edge" service by $1. Here's an updated price comparison chart, which shows how AT&T Next now compares with Verizon Edge, and T-Mobile Jump.

T-Mobile ends its $0 down iPhone promotion Talking of T-Mobile, the "un-carrier" this week ended its $0 down iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 promotion, meaning prospective customers will have to pay up to $145 for a handset, with 24 monthly payments of $21. One T-Mobile spokesperson reportedly said: “As is the nature of promotions, pricing moves are temporary.” This is, of course, bad news for anyone who’d been planning on signing-up for either an iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 with the carrier. But there's good news from Best Buy - if you act fast! That being said, Best Buy has some good news for prospective iPhone owners, and is offering a couple of deals - for this weekend only. As we explained in our original article:

First up, only at Best Buy Mobile locations, buyers can receive double the trade-in value for their current handset. For example, if your phone had a trade-in value of $100, Best Buy will give you a $200 gift card to use on a new smartphone. Obviously, you will have to sign a new two-year contract. And if you’re looking to purchase an iPhone 5 with Sprint, there is also another good deal available at all Best Buy locations and Mobile stores. With the usual two-year new contract, you can receive a $100 discount on the 32GB iPhone 5. As a heavy iPhone 5 user, I can definitely recommend any new user buy at least the 32GB version as the 16GB edition fills up very quickly.

Remember, however, that the deals are only available this weekend - so act fast if you're interested!

Finally

This week, the BBC announced the actor set to play the next Doctor Who. To celebrate, we take a look at all of the Doctor's regenerations, from 1963 to 2010. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXCpY_3Sac8

If you can't see the above video, please click this link.