What the iPhone 6 is likely to offer
Unless you've been hiking through the Appalachian mountains, you'll be aware that there has only been two topics of online discussion for the entirety of last week: How to look at naked pictures of Jennifer Lawrence, and just what Apple is pulling out of its bag for the launch of the iPhone 6 next week on September 9.
The gross violation of privacy of the former -- especially when over 100 other women were victimized -- would make for another article. The web's obsession with the latter, however, can be explained simply by shining a spotlight on Apple's ethos. Or, more simply, by walking into an Apple store.
Watch out! More iPhones stolen than any other smartphone
New figures released by the Home Office and published by the BBC show that if you own an iPhone 5, 5C, 5S and 4S in England or Wales, you are most at risk of having your smartphone stolen. If the trend continues, it is likely that the upcoming iPhone 6 will also prove similarly attractive to thieves. Figures show that there were a total of 742,000 phone thefts between 2012 and 2013, and that the largest numbers of theft involved Apple's handsets. Interestingly, despite massively dwindling sales, the next most popular phone to be pocketed by thieves was the Blackberry 9790.
While the iPhone is the most appealing to the light-fingered, the figures show that Apple's claim to be "leading the industry in protecting" seems to be true. New security features introduced in iOS 7 led to a noticeable drop in iPhone thefts, but it still remains the most commonly stolen handset. Apple told the BBC:
On Sept. 9th, Apple's Tim Cook era begins
I must disagree with colleague Mark Wilson, who last week asserted: "There is no reason for anyone to care about the iPhone 6", which as I write has 124 comments. I'm a big fan of provocative posts, because they engage the readership. But my feelings differ about commentaries that bluster without substance. Mark is absolutely wrong. There is every reason for everyone to care about the next iPhone.
Mark asserts that iPhone "used to be aspirational and high-end. Now the world and his dog has an Apple handset and it's turned from something special into a poor substitute for one of the countless alternatives...The iPhone is run-of-the-mill. It is predictable. It's just plain boring". In many ways, I agree, but his boring assessment is every reason to "care about the iPhone 6".
Just how innovative was each iPhone release?
The unveiling of the iPhone 6 is nearly upon us, and while we can be pretty sure the new device (or one of the devices at least) will be much larger, we won’t know about any other features until Apple reveals them next week.
The original iPhone was so revolutionary that the world expects Apple to produce something amazing with each new iteration, which is, of course, an unrealistic expectation. However, the firm has introduced plenty of innovative features to its smartphone over the years, including the App Store, Siri, and Touch ID.
Apple's September 9 event to stream live -- but only to Apple devices
It was all but expected, but Apple has confirmed that Tuesday's "special event" will be streamed live online. This in itself is nothing particularly surprising, but the small print at the bottom of the launch announcement page will upset many people -- if you're not already packing an Apple device, you're not invited. "Live streaming video requires Safari 5.1.10 or later on OS X v10.6.8 or later; Safari on iOS 6.0 or later. Streaming via Apple TV requires second- or third-generation Apple TV with software 6.2 or later". Android, Windows, and Linux users are excluded.
At the event, which kicks off at 10am PT on Tuesday at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino, it is expected that Apple will talk about the iPhone 6 -- possibly two sizes -- as well as a wearable device -- which in all likelihood will be the iWatch. Anyone who is not attending the event will have to either fire up a Mac, iPad, iPhone or Apple TV, or wait for news of the announcements to be written up and posted online.
Fans already lining up for the iPhone 6 in New York
Never mind the on-sale date, the next-gen iPhone won't even be revealed until next week, and yet already people are queuing outside Apple's New York flagship store to be first in line to purchase the phone(s).
In fact, the first people in line (well, they were first -- we'll explain in a moment), cousins Brian Ceballo and Joseph Cruz, told CNBC that they've been in line at the Fifth Avenue store since Sunday night, well over a week before the launch.
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