iPhone 5 Part of AT&T's 'Busy October,' Says Report

Here's another iPhone 5 release date rumor to add to the pile.

An AT&T vice president has reportedly informed employees that theiPhone 5 will launch in early October, an unnamed source tells Boy Genius Report. Other Websites, including All Things Digital, have also reported rumors of an October launch. The blog 9 to 5 Mac has pegged the launch date for October 7, with an announcement in late September.

Granted, the rumor mill had also reported a September iPhone 5 launch in the past, and Boy Genius Report had even suggested that the iPhone 5 would launch in August. Neither outcome seems likely now, so let's not forget that some Apple rumors turn out to be wrong.

But whether the October iPhone launch pans out or not, there's at least a kernel of truth to the other half of BGR's rumor. Apparently, the aforementioned--and unnamed--AT&T vice president also issued a warning to employees: "Expect things to get really, really busy in the next 35-50 days, so prepare your teams accordingly."

That's what I've been saying, and not just because of the iPhone. Google is now rumored to launch its "Nexus Prime" smartphone in October. Samsung will soon bring its Galaxy S II smartphones to the United States. Microsoft's Windows Phones are getting a second wind thanks to the upcoming "Mango" update. Even Research in Motion is getting in the mix with some new Blackberry handsets.

All of this follows a rather sleepy summer in high-end smartphones for AT&T. There was no new iPhone, as in previous years. The only new high-end Android handset was Samsung's Infuse. There were no new Windows Phones. If you're bound to the carrier--say, with a family plan--you've got every reason to wait for the rush of new hardware. Much of it is landing in the early fall--including, most likely, the iPhone 5.

Via PC World

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Apple Boosts iPhone Orders for the Rest of 2011

Apple has ordered 26 million iPhone 5s from suppliers to be delivered in the second half of 2011, it has been claimed.Digitimes reports that Apple has ordered six million iPhone 5s for Q3 and 20 million for Q4, according to "Taiwan-based supply chain makers".
Total iPhone shipments will reach 95 million for the year, with some 56 million in the second half alone. As well as the 26 million iPhone 5s, there will be 30 million shipments of the current models, the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4.

The report also states that component suppliers are likely to be put under pressure by Apple to lower prices, in particular touch-panel makers.

Source Pc World

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Two Charged in Sale of iPhone 4 Prototype

A California county district attorney's office has decided not to press charges against Gizmodo or former editor Jason Chen for the blog's part in a 2010 case involving a lost Apple iPhone 4 prototype.

nstead, two other men have been charged with misdemeanors, the San Mateo County District Attorney's office said today.Brian Hogan, 22, of Redwood City, and Safe Wallower, 28, of Emeryville, have been accused of misappropriation of lost property, and in Wallower's case, also with possession of stolen property.

The property in question was an early version of the iPhone 4 that had been left at a Redwood City bar by an Apple engineer in late March 2010. Hogan was identified by his lawyer as the person who sold the iPhone to Gizmodo, which published photographs and analysis of the device several months before Apple officially unveiled the smartphone.

Most experts, including an experienced tear-down specialist interviewed by Computerworld, had judged the Gizmodo-pictured prototype as the "real deal."

Gizmodo admitted to paying Hogan $5,000 for the iPhone prototype. It later returned the smartphone to Apple after the Cupertino, California company's lawyers asked for it back.

Gawker Media, which operates Gizmodo, applauded the prosecutors' decision today.

"We are pleased that the District Attorney of San Mateo County, Steven Wagstaffe, has decided, upon review of all of the evidence, that no crime was committed by the Gizmodo team in relation to its reporting on the iPhone 4 prototype last year," Gawker said in a statement posted to its site.

Although California police last year raided Chen's home and seized seven computers, an iPhone, an iPad and other hardware, he was never charged by prosecutors.

Chen, who now works as the managing editor for the Lifehacker website, declined to comment today.

Hogan's attorney, who was not available for additional comment, today issued a statement in reaction to the charge filed against his client.

"Although we do not believe that charges of any kind should have been filed, Brian [Hogan] fully accepts responsibility for his actions," said Jeffrey Bornstein. "We are working cooperatively with the District Attorney to resolve this misdemeanor charge promptly."

Wallower was identified by CNET News last year as a former cryptologic technician for the Navy and a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. According to CNET, Wallower acted as a go-between for Hogan, and had contacted several technology sites about the iPhone.

The San Mateo County District Attorney's office did not immediately reply to questions, including the possible penalties or jail time that Hogan and Wallower face if convicted of their charges.

Hogan and Wallower are scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 25.

Via Pc World

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