Big screen devices expected at CES 2013

Big-screen "phablet" devices, positioned between a smartphone and a tablet, are predicted to be a big trend at this year's Consumer Electronics Show.

With Huawei expected to unveil the Ascend Mate with a 6.1-inch screen, and 5-inch phones anticipated from LG and ZTE, Brian White of Topeka Capital Markets expects CES 2013 to showcase a number of "embarrassingly large" smartphones.

Though he finds smartphones with screen sizes of 5 inches and larger "awkward to hold," he found in his recent trips to China and Hong Kong that there has been a trend in the market toward "ultra-large smartphones at the high end of the market," such as with Samsung's recently released Galaxy Note II.

If the market is truly headed in that direction, White believes that even Apple may not be immune to this trend. Earlier this week, he predicted that Apple will expand the iPhone lineup this year with new colors, beyond the current black and white options, as well as multiple screen sizes.

"We believe Apple will offer customers more screen sizes with the next iPhone and a display as large as 5 inches is not out of the question, in our view," White reiterated in his latest note to investors on Friday.

He also expects major TV makers will continue to evolve the platform, such as Samsung, which is hyping a new HDTV model with an "unprecedented new shape." But he believes that Apple is the only company on the market right now that could truly reinvent the television experience.

"We still believe the 'elephant in the room' at CES will be Apple TV that we believe will totally reinvent the TV experience," he said. "Apple's ability to develop hardware and software together, combined with a relentless, detailed focus on aesthetics and a robust ecosystem will make the company difficult to beat in the coming years." 

iPhone users report the bendy frame of iPhone 5

The Apple iPhone 5 is expected to beat all sales a smartphone has ever held this Holiday quarter, but with so many iPhones out there it seems that more and more users are starting to notice that the new device is less rigid than previous iPhones.

Give it more pressure, and the iPhone 5’s aluminum unibody will bend in an ugly way. Well, by more we do mean that those users would forget they had the thin 4-inch Apple smartphone in their back pocket and sit on it. And that’s pretty extreme.

But the bending that occurs is too, and that is a problem. The new iPhone is taller than all previous ones, and it is thinner too, at just 0.34 inches (8.6mm).

If you are wondering why is this being reported now, more than 2 months after the U.S. launch of the device, it is because recently the handset became available in more countries, including China. And China is where most of those reports about the bendy iPhone seem to be coming from.

It’d be interesting to hear whether the same has occurred to you or any of your friends. Take a look at those deformed iPhones below, and just remember - it won’t be a good idea slipping the expensive gadget in your back pocket.

source: Nowhereelse

The Apple iPhone 5S will give consumers a choice of screen size and color

Topeka Capital Market analyst Brian White has been conducting some supply chain checks, and what he sees is that the so-called Apple iPhone 5S will offer consumers some real choices when launched.  This will give iOS users a similar experience to buyers of Android flavored models who can choose from devices with different screen sizes, colors, features and price points.

White sees production on the next Apple iPhone beginning in March/April with theproduct launch due in May/June. On Monday, we told you how some app developers are beginning to see their apps tested on the next Apple iPhone and iOS 7. The analyst sees Apple offering the Apple iPhone 5S in a variety of colors such as pink, yellow, blue, white & silver and black & slate.

"Our checks indicate that the next iPhone will have more choices for customers. This entails an expansion in both the color patterns and screen sizes with the next iPhone (i.e., likely called the iPhone 5S) that we currently believe will be launched in May/June with certain supply production starting in March/April…

Our checks are also indicating that the next iPhone will offer customers more choice in terms of screen size,” White reported. “Although Apple offers a 4-inch screen on the iPhone 5 and a 3.5-inch screen on the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4, the Company has never offered multiple screen sizes for a single model. We believe this is about to change with the next iPhone offering different screen sizes that we believe will allow Apple to better bifurcate the market and expand its reach."-Brian White, analyst, Topeka Capital Market

Just remember that most analysts are
source: Forbes

Apple patents the Active Stylus for iOS

Apple's "Active Stylus" courtesy of Patently Apple

If you remember the very first introduction of the Apple iPhone, you might recall Steve Jobs putting down the stylus, saying that the Apple iPhone uses the best pointing device in the world, your finger. From that moment on, Apple has never come close to embracing the stylus. That is, until now when the Cupertino based tech giant received a patent for the "Active Stylus". 

The "Active Stylus" is a stylus that does more than just help you input a touch on a screen. Your regular everyday stylus works by blocking electric lines. Instead of being passive, like the current stylus, Apple's tool would have the capability to create its own electronic field and couple signals with the main device. This could increase the speed and accuracy of the stylus and eliminate the lag that some S Pen users have complained about. Despite the lag, the S Pen has become extremely popular, so much so that speculation has Samsung including it with the Samsung Galaxy S IV. And we would say that the popularity of the S Pen comes from its ability to be more like a marker or a crayon rather than a touch input like Steve Jobs was thinking about when he dissed the stylus in 2007.

While Apple listed the Apple iPhone and Apple iPad as a couple of devices that could benefit from the "Active Stylus," there is no guarantee that the device will soon be produced. But the guys in Cupertino could feel a lot of pressure to make the "Active Stylus" a reality if the Samsung Galaxy S IV supports the S Pen.

source: PatentlyApple via RedmondPie