HTC's upcoming 5" smartphone emerges in an alleged press shot

With its likely unveiling less than 48 hours away, an alleged press shot of HTC's long rumored 5" smartphone has emerged. When official, the Taiwanese Android powerhouse will likely be called HTC One X 5.

The rumored specs of the HTC One X 5 include a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset and a 1080p display. If this is the case, the handset will easily top the current crop of Android top dogs.

The device in the press shot also looks a lot like the one which leaked out in a blurry image a couple of weeks back.

We will likely find out all about the new device at HTC's event in New York City this coming Wednesday. We will be covering it live from the spot, so be sure to stick around.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/htcs_upcoming_5_smartphone_emerges_in_an_alleged_press_shot_-news-4817.php

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Walmart taking iPhone 5 pre-orders Friday morning, cheaper than competitors

Walmart will be taking pre-orders for the iPhone 5 at its US stores from Friday morning – for a price that undercuts its competitors.

Following the unveiling of the latest iPhone in San Francisco on Wednesday, it’s possible many owners of the 4S are already looking at their device like it belongs in a museum. It’s a safe bet many will be chomping at the bit to rid themselves of their ‘ancient’ handset in favor of the new one, with its bigger screen and faster processor.

If you happen to be one of these people, or if your current phone is on its last legs and the iPhone 5 seems like a fine replacement, you may be interested to know that Walmart will be taking pre-orders for the new handset at its US stores from Friday morning – for a price that undercuts its competitors.

The retail giant is offering the 16GB version of Apple’s new phone with a $189.97 price tag, as part of a two-year contract. Meanwhile, Apple, AT&T and Verizon will be selling the same phone for 10 bucks more – $199. Walmart’s prices for the 32GB and 64GB versions aren’t known.

Those choosing to buy the new handset from the store are asked to pre-order in person. In return for a $25 deposit, you’ll be given a reservation card, needed for when you collect the phone a week later.

Walmart is also slashing the price of the old iPhone 4S from $148 to $89.97, with a two-year contract. Even cheaper is the iPhone 4, going for just 97 cents with a two-year contract. That’s down from $48.88. If the iPhone 5 seems a little on the pricey side but you’d still like to bag yourself an iPhone, you have choices.

Many analysts believe sales of the Cupertino company’s new smartphone will break all records, selling 10 million units even before the end of the month. The iPhone revolutionzed the handset market when it burst onto the scene in 2007, and in the intervening years has sold a staggering 244 million units.

Users upgrading from an earlier iteration to the new model will gain a lighter, slimmer device with a larger screen, a faster processor, 4G LTE compatibility, and a better camera.

It’ll be available for pick-up on September 21.

[Source: Bloomberg, LA Times]

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/walmart-taking-iphone-5-pre-orders-friday/

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Samsung aiming to shoot down iPhone 5 with upcoming anti-Apple ad

It's not only Apple that's gearing up for the unveiling of the iPhone 5. It appears Samsung is too, as reports suggest the Korean company is currently filming a new anti-Apple ad likely targeting the new handset (and its fans).

Despite being clobbered in the courts by Apple to the tune of a billion bucks recently, Samsung appears to have retained its sense of humor, with a report on Tuesday suggesting the Korean tech giant is currently filming another of its TV ads poking fun at devotees of the Cupertino-based company.

The latest ad, being shot in Los Angeles, looks to be along the same lines as previous Samsung productions, reports The Verge, featuring a store with more than a passing resemblance to an Apple Store, complete with Apple-style signage (showing slogans like “join the crowd”), cardboard cut-outs of smiling ‘Apple Geniuses’ and mock-ups of various Apple products.

Earlier ads, one of which you can catch below, have shown hordes of people waiting in line for the doors of an Apple-style store to open so they can get their hands on the tech company’s refreshed phone. “If it looks the same, how will people know I upgraded?” asks one worried person in the line. Next they take an interest in someone walking by using a nifty-looking handset. They seem to like it, until they discover it’s made by Samsung. “I could never get a Samsung, I’m creative,” says one guy. “Dude, you’re a barista,” his friend tells him. The pay-off line? “The next big thing is already here.” We can expect more of the same in the new ad.

The Korean company is using its anti-Apple ads as part of an ongoing strategy to dampen down consumer enthusiasm for the iPhone. In fact, a study conducted following the airing last year of one of Samsung’s anti-Apple ads appeared to show that they were indeed having a damaging effect on consumer perception of Apple’s iPhone 4S. No wonder the company’s filming another one.

Last month the iPhone’s main competitor, Samsung’s Galaxy S3 smartphone, outsold the iPhone 4S for the first time ever, though admittedly this may have been in part down to Apple fans holding out for the soon-to-launch iPhone 5.

With Apple just hours away from unveiling the next iteration of its popular handset, we can expect to see the Korean tech company’s latest pop at Apple coming to our screens in the very near future.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/samsung-aiming-to-shoot-down-iphone-5-with-upcoming-anti-apple-ad/

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Reports: iPhone 5 to raise US GDP, take Apple's stock to stratosphere

Could this boost the U.S. economy?

The world is T-Minus two days away from the probable unveiling of Apple’s iPhone 5 and though we’ve seen the leaks and know it'll be a hot commodity, the new iOS device’s impact may reach beyond Apple’s coffers.

According to a new report, the iPhone 5 may significantly boost the U.S.’s gross domestic product (GDP), helping it grow between a quarter and half percent in the fourth quarter of 2012.

The news comes from a report by Michael Feroli, chief U.S. economist for J.P. Morgan, to J.P. Morgan clients.

In the note, titled “Can one little phone impact GDP?” Feroli outlines just how Apple could grow the nation’s GDP by 0.33 percent.

If Apple sells eight million units at $600 a pop in three months, he explained, the government’s measure of the GDP will grow by $400 per phone ($200 would go towards import costs).

That comes out to $3.2 billion during the last part of the year, or an annual rate of $12.8 billion.

Though these estimates are “fairly large,” Feroli said they are more than plausible. The iPhone 4S was wildly successful when it launched last October and there’s reason to believe the iPhone 5 launch will be even bigger.

iPhone 5 launch will be ginormous

Another analyst has weighed in on just how big the iPhone 5’s launch will be.

Brian White of Topeka Capital said he expects Apple’s stock price to soar to $1,111, up from its record setting $680, after “the biggest upgrade in consumer electronics history.”

The phone should sell between 1.3 and 1.5 billion pre-orders in 24 hours, White said, trouncing the iPhone 4S’s figure of 1 million.

Between 5 million and 5.5 million iPhone 5’s will get sold in the first three days it’s available in stores, White also predicted, a theory that could validate AT&T and Verizon’s decision to blackout employee vacation days following the rumored Sept. 21 sale date.

Lastly, White said Apple will sell between 10 and 12 million iPhone 5’s this month alone.

White’s predictions extend beyond the iPhone 5’s sales figures, too.

According to him, the world will see a phone that’s 15 percent thinner than the current iteration, has a “modern unibody casing” and a faster processor.

Throw in a larger screen (4 inches versus 3.5 for the iPhone 4S), faster 4G LTE capability and a “better experience to showcase iOS 6” and consumers will be scrambling to pick up the new iPhone, White said.

Predictions aside, we’ll have to wait until Wednesday to see.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/reports-iphone-5-to-raise-us-gdp-take-apples-stock-to-stratosphere-1096151

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