Apple Introduces iOS 8 (Part three)

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Widgets and interaction between apps and iOS

We have developments affecting both developers and users, found such things as interesting as the new packages of apps in the App Store to buy several at once at a discounted price, APIs to integrate third-party apps in the Control center as Bing translator or social network we please, or even store documents from any app on services like OneDrive or Box. The Notification Center is reorganized as anticipates raising the Today view, merging all notifications in one tab.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg. iOS 8 puts over 4000 new APIs in the hands of developers. 4000 APIs to apps communicate with each other, to function as extensions in Safari, to use the Touch ID tactile recognition system as the authentication method in their applications.


HomeKit to control locks, lights, cameras, doors and plugs from iPhone even through Siri voice. Metal to reduce the OpenGL load and achieve graphics with a quality never before seen in a mobile device... A genuine advance that will certainly pay off.

Availability

iOS 8 beta is available to developers starting today and will be released for free to all this fall. The only low on the list of supported regarding iOS 7 devices is the iPhone 4, so if you have a you can use the new version without problems:

• iPhone 4s, 
• iPhone 5
• iPhone 5c
• iPhone 5s
• iPod touch 5th generation
• iPad 2
• iPad Retina 
• iPad Air
• iPad Mini
• iPad Mini Retina

Apple leads smartphone sales in Japan

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Being a leader in a market so advanced and technology as Japan is not easy. However, Apple has managed to position itself as the best-selling phone brand in Japan, beating competitors like Sony or Samsung. According to recent reports in the country right now, one of every three smartphones sold are iPhone, a fact said soon but it is a breakthrough for the brand. 

The "guilty" of this tremendous growth is the agreement with DoCoMo. Japan is a country where phones are purchased through contracts with carriers and DoCoMo, the largest company, refused to offer the iPhone on its plans until last October when he relented and began offering the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C in exchange for a royalty of 25%. 

The numbers are quite impressive: in its debut month of the iPhone took 61% of sales terminals DoCoMo, Apple getting this increase and subsequent sales presence in the market by 11.1%, from having some more than 25% to 36% of current market share. And talk about Apple profits could have won in Japan since the agreement with DoCoMo about $ 4 billion.

Apple will launch the iPhone 5C (8Gb) in the India

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A few days ago I commented about the strange strategy to stop offering the iPhone 4 in India one year after it is reintroduced to be strong in the Indian market. Although we speculated stock reasons, has finally been simpler: Apple will introduce the iPhone 5C 8GB in India.

The new 8GB model was introduced a few weeks ago in all markets, being more economical to the top models intended for those users who do not want to spend much money on a device option. Still, prices are so tight that most users still prefer to buy the top models.

In India the movement is similar to that made ​​in Europe, although the iPhone 5C (8GB) only differ in price about $ 30 of iPhone 5C (16GB).

Will be the key? Personally I do not think so, but just something different in the Indian market. I am not an expert.

Apple releases the rumored iPhone update events in the U.S.

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Has finally come true: Apple has announced officially its iPhone event update after leaked details three days ago. Some customers have even started to receive emails encouraging them to come to an Apple Store U.S. to improve their phone. The movement should motivate a sales increase in the official Apple stores, which Tim Cook seeks to achieve for some time.

 Customers are entitled to participate in this event can recycle your old iPhone and get a discount to buy an iPhone 5S or an iPhone 5C. The discount will be $ 99 if we deliver an iPhone 4 and $ 199 if we exchanged an iPhone 4s. Seldom had seen and discounts on Apple.

So far this campaign will not leave the United States, and depending on how it turns out maybe it stays there or goes in some other countries. But the truth is that it is a good way to release stocks in the stores a few months of launching the next generation of iPhones.

Apple stops offering the iPhone 4 in India

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Earlier this year Apple decided to re-launch the iPhone 4 in India in an attempt to maintain market share in the phone market. They did it through the iPhone 4 (8GB) and today we know that have decided to stop offering the phone for no apparent logical reason. 

The relaunch of the iPhone 4 in the Asian country was partly due to the agreement with the national operators to offer their customers an iOS device at a low price. This agreement expired a few days ago and although it could be the reason for the withdrawal, it is strange that as interesting as the Indian market Cupertino were not trying to continue to provide a device for maintaining the loyalty of brand users.

What can be happening then? Well clearly the iPhone 6. Manufacturing testing of the new device are everywhere, which means that Apple's factories are engaged in the production of the iPhone 6, in addition to other earlier versions are still sold in the rest of world. The lack of stock of iPhone 4 and the inability to continue manufacturing it due to the new version would be a perfectly logical and normal explanation, which would have led to this recall.

What might be Apple's strategy in India now? Further progress in the device chain and put the iPhone 4S as input device combined with agreements with Indian operators. While watching the above strategies, for this to happen the launch of the iPhone 6 will have to have been previously made ​​to not cause further devaluation in previous versions.

Lunecase, the iPhone case that works by electromagnetism

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Lunecase is the original cover, simple and elegant and  uses the electromagnetism of our smartphone.  A very interesting Kickstarter project worth a good look.



Amazingly there are still cases that surprise us greatly. Is Lunecase event of, a simple, elegant and practical case using some features of our phone to get more for their performance but, above all, is simply brilliant level design, as you will see.

Lunecase basically consists of a sleeve capable of detecting calls or messages and display an icon on the LED back. But also it does not need connection, no battery or wire. This takes advantage of the electromagnetic fields generated by the circuits of our phone so that feeds the LED icon, which is incredibly sleek and futuristic, as shown in the images. Lunecase is a project still in its Kikcstarter phase but has already reached the limit specified for launch.

The developers behind this concept are the Ukrainian company Concepter, who already participated in the CES 2014 with other mills. The presence of Lunecase is spectacular, very elegant and tasteful. Something simple but very well designed, convenient when it comes to protecting and notifying. This is especially useful if you have the phone on silent and upside down, for example. And all this for a price that competes well with other covers that offer unless Lunecase.

It is probably a derivative of RFID circuits or induction, similar to the circuits used in wireless chargers. Lunecase is available for iPhone 5, iPhone and iPhone 5s 5c and shipments will begin in August this year.

The iPhone is more popular than ever among adolescents

For some time, it is common to hear someone say that the iPhone is not so popular among the young, because they do not want "the phone from his parents', an argument simply does not hold in my environment and that apparently it is categorically wrong.

A study by Piper Jaffray on consumption habits among adolescents shows that, at least in the USA, the trend is reversed and more and more teens choose the iPhone as a phone. From 48% last year to 61% of the 2014 to be exact.

The results point to Apple and Nike as the two reference marks in electronics and clothing respectively, with 17% of respondents also ensuring that they like to have a iWatch and would be willing to pay (their parents) to $ 350 for it. The iPad also wins by a landslide with 66% choosing it as their preferred choice.

The study was conducted among 7,500 young people from 16 years, most of them in households with an income of $ 55,000 a year (about 40,000 euros), and is particularly important segment talks about old who can become potential customers long term.

A study by Piper Jaffray

Initiatives in education and Colorful iPhone 5c have provided their results. Apple is attracting the youth, who will become future consumers of their ecosystem.

Can Apple create a really cheap iPhone? (2nd Part)

Why Apple can make a cheap iPhone (2nd Part)

The three restrictions we have seen before have a weak point: they are based in the past. Look at the history of Apple so far is okay, but do not put too much weight on it or use it as a guide to what will come in the future. Because, how many times Apple has said that he would not do something then wound up doing?

To Apple can create a cheap iPhone would have to resolve all the limitations of the previous post -why Apple can not make a cheap iPhone (1st Part)- wich is not impossible but neither have heard rumors about partnerships with Foxconn and other suppliers. I think new assembly lines, new agreements with partners, new form of distribution, new training etc. in the Apple Stores would be required. That is, a new chain parallel to the premium segment value.

" Not enough to take some scissors and cut the price of the iPhone 5c half, is much more complex "

But then there's the business model. Apple makes money selling hardware now surrounded by its own free software (iOS, OS X, iLife, iWork) and also accompanied by free services (iTunes, iCloud, FaceTime, iMessage). Is a new business model based on services and thought to be possible this cheap iPhone? 

It would not take that Apple completely changed, only that the new iPhone would generate sufficient profits (revenues minus costs) from the different stores of digital content (music, apps, books, movies, series) and accessories. Last week, the darkcore commentator put on the table some very interesting ideas, arguing that Apple make much money with iTunes following its commission (the famous 30% to developers). Few years ago, these commissions iTunes served to cover operating costs.

All that said, what do you think is the scenario that will follow Apple?

Can Apple create a really cheap iPhone? (1st Part)

Since the launch of iPhone 5c and deception of the public, analysts, bloggers and shareholders about its high price, there is a widespread perception that Apple iPhone could make a really cheap if wanted. But as you want, we have had to settle for an iPhone 5 plastic-coated colors.
-Plastic with a finish and exquisite touch. We must say everything-.

This view on Apple could go into the middle and low market segment as if by magic, in my opinion, at least partly wrong. But I have them all with me. I can think of arguments for both an affirmative answer as a negative to the question in the title of this article.

Why Apple can not make a cheap iPhone (1st Part)

When a company is founded, business model and value chain is created from the first minute. As the years pass and if the company is successful, these two elements are based within nature itself and its rationale. Every day is more optimized, but also makes it difficult to switch these two factors. 

Change the business model and the value chain is difficult, very difficult in addition to painful. But it is not impossible. Here we have Microsoft to try to change a business model based on selling licenses to other services and with Office 365 subscriptions. We can also see Adobe make the same change.

Returning to the case of Apple, there are three limitations that I think will prevent creating a cheaper iPhone:

• iCloud. Why, if there is something Apple criticized what we are unfortunate to have been attempts in the cloud. Falls on the iCloud service, a minimum storage per user account, increases charged to doubloon space, etc.. Not to mention the widespread synchronization falls in the rest of its services and that causes nightmares for developers. It is clear that Apple is not a company born as Google internet. Google lives for internet. Can you imagine millions of users putting more pressure on iCloud? Just cope building data centers throughout North Carolina.

• The Apple business model focuses on the absolute control of the user experience and in the premium segment, with margins, prices, products, customer service, Apple Stores, materials, and design clients, all premium. Everything Apple does is geared towards that goal. The value chain Apple is ready to turn their premium products, from start to finish, and is not intended for anything else.

• Production volume. Tim Cook loves to say after each weekend launch of the new iPhone and a smile from ear to ear that of "The demand of the iPhone 5 has been incredible and we are working hard to bring an iPhone 5 in the hands of the so customers want as quickly as possible. "Sorry Tim, but a broken stock is also bad news for Apple. A potential customer can not find what you want at that moment is a client pissed least or a lost customer and will not return in the worst case.