Ed Sutherland

Chinese carriers beat even the most aggressive U.S. iPhone 5s/5c offers

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated June 3, 2017

Remember last week's Apple stock tailspin launched by the high price in China of the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s? Talk centered on no-contract versions of the new handsets costing more than $730 and how Apple should just keep dreaming about competing against inexpensive Android alternatives.

Forget all that, because China's No. 2 and No. 3 carriers are out with prices on subsidized iPhones and they are low. In fact, one market observer believes the deals could beat even the most aggressive American offers...

Apple patent describes location-based speech recognition

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 19, 2013

Now that Apple is pushing a number of differing iPhones to a wider range of countries, it might be wise if Siri understood languages spoken outside of North America and Europe. To help fine-tune the regional differences in language, Apple has filed for a patent on integrating geolocation with speech recognition.

The filing, published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office last Thursday, seeks to use location clues to enhance Siri, as well as speech to text services available with the newly-introduced iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c...

Apple now requires medical apps to provide sources of the information included

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 19, 2013

Would you follow a treatment plan outlined in a medical app? The increasing popularity of apps which diagnose and treat medical issues is causing Apple to enact stricter guidelines. Apple wants developers of medical apps which give consumers drug dosages to cite references. The new requirement is designed to reduce medical misdiagnosis, as well as potential plagiarism, according to a news site Wednesday...

Nearly one-third of iOS users upgraded to iOS 7 in the first 16 hours

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 19, 2013

Adoption of Apple's new version of iOS is off to a fast start. Nearly a third of iOS device owners have already upgraded to iOS 7 just 16 hours after the software was released. According to Mixpanel, by Thursday at 10:28am ET some 31.8 percent of iPhones, iPads and iPods had adopted the new operating system, noted for its flat design and a number of new features. Apple officially released the software on Wednesday at 1pm ET...

New iPhones could fuel 28 percent jump in Apple’s Christmas quarter sales

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

Although Apple's iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c don't hit shelves until tomorrow, we already have a glimpse into how the new smartphones will boost sales. Judging by pre-sales that began last week, Apple could see a 28 percent jump in fiscal fourth quarter sales, according to one Wall Street observer.

In a note to clients yesterday, a Morgan Stanley analyst said the two handsets could propel iPhone sales of 34.5 million phones during the fiscal fourth quarter, up from 26.9 million units during the same period last year...

Ming-Chi Kuo projects 8M iPhone 5s/5c opening weekend sales

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Despite worries Apple may be withholding pre-order figures on its new iPhones due to lower demand, one Wall Street observer says the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c could be a new sales record, topping last year's iPhone 5 launch.

According to KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple probably will ship 6 to 8 million of the iPhones over the weekend, topping the iPhone 5 launch of 5 million units. The iPhone 5c will account for the majority of new iPhones sold between Friday and Monday...

New South Wales police using iPad minis for traffic tickets

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 19, 2013

After airlines and classrooms, could law enforcement become the next area for Apple's iPad? In Australia, police near Sydney are using iPad minis to write traffic citations, giving motorists the option of their tickers emailed as a PDF.

The concept is the idea of New South Wales patrol officers looking to reduce the amount of paper work while also keeping driver information secure. The iPad minis are part of a four-week trial which the developer hopes will give police more time for crime-fighting...

Apple tops PC customer satisfaction for tenth year

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 18, 2013

Apple once more tops PC customer satisfaction. The Mac and iPad creator practically owns the top spot, ranking No. 1 in the American Customer Satisfaction for nearly a decade. Since 2004, Apple has scored highest in pre-sale expectations, perceived quality and value, number of complaints and customer loyalty.

The firm scored 87, 1.2 percent higher than 2012 and topping the 79 rating for average PC customer satisfaction. Where were the competitors? In the basement, or lower...

Apple exploring iPhone ‘life events’ to automatically adjust your settings

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 17, 2013

Are you tired of turning off your ringer when entering a library, or sending all calls to voicemail when attending church or driving? While there are some manual methods for disabling these iPhone features, a new patent granted Apple outlines ways your 'life events' could automatically adjust your handset, based on location, time and more.

Titled 'Event-based modes for electronic devices,' the patent published Tuesday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office illustrates how your iPhone could automatically disable or enable features depending on your calendar, location, usage trends - even ambient sounds...

Missing iPhone 5c presale announcement causing Wall Street worries

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

It doesn't take much to spook investors. For instance, concern over Apple's silence on iPhone 5c presale numbers prompted a 2.5 percent dip in the Cupertino, Calif. company's stock Monday. At issue is whether a lack of a preorder announcement signals less demand for the inexpensive iPhone or supply problems for the flagship iPhone 5s.

Although Apple didn't announce presale figures for the first iPhone, the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 3GS, starting with the iPhone 4 the company has issued a press release touting a newly-broken presale number. Is Apple just waiting until sales of the iPhone 5s (which isn't available for preorder) launches to make an announcement for both iPhones?

One answer could come from China, where a carrier yesterday announced how many of the new iPhones have already been reserved...

Japanese typhoon can’t stop fans waiting for new iPhones

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 16, 2013

Would you brave a tornado or hurricane to be first in line for Apple's newest iPhones? That was the situation in Japan, where Tokyo consumers camped out in front of the local Apple Store ahead of Friday's iPhone 5s/5c launch. Luckily, Apple employees let the fans inside just before a typhoon struck.

Along with shelter from the storm, drenched fan boys and girls were given complimentary water, according to a local report. Customers were "so moved" by Apple's gesture, according to a YouTube user who uploaded a video of the weather. Japan's largest carrier NTT DoCoMo becomes the latest provider in that country to sell the Apple smartphone...

iPhone 4 becomes China’s budget iPhone

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 12, 2013

Remember the concern over the higher-than-expected price of the newly-introduced iPhone 5c?

It was predicted to be Apple's entry into inexpensive smartphones for China and other emerging nations. Now comes news Apple may indeed have a low-cost iPhone for China: the iPhone 4.

The device - largely unavailable virtually everywhere after Tuesday's double iPhone 5s/5c launch - remains for sale in China at $423. The price tag happens to fall just where analyst originally expected for Apple's inexpensive iPhone...