To be fair, while there are some upgrades on the new 4th-gen full-size iPad compared to its predecessor, it looks the same to the average consumer. The iPad mini, on the other hand, looks fresh and new.

This is probably affecting not only the less tech-savvy crowd too, as even those “in the know” are interested in getting a smaller iPad on the goas well. I have at least two or three friends who have already picked one up and they’re just as much into gadgetry as I am.

Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu is projecting holiday quarter sales of 23.5 million units for the iPad family, which is lower than his earlier projection of 25 million. This is mostly because of the supply constraints of the iPad mini, he says, because people still want to buy an iPad.

He remains very optimistic for the iPhone 5, though, projecting holiday sales in the range of 47.5 million units. This is despite ongoing rumors of an iPhone 5S in the spring.

[Source]

The post iPad Mini Cannibalizing Bigger iPad’s Sales appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Just a few days ago the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the People’s Republic of China gave the iPhone 5 network verification and the right to be sold in China.

In a press release yesterday, Apple announced that the WiFi iPad mini and iPad 4 will be landing in China on Friday, December 7th. In addition, the iPhone 5 will be arriving in China on December 14th. Apple also went on to add that the iPad series is available in 42 countries and the iPhone 5 is available in 47 countries.

Reports have shown that from 2005 to 2010, China’s mobile market has grown from about 100 million yuan ($16 million) in 2005 to over 1200 million yuan ($192 million) in 2010.

As you can see, China’s mobile market is absolutely exploding. Therefore, Apple was quick to get their products into China.

The post iPhone 5, iPad mini, and iPad 4 Hit China on December 14th appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The biggest shopping day of the year is upon us and that means we’re about to get bombarded with all sorts of flyers and online promotions. We’ve gathered up some of the best Black Friday gadget deals in one convenient place for you, so let’s get down to it.

The Nikon COOLPIX S9200 16 megapixel compact camera with 18x zoom and full 1080p video on sale for $169, a savings of $130.95 off the regular price.

If you prefer interchangeable lenses, the Nikon V1 digital camera system with the 10-30mm VR1 kit lens is on sale for 59% off, bringing the price down to just $369.

The Panasonic ES-LT71-S men’s wet/dry shaver with rechargeable battery, Arc 3 technology and vortex cleaning system is just $74.99, which is 63% off the regular price.

Those looking for a great tablet might consider the Amazon Kindle Fire HD, which starts at $199 for the 16GB model with special offers. That includes free super saver shipping too.

Next, we have the SanDisk Extreme 120GB SSD with super fast 6.0Gbps transfers in a 2.5-inch form factor for just $96.82, representing a monumental savings of $141.74.

The Western Digital My Passport 2TB portable hard drive with USB 3.0 comes with automatic backup software is selling for $149.99, including free one-day shipping if you pay with your Discover Card.

Save 49% on the Otterbox Defender Case with screen protector and stand for the new 4th-gen iPad, as well as the iPad 2 and iPad 3. It’s on sale for $45.88.

There are a bunch of deals on the Samsung Galaxy S III, including getting it from Sprint for as low as $39.99 on contract. Verizon is doing $59.99 on contract, while the AT&T price is $99.99 on contract.

Finally, there’s a deal for $230 off the Toshiba U845-S406 Ultrabook with Intel Core i5, 14″ display, 6GB DDR3-1600 memory, 500GB HDD + 32GB SSD, and a free t-shirt. Get it for $649.99, including free shipping, at Newegg.com; the deal expires today!

And check out many more deals on Amazon. What are you buying this year?

The post The Best Black Friday Gadget Deals appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The surprising thing is that even though the Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ starts at a full $200 cheaper than the starting price for the Apple iPad ($299 vs. $499), the specs on paper are actually very, very comparable.

Display

The iPad has a slightly larger 9.7-inch 2048×1536 display, but the Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ isn’t that far behind with its 1920×1200 panel. In fact, at 254ppi, the Kindle Fire HD has a touchscreen that’s only a touch less pixel-dense than the 264ppi iPad.

Dimensions and Weight

Because they have similarly-sized displays, it’s not surprising that the physical dimensions are pretty close too. The Kindle Fire HD is 164 x 240 x 8.8mm, while the iPad is 185.7 x 241.3 x 9.4mm. Similarly, the weight of the Kindle Fire HD is 567 grams, which is a little lighter than the 653g iPad.

Performance Specs

The new iPad is powered by a dual core Apple A6X processor running at 1.5GHz, while the new Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ has a dual-core TI OMAP 4470 1.5GHz processor. They both have 1GB of RAM too. Based on this, the actual performance for the average consumer should be roughly comparable.

Storage

The starting point for the both tablets is at 16GB. The Kindle Fire HD can get bumped to 32GB, as can the iPad, but it’s only the iPad that can go even further with 64GB of storage. Of course, you’ll have to pay more money for that too.

Wireless Connectivity

Both tablets are available in your choice of WiFi-only or Wi-Fi plus LTE. If you need to stay connected, either tablet will do the job.

Camera

While both tablets have a front-facing camera (1MP on the Kindle Fire HD, 1.2MP on the iPad) for video chats, only Apple’s tablet has a 5MP rear camera. This isn’t a huge deal–the Nexus 7 doesn’t have a rear camera either–but it could be an important differentiator for some people.

OS and Apps

The Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ is powered by a modified version of Google Android, but it does not have access to the full Google Play Store. You can only go through the Amazon Appstore, which limits your options. At the same time, some people might prefer the Amazon-ified OS over a more conventional Android interface, since it is simpler and more geared toward media consumption. The iPad, of course, is powered by iOS and comes backed by Apple’s gigantic App Store. If you want tablet apps, not much can compete with Apple’s juggernaut at this point.

Price

As mentioned at the top, this is really where the Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ beats the new iPad by a long shot. Starting at $299, Amazon’s tablet is only a little more than half the price of an equivalent iPad. Considering that the core guts are so comparable, it may be hard to justify the Apple tax on the iPad, but it is arguable that iOS is superior and there are more iPad apps.

For my part, if you’re choosing between these two and you’d rather buy into the Apple ecosystem rather than the Amazon ecosystem, it might make more sense to consider the $329 iPad mini instead. It’s not as powerful as its bigger iPad 4 cousin, but it’s a heck of a lot cheaper too.

The post What’s Better: Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ or New Apple iPad? appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

They also note that several bug fixes come along with redsn0w 0.9.15b3, including an error that Windows users were encountering with the Restore button, as well as an iTunes error for stitched files. As per the Dev-Team blog:

Version 0.9.15b3 fixes the redsn0w “error 2601” that Windows users were seeing using the Restore button. It also fixes a related Windows iTunes error 14 for stitched files. Note that if you have a baseband, you should probably avoid stitching and simply use redsn0w’s native Restore (not iTunes).

Those lucky recipients of new iPad minis and iPad4s on Friday can use this redsn0w to save your 6.0 blobs off to Cydia. First connect your new device and turn it on, then use redsn0w’s Extras->SHSH Blobs->New and point it at the 6.0 IPSW.

I didn’t see any updates since, but they were also promising an ultrasn0w compatibility update for iOS 6.0 that is “mostly useful for 3GS old-bootrom users who are currently enjoying the untethered 6.0 jailbreak.” That will have the same baseband support as with iOS 5.x.

In any case, the downloads of redsn0w 0.9.15b3 are available now for OS X and for Windows.

[Source]

The post iPad 4 and Mini: Redsn0w 0.9.15b3 Jailbreak Saves iOS 6 Blobs to Cydia appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The idea here is actually brilliant in its simplicity. As you rock back and forth in the rocking chair, it generates power that is then sent to the iPad docked in the right side arm. The current design uses the 30-pin dock connector, but there’s no reason why this couldn’t be altered to support other devices or possibly even the new Lightning connector for the iPad Mini or iPad 4. They say that an hour of rocking will give back 35% battery capacity to a third-gen iPad.

But the power generated isn’t just for the iPad. Located in the headrest portion are a couple of stereo speakers that can also get the juice generated from your rocking motion. This creates an all-encompassing iExperience for watching movies or listening to music. The iRock is a high quality rocking chair too, handmade from Swedish oak with five layers of paint.

Of course, all this style and power doesn’t come cheap. Micasa Lab of Zurich says that the iRock Rocking Chair will retail for about 1,300 Euro ($1,685 US) when it ships in late 2013.

[Source]

The post iRock is the Rocking Chair that charges your iPad appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Easily the most noticeable difference between the iPad Mini and the 4th-gen iPad is the size. The iPad Mini has a 7.9-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1024×768 (163ppi), whereas the 4th-gen iPad has a 9.7-inch Retina Display with a resolution of 2048×1536 (264ppi), offering you four times the number of pixels on a larger display. Of course, the iPad Mini is physically smaller at 200×134.7×7.2mm and about 308 grams, compared to the 241.2×185.7×9.4mm dimensions of the iPad 4, which also weighs about twice as much at 652 grams (for the Wi-Fi only model).

Both the iPad Mini and the iPad 4 come in your choice of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB of storage, and they both come in WiFi-only or with 3G/LTE support as well, though the iPad Mini uses a nano-SIM, whereas the iPad 4 has a micro-SIM. They also both get Siri. The cameras are effectively the same and they both use the new Lightning connector. The iPad 4 is the more powerful of the two with its upgraded dual core Apple A6X processor with quad-core graphics, compared to the dual core A5 in the Mini.

Assuming that you’re bent on an iPad and iOS, and you won’t let Android or Windows tablets enter the conversation, the real decision here is based on two factors: If you want something smaller and more portable, the iPad Mini is likely the better choice. If you want a little more power by way of the A6X processor and you want to have more pixels, then the Retina Display-touting iPad 4 is for you.

The post Comparing the iPad Mini vs. New iPad 4 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

As far as outward dimensions, they’re comparable but different. They’re both 9.4mm thick, but the Surface RT takes on a 16:9 aspect ratio, making it narrower and longer compared to the more shorter and wider iPad 4. The weight is also comparable at 680g (Surface) vs. 653g (iPad). While the 9.7-inch iPad has a much more impressive resolution of 2048×1536 (264ppi) compared to the 1366×768 resolution (148ppi) on the 10.6-inch Surface, the ClearType tech is supposed to make the Surface look sharper than it really is.

Raw power should also be comparable with the iPad 4 getting the dual core Apple A6X processor (presumably running at 1.3GHz) along with quad-core GPU. The Surface RT gets a quad core NVIDIA Tegra 3 (1.4GHz) chip, which is similar to what you find on many current high-end smartphones and tablets. The Surface RT does have double the RAM at 2GB, though, compared to what we think is the same single gig on the iPad 4 as was there in the iPad 3.

Apple is notorious for not providing a memory card slot and that hasn’t changed in the fourth-gen iPad. You get the 16GB, 32GB or 64GB that’s already on board, compared to the microSD slot on the Surface RT to complement its 32GB or 64GB of internal storage. The iPad is available with 3G/LTE though, whereas the Surface is currently a WiFi-only device. The iPad also sounds like it wins in the camera department too with a 5MP rear (1080p) and 1.2MP front (720p) shooter, whereas both Surface cameras are 720p. They haven’t specified the actual megapixel count.

Of course, there are all those other things that you need to consider. The iPad has access to a tremendously huge App Store, whereas the Windows Marketplace for RT is not nearly as developed, especially since RT can’t run native Windows programs. That said, the Surface has the cool Touch Cover and Type Cover, and you do get a version of Microsoft Office right out of the box.

At the end of the day, which tablet you choose really depends on your needs and preferences. And let’s not forget about the plethora of Android options too, like the less expensive Nexus 7 or possibly the upcoming Nexus 10, as well as trusty standbys like the Galaxy Tab and Asus Transformer Pad families. Whatever the case, it looks like this could be a great holiday shopping season for tablet lovers.

[Source]

The post What Should You Buy? Microsoft Surface RT vs. Apple iPad 4 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Just a little over a half year after the release of the iPad 3rd generation model, we already have a successor. The 4th gen iPad doesn’t bring tons of changes to the mix but it does have a faster processor and graphics chip, alongside the new Lightning adapter. So you already bought an iPad 3, what do you do? For some of you, an exchange might be possible.

Normally Apple gives you two weeks as a grace period for returning or trading in devices. This isn’t officially changing at Apple but specific Apple Stores seem to be opening up the policy temporarily to cover 30 days. This is likely in response to the grumbling that is already hitting the net from customers than are more than a little agitated at Apple for such a quick device turn around.

While Apple has traditionally waited about a year for refreshes to its major products, the iPad 4th generation was certainly much less than this, with its predecessor only enjoying the limelight for about seven months.

Before bringing your 29 ½ day old iPad back to the store nearest you, it is probably better to call first. The extended return may or may not be in place at your store. If you complain enough to the Apple representatives at the store, it is also possible they might work with you just to shut you up.

For those that have a several month old 3rd-gen iPad? Unfortunately, your only real option for getting into the new one is to attempt to sell your iPad and pay the difference that it takes to move to the newest model.

Any iPad 3rd generation users out there? What do you think of this quick turn around?

[ source ]

The post Apple may exchange your brand new iPad 3 with new 4th-gen model appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

While everyone saw the iPad Mini coming from a million miles away, there was much less talk about the possibility of 4th generation iPad. While the 3rd generation model is just six months old, it also includes a dock connector that Apple is probably trying to get rid of for good.

What do we get with the newest iPad? Double the graphics and processing power, according to Apple, with a new A6X chip. Other improvements include a Facetime HD camera and improved WiFi that is supposedly 2x faster.

While the processor and graphics refresh is nice, this really isn’t nearly as big of a jump as the iPad 2 and iPad 3rd generation are from each other. In case you are wondering, the retina display stays the same in the newest iPad.

The entry-level iPad 4th generation model will start at $499 for 16GB of storage, just like the last model. For those iPad 2 owners that never made the jump, this could be great news. For people who bought a new iPad six months earlier, this announcement might be more than a little irritating.

Is six months way too soon to be refreshing iDevice hardware? What do you think?

The post Apple Announces the 4th Generation iPad appeared first on Mobile Magazine.