No New iPhone Coming Until Two Months Before It Happens, Apple Starts Discounting

For anyone waiting for a new iPhone, my guess is you've got a long wait.  Apple's industry leading device is selling well enough, even in India, that it doesn't have to worry about slowing sales other than what's seasonally adjusted.

However, if you're looking for possible signs that new iPhones are coming other than waiting until fall, there could only be one.  And it's not from rumor sites either.  When every authorized iPhone resellers begin to discount them, that's a pretty good indication that Apple is trying to drum up last minute sales before new models arrive.

For instance, we can see anywhere from $50 to $100 in discount on the iPhone 5.  This happened the last couple of years.

And it's probably anywhere from six to eight weeks ago when Apple starts doing that.  For those who are hoping that Apple will release new models in June, Apple will have to start discounting current models right around the beginning of April.

Another time frame that rumor sites have indicated is August.  So, right around Apple's World Wide Developer Conference in June, that'll be when Apple and partners starts discounting.

My money is still late September.  Even with Samsung releasing the Galaxy S 4, there just isn't enough competition from competing flagship devices for Apple to worry about shortening the window of annual iPhone refresh.  Don't get me wrong, the newest Galaxy is very awesome and should get Android fans fired up.  For anyone else, choosing between an iPhone versus a S 3 or S 4 is not that big of a difference.

Personally, I had hoped that the Galaxy S 4 would have blown the lid of the mobile market and force Apple's hands. From all indications, that probably won't happen.

Mobile: Worker Bees May Help Apple Grow In Enterprise

There are many smart folks out there.  Like myself.  Depending on your expertise, you might be smarter and more capable than I am in some areas and others where I can really school you.  This is the same for many office, sales, or the tens, if not, hundreds of millions of workers worldwide whose productivities are augmented by technology.  Here, we’re talking about PCs and smartphones.  And a growing number of workers, or drones as I like to call it, are using tablets.

I’m going to replace the word “worker” with “drone”.  It’s important because not many of us have jobs that allow or require us to go out of the bounds of our job requirement.  We do what we have to and our bosses want us to be able to do it faster and better.  Drones.  And with tablets, particularly the iPads, it’s allowing drones to do just that.

And this is where Apple’s enterprise growth will be helped by the iPad.  See, the iPad is a very capable device now.  It’s no longer for media consumption.  People can be very productive on it.  And not just any tablet.  iPads because of Apple’s insistence on control over the user experience.  Swipe, touch, swipe, touch.  Pinch if the drone needs to perform that function.

Once you give a drone a device, like a laptop with windows 8 or even OS X, it becomes an overkill.  And unless the drone really needs one, the IT department isn’t about to spend more money and support time to do that.

And don’t get me wrong.  I use the iPad as my main mobile computing device now.  My Macbook Air still gets time with me but only with very specific apps and tasks that I can perform more efficiently on a PC.

You simply cannot get that kind of efficiency and ease of use on the iPad over another device on the market.  As far as the standards for ease of use is concerned, Android devices are heads and above that of PCs.  However, because of the various UI that any given manufacturer might put on it or different versions of Android, it’s more difficult for an IT department to want to deal with.  Even now for PCs, it’s Windows 7 or maybe 8. Done  For iPads, it’s iOS 6.  Boom.

And for an increasingly mobile force, tablets are the preferred choice – intuitive ease of use, light weight, and long battery life.  And these are three areas that the iPad excels at.

It’s not to say that there isn’t an place for Android tablets or even Windows 8.  Right now, the safest bet for any company looking to meet the needs of their drones with overcomplicating their workflow while accommodating the new mobile computing dynamics, the iPad is the way to go.

And I’m sure with iOS 7 and beyond, Apple is looking at the needs of corporations and businesses and making sure the iPad meet their requirements.

Social: 2005 Versus 2013 - Pictures Before And After iPhone/Android

Source:  Soff via The Loop Insight.

I think these are two separate photos for the Catholic selection of popes.  In 2005 and now in 2013.

Yes, it is different.  However, the source link, Soff, has put a negative spin on it.  The author went on to say he had disabled notifications on his phone only recently.

I've been doing it for more years.  Cuts down on those weird awkward moments and definitely saves battery power too.  I know which apps get notifications and which are important that I need to check on a regular basis like my e-mails.  Then for the rest, I check on them, like Twitter/Path, when I get bored.

As for the photos, I think it's fine.  It's the times and you are your own guide as to how far you want to take your mobile behavior.  But I do think that it's good to put away your devices during dinner with friends and family.

Tablet: Android Verus Chinese Android, Who Developers Should Focus On

Source:  Techpinions.

Here are two distinct charts regarding tablet market size that could be of interest to not only mobile fans for trashing talking and consumers who want to know where the market is headed but developers who want to best put their limited sources to work.

The first is an IDC chart that has the breakdown clearly between Android, iOS, Windows, and others.

The second one here is one that shows Android deployment with and without Google Play as its default store.  What's interesting is that the official Android deployment ends up with a smaller piece of the tablet market share.  However, given the similarity between Google Play and Amazon's own app store, the two could be put together.  The only thing is that Google does not benefit from sales in Amazon's Kindle app store and the same is true for Amazon not benefiting from Google Play.

On a whole, iOS does remain the largest tablet deployment because of how Apple operates, developing the iOS and iPad hardware and managing the iTunes ecosystem.

Techpinions does try to state that it's trying to stay objective about how Android is forked.  However, I cannot help but think that some of those Android apps in Google Play and Amazon's app store won't find their way into the Chinese Android app stores.

For Apple, it has its own business plans and strategy regardless of what Amazon, Google, or even Microsoft does.

As for Google, it has to recognize that it will unlikely benefit from much of the deployment in terms of media/app sales and could lose out if other brands take hold.  For instance, in the phone market, Samsung clearly has the upper hand among the Android device makers.  Should Samsung decide to fork and open up its own app store, Google will continue to lose out.

That has got to be the fear for Google.  Even now, Amazon's Kindle tablets presents a danger to Nexus tablets because of Amazon's more closed model.  Should Amazon achieve the level of grand awareness in the tablet market that Samsung has clearly done with the Galaxy and other Android devices it makes, Amazon's size of tablet market as well as app store purchases will increase further.

The one with the biggest problem is Microsoft.  It could remain a distant third as its Surface RT has failed so far.  For the rest of 2013, it has got to show consumers that Windows is a clear choice.  The RT and Pro confusion has to be dealt with.

Of course, Apple's share isn't safe either.  Hardware aside, iOS has to continue to show consumers it has what it takes to become a modern mobile computing platform, not just a media consumption device.

Galaxy S 4: What's Happening Now, Event Later This Evening

Source of videos: Engadget.

For those who want to watch Samsung's Galaxy S 4 unveiling live tonight, you can follow it on Samsung's Youtube page.  Honestly, I do hope more folks do their media events this way.  Live blogging is fun but only for the snarky comments from readers.

Here are some supposedly leaked videos of the next Samsung flagship Android device, the Galaxy S 4, in action.  It’s enough to wet our appetites until the official unveiling tonight.  There’s a lot of festivities going on prior to tonight’s main event.

Obviously, we have the leak videos as well as some interesting Samsung videos to promote the S4.  I won’t put them up.  It was unfortunate that I had to sit through it already.  I won’t make you do the same.

Oh, and there are obviously a lot of bloggers across the wide spectrum of fanboyism chiming in on this.  Let’s not forget the pundits, both paid and click-baiting ones.

And of course, let’s not forget Apple’s Phil Schiller’s offensive/defensive (depending on which side of the Android or iOS you come down on) against Android in general with some unprecedented interviews with the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg.

Already, Samsung’s competitors like LG has some media disruptions planned already with billboards in NY.

And for those of us looking at the dry well from Apple lately, if Apple wanted to draw attention from the Galaxy S 4 unveiling, today would be a good day for them to announcement some kind of forthcoming media even for whatever they might have up their sleeves.

Anyway, we know what Blackberry has in store, HTC with its One, Nokia already has its fleet of Windows 8 devices, Apple with the iPhone 5, and Google with the Nexus 4.  Now, it's Samsung's turn.  And believe it or not, the onus is on Samsung to wow us.

Ad Dollars: Samsung Beating Apple Here, Rest of Market Don't Stand A Chance

Source:  CNET.

The iPhone is still one of the best selling device on the market with the Galaxy S III coming in probably pretty close.  And on the whole, Samsung does out-ship Apple in terms of units while Apple has more than 2X the industry revenue (or was it profit too?).  It's a tug of war.  But in terms of ad dollars spent, Samsung has Apple out-gunned by almost $70 million.

But that's not the issue here.  The issue is the $410 million that Samsung spent and the $333 million that Apple spent to promote their gears.

Seriously, I just don't see this kind of arsenal from Nokia, Blackberry, or HTC.  It's no wonder the mobile race has come down to iPhone versus Android.

Oops...I mean iPhone versus Galaxy.  With the Galaxy S 4 coming, looking for Samsung to promote the heck out of it and Apple to continue to show users what they can do with iPhones.

Baseless Apple Speculations No Longer Just Hurt Imaginary Products, Also Really Ones Too

iWatch again.  I’m really tried of it.  First, Apple needed to release an iWatch or else it’ll be doomed as analysts suggest.  Now, it’s iWatch ain’t gonna do a thing to save Apple.

Seriously, on what freaking planet are these analysts from?  Forget tech pundits.  Pundits and bloggers all have something in the mobile horse race – either as supporters or with axes to grind.  But what about Wall Street analysts?

I’m not going to link to particular post because it’s just insane these days.  More recently, you’ve got an analyst who talked up the iWatch and only to downgrade it because he doesn’t think it’ll do Apple much good.  All of that on a non-existent product!

Oh, then there’s another analyst who year after year said that Apple will release its own HDTV.  And through it all, he upgraded or downgraded the stock based on stuff going on in his nut-job mind, again, based on a product that Apple may never bring to the market.

Here’s the bottom-line, my fellow mobile warriors.  This craziness is exactly why we try not to get into this game.  Sure, we speculate.  It’s fun.  Harmless and I said it each time right at the top.  However, it’s just me and some friends talking.  Nothing more.

If I’m Tim Cook, I’d be like “frak this…let’s tank the Apple stock some more and finance a takeover plan with the cash and take Apple private”.  Issue like a $500 billion bond which is probably more of a sure thing than any sovereign debt these days.

It wouldn’t solve the rumors/pundits issue but it sure would shut the analysts up since they wouldn’t be able to cover Apple anymore.

Note:  I honestly didn't know where this post was going to go but it always come down to people make stuff up based on shady sources to get clicks for ad revenues.