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It has been no secret that the iPad 2 will be getting a major graphics boost thanks to Apple’s intention to install a version of their Retina display in the forthcoming tablet. But if the latest rumors are to believed, not only would the device receive a much needed resolution bump, but a graphical one as well, as would the iPhone 5.

With the advent of 1080p, comes the requirement for faster and better hardware. Up until now, most top of the line mobile devices have been able to play 720p video with no problems, Apple included. But as the industry takes another leap, this time towards the full HD resolution of 1080p, the hardware requirements must be beefed up as well.

A new chip in the iPhone 5 as well as the iPad 2 would enable both devices to render polygons at a much better frame rate without hiccups or sluggishness. Not only that, but according to reports, the same chipset that is arriving in the iPhone 5 and iPad 2 will be making their way to Apple’s next generation Apple TV line which would enable the device to pump out 1080p videos from Netflix, Hulu and iTunes.

This would mean huge gains for game developers who have been pushing the boundaries of the iPad recently, and with Apple having a firm foot in the mobile gaming department, an update to the iPhone and iPad’s A4 processor, one that would give it that extra oomph, would once again set it in a class of its own.

To be expected, Apple is not discussing details about the device or any speculations at the moment, but the company is slated to be holding a press event within the coming weeks/months that would clarify these rumors or annul them.

T-Mobile’s recent announcement about their plans for the iPhone 4 surely made their loyal subscribers consider getting one for the sheer fact that there are quite a number of tempting plans to choose from. But what about those who would like to get an iPhone 4 from Three?

Well, the mobile network carrier may be the last to get the mobile device in the UK but they made sure to give consumers plenty of options to choose from. Those who would like to get the 16 GB version of Apple’s device from Three will be able to do so with a convenient 30 GB monthly plan which gives a generous total of 5000 text messages, 500 Three to Three network talk time as well as a hefty 1 GB data transfer allowance for web browsing. Of course, you will have to pay 99 GBP upfront but at least it is a onetime payment that you will never have to worry about again.

If the 16 GB capacity sounds a little to measly for your tastes, the 32 GB version of the iPhone is also available of course but you will have to pay a sum of 189 GBP at the start of the contract. You still get all the 5000 text messages, 500 minutes of talk time as well as the nice 1 GB worth of internet use.

If you would rather not pay the initial 99 GBP, you will still be able to get an iPhone 4 by paying 45 GBP monthly. This is a good deal for those who do not want to pay a big sum upfront.

At any rate, Three will finally be among the network carrier choices for the iPhone 4 this coming July 30. Of course, T-Mobile debuts on the same day so it all boils down to which subscription plans draw in the crowds.

It has been announced that several iPhone owners have reported that they are being charged with high data roaming charges on their accounts despite the fact that they have already disabled the function on their mobile phones.

As most of you already know, travelling outside of the UK can result in really high roaming charges –especially for data. This is the reason why so many people opt to disable their roaming capabilities prior to leaving the country. Also, a data cap has been implemented on all accounts (unless specifically requested by users). This are among the several measures that have been implemented in order to prevent excess charging costs for users.

Smart phone owners often know well ahead of time to manually disable roaming features on their mobile phones, but it appears that for those using an iPhone, that step is hardly enough.

According to various iPhone owners, their monthly bills have been increased by a sudden surge of data roaming charges. Fortunately, most networks understand the situation easily enough to offer to refund excess payments or in cases of unpaid charges, the excess amounts can be canceled from the bill. Such direct action is always appreciated, but it also implies that networks are already well aware of the problem.

Currently, Apple is already facing plenty of criticism for the way it handled the whole situation with the antenna on the Apple iPhone 4. To admit that the iOS has issues with roaming is going to cost the Cupertino based company plenty, and further ruin their already struggling reputation in the mobile industry.

Anyway, for those who have recently travelled outside of the UK with an iPhone handset and found themselves with a large bill with data roaming charges, it would be a good idea to have a quick talk with a representative from your mobile network.

Reports show that the Apple app for the free bumpers is ready for download. To be eligible for the free Apple bumper, iPhone 4 users must use the app to log into the Apple iTunes store and select the special offer. Each account may only avail of the offer once –allowing Apple to control the distribution of the free bumpers and ensure that every owner gets a piece.

For iPhone 4 owners who have already bought an iPhone Bumper earlier (prior to the emergency conference where the announcement was made) refunds are available. Since the bumper is exclusively available on the online store, purchasers will be given an instant refund on their credit cards.

As convoluted as some of Apple’s explanations and schemes may be, they are actually pulling off the giveaway pretty smoothly. Many would even argue that the use of a special application is a stroke of genius that would allow Apple to closely monitor which user has gotten the bumper and who has not.

Still, the problem still exists. Even if Apple gives out free bumpers, owners will still be left with a phone that has a malfunctioning antenna. Since the problem is a hardware issue, it is unlikely that Apple would ever be able to instate a proper repair program for all existing users, let alone a recall that would actually fix the solution.

In the end, not all users are happy with the iPhone 4, with the antenna issue and lack of proper support from Apple, many are considering a switch to other mobile handsets instead. Samsung has taken the initiative to seek out disgruntled iPhone 4 owners who speak about their iPhone problems on Twitter, and are offering free Galaxy S Android devices to get users to switch. So far, the public has given a very positive reaction to Samsung, not only are free offers always welcome, but the i9000 Galaxy S is also a very impressive phone as well.

The smoke has not yet fully cleared since last Friday night as Apple has taken in all possible reasons as to why the iPhone 4 has no real problem.

While the Cupertino based company is still in denial about the whole situation, the current owners of the iPhone 4 (estimated to be over 1.7 million all over the world), will have to contend with having to use a smart phone with a broken antenna that should be held “in the right way” so that their calls will not be dropped.

At the same time, several mobile phone manufacturers have expressed their stand against Apple’s statement that the antenna is something that all manufacturers should consider as a challenge –and that other devices are suffering from the same issue.

Research in Motion and Samsung have already made official announcements regarding the matter –stating that their devices are perfectly fine and that they are not suffering from any antenna issues. Nokia and Motorola, though not mentioned by Apple in the conference, also made similar public announcements as well.

For users who are not too happy with the free case that Apple is offering as a solution, there is one other option to go for: the recently launched Antenna-aid. With the situation with the antenna looking like it will never be fixed anytime soon, online retailer Etsy has released a small adhesive vinyl strip that can be used to cover up the exposed antenna area.

While the manufacturer only states that the accessory “might” fix the issue, it is still a better alternative than having nothing at all. Also, this solution is a great fit for users who are not too keen on adding the bulk of a casing on their iPhone 4.

In the meanwhile, plenty of speculation now surrounds the date of September 30 –the last day for refunds and free iPhone casings. Many suggest that a second version of the iPhone 4 –one with a fixed antenna, might be released by then.

According to Gary Marshall of Tech Radar, “maybe Steve (Jobs) should blog”.

The man has a point, not that Steve Jobs needs to start blogging sometime soon (though that would work too), but that Apple needs to change the way it interacts with the world.

Sure, they make decent enough products to become one of the largest developer-manufacturers in the world, but that does not mean that the world likes them. Steve Jobs has personally earned a reputation in the industry as the cranky old man who has a distorted view of reality, and the folks at Cupertino under him are not falling far from the Apple tree (and yes, pun intended).

They even went as far as telling the world that they forgo having PR, which is why they take things to a personal level –which is outright unprofessional and bad for their company. They have the option of taking things personally, but that does not mean they can lash out in the very same way.

It would be silly to believe that they have taken 22 days tackling the iPhone 4’s antenna issue and have only come up with such a crude solution. While a free iPhone case has been on the list of solutions early on, it is not something that a company that considers itself a rival to Microsoft and Google would waste so much time on.

There is no excuse that is acceptable at this point. While users will certainly appreciate a full refund, this does not bode well for those avid Apple supporters who have been hoping to use the iPhone 4. These people have remained loyal users to the Cupertino based company, and are willing to stick it out even with a faulty smart phone, and the best that Apple can do is a cheap free case (not even the slightly better looking iPhone bumper).

Just about a week ago, it was made known that Apple was looking for antenna experts and engineers. At that point, the clamor over the antenna issue was still at a low point and nobody had been pestering the Cupertino based company to move into action. Now, it appears that all the lights are on Apple as over a million iPhone 4 users wait what the decision of the company may be in regards to solving the antenna issue that is plaguing iPhone 4 users.

Recent reports indicate that this all could have been avoided at a much earlier point before the device has been mass produced: Apple was already warned by their own employees that the antenna had design issues.

According to unnamed sources from within Apple, senior engineer Ruben Caballero had already identified the issue early on –presumably, during the testing phases of the prototype. He already aired the issue to superiors, including Steve Jobs (whom we can all assume responded by telling Ruben that he was simply “holding the phone wrong”).

Now it seems that Apple has been taking their people for granted and getting in on the action now is a little too late.

Naturally, Engineer Ruben is not allowed to talk to the public on behalf of Apple, but we certainly would want to know what Apple’s initial reasons were for completely ignoring the warning. In the end, the iPhone 4 ended up with one of the biggest design blunders that have ever happened to the smart phone industry.

For those who have never heard of the iPhone 4 antenna issue, here is a quick summary of the problem. Basically, the iPhone 4’s antenna comes with a weak point –and when this point comes into contact with human touch, it will not be able to receive signals from the network.

Ever wonder what the creator of the original mobile phone has to say about modern day smart phones? Well, Martin Cooper happens to be an Android fan. At least for now. The 81 year old mobile phone inventor has expressed his belief that Google Android smart phones are just as capable, if not more so, than an Apple iPhone. The inventor has also mentioned that the iPhone is more suited for younger consumers, which explains why he gave his unit to his grandson.

This is definitely great news for other Android fans out there. Even if this does not determine how well the Samsung Galaxy S or the HTC Desire will fare against the iPhone 4 in terms of sales, it still is quite interesting to note that even the man we have to thank for inventing the first handset is behind the Android OS all the way.

Mr. Cooper has been known to express how he thinks a lot of today’s mobile devices have too many features. And this may mean that other, more essential attributes, are neglected. Considering his vision for mobile phone use, he must be referring to the dependability of a mobile device when it comes to its call features.

Sad to say, Apple’s reception problem is its biggest Achilles heel. Smart consumers know that the issue is hardly fixable through a software update, because it can be attributed to poor design. At any rate, the father of mobile phones has been using an Android device for a few months now and is quite happy with it. That does not mean that he will use it forever though, he is always checking new developments of modern day mobile phones.

Mr. Cooper keeps a number of mobile devices and actively participates in testing upcoming handsets too. Currently, he is testing a Vertu for a company in Europe.

We all rejoiced when the very first leaked images of the Apple iPhone 4 was leaked. Among the first new features that we all got to confirm was that the device would come with a front facing camera. The feature has been in pretty big demand since the very first iPhone came out and this is the only time that it actually came to be.

Unfortunately, the hardware was not supported by the software that we all expected it to have. Instead of the camera being an easy to use add-on, usage was controlled and limited; just like everything else with Apple.

Apple introduced FaceTime, which is basically their easiest way to cut down the freedom people could have with a front facing camera. FaceTime is made so that it only works with WiFi and it can only call other iPhone 4 users. Despite the fact that over 1.7 million people did buy an iPhone, they are (mostly) not the folks we want to talk to.

Fortunately, Fring has also arrived for the iPhone 4.

For those not familiar with the new app, this video chatting feature is made just like FaceTime but with fewer restrictions. First off, connectivity is a choice between any available networks; this means that users are no longer limited to sticking with WiFi as 3G will be supported as well.

More importantly, Fring allows users to connect to other mobile devices such as Android or Symbian smart phones –further giving the front facing camera a better purpose.

Despite the fact that Fring does more than what Apple originally planned for the iPhone 4, there has been no move to stop the development or distribution of the app. Seems like Apple is recognizing that Fring is really able to bring out the full potential of the new iPhone 4 camera.

Now picture this, there are at least 1.7 million Apple iPhone 4’s out there in the world. They sold that much in the first three days of sales and it has been over a week now. Several stores report that they have run out and are expecting a second batch of the devices to arrive soon. Indeed, there are so many of these handsets being used right now.

This is why being able to see the big picture with the recent case of an iPhone 4 catching fire through the USB is important. The worry is not that it will affect other devices (it has already been confirmed that the cause of the problem is a unique issue with that specific device), but rather, why is Apple still not implementing a better quality check?

Sure, it might have been difficult to find the issue in the first place, but that was not the only problem that the iPhone had. The phone has a bad antenna configuration; the screen was reported to have yellow blobs and several other small issues that Apple seems to have missed. Indeed, the problem with the USB port is not associated with any the abovementioned problems, but they certainly get harder to ignore when news about more Apple issues (isolated or otherwise) start reaching the big news.

The folks at Cupertino certainly messed up this time. Hopefully, with the next Apple iPhone they would be able to iron out the issues instead of rushing the release.

Speaking of the iPhone 4 that caught on fire, there are actually two other instances of the Apple’s other devices in similar situations. The first is when an Apple iPod exploded in the pants of a young man. The boy was injured with second degree burns and the cause of the fire is still not known.