AllThingsD » iPhone 4

Test Finds Samsung Galaxy S4 More Breakable Than S3, iPhone

John Paczkowski — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:40:33 +0000

When designing its new Galaxy S4 flagship smartphone, Samsung said it considered the question, “How can we change people’s lives for the better?” The answer: By designing a handset that was also a “meaningful life companion.” But evidently that required certain trade-offs, because while the device has been generally well received, it has taken a fair bit of flak for its physical design. AllThingsD’s Walt Mossberg said the Galaxy S4’s “plastic body felt a bit insubstantial,” and The Verge complained about its “unpleasant, cheap design.” Now, consumer electronics warranty provider SquareTrade says that according to its breakability tests, the device is actually more fragile than both its predecessor, the Galaxy S3, and its archrival, Apple’s iPhone 5.

SquareTrade reviewed the S4, S3 and iPhone 5 for susceptibility to everyday damage, evaluating factors like water resistance, grip-ability, edge construction and drop resistance to come up with an overall breakability score. And the company found that the S4 was the most fragile of the three. While the S4 garnered high marks for water resistance and front- and back-panel design, it scored poorly on SquareTrade’s slide and drop tests, as well as the company’s rankings for size and grip-ability.

The S4’s overall breakability score? Seven. That’s half a point worse than the Galaxy S3, and two points worse than the iPhone 5. Now, to be fair, SquareTrade said all three smartphones are at medium risk for common accidents. But it concluded that the Samsung devices are generally more breakable. And the overweening reason seems to be their large size and chassis design.

Those giant 4.8-inch and five-inch displays that the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S4 boast might look great, but when you pair their width with a plastic chassis and the increase in weight and damageable surface area they bring with them, grip-ability suffers and breakability increases. It’s worth noting that the iPhone 5, too, lost points for its larger size. But it tempered that loss with better grip-ability.

“Accidents are inevitable,” said Ty Shay, SquareTrade’s chief marketing officer. “We all know someone that has broken their phone. … There is no denying the Samsung S4 is a terrific smartphone, but our results show it is not as forgiving as other devices to the clumsy among us.”

Makes you wonder if fragility is yet another issue that is preventing Apple from shipping a larger iPhone. As CEO Tim Cook said last week, “Our competitors have made some significant trade-offs in many of these areas in order to ship a larger display. We would not ship a larger display iPhone while these trade-offs exist.”

Here’s the video of SquareTrade’s tests:

Don't Spend Your AntennaGate Check All in One Place

John Paczkowski — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:46:20 +0000

Attention cash-only members of Apple’s iPhone 4 class action settlement: Your check’s in the mail. Apple this week began distributing $15 payments to iPhone 4 buyers who claimed to have experienced antenna or reception issues with the device, but declined to accept the free case Apple offered as a remedy back in 2010. The issuance of the checks brings to a close a rare Apple PR debacle that culminated in a historic, anomalous “AntennaGate” press conference presided over by company co-founder Steve Jobs.

Legacy iPhones Are Helping Apple Hit a Broader Market

John Paczkowski — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:00:29 +0000

Some timely iPhone research to consider in advance of Apple’s first-quarter earnings report Tuesday.

After an initial launch spike last September, U.S. sales of Apple’s latest iPhone — the iPhone 5 — declined significantly. But now, about 7 months after the device’s debut, they’ve risen slightly and flattened out, settling at a level that redefines the sales split between new iPhone and old.

According to new data shared with AllThingsD by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), iPhone 5 sales — which surged to account for 68 percent of all U.S. iPhone sales last October, only to slip to 50 percent during the month of December — rose 3 percentage points between January and March 2013. During that same period, U.S. sales of the iPhone 4S rose 1 percent, while sales of the iPhone 4 slipped 4 percent.

So by March’s end, iPhone sales broke down as follows: 53 percent iPhone 5, 33 percent iPhone 4S and 14 percent iPhone 4. That’s a near perfect 50/50 split between legacy iPhones and the latest iPhone model — numbers that roughly jibe with those reported by Verizon last week.

What they don’t jibe with, however, is the legacy/latest model breakdown for the previous iPhone cycle. Following the launch of the iPhone 4S last year, that device accounted for 73 percent of all iPhone sales. Meanwhile, the iPhone 4 accounted for 22 percent and the iPhone 3GS 5 percent. That’s a very different split, one that strongly favored Apple’s newest phone over its predecessors.

Why the shift? Given the debut of 4G LTE support with the iPhone 5, you might think that device would capture a larger portion of iPhone sales than its 3G predecessors. But that’s not the case. Why isn’t LTE driving more iPhone 5 adoption?

Here’s the thing: It is driving adoption. Recall that Verizon alone sold two million iPhone 5 units in its recent quarter. Apple is shipping more iPhones than ever before; first quarter iPhone sales at Verizon, for example, rose 25 percent year over year, and, as I note earlier, the split between new device and old was roughly 50/50. So what seems to be happening is this: Not only is Apple selling more iPhones, it’s selling more of them to price-conscious consumers. It’s using legacy iPhones to grow its business — successfully, too.

“We’re somewhat surprised that 4/4S sales have remained so strong, at least relative to earlier iPhone product cycles,” CIRP partner Michael Levin told AllThingsD. “There’s plenty of demand for low- and no-cost phones, which tend to flow toward basic phone owners. On average they don’t seem to jump from a cheap or free flip phone all the way to iPhone 5.”

But they will jump to an iPhone 4 or 4S for a free upgrade with two-year contract renewal, or $99. And looking at CIRP’s numbers, that’s what seems to be happening. With its legacy iPhones, Apple is hitting a broader swath of the market — and it’s grabbing a larger share and introducing more people to the brand in the process. No surprise, then, that CIRP found that 29 percent of iPhone buyers during the survey period upgraded from feature phones (another 29 percent came from Android/BlackBerry/Other and the final 42 percent came from iPhone).

An intriguing trend, given persistent rumors about a low-end iPhone. What does it mean for iPhone ASPs (Average Selling Prices)? Not all that much. Evidently, the larger storage options for iPhone 5 have been selling pretty well recently. The 64 GB model accounted for 5 percent of sales in December; it’s double that now. And that will likely help alleviate some of the ASP compression caused by rising sales of past generation iPhones.

Said Levin, “iPhone ASP should be fairly stable compared to the previous quarter. If anything, it will be slightly improved on the strength of a bit stronger share (of all iPhones) of the iPhone 5, and a bit stronger share of higher storage capacity iPhone 5 models.”

T-Mobile Hopes Trade-In Offer Will Lure iPhone Customers From Rivals

Ina Fried — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 04:01:47 +0000

As it prepares to begin selling the iPhone 5 on Friday, T-Mobile is starting an aggressive program encouraging iPhone owners from other carriers to switch to T-Mo.

T-Mobile will offer a variety of discounts for those who trade in an iPhone 4, iPhone 4S or iPhone 5. The discounts come in the form of a lower upfront payment, bill credit, and discounts of the monthly device financing cost.

In each case, trading in an iPhone will bring the upfront cost down from $99 to zero, with additional credits depending on which model of iPhone is being traded in. The total savings can add up to hundreds of dollars.

“It really is the simplest and most affordable way to get into an iPhone 5,” T-Mobile Senior VP Andrew Sherrard said in an interview.

The trade-in offer is slated to run through June 16 — Father’s Day.

As for overall iPhone business, Sherrard said that T-Mobile is pleased with preorders, but declined to say how many had come in.

“We’re really happy and pleased with how that’s going,” Sherrard said. “We think we are going to see some good traffic in our stores on Friday and Saturday.”

T-Mobile will start selling the iPhone 5 at 9 am local time on Friday.

So Here Is the iPhone Lineup That T-Mobile Just Announced

Ina Fried — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:18:31 +0000

Yep, T-Mobile is finally getting the iPhone.

With the iPhone 5, T-Mobile is actually getting its own version of the phone, supporting its unique spectrum bands, meaning that the device supports all of the company’s high-speed options. It will also support HD Voice, a feature that Apple included with iPhone 5 but hasn’t yet been supported by U.S. carriers.

The phone will sell for $99 down and $20 per month for 24 months.

T-Mobile will also have the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S in select markets. However, the older iPhones won’t support T-Mobile’s AWS bands, meaning they will work at full speeds only in cities where T-Mobile has added support for carrying high-speed data over the same frequencies used by AT&T. (T-Mobile currently has done so in 49 areas.)

The iPhone 4S will be priced at $69.99 down and $20 per month for 24 months, while the iPhone 4 will cost $14.99 upfront and $15 a month for 24 months. Those will also be available April 12, we’re told.

The carrier is taking sign-ups for the iPhone 5 on its website.

T-Mobile's Long iPhone Drought Nearly at an End

Ina Fried and John Paczkowski — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 23:27:14 +0000

After years of waiting, T-Mobile USA is poised to finally begin selling the iPhone.

Parent company Deutsche Telekom said in December that T-Mobile USA would start selling Apple products this year, but didn’t go into any details.

CNET reported on Monday that iPhone details will be part of T-Mobile’s big event on Tuesday.

We’re hearing T-Mobile is expected to soon have a full lineup of iPhone devices, though no announcement of a T-Mobile equipped iPad is expected on Tuesday. Even the iPhones may not be immediately available.

An Apple representative declined to comment; a T-Mobile representative said the company does not comment on “rumors or speculation.”

Scoring Apple products may seem like table stakes these days, but it is a big deal for T-Mobile, which hopes to better compete with its larger rivals thanks to an improved network, lower monthly rates and a better lineup of devices.

For the last few years, T-Mobile has had several strikes against it when competing against other major U.S. carriers.

First, the company is smaller than Sprint, Verizon and AT&T. Second, each of those rivals have now launched a high-speed LTE network.

And, then of course, there was the iPhone.

T-Mobile watched as first Verizon and then Sprint got the device while it remained on the sidelines. Without the high-demand iPhone and an LTE network, T-Mobile has been bleeding contract customers for the past several years.

But the carrier has been working hard to plug those holes. It is expected to announce an agressive LTE schedule on Tuesday. At the same time, T-Mobile has also been working to make its network more iPhone-friendly by making it compatible with the same section of 3G spectrum used by AT&T.

Verizon CFO: People Like Free iPhones

John Paczkowski — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:47:47 +0000

Verizon activated a record number of iPhones in its fourth quarter — 6.2 million. It was the carrier’s strongest quarter for iPhone sales since it first began offering the handset in 2011, one in which Apple’s handset accounted for about two-thirds of its new smartphone activations. The iPhone 5 was a key driver of these sales, but not just for its promise of 4G LTE speeds and Apple’s latest handset design. Its debut on Verizon allowed the carrier to offer the iPhone 4 free-on-contract.

Fielding questions at the Deutsche Bank 2013 Media, Internet & Telecom Conference this week, Verizon CFO Fran Shammo said the iPhone 4 drove a lot of the company’s fourth-quarter activations.

“… This past fourth quarter, you … had really one thing happen that never happened before, especially with Verizon Wireless, and that was for the first time ever, because of the iPhone 5 launch, we had the 4 at free,” Shammo said. “So it was the first time ever you could get a free iPhone on the Verizon Wireless network.”

And just as the iPhone 5 helped spike LTE subscriber numbers, so, too, did the iPhone 4 drive 3G subscriber numbers.

“[The iPhone 4] produced a lot of volume for us,” Shammo said. “We had a lot of new customers come into Verizon who took that free phone, and that was great for us, because, again, if you think about — we sold a lot of LTE product in the fourth quarter. We sold a lot of 3G product from the iPhone products in the fourth quarter.”

That’s a point worth noting. By offering less-expensive legacy iPhone models along with the latest iteration of the device, Apple is expanding its addressable market. A smart move. The caveat here is that those lower-priced models will inevitably grow their share, as well. And that may have implications for the company’s revenue and profit, because a free-on-contract iPhone 4 compresses the iPhone’s average selling price.

Almost Half of Verizon's Record iPhone Sales Were iPhone 5s

John Paczkowski — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 17:59:33 +0000

Verizon activated a record number of iPhones in the fourth quarter, about half of which were the LTE-enabled iPhone 5.

Reporting fourth-quarter earnings Tuesday morning, Verizon said that, of the 9.8 million smartphones it sold during the period, 6.2 million were iPhones. So about two-thirds of new smartphone activations at Verizon were attributable to Apple’s smartphone. But while discussing the carrier’s latest earnings on a conference call, CFO Fran Shammo mentioned that “almost half” of the iPhones Verizon sold were able to tap into its 4G LTE network, meaning the other half were a mix of iPhone 4 and 4S.

Over the past few quarters, Verizon has accounted for about 11 percent of Apple’s total iPhone shipments. If that percentage holds true for the holiday quarter as well, it could mean Apple easily met or surpassed consensus estimates for iPhone sales of 48 million. Indeed, a few analysts have already stepped forward to suggest that Apple might report a full-on iPhone blowout tomorrow. Jefferies analyst Peter Misek is calling for iPhone shipments of 53 million. Over at Topeka, Brian White says 51 million isn’t an unreasonable number, and a “greater than 56 million iPhone shipment number” isn’t beyond the realm of possibility.

Apple reports earnings Wednesday after market close.

Legacy iPhones Biting Apple in the ASP

John Paczkowski — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 13:05:25 +0000

The launch of Apple’s iPhone 5 was unquestionably a successful one. The company sold more than five million units during the device’s first three days of availability, setting a new opening-weekend sales record. Yet, by some metrics, the iPhone 5 underperformed compared to its predecessor, the iPhone 4S.

According to new data shared with AllThingsD by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), the iPhone 5 accounted for 68 percent of total iPhone sales during its first month at market — significantly less than the iPhone 4S, which accounted for 90 percent of all iPhone sales during its first month of retail availability.

In other words, as a percentage of total iPhone sales, Apple sold more iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S units during the launch of the iPhone 5 than it sold iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS units during the launch of the iPhone 4S. It also sold more lower-capacity devices.

“This is all about how the pie is sliced,” CIRP co-founder Josh Lowitz told AllThingsD. “In the current launch, the 4 and 4S slices are bigger, relative to the 5 slice than the 3GS and 4 slices were relative to the 4S slice during the prior launch. Similarly, the 64 gigabyte slice is smaller, relative to the 16GB and 32GB slices of the 5 than the 64GB slice was relative to the 16GB and 32GB slices of the 4S when it was launched.”

What that means is that while Apple is selling tons of iPhones, it’s increasingly selling more of them at lower prices. The implications of that trend, if it is indeed a trend, suggest that by offering consumers the option of purchasing past-generation and lower-capacity devices, Apple is gradually compressing the iPhone’s average selling price (ASP). That’s worth noting because it may have an effect on Apple’s notoriously high profit margins.

“ASP compression naturally leads to margin compression, which is a big fear of Apple shareholders as their markets become more competitive,” CIRP co-founder Michael Levin explained to AllThingsD. “They had record margins in the recent quarters, healthy and even growing at times, which is unheard of for a company of Apple’s size and market share in smartphones and tablets. These margins may have started to moderate somewhat with the launch of the iPhone 5.”

And that’s something to keep in mind. By offering less-expensive legacy iPhone models along with the latest iteration of the device, Apple is wisely expanding its addressable market. But those lower-priced models will inevitably grow their share, as well. And that might limit not only the number of full-priced iPhones Apple can sell, but revenue and profits, too. Caveat: It’s impossible to say how many of the consumers purchasing legacy and lower-storage iPhones are incremental sales that Apple might not have otherwise seen or lost full-price iPhone sales.

Update: Here’s a clip of my colleagues Lauren Goode and Ina Fried discussing the subject on today’s Wall Street Journal “Digits” show:

[ See post to watch video ]

Older iPhones Still Selling Like, Well, iPhones

John Paczkowski — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 21:49:53 +0000

Apple is selling iPhone 5s as fast as it can make them, but it’s still selling a bunch of older iPhones as well. And to see that, one need only look at Verizon’s latest earnings.

Verizon sold a lot of iPhones in its third quarter: 3.1 million. That was about 46 percent of the smartphones activated on the carrier’s network during the period. Of those 3.1 million iPhones, 650,000 were the newly released iPhone 5, which arrived at market near the end of the quarter. That means the remaining 2.5 million iPhones activated by Verizon were older models like the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.

Now that might be disappointing news to investors who’d expected Verizon to sell almost twice the number of iPhone 5s that it did. And while constrained supplies of the handset are certainly cause for concern, the broader picture here is a good one for Apple.

For one thing, analysts like Gene Munster were expecting Verizon to sell just 2.5 million iPhones during the quarter. It sold quite a few more.

For another thing, the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S continue to sell well. Verizon activated 2.5 million older model iPhones. That means consumers are still actively buying last year’s iPhone and the one that preceded it. And that is good news indeed for Apple. As Munster observed in a note to clients, “Verizon’s iPhone number suggests that the slowdown of older iPhones may not have been as drastic as previously suspected.”

In other words, the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S will continue to drive sales at the lower end of the market, as the iPhone 5 drives sales at the higher end. And the iPhone 5 is just beginning to ramp up.

A Scuffed iPhone 5

Walter S. Mossberg — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 23:10:46 +0000

I bought an iPhone 5 and found, when I opened the box, some scuff marks. I read that Apple says this is “normal” wear and tear for aluminum devices. Is that true?

There have been many reports of small nicks or scuffs on iPhone 5s, especially around the beveled aluminum border. When I wrote my review of the phone, the black evaluation unit Apple sent me didn’t display any such nicks over roughly a week, even though I wasn’t using a case and took no special care of it. But this unit, which hasn’t been dropped or banged, now has one tiny nick. I can’t say if it’s “normal” for aluminum devices made this way to develop these flaws over time. But if I found them in a new, out of the box device I’d return it.

I updated to the new iOS 6 operating system on my iPhone 4 and am not happy with it. Is there any way to go back to the previous iOS?

Apple has never, to my memory, supported such operating system downgrades, and thus doing so is very difficult for average users. Some techies have figured out how to do it, but the instructions are dense, require some technical knowledge, and carry some risk. You can find various methods by searching online for “downgrade from iOS 6.” Here’s one example of what you might find, from the site MacLife.com: http://bit.ly/NZ5CGZ. I haven’t tried this, or any other such method, and can’t say if they work properly.

Write to Walt at walt.mossberg@wsj.com.

Wonder If Jony Ive's One-of-a-Kind Leica Will Be Laser-Cut From a Single Piece of Alu-min-ium?

John Paczkowski — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 17:57:09 +0000

When Apple CEO Steve Jobs first unveiled the iPhone 4, he compared it to “a beautiful old Leica camera.” It’s fitting, then, that Jony Ive — the guy responsible for its design — has been tapped by the legendary camera maker to create a limited edition Leica M. Leica Chairman Dr. Andreas Kaufmann said at an event Monday night that the Ive-designed camera will be a one-off, and will be sold at auction for charity.

Apple hasn’t responded to a request for comment.

Jimmy Kimmel Dupes iPhone Fans

Peter Kafka — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:39:52 +0000

Here’s an excellent prank from Jimmy Kimmel which proves that:

Believe it or not, there are lots of people who don’t spend their time reading Apple launch event liveblogs or recaps.*
If you are going to ask the man on the street to analyze an iPhone, don’t ask a guy in a Dave Matthews Band hat.

*But we’re so glad you do. Us, too!

Apple's Biggest iPhone 5 Surprise: An Aggressive Rollout Schedule

John Paczkowski — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 11:25:08 +0000

Thanks to the uncharacteristically high number of leaks preceding it, there weren’t too many big surprises at Apple’s iPhone 5 reveal on Wednesday. The hardware design was largely as expected, as were many of its features. And since iOS 6 was already shown off earlier this summer at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, the software was as expected, as well. In the end, the biggest surprise to come out of Wednesday’s event was an operational one: The iPhone 5’s aggressive global rollout schedule.

Apple will begin taking preorders for the iPhone 5 this coming Friday, Sept. 14. A week later, on Sept. 21, it will begin selling the device in nine key markets, among them the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Japan and Hong Kong. The following week, it will bring the iPhone 5 to 22 more countries. And if all goes according to plan, the device will be available in 100 markets by year’s end. In comparison, iPhone 4S debuted in seven countries. Apple began shipping it to 22 more countries two weeks later. And by the end of 2011, it was available in 70 countries. When the iPhone 4 launched, it debuted in only five countries, and by the end of its first month at market it was still only in 18.

So Apple has given the iPhone 5 an aggressive rollout plan. And coming as it does after rumblings of supply chain contraints that some worried would limit iPhone 5 availability at launch, it’s something of a surprise.

“The schedule’s impressive,” ISI International analyst Brian Marshall told AllThingsD. “Apple must feel confident about its supply of in-cell display panels.”

Jefferies analyst Peter Misek took a similar view. “This timeline is way, way more aggressive than expected,” Misek told AllThingsD. “It should finally put to bed the unfounded view that this iPhone launch will be hugely capacity-constrained.”

More to the point, it should go a long way toward reassuring the market that Apple can meet consumer demand for the iPhone 5 and hit heady analyst estimates for the December quarter that range upwards of 45 million units. Estimates like those of Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, who’s looking for the iPhone 5 to chart some serious growth for Apple in the months ahead.

Said Munster in a Wednesday afternoon note, “While we previously expected December units to shift to September for a September launch, we are maintaining our 49 million December estimate as we believe Apple can still deliver on the 32% year-over-year growth that number assumes.”

Apple's iPhone 5 Event, in Pictures

Eric Johnson — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 10:30:47 +0000

There were only a few surprises at Apple’s iPhone 5 unveiling Wednesday morning. Among the announcements: The new iPhone, iOS 6, updates to iTunes across Apple’s operating systems, and new models of the iPod nano and iPod touch.

AllThingsD was at the event. Here’s a look at the highlights from inside:

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Apple Drops Price of iPhone 4, 4S

Bonnie Cha — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 18:17:09 +0000

With today’s introduction of the iPhone 5, Apple announced that it will drop the prices of its previous models, the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. The iPhone 4 is now free with a two-year service agreement, and the 16 gigabyte iPhone 4S will cost $99 on contract. The handsets will be upgradeable to iOS 6, which will be available as a free download on Sept. 19. Meanwhile, iPhone 5 goes on sale on Sept. 21, with preorders starting Friday. Pricing starts at $199 for the 16GB model.

iPhone 5 Brings Size and Speed: The Unveiling as It Happened

Ina Fried — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 10:00:20 +0000

It’s that time again. The kids are heading back to school. The leaves are beginning to change colors. And Apple is ready to unveil the next iPhone.

While not all is known about this next iPhone, a few details seem all but assured, including a larger screen, new dock connector and support for faster LTE cellular networks. Apple has also shown off iOS 6 — the new software that will power the new phone. Among its features are improvements to Siri, Apple-created mapping software and integration with Facebook.

Expectations are running high, with analysts predicting that whatever Apple introduces will generate record sales and perhaps even give a meaningful boost to the overall U.S. economic output.

Earlier:
9:31 am: Still waiting outside to be let in. But you haven’t missed anything. And we promise, if you keep it here, you won’t.

9:52 am: Okay. In at last. We’ve got a seat and power, so we’re all set.

10:00 am: Tim Cook takes the stage promptly at 10. He is an operations guy. “Thank you for coming this morning. We’ve got some really cool stuff to show you.”

“It’s an amazing time at Apple.”

10:01 am: Sticking to familiar Apple keynote script, starting with updates.

First up, Apple retail, with a shot of Barcelona Apple Store. Man, I bet that was a great day for the city’s famed pickpockets.

Cue video …

10:02 am: Apple now has 380 stores in 12 countries. It will open its first Swedish store on Friday, making it 13.

10:04 am: On to the Mac. “We’ve had a very busy summer for the Mac.”

Mountain Lion launched in July. Seven million copies downloaded so far.

10:06 am: Apple is No. 1 in U.S. market share for notebooks for last three months, Cook said.

Mac growth has outpaced the PC for six years, Cook said.

10:06 am: On to iPad.

Apple sold 17 million of ’em between April and June.

“We sold more iPads than any PC manufacturer sold of their entire PC line. Yes, we are in a post-PC world.”

As of June, Apple has sold 84 million iPads. “Our competitors have taken note of this,” Cook said, noting that hundreds of tablets have been launched since the iPad. A year ago, Apple had a 62 percent share of worldwide tablet market (no source given for this data).

This year — April through June — Apple had a 68 percent share.

It’s even bigger when it comes to usage, where iPad accounts for 91 percent of tablet Web traffic.

“I don’t know what these other tablets are doing,” Cook said. “They must be in warehouses or on store shelves or in someone’s bottom drawer.”

10:11 am: Cook talking about the 250,000 iPad apps.

Four hundred million iOS devices sold through June 2012. “This is amazing. No one could have predicted this,” Cook said. (Android claims 500 million activations, though.)

“Today, we are taking it to the next level, making a huge leap.”

Brings on Phil Schiller to talk iPhone.

10:12 am: Schiller: It’s really neat to stand here and look at all the Apple logos glowing.

10:13 am: “Today we are going to introduce iPhone 5.”

10:13 am: The iPhone comes up on a pedestal.

“It is an absolute jewel,” Schiller said. “It is the most beautiful product we have ever made, bar none.”

Even with a bigger screen, it is tiny when seen from the audience. Thankfully, there is a video.

10:14 am: Schiller: It is made entirely of glass and aluminum.

10:15 am: It’s thinner and lighter than its predecessor. New iPhone is 7.6mm thin, 18 percent thinner than iPhone 4S.

It weighs 112 grams, 20 percent lighter than iPhone 4S.

10:16 am: iPhone 5 has a four-inch screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Why this design? To fit the thumb well, Schiller said.

There’s a fifth row of icons on the home screen. Built-in apps take advantage of bigger display, such as Safari, calendar and email.

Apple is also updating iWork and iLife apps to take advantage of the screen: Keynote, Pages, iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, etc.

Existing apps run at the same size as previous iPhone. Doesn’t stretch or scale, gets centered and letterboxed.

“It works exactly as the developer intended it to,” Schiller said.

Of course, developers can update apps to take advantage of bigger screen.

10:19 am: Schiller is showing two apps that have been tweaked for the new display: CNN and OpenTable.

“Everything you do looks gorgeous on this display,” Schiller said.

Display also has 44 percent more color saturation, Schiller said. Touch sensor is integrated into the display — an emerging trend in phones.

10:21 am: Other key feature: Faster wireless. iPhone 5 features support for all kinds of 3G radios, as well as support for LTE, along with two faster flavors of HSPA+.

LTE Support:

In the U.S., Sprint, AT&T and Verizon.

In Canada, a bunch of carriers, as well as top carriers in Korea, Australia, Singapore and Deutsche Telekom.

10:23 am: Ultrafast wireless doesn’t just stop with cellular, Schiller said, noting iPhone will support more flavors of Wi-Fi.

10:24 am: iPhone 5 also packs a new A6 processor with CPU and graphics that are twice as fast.

10:25 am: Electronic Arts Studios Executive Producer Rob Murray is onstage to show what the game company can do with the faster chip.

EA is showing Real Racing 3, with a car running on a photorealistic version of Raceway Laguna Seca.

“The new iPhone lets us take this to a whole new level,” Murray said. The detail is pretty incredible. There’s even a working rearview mirror showing cars behind the racer.

The game features time-shifted multiplayer, so one player can race one day and another the next day and yet compete head-to-head. … “This is something we have never seen done before,” Murray said.

Real Racing 3 is coming to the App Store later this year.

10:28 am: Schiller back, with a battery icon behind him.

This is a key question mark. The iPhone 5 will exceed battery life of iPhone 4S, with eight hours of 3G talk time, 3G browsing and LTE browsing.

10:29 am: On to the camera.

Specs: Eight megapixels, backside illumination, f/2.4 aperture, five-element lens, Hybrid IR filter.

New features include a dynamic low-light mode, better-aligned lenses and a sapphire crystal lens cover. Apparently, sapphires aren’t just pretty, they are hard, so that should make it sturdy.

A6 chip will help with noise reduction, faster capture and better low-light performance.

10:31 am: Schiller showing a few untouched photos from the camera. “The ocean just looks bluer … Kids look happier.”

No word on whether it cures cancer …

New Panorama feature allows you to sweep. Schiller shows a 28-megapixel image.

(We’ve seen a sweep panorama feature on other cameras, but typically not with this resolution — many apps use the video camera rather than the still-image engine.)

10:34 am: On the video side, there is improved video stabilization, face detection and — the ability to take photos while recording. (That’s a popular feature on Android phones, such as the HTC One X.)

10:35 am: On to audio.

It adds a third microphone, with one at back, front and bottom. That helps for voice recognition as well as noise canceling. Speaker is better even while crammed into a 20-percent-smaller space.

There’s also wide-band audio to make voice calls sound more natural. Twenty carriers will support this at launch, including Orange and Deutsche Telekom. (Not sure if both phones need the tech.)

10:37 am: Ah yes, the new dock connector, replacing the one that has been in there since 2003.

A lot of things have gone wireless.

“A lot has changed, and it is time for the connector to evolve.”

New connector — Lightning.

“Now we have Thunderbolt and Lightning.”

10:38 am: Lightning is 80 percent smaller, all-digital, reversible.

Partners like Bose, JBL and others are working to support the new connector. There will be an adapter that lets you plug an old cord into iPhone 5.

10:39 am: And, of course, there is support for iOS 6.

10:41 am: Scott Forstall is demoing the new Apple-created Maps. iOS 6 drops Google Maps for Apple, but builds in voice-guided turn-by-turn directions (as Android and Windows Phone have offered previously).

10:42 am: Apple also has new satellite imagery. “It’s just gorgeous,” Forstall said, flying over London’s Big Ben.

10:43 am: Forstall showing Safari, including a full-screen mode and the ability to share tabs from a Mac using iCloud.

10:44 am: On the email front, Apple has updated the Mail app with a “VIP” feature that lets you designate contacts that are most important, and see their messages.

10:46 am: Forstall shows Passbook, including an ability to show a boarding pass even from behind the lock screen.

Next up is shared photo streams. (Lots of folks in the industry have been taking a crack at this, from Samsung with the Galaxy S III to Google with the updated Google+ app.)

10:47 am: On to Siri.

Siri now knows all about sports. She knows that the 49ers beat the Packers last Sunday, 30-22. She can pull up standings, etc.

For Kara Swisher and others who don’t care about sports, Siri can also launch apps, pull up movie info and ratings, and help find and book a restaurant.

Much of the iOS 6 stuff was demoed at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference earlier this summer.

10:50 am: Other iOS 6 features: Facebook has been integrated into many apps and, carrier permitting, the ability to make FaceTime video calls over cellular.

10:51 am: Schiller back. iPhone will come in white and black. “They are both stunning,” Schiller said, but I don’t recall him ever disliking anything Apple has done.

10:52 am: Schiller in full-on sales mode, recapping the phone’s new features.

And, cue video.

In the video, Jony Ive is talking about the design, noting that the phone is so important, as it is the product you have with you all the time.

“We take changing it really seriously,” Ive said.

Video still going. iOS chief Scott Forstall, and hardware guy Bob Mansfield also like the new iPhone.

10:58 am: Long video, giving me a chance to check the stock market. Apple shares are at $663.08, up about $2.50, or less than half of a percent.

10:59 am: Video done, Schiller back. Methinks it’s pricing and availability time.

10:59 am: Yep.

Same prices as iPhone 4S. $199/16 gigabytes, $299/32GB, $399/64GB.

iPhone 4S $99 for 16GB, iPhone 4 free. All with two-year contracts. Preorders start Friday, Sept. 14, with shipment a week later, on Sept. 21, in several countries. One hundred countries by the end of the year.

11:01 am: iOS 6 will be a free update Sept. 19.

11:01 am: Tim Cook is back.

Cook calls iOS 6 and iPhone 5 “the biggest things to happen to iPhone since iPhone.”

11:02 am: Cook said he also wants to talk about something near and dear to its heart — music.

“This is the reason we created iPod and iTunes.”

11:02 am: Eddy Cue on to talk about changes to iTunes and iPod.

11:03 am: iTunes Store now available in 63 countries.

There are 435 million iTunes accounts with 1-Click shopping enabled.

A lot of commerce happening from within iOS itself, Cue said, noting that the company has revamped its iTunes store for the iPad, iPhone and other iOS devices.

Now, previews keep playing while you are browsing the store. Also, direct sharing to iPhone and Twitter.

11:06 am: Now on to iTunes on Mac and PC.

Things have changed with iTunes in the Cloud, Cue said. New version of iTunes is dramatically simpler and has iCloud built-in, Cue said.

Demo time again …

(Here’s a bit more on the new Lightning iPhone connector from Lauren Goode.)

As for iTunes, it looks like creating playlists is easier, as well as browsing the music library.

There is an “up next” feature to rearrange or change what is coming up on the go. Lets you alter a playlist without permanently changing it.

There’s a new mini-player too.

(Is it me or does this whole topic feel a bit five years ago?)

11:12 am: On to movies from within iTunes.

Cue Hulk.

The iTunes store also gets a makeover.

11:14 am: Okay. Demo over. Eddy Cue recapping, but not sure these features needed recapping.

New iTunes due late October.

11:14 am: On to iPod. Greg Joswiak comes on.

Some 350 millions iPods have been sold so far, Joswiak said. “We love music and we have the most-loved family of music players there is.”

But, changes coming. First up: iPod nano.

11:15 am: Seventh-generation nano is designed to reinvent the device, with a large display.

The nano seems to be the product in Apple’s lineup that changes shapes most.

It’s back to being long and tall, has new connector. 5.4mm thin, 38 percent thinner than the nano it replaces.

It has a 2.5-inch touchscreen and comes in seven colors with matching wallpapers.

It has an integrated FM radio tuner with live-pause feature.

Also, it can play video.

“We’re bringing video back to the iPod nano,” Joswiak said.

Fitness and pedometer are built-in, he said.

It will also have integrated Bluetooth to stream to headphones or speakers. (The Jambox gets a name check and an onstage pic.)

11:20 am: On to the iPod touch.

It’s the most popular music player, Joswiak said, but also the most popular portable game-playing device.

The fifth-generation iPod touch sports a four-inch Retina display, has five rows of icons, like the iPhone 5, and is also thin and light — 6.1-millimeters thin and weighs 88 grams.

11:22 am: The iPod touch also gets the A5 processor. (It had been using the older A4 chip.)

That means up to seven times faster graphics, Joswiak said, bringing up a game maker to put that into some real-world terms.

11:23 am: The demo is for Clumsy Ninja, a character that uses real-time simulation rather than playback of recorded moves.

Well, whatever. He’s darn cute.

You can tickle him, and he likes it for a bit. But then he runs away.

Apparently the goal is to train the little guy to be less clumsy. (Why can’t we just let him be?)

“He’s using technology that not long ago would have required a supercomputer,” the demo guy says. Clumsy Ninja due out this holiday season.

11:26 am: Joswiak back. iPod touch features up to eight hours of video playback, up from prior model.

It also has a much better five-megapixel camera, with f/3.4 aperture, LED flash and autofocus.

It also can do panoramas, just like the iPhone 5. The new iPod touch will also support iPhoto.

On the video side, the iPod touch now supports 1080p video and a better front-facing camera, with support for 720p video.

A button on the bottom of the iPod is a pop-up loop to add a wrist strap, to make it easier to hang on to.

11:30 am: On the wireless side, support for Bluetooth 4.0, low-energy, and improved Wi-Fi.

It also supports AirPlay mirroring to take the gaming experience, for example, to the TV. And, yep, it packs iOS 6, naturally.

The new iPod touch will also support Siri (but you’ll probably need Wi-Fi when you want to actually use it).

11:31 am: And, for the first time, the iPod touch will come in five colors.

11:32 am: The iPod shuffle will get new colors — matching the seven hues of the new iPod nano.

11:33 am: Apple has shipped 600 million of those little white earbud headphones.

Joswiak said that Apple has spent three years designing a new headphone, dubbed EarPods. They look like a cross between the iPod earbud and those noise-isolating in-ear headphones.

The EarPods will ship as a standalone accessory, starting today. They will come included with new iPod touch, the iPhone 5 and the new iPod nano.

11:36 am: Prices.

iPod nano 16GB for $149, seven colors.

The fourth-generation iPod touch stays in lineup.

16GB for $199 and 32GB for $249.

The new iPod touch, shipping in October, sells for $299 for 32GB. Looks like there is also a higher-capacity model, but I missed it.

They will also come in Product (Red) versions, with a portion of the proceeds going to fight AIDS in Africa.

11:39 am: Cook is back, showing an ad for the new iPods.

The ad shows all of the new models bouncing around. I’m sure you will see it soon enough.

11:39 am: Cook back, reviewing the day’s announcements, starting with the new iPods.

The new products are all great, Cook insists. But what separates the products from the competition, Cook says, is the way they all work together.

“Apple has never been stronger,” he said.

11:41 am: Cook pulling a page from the old Steve Jobs playbook, having a musician come out and play at the end of a music event.

It’s the Foo Fighters.

11:49 am: Foo Fighters still playing, but I think we are done with news here.

A few things we didn’t hear any mention of: NFC, (near field communications) for contactless payments. Also, no wireless charging, a la the Lumia 920.

Here’s a Photosynth panorama of the Foo Fighters. (Warning: May require Silverlight.)

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Last Year's "It" Phones Find New Life as This Year's Midrange Models

Ina Fried — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 13:00:19 +0000

In an effort to shrink their product lines, smartphone makers are increasingly focusing on two segments of the market: The high-end flagship models and the entry-level devices that can be sold for next to nothing with a contract or for a reasonable price at a prepaid carrier.

In years past, most phone makers also developed a host of models aimed at the mid-tier of the traditional carrier market. Increasingly, though, that market is served by cutting the price of last year’s top-of-the-line model.

“The mid-tier is totally gone,” HTC President Jason Mackenzie said in an interview last week. “The new mid-tier device is last year’s hot model.”

The move has some long-term benefits for phone makers, who are have struggled to manage having a host of expensive products with a very brief life span.

However, the shift also means some short-term pain, particularly for all the companies that aren’t Apple or Samsung.

Eventually, Mackenzie said, the shift will benefit other companies, including his. But at the moment, HTC is struggling, as none of its models from last year have the same cachet as the iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S III.

Apple really kicked off this trend when it kept the iPhone 3GS in its lineup even after the introduction of the iPhone 4. Then, last year, the company introduced the iPhone 4S, and kept both the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 on store shelves, effectively expanding to new price segments without developing any additional products.

It will be interesting to see if Cupertino continues the trend by keeping around the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S even as it announces its newest model on Wednesday. One indication that it might well do that is the fact that some carriers are just now getting the iPhone 4 and 4S.

More iPhone Price Cuts Ahead of New Model's Launch

Ina Fried — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 11:00:18 +0000

Various models of Apple’s iPhone continue to see sporadic discounts at retailers, ahead of what is expected to be the announcement of a new model next month.

Target is offering the Verizon and AT&T flavors of the iPhone 4S for $179, while Best Buy has shaved $50 off the eight gigabyte iPhone 4, selling that model for just $49.

Those price drops join a promotion from Sprint, which is currently selling the iPhone 4S for $149, $50 less than its usual price.

Apple stores are also quietly matching prices from these and other retailers, according to a Wall Street Journal story.

Apple is expected to announce a new fall product lineup, including the next iPhone, at an event the week of Sept. 9.

Apple Stores to Match Discounts on iPhones

Ian Sherr — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:38:57 +0000

Apple Inc. retail outlets are offering discounts on iPhones to match those offered by wireless carriers and retailers, an unusual move for the gadget maker.

The company has begun telling retail employees that they may offer discounts of $49 on the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 4 to customers who cite lower prices from other outlets, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Read the rest of this post on the original site »

HTC One V Lands at Virgin Mobile

Bonnie Cha — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 22:12:44 +0000

The iPhone 4 goes on sale today at Virgin Mobile, but if you’re more of an Android guy or gal or just can’t afford the iPhone’s $550 to $650 price tag, the carrier has another option for you.

The HTC One V is available now from Virgin Mobile for $199.99 without a contract. First introduced at Mobile World Congress, the One V is more of an entry-level smartphone and features a 3.7-inch touchscreen, a five-megapixel camera and 3G and Wi-Fi for connectivity options.

The handset is running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, along with HTC’s Sense user interface. Included in the software is 25 gigabytes of free storage for two years on cloud-based service Dropbox.

In addition to Virgin Mobile stores, the One V will be available at Best Buy, RadioShack and Walmart in July and August. Virgin Mobile’s voice and data plans start at $35 per month for 300 anytime minutes and unlimited messaging and data.

Virgin Mobile iPhone Deal May Help Sprint Meet Commitments, Customers Save Money

Ina Fried — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 19:07:10 +0000

The arrival of the iPhone on Virgin Mobile could be a boon to both corporate parent Sprint as well as iPhone customers looking to save money over the life of the contract.

It’s a benefit to Sprint because it brings the most popular phone to its prepaid customers and because — as part of its deal to get the iPhone — Sprint has agreed to a hefty minimum purchase agreement with Apple.

Customers seeking a new iPhone could also save, even though they pay way more upfront. Virgin Mobile is charging $649 for the 16 gigabyte iPhone 4S, compared to $199 for the phone on Sprint’s main brand, AT&T or Verizon.

However, Virgin Mobile’s far cheaper monthly plans mean customers could pay as little as $30 a month, amounting to hundreds of dollars in savings over the life of a two-year contract. It could mean even more savings for customers who use their iPhone beyond two years.

For a full comparison, check out the handy chart that The Wall Street Journal put together.

That said, prepaid customers have tended to avoid such expensive upfront payments, so it will be interesting to see how the iPhone does with such a hefty front-end cost. Prepaid carrier Leap Wireless is also getting the iPhone, though it is opting to subsidize the cost a bit (though less than the traditional majors). Service on Leap’s Cricket brand starts at $55 a month.

Virgin Mobile to Sell iPhone Starting June 29; Rate Plans Start at $30 a Month

Ina Fried — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 13:20:41 +0000

Virgin Mobile announced its iPhone plans on Thursday, saying it will start offering Apple’s phone on June 29, with rates as low as $30 a month.

While the monthly rates are the lowest around, customers will be paying full price for the phones. A 16 gigabyte iPhone 4S will sell for $649; an 8GB iPhone 4 is being offered for $549.

Virgin, a unit of Sprint, is the second prepaid carrier in the U.S. to land the iPhone, following Leap Wireless.

“This month marks Virgin Mobile USA’s tenth birthday,” Virgin Group founder Richard Branson said in a statement. “And what better way to thank our fans for ten years of loyalty than by giving them exactly what they want: the perfect plan for the perfect phone.”

Virgin’s rate plans range from $35 to $55 a month, with a $5 discount on top of those rates for those who sign up for automatic monthly payments. The low-end plan includes 300 minutes of calling, along with unlimited texting and 2.5GB of high-speed data. A midrange plan offers 1,200 minutes of calling and the same text and data options, while the top-of-the-line plan includes unlimited calling.

For an extra $15 a month, customers can also use their iPhone as a hotspot. That price includes an extra gigabyte of high-speed data.

Leap, which sells service under the Cricket brand, is partially subsidizing its iPhones and charging $55 a month.

Leap Wireless, a.k.a. Cricket, to Offer Prepaid iPhone Starting Next Month

Ina Fried — Thu, 31 May 2012 13:04:54 +0000

Leap Wireless said on Thursday that it will start offering the iPhone next month, becoming the first prepaid carrier in the U.S. to do so.

The company, which sells service under the brand Cricket, will offer service for $55 a month, including data, texting and calling, though data speeds will be slowed once a user has consumed 2.3 gigabytes of data in a month.

The plans, cheaper than those at traditional carriers, come with a higher upfront cost. Cricket is charging $499.99 for a 16GB iPhone 4S or $399.99 for the 8GB iPhone 4, with both models going on sale June 22. Those prices are still lower than the amount typically charged for an unlocked iPhone, however.

“Our customers want the best products available and we are excited to bring iPhone to our pre-paid consumers with an industry leading $55 per-month service plan,” Leap CEO Doug Hutcheson said in a statement. “Launching iPhone is a major milestone for us and we are proud to offer iPhone customers attractive nationwide coverage, a robust 3G data network and a value-packed, no-contract plan.”

“By making iPhone available on pre-paid plans through Cricket Wireless, we are making the best smartphone more accessible to an even broader market in the US.” Apple spokeswoman Natalie Harrison told AllThingsD.

Leap is investing heavily to be able to make the move. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday, the company said it has signed a three-year deal with Apple that requires Leap to buy roughly $900 million worth of devices over three years. The deal begins when the company starts selling the iPhone, and the minimum commitment increases moderately over each year of the deal.

Behind the Lenses of Two iPhone Camera Accessories

Bonnie Cha — Thu, 31 May 2012 13:00:42 +0000

I can’t remember the last time I used my point-and-shoot camera. It sits alone and neglected in a drawer, while my iPhone has become my go-to camera for most things. But even smartphone cameras have limitations, like the inability to capture good extreme close-up shots, poor zoom functionality and restricted fields of view.

To fix such problems, some companies have come up with accessory lenses for smartphones. This past week, I tested two solutions for the iPhone from Olloclip and Photojojo.

Both expand the iPhone’s shooting capabilities with interchangeable lenses, but neither of these add-on accessories turns a smartphone camera’s digital zoom to real optical zoom.

[ See post to watch video ]

For iPhone 4/4S owners, the Olloclip is the better option, because its wide-angle lens delivers a more accurate picture without any distortion, and the accessory has a more streamlined design. However, at $70, it’s more expensive than Photojojo’s $50 kit. Aside from a cheaper price tag, Photojojo’s lenses work with multiple smartphones, including Android devices, but you lose a bit in photo quality with the wide-angle and telephoto lens, and you have to deal with a more cumbersome set-up.

So how do these accessories perform? For the most part, they work wonderfully. My brother happened to be in town for a visit, so it gave me a perfect excuse to head to one of my favorite spots in San Francisco, the Ferry Building, to take some photos and test the lenses.

To me, the macro lenses were the real stars of the bunch. Shooting in macro mode allows you to take photos of an object at extremely close range, so you can capture more of the finer details. For example, I took these photos of the flower seen below, positioning the lens just centimeters away from the stamen, and the Olloclip and Photojojo lenses both were able to photograph such delicate elements as the grains of pollen. I didn’t even notice the insect was there until I reviewed the photos on my iPhone. Without the lenses, the same image was a complete blur.

The fish-eye lenses were great fun to use. I came across a Tim Burton-esque statue near downtown, and I used the fish-eye lenses to exaggerate its goofy smile and jagged teeth. I didn’t notice a huge difference in image quality between the Olloclip and Photojojo accessories in this case, but wide-angle shots were another story.

Both lenses were able to capture a larger scene than the iPhone’s regular camera can. To test them out, I shot a photo of the Bay Bridge. By itself, the iPhone captured about two sections of the bridge, but with the addition of the wide-angle lenses, the photos offered an expanded view of the bridge, adding about half a span on the right side.

The Olloclip’s image was pretty true to life, but there was some distortion with the Photojojo lens. As you can see below, the corners on the left side curve a bit, almost giving it a fish-eye effect. Also, Photojojo’s telephoto lens, which gives the iPhone twice the digital zooming power, helped enlarge certain objects, but lost focus on other parts of the scene.

The Olloclip offers three lenses built into one simple accessory. On one side, there’s a fish-eye lens that gives photos a fun 180-degree curved effect. On the other side is a wide-angle lens that expands the field of view.

Unscrewing the outer ring of the wide-angle lens reveals the final lens, and with it you can capture extreme detail, as it magnifies the iPhone’s camera lens by 10 times.

The Olloclip is easy to use. You just slip it onto the upper-left corner of the iPhone, and it positions the lens right over the camera. Any time you want to switch lenses, you simply flip the accessory around.

However, as I mentioned earlier, it only works with the iPhone 4/4S, and the Olloclip blocks the flash and the front-facing camera. Also, if you have a case on your phone, you will need to remove it. The creators of Olloclip said that because of the thousands of cases out there, it would be impossible to create a universal design that would work with them all.

On a naked iPhone, though, the Olloclip fits snugly, and I never felt like it was going to fall off while I was shooting photos at various angles. You will want to remove it when you’re done, since the lenses protrude a bit and make it difficult to slip into a pants pocket.

That said, the accessory itself is small enough to carry separately in your pocket, and the Olloclip comes with a carrying pouch and protective covers for the lenses.

Like Olloclip, Photojojo also offers fish-eye and wide-angle/macro lenses, as well as a telephoto lens. You can purchase the lenses separately, at prices ranging between $20 and $25, or you can buy the entire bundle for $50.

The set-up for using Photojojo’s lenses is much more unwieldy than with the Olloclip. It requires that you adhere a small magnet around the iPhone’s camera lens. Each lens comes with a pack of these magnets, some with a cutout for the iPhone 4/4S’s flash, and some without. The lenses then attach magnetically.

Since each lens is separate, I found that it was easy to lose track of them. Each one comes with a small lanyard for carrying purposes, but without a place to loop the lanyard on my iPhone, it was useless. As such, I kept digging around in my purse to find the lenses; I finally used my sunglasses case to keep them all in one place. You can get an iPhone Lens Wallet, a foldable carrying case that can hold all the lenses and other accessories, like a mini tripod, from Photojojo for $15, or bundled with the lenses for $79.

Photojojo claims that its lenses can work with most smartphones — that is, as long as the surface around the camera is mostly flat, and the diameter of your camera phone’s lens is no larger than one-third of an inch.

It worked fine with my iPhone 4, and even the HTC One X for AT&T, which has a slightly elevated lens. However, the company admits that because of the curved back of the iPhone 3G/3GS, the edge of the fish-eye and wide-angle lenses will show up in photos.

For iPhone users who really love taking photos with their handsets, the Olloclip and Photojojo lenses offer a great way to expand the camera’s capabilities. But the Olloclip’s no-fuss set-up and better wide-angle performance makes it the better camera accessory for iPhone 4/4S owners.