AT&T sold 200,000 iPhones in 12 hours

AT&T sold 200,000 iPhones in 12 hours

"AT&T (T.N) sold more than 200,000 of Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) latest iPhone in the first 12 hours and said it had seen "extraordinary demand" for a gadget unveiled a day before the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

The iPhone 4S was unveiled on Tuesday and immediately underwhelmed fans who had hoped for a revolutionary design after a wait of more than 15 months.

But Wall Street analysts are betting that hardware updates and software enhancements, including a well-reviewed voice-recognition software system, will pull in buyers.

AT&T, Verizon (VZ.N) Wireless and Sprint (S.N) began taking U.S. online orders for the device on Friday.

Comparisons are difficult because the iPhone is now carried by three wireless operators, versus just one. Last year AT&T was the only carrier to sell the phone. But the previous generation of the smartphone, the iPhone 4, was the fastest-selling mobile in Apple's history, with 1.7 million devices selling in the first three days.

Estimates vary, but some analysts expect Apple to sell about 27 million to 28 million iPhones in the October-December quarter.

The latest iPhone 4S hits store shelves around the world on October 14. It debuts at a critical juncture for Apple.

Phones based on Google Inc's (GOOG.O) Android -- such as Samsung's (005930.KS) Galaxy -- are providing heightened competition just as a new CEO, Tim Cook, takes the reins. "

in Reuters

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Apple expected to unveil new iPhone next week

Apple expected to unveil new iPhone next week

"Apple Inc looks set next week to unveil its much-awaited new iPhone, which analysts say will have a bigger screen and work better with remote computing services.

Apple on Tuesday invited media to a "special event" called "Let's talk iPhone" on October 4 at its Cupertino, California headquarters, an unusual location for a company that typically introduces major products at larger venues in San Francisco.

The invitation did not have any other details, and an Apple spokesman would not provide further information.

"This is the iPhone 5," ThinkEquity analyst Mark McKechnie said of the event.

The new iPhone would be the first major product launch under Tim Cook, who took over full-time as chief executive after co-founder Steve Jobs resigned last month.

It was unclear if Jobs, who is now chairman, will take the stage at the event.

Though a good product, the current iPhone 4 could use some improvements, McKechnie said. "We talked about it having a bigger screen, a dual core processor, and probably integrates pretty well with the iCloud."

The iPhone -- introduced in 2007 with the touchscreen template now adopted by its rivals -- remains the gold standard in the booming smartphone market.

The new model, which some have dubbed the iPhone 5, will have a bigger touch screen, better antenna and an 8-megapixel camera, one source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters in August. (...)"

in Reuters

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New iPhone prototype gone missing

New iPhone prototype gone missing

Apple hunted lost item - clue points to new iPhone

 

"San Francisco police said on Friday they had helped Apple Inc security search for a "lost item," following a week of reports that a prototype of the newest iPhone had gone missing in July.

Officers did not say exactly what Apple had lost, but they left a clue -- the San Francisco Police Department's Friday press release about the hunt was called "iphone5.doc," an apparent reference to a new version of the mobile phone that tech industry watchers expect to be released soon.

Apple declined to comment on the matter.

Tech news service CNET this week said an iPhone 5, which has not been released, went missing in a San Francisco bar in July. SF Weekly, a local newspaper, on Friday quoted a San Francisco man as saying police had come to his house in July searching for a lost iPhone.

Although a prototype of the iPhone 4 went missing in 2010, police said this time Apple had tracked "the lost item" to a San Francisco house and four police accompanied two Apple employees to the house.

"The two Apple (security) employees met with the resident and then went into the house to look for the lost item. The Apple employees did not find the lost item and left the house," the police statement said.

It did not say why police accompanied Apple security or the circumstances under which Apple employees "went into the house to look for the lost item". Police did not respond to a request for further comment. (...)"

in Reuters

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