MacRumors

Reuters briefly reports on comments from China Mobile chairman Wang Jianzhou claiming that Apple has "expressed interest" in developing an iPhone capable of running on the carrier's TD-LTE network currently under development.

China Mobile Ltd, the world's largest mobile carrier by subscribers, said on Friday that Apple Inc Chief Executive Steve Jobs has expressed interest in developing an iPhone based on the Chinese carrier's network standard.

China Mobile is developing its next-generation TD-LTE mobile network technology and there have been talks over a possible iPhone tie-up with the carrier.

Time-division LTE (TD-LTE), developed by China Mobile, is a variation on the LTE standard that can offer certain benefits over traditional frequency-division LTE (FD-LTE), including lower cost of deployment and dynamic balancing of upload and download bandwidth. Reports have indicated that the same chip can be used to allow devices to access both traditional LTE and TD-LTE networks.

Although TD-LTE is a homegrown standard from China Mobile, it has started to gain acceptance from other operators around the world who have been trialling the technology as an alternative to FD-LTE.

While LTE networks are beginning to go live on several major carriers around the world, full adoption and build-out will not occur for quite some time, and reports have indeed suggested that Apple will skip LTE compatibility on the fifth-generation iPhone presumably scheduled to launch just a few months from now. Consequently, most observers are looking to an LTE-compatible iPhone launch in mid-2012.

South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reports (via AsiaPulse) that Apple's iPad 2 introduction has forced Samsung to reconsider its plans for its forthcoming Galaxy Tab 10.1, a larger version of its initial 7-inch Galaxy Tab that is intended to offer a more similar form factor to the iPad. According to a Samsung executive, the company is looking to improve the specs of the device to be more competitive with the iPad 2.

Lee Don-joo, executive vice president of Samsung's mobile division, said that Apple has presented new challenges for the South Korean company with a thinner mobile gadget that is priced the same as its predecessor.

"We will have to improve the parts that are inadequate," Lee told Yonhap News Agency. "Apple made it very thin."

But technical specs are not the only issue facing Samsung with the Galaxy Tab 10.1, as the company also must address pricing issues that currently will make it difficult for the device to compete against the iPad 2.

The 7-inch Galaxy Tab was priced at nearly US$900 without a two-year contract from mobile operators, while the price of the iPad 2 starts at $499, with the most expensive model costing $829. Samsung did not announce the pricing details for the 10.1-inch tablet.

"The 10-inch (tablet) was to be priced higher than the 7-inch (tablet) but we will have to think that over," Lee added.

Apple made a number of references to the tablet competition during its iPad 2 introduction earlier this week, making a point to illustrate Apple's hardware and software head start and pricing advantages over competitors' offerings. Apple's iPad 2 comes to market even as some competitors have yet to begin shipping their first round of tablet devices announced in some cases many months ago.

DigiTimes reports that Apple's suppliers are targeting production of 10-12 million iPad 2 units during the second quarter of 2011. That production would come on top of 2-3 million second-generation iPads being pushed out before the end of this quarter, putting total iPad 2 shipments in the first four months of availability at as high as 15 million units, a figure that would match total sales of the original iPad over its first nine months of availability. Altogether, Apple is said to be currently planning for shipments of 40 million iPads in 2011.

Apple's target to take delivery of 40 million iPads from Taiwan suppliers in 2011 remains unchanged with shipment volume expected to top 6-6.5 million units, including over three million iPad 2 models, in the first quarter and to further expand to 10-12 million units in the second.

After producing 1.7-2 million units of the first-generation iPad in January, Apple began to phase out production of the old model in February, while beginning to roll out the iPad 2, according to component suppliers in Taiwan. Shipments of iPad 2 are expected to top 2-3 million units in March, the sources added.

The report contrasts significantly with an earlier one issued just over a week ago by DigiTimes stating that Apple had reduced first-quarter production of the iPad 2 to just 300,000-400,000 units due to low touch panel yields. DigiTimes has a mixed track record, and it is consequently difficult to pinpoint the accuracy of any single claim, but the latest reports from within Apple's supply chains and an aggressive rollout schedule do suggest that Apple is moving forward with confidence in its production capacity.

Bloomberg reports that Apple is talking with a number of music labels about allowing customers to download tracks purchased from the iTunes Store an unlimited number of times to any device associated with a specific iTunes Store account. According to sources, agreements could be reached by midyear that would allow Apple to provide cloud-based "digital lockers" to permit users access to their music libraries from any registered device.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) is in talks with record companies to give iTunes customers easier access to music they've purchased across multiple devices, said three people with knowledge of the plans.

Apple is negotiating with music companies including Vivendi SA (VIV)'s Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group Corp. (WMG) and EMI Group Ltd., said the people, who asked for anonymity because the talks are private. An agreement may be announced by midyear, two of the people said.

The deal would permit users to wirelessly access from their iPhones and iPads music purchased on their computers or other devices, and would also serve as a permanent backup for purchased tracks.

The report also seems to corroborate earlier claims from The Wall Street Journal regarding the cloud-based media storage potentially being part of a MobileMe overhaul that could see the service become free for users.

The new download policy is among several service changes Apple is exploring. The company has also weighed plans to overhaul its MobileMe service for storing pictures, videos and other content online this year, one of the people said.

Under one plan for MobileMe, the service that now costs at least $99 a year would become free. Users could store photos, contacts, e-mail and other content on Apple's servers, one person said. The content would be accessible through any wireless connection.

Discussion of Apple offering cloud-based iTunes Store content has been rampant for more than a year, driven in large part by Apple's late 2009 acquisition of streaming music firm Lala Media. CNET has, however, issued several reports over the past year outlining the slow pace of these negotiations with music labels, but it appears that things may finally be moving toward a conclusion.

Apple today seeded the golden master version of iOS 4.3 to developers, paving the way for a public release of the update on March 11th.

The update is available in versions for the iPad, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and third- and fourth-generation iPod touch, while the iPad 2 will of course also ship with iOS 4.3 installed. The build number is 8F190.

BGR last week claimed that iOS 4.3 had reached golden master status, correctly pinpointing the build number of today's release.

Update: Apple has also released a new golden master version of Xcode 4 known as "Xcode 4 GM seed 2" to support iOS 4.3.

While Apple yesterday touted its new A5 system-on-a-chip with a 1 GHz dual-core processor in the forthcoming iPad 2, the company declined to report how much RAM is included in the package. The original iPad offers the same 256 MB of RAM that was found in the iPhone 3GS, but that standard has since been surpassed by the iPhone 4 and its 512 MB of RAM.

Gizmodo yesterday sparked fears in some users when it reported that an Apple representative had initially revealed at an iPad 2 hands-on event in London that the device carries the same 256 MB of RAM found in the first-generation models. According to the report, a senior public relations representative from Apple quickly backtracked from that claim, however, and noted that the company could not confirm how much RAM is included in the iPad 2.

That claim has been further disputed by Kakeun Lee, a semiconductor analyst with Korean firm Hana Daetoo Securities, who yesterday issued a Tweet [Google translation] claiming that the iPad 2 does in fact match the iPhone 4 with 512 MB of RAM. Lee further claimed [Google translation] that the iPad 2 will utilize LPDDR2 RAM, and improvement over the LPDDR1 RAM found in the original iPad. It is unclear on what sources Lee is basing his claims, but his area of focus is in mobile DRAM companies such as Samsung and Hynix that deliver chips for Apple's iOS devices.

Apple has long shied away from issuing public statements on RAM included in its iOS devices, preferring to focus on the user experience, and Apple made no exception in its iPad 2 introduction by promoting the machine has being twice as fast and offering up to nine times better graphics performance than its predecessor.

With Apple having most yesterday to slash prices on the first-generation iPad models by $100 to clear stock ahead of next week's debut of the second-generation iPad, Electricpig.co.uk reports that Apple will indeed issue a refund for the price difference to customers who recently purchased iPads, as long as they file within the 14-day return window.

We were assured by Apple's sales team that Apple would just refund the £100 price difference, without any complicated returns and exchanges, so you can take advantage of the price drop on the original iPad. Good news! The catch is that you'll need to be within the 14-day returns window, which doesn't leave much wiggle room for those outside of that window. You'll also need your receipt.

The policy is a standard one outlined in Apple's sales policies:

Should Apple reduce its price on any shipped product within 14 calendar days of shipment, you may contact Apple Store Customer Service at 1-800-676-2775 to request a refund or credit of the difference between the price you were charged and the current selling price. To receive the refund or credit you must contact Apple within 14 calendar days of the price change.

The policy is obviously in place to simplify things for both Apple and its customers, as customers could return their original purchase within the 14-day window and repurchase a new one at the lower price. The refund policy eliminates the hassle for both sides, and also allows customers who have personalized their iPads and would thus be unable to return them to also receive the lower price.

Fresh on the heels of confirmation that AT&T will support personal hotspot functionality for the iPhone 4 when the feature debuts with iOS 4.3 next week, the carrier today also announced the launch of new postpaid subscription data plans for tablet devices such as the iPad.

Like the prepaid options that have been offered until now and continue to be offered, the new data plans do not require a contract and offer the same options of $14.99 per month for 250 MB and $25 per month for 2 GB. For a limited time, the carrier is offering the first month free for customers signing up for 2 GB subscription plans.

AT&T today introduced convenient new postpaid billing options for tablets. Beginning today, customers can choose between AT&T's existing prepaid billing options or the new postpaid plans. The new plans can be added to customers' existing monthly wireless statements, offering the simplicity of a single monthly bill. For a limited time, customers who activate a new postpaid $25/2 GB plan will receive the first month free.

The new postpaid billing option will be available across AT&T retail locations, as well as att.com, Best Buy, Fry's, select Nexcom locations, and Walmart stores nationwide.

Tablet plans cover 30-day periods, with overages for postpaid customers charged at $10 per GB.

While the new offering come in at the same price points as the prepaid options, the option of delaying payment by shifting from prepaid to postpaid can be enticing, and shifting billing onto a customer's existing wireless bill from AT&T can simplify payment and record-keeping procedures for customers.

Several weeks ago, we reported that AT&T iPhone customers with access to iOS 4.3 beta versions were finding that the personal hotspot functionality was working with their existing tethering plans, but the carrier had yet to offer any official word on whether it would support the functionality once the software launched to the general public.

Electronista now reports that AT&T has indeed confirmed that it will support personal hotspot functionality on existing tethering plans with the public launch of iOS 4.3 on March 11th. Hotspot functionality will require that users have the $25/month DataPro plan with 2 GB of data plus the $20/month add-on tethering plan that the carrier recently augmented with an additional 2 GB of data capacity.

AT&T on Wednesday night confirmed with Electronista that it would start supporting the Personal Hotspot feature in sync with the launch of iOS 4.3. Subscribers will have the same support as Verizon customers when the update pushes out to the GSM iPhone 4 on March 11. Pricing should stay the same as for basic tethering and will need its new DataPro hotspot/tethering plan, which combines 4GB of total data with connection sharing for $45.

While the personal hotspot functionality is included in iOS 4.3, it does require carriers to specifically support the feature. Given that AT&T has been slow to adopt similar features such as tethering in the past, some customers had been concerned that the carrier would not offer hotspot services at launch.

Verizon is already able to offer hotspot functionality with its version of the iPhone, pricing its plans in a package of unlimited phone data for $29.99 per month with a separate 2 GB bucket of data for hotspot and tethering priced at an additional $20 per month. The carrier is, however, planning to drop its unlimited plan in favor of tiered pricing this summer, although tethering/hotspot add-ons will presumably continue under a similar pricing structure.

Earlier this week, we noted that Apple had prepped its employees for a rollout of a new support program known as "Joint Venture" targeting small businesses. The program has now officially launched and is essentially in line with what had been reported earlier based on retail store briefings.

Joint Venture is a program designed to help you use Mac, iPhone, and iPad to improve the way your business runs. We'll set up your new Apple products, train your employees to get the most out of them, and make sure everything stays working with dedicated support.

Coverage starts at $499 per year for up to five systems, with coverage for additional systems available for $99 per year each.

Apple advertises that the program offers a number of features, including setup of new systems with software installation and data transfer, as well as initial training to make sure users are ready to go. Ongoing training is also a key part of the program, with companies able to schedule up to three two-hour training sessions per year for their employees, working with Apple staff to customize the hands-on workshops to improve productivity. New employees can also take advantage of "Getting Started" workshops to make sure they're up to speed.

On the support side of things, Joint Venture offers "unprecedented access" to Genius Bar support, with telephone consultations, priority access to in-store appointments, and loaner notebooks (MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs) to keep things moving while machines are in for repair. Finally, businesses will have their own Joint Venture portal where they can access information on their systems and their employees can schedule support services.

Apple posted the QuickTime video for today's iPad 2 keynote address. Steve Jobs made a surprise appearance at the event and hosted the keynote.

The announcements included:

- Apple Releases iTunes 10.2
- Apple Announces iPad 2: A5 Dual Core, 2 Cameras, Thinner
- Apple to Launch iMovie and Garageband for iPad on March 11th
- iOS 4.3 to Launch on March 11th

Hot on the heels of the iPad 2 announcement, Apple today released iTunes 10.2. The update brings compatibility with iOS 4.3 and improved home sharing support for browsing iTunes libraries from iOS 4.3 devices, despite the fact that iOS 4.3 doesn't launch publicly until March 11th.

What's new in iTunes 10.2

- Sync with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 4.3.

- Improved Home Sharing. Browse and play from your iTunes libraries with Home Sharing on any iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 4.3.

For information on the security content of this update, please visit: support.apple.com/kb/HT1222

The new iTunes 10.2 update is available via Software Update or from Apple's iTunes download page.

Now that the dust is settling from the major announcements today, we've compiled a list of few smaller items of interest from today's media event.

- iPad 2 Microphone: With the second-generation iPad, Apple moved the microphone from next to the headphone jack to the center of the device's top edge. The change explains the "mystery port" seen on cases that surfaced as early as mid-January.

- No iOS 4.3 for Verizon iPhone: As noted by Apple during the media event and on the iOS preview page, iOS 4.3 is compatible with both iPad generations, third- and fourth-generation iPod touch models, the iPhone 3GS, and the iPhone 4 GSM model. The list excludes the CDMA version of the iPhone introduced on Verizon earlier this year, which debuted with iOS 4.2.6.

While iOS 4.2.6 contains some of the features found in iOS 4.3 such as personal hotspot functionality, other features such as Safari and AirPlay improvements are not yet found on the Verizon iPhone. It is currently unknown why the Verizon iPhone will not be seeing an update to iOS 4.3 alongside the other devices.

- iMovie and GarageBand Compatibility: According to Apple's iMovie page, the new universal iMovie application for iOS will be compatible with the iPad 2, iPhone 4, and fourth-generation iPod touch, but not the original iPad. The new GarageBand application for iPad will, however, be compatible with both first- and second-generation iPad devices, according to Apple engineer Danny Patterson.

At today's media event, Apple introduced a revamped universal version of its iMovie application for iOS devices, bringing compatibility to the iPad for the first time. The company also unveiled a brand-new GarageBand application for the iPad. The new apps will be priced at $4.99 each and will be available alongside the March 11th launch of the iPad 2.

iMovie allows users to shoot video directly from the iPad and have it appear right in the application for easy editing. With new themes and still photo support, users can easily drag-and-drop footage, photos, and text to quickly create high-quality video right on their tablet devices. With a Precision Editor built right into the timeline on the iPad, clip management is straightforward and simple.

Other new features include sound effects, audio waveforms, multiple audio tracks for easy voiceovers, and new tools for sharing to the web, among devices, and via AirPlay.

GarageBand for iPad offers libraries of virtual instruments with both simple touch and more complex "smart" functionalities to allow users to sound like expert musicians with simple gestures. Recording studio functionality allows users to mix together various tracks, with various amps and effects to adjust the sound of individual instruments. The new GarageBand also includes a number of sharing tools to allow users to export their work via email or to their iTunes libraries. GarageBand for iPad is also compatible with the Mac version of GarageBand, allowing for easy movement of projects between devices.

With the announcement of the iPad 2 at a media event today, Apple has reduced prices on first-generation iPad models in its online store. The new prices are available through a special clearance page. Each model has been reduced by $100, bringing the price for the entry level 16 GB Wi-Fi-only iPad to $399 and the most expensive 64 GB Wi-Fi + 3G model down to $729 from its original price of $829.

Refurbished first-generation iPads are also currently available at the time of this post, offering prices even lower than the clearance levels. A refurbished 16 GB Wi-Fi iPad 1 is priced at $349, while a refurbished 64 GB Wi-Fi + 3G iPad 1 is $659. Refurbished iPads are available in Apple's U.S. online store here.

Apple announced today during their iPad 2 keynote, that iOS 4.3 will be arriving on March 11th with a number of new features. iOS 4.3 includes a faster Safari browser, iTunes Home Sharing, AirPLay enhancements, iPad side switch preference (rotate or mute), and the Personal Hotspot feature for iPhone 4.

"With more than 160 million iOS devices worldwide, including over 100 million iPhones, the growth of the iOS platform has been unprecedented," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "iOS 4.3 adds even more features to the world's most advanced mobile operating system, across three blockbuster devices--iPad, iPhone and iPod touch--providing an ecosystem that offers customers an incredibly rich experience and developers unlimited opportunities."

The new features are detailed here:

- Faster Safari - The Nitro JavaScript engine that Apple pioneered on the desktop is now built into WebKit, the technology at the heart of Safari, and more than doubles the performance of JavaScript execution using just-in-time compilation.
- iTunes Home Sharing - allows iOS 4.3 users to play music, movies and TV shows on an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch from their iTunes library on a Mac or PC over a local Wi-Fi network.
- Enhancements to AirPlay - With iOS 4.3 you can stream additional content including video from third party apps and web sites, videos from the Photos app and previews from the iTunes app to your TV
- Personal Hotspot - This feature in iOS 4.3 lets you bring Wi-Fi with you anywhere you go, by allowing you to share an iPhone 4 cellular data connection with up to five devices in a combination of up to three Wi-Fi, three Bluetooth and one USB device.

iOS 4.3 is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 GSM, 3rd Gen iPod Touch, 4th Gen iPod Touch, iPad, and iPad 2. It will be available for download starting on March 11th. The iPhone 4 CDMA (Verizon) seems to be excluded from the compatibility list.