MacRumors

UBM TechInisghts recently performed a teardown of the iPhone 4 and discovered that Apple may have originally planned on including a gyroscope in the iPad first. After examining the iPhone 4 motherboard, they found that the iPad also had an empty slot that accommodate a gyroscope chip (see above).

...UBM TechInsights, has found that the iPhone's 3-axis digital gyroscope is likely slated for the next generation iPad as well. TechInsights senior analyst Steve Bitton said there's an almost-perfect spot (4mm x 4mm); the exact size of the MEMS gyro) for it, located right beside the iPad's accelerometer.

For whatever reason, Apple must have abandoned the plans in the final shipping version of the iPad, though it's reasonable to believe that a gyroscope could make it into the next revision.

This differences between gyroscopes and accelerometers is detailed in this (rather dry) video:

The iPod Touch is the other likely device to get a gyroscope in the near future. The iPod Touch is expected to be revised in September. While there have been no rumors about the content of the update, the iPod Touch is likely to receive many of the improvements found in the iPhone 4.

Anandtech has managed to provide a detailed analysis of the iPhone 4's potential antenna signal issue. Their analysis may shed some light on people's experiences with the iPhone 4 and the drop-off in signal when the device is being held in hand.

The issue has generated a lot of press since the iPhone 4 launch due to a variety of user reports on the issue. Apple has maintained that a certain amount of signal loss is normal when mobile phones are held in hand. In a leaked support note, they have also insisted that the iPhone 4 antenna performance is better than that of the iPhone 3GS. Based on Anandtech's analysis, it appears Apple is correct in this statement, though with some caveats.

First, Anandtech managed to hack together a way for the iPhone 4 to report actual signal strength instead of the usual 5 bar signal strength scale. As has been noted by many, this 5 bar scale can be a poor representation of the actual signal strength. As seen above, nearly 40% of the range of possible signal levels is reported as 5 bars. Because of this broad range, there could be a huge difference in actual signal strength despite the same "5 bars" being displayed.

They then ran several tests comparing the signal degradation from holding the iPhone 4 in hand in various positions:

As it turns out, the iPhone 4 does have a significantly greater drop-off in signal strength in all positions as compared to the iPhone 3GS which preceded it. Perhaps the most notable difference is in the "Holding Naturally" position which could theoretically "bottom out" a 4 bar signal or bring the low-end of the 5 bar signals down to 1 bar. Holding the iPhone 4 tightly, of course, accentuates the problem. All phones do exhibit the same behavior, though the iPhone 4's external antenna presumably exaggerates the effect.

However, Anandtech points out that in their testing they found the iPhone 4 antenna is indeed improved over the 3GS -- adding validity to Apple's previous statements. In their testing, Anandtech found that at very low signal strengths (down to -113), the iPhone 4 would hold onto calls far better than the iPhone 3GS.

It's amazing really to experience the difference in sensitivity the iPhone 4 brings compared to the 3GS, and issues from holding the phone aside, reception is absolutely definitely improved. I felt like I was going places no iPhone had ever gone before. There's no doubt in my mind this iPhone gets the best cellular reception yet, even though measured signal is lower than the 3GS.

All in all, the findings may help to explain some seemingly discrepant statements and observations. While the iPhone 4 is likely to perform better at the same signal level as the iPhone 3GS, the signal of the iPhone 4 may be more greatly reduced by attenuation when being held in the same position. This could explain all but the most extreme issues depicted. In the end, Anandtech also suggests using a case may be best move and that with a bumper case, the iPhone 4 has the same attenuation performance as other other smartphones.

Earlier this evening, MacRumors forum member jav6454 related his story of how his iPhone 4 signal issues had resolved. Essentially, while at the Apple Store for a tech support issue related to his iPhone 4, his SIM card was removed for a period of time and then reinserted. He subsequently found that his reception had improved:

I went on my merry way, but realized something now. No matter what position I held my iPhone 4 in, the signal never decreased. I held it the many ways I know the signal issue pops and nothing. No bar loss, no signal loss, no call drop. NOTHING. So there you have it.

I am theorizing that moving the SIM card had something to do with the signal issue, because the only thing I have done to my iPhone 4 differently is take out and reinsert the SIM card. Other than that no other changes to it. No setting change, no software change no nothing. Just reinsertion of the SIM card.

To prove his theory he asked others to try it themselves. As people investigated, some thought that SIM contact with the SIM tray might be causing the issue.

A few people have isolated their SIMs from the tray with electrical tape or even by cutting the SIM on the opposite side. The results have been mixed. A few users have reported full resolution of the signal drops, but at least an equal number have reported no change at all. Here's an example of a positive response:

I just tried this. My sim contacts were under the edge of the tray too. I cut a piece of electrical tape to exactly cover only where the gold contacts of the sim touched the tray. I went back to the exact location in my house where I had 1 signal bar. I now have 3 signal bars. Unreal, I can't believe this did anything. Tested before and after with a bumper on the phone. I'll keep an eye on the performance outside the house tomorrow. I don't want to jump to conclusions that this helped my iPhone reception without more data. Looks promising so far though!

At this point the results are too varied to come to any single conclusion, but we thought it was of enough interest to post and follow along the results. Of interest, if the SIM card is somehow responsible, it would also explain why individuals getting replacement units are unlikely to have seen an improvement, as the SIM card is usually transferred to the replacement phone as well. Alternatively, some are speculating that those that are seeing improvements are simply due to the iPhone's network systems resetting and simply connecting to a different tower or band that maybe be less susceptible to the issue. In fact, at least one user's issue has returned after initially improving.

The full discussion thread is here.

Boy Genius Report claims to have received a copy of Apple's internal training documentation for assisting its AppleCare staff with handling customer complaints regarding iPhone 4 signal issues.

The document instructs AppleCare representatives to work with the customer to diagnose the problem, but that issues appearing when the iPhone 4 is held at the lower left corner or the iPhone 3GS is held at the bottom right side should be addressed by either holding the phone differently or using a case or bumper.

Clearly Apple is taking the position that nothing is wrong with the antenna, although that's not surprising since most companies will never willingly admit their flagship product is potentially suffering from an unfixable flaw. But does anyone else find it interesting, if not troubling, that there is no mention of an impending software fix?

Apple's guidelines also push the "positioning statements" to be used by representatives, claiming that the iPhone 4 has better overall antenna performance than the iPhone 3GS and that almost any mobile phone will experience similar issues. Finally, representatives are instructed not to promise free bumpers to customers experiencing the issue, although a number of users have already reported receiving bumpers from Apple as a means of addressing the signal issues.

Bloomberg briefly reports that multiple sources are claiming that the iPhone will launch on Verizon in January of next year, marking the end of AT&T's exclusivity for the device in the United States.

Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. mobile-phone company, will start selling Apple Inc.'s iPhone next year, ending AT&T Inc.'s exclusive hold on the smartphone in the U.S., two people familiar with the plans said.

The device will be available to customers in January, according to the people, who declined to be named because the information isn't public.

Verizon and Apple representatives either declined to comment on the reports or did not return requests for comment.

Verizon has long been a popular topic for rumors regarding expanded iPhone partnerships in the United States. One recent report had suggested that a Verizon iPhone could make an appearance as soon as November, but most observers have been expecting a 2011 launch on the carrier.

Hulu today introduced its Hulu Plus premium subscription plan for television content, set to offer customers willing to pay $9.99 per month the ability to access an extensive array of both current television shows and older library content. Hulu Plus, offering content in 720p HD, is also set to move beyond the company's existing computer-centric platform to include Apple's full line of iOS devices, iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, with streaming available over Wi-Fi and 3G. Samsung Internet-connected TVs and Blu-ray players will also be supported at launch, with additional support for Vizio and Sony devices, as well as the PS3 and Xbox 360 gaming platforms, rolling out in the future.

Hulu Plus is not a replacement for Hulu.com. Hulu Plus is a new, revolutionary ad-supported subscription product that is incremental and complementary to the existing Hulu service. For almost all of the current broadcast shows on our service, Hulu Plus offers the full season. Every single episode of the current season will be available, not just a handful of trailing episodes. Now there's never a bad time to jump in on a hot new show like Modern Family (which I recommend highly). From Family Guy to Glee, from The Office to 30 Rock, from Grey's Anatomy to Desperate Housewives, from Parks & Recreation to Parenthood, from House to Saturday Night Live, and dozens of other hits, the best time to jump in on any series is any time, and with any episode, that's right for you.

Hulu is currently accepting requests for preview invitations to Hulu Plus. The program appears to be rolling out today, although the Hulu Plus application does not yet appear to have been posted to the App Store and it is unclear exactly when preview invitations will begin being distributed. A full, public release date for Hulu Plus is also not yet known.

Update: The free universal Hulu Plus application [App Store] is now available in the App Store. It can be used to request an invite to the preview, and access content once an invitation has been received.

Yesterday, we pointed to mention of "iWork for iPhone" in several of Apple's international online stores, marking the second time that Apple's own site has suggested that a scaled-down version of its iWork for iPad productivity suite might be making its way to the iPhone and iPod touch.

In a pair of posts today, 9 to 5 Mac shares a number of purported shots of Pages running on an iPod touch. While Pages has been unofficially ported from iPad to iPhone, the new screenshots, while blurry, exhibit none of the toolbar formatting issues seen on the tweaked iPad version and appear to offer a customized layout for the iPhone and iPod touch's smaller screen size.

As the first report notes, the iPod touch on which Pages appears to be running currently carries only a 320 x 480 display, suggesting that an iWork for iPhone release may not be limited to the 640 x 960 "Retina" display of iPhone 4.

Meanwhile, WMPoweruser.com points to a new Microsoft job posting looking for a software engineer to work on bringing Office Mobile to Nokia smartphones, with "other leading Smartphone platforms" also being targeted, leading to speculation of Office for iOS devices. A Microsoft project manager noted in early February soon after the iPad's introduction that the company was "looking at" the possibility of an iPad version of Office, but a company executive tempered expectations in mid-April by claiming that the company had "no current plans" to bring Office to the Apple's tablet device. The company has not specifically addressed the possibility of Office for the even smaller iPhone and iPod touch screen size.

Update: 9 to 5 Mac is now posting actual screenshots of Pages for iPhone and iPod touch rather than photos of the screens. According to the new report, Pages and Numbers will be available as universal binaries to support iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. There is no word on whether Keynote will also be making the transition to the smaller screen.

Silicon Alley Insider's Dan Frommer reports that after a spate of corporate acquisitions late last year and earlier this year bringing such firms as Quattro Wireless, Lala Media, Intrinsity, and Siri on board, Apple may not yet be done shopping around for companies to acquire. In fact, Apple may be looking at somewhat larger deals than those undertaken in recent months, expanding deal values out to as much as $1 billion.

Apple's shopping spree isn't over, and the company is looking at all kinds of deals, even up to $1 billion. This is being led by Apple's newish deals guy, former Goldman banker Adrian Perica.

The report appears to be based primarily on gossip coming out of CEO dinner moderated by Frommer last night, and addresses a number of topics beyond Apple that are currently the scuttlebutt of industry insiders. And with Apple's iPad and iPhone 4 out the door, the time seems ripe for the company to increase its focus on some other areas.

Another tidbit of information coming out of the dinner is discussion of Apple's next major move being into television. While Apple has clearly been playing a minor role in television with the Apple TV and its iTunes Store video offerings and there have been rumblings that it is looking to get a television deal done, it seems that Apple may finally be ramping things up. In particular, Apple's renaming of "iPhone OS" to "iOS" is seen as setting the stage for the platform to move away from mobile and into other devices, as has been rumored for Apple TV.

Apple's next big move is going to be TV. Besides the leaks of a supposed new Apple TV device, the company also renamed its iPhone OS "iOS," foreshadowing a future beyond mobile devices. The company's move into advertising -- mobile, so far, but no reason it can't extend into TV somehow -- is another hint.

Possibly lending credence to claims of a significant push into television, a Bloomberg report today also notes that Jobs is set to attend the annual Allen & Co. media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho for the first time since 2005. The conference draws many of media's top executives and is a common venue for networking and dealmaking.

Update: Ken Li of the Financial Times tweets that although Jobs is on the invitation list, he is apparently not attending the Allen & Co. media conference.

Valleywag reports that Sacramento, California law firm Kershaw, Cutter & Ratinoff (KCR) has begun soliciting iPhone 4 customers for their experiences with signal loss when holding the device in a specific manner.

KCR is currently investigating potential problems with the release of iPhone 4.

If you recently purchased the new iPhone and have experienced poor reception quality, dropped calls and weak signals, we would like to hear from you.

The firm is offering telephone, email, and live chat contact options for customers as it presumably begins looking to launch a class action lawsuit against Apple.

KCR gained some fame last year for its class action suit filed late last year against Facebook and social gaming company Zynga over scammy "special offer" ads in Zynga's popular games.

Apple's response to the signal issues and prospect of class action lawsuits is not yet known, with initial comments from CEO Steve Jobs and Apple brushing off the issue being followed by a "stay tuned" comment from Jobs suggesting that some sort of action may be taken.

Apple has begun been shipping their bumper cases for the iPhone 4. Several readers have been posting photos of their iPhones in the various bumper colors: White, Pink, Green, Blue, and Orange. iPhone 4 accessory manufacturers got an unexpected boost when Apple released a statement last week recommending the use of a case for the iPhone 4 if you suffered from signal attenuation issues.

As usual, there are a large number of 3rd party case manufacturers who are ramping up their production. Several early models are already on the market, but many others are still pending.

Grovemade is offering a particularly eye catching bamboo design for the iPhone 4. The design is more cosmetic than protective as the FAQ reports that the case may not survive a severe impact.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, if you're looking for hard core protection, Ballistic recently announced their Ballistic HC Series case for the iPhone 4. Designed for severe conditions, the case design is said to have 4 layers of protection and a built in screen protector.

As previously reported, AT&T retail stores were unable to offer walk-in sales of the iPhone 4 until today (June 29th). Starting at 7am, customers should (theoretically) be able to walk into local retail AT&T stores to purchase the iPhone 4. Lines, however, have already started forming at AT&T stores across the country. 20 people have been reported at one AT&T store in Las Vegas, and a quick twitter search shows more people waiting across the country.

If you aren't willing to wait in line (again), AT&T has also updated their website and is now offering online ordering.

Yesterday, Apple announced that over 1.7 million iPhone 4s sold in the first three days on sale, making it the most successful launch in Apple's history.

Update:

We knew it had to happen. One developer has made a video demonstrating their Flashlight app for the iPhone 4. Unlike the countless Flashlight apps for the original iPhone which simply turned the screen white, this new app actually makes use of the LED camera flash on the iPhone 4. What we won't know is if this runs afoul of any of Apple's App Store rules. The developer, however, is planning on submitting it to the App Store.

Meanwhile, individuals have worked on unofficially installing Apple's iWork and iMovie apps to other iOS devices. The iWork apps are presently iPad only while the iMovie app is an iPhone 4 exclusive. Aside from some formatting issues, Pages seems to work fine on the iPhone 4. There have been hints that Apple is planning on bringing the productivity suite to the iPhone.

Meanwhile, Redmond Pie posts a video of iMovie running on the iPhone 3GS. It is said to be running "almost perfectly". One person even got it running on an iPhone 3G -- though with some crashes. The findings are interesting in that we had speculated that iMovie might have required the higher RAM and faster processor of the iPhone 4.

Earlier this month, a screenshot highlighting the iPhone's ability with iOS 4 to open attachments in external applications hinted at the possibility of a release of an iPhone version of Apple's iWork productivity suite. The screenshot was quickly replaced with one mentioning iBooks instead of Keynote, although many continued to wonder whether it was a marketing mistake or a product development revelation.

A new discovery on Apple's site again points to the possibility of iWork for iPhone. The mention comes on a number of Apple's international online stores, including sites in Canada, the UK, and Australia. When ordering unlocked iPhones through Apple's online stores in these countries, customers are presented with the option of adding AppleCare to their orders. Clicking the "Learn more" link for AppleCare on the ordering page reveals additional information on the program, with a section devoted to software support specifically mentioning "Using iWork for iPhone and other Apple-branded iPhone apps" as a topic for which users can receive assistance.

A release of iWork for iPhone would not be a tremendous surprise given that Apple has already created iPad versions of Keynote, Pages and Numbers, although the iPhone's smaller screen size would undoubtedly introduce additional challenges for content creation and editing.

Amazon today announced the launch of embedded audio and video clips for its Kindle eBook application for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced a new update to Kindle for iPad and Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch, which allows readers to enjoy the benefits of embedded video and audio clips in Kindle books. The first books to take advantage of this new technology, including Rick Steves' London by Rick Steves and Together We Cannot Fail by Terry Golway, are available in the Kindle Store at http://www.amazon.com/kindleaudiovideo.

As an example of the utility of the feature, the press release points to travel guides such as Rick Steves' London, which contains an embedded audio walking tour of the city.

"In the new Kindle Edition with audio/video of Rick Steves' London, the embedded walking tours allow customers to listen to Rick as they explore the sites of London," said Bill Newlin, publisher, Avalon Travel. "Rick's narration adds depth to the reader's experience, while listeners can follow the routes more easily with the text."

The update brings a new weapon to Amazon's arsenal in the increasing arms race among eBook retailers looking to lure readers to their platforms. Apple's iOS platform is serving as a major venue in which the competition is playing out, with all of the major participants including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Apple itself deploying dedicated applications for their services.