Well, this really shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. With the official announcement and unveiling of the brand new iPhone 5, something had to be done to trim the fat and keep growing those profits. And thus, Apple has now officially discontinued the iPhone 3GS.
The iPhone 3GS was first unleashed onto the mobile world in June 2009 and while it was only a marginal improvement over the iPhone 3G that it replaced, it was noticeably faster and more responsive. Even so, it’s a little funny looking back at those specs today. A single core 600MHz processor? Just a 3MP camera? A mere 320×480 pixel resolution? Yeah, that just won’t cut it these days.
When the iPhone 4S entered the fray last year, the 3GS became the free entry-level option and the iPhone 4 became the mid-tier option. With the iPhone 5 prepped and ready to headline the show starting next week, the iPhone 4S gets bumped to the mid-tier and the iPhone 4 is now the free-with-contract entry-level smartphone from Apple. The interesting thing is I hear iOS6 will be supported by the 3GS, so it’s not like the team in Cupertino has completely abandoned you.
Goodbye, iPhone 3GS. You had a pretty good run there. Now Apple can continue coasting as we await the inevitable arrival of the iPhone 5S next year.
The name's T... Xperia T - dah na, naaa, dah na, naaa
O2 has confirmed that it will be getting exclusive rights to the 007 branded Sony Xperia T, which is set to feature in the upcoming Bond film Skyfall.
The special Xperia T will come pre-loaded with lots of extra content including the famous Bond tune as its ringtone, themes, screensavers and images from the movie.
From the looks of it the handset itself won't undergo any cosmetic changes, unlike the Batman edition of the Nokia Lumia 900 which sported the Batman logo on its rear, which is a bit of a shame really.
No laser beams in sight
But before you get too excited, it doesn't look like Sony has drafted in Q for its consumer handsets, so don't expect to be firing laser beams, delivering 10,000 volts to your nemesis or controlling a flash sports car from your Xperia T.
The Sony Xperia T offers up a decent 4.6-inch HD display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 13MP camera with 1080p video recording, NFC technology and runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich.
What's black and white and meh'd all over? That's right: it's the iPhone 5, which appears to be the most technically advanced and most slagged off iPhone ever made.
After months of leaks, many of which proved to be correct, Apple finally showed off its latest creation this week - although not before it had leaked its own product with a bit of careless web editing.
The iPhone 5 may look like a stretched iPhone 4S, but there's a lot more to it than that - and as you'd expect, we've got all the details for you in one handy place. The highlights? The Retina display is bigger for widescreen video and an extra row of apps, it's faster, the phone supports 4G LTE (but only Everything Everywhere's variant, which is okay for now as that's the only 4G we're getting this year) and there are new headphones, dubbed EarPods, which have got to be better than the crappy ones Apple currently ships.
It's thinner and lighter - Apple reckons it's the thinnest smartphone in the world - and the traditional Dock connector has been replaced with a smaller one Apple calls Lightning. That's Apple's idea of a joke, because its latest desktop data connector is called Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt and Lightning! Very very frightening! Oh dear. Phil Schiller explains more here, and thankfully he doesn't try any more jokes.
In addition to the hardware, the iPhone 5 will also ship with iOS 6, which makes Siri better, introduces Apple's own mapping service and which also comes to other iOS devices next week.
When can you get it?
You've probably got three questions about the new iPhone: is it any cop? When can I get it? How much will it cost? We can answer all three. As our hands-on explains in detail, it's a lot of cop: while it's hardly going to "send shockwaves shuddering through the tech world and turn competitors back to their drawing boards" it is "a fine phone that will keep it battling at the top of the charts for another year."
Prices start at £529 (unlocked), and pre-orders start today, with units shipping on the 21st. If you want to use the iPhone 5 on Everything Everywhere's 4G LTE network, though, you'll need to wait a bit longer: as they told us "EE will launch an exclusive 4G LTE version of the new iPhone when the EE customer brand launches in the coming weeks."
The online reaction was fairly muted, as Gareth Beavis explains: "The immediate response to the iPhone 5 has been one we've seen time and again: is that it?" Beavis doesn't doubt that the iPhone 5 will sell in huge numbers, but he doesn't think the iPhone 5 is Apple at its best. "this is the best iPhone yet without a shadow of a doubt.
But what's so special about it beyond a slightly larger screen and a two tone back?" For Beavis, the iPhone 5 is a disappointment. "If Samsung or HTC brought out a phone that was the same shape as the predecessor and then followed it up with the same thing but a bit longer and with new headphones, it would be dismissed as an also-ran before the handset hit the shelves."
Missing magic
Gary Marshall feels the magic's missing too, but he isn't pointing the finger at Apple. "I blame the internet," he says, arguing that leaks have sucked the fun out Apple product launches: "When you know every single detail, the effect is rather like sitting through one of those bum-numbing Powerpoint presentations where you've read every bullet point but the presenter's still reading each one out verbatim in a really slow and annoying voice." For Marshall, endless leaks have robbed Apple product launches of their sparkle. "We're better informed but less entertained, more knowledgeable but less excited," he says. "The world's short enough of magic. It's a shame to lose a little bit more."
The new iPhone 5 has been launched, but that's only half the story - you want to know when and where you can get your iPaws all over the handset.
Well, the iPhone 5 launch date has been set for September 21, and pre-ordering begins on September 14.
We've spoken to all the networks to find out which will be stocking the new iPhone, and if it will feature any fancy new features we may not have seen.
Update: The networks have announced their first wave of iPhone 5 tariffs now pre-orders are up an running - which one takes your fancy?
EE, Orange and T-Mobile
EE happily announced: "EE will launch an exclusive 4G LTE version of the new iPhone when the EE customer brand launches in the coming weeks, giving customers five times faster network speeds than on 3G.
"Our Orange and T-Mobile customers will also be able to get hold of the iPhone 5 with the biggest and best network and the fastest possible 3G network speeds."
Update: Orange and T-Mobile have announced their tariffs for the iPhone 5, but we're yet to see any information regarding the 4G EE plans - expected to be announced closer to the time the network goes online.
If you fancy getting in on the 4G action, EE will make it easy for you to upgrade your iPhone 5 plan from Orange or T-Mobile without an additional charge - as long as you pick a tariff at an equivalent or higher price.
The T-Mobile and Orange tariffs both start at £36 per month (on a 24 month contract), both offering unlimited texts, with T-Mobile's "Full Monty" giving you 2000 minutes and unlimited data, while Orange's "The Works" flips is around with unlimited calls and 1GB of data - T-Mobile wins this battle in our eyes.
Of course you will have to shell out for the handset as well at this price: £109 for 16GB, 219 for 32GB or £269 at 64GB.
If you're a little more flush then both networks offer £41, £46 and £51/£61 per month tariffs, which reduces the cost of the handset upfront and gives you more allowances.
Vodafone
Surprise, surprise Vodafone will be stocking the iPhone 5 in all its capacity (16GB, 32GB, 64GB) and colour (black and white) options - shocker we know - and interestingly the big red has it available on 12 and 24 month pay monthly plans.
In terms of pay monthly, you get the choice of 12 or 24 month contracts, with its "flagship" (and most expensive) tariff being the £47 per month Red Data plan, giving you a free 16GB iPhone 5, unlimited calls and texts, plus 2GB of internet, which Vodafone has confirmed will cover you for Facetime over 3G.
You can pay as little as £33 per month over two years, but that will only get you 600 minutes, unlimited texts and a paltry 500MB of data, plus you'll need to shell out £149 for the 16GB iPhone 5.
Opt for a 12 month plan and you'll be paying an eye-wateringly high price for your shorter contract, with Vodafone demanding £349 if you plump for the 16GB iPhone at £36 per month.
O2 was nice and eloquent on its feelings on the iPhone 5, with the CEO even getting involved:
"O2 will launch Apple's iPhone 5 in all its stores and online from 21 September 2012, with further announcements about pricing and pre-order details coming soon."
iPhone 5 will be available to everyone from 21 September 2012, whether they're already an O2 customer ready for an upgrade or looking to join O2. It will be available on O2's new On & On Pay Monthly tariffs as well as Pay & Go Go Go, O2's reinvention of Pay & Go. For more information and to register for updates, visit http://www.o2.co.uk/iphone.
"We're celebrating the fifth year of working with Apple in style," said Ronan Dunne, Chief Executive of O2 in the UK. "We're looking forward to bringing the new iPhone 5 to everyone very soon, whether they're already on O2 or not."
Three
Three took to Facebook to make its announcement - as you might expect it's got a lovely fresh tone:
"Heard the rumours about a brand new iPhone? They're only bloomin' true! We're excited to confirm that the new iPhone 5 will be available for pre-order on Three from Friday 14th September. Register here for updates http://bit.ly/QQw0it"
It will also be available as PAYG, according to Apple's store.
Virgin Mobile
The Branson-powered network doesn't always have the best track record at bringing its customers the new iPhone, so we'll wait with bated breath to see if it will buck that trend in 2012.
Phones 4U / The Carphone Warehouse
We've not heard a peep from TCW, but Phones 4U has confirmed to TechRadar that it will be stocking the iPhone 5 (shocker), but cannot give any further details at this stage. Keep one eye fixed to its 'Coming Soon' page if you want to find out more.
iPhone 5 pre-orders TechRadar has joined forces with uSwitch to bring all the latest iPhone 5 pre-order deals from all the UK networks right to your inbox. Sign up here.
In Jetsetter for the week ending September 14, we look at the Wii U's release in Europe and Japan as well as details from India's GDC.
Welcome back to Jetsetter, Digital Trends weekly look at the international world of video games. The United States represents the biggest video game market on the planet. The ESA said that people in the US spent a total of $25 billion on video games and gaming machines in 2011. That means that big businesses spend scads of cash making games like Call of Duty: Black Ops II to satisfy that market. There are 6.7 billion other people on the planet outside the US, though, and you best believe they like video games too. Jetsetter’s goal is to tell you about what they’re playing, what they’re making, and why you should seek those games out.
Like the column? Know about something sweet from abroad? Tell us in the comments. Then if you feel so inclined you can follow moi on Twitter at @ajohnagnello.
* Nintendo Wii U launches in Europe on Nov. 30, Japan on Dec. 8.
While the US will get to pick up Nintendo’s new console on November 18, the other countries getting a taste of the tablet controller in 2012 will have to wait just a bit longer. And pay a bit more. The Wii U will hit Europe on November 30. Cost across the European Union is still unknown but the Wii U will be a sight more expensive in the UK at £210 ($340) for the Basic package and £250 ($405) for the Deluxe. Japan meanwhile will have to wait the longest, getting the Wii U on December 8, where it will cost almost the exact same amount as in the UK.
* Japanese Xenoblade studio readies Wii U game.
Speaking of Japan, Nintendo did confirm that one of its most celebrated Japanese studios is hard at work on its first Wii U game. Monolithsoft, the studio behind this year’s critical darling and surprise sales hit Xenoblade, is making an original IP for Nintendo’s new machine. Tetsuya Takahashi, the mastermind behind Xenoblade and Monolithsoft’s Gamecube cult hit Baten Kaitos, will direct.
* Indie GameDev India and NASSCOM prepare 2012 Build Your Own Game event.
NASSCOM, India’s entertainment software oversight organization and lobbyist group, and Indie GameDev India announced the date for this year’s Build Your Own Game event. On October 30th at the Indian Game Developer Conference, the country’s up and coming independent game developers will build new games in just 72 hours in the city of Pune.
