Will Apple Sell A $99 iPhone Next Year? Yes (AAPL)

Apple's (AAPL) Sept. quarter iPhone sales -- 6.9 million -- were very impressive. But if Steve Jobs wants to catch the likes of no. 2 Samsung -- 51.8 million phones last quarter -- he's going to have to start selling iPhones for less than $199.

What pricing strategy makes the most sense? An iPod-like family of iPhones, starting at, say, $99, and going up to $299.

How will Apple get there? We think the company will lower the price of the current iPhones by $100 each by the middle of next year. We also think they'll introduce a new premium model at $299 with more color choices -- pink, blue, purple, green, etc.; at least 32 gigabytes of storage; and potentially more features.

This idea isn't new, of course. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster has been talking about a family of iPhones for months -- it's baked into his forecast of 45 million iPhones shipped in 2009 -- and he reiterated his thoughts this week: "Apple could lower the price by removing features like 3G and GPS, and alternatively could make a premium [phone] with a sleeker design or higher-end materials."

This makes sense, but we do not think Apple will accomplish this by removing features like 3G or GPS. Why not? Because they're not very expensive components, especially relative to their utility. When Munster asked Jobs about his "big picture" roadmap for the iPhone on the Apple earnings call, Jobs said: "Well, I think we have to be the best and I think we have to not leave a price umbrella underneath us..."

An iPhone without 3G or GPS would not be "the best."  It would be a two-year-old phone, like Apple's first iPhone. The iPhone's 3G network access, for example, provides more than just a faster Internet connection -- it lets you get a phone call when you're using the Internet, which the old iPhone didn't. Just as important, it allows AT&T to charge an extra $10 a month for Internet access, which is key to their willingness to subsidize phones by several hundred dollars up front.

More generally, we don't think Apple would ever sell a less sophisticated phone than today's iPhone, eliminating features like the big, multi-touch screen, large-capacity hard drive, mobile Internet access, or access to Apple's App Store for an "iPhone nano." Those just wouldn't be iPhones -- they'd be disappointments.

So the only option would be to cut prices on the current iPhone and keep it as a base model.

The good news: That might not hurt Apple's financial performance as much as previously thought. Citi's Richard Gardner estimates that Q3 iPhone average sales prices were $50-$75 higher than he previously expected, and margins "several percentage points above our previous estimate."

This suggests that, with greater scale, Apple could afford to cut its current iPhone prices by $100, sell a lot more phones, and still make impressive profit margins (volume will help, as will software sales from the increased number of units).

One caveat: Cutting the price of the iPhone won't reduce the iPhone's high monthly service bill -- $70/month mininum in the U.S., which is about 40% more than what people spend, on average, for cellphone service. Note that T-Mobile is charging $25/month -- $5 less -- for Internet service on its Google-powered G1 phone. This difference is probably not enough to stop someone from buying an iPhone, but it's still worth keeping an eye on as iPhone competitors improve.  (Watch what Verizon Wireless charges per month for RIM (RIMM) BlackBerry Storm service, for example).

Meanwhile, we don't see carriers budging on smartphone subscription fees much, especially the ones with exclusive deals to distribute the iPhone.  So service cost will continue to limit iPhone sales no matter how much the devices cost.

Source: alleyinsider.com

Apple Company drops NDA For released Software for iphone!

We have decided to drop the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for released iPhone software.

We put the NDA in place because the iPhone OS includes many Apple inventions and innovations that we would like to protect, so that others don’t steal our work. It has happened before. While we have filed for hundreds of patents on iPhone technology, the NDA added yet another level of protection. We put it in place as one more way to help protect the iPhone from being ripped off by others.

However, the NDA has created too much of a burden on developers, authors and others interested in helping further the iPhone’s success, so we are dropping it for released software. Developers will receive a new agreement without an NDA covering released software within a week or so. Please note that unreleased software and features will remain under NDA until they are released.

Thanks to everyone who provided us constructive feedback on this matter.

iJailBreak is an automated jailbreaker for your iPod Touch or iPhone

iJailBreak is an automated jailbreaker for your iPod Touch or iPhone licensed under the GNU General Public License v2, and written by 13-year-old AriX. The current desktop branch of iJailBreak, 0.4.x, currently only works on Intel machines. The current mobile branch of iJailBreak - iJailBreakMobile 1.0 - supports iPod Touch and iPhone running on jailbroken 1.1.1 and 1.1.2 installations.

To jailbreak, go into Installer.app, tap sources at the bottom right, then Edit at the top right, then Add at the top left, and add ijailbreak.com/repo.plist. Then, under the iJailBreakMobile category, choose the right upgrade package for you - if you’re on a jailbroken 1.1.1, choose 1.1.1; if you’re on a jailbroken 1.1.2, choose 1.1.2. The installation should take about 45 minutes, depending on your Internet connection. Once done, the device will try to reboot automatically. If you see that it’s stuck with just the “spinning cog” on the screen, it’s safe to manually reboot the device, at which point you’ll enter into 1.1.3.

Latest Update

Orb Unlocks iPhone and iPod Touch From iTunes

Orb Networks (http://www.orb.com/) today announced that you can now play your PC music collection on your Apple(R) iPhone(R) or iPod(R) touch without having to sync with iTunes. Responding to a user study that found repeated syncing of the iPhone to a PC to be 'a pain in the ass,' Orb(R) enables users to play their PC music on their iPhone or iPod touch from anyplace they have a wireless Internet connection, right away. Download Orb today from http://corp.orb.com/mobile_music/. You can also download the Orb-powered Winamp(R) Remote from http://winamp.com/remote and log in at http://winamp.orb.com/.

NJ Teen Unlocks IPhone From AT&T Network

NEW YORK (AP) - A 17-year-old hacker has broken the lock that ties Apple's iPhone to AT&T's wireless network, freeing the most hyped cell phone ever for use on the networks of other carriers, including overseas ones.

George Hotz of Glen Rock, N.J., confirmed Friday that he had unlocked an iPhone and was using it on T-Mobile's network, the only major U.S. carrier apart from AT&T that is compatible with the iPhone's cellular technology. In a video posted to his blog, he holds an iPhone that displays "T-Mobile" as the carrier.

While the possibility of switching from AT&T to T-Mobile may not be a major development for U.S. consumers, it opens up the iPhone for use on the networks of overseas carriers.

"That's the big thing," said Hotz, in a phone interview from his home.

The phone, which combines an innovative touch-screen interface with the media-playing abilities of the iPod, is sold only in the U.S.

AT&T Inc. spokesman Mark Siegel said the company had no comment, and referred questions to Apple. A call to Apple was not immediately returned. Hotz said the companies had not been in touch with him.

The hack, which Hotz posted Thursday to his blog, is complicated and requires skill with both soldering and software. It takes him about two hours to perform. Since the details are public, it seems likely that a small industry may spring up to buy U.S. iPhones, unlock them and send them overseas.

"That's exactly, like, what I don't want," Hotz said. "I don't want people making money off this."

He said he wished he could make the instructions simpler, so users could modify the phones themselves.

"But that's the simplest I could make them," Hotz said. The next step, he said, would be for someone to develop a way to unlock the phone using only software.

The iPhone has already been made to work on overseas networks using another method, which involves copying information from the Subscriber Identity Module, a small card with a chip that identifies a subscriber to the cell-phone network.

The SIM-chip method does not require any soldering, but does requires special equipment, and it doesn't unlock the phone—each new SIM chip has to be reprogrammed for use on a particular iPhone.

Both hacks leave intact the iPhone's many functions, including a built-in camera and the ability to access Wi-Fi networks. The only thing that won't work is the "visual voicemail" feature, which shows voice messages as if they were incoming e-mail.

Since the details of both hacks are public, Apple may be able to modify the iPhone production line to make new phones invulnerable. The company has said it plans to introduce the phone in Europe this year, but it hasn't set a date or identified carriers.

There is apparently no U.S. law against unlocking cell phones. Last year, the Library of Congress specifically excluded cell-phone unlocking from coverage under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Among other things, the law has been used to prosecute people who modify game consoles to play a wider variety of games.

Hotz collaborated online with four other people, two of them in Russia, to develop the unlocking process.

"Then there are two guys who I think are somewhere U.S.-side," Hotz said. He knows them only by their online handles.

Hotz himself spent about 500 hours on the project since the iPhone went on sale on June 29. On Thursday, he put the unlocked iPhone up for sale on eBay, where the high bid was above $2,000 midday Friday. The model, with 4 gigabytes of memory, sells for $499 new.

"Some of my friends think I wasted my summer but I think it was worth it," he told The Record of Bergen County, which reported Hotz's hack Friday.

Hotz heads for college on Saturday. He plans to major in neuroscience—or "hacking the brain!" as he put it to the newspaper—at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

iPhone Software Roadmap Summary

There has been a lot of announcements at today's Apple iPhone Software Roadmap Event (read: iPhone SDK), we're going to list the main ones after the jump. In summary though it looks like Apple is trying to stimulate a well supported community of serious commercial developers without stifling the homebrew scene as well as support entrenched IT managers at Enterprise level. There are a few caveats, none of which are surprising, that are designed to enable Apple to maintain control over app distribution and the licensing model - none of which affect the current Installer based apps.

So lets just dive right in.
iPhone in the Enterprise

The next iPhone firmware update will include a raft of enterprise grade features and upgrade that won't make a huge difference to end users (except those using Exchange Server) but will make a huge difference to IT managers. Lack of many of these features in the past has really slowed the iPhone's enterprise penetration. Something Apple has taken very seriously.

* Microsoft Exchange support (iCal conversion, contacts, full support in email app via ActiveSync with Exchange Server, configured via Mail.app)
* Remote wipe, push email, global address lists, Cisco IPsec VPN, Certificates and identities, WPA2 with 802.1x, enforced security policies, and remote device configuration
* Migration team (via Exchange support) to help companies migrate from other platforms (RIM...)
* Additional migration and IT management tools will be released later

Some of these are already deployed in select locations (such as Nike's head office).
Apple Support for Developers

There's a lot of stuff announced for developers indicating Apple's commitment to the development community as it now and will be in the future. Far reaching and long lasting initiatives like the $100M iFund and changes to Xcode (incorporating the iPhone SDK) will ensure developers have the best starting point for creating higher quality apps compatible with the iPhone.

* A new version of Xcode which includes all the relevant APIs (see below)
* A remote debugger for seeing what your code is doing under the hood on an iPhone
* A drag and drop interface builder (appropriately named InterfaceBuilder)
* An iPhone simulator (for Mac)
* Developers will have access to the same core APIs as used to build the Apple apps including Core OS, Core Services and various Media APIs
* For privacy reasons not all areas of iPhone will be available thus apps will use specialised APIs to access end-user's contacts and photo libraries (People Picker and Image Picker respectively)
* $100M iFund to help stimulate iPhone software development
* SDK is free but there is $99 per app publishing charge
* Apps published via the new iPhone App Store
* Developers receive 70% of revenues (no additional fees for marketing, transactions, hosting etc).
* Developers paid monthly
* No charge for Free Apps
* SIM Unlock and VOIP over Cellular not allowed (Wifi is ok though)
* SDK beta is going out to thousands of developers today

I'd guess that right now a whole bunch of PalmOS developers, suffering because that whole ecosystem is suffering, are downloading the SDK. I can't wait to see what they produce after they port their current PalmOS/WM offerings.
What this means for End Users

For those of us already using Installer, which I think is the best homebrew management app I've ever seen and a great model for other lesser platforms (*cough* Palm and RIM *cough*), it means a new separate source for iPhone apps that are perhaps better quality and almost certainly less buggy than existing demos and in nearly all cases bound to be more fully featured and powerful because of the official access to Xcode. Lets face it, many of the iPhone apps to be found on Installer are fun for 5 minutes and cool simply because they are native apps running on an iPhone.

For the less courageous end-user, which I assume 99% of us are, it means at last official access to iPhone apps provided using a trusted method that is well organised, funded and 'out of the closet' so to speak. It means the iPhone can accomplish even more than it does already to make your lives easier. Why? If you think of a feature or app you think it could really do with, someone else is bound to have thought the same thing, one of those people will be a coder with $99 to spare and some time in the evenings.

Here's a list of simple things I want:

*
Global search - there's a search app on Installer which is great but I want it to do more and offer previews
*
Cut and Paste - everyone I know wants this feature
*
Screenshot tool - the Installer app is broken for 1.1.3+
*
Outlook Notes synchonisation
*
A non-iTunes only media player (Core is working on one)
*
Games


Final Thought

Whilst several applications were demoed I've not covered them here because you can't see them suffice it to say the ball is already rolling. Looking back on the raft of changes and announcements it's hard to find fault in what Apple have put together for enterprise, developers and end users. The development ones are particularly exciting for me as I believe a platform's success is partly measured by the size, dedication, resourcefulness, creativity and support its community generates. Something I believe has been sorely lacking of late on other platforms. On the enterprise side Apple is clearly keen to remove any barriers to entry for the iPhone and in fact go one further than other platforms in placating IT managers (already under siege by the grass roots momentum the iPhone has) and judging by comments on the net they have done just that.

I'm serious about cut and paste.

Source from www.iphoniacs.com

Firmware 1.1.4 in the works?

We are only just getting to know Apple iPhone firmware 1.1.3 and already there is talks of version 1.1.4 coming out. The iPhone software developer kit (SDK) is said to be coming available very soon, and many are speculating that firmware version 1.1.4 will accompany it. Here is what iPhone News has learned so far:

The iPhone application devleoper, Tiny Code, who makes numerous applicatiosn available with the Installer.app said this in regards to their current iPhone software development and their future with Apple Inc:

Tiny Code no longer produces fixes or applications for firmware 1.1.3.
 We can’t say much, but we are working with Apple and with their SDK for the next firmware release and SDK applications and we shouldn’t be missed for long. We will no longer update our Installer.app repo for legality reasons and you should see us soon on iTunes.

This sounds to me like Apple has teamed up with Tiny Code to develop iPhone applications… and that these applications will be available on the iTunes store soon, along with the release of firmware version 1.1.4.

There is no word yet on unlocking iPhone firmware version 1.1.4 as it has not been released yet. Keep checking back for more updates as they become available.

unlock your 1.1.3 firmware version iPhone

It’s not for the faint of heart, but there is now a method to take a new, 1.1.3 out of the box iPhone (including the new 16gb models) and unlock it via software.
Technically you have to jailbreak, downgrade, unlock, upgrade, and jailbreak but it appears to now be possible. The credit goes to George Hotz, who was originally responsible for figuring out the original hardware unlock last summer.

Be careful out there as there is currently no ‘easy’ tutorial (yet) and the usual caveats apply.

Via MacWorld and TUAW and just about every other iPhone related site on the internet.

UPDATE: Well, that didn’t take long.

UPDATE 2: Looks like ZiPhone is sweeping the internets. PC or Mac tutorials for you! Also check out iphone.unlock.no for a different GUI version. I don’t even care anymore who the original content is on this stuff….so many leech blogs hoover up my posts as well as the tutorials I can’t keep track.

iPhone firmware 1.1.4 is out and already broken

Today Apple released the latest firmware for the iPhone taking it up to 1.1.4. Unfortunately, as usual, their details on what was updated is beyond sparse with ‘bug fixes’ being the only description at this time. Hopefully this also means the SDK is imminent.

It didn’t take long before people upgraded and tried the ZiPhone app (for PC or Mac) and it *appears* to work….it’s too early to say if anything is broken so give it a couple of days before you go and upgrade. Keep an eye on Zibri’s site for updates straight from the source.

Unlock iPhone with one-click

It's been three weeks since the iPhone launch, but the iPhone unlock software can also NOT support unlocking iPhone for using other phone services. Why mention the program here? The software listed at DVD to iPhone site can activate iPhone easily, only one click is enough. Download and run, click 'Unlock iPhone' button, that is it. your iPhone will become a widescreeen iPod and Wi-Fi enabled device. At present, only Windows version is available. But, the Mac version and the SIM-card unlocking, iPhone GSM network unlocking function are under developed.
Get more information here

Newest iPhone firmware unlocked

The latest version of the firmware for Apple's iPhone has fallen to hackers less than a week after its release.

Two hackers working separately have both succeeded in jailbreaking version 1.1.3 of the firmware, iPhone Atlas reports. One of the hacks requires hardware modification, so it's not suited for those of a nervous disposition or lacking in electronics expertise.

Got MMS on your iPhone!

The new version of SwirlyMMS, from SwirlySpace, v0.3, allows for both sending AND receiving MMS messages.

“We are happy to announce that we have just submitted a new version of SwirlyMMS to the Ste source repository! Expect to see it soon on the Installer. The major feature in this release is the capability to receive MMSs, which we know many of you have been quite eager for…”

Although this version works, its still a hassle… There is however an update in the midst, give it time.

“Admittedly, this release is still pretty rough. Ok, it is very rough ;-) However, we will make major improvements in the user interface till the next v0.4 release, or dare we call it v1.0…”

To get SwirlyMMS on you’re phone, enter: swirlyspace.com/SwirlySpace.xml as a source in installer.app. Also view the SwirlySpace blog.

Use the iPhone as a touchpad for your computer

There is a great little application that was developed that allows you to use your iPhone as a touchpad for your computer. This application (Touchpad) turns jailbroken iPhones and iPod Touches into a wireless touchpad control for Macs, Windows and Linux computers. All the trackpad functions are there with the addition of right-edge page scrolling.

Jahanzeb Sherwani created Touchpad from VNSea. All you need do is add the http://cnp.qlnk.net/ repository to Installer.app, download and install it, and follow Sherwani’s instructions on how to install and enable VNC on the computer you choose to use Touchpad on.

Visit Jahanzeb’s page for more details, instructions and a video.

Apple releases iPhone version 1.1.4

Apple has released iPhone software version 1.1.4. It’s now available for download and installation through iTunes.

Apple isn’t offering any specific details on what’s changed in this new release, except to say that the 1.1.4 release “includes bug fixes and supersedes all previous versions.”

ZiPhone 2.5 released, compatible with iPhone 1.1.4

The new ZiPhone version is finally here, not that it took long at all. This version of ziphone is compatible with iPhone version 1.1.4. Read below for more information and to download.

From Ziphone.org

“ZiPhone 2.5 is now on download site for you all to enjoy.

I decided to release it for everyone since MANY are helping supporting sponsors and it would not have been fair to them. I suggest you to do a restore to 1.1.4, not an update. Because installer keeps old installed apps in it’s cache and you would have problems.

Hoping people at conceited software resolve that soon. After restore to 1.1.4, just use “ziphone -Z Y” or the first button on GUI versions. Have fun, and thanks to everyone for supporting and caring!

Stay tuned ! More interesting things are coming up on this site”

iPhone bootloader 4.6 unlock released

geohot's 1.1.2 software unlock

yes, this is what you have all been waiting for

now fixed to support 1.1.3



1. Download these:

gunlock and the secpack from http://iphonejtag.blogspot.com/
the 4.02.13 fls from http://george.zjlotto.com/index.php/baseband/

2. Downgrade your phone to 1.0.2. See all the great tutorials online to do this.

Your baseband won't be downgraded, this is normal.

This will probably work on other versions too, but 1.0.2 doesn't lose wifi on bb access.


3. Kill CommCenter and run "gunlock secpack ICE04.02.13_G.fls"


4. Reload CommCenter. For some reason my phone was in brick mode. Use the elite team bricktool to get out.


5. Enjoy your 1.1.2 OTB unlocked iPhone


Use simfree unlocking software to unlock iphone in any network

Now you can unlock you iphone in any mobile network, Use the software at www.cellcorner.com
.
The software agrees nearly all kinds of network in the world. For example:
Argentina:
Movistar
Brasil:
Albra Telecommunicacoes Ltda (Claro)
Amazonia Celular S/A
Americel S.A. (Claro)
ATL - Algar Telecom Leste S.A. (Claro)
BCP SA (Claro)
BSE SA (Claro)
Sercomtel Celular S/A
Stemar Telecommunicacoes Ltda (Claro)
Telemig Celular S/A
Telet S.A. (Claro)
Canada:
Microcell Telecommunications Inc (Fido)
Rogers Wireless
Aliant Telecom Mobility
Bell Mobility
MTS Mobility
Northwes Tel
SaskTel Mobility
Telus Mobility
France:
Orange
SFR
Digicel
Germany:
O2 Gmbh
T-mobile
India:
Cellone A&N
Aircel cellular LTD
China, Hong Kong:
Hong Kong CSL,LTD
Italy:
H3G
Spain:
Orange
and so on, nearly all network.
Now go and to buy the software.
www.cellcorner.com

Soldering and skill with software(iphone unlock method)

The latest news is that he has now traded the unlocked iPhone for “a sweet Nissan 350Z and 3 8GB iPhones”, but he doesn’t say whether that was a brand new 350z or cheap second hand one. Also George says on his blog that “I will be doing consulting work for Certicell and Puremobile in the little bit of free time I have.” So he might be onto a nice little earner after all.

When will companies like Apple and AT&T learn that hackers will always find a way to break software locks? If your profits are reliant on the phones remaining locked to a specific network the only secure method of locking the device will be prevent the simcard from being removed!

Guide to update iPhone the firmware 1.1.2

The following tutorial is based primarily on two other guides, the Blackbird and the forum Cellularland. (Serves registration)
Following this process step by step you can update an iPhone with firmware 1.1.1 already unlocked and activated or even an iPhone 1.1.1 OOTB (OutOfTheBox).
Every mistake in the guide can be attributed to me and please segnalarmeli if they encountered.
Step 0: for those who have a iPhone 1.1.1 new OOTB

With this procedure it is possible to activate and release iPhone with firmware 1.1.1 without the need for any computer but simply working on the phone.

Do this step only if you have a iPhone 1.1.1 OOTB otherwise matches from Step 1


As for updating the phone must first activate all, explain how we do here with a new procedure now tested and much easier than ever previously published on this site.

1 • Turn the iPhone that will display the screen where he says there may be only emergency calls, slide the cursor and typing on the keyboard * # 307 # and then call.

2 • Meanwhile, the phone rings delete the number called with the delete button (the one at the top and right side of the issue) and type 0 (zero) and then call again.
Responding to the call by clicking Answer and Hold then, and lastly Decline.

This procedure induces a phoney call but lets you get to the screen CONTACT dell'iPhone while not having activated.

3 • Click Contacts, then on the button + (in the upper right) to add a touch. Nominatelo with letters, I use the A.
Then click on Add New and enter this URL address: prefs: / / 1F
Yet Click on Add New and enter this URL address: http://jailbreakme.com
Save all

4 • From contact clicking on the newly created prefs: / / 1F that will access the settings of the phone screens.
Setting the Autolock on Never and activate the WiFi connection to access the Internet.

5 • Click on Home and ritronerete the initial screen (the one that allows only emergency calls.
Click on 0, then on Call, and then on Answer Hold on, and lastly Decline (in practice rifate point 2)

6 • Go back to Contacts screen, click on the contact created (A) and then click on the http://jailbreakme.com
Safari will connect to the site.
Scrollare up at the bottom of the page and click on Install AppSnapp.

IPhone will automatically return to the screen ACTIVATE IPHONE and after a few moments restarts alone, performing jailbreak and activation of 1.1.1 including Installer.
(At times I have had to repeat a couple of times section 6, but do not worry, sooner or later everything worked)

unlock iphone software for vista

yet some people have the vista PC, so are there any softwares to unlock iphone.
The iPhone Unlock Toolkit 1.0 can run on vista PC, you can download it.