Apple will start assembling iPhones in India within a month, says Karnataka IT Minister Kharge

Image: Reuters

Apple Inc will be ready to start assembling high-end iPhones in the city in less than a month to boost its chances of gaining a foothold in the fast growing Indian market, Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge said on Thursday.

“In less than a month, we will have something out – Apple will start assembling and making its high-end iPhones at its plant in the city. Taiwanese contract manufacturer Wistron Corp will help Apple in doing so,” he told PTI in Bengaluru.

Kharge said making iPhones in India would help Apple lower prices, which will help it gain a foothold in the fast growing Indian market.

“Assembling and making of iPhones in Bengaluru will boost Apple’s chances of gaining a foothold in the fast growing Indian market because it will allow the company to lower prices,” he said.

Karnataka government has been in talks with the Centre for strengthening the ecosystem even as Apple is negotiating with it for its next level of production in India, he said.

Apple wants to bring its component manufacturers to India to make parts and export finished phones and is seeking tax concessions on import of key components. However the Indian government has rejected most of the demands of the US company.

Kharge said if the Centre was keen on taking on China, it should not give special treatment to Apple alone, but to other players, including Samsung and Lenovo, if they are desirous of opening a manufacturing units in India, especially Karnataka.

“My position with the central government has been don’t give special treatment to Apple alone, but treat other players equally. Open the entire ecosystem for high-end manufacturing of electronics if you really want to compete with China and Taiwan,” he said.

Kharge said government should also give companies, including Apple, certain timelines, subsidies and incentives to create a level-playing field for them.

“The government should give companies a timeline, say in 10 years they should be able to manufacture 100 percent of phones and its components by procuring them from the local market. Such a timeline should be given because we don’t have that environment now,” he said.

“The government should also give companies subsidies and incentives to create a level-playing field for them to strengthen the Indian ecosystem,” Kharge said.

Asked about the Stayzilla case, whose co-founder Yogendra Vasupal was arrested for alleged non-payment of dues filed by a Chennai based advertisement agency, Kharge said it should be a learning curve for startups to work under the parameters of the Indian legal system.

Vasupal was arrested on 15 March.

Publish date: March 31, 2017 9:54 am| Modified date: March 31, 2017 9:54 am

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New Apple iPhone to use forged stainless steel and glass, claims leak

By tech2 News Staff /  12 Jan 2017 , 15:33

While the rumour mill is literally overflowing with news about the upcoming iPhones (there’s 3 of them) this year, we aren’t sure as to where do all of these individual bits of information fit in. Adding to the mix is another leak from Taiwan, which hints that the new iPhone will make use of a forged stainless steel chassis.

The news comes from DigiTimes who’s sources come Apple’s supply line. The publication claims that Apple has made a big decision by sharing component orders between Foxconn and Jabil in order to get their hands on forged stainless steel chassis for an upcoming iPhone. The steel chassis would come from US-based supplier, Jabil and it would be sandwiched between the two sheets of reinforced glass.

Of course the idea does sound very familiar. Apple could be looking back at its design ideas from its earlier days for inspiration. We are talking about the old iPhone 4, which used a similar materials with a soft steel chassis sandwiched between two slabs of glass.

The difference here is that instead of milling the metal, Apple plans forge the metal alloy into the required chassis which would make the end result stronger and a lot lighter than its current series 7,000 aluminium backs on the iPhone 7.

More importantly, this would also make the process cheaper for Apple, bringing down the additional cost of CNC machining needed to cut through a block of aluminium (several times over). As the publication points out, quality control is also more stable with forging when compared to milling.

The added benefit here is that iPhone could also get slimmer.

Apple iPhone: 10 years down, CEO says the “best is yet to come”

By tech2 News Staff /  09 Jan 2017 , 08:45

Today marks the 10th anniversary of Apple’s iPhone, a device that many consider to be a game changer in the smartphone space. While the iPhone has changed a lot in the past ten years, Apple CEO Tim Cook on the occassion of the iPhone’s 10th anniversary, said that “The best is yet to come.”

Apple commemorated the 10 anniversary of its hero product, by reminiscing about how Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone to the world, “a widescreen iPod with touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone and a breakthrough internet communications device.” The company has sold billions of iPhone units since then turning the iPhone into a platform of with its own unique hardware and software services along with integration of other Apple exclusive features.

The company in a presser also mentioned that its iPhone inspired new products like the iPad and the Apple Watch and of course all of those apps that come from a unified iOS App Store.

“iPhone is an essential part of our customers’ lives, and today more than ever it is redefining the way we communicate, entertain, work and live,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “iPhone set the standard for mobile computing in its first decade and we are just getting started. The best is yet to come.”

“It is amazing that from the very first iPhone through to today’s newest iPhone 7 Plus, it has remained the gold standard by which all other smartphones are judged. For many of us, iPhone has become the most essential device in our lives and we love it,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.

“iPhone is how we make voice and FaceTime calls, how we shoot and share Live Photos and 4K videos, how we listen to streaming music, how we use social media, how we play games, how we get directions and find new places, how we pay for things, how we surf the web, do email, manage our contacts and calendars, how we listen to podcasts, watch TV, movies and sports, and how we manage our fitness and health. iPhone has become all of these things and more. And I believe we are just getting started.”

While it may sound like a pretty picture, the iPhone, Apple’s hero product after the iPod is indeed losing steam. Sales have been slowing down and CEO Tim Cook recently took a pay cut following what was the first sales slump in 15 years. Indeed all eyes are on the special 10 anniversary iPhone (codenamed ‘Ferrari’)that is expected to showcase exotic technologies, which should help Apple keep the sales momentum going till the next year’s iPhone that is expected to be a complete redesign.

FBI releases documents with deleted details, pertaining to the the San Bernandino iPhone hacking case

#FBI

Image Credit: REUTERS

  08 Jan 2017 , 12:06

The FBI has released 100 pages of heavily censored documents related to its agreement with an unidentified vendor to hack into an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino, California, shooters, but it did not identify whom it paid to perform the work or how much it cost.

The records were provided Friday in response to a federal lawsuit filed against the FBI by The Associated Press, Vice Media and Gannett, the parent company of USA Today.

The media organizations sued in September to learn how much the FBI paid and who it hired to break into the phone of Syed Rizwan Farook, who along with his wife killed 14 people at a holiday gathering of county workers in December 2015. The FBI for weeks had maintained that only Apple Inc. could access the information on its phone, which was protected by encryption, but ultimately broke or bypassed Apple’s digital locks with the help of an unnamed third party.

The FBI, in its records release Friday, censored critical details that would have shown how much the FBI paid, whom it hired and how it opened the phone. The files had been marked “secret” before they were turned over under the lawsuit.

The files make clear that the FBI signed a nondisclosure agreement with the vendor. The records also show that the FBI received at least three inquiries from companies interested in developing a product to unlock the phone, but none had the ability to come up with a solution fast enough for the FBI.

The FBI also said in contracting documents that it did not solicit competing bids or proposals because it thought widely disclosing the bureau’s needs could harm national security.

The lawsuit was filed months after the FBI’s sudden announcement in March that it had purchased a tool from an unidentified third party to open Farook’s phone. The disclosure aborted a court fight that began when a federal judge had directed Apple to help the FBI break into the phone.

The suit by the media organizations argued there was no legal basis to withhold the information and challenged the adequacy of the FBI’s search for relevant records. It also said the public had a right to know whether the vendor has adequate security measures, is a proper recipient of government funds and will act only in the public interest.

In refusing to provide the records, the FBI said the records had been compiled for law enforcement purposes and might interfere with ongoing enforcement proceedings, even though at the time the shooters were both dead and there were no indications others were involved.

It was the third lawsuit the AP has filed against the Obama administration under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act.

Associated Press

Apple did try out a iPhone with an iPod click wheel

By tech2 News Staff /  06 Jan 2017 , 17:33

While we know that Apple truly believes in experimenting and prototyping when it comes to software interfaces, we have yet to see some experimental prototype leak out. No we are not talking about the usual prototype which resembles today’s iPhone, but something that looks weird and hard to imagine, like touchscreen MacBook Pro that Apple’s Phil Schiller mentioned in a recent interview.

The Verge today has reported what may have been the software for one of these wierd and whacky prototype devices. Pictures and a video published by Sonny Dickson, show what he claims is one of the first test versions of iOS called AcornOS.

While the emulated interface looks like an OS developed for feature phones, the interface does look similar to what many iPod users were used to in the past. What’s interesting here is that the interface uses an iPod click wheel to browse through and open menus.

A look a the video shows how the simple transitions glide across with little or no graphics to display text from menu to menu. The author of the blog points to an old 2006 Apple patent which revealed a multi-touch device with optional click wheel to interact with its software interface.

Delving deeper into the matter, The Verge revealed that Tony Fadell (responsible for iPod development) did mention that there were different types of prototypes, including an iPod Plus phone as well. In fact Apple fans will recall how Steve Jobs at the first iPhone launch in 2007 joked about an iPod iPhone with a rotary dial on stage. Well, turns out that Apple did try out one, but with a click wheel.

Apple iPhone 8: Rumours and what we know so far

By tech2 News Staff /  08 Dec 2016 , 12:05

The iPhone 7 and the 7 Plus made their debut just a few months back. Knowing the popularity of the smartphone, it doesn’t come as a surprise that speculations and rumoursfor the new iPhone have already begun. However the coming year will be quite important for the smartphone maker as 2017 marks the tenth anniversary of the iPhone.

According to a report, the company is testing more than 10 different prototypes for its next big smartphone. One of the rumoured prototypes that is being tested is allegedly using an OLED display without any bezels and could be curved like Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Edge. It could also feature wireless charging, a feature that has been long awaited on the smartphone.

Apple has its tick-tock cycle for naming the iPhone, so technically the new iPhone should be called the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus. However, a lot of contradictory reports suggest that Apple could jump it this time and announce the iPhone 8. It could also see a major design update since it will be ten years since the first iPhone was announced by Steve Jobs back in 2007.

New iPhones are usually announced in the first two weeks of September right before the holiday season. While there hasn’t been any hints about Apple breaking the tradition, so we can expect the annoucnement to be anytime during the first two weeks of September next year. It will be an anniversary special though, so Apple could completely choose a different date, maybe even June 29, the same day the first iPhone was released.

In terms of pricing, the iPhone has always been a premium product. Considering the Apple pricing mechanics, the new iPhone could take the pricing of the current generation while the 7 and 7 Plus could see a drop. This means that the pricing for the new iPhones could start at $649.

Apple starts selling refurbished iPhones online, but not in India

By tech2 News Staff /  09 Nov 2016 , 12:42

For those who want to own an iPhone but the iPhone 7 won’t fit their budget, here’s some good news. 9To5Mac points out that Apple has started selling previous-gen iPhones, but refurbished, at lower prices on its online store.

A refurbished iPhone 6s, which is still a pretty good contender in the market today, is selling at $449 that is roughly Rs 30,000 for the 16GB model, and if you want the bigger iPhone 6s Plus than the 16GB model will cost $529 (approx Rs 35,300). The 64Gb iPhone 6s Plus is priced at $589 (approx Rs 39,300). All come with free shipping and returns, and are available in all four colors. So, you would save roughly $110 that is about Rs 6,600 on iPhone 6s Plus models, and $80 (approx Rs 5,300) on the iPhone 6s. However, a 64GB iPhone 6s variant isn’t available in the refurbished form.

So, apart from the discounted rates that measure up to 15 percent, users also get a one-year factory warranty. The company also claims that the refurbished units won’t ship with older batteries, rather, they will come equipped with newer ones.

You can check out the Apple store for refurbished products here.

Android is now as secure as the iPhone: Google Security Engineer

Image Credit: Rob Bulmahn

By tech2 News Staff /  02 Nov 2016 , 16:37

If someone tells a security enthusiast that an Android smartphone is more secure than an iPhone, there are chances that he or she may simply laugh it off.

For years, Android phones have been known to be vulnerable when it comes to security compared to the iPhone. But, folks at Android have been trying their best to shed off this tag of being a less secure platform. In a recent interview, talking about the level of security, Adrian Ludwig, the director of security at Android told Motherboard that the Google Pixel and the iPhone are equal when it comes to security.

He said that the security level is ‘nearly identical’ when it comes to ‘almost all threat models’. He further went on to add that Android will soon be better.

“In the long term, the open ecosystem of Android is going to put it in a much better place,” he reportedly added further. But, hasn’t Android been around for almost eight years already? The hiccups of openness and fragmentation continue to exist.

At the O’Reilly Security Conference, Ludwig also spoke about Android’s built-in Safety Net that is capable of scanning 400 million devices per day and also check through 6 billion apps/day. He went on to say that very few Android devices have malware, rather he even said that the number is limited to less than one percent.

While some of the past reports also question the iOS security, Google’s Android  has more to worry about.

iPhone rumours: New report talks about curved OLED display on the 5.5-inch variant

By tech2 News Staff /  01 Nov 2016 , 13:03

It hasn’t even been a couple of months since the launch of the iPhone 7 / 7 Plus in India, but rumours of the upcoming iPhone 8 are coming in regularly. The latest report claims that the next iPhone may have a curved OLED display.

Nikkei Asian Review had already reported that the upcoming iPhone would be sporting an OLED display. President of display maker Sharp and another senior executive had hinted that iPhones would stop sporting the LTPS panel in favour of OLED screens.

Addressing students of the Tatung University, Sharp President Tai Jeng-wu said that he did not know if Apple OLED iPhones would be a hit, but if Apple does not transform itself on the hardware front, then there will be a sort of crisis. “We are now building a new [OLED] facility in Japan. We can make [OLED panels] in the US too. If our key customer demands us to manufacture in the US, is it possible for us not to do so?,” said Tai. Sharp makes the LTPS displays on iPhones.

Of the alleged three iPhone variants that are expected to come out next year, the 5.5-inch model will be the premium one. This model is not only expected to have an OLED display according to speculations, but rather a curved OLED display. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also hinted at a curved OLED display on the upcoming iPhone.

Samsung uses OLED displays on its flagships – the S7 / S7 edge. The OLED displays offer a notably higher contrast ratios than the LCD display on an iPhone. The Samsung S7 edge also demonstrated the ability of OLED displays to be bent.

Apart from an OLED display, the Nikkei report also stated that the upcoming iPhone’s chassis would be similar to that seen on the iPhone 4 with a slab of glass on the back as well. Apple also plans to add in wireless charging on the next iPhone.

Goodbye iPod: Breaking down Apple’s media player over 15 years

Image credit: AFP

By Sheldon Pinto /  24 Oct 2016 , 13:49

With Apple struggling with declining smartphone (iPhone) and tablet sales (iPad) sales, it is easy to point out, that Apple wants to make a come back with its refreshed MacBook line up after ignoring it for a really long time. With Apple’s current hero product, the iPhone soonrunning out of steam, today also marks a day that should get a bit nostalgic for some, as it has been 15 years since Apple’s first hero product, the iPod was announced.

2001

Steve Jobs unveiled its Apple iPod, in 2001, not knowing that it would be the company’s next hero product. What he could have known was that iTunes would change the way we buy and listen to music. The first iPod featured 5GB of storage, a Firewire port for data and a rotating wheel which over the next seven years became the identity of the iPod.

2003

Despite its problems, Apple had a good first run with its music player. Two whole years later, Steve Jobs showed up with an improved version of the iPod (third generation). It looked a lot different (more modern similar to the MacBooks, and less rudimentary) and this where Apple separated the click wheel from the media control keys and introduced a touch interface. While the move made it easier to navigate music collections, it added more keys and ‘more keys’ (in Apple’s philosophy) means more spends and more parts that can get damaged. Apple would soon move back to the older set up a few generations later. What happened this year was that iTunes was now available on Windows, which would make the iPod appealing to larger Windows-happy audience as well.

2004

Apple announced 2 models of the iPod with the introduction of the iPod mini. The mini was a less serious, more fun take on the iPod offering a variety of colours and was able to compete with players from Sony, Creative and others. A major leap with this generation of the standard iPod, was colour displays and the ability to store, browse and view photos.

2005

Apple introduces three models of the iPod. We had an affordable iPod Shuffle, a slimmed down iPod Nano and a fifth generation iPod that could now display, photos, videos and play music. Apple improved on the 2004 model’s click wheel and new design was now the standard for iPods going forward.

2007

The beginning of change. This was when Apple introduced an iPhone slapped onto the back of an iPod minus it radios. It was a time when Apple began to understand that the iPod was losing out had to introduce something new. With that in mind we had the first generation of the iPod Touch and many who could not afford the iPhone, could use a Touch to run iOS apps. What was memorable about the iPod Touch was how it gave iPod users a taste of Cover flow which until now was already present on iTunes, and iPhones. Sadly, it was not meant for power users because of its low storage capacity. What it did give iPod users was a way to consume media, apps and games from the iTunes Store. In the same year, Apple introduced the iPod Classic (160GB), the name itself gave it away, that this was going to be a downward trend going forward.

2009

With iPhone on the rise and with flash memory becoming more reliable and popular, it was clear that Apple had to ignore the iPod, and focus on its iPhone, its next hero product. Apple started scavenging what was left of the iPod and came up with the colourful fifth generation Nano which had a different form factor. It was slim light, but offered little storage and felt more like an after thought to keep the iPod alive.

This is more so, because users would be buying, apps, games and music on the iPhone 3GS, which also connected those apps to a fast 3G connection. Times were changing.

2010

The year 2010 saw the launch of Apple’s tinniest iPod, the Shuffle, it lost its stick-like form factor introduced with the first Shuffle. It was tiny and it could easily have been mistaken for a headset remote.

2015

In its current form, the iPod Touch in its sixth generation does not even need to exist. It is easy to point out how the iPhone cannibalised the sales of the iPod. While things did not change immediately after the launch of the first iPhone, this could be blamed on the storage problem.

Back in 2007, Apple offered its first iPhone with 4GB, 8GB and 16GB storage capacities. Compare this to the iPod Classic which offered 160GB of storage (HDD) meaning that it was easy to pick one if you loved to carry around your music. In fact, even back then, I knew of folks who would carry around their life’s worth of music in two iPod Classics. After the launch of the iPhone 4 that capacity went up to 32GB (maximum) and saw a big jump with the iPhone 5 with 64GB option available. Today’s iPhone 7 takes it to another level by offering storage capacities of up to 256GB on both standard and Plus models. So why did Apple introduce the iPod Touch last year, when it also announced that it no longer disclose iPod sales going forward? Well, as Fortune points out, it is aimed at kids, who will not usually get a cellphone this early, giving them an idea about what the Apple Ecosystem has on offer.

It has been a long 15 years and it’s time to finally say goodbye!