As per reports, Apple would use super tough material for next iPhone home key.  Apple is getting rid of the traditional physical home key and turning instead to a touch-sensitive button covered by scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass. Apple hopes to prevent the button from getting scratched and ruining the fingerprint sensor by using the sapphire crystal. However, it is still unsure whether the next version of the Apple iPhone would be the iPhone 5S or the iPhone 6. According to reports from the Taiwanese supply chain, Apple is working on using the ultra-tough sapphire glass for its home key. Sapphire glass is the similar glass which Apple uses for its scratch-proof camera lens for the iPhone 5 and is quite stronger than the Gorilla Glass. Amazingly, there are a lot of rumours about a fingerprint sensor on the device and this may be the main reason for using the Sapphire glass for the home key. Apple has already used the Sapphire glass earlier so it may further try to extend its use.

Apple is finally out with solutions for small problems, which make our mobile experience better. Many times we tend to face the dilemma of whether to call or text a person so Apple will help you decide it. The latest patent obtained by Apple aims at deciding the best way to contact by considering the variables like time, location, mobility, or other factors. When user set triggers for work, or when he is at the gym, or any other factor, and chooses whether it is best to contact user with a call, text, e-mail, or maybe through another messaging service then user will be contacted in the selected mode at that time. The system is also automated for random events like if user is at a concert, the system will figure that out based on his GPS, clock, and microphone data.

The countdown to the magic number of 50 billion apps downloaded from the Apple App Store has been started by Apple. 

At present 49.2 billion downloads have been already done and only 800 million apps are left to reach the magic number. The user who will download the 50 billionth app will be given a gift card of $10,000 from Apple App Store with $500 gift cards to the next few folks who download next 50 apps. 

In March 2012, the user who downloaded the 25 billionth app from the App Store was awarded with a $10,000 gift card from Apple. The countdown contest winner was Chunli Fu of Qingdao from China. 

Fu declared that she was not a fan of Apple products, but as she had her first iPhone, her destiny made her winner with a download of Disney's Where's My Water?  

The iPad presented some of the same trends, with seven out of the top ten paid iPad apps being games and only three out of the top 10 free iPad apps being games. The top five paid iPad apps of all time consists of Pages, Angry Birds HD, Angry Birds Seasons HD, Where’s My Water?, and Fruit Ninja HD. As for free apps: Skype, The Weather Channel, Netflix, Angry Birds HD Free, and Kindle took the top honors.

Source : phonearena

Despite of the recent launch of iPhone 5, which is still to be made available in various parts of the world, Apple is now reportedly working on another version of the iconic Smartphone. As per the Next Web," It has found references of the next generation iPhone running iOS 7 operating system in its website logs. As per the logs, the device has unique hardware identifier - iPhone 6,1 and was running on iOS 7. Interestingly, the IP Address of the device belonged to Apple Cupertino headquarters".
iPhone 5S smartphone is expected to be launched in the mid of this year. Apple has iPhone 5 as the flagship Smartphone in its present line up. The incomparable hardware identifier of its daily models is iPhone 5,1 while 4G-LTE models have iPhone 5,2. The declaration of the new iPhone and iOS 7 can be expected at the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference 2013 which is likely to happen in June. Apple might give a sneak peek to the iOS 7 with new version of Apple Maps in the late first quarter of this year.

Source : Themobileindian

Apple is planning to use a new display panel, known as the IGZO panel in its future devices. This panel not only has the best resolution but also puts less pressure on the battery and is quite thin. If it is added then new iPhone's screen will have double the pixel count than iPhone 4S's display and will also have two times more battery life, if everything else like screen and battery size remains the same. The thinner panel used in it will also make the new iPhone slimmer by at least 1-2 mm. The phone will also feature the narrower bezel (the space along the screen) which could mean the phone will be narrower too, or can sport a bigger screen without change in overall size.
The good part of this is that the cost of these panels will be only marginally higher than normal LCD screens signifying this change will not affect upcoming iPad, iPhone models' pricing. The biggest limit however is that the production of the panels have just been started and might not be able to meet the demands of Apple.
Sharp which owns the patent for this technology has licensed the technology to Innolux Corporation, which will augment the production capacity. Companies of panel makers in Korea and Japan have got the license for the panels that may pave the way for mass production. Hence Apple is may include this panel in its 2013 line-up.

Source : Themobileindian