Every time I see one of Apple’s stunning iPad adverts, I truly struggle to resist the urge to go out and get me one. That’s despite the fact that I owned one briefly.

I was lucky that it was a free iPad that I’d claimed from Freebiejeebies.  Even then, the simple fact is that however impressive a bit of kit the iPad is, there is no way that it will replace the iPhone (which I also got free!) and laptop combo that I have come to know and love.

If I’m in the home, then the laptop can do so much more than it’s tablet counterpart.  Step outside and I have Apple’s number one smartphone to service my every need.  It even makes calls and sends texts, why would I want to buy an iPad contract on a flimsy dongle!

Even as I write this there’s a bit of me that wants to run off to Freebiejeebies and claim another iPad free but I know that it would soon be back on eBay.  The money would come in handy of course!

If anything, I will be stepping up my campaign to bag another free iPhone, maybe the iPhone 4S this time.   That would make a nice Christmas gift to myself!

Steve

With the official announcement made early today, we can confirm that the iPhone 5 release date is 14th October 2011. You can get in early with an iPhone 4S pre-order any time on or after 7th October.

The best bit of all, you can grab an iPhone 4S free on the release date with no contract required, courtesy of our friends at Freebiejeebies. You be mad not to, go check it out!

Here’s what all the fuss is all about by the way!

I’ve made several posts recently talking about the iPhone 5 release date (and how you can preorder your a free iPhone 5!) and thought it was worth taking the time to carry out some proper research.

Whilst I have found pages and pages of iPhone 5 rumours, including the iPhone 5 picture to the  left that T3 featured from Mark Gurman, there is simply nothign out there that you could call reliable.

If you believed what you read, the iPhone 5 release date has been, gone and ready to return again..and again.

Lot’s of sites go as far as suggesting “iPhone 5 release imminent” but that is stretching the true definition…”likely to occur at any moment”.

The only thing that is certain here is that Apple have one of the best marketing teams in the business, fully backed by security tighter than Fort Knox (Perhaps with the one exception of staff taking prototypes to the pub of course) .

Not only do they keep a high profile with teasers of new and upcoming products like the original iPhone and all its iterations up to the eagerly awaited iPhone 5 – which, for all we know, could be called iPhone 4G or something completely different – but no one outside of the organisation truly knows what is going on.  Or, at least, is prepared to say.  Do they not have any disgruntled employees?

Right, off to find some more iPhone 5 release rumours to fuel the fire!

Whilst we are waiting, let’s take a look at a new consumer poll has revealed the public’s expectations for the next-generation Apple handset with a thinner handset the most wanted feature.

The study, carried out by GoodMobilePhones.co.uk, questioned 1,786 consumers over the age of 18 what features they would most like to see land on iPhone 5 release date with a thinner handset topping the list of 48 per cent of those questioned.

A longer battery life and larger memory were the second and third most popular options with 45 per cent and 39 per cent of consumers respectively ahead of a lighter handset and faster internet capabilities.

Following last year’s antennagate scandal better signal capabilities lined up as the sixth most hoped for iPhone 5 feature with a higher camera resolution, better email facilities, a waterproof handset and compatibility with HD movies completing the top ten.

With iPhone 5 rumours heating up, latest reports have suggested a thinner handset is in the works with a 1GHz dual-core processor to bring added clout and an 8-megaxpiel camera to appease those hoping for a higher resolution camera.

Feel free to comment and add your views on the iPhone 5 specs that you want to see!

Source: T3

Just spotted this report on Cnet about the iPhone 5 release and possible iPad 3 arrival in October 2011, thought it was worth a share coming from such a reputable source.

The full article:

Could we have both a new iPhone and iPad this year? A new report says suppliers are gearing up to help Apple produce millions of both for an October release.

Citing component industry sources, DigiTimes says a number of Taiwan-based companies that supply Apple with parts for its gadgets have “begun to prepare materials” for the two iOS devices, with production slated to start in September.

DigiTimes is scant on iPad 3 details, besides noting that Apple is going with a version that’s “even thinner and lighter” as well as sporting a 250 pixels-per-inch (ppi) display.

That would put it lower than the iPhone 4′s so-called Retina Display, which sits at 326ppi.

The 50ppi difference could go against Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ original claims when introducing the iPhone 4 at WWDC last year; then, he put the “magic number” at about 300ppi. Even so, it’s nearly double the pixel density count of the existing iPad model, which could benefit text and photo clarity.

That Apple’s working on a follow-up to the iPad 2 is not much of a surprise. A similar report from DigiTimes earlier this month said Apple was in the process of selecting the parts that would go into it. However, Apple introducing a third iPad model within eight months of debuting the last version would be highly unusual. Even the iPod, which has been one of Apple’s most frequently updated gadgets, has long stayed on an annual cycle that may only vary by a few weeks to a month.

Along with the iPad 3 tidbits, DigiTimes puts the kibosh on rumours that Apple is scrapping together two models of the iPhone. That rumour’s been kicking around for years, though it’s become more high profile after numerous reports of Apple releasing an incremental upgrade to the existing iPhone 4 model.

This week marked the four-year anniversary of Apple’s original iPhone going on sale. The iPhone 4, which remains the most recent model, went on sale more than a year ago on June 24, 2010.

Call the iPhone 5 late arrival a delay if you want but the breadcrumbs have been there all along to point to September being part of Apple’s master plan. From the odd-timed Verizon iPhone 4 to the white follow up to the 4G hangover, signs abound that Apple has been planning for some time that the iPhone 5 release date would come more than a year after that of the iPhone 4, even if it does bust up Apple’s tradition of popping out a new iPhone every twelve months.

Here are the signs as to why the iPhone 5 was never coming this summer.

- When Apple allowed Verizon to push out a Verizon iPhone 4 in February, many assumed it would fall by the wayside in favor of the iPhone 5 within a few months. Apple’s exclusivity deal with AT&T prevented Verizon from being in on the original iPhone 4 launch, which was likely the genesis of the iPhone 5 late release. Apple figured it would push out a Verizon iPhone 4 in late winter, a white iPhone 4 in late spring, and an iPhone 5 after summer. In hindsight, the Verizon Phone 4 was a sign that Apple wasn’t in any hurry to kill off the iPhone 4.

- On that note, there’s good reason. Now that the smoke has cleared from the various iPhone 4 pseudo-controversies, the numbers show it to be a runaway success, outselling the previous generation by about a two to one – and widening – margin. No wonder Apple isn’t in a hurry to get to the iPhone 5.

- As a cherry on top, the later Apple waits to push the iPhone 5 out the door, the more of an impact 4G will have. Right now, Verizon and AT&T barely have 4G presence to speak of. But by the fall it’ll be a different story.

- Finally, Apple has figured out what should have been obvious all along: while the public heavily favours the iPhone over Android (ask any non-geek), they’re not generally willing to change carriers to make it happen. The arrival of the Verizon iPhone, and the presumed arrival of a T-Mobile iPhone and a Sprint iPhone, are ultimately more important to market share than the iPhone 5. That means Apple can afford to take its time in developing the next iPhone while allowing the carriers to fight the market share battle on its behalf in the mean time. Here’s more on the iPhone 5.

Source: Beatweek

Hot off of the press, launched exclusively at 10.30am Today!  Mobiles.co.uk now have a great deal on the iPhone 4 on Vodafone, free at £35 a month. That’s right, it was £99 until this morning, now you can grab an iPhone 4 for free!

Free Apple iPhone 4 @ £35 a Month on Vodafone:

• 600 Minutes + Unlimited Texts + 500 MB Data
• Free iPhone from only £35 a Month in Black and White
• Cheapest deal you will find on the Apple iPhone 4

Yet another example of our amazing iPhone deals.  Don’t thank us, just got out and grab yourself a bargain whilst stocks last!

Steve

Apple could be set to offer a double whammy of smartphone goodness this year, with news that the Cupertino massive is to launch two versions of the iPhone 5.

The iPhone Download Blog is reporting that the new iPhone will come in two variations: standard and pro.

Now the iPhone Download Blog isn’t the first to send rumour and speculation skipping off hand in hand in Apple land, but it seems that this specific piece of information came from an insider who believes that Apple is stocking up on phone components of differing quality.

iPhone duo

The components being ordered won’t fit into one iPhone so it is thought that consumers may be able to buy either a budget iPhone or one which has better components inside.

Alternatively, the differing components could be used in the new iPod touch that Apple is rumoured to be working on – which fits better than a complete strategy change from Jobs’ lot.

It is still thought that the iPhone launch will miss its annual June release in favour of a release sometime in September – a date usually kept for the launch of new iPods.

Source: Techradar

I’ve done the hard work for you and scoured the internet looking for the best iPhone deals and contracts.  The only thing you need to do is pick a network and the tariff that suits.  I’ve even narrowed the choices to leave simply the best iPhone 4 deals you can find anywhere on the internet:

Three Network – an amazing range of free iPhones and affordable iPhone plans.

The best of the rest – my top picks from O2, Orange, and Vodafone, through Mobiles.co.uk, part of Carphone Warehouse Group

As you can imagine, demand for iPhone deals is extremely high following the success of the iPhone 3GS and Apple have put the smartphone market into hyper-drive with their new sim free iPhone 4.  Take a look now to avoid disappointment.

Steve

It seems so.

The big issue when the iPhone 4 first released was what’s known as the “death grip” that killed reception when contact is made with the lower portion of the external antenna. After severe pressure, Apple offered a free “band aid”, but have they learnt their lesson?

After nearly 8 months of the release of the GSM model, one would figure that the revised hardware inside the iPhone 4 for Verizon would make it much more hardy.

Early reviews of the Verizon iPhone indicate that it does get a more reliable signal; but now those who have the Verizon iPhone in hand, literally, they are seeing that the revised antenna still isn’t immune to attenuation. Granted, no phone is immune to having its signal blocked, even if it’s by a water-filled bag such as own flesh.

Granted, most people don’t hold their phones with a “death grip” while using them, so it’s not as bad in real world use. Using a case also seems to alleviate most of the problems, which points to a fundamental issue of Apple’s external antenna design.