iPhone 5 To Have Major Redesign, With Announcement And Availability In August [REPORT]

Earlier today, we reported that Apple is cutting its iPhone 4 orders ahead of the launch of a new iPhone model. Based on the information previously available, we speculated that the next iPhone would be a relatively small upgrade. Now, reports are indicating that in fact it will actually be a major one, likely to be known as the "iPhone 5".

Although not much information is known at this point, the new handset is expected to include a brand-new case design, despite previous rumors that it wouldn’t. According a "reliable source", the new case design will be "radically new", which makes us wonder what it will actually look like.

Just last month, we reported that Apple had purchased 200-300 glass cutting machines to be used by suppliers. That immediately points to a future handset with a curved glass screen. While glass cutting is expensive and can often lead to unexpected results, Google’s Nexus S already includes a curved-glass screen for better comfort. As Apple looks to other makers for ways to improve its user experience, a curved glass screen could definitely make sense.

Other sources are also pointing at a larger screen while not increasing the size of the device, possibly making it edge-less, for better movie viewing experience. HTC has experimented with this before, although larger screens have always led to larger devices. The size of the current iPhone is seen by many as "perfect", I’m not sure how well a larger form factor would sit in with the iPhone user base.

It’s not clear what the rest of the casing will look like, although we can speculate that it will likely reverse some of the exterior antenna design found on the iPhone 4, which led to dropped calls when the handset wasn’t "held properly". Could the new design be even thinner than before?

This new report has also revealed a possible new release time frame. The consensus was that we’d only see a new device in September, but this source estimates that we’ll see an unveiling at a special event in mid-August, along with a release later that month. It’s not clear whether the traditional September Music event will happen a little sooner, or whether we’ll see an actual separate event the month before.

Of course, there’s also the possibility that there might be no truth to this story, but the source who leaked this is allegedly very credible. We’ll have to wait and see, folks.

Teardown of iPad 2 WiFi

 Tech Specs:

• 1 GHz Apple A5 dual-core processor
• 512 MB of LPDDR2 RAM
• 16/32/64 GB internal storage capacity
• 9.7" LED-backlit glossy Multi-Touch display with IPS technology(1024 x 768)
• HD (720p) Rear-facing camera + VGA Front-facing camera

•  A thickness comparison. You can definitely see the tapered edge of the iPad 2 when it's side-by-side to the old version.
• Our guess is there are no more clips holding the front panel in place -- now it's glued à la 4th Gen iPod Touch.
• With the iPad's new tapered-edge form factor, big iPod Touch jokes are sure to run wild.
• Apple summarized the changes in 6 short phrases. "Thinner. Lighter. Faster. FaceTime. Smart Covers. 10-hour battery."
• The 10-hour battery life is the same as the original iPad, but it's impressive considering the device is also thinner, lighter and faster.

•  A new model number graces the iPad 2: A1395. Thank you, Apple! That's much nicer of you than the twenty-six billion iterations of MacBook Pros you called model A1286.
• Apparently, the iPad 2 is not as 1337 as the original iPad.
• The sole speaker grate can be found on the bottom-left of the back of the iPad 2. We're not fans of mono, but stereo will have to wait until iPad 3.

•  Without further ado, let's begin tearing this iPad 2 apart!
• Unlike the original iPad, it looks like we need the help of a handy dandy heat gun to remove the front panel.
• With the adhesive loosened after a healthy dose of heat, we go to work on prying up the front panel with a plastic opening tool.

•  And just like that, it's open. No clips, just tons of glue.
• As much as we hated trying to remove the clips in the original iPad, this much adhesive is even more of a pain. Be ready to crack your front panel if you dare open it! We'll be investigating the best way to get inside over the next few weeks.

•  A few screws here and there hold down the LCD screen. Not a problem for the iFixit's 54 piece bit driver kit.

•  Lifting off the LCD exposes the iPad 2's battery; A 3.8V, 25 Watt-hour unit. That's just a hair more than the original iPad's 24.8 Watt-hours, so any improved battery performance can be attributed to software and other hardware improvements.
• Also listed on the battery is a capacity of 6930 mAh, which may appear to contradict the already mentioned 25Wh at 3.8V ((25Wh/3.8V)*1000=6579 mAh), but 3.8V is the listed nominal voltage, not the average voltage. The average voltage of the battery over a full charge/discharge is closer to 3.6V leading to a more accurate calculation ((25Wh/3.6V)*1000=6944 mAh).
• After disconnecting its cable, the display can be removed from the iPad 2.

 

• Disconnecting the touchscreen ribbon cable from its socket on the logic board.
• An Apple device just wouldn't be complete without Multi-Touch. No surprise there.
• Removing the camera/volume control daughterboard connector from the logic board.

 

• Next we disconnect the dock connector ribbon cable from the logic board.
• After disconnecting the dock connector, we disconnect the speaker connector.

•  The logic board comes out without a fuss after removing the Phillips screws securing it to the case.

• After popping off a few EMI shields, we get a good look at the ICs on the logic board. They include:
• Broadcom BCM5973KFBGH Microcontroller used for touchscreen
• Broadcom BCM5974 CKFBGH capacitative touchscreen controller
• This is the same combination as the original iPad - nothing new here!
• Interestingly, the Wi-Fi board is attached to the logic board under one of the EMI shields. It can be easily pried off its socket.

•  The Wi-Fi board; powered by another Broadcom chip, a BCM43291HKUBC. Broadcom has made this Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/FM tuner combo chip a ubiquitous part for smartphones - lots of design wins.
• This is the same part Apple used in both the first iPad and the iPhone 4.

 

• Notable chips found on the logic board (click here for mega size):
• Apple 1GHz A5 dual-core Processor with a 200MHz bus and 512 MB of Samsung manufactured RAM.
• Toshiba TH58NVG7D2FLA89 16GB NAND Flash
• Apple 343S0542 - this looks like the Dialog Semi power management chip found in last year's iPad - all of those inductors and capacitors surrounding it are a clue.
• Texas Instruments CD3240B0 11AZ4JT G1 touchscreen line driver, working with the Broadcom BCM5973 and BCM5974 chips shown above.
• S6T2MLC N33C50V Power Management IC
• The A5 processor has manufacture dates of late January and mid-February 2011. Production was clearly ramping up through the last minute. It looks like the A5 processor is the APL0498, replacing the A4/APL0398 seen in the iPad 1 and iPhones.
• Apple-branded 338S0940 A0BZ1101 SGP. This looks like the Cirrus audio codec Chipworks found in the Verizon iPhone, but they'll have to get it off the board to make sure.

•  Backside of the logic board.
• That's it. Nothing to see here, move along!

•  Prying up the 3.8V 25 Watt-hour Li-Ion Polymer battery from the back case.
• The iPad 2 uses three massive Li-Ion cells to provide an impressive 10-hours of battery life.

•  Removing a screw that secures the volume control board to the case.

•  Rear-facing camera comes out of its recess.

•  Removing the board containing the volume control and silent/screen rotation lock button.
• On this little board the AGD8 2103 gyroscope rears its pretty little head, next door to the LIS331DLH accelerometer, both by STMicroelectronics.

•  After removing a screw securing the front-facing camera assembly to the case and peeling off a little more adhesive, the assembly can be removed.

•  The front-facing camera assembly includes the camera, headphone jack, and microphone.
• Front-facing camera.
• Microphone.

•  Removing the two screws securing the dock connector to the case.

•  After removing a few screws, the speaker assembly lifts out of the case.
• The speakers are very small, almost as though they were added as an afterthought.

• iPad 2 Repairability Score: 4 out of 10 (10 is easiest to repair)
• The LCD is really easy to remove once the front panel is gone.
• Only standard Phillips screws were used -- no Pentalobular or Tri-Wing funny-business.
• The front panel is now glued to the rest of the device, greatly increasing the chances of cracking the glass when trying to remove it.
• The LCD has foam sticky tape adhering it to the front panel, increasing chances of it being shattered during disassembly.
• The battery is very securely stuck down to rear case, and you have to remove the logic board to remove it.
• You can't access the front panel's connector until you remove the LCD.

Angry Birds For Free Right In Your Desktop Web Browser

Rovio Mobile, the makers of smash hit mobile game Angry Birds announced a new browser-based version of the game at today’s Google I/O event.

The new release was built using WebGL and uses local-caching so players can continue to cause mayhem even when not connected to the internet.

The survival of the Angry Birds is at stake. Dish out revenge on the green pigs who stole the Birds’ eggs. Use the unique destructive powers of the Angry Birds to lay waste to the pigs’ fortified castles. Angry Birds features hours of gameplay, challenging physics-based castle demolition, and lots of replay value. Each of the 70 levels requires logic, skill, and brute force to crush the enemy.

Available to download now from the Chrome Web Store for absolutely nothing, the game features all-new Chrome inspired levels and the Mighty Eagle add-on will be available via the new Google Payments in-app purchasing feature at a later date. The game will also work in other browsers should Chrome not float your particular boat.

Angry Birds is available for almost all platforms at this point with the franchise going from strength to strength. And it’s not just games either – Angry Birds merchandise is a license to print money, be it iPhone cases or cuddly toys.

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How To Jailbroken iOS 4.3.2 Already Using PwnageTool

The just released iOS 4.3.2 firmware update for iPhone 4, iPad and iPod touch 3G/4G has been successfully jailbroken using custom PwnageTool bundles. The jailbreak though is tethered only for now, which means that you will have to boot it into jailbroken state every time you reboot.

Cydia running on iOS 4.3.2, iPhone 4 (GSM)

Support for iPhone 3GS and iPod touches is on the way ! Simply follow the instructions posted below to jailbreak iOS 4.3.2 on iPhone 4 using a combination of our very own PwnageTool bundle for iPhone 4, PwnageTool 4.3, and tetheredboot utility.

Here’s what you will need:

• PwnageTool 4.3
• iOS 4.3.2 firmware
• iTunes 10.2.1
• Mac OS X
• PwnageTool bundle for iOS 4.3.2
• tetheredboot utility

Note:

• There is no unlock for the new baseband on iOS 4.3.2. If your iPhone relies on a carrier unlock, DO NOT update to stock iOS 4.3.2.
• iPad 2 users on iOS 4.3 should stay away from iOS 4.3.2 until further confirmation.
• Cydia is fully working on iOS 4.3.2
• It is a semi-tethered jailbreak.
• Your baseband will not be upgraded during restore process.
• Hacktivation is supported.

Modifying PwnageTool

Step 1: Download PwnageTool bundle for your version of iOS device. Extract the .zip folder, in there you will find a .bundle file, for this guide, we are using iPhone 4 bundle iPhone3,1_4.3.2_8H7.bundle. Move this file to your desktop.

Step 2: Download PwnageTool 4.3 and copy it to /Applications directory. Right click, and then click on “Show Package Contents” as shown in the screenshot below.

Step 3: Navigate to Contents/Resources/FirmwareBundles/ and paste iPhone3,1_4.3.2_8H7.bundle file in this location.

Building iOS 4.3.2 Custom Firmware
Step 4: Download iOS 4.3.2 firmware. Move this file to your desktop.

Step 5: Start PwnageTool in “Expert mode” and select your device:

Step 6: Browse for iOS 4.3.2 firmware for your device as shown in the screenshot below:

Step 7: Now select “Build” to start creating custom 4.3.2 firmware file:

Step 8: PwnageTool will now create the custom .ipsw file for your iPhone which will be jailbroken.

Step 9: Now follow the following steps to enter DFU mode using PwnageTool:

• Hold Power and Home buttons for 10 seconds
• Now release the Power button but continue holding the Home button for 10 more seconds
• You device should now be in DFU mode

Restore iOS 4.3.2 Custom Firmware Using iTunes
Step 10: Start iTunes, click on your iOS device icon from the sidebar in iTunes. Now press and hold left “alt” (option) button on Mac, or Left “Shift” button if you are on Windows on the keyboard and then click on “Restore” (Not “Update” or “Check for Update”) button in the iTunes and then release this button.

This will make iTunes prompt you to select the location for your custom firmware 4.3.2 file. Select the required custom .ipsw file that you created above, and click on “Open”.

Step 11: Now sit back and enjoy as iTunes does the rest for you. This will involve a series of automated steps. Be patient at this stage and don’t do anything silly. Just wait while iTunes installs the new firmware 4.3.2 on your iOS device. Your iOS device screen at this point will be showing a progress bar indicating installation progress. After the installation is done, your iOS device will be jailbroken on iOS 4.3.2.

Booting in Tethered Mode
Last but not the least, since there is no untethered jailbreak for iOS 4.3.2 yet, we will have to boot it into a tethered jailbroken state. To do this, we will make use of a utility named “tetheredboot” as shown in the steps below.

Step 12: Download tetheredboot.zip utility for Mac OS X and extract the .zip file.

Step 13: First, we will need two files from the custom iOS 4.3.2 firmware namely: kernelcache.release.n90 and iBSS.n90ap.RELEASE.dfu. To do this, make a copy of your custom iOS 4.3.2 file that you created above, change the extension of this file from .ipsw to .zip, and then extract this .zip file.

Now copy kernelcache.release.n90 file, and then copy iBSS.n90ap.RELEASE.dfu files which are found under /Firmware/dfu/.

Move all these files, and tetheredboot utility to a new folder named “tetheredboot” on the desktop as shown in the screenshot below.

Step 14: Turn off your iOS device, and start Terminal on OS X and run the following commands:
sudo -s

enter your administrator password, then:

/Users/TaimurAsad/Desktop/tetheredboot/tetheredboot
/Users/TaimurAsad/Desktop/tetheredboot/iBSS.n90ap.RELEASE.dfu
/Users/TaimurAsad/Desktop/tetheredboot/kernelcache.release.n90

You will have to of course replace “TaimurAsad” with the name of the directory on your computer.

now press enter.

NOTE: If the above fails, try ‘tetheredboot -i ibss -k kernel’ instead of ‘tetheredboot ibss kernel’:

/Users/TaimurAsad/Desktop/tetheredboot/tetheredboot –i
/Users/TaimurAsad/Desktop/tetheredboot/iBSS.n90ap.RELEASE.dfu -k
/Users/TaimurAsad/Desktop/tetheredboot/kernelcache.release.n90

Tip: Simply drag and drop in Terminal – tetheredboot file, then iBSS file and then kernelcache.release file.

You should now see some code running in the Terminal window, at some point, it will ask you to enter DFU mode. Now follow the following steps to enter DFU mode:

• Hold Power and Home buttons for 10 seconds
• Now release the Power button but continue holding the Home button for 10 more seconds
• You device should now be in DFU mode

Now wait for your device to boot, Terminal at this point will be showing “Exiting libpois0n” message. After a short while, your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch will be booted in a jailbroken tethered mode !

 

You may also like to check out:

• How to Downgrade iOS 4.3.2 to 4.3.1, 4.3, 4.2.1 on iPhone 4, 3GS, iPad 2, iPad, iPod touch