iphone hardware

The second half of 2010 could finally bring a much-anticipated Verizon Wireless iPhone. A new hybrid chip developed by Qualcomm makes it possible to communicate with several different network technologies using only one component.

This means Apple can manufacture one device, the "world mode" iPhone that will work on all of the networks it's currently compatible with as well as Verizon's CDMA network. Previous reports speculated that Apple would wait until at least 2011 for Verizon's launch of LTE technology.

After selling a record 7.4 million iPhones last quarter, Apple is setting up to meet high demand during the holiday season. Inventories have been low in many countries as the iPhone 3GS has been flying off the shelves.

Apple will also be selling the iPhone on several new carriers in the coming months which could further reduce supplies. Carriers that will carry the iPhone as early as next month include Orange and Vodafone in the UK, Telus and Bell in Canada, and China Unicom.

The glass facade of an Apple store may look sleek, but apparently it doesn't do much for security. The surveillance video of this heist shows what is described as a professional "smash and grab."

The stolen goods included 14 iPhones, 23 MacBook Pros, and 9 iPod touches. Five mask-wearing suspects pulled off the entire operation in 31 seconds flat.

Apple has been prolific in the patent department lately, especially when it comes to patents that relate to the iPhone and iPod Touch. The latest filing shows a process that would allow someone on a phone call to send files to the other party without ending the call or leaving the phone app.

The iPhone would automatically determine where to send the files based on the contact information of the person connected. Even if multiple parties are in a conference call, the person sending documents, emails, contacts or text messages could send this data in one step while still connected to any of the participants.

The (inaccurate) furor over an impending iPhone Nano just got a shot in the arm. Apple patents described by MacNN have revealed a device that looks remarkably like a smaller version of the iPhone.

The device is approximately the size of the current iPod Nano, only 1/4 inch thick. Although the patent describes a front screen, the biggest change from current designs is a pressure-sensitive tactile control on the back.

Samsung, the maker of past iPhone processors, has revealed its latest ARM chip. Clocking at an outrageous 1 GHz, this chip only consumes 640mW of power.

The new ARM, nicknamed Hummingbird, uses the same Cortex-A8 architecture featured in the iPhone 3GS. The new chip includes Neon, which speeds up video and audio tasks.

The Hummingbird is the first ARM-based processor design to be built by Samsung using a 45 nanometer assembly process. This keeps energy efficiency at a maximum and lowers the heat emissions of the chip. The Hummingbird only requires one volt of power to operate.

Your iPhone is a radio device, and therefore regularly emits energy at wavelengths of 850MHz or 1900MHz to keep contact with cellular towers.

The US FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) have established limits for safe exposure to radio frequency (RF) energy. These limits are given in terms of a unit known as the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), a measure of how much radio energy is absorbed by your body when using a mobile phone.

The FCC limit for public exposure from mobile phones is an SAR level of 1.6 watts per kilogram. Any cellular phones legally sold in the US must have SAR levels of 1.6 W/kg or less to be considered safe for consumers. These standards also apply to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections.

This September, PhoneSuit plans to release its MiLi Pro portable video projector for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The entire device folds up and has its own speakers and swappable battery.

The iPhone or iPod Touch docks directly into the accessory. There's also a VGA or RCA input on the side of the miniature projector, allowing it to be used with a computer or DVD player, etc.

Complaints about the iPhone battery are not new to Apple. Owners of older iPhones often try to conserve limited battery power, especially since the iPhone is a power-hungry device. Unlike some other smartphones, spare batteries cannot be toted around since the battery is fully enclosed.

These issues pale in comparison to the latest complaints from some owners of the new iPhone 3GS. Apparently the batteries in some devices have become too hot to touch. In some cases, the white plastic back is being discolored by the excessive heat.

Apple sold over one million iPhone 3GS units in three days. Of course there are bound to be some problems. Reports are starting to come in of some issues and bugs.

The problem pictured above is a white iPhone 3GS that has overheated. The abnormally high levels of heat have discolored the white plastic on the back of the iPhone so that it appears pink.