Iphone, Mobile | featured news

The next major update of iOS, Apple's phone and tablet operating system, is likely to showcase a massive design overhaul led by Apple design guru Jony Ive.

The Department of Defense is expected in coming weeks to grant two separate, security approvals for Samsung's Galaxy smartphones, along with iPhones and iPads running Apple's latest operating system.

So many consumers are opting to buy older iPhone models that some analysts wonder whether Apple has lost its ability to create new versions that dazzle. How strange to think that Vicki Macchiavello's decision to buy an iPhone after years of using a BlackBerry could be bad news for Apple.

Apple's China sales rose at a healthy clip in its latest quarter, but the numbers belied growing concerns as the bonanza in high-end smartphones started winding down.

Smartphones are powerful tools, and with the right apps and accessories, they can become even more so. A California-based tech company has launched a tool that turns a regular iPhone 4 or 4S into a powerful biometrics scanning tool. AOptix has unveiled its app and a wrap-around device for turning the smartphone into a portable iris, face, fingerprint and voice scanner.

AT&T said it will start pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy S 4 and will charge $250, making the hot Android phone $50 more than Apple's entry-level iPhone 5, its biggest competitor.The new phone is expected to be offered by all carriers, but AT&T is the first to announce pre-orders for the phone, beginning April 16.

With the BlackBerry Z10 poised to make its U.S. debut later this week, it's comments from CEO Thorston Heins about the iPhone that have generated buzz. In an interview with the Australian Financial Review, Heins discussed the importance of staying on top of smartphone advancements, citing Apple as an example.

Scientists in Tanzania turned an iPhone into an amateur microscope to check schoolchildren for intestinal worms.

Some interesting numbers from Norwegian browser company Opera today, as their 'State of Mobile Advertising' looks at impressions and revenue in Q4 2012. Much like that great golfing analogy (driving is for show, but putting what wins you the dough), there is a distinct difference in mobile advertising income and expenditures over the two major platforms. And it points to a healthy ecosystem for developers on iOS devices.

As Apple's engineers scramble to fix the security flaws exploited by evasi0n, the latest jailbreak tool to crack the restrictions on its iPhones and iPads, the company may be more than just one move behind the community of hackers targeting its products. In fact, the jailbreakers say they have plenty more bugs in their back pockets, already waiting to jailbreak the next iPhone.