iPhone 6 Release Date In Q3; Sapphire Tech Replaced By Gorilla Glass?

iPhone 6 release date, expected to take place in the third quarter of the year, was speculated to ditch sapphire display and replaced with Corning Gorilla Glass.

The shares of GT Advanced Technologies, a Sapphire glass manufacturer, escalated by 15%. Thanks to the on-going rumors that iPhone 6 will pack this technology and will make the next iPhone sturdier and less prone to damage.

Although Apple currently uses Sapphire glass in the fingerprint sensor, new reports claimed iPhone may turn to Corning's Gorilla Glass to protect the iPhone's entire screen. Taiwanese publication Economic Daily Newsreported two iPhones will arrive this year with Gorilla Glass and not Sapphire screen.

Gorilla Glass beats Sapphire glass in many aspects. It is a strong type glass created through a chemical process, while sapphire glass is derived from sapphire crystals. One of the perks of using sapphire crystals is strength. There is no denying that Sapphire can withstand four times the pressure than Gorilla Glass.

Sapphire glass is about 67% heavier than Gorilla Glass, which can be a problem if Apple aims to make the smartphone even lighter. According to Corning, it would be impossible for Apple to make an even thinner iPhone than iPhone 5S with the inclusion of Sapphire glass.

Another advantage of Gorilla Glass is the price point. Gorilla Glass is cheaper to mass produced than Sapphire glass. Sapphire glass would cost as much as three or four times more to produce than Gorilla Glass. This would affect the overall cost of the device. If Apple wants to offer the next iPhone for the same price, it may have to shy away from other upgrades.

Rumors claimed Sapphire glass will be used in iPhone 6 and iWatch. An Apple patent found heavily suggested iPhone 6 will pack such feature.

Moreover, rumors said iPhone 6 features will include bigger screen display of around of 4.8 to 6 inches, faster and better A8 processor and iOS 8. Consumers can also expect big improvements on iPhone 5S' fingerprint sensor. But Apple has not disclosed the official iPhone 6 specs and features yet.

Meanwhile, iPhone 6 release date is expected in June alongside the iOS 8 at the Worldwide Developers' Conference. But other reports claimed the next iPhone will be launched in September.

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Tesla Motors shares surge, Facebook slumps after hours

Facebook shares drop on at least $16 billion deal for WhatApp

Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Shares of Tesla Motors Inc. surged in the extended session Wednesday after the electric-car maker reported quarterly results that topped Wall Street estimates, while shares of Facebook Inc. slumped on a multi-billion deal to buy messaging service WhatsApp Inc.

Tesla TSLA +12.58%  shares jumped 12% to $216.55 on very heavy volume after the company reported adjusted fourth-quarter earnings of 33 cents a share on revenue of $761.3 million. Analysts surveyed by FactSet were looking for earnings of 23 cents a share on revenue of $683.9 million.  

Shares, which are up 400% over the past 12 months, closed down 4.9% in the regular session Wednesday before the report. Read what Tesla executives said about the quarter.

Facebook FB -2.69%  shares fell 2.9% to $66.09 on very heavy volume after the social-networking site announced it would buy WhatsApp for $16 billionin cash and stock, with an added $3 billion in restricted stock units over the next four years.

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Rumor: Apple working on 4.7", 5.6" iPhones for release in Q3 2014

The latest sketchy report out of the Far East claims Apple is working on two jumbo-sized iPhone models this year, and even goes as far as to claim that executives at the company may not refer to a larger, more premium 5.6-inch model with the existing "iPhone" brand.

Mockup of iPhone with 4.94-inch screen, created by Marco Arment.

The alleged details were published this week by Taiwan's Economic Daily News, and highlighted byMacotakara. Some of the rumors align with previous claims, specifically that Apple is looking to use a sapphire glass cover for its next-generation "iPhone 6," though the latest report claims that those changes may be exclusively for the new 5.6-inch model.

The latest claims out of Taipei suggest that Apple's new 4.7-inch iPhone model will continue to sport Corning Gorilla Glass, like previous handsets from the company. But a new 5.6-inch device will have a sapphire glass screen, and will not be named an "iPhone," the report suggested.

While advanced reports on hardware specifications do sometimes prove accurate, branding of such devices is not the kind of information that makes its way down Apple's supply chain. As such, while Apple could be working on a 5.6-inch iOS-based device, exactly what it will be named is almost assuredly unknown by suppliers.

Wednesday's report claims that Apple's 5.6-inch "non-iPhone" is an "experimental" device that will feature sapphire glass from GT Advanced Technologies. Apple inked a $578 million deal with the supplier in late 2013.

It's claimed that Apple's so-called "iPhone 6" will be released in the third quarter of 2014. Availability of the new 5.6-inch device is expected to be limited because of its use of sapphire glass.

The claims are somewhat similar to another report that appeared a week ago, claiming Apple is working on "iPhone 6" models with display sizes of 5.5 inches and 4.7 inches. The South China Morning Post cited "industry insiders" who alleged to have seen "prototypes" of the upcoming devices, though that report claimed both handsets will feature scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass.

Apple's current iPhone lineup.

Casting serious doubt upon that report, however, was a claim that the new handsets would feature a pixel density of 441 pixels-per-inch. That number is off by eight pixels, if Apple were to maintain the 16:9 screen aspect ratio currently found on the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5.

Apple's current flagship device, the iPhone 5s, sports a 4-inch screen packing in 326 pixels-per-inch into its Retina display. Prior to the iPhone 5, Apple's smartphones sported smaller 3.5-inch screens.

Multiple rumors have suggested that Apple is looking to yet again increase the size of the iPhone's display this year, following a market trend toward devices with larger screens. To date, the most credible rumors have pegged a new iPhone display at under 5 inches, citing Apple's desire to continue to allow one-handed use of its handsets.

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T-Mobile to give up to $250 upgrade credit for BlackBerry trade-ins

Got an old BlackBerry that you're looking to upgrade from? If so, T-Mobile wants to give you up to $250 toward a new device.

Starting this Friday, Feb. 21, T-Mobile will give $200 to any customer that trades in a BlackBerry and upgrades to a new smartphone. Any BlackBerry will do, so long as it can turn on and has no cracks in the screen or water damage. Customers can use the $200 credit toward any new smartphone, but those folks that choose to upgrade to a BlackBerry Z10 or Q10 will earn an extra $50, giving them a total credit of $250.

T-Mobile's new BlackBerry trade-in offer is pretty nice for a couple of reasons. Not only is a guaranteed $200 or $250 credit nice for anyone looking to trade in their existing BlackBerry for a new smartphone, but the fact that T-Mobile will give out those credits for any working BlackBerry handset makes the promo worthwhile for anyone with an old 'Berry laying around.

If you're interested in taking advantage of T-Mobile's offer, simply take your BlackBerry into a T-Mo store anytime Friday or after and ask for the BlackBerry Loyalty Reward offer. The full announcement of the promo can be found at the link below.

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Google aims to provide broadband in 34 more cities

SAN FRANCISCO – Google is planning to offer high-speed Internet service in 34 more cities scattered across eight states in the company’s boldest challenge yet to cable and telecommunications providers.

The ambitious expansion announced Wednesday targets Arizona, California, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas and Utah. The markets span some of the largest cities in the U.S. They include: Atlanta, San Jose, Calif., Phoenix; San Antonio; Portland, Ore. and Salt Lake City. The company also hopes to bring the Internet service, called “Google Fiber,” to its hometown of Mountain View, Calif.

The blueprint is tentative because Google Inc. needs to work out logistics with government leaders in the communities where it hopes to build the networks needed to deliver its service. The company hopes to provide updates by the end of the year.

The plans are the clearest sign yet that Google, already the Internet’s most powerful Internet company, intends to become a bigger player in providing access to the Internet, too.

Google’s ownership of some the Internet’s most lucrative advertising networks and heavily trafficked services such its YouTube video site gives the company a powerful incentive to make it more affordable and enjoyable to spend time online. The company is hoping it can make more money from ads and other services if faster connections and a proliferation of computing devices can make the Internet even more addictive than it already is for tens of millions of people.

With Google Fiber, people can surf the Internet at a speed of one gigabit per second, up to 100 times faster than existing broadband services. Prices for the service are comparable or below what most households already pay.

Launched as an experimental project in 2010, Google Fiber is only available in three cities so far: Kansas City, Kan.; Kansas City, Mo. and Provo, Utah. It’s coming to Austin, Texas, sometime this year.

The service charges about $70 per month for just high-speed Internet service in the two Kansas City markets. A package that bundles the Internet service with more than 100 high-definition television channels costs about $120 per month.

Google’s expansion would provide more competition to existing broadband carriers, including cable giant Comcast Corp., which last week announced plans to buy another major Internet service provider in Time Warner Cable Inc. Google said the announcement of its expansion isn’t tied to Comcast’s proposed takeover of Time Warner Cable, a deal already facing resistance from consumer rights groups worried that the combination will drive up prices for broadband cable TV.

If Google realizes its goal, the company will provide high-speed Internet service in these cities: Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe, Ariz.; San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View and Palo Alto, Calif.; Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, College Park, Decatur, East Point, Hapeville, Sandy Springs and Smyrna, Ga.; Nashville, Tenn.; Charlotte, Carrboro, Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Garner, Morrisville and Raleigh, N.C.; Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Gresham, Lake Oswego and Tigard, Ore.; San Antonio; and Salt Lake City.

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