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MacBook Pro With Retina Display Shipping Estimate Improves To 1-2 Weeks

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The line for a MacBook Pro with Retina Display just got a bit shorter. The US Apple Store now pegs the new MBP’s shipping estimate at 1-2 weeks.


The MacBook Pro with Retina Display launched with much fanfare in early June. Apple called it the “most beautiful computer we have ever made.” The model quickly sold out, pushing shipping times to 3-4 weeks, which later fell to 2-3 weeks. Best Buy lists the model with a shipping estimate of 7-30 days.


MacRumors points out that the ship time improved to 1-2 weeks in the European and Asia-Pacific regions.


While the supply levels are improving, the models might still be hard to get a hold of for the forseeable future as the back to school season approaches. Apple’s PC market share is increasing as more people seemingly jump the Windows ship onto Apple’s party boat. The MacBook Pro with Retina Display does not currently have a direct competitor thanks to its amazing screen, thin chassis and class-leading battery life.



Started by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, Apple has expanded from computers to consumer electronics over the last 30 years, officially changing their name from Apple Computer, Inc. to Apple, Inc. in January 2007. Among the key offerings from Apple’s product line are: Pro line laptops (MacBook Pro) and desktops (Mac Pro), consumer line laptops (MacBook Air) and desktops (iMac), servers (Xserve), Apple TV, the Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server operating systems, the iPod, the…


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HTC One X+ Rumored To Launch On T-Mobile Come September

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Early last week, a screenshot of an internal T-Mobile document revealed the existence of a device perplexingly called the “HTC Era 42,” which promptly caused some T-Mobile fans to drool uncontrollably.

Some speculated that it would be the latest in T-Mobile’s G-series of Android devices and would sport a physical keyboard because of HTC’s track record with the carrier, but now TmoNews is calling it slightly differently. Instead of a brand new, keyboard-toting handset, editor David Beren has managed to confirm “with a small level of certainty” that the device is actually a tweaked version of the HTC One X called the One X+.

Exactly what that plus refers to is still a mystery, but that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from doing its usual thing. In this case, the cause for that additional + may be the inclusion of NVIDIA’s quad-core Tegra 3, a detail anonymous sources passed on to AndroidAndMe earlier this year. What’s more, the rumor also alleged that the device in question would run a stock version of Ice Cream Sandwich instead of HTC’s Sense-ified take on the OS — something that should please all those avid Android tweakers surfing T-Mobile’s spectrum.

That T-Mobile’s version of the device would get the Tegra treatment doesn’t seem like much of stretch either, considering the issues that manufacturers have had getting quad-core chipsets to play nicely with LTE radios. That issue seems to be clearing up (take a look at Samsung’s quad-core LTE Galaxy S III), but T-Mobile won’t have to worry about that network technicality until next year anyway.

There are still more questions than answers at this point, but we may not have much longer to wait. The leaked screenshot pegs the Era 42 with a September 26 release date, and if there’s actually something to it, HTC will probably come knocking with invitations soon.


TechCrunch » android

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Motorola & Sprint Preparing To Launch The LTE-Friendly, QWERTY-Packing Photon Q

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The folks at Sprint seem to be having a busy day so far — this morning saw (among other things) the release of the carrier’s latest quarterly financials, an announcement about new LTE markets, and the revelation that birds are keeping the company from lighting up “hundreds” of LTE sites.

If that wasn’t enough Sprint for you, now the carrier has announced the Motorola Photon Q, a new LTE-capable handset with a physical keyboard for all those customers who could stand to do a little future-proofing.

Putting the sizable five-row QWERTY keyboard — which looks as though it’s been transplanted directly from a DROID 4 — the rest of the spec sheet looks rather familiar Like the recently-released Atrix HD for AT&T (which, if you’ll pardon the aside, was quite a treat), the Photon Q sports a lightly-tweaked version of Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, 8GB of internal storage, and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera. Sadly it sports a slightly smaller 4.3-inch qHD ColorBoost LCD than its 720p cousin on AT&T, but its support for NFC may help to take the sting out of the switch.

As usual, Motorola is playing its cards close to the metaphorical vest when it comes to the Photon Q’s chipset. The last time Motorola did that, it was to conceal the Atrix HD’s Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 SoC, so here’s hoping for another pleasant surprise. Also up in the air at this point is when exactly the device is going to be released; all Motorola and Sprint will say for now is that the hefty-looking device is “coming soon.” With any luck, you’ll have some sweet LTE access in your neck of the woods when the little guy launches, but I’d advise against holding your breath.





TechCrunch » android

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Motorola’s Xoom Wi-Fi Tablets Now Receiving Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean Update

motorola xoom

Move over, Nexus 7 — you’re not the only Jelly Bean-powered Android tab in town anymore. According to a handful of Droid-Life tipsters, it appears that Motorola’s aging XOOM tablet is finally getting its crack at Google’s latest and greatest dessert-themed OS update.

The process has been in the works for about two or three days now, with selected members of Motorola’s Feedback Network receiving the Android 4.1.1 build for soak testing earlier this week. At this point, the floodgates seem to have opened, though not every XOOM owner will be able to enter the fray just yet.

You see, the build currently making the rounds is meant only for the U.S. Wi-Fi model, and there’s no word on when Verizon-flavored XOOMs will get their update. Some folks on the xda-developer forums are holding out hope for a widespread release sometime before the month is out, but still others have a more pessimistic outlook — the Verizon XOOM only got its Ice Cream Sandwich update last month, while Wi-Fi models received it all the way back in January. On top of that, Verizon has been taking the slow approach to pushing out updates for its LTE-capable Galaxy Nexus while the GSM versions are already able to nab Jelly Bean over the air. C’est la vie, I suppose.

While 4G XOOM owners bemoan their choice of hardware, the rest of you can pop into the device’s settings and check for the new update. Don’t fret if it doesn’t appear immediately — some users have reported success in forcing the update by clearing the Google Services Framework (Settings/Apps/All/Google Services Framework/Clear Data) first. It may take a few tries, but it should be smooth sailing from there once that little hiccup is taken care of.


TechCrunch » android

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iOS Soars Ahead of Android Development As Apple Quietly Makes Move Into The Enterprise Market

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The Apple iOS is surging ahead of the Google Android platform for enterprise development, according to survey results from Appcelerator, the mobile platform development company.

In the largest survey of its kind, Appcelerator developers were asked what operating system is best positioned to win the enterprise market. Developers said iOS over Android by a 53% to 38% margin. Last year, in its second quarter survey, the two companies were in a dead heat for the enterprise market, tied at 44%.

In a surprise of sorts, Windows showed some life as 33% said they would be interested in developing apps on the Windows 8 tablet.

Each quarter, in conjunction with IDC Research, Appcelerator surveys its community of 340,000 developers. It is the largest survey of mobile developers. This quarter, more than 3,600 developers participated in the survey.

Apple’s dramatic push ahead is in part attributed to developers perception about Android. When asked what interests them, developers said the size of the market and the price point of the devices.

“Android s a consumer centric app in the eyes of developers,” said Appcelerator’s Director of Enterprise Strategy, Michael King.

Apple has also put more emphasis on supporting the enterprise through better security. They have worked closely with mobile device management companies such as MobileIron, SAP Afaria and Symantec’s Nukona.

On its Web site, Apple has successfully marketed its iOS products. For example, it markets the ways it is used; the companies that have adopted it; the apps and its security features. It beautifully shows the iPad and the innovative ways it can be used.  Its resources page helps people understand how to use, integrate, and support iPad in business environments.

In addition, Apple now has an enterprise associate in every Apple store.

Also reflected in the survey results, is a trend from consumer app development to enterprise apps. Two-thirds of those surveyed are building apps for their company or a business customer.

Enterprise managers are recovering from the bring your own device (BYOD) era. They are now learning how to manage devices and how to use them to innovate.

The interest in Windows is arguably as interesting as Apple’s gains. Could this be the new race between Apple and Microsoft?

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