Somebody call a plumber! The iPhone leaks are coming thick and fast now ahead of tomorrows big Apple event. This time, a handful of revealing placeholder pages have been spotted by a reader of TUAW, showing a few interesting details of what we may have confirmed tomorrow.

Over on the Cincinnati Bell website (a regional US carrier) both the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S have been posted up in placeholder pre-order pages. With them comes a few specs too.

The iPhone 5 is said to have an 8MP camera, a 4 inch screen and an A5 processor, while the iPhone 4S has a slightly smaller 3.5 inch screen and the same A5 processor. Most excitingly, both are said to have 4G connectivity.

However, perhaps the most interesting details to come from the Cincinnati Bell leak has to do with the page's placement. Both the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S were listed in the pre-paid handsets category before being swiftly removed.

4G and pre-pay? Two unexpected details, if they prove true. Hold out till tomorrow evening if you want the official iPhone 5 run-down from the Cupertino giants.

We may be just over a day away from Apple's big iPhone unveiling, but we may have just grabbed a sneak peek at the rumoured budget iPhone, expected to be the iPhone 4S.

Spotted in the Brazilian Foxconn factory, the handset looks identical to the iPhone 4 we've all grown to love, though its new SKU is fueling speculation. Under the model number N90A, the batch is also listed as "reprovado", or "disqualified", suggesting that this could be a pair of protoypes, or at the very least a buggy production run.

Of course, we won't know just how accurate this leak is until the official event tomorrow. Check back to Tech Digest tomorrow evening for all the latest iPhone news.

Via: Gizmodo

All eyes may be on the impending iPhone 5 launch next week, but at the end of the day sales speak louder than an updated spec sheet. So what have the UK smartphone-buying public been spending their hard-earned dosh on?

Looking specifically at the last 6 months, analysts Nielsen have revealed that 44% of new smartphone sales are handsets of the Android variety, followed by RIM's BlackBerry devices with a quarter of the market. Apple's iPhones accounted for just 18%.

A couple of things worth remembering here; firstly, there are no end of Android handsets out there now, and a fair few BlackBerry options too, compared to just a single iPhone model more-or-less released each year. As if you hadn't noticed, we're still waiting for an iPhone 5 to rear its head too, which would undoubtedly push iOS a little further up the tables in the next 6 months were Nielsen still keeping tabs.

Scroll below for a nice and colourful chart displaying the results:

Choices, choices, choices; that's what you'll be getting from Apple's expected smartphone launch next week if the latest round of rumours prove true. Not only are there tipped to be two models launching (the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 4S), but the potentially budget friendly iPhone 4S will come in multiple storage size options too.

9to5Mac's engimatic source "Mr. X" claims that the 'N94' next generation iPhone is being stocked by Apple in 3 different capacities.

These different storage options are expected to be 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions of the iPhone 4S, with the N94 product code already noted in previous 4S rumours.

And, unlike the long wait endured by those who held out for a white iPhone 4, the entire trio of iPhone 4S models will be available in both black and white from day one.

As ever, we'll have to wait until next week for the official details to come out of Apple's event.

The iPhone 5 will be thinly cased in gold, with a bigger diamond-set screen, forged in the fires of centre of the earth itself. Or that's what you'd hope for given the fervour building up around next week's expected launch. Many of the rumours surrounding the next-gen Apple smartphone focus on the devices possible external design, but the latest rumour to come out of China promises something even more exciting than an ever-so-slightly thinner chassis; the iPhone 5 may well offer drastically faster browsing speeds.

As spotted in a slide from a presentation given by Chinese operator China Unicom (Apple's lead Chinese iPhone operator), the next Apple mobile device (be that the iPhone 5 or possible iPhone 4S) will have a HSPA+ connection offering download speeds of 21Mbps thanks to an improved antenna.

Compare that speed to the 7.2Mbps download speeds possible on the current iPhone 4 model and you're looking at supercharged browsing on the go.

Specifically, the iPhone 5 will support the W-CDMA based high-speed data transfer standard HSPA Evolution 'HSPA+', according to Mac Rumours.

It's not the even-faster LTE tech some may have hoped for, but perhaps that's a good thing; LTE connectivity is only just now becoming widespread in the States, and is still missing on English shores. HSPA+ connectivity however is supported by networks like Three and Vodafone in the UK.

Blimey, that was a wait and a half, right? Apple have finally come clean and began sending out press invites for an event to be held on Tuesday October 4th.

With the invite tagline being "Let's talk iPhone", it can only mean one thing; the next-gen iPhone, be that the iPhone 5, the iPhone 4S, or both potentially, will be revealed next week. Get the feeling Apple are trying to steal Amazon's thunder by announcing the date on the eve of the presumed Amazon Kindle Fire tablet reveal?

That "Let's talk iPhone" tagline also hints at what is expected to be a major feature of the forthcoming smartphone; Assistant. This is thought to be a major overhaul of Apple's voice control technology. Whether this is part of the forthcoming iOS 5 experience, or a dedicated app, is yet to be seen.

We'll have all the details come Tuesday, so check back withTech Digest leading up to the 6PM GMT UK reveal for extensive iPhone 5 coverage.

Apple look set to be taking a slightly different path for the launch of the iPhone 5 next month. According to All Thing Digital, we do not only have a date of October 4th for the iPhone 5's launch, but also a venue that breaks from the usual Apple tradition.

Whereas Apple usually hold their major luanch events in San Francisco, it now appears that the new iPhone launch will take place on Apple's own campus in Cupertino. The company's intimate "Town Hall" audiotorium will be the location upon which the world's technology press decends.

Of course, this is still not the official launch news from Apple that many are holding out for, but the details do make sense.

For starters, as its been hard to pin down a luanch date for the iPhone 5, it was likely just as difficult to pin down a venue too. Also, as this marks the first major product launch since Apple's newly appointed CEO Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs, perhaps the more familiar location is designed to ease Cook into the role of leading the Apple launch circus.

Via: All Things Digital

I know, I know; we're up and down on these iPhone 5 launch dates like a yo-yo. But look! We've got more techy people saying that October 4th is now the dead-certain unveiling of the iPhone 5.

All Things Digital are reporting that the newly-crowned CEO Tim Cook will be leading the Apple army on the day for the media event as its main presenter, being the first time that Cook has lead the Apple circus into town. No rumours yet on whether or not a certain Mr Steve Jobs will be in attendance, let alone official confirmation.

The sources claim that the iPhone 5 will be available for purchase "within a few weeks" of the announcement.

Of course, none of this is coming direct from Apple at present, but we'll pass them on as soon as we get them.

RELATED | iPhone 5 A5 chip rumours strengthened by spyshots

Those iPhone A5 dual-core chipset rumours are set to go into overdrive. A series of leaked shots appear to show a pre-production iPhone 5 sporting the new Apple chip ahead of its official reveal date.

Alongside the faster chipset, the images appear to reveal a larger capacity battery. Depending on the screen size, brightness and the power draw of the A5 chip, there's a good chance the iPhone 5 may squeeze a bit more than a day's worth of charge out then if the images proove true.

Elsewhere the image also seems to show a larger speaker grille area, potentially revealing some improvements made to loudspeaker volume and quality.

The pictures (courtesy of one "Mr Panda according to the Phone Arena source) also add to the rumours of a souped up "iPhone 4S" handset launching, with another image showing a set of white-cased components, again alongside the A5 chip.

If the images turn out to be the real deal, it makes for a very interesting move by Apple. If the processing power isn't what separates the rumoured "budget" Apple handset from the iPhone 5, what does?

What's that Skippy? Apple and Samsung are fighting it out in the courtrooms again? This time in Australia?? Crikey!

You don't need to be a hyper-intelligent kangaroo to keep track of the ongoing saga of lawsuit and countersuit currently being played out between electronics giants Apple and Samsung, but it'd probably help.

The latest turn is playing out in the land down under, where Samsung are hitting Apple with a countersuit claiming that both the iPhone and iPad 2 "violate a number of wireless technology patents held by Samsung."

"To defend our intellectual property, Samsung filed a cross claim for Apple's violation of Samsung's wireless technology patents," said Sammy's Nam Ki-yung.

Samsung's attack has arrived just before the expected decision date for whether or not the Galaxy Tab 10.1 can be legally sold in Australia. Apple recently succeeded in getting Samsung's flaghship tablet pulled from shelves (and the IFA 2011 show floor) in Germany.

Via: Wall Street Journal

"Fashion can be bought. Style one must possess."

Choice words there from Edna Woolman Chase, editor in chief of style-bible Vogue magazine from 1914-1952. Tech Digest, however, can neither afford to be dedicated followers of fashion, nor had the benefit of being born with either grace or poise. What we can do, however, is spot a great app from 50 paces.

So, to mark the beginning of the 2011 London Fashion week, we donned our most sartorially-inclined specs and got to work tracking down the best Apple's App Store had to offer.

We wouldn't be seen dead without them.

For London Fashion Week stories go to our sister site ShinyStyle.tv

Psssst. PSSSSSST. Can you keep a secret? Yeah?

Good, because we think we may have just got our first glimpse at the design of the iPhone 5. Don't tell Apple though, as this first look hasn't come from Cupertino. Instead, it's cover designers Case-Mate who have spilt the beans by releasing mock-ups of a forthcoming iPhone 5 shell range on their website.

The photo above appears to show a smartphone slimmer than that of the iPhone 4, but one with a significantly larger, wider screen, closer in proportion to that of an iPad.

With a slight taper on the rear, the mute switch appears to have swapped sides too, with a strip of black volume buttons rather than the iPhone 4's rounded chrome ones.

Case-Mate have now pulled the images, further fuelling speculation that they were the real deal. The product page has now been replaced with a pre-order option, under the heading "We'll have your cases when you have your new iPhone".

The big teases. Of course we'll have to wait to hear official confirmation from Apple themselves before we'll believe any of the rumours surrounding the iPhone 5. But one thing's for certain; if those Case-Mate images are indeed showing off the next-gen Jesus Phone, you can bet Apple will be none-too pleased, to put it lightly.

Apple's iPhone 5 team must want to put a gagging order out on Stéphane Richard, the CEO of the Orange network's parent company France Telecom. Richard loves to spill the beans on Apple's plans, and he's been at it again at a BFM Business Conference this week.

This time, he's revealed the date he believes the iPhone 5 will be launched.

"If we believe what we have been told, the iPhone 5 will be released on 15th October," said the CEO, without giving further details on the source or smartphone itself.

While the mid-October release date sounds accurate from the bombardment of rumours we've heard, the date doesn't quite sound right. The 15th is a Saturday, and that doesn't line-up with Apple's usual midweek launches. That said, at least it'd mean the world wouldn't have to skip work or school to get in line at the Apple stores.

The man's well connected, that's fo' sho. The anticipation is mounting, and it must be a matter of weeks now before the handset breaks cover.

Via: Unwired View

Apple's iPhones are cool, right?

Wrong, according to HTC's American chief Martin Fichter. Speaking at the Mobile Future Forward conference in Seattle, Fichter spoke of how a recent trip to his daughter's college dorm room and a look into student's mobile gadgets revealed a surprising shift in the smartphone Cool Handset League tables. It's fusty older professionals, not hip students, buying iPhones claims the HTC boss.

"None of them has an iPhone because they told me: 'My dad has an iPhone.' There's an interesting thing that's going on in the market. The iPhone becomes a little less cool than it was. They were carrying HTCs. They were carrying Samsungs. They were even carrying some Chinese manufacturer's devices," said Fichter.

"Macbook Airs are cool. iPhones are not that cool anymore. We here are using iPhones, but our kids don't find them that cool anymore."

Sure, it's in a HTC boss's best interests to take a swipe at Apple, the smartphone market leaders, and with Apple's cool badge still a genuine selling point for the Cupertino handsets, it's a risky but potentially rewarding target to take aim at with the iPhone 5 launch just over the horizon.

And certainly, the economic factors would indeed support Fichter's theory; the Android equivalent to an iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS is often considerably cheaper than the £500+ you'd pay for Apple's top model. That's a fair few more pints at the student union if you opt for an Android then.

Via: Mashable

Tech Digest got a little starstruck at this year's IFA 2011 conference, as we got to meet electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre.

The electro star's presence caused quite a stir at the show, not least of all thanks to his startling AeroDream One iPad/iPhone/iPod dock.

Think you've seen all that the world of iPod docks has to offer? Think again; Jarre's AeroDream One takes Hi-Fi docks to a whole new level, with the emphasis on the "Hi" part. The docking port sits on top of an 11ft column, which necessitates the need for a fixed ladder on the side of the speaker to reach it.

It's also got enough punch to match its gigantic size, pushing out an ear-popping 10,000 W through its 5 channel amplifier.

The AeroDream One is very much a luxury item, and priced at € 399,000 (£349,873) is definitely a statement piece as much as it is a speaker system. As such, Jarre sees it just as at home in concert halls as the homes of the wealthy elite.

We have a chat with Jean-Michel in the video interview above, discussing his range of Apple product docks (which includes more affordable miniature versions of the AeroDream One among other designs), the state of the music industry and the inspiration behind his latest mad venture.

Has anyone ever seen Prince Charles using a mobile phone? Probably, but we cant say we get invited down to Clarence House all that often to confirm it with our own eyes.

That's not to say he doesn't use them, and we think we've got a consiparcy theory all sewn up when it comes to His Royal Highness's smartphone preferences. He may be infamous for his big ears, but we think that Charlie is actually hiding a pair of perfectly reasonably sized ears underneath two of Thumbs Up's new iPhone 4 cases, the Ear Phones.

These silicone rubber novelty iPhone 4 cases are shaped like oversized ears, and will make a perfect accessory for any fancy dress fans looking to get dolled up like Roald Dahl's BFG:

Keep an ear to the ground for these next time you're in Urban Outfitters, priced £12.99.

Forget the iPhone 5; this is the Jesus phone Marty McFly would bring back after a quick trip down to the shops of the future in his Delorean.

Billed as an iPhone 5 concept features clip, this video plays out more like a pie-in-the-sky wishlist, which includes a super, super slim chassis, a tocuh-sensitive projection keyboard and a holographic projector for movies with real depth.

Don't expect to see any of these features in the next iPhone, or the next 5 generations for that matter. They'd probably cause our brains to explode if they did anyway...

Via: Pocket-Lint

We're a nation of early adopting "snobs" when it comes to tech. That's according to a study just published by the University of Warwick's economy analyst Professor Michael Waterson. He's predicting that UK tech fans will be willing to pay as much as three times the recommended retail price for the iPhone 5 when it launches just to get their hands on it early, based on his findings monitoring eBay transactions following the launch of the iPhone 4.

"We monitored all eBay transactions on the iPhone 4 for six weeks from 24th June last year when it became available in the UK. The extent of eBay activity on this product was extraordinary, with total transactions amounting to around £1.5m for 2,183 sales," said Professor Waterson.

"For the 16GB version of the phone, 98% of sales completed at a value in excess of the listed retail price of £499. The average price was £640.35 and the maximum achieved was £1,180. For the 32GB version of the phone, 97% of the sales completed above the listed retail price of £599. The average price was £778.73 and the maximum price achieved was £1,551."

According to Waterson, possible stock shortages will play a key role in inflating prices of iPhone 5 handsets on the grey market. Speaking of the iPhone 4, he continued:

"The product was in short supply and so it's probable that demand was influenced by immediacy or 'snob value'. It will be fascinating to see what will happen to the iPhone 5 as the launch is eagerly anticipated. I think we will see the same level of activity.

"It seems we are willing to pay well over the retail price for the kudos of being one of the first people to own the latest piece of technology. This study suggests technology is the one area where we are not prepared to tighten our belts in the current financial climate."

If rumours are to be believed, we're now merely weeks away from the iPhone 5 launch. According to 9to5Mac and TiPb, the latest Jesus phone will launch on September 7th, available to pre-order by the end of that month and sitting in Apple fanboys' and fangirls' hands by October 7th, or 14th depending on how quickly production schedules are completed.

Features heavily rumoured in the iPhone 5 are a new 8MP camera sensor with panorama shot functions, the dual-core A5 chip seen in the iPad 2, and a voice-based sat-nav system.

There's alsorumorus circulating that Apple will launch a cut-price iPhone, perhaps an iPhone 4S, which would be smaller and cheaper, using legacy components and possibly available to pre-pay customers.

iPhone-owning golf fans should make sure they've got the PuttLuck gaming app installed on their handsets this week.

The Wii-style club swinging app have teamed up with sponsors Black Widow to offer £500 worth of golfing gear to whoever posts the top score in PuttLuck using Game Center leaderboards.

9 touch-golf holes are to be played through, with whoever finishes the round in the quickest time and with the lowest number of shots claiming the gear.

Running in conjunction with the PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club, Johns Creek, the competion runs from today until 23:59 on Sunday 14th August 2011.

Click here for more info.