Apple has sent out invites today for an event on September 10, widely believed to be for the launch of its next iPhone handsets.
AllThingsD reported the date a little earlier this month, so the timing isn’t much of a surprise, and the steady trickle of leaks and rumors point to the introduction of the iPhone 5S and budget iPhone 5C .
A successor to the incredibly popular iPhone 5 was inevitable, but the introduction of a cheaper handset aimed at developing markets is new ground for Apple. Its strategy in the past has been to discount older handsets including the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, but this paves the way for an entirely new product skew. Also, it’s rumored to be available in gold .
Existing iPhone owners will be waiting with baited breath for news of iOS 7 , the next big revamp spearheaded by Jony Ive for its successful mobile platform. Beta versions have been available for months, so a release date is likely.
Whatever happens, The Next Web will be covering the event in its entirety.
Image Credit: JEFF PACHOUD/AFP/Getty Images / CNBC
BlackBerry unveils the Q5, a mid-range QWERTY device for emerging markets, launching in black, white and pink
BlackBerry has today revealed a new device, the Q5, running the BlackBerry 10.1 operating system aimed at emerging markets and available in black, white and pink colors.
At the BlackBerry Live event in Orlando, Florida today, BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins said that the Q5 would be launching with global carrier partners in the summer. The press release additionally notes that the device will launch in “selected markets” in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia (including the Asia Pacific region), and Latin America, starting in July.
Heins didn’t divulge any specific specs for the Q5 but the press release informs us that it sports a 3.1” touchscreen. Modest, for sure, but this is no high-end device, it’s aimed squarely at highly price-conscious customers.
The Q5 joins the Q10 and Z10 in offering the BlackBerry 10 OS. Heins also revealed that the 10.1 update would begin pushing out to Z10 users from today.
Heins was upbeat about BlackBerry’s direction, highlighting the profit in its recent quarterly results and crediting his leadership team in helping him get there.
Also read: BlackBerry World hits 120,000 apps, as Skype launches on the Z10 along with 10.1 firmware update
Header image credit: Getty Images
Swivl lands $500,000 from Grishin Robotics for its nifty remote camera controller
Grishin Robotics , an investment firm that specializes in – you guessed it – robotics, has pumped $500,000 into Swivl, the company behind the cool robotic video device that basically acts like a personal cameraman .
Swivl lets people capture videos of themselves (speaking, lecturing, presenting, teaching, singing and whatnot) without the need for them to stay in the same place or have someone else move or tilt the camera.
Instead, the portable Swivl dock tracks your motions to ensure you’re being recorded even when you’re moving about .
One of the first – especially hardware – products ever successfully crowd-funded and delivered to market, Swivl has already sold over 10,000 units worldwide since its initial debut.
Swivl is now working hard on the next version of the widely praised accessory, which supports iPads, iPhones, DSLRs and Android devices.
In an earlier Kickstarter campaign , the company had raised just south of $160,000 – from over 1,000 backers and exceeding its goal of raising $120,000 – to finance the new device.
With the new funds from Grishin Robotics, which was founded by Mail.Ru Group co-founder and CEO Dmitry Grishin, Swivl says it will accelerate the development of the second-generation Swivl, and prepare the launch of its yet-to-be-announced connected video services.
Both the device and services will be launched “later this year”, the company vaguely said in a statement.
Swivl says its device has been used for a wide variety of applications, ranging from enterprise telepresence to pet monitoring, but has been a big hit with teachers in particular.
The company says its product has already been deployed in over 1,000 schools and 250 universities, showcasing the potential for the device in the realm of education.
Grishin commented on the investment thusly:
His $25 million robotics investment firm has earlier backed the likes of Double Robotics , RobotAppStore and Bolt .
(All images courtesy of Swivl)