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Briefly: iPhone 5S, 5C in NZ; Amazon Web Services
Apple says the iPhone 5s and 5c go on sale in New Zealand on October 25. Prices are lower than anticipated. The 16GB iPhone 5c will sell here for $900, prices rise to $1050 for the 32GB model. The same money will buy a 16GB iPhone 5s while the top of the line 64GB version will cost $1350. The iPhone 4s will remain on sale at $650.
Meanwhile US sources report Apple will launch new iPad models on October 22.
- Cloud computing juggernaut Amazon Web Services says it is now offering new services from its Sydney datacentre. Previously Amazon's Glacier long-term backup and Redshift fast data warehouse services were available from further afield. Amazon says Glacier offers low-cost storage for achieving and cloud back-up, prices start from one cent per gigabyte per month. It describes Redshift as a petabyte-scale data warehouse in the cloud.
- Samsung has launched a new version of its Galaxy Note smartphone with a curved display. The curve is only gentle, but apparently it makes the phone more comfortable to grip. Samsung is using the curve as part of the user interface, rocking the device shows an information screen. Apart from this, it's hard to see what benefits there are in producing a curved phone beyond the endless search for novelty and differentiation. Don't be taken in by reports this will lead to wearable computers - a rigid curved screen is a long way from a flexible display. LG Electronics has also said it will launch a smartphone with a curved screen next month.
- Reuters reports Cisco, Google, SAP and possibly even Samsung are in talks with BlackBerry about buying parts or all of the ailing phone maker. The report says this would be an alternative to the preliminary agreement reached with a group led by BlackBerry's main shareholder; Fairfax Financial Holdings. There's a question mark over the group's ability to finance its bid.
Bill Bennett
Freelance journalist.
Auckland-based Bill Bennett writes technology and business stories that are directly relevant to New Zealand readers.
His emphasis is on telecommunications, but he also covers other aspects of technology and business. You can find his features in the New Zealand Herald and hear him regularly on RNZ Nine to Noon and the NZ Tech Podcast.
Bennett's The Download Weekly newsletter is published every Friday. You can sign up for it here.
If you want to support his work, you can make a donation to his PressPatron account.
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