Wait, what? The whole time? The whole time!? THE WHOLE TIME! pic.twitter.com/TO9u6M6pOO

— Dennis Naghizadeh (@DenzBenzi) March 8, 2019

An interesting series of Apple predictions (written by me) up on Computerworld right now. Please take a look

Google’s OS now dominates the smartphone sector in terms of unit sales. However, perhaps market share isn’t such a good metric now Google’s chair has admitted only a few devices — from Google and Samsung — truly compete with the iPhone. The diverse smartphone sector has just been reduced to a three horse race: Apple, Samsung and Google. No other Android partners need apply. Is this open enough for you?

Just a short note, but in July last year Apple CEO, Tim Cook, reportedly signed-up for a Fancy account for some reason. We didn’t know why, but I will say that when I looked at the all-new Apple Store App for the iPad (like Amazon but good) it seemed pretty clear he fancied some of the ideas he saw. That’s not to say Apple stole any ideas, but he was obviously looking for a graphically-rich, shareable, social-friendly inspiration for ideas to support the Apple Retail Store, and I think he drew some inspiration from The Fancy. And why wouldn’t he? He was responsible for the Apple Store at that time, as the company couldn’t find a decent man for the job (and they picked a very smart woman instead). Just a thought.

The day begins with news from the US appeals court, which has allowed Apple to once again begin its attempt to force Samsung to cease shipping some of its iDevice-infringing products. To be fair, this is little more than a step toward a somewhat pyrrhic moral victory: these are old products that aren’t stocked any more (except possibly among retailers still trying to shift piles of old units out of their warehouses), but the meaning of the decision (if upheld) is clear:

Samsung copied Apple.

Making things worse, Samsung’s Apple aping appears to have successfully put most other Android vendors into the ‘B’ list if you happen to think market share reflects success. Samsung has achieved this by positioning itself as Apple’s biggest competitor with its range of high-end smartphones, while at the same time using its manufacturing clout to produce gadzillions of low cost models that it offers at heavy subsidies in order to grab all available market share. This leaves other vendors squabbling for what’s left of the market.

What makes it worse is Apple’s claim (which it seems to be winning) that Samsung copied the iPhone to make those high-end competitors it built its reputation on.

Surely this attempt to dominate the entire Android industry doesn’t represent the kind of partner Google hoped for when it chose to dump on its long-time frenemy, Apple?

Google isn’t so innocent, of course. Yesterday closed with news the search giant must pay $17 million to settle its abuse of Safari user privacy.

In case you missed that story, Google’s handing the cash to 37 US states in restitution for placing unauthorized cookies on computers using Apple Safari browsers between 2011-2012.

You see, in this case Google saw “open” as meaning users of other platforms than its own should be open about their Internet behaviours whether they liked it or not, even though it chose not to be open about what it was doing.

The reason?

Google wanted to take its ‘open without consent’ customers and drop advertising in their direction in order to fill its endlessly open coffers. Except no one knew. And that little ruse has set the company back the average yearly wage for over 106,000 citizens of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where GDP per capita is $348. (Or the price of 34,000 iPad Airs, if you prefer).

See what I’m saying? Bad day.

Meanwhile on the West Coast the Samsung versus Apple trial continues to grind along, and it’s pretty clear the Korean firm isn’t even trying to deny guilt any more in a case that will eventually impact numerous others in global jurisdictions.

Might a US Apple victory lead to a retrial in the UK? There’s no reason it should, except for the fact that the UK saw one of the few cases in which the Galaxy “designer” (though the courts will decide on that one) prevailed — oddly punctuated by the fact the presiding judge in that case was later hired as an expert advisor to Samsung.

In the face of all this negativity, the most mouthed best defence constantly on the lips of Android’s champions appears to comprise endless spouting about “rounded corners” on the iPad — even while Samsung (and Google, via Motorola Mobility) have tried and so far failed to assert standards-essential patents in defence of what Apple in court calls “copying”.

It was a bad day for Google.

Apple [AAPL] has turned to retail store employees in an attempt to improve the way it sells iPhones in its stores, urging its workers to dream up ideas it calls “Pie in the sky.”

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Great speculation clads the question: “When will Apple [AAPL] introduce the iPhone 5?” I’ve been gazing at the crystal ball, talking to astrologers, seeking the wisdom of soothsayers and looking at my iCal calendar to estimate the date: October 2, or October 16. READ MORE.

Apple’s [AAPL] iPhone 5 could be the most important smartphone release since the original iPhone, with the world watching to see if its introduction will help beat Samsung down from what Strategy Analytics and ABI Research agree is that firm’s number one position in the global mobile phone biz. READ MORE

Very interesting series of reasons the fanbois and Apple-haters shouldn’t begin shooting their load just yet: “I’m really not expecting the iPhone 5 launch will take place during the Apple[AAPL] WWDC event this June. I don’t really think it was ever planned. Here’s three reasons why you shouldn’t hold your breath:” READ THE REST HERE

Apple [AAPL] may plan its thinnest smartphone yet, aiming to shave the iPhone 5 to just under 8mm through use of new display technology, that’s the latest  breakfast rumor this Monday morning.READ MORE.

A smaller iPad would make perfect sense as an eBook reader — about the size of a paperback. It would offer better features than anything the Amazon/Android hybrid can offer, including iOS levels of usability. Best of all, given Apple’s economies of scale when it comes to component acquisition, would crack the market at a price guaranteed to maximize the pleasure and the pain of the company’s enemies, chained as they are to higher component prices than those Apple can command. Rumors claim this imaginary 7-inch iPad will cost $250. READ MORE.

Forget June, October is the latest iPhone 5 launch rumor with the new Apple [AAPL] smartphone set to boast a larger screen and better graphics than before, the latest reports claim. READ MORE

The surveys are in and they tell us the Retina Display is far and away thefavorite feature on the new iPad, but it won’t stop there — because Apple[AAPL] plans a fresh ‘resolution’ with higher-res Macs. READ MORE.

Apple [AAPL] today is expected to introduce its super-fast, voice-savvy,revolutionary fifth-generation iPhone. The company is also expected to unleash the file-sharing amnesty-like services of iCloud and iTunes Match — on a day which ironically also marks the tenth anniversary of the founding world’s first legal P2P music-sharing service, Wippit.

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Since its introduction in 2001, Apple’s [AAPL] iTunes Store has led the business, eventually becoming the world’s biggest music store. For a decade, the service has seen no great threat, but if the rumors from Facebook’s f8 conference have weight, the social network may give the iTunes hegemony its biggest scare yet.

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Get set for your next upgrade, because the iPhone 5 (range?) is set to reveal itself next month on October 4, All Things Digital claims today, at last ending months of speculation. The date makes sense because it is one of those time-honored “Apple Tuesdays“.

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Those Apple [AAPL] iPhone 5/4S images are appearing everywhere as we enter the final days of the long wait for the new product(s), but what of the iPad 3, can we really expect that device this year?

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