Rumors on Apple’s next generation iPhone has again started gaining momentum with various reports claiming that the new iPhone or iPhone 5 will have a modified chip, a new body and a bigger screen. A post on Business Insider citing a research note from Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White reports that the next iPhone will have a 4 inch screen which would require a new case or design. It also says that the to-be-launched device will also have LTE capabilities much like the recently released new iPad.

Another report on 9to5Mac claims that the next-generation iPhone will not have the latest iPhone 4/4S design but is being tested on old design casings. The report also says that Apple is using a modified chip on the iPhone, a derivative of the A5X processor used in new iPad.

As usual, there are lots of speculations on the launch date of the new iPhone with reports claiming it to be in August or September. However, with Apple always keeping its cards close to its chest, and with its penchant to surprise people, nothing can be said with certainty, either about the device or its launch date.

Adobe has announced the release of, an updated version of its Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) platform, AIR 3.2 for iPhone app developers. The recent AIR version will enable adding enhancements for 2D and 3D graphics on applications in addition to multi-thread video decoding. The announcement was made at Mobile World Congress today.

AIR is a cross platform environment that enables content embedment using HTML, Adobe Flash and JavaScript into mobile devices.

Speaking on the occasion, Danny Winokur, Vice President, Interactive Services, Adobe said, “For mobile devices, AIR 3.2 brings important new technology that we call Stage 3D, which enables hardware accelerated 2D and 3D graphics, as well as an additional capability for multi-thread video decoding.”

“It builds on the focus we have had recently with Flash around gaming and premium video as particular use cases where [Flash] continues to be uniquely advantaged with content creators and publishers,” he added.

Currently AIR 3.2 is available for iPhone app developers, with public availability set for March. You can know in detail about AIR 3.2 features here.

Cut-throat competition in app store has led to iPhone developers embracing pay to inflate services to push their apps in the top rankings. Many of the marketing firms offering such services employ automated scripts or bots to falsely boost app rankings in the app store. However, according to a report in theguardian, Apple has warned app developers against using such fraudulent services with the penalty of being stripped from releasing any app in the store in future. The iPhone maker has earlier barred iPad and iPhone app developers from using Tapjoy, which involved offering virtual currencies in one game in lieu of downloading another game.

In a note addressed to iPhone developers, the company said-

Once you build a great app, you want everyone to know about it. However, when you promote your app, you should avoid using services that advertise or guarantee top placement in App Store charts. Even if you are not personally engaged in manipulating App Store chart rankings or user reviews, employing services that do so on your behalf may result in the loss of your Apple Developer Program membership.

Yesterday, a thread posted on TouchArcade warned about pay to inflate app promotion services that promise Top 25 rankings for a fee. According to the thread, these services make use of automated scripts or bots to boost app rankings into the top charts.

Experts believe the current move will help Apple in making app store ranking more reliable and accurate. Many customers view these free rankings as a representation of the popularity of apps and make buying decisions. Such app users will greatly benefit from the recent guideline to iphone developers.

Enterprises are fast embracing mobility. For an iPhone app developer, enterprises will be the next market to target and many of them are already started focusing on enterprise apps. Here’s a visually appealing and informative infographic ‘Enterprise Mobility-Apps, Platforms and Devices’ by reputed mobility solution provider [x]cube LABS that informs us on various aspects of enterprise mobility. The inforgraphic answers-
Why enterprises are adopting mobile applications?
Which industry verticals are actively adopting mobility?
What is the state of mobile enterprise apps?
So iPhone developers, scroll down and know how the mobile enterprise market is shaping up-

Infographic by Enterprise mobile consultants at [x]cube LABS

As the world steps in to the Holiday season, preparing for Christmas and New Year, iPhone app developers are busy submitting their apps on the app store before it shuts down. The Apple app store will shut down from this Thursday and will reopen after 8 days. During the shutdown, iPhone users would be able to download apps but iPhone app developers will not be able to submit any new app in the store.

App developers are not only intending to submit their applications on the store but are also trying to get their apps on the top 25 lists before app store closes for the Holidays. The top 25 list is where most of the users start their shopping from and is generally used as a benchmark for the popularity of app. Moreover, the app store freezes it ranking before shutting down. So apps on the list will continue to occupy their position in the period.

Many iPhone developers therefore try to get to the top of the list and then bring the prices down so as to leverage from the Holiday shopping mood. The Holiday season sees significant increase in app downloads as people download applications for Christmas, Holiday greetings, travel, hotel search etc. There are already reports of increased sales in iPhone this season.

It would be interesting to see download figures in app store for the holidays, this year.

Apple has released a second beta of iOS 5.1 with build 9B5127c for iPad and iPhone app developers, with the latest update enabling deletion of pics synced to the iCloud Photo Stream. The second beta version is now available to subscribers of the iOS developer program.

One of the major updates in the latest beta is the ability to automatically delete photos from Photo Stream when they are deleted on the iPhone by a user. Currently, if a picture is deleted from the iPhone then it is not removed from the iCloud.

The second beta version of iOS 5.1 beta is compatible with the Apple’s iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 2, iPad, and third- and fourth-generation iPod touch.

Apple has released the first beta of iOS 5.1 to iPad and iPhone app developers in late November.

A latest report by Strategy Analytics titled ‘App Developer Attitudes and Behaviors’ reveals that mobile app developers still prefer Apple’s iOS despite Google Android’s surge in the market. While developer’s interest in iPhone is waning down, their interest for iPad has helped Apple manage its dominance among developer community.

The report further reveals that while Android is continuing its steady pace in attracting app developer interest, BlackBerry is struggling. Windows Phone is gaining momentum as more developer’s are showing interest towards developing applications for its devices.

According to Josh Martin, Director of Apps Research at Strategy Analytics, “The app market is already maturing. Developers are tired of a few making the lion’s share of revenue. Thus, we see strong interest in fresh, emerging platforms and new business models, such as virtual goods and in-app advertising over the next year. The platform that best delivers revenue from multiple streams stands the best chance of success in the next eighteen months. For this reason, Strategy Analytics predicts that Apple will introduce carrier billing in emerging markets next year, which will extend the lead it has built in mature regions.”

Apple has released iOS 5.1 Beta and Xcode 4.3 for iPad and iPhone app developers. The latest iOS SDK 5.1 provides support for developing applications for iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone and includes the complete set of Xcode tools, compilers, and frameworks including the Xcode IDE and the Instruments analysis tool.

The iOS 5.1 beta will allow iPad and iPhone app developers to build apps for Apple devices running iOS 5.1. App developers can also test their newly-built application using the included iOS simulator in the software.

What has attracted attention of iPhone developers and experts is the reference of iPad 3, 3 and iPad 2, 4 on the Beta. There are also references to the hugely anticipated iPhone 5 which has been codenamed iPhone 5, 1 in the iOS 5.1 beta.

The references for iPhone 5 with recent rumors of Apple’s next iPhone having a 4 inches screen rather than 3.5 inches has further fueled expectations in the market.

iPad and iPhone app developers reign supreme in the smartphone application market. Not only in number of apps they develop and market but also in the revenue generated across. Accoding to a report by AppleInsider, Analyst Gene Munster with Piper Jaffray says that Google’s Android Market has generated around 7% of the gross revenue that Apple’s App Store has earned since its inception.

In a note to investors, Munster writes “In other words, it appears that Apple has roughly 85-90% market share in dollars spent on mobile applications. While Google has closed the gap in terms of app dollars spent over the last year and we continue to believe Android will grow smartphone share faster than Apple, we believe Apple is likely to maintain 70%+ share of mobile app dollars spent over the next 3-4 years.”

The estimates were drawn according to number publicly released by Cupertino based Apple and from Android app discovery tool, Androlib. According to Munster, $330 million has been raked in the Android Market with only 1.3% of the smartphone apps available being paid.

The estimates reached by Piper Jaffray come from numbers publicly revealed by Apple, as well as data from Androlib, an Android application discovery tool. The total app downloads in Android Market is said to be 6.75 billion app downloads to date, with 90 million of these being paid apps. In comparison, it is estimated that Apple App Store has generated $4.9 billion in gross sales since inception with 14% of total app downloads being paid applications.

In terms of average selling price, Munster suggests that Android phone users pay more for a single app, but download fewer paid apps overall. The top 50 paid apps in Android Market have an average selling price of $3.79, compared to $2.01 on Apple’s App Store.

The latest study one again validates the supremacy of iPad and iPhone app developers in mobile app development. One of the key reasons for the popularity of iOS platform is the monetization opportunities it offers to iPad and iPhone developers. While  it is expected that Android will surpass Apple app store in future, however it is to be seen whether it would be able to match the revenue generation potential of the latter.

Source- AppleInsider

A latest survey by leading enterprise mobility provider iPass involving over 2,300 enterprise workers reveals that Apple’s iPhone has dethroned RIM as the king of the enterprises. The report further shows that Google’s Android based smartphones are quickly catching up to BlackBerry. The survey report will bring cheer for iPhone app developers as iPhone’s growing acceptability and popularity in enterprises will create new markets for their applications.

According to the report, iPhone now makes up 45 percent of mobile phones used by workers in enterprises, a jump by 14 percent from 2010. Last year, iPhone occupied 31 percent share among mobile workers. Blackberry, the reigning king till now, has fallen from 34.5 percent in 2010 to 32.2 percent. Google’s Android OS is also seeing significant growth as it occupied 21.3 percent in comparison to 11.3 percent in 2010. Nokia was placed fourth with 7.4 percent share in the enterprise market.

The survey also reports dominance of smartphones in enterprises with 95 percent of the mobile workforce carrying smartphones, a jump of 10 percent from 85 percent in 2010. According to iPass report, the recent surge in popularity of Apple and Android doesn’t necessarily indicate that RIM is losing its position in the market but surely proves how swiftly their rivals are moving up.

BlackBerry has been losing its popularity in the market over the years. iPhone and iPad, buoyed by a collection of over 400000 apps built by a robust group of iPad and iPhone developers has continued to grow in the market. The latest survey is simply a reflection of the trend.

For iPhone app developers, Apple’s growing surge implies newer opportunities for them in the enterprise sector. With smartphone applications emerging as a great tool for internal and external usage in enterprises, iOS app developers can expect bigger opportunities in times to come.