The iPhone 5S rumor roundup

iPhone 5S: Will it look the same as the iPhone 5?

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

iPhone rumors are like flies at a summer picnic: they're nearly unstoppable. Collected in one batch are all the iPhone 5S/6 rumors CNET has reported so far, with some commentary on where these rumors came from.

We always have long wish lists for newer features and further redesigns, but the bottom line is this: nobody knows exactly what we'll get until Tim Cook reveals it on stage later this year.

That said, we've got plenty of educated guesses. With that caveat firmly in place:

Likely:
Odds are strong that the immediate successor to the iPhone 5 will debut in the summer to autumn time frame (June to October). The release will all but certainly coincide with the availability of iOS 7. Moreover, if it follows Apple's previous history, the new iPhone will have the same design but with tweaked innards, in the spirit of the iPhone 4S and 3GS.

Beyond those obvious notes, the areas that seem most ripe for updating on the "iPhone 5S" would be the resolution of the cameras. And now that there's a 128GB iPad, maybe there will finally be a 128GB iPhone option, too.

Unknown:
Everything else is pretty much a crapshoot. A bigger screen? CEO Tim Cook says no -- but saying one thing and doing the opposite would hardly be a first for Apple. Beyond a screen size change, though, Apple could also go with a different technology -- say, Igzo or OLED.

There are plenty of other unknowns, too. Will there be another iPhone that debuts before a fall model? Could the iPhone product line split into several differently sized models? Will an affordable "new" budget-line iPhone emerge? Will Apple finally add NFC to the iPhone, as part of a new mobile payments scheme? Anything could happen. Or not.

As more rumors emerge, they'll be added here.

The rumors thus far:

January 29, 2013
Low-cost iPhone will be like a plastic iPhone 5, claims site
The much-rumored budget iPhone will borrow many elements from the current model but use a plastic design, says iLounge. The site claims the budget phone will be something like a fusion of the iPhone 5 and fifth-gen iPod Touch.

January 27, 2013
Images of alleged next-gen iPhone components surface
A French blog posts images of what it says are speaker components for the next round of Apple smartphones, what it calls an iPhone 5S and iPhone 6. Blurry, close-up shots of speaker components don't tell much of a story, though.

January 25, 2013
iPhone, iPad, iPad Mini rumors afoot: Upgraded iPhone rear camera
According to another iLounge report, the iPhone 5S will feature a 13-megapixel rear camera from Sony.

January 22, 2013
Renderings tease what a 4.8-inch iPhone would look like
Continuing along the rumor that Apple is preparing an even larger-screened iPhone for 2014 (see below), Russian Apple news site Apple Digger created renderings of what such a device would look like. This is speculation on top of rumor.

January 22, 2013
Bigger iPhone still coming -- just not this year, report says
If you're holding out for a 5-inch iPhone, you might have to wait until 2014, a new report from DigiTimes (which must be taken with a whole shaker of salt) claims.

January 22, 2013
Rumor: 4.8-inch iPhone to debut in June
A Google translation from the Chinese language Commercial Times points to a larger-screened iPhone in time for the Worldewide Developers Conference. While it's a sketchy rumor, it seems reasonable that Apple will get serious about taking on smartphones like Samsung's 4.8-inch Galaxy S3.

Nak Design's concept art for the iPhone 6.

(Credit: Antoine Brieux of NAK Studio)

January 16, 2013
The iPhone 6 won't wow: 6 reasons why
As an iPhone rumor palate-cleanser, Eric Mack discusses the reasons why the next iPhone isn't likely to impress.

January 16, 2013
iPhone 5S, low-cost iPhone 5 to debut this summer, analyst says
We may see both the iPhone 5S and a lower-cost iPhone 5 variant in June or July, says KGI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo.

January 15, 2013
Low-cost iPhone might use plastic body, report claims
The latest tidbit among the low-cost iPhone rumors suggests the phone would use an all-plastic body or a combination of plastic and metal, once again according to DigiTimes.

January 11, 2013
New intrigue on trail of cheaper iPhone
Reuters had cryptically withdrawn a story pegged to remarks purportedly made by Apple's Phil Schiller in China. Now the story's back with a nip and a tuck or two.

January 10, 2013
Apple's Schiller: A cheaper iPhone? Um, no
In an interview with a Chinese newspaper, Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, purportedly says there's no truth in reports that Apple will make a cheaper iPhone.

January 10, 2013
Cheap iPhone could appeal to a half billion people, Munster says
A low-cost iPhone would give Apple access to 65 percent of the smartphone market where its current lineup of high-end phones don't play, says Apple bull Gene Munster.

January 9, 2013
Rumor: Cheaper iPhone could cost as little as $99, Bloomberg says
Piling onto the latest rumors of a cheaper iPhone on the horizon, a source tells Bloomberg the device could sell for between $99 and $149.

The fifth-gen iPod Touch.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

January 8, 2013
Apple prepping a less-expensive iPhone, WSJ reports -- again
Following DigiTimes, of all places, the Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is working on a less-expensive iPhone and could launch it later this year -- which is pretty much what the WSJ also reported...two years ago.

January 8, 2013
Low-cost iPhone heading to emerging markets this year -- report
Apple plans to launch a new iPhone version designed exclusively for China and emerging markets that could be available in the second half of 2013, according to DigiTimes' sources.

January 4, 2013
Apple could launch 'iPhone Mini' next year, analyst says
In its ongoing battle against Samsung, Apple may be forced to unveil a smaller, cheaper version of its flagship phone, says Strategy Analytics.

January 3, 2013
Apple said to be eyeing new display tech for next iPhone
The iPhone 5 is just a few months old but its "in-cell" touch technology may already be old news, according to a new report.

December 27, 2012
Apple rumor watch: iOS timepiece on drawing board?
A rumor out of China suggests that Apple is teaming up with Intel to fashion a bona-fide iOS-based watch. Business Insider reported the rumor via Chinese tech blog Tech163.com. Perhaps this is part of the next-gen iPhone strategy?

December 5, 2012
Could the iPhone line split?
CBS' Dan Farber speculates that a larger-screened iPhone would make perfect sense after the iPad Mini. The debut of another model could justify another launch date, much like the iPad Mini did for the iPad.

A rumored picture of the iPhone 5S.

(Credit: Screenshot taken by Roger Cheng/CNET)

December 5, 2012
Possible iPhone 5S pics show same design
Pictures of the next-generation iPhone have already surfaced via an online forum (iPhone5parts.net, as reported by French Web site Nowhereelse.fr), but show few differences on the exterior of the device other than a different screw placement.

PhoneClean 2.0 reclaims storage space on your iOS device

Feeling the storage crunch on your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad? A free utility may be able to help.

Last summer, CNET's Matthew Elliott took iMobie's PhoneClean for a test drive. The utility provides a "digital colonic" (Matt's words), cleansing any iOS device of useless and unnecessary files that might be consuming valuable space.

However, Matt wasn't willing to subject his iPhone 4S to PhoneClean's mysterious ministrations, only his iPad.

Wuss.

As the braver, dumber, blogger, I decided to let the newly updated PhoneClean 2.0 do its thing on my iPhone 4S. And you know what? It works, though don't expect miracles -- at best you might reclaim around a gigabyte of space.

Of course, if your device has only 16GB or even 8GB of storage, that might be a big deal. And regardless of how much storage you have, if you're running out of it, any extra space you can free up is welcome indeed.

PhoneClean scours internal memory in search of temp files, cached and offline files, cookies, script files, and "other" junk, which can get left behind by failed iTunes syncs. In version 2.0 (which has a redesigned UI and is also available for Mac), the program lets you review each and every item it finds and decide whether or not you want to delete it.

Here's what PhoneClean found on my iPhone 4S.

(Credit: Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET)

After a scan lasting several minutes (the developer reports that this version is actually slower because it scans deeper into iOS), PhoneClean reported it could free up around 840MB of space on my iPhone 4S. Most of this was found in "Cache and Off-line Files," which gave me pause. So I clicked the Detail button for that category, revealing a lengthy list of pretty much every app installed on my phone.

Looking over that list, I got to wondering: Why was Jetpack Joyride retaining 43.56MB of files? And what was Flixster doing with 22.97MB? Facebook alone was sucking up 74MB. There didn't seem to be any harm in letting PhoneClean, well, clean apps like these. However, I disabled the Cookie and Script Files category (which amounted to all of 254K), because I didn't want to risk the hassle of having to sign back into apps like Groupon and Netflix.

Still, iMobie makes this promise: "To create free space on your iPhone, PhoneClean will not endanger your Apps (data & progress), music, movies, photos or other useful content." And because I'd just synced my iPhone with iTunes (that is, I'd backed it up), I gritted my teeth and clicked Clean Up.

The process took longer than I expected -- about 10 minutes. Afterward I checked various important apps; everything seemed normal. The Kindle app returned to where I left off in my book, Facebook behaved normally, and Flixster seemed no worse for the wear. RunKeeper still had all my activities. Dropbox seemed to have lost track of its tally of uploaded camera photos (showing hundreds left to be uploaded instead of just the latest dozen or so), but after a few minutes it corrected itself.

So in the end, I encountered no problems to speak of. (Your mileage may vary, of course.) If I had, I could easily restore my backup. So I'd say if you're strapped for storage on your iDevice, PhoneClean is definitely worth a try. And you can't beat the price: It's free!

Wickr turns iOS message self-destruct up to 11

Wickr allows you to set the anti-forensics mode to low or high and specify how soon you want messages you send to self destruct.

(Credit: Wickr)

Wickr (download) gained new secure sending and subsequent self-destructing powers in a big update to the encryption and security app today, perhaps not coincidentally Data Privacy Day.

There are four new features in the app. You can now send and subsequently self-destruct images and PDFs from Google Drive, Dropbox, and Box to other Wickr users, which expands the limits of the original send-and-self-destruct feature. You can also send up to three 30-second videos, up to 5 MB, per message. Audio messages, which function like voice mails, have been extended to 30 seconds long, as well.

Wickr can now connect to your friends "without collecting personal data," according to Wickr's press release on the update. Although the feature, called Wickr ID Connect, precludes remaining anonymous and hidden while using Wickr, it does allow you to expand your Wickr circle. That's important, because encrypted messages must be protected by both sender and recipient for the encryption to be effective.

There's a new auto-login feature, which also decreases a message's security in exchange for fewer steps to complete your task, such as writing a text message. The final new feature, Wickr Sync, connects your Wickr account across your iOS devices: iPhone 4 and newer, iPod Touch 4 and newer, the iPad Mini, and the full-size iPad.

The iOS app, built by security experts, debuted last summer and is notable for its ability to encrypt and then automatically delete all manner of communications. An Android version has been in works but there's been no announced timeline for its release.

Who ya gonna call? Try Ghostbusters for iOS

To bust the city's ghosts, you'll need to earn money and other resources, hire more 'busters, and upgrade your gear.

(Credit: Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET)

There's not much to explain the timing behind Beeline Interactive's new Ghostbusters game for iOS. It's not like there's a new movie coming out, nor even a Blu-ray or 3D re-release of the original.

But here it is all the same, a cartoony but complex resource-management sim that's reminiscent of other freemium games like Men in Black 3 and The Simpsons. If you're into that sort of thing, I'd say you're in for a treat.

The new Ghostbusters (not to be confused with Ghostbusters: Paranormal Blast, an augmented-reality action game) tasks you with clearing the spooks from a 50-story haunted tower.

To do so, you'll need to expand your team, conduct research, upgrade your equipment, and, of course, answer ghostbusting calls to earn money and other resources to fund it all. (This being a freemium game, you can also pony up real money for game money and/or "power cores.")

There's a lot of complexity to this Ghostbusters universe, and although there's a lengthy tutorial that helps guide you through it, you'll no doubt need to spend some time learning what to do, how to do it, and when. On the flipside, all that complexity lends itself to a rich, diverse simulation that offers a ton of play value.

Unfortunately, don't expect to hear any familiar voices, or even unfamiliar ones -- the game relies on music, sound effects, and word bubbles. Also, I found it extremely cramped on my iPhone, with a lot of the text and buttons just too small for comfort. This is a game best enjoyed on an iPad, or at least an iPad Mini.

Of course, because it's free, you've got nothing to lose by trying it yourself. Just remember: Don't cross the streams.

Five things to know as you get started with Vine

As a social network built on keeping things short and sweet, it's no surprised that Twitter released today a secondary app that lets users (Twitter and otherwise) shoot and upload six-second videos.

Of course, no later than a few hours after its launch, Vine was already being called the "Instagram for video," as users began sharing short clips of kids, stop-motion drawings, food, and, of course, puppies.

Currently, Vine is only available for iOS, but Twitter assures users that its app will be coming to other platforms "soon."

The app is pretty simple to use (and get addicted to), but before you dive in, watch the getting started video above to get the lowdown on how Vine works, and read these must-know tips as you get started with the new app.

1. Your videos are public. No matter what.
Let's get privacy out of the way first by saying: there really isn't any. Unlike Instagram, or even Twitter, which allow you to set your profile to "private," Vine doesn't offer a way to shut out users.

Anything you post on Vine is public, and can be shared by you (and others, should they grab the link to a Vine you tweeted or shared on Facebook.)

NBC News asked Twitter about this very issue, and, after being pointed to a help article on the Vine Web site, NBC was told that the company would be adding more ways to control who views your content in a future release.

2. Use tags to take advantage of the Explore section.
Head to the Explore section in the Vine app, and you'll see that (like Twitter and Instagram) discovery and curation are built around tags.

Select a hashtag from the tiled collection, and you'll see a feed of videos whose authors included that tag. Likewise, if you search for a tag at the top of the Explore screen, videos related to that tag appear, too.

But don't be limited to the tags Vine included in its explore section -- you can search for, and tag your videos with, whatever you want. So as you upload videos, include relevant tags so that your videos are more easily discovered. (Just don't go crazy -- there's little worse than a 20 lines of tags.)

3. Get creative with cutting and sequence.
Unlike traditional home videos, like the ones you might shoot on your smartphone, Vine videos don't necessarily need to be shot starting with "point A" and ending at "point B."

The app lets you pause the video and reposition your camera at any time, so it's easy to get creative with Vine. There are many examples, but a whole slew of stop-motion video and interesting montages have already shown up in the app. Here's just one example:

4. Vine will likely see major improvements.
Right now, the feed you see in the home screen is a little sad. Although you can like, comment, and pause videos (just tap!), there isn't much functionality beyond that.

As Vine expands, we should see improvements, like the ability to share videos from the feed, and even tag friends in comments or posts. Another key improvement will likely be the option to remove comments, a la Instagram.

5. "Vining?" "Upload a Vine?" "Vineyard?" We're not sure just yet.
As the app made it to the iPhones of the CNET newsroom, conversation quickly turned to questions about Vine's nomenclature.

Are videos "Vines?" Or, do you upload a Vine video? (We ended up settling on the latter.)

As you browse Vine, is the home feed a "Vineyeard?" Will we soon tell our friends, "You should vine that!"?

Only time will tell, but for now, all that can be said is that the hype around Vine's launch is plentiful, and for those of us who are into sharing moments of our everyday life, that's pretty Vinetastic.

Mix up your workout with Obstacles XRT for iOS

Obstacles XRT gives you a simple but high-intensity workout just about anywhere.

(Credit: Barracuda Partners)

Top reasons you skipped your workout today:

1. It was too dark or cold outside to run.
2. Your hotel didn't have a fitness center.
3. You're sick to death of the treadmill.
4. You let that pricey gym membership expire.

Here's an easy fix for these and other excuses: Obstacles XRT, which bills itself as "extreme reality training" -- a fancy way of saying it's a fitness app. It normally sells for $4.99, but from now through January 31, you can grab it for $1.99.

Two bucks very well spent, in my humble opinion. Obstacles XRT offers guided virtual courses for beginner, intermediate, and advanced fitness levels. Each one employs a series of demonstration videos and audio instructions that'll have you quick-stepping through virtual tires, climbing virtual walls, diving under virtual fences, and so on.

So, for example, in the "Kilburn Proving Grounds" course for beginners (the courses all have real-sounding but meaningless names), you start with a warm-up: 3 minutes of jogging or walking down "the trail" in a zig-zag pattern. From there you'll do 30 seconds of the next exercise (quicksand lifts) followed by 30 seconds of rest, 30 seconds of a different exercise, and another 30 of rest, and so on. The complete workout lasts 20 minutes.

As you progress, the app maintains a tally of your calories burned, using your provided profile (age, weight, height, and gender) for its estimation. I must say the numbers seemed a bit high (100 calories after just 5 minutes?), so take them with a grain of salt.

Before getting started, find a way to prop your iPhone or iPad on a nearby table so you can glance at the videos (at least until you learn the exercises). You'll need both hands free for some of the moves, so holding your iDevice probably isn't the best option. Also, many of these moves require some space -- and, ideally, some privacy, as you can look a little silly hopping through invisible tires.

Obstacles XRT comes with nine courses (three for each skill level), with the promise of more exercises and courses being added "on a continuous basis."

As someone who takes kickboxing classes, I can attest that the best workouts are the ones with a lot of variety. Many of the exercises provided here match the ones I've been doing in class, which is to say they offer an intense, low-impact workout with enough diversity to keep it interesting.

Speaking of keeping things interesting, Obstacles XRT lets you "challenge a friend" -- but that option merely sends someone an e-mail suggesting that person buys the app.

That's lame, but the rest of the app definitely isn't. I can see this being a great companion for anyone who travels a lot, or who just doesn't have time (or money) to get to the gym but wants a solid aerobic workout.

Looking for another iDevice-powered exercise option? FitnessClass packs a personal trainer into your iPad.

Add an old-school camera viewfinder to your iPhone

The iPhone Viewfinder is a $30 accessory that adds an old-fangled viewfinder to your iPhone.

(Credit: Photojojo)

The iPhone Viewfinder can extend to accommodate different eyesight needs.

(Credit: Photojojo)

The good: Your iPhone has a pretty decent camera. Better than decent, in fact, if it's an iPhone 4S or iPhone 5.

The bad: Not everybody likes using the iPhone's screen to frame their shots, especially outdoors, where the ambient light can wash out the display. What's more, anyone accustomed to old-school, SLR-style photography no doubt misses their old-school, SLR-style viewfinder.

To the rescue comes the Photojojo iPhone Viewfinder, which combines hardware and software to give you a more traditional camera experience.

The kit consists of a round, black eyepiece that uses a suction cup to affix to your iPhone's screen. You then run Sig Innovations' free Daylight Viewfinder app, which shrinks the camera's live preview to a tiny window that rests just under eyepiece. (Incidentally, the Daylight Viewfinder itself is the same product Photojojo sells, but for 5 cents less -- plus free shipping.)

The end result is you squinting into a viewfinder, same as you would with a traditional SLR camera. In theory, this should allow for steadier shots, as you're bracing the whole shebang against your eye. And it should definitely block out ambient light, giving you more precise control over how you frame your shots.

Sure, you might look a little silly, but that's all relative, isn't it? (Some might argue that holding a big ol' SLR up to your face looks equally silly.) If you rely on your iPhone or iPad for semi-serious photography (and/or videography), this little gadget might prove very handy.

The iPhone Viewfinder sells for $30, plus a few bucks for shipping -- or $29.95 shipped if you grab it directly from the aforementioned Sig Innovations. What do you think? Worth the money?

Opera to sing WebKit's tune on mobile -- report

The Opera Browser will be rebuilding its mobile browsers using WebKit and a new interface that nearly entirely ditches the traditional browser buttons called Opera Ice, according to a leaked video acquired by Pocket-Lint.com.

Ice is not Opera's first dalliance with WebKit, as its current iOS offerings are also built with the WebKit engine. However, the current iOS Opera runs its server-side compression with Opera's Presto engine. It's not clear that that will continue with Ice, which apparently will debut at Mobile World Congress in February.

The video shows off Opera Ice, a browser that looks the same on Android and iOS, with an interface that gets rid of as much of the browser interface as possible. What it can't ditch, like the location bar, it has reimagined.

The browser appears to emphasize the current "Speed Dial" design, with what appear to be bookmarked or frequently visited sites represented by icons. Judging by the terminology used by Opera CEO Lars Boilesen, these are in fact meant to be Web apps.

Opera representative Falguni Bhuta said that Opera couldn't comment on Opera Ice.

Navigation within Ice happens with swipe gestures, not buttons. You can bookmark a site on the landing page by long-pressing on a site, and a search engine field lives at the top of the landing page. A home button of some sort sits at the bottom of the screen, to take you back to the landing page.

Opera CEO Lars Boilesen shows off Opera Ice in a leaked video.

(Credit: Opera)

The video makes it clear that Ice is being designed for tablets and smartphones, but it's not clear whether Ice is an internal nickname for the project or the new browser's actual branding.

Boilesen also notes in the video that the browser comes with standard security features, but they're only apparent when they block you from visiting a malicious site.

An update is in the works for desktop Opera, as well, which will follow in March.

Innovation is nothing new for Opera, which has been around since 1994. This appears to be its most radical redesign of the browser yet.

One-tap sharing makes a splash in new Dolphin

Chrome desktop integration with Dolphin's mobile browser, via extension.

(Credit: Dolphin)

The latest version of the Dolphin mobile browser debuts a slick new feature for sharing, desktop sync, and Evernote Web Clipper integration.

The Dolphin browser for Android (download), Dolphin browser for iPhone (download), and Dolphin browser for iPad (download) all come with one-tap sharing, a multi-faceted option for getting the Web site you're looking at to your friends as efficiently as possible.

One-tap sharing currently works with Twitter, Facebook, and e-mail, but it also includes an option called Wi-Fi Broadcast. Wi-Fi Broadcast will let you share an item with anybody on the same Wi-Fi network who is also running Dolphin. While likely useful on a private network, it could be risky on a public Wi-Fi at a library or coffeeshop.

The new version of Dolphin coincides with add-ons for desktop Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, that will allow the mobile-only Dolphin to sync tabs, bookmarks, history, and passwords, as well as send images, phone numbers, and directions across platforms. It requires you to sign into Dolphin Connect on your mobile device and in the desktop browser add-on.

Dolphin now comes with built-in Evernote Web Clipper support, so you can instantly add an item from the Web to your Evernote collection. The integration is still in beta, though, so there might be some quirks while using it.

iPhone 5S, low-cost iPhone 5 to debut this summer, analyst says

Will Apple release two new iPhones this summer?

(Credit: CNET)

Apple could have a busy summer if the latest iPhone forecast from one analyst comes to fruition.

The company will launch an iPhone 5S and a revamped version of the iPhone 5 in June or July, predicts KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In an investors note received by MacRumors, Kuo said the iPhone 5S would be similar to the current model but offer a few improvements, including an A7 chip for faster performance and a fingerprint sensor. The camera specs would bump up to an f2.0 aperture and a smart LED flash.

The revamped iPhone 5 would be a lower-cost version of the current model in a somewhat thicker case made of plastic and offer a choice of six colors. The analyst estimates the phone would sell for an off-contract, or unlocked, price of $350 to $450.

Rumors of a low-cost iPhone have heated up this month with claims from The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg and forecasts from other analysts. But most of the reports have cited a launch time of later in the year.

On Monday, Taiwan-based DigiTimes also said the new low-cost iPhone would be outfitted with a plastic chassis in order to cut costs. However, it's difficult to envision Apple going too cheap on the exterior as that's not the company's usual style, even when trying to lower costs.

And how is the current iPhone 5 faring?

Apple investors have been concerned over recent claims that the company recently cut its iPhone orders in half. But Kuo believes fourth-quarter sales will beat expectations.

Based on supply chain checks, Apple likely shipped 52 million iPhones last quarter, Kuo said, according to AppleInsider. If true, that would represent a 41 percent gain over the year-ago quarter.

The iPhone 5 may have accounted for 35 million units for the quarter, a drop from Kuo's previous estimate of 36.5 million. The iPhone 4S contributed 9.5 million shipments, followed by the iPhone 4 with 7.3 million. For all of 2012, Apple may have shipped more than 140 million iPhones, the analyst added.

iPhone tops among potential buyers, but Samsung surging

Apple's iPhone 5.

(Credit: CNET)

Apple's iPhone is the No. 1 pick among prospective smartphone buyers polled in North America, though it's losing some ground to Samsung.

Among 4,000 people looking to buy a smartphone in the next 90 days, 50 percent plan to buy an iPhone, according to a report out today from ChangeWave Research. That's not a bad number, but it's down from 71 percent in last quarter's survey, which was conducted just as the iPhone 5 debuted.

Over the same time, the percentage of people eyeing a Samsung smartphone rose to 21 percent from 13 percent, according to the report.

"Consumer buying intent for Samsung smartphones has been extraordinary to start the year. Considering the Galaxy S3 has been out for several months we'd normally expect a slowdown by now -- but it's still red hot," ChangeWave's Paul Carton said in a statement. "We're also seeing strong interest in Samsung's large-screen phone -- the Galaxy Note 2. Supersize smart phones are taking the industry by storm in 2013."

To back up that last claim, the ChangeWave survey asked buyers for their preferred screen size, and more than a quarter pointed to a 5-inch screen or larger. The iPhone 5's display size is 4 inches, while the Galaxy S3's is 4.8 inches. The Galaxy Note 2 tops them both at 5.5 inches.

Among all buyers interested in Samsung, 69 percent are looking at the Galaxy S3, while 23 percent favor the Note 2.

ChangeWave also scoped out the satisfaction level of current smartphone owners based on operating system as well as device.

Apple's iOS came in first, with 71 percent of users saying they're very satisfied with their iPhones. But in a new twist, 53 percent of Windows Phone users ranked it high in satisfaction. Microsoft's mobile OS actually beat out Android, which garnered high satisfaction ratings from 48 percent of its users.

In terms of devices, 70 percent of iPhone users were happy with their phones. Boosted by Windows Phone, 56 percent of Nokia users were satisfied with their devices, beating Samsung with 55 percent.

For this latest study, ChangeWave surveyed 4,061 people last month, primarily in North America.

Delete yourself from the Web by iPhone

DeleteMe Mobile

(Credit: Inc.,Abine)

Sometimes, there is truth in advertising. Today's case-in-point: Abine's DeleteMe Mobile, which, as the name suggests, vigorously petitions Internet data brokers to remove personally identifying information from their databases.

Previously only available as a Web service, the app debuts on iOS with an Android version in the works. As CNET reported last year, DeleteMe is a partially human-powered service where Abine employees take on the onerous duty of contacting data brokers on your behalf. That's an important step because many of them have been known to add your data again, just months after removing it, according to Abine's in-house online privacy analyst, Sarah Downey.

"...[A]lthough a majority of cell phone app users (57 percent) have uninstalled or decided not to install an app due to privacy concerns about the app's use or access to their personal information, there's a serious lack of privacy apps on the market to address these concerns," Downey said in an instant messenger conversation about DeleteMe Mobile.

"For more and more people, mobile devices are how they get online. It's important that people have privacy options however they get online," she added.

DeleteMe Mobile comes with one free entry removal from any of the data brokerage services that it detects your information at. You can also choose the specific entries you want removed, giving the DeleteMe subscriber a more active role in protecting him or herself.

DeleteMe Mobile costs $24.99 quarterly, which works out to be about 20 percent cheaper than the $129 per year for the Web-based DeleteMe. Abine also makes DoNotTrackMe, another privacy-focused tool for blocking tracking cookies.

Software makes a showing at CES 2013, but underwhelms

LAS VEGAS--While the presence of software and apps at CES has certainly grown over the past few years, the fact remains that downloads still sit in the shadows of home theater components, gaming equipment, mobile devices, and other hardware at the annual show. At this point, we're beginning to think that software may never take center stage at CES. From an economic standpoint, it might not make much sense for a company to double down on an expensive booth to showcase a straightforward, downloadable app when the show continues to gravitate toward colorful plastics and shiny metals.

Rather, we think the role of apps at the week-long electronics show is more likely to evolve. For instance, this year, we noticed a lot of growth in apps that are developed solely to control and power hardware and peripherals. Take Flower Power, for instance, a BlueTooth gadget that takes care of your plants. The only way to interface with the device is, you guessed it, through a mobile app. Similarly, we saw Chevy MyLink, an in-dash interface slated for release with the new Chevy Impala that gives you a customizable smartphone-like layout and lets you program each icon to do common actions so you're not distracted while driving. We also liked the iSmart Alarm, a do-it-yourself home alarm system that you can monitor and control, all from your smartphone.

There were a few apps we found at the various shows and on the CES show floor that were worthy of note, but they were often hidden between booths selling smartphone cases, dongles, and other hardware. TLDR (short for "too long, didn't read") is a plugin for browsers and soon an app for both iPhone and Android that gives you accurate news story summaries so you can get the gist without having to read the whole story. Another great find was MindMeld, a Skype-like app for iPad where the app detects key words from the conversation and displays information so you have potentially important info at your fingertips.

The only show that truly focused on emerging apps was the Mobile Apps Showdown, now in its third year at CES. There were 10 finalists that included MindMeld mentioned above, and an assortment of other apps that were interesting, but not really standouts from what we've seen before. One notable exception was MyScript Calculator, an app that lets you write math expressions freehand and delivers solutions to complex problems instantaneously. But overall, while there were definitely apps of note at the Mobile App Showdown, none really jumped out at us as particularly new or groundbreaking.

But this is not us saying that software will eventually disappear from CES. In fact, this year's Mobile Apps Showdown was bigger than ever, and we think it will only continue to grow. Whether the relatively niche award show earns a spot as a major focal point of CES, though, is another matter.

At the end of the day, apps and software aren't going anywhere. But if you're wondering whether software and apps are poised to take center stage at CES in the near future: they're not.

I took a power drill to an iPhone at CES

Take that, iPhone.

(Credit: Amanda Kooser/CNET)

LAS VEGAS--I love power tools. I also love smartphones. Finally, my two passions came together on the show floor of CES 2013. Amzer makes the ShatterProof line of screen protectors for electronic devices. They invited me over to go nuts on an iPhone protected with this thin urethane film.

The available objects of destruction were a power drill and sander. There would have been a hammer, but it had been stolen from the booth. I felt like I was building a set of cabinets rather than testing out a tech item.

Not a scratch on the iPhone screen. (Click to enlarge.)

(Credit: Amanda Kooser/CNET)

Shatterproof is .2 millimeter thick and sticks on with the help of an included wedge. It has already been through a battery of ASTM tests to prove its tear strength and hardness. Now, it was my turn.

I ran the drill tip over the top, reveling in the sensation of going all "This Old House" on an expensive piece of technology. I sanded it up, leaving light buzz marks across the surface. Then the protector came off and all was quiet down below. The phone's screen was unsullied.

Amzer says the ShatterProof screen protectors can dissipate energy and self-heal. With enough effort, I left the protector scratched, but still functional. I expect it would hold up just fine to the usual bumps and spills an iPhone takes.

The screen protectors are available for a variety of devices ranging from full-body iPhone 5 protection for $59.95 to a front protector for the Nexus 7 for the same price.

I don't recommend taking a power tool to your smartphone under any circumstances, but if you ever get the urge, the ShatterProof could help your poor device survive the ordeal.

Power tools test iPhone screen protector

Brick your iPhone 5 with Belkin's Lego case

LAS VEGAS--Lego! iPhone! The two were made for each other.

iPhone cases are like snowflakes in Aspen at CES 2013, but Belkin's tucked-away iPhone 5 Lego cases found a way to catch my eye. Maybe because they're cute and colorful...and maybe because I have a 4-year-old who likes to make Lego dioramas when we're out at dinner.

I can't help but imagine setting up my face-down iPhone at a table and setting up a Star Wars action scene on it...or building an awkward tower. Or, using bricks to design your own 3D makeshift look. These Lego cases are officially debuting at Toy Fair this winter and don't have a price or release date, but I want one anyway.

Mauz goes all 'Minority Report' as a mouse replacement

Mauz is currently up as a Kickstarter project.

(Credit: Amanda Kooser/CNET)

LAS VEGAS--We tech writers are constantly comparing real products to what we've seen in sci-fi movies. I'm still waiting for my Hoverboard, but at least we're inching a little closer to some "Minority Report"-style computer interfaces with the Mauz, a device that turns your iPhone into a mouse with special skills.

The hardware portion of Mauz is reasonably discreet. (Click to enlarge.)

(Credit: Amanda Kooser/CNET)

Mauz is like a combination of the Wii remote, the Kinect, and a desktop mouse. It involves a small device that plugs into your iPhone and an app that makes the magic happen.

Visiting Mauz at CES 2013, I caught the team looking pretty stressed as they struggled with getting Mauz to work over Wi-Fi at the same time 50 gajillion other exhibitors were weighing down the network. They did get it up and running to show off using the phone like a traditional mouse with touch-screen clicks; like a Wii by manipulating a 3D model on-screen by waving the iPhone in the air; and like a Kinect by switching between tabs on a browser by waving a hand in the air above it.

So how does this experience compare with Tom Cruise waving his hands around and getting things done in "Minority Report?" It's not really very close, but you can see the potential. Mauz uses the iPhone's front-facing camera to detect hand movement. That means you can wave your hand over it to change channels, for example. It's far away from the super-detailed work we saw Cruise do, but for right now, we'll take what we can get.

The Mauz demo I saw was conducted with a production-ready prototype. The electronic innards are all ready to go and the app is running. A freshly launched Kickstarter project is aiming to get the funding together to go into production. The early-bird pledge price for a Mauz is $45. The Mauz team estimates it will take about six months to get the device into production.

A lot of the potential for the Mauz centers around harnessing the capabilities of the iPhone. Users can set shortkeys and the app can could be extremely customized to work with specific devices and programs. It also frees you from the flat surface of your desk, giving you an opportunity for a more natural interface with your computer. Plus, you can pretend you're Tom Cruise if you're into that sort of thing.

Mauz works up in the air as well as down on a desk.

(Credit: Amanda Kooser/CNET)

Apple could launch 'iPhone Mini' next year, analyst says

Will the iPhone get a baby brother?

(Credit: CNET)

Is an "iPhone Mini" on the horizon? Strategy Analytics analyst Neil Mawston thinks so. But why?

Samsung has been the clear winner in the smartphone wars, with Apple playing second fiddle. And that lead may wider further in 2013.

Based on data sent to CNET, Mawston expects Samsung to carve out a 33 percent chunk of the smartphone market this year, up from a projected 31 percent in 2012. At the same time, Apple's share will inch up to 21 percent from 20 percent last year. Samsung could sell as many as 290 million smartphones this year, while Apple is likely to sell 180 million iPhones.

The Korean handset maker has the edge over Apple in large part because it "plays in more segments," Mawston told Reuters, allowing it to "capture more volume than Apple."

To fight back, Apple may try to win over a larger base of consumers by launching a smaller, cheaper variant of the iPhone, dubbed the "iPhone Mini" by the analyst.

With the iPhone 5 grabbing huge demand and sales, a low-end model may not be on Apple's agenda this year. But Mawston told CNET he thinks it's coming.

We believe Apple will have to launch an 'iPhone Mini' at some point over the next three years to address the hundreds of millions of prepaid users worldwide that cannot afford the current iPhone. The iPhone 5 is growing fast and profitably right now, so there is limited incentive for Apple to launch a profit-squeezing 'iPhone Mini' this year. We expect the 'iPhone Mini' to be more likely next year, in 2014, when Apple's penetration of the global postpaid smartphone market will be nearing saturation and Apple will be forced to discover fresh growth streams elsewhere.

Jefferies analyst Peter Misek also sees a low-cost iPhone in Apple's future but thinks it could launch early this summer at a price of $200 to $250. He cautions that a low-end iPhone hasn't gotten the go-ahead yet because Apple feels such a Apple iPhone 5product would bite into gross margins.

Apple and Samsung will continue to battle over market share as they introduce new flagship phones for 2013.

Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S4 this year. One initial report said the new phone could reach consumers this February or March, but the company quickly downplayed those rumors.

Apple will have a new iPhone on tap, most likely a refresh of the iPhone 5. Though the iPhone 5 came out last September, some analysts believe the iPhone 5S could pop up around June.

Samsung still rules U.S. mobile market

Samsung's Galaxy S3.

(Credit: Samsung)

Samsung continues to reign over the rest of the mobile-phone industry in the U.S., according to the latest stats from ComScore.

Looking at the three months ending with November, Samsung won 26.9 percent of all mobile subscribers in the U.S., a 1.2 point gain from the prior three-month period. Apple took home second place with 18.5 percent of the market, a gain of 1.4 points.

Samsung continues to wear the crown, but its share hasn't grown much from a year ago. In contrast, Apple has slowly been rising up the ranks. For the three months ending with November 2011, Samsung's U.S. mobile share was 25.6 percent. At the same time, Apple was in fourth place with a share of just 11.2 percent.

Samsung has enjoyed huge demand for its Galaxy S3 smartphone. But the iPhone 5 has given Apple a big boost. Some analysts predict higher sales than initially expected, especially since supply of the new iPhone caught up with demand in November.

The other top three mobile players haven't fared as well, all watching their market share inch down for the three months ending with November 2012. In third place, LG grabbed 18.2 percent of the market, followed by Motorola with 11.2 percent and HTC with 6.3 percent.

Among smartphone operating systems, Android was the top dog as usual with 53.7 percent of the market, a gain of 1.1 points. Apple's iOS was second with a 35 percent share, up slightly less than a percentage point. And the other platforms continued to see their shares go down.

RIM's BlackBerry OS grabbed third place with a 7.3 percent share, followed by Microsoft's Windows Phone with 3 percent and Nokia's Symbian with half a point. For the three months ended with November, 123 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones, accounting for 53 percent of all mobile-phone ownership.

RunKeeper 3.0 for iOS gets overhauled interface, new features

RunKeeper 3 is lookin' good.

(Credit: Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET)

I usually hang up my running shoes for the winter, but the arrival of RunKeeper 3.0 for iOS makes me want to brave the cold, ice, and snow (of which there's ample supply here in Michigan).

Let me pause here to note that although the App Store is home to many great run-management apps, I've been a RunKeeper fan -- and user -- since way back in 2009. And I'm not alone in my adoration of the app: It's a regular presence on the iTunes top-10-freebies list.

So what's new in version 3.0? The first thing you'll notice is the totally overhauled interface, which replaces the functional but rather plain one from version 2.0 with something attractive, elegant, and familiar: RunKeeper 3.0 borrows the very popular Instagram-style toolbar, with five icons spanning the bottom of the screen for quick switching between important areas.

Thankfully, however, the developers labeled those icons with text, so you're not forced to guess what everything does. (That's long been my bugaboo with Instagram and other apps that have copied that interface approach.)

Overall, I'd say the new RunKeeper looks gorgeous, and it wisely keeps the important stuff (tools and tracking for your next activity) front and center.

Also new in 3.0: improved support for taking and sharing photos in-app, meaning it's now much easier to distribute your post-race snapshots via Facebook and/or Twitter. And if you subscribe to RunKeeper Elite, which you can now do in-app for the regular price of $19.99 annually, you can enable live tracking from the Start screen.

This is a cool feature: it lets your followers (friends, family members, etc.) track your progress on a map and get real-time updates. Developer FitnessKeeper also promises improved tracking accuracy (for iOS 6 users).

One of my favorite carryover features is goals: You can set one for, say, a distance (like running 10 miles, which I did over the summer), or to finish a particular race or lose a certain amount of weight. The app will track your progress and give you encouragement along the way. It also keeps tabs on your PRs (personal records) and lets you choose from a variety of preset training plans (Beginner 5K, Running 4 Fat Loss, to name a few).

In short, I continue to rank RunKeeper as not only the best fitness tracker out there -- it's certainly the best free one -- but also one of the best iPhone apps, period. (An update to the Android version is coming soon.) The new interface is just icing on the cake.

Agree? Disagree? What's your favorite run tracker, and why?

How do I keep my iPhone from overheating on a long road trip?

Sharon,

I have a how-to question for you:

Last summer I drove from Colorado to San Diego to go to Comic-Con, and I used my iPhone 4S for both navigation and playing media. I had a lot of trouble with the phone overheating and either shutting down or not charging.

I've been trying to figure out a cooling solution for my drive next summer.

The image I have in my head is to mod a liquid cooling system from a PC in such a way that I would attach the cold plate to the back of the Ram mount I use for the phone and then run the hoses down into one of the a/c vents.

Do you have any thoughts/better ideas?

Thanks in advance.

Meghan F.

Hey Meghan,

Let's back up for a minute and talk about why your iPhone is overheating to the point of shutting itself down and refusing power.

Considering the existence of a temperature warning screen, we know that Apple is well aware of its iPhone's overheating issues. In fact, there's a lengthy Apple Support article about this very topic, where a few obvious facts -- like overheating because of warm weather, or leaving the device in direct sunlight -- are stated.

Those temperature-increasing conditions are obvious, but there are a couple other culprits that may surprise you. Apple explains that simply using GPS-dependent apps and playing games (what?!) can cause your iPhone to shut down.

It's frustrating, but just like a computer, phones heat up when they're in use. And, while the iPhone is connected to a power source, it becomes more and more overwhelmed with every running feature. At some point, the phone just needs a few minutes to take a breather and cool itself down again.

Which raises the question: If Apple is so aware of this issue, why hasn't it been fixed?

Based on a recent patent, it looks like maybe the company is working on a solution. Besides, the more robust its hardware becomes in the future, the greater the need to efficiently cool it down.

But my gosh, Meghan, your solution is really intense. I can tell you've been thinking about it for some time, though, since it's a complex (albeit logical) solution to your problem.

Before you start rigging this thing, first consider these practical solutions to your issue of overheating:

Disable all but the necessary location services. When combined with an active car adapter, GPS takes the crown as the greatest temperature offender. So, head on over to the location settings on your phone and disable any location services you don't absolutely need for the journey.

Better yet, don't use turn-by-turn directions (which constantly ping GPS for up-to-the-second location). The ideal situation here would be for you to simply generate the driving directions and save them for offline use. Or, if you are traveling with others, ask a passenger to force close Maps when you know you'll be cruising on a long stretch of road.

Get a new car adapter. If you purchased a third-party car adapter, there's a chance it could be outputting too much power, causing your iPhone to overheat. If you're using an Apple-approved adapter, or are absolutely certain this is not the problem, consider removing the charger from the iPhone from time to time. Many users have reported that just having the iPhone connected to the car charger warms it up.

Do the obvious. Considering you've already gone to great lengths to come up with a solution, I have a feeling you already thought of these no-brainers. But, just in case:

• Completely erase your phone and set it up as a new device. (Do not restore from backup.)
• Do not use a case while charging your iPhone.
• Turn off all unnecessary services, like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and even push e-mail and notifications.
• Lower the display brightness when possible.

Put all of these best practices to use and I bet you'll see a significant decrease in your iPhone's temperature.

But, if you're like, "Sharon, come on. I've tried all of these things," I strongly urge you to go to the Genius Bar and see if they'll replace your phone. Overheating can be caused by the hardware itself, especially a faulty battery or a micro-SIM that's been nudged out of place.

Assuming you're under warranty, and you explain that you've tried everything, there's a good chance they'll replace your device.

However, if that's not an option, I'd definitely like to know more about this cooling system. It all makes sense in theory, up until the moment when you put the hoses down the A/C vent. Where are they going, and how will the liquid be circulated?

And, hey, Meghan? If you're successful, I want step-by-step photos. (Pics or it didn't happen!)

-- Sharon

What do you think Meghan should do? If you've fixed this very issue, share your solution in the comments.