Apple dispatches 'Let's talk iPhone' event invitations

by Steven Mostyn

It would appear the recent rush of misty rumour and speculation connected to Apple’s unveiling of the next generation iPhone was largely on the money.

Moreover, the Cupertino-based giant has this week officially announced a vaguely mysterious October 4 media event by emailing “Let’s talk iPhone” invitations to technology outlets.

Although Apple has not said exactly what it will reveal during said presentation, the iPhone’s annual refresh is (over) due and industry watchers believe the San Francisco spotlight will indeed showcase the iPhone 4’s successor.

Of course, whether the smartphone in question arrives as merely a tweaked upgrade (i.e., the iPhone 4S) or a completely new handset (i.e., the iPhone 5) remains to be seen.

Associated features long-rumoured to be aboard the device include the likes of a slimmer and lighter chassis, a dual-core A5 processor, version 5.0 of Apple’s iOS operating system, an 8.0 mega-pixel camera, up to 64GBs of data storage, and support for iCloud services.

News of Apple’s event comes after AT&T and Sprint (both of which carry the iPhone) instructed employees that no vacation time is to be granted during the first two weeks of October—which suggests an impending major device launch.

We expect Apple’s new iPhone to be ready for retail by the middle of October.

Facebook iPad App to be Announced Alongside Apple iPhone 5

It seems like Apple fans are getting even more reasons to get excited about the iPhone 5 announcement next Tuesday (Oct 4th), as rumour has it Facebook will also be taking the stage to make some announcements of its own.
According to Mashable, Facebook will be unveiling its long awaited iPad app to coincide with the latest release on iOS 5. As Ben Parr put it, the iPad app has been “in limbo” since it was leaked a few months ago.
It looked like the app was fully functional with a typical iOS design but for some reason it was immediately blocked and never heard of again after developers managed to hack Facebook for iPhone to use it.
Facebook have been much more tight-lipped about the new release with no recent screen shots or hacks being leaked. You can still see the old screenshots on Mashable if you want ideas of what the app will probably look like.
Parr also says that Facebook could be launching and improved iPhone app and even may unveil an HTML5-based mobile app marketplace. It’s uncertain whether Zuckerberg himself will make the announcements but we’re sure the combination of a new iPhone and the long awaited Facebook iPad app will be more than enough for attendees.

Apple Presses Samsung Tablet Ban

By ROSS KELLY

SYDNEY—A legal dispute between Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. in Australia intensified Monday, with an attorney representing the maker of the iPad alleging its South Korean rival's product infringes on patents relating to touch-screen technology.

The case is part of a global battle between the two companies that began in April, when Apple sued Samsung in California, saying its smartphones and tablets had "slavishly" copied the iPhone and iPad. The companies have since filed suits against one another in Germany, Japan, France and South Korea.

Apple is seeking a court injunction to prevent Samsung from selling its Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia starting Friday. Apple has sold about 500,000 iPads in Australia, equal to about 2% of the total population, Credit Suisse said in June.

The company has filed at least a dozen patent infringement claims but only three, all related to touch-screen technology, are being considered in a hearing before Justice Annabelle Bennett in the Federal Court this week.

"It must have been as plain as the Opera House to Samsung that the Apple patents were right in front of its eyes and they were wide open," an attorney for Apple, Steven Burley, told the Federal Court. "They ought to clear the way in advance rather than try to crash through."

Mr. Burley said that Samsung's product is similar in "form, factor and shape" to Apple's iPad 2 and that even the cardboard boxes they are sold in look alike. Still, he confirmed that the current part of the hearing relates only to the touch-screen patents. One of these is for a "selective rejection" function on the iPad, where the tablet doesn't respond to accidental touches. The other patents relate to the design of the touch screens and their ability to enable vertical scrolling even when the person touching the screen doesn't move their finger in a precise vertical pattern.

An attorney for Samsung, David Catterns, said the case currently has nothing to do with the form, function or shape of the product and is instead based on specific patents that would have a "negligible" impact if the product's sale goes ahead. Mr. Catterns also said some existing Samsung products have the same features but Apple hasn't made any patent infringement claims.

Samsung on Sept. 18 said it had filed a countersuit alleging Apple's iPhone and iPad 2 tablet violate many wireless-technology patents held by Samsung.

The hearing continues Thursday morning.

Separately, a Duesseldorf court will conduct verbal negotiations between Apple and Samsung on Dec. 20, a court spokesperson said Monday.

Earlier this month, the Duesseldorf court banned Samsung from distributing Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany, while the company's German unit Samsung Electronics GmbH is barred from selling it in the whole of the European Union.

—Nicky Redl contributed to this article.

Write to Ross Kelly at ross.kelly@dowjones.com