MacRumors

According to a new report from market research company NPD DisplaySearch as related by CNET, Samsung has supplied more 9.7-inch panels for the fourth-generation iPad in recent months than any other Apple supplier, including longtime partners LG and Sharp.

Apple, in fact, has been boosting purchases of displays from Samsung since January, according to the market analyst. Apple got about 2.3 million units from Samsung in the first quarter. That figure jumped about 80 percent quarter-to-quarter to more than 4.1 million units in the second quarter, according to DisplaySearch.

The report also claims that Samsung, LG, and Japan Display will also begin supplying 7.9-inch panels for the next-generation iPad mini, although it declines to state whether the displays will be of Retina resolution or not. A Wall Street Journal story last week stated that the next-generation iPad mini is indeed likely to feature a high-resolution display from Samsung, with screens also being supplied from LG and Sharp. The next-generation iPad mini is expected to launch sometime in the fall.

Apple has been reported to be seeking to reduce its reliance on Samsung as a component supplier due to continuing tensions between the two companies as they have increasingly become top competitors in the mobile device market. But it has been reported for several months now that Apple is returning to Samsung as a display supplier due to its technological advantages and production capacity.

A customer satisfaction survey of streaming video services by analytics firm ForeSee has placed Apple’s iTunes Store in first place with a score of 80, ahead of other popular video services such as HBO GO and Netflix, which both finished with a score of 79. The survey also revealed tendencies about individual usage, such as how often users make visits to premium video services and the number of minutes users spend on streaming services per visit.

iTunes is the de facto experience when consumers are using Apple’s iOS platform. The iTunes app comes pre-installed on iPhones and iPads. It is a significant market advantage that users do not have to elect to download the app. Also, it provides guidance to other content and media apps since the iTunes app’s user experience has become the standard for how other apps look, feel, and behave. Millions of consumers then actively choose to engage with iTunes to download content.

Last year, ForeSee ranked Apple second in mobile shopping satisfaction behind Amazon. Apple originally started selling videos on the iTunes Store in October 2005, and expanded movie content to 42 new countries in December of last year, bringing the total number of countries with access to purchased and rental iTunes Store movie content to over 100.

Following a video from earlier this week that appeared to show a partially assembled device, Sonny Dickson shares new alleged high resolution photos of the low-cost iPhone, potentially named the iPhone 5C. A prominent poster on Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo, C Technology, also claims (via phoneArena) the low-cost iPhone in China will be priced at 3000 yuan off contract, which is equivalent to $490 and in line with current pricing on the iPhone 4.

The photos show the shell from various angles, including views from the back and side of the device, as well as the shell's interior which includes a set of metal linings and screw holes. The images also appear to be consistent with previous alleged sightings of the device, with notable features such as an 8-megapixel camera, Lightning connector, speakers and flash for the phone.

The part appears to be nearly identical to previously seen in high-quality photos and a video last month, with pin holes instead of full cut-outs for a number of physical features like power/volume buttons and the SIM card slot.

Like other sightings of the device, the phone in these photos does not appear to have the required legal information and certifications on its lower body, making it unclear as to whether this is a final version or a prototype, although such information is generally printed on the devices at different stages of production.

According to the most recent report, Apple is expected to launch the low-cost iPhone in early September, alongside the upcoming the iPhone 5S.

Apple today released the fifth beta of iOS 7, which brings a number of improvements, changes, and bug fixes to the operating system, including newly redesigned Settings icons and a Control Center option that allows the feature to be disabled within apps.

iOS 7 beta 5 also offers a slew of minor interface tweaks and improvements that continue to make iOS 7 feel both faster and more polished. Our forum members have noted multiple enhancements that have been bundled into the release:

Settings - The icons in the Settings menu have seen a complete design, going from standard blue icons to a variety of square icons in various colors.

Control Center - Control Center’s settings now allow the function to be turned off while in apps, preventing Control Center from being accessed from the bottom of the screen while playing games or otherwise using apps.

Power Off - The slider bar that displays when the iPhone is being powered off has been slightly altered.

Twitter - The Twitter icon has been redesigned. Rather than a white bird on a blue background, it now depicts a blue bird on a white background.

Notifications - Banner notifications can now be pulled down to access additional information.

Phone - The icons that are displayed while a user is in a call have been slightly altered with the addition of circles around the icons. They also appear to be larger.

Accessibility Options - There are now On/Off toggle options under the Accessibility menu.

Boot Screen - When installing iOS 7 beta 5, many iPhone 5 users noted that the color of the boot screen matched their devices, with a white screen used for white phones and a black screen used for black phones. This differentiation appears to be limited to the iPhone 5 at this point in time as iPad owners and older iPhone users have not noticed the change.

Messages - In iOS 7 beta 4, Apple changed Messages to default to displaying the first name and last initial of a contact in a conversation. With beta 5, only the first name is displayed by default, though other options can be selected in the Mail settings menu (which is linked to Messages). To access the feature, go to Settings / Mail Contacts and Calendars / Short Name (under Contacts).

Additional features in iOS 7 beta 5 will be added here as they are discovered. Apple is likely to continue pushing regular updates for iOS 7, bringing minor performance boosts and changes ahead of the operating system’s public release, which is expected to come in the fall.

Apple has just released the fifth beta version of iOS 7 to developers for testing purposes. The update is available as an over-the-air update to existing beta testers and it can also be downloaded via Apple's Developer Center.

The new beta arrives as build 11A4449a, and comes just over a week after the previous beta 4. Apple has also released a new version of its Apple TV beta, version 4, which can be downloaded here by registered members of Apple's paid developer program:

- Apple TV Software beta (3rd generation Rev A)
- Apple TV Software beta (3rd generation)
- Apple TV Software beta (2nd generation)

The company has also released a the fifth version of Xcode 5, build 5A11365y, which can be downloaded from Apple's Developer Center.

iOS 7 is scheduled for release in the fall of this year, with updates to Apple’s iPhone and iPad lineups expected around the same time. If past history is any indication, iOS 7 should be made available to the public just a few days before the launch of the next-generation iPhone.

Direct iOS 7 beta 5 links for paid members of Apple's iOS developer program:

- iPad (4th generation Model A1458)
- iPad (4th generation Model A1459)
- iPad (4th generation Model A1460)
- iPad mini (Model A1432)
- iPad mini (Model A1454)
- iPad mini (Model A1455)
- iPad Wi-Fi (3rd generation)
- iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (model for ATT)
- iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (model for Verizon)
- iPad 2 Wi-Fi (Rev A)
- iPad 2 Wi-Fi
- iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G (GSM)
- iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G (CDMA)
- iPhone 5 (Model A1428)
- iPhone 5 (Model A1429)
- iPhone 4S
- iPhone 4 (GSM Rev A)
- iPhone 4 (GSM)
- iPhone 4 (CDMA)
- iPod touch (5th generation)

Apple last week filed for a European patent (via Patently Apple) on methods for fusing glass pieces together to create various types of glass enclosures for a number of products. While the patent application specifically addresses the general concept of such devices, examples and drawings included in the application outline how the process could be applied to such products as iPhones, iPads, iPods, displays, and even televisions.

Three independent claims in the application describe Apple's use of fused glass to create housings to cover displays or other components:

1. An electronic device, comprising: a display; and a housing in which the display is mounted, wherein the housing includes glass structures that have a recess that receives at least part of the display, wherein the glass housing structures include a planar glass member fused with a peripheral glass member that extends around at least some peripheral edge portions of the planar glass member to form the recess.

11. An electronic device, comprising: an electronic device housing formed from fused glass members including at least first and second opposing planar glass members that are separated by a gap; and display structures inserted into the gap.

20. A method of forming an electronic device, comprising: polishing a planar glass member; fusing a peripheral glass member to at least part of an edge portion of the planar glass member to thicken the planar glass member at the edge portion; and attaching the planar glass member and fused peripheral glass member to a housing structure.

Further descriptions suggest that while glass display housings could be paired with enclosures made of other materials as on many Apple products, entire enclosures could be also be made of glass.

Of notable interest, Apple design chief Jonathan Ive is named as one of the inventors on the patent, along with Apple designers Peter Russell-Clarke and Mike Pilliod.

Interestingly, the European patent application cites as priority a U.S. application filed in January 2012. That application was quietly published on July 25 of this year following the expiration of the 18-month confidentiality period on applications, although the application did not specifically name Apple as the assignee of the rights. That application also included rather crude hand drawings for its figures, drawings that were translated into more professional illustrations for the European filing.

Apple has released a new iPhone ad called "FaceTime Every Day," the third in the popular people-oriented ad series the company launched earlier this year. The previous ads, "Music Every Day" and "Photos Every Day" highlighted the iPhone's Music and Camera apps.

As with the other ads in the series that focused on music and photos, FaceTime Every Day highlights Apple's FaceTime app. The spot features a number of people of all ages using FaceTime in various locations across the world.

Soft music plays as a group wishes a man happy birthday from afar, fireworks are shared across long distances, and a woman uses the app to communicate with sign language.

The advertisement ends with a familiar line: "Every day more people connect face to face on the iPhone than any other phone."

Following the electrocution of a Chinese woman that may have been caused by a counterfeit iPhone charger, Apple will launch a new recycling program on August 16th to dispose of any USB power adapter used with the iPhone and iPad.

The company is also offering official replacement chargers for $10 to anyone who turns in a suspect adapter. The program was first reported by 9to5Mac.

Recent reports have suggested that some counterfeit and third party adapters may not be designed properly and could result in safety issues. While not all third party adapters have an issue, we are announcing a USB Power Adapter Takeback Program to enable customers to acquire properly designed adapters.

Customer safety is a top priority at Apple. That’s why all of our products — including USB power adapters for iPhone, iPad, and iPod — undergo rigorous testing for safety and reliability and are designed to meet government safety standards around the world.

Starting August 16, 2013, if you have concerns about any of your USB power adapters, you can drop them off at an Apple Retail Store or at an Apple Authorized Service Provider. We will ensure that these adapters are disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.

To get the discounted charger, users can bring any USB power adapter and an iPhone, iPad or iPod to an Apple Retail Store or participating Apple Authorized Service Provider. Only one replacement adapter per device is allowed.

Apple does note that retail stores or service providers cannot give any information about the authenticity or safety of power adapters.

This is not the first time that Apple has introduced a special support program for USB power adapters. In 2008, Apple issued a recall for USB power adapters included with the iPhone 3G. There were a number of reports that the metal prongs on the ultracompact power adapters could break off and get stuck in the wall. To this day, Apple puts a green dot on new power adapters to differentiate them from the older, recalled models.