Apple, Electronics | featured news

Apple Inc is betting a 4G-equipped iPad will tempt more U.S. consumers to pay extra to watch high-quality video on the go, and in turn, give Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc a revenue boost.

The iPad, considered a side business for Apple when it was introduced in 2010, accounted for $9.15 billion in revenue in the holiday quarter, about 20 percent of Apple’s total revenue.

will begin production on a smaller 7.85-inch iPad later this year according to a new report. DigiTimes is reporting that the new iPad will run somewhere between $249 ? $299, making it a cheaper alternative to the current crop of iPads. is also expected to release an 8GB iPad 2 for US$349-399 according to DigiTimes. ...

Apple's market capitalization topped $500 billion in opening trading Wednesday, climbing to a mountain peak where few companies have ventured -and none have stayed for long.

The iPad 3 is widely-tipped to be launched on 7 March as Apple announces a special event in San Francisco.

Taiwan's HTC, the world's No. 5 smartphone maker, launched a new range of smartphone models on Sunday, hoping the fresh designs will help it to recover some of the lost market share. The new smartphones are crucial for HTC in a cut-throat market place -- dominated by Samsung Electronics and Apple Inc -- as lack of new, outstanding models has sent its sales sinking over the last months.

Apple is working with component suppliers in Asia to test a new tablet computer with a smaller screen, people familiar with the situation said, as it looks to broaden its product pipeline amid intensifying competition.

Verizon and AT&T will sell a version of the upcoming iPad that runs on their newest fourth-generation wireless networks, as the battle to cash in on big investments in mobile broadband heats up.

Apple's stock broke above $500 for the first time Monday. It was the latest step in a rally that began more than two weeks ago, when the company reported staggering sales and profits for the holiday quarter.

Wireless carriers have us right where they want us. When there are only four significant national providers in the US, there’s only so much competition for our business. So when they all band together (even if only in mindset) and decide on a “new rule,” customers are forced to play along.