Apple : Rumour: Supply shortage could hit iPhone 5 availability

Rumour: Supply shortage could hit iPhone 5 availability
iPhone 5 USB charging cable leaks
Rumored Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini likely, says analyst
In Depth: The 10 most influential gadgets ever made

Rumour: Supply shortage could hit iPhone 5 availability

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This wouldn't be the first red herring of its kind, but new reports are suggesting that Apple's iPhone 5 may be in short supply come the expected autumn launch.

According to a report from Digitimes (which has a mixed record on these matters), component shortages could mean that Apple's initial handset order could be 25 per cent light.

The site references "multiple sources" in Apple's far-Eastern supply chain who suggest shipments may fall from 20m to 15m in Q3 due to "poor yields" of touchscreens and the rumoured, smaller dock connector.

Disrupting the shipping schedule

"Issues related to the poor yields of in-cell panels have been cited previously as possibly disrupting Apple's shipping schedule for new iPhones," says the report.

"The latest rumors indicate that Apple has recently redesigned a connector at the bottom of the new iPhone and that yield rates of the new connectors at Foxconn International Holdings (FIH) have been low due in part to insufficient supply of some key materials."

Any shortcoming in the amount of handsets available would make the usual mad dash during launch week that little bit madder.

However, we wouldn't push the panic button just yet. There rumours usually fly around prior to the launch of a new Apple product and this will probably to turn out to be the latest not to come to fruition.

iPhone 5 USB charging cable leaks

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Reports surrounding Apple's iPhone 5 have intensified in recent weeks, and with more hardware leaks surfacing, it appears the smartphone's release is closing fast.

With reports that AT&T, Verizon, and German carrier Mobilcom Debitel, are gearing up for the September 21 launch of the iPhone 5, it was only a matter of time until more concrete evidence surfaced.

We already heard the dock connector would be getting smaller, but new images seem to prove that the iPhone 5 will be coming with a new sync/charging cable.

While the cable will still come with a standard-size male USB end, Apple appears to be ditching the 30-pin connector in favor of a much smaller 8-pin connector on the opposite side.

MagSafe connection with adapters for 30-pin accessories?

Though the images of the cable certainly fit in line with what we expect Apple's iPhone accessories to look like, there are still a few questions about the new cable.

There are indications Apple will be selling an adapter for the new 8-pin end so the iPhone 5 will still work with many of the older 30-pin accessories previously sold.

Additionally, it's being reported the 8-pin end may be a MagSafe connection, similar to those on the new MacBooks, which would make it much easier to snap the cable into place.

Whether this new cable will also find its way into other iOS devices like the iPad Mini, or even refreshes of the iPod Touch and new iPad, remains to be seen.

Regardless of whether this leaked photo ends up being real or not, we'll find out soon enough during Apple's September 12 event.

Rumored Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini likely, says analyst

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A report surfaced today claiming that Samsung plans to counter Apple's iPhone 5 release with a two-pronged attack involving a duo of unannounced devices.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 5 on Sept. 12 and release it on Sept. 21, but Samsung could attempt to steal Apple's thunder with a Galaxy S3 Mini and a Galaxy S2 Plus by the end of the year.

There are no details on the Galaxy S2 Plus yet, but the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini is rumored to feature a 4-inch Super AMOLED display, downsizing the Galaxy S3's screen by .8 inches, as well as a 5-megapixel camera and a dual-core processor.

The kicker is in the price: the Galaxy S3 Mini would be functionally comparable to the iPhone 5, according to the rumors, but cost about $500 less, if the report is to be believed.

Galaxy S3 Mini vs. iPhone 5

J. Gold Associates analyst Jack Gold told TechRadar over the phone today that the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini is certainly a possibility.

"Well, considering the iPhone 5 isn't even out yet, and everyone's already talking about it," Gold said, "Could they do it? Of course."

The implication is that Samsung had better have some tricks up its sleeves if it wants to compete with whatever market-hogging monster Apple is preparing to unleash.

"There are two things that Samsung obviously needs to worry about," Gold continued. "One is the hype cycle - so no matter what they would come out with, you know, does it get blown away by the Apple hype cycle?

"And the second one is: if they come out with something that's not - even if they come out before Apple - that isn't competitive with the iPhone 5, then it's not going to be looked at. Not very well."

"What the market demands"

"I think no matter what you come out with, people are going to have complaints about it," Gold said.

"I like the Galaxy Note, but, you know, a lot of people look at it and say, 'I'd never carry that thing. It's too big.'"

He said that's just the way the market works, "just like car manufacturers have, you know, trucks and cars and SUVs and minis and smart cars and all the rest."

"Apple's got the same issue," Gold continued. "The reason they're going to come out with the [iPad Mini] is because there are people who want something smaller."

He said device makers can't be blamed for wanting to have as much variety as possible.

"It's what the market demands," he concluded. "The problem is the market is so fickle that the phone companies now have to release a phone every three to six months."

In Depth: The 10 most influential gadgets ever made

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Many gadgets are me-too products, and that's no bad thing: technology is all about standing on the shoulders of giants, with firms taking and refining each others' ideas.

But which technologies were truly transformative, leaders rather than followers, blazing trails that the rest of the tech industry would soon follow?

The following ten-ish gadgets are our nominations, and our rules are simple: it has to be everyday tech, so for example computers and sat-nav devices count but hospital hardware and systems such as ABS definitely don't, and it must have had an enormous impact.

Think we've missed something? Let us know @TechRadar.