A new string has been found in the iOS 4.3 beta that suggests the iPad may be getting a proximity sensor in a future version. MacStories reports that the new string is tied to a property called “pad_case_lock,” and is described as a way to “Automatically lock and unlock your iPad when you close and open the iPad cover.” Such a feature would most likely require a proximity sensor, and could be of help to those who carry their iPads in folio-style or other covered cases. [Thanks, Mike]
Citing new text on Apple’s online stores, M.I.C. Gadget reports that Apple is now imposing a one per customer limit on iPhone 4 orders in both Hong Kong and China. The report speculates that the limitation is due to a combination of high demand and the prevalence of scalpers in the two markets.
Following an earlier report citing internal Best Buy information that AT&T is planning changes to its text messaging plans, GearLive is now citing similar documents which show that the big box retailer plans to steer customers away from the Verizon iPhone. According to the document, Verizon’s recent focus at CES was on 4G, LTE-enabled devices—devices which Best Buy apparently plans to push on customers—while the iPhone 4 will “still be puttering at EVDO speeds.”
Mobile analytics company Zokem has posted the results of its 2010 Mobile Life panel in the U.S. According to the study of over 1,500 smartphone users, the iPhone had the highest loyalty ranking of any smartphone platform—more than 80 percent higher than Google’s Android—and among non-iPhone users, the number one preference for the next smartphone is iPhone, although users of Blackberries and Android devices are still more likely to choose a similar device than switch from their current platform with their next smartphone purchase.
