Weekly Review: iPhone Sales Strong, Maps Flawed; Texas Instruments to Back Out of Mobile Device Market

Apple revealed sales figures for the iPhone 5 last week: 5 million devices were sold in the first week, breaking records but falling short of expectation. Apple stock fell slightly, and iPhone discussion has been focused on the device’s increased susceptibility to scratches and the imperfections of Apple Maps.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt has denied rumors that the company has submitted an independent Google Maps app for approval, but the latest news suggests Google plans to update the Web version of Google Maps and Street View, making it easier for iPhone users to navigate. The arrival of the Google Maps app will likely be delayed until the end of the year.

Aside from the scratches and map issues, the pros and cons of the new Lightning connector have also received plenty of attention. As for future iPhones, a faster A6 processor, a carbon fiber case, and fingerprint technology are all possible features to keep a lookout for.

Looking at the iPhone’s main competitor, many Android devices were eligible for the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean upgrade last week, just as a significant security hole was revealed in the older Android OS. It was initially believed that only Samsung devices were susceptible to the break, but the problem was later revealed to be common to all phones running on the Android platform. As such, Android users still on an older version of the OS should upgrade as soon as possible to avoid security leaks. As for Blackberry-maker RIM, CEO Thorsten Heins was quoted saying the company has a ‘clear shot’ at being the third platform on the market.

In other news, Qualcomm and Intel are both busy releasing new processors in the midst of the mobile device battle. The former is working on bringing quad-core processors to entry-level devices, while the latter is focused on an x86 ARM-based processor for its Windows 8 tablet. While the two industry leaders are going head-to-head, once strong competitor Texas Instruments has not been doing so well in recent years. After losing ground to Qualcomm and ending its cooperation with Microsoft, Texas Instruments has also suffered setbacks as some of its clients are now developing mobile processors on their own. As a result, the maker is lessening its focus on mobile devices, emphasizing its embedded chip business instead.