SPRINT ORDERS $20 BILLION IN iPHONES

According to information obtained by the Wall Street Journal, Sprint's betting the farm on a 30 million-plus order of next-generation iPhones to put it on an even battle ground with heavyweight rivals AT&T and Verizon. The cost of this loss-absorbing gamble? That would be about $20 billion, with the Hesse-led co. subsidizing the $500 cost of each handset. For the third place operator it's matter of do-or-die, as there really isn't an alternative to the critically-praised, Jony Ive-designed handset that set off this smartphone race. Hesse's purported admission to the company's board that customer churn is directly linked to its iPhone omission only serves to underscore the uncomfortable plight his company faces. It remains to be seen if Sprint can convert its base of 52 million subscribers (mostly pre-paid) into the contracted customers it needs to stay financially afloat.

PEGATRON GETS ORDER FOR 15 MILLION iPHONE 5s

With September less than two months away, if Apple intends to ship a new iPhone it has to ramp up production in the coming weeks. Apparently, that is exactly what the company is doing and has placed an order with Pegatron Technology for 15 million new iPhones.

Although this new smartphone is being referenced as the iPhone 5, the overall design is meant to be very similar to that of the iPhone 4. From all the rumors we’ve heard over the past few months this suggests the handset may indeed be the iPhone 4S, but carrying the iPhone 5 name. We can therefore expect an A5 processor and possibly a larger edge-to-edge display in a case very much like the existing phone. There’s bound to be an antenna redesign too and the phone will of course ship running iOS 5.

Neither Pegatron or Apple are confirming nor denying this order.

SAMSUNG ASKS JUDGE TO MAKE APPLE SHOW THEM THE iPHONE 5 AND iPAD 3

Samsung lawyers recently asked the court to make Apple show them the as-yet-unannounced iPhone 5 and iPad 3, claiming that they need to know what Apple's products will look like ahead of time to avoid future lawsuits and uncanny similarities. This also highlights the ridiculousness of the original order which compels Samsung to show Apple its products before they launch.

VERIZON iPHONE AVAILABLE FOR ORDER/RESERVATION FOR EVERYONE

You're now able to order or reserve your iPhone at the online stores of Verizon and Apple. Unlike the last pre-order, this is open to everyone regardless if you are a current Verizon subscriber or not. The Verizon iPhone will set you back $199 for the 16GB model and $299 for the 32GB model, provided you agree to a 2-year contract.