White iPhone Coming This Spring

In a reply to a question posted on Twitter about when a white iPhone would be available for purchase, Apple’s Senior Vice President Phil Schiller used his verified Twitter account to reply, saying "The white iPhone will be available this spring (and it is a beauty!)."

Two things are interesting here. First is the fact an Apple employee has actually given some real information about the availability of the unicorn-like device, and second is the use of Twitter as the medium. With Schiller’s account being verified by Twitter there is little doubt this is indeed the SVP himself. Is Apple starting to converse with its users, even if it is limited to 140 characters?

Perhaps the real question here is whether the Spring white iPhone is an iPhone 4 model or something else.

iPhone iOS 4.3 Software Update Released Today

Apple today has just released the very final version of iOS 4.3 for iPhone 4 (GSM only), iPhone 3GS, iPad 2, iPad, iPod touch 4G/3G.

This version of iOS brings a number of new features for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users including: ability to to cancel the download of an app, multitouch gestures for iPad (for developers only), Personal Hotspot for GSM iPhone 4, AirPlay for third party apps, option of choosing between mute switch and rotation lock for iPad’s “Side Switch” hardware button, subscription-based payments to iTunes App Store, Nitro JavaScript engine from Safari on OS X, new iTunes Home Sharing features, support for FaceTime on iPad 2, Photo Booth for iPad 2 and other system wide changes and improvements.

If your phone is jail broken and unlocked DO NOT UPDATE YOU WILL LOSE YOUR JAILBREAK AND UNLOCK!!

BlackBerry Messenger will launch on Android and iOS

PhoneShop UK has learned from multiple trusted sources that Research In Motion is planning to bring its beloved BlackBerry Messenger app and service to Android, and eventually to iOS as well. According to our sources, RIM has not yet finalized details surrounding timing or pricing, but we have heard that the company might make the software free to all users. We’re also told strategy is still being developed, however, and RIM may end up charging users a one-time fee or even a recurring fee for access to its BBM service on third-party platforms.

It might seem a bit strange for RIM to want to bring the software that is responsible for keeping BlackBerry devices in the hands of countless potential defectors, but in the big picture, we think it could make sense. The company is getting very frustrated with applications like WhatsApp and Kik offering third-party experiences based on a concept RIM invented, and RIM apparently wants to own the space.

As far as what Android and iOS users can look forward to, we’ve been told RIM will offer stripped down versions of the BBM experience BlackBerry owners know and love. That way, Android and iOS users can communicate with practically anyone who has a smartphone using BBM, but they might not be able to share photos, location, or videos (when RIM crosses that bridge). Users who want the full BlackBerry Messenger experience will still need a BlackBerry smartphone to get it. At the same time, RIM could own the entire messaging app category on every major smartphone OS platform and could potentially draw new users in because it has given them a taste of what BlackBerry Messenger is all about.

Right now, we have heard that Android is definitely a go. But again, we’re not sure on timing, though our sources are confident that it will launch some time this year. RIM chose Android first because of the fact that it could develop and integrate something like this much easier with an open platform, but the plan is to build and deploy an iOS version at some point as well.