Apple

6,154 'Apple News' stories November 2008 - September 2013

Apple News and Brief History

Before you can properly understand Apple News, it’s important to know its history. Apple was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976. In 1977, Apple’s sales were growing with the success of its early computers. Within a few years, Jobs and Wozniak hired designers and a production line crew. Apple went public in 1980 and was an instant success. Over the next few years, Apple shipped new computers featuring new graphical user interfaces, such as the original Macintosh in 1984. As the market for personal computers expanded through the 1990s, Apple lost market share to the cheaper Microsoft Windows on PC clones. Eventually, Wozniak and Jobs both left Apple. Jobs would go on to found NeXT and would return to Apple when NeXT was acquired in the late 90s. Apple then began a journey to the great second act in the history of the business world.

Since the release of the iPod in 2001, Apple has become a major player once again in the technology industry. After releasing the iPhone in 2007, the iPad in 2010, and the Apple Watch in 2015, Apple is now one of the largest companies in the world. Apple’s worldwide annual revenue totaled $274.5 billion for its 2020 fiscal year.

Today, Apple operates retail stores all across the world, has a growing services division, and an ever-expanding hardware lineup. The technology industry follows Apple news to see where the company is headed in the future.

Keep reading for the latest Apple news

Apple built Google Glass-like prototypes, says former Senior VP of iPod division

Ben Lovejoy Sep 10 2013 - 5:43 am PT

13 Comments

Tony Fadell, the Nest CEO who was Senior VP of Apple’s division from 2006 to 2008, says that Apple built prototypes of a similar device to Google Glass but “didn’t have time” to turn them into actual products.

Interviewed as part of Fast Company‘s Oral History of Apple Design series, Fadell said:

At Apple, we were always asking, What else can we revolutionize? We looked at video cameras and remote controls. The craziest thing we talked about was something like Google Glass. We said, “What if we make visors, so it’s like you’re sitting in a theater?” I built a bunch of those prototypes. But we had such success with the things we were already doing that we didn’t have time …
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Find My Phone tracks stolen car with 5yo child inside it, allowing police to intercept

Ben Lovejoy Sep 10 2013 - 4:33 am PT

8 Comments

A stolen SUV with a five-year-old boy in it was successfully intercepted by police in northwest Houston last night after the child’s father used the Find My Phone feature on his iPad to track an iPhone in the car.

The father had left his son in the car while he ran into a store, when it was stolen.

“The father had an iPad that he’d taken in with him and he utilized that iPad with the iPhone that was in the car and was able to track it,” said Lt. Wayne Schultz with the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office. “And the information was provided from our deputies to our dispatch, that was able to be communicated through the Harris County Sheriff’s Office dispatch also and they were able to get information out to the troops in the field to where we could disseminate information in almost a real-time environment to put it out to guys who were looking for the vehicle with the child in it.”

Police stopped the SUV 15 minutes later and re-united the child, who was unharmed, with his father. The suspect was arrested.

While we might raise an eyebrow at leaving a 5yo child in a car on his own, credit has to be given for having the presence of mind in such circumstances to use Find My Phone in such stressful circumstances.

Apple reduces iPhone margin in India in run-up to launch of 5C

Ben Lovejoy Sep 10 2013 - 4:04 am PT

0 Comments

Bloomberg reports that Apple has absorbed a 14% hit in the value of the rupee in order to keep iPhone prices steady in India, speculating that it is willing to reduce margin in order to grow market share in what is expected to become the world’s second-largest smartphone market by 2017.

Apple has refrained from following Samsung Electronics Co in raising prices. Apple is selling the iPhone and iPad to distributors such as Redington India Ltd at the same price as in 2012 even after the currency’s decline this year, Rajesh Khetarpal, head of Redington’s strategic business unit, said in an interview.

Apple is currently in 6th place in smartphone market share in India, behind Samsung, Micromax, Karbonn, Nokia Oyj and Sony. It has previously offered disguised discounts and interest-free credit deals via distributors in order to boost sales in the country.

It is thought that BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) are key target markets for the iPhone 5C expected to be officially announced today.

Supposed iPhone 5S User Guide brands fingerprint sensor as ‘Touch ID’

Benjamin Mayo Sep 10 2013 - 1:30 am PT

13 Comments

According to Nowhereelse.fr, this is a photo of the iPhone 5S user guide. The pamphlet shows an iPhone with a gray ring around the round home button, which matches previous descriptions of the iPhone 5S’ fingerprint sensor. The guide refers to this button as a “Home Button/Touch ID sensor”. This suggests that Apple will brand the 5S’ fingerprint sensor clearly as a means of identification.

This corroborates with 9to5Mac’s reporting. We have said on multiple occasions that the fingerprint sensor will likely only be used as a means of unlock. In our roundup, we describe how the system will work:

To unlock the iPhone with the fingerprint reader, an iPhone 5S user simply clicks and holds their finger/thumb down on the sensor for a few seconds. It is unlikely that the sensor login and passcode could be used in tandem. There will be a preference in the iPhone’s Settings app to disable the sensor.

This description of the process pairs nicely with the branding ‘Touch ID’, as it literally describes what happens; unlocking will be activated by a touch-and-hold of your finger on the Home Button.

It should also be noted that this guide matches the leaked user guides for the iPhone 5C, with the same color-matched wallpaper design.

Apple will formally announce the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C at its September event, scheduled for 10 AM PST. Banners at Apple’s Town Hall, the venue for the announcements, went up yesterday.

Poll: How much will a 16GB iPhone 5C cost, unsubsidized?

Seth Weintraub Sep 9 2013 - 6:33 pm PT

20 Comments

One of the bigger questions remaining about Apple’s event tomorrow is the price point of the iPhone 5C. Some, including Reuters, have put the price point very low, in the $100 Android range. Others have put it higher at $500 and above. Assuming Apple goes with a 16GB base model, I’d personally guess about $450 or slightly lower. How about you?

iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, and wildcards for tomorrow’s Apple event

Mark Gurman Sep 9 2013 - 3:17 pm PT

36 Comments

<a href="http://9to5mac.com/2013/09/09/colorful-banners-go-up-at-apple-town-hall-ahead-of-tomorrows-iphone-event/">Image</a> via <a href="http://www.igen.fr"><em>iGen</em></a>

With Apple’s media event scheduled for tomorrow, we have rounded up what Apple is likely due to introduce. We previously published a round-table of 9to5Mac author hopes for the event, but this roundup will focus on our specific expectations for the keynote address. You can find our roundup below:

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IFA 2013 Roundup: Apple accessories almost stole the show

Jordan Kahn Sep 9 2013 - 12:40 pm PT

2 Comments

Samsung received the most attention this year at the IFA consumer technology show with its new Galaxy Gear smartwatch and Galaxy Note devices, but Apple products still dominated much of the show floor when it came to new accessories for tablets and smartphones. Below we’ve put together a huge collection of the new and upcoming accessories for Apple devices that we came across this year in Berlin.
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Apple looking to double employee head count for in-house advertising/marketing team

Mark Gurman Sep 9 2013 - 9:32 am PT

8 Comments

Apple is looking to double the amount of personnel on its in-house marketing and advertising team, according to a report from AdAge. Currently, according to the report, the team includes 300 employees, but Apple is said to be looking to increase that number to between 500 and 600 people.

Apple, in recent years, has reportedly been resilient to growing the team because of a philosophy created by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs:

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Jony Ive designs one of a kind pieces for upcoming Product (Red) charity auction at Sotheby’s

Jordan Kahn Sep 9 2013 - 8:57 am PT

1 Comment

Apple’s Senior Vice President of Design Jony Ive has teamed up with designer & friend Marc Newson to create one of a kind pieces for Bono’s Product (Red) charity auction scheduled for November 23 at Sotheby’s New York. Ive commented on the upcoming auction in statement today released by Sotheby’s:

“It’s been a fantastic honour to curate this collection of objects with Marc for the auction at Sotheby’s. Each piece represents the value of thoughtful design. What we create for each other is not only a comment on our culture but of course in many ways defines it. (RED) is making a difference in the lives of millions of people and we’re humbled to make this contribution to such an important and worth cause.”

Among the items to be auctioned off that were designed by Jony and Marc: a unique Leica Digital Rangefinder Camera, an aluminium desk produced by Neal Feay Studios, a Steinway & Sons Parlor Grand Piano, a 2012 Range Rover, and the rose gold Apple EarPods pictured above.

Bono said, “When you think of Jony and Marc, you think of design which is both iconic and sublime. Those two words can be applied to the unique collection of objects on the auction block this November. Each bang of the hammer will be raising critical dollars to fight AIDS… by getting medication to mothers with HIV which means they will not pass the virus on to their newborns.”

The press release from Sotheby’s says that Marc and Jony spent the last year and a half curating the collection that includes “objects from disciplines as diverse as space travel and lighting design to contemporary art and rare automobiles.”

(via MacRumors)

How will AAPL stock price react to iPhone 5S/5C launch? Let’s look at history

Ben Lovejoy Sep 9 2013 - 6:18 am PT

4 Comments

A chart posted by Fortune showing what happened to Apple’s stock price for 12 months before and after each new iPhone launch shows that it rose after four of the six launches.

Conventional wisdom says that Apple traders buy the rumor and sell the news, but the series of stock charts Deutsche Bank’s Chris Whitmore shared with clients Monday suggest the opposite.

The brief piece explains the exceptions by observing that the 3G launched just before a major recession and the iPhone 5 when the stock was already at an all-time high, but we wouldn’t suggest investing any money on the basis of those six squiggly lines …

Update: BTIG’s Waltyer Piecyk has posted some more short-term historical data, suggesting that the separation of iPhone announcements from WWDC ended the ‘sell on the news’ phenomenon:

Designer does mock up of iPhone 5S ‘ringed’ home button based on packaging [Gallery]

Seth Weintraub Sep 8 2013 - 9:17 am PT

24 Comments

We haven’t seen any LEDs behind the fingerprint-reading home button in parts leaks but that hasn’t stopped Martin Hajek from mocking up a ‘Lord of the Rings’ version (Gallery below) of the iPhone 5S based on the recent packaging leaks…
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Photos claim to show iPhone 5C logic board and structure

Michael Steeber Sep 7 2013 - 11:10 am PT

5 Comments

Image thanks to iDeviceGuys

Chinese site CTechCN is showing photos of what they claim to be the logic board for the upcoming iPhone 5C. When compared with alleged photos of the iPhone 5S logic board, we can see slight design differences.

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Dedication: Only 5 people have left Jony Ive’s team, 3 because they died

Benjamin Mayo Sep 6 2013 - 7:58 am PT

11 Comments

Fast Company is currently running an anecdotal series on Apple’s design department from when Ive first joined Apple to present day. The series is being published in separate articles to mark different eras of Apple’s products, finishing on September 10th, with the later articles focusing on Apple’s more recent work such as the iPad, the background to which is less well-known. Although much of the story has been told many times before, there are some fresh tidbits.

Of particular note, Fast Company says that over the entire course of Ive’s leadership, only five designers have ever left Ive’s team with only two actually quitting, the other three simply died.

So Fast Company set out to remedy that deficiency. It wasn’t easy. Precious few designers have left Sir Jonathan Ive’s industrial design group since he took over in 1996: Two quit; three died.

This is an astonishing drop-out rate for such a long period of time. In late 2012, Ive showed his appreciation for his group by bringing his entire team to London to collect prestigious awards for design and art direction.
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People are saying the iPod classic dies this year…again

Ben Lovejoy Sep 6 2013 - 7:44 am PT

14 Comments

The iPod Classic is the gadget that refuses to die. Despite containing a hard drive when everything else is flash memory and physical controls when everything else is touchscreen, this 2009 device which isn’t a trillion miles removed from the original iPod design of 2001 remains on sale on the Apple Store to this day.

But not for long, according to Wired. The piece pulls together a whole bunch of commentators who all agree that this will be the year that Apple retires the elderly design. Perhaps they are right, but we can recall a certain rumor-phobe website called for the death of the iPod Classic as far back as 2011:

Specifically, if you want to buy an iPod shuffle or iPod classic from Apple, you should do it sooner rather than later. We’ve heard those two iPods are getting the axe this year [2011].

Ars Technica is also feeling an end to the iPod touch this time.

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Android hits 51 percent of mobile web use, but iOS growing faster

Ben Lovejoy Sep 6 2013 - 7:09 am PT

3 Comments

A new report from Millenial Media, one of the world’s largest online ad networks, shows that Android boosted its share of mobile web usage to 51 percent this year, but that iOS usage is growing at a faster rate.

Android’s usage grew five points since Q2 last year, while iOS usage grew eight points to reach 42 percent. In tablets, the iPad held its lead, while the Android share was convincingly led by Samsung’s Galaxy Tab.

In the manufacturer league tables across all devices, Apple lead the way with 39 percent share with Samsung taking second place at 26 percent.

Via Fortune

Analysts predicting record iPhone launch, China & Japan deals adding up to 38M extra sales

Ben Lovejoy Sep 6 2013 - 6:03 am PT

1 Comment

Photo: mshcdn.com

Analysts are predicting the the launch of the iPhone 5S and 5C will set new records for Apple with the company selling up to 13M handsets in the first nine days following the predicted availability date of 20th September. That’s close to double the 7M phones sold in the first nine days of the iPhone 5 launch.

The prediction is made by Pacific Crest analyst Andy Hargreaves, cited by AllThingsD:

For Hargreaves, that means fourth-quarter iPhone sales of 31 million iPhones. Of those, he figures 10 million will be the new models. That’s a big number considering the limited number of selling days left in the quarter, but Hargreaves feels it could go higher still — to 13 million, with some “extremely efficient supply chain management” …
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‘Ping’ brings iMessage-like functionality to email

Scott Buscemi Sep 5 2013 - 8:00 am PT

4 Comments

iOS has seen its fair share of new email applications over the past few years. Most notably, Mailbox found itself overly popular and was eventually acquired by Dropbox. Now, a new mail app called Ping will take email another step forward by bringing in new features that are, by far, revolutionary.

The most notable feature is the iMessage-like responses: if you are emailing with another Ping user, it turns your email into a chat where each user can see when the other is typing and emails appear instantly.

The app also allows you to set custom notifications per contact, so you can know if you really need to dig into your mail app and respond quickly.

Ping will be launching September 18th, but you can reserve your spot today at PingApp.com. I’m betting this app will be much more successful than Apple’s Ping social network…

Ping reimagines email from the inside out with the following capabilities:

A smart, people-centric feed: Organize messages by people and groups of people, then everything else (subscriptions, newsletters, etc.) so messaging history with each person and group is in ongoing, contextual streams, like chat. Emails from the most important people and groups are in one feed so you can immediately see what matters most, while subscriptions, newsletters and marketing emails are automatically filtered into a separate workspace.

A playful, easy interface: Communicate in a natural, dynamic environment with rich media sharing (personal photos, Web photos, video), voice recording, video chat, doodling and the all bells and whistles that make chatting fun. By eschewing the formal, antiquated letter format, unnatural terms like “Best Regards” are no longer a part of conversations with your colleagues or friends.

And, for the utility-minded, Ping offers:

Super real-time responses: Receive emails the exact moment they come in, seconds before you would using any native mobile email app. Users can even see when another person is typing, as you would with iMessage or chat.

Better notifications: Stop checking your phone every time it buzzes. Assign custom notification alerts for different types of messages and contacts, and keep it in your pocket.

Instant access to shared media: See all recent attachments and documents within a conversation by flipping your phone to horizontal view.

Snooze: Hit the Couch button to save messages for later.

Quick search: Find friends or conversations instantly with a universal search bar.

By supporting real-time messaging, document and photo sharing, voice and video calls, and more, Ping brings it all together, eliminating the need to use multiple apps to stay in touch. Ping syncs with desktop emails so chats, documents and media are stored right in your cloud, not in a separate app that wipes out your history when you stop using it. Ping solves the fragmentation issues associated with many messaging apps because it’s an open platform and is not limited to communication within the app itself.

Xiaomi, the company run by ‘the Chinese Steve Jobs’, offers Airplay support on Smart TV

Ben Lovejoy Sep 5 2013 - 7:14 am PT

2 Comments

Xiaomi, the Chinese company noted for its similarity to Apple’s marketing style, has launched a Smart TV which claims to have AirPlay support. We’re not sure if Apple licensed AirPlay or if it, like a few other things (pictured below), is a hacked version.

Xiaomi chairman and CEO Lei Jun has been described as ‘the Chinese Steve Jobs‘, dressing in blue jeans and black shirts for his Apple-like product launches.

Photo: NY Times

The company makes a range of Android handsets which closely resemble iPhones. Xiaomi recently overtook Apple in smartphone market share in China, a position Apple hopes to change with the launch of the iPhone 5C.

Deutsche Telekom statement adds to speculation that iPhone 5S may support LTE-A (aka LTE+)

Ben Lovejoy Sep 5 2013 - 6:28 am PT

2 Comments

Samsung is so far the only company to announce an LTE-A compatible phone

A statement by Deutsche Telekom is adding to speculation that at least the European model of the iPhone 5S may support the high-speed LTE-A standard (also known as LTE+). The prospect of the 5S supporting the faster version of LTE had first been suggested back in July.

In announcing that the carrier will be launching its high-speed LTE-A data service this month, offering speeds of up to 150MBit/s, the company said:

Samsung will offer an updated version of the Galaxy S4 with LTE +. Appropriate devices from other manufacturers will follow the end of September.

Given the timing, some are suggesting that one of the ‘other manufacturers’ may be Apple …
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Bundles! Camtasia/Crossover/+8 more for $10, Metakine 10 apps: $40, AfterShot Pro+10 apps: $49

9to5 Staff Sep 5 2013 - 6:06 am PT

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Specials.9to5Toys.com this month has a “Name Yor own Price Bundle” which is a bit of a misnomer since you’ll need to pay above the average which is currently below $10. You’ll get Camtasia which allows you to “Easily Create Stunning Screen Captures & Video Recordings” and well as CrossOver which allows you to run Windows programs on your Mac for the sub $10 price. Then there are 8 more great Mac Apps. At below $10, you can’t miss.

Then there is the 11 app AfterShot Pro bundle from MacLegion, below:
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KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo provides details on new iPads coming in Q4

Ben Lovejoy Sep 5 2013 - 5:59 am PT

6 Comments

An analyst note from a usually reliable Ming-Chi Kuo (郭明錤) seemingly confirms our expectation that Apple will not announce new iPads on September 10th, but at a separate event later in the year.

The note makes supply chain forecasts suggesting that assembly production of the iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2 will start with low-volume production this month, and enter mass-production in the final quarter. If the tablets were to be announced on September 10th, we would expect them to be much further along the production cycle by now.

As expected, both iPad models are said to use the A7X processor, which should see be a particularly noticeable improvement on the existing A5-based Mini.

There were a couple of surprises in the note …
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Apple imports more Apple TVs – but is it a refresh?

Ben Lovejoy Sep 4 2013 - 4:52 am PT

3 Comments

A blog post by supplier-sourcing company Panjiva (via GigaOM) is being cited as evidence that Apple plans to launch a refreshed Apple TV alongside the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C at its media event on September 10th.

On August 25th, Apple received a shipment described as “Set Top Box with Communication Function” from BYD Precision Manufacture in Shenzhen, China.

On August 18th, Apple received another shipment, again from BYD, described as “Set Top Boxes.”

And on August 11th, Apple received its first shipment from BYD of “Set Top Box with Communication Function.

While it’s possible that the timing aligns with plans to have a new model in stock this month, and a refresh is somewhat overdue, it’s rather thin evidence on which to base this assumption: it’s equally possible that this is merely a routine shipment of existing stock. Either way, we won’t have long to wait to find out.

iPad 5 form factor examined in new video, will fit in larger hands

Seth Weintraub Sep 4 2013 - 3:29 am PT

0 Comments

Unbox Therapy looks at what the iPad 5 with its significantly smaller side bezels will look and feel like in this video. There really isn’t anything new in the video as we’ve expected this form factor since January, but it is interesting to see how the new iPad will fit in one (medium/large) hand and take after the Mini in design. For instance, the speaker on the bottom will improve sound when being played laying flat.

The new iPad isn’t expected at next week’s event but instead should probably be announced in October in time for the holidays.

Canadian carrier Telus will discontinue 32 and 64GB iPhone 5 on September 28th, 16GB to remain on as mid-tier?

Jordan Kahn Sep 4 2013 - 2:27 am PT

5 Comments

A new leaked doc from Canadian carrier Telus (via MobileSyrup) shows that the carrier has plans to discontinue the iPhone 5 on September 28 just days after the next-generation iPhones are rumored to launch. Although it would lend weight to the theory that Apple could get rid of the iPhone 5 since the rumored iPhone 5S and especially the lower cost iPhone 5C are so close internally to the current device, the doc only shows that the 32GB and 64GB models will be discontinued, which might be a clue the 16GB iPhone 5 will stick around as an entry level model.

Keeping the 16GB iPhone 5 seems to line up with what we’ve been hearing at Verizon and adds even more weight to the theory that Apple will keep the iPhone 5 around as a lower cost option perhaps in between the 5S and the 5C in much the same way that the last-gen iPhone 4S currently occupies the $99/plan spot in Apple’s lineup.

On the other hand, often-accurate KGI analyst Mingchi Kuo said earlier this month that he thinks Apple will stop selling the iPhone 5 at the end of Q3 2013 and continuing selling the iPhone 4S until the end of the year.

Apple yesterday sent out invites to the September 10th event and is expected to start selling the iPhone 5S and 5C starting around the 20th of September.

Update: Similar chatter is coming out of Vodafone Germany, indicating that the 32GB and 64GB iPhone 5 and 16GB iPhone 4S will soon be discontinued.

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