The Twitter user L0vetodream has become one of the most reliable sources of Apple leaks over the last year, but their tweets are often cryptic and tricky to decipher. Today, L0vetodream is teasing that Apple will have a “Christmas surprise” to announce this year…
Expand Expanding Close
According to sources, a KGI analyst report, and leaked parts, Apple’s next MacBook Pro will feature an OLED capacitive touch panel that replaces the fn-key row. Such a change has been hotly debated online, with opponents lamenting the potential lack of tactile response for touch typing, and proponents salivating over the type of software flexibility that such a setup might offer.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Siri for Mac with OS X 10.12, iTunes and App Store redesigns, improved iCloud encryption, and original programming for the Apple TV. These are just a few of the projects Apple has reportedly been working on and they are also likely candidates for stage time at its upcoming WWDC press event and developer conference. Add in the last of the Macs that are due for updates and the usual dose of new developer tools, and we already have a lot to look forward to at WWDC slated for June 13-17.
Below we take a look at the latest rumors and reports for all of the expected product updates and new features in the cards for the event.
Although it seems inevitable that the MacBook lineup will see some significant changes this year, as a major upgrade has been due for a while, the rumor mill is yet to close in one particular design or release date. Earlier in the year, Digitimes was reporting new MacBooks (intended to supplant the MacBook Air) are due sometime before July, resembling 13 inch and 15 inch versions of the 12 inch Retina MacBook.
A new report from Digitimes today says otherwise, suggesting the new MacBooks will not be available until the second half of this year, although an announcement at WWDC still seems possible if Apple met the earlier side of that release range.
Following a report last week that said Apple is looking to release an OLED iPhone sometime in 2017, Digitimes today reports that the company is planning a 5.8-inch OLED device (via The Motley Fool). While the report should be taken with a grain of salt considering the source, it claims that Apple is pushing to release the larger device sometime in 2018, or perhaps even earlier in 2017, which lines up with last week’s report.
Corroborating a report from KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo from last September, Macotakara reports this evening that the iPhone 7 is expected to be 1mm thinner than the iPhone 6s. Furthermore, the report adds that the device will visually be similar to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s, retaining the same metal design with the same height and width, and will not be waterproof.
A new leak spotted by Macoatakara that first appeared on an Alibaba site appears to hint at some potential changes coming with the iPad Air 3. Earlier this month, Mark Gurman reported that Apple announce a new version of the iPad Air at a March press event alongside new Apple Watch models. Now, a leaked case design suggests some of the potential new design changes that the iPad Air 3 could feature when it launches to the public.
On Friday Mark Gurman reported that a 4-inch iPhone called the iPhone 5se, not 6c, is in the cards with an expected Apple event coming up around March, and over the weekend an interesting photo (above) has surfaced online that claims to show the forthcoming 4-inch iPhone. The image appears to show what could be the updated smaller iPhone with rounded edges and Touch ID as we reported next to an iPhone 5 for scale. The source where the image was first shared, on One More Thing forums, has credibility with surfacing leaked hardware after showing the thinner iPad Air 2 display two years ago as well as the iPad Air design (on what appears to be the same table under the same lamp as the iPhone leak) the year before.
The iPhone 6s launched just two months ago, but rumors surrounding its successor are already circulating. Earlier rumors have claimed that the device will feature a waterproof and dustproof design, as well as a new casing material. Now, G For Games reports that Apple is currently in the process of testing five different iPhone 7 models, all with distinct differences.
Generally reliable KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has today shared an investment note in which he breaks down what Apple will do in terms of its smartphones come 2016. In the note, Kuo claims that Apple is still working on a refreshed 4-inch iPhone model…
While the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus only just became available this past week, rumors surrounding next year’s flagship from Apple are already starting to surface. A pair of postings on Chinese social networking site Weibo first spotted by Macotakara claim that the iPhone 7, or whatever it may be called, will feature several design changes that are a significant departure from the past few years of iPhone releases…
Digitimes is reporting that manufacturers in the Apple supply chain are preparing for a successor to the 4-inch iPhone 5c, but it isn’t coming this year which matches current expectations from the rumor mill. Many have wondered if the iPhone 5c will be killed off entirely, but Digitimes believes that the product will actually go into production in the second quarter of 2016.
As usual, treat Digitimes reports with skepticism as their track record of accuracy is very muddy — especially when it comes to release dates — but they are usually on point with supply chain comments.
According to a somewhat sketchy report out of NowhereElse.fr, the rumored iPhone 6c will feature a battery that is slightly larger than the iPhone 5, 5c, and 5s. The report claims that the iPhone 6c will feature a 1715mAh battery, while the iPhone 5c featured a 1507mAh battery. That number, however, is smaller than the 1810mAh battery found in the iPhone 6. For those keeping track, the iPhone 5 featured a 1440mAh batter, while the 5s had a 1560mAh battery.
The always-doubted sometimes-accurate Digitimes is reporting that Apple will release the long-rumored iPad Pro in mid November this year. The ‘iPad Pro’ is expected to feature a large 12.9 inch screen with stereo speakers and targeted at business and education uses. Digitimes says that Apple has asked suppliers to ramp up in late September which should mean a November debut, with manufacturing by Foxconn.
The Korea Times today reports that Apple is in negotiations with Samsung to have the company supply the flash memory for the next-gen iPhone models. Currently, the flash storage is provided by Toshiba, SK hynix and SanDisk. The report also notes that Apple is looking to increase the storage capacity of its iPhone models.
Earlier today, a keyboard with much better support for the supposed iPad Pro, a device that has been rumored for some time now, was shown off thanks to the iOS 9 code. Steve Troughton Smith and Hiraku Wang now suggest that the iPad Pro will feature a resolution of 2732×2048, which at 12.9-inches, comes out to 263 pixels-per-inch.
Following on from the Apple Watch native apps hack, Steve Troughton Smith has also found that the keyboard view in iOS 9 has much better adaptability support on Apple’s latest operating system. As shown by the screenshots, at larger resolutions, the iPad keyboard rearranges itself to make use of the space. Tab and Caps Lock keys are notably added onto to the left side as well as an entirely new top row of symbols.
This new row reflects the symbols normally found on hardware keyboards above the number keys: @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ +. Next to the ‘p’ on the first row, the keyboard also gains curly braces and a pipe symbol.
Remember those minivans driving around San Francisco with cameras on top that were reportedly leased to Apple? Well, a new rumor coming from Business Insider claims that the site was contacted by an Apple employee who says the company is planning a project that will “give Tesla a run for its money.”
Tesla, of course, is the electronic auto maker who is currently waging an employee-poaching war with Apple (and winning, for now). What exactly this means is unclear at the moment, but it would appear that this employee is insinuating that Apple is working on some sort of vehicle that is either electric, self-driving, or both.
This image is circulating today, although you shouldn’t get too excited. The image, posted to Chinese blog Weibo (via Letemsvetem), is labelled iPad Pro and depicts a rectangular manufacturing mold for … something. The only sign that this is an iPad Pro mold is the fact the Weibo page (which has no history with Apple leaks) says so.
With no reference of scale, this could easily be a mold for a current-generation iPad Air. In fact, this could just be a mold for an Android tablet … or something else entirely. There is simply not enough detail to make any conclusions about the picture. What do you think?
An equally sketchy image of an iPad Pro render appeared a few days ago. At least that looks like an iPad with discernible differences (additional speaker grille on the side). The currently-unconfirmed-but-widely-rumored device is expected to be released in the first half of 2015.
It looks like it is the season of sketchy schematics and component leaks again. Posted by NowhereElse.fr, this image is supposed to confirm the existence of an imminent larger iPad. According to the site, the images come from a source that was reliable in the past, passing over sketches of iPhone 6 chassis that turned out to be the real deal.
Ahead of CES, Samsung has pre-announced the Ativ Book 9, via The Verge. Interestingly, this laptop features many of the technical specifications that have been rumored for the future 12-inch Retina MacBook Air. The announcement of the Ativ Book 9 validates that a fanless high-resolution ultrabook is indeed possible in the short term.
The Book 9 laptop features a 12.2 inch screen with a 2600×1600 resolution, implying a 250 PPI. At normal viewing distances, Apple could easily describe the display as ‘Retina’. For comparison, the ‘Retina’ 15 inch MacBook Pro has 216 pixels-per-inch. The Book 9 is powered by a next-generation Broadwell CPU, which has drastically lower power consumption and heat dissipation enabling the product to be fanless.
Xiaomi has definitely been growing fast in emerging markets, but until now the company has focused mostly on stealing as much of Samsung’s Chinese smartphone market share as it can. According to Gartner’s most recent numbers, the company rose in Q3 to take a spot in the world’s top 5 smartphone manufacturers. But the company has other products beyond just smartphones, and now it has apparently begun working on a new Mi-branded laptop—and, to no one’s surprise, it looks just like a MacBook Air.
Update: a Mi spokeperson has refuted that the image in question is a Xiaomi laptop. This appears to be the original.
As the days go by leading up to next week’s September 9th event, the part leaks for Apple’s next flagship handsets keep streaming in. The 5.5-inch model in particular has been getting a lot of attention lately, with multiple sources leaking photos of its casing and supposed components. Today’s offering, courtesy of French site Nowhereelse.fr, is another look at the shell of what the publication is calling the “iPhone Air.”
At this point, we’ve seen just above every rumored schematic, mockup, and render of Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6. Rumors suggest that Apple will launch its next generation flagship smartphone in 4.7-inch and possibly 5.5-inch variations later this year.
According to the Industrial and Commercial Times (via Macotakara), Apple’s supplier Pegatron has recently received 15 percent of the orders to manufacture the 4.7-inch iPhone 6. The report goes on to note that in total, Pegatron has plans to produce 50 million iPhones throughout the year. This contradicts an equally-sketchy rumor from January, which claimed Pegatron was set to handle half of the production for the iPhone 6.
Expand
Expanding
Close
