Category: Apple

New Images Of Alleged Gold iPhone 5S Leak

Last week a couple of images leaked out possibly revealing that Apple was creating a new gold or rather champagne coloured iPhone 5S smartphone and now, adding additional weight to the rumour more images from an entirely different source have leaked out.

The images were posted on Japanese tech site ASCII and show a similar design to the iPhone 5. All the buttons are in the same location as the iPhone 5. Everything from the rear antenna windows to the highly polished chamfered edges are identical.

The major difference when compared to the earlier leak is that the Apple logo is now present, but still missing the famous ‘Designed in California. Assembled in China’ label.

Some features the new iPhone 5S is rumoured to be equipped with are a finger print scanner for extra security and a dual LED flash equipped camera for extra light when required in low light conditions.

Apple is expected to unveil the new iPhone 5S and low-cost and colourful iPhone 5C on September 10th. Speculation around the web is that we’ll see both become widely available by the end of September – potentially September 20th. In addition, Apple’s new iOS 7 software will be given a firm release date.

[Via]

August 22, 2013
Apple Patents 3D Gesture Control On Touchscreen Devices

As Apple Insider reports, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday published an Apple patent for a method of generating and manipulating a three-dimensional object on a computing device, with the process controlled by special gestures made above a touchscreen’s surface.

The system Apple envisions would work in tandem with its existing multi-touch input controls on devices like the iPad, allowing a user to lift their fingers off of the screen in order to sort of pull out a 3D shape from a 2D one in software like CAD programs, and then twist, turn and modify it in 3D space using gestures in the air just above the device’s screen.

As the patent application explains it:

The CAD program may provide a drafting area showing 2D or 3D objects being processed by the user, and menus outside the drafting area for allowing the user to choose from various tools in generating or modifying 2D or 3D objects. For example, there may be menus for 2D object templates, 3D object templates, paint brush options, eraser options, line options, color options, texture options, options for rotating or resizing the objects, and so forth. The user may select a tool from one of the menus and use the selected tool to manipulate the 2D or 3D object.

Other uses for the new technology include the ability to use 3D gestures to sculpt using virtual clay-like materials and to change parameters such as shadows, brightness, textures and more.

[Via]

August 20, 2013
Alleged Rear Shell Of Upcoming iPad 5 Leaks

A couple of pictures leaked on the Weibo forums in China seem to depict the back shell of the next-generation iPad 5, next to the counterpart for the iPad mini (possibly second-generation model).

The iPad 5 is almost confirmed at this point, with every new leak pointing to a design akin to that of the iPad mini, including the chamfered edges, the super-slim body, and even the reduced bezel size.

We’ve seen leaked images of iPad 5 parts previously, including back covers, and these latest photos tie in with long-time and widespread rumours that Apple would be able to reduce the overall size of its next iPad.

It’s expected that the iPad 5 will release in Q4 alongside the iPad mini 2, although we don’t expect them to be officially introduced at the September 10 event where the reveal of the iPhone 5S is anticipated. You can be sure we’ll bring you further news on all of these devices as we hear it.

Meanwhile, a report last month stated that the next-generation iPad mini will likely include a Retina display, and will potentially be available with back covers in a number of colours.

Moving on to smaller side of the iOS family, a report from MG Siegler has shed a bit more light on the rumored gold iPhone 5S. Siegler claims to have been told by “multiple sources” that Apple is indeed planning to introduce a gold-colored version of its next iPhone that will feature a more “subtle” shade that’s akin to champagne.

[Via]

August 19, 2013
Images Of Rumoured Gold iPhone 5S Leak, May Come With 128GB Storage

Rumours have been swirling over the past few days that Apple plans to introduce a third color option with the launch of the iPhone 5S. Now, images of what are claimed to be the casing from Apple’s next-generation smartphone in gold have been published by French blog MacBoutic. While the authenticity of the device pictured is unknown, the casing and internal markings do jibe with earlier leaks that were believed to be authentic.

It appears that the new iPhone 5S will launch along with a 128GB variant similar to the iPad that was released back in February. The report comes from a well-known analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Security, who has been quite accurate when it comes to rumors regarding unreleased Apple products.

Kuo has made a number of predictions about the upcoming iPhone 5S, with one them being that it’ll share the same design as its predecessor. The alleged iPhone 5S is expected to feature Apple’s latest A7 SoC with 1Gb LPDDR3 RAM and an improved camera, along with various other enhancements and features. A number of rumours also suggest the upcoming iPhone 5S with sport a 12-13MP camera with dual-LED flash.

According to Kuo, the new A7 processor will not only be faster than the earlier version, but it will offer 20% greater efficiency.

Apple is rumoured to reveal the new iPhone 5S on September 10. The new iPhone is rumoured to feature a sapphire-covered home button with a fingerprint sensor and will of course run the new iOS 7.

Would you like to see a gold iPhone 5S from Apple?

[Via]

August 17, 2013
iOS 7 Beta 6 Release Seeding Early With Minor Fixes

Rumours are that Apple will be holding a media event on September 10th – this is where they’ll possibly unveil the ‘iPhone 5S’ and the low-cost ‘iPhone 5C.’ Late last night, Apple inched closer to a final ‘golden master’ version of the upcoming iO7 7 and seeded iOS 7 beta 6 to developers.

The update comes a week after the previous update and just hours after a report pegged the Beta 6 update for next week. The focus of the small update appears to be on an emergency issue with iTunes in the Cloud which requires a workaround.

This update addresses an issue with iTunes in the Cloud, where some purchases may download or play unexpected items. If you have any devices running previous versions of iOS 7 beta, you must:
1. Install iOS 7 beta 6
2. Install the ResetMusicAndVideosLibraries configuration profile
3. From Settings > Music, tap the Reset Media Library button
4. Restart the device

It’s only a 13.5MB OTA download (build 11A4449d) and according to the change log in the iOS Developer Center shows it brings a quick fix.

iOS 7 is scheduled for release in the fall of this year, with updates to Apple’s iPhone and iPad lineups expected around the same time. If past history is any indication, iOS 7 should be made available to the public just a few days before the launch of the next-generation iPhone.

August 16, 2013
Bloomberg : Retina iPad Mini Will Come Out By Year End

Reports of a retina display for the iPad mini aren’t aren’t new, but an end-of-the-year release date is. And according to Bloomberg, Apple is looking at a very busy holiday season, with a new iPad mini as well as a new, redesigned iPad, both available before the end of year.

The next version of the iPad will be adapted to look more like the current iPad Mini, with rounded corners and thinner sides, one source told the news organisation.

Details on the new iPad mini were sparse apart from the addition of a Retina display, as featured in the current iPad.

A Retina display would also bring the new iPad Mini in line with other Apple devices, including the iPhone, iPod Touch and MacBook Pro. The current iPad Mini comes with a lower-resolution 132ppi screen from LG and Taiwan’s AU Optronics.

Retina display is a brand name used by Apple for their liquid crystal displays, in which pixelation is imperceptible to the human eye. Other brands also offer higher resolution screens, marketed simply as high definition.

With no firm confirmations, however, the iPad mini with Retina may only be a product refresh rather than the iPad mini 2, which was rumoured to have been pushed back to a 2014 release.

As The Verge reports, the Bloomberg News article makes no mention of the larger, 12.9-inch iPad that’s been rumored previously, and it’s not clear whether we’ll see an iPhone 5S or a new, cheaper model at September 10th event. We’ll just have to wait and see.

[Via]

August 13, 2013
WSJ : Next iPad To Be Thinner, Will Use iPad Mini’s Light Touch-Panel Technology

Various sources have been mulling for months that Apple’s fifth-generation 9.7-inch iPad will adopt the overall appearance of the iPad mini, including its skinnier side bezels and thinner, lighter enclosure. And as if you ever needed more proof, now the credulous Wall Street Journal is finally out with its own report :

The same touch-panel technology that made the iPad mini thin and light will likely feature in the next iPad, which is currently being produced by Apple Inc.’s Asian suppliers, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

What many consumers generally call a “screen” consists of multiple layers, and the “touch panel” specifically refers to the layer equipped with touch sensors, between the liquid-crystal display and the outermost cover glass. The iPad mini, according to a teardown report by research firm IHS iSuppli, uses a film-based touch panel, which is thinner and lighter than the glass-based touch panel that the current full-size model uses. Following the iPad mini’s success, Apple plans to use the film-based touch panel in its next regular-size iPad, the people said.

Apple’s next iPad is expected to take other design cues from the iPad mini, including a thinner bezel on the sides of the device, allowing the overall frame to become smaller while still offering the same 9.7-inch display. It’s also possible that the fifth-generation iPad will include stereo speakers, like the iPad mini.

In the second quarter, Apple was still the largest tablet vendor accounting for 32.4% of the market by shipments, but its share had declined from 60.3% a year earlier, according to research firm IDC.

Apple’s next big event is scheduled for September 10th.

[Via]

August 12, 2013
Apple’s Next iPhone event slated for September 10th

Apple’s next big game changing event is slated for 10th of September if AllThingsD are to be believed. The next editions of the iPhone are slated to have 4.7 and 5.7 inch display and a cheaper variant popularly known as the plastic clad – iPhone 5C.

It is also easy to assume that iOS7 will be pushed out to all the remaining iPhones officially around that very time. iPod Lovers can expect an iPod refresh ranging from a new iPod Shuffle all the way over to a iPod touch to match the dimensions of the next iPhone.

If the event is anything like last years, then an iPad refresh might be on the table, with a new iPad mini with retina display and a new iPad 5.

[AllThingsD]

August 11, 2013
All Apple Developer Services Back Online With Free One Month Extension

Apple today restored the Developer Center – the place where it stores all of its resources and information for third-party app creators. A message on the website read :

We are pleased to let you know that all our developer program services are now online. Your patience during this time was sincerely appreciated.

We understand that the downtime was significant and apologize for any issues it may have caused in your app development. To help offset this disruption, we are extending the membership of all developer teams by one month. If you need any further assistance, please contact us.

The short update to developers, which apologizes for the service outage that lasted just over three weeks, comes five days after Apple announced plans to have the portal at full capacity by the end of this week.

As promised, Apple has extended developer memberships to make up for all of the down time. Devs will be pleased to see that 1 month has been added to their remaining membership time, meaning if you were set to expire next May, it’s now next June.

A Turkish security researcher by the name of Ibrahim Balic came forward shortly after the outage and claimed responsibility as the intruder that breached the Dev Center’s database. No personal data was stolen from users, but Apple decided the breach warranted a complete rebuild of the backend.

August 10, 2013
Apple Set To Restore Developer Services This Week

Apple’s developer portal went down without warning mid-July, the victim of a minor hack the company took very, very seriously.

While few, if any, sensitive information was compromised, Apple took down the developer portal to rework the security backend and plug the hole. Today, the company has confirmed that most of the important developer tools will be returned to users this week.

Developers with accounts set to expire during the downtime have been extended for the same period, so any apps about to be removed due to non-payment will remain in the App Store for a little while longer.

“We plan to reinstate most of the remaining services this week: Xcode automatic configuration as well as access to license agreements, TSIs, program enrollments, and renewals in Member Center,” Apple said in an e-mail that went out to developers Monday morning.

Following the breach, Apple promised that it would be performing an “overhaul” of its developer systems, including security updates and a rebuilding of the company’s database. In its initial status updates on the security breach Apple promised that no “sensitive” information had been accessed, but as always we recommend a password change and two-factor authentication for any registered Apple developer whose information may be at risk.

August 6, 2013
iOS 7 Beta 4 Fixes Charger Hack

Apple is said to have fixed a powerful charger-based hack, which previously allowed iDevices to be compromised by hackers using a modified power charger in under a minute.

As Reuters reports, Apple said the issue had been fixed in the latest beta of iOS 7, which has already been released to software developers.

“We would like to thank the researchers for their valuable input,” Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr said. The researchers were Billy Lau, a research scientist at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and graduate students Yeongjin Jang and Chengyu Song.

Andy Greenberg, Forbes technology and information security reporter explains that the researchers took advantage of a security flaw in Apple’s developer model, which allows anyone with a developer license to install third-party apps on a registered device.

iOS 7 prompts a new warning message to the user when they plug their iOS device to any device that attempts to establish a data connection informing them that “Trusting this computer will allow it full access to your device and all its data.”

Of course, this leaves iPhones and iPads that won’t get the iOS 7 update vulnerable. According to the researchers, all other versions of iOS can be hacked in this manner.

However, end users will have to wait for iOS 7 before the fix arrives.

August 2, 2013
Report : Apple will use Samsung Retina Display in the next iPad Mini

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, Apple has chosen Samsung to supply the displays for the next generation iPad Mini, which will also boast a retina resolution. As originally imagined, Apple was intending to only employ LG and Sharp for the supply of the LCD panels, but the it seems due to lack of supply, the displays have been also ordered from Samsung’s display division.

Apple has often been known to test components before confirming the final elements of the build. Earlier reports had stated that Apple will not launch an iPad Mini Retina this year, but if the present report is to be believed, not only will Apple Launch a iPad Mini with a high resolution Retina Display, they will also employ their arch nemesis with the job of providing hardware for the unique build.

Apple has tried to completely block off purchasing from Samsung, but the korean giant is probably the only producer of high quality panels that can be produced at an economical and profitable price. Apple presently gets their displays form AU Optronics, who have clearly stated

We cannot take [Apple’s] orders because our rate of output efficiency is too low to be profitable, the company doesn’t make a profit from manufacturing the current iPad Mini’s screens. – said an AU Optronics manager.

In these desperate time it appears that Apple might just have to buy a LCD technology company, but unfortunately for them none are for sale.

August 2, 2013
iOS 7 Beta Code Confirms Fingerprint Sensor Feature For Next iPhone

In case you were wondering whether or not the next-generation iPhone will have that rumored fingerprint sensor, look no further than the latest iOS 7 beta.

A folder dubbed “BiometricKitUI” has been discovered in iOS 7 Beta 4 by Hamza Sood (and made public by 9to5mac) and, while the folder bears enough evidence of the fingerprint sensor in and of itself, the contents provide even more clues regarding the biometric capabilities of Apple’s next iPhones.

Following its 2012 acquisition of mobile security firm AuthenTec, which specialized in fingerprint sensors, Apple has been rumored to be looking to incorporate its technology into its future products.

The folder references a biometric user interface, complete with descriptions of a setup process that includes images of a colour-changing fingerprint and a person holding an iPhone with their thumb on the Home button.

Earlier this month Apple was granted a patent for an in-display fingerprint sensor which would allow for biometric functionality while negating the need for a separate sensor panel.

Details on the names for the new iPhone models have been scarce until earlier this week when a new photo leaked showing the packaging for a device called the iPhone 5C. This could be the name for the low-cost model scheduled to come out this fall.

But it’s potentially even more interesting than that. As Bulgarian designer/developer Pavel Simeonov just tweeted, “Fingerprint sensor in iPhone 5S is much more than a gimmick. This + iCloud keychain = end of passwords.” So this is not just about security, but also convenience. If iCloud keychain converts and safeguards all of your passwords that you—and only you—can access via your iPhone, then Apple will have scored a tremendous usability coup that potentially makes its phone the key to your life—quite literally.

[Via]

July 30, 2013
Apple Supplier Report Reveals Plastic Back Casing For Budget iPhone

Rumblings of a low-cost, plastic iPhone have been popping up on a fairly frequent basis throughout 2013, and today the rumored device is making headlines once again.

Apple’s future plan to introduce a plastic device is confirmed within this morning’s shocking report into labor abuses at manufacturing partner, Pegatron.

As part of the investigation, China Labor Watch inserted people inside three of Pegatron’s factories. In one of these reports it confirms the future debut of a plastic iPhone:

“Today’s work is to paste protective film on the iPhone’s plastic back cover to prevent it from being scratched on assembly lines. This iPhone model with a plastic cover will soon be released on the market by Apple,”the report explains.

“The new cell phone has not yet been put into mass production, so quantity is not as important,” a worker wrote. “This makes our job more slow paced than in departments that have begun mass production schedules.”

In addition, China Labor Watch’s company profile notes that Pegatron is responsible for building “low-priced plastic iPhones” for Apple, in addition to the iPhone 4, 4S and the 5.

The report accuses Pegatron of violating labor regulations in China, as well as international labor laws and Apple’s own standards.

Photographs allegedly detailing the new iPhone’s packaging were uploaded to the Chinese forum WeiPhone over the weekend. The name iPhone 5C is printed on the side of the box, possibly leaking the name of the device.

July 29, 2013
Alleged Packaging For Budget ‘iPhone 5c’ Leaked

Apple is expected to launch a new iPhone in the coming weeks. Images and videos of what’s being rumoured to be a budget iPhone – or the iPhone ‘Lite’ – have surfaced online. This new iPhone will reportedly come with a plastic build, 4-inch display and multiple colour options.

Additional proof of this new Apple device has popped up, courtesy of WeiPhone, and potentially shows its final retail packaging. A picture reveals a bin full of boxes indicating this budget device will go under the brand name of “iPhone 5C. ” Some speculation is that the C stands for ‘colour’.

This, or course, is still a rumour until Apple officially announces the device. The new low-cost device could possibly be released in August or September. The WeiPhone forums are a fairly frequent source of Apple rumors, although the site itself does not frequently report on them, making it difficult to determine a steady track record as posting in the site’s forums come from a variety of different posters.

The iPhone 5, which is almost a year old, was the most popular iPhone sold in Apple’s quarter ending June 30, but the 4 (first available June 24, 2010) and 4S (first available October 14, 2011) models sold well in emerging markets, indicating demand for a more updated budget smartphone to go along with the new, rumoured iPhone 5S in the fall lineup.

[Via]

July 28, 2013