Rumor Roundup: 'Likely fake, but have a look'
The week was chock full of actual news from the Apple versus Samsung trial, and the amount of inside information that came out in evidence and testimony would've been any rumor site's dream come true if it had only come out a few years ago. But that doesn't mean they can't keep speculating on the as-yet-unreleased and may-never-be-released Apple products of tomorrow.
RBC: Apple's iPad mini is coming this fall (BGR)
If you've been wringing your hands over whether the iPad mini would ever actually see the light of day, worry no longer. RBC Capital Markets is on the case, and according to them, the iPad mini is, in BGR's words, "Definitely maybe" coming this fall.
Man, am I glad RBC Capital Markets finally weighed in. I'm sure that, like me, they're your most trusted source of news on all of Apple's inner workings. Why, I was just saying to myself the other day, "Who the [expletive deleted] is RBC Capital Markets?" That's the kind of reputation money can't buy.
Apple in talks to acquire e-commerce social network The Fancy? (9to5 Mac)
Taking a break from its usual schtick of sensationalist linkbaiting, Business Insider now says Apple may be in talks to buy The Fancy, which from the sounds of things is basically a unisex version of Pinterest. If this turns out to be true, I'd be curious to see what Apple does with the site. I have a feeling it'd be more of a tech/talent grab for the App Store than anything else, but who knows.
New Details On Apple's Next iPhone, iPods, iPad mini, iPad (4th-Gen) + Cases (iLounge)
iLounge has a bushel of rumors regarding Apple's forthcoming autumn product launches, so let's just go through them one by one.
New iPhone: Yup.
New iPhone cases: Probably. Why not?
New iPod touch: Yup.
New iPod nano: Let's all hope so.
iPad mini: Don't hold your breath. Unless you can hold it until November. Or Neverember.
Fourth-generation iPad: Not a chance.
iLounge likes to come out with long lists like this, and more often than not the majority of things on them never come to pass.
Eight-Pin Dock Connector + iOS 6 / Bluetooth 4 Link Details? (Updated) (iLounge)
Let's have two more pie-in-the sky rumors to round out the list.
New 8-pin Dock connector: Contradicting the majority of rumors thus far which pointed to a 16- or 19-pin connector, iLounge claims the iPhone's new dock will have only 8 pins compared to the current iPhone's 30. What does this mean to you as a consumer? Not much, unless you get in on the "Apple took away 22 of my pins, RRRAAALLLGH" class-action lawsuit that's bound to start in October.
iOS 6 + Bluetooth 4 Link: This rumor claims the iPhone (and other devices) will soon communicate with one another over low-power (and presumably always-on) Bluetooth 4. This isn't a new idea; the iPhone 4S was the first Apple device to have Bluetooth 4.0 support, and the iPad (3) and 2012's MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models followed suit. Plenty of people speculated that low-power Bluetooth would be useful for accessories like watches and heart rate monitors, but Apple hasn't showed much interest in actually utilizing this built-in low-power Bluetooth yet. I'm cautiously optimistic it'll throw the switch eventually.
New Video of "iphone 5 glass lens" Leaks (ETrade Supply)
These guys took one of those "iPhone 5" faceplates that have been making the rounds and went to town on it with a digital micrometer. If you were ever curious about exactly how many fractions of a millimeter thinner the new glass is compared to the one on the iPhone 4S, here's your answer.
If this is a fake, ETrade Supply has gone Kubrickian in its attention to detail on it. And frankly, this part has popped up in so many different locations by now that my credit card and I are both convinced the next iPhone will have a 16:9 display ratio after all.
Next-gen iPhone to launch in Sept. despite reported component shortage (AppleInsider)
Rising star of the Apple rumor scene, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that despite DigiTimes' claims of component shortages (more about that nonsense later), the next iPhone will indeed launch in September.
Following my usual rule that anything DigiTimes says about Apple is 95 percent certain not to happen, I'm throwing my money behind Kuo's claim.
Sharp to start shipping iPhone screens to Apple this month (Reuters)
Sharp's new president supposedly revealed that his company will start shipping screens for the next iPhone this month -- during a press conference. One of two things happened here: either the press misquoted him, or Sharp's going to be looking for a new president soon.
Non-functioning next-gen iPhone prototypes/fakes surface in Bangkok?
These iPad mini shells are likely fake but have a look
9to5 Mac posted two stories about "parts leaks" that it couldn't even vouch for, one of which it was 99 percent certain was fake. The question naturally arises then: why post them at all? The answer, my friend, is blowing in the pageviews.
Wall of shame
DigiTimes did what it always tends to do in the weeks leading up to Apple product launches and trotted out its "low yield rates for (x) may affect Apple's next (product)" Mad Libs. This time, it's new touchscreen components that will supposedly limit production of the next iPhone. Unfortunately for this claim, other sources who have managed to get more than one prediction in two years correct claimed the opposite.
The "sometimes reliable" site also claims that Apple's going to shift display production away from Samsung and toward Sharp and LG (noting that Sharp's own president is chiming in on the topic now, as mentioned above). Thing is, it's been saying the same thing about various components for well over a year, yet many of the iPad and iPhone's components are still Samsung-manufactured. No word yet on whether DigiTimes' latest citation managed to cost Samsung another $10 billion in market value.
You know... the more I think about it, the more I think Apple should buy DigiTimes. The site gets the rumor blogs' undivided attention despite almost never getting anything right -- the perfect tool for product secrecy -- and it's already cost Samsung more money than Apple will get out of the company even if Apple wins its patent lawsuit. It makes perfect sense.
