Rumor Roundup: What slipped through the cracks
Between the iPhone 5 launch and all the frenzy surrounding iOS 6's changes to the Maps app, real news has mostly drowned out the rumors this month. With relatively few new rumors surfacing, this edition of the Rumor Roundup is mostly about finding those few stories that slipped through the cracks over the past month.
Apple suppliers now shipping new 13" Retina MacBook Pros, iMacs - report (AppleInsider)
"The details were published by sometimes-reliable Digitimes" and I stopped reading before whatever came next.
Apple's iPhone 5 unveiling this week is just the beginning (BGR)
Another analyst broke out the "biggest launch in consumer electronics history" hype that BGR has already latched onto at least twice in the past several months. But wait, there's more! The iPad mini! The slightly revised iPad! The Apple HDTV! All this and more can be yours for the low, low price of $9.95. Toss aside your incredulity and order now!
Stock-outs of Apple's AirPort Extreme could hint at new 802.11ac model (AppleInsider)
Low stock on the AirPort Extreme might hint at a new model coming soon. Of course, given that this low stock situation started nearly two weeks ago with no new AirPort devices in sight, it might not be indicative of anything at all; however, it would be Apple-esque to keep the non-iOS products clear of the big iPhone 5 / iPod reveal.
Leaked iPad mini photos may reveal finished tablet design for the first time (BGR)
Or, they reveal mockups produced by people with tons of resources and way too much time on their hands. Either / or.
Prominent developer continues to believe NFC hardware exists on the new iPhone (9to5 Mac)
Sorry Foxconn, Apple is reportedly placing 50-60 percent of its iPad mini orders at Pegatron (9to5 Mac)
Some Asian newspaper claims to know the factory production splits for a device not yet even verified to exist. Sounds legit!
Sprint to discontinue the iPhone 4? (9to5 Mac)
Nope.
iPad mini spyshots leak, look slightly more convincing [gallery] (9to5 Mac)
In this case, "spyshots" means more mockups and "slightly more convincing" means not really convincing at all.
iPhone 5 predicted to be 'Apple's last blowout U.S. bestseller'
Analysts got together and predicted that "Apple has peaked and next year's iPhone launch will mark the start of a decline." These guys say the same thing every year, and they're always wrong. If they keep beating this drum, there will of course come a point when they can't help but be right; unless aliens land and don't laugh themselves silly at our comparatively pitiful technology, there will come a point when Apple must sell iPhones to every human on Earth multiple times per year to sustain its exponential growth. It's got about another six or seven years before it gets to that point, however.
Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps | TechCrunch
And a million Android enthusiasts scrambled to their keyboards to be FIRST! to type some variation of "See? Apple copies too!"
