Rumor Roundup: Non-story story
Today's Zen koan: If an analyst predicts a 4.9-inch display for the iPhone 6, and there's no one around to reblog his claims without a second's hesitation, is Apple still doomed?
Analysts estimate Apple sold 55.3M iPhones last quarter, up 16 percent (9to5 Mac; also reblogged by MacRumors, BGR)
Analyst estimates of Apple's sales are rarely, if ever, close to the mark. Kind of like everything else analysts say about Apple.
Korean rumor suggests iWatch has 1.5-inch curved OLED, set for summer launch (9to5 Mac; also reblogged by MacRumors, AppleInsider)
"Treat it as a vague rumor for the purposes of speculative entertainment," 9to5 Mac suggests of this story that some Asian publication printed and subsequently pulled. It's funny how you say "speculative entertainment," but instead I hear, "ginning up pageviews so we can sell more ad space."
Apple's iPhone 6 will reportedly surprise us all and launch this summer (BGR; also reblogged by AppleInsider)
Chinese tech publications are notorious for their inaccuracy about Apple's future product plans, as are analysts. This report got some moldy chocolate in some rancid peanut butter, however, because its source is an analyst from China. I could probably find more accurate predictions about Apple's future by interviewing Bedouins in the Empty Quarter of Saudi Arabia who've never even heard of the company. In fact, after having lived in Saudi Arabia for a few years, I'm going to change "probably" to "definitely."
Apple rumored to be planning €2B ($2.7B) European data center in Netherlands (9to5 Mac; also reblogged by AppleInsider)
This rumor is so bland that it's probably true. (Aside: It seems odd to call a $2.7 billion investment bland, but this is Apple we're talking about.)
New Mac Mini Coming by End of February According to Belgian Retailer (MacRumors; also reblogged by AppleInsider, 9to5 Mac, BGR)
According to MacRumors, "Retailer placeholders are typically unreliable indicators of new product launches." I couldn't have put it better myself, yet for some reason all the usual suspects decided to run with this decidedly non-story story anyway.
Analyst: Apple's 'iPhone 6' design 'locked down' with 4.8" display, 802.11ac Wi-Fi (AppleInsider; also reblogged by BGR, MacRumors)
Some analyst we've never heard of, citing "checks within the company's supply chain," comes out with several claims about the next-gen iPhone's design nearly eight months in advance of the device's expected launch. Let's see... no-name analyst, supply chain checks (a traditionally dodgy source - at best), and specific claims about a device that won't launch for eight months... yes, I can totally see why this rumor was worth smearing all over the blogosphere.
