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iPhone 7 may keep the headphone jack and support dual SIMs
One of the most intriguing rumors about the upcoming iPhone 7 is that it'll ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack, meaning users will have to get audio output via Lightning or Bluetooth. But according to a leakster, this may no longer be the case. Rock Fix, a smartphone repair shop based in China's Ganzhou, has recently been posting photos of alleged iPhone 7 components. One of these is apparently the 4.7-inch model's Lightning cable assembly which, contrary to what we've been hearing before, still has a headphone jack attached to it. And more recently, the shop shared photos of what it claims to be the next iPhone's dual-SIM trays, which will be a first for Apple if true.
Gold-colored HTC One part leaked in China, we're sensing a trend here
We're usually quite skeptical when it comes to leaked phone parts, especially those that just show a new color, but this one seems fairly reliable. Courtesy of the same Sina Weibo user who previously showed us a blue HTC One (which has since been announced along with its mini counterpart), we're now looking at what appears to be the front-half of a gold-colored One. Call it impeccable timing, but given the August 12th date stamp on the part, chances are HTC also had this planned some time ago. In fact, a 24-Carat gold One already exists. In addition to the leakster's track record, the hand-written marks on the parts lend credence to their authenticity. The One series' designer Justin Huang (who's sadly in a bit of trouble right now) previously told us that the letters grade the form of the front-side frame, in order to help pick matching parts. It's also worth pointing out that we've yet to come across any fake custom HTC One parts in the Huaqiangbei market, which is likely because of the difficult manufacturing and disassembly process. That said, the phone's relatively lower demand than, say, the iPhones and Samsung devices may be a bigger deterrent for those part makers. Let's see if this new color option will change HTC's course.
iPhone N94 prototype's front assembly leaked, set to be an iPhone 4S?
As we approach the rumored September or October launch date for the next batch of iPhones, the web's been spiced up with photos of alleged parts for an "N94" iPhone prototype. We've been rather skeptical about them until the above photos landed in our inbox, courtesy of our friends from uBreakiFix. A little while back we'd already heard from our other sources that the N94 is set to be a cheaper version of the current iPhone 4 (probably the 8GB iPhone 4 mentioned by Reuters last week), which would explain why all these components and cables look super familiar. The only notable difference here is the funny dot right next to the sensor location above the earpiece -- the dotted pattern is very much like that used by the microphone and the webcam LED indicator on Mac computers, but obviously the latter is more likely the case here.That said, do bear in mind that according to the mark along the bottom of this part, we're apparently looking at an "EVT1" (Engineering Verification Test) piece from March 3rd 2011 (making it about three months older than the white N94 back covers that made the rounds last week, assuming they're legit). Additionally, when our sources last checked around June and July, the N94 had yet to hit the DVT stage, so it's hard to determine whether these parts will remain the same in the final design, or whether the N94 will even make it to the production line at all.On the other hand, our sources pointed out that an elusive N97 device -- previously reported by the Wall Street Journal as a tiny iPhone -- had already reached "DVT" (Design Verification Test) stage back in June, though there's little information about it other than that it's been tested with various cellular technologies (though plagued by some bugs related to switching between specific frequencies back then), plus it may sport a camera module supplied by Sony, which was semi-confirmed by Howard Stringer himself back in April. Whatever the N97 ends up being, hopefully we'll have something at least as slim as our little souvenir from Beijing.
Shenzhen mobile phone market: going deeper inside Huaqiangbei
It's safe to say that most of our readers are accustomed to phone shops that are well lit, fairly spacious, and not peppered with KIRF products. But if you're feeling adventurous and want to take a dip in the deep end of the pool, then Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei district should satisfy your strange curiosity. As we've shown you in our previous trip, our gadget paradise covers an extensive range of products, including phones, computers, cameras, all the way down to circuitry components like LEDs, chips, and resistors. Our latest discovery, however, is an entire building dedicated to mostly mobile phone products. Read on to find out what this madness is all about -- a video tour awaits after the break. %Gallery-123728%
Next-gen iPod nano chassis hints at camera?
Here's yet another juicy leak from China to go with your breakfast. Delivered by the same folks who brought us the sixth-gen iPod nano display module leak, this time we have what appears to be a chassis for the next touchscreen nano. According to Apple.pro, the circular hole at the top right is likely to house a little camera, which would bring back the good old days with the camera-donning fifth-gen nano. Obviously, to make space for such an imager here, the spring-loaded clip on the back would have to be downsized and shifted, which would explain why the four screws are off-centered here, unlike those on the current-gen nano (as seen in iFixit's teardown shot after the break). That said, let's not forget that this rumor is coming straight out of KIRFdom, so we'll remain skeptical until this baby pops out around September time, as has been the case with most nano launches in the past.
Why the camera isn't the culprit for the white iPhone 4's delay (update: Woz responds)
Unless you've been away from the Internet over the last few days, you would've no doubt heard about Woz's special appearance at the Engadget Show on Sunday. Unsurprisingly, a few websites ran with some quotes that they pulled from our interview -- specifically, the highlight was Woz "confirming" that the white iPhone 4 was indeed delayed due to camera issues. Well, I don't think this is the case at all. In fact, I'm sure there are plenty of other good reasons for why Apple's been delaying the much anticipated flavor of its flagship smartphone, but the camera just isn't one of them. Head right past the break and all will be explained. Update: Our man Woz has just responded in the comments: I said plenty to make it clear that I know nothing of Apple's reasons for rejecting anything ever. I told how when I got my white iPhone 4 assembled I tested the flash photos and they did indeed have problems. I spoke of testing flash photos versus non-flash ones and comparing flash photos between my white and black iPhones. I don't recall saying that it was a 'reason' Apple rejected the parts although I had read that. For the last part, we were referring to 0:55 in the interview video after the break, but now that Woz has spoken, it could've been a joke at the time that got misinterpreted by some websites. They tend to do that with Woz. Read on!
Tweaked iPhone 4 parts discovered: an antenna fix, Verizon's iPhone, or the best KIRF ever?
This is a pretty bizarre video, but we watched the whole thing and we're prepared to comment: this is a pretty bizarre video. The folks at GlobalDirectParts somehow got ahold of iPhone replacement parts (a common story in Apple device leaks), and they've posted an in-depth video that illustrates the differences between this new set and regular iPhone 4 parts. Interestingly, nothing has been majorly tweaked, but there's a huge quantity of minor tweaks, primary in the internal wiring. Most notable are antenna adjustments, that are either an antenna fix, or, more likely, adjustments to optimize the antennas to work with Verizon's CDMA network. Other tweaks are bigger head scratchers, including a SIM slot (which wouldn't be necessary on Verizon, but wouldn't hurt anything either), and the removal of the rear camera hole (perhaps an extra SKU for enterprise use?). GlobalDirectParts isn't the only one to receive the tweaked parts, SmartPhone Medic made a similar score, so at least we know this isn't a one-off prank. We'll keep scratching our heads while you check out the video, located after the break. Update: So apparently Apple's yanked the video off YouTube, which may or may not be an indication for the part's authenticity. Anyhow, we've got you guys a backup video after the break.
Mitac International to acquire Tyan
Before long, Mitac International just might own every other Taiwanese company currently out there, as the corporation is swallowing up yet another subsidiary by reportedly acquiring Tyan. The merger is slated to hit completion by the third quarter of this year, but the two firms aren't entirely strangers as it stands. Currently, the Mitac Group holds a 35-percent stake in Tyan, but the deal should allow for Tyan's products to be "more competitive in the market." Stockholders were apparently pleased with the announcement, as shares for both firms raised during public trading hours, and you can probably assume the newfound company's new supercomputer will be even more sensational (and hopefully cheaper) than the existing iteration.[Via Inquirer]
Sony PSP faceplates add color to US units
Nevermind all those PSP2 rumors swirling about, as the real beef all you PSP owners (at least, one's that don't demolish them for fun) have with Sony is the lack of colored units here on American soil. Apparently, someone finally figured out that blessing foreign lands with a rainbow-like assortment of PSP colors wasn't exactly fair to us North Americans, and now we're seeing blue and silver Sony faceplates pop up for those who don't mind a bit of DIY action. So if you're yearning to get a dash of color on your current PlayStation Portable, and aren't too keen on dropping 35 large, you can snag either blue or silver right now for $28.50 apiece.[Via PSPFanboy]
