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Rumor Roundup: 'A mixed record with Apple rumors'

Chris Rawson
Updated ·5 min read
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The "iWatch" isn't even remotely confirmed to exist yet, but if you think that's stopped analysts from predicting it'll be either Apple's salvation or the harbinger of its demise (depending on which way the chicken bones fall), then you must be new to the world of Apple rumors.

Meanwhile, this week brought us rumors of other, slightly more believable Apple products -- and the sources ran the gamut from "right so often he must have inside sources" to "wrong so often that flipping a coin will get you better results." Anyone want to take bets on which category will feature "reports out of the Far East?"

Apple's Planned 'IWatch' Could Be More Profitable Than TV - Bloomberg

Bloomberg doubles down on its prediction that the iWatch will launch this year. Of course, lots of people have said the same thing about the Apple HDTV, and that's nowhere to be seen either.

Apple's watch will run iOS and arrive later this year, say sources | The Verge

The iWatch will supposedly run full iOS, according to The Verge's sources. However, those same sources say battery life issues are stymying Apple's efforts.

Jony Ive Ordered Boxes Of Nike Watches - Business Insider

Jony Ive supposedly ordered a bunch of Nike watches in the mid-2000s, which Bloomberg takes to mean he's been thinking about the iWatch for a long time.

Hey, I'll bet Ive bought a car when he was 16 years old... BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: Jony Ive to design iCar

Apple Building 2TB Solid State Drives for Next Mac Pro Release? (MacRumors)

Some site you've never heard of has an unconfirmed report that Apple is developing high-capacity SSDs for its next Mac Pro. You know, the one it hasn't updated significantly since 2010, and that's been on deathwatch for two years. Makes sense. Remember, in the rumor business, "unconfirmed report" = page view gold.

Apple to debut 'iPhone 5S' in June alongside low-cost fiberglass and plastic handset (AppleInsider)

Some analyst makes very specific claims about Apple's supposedly forthcoming hardware. Very few of these claims are original; however, this guy's been right several times in the past, so it's tougher to dismiss his claims out of hand.

iPhone 5S planned for August, next iPads may debut as soon as April | iMore.com

Speaking of people who've been right many times, Rene Ritchie of iMore says the next iPads will come out in April, with the iPhone 5S following in August. He hasn't been wrong yet.

Apple could ditch the home button for pressure-sensitive casing in future iPhones (BGR)

Why do so many rumormongers hate the Home button? What did it ever do to them? Did that small, concave circle with its unobtrusive rounded rectangle run over someone's dog? Did it date somebody's daughter and bring her home after midnight? We spent a good portion of last year and the year before that hearing about how Apple was going to ditch the Home button on the iPad and the iPhone. It didn't happen. It won't happen. There's a point at which simplicity of design becomes too cumbersome to tolerate from a usability perspective. Just ask the third-generation iPod shuffle.

Rumor: Production of Apple's 'iPhone 5S' now underway at Foxconn (AppleInsider)

MacOtakara claims production of the iPhone 5S has already begun. This doesn't jibe well with iMore's prediction of an August launch -- millions of iPhones aren't going to gather dust in China for five months -- and since iMore is batting 1000 on their predictions, I'll go with them.

Apple Will Miss Its Own Revenue Guidance, Says Citi - Business Insider

Throw another log on the "Apple is doomed!" fire, because that "most accurate" of "sources," analysts checking supply chain sources, now claims Apple will miss its own quarterly revenue guidance. Keep in mind that Apple hasn't missed its own guidance in years, and its only "misses" have been against the hyperinflated expectations of dumbkopf Wall Street analysts.

Swatch CEO doesn't believe Apple's rumored 'iWatch' is next tech revolution (AppleInsider)

Synchronize Swatches! The CEO of Swatch doesn't think the iWatch will be revolutionary. Keep in mind this is a device that's not only unannounced, there's no actual evidence it exists. This is a lot like Samsung saying Apple's HDTV won't revolutionize that industry... oh wait, that happened too. Well, it's also like Microsoft's CEO saying the iPhone won't get any traction in the market -- oh, right. That also happened.

I guess the lesson here is to keep your opinions to yourself when predicting the demise of Apple's products, because otherwise you inevitably wind up sounding silly. Well, except for the people who thought Ping was a terrible idea. Good call on that one.

Rumor: Apple and Intel again mulling partnership to build A-series chips (AppleInsider)

Remember two years ago, when this same rumor surfaced? How many iPhones run on Intel processors today?

Apple reportedly slashes 9.7-inch iPad orders due to iPad mini cannibalization (BGR)

According to "sometimes reliable" Digitimes, Apple has "slashed" orders for the full-sized iPad. Where "sometimes reliable" = semiannually accurate, like a broken clock that's right twice a year. This isn't even the first time Digitimes has beaten this particular drum this year... and again, if what iMore has said is true, it's entirely possible Apple's "slashed" orders for the full-size iPad because its replacement is going into production.

Rumor: Apple will purportedly use Qualcomm's Snapdragon SoC in low-cost iPhone (AppleInsider)

This rumor sounds familiar too. Probably because it made the rounds in January of this year. It didn't make any sense then, and it doesn't make any sense now.

Apple Exploring Wireless Charging for iPhone as Early as 2013? (MacRumors)

From the article: "Digitimes has a mixed record with Apple rumors, so Apple's likelihood of incorporating such technology so soon remains uncertain."

That's an almost admirably diplomatic way of putting it.