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Pre-event Apple rumors nailed almost all of the surprises
If today's big Apple event taught us one thing (beyond the fact that Tim Cook's music taste remains questionable at best), it's that the rumor mill has fully figured out Apple's game plan. If you've been paying attention to the news over the last few months (particularly if you've been reading 9to5Mac), there was almost nothing to be surprised by. The iPad Pro and iPad Mini 4 were unveiled; a new app-friendly Apple TV will be coming soon; and Apple's new iPhones are largely what we expected. That doesn't mean that there wasn't a ton of news jammed into today's two-hour event -- it's just that just about every bit of it was predicted ahead of time. Let's go through the announcements in detail and see exactly how the rumor-mongers stacked up.
Rumor Roundup: Broken resolution
The linkbait and breathless re-posting of poorly-sourced nonsense continues apace, with at least two articles claiming to have knowledge (and photos!) of a phone that probably isn't even being built in factories yet. New iPhone 6 details possibly revealed! (BGR) A South Korean publication claims the next iPhone, the "iPhone Air," will be 6 millimeters thick. But from BGR's article: "The publication says the news comes from Chinese media, but it certainly can't be verified at this point." Not only can it not be verified, with nine months (or so) to go before the next iPhone launches, anyone claiming to have knowledge of the next-gen handset is off their rocker. Apple hits snags in 'iWatch' production, loses director of iPod software to Nest (AppleInsider; also covered by BGR, MacRumors) The Information reports that Apple is running into problems bringing the iWatch to market. Since its article is behind a paywall, it's uncertain if one of the challenges/snags/problems they mention is, "No credible source has ever come out with verifiable information that this product actually exists, and all anyone has to go on so far is speculative nonsense from analysts and lamebrained echo-chamber BS from 'supply chain sources in Asia'." John Gruber of Daring Fireball classified this as "From the Department of Not-News," and Jim Dalrymple of The Loop agreed with him. Since these guys are two of only a very few Apple writers I trust, you might as well take this rumor out into the desert and bury it. This could be the first ever image of the iPhone 6 frame (BGR; also covered by 9to5 Mac) I'm not sure what's more depressing: that BGR and 9to5 Mac reblogged these photos despite both of them admitting they were "dubious" and/or "sketchy, or that 9to5 Mac couldn't even make it two whole weeks into 2014 before falling headfirst back into the "Apple rumor game of telephone" by passing on this kind of garbage-sourced non-story. Oh well. Resolutions are made to be broken, I guess.
Rumor Roundup: Playing catchup
Not many rumors came out this week. I guess most of the analysts were off at their annual retreat in New Mexico, out of their gourds on peyote and brainstorming what sort of egregious nonsense they'll try to pass off as "analysis" over the coming months. Rumor: Foxconn testing production of larger-screened iPad for 2014 release (AppleInsider) Chinese site you've never heard of before today makes completely unverifiable claim about Apple product whose existence is pure speculation. Stop me if you've heard this before. Apple Adds Suppliers to Boost Smartphone, Tablet Production (Wall Street Journal) "People familiar with the supply chain" are claiming that Apple is diversifying its overseas suppliers. I'd sure like to believe them, but I no longer trust the Wall Street Journal or its sources unless there's an Apple event within the next 48 hours. Analyst predicts two iPhone releases per year after meeting with Apple's CEO, CFO (AppleInsider) What some analyst "believes" or "predicts" very rarely aligns with what Apple eventually ends up doing. And by "very rarely" I mean "almost never." Since this analyst works for a big-name company and gets to ask questions during Apple's quarterly earning calls, though, let's all pretend her predictions are newsworthy. iOS 7.0.4 Activity Ramping Up at Apple Ahead of Next Minor Software Update (MacRumors) Everybody hold your breath for bug fixes and stability improvements! Apple working to slim its iWatch via intermittent Bluetooth LE connection? (9to5 Mac) "The question mark in the headline lets us retain our powers of legitimacy!" -9to5 Mac editors From the article: "One of the barriers to widespread adoption of smartwatches is that existing models are not exactly sleek." That's one of the barriers, yes. Another is that existing models suck. Another barrier is that no one has come up with a justifiable use case for a smartwatch. Like, at all. It sounds like something out of an episode of Pimp My Ride. "Yo dawg, I heard you like touchscreens, so now you got one you can wear on your wrist, and you can read your email without having to take your iPhone out of your pock- dude, where are you going? Come back!" Also, the "iWatch concept" image that heads this 9to5 Mac story makes me incredibly glad that it's Jonathan Ive who's doing design for Apple and not... not whoever this was. Ugggh. Rumor: Delayed Retina iPad mini launch blamed on LCD burn-in issues (AppleInsider) This story is heavy on technical details, which strongly suggests it's not the typical BS that circulates out of the Far East publications. Apple Said Developing Curved IPhone Screens, New Sensors (Bloomberg) "A person familiar with the plans" claims next year's iPhones will have glass that curves downward at the edges and - okay, I'm gonna stop right there. The next iPhone probably isn't coming out until September of next year. That's over 10 months away. No one claiming to have knowledge of the next iPhone actually has any clue what they're talking about. And by the way, seriously? The iPhone 5S came out two months ago, and the rumormongers are already jumping up and down claiming to have knowledge of the next model? That's philosophically equivalent to decking out a retail chain in Christmas decorations in February. Some analyst quoted in the story says, "Screen size is one of the things where Apple has to catch up to the Android camp." Like it's a case of Apple being incapable of making an iPhone with a bigger screen, rather than it being a case of the company not blindly following the latest idiotic trend in tech and making an iPhone 90 percent the size of an iPad mini just to appease analysts and checklist freaks. No, Apple has to "catch up" to the Android camp, because just look at how pathetically small its iPhone screens are. Tiny four-inch screens on a device that's selling by the millions every week. Stick a fork in Apple, it's done. "The new Apple handsets are still in development and plans haven't been completed," according to Bloomberg's source. Well, duh. I doubt Apple will finalize the next iPhone's design until the first quarter of next year. Meanwhile, when this story turns out to be utter nonsense next year, Bloomberg can just do the typical rumormonger dance and say Apple changed its plans in mid-year. Extra bonus points if they can spin it in a way that makes it sound like insurmountable technical issues - issues that darling Samsung has handily solved, of course - are what's preventing Apple from fulfilling analysts' fantasies. Ten more months of this until the next iPhone. I picked a bad week to quit drinking.
Rumor Roundup: What's your favorite scary headline?
Now that Apple has presumably announced everything it's going to sell in 2013, that must mean the deafening roar of dumb rumors will die down for awhi -- hahahaa, no, it's just as bad as ever. And as a special treat, rumor blogs are also putting on their own "analyst" hats and pretending they know what they're talking about when it comes to Apple's future plans. It's kind of adorable and heartbreaking at the same time, like a puppy with a concussion. Staggering around... trying to find his way. You keep it up, little guy. You -- *sniff* -- you keep it up. More evidence suggests that the iPhone 5c is a dud (BGR) BGR's definition of "evidence" is as scanty as it always is when it comes to their sources, and its "analysis" (heavy sarcasm quotes) is predictably dumb. "If [Apple] expected that a cheaper iPhone would sell at equal or higher volurmes than the iPhone 5s, then it was sorely mistaken," BGR notes. Well, I guess Apple will have to cry itself to sleep on a bed fashioned from the billions of dollars it's making off the more expensive iPhone 5s, then. BGR also says this result is "somewhat surprising given that the 5c was billed by many as a lower cost alternative that would appeal to more budget minded consumers." In other words, they're still clinging to the notion that the 5c was supposed to be the long-rumored "low cost" iPhone rather than the mid-tier model that actually debuted. (Aside: it still warms my heart that the iPhone 5c's pricing made two years worth of analyst ranting and ravings about a "low-cost" iPhone designed to chase after market share at the expense of profit look like the pure stupidity that it always was. Ahhh, the afterglow.) Laying all that aside, please tell me how after only two months on the market an iPhone that accounts for nearly 2 percent of all iPhones counts as a "dud." We're talking about hundreds of millions of devices out there. Two percent of hundreds of millions is still a hell of a lot. Opinion: What can we expect from the elusive Apple Television? (9to5 Mac) This entire piece is sure to give Gene "Where's my Apple HDTV?" Munster his weekly jolt, but for the rest of us, it's pure... what's a more polite word for -- (Let's go with "fantasy" here, sir. --Ed) The question no one ever seems to ask regarding a possible Apple HDTV is, "Why?" Why would Apple enter a saturated, low-margin, low-yield market? The iPhone succeeded in the mobile phone market because it brought something truly new to the landscape, and Apple continues to benefit from the iPhone because people still generally view mobile phones as "disposable" tech to be renewed every 2-3 years. How many people do you know who are swapping out their televisions that often? People have been expecting Apple to produce an HDTV for years, but it keeps not happening. I suspect it's because Apple knows better. Too bad virtually no one else seems capable of catching a clue. Rumor: LG nearing deal to supply 'iWatch' OLEDs, Samsung not a candidate (AppleInsider) Apple has shown zero interest in adopting OLED technology in any of its devices, and the iWatch is nothing more than an analyst's LSD trip. "Hard evidence supporting a near-future debut" for the iWatch "has yet to surface" according to AppleInsider. That's probably because the iWatch is and always has been a profoundly stupid idea. Rumor: Big-screen 'iPhone 6' coming Sept. 2014, Apple to focus on one-handed use (AppleInsider) No one outside of Apple has any idea what the 2014 iPhone will be like. Period. The source of this story, "Japanese magazine Mac Fan" is just trolling for page views, and AppleInsider (among many other rumor blogs) is just doing the same by passing it along as though it's the least bit credible. How far can fanboys carry Apple? (BGR) BGR does us all a favor by using the F-word in its headline, which immediately outs the article as completely devoid of anything approaching intellectual value. Aside from the fact that this is (of course) sourced from a know-nothing analyst, anyone who is still claiming that Apple's profits are driven or maintained by "fanboys" is simply not paying even the most rudimentary attention to the market. The "fanboy" argument might have made sense in 2007 or 2008, when iPhone sales were in the mere millions. It makes absolutely zero sense now that Apple sells 30 million or more iPhones every quarter. Apple's success is thoroughly and absolutely mainstream. It has been ever since the first time the company sold ten million iPods in a year. Apple's 100+ billion dollar stockpile of cash has nothing to do with "fanboys" and everything to do with normal human beings who don't give a rip about your pathetic attempts to stereotype them. Accept it. Period. Target takes a guess at Retina iPad mini launch date: Thursday, Nov. 21st (9to5 Mac) From the article: "We believe this is more than likely a speculative date as retailers like Target don't usually get such early information." Several lifetimes ago, I used to work for Target. I can guarantee the company has absolutely zero concrete information on when the Retina iPad mini will be available. iOS 7: The perfect mobile platform for murderers (BGR) This has to be the link-baitiest headline on the link-baitiest blog in the history of ever. "Ok, so iOS 7 isn't the most beloved software Apple has ever released," BGR claims, which follows in their time-honored tradition of making broad statements that completely fly in the face of the facts. If iOS 7 is so controversial or "unloved," then why is it that two-thirds of all iOS users are running it on their devices less than two months after its launch? Worse for BGR's rapidly fading credibility, the spoof video they use as a source for this story has absolutely nothing to do with iOS 7 itself. The devices in the video are all indeed running the latest version of iOS, but the video consists of a collection of traditional horror movie tropes related to mobile phones rather than anything specifically related to iOS 7. Run! The stupidity is coming from inside the house!!!
Rumor Roundup: iPad-slash-Mac event postmortem
Apple put an end to months of analyst "will they or won't they" handwringing at the recent iPad/Mac event when it did, indeed, unveil an updated iPad mini with a Retina display. As a direct consequence, we have an answer to the question: just how reliable is a "reliable" analyst? Let's find out. Nope New low-cost iPad mini expected to debut alongside Retina model in 2014 (AppleInsider) Source: The rumour blogs' favourite "accurate" analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities. We'll be hearing more from him later. Lots more. Read this piece and try to find a single thing Kuo got correct. Apple has A6-based iPad mini without Retina display in the works (9to5 Mac) Source: "References in the iOS 7 SDK sent to us by a developer." The iPad mini skipped the A6 entirely, going from A5 straight to A7. And, as we all know, the updated model has a Retina display. A7X-Based iPad and iPad Mini Expected to Launch in 4Q 2013, Lower-Cost A6 iPad Mini to Follow in 2014 (MacRumors) Source: "KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a fairly solid track record (sic) in predicting Apple's product plans" There is no such thing as an A7X chip in the new iPads, and the "low-cost iPad mini without a Retina display" is - surprise - just the first-gen iPad mini. New report suggests iPad 5 and Retina iPad mini could get fingerprint scanners (BGR) Source: Digitimes. SHOCKER: Digitimes gets another one wrong. Can Apple announce the rest of 2013′s products in just one event? (9to5 Mac) Source: "Analysis" is probably the polite term for it. Apple answered the question this article's headline posed with a definitive "yes." Retina display-toting iPad mini may not ship with 'iPad 5' this year, report says (AppleInsider) Source: IHS iSuppli Unless Apple misses its late November launch target for the Retina iPad mini, this report is dead wrong. Remember, kids: "supply-chain checks" aren't an accurate barometer for what's happening with Apple's product line. LEAK -- Retina iPad mini pictured in gold with Touch ID fingerprint scanner (BGR) Source: Sketchy Chinese website. And probably Photoshop. The iPad mini isn't available in gold. My eyes are eternally grateful. Reuters: Retina iPad mini may not launch in 2013 due to supply constraints (AppleInsider) Source: "Supply chain checks" Another publication relies on supply chain checks as its source and ends up with egg on its face. Report claims iPad 5 & Retina iPad mini will sport 8MP rear cameras w/ larger aperture (9to5 Mac) Source: "often reliable (sic) KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo" Neither of the new iPads have this camera hardware. Wrong again. Bad news, Apple fans: New report claims no new Retina iPad mini will be unveiled next week (BGR) Source: Analyst Brian White. "Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brian White has had his fair share of hits and misses over the years," BGR points out in the opener. Chalk up one more miss... oops, all out of chalk. Rumor: Amazon's French and German sites suggest new Apple TV coming Oct. 23 (AppleInsider) Source: Amazon's French and German sites. No new Apple TV hardware launched. Partial credit Analyst's predictions for 2013: New iPhones to be in short supply, Haswell iMacs/MacBook Pros arriving, no new iPad mini (9to5 Mac) Source: "Analyst Ming-Chi-Kuo, who has a fairly strong track record (sic) in predicting future Apple products" iPhones are indeed in short supply. Haswell Macs did indeed launch. But Kuo once again completely whiffed it with his iPad predictions. Apple event predictions from KGI: Thinner, lighter A7X iPad 5 w/improved cam but no gold or TouchID. Also A7 iPad Mini w/Retina, Haswell MacBook Pros (9to5 Mac) Source: Ming-Chi Kuo (again) Kuo abruptly contradicted himself in the weeks leading up to the iPad event and said the iPad mini would get a Retina display. He therefore got much of this revised guesswork correct, but he still incorrectly predicted an A7X processor for the full-sized iPad and updated camera hardware. Rumor: Updated MacBook Pros to arrive in late Oct., new Mac Pro in mid Nov. (AppleInsider) Source: Some French website. They got it half right: MacBook Pro updates came out in late October, but the Mac Pro isn't coming until December. Yep Rumor: Apple to ship Haswell-powered Retina MacBook Pros in October (AppleInsider) Source: China Times. Notably, this contradicted "well-connected analyst" Ming-Chi Kuo, who had expected the new MacBook Pros to be introduced in September. Someone pull this guy out of the game, he can't pitch. Apple's Next iPad Mini Will Likely Have 'Retina' Display From Samsung (Wall Street Journal) Next iPad Takes After Thin, Light Mini (Wall Street Journal) The Wall Street Journal has two good guesses during this rumor cycle. I'm stunned. Apple's OS X Mavericks release planned for end of October (9to5 Mac) Source: "Sources with knowledge of the launch plans" Looks like those sources were right. Apple expected to introduce redesigned Smart Cover alongside slimmer 5th-gen iPad (AppleInsider) Source: Analyst Brian White. It irks me having to award points to this guy, because it doesn't take a genius to say, "Hmm, the next iPad is going to be a slightly different size from the current one... that probably means new Smart Covers." But I'm trying to be fair here. Like iPad 3, new iPad mini could be technically thicker to fit Retina Display (9to5 Mac) Source: Macotakara. Turns out the new iPad mini is indeed slightly thicker than its predecessor. And it seems everyone is still too shocked over the device being in virtually every respect a shrunk-down version of the iPad Air to remember to complain about this. Next-generation iPad dimensions reveal sleeker design (TUAW) Source: "A reputable case manufacturer" TUAW's specs: 240.1 x 169.6 x 7.5 millimeters Actual specs: 240 x 169.5 x 7.5 millimeters Considering the height and width are both off by only a single micrometer, I'll give this one to you, Mr Sande. Which is a good thing, because I really wasn't looking forward to a 15-hour flight to Colorado to beat you with that herring. I know I'm shouting into a hurricane here, but a post-mortem of just three months worth of iPad rumors definitively shows one thing: analyst predictions about what Apple will or will not release are worthless. Even the analysts widely touted as "accurate" are anything but, and the few things they do get right can easily be chalked up to following the logical patterns that Apple itself has established. In short, it bears repeating until it finally gets through everyone's neutronium-lined skulls: analysts have no idea what they're talking about when they're talking about Apple. Nothing they say is newsworthy. Stop re-publishing everything they say unless you want to keep on looking as foolish as you already do.
Rumor Roundup: Bite the hand that feeds you
Here's what we know for certain about Apple's upcoming event on October 22: Apple will hold an event on October 22. Here's what many suspect Apple will announce at that event: The fifth-generation iPad, drawing design cues from the iPad mini A second-generation iPad mini, which may or may not have a Retina display Launch date for OS X Mavericks Launch date for the redesigned Mac Pro If you've got anything other than that on your Apple Event Bingo scorecard... best of luck to you. Meanwhile, let's see if there's any last minute "insights" from the rumor scene. (Spoiler: if you've been following Apple rumors for any appreciable length of time, you'll know why I put "insights" inside sarcasm quotes.) Apple expected to introduce redesigned Smart Cover alongside slimmer 5th-gen iPad (AppleInsider) Some analyst thinks the next iPad's Smart Cover will have different dimensions than the existing version, "based on conversations with Chinese and Taiwanese suppliers." This analyst's track record has been shaky at best; unfortunately, he's probably right this time given the expected redesign of the full-size iPad's chassis, which means at least another six months of rumor blogs spreading every word he says like it came straight from Apple executives. Like iPad 3, new iPad mini could be technically thicker to fit Retina Display (9to5 Mac) "Technically" thicker? That's the best kind of thicker! The next iPad mini will supposedly be 0.3 millimeters thicker to accommodate the bigger battery necessary to drive a higher-powered Retina display, which 9to5 Mac says is "hardly noticeable." We'll see how hardly noticeable it is when/if this actually happens; considering how gibberingly mad various bloggers went when the iPad 3 was 0.6 mm thicker and a handful of grams heavier than the iPad 2, I'm guessing anyone paid to gin up anti-Apple news at any cost definitely will notice. Bad news, Apple fans: New report claims no new Retina iPad mini will be unveiled next week (BGR) Bad news, BGR fans: this new report comes from a notoriously inaccurate analyst who contradicts claims from AllThingsD, a far more reliable source of news relating to all things Apple. Rumor: Updated MacBook Pros to arrive in late Oct., new Mac Pro in mid Nov. (AppleInsider) A French website you've never heard of makes launch date claims about unreleased Apple products. No proof, no evidence. We're just supposed to take their word for it, I guess? Apple's Dual iPhone Strategy in Doubt (Wall Street Journal) Buried within this doom 'n' gloom piece is this tidbit: "The reduced orders could indicate weak demand, or could signal that Apple wanted to ensure adequate supply of the 5C so that potential buyers, who were more likely to be switching from competing phones, didn't have to walk out of a store empty-handed." Assuming that the supplier info actually points to a drop in production of the iPhone 5c –- which is by no means guaranteed, since Tim Cook himself said supply chain info doesn't paint a complete picture –- the above paragraph is the only part of the WSJ's piece that seems like it strikes close to the truth. Apple's supply chain is agile enough that it can increase or decrease production of its units in virtually immediate response to the ebb and flow of demand. Rather than what many retailers do, which is create an oversupply of units to keep shelves stocked even during times of lowered demand, Apple generally follows a "just-in-time" model for production. If demand for the iPhone 5c has suddenly dropped off compared to September, this shouldn't come as a surprise; demand for new iPhones is always high in the immediate weeks following launch, then trails off slowly, with an even higher peak during the holiday period. It makes perfect sense to trail off production now, then ramp it up again in, say, mid- to late-November in anticipation of the holiday rush. The alternative is millions of iPhones gathering dust in the back of Apple stores, and we all know what the media's reaction to that would be. Naturally, since none of this fits the "Apple is doomed" narrative, that's not the line the WSJ is pushing hardest. And unfortunately for the publication's steadily unravelling credibility when it comes to Apple news, there's another complication... WSJ backpedals on iPhone 5c supply chain cuts story (AppleInsider) As AppleInsider notes (and soundly criticizes), the WSJ's story was initially even more alarmist than the version cited above, until the publication went in and performed minor surgery on it. For the past couple years I've noticed a steady decline in the reliability of the Journal's coverage of Apple, which led me to wonder on Twitter why anyone still considers them a credible source where Apple is concerned. One of my followers pointed out that the Journal still receives highly reliable information immediately before Apple events –- whether deliberately "leaked" by Apple or not is the eternally open question –- so that's led me to a new rule of thumb with regard to the Journal: Any speculative piece about Apple printed in the Wall Street Journal is no longer worth paying attention to, unless it's less than ~24 hours from an Apple event. Apple Increasing iPhone 5s Production by 75%, Cutting iPhone 5c Orders by 35% (MacRumors) Yet another source claims iPhone 5c orders are being cut, while iPhone 5s orders are getting boosted. Strangely, rather than going with the typical "Apple is doomed" schtick, this source points out that Apple selling more of its higher-priced, higher-margin iPhone units is actually a good thing for the company's bottom line. Thus, the narrative is less "Apple's mid-tier iPhone sales fall flat" and more, "Apple's high-tier iPhones still sales favorite." Funny how that works. Retina iPad mini forecast to outsell thinner 'iPad 5' nearly 2:1, if Apple meets demand (AppleInsider) You know the drill by now: a bunch of analysts threw some chicken bones at the floor in a hilariously misguided attempt to predict sales numbers for unannounced, unreleased products. I don't trust the weather forecast in my part of the world more than 48 hours in advance, and I definitely don't trust analysts' sales forecasts for products that no one outside of Apple (and select Chinese factories) has even seen yet. Apple's Retina iPad mini could be next to impossible to find at launch (BGR) Since almost-always-wrong analyst Peter Misek is the source for this information, I think it's far more likely that the Retina iPad mini will be available in every corner drugstore the day after launch. Rumor: Amazon's French and German sites suggest new Apple TV coming Oct. 23 (AppleInsider) A sudden shift in the date of availability of the current Apple TV sparks off speculation that an updated version is coming. When last seen, Gene "Where's my Apple HDTV" Munster was downing an entire bottle of Pepto Bismol and a dozen nitroglycerine tablets. Apple event predictions from KGI: Thinner, lighter A7X iPad 5 w/improved cam but no gold or TouchID. Also A7 iPad Mini w/Retina, Haswell MacBook Pros (9to5 Mac) This far-too-long headline accomplishes two things: it identifies the source and the bulk of the article itself. Since the source is a hit-or-miss analyst, there's very little motivation to read beyond the headline. But let's give it a shot anyway. "Kuo predicts a slimmer iPad 5 with 20% lighter weight down to 7.5mm and 500g respectively. He also expects an 8 megapixel camera with a larger aperture on the order of the iPhone 5 and a new 64-bit A7X processor." "Bold" predictions all, considering virtually everyone has expected all of these things for months. Same with Kuo's prediction that the iPad mini will have a Retina display. A gold color option and Touch ID are apparently off the table for the iPads. We'll see about that. There's nothing earth-shattering in this report, and it hews close enough to the overall consensus of what everyone already expected that it doesn't come across as particularly visionary. But if even half of this stuff turns out to be accurate, you can count on rumor blogs to continue hailing this particular analyst as some sort of expert prognosticator. Next-generation iPad dimensions reveal sleeker design (TUAW) Wait, what? TUAW?! Oh, great. I work with the guy who wrote this article, so I suppose I could have flat-out asked him what his source was to determine if this story was worth the attention he gave it. But since I don't do that for anyone else's publication, I figured that was giving TUAW an unfair advantage. So I'm judging this on its own merits, just like everyone else. As for posting this rumor on TUAW in the first place... there's a saying somewhere about stones and glass houses. I forget how it goes. Anyway, I prefer the phrase, "Some men just want to watch the world burn." *lights match* From the article: "As our longtime readers know, TUAW usually scoffs at rumors." That's right. It's because the overwhelming majority of them are complete bull. How is this one any different? "When a reputable case manufacturer provides exact dimensions of a device a few days ahead of an Apple product launch, it's hard to ignore." Sure, because case manufacturers have never, ever gotten it wrong. The dimensions given are extraordinarily specific –- down to tenths of a millimetre –- which doesn't leave a whole lot of margin for error. It's likely this particular case manufacturer got its hands on one of the "leaked" cases that various blogs have breathlessly photographed and catalogued, and it's basing its case dimensions off of that. Whether that gamble pays off for the case manufacturer in question -– or for TUAW, who believed them enough to post this story despite its notorious distaste for rumors –- only time will tell. All the case manufacturer stands to lose is time and a small amount of money retooling its fabrication facilities to any corrected dimensions. TUAW's risk is arguably just as precarious; after a year and a half of throwing stones at other publications for posting rumors of questionable (at best) veracity, it would be unfortunate indeed if a story like this one became an excuse for the BGRs of the world to point the finger and laugh at us. Fair warning, Steve: if that happens, I will fly out to Colorado and smack you upside the head with a herring.
Rumor Roundup: 'Well-respected analyst'
Here is the only rumor that came out this week that has even the remotest chance of coming true: Apple Will Hold Fall iPad Event on October 22 (AllThingsD) Continuing its proud tradition of not being full of crap (an increasingly rare thing amongst tech publications when it comes to Apple), AllThingsD has once again correctly pegged the date of an upcoming Apple event well in advance of an official announcement. I feel comfortable saying they got it right because Jim Dalrymple of The Loop gave this rumor a "yep," and unlike the armies of so-called "reliable" analysts out there, Jim is a source you absolutely can trust in these matters. So what can we expect to see at this event? A fifth-generation full-size iPad that looks similar to the current iPad mini. The iPad mini itself will probably have a Retina display (unless it doesn't). According to AllThingsD, "the new Mac Pro and OS X Mavericks will likely get some stage time as well." That's it. That's all there is to legitimate, well-sourced Apple rumors this week. We can all go home now. Well done, everyone. Wait. What's that you say? This wasn't the only Apple rumor this week? *checks RSS feed* Oh. Please... Oh god no. Apple predicted to sell as many as 10M 'iWatches' in first year (AppleInsider) Gene "Where's My Apple HDTV" Munster has switched gears. He's no longer chasing the white whale of a mythical Apple device with a huge screen. Now he's chasing the white... guppy?... of a mythical Apple device with a small screen. He surveyed 799 people in the US and... and... and I'm going to stop right there, because this is in no way, shape, or form a legitimate news story. Asking people whether they'd buy a product that doesn't exist, then extrapolating sales data from that survey, is about as scientifically accurate and computationally relevant as astrology. As I gaze into my own crystal ball, I see Gene Munster's future: two more years of rumormongering about the iWatch. Apple's iPhone 6 will FINALLY feature a bigger display (BGR) FINALLY. From the article: "Another report from a well-respected source suggests Apple is indeed finally getting ready to satisfy critics and launch a smartphone with a larger screen." Oooh, sounds juicy. Who exactly is this well-respected source? "Jefferies & Co. analyst Peter Misek" -- BWAAAAHAHAHA! "Well-respected" source? HAHHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!! *gasp, pant* Hoo, boy. Peter Misek. "Well-respected source." That's a good -- HAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! "Misek has had a few good calls regarding unreleased Apple products in the past," BGR lies, "and he is considered by many to be among the top analysts covering Apple right now." I'd like to know exactly who these "many" are, and I'd like to recommend that they head to their nearest hospital for chelation therapy immediately, because it's clear they've been eating all of the lead paint chips in the world. Oh, and as for the rumor itself: The iPhone 5S has only been out for two weeks. Anyone who claims to know what the iPhone 6 will be like is selling something. It's your own fault if you take them seriously. Here's the best evidence yet that Apple's iPad 5 will include a Touch ID fingerprint scanner (BGR) BGR is becoming increasingly adept at three things: Sensationalistic, wrong-headed "analysis" about Apple Taking analysts and their wild-assed guesses way too seriously Hilarious attempts at getting all CSI on "leaked" parts Guess which one of the three this story is? Hint: it includes a titillating photograph of a ribbon cable. A7-powered iPad 5 will accelerate the switch from PCs to tablets by two points – analyst (9to5 Mac) Deutsche Bank makes what has to be the safest call made so far this year: iPads will continue to eat the PC market's lunch in 2014. This just in: a gigantic ball of nuclear fire is predicted to crest the eastern horizon tomorrow morning. Sources indicate this enormous, intensely bright plasma sphere will bathe the planet in heat and light for as much as 14 hours before disappearing behind the western horizon. More on this shocking story as it develops. Another solid report says Apple's iPhone 6 will FINALLY include a bigger screen! (BGR) FIIIIINAAAAALLLLLLYYYYYYY. "It hasn't even been three weeks since Apple's record-smashing iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c debut, but the rumor mill has already moved on to bigger and better things," BGR says. I don't know about "better," but the pile of BS is definitely bigger than it's ever been. BGR gets things off to a hilarious start by once again suggesting that Peter Misek is a "well-respected Apple analyst." If such a thing even existed (it doesn't), Peter Misek definitely would not fit the bill. But I think we've beaten that dead horse enough -- kind of like Misek's Apple HDTV predictions, am I right? HEYOOOOO. Some analyst says Apple is "toying with two different display sizes for its upcoming iPhone 6." Unlikely, but let's hear him out. First off, what's his source? "...research in Apple's supply chain..." Oh, is that the same supply chain that Tim Cook himself said is rarely, if ever, indicative of Apple's actual product pipeline? Just checking. How about these purported displays, then? "..a 4.7-inch panel with 1,280 x 720-pixel resolution..." Nope. Not a chance. "...and a 5.7-inch display with full HD 1080p resolution." BZZZT. I'm sorry, that's also incorrect. We have some nice parting gifts for you. Thank you for playing "Are You Smarter than a Dachshund?" There's a word Apple executives like to use when they talk about Android devices: fragmentation. Apple chides the Android experience for trying to cater to too many devices, with too many different display sizes. Apple has already fragmented the iPhone experience once, by introducing an iPhone 5 with a different aspect ratio than the iPhones which came before it. It took months for app developers to adjust -- and now we're supposed to believe that Apple is going to do it yet again? Come on. 64-bit CPUs seen bolstering possible 13" iPad notebook from Apple (AppleInsider) Every once in awhile, some analyst with no clue about how computers actually work trots out the idea of Apple building a Mac based on the ARM CPU architecture. This latest bit of technobabble comes courtesy of some analyst realizing, "Hey, Apple builds 64-bit CPUs for its iOS devices now. That means they'll be more powerful -- BINGO. Apple is going to build Macs with ARM CPUs." The most powerful iOS device on the market right now, the iPhone 5S, gets benchmark scores that are just slightly over half as good as the least powerful Mac that Apple currently sells. ARM CPUs work outstandingly well for the purpose they're most suited to -- powering mobile devices with pared-down (or "optimized" if you prefer) operating systems, but they'd be terrible at running Photoshop CS6 on OS X Mavericks. Please stop banging on this particular drum, because it's just making you look silly. Well, sillier than usual anyway. iPhone 6 will sport a 5-inch display -- and Apple's iWatch is MUCH MORE than just a smartwatch (BGR) MUCH MORE. BGR hits the laughable trifecta here, once again calling peter Misek a "well-respected analyst." (That's three posts in a single week with variations on that phrase. I smell a search engine optimized rat.) "Adding more fuel to the fire, Cantor Fitzgerald's Brian White came away from a recent meeting with an unnamed Apple component supplier completely convinced that next year's iPhone 6 will finally sport a bigger screen." Excellent. Another Apple analyst with an incredibly poor track record has said the same thing as the other guy who hasn't got a clue what he's talking about. That's settled then. Absolutely set in stone. Just how "much more" will the iWatch be, Brian? "...a multi-purpose gateway in allowing consumers to control their home (i.e., heating/cooling, lights, audio, video, etc.)." Well, isn't that special. It sounds exactly like the perennial analyst fantasy of Apple devices someday controlling everything in the house. You pull your iCar into the driveway and use your iPhone to unlock your front door. Siri-activated systems turn your lights on for you. You use an iRing to control your Apple HDTV. Touchscreens on your iFridge let you plan your grocery list. And we all have weekend vacations on the Moon, eat our dinners in pill form, and electricity is too cheap to meter. Sometimes I wonder if these guys actually read any of the things they write. Coming from Apple in 2014: 12-inch Retina MacBook, sharper iPad, cheaper iMac? (9to5 Mac) Everyone's favorite Apple analyst has apparently been downgraded from "well-connected" to "typically reliable" according to this post. It's only a matter of time before he becomes "sometimes reliable," then "hit-or-miss." If he's lucky, though, he'll eventually manage to convince at least one blog to start calling him "well-respected" again. Seemingly having learned his lesson from being wrong many times in the recent past, this analyst has shied away from the explicitly concrete claims he became so famed for and has instead retreated to the analyst default: broad claims about products sufficiently far off in the future that by then everyone will have forgotten how wrong he was when they fail to materialize. But leave it to the rumor blogs to pass all this on like it came straight from Tim Cook's own diary. Already we're setting unrealistic expectations for 2014: a gigantic-screened iPhone, a 12-inch MacBook that will "redefine laptop computing," a low-cost iMac, and a sixth-gen iPad with a higher pixel density than the fourth-generation iPad -- or even the still unreleased fifth-generation iPad. I said it last week, but it bears repeating: spreading this BS as though it's the truth is entirely counterproductive. Wall Street analysts are too dumb not to eat these stories like candy, so when none of these products actually make it to market next year they're all going to think it's because Apple has lost its touch. I dream of a world where tech writers stop paying attention to these so-called "analysts" and cease spreading their fantasies dolled up as legitimate news. In this much better world, this weekly roundup would be much shorter, and I'd feel less compelled to be so dismissively snarky about it all. Because news about Apple would be just that: news. Actual news from legitimate sources. Not, "This guy got one thing kinda sorta right this one time, so we'll reblog absolutely everything he says from now on, no matter how far-fetched or demonstrably illogical it may be." AllThingsD manages to write real news about Apple. So does Macworld, and Ars Technica, and The Loop, and an increasingly smaller handful of others. What's wrong with the rest of you?
Rumor Roundup: Why so serious?
There aren't many jobs out there where screwing up is rewarded. A neurosurgeon with a 25 percent success rate probably won't be a neurosurgeon for very long. Pilots can only make so many unsuccessful landings before they cease to be pilots (or anything else). Burn enough of those sad grease patties masquerading as hamburgers, and even the world's worst fast food joint will fire you. But for some reason, if your job involves spreading digital manure about Apple, you can be as wrong as you like as often as you like, and it will never matter. Someone, somewhere, will pay attention to you. It's been said there's no such thing as bad press. Let's put that to the test. Rumor: Apple will be moving to TSMC for A8 chip production for the 4th year in a row (9to5 Mac) According to "sometimes accurate" Digitimes. 9to5 Mac spends half this post trashing Digitimes' accuracy, but that didn't stop them from publishing this perennially unrealized rumor from the laughingstock of the Apple rumor scene anyway. Rumor mill again points to Boost Mobile getting Apple's iPhone (AppleInsider) From the article: "While the promotional materials could be real, @evleaks has in the past been off with Boost Mobile predictions." This also isn't the first time Boost has been rumored to be getting the iPhone. And these "leaked" posters would be trivially easy to fake. Apple is reportedly testing iWatch designs with flexible OLED displays (BGR) "According to a brief report from South Korean newspaper The Chosun Ilbo" -- sounds legit! "While there is still no firm sign from Cupertino that the company actually has a smartwatch in the works," don't let that stop us from speculating about it. Endlessly! And when this hypothetical, nonsensical product fails to materialize year after year, we can always claim that Apple has encountered manufacturing issues, or licensing problems, or any other excuse to cover up the fact that we have no idea what we're talking about and are completely making all of this up. Case in point... Reuters: Retina iPad mini may not launch in 2013 due to supply constraints (AppleInsider) See, this is how the rumor scene works now. If Apple does debut an iPad mini with a Retina display, the rumor blogs will be high-fiving themselves over the accuracy of their sources. If the device doesn't debut this year, it's not because their sources were completely full of it. It's all Apple's fault, or at least its manufacturing partners. It's the perfect scenario; the rumor blogs get to pretend to be accurate sources of news no matter which way the die falls. Report claims iPad 5 & Retina iPad mini will sport 8MP rear cameras w/ larger aperture (9to5 Mac) Some analyst says, "Apple could upgrade the camera" in the iPad, and the rumor blogs are on it. If there's anything the iPad needs, it's a better camera. A better camera means more people will be convinced that using an iPad as a camera is a good idea... which means more opportunities to laugh at people using their iPad as a camera. iPhone's Touch ID metal ring fits in iPad 5 part, but likely isn't evidence for fingerprint-scanning iPads (9to5 Mac) "Home button size has not drastically differed across Apple devices, so this could just be a coincidence." Wow, you think? The dark side of Apple's iBeacons (BGR) iBeacons are new technology and haven't been widely deployed, so now is the perfect time for BGR to spread the FUD. (For those not hip to acronyms, FUD stands for Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt, while BGR stands for Boneheaded [Expletive Deleted] Rumors.) BGR wants us to know that there is "a darker side of iBeacons that could become a huge annoyance for iPhone owners and other iOS device users." You see, while iBeacons can be used for good (transmitting useful data to iPhones via Bluetooth -- think museum exhibits, information at tourist attractions, maybe even mobile payments -- they can also be used for evil (EEEEEEEVILLLLL), like bombarding people with location-specific advertising. Imagine a hellish future where a shopping trip to Target makes your iPhone explode with promotional offers the minute you drive into the parking lot. Imagine further that in this near-future hellscape, you don't have the ability to block this insidious form of iBeacon advertising by turning your iPhone's Bluetooth off. Say, from an interface easily accessible from the bottom of the screen at any time. A Center, if you will, that allows you to Control certain features of your device, including activating/deactivating Bluetooth, with a minimum of steps. Supply chain sees weak demand for notebooks, expects big things from Apple's fifth-gen iPad (AppleInsider) Some analyst "confirms" everything we already "know" about the next-gen iPad. What intrigues/depresses me most about this story is the analyst in question has moved on from Topeka Capital Markets and now works for Cantor Fitzgerald. Despite getting almost every single bit of analysis about Apple wrong over the past couple of years, this analyst is apparently still moving up in the world. Apparently accurate insight doesn't count for much in the financial services industry. This is, sadly, not at all surprising. And now, time for a brief digression. Recently, after publication of last week's Rumor Roundup, one of the writers from a publication that regularly shows up on these lists randomly contacted me on Twitter with a simple question: "Why are you so angry?" My answer was equally simple: "I'm not." I don't write this roundup every week because I'm pissed off and have an axe to grind. I do this in a Quixotic attempt to let some of the hot air out of the room. "Reporting" about Apple has slowly but steadily become dominated by self-proclaimed "experts" in the industry, and the majority of rumors are treated as gospel in spite of sources that are shaky at best and comically inaccurate at worst. This next story is almost prototypical of the problem with Apple reportage in 2013. Report claims both likely & unlikely display changes for future Apple devices (9to5 Mac) An Asian publication made a series of wild claims about Apple's supposed plans for its display technologies over the coming year. This publication merely cites "an industry source" for its claims, which could mean anything from some random factory worker to a financial analyst completely making stuff up out of thin air. 9to5 Mac runs with this source and adds a heaping helping of fantastical "analysis" on top of it. "The iPhone has long been expected to adopt a larger display in 2014," they claim, but no truly credible source has ever pointed in that direction. "The iPad screen size increase definitely makes sense," 9to5 Mac asserts, which actually makes no sense whatsoever considering how absolutely over-the-top bonkers tech reporters went in 2012 when the third-generation iPad had the temerity to be a few grams heavier and a fraction of a millimeter thicker than its predecessor. "The iPad mini has long been rumored to adopt a higher-resolution screen," 9to5 Mac says, then goes on to say that " it's unclear if Apple will release the Retina iPad mini this year or early next year." This is called "having your cake and eating it too." "In terms of OLED displays, there's definitely evidence for Apple going either way." This must be some strange new definition of the word "evidence" with which I was previously unaware. Note that no current Apple device ships with an OLED display, no hard evidence exists of any Apple prototype/production device with that display technology, and Tim Cook himself has said OLED isn't up to Apple's standards. But sure, there's plenty of evidence for Apple going either way. "While not all are likely, it's highly plausible that at least a couple of the above claims will turn out to be accurate." And you can bet they'll be paying far more attention to the claims that turned out to be accurate. Here's the problem: based on a sketchy rumor out of South Korea, 9to5 Mac has set (or simply reinforced) expectations for an iPhone with a larger screen, an iPad with a larger screen, and an iPad mini with a higher-resolution screen. So what happens when some or all of those products fail to materialize? What happens when Apple instead "only" introduces iterative updates of its existing product lineup? I'll tell you what'll happen: exactly what's been happening since Apple dared to debut an iPhone 4S that was externally almost identical to the iPhone 4. Apple will be accused of losing its innovative touch. A thousand bloggers will rush to be the first to claim that Apple has lost its way since Steve Jobs died, and Tim Cook will be the company's doom. Samsung, the undisputed kings of "change for the sake of change" and creating products that satisfy bloggers' fever dream checklists, will be hailed as the new weathervane of innovation in the industry despite its most successful products continuing to be blatant, shameless ripoffs of Apple's designs. Meanwhile, Wall Street will swallow all of this drivel passing as objective reporting and logical analysis, and it will act accordingly by continuing to devalue Apple's stock -- further decoupling Apple's performance in financial markets from its performance in retail markets. Mainstream publications will look at Wall Street's reaction to unfulfilled rumors and draw their own conclusion: Apple must be doomed. Just look at its tanking stock price! Just look at the new iPad, that looks pretty much the same as the one that came before it! And ugh, whyyyyy is Apple still sticking with a teeny-tiny four-inch screen on the iPhone when Samsung is innovating all the way up to six glorious OLED inches? Rumor blogs aren't the only source of stupidity when it comes to the media's distorted image of Apple, but they definitely are a symptom of the disease. Posts like the one cited above set unrealistic expectations for what Apple will produce. How far has Apple's stock sunk simply based on four years of unfulfilled Apple HDTV rumors? How many years in the row can the iWatch fail to be anything other than some analyst's fantasy before Wall Street decides Apple hasn't made this nonsense product not because it's nonsense, but because Apple can't make it without Steve Jobs? This is what your "reporting" is doing to the company many of you claim to love. That sourceless report out of Asia with its Wild Claim of the Week about Apple gets inflated from fiction to accepted fact in the blink of an eye, and your breathless shouting into the Internet's echo chamber is a major reason why. And when the reality presented onstage at Apple's keynote events fails to match up to the endless months of fantasy you've been pimping all over the blogosphere, the financial markets panic, the media claims Apple is circling the drain, and even "normal" people start to question how much life Apple -- the most financially successful company on the planet right now -- has left in it. I'm not angry. I'm disgusted. There's a difference.
Rumor Roundup: Don't bet the farm on it
This week, at least two publications got to have it both ways. One heavily criticised an analyst for his poor track record, then went on to use analysts as sources for several stories. Another posted erroneous information only to debunk its own rumormongering later that same day. It's a beautiful, double-dipping world out there when it comes to Apple rumors. Rumor: World's largest carrier China Mobile begins producing advertising collateral for iPhone 5c, 5s (AppleInsider) A sketchy photo of a single, easily-faked poster. Yes, this is how the world's largest mobile phone carrier in the world's most populous country will choose to advertise the availability of the world's most famous mobile phone. Rumor: Apple working on 12" iPad with partner manufacturer Quanta (AppleInsider) Asian source we've never heard of makes grandiose claims that Apple will pair with a manufacturer we've never heard of to produce a product that makes no sense at all. Sounds legit! Gene Munster's iPhone launch estimates off by 5M units for the second year in a row (AppleInsider) This is a pretty impressive deconstruction of one analyst's consistently wrong claims about Apple. Gene "Where's my Apple HDTV" Munster is just a symptom of a wider problem, however: a tech press that doesn't critically evaluate its sources nearly as often as it should. For proof of this, look no farther than the next story. iPhone marketshare in China predicted to double in 2014 (AppleInsider) This prediction comes courtesy of IDC. This is the same IDC that predicted Android would peak in 2012 and decline (didn't happen) and that Windows Phone would surpass iOS by 2016 (no seriously, they said that). ""It really comes down to this: We can easily point to Nokia being one of the biggest leaders over there [in emerging markets]," one of their analysts said last year. Again, these are actual words once uttered by IDC representatives. It's nice to think they might be right about Apple's prospects in China, but given their past track record, I wouldn't bet the farm on it. I wouldn't even bet a cow on it. Not even a steak. Can Apple announce the rest of 2013′s products in just one event? (9to5 Mac) Half the products on this article's list are either imaginary or unlikely to be worthy of mention at an Apple event. Apple didn't hold a special event for its recent iMac updates, and it's not likely to do so for "Haswell Mac minis" or "MacBook Pros with Haswell chips" either. Apple has steadily been paring back the number of products it discusses at its events, now focusing on just a few key hardware products and its yearly OS updates. Any product that gets a basic spec bump simply isn't worth mentioning at these events anymore. Once you eliminate the mundane items and the pure fantasy from 9to5 Mac's list, this is all we're left with: Redesigned full-size iPad New iPad mini OS X Mavericks release Mac Pro release One event is enough to cover all that. New video claims to show iPad 5 Smart Cover with smaller dimensions (9to5 Mac) "While these Smart Covers appear to be legitimate, we remain skeptical of the design discrepancies between this cover and that of the one that ships on the iPad mini." These Smart Covers appear to be legitimate, eh? That's funny, because... iPad 5 Smart Cover 'leak' likely just fakes from China (9to5 Mac) Isn't it neat how 9to5 Mac was able to publish the earlier, erroneous report (with a dash of skepticism for flavor), then debunk its own report later that same day? It certainly netted them far more pageviews than they'd have gotten if they'd just ignored that erroneous report in the first place. Retina display-toting iPad mini may not ship with 'iPad 5' this year, report says (AppleInsider) You'd think that after its withering exposé on a financial analyst earlier in the week AppleInsider would know better than to trust a "supply chain analyst" as a source for a story like this. Guess not. LEAK -- Retina iPad mini pictured in gold with Touch ID fingerprint scanner (BGR) I don't believe these photos are real even for a second. Something about this just screams "Photoshop" to me. Apple rumored to need Samsung for some A8 chip production (Engadget) Korea Economic Daily claims Samung will produce 30 to 40 percent of Apple's A8 processors in 2014. A Korean publication reports that the largest Korean tech company will continue to supply core technology to the world's most profitable tech company. Hmm, nope, no conflict of interest here. We're at least six months away from the A8 (or whatever Apple's next-gen processor ends up called) being produced in large quantities. How anyone can claim to know who will be building it, and the percentages involved, this early in the game and with a straight face, is beyond me.
Rumor Roundup: An accidental toot in an elevator
The week of an Apple product launch is usually pretty light on rumors, because this is the point in the news cycle where there are plenty of real stories to report on instead. There's also a mountain of manufactured controversy drawing attention to the Apple products that exist today and away from the hypothetical and inevitably controversial Apple products of tomorrow. Still, a few rumors did manage to squeak out this week, much like an accidental toot in an elevator. EXCLUSIVE -- Apple testing iOS 7.0.1, preparing iOS 7.1 - iPhone 5s supply 'severely constrained' (BGR) BGR continues to stretch the credibility of the word "exclusive" with the first word of this article: "It's no secret Apple is working on newer versions of iOS 7 even before iOS 7 is released to the public." EXCLUSIVE: Water wet, sky blue, BGR dumb. Space Gray coming to an iPad Mini 2 near you? (9to5 Mac) "The question mark at the end gives us our powers of legitimacy!" is what I imagine goes down in the 9to5 newsroom every time a headline like this gets published. Snark aside, the first half of this post is the only kind of rumor that doesn't make me reach for my slappin' gloves: photographs of physical evidence supporting the article's claim. The second half of this post burns away all that good will, however; some guy's renders of potential Apple products are so far away from being legitimate evidence that it calls the accuracy of the rest of the post into question. New report suggests iPad 5 and Retina iPad mini could get fingerprint scanners (BGR) I somehow knew before I even clicked the link above that this would be another trash piece citing Digitimes as a source. Nothing that comes from Digitimes is a "report" -- calling anything from Digitimes a "report" is the same thing as calling the resultant miasma of gas from a farting dog "perfume." iPhone 5c could spell serious trouble for Apple (BGR) APPLE IS DOOMED. This time, it's doomed because Apple is apparently selling too many iPhone 5c handsets. From the article: "If U.S. consumers tilt this strongly towards the cheaper option even with only a slight price gap, it is clear that a truly affordable iPhone would have triggered a stampede." Which, by what passes for "logic" at BGR, would have meant that Apple would have been in "tremendous peril" instead of "serious trouble." The brain damage train chugs along: "So it seems that Apple opted to launch the cheaper iPhone... well, why? [...] What was the point of the 5c, the world's most expensive value model?" The 5c is essentially the guts of last year's iPhone 5 in an array of colorful, plastic shells that differentiate it both from the high-end iPhone 5s and every iPhone that's come before it. It fills the "mid-tier" pricing slot that the iPhone 5 would have filled otherwise, while the iPhone 4S is now the "budget" model iPhone. That's the point of the iPhone 5c. Duh. "It's hard to see Apple making this move that is so weirdly blurry under Steve Jobs." So true. Steve Jobs would never have split Apple's product lines into a simplistic consumer/pro tiered model where even the consumer models were both more expensive than and superior in build quality to the low-end budget models littering the marketplace. NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED ON STEVE JOBS'S WATCH. Tim Cook may regret dismissing low-cost smartphones as 'junk' (BGR) "The most striking takeaway from Thursday's big Bloomberg Businessweek interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook was that he views smartphones that are priced in the $300 to $450 range as 'junk' that Apple wants nothing to do with," BGR says. I read the same article, and I don't even remember this line, so "the most striking takeaway" is a bit over the top. In other words, exactly what I expect from BGR. "Cook should realize that people in emerging markets who are buying cheap smartphones aren't simply destitute peasants who will never be able to afford Apple products." Pretty sure Cook said it was the devices that were cheap and junky, not the consumers. But by all means, keep grinding that severely blunt axe. "[Cook] is seemingly shrugging off low-income consumers in countries such as China, India and Brazil whose economies have been growing fast" -- in other words, "I think Tim Cook and Apple should be chasing market share instead of profits. WHY WON'T THEY LISTEN TO ME?!" "In theory, Apple could have developed a smartphone that was cheaper to produce and could have priced it at between $350 to $450 to make it more affordable to people in these three markets," BGR continues. Boy, these rumormongers certainly are smarting from getting burned by the iPhone 5c's price, aren't they? Turns out that swallowing years of analyst BS about "low-cost iPhones" and an "iPhone mini" has made them all look like utter fools, so the natural reaction is to criticize Apple for not conforming to their desired narrative. The penultimate line of this article is priceless: "I've learned to not second-guess Apple's business decisions over the years because the company has absolutely shown that it knows what it's doing." Re--he-he-he-heaaaally? What was the point of the hundreds of words that preceded this sentence, then? If I were just a normal reader looking for insights, I'd be really pissed off reading a line like this at the end of an article that so clearly contradicted its sentiments. However, since I deliberately look for this kind of lazy hypocrisy in tech writing so I can pin it to the wall and laugh at it, this kind of thing makes my whole day instead.
Rumor Roundup: iPhone event post-mortem
Now that the iPhone 5s and 5c have been officially revealed, it's time for a rumor post-mortem. The biggest thing analysts (and pretty much everyone else) got wrong? The supposed "low-cost" iPhone. For years analysts have expected Apple to come out with an "iPhone mini" that will address the lower end of the smartphone market and allow Apple to expand its market share. These analysts obviously don't pay attention to how Apple functions -- at all -- because grabbing market share at the low end of the pricing spectrum is pretty much exactly the opposite of how Apple rolls. So when Apple instead released the iPhone 5c as basically the iPhone 5's guts in a plastic shell, and at a price far higher than the analysts were dreaming up, I wasn't a bit surprised. The derp sharks in the financial sector are circling, however, fully convinced that Apple doesn't know what it's doing and that DOOM can't be far behind. Here's the other stuff the rumor blogs got wrong over the past few months. Nope New report claims Apple's 'iPhone mini' could launch next month (BGR) Source: some analyst. No iPhone mini launched in July. iPhone 5S release reportedly pushed back to October (BGR) Source: some analyst. The iPhone 5S will be released in late September. iMac Update to Haswell Expected in June or July as Shipments Sink (MacRumors) Source: some analyst. The iMac's last update was in November 2012. Is Apple ditching the 'Black & Slate' color option on the iPhone 5S? (BGR) Source: Paint fumes. Note that while Apple switched the black iPhone 5s to "space grey," that's far from what this article claimed would happen. Entry-level iPhone, Retina iPad mini to reportedly begin shipping in August (BGR) Source: Digitimes. 0/2 on this rumor. Shocker. Will the Plastic iPhone knock the iPhone 4S out of this year's free iPhone pattern? (9to5 Mac) Source: Aliens? Probably aliens. The iPhone 4S is still being sold. Apple rumored to launch fifth-gen iPad in Sept., new iPad mini to follow (AppleInsider) Source: Digitimes. Another Digitimes-sourced rumor that didn't pan out. Rumored iPhone 5S production shots & specs: IGZO display, fingerprint reader, NFC, 12MP cam (9to5 Mac) Source: "Unverified news out of China." Look at all the stuff this article gets wrong: NFC reader, IGZO display, 12 megapixel camera, A6 CPU... real stellar stuff here. Wildly unlikely report claims larger 4.3-inch display causing iPhone 5S delays (9to5 Mac) Source: Some Taiwanese newspaper. The new iPhones still have 4-inch screens. Rumored iPhone 5S fingerprint sensor more likely to be in the screen, not the home button (9to5 Mac) Source: Overanalysis of an Apple patent application. The iPhone 5s fingerprint sensor is in the home button. iPhone 5S & New Low-Cost iPhone To Launch On September 6 [Rumor] (Cult of Mac) Source: "A 'very credible' source." The iPhone event was on September 10. Apple's 'iPhone 5S' to boast fingerprint sensor embedded in convex sapphire home button (AppleInsider) Source: Some analyst that rumor blogs repeatedly trot out for a supposedly stellar track record. The iPhone 5s home button is neither convex nor concave, but flat. Piper Jaffray: 'iPhone 5C' may not include Siri, could replace iPhone 4S at bottom of lineup (AppleInsider) Source: Some analyst. The iPhone 4S is still around, and the iPhone 5C has Siri. Low-cost iPhone predicted to boost both Apple's margins & international sales (AppleInsider) Source: Some analyst. This is a perfect example of an article where an analyst got the price of the supposed "low-cost" iPhone absolutely wrong. Analyst predicts iPhone 5S with Gold option, larger F2.0 aperture camera and 128GB high-end (9to5 Mac) Source: Some analyst. He got everything right here... except the fact that there's (still) no 128 GB iPhone. Apple iOS 7 beta 7 to be released today (BGR) Source: "Trusted sources." Not only was 7b7 not released the day BGR said it would be, there never actually was a 7b7. Version 6 was the last beta before the Gold Master release. Embarrassing. Apple's September 10 iPhone Media Event Said to Also Include New iPads (MacRumors) Source: Bloomberg, and substances of unknown chemistry. No new iPads showed up at this event. Apple taking shipments of 'Set Top Boxes' ahead of Sept. 10 event, hints at new Apple TV product (AppleInsider) Source: US Department of Homeland Security shipments (supposedly). No new Apple TV hardware. New Apple TV software likely coming next week, but don't expect fresh hardware (9to5 Mac) Source: "People familiar with the company's plans." No new Apple TV software. Now, to tip my hat in the general direction of "fair and balanced," let's see what the rumor blogs actually got right in this cycle. The biggest one, of course, would have to be the iPhone 5c's case. That thing leaked so many different times that it frankly became tiresome seeing it pop up on rumor blogs every week. Tim Cook promised to "double down on secrecy" in 2012. It hasn't happened yet, apparently. Yep Leaked schematics reveal what case makers expect Apple's low-cost iPhone & 'iPhone 5S' will look like (AppleInsider) Year after year casemakers get it wrong. Not this year, though. Apple's Prototype iPhone 5S Based on New A7 Chip (MacRumors) One among a myriad of hardware leaks that turned out to be true. Report: iPhone 5S will support super-fast LTE Advanced (9to5 Mac) "An alleged insider at SK Telecom" in South Korea turned out to be correct. iOS 7 Beta Suggests iWork, iLife iOS Apps May Soon Be Free (MacRumors) This is sort of right. New iPhone buyers now get these apps for free. Everyone else still pays. The next iPhone's cool-factor: a slow-motion camera? (9to5 Mac) Digging into the iOS 7 betas reaped some rewards. Next-Gen iPhone Production Kicks Into Gear; Will There Be a Mid-Tier iPhone, Too? (AllThingsD) Sourced from Peter Misek. Somehow still correct? Hold me, I'm scared. Analyst's predictions for 2013: New iPhones to be in short supply, Haswell iMacs/MacBook Pros arriving, no new iPad mini (9to5 Mac) Another rare case of an analyst getting it right. Apple to Discontinue iPhone 5 Alongside Launch of 5S and Plastic Models? (MacRumors) I remember scoffing at this report when it first came out. Oops. New iPhone with biometric fingerprint sensor seemingly confirmed by iOS leak (9to5 Mac) Another deep dive into the iOS 7 beta got some accurate results. Will the iPhone 5S launch with a new 'champagne' color option? (BGR) This seemed absolutely ridiculous when first announced. And yet here we are, in a world where Apple builds gold-colored iPhones. Ugh. Apple said to have tested 64-bit 'A7′ chips for iPhone 5S, 31% speed increases reported (9to5 Mac) This didn't make much sense at the time, but the iPhone 5s did indeed turn out to have a 64-bit processor. Apple may differentiate 'iPhone 5S' fingerprint scanning home button with silver ring (AppleInsider) These pictures screamed "fake" to me when I first saw them. Guess not. What can we take away from this? The same thing we take away from every rumor cycle: analysts don't know what they're talking about when it comes to Apple. At all. Here are the most common sources of Apple rumors, arranged in descending order of accuracy: Leaked Apple hardware (with pictures) Deep dives into iOS beta software "People familiar with the matter" "A trusted source" A hermit in the Gobi Desert who's never heard of Apple Some analyst Digitimes
Rumor Roundup: 'Apple likely to (verb) (product) in (year)'
Here's what we know for certain about the upcoming September 10 event: A new Apple product of some kind will be announced. Probably an iPhone. Here's what we suspect will be announced at the September 10 iPhone event, based on the few credible rumors skimmed from the meniscus layer of a deep ocean of BS: The next-gen iPhone will probably be called the iPhone 5S. With few exceptions, it will look externally identical to the iPhone 5. It will likely have a faster CPU. It may have an improved camera, including a dual flash. It may or may not have a fingerprint sensor. Alongside this, the iPhone 5C is likely to be announced. This is an iPhone with a plastic backside that will be available in multiple colors. In most other respects, including the internal components, it appears similar to the iPhone 5. This may or may not be the long-rumored "cheap iPhone" that's been the object of endless speculation for years; the biggest unanswered question about this supposed low-cost product is just how low that cost will be. Definitely not showing up at the September 10 event: New iPads Apple HDTV (sorry, Gene) iWatch If Apple has any surprises up its sleeve, it's successfully managed to keep them hidden from the eagerly drooling jaws of the rumor blogs. Speaking of which, let's see what they've been up to this week. Latest parts leak may show Apple's 'iPhone 5S' fingerprint scanner (AppleInsider) A supposed "iPhone 5S" button from June 2013 didn't have the same design as a newly-leaked part from September. There are several possibilities: the earlier leak was wrong, the current leak is wrong, Apple changed its mind about the design sometime in the past few months, and so on. Whether this new part actually has a fingerprint sensor in it at all is purely speculative. Shipments of New iPhone Models Begin Arriving in the U.S. Ahead of Next Week's Media Event (MacRumors) A "reliable source" says new iPhones are already being shipped and stockpiled in the US in the leadup to the launch later this month. This is normally when I'd say something snarky about how MacRumors also used to consider Digitimes a reliable source once upon a time, but I'll refrain from that just this once. Oh, oops. Darn. Apple taking shipments of 'Set Top Boxes' ahead of Sept. 10 event, hints at new Apple TV product (AppleInsider) Interesting, but... New Apple TV software likely coming next week, but don't expect fresh hardware (9to5 Mac) Make up your minds! A7X-Based iPad and iPad Mini Expected to Launch in 4Q 2013, Lower-Cost A6 iPad Mini to Follow in 2014 (MacRumors) That headline sure sounds promisingly definitive, doesn't it? Too bad it's sourced entirely from some analyst's random, evidence-free musings. Some of his claims directly contradict earlier claims he's made, but he covers his tracks by saying Apple's plans have changed. Hmm, convenient. Apple Tests iPhone Screens as Large as Six Inches (Wall Street Journal) From the article: "It is unclear whether Apple will ultimately choose to follow a multi-size, multi-device strategy beyond shipping a new lower-cost model for the first time later this month. The company often tests different devices and configurations before choosing a course." For some reason this article doesn't end there, but rambles on for another 1000+ words. The WSJ's tech writers obviously aren't familiar with the phrase, "Brevity is the soul of wit." Why Apple's iPhone 5C pricing is fraught with peril (BGR) "Fraught with peril" sounds like something out of Monty Python and the the Holy Grail. And from whence camest the source of yonder great peril of which BGR doth most righteously speak? Lo, it issues forth from the spewhole of some analyst. Yea, verily, a source entirely most newsworthy. Forsooth. Apple's OS X Mavericks release planned for end of October (9to5 Mac) If/when Apple releases Mavericks earlier/later than this predicted date, 9to5 Mac can just take a cue from the analysts and claim Apple changed its plans. (That one's for free. Future consultations will cost you.) Apple 'needs a mega iPhone' (BGR) ...according to some analyst. Meh. Apple could use 'a Siri-like moment' at next week's iPhone event, Barclays says (AppleInsider) ...according to some analyst. Meh. Apple likely to launch 4.5" to 5" iPhones in 2014, analyst says (AppleInsider) "Apple likely to [verb] [product] in [year], analyst says." It's that "analysts says" bit at the end that really drives the credibility home. Apple may differentiate 'iPhone 5S' fingerprint scanning home button with silver ring (AppleInsider) Immediately before some photos is this gem: "AppleInsider has no reason to believe these images are in fact legitimate. But since they do support the theory of a silver-ringed iPhone home button, they are included in this story." Um, whaaaaat? "This 'evidence' stinks to high heaven, but it supports our theory, so we'll allow it." In the name of all that's holy, I sincerely hope none of these people ever serve on a jury or hold high public office. Photos claim to show iPhone 5C logic board and structure (9to5 Mac) From the article: "Of course, like with many leaks, it's tough to verify the legitimacy of these photos, so it's wise not to read to [sic] far into them." Mysteriously left out of the article: "Now, we shall proceed to read too far into them, because pageviews."
The iPhone 5S and 5C: rumor round-up
What exactly is happening with Apple's next iPhone? Will it be substantially cheaper? Come in gold? Or even sport a fingerprint scanner? And will it be enough to keep Apple on top, now that it's up against two software-hardware chimeras? The company's making plans for next week and we're likely to see not one, but two new iPhones revealed. Alongside a predictably retuned iPhone 5 (the 5S?), we might see the long-awaited appearance of a new, cheaper model, rumored to arrive under the 5C moniker. Tim Cook has yet to make his mark on the company product-wise -- regardless of Apple's continued financial health. Steve Jobs was apparently well-involved in the development of the iPhone 5, even if it launched on Cook's watch, so a freshly designed phone or two could finally be his launch: a chance to silence critics and show them where he's taking Apple.
Rumor Roundup: The 150-pound iWatch
Here's a riddle for you: what weighs as much as 150 pounds, but might also not exist at all? No, it's not your "girlfriend who lives in Canada." We'll ponder the real answer to this question later on. Apple to deliver OS X 10.8.5 with Mail, screen saver fixes as soon as today (AppleInsider) This article was posted August 26. It's September 3 as I write this, and 10.8.5 still hasn't been made publicly available. You're only 8 days off (so far), AppleInsider. Excuse me, "sometimes reliable" AppleInsider. Retina iPad mini housing leaks in huge photo gallery (BGR) "The case looks a lot like the current-generation iPad mini housing of course, though there are some subtle differences." Don't feel like you need to actually point those differences out or anything. If you did, you might actually lend some credibility to this rumor, and we just can't have that. High-res photos claim to show iPad 5 front panel (9to5 Mac) "The photos are consistent with what we're all expecting: essentially a scaled-up iPad Mini, with thinner bezels on the sides." Because this is consistent with what we're all expecting, you can also expect pundits to go frothing-mouthed insane once this product is announced. Minus 4000 quatloos to the first moron who unironically says, "It's just a big iPad mini." Apple's September 10 iPhone Media Event Said to Also Include New iPads (MacRumors) Hahahaha... nope. More evidence points to iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C launch on September 20th (BGR) Said "evidence" is really just mobile carriers like T-Mobile blacking out vacation days. Now here's a question: do these companies actually know the official launch date for these products, or are they just making an educated guess? EXCLUSIVE -- iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C launch date seemingly confirmed by AT&T vacation blackout (BGR) BGR eventually removed the "EXCLUSIVE" from this article after commenters pointed out that other outlets had published this story days earlier, but I've included it here "for the purposes of discussion." By which I mean "pointing and laughing at them." And now for this week's biggest thing: leaked photos of the low-cost iPhone. New 'leaked' photos claim to show fourth iPhone 5S color – graphite – but we're skeptical (9to5 Mac) LEAK: This is Apple's gold iPhone 5S (BGR) Photos claim to show 'iPhone 5C' packaging, color-matched wallpapers (9to5 Mac) Rumor: First video of working 'iPhone 5C' shows off Web browsing capabilities (AppleInsider) Analyst rantings and ravings aren't worth the pixels they're printed on, and "sources from the Far East" are flat-out wrong with hilarious regularity. Yet even though it can be faked, to me photographic evidence is usually the next best thing to having an Apple exec debuting an item onstage at an event. All this is a roundabout way of saying I'm convinced: the iPhone 5C is a happening thing. With that out of the way, let's move back into the realm of pointless speculation and brain-damaged fantasy. Apple projected to ship nearly 65M 'iWatch' units priced at $199 in first year (AppleInsider) Some analyst floats some nonsense numbers for a completely speculative product. For some reason, this is reported like it's actual news. Attention AppleInsider and the rest of you rumor blogs: please just accept that these so-called "analysts" know precisely Jacques-merde about Apple and stop polluting the Internet with their re-reported nonsense. Apple iWatch rumored for 2H 2014 launch, priced between $149-$229 (BGR) Hey, speaking of sources not worth paying the least bit of serious attention to, "Digitimes cites an analyst" --BZZZZT, super-duper-mega-ultra-fail. Next! The Boy Genius Report: The Apple TV that no one understands and the reinvention of television (BGR) "It's not a rumor, but a fact that Apple is looking at bringing a game-changing TV experience out of Cupertino." Oh really? And your evidence is... what exactly? *crickets* I thought so. "you can only fit so many 150-pound televisions in boxes on a plane" Someone please remind BGR that this is the year 2013. Even today's biggest flatscreen TVs don't weigh nearly this much. Hell, I have a 40-inch LCD, and I can carry it in one arm easily. The issue isn't the weight, but the unwieldy size of the thing. Mudslinging temporarily aside, I must take this opportunity to reiterate that Apple making its own HDTV makes absolutely no sense. BGR is mostly wrong about why it doesn't make sense, but at least they're making the effort to dust off their critical thinking caps. And now, let me share with you what is hands down the dumbest thing I read in all of August. What if Apple's iWatch is... a TV? (TNW) Immediately after finishing this article, I wrote this on Twitter: "There's so much concentrated stupid in this article that it's hard to know where to begin." Let's start at the very beginning: a very bad place to start. "We are allured to the newest devices on offer because of some minor improvement that was actually invented many years ago, but we just weren't allowed to have it before." Yes. This is exactly how technology works. It has nothing at all to do with optimising technological developments for mass production and making them cost-effective to deploy on a wide scale. It definitely has nothing to do with testing these things thoroughly before unleashing them on eager but fickle consumers. No; companies selfishly hold back their innovations until they're damn good and ready to release them. Right now, Google has a fully-fledged holodeck in its basement in Mountain View, but the jerks won't actually release it to the public until 2037. "Over the past few years, [Apple's] stream of 'awe-inspiring' products seems to have dried up a bit, or at least hit a blockage in the pipe of creativity and innovation." MEME ALERT: Apple can't innovate anymore. A touchscreen computer that fits in your pocket and is more powerful than a Mac Pro G5? Yawn. Another touchscreen computer the size of a paperback book that requires zero training to use it? Whatever, innovate faster. A notebook computer that weighs less than a kilogram with all-day battery life? MEH. "Is it just me who feels this? No. The Internet speaks about it all the time – there's volumes of discussions out there" And we all know that the vast, dramatically idiotic echo chamber that constitutes the Internet is the ultimate authority on Truth with a capital T. YouTube comments are where I usually go for my daily dose of "discussion." "Apple's share value has consequently taken the hit as a direct result." No. Apple's stock price has tanked due to a combination of analysts having unrealistic expectations for continually and exponentially increasing financial performance, a media obsessed with trying to distort every last fact about Apple to fit its "how the mighty have fallen" narrative, and (likely) a dash of good old-fashioned stock manipulation by some shady characters. "Why is it that a company that has more resources than it has ever had cannot compete on the stock market with Google and Amazon, whose shares continue to rise?" Because the stock market has become completely decoupled from anything resembling logic or sanity. Apple continually turns in earnings that any company would be overjoyed to report -- including Google and Amazon. Yet because the inmates are running the asylum in the USA's financial institutions, companies who are turning in modest profits see their stocks rise while Apple, turning in record profits quarter after quarter, sees its stock price tank. There's your answer for "why": stupidity, plain and simple. "Apple doesn't do niche products, as they would tarnish its overall reputation." Um, what? Here's a short and by no means all-encompassing list of products Apple has introduced over the years that started out as niche products. You may have heard of them: The Apple I The Macintosh The iPod The iPhone And those are just the ones that succeeded. We'd be here all day if I listed all the niche products Apple has ever released. Hilariously, the most arguably "niche" product Apple sells right now is -- wait for it -- the Apple TV. "TV [...] taps into a $39 billion market. A watch couldn't command even 1% of that market's earnings." Apple reported quarterly revenue of $35 billion over the three-month period ending in late June. In three months, Apple's revenues nearly equalled those of the entire TV industry. Tell me again why Apple should give a rat's rear about the TV market? "Many households have more than one TV. It's a gold mine." No it's not. It's a boondoggle. People don't view televisions as a disposable, commodity product. The same consumers who'll happily upgrade to a new iPhone every other year will hold onto a television until it dies. I'm about as big of a technology hound as you'll find, yet I've owned a grand total of three television sets in the past 18 years. Meanwhile, I've owned four iPhones since 2009. Tell me again why Apple should get into the TV market? "So let us imagine you are Apple and you're going to bring out a TV that actually profits mainly from its content." In other words, let us imagine that Apple completely upends its hardware-centric profit model and decides to operate more like a video game company, or Google, or Amazon, or Microsoft. Let us also imagine that anyone who floats this as a serious idea has any clue what they're talking about when it comes to Apple's business model. As for what this guy expects the Apple HDTV to be like, here's how it breaks down: Gesture-based interface (like the Kinect) -- no remote 65 inches "simply invisible and unobtrusive" "screen technology will most certainly be OLED" "It's likely to be a 4K resolution screen" "The unique selling point in terms of design could be a curved screen" Priced at "a level that others cannot match" Made in the USA -- even though it's more expensive In other words, a bunch of hugely expensive technology that Apple has shown no interest in adopting, slammed together in the USA (somehow) and offered for less than the $10,000 that existing televisions using these technologies are selling for. There's "magical thinking," and then there's this. "A 65" TV is a rather large object to ship in and distribute. If it's made in the US, then suddenly the cost of shipping decreases which goes towards counteracting any extra labor costs." Sure -- unless you want to ship this product to that niche market known as the rest of the world outside of the United States of America. "If Apple doesn't act NOW, it will miss the biggest chance of its corporate lifetime." Yes. Grabbing a thin slice of a highly-competitive, low-profit market with limited opportunities for consumer turnover is the biggest chance of Apple's corporate lifetime. "I certainly am not one of those loudmouth, one-sided online trolls and to many people's surprise, given my love for technology, I have never owned or bought an Apple product in my lifetime." I am shocked, shocked that someone who has never owned an Apple product has been able to demonstrate such "insightful" knowledge of the company's likely future direction. Please, tell me more. "I have no intentions of doing so, either. The principal reason is due to Apple's eagerness to be separate and monopolistic which suffocates future innovation." MEME ALERT: Apple is Big Brother, "walled garden," etc. ad infinitum ad nauseaum. "[Apple] can turn things around beyond these minor innovations and has the potential for a massive profit gain from this TV – a TV called the iWatch." No. Just no. Here's the good news. This article was terrible enough that its writer has an extremely promising career ahead of him as an Apple analyst.
Rumor Roundup: A black mark on your record
With few exceptions, the spotlight this week was on the rumored next-gen iPhone(s). The closer we get to the (presumed) reveal date, the more plausible and less dumb the rumors get -- on average. There are still some clunkers in here, as there always are. Analyst: US$400-500 iPhone 5C will hit China Mobile in Q3 and replace the iPhone 5 globally in Q4 (9to5 Mac) Some "often reliable" analyst says two silly things: "iPhone 5 will reach end-of-life at the end of 3Q13, while shipments of iPhone 4S will continue until the end of 2013." iPhone 5S will exceed iPhone 5C in shipments First of all, ending the iPhone 4S line before the iPhone 5 doesn't make sense. It seems like a safe bet that Apple is looking to get devices with 30-pin dock connectors out of its product lineup; the iPad 2 is very likely on borrowed time, which would leave the iPhone 4S as the only 30-pin device still soldiering on (except for the iPod classic, but that poor, neglected thing doesn't really count anymore). As for the iPhone 5S exceeding the 5C in shipments? If the iPhone 5C is meant to be the "budget" model iPhone that price-sensitive consumers are meant to flock to, then how does it make any kind of sense at all for the "premium" iPhone 5S to have more devices shipping? Apple on track to build 5.2M 'iPhone 5S,' 8.4M 'iPhone 5C' units this quarter (AppleInsider) And see, now this same guy is contradicting his own predictions. Now he thinks Apple will ship 8.4 million iPhone 5C units and 5.2 million units of the iPhone 5S. "Well-connected insider" is apparently the new way to say "standup philosopher." Apple iOS 7 beta 7 to be released today (BGR) 19 August: "We are told by our trusted sources that Apple has once again seeded a new build of iOS 7 to partners, and that it should be released to developers later today." It's 26 August as I write this. iOS 7 beta 7 still hasn't been released. I hope you didn't trust that source too much, BGR. P.S., please never stop showing us all how ironic the "G" part of your name is. Shell from completely redesigned iPad 5 leaks in silver for the first time (BGR) Gee, it looks just like a bigger version of the iPad mini. Exactly what we've been expecting for months. I hope BGR didn't hurt themselves leaping to post this BREAKING EXCLUSIVE information. iPhone 5S will come in gold & likely sport fingerprint sensor, iPad iOS 7 running behind (9to5 Mac) This is mostly a good overview of the rumors surrounding the next-gen iPhone and well worth reading, except for the egregious use of "sport" as a verb (*twitch, twitch*) and this part: "Even though iOS 7 is yet to even ship, it's also time to talk iOS 8." No, it really isn't. We won't even see a developer preview of iOS 8 for at least nine months. At this point there can't be more than a handful of people within Apple who have the foggiest clue what iOS 8 may offer. Those people have names like Jonathan Ive and Craig Federighi, and they're not likely to be leaking things to anyone. Yes, Apple Will Sell a Gold-Tone iPhone (AllThingsD) AllThingsD is one of the few tech pubs I still trust when it comes to this stuff. So, it looks like the gold iPhone will probably be a thing. Not my thing, though -- you can pry my black-on-black Darth Vader iPhone 5 from my cold, dead hands. Supplier to Ship Two Apple iPhones in September (Wall Street Journal) This article seems excessively lengthy, especially considering the fact that it brings absolutely nothing new to the table that we haven't already seen elsewhere. New iPhones rumored to rollout on September 20th, at least in Japan and Greece (9to5 Mac) Seems plausible. If past experience is any indicator, it'll probably launch in every single English-speaking country except Ireland and New Zealand around the same time. (I don't know what Apple has against beautifully green islands, either.) iPhone 5C Rear Shell Subjected to Scratch Tests, Caliper Measurements (MacRumors) "Based on caliper measurements, the iPhone 5C measures 124.55 mm tall x 59.13 mm wi-" ZZZzzzz... *snrk* Huh, wha? Black iPhone 5C pictured for the first time in leaked photos (BGR) "Apple's upcoming mid-range iPhone 5C will seemingly debut in black along with all of the other colors that have leaked thus far." You sound pretty confident about this. I really hope this came from another "trusted source," or you might end up looking foolish. Apple reportedly has no plans to launch a black iPhone 5C (BGR) "Photos of what appeared to be a black iPhone 5C emerged for the first time earlier this week, and there's a reason we hadn't seen the handset in black before: the device pictured was a fake." ☆。★。☆。★ 。☆ 。☆。☆ ★。＼｜／。★ Journalism! ★。／｜＼。★ 。☆。。☆ ☆ 。★。 ☆ ★ Report: Apple negotiating w/ media companies for pay TV service, working on full-fledged TV set (9to5 Mac) "The report doesn't offer up any details that we didn't hear around this same time last year (and the year before that)." I know, isn't it great? All anyone ever really has to do is change the year on their stupid rumor articles and hope no one notices. Instant profits. Approvals process will delay iPhone 5C launch in China until end of November – rumor (9to5 Mac) The good news here is that either this rumor is wrong or a certain "well-connected" analyst is. Either way, someone's getting pointed and laughed at. Pegatron employee spies a pile of iPhone 5Cs, all warming up for September (Engadget) Engadget was ready to dismiss this as fake, but then they did some actual investigation (so proud!) and found this spy shot likely came straight out of Pegatron's factory. They also speculate this employee is likely now an ex-employee. I'd say that's a safe bet. Apple said to have tested 64-bit 'A7′ chips for iPhone 5S, 31% speed increases reported (9to5 Mac) A couple of people have said iOS 7 isn't even compiled for 64-bit, and a few others have raised a stink over some of the technical details in this article (and the plethora of others like it). I guess we'll have to wait for the inevitable Geekbench results leaks to know for sure.
Rumor Roundup: Comedy gold
Last Saturday, I went on a six kilometre obstacle course. It was a slog down muddy paddocks, over rope bridges and other various obstacles, and through trenches filled with mud, farm runoff and other fluids that I tried really hard not to think about too hard. I came out the other side covered with mud (I hope it was mud), soaked to the bone, and exhausted. Reading Apple rumors is sort of the psychological equivalent of that. You know beforehand you're in for a rough ride. You know it's going to be dirty. You know it's going to stink. Oh man, is it ever gonna stink. But you do it anyway, because... well, because. Low fingerprint reader yield rates could slow iPhone 5S release to 3-4M units this quarter, 30M next (9to5 Mac) Oh look, here's Digitimes with its usual song and dance. "New Apple product = low component yields of part (x) means said new Apple product will be supply constrained (note to editor: change dates on post from 2012 to 2013 before publication)." Since this is Digitimes we're talking about, I expect to see the iPhone 5S sold in every corner drugstore by early October. Next iPad Takes After Thin, Light Mini (Wall Street Journal) Bloggers at the Wall Street Journal awoke from their long slumber, blearily wiped drool off their cheeks, and posted a rumor that we've (sarcasm quotes) "known" is true for the past six months. Adorable. Leaked parts may show pill-shaped dual-LED flash for Apple's 'iPhone 5S' (AppleInsider) Rumors of a better dual-flash in the iPhone 5S have been around for months, but this is the first time a hardware leak has supported these claims. I've never been impressed with the quality of the iPhone's flash -- I'm not a fan of flash photography in general -- but every little bit helps, I guess. Apple Said to Prepare Holiday Refresh of iPhones to iPads (Bloomberg) Bloomberg's report doesn't bring anything new to the table, but the rumor blogs piled onto it in a feeding frenzy of "confirmed" and "corroborates" as though Bloomberg's unnamed source were from within Apple itself. Photos of Potential 'iPhone 5C' Volume Buttons Surface (MacRumors) Maybe it's just me, but these photos remind me of the random bits of plastic I'd find at the bottom of a model kit's box -- all the little inconsequential bits that had fallen off the parts tree. Piper Jaffray: 'iPhone 5C' may not include Siri, could replace iPhone 4S at bottom of lineup (AppleInsider) Gene "Dude, where's my Apple HDTV" Munster essentially claims Apple will intentionally cripple the purported low-cost iPhone via software and deny it features like Siri. This betrays a stunning lack of insight into how Apple actually works. I'd expect Microsoft to pull a move like this. Maybe even Google. I would be shocked if Apple went down this road, and I wouldn't be alone. Low-cost iPhone predicted to boost both Apple's margins & international sales (AppleInsider) Huzzah, another analyst with pie-in-the-sky sales figures for a product that not only hasn't been released yet, it hasn't even been confirmed to exist. But since an analyst said it, that's all the excuse the rumor blogs need to spray this effluent all over everyone's RSS feeds. iPhone 5S to be Apple's 'most successful launch ever' (BGR) An analyst (in)famous for being wrong about pretty much everything he says about Apple now says the iPhone 5S launch will be Apple's most successful ever. This is kind of worrying; if this guy is predicting unparalleled success for the next iPhone, does that mean it's now doomed to be a high-profile splat in the marketplace? Purported 'iPhone 5S' back panel hints at redesigned home button component (AppleInsider) It's hilarious watching the rumor blogs trying to get all CSI over these hardware leaks. If these guys were working in forensics, every case would be a cold case. Production of next-gen iPad mini's Retina display reportedly near 2012 launch levels (AppleInsider) Based solely on the headline, I was sure this would just be more BS from Digitimes. Turns out this report was gleaned from more reputable sources, so it at least has a non-zero chance of being true. EXCLUSIVE: Apple to release iOS 7 beta 6 next week, start sending GM to partners September 5th (BGR) EXCLUSIVE: Mere hours after BGR's claim that it would be released "next week," iOS 7 beta 6 was released to developers. "Now they look like fools," one of our TUAW editors quipped. Indeed. Analyst predicts iPhone 5S with Gold option, larger F2.0 aperture camera and 128GB high-end (9to5 Mac) The rumor blogs' favorite analyst, whose "record on parts predictions is good (timing notwithstanding)" has now come out with more claims about the next iPhone. Very specific claims. So specific that it's probably worth bookmarking his post and seeing whether he's really as accurate as all these rumormongers claim he is. Rumor: Apple may announce 'some sort of television product' as soon as November (AppleInsider) Don't frighten me off with any specifics or anything, guys. New iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C parts leak as launches near (BGR) BGR has more stunning(ly boring) photos of ribbon cables for your perusal. Photos of reported gold-colored iPhone 5S surface (Engadget) While my first instinct was to say, "No way in hell," well-connected blogger MG Siegler has apparently heard that the gold iPhone is, in fact, going to be a thing. Now I kind of hope this actually is true. A gold iPhone will be a very useful barometer for instantly determining whether a person is a total toolbag.
Rumor Roundup: Will headlines phrased as a question ever stop being hilariously dumb?
In an unusual contrast from the usual onslaught of stupid rumors about products that we may not see for years, if ever (ahem, iWatch), most of the rumors this week focused on things that Apple might actually release in the near future. That doesn't mean the rumors were any less stupid than usual; it just means there's probably a shorter lead time before we find out whether they're true or not. Report: Apple could tap Pegatron for future iMac production (9to5 Mac) "DigiTimes is reporting" -- BZZZZT! Next! Comparison pics show Apple's slight changes in alleged 'iPhone 5S' front panel (AppleInsider) Changes so slight we had to write hundreds of words about them! Including the phrase, "...once again suggesting that Apple's unannounced next-generation iPhone will sport largely the same look as the iPhone 5." This is sort of tangential to the point, but I am so very tired of seeing the word "sport" used as a verb. This writer could have just as easily used the words "have" or "feature" instead, and it would have sounded way less like someone's tragically misguided attempt to be hip. People who use "sport" as a verb remind me of that old guy's incredible rap in Wayne's World: "Come bust a move where the games are played, it's hip, it's fresh, it's Noah's Arcade." *folds arms* Apple's new 'iPhone M' seen outselling flagship iPhone 5S (BGR) Based on no evidence at all (surprise), some analyst has generated sales forecasts of an iPhone model that's not even confirmed to exist. For his next trick, he'll predict the high temperature in Auckland on 21 December by consulting the latest episode of Shortland Street. (Only people in New Zealand will get this joke.) Apple, Inc. gets its fingerprints on advanced touch sensor, appears difficult for Android to copy (AppleInsider) This is a rare example of a well-researched, well-written rumor article that puts its subject in the proper context and doesn't make wild, unsupported claims based on the flimsiest of evidence. No snark for this one; this was well done. More of this, less of everything else. Purported 'iPhone 5S' camera module has separate LED flash component (AppleInsider) This article, on the other hand, takes one piece of evidence -- a camera component allegedly sourced from the next iPhone -- and leaps to all kinds of crazy conclusions unsupported by that evidence. "Hey, there's one less ribbon cable... I know! The next iPhone's camera will have a dual LED flash and a 12 megapixel camera." Um. What? Apple's 'iPhone 5C' leaks again in highest-quality photos yet (BGR) From the article: "Is it the iPhone 5C? Is it the iPhone M? Will it have a different name entirely? We won't know for sure until Apple unveils its new entry-level iPhone next month but in the meantime" -- in the meantime, BGR and everyone else will be there to speculate away, ad nauseaum. Apple's hate for Samsung may be fading (BGR) This is, hands down, the poorest excuse for "analysis" that I've read in weeks. Let's start with that typically inflammatory headline. Apple's business relationship with Samsung may have soured, but I seriously doubt that Apple's overall attitude toward Samsung goes into hate territory. Disdain, certainly. Disgust, maybe. But hate? Nah. Samsung manufactures the two most important components in iOS devices: the SOC and the display. Whatever opinion you might hold of Samsung's definition of "innovation" (*cough*), it's hard to argue against the quality of the screens they make or the rate at which they can churn those displays off an assembly line. It has nothing to do with Tim Cook being "more willing to forgive and forget," as this turgid article claims. It's called being pragmatic. If there's only one pub in town, but the bartender's kind of a jerk, what are you going to do: not go to the pub for a pint? Same thing. Mostly. The budget iPhone might not be enough to help Apple in China (BGR) This product hasn't even been confirmed to exist yet -- I can't stress that enough -- but don't let that stop the pundits from engaging in their usual bouts of Doom n' Gloom. I look forward to reading an article on BGR next year with the headline, "Why the iWatch won't save Apple." And by "look forward" I mean "anticipate with the same creeping dread I'd feel if I were to take a barefooted midnight stroll across a lawn strewn with scattered piles of dog poop." Will the iPhone 5S launch with a new 'champagne' color option? (BGR) As usual, I'm gonna go with Betteridge's Law of Headlines and say "Nope." Apple Planning New R&D Facility in Taiwan? (MacRumors) "We don't have very much confidence in this rumor, so we'll put a question mark at the end of the headline so it looks like we're pretending to be skeptical." New photos of next full-sized iPad's display panel emerge, again point to thinner bezels (9to5 Mac) These types of leaks from repair shops usually turn out to be accurate. Physical evidence is still the best evidence. Why a new iPad mini without a Retina display just won't cut it (BGR) Whoever's in charge of writing headlines at BGR needs an MRI. New mockups claim to show 'iPhone 5S' and 'iPhone 5C' designs (9to5 Mac) The site responsible for these photos has been very accurate in the past. Off the top of my head, I can't recall it ever being wrong, actually. It's kind of the anti-Digitimes. Circle Sept. 10 on Your Calendar for Apple's Big iPhone Event (AllThingsD) Jim Dalrymple of The Loop gave this a yep, so there you go. I'm circling the 10th. Apple's 'iPhone 5S' to boast fingerprint sensor embedded in convex sapphire home button (AppleInsider) Some "well-informed" analyst made this claim. I can't be arsed to check through months of archives, but I'd be curious to know the last time any of this "well-informed" analyst's claims actually panned out. 'iPhone 5S' (plus gold model), 'iPhone 5C' will actually be names of next iPhones? (9to5 Mac) Another case of, "Pfft, I dunno if this is true or not. Slap a question mark on the end so we can retain some legitimacy either way." Man, just imagine the stupid headlines if Apple actually does release a gold-colored iPhone. Apple's gold iPhone doesn't pan out The iPhone 5S: Fool's gold iPhone 5S review: All that glitters is not gold Apple misses a "golden" opportunity Is the iPhone 5S Tim Cook's golden parachute? You can't use those now, pundits. They're all mine.
Rumor Roundup: 'Seemingly confirmed'
Here's a neat phrase that instantly identifies any story which follows it as pure, grade-A compost: "seemingly conirmed." Two examples: Low-cost iPhone seemingly confirmed as plastic-bodied and not yet in mass production from Pegatron working conditions report (9to5 Mac) Between the poor working conditions reported there and this leak, I bet Apple is really regretting its production contract with Pegatron right now. Unless of course the single worker interviewed for this portion of the report is completely making everything up. Nah, that would never happen. All Apple news that comes out of the Far East is inevitably 100 percent accurate, after all. New iPhone with biometric fingerprint sensor seemingly confirmed by iOS leak (9to5 Mac) "It seems pretty clear that Apple is preparing a new iPhone with a fingerprint sensor." It seemed pretty clear to the rumormongering community around this time of year in 2012, too. How did that work out, by the way? 'iPhone 5C' name called legit even after packaging called fake (9to5 Mac) "Possibilities for 'C' could include 'Colors' (the plastic iPhone is rumored to be coming in a flurry of colored plastics), or 'Cheap' for its lower-cost." Yes. Because Apple -- Apple -- is going to include the word "cheap" in the name of one of its products. I can totally picture Phil Schiller standing onstage at a September Apple event with a plastic iPhone in his hand, telling the assembled guests that "The 'C' stands for 'cheap'!" Actually, I'm having a lot of trouble picturing that without laughing, because I haven't recently suffered major head trauma. 'iPhone 5C' Case Shows Up On Amazon (MacRumors) A case maker developed a case for an unreleased and unconfirmed Apple product based on the rumors everyone has already read? Well, stop the freaking presses. Apple has A6-based iPad mini without Retina display in the works (9to5 Mac) "We cannot confirm that Apple will actually ship this device as a product." Gee, way to undermine that unabashedly confident-sounding headline, guys. I don't know what to believe now. Apple's upcoming A7 iPhone chip will have Samsung components, code inside iOS 7 reveals (9to5 Mac) Does anyone else feel as though stories like this one are the equivalent of a kid's friend peeking beneath the wrapping on his Christmas presents and telling him what he got weeks beforehand? Apple's Next iPad Mini Will Likely Have 'Retina' Display From Samsung (Wall Street Journal) There was a time -- and it wasn't even very long ago -- when a story like this posted in the WSJ was something you could bank on being true. But the Journal has fallen into the same trap as virtually every other publication: publish absolutely every word we can about Apple, no matter whether it makes objective sense or not, because it will draw people's attantion whether we're right or not. End result: I don't put any more stock in what the WSJ says about Apple's future plans than any other rumormongering publication. Ars Technica (one of the few remaining respectable bastions of tech reporting) put it best: Sources confirm that next iPad mini will or will not have Retina display. The rumor blogs (and the WSJ, which is basically the same thing now) have all their bases covered; if the iPad mini 2 doesn't have a Retina Display, they can say they told us so. If it does have one, same thing. If two iPad mini models launch, one with a Retina display and one without, the rumor blogs will still strut and preen over their supposed accuracy. Next-gen iPad rear shell revealed in leaked photos (BGR) These pics are probably real, although it's anyone's guess why BGR chose to open the article with a photo of the back shell on an iPad 2. Flex cable claimed to be from Apple's 6th-gen iPod touch hints at 2013 update (AppleInsider) From the article: "While little has been said of a potential update to Apple's iPod touch media player this fall, a new component claimed to be from a sixth-generation model suggests a refresh could be in the works." But later: "The part does not suggest what, if any, changes may be made to a new model this year." Does anyone else feel jerked around? Jeez. Low-Cost iPhone '5C' May Include 8-Megapixel Camera (MacRumors) "The site has shared an image of what is claimed to be the iPhone 5C camera module, which appears similar to the existing iPhone 5 camera module." So we know this camera module is intended for a low-cost iPhone how, exactly? Oh right, we don't. We're just fitting the facts to the narrative again. Carry on. Photos claim to show next-gen iPad mini case with embedded Apple logo (AppleInsider) "While the site claims the part is authentic, the author points out that it lacks the "iPad" moniker and associated government regulation certifications. It is therefore unknown if the component is a production version or a prototype." It could also be fake. Or a knockoff. But whatever, pageview! Rumor: Video shows partially assembled next-gen iPad with translucent Apple logo (AppleInsider) "The authenticity of the content cannot be verified and is offered for purposes of discussion." This phrase, "for purposes of discussion," never fails to grate on my nerves. You're not posting these rumors for the sake of getting people talking about them in your comments. You're posting them to drive eyeballs to your site, which makes its money from ad revenue. If you can't be honest with us, at least be honest with yourselves.
Rumor Roundup: 'A very credible source'
If someone tells you a source for a story is "very credible" or "has a strong track record" or is "a well-connected insider," do this simple check first. Is the person or entity saying these things about the source a rumor blog that regularly posts whatever random BS anyone says about Apple? If so, you may safely disregard their opinion of the source's credibility. In fact, it couldn't hurt to assume the opposite is true. Analyst's predictions for 2013: New iPhones to be in short supply, Haswell iMacs/MacBook Pros arriving, no new iPad mini (9to5 Mac) According to 9to5 Mac, some analyst "has a fairly strong track record in predicting future Apple products (timing notwithstanding)." I don't know about you, but I got a chuckle out of that disclaimer. It's like, "This guy has been accurate in the past. Oh, he's been wrong about the when, but occasionally right about the what, so we'll just say he has a fairly strong track record and report absolutely everything he says like it's gospel." An infinite number of monkeys with access to an infinite amount of prune juice will be capable of flinging an infinite amount of poo against the wall. This is otherwise known as the modus operandi for Apple analysts everywhere. As for the rumors themselves, most of this analyst's claims have to do with the timing of the launches, and we've already established his accuracy is "timing notwithstanding," so let's move on. Apple reportedly drops LCD supplier AUO for second-gen iPad mini, may turn to Samsung (AppleInsider) This rumor is boring enough that it's probably true. It's also not surprising that Apple's having problems meeting demand for displays after ditching Samsung as a supplier. Whatever else you may say about Samsung, they make some pretty killer LCDs (he says while admiring his 40" Samsung, before slapping himself for referring to himself in the third person). New low-cost iPad mini expected to debut alongside Retina model in 2014 (AppleInsider) This rumor absolutely reeks of "throw everything against the wall and see what sticks." It's also comfortably far enough in the future that, when this never happens, the rumor blogs will have long forgotten about it and won't count it against this "well-connected insider's" track record. Convenient! Plastic iPhone shell compared to older plastic iPhones and iPod touch in new high-quality video (9to5 Mac) Well... hmm. If this is a fake, whoever made it put an admirable amount of effort into it. Apple's Q4 guidance implies likely iPhone launch(es) by late September (9to5 Mac) It must be Opposites Day, because for once financial analysts have actually said something that makes sense. Taking note of Apple's revenues for the last financial quarter and comparing them to the next one, these analysts think it's unlikely Apple will meet its own guidance unless it launches some new products. While it's true that Apple's annual Back to School sale will probably give them a small revenue bump, that's probably not enough to make up the difference. This time the analysts may actually be on to something (other than what they're usually on *cough*). Apple's iPad 5 Set to Continue Driving Market Shift Toward In-Cell Display Technology (MacRumors) "Digitimes reports that" -- BZZZZZT! Next. Apple to Discontinue iPhone 5 Alongside Launch of 5S and Plastic Models? (MacRumors) I'm going to go with Betteridge's Law here and say, "Not a chance." More iPhone 5S parts leak as mass production gets underway (BGR) BGR goes out on a limb and predicts that "we may see new hardware in Apple's upcoming smartphone." This is the kind of hard-hitting reporting and logical analysis you won't get anywhere else. Thankfully. Mac mini shipping times slip to 5-7 days on Apple's Online Store as new Haswell Macs are rumored (9to5 Mac) Increased shipping times aren't always an indicator of new products in the pipeline, but it's not outside the realm of possibility, either. We'll see. Rumor: Apple to ship Haswell-powered Retina MacBook Pros in October (AppleInsider) This date doesn't match with everyone's favourite "well-connected insider" analyst, so the good news is one way or the other we'll have someone to laugh at for guessing wrong. Another Alleged Image of the Low-Cost iPhone Rear Shell Surfaces (MacRumors) From the article: "A picture posted on the Chinese microblogging site Weibo appears to show the rear of an assembled low-cost iPhone." But later: "Because of the angle of the photo, is it impossible to tell if it is an assembled phone or just the rear plate." Rumor: Photo may show retail packaging for Apple's low-cost "iPhone 5C" (AppleInsider) "For its part, AppleInsider cannot independently confirm the authenticity of the items in the photo, and therefore publishes images simply for the sake of discussion." Let me fix that for you: "For its part, AppleInsider cannot be arsed to do basic fact checking of the items in the photo, and therefore publishes images simply for the sake of pageviews." Let's briefly diverge from the rumors and see how BGR's weekly Apple doom n' gloom parade is going. Apple's 'fall' is its rebirth (BGR) Oh dear, we're off to a poor start. This article is actually somewhat optimistic about Apple's prospects. How did it get past BGR's vigilant editors? SSR sees signs that Apple's business model is 'beginning to come apart' (BGR) Ah, that's better. That's the kind of sensationalistic, poorly-evidenced headline I expect to see. And it's sourced entirely from some random financial analyst, too! Whew! I was worried there for a minute. Apple reportedly afraid Retina iPad mini will devour iPad sales (BGR) Sweet, another sensationalist headline, and this time the source is Digitimes, so we're circling the drain of legitimacy. Now bring us home with the derp trifecta, BGR. iPad seen 'losing ground fast' as shipments sink (BGR) Main source: some random analyst. "Corroborating" source: Digitimes. Well done, BGR. My faith in your... unique... brand of reporting is thoroughly restored. Speaking of sensationalist tech tabloids, let's check in on Cult of Mac. iPhone 5S & New Low-Cost iPhone To Launch On September 6 [Rumor] (Cult of Mac) From the article: "The iPhone 5S and the new low-cost iPhone are expected to launch on Friday, September 6, according to a 'very credible' source." Oh, really? Let's see what a legitimately credible source on Apple rumors has to say about that. Jim Dalrymple of The Loop: "Nope."
Rumor Roundup: All Digitimes, all the time
Let's say you like to bet on football games. I know the rules of football, I know the teams, and I can even name a few of the players, but in terms of predicting which team will win any given game, my guesses aren't much better than flipping a coin. Now, let's say I've been right a few times before, several seasons ago, and I helped you win some big bets. But let's also say that absolutely every single prediction I've made during this season has failed to pan out. Are you going to keep placing bets based on my predictions? If not, then congratulations: you're smarter than the average Apple rumor blog, which still seems to be all Digitimes, all the time. A look at some flexible batteries that could power iWatch (9to5 Mac) While this tech is cool, associating it with the so-called "iWatch" is a pretty big stretch. Remind me again how many credible reports have come out indicating Apple is building this thing? No, I said credible reports. No analysts, no "sources from the Asian supply chain," and no "people familiar with the matter." Is it a number greater than zero? (Spoiler alert: no.) Next-Gen iPhone Production Kicks Into Gear; Will There Be a Mid-Tier iPhone, Too? (AllThingsD) I initially got excited by the pedigree of this rumor -- AllThingsD is one of the few remaining tech publications that's still right about Apple more often than it's wrong -- but then I saw the source of this rumor was often-wrong "analyst" Peter Misek, and my enthusiasm drained away pretty much immediately. There are people at my day job who use PCs every day and don't know what Windows Explorer is when you ask them to navigate to it. I'm fairly certain those people still know more about Apple's future plans than Peter Misek does. Rumored iPhone 5S production shots & specs: IGZO display, fingerprint reader, NFC, 12MP cam (9to5 Mac) The source for this rumor is "unverified news out of China," which is of course the absolute best source for Apple rumors. The most consistently disheartening part of my week is the two minutes of my weekly FaceTime call with my dad when he brings up whatever poorly-sourced dreck from the rumor blogs has been plastered all over Zite that week. I keep telling him not to pay any attention to this stuff, to let me jump on that grenade for him, but... Apple predicted to beat market consensus with 29M iPhones shipped in June quarter (AppleInsider) Some analyst thinks Apple shipped somewhere between 29 and 32 million iPhones during the last financial quarter. You know how I know Apple is doing okay, despite all the doom and gloom nonsense claiming the contrary? Three million iPhones is no longer the actual number of iPhones sold in a single quarter; it's a rounding error in some analyst's estimates of how many iPhones were sold. When the question is essentially, "How many iPhones did Apple sell: a crapload, or a metric crapload?" the whole "Apple = DOOMED" meme seems even dumber than usual. Wildly unlikely report claims larger 4.3-inch display causing iPhone 5S delays (9to5 Mac) This rumor is "wildly unlikely" (it even says so in the headline), but apparently not so wildly unlikely that it wasn't worth re-blogging anyway. As for the meat in this particularly unsavoury sandwich, Bloomberg claims Apple has changed the iPhone 5S to a 4.3-inch screen at the last minute. This proves one thing beyond doubt: Bloomberg has no idea how Apple operates, and they should not be taken seriously on the subject any longer. Plastic iPhone shell compared to iPhone 5 in new leaked photos (BGR) The mint-green color of the plastic casing reminds me of mint ice cream, which reminds me of Jägershakes (mint ice cream plus Jägermeister plus an industrial-strength blender), which reminds me of Jägermeister, which reminds me of the most epic benders I've ever been on and the worst hangovers I've ever had, which has left me feeling nauseated. I could also be feeling nauseated because of the whole low-cost iPhone meme that simply will not die. It's hard to tell. Either way, I'm turning as green as that pictured case. Like iPhone, analysts expecting big drop in YOY growth for iPad sales in Q3 (9to5 Mac) Note that this is a drop in year-over-year growth, not a drop in year-over-year sales. It's like saying your car's rate of acceleration has slowed; you're still going faster over time, just not speeding up quite as fast as you were before. Someone (like Business Insider, perhaps) will still find a way to transform these numbers into "Apple DOOMED" analysis, like the world's worst alchemists. After iPhone 5S and iOS 7 debut, Apple customers may be nearly impossible to steal (BGR) While the headline makes it sound as though BGR is on to something, really all they've got here is some analyst making pie-in-the-sky claims without any proof, along with the same-old/same-old predictions of semi-voluntary consumer lock-in to Apple's ecosystem. With the obligatory snark out of the way, I will say that the whole "ecosystem lock-in" phenomenon is very real. After my iPhone 4S's untimely demise, I considered temporarily using a work-provided Android phone for a few months while I waited for the iPhone 5S to come out. That idea lasted about two minutes before I said, "Nope, nope, noooope," marched myself down to the local Telecom store, and bought an iPhone 5. Rumor: Apple ramps iOS device chip orders, in talks with LG over 4K displays (AppleInsider) I'm starting to think AppleInsider is still calling Digitimes "sometimes reliable" just to troll us. The fact that the "hit-or-miss publication" (another of AppleInsider's favored euphemisms) is the source of this rumor tells you all you need to know about its possible veracity. iWatch's novelty emerges as Apple taps sensor and fitness experts (9to5 Mac) Assuming the sources for this article are accurate, this sounds like a product that's still in the very early stages of conceptual development and likely years away from public availability, if indeed it ever sees the light of day. All that adds up to at least 18-24 more months of an endless stream of articles about the stupid iWatch. So we've got that going for us, which is nice. Rumored iPhone 5S fingerprint sensor more likely to be in the screen, not the home button (9to5 Mac) At least one of the TUAW staff is excited by the prospect of fingerprint sensors in the iPhone, but I really don't see the point. If it's a sensor embedded in the screen and is used to unlock the phone with your finger... well, so what? We already unlock our iPhones with our fingers. We've been doing it for six years. The supposition that the fingerprint sensor has something to do with NFC is even worse, because now we've got two technologies that Apple hasn't expressed much interest in combined. It's two terrible tastes that go badly together, like the polar opposite of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. AppleTV news: 4K panels being bought, friendly studio deals being negotiated & Netflix picks up two Emmy nods (9to5 Mac) "The often unreliable DigiTimes" brings us the first rumor relating to the eternally mythical Apple HDTV. 9to5 Mac says "the publication has been reporting some more believable stories as of late" -- which ones? Seriously, Digitimes and believable don't belong in the same sentence, except for the one I just wrote. DigiTimes changes course, claims Retina iPad Mini will launch in fall (9to5 Mac) From the article: "At this point, it looks like we have no solid information about the release date, despite this report's claim of October 2013. DigiTimes has been extremely hit-or-miss, so it would be unwise to take this as complete verification." (emphasis added) Digitimes is a joke. Not a funny joke, either. It's like one of those train-wreck standup comedy routines that seems to go on forever. Digitimes is the tech world's equivalent of Krusty the Clown: everyone seems to recall a time when they were once relevant, but no one can precisely remember exactly when that was. Documents claim Apple's 'iPhone Lite' will pack 1GB RAM, is already in mass production (AppleInsider) "It is virtually impossible to completely ascertain the veracity of either the documents or the images," AppleInsider notes. Well, considering the documents look like something anyone could have thrown together in 20 minutes, I'm gonna go with "fake" this time. Apple Tests Larger Screens for iPhones, iPads (Wall Street Journal) "Whether the designs will make their way to market is unclear. [Apple] routinely tests different designs for its products as it refines them during development." Done. No need to read beyond this point.
