wwdc2009
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Apple's new MacBook family: non-removable batteries, lower prices
Apple just let loose a new 15-inch MacBook Pro at WWDC 2009, with what appears to be the same built-in, non-removable battery (or, non-user serviceable, if we're being proper) as in the current unibody 17-incher. Phil asserts that the cell will last the average user around five years (1,000 recharges), and could last around seven hours under ideal conditions. There's also an SD card reader rather than an ExpressCard slot (seriously Apple -- replaced? -- why not just add it like every other Wintel laptop available today?). Oh, and the starting tag just dropped to $1,699. Starting at $1,699 (down from $1,999 in prior lineups) $1,699: 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB DDR3 RAM, GeForce 9400M graphics, 250GB HDD, SD card slot, no ExpressCard $1,999: 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB DDR3 RAM, GeForce 9400M + 9600M GT graphics, 320GB HDD, SD card slot, no ExpressCard $2,299: 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB DDR3 RAM, GeForce 9400M + 9600M GT graphics, 500GB HDD, SD card slot, no ExpressCard 17-inch unibody MacBook Pro remains the same specs-wise (it's the only Apple laptop left with an ExpressCard slot), but it's getting a price cut to $2,499. Shipping today Not enough for you? The 13-inch unibody MacBook has been beefed up and revised, and it's now part of the MacBook Pro line as well. Yep, all the aluminum machines are now Pros, with the same built-in battery promising seven hours of life. The littlest Pro also gets the SD card slot, a FireWire 800 port, up to 8GB of RAM, upwards of 500GB of storage and a backlit keyboard as standard. You just knew Apple couldn't let its remaining white MacBook outperform its more expensive unibody for long, right? It'll be available (today, we expect) in two configurations. $1,199: 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB DDR3 RAM, GeForce 9400M graphics, 160GB HDD, SD card slot, no ExpressCard $1,499: 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB DDR3 RAM, GeForce 9400M graphics, 250GB HDD, SD card slot, no ExpressCard Wilder still? A new MacBook Air, which starts at $1,499 (while the SSD unit gets going at $1,799). Yeah, that's $700 less than before. $1,499: 1.86GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB DDR3 RAM, GeForce 9400M graphics, 120GB HDD $1,799: 2.13GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB DDR3 RAM, GeForce 9400M graphics, 128GB SSD
Don't forget, Engadget is live at WWDC today!
Just a reminder to all you fine, fine folks out on the Interverse -- we're going to be live and direct from Apple's WWDC keynote in just a few hours. You should tune in, we hear there may be some kind of new phone announced.Plant yourselves at this page (feel free to bookmark). Here's what time you'll want to do said planting:07:00AM - Hawaii 10:00AM - Pacific 11:00AM - Mountain 12:00PM - Central 01:00PM - Eastern 06:00PM - London 07:00PM - Paris 02:00AM - Tokyo (June 9th)
iPhone 3GS: Apple's codename for tomorrow's unveiling?
It's pretty much the eve of Apple's big WWDC press conference, and Daring Fireball's John Gruber is back at the eleventh hour to chime in some more on his previous (and perhaps well-informed) iPhone predictions. He sticks to his previous wagers -- twice the CPU speed, twice the RAM, a heavy emphasis on a new video camera (no word on if there's an additional front-facing one), and $199 / $299 for the 16GB and 32GB models, respectively -- but additionally chimes in that the new device's codename is... drumroll, please... the iPhone 3GS, which he surmises is probably going to be the final product name, as well. Kind of a yawner, if you ask us, but it'd sell like gangbusters no matter what it was called. As for that lowered-tiered iPhone, he's expecting it to be the current 3G model with a price drop to $99. Also on the table is iPhone tethering, which we already know was built into OS 3.0, likely for a fee chosen by each carrier. Teasing farther into the future, he suggests "Marble," codename for an OS X visual overhaul, and the tablet are very much real projects but that there's little to no chance it'll be at WWDC. No clue what the "S" stands for (speed, perhaps?), but at this point we're pretty much counting the minutes to tomrorow's keynote, and our clocks can't tick much faster.
Is this the new iPhone?
Sure, it's Palm's big day, but that doesn't mean the Apple rumor mill is taking a break -- check out this pic of what might be the new iPhone set to drop on Monday. Yep, that's a matte black casing with no chrome border, a what looks to be a front-facing camera, and iPhone OS 3.0, so it certainly lines up with what we've heard -- but it wouldn't exactly take a Photoshop master to do this one up either. One more pic at the read link -- anyone believing this?Update: Nowhere Else seems to be down at the moment, so we've stuck the other shots after the break.
Apple introducing cheaper iPhone on Monday?
There certainly seem to be a lot of people "familiar" with Apple's iPhone plans spouting off all over the place in these last few days before WWDC, and today they've chosen to whisper their sweet nothings to the Financial Times, which is reporting a cheaper iPhone will be announced on Monday at WWDC. Of course, that lines up with pretty much everything we've heard so far, including rumors of a 4GB iPhone model and cheaper AT&T plans, so it's not exactly a far-fetched rumor -- but then again, it's exactly what we'd say if we were just making stuff up. We'll just have to wait and see on Monday -- and from the looks of our Palm Pre poll, that's exactly what most of you are planning on doing.
Goodbye E3, WWDC here we come!
Listen, E3, we had some good times. We shook like maniacs for your motion controllers. We jammed with the band (and our resident DJ, Stab Master Arson). We skated all over the place. We liveblogged like crazy. We basically took your news flow and funneled it into a succinct package of mind-blowing media snacks. But that was then, and this is now. We had to hightail it out of town, because a certain someone needs our special brand of tenderness... and that certain someone is Apple's WWDC in San Francisco. We'll miss you E3, but only a little bit.Seriously guys, gear up for WWDC this coming Monday (June 8th), where some kind of new phone or something might get announced. Here's the page you'll want to plant yourselves at (feel free to bookmark), and here's what time you'll want to do said planting:07:00AM - Hawaii 10:00AM - Pacific 11:00AM - Mountain 12:00PM - Central 01:00PM - Eastern 06:00PM - London 07:00PM - Paris 02:00AM - Tokyo (June 9th)
"iPhone V3" placeholders pop up in Carphone Warehouse systems -- white model coming too?
Look, we're not definitely saying that Apple's gonna announce a new iPhone in 16 and 32GB capacities on Monday -- we'll leave that sort of certainty to Unkie Walt -- but we will say that the evidence is starting to get overwhelming. Today's whispers bring us "iPhone32gGbV3" and iPhone 16GbV3" inventory placeholders popping up in mammoth UK retailer Carphone Warehouse's systems, with each size notably coming in both black and white editions. That's the first inkling we've seen of color choices, but we're not making too much of it, since it's entirely possible whoever entered this info was just hitting all the possibilities. We're also not seeing anything to indicate that rumored cheaper 4GB version either, so there's a lot still up in the air as we get closer to the Philnote -- keep a sharp eye, we'll let you know.
Next iPhone to launch July 17 with OLED display and glowing Apple logo?
You had to know we'd see a flurry of iPhone rumors and news as the Apple community reacted to the Pre's official price and launch date, and right on schedule, we've got whispers that Cupertino's next handset will be announced at WWDC, feature an OLED display and a glowing Apple logo, and launch on July 17. There's also a longer list of detailed specs, but for the most part they're just a combination of that matte black casing leak from February and those Chinese specs from last week. So are they the real deal? Well, the source and the site they're on seem a little shaky to us, but the specs themselves don't seem too far-fetched -- OLED screens are getting cheaper and more prevalent, and we're almost certain to see bumps in camera resolution and storage, so even if they are totally made up, we'd venture to guess they're more right than wrong. That's just us, though -- check out the full spec list after the break and tell us what you think.[Via Wired; image from MacRumors]
AT&T considering cheaper iPhone plans?
We're getting close to WWDC, which means the Apple rumor mill is nearing redline -- today it's BusinessWeek saying AT&T's working on cheaper iPhone data plans. It's not clear exactly how that would play out, but the most popularly-discussed option is a $20 "limited-access" plan potentially offered alongside a cheaper iPhone to be introduced at WWDC -- an option that's almost certainly being discussed as the two companies sort out that exclusivity extension. Of course, we're extremely curious to see what "limited access" means, given AT&T's recent SlingPlayer debacle -- cheap certainly isn't worth it if you're not allowed to do anything worthwhile. Phil, you have anything to say?[Via AppleInsider]
Apple confirms WWDC keynote time, Phil Schiller leading the way
The anticipation is palpable, sure, but those hoping for a Steve Jobs comeback at this year's WWDC should be prepared for disappointment. Apple just affirmed that this year's Worldwide Developers Conference will indeed kick off on Monday, June 8th, and the keynote address will be given at 10:00AM PT (so 1:00PM here on the right coast, and 7:00AM on the gorgeous isle of Maui). The big news, however, isn't that we'll be there live for every last word ('cause you already knew that, yes?) -- it's that Philip Schiller and company, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, will be manning the address, offering devs an "in-depth" look at iPhone OS 3.0 and OS X Snow Leopard. In fact, attendees can expect a "final Developer Preview release" of the forthcoming OS, but you'll have to wait a few weeks yet to get details beyond that.
Apple announces WWDC 2009 dates; iPhone, Snow Leopard countdowns begin
Here we go: Apple's just announced that its Worldwide Developers Conference will take place June 8-12 in San Francisco. If you'll recall, last year's WWDC was where a little gadget called the iPhone 3G made its appearance, and we'd say chances are good we'll see new hardware this year as well -- especially since there'd be no bigger way for Steve Jobs to make his planned June return to the company. Also on the list of expected attendees? Snow Leopard, possibly with a revised interface. It should be a big one -- you know we'll be digging for all the info we can get in the leadup, so keep it locked.Update: Jobs said he'd be out until the "end of June," of course. Still, we've got a feeling he'd want to be involved in any iPhone hardware announcements. We'll see!
