Rumor Roundup
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Rumor Roundup: Not a creature was stirring...
Gadget nerds, bloggers, rumormongers, analysts, tech pundits, Samsung's design and engineering teams... all eyes in the tech world will be on Apple this week. It's the eve of Apple's long-awaited Fall 2014 event. All of my friends, even the non-geeky ones, are eagerly awaiting the announcements from this event-especially the poor guy who's still rocking an iPhone 3GS. It's been a seemingly interminable length of time since the last Apple event, and as such the rumors for this one have flown fast and furious for months. There are some dead giveaways for this event, but there are also so many huge question marks... perhaps more than for any Apple event since the unveiling of the iPad in early 2010. The past few days' rumors are below, but first I'll lay out the bigger picture for this upcoming event. I'll also tack on some percentages for how likely I think these rumors are to come true. In the grandest tradition of Apple rumors, these predictions will be based on no real evidence whatsoever. iPhone 6 - 4.7-inch version: 100% This is going to be announced and released. Full stop. Unanswered questions: whether a 128 GB model will be available, how good the camera will be, what the battery life will be like, what the display resolution is, and whether this model will be tempting enough to convince millions of iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s owners that the iPhone already in their hands is an obsolete piece of crap. iPhone 6 - 5.5-inch version: 30% There have been enough parts leaked for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 that people have literally assembled (almost) working versions of it. The 5.5-inch model has been far more elusive. There have been parts here and there which may be intended for a device this size, but the unmistakable smoking gun of the 4.7-inch version is definitely missing here. Some have suggested that Apple may announce this phone but wait a few months before shipping it. That's madness. If this version of the iPhone exists at all, Apple will announce it only if it's a few weeks (at most) away from being on store shelves. One thing you can count on: if this version of the iPhone 6 is a no-show, then absolutely every anti-Apple pundit in the world will be racing to be FIRST! to claim the iPhone 6 is "disappointing." Apple wearable thingy: 90% There's been enough chatter about some kind of Apple wearable being announced (but not necessarily made available just yet) that even a rumor cynic like me can't deny it. Every single rumor about what this thing will look like, what it will be made of, when it will ship, what it will cost, and what it will even be for has been unreliable, often contradictory, and wholly unsubstantiated. Pretty much exactly like the lead-in to the iPhone and iPad announcements. Everyone "knows" that Apple is about to announce something-maybe even something huge-but specifics? No. No one has any clue. However... "iWatch": 50% "Wearable thingy" does not necessarily mean "smartwatch." I have a feeling that all of the speculation around this product is going to turn out to be as unimaginative in hindsight as all the pre-announcement punditry about the iPhone and iPad. If all Apple announces in this wearable space is its own take on the godawful smartwatches out there, I'll consider it something of a letdown. And in the name of all that is holy, please don't let it be called the "iWatch." I've thought that was a monumentally stupid name ever since the first time I heard it, years and years ago. I can't think of any better way for Apple to signify that the post-Jobs era has well and truly begun than by dropping the i-prefix from whatever wearable thingy they announce this week. Mobile payment system of some sort: 66.6666666667% Again, this is one of those things that's had too much chatter to ignore. Whether it involves NFC or not is another matter. I'm also guessing this won't be widely available outside of the USA at launch. Next-gen iPads: 10% The only reason this isn't a big fat 0% is because I'm giving "accurate" analyst Ming-Chi Kuo some entirely undeserved benefit of the doubt for one of the many predictions he made this week. Apple HDTV: 0% Hahahaha, no. Sorry, Mr. Munster. Something else that the rumormongers utterly failed to predict: 100% I think Apple genuinely has something up its sleeve this time. Call it a hunch. Or just a wild-assed guess. Potato, potáto. Apple's rumored iPhone 6 mobile payment system seen as 'most legitimate potential threat' to PayPal (AppleInsider) "The iPhone 6 is a PayPal killer!!!!!!!" -some analyst Yeah, how about we wait until this feature is actually confirmed to exist before we start shotgun-blasting hyperbole all over the place? KGI on iWatch: 8 GB storage, 512 MB RAM, 1.3 and 1.5 inch screen, gold option (9to5 Mac) "Reliable" Ming-Chi Kuo makes a series of very specific predictions about Apple's supposedly forthcoming wearable thingy. These predictions are so specific that it's going to be very easy to go back and pick them apart when one (or all) of these turn out to be false. KGI report claims both iPhone 6 models to offer 128GB storage; iPad Air 2 launch on same day (9to5 Mac) And, once again, this "reliable" analyst has made very specific claims about rumored Apple products... and he's made so many that he's either going to be vindicated later this week or permanently outed as just another sarcastiquote "accurate" analyst. Guess which way I'm guessing the tree will fall? iWatch With Curved OLED Display to Include NFC for Mobile Payments (MacRumors) This article is the perfect storm of perennially-unannounced hardware. All it's missing is the Apple HDTV. U2 says reports of Apple tie-up for 'iPhone 6' are untrue (AppleInsider) Duh. Samsung's 'rushed,' 'half-baked' announcements set Apple up for easy victory this fall, analyst says (AppleInsider) Analyst Brian "iRing" White crawls out from beneath his Inaccurate Apple Analyst Rock of Shame just long enough to predict that Apple's unannounced products will kick the pants off Samsung's announced and/or released products. Hang on a second. I thought that unannounced products from Apple's competitors were supposed to demolish shipping, successful Apple products! What's going on here? Did I jump universes again? Please tell me this one still has Mila Kunis. NYT: iWatch to feature flexible display panel, wireless charging, iPhone 6 to have 'one handed mode' (9to5 Mac) "Sapphire glass" plus "flexible display" does not compute. Huh-huh-huh. "One-handed mode." Uhhh, huh-huh-huh-huh. Apple reportedly negotiated transaction fee discounts w/ major banks ahead of mobile payment system (9to5 Mac) Show of hands: if this mobile payment stuff turns out to be for real, how many of you out there think this will be US-only at launch? Apple's 'iWallet' payments seen as unlikely to earn much money, but will lock in users to iPhone ecosystem (AppleInsider) This article contains 0 percent actual news and 100 percent speculation. It made my head hurt reading this. Rear Camera of 5.5-Inch iPhone 6 With Optical Stabilization and Other Parts Shown in New Photos (MacRumors) There is precisely zero proof offered that this component is destined for a 5.5-inch iPhone. Apple employees 'have set low expectations' for 'iWatch' battery life - report (AppleInsider) This report notes that it's entirely possible this is a case of Apple deliberately seeding doubt in advance of knocking it out of the park later this week. As AppleInsider notes, this "only serves to underscore how little is actually known" about this supposedly forthcoming wearable thingy. Apple Dominating Shipping Capacity Out Of China With New iPhones (TechCrunch) All the "Apple is DOOMED" moron pundits tend to forget just how insanely influential Apple has become. TechCrunch's piece suggests that Apple is poised to dominate shipping out of China to such an extent that other manufacturers will struggle to perform high-volume exports of products out of their factories, and this sounds not only entirely plausible, it sounds extremely like Tim Cook's Apple. Apparent Working 4.7-Inch iPhone 6 Reveals Home Screen Layout, Passbook Icon With Payments [Updated] (MacRumors) This is almost definitely the real deal. Notably absent is a similar leak for the long-rumored 5.5-inch version... 5.5-inch iPhone 6 may run landscape apps with more productive iPad-like interface (9to5 Mac) While this is cool on the surface, it definitely doesn't offer positive proof that the 5.5-inch iPhone exists. All it proves is that if Apple makes and releases this device, it probably won't have much trouble adapting the existing iOS interface to the larger screen. And that's a wrap. The next Roundup will be the traditional post-event retrospective.
Rumor Roundup: Passing the click savings on to you
Analyst says not to expect reversible USB Lightning connector to ship with iPhone 6 (9to5 Mac) "Accurate" analyst Ming-Chi Kuo gets no points for saying something we already knew. Assuming this rumored accessory was ever a real thing to begin with (which is a big assumption), it clearly wasn't going to come out with the next iPhone. IPHONE 6 LEAK: 5.5-inch iPhone shell shown off in hands-on video (BGR) Naturally there's tons of proof that this is a genuine part and not one of the dozens of mockups and fakes that have circulated for months. Just kidding! There's no proof whatsoever that this is a genuine part. My favorite part of this article has nothing to do with the rumor itself: "Apple is scheduled to unveil one or both new iPhone models next week during a big press conference on September 9th and then we can finally move on... to iPhone 6s rumors." *insert image of the dude from Scanners with the exploding head* Here's another way the iPhone 6 might disappoint you (BGR) Saved you a click: this is just BGR's failworthy, clickbaiting take on the MIng-Chi Kuo rumor cited earlier. New iPhone 6 phablet photos reveal a critical detail that might affect your buying decision (BGR) Saved you another click: BGR helpfully notes that the larger-screened iPhone will be larger than currently shipping iPhones. This is the kind of hard-hitting reporting you can only get from the very finest of rumormongers. iWatch Said to Be at 'Engineering Verification Test' Stage, Components Now in Production (MacRumors) This article is sourced from Digitimes, and MacRumors predictably fails to mention that Digitimes has a worse accuracy record than a sniper with cataracts and a bad case of the DTs. New leak may confirm a crucial 5.5-inch iPhone 6 specification (BGR) Saved you yet another click: the same battery photo that "leaked" last week or the week before shows it has a 2915 mAh capacity. The markings on the battery clearly indicate it's a prototype and not meant for a production unit, which I think is pretty much exactly what I said the first time this photo did the rounds. Apple reportedly discussing mobile payment partnership with Nordstrom (9to5 Mac) This story comes from the always-reliable "people familiar with the matter." Despite my ongoing cynicism about the likelihood that the next iPhone will have NFC, I still hope it actually does. I'd love to not have to mess about with a stupid piece of plastic to pay for stuff anymore. Of course, I also live in the backblocks of New Zealand, so even if the iPhone 6 did have NFC, it wouldn't matter a bit down here. Meh. Digitimes says iPad Air 2 will be 'thinner' and have 'improved fingerprint recognition' (9to5 Mac) 10 points awarded for stating the terrible source for this article right in the headline and saving us all the trouble of clicking. Minus several million points for paying attention to anything Digitimes says and reblogging it despite knowing full well they have nothing accurate to contribute to any conversation about Apple, ever. IDC: With new iPhone, phablet shipments will surpass portable PCs this year, tablets next (9to5 Mac) 10 points awarded for stating the terrible source for this article right in the headline and saving us all the trouble of clicking. Minus several million points for paying attention to anything IDC says and reblogging it despite knowing full well they have nothing accurate to contribute to any conversation about Apple, ever. A lot of speculation arises around U2's involvement in iPhone 6 launch (9to5 Mac) This is one of the most out-there rumors I've seen in a long while, brought to you from one of the most out-there of sources. I don't believe a word of it. Apple design head Jony Ive ahead of iWatch debut: 'Switzerland is in trouble' (9to5 Mac) Here's the relevant quote from the New York Times article: "According to a designer who works at Apple, Jonathan Ive, Apple's design chief, in bragging about how cool he thought the iWatch was shaping up to be, gleefully said Switzerland is in trouble - though he chose a much bolder term for "trouble" to express how he thought the watchmaking nation might be in a tough predicament when Apple's watch comes out." I would bet a truckload of shiny nickels that no "designer who works at Apple" would be stupid enough to talk to the NYT about anything Ive says. Apple's actual design team is very small, tight-knit, and closed-mouthed. There's a Kiwi on the design team who's so reluctant to engage with media of any kind that when his alma mater contacted him and requested that he give them some feel-good quotes about the university and how it prepared him for his career at Apple, he basically said, "Yeah, nah." But sure, a member of Apple's design team is totally going to the Times with the latest quote from Ive.
Rumor Roundup: Schrödinger's iPhone
More iPhone 6 component photos 'confirm' silver, gray and gold colors, depict larger internal speaker and new vibrator design (9to5 Mac) At least 9to5 Mac had the decency to put "confirm" in sarcastiquotes. These photos look like they were taken in someone's basement. Our Sources Say the Next iPhone Will Include NFC Mobile Payments (WIRED) Yet another tech publication throws its hat into the "iPhone will have NFC" ring. Some people are fond of saying "where there's smoke, there's fire." The problem is, sometimes that smoke is just being blown up your backside. We've been on this NFC merry-go-round for the past three models of iPhone, so don't get your hopes up - no matter what these "sources" may say, NFC isn't a lock until or unless it's actually announced onstage at the upcoming September 9 event. Analyst & GTAT investor claims all 5.5-inch iPhone 6 models get sapphire, some 4.7-inch models (9to5 Mac) Some analyst regurgitates earlier rumors, without any actual concrete proof for his claims, and 9to5 Mac predictably reblogs his nonsense. This happens so often that I really ought to set up a keyboard macro and save myself the time and effort of typing the whole sentence. Another major new iPhone 6 feature was just confirmed... and this one is HUGE (BGR) Saved you a click: this is just BGR repeating what WIRED said, but in a far more clickbaity fashion. We've come to expect no less from BGR. And no more. The iPhone 6 you're waiting for might not be unveiled on September 9th (BGR) Saved you another click: according to some sketchy Chinese source, the 5.5-inch screened iPhone 5 won't be announced at the upcoming September 9 event. So now this unconfirmed device is both delayed and coming soon, both due to be announced and to have its announcement delayed. It's nice to see we have all the bases covered now. It's Schrödinger's iPhone. Why on earth does anyone take any of these rumormongering clowns seriously? Bloomberg corroborates Apple wearable to be announced at Sept. 9 event (9to5 Mac) Oh, well, if Bloomberg says it, then it must be true. Because they've never, ever published an untrue rumor about unreleased Apple products. And for that matter, neither has 9to5 Mac. Trustworthy paragons of journalism, all of them. Apple reportedly taps chipmaker NXP for 'iPhone 6' NFC solution (AppleInsider) Another Asian source chimes in with more "evidence" that the next iPhone will have NFC. Listen, it's not like it's entirely out of the question that Apple may be interested in this technology, or that it may debut in the next iPhone. But we have literally been down this road three times already, in the iPhone 4s, the iPhone 5, and the iPhone 5s. All three were heavily rumored to feature NFC, and all three debuted without it. Give me one good reason why any of us should believe these rumors again this year. Apple Wearable Won't Ship Until Next Year (re/code) The headline pretty much says it all. Paczkowski has a good track record thus far... but everyone misses eventually. New pictures show off alleged iPhone 6 logic board, A8, and NFC chip (9to5 Mac) From the article: "There's no way to tell if these claims are legitimate." Imagine if every news organisation behaved this way, just reporting whatever BS happened to cross their desk. "Sources in Florida are reporting a 747 has crashed into Epcot Center, but there's no way to tell if these claims are legitimate." "This just in: people familiar with the matter report that Russia has launched a nuclear attack against the Ukraine. Obviously this report could have been faked, but rumors thus far lend credence to the claim." "Breaking news from Japan: sources report a 40-story reptilian creature has emerged from the sea and is terrorizing Tokyo. Right now we'll show you a mockup of what the attack might look like, as produced by Twitter user @slappysackmeister, a graphic designer from Los Tontos, New Mexico." If there's no way to tell if a claim is legitimate, then perhaps you shouldn't be reporting it? Just a thought. Support for 3x image assets found in latest iOS 8 beta ahead of larger display iPhone 6 (9to5 Mac) Although the sleuthing is impressive and the evidence for this claim entirely satisfactory, the shotgunning of resolutions in the final paragraph is hilarious. None of these people have any clue what the display resolution of the next iPhone will be. I wish they did, honestly. I'm a web developer for my day job, and it would be very useful to know in advance if I need to tinker with the responsive template on my sites. 4.7-Inch iPhone 6 Built From Parts Supports Theory of 1334 x 750 Display (MacRumors) Normally I scorn the rumor blogs when they go all "Zoom... enhance" on leaked photos like this, but for once their argument actually seems to hold water. That could just be wishful thinking on my part; the rumored 667 x 375 point resolution means I won't have to do any extra work to get my websites to fully support the next iPhone's display. Apple execs discuss $400 price point for wearable with the media, what do you think? (9to5 Mac) This $400 price tag has been widely reported... but, perhaps still stinging from their wounds in early 2010, the rumor blogs are also taking pains to admit that the rumored $1000 price point for the iPad turned out to be completely bogus. Without seeing this "wearable" or hearing any legitimate reports on its features, I couldn't even begin to believe in any rumored price. Apple has reached agreements w/ American Express & MasterCard to work on iPhone payments system (9to5 Mac) If Apple just now signed this agreement with the major US credit card institutions, then how in the world are we supposed to expect that the iPhone that will be announced a week and a half from now is going to feature NFC?
Rumor Roundup: 2014 delayed until 2015 (developing)
Purported 'iPad Air 2' flex cables revealed in new photos (AppleInsider) Ohhh, things are getting "exciting" now, with fresh spy shots of ribbon cables supposedly meant for the next-gen iPad Air. Feast your eyes upon these random electronic parts completely divorced from any meaningful context whatsoever! Thrill as rumor blogs endlessly speculate on what function these US$0.30 parts could have in a $400 iPad! Laugh uproariously as BGR dares to call these "key next-gen iPad Air components" with a straight face! 128 GB iPhone 6? Leaked schematics suggest it may happen (9to5 Mac) Last week, when similar schematics leaked, the rumor blogs completely whiffed it with erroneous interpretations that next-gen iOS devices would still have only 1 GB of RAM. Turns out last week's schematics had nothing to do with the devices' RAM, and instead referred to their flash memory. So, with that in mind, I'm not putting a whole lot of faith in their analysis of this schematic. Also, this is at least the third year in a row that 128 GB has been a rumored top-end capacity for the next-gen iPhone. I'd love to see it happen; that alone might convince me to upgrade. I'm not getting my hopes up. iPhone 6 Information Leak Sourced from Foxconn Details Dimensions of 4.7-Inch and 5.5-Inch Versions (MacRumors) One big red flag sticks out to me. A device codenamed N61 has its weight listed as "unknown." Why wouldn't Foxconn know the weight of a device it is supposedly building right now? Also note the "proto" designations on the N56 larger version of the device, which almost certainly means "prototype," which means if Apple is planning on releasing this device at all (still a big if), it's a long road to hoe between this schematic and devices sitting on store shelves. Apple Suppliers 'Scrambling' to Produce Enough iPhone 6 Displays After Issues With New Backlight (MacRumors) These stories are the best kind of rumors, because they are absolutely unverifiable. Whether the next-gen iPhone is "delayed" or not is immaterial to the substance of this report. If the iPhone is delayed, rumor blogs have something to point to and say, "See? We told you so." If the iPhone isn't delayed or in short supply, this story will gather digital dust on Google's cached servers, but no human will ever care about it again. It almost doesn't even matter if this article is true or not, and we'll never know for sure one way or another. Fun! China Telecom iPhone 6 Ad Suggests Simplified Model Lineup for Different Carrier Technologies (MacRumors) This supposed China Telecom ad used a rendering of the iPhone rather than actual photos sourced from Apple, so it's anyone's guess why we're supposed to believe any of the printed copy included along with the faked images in this ad is genuine. More Supply Chain Claims of Likely Early 2015 Launch for iWatch (MacRumors) Some Asian publication "echoes the assertion" of some often-wrong analyst that a long-rumored but never-confirmed and unannounced Apple product will be "delayed" until next year. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is what passes for "news" in the world of Apple rumors. No one has a clue what they're talking about, but we're apparently all meant to pay rapt attention anyway. Despite Apple's efforts, the iPhone 6 won't be Samsung-free (BGR) Speaking of people who don't have a clue what they're talking about, BGR cites a report from never-right publication Digitimes. Let me save you a click: Digitimes says the next iPhone will have RAM sourced from Samsung in addition to other suppliers. The only thing dumber than the article itself is the comments. I never read the comments on a BGR article before today. After today, I never will again. Wow. Conjecture Regarding Larger iPhone Displays (Daring Fireball) John Gruber does a couple thousand words of rational and entertaining analysis on the most likely screen resolution for the next-gen iPhone. It's a great piece and definitely worth a read. The only part of it I disagree with is his assertion that "there's too much smoke around the 'two new iPhones, one at 4.7 inches and the other 5.5 inches' narrative for there not to be a fire." The only smoke I've seen so far has come from sources that are, to put it mildly, less than trustworthy. Enough legitimate parts for the 4.7-inch iPhone have leaked so far that you could almost assemble a working device of your own at this point. Meanwhile, the only schematics and/or parts that have leaked for the supposed 5.5-inch model have had a very prototype vibe to them. If Apple is planning on selling this device at all, it doesn't seem like it's fully baked enough for a September announcement based on what we've seen so far. Potential redesigned iPhone 6 USB power adapter shows up on Weibo (9to5 Mac) Halfway into the article: "As far as legitimacy goes, it's hard to tell if the above image is of a genuine Apple power adapter." Yup. And the fact that it looks like an Americanised version of the existing Australia/New Zealand power adapter doesn't really prove anything either. Reports reverse stance on iPhone 6 including reversible USB cable (9to5 Mac) From the article: "We've now received word that Apple's new reversible Lightning to USB cable may not be ready in time to ship with the iPhone 6." Yeah, about that... I'm pretty sure absolutely no one was expecting this to come out in the next iPhone. Maybe the 2015 model, but not this one. Also, I guess we can throw yet another unannounced Apple product onto the "delayed until next year" pile. Man, Apple is going to have an absolutely amazing year... next year. Maybe.
Rumor Roundup: The snake is eating its own tail
Alleged Schematic Shows iPhone 6 Coming with 1GB of RAM [Updated] (MacRumors) When one of these rumor blogs appends (updated) to the end, you know it's got to be amusing. And it is: according to the article, this schematic "more likely refers to some aspect of the device's flash memory." Egg, meet face. BGR predictably went down a more histrionic route with its own headline: SERIOUSLY, APPLE? Here's an iPhone 6 leak that will leave you disappointed. SERIOUSLY, BGR? Switch to decaf. Rumor: Schematic suggests NFC chip in 'iPhone 6,' RAM remains unknown [u] (AppleInsider) The same leaked schematic had all the rumor blogs beating the NFC drum again, but even AppleInsider says "the details seem questionable" and had to append its own little [u] to this article. All around, this scenario proves that in the rush to be FIRST!, the rumor blogs aren't at all interested in being right. This isn't anything new, of course - this nonsense has been happening for years - but it's certainly an easy thing to point to and say, "You see? This. This is how you are doing it wrong." Apple unlikely to sell sapphire iPhones this year, is setting the stage for future models - JP Morgan (AppleInsider) Some analyst issued a "note to investors" based on his reaction to a report from the Wall Street Journal, a report which was itself just a rehashing of the various analyst-sourced rumors from the past month. The snake is eating its own tail... wait, that's not a snake. Ewww. Someone pass me a bag of kitty litter and a shovel? RBC sees Apple selling upwards of 75M 'iPhone 6' units before end of 2014 (AppleInsider) Some analyst comes out with some ridiculous claim for sales numbers for the next-gen iPhone. Said numbers likely weren't pulled out of the air, but rather from somewhere far less savoury. And although it's patently obvious that this guy is just making stuff up and is merely one of many "analysts" trying to manipulate Apple's stock price ahead of the launch, you can always count on the rumor blogs to report this BS anyway as though it's legitimate news. Analysts don't know what they're talking about when they talk about Apple. Nothing they say matters. At all. The world will not weep if you stop spreading their idiocy. Security breach may be reason for Gatekeeper app signing changes (Updated) (TUAW) I wouldn't give anyone else a pass for reporting this, so... The source for this report is some random guy on Twitter. Sounds legit! Except for the whole "random guy on Twitter" part, that is. TUAW's (update) is, unlike most of the [u] appends I see, additional confirmation of its initial report rather than the rumor blog style non-apology apology about getting it wrong. This confirmation was "a second source via IRC," which I suppose is a level of legitimacy above Twitter, but still. For its part, 9to5 Mac claims they've confirmed with "sources close to the situation" that "there is no truth to the rumors." They should know; they're the foremost experts on untrue Apple rumors. iPhone 6 Said to Feature Faster Qualcomm MDM9625 LTE Modem with LTE-Advanced Support (MacRumors) More analysis of the supposed logic board for the next-gen iPhone claims it will feature improved networking speeds compared to current models. This is one of those rumors that seems mundane enough to be plausible at first blush, so we'll see. Just like last week, according to BGR, this is "a feature no one's been talking about." And just like last week, this stupid claim is demonstrably untrue. Apple's iWatch May Not Launch Until 2015 (MacRumors) Often-wrong analyst claims unverified, unannounced, unconfirmed to exist Apple product will be "delayed" until some vague future date. Again. Journalism! 4.7-Inch iPhone 6 Screen Put Under Microscope as New 1472 x 828 Resolution Emerges (MacRumors) A leaked photo from a Russian source claims the next-gen iPhone display will have a 1704 x 960 pixel display. However, cursory analysis shows the Russian claim is inconsistent with a 4.7-inch display size. Rather than dismiss the claim as BS, MacRumors immediately leaps to the conclusion that the 1704 x 960 resolution is meant for the as-yet-unconfirmed 5.5-inch iPhone 6, and it assumes a 1472 x 828 resolution is meant for the 4.7-inch model based on iOS 8 references to a display with that resolution. All of this is to say that we're presumably less than a month away from the launch of the next iPhone, and the rumor blogs actually have no clue at all what the features of the device will be, right down to its display resolution. Hilarious. Alleged Schematic Shows Protruding Camera Ring on 4.7-Inch iPhone 6 (MacRumors) If this rumor is true - and that's a pretty big if - I have to wonder how Jonathan Ive is going to attempt to put a positive spin on such a seemingly awful design decision. Second-Generation iPad Air May Get Memory Boost to 2 GB (MacRumors) Asian source makes unverifiable claim about next-gen Apple device specifications. Rumor blogs dutifully reblog it. Rinse, repeat, ad infinitum. New photos claim to show 5.5-inch 'iPhone 6L' shell compared to smaller model (9to5 Mac) I suppose someone has gone to the trouble to make sure these parts are genuine and not just mockups, right? "The parts in the images are said to have come directly from Apple's supply chain, though that claim is obviously quite difficult to verify." Oh. Guess not.
Rumor Roundup: Of stones and glass houses
Assembled iPhone 6 Logic Board Revealed in New Photo (MacRumors) Here's another shot of an alleged iPhone 6 logic board, except this time it has EMI shielding glued all over it, so it's way less interesting-looking this time. Apple Meets With Thai Officials to Discuss 'iPhone 6' Approval Disclosure (MacRumors) Apple is allegedly miffed that Thailand blabbed about the company seeking licensing for two different models of iPhone. MacRumors predictably takes the ball and runs with the idea that this is somehow related to the supposed 5.5-inch model of iPhone. One of the commenters on this story summarizes it perfectly: "Parts leaks: enough to build a working 4.7.....Not a single piece from 5.5." Higher-End 4.7 and 5.5-Inch iPhone 6 to Get Sapphire Displays, Higher Price Tags (MacRumors) There's absolutely nothing new in this report from The Wall Street Journal, which strongly suggests the publication is merely regurgitating rumors already "reported" elsewhere. It certainly wouldn't be the first time this has happened, but because the rumor blogs erroneously believe the Journal still has some credibility when it comes to Apple, the footloose and fancy-free reblogging explosion happens anyway. Photos Claiming to Be of New Lightning Cable with Reversible USB Connector Surface (MacRumors) From the article: "It is unable to tell for sure whether these cables are legitimate or not" (sic). True. It could be a Photoshop job, or a Chinese knockoff, or a Samsung knockoff. The point is, it has something to do with forthcoming Apple products... maybe... so what the hey guys, pageviews. LMAOOOO: TMZ runs 'exclusive photos' of iPhone 6 clone thinking it's the real thing! (BGR) LMAOOOO: BGR has the gall to throw tomatoes at TMZ over this when BGR has spent the past six months foisting mockups on unsuspecting readers as legitimate IPHONE 6 LEAKS. There's a saying that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. I think in this instance, it's more apt to say that those who live in manure houses should not throw poo at others. NEW iPHONE 6 LEAK shows how Apple could fix one of the worst things about phablets (BGR) Saved you a click: BGR and its source both think Apple has shrunk the area around the home button in order to improve one-handed usability of the purportedly larger-screened phone. They both think this because they don't understand how perspective works in photography. The iPhone's sapphire future comes into focus (Macworld) From the article: "This may be anathema for someone in the business of writing about tech to say, but I'm not all that interested in iPhone rumors." Mysteriously missing from the article: "But I'm going to write about an Apple rumor for the next few hundred words anyway, because I'm on assignment. Or whatever." Also mysteriously missing from this article is any proof for the headline's assertion that the iPhone's sapphire future is "coming into focus." The best we've got is a link to a Wall Street Journal report, which as mentioned earlier in this Roundup is merely a rehash of existing rumors. Unsolicited word of advice: if you're "not all that interested in iPhone rumors," maybe trust that impulse and write about something you care about instead. Apparent Photo of 5.5-Inch iPhone 6 Battery Reveals 2,915 mAh Capacity (MacRumors) From the article: "It's difficult to confirm the authenticity of the battery." It sure is. Given the fact that it doesn't even have a proper model number on it, though, I'm not exactly hopeful. Also, I'm curious how they arrived at the conclusion that this battery was meant for some mythical 5.5" iPhone 6 and not the 4.7-inch model. Also, if the markings on this thing are legitimate, it was manufactured in March of this year. Tell me that doesn't scream "prototype." Another purported 'iPhone 6' leak suggests Apple's 4.7" model will have larger 1810mAh battery (AppleInsider) In total contrast to the previous rumor, this one seems like it's almost certainly the real deal.
Rumor Roundup: ALL-CAPS ALL THE TIME
New images provide clearest look yet at iPhone 6 front panel (9to5 Mac) These components are probably the real deal. You've got to love this quote, though: "Unfortunately it's impossible to tell from these photos if the phone is utilizing a glass or sapphire crystal display." No [kidding], Sherlock. It's also impossible to tell from these photos what brand of hand lotion the guy holding these components uses. It's also impossible to tell from these photos how much I'm laughing at your assertion that "most analysts expect this model to ship with a sapphire crystal screen," which you've said straight-faced as though anything any analyst ever says about Apple makes a drop of difference in an ocean of noise. Plethora of alleged 'iPhone 6' parts show Apple logo, cables & camera ring (AppleInsider) These components are also probably the real deal. And it's very refreshing to see something other than [expletive deleted] ribbon cables in a post like this. Round 'True Tone' Flash for iPhone 6 Revealed in Latest Part Leak (MacRumors) This component is also probably the real deal. Ribbon cable and all. *eyeroll* Here's one way the iPhone 6 will likely be less exciting than you hoped (BGR) Saved you a click: the iPhone 6 allegedly won't have a light-up logo after all. Which has already been pretty well-established at this point, but you can always count on BGR to clickbait a dead horse. This probably isn't the iPhone 6 retail box you were looking for (BGR) Seeing BGR of all rumormongers spend time debunking a stupid rumor is, quite frankly, blowing my mind straight into the stratosphere. The reasoning is sound, the conclusions reached logically... again, it must be emphasised, on BGR. I'm scared. Hold me? Bloomberg says new iPads (with anti-reflective coating) go into production (9to5 Mac) Bloomberg says a lot of things about Apple's future plans. The fact that so few of them turn out to be true ought to have been a lesson not to treat them at face value. Guess not. Also, according to BGR this is "one killer next-gen iPad Air feature no one is talking about." Except for all your fellow rumor pimps, eh? There's a chance that the Retina MacBook Air might be ready for Christmas after all (BGR) Good news: The unannounced product that has no proof for its existence other than the rantings of some analyst, which was "delayed" until next year, may not be delayed after all. Bad news: To reiterate, there is no proof this product actually exists other than the rantings of some analyst. Alleged iPhone 6 backplate appears in new, high-resolution leaked photos (9to5 Mac) This is just another boring post about an iPhone component we've already seen dozens of times... at least until you get to this bit: "While it's entirely possible that these photos are faked, the level of visible detail would make this quite the con job if that turned out to be the case (see the scuffs, scratches, dents, and texture). "Of course, we've seen fake wear on iPhone photos before, including the last batch leaked by Sonny, which featured fake fingerprint smudges across the screen." So... it's possible these photos are fake, but the level of detail makes you think they're probably real. Even though the same guy has already sent you faked photos. I'm trying to decide if 9to5 Mac is really this daft, or... no, there's no other option. 9to5 Mac really is this daft. Here's Why the iWatch is riskier for Apple than you think (BGR) According to some guy on Twitter, no one is actually buying smartwatches right now, which means people might not buy the iWatch. This was apparently newsworthy enough for its own post on BGR. For some reason. Snark aside, this "anonymous Twitter user" is actually right. The eternally-rumored iWatch is a product that has yet to see anyone make a compelling case for its existence. Exactly what problem are smartwatches supposed to be solving for us? I haven't heard a coherent answer to this question yet, and without an Apple product to copy, Samsung's efforts haven't exactly wowed anyone. iPhone 6 Reportedly Entering Final Quality Control Stage Ahead of Mass Production (MacRumors) Weibo is now apparently a "Chinese media source" according to MacRumors. I guess by that token, Facebook posts are fair game as well. #journalism #lol #hashtag iPhone 6 gets unboxed before it even exists (BGR) We have officially reached Peak Stupid iPhone Mockups. Some graphic designer made a mockup of an iPhone unboxing, and then BGR wrote a headline deliberately designed to dupe readers into thinking it's the real thing until they get halfway through the article. Oh, BGR. Every time I think you can't sink to new depths of contempt for your readers in pursuit of pageviews, you prove me wrong. Never change. PROOF that Apple is launching two new bigger iPhones this fall (BGR) The ALL-CAPS PROOF: Apple allegedly filed import applications for two different models of iPhone. The ALL-CAPS CAVEAT: "Unfortunately, any details regarding the specifications of the two iPhone 6 models or the quantity of units being shipped to Thailand were kept under wraps." The ALL-CAPS CONCLUSION: BGR's writers seriously need less fiber in their diets. iPhone 6 Front Panel, Power Button, and Mute Switch Shown in High-Quality Photos (MacRumors) Whoever took these photos needs some serious lessons in how to take a proper "leak" photo. I mean, these photos are so crystal-clear that you can actually tell what the hell everything is. Clearly this photographer blatantly failed to flail the lens about wildly as he pressed the shutter button, and that is simply ALL-CAPS UNACCEPTABLE photography of leaked Apple components. Try harder next time, camera dude. Pegatron Reportedly Lands 50% of 4.7-Inch iPhone 6 Orders for This Year (MacRumors) This story is sourced from our old "friend" Digitimes, which, considering that publication's abysmal accuracy record for Apple rumors, can only mean that Pegatron has absolutely nothing to do with production of the iPhone 6.
Rumor Roundup: Drain-circling credibility
Analyst: Apple could equip 5.5" 'iPhone 6' with more powerful processor than 4.7" model (AppleInsider) Some analyst makes entirely evidence-free claims about a next-generation Apple product. The rumor blogs react not with the sort of skepticism that would be appropriate for these almost always incorrect "sources," but instead pass on this drivel without even a nod in the general direction of anything resembling actual journalism. The short version: this complete non-story is absolutely typical of the current extremely poor state of tech journalism. The short-short version: Analysts don't know what they're talking about when they talk about Apple. Will Apple drop Intel chips anytime soon? (Macworld) Since this headline was phrased as a question, we all know the answer is "no." The why of that "no" answer hasn't changed one bit since this whole "Apple will build ARM-based Macs" nonsense began several years ago. Intel processors are still an order of magnitude more powerful than ARM processors in terms of overall CPU performance. Until or unless that changes, no, Apple will not be "dropping Intel chips anytime soon." BAD NEWS, iPHONE FANS: Now we know why the iPhone 6's release date might get pushed back to October (BGR) BAD NEWS, BGR FANS: Whoever is in charge of writing headlines for your favorite publication has apparently sustained 57 head injuries this week. And your article writers rely on completely terrible sources like "accurate" analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. But the WORST NEWS OF ALL for you BGR fans? You're fans of BGR. Seek medical attention immediately. Apple to Hold iPhone Event on Sept. 9 (re/code) John Paczkowski hasn't been wrong yet. As for whoever Photoshopped the accompanying image for this article: don't quit your day job. Unless your day job is "graphic designer," in which case yes, by all means, quit. iPHONE 6 reveal date CONFIRMED! (BGR) It's in ALL-CAPS, so it MUST BE TRUE. However, saying that Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal's ramblings "confirm" anything about Apple, ever, is nonsense at best and egregious truth-mangling at the worst. Neither of those publications have the slightest clue about Apple's internal goings-on, and they've proved it with a neverending tsunami of terribly-sourced articles that turn out to be complete nonsense. I'm pretty confident that Paczkowski's sources are solid, but saying that Bloomberg or the Journal "confirm" his prediction is like saying an astrologer "confirmed" scientific results obtained from one of the Mars rovers. "Mmm, yes... Mars is in Taurus, and the Moon is in the seventh house. I can confirm that water flowed in the vicinity of Gale Crater as recently as 150 million years ago." Report Claims 4.7-Inch iPhone 6 Will Feature 2,100 mAh Battery (MacRumors) Some analyst makes entirely evidence-free claims about a next-generation Apple product... whoa, deja vu. Extra negative non-bonus points for this analyst being from China, AKA the cement overshoes of credibility when it comes to Apple rumors. New leak gives us a fresh, up-close look at the iPhone 6 (BGR) From the article: "The device in the images shared on Titter by @cecilymohammed is likely a dummy unit, or an iPhone 6 clone, although it's not turned on in any of the pictures." (sic) I'm not sure what's more hilarious: that BGR is still blatantly disregarding the appropriate definition of a "leak" when it posts these BS articles about iPhone mockups, or that BGR misspelled Twitter as "Titter." Apple's iPhone 6 line will sport faster Wi-Fi, improved fingerprint reader, A8 chip confirmed (exclusive) (VentureBeat) From the article: "Our source stresses that the above represents the picture of the devices today and that, in the past, specific features have disappeared from the shipping product in the final weeks before launch. So this may not be the final spec list for the shipping phones." I'll bet a shiny nickel that VentureBeat's "source" said absolutely nothing of the kind, and this paragraph is just VentureBeat's pitiful attempt to cover its arse in case this story turns out to be complete BS. Which it most likely will. When MacRumors calls you out and says your sources "have not been particularly reliable in the past," it's not a good sign. I mean, MacRumors happily reblogs everything that flows from the sewage outlets at Digitimes without saying a word about their terrible track record, so if MacRumors is actually taking the trouble to reveal your poor accuracy, it must be pretty awful indeed. Gruber: Apple to announce 'iWatch' next month (AppleInsider) This article is a perfect example of everything wrong with tech reporting today. In an article on Daring Fireball, John Gruber made a throwaway comment about Apple announcing "their wrist wearable thing next month." It was pretty obvious to me that he was taking the mickey, but several rumor blogs went ballistic and reposted this comment all over the place as though it were a pronouncement from the mountaintop simply because Gruber is "well-connected" (to be fair, he is, but he's the kind of well-connected that doesn't waste it on stuff like this). Unfortunately for the continually drain-circling credibility of the rumor blogs, Gruber himself was quick to point out how ridiculous their reactions were. The only way this could get funnier would be if Apple announces their wearable thing next month, and it has nothing to do with your wrist.
Rumor Roundup: BREAKING: Analyst says stuff about Apple
Is Apple's iPhone 6 going to feature a glowing Apple logo? (BGR) Let me save you a click: no. No it will not. That's not just me making pronouncements from the mountaintop; this article's source (such as it is) says the same thing. Additionally, it's already been established that the most likely explanation for the Apple-shaped hole in the back of the next-gen iPhone's case is the same explanation as for the Apple-shaped hole that's been in the back of the iPad from day one. The entirely unglamorous explanation: it's a radio-transparent window for Wi-Fi signals. Whee. Also: duh. Apple likely to ship only 3 million 'iWatch' units this year, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says (AppleInsider) Ming-Chi Kuo says a lot of things. But- BREAKING: Analyst says stuff about Apple. Here's my own note to investors: Apple is likely to ship 0 million iWatch units this year, because it's August, and we still have no physical proof that the thing even exists. Not a single leaked schematic, not a trace of a third-party manufacturer's case, not one ribbon cable, not even a sleuthed code snippet from iOS 8 referencing the device. We don't even have any physical mockups to get all lathered over, just a flood of terrible Photoshop concepts from bored graphic designers. No credible source has said word one about this eternally mythical device. All we have to go on are years worth of dreck from "analysts" and worthless, nonsensical supply chain rumors from Asia. Seriously, we've been hearing this "Apple is going to make a smartwatch" idiocy since September 1, 2010, the date the sixth-gen iPod nano launched and the first rumormonger to see it was like, "Hey, I could wear that on my wrist if I wanted to... Heyyyyyyy, wait a minute..." Four years later, the device remains every bit as speculative as it did on day one. Show us some proof. Not your Buzzfeed-esque "17 reasons it makes sense for Apple to build a smartwatch" vomitus, either. Real proof. Home button parts claimed to be for Apple's 4.7" & 5.5" 'iPhone 6' units surface with different designs (AppleInsider) More ribbon cables! More, I say! Hang those who talk of less! Claimed next-gen iPad Air rear shell photos show redesigned speaker, recessed volume controls (9to5 Mac) Get a load of this: the next-gen iPad Air will look mostly the same as the current iPad Air, but slightly different. This is the kind of hard-hitting reporting you only get from Apple rumor blogs. Or the National Enquirer.
Rumor Roundup: Gin it up for pageviews
Apple unlikely to release the 5.5-inch iPhone and iWatch in December as rumored (9to5 Mac) A post on a Chinese social network claims the products earlier rumored to launch next year will instead be launched in December. As 9to5 Mac correctly points out, this seems incredibly unlikely for a variety of reasons. It also bears repeating that no legitimate parts for either of these long-rumored products have leaked, so their very existence is in question. Speaking of which... Purported 5.5-in. iPhone logic board surfaces alongside 'iPhone 6' part in new photos (AppleInsider) From the article: "The jumbo-sized iPhone version is approximately the same size as its smaller sibling, but features a slightly different layout." So based on that, we naturally leap to the conclusion that this is meant for a big-screened iPhone 6. It couldn't possibly be meant for an iPad mini, nor is it even within the realm of possibility that this isn't even a production part at all, but rather a circuit board meant exclusively for testing purposes. Nor is it even worth considering the possibility that this part is fake. I mean, it came from China. Nothing fake ever comes out of China, and only the most respectably-sourced rumors emerge from that part of the world. Apple Stores to soon open up iPhone sales via AT&T Next, T-Mobile JUMP, & Verizon Edge (9to5 Mac) As someone who lives in a country without AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, or even Apple Stores, this is of absolutely no interest. Hilariously (and predictably), 9to5 Mac hedges its bets: "It is possible that Apple decides not to go through with the pilot testing as yet-to-be-launched initiatives can always be cancelled late in development." I am convinced that if this program doesn't roll out, it will be because of this leak. An iPhone 6 case we can believe in (TUAW) From the article: "When a case manufacturer we know and trust sends us a bunch of well-photographed images of an upcoming iPhone 6 case, we take notice and risk the wrath of our very own Chris Rawson, the Rumor Slayer." Oh god. You guys. Just... why? These cases were likely based on the same mockups that have been floating around for months. This proves only one thing: case makers continue to be willing to make big bets based on rumors in hopes that they can be first to market when the next-gen iPhone is released. The fact that case makers have lost that bet so many times in the past proves another thing: it's unwise to place much stock in these kinds of "leaks" when case makers are simply basing them on the same rumors we already know about. Rumor: 'iWatch' production hits snags, will not begin until Q4 2014 (AppleInsider) Unannounced product that hasn't even been confirmed to exist is "delayed" because some component supplier says they won't be making as much money in the next quarter as they thought they would. Sure, makes perfect sense. I mean, there could be any number of reasons a component supplier might not make as much money in a financial quarter as it thought it would, but let's go ahead and ignore all of those and leap to the conclusion that it has something to do with the iWatch. This just in: Blackberry reports the iWatch will be delayed because its quarterly profits are down by eleventy-billion percent. In related news, McDonald's corporate stock dipped today on news that the McWatch will be delayed until Q2 2015. iPHONE 6 LEAK: Check out the device's major redesign in new leaked video (BGR) Check out the same case you've already seen 50 times in this MAJOR ALL-CAPS IPHONE 6 LEAK WHARRGARBL- Don't hold your breath for an iPhone 6 with sapphire glass (BGR) Some "industrial analysis firm" claims the next iPhone won't have a sapphire glass display cover. Awesome. Now we've covered both sides of the divide, so whether the next iPhone has a sapphire glass display or not, the rumor blogs can claim they were right all along. That's a relief. Unreleased 'Mid 2014' Mac Mini Referenced on Apple Support Page (MacRumors) From the article: "The mention of the mid-2014 Mac mini may be a simple error." Sure, it may be a simple error, but let's gin it up for pageviews anyway. Apple support page also listed as yet unseen 'mid-2014 iMac 27′ (9to5 Mac) From the article: "As with the Mac mini, there's no way to know whether these really are unannounced products, with the clock ticking on the 'mid-year' description, or simple errors on the page." Sure, it may be a simple error, but let's gin it up for pageviews anyway. Apple TV overhaul not expected to debut until 2015 (9to5 Mac) Yet another unconfirmed, rumored Apple product with no substantiating evidence for its existence has been "delayed" until next year. Boy, 2015 is sure looking like a busy year for nonexistent, BS-sourced Apple products. Unless they end up being "delayed" until 2016. iPhone 6 Said to Launch on Tuesday, October 14, Part of 'Incredibly Busy' Month for Apple (MacRumors) The beauty of this rumor is its specificity. We have exact dates for the purported announcement and launch for the iPhone 6, and if either (or both) of them turn out to be BS, MacRumors is going to look pretty foolish. On the other hand, there's always the possibility Apple might change the dates because of this leak. Wait, no. Apple only reacts that way when 9to5 Mac leaks stuff. Never mind.
Rumor Roundup: Ribbon cables galore
There's no Swatch in your future iWatch (BGR) 75 percent of this article is a rehash of a rumor that the headline itself says is not true. It's only after a couple hundred words of nonsense that BGR finally gets to the point - namely, that Swatch has no plans to work with Apple on smartwatches. I'd go one further and say that if Apple has plans to release a smartwatch at all - and despite years of stupid rumors, that's still a very big if - it won't be partnering with any of the existing watchmakers. The Motorola ROKR is a perfect example of why not. Apple has its own design ethos, and partnering with established players is only going to compromise that ethos. And if you think Apple is going to compromise on design... you don't know Apple. As iPhone 6 enters production, even more internal components leak (9to5 Mac) From the article: "These disparate photos don't reveal anything particularly outstanding about the upcoming phones." Awesome. Thanks for wasting our time with more images of ribbon cables, guys. Possible 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Volume/Power Flex Cable and SIM Card Tray Shown in New Images (MacRumors) More ribbon cables, and more jumping to spurious conclusions based on ribbon cables. From the article: "As it is difficult to determine size based on images, it is unclear which set of leaked flex cables might be designed for the 4.7-inch iPhone and which is destined for the 5.5-inch iPhone, but as both cables are different than existing parts for the iPhone 5s, iPad Air, and iPad mini, they point towards two separate devices if legitimate." Alternate explanation: one of these cables may be for a slightly redesigned iPad Air, or iPad mini, or iPod touch. You know, existing products, for which there is actual evidence of their existence. Unlike this much-mentioned but never seen outside of analyst fever dreams "5.5-inch iPhone 6." Alternate explanation two: one of these cables may be for a product that has nothing to do with Apple. Possibly a product built by a company whose name rhymes with "damn dung." iPhone 6: What we know, what we don't know, what we'd like to see (Macworld) This article does a mostly good job of outlining Macworld's best guesses for the next-gen iPhone, and it generally steers clear of the pie-in-the-sky nonsense the rumor blogs are constantly pimping. That having been said, the summary at the end pretty much says it all: "We're pretty comfortable saying there'll be a new iPhone this fall, with a faster processor and other advancements over last years. Beyond that? We'll wait until we actually see the thing (or things) to find out for sure." If only everyone were so pragmatic, I would have no more stupid rumors to dismantle, and I could finally live out my dream of moving to a beachside village in New Zealand. Rumor: Production for new iPad mini, iPad Air, & 5.5" 'iPhone 6' pushed to Sept. (AppleInsider) Taiwanese publication makes unsubstantiated claims about Apple's production plans. Rumor blogs pass it on like this constitutes real news. Water is wet. The sky is blue. Bare iPhone 6 Logic Board Surfaces, Claimed to Support NFC and 802.11ac Wi-Fi (MacRumors) From the article: "With the photos showing only the bare printed board and no chips or other components installed, it is difficult to tell much new information from the part." Of course, that didn't stop the baseless speculation that the iPhone 6 will have NFC. To MacRumors' credit, they at least acknowledged the fact that NFC has been rumored over and over again and still isn't guaranteed to debut in the next iPhone. Whether this claimed part is legitimate or not, it's nice to see something other than the same old blurrycam photos of the metal backside enclosure and stupid ribbon cables for a change. Chart Suggests Speed-Bumped 15-Inch Retina MacBook Pros with 16GB of RAM Standard Coming Soon (MacRumors) This is a photo of product listings on a screen. In other words, it would have been trivially easy to fake this. You wouldn't even need Photoshop; iWork would do the trick. Too many rumors from "the Far East" have turned out to be total BS for me to take any of them at face value.
Rumor Roundup: A confirmation bias the size of Greenland
Light-up logo rumors for iPhone 6 likely have a more mundane explanation (9to5 Mac) Let me save you a click: the mundane explanation is that the logo will act as a window for radio signals. You know, exactly like the iPad. Earth-shattering analysis here. Rumor: Rear shell for 4.7" 'iPhone 6' shown with inlaid Apple logo in new photos (AppleInsider) AppleInsider does some CSI-style analysis on yet another iPhone backplate leak and initially reaches the same conclusion as 9to5 Mac: the cutout for the Apple logo is probably there to let wireless signals through more easily than a full-on metal enclosure. AppleInsider could've stopped right there with its dignity intact, but unfortunately it had to throw in a stupid paragraph speculating about how it might have something to do with "the widely-rumored inclusion of NFC." Let me stop you right there. NFC has been a rumored iPhone feature since before the iPhone 4s was unveiled. Guess how many Apple devices have NFC now? Still zero. Still and always zero, every single year, no matter how wide the rumors get. OH NO... This could seriously be the WORST iPhone 6 leak yet (BGR) OH NO... what could this linkbaiting turd of a headline possibly be referring to?! From the article: "A new leak from uSwitch supposedly shows the aluminum shell from the iPhone 6 with the Apple logo inlaid for the first time. More importantly, however, those thick plastic inserts are still present on the back of the phone. Will future iPhone 6 and iPhone Air owners have to deal with these unsightly plastic strips on the backs of their phones? We won't know anything for sure until Apple unveils the device later this year, but keep your fingers crossed." Oh, I get it. We're meant to get all hot and bothered about iPhone parts leaks that are almost certainly not representative of what final, production devices will actually look like. Sure, we'll get right on that, BGR. WSJ: Apple prepares record number of 80 million 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones for production (9to5 Mac) As usual, I must invoke the standard Wall Street Journal clause: we are much more than 48 hours away from an Apple event, so this WSJ-sourced rumor is most likely either partially or wholly untrue and therefore isn't worth paying attention to. Here's what analysts expect Apple to announce today: revenue up 8.5 percent, earnings up 18 percent (9to5 Mac) This should be fun! Let's see what the analysts' averaged-out predictions were for Apple's financial performance. Year-over-year revenue growth: 8.5 percent Earnings up 18.1 percent iPhone sales up 14.5 percent Mac sales up 4.7 percent iPad sales down 1.3 percent Now let's compare that with the numbers Apple actually announced. Year-over-year revenue growth: 6 percent Earnings up 11.6 percent iPhone sales up 12.7 percent Mac sales up 18 percent iPad sales down 9.2 percent ...nope. The analysts weren't even remotely close. Big surprise. Questionable Claim of 30% Slimmer 'iPad Mini Air' Launching in Late 2014 (MacRumors) "We know this rumor is total BS -- we know it for a fact -- but we'll post it anyway, call it 'questionable' and watch the pageviews roll right in." Images Depict Possible iPhone 6 Lightning/Headphone Flex Cable, Rear Shell (MacRumors) The contents of this "leak": the same ribbon cable we saw last week, and the same rear enclosure we've seen dozens of times. Are you not entertained?! Amusingly, BGR had the audacity to call this one of the biggest iPhone 6 leaks we've seen so far. I'm not kidding, they really said that. There's being divorced from reality on one hand, and there's hiring a hitman from Uzbekistan to murder reality and bury it in the Nevada desert on the other hand. Apple 'tentatively' plans mid-September iPhone event as iOS 8 nears completion (9to5 Mac) "Apple fired our best sources, so we'll call this rumor 'tentative' just in case it doesn't pan out." Alternative take: "I am convinced that Apple will hold off on an iPhone event until October because of this leak." OS X Yosemite planned for late Oct. as Apple preps 4K desktop & 12-inch Retina MacBook (9to5 Mac) There's plenty of delicious claim chowder to chew on in this post. The stuff about OS X Yosemite's launch date is the least preposterous portion of this post. 9to5 Mac's continued pimping of the "Retina display MacBook" rumor is getting more amusing as time goes on; the only sources for this rumor are an analyst whose track record is about 50/50 on a good day and random posts from Asian forums. 9to5 Mac came out with a similar hardware wishlist for the October 2013 event, and almost none of it panned out. Fool us once, shame on you... I forget the rest. Apple reportedly discussing mobile wallet plans with credit card companies, may launch with iPhone 6 (9to5 Mac) Yet more rumors that Apple is planning on rolling out mobile payment services. This is another perennial rumor that has failed to pan out year after year. I'm starting to wonder if these guys keep these stories in an archive somewhere and dust them off once every 12 months for their brief, stupid moments in the sun. Like Christmas decorations, if Christmas decorations drooled and randomly beat themselves against the tree and one another. Major case makers banking on leaked iPhone 6 design (9to5 Mac) This story is huge news, because never once in the history of Apple products have case makers bet big based on rumors and lost big when those rumors failed to pan out. Oh, wait. That happens all the time? Never mind, then. Apple Launching 5.5-Inch iPhone 6 After 4.7-Inch Version to Avoid Competition Between Two Models (MacRumors) If that headline sounds like the stupidest thing you've heard all week, there's a reason: Digitimes is the source. Naturally, MacRumors doesn't bother mentioning the publication's apocalyptically terrible track record for Apple rumors. I guess we're supposed to have forgotten by now that Digitimes is the tech world's equivalent of a horoscope, as written by a not particularly clever and constantly drunk bonobo, as translated by a researcher with no social life to speak of and a confirmation bias the size of Greenland.
Rumor Roundup: Disappear in a puff of logic
New Photos of Purported iPhone 6 Battery Show 1,810 mAh Capacity (MacRumors) This photo wouldn't be terribly difficult to fake. That having been said, there's something just so vanilla about this rumor that it feels like it's probably true anyway. iPhone 6 Said to Feature Sony's 13-Megapixel Exmor IMX220 Camera Sensor (MacRumors) Then, in contrast, there's this total non-story: some post on a Chinese forum making grandiose claims about the next-gen iPhone's camera sensor. Not even a post on a website, just a forum post by some guy. What's next, are rumor blogs going to start using posts on Secret as sources -- oh wait, that totally already happened. It's worth noting that a megapixel bump was previously rumored to be in the cards for the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s, but both devices share the same 8-megapixel camera resolution as their iPhone 4s predecessor. This does not appear to be a segment of the "spec wars" that Apple is interested in pursuing. Analysts believe sapphire display covers will be limited to high-end iPhone 6 models only (9to5 Mac) Analysts believe a lot of things. That doesn't mean you're obligated to repeat all of them. Just the opposite, actually, considering their absolutely terrible track record. This time, the analysts believe Apple can't make enough sapphire for all of its new iPhones and will instead offer the new display "glass" on only the high-end models. There is, of course, no justification offered for this "belief." Guys, I promise if we all stop paying attention to these moron "analysts" they will all eventually disappear in puffs of logic. Unfortunately, I make this promise knowing full well none of you rumormongers will pay it any heed, because pageviews. Speaking of which... Analysts predict up to 40M iPhones sold last quarter ahead of Apple's Q3 earnings (9to5 Mac) From the article: "Estimates from a poll of 26 analysts includes predictions ranging from 31.8 million to almost 40 million units." There you have it. I can't think of any more concrete proof than this to show that these so-called "analysts" are basically just throwing darts at a wall full of numbers. Seriously, a variance of over 8 million units? That variance is wider than the quarterly unit sales for entire companies. These clowns have no actual clue what they're talking about when they're talking about Apple. 4.7-inch iPhone production to start third week of July, 5.5-inch second week of August as Foxconn confirms hiring of 100K workers (9to5 Mac) Yet more "news" from Economic Daily, who is sounding more and more like a desperate re-branding of Digitimes with every passing week. On average, analysts expect iPad sales to be flat, but no consensus (9to5 Mac) Hint: there's no consensus because these people have no idea what they're talking about. The range in analyst predictions for iPad sales isn't quite as terrible as it was for iPhone sales, but it's still pretty bad, with 12.3 million on the low end and 16 million on the high end. I know these guys aren't sitting in a room together and comparing notes, but that's part of what makes the variance in predictions so amusing; with a gap of nearly 4 million between the top and bottom of these predictions, it makes these people look like the Keystone Kops they actually are. Intriguing 5.5-inch iPhone 6 battery design shown in new leak (BGR) From the article, with emphasis added: "It's not clear where these images come from, or whether the battery is made indeed for the iPhone 6." *head explodes* 12-inch Retina MacBook now expected in late Q3 or 2015 as new 11 & 13-inch Airs enter production (9to5 Mac) Just in case you haven't been keeping track, let me sum up: every Apple product rumored for release this year which hasn't had any legitimate parts leak to the public has now been "delayed" until next year according to the rumor blogs and their vomitous "sources." The iPad Pro: No parts leaks, no evidence it exists. "Delayed" until 2015 according to Chinese publications. The iWatch: No parts leaks, no evidence it exists. "Delayed" until 2015 according to some analyst. The iPhone 6 with a 5.5-inch display: No parts leaks, no evidence it exists. "Delayed" until 2015 according to some analyst. The 12-inch MacBook with a Retina display: No parts leaks, no evidence it exists. "Delayed" until 2015 according to some Taiwanese publication. Gee, it's hard to see the pattern in all of these "delays." Photos purport to show 'iPhone 6' Lightning port, microphone flex cable (AppleInsider) From the article: "Because AppleInsider cannot verify the authenticity of the hardware, the following is offered for purposes of discussion only." Again, rumormongers, you keep using that phrase "purposes of discussion," but I keep hearing "pageviews, glorious pageviews." Anyway, it's not surprising AppleInsider couldn't verify the authenticity of this hardware, as it's a spaghetti of ribbon cables entirely devoid of useful context. It's like finding a random bit of intestine in an alley and trying to determine where its former owner went to university. Even after denial, Bloomberg says Jay Carney in the running for Apple PR head (9to5 Mac) Bloomberg, Re/code, and 9to5 Mac are all coming down firmly on the side of the Jay Carney rumors being true. Unfortunately for them, Jim Dalrymple has never even once been wrong with his binary Yep/Nope pronouncements on Apple rumors, and he gave the Nope to this one last week. Not that I mind 9to5 Mac getting another rumor wrong, mind you. Every time it happens, an angel gets its wings.
Rumor Roundup: 'Better reliability than most Chinese sites'
This is the first functional iPhone 6 clone (BGR) From the article: "What the available pictures seem to indicate is that the model is not a genuine iPhone 6 handset." Then why, exactly, should we give anything even remotely approaching a damn about this? Apple's new PR chief may be former White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, report says (AppleInsider) Interesting, if true. Too bad it isn't; according to an actually well-connected insider, Jim Dalrymple, "Tim Cook has never even met Jay Carney." Chinese report claims iWatch to come in three models, sapphire and non-sapphire varieties (9to5 Mac) 9to5 Mac claims the source for this complete non-story, Economic Daily, "has had better reliability than most Chinese news sites." I'll use a well-worn phrase from Wikipedia here: [citation needed]. Personally, I can't recall a single rumor this site has put out this year that's been proven true, which puts it on par with the rest of the Chinese "news" sites making grandiose claims about Apple. Rumor: Apple solves alleged 'iPhone 6' battery issues with new supplier (AppleInsider) Speaking of terrible Asian news "sources," here's Taiwan's Economic Daily News with some drivel about the next-gen iPhone's battery. Apparently Apple was having problems getting batteries manufactured for the next iPhone, but some new manufacturing partner has been brought in, blah blah blah et cetera. We hear the same story every year about some component or another. 12.9-inch iPad Pro reportedly still very much in the picture (BGR) And here's the same terrible Asian news source yet again resurrecting the stupid claims about a larger-screened "iPad Pro" that's supposedly launching later this year. From the article: "Apple has been rumored to test different display sizes for next-generation iOS tablets, but they're yet to be confirmed." Yes. That's because if they'd been confirmed, they wouldn't be rumors anymore. How do you not know how this works? Rumor: Samsung to take over Apple A-series chip production from TSMC in 2015 (AppleInsider) TSMC hasn't even been confirmed to be producing chips for Apple in the first place, in spite of four years worth of rumors, but we're already hearing that Samsung will replace TSMC next year. Sure, whatever. Sounds totally legit, especially since this report is cited from some analyst from KGI.
Rumor Roundup: Unannounced Apple products delayed, ad infinitum
The sketchy iPhone 6 rumors keep coming – haptic feedback & 68M orders (9to5 Mac) 9to5 Mac continues its "proud" tradition of calling rumors "sketchy" but then reblogging them anyway. The first of these, regarding haptic feedback, is a perennial favorite; we've heard for years that Apple will integrate haptic feedback features into one bit of tech or another, but guess what keeps not happening? TSMC shipping Apple's SoC's for the first time with iPhone 6 says report, will use 20nm process (9to5 Mac) First, this report comes from The Wall Street Journal... and even though 9to5 Mac erroneously refers to them as "often reliable," they are anything but when it comes to Apple rumors. The Journal has had a pretty awful track record on this subject for several years. Second, as 9to5 Mac itself notes, we've been hearing for no less than four years that TSMC would start taking over production of Apple's mobile device CPUs. It's failed to happen, year after year. At this point, no one should believe TSMC has anything remotely to do with production of iPhone components until iFixit does one of their famous teardowns on a new Apple device and finds TSMC branding on the caramel center. Claimed iPhone 6 Front Frame with LCD Shielding and Home Button Bracket Shown in New Photo (MacRumors) The blurrier the photo, the more you can trust it. No, wait. The other thing. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo: Apple "iWatch" mass production pushed back to November (AppleInsider) Often-wrong analyst claims Apple product not yet proven to exist will be "delayed." Something about this smells very heavily of bet-hedging. In other words, now that we're getting very close to the speculative launch date reached by the conclave of know-nothing analysts, but still not a single iWatch ribbon cable or pentalobe screw has "leaked" to the rumor blogs, it's now time for everyone to leap over one another claiming the iWatch will be "delayed." That way, if (when) it doesn't launch when these windbags originally claimed, we can all blame it on Apple rather than the analysts. It's like the Apple HDTV all over again. Expert Believes Alleged iPhone 6 Sapphire Front Panel Could Be 'Legitimate' (MacRumors) As opposed to most "experts" cited by rumor blogs, this guy actually has the chops to be believable: a professor at the Imperial College in London. Thus, it's far more difficult to dismiss his claims out of hand than it would be otherwise. Apple's Next-Generation A8 Chip Said to Top 2 GHz, Remain Dual-Core (MacRumors) Interesting claim. Too bad it's sourced from an Asian media source, which makes this about as likely to be true as the average Sasquatch sighting. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo: Apple's 5.5-inch 'iPhone 6' faces production issues, launch may be pushed to 2015 (AppleInsider) Often-wrong analyst claims Apple product not yet proven to exist will be "delayed" - hey, wait a minute. This sounds awfully familiar. And it's the same analyst as the iWatch "delay" story, too. Isn't it awfully convenient that both of the major rumored Apple products that have had no component leaks or any other associated physical evidence whatsoever thus far are now both rumored to be "delayed" by the same analyst? I mean, fine, we've seen leaked parts for the purported 4.7-inch iPhone 6 that look too high-end to be faked, especially the various display components. But where are the 5.5-inch parts leaks? And before you answer that question, let's get one thing straight: "mockups" don't count. "Delays" are analyst-speak for "Oh crap, the nonsense I was spewing earlier might not come true after all. Better find a scapegoat..." On the other hand, considering the source of this claim is the "accurate" Ming-Chi Kuo, the giga-iPhone may well launch on schedule after all.
Rumor Roundup: The knife-proof iPhone 6
Analysts predicting Apple will beat its Q3 guidance of $36-38B (9to5 Mac) Analysts say lots of things. But this particular analyst, Horace Dediu, is so far above the cut of those normally called "analysts" that it feels more accurate to call him something else. Like "prophet", maybe. Anyway, Dediu predicts $38.624 billion in revenue for Apple's Q2, and a whole bunch more ridiculously huge numbers that are probably closer to the mark than any other so-called "analysts" predictions will ever be, because Dediu actually knows what he's talking about. iPhone 6 May See Only Modest Battery Capacity Boost as Apple Pursues Ultra-Slim Designs (MacRumors) The source for this article: "Chinese media reports." And we all know how accurate those can be. Of course, the idea that a new iPhone won't have much better battery life than its predecessor isn't exactly earth-shaking, considering that's pretty much how it's always gone down. Rumor: Apple to boost 4.7" 'iPhone 6' battery by 15% over iPhone 5s (AppleInsider) But wait. Now there's this report "from the Far East" claiming the next iPhone will have a 15 percent battery improvement over the existing iPhone 5s. Interestingly, both of these "reports" claim the same 1800 mAh capacity for the supposed 4.7-inch iPhone 6, so this is probably just a case of MacRumors spinning this one way and AppleInsider another. iPhone 6 Front Panel Survives Limited Bending Test (MacRumors) We're all just going to assume these parts are the genuine article from now on, aren't we? I ask merely for information. All snark temporarily aside, this is probably way too high-quality to be fake. Sapphire 4.7″ iPhone 6 display put through its paces with knife and keys in new scratch test video (9to5 Mac) It's nice to know the (alleged) next-gen iPhone will apparently be able to withstand knife attacks. IPHONE 6 LEAK: New iPhone 6 parts leak reaffirms huge redesign (BGR) Some Czech blog published photos of ribbon cables and SIM trays that allegedly come from the next iPhone, and BGR is all-caps ON THE CASE. From the article: "The parts do not resemble anything we have seen in any currently available iPhone models." Yes, but the ribbon cables could be for almost literally any electronic gizmo on the planet. I mean, come on. Foxconn's 'Foxbot' Robots to Play Supporting Role in Factories (MacRumors) Fun fact: although the manufacturing of individual parts is largely automated, the actual final assembly of those parts into a functioning iPhone is still largely done by hand, by humans. Even with these new robots introduced into the assembly process, that still won't change. 4.7-Inch iPhone 6 Rear Shell Shown in High-Quality Photos and Video (MacRumors) Again, these look far too expensive to be fake. We'll see.
Rumor Roundup: 'Rather naive'
Driven by promotions & 16 new carriers, Apple seen selling 36.5M iPhones in June quarter (AppleInsider) Some analyst throws around random numbers about how many iPhones Apple will sell. It won't matter when this guy is off by several million units; the word "analyst" is an aphrodisiac to rumor bloggers that immediately shuts down any common sense they may have possessed. Rumor: Apple's 'iPhone 6' to launch on Sept. 25, larger 5.5" version dubbed 'iPhone Air' (AppleInsider) AppleInsider calls this a "questionable rumor out of China" and "highly suspect" but devotes a couple hundred words' worth of attention to it anyway. It's not necessary to reblog every rumor that crosses the Internet. You guys do realize that, right? New Video Shows Closer Look at Purported 4.7-Inch iPhone 6 Front Panel (MacRumors) As with the last time a panel like this was "leaked," if this is a fake, it's a very convincing and expensive-looking fake. Apple's iWatch again said to launch in October (BGR) The source for this report is "China Economic News," which has come out with a number of reports this year, none of which have been substantiated yet. Call it a hunch, but I suspect "China Economic News" is destined to become a synonym for Digitimes: oft-cited, even more oft-wrong. iWatch "an opportunity for high-end watch brands" says analyst as Apple hires TAG Heuer exec (9to5 Mac) 9to5 Mac starts this story off okay with some actual news, but then totally fumbles it with the complete analyst nonsense in the final two paragraphs. The final sentence is gold: "Bivers' idea that the iWatch might be made in Switzerland, however, seems rather naive." I don't think "rather naive" even comes close to covering it. "Galactically moronic" might be closer to the center of the truth, and 9to5 Mac should have known better than to pay any attention whatsoever to someone so clearly out of touch with reality. HUGE iPAD AIR 2 LEAK offers our best look yet at Apple's next tablet (BGR) From the article: "We've had more than our fill of iPhone 6 mockups, which is why we're happy to see that mockups for the next-generation iPad Air have started popping up on the Internet as well." Two things. One: yes, BGR, we most certainly have "had more than our fill of iPhone 6 mockups." This seemingly endless stream of irrelevant BS has become monumentally tiresome, especially since, two, you seem devoted to the brain-dead practice of calling these "leaks." Not that things like common sense or respect for your audience are going to deflect you from the path you've chosen... because we all know you possess neither.
Rumor Roundup: Tie a ribbon cable 'round the old oak tree
iPhone 6 mockups are a 'rough approximation' according to report, claims antenna design will differ signifcantly (9to5 Mac) An Asian publication cites "supply chain sources" who claim that the iPhone 6 mockups seen thus far aren't accurate representations of what will launch. This story just divided by zero: we have one traditionally unreliable source claiming that the "leaks" thus far are inaccurate. This is kind of like if Digitimes published a report claiming Ming-Chi Kuo's predictions weren't going to come to pass. I don't know what to believe anymore. Up is down, green is red, and this story constitutes real news. Report: iPhone 6 will use new display tech for thinner design, could cause yield issues (9to5 Mac) Some Asian publication makes flimsily-sourced claims about possible components in a supposedly-forthcoming Apple device, and 9to5 Mac reblogs it as though it was reported by CNN. Incidentally, an Asian publication reporting that component (x) will cause "yield issues" in Apple device (y) is about as far removed from revelatory news as you can get. We hear this same song and dance every. Single. Year. First comparison photos of black and white 4.7-inch iPhone 6 screen glass [Gallery] (9to5 Mac) All I can say about this is that if it's fake, it's an expensive-looking fake. Apple to Launch Annual 'Back to School' Promotion Tomorrow (MacRumors) From the article: "According to a source who spoke to MacRumors, Apple's 2014 Back to School promotion will be similar to the 2013 promotion, providing students with a $100 App Store gift card for the purchase of a new Mac or a $50 App Store gift card with the purchase of an iPad or iPhone." (emphasis added) The actual Back to School promo is offering a $100 or $50 Apple Store gift card. Huge difference. So much for your source. Rumor: Samsung lands orders to trial 14nm Apple 'A9' chips at New York fab (AppleInsider) From the article: "The details come from Taiwanese tech industry publication DigiTimes, which has a questionable track record reporting on future Apple products." At least AppleInsider had the stones to note that Digitimes has a "questionable track record," but that still doesn't go far enough. Let's play the analogy game: "Digitimes" is to "reliable source on Apple's product roadmap" as "severe, debilitating head injury" is to "Nobel Prize in Physics." The iWatch's 'killer app' might surprise us all (BGR) What's the "killer app" of this eternally mythical product according to the dipstick analyst that BGR breathlessly reblogs? Voice messaging. Not as in making phone calls from your wrist Dick Tracy style. More like sending brief voice snippets to other people via the Messages app, like the forthcoming iOS 8 feature shown off at WWDC. That's the "killer app" of the iWatch, according to some analyst. I am continually astonished that these people are paid real money for what they do. HERE WE GO... New leak shows internal iPhone 6 parts for the first time! (BGR) BGR has finally saved us from the neverending stream of iPhone 6 case mockups to give us what it does best (other than sensationalistic headlines and coma-inducing "analysis") - pictures of ribbon cables. Yes, just like the parade of iPhone 5s ribbon cables in 2013, this year we're apparently meant to get all hot and bothered over pictures of contextually-deprived ribbon cables that look as though someone used a 2002-era flip-phone's camera to photograph them. Are we really meant to get excited over these photographs? Or are we just being collectively trolled?
Rumor Roundup: 'Next week'
New, cheaper, iPod touch model rumored to launch next week (9to5 Mac) I'm only reposting this one from last time because all the rumor blogs were so convinced this iPod touch model would launch "next week" when it in fact launched within 24 hours of this rumor breaking. The only surprise here is none of the rumormongers were egotistical enough to take advantage of the situation and claim the new iPod touch launched early because of the leak. The single stupidest Apple prediction we've read all year (BGR) The stupid Apple prediction in question: "Apple will buy Disney." When even BGR calls your prediction stupid, you've definitely swung for the fences in the game of stupid Apple rumors. HUGE IPHONE 6 LEAK: Actual iPhone 6 housing revealed on video for the first time! (BGR) I'm sure there's some proof this was an "actual iPhone 6 housing" and not just yet another mockup, and the original source for this article simply forgot to include that proof. EXCLUSIVE: Apple to release iOS 8 beta 3 on July 8th (BGR) Unlike most of the rumors it publishes, BGR's EXCLUSIVE BREAKING LEAKS about iOS beta release dates have been correct in the past. Apple said to be working on 'mainstream' Smart Home hardware (9to5 Mac) I am convinced that if Smart Home hardware never debuts, it will be because of this leak. For Apple fans dreaming of sapphire iPhones, Liquidmetal could be a cautionary tale (AppleInsider) This well-researched article is exactly the kind of thing that's normally missing from reporting on Apple. It makes a very good case against the "iPhone 6 will have a sapphire crystal screen" meme.
Rumor Roundup: 'Not always the most reliable of sources'
Apple rumored to improve durability of new Touch ID hardware in 2014 iPhones, iPads (AppleInsider) The source for this claim is, of course, some Asian publication which, of course, offers absolutely no evidence for its claims. In other words, one of the four food groups for rumor bloggers. Next Generation iPad Mini Depicted with Touch ID (MacRumors) Not that I don't fully expect the next-gen iPads to have Touch ID, but you do know this would be trivially easy to Photoshop, yes? MAJOR LEAK: Next-gen iPad Air shown up close in new leaked pic (BGR) Not that I don't fully expect the next-gen iPads to have Touch ID, but you do know this would be trivially easy to Photoshop... wait, didn't I just say that? Bloomberg: Two iPhone 6 models will go into mass production in July, will go on sale at the same time (9to5 Mac) This re-blog of a Bloomberg story is unsurprisingly light on details. Bloomberg is basically saying the same things a hundred rumor blog posts have already said before it and is bringing nothing new to the table. Bloomberg is also pretty notorious for Getting It Wrong when it comes to Apple's future plans. 12-Inch MacBook Air to Begin Production in 3rd Quarter 2014 (MacRumors) Because MacRumors can never, ever seem to learn their lesson, they did straight reporting on this Digitimes-sourced tripe without even a passing mention of the publication's galactically awful track record. I like 9to5 Mac's take on it even better for the brazen idiocy of the article's opening line: "A prediction by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that Apple would be launching an all-new 12-inch MacBook Air model in Q3 have been supported by supply-chain rumors cited by Digitimes." Oh, really? A report by a "typically reliable" source with a 50/50 (at best) track record is "supported" by Digitimes? This is roughly on par with saying the random ravings about the Apocalypse from the crazy dude on your street corner are "supported" by some website showing connections between the Illuminati, UFOs, chemtrails, and disguised reptilian aliens in positions of power in the secret world government. 9to5 Mac at least takes a limp, passing attempt at credibility by saying that "Digitimes is not always the most reliable of sources," but this is, to put it mildly, an understatement of Brobdingnagian proportions. KGI: 4.7″ iPhone's camera may not support optical image stabilization, 5.5″ likely will (9to5 Mac) More sourceless nonsense from everyone's favorite "reliable" analyst, full of the typical weasel-word qualifiers analysts use like "we predict" and "we believe" to protect themselves from litigation if (when) their predictions and beliefs turn out to be wrong. But because this guy had several positive hits in 2012 and a few more in 2013, we're doomed to be buried under his predictions and beliefs until the end of time, no matter how many times he turns out to be wrong. iPhone 6 Said to Launch on Friday, September 19 in 32 GB and 64 GB Variants (MacRumors) The source? "A new report from Chinese web portal Tencent." Sounds legit! No, wait. The other thing. Only the 5.5-Inch iPhone 6 May Offer 128GB Models (MacRumors) The source? "Chinese site Wei Feng." This sounds just as legitimate as that other rumor from that other Chinese site. It sounds so legitimate that this rumor's last name should be "Snow," and it should be having adventures north of the Wall. As should the people spreading it around. Apple Planning to Launch New $199 16GB iPod Touch With Rear Camera, Multiple Colors (MacRumors) Unlike most rumors, we won't have to wait long to find out whether this one is true or not; MacRumors claims this new iPod touch model will launch next Tuesday. We'll see.
