Rumor Roundup
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Rumor Roundup: Comedy gold
Last Saturday, I went on a six kilometre obstacle course. It was a slog down muddy paddocks, over rope bridges and other various obstacles, and through trenches filled with mud, farm runoff and other fluids that I tried really hard not to think about too hard. I came out the other side covered with mud (I hope it was mud), soaked to the bone, and exhausted. Reading Apple rumors is sort of the psychological equivalent of that. You know beforehand you're in for a rough ride. You know it's going to be dirty. You know it's going to stink. Oh man, is it ever gonna stink. But you do it anyway, because... well, because. Low fingerprint reader yield rates could slow iPhone 5S release to 3-4M units this quarter, 30M next (9to5 Mac) Oh look, here's Digitimes with its usual song and dance. "New Apple product = low component yields of part (x) means said new Apple product will be supply constrained (note to editor: change dates on post from 2012 to 2013 before publication)." Since this is Digitimes we're talking about, I expect to see the iPhone 5S sold in every corner drugstore by early October. Next iPad Takes After Thin, Light Mini (Wall Street Journal) Bloggers at the Wall Street Journal awoke from their long slumber, blearily wiped drool off their cheeks, and posted a rumor that we've (sarcasm quotes) "known" is true for the past six months. Adorable. Leaked parts may show pill-shaped dual-LED flash for Apple's 'iPhone 5S' (AppleInsider) Rumors of a better dual-flash in the iPhone 5S have been around for months, but this is the first time a hardware leak has supported these claims. I've never been impressed with the quality of the iPhone's flash -- I'm not a fan of flash photography in general -- but every little bit helps, I guess. Apple Said to Prepare Holiday Refresh of iPhones to iPads (Bloomberg) Bloomberg's report doesn't bring anything new to the table, but the rumor blogs piled onto it in a feeding frenzy of "confirmed" and "corroborates" as though Bloomberg's unnamed source were from within Apple itself. Photos of Potential 'iPhone 5C' Volume Buttons Surface (MacRumors) Maybe it's just me, but these photos remind me of the random bits of plastic I'd find at the bottom of a model kit's box -- all the little inconsequential bits that had fallen off the parts tree. Piper Jaffray: 'iPhone 5C' may not include Siri, could replace iPhone 4S at bottom of lineup (AppleInsider) Gene "Dude, where's my Apple HDTV" Munster essentially claims Apple will intentionally cripple the purported low-cost iPhone via software and deny it features like Siri. This betrays a stunning lack of insight into how Apple actually works. I'd expect Microsoft to pull a move like this. Maybe even Google. I would be shocked if Apple went down this road, and I wouldn't be alone. Low-cost iPhone predicted to boost both Apple's margins & international sales (AppleInsider) Huzzah, another analyst with pie-in-the-sky sales figures for a product that not only hasn't been released yet, it hasn't even been confirmed to exist. But since an analyst said it, that's all the excuse the rumor blogs need to spray this effluent all over everyone's RSS feeds. iPhone 5S to be Apple's 'most successful launch ever' (BGR) An analyst (in)famous for being wrong about pretty much everything he says about Apple now says the iPhone 5S launch will be Apple's most successful ever. This is kind of worrying; if this guy is predicting unparalleled success for the next iPhone, does that mean it's now doomed to be a high-profile splat in the marketplace? Purported 'iPhone 5S' back panel hints at redesigned home button component (AppleInsider) It's hilarious watching the rumor blogs trying to get all CSI over these hardware leaks. If these guys were working in forensics, every case would be a cold case. Production of next-gen iPad mini's Retina display reportedly near 2012 launch levels (AppleInsider) Based solely on the headline, I was sure this would just be more BS from Digitimes. Turns out this report was gleaned from more reputable sources, so it at least has a non-zero chance of being true. EXCLUSIVE: Apple to release iOS 7 beta 6 next week, start sending GM to partners September 5th (BGR) EXCLUSIVE: Mere hours after BGR's claim that it would be released "next week," iOS 7 beta 6 was released to developers. "Now they look like fools," one of our TUAW editors quipped. Indeed. Analyst predicts iPhone 5S with Gold option, larger F2.0 aperture camera and 128GB high-end (9to5 Mac) The rumor blogs' favorite analyst, whose "record on parts predictions is good (timing notwithstanding)" has now come out with more claims about the next iPhone. Very specific claims. So specific that it's probably worth bookmarking his post and seeing whether he's really as accurate as all these rumormongers claim he is. Rumor: Apple may announce 'some sort of television product' as soon as November (AppleInsider) Don't frighten me off with any specifics or anything, guys. New iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C parts leak as launches near (BGR) BGR has more stunning(ly boring) photos of ribbon cables for your perusal. Photos of reported gold-colored iPhone 5S surface (Engadget) While my first instinct was to say, "No way in hell," well-connected blogger MG Siegler has apparently heard that the gold iPhone is, in fact, going to be a thing. Now I kind of hope this actually is true. A gold iPhone will be a very useful barometer for instantly determining whether a person is a total toolbag.
Rumor Roundup: Will headlines phrased as a question ever stop being hilariously dumb?
In an unusual contrast from the usual onslaught of stupid rumors about products that we may not see for years, if ever (ahem, iWatch), most of the rumors this week focused on things that Apple might actually release in the near future. That doesn't mean the rumors were any less stupid than usual; it just means there's probably a shorter lead time before we find out whether they're true or not. Report: Apple could tap Pegatron for future iMac production (9to5 Mac) "DigiTimes is reporting" -- BZZZZT! Next! Comparison pics show Apple's slight changes in alleged 'iPhone 5S' front panel (AppleInsider) Changes so slight we had to write hundreds of words about them! Including the phrase, "...once again suggesting that Apple's unannounced next-generation iPhone will sport largely the same look as the iPhone 5." This is sort of tangential to the point, but I am so very tired of seeing the word "sport" used as a verb. This writer could have just as easily used the words "have" or "feature" instead, and it would have sounded way less like someone's tragically misguided attempt to be hip. People who use "sport" as a verb remind me of that old guy's incredible rap in Wayne's World: "Come bust a move where the games are played, it's hip, it's fresh, it's Noah's Arcade." *folds arms* Apple's new 'iPhone M' seen outselling flagship iPhone 5S (BGR) Based on no evidence at all (surprise), some analyst has generated sales forecasts of an iPhone model that's not even confirmed to exist. For his next trick, he'll predict the high temperature in Auckland on 21 December by consulting the latest episode of Shortland Street. (Only people in New Zealand will get this joke.) Apple, Inc. gets its fingerprints on advanced touch sensor, appears difficult for Android to copy (AppleInsider) This is a rare example of a well-researched, well-written rumor article that puts its subject in the proper context and doesn't make wild, unsupported claims based on the flimsiest of evidence. No snark for this one; this was well done. More of this, less of everything else. Purported 'iPhone 5S' camera module has separate LED flash component (AppleInsider) This article, on the other hand, takes one piece of evidence -- a camera component allegedly sourced from the next iPhone -- and leaps to all kinds of crazy conclusions unsupported by that evidence. "Hey, there's one less ribbon cable... I know! The next iPhone's camera will have a dual LED flash and a 12 megapixel camera." Um. What? Apple's 'iPhone 5C' leaks again in highest-quality photos yet (BGR) From the article: "Is it the iPhone 5C? Is it the iPhone M? Will it have a different name entirely? We won't know for sure until Apple unveils its new entry-level iPhone next month but in the meantime" -- in the meantime, BGR and everyone else will be there to speculate away, ad nauseaum. Apple's hate for Samsung may be fading (BGR) This is, hands down, the poorest excuse for "analysis" that I've read in weeks. Let's start with that typically inflammatory headline. Apple's business relationship with Samsung may have soured, but I seriously doubt that Apple's overall attitude toward Samsung goes into hate territory. Disdain, certainly. Disgust, maybe. But hate? Nah. Samsung manufactures the two most important components in iOS devices: the SOC and the display. Whatever opinion you might hold of Samsung's definition of "innovation" (*cough*), it's hard to argue against the quality of the screens they make or the rate at which they can churn those displays off an assembly line. It has nothing to do with Tim Cook being "more willing to forgive and forget," as this turgid article claims. It's called being pragmatic. If there's only one pub in town, but the bartender's kind of a jerk, what are you going to do: not go to the pub for a pint? Same thing. Mostly. The budget iPhone might not be enough to help Apple in China (BGR) This product hasn't even been confirmed to exist yet -- I can't stress that enough -- but don't let that stop the pundits from engaging in their usual bouts of Doom n' Gloom. I look forward to reading an article on BGR next year with the headline, "Why the iWatch won't save Apple." And by "look forward" I mean "anticipate with the same creeping dread I'd feel if I were to take a barefooted midnight stroll across a lawn strewn with scattered piles of dog poop." Will the iPhone 5S launch with a new 'champagne' color option? (BGR) As usual, I'm gonna go with Betteridge's Law of Headlines and say "Nope." Apple Planning New R&D Facility in Taiwan? (MacRumors) "We don't have very much confidence in this rumor, so we'll put a question mark at the end of the headline so it looks like we're pretending to be skeptical." New photos of next full-sized iPad's display panel emerge, again point to thinner bezels (9to5 Mac) These types of leaks from repair shops usually turn out to be accurate. Physical evidence is still the best evidence. Why a new iPad mini without a Retina display just won't cut it (BGR) Whoever's in charge of writing headlines at BGR needs an MRI. New mockups claim to show 'iPhone 5S' and 'iPhone 5C' designs (9to5 Mac) The site responsible for these photos has been very accurate in the past. Off the top of my head, I can't recall it ever being wrong, actually. It's kind of the anti-Digitimes. Circle Sept. 10 on Your Calendar for Apple's Big iPhone Event (AllThingsD) Jim Dalrymple of The Loop gave this a yep, so there you go. I'm circling the 10th. Apple's 'iPhone 5S' to boast fingerprint sensor embedded in convex sapphire home button (AppleInsider) Some "well-informed" analyst made this claim. I can't be arsed to check through months of archives, but I'd be curious to know the last time any of this "well-informed" analyst's claims actually panned out. 'iPhone 5S' (plus gold model), 'iPhone 5C' will actually be names of next iPhones? (9to5 Mac) Another case of, "Pfft, I dunno if this is true or not. Slap a question mark on the end so we can retain some legitimacy either way." Man, just imagine the stupid headlines if Apple actually does release a gold-colored iPhone. Apple's gold iPhone doesn't pan out The iPhone 5S: Fool's gold iPhone 5S review: All that glitters is not gold Apple misses a "golden" opportunity Is the iPhone 5S Tim Cook's golden parachute? You can't use those now, pundits. They're all mine.
Rumor Roundup: 'Seemingly confirmed'
Here's a neat phrase that instantly identifies any story which follows it as pure, grade-A compost: "seemingly conirmed." Two examples: Low-cost iPhone seemingly confirmed as plastic-bodied and not yet in mass production from Pegatron working conditions report (9to5 Mac) Between the poor working conditions reported there and this leak, I bet Apple is really regretting its production contract with Pegatron right now. Unless of course the single worker interviewed for this portion of the report is completely making everything up. Nah, that would never happen. All Apple news that comes out of the Far East is inevitably 100 percent accurate, after all. New iPhone with biometric fingerprint sensor seemingly confirmed by iOS leak (9to5 Mac) "It seems pretty clear that Apple is preparing a new iPhone with a fingerprint sensor." It seemed pretty clear to the rumormongering community around this time of year in 2012, too. How did that work out, by the way? 'iPhone 5C' name called legit even after packaging called fake (9to5 Mac) "Possibilities for 'C' could include 'Colors' (the plastic iPhone is rumored to be coming in a flurry of colored plastics), or 'Cheap' for its lower-cost." Yes. Because Apple -- Apple -- is going to include the word "cheap" in the name of one of its products. I can totally picture Phil Schiller standing onstage at a September Apple event with a plastic iPhone in his hand, telling the assembled guests that "The 'C' stands for 'cheap'!" Actually, I'm having a lot of trouble picturing that without laughing, because I haven't recently suffered major head trauma. 'iPhone 5C' Case Shows Up On Amazon (MacRumors) A case maker developed a case for an unreleased and unconfirmed Apple product based on the rumors everyone has already read? Well, stop the freaking presses. Apple has A6-based iPad mini without Retina display in the works (9to5 Mac) "We cannot confirm that Apple will actually ship this device as a product." Gee, way to undermine that unabashedly confident-sounding headline, guys. I don't know what to believe now. Apple's upcoming A7 iPhone chip will have Samsung components, code inside iOS 7 reveals (9to5 Mac) Does anyone else feel as though stories like this one are the equivalent of a kid's friend peeking beneath the wrapping on his Christmas presents and telling him what he got weeks beforehand? Apple's Next iPad Mini Will Likely Have 'Retina' Display From Samsung (Wall Street Journal) There was a time -- and it wasn't even very long ago -- when a story like this posted in the WSJ was something you could bank on being true. But the Journal has fallen into the same trap as virtually every other publication: publish absolutely every word we can about Apple, no matter whether it makes objective sense or not, because it will draw people's attantion whether we're right or not. End result: I don't put any more stock in what the WSJ says about Apple's future plans than any other rumormongering publication. Ars Technica (one of the few remaining respectable bastions of tech reporting) put it best: Sources confirm that next iPad mini will or will not have Retina display. The rumor blogs (and the WSJ, which is basically the same thing now) have all their bases covered; if the iPad mini 2 doesn't have a Retina Display, they can say they told us so. If it does have one, same thing. If two iPad mini models launch, one with a Retina display and one without, the rumor blogs will still strut and preen over their supposed accuracy. Next-gen iPad rear shell revealed in leaked photos (BGR) These pics are probably real, although it's anyone's guess why BGR chose to open the article with a photo of the back shell on an iPad 2. Flex cable claimed to be from Apple's 6th-gen iPod touch hints at 2013 update (AppleInsider) From the article: "While little has been said of a potential update to Apple's iPod touch media player this fall, a new component claimed to be from a sixth-generation model suggests a refresh could be in the works." But later: "The part does not suggest what, if any, changes may be made to a new model this year." Does anyone else feel jerked around? Jeez. Low-Cost iPhone '5C' May Include 8-Megapixel Camera (MacRumors) "The site has shared an image of what is claimed to be the iPhone 5C camera module, which appears similar to the existing iPhone 5 camera module." So we know this camera module is intended for a low-cost iPhone how, exactly? Oh right, we don't. We're just fitting the facts to the narrative again. Carry on. Photos claim to show next-gen iPad mini case with embedded Apple logo (AppleInsider) "While the site claims the part is authentic, the author points out that it lacks the "iPad" moniker and associated government regulation certifications. It is therefore unknown if the component is a production version or a prototype." It could also be fake. Or a knockoff. But whatever, pageview! Rumor: Video shows partially assembled next-gen iPad with translucent Apple logo (AppleInsider) "The authenticity of the content cannot be verified and is offered for purposes of discussion." This phrase, "for purposes of discussion," never fails to grate on my nerves. You're not posting these rumors for the sake of getting people talking about them in your comments. You're posting them to drive eyeballs to your site, which makes its money from ad revenue. If you can't be honest with us, at least be honest with yourselves.
Rumor Roundup: 'A very credible source'
If someone tells you a source for a story is "very credible" or "has a strong track record" or is "a well-connected insider," do this simple check first. Is the person or entity saying these things about the source a rumor blog that regularly posts whatever random BS anyone says about Apple? If so, you may safely disregard their opinion of the source's credibility. In fact, it couldn't hurt to assume the opposite is true. Analyst's predictions for 2013: New iPhones to be in short supply, Haswell iMacs/MacBook Pros arriving, no new iPad mini (9to5 Mac) According to 9to5 Mac, some analyst "has a fairly strong track record in predicting future Apple products (timing notwithstanding)." I don't know about you, but I got a chuckle out of that disclaimer. It's like, "This guy has been accurate in the past. Oh, he's been wrong about the when, but occasionally right about the what, so we'll just say he has a fairly strong track record and report absolutely everything he says like it's gospel." An infinite number of monkeys with access to an infinite amount of prune juice will be capable of flinging an infinite amount of poo against the wall. This is otherwise known as the modus operandi for Apple analysts everywhere. As for the rumors themselves, most of this analyst's claims have to do with the timing of the launches, and we've already established his accuracy is "timing notwithstanding," so let's move on. Apple reportedly drops LCD supplier AUO for second-gen iPad mini, may turn to Samsung (AppleInsider) This rumor is boring enough that it's probably true. It's also not surprising that Apple's having problems meeting demand for displays after ditching Samsung as a supplier. Whatever else you may say about Samsung, they make some pretty killer LCDs (he says while admiring his 40" Samsung, before slapping himself for referring to himself in the third person). New low-cost iPad mini expected to debut alongside Retina model in 2014 (AppleInsider) This rumor absolutely reeks of "throw everything against the wall and see what sticks." It's also comfortably far enough in the future that, when this never happens, the rumor blogs will have long forgotten about it and won't count it against this "well-connected insider's" track record. Convenient! Plastic iPhone shell compared to older plastic iPhones and iPod touch in new high-quality video (9to5 Mac) Well... hmm. If this is a fake, whoever made it put an admirable amount of effort into it. Apple's Q4 guidance implies likely iPhone launch(es) by late September (9to5 Mac) It must be Opposites Day, because for once financial analysts have actually said something that makes sense. Taking note of Apple's revenues for the last financial quarter and comparing them to the next one, these analysts think it's unlikely Apple will meet its own guidance unless it launches some new products. While it's true that Apple's annual Back to School sale will probably give them a small revenue bump, that's probably not enough to make up the difference. This time the analysts may actually be on to something (other than what they're usually on *cough*). Apple's iPad 5 Set to Continue Driving Market Shift Toward In-Cell Display Technology (MacRumors) "Digitimes reports that" -- BZZZZZT! Next. Apple to Discontinue iPhone 5 Alongside Launch of 5S and Plastic Models? (MacRumors) I'm going to go with Betteridge's Law here and say, "Not a chance." More iPhone 5S parts leak as mass production gets underway (BGR) BGR goes out on a limb and predicts that "we may see new hardware in Apple's upcoming smartphone." This is the kind of hard-hitting reporting and logical analysis you won't get anywhere else. Thankfully. Mac mini shipping times slip to 5-7 days on Apple's Online Store as new Haswell Macs are rumored (9to5 Mac) Increased shipping times aren't always an indicator of new products in the pipeline, but it's not outside the realm of possibility, either. We'll see. Rumor: Apple to ship Haswell-powered Retina MacBook Pros in October (AppleInsider) This date doesn't match with everyone's favourite "well-connected insider" analyst, so the good news is one way or the other we'll have someone to laugh at for guessing wrong. Another Alleged Image of the Low-Cost iPhone Rear Shell Surfaces (MacRumors) From the article: "A picture posted on the Chinese microblogging site Weibo appears to show the rear of an assembled low-cost iPhone." But later: "Because of the angle of the photo, is it impossible to tell if it is an assembled phone or just the rear plate." Rumor: Photo may show retail packaging for Apple's low-cost "iPhone 5C" (AppleInsider) "For its part, AppleInsider cannot independently confirm the authenticity of the items in the photo, and therefore publishes images simply for the sake of discussion." Let me fix that for you: "For its part, AppleInsider cannot be arsed to do basic fact checking of the items in the photo, and therefore publishes images simply for the sake of pageviews." Let's briefly diverge from the rumors and see how BGR's weekly Apple doom n' gloom parade is going. Apple's 'fall' is its rebirth (BGR) Oh dear, we're off to a poor start. This article is actually somewhat optimistic about Apple's prospects. How did it get past BGR's vigilant editors? SSR sees signs that Apple's business model is 'beginning to come apart' (BGR) Ah, that's better. That's the kind of sensationalistic, poorly-evidenced headline I expect to see. And it's sourced entirely from some random financial analyst, too! Whew! I was worried there for a minute. Apple reportedly afraid Retina iPad mini will devour iPad sales (BGR) Sweet, another sensationalist headline, and this time the source is Digitimes, so we're circling the drain of legitimacy. Now bring us home with the derp trifecta, BGR. iPad seen 'losing ground fast' as shipments sink (BGR) Main source: some random analyst. "Corroborating" source: Digitimes. Well done, BGR. My faith in your... unique... brand of reporting is thoroughly restored. Speaking of sensationalist tech tabloids, let's check in on Cult of Mac. iPhone 5S & New Low-Cost iPhone To Launch On September 6 [Rumor] (Cult of Mac) From the article: "The iPhone 5S and the new low-cost iPhone are expected to launch on Friday, September 6, according to a 'very credible' source." Oh, really? Let's see what a legitimately credible source on Apple rumors has to say about that. Jim Dalrymple of The Loop: "Nope."
Rumor Roundup: All Digitimes, all the time
Let's say you like to bet on football games. I know the rules of football, I know the teams, and I can even name a few of the players, but in terms of predicting which team will win any given game, my guesses aren't much better than flipping a coin. Now, let's say I've been right a few times before, several seasons ago, and I helped you win some big bets. But let's also say that absolutely every single prediction I've made during this season has failed to pan out. Are you going to keep placing bets based on my predictions? If not, then congratulations: you're smarter than the average Apple rumor blog, which still seems to be all Digitimes, all the time. A look at some flexible batteries that could power iWatch (9to5 Mac) While this tech is cool, associating it with the so-called "iWatch" is a pretty big stretch. Remind me again how many credible reports have come out indicating Apple is building this thing? No, I said credible reports. No analysts, no "sources from the Asian supply chain," and no "people familiar with the matter." Is it a number greater than zero? (Spoiler alert: no.) Next-Gen iPhone Production Kicks Into Gear; Will There Be a Mid-Tier iPhone, Too? (AllThingsD) I initially got excited by the pedigree of this rumor -- AllThingsD is one of the few remaining tech publications that's still right about Apple more often than it's wrong -- but then I saw the source of this rumor was often-wrong "analyst" Peter Misek, and my enthusiasm drained away pretty much immediately. There are people at my day job who use PCs every day and don't know what Windows Explorer is when you ask them to navigate to it. I'm fairly certain those people still know more about Apple's future plans than Peter Misek does. Rumored iPhone 5S production shots & specs: IGZO display, fingerprint reader, NFC, 12MP cam (9to5 Mac) The source for this rumor is "unverified news out of China," which is of course the absolute best source for Apple rumors. The most consistently disheartening part of my week is the two minutes of my weekly FaceTime call with my dad when he brings up whatever poorly-sourced dreck from the rumor blogs has been plastered all over Zite that week. I keep telling him not to pay any attention to this stuff, to let me jump on that grenade for him, but... Apple predicted to beat market consensus with 29M iPhones shipped in June quarter (AppleInsider) Some analyst thinks Apple shipped somewhere between 29 and 32 million iPhones during the last financial quarter. You know how I know Apple is doing okay, despite all the doom and gloom nonsense claiming the contrary? Three million iPhones is no longer the actual number of iPhones sold in a single quarter; it's a rounding error in some analyst's estimates of how many iPhones were sold. When the question is essentially, "How many iPhones did Apple sell: a crapload, or a metric crapload?" the whole "Apple = DOOMED" meme seems even dumber than usual. Wildly unlikely report claims larger 4.3-inch display causing iPhone 5S delays (9to5 Mac) This rumor is "wildly unlikely" (it even says so in the headline), but apparently not so wildly unlikely that it wasn't worth re-blogging anyway. As for the meat in this particularly unsavoury sandwich, Bloomberg claims Apple has changed the iPhone 5S to a 4.3-inch screen at the last minute. This proves one thing beyond doubt: Bloomberg has no idea how Apple operates, and they should not be taken seriously on the subject any longer. Plastic iPhone shell compared to iPhone 5 in new leaked photos (BGR) The mint-green color of the plastic casing reminds me of mint ice cream, which reminds me of Jägershakes (mint ice cream plus Jägermeister plus an industrial-strength blender), which reminds me of Jägermeister, which reminds me of the most epic benders I've ever been on and the worst hangovers I've ever had, which has left me feeling nauseated. I could also be feeling nauseated because of the whole low-cost iPhone meme that simply will not die. It's hard to tell. Either way, I'm turning as green as that pictured case. Like iPhone, analysts expecting big drop in YOY growth for iPad sales in Q3 (9to5 Mac) Note that this is a drop in year-over-year growth, not a drop in year-over-year sales. It's like saying your car's rate of acceleration has slowed; you're still going faster over time, just not speeding up quite as fast as you were before. Someone (like Business Insider, perhaps) will still find a way to transform these numbers into "Apple DOOMED" analysis, like the world's worst alchemists. After iPhone 5S and iOS 7 debut, Apple customers may be nearly impossible to steal (BGR) While the headline makes it sound as though BGR is on to something, really all they've got here is some analyst making pie-in-the-sky claims without any proof, along with the same-old/same-old predictions of semi-voluntary consumer lock-in to Apple's ecosystem. With the obligatory snark out of the way, I will say that the whole "ecosystem lock-in" phenomenon is very real. After my iPhone 4S's untimely demise, I considered temporarily using a work-provided Android phone for a few months while I waited for the iPhone 5S to come out. That idea lasted about two minutes before I said, "Nope, nope, noooope," marched myself down to the local Telecom store, and bought an iPhone 5. Rumor: Apple ramps iOS device chip orders, in talks with LG over 4K displays (AppleInsider) I'm starting to think AppleInsider is still calling Digitimes "sometimes reliable" just to troll us. The fact that the "hit-or-miss publication" (another of AppleInsider's favored euphemisms) is the source of this rumor tells you all you need to know about its possible veracity. iWatch's novelty emerges as Apple taps sensor and fitness experts (9to5 Mac) Assuming the sources for this article are accurate, this sounds like a product that's still in the very early stages of conceptual development and likely years away from public availability, if indeed it ever sees the light of day. All that adds up to at least 18-24 more months of an endless stream of articles about the stupid iWatch. So we've got that going for us, which is nice. Rumored iPhone 5S fingerprint sensor more likely to be in the screen, not the home button (9to5 Mac) At least one of the TUAW staff is excited by the prospect of fingerprint sensors in the iPhone, but I really don't see the point. If it's a sensor embedded in the screen and is used to unlock the phone with your finger... well, so what? We already unlock our iPhones with our fingers. We've been doing it for six years. The supposition that the fingerprint sensor has something to do with NFC is even worse, because now we've got two technologies that Apple hasn't expressed much interest in combined. It's two terrible tastes that go badly together, like the polar opposite of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. AppleTV news: 4K panels being bought, friendly studio deals being negotiated & Netflix picks up two Emmy nods (9to5 Mac) "The often unreliable DigiTimes" brings us the first rumor relating to the eternally mythical Apple HDTV. 9to5 Mac says "the publication has been reporting some more believable stories as of late" -- which ones? Seriously, Digitimes and believable don't belong in the same sentence, except for the one I just wrote. DigiTimes changes course, claims Retina iPad Mini will launch in fall (9to5 Mac) From the article: "At this point, it looks like we have no solid information about the release date, despite this report's claim of October 2013. DigiTimes has been extremely hit-or-miss, so it would be unwise to take this as complete verification." (emphasis added) Digitimes is a joke. Not a funny joke, either. It's like one of those train-wreck standup comedy routines that seems to go on forever. Digitimes is the tech world's equivalent of Krusty the Clown: everyone seems to recall a time when they were once relevant, but no one can precisely remember exactly when that was. Documents claim Apple's 'iPhone Lite' will pack 1GB RAM, is already in mass production (AppleInsider) "It is virtually impossible to completely ascertain the veracity of either the documents or the images," AppleInsider notes. Well, considering the documents look like something anyone could have thrown together in 20 minutes, I'm gonna go with "fake" this time. Apple Tests Larger Screens for iPhones, iPads (Wall Street Journal) "Whether the designs will make their way to market is unclear. [Apple] routinely tests different designs for its products as it refines them during development." Done. No need to read beyond this point.
Rumor Roundup: Not to be believed
First off, apologies for the delay in getting the Rumor Roundup out this week. I had a technology tragedy in the family; my iPhone 4S prematurely kicked the bucket. It's been living on borrowed time since a bad motorcycle accident last November; I'd hoped it would last until Apple launched the iPhone 5S or whatever it ends up being called, but it was not meant to be. Therefore, the time I'd normally have spent chugging vodka martinis while writing the Roundup was instead frittered away on wrestling with iCloud while I tried to get it to properly restore a backup to my shiny new iPhone 5. Having just spent way too much money on a new iPhone 5, I'm certain the iPhone 5S will be on store shelves within mere weeks. You can take that one to the bank. Apple rumored to launch fifth-gen iPad in Sept., new iPad mini to follow (AppleInsider) AppleInsider notes that the source, DigiTimes, is "a Taiwanese tech industry publication frequently skewered for its track record." This raises an obvious question, then: why are AppleInsider and every other rumor blog in the known universe still reprinting every piece of drivel that dribbles out of DigiTimes' "sometimes reliable" piehole? What other industries besides UFO chasers, ghost hunters, and Apple rumor blogs are so consistently unable to abandon sources of demonstrably poor evidence? Why Apple would make a "low-cost iPhone," and what might be inside (Ars Technica) This is less a rumor and more a pretty cogent analysis of the whole "low-cost iPhone" meme. It's worth a read if for no other reason than to read some refreshingly intelligent thoughts on the subject; it's certainly better than the "Apple has to make the low-cost iPhone suck" tripe that certain other publications are putting out there. Next-Generation 15-Inch MacBook Pro Shows Up in Benchmarks (MacRumors) While these benchmarks can be faked, they usually turn out to be accurate. I'm surprised this type of leak is still happening, though; it seems like it would be pretty simple for Apple to enforce a "Put Geekbench on any non-production machine and you're fired" rule... unless they just don't care. iOS 7 Beta Suggests iWork, iLife iOS Apps May Soon Be Free (MacRumors) If you take anything in beta software as serious evidence of future Apple retail decisions, please immediately make your way to the nearest emergency room, as you have clearly suffered severe head trauma. The next iPhone's cool-factor: a slow-motion camera? (9to5 Mac) The lede is buried so deeply in this article that I almost couldn't find it. Essentially, 9to5 Mac claims it's found code buried in iOS 7 that will allow a future iPhone, with hardware that supports the feature, to record video at 120 frames per second. When played back, this high frame rate gives the impression of "slow motion" videography -- think of all those nature shows that show a lion taking down a gazelle over the course of a couple minutes, or the cool intro to Reservoir Dogs. If this feature does make it to an iPhone, expect a renaissance of "funny" YouTube videos that show some guy getting smacked in the crotch at normal speed, then again in agonizing slow motion. Latest alleged 'iPhone Lite' plastic backs show different color shades (AppleInsider) More alleged backside casings for the alleged low-cost iPhone. The fact that these colors don't match colors from earlier "leaked" casings could mean Apple is experimenting with hues, or it could mean everything we've seen so far is fake. (No points for guessing which explanation is more likely.) Here comes the iPhone 5S: Foxconn ramps up hiring for next-gen iPhone (BGR) Like most tech publications, BGR falls victim to the classic "Foxconn only makes Apple products" blunder. Apple to Adopt IGZO Displays for Future iPads and MacBooks? (MacRumors) This is another perennial rumor that has yet to pan out. On a long enough timeline, maybe it'll turn out to be true eventually. Apple predicted to post almost no revenue growth in fiscal Q3 (BGR) A bunch of Wall Street analysts predict that Apple is "only" going to make as much money this financial quarter as it did in the same quarter last year. That sounds pretty bad if A) You're an idiot, and/or B) you skip over the part where that means Apple would earn $35 billion in revenue over three months. But that is immaterial! We have no love for plateaus in Wall Street! Unless Apple's revenue is on a consistently exponential growth curve, the company is capital-D DOOMED. Reportedly leaked Bluetooth roadmap hints at future iPhone, 'iWatch' features (AppleInsider) From the popular rumor blog destination of Non Sequitur City comes this... "report" is the charitable word for it, I suppose. Bluetooth SIG has mapped out some features it wants to roll out, and somehow that translates to "future Apple products will do all of this stuff." We get it, guys. You want to be able to claim "FIRST!" when it comes to predicting future Apple products. But at least be sensible about it. ....and here are your plastic iPhone volume controls in Green, Red, Blue and Yellow (9to5 Mac) Aside from that very definitive headline and a giant photo of random assorted bits of plastic, here's the entirety of the article: "All of these could be knockoffs of course as we've said countless times since news of the plastic iPhone is months old and Chinese companies are already confirmed to be building Android knockoffs." Translation: It could be fake. In fact, it probably is fake. Whatever, lulz. *publish* Apple looks to expand iOS device supply chain beyond Foxconn in 2014 (AppleInsider) Some analyst makes a claim we've heard many, many times before: Apple is diversifying its suppliers and won't rely solely on Foxconn for overseas manufacture of its products. Somehow, this oft-repeated but never realized meme is still considered newsworthy. Rumor: Apple buys into chip fab, plans to build its own silicon (AppleInsider) No joke, the original source for this story is a site called "SemiAccurate." I literally laughed out loud. More Claims of No Retina iPad Mini Until Early 2014 (MacRumors) Let me save everyone some time: absolutely none of these Asian publications have any freaking clue whether the next iPad mini will have a Retina Display or not. Rumor bloggers: stop reading the tea leaves and go outside. Apple 'Aggressively' Hiring for Smart Watch Project, Looking Toward Late 2014 Launch (MacRumors) This is neither the first time we've heard that Apple is "aggressively hiring" for this entirely hypothetical product, nor the first time that the always in-motion launch date has slipped farther outward. Here's a question: if Apple had never released the watch-like fifth-gen iPod nano, would we be buried under a mountain of stupid "iWatch" articles all these years later? Apple Reportedly Signs Deal with Samsung for 14-nm A9 Chips Starting in 2015 (MacRumors) Anyone who claims to know what Apple will do two years in the future, and whom it will be doing it with, is selling something. It's your own fault if you buy it. Report: Upgraded spec, lighter iPad Mini expected later this year, 'almost bezel-free' Retina version next year (9to5 Mac) "If today's Digitimes report is to be believed," this article begins. Let me stop you right there. It's Digitimes. Of course it's not to be believed. Come on. iPhone 5S production now definitely starting this month. Maybe. (9to5 Mac) "Hey, let's post this analyst's deranged ravings, then spend half the article pointing out how often he's been wrong in the past. It's sure cool to have your cake and eat it too, isn't it?" Microsoft's Surface team working on 'translucent aluminum' smart watch - report (AppleInsider) Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer: "Transparent aluminum?!" Captain Montgomery Scott: "That's the ticket, laddie." Apple reportedly proposing TV ad skipping for upcoming services/products (9to5 Mac) Even assuming this source is accurate, this seems like a technology that absolutely will never, ever see the light of day. I mean, try to imagine a universe where this actually happens: Apple: "Hey, Hollywood guys. Let's let users skip ads when they view them on devices we sell. They'll love that. We'll compensate you for the ad revenue you lose as a result. Everybody wins." Greedy as hell media companies: "YES. Totally, let's do it. We trust you implicitly, Apple. We are more than willing to put our annual budget for hookers and blackjack entirely in your capable hands." Digitimes claims initial 'iPhone 5S' shipments to be constrained as fingerprint sensors hit low yield-rates (9to5 Mac) 9to5 Mac does readers everywhere a kindness by putting its dubious (to say the least) source in the headline, thus sparing most of us from having to spend even a fraction of a second deciding whether or not to take the story seriously. I've said it before, but it bears repeating: I promise that if we all stop paying attention to Digitimes, they will simply fade away. Report: Apple mulling $280M purchase of PrimeSense, the Israeili 3D body sensor firm behind Microsoft Kinect (9to5 Mac) No gesture-driven interface will ever match my personal vision of the future until flipping it the bird causes it to shut down whatever system it's connected to. And, for what it's worth, the company has already vehemently denied this rumor.
Rumor Roundup: Mutually-assured concussion
This week's Rumor Roundup is dedicated to Google, whose decision to kill off Reader made doing research for this article about ten times harder than it needed to be. Thanks, jerks! This week was almost entirely nonsensical ravings about Apple's supposed "plastic/budget" model iPhone. Come for the unconvincing and possibly fake photos, stay for the empty-headed "analysis" of why this product (which no one has convincingly proven exists) will be Apple's DOOM. Report: iPhone 5S will support super-fast LTE Advanced (9to5 Mac) "Keep in mind that this is a report and should be taken with a grain of salt," 9to5 Mac says. Funny, that headline seemed awfully low-sodium to me. And haven't we learned by now not to take seriously what any wireless carrier says about Apple's supposed future plans? Possible Photo of Lower-Cost Plastic iPhone Rear Shells Shows New Blue Color (MacRumors) "The site still acknowledges that the shells could be Chinese copies," MacRumors notes. With that perfunctory nod toward the general direction of skepticism out of the way, MacRumors then gives us gems like "it does show enough of the sides and the inside of the rear shell to imagine what a blue plastic iPhone could look like" and this: "The lower-cost plastic iPhone is likely to launch later this year in either September or October, presumably alongside Apple's flagship iPhone 5S. The plastic iPhone will offer consumers a more affordable iPhone choice, especially in markets where carrier subsidies are rare." I am going to laugh so hard if September/October passes us by and this rumored product doesn't see the light of day. It's one thing to write about the thing in tones like, "Evidence thus far points to a likely launch," so on and so forth, but the rumor blogs are writing about this thing like it's a fait accompli. Kind of like how they've done with the iWatch, and the Apple HDTV, et cetera, ad infinitum. High-Resolution Renderings of Apple's Lower-Cost Plastic iPhone (MacRumors) Let's kick the worthless speculation up a notch with some photorealistic renders of an imaginary product! BAM! Plastic iPhone case put together in high quality video/gallery (9to5 Mac) Not to be outdone, 9to5 Mac points us to a video showing a mockup of a low-cost iPhone. This reminds me of nuclear brinkmanship during the Cold War, except the only thing under threat of mutually-assured destruction this time is readers' brain cells. Mutually-assured concussion. Hey, speaking of which, what does BGR think about this highfalutin low-cost iPhone? The budget iPhone needs to look hideous (BGR) "Pictures of candy-colored entry-level iPhones with rounded corners have started circulating. Many [who?] have branded them hideous, crude atrocities." [citation needed] "[Apple] must make the entry-level model look so vulgar and cheap that most iPhone users will stick to the main line models, even if they have to pay a $200 to $400 premium." Hey, wouldn't it be easier just to, I dunno, not make the thing at all? I mean, if you have a company that's known for creating premium products at a premium price, and they make money hand-over-fist doing so, and millions of people beat down their doors for the chance to own their products, and they win industry awards every year for their products, and (idiotic pundits aside) they're pretty much universally lauded as the epitome of innovation and quality in their field -- maybe that's the kind of company that doesn't deliberately go out of its way to make cut-rate junk in order to inflate its market share. But that's assuming Apple is the kind of company that doesn't chase after cents when it could make dollars instead. And we all know that's not how Apple rolls, right? (The preceding paragraph was written in Universe 347, where Apple's CEO is Steve Ballmer and hamburgers eat people.) Why Apple's budget iPhone is risky business (BGR) Oh, good, someone else at BGR is here with some hard-hitting "analysis" of why the budget iPhone has "Apple DOOMED" written all over it. "Apple's plan to release a budget iPhone is clearly fraught with peril for the company" -- or it would be, if the company actually had any such plans. No one has proven that it does, but don't let me stop you from sounding silly anyway. Apple's latest move worries PC vendor rivals (BGR) Is that headline vague enough for you? What could it possibly be about? "Apple recently filed an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a new type of computer port that combines a memory card reader with a standard USB port." PC vendor rivals (apparently): "OH NO, NOT A PATENT APPLICATION, YEAAARGGGH --" "Digitimes' unnamed supply chain sources say rival computer makers are very worried over this new filing." Once it's passed through the Digitimes BS filter, this means Apple has no actual plans to pursue this technology, and PC vendors couldn't care less either way. iPhone 5 deemed most hated smartphone, Galaxy S4 is most loved (BGR) Oh no! Apple must be doomed this time! I'll just point to Philip Elmer-Dewitt's epic takedown of this idiotic "iPhone 5 hated" meme and follow it up by saying that anyone who published this story without first pausing to engage their brain before putting fingers to keyboard should be ashamed of themselves. Samsung's meltdown is nothing like Apple's (BGR) Actually, it sounds a lot like Apple's "meltdown": Samsung's financial performance didn't match the fairy-dust predictions of dumbass Wall Street analysts, so they all scream "SELL, SELL" in a panic The media sharpens its knives and publishes 124,677 stupid "Samsung is DOOMED" articles over a 12-hour period Samsung shrugs and keeps making truckloads of money Samsung, for its part, is still truly shameless, as it's now sunk to copying Apple's stock performance. How wrong-headed can one Apple analyst be? (Fortune) Philip Elmer-Dewitt asks the question, then goes about answering it. The conclusion: oh my glob, you guys, so wrong-headed. Phil E-D did all the work necessary to take this "analyst" down several notches, but the fact remains: someone, somewhere is paying Trip Chowdhry for advice on financial/economic matters. This seems like an idea on the same level as entrusting a 747's pre-flight inspection to a bicycle mechanic. If you're considering financial investments of any kind, whether you're some guy with saved-up salary in a shoebox or a massive business conglomerate who's decided there's nothing cooler than a billion dollars, here's my own financial advice: do a Google search for the person you're looking to hire/contract/whatever for economic analysis. If their name comes up next to the kind of unpolished coprolites that "analysts" are so infamous for producing when it comes to analyzing Apple, I'd strongly urge you to reconsider taking a single word they say seriously. Yes, that includes the word "the." There, I just saved your company several million potentially regrettable dollars. No need to thank me; that your signed and dated check to me is in the mail is thanks enough.
Rumor Roundup: 'On occasion'
The theme for this week's rumors: "leaked spyshots" of iPhone parts that look pretty much identical to the existing iPhone. Maybe it's the iPhone 5S. Maybe it's just parts for the existing iPhone 5. Either way, pageview gold. Rumor: TSMC inks deal to build 20nm 'A8' chips for Apple starting this year (AppleInsider) Stop me if you've heard this one before (for the past three years in a row). "TSMC will replace Samsung as Apple's CPU maker" is the new "Apple to unveil streaming music service at (x) event" rumor. Sure, it'll probably be true eventually, but you guys are just embarrassing yourselves by repeating the same rumor every year only to have it not come true. And you're not doing yourselves any additional favors by citing Digitimes as a source for this story, with or without this disclaimer paragraph: "It should be noted that DigiTimes is notorious for reporting rumors from the technology industry supply chain that prove incorrect. However, the publication does on occasion relay accurate claims on Apple and other companies." In this case, "on occasion" means, "with roughly the same periodicity as a unicorn appearing in front of a double rainbow during a transit of Venus." Apple's Prototype iPhone 5S Based on New A7 Chip (MacRumors) Normally I make fun of rumor blogs when they get all CSI on leaked parts, but this is actually a fairly impressive writeup. It is indeed looking like the next iPhone will just be a better/faster version of the existing iPhone 5. The all-too-predictable reactions to this development: Idiot tech pundits: "DISAPPOINTING, Apple is DOOMED" Me and millions of other consumers: "SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY" Will the Plastic iPhone knock the iPhone 4S out of this year's free iPhone pattern? (9to5 Mac) Will a product that hasn't even been confirmed to exist displace an existing product from the pipeline? We have no idea -- and, critically, no proof either way -- but let's speculate a whole bunch anyway! From the article: "We don't yet know what the plastic iPhone will cost" -- yes, or if it's even a real product and not the result of months worth of analyst fever dreams. New iPhone 5S part leak outs more internal modifications (BGR) BGR has more BREAKING EXCLUSIVE pictures of ribbon cables to show you. Here, hold your excitement in this Dixie cup. Spy shot claims to show iPhone 5S front panel on assembly line (9to5 Mac) Looks familiar. Almost exactly like an iPhone 5. Wait... does that mean these could just be photos of iPhone 5 parts? Naaaaah... Apple again seen losing steam, new products needed desperately (BGR) That's a bold headline, BGR. What's your proof? "Oppenheimer analyst Ittai Kidron cut his fiscal third-quarter sales estimates in a note to clients on Tuesday." ...Really? That's all you've got? Well, in that case, congratulations for winning the "Stupid Sensationalist Headline of the Week" award for the 84th week in a row. Wearable computers predicted to kill smartphones (BGR) From the article: "It may seem a little premature to already start talking about the deaths of smartphones and tablets." BUT AND HOWEVER: some analyst said some B.S., and regardless of whether or not it makes any rational bloody sense whatsoever, since it came out of the food hole of some analyst we are contractually obligated to pass it on. This quote from the analyst is a gem of insight to be sure: "Essentially, we hope to take the computers out of computing." Why the hell not? It can't be any more difficult than taking the analysis out of analysts. Alleged iPhone 5S Batteries Photographed on Production Line (MacRumors) From the article: "Their identity as iPhone 5S batteries can not be confirmed due to a lack of markings on them." So, how do you know this isn't a photo of iPhone 5 batteries, then? *holds hand to ear* What's that you say? You don't know? Well, why (pageviews) didn't you (pageviews) say so to begin with (pageviews)? Apple iOS 7 beta 3 scheduled for release on July 8th (BGR) This happens every year: some "trusted source" makes a claim regarding the alleged date of the next iOS beta release. Every rumor blog passes the story around in the world's worst and dumbest game of telephone. The date passes... and nothing happens. Every year. Like clockwork. Apple Finds It Difficult to Divorce Samsung (Wall Street Journal) This deceptively long article is mostly just a recap of the long history of the Apple-Samsung rivalry. The only new piece of info is alleged claims from a TSMC executive claiming that Apple ditching Samsung for production of its iOS device CPU chipsets is finally a done deal. Or at least it will be a done deal starting next year. There was a time, not too long ago, when the WSJ's record on Apple reporting was unassailable. If it was printed in the Journal, you could pretty much take it as read. That hasn't been true for a while now. As with pretty much everything else the Journal prints about Apple these days, I'll believe it when I see it. Possible Photos of Plastic Rear Shell from Apple's Lower-Cost iPhone (MacRumors) From the article: "The site acknowledges that the part could simply be a Chinese clone of an iPhone 5 rear shell." You don't say. Schematics claim to show detailed design of Apple's fifth-gen iPad (AppleInsider) From the article: "It should be noted that case makers have in the past obtained schematics claiming to show the design of a next-generation Apple product, only for those documents to prove incorrect." Hmm, why all the (token) skepticism? Whatever happened to the good ol' days when this kind of story got published without an ounce of contrarianism? I wonder. Apple files for 'iWatch' trademark in Japan for watch/handheld product (9to5 Mac) From the article: "With Apple seemingly amping up the regulation processes for launching a new product, it seems likely that Apple is moving towards a launch for its long-rumored wrist device sometime soon." Here's an alternate explanation: Apple has pre-emptively trademarked the name "iWatch" to stop Samsung or some other tragically unoriginal hacks from piggybacking off the well known "iDevice" branding by releasing a terrible smartwatch with that exact name.
Rumor Roundup: Beta is beta
Although there was a surprising (and refreshing) lack of stories sourced from "analysts" this week, that doesn't mean the rumors were any less rotten than usual. In fact, a few of the rumor blogs decided to dabble in their own version of analysis this week, which just goes to show you don't need an Economics degree to be completely off-base about Apple's future plans. [Update: Shortly after this post went live iOS 7 Beta 2 appeared, with iPad support and a return of the Voice Memo app] Purported 'iPhone 5S' logic board has tweaked screw placement, lacks CPU (AppleInsider) From the article: "A shot of a logic board claimed to be from Apple's next-generation iPhone shows a design largely the same as the iPhone 5, though the screw hole has been placed in a new location." Let's consult expert analyst Butt-Head to get his take on this startling development. "Huhuhuhuh. Uhhh, huhuhuh. You said 'screw hole'." Never mind. AppleInsider speculates that "the next iPhone will sport largely the same design as the iPhone 5." Translated into Internet Catspeak: "Pattern recognition, I haz it." The iPhone 3GS was externally almost identical to the iPhone 3G. Same with the iPhone 4S versus iPhone 4. Apple has seemingly adopted a "tick-tock" pattern with regard to its iPhone designs, so an "iPhone 5S" seems almost a given at this point. Of course, the fact that this is so fundamentally predictable means that if this is really all that Apple produces at its September (October?) launch event for the next iPhone, the pundits won't be able to type "DISAPPOINTED, APPLE = DOOMED" fast enough. New iOS 7 iPad interface revealed in leaked screenshots (BGR) These screenshots look a little bit too good to be Photoshopped fakes. I'm confident the first iOS 7 beta for the iPad will at least look similar to these shots. I for one am looking forward to seeing what iOS 7 has in store for the iPad version of Music.app, because that app has been a completely unusable mess since iOS 5. iPhone 5S Display Assembly Surfaces, Appears to Fit Leaked Logic Board (MacRumors) It's pretty amusing to watch rumor blogs get all CSI on these leaked parts photos. "Zoom. Enhance. Enhance. There. You see? The flex cables are slightly different on this new part, and the connectors are oriented differently, which proves the killer knew the victim. Wait, what was I talking about again?" Case intended for Apple's low-cost iPhone shows thicker, rounded design (AppleInsider) Case makers have started making cases for the supposed low-cost iPhone. Well, that's it. This proves the low-cost iPhone is totally a thing, because case makers have never been wrong before. (By which I mean they have been repeatedly wrong on many occasions and are a completely vapid "source" for forthcoming Apple designs.) Also, is it just me, or is this case design totally reminiscent of that Gotye video? "Now you're just the iPhone that I used to know..." Lack of Voice Memos app in iOS 7 beta could leave space for third-party alternatives (AppleInsider) From the article: "With the first-party voice memo app apparently gone, at least in iOS 7 beta, users upgrading to Apple's next-generation mobile OS may find themselves short of a much needed resource." Someone at AppleInsider doesn't fully understand what the word "beta" means when applied to Apple software. Here's a hint: the fact that the Voice Memo app isn't present in this first beta is utterly meaningless. Don't let that stop you from suggesting alternatives, especially if they're superior to Apple's offering, but don't pretend that the default Voice Memo app's exclusion from the first iOS 7 beta means anything more than -- get this -- it isn't ready for public consumption yet. In other words, BETA IS BETA. Leaked Image Suggests 'Voice Memo' Will Return in Future iOS 7 Beta Release (MacRumors) See? Told you so. Video: Is this Apple's iOS 7 running on an iPad, or just a tease of what to expect? (9to5 Mac) I'll say this: the OS crashes and reboots the iPad halfway through, which is pretty consistent with my own experience of iOS 7 so far. If this is a fake, it's cleverly done. High resolution images claim to show 'iPhone 5S' and iPhone 5 display assemblies side-by-side (AppleInsider) From the article: "it is not clear whether the display assembly is a production model, a prototype, or merely a well-crafted mock-up." It could also be Bigfoot, or the Loch Ness Monster, or aliens from Zeta Reticuli II, or swamp gas reflecting off of Venus. The point is, we have no idea, but here are some photos and a few associated paragraphs anyway. Leaked schematics reveal what case makers expect Apple's low-cost iPhone & 'iPhone 5S' will look like (AppleInsider) From the article: "It should be noted that case makers have bet - and lost - on unofficial schematic designs in the past." Yes, it certainly should be noted. But maybe it should be noted within the first couple of paragraphs and not buried several hundred words deep into the article and below several allegedly convincing diagrams. Analyst says next-gen iPad mini won't have a Retina display (BGR) Just when I was starting to worry that we wouldn't have any "news" from "analysts" this week, this story comes in claiming the next iPad mini won't have a Retina display. Of course, as BGR notes, this same analyst has claimed several times in the past that the next iPad mini will have a Retina display, so it's tough to give the guy any credence. Maybe some Skynyrd, possibly some Eagles, but definitely not any Creedence. Pegatron CEO: Apple's 'low-cost iPhone' will not be cheap (AppleInsider) Even assuming this guy said these things in the first place -- which is doubtful, considering A) the source is an Asian publication (notoriously inaccurate when it comes to Apple), and B) he'd be jeopardizing a multi-million dollar manufacturing contract flapping his gums about unreleased Apple products -- even if you accept that he said these things, the question still remains: how the hell does he know? It's not like Tim Cook is going to tell his manufacturers, "Yeah, we can build this new iPhone pretty cheaply, but we're still going to charge, like, $500 for the low-end model. Because we can." *raises pinky to lip* The Boy Genius Report: Apple's plan to take over the living room while destroying Microsoft and Sony (BGR) From the article: "Let's just be honest... we are at the absolute end of the road for gaming consoles. There is no reason that you are going to need a dedicated gaming machine in the next year or two - you probably don't even need one now." That's a bold statement. What's your evidence? "Apple is now allowing third-party manufacturers to make game controllers for iOS devices." Oh my god, seriously? The fact that I can potentially play Infinity Blade 2 with physical buttons instead of a touchscreen somehow means that consoles designed to deliver titles like Grand Theft Auto V are on death's door? "Tell me why these high-powered devices, ones that are updated and upgraded every single year, can't actually be the console?" Maybe Rockstar and Square-Enix don't want to give Apple 30 percent of a $60 sale for a game. Maybe App Store customers don't want to shell out $60 for a game in the first place, no matter how good it is. Maybe downloading a 10 GB game to a portable device with a 16 GB capacity isn't particularly tenable. Maybe the processors in an iPad or iPhone still can't handle the kinds of ultra-hi-def graphics that consoles can churn out. Look, I'll admit that my iOS devices are my primary gaming platforms now and have been for a long time. My Wii has been gathering dust for years, and my PS3 is literally sitting on a closet shelf after it suffered its third "yellow light of death" failure in a year. I have no motivation to get a Wii U or Xbox One, and the PlayStation 4 doesn't exactly thrill me either. But that all aside, I don't pretend that any of this means the traditional video game console market is dead in the water. It's going to be at least another generation (in terms of consoles) before portable devices like the iPhone and iPad represent a serious threat to the Big Three console makers. Apple's iPhone 5S Revealed in New Photos (MacRumors) Most of the identifying numbers on the internal parts are either placeholders or indicative of a prototype, so definitively stating that this device is the iPhone 5S seems like a premature call. On the other hand... sure, why not.
Rumor Roundup: Samsung fan fiction
WWDC has come and gone, and now we know what iOS 7 looks like. For some reason, that still hasn't stopped graphic designers with too much time on their hands from generating mockups... and of course, it hasn't stopped the endless tide of boneheaded Apple rumors. New report claims Apple's 'iPhone mini' could launch next month (BGR) Some analyst claims the low-cost iPhone will launch next month. BGR spends a good portion of this article making fun of the guy. When even BGR is pointing and laughing at your claims, your career as an Apple analyst is essentially over. Alleged 'iPhone 5S' parts show FaceTime camera, home button, vibration motor (AppleInsider) Buried within the center of a dead article: "The images cannot be fully verified as components in a future iPhone." Okay, then. iPhone 5S release reportedly pushed back to October (BGR) Some analyst throws a dart at a wall, and it hits "October." For some reason, this qualifies as newsworthy. According to the analysts, the iPhone 5S was already supposed to have launched 57 times by now, so the only logical conclusion is Apple's suppliers are unable to keep pace with analysts' entirely random and unsubstantiated predictions, and therefore Apple is DOOMED. iMac Update to Haswell Expected in June or July as Shipments Sink (MacRumors) Another article sourced entirely from an analyst's random musings. This guy has been right a few times in the past, but MacRumors still only classifies him as "relatively accurate." I'd like to know what batting average separates "hit-or-miss" from "sometimes accurate" or "relatively accurate." In this case, we have an analyst contradicting his own prior analysis -- he'd made earlier claims pointing to a late 2013 launch for new iMacs. Calling this "relatively accurate" isn't an abuse of the English language; it's taking the English language out into the Nevada desert and burying it. Apple's OS X Mavericks hints at future Retina Thunderbolt Displays and iMacs (AppleInsider) Apple posted a wallpaper that's exactly twice the pixel width and height of Apple's current 27-inch displays, so AppleInsider rolls out the Jump to Conclusions Mat and claims this is a hint that Retina-caliber Thunderbolt displays are on the way. AppleInsider also notes that a high-res wallpaper from OS X Lion "hinted" at forthcoming Retina display MacBook Pros... which didn't launch until a year later. Even the blue whale can't hold its breath for that long. Is Apple ditching the 'Black & Slate' color option on the iPhone 5S? (BGR) Speaking of jumping to conclusions... actually, in this case, it's more like BGR slipped on a banana peel and tumbled over a logic cliff. "There are dozens upon dozens of images [on Apple's website] showing iOS 7 on the iPhone 5, but I just looked through them all and aside from tiny thumbnails, I was only able to find one mockup of iOS 7 running on a black iPhone," BGR writes. Okay... so what? "By itself, this isn't necessarily evidence that Apple is ditching the black iPhone" -- actually, let me stop you right there. Not only is it not evidence, it's the opposite of evidence. It's completely meaningless. It's like looking at Mount Rushmore and claiming there will never be a female President. BGR then says currently "leaked" SIM trays have so far only shown up in silver and gold, and offers this as further evidence (I just ran out of sarcasm quotes) to prompt a repeat performance: "So I ask again... is Apple getting rid of black on the iPhone 5S?" Welcome to Non Sequitur City. Population: You. "Apple's black iPhone 5 has had some issues with scuffing, but ditching the color entirely would be a curious move." Curious is one word for it. Not gonna freaking happen is four more, slightly more accurate words for it. iOS 7 design changes remain in flux, likely to see major revisions before release (AppleInsider) BREAKING: Design elements in beta software, not due to be released to the public for three months, may be altered in the intervening months before release. More on this astonishing story as it develops. This was just one of probably hundreds of articles that have come out in the past week regarding iOS 7's supposedly "controversial" design. I've been using iOS 7 since the day after it became available. Here's my prediction: "normal" people, in other words non-geeks, who have for several years constituted the overwhelming bulk of people buying iPhones and iPads, are going to love this new design. They may not consciously know why, but they're going to eat it up. Apple looking at bigger iPhone screens, multiple colours - sources (Reuters) Reuters classifies this as "Apple [taking] a cue from rival Samsung Electronics," and says it "underscore[s] how the California-based firm that once ruled the smartphone market is increasingly under threat from the South Korean competitor." This is a perfect example of the ongoing efforts certain publications are (STILL) making to twist the narrative around to suit their idea of the truth rather than the actual truth. Here's the actual truth, Reuters: Apple never "ruled" the smartphone market by the measure that publications like yourself seem to focus on to the exclusion of all other factors -- market share. Apple has never been the number-one smartphone vendor worldwide by that measure. It probably never will be. But by every other measure, including profits, revenues, number of apps available, the percentage of people actually using all those smartphone features, customer satisfaction, and industry recognition, Apple still "rules" the smartphone market in spite of your attempts to tell the story otherwise. "Apple declined to comment." Well, duh. "Critics say its pace of innovation has slowed since the death of legendary co-founder Steve Jobs." Serious question: have you people been contractually obligated to include variations of this monumentally stupid sentence in every single Apple article since October 2011? "The current iPhone 5 has one of the smaller screens among the best-selling smartphones in the mobile market, where consumers spend more time browsing the web and streaming content. Samsung's Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 2 have 5-inch and 5.5-inch screens, respectively." And yet the numbers also show that people are using iPhones to browse the web far more and far more often than people with those larger screens on Samsung devices. But the evidence doesn't fit your desired conclusion, so we'll just ignore it and move on. "Apple [...] has sought ways to re-energize its flagship line." Apple sold 37 million iPhones in three months, compared to 35 million in the same quarter of the previous year. They sold more phones than a year earlier, yet by the same kind of math where 2 + 2 = 5, this somehow means Apple is a beleaguered company losing its innovative edge and desperately turning to copying the supposedly-ascendant Samsung in order to turn its flagging fortunes around. Reuters is no longer a news organization. Reuters is writing Samsung fan fiction. Rumor: Apple's inexpensive iPhone to adopt colors from iPhone 4 Bumpers (AppleInsider) "A fresh rumor out of the Far East" -- have to interrupt here, there's no such thing as a "fresh" rumor from that part of the world -- "claims Apple will launch a low-cost iPhone in September in five colors." This is not a fresh rumor, no matter which definition of fresh you're using. It's months old, and the first person to raise the "many-colored iPhone" flag was an analyst whose track record is as spotty as a leopard with measles. Rumor: Apple suppliers now shipping 'large number' of parts for low-cost iPhone (AppleInsider) This type of article reminds me of something Tim Cook said last year about not putting too much stock in supplier reports, because it's impossible to gain any idea of the whole picture that way. It also reminds me of the story of a bunch of blind guys touching various parts of an elephant, with one guy calling it a tree, another a snake, and so forth. Rumor: Samsung to supply 7.9" Retina displays for Apple's next iPad mini this year (AppleInsider) If the iPad mini 2 Electric Boogaloo launches without a Retina display, now you know whose offices to storm with torches and pitchforks: Korea's ETNews. Entry-level iPhone, Retina iPad mini to reportedly begin shipping in August (BGR) According to Digitimes, something something yadda yadda not a chance. New iPhone 5S parts leak, again pointing to internal overhaul (BGR) BGR has more BREAKING EXCLUSIVE photos of ribbon cables and metal connectors to tantalize and titillate -- don't give me the hairy eyeball, I said "titillate," not whatever you thought I just said. By this time last year, enough parts had leaked out that you probably could have assembled your very own fully-functional iPhone 5 if you had halfway decent soldering skills. All we've got so far this year is a bunch of ribbon cables. I don't know about you, but I actually prefer it this way.
Rumor Roundup: Repetition
Many rumors this week were just repetitions: Apple's switching production from Foxconn to Pegatron (again), Apple's streaming music service is just over the horizon (again), and Apple's planning AirDrop file-sharing for iOS (again). On the other hand, at least there was a refreshing lack of any stories about the iWatch or anything from "sources in the Far East." Foxconn may sell own branded accessories after Apple profits dip (AppleInsider) This probably isn't the best idea. Thanks to years of rabble-rousing from various media outlets over its factories' working conditions (exaggerated or not), Foxconn doesn't exactly have the best name-brand reputation. Rumor: Apple to double 'iPhone 5S' Retina resolution to 1.5M pixels (AppleInsider) This is the kind of headline that seems like it would come from a tech-themed version of The Onion, yet the rumor blogs bandied this item around like it was true and made any sense whatsoever. None of them seemed to pause to ask the obvious: what's the practical benefit to the iPhone or its users of doubling the iPhone's resolution yet again? The pixel density is already at or near the threshold of human visual acuity, so doubling it once again (at a hit to battery life and increased production cost) doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Apple said to be under pressure to release $200 iPad mini (BGR) Pressure from whom, you may ask? Apparently some analyst thinks Apple will launch a lower-cost version of the iPad mini to "defend its market share" against competing tablets. Yes, because as we all know, Apple is all about market share. That's all the company cares about. Market share at all costs. Profits, user experience, product quality... these are all dust in the wind in the face of almighty market share. I'll ask again: do any of these analysts actually pay the slightest bit of attention to the company they're writing about? Rumor: Apple reportedly looking to Samsung for thin glass LCDs (AppleInsider) Whatever else you may say about Samsung, the company does make damn fine displays. As much as I disagree with the company's tactics with regard to smartphones, the HDTV sitting in front of me right now has one of the best displays I've ever seen, and it's a Samsung. If no one else is making displays at the quality or volume Apple needs for its products, then be happy Apple is willing to make compromises with its rival. WWDC Expectations (The Loop) Jim Dalrymple lays out what he expects to see at WWDC. In short: no new iPhone or iPad. Maybe some new Macs. The introduction of iOS 7 and OS X 10.9. Yep. Apple reportedly looking to Pegatron in supply chain diversification away from Foxconn (AppleInsider) You know, we keep hearing that Pegatron is going to take a big slice of Foxconn's Apple pie. We've been hearing this same story for a couple of years. It keeps not actually happening. I'm honestly curious how many times this same story has to be re-posted before A) the event actually occurs, or B) people finally accept that it's just not happening. It's the same in principle as Apple's "streaming music" service... but more about that later. Supply chain showing 'signs of life' as Apple gears up for Sept. launch of 'iPhone 5S' (AppleInsider) On one hand, we have reports from an actual Apple supplier suggesting a production ramp up. On the other hand, we have some analyst jumping in with his Prognostication Dartboard and picking September as the launch date for the iPhone 5S. The supplier report by itself was interesting. But once you throw some analyst into the mix, it's like putting actual sand in a sandwich. Alleged iPad 5 front panel surfaces online with iPad mini like design (Update: False) (9to5 Mac) 9to5 Mac was at least gracious enough to amend its post when it became clear the "leaked" part was really just an existing iPad mini part. Not all of the rumor blogs were as diligent. rumour: Apple Is Considering Launching An Ad Exchange (Business Insider) From the article: "We can't confirm it. And, of course, the ad business is awash with rumours. (And, to give the full context, a couple of other sources we talked to said they'd heard nothing of the kind.)" For some reason, the article doesn't end right there. For some reason, the article was published. For some reason, it was re-reported all over the place by the Apple rumor blogs. All of this despite a distinctive lack of proof, confirmation, or anything like basic fact-checking. Mac Pro Retail Supplies Drying Up Ahead of WWDC (MacTrast) Here's a 180-degree contrast from the Business Insider story above. Rather than taking some guy's comments and reporting them without inserting critical thinking between fingers and keyboard, MacTrast actually went to the trouble to do some (gasp!) investigative reporting. In this case the investigation just amounted to calling a bunch of retailers to see if they had Mac Pros in stock, but given the current state of Apple rumors this almost approaches Pulitzer-quality journalism. Analyst: Slimmer Retina MacBook Pro with upgraded camera, dual-mic MacBook Air to debut at WWDC (AppleInsider) Some analyst makes a bunch of claims about upcoming Macs. Because he's been right before, it gets blogged about all over the place. Snark aside, none of the claims in this report sound particularly outlandish, so there's a decent chance it might be true. Apple Is Said to Be Pressing for Internet Radio Deals (New York Times) Next week's headline: Talks between Apple and record labels break down, stalling streaming music service. Apple again plans AirDrop wireless file-sharing for iOS This is likely something Apple has been planning for and working on for a long time. The fact that it hasn't been introduced yet suggests that Apple is doing everything it can to make sure the feature actually works before unleashing it on the public -- an approach the company might have considered for, say, iMessage.
Rumor Roundup: 'For purposes of discussion only'
This week was rather light on rumors. It was also remarkably light on nonsense rumors -- only 25 percent of this week's rumors were sourced from analysts, which made it much less necessary to reach for antacid tablets every time I read through my news feeds. Next Mac 'Gigabit Wifi' spotted? Broadcom BCM94360CD PCI-E mini WLAN+Bluetooth card in the wild (9to5 Mac) While there's no positive proof that this card is intended for future Macs, it looks similar enough to the part in current Macs. Flickr, Vimeo integration likely to bolster social ties in iOS 7 (9to5 Mac) Vimeo and Flickr are already integrated into OS X, so this makes sense. Apple's 'iWatch' to come in late 2014 with focus on biometrics, analyst says (AppleInsider) Some analyst says the iWatch won't come until late 2014. These guys have enough trouble accurately predicting what Apple will do three months in the future, much less a year and a half from now. This is also typical analyst behavior: make wild claims about some supposedly forthcoming Apple product for several months, then after no proof of its existence or imminent launch appears, make up some reason why the product was "delayed" until some date comfortably far in the future. Analysts have been playing this same game with the "Apple HDTV" for several years. Rumor: Cheaper iPhone is being tested in a plethora of colors, will be produced July-September (9to5 Mac) Macotakara's track record is very mixed. Its accuracy is still head and shoulders above certain other Asian tech publications -- who shall remain nameless -- but the "low-cost iPhone" and "iPhone of many colors" are both tech memes that have been bounced around the rumor scene for many months with no proof in sight. Apple's fifth-gen iPad rumored to debut after 'iPhone 5S,' feature rear mic (AppleInsider) Nothing in this report comes as a great surprise. A late-2013 launch for a device broadly similar in design to the current iPad mini is what virtually everyone expects. I'm sure that Bloomberg has its "Apple's newest iPad proves the company has lost its innovation mojo" article written up in drafts already. Rumor: Apple outlines new in-house repair policy in note to Brazilian AASPs (AppleInsider) Nothing out of the ordinary shows up in this rumor, and indeed it seems to confirm a rumor from last week regarding how Apple will handle iPhone repairs from now on. I do take issue with this statement from the article, however: "It should be noted that, due to the nature of the 'leaked' correspondence, AppleInsider cannot vouch for its authenticity and provides the following for purposes of discussion only." Rumor blogs like to use this "for purposes of discussion only" cop-out all the time. Let's be honest here: "discussion" really means "page views." Coating a ball bearing in Crisco may make it go down easier, but it doesn't make it any healthier to swallow one. Jony Ive's new look for iOS 7: black, white, and flat all over (9to5 Mac) This seems like a decent preview of what we should expect to see in iOS 7. If this report is accurate, it likely means 9to5 Mac has an inside source within Apple's iOS division. iPad shipments could see first ever year-on-year decline in Q2, analyst says (AppleInsider) Some analyst says iPad shipments are due for a decline in Apple's second 2013 fiscal quarter. There's a small problem with this prediction: Apple's Q2 2013 results were announced over a month ago, and iPad sales were up significantly year-over-year. I don't know if this timeline error is the analyst's or AppleInsider's, but it almost doesn't matter. The reasoning behind the prediction is laughable either way, and it'll be fun to revisit (in other words, point and laugh at) this rumor in a couple months when Apple announces its Q3 results.
Rumor Roundup: The definition of insanity
Have you ever heard the saying, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results?" Apparently none of the rumor blogs have, because they keep publishing the same sketchy rumors from the same terrible sources. Many of these sources (*coughDigitimes* *coughPeterMisekcoughcough*) have proven to be wrong so often that they've been publicly lambasted by numerous actual news outlets... but for some reason, "sources from the Far East" and "analysts" still account for two out of the three legs on the rumor blogs' increasingly shaky table. Despite 'mounting' pressure, Apple not seen releasing 'iPhablet' until middle of next year (BGR) This is a perfect example of a rumor with a truly terrible source. Here's your homework assignment, BGR: tell us the last time "analyst" Peter Misek made a prediction about Apple that actually turned out to be true. Go ahead, we'll wait. In the meantime, the rumor itself doesn't make any sense. Apple is apparently feeling "pressure" from phablet sales. Apple. The company that sold 37 million iPhones in three months. The company running away with most of the profits in the smartphone industry. That Apple. "Pressure." Rumor: Apple to feature sapphire crystal touch home button on 'iPhone 5S' (AppleInsider) It seems like every year since 2008 we've had rumors trotted out claiming that Apple will be ditching the physical Home button on iOS devices. One year we hear they're ditching the Home button entirely; the next year we hear they're switching to a capacitive sensor. Year after year, the Home button is one of the few aspects of the iPhone that's remained essentially unchanged since day one. One starts to see a pattern... iPhone 5S could be the first 'S' to feature a major hardware revision (BGR) BGR falls into a classic trap: because "S"-type iPhones look externally identical to their immediate predecessors, that means they don't have major hardware changes. Ask anyone who used an iPhone 3G and switched to an iPhone 3GS what they think of that line of thinking. As for the rumor, some analyst claims the next iPhone will have a fingerprint sensor under the Home button. If that sounds familiar, it's because the rumor blogs were "reporting" exactly the same thing last year, from exactly the same analyst. Guess how many iPhone 5 handsets have fingerprint sensors? I'll give you a hint: it's an integer between -1 and 1. iPhone 5S fingerprint sensor seemingly confirmed (BGR) BGR continues the tradition of playing fast and loose with the word "confirmed." You'd think they would have learned by now that nothing is confirmed until it shows up in an Apple keynote, but apparently when some guy at PayPal (who reads the same stupid rumors as the rest of us) makes an oblique reference to Apple, that counts as "confirming" something. Here's the actual quote from the guy at PayPal: "It's widely rumored that a large technology provider in Cupertino, Calif., will come out with a phone later this year that has a fingerprint reader on it." Maybe I'm the one who's slow on the uptake, but I'm not seeing any confirmation here. At all. Retina iPad mini leak points to upgraded processor and cameras (BGR) This rumor was so sketchy that no one else touched it. But BGR was on the case, re-blogging a story from MobiLeaks. A "tipster" sent MobiLeaks a "detailed render" and a laundry list of stats about the supposed next-gen iPad mini. It's the kind of "tip" we used to get at TUAW all the time, and it's something we've long since learned to avoid (or, occasionally, make fun of). Not just another pretty face: Apple's iPhone 5S to see big internal overhaul (BGR) If it seems like I'm picking on BGR this week, well... I am, a little. But only because they made it so easy this week. This story in particular is just plain ridiculous. BGR takes a bunch of high-resolution shots of ribbon cables and SIM card trays, paints it as some kind of exciting exclusive, and extrapolates that the next iPhone will have "a big internal overhaul." This is, in principle, not much different from publishing a post comparing a spark plug from a 2014 BMW to a 2013 BMW and speculating that the 2014 model will have an all-new engine design. I've said it before, but it's worth repeating: if these are the kinds of parts leaks we can look forward to from now on, then Tim Cook's statement about "doubling down on secrecy" starts to look a whole lot more believable. Rumor: LG, Sharp & AUO gearing up to build displays for Apple's next iPad mini (AppleInsider) "The rumor was reported on Friday by hit-or-miss DigiTimes" -- but let's re-blog it anyway, because hey, journalism! *jazz hands* Corning launches Lotus XT Glass for high performance mobile displays, prime candidate for future iOS devices (9to5 Mac) Guess how many times Corning's original press release mentions Apple? Difficult Negotiations May Prevent 'iRadio' Launch at WWDC (MacRumors) Shocker: widely-rumored streaming music service may not launch after all. Again. It's the same story every year: 10 Apple will be launching a streaming music service later this year 20 Negotiations with record labels have stalled 30 GOTO 10 MacBook Air inventory begins dwindling ahead of Apple's WWDC (AppleInsider) A delightfully old-school rumor here: one with actual research behind it. Instead of just lazily re-reporting the latest ravings from some "analyst," AppleInsider actually went to the effort of (gasp) verifying something. This puts the likelihood of this rumor being true head and shoulders above the typical nonsense from "analysts" and the like. Rumor: Production of Apple's 33% lighter fifth-gen iPad to begin in July (AppleInsider) Awww... and then AppleInsider blows that brief credibility gain almost immediately by re-reporting yet another B.S. story from "hit-or-miss" Digitimes. Apple Reportedly Testing 1.5-Inch OLED Displays for Smart Watch (MacRumors) MacRumors re-blogs Macotakara, which itself is re-blogging a Taiwanese newspaper, which cites a display maker source in Asia. Let's play Apple Rumor Telephone, the game where everyone loses! New details on redesigned next-gen iPad emerge (BGR) Here, "details" means "more nonsense from Digitimes, re-blogged without pausing even momentarily to evaluate the source critically." Apple Raising Notebook Orders Ahead of Likely Launch at WWDC (MacRumors) "Digitimes reports that Godzilla attacks are on the rise, with casualties in Asian factories estimated to rise 75 percent year-over-year." I think that's what the article said. I can't be sure, though, because as usual I stopped reading when I saw who the source was for this rumor.
Rumor Roundup: Delayed until whenever
Several of this week's rumors strongly suggest that a main fixture in any analyst's office is a dartboard with months listed on it instead of numbers. "Apple will launch its next iPhone in..." *throws dart* "...September. Of course! Quickly, Robin: to the B.S.mobile!" Analyst: Apple to release Retina display iPad mini models in Q3 and early 2014 [u] (AppleInsider) Some analyst makes claims about upcoming Apple product launches. He offers precisely zero proof. The rumor blogs breathlessly "report" his musings anyway. Stop me if any of this is sounding depressingly familiar. As its shares rebound, Apple seen as ready to 'change the narrative' (AppleInsider) One analyst has broken away from the "Apple is DOOMED" crowd and instead expects the company to recover some stock value on the strength of new product announcements. I would agree with him if Apple's stock price were in any way logically connected to the reality of the company's financial performance... but that hasn't been true for a long time. When it comes to Apple's share price, the inmates are running the asylum, and they have been since late last year. Foxconn looks to lessen reliance on iPhone, positions for potential Apple television (AppleInsider) It turns out Foxconn makes products for companies other than Apple, and it's interested in continuing to do so in the future. Who could ever have guessed? Meanwhile, Foxconn's interest in televisions obviously points to a future Apple HDTV, because it's not like Foxconn makes products for companies other than Apple. Wait, I'm confused. Is Foxconn diversifying away from Apple's existing products or doubling down on Apple products that don't exist yet and may never see the light of day? Well, no matter which way it goes down it doesn't matter, because Apple is obviously DOOMED either way. Mass Production of Retina Displays for iPad Mini Expected to Start in June or July (MacRumors) Or August, or September, or October, or... Sharp to reportedly start 'iPhone 5S' LCD production in June (AppleInsider) Or July, or August, or September, or... Morgan Stanley: Apple on track to build multiple new iPhone models in June-July (AppleInsider) Or August, or September, or October, or... Surge in Apple's iOS 7 Usage Revealed in Web Traffic Stats (MacRumors) BREAKING: Widely-expected Apple operating system shows up in web traffic logs shortly before its debut at WWDC [note to editor: change article's dates from 2012 to 2013] Rumors of low-cost iPhone rekindled as Pegatron said to hire additional 40K workers (AppleInsider) Like Foxconn, electronics manufacturer Pegatron apparently doesn't make devices for anyone except Apple, and the only possible explanation for Pegatron hiring more workers is that it somehow relates to manufacturing unreleased and long-rumored Apple products. Purported next-gen iPhone motherboard part may reveal tweaked camera design (AppleInsider) Remember when Tim Cook said Apple was "doubling down on secrecy," and we all laughed at him? Yet this story is typical of what parts leaks have looked like in 2013: very minor parts divorced from the overall device context and forcing rumor blogs to get all CSI on them. "Zoom. Enhance. Enhance. There. You see? The slightly different shape of the pin connectors suggests -- hey, are you falling asleep? Wake up!" Pegatron CEO says Bloomberg reporter made up report of 'falling iPad mini demand' (9to5 Mac) I for one am absolutely shocked that Bloomberg would misrepresent information in an attempt to gin up some more "Apple is DOOMED" nonsense. That's just not like them at all. /sarcasm This seems like a good time to remind everyone that you can't spell "controversy" without "con." New Nexus 7 to be highlight of Google I/O as 'iPad mini 2' faces delay, analyst says (AppleInsider) Some analyst claims Google's new tablet is positioned to take advantage of the new-model iPad mini's "delay." Let's make one thing clear, "analysts": an unannounced product cannot, by definition, be "delayed." Just because the product wasn't announced by your first out-of-thin-air, B.S. guesstimate date doesn't mean it's been "delayed." It means Apple releases products according to its own internal scheduling, not according to whatever you throw into your "note to investors" after chugging the water in your Magic 8 Ball. Big changes coming to AppleCare this fall: warranty subscriptions, in-store iOS device repairs, more (AppleInsider) Honestly, it's so refreshing to see a rumor with a source other than some so-called "analyst" that I'm prepared to believe this story whether it turns out to be true or not.
Rumor Roundup: Sad state
Let's open this week's roundup with an examination of the state of the Apple rumor scene. The sad state of Apple rumors (Macworld) This past week, Macworld published an article lamenting the current state of Apple rumors. Macworld's take is that the Big Three Devices have already launched -- Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad. What we're left with is scraps of rumors regarding iterative upgrades to these devices, or products like the rumored smartwatch and HDTV that don't seem to rev Macworld's engine. Macworld is right about one thing: Apple rumors are in a truly sad state. But it has less to do with the devices (real or imagined) under discussion and more to do with universally terrible sourcing and a pervasive lack of critical thinking skills when evaluating what those terrible sources have to say. Any industry that wilfully publishes every last scrap of information that dribbles out of some random, often-wrong analyst is definitely in a sad state... and this week was a perfect object lesson in just how sad it's become. Rumor: Leaked KDDI document claims 'iPhone 5S' pre-orders go live June 20, launch in July (AppleInsider) There is no chance that any wireless carrier anywhere in the world knows the launch date of Apple's new iPhone this far in advance. To its credit, AppleInsider spent a significant portion of this article pointing out all the reasons this document might not be the genuine article -- but the fact they published this nonsense in the first place negates any points they may have gained. Apple to release OS X 10.9 with new power-user features, more from iOS later this year (9to5 Mac) None of these rumored features sound particularly outlandish. 9to5 Mac probably has an internal source at Apple for stories like this, as its software forecasts generally turn out to be far more accurate than average. Jony Ive paints a fresh, yet familiar, look for iOS 7 (9to5 Mac) Despite the length of this article, there isn't much here that's either new or surprising. The second it became known that Ive was going to be in charge of iOS software UI design, virtually everyone expected him to strip out all the stitched leather, green felt and yellow notebook paper that's been proliferating through iOS. It seems pretty obvious that a man well-known for creating simple, functional, and iconic hardware designs would bring that same aesthetic sense to the software. iPhone reportedly coming to Boost Mobile in Q3 of 2013 (9to5 Mac) Around this time in 2012, the iPhone was rumored to be headed for Boost Mobile in September. It didn't happen. As Apple readies entry-level iPhone, low-cost smartphone market predicted to explode (BGR) From the article: "Apple hasn't announced any new smartphones yet this year, but the company's plans seem like a matter of public record at this point." Someone please tell BGR that rumor does not equal fact. The article that follows quotes some "market research firm" throwing numbers up in the air like chicken bones and then trying to divine Apple's intentions from how they fall. This "research firm" also falls into the always hilarious trap of predicting what the smartphone market will look like five years in the future. Extra credit awarded to anyone who finds 2008 predictions from this same firm and compares it to the reality in 2013. In iOS 7, Apple wants to own your car's console with Maps and Siri integration (9to5 Mac) Tighter car-iPhone integration is something we can all get behind. Unless you're a motorcycle rider like me, in which case you're probably just hoping this makes it less likely drivers will get so distracted by Siri's antics that they merge right into your face. Apple relents: iPhone 6 with larger display reportedly due in June 2014 (BGR) Full disclosure: this headline makes me angry. "Apple relents?" It's like BGR pictures crowds of pitchfork-waving peasants storming Cupertino demanding iPhones with gigantic screens. Meanwhile, Tim Cook's sulking in an office at 1 Infinite Loop, a single tear running down his face as he says, "You know what? FINE. Have an iPhablet. Whatever, I don't care anymore." The sourcing behind this article is typically terrible. Analyst Peter Misek, who's been proven many times to be wrong far more often than he's right, claims Apple will be launching a big-screen iPhone 6 in June 2014. Let's be clear about this: there is absolutely no one outside of a select few high-level employees at Apple who has any idea what the company's plans are more than a year from now. Anyone outside of that cadre claiming to have inside knowledge of Apple's roadmap is selling something... and it's your own foolish fault if you buy it. iPad mini reportedly accounted for 64% of all iPads shipped last quarter (BGR) Speaking of terrible rumor sourcing, "unnamed sources have told Digitimes" something or other. I don't know exactly what, because I stopped reading this article the instant my eyes hit the D-word. Haswell graphics performance makes Retina MBA a possibility – but not a certainty (9to5 Mac) This is less of a rumor article and more an analysis from someone who kind of sounds like he knows what he's talking about. It's a good look at how many things have to fit together in order to make Retina MacBook Airs a reality -- display density, graphical performance, battery capacity and life, and cost are just a few of the factors at hand. Display density and graphical performance appear to be addressed; whether the other two have been solved will likely be the determining factor in how soon we'll see Retina displays on Apple's smallest notebooks. Apple to test low-cost iPhone in small volumes – (unlikely) supply chain claim (9to5 Mac) Digitimes makes a claim that 9to5 Mac finds spurious enough to call it out as unlikely in the headline... but 9to5 Mac still publishes the information anyway. Guys, I promise that if we all stop paying attention to Digitimes, they will eventually go away. That is literally how the news media works. Ask any of the thousands of newspapers that have been shut down in the past 20 years. Will the low-cost iPhone in fact be a $350 mid-level handset? (9to5 Mac) Notice how we've moved on from questioning whether this device exists at all to speculating on how much it will cost. Smart TV Adoption Growing Rapidly, Market Ripe for Apple iTV (MacRumors) The original survey makes no mention of an Apple-branded HDTV at all, but that doesn't stop MacRumors from ginning up speculation about the long-rumored device. I bought a new TV last year and deliberately steered clear of paying for extra features I knew I'd never use, like 3D, Internet connectivity, and half-baked apps. It was actually quite difficult finding a TV with a decent display that omitted these features, and a year later it's probably more difficult still. I have always believed the HDTV industry is one Apple would be wise to steer clear of, for many reasons. Nothing remotely credible has surfaced over the past several years to alter my opinion. Bloomberg: Jony Ive's new software design role could lead to delays for iOS 7 (9to5 Mac) Now we come to the biggest rumor debacle of the week. I've singled out 9to5 Mac here, but every rumor blog out there ate up Bloomberg's story about an iOS 7 delay quicker than a t-bone steak thrown into a piranha tank. MacRumors' take on the same story references an update from AllThingsD describing specific UI changes expected, but the article makes no mention of AllThingsD's debunking of the "iOS 7 delayed" claims. It's only later in the day that we get updates like these: Despite Apple's shuffling of engineers, iOS 7 'will ship on time' - report (AppleInsider) iOS 7 to Ship 'On Time' as OS X Engineers Pitch In (MacRumors) Here's a blow-by-blow recap of how the day played out with regard to this rumor. Bloomberg publishes a story claiming that inside sources say iOS 7's debut will be delayed. Every rumor blog on the planet jumps on the story and re-reports it without a second's hesitation. AllThingsD and other more reputable sources (such as Jim Dalrymple) come forward and say that iOS 7 will, in fact, launch on time. Every rumor blog on the planet jumps on the update and re-reports it without correcting or retracting their previous posts. That is the sad state of Apple rumors right there.
Rumor Roundup: Not so wounded as we were led to believe
Apple released its quarterly financial results this past week, and it turns out the company is significantly less doomed that many had predicted. It looks like Apple lives to fight for another quarter... unfortunately, that also means three more months of gibberish from "analysts" and other galactically disreputable sources. Apple profits may have fallen for the first time in a decade, says analysts (9to5 Mac) This analysis of Apple's profit was off by "only" 30 million dollars, or 7 cents per share. Predicted revenue was $1.2 billion less than what Apple actually made for the quarter. But hey, what's a billion dollars here and there, am I right? Barely even worth quibbling over. Apple rejects 5-8m iPhones supplied by Foxconn (9to5 Mac) From the article: "Details of just what went wrong are sketchy, as the source for this tale is an anonymous Foxconn staffer." Sounds legit! There's no possible way a source that solid could be wrong, or not privy to the whole story, or just plain making it all up. LG Display's profits grow, but reports cite 'weakened' demand for Apple's iPhone & iPad (AppleInsider) It's now reached the point where even Apple's component suppliers can't turn in positive financial performance without it somehow being spun into the "Apple is DOOMED" meta-narrative. LG had a major financial performance gain, but the real story is that it had a sequential loss since the holiday quarter. Gee, I wonder why sales during this past financial quarter might be lower than during the holiday quarter... can't think of anything. Obviously it's all down to Apple "losing its luster." That's it. No other explanation possible, Apple DOOMED. It Can't All Be True (Daring Fireball) John Gruber makes a similar point to mine regarding the different takes on LG's financial performance: the media is so drunk on the anti-Apple Kool-Aid that it'll grasp at any straw that seemingly supports its position. New Photos Show Inside of iPad 5 Rear Shell, iPhone 5S SIM Tray (MacRumors) More truly scintillating parts leaks. In particular, the not-at-all-different nano-SIM tray is bound to show up on the front page of newspapers worldwide. More Claims of 'Delays' for iPhone 5S Over Fingerprint Sensor Issues (MacRumors) Some analyst says the speculative date for the iPhone's launch is being moved to a later speculative date because of problems implementing speculative technology that no one has been able to prove Apple is even interested in integrating into its products. Got all that? This is pretty much a wild guess sandwich with conjecture sauce. The problem with this sandwich: there's absolutely no meat to it. Survey shows 19% of North American consumers want an 'iWatch' (BGR) I bet if you asked them, 19 percent of North American consumers would want an edible couch made out of nachos. Polls like this tell us absolutely nothing about Apple's plans, or the relative likelihood that any such product exists or will ever exist. Imagine how stupid and broken Apple's products and business would be if they were guided by market research and polling instead of being generated by people with refined design sense who actually know what they're doing. Actually, it's not all that hard to imagine; that's kind of how Microsoft works now. Apple reportedly 'caught flat-footed' by the rise of phablets (BGR) Some analyst thinks that Apple and its 4-inch screened iPhone 5 is on the ropes because Samsung makes devices with 5-inch screens. Considering Apple sold over 37 million iPhones last quarter, I'm guessing they're not caught nearly as "flat-footed" as this "analyst" suggests. Every time I hear about how Apple is scrambling to "catch up" to Samsung, I can't help but laugh. Look at it this way: Apple spends billions of dollars every quarter on research and development in order to design and build products so good they pretty much sell themselves. Samsung instead spends billions of dollars every quarter on marketing and advertising to convince people that its blatant iPhone clones are the best products. It's a small but crucial difference in how the two companies operate. Every time an analyst suggests that Apple (number one in profits, revenue, consumer satisfaction) needs to be more like Samsung (number one in market share and, um... losing major patent lawsuits), an angel loses his wings. iPhone 5S will reportedly launch in early September (BGR) Someone spins a roulette wheel and lands on "September" for the next iPhone launch. And for some reason, it's reported like it's legitimate news from a source that matters. Reports of weeping sounds coming from Edward R. Murrow's gravesite could not be verified at press time. Upgraded MacBook models expected to highlight WWDC 2013 (AppleInsider) Some analyst thinks the "highlight" of WWDC 2013 will be MacBooks with no major design changes. No Retina MacBook Air, no discontinuation of the optical drive MacBook Pro, and allegedly the biggest change to the lineup will be a move to a new processor architecture. Sounds absolutely thrilling. I'm sure Tim Cook will be pleased to make such an earth-shaking product announcement the central focus of Apple's yearly developer conference. Yield issues to keep Apple from building Retina iPad mini until October - report (AppleInsider) Some analyst -- the same analyst as for the previous rumor -- thinks the Retina display iPad mini has been "delayed" until October. Here's a question: did anyone honestly expect to see this device launch before then anyway? Show of hands. Okay, now all of you with triple-digit IQs, put your hands down. Wow, still lots of hands up... Apple Considering Lower-Priced iPad Mini at $199-$249? (MacRumors) The same analyst again? Wow, this guy sure was busy this week, as were all the rumor blogs breathlessly reporting every single word he said as though it came from Apple's highest echelons instead of some guy throwing darts at a wall and seeing what sticks. This time, he thinks Apple will sell an iPad mini with no rear camera and only 8 GB of storage to get the cost down to $199 to $249. Considering how low the margins are on the $329 iPad mini already, I don't really see Apple doing this. And even if the company did, can you imagine the reaction? I can. "The only way Apple can compete on price is by selling a crippled, almost useless version of its already cut-down iPad mini. This proves not only that Apple can't innovate anymore (a tablet without a rear-facing camera? How very 2010), but also that Apple's much-vaunted supply chain advantage is dwindling in the face of increased competition from Samsung and others. Can anyone right Apple's sinking ship? Time will tell, but this new version of the iPad mini may also turn out to be indicative of a huge problem that could shake Apple to the core." I feel like I need a shower after typing that. I don't know how the hacks at the Wall Street Journal and other anti-Apple financial rags manage to write stuff like that every day without giving in to the urge to exfoliate themselves with a belt sander.
Rumor Roundup: Selective skepticism
Many websites have learned the hard way that any 15-year-old kid with a copy of Photoshop and too much time on his hands can easily brew up a convincing "leaked" Apple product. Justifiably, then, these same sites sometimes greet photos of leaked parts with a degree of skepticism. Now, if only they'd employ that same skepticism when evaluating the nonsense that spews from legions of so-called "analysts." Foxconn resumes hiring in preparation for Apple's next iPhone (AppleInsider) Foxconn is hiring a bunch of people, which means everyone immediately breaks out their Jump to Conclusions mats and leaps toward the "New iPhone!" square. Maybe, maybe not. Foxconn does build a lot of products for companies besides Apple, you know. Faked Photo of 'iPhone 5S Logic Board' With A7 Chip Making the Rounds (MacRumors) You know a rumor is a stinker when Mac-"Digitimes reports that"-Rumors takes time out to debunk it. All snark aside, they did an excellent job ripping this fake photo a new one. iPhone 5S May Come Equipped with 12-Megapixel Rear Camera and Improved Night Shooting (MacRumors) The Vietnamese source of this rumor has been a reliable source of information on unreleased Apple products many times before. And since neither of these features sound particularly outlandish, I'd put this one in the (very small) "plausible" rumor pile. Facebook Home to come to iPhone? We're not holding our breath ... (9to5 Mac) I find myself in full agreement with 9to5 Mac on this one. If Apple did engage in "talks" with Facebook about integrating Facebook Home in iOS, I bet those talks didn't get much farther than someone at Apple saying, "LOL. No." Apple's not going to relinquish that much control over the iOS user experience to a third party. Anyone who honestly believes otherwise hasn't been paying attention to the "walled garden" and "Big Brother Apple" cliches that have been flying around for the past five years. More affordable iPhone predicted to grab Apple 11% share of low-end market in 2014 (AppleInsider) Gene "Apple HDTV coming in 201x" Munster turns his gaze upon another long-rumored but never seen product: the "budget iPhone." A bunch of made-up numbers follow like a stream of... well, let's just say, "something you wouldn't want to see in your kitchen" and leave it at that. Purported next-gen iPad case pictured, again pointing to major redesign (BGR) BGR busts out with the word "purported" for this story, which is a photo of a physical object -- a case allegedly designed around the next-gen iPad's form factor. I wonder if BGR is anywhere near as objective about stories sourced from "analysts" and/or daydreaming pundits? Forbes: Don't expect anything 'new' from Apple in 2013 (BGR) Nope; not an ounce of skepticism here. Some guy at Forbes says there is nothing new under Apple's sun for the rest of this year, and BGR re-reports it without a trace of incredulity. iPhone 5S, low-cost iPhone and Retina iPad mini launches all reportedly pushed back (BGR) Similarly, BGR completely takes "analyst" Peter Misek's ravings about Apple's product roadmap for 2013 at face value... in spite of the fact that Misek has been demonstrably wrong about all things Apple on many, many, many occasions. So here's how the score shapes up: Leaked photos of physical objects = cautious skepticism. Some analyst says something about Apple = STOP THE PRESSES. I've singled out BGR this week, but it's the same story with most of the rumor blogs out there right now. The relationship between "analysts" and the rumor blogs reminds me of all the little old ladies I used to see camped out in front of slot machines in Vegas. The odds of hitting a sizeable jackpot were vanishingly low, but there they sat anyway, pulling those levers or pushing those buttons over and over again in the vain hope that this time it might pay off. iPad 5 Estimated to Be 15% Thinner, 25% Lighter Than Current iPad (MacRumors) Read any analyst source's "research note" or "note to investors" and keep a tally of how many times he/she says, "We think" or "We believe." These people have no proof for any of these claims about Apple, its products, its potential financial performance, or its future roadmap. None. They are guessing. Their guesses are wrong far more often than they are right. They are not worth taking seriously. At all. Speaking of sources not worth taking seriously... Apple Halting Mac Component Orders Due to Overestimated Demand? (MacRumors) "Digitimes reports that" --BZZZT! Next. Lower-Cost iPhone's Plastic Rear Shell Reportedly Surfaces (MacRumors) From the article: "We also can not verify whether this is indeed a legitimate rear shell for Apple's lower-cost iPhone. It could simply be manufactured based on circulating rumors, but even if fake it could be an accurate representation if it is based on design specs leaking through case makers." In other words: It could be real. It could be fake. We don't know. It's anybody's guess, really. Journalism! *jazz hands* New shots show supposed 'iPhone 5S' camera, unidentified part (AppleInsider) Is there any other industry where such inconsequential leaks get so much attention? "BREAKING: Gas cap for 2014-model BMW K1300R surfaces (pics)" Apple warned not to stay quiet, must do 'something by September' (BGR) Some analyst is screaming for Apple to "[do] SOMETHING" by September. Apparently making obscenely huge amounts of money every three months doesn't count as doing SOMETHING -- all that matters is that everything Apple's selling right now is literally MONTHS old. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY, APPLE? I need an iPhone 5S, an iWatch, and an Apple HDTV, and I need them NOW, or I WALK.
Rumor Roundup: A new definition of 'insider'
The rumor blogs are developing a curious type of tunnel vision lately. Any time a rumored new hire, new part, new technology, or new patent appears that can't be immediately tied to one of Apple's existing products, the rumor blogs immediately start braying about the iWatch. They did exactly the same thing last year, except in 2012 the Apple HDTV was the Big Mythical Apple Device of the Year. 5th Generation iPad to Begin Production in July-August (MacRumors) "Digitimes claims that" -BZZZT. Next. 'iPhone 5S', cheaper iPhone to come in multiple new colors, July announcement? (9to5 Mac) Macotakara claims the next iPhone will come in three additional colors. It's worth mentioning that the first time this rumor came about, it was sourced from an analyst who's wrong about Apple's product pipeline often enough that it merited a special post on Cult of Mac outlining his terrible accuracy record. Apple and Yahoo in active discussions regarding increased partnership for Siri, search (Wall Street Journal, via 9to5 Mac) This makes a little more sense than the usual garden-variety Apple rumor. Apple and Yahoo aren't really competitors -- certainly not to the extent that Apple and Google are -- so Apple partnering with Yahoo to source some data for things like Siri actually makes sense. OS X 10.8.4 code confirms new Macs incoming with super-fast 802.11ac Gigabit wireless support (9to5 Mac) Although these types of leaks are theoretically trivially easy to fake, they usually turn out to be accurate. Is this the front of Apple's next-generation iPad? (Engadget) Yeah, probably. Korea Times posts its latest 'Apple moving away from Samsung' claim (9to5 Mac) From the article: "The paper regularly claims that Apple is abandoning Samsung as a supplier, and is regularly wrong." Okay... so why repost this "news" in the first place? Microsoft's Office for iOS, Android: Not until fall 2014? (ZDNet) The longer Microsoft waits, the less relevant Office will be in a post-PC world. We've already had three years to get used to the idea of creating content on an iPad without Microsoft's help. The company certainly isn't doing itself any favors by ignoring this market... then again, when was the last time Microsoft was undeniably firing on all cylinders? Analyst says Apple may launch new internet service, 'killer iOS app' after meeting with management (AppleInsider) The analyst in question seems to be making a habit of meeting with Apple management, then coming out with extraordinarily vague claims about Apple's product pipeline shortly thereafter. I seriously doubt Apple's management is giving her any more information than they usually give out at their quarterly financial conference calls -- in other words, "We don't comment on unreleased products." Component may show dual-head vibration motor for Apple's low-cost iPhone (AppleInsider) Add this to the rogue's gallery of "History's Least Exciting Product Leaks." 5-inch iPhone Analysis: Apple Needs an 'iPhad,' Topeka Says (BGR) Some analyst decided to double down on his track record of being wrong about Apple by suggesting that Apple's best -- maybe only -- chance for success is to essentially copy Samsung's product strategy. Riiiight. Development issues may cause later-than-expected debuts of 'iPhone 5S,' low-cost iPhone & next iPad mini (AppleInsider) From the article: "The bulk of Apple's 2013 product pipeline will likely launch later than many market watchers expect, according to one insider." Wow, who is this "insider" with such intimate knowledge of Apple's release schedule? Some financial analyst. This is a perfect example of the low point the various rumor blogs have reached. When analysts are classified as "insiders," where does it end? Is Digitimes up for election to Apple's Board of Directors? Apple close to closing 'iRadio' streaming deal with Warner, royalties on par with Pandora rates (9to5 Mac) This zombie rumor simply refuses to die, no matter how much time passes and no matter how many times it fails to come true. It's the kind of thing we can all envision happening someday -- eventually -- so when it does, count on the rumor blogs to trumpet their accuracy while ignoring literally years of false prophecy. Next-gen iPad could use new LED backlighting system to cut weight (AppleInsider) This is far from the first time this rumor has been announced, and it's mundane enough that it's probably true. Rumor: Ex-Adobe exec Kevin Lynch heading Apple team of former iPod employees (AppleInsider) From the article: "It's unknown exactly what Lynch's new mystery team is working on, but the site speculated on Friday that the new division could be working on Apple's rumored smart watch accessory." As mentioned earlier, this is the latest trend in the rumor scene. "We don't know what Apple's doing or what it's for... so it must be about the iWatch!" Non sequitur; your thoughts are uncoordinated. Fingerprint identification technology may be next-gen iPhone's Siri (BGR) Or... and bear with me here... it may not feature on the device at all. Just like last year. In the meantime, maybe you should stop posting every single word "Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White" says about Apple as though it were carved on unibody aluminium tablets, because you're going to look awfully silly when his predictions turn out to have a lower accuracy percentage than random chance. Longtime Apple Board Member Bill Campbell Says Technology Coming to 'Intimate Objects' (MacRumors) One of Apple's board members makes off-the-cuff remarks about "intimate objects" = rumor blogs fall all over one another in the race to be FIRST! to post a story linking this to Apple's supposed smart watch endeavors. Microsoft Looking to Join the Smart Watch Race (MacRumors) No comment necessary. Sometimes the jokes just write themselves.
Rumor Roundup: Psychic Friends Network
Back in the 90s, you couldn't watch TV after 10 o'clock at night without seeing at least one commercial for the Psychic Friends Network and/or Miss Cleo. I always used to wonder what happened to those guys after the bankruptcies and fraud investigations, but I think I've got it figured out: they all became financial analysts and Apple rumormongers. It makes perfect sense. Rumor: Apple's expiring chip contract with Samsung will lead to TSMC-built 'A7' chips (AppleInsider) Remember back in 2011, when TSMC started building A5 processors and Apple kicked Samsung to the curb? Remember when it happened again in 2012 with the A6? ...No? You don't remember either of those events? Weird. Neither do I. More signs point to 2013 Apple 'iWatch' launch (BGR) In this case, "signs" can be defined as some analyst's random ravings about Apple's future plans, with no evidence to support any of his claims. We'll hear more truly laughable stuff from this particular analyst later. Apple to Begin iPhone Production This Quarter (Wall Street Journal) Despite the mainstream pedigree of the Journal's name, this article brings absolutely nothing new to the table. Other rumors have already suggested virtually everything contained here: Apple may or may not launch the iPhone 5S in the summer, and it may or may not launch a "budget" model at the same time or soon thereafter. "Kudos" to the Journal, however, for somehow managing to frame this as yet another problem for Apple. And a very special shout-out to the concussed analyst they interviewed who suggested that "Apple needs to take a page from Samsung and launch more products faster." It's so obvious now; the only way to "save" Apple is to copy Samsung. Why didn't anyone think of this before? Anyone without a history of massive head trauma, I mean. The Latest Apple Scuttlebutt (Daring Fireball) In contrast to most of the frankly absurd Apple rumors out there, this thread on Branch contains some very interesting analysis from several people who have offered very accurate insights on Apple in the past. Most intriguing is the rumor that Jonathan Ive's sweeping UI changes to iOS 7 have set the OS update behind schedule, and both resources and employees have been transferred from development on OS X 10.9 to help get iOS 7 out the door on time. Rumor: Apple television with 'iRing' motion controller to launch this year (AppleInsider) In direct contrast to the well-sourced and level-headed analysis of the previous item comes this... thing... which is easily the dumbest thing I've read all week. This "iRing" concept looks like something from The Onion, or a poorly-executed April Fool's gag. Instead, some analyst actually floated this as a possible future Apple product... and he did it with a straight face. Do you need any more evidence that these so-called "analysts" are not worth taking even the slightest bit seriously? Fingerprint scanning tech predicted to be major component of Apple's 'iPhone 5S' & 'iWatch' (AppleInsider) The same analyst responsible for this week's most ridiculous rumor reached into 2012's rumor bin and dragged out the old "iPhone will have a fingerprint sensor" chestnut. Apple reportedly closing in on deal with record labels for 'iRadio' service, could sign within a week (AppleInsider) How many years has it been now that Apple has been asymptotically approaching a deal with record labels for a streaming music service? RUMOR: Apple to announce replacement for Mac Pro soon (MacDailyNews) According to MacDailyNews, "Our source offered no information as to whether the 'Mac Pro replacement' would be a tower, mini-tower, or some other solution." The Mac Pro might even be a razor. It could have two blades! Or three! Or -- and we caution that we have not been able to independently corroborate this information -- the Mac Pro could have as many as five blades. If anyone can do it, Apple can. Apple Notebook Refresh Expected Late This Quarter, But Only Modest Shipment Growth for 2013 (MacRumors) Citing supply chain sources, Digitimes reports that you are not the father.
Rumor Roundup: 'Deafening buzz'
"April showers bring May flowers." This old phrase refers to rain showers, but it could just as easily apply to the shower of "analysis" and rumors regarding Apple and its products. You could print any one of these stories out and use it to fertilize your lawn. Apple expected to report record revenues - but falling earnings (9to5 Mac) According to Fortune, "The bad news is that every analyst we've surveyed -- even the most bullish -- believes that for the first time in a decade Apple (AAPL) will report that its income this quarter was lower than the same quarter the year before." The good news is that financial analysts have absolutely no clue what they're talking about when it comes to Apple. Why the budget iPhone would throw the smartphone market into chaos (BGR) "The buzz around the budget iPhone has grown deafening, with new reports about the device coming out on a weekly basis." The "buzz" certainly is deafening. Almost as deafening as the lack of any substantiating evidence that this product exists at all. The idea behind this product doesn't even make sense -- it's allegedly a cheaper, cut-rate version of the existing iPhone designed to increase Apple's market share at the expense of its profits. Do any of the people writing about this supposed "budget iPhone" pay any attention whatsoever to how Apple actually operates? That was a rhetorical question. Apple analyst Gene Munster still clinging to HDTV this year, warns no major product announcements until June iPhone 5S launch (9to5 Mac) Munster was demonstrably wrong in his prediction of a March launch for the Retina display iPad mini, so it's an open question why we should take any of his other predictions seriously. Digitimes says Apple is working on a 4K TV for either later this year or early next year (9to5 Mac) Give 9to5 Mac a hand for including Digitimes' name in the headline, thus making it unnecessary to read the article at all to determine whether or not this rumor has the slightest chance of coming true. Apple Cutting iPad Mini Shipments in Q2 2013 to Prepare for Next Generation? (MacRumors) "Digitimes is reporting that" -- BZZZZZT! WRONG! Apple's ceramic device housing could be used in low-cost iPhone (AppleInsider) Exhibit A: a patent filing. Exhibit B: Some analyst's wild guesses based on that patent filing. 404 error, actual news not found. iPhone 5S announcement rumored for June 20th, launch in July (BGR) By this point, the rumor blogs have predicted the next iPhone will launch in every month between now and the end of the year. I'd like to see these guys at a roulette wheel in Vegas. "$500 on red. And $500 on black, too. C'mon, red or black! Daddy needs a new pair of shoes!" Exclusive: Apple will launch an official gaming joypad soon (PocketGamer) Exclusive: nope. Biting the hand that feeds you: why are record labels fighting Pandora? (The Verge) Buried within this article are assertions that "iRadio" is definitely coming out this year. If you just got a sudden blast of déjà vu, that's because people have been saying Apple will "definitely" launch a streaming music service "this year" for several years in a row.
