News tagged ‘Japan’
iPhone 7 Plus Won’t Feature Smart Connector?
According to the latest report from a Japanese website Macotakara, Apple has changed its initial plans and won’t equip the iPhone 7 Plus (or Pro) with a Smart Connector. A funny thing about this rumor is that about a month ago, this same site, Macotakara, claimed all the rumors about the Smart Connector included in the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus were real and legitimate. It is up to you to decide whether to believe the latest report or not, but don’t say you haven’t been warned.
Apple Cuts iPhone 6, 6s and SE Prices in Japan
Apple has reduced the price of the iPhone lineup in Japan. Such models as the iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and even the recently-released 4-inch iPhone SE can now be purchased 10% cheaper. For example, the entry-level 16GB iPhone SE model was available for about $483. Now its price is equal to approximately $437.
Foxconn Will Acquire Sharp for $3.5 Billion
Foxconn will finally acquire Sharp, reliable sources claim. The tech giant has confirmed its plans to purchase the Japanese company for $3.5 billion. Initially, the acquisition price was equal to incredible $6.2 billion, however, after long negotiations and some external factors that influenced both parties, the sum was reduced to something more realistic.
Foxconn Agrees to Buy Out Sharp Shares
Foxconn has finally decided to buy out Sharp shares, reliable insiders claim. Two companies have reached agreement and will sign a deal as soon as next week. The sum of buyout is reportedly equal to approximately $884.4 million and that is much lower from the original sum mentioned in reports in February.
27 New US Banks Now Support Apple Pay
Apple continues to expand its payment service system on the market. 27 banks in the USA signed a contract to become partners of Apple Pay. The list includes such banks as the Bank of England, the Franklin First Federal Credit Union, Lone Star National Bank etc.
New Details About iPhone 7 Revealed: Thinner Waterproof Body and No Headphone Jack
Japanese Apple blog Macotakara has recently shared some news about the iPhone 7.
According to the reporters, the handset will get a number of advanced features, for example, a thinner Lightning connector that is supposed to reduce the overall thickness of the iPhone. In fact, it’s said that the updated model will be 1mm thinner than the iPhone 6. Still, it will have the same width and height.
Sharp Reportedly Accepts $6.24 Billion Takeover Offer From Foxconn - WSJ
Sharp has recently accepted a $6.24 billion takeover offer from Foxconn, the Wall Street Journal reporters claim. This means that the Japanese manufacturer will soon become a part of the tech giant from Taiwan. Foxconn has promised to do its best in order to avoid layoffs.
Apple Launches Apple Music in Taiwan
Apple has recently launched its streaming music service called Apple Music as well as the Beats 1 radio in Taiwan. The launch took place nearly a week after the debut of the service in Turkey.
The Taiwanese customers can use Apple Music for three months for free. Once the trial ends, they will have to pay about $4.50 USD each month. The family plan is a bit more expensive.
Japan Display Confirms OLED Panels Production in 2018
Japan Display has recently confirmed that it will start the production of OLED panels in 2018. Even though the manufacturer haven’t disclosed any additional details about the client requiring these new panels, it is almost clear that it is Apple that will be using new OLED displays in the iPhones starting in 2018. Looks like now Japan Display has officially become the rival of LG Display and Samsung who also compete to supply Apple with new OLED displays.
App Store Dominates in Revenue, Google Play Remains Leader in App Downloads [Chart]
According to the data shared by App Annie, Google Play saw a massive growth in the number of downloads in 2015 that allowed the store to double the number of App Store downloads. Still, Apple’s online marketplace dominated in the revenue generated by the purchases of applications.
Apple Working on Better iPhone and iPad Displays at Secret Taiwan Plant
According to the latest report from Bloomberg reporters, Apple may be currently working on new thinner and brighter displays for the next generations for its smartphones and tablets at a secret Taiwan-based factory. The reporters claim the company has opened a special laboratory in Longtan with at least 50 employees focusing their attention on making the iPhone and iPad display thinner and more energy-efficient. To achieve this goal, the engineers are experimenting with organic light-emitting diodes.
Top 10 Stories of the Week
It is Sunday today, so I assume you’re ready for our top-10 articles roundup. Most of the posts this week deal with the rumors about the hardware components for the next-generation iPhone as well as with the release of iOS 9.2 that contains a number of fixes for Apple Music, Mail and Safari and OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan with minor stability improvements to users worldwide. There’re also some other interesting articles, you can take a look below.
Microsoft Releases Cortana to US and Chinese iOS Users
Following the release of the first testing version for a small number of iOS users last month, Microsoft has just released Cortana to users in the United States of America and China. As of Wednesday, Microsoft’s virtual assistant is available on the App Store and can be downloaded for free by all those who have an US or Chinese account.
Japan Display Plans to Supply Apple with OLED Panels in 2018 - Rumor
According to the latest report from Nikkan, Japan Display (JDI) is currently in talks with Apple to supply the US tech giant with OLED panels for the iPhone in 2018. The aforementioned company is Apple’s long-time LED panels supplier, so it is very likely that Apple may opt for the same manufacturer for new displays.
iPhone 7 Won’t Feature 3.5mm Headphone Jack - Rumor
According to the latest report from people familiar with the matter, Apple may replace the 3.5mm headphone jack on the next-generation iPhone with a multi-purpose Lightning connector. Apart from that, the new phone called presumably the iPhone 7 may come with redesigned EarPods supporting the new output method. Such rumors have been shared by a Japanese website Mac Otakara. The website has a good track record when it comes to Apple gadgets, so it is a pretty reliable source of information.