News from category ‘rumors’

Rumors suggest that updated MacBook Pros appear later this week, most likely on Thursday. The new MacBook Pros will feature larger glass trackpads than those found on current models for greater flexibility and perhaps for more complex gestures. The lower-end models will have 8GB-16GB solid-state drives to house Mac OS X system files, and will also come equipped with a regular hard drive. This will offer the benefits of SSDs - instant on and super fast performance - while also providing lots of room for heavy users’ files. The idea of separate flash-based storage for system files is not a new one. Intel's "Turbo Memory", in 2006, offered similar functionality. The new machines will be up to a half-pound lighter than current models and there will be five different SKUs.

The United Kingdom wireless carriers have begun lowering their prices on the first-generation iPad in anticipation of the launch of the iPad 2 in April. Both T-Mobile and Orange are now selling the original iPad for £99 with a 24-month data contract. This £100 is a strongly indication that carriers know that their current iPad stocks will soon be in less demand. Though, there is no information on official launch of the iPad 2. But on April 3rd will be a year since the original iPad was released, the history of iOS product launches strongly suggests a late March or early April debut of the iPad 2.

A new leather case for the next-generation iPad appeared on German website Macerkopf.de. Design of the leaked case confirms all rumors about tapered edges, thinner design, rear-facing camera and flat back, but also provides some details on the actual name of the “iPad 2”. The terms iPad 2 was used by journalists and bloggers for indication of the second-generation iPad. That case comes with packaging with a simple label “For the new iPad” that might mean that iPad 2 will actually be called simply iPad.

It is also noteworthy to say that current iPhone 4 accessories don’t come with labels like “Made for the iPhone 4″. Instead, Apple went for a simple “Made for iPhone” that doesn’t point to the “iPhone 4” name in any way.

Bloomberg reports that the next-generation iPad might be delayed until June. Such delay might be caused by design changes made by Apple. The design changes that are allegedly causing delays could go from new display technology or Retina Display to rear-facing camera adoption and a Light Peak interface for the new iPad. To tell honestly, “design changes” could mean anything. Moreover, Apple usually releases new iterations of iPhone in June, so June sounds a little strange for the iPad 2. A new iPad in June would have to face the obvious competition generated by the iPhone.

Apple recently filed a new patent application that describes a new feature, “Safe Deposit Box”, which will appear in a new Mac OS X Lion. “Safe Deposit Box” will allow users to secure important files. Users will be able to drag a particular file to a safe deposit icon - files could be automatically encrypted and hidden from access - that then secure the file and also upload the secured file to the cloud for backup that means that important files would be stored beyond the home computer. Users could then access secured files through a safe deposit box window by selecting the safe deposit box icon and verifying his or her identity. It seems that this feature would be included into Lion’s Time Machine but, as usual, there is no guarantee.

This Wednesday Boy Genius Report revealed that the launch of the Verizon iPhone 4 did not meet the expectations of Verizon and Apple. Their unknown Apple source even provided figures of sales in five Apple stores, two of which are "very, very prominent" locations. Here are the provided numbers for sales of iPhones with contracts of different carriers.

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One more creative photo of possible iPhone Nano or iPhone Mini. Similar fashion to existing iPhone 4, with 3.5-inch screen extended to the left/right edges. This image looks like a "spy" shot, but we believe is just another creative mockup.

There are many rumors about future iPhone 5 lately. One of them is that iPhone 5 will have a bigger 4-inch screen. Here's how it might look like compared to existing 3.5-inch screen iPhone 4:

According to AppleInsider, which in turn cited a person familiar with the matter, Apple will introduce its new MacBook Pro lineup in the next two weeks. Such a delay is caused by the design flaw in Intel's Sandy Bridge processors used in the new laptops.

This information supports previous rumor by Danish blog KennethLund.dk, which on Tuesday identified that March, 1st is the release date for new MacBooks. Though both reports point on Wednesday, history shows Apple may slightly move the date of product launch due to unexpected anomalies in the company's supply chain or manufacturing.

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Apple’s recent customer survey, conducted in order to estimate satisfaction with the new MacBook Airs, contains some questions about 3G data use and connectivity. That fact allows us to suggest that Apple might be planning to add this feature on its future models of laptops.  The current MacBook Airs comes with built-in Wi-Fi module. Now Apple is interested in how often users connect to network via 3G and what type of device they use to connect to a 3G network. Obviously, this option only increases popularity of that already well-known device.

A Taiwanese news site reports that Apple is now testing three radically different prototypes of the next iPhone. The first prototype, for business, a Blackberry-like iPhone 5 with a slide-out physical QWERTY keyboard for faster typing. Another iPhone 5 prototype is said to closely resemble the current iPhone 4 with a longer-lasting battery and an 8 megapixel rear camera. If this prototype is released, the iPhone 5 will be to the iPhone 4 what the iPhone 3GS was to the iPhone 3G. Of the third prototype, nothing is known, but it may be the 4-inch iPhone 5 we posted about earlier today.

Rumors say that Apple might expand the next generation iPhone’s screen to 4 inches to better compete with Google Android.

The component suppliers noted that the production lines for Apple's next generation iPhone have begun testing, and Apple is interesting in expanding the screen size to 4-inches to support the tablet PC market as the vendor only has a 9.7-inch iPad in the market.

Though, Apple’s prototypes for testing usually have little bit different designs than real products.

Today The U.K.'s Daily Mail also confirmed rumors on iPhone Nano, which is set to be released this summer separately from the iPhone 5. Anonymous sources were cited in the publication to reveal both already known and unknown details on the new device:

• iPhone Nano will cost $200 without a carrier subsidy or contract;
• The device will be a third smaller than the iPhone 4;
• No "Home" button;
• The handset may be delayed or scrapped.

It was also explained why the new device may be popular.

"Phone users on tighter budgets have been shunning the pricey iPhones in favour of less expernsive models which have Google's popular Android software. Apple will now hope to lure away customers from the likes of Nokia".

Besides that, the publication reported that Apple has been working on new iPhone hardware and software that would allow customers to bypass the carriers and choose a network by themselves directly from the handset.

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This is not real, but just a nice beautiful concept photo of future iPhone Nano.

Here's another one:

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New rumors about possible update of the MacBook Pro line claim that the new laptops might appear on March 1st. March 1st falls on a Tuesday which is typical for Apple's releases. Moreover the previous update of the MacBook Pro was in April 2010 and now some resellers noticed that MacBook Pro models are on tight supply, and all problems with Intel’s Sandy Bridge processors, which are expected to be built in the new notebooks, were solved, so any delay will be minimal. Many also expect that some of the models may take design from the MacBook Airs.