iFixit Team Posts 9.7-inch iPad Pro Teardown [Images]
A couple of days after disassembling the 4-inch iPhone SE, the iFixit team has just performed a teardown of the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. As it turns out, the device combines the design of the iPad Air lineup with the internals used in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Unfortunately, this device is very difficult to repair, so its repairability score is only 2 out of 10.
Top 10 Stories of the Week
It is Sunday today, which means it’s high time I told you about the most popular posts of the past seven days. Most of the articles this week deal with the recent bugs found in iOS 9.3 and the fixes for these bugs. Apart from that, there are some posts that deal with the 4-inch iPhone SE and its internal components as well as with the rumors about the upcoming iPhone 7.
Samsung to Release Foldable Smartphone Next Year?
According to the latest report from people familiar with the matter, Apple’s main rival Samsung is planning to release a foldable smartphone or tablet next year. As noted by ETNews, this will be a 5-inch smartphone opening to a 7-inch tablet. The mass-production of foldable displays for the device will start at the end of this year. The new gadget is expected to be officially unveiled next year. Its price and specs remain unknown.
Apple Releases New Apple Music Ad [Video]
Apple has just released a new Apple Music commercial starring Taylor Swift. The short video, which is available below, is entitled “Taylor vs. Treadmill"’.
Apple’s Campus 2 Continues to Take Shape [Video]
Matthew Roberts has recently posted a new drone video to YouTube showing progress on the Campus 2 construction site. Thanks to the video, we can take a closer look at the main building that continues to take its shape, new roof panels, Research and Development facility, fitness center, parking structures and other parts of the would-be headquarters.
As it was reported earlier, Apple is expected to finish the construction of the new campus by the end of 2016.
Check out the video showing the entire Apple Campus 2 construction site and let me know what you think about it in the comments section below this short post.
iFixit Posts Complete iPhone SE Teardown [Images]
The iFixit team has posted its iPhone SE teardown, which confirmed most of the details about the device that surfaced yesterday after the Chipworks teardown of the same 4-inch handset. Apple’s updated 4-inch device is stuffed with iPhone 5s internals mixed up with some unique components developed specifically for this model.
Apple Releases iOS 9.3.1, Fixes Web Links Issue
Apple has released a new build of iOS 9.3.1 with fixes for the recent web links bug affecting Safari, Mail, Chrome and a number of other applications. Over the past couple of days, iOS 9.2.1 and iOS 9.3 users have been reporting about app freezes and crashes after tapping on links inside of these apps. Hopefully, the update resolves the problem.
Here’s what Apple writes about the latest iOS build:
Fixes an issue that caused apps to be unresponsive after tapping on links in Safari and other apps.
If you have a compatible iPhone or iPad and face the aforementioned problem, it is recommended that you update as soon as possible. If your phone or tablet works fine, you can either skip this iOS version or install it, it is all up to you.
The update is available via Software Update section on your device or through iTunes. The size of the new build is 35.3MB.
Analysts Call iOS 9.3 Most Stable Version in Years
According to the latest report from a research firm Apteligent, Apple’s iOS 9.3, which was released on March 21st and contained three major bugs affecting thousands of users all over the world, is the most stable version of the mobile operating system over the last couple of years. The experts claim that iOS 9.3 has the lowest crash rate in comparison with iOS 8, iOS 9 and iOS 9.2. In case you don’t know, a crash rate reflects the possibility of a software glitch or any other problem with the operating system.
iPhone SE Internals Revealed by Chipworks [Images]
Chipworks has recently posted the first teardown of the newly released 4-inch iPhone SE. As can be seen on the images below, the updated smartphone is a some kind of mixture of components and design peculiarities of the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s. If you want to get more details about the internals of the iPhone SE, keep reading this post.
Leaked Image Shows iPhone 7 with Borderless Display
A new photo showing something similar to the iPhone 7 with edge to edge display has recently appeared on the Chinese social network Weibo. The image seems to be photoshopped, but anyway, it may actually show us the new design of the upcoming handset or one of the prototypes. If you want to take a closer look at the leaked photo, you can do this below.
iPhone SE Is Popular Among Former Android Users
According to the latest report from Slice Intelligence, the smaller 4-inch iPhone SE lures more Android switchers than the flagship iPhone 6s released in 2015. The figures shared by the analysts are based on the reports about SE pre-orders, so I guess we can trust what we see.
As noted by the experts, about 35% of early iPhone SE adopters purchased an iPhone online in the course of past two years. Nearly 16% of new owners of the 4-inch device are former Android users. If to compare these figures with those of the iPhone 6s, we’ll see that former Android owners made only 10% here.
Apple hasn’t yet announced the exact number of iPhone SE units pre-ordered in the first-wave launch countries. However, the company is expected to do this at a special conference call dedicated to the financial results in the second quarter of fiscal 2016 on April 25th.
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.
Apple to Release Fix for iOS 9.3 Web Links Bug Soon
Apple is aware of the recent problem with opening links in Safari, Mail and a number of other applications on iOS 9.3 and iOS 9.2.1. Moreover, according to the latest report from TechCrunch, the company is already working on a fix for the bug that will be included in the next minor update for the mobile operating system. We need to be patient and wait for the newer build of IOS.
Apple to Announce Financial Results in Q2 of Fiscal 2016 on Monday, April 25th
Apple will officially announce the financial results in the second quarter of fiscal 2016 on Monday, April 25th. The conference call will be held at 2:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. ET. After the event, the company will post the conference call recording to its official website, so that anyone can get access to it.
Below you will find the official announcement made by the company earlier today.
FY 16 Second Quarter Results
Apple’s conference call to discuss second fiscal quarter results is scheduled for Monday, April 25, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. ET
Aside from the financial results in Q2 of fiscal 2016, Apple may also share the information about the number of iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac units sold over the last couple of months, so stay tuned.
Apple vs. FBI: Trial Is Over, Officials Don’t Need Apple Assistance
The FBI has withdrawn the lawsuit against Apple. This happened as the organization managed to gain access to the iPhone 5c used by one of the San Bernardino shooters without Apple’s assistance or approval. It is currently unknown who helped the FBI unlock the phone, but most likely this was an Israeli firm called Cellebrite.