As we’ve seen over the past few months with the new iMacs, there are times when Apple’s (AAPL) cutting-edge designs are difficult to mass produce inside manufacturing plants. Barron’s on Wednesday points us to a new note written by Jefferies & Company analyst Peter Misek claiming that difficulty in producing the larger screens for Apple’s rumored 4.8-inch iPhone could push its launch date back until June 2014. Earlier rumors have hinted that Apple would try to release its own “phablet” this year to compete with Samsung (005930) and its popular Galaxy Note series that sold well over 15 million total units in 2012. Misek thinks that releasing a larger version of the iPhone will be crucial for Apple because “iPhone 5 sales are decelerating faster than expected and builds have been cut again” from 40 million to 30 million this quarter.
Rumors suggest Apple (AAPL) is working on not one but several new iPhone models gained steam this past weekend as images of purported next-generation “iPhone 5S” and “iPhone 6” parts were published on a French gadget blog. Nowhereelse.fr, which has published images of genuine parts from unreleased Apple devices in the past, recently published a pair of photos that it claims show internal speaker enclosures destined for two different upcoming iPhone models. The author of the post says he “found the photos while browsing the web,” though he does not indicate exactly where the images came from. He also notes that the names “iPhone 5S” and “iPhone 6″ are being used as placeholders, and the site does not claim knowledge of Apple’s naming scheme for its next-generation iPhone models. Both leaked photos can be viewed below. More →
Behold the Ghost of Palm Past. Earlier this week, industry watchers got to relive the rise and fall of webOS as Research In Motion gave the world a brief look at a gorgeous new smartphone platform while failing to convince anyone that it can succeed in a market dominated by Apple and Google. RIM’s stock plummeted from a high of $14.62 earlier this week to the $11-range as a result. Then, on Thursday, Samsung took the wraps off its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S III. The impressive smartphone’s design was described as having been inspired by pebbles that had been smoothed be the flow of water in a river. There was once another smartphone with a design inspired by river rocks, but I can’t quite put my finger on it… More →
During the annual Consumer Electronics Show in January 2009, a struggling smartphone company that had once helped shape the mobile industry unveiled its next-generation platform. It was gorgeous. The design was unique and appealing, the gesture-based controls were smart and intuitive, and the company’s new smartphone operating system offered a breath of fresh air in an industry dominated by just two major players, Apple and Google.
On August 18th, 2011, less than three years after this promising new platform was unveiled, it was effectively laid to rest.
A leaked part said to be destined for Apple’s next-generation iPhone may quell rumors that the Cupertino, California-based company is working on a teardrop-shaped Liquidmetal case for the next iPhone. Listed as “Replacement Sim Card Tray Holder Slot For Apple iPhone 5,” parts vendor sw-box.com has made what it claims to be SIM card trays for the sixth-generation iPhone available for purchase on its site. If the part is authentic, the most notable observation is that the new SIM tray is nearly identical to the part found in the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. While Apple’s next iPhone may still feature a redesigned case, Cult of Mac points out that the use of a flat aluminum tray in the new iPhone would likely indicate that the handset’s case will not utilize curved Liquidmetal alloy, as previously reported. More →
To start off what will undoubtedly be a long series of part leaks ahead of Apple’s next-generation iPhone launch, China-based parts retailer TVC-Mall has made what it claims to be “iPhone 5″ home buttons available for purchase on its site. “Are you interested in the iPhone 5 which will come out soon?” the company wrote on its website. “Different from iPhone 4S 4, the iPhone 5 home button is round in the centre and square outside as the pictures show.” The home buttons are available for purchase in both black and white, and no other information regarding the next-generation iPhone was made available. TVC-Mall has sold authentic iPhone parts ahead of official Apple launches in the past. BGR reported last December that Apple plans to launch a redesigned iPhone this coming fall. More →
Apple is on a mission to build the thinnest iPhone yet, and the company may break the 8-millimeter mark when it launches its next iPhone later this year. Reports surfaced last week that Apple is looking to utilize a new display technology in its next iPhone that places a panel’s touch sensors inside the color filters rather than above them, allowing the panel to be thinner without sacrificing responsiveness. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks the reports are accurate according to AppleInsider, and he believes a thinner battery and a switch from glass to metal for the iPhone’s case could make the next iPhone just 7.9 millimeters thick. BGR exclusively reported late last year that Apple is working on a completely redesigned sixth-generation iPhone with a new antenna system that will launch this coming fall. More →
Several rumors surrounding Apple’s next-generation iPhone handsets tend to resurface each year, and the imminent launch of an entry-level “iPhone nano” is one that we have seen regularly since Apple first launched the iPhone in 2007. China Times is among the first to bring purported news of a low-cost iPhone in the works this year, citing unnamed sources within Apple’s supply chain with its report. Apple is looking to expand expand its position in the low-end smartphone market according to China Times, and its $375 iPhone 3GS is too pricey to compete with entry-level Android smartphones. As such, the company is planning to launch a new low-end model later this year, possibly at or around the same time the sixth-generation flagship iPhone hits the market. More likely is the possibility that Apple will retool a current iPhone model in an effort to cut costs, but as we have learned in the past — and as we may soon see again with the possible introduction of an “iPad mini” later this year — the “iPhone nano” is rumor until it’s not. More →
Apple’s next-generation iPhone will reportedly make use of new display technology that will allow the device to utilize thinner components without sacrificing responsiveness. Citing anonymous sources within Apple’s component supply chain, DigiTimes on Friday reported that Apple’s new iPhone will utilize in-cell touch panels rather than industry-standard on-cell technology. In-cell touch panel technology allows a device’s touch sensors to reside inside a display’s color filters rather than above them, and the result is a thinner, lighter panel. According to the report, the new displays will be manufactured by Sharp and Toshiba Mobile Display, and production will ramp up in the second quarter followed by a launch some time in the third quarter this year. BGR reported last December that Apple plans to launch a completely redesigned iPhone with a new antenna system and a unibody case this fall. A separate recent report suggested that the new iPhone’s case could be made from the Liquidmetal alloys Apple licensed in 2010. More →
Sales of Apple’s popular iPhone line of smartphones will continue to decline until the next-generation model launches later this year according to one analyst. Mike Walkley of Canaccord Genuity on Thursday raised his price target on shares of Apple stock to $740, reiterating a Buy rating. Walkley believes that Apple will post strong results for the second fiscal quarter ended in March, however he lowered his EPS estimates for fiscal 2012 to $43.13 from $44.58. Read on for more. More →
Apple’s iPhone 4S marked the biggest device launch in the company’s history. A number of industry watchers and news sites were expecting a completely redesigned handset, but despite the new model’s striking resemblance to the iPhone 4, it sold more than 4 million units in its debut weekend alone. According to Goldman Sachs analyst Bill Shope, Apple’s next smartphone launch will be even bigger. Read on for more.
Acclaimed French designer Philippe Starck reportedly claims to be working with Apple to help design a revolutionary new product that will launch within the next eight months. ”Indeed, there is a big project together which will be out in eight months,” the designer said on air during an interview with a French TV show, Le Figaro reported. He continued, stating that the mysterious new product would be “quite revolutionary.” Starck’s credited works range from hotels to toothbrushes, and several consumer electronics devices he designed are currently sold in Apple Stores. The designer claims to have met with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs on numerous occasions over the years. “For seven years I came to see him once a month in Palo Alto and elsewhere,” Starck said. BGR reported last year that Apple plans to launch a redesigned iPhone this fall, and the company is also rumored to be working on a flat-panel “iTV” television that could launch later this year as well.
UPDATE: An Apple spokesperson confirmed to AllThingsD that the company is not currently working on any project with Phillippe Starck. More →
