Alleged iPhone 6 Geekbench Results Reveal 1.4 GHz Dual-Core A8 Chip, 1 GB of RAM

Over the weekend, Weibo user zzray showed off an apparently working 4.7-inch iPhone 6, offering a first look at the device. Now, the user has also posted more information about the device (Google Translate, via GforGames), including results from a Geekbench 3 test that reveal a 1.4 GHz ARM processor and 1 GB of RAM for the device.

The results show that the iPhone 6 scored a 1633 on the single-core test and a 2920 on the multi-core test, which is greater than the 1305 single-core and 2347 dual-core Geekbench 3 scores for the 1.3 GHz A7 chip on the iPhone 5s. This also contrasts a previous report, which claimed that the A8 chip would top 2 GHz while remaining dual-core.

The data also displays 1GB of RAM, which is the same amount of RAM included on the iPhone 5s. A wiring schematic said to be from the iPhone 6 that surfaced last month also indicated that the device would have 1 GB of RAM.

iPhone 6 shot (left) compared to iPhone 5s (middle) and LG G3 (right)
The user has also posted a photo from the iPhone 6 and compared it to the same shot taken with iPhone 5s and LG G3. The 4.7-inch iPhone 6 is said to come with an improved camera module which is said to offer faster focusing speeds and power efficiency. Other leaks have pointed to the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 featuring an optical image stabilization system.

Apple is expected to reveal both the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 alongside the iWatch at a media event scheduled for today at 10 AM. MacRumors will have live coverage of the event as it unfolds.

.CPlase_panel display:none;

Apple to Provide Live Video of Today’s Special Media Event on Apple TV

Ahead of today’s special media event, Apple has once again made its “Apple Events” channel available on the Apple TV.

Image credit: MacStories
Apple will also be streaming the event live on its website, as users will need to be running Safari on Mac/iOS or have QuickTime 7 on Windows in order to watch the stream.

Apple is expected to unveil the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 alongside the iWatch, and will likely provide updates on iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite.

Apple’s keynote kicks off at 10:00 AM Pacific Time, and MacRumors will also be providing a live blog, live tweets via the MacRumorsLive Twitter account, and a spoiler-free page for those who want to watch the full keynote at a later time.

.CPlase_panel display:none;

Mayo Clinic to Reportedly Help Present iOS 8’s Health App at Apple’s Media Event

Minnesota-based medical group Mayo Clinic will be at Apple’s special media event tomorrow to demonstrate how iOS 8’s new Health app can benefit medical professionals, reports the Star Tribune. The paper states that Mayo will show how data from the Health app can flow into a sophisticated management system of a major health center.

Apple and Mayo Clinic have reportedly been working together for two years. The medical group’s CEO Dr. John H. Noseworthy was quoted as saying that Apple’s Health and HealthKit development tools have the potential to “revolutionize how the health industry interacts with people” when both were introduced at WWDC this past June.

Last month, Apple was also said to be in talks with health providers at Mount Sinai, Cleveland Clinic, John Hopkins, and Allscripts to roll out HealthKit to their facilities. According to sources close to the discussions, Apple has been positioning HealthKit and its Health app as an all-in-one solution for medical professionals to store patient data for easier access and to improve diagnostics.

Apple’s media event kicks off at 10:00 AM Pacific Time, and MacRumors will have full coverage of the event as it unfolds.

.CPlase_panel display:none;

Apple and IBM Focusing on Feedback-Driven Apps and Support in New Enterprise Partnership

This past July, Apple and IBM announced an exclusive enterprise mobility partnership that would see both companies collaborating on a series of new business apps and services. As a part of the agreement, IBM would begin selling iOS devices to its corporate customers, create iOS apps, and provide cloud services, while Apple would offer a new AppleCare service tailored to specific enterprise needs.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and IBM CEO Virginia Rometty (Apple/Paul Sakuma)
Now, in an interview with Tech Pro Research, IBM executive Glenn Finch has given new details on the company’s partnership with Apple, including how its enterprise apps will fit into the iOS ecosystem. According to Finch, IBM will create a hundred apps across a number of industries including software for financial services, telecom, and health. The executive also noted that the apps with be tailored to “client demand”, as feedback will play a major role in making design changes.

“The promise of this whole partnership,” Finch explained to me, is that “you have a built-in adoption curve already present.” His customers in the enterprise already use iPhones and iPads at home; they trust Apple, they trust the apps, and they intuitively know how to work with them. The devices are known.

Finch also spoke on where the companies overlap, stating Apple’s focus on user experience and design compliment IBM’s data-driven approach. AppleCare support for enterprises will also be a joint effort between the two companies, as Apple technicians will perform warranty work on hardware while app maintenance and support will be provided by IBM.

From a procurement perspective, Apple already has an enterprise group and IBM isn’t looking to step on their toes – however, IBM has an army of salespeople with clients every day, something that Apple is sorely lacking. The two companies are working out the specifics there to make sure they don’t trip over each other too much.

Apple and IBM will begin rolling out its first apps under the new partnership later this fall, as more apps are scheduled to be released in 2015. Both companies will also look to launch AppleCare support for enterprises later this year.

.CPlase_panel display:none;

U2 Said to Play ‘Significant Part’ in Tomorrow’s Apple Event

Last week, rumors suggested that Apple was planning to involve U2 in its upcoming iPhone 6 launch, with the band possibly performing at the event or including its new album on the iPhone 6. Those rumors were later dismissed by a U2 spokesperson, but it appears U2 may indeed be a part of tomorrow’s event.

According to a new report from The New York Times, U2 will play a “significant part” in Apple’s event at the Flint Center. Not only will U2 play at the event, its upcoming album will be integrated into Apple’s products.

Bono with Steve Jobs at 2004 U2 iPod event courtesy of The New York Times

Extending a decade-long connection with Apple, U2 will play a significant part in Apple’s event, which will be held at a performing arts center in Cupertino, Calif., the company’s home base, according to three people briefed on its plans. In addition to performing, the band will reveal an integration with Apple’s products that is connected to its next album, which is expected to come out by the end of the year, according to these people, who spoke anonymously because the band’s appearance — and its deal with Apple — is supposed to be a surprise.

Apple and U2 have had a long partnership, as Steve Jobs and Bono were good friends. Starting in 2004, Apple released several special edition U2 iPods, which included the band’s signatures and U2’s music. Apple has also been a longtime partner of (Product) RED, a charity founded by Bono.

.CPlase_panel display:none;

Apple Expanding Boston-Based Research Team Working on Siri Speech Recognition

Last year, we highlighted a profile of Apple’s Boston-area speech technology team speculated to be working on enhancements to Siri. The group’s efforts appear to have been ramping up since that time, with a June report claiming Apple is seeking to eventually move away from the Nuance-powered system currently used for Siri.

Apple’s team in Cambridge appears to still be growing, with BetaBoston reporting Apple has leased 13,000 square feet of new space to house the team.

Several commercial realtors tell me that the Cupertino company has leased more than half a floor at One Broadway, an MIT-owned building that also houses Facebook’s small local team, several venture capital firms, and the Cambridge Innovation Center. The new office, about 13,000 square feet on one of the building’s upper floors, is a major expansion for Apple, which currently has a small team on the building’s fifth floor.

Earlier reports had noted Apple’s recruitment of several former Nuance employees for the team, and BetaBoston reports Apple has recently added members from Amazon, research and development firm BBN Technologies, and data management firm Actifio.

Apple has reportedly not yet begin building out its new space in Cambridge, but it could house up to 65 employees once completed.

.CPlase_panel display:none;

Apple September 2014 Media Event: Spoiler-Free Video Stream [iOS Blog]

With Apple’s September 2014 media event kicking off Tuesday morning at 10:00 AM Pacific Time, some users are interested in avoiding all of the announcements and waiting until Apple posts the recorded video of the event so as to experience it without already knowing the outcome.

For those individuals, we’ve posted this news story, which will be updated with the link to the presentation once it becomes available from Apple. No other news stories or announcements will be displayed alongside this story.

Users waiting for the video to be posted are welcome to gather in the thread associated with this news story, and we ask that those who follow the events refrain from making any posts in the thread about Tuesday’s announcements.

.CPlase_panel display:none;