Apple’s iPad Air 3 and ‘iPhone 5se’ Event May Take Place March 15
Apple’s next media event, where it is rumored to announce updates across three product categories, is tentatively planned for Tuesday, March 15, according to 9to5Mac. The date could change over the next six weeks.
As the scheduled event is still a month-and-a-half away, the date could conceivably still shift or turn into an online announcement. The media event would be Apple’s first since September, and much like the fall event, is planned to touch on three major product categories for the company.
At the media event, its first since September, Apple CEO Tim Cook and other executives are expected to introduce the new 4-inch “iPhone 5se” and iPad Air 3, alongside minor Apple Watch updates, including new bands.
Apple’s new 4-inch iPhone is rumored to feature an A9 chip with M9 motion coprocessor, 1,624 mAh battery, 1GB of RAM, Bluetooth 4.2, Apple Pay, VoLTE, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and 16GB and 64GB storage models, but 3D Touch appears unlikely.
The so-called “iPhone 5se” will reportedly ship in late March or early April, and will likely replace the iPhone 5s. Apple’s smartphone lineup come September is expected to be the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, and iPhone 5se.
Details surrounding the iPad Air 3 are less clear, but leaked design drawings and aftermarket cases suggest the new 9.7-inch tablet could have a rear-facing LED camera flash, Smart Connector, and four speakers like the iPad Pro.
Taiwanese website DigiTimes also said the iPad Air 3 will have a high-resolution 4K display and up to 4GB of RAM, but the report is questionable due to the publication’s mixed track record at reporting on Apple’s upcoming product plans.
Last, earlier rumors suggested an “Apple Watch 2” could debut around March, but the wrist-worn device will likely only receive minor updates, including new bands and possibly a FaceTime camera, at next month’s purported media event.
Buyer’s Guide: iPad Air (Don’t Buy), Apple Watch (Neutral)
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iPad Air 3 drawing hints at a smaller iPad Pro
It’s February, which means we’re likely just one and a half months away from the next Apple launch event — one where we can expect a 4-inch “iPhone 6c” “iPhone 5se” and an “iPad Air 3.” So what’s new? Well, today we received an image that’s allegedly a simple dimensional drawing of the aforementioned tablet. While we’d usually dismiss such leaks, we’re siding with our reliable source on this one. Unsurprisingly, the next iPad will apparently pack a couple of features introduced by the iPad Pro: quad speakers for some nice audio boost, and a Smart Connector on the side for its very own “smart” accessories. This goes well with the earlier Pencil support rumor. What does surprise us is the extra hole below the camera, which suggests the iPad will finally be getting an LED flash. Hooray for tablet photographers!
Alas, as with all things in life, there is a slight trade-off with these extra goodies. If the dimensions listed here are to be trusted, then it appears that the iPad Air 3 will be 0.05 mm thicker and 0.1 mm wider than its predecessor. If you recall, there were similar marginal differences between the iPhone 6s models and their iPhone 6 counterparts. Existing soft cases for the iPad Air 2 will probably fit the new tablet just fine, but hard cases may scratch the body over time — as is the result of forcing some iPhone 6 cases onto the iPhone 6s. Besides, it’s not like you’ll want to cover up the LED flash nor the two extra speakers, anyway (nor the Smart Connector, if you’re picking up a smaller Smart Keyboard for this new iPad).
We tried squeezing more info out of our contact but that’s all we got for now, so stay tuned for an update or hold out for the supposed launch in mid-March.
Apple is developing charging tech that works from a distance
Apple wants you to be able to charge your iPhones and iPads even from afar, and it’s developing the wireless technology to make that a reality, according to Bloomberg. Cupertino is reportedly working with partners both in the US and in Asia to conjure up a way to beam power to its devices from “further away than the charging mats used with current smartphones.” Apple’s charging dock can power its smartwatch even when it’s millimeters away, but we’re guessing the company’s aiming for something that works from a greater distance.
Now the problem with this kind of technology is, the farther you are, the less efficient it is and the longer the charging time becomes. Bloomberg says the iPhone-maker is currently finding a way to prevent power loss caused by the distance between a mobile device and its charging apparatus. Apple isn’t the only one attempting to make charging easier for everyone, though: the WPC, for one, is improving the Qi wireless standard so that it can charge devices from a short distance.
Assuming Apple succeeds in solving the power loss problem (and this report is indeed true), its new charging technology could be out as soon as 2017. We hope the company makes it backwards compatible if and when it does come out, so we can finally toss our shoddy charging cables.
[Image credit: Yutaka Tsutano/Flickr]
Source: Bloomberg
The iPad Pro can handle firmware updates for accessories
Well, here’s an interesting development. Some iPad Pro users have noticed that, with the latest version of iOS 9, their monstrous tablet is able to push firmware updates to a connected accessory. Many customers were experiencing lag and other niggles with Logitech’s Create Keyboard Case, but found they could fix the problem by updating their slate to the second beta of iOS 9.3. As German developer Stefan Wolfrum notes, when the keyboard is attached through the Smart Connector an intriguing “Accessory Update” option appears on-screen. Within less than a minute, the update is completed and the problems are seemingly resolved.
It’s the first time we can recall an iOS device updating an accessory’s firmware in this way. The mystery, at least for now, are the requirements for such an exchange. Is it dependent on the Smart Connector, the new version of iOS, or both? If it does require Apple’s fancy new port, that means the useful feature is restricted to the iPad Pro for now. Given at least one new iPad is expected in March, however, it might not be long before we see the capability in another, smaller and cheaper iOS device.
WHOA! iOS 9.3 beta 2 apparently just updated my @Logitech Create #iPadPro keyboard’s firmware!! /cc @settern pic.twitter.com/N2uRxVWBiL
— Stefan Wolfrum ☺ (@metawops) January 27, 2016
Via: Cult of Mac
Source: Stefan Wolfrum (Twitter)
DigiTimes Says iPad Air 3 Will Have 4K Display and Up to 4GB RAM
Taiwanese touch panel makers General Interface Solution and TPK will share production of a third-generation “4K” iPad Air set to debut in March, according to sources out of the China supply chain (via DigiTimes).
The same sources claim that in addition to a 4K resolution touch panel, Apple’s new 9.7-inch tablet will feature up to 4GB RAM and improved battery life, and is scheduled to enter mass production in the second quarter of 2016.
The report goes on to state that both display makers expect a slight on-year increase in demand for touch panel products from Apple in the first half of 2016 due to orders of products equipped with 3D Touch. This comes despite previous rumors suggesting the iPad Air 3 will not adopt the pressure-sensitive display technology due to the production difficulties involved with scaling it up for a larger display.
Taiwan-based website DigiTimes has a mixed track record at reporting on Apple’s upcoming product plans, but its sources within the upstream supply chain have proven reliable in the past. However, the term “4K” may simply refer to the new iPad Air adopting features included in the iPad Pro, which inherited the oxide thin film transistor from the 5K Retina iMac, along with a UV-based photo alignment technique that ensures uniform color and brightness in the display. It also included a variable refresh rate that preserves battery life by cutting the refresh rate in half whenever there’s static content on the screen.
Based on details from leaked design drawings, the next-generation iPad Air may be set to adopt the iPad Pro’s four-speaker design and gain an LED flash next to the rear-facing camera. Other updates that would make sense include a faster A9 or A9X processor, Smart Connector, and improved cameras.
According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who often accurately predicts Apple’s plans, the iPad Air 3 will launch in the first half of 2016. Apple is rumored to be planning a media event for March of 2016, which is said to be the event where the iPad Air 3 will launch alongside a new 4-inch iPhone and Apple Watch updates.
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Apple Expands Lower App Store Pricing Tiers to Canada and New Zealand
Apple today followed through with plans to expand its lower pricing tier options for the App Store to Canada and New Zealand. Introduced in 2014, alternate pricing tiers A and B allow developers to charge lower prices in countries like China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, and Australia.
With the new pricing tiers, apps in Canada and New Zealand can be priced as low as $0.99 (CAD and NZD). Apple first announced upcoming Alternate Tier A and Tier B pricing options for Canada and New Zealand just over a week ago, when it raised App Store prices in the two countries due to exchange rate fluctuations.
On January 18, the Tier 1 minimum App Store price was raised to $1.39 CAD in Canada and $1.49 NZD in New Zealand. For reference, Tier 1 pricing in the United States is set at $0.99, meaning apps and in-app purchases priced at $0.99 in the U.S. cost $1.39 in Canada and $1.49 in New Zealand. With alternate pricing tiers, developers will now be able to charge $0.99 in the United States while charging a lower price in Canada, New Zealand, and the other countries listed above.
Lower price tiers, Alternate Tier A and Alternate Tier B, now let you offer paid apps and In-App Purchases at $0.99 (CAD) and $0.99 (NZD). Existing apps that already use these price tiers have been automatically updated.
App Store pricing was also raised in Israel, Mexico, Russia, Singapore, and South Africa, with several of those countries already able to take advantage of lower Tier A and Tier B pricing.
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Apple reportedly plans to launch a new iPad in March
Apple’s oft-rumored March event is quickly becoming a smorgasbord… you know, a little bit of everything. Sources for 9to5Mac say that Apple now hopes to introduce a new 9.7-inch iPad as part of the mid-March gathering. Just what that tablet will do isn’t clear, but tipsters suggest that it may borrow a page or two from the iPad Pro. The Cupertino crew has supposedly been testing a 9.7-inch screen with Pencil support, for one thing. There’s also talk of better speakers and a rear camera flash, and it’d only make sense to get a faster processor like the iPad Pro’s A9X.
So, what else is on the cards? We’ve already touched on the fabled 4-inch iPhone redesign, but 9to5 has tossed out hopes of seeing an Apple Watch 2 in March — that would have to wait until September. Instead, the upcoming gig would introduce new Watch bands (mostly for the Hermes and Sport lines), including one made from a “new material.” This wouldn’t be an Earth-shattering event, then, but it would cover a lot of ground.
[Image credit: Noah Berger/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Source: 9to5Mac
Apple has 1 billion active devices
Apple’s device sales weren’t stellar as 2015 wound to a close, but it did cross an important milestone: it now has 1 billion active devices. The figure includes all iOS, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Watch units that have used Cupertino’s services in the past 90 days. While that’s not as huge a figure as you’ll see on the Android side (which crossed the 1 billion mark back in 2014), it’s no mean feat for a company that focuses almost exclusively on higher-priced hardware.
Not that Apple is depending solely on an ever-growing unit count to make money. As the company explained during its fiscal results call, there’s a lot of recurring revenue here. Customer satisfaction rates are very high, so existing owners are more likely to come back for upgrades and additional products (say, an Apple Watch to go with that iPhone). Also, there are services that are consistent money makers — Apple Music, anyone? We’re sure that Apple still wants to sell lots of devices (it remains “bullish” on places like China and India), but it’s adamant that this isn’t the only criteria that matters.
[Image credit: Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images]
Source: Apple (PDF)
Apple Reports Record Results: $18.4B Profit on $75.9B in Revenue for Q1 2016 on 74.8M iPhones
Apple today announced financial results for the first fiscal quarter of 2016, which corresponds to the fourth calendar quarter of 2015. For the quarter, Apple posted revenue of $75.9 billion and net quarterly profit of $18.4 billion, or $3.28 per diluted share, compared to revenue of $74.6 billion and net quarterly profit of $18 billion, or $3.06 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Both revenue and earnings were company records.
Gross margin for the quarter was 40.1 percent compared to 39.9 percent in the year-ago quarter, with international sales accounting for 66 percent of revenue. Apple also declared an upcoming dividend payment of $0.52 per share, payable on February 11 to shareholders of record as of February 8. The company currently holds $215.7 billion in cash and marketable securities, partially offset by $53.2 billion in long-term debt.
Apple sold a record 74.8 million iPhones during the quarter, up slightly from 74.5 million a year earlier, while Mac sales were down slightly to 5.3 million units sold from 5.5 million units in the year-ago quarter. iPad sales were also down once again, falling to 16.1 million from 21.4 million despite the introduction of the iPad Pro during the quarter.
“Our team delivered Apple’s biggest quarter ever, thanks to the world’s most innovative products and all-time record sales of iPhone, Apple Watch and Apple TV,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “The growth of our Services business accelerated during the quarter to produce record results, and our installed base recently crossed a major milestone of one billion active devices.”
Apple’s guidance for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 includes expected revenue of $50–53 billion and gross margin between 39 and 39.5 percent. Revenue guidance is slightly below analyst expectations.
In supplemental materials, Apple explains that currency headwinds have cost the company 15 percent in earnings over the past 18 months. Using “constant currency” measures, Apple’s revenue for the holiday quarter would have been $80.8 billion for an 8 percent increase year-over-year.
Apple will provide live streaming of its fiscal Q1 2016 financial results conference call at 2:00 PM Pacific, and MacRumors will update this story with coverage of the conference call highlights.
Conference call starts at 2:00 PM Pacific – No need to refresh 
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Apple Now Has Over 1 Billion Active Devices Worldwide
Apple has announced that its active installed base of devices has reached 1 billion, based on the number of iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod touch, Apple TV and Apple Watch devices that have been engaged with the company’s services within the past 90 days.
Apple sold a record 74.8 million iPhones, 5.3 million Macs and 16.1 million iPads during the first quarter of the 2016 fiscal year. Apple also earned slightly over $6 billion in revenue from services, including App Store and iTunes sales, AppleCare, Apple Music subscriptions, Apple Pay, licensing and more.
Earlier this month, Apple said the 2015 holiday season was the “biggest ever” for the App Store, with customers spending a record-breaking $1.1 billion on apps and in-app purchases over a two-week period ending January 3. New Year’s Day set a single-day record with $144 million in sales, just one week after record sales on Christmas Day.
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