What to Expect at WWDC, iPhone 7 and Notebook Rumors, App Store Changes, iMessage for Android? - MacRumors

What to Expect at WWDC 2016 Apple's hotly anticipated WWDC keynote takes place Monday at 10:00 am Pacific Time, and we've rounded up the rumors about what we might see unveiled at the event. While Siri isn't spilling any secrets, it's shaping up to be primarily a software-focused event, with iOS 10 (Apple's WWDC app is driving speculation of a new dark theme!) and OS X (or macOS?) 10.12 being the highlights, but watchOS and tvOS probably also getting some stage time. We may also see some new developments on the services front such as Apple Pay, iCloud, and iMessage. Those hoping for major hardware announcements are likely to be disappointed, however, as most rumors are suggesting new Macs and other products aren't quite ready yet. Apple will be offering a live video stream of Monday's keynote, but you can also stay tuned to MacRumors.com for a live blog and news coverage or follow MacRumorsLive on Twitter to get updates as they happen.   Read Full Article Popular Stories Jun 10, 2016 Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro With USB-C May Still Be Unveiled in June While reliable sources are saying there won't be major hardware announcements at WWDC next week, another source says Apple is indeed planning to announce new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models with USB-C support later this month, although an actual launch may not come until several months later. That sequence of events doesn't make a whole lot of sense to us, but we're definitely looking forward to some new Macs and there have been some rumors that innovative new hinges for the 13" MacBook Pro are already in production with ones for the 15" model following shortly. Also, following rumors and a leak pointing toward a new OLED "touch bar" replacing the traditional function keys at the top of the keyboard, there's a gorgeous new concept showing what might be possible with such a feature.   Read Full Article Sketchy Rumor Says Apple Will Add 'Deep Blue' Color for iPhone 7, Drop 'Space Gray' Japanese site Mac Otakara frequently shares accurate leaks from Apple's supply chain, but the latest one has come out of nowhere: Supposedly Apple will be dropping its traditional "Space Gray" color on the iPhone 7 and instead offering a "Deep Blue" color option. It sounds cool, but color us skeptical for the time being. In other iPhone 7 news, it looks like Apple will indeed be using cellular modems from both Intel and Qualcomm in the new device. Intel modems will reportedly be used in AT&T's models, while Qualcomm modems will be found in models destined for Verizon and in China. Who's ready for a repeat of the Samsung vs. TSMC chip debate from last year? Finally, we've got some MacRumors-branded cases based on the rumored design specs of the iPhone 7. The fit is basically identical to the iPhone 6s, but the cases do point to some changes such as a larger rear camera that is shifted slightly lower on the device's body. We'll be giving away some of these cases as a perk for early subscribers to our upcoming optional MacRumors membership program, and you can sign up for our interest list to be notified when we release more information about that.   Read Full Article Apple Announces Major App Store Changes Including New Subscription Terms and Search Ads   Ahead of WWDC, Apple has announced some major changes for the App Store that will start going into effect next week, including opening up subscriptions to all categories of apps and reducing Apple's cut of subscription revenue from its standard 30% to 15% once a given user has been subscribed for at least a year. Other changes include new ads at the top of App Store results, personalized Top Charts that omit apps you've already purchased or downloaded, and new 3D Touch Quick Actions on all app icons to make it easier to share your favorite app recommendations with your friends. We'll undoubtedly be hearing more about these changes at WWDC next week when Apple digs into the details with developers.   Read Full Article Apple Rumored to Be Debuting iMessage for Android at WWDC Here's another rumor we're definitely classifying as "sketchy" but which is generating a ton of interest: Apple bringing iMessage to Android. The iMessage service has so far been exclusive to Apple's ecosystem, so it's unclear whether Apple is interested in sacrificing that exclusivity in hopes of improving the experience for users who want to use iMessage to communicate with all of their friends and the potential to attract new customers by exposing them to Apple's services on their current devices.   Read Full Article Samsung Rumored to Launch Fully Bendable Smartphones in 2017 Bendable screens have been rumored for quite some time, and it looks like Samsung is nearly ready to launch devices that include the technology. Two such phones could debut as soon as early 2017, one with a 5-inch screen that folds out to a larger 8-inch screen and another with a 5-inch screen that folds in half for more compact storage. Apple is of course rumored to be making its own significant advancements on the iPhone in 2017 with a shift to OLED display technology, but it doesn't seem like bendable displays are in Apple's immediate future.   Read Full Article

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MacBook Pro Casing Leak, Thunderbolt Display Update?, iPhone 7 and 8 Rumors - MacRumors

Brought to you by:  Leaked Photos May Show Upcoming MacBook Pro's Top Case With Space for OLED Touch Panel, Four USB-C Ports MacBook Pro rumors are starting to heat up, so Mac fans who've been waiting a long time for updates might want to buckle up. Just a week after hearing the next MacBook Pro may include an OLED "touch bar" in place of the traditional function keys, we've now gotten a look at what is a pretty convincing set of photos of what could be the casing of the 13-inch model. The photos show a skinny space across the top of the keyboard where the rumored OLED touch bar would go, as well as narrow speaker strips along the right and left sides of the keyboard. On the sides of the casing, we see what appear to be four USB-C ports and a headphone jack...and that's all. If early rumors are correct, unfortunately, we may have to wait until near the end of the year for Apple to unveil the new MacBook Pro.   Read Full Article Sponsored Stories Autodesk Graphic: Vector Precision to Fall in Love With Graphic for Mac/iOS has everything you’d expect in a vector design app with none of the bloat you’re trying to avoid. We spent a lot of time making sure you’ll have a seamless experience with your AI, PSD, SVG, and PDF files. Output your work for print, web, SVG, CSS — even Xcode. If you’re looking for an Illustrator alternative that plays nice with Photoshop, you (finally) found it. Available for Mac, iPad, and iPhone, it’s the only design app that’s actually full-featured on all devices. There’s no excuse not to finish every detail when all of your work syncs to iCloud. Just pick up where you left off whenever you need to switch devices. (Our apologies if this puts you to work during your commute.)   Visit Sponsor Popular Stories Jun 02, 2016 Thunderbolt Display Stock Limited at Apple Stores Ahead of WWDC Earlier this week, we reported on some apparent shortages of Apple's Thunderbolt Display, with many of Apple's own retail stores around the world currently out of stock and a few tips indicating stock either isn't being replenished or is perhaps even being actively pulled from stores. In the wake of those shortages, rumors of a possible updated Thunderbolt Display appearing later this month at WWDC have ramped up. There's been a fair amount of speculation about just how Apple could launch a 5K external display considering the technical challenges involved, but one of the most enticing possibilities involving a graphics card embedded right in the display has already been shot down.   Read Full Article iPhone 7 Plus Said to Have 32GB, 128GB, and 256GB Storage Options Rumors about the upcoming iPhone 7 continue to circulate, and this week saw a pair of claims about the device's storage capacity. The first report indicated Apple may finally bump the entry-level storage to 32 GB, which many users have been clamoring for considering the amount of space media and apps can take up on their devices. A second report corroborates claims of a 32 GB base model, but expands upon that to say at least the larger iPhone 7 Plus will max out at 256 GB of storage while the middle tier could also see a bump from 64 GB to 128 GB. Meanwhile, we're starting to see some Lightning headphone adapters from third-party accessory manufacturers anticipating the removal of the traditional headphone jack in the iPhone 7. Accessory manufacturers remain split, however, on whether one of both models will include Smart Connectors on the rear of the devices.   Read Full Article Apple's 2017 iPhone May Feature Dual-Curve OLED Display Amid rumors of significant changes for the 2017 iPhone including a shift to an OLED display, a new report claims the device could use a dual-curve display similar to that found in Samsung's Edge models and a few other Android handsets such as Vivo's new Xplay 5. The displays on those devices curve downward on the left and right edges, allowing information to be seen even when the device is face down. A second rumor claims the Taptic Engine found in the iPhone 6s will be enhanced for the iPhone 7, allowing for "more complex tactile vibrations" that enhance the 3D Touch experience.   Read Full Article AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule Temporarily Go Out of Stock at U.S. Apple Stores What many consider one of Apple's more boring product lines actually generated a fair bit of excitement last week when the company's AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule Wi-Fi base stations went out of stock at nearly all Apple retail stores around the United States. The shortage sparked speculation of a possible update at WWDC later this month, although the products have since come back into stock and so it appears the issue may have been related to configuration changes Apple was required to make ahead of a June 2 regulatory deadline.   Read Full Article Apple's Amazon Echo Competitor Could Feature Camera, Facial Recognition Following last week's rumor that Apple is preparing to open up Siri to third-party developers and working on its own Amazon Echo-like device that could handle spoken requests around the home, several new reports have claimed to offer details on Apple's plans for the device. One report says Apple's device could include a built-in camera with facial recognition capabilities, allowing it to identify a person entering a room and set preferences such as lightning and music automatically. A second report claims the Echo-like features may be built into a next-generation Apple TV, although it's unclear how that would fit with rumors of an included camera unless the current form factor ideal for out-of-way placement was to significantly change. Finally, there's a rumor Apple will be leveraging last year's acquisition of natural language processing startup VocalIQ to roll out massive improvements for Siri's abilities as part of the company's home appliance.   Read Full Article

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MacBook Pro and iPhone 7 Rumors, Apple's Amazon Echo Competitor, Schools Replacing iPad 'Toys' With MacBooks - MacRumors

2016 MacBook Pro May Include OLED Display Touch Bar and Touch ID MacBook Pro fans have been waiting for news of an update, and a new report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the next update will indeed be a big one. Kuo says the next-generation MacBook Pro will include a thinner and lighter design, Touch ID, an OLED touch display bar above the keyboard in place of the traditional function keys, and USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 support. On the downside, Kuo says we'll need to wait until the fourth quarter of this year for the new models, while many had been hoping for a debut at WWDC next month.   Read Full Article Popular Stories May 26, 2016 Alleged iPhone 7 Prototype Case Leak Shows Four Separate Speakers We're continuing to see conflicting information and leaks about the upcoming iPhone 7, and the latest is a sketchy-looking rear casing that includes holes for four separate speakers, two each on the top and bottom edges of the device. Other rumors have said the iPhone 7 will include only the current single speaker or perhaps two, with the second speaker being in place of the current headphone jack. Other iPhone 7 rumors this week included a few other part leaks such as a casing showing a protruding rear camera lens and alleged molds and schematics supporting rumored camera layouts and a lack of a Smart Connector on both sizes of the upcoming iPhone. We're also seeing conflicting rumors on whether Apple's suppliers are planning for strong or weak demand for the iPhone 7, while LG is reportedly picking up the slack as Sony is having trouble producing dual-lens cameras for the larger iPhone 7 Plus models.   Read Full Article Apple Working on Amazon Echo Competitor, Opening Siri Up to Developers Apple is reportedly planning to open up Siri to third-party developers at WWDC next month, with a longer term goal of launching an Amazon Echo-like device for the home that could handle search queries, playing music, and controlling other smart devices around the house. Another report says Apple's Echo competitor could arrive in the form of an upgraded Apple TV with integrated microphone and speaker and improved internals.   Read Full Article Apple Releases Firmware Update 7.6.7 and 7.7.7 for AirPort Base Stations For the first time in two years, Apple has issued firmware updates for its AirPort wireless base stations. The updates fix a small handful of bugs, but it's still unclear if it also fixes issues many users have been having with the next-generation IPv6 protocol, as users are reporting mixed results in the short time the new firmware has been out.   Read Full Article Apple Offers to Replace iPads With MacBooks in Maine State Classrooms With teachers calling iPads in the classroom a "disaster" and "toys" offering "no educational function," the state of Maine and Apple are offering to switch the tablets out for new MacBook Air models. It's naturally generating a lot of discussion about the utility of iPads in education and where the blame should be placed if results aren't meeting expectations. Many blame the school districts for not being prepared well enough for the technology, but even so it's a bump in the road for Apple as it tries to emphasize the iPad as an educational tool.   Read Full Article Apple Seeds First Beta of iOS 9.3.3 to Developers Just a week after releasing iOS 9.3.2 to the public, Apple this week seeded the first beta version of iOS 9.3.3 to developers and public beta testers. Initial betas of OS X 10.11.6 and tvOS 9.2.2 have also been released, but updates across all of the new versions have been pretty much limited to under-the-hood improvements. After several days of complaints from owners of the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro who found their devices bricked after updating to iOS 9.3.2, Apple did pull the update to prevent additional users from running into the problem. Apple is evidently still investigating the problem, however, as it has yet to release a patched version of iOS 9.3.2 and in fact hasn't even released a version of the iOS 9.3.3 beta for the affected models.   Read Full Article

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Siri for Mac Icon, iOS 9.3.2 and iTunes 12.4, Touch ID Mystery Solved, New San Francisco Store - MacRumors

Siri for Mac’s Colorful Waveform Dock Icon Revealed Ahead of OS X 10.12 Unveiling With OS X 10.12 all but certain to make its first public appearance at WWDC next month, we're starting to hear a few tidbits about what we might expect with the next version of Apple's Mac operating system. Perhaps most interestingly, we've gotten a glimpse at the colorful waveform Dock icon that will allow users to access Siri on the Mac for the first time. We've also seen a more generic "Siri" icon for the menu bar, but this is likely to be a placeholder for the time being. Separately, we've heard Apple is working on a feature to unlock your Mac using Touch ID on your iPhone. The feature would use Bluetooth LE to communicate wirelessly over short range between your iPhone and your Mac to allow for unlocking. Similar technology could be behind rumored Apple Pay support on Macs via an iPhone.   Read Full Article Popular Stories May 20, 2016 Apple Releases iOS 9.3.2 With Support for Simultaneous Night Shift/Low Power Mode Usage Apple this week released iOS 9.3.2 to the public, bringing a number of fixes and improvements including support for simultaneous use of Night Shift and Low Power Mode, as well as fixes for Bluetooth audio issues on the iPhone SE. The update itself is causing some problems, however, with Apple pulling the update for the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro amid complaints it is bricking some devices.  In addition to iOS 9.3.2, Apple's other operating systems all received updates this week, with OS X 10.11.5, tvOS 9.2.1, and watchOS 2.2.1 all being released to the public. Changes are minor with these updates, however, primarily focusing on security and bug fixes.   Read Full Article Apple Releases iTunes 12.4 With Design Tweaks and Protection Against Music Deletion Issue Earlier this month, we detailed some design tweaks coming in iTunes 12.4 intended to improve usability across various types of content, and this week Apple released the update to the public. It includes a persistent sidebar, back/forward navigation buttons, and a dropdown menu to select between media types. The update also provides some safeguards against a highly publicized bug that was resulting in some users' owned music libraries being deleted after merging with Apple Music. Apple did confirm a bug is present, but has had a hard time replicating it. The company sent two engineers across the country to meet with the user who first reported the problem, and has been working to find the root cause.   Read Full Article Apple Quietly Added New Passcode Requirement for Touch ID in iOS 9 Apple has finally documented a new Touch ID and passcode requirement it put into place with iOS 9 last year, a change that has been frustrating users who haven't been able to figure out why their devices are requesting passcodes instead of Touch ID in certain circumstances. While Apple has traditionally required a passcode instead of Touch ID any time an iOS device has been restarted or when the device has been idle for at least 48 hours, the change with iOS 9 adds a new restriction: If a device has not been unlocked via passcode within the past six days and is then left idle for eight hours or more, a passcode will be required instead of Touch ID.   Read Full Article Apple Previews New Flagship Union Square Store in San Francisco as Apple's Retail Stores Turn 15 Years Old This week marked the 15th anniversary of the opening of the first two Apple retail stores in Tysons Corner, Virginia and Glendale, California, and Apple honored the occasion by offering a press preview of the new flagship store in San Francisco, which opens to the public on Saturday, May 21. The store includes a number of new features, including massive glass doors at the front and rear that open the store to the outdoors, a new "Genius Grove" to tone down the hustle and bustle of the Genius Bar, and a new "Avenue" where various types of accessories and other products will be showcased by Apple store staff.   Read Full Article Apple to Hire 4,000 Employees in Hyderabad, India to Work on Maps Development Tim Cook and several other Apple executives including Jeff Williams and Lisa Jackson are touring China and India this week, making a number of significant announcements. The one receiving the most attention has been the launch of a new development center in Hyderabad, India that will see Apple partnering with RMSI to hire up to 4,000 employees focused on Maps development. Apple also announced the early 2017 debut of an iOS app development accelerator in Bangalore, intended to help Indian app developers get up to speed with Apple's new Swift programming language and to consult on app design and review. Finally, while Apple has not officially announced anything on the retail front, sources have indicated Apple is moving to open its first retail stores in India within the next 18 months.   Read Full Article

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iPhone 7 and Beyond Rumors, iTunes 12.4 Leak, Lightning Headphones, Apple Music News - MacRumors

New iPhone 7 and 7 Plus Drawings: Dual Camera and Smart Connector Exclusive to 5.5-Inch Model iPhone 7 rumors are starting to kick into high gear, with this week seeing some new design drawings reportedly sourced directly from Apple's casing partner Catcher Technology and showing the overall looks of both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. In line with previous rumors, the phones appear very similar to the iPhone 6/6s family, with the notable exception of a dual-lens camera and a rumored Smart Connector on the larger 5.5-inch model. The Smart Connector in particular has been a source of dispute among rumors with Japanese site Mac Otakara backpedaling on its previous claims of the feature's inclusion to say Apple has decided not to offer the Smart Connector on its upcoming phones. But with the latest drawings showing the feature perhaps as an exclusive for the larger phone, that may explain some of the confusion. Relatively reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also backtracked on his earlier claims a bit, stating Apple will include the dual-lens camera on all 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus devices, along with 3 GB of RAM to help handle the complicated image processing. Previously, he had suggested Apple might offer the iPhone 7 Plus in both single-lens and dual-lens variants. Several other design drawing and dummy unit leaks have also surfaced in recent days, while Apple's supply chain appears to be anticipating fairly weak demand for the upcoming iPhone 7, citing a "lack of innovation."   Read Full Article Popular Stories May 12, 2016 iTunes 12.4 Update to Feature Minor Redesign With New Sidebar, Improved Navigation Apple's been working on an update for iTunes to help address usability complaints, and this week we got a look at the upcoming iTunes 12.4 that appears to be ready for release at any time. The new version will have several minor visual tweaks, including a persistent sidebar for managing content, a new dropdown media type selector, and a few other changes. A more significant redesign could come as part of OS X 10.12 later this year.   Read Full Article Lightning Headphones: Are They Better or Just an Inconvenience? With Apple rumored to be getting rid of the traditional 3.5 mm headphone jack on the iPhone 7 later this year, we took a look at what that means for those who want to continue using wired headphones over the Lightning connector. We tested three sets of Lightning headphones priced from $45 to $800 and found that all offered better sound quality than headphones connected to 3.5 mm jacks, but some users may find that doesn't outweigh some of the disadvantages like not being able to charge and use wired headphones at the same time and needing headphones that work only with iOS devices.   Read Full Article Debate Rages Over Whether Apple Music Automatically Deletes Users' Owned Music Collections The internet erupted last week with a debate over whether Apple Music has been deleting users' owned music on their computers, following a blog post highlighting how an Apple support representative said this was the intended behavior of the service. It certainly isn't supposed to be an intended feature, so it appears some combination of support misinformation, confusing dialog boxes for users on Apple Music, and perhaps even some bugs are contributing to issues some users are experiencing. In other Apple Music news, Apple last week rolled out half-price student memberships, bringing the monthly cost of the service down to $4.99 in the United States for eligible users. And Apple moved quickly to debunk a report claiming the company is looking to cease offering purchased iTunes Store music downloads in as soon as two years, calling the claim "not true."   Read Full Article 2017 iPhone May Feature Edge-to-Edge Display With Embedded Touch ID Sensor, Front-Facing Camera Prominent Apple blogger John Gruber doesn't weigh in with rumor tidbits as often as he used to, but on this week's episode of his podcast The Talk Show, he shared some "scuttlebutt" he's been hearing about the iPhone to be introduced in 2017. Gruber says he's heard the display will take up the entire front of the device, with all of the other current features like Touch ID, FaceTime camera, and speaker somehow being embedded within the display. Rumors have been pointing to a major upgrade for the iPhone in 2017, including a shift to OLED display technology, a new glass casing, and perhaps wireless charging.   Read Full Article Siri Creators Offer First Demo of 'Viv', the Self-Coding Voice Assistant While Siri is a helpful assistant for many people, others have criticized its functionality as a stripped-down version of the technology Apple originally acquired. Siri's creators have long since moved on from Apple, and this week they showed off "Viv," their next-generation voice assistant that uses "dynamic program generation" to remain context-aware while engaging in increasingly complex conversations. The open-ended nature of Viv allows it to "self code" responses as it learns and engages in conversation, rather than hard coding in all necessary responses to queries.   Read Full Article

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