Author: Sam Kohl

  • Apple to host iPhone Special Event later this month

    Apple to host iPhone Special Event later this month

    The news: Apple will still be holding their usual iPhone Special Event in September (albeit virtually), according to Mark Gurman (86.7% accurate).

    • Invites for the event are likely going out via a press release on Tuesday, September 8
    • At the event later this month, the iPhone 12 series and Apple Watch Series 6 are expected
    • Other rumors have suggested that Apple would skip September in favor of an October Special Event

    Our take: After all the back-and-forth, I’m placing my bets back on a September event from Apple. Not only is it tradition, this new info is coming from a source who has been leaking Apple info for a very long time.

  • Mark Gurman: No new Apple products this week

    Mark Gurman: No new Apple products this week

    The rumor: Following rumors of new Apple products later this week, Mark Gurman (86.7% accurate) has suggested that won’t end up happening.

    • New Apple products, according to Gurman, will not be coming until later this month
    • Jon Prosser (77.8% accurate), however, says that Tuesday, September 8 is when a new Apple Watch and iPad are coming
    • Both Gurman and Prosser have disagreed on other details previously

    Our take: Once again, it’s Gurman vs Prosser on the the details about an upcoming Apple launch. Gurman’s track record of 86.7% for 300+ leaks is unignorable, where Prosser’s of 77.8% for nearly 30 is solid…but not proven over time just yet. As of this latest update, it seems that we won’t be getting new products this week…

  • New Apple product(s) likely coming on September 8

    New Apple product(s) likely coming on September 8

    The news: After previewing that something was happening on September 8, Jon Prosser (77.8% accurate) has confirmed that a new Apple product or two is coming later this week.

    • The new product(s) are said to be coming this Tuesday at 6am PST
    • Prosser previously said that new iPad and Apple Watch models were coming this month
    • L0vetodream (89.2% accurate) however, doesn’t think a new Apple Watch is coming in September

    Our take: I’m far more confident in a new iPad Air launching on Tuesday than a new Apple Watch. A pair of recent reports have said the Apple Watch Series 6 isn’t coming out this month after all, so temper your expectations for this week’s press release accordingly! Will be an exciting week nonetheless.

  • 4G-only iPhone 12 may launch in Spring 2021

    4G-only iPhone 12 may launch in Spring 2021

    The rumor: Following the announcement of four new iPhone 12 models this Fall, Apple will release another, lower-end model in the Spring, according to Fast Company (57.9% accurate).

    • The new model wouldn’t be equipped with a 5G in order to cut costs and offer the unit at a lower price
    • A release date in Spring 2021 echoes a Wedbush Securities (100% accurate) report from last month

    Our take: This is likely this ‘iPhone SE Plus’ that we’ve heard rumblings about with an all-screen design and 5.5-6.1-inch display. The iPhone 6 design is incredibly dated now, and while it got the pass in 2020, it won’t be very competitive next year: que the 4g-only iPhone 12.

  • Only iPhone 12 Pro Max may get fastest 5G

    Only iPhone 12 Pro Max may get fastest 5G

    The rumor: While all iPhone 12 models will support sub-6Hz 5G, only the iPhone 11 Pro Max will support the faster mmWave standard, according to Fast Company (57.9% accurate).

    • “Only the largest phone in the line has room inside for the special antenna…and larger battery needed” due to more intense mmWave power drain
    • The mmWave iPhone 11 Pro Max will only be available in the United States, Korea and Japan

    Our take: The more we hear about this year’s iPhone lineup, the more I feel like there’s no clear vision for what these phones are meant to be. Some are launching before others. Some have good 5G and one has great 5G. All are said to ship with the same notch from 2017 and not include headphones or a charger in the box. Either the rumors are totally off, or Apple’s teams are struggling to innovate at the rates they used to.

  • Fast Company: 40% accurate

    Fast Company: 40% accurate

    An American publication sharing stories about “the future of business,” Fast Company shares Apple tidbits from varying sources every so often.

    Rumor list

    2020

    ⛔️2020 Pro Max iPhone is only one with mmWave 5G
    ⛔️2020 mmWave model only available in US, Japan and Korea
    ✅2020 both Pro iPhones get LiDAR
    ✅2020 iPhones getting LiDAR on one model
    ⛔️2020 iPhones will have Apple 5G antenna
  • iOS 14 beta 7: what’s new?

    iOS 14 beta 7: what’s new?

    The news: iOS 14 beta 7 is out now roughly one week after we received the last beta update.

    • The update weighed in at 417.3MB on my iPhone 11 Pro
    • macOS Big Sur beta 6 and tvOS 14 beta 7 are out, too

    What’s new

    • New and tweaked naming for some App Library categories, source
    • New dark mode versions of classic stripe wallpapers, source
  • Reliable source says no new Apple Watch this month

    Reliable source says no new Apple Watch this month

    The rumor: Apple will not be launching a new Apple Watch imminently, according to L0vetodream (89.2% accurate).

    Our take: Well this is a bummer. L0vetodream sits at nearly the top of the source leaderboard and is relentlessly good at knowing when new products will ship. I guess next week we may just see that new iPad Air.

    https://twitter.com/l0vetodream/status/1301147141960679425?s=21
  • Apple website ‘event’ to take place on September 8

    Apple website ‘event’ to take place on September 8

    The rumor: Apple is planning to host something on their website early next week, according to Jon Prosser (77.8% accurate).

    • The details are currently ambiguous, but the ‘event’ may be taking place between 6 and 9am PST
    • Prosser previously said new products would be unveiled in September via a press release
    • Apple Watch Series 6, a new iPad Air and a new budget iPad are all expected to be unveiled this month, ahead of a larger event in October

    Our take: This lines up with the recent Watch and iPad leaks that seemed to suggest something was coming very, very soon. This, on top of the fact that if there’s one thing that Prosser is good at…it’s release dates. We’ll likely see you on apple.com next week!

  • Apple is still working on a new version of AirPower

    Apple is still working on a new version of AirPower

    The rumor: Well over a year after AirPower was officially canceled, the company continues to work on making the wireless charging mat happen in some capacity, according to Mark Gurman (86.7% accurate).

    • Following technical issues with the original version of AirPower, Gurman reports that “Apple is developing a less ambitious wireless charger for the iPhone”
    • Both Jon Prosser (77.8% accurate) and L0vetodream (89.2% accurate) have reported the same thing

    Our take: I can’t explain why, but AirPower (in some form or another) is still something I really want to see. It’s almost completely irrational because it’s literally just a wireless charger…but there’s something about the animations in the original teaser trailer that would make the wireless charging experience ever-so-slightly better.

  • iOS 13.7 released with ‘Exposure Notifications Express’

    iOS 13.7 released with ‘Exposure Notifications Express’

    The news: Apple just released iOS 13.7 with significant improvements to the exposure notification system.

    • The new feature, Exposure Notifications Express, allows for COVID-19 exposure notifications with needing to download a specific government-issued app
    • iOS 13.7 marks the first time Apple has ever released an iOS X.7 firmware update

    Our take: This is an interesting move considering that later this month, iOS 14 is releasing for everyone. Seems like Apple really wanted to push this out ASAP.