Apple’s Smart Watch May Not Launch Until Late 2014, Use Biometrics and iPod Nano Technology
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has on a number of occasions offered accurate information about Apple’s product plans, issued a new research report this week outlining his expectations for Apple’s rumored smart watch device, informally dubbed “iWatch”. Despite some expectations that the device could launch later this year, Kuo believes that both hardware and software issues will result in the iWatch making its debut in the second half of 2014.
Apple may not have adequate resources to develop an iWatch version of iOS because it may require big changes to iPhone and iPad iOS this year. In addition, wearable device components aren’t mature. For these reasons, we think mass production of the iWatch is more likely to begin in 2H14, not 2H13 as the market speculates.
On the hardware front, Kuo projects that the iWatch will use a 1.5-2.0 inch display and unsurprisingly believes that Apple will draw on the iPod nano when it comes to components, particularly with respect to the main processor and the touch technology.
Currently, the iPod nano uses the same GF2 touch technology as used by the iPad mini. Since the size and computing ability requirements of the iWatch are similar to those of the iPod nano, we think iWatch will use iPod nano’s GF2 touch technology and AP [application processor].
Further, Kuo believes that biometrics will be a key feature for the iWatch, allowing for increased security and opening the door to broader health-related applications. The biometric support should also aid in building out the cross-device integration many expect to see from the iWatch.
Rumors regarding Apple’s smart watch project have been relatively quiet over the past few months, although a report from earlier this week claimed that Apple is testing 1.5-inch OLED displays for the device, with Foxconn said to be gearing up for a trial run of 1,000 devices.
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Apple Raising Notebook Orders Ahead of Likely Launch at WWDC
Digitimes briefly reports that Apple will be releasing updated notebooks “in the near future”, with supply chain sources indicating that Apple’s orders will rise 20% in the second quarter compared to first-quarter production.
The new MacBooks are only expected to receive specification upgrades to Intel’s latest Haswell platform and are estimated to be unveiled at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, the sources said.
Claims of a 20% increase in orders come less than a month after the site claimed that orders would see a 10% increase for the quarter, although overall notebook shipments for 2013 are expected to be flat or only slightly higher year over year due to a lack of major updates and a weak PC market.
Late last month, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that an update to the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro lines would be a highlight for next month’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which kicks off on June 10. Kuo had previously believed that Apple would consolidate its MacBook Pro lines into an all-Retina lineup in mid-2013, but he now believes that continued popularity of the non-Retina models has led Apple to push back its consolidation plans for the time being.
Kuo indicated that updated models of the non-Retina MacBook Pro and MacBook Air should ship relatively soon after WWDC, with updated Retina MacBook Pro models shipping somewhat later due to constraints on display production.
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Difficult Negotiations May Prevent ‘iRadio’ Launch at WWDC
Last week, we noted that Apple was still struggling to convince the major music labels to sign on to its planned streaming service, informally dubbed “iRadio”, with Sony and Warner reportedly holding out even after market leader Universal had agreed to Apple’s revised terms.
In a new article highlighting how Google was able to announce its own music service ahead of Apple, The Verge notes that Apple’s desire to provide a hybrid listener experience has meant more work at the negotiating table.
For starters, Google chose to offer a standard subscription music service very similar to those built by Spotify and Rdio, and that meant the terms had largely been established, according to multiple sources close to the talks. Apple, on the other hand, is pioneering a hybrid web and radio service — one that resembles Pandora but melds it with some on-demand features, the sources said. The licensing agreement had to be created from scratch.
According to the report’s sources, number four music publisher BMG is also holding out against Apple’s proposed terms, and while there still appears to be significant momentum behind iRadio and a desire by many parties to get a deal done as quickly as possible, it is now looking as though Apple may not be able to launch the service at next month’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).
Word of Apple’s plans for a Pandora-like service surfaced last September, with subsequent reports indicating that Apple was targeting the first quarter of this year for a launch. As negotiations continued to prove difficult, Apple shifted its focus to a summer launch, but it now appears unclear whether the company will be able to meet even that revised goal.
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iPhone’s popularity among Facebook staff may have aided in Home’s lackluster launch
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Tim Cook admits he wishes Apple had held launch of new iMac until 2013
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Chinese hackers launch pirate App Store, no jailbreak needed
Chinese hackers have launched a pirated app store that allows people to download pirated iOS apps with no jailbreaks needed. The online web store uses geolocation to determine a user’s location and if that user is outside of China the user is not granted access to the store and is redirected to another page run by the hackers.
Out of respect for the hard work iOS developers do we aren’t linking to the store or revealing its name.
Piracy takes away from the development of apps on iOS. Many of the best apps today were created by a single developer or a small development team who didn’t have a lot of financial resources when they got started. If their apps are being pirated, resulting in limited financial reward, why would small devs continue on? Some of the best apps in the App Store — apps that are part of the reason your iPhone is so cool — wouldn’t exist.
So please, think before you pirate, because in the long run you’re hurting not just the developer, but the entire iOS ecosystem and yourself as well (and no, “I pirate an app to see if I’ll like it and then buy it if I do” is not any kind of valid excuse).
Chinese hackers launch pirate App Store, no jailbreak needed originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iPhone Launch Gives T-Mobile USA ‘One of Its Biggest Weekends’
Last Friday, T-Mobile USA Chief Marketing Officer Mike Sievert told AllThingsD that the carrier’s iPhone launch that day had been “gangbusters” for the carrier with “lines out the door” at its retail stores. While the lines dissipated fairly quickly, T-Mobile undoubtedly believes that the strength of the iPhone and new “Uncarrier” plans unbundling device cost from service charges will help its standing in the competitive U.S. carrier market over the long-term.
Sievert has now followed up with CNET, and while he declined to share any specific sales numbers, he noted that the iPhone launch had given T-Mobile “one of its biggest weekends in the history of the company”.
Sievert told CNET that iPhone sales did better than he expected, although he declined to provide specific figures.
“We had really ambitious internal goals, and we beat them,” he said.
With the addition of T-Mobile, all four of the major U.S. carriers now offer the iPhone. Counting smaller carriers, the iPhone is now available on 22 carriers in the United States.
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Funny or Die delays launch of iSteve movie until April 17
Funny or Die has delayed the premiere of iSteve, a movie about the life of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. The short film was scheduled to debut on April 15, but the tragic bombing in Boston prompted the comedy website to reschedule the film.
According to Funny or Die’s website, iSteve is now expected to air on April 17.
Funny or Die delays launch of iSteve movie until April 17 originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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