Everyone loves an iPhone mockup, and we're no different. Say hello to the iPhone mini. Apple is never far from the news cycle. Usually it's around iPhone release time that we begin to really see rumors, with iPad launch time equally as busy. Round around now we would normally be hearing about what may or may not be in the next iPad, but the recently updated iPad 4 makes a refresh unlikely just yet. Instead, we're being inundated with iPhone mini rumors.
Of all the far-fetched rumors we've been fed of the purported "iPhone 5S" these past few weeks, this latest one really takes the biscuit. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities foresees the Apple's purchase of AuthenTec paying dividends with the seventh-gen smartphone, with the Cupertino finding a way of implementing some description of fingerprint sensor into the home button.
Another day, another Apple patent story, but this time there's no sign of Samsung, Motorola or Google. Surely that cannot be? Yes, yes it can, actually. Wonders never cease!
The continuing reports and speculation surrounding the possibility of Apple releasing a budget iPhone suggests that even a denial from Phil Schiller can't seem to derail the iPhone rumor train. It has been widely speculated in the last few days that Apple intends to appeal to emerging markets and territories like Latin America with the release of a budget iPhone during 2013, with the latest reports suggesting that the company could save money on a phone of this nature by manufacturing it with a plastic outer shell and only including metal parts where necessary.
Apple's decision to refresh its iPad range twice last year was met with a mixed response, and while some naturally welcomed the decision of Apple to introduce the iPad 4 a mere seven months following the emergence of the iPad 3, owners of the latter were naturally disgruntled. Alongside the iPad 4 came the iPad mini, and once again, the general response was mixed, with many pointing to the lack of a Retina display and high cost as fundamental flaws. Now, it has emerged that Apple plans to bring yet another upgrade as early as March, and while the larger iPad should be a little less, well, large, the mini is widely-presumed to be getting a Retina display.
Earlier this week, a report surfaced suggesting that Apple might be working on a lower-end, lower-cost iPhone in order to increase its share of a market that is becoming increasingly crowded with low-cost smartphones. In a rare one-to-one interview with a Chinese newspaper, Apple Marketing SVP Phil Schiller flat-out denied the rumor.
Speculation has been mounting over the last few weeks about the possible release date, aesthetics and technical specifications of the next-generation iPhone. Apple will be delighted with the fact that the iPhone 5 proved to be an extremely popular purchase during the festive season, with some analysts predicting that sales will ultimately surpass the company's top-end predictions. To add to the speculation; new reports are now suggesting that Apple could be planning on pushing out a new iPhone by June of this year, potentially with high-end and low-end model releases.
OS X Mountain Lion may have only been publicly available for the last five months or so, but according to statistics and analytics; it has quickly managed to claw itself to the top to become the most popular Mac operating system which Apple has ever released. Mountain Lion was released in July of 2012 with the philosophies of being a fully functional desktop operating system that took more than a little inspiration from iOS running on an iPad. The intention seemed to be to usher in the beginning of a new era that would see OS X and iOS become increasingly more converged over time.
The beginning of any new year always brings with it a renewed sense of purpose in the technology industry, with excitable consumers impatiently waiting to see what their favorite companies will release into the wild. As always, we are expecting a lot of speculation and analysis to be lavished on Apple's Cupertino campus once again this year, and although the obligatory iPhone and iPad refresh will come at some point, speculation surrounding Apple's potential release of a streaming music type service is mounting.
If you happen to respect and admire Steve Jobs for what he achieved during his life, then the news that the jOBS biopic is set for an April release in local theatres should definitely perk those interest levels. The official announcement of the release comes when Open Road Films and Five Star Feature Films came to a mutual agreement regarding distribution of the movie, and although it isn't the official movie of the Apple co-founder’s life, it should definitely serve to whet the appetite of those who want to learn the story behind his rise to fame.
