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Tuesday, March 17, 2020

iOS 14 leak reveals a new iPhone 9 model we weren’t expecting

iOS 14 leaks, at this point, have already revealed a ton of fresh insight about Apple's product and software roadmap for the rest of 2020.
The tech blog 9to5Mac has also found, based on a look at an early iOS 14 build, that Apple is also apparently working on a larger version of the iPhone 9, which we'll call the iPhone 9 Plus for now even though the name hasn't been confirmed yet.
The phone, which along with the iPhone 9 would replace the iPhone 8 models, is expected to be released sometime this spring.
Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

A slew of leaks related to the next generation of Apple's iOS software has produced a pretty comprehensive look at this point at the iPhone maker's hardware and software roadmap for the rest of 2020, including everything from myriad HomeKit improvements to new iOS gestures as well as the possible addition of blood oxygen level tracking to the Apple Watch soon. Meanwhile, an analysis of an early iOS 14 build has revealed the existence of an iPhone 9 Plus model, which would be in addition to the iPhone 9 we already expected and which confirms rumors that had already been circulating in support of a larger variant of the 4.7-inch entry-level iPhone 9. The expectation is that the name of this larger handset will carry "Plus" in the branding, and that it will run on the A13 Bionic chip -- the same used in the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro. This revelation about an iPhone 9 Plus comes via 9to5Mac, which reported on the iOS 14 leak related to the new phone in a report that includes other tidbits, such as the fact that these new iPhones will feature the solid state Home button included with the iPhone 7 and 8 models. Additionally, the iPhone 9 and 9 Plus will offer Touch ID in lieu of Face ID, in addition to supporting Apple Pay and the ability to scan NFC tags in the background, per 9to5. The report also emphasizes that the iPhone 9 model names are still not 100% confirmed at this point, with some rumors pointing instead to iPhone SE 2 as the name instead of “iPhone 9” (though, again, “Plus” is still expected to be part of the naming convention for this new, larger model). The iPhone 9 is expected to retail for $399, the same price as the original iPhone SE when it debuted in 2016. Apple was rumored to be ready to unveil the iPhone 9 and other new products during a media event in March, which is now said to be canceled due to coronavirus concerns. The good news, however, is that Apple will supposedly unveil new products this spring even without a proper press conference, though release timing is now unclear.
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Huge iPhone 12 Pro leak confirmed in iOS 14 code

Apple's iPhone 12 release is still at least 6 months away, but the phone's overhauled design and several key features have already leaked.
Most of the information we have so far about Apple's iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro smartphones comes from a single source, but now one of the key iPhone 12 Pro features he revealed has seemingly been confirmed.
The new feature in question could enable some of the iPhone 12 Pro's most exciting new features, which are believed to involve next-generation augmented reality capabilities.
Visit BGR's homepage for more stories.

When it comes to Apple's iPhone 12 release, everything is up in the air right now. The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic that tore through China is now devastating several parts of Europe, and the outbreak is just beginning to spread across the United States. Things are going to get far worse before they start to get better, and states across the US are finally beginning to force certain businesses to close and ask people to stay home and remain isolated as much as possible. Needless to say, it's already far too late to "flatten the curve" and we're likely weeks or even days away from seeing an explosion in reported cases across the country. Needless to say, the novel coronavirus's impact on product launches is the least of our worries right now. That said, it's still a huge deal and it will have a serious negative impact on all of the biggest consumer electronics companies. A number of big product launches planned for 2020 will likely be delayed. On top of that, people across the country will experience financial hardships from not being able to go to work, so fewer people will be able to purchase new gadgets even if they're not delayed. Apple's iPhone 12 series is one of the biggest releases that will take place in 2020, though it's still unclear exactly when the next-generation iPhone models will hit store shelves. In the meantime, one of the new marquee features headed to the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max was just confirmed thanks to a big iOS 14 leak. Whether or not Apple releases its new iPhone 12 lineup on time this coming September, the company will surely announce the new phones on schedule in early September. Some industry watchers expect the iPhone 12 release to be delayed until sometime in either October or November, while others say the phones will still be released in September but supply will be limited. In truth, no one really knows what will happen at this point, not even Apple. It's far too soon to know exactly what impact COVID-19 will have on manufacturing in China over the course of the rest of the year. While Apple's iPhone 12 release plans might still be a mystery, there isn't much mystery left surrounding the phones themselves. TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has been leaking iPhone 12 details since late last year, and he has the best track record in the business when it comes to revealing Apple's plans ahead of schedule. According to Kuo's excellent sources, Apple's new iPhone 12 models will feature a big design overhaul that's basically a cross between the old iPhone 5 and Apple's current iPhone 11 lineup. The phone will sport flat metal edges and a more square case, but the front will still feature a notched all-screen design and the back will have Apple's new square camera array. The phones are also expected to include new features like 5G and upgraded OLED screens with a 120Hz refresh rate, but let's focus on the new cameras for the time being because a huge new leak just confirmed one of Kuo's most exciting scoops. One or more third-party iOS developers recently managed to get their hands on an early version of Apple's upcoming new mobile software, iOS 14. They have been picking through it bit by bit in an effort to uncover new features coming to Apple's iPhone and iPad lineups, and they've found plenty of juicy morsels so far. Most recently, an unexpected second iPhone 9 version was uncovered within the iOS 14 code. And now, another big leak just hit the web. According to 9to5Mac's unnamed developer source, the first-ever reference to Apple's next-generation iPhone 12 lineup was just discovered within the leaked iOS 14 code. The blog's source found references to an unreleased mobile device lineup referred to by the codename "d5x," which makes perfect sense considering the iPhone 11 lineup is referred to in iOS code as "d4x." Beyond merely confirming the existence of the upcoming new iPhone 12 series, which isn't much of a revelation at all, the developer also found references in the code to a new time-of-flight (ToF) sensor that will be added to the triple-lens rear camera on the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. We've known that it was coming ever since Ming-Chi Kuo leaked the info way back in December, but this is the first time the new ToF sensor has been confirmed in actual iOS code. It's still unclear exactly what Apple plans to do with the new sensor on its high-end iPhone 12 Pro models, but ToF sensors gather depth data so there's a very good chance it will involve augmented reality. A new Apple AR app is reportedly in the works, and the new ToF sensor will likely play a big role. We can also likely expect even better Portrait Mode photos and other similar features on the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. After all, anything involving 3D depth data will be dramatically improved by the addition of the new ToF sensor.
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Monday, March 16, 2020

Leak says the iPhone 12 performance will crush every new Android phone

The iPhone 12 is expected to feature a brand new Apple A14 processor that should be faster and more efficient than the A13 Bionic in the iPhone 11.
The A14 series will likely be manufactured by TSMC on a new 5nm process, a first for the industry.
A new leak says the A14 will be significantly faster than the A13, and therefore considerably faster than any of this year’s top Android devices.
Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

For years, Apple has been at the forefront of chip innovation. The company's A-series chips that power the iPhone and iPad always outperform same-year Android devices running the latest processors from Qualcomm, Samsung, and other chipmakers. Android has been trying to catch up with the iPhone ever since Apple introduced the first-ever 64-bit chip for mobile devices, and Android phones still are not able to top the iPhone’s impressive performance. The most recent A-series chip is the A13 Bionic processor that powers the iPhone 11 series, which is faster than anything available for Android devices. Benchmark tests showed that the Snapdragon 865 processor that powers the Galaxy S20 and other flagship 2020 Android handsets is no match for the A13. Real-life speed comparisons have proven the same thing when it comes to launching demanding apps or performing intensive tasks. The S20’s enormous amount of RAM does help Samsung compensate for the lack of raw power, but it's still not enough. The A14 chips that will power Apple's iPhone 12 phones will be even faster than the A13, delivering performance that’s not likely to be matched by any new Android device this year — and maybe even next year — according to a new leak. Each new iPhone generation brings a brand new A-series chip that’s not just faster than its predecessor, but also more efficient. The A14 is already expected to be a 5nm processor, and it'll likely be the first such chip to hit the market this year. TSMC, which manufactured most of the previous iPhone and iPad processors, is expected to mass-produce the 5nm CPU for the iPhone 12. A first A14 benchmark just found its way online, Research Snipers reports, revealing the Geekbench 5 scores for the new chip. The A14 seemingly scored 1658 and 4612 points in single- and multi-core scores, respectively, which are both significant increases over the A13, which gets 1329 and 3468 ratings in the same tests. We’re looking at speed increases of between 25% and 33% over last year’s model, which already outscores the Snapdragon 865 (Qualcomm), Exynos 990 (Samsung), and Kirin 990 (Huawei). This new report also notes that the A14 chip will apparently be clocked at 3.1GHz, which is 400MHz higher than the A13’s 2.7GHz speed. Apple never makes a big deal of such details when talking about its ARM processors that power the iPhone and iPad. But if this leak is accurate, the A14 will be the first ARM processor to pass 3GHz. That’s an important milestone for mobile chips, especially considering all the chatter that says Apple is working on its first ARM-powered MacBook. The most recent A-series chip generations have scored better in benchmarks than the Intel chips that power the MacBook Pro, prompting speculation that an ARM MacBook is imminent. Even if this new leak isn’t accurate, the A14 is still expected to significantly outperform its predecessor thanks to the jump to the new 5nm process. The report doesn’t say how efficient the A14 chip will be compared with the A13, but that’s probably the kind of information only Apple has access to. A variation of the A14 is likely to power future iPad Pros, but that’s just speculation at this point. Apple is expected to unveil an iPad Pro refresh this spring, with the A13X being the likely CPU candidate for the new tablets. Meanwhile, the iPhone 12 should be unveiled this fall, probably in mid-September like previous models, but the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic may impact the launch event and the actual release date of the upcoming new iPhone 12 handsets.
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This new iPhone 12 concept is the most stunning phone I’ve ever seen

Apple's iPhone 12 release date might have been set in stone and one point, but the company's plans are reportedly up in the air right now.
Some reports suggest that Apple still intends to unveil its new iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro phones in September, but that they might not be released until sometime in October or even November, depending on how things play out with the global COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the next-generation iPhone lineup's release, there are many things we know about the design and features thanks to leaks from multiple reliable sources.
Visit BGR's homepage for more stories.

The biggest news in the world right now is obviously the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic that will continue to spread across the globe for many months to come. It's already more serious than both SARS and H1N1, and things aren't going to get better anytime soon. There are obviously far more important concerns than what that might mean for the release of a smartphone, but Apple's iPhone 12 plans still have an enormous impact on its business, on the businesses of its suppliers and manufacturing partners, and on Apple fans. The iPhone isn't just a little gadget, it's actually a very crucial piece of the global economy. It will be quite some time before we know exactly what Apple's plans are for the release of its new iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro phones. With at least 6 months to go until they're made official, however, there is a whole lot we do know. Leaks from several reliable sources with good track records have shed plenty of light on Apple's new iPhone 12 design and on some of the new key features we can expect to see when iPhone 12 and 12 Pro models finally do hit store shelves. Most of what we know at this point comes from the same source, and it's none other than TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. He has been the primary source of information about unreleased Apple products for many years now, and he has had plenty to say about the new iPhone 12 series. First and foremost, there are two huge changes in store when the iPhone 12 lineup is released. One big change is the design of the phones, which Kuo says will feature flat metal edges similar to what Apple did on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5. The second big change will be the number of phones Apple releases — for the first time ever, Apple will apparently create four different iPhone 12 models instead of the three that most people are expecting. Apple has released three new high-end iPhone models each year since 2017. This year, however, there will seemingly be two new iPhone 12 models and two new iPhone 12 Pro models. Here's a graphic from Kuo that breaks them down:

A more recent iPhone 12 leak from a different reliable source added even more new information about Apple's upcoming new iPhone models. According to that leak, the new handsets will sport a 64-megapixel main rear camera, Night mode will work across all rear camera sensors instead of just the main wide-angle camera, and all the new iPhone 12 models will have an upgraded OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. We already took a peek last week at what Apple's new iPhone 12 series phones will really look like. Aside from the glaring error we explained regarding the camera, the video we shared is believed to be a very accurate representation of the iPhone 12 Pro phones Apple will release later this year. Now, let's take a look at what the "perfect" iPhone 12 might look like, complete with a much sleeker all-screen design. Anyone who uses a recent iPhone model will tell you that that notch isn't a big deal at all, but it would still be nice to see a new iPhone with a more modern display design. Perhaps the iPhone 13 will look something like the stunning iPhone concept you'll see in the video below, which was created by graphic designer Muhsin M. Belaal Auckburaully for the YouTube channel DBS Designing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaALW5IEpio An in-display fingerprint reader would be fantastic on an upcoming iPhone, but only if it aligns with rumors suggesting that Apple will use a new type of sensor that can read fingerprints anywhere on the bottom half of the display instead of just in one tiny touch target. We would also love to see that on iPhones that still have Face ID so that users can take advantage of whichever security method they choose. Sadly, the real iPhone 12 phones will be nothing like the versions shown in this video, but that doesn't make Auckburaully's vision any less stunning. You can check out more images from every conceivable angle over on his Behance page.
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Sunday, March 15, 2020

Yet another iOS 14 leak emerges, this time revealing several HomeKit improvements

Apple at this point still seems on track to release the first beta of its iOS 14 software update in June, never mind the possibility that WWDC 2020 in all likelihood may be canceled as a result of the continued spread of the novel coronavirus.
Accordingly, leaks have started to pile up offering major reveals of new features found by analyzing an early internal build of iOS 14. The 9to5Mac blog has published several reports spotlighting some of what we can expect with this next-generation software from the iPhone maker, and those reports have revealed everything from a new Apple Pencil app to the possibility of adding a blood-oxygen monitor to the Apple Watch, a new Fitness app, tons of new Messages features like possibly retractable messages, and more.
In this post, we’ll take a look at several HomeKit improvements reportedly coming with iOS 14 this fall.
Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

Whether or not Apple ends up being forced to cancel WWDC 2020 because of the continued spread of the coronavirus, the release of the first iOS 14 beta this summer still appears to be on track in advance of a wide release in the fall. The fate of Apple’s annual developer conference notwithstanding, the anticipation surrounding this next update of Apple’s mobile software comes during what’s already shaping up to be a massive year for the iPhone maker, with new products on the way including an affordably-priced iPhone 9, new iPad Pro models, a new Apple TV, and much more. The release of next-generation mobile software is as equally noteworthy as all of the hardware products Apple has teed up for release in the coming months, and you can check out our earlier report here that details some key new features revealed in the latest iOS 14 leaks. Meantime, still more new features have been disclosed about Apple's smart home framework HomeKit, based on an early look at the new OS thanks to reporting from 9to5Mac. At least three new HomeKit features have been discovered, and they include a new automatic adjustment of the light temperature over the course of a day. Warmer colors, for example, would be more prevalent at night while a cooler light temperature during the day complements natural light from outside. Sort of like the automatic setting I have turned on for my Mac and iPhone, adjusting the intensity of the light once it hits 10 p.m. and I want a kind of “cooler” illumination of the displays. Per 9to5, however, as part of the new HomeKit lighting feature it’s expected that users will have the ability to have a gradual change of the light instead of a jarring, more instantaneous one. Meantime, iOS 14 is giving HomeKit new camera features that include serving up notifications when the camera detects the presence of a family member. This builds on the HomeKit Secure Video support introduced with iOS 13 that added several categories of object recognition. A final update worth mentioning, though this one is coming via tvOS 14, involves Apple TV audio. It seems there will be an option included that allows you to permanently select a paired HomePod stereo as your output instead of having to manually do so each time. As 9to5 notes, this would be a great feature to include especially since Apple TVs right now still sometimes drop their connection to HomePods when those speakers are also being used for other purposes.
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Elon Musk thinks iOS quality needs to improve and says a recent update “broke my email”

At this point, we're a matter of months away from getting the first beta of Apple's next-generation software, iOS 14. By all accounts, it will be perhaps even more feature-packed than usual, bringing a ton of updates and new capabilities to iPhones, the Apple Watch, Apple's HomeKit platform and much more.
The flipside of the coin is that new releases of the iPhone maker's mobile operating software can also introduce bugs of various kinds -- some minor, some so minor you might never even notice them, and others ... well, in the words of Elon Musk this week while speaking at a conference, he says a recent iOS update seems to have broken "my email system."
He doesn't go into detail about which version of the OS caused this problem, but he made the point within a larger answer to a question about technology not necessarily improving over time and that more people should probably be devoted to working on and improving software code.
Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

Elon Musk was answering a question about the importance of software as a differentiating factor in modern technology while on stage at the Satellite 2020 conference this week, when he went off on a brief tangent about Apple -- and, specifically, his thoughts on the quality of recent iOS updates from the iPhone maker. The often-controversial SpaceX founder and CEO, when probed by his interviewer, was elaborating on a point he'd previously made about the trajectory of technological progress not necessarily moving in a smooth line up and to the right. In fact, he stressed that technology "does not automatically improve" before he shifted gears to slam Apple for a recent iOS update that Musk says "broke my email." You can check out his remarks about this in the video above (skip to around the 14:05 mark). "Software is an increasing part of any piece of technology," he begins. "Tesla -- the car is extremely configurable. It's, basically, like a laptop on wheels. So software matters enormously there." When it comes to mobile phones, he continues, the average consumer is conditioned to expect things to get better over time. Every year, in fact, like clockwork. But the fact of the matter is that technology doesn't automatically improve, he insists. "I’m an iPhone user," Musk continues. "But I think, like, some of the recent software updates have been, like, not great, certainly feeding into that point. It, like, broke my email system ... which is, like, quite fundamental." He could have been referring to the release of iOS 13, which introduced a number of bugs related to everything from the software keyboard to Wi-Fi connectivity. A former Apple software engineer has previously tried to put this issue into some context in a recent written commentary he penned -- explaining, for example, that part of the issue is Apple's customer base (which is larger than it's ever been) and Apple's software is likewise more complex than ever. Nevertheless, speaking more broadly, Musk continued in his answer by noting that "there sure is a lot of software out there. And some of it's like -- the people who wrote it are either retired or maybe dead. So how do you fix it? ... We definitely need a lot more smart people working in software."
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Saturday, March 14, 2020

Apple may announce a new MacBook Air as soon as next week

Apple may announce a new MacBook Air model much sooner than expected -- during the week of March 15, if a new tipster's information pans out.
This source was quoted by a prominent tech blog, MacRumors, which reports that the source has a track record of accuracy and that this announcement would be even sooner than we'd thought. Renowned Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo has already reported that a new Air and MacBook Pro are coming in the second quarter.
Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

Following up on a recent research note from the world's top Apple insider that a new MacBook Air could be announced by the company at some point during the second quarter, a new rumor has emerged that Apple may, in fact, announce the new model even sooner than that -- possibly even next week. Despite the appearance that might be conveyed from the wall-to-wall news coverage about the coronavirus, US companies are trying to press forward with, if not business as usual, then at least a semblance of progress so that they all don't come grinding to a halt and send the economy into a tailspin. Apple is one such company -- and TF International Securities analyst, the always-reliable Ming-Chi Kuo, has reported that a new MacBook Air in addition to a new 13-inch MacBook Pro, will be coming during the second quarter. This comes as the iPhone maker is still expected to unveil several products in the coming weeks, including devices like the 2020 generation of the iPad Pro, a new Apple TV, and new earphones all potentially announced soon. Meantime, in addition to learning that Apple will be updating the MacBook Pro and Air lines soon, an unnamed tipster quoted by MacRumors is predicting Apple will make the announcement of a new MacBook Air sometime during the coming week (starting March 15). The Air line was last updated back in October with the inclusion of such features as a new butterfly keyboard as well as a Touch ID sensor, and the tipster's words are worth giving at least a little credence to given that MacRumors says this source was also pretty accurate in March of 2019. That's when the source correctly predicted the launch of new iPad models including the launch of a new iPad mini that month. As we previously reported, the new MacBook Pro and Air models will both get the brand new scissor-switch Magic Keyboard which replaces the butterfly keyboards that were found to be unreliable over the years. Some users had run into issues with some of the keys, and Apple has a repair program in place for the affected devices. Kuo is as reliable a tipster as they come when it involves shedding light on new Apple products, but keep in mind these are just rumors until Apple confirms them. Nevertheless, there seems to be a strong possibility that some exciting new Apple hardware is on the way soon.
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