Latest Apple news — October 26, 2016

October 26, 2016

Rumor: Apple said to be planning new "Watch List" app for Apple TV to help viewers discover shows. - USA Today

Described to network executives as "the Watch List," the app will recommend shows based on the content viewers access through their Apple TVs. For example, a subscriber to FX Networks might be encouraged to check out the new dramatic series Atlanta.

October 18, 2016

Rumor: Apple will reportedly launch new Macs at October 27 event. - Recode

Apple is planning to introduce new Macs at an Oct. 27 event, sources confirmed to Recode.The move had long been expected, given that the company released MacOS Sierra last month but had yet to introduce any new computer models sporting the software. It also comes just in time for Apple to have the new products on sale for the full holiday season.

October 17, 2016

Rumor: Apple said to have refocused self-driving car efforts to a software platform. - Bloomberg

New leadership of the initiative, known internally as Project Titan, has re-focused on developing an autonomous driving system that gives Apple flexibility to either partner with existing carmakers, or return to designing its own vehicle in the future, the people also said. Apple has kept staff numbers in the team steady by hiring people to help with the new focus, according to another person.

October 14, 2016

News: The Apple Watch Nike+ will go on sale on October 28. - Apple

October 12, 2016

News: Apple will open a new research and development facility in Shenzhen, China. - Reuters

Apple Inc will set up a research and development center in China's manufacturing metropolis Shenzhen, the U.S. tech giant said on Wednesday, as the firm looks to spur growth in the world's second largest economy amid growing competition.

October 6, 2016

Rumor: Apple is reportedly planning to bring its various internet services teams onto a single campus to improve collaboration. - Bloomberg

Apple cloud services teams run by executive Eddy Cue, including Siri, Maps, iCloud, Apple Pay, Apple News and parts of iTunes and Apple Music, will move together into the company's existing Infinite Loop campus in Cupertino, California, the people said. Currently, most Apple services are developed separately from each other in office parks rented out in other parts of Cupertino and Sunnyvale, California.

September 28, 2016

News: Apple teams with Deloitte on new iOS enterprise initiative. - Apple

Apple and Deloitte today announced a partnership to help companies quickly and easily transform the way they work by maximizing the power, ease-of-use and security the iOS platform brings to the workplace through iPhone and iPad. As part of the joint effort, Deloitte is creating a first-of-its-kind Apple practice with over 5,000 strategic advisors who are solely focused on helping businesses change the way they work across their entire enterprise, from customer-facing functions such as retail, field services and recruiting, to R&D, inventory management and back-office systems.

September 26, 2016

Rumor: Apple reportedly planning sleep tracking app for Apple Watch as it looks to expand HealthKit. - Bloomberg

The iPhone maker is also working on new apps for the Apple Watch. One helps users track sleep patterns, one of the people said. Another app gauges fitness levels by measuring the time taken for the heart rate to fall from its peak to resting level, according to one of the other people. Apple already has an app that measures heart rate, but doesn't interpret that data.

September 23, 2016

Rumor: Apple is said to be moving into the prototype testing phase with Siri-powered smart home device. - Bloomberg

Started more than two years ago, the project has exited the research and development lab and is now in prototype testing, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing unannounced Apple projects. Like Amazon Inc.'s Echo, the device is designed to control appliances, locks, lights and curtains via voice activation, the people said. Apple hasn't finalized plans for the device and could still scrap the project.

September 21, 2016

Rumor: Apple is reportedly in acquisition talks with British automaker McClaren. - Financial Times (Requires account)

Apple has approached McLaren Technology Group, the British supercar engineer and Formula One team owner, about a potential acquisition, in the clearest sign yet that the iPhone maker is seeking to transform the automotive industry.

September 15, 2016

News: Apple not looking to buy Tidal, despite reports to the contrary. - Buzzfeed

"We're really running our own race," Jimmy Iovine, who heads Apple Music, told BuzzFeed News in an interview. "We're not looking to acquire any streaming services."

September 9, 2016

Rumor: Apple reportedly "reboots" autonomous car project following a shift in strategy. - The New York Times

In a retrenchment of one of its most ambitious initiatives, Apple has shuttered parts of its self-driving car project and laid off dozens of employees, according to three people briefed on the move who were not allowed to speak about it publicly.

September 7, 2016

News: Apple won't announce initial pre-orders for iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus. - CNBC

In years past, we've announced how many new iPhones had been sold as of the first weekend following launch. But as we have expanded our distribution through carriers and resellers to hundreds of thousands of locations around the world, we are now at a point where we know before taking the first customer pre-order that we will sell out of iPhone 7.

September 1, 2016

Rumor: Video of supposed Apple Watch 2 parts shows thinner display, larger battery. - Byte

This video is an overview of some of the key components in the forth coming Apple Watch 2. Parts include LCD & Touch Screen Digitizer, Force Touch Gasket and Battery.

August 31, 2016

News: Apple is looking for data scientists and advanced application developers to join Turi, it's newly-acquired, Seattle-based machine learning division. - Apple

Turi is the new machine learning division at Apple. We build tools that enable teams across Apple to develop machine learning solutions to power amazingly intelligent user experiences. We are looking for new energetic members to join our ML Applications team to collaborate with product teams on a variety of advanced proof-of-concept projects.

August 29, 2016

Rumor: Apple is said to be preparing a number of iPad software upgrades, including better support for the Apple Pencil, for early 2017. - Bloomberg

The planned iPad update will include improvements to the Apple Pencil, a handwriting and drawing stylus aimed at professionals, according to one of the people. Apple has considered allowing users to annotate objects in many applications across the whole operating system, including in Mail, the Safari web browser, and iMessage, similar to what Samsung Electronics Co. offers on its Note smartphones, the person said. Currently, Apple only supports Pencil functionality in specifically developed apps.

August 26, 2016

Rumor: Apple reportedly planning to support Sony's FeliCa tap-to-pay technology in future iPhones in Japan. - Bloomberg.

The FeliCa chip will let customers in Japan store their public bus and train passes on their iPhones. Users would then be able to tap their phones against the entrance scanners instead of using physical cards. While the FeliCa chip is the standard technology underlying the service, there are several different providers of transit payment cards based on the type of transit and areas within Japan.

August 25, 2016

News: Apple has announced the lineup for Apple Music Festival 10, which includes Elton John, The 1975, and Britney Spears. - Apple

Rumor: Apple is reportedly developing a new video sharing and editing app, as well as new social features for iOS. - Bloomberg

Now Apple is starting to develop a video sharing app that allows users to record video, apply filters and drawings to the media -- much like Snapchat does -- and send it to contacts or via existing social networks such as Twitter Inc., according to the people familiar with its development. The software is currently being designed to be used mostly with one hand and with the intention that video could be shot, edited, and uploaded in less than 1 minute, the people said. At least one of the prototype designs for the app would shoot video in an Instagram-like square shape, one of the people said.

August 24, 2016

News: A new interview goes in-depth with Apple execs on the company's machine learning efforts and improvements to Siri. - Backchannel

The company's machine learning talent is shared throughout the entire company, available to product teams who are encouraged to tap it to solve problems and invent features on individual products. "We don't have a single centralized organization that's the Temple of ML in Apple," says Craig Federighi. "We try to keep it close to teams that need to apply it to deliver the right user experience."

August 22, 2016

News: Apple has announced that Apple Music Festival 10 will take place September 18-30 in London. - Apple

Apple Music Festival 10 returns to London in September for 10 exhilarating nights of live music. Residents of the UK can win tickets to the gigs. Apple Music members around the world can watch the performances for free. Ticket applications will be opening soon. Follow @AppleMusic on Twitter and Snapchat for up-to-the-minute information and join the #AMF10 conversation.

Rumor: Apple is reportedly preparing three new iPhone models for 2017, including one with a curved display. - Nikkei (via MacRumors)

"There will be a 4.7-inch model, another that will be 5.5-inches and a premium handset that will be either 5.5-inches or larger equipped with a screen bent on the two sides," the source said, adding the first two will continue to have flat screens, like current Apple mobile devices.

News: Apple acquires Gliimpse, a personal health data startup that lets any securely share a picture of their health. - Fast Company

Silicon Valley-based Gliimpse has built a personal health data platform that enables any American to collect, personalize, and share a picture of their health data. The company was started in 2013, and funded by serial entrepreneur Anil Sethi, who has spent the past decade working with health startups, after taking his company Sequoia Software public in 2000. He got his start as a systems engineer at Apple in the late 1980s.

August 19, 2016

News: Apple begins taking donations to help Louisiana flood relief through iTunes, App Store. - Apple

Help the people affected by the Louisiana floods by donating to the American Red Cross.

August 18, 2016

Rumor: Apple reportedly hits snags in developing cellular Apple Watch, GPS-equipped model supposedly coming this fall. - Bloomberg

The source of the delay is that current cellular chips consume too much battery life, reducing the product's effectiveness and limiting user appeal, according to three of the people. Apple has begun studying lower-power cellular data chips for future smartwatch generations.

August 17, 2016

News: Apple announces environmental progress in China as supplier Lens Technology commits to running operations completely using renewable energy. - Apple

Lens Technology has committed to power all of its glass production for Apple with 100 percent renewable energy by the end of 2018, as part of Apple's industry-leading supply chain clean energy program announced last year. Lens is the first supplier to make a clean energy commitment for all of its Apple production, and will meet its goal through an unprecedented power purchase agreement with local wind projects.

August 15, 2016

Rumor: Apple is reportedly preparing a 10.5-inch version of the iPad Pro for some point in 2017, according to KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo - MacRumore:

We expect three new iPads (12.9" iPad Pro 2, new size 10.5" iPad Pro & low-cost 9.7" iPad) to be launched in 2017, though this may not drive shipment growth amid structural headwinds; 2017F shipments to fall 10-20% YoY. If the iPad comes in a larger size, such as a 10.5" model, we believe it will be helpful to bid for tenders within the commercial and education markets. As a result, we expect Apple to launch a 10.5" iPad Pro in 2017.

August 11, 2016

News: Apple hires Flipboard co-founder Evan Doll to lead health software engineering. - Bloomberg

Doll became a director of health software engineering at Apple last month, according to LinkedIn, which doesn't expand further on his role. During his previous stint at Apple, from about 2003 to 2009, the software engineer helped develop the iPhone operating system. He left to found digital news magazine app Flipboard with Mike McCue.

August 10, 2016

Rumor: Apple reportedly preparing a thinner MacBook Pro with OLED touch bar for later this year. - Bloomberg

The most significant addition to the new MacBook Pro is a secondary display above the keyboard that replaces the standard function key row. Instead of physical keys, a strip-like screen will present functions on an as-needed basis that fit the current task or application.

August 9, 2016

Rumor: Screen panels for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus allegedly leak, point to 1080p and 2K resolutions. — PhoneArena

That's not the first time eventual parts of the iPhone 7 are making the rumor rounds, but an intriguing comment towards the panels pictured here says that the 4.7" one is with 1080p resolution, while the 5.5" LCD display is said to be a 2K screen, likely meaning a 1440p screen. The source also goes on to add that one of the packages is made by JDI, while the other's maker is not clearly visible.

August 8, 2016

News: Tim Cook, Craig Federighi, and Eddy Cue reveal the origins of the public beta program, talk innovation and more. — Fast Company

Apple's future may look very different from its past, and Cook, Federighi, and Cue wouldn't have it any other way. "Look," says Cue, who somehow manages to look both like a man who just woke up and a compact ball of perpetual energy, "one thing you know if you've been in technology a while, you're only as good as the last thing you did. No one wants an original iPod. No one wants an iPhone 3GS."

Rumor: Next MacBook Pro said to include a Touch ID sensor in its power button alongside OLED display bar. — 9to5Mac

Rumor: iPhone 7 again reported to remove headphone jack, have dual camera system. Also: Force Touch Home button. — Bloomberg

The standout features will be a dual-camera system on the larger iPhone, a re-engineered home button that responds to pressure with haptic feedback and the removal of the devices' headphone jack, said the people, who didn't want to be identified discussing unannounced features.

Rumor: Apple Watch 2 reported to be faster, more water resistant, have GPS, and barometer. Apple Watch 1 reported to be updated with better performance. — KGI Securities via MacRumors

Kuo said the upgraded Apple Watch 1 models will not have a GPS, barometer, or other larger additions reserved for the Apple Watch 2, nor will the waterproofing improvements be as significant, suggesting only an incremental refresh of internal hardware. The watches are said to retain a similar form factor.

August 6, 2016

News: Despite Tim Cook's recent trip to India, a new report shows iPhone struggling in the sub-continent. New rumors have surfaced about Apple wireless headphones and TV guide services. Apple Music continues to expand. Apple launches a security bounty program. Here's that and all the latest Apple news!

August 5, 2016

News: Apple reportedly buys Turi, a machine learning company based in Seattle — GeekWire

According to people familiar with the acquisition, Turi's team is expected to remain in the Seattle region and continue to grow as Apple builds out further expertise in data science, artificial intelligence and machine learning. Turi recently hosted a closely-watched Data Science Summit in San Francisco, in an indication of its leadership position in the field.

News: Campus 2 has gotten its monthly drone flyover, and the landscaping has been more scaped!

News: Apple iOS falls 35 percent annually in India, ships just 0.8 million units in Q2 2016. — Strategy Analytics

Woody Oh, Director at Strategy Analytics, added, "Apple iOS fell 35 percent annually and shipped 0.8 million smartphones in India in Q2 2016. Apple's smartphone marketshare has halved from 4 percent to just 2 percent in India during the past year. Apple iOS will need to reduce iPhone pricing to cheaper levels, attract more operator subsidies and enlarge its retail presence through Apple stores or online channels if it wants to regrow significantly in the future."

August 4, 2016

Rumor: Apple has spent the last few years developing a custom Bluetooth radio chip for wireless earbuds that could debut as soon as September, alongside an iPhone 7 with no headphone jack. Forbes

Apple has spent the last few years developing a custom Bluetooth radio chip for wireless earbuds, according to a source with knowledge of the project. It's possible the Bluetooth device will launch in September with the first iPhone without a headphone jack (likely called iPhone 7). If Apple succeeds, the wireless earbuds will fix a problem that has plagued Bluetooth headphones: limited battery life.

News: Apple music is now available in Korea with free 3-month trials. — @AppleMusic

News: Apple announces new security bounty program, invitation-only to start but open to expansion, can match charitable donations. — iMore

News: A Samsung patent filing for interchangeable watch bands contains numerous diagrams of an Apple Watch. — Patently Apple

The Samsung patent, first discovered by Patently Apple today, presents patent figures 10a – 10c and 11a – 11f that are clearly Apple Watch designs with its classic backside charging mechanism that Samsung doesn't incorporate and various Apple band styles. Nowhere in the patent do they reference the designs as being from Apple.

Rumor: Apple working on a "TV guide" that would work as a unified front-end interface for accessing programming contained in a variety of apps. — recode

The idea is to let users see what kind of programming is available in video apps made by the likes of HBO, Netflix and ESPN, without having to open up each app individually, and to play shows and movies with a single click.

News: Apple releases iOS 9.3.4 with bug fixes, performance enhancements, and an "important security update". — Apple

News: Actress Gwyneth Paltrow has signed on to serve as a mentor on Apple's upcoming Planet of the Apps reality series. — Variety

"Developing and launching a business based on your own original idea can be exhilarating, but intimidating," Paltrow said in a statement. "This is a great opportunity to be part of a series that lets us use our experiences to help app developers break through and create viable businesses that will impact peoples' lives."

News: Over 100 world-renowned designers join amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of Apple's infringement claims against Samsung. — Apple

IM Staff
The collective iMore hivemind

iMore.com is your source for all things Apple, and the IM Staff author represents our collective hivemind, for those occasions when the whole team speaks with one voice to bring you important updates about the site, editorial policies, awards, promotions and more. 

The iMore team of Apple enthusiasts and experts shows you how to get the most out of your tech life by using Apple products and the apps, services, and devices they connect with to their fullest. iMore is a mainstay in the Apple community for good reason. Every single iMore writer and editor takes their job seriously, and we prioritize accuracy and editorial independence in everything we do, never receiving compensation for coverage and never pulling punches.

As well as our amazing group of regular contributors, the iMore staff team currently consists of: Gerald Lynch — Editor-in-Chief Stephen Warwick — News Editor Daryl Baxter — Features Editor John-Anthony Disotto — How To Editor Tammy Rogers — Senior Staff Writer James Bentley — Staff Writer