MacForecast

Rumor: iPhone 5 not arriving soon because the A5 chip is overheating?

Editor — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

We’re taking this one with a healthy dose of skepticism (and so should you) and purely for the sake of the discussion. Straight from Chinese-language site Sohu.com comes a story of an iPhone 5 delay blamed on the A5 chip overheating.

New Mac Pros and MacBook Airs to launch this week with OS X Lion

Editor — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

We have been expecting new MacBook Airs this week and now it appears that the ultra-thin notebooks won’t be the only new Macs this week. According to our source Mr. X, part numbers for an upgraded Mac Pro line have appeared, hinting at a release for the new line of professional-minded desktop Macs in the coming days. Here are the new MacBook Airs:

As you can see from the Apple-internal part numbers above, Apple will be releasing four new MacBook Air models. This includes two 11 inch models and two 13 inch models; both screen sizes will come in entry level and upgraded configurations. Built-to-order options (BTO) will be available as well. We expect some RAM and processor upgrades. Our sources who handled the new MacBook Air told us earlier this month to not expect any noticeable exterior changes. Speedy Sandy Bridge processors and Thunderbolt I/O are this model’s main upgrades.

Apple rumored to add second manufacturer for 'iPad 3' production this fall

Editor — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Apple is said to be planning to add a second manufacturer this fall, in addition to Foxconn, in order to be able to produce a rumored third-generation iPad for launch this year.

Citing industry sources in Taiwan, DigiTimes reported Monday that likely contenders for the job are Quanta Computer and Pegatron Technology. Pegatron is said to have the advantage, as the company also reportedly received iPhone 5 orders from Apple.

Apple is said to be interested in minimizing production risk after a deadly explosion occurred at a Foxconn plant in May. That incident killed three and left 15 injured.

While the report initially referred to the rumored new tablet as an "iPad 3," it also cited recent rumors that the new model will not be a replacement for the current iPad 2, but will instead expand the product line. One report from last week suggested the new iPad could sport a double-resolution screen of 2048-by-1536 pixels, making the device a so-called "iPad HD."

A separate report, also from last week, referred to such a device as an "iPad 2 Plus." It claimed that overseas component makers have already received requests-for-quotes from Apple for a new high-end iPad model with a greater pixel density display.

Rumor: Apple's new MacBook Airs to get backlit keyboards

Editor — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

With the release of new models later this month, Apple is set to reinstate a feature to its MacBook Airs that went missing when the company overhauled the ultra-thin notebooks into more cost-affordable products late last year,AppleInsider has learned.

According to people familiar with the matter, backlit keyboards will join the string of hardware enhancements planned for the new 11.6- and 13.3-inch notebooks, which are also expected to adopt high-speed Thunderbolt ports, an upgrade to Intel'sSandy Bridge architecture, and possibly high-speed 400MBps flash memory.

The omission late last year of keyboard backlights -- which help illuminate the keys on a keyboard in dim lighting scenarios -- from Apple's current lineup of MacBook Airs was particularly glaring given that all three iterations of the first-generation of MacBook Airs (Early 2008 to Mid-2009) included them as standard features.

Given Apple's energy saving controls, software expertise, and the nominal cost associated with including keyboard backlights, it was never particularly clear why Apple opted to leave out the feature when it redesigned the MacBook Air line last October. One industry watcher even went as far as to call it "planned obsolescence" on Apple's part.

Nevertheless, people familiar with the matter say Apple's white 13.3-inch MacBook will once again be the only notebook from the company to lack keyboard backlights once the new Airs make their debut sometime during the week of July 21st.

As AppleInsider reported a month ago, Apple has been holding off shipments of roughly 400,000 of these new MacBook Airs until it can image them with the finalizedGolden Master build of Mac OS X Lion, which privately began making its way to developers last week.

As for Lion's release to the public, AppleInsider indicated last week that preparatory measures were put in motion for an unveiling this week. However, there have been some underground rumors of last minute security issues related to application resumes and restarts that could possible delay the update till next week. At the same time, buzz from within Apple's home base has also suggested this Friday as a possibility. But given that Apple just began accepting applications for Lion to the Mac App Store a few hours ago, that may suddenly seem ambitious.

Rumor: New iPod touch will have 3G data connectivity

Editor — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Apple advertises its iPod touch as an iPhone without a phone an For kids and teens , the iPod touch is an App Store machine that lets them play jaw-dropping games, listen to music, run social apps to share stuff online and what not. Despite these treats and really low $229 price point, the gizmo is seriously lacking in the connectivity department: It works only with wireless hotspots and does not connect to cellular networks.

Apple aims to ship 12-14 million iPad 2s in 3Q11

Editor — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 03:01:55 +0000

As the IT market approaches the third quarter, the traditional peak season, Apple is turning more aggressive in placing orders for its iPad 2 and is set to ship 12-14 million units in the quarter, up from 7-9 million units in the second, according to market watchers. In order to significantly increase its shipments in the third quarter, Apple has been piling up its inventory of iPad 2 components such as panels in the second quarter to minimize the risk of facing component shortages. Apple's upstream component suppliers including LG Display, Catcher Technology, TPK Holdings and Radiant Opto-Electronics Corporation are all expected to benefit from the increased orders, according to the market watchers.

MacBook Air Update is coming in Mid-July

Editor — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 03:01:41 +0000

Many customers have been waiting for Apple to begin shipping its long-rumored updated MacBook Airs, bringing a significant performance improvement to the line with the incorporation of Intel's Sandy Bridge platform. A number of reports had pegged the release for the June-July timeframe, but the June dates are essentially out of the picture now and Apple has been said to be holding the release until it can offer OS X Lion preinstalled on the new machines.

Supply of white MacBook limited ahead of Lion Lanuch

Editor — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Availability of Apple's current white MacBook, built with hardware that is now getting long in the tooth, has become constrained, potentially signaling a forthcoming update to the entry-level notebook. Many of the Apple authorized resellers that can be found on AppleInsider's Mac Pricing Guide are completely sold out of the polycarbonate MacBook. Specifically, Amazon, MacConnection, On Sale and J&R are all out of stock. In addition, inventory of the entry-level portable is low at DataVision. In addition, one of Europe's largest distributors is completely out of stock of the white MacBook, and lists no estimated time of arrival for new shipments. Sources indicated that this is unusual, but not necessarily a sign that the current model will be discontinued. AppleInsider has not received any specific word of a MacBook refresh, but the timing makes sense, as the polycarbonate MacBook was last updated more than a year ago, in May of 2010. The entry-level hardware was given GeForce 320M graphics and an Intel 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor. The reduced availability could also be a result of a somewhat recent educational discount price drop, from $949 to $899. Any new hardware that may be released is not expected to debut until after the launch of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. As first reported by AppleInsider, Apple is expected to freeze all new Mac introductions until the release of its next-generation operating system. A lot has changed in the Apple product lineup since the last MacBook refresh occurred. Namely, the company now offers a second notebook at the same $999 price point: the 11.6-inch MacBook Air released last October, which instantly found strong sales.

Apple Experimenting With 'New Way of Charging' for 2012 iPhone

Editor — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Expanding on its report from earlier today regarding Apple's preparations toward a thinner and lighter next-generation iPhone set for launch in the September timeframe,The Wall Street Journal now reports that Apple is working on more ambitious plans for the 2012 iPhone, experimenting with a number of changes including a "new way of charging" the device.

Apple may release 'iPad 2 Plus' with high-res display this year

Editor — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

If Apple does release a new iPad this year, it will be a high-end model with a greater pixel density display rather than an entirely new third-generation model, according to a new report.

Analyst Craig Berger with FBR Capital Markets cited contacts in Apple's overseas supply chain in a note to investors that says Apple could release a so-called "iPad 2 Plus" later this year. He was told that component makers have received requests-for-quotes from Apple for such a device, though no production schedule has been confirmed.

"We hear Apple could migrate the iPad's display resolution from a current pixel density of 132 (pixels per inch) to 250-300 ppi for the 'iPad 2 Plus' (note that the iPhone 4's screen is 326 ppi)," Berger wrote.

But Berger also cautioned that while the information shared is "interesting," he would need to hear more information about a new hardware model before "fully believing" that a new model iPad will debut this year.

The latest suggestion of a new model comes less than a week after a report claimed that Apple will launch a so-called "iPad 3" october. But if Berger's sources are accurate, that rumored device won't be a full-fledged third-generation iPad, and will instead be an expansion of the iPad product lineup.

The launch of an "iPad 2 Plus" this holiday could diminish production volumes in the fourth quarter of 2011, Berger said, by resulting in screen production constraints at suppliers like LG and Samsung. He said those companies would "likely have difficulties" ramping up production of such high-resolution screens immediately.