Hints of next-gen iPad & iPod touch models spotted in iOS 12.2 and Eurasian database

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 28, 2019

A recent report out of Japan alleged that a seventh-generation iPod touch is in the works, and now it's been hinted that the device may have no Touch ID nor Face ID. Additionally, evidence has surfaced that new iPad models are being worked on, too, also without Face ID.

iOS developer Steve Troughton-Smith has unearthed references to four new iPads from the iOS 12.2 beta, which released for developer testing last week.

"In theory, iOS 12.2 references four new iPads in Wi-Fi and cellular variants, all without Face ID, and an iPod touch with no Touch ID nor Face ID," he wrote on Twitter.

It's interesting that the current sixth-generation iPod touch uses the identifier "iPod6,1" but the upcoming model carries the identification string "iPod7,1".

"I've always figured it means they worked on a generation and decided not to ship it, so they skipped," Steve speculated (I think it signifies a next-generation design).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZefYz-0l8ik

These new iPad and iPod touch models had been registered with the Eurasian Economic Commission. As first spotted but MySmartPrice, the Eurasian filing lists tablet computers running iOS 12 with the following model numbers:

A2123 A2124 A2126 A2153 A2154 A2133 A2152

This database has reveled unreleased Apple devices in the past.

iDownloadBlog's own Harris Craycraft has taken it upon himself to revisit the sixth-generation iPod touch to see if this under-appreciated App Store machine is still worth it in 2019.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjMby_ZBNVI Subscribe to iDownloadBlog on YouTube

As for the newly referenced iPads without Face ID, these could be fifth-generation iPad mini models and a refresh of the $329 9.7-inch iPad, in Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi + Cellular editions.

We saw leaks of some iPad mini 5 parts in the past few months so we fully expect these new mini tablets to arrive in time for the spring. The low-cost iPad, according to one report, could have a bit larger screen at ten inches diagonally.

A claimed iPad mini chassis in Rose Gold

Other new features discovered in the iOS 12.2 beta include Apple News expansion to Canada, HomeKit TV support and a new magazine-subscription service (Apple may even be working on a Netflix-like subscription service for games).

Smaller changes in the iOS 12.2 beta that we managed to spot include a new Add Money button for Apple Pay Cash in the Wallet app, redesigned AirPlay icons, an overhauled Apple TV Remote widget in Control Center which now takes up the entire screen and more.

Could this be a fifth-generation iPad mini?

How cool would a next-generation iPod touch be, do you think?

Would you rather be interested in the next iPad mini?

Chime in with your thoughts in the comments down below.

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Apple in 2018 spent $60 billion with American component suppliers

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 28, 2019

Coinciding with today's report in The New York Times detailing why Apple won’t be bringing manufacturing jobs back home, the Cupertino technology giant has now issued a press release focused on US suppliers Finisar, Corning and Broadcom which are building parts for its products at domestic manufacturing plants.

The gist of the report: the iPhone maker in 2018 alone spent a whopping $90 billion with 9,000 America component suppliers and companies such as Finisar, Corning and Broadcom.

The figure translates into an increase of more than ten percent from the year before, supporting more than 450,000 jobs, according to the press release.

Finisar, which supplies laser components for the TrueDepth camera, was awarded $390 million from Apple’s $1 billion Advanced Manufacturing Fund last year to expand production. The supplier used that money to turn an unoccupied building in Sherman, Texas into a "bustling operation" full of people who will supply that future business.

Finisar's technician handles a VCSEL wafer during production.

The facility will eventually employ up to 500 engineers who will be mass-producing vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) for modern iPhones.

VCSEL wafers are nearly as thin as a human hair and contain hundreds of layers measuring only a few atoms in thickness. They require a highly advanced and precise manufacturing operation, as well as skilled technicians with specialized training.

Corning's 65-year-old facility in Harrodsburg, Kentucky produces iPhone cover glass. It received a $200 million investment from Apple for state-of-the-art glass processing.

Army veteran Michael Turner, 40, Michael Turner gets ready to enter the production floor at the Sherman plant.

Apple works with many other US suppliers, like Cincinnati Test Systems and Broadcom.

Cincinnati Test Systems in Ohio designed a first-of-its-kind equipment to ensure iPhone is water resistant. And Broadcom in Fort Collins, Colorado, Qorvo in Hillsboro, Oregon and Skyworks in Woburn, Massachusetts, are all making wireless communication hardware that enables global connectivity.

Since 2011, the total number of jobs created and supported by Apple in the US has more than tripled, from almost 600,000 to 2 million across all 50 states.

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How to convert iPhone HEVC videos to H.264 with VideoProc [sponsor]

Sponsored Post ∙ Updated May 19, 2019

The Mac and Windows app VideoProc by multimedia software developer Digiarty is among the most comprehensive video converters out there. Not only does it transcode foreign video formats including MKV, DIVX, FLV and WMV to iOS-friendly formats, but also lets you convert videos in the High Efficiency Video Coding (H.265) format captured with your iPhone to the more compatible H.264 codec, which lets you play them back on older devices.

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Slyd: A new jailbreak tweak that cures your nostalgia for ‘slide to unlock’

Anthony Bouchard ∙ January 28, 2019

It’s been quite a few years since Apple has used the classic ‘slide to unlock’ interface on any of its mobile handsets, and with the advancements in biometric authentication and software since then it should be safe to say it isn’t coming back; at least not officially.

But if you’re feeling a bit nostalgic about the slide to unlock interface, then you’ll be thrilled to learn about a new free jailbreak tweak called Slyd (SlideToUnlock) by iOS developer Nepeta. Just as the name implies, this tweak ports the classic slide to unlock interface from iOS 7 to iOS 11.

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