Apple is integrating augmented reality technology into the iPhone’s camera app, reports Business Insider. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the outlet says the initiative involves teams from several acquired startups, and will serve as a stop-gap until its digital glasses are ready for market.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is out with a new report to clients Tuesday, a copy of which was obtained by MacRumors, that lays out his predictions for Apple's 2017 iPhone refresh. The analyst is calling for a trio of new iPhones next fall, two of which should be upgraded versions of the current models with classic TFT-LCD screens.
As for a third model, it will boast all-new industrial design and utilize power-sipping organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technology, according to the analyst's note.
Apple is considering expanding into the digital glasses space, reports Bloomberg. Citing people familiar with the matter, the outlet says it's still the exploration phase, but if the project is given the green light, the glasses could launch as early as 2018.
The glasses would connect wirelessly to iPhones, and project images and other information into the wearer's field of vision. Sources say it's possible that they could utilize augmented reality, and it seems likely given Apple's public interest in the tech.
Apple should update both iPad Pros next year, with analysts from the banking and financial services company Barclays calling for a brand new model to be added to the lineup. Supply chain sources Barclays recently quizzed think the new iPad Pro model will have a screen measuring 10.9 inches.
And because that tablet is expected to adopt an all-new bezel-free design, its 10.9-inch screen could be fitted inside the current 9.7-inch package.
A report earlier this week alleged that one of Apple’s European resellers told a customer it would receive first AirPods stock on November 17 and start selling the earphones by November 18-19.
Contradicting the story, Barclays analysts heard chatter in the Asian supply chain that mass production of the delayed accessory is scheduled to kick off in December in time for Christmas, but in limited quantities, Yahoo Finance reported Friday.
After analyzing the latest chatter in Apple's supply chain following a trip to Asia this week, Barclays Research analysts predicted the Cupertino firm will offer a next-generation 'iPhone 8' in 2017 in two sizes, one with a screen measuring five inches and the other featuring a 5.8-inch display.
Because the handsets will utilize curved screens, they're expected to have a bezel-less design allowing them to increase display size while retaining the same overall size as the current 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones.
According to Instagram co-founder and CEO Kevin Systrom in the Financial Times newspaper this morning, the popular photo-sharing service will be gaining the ability to stream live video. “Live is really exciting for us,” Systrom said without detailing when it'll launch in the mobile app. Russian news outlet Tjournal.ru was first to report that Instagram appears to have been testing the upcoming feature with a subset of its Russian users.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple supplier Japan Display could receive a bailout of around ¥75 billion ($703 million) from the government-backed fund Innovation Network Corp. of Japan (INCJ), which is its largest shareholder with a 36 percent share.
People familiar with the matter said that the display maker might receive new financing from INCJ through an issuance of subordinated bonds and may possibly get “additional support” from the fund.
In August, the European Commission slammed Apple with a tax bill from hell over a sweetheart deal it received from Ireland—which, in the Commission's view, constitutes “illegal state aid”.
Dublin promptly promised to join Apple's fight against EU and it's put its money where its mouth is.
Michael Noonan, Finance Minister in the Irish government, said that Dublin today challenged the EU judgment by submitting an appeal to the European courts in a bid to block the decision, ArsTechnica reports.
About a year ago, a certain California firm quietly snapped up VocalIQ, a UK-based startup that used machine learning to build conversational virtual assistants. Subsequent reports noted that Apple kept most of the startup's employees to work out of their unmarked Cambridge, UK office on integrating VocalIQ technology into Siri.
Citing sources with knowledge of the matter, Business Insider reports that Apple is now looking to increase the size of the Siri team in Cambridge.
AirPods, Apple's Bluetooth earphones featuring the company's in-house designed W1 wireless chip, may be launching next week. That's the gist of a new report Thursday from German blog Apfelpage.de. The publication cited Apple's European reseller Conrad as confirming that it'll receive stock of the delayed earphones on November 17.
Conrad will reportedly make the AirPods sellable by November 18-19. The AirPods were originally advertised with a “late October” launch date until Apple said it needed more time to work out the issues. Apple.com currently lists them tentatively as “coming soon”.
Twitter is currently entertaining multiple purchase offers from potential Vine buyers, meaning the once very popular shortform video-sharing service could live on assuming Twitter manages to sell it, according to a new report from TechCrunch. As you know, Twitter last month announced plans to phase out the video-looping social networking app. After acquiring the startup behind the Vine app, Twitter released Vine on the App Store in January 2013.