Rumors

Bloomberg: Apple planning iPhone trade-in program to boost sales

According to a new report this morning, Apple is looking to begin its own iPhone trade-in program this summer. Of course, it already accepts trade-ins through its Reuse and Recycle program, but this would be the first time the company has made trade-in offers first hand.

The move is believed to be an attempt to increase handset sales, by encouraging users with older iPhones to trade them in toward the purchase of a newer model...

New report claims redesigned iPad coming in Q3, new iPad mini in Q4

This year has been kind of a weird one for Apple in terms of product releases. It's June now, and we have yet to see a new iPad this year (no, I'm not counting the 128GB model). That hasn't happened since the tablet's inception back in 2010.

But it's coming. Or should I say they're coming. Apple is expected to release both a new iPad and iPad mini this year. And according to a new report out of China, the former is coming in Q3, and the latter will arrive just before the holidays...

Bloomberg: Apple’s iAd team gearing up for new iRadio service

This weekend was chock-full of iRadio news, with multiple reports claiming that Apple reached a deal with the Warner Music Group on Sunday in an effort to wrap up negotiations involving its Pandora-like music service in time for WWDC next week.

And that trend continues today with a new scoop from Bloomberg regarding the service. The outlet is reporting this afternoon that Apple is revamping how it sells mobile ads to better cater to businesses that apparently can't wait to advertise on iRadio...

Photos of alleged iPhone 5S SIM tray and various buttons

Although we won't likely see a new iPhone at WWDC next week, it is on the way. The handset is reportedly scheduled to go into production this month, and is expected to be unveiled during a September or October event.

We know little about the device, believed to be the iPhone 5S, outside of the fact that it is going to look like its predecessor. We have seen a number of minor part leaks though, with a few more turning up this morning...

Apple reportedly reaches iRadio deal with Warner Music

Citing sources "familiar with the negotiations," a new report is out claiming that Apple has finally reached a deal with Warner Music over iRadio licensing terms. Warner was one of the three remaining label holdouts on Apple's upcoming Pandora-like music service.

Rumors about the service have been flying about for months. It was expected to launch earlier this year, but Tim Cook and company have been having trouble reaching deals with the top four record labels. And now they are reportedly aiming for a WWDC launch...

Apple looking to add new AirDrop file sharing feature in iOS 7

Everything we've heard regarding iOS 7 up to this point suggests that the update will be rather significant in terms of UI changes. Icons and several other elements have been reportedly redesigned to give the software a more modern look. But what about new features?

According to a new report, in addition to improved in-car behavior for Siri and Maps, and system-level integration of Vimeo and Flickr, Apple is also working on AirDrop for iOS. The feature, which is already available on OS X, will make it easier than ever to share files with other iOS devices...

Pics show iPad mini prototype with 2 microphones

Last fall, the rumors leading up to the iPad mini event suggested that the 8-inch tablet would have a microphone located in the top-middle of its rear shell. Just like on the iPhone 5, it was to be used for noise-canceling and to improve audio pickup.

Obviously, the rumors never materialized, as the production version of the first-gen mini does not have a hole in the top of its rear casing. But looking at some new pictures of a purported prototype for the slate, that may not have been Apple's plan...

Watch out Facebook, Google’s also considering Waze buyout

Whatever the folks over at Waze are doing, they must be doing it right. Earlier this month, we heard that Facebook was looking to acquire the Palo Alto-based startup and its popular crowd-sourced navigation app for a cool $1 billion.

But as it turns out, they're not the only ones interested. According to a new report, a number of tech companies have approached the Waze team over a possible buyout deal, including Google, meaning a bidding war could be afoot...

New report claims budget iPhone production begins soon, 5S has dual LED flash

Say what you want about the idea of a 'budget' iPhone, but industry insiders seem to be extremely confident that the handset is coming. We've heard a number of reports over the past few months regarding Apple's efforts to create a sub-$300 smartphone.

In fact, another report has surfaced this afternoon claiming that the cheaper iPhone is on the way. This one comes from the folks over at Macotakara, a Japanese blog with a fair track record in Apple intel, who allege to have new details about the device...

Popular analyst warns iWatch may not hit market until late 2014

Folks looking forward to seeing Apple launch its iWatch product this year probably shouldn't get their hopes up. According to a new report from well-respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, there's a good possibility we won't see the rumored accessory until late 2014.

Kuo says that due to the vast changes coming in iOS 7, Apple won't have the resources to build out software for the wristwatch-like device. And he thinks that, and an immature component market for wearable devices, will delay the project until the end of next year...

Apple to add system-wide Vimeo and Flickr support in iOS 7

Details regarding iOS 7 are still fairly scarce, despite the fact that WWDC is just a few weeks away. Apple has said that it will be previewing its next-generation mobile operating system at its annual developer conference next month.

We do know a few things though. Most of the rumors suggest iOS 7 will feature a UI overhaul, in favor of a much flatter design. And according to a new report, Apple will also be beefing up social ties with Vimeo and Flickr integration...

Song skipping feature reportedly stalling iRadio talks

Industry chatter regarding 'iRadio' is really starting to pick up. Yesterday, a report surfaced claiming that Apple is struggling to reach deals with record labels because such a service has never been tried before. And today, we have even more details on the talks.

Citing sources with knowledge of the negotiations, CNET is reporting that the labels are actually very keen on Apple's music service, but there's a single issue keeping them from signing on the dotted line. Apparently, they can't agree on song skipping terms...