MacRumors

A collection of new assets within the system resources for the virtual keyboard on macOS 10.12.1 essentially confirms Apple will be releasing new notebooks that include a touch-based OLED bar in lieu of the physical function key row seen on all current Macs, as has been rumored for the upcoming MacBook Pro.

On 10.12.0, the System Preferences assets for Apple's virtual keyboard - which lets users type on a Mac without a physical keyboard - include a number of different keyboard image files covering the physical key layouts used across Apple's product lineup, including full-height versus half-height function rows and different international layouts. Each file represents an image of macOS Sierra's virtual keyboard that mirrors the user's current physical keyboard layout, including a row across the top for function keys, Escape, and a power or eject key.

In yesterday's 10.12.1 update to Sierra, a new set of assets was discovered by MacRumors reader Gabriel Lorin, revealing an updated physical keyboard layout coming for machines supporting the new operating system version. Three additional sets of layout files are included in system resources on macOS 10.12.1, with each image depicting a virtual keyboard that lacks the standard tactile row of function keys.

The image files do not directly represent the OLED touch bar and its functionality, which will likely be managed using separate preferences, but the omission of the function row entirely in these new layouts leaves no other reasonable explanation beyond those key functionalities being moved to a separate location such as the rumored touch bar.

The significantly redesigned MacBook Pro, which is expected to be at the forefront of Apple's Mac event on Thursday, has been expected to include an OLED touch bar for some time now, so today's discovery is just another piece in a long line of rumors and evidence leading up to Apple's announcement later in the week. The panel is rumored to include Touch ID so users can gain easy access to a locked MacBook and perhaps direct Apple Pay functionality, and the remainder of the OLED keys will change contextually depending on which app is active on the computer.

Besides a 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro, Apple is believed to be launching a new 13-inch MacBook Air at the event, but recent reports suggest that users may have to wait until 2017 for a refresh to the iMac and a new standalone 5K display.

Earlier in the year, rumors began swirling around the possibility Apple might launch a version of iMessage for Android smartphones due to the company's increased focus on services, "which means opening up certain avenues beyond its own iOS and OS X platforms."

The original report pointed to a potential announcement at WWDC, which came and went with no such news, and an Apple executive later commented that keeping iMessage on iOS has the understandable advantage of helping sales for iPhones and iPads.

In a larger piece today discussing the degree to which iMessage's "stickiness" is acting as the glue to help keep users loyal to iOS, Daring Fireball's John Gruber briefly outlined these previous rumors and provided further fuel to the flames. Gruber mentioned that he's "heard from little birdies" that a handful of "detailed mockups" of iMessage for Android have been shared around Apple.

The user interface of the Android app is said to have gone through numerous designs, from one that looks identical to the version on iOS, to another that has a "pure Material Design," using Google's design language it developed a few years ago. Gruber still thinks iMessage on Android "might happen sooner or later," mainly because of iMessage's new monetized Messages App Store, which could net Apple increased income in its already profitable services category if it translated the app to Android.

I’ve heard from little birdies that mockups of iMessage for Android have circulated within the company, with varying UI styles ranging from looking like the iOS Messages app to pure Material Design.

Apple undoubtedly creates mockups for all types of products and services, the vast majority of which never make it to release, and it's unclear exactly how far along the iMessage for Android preliminary designs were at the time of their circulation through Apple, or when exactly that occurred. Still, Gruber notes that while an Android version of iMessage "may never see the light of day," even the existence of such mockups "strongly suggests that there's no 'of course not' to it."

Apple currently distributes three apps on the Google Play store for Android, including Apple Music, Move to iOS for users who are transitioning from an Android smartphone to an iPhone, and Beats Pill, an app used to interact with a Beats Pill speaker. Apple CEO Tim Cook has said Apple Music is Apple's way of testing the water ahead of bringing additional Apple services to other platforms, so it's a possibility that iMessage could be one of those services.

Apple will report its fiscal fourth quarter earnings results later today, and both the company and analysts project a year-over-year decline in iPhone sales and overall revenue for a third consecutive quarter. Apple will then have posted its first full-year revenue decline since 2001, with the decline expected to continue through the holiday quarter. Wall Street projects Apple will return to growth in 2017.

Apple previously forecasted September quarter revenue of between $45.5 billion and $47.5 billion, which would be up to 12 percent lower than the $51.5 billion in revenue it posted in the year-ago quarter. The consensus among analysts is around $47 billion in revenue, at the higher end of Apple's guidance, according to earnings estimates aggregated by Philip Elmer-DeWitt and Jim Edwards.

Apple analyst Neil Cybart of Above Avalon has forecasted declining sales across Apple's entire core product lineup, including 43.7 million iPhones, 9.1 million iPads, 5 million Macs, and 1.9 million Apple Watch units. One continued bright spot for Apple is expected to be its services category, projected to rise 20% to $6.1 billion on the strength of the App Store, Apple Music, iCloud, and AppleCare.

Apple analyst Brian White of Drexel Hamilton continues to recommend AAPL stock to investors, noting that shares remain undervalued. His price targets remains $185, or nearly 57% higher than Apple's $117.86 price at the time this article was published. White believes Apple's "sales, profit and iPhone cycle have bottomed" and that iPhone 8 sales can drive another year of growth.

Apple will report its fiscal fourth quarter earnings at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time, followed by a conference call to discuss the results at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time. MacRumors will be providing full coverage of Apple's earnings results alongside a live transcript of the call. Check back for the latest updates.

Earlier today, a few users on Reddit in countries outside of the United States noticed that the Powerbeats3 Wireless Earphones have been made available to order from Apple.com, outlining arrival windows of as early as next week for users in the areas, and subsequently they have also gone live on the U.S. store.

The U.S. store currently shows delivery estimates of November 1–3, while the United Kingdom and France currently sit at November 2–9 on Apple's website and Australia is a few days later on November 4–8. Otherwise most countries, including Germany, Spain, Italy, and Sweden, all mention vague 1-2 week shipping estimates that fall within the window of the dates for other countries, without being specific.

When the new headphones were announced at Apple's September 7 iPhone event, the company mentioned that the Powerbeats3 and BeatsX would be coming sometime later in the year but didn't say when. The Powerbeats3 also appear to be featured prominently in next week's Target circular, supporting a wide online and retail rollout is imminent in the United States beyond Apple's own sales.

For the BeatsX earphones, most versions of Apple.com still say "coming this fall," while Apple's upcoming AirPods are listed as "available late October" for every country.

(Thanks, Sai!)

Update: This article has been updated to note that Apple has begun taking orders in the United States.

Xiaomi surprised at its Beijing event today by announcing the Mi Mix, the "world's first edgeless display" phone, alongside the company's new Mi Note 2.

Designed by French designer Philippe Starck, the Mi Mix is a 6.4-inch device that features a 2040x1080 pixel, 17:9 aspect ratio borderless display that takes up 91.3 percent of the front of the handset. The only significant bezel sits at the bottom of the screen, but it doesn't have a physical button, with all the controls existing onscreen.

The all-ceramic phone uses a piezoelectric ceramic driver for the earpiece which uses the metal frame to generate sound, while the proximity sensor has been replaced by ultrasound. Both innovations are hidden under the display. The design also uses a mortise and tenon joint for attaching the display to the body, rather than glue or other adhesives.

Powering the phone is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, with 4GB RAM for the 128GB capacity model and 6GB RAM for the 256GB model, which also features gold trim, with 18K gold accents on the camera lens and fingerprint sensor on the back.

The rear camera boasts a 16-megapixel resolution and 4K video, while the front camera is 5 megapixels. The phone is also said to have dual SIM connectivity and a 4,400mAh battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 support.

Depicting the Mi Mix in promotional videos reminiscent of the Monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Xiaomi called the device a "concept phone", and yet offered both a price and a release date. The 4GB/128GB model costs RMB 3,499 ($515) and the 6GB/256GB model is RMB 3,999 ($590), with both handsets set to launch on November 4th in China.

The phone may give us some idea of what Apple's next phone could look like. Apple has a major iPhone redesign planned for 2017, with a glass body and edge-to-edge OLED display that includes an integrated Touch ID fingerprint sensor and front-facing camera. The handset is expected to lack bezels, meaning there will be no Home button. Jony Ive is said to have wanted to introduce an iPhone that looks like a single sheet of glass for several years, and 2017 may be the year that becomes possible.

Apple today released macOS Sierra 10.12.1, the first update to the macOS Sierra operating system that first launched on September 20. macOS Sierra 10.12.1 has been in beta testing since September 21, with Apple seeding five betas before releasing the final version to the public.

macOS Sierra 10.12.1 is available for free to all customers who are running macOS Sierra. It can be downloaded from the Software Update function in the Mac App Store.

macOS Sierra 10.12.1 features few outward-facing changes, instead focusing on bug fixes and improvements to address issues that have surfaced since the release of the operating system. It does include Photos support for the new iPhone 7 Plus Portrait feature introduced with iOS 10.1, and it also includes features designed for next-generation MacBook Pro models that are set to be released later this year. Here's a full list of changes:

This update:

- Adds an automatic smart album in Photos for Depth Effect images taken on iPhone 7 Plus
- Improves the compatibility of Microsoft Office when using iCloud Desktop and Documents
- Fixes an issue that may prevent Mail from updating when using a Microsoft Exchange account
- Fixes an issue that caused text to sometimes paste incorrectly when using Universal Clipboard
- Improves reliability of Auto Unlock with Apple Watch
- Improves security and stability in Safari

Apple has been on an accelerated timeline to get macOS Sierra 10.12.1 released, and it has likely already been sent to Apple's supply chain partners to be installed on new machines. New MacBook Pro models could be ready to launch as soon as late October.

macOS Sierra is a major operating system update that introduces Siri support, cross device copy paste options, new storage optimization tools, auto unlocking with the Apple Watch, and more. For full details on the features that are new in macOS Sierra, make sure to check out our full macOS Sierra roundup.

Apple today released iOS 10.1 to the public, marking the first major update to the iOS 10 operating system that launched on September 13. In testing since September 21, iOS 10.1 saw Apple release five betas to developers and public beta testers before its public debut.

Today's iOS 10.1 update is available as a free over-the-air update for all iOS 10 users. It is the third update to iOS 10, following iOS 10.0.3, a minor bug fix update.

iOS 10.1 introduces a new "Portrait" mode, designed to take advantage of the two cameras included in the iPhone 7 Plus, released in September. Portrait mode uses the wide-angle and telephoto lenses in the iPhone 7 Plus to create shallow depth of field portrait photos with blurred backgrounds.

To achieve the blurred look, the image signal processor in the device uses the wide-angle camera to create a depth map while the telephoto captures an image, dissecting the different layers of the photo to decide what to blur with an artful "bokeh" effect. It works on people, pets, and objects, but it does require good lighting to achieve the proper results.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.

The update also offers a long list of bug fixes and other under-the-hood improvements to address many problems that have been uncovered since iOS 10 was released, and it also brings Transit directions to Japan for the first time.

There have been some tweaks to the Messages app. It's now possible to play Bubble and Screen effects in Messages with Reduce Motion enabled, something that wasn't previously possible. There's also a new option to replay Bubble and Screen effects. A full list of changes is available below:

➜ Click here to read rest of article...

Just three days before Apple's "Hello Again" event, where it is widely expected to announce new Macs, French website Consomac has discovered a new Russian-language regulatory filing, in the Eurasian Economic Commission database, that points towards at least three new models running macOS Sierra launching soon.

The three new Macs, identified only with model numbers A1706, A1707, A1708, are likely to be new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pros alongside a new 13-inch MacBook, which could be a refreshed Air model, based on previous reports. However, adding confusion to the mix is the consecutive sequence of the model numbers.

The filing, published today, satisfies Russia's requirement for companies to register all products containing encryption and/or cryptographic tools.

Over the weekend, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he believes the highlight of Apple's event on Thursday will be a redesigned MacBook Pro in both 13-inch and 15-inch sizes, adopting an OLED touch bar and Touch ID sensor, USB-C with Thunderbolt 3, and the same butterfly keyboard design introduced on the MacBook in 2015.

The all-new MacBook Pro is also expected to have faster Intel Skylake processors and faster graphics, possibly including the option of AMD "Polaris" graphics on higher-end models. Kuo said Apple will offer a new option of 2TB SSD storage, while it or a third-party supplier will release a MagSafe-like USB-C charging adapter.

The new 13-inch MacBook, meanwhile, is likely to be a refreshed MacBook Air, which would align with other rumors claiming that only the 13-inch MacBook Air will be seeing an update with new USB-C ports. However, there is an outside chance the model could be a slightly larger version of the current 12-inch MacBook.

The loosely translated filing refers to the Macs as "portable personal computers," effectively ruling out the iMac and Mac Pro.