MacRumors

Two images have emerged online this morning allegedly showing the rear cases of an iPhone 7 and 7 Plus leaked from the Chinese supply chain.

The first image posted by French site nowhereelse.fr claims to show the back of the upcoming 4.7-inch iPhone 7 with the expected antenna bands restricted to the edges of the casing, rather than running along the rear.

Alongside the usual microphone and LED flash, it also appears to show a larger protruding camera cut-out, which is consistent with rumors that the device will feature a larger back camera with likely improved CMOS sensor.

Interestingly, Engadget's take on the same alleged leak cites a couple of claims from its source at Chinese repair shop Rock Fix that we've heard before. One is that the headphone jack is "here to stay" on the 4.7-inch handset, the other is that the iPhone 7 will come in two flavors: a base model to replace the iPhone 6, alongside the expected flagship model.

The first claim comes despite widespread and apparently confirmed rumors indicating that Apple will switch exclusively to Lightning and Bluetooth audio output for wired and wireless headphones.

The second claim appears to be associated with an earlier leaked image from Rock Fix depicting a trio of iPhone 7 and 7 Plus display components that could just as easily be from early prototype stages. Both claims seem unlikely at this late stage in the rumor cycle.

Meanwhile, the alleged shot of an iPhone 7 Plus case depicts the now-familiar pill-shaped camera enclosure, corroborating widely circulated rumors that Apple plans for a superior dual-lens camera to be exclusive to the larger 5.5-inch handset.

In the close-up shown here, the top of the plastic shell enclosing the case also appears to have an unusual opening in the centre. Nowhereelse.fr suggests this could indicate the presence of a sensor or port of some kind, although such an inclusion would be unusual at this location.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 7 series in September. The smartphones are also expected to retain iPhone 6s-like designs with faster Apple A10 processors, dustproofing and waterproofing, and faster LTE and Wi-Fi.

tvOS, the operating system that runs on the fourth-generation Apple TV, is also set to receive some updates this fall alongside iOS, macOS, and watchOS.

tvOS isn't getting as many changes as these other operating systems, but as can be seen in the video below, there are some important new features being added that make it easier to find content and easier to watch live television.

At WWDC, Apple mentioned that YouTube search is on the way, allowing users to ask Siri to find cute kitten videos or videos of hamsters eating tiny burritos, but that's actually a feature that's going to be available ahead of the fall release of tvOS.

A new Single Sign-On option for pay TV apps is available in tvOS 10, allowing users to sign in once with their cable credentials to access live cable content available through their cable subscription. Apple plans to introduce a new Remote app for iOS devices that mirrors the layout of the Siri remote, and developers are getting a lot of new APIs to build into their apps.

For the first time, games will be able to require a controller, so more complicated controls will be possible, and there are also APIs for recording and live broadcasting, using HomeKit, and accessing iCloud Photo Library photos.

Other new features in tvOS include a dark mode, a Continuity option for easier text input on the iPhone, automatic app downloads, a "Memories" feature in Photos, and a redesigned Apple Music app.

Not all tvOS features are working in the developer beta now, including Single Sign-On, but Apple will likely add functionality as the beta testing process progresses.

For full details on the new features coming in tvOS 10, make sure to check out our tvOS 10 roundup. Don't miss out on our previous videos, which have covered iOS 10, watchOS 3, and macOS Sierra:

- WWDC 2016 Overview in Seven Minutes
- iOS 10's Overhauled Lockscreen
- The New iOS 10 Photos App
- The New iOS 10 Messages App
- macOS Sierra - Siri
- iOS 10 Hidden Features
- watchOS 3 Overview
- iOS 10's Redesigned Apple Music Experience
- 3D Touch in iOS 10
- The New Home App for Controlling HomeKit Devices

We've also got roundups for all of the upcoming operating systems, including watchOS 3, macOS Sierra, and iOS 10.

When Apple introduced iOS 10, macOS Sierra, watchOS 3, and tvOS 10 at the 2016 Worldwide Developers Conference, it also announced plans to implement a new technology called Differential Privacy, which helps the company gather data and usage patterns for a large number of users without compromising individual security.

At the time, Apple said Differential Privacy would be used in iOS 10 to collect data to improve QuickType and emoji suggestions, Spotlight deep link suggestions, and Lookup Hints in Notes, and said it would be used in macOS Sierra to improve autocorrect suggestions and Lookup Hints.

There's been a lot of confusion about differential privacy and what it means for end users, leading Recode to write a piece that clarifies many of the details of differential privacy.

First and foremost, as with all of Apple's data collection, there is an option to opt out of sharing data with the company. Differential data collection is entirely opt in and users can decide whether or not to send data to Apple.

Apple will start collecting data starting in iOS 10, and has not been doing so already, and it also will not use the cloud-stored photos of iOS users to bolster image recognition capabilities in the Photos app.

As for what data is being collected, Apple says that differential privacy will initially be limited to four specific use cases: New words that users add to their local dictionaries, emojis typed by the user (so that Apple can suggest emoji replacements), deep links used inside apps (provided they are marked for public indexing) and lookup hints within notes.

Apple will also continue to do a lot of its predictive work on the device, something it started with the proactive features in iOS 9. This work doesn't tap the cloud for analysis, nor is the data shared using differential privacy.

Apple's deep concern for user privacy has put its services like Siri behind competing services from other companies, but Differential Privacy gives the company a way to collect useful data without compromising the security of its customer base.

As Apple's VP of software engineering Craig Federighi explained at the WWDC keynote, Differential privacy uses hashing, subsampling, and noise injection to enable crowd-sourced learning without simultaneously gathering data on individual people.

Apple yesterday announced plans to discontinue the 5-year-old Thunderbolt Display, leaving it unclear if Apple's display business is coming to an end or if another model is in the works for a future release. According to BuzzFeed's John Paczkowski, Apple isn't done with Thunderbolt displays.

In a tweet shared this morning, Paczkowski said he's heard from unspecified sources that a next-generation display will feature an integrated GPU, a possibility that was first bandied about in early June, ahead of WWDC.

It's believed Apple has not introduced a 5K display to match the 5K iMac because there are no machines that could run it over a single stream cable, a fact that will remain true even in upcoming machines like a rumored Skylake Retina MacBook Pro.

Paczkowski doesn't include other details about the display Apple has in the works, but rumors have suggested it will feature a resolution of 5120 x 2880 and it's also likely to include USB-C ports that support Thunderbolt 3.

Stock shortages ahead of the Worldwide Developers Conference led to speculation that Apple could refresh the Thunderbolt Display at the event, but that did not end up happening. There is no word on when Apple might release a new display, but with an integrated GPU, it would not have any specific requirements and could theoretically debut at any time.

If a new Thunderbolt Display is planned for 2016, a logical guess at a release date might be in the fall alongside rumored redesigned Retina MacBook Pros.

Apple may switch to micro-LED displays for the Apple Watch in the second half of 2017 at the earliest, moving away from the current OLED technology used, according to supply chain sources for Taiwanese website DigiTimes.

The timeline suggests that the much-rumored Apple Watch 2 lineup expected to debut in the second half of 2016 will continue to have OLED displays, with the move towards micro-LED panels liking occurring in tandem with the tentatively named Apple Watch 3.

Micro-LED displays can be thinner and lighter and allow for improved color gamut, increased brightness, and higher resolutions. The panels do not require backlighting like traditional LCD displays, but they can be difficult and expensive to mass produce. Micro LEDs range in size from 1-micron to 100-micron.

Earlier this year, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the Apple Watch 2 will mainly feature internal improvements, with more significant form factor design changes not occurring until 2017. By then, the switch to micro-LED panels and other technological advances could allow for a thinner Apple Watch.

Apple acquired micro-LED display maker LuxVue Technology in 2014, and one of the company's investors at the time said it had "a technical breakthrough in displays." LuxVue holds multiple micro-LED-related patents and, in 2013, it raised $25.2 million in funding to pursue the technology.

Apple also opened a facility in northern Taiwan last year, where it is believed to be focusing on micro-LED technology.

The current Apple Watch is the only Apple product with an OLED display due to its small size. The company continues to use LCD technology based on a TFT manufacturing process for iPhones, but widespread rumors suggest Apple will release its first OLED-based iPhone as early as September 2017.

Apple today told several news sites that it plans to discontinue its Thunderbolt Display, which has been available for purchase online and in Apple retail stores since it was first introduced in the summer of 2011.

"We're discontinuing the Apple Thunderbolt Display. It will be available through Apple.com, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers while supplies last. There are a number of great third-party options available for Mac users," said an Apple spokesperson.

Apple will continue to sell existing Thunderbolt Display stock so long as it remains available, but once stock is exhausted, the Thunderbolt Display will no longer be available as production is ceasing. It is not clear why Apple has decided to make an announcement concerning the discontinuation of the display and if it means a new 4K or 5K display is on the horizon.

Stock shortages ahead of WWDC sparked rumors that Apple might be planning to introduce a new display at the event, but no new hardware appeared and Apple instead focused on software for iOS devices, Macs, Apple TVs, and Apple Watch devices.

Rumors have suggested Apple is working on a 5K display, and if true, such a display could feature a resolution of 5120 x 2880 pixels, USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 peripherals, and a design that mimics the latest iMacs. Speculation suggests it could come equipped with a built-in GPU or use a DisplayPort 1.2 Multi-Stream Transport setup to stitch two halves of a display together to make one seamless display.

If a new Thunderbolt Display is in the works, it could launch alongside next-generation Skylake Retina MacBook Pros, which are rumored to be in the works for late fall.

HomeKit users have long wished for a centralized, Apple-designed app for controlling HomeKit-enabled products, and in iOS 10, Apple has granted that wish, with the debut of the new "Home" app. Designed to be used on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, Home is Apple's new one-stop HomeKit control solution.

As can be seen in the video below, Home offers a simple, fast, convenient way to manage all of the connected products in your house. Not all accessories are fully functional with Home right now as its a beta, but support will improve before Home launches as part of iOS 10 this fall.