MacRumors

Apple plans to open a research laboratory in Grenoble, France focused on developing improved imaging sensors and techniques for its iOS devices, according to French newspaper Dauphiné Libéré, with details shared by iPhon.fr [Google Translate].

Apple has had a team of more than a dozen researchers and engineers working on imaging research and development for more than a year at the Minatec European research center, and recently signed a lease to establish its own research laboratory in Grenoble.

The new facility, located on Rue Ampere, will give Apple the space to hire additional researchers and it will allow the company to provide its research team with specialized equipment for sensor development. Apple plans to have approximately 30 engineers working at the research lab, which will span 800 square meters.

According to the newspaper, Apple's work on sensors for the iPhone and iPad will be done in collaboration with engineers from Apple partner STMicroelectronics, which has supplied components for Apple devices in the past.

With the iPhone positioned as the most popular point-and-shoot camera in the world, Apple has invested a lot of resources into continual improvements, introducing better image quality with each iteration of the device. This year, we may see some of the biggest image improvements yet, as Apple is expected to introduce a camera with a larger sensor in the iPhone 7 and a dual-lens camera setup in the iPhone 7 Plus.

Apple executive Eddy Cue, who oversees services like the iTunes Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, Siri, Maps, and iAd, sat down for a wide-ranging interview with The Hollywood Reporter about the future of Apple TV, the company's relationship with Hollywood studios, and more.

When questioned about the original programming space, Cue said Apple is not in the business of trying to create TV shows, nor is it trying to compete with the likes of Netflix or Comcast. Instead, he said Apple may "help" producers, as it is doing for Planet of the Apps.

We're not in the business of trying to create TV shows. If we see it being complementary to the things we're doing at Apple Music or if we see it being something that's innovative on our platform, we may help them and guide them and make suggestions. But we're not trying to compete with Netflix or compete with Comcast.

Cue also downplayed rumors about Apple's interest in purchasing Time Warner, stating that the company is "not actively trying to buy any studio" right now.

In general, there's always a lot of speculation across many different companies, and some of that relates to the fact that we have a lot of money and so, therefore, we can afford to make acquisitions. So we have a lot of discussions with [Time Warner], but I don't want to speculate. We're not — at this point, certainly — actively trying to buy any studio.

Cue said Apple is only interested in entering the content space when the projects are tied to its existing products, which for now is Apple Music.

The rest of it is about giving [talent] a platform that allows them to be creative in new ways. If I was an agent, I would be very, very excited about what Apple is doing because it lets the people that I represent be able to do more.

Cue said he makes business trips to Los Angeles, where Apple has a growing team surrounding Apple Music and Beats, about five to six times per month. Apple's relationship with Hollywood, which began with Steve Jobs, is said to have "gotten better and better" over time as the industry warms up to Silicon Valley.

Yesterday, Apple posted an open casting call for its upcoming original TV show Planet of the Apps, an unscripted program about apps and the people who make them. The series will be spearheaded by executive producers will.i.am, Ben Silverman, and Howard Owens, with filming to take place in Los Angeles in late 2016 and early 2017.

Alleged photographs of the upcoming iPhone 7 have been popping up online for a few months now, and today Apple news and reviews site Macitynet [Google Translate] has shared one, showing off what the handset will look like in Rose Gold, Space Gray, Gold, and Silver. Following in the footsteps of previous images, the new photo doesn't contribute anything new to the iPhone 7 rumor mill, but it does fall in line with a few design expectations of previous reports.

The picture is said to be of a mold for the iPhone 7, used by case manufacturers ahead of the smartphone's launch to prepare exact measurements for third-party accessories, so it's hard to use today's image as definitive proof of color options for Apple's new iPhone line.

Still, the rumored Dark Space Gray version of the iPhone -- which many believed would help drum up interest in an otherwise fairly slight update year -- isn't included in the new picture, suggesting Apple could keep on with the traditional four colorways, similar to the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. However, it is also possible that Dark Space Gray could be exclusive to the iPhone 7 Plus or “Pro" (presumably not shown in today's images).

Hardware wise, the iPhone 7's larger camera is again included in the new design molds, appearing nearly identical to a clear shot of the new iPhone posted by French site Nowhereelse.fr earlier in the week. The more substantial, sloping camera is expected to be a major selling point of the iPhone 7, while its 5.5-inch alternative is expected to get an even more beefed-up dual-lens camera with a pill-shaped enclosure, which could put it on the level of some DSLR cameras.

The iPhone 7's antenna bands are also moved in the image, yet again adding confirmation to one of the new iPhone line's longest-running rumors that Apple will redesign the bands so they no longer cut across the top and bottom of the device's backside. As in most other renderings and image leaks, the bands are now lying along the edges of the rear of the iPhone 7.

No Smart Connector is visible on the rear of the top-most Rose Gold iPhone 7 mold, but the image doesn't provide a bottom edge view to corroborate the most popular rumor surrounding the iPhone 7: its potential lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack. Apple is expected to finally divulge information about the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus during a keynote in September, the traditional iPhone announcement month, so it won't be too long before we know even more about the handsets leading up to their launch.

Pokémon Go has become available in the U.K. App Store this morning as the ultra-popular game continues its much-anticipated rollout across Europe.

With the smash hit's release last week initially limited to the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand, iOS users in other countries have been left waiting for the game to show up in regional App Stores around the world. The title received its German debut yesterday and other European countries are expected to follow suit this week.

The delay has been put down to developers Niantic desperately trying to deal with the overload of its servers due to the game's massive popularity. The craze sweeping nations has reportedly caused issues for some users already playing the game, while many of those still waiting have been duped into downloading fake versions.

Shares in the Japanese company Nintendo have seen a huge jump since the release of the augmented reality hit, gaining more than 50%. Shares closed 16% higher on Thursday, making an overall increase of 56% since the release and putting Nintendo's market value at $34 billion. Pokémon Go is already the biggest mobile game in U.S. history. According to app store intelligence firm SensorTower, mobile users are now spending more time playing Pokémon Go than they are spending time in Facebook.

The global phenomenon has been blamed for several robberies of distracted mobile phone players, but the game's aim of collecting cartoon characters around various real-world locations has also had people venturing outdoors more than they usually would. Another unexpected result of Pokémon Go comes via a Reuters report today which claims it has helped U.S. police improve strained community relations and even arrest wanted suspects.

We'll update this article if Pokémon Go appears in other App Stores around the world today.

Direct link to Pokémon Go on the U.K. App Store.

Apple's upcoming iPhone 7 may include a larger battery than the one found in the iPhone 6s, which could mean a longer battery life. According to OnLeaks' Steve Hemmerstoffer, who often shares part leaks and information on new devices ahead of their launch, the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 may include a 1,960 mAh battery, an improvement over the 1,715 mAh battery in the iPhone 6s.

Citing a "pretty reliable" source, but cautioning that it's not 100 percent reliable, Hemmerstoffer revealed the information in a tweet shared this morning.

Longer battery life is often one of the most popular feature requests for new iPhones, and with the iPhone 7 expected to include only minor exterior design changes, better battery life could be an important selling point. In addition to a higher capacity battery, Apple could also improve battery life through software optimizations and the more efficient A10 processor that's expected to be included in next-generation devices.

We've heard few rumors about prospective battery life so far, but one image of a battery said to be for the iPhone 7 listed a capacity of 7.04 watt-hours, larger than the 6.61 watt-hour battery in the iPhone 6s and nearly identical to the 7.01 watt-hour battery in the iPhone 6, in line with today's rumor. With the upgrade to the iPhone 6s from the iPhone 6, Apple used a lower-capacity battery, something that may be reversed with the iPhone 7 if Hemmerstoffer's information is correct.

No information has been shared on the battery expected to be included in the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus, but it too could feature a larger capacity more in line with the iPhone 6 Plus (2,915 mAh) than the iPhone 6s Plus (2,750 mAh).

Additional information on battery life will undoubtedly become available as part leaks continue ahead of the fall release of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Other features rumored for the two devices include no headphone jack, relocated antenna bands, improved water resistance, a flush touch sensitive home button, and better camera technology, implemented through a larger camera sensor in the iPhone 7 and a dual-camera setup in the iPhone 7 Plus.

Niantic Labs, the developer behind the hit augmented reality game Pokémon Go, today hinted to the Financial Times that it plans to allow retailers and other companies to introduce sponsored locations in the future as a way to monetize the app.

Real world locations in Pokémon Go serve as "Pokéstops" for collecting in-game items and power-ups including "Pokéballs" or as "gyms" for battling the pokémon of other players. Right now, Pokéstops and gyms are largely located at notable landmarks like parks and statues, but may expand to encompass retailer-sponsored locations.

Niantic Labs' previous app, Ingress, featured similar branded portals purchased by retailers like Jamba Juice and Zipcar. Advertisers who purchased portals through Niantic Labs paid on a "cost per visit" basis, and a similar tactic could be used in Pokémon Go.

John Hanke, chief executive of Niantic, which developed Pokémon Go in partnership with the Japanese games group, said "sponsored locations" would provide a new revenue stream, in addition to in-app purchases of power-ups and virtual items. [...]

Alongside in-app payments, "there is a second component to our business model at Niantic, which is this concept of sponsored locations", Mr Hanke said, where companies "pay us to be locations within the virtual game board -- the premise being that it is an inducement that drives foot traffic".

Niantic CEO John Hanke declined to tell Financial Times about any sponsorship deals already in the works for Pokémon Go, but code within the app discovered this morning suggests a deal may have been established with McDonald's. McDonald's imagery is included in the app and the McDonald's name is listed in the app's code.

Pokémon Go has become a global phenomenon since its launch last week, earning an estimated $1.6 million in daily revenue with more than 7.5 million downloads in the United States. The app received its first update yesterday, fixing a number of bugs and changing Google permissions that sparked privacy concerns.

A series of photos have been posted on Chinese microblogging service Weibo, and later shared by French website NWE, that provide a closer look at what appear to be Lightning-equipped EarPods. However, it cannot be fully distinguished if these are official Apple headphones or simply Chinese counterfeits.

Apple is expected to remove the 3.5mm headphone jack on the iPhone 7 series, and multiple rumors have suggested that Apple will release EarPods with a Lightning connector in turn. The headphones, beyond having no 3.5mm headphone jack, look nearly identical to current EarPods.

One discernible difference is the larger plastic housing around the Lightning connector compared to the 3.5mm headphone jack on current EarPods. However, the switch to Lightning likely means EarPods will be equipped with a DAC, or digital-to-analog converter, and it needs to be built in somewhere.

While these photos could easily be fake, the switch to Lightning-equipped EarPods makes sense given rumors about the headphone jack's impending demise. Apple may also release a dongle for connecting wired headphones with standard 3.5mm jacks, while wireless Bluetooth headphones will continue to be supported.

Apple's exact reasons behind its supposed plans to remove the 3.5mm headphone jack are unknown, but rumors suggest that iPhones could have wireless charging by 2017. The iPhone 7 is also expected to be up to 1mm thinner and have increased waterproofing compared to the iPhone 6s.

While the Lightning connector is expected to become an all-in-one port for audio output, charging, and accessories, only a handful of Lightning-equipped headphones are available today, including Philips' Fidelio M2L and Fidelio NC1L models.

Last month, Apple supplier Cirrus Logic introduced a new MFi Headset Development Kit, a reference platform that is designed to help "Made for iPhone/iPad/iPod" accessory makers quickly develop Lightning-based headphones. The development kit is available through Apple's MFi Program for registered licensees.

Those interested in learning more about Lightning-equipped headphones can watch our video: Lightning Headphones: Are They Better or Just an Inconvenience? We also shared a video showing what an aftermarket 3.5mm-to-Lightning adapter looks like as they began to reach the market in recent months.

Update: NWE editor Steve Hemmerstoffer has updated his article to confirm that these are not official EarPods.