An official (PRODUCT)RED version of Apple's leather case for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus has been spotted in at least one Apple retail store today, as reported by French tech site iGeneration [Google Translate]. When the new line of iPhones debuted in September, only the silicone case was offered in a (PRODUCT)RED option.
The (PRODUCT)RED leather case for the iPhone 6s hasn't appeared yet on Apple's online store, but will most likely soon follow if the company keeps slowly rolling out the case to its retail locations around the country. When it does, it'll no doubt come in at the same price of the other leather cases sold by Apple, costing $45 for the iPhone 6s version and $49 for the iPhone 6s Plus version.
A portion of sales from Apple’s entire (PRODUCT)RED lineup goes to the Global Fund to help fund AIDS programs in Africa. Most recently, the company introduced (PRODUCT)RED accessories for the Apple Watch, debuting a new collection and band in the bright red color option during its September "Hey Siri" media event.
Update: The (PRODUCT)RED leather cases for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are now available to purchase on Apple's online store.
Financial news website The Motley Fool has shared details of the A9X die featured in the new Apple iPad Pro, thanks to analysis from electronics teardown firm Chipworks. The photo reveals the A9X's dual-core CPU and a 12-cluster GPU to drive the device's massive display.
While the CPU core count observed in the A9X matches that of the A9 from the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, the 12-cluster GPU is twice as powerful as the six-cluster GPU found in the A9 design. Otherwise, the core and cluster designs appear to be identical to those found in the A9 die shots.
Dual-core CPU boxed in green, six dual-cluster GPU regions boxed in blue
Chipworks confirms that the die shown in the photo is fabricated by TSMC, and it does indeed show similarities with the existing A9 TSMC die already pictured by Chipworks.
The Motley Fool also points out that the 8 MB third level cache featured on the A9 to help manage data flow to and from memory is not present on the A9X die, suggesting that the absence of this cache is due to the increased memory bandwidth that the A9X enjoys by having a memory interface twice the width of the A9 die. Indeed, in the included die shot, an expansive DRAM memory interface can be observed across three sides of the die.
It is also worth mentioning that while the display resolution is much greater than on other iPads, the iPad Pro does not feature the 12-megapixel camera of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus that would place additional demands on the memory hierarchy for real-time image processing.
The presence of only two CPU cores is also interesting, given that the A8X featured in the iPad Air 2 had three CPU cores. The iPad Pro can make up any resultant performance deficiencies through a combination of higher efficiency, thanks to the new architecture, as well as the large clock speed boost compared to the A8 designs.
Even with the absence of L3 cache and only two CPU cores, the A9X measures 147 square millimeters. This is just 18 square millimeters shy of Apple's largest chip design ever, the A5X featured in the first iPad with retina display. Unsurprisingly, the A5X was quickly phased out and replaced by the smaller A6X seen in the fourth-generation iPad. The A9X's 147 mm^2 die is also larger than the latest quad-core Skylake design from Intel, which comes in at 122 mm^2 on its 14nm FinFET process.
While it may simply be a perfect mixture of die space saving and adequate memory bandwidth for the A9X design, the lack of the third level SRAM cache may tip future design decisions should memory bandwidth improve substantially. 3D IC packaging designs are rapidly approaching mainstream consumer electronics, and they boast a variety of memory configurations, which stand to significantly improve memory bandwidth while also providing lower power dissipation. As we covered recently, packaging technologies enabling these high bandwidth memories may arrive as soon as Apple's A10 SoC for devices next year.
Following an initial wave of laudatory reviews at a few film festivals in September, the new Steve Jobs movie earned only 7th-place during its debut box office weekend. The film's director, Danny Boyle, has given a reason behind its poor performance, calling the release strategy "arrogant" during a fundraising event for the annual Shuffle Festival in London (via Business Insider).
"We were arrogant to release it very wide, very quickly," the director said over the weekend. His remark refers to the somewhat hazy rollout plan for the film, which saw it premiere in just New York and Los Angeles on October 9 -- where it made a small, but impressive mark -- before going wide on October 23 and subsequently failing to impress. The initial longer-term plan for the movie saw a few more weeks of time spent rolling out to more select venues across the country, generating positive word of mouth, before expanding to a wide release closer to the end of the year and poised closer to the Oscar season.
The film's opening weekend predictions were estimated to be between $15 and $19 million, but Steve Jobs made just $7.3 million in its debut three-day weekend, gaining it the 7th-place slot at the box office. Boyle was noted as voicing hope for Apple's massive fanbase to create an event around the film, but after disappointing the first weekend, the studio decided to pull it from over 2,000 theaters across the United States, leaving the movie in about 300 theaters in total.
Apple may be preparing to introduce a revamped MacBook Air at next year's Worldwide Developers Conference, according to Taiwan's Economic Daily News [Google Translate]. If Apple holds true to recent history, WWDC 2016 would be held in June, and the today's report claims the new MacBook Air will launch in the third quarter, which corresponds to the July–September timeframe.
The new MacBook Air is said to take on a slimmer design and arrive in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes, but it is unclear whether an 11-inch model will also be included. The slimmer design will be enabled by "fully redesigned" internal components across the board, and Apple is reportedly currently working with its suppliers to develop these new components.
Apple's notebook lineup expanded earlier this year with the addition of the new MacBook, an ultrathin machine carrying a 12-inch Retina display and utilizing ultra low voltage Intel chips for a fanless design.
Many have assumed the MacBook Air will be discontinued at some point as declining costs allow the MacBook to become Apple's mainstream notebook offering, so a redesigned MacBook Air giving the line a new lease on life could be considered a bit of a surprise.
The addition of a 15-inch MacBook Air could hint at Apple's vision for its future lineup, with the 12-inch MacBook occupying the ultraportable spot, the MacBook Air serving mainstream customers at 13 and 15 inches, and the MacBook Pro offering more power at those same sizes.
Economic Daily News has a hit-or-miss track record with Apple rumors, so caution should be observed with today's claims until or unless other supporting rumors surface in the coming months.
MacMall's annual Cyber Monday sale offering discounts on Macs and several other Apple products starts today, November 28, at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time and lasts through 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on Monday, November 30.
Following its 60-hour Black Friday sale, MacMall continues to offer significant discounts on a huge selection of Apple Macs and iPads. The Retina MacBook Pro is available at up to $259 off, while the MacBook Air is available for up to $100 off. The 27-inch iMac is available at up to $200 off, and the Mac mini is available at up to $70 off.
MacMall sells a range of stock Apple Macs and custom build-to-order models. We've listed a selection of the more popular discounted models below, but the full range of discounts are available on the MacMall website.
15-inch 2015 Retina MacBook Pro models are available for up to $259 off. Models marked Iris AMD include a separate AMD graphics card while models marked Iris Pro do not.
MacMall is offering iPad Air 2 models at $21 to $40 off 16, 64, and 128GB Wi-Fi only models and up to $40 off the more expensive high-capacity cellular models. The original iPad Air is available for up to $35 off, and the iPad mini 4 is available for up to $20 off. The 32GB Wi-Fi only iPad Pro in Silver, Space Gray and Gold is $25 off, while other Wi-Fi only and cellular models are $12 off.
As one of the only sites that sells Apple's build-to-order Mac models at a discount, MacMall is a popular choice for customers looking for a non-standard Mac at a lower price. Because MacMall operates in a limited number of states, most orders will not require sale tax to be paid.
Make sure to check out our Cyber Monday Deals roundup for more online deals. There are some excellent discounts this year on a range of products, including iPhones, iPads and Macs, in addition to dozens of Apple-related accessories.
MacRumors is an affiliate partner with MacMall. Juli Clover contributed to this roundup.
Last month, Amazon removed all Apple TV and Chromecast product listings from its website because the devices do not offer its Prime Video streaming service, which the online retailer said may cause confusion for customers. Nearly a month later, the new Apple TV remains unavailable on Amazon, but that could soon change.
Amazon appears to have confirmed to engineer Dan Bostonweeks that it is developing a tvOS app for Prime Video that could launch before the end of 2015. "Hopefully, within a few weeks span, you will be able to see the Amazon Instant Video app feature on your Apple TV," the company purportedly said in an email.
I sent feedback to Amazon via the Amazon Instant Video iOS app about supporting tvOS. They say it’s in development. pic.twitter.com/52fYUgtgNs
— Dan Bostonweeks (@danimal) November 28, 2015
Apple was wrongly criticized by some in October for seemingly not allowing Prime Video on the new Apple TV, but shortly after the company provided a statement to BuzzFeed News emphasizing that “all are welcome” on the platform -- Amazon simply had not submitted a Prime Video app for the tvOS App Store.
Apple tells BuzzFeed News that “all are welcome” on its new Apple TV platform. But Amazon — which recently purged Apple TV from its store — doesn’t have a Prime Video app in the Apple TV App Store. And as of a few days ago, it hadn’t submitted one.
Amazon told BuzzFeed News it “doesn’t have anything to share” on the topic at the time, but it now appears the company is actively developing a tvOS solution. Amazon Video allows Prime members to instantly stream tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes, with hundreds of thousands of titles available to buy or rent.
Amazon Video for iOS is free on the App Store and accessible by Amazon Prime members. The service is also available on Android, Fire OS, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii, Wii U, the web and select TV and Blu-ray players from LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony and Vizio.
Apple is planning to remove the 3.5mm headphone jack on the next-generation iPhone in favor of an all-in-one Lightning connector, according to often-reliable Japanese website Mac Otakara. Apple may also release Lightning-equipped EarPods to support the new audio output on future iOS devices.
The report, citing a "reliable source," claims the new same-sized Lightning connector will support Lightning-equipped and Bluetooth headphones, and have a DAC, or digital-to-audio converter, for backwards compatibility with wired headphones using standard 3.5mm stereo jacks. A 3.5mm to Lightning adapter would be required.
The so-called "iPhone 7" will likely be more than 1mm thinner than the 7.1mm thick iPhone 6s as a result, according to the report. The sixth-generation iPod touch could be a comparable device, with a depth of 6.1mm, but the portable media player still has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Apple will also reportedly release Lightning-equipped EarPods, which would likely be included in the box alongside the iPhone 7 and sold separately for use with other future iOS devices. Apple's current EarPods with a 3.5mm stereo jack will presumably remain available for purchase afterwards for the foreseeable future.
Apple introduced new MFi Program specifications in June 2014 that allow third-party manufacturers to create headphones that connect to iOS devices via a Lightning cable, but the rollout has been slow. Philips has unveiled Lightning-equipped Fidelio M2L and Fidelio NC1L headphones over the past 14 months.
Should this rumor prove to be true, Apple's decision to switch to an all-in-one Lightning connector for charging and audio output could face the same kind of controversy as when the company retired its proprietary 30-pin dock connector in favor of a smaller Lightning connector starting with the iPhone 5 in 2012.
Sony executive Shuhei Yoshida has announced on Twitter that the company is working on an official Remote Play app for Mac and PC, enabling users to stream and play PS4 games on desktops and notebooks, per The Verge.
Remote Play is currently limited to various Sony devices, including the PlayStation Vita, PlayStation TV and newer Xperia-branded smartphones and tablets. All new PS4 games must be compatible with Remote Play, except for games that use peripherals such as PlayStation Move.
Some people asked if we plan to provide Remote Play function to PC, and yes, we are indeed working on an official application for PC/Mac. :D
— Shuhei Yoshida (@yosp) November 27, 2015
While owning a PS4 gaming console will still be required to play games like Fallout 4 or Destiny on a Mac or PC, the expanded Remote Play app will move Sony games one step closer to true cross-platform playability.
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with The Intrepid Bag Co to give away one of the company's Zinnia Convertible Leather iPad Pro Bags. The Zinnia is a convertible bag that can transition quickly between a backpack and a crossbody bag.
Made from mahogany leather and lined with wool fabric, the Zinnia converts with a quick grab and pull on the straps, which are made from padded leather for comfort. The Zinnia features a design that's wider at the bottom, giving it the stability to stand up on its own.
Inside the Zinnia, there's a padded laptop pocket that's large enough to hold an iPad Pro or a 13-inch laptop, such as a Retina MacBook Pro. There's also two expanding water bottle pockets at the sides, two quick access back pockets, and a front pocket that closes magnetically.
The Zinnia Convertible Leather iPad Pro Bag can be purchased from Intrepid Bag Co for $349, but one lucky MacRumors reader will be able to get one for free through our giveaway. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner and send the prize.
You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page. Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter.
The contest will run from today (November 26) at 10:00 p.m. Pacific Time through 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on December 4. The winner will be chosen randomly on December 4 and will be contacted by email. The winner has 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen. The prize will be shipped to the winner for free.
Intrepid Bag Co is also offering a Black Friday discount for MacRumors readers that will be available until December 2nd. To get a discount on any of the site's products, use the code WeLoveMacRumors10.
With the Thanksgiving holiday well underway in the United States, Black Friday deals at both online and brick and mortar stores are starting to go live. Many major retail stores like Target, Best Buy, and Walmart will be opening up in the early evening, and most online-only deals are already live.
We've rounded up a few of the absolute best deals that can be had on products like the iPad, iPhone, MacBook, iMac, and Apple Watch below, and even more deals can be found in our full Black Friday roundup, which has a long list of retailers that are offering discounts.
Apple Watch
Both Target and Best Buy are offering Apple Watch deals. At Best Buy, the Apple Watch is up to $100 off, with a $50 discount for Apple Watch Sport models and a $100 discount for stainless steel Apple Watch models.
With the purchase of an iPhone 6s or 6s Plus on a device installment payment plan from Verizon, Sprint, or AT&T, Target is offering customers a $250 Target gift card.
With the purchase of an iPhone 5s, 6, 6 Plus, 6s, or 6s Plus using AT&T Next or a Verizon device payment plan, Walmart is offering $200 off in the form of a $100 bill credit and a $100 Walmart gift card.
iPad Air 2
There are a lot of deals available on the iPad Air 2, with discounts as high as $150 off.
Best Buy is selling the 16 and 64GB Wi-Fi only iPad Air 2 at a $100 discount, dropping the price to $399 and $499, respectively. The 128GB Wi-Fi only model is available at a $125 discount, dropping the price to $574.
For those who would prefer a gift card to a straight cash deal, Target is offering a $150 Target gift card with the purchase of any iPad Air 2 model.
iPad mini 4
Best Buy is selling the 64 and 128GB Wi-Fi only iPad mini 4 at a discount of $100, dropping the price to $399 and $499, respectively.
For those who would prefer a gift card to a straight cash deal, Target is offering a $100 Target gift card with the purchase of any iPad mini 4 model.
12-inch MacBook
While Adorama and MacMall are offering $100 discounts on the 12-inch Retina MacBook, Best Buy and B&H Photos deals are the best, dropping prices by as much as $200.
B&H Photo, MacMall, and Best Buy all have deals on Macs, with the lowest prices on stock configurations listed below. MacMall has discounts on a wide range of non-stock models, with $150 to $250 off.
On stock iMac models, Best Buy, B&H Photo, and MacMall have some of the best deals available. For non-stock configurations, MacMall is offering discounts between $101 and $201.
Make sure to check out the Black Friday roundup for specific times on when retail stores will open and more information on each of the deals listed above.
MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors.
French boutique retailer Colette has launched an online sale offering many stainless steel Apple Watch and 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition models for around 50% off, by far the lowest prices available for those Apple Watch models this Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Due to the significant savings, stock will likely be depleted very quickly.
A total of thirteen Apple Watch and six Apple Watch Edition models have been listed for half price, although some models appear to have already sold out. Colette is also selling individual stainless steel Link Bracelets and Milanese Loops for half price during the limited time promotion.
The list below compares Apple's regular price to Colette's sale price for each Apple Watch model. All prices are listed in U.S. dollars.
Apple Watch — SOLD OUT
- 38mm Stainless Steel Case with White Sport Band - $549 → $286.78 - 42mm Stainless Steel Case with White Sport Band - $599 → $308.87 - 38mm Stainless Steel Case with (PRODUCT)RED Sport Band - $549 → $286.78 - 42mm Stainless Steel Case with (PRODUCT)RED Sport Band - $599 → $308.87 - 42mm Stainless Steel Case with Black Sport Band - $599 → $308.87 - 38mm Space Black Stainless Steel Case with Black Sport Band - $549 → $286.78 - 38mm Stainless Steel Case with Black Classic Buckle - $649 → $330.96 - 42mm Stainless Steel Case with Black Classic Buckle - $699 → $353.06 - 38mm Stainless Steel Case with Milanese Loop - $649 → $330.96 - 38mm Stainless Steel Case with Link Bracelet - $949 → $485.62 - 42mm Stainless Steel Case with Link Bracelet - $999 → $507.71 - 38mm Space Black w/ Space Black Stainless Steel Link Bracelet - $1,049 → $529.80 - 42mm Space Black w/ Space Black Stainless Steel Link Bracelet - $1,099 → $551.91
Apple Watch Edition
- 38mm 18-Carat Rose Gold Case with White Sport Band - $10,000 → $4,860.62 - 38mm 18-Carat Yellow Gold Case w/ Bright Red Modern Buckle - $17,000 → $7,953.75 - 42mm 18-Carat Yellow Gold Case with Black Classic Buckle - $15,000 → $7,070 - 38mm 18-Carat Yellow Gold Case with Black Sport Band - $10,000 → $4,860.62 - 42mm 18-Carat Yellow Gold Case with Black Sport Band - $12,000 → $5,744.38 - 42mm 18-Carat Rose Gold Case with White Sport Band - $12,000 → $5,744.38
Colette offers online checkout for in-stock Apple Watch models and accessories, with American Express, MasterCard, Visa and PayPal listed as accepted payment methods. Each Apple Watch may only be purchased once.
Best Buy and Target are also offering Apple Watch deals for select models on Black Friday, including the Apple Watch Sport, which is not on sale through Colette. Deals may vary depending on time, location and product availability.
Update: As expected, Colette has sold out of stainless steel Apple Watch models, while Apple Watch Edition models remain available for purchase.
In addition to Black Friday deals from Best Buy, MacMall and other major retailers, many smaller companies are offering discounts on Apple products, accessories and apps for U.S. Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
A number of those deals are highlighted below, with most beginning to go live, and more can be found in our Black Friday roundup. Please note that product availability may be limited, and prices are subject to change.
Intrepid Bag Co.
The Intrepid Bag Co., a site that makes high-quality leather bags, has an exclusive discount code for MacRumors readers. Between now and December 2nd, use the code WeLoveMacRumors10 to get a discount on any of the site's products.
Casetify
Casetify, a site that specializes in customizable iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands, is offering 20% off site wide. MacRumors readers can get an extra 10% discount for a total of 30% off all products with the promo code MACRUMORS30. The deal will last from Friday, November 27 to Tuesday, December 1.
Situ Scale, which we reviewed in July, is an iPad-connected scale that aims to offer a more precise picture of the calorie and nutrient content in food. The scale has gotten a lot of recent updates and is available at a 25% discount for Black Friday using the code BLACKFRIDAY when checking out. With the discount, the scale is available for $89.99 instead of $119.99. The deal is available from now until November 28.
Nodus
iPhone and iPad cases from Nodus are available at a 25% discount from Friday, November 27 to Monday, November 30.
Speck
On Black Friday through Cyber Monday, Speck will be offering 25% off all products site wide, with the exception of sale items. On MacBook items, Speck will be offering 40% off.
Zagg
On Black Friday, Zagg will offer a buy one get one free deal on its lineup of InvisibleShield screen protectors for the iPhone, iPad, and other electronic devices.
Brydge Keyboards
Brydge is offering discounts on a selection of its iPad keyboards. The BrydgeMini for iPad mini is available for $30 off, dropping the price to $99.99, while the BrydgeAir is available for $20 off, dropping the price to $129.99. The Brydge+ for older iPads is also $20 off, dropping the price to $79.99.
Earlier today Facebook announced (via9to5Mac) Facebook SDK for tvOS, which the company says will help developers "build immersive social experiences on that platform." The three features the SDK allows thus far are Facebook Login, Share to Facebook and Facebook Analytics for Apps.
Similar to Facebook Login on iOS, tvOS' Facebook Login would allow users to easily log in to their apps without having to worry about creating multiple accounts. Additionally, users wouldn't have to use Apple TV's cumbersome text entry method. Like some other TV authentication methods, Facebook Login would require a user to enter a confirmation code.
Facebook Login: A fast and easy way for people to log into your app and for you to provide rich, personalized experiences. To log into an app with their Facebook account, people can simply enter a confirmation code displayed on the TV into their smartphone or computer, rather than entering their username and password with the remote.
While Facebook Login would make it simpler for users to log into third-party apps and games, it's unlikely the same ease will be available for video apps like HBO Go, which require a user to authenticate the app via a cable or satellite provider account.
The new SDK would also include the ability for developers to allow users to share links, photos and video from tvOS to Facebook and help developers understand their audience with Facebook-based analytics. Developers can download the SDK from Facebook's developer site.
Griffin's Guide Magnetic Cable Management Set was first announced at CES in January of 2015, but it didn't become available for purchase until September. We went hands-on with the Guide to see if it was worth the wait as a cable management solution.
The Guide Cable Management Set is modular and consists of three weighted bases and three magnetic aluminum cable anchors that attach to the bases. Each base is made from a polished stainless steel with a shiny finish while the anchors, available in three sizes from small to large, are made from an anodized copper-colored aluminum.
Together, the Guide system looks great on a desk, but it is only available in the polished steel and copper colorway, which doesn't match any iOS devices and while neutral, may not match all office and room decors. I liked the design of the Guide, but I did wish it was available in a wider selection of colors.
Each of the three bases is the same size, measuring in at 2.28 x 1.98 inches, but the magnetic cable anchors come in a range of sizes to fit different cords. The smallest of the three anchors is sized to fit a single iPhone cable, while the middle one can hold several iPhone-sized cables or a couple of larger cables, and the biggest anchor can hold thicker cables like those for cameras and other electronics. The weight of the Guide bases will keep them in place, but there's also a non-skid material on the bottom to provide even more traction.
Because the anchors attach to each base using magnets, they can be arranged in multiple ways. One anchor can be used per base or multiple anchors can fit on a single base to meet various cable management needs. For my work space, I used the smaller one to hold an iPhone cable that has a pesky habit of slipping off the edge of the desk, while I used the other two to hold my MacBook cable and cables for other devices in place.
MacMall's annual 60-hour Black Friday sale [PDF] on a variety of Apple products starts today, November 25, at 12:01 p.m. Pacific Time and lasts through 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday, November 28.
As it does every year, MacMall is offering significant discounts on a huge selection of Apple Macs and iPads. The Retina MacBook Pro is available at up to $250 off, while the MacBook Air is available for up to $101 off. The 27-inch iMac is available at up to $201 off, and the Mac mini is available at $100 off.
MacMall sells a range of stock Apple Macs and custom build-to-order models. We've listed a selection of the more popular discounted models below, but the full range of discounts are available on the MacMall website.
15-inch 2015 Retina MacBook Pro models are available for up to $250 off. Models marked Iris AMD include a separate AMD graphics card while models marked Iris Pro do not.
The site is also selling a wide range of Apple-related accessories, cases, and other products at small discounts, including the BlueLounge Design Sanctuary 4 Charging Station, which is available for $65 (down from $135) and the Otterbox Defender for iPhone 6s, available for $45 (down from $72).
As one of the only sites that sells Apple's build-to-order Mac models at a discount, MacMall is a popular choice for customers looking for a non-standard Mac at a lower price. Because MacMall operates in a limited number of states, most orders can will not require sale tax to be paid.
For more upcoming Black Friday deals, make sure to check out our dedicated Black Friday roundup. There are some excellent discounts this year on a range of products from iPads and Macs to iPhones and Apple Watches, not to mention hundreds of Apple-related accessories.
Apple plans to switch to OLED displays for iPhones starting in 2018, according to Japanese website Nikkei. The report claims Apple has notified its suppliers about its future plans, with LG Display already planning capacity upgrades for high-volume OLED display production.
LG Display and Samsung Electronics will likely share a large portion of the OLED panel production for future iPhones, according to the report. Apple's shift to OLED displays could have "major implications" for Apple's current LCD display suppliers Sharp and Japan Display, the latter of which relies on Apple for 30% of its business.
Samsung Electronics is currently the only company that can reliably mass-produce OLED smartphone screens. LG Display has a track record for producing OLEDs for television screens. Given this, the two companies will likely supply a large portion of Apple's displays. […]
Apple's shift to OLED displays will have major implications for two Japanese suppliers -- Sharp, which is scrambling to rebuild its faltering operations, and Japan Display, which relies on the computing giant for 30% of its business.
Due to the high volume of iPhones that Apple ships, and the technical challenges of producing OLED displays, the report claims the company will likely continue to sell iPhones with LCD screens alongside models with new OLED displays.
Samsung's popular Galaxy-branded smartphones are equipped with AMOLED displays, as is the Apple Watch, but iPhones have always had LCD displays since the original model launched over eight years ago.
OLED displays can provide sharper images and brighter colors compared to LCD displays, but generally have a shorter lifespan and higher manufacturing costs. Apple has reportedly been "consulting with display makers" about OLED technology to eliminate potential drawbacks.
OLEDs are known for offering sharper images and colors than the conventional liquid crystal displays used in cellphones since the 1990s, as well as for their power-saving capacity. The screens can also be bent and rounded to a certain degree, giving companies greater flexibility when designing devices.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently noted that Apple is unlikely to adopt AMOLED displays for iPhones for at least three years, claiming that its main supplier Foxconn is preparing to invest in advanced TFT-LCD production lines in China for mass production in 2018.
Back in September, Mophie launched two brand-new battery products, the Juice Pack Reserve, a $59.95 battery case for the iPhone 6 and 6s, and the Power Reserve 1X, a small $34.95 external battery for smartphones and wearables. I have been testing both for the past two weeks in regular daily use and at a wedding, an environment that tends to be more smartphone-intensive than a typical day.
Mophie says the Juice Pack Reserve is the most compact battery case it's ever created, adding just 0.3 inches of thickness and 75 grams of weight to the iPhone 6 or 6s. In my testing, I found that Mophie's claim that the case is in a form factor that "you'll barely notice" is mostly true, although with a caveat. Its soft-touch back provided a comfortable and easy-to-grasp grip despite feeling noticeably more dense. However, the case's lower lip, where the speaker grille resides and the case plugs into the iPhone, is far more noticeable and users not accustomed to the extra length will have to spend some time acclimating to it when scrolling or typing.
The case's extra mass was not a hindrance when attemtping to quickly capture moments at the wedding though, as it slipped in and out of tuxedo pockets fairly easily. In fact, the in-pocket feel of the case was barely noticeable in tuxedo pants, even during more intensive activites like dancing. The extra mass of the case is, however, more obvious visually. In more regular daily use, the case was even less of a hindrance.
Mophie claims the Juice Pack Reserve will provide an additional 60 percent charge to an iPhone 6 or 6s, with the latter carrying a 1,840 mAh battery. This claim was actually conservative in my testing, with an iPhone 6, as I was able to consistently get a full charge from the case. For example, I was able to go from 10 percent to 100 perfect battery in just about two hours and six minutes and then 4 percent to 93 percent in about the same time.
Target is hosting a one-day Early Access sale ahead of the Black Friday shopping holiday, making some of its most appealing Black Friday deals available early. Deals are available in Target retail stores and online on Wednesday, November 25.
Like Best Buy, Target is one of the retailers offering deals on the Apple Watch. As of today, when purchasing one of the 20 Apple Watch or Apple Watch Sport models Target offers, customers can get a free $100 Target gift card. Pricing on the Apple Watch at Target starts at $349 for the 38mm Apple Watch Sport.
With the purchase of an original iPad Air, Target is offering customers a $100 Target gift card. Target carries several original iPad Air models, with prices that start at $399 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only version.
The iPad mini 2, priced starting at $269 for a 16GB Wi-Fi only version, is also available with a free $80 Target gift card with purchase. On Thursday and Friday, Target will have similar deals on the iPad Air 2 and the iPad mini 4, Apple's more recent tablets.
Beats Solo2 headphones (wired version) are available for $96.99, which is a discount of $103 and one of the best deals that will be available this holiday season.
Starting later this afternoon and tomorrow, dozens of other retailers will be offering Black Friday deals with discounts on a wide range of Apple products. Make sure to check out our dedicated Black Friday roundup to find the best deals that will be available this week.
