MacRumors

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has issued a note to investors that claims the so-called "iPhone 6s" will be offered in 16GB, 64GB and 128GB storage capacities, the same sizes available for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Kuo also claims the iPhone 6s will have an improved front-facing FaceTime camera with a 5-megapixel sensor, and reaffirms three much-rumored features: Force Touch, a new rose gold casing color and an upgraded Touch ID fingerprint scanner.

Kuo's prediction corroborates multiple rumors that claim Apple will retain 16GB, 64GB and 128GB storage sizes for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, which are expected to be announced at the company's September 9th media event in San Francisco.

Kuo says the iPhone 6s entered mass production in mid-August after some manufacturing bottlenecks due to Force Touch, casing and vibration motors.

For months, rumors have indicated the upcoming "iPhone 6s" may be slightly thicker and larger than its predecessor, likely due to several factors including a change in the aluminum being used for the shell, thickening of weak spots in the case to help address concerns over bending, and new support for Force Touch functionality in the display. The size increase is expected to be only a fraction of a millimeter in each dimension, making it virtually unnoticeable to users and allowing most iPhone 6 accessories to continue to work with the iPhone 6s.

MacRumors has now received several photos showing an iPhone 6s assembled from parts, allowing full measurements of the device to be taken. Of most interest has been the thickness of the device, and photos show the iPhone 6s measuring 7.08 mm thick compared to Apple's official measurement of 6.9 mm on the iPhone 6. This is in line with previous rumors claiming that each of the new models will be roughly 0.2 mm thicker than the current iPhones, with the iPhone 6s Plus moving to 7.3 mm thick from 7.1 mm.

The new photos also reveal slight increases for the height and width of the iPhone 6s, with the device measuring 138.19 mm tall and 67.68 mm wide, compared to 138.1 mm and 67.0 mm for the corresponding measurements on the iPhone 6. Since the height and width of the device are determined solely by the rear shell, we can also compare these measurements to those taken by Unbox Therapy last month. Those measurements came in at 138.26 mm tall and 67.16 mm wide.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had predicted as early as mid-June that the iPhone 6s could be roughly 0.15 mm taller and wider and 0.2 mm thicker than the iPhone 6, and while there is some variability in measurements likely due in large part to the relatively low quality digital calipers being used for measurements, they do suggest there may indeed be a slight increase in each dimension.

On a percentage basis, the thickness would see the biggest increase of nearly 3 percent, matching the iPhone 6 Plus thickness. That increase could be enough to prevent some tight-fitting iPhone 6 cases from fitting the 6s, but many cases should have enough wiggle room to accommodate the new models.

Case makers such as Spigen are already announcing cases designed specifically for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, suggesting they are confident in rumors and leaks pointing toward slight size changes, and making early announcements of cases specific to the new models gives the company some additional marketing buzz headed into the release.

Apple will introduce the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus at a media event scheduled for next Wednesday, September 9, an event that is becoming increasingly jam-packed amid reports of unveilings of a new Apple TV, the long-rumored iPad Pro, and a thinner iPad mini 4. Apple Watch tidbits such as new Sport Band color options and final looks at iOS 9 and watchOS 2 before their public launches are also likely to be included.

With the "iPhone 6s" and "iPhone 6s Plus" expected to be announced at Apple's September 9th media event, and released a few weeks later, now is the time for prospective upgraders to begin exploring trade-in and resale options for their current iPhone or Android-based smartphone.

Getting the best value for your iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5s or other current smartphone can help offset a significant portion of your next iPhone purchase, but resale and trade-in prices will drop significantly between now and the launch of new iPhones, so it is best to move fast.

MacRumors compared iPhone trade-in prices from various services using a 16GB iPhone 6 from AT&T as a baseline.

Trade-In Programs

Gazelle announced today that it is offering a Best Price Guarantee on iPhone 6, 6 Plus and 5s trade-ins until September 9th, promising to beat the trade-in values offered by Apple and carriers AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile.

Gazelle's Best Price Guarantee covers all storage sizes and colors and includes a 30-day grace period, meaning that you can lock in your trade-in price now and wait until you have your new iPhone before sending in your current one.

Average Price (16GB/AT&T): $301 (iPhone 6), $326 (iPhone 6 Plus), $166 (iPhone 5s)
Payment Method: Check by Mail, Amazon Gift Card, PayPal or Charitable Donation
Resale Method: Ship iPhone to Gazelle (Free)

NextWorth offers a similar trade-in service as Gazelle for the iPhone 4 through iPhone 6 Plus. NextWorth quotes are valid for 30 days, allowing you to lock in a trade-in price on your current iPhone and ship it after receiving your new iPhone.

NextWorth offers higher prices on average for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus than Gazelle, with trade-in values up to $480, although it depends on the specific model and condition of the smartphone. Completing a checklist about the condition of the smartphone is required.

Average Price (16GB/AT&T): $320 (iPhone 6), $360 (iPhone 6 Plus), $160 (iPhone 5s)
Payment Method: Check by Mail, Discover Prepaid Card, PayPal or Target Gift Card
Payment Process: Ship iPhone to NextWorth (Free)

Amazon runs a trade-in store where you can search for the iPhone model that you want to trade in and receive a price quote. After answering a few questions about the condition of the smartphone and entering your shipping address, you can print off a shipping label to mail the iPhone for free in exchange for an Amazon Gift Card.

Average Price (16GB/AT&T): $360 (iPhone 6), $389 (iPhone 6 Plus), $175 (iPhone 5s)
Payment Method: Amazon Gift Card
Payment Process: Ship iPhone to Amazon (Free)

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Along with unveiling the next-generation iPhones, the revamped Apple TV, and new Apple Watch Sport bands at its September 9 event, Apple is also likely planning to introduce the updated iPad mini 4 and the much-anticipated larger-screened iPad Pro, reports 9to5Mac.

While the event will see the debut of the 12.9-inch tablet, Apple does not plan to ship it until November, following late October pre-orders. A September introduction for new iPads is not in line with Apple's past iPad updates, which have come in October for several years running, but Apple may be introducing the iPad Pro several months early in order to give developers time to create apps for the new device.

New Macs are also not expected to be included at Apple's September event, and with the iPads being debuted this month instead of next month, it's unclear if we will see two fall Apple events in 2015 as we have in past years.

Today's report warns that while Apple's plan is to unveil the iPad Pro at the September 9 event, the company could choose to delay its introduction until October.

In addition to a larger 12.9-inch display, the iPad Pro is expected to include an A9 processor, 2GB of RAM, a Force Touch-enabled stylus, and perhaps USB 3.0 ports that will support peripheral devices. The tablet will run iOS 9.1, an update to iOS 9 that will debut in November when the iPad Pro launches.

At its upcoming iPhone-centric event on September 9, Apple will debut new Apple Watch Sport bands in a variety of new colors, MacRumors can confirm. News of the new bands was shared by 9to5Mac this morning, and we've also been hearing similar rumors about Apple's plans to introduce additional band options.

It is not clear what colors Apple is planning to introduce, but it's possible the company will focus on darker colors to complement the neon-like shades of the existing Apple Watch Sport bands, which come in bright pink, green, and blue, along with black and white.

Apple has already produced Sport Bands in additional colors, which were initially shown off by Jony Ive at the Milan Design Week in April shortly before the Apple Watch launched. At that event, he displayed a selection of bands in red, orange, yellow, blue, and several nude shades.

Along with introducing new Apple Watch bands, iPhones, and the revamped Apple TV, Apple may also announce sales of the Apple Watch in additional countries, including Austria, Denmark, and India. We'll also hear more about watchOS 2 at Apple's iPhone event, with Apple providing a launch date for the new operating system update.

Apple is set to introduce the next iteration of its Apple TV lineup at next week's September 9 media event, alongside the expected announcement of new iPhones, and a previously rumored feature is gaining additional traction today with a report from BuzzFeed claiming the new Apple TV will have universal search functionality, letting users search once and get hits from multiple sources, not just iTunes.

Universal search feature will reportedly be a "cornerstone" of the new Apple TV, allowing users to, for example, search for one movie across services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and iTunes, among others. The ability to search for actors and directors will also be included in the search options, and won't limit users to just movie or television show titles.

Sources familiar with Apple’s plans say that a cornerstone of the the company’s new set-top box is a universal search feature that will enable searches across multiple streaming video services as well as Apple’s iTunes Store. Instead of searching the catalogs of multiple video services one-at-a-time for a particular movie, you’ll now be able to search all — or most of them — at once and then choose the service on which you’d like to watch it. You’ll also be able to search for actors and directors, and run other more targeted searches as well — all with Siri.

The report also claims that the new Apple TV will "start" at a price point of $149, hinting that there could be more expensive models with perhaps the possibility of expanded storage capacities. The $149 retail price does line up with previous rumors that pegged the Apple TV of launching with either a $149 or $199 price tag. The company has been said to be keeping the third-generation Apple TV, currently priced at $69, as an entry-level option.

Along with Siri integration, the next-generation Apple TV is rumored to feature an A8 processor, a touch-pad remote, and an App Store with an SDK available for developers to create apps. The new box will be aimed at more than just video consumption, with recent rumors hinting that the newly designed remote control will include motion sensors to support "casual" gaming experiences.

Update 8:52 AM: According to a follow-up report by 9to5Mac, the new Apple TV's onboard storage will be in the 8–16 GB range, and the touchpad remote included with the box will be black rather than the silver seen on the current Apple TV remote.

Intel has released detailed information about its upcoming Skylake processors for notebooks and desktops ahead of IFA 2015 in Berlin (via Ars Technica). The sixth-generation chips will deliver CPU and GPU performance improvements and longer battery life, and are likely to power future MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and iMac models released over the next year.

Retina MacBook

Intel's new lineup of Core M processors appropriate for the 12-inch Retina MacBook will provide up to 10 hours of battery life, between 10%-20% faster CPU performance and up to 40% faster graphics compared to equivalent Broadwell chips.

CPU World accurately shared Core m3, Core m5 and Core m7 specifications last week, with all three families of chips including Intel HD 515 graphics, 4MB of L3 cache and 4.5 watt thermal design power (TDP).

The low-end Core m3 6Y30 replaces the Core M-5Y31 and is likely suited for the base model 12-inch MacBook sold for $1,299. The mid-tier Core m5 6Y54 and Core m5 6Y57 replace the Core M-5Y51 on the high-end 12-inch MacBook sold for $1,599, while the high-end Core m7 6Y75 replaces the Core M-5Y71 for top-of-the-line 12-inch MacBook custom configurations.

Core M processors have configurable TDPs, allowing for performance and heat output to be adjusted. Core m3, m5 and m7 chips can be run at 3.5-3.8 watts or be increased to 7 watts to allow for higher CPU clock speeds. For the current 12-inch MacBook, Apple boosted the 900 MHz 5Y31 chip to 1.1 GHz, 1.1 GHz 5Y51 chip to 1.2 GHz and 1.2 GHz 5Y71 chip to 1.3 GHz.

Ars Technica notes that Core M processors should be available to Apple and other PC makers now, meaning that Core m3, m5 and m7-powered notebooks could begin shipping within the next few months. However, given that the 12-inch MacBook just launched in April, it remains uncertain if Apple is willing to release updated models this soon or hold off until 2016.

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Apple continues to recruit talent to bolster its "Project Titan" team, which is rumored to be researching an electric vehicle. Over the past several weeks, the company has hired multiple employees from Tesla Motors, Texas Instruments, and other companies in the automotive and technology industries, likely to join hundreds of others already working on the so-called "Apple Car."

Apple hired former Tesla Motors engineering manager Hal Ockerse last month to join its own software engineering team, according to his LinkedIn profile. Ockerse was employed at Tesla between July 2014 and August 2015, working on hardware architecture and advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) components, including cameras, radars, LiDAR, and engine control units (ECUs).

Ockerse does not list his responsibilities at Apple, but it is likely that he is working on Apple's car-related project. His experience prior to Tesla includes an eleven-year stint at Gentex Corporation, where as a research manager he worked on advanced driver assist solutions, a three-axis automotive electronic compass, custom designed HDR image cameras and sensors, and more.

Apple also recruited former Texas Instruments design engineer Subhagato Dutta to join its in-house technologies team in July. Dutta is a recent graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, known for its research on self-driving vehicles, and worked on an automotive algorithm and imaging algorithm development team at Texas Instruments between July 2012 and November 2013.

Yakshu Madaan joined Apple as a technical program manager in July, according to his LinkedIn profile. Madaan previously served as an operations manager at Tata Motors, the largest Indian automotive manufacturer, between July 2012 and August 2014. Madaan also designed and developed fuel injection strategies as a research assistant at the Indian Institute of Technology and UBC in early 2011.

Apple has been recruiting automotive experts since at least February for its automotive-related project, including former Tesla, Ford and GM employees, but there still remains some uncertainty as to whether Apple is working on its own vehicle or building upon its CarPlay platform for an enhanced in-car experience. As expected, the project remains highly secretive in Cupertino.

Last week, it was reported that former Tesla firmware engineer Jamie Carlson left the company to join Apple's "Special Projects" group in August, alongside several other autonomous vehicle experts. Apple also hired Doug Betts, former Senior Vice President of the Chrysler Group, and Paul Furgale, a researcher who specializes in autonomous vehicles, according to a report in July.