MacRumors

With Apple set to introduce its iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C at next Tuesday's media event, part leaks are continuing to appear revealing information about the devices. The latest part to appear is alleged to be the logic board for the iPhone 5C, completely assembled but unfortunately with shielding in place that keeps most of the chips and other components hidden.

One set of photos was shared by C Technology, showing front and rear views of the part as well as a shot of nearly a dozen of the parts laid out on a table.

A second set was posted (registration required) to Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo (via Nowhereelse.fr), again showing the front and rear of the board.

Perhaps most interestingly, the features that can be seen on this iPhone 5C logic board reveal it to be extremely similar to the iPhone 5S logic board seen months ago in bare form and in a prototype device.

Leaked shells for the iPhone 5S and 5C have shown identical layouts for screw holes used to mount the respective logic boards, but today's photos show that even the physical connectors and components on the board itself are laid out in the same positions and orientations, at least as far as can be discerned with the shielding in place.

The iPhone 5S is expected to carry more advanced hardware than the iPhone 5C, with the iPhone 5C having been said to essentially be an iPhone 5 wrapped in a new plastic shell. But if these images are indeed accurate, it appears that Apple has reworked those iPhone 5 components to fit onto a new basic logic board design that is shared between the two new iPhone models.

Apple has filed for a European patent (via Free Patents) detailing a system for combining a fingerprint scanner with near field communication (NFC) technology, allowing for dual modes of operation in a single space-saving design. The patent application was published yesterday and discovered by Patently Apple.

The European patent application is derived from a U.S. patent application filed in March 2012 and quietly published on Thursday without mentioning Apple as the assignee, and the applications describe the fingerprint/NFC circuitry as embedded into a button or other surface included on a mobile device. That implementation lines up with numerous rumors of a fingerprint-scanning home button being included in Apple's upcoming iPhone 5S, although the potential inclusion NFC on the iPhone 5S has not been a frequent topic of rumor discussion.

A touch sensor or fingerprint sensor may have an array of conductive electrodes for gathering sensor data from the front face of an electronic device, an edge of an electronic device, a button in an electronic device, or other portion of an electronic device. A fingerprint sensor or other sensor may also be formed using optical structures such as one or more light sources and receivers.

Near field communications circuitry may be included in the electronic device. Circuitry such as filter or switching circuitry may be used to couple both the near field communications circuitry and the sensor circuitry to a common conductive structure. This allows the conductive structure to be shared between sensor functions such as fingerprint or touch sensor functions and near field communications functions.

Control circuitry within the electronic device may operate the device in multiple modes. When operated in a sensor mode, the sensor circuitry may use the conductive structure to gather fingerprint data or other sensor data. When operated in near field communications mode, the near field communications circuitry can use the conductive structure to transmit and receive capacitively coupled or inductively coupled near field communications signals.

Beyond the home button, Apple suggests that other areas on a mobile device can be used to house the combination sensor, including but not limited to the device’s screen, ear speaker, side bezel, and built-in bottom speaker, as well as other inactive areas on the phone such as next to the home button or near the headphone jack.

Notably, the patent also discusses and depicts a metal ring around the home button and its embedded sensor, something that has been seen on photos of what is alleged to be packaging for the iPhone 5S. Previously, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo indicated that the phone will have a sapphire-covered convex home button to support the fingerprint sensor, but more recent reports have claimed a relatively non-distinct design for the home button that may contain a shinier border as seen in the photos of the packaging.

Apple will unveil the next-generation iPhone 5S and the low-cost iPhone 5C during an iPhone event next Tuesday. In addition to a fingerprint sensor, the iPhone 5S is expected to have an upgraded processor, an improved camera, and a new "champagne" color option.

Apple will not be debuting a new version of its Apple TV at next week's iPhone event, reports AllThingsD. Earlier this week, a "mysterious" set top box shipment from a new supplier suggested Apple could be planning to introduce an upgraded Apple TV, but it appears that the shipment likely consisted of existing hardware rather than a new product.

Despite speculation about new Apple TV hardware on the way, Apple won't be unveiling any new boxes next week, according to people familiar with the company's plans.

That said, the company will be tweaking the software inside its Web TV box. Apple has already said that it will be bringing its new iTunes Radio service to Apple TV. And it has been adding new content partners, including Disney and HBO, throughout the summer.

While testing beta versions of Mavericks and iOS 7, Apple has also been testing new Apple TV software. The 5.4 Apple TV update includes support for iTunes Radio and it also allows users to purchase music from the iTunes Store on the Apple TV. In addition, it includes a "Conference Room Mode" for business and academic settings, easier setup options, and multi-display support.

AllThingsD suggests that other software changes will be introduced as well, including a new AirPlay feature.

Sources say that one new feature in the works will let people who’ve bought content from Apple play that stuff on other users' Apple TVs, via Apple’s Airplay system. So if you’ve bought a TV show or movie from Apple’s iTunes store, you could watch it at a friend’s house, by calling it up on your iPhone, and telling your friend’s Apple TV to start streaming it.

Over the past several months, Apple has been working to fortify its Apple TV offerings and has introduced a number of new channels. WatchESPN, HBO GO, Sky News, Crunchyroll and Quello were added in June, and in August, Apple debuted new channels for Vevo, the Smithsonian, and Disney. Deals with TWC and The CW are also said to be in the works.

Apple's Apple TV update will likely debut alongside iOS 7, which is expected to be released to the public sometime after the September 10 iPhone event.

After years of ongoing negotiations, it appears that Apple and China Mobile have finally reached a deal that will see China's largest carrier offer the iPhone. According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is currently preparing to ship the new low-cost iPhone "5C" to the carrier.

A deal would cap years of negotiations between the two companies. Apple has tried to hammer out a deal with China's largest wireless carrier that has 700 million subscribers, seven times the size of the U.S.'s largest wireless carrier Verizon Wireless. Greater China is Apple's third biggest market after the U.S. and Europe in terms of sales.

Apple has asked Foxconn, its longtime contract manufacturing partner, to add China Mobile to the list of carriers slated to receive a new low-cost iPhone, one of these people said. It isn't clear when the phones would be delivered.

Reaching a deal with China Mobile has not been an easy feat for Apple, and the two companies have been in negotiations and talks for more than two years.

Much of the problem stemmed from China Mobile's use of TD-SCDMA, which Apple's iPhones have not previously supported, though revenue share terms were also an issue. Tim Cook met with China Mobile officials several times over the course of the year and in August, China Mobile chairman Xi Guohua reported that the company was close to achieving an agreement with Apple.

Apple's lower-cost iPhone, which has been developed primarily for emerging markets like China, is expected to carry a price tag between $400 to $500, making it more affordable than alternatives like the upcoming flagship iPhone 5S. Apple will announce its new iPhone lineup on September 10, with an event to follow in Beijing on September 11.

While China Unicom and China Telecom are expected to receive the iPhone on September 20, China Mobile's launch could come somewhat later because of the need for regulatory approval on the TD-SCDMA compatible iPhone.

Update: According to Bloomberg, a deal is close to being finalized, but it will not be announced during the September 10 iPhone event.

Unconfirmed photos of what is alleged to be the packaging for the iPhone 5S have been released by Chinese site C Technology [Google Translation]. The photographs depict a standard white iPhone box, similar to the boxes Apple has used as packaging for previous versions of the iPhone.

A black iPhone is printed on the top of the box and the phone's home button is surrounded by a new silver ring and pictured without the iconic square in the middle. The design is in line with rumors suggesting the iPhone 5S home button will be slightly altered in order to accommodate an expected fingerprint sensor, but there is no way to confirm the veracity of the images.

The solid black background on the phone is suspect as Apple typically uses a wallpaper for a background, but leaked images of purported iPhone 5C packaging have also shown a solid colored background.

While KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has indicated the iPhone 5S will feature a sapphire-covered convex home button to support the fingerprint sensor, other reports have disagreed with this conclusion, with 9to5Mac suggesting a non-distinct design for the home button that might possibly contain a shinier border as seen in the photo.

Apple will unveil the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C during an iPhone event next Tuesday. In addition to a fingerprint sensor, the iPhone 5S is expected to have an upgraded processor, an improved camera, and a new "champagne" color option.

Update: C Technology has now posted higher-quality versions of the original two photos, as well as two additional photos of the box.

Judge Denise Cote today issued her penalty ruling in the e-book pricing suit against Apple, ruling that Apple must stagger its contract negotiations with major publishers to prevent collusion and avoid entering into "most favored nation" (MFN) agreements with any publisher for five years, according to GigaOM. The MFN clauses in Apple's contracts with publishers prevented any other e-book retailer from undercutting Apple, giving Apple the right to at least match the best pricing offered by other retailers.

Judge Cote’s injunction forbids Apple from enforcing most-favored-nation clauses in any ebook publishing contracts for five years, and also forbids the company from entering into any book publishing contracts that contain them for five years. Apple had wanted this provision to be less broad, relating only to MFN clauses with the five publishers in the case who have already settled. Instead, it applies to all publishers.

Judge Cote defined the order in which Apple will be permitted to renegotiate contracts with publishers, beginning with Hachette 24 months after the judgment's effective date and staggering negotiations every six months thereafter for the five publishers involved in the case.

Apple is also required to hire an external compliance monitor to ensure that the company is complying with antitrust requirements.

In a win for Apple, Cote's ruling does not require the company to allow the return of direct store links from competing e-book distributors in their App Store apps, something the U.S. Department of Justice had requested in its proposed penalties.

Apple continues to deny that it engaged in price fixing, and is pursuing an appeal of the guilty verdict.

Chinese mobile carriers China Telecom and China Unicom will reportedly begin taking pre-orders for Apple's upcoming iPhone 5S and low-cost iPhone 5C next week, with deliveries being fulfilled the week after, according to a report from Reuters. The report follows the issuing of invitations for a September 11 Apple satellite launch event in Beijing, just hours after the company holds its main media event on September 10 at its headquarters in Cupertino, California.

"There used to be a wait of a few months before Apple launches their latest products in China, but nowadays, China is too important a market for Apple and so it will be the first batch of markets to start selling the low and high-end iPhones next week," said a source at one of the telecom carriers, who declined to be identified as he was not authorized to speak to the media. [...]

Days after the launch in Beijing, both of Apple's current Chinese carriers will accept pre-orders. It will take about a week for them to deliver the new iPhones to their customers, the source said.

That timing supports circulating rumors and speculation about the new iPhones launching in the first wave of markets on Friday, September 20, roughly a week and a half after Apple's media event.

Currently, China Telecom and China Unicom are the only carriers in the country to carry the iPhone. China Mobile, the world’s biggest carrier, does not currently carry the iPhone, but there have been reports that the carrier may be close to a deal with Apple for the iPhone. Rumors have indicated that a China Mobile iPhone launch could come slightly later than on the other Chinese carriers due to the need for regulatory approval of unique iPhone hardware compatible with China Mobile's network.

Apple is currently planning a late October launch for OS X Mavericks, according to a report from 9to5Mac.

The late-October Mavericks release is planned so Apple could focus the majority of its software engineering resources on pushing out iOS 7 alongside the new iPhone hardware over the next couple of weeks.

For its past two major OS X updates, Apple has released the new software the day after an earnings release, and the report notes that the company could follow a similar pattern with Mavericks. Apple will release its September quarter earnings in late October, aligning with the rumored Mavericks launch timeframe.

Apple's other major operating system update, iOS 7, is set to arrive later this month alongside new iPhone hardware. The new iPhones are expected to be introduced at Apple's media event scheduled for next Tuesday, and based on Apple's previous patterns iOS 7 could launch to the public roughly a week later. The iPad version of iOS 7 may, however, be held back slightly and launched aside new iPad hardware within the next several months.

Update: AllThingsD has confirmed that Mavericks will be released in late October.

Apple is testing prototype iPhones with significantly larger screens than current models, according to The Wall Street Journal. The report claims Apple has tested models with screens as large as six inches, a significant increase from the 4-inch screen on the iPhone 5, but they are not expected to be released this year.

The electronics giant has begun evaluating a plan to offer iPhones with screens ranging from 4.8 inches to as high as six inches, people familiar with the matter say. That would be a sizable leap from the 4-inch screen of the iPhone 5 released last year, and, at the upper end, would be one of the largest on the market.

But people familiar with the company's internal deliberations and plans indicate it appears more willing to move ahead than in years past. Component suppliers say Apple already began testing larger screens for iPhones in recent months. Apple has been particularly interested in recent tests for a 4.8-inch screen, these people say.

Apple is routinely testing prototype devices and these models might never be released, but this is not the first time that we've heard this rumor. Back in July, the paper reported that Apple was testing larger screens on both the iPad and the iPhone.

MacRumors released a printable papercraft version of a 5-inch iPhone back in February of this year after other rumors of a larger iPhone surfaced.

Vodafone Germany has plans to discontinue several models of existing iPhones with the release of the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C, reports German site Flo's Weblog [Google Translation]. According to an internal email, the 32 and 64GB iPhone 5 in both black and white will be discontinued, along with the black/white 16GB iPhone 4S.

This confirms an inventory leak from Canadian carrier Telus, which also suggested that Apple would discontinue the higher end iPhone 5 models. Both carrier leaks indicate that Apple's upcoming product lineup will consist of the flagship iPhone 5S, the low-cost iPhone "5C", and the 16GB iPhone 5.

Apple's iPhone lineup has been in question over the past several months, and it has been unclear whether the iPhone 5C will serve as a replacement for the iPhone 5 or the iPhone 4S. The cost of the iPhone 5C remains unknown, and speculation has suggested that the phone, which is said to use many of the same parts as the existing iPhone 5, may not be truly low-cost, necessitating the inclusion of the lower-priced iPhone 4S in the product line.

An August note from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo indicated that Apple would discontinue the iPhone 5 in favor of the iPhone 5C while continuing to sell the iPhone 4S through the end of of the year, but the information from Vodafone Germany contradicts this theory.

It is unclear where the iPhone 5 will fit into Apple's iPhone line in terms of price. Estimates have suggested that the iPhone 5C will retail for $400 to $500 off-contract, and it is likely that the iPhone 5 would have a similar price tag. The iPhone 4S, though, could be priced below the iPhone 5C if it remains in Apple's product lineup.

Apple plans to unveil the iPhone 5S and 5C during a September 10 iPhone event. The phones are expected to ship to a number of countries shortly after, on September 20.