MacRumors

After numerous publications reported on the existence of a gold color option for the upcoming iPhone 5S this weekend, AllThingsD and 9to5Mac this morning have reported that gold will indeed be a new option.

This is in addition to the existing black-and-slate and white-and-silver options for the iPhone 5. John Paczkowski for AllThingsD:

Apple is adding a new color to the iPhone color palette, and yes, it is indeed gold.

Sources in position to know tell AllThingsD that Apple, after years of offering the iPhone in either black and white, will soon offer it in a gold tone as well.

The new color option was described to AllThingsD as an “elegant” gold tone. “Think champagne, not ingot,” a source said. Sources say that the gold iPhone will feature a white face, with a gold-tone back plate and chamfered edging.

9to5Mac's Mark Gurman is reporting separately with additional details about the new color, and his sources have often proven accurate in the past:

While many have called this new iPhone color “gold,” our source says that the color is more inline with the yellow fifth-generation iPod touch, but slightly lighter in texture. Some have called this “champagne” and that sounds about right. We’ve also heard that this gold model has a white front-face, so it won’t be a black and gold device, but rather a white and “gold/champagne” phone.

Gurman also says that the iPhone 5S home button will not take on a convex shape and that it will in fact be nearly indistinguishable from the current design.

BGR reports that Apple is planning to launch the seventh beta version of iOS 7 today.

We are told by our trusted sources that Apple has once again seeded a new build of iOS 7 to partners, and that it should be released to developers later today. We can confirm the build number is much higher than the previous beta, and we would assume that iOS 7 beta 7 should be distributed and made available for developers around 1:00 p.m. EDT, as usual.

Last week, the site reported that today would see the launch of iOS beta 6, but just hours later the new beta made an unusual late-day appearance. iOS 7 beta 6 was, however, an emergency bug fix for iTunes in the Cloud issues, and thus appears to have been an unexpected addition to Apple's release schedule, bumping back the originally planned beta 6 to a beta 7 arriving today.

According to BGR's previous report, the beta version being released today is planned to be the final version seeded to developers before a golden master version begins making its way to Apple employees and partners around September 5. That golden master would then be made available to developers following Apple's rumored iPhone media event on September 10, with a release to the public happening perhaps a week or so later just prior to the launch of new iPhone hardware.

Update: Apple's usual 10:00 AM Pacific release time has passed with no sign of iOS 7 beta 7.

A new iPhone market forecast by KGI Securities predicts "substantial shipments growth" starting in August and supports the flood of rumors about a new, lower-cost "iPhone 5C", which is widely speculated to be released sometime in September. The report by Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a solid track record when it comes to Apple rumors, highlights five key trends for the upcoming few months:

- The components and the EMS (electronics manufacturing services) for the new iPhone will be ramping up in late-August/early September.
- Hon Hai (also known as Foxconn) will start manufacturing a version of the iPhone 5C supporting the TDD-LTE used by China Mobile in August, earlier than expected.
- Models supporting the TDD-LTE standard are predicted see a penetration of 25% in iPhone 5S and 35% in iPhone 5C shipments, which may boost Apple's presence in China.
- The iPhone 5 will be discontinued at the end of the third quarter, but shipments of the iPhone 4S will continue until the end of 2013. The iPhone 5C is therefore designed to replace the iPhone 5, rather than the iPhone 4S as originally predicted.
- The iPhone 5S will be the more popular model and will exceed the iPhone 5C in terms of shipments.

A move by Apple to discontinue the iPhone 5 was rumored late last month, but it would be something of a surprise for Apple to continue offering the iPhone 4S while discontinuing the iPhone 5. Many had suggested that Apple's work to launch an iPhone 5C was an effort to unify Apple's lineup around the new Lightning connector and 4-inch display, but a move by Apple to keep the iPhone 4S on the market indicates that iPhone 5C is not a true "low-cost" device and is indeed primarily a repackaged iPhone 5.

Kuo suggests that during 2013, Apple will ship roughly 33.3 million iPhone 5S and around 27.2 million 5C units, with 5.2 million and 8.4 million units planned for the third quarter of 2013 respectively. The analyst also predicts that the iPhone 5S will retail at roughly $600–$700, whereas the iPhone 5C will sell for around $400–$500 SIM-free. The iPhone 4S will drop to roughly $300–$400 and the iPhone 4, which would fall to $200–$300, does not fully support the graphical requirements of iOS 7 and thus is likely to be discontinued, although it may continue to hang on for a brief time after the launch of the new iPhones.

Kuo also points to the fact that shipments of the new iPhone 5S will outsell those of the 5C, owing to the new gold color casing and a new maximum storage capacity of 128 GB. The report also says that production concerns over the iPhone 5S fingerprint sensor have eased, with Apple having "a defined timetable demanding yield rate improvement for fingerprint sensor module and casing".

Both of the new iPhone models are expected to be launched on September 10, with the exact time and venue still to be confirmed.

In a column at TechCrunch, MG Siegler adds his voice to the growing chorus of claims of Apple's plans to add a "gold" color option for its upcoming iPhone 5S, with information coming from his various sources. The report follows a parts leak last week that appeared to show photos of the gold/champagne casing for the iPhone 5S.

Yes, there will be a gold iPhone.

That’s the latest I’m hearing from multiple sources after several weeks of rumors and possible component leaks suggesting the same thing. At first, I couldn’t believe Apple would break from the tradition of offering the simple choice: black and white (or “slate” and “silver” if you prefer for the iPhone 5) for their flagship device. Gold simply seemed too gaudy, perhaps even tacky. But a few compelling arguments countered my disbelief. And now, upon checking, sure enough, there will be gold.

Siegler goes on to note that the gold rear shell that showed up in photos last week is said to be a somewhat inaccurate representation of the device's actual color, indicating that it will be "less 'gold' and more 'champagne'."

As for why Apple is pursuing a gold iPhone option, Siegler points out that it could in part be a strategy to upsell customers in emerging markets where the lower-cost "iPhone 5C" is expected to be a significant player.

A number of folks have noted that a gold iPhone would likely do well in the Chinese and Indian markets as well, where the color is very popular. This is especially interesting given the talk about the “iPhone 5C” being key in these markets as well, with a presumed unsubsidized lower price-point. One line of thinking was that the lower-cost iPhone would all-but replace the higher cost one in these markets. But perhaps the gold option would still be enticing enough for some buyers to lure them to the higher end model. That’s all pure speculation, of course.

Siegler's comments follow a research note from last week in which KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated that the iPhone 5S will be offered in a gold casing in addition to Apple’s traditional white and black offerings. Another report from Japanese blog Mac Otakara stated that the iPhone 5S would come in a gold color as well, while also sharing additional information about the device.

Apple will reportedly unveil the next-generation iPhone on September 10, but it is still unclear whether the event will focus singularly on the iPhone 5S or include the announcement of the lower-cost iPhone as well.

French site Nowhereelse.fr [Google Translate] has posted new alleged photos of the back casing of the next-generation iPad. The images appear to show a silver casing, and are also consistent with a previous report that the next-generation full-sized iPad would use the same touch panel technology like that of the current generation iPad mini to achieve a smaller size. The images also show a rear shell for an iPad mini, although it is unclear whether the part is intended to be for the current iPad mini or a second-generation model.

Throughout the past few months, a number of reports have surfaced claiming to be leaks from both upcoming products. The rear shell of the fifth-generation iPad leaked as far back as late January, and a silver part very similar to the one shown in today's photos appeared earlier this month.

Other sightings have included a brief video that claimed to show the next-generation iPad’s front panel and digitizer paired with a rear shell, as well as alleged photos of the black next-generation iPad’s front panel and digitizer assembly.

Meanwhile, a report last month stated that the next-generation iPad mini will likely include a Retina display, and will potentially be available with back covers in a number of colors. Photos of the next-generation iPad mini’s silver rear shell also appeared last month and showed off a new embedded black logo, which is a distinct change from styling of the current-generation iPad mini with a mirrored logo applied to the rear of the device.

Apple will reportedly release the thinner full-sized iPad and the next-generation iPad mini in the final three months of the year, with the devices apparently set to debut at a separate media event from the one for the next-generation iPhone scheduled for September 10.

According to box office reporting service Box Office Mojo (via AppleInsider), Joshua Michael Stern’s Steve Jobs biography "Jobs" made an estimated $6.7 million this weekend, less than the $8-9 million its distributor, Open Road Films, projected. The film was made on a budget of $12 million, and played on 2,381 screens for its opening weekend.

Playing at 2,381 locations, Jobs opened in seventh place with an estimated $6.7 million. While it was never expected to match The Social Network, it's still very disappointing to note that the Steve Jobs biopic earned less than one-third as much as the Facebook story. This is also one of star Ashton Kutcher's lowest openings ever—among nationwide releases, it's only ahead of 2003's My Boss's Daughter ($4.9 million).

Jobs had plenty of issues, including awful reviews and a comedy star playing dramatic (almost never a good idea). Most important, though, was the movie's apparent tonal issues: while plenty of people enjoy their Apple products, the deification of Steve Jobs is a bit of a turn off. Jobs received a weak "B-" CinemaScore, and all indications are that it will disappear from theaters quickly.

The movie has been the subject of mostly poor reviews over the weekend, and currently holds a score of 25 out of 100 on movie review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes. According to the site, the critical consensus around the movie proclaims that it is an “ambitious but skin-deep portrait of an influential, complex figure,” and further summarizes the film in saying that “Jobs often has the feel of an over-sentimentalized made-for-TV biopic.”

A second Steve Jobs movie, from screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, is also in the works for 2014. In a public appearance last year, Sorkin disclosed that the entire movie "is going to be 3 scenes, and take place in real-time." Each of the three 30-minute scenes will take place backstage before three significant events in Jobs’ career, including the launches of the original Mac, the NeXT cube, and the iPod.

Fitness expert and Nike product consultant Jay Blahnik appears to have confirmed his hiring by Apple on Twitter (via 9to5Mac). While Blahnik has been a consultant to Apple on unspecified products in the past, it now seems that he may join the company full time, potentially working on Apple's highly-rumored iWatch.

From a cached version of Blahnik’s personal website:

Jay has been a Nike Elite Athlete and Nike consultant for almost 20 years. He worked closely with Nike on the launch of Nike+Running, which has become the largest digital running community in the world. He was also the original creator and program developer of the Nike Training Club App, and the Nike Training Club in-gym program, which boasts over 6 million digital users. He is also a key expert and consultant for many of Nike's new Digital Sport initiatives that launched in 2012, including Nike+ Kinect Training and Nike+ FuelBand.

Last month, Apple notably hired new employees with an expertise in health sensors to work on the iWatch, including hiring personnel away from notable firms such as AccuVein and MediSensors. Apple has also been filing trademark applications on the iWatch name in a number of countries, and is reportedly looking toward a late 2014 launch for the product as it works to solve numerous technical challenges.

Update: AllThingsD confirms that Apple has hired Jay Blahnik and speculates that he will likely be working with the company's wearables team.

With Apple's USB Power Adapter Takeback Program officially launching yesterday, the company has now posted prices for additional participating regions, boosting the number of countries where consumers may trade-in a third-party USB charger for a discount on an official Apple charger (via 9to5Mac). While Apple originally expanded plans for the program last month to countries beyond the United States and China with seven additional countries, the recent move brings the amount of countries supported by the program to 30.

Apple is maintaining separate information pages for several countries involved in the program, while pricing in the bulk of the countries is summarized on a separate "other countries" page.

First introduced last month following the electrocution of a Chinese woman using a counterfeit iPhone charger, the recycling initiative is designed to allow iOS users to safely replace and dispose of questionable third-party power adapters.

Under the terms of the program, Apple will accept and recycle any third-party charger at any Apple Retail Store or participating Apple Authorized Service Provider, and will also provide an authentic charger for $10 in the United States, a $9 discount from Apple's regular pricing.

Apple has begun showing the teaser video for the upcoming Mac Pro in movie theaters across the nation. First shown at WWDC during the initial debut of the Mac Pro, the video shows the sleek black curves of the product from multiple angles.

According to reports from several people who have seen the teaser, it ends with the line "Fall 2013," offering the first concrete hint of when the redesigned Mac Pro might launch. At WWDC, Apple gave a "later this year" release date.

The new Mac Pro is a fraction of the size of the previous model and housed in a radically redesigned tower. It will come equipped with Intel Xeon E5 processors with up to 12 cores, dual workstation AMD FirePro GPUs, and new PCIe flash storage.

According to Apple, it is 2.5 times faster than the current Mac Pro, though benchmarks of the 12-core Xeon E5–2697 v2 processor have demonstrated mixed results, with the latest offering evidence that the Mac Pro will certainly offer a significant improvement over its predecessor, especially during demanding multi-threaded tasks.

It remains unclear when Apple might debut the Mac Pro in the fall months. The company is expected to hold an event for the iPhone 5S on September 10, with an iPad event to follow, and the Mac Pro could potentially surface at either time. Apple has also not announced pricing for the product, which is currently being assembled in the United States.

Apple has launched a replacement program for the graphics card in some mid–2011 iMac configurations, reports 9to5Mac. According to a note sent to Apple Support employees, the AMD Radeon HD 6970 video cards in some 27-inch May 2011 iMacs have experienced issues, causing them to fail.

Apple has determined that some AMD Radeon HD 6970M video cards used in 27-inch iMac computers with 3.1GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 or 3.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processors may fail, causing the computer’s display to appear distorted, white or blue with vertical lines, or to turn black. iMac computers with affected video cards were sold between May 2011 and October 2012.

The affected iMacs contain serial numbers with the last four characters of DHJQ, DHJW, DL8Q, DNGH, DNJ9, DMW8, DPM1, DPM2, DPNV, DNY0, DRVP, DY6F, or F610. The errors have been previously noted on both the MacRumors forums and the Apple Support forums.

Apple will replace the graphics card of affected iMacs with the aforementioned serial numbers at no cost for up to three years from the date that the computer was purchased, which makes early adopters eligible until May 2014.

Replacements can be initiated through AppleCare, the Genius Bar, or Apple Authorized Resellers and iMac users that paid to have the graphics card replaced are also eligible for a refund.