MacRumors

A Vodafone retail store in Canberra, Australia was reportedly evacuated earlier this week after an in-store demo iPad "exploded", filling the location with smoke and sparks, reports News.com.au. While no one was harmed during the incident, the iPad reportedly emitted the sparks from its charging port as firefighters were called to the scene to handle the situation. An Apple representative reportedly visited the scene afterwards to investigate the explosion, but Apple has not commented on the incident.

Interestingly, the report originally stated that the device was an iPad Air, but the article has since been revised to simply refer to it as an "iPad" and the device shown in the photo accompanying the article does not appear to have the narrower side bezels seen on the new iPad Air.

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This is not the first time this year that an Apple product was accused of being a safety hazard, as a woman in China suffered eye injuries from her iPhone 5 after it exploded while she was on the phone this past August. Additionally, a Chinese man was left in a coma after receiving an electric shock while charging his iPhone 4 in July, which followed the death of a Chinese woman under similar circumstances.

Both latter incidents apparently involved the use of unauthorized third-party adapters, with Apple responding to the events by establishing an international third-party USB charger "Takeback Program" offering official replacement chargers for $10 to anyone who turns in a suspect adapter.

Apple began selling the iPad Air last Friday in over thirty countries through its official online store and at various other outlets.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Last week, a report from Japanese business newspaper Nikkei shed light on the production issues surrounding the forthcoming Retina iPad mini, stating that Apple is now turning to rival Samsung as suppliers Sharp and LG Display have failed to produce an ample supply of displays for the new tablet. Now, a report from Korean website ETNews (via Unwired View) has elaborated on the matter, with Sharp's IGZO panels for the Retina iPad mini said to be suffering from screen burn-in issues.

While the burn-in issue is reportedly invisible to users, the panels do not meet Apple's specifications and thus the high rejection rate has resulted in low panel yields for the tablet. As noted in a report earlier this week analyzing the new iPad Air's use of IGZO technology, Sharp has experienced difficulties ramping up production of its IGZO panels in the past, with it taking until now for Apple to bring the technology to its products.

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The burn-in problem was caused by the drastic reduction of the pixel size. The resolution of the 7.9-inch iPad mini with Retina display is 2048×1536, about four times clearer than the existing 1024×768 products. LG Display used the amorphous silicon (a-Si) for the substrate, whereas Sharp used IGZO. The pixel of the smartphone display is smaller than that of the iPad mini Retina panel, but as the Low Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon (LTPS) technology is used, it can be produced stably. The pixel of the iPad mini Retina is the smallest among those products using a-Si. Sharp failed to solve the chronic problem of IGZO, i.e. uniformity, and its yield went down.

The report also elaborates on how Apple may be negotiating with Samsung to produce displays for the device starting next year, turning back to its rival in part due to Samsung's experience solving a similar problem with third-generation iPad's move to a Retina display.

Apple is negotiating with Samsung Display for the supply of displays starting next year. Apple discussed cooperation with Samsung Display when it was planning on the iPad mini Retina. AUO, which was the iPad mini display supplier, was excluded from the retina version because of its yield problem. Apple was planning to receive 15 million panels from LG Display, Sharp and Samsung Display at the end of this year. However, as the negotiation with Samsung Display fell through, only LG Display and Sharp made it to the final list of primary suppliers.

If the issue of screen burn-in persists, the report also states that Apple may move to LTPS technology such as that seen in the Kindle Fire HDX, as it is less prone to the problem. However, while LTPS is commonly used on displays for smaller devices such as the iPhone, Apple is unlikely to mass produce the displays for larger screens in part due to scalability issues that simply won't support the tens of millions of tablets that the company is producing each year.

Apple CEO Tim Cook stated last week during the company's fourth quarter earnings call that it was "unclear whether we will have enough for the quarter or not," as the company has only promised that the tablet will arrive by the the end of November. As noted by Apple during the introduction of the second-generation iPad mini, a Retina display has been one of the most requested features for the smaller iPad since its release last year.

Update: MacRumors spoke with Ray Soneira of DisplayMate Technologies, who noted that LG is almost certainly not using a-Si for its Retina iPad mini display panels due to significant power issues with trying to drive a display of that pixel density using the technology. The company has also been shipping its own IGZO display panels for some time now, and Soneira pointed out that "it would be very inefficient to engineer the iPad mini to ship using two significantly different display technologies."

Soneira also clarified that "burn-in" is the incorrect term for what would be happening with these LCDs. It would be a short-term image retention issue perhaps similar to what some early Retina MacBook Pro users experienced, although it appears in this case that the effect is invisible to users.

Related Roundup: iPad mini
Tag: ETNews
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Apple today launched a new update for iBooks for Mac, bringing it to version 1.0.1. The 14.7 MB update includes bug fixes and stability improvements for the app, which was originally released on October 22 alongside OS X Mavericks.

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Apple has also released two EFI firmware updates for the 13-inch and 15-inch Retina MacBook Pros and a fix for the Mail app. The iBooks update, along with the other updates, can be downloaded via the Software Update tool in the Mac App Store.

Apple today released Mail Update for Mavericks 1.0, a software update designed to enhance compatibility with Gmail accounts, as well as several other improvements. The update entered testing last week and addresses a number of complaints about changes Apple made in Mavericks Mail.

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Mail Update for Mavericks includes improvements to general stability and compatibility with Gmail, including the following:

- Fixes an issue that prevents deleting, moving, and archiving messages for users with custom Gmail settings
- Addresses an issue that may cause unread counts to be inaccurate
- Includes additional fixes that improve the compatibility and stability of Mail

Full information on the update, including Apple's recommendations about backing up before applying the update, are included in an Apple support document. The update is available via the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.

Related Forum: OS X Mavericks

Boombotix, a company that successfully made and manufactured a line of speakers that began on Kickstarter, has a new audio app, Boombotix Sync, in development and is seeking funding via a new Kickstarter campaign.

The app, which was inspired by the company's speakers, is designed to allow people to synchronize their music across multiple devices (and multiple Bluetooth speakers) using just a mobile network.

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Boombotix Sync is a mobile app that synchronizes music across multiple devices over a mobile network. This new technology unlocks the potential for peer-to-peer mobile surround sound and shared listening. Whether you're orchestrating a mobile flash mob or riding on the bus with a friend discreetly jamming out on your headphones, this app enables us to enjoy music together wirelessly no matter where we are.

In order to share music, each user needs to have a copy of the Boombotix Sync app. One user puts their device in "DJ Mode" which allows their music to be streamed to others that are connected to the channel. All devices must be connected to a network (Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G, or LTE). Each device will then play synchronized music, and each device can also connect over Bluetooth to any wireless speaker, like a Jambox or Boombotix's own Rex speakers.

The system allows for multiple Bluetooth speakers to be synced up to play the same music, as long as there is a device for each speaker. As it is impossible for more than one Bluetooth speaker to be hooked up to a single device, the Boombotix Sync app provides a way to hack multiple speakers together, which is perfect for parties and other outdoor listening situations. It's also a useful way for two or more people to listen to the same music across long distances or on multiple devices like headphones.

The app has four modes total, with the DJ Mode allowing the main user to set up a playlist to stream to other users. In Listen Mode, users can sync up with the DJ, and the Nearby DJs mode will display local devices that are set in DJ Mode. At the current point in time, the Boombotix Sync app is designed to work solely with SoundCloud, but the developers have plans to add additional music services in the future.


Boombotix Sync is compatible with the iPhone 4 and later, the iPad mini, and the iPad 2 and later and it also works with any audio accessories paired with those devices, including headphones, stereos, and speakers.

Interested backers can get access to the app for $5, and the company is also offering special deals that pair the app with a wireless speaker for $55 or $100. According to the Kickstarter page, Boombotix expects to have the app ready by December of 2013.

Tim CookThe United States Senate has approved the anti-discrimination bill that Apple CEO Tim Cook endorsed in an Op-Ed earlier this week.

In a 64-32 vote, the Senate voted to pass the Employment Nondiscrimation Act today, sending the legislation to the U.S. House of Representatives where its future is uncertain. The bill adds gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals to the U.S.'s existing nondiscrimination law.

Tim Cook tweeted about the passing of the bill, saying:

Thanks to all Senators who supported ENDA! I encourage the House to follow suit and end discrimination.

From The New York Times:

“The time has come for Congress to pass a federal law that ensures all citizens, regardless of where they live, can go to work not afraid of who they are,” Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, said on Thursday, noting that a vast majority of Americans already think such a law is in place. “Well, it isn’t already the law,” he added. “Let’s do what the American people think already exists.”

Republicans who voted against the bill, known as the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, were muted in their opposition. The first senator to rise and speak against the bill on the floor all week was Dan Coats of Indiana, who said Thursday morning that religious freedoms were at risk, despite the bill’s broad exemption for religious institutions.

Those exemptions, he said, did not go far enough.

In his op-ed, Tim Cook wrote that Apple has made it a point to create "a safe and welcoming workplace for all employees, regardless of their race, gender, nationality or sexual orientation", while also elaborating on employee rights to express identity in a working environment.

Note: Due to the potentially controversial nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Alongside today's release of a firmware update addressing keyboard and trackpad issues on Apple's new 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, the company has released a separate firmware update for owners of the new 15-inch models. The 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro update addresses a separate issue related to performance of the discrete NVIDIA graphics included on higher-end models.

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This update is recommended for MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, late 2013) models with NVIDIA graphics.

This update addresses an issue which, in rare cases, may limit the performance of the discrete graphics processor after a system wake or boot.

The firmware update, which is 5.22 MB in size, can be downloaded either directly from Apple's support site or through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store for users on affected machines.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: MacBook Pro

Apple today released a new EFI Update for the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, which is designed to fix issues that caused the built-in keyboard and trackpad to freeze up and stop functioning. Apple recommends that all late 2013 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro owners install the update.

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This update is recommended for MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, late 2013) models.

This update addresses an issue where the built-in keyboard and Multi-Touch trackpad may become unresponsive.

Users first began noticing issues that caused the keyboard and the trackpad of the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro to freeze up shortly after the computer was released on October 22.

Multiple threads on Apple's Support Forums highlighted the issues and prompted Apple to notify users last week that it was working on a fix. While it was unclear whether the keyboard and trackpad unresponsiveness was due to a hardware or a software issue, it appears to be software-based and repairable with the EFI update.

The EFI update should be available through the Software Update tool in the Mac App Store for all users with an affected MacBook. Apple has also released an EFI update for the late 2013 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro.

In a lengthy piece detailing the hardships that workers in Apple's supply chain can face, Bloomberg follows the story of a factory worker at Flextronics International, a contract manufacturer based in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur that produced camera parts for the iPhone 5.

Ahead of the launch of the iPhone 5, Flextronics had to significantly ramp up production, hiring a 1,500 new employees via brokers and recruiters in Nepal, Malaysia, and surrounding areas. Because factory jobs are highly desired, many families pay upfront fees to brokers to acquire the positions, resulting in loans that can take "imported" workers years to pay off, with factory managers controlling when workers are able to leave.

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Inside a Flextronics factory in Fort Worth, Texas. Courtesy of The Wall Street Journal

For the iPhone 5 rollout, a recruiter working for Flextronics contacted four brokers in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, in late August and early September, urgently seeking 1,500 men to make cameras, according to three of the four brokers. The pressure to move so many men so quickly was unprecedented. "The recruitment agency was telling me, 'We need these workers, you have to send them by today,'" says Rajan Shrestha, managing director of a small company called Sharp Human Resources.

The frenzy to hire workers was how one Nepalese man, Bibek Dhong, found himself paying $250 and handing over his passport to a recruiter who promised him a good job. Dhong was forced to pay another $500 to a broker (6 months of his wages from his former job as a dairy farmer) and sign a debt agreement stating he would pay $400 more. Dhong was told to keep his broker fees secret, as Apple has a policy that prevents excessive charges by recruiters.

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Sapphire BouleBefore the announcement of its Apple partnership and the new 700-employee manufacturing facility in Arizona, GT Advanced Technologies only generated 11 percent of its revenue from its sapphire business.

Going forward, with the new Apple deal, GT Advanced will see sapphire production as its main source of revenue, increasing its sapphire sales by as much as 15 to 16 times, according to a report by Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brian White (via AllThingsD).

So far in 2013, sapphire accounted for just $29 million in revenue, while the company projects as much as $480 to $640 million in sapphire sales in 2014. According to White:

We do not expect sapphire to replace Corning's Gorilla Glass on the iPhone or iPad in the coming quarters; however, we believe sapphire could gain traction in new small form factor applications or high-end devices with Apple in the future.

AllThingsD agrees that the increase, suggesting that "Cupertino has big plans and broader uses for the sapphire material" that it currently uses in iPhone camera lenses and fingerprint-recognition buttons.

According to the press release GT Advanced released on Monday, Apple is requiring GT to maintain a minimum level of capacity and the company will be subject to certain exclusivity terms. More interestingly, GT expects to see its gross margins to drop significantly as production rises, though the recurring revenue stream from Apple will be strategically important to the company.

Apple currently uses small pieces of sapphire glass -- which provides superior durability and scratch resistance to other forms of glass -- to protect the cameras on the iPhone and on the home button for the new Touch ID-equipped iPhone 5s. A report from earlier this year suggested that future smartphones may use sapphire, a crystalline form of aluminum oxide, instead of more traditional forms of glass.

One possible destination for Apple's new sapphire glass production is in a potential smart watch project. Sapphire is already extensively used in high-end watchmaking and could be more feasible on a small screen than the larger display on a smartphone or tablet.

target_logoEarlier this week, we shared a trade-in promotion from Target, which generated tremendous interest. Target is offering $200 for any iPad, including the original 1st generation models. Outside of the promotion, Target normally offers only $65 for a 16 GB Wi-Fi original iPad, which makes the $200 gift card a great deal.

Target's trade-in promotion is still going on, ending on Saturday, November 9, leaving two days to complete potential trade-ins. We've received some mixed reports about the success of the trade-ins. Trade-ins can only be done in-store to receive the special offer, as original iPad trade-ins online are still listed with a $65 value.

While Target has altered the wording on its original offer to suggest consumers trading in iPads should use the funds to purchase an iPad Air or iPad mini, many customers are still receiving $200 gift cards with no strings attached. Target's new promotional wording is below:

"Between November 3rd thru 9th, visit your local Target Mobility store and trade in any iPad for at least $200 to use towards the purchase of a new iPad."

According to our forums and emails we've received, Target has had some difficulty processing all of the trade-ins, and some Target stores seem to be unfamiliar with the details of the promotion. While some customers have had no issues trading in their iPads, others have faced long lines due to each store only having a few employees in the Mobile department, or been turned away entirely.

For most, the process is quick and simple. A Target employee will type in the model number, check to make sure the buttons are functional and that the screen isn't cracked, then enter a license number before handing over the gift card.

While some Target locations have insisted that the $200 trade-in value must be used for an iPad purchase, forum members have been able to circumvent this by claiming to wait for a Retina iPad mini or by visiting another Target location that did not implement the same restrictions.

Apple has filed for a United States patent detailing a system for allowing a device to access and share a remote network with a second device using the low-power Bluetooth LE protocol, reports AppleInsider. The patent application was published today and credits Apple engineers Daniel Borges, Jason Giles, and Michael Larson as inventors.

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Notably, the application mentions a first device acting as a hotspot and having short-range connectability with a second device, with the second device having access to remote networks. This would be very similar to the rumored interaction between Apple's upcoming iWatch and a second iOS device such as the iPhone, with the iWatch serving as an accessory and giving users easy at-a-glance access to common functions without having to take out larger devices.

The described technology would seem particularly apt for providing intermittent Internet access for the iWatch, allowing it to take advantage of low-power Bluetooth to only intermittently connect to the Internet using an iPhone as a hotspot rather than having to host its own cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity.

The proximity profile defines a proximity notification alert that the supporting device sends to the device to advertise its shared access service to the network for devices within range. In one embodiment, upon receiving the proximity notification alert the device joins the supporting device’s shared access service and briefly connects to the network to receive push notifications or other messages, before disconnecting.

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The patent also details how a low-power connection protocol such as Bluetooth could prove to be advantageous as the first device remains in a low-power background mode while connecting to a network with the ability to receive push notifications:

In one embodiment, the short-range connectability to the supporting device is provided over a low-power enabled connection protocol such as Bluetooth. In a typical embodiment, the device is able to maintain itself in a low-power background mode while joining the supporting device's shared access service and briefly connecting to the network. In this manner the device may perform such activities as establishing intermittent network presence for receiving push notifications and other messages or updates, or for engaging in other network-related activities while advantageously remaining in low power mode.

Apple has long been rumored to be working on the iWatch, which is expected to provide common functions along with additional biometric integration in addition to serving as an accessory to iOS devices. Apple CEO Tim Cook stated during the company's fourth quarter earnings call last month that Apple still plans to introduce new product categories in 2014, which is a likely timeframe for the release of the iWatch as previously indicated by multiple sources. A report last week also indicated that Apple was close to striking a deal with LG Display to provide OLED displays for the device.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Tag: Patent
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Popular fitness tracking app Runkeeper has been updated today with several new features taking advantage of some of the software and hardware improvements released by Apple with iOS 7 and the iPhone 5s.

As with several other fitness apps such as Nike+ Move, RunKeeper is now able to tap into the M7 motion coprocessor included on the iPhone 5s. The M7 automatically tracks movement in the background, and RunKeeper can use that data to add certain activity sessions to your workout list retroactively.

If you’ve ever been walking around a lot and wished you had tracked it with RunKeeper, regret no more! Our new Pocket Track feature tracks walks of at least 15 minutes automatically and gives you the option to add those to your activity list. Just be sure to opt in to background activity tracking when you install this update, and also open up RunKeeper at the end of each day so you can find those walks that were tracked.

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The new version of RunKeeper also includes support for the AirDrop feature of iOS 7, allowing users to easily transfer friend requests and workout information to other RunKeeper users.

That means if you see someone at a race using RunKeeper and you want to keep tabs on their activity in the future, you can AirDrop them a RunKeeper friend request!

Or say you’re out with some running buddies and want to follow the same workout routine you’ve created in RunKeeper. Just select an existing workout or create a new one from the start screen, and hit Share with AirDrop once you’re in the workout. Now you and your friends can follow the same interval plan, but at your own pace!

RunKeeper is a free download from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Star Wars: Tiny Death Star is now available in the U.S. App Store after soft launching in Australia a few weeks ago. The app, first announced in early October, is the result of a collaboration between Disney, LucasArts, and NimbleBit, the developer behind free-to-play hits like Tiny Tower, Pocket Planes, and Pocket Trains.

In Star Wars: Tiny Death Star, players help the Emperor construct a Death Star level by level, earning credits to expand the Death Star further and further. Gameplay is similar to Tiny Tower, where players were tasked with managing an ever-growing tower of businesses.


According to the game's description, there are more than 80 Star Wars themed residential and commercial floors to build and more than 30 unique galactic bitizens to employ, including Wookiees and Ewoks.

In addition to standard galactic businesses, players will also be able to build secret underground imperial levels to create supplies that will aid in a fight against the Rebels, who will attempt to break into the Death Star. Players can expect to see (and capture) heroes like Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and more.

Amidst a civil war in a galaxy far, far away, the Emperor is building a Death Star level by level, and he needs your help. Intergalactic war is expensive, and space stations are, too. Do you have any idea how much it costs to build one the size of a moon?

Live life on the dark side, and join Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader on a mission to attract Galactic bitizens, run intergalactic businesses, and build an all-new Death Star! With that hard-earned money, fund the Empire's evil schemes to defeat the Rebels and conquer the galaxy once and for all!

Star Wars: Tiny Death Star is a universal app that can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Apple is planning to begin offering in-store display replacements and other repairs for both iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, reports 9to5Mac, continuing Apple's effort to lower repair costs.

These sources say that Apple Stores will be able to replace several aspects of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c on-site, meaning that Apple no-longer needs to fully replace iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c units with damage or other problems.

The display replacements will cost $149 for each device for users not subscribed to AppleCare+, and $79 for users subscribed to the warranty service. In addition, Apple will also have the ability to replace volume buttons, sleep/wake buttons, vibrating motors, the rear camera and speakers systems on both phones.

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Apple Stores will also be able to replace the home button on the iPhone 5c, but will likely not be able to replace the Touch ID sensor on the iPhone 5s, likely due to constrained supply.

Part replacements due to defects will be free if the device is under AppleCare warranty. However, devices not under an AppleCare warranty plan there will have repair fees specific to each part, such as a $29 surcharge for a Home button replacement on the iPhone 5c.

In June, Apple began offering in-store display replacements for the iPhone 5 for $149 for both AppleCare+ and non-AppleCare+ subscribers.

Related Forum: iPhone

mavericks_round_iconApple has internally seeded two upcoming updates to Mavericks, OS X 10.9.1 and OS X 10.9.2, to its employees, according to a source that spoke to 9to5Mac. Reportedly nicknamed "Board," OS X 10.9.1 will be released later in the month to fix several bugs introduced with OS X 10.9.

Since the release of Mavericks, users have reported several different issues, with the Mail app, mostly related to Gmail accounts. Apple has already seeded an updated Mail app to its employees and AppleSeed members, and it is possible that a Mail fix could be bundled into the next public Mavericks release. Apple is also said to be preparing updates for issues within Safari, iBooks, and Remote Desktop.

OS X 10.9.2, nicknamed "Carve", is also said to be in testing with Apple's software engineering teams, adding minor feature enhancements and additional bug fixes after the 10.9.1 update.

Also in testing, the source said, is OS X 10.9.2. That release is codenamed "Carve," and it's likely to include more bug fixes, and perhaps minor feature enhancements. Both OS X 10.7.2 and OS X 10.8.2 were updates to Lion and Mountain Lion designed to increase feature-parity between iOS and OS X. OS X Mavericks is currently lacking support for iOS's iMessage blocking feature and FaceTime Audio, so it seems plausible that OS X 10.9.2 could add those features.

According to 9to5Mac, Apple is also continuing work on the next iteration of OS X, 10.10, which has been seeded internally. The next iteration of OS X is said to alter the look of the operating system to bring it in line with iOS 7.

In addition to Mavericks updates, Apple has also been testing iOS 7 updates. As we reported this afternoon, MacRumors has seen increasing numbers of devices running iOS 7.0.4 in web logs since October 22, suggesting that the next minor update to iOS 7 could come in the near future.

Related Forums: OS X Mavericks, OS X Yosemite

Apple's bifurcation of its iPhone lineup will provide the company with the opportunity to offer new iPhone products multiple times per year in the future, according to Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty. Along with pricing flexibility, the ability to offer new products at more frequent intervals will drive unit growth upwards in 2014.

Apple recently introduced both the high-end iPhone 5s and the mid-range iPhone 5c, priced slightly lower, selling both alongside the lower-end iPhone 4s. It is unclear how Apple plans to continue to upgrade these lines in the future, but according to Huberty, Apple will be able to utilize its dual product lineup for "multiple refreshes per year."

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Huberty, who recently met with Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer to gain some insight on Apple's future plans, also indicates that there's a lot of growth potential in Apple's services category. She suggests that Apple could, for example, expand the usage of Touch ID in the future, setting the stage for new services revenue streams

Services a meaningful opportunity. As we highlighted in our June 4, 2013 note, iOS usage stats far exceeds Android. Combining 575M+ high-end consumer accounts (most linked to credit cards or ACH) with investments Apple is making in cutting edge hardware, like the fingerprint sensor, and upgrading its installed base to the latest versions of iOS and OS X sets up for new services revenue streams, in our view.

Apple recently made some drastic moves towards improving its software and service offerings, providing OS X Mavericks for free to all users, along with a number of other free software upgrades for its iLife and iWork suite of apps. Apple has also been aiming to enter new service markets, introducing iTunes Radio earlier this year and working on completing deals with cable companies like Time Warner with the potential goal of debuting new television services.

During Apple's fourth quarter earnings call, CEO Tim Cook indicated Apple would introduce new product categories in 2014, suggesting the company would use its skills to build software, hardware, and services to create "great products" in categories that Apple does not currently participate in.

Apple unsurprisingly appears to be ramping up activity on iOS 7.0.4 as the next version of iOS to see a release to the public, with MacRumors seeing increasing numbers of devices running iOS 7.0.4 from Apple's networks showing up in web logs.

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Visitors to MacRumors.com via Apple's networks from devices running iOS 7.0.4

The first signs of iOS 7.0.4 appeared on October 22, the same day iOS 7.0.3 was released to the public. Activity has been ramping up over the past two weeks, but there is no word yet on when the update might be released to the public. Apple has also not seeded registered developers with any builds of iOS 7.0.4, but the company does not always do so for its minor iOS updates.

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Visitors to MacRumors.com via Apple's networks from devices running iOS 7.1

As we previously noted, iOS 7.1 devices from Apple's network began showing up in our logs in late August, and while visits from those devices increased during October, they have declined somewhat during the first week of November. iOS 7.1 would be expected to bring a more substantial number of updates, but it appears that a public launch may yet be some time off with Apple working on a smaller iOS 7.0.4 release.

iOS 8 continues to show very low levels of activity in our logs, with the next major version of Apple's iOS software undoubtedly still in the very early stages of development and a public release roughly a year in the future.

Related Forum: iOS 7