MacRumors

In something of a surprise move, Apple has begun accepting orders for the Retina iPad mini in the United States and several other countries as of midnight Pacific Time on November 12. Orders for the 16 and 32 GB Wi-Fi versions are currently shipping within 1 to 3 business days while orders for the 64 and 128 GB versions along with cellular models are shipping within 5 to 10 days.

The company did not give any early indication that it would launch the Retina iPad mini today, aside from a mention of the seemingly unlikely November 12 date on its GSX site for service providers just hours ago.

The quiet launch of the Retina iPad mini may be due to constrained supplies, as rumors have suggested that available quantities of the mini will be extremely low due to display production issues. Apple is unlikely to have enough supply of the tablet to meet demand.

Visually, Apple's Retina iPad mini is nearly unchanged from the original mini, though it is both slightly heavier and thicker. The tablet includes a Retina display with a 2048 x 1536 resolution, along with an A7 processor and the M7 coprocessor originally introduced in the iPhone 5s.

The entry-level 16 GB Retina iPad mini will retail for $399 in the United States, with an extra $100 for each increase in capacity and $130 for cellular connectivity.

Apple will launch its long awaited Retina iPad mini on November 12, according to multiple sources citing a posting by Apple on the company's GSX site for service providers. Apple plans to launch the tablet in the United States, Australia, China (Wi-Fi only), Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, and Singapore.

While a release time beyond 'November 12' was unavailable, Apple has previously launched its products via press release at around 5:30 AM. It is possible that the company will notify consumers of the mini's availability with a press release before initiating sales in-store and online. It is, however, already November 12 in a number of countries around the world, including New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, and Japan.

While the quiet release of an iPad is unusual for the company, it could be due to reports of severe supply constraints of the Retina iPad mini. According to reports, display problems have caused serious production issues, and it is unlikely Apple will have enough supply of the tablet to meet demand.

Apple's Retina iPad mini has the same general design of the original mini, though it is slightly heavier and thicker. The tablet includes a Retina display with a 2048 x 1536 resolution, along with an A7 processor and the M7 coprocessor originally introduced in the iPhone 5s.

The Retina iPad mini will retail for $399 for the entry-level 16 GB Wi-Fi model with an extra $100 for each capacity increment and $130 for cellular connectivity.

Update: All of Apple's online stores around the world have gone offline. It is unclear, however, if the downtime is related to preparations for a Retina iPad mini launch or simply scheduled maintenance that commonly occurs at this time of day.

Apple's iPhone 5s supplies appear to be improving, following significant supply constraints that have plagued the phone since its initial September 20 launch. In the Online Apple Store, iPhone 5s shipping estimates have decreased, with all models and capacities, including gold, now shipping within one to two weeks in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

Shortly after the launch of the iPhone 5s, shipping estimates for all colors and capacities slipped to 7 to 10 days and fell to a vague "October" timeline. In the middle of the month, shipping estimates were updated to two to three weeks, where they have remained until today.

According to several different reports, Apple significantly ramped up its iPhone 5s production in the weeks following the phone's launch while simultaneously cutting down on iPhone 5c production. Supplies of the iPhone 5c have remained plentiful since the phone was launched and all models and capacities continue to ship within 24 hours.

Apple's improved shipping estimates come following second and third wave launches on October 25 and November 1 that brought the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c to an additional 50 countries. The iPhones are now available in more than 60 countries, bringing Apple closer to its stated goal of availability in 100 countries by the end of the year.

In store supplies of the iPhone 5s appear to be improving as well, with even the gold iPhone 5s seeing greater availability as a Personal Pickup option across the United States.

Apple today enhanced its Apple Support site with a new option allowing customers to initiate automatic screen sharing when receiving help on a Mac via phone call, giving customers more control over their Apple support experience and facilitating quicker, more accurate responses from support staff.

Selecting the screen sharing box prompts a temporary download that will allow screen sharing to begin when a support call is initiated by Apple, though customers can choose to disallow screen sharing with an Apple representative by not checking the box. Screen sharing can only be used on voice calls and is not an available option for chat sessions.

As noted by 9to5Mac, the new automated website selection replaces previous screen sharing protocols, which involved AppleCare representatives asking customers to opt into screen sharing only when necessary. Choosing to use screen sharing is now a customer decision, and while customers were previously able to request screen sharing options, the new checkbox makes the process simpler.

Customers have always been able to request screensharing, at which point the AppleCare representative would instruct them to download an application from Apple's site that facilitates the connection. Now the download is listed directly on the support page. If a customer opts to use screensharing, the AppleCare rep must comply with their request whether they think it will help or not.

In addition to screen sharing, Apple has been making other significant changes to its support site in recent months and in August, the company launched a redesigned AppleCare website with simpler interface and 24/7 live chat support.

Earlier this year, a report surfaced claiming that Apple was looking into the possibility of partnering with chip manufacturer GlobalFoundries to begin making A-series chips for Apple's iOS devices. At the time, the status of the deal was unclear, with CNET's sources indicating that the two companies were still "kicking the tires" on a possible deal.

The Times Union now reports that GlobalFoundries will indeed begin production of chips for Apple at its Fab 8 facility in Malta, New York, north of Albany. According to the Albany newspaper's sources, Samsung will be helping to set up the facility, but it is unclear exactly what the arrangements between the three companies will be beyond that.

A small team from Samsung is going to come to Fab 8 with Apple’s chip-making “recipies.” Samsung will help GlobalFoundries set up the manufacturing processes at Fab 8 that will be needed to make the chips. It is unclear if that process will begin before [GlobalFoundries' $2 billion Technology Development Center] is completed. [...]

It’s unclear if GlobalFoundries will be making the chips with Samsung as the customer on behalf of Apple, or if Apple will be the direct customer, with Samsung helping set up the operation to mirror what it does in Austin. Either way, Apple will be the ultimate customer.

Samsung has long been the sole supplier of Apple's A-series chips, but Apple has been trying to move away from its competitor for component supplies wherever possible. Earlier this year, it was reported that Apple had struck a deal with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to begin producing A-series chips, but Samsung appeared to be remaining involved in Apple's roadmap for future chips. A move to begin producing chips at GlobalFoundries with the cooperation of Samsung would appear to indicate that Apple and Samsung are indeed committed to partnering on future production.

While Apple has been rumored for a number of years to have been working on a television set project, reports have become more scarce over the past year as interest in a potential smart watch has gained steam. According to a report from NPD DisplaySearch, the rumor trends are indeed a reflection of what is happening at Apple, with the company apparently putting the TV project "on hold again" as wearables such as the "iWatch" have taken priority.

According to sources in the TV supply chain, it appears that Apple’s long-rumored TV plans, which were far from concrete anyway, have been put on hold again, possibly to be replaced by a rollout of wearable devices. Although many financial and industry analysts have been speculating about Apple’s entrance into the TV business via an actual TV (instead of the Apple TV “hobby” set-top-box) for years, during the last year the rumor-mill has shifted into high gear about a 2014 introduction. Indeed, our own information from TV supply chain sources pointed to the fact that Apple appeared to be lining up resources for a product introduction in the second half of 2014, likely with 2-3 large screen sizes and 4K resolution.

However, the hangup has always been the content.

The report is not specific about how DisplaySearch has arrived at its conclusion that Apple's TV project has been put on hold, but the firm closely watches the display supply chain and likely is not yet seeing any significant movement toward an Apple television.

Apple has reportedly been working on advancing its Apple TV set-top box, but Apple's efforts to revolutionize the television experience will require the company to reach agreements with content providers and cable companies, a process that has been underway for several years but yet to result in any significant progress.

Meanwhile, focus on Apple wearables has continued to pick up steam amid continuing rumors that the company is shooting for a late 2014 launch of an iWatch that would run "full iOS". Fueling speculation in recent days has been an announcement that Apple will build a major new manufacturing plant in Arizona to produce sapphire glass. While sapphire is currently used to protect the iPhone's rear camera and the Touch ID sensor of the iPhone 5s, the deal points to a major expansion of Apple's sapphire plans that could include scratch-resistant wearable devices or even full sapphire glass front panels for future iPhones.

After a rough launch last year, Apple Maps appears to be doing very well for itself, with 35 million U.S. iPhone owners using the app in September 2013, versus 6 million iOS users of the downloadable Google Maps according to data from comScore and The Guardian.

The data remains a little fuzzy as neither Google nor Apple publicly release their usage figures, but if they are even close to correct, Apple has largely succeeded with its Maps rollout and Google has lost a tremendous number of Maps users in just a year.

It's likely that Apple's success is largely due to the incredible advantage default apps hold on mobile platforms, with the majority of users finding Apple Maps to be "good enough" and not looking for an alternative.

According to comScore, Google Maps has gone from 81.1 million mobile U.S. users last year to just 58.7 million this year, a drop of more than 20 million. At the same time, the total number of iPhone and Android phone users in the U.S. increased from 103.6 million to 136.7 million. comScore attributes this significant drop largely to the introduction of Apple Maps as the default app on iPhones, as well as an increasing share of younger users that don't use any mapping application.

ComScore's data shows that in September 2013, 35m used Apple's maps at least once during the month, out of a total iPhone population of 60.1m. The 58% usage on the iPhone is reckoned to reflect the growing number of younger users who do not use mapping services; the proportion of iPhone users who use any mapping service, including Google's, has been dropping since April 2012, according to ComScore's data.

Wood said: "The thing is, on an iPhone all roads lead to Apple's maps. They're putting this front and centre for users, and getting more confident." For Google, he said, "They're very fortunate that Android is a big source of data - they will be very relieved at that." He cautioned that US iPhone users might be more eager to use Apple's maps because there seem to be fewer errors there compared to other regions, including Europe.

35 million iPhone owners used Apple Maps in September, out of 60.1 million total iPhone owners in the United States, some 58 percent. Based on The Guardian's modeling, this means roughly 8.3 million iPhone users are using an alternative mapping application like Google Maps, with approximately two million of those using the pre-iOS 6 default Google Maps application because they have not upgraded to a newer version of the iOS.

Last month, the City of Cupertino gave what amounted to the final approvals needed for Apple to begin work on its massive new "Apple Campus 2" on the site of a former HP campus in the city. As part of the application process, Apple has shared a few renderings of the project over the last several years and has even built a model of the entire campus, which includes a large ring-shaped main building and a number of other facilities.

Around the time of the city's final approval, we pointed to a video posted by the City of Cupertino covering the three-hour October 1 meeting where Apple's Environmental Impact Report was discussed ahead, with the session including a brief overview video by Apple and a presentation led by Apple's Senior Director of Real Estate and Facilities Dan Whisenhunt.

In these images, we see for the first time the space port-like entrance to the development’s subterranean parking lot, a cavernous cafeteria that spills into the grassy landscape beyond, and the glass pavilion that will serve as the entrance to Apple’s new underground auditorium — a secure lair where press will gather for future product launches. In short, these documents give us the most complete picture of Apple’s new home yet, a campus that Steve Jobs himself thought had a shot at being “the best office building in the world.”

Apple is developing two next-generation iPhones with larger, curved glass screens set for release late next year, reports Bloomberg. The new iPhones will feature displays at 4.7 and 5.5 inches, with the report also claiming that Apple is working on enhanced touch sensors that incorporate pressure sensitivity for later iPhone models after next year.

iPhone 5s vs. 5.7-inch Samsung Galaxy Note III (Source: phoneArena.com)

Two models planned for release in the second half of next year will feature larger displays with glass that curves downward at the edges, said the person, declining to be identified as the details aren’t public. Sensors that can distinguish heavy or light touches on the screen may be incorporated into subsequent models, the person said.

The new iPhones will be Apple’s largest at screens of 4.7 and 5.5 inches, the person said, approaching in size the 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 3 that Samsung Electronics Co. debuted in September. The South Korean maker last month released the curved display Galaxy Round, the latest phone in an array of sizes and price points that’s helped keep it ahead of Apple in global market share.

The new Apple handsets are still in development and plans haven’t been completed, the person said, adding that the company will probably release them in the third quarter of next year.

While Apple routinely develops prototype devices that are never released, rumors of an iPhone featuring a significantly larger screen have surfaced occasionally throughout the past couple of months. The Wall Street Journal reported in July and September that Apple had begun testing prototype iPhones with screens as large as six inches, and a report last month from NPD DisplaySearch speculated Apple may launch both a 4.7-inch and a 5.7-inch iPhone in 2014.

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.

Apple and Microsoft both expressed interest in acquiring portions of BlackBerry, according to a new report from Reuters. BlackBerry's board ultimately elected not to break up the company, despite Apple's interest in its intellectual property and patents. According to the report, the company also had discussions with Microsoft, Cisco, Google, and Lenovo.

BlackBerry Ltd's board does not believe a break-up of the Canadian smartphone maker is currently in its best interests, even though Microsoft Corp, Apple Inc and Lenovo Group Ltd, among others, have expressed interest in acquiring parts of the company, according to people familiar with the discussions.

The board rejected proposals from several technology companies for various BlackBerry assets on grounds that a break-up did not serve the interest of all stakeholders, which include employees, customers and suppliers in addition to shareholders, said the sources, who did not want to be identified as the discussions were confidential.

Earlier this year, the struggling BlackBerry was forced to initiate significant layoffs. The company received a $4.7 billion takeover bid from Fairfax Financial in September, though Fairfax Financial and BlackBerry ultimately chose not to proceed with its offer, with BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins stepping down in favor of John Chen, former CEO of Sybase.

Instead, Fairfax Financial and several other investors have opted to invest $1 billion in BlackBerry via debt securities, giving BlackBerry a chance to re-establish itself in the smartphone market, where it has been unable to keep up with the competition.

BlackBerry holds a number of valuable patents, worth approximately $1 to $3 billion. In 2012, its patent portfolio grew by 986 patents, many of which would be relevant to competing smartphone companies like Apple and Google. BlackBerry's patents are also relatively new, giving them a long lifespan and increasing their overall value.

BlackBerry's latest phone, the Z10, saw steep discounts just months after its launch due to weak sales. BlackBerry has had better success with its recently released BlackBerry Messenger apps for iOS and Android, which saw more than 10 million downloads within the first 24 hours.

Former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, considered one of the leading candidates to replace Steve Ballmer as CEO of Microsoft, is reportedly open to the possibility of broadening distribution of the company's Office suite to platforms such as iOS and Android should he be named to the position, according to a report from Bloomberg.

Elop would probably move away from Microsoft’s strategy of using these programs to drive demand for its flagship Windows operating system on personal computers and mobile devices, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the 49-year-old executive hasn’t finalized or publicly discussed his analysis of the business

The possibility of bringing Office to iOS has been rumored for a number of years, particularly since the 2010 introduction of the iPad. While Microsoft has an Office Mobile app for iPhone to allow subscribers to the company's Office 365 service to perform basic editing on Office documents, a full-fledged Office suite for iPad and iPhone has yet to appear. According to the most recent reports, Office for iPad is awaiting completion of a "Touch First" interface that will come first to the Windows version of the suite in the early part of next year.

Elop spent nearly three years heading up Microsoft's Business Division, which is responsible for Office, before it was announced in September 2010 that he would be leaving the company to lead Nokia. Elop stepped down as Nokia CEO alongside the September announcement that Microsoft would be acquiring Nokia's Devices and Services Division. He is scheduled to take charge of a new Microsoft division focused on devices such as Surface and Xbox, but is said to be under strong consideration to be named CEO.

Elop would reportedly also be open other major changes if he were to take charge of Microsoft, including selling off the Xbox division or shutting down the Bing search engine services. Outspoken Microsoft spokesman Frank Shaw bluntly responded to Bloomberg's request for comment, stating that "We appreciate Bloomberg's foray into fiction and look forward to future episodes."