MacRumors

In a Branch chat, which at the time of this writing is still going on, Daring Fireball's John Gruber says, according to what he's heard, iOS 7 is running behind schedule and that it will bring a significant user interface (UI) refresh.

What I've heard: iOS 7 is running behind, and engineers have been pulled from OS X 10.9 to work on it. (Let me know if you've heard this song before.)

Gruber went on to say that he's heard that iOS 7 is a "significant system-wide UI overhaul" and the iOS engineers who are allowed to carry around devices with iOS 7 on them even have special privacy filters on their devices which reduces viewing angles. This is to prevent others from accidentally getting a glimpse of the new iOS design.

Back in 2007, Apple delayed the release of OS X Leopard to concentrate work on iPhone. Gruber hints that this could be the case with Mac OS X 10.9 and iOS 7.

iMore's Rene Ritchie follows up Gruber's comments, saying that he's heard that Ive's work with iOS 7 is "making many people really happy, but will also apparently make rich-texture-loving designers sad."

His comments come during a Branch talk that includes Gruber, Ritchie, TechCrunch's MG Siegler, Engadget's Tim Stevens, The Next Web's Matthew Panzarino and more.

Ritchie follows up his earlier predictions, noting that he's heard that an event for a new, 9.7-inch iPad is or was planned for April, but it was contingent upon the new iPad being ready for release. He also notes that he's hearing the iPhone 5S will arrive in August, although Ritchie also says it could be a July/August window rather than a specific month.

As for what could be on the iPhone 5S, both Siegler and Panzarino say they've heard a lot about biometrics on the new device. The feature would apparently be used for payments and identification. Panzarino notes it wouldn't be surprising to see AuthenTec's biometric technology in Apple devices so soon after Apple purchased the company last July because of the urgency of the deal.

Finally, Siegler says he's heard "a whisper" that Apple's Passbook team is due for a shakeup and is in "shambles," though Ritchie points out that Forstall's departure could be the reason for the Passbook team's troubles.

Facebook is hosting an event on Thursday said to be centered around the debut of its long rumored Facebook phone. A photo of the device that might be the star of the show was today leaked by @evleaks, a frequent provider of accurate pre-release Android info.

The HTC First is rumored to feature Facebook Home, a custom launcher and home screen that focuses on deep Facebook integration.

There are no confirmed details available, but according to Android Police, the HTC First (originally codenamed Myst) is a midrange phone with a 4.3-inch display that has 720p HD resolution, a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 5MP rear camera, and a 1.6MP front-facing camera

Facebook's event is set to take place on Thursday, April 4 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time at the company's Menlo Park campus.

Searching for direct links is a popular way to locate apps, but it appears that Apple's App Store links are being downranked by Google. As TechCrunch points out, a search for "Whatsapp iTunes" or "Whatsapp iPhone" would normally rank the target URL high on the search results page, but that doesn't seem to be the case any longer.

Searching for Whatsapp's iTunes link with those aforementioned phrases does not return an iTunes URL on the first page of results, and the same goes for many other popular apps like Facebook and Twitter for iOS. Even Apple's own Keynote and Numbers apps do not show up on the first page of results with search terms like "Keynote iTunes."

When searching for "Numbers iPhone," in fact, the iTunes link does not show up until the eighth page of search results. The results can vary slightly depending on whether one is logged in or out of Google, but for affected apps, the links remain low in the rankings.

Not all apps appear to be suffering from the search bug. For example, a search for “Temple Run: Oz iPhone” returns a top ranked iTunes link, as does a similar search for Minecraft: Pocket Edition.

Both TechCrunch and The Next Web have gone through several other examples of apps that appear to be suffering from downranked search results. There's no specific workaround for the search result mystery, but as noted by TechCrunch, adding "iTunes" to queries usually works to provide the proper links, though as seen above, that's not always the case.

For most apps, adding "iTunes" works to deliver the iTunes URL results, whether logged in or out. It's the other types of queries that are difficult, and it's difficult to pinpoint an exact time when these changes began. Because Google is constantly refining its algorithms, and many users are on Google while logged in, tweaks to search rankings are rarely spotted immediately, unless it's a case where a URL has been banned entirely, whether or purpose or by accident.

According to AppsFire co-founder Ouriel Ohayon, the search issue began recently, possibly just today. While Google has been contacted, the company has yet to issue a response on the odd search results.

Update: A Google spokesperson issued the following statement to The Verge: "We've been having some issues fetching pages from the iTunes web servers, and as a result some people may have had problems finding iTunes apps in search easily. We're working with the team there to ensure search users can find what they're looking for."

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple will begin production on the next iPhone this quarter, setting the stage for a potential launch this summer.

Apple Inc. plans to begin production of a new iPhone similar in size and shape to its current one in the second quarter of the year, according to people familiar with the device's production, teeing up a possible summer launch for the next version of its flagship device.

At the same time, Apple continues to work with its manufacturing partners in Asia on a less expensive iPhone that could be launched as soon as the second half of this year, these people said.

In line with some previous rumors, the report claims that the lower-cost iPhone will include a 4-inch display like the iPhone 5, and likely make use of plastic casing materials. The report claims that Apple has been testing "different color shells" for the lower-cost iPhone but that its ultimate plans remain unclear.

Update: The Wall Street Journal has expanded its report to include additional context, including word that iOS 7 is expected to debut in the middle of this year, presumably alongside the new iPhone hardware as is tradition for Apple.

How the innards of the next iPhone may differ from the iPhone 5, which went on sale last September, remains unclear. Apple often upgrades the processor and other components like the camera between models. Apple is also expected to ship the next version of its iOS mobile operating system around midyear, other people familiar with the matter have said.

TmoNews reports that T-Mobile USA has issued an internal memo announcing that it will release a new carrier update on April 5 that will add LTE support for unlocked iPhones running on its network. The update will also bring Visual Voicemail and other features to the devices.

The T-Mobile Carrier Update is a minor iOS software update that enables official iPhone support by T-Mobile. When installed, the software update enables a handful of capabilities like Visual Voicemail, MMS Settings and Network/Device optimizations that customers do not have access to today.

On April 5, the software update will begin being pushed via OTA to all iPhone devices on the T-Mobile network with iOS 6.1.x or higher.

The software update for existing handsets will come one week before T-Mobile officially begins offering the iPhone, although it has for a number of years catered to iPhone users seeking to bring their unlocked devices to the carrier.

While existing T-Mobile customers using unlocked iPhones will be able to access LTE speeds in just a handful of cities, the carrier is working on rapidly building out its LTE network. Existing users will also continue to have some limitations on network access, as Apple will be releasing a tweaked iPhone 5 as part of the T-Mobile launch, with the new hardware providing full compatibility with T-Mobile's network including AWS Band 4 frequencies that are unsupported by iPhone devices sold to date.

Band 4 is where much of T-Mobile's 3G network is housed, an issue that has long forced iPhone users on the carrier to fall back to slower EDGE networks on Band 2. T-Mobile has been working hard to shift its 3G network over to Band 2 to provide greater 3G compatibility for existing customers, but the transition is not yet complete.

Last October, a court filing in the U.S. lawsuit between Apple and Samsung revealed that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) had issued a preliminary decision ruling that all of 20 claims of Apple's "rubber banding" patent were invalid.

The patent, which addresses the ability for content displayed on iOS devices to "bounce back" when the user scrolls to the top or bottom of the page, had been successfully used by Apple in its lawsuit against Samsung that yielded a $1 billion judgment.

At the time, we noted that the decision by the USPTO was merely a preliminary one and that it would be revisited in numerous other reviews and appeals as Apple continued to plead its case. FOSS Patents now notes that Samsung has filed another court document revealing that the agency has followed up with a new decision reviving three claims from Apple's patent but once again rejecting the other 17 claims, including the key one used against Samsung.

The latest decision, which according to Samsung was published by the patent office "on or after March 29", is a final Office action -- which gives it more weight than the first one, but "final" isn't really final in this process as I'll discuss further below. [...]

Apple now has two months (which can be extended) to respond. Again, the word "final" sounds more definitive than this really is. Sometimes the Central Reexamination Unit reconsiders such "final" decisions. Even if it doesn't, this "final" rejection can and certainly will be appealed to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), sort of an appellate division within the USPTO. The PTAB can make a final decision as far as the USPTO is concerned, but frequently remands a matter to the Central Reexamination Unit. And a final-final USPTO decision can then be appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. It will take years before a truly final decision on the validity of this patent issues.

The validity of the rubber banding patent is just one of the difficulties facing Apple as the $1 billion verdict against Samsung continues to be challenged. Last month, Judge Lucy Koh voided nearly half of the judgment due to a jury error that made it impossible for corrected damages to be calculated for the affected devices and patents. As a result, Koh ruled that a new trial must be held to establish correct damages for those devices, with the result potentially including either a smaller or larger award for Apple. Samsung is of course also seeking to appeal the judgment in its entirety, with Apple and Samsung arguing over whether the appeal or the new trial addressing corrected damages should proceed first.

Apple yesterday updated its investor relations page to note that it will announce its earnings for the second fiscal quarter (first calendar quarter) of 2013 on Tuesday, April 23. The earnings release typically occurs just after 4:30 PM Eastern Time following the close of regular stock trading, and the conference call is scheduled to follow at 5:00 PM Eastern / 2:00 PM Pacific.

MacRumors will provide running coverage of the earnings release and conference call.

The release will provide a look into the strength of iPhone 5 and iPad mini sales into their second quarter of availability amid reports of weakening sales at the company. Apple's stock has taken a bit of a beating in recent months with Goldman Sachs dropping AAPL from its 'conviction list' and continuing concerns about Apple's ability to innovate without Steve Jobs. Apple's stock is off nearly 15% since last quarter's earnings call.

Apple reported strong results three months ago with iPhone and iPad sales both up significantly year over year.

Last quarter Apple changed how it provides guidance, choosing to offer a range of guidance for what the company believes it can achieve, rather than a point prediction. Apple provided guidance for the second quarter of fiscal 2013 for revenue of between $41 and $43 billion and gross margin between 37.5% and 38.5%.

Taiwan's Economic Daily News reports [Google translation, via Mac Otakara] that "high-ranking officials" at Samsung have disclosed that the firm has yet to receive orders for an A7 chip to be used in the iPhone 6 next year. The lack of contact with Apple about an A7 chip is reportedly leading to speculation at Samsung that Apple has shifted its orders for the chip to Taiwan Semiconductor Company (TSMC).

According to the report, Apple and Samsung are currently operating under an exclusive supply contract for A-series chips, but that contract is set to expire in June. With that expiration, Apple will be able to shift production to TSMC, which is pressing forward on plans for its smaller and more efficient 20-nanometer process. TSMC is said to be about two months ahead of schedule on beginning installation of production equipment for 20-nm chips.

Today's report is in line with previous rumors claiming that Apple and TSMC have essentially completed the initial design for a 20-nm A7 chip with shipments currently scheduled for early next year.

As we noted previously, assuming that rumors of a 2014 launch for a 20-nm A7 chip are accurate, Apple will need to use a different solution for its 2013 iOS device models, with options including a die shrink of the current A6 chip from 32-nm to 28-nm, a more substantially revamped A6 chip, or an early A7 chip based on a 28-nm process.

Last month, comedy site Funny or Die announced that it will be releasing iSteve, a 60-75 minute movie based on the life of Steve Jobs, on April 15. The film stars Justin Long, who gained fame among Apple fans for playing the role of "Mac" in the popular "Get a Mac" advertising campaign, in the role of Jobs.

With less than two weeks to go before the film's debut, Funny or Die has now released a teaser trailer for iSteve. The 90-second trailer offers only a brief glimpse of Long as Jobs, instead opting for a focus on audio clips from the film.

iSteve is just one of three films focusing on Steve Jobs due for release, with Ashton Kutcher's Jobs having premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January but experiencing a delayed public release and Aaron Sorkin's Sony-backed film drawing on material from Walter Isaacson's authorized biography of Jobs yet to begin production.

AT&T said today that it will begin supporting the iPhone 5's wideband audio -- or 'HD Voice' -- feature later this year, reports All Things D.

The technology provides for significantly better call quality, when the network and both devices support it. T-Mobile said it will be supporting it at launch on the iPhone 5, with AT&T the second U.S. carrier promising to support HD Voice.

Speaking on Monday, AT&T senior VP Kris Rinne said that the carrier will roll-out its own support for the technology later this year as it begins to route voice calling over its LTE network.

"HD Voice is part of our voice over LTE strategy," Rinne said, speaking at the VentureBeat Mobile Summit in Sausalito, Calif.

When Gizmodo tested the iPhone 5 on T-Mobile at that carrier's launch event, it reported that HD Voice call quality was "a bit richer, and definitely fuller… a noticeable improvement." All Things D mentioned that Sprint was considering implementation of HD Voice at some point in the future as well.

(Image from The Verge)

San Francisco district attorney George Gascón told the SF Examiner (via AppleInsider) that an Apple representative told him the next two generations of iPhones have already been developed and that Steve Jobs was involved in their development, saying "they preceded Tim Cook".

After Jobs passed away, it was reported that Apple had four years of product plans in the pipeline that Jobs had personally approved, matching nicely with the above claim.

Gascón said he also spoke with the Apple representative, a government liaison named Michael Foulkes, about the possibility of a 'kill switch' in iOS devices that could permanently disable them if they were stolen. He said he was "underwhelmed" with the discussion, saying the Apple rep seems to be "trained in the art of doing a lot of talking and saying nothing."

Major U.S. carriers agreed last year to develop a database that would allow stolen mobile phones to be disabled and deny them voice and data service, but law enforcement officials would like to see phone makers on board with a similar service as well.

A U.S. District Court judge has ruled that users cannot legally resell songs they have purchased on iTunes, reports All Things D. The case in question is a lawsuit between Capitol Records and music startup ReDigi, which wants to create a marketplace for owners of digital music to sell their libraries.

ReDigi argued that 'first-sale doctrine' should apply to digital purchases in addition to physical ones, but the court did not accept that argument. First-sale doctrine holds that individuals are able to sell their legally purchased books or CDs to other parties.

However, here, the Court cannot of its own accord condone the wholesale application of the first sale defense to the digital sphere, particularly when Congress itself has declined to take that step. Accordingly, and for the reasons stated above, the Court GRANTS Capitol's motion for summary judgment on its claims for ReDigi's direct, contributory, and vicarious infringement of its distribution and reproduction rights. The Court also DENIES ReDigi's motion in its entirety.

The Judge granted partial summary judgement to Capital Records, but has ordered both sides to submit a joint letter to the court by April 12, "concerning the next contemplated steps" in the case. We have uploaded Judge Richard J. Sullivan's full decision to Scribd.

Apple filed for several patents recently that suggest the company is at least considering ways for users to resell, lend or inherit digital content. The company has made no indications that it would make such a service available, however.