MacRumors

Frequent iOS device part leaker Sonny Dickson has shared a new video of what appears to be the previously seen iPhone 6 front panel being subjected to a limited bending stress test. The panel survives the testing, but is not subjected to extreme bending in the brief video.

The title of Dickson's video mentions sapphire, but there does not appear to be any confirmation that the part is indeed made of the material. The iPhone 6 has been rumored to be adopting a sapphire crystal display cover for increased durability and scratch resistance, but none of the front panel part leaked seen so far have been confirmed to be made of sapphire.

Apple currently uses Corning's Gorilla Glass as the iPhone display cover, and Corning has argued that Gorilla Glass offers a number of benefits over sapphire, including better resistance to breakage. Some rumors have suggested that sapphire may only used on the 5.5-inch iPhone 6, so the smaller 4.7-inch model may still include a Gorilla Glass display.

Update 8:18 AM: Dickson has now posted the remainder of the video showing hands-on measurements of the part and comparison to the iPhone 5s.

A recent survey suggests consumers are looking forward to improved battery life as well as a bigger screen in the iPhone 6. But according to Chinese media reports (via GforGames), Apple's next-generation iPhone may disappoint with a lower-than-expected battery capacity that will provide only a slight boost from the battery used in the iPhone 5s.

Chinese media sources claim the 4.7-inch version of the iPhone 6 will ship with a battery between 1,800 and 1,900 mAh, while the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 will include a 2,500 mAh battery. Though larger than the 1,560 mAh battery in the iPhone 5s, these modest capacity increases place Apple behind competitors with similar sized handsets, and leave some wondering if Apple is keeping the battery too small in order to design an ultra-slim device. The larger screens on the iPhone 6 will naturally create more volume for larger batteries while maintaining a slim profile, but the displays themselves are likely to require increased battery to support the higher resolutions.

Of course, these rumored battery capacities for the iPhone provide only part of the equation, with Apple's tight software-hardware integration also contributing to overall battery life. It is also possible that real-world battery life may be better than these speculated hardware specs imply due to underlying performance improvements added to iOS 8.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 6 during a September media event. The company may debut both a 4.7-inch and a 5.5-inch version that could feature a faster A8 processor, an upgraded Touch ID scanner and an improved camera with some form of image stabilization.

At a recent shareholder meeting, Foxconn CEO Terry Gou announced that the company will soon deploy robots to help assemble devices, noting that Apple will be the first company to use the service, reports IT Home (Google Translate, via GSMDome).

Named "Foxbots", each robot will be able to assemble an average of 30,000 devices and costs anywhere from $20,000 to $25,000 to make. Gou stated that the assembly devices are undergoing their final testing phase, as Foxconn plans to deploy 10,000 robots to its factories.

Foxconn has been Apple's longtime primary partner in assembling its iPhones, iPads, and iPods. In 2011, it was reported that Foxconn would be replacing a portion of its workers with 1 million robots, although it was not clear at the time how many jobs would be replaced by the robots.

As a part of its 2013 10-K annual report last year, Apple also revealed that it was investing a record $10.5 billion on advanced supply chain technology, with some of that investment going towards advanced machinery including assembly robots. A report earlier this year noted that Apple would be moving production of iPhone batteries to automated lines, allowing suppliers to reduce manpower demand and shift resources towards production efforts on other parts.

Foxconn has recently ramped up its production efforts ahead of the launch of Apple's iPhone 6 this fall, with the company bringing on 100,000 new workers to help assemble the iPhone 6. Production of the new device is reportedly set to ramp up next month ahead of a launch around September. The iPhone 6 is expected to come in two sizes of 4.7-inches and 5.5-inches, and feature a thinner profile, an improved camera, a faster A8 processor, and more.

Apple has notified developers of plans for a server-side data wipe on CloudKit public and private databases for both the beta versions iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite. The wipe, which will take place on Monday, July 7, will erase data for iCloud Drive, iCloud Photo Library, and Mail Drop.

The wipe comes just a day ahead of the rumored launch date of iOS 8 beta 3 and also the likely launch date of the third Yosemite Developer Preview. Apple commonly seeds early versions of its iOS beta operating systems on roughly two-week intervals, moving on to three-week intervals later in the testing period. OS X beta updates have followed a similar update pattern in the past as well.

Apple's second iOS 8 and Yosemite betas came approximately two weeks after the software was first provided to developers at the Worldwide Developers Conference, and it has now been three weeks since those updates were seeded.

Both iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite are expected to be released to the public in the fall, after an extended beta testing period.

Thanks, Daniel!

Apple appears to have made another important iWatch-related hire as the device's rumored debut approaches, with CNBC reporting that the company has poached the sales director of luxury watch brand TAG Heuer.

The hiring was revealed by Jean-Claude Biver, head of Jewelry and Watches at TAG Heuer's parent company LVMH. Biver had claimed earlier this year that Apple had been trying to hire some of his employees but at that point none of them had agreed to join Apple.

Biver said the watchmaker's sales director left as recently as last week, "to take a contract with Apple" in order to launch the iWatch. LVMH owns Swiss watchmakers TAG Heuer, Hublot and Zenith. [...]

Biver said he was happy for the employee as the new role represents a great opportunity for him.

"If it had been a direct competitor, I would have felt a bit betrayed, but if he goes to Apple I think it is a great experience for him," he said.

With Apple reportedly looking toward an October introduction for the iWatch, the company is building a formidable team with experience in the fashion industry.

At the top of that list is new retail chief Angela Ahrendts, who officially joined the company two months ago from Burberry. In another high-profile move, Apple last year hired Paul Deneve, CEO of French luxury label Yves Saint Laurent. Deneve reports directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook and is working on "special projects" for the company, with most speculation centering around the iWatch.

Update: TAG Heuer confirmed to MacRumors that Patrick Pruniaux is the employee who left for Apple. Pruniaux's former position was Vice President Global Sales & Retail.

Rumors and past release date info have thus far pointed towards a September launch date for the iPhone 6, which has now been confirmed by a reliable source that spoke to MacRumors.

Mass shipments of the iPhone 6 from China to the United States are expected to occur during the last two weeks of August and it is likely that Apple will announce the iPhone 6 during the first or second weeks of September. The first deliveries of the device will come later in the month on a corresponding Friday, roughly a week and a half after the event.

An early September event is in line with previous rumors and with the event dates of the last two iPhone generations. The iPhone 5 was announced on Wednesday, September 12 with availability occurring on September 21 and the iPhone 5s/5c was announced on Tuesday, September 10 with availability starting on September 20.

It remains unknown if the September iPhone 6 event will include just the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 or both the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch variations. Early rumors pointed towards production issues that might delay the launch of the larger phone, but those problems appear to be solved and a recent rumor from Bloomberg has suggested both devices could launch at the same time.

A report from earlier today pointed towards a September 25 launch date for the iPhone 6, but Apple typically releases the iPhone on a Friday, making this prediction unlikely. September 12, 19, and 26 are all probable launch dates for the iPhone 6, based on production speed and available inventory.

Apple's iPhone 6 is expected to include a larger display size along with a thinner iPod-touch style design, an A8 processor, and camera improvements. The 5.5-inch iPhone has thus far been positioned as the premium version and may include upgrades like optical image stabilization and a larger storage capacity, with a $100 price premium.

Samsung today released a new ad for its Galaxy S5 smartphone, which mocks the iPhone for having both an unchangeable battery and a short battery life. The ad depicts forlorn iPhone users sitting along walls in an airport as they charge their iOS devices, while Galaxy S5 users eschew battery charging with Samsung's power saving mode and the Galaxy S5's replaceable battery.

"There they are. Clustered around power outlets, near the recycling bins, stained carpeting, and bathrooms. Tethered to the wall. Denied the freedom to enjoy even the most basic things, like grabbing a drink, or sharing a laugh with your co-workers. Or sitting with someone you know. You're stuck here until your battery says so."

An iPhone user charging his battery looks up enviously at a Samsung user, asking "Are you changing your battery? Is that the new Samsung?" While another Samsung user turns on power saving mode to save battery. "Don't be a wall hugger," says the ad.

Unveiled in February, Samsung's 5.1-inch Galaxy S5 is its newest flagship device, with a fingerprint sensor, a water resistant casing, and a heart rate sensor. One of the device's most highly-touted features is an Ultra Power Saving Mode, which activates a black and white display with limited app access when the phone's battery is low.

In power saving mode, users only have access to basic phone functions, such as making and receiving calls, accessing email, and browsing the web. It limits cellular connectivity to 3G, turning off LTE, and it also disables WiFi and Bluetooth. According to Samsung, this provides an additional 24 hours of standby time with less than 10 percent of battery left.

Apple does not have a similar power saving feature on the iPhone, nor does it have a removable battery like the Galaxy S5, but users do have quick access to settings like WiFi and Bluetooth, along with options to disable battery draining features like background app usage and location services. iOS 8 also adds a function that lets users see which apps are draining the most battery.

Samsung often turns to iPhone bashing to promote its Galaxy line of smartphones, with its most well-known commercial series depicting iPhone owners waiting in long lines for new iPhones while enviously eyeing Samsung devices.

Apple continues to be the number one handset manufacturer among consumers in the United States and has also made small gains in operating system share, according to ComScore's newest monthly survey of U.S. mobile phone users covering the February-May 2014 period.

Apple's smartphone market share increased from 41.3 percent in February to 41.9 percent in May, allowing Apple to retain its position as the top handset manufacturer. Samsung also made small gains over the period, rising to 27.8 percent share. LG, Motorola, and HTC's share fell slightly.

While Apple is the top handset maker, iOS has always fallen behind Android when it comes to operating system share, given the large number of Android-based phones on the market. Apple did make small gains during the period, however, rising to a new all time high of 41.9 percent, up from 41.3 percent in February. Android, in comparison, remained flat with a 52.1 percent share.

iOS continues to be the only platform to gain ground as Microsoft also experienced no growth and BlackBerry and Symbian each saw small drops in share.

ComScore's data tracks installed user base rather than new handset sales, which means it is more reflective of real-world usage but slower to respond to shifting market trends than some other studies.

Apple has applied for a patent that describes a method of adjusting security and other settings for mobile devices based on the location of the device (via AppleInsider). The location data gathered by the system also includes contextual information that helps to identify the phone's position as a familiar or unfamiliar place.

The system described in the patent titled "Location-sensitive security levels and setting profiles based on detected location" uses at least two pieces of data such as a saved Wi-Fi network or an identifiable cellular tower to determine the location of the device. Once identified, the software can change security options to match the environment, enabling Touch ID and disabling the simple passcode entry when a user is away from home, for example.

The security level and/or other device behavior, configurations, or settings on a mobile device can be modified based on the location of the mobile device. The location of the mobile device can be determined by analyzing location aspects present at a location, where any parameters or attributes of a location that can assist in identifying a particular location may be used as location aspects. In a setup process, the mobile device identifies available aspects at a location and can use the available aspects to determine a location context associated with a location. In a use example, the device identifies available aspects at a location and determines whether the available aspects match a previously defined location context. If the available aspects match the previously defined location context, device behavior, configurations, or settings on a mobile device can be modified.

Besides security settings, the system may also adjust the user interface, automatically modifying the home screen apps based on location. For example, the method could display Mail and other productivity apps at work and entertainment apps and games at home.

This location-based security patent application was filed in December 2012 and published July 3, 2014. If implemented, it would provide iOS device owners with another level of protection beyond what Apple' offers with its Touch ID fingerprint scanner. Touch ID was introduced last year with the iPhone 5s and is expected to expand to the iPad later this year. Apple also opened up an API for Touch ID in iOS 8 that will allow developers to use the fingerprint scanner for user authentication.

Earlier this week, new photos of the iPhone 6's alleged front panel surfaced, which followed an earlier leak of the component in April. Now, a new video from Chinese blog iFanr (Google Translate, via Nowhereelse.fr) appears to show a closer look of the black front panel, featuring a comparison to the current iPhone 5s.

Like the previous leak, the video shows the front panel having a thinner bezel and rounded edges, in line with rumors that the iPhone 6 will feature a thinner profile and a curved design. The hole for the front-facing camera is once again depicted to be on the left side of the earpiece, which differs from the location of the front camera of the iPhone 5s. When shown over the iPhone 5s, the alleged panel of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 appears expectedly bigger, but still useable with one hand.

The 4.7-inch iPhone 6 is expected to launch later this fall, with reports suggesting a release date of either September 19 or September 25. It is also likely that Apple will launch a larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6, although it is unclear if the device will be released alongside the 4.7-inch version. Some reports have suggested that production issues will force Apple to launch the 5.5-inch version later this year or early next year, while others say that both versions of the iPhone 6 will launch at the same time.

In addition to a larger display and thinner profile, both models of the iPhone 6 are expected to come with a faster A8 processor and an enhanced camera. The 5.5-inch version is rumored to come with a number of exclusive features, including an optical image stabilization system and a bigger storage capacity.

Apple will look to announce the iPhone 6 on Monday, September 15th ahead of a launch on Thursday, September 25, according to various Chinese media reports citing "inside sources" (Google Translate, via GForGames). The sources also claim that the larger 5.5-inch iPhone will be called the "iPhone Air", with the 16GB version selling in China for 5,998 yuan ($965). Meanwhile, the 4.7-inch version will reportedly start at 5,288 ($850) for 32GB, which is the current price of the 16GB iPhone 5s in China.

The report contrasts with a story from Chinese web portal Tencent last month claiming that Apple would launch the 4.7-inch iPhone on Friday, September 19, which would be in line with the past two iPhone launches. Apple typically launches new products on a Friday, while a Thursday launch would be unlikely.

Furthermore, Apple abandoning the 16 GB model on the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 would make it likely that the company does not include such an option on the bigger 5.5-inch version. A report from Wei Feng last month noted that Apple would offer a 128GB variant only for the 5.5-inch iPhone 6, stating that the storage size difference would act as a major differentiator between both models. It is possible that Apple may call the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 the iPhone Air, as suppliers were once rumored to be using that name when referring to the device.

It is unknown whether Apple will launch both the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 simultaneously. Bloomberg claimed last month that company would be doing so, as previous reports noted issues with display technology and battery life would delay the device's launch.

Aside from a larger display, the iPhone 6 is expected to come with a thinner profile, a faster A8 processor, and other new features. The camera of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 is also said to feature an optical image stabilization system, while the smaller 4.7-inch iPhone will use a new lens module.

Microsoft, like Google, Apple, and Samsung, has been working on its own wrist-worn device for more than a year. While early rumors suggested the device would be a smart watch with a 1.5-inch display, a new report from Windows blogger Paul Thurrott suggests that Microsoft's project is actually more of a fitness band than a smart watch.

More akin to the band-style Samsung Gear Fit than the watch-style Galaxy Gear, Microsoft's band is said to have a wristband form factor that's able to display smart phone-based notifications. Like the offerings from Samsung and Apple's rumored iWatch, the band is expected to include several different sensors, tracking fitness metrics like calories burned, heart rate, and more.

Unlike other products from Apple, Google, and Samsung, however, Microsoft is said to be designing its smart wristband to be cross platform, working not only with Windows devices, but also iOS and Android. Given Microsoft's small share of the smartphone and tablet market in comparison to Android and iOS, it's a smart move for the company.

From a differentiation standpoint, Microsoft's wearable will do something that no other wearable platform does. It will work with everything and not just the device maker's smart phone platform. Where Samsung wearables only work with Samsung phones, Android Wear devices only work with modern Android devices, and Apple's rumored iWatch will obviously only work with iPhone, Microsoft will take a different approach. It will work with Android, iPhone and Windows Phone.

According to Thurrott, Microsoft's smart wristband will be priced similarly to Samsung's smart watch offerings, which start at $199. It is expected to be released during the fourth quarter of 2014, suggesting it might launch in the same timeframe as Apple's iWatch. Currently, rumors indicate the iWatch will launch in October of 2014, with 10 different health-related sensors and wireless charging.

Pricing on Apple's iWatch remains a mystery, but rumors have pointed towards multiple sizes and designs at several different price points.