MacRumors

Following word that increased quality control standards for the iPhone 5 assembly process have slowed Foxconn's production and increased stress on workers, The Wall Street Journal shares comments from an unnamed Foxconn executive explaining the difficulty in assembling the device.

“The iPhone 5 is the most difficult device that Foxconn has ever assembled. To make it light and thin, the design is very complicated,” said an official at the company who declined to be named. “It takes time to learn how to make this new device. Practice makes perfect. Our productivity has been improving day by day.”

The executive also addressed the scratching issues that have reportedly been the cause of the increased quality control standards, noting that it is "always hard to satisfy both aesthetic needs and practical needs."

The executive also acknowledged tensions between production line staff and quality control inspectors, but declined to offer additional information on the situation that was initially reported as a strike by several thousand workers but later denied by Foxconn.

Parts firm ETrade Supply posts several photos of what it believes to be a legitimate display from Apple's forthcoming "iPad mini" set for introduction at next Tuesday's media event. The display is said to be of the same 4:3 aspect ratio of the full-size iPad and measures 162 mm x 124 mm.

Text on the back of the display suggests that the part was manufactured by LG Display, and text on the ribbon cable extending from the display is also consistent with labeling on genuine Apple parts.

ETrade Supply has also posted several photos of an iPad mini battery, which appears to be identical to the part shared by MacRumors earlier this week with the exception of the Apple part number. ETrade Supply's battery carries an APN of 616-0627, while the battery in our photo carried an APN of 616-0641. Any differences between the two parts are not immediately obvious.

Following ETrade Supply's posting of the iPad mini display photos, French site Nowhereelse.fr posted its own photo [Google translation] of what has been claimed to be the iPad mini display in quality testing. The site received the photo last week and was unable to verify with any degree of confidence that the part was indeed an iPad mini display, but with the actual part now having been shared by ETrade Supply, similarities in the mounting points for the two displays suggest that the display being tested may indeed be for the iPad mini.

According to a study by ABI Research, the average size of an iOS app increased by 16% from March to September 2012; iOS games have grown even faster, jumping 42% over that same time period.

The increase is thought to be partly the result of the iPad's new retina display, as well as a March increase in the over-the-air App Store download limit from 20MB to 50MB.

Universal apps include all the resources needed for the iPad and iPhone, regardless of which device the app is downloaded onto. These factors, combined with the new high-resolution graphics needed for the new iPad Retina display have ballooned app sizes.

The flipside of the increasing file-sizes is that the internal storage of smartphones and tablets is becoming a scarcer resource, as the device capabilities struggle to keep up with the requirements of apps and mobile content. Markkanen predicts, "Especially the consumers with 16GB devices are likely to become more conscious about what apps to keep and what to uninstall, so the developers’ bar to impress will be getting even higher than it is now. This could also speed up the adoption of the mobile cloud as a storage remedy quite significantly."

Some have speculated that Apple could hold down the entry-level pricing on the iPad mini by offering an 8 GB model, but as universal apps with Retina iPad support push app download sizes ever higher, Apple is likely to maintain 16 GB as the floor for its tablet devices.

Even the iPhone has trended toward larger capacities, with Apple adding a 64 GB option for the iPhone 4S and now offering only the free iPhone 4 as an 8 GB device. Though it doesn't support downloadable apps, the new iPod Nano is also only offered in an 16GB capacity, dropping the 8GB capacity that the prior Nano was offered in.

Last month, Apple stopped selling any iPod Touch model in an 8GB capacity -- the smallest iPod touch nowadays is the 16GB 4th generation model, available for $199. The new 5th generation model starts at 32GB.

The teardown experts at iFixit have taken apart the new Seventh-Generation iPod Nano, noting how much work Apple's engineers put into making the device as thin as possible. The teardown notes that the battery has a rating of 0.8Wh, more than twice the rating of the prior generation Nano.

The battery, Lightning connector and volume controls are all soldered directly to the logic board. The button cable and headphone jack are attached as well. The site does note that the LCD and digitizer glass are not fused together, allowing replacement of either component individually.

iFixit found components from Apple, Broadcom (Bluetooth + FM Radio), NXP Semiconductors, Toshiba (NAND flash), and Texas Instruments (touchscreen controller) inside the Nano.

Overall, iFixit found the new iPod nano to be fairly difficult to repair as many components are soldered directly to the logic board. The battery appears to be particularly difficult to replace. The revelation is not a surprise, as Apple does not intend its mobile products to be user-serviceable and the company's efforts to push the limits of design and size reduction have led it to sacrifice accessibility.

iFixit has also taken apart the Fifth-Generation iPod Touch, as well as the iPhone 5.

The Loop reports that Apple has just sent out invitations for a media event scheduled for next Tuesday, October 23. The event will be held at the California Theatre in San Jose, California and is scheduled to begin at 10:00 AM Pacific / 1:00 PM Eastern. The tagline on the invitation reads "We've got a little more to show you."

Apple is widely expected to introduce its "iPad mini" at the iBooks-focused event, with the company reportedly planning for production of 10 million units of the device this quarter. Just today, leaked part numbers revealed that Apple is planning to introduce at least 24 different iPad models to span various capacity, connectivity, and color options.

There have also been a number of rumors regarding a tweaked full-size iPad that could incorporate Apple's new Lightning connector at a minimum, with rumors for additional enhancements ranging from adopting Apple's new A6 chip found in the iPhone 5 to new IGZO display technology that could reduce the device's thickness to adding LTE support for the UK and perhaps other countries. While a new report from Digitimes claims that the tweaked third-generation iPad may not appear until the first quarter of next year ahead of a fully updated fourth-generation iPad in the middle of the year, analysis of the leaked part numbers today suggests that the list may include new full-size iPad models next week.

In addition to the iPad mini announcement, Apple is also said to be introducing its 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro at the event. Part number evidence is also pointing to the introduction of new iMac and Mac mini models.

Four months ago, Apple pulled its products from the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) registry, with sources indicating that Apple's design direction for its increasingly thin mobile products was incompatible with EPEAT's criteria for "disassemble-ability" and other factors. Just a week later, Apple responded to significant criticism of the move by placing "all eligible products" back on the registry and issuing a letter from senior vice president Bob Mansfield acknowledging that their removal was a "mistake" for the company.

With Apple's products back on the registry, some observers were surprised to note that Apple's new Retina MacBook Pro was included, given that it had been the subject of criticism for recyclability issues, with the strong glue used to affix the battery to the casing being of particular concern. It was quickly noted that manufacturers grade themselves against the EPEAT criteria, and thus some believed that EPEAT's review of the grading would ultimately result in the Retina MacBook Pro losing its status on the registry.

Last Friday, EPEAT issued a press release stating that it had performed verification studies on "ultrathin" laptops from four manufacturers, including Apple, and found that all of the tested models did indeed meet registry eligibility requirements. At the time, it was unclear which Apple models were included in the study, and we assumed that the ultrathin designation only addressed the MacBook Air, which has been deemed eligible for the past several generations.

Consequently, fresh verification of the MacBook Air was not necessarily a surprise, although EPEAT did find it necessary to both clarify the definition of "commonly available" tools for disassembly or upgrades and note that an expansion port such as Thunderbolt or USB is sufficient to contribute toward meeting the criteria of upgradeability.

iFixit's Kyle Wiens has, however, now confirmed to MacRumors that the EPEAT verification testing did indeed include the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, which the group is classifying as an ultrathin notebook despite the fact that it is substantially thicker and more powerful than the MacBook Air. In an opinion piece published at Wired today, Wiens addresses the impact of the decision, calling the new clarification of the EPEAT standards "greenwashing":

Apple’s Retina MacBook Pro – the least repairable, least recyclable computer I have encountered in more than a decade of disassembling electronics – was just verified Gold, along with four other ultrabooks. This decision demonstrates that the EPEAT standard has been watered down to an alarming degree. [...]

At best, the interpretation of the EPEAT Gold standard is laughably out of touch. At worst, it means recyclers a decade from now may be faced with a mountain of electronic waste they cannot affordably recycle without custom disassembly fixtures and secret manufacturer information.

Wiens goes on to provide an overview of how development of EPEAT's standards is weighted toward computer industry companies and how this has watered down the environmental criteria for the products.

Unfortunately, getting highly specific language into a standard like EPEAT is challenging because manufacturers claim it limits future innovation. So when language does finally make it into the standard, it’s critical to rigorously enforce it.

Where language is ambiguous, decisions must consider the goals of the standard, or risk negating its purpose entirely. The updated definitions systematically weaken the 1680.1 standard.

Apple's design direction is clearly weighted toward building products that are as slim and light as possible, using custom and proprietary components to achieve its goals at the cost of upgradeability and repairability. For most consumers who never see fit to upgrade their computers, the tradeoff is an acceptable, or even desirable, one. But for those who seek to keep their computers running as long as possible before purchasing a new machine, and even for any users interested in end-of-life recyclability of their products, Apple's tactics are undoubtedly cause for concern.

As part of its report detailing part numbers for the "iPad mini", AppleInsider briefly mentions that Apple appears set to launch updated iMacs on October 24, the day after the company's rumored media event.

The person also added that Apple is rumored to begin selling new iMac desktops on Oct. 24, one day after the anticipated Oct. 23 event.

While there have been rumblings of an iMac update for some time, and earlier this week we shared a report claiming that the new models will be thinner than current ones, today's report appears to be the first to specifically claim that they will launch next week.

For those keeping track, Apple's plans for next week now appear to include the iPad mini, updated iMacs, a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, and updated Mac mini models.

Update 8:49 AM: 9to5Mac has now posted the four new iMac model numbers, which presumably correspond to two different standard configurations each of the 21.5-inch and 27-inch models, although the report claims that at least some configurations may not ship until several weeks after their introduction. This would presumably refer to the 27-inch models, which have reportedly been suffering from lower yields on the display-glass lamination process and have been rumored to be seeing a later launch than their smaller counterparts.

AppleInsider has posted a list of 24 different model numbers said to be for Apple's "iPad mini" scheduled for introduction at a media event next Tuesday.

According to the list, the iPad will be available in four basic device variants that presumably correspond to different capacities: P101, P103, P105, and P107. The set of four variants suggests that Apple may be releasing the iPad mini with capacities ranging from 8 GB up to 64 GB.

Each of those four variants is available in three different flavors designated "GOOD", "BETTER", and "BEST" that are presumed to be related to connectivity options. Apple appears set to launch both Wi-Fi and cellular-capable models, with the three flavors suggesting that there may be multiple cellular-capable versions such as separate 3G and 4G LTE models. Alternatively, there may simply be two different LTE-capable versions in order to support the various carrier networks available around the world, although it is unclear why one such model would be designated "BETTER" and another "BEST".

Finally, each model and variant is available in "A" and "B" versions, which almost certainly refer to color options. Current iPad models are available with black and white front panels, but rumors and part leaks have suggested that Apple may be extending those color differences to the aluminum rear shell with anodization as on the iPhone 5.

Update 7:36 AM: An alternate theory on the various models suggests that the "Good, Better, Best" designations refer to three different capacities, which would be more in line with Apple's previous use of the terms. In this scenario, the P101/P103/P105/P107 would refer to four separate hardware models, which could include Wi-Fi only models and perhaps several different cellular-capable models. The A/B designations would continue to refer to two color options.

Update 7:59 AM: 9to5Mac has independently received the part numbers and believes that some of them refer to the rumored tweaked full-size iPad with Lightning connector.

In this scenario, 12 of the new model numbers represent the iPad mini in a combination of three capacities, two colors, and two connectivity variants (Wi-Fi and cellular). The remaining 12 model numbers would represent the tweaked full-size iPad with a similar matrix of configurations. In the United States where Apple sells both GSM and CDMA cellular models, the full product matrix could include 36 different iPads: 18 iPad mini models and 18 tweaked full-size iPad models.

Apple's new Lightning connector introduced on the iPhone 5 has generated a significant amount of interest, both from a usage standpoint as the company abandons its nearly decade-old 30-pin dock connector and from a technical perspective. On the technical side, the new Lightning connector uses adaptive technology to enable it to perform a variety of functions with just eight contact pins, dynamically assigning pin functions to suit a given situation.

One other aspect of the Lightning connector that has generated interest is whether Apple has also incorporated some sort of authentication functionality into the handful of chips found inside the Lightning connector assembly in order to inhibit third parties from manufacturing unlicensed cables. Scattered reports have indeed indicated that Apple has included authentication features in its cables, but companies have reportedly already cracked the security feature.

Chipworks has now taken a closer look at the chips found inside the Lightning to USB cable, highlighting a Texas Instruments (TI) chip that seems "likely" to include a security feature. While the exact "BQ2025" chip used in the cable is not documented in TI datasheets, four other chips with very similar part numbers are documented.

These four chips are cataloged on TI’s website as battery fuel gauges, but they are not identical, with three of them being serial EPROMs and one of them being a battery monitor IC.

However, all four do have some common characteristics. All use a single wire SDQ interface (TI’s proprietary serial communications protocol), and all have some basic security features such as CRC [cyclic redundancy check] generation. So, it is certainly likely that the BQ2025 does have some security implemented on it. It would also seem likely that it includes an SDQ interface.

Further investigation of the layout of the chip is consistent with a communication chip employing some "simple security features", and Chipworks notes that this seems to be the first time the firm has found such security features in a cable. CRC does not, however, serve to authenticate connections and is instead primarily used to check for errors in data transmission.

The security does not come close to the herculean approaches that are used in (for example) today’s printer cartridges, but resembles the level of effort that cartridge manufacturers used to implement in the olden days. This is likely a calculated decision by Apple to keep costs to a minimum knowing that their core customer base prefers to shop in Apple stores or for brand name peripherals. In these places, piracy is not a concern. In other words, at this time the security is “just enough.”

Many users have been frustrated by Apple's tight control over the Lightning standard, a grip that has slowed accessory companies as they are still waiting to receive instructions from Apple and to have their facilities certified by Apple under the Made For iPad/iPhone/iPod (MFi) program. In the meantime, unauthorized third-party manufacturers are likely to begin filling the void.

Apple has hired William Stasior, a search veteran from Amazon and early search engine AltaVista, to run its Siri unit, according to a report from All Things D.

Stasior was previously in charge of Amazon's A9 unit, the company's worldwide search and search advertising division.

Stasior has an impressive pedigree (you can read his resume and see a really geeky binary image he posted of himself here). The MIT Ph.D. has taught here too and has done stints at Oracle, Netcentives and AltaVista. He came to Amazon in 2003 as its director of search and navigation.

He will now be in charge of Siri, which is Apple’s famous voice-activated personal-assistant program. The tech giant acquired Siri in April of 2010 to garner a big stake in voice-activated search.

Apple purchased Siri in April 2010 and launched Siri as a major component of iOS 5 and the iPhone 4S in October 2011. However, two major Siri executives -- Adam Cheyer and Dag Kittlaus have left the company in the past year.

The addition of Stasior, a search expert, to the Siri team could give a hint to where Apple plans to take the product in the future.

Apple Retail Store customers will soon be able to pay for product in-store using the new Passbook feature of iOS 6, according to a report from 9to5Mac. It appears to be an expansion of the self-checkout option that was added to the Apple Store app last year.

While Apple’s EasyPay software should be ready for Passbook this month, some sources noted that the current EasyPay hardware, at least at some retail stores, may not be capable of scanning iOS device displays. Presumably, Apple has a solution for this in the works.

Also, Apple’s plans for rolling out the consumer-facing Apple Store app update to support Passbook-based Apple Store cards is currently unclear. But with Apple preparing to seed software to its stores that interacts with Passbook on customer iPhones and iPod touches, we believe that the feature is close to being a rolled out.

It is likely, though not confirmed, that customers will now be able to pay for Macs and iPads in-store with their iTunes account payment information. This would be a change from the current system where users can only purchase select accessories using the EasyPay self-checkout system within the Apple Store app.

This past June, Apple reported having 400 million active accounts in iTunes with credit cards attached. It's easy to see how Passbook could be expanded from its current feature set to include payments to third party providers in competition with Square and other such services.

9to5Mac is reporting that Apple will announce a new version of the Mac Mini at next week's rumored media event, alongside the 13" Retina MacBook Pro and the iPad mini.

These new Mac minis are said to begin shipping immediately after announcement. Apple last redesigned the Mac mini with a unibody aluminum enclosure in 2010, and last updated the computer with faster processors last summer. These current Mac minis are on last-generation chipsets and lack USB 3.0, so we should be seeing those components updated in these new models.

According to the report, the Minis will come in similar configurations to current Mini models, two standard versions and a third setup that runs Mountain Lion Server.

The Mac Mini is overdue for an update; the last refresh occurred in July 2011, some 450 days ago.

With multiple reports now indicating that Apple will be introducing its 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro at next week's rumored media event, details on the machine are also beginning to leak out.

According to a forum thread [Google translation] posted to Chinese site WeiPhone.com last week, the new 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro will indeed be launching late this month. The report claims that it will carry the same thermal design as the larger 15-inch model, but with only one contact pad indicating that it will not include a discrete graphics chip.

The source reports that the 13-inch model will include an "unprecedented" battery design and offer the same set of ports seen on the 15-inch model: MagSafe 2, a pair of Thunderbolt ports, a USB port, and a headphone jack on the left and a USB port, an HDMI port, and an SD card reader on the right.

The report's source has also added a pair of photos showing what is claimed to be the display of the 13-inch model wrapped in plastic atop the same part from the 15-inch model. It doesn't appear that part can be conclusively identified as for a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro given the poor quality of the photos and an inability to assess the thickness of the display assembly, but it does appear consistent with the 15-inch Retina display and lacks the "MacBook Pro" branding seen on the bezel of non-Retina models.

The forum poster does have at least some track record of obtaining photos of unreleased product parts, as he previously posted a photo of the current 15-inch non-Retina MacBook Pro's graphics chip and surrounding logic board components a day before the machine was announced.

Following yesterday's report from 9to5Mac stating that the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro would be introduced alongside the "iPad mini" at Apple's media event all but confirmed for October 23, AllThingsD now weighs in with its own sources making similar claims.

The smaller iPad may be the star of Apple’s as of yet unannounced October 23rd invitation-only event, but it will have an impressive supporting cast.

Sources familiar with Apple’s plans tell AllThingsD that the company plans to unveil a smaller version of its MacBook Pro with Retina Display as well.

The report summarizes expectations for the new machine, which include a 2560x1600 display, same thin profile as the 15-inch model, and all-flash storage. Pricing remains unknown, but if the 15-inch model is any indication consumers can expect a significant price premium for the Retina 13-inch model compared to the thicker non-Retina models that will undoubtedly remain available.

AllThingsD has an excellent track record when it comes to rumors regarding Apple's media event plans, and thus it does indeed appear that Apple's media event will focus on several different products next week.

Amid reports of component yield issues holding back launch supplies of the "iPad mini" earlier this month, it was reported that AU Optronics, which had been slated to produce two million display panels during the third quarter, was experiencing issues that resulted in the company providing only 400,000 units over that time period. AU Optronics was said to be responsible for 40% of Apple's target of five million panels for the quarter, with LG Display responsible for the other 60%.

Just a week before Apple is expected to introduce the iPad mini, China Economic News Service now reports that AU Optronics has resolved its production issues and is making up for lost time by boosting its production from two million panels per month to three million at Apple's request.

AU Optronics Corp., a major maker of thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panel in Taiwan, has replaced old photo masks to overcome problems in production of display panels for Apple's new iPad mini, hence motivating Apple to increase order by 50%, according to insiders but not commented upon by AUO.

The new production target is said to be going into effect in "mid-October", although it is not entirely clear how quickly those additional panels will make their way through the supply chain and into finished products.

A launch date for the iPad mini is not yet known, but Apple's history of major iOS device launches suggests that availability could come approximately a week and a half after its October 23 introduction, with Friday, November 2 being a possible debut date. First-generation products have, however, in the past seen longer lead times than new versions of existing products.