MacRumors

Microsoft today announced the launch of its latest Office software suite, updating its applications for Windows machines to new 2013 versions and launching a new Office 365 subscription option.

While the $99-per-year Office 365 option allows for installation on up to five computers, Mac users will continue to receive Office 2011 applications until an updated version of Office for Mac becomes available. Office for Mac versions typically follow about 12-18 months behind their Windows counterparts.

Office 365 Home Premium is available in 162 markets in 21 languages and includes the following:

- The latest and most complete set of Office applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher and Access

- One license for the entire household to use Office on up to five devices, including Windows tablets, PCs or Macs, and Office on Demand available from any Internet-connected PC

- An additional 20 GB of SkyDrive cloud storage, nearly three times the amount available with a free SkyDrive account

- 60 free Skype world calling minutes per month to call mobile phones, landlines or PCs around the world

- Future upgrades, so you always use the latest time-saving technology

Office 365 Home Premium is priced at $9.99 per month or $99 per year, while college and university students, faculty, and staff are eligible for Office 365 University priced at $79.99 for a four-year subscription.

Aside from the Office 365 subscription plans, Windows users are also offered the option of standalone Office 2013 packages including Office Home & Student ($139.99), Office Home & Business ($219.99), and Office Professional ($399.99). There are no ongoing costs with the standalone installations, and a version of Office typically remains current for three years.

Office for Mac 2011 also remains available as a standalone purchase, and users who purchase Office 2011 for Mac between October 19, 2012 and April 30, 2013 can shift over to a one-year Office 365 subscription free of charge.

In line with a stock database leak from earlier this week, Apple today officially announced a new 128 GB version of the fourth-generation iPad with Retina Display.

“With more than 120 million iPads sold, it’s clear that customers around the world love their iPads, and everyday they are finding more great reasons to work, learn and play on their iPads rather than their old PCs,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “With twice the storage capacity and an unparalleled selection of over 300,000 native iPad apps, enterprises, educators and artists have even more reasons to use iPad for all their business and personal needs.”

The new larger-capacity iPad launches next Tuesday, February 5 and will carry a $100 premium over the current top-end configuration, coming in at $799 for the Wi-Fi models and $929 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular models.

Rumors and hints of a 128 GB iPad developed quickly with a reference to higher-capacity iOS devices appearing in what turned out to be the shipping version of iOS 6.1 when it was released as a beta to developers over the weekend. Just a day later, new high-end iPad configurations were spotted in the stock database of a major U.S. retailer, suggesting that a launch was indeed imminent.

9to5Mac has unconfirmed images of what could be the rear panel for the next iPad. The images match up very closely with a report from last week.

While we cannot confirm that the above image is legitimate, it does provide a solid representation of what Apple’s next iPad will likely look like. We were told this is a prototype back piece for the fifth-generation iPad with a 9.7-inch display. We were also told that the casing is almost as thin as the iPad mini’s back (pictured to the right). As you can see at the top of the purported iPad 5 backplate, this casing would likely be for an LTE model – as the black antenna cut implies.

The report lines up with iLounge's first description of the new iPad which is expected to arrive in October with smaller, iPad mini-esque bezels and chamfered edges and curves.

What does it look like? Well, it’s a lot smaller than one would guess was possible: in portrait orientation, picture a 9.7” screen with virtually no left or right bezels, and only enough space above and below the screen to accommodate the mandatory camera and Home Button elements. Beyond that, it’s noticeably thinner, as well, which is to say the the fifth-generation iPad will be smaller in every dimension than its predecessors. As it will have the same chamfered edges and curves, calling it a “stretched iPad mini” is very close to entirely accurate.

Leaks of parts for upcoming Apple products are becoming more and more common as the Asian supply chain grows larger.

Update:

In this composite, you see the new iPad is much smaller than the current iPad. The iPad 4 (image) and iPad 5 (image) have been overlaid to show the relative sizes.

Update 2: A reader overlaid the screen sizes showing how much of a bezel the new iPad might have.

Update 3: Diwali posted this mockup based on the dimensions of the case:

In its iOS 6.1 press release today, Apple disclosed some impressive usage numbers for iOS 6 and the iOS platform. As of today, nearly 300 million iOS devices -- iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch -- are running iOS 6, with nine billion photos uploaded to Photo Stream, 450 billion iMessages sent and over four trillion notifications received.

Of these, perhaps the most impressive is that 300 million devices are currently running iOS 6. That is, as EdibleApple points out, roughly 60 percent of all iOS devices ever sold:

During Apple’s most recent earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Apple to date has sold over 500 million iOS devices. If we put those pieces together we see that over half of every iOS device ever sold is now running the most recent version of Apple’s mobile operating system. Contrast that of course to Android where a scant minority of users are ever caught running the most recent iteration of Android.

The Next Web notes that Apple sold some 75 million iOS devices in the December quarter alone, all of which are running iOS 6, plus 100 million upgrades to iOS 6 in its first week of availability back in September.

Apple has clearly been successful in keeping devices upgraded to the latest version of iOS, particularly through the over-the-air update feature that was introduced last year in iOS 5. This keeps iOS devices secure, and keeps users up to date with the latest new features to come out of Cupertino.

Alongside today's release of iOS 6.1, Apple also issued an update for the Apple TV. The new 5.2 software update includes a number of enhancements including direct iTunes in the Cloud music streaming, Bluetooth keyboard support, Up Next support, and more.

- iTunes in the Cloud: Browse and play your purchased iTunes music directly from iCloud.
- Bluetooth keyboard: Use your Apple Wireless Keyboard to control your Apple TV. See this article for more information.
- AirPlay audio for videos: Send stereo audio from movies, TV shows, and other videos on Apple TV to AirPlay-enabled speakers and devices (including AirPort Express and other Apple TVs).
- Stability and performance: Includes performance and stability improvements with the iTunes Store, AirPlay, Netflix, iTunes Match, and wired Ethernet connections.

Curiously, Apple has released three versions of the Apple TV update, covering not only the second-generation (AppleTV2,1) and third-generation (AppleTV3,1) boxes but also a new AppleTV3,2 box. It is unclear exactly what the difference is with the new box, but the numbering scheme suggests that it is a relatively minor change.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo noted earlier this month that Apple was preparing to launch an updated Apple TV this quarter, although it was anticipated to be a minor upgrade. Apple has not, however, made any public announcements regarding an updated Apple TV.

Update: Apple appears to be referring to the new Apple TV model with a code name of J33I, compared to the J33 code name used on the third-generation Apple TV. While we have no direct evidence, it is possible that the "I" simply refers to an international variation of the current box. Just last month, Apple launched iTunes movies in nearly four dozen new countries.

Following this weekend's release of iOS 6.1 Beta 5 to developers, Apple has just released iOS 6.1 to the public. The update includes new LTE carrier support and Siri-based movie ticket purchases via Fandango, as well as iTunes Match individual song downloading and a new reset button for advertising tracking.

This update contains improvements and bug fixes, including:

- LTE support for more carriers (complete list of supported carriers at www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/)
- Purchase movie tickets through Fandango with Siri (USA only)
- iTunes Match subscribers can now download individual songs from iCloud
- New button to reset the Advertising Identifier

“iOS 6 is the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, and with nearly 300 million iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices on iOS 6 in just five months, it may be the most popular new version of an OS in history,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iOS 6.1 brings LTE support to more markets around the world, so even more users can enjoy ultrafast Safari browsing, FaceTime video calls, iCloud services, and iTunes and App Store downloads.”

New LTE carriers for iPhone 5 supported in the update include:

- USA: Alaska Communications, Alaska GCI, Bluegrass Cellular, C Spire, Cellcom, Pioneer Cellular
- Canada: MTS, Sasktel
- Puerto Rico: Claro, Open Mobile
- Croatia: T-Mobile, VIPNet
- Denmark: 3, Telenor, Telia
- Finland: DNA, Elisa, Sonera
- Greece: Cosmote
- Hungary: T-Mobile
- Italy: 3, TIM, Vodafone
- Kuwait: Zain
- Luxembourg: Tango
- Philippines: Globe, SMART
- Portugal: Optimus, TMN, Vodafone
- Saudi Arabia: Mobily, Zain
- South Africa: Vodacom
- Switzerland: Swisscom
- UAE: DU, Etisalat

However, as Jeremy Horwitz of iLounge points out, the new LTE carriers are only supported by the 4th-generation iPad, the iPad mini, and the iPhone 5. Third-generation iPads do not support any of the new carriers.

iLounge follows up its reports from last week about Apple's future iOS device plans with a new report sharing details on Apple's rumored lower-cost iPhone. According to the report, the new device will indeed be constructed primarily of plastic and offers design similarities to the iPhone 5, iPod touch, and even the iPod classic.

From the front, the new iPhone looks almost identical to the iPhone 5—the same exact shape, with the same sensor, camera, and button arrangement. The 1136 x 640 screen isn’t a surprise, but will be a nice step up in specs for the lowest-cost iPhone. Rather than making the display flush with the enclosure, as it was in the plastic iPhone 3G/3GS, the front glass sticks out a little, just as it does with the iPhone 5 and iPod touch. Despite the shift to plastic for the rest of the enclosure, our sources believe that Apple will continue to use Gorilla Glass for this model’s screen.

Differences become more obvious when the new iPhone is turned on the side. The circular volume buttons of the iPhone 4, 4S, and 5 will shift to elongated, pill-shaped designs closer to the iPod touch and iPhone 3G/3GS.

The device is reportedly about half a millimeter taller and wider than the iPhone 5, but also about one millimeter thicker.

Similarities to the iPod classic are said to arrive in the form of the curves on the rear edges of the device. The report indicates that the sides and rear of the device will all be flat and connected by distinct curves rather than extending the curves all the way through the rear shell of the device.

Unlike the plastic iPhone 3G/3GS, which featured soft curves on all sides, the budget iPhone’s curves start and end at flat surfaces, so each side and the back are flat. This seems like a trivial change, until you realize that it allows Apple to use flat rather than curve-matched parts: the right side has a flat, centered SIM card tray just like the iPhone 5’s, while all of the buttons and ports are on flat rather than curved surfaces. A flat-backed iPhone won’t rock on a flat surface when it vibrates, either.

The rear and bottom edges of the lower-cost iPhone will reportedly be something of a hybrid of the iPhone 5 and the current iPod touch, with a the bottom edge showing a similar layout of features to the iPhone 5 but with fewer holes.

Apple has long been rumored to be working on a lower-cost iPhone, but rumors have accelerated in recent weeks with indications that the company may launch the device later this year.

BrightWire summarizes a report [Google translation] from Chinese financial news site yicai.com noting that the city of Shangahi has officially announced Apple will open a new facility including some research and development operations in the city this summer.

- Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce has announced that Apple will open its R&D center this summer.

- Apple has registered three firms in three buildings in Pudong, Shanghai, and one of them will be dedicated to procurement management and R&D, according to documents on the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce's website.

While Apple had previously been reported to be developing an R&D facility in Beijing, the Shanghai plans have reportedly been underway for quite some time. Initial reports of a Chinese R&D facility emerged following a meeting between Apple CEO Tim Cook and the acting mayor of Beijing just two weeks ago, so it is unknown whether those plans are still in the works.

China is an enormously important market for Apple, with revenues of $7.3 billion in the last quarter alone. Cook described China as Apple's second largest region.

If you look at our total Greater China, which would include our retail stores in China, our revenues were $7.3 billion in the quarter. So this is incredibly high, it’s up over 60% year-on-year … It’s clear that China is already our second-largest region … and it’s clear that there’s a lot of potential there.

A key challenge for Apple in China is that its products are typically too expensive for workers on an average salary. Apple recently introduced payment plans of up to two years, and the rumored low-cost iPhone is also expected to be offered in the Chinese market.

Recent production problems with the 2012 iMac have largely been solved, suggesting that supply constraints may ease, according to a report from China Times, summarized by BrightWire.

- [T]he company's Taiwanese component suppliers noted that the assembling conformity rate for the new iMac has been improved and mass production started in December 2012. Sales of the device may be boosted in 1Q 2013.

- As new products will usually see orders peak within the first four months after they are launched, the shipments of the new iMac are expected to remain stable through 1Q 2013.

Apple CEO Tim Cook noted in last week's analyst call that iMac shipments would remain constrained through Q1, with the company giving this as a large part of the reason for selling 1.1 million fewer Macs in Q4 2012 compared to Q4 2011.

Currently 27-inch iMacs are showing delivery times of 3-4 weeks, with 21.5-inch models showing 2-3 weeks.

Following today's revelation of code in iOS 6.1 Beta 5 hinting at future 128 GB iOS devices, 9to5Mac reports that four new high-end iPad configurations have appeared in a U.S. retailer's database.

While the exact identity of the devices is not revealed in the stock database, they do appear as "ultimate" configurations of the current full-size iPad models, suggesting that they may represent 128 GB models of the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad in both black and white.

While it is certainly plausible that this new iPad model is the 128GB iPad, we are currently not confident enough to outright claim that, but it seems likely based on the evidence. [..]

The P101 and P103 names are Apple’s internal nomenclature for the WiFi-only and Cellular-compatible fourth-generation iPads, respectively. Both of those models comes in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB configurations. These storage sizes are known as “GOOD,” “BETTER,” and “BEST,” respectively. As you can see in our table above, Apple is preparing to release the additional “ULTIMATE” model. “ULTIMATE” frequently refers to the most premium or highest capacity model available. The “A” points to a black configuration, and “B” stands for the white option.

No additional information such as specifications, price, or a launch date for the new configurations have yet been revealed.

As noted by @iNeal and iDownloadBlog, the new iOS 6.1 Beta 5 released yesterday contains a reference suggesting that Apple may be looking to offer 128 GB iOS devices in upcoming generations.

The reference to a 128 GB capacity comes as part of SystemPartitionPadding key in the build manifest associated with the release and is not found in publicly available versions of iOS.

While the observation does not mean that a 128 GB iOS device is definitely coming later this year, this is not the first time in recent months that Apple has hinted at future 128 GB iOS devices. iTunes 11, released in late November, contains a graphic corresponding to a mobile device with a capacity of 128 GB, although no such device has been released so far.

French site Nowhereelse.fr shares [Google translation] a pair of photos of what the original source claims are speaker enclosures for both the upcoming iPhone 5S and a future iPhone 6. The two parts are similar in appearance both to each other and to the corresponding iPhone 5 part, but do contain several differences.

It is of course impossible to tell for certain whether the parts are indeed legitimate and whether they are intended for the upcoming iPhone models as claimed. Nowehereelse.fr has published a number of accurate photos in the past, but typically obtains the photos by scouring web postings from Asia and thus the photos typically come from a variety of sources that make it difficult to determine their reliability.

Last week, MacRumors received word that office supply retailer Staples would soon begin offering Apple products for sale. While the company has offered Apple products in international markets for some time, it had long been unsuccessful in striking a deal for the U.S. market.

We were unable to confirm the claim at the time, but 9to5Mac now reports that Apple products have begun appearing on the Staples website in the United States as part of an Apple Mock Up section. The section includes a number of products, including the Apple TV (listed at a remarkably low price of $49.99) and iPad Smart Covers, all marked with "Test" in the item description.

While the products listed on the test pages are limited to accessories with the exception of the Apple TV, our original source had claimed that Apple's full lineup of Macs, iPads, and at least the iPhone 5 would be coming to Staples in the United States. No specific timeframe for an official launch of Apple's products at Staples beyond "in the coming months" has been shared.