MacRumors

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.

Whisenhunt shared a number of new renderings of the campus as part of his presentation, and late last month Apple Gazette posted a number of low-quality screenshots from the session video showing the renderings. But now Wired has obtained a full set of higher-quality images that offer a much better look at the interior of the campus.

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.”

The full set of renderings is available at Wired.

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.

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."

In line with previous announcements, Sprint prepaid subsidiary Boost Mobile began offering the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c today, marking the first time the brand has offered any model of iPhone for sale.

While Boost's standard pricing available online already includes a $100 discount on every model compared to Apple's standard pricing for unsubsidized models, the carrier is offering an additional $100 off through November 24 to customers who are switching from another carrier and who make their purchases at one of the brand's retail stores.

It is the perfect time to switch to Boost Mobile as now through Nov. 24 new customers who come into a participating Boost Mobile store and switch to Boost Mobile from another carrier will be eligible for a special in-store promotion of $100 off any device bringing new customers additional cost savings.

The in-store promotion for switchers brings the entry-level cost of the iPhone 5s down to $449.99 and the iPhone 5c down to $349.99. For service, Boost Mobile offers a $55/month contract-free unlimited talk/text/data plan, although data is throttled once users reach 2.5 GB in a given month. Customers can also reduce their monthly fees by making on-time payments, with Boost reducing the charge by $5 for every six on-time payments made, down to a minimum of $40/month after 18 months.

While iPhone 5c supplies are plentiful, potential Boost Mobile customers are likely to have a harder time tracking down supplies of the iPhone 5s, as is the case throughout Apple's distribution network. All iPhone 5s models are currently listed as "Out of Stock" on Boost Mobile's online store.

Boost Mobile is not the only carrier to launch new sales of Apple's latest products over the past couple of days, as U.S. Cellular is now carrying Apple's full lineup of iPhones and cellular-capable iPad Air and non-Retina iPad mini models. Socially active mobile virtual network operator CREDO Mobile, which runs on Sprint's network, has also begun offering the iPhone with on-contract pricing discounted $50 compared to standard Apple pricing.

Mississippi-based regional carrier C Spire, Alaskan carrier GCI, and Kentucky-based regional carrier Bluegrass Cellular have also begun selling cellular-capable models of the iPad Air.

Last week, a report from Japanese business newspaper Nikkei shed light on the production issues surrounding the forthcoming Retina iPad mini, stating that Apple is now turning to rival Samsung as suppliers Sharp and LG Display have failed to produce an ample supply of displays for the new tablet. Now, a report from Korean website ETNews (via Unwired View) has elaborated on the matter, with Sharp's IGZO panels for the Retina iPad mini said to be suffering from screen burn-in issues.

While the burn-in issue is reportedly invisible to users, the panels do not meet Apple's specifications and thus the high rejection rate has resulted in low panel yields for the tablet. As noted in a report earlier this week analyzing the new iPad Air's use of IGZO technology, Sharp has experienced difficulties ramping up production of its IGZO panels in the past, with it taking until now for Apple to bring the technology to its products.

The burn-in problem was caused by the drastic reduction of the pixel size. The resolution of the 7.9-inch iPad mini with Retina display is 2048×1536, about four times clearer than the existing 1024×768 products. LG Display used the amorphous silicon (a-Si) for the substrate, whereas Sharp used IGZO. The pixel of the smartphone display is smaller than that of the iPad mini Retina panel, but as the Low Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon (LTPS) technology is used, it can be produced stably. The pixel of the iPad mini Retina is the smallest among those products using a-Si. Sharp failed to solve the chronic problem of IGZO, i.e. uniformity, and its yield went down.

The report also elaborates on how Apple may be negotiating with Samsung to produce displays for the device starting next year, turning back to its rival in part due to Samsung's experience solving a similar problem with third-generation iPad's move to a Retina display.

Apple is negotiating with Samsung Display for the supply of displays starting next year. Apple discussed cooperation with Samsung Display when it was planning on the iPad mini Retina. AUO, which was the iPad mini display supplier, was excluded from the retina version because of its yield problem. Apple was planning to receive 15 million panels from LG Display, Sharp and Samsung Display at the end of this year. However, as the negotiation with Samsung Display fell through, only LG Display and Sharp made it to the final list of primary suppliers.

If the issue of screen burn-in persists, the report also states that Apple may move to LTPS technology such as that seen in the Kindle Fire HDX, as it is less prone to the problem. However, while LTPS is commonly used on displays for smaller devices such as the iPhone, Apple is unlikely to mass produce the displays for larger screens in part due to scalability issues that simply won't support the tens of millions of tablets that the company is producing each year.

Apple CEO Tim Cook stated last week during the company's fourth quarter earnings call that it was "unclear whether we will have enough for the quarter or not," as the company has only promised that the tablet will arrive by the the end of November. As noted by Apple during the introduction of the second-generation iPad mini, a Retina display has been one of the most requested features for the smaller iPad since its release last year.

Update: MacRumors spoke with Ray Soneira of DisplayMate Technologies, who noted that LG is almost certainly not using a-Si for its Retina iPad mini display panels due to significant power issues with trying to drive a display of that pixel density using the technology. The company has also been shipping its own IGZO display panels for some time now, and Soneira pointed out that "it would be very inefficient to engineer the iPad mini to ship using two significantly different display technologies."

Soneira also clarified that "burn-in" is the incorrect term for what would be happening with these LCDs. It would be a short-term image retention issue perhaps similar to what some early Retina MacBook Pro users experienced, although it appears in this case that the effect is invisible to users.

Apple today released Mail Update for Mavericks 1.0, a software update designed to enhance compatibility with Gmail accounts, as well as several other improvements. The update entered testing last week and addresses a number of complaints about changes Apple made in Mavericks Mail.

Mail Update for Mavericks includes improvements to general stability and compatibility with Gmail, including the following:

- Fixes an issue that prevents deleting, moving, and archiving messages for users with custom Gmail settings
- Addresses an issue that may cause unread counts to be inaccurate
- Includes additional fixes that improve the compatibility and stability of Mail

Full information on the update, including Apple's recommendations about backing up before applying the update, are included in an Apple support document. The update is available via the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.

The United States Senate has approved the anti-discrimination bill that Apple CEO Tim Cook endorsed in an Op-Ed earlier this week.

In a 64-32 vote, the Senate voted to pass the Employment Nondiscrimation Act today, sending the legislation to the U.S. House of Representatives where its future is uncertain. The bill adds gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals to the U.S.'s existing nondiscrimination law.

Tim Cook tweeted about the passing of the bill, saying:

Thanks to all Senators who supported ENDA! I encourage the House to follow suit and end discrimination.

From The New York Times:

“The time has come for Congress to pass a federal law that ensures all citizens, regardless of where they live, can go to work not afraid of who they are,” Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, said on Thursday, noting that a vast majority of Americans already think such a law is in place. “Well, it isn’t already the law,” he added. “Let’s do what the American people think already exists.”

Republicans who voted against the bill, known as the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, were muted in their opposition. The first senator to rise and speak against the bill on the floor all week was Dan Coats of Indiana, who said Thursday morning that religious freedoms were at risk, despite the bill’s broad exemption for religious institutions.

Those exemptions, he said, did not go far enough.

In his op-ed, Tim Cook wrote that Apple has made it a point to create "a safe and welcoming workplace for all employees, regardless of their race, gender, nationality or sexual orientation", while also elaborating on employee rights to express identity in a working environment.

Note: Due to the potentially controversial nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.