There are multiple reports that some of the new 21.5-inch iMacs are shipping with an "Assembled in USA" label.
Fortune is reporting that one of their readers walked into a San Jose, California Apple Store and purchased an off-the-shelf iMac that was assembled in the United States. During their teardown, iFixIt also found that their iMac was assembled in the USA, as shown in the photo below.
Fortune acknowledges that this has been noticed online as far back as 2006, though mostly for build-to-order Macs
As it turns out, this is not the first time the assembled-in-USA question has come up. There are several threads on the topic in the Apple support site dating back to 2006. The consensus seems to be that only units made to order -- say, with an extra-high-capacity hard drive -- get their final assembly in the States.
There's a suggestion that the non build-to-order U.S. assemblies are a new phenomenon, but the distinction is far from clear.
Back in 2010, members in the MacRumors forums had reported that they were also receiving new iMacs being labeled as "Assembled in USA", though their exact configurations weren't discussed.
The new iMac with its ultra slim bezel proved to be a disappointment to the iFixit team because both the glass and the LCD are glued to the iMac frame with strong adhesive, which negatively impacts repairability.
The late 2012 iMac 21.5" – code-named EMC 2544 – is an exercise in disappointment for us. We were quite worried when we saw that super-thin bezel during Apple’s keynote, and unfortunately we were correct: the glass and LCD are now glued to the iMac’s frame with incredibly strong adhesive. Gone are the lovely magnets that held the glass in place in iMacs of yesteryear.
While the RAM, hard drive, and CPU can be replaced, the entire logic board must be removed to do so, which led the iFixit team to give the 21" iMac a repairability score of 3 out of 10, down from 7 out of 10 for last year’s model.
Here are the highlights of the teardown:
- Nothing about the internals of the new Mac resemble last year’s model. - Apple has swapped out the 3.5“ desktop hard drive for a 2.5” HGST laptop hard drive, freeing up valuable space. - The hard drive has a rubbery housing at its edges, which is a new design meant to dampen the vibrations from the hard drive in the closely packed quarters of the iMac. - There are no longer multiple small fans. Instead, Apple is using a single centralized fan. - Apple’s new iMac has two microphones to improve sound quality when using FaceTime. - The AirPort card uses a Broadcom BCM4331 single-chip WLAN solution and three Wi-Fi antennas.
iFixit’s teardown also included a detailed listing of all of the chips on the logic board.
Apple’s new iMacs went on sale on Friday, Nov. 30. The 21.5“ model starts at $1299 and $1499. The 27” iMac starts at $1799 and $1999. The 21.5“ model can currently be purchased in the Apple Store, but the 27” models have yet to ship.
Apple captured the number two slot in all U.S. mobile phone makers, both smartphone and non-smartphone, for the first time, according to a new report by research firm comScore.
Samsung maintained their lead with 26.3% in overall mobile phone userbase, with Apple coming in second at 17.8% and LG .2 points behind in the number three slot with 17.6%. Apple gained 1.5% in the three month period starting in August 2012 and ending in October 2012, which includes the first full month of iPhone 5 availability. LG, Motorola and HTC all saw their share shrink by .8, .2 and .4% respectively. Back in April, Apple leapfrogged Motorola to become the No. 3 mobile phone maker.
comScore's data tracks installed base rather than sales figures, so it reflects well on real-world usage rather than immediate market trends. Recently, Kantar Worldpanel released data based on sales figures that Apple had overtaken Android in marketshare with the help of iPhone 5 sales.
Apple, not known for its partnerships with third-parties, is again recognizing December 1st as World AIDS Day at Apple Retail Stores and on its website. Apple did something similar last year.
Some stores, including several locations in New York City, have also colored their Apple logos red for the occasion. A MacRumors reader sent in this image from the Upper West Side outlet and noted that retail store staffers appear to have replaced the cases on all the products in the store with PRODUCT (RED) versions.
Apple sells a number of PRODUCT (RED) items where a percentage of the profits are donated to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa. There are (RED) versions of the iPod shuffle, iPod nano, iPod touch, the iPad and iPad mini Smart Covers, the iPad Smart Case, and the iPhone 4S Bumper.
The numbers don’t lie: Every day more than 900 babies are born with HIV. By 2015 that number can be nearly zero. (RED) works with companies like Apple to fight for an AIDS-free generation by 2015 by creating (PRODUCT) RED merchandise. A percentage of gross profits from the sale of those products goes to the Global Fund to help fund AIDS programs in Africa. Since its introduction, (PRODUCT) RED has generated more than $190 million — more than $50 million from Apple alone — for the Global Fund. Now you can make an impact, too, by purchasing a (PRODUCT) RED iPod shuffle, iPod nano, iPod touch, iPad Smart Cover, iPad Smart Case, or iPhone Bumper.
In addition to the retail store changes, Apple is placing a prominent link on the bottom of its homepage to (RED)'s World AIDS Day page.
Tim Cook will be the center of a feature on NBC's Rock Center news show next week, the first major interview the CEO has given. Steve Jobs was famously camera shy, preferring to let Apple's products speak for themselves.
In this brief preview, Williams notes that Tim Cook was able to walk around Grand Central Station unrecognized until he got to the Apple Store there.
The full show will air on NBC next Thursday, December 6th.
With Apple's new iMac going on sale today, the first reviews of the new machine are starting to arrive. The reviews come alongside some early teardown photos and benchmarks offering an early glimpse at Apple's redesigned flagship desktop.
CNET has a thorough review of the 27-inch model, which won't be shipping to customers for several more weeks, noting that while the design is the major change to the machine, iterative improvements on already impressive performance-related specs keep the iMac in solid position.
You might be alarmed by the fact that the design is the most interesting thing about the new iMac. A thin bezel is nice to look at, but it doesn't improve processing speed, workflow, or overall utility. Fortunately for Apple, it evolved that design from a computer with a strong technical foundation. It is the updates to that foundation, and a few points of polish along the way, that keep this iMac on elite footing.
CNET's review machine, a souped-up $2599 model with 3.4 GHz Core i7 processor, 1 TB Fusion Drive, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX graphics, performed quite well in benchmark tests and features Apple's new display lamination process that greatly reduces reflectivity. The new iMac compares relatively favorably to Dell's XPS One 27 in many respects, with the Dell's touch capabilities and Blu-ray drive perhaps being significant factors in its favor for some users.
The IPS panels are the same as in last year’s iMacs, but they’re better integrated now — Apple says that by laminating the display to the glass it reduced reflections up to 70 percent, and indeed the glare problems that beset so many displays are much less present here, though there's still some reflection and glare. The improved manufacturing also makes whatever’s on the screen feel closer to you, almost like things are jumping out of the panel. The display's glossy bezel, which houses its HD FaceTime camera, is actually the most reflective part of the whole machine now.
I have to say, I was really surprised to see how much better the screen could be without a single change to the actual technology — but hey, I guess plastic surgery can work wonders. Both screens have fantastic color reproduction, are remarkably (like, blindingly) bright, and have near-180-degree viewing angles.
Overall, The Verge gives both iMac models scores of 9.0, noting that it is "still the best all-in-one device out there" but suggesting that the door is open for Windows 8 machines integrating advanced features like touchscreens and media center software to compete strongly with the iMac.
Facebook is rolling out its new Photo Sync feature to its iOS users that automatically uploads all photos taken on the iPhone to a private photo album on Facebook. The idea is to make it easier and faster for users to share photos with their friends.
When you turn on photo syncing, your mobile photos will be saved to a private section of your Facebook Photos. You can easily share your synced photos on your timeline from desktop, mobile, or another device.
[…]
Only you can see the photos you’ve synced from your phone. Your photos are saved privately in a section of your Facebook Photos that only you can see. When you view your synced photos, you can choose shots to share or send in a private message.
Facebook's support site has much more about Photo Sync. Facebook is using background uploads within the Facebook iOS app to move the photos, not anything special with location APIs or Apple's iOS 6 Facebook integration.
The app is very clear that all photos uploaded automatically are marked as private and cannot be viewed by others until specifically shared by the user. Users get 2 GB of complimentary photo storage.
Just hours after Apple began taking orders for the new iMac, shipping estimates in the company's online store for the stock 27-inch models have slipped from the original 2-3 weeks to 3-4 weeks. Estimates for the stock 21.5-inch models remain at 1-3 days.
Supplies of the new iMac are expected to be constrained into 2013 as Apple's suppliers deal with the challenges of producing thinner displays laminated directly to the cover glass, with the larger 27-inch panels being particularly difficult to produce.
Apple will soon allow customers to custom load their iTunes Gift Cards for any amount between $15 and $500, according to a report by 9to5Mac.
Apple has long offered flexible loading onto its Apple Store gift cards, but has resisted offering that on its iTunes cards. It's possible the company didn't feel the need to set up the infrastructure necessary for stores to report custom load amounts on its iTunes Gift Cards. Apple also still requires set amounts to be applied to iTunes Gift Certificates purchased through the iTunes Store itself. Regardless, it should be a welcome change.
Rolling out to your favorite supermarket or retail store this holiday season are new Apple iTunes gift cards which can be bought in any denomination between $15 and $500. We’re hearing that at least one supermarket chain and one retailler are putting these on the shelves today.
You take these cards to the cashier and choose how much to put on them. When the cashier validates the card, the amount paid is tied to the number/code.
Previously, iTunes Gift Cards could only be purchased in increments of $15, $25, $50, or $100. Apple does sell multi-packs consisting of 4 $10 or $25 cards.
Purchasing iTunes Gift Cards at discount stores like Sam's Club can sometimes allow customers to save money on iTunes and App Store purchases.
Primate Labs today posted a summary of the new iMac benchmarks hitting the company's Geekbench Browser, showing fairly strong performance increases over the previous generation of machines. The analysis focuses on the 21.5-inch models, as the 27-inch models are not launching for several more weeks, and the latest high-end 21.5-inch model scores nearly 25% higher than its 2011 counterpart and even bests the high-end 27-inch model from last year by nearly 10%.
The report also pits the new 21.5-inch iMac against the current generations of Apple's other two desktop lines, the Mac mini and Mac Pro. The comparison to the Mac mini reveals that users can achieve nearly the same performance as the mid-range iMac by purchasing a high-end Mac mini, although customers would obviously have to supply their own displays and other peripherals.
What's interesting here, though, is how the quad-core Core i5 iMacs perform compared to the quad-core Core i7 Mac minis. Since Core i7 has hyper-threading technology (and the Core i5 does not), it can execute more instructions at once, leading to higher performance.
Here this means that the mid-range Mac mini is faster than the mid-range iMac that's almost twice the price. True, you do get a display and a discrete GPU with the iMac, but these Geekbench results show how powerful the new Mac mini is despite its size.
As for the Mac Pro, which is still stuck on older-generation processors rather than adopting Intel's Sandy Bridge E chips, the new iMac is now on par with all but the high-end 12-core Mac Pro models.
As for the new 27-inch iMac, a handful of Geekbench results have already appeared in the database running a special Build 12C2037 of OS X 10.8.2. The results indicate that an early benchmark that appeared in mid-May was indeed accurate and indicate that the new high-end 27-inch model will outperform its 2011 counterpart by nearly 15%.
Apple does not allow the iPhone 5 to join a carrier's LTE network until it passes the company's own internal tests, according to Swiss cell carrier Swisscom. The report from Telecoms.com (by way of The Next Web), says that Apple enables LTE support on existing iPhone 5 models only after first testing the carrier network itself.
This week, however, a Swisscom spokesperson told Telecoms.com that: "Apple only enables 4G access after testing their device on an operator’s live network."
Swisscom launched its LTE network this week although the iPhone 5 was not available as an LTE device at launch. "Apple will provide a software update in due course," the firm said in a press release.
Apple has been selling the iPhone 5 in countries where it doesn't officially support LTE on any carriers, though most carriers have at least initial plans to support LTE in coming years with many in the midst of full LTE rollouts.
Telecoms.comquotes Alcatel Lucent CTO Marcus Weldon saying that Apple was "a bit big for its boots" with the policy, hinting that it was unusual for a handset manufacturer to have such control over its handsets. However, this has been the case since the iPhone first launched nearly 5 years ago.
Apple has exerted extraordinary control over the iPhone in a number of ways, including providing most tech support and replacements via its 800-number and the Apple Retail Store rather than through the carriers, as well as Apple forbidding carriers from preinstalling any of its own software applications or services on the iPhone.
Following word earlier this week that the iPhone 5 had received final certification in China, Apple today announced that it will be bringing not only the iPhone 5 but also the iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad to the country over the next several weeks.
Apple today announced the Wi-Fi versions of iPad mini and fourth generation iPad with Retina display will be available in China on Friday, December 7, and iPhone 5 will be available on Friday, December 14. iPad mini and the new fourth generation iPad with Retina display are currently available in 42 countries, and iPhone 5 is available in 47 countries, including the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the UK.
China now accounts for 15% of Apple's revenues, making the new product launches a significant development for the company. Apple's Chinese product launches have typically lagged well behind those in other countries, but the company has been working to shorten those gaps. The iPhone 4S launched in China three months after the device's debut, while the third-generation iPad took four months to arrive in the country.
With today's announcement, the iPhone 5 will be arriving in China roughly two and a half months after the initial round of launches, while the iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad are coming to China just a month after their debut in the U.S. and other first-round markets.
Apple is now accepting orders for the new iMac on their online store. The new iMacs offer dramatically reduced thickness and add a brand new Fusion Drive that combines flash storage and a traditional disk-based hard drive to maximize both speed and capacity.
The 21.5" model starts at $1299 and $1499 while the 27" model starts at $1799 and $1999. The 21.5" model is shipping in "1-3 business days" while the 27" model ships in 2-3 weeks. Limited stock of 21.5" iMacs should also be available in Apple retail stores starting today. The previously reported iMac build-to-order options were accurate with a variety of RAM, Processor, Hard Drive and Graphics Card upgrades available for specific models.
The new iMac is going on sale around the world on Friday, November 30th. In Australia, Ben Pasternak was able to walk into his local Apple Store and buy one and has posted the first unboxing video of the new machine:
Meanwhile, Japanese site Kodawarisan has posted teardown photos showing the innards of the thin new machine.
The new iMac tapers to a 5mm thin edge along the sides, requiring the use of a special welding technique to achieve the design.
The 21.5" iMac will go on sale today in the U.S. both in retail stores and in the online Apple store with immediate availability. The 27-inch model will be available for pre-order but won't ship until December. Stock is expected to be tight throughout 2012.
Apple Senior Vice President of Technologies Bob Mansfield has decided to sell off a set of stock for over $20 million, according to a regulatory filing. Mansfield sold off 35,000 shares of his Apple stock at a price of $582.21 per share.
The move comes nine months after Mansfield sold 30,000 shares of stock for a gain of $12.5 million in early February, with Apple shares netting an average of $452.28 at the time. Since then, Mansfield has retired, taken an advisory role, and then recently un-retired to take charge of a new "Technologies" group in an executive reshuffling that saw iOS chief Scott Forstall ousted.
Mansfield's stock sale does not mean that he is looking to exit his ownership in Apple, as he has regularly cashed in on stock options and is an active participant in Apple's stock option and grant award programs for senior executives. Mansfield still has 29,548 shares of Apple stock and stands to gain an additional 150,000 shares in two equal portions June 2013 and March 2016. He also holds a restricted stock grant that could earn him another 100,000 shares in 2014. All of those shares, which would net him $145.5 million at current stock prices, would only be awarded to him if he remained with Apple.
Mansfield and other executives may also be looking to unload stock as 2012 draws to a close due to a scheduled increase in capital gains taxes for 2013. By selling stock now rather than holding it into 2013, sellers can reduce their tax burden, although fluctuations in the company's stock price over time could more than compensate for the higher tax rate should Apple's stock continue to rise.
Apple has begun selling unlocked GSM iPhone 5 models in the United States, some two months after it originally went on sale. This is similar to the delay that preceded sales of the unlocked iPhone 4S last year.
The launch follows the drop of the iPhone 5's estimated shipping times to one week just a few days ago. The unlocked GSM models are available for $649/$749/$849 for the 16/32/64 GB models and also have an estimated ship time of one week. In the U.S., the unlocked models will work on both AT&T and T-Mobile.
The unlocked iPhone includes all the features of iPhone but without a wireless contract commitment. You can activate and use iPhone on the supported GSM wireless network of your choice, such as AT&T in the United States. The unlocked iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 will not work with CDMA-based carriers such as Verizon Wireless or Sprint.
If you don’t want a multiyear service contract, or if you prefer to use a local carrier when traveling abroad, the unlocked iPhone is the best choice. It does not come with a micro-SIM card for iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, or a nano-SIM card for iPhone 5, so you’ll need to get one from any supported GSM carrier worldwide. To start using it, simply insert the card into the slot on your iPhone and turn it on by pressing and holding the On/Off button for a few seconds. Then follow the onscreen instructions to set up your iPhone.
Just in time for the holidays, Apple and Starbucks have partnered up for a (Product) Red gift card combo. When you buy the $15 iTunes + $15 Starbucks gift card both companies together will contribute 5% to the Global Fund to help fund AIDS research.
Give a gift that gives back this holiday season with Starbucks iTunes (RED)™ eGift basket. You can send loved ones a thoughtful gift of two digital eGifts—$15 eGift to Starbucks and $15 eGift to iTunes—for $30. Plus, for every gift sold, Starbucks and iTunes will together contribute 5% of the purchase price to the Global Fund to help deliver an AIDS free generation by 2015. With the convenience of a Starbucks Card, Starbucks Card eGifts can be used for purchases in-store at participating company-owned and licensed stores in the U.S. and online. This unique and meaningful eGift basket can be purchased at www.starbucks.com/REDeGift.
Apple has long been a supporter of the (Product) Red campaign, selling red iPod nano models, iPad Smart Cases and Smart Covers. Most recently, Apple released a (Product) Red bumper for the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4. At an Apple town hall meeting in February, Tim Cook mentioned that Apple (Product) Red products have generated over $50 million to help fund AIDS research. The gift card combo can be purchased at this website.
Though there have been several unofficial third party Lightning accessories, Griffin’s accessories will be the first official third-party standalone Lightning connector cables on the market when they launch next week.
Griffin’s new cables with Lightning Connector are affordable charging solutions that are built to resist kinks and tangles. The cables work perfectly with Griffin’s family of PowerBlocks and PowerJolts as well as Apple’s USB power adapters, or plug into a computer's USB to sync with iTunes.
The company is offering several different cable configurations:
Apple has been maintaining strict control over its Lightning connectors, which has made it difficult for third party manufacturers to introduce new accessories.
Vendors that launch Lightning-related accessories must produce them in Apple-approved facilities. The Lightning connector also requires controller chips to take advantage of adaptive technology, which has delayed the release of third party Lightning accessories.
With Apple's new iMac 
Apple Senior Vice President of Technologies Bob Mansfield has decided to sell off a set of stock for over $20 million, according to a 
