In wake of Apple’s rumoured decision to can the 3.5mm headphone jack, a new report claims Apple is testing multiple models of the next iPhone. No fewer than five different models of the next-generation iPhone are currently being tested, according to G For Games, all with distinct differences such as a USB-C port instead of Lightning, wireless charging technology, multi-technology Force Touch, dual cameras, as well as in-display fingerprint recognition. All in all, this is probably just a case of Apple testing to see what works in the real world rather than any solid indication of what we’ll be seeing in the next iPhone.
Another rumour claims we’ll be seeing redesigned MacBook Airs, potentially expanding the range to include a 15-inch model. The proposed timeline for these new MacBook Airs is WWDC next year, which seems like quite a while off yet, but gives Apple the time they need to fine-tune the beast that would be a 15-inch MacBook Air.
9to5Mac says that’s unlikely to happen, now that the 12-inch MacBook is a thing, saying that Apple will instead kill off the MacBook Air lineup and go all-in on MacBooks. Of course, both possibilities are also likely — Apple could keep the MacBook lineup, making it the new kind of MacBook Air, and adding a 15-inch model to the mix, just to shake things up a little.
In-depth analysis of the Apple A9X SoC, courtesy of Chipworks and Anandtech, has revealed 12 GPU cores and no L3 cache. The analysis is pretty technical, so I’ll leave it up to you to peruse at your leisure.
Re/code reports Apple CEO Tim Cook is set to receive the Robert F Kennedy Centre’s Ripple of Hope Award, as a kind of “acknowledgement of his work on behalf of social change”, likely having something to do with Cook being an advocate for diversity and workplace equality. In other Apple exec news, Eddy Cue has told CNN about the motivations behind Apple News, saying News means journalists don’t have to develop a standalone to deliver their news.
You’d think Apple spends a lot on R&D, but compared to other American companies, perhaps not. Apple’s $8.1 billion spend on R&D of its 2015 revenue accounts for just 3.5%, which is proportionally much less than its competitors, with Qualcomm, Facebook, and Google spending 22, 21, and 15% of their revenues, respectively.
Lifehacker says the Secure Empty Trash option is gone in El Capitan, and for a good reason: SSDs don’t require the same kind of secure-erase method that traditional magnetic hard drives did.
Sonos has tweeted Apple Music will be coming to the multi-speaker platform, with a beta beginning on December 15.
A man in the UK is suing Apple for “wiping away his life”, repairing his iPhone that wasn’t backed up.
While everyone else is asking if the iPad Pro can replace your laptop, Fraser Spiers asks if the MacBook Pro can replace your iPad.
Originally published at: http://appletalk.com.au/2015/12/wednesday-morning-news021215/
