Details from the leaked iOS 11 golden master keep on coming today, with 9to5Mac discovering references in the firmware to potential new Apple Watch case colors, which might be announced on Tuesday, September 12. The strings describe an Apple Watch with "Ceramic-Gray" and "AlumBlushGold" colorways, hinting at a new version of the Apple Watch Edition that came out last year in White Ceramic, as well as a new Aluminum Blush Gold for Apple Watch Sport wearers.
The so-called "Aluminum Blush Gold" Apple Watch lends further credence to similar nomenclature we've been hearing about a new color coming to the iPhone line. Blush Gold, also referred to as Champagne Gold and Copper Gold previously, is said to be closer to a copper color than the Rose Gold iPhones currently available.
The current Apple Watch Edition in White Ceramic
In regards to "Ceramic Gray," last night's original leaked data included a new Apple Watch with a red Digital Crown, but the casing appeared to be an aluminum Space Gray and not the new Ceramic Gray model. Last year, Apple debuted the White Ceramic Apple Watch, priced at $1249 (38mm) and $1299 (42mm), while also discontinuing the Gold Apple Watch Edition models that sold for up to $17,000.
Firmware referencing the new Apple Watch colors via 9to5Mac
The leaked data isn't an exact confirmation that a Ceramic Gray and Aluminum Blush Gold Apple Watch will make an appearance at Apple's event on Tuesday. Still, the company traditionally updates the Apple Watch with new collections, colors, casing styles, and bands at these events, so it's likely the "Apple Watch Series 3" will have some kind of new colors for users to choose from.
Amid the leaked release of the golden master of iOS 11 last night, developers Steve Troughton-Smith and Guilherme Rambo shared a few interesting tidbits about how the split status bar on the OLED "iPhone X" will work (via 9to5Mac). Falling in line with previous rumors, the iPhone X's status bar will show the time of day on the left of the "notch" and cellular signal strength, Wi-Fi, and battery will be located on the right.
These "ears" of the iPhone X will also be animated in a few ways -- when you plug the device into a power source to charge it, the battery icon grows slightly larger (lower right image) to indicate a successful connection and then minimizes back to its original size. Rambo shared a video of this animated icon in action on his Twitter account.
There's also a new method to indicate when screen recording is on or when you're taking a phone call. On the iPhone X, the time on the left side of the notch will be highlighted in red for when screen recording is on, or green to indicate that you're in a call but outside of the Phone app. This will replace the current "double height" indicator bar on iOS 10 that pushes down the status bar and displays messages to remind you about apps running in the background.
Last night, the iOS 11 GM was leaked and we got a glimpse into numerous iPhone 8 features, including a look at a new edition of the Apple Watch, and even new "Animoji." Now, developer Steve Troughton-Smith has dug up new info related to the official names of the iPhones being announced on Tuesday.
According to the developer, Apple will call the smartphones the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus (for the two LCD devices), and iPhone X (for the OLED model). These names will replace the iPhone 7s, iPhone 7s Plus, and iPhone 8 monikers that have been attached to each respective model over the past few months.
In a separate Tweet, Troughton-Smith pointed out that this is still not an exact confirmation, but it is the closest we've gotten to an official name for the upcoming iPhones. "Maaaybe the DeviceTree is lying about the marketing name, maybe not," he said. "But right now, D22 thinks it is iPhone X, so that's good enough for me."
Following last night's leak of the golden master version of iOS 11, further details of features Apple plans to announce next week continue to be unearthed, including more hints about the new 3D animated emoji for iMessage.
Based on information in the iOS 11 GM firmware, the new "Animoji", as they're called, appear to be a feature exclusive to Apple's so-called iPhone 8 and the phone's new 3D sensing capability, enabling users to create custom 3D animated emoji based on facial expressions picked up by the camera.
As noted by developer Steve Troughton-Smith, several Animoji will be available for customization using the iPhone 8's 3D sensing features, including chimps, robots, pigs, cats, poop, chickens, dogs, foxes, and several others unearthed in the software.
The range of expressions that the iPhone 8 will be able to detect are listed in a separate asset, showing off the level of detail the new camera feature is capable of reading on a human face. Animoji will be able to be customized using movement of the left and right eyebrows, cheeks, chin, eyes, jaw, lips, and mouth, with global detection for sad and happy faces.
Expect additional discoveries about the iPhone 8 and Apple Watch to be revealed soon as developers scour the iOS 11 GM code over the weekend. Apple will officially unveil the new devices at its Tuesday event set to be held at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time.
The golden master version of iOS 11 appears to have leaked this evening, shedding some early light on products and features Apple plans to announce next Tuesday. The golden master software seems to have been sent to multiple sites including MacRumors and 9to5Mac.
In the Apple Watch app, there's an image of what may be the third-generation Apple Watch with a cellular connection. The device has the same general design as the current Apple Watch, featuring a Space Gray body and matching band, but it appears to have a bright red Digital Crown. Code in the update suggests the Apple Watch will be able to make calls over LTE, sharing a phone number with the iPhone. The Apple Watch will be added to an existing phone plan, and there are hints that carriers will offer pricing promotions.
As noted by 9to5Mac, there are references to Face ID, which may be the name of the new facial recognition system in the iPhone 8, and there are images that feature the design of the iPhone 8 with slim bezels and a notch at the top of the device for the camera. The display of the device may feature True Tone support much like the iPad Pro, a feature that has been previously rumored.
Two iPhone 8 screenshots buried within the update give us a look at the new navigation bar on the iPhone 8, which will replace the Home button with a set of gestures. Pulling upwards on the bar brings up the Home screen and a longer pull brings up the App Switcher. There are also hints that the elongated sleep/sleep wake button (now called side button) will activate Siri and bring up Apple Pay cards and passes.
There appears to be a new "Portrait Lighting" feature that may work with the flash on the device, offering up Contour Light, Natural Light, Stage Light, Stage Light Mono, and Studio Light, and there are new video recording options:
- 1080p HD at 240 fps 480 MB with 1080p HD at 240 fps - 4K at 24 fps (Footer) 270 MB with 4K at 24 fps (film style) (HEVC Footer) 135 MB with 4K at 24 fps (film style) - 4K at 60 fps (Footer) 450 MB with 4K at 60 fps (higher resolution, smoother) (HEVC Footer) 400 MB with 4K at 60 fps (higher resolution, smoother)
There are hints of animated emoji for iMessage and references to AirPods 1,2, which may be a revised version of the wire-free headphones Apple first introduced last year.
Last but not least, there are a selection of colorful new wallpapers that are sure to look impressive on an OLED display. There are stills of the earth and moon, several floral images, a selection of retro-style rainbow wallpapers, and one wallpaper that's plain black.
With the iOS 11 firmware released early, it's likely there will be additional discoveries about the unreleased iPhone 8 and the third-generation Apple Watch over the weekend. Apple will officially unveil the new devices at its Tuesday event set to be held at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time.
We're just four days away from Apple's 2017 iPhone-centric event, and this year's keynote promises to be the most exciting we've seen since the larger-screened iPhones came out in 2014. For the first time in 10 years, the iPhone is getting a complete overhaul, both inside and out, with the most advanced technologies Apple has to offer.
While the new iPhone will be the star of the event, we're also expecting to see new versions of the Apple Watch and the Apple TV, both coming with some highly anticipated features. For an idea of what to expect on September 12, watch the video below and read the post for even more detail, but be warned: there are some serious spoilers here based on all of the rumors we've heard about Apple's plans so far.
It's been 10 years since the original iPhone was introduced, and to celebrate the anniversary of the device that changed the world, Apple has been working on a re-engineered iPhone that will dictate the next 10 years of smartphone development.
We started hearing the first rumors of a radically redesigned iPhone in early 2016. Hints of an OLED display came in March of 2016, and in May, Daring Fireball's John Gruber said it would feature an all-new form factor with an edge-to-edge display.
Apple tested more than 10 prototype devices while developing the new iPhone leading to considerable confusion over what we could expect, but over the last month or two, rumors have consolidated and given us a clear idea of what's coming.
The upcoming redesigned iPhone, which could be called the iPhone 8, the iPhone Pro, the iPhone Edition, or something else entirely, is expected to feature a 5.8-inch OLED display that's taller and slightly wider than the display of the iPhone 7 Plus, with rounded corners. It has super slim bezels around all sides, but there are no thicker bezels at the top or the bottom aside from a top "notch" that houses the front-facing camera and its accompanying sensors.
Hand in Hand is planning to host a live telethon on Tuesday, September 12 to raise additional money for hurricane relief efforts. Proceeds from the upcoming telethon will benefit the Rebuild Texas Fund, Feeding Texas, Save the Children, United Way, Habitat for Humanity, and DirectRelief.
Celebrities and performers like George Clooney, Matthew McConaughey, Justin Bieber, Beyonce, Stephen Colbert, Julia Roberts, Robert De Niro, Ellen DeGeneres, Drake, Jamie Foxx, Tom Hanks, Barbra Streisand, Oprah Winfrey, and more are set to make appearances during the telethon.
In addition to donating $5 million, Apple is also planning to allow Apple customers to donate to Hand in Hand through the App Store and iTunes as if often does in similar disaster situations.
"On behalf of everyone at Apple, our hearts go out to the millions of people whose lives have been disrupted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, and the many more still bracing for Irma's impact," said Apple's CEO Tim Cook. "We applaud Hand in Hand for bringing together people from all over the country to help one another at a time when so many desperately need it. In addition to Apple's direct contribution to the relief and recovery efforts, we're making it easy for anyone in the US to make their own donations to Hand in Hand through the App Store and iTunes."
Apple last week donated $2 million to the Red Cross to benefit those affected by Hurricane Harvey, and raised an additional $1 million through employee and iTunes donations.
Hurricane Harvey caused widespread flooding and destruction in Texas and Louisiana last week, while Hurricane Irma, now a category 4 storm, is forecasted to make landfall in Florida this weekend. Irma hit Puerto Rico and several Caribbean islands over the course of the week, with St. Martin, St. Barts, Anguilla, Barbuda, and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands seeing some of the worst devastation.
Apple today updated its official WWDC app to version 6.0.2, introducing a handful of bug fixes and bringing Handoff support for the app for the first time.
With Handoff, you can begin watching a video in the WWDC app and continue it on another iOS device or in the Safari browser on a Mac by tapping the Handoff icon as you would with any other Handoff interaction.
Along with Handoff support, the app introduces improved navigation on the Apple TV when swiping up and down, it makes sure previously downloaded videos remain available when switching between HD and SD, and it fixes an issue that caused previously downloaded videos to be lost when upgrading.
Apple's WWDC app is the official app for the Worldwide Developers Conference. It houses all of the WWDC videos from sessions that have been conducted over the years and allows them to be streamed on iOS devices and the Apple TV.
During conferences, it also provides times for sessions and labs, indoor event mapping, full schedules, and important news updates.
Today we've rounded up some of the past week's best deals that have come to Apple products, accessories, and apps, all of which are still alive at the time of writing. If you're looking for discounts on newer models of the MacBook Pro, B&H Photo has discounted special configurations of both the late 2016 models by up to $700, and the mid 2017 models by up to $200. These include MacBook Pros both with and without the Touch Bar. Check out more details in the lists below:
MacBook Pro
Late 2016
13-inch MacBook Pro: 2.0 GHz CPU, 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM, Intel Iris Graphics 540 - $1,199.00, down from $1,499.00
Although Force Friday II was last weekend, many of the toys sold during the promotion have already been discounted. B&H Photo has three of PROPEL's Star Wars-themed drones marked down by $20, including the T-65 X-Wing Star Fighter Quadcopter, TIE Advanced X1 Quadcopter, and 74-Z Speeder Bike Quadcopter. Each drone can be controlled by an iOS or Android smartphone and can fly with speeds of up to 35mph.
Best Buy has discounts on a few Apple accessories, including $10-$30 off a wide variety of Speck cases for the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. You can also get $50-$60 offselect Ultimate Ears Bluetooth speakers, including the UE Boom 2 and UE Megaboom. This brings the price of the speakers down to as low as $139.99 for the UE Boom 2, and $249.99 for the UE Megaboom. DailySteals has the smaller UE Roll 2 on sale for $54.99, down from $99.99.
Even cheaper than Speck's cases at Best Buy are two Insignia Hard Shell accessories: one for the 13-inch MacBook Air and one for the older model 13-inch MacBook Pro. Both cases are priced at $6.99, down from $34.99.
At Costco, iTunes gift cards are on sale for members only: get $20 off a $200 iTunes gift card, $10 off a $100 card, and $2.50 off a $25 card. The deal ends September 11, and the codes are delivered to your email.
Apps and Games
Along with the usual iOS app sales, this week The Humble Store has an End of Summer sale occurring with big sales on notable games that you can play on a compatible Mac computer via Steam. Some games taking part in the sale include The Walking Dead: Season 1 for free, down from $24.99; Alien: Isolation The Collection for $12.49, down from $49.99; Mad Max for $7.99, down from $19.99; Broken Age for $3.99, down from $19.99; and Gone Home for $5.99, down from $14.99.
Thousands of more games are on sale through September 21, although sales on certain games will end before that. At the top right of each game's page, you'll find a countdown clock that serves as a reminder of how long before that game's discount ends. Be sure to double check that the games are compatible with Mac by looking for the Apple logo in the "Platform" and "Operating System" fields on the bottom left of each page.
Some iOS apps on sale this week worth checking out include:
There are plenty more deals to discover, so visit our Deals Roundup for more discounts on Apple products and accessories, including a list of items marked down for Walmart's End of Summer Sale.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors
This week over on TouchArcade has been all about playing catch up after attending PAX West in Seattle. If you've never been to a PAX event, and are at all into any aspect of gamer culture, I promise you'll have a very good time there. Whether you're into card games, board games, video games, or any other form of gaming you'll find something there for you. It's really sort of incredible just how welcoming PAX events are, and how much there is to do. For our purposes, the show floor was packed with mobile games, even though mobile was by no means the star of the show.
We loved the original Reigns and have been closely following the development of its sequel, Reigns: Her Majesty. We got a walkthrough of the game with its creator, and the sequel is shaping up to be exactly what we wanted: More Reigns. This time around you play as a queen, there are loads more cards, and there's a zodiac system which puts a unique spin on every new play through. It sounds like there are many other secrets and discoveries to be made while playing, but they're keeping those things close to their chest until the game is released.
Hidden deep inside of the Square Enix booth at PAX was a playable version of Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition which we spent a good twenty minutes with. The game is everything we'd hoped it would be, and the first playable episode seems surprisingly one to one with the "full" console version of the game. All of the dialog is there, the quests seem the same, the level-up system feels identical, and overall it looks as if they're delivering on the promise of having a full-featured version of Final Fantasy XV for mobile. Details are still few and far between regarding when it'll specifically be released, but, it's going to be a premium episodic game with the first taste that we played given away for free.
Armello is a digital board game that has had a fascinating lifecycle so far. It was originally pitched as an iPad game back in 2011, but when the game was finally finished it ended up being released on Steam and consoles. The pivot to other platforms turned out incredibly well for developer League of Geeks, who have continued to release loads of additional content for the title. At PAX we experienced one of the things that's the most fun about covering mobile: When a developer just says, "Hey, check this out," and pulls a game out of their pocket. It'd seem Armello is finally on its way to iOS, even if it is a good six years late. The game has been received so well on other platforms, at this point I'm just excited to finally have it on my iPhone.
We saw tons more games at PAX, so if following upcoming iOS titles is something you're in to, check out our full roundup post for links to everything we saw.
For years now, it's felt like Wizards of the Coast has been struggling to figure out what to do with digital versions of Magic the Gathering. Magic Duels was the last attempt, and while we had overall positive first impressions, the game ended up with a unique problem: Due to design decisions and deck limitations, Duels ended up being too casual for hardcore Magic players and too hardcore for casual Magic players. It never seemed to find its audience, and support for the game was dropped this summer.
Yesterday, Wizards revealed Magic the Gathering Arena, which seems to double down on providing a "real" Magic experience while making a client that looks exponentially nicer than Magic Online. This hopefully should allow Wizards to regain some ground in the Twitch viewing and esports department that Hearthstone has stolen away. While the beta is currently only available on PC, they've stressed that it's built in Unity and will be coming to every platform that makes sense — making a Mac and mobile release feel unbelievably inevitable.
Speaking of Hearthstone and esports, this week Blizzard announced a brand new venue called the "Blizzard Arena" in Los Angeles which is said to be a "cutting-edge, live-event destination." There aren't a ton of details yet on what the Blizzard Arena is going to be like, but if nothing else it's pretty incredible that we're living in an age where video games are getting popular enough that companies are building entire stadiums to host their games being played as esports. If you thought this whole "esports" thing was a fad, well, this is one of the (many) nails in the coffin of that line of thinking.
In Pokemon Go news, Niantic is hinting at both Pokemon trading and peer to peer battling coming to the game. The interview with Bloomberg details the vision for the future of the game, which I've got to admit, sounds pretty awesome. That being said, while I realize the game is still very popular, I as well as everyone I know locally eventually ended up getting bored of it and stopped playing. I'd love to see a parallel universe where Pokemon Go had simply launched with all of these features they see in their "vision." I bet it would be significantly more popular than it is now, as Niantic allowed way too many people to get tired of the early game where there really wasn't anything else to do beyond wander around, catch Pokemon, and participate in gym battles.
A ton more happened this week in the world of mobile gaming, but most of my time was consumed with PAX. Definitely check out our PAX roundup, and for way more news, reviews, game releases, and everything else you'd ever need to follow along with iOS gaming be sure to visit TouchArcade!
For this week's giveaway, we've once again teamed up with BlackPods to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a pair of AirPods that have been painted black to better match darker devices. Our last BlackPods giveaway was one of the most popular we've done, so we thought we'd get a second pair of BlackPods out to one of you.
If you missed our first giveaway, BlackPods takes a set of Apple's AirPods and then paints them using a proprietary coating system that's been designed just for the AirPods. It uses a three-phase finishing procedure for a high-quality finish, and each pair of BlackPods is completed by hand and given a "rigorous" quality inspection.
BlackPods sells the BlackPods Classic in a high-gloss black finish, and the BlackPods Stealth in a matte satin finish. The company charges $279 for the BlackPods Classic, while the BlackPods Stealth are priced at $299. Apple's AirPods are normally priced at $159, so that's a $120 to $140 premium, but the finish is impeccable and is otherwise unobtainable.
Along with selling finished sets of painted AirPods, BlackPods also allows customers to send previously purchased AirPods for customization. The painting service costs $99 for glossy black and $119 for matte black. The process takes approximately 10 days and covers both the AirPods and the Case.
BlackPods are simply re-painted AirPods, so the functionality is the same as standard AirPods directly from Apple, with a W1 chip for simple pairing, long battery life, accelerometer-based ear detection, and gesture support.
We have one full set of BlackPods to give away to a MacRumors reader, with the winner able to choose either the Stealth or Classic finish. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner and send the prize. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
The contest will run from today (September 8) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on September 15. The winner will be chosen randomly on September 15 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.
Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced in March of 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.
Safari Technology Preview release 39a is a followup to Safari Technology Preview 39, which was released earlier this week but suffered from a crashing issue on launch on macOS High Sierra. The new update includes the same features with fixes and improvements for Beacon API, Directory Upload, Fetch API, Input Events, JavaScript, WebAssembly, WebRTC, Web Inspector, and Media.
With Safari 11 now available to developers through the macOS High Sierra beta, Apple is providing two versions of Safari Technology Preview, one for macOS Sierra users and one for those using macOS High Sierra.
Apple's aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
Western Digital recently introduced its newest SanDisk-branded backup product for iOS devices, the SanDisk iXpand Base, which combines nightly charging with backing up to make for an easy and intuitive way to protect your data.
The idea is to put the iXpand Base on your nightstand, plug it into the wall, and then plug your iPhone into the Lightning port at night. This charges the iPhone and allows it to transfer your photos, videos, and contacts to the Base for the purpose of backing up.
Design
The iXpand Base is a palm-sized tapered surface that's designed to serve as a sort of platform on which to rest your iPhone while it charges at night. The bottom of the base is made from aluminum, while the top is covered in a soft, textured rubber material that keeps the iPhone securely on its surface.
At the back, there's an SD card slot that houses an SD card where your backups are stored and there's a microUSB cable that is attached to a plug that provides power to the Base.
Spotify users on the service's Web Player have noticed that they can no longer listen to music in Apple's Safari browser, taking to Spotify's Community web page to discuss the incompatibility between Safari and Spotify's Web Player (via Mac Generation).
In a post published about the topic yesterday by user riegelstamm, it was pointed out that Spotify's system requirements page listed Safari 6 or higher as a supported browser for the Web Player. As of today, that same page has been updated and any mention of Safari has been removed, now only including Chrome 45+, Firefox 47+, Edge 14+, and Opera 32+.
When users visit the Spotify Web Player on Safari, they receive the message, "This browser doesn't support Spotify Web Player. Switch browsers or download Spotify for your desktop."
The same poster contacted Spotify customer support, which responded with a confirmation of Safari's removal from the Web Player's supported browser list.
"After taking a look backstage, we can confirm that after recent updates Safari is no longer a supported browser for Web Player. We're always testing things by adding or removing features to make Spotify better overall. We’re sorry that this means you’re not able to use the Web Player like you could before. We can't say if or when any specific features will be back. But as soon as we’ve got anything to announce, we’ll let everyone know via the Spotify Community. Sorry again for any inconvenience caused, and please let us know if there is anything else we can do for you.
Best wishes, Rollie Spotify Customer Support"
Riegelstamm further dug into the details of the Web Player, discovering that the discontinuing of Safari support might have something to do with Google's Widevine media optimizer plugin, which Spotify requires for music streaming on the web and Apple opposes due to potential security issues.
Instead, Spotify encourages users to download the compatible Mac app, or switch over to a supported browser. Although the lack of Safari support in the Web Player might be temporary, Spotify customer support told users that it "can't say if or when any specific features will be back."
Leading up to Apple's September 12 media event, the exact price tag of the upcoming iPhone 8 has been one of the biggest question marks surrounding the smartphone. The latest rumors describe a premium device that will start at $999 (64GB) in the United States, then rise to $1,099 (256GB), and cap at $1,199 (512GB), although of course none of these price points or storage configurations have been confirmed.
Recently, a team of Barclays analysts including Mark Moskowitz have theorized one potential solution for the device's premium price tag: Apple could debut an iPhone 8 bundle that packs in a year's worth of Apple Music and a 200GB iCloud subscription into the cost of the smartphone (via Business Insider). In the U.S., one year of Apple Music costs around $120 at $10/month (although Apple sells gift cards that knock the annual price down to $100/year), while a 200GB monthly iCloud subscription runs at $2.99/month, equating to around $36 each year.
Taken from the cost of the alleged "cheapest" iPhone 8 at $1,000, users would actually be paying about $844 for the smartphone and $156 for the bundled services, which the Barclays analysts said would be "more palatable." Barclays' prediction is based on a survey of wireless service customers (see results chart below), which found that Apple "might" sell around 40.3 million standalone iPhone 8 devices, but with the Apple Music/iCloud bundle that statistic could jump to 64.4 million iPhone 8 units sold.
"Barclays analyst Mark Moskowitz and his team think they have figured that out. Apple will offer free subscriptions to Apple Music and 200GB of iCloud storage for one year, a deal worth $156, to anyone who buys iPhone 8. That will bring the perceived cost of the phone back down to a more palatable $844.
While a bundle like this would be a logical move by Apple, locking iPhone 8 customers into the company's ever-growing services ecosystem, Barclays' report is just a prediction and has not yet been corroborated by any other sources as a potential launch plan. In the past, Barclays has gotten close at reporting the facts about unreleased products, but has missed some details. In November 2016, Barclays Research analysts predicted three new iPads would come in March 2017, including refreshed 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch versions and an all-new bezel-free 10.9-inch model.
In a separate report today by DigiTimes, Taiwanese supply chain sources have corroborated many of the current rumors surrounding the iPhone 8's pre-order date and price range. Taiwan is said to be "included in the first group of markets" where the iPhone 8, iPhone 7s, and iPhone 7s Plus will be made available for pre-order, with customers in Taiwan reportedly able to place their pre-order on September 15, the sources said. This date makes sense when looking back at the past five years of iPhone launch history.
Like previous reports, DigiTimes cites iPhone 8 prices at $999, $1,099, and $1,199 levels, with storage capacities of 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB, respectively. Samsung's monopoly of the OLED supply chain has been rumored as the explanation behind these high iPhone 8 prices. As is typical with new iPhones, the iPhone 8's launch is expected to be riddled with shortages and shipping delays, and could even ship sometime after the LCD iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s models.
Fortunately, we're only four days away from Apple's September 12 event, where the company will reveal more information about the iPhone 8, iPhone 7s, iPhone 7s Plus, 4K Apple TV, Apple Watch Series 3, and more.
Apple is facing an uphill struggle in its attempts to wean Chinese smartphone users off cheaper rival devices in a saturated mobile market, according to a new Bloomberg report.
With Apple gearing up to sell its most ambitious but most expensive iPhone yet, local competitors like Huawei, Oppo, and Xiaomi are already poised to compete by launching their own less expensive feature-packed devices around Apple's September 12 "iPhone 8" launch date.
Unofficial "iPhone 8" poster spotted in Chinese store (via Slashleaks)
While it sticks to a global template that's served it well, local vendors have become adept at technology design while tailoring phones to local tastes, such as with dual SIM capability. In a show of confidence, Huawei Technologies Co., Xiaomi Corp. and likely Vivo -- far from front-running or avoiding the iPhone the way movie studios juggle summer tentpoles -- are tackling the U.S. company head-on by timing new products around the publicity avalanche sure to engulf Apple’s Sept. 12 launch.
"The challenge comes from Vivo, Oppo and Huawei, they can replace Apple in high-end markets priced around $500, even as Apple remains dominant in the ultra high-end $600 plus segment," said Kiranjeet Kaur, an analyst with industry consultancy IDC. "We don't expect big growth as China's market is now very saturated. The biggest demand for the new iPhone will come from the replacement market."
Part of the problem is that many of the features Apple will debut in its so-called "iPhone 8", such as a full-screen display and wireless charging, are already available in some form to consumers in China, albeit at a much lower price point. Adding to the difficulty is that local vendors have become more skilled at efficient smartphone design and are particularly adept at tailoring smartphones to local preferences.
On the software side, the ubiquitous WeChat app has been described as the iPhone's "toughest rival" in the country. The app offers users an entire ecosystem where they can pay for services, text, call cabs, watch videos, play mobile games, and access cloud-based "mini programs", or apps that don't need to be downloaded to a device to be used. WeChat is said to have captured nearly 35 percent of each user's monthly smartphone usage time, averaging about 1 billion monthly active users in total.
Combined, these market factors make it increasingly difficult for Apple to prise away users from rival devices and platforms, which doesn't bode well in a market which the company has historically struggled to penetrate.
To counter these obstacles, Apple has previewed new features coming in iOS 11 that specifically cater to Chinese customers, such as QR code scanning with the native camera app, a keyboard that makes Chinese characters easier to input, and a new mapping app that shows traffic camera locations.
But with supply of new iPhones expected to be tight in the upcoming months, Apple's Chinese rivals may be seeing their best chance yet to lure buyers away with features aimed at local users, such as dual SIM devices that support multiple phone numbers, high capacity memory and storage, and advanced selfie cameras.
Apple and the iPhone have taken fourth place in China, behind Oppo, Vivo, and Huawei, according to market research firm Warren Captial, while in April Kantar Worldpanel's data noted that iOS dropped to its lowest share of the China smartphone market since 2014.
Canalys estimates Apple's Chinese smartphone shipments will grow by just 1.4 percent to 22.5 million units in the second half of 2017. Meanwhile, the upcoming OLED iPhone's rumored $1,000-plus price tag may end up pushing iOS fans toward local alternatives, "because even well-heeled buyers are price-sensitive", said Jia Mo, an analyst from Canalys.
Update: In a lengthy post last week, Neil Cybart at Above Avalon came to a different conclusion, arguing that consolidation in the Chinese smartphone market has seen top vendors increase their shares more at the expense of smaller Android vendors than Apple.
Cybart believes Apple's pricing premium in China means the company operates largely in a separate market from other manufacturers, and following the combination of expansion to China Mobile and the launch of the larger-screen iPhone 6 in 2014, it has been "much harder for Apple to find pockets of premium users in China ready to buy their first iPhone."
Fitbit has announced a new partnership with glucose monitoring device company Dexcom that is set to bring diabetes monitoring capabilities to the fitness tracker company's new Ionic smartwatch.
The deal initially means Ionic users will be able to connect a Dexcom device to the Fitbit app and seamlessly transfer up-to-date glucose level data to the smartwatch, making the information more easily accessible on their wrist.
"The collaboration between Dexcom and Fitbit is an important step in providing useful information to people with diabetes that is both convenient and discreet," said Kevin Sayer, President and CEO, Dexcom. "We believe that providing Dexcom CGM data on Fitbit Ionic, and making that experience available to users of both Android and iOS devices, will have a positive impact on the way people manage their diabetes."
There's nothing in the partnership to suggest the Ionic smartwatch will be able to give continuous glucose monitoring readouts on its own when it's released next month – current continuous glucose monitoring systems require a small sensor that's worn under the skin to monitor glucose levels – but Fitbit shares jumped 13 percent on the news, a high for the company since January, when it laid off some of its employees and announced its smartwatch plans.
Dexcom also has a deal with Apple to bring its features to the Apple Watch this year, while owners of Dexcom monitors can already view their glucose data on an Apple Watch – advanced devices by Dexcom include a transmitter, which can display glucose information directly to an iPhone app.
Apple is thought to be working on a non-invasive real-time glucose monitor for a future version of Apple Watch. In April, a CNBC report suggested Apple had a team of biomedical engineers working to develop sensors for non-invasively monitoring blood glucose, with work on the sensors far enough along that the company had started conducting feasibility trials.
Apple CEO Tim Cook was reportedly spotted in May testing a prototype glucose monitor that's connected to his Apple Watch. Cook, who is said to be aiming to understand how his blood sugar is affected by food and exercise, has been seen wearing the device around the Apple Campus.
Spotify has announced its first live music event in the U.K., just days after Apple axed its own annual London music festival (via The Verge).
Called "Who We Be", the event is scheduled to take place at London's Alexandra Palace on November 30 and will have a rap and grime theme, with a line-up featuring the likes of Dizzee Rascal, Bugzy Malone, Cardi B, Giggs, J Has, and Stefflon Don.
The festival gets its name from Spotify's curated Who We Be playlist, which has a 140,000-strong following. Subscribers to the playlist can take advantage of a pre-sale ticker offer that starts on Saturday 9, while general ticket sales begin on Monday 11. Tickets can be ordered from Spotify's event website.
Apple's Music Festival had a decade-long run before it was confirmed that the company had decided to bring the tradition to an end. The free annual concert's performances had been broadcast live and on-demand through Apple Music since 2015. Apple provided no reason for ending the annual festival nor any indication that it will return anytime soon.
Apple today updated its official WWDC app to version 6.0.2, introducing a handful of bug fixes and bringing Handoff support for the app for the first time.
Apple today 
