MacRumors

Following rumors suggesting the next-generation MacBook Pro will feature an OLED touch panel that replaces the function keys, designer Martin Hajek has created some renderings imagining what such a MacBook Pro might look like.

Hajek's design incorporates some recent information indicating the touch panel on the MacBook Pro could be contextual, with icons and imagery that changes based on the app that's in use. Hajek imagines music controls when Spotify is open, which morph into a download monitor when using Transmission.

Also included in the images is an example of Siri on the Mac, with the colorful Siri waveform depicted on the touch panel. Siri for Mac is rumored to be one of the main features coming in OS X 10.12, set to debut on Monday. Not pictured is a Touch ID button, a feature also expected to be included on or alongside the panel.

In addition to an OLED touch panel, Apple's next-generation MacBook Pro, which will come in 13 and 15-inch sizes, is expected to be thinner, incorporating metal injection mold-made hinges, thin speakers at the sides of the machine, and USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 3 support.

As has been seen in a leaked chassis image, the OLED panel will be located at the top of the keyboard, where the function keys would normally be positioned. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said the upcoming MacBook Pro will feature "the most significant upgrade ever undertaken by Apple."

We don't yet know when the new MacBook Pro will launch, but Kuo has said he expects it to debut in the fourth quarter of 2016.

Make sure to check out Hajek's website for the full selection of concept images.

With only three months to go until the launch of the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus, case makers have already started creating cases for the two devices based on rumored specifications. We were able to get our hands on a set of iPhone 7 cases, so we did a comparison video to see how it measures up to the iPhone 6.

Early iPhone cases are always built on specifications gleaned from rumors, supply chain information, and other third-party sources, and oftentimes, they're an accurate representation of what we can expect a next-generation iPhone to look like.

Cases aren't always spot on because they're only as precise as the information they've been built on, but these iPhone 7 cases match with almost all of the rumors we've heard about the iPhone 7 so far.

As can be seen in the video, the iPhone 7 case fits well on an iPhone 6s, in line with myriad rumors pointing towards only minor changes for the 2016 iPhone. When it comes to size and thickness, the iPhone 7 is going to be almost identical to the iPhone 6s, with some minor antenna band changes. The mute switch, the volume buttons, and the power button on the iPhone 6s fit perfectly into the iPhone 7 case.

The iPhone 7 case does not fit the iPhone 6s camera, with a lower, wider, and tapered camera cutout. Schematics of the iPhone 7 have depicted a larger camera, presumably to accommodate an improved sensor, so we will see some design changes in the camera area. Rumors have widely focused on the dual-camera in the iPhone 7 Plus, but we expect the iPhone 7 will also be getting some significant camera improvements.

At the bottom of the case, there are cutouts for two speakers and no cutout for the headphone jack. Apple will be removing the headphone jack in the iPhone 7, but whether or not the space will be filled with a second speaker is contested. Some rumors suggest dual speakers for stereo audio, but others say the iPhone 7 will continue to sport a single speaker.

Other design changes rumored for the iPhone 7 include repositioned antenna bands, with the removal of the bands that span across the back of the device, and the possibility of improved water resistance. Inside, we expect the iPhone 7 to have an A10 processor and 2GB RAM.

You probably noticed that the cases in our video are sporting a MacRumors logo. That's because we ordered hundreds of iPhone 7 cases in anticipation of giving them away as part of a new optional membership program that we're launching in the near future. Want one? Sign up for our interest list to be the first to hear about the upcoming membership because we'll be sending them to early subscribers.

Don’t worry, all current MacRumors content and coverage will remain free. Membership will offer added incentives and bonuses to our most loyal readers.

Amid rumors suggesting Apple will remove the headphone jack in upcoming the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, Lenovo-owned Motorola today announced the Moto Z and the Z Force, two new smartphones that eschew headphone jacks in favor of an ultra-thin design.

Sans headphone jack, Motorola has managed to shrink the Moto Z down to 5.19mm thick, while the Z Force, Motorola's more powerful smartphone, measures in at 6.9mm thick. Instead of a headphone jack, both devices feature a single USB-C port which will require a USB-C to 3.5mm jack adapter to use with existing headphones with a 3.5mm headphone plug.

Smaller smartphone companies like LeEco have previously eliminated headphone jacks in their devices, but Motorola is the first major manufacturer to do so, signaling the first significant industry shift away from the headphone jack. We're also seeing headphone companies like Audeze and Bose fully embracing both wireless headphones and Lightning-connected headphones as technology abandons the 3.5mm jack.

Apple plans to remove the headphone jack in the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, positioning the Lightning port, rather than a USB-C connector, as an all-in-one solution for both charging and listening to music with wired headphones.

With the iPhone 7 and beyond, users will need wireless headphones, headphones with a Lightning connector, or a Lightning-to-3.5mm jack adapter, which have already begun surfacing. The switch to Lightning looks like nothing more than an inconvenience on the surface, but as we outlined in a recent video, there are benefits in the form of a potential boost to audio quality.

To make the transition easier for customers, Apple is rumored to be working on Lightning-connected EarPods that could perhaps ship with the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, as well as Bluetooth-enabled wire-free earbuds similar to the Bragi Dash.

Curiously, while Lenovo removed the headphone jack from the Moto Z and the Z Force to cut down on thickness, rumors have suggested Apple's iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be similar in thickness to the iPhone 6s, so it is not clear what Apple will do with the extra space freed up by the removal of the jack.

Conflicting information points towards the possibility of a second speaker for stereo sound, but rumors are torn on whether or not an additional speaker will be included. A larger battery could also fill the extra space, or new as-of-yet unknown hardware.

Ahead of Apple's WWDC 2016 keynote next Monday, June 13 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, Siri is now offering up some traditionally witty responses to users that ask about potential announcements. iPhone users can test Siri themselves by asking "what to expect at WWDC?" or similar questions.

All of Siri's responses are unsurprisingly vague, including one related to the popular HBO drama series Game of Thrones. Each response includes a link to Apple's WWDC website, which provides a schedule of events and other details about the weeklong developer conference at Moscone West in San Francisco.

Siri previously revealed that WWDC 2016 would be held on June 13-17, prior to any official announcement, and offered similar "give us a hint" responses leading up to its September 2015 media event last year.

As is usual, Apple is expected to unveil the latest versions of its iOS and OS X operating systems for iPhone and Mac respectively at WWDC 2016.

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Although rumors surrounding Apple's electric car project began intensifying after the vehicle's development sped up last September, a new report out of The Guardian looks back before all of the current hubbub began, at the "secret car" that became of special interest to former Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Called the V-Vehicle and created by industrial designer Bryan Thompson, Jobs flew the designer out to San Francisco in 2010 to discuss Thompson's plans for the car, and pick his brain on the status of the automotive industry as a whole.

Thompson and his team created the V-Vehicle with the goal of constructing a disruptive force in the car industry with "a lightweight, petroleum-powered car that used cheaper materials and could sell for just $14,000." They had been working on it for two years when Jobs became interested in their progress, and invited Thompson to his home in Palo Alto to see it for himself.

According to Thompson, within their fifteen minutes together -- Jobs sitting in the driver side and Thompson in the passenger side -- he "learned more about plastics than in his years in design school and auto industry combined." The former Apple CEO discussed his thoughts on the V-Vehicle, focusing a lot of his time on the materials of its body, which were made of polypropylene and glass fibre. The results were a car that was 40 percent lighter than a normal steel-made vehicle, not to mention would cost 70 percent less capital to produce.

Jobs told Thompson to think about emphasizing the plastic rather than disguising it. “Let the material be honest,” he said, noting the dashboard, which was made of fibre-wood, a composite of synthetic resin and wood pulp. He suggested it would look better designed as one piece that “evoked a sense of high precision” – an idea Jobs often returned to with Apple’s chief design officer Jonathan Ive.

Jobs continued to tip Thompson to take another look at the V-Vehicle's interior, telling him that "a taut surface has a sense that it's full of energy, like an animal ready to pounce. It's a subconscious thing that gives the product an impression of high quality and confidence." Thompson took Jobs' advice to heart and immediately began reworking a few subtle design changes in the car's interior on his flight back home.

Despite the V-Vehicle's potential for success, the business ultimately failed after venture funding evaporated and long-term plans for subsidized manufacturing plants failed due to tighter state budgets. Eventually, Thompson's designs were bought by LCV Capital Management in 2015, and V-Vehicle was renamed Next Autoworks, with a renewed plan to build the car in Italy.

Steve Jobs was said to have passed on building a car in 2008 to focus on the recently launched iPhone, although the former CEO remained interested in the vehicle project throughout the years. Rumors that have ultimately pegged the Apple Car for a 2020 launch began in early 2015, when mysterious vans linked to Apple began being spotted driving around Northern California.

Those were in fact related to a mapping project, as Apple confirmed later, but the media interest in the potential for an Apple-made vehicle continued to fuel rumors surrounding a car that could potentially "give Tesla a run for its money."

Now, some of Steve Jobs' hopes for the V-Vehicle might be coming to fruition, including Apple's rumored talks to use BMW's i3 as a basis for Project Titan, which would fall in line with Jobs' appreciation of a precise, lightweight unibody material thanks to its carbon fiber outer shell. Those talks reportedly didn't end in an inked deal, but could "resume at a later stage," according to sources within BMW.

You can read The Guardian's full story on the meeting between Steve Jobs and Bryan Thompson.

Because iOS, watchOS, and tvOS all share a common naming scheme, there's been some speculation that OS X, the operating system for Macs, could see a name change to "MacOS" at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference.

Earlier this year, Apple referenced "MacOS" in an environmental website update, and today the company has made the same gaffe on a developer FAQ page outlining new App Store revenue sharing policies, again raising the question of whether a name change is on the horizon.

In a section on when the new revenue split goes into effect, Apple references the types of apps that are eligible, listing iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS.

Unlike the first time "MacOS" was spotted on the Apple website, the iTunes Connect mention uses "macOS" with a lowercase "m" that better fits with the lower case letters used in iOS, watchOS, and tvOS.

It continues to be unknown if the macOS mention is a mistake made because of the naming of Apple's other operating systems or an error made because of an imminent name change planned for OS X.

If Apple is planning to switch from "OS X" to "macOS" or "MacOS," it is not clear if the company will continue on with naming each iteration after California landmarks, a tradition that started with OS X Mavericks in 2013. tvOS, watchOS, and iOS operating system upgrades follow a number-based naming scheme.

We don't have long to wait to find out if there's a naming change in store for Apple's Mac-based operating system. The Worldwide Developers Conference is set to kick off next Monday with a keynote event that will take place at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

Update: Apple has updated the page to change "macOS" to "OS X."

Luxury device manufacturer Feld & Volk is known for ripping the internals out of iPhones and building new enclosures for them from a range of high-quality materials, and now the company is doing the same thing with the Apple Watch.

Feld & Volk extracted the components of the Apple Watch and built a unique carbon fiber Apple Watch body from the ground up, for a line of Apple Watches unlike anything Apple is able to offer. Ahead of the launch of its new carbon fiber Apple Watch, Feld & Volk invited us to take a closer look at the device, so MacRumors videographer Matt did a hands-on video to show off its construction and build quality.

As can be seen in the video, the carbon fiber enclosure of the Apple Watch has been built with precision, incorporating a custom carbon fiber side button in addition to leaving the heart rate sensor and Digital Crown functional and accessible. The cutouts for the microphone and speaker have also been added to the body, so this works just like a regular Apple Watch.

Because it's a custom designed body, Feld & Volk's carbon fiber Apple Watch is not compatible with standard Apple Watch bands. Instead, it is designed to work with traditional watch bands, so it still offers a wide range of band options. A rubber band with a matching clasp customizable with initials will ship with each carbon fiber Apple Watch, and an additional band of alligator leather, textile, or resin will also be included, varying by model.

Feld & Volk plans to officially launch its carbon fiber Apple Watch in the near future, but disassembling the Apple Watch and putting it into a new body doesn't come cheap -- these watches will retail for upwards of $5,000. Along with the carbon fiber Apple Watch shown off in the video, Feld & Volk also plans to release custom enclosures made from brass/carbon and wood, with each new custom Apple Watch available in 38 and 42mm size options.

The Feld & Volk watches will be available later this month at French luxury boutique Collette and from the Feld & Volk website.

Note: Feld & Volk loaned a carbon fiber Apple Watch to MacRumors free of charge for the purposes of this video. No other compensation was received and the watch was returned at the conclusion of filming.