MacRumors

Last November it was reported that Apple was working with suppliers to "fully redesign" many of the MacBook's internal components to achieve a slimmer design. Today, DigiTimes reports one of those redesigns is a move to metal injection mold-made hinges.

Metal injection molding is a metalworking process that's used to create very small metal pieces that are typically used by Apple for the internals of products like iPhone and Apple Watch. Apple is looking to use the technology for its MacBook hinges to save space and achieve an "ultra-thin" design, according to DigiTimes.

The new hinges will be supplied by Amphenol, who claims to produce some of the thinnest sliding hinges in the world on its website. The company partners with Microsoft to produce the parts for the hinges on the Microsoft Surface 4.

While DigiTimes has a mixed track record reporting Apple's future plans, the report does corroborate an earlier report that Apple was working toward a slimmer MacBook, likely scheduled for release after WWDC 2016. However, it's unclear which MacBook lineup these reports are referring to. Apple's refreshed MacBook is expected to include faster Skylake processors and Thunderbolt 3 with USB-C.

Samsung Display Co. will begin supplying Apple with OLED display panels starting in 2017, reports The Korea Herald. According to the terms of the deal, which is worth $2.59 billion, Samsung will provide Apple with 100 million units of 5.5-inch OLED panels on an annual basis.

OLED panels eliminate the need for the backlighting used in traditional LCDs, potentially allowing Apple to cut down on the thickness and bezels of its iOS devices. OLED displays can also provide sharper images and brighter colors than LCD displays, but higher manufacturing costs and shorter lifespans are obstacles that Apple will need to overcome.

Rumors suggesting Apple and Samsung were close to establishing a partnership for OLED panels first surfaced in January, when Reuters reported Apple was seeking deals with both Samsung and LG Display. Later rumors indicated Samsung plans to invest up to $7.47 billion in OLED manufacturing equipment to fulfill orders for Apple. Apple may also plan to source additional panels from LG Display, AU Optronics, or Japan Display, three other display companies it has pursued deals with.

Early rumors said Apple would adopt OLED displays in 2018, but more recent information suggests that timeline has been pushed up. Apple is now rumored to be aiming to introduce the first iPhones with OLED displays in 2017.

A rumor from reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and information from DigiTimes have suggested Apple plans to use 5.8-inch OLED displays for the larger-screened iPhone in 2017, perhaps for a wraparound display paired with a curved glass casing, but this information does not match up with today's report suggesting Apple has signed a deal for 5.5-inch panels.

According to Kuo, the 2017 iPhone will see a major design overhaul, which, if true, would see Apple breaking away from its traditional two-year upgrade cycle that includes a major redesign followed by a more minor internal update. Under that upgrade cycle, the 2016 iPhone would be the phone seeing a redesign, while the 2017 iPhone would feature the same design introduced in 2016.

Instead, Kuo believes 2017 will see Apple introducing a glass-backed device that includes wireless charging and biometric recognitions along with the aforementioned curved glass display and curved casing.

Update: The Korea Herald has pulled its original story and replaced it with a new one claiming Samsung is merely considering a deal with Apple.

Apple has assembled a secret team dedicated to exploring potential changes that could be made to the App Store, reports Bloomberg. Among the features being considered is an option that would allow developers to pay a fee to have their apps "more prominently displayed," perhaps at the top of a list of search results. Changes to "improve the way" customers browse in the App Store are also under consideration.

Among the ideas being pursued, Apple is considering paid search, a Google-like model in which companies would pay to have their app shown at the top of search results based on what a customer is seeking. For instance, a game developer could pay to have its program shown when somebody looks for "football game," "word puzzle" or "blackjack."

Apple is said to have approximately 100 employees working on its App Store project under vice president and former iAd leader Todd Terisi, including engineers who formerly worked on the iAd team. According to sources who spoke to Bloomberg, the search team is relatively new and it is not yet known if and when changes will be introduced to the App Store.

News of work on App Store changes comes four months after Apple made a significant change to App Store leadership, bringing it under the umbrella of Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller instead of iTunes chief Eddy Cue.

App discovery has long been an issue in Apple's App Store. With upwards of 1.8 million apps available in the App Store, it is difficult for users to discover content that isn't available via Apple's featured section or through Top Charts, which often favor big name developers able to spend a lot of money on advertising. Paid discovery via search offers another avenue to help customers find new apps, but it is unlikely to be popular with many of the independent developers that struggle to get their apps noticed.

Apple's last major change to the App Store came in November, introducing significant improvements to App Store search algorithms to return more relevant, intelligent results.

With the launch of the Apple Watch and the fourth-generation Apple TV, Apple debuted two new operating systems -- watchOS and tvOS -- both of which share a common naming scheme with iOS, the operating system that runs on iPhones and iPads.

Apple's unified naming system has led to speculation that OS X, the operating system for the Mac, is due for a name change to MacOS, bringing it in line with watchOS, tvOS, and iOS. Apple won't unveil the name of the next-generation Mac operating system until its 2016 Worldwide Developers Conference, but a new update to the company's website suggests MacOS is on the minds of Apple employees and a candidate for the name of the next upgrade.

On a webpage that was updated this morning to share Apple's most recent environmental report, a Frequently Asked Questions section makes a mention of "MacOS." When discussing power consumption of products, MacOS is listed alongside tvOS, iOS, and watchOS.

To model customer use, we measure the power consumed by a product while it is running in a simulated scenario. Daily usage patterns are specific to each product and are a mixture of actual and modeled customer use data. Years of use, which are based on first owners, are assumed to be four years for MacOS and tvOS devices and three years for iOS and watchOS devices.

A mention of "MacOS" was also found buried Library files in OS X 10.11.4 in late March, but the file, "FUFlightViewController_macOS.nib," has been present in the Mac operating system since August of 2015, a month before the public launch of OS X El Capitan.

If Apple does make the switch from "OS X" to "MacOS," it is not clear if the company will stick with naming each iteration after California landmarks, a tradition that started with OS X Mavericks in 2013. Prior to that date, Mac updates were named after large cats, but since then, we've seen OS X Mavericks, OS X Yosemite, and OS X El Capitan. With tvOS, watchOS, and iOS, operating system upgrades follow a number-based naming scheme, with the current versions being tvOS 9.2, watchOS 2.2, and iOS 9.3.1.

Apple is expected to unveil the next version of its Mac operating system, OS X 10.12, at its 2016 Worldwide Developers Conference, which will likely be held from June 13 to June 17. Little is known about OS X 10.12 at this time, but it may be a more significant update than OS X 10.11, introducing Siri support for the Mac for the first time.

Update: Apple has now removed the reference to "MacOS" in its environmental report and replaced it with "OS X".

In January, Samsung announced plans to add iOS support to its Gear S2 Smart Watch, and it appears work on an iOS app is well underway. Screenshots of a beta Gear S2 app designed for iOS devices have been shared on the XDA forums, giving us a first look at the design of the app and the features that will be available.

XDA forum members have also been able to download the test app and have provided details on its functionality. The Gear S2 iOS app will be able to deliver notifications to the smart watch, and it will be able to install and manage apps from the Gear store on the device. According to testers, while the Gear S2 can receive notifications from the iPhone, replies are not currently possible, and the Samsung Gear S2 Lite app has to be running in the background for the connection between the watch and the app to be maintained.

The app appears to be in the developmental stages and Samsung has given no hints on when it plans to introduce a finished iOS app for the Gear S2. When the news was first announced, Samsung's only timeline was "later in the year."

Currently, the Gear S2, which runs the Samsung Tizen operating system, is only compatible with Samsung smartphones, but when the iOS app is released, the Gear S2 will be able to compete with the Apple Watch on Apple's own platform.

Introduced in August of 2015, the Gear S2 is Samsung's latest smart watch and the first to ship with a round display. While the first versions of the Gear S2 were originally only available in black or silver with matching rubber bands, Samsung introduced higher-end 18-karat rose gold and platinum plated versions to better compete with the more expensive Apple Watch models.

With Earth Day just over a week away, Apple has begun an initiative wherein users can help raise money for the World Wildlife Fund by making purchases within specially designated apps. Running from now until April 24 (two days after Earth Day), all proceeds collected from participating apps will go to the WWF, which is the world's leading conservation organization with aims to protect natural resources -- from forests and oceans to wildlife and food -- through innovative, global solutions.

Some of the apps joining in on the fundraiser include Angry Birds 2 [Direct Link], Hearthstone [Direct Link], VSCO [Direct Link], Trivia Crack [Direct Link], and several dozen more. In addition to the Apps for Earth promotion, the company has thematically changed the entire front-end of the App Store with multiple environmentally conscious messages and themed categories.

WWF is proud to be part of Apps for Earth, helping protect the planet, one app at a time. Through April 24 only, when you download WWF Together and purchase Earth’s story, 100% of proceeds go to WWF. In addition to 16 free stories of amazing animals, you’ll experience a 360-panoramic image of Earth from space on iPhone, play with digital water, and take and share a photo with the origami planet as part of #AppsforEarth.

Many of the apps have been updated to reflect the partnership with Apple and WWF, but some are also including exclusive content in addition to raising money for the organization. Popular camera app VSCO, for example, is introducing a limited edition WWF preset that "subtly enhances natural settings, and is ideal for landscapes & wildlife." Angry Birds 2 is also introducing a special level and spell into its campaign with an ocean conservation theme.

For more information on the work achieved by the World Wildlife Fund, check out its official website. More details on Apple's own participation in environmental protection is available on its website, as well.

Motor Trend has published an in-depth article, roundtable video, and spin-off posts that offer a speculative look at the design and features of the so-called "Apple Car." The renders, which are completely imaginative, were designed by industrial designer Garrett DeBry and rendered by creative studio Mind Over Eye.

While the article is headlined "Apple Car exclusive," most of the information and images are purely speculative and based on the fanciful vision of a group of automotive enthusiasts. In fact, the design looks largely based on the look and feel of the latest iPhones and iPads, right down to the matching gold color.

The car features a tinted glass windshield and roof with a boxy frame and Apple logos emblazoned on the front, back, and all four wheels. The taillights appear to be one consolidated line of red dotted lights, while the rear wheels have fender skirts that provide further aerodynamic emphasis from the rear bumper forward.

The renders highlight thirteen fun but certainly questionable features, such as a 360-degree augmented reality experience, wireless charging, proximity sensing and wearable technologies, Tesla Model X-like "Falcon Wing" doors, indirect and ambient lighting, and a color-coded light strip that can double as a turn signal.

With few concrete details known about the Apple Car, these images are purely conceptual and, unsurprisingly, should not be interpreted as factual. Dozens of similar mockups are just one Google Images search away, and each offer a fun but likely mostly fanatical vision of Apple's much-rumored electric vehicle.

Multiple sources have indicated that the Apple Car could be finalized by 2019 or 2020, but a more precise timeframe remains unclear due to possible internal setbacks and other unforeseen circumstances. Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently called the Apple Car an "open secret," as his company aims to begin fulfilling more than 325,000 pre-orders for its lower-priced Model 3 by late 2017.

With the Apple Watch 2 expected to launch in the second half of 2016, supply chain informant DigiTimes reports that Samsung and other overseas manufacturers have secured component orders for the next-generation device.

Taiwan-based Advanced Semiconductor Engineering will fulfill the majority of system-on-a-chip production, while Amkor Technology and STATS ChipPAC will share a portion of remaining orders, according to the report.

Meanwhile, additional Taiwanese supplier Kinsus Interconnect Technology is said to have secured Apple Watch 2 substrate orders, and Samsung Electronics will reportedly fabricate the Apple Watch 2's processor, consisting of mobile DRAM, NAND flash, and other chips. Both Kinsus and Samsung provide components for the original Apple Watch, which is powered by Apple's custom-designed S1 chip.

Previous reports indicated that Quanta Computer will likely remain the key Apple Watch 2 manufacturer. The supplier reportedly began trial production of the second-generation watch in January, in time for a purported late-second-quarter launch around June. Volume shipments were said to begin in the third quarter, which could be any point between early July and late September.

Opportunities for Apple to introduce a second-generation Apple Watch include its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, or its annual iPhone introduction event in September. The original Apple Watch was announced in early September 2014 and released in late April 2015, suggesting an elongated 14 to 19 month release cycle between models that may help avoid consumer exhaustion.

Apple analyst Brian White recently speculated that a 20% to 40% thinner Apple Watch 2 could be unveiled by June, possibly at WWDC, but his track record at reporting on Apple's upcoming plans is far from perfect. More reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that the Apple Watch 2 will enter mass production in the third quarter of 2016, in line with a fall launch alongside the iPhone 7.

Few details are known about the Apple Watch 2 beyond a June 2015 report that said it will feature a FaceTime video camera and expanded Wi-Fi capabilities, while new bands and finishes are always a possibility. Kuo believes the Apple Watch 2 will feature mostly internal improvements, and possibly minor form factor changes, with a more complete redesign of the device not arriving until 2017.