MacRumors

As Apple prepares to unveil the iPhone 6 and its much-rumored iWatch at its September 9 event, TechCrunch reports that the Cupertino company has once again booked a high amount of shipping space out of China. The company's shipping volume is reportedly so high that it's begun displacing competitors' attempts at shipping during the fall.

Apple shipments via major concerns like FedEx and UPS are said to be ‘unprecedented’ for the holiday quarter, pointing to a massive number of iPhones and whatever other devices Apple announces for the fall season. The company is apparently flooding its channels with devices, causing shipments for other ‘top tier’ device makers to be delayed to make way for Apple products.

Competing manufacturers have apparently been told by shipping companies that they cannot fulfill their deadlines because they were being booked by a "very important customer", which is likely to be Apple.

Last year, a report indicated that Apple begins moving new iPhones from Foxconn and Pegatron factories to distribution centers around the world through shipping companies with extra security detail. Once they're in distribution centers, Apple begins managing the flow of the devices to the people who want them based on device color and size.

Such impact on the shipping industry is not unusual for Apple, as MacRumors reported in 2012 that Apple had been buying up shipping space in high volume in advance of the launch of the iPad 3, also moving them to distribution centers around the world before its official launch while leaving competitors to scramble for cargo space.

Ahead of Apple's September 9 event, it's highly likely iPhone 6 models are stealthily being moved across the world, ready for deployment as soon as orders begin. MacRumors has heard that shipments are indeed beginning now for staging in the United States.

(Photo courtesy of Alan Radecki)

Popular drugstores Walgreens and CVS are expected to partner with Apple on its upcoming mobile payments initiative, accepting purchases made with the company's new iPhone payment system, reports Re/code.

CVS and Walgreens are expected to accept purchases made with the new iPhone payment system, details of which Apple plans to announce Tuesday, according to a person briefed on the plans. With more than 15,000 locations combined, acceptance by the two chains will give Apple a huge footprint if all of their stores are involved.

Earlier this week, Apple was rumored to be partnering with retailer Nordstrom, leading to fears that its upcoming payments service would be limited to higher-end retailers, but it appears that Apple will also be aiming to sign deals with stores people visit regularly. As noted by Re/code, getting stores that people frequent on board could lead to quick acceptance of the new mobile payment service.

Re/code's report also divulges some information on how the system might work, allowing shoppers to "wave or tap" their iPhones at checkout terminals. The service is said to work over NFC, transmitting payment information from the phone when the device is near the store's checkout area. NFC may, however, be supplemented by other wireless technologies, and Touch ID is expected to be integrated into the system for added security.

Sources caution that Apple's payment system may in some cases employ additional wireless technologies either in conjunction with, or in place of, NFC. The new payment method will also likely include the use of fingerprint identification already available on the latest iPhones as an added security measure.

In addition to inking deals with various retailers to support the system, Apple has also established deals with major credit card companies Visa, MasterCard, and American Express, as well as credit card issuers.

Apple is expected to unveil its mobile payments service on Tuesday, along with the iPhone 6 and its much-anticipated wearable device. Both the iWatch and the iPhone 6 are said to play an important role in the new mobile payment service, as the two devices are rumored to include support for NFC.

Designer Marc Newson is joining Apple, under the leadership of design head Jony Ive, reports Vanity Fair. Newson is a well-known industrial designer who has created a range of items for luxury retailers, and his work has even been shown off at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Newson has created everything from furniture to eye glasses, and he has been described by Vanity Fair as having a "love of color and of sensual curves," with his work taking on a "futuristic, vaguely Jetson-like flair."

Newson is a longtime close friend of Jony Ive, and the two have collaborated in the past. Last year, Ive and Newson teamed up to create a range of products for an auction to benefit Product (RED), including an aluminum desk, a Leica camera, and a set of solid gold EarPods, among other items.

"Marc is without question one of the most influential designers of this generation," Ive said in a statement provided to VF Daily. "He is extraordinarily talented. We are particularly excited to formalize our collaboration as we enjoy working together so much and have found our partnership so effective."

According to the report, Newson will continue to be based in the United Kingdom, but will make frequent trips to the company's Cupertino headquarters. Newson is also said to have collaborated on some designs for Apple earlier this year, before joining the company.

In an interview last year, Ive commented on working with Newson, noting that both men are "fanatical" when it comes to paying attention to small details. In the same interview, Newson said that both he and Ive are perfectionists. "You discover that very few people have the level of perfection we do. It is actually very sick. It is neurotic."

While Newson will work under Ive, it is unclear which specific projects he will take on. When asked if he would work on the iWatch, Apple declined to comment.

Ahead of the expected debut of Apple's wearable at Tuesday's media event, Jessica Lessin of The Information (via Business Insider) has shared some hints on what the device's battery life might be like. According to her report, employees familiar with the device have "set low expectations" for its battery life.

Lessin did not give details on how long the iWatch's battery might last, but past rumors have suggested that battery life was one of the main areas Apple was struggling with during the device's development.

In the build-up to the new Apple Watch, it is easy to get seduced by the rumored features. Curved screen! Wireless charging! Jony Ive thinks it's slick!

But--and I hate to burst everyone's bubble here--the appeal of the world's most highly anticipated wearable computer is going to come down to something a lot more mundane: battery life.

News of battery life issues first surfaced in March of 2013, suggesting iWatch prototypes had been seeing poor battery life, in the range of a day or two. At the time, Apple was said to be aiming for four to five days before charging, but it's unknown if the company managed to hit that goal.

In light of battery issues, Apple explored several different charging technologies for the device, including solar charging, motion charging, and wireless charging. Solar charging was a bust, but according to rumors, the final device will ship with wireless charging capabilities, which could help to reduce the burden of frequent charges.

With just four days to go until Apple's wearable device is unveiled, rumors have been picking up. Recent information for the iWatch points towards two display sizes, a curved OLED display, a range of band options, a multitude of high-quality sensors, and NFC support, in addition to the aforementioned wireless charging.

Though we expect to see the iWatch at Apple's upcoming iPhone 6 event, many reputable sources have suggested the device won't ship to consumers until early 2015.

As the launch of the iPhone 6 approaches, Apple continues to hold its title as the number one handset manufacturer among consumers in the United States, making significant gains in share during the three month period ending in July.

According to ComScore's latest numbers, the iPhone had a 42.4 percent share of the market, up from 41.4 percent in April. Samsung also saw small gains, jumping to 28.4 percent from 27.7 percent in April. Meanwhile, LG, Motorola, and HTC lost share, a trend that's been ongoing for several months.

While Apple is the top handset maker, iOS has always fallen behind Android when it comes to operating system share, due to the large number of Android-based phones on the market. Apple did make headway during the July period, however, as Android lost share, dropping to 51.5 percent from 52.5 percent during the April period. iOS, meanwhile, jumped from 41.4 percent share to 42.4 percent share.

iOS is the only platform that continues to gain significant ground, with BlackBerry and Symbian losing share while Microsoft gained 0.3 percentage points.

It will be interesting to watch ComScore's numbers in the coming months, as Apple may see gains in both handset and operating system share. The company is preparing to launch the iPhone 6, which will offer larger displays of 4.7 and 5.5-inches. Display size has been one of the major features differentiating the iPhone from larger Android phones, and the increase in size may encourage a number of Android users to switch to Apple's platform.

Because ComScore's data tracks installed user base rather than new handset sales, it is more reflective of real-world usage but slower to respond to shifting market trends than some other studies.

Following in the footsteps of China Mobile, Chinese carrier China Telecom has also begun taking preorders for the iPhone 6 ahead of the device's official launch in order to drum up interest with customers. As noted by TechCrunch, the site has a preorder page that sports rendered images of the iPhone 6, along with several suspect specifics about the device that have undoubtedly come from unconfirmed rumors.

The preorder page depicts the 4.7-inch iPhone, which China Telecom suggests has a pixel density of 416, which would be in line with a 1704 x 960 resolution. While that resolution has been rumored for the iPhone 6, recent images of a supposedly functional device have leaned towards a 1334 x 750 resolution with a 326 ppi first proposed by Apple pundit John Gruber.

An A8 processor and a Touch ID fingerprint sensor are highlighted in the image, which are two likely inclusions for the iPhone 6, but the image also points towards a 2,100 mAh battery. While that capacity has been rumored, there have also been several photos of an 1,810 mAh battery bearing an Apple logo and regulatory text. Finally, China Telecom's image suggest a 3-megapixel front-facing camera, another unsubstantiated rumor.

According to TechCrunch, the graphic originally included a non-blurred version of the word "iPhone", but it was later updated by China Telecom, likely at Apple's request.

Earlier this week, China Mobile began accepting preorders for the iPhone 6 and garnered more than 33,000 orders in just hours, pointing towards strong interest in the iPhone 6. Analyst predictions have suggested the iPhone 6 launch could bring a in more upgraders and Android switchers than normal, due to its larger display and redesigned body.

Apple is expected to introduce the iPhone 6 at a September 9 media event, which is now just under four days away. Rumors and part leaks have suggested the device will have an A8 processor, NFC support, and an upgraded camera. It's expected in two sizes -- 4.7 and 5.5 inches -- but it is unknown if both versions of the phone will ship to consumers at the same time due to production difficulties with the larger model.

A number of parts from Apple's upcoming iPhone 6 models have leaked in recent months, but a new photo set from Feld & Volk [Instagram page] offers some fresh details on the new devices.

At the top of the list is the rear camera from the 5.5-inch iPhone 6. As shown in comparison photos, the module is thinner and otherwise larger than the one from the iPhone 5s, but with Apple shaving down the iPhone's thickness, previous leaks have indicated the company has needed to create a slight protrusion on the rear of the device to accommodate the camera.

Feld & Volk says the rear camera does indeed appear to include optical image stabilization (OIS), as the camera assembly has some freedom to float within its module. Rumors have differed on whether the iPhone 6 will include OIS and if so, whether both the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models will support it.

Feld & Volk indicates the 5.5-inch camera module does not fit in the 4.7-inch rear shell the firm has on hand, suggesting the two iPhone 6 models will use different camera modules. Supply chain analysts have indeed predicted that OIS will be a differentiating factor for the larger iPhone 6 model.

Along with the rear camera, Feld & Volk also draws attention to several other parts, including protective mesh for the speaker and microphone holes, color-matched to the various iPhone color options.

While the iPhone 6 power button has been seen previously, Feld & Volk has highlighted the presence of a rubber seal around it, which is a new addition for the iPhone line. The seals would help increase dust and moisture resistance for the iPhone 6.

The photos are the latest in a long line of recent leaks from Feld & Volk, which has been working to acquire iPhone 6 parts in an effort to quickly release its own version of the device. The company specializes in luxury modified versions of the iPhone selling for thousands of dollars, and is planning to launch its iPhone 6 models as soon as possible after Apple's official announcement next Tuesday.

Dell yesterday unveiled its new $2500 27-inch 5K monitor (UP2715K) that boasts an impressive 5120 x 2880 resolution at 218 pixels per inch. This ultra-high resolution places the monitor on par with Apple's Retina MacBook Pro, which has a pixel density of 220 pixels per inch, and would be the equivalent of a Retina 27-inch iMac or Apple Thunderbolt Display.

Dell does not detail the technology powering the monitor, but AnandTech believes the company is using Multi-Stream Transport (MST) to stitch together two 2560 x 2880 panels in order to provide 5120 pixels horizontally. Dell demoed the monitor to Maximum PC using a 5K H.265 video streamed from a workstation-class NVIDIA Quadro K5000 video card.

As outlined in our display roundup, customers have been looking toward a higher-resolution large display from Apple for some time, whether it be a true Retina version of the existing display or a somewhat lower resolution 4K display, particularly since Apple has been touting the 4K capabilities of the new Mac Pro. Rumors of Retina iMacs date back to 2012, but the machines have yet to appear, likely due to both cost and technological constraints.

With Dell listing its display at $2500, it is clear pricing remains a challenge for Apple's ambitions to launch Retina iMacs and standalone displays. Standalone displays may stand a better chance, as Apple has historically been willing to develop expensive large-screen displays priced in the thousands of dollars for its pro-level customers. An iMac almost certainly priced well north of $3000 could be a difficult proposition, however, so Apple may yet need more time for prices to come down before such a machine becomes commercially feasible.

Besides its impressive resolution, Dell's monitor ships with Dell's PremierColor technology and an edge-to-edge glass that includes both anti-smudge and anti-reflective properties. Also included in the display is an integrated media reader, six USB ports and 16W Harmon Kardon speakers. Video out support includes dual DisplayPort 1.2 ports for 5K video and a miniDisplayPort for 4K operation.

Dell's UltraSharp 27 Ultra HD 5K monitor will be available in the fourth quarter of this year.

With still a few days to go until Apple's media event where it will undoubtedly announce its launch plans for iOS 8, the company is already preparing to seed its carrier partners with an iOS 8.0.1 update for testing, according to BGR. Details on the update are unknown, as is a release timeframe, although last year Apple released a launch-day iOS 7.0.1 update for the iPhone 5s and 5c to fix a few bugs on those devices.

MacRumors has seen a significant increase in iOS 8.0.1 web log activity coming from Apple's networks over the past couple of weeks, although the first signs of the version appeared as long ago as mid-July.

The last developer release of iOS 8 came one month ago in the form of iOS 8 beta 5, with the company likely holding back further seeds as it finalizes the software for its upcoming hardware. A sixth beta was reportedly seeded to carrier partners a couple of weeks ago, but with much more limited distribution for that release, developers have not had access to dig into it to look for new hints about the next-generation iOS devices.

Motorola has officially launched its Moto 360 smartwatch, an Android Wear device featuring a circular 1.65-inch scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass display, a leather band, "all-day" battery life, and a built-in pedometer and optical heart rate monitor. Motorola has also included wireless charging capabilities with an included dock and also states that the device is "water resistant."
The Moto 360 can pair with any smartphone running Android 4.3 or higher, as users can then receive notifications about weather, flight alerts, traffic, and more through Android Wear. The device also includes built-in Google Now functionality, as users can say "Ok Google" to send texts, set reminders, see directions, and more. Existing Android apps such as Facebook Messenger and Lyft also work with Moto 360.

The launch of the Moto 360 comes less than a week before Apple's special September media event, which is rumored to feature the unveiling of its iWatch wearable device alongside the iPhone 6. According to recent reports, Apple's iWatch will pair with the iPhone and feature a flexible curved display, wireless charging, and number of advanced biometric sensors to track a range of health and fitness data.

The device is also said to come in multiple sizes and material options when it launches, and incorporate near field communications (NFC) technology for mobile payments. Apple is said to be weighing a $400 price range for the device, and may start shipping it in early 2015.

The Moto 360 will be available later today for $250 from Motorola's website, Google's Play Store and Best Buy. Motorola will also be releasing metal bands for its wearable device later this fall.

Apple will add security alerts for iCloud users, broaden two-factor authentication and make a more aggressive effort to alert users about protecting their accounts, Apple CEO Tim Cook told the Wall Street Journal in his first interview since the recent hacking incident involving celebrities' iCloud accounts.

To make such leaks less likely, Mr. Cook said Apple will alert users via email and push notifications when someone tries to change an account password, restore iCloud data to a new device, or when a device logs into an account for the first time. Until now, users got an email when someone tried to change a password or log in for the first time from an unknown Apple device; there were no notifications for or restoring iCloud data.

Cook said the new notifications will begin in two weeks and will allow users to take action on potential hacking immediately, allowing them to either change the password to retake the account or alerting Apple's security team. Cook echoed Apple's previous press release on the hackings, stressing that the best prevention for future incidents are more human than technological.

"When I step back from this terrible scenario that happened and say what more could we have done, I think about the awareness piece," he said. "I think we have a responsibility to ratchet that up. That's not really an engineering thing."

Apple will also broaden use of its two-factor authentication system, allowing it to also cover access to iCloud accounts from mobile devices like iPad and iPhone. Cook said the majority of Apple's users don't use two-factor authentication, so the company is planning on aggressively getting its users to turn on the feature. Cook also mentioned that had the celebrities been using two-factor verification, the hackers would not have been able to guess their security questions.

Apple has previously explored expanding two-factor authentication to some iCloud services, but an official expansion of the feature had not yet been introduced.