MacRumors

With Apple's Mac notebooks continuing to prove popular with consumers, the company has been rumored for some time to be working on a 12-inch notebook that could feature an ultra-slim form factor, Retina display, a new buttonless trackpad, and a fanless design. Rumors of such a machine have surfaced from several sources over the course of the past year, suggesting Apple has indeed been working on the device.

While such a machine has yet to debut despite early rumors of a mid-2014 launch, perhaps due to continued delays with Intel's next-generation Broadwell chips, a new report from Jack March of A Tech Website claims the machine remains in the works. According to the report, Apple appears to be targeting a mid-2015 launch for the machine and, most interestingly, the company is said be planning to offer it in the same silver, gold, and space gray colors used on its iPhone lineup.

The most fascinating part of this report is that Apple is also planning to change the colours for the first time with an Aluminium MacBook, the source says that Apple is planning to add Space Grey and Gold colours to their MacBook lineup, which would be consistent with the colours on the iPhone 6.

While the claim of multiple color options for this new notebook appears outlandish, MacRumors has reason to believe this information is correct and that Apple has at least considered launching the 12" notebook with several different "special edition" color options.

The report notes that timing for release of the new notebook has shifted several times as Apple has continued development, with that uncertainty also reflected in a recent report from Digitimes pegging the timeframe at a wide open "end of 2014 or in 2015."

It appears that Apple will be allowing users to select "Personal Pickup" when placing iPhone 6 pre-orders, which means that users may be able to pick up their iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus at an Apple retail store on launch day, September 19, rather than waiting for it to be shipped to their homes.

Apple's retail iPhone page suggests that in-store pickup will indeed be available, noting that users can have an iPhone shipped for free or pick it up in store.

iPhone 6. Pre-order online starting September 12. The big day is coming. Pre-order iPhone 6 and have it shipped to you for free, or pick it up in store. You can also buy at the Apple Retail Store beginning at 8:00 a.m. on September 19.

9to5Mac has confirmed the information with several retail stores and an online chat representative, who told the site that there will be in-store pickup options available at "most stores" with the option existing "while supplies last."

Though Apple did not offer in-store pickup for the iPhone 5s or the iPhone 5c, it has offered the option for pre-orders in the past. With the iPhone 4, for example, Apple accepted reservations for in-store pickup on launch day.

With that device launch, Apple had two separate lines outside of retail stores, one for those who were waiting in line to buy a device and one for those who had made a reservation during the pre-order period. It's likely a Personal Pickup option for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus pre-orders will work similarly.

Pre-orders for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will begin at 12:01 AM Pacific Time tonight, with the device becoming available in retail stores on September 19.

One of the biggest rumors for the iPhone 6 was a new sapphire display cover courtesy of Apple's partnership with GT Advanced Technologies. Some rumors had suggested sapphire might be limited to high-end models, but at the device's unveiling earlier this week the feature was nowhere to be found on any of the new models.

GT's stock took a significant hit as it became clear the iPhone 6 was not using a sapphire display, and analyst Matt Margolis has issued a new report based on supply chain sources claiming sapphire displays missed being included in the iPhone 6 by just "weeks".

According to Margolis' sources, the issue was not GT's production, as the company is said to have been steadily shipping out sapphire from its factory in Mesa, Arizona. The issue appears to have occurred in the next step in the supply chain, where finishers in China struggled with yield issues turning the sapphire into display covers.

The issue that emerged is that the finishers were still having trouble creating the sapphire edges and yields were only at 25% or less. I am under the impression that GT’s management knew about this last minute shift away from sapphire screens prior to the August 5th conference call and it may have resulted in lower guidance for 2014 by $100m.

Margolis reports the sapphire supplies have been diverted for the Apple Watch for the time being as the finishing yield issues on the iPhone displays is resolved, and GT continues to manufacture sapphire as rapidly as it can.

What is unclear is how the omission of sapphire displays from the iPhone 6 will affect GT's deal with Apple, which involves certain milestone payments from Apple to GT. It appears unlikely that Apple would bring sapphire to the iPhone until it unveils an "iPhone 6s" a year from now, so it is not entirely clear whether it needs or wants to stockpile GT's output for an entire year or if it has other nearer-term plans for the material beyond the Apple Watch.

I believe GT and Apple still have very big plans for sapphire as a cover screen on mobile devices. Apple may pay continue to pay GT for sapphire bricks that they ship even though the iPhone is not covered up by a sapphire cover screen. Another option thrown on the table is that Apple could even push back the Apple prepayment requirements until the finishing yields are addressed. One item that remains clear is that GT will continue to push out as much sapphire as humanly possible from Mesa.

Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus without sapphire display covers will see pre-orders launch in a number of countries at 12:01 AM Pacific Time tonight, with availability coming on September 19.

Update: Cult of Mac has received evidence of a delivery confirmation showing nearly two tons of sapphire being shipped from Lens Technology back to GT, perhaps for reprocessing before being reused for another purpose.

After purchasing an iPhone 6 or an iPhone 6 Plus, many upgraders will be left with old iPhones or Android phones that can be worth quite a bit of money. There are several options for trading in old devices that can significantly cut down on the cost of purchasing a new device, and most of the trade-in options are entirely hassle free. Some carriers are even offering trade-in bonuses in order to entice users to upgrade to an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus.

Verizon, for example, is offering a $200 trade-in gift card for an iPhone 4, 4s, 5, or 5c (or a $300 gift card for an iPhone 5s) with the purchase of a new iPhone 6 or 6 Plus on a new Verizon Edge agreement, on a two year contract, or with an outright non-discounted purchase.

T-Mobile has guaranteed the best trade-in values on used devices, promising to meet the best trade-in prices of other major carriers. If a customer finds a better trade-in price than what T-Mobile is offering, T-Mobile will meet the price and pay an additional $50.

Sprint has also offered to match the trade-in policies of other carriers, and will beat buyback pricing on trade-ins for new lines of service. Under the terms of the new trade-in policy, Sprint is offering up to $300 for older devices towards a new iPhone purchase.

Like other carriers, AT&T is planning to offer up to $300 to customers trading in an old device to purchase a new iPhone 6. AT&T is also offering a $100 credit for customers that add a new line to their Next accounts.

Apple has an in-store trade-in program and an online program, with the online trade-in program offering up to $310 for a 32GB iPhone 5s in good condition. Apple's in-store program offers an immediate gift card for an old device that can be put towards the purchase of a new device.

Retailers like Target and Best Buy also have trade-in programs. Best Buy currently offers $310 for a 32GB iPhone 5s in good working condition, while Target offers $247.50 for the same device.

Along with immediate trade-ins from carrier stores, Apple retail locations, and electronic retailers, there are also countless vendors that accept trade-ins via mail. Popular trade-in site Gazelle, for example, is offering $275 for a locked 32GB iPhone 5s in "flawless" condition, or $300 for the same phone unlocked.

Amazon has a trade-in program that often offers some of the best trade-in values, but maximum value comes from accepting an Amazon gift card rather than cash. The company offers up to $347.50 for a 32GB iPhone 5s from AT&T, or up to $400 for an unlocked version of the same phone.

Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be available for pre-order tonight at 12:01 AM PT. Prices for the smaller 4.7-inch iPhone 6 begin at $199 with a two year contract, while prices for the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus begin at $299 on contract.

Following Tuesday's announcement of both the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, Apple announced plans to begin taking pre-orders for the devices on Friday, September 12.

Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T will all begin accepting pre-orders at 12:01 AM PT according to their websites. While Apple has still not posted an official time on their site, the company historically launches presales alongside the carrier websites.

Unlike last year where only the iPhone 5c was available for pre-order, Apple will be offering both the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus for pre-order. There have been few reports on available supply, but typically it's best to make an order right away if possible because in the past, pre-orders have sold out within mere minutes. As we mentioned yesterday, it's a good idea to check on upgrade eligibility beforehand.

Apple will be accepting pre-orders through both its website and the Apple Store app. Along with carriers like Verizon, Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile, retailers like Best Buy, RadioShack, Sam's Club, Walmart, and Target will also be accepting iPhone 6 pre-orders, but times may vary.

Apple's iPhone 6 is available in 16, 64, and 128 GB capacities in the United States for $199, $299, and $399, respectively, with a two-year contract. Contract-free pricing begins at $649. Apple's higher-priced iPhone 6 Plus is available in 16, 64, and 128 GB capacities for $299, $399, and $499, respectively, with a two-year contract. Contract-free pricing on that device begins at $749.

Pre-orders are expected to be available in the first wave of release countries: US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the UK, with the phones available in retail stores beginning on September 19. Apple's second wave of iPhone 6 orders will begin on September 26 for several countries across Europe, Taiwan, New Zealand, and more.

Apple's first iPhone 6 and 6 Plus shipments are already landing on U.S. soil, reports CCAonline (via iPhone in Canada). According to the report, the first cargo pallets have been transported to Chicago in two "special cargo" batches from Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport via China Southern Airlines.

Shipping manifests show the cargo weighed a total of 93 tons and was broken into two parcels, one weighing 14.5 tons on September 6 and a second one weighing 78.5 tons on September 10. MacRumors had previously heard similar word that shipments would be beginning late last week as Apple begins staging units at central locations before distributing them around the country for launch.

As a very rough estimate based on the device weight supplied by Apple, these parcels could hold approximately 720,000 iPhone 6 units or 540,000 iPhone 6 Plus handsets. Apple is reportedly paying up to 200 million yuan for the freight in what may be a single-day shipment record for China Southern freight.

This shipment is one of many Apple has planned in the coming weeks with the company supposedly booking much of the available cargo shipping space coming out of China. Apple supposedly has a stranglehold on outgoing shipments, forcing some smaller manufacturers to delay the transport of their products out of the Asian country.

Intel is hoping Apple will turn to the California company for the cellular baseband hardware in future mobile products, says Intel Korea President Lee Hee-sung in a statement reported by the Korea Herald. The baseband manages the radio functions of an iPhone or cellular-capable iPad, allowing the device to communicate with the carrier's mobile network.

"Chances are high that global smartphone makers such as Apple and LG Electronics will use Intel’s baseband chips in their products down the road,” said Lee Hee-sung, the president of Intel Korea, at a press meeting on Thursday.

Such collaborations are highly likely given that the world’s largest smartphone maker, Samsung Electronics, has recently announced its midrange premium handset the Galaxy Alpha, which contains Intel’s XMM7260 baseband modem."

Apple had originally used Infineon baseband hardware in early models of the iPhone, but after Infineon was purchased by Intel in 2010 Apple shifted to using communication chips from market leader Qualcomm. Intel has, however, been hard at work at improving its baseband chips, as evidenced by the design win in the new Galaxy Alpha.

Apple and Intel are of course already partners for the complete line of Mac processors, but Apple will undoubtedly focus on technology and pricing considerations in weighing any potential switch for its mobile products.

Apple is aiming to ship a combined total of 80 million iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus units by the end of this year, reports Digitimes. To achieve this goal, the company has reportedly asked its supply chain partners to ramp up component production. Barring any production issues, Apple is aiming for 10 million units by the end of September with another 70 million units by the end of the fourth quarter.

The news follows a report from the Wall Street Journal report in July, which stated that Apple was preparing to manufacture a massive number of iPhone 6 units in anticipation of high demand. Apple was said to have produced a total of 60 million units for the iPhone 5 in the later half of 2012. Last year, Apple experienced significantly constrained supplies with the iPhone 5s, as supplies were not steady until nearly three months after its launch.

Rumors prior to the announcement of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus yesterday stated that Apple was experiencing major production issues with the larger model, which was said to be the reason behind a potentially delayed launch. However, with both iPhone 6 models up for pre-order on September 12 and available for purchase on September 19, it is possible that Apple has a steady supply to answer high consumer demand.

Capitalizing on Apple's much-talked about and publicized special event yesterday, Samsung has released a series of new web ads (via Engadget) poking fun at the live stream's struggles, the iPhone 6 getting a screen size upgrade, the Apple Watch and more. All six ads can be seen in the video playlist below.

The second ad features the two eagerly anticipating "something groundbreaking" from the keynote until the larger-screened iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are unveiled, which has them excited until they compare it to large-screened Android phones. Another ad points out that the Samsung Gear S doesn't require a phone for all of its features, like the Apple Watch. The Samsung Gear S will launch alongside the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 this fall.

The rest of the ads continue Samsung's effort to differentiate its Galaxy devices from the new iPhones, pointing out its Fast Charging Mode, Multi Window multitasking and the Galaxy Note's S Pen stylus.

Samsung often releases ads capitalizing on moves Apple makes with its iPhone line, most famously releasing a series of ads of people waiting in line for the latest iPhone while enviously looking at Galaxy devices.

Just a day after unveiling new pricing for iCloud, Apple has begun emailing existing iCloud subscribers to notify them that the company is upgrading their accounts to the new price points and will be refunding them the difference. However, users will be allowed to keep the same storage sizes.

For example, a user subscribed to the 25 GB plan, which is no longer an option under the new iCloud pricing, will have their price reduced from $40 a year to $11.99 a year. The discounted price is in line with the new $0.99 a month price for 20 GB, although established iCloud customers do get an extra 5 GB. However, once a user changes their plan away from "legacy plans" like the 25 GB, they cannot return to them.

Apple says the new price points are in effect due to iCloud Drive, which lets users store and access data from any of their devices. The launch of both iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite will see the launch of iCloud Drive this fall.

When Apple announced that the Apple Watch would be able to use Apple Pay, the company's new mobile payment initiative, many wondered how secure the payments would be if the device lacked the security of Touch ID, which is used in the iPhone 6's implementation. Now, several members of the press have confirmed how the system works.

Both Rene Ritchie of iMore and Cult of Mac report that when a user first puts on the Watch they must type in a PIN code to authorize Apple Pay. Once it's on, the Watch uses constant skin contact, which it can sense using the four sapphire-covered lenses on the underside of the device, to authorize payments. However, once the device is removed from a user's wrist, they must re-enter their PIN when putting the device back on their wrist.

Thanks to sensors on the Apple Watch’s back, the device can tell when it’s being worn and when it has been taken off. When you first put the watch on, you must enter a code. When the watch is removed from your wrist, the watch locks itself and can’t be used for payments unless the code is entered again.

MasterCard's mobile payment executive Ed McLaughlin also told Re/code that the Watch would use the four sensors on the back of the device as a security measure, while Visa CEO Charlie Scharf said that Apple understood the risks of contactless payments and has a solution.

The Apple Watch is due to arrive in early 2015 and will start at $350.

After yesterday's media event, Apple updated its website to provide additional information on its iCloud pricing ahead of the launch of both iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite.

As of today, the company's updated storage plans are live, allowing users to purchase iCloud storage upgrades using the new pricing scheme. While customers will continue to get 5GB of cloud storage for free, Apple has dropped the pricing on the rest of its storage lineup across the board.

Users can now get 20GB of storage for $0.99 per month, 200GB of storage for $3.99 per month, 500GB of storage for $9.99 per month, and 1TB of storage for $19.99 per month. The iCloud upgrade options can be accessed in the Settings app under iCloud ---> Storage & Backup ---> Change Storage Plan.

The launch of iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite will see the official debut of iCloud Drive, Apple's new cloud storage initiative. With iCloud Drive, users can store any type of document, including presentations, spreadsheets, PDFs, images, and more, and then access them from any iOS device, Mac, or PC.

Apple may be implementing a new reservation system for customers who opt to wait in line outside of a retail store to purchase a new iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, reports 9to5Mac. The company is said to be handing out training materials to employees on a new "virtual queue" system called Reservation Pass.

Reservation Pass will reportedly keep track of the line position of each customer, syncing with the store's inventory information to ensure customers waiting in line will be able to receive a device.

This new system is called Reservation Pass. It will sync with Back Of House inventory information in realtime so Apple doesn't handout too many product reservations. Customers will receive their digital reservation card via SMS or Email. A reservation allows the customer to come back at any point during the day to make their purchase. Customers could also leave line in the past but it was not encouraged since the physical card reservation system was not as accurate as the new Reservation Pass system.

Currently, Apple hands out paper cards to those standing in line, allowing them to reserve an available device, but the company often waits until just before purchase time to provide the cards. It is likely the Reservation Pass system will work similarly, with customers being registered shortly before the opening of the store, which actually provides little end benefit to those who wait in line overnight or longer.

Customers will, however, be able to reserve an iPhone after waiting in line and then purchase it later in the day should any issues arise, such as problems with carrier authorization or upgrade eligibility. This will also prevent people from selling the physical cards on release day.

Both the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus will be available for purchase beginning on Friday, September 19. Apple is accepting preorders this year, and will take orders starting on Friday, September 12, likely at 12:01 AM Pacific Time.

The iPhone 6 is available in 16, 64, and 128 GB capacities starting at $199 with a two year contract, while the iPhone 6 Plus is available in 16, 64, and 128 GB capacities starting at $299 with a two-year contract.