MacRumors

Rumors of near field communications (NFC) support for the iPhone surface nearly every year, and this year's iPhone 6 rumors are no different, with reports split on whether the device will include the short-range communications technology frequently used for mobile payments. A couple of new reports do, however, come down on the side of NFC being included in the iPhone 6.

The first mention came in a separate leak showing a purported battery from Apple's 5.5-inch iPhone 6 late last week. That report from Taiwanese newspaper Apple Daily also mentioned in passing that the iPhone 6 will include a PN65V NFC chip from NXP, but offered no specific evidence in support of the claim.

But now Chinese repair firm GeekBar has shared what is said to be a wiring schematic for just such a chip to be included on the iPhone 6. NXP has been the rumored partner for NFC in the iPhone 6, and the company's PN65 NFC package is used in a number of Android mobile devices.

While GeekBar's interpretation of such schematics is questionable given a leak earlier today in which it claimed the iPhone 6 will contain only 1 GB of RAM as the schematic appears to be addressing NAND flash rather than DRAM, the appearance of a PN65V chip on the schematics seems straightforward if they are indeed legitimate.

Apple has been rumored for some time to be working on a mobile payments system, with a launch coming perhaps as soon as this year in partnership with Visa. Details on the system are unclear, but Apple has reportedly been taking a "go-slow" approach for a number of years as it has tried to figure out the best way to deploy such a system without simply competing with existing providers "all fighting over their piece of the pie."

Several leaked photos in recent days have suggested Apple may be looking to move to a reversible USB connector for its next-generation Lightning cables, making it easier for users to plug the cables into their computers, chargers, and other equipment with standard USB ports.

As noted by Patently Apple late last week, the idea is actually supported by an Apple patent application filed in January 2014 covering just such a design. The application was published just a few weeks ago and cites as priority a provisional patent application filed by Apple in January 2013.

Apple isn't the only company with this technology, however, so it is unclear exactly how this situation will play out given that Apple's patent application was only assigned to an examiner ten days ago. A California company by the name of UltraTek already holds a patent for the reversible connector and is selling cables through major online retailers.

UltraTek first filed a patent application for its "User-Friendly USB Connector" technology in 2009 and was awarded the patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2010. In the patent, the company describes a cable with two sets of conductive contact pins that allow it to be inserted into a USB port in either orientation.

A new user-friendly USB (Universal Serial Bus) male connector is physically and functionally compatible to the existing and future USB female connectors. Unlike the conventional keyed, polarized and position dependent USB male connector. The new user-friendly USB male connector provides spare connections, eliminates potential connector damage and allows normal and opposite insertions to the USB female connectors.

More than just a patent, UltraTek is marketing its reversible cable under the brand name, Flipper, with distribution through TrippLite. Different configurations of the reversible USB cables can be purchased through retailers such as Newegg, TigerDirect and others for less than $10.

Given its resources, Apple would undoubtedly be able to overcome the existing patent protection on the concept of reversible USB connectors, either through licensing/purchasing the existing patent or finding a way to work around it. The existing patent is, however, rather broad in describing the concept of a reversible "Type A" USB connector of the sort apparently being considered by Apple.

Apple's forthcoming iPhone 6 may sport 1 GB of RAM, according to a leaked schematic shared by Chinese Apple repair firm GeekBar (Google Translate, via G for Games). The chart is said to come from an internal supply chain source, however it is unknown if the schematic is intended for the 4.7-inch or 5.5-inch iPhone 6.

If the chart is indeed legitimate, the iPhone 6 would join the iPhone 5, iPhone 5s, and iPhone 5c in sporting 1 GB of RAM. That amount of RAM would also be below competitors such as the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8, which both feature 2 GB of RAM. It is important to note that Apple has never emphasized the amount of RAM in the iPhone, instead choosing to focus on optimizing the user experience through tight software and hardware integration.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 6 at an event on September 9, with a launch for the 4.7-inch version likely coming around a week later. It is possible that the 5.5-inch version may also be launched at the same time, however reported production issues with the larger device may cause Apple to delay its launch until later this year or early next year. Both models of the iPhone 6 are expected to feature a thinner, curved design and come with a faster A8 chip, a new camera with stabilization, and iOS 8.

Update 7:19 AM: As noted in our forums, the schematic's references DDR and NAND suggests that it more likely refers to some aspect of the device's flash memory rather than DRAM included within the A8 chip.

Earlier this week, photos claiming to be of a new Lightning cable with a reversible USB connector surfaced. The images were said to be sourced from Apple supplier Foxconn, and were shown in a production stage. Now, frequent iOS device part leaker Sonny Dickson shares a new photo of the accessory, further indicating that a new Lightning cable with a reversible USB connector may be on the horizon:

While the USB connector on the current Lightning cable is attached to the bottom of its metal housing, the connector of the supposedly newer cable is attached to the center. The structure of the newer cable was also spotted in previous photos, and likely indicates that this is a reversible USB connector. It is also therefore possible that the new Lightning cable could utilize USB 3.0 technology, as current Lightning cables support only USB 2.0. However, no other evidence suggests that the cable could be of the USB 3.0 variety.

Apple could start shipping new cables alongside forthcoming iOS devices starting with the iPhone 6. In addition to a reversible connector, the new Lightning cable could also feature support for high-definition audio playback on Made for iPhone accessories as rumored by Mac Otakara earlier this year. That report further claimed that Apple was preparing a new version of its In-Ear Headphones, which have not been updated since 2008.

Apple also introduced Lightning Cable MFi specifications for headphones in June, paving the way for manufacturers to create products that connect directly to iOS devices via their Lightning port rather than through a regular 3.5mm headphone jack. Those products could also see integration with revamped Lightning cables.

Last month, a photo surfaced showing what looked very much in line with Apple's usual iPhone battery design but with a capacity of 1,810 mAh, higher than the 1,560 mAh battery found in the iPhone 5s. Speculation naturally pointed toward the new battery being for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6, with a number of observers being disappointed in the modest capacity increase considering the larger display slated for the device.

Just last week, an analyst report claimed the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 will actually include a 2,100 mAh battery, giving hope to those looking for a more substantial increase but lacking any evidence to support the claim.

New photos shared by Nowhereelse.fr [Google Translate] now provide additional support for the original 1,810 mAh claim. The photos offer a good look at the batteries, which appear to contain the full set of regulatory and specification text as well as an Apple logo, with one photo showing the batteries in trays for shipment.

The one battery shown in closeup does include a manufacturing date of June, making it several months old, while the original leaked battery had a more recent manufacturing date of July. Still, the growing evidence for the 1,810 mAh battery suggests the analyst claim of a 2,100 mAh battery may indeed be incorrect.

These new photos of the rumored 4.7-inch iPhone 6 battery come just after other photos surfaced from a different source allegedly showing the battery for the 5.5-inch iPhone 6. That battery checks in with a capacity of 2,915 mAh, potentially offering a significant increase in battery life depending on how much more power the device draws than its smaller sibling.

A purported photo of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6's battery on Chinese site Apple Daily [Google Translate] (via Macotakara) alleges that the larger new iPhone could have a capacity of 2,915 mAh. The photo shows the battery carrying an Apple part number of 616-0675 and that it runs at 4.35 volts, although no model number is shown.

While it's difficult to confirm the authenticity of the battery, it does appear to have markings similar to other Apple batteries and looks to have the necessary proportions to fit the 5.5-inch iPhone.

Reports have claimed that the final battery capacity for the 4.7-inch model would be 2,100 mAh, so a battery capacity of 2,915 mAh would make sense for a phone less than an inch bigger. It would also put the 5.5-inch iPhone 6's battery closer to the specs of the 5.1-inch Samsung Galaxy S5's 2,800 mAh battery.

Apple will unveil the iPhone 6 at an event on Tuesday, September 9, with the 4.7-inch model likely launching soon after introduction. The event may also introduce the 5.5-inch iPhone 6, but the model could only be released months later as Apple is having some production issues with the device.

Following Apple's official acquisition of Beats Electronics and Beats Music, the Beats Music iOS app has been added to Apple's App Store listing of "Apps Made by Apple," giving the app high-profile placement to encourage downloads.

This section of the iTunes Store, which also houses Apple-designed apps like Pages, Numbers, Keynote, iPhoto, and more, can be found in the Quick Links section of the iOS App Store and the desktop iTunes Store.

The addition of Beats Music to the Apps Made by Apple list follows its inclusion in the list of apps recommended to new iOS users, another move that will undoubtedly result in a high number of Beats Music app downloads. According to Appshopper, Beats Music's popularity has soared in recent weeks. It is currently ranked fourth in music and number 23 in overall free apps.

As of May, Beats Music had garnered 250,000 subscribers, a number that has likely grown significantly with the app's prominent placement in the App Store and Apple's high-profile acquisition of the company. In contrast, Apple's iTunes Store has sold 35 billion songs and its existing streaming radio service, iTunes Radio, has more than 40 million listeners.

Unlike many of the other apps listed in the Apps Made by Apple section, Beats Music is not free. While the app can be downloaded at no cost, it requires a monthly subscription priced at $9.99. Unlike several competing streaming music services, Beats Music does not offer a free ad-supported listening.

According to rumors, Apple has plans to keep the Beats Music service as a standalone entity, separate from its own iTunes and iTunes Radio offerings.

(Thanks, William!)

The Fair Labor Association (FLA) today published a new report examining two factories operated by Apple-supplier Quanta Computer, finding several code violations related to working hours, recruitment policies, compensation, health and safety, and more in August of 2013 [PDF] (via TechCrunch).

Factories examined included a Quanta facility in Shanghai and one in Changshu. Quanta is a long-time Apple partner that manufactures Apple's MacBook Air and much of the rest of the company's Mac lineup.

Violations were found in both locations, with some of the more egregious issues including verbal abuse by supervisors, a hiring fee charged to workers by a broker or labor dispatch agent and long working hours. According to the report, 62 percent of workers in Changshu received no rest day for much of Q4 2012, working as many as 16 days in a row.

Many workers were also underpaid for sick leave and may have been uncompensated for up to an hour of work each day, based on clock in and clock out times. Some workers were forced into joining the All China Federation of Trade Unions, and there were several safety violations.

Both of the factories fell short of the local requirements for indoor air quality, and neither had easy access to a shower/eyewash station in case of emergency. There was no active worker participation in the Employee Health and Safety committees, and flammable and toxic substances were stored improperly at Shanghai while chemicals at Changshu were not properly monitored.

The Fair Labor Association provided a number of recommendations to improve conditions at the factory, and according to the report, Apple is using the recommendations to work with Quanta to fix each code violation. Apple released a statement on the FLA's Quanta inspection, stating that it has worked closely with Quanta to bring improvements to working conditions.

Our suppliers must live up to the toughest standards in the industry if they want to keep doing business with Apple, which is the first and only technology company to be admitted to the Fair Labor Association. We are committed to providing safe and fair working conditions for everyone in our supply chain.

Last year we conducted 451 comprehensive, in-person audits deep into our supply chain so we could uncover problems and work with our suppliers to fix them. We track and report the weekly working hours for more than 1 million workers, and our 18-month Apple Supplier EHS Academy training program is raising the bar for environment, health and safety management in the industry.

The Quanta facilities inspected by the FLA last year were included in our 2014 Supplier Responsibility report, which we released in February. Our own experts have audited these sites 16 times, most recently last month.

In the year since the FLA’s visit, we have worked closely with Quanta to drive meaningful improvements in areas identified by both the FLA and Apple. Apple conducted four follow-up inspections on top of the annual audits of both facilities, to ensure the needed corrections are in place.

This year, through the end of July, Quanta has averaged 86 percent compliance with our 60-hour workweek. Excessive overtime is not in anyone’s best interest, and we will continue to work closely with Quanta and our other suppliers to prevent it.

Apple initially signed up for factory assessments by the Fair Labor Association back in 2012, following a rash of worker suicides at Foxconn, the factory responsible for assembling many of Apple's mobile devices. The FLA has since helped to improve working conditions in several of Apple's factories, with Apple aiming to bring all workplace compliance standards in line with the FLA's guidelines.

Apple also maintains a Supplier Responsibility team that audits supply chain facilities to ensure compliance with Apple's strict code of conduct preventing underage labor and providing safe, comfortable living conditions for workers. An additional Supplier Responsiblity academic board also evaluates Apple's labor policies and practices and researches labor standards within the supply chain to create ethical working conditions wherever Apple products are produced.

Apple today updated its Apple Leadership press page to add the bios of five vice presidents, including Paul Deneve, Lisa Jackson, Joel Podolny, Johny Srouji, and Denise Young Smith.

The inclusion of several vice presidents on the executive team is a new move for the company, as the page previously only listed the company's lineup of senior vice presidents.

Since taking over as CEO, Tim Cook has aimed to share the spotlight with his employees, letting company leaders like Eddy Cue, Craig Federighi, and Jony Ive take part in press interviews and lead Apple events. The addition of five new VPs to the press roster suggests Cook and the team at Apple are more open than ever, recognizing the efforts of an even larger number of key employees.

Of the new executives joining the page, Paul Deneve and Lisa Jackson are relatively new hires, joining Apple in 2013. Deneve oversees special projects, while Jackson has a public-facing job overseeing Apple's environmental efforts. Joel Podolny, dean of Apple University and Denise Young Smith, who oversees Apple's human resources, were promoted to their roles early in 2014. The remaining VP, Johny Srouji, oversees hardware technologies, a role he has held for just over a year.

The new additions to the executive press page also spotlight two additional women who hold important leadership roles at Apple, bringing the total number of females on the page to three, with Angela Ahrendts. Apple has faced criticism for its lack of female leadership in the past, which Cook has been aiming to remedy. According to diversity numbers released earlier this week, 72 percent of Apple employees in leadership roles are male.

Note: Due to the nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

As Apple moves closer to launching its rumored health and fitness oriented iWatch, there has been significant focus on the types of sensors Apple might be looking to deploy. Among the intriguing options have been sensor-equipped earphones, which Apple has filed patent applications on in the past and which saw renewed attention following the posting of an unfounded rumor about EarPods with embedded biometric sensors earlier this year.

Earphones with health and fitness sensors do continue to be a topic of interest, and other manufacturers are preparing to bring their own products to the wearables market later this year. One biometric headphone attracting attention is a new offering from Intel and SMS Audio, which has musician 50 Cent as a co-founder (via Re/Code).

The SMS Audio BioSport In-Ear Headphones include heart rate monitoring powered by Intel technology and feature SMS Audio's high-quality sound, comfort and fashion. The ear buds will use a combination of sensors, including an optical light sensor, to measure both resting and active heart rates. Powered by the smartphone's audio jack, the headphones will share their data with a variety of third-party apps, with RunKeeper integration available at launch.

Intel and SMS Audio may be among the biggest names entering the sensor headphone market, but they are not alone. Earlier this year, LG released its own Bluetooth-connected, heart-rate-measuring earphones with mixed reviews. Hitting the market later this year are wireless Smart Earphones from FreeWavz, which monitors heart rate and other key fitness metrics. The Kickstarter-backed product reached its funding goal earlier this month and has a target ship date of October 2014.

Beyond the ultimately false rumor of EarPods with biometric sensors and Apple's patent applications dating back a number of years, the company also recently hired former MIT researcher Eric Winokur as a Sensing Hardware engineer. Winokur is known for his work on wearable medical devices, including ear-worn sensors for cardiovascular monitoring. It is not known, however, whether Winokur is continuing his work on ear-worn sensors at Apple or if he is contributing more broadly to the biometrics team working on the iWatch.

Apple has officially added China Telecom as a data center provider in China, reports The Wall Street Journal. The move comes after 15 months of "stringent tests and evaluation" by the Fuzhou city government, as Apple states that all data stored on the servers is encrypted. According to Reuters, Apple says the new data center will help improve the speed and reliability of iCloud and the iTunes Store in the region.

"Apple takes user security and privacy very seriously. We have added China Telecom to our list of data center providers to increase bandwidth and improve performance for our customers in mainland China," it said.

The move could also help ease tensions between Apple and China as of late, as the country recently deemed iOS' location tracking services a "national security concern." Apple responded to those claims reiterating its commitment to privacy and stating that its Location Services exist to aide navigation features.

China has become an important market for Apple, as the company has looked to improve its presence in the country as of late. Late last year, the company started selling the iPhone on China Mobile, the country's biggest carrier, and opened more retail stores throughout the region. CEO Tim Cook has also made a number of visits to China, meeting with Bejing's mayor and the Chinese Vice Premier to discuss opportunities.

Apple may be shipping a new Lightning cable that features a reversible USB connector with forthcoming iOS devices, reports Chinese website Dianxinshouji.com (Google Translate, via Nowhereelse.fr).

The source shares a few photos of the new cables said to be from Apple supplier Foxconn, with the images showing a USB connector that is attached to the center of its metal casing. By comparison, the USB connector on Apple's current Lightning cable attach against the bottom of the metal housing's inner surface.

While it is unable to tell for sure whether these cables are legitimate or not, it is possible that Apple could ship new Lightning cables to match the forthcoming USB 3.1 cables that will soon come with newer smartphones. As revealed last week by the USB 3.0 Promoter Group, the USB 3.1 Type-C cable comes with reversible ends and will start shipping next year. An Apple patent for a reversible USB connector also surfaced last month, perhaps further indicating that the company will look to equip its newer devices with new Lightning cables at some point.

Furthermore, a report this past May from Mac Otakara claimed that Apple is preparing an upgraded Lightning cable to accommodate high-definition playback on Made for iPhone audio accessories, which may include a next-generation version of its In-Ear Headphones. Apple also introduced Lightning Cable MFi specifications for headphones in June, which could also be integrated with newer Lightning cables.

Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 6, next-generation Retina iPad mini and iPad Air 2 by the end of this year, as a new Lightning cable could technically be packaged with those devices.

Apple today posted retail job listings for a future store to be located in the United Arab Emirates, indicating that the company may be soon opening its first store in the Middle East. The postings were initially spotted by ifoAppleStore and show typical openings for Specialists, Creatives, and Experts, as well as managerial positions for Store Leader and Market Leader. The report speculates that the store could already be under construction for an opening in February 2015 based on hiring schedules.

Earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook visited the UAE, posing for photos at various Apple resellers and meeting with UAE Prime Minister Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. While the reason for his visit was unknown, it is possible that Cook may have been meeting with officials about the possibility of an Apple Retail Store in the region.

Additionally, MacRumors received a tip last year that Apple was planning to open a flagship store at The Galleria in Sowwah Square in Abu Dhabi, a luxury mall that opened late last year. The source claimed the store would not open for several years, but noted that it could be Apple's largest retail store to date.

Apple shareholder R. Andre Klein is suing Apple on behalf of all of its shareholders over the company's anti-poaching agreements, reports Patently Apple.

The lawsuit claims that Apple's no-hire agreements with other companies including Google, Adobe, and Intel caused the company to grossly mismanage its assets, mislead its investors, breach the duty of "honest services", and hurt its overall value. The suit seeks damages for all shareholders through a jury trial, and names a number of Apple executives as individual defendants including current CEO Tim Cook and even former CEO Steve Jobs.

The suit follows a rejection of a $324 million settlement proposal between the four tech companies and tech workers by a California court. In the filing's court documents, Judge Lucy Koh stated that the total settlement "falls below the range of reasonableness" when compared a $20 million settlement given last year by Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Intuit. Comparatively speaking, Apple and others should pay a minimum of $380 million.

Employees of the various tech companies originally brought forth a lawsuit against the companies no-hire agreements in 2011, with a trial revealing anti-poaching tactics dating back to 2005. The United States Department of Justice intervened in the case in 2010, forcing the companies to stop engaging in anti-poaching agreements. However, the class-action civil lawsuit brought against the aforementioned companies by over 64,000 employees will remain open until a settlement has been reached.

Apple CEO Tim Cook today took the "Ice Bucket Challenge," which is designed to raise awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, also commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

The challenge asks people to pour buckets of ice water over their heads (documented on film and shared on social media sites) and then tag three friends to do the same. Friends unwilling to complete the challenge are asked to donate money towards ALS, but as noted by The Verge, many participants have chosen to participate and donate money to the cause.

According to Instagram and Twitter photos, Tim Cook had a bucket of ice water dumped on him at Apple's Cupertino campus this afternoon during the company's bi-weekly beer bash while Vanilla Ice's Ice Ice Baby played in the background. Cook was first challenged yesterday by Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller, who completed the challenge himself.

Schiller, who dumped a bucket of ice water over his own head at a beach in Half Moon Bay, also challenged actor Chris O'Donnell and his wife Kim. Cook has gone on to challenge Apple board member Bob Iger, musician Michael Franti, and Beats co-founder Dr. Dre.

Many notable celebrities and tech industry leaders have completed the ice bucket challenge in recent weeks, including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. As of August 12, the challenge has raised more than $4 million in donations.

Update: Apple has posted a full video of Cook and Franti taking the challenge.