MacRumors

Apple might be planning to unveil an upgraded Apple TV or similar television-related product at its upcoming September 10 iPhone event, according to global trade intelligence platform Panjiva (via GigaOM).

The company has shared three bills of lading from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that show Apple accepted three shipments labeled as "Set Top Boxes" during the month of August from one of its suppliers, BYD Precision Manufacture in Shenzhen, China.

On August 25th, Apple received a shipment described as "Set Top Box with Communication Function" from BYD Precision Manufacture in Shenzhen, China.

On August 18th, Apple received another shipment, again from BYD, described as "Set Top Boxes."

And on August 11th, Apple received its first shipment from BYD of "Set Top Box with Communication Function."

The shipments, received on August 11, 18, and 25, ranged in size from seven to 18 tons. Though the weight of the shipments were recorded, no information about the size or the dimension of the contents were noted, nor was a model number offered, so it is unclear what the boxes contain. An existing Apple TV weighs approximately one pound, which means the three shipments could contain approximately 90,000 Apple TVs.

According to Panjiva, Apple last received a "set top box" shipment in December of 2012 from Foxconn, which turned out to be a shipment of the third-generation Apple TVs with a model number of A1427. It seems, however, that there may be missing records as Apple reported selling more than two million Apple TVs during the holiday quarter of 2012, likely necessitating regular shipments of the product.

Based on the historical lack of shipment records and the total size of the received shipments, it is unclear whether the records shared by Panjiva hint at a new product or if they simply reference a standard shipment of the existing Apple TV. Apple often shifts its supplies and suppliers, and BYD Precision Manufacture is a relatively new partner for the company. Apple has received just four shipments in total from BYD, the three "set top box" shipments and one shipment labeled "PC Portable" on August 18.

While it could be a standard product shipment, the Apple TV is due for an update. It was last refreshed in March of 2012, though the current Apple TV did receive a smaller A5 chip earlier this year. It is also possible that Apple is planning to introduce an entirely new product, though it is unlikely to be the much rumored Apple-branded television set.

Over the past several months, Apple has been working to fortify its Apple TV content offerings by introducing a number of new channels. In June, WatchESPN, HBO GO, Sky News, Crunchyroll, and Quello were added, and in August, Apple debuted channels for Vevo, the Smithsonian, and Disney. Deals with TWC and The CW are also said to be in the works.

Apple has seeded the seventh Developer Preview of OS X Mavericks to developers, nearly three weeks after the release of the sixth Developer Preview. Registered developers can receive the update via the Software Update tool in the Mac App Store.

OS X Mavericks, which is expected to be released this fall, includes multiple new features like a tabbed Finder, full screen dual monitor capabilities, Safari improvements, and a new Maps app.

With Apple having issued invitations for its September 10 media event where it is expected to introduce its next-generation iPhone 5S and 5C models, MacRumors has learned from a reliable source that the company has already begun shipments of at least some of the new hardware into the United States.

As is not unheard of for the company, Apple is already beginning to stockpile units in the United States for quick distribution to carrier partners, other third-party retail partners, and its own channels. With the new iPhone hardware expected to be introduced at next Tuesday's media event, Apple's pattern with previous releases suggests that the new models would launch in the U.S. and other first wave countries about a week and a half later, with Friday, September 20 being the most likely date.

With the packaged iPhone 5C units showing up in a number of photographs over the past few days, it seems reasonable to believe that the device may indeed be ready for shipment ahead of next week's media event. Little to no specific evidence of iPhone 5S units being ready for shipment has been seen, and it is unclear whether that device is included in the U.S. shipments we are hearing about.

Apple has just sent out media invitations for its September 10 media event where the company is expected to introduce its next-generation iPhone hardware, reports The Loop. The event will begin at 10:00 AM Pacific Time and will be held at the company's headquarters in Cupertino, California. The tagline on the invitation reads "This should brighten everyone's day."

The September 10 date was first reported by AllThingsD last month, and was quickly confirmed by a number of other sources. Official invitations for the event were expected today given Apple's usual one-week lead time before such events.

The event is expected to include the introduction of two new iPhone models: an iPhone 5S successor to the current iPhone 5 and a lower-cost iPhone 5C that will reportedly have internal components very similar to the iPhone 5 but wrapped in colorful new plastic shells. The event will undoubtedly also see a final preview of iOS 7 before it released to the public.

Apple has also been reported to be launching new iPad and iPad mini models later this year, but they will not be making an appearance at this event. A number of Mac updates are also expected in the coming months, but they too are likely to held for a later date in order to give full focus for this event to the iPhone.

Over the past few months, a number of parts alleged to be for the iPhone 5S have leaked out of Asian parts and repair firms, but leaked home button parts had failed to provide evidence for the inclusion of a fingerprint sensor as has been widely rumored for the device.

But as noted by Nowhereelse.fr [Google Translate], a new home button flex cable part has surfaced that may show support for the fingerprint sensor. The part contains an identifier of 821-2092-01 in line with Apple's usual part number scheme, and appears to carry a manufacturing date code corresponding to the 29th week of 2013, or mid-July.

The flex cable part is far more complex than that seen in the iPhone 5 or even the alleged iPhone 5S part leaked last month, containing a new square surface as well as several other components that may be related to fingerprint sensor functionality.

Apple routinely alters its combinations of components included on flex cable parts to suit its evolving internal and external designs, but it is not immediately apparent what existing component could account for the features seen on this part, suggesting that they may indeed be for a new feature such as the rumored fingerprint sensor.

Also potentially contributing to differences in part leaks is word that Apple initially did not build the fingerprint sensor into iPhone 5S prototype, instead connecting an external sensor for testing purposes. As a result, the home button flex cable design may have changed over time as Apple worked to move it from an external assembly into the home button.

Finally, early part leaks may have seen some confusion over which parts were destined for the iPhone 5S and which were intended for the lower-cost iPhone 5C, which is not expected to include a fingerprint sensor.

Apple is expected to introduce the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C at a media event on September 10.

Update: MobilesPie shared photos of a similar part last week, but the retailer selling the part lists it as for the iPhone 5C.

Microsoft and Nokia today announced that Microsoft will acquire Nokia's Devices and Services unit, allowing Microsoft to unite its Windows Phone software efforts with its primary hardware partner in Nokia. The deal also includes a licensing agreement to provide Microsoft with access to Nokia's mapping services and patents.

Building on the partnership with Nokia announced in February 2011 and the increasing success of Nokia’s Lumia smartphones, Microsoft aims to accelerate the growth of its share and profit in mobile devices through faster innovation, increased synergies, and unified branding and marketing. For Nokia, this transaction is expected to be significantly accretive to earnings, strengthen its financial position, and provide a solid basis for future investment in its continuing businesses.

“It’s a bold step into the future – a win-win for employees, shareholders and consumers of both companies. Bringing these great teams together will accelerate Microsoft’s share and profits in phones, and strengthen the overall opportunities for both Microsoft and our partners across our entire family of devices and services,” said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft chief executive officer. “In addition to their innovation and strength in phones at all price points, Nokia brings proven capability and talent in critical areas such as hardware design and engineering, supply chain and manufacturing management, and hardware sales, marketing and distribution.”

The deal will see 32,000 Nokia employees transfer to Microsoft, with Microsoft also acquiring the Lumia and Asha brands while licensing the Nokia brand for continuity with current Nokia-branded hardware. Microsoft will also acquire Nokia's long-term license with Qualcomm for chip technology.

Microsoft and Nokia have seen some success with Lumia phones running Windows Phone, but the platform remains well short of becoming a third major player in the smartphone market alongside Google's Android and Apple's iOS. By uniting the hardware and software, Microsoft seems intent upon offering a more complete and end-to-end user experience, similar in some ways to Apple's work integration of iOS and iPhone.

Following recent photos of Apple's alleged iPhone 5C shown in its packaging, as well as the quick-start guide, SIM eject tool and other paperwork to be included in the packaging, several more photos and a video have surfaced showing similar devices and packages.

First, Chinese site iApps.im has shared two new photos, one showing a blue iPhone 5C partially unpackaged and a second showing yellow, blue and white iPhone 5C units in their packages.

The first video of an alleged fully assembled, powered on iPhone 5C has also surfaced on Chinese technology blog C Technology [Google Translate] (via Sim Only Radar). The 50-second video shows a red, plastic device running what appears to be Safari on iOS 7, with pinch-to-zoom capabilities as well as responsive scrolling. The shape and two-tone color of the phone are consistent with previous leaks, although the low-resolution video and lack of any views other than from the front make it difficult to assess whether it is indeed a legitimate iPhone 5C or another device wrapped in a colored bumper or shell.

Apple's iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S are both expected to be revealed at a media event on September 10, with the two new devices expected to be released in the first wave of markets on September 20.

(Thanks, Benjamin and David!)

New photos of Apple’s alleged low-cost iPhone 5C have surfaced this weekend, with one photo coming from website iApps.im showing many devices in a red plastic shell, with the other two photos coming from Chinese site Weibo depicting a phone diagram, instruction manuals, legal information and SIM card ejection tools. The three photos were noted by 9to5Mac.

The packaging in question appears to be consistent with an image that surfaced in July that first displayed the “iPhone 5C” name, with the paper included in the packaging also appearing to match the shape of the plastic shell. The shape of the device also pictured appears to match a photo last month of various iPhone 5C devices being tested at a Pegatron factory, a notable supplier to Apple.

As stated in our iPhone 5C roundup, the low-cost phone is expected to arrive with a plastic rear shell available in multiple colors such as yellow, blue, red, green, and white to be offered. The phone’s internals are expected to be similar to that of the iPhone 5, with the device expected to carry an A6 chip, 4-inch Retina display, 8-megapixel rear camera, and 1.2-megapixel front camera. The device is also estimated to be $400-$500 without a service contract based on analysis over the past few months.

Apple’s iPhone 5C and flagship iPhone 5S are both expected to be unveiled at a September 10th media event, and will likely launch in the first wave of markets on September 20th.