Hasta La Gadget!

The new iPhone (aka the iPhone 5) has been tipped several times by well-connected sources as having an announcement date of September 12 – today there’s a multi-sourced addition to that suggestion that says the event will not include the iPad mini. This next-generation size-reduced iPad device will instead be directed at an event in October, when Apple has held Music and iTunes-themed events in the past. As for the supposed Apple TV full-sized television set, that’s once again been lost to the rumor mill.

First you’ll want to check out the well thought out set of assumptions made by John Gruber of Daring Fireball, which say that a two-event release makes more sense than one. The first event, on September 12th indeed, there will be a new iPhone – a device which will then be released to the public on the 21st of September. Review units, he says, will also likely be seeded on the 12th of September at the event.

The second event would then be an iTunes event in the second week of October and would bring on several devices that are less fabulous all at once:

“An event where the iPad Air (cool, but just a smaller thinner cheaper iPad), new iPod Touch (cool, but just an iPhone without the phone), and maybe even new or at least updated iPod music players (eh) share the stage, tied together with the theme of consuming iTunes media content — that I can buy.” – Gruber

Then there’s another update coming from Jim Dalrymple of The Loop, a notoriously accurate source for Apple-related release information. Regarding the idea that there will be two events, the first having only “the new iPhone and iOS 6″, Dalrymple noted “Oh that Gruber is a smart fellow.” This essentially being a Bible-truth confirmation when it comes to the all-powerful tip-line that is well-connected Apple leaksters.

Have a peek at our [Apple portal] for more information on the upcoming set of devices that’ll be blowing the doors off your Apple-loving brain very, very soon, and let us know what you think of the next generation already in the mix!

iPhone 5 event tipped for split from iPad mini on September 12 is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It appears that more than just the tip-addicted iOS fans out there are getting their fair share of iPhone 5 madness as Apple stock this week hits an all-time high. This is a big change compared to the week surrounding Apple’s recent quarterly earnings call where their slightly less-than-projected device sales numbers had investors “disappointed.” Now that we’re edging ever closer to what several independent sources have tipped as the announcement date for the new iPhone, investors are prepping for the biggest launch the company has ever seen with ever-increasing prices on Apple’s public offering.

One of the most indicative factors here is the move by Jefferies & Co. in raising their price target for the stock from $800 to $900 USD, while Apple’s valuation hits $600 billion in all. With Apple’s notoriously secret ways denying the public a perfect vision for the next-generation handheld smart device, the iPhone 5′s new cycle dominance is somewhat of a phenomenon. It’s no new hat though to Apple.

The Jeffries analyst responsible for the price upgrade earlier today, Peter Misek, described the product launch coming up quick as “the biggest handset launch in history.” With the supposed actual product launch landing before the end of September and each and every single rumor, tip, and supposed leak post here on SlashGear getting massive attention from readers, we can’t say we disagree. No matter what Apple reveals in the next-generation iPhone, it’s bound to make waves.

Apple analyst Gene Munster contributed to the fervor earlier this week with a projection that should Apple release a new iPhone 10 days before the end of September, they’d see sales to the tune of 26 million to 28 million devices sold by the end of the month. At the moment, Apple sits at the current numbers that are sure to make those who are currently holding stock in the company rather joyous:

• Profit margin: 26.97 percent
• Operating margin: 35.62 percent
• Return on equity: 44.32 percent
• Quarterly revenue growth (year-to-year): 22.6 percent
• Gross profit: $43.82 billion

Check the timeline below to see more information on the iPhone 5 – or whatever Apple ends up calling it – and also check out our portals for the iPad and the Apple TV to see what other rumors on Apple devices have been cropping up. With massive cults of rumor spreaders like Apple has now, it’s no wonder they need such heavy defenses, and no wonder why there’s such great anticipation for final product launches, too!

[via CNET]

iPhone 5 rumors trigger highest Apple stock price ever is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It’s time to get realistic about all the Apple TV rumors – with an Apple TV device that’s essentially a box and a controller that hook up to any TV you like, there’s no reason for Apple to take any other steps. Today’s inside tip comes from the Wall Street Journal where they say Apple is speaking with cable providers to get an in on wired content not provided by iTunes. While it does make sense that they’d head out and make sure they’ve got all the right connections in the industry before releasing a product, this simply does not fit with Apple’s way of doing business.

If you’ve got a product that’s selling moderately well, you don’t go out and make a much more risky product that does essentially the same thing as the first. The Apple TV as it exists today is a conduit through which iTunes can function and users can bring the Apple entertainment experience to any display they like. Apple also sells displays .

Apple does not needlessly combine products when they’ve already got them on the market selling at least moderately well. An Apple Television – that is to say a full television set, not just a box that connects to any large display – would be a product made to be limited.

With iTunes, Apple has been keeping everything in the family for many years – media, operating system, hardware, and even support. Apple even sells products from their own store, which they run. It does not follow that they would meet up with networks in the television industry to grab their service 3rd hand.

Therefor hear this: Apple will not make a television set any time soon. Unless they make the current Apple TV into a magical hot item and top seller – it currently is not – they will not move forward in the television industry. It just doesn’t make sense for them to do so.

Apple doesn’t want a full television set is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Just in case you thought the often discussed / as yet unseen Apple HDTV rumor mill was dead, you were wrong. The Wall Street Journal is reigniting things this evening, with sources claiming that instead of competing with cable providers by starting up its own IPTV offering, Apple has switched to sweet talking pay-TV providers into offering their content through its box. If you’re still looking for a Cupertino-embued display you may be in luck, since the anonymous parties also indicate the set-top box tech it’s working on could be integrated with HDTVs. That is still an less than certain path at the moment however, given pay-TV operators current preference to control every element of the experience and relationship with consumers, as well as the split of profits.

According to the Journal report, Steve Jobs was “dismissive” of attempts to build a cable box since cable operators each only have limited regional exposure and don’t own the content they license from studios. Since then however we have seen a few offerings of cable and satellite TV beyond the box as Microsoft offers Verizon and Comcast apps on its Xbox 360, Samsung has brought providers directly to its smart HDTVs and many providers offer streaming access via iPad or other mobile devices. Still, since the rumor doesn’t indicate a deal is inked or even on the way, we wouldn’t hold our breath for any or all of the listed possibilities to come true any time soon.

Filed under: Home Entertainment

WSJ: Apple’s TV focus changes to putting cable TV in its set-top box originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 20:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I was using my Apple TV the other day to stream some music to my television and thought about something: prior to the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, rumors suggested that Apple was going to announce a new Apple TV operating system that would support applications and all kinds of other goodies. There was also some speculation that the company might offer up a new Apple TV set-top box that would come with some storage for the apps.

However, amid all of the talk of a new MacBook Pro with a Retina display and discussions on Apple’s new mobile and desktop operating systems, the Apple TV was overlooked. And those of us who actually want to run apps on our televisions were left to hope it might happen another day.

There’s just one issue: since WWDC, discussions on a new Apple TV have dried up. We haven’t heard of any improvements to the device’s operating system nor discussions on developers bringing their apps to the device. There hasn’t even been a rumor mentioning the possibility of a new Apple set-top box launching sometime soon.

So, what gives? Has Apple’s highly touted ability to keep everything secret won yet again? Or is it possible that the rumors were nonsense in the beginning, and those of us who own an Apple TV will never get the update we so deeply desire?

Unfortunately, I’m starting to think that it’s the latter. For years now, Apple has called its set-top box a hobby, and although it doesn’t like to use that moniker nowadays, the device really is. Like it or not, Apple doesn’t really care all that much about the Apple TV, and it has proven to be an afterthought for the company for far too many years.

“I’ve decided to ignore all Apple TV rumors”

Realizing that, I’ve decided to ignore all Apple TV rumors that might arise in the next several months. The way I see it, Apple cares most about its iPhone, iPad, and Macs, and the company is more than likely working on a television. To worry about updating a device that comes in at $99 and many consumers don’t even know about would be a mistake from a business perspective.

Admittedly, it’s not the end of the world for me. As much as I’d like to have an App Store on my Apple TV, I have applications running on my current Samsung HDTVs. At this point, I really only use my Apple TV to watch television shows or movies I download or to stream some of my music. Beyond that, I ignore it.

But that could all change if Apple actually started caring about the Apple TV. And if those rumors could eventually come true, I think there would be millions of the device’s owners who would be awfully happy to have that extra functionality.

Don’t hold your breath, though. Unfortunately, the Apple TV is slowly but surely meeting its maker. And within the next year or so, it’s quite possible it’ll be discontinued and throw into the grand junk heap of tech goodies that couldn’t hold out for long.

Whatever Happened to That New Apple TV? is written by Don Reisinger & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.