Each week, there are dozens of rumors, reports, and patent filings that hint at what’s coming out of Cupertino next. Some are legit, but many are totally bogus. As always, we’ve parsed the rumors, ranking them in order from “utterly ridiculous” to “duh, of course.” First up…
DON'T COUNT ON IT: Mockups Show What an iPhone 6 Looks Like in Hand
Photos posted on a Chinese site early this week show what a 5.5-inch iPhone 6 could look like in someone's hand. The mockup appears to be based on drawings posted to MacFan about a month ago. The design includes a protruding rear camera (a design element I really hope Apple does not include in its actual iPhone), and its proportions make it look more like a larger 5.5- or 6-inch phone rather than the 4.7-incher we've been hearing most about lately. Another mockup, this time in silver, was posted on the Chinese website Baidu. With the source of the original design illustrations in question, the accuracy of these follow-up mockups is also questionable. But it's interesting to see what a possible iPhone 6 could look like, nonetheless.
DON'T COUNT ON IT: Video of More iPhone 6 Cases Back Up iPod-Like Design
Another video from Unbox Therapy shows purported iPhone 6 cases alongside the fifth-gen iPod touch to compare their size and style similarities. The iPod fits inside the case to a T, indicating that the next iPhone would be about 6.1 mm thin. The cases also show the volume button shapes, which are oblong, like those on the iPod touch. While the case could be legit, I still think it's more likely the video shows an iPod case, or a case that someone decided to make based on existing rumors.
ASK AGAIN LATER: Future Apple Docks Could Have Retractable Connectors
I used to have an iPod speaker dock I used all the time. But after a while, I feared that I'd damage my iPod, or the protruding 30-pin connector, with all that use. A recently published Apple patent proposes a way to bypass that threat with a dock connector that retracts as you're removing the device, removing "undesirable forces" that could bend or damage the connector. Conversely, the connector could also extend outwards when you're placing the device on the dock, making it easier to position. Apple usually leaves all the docks and such to third-party accessory makers, so I'm not confident that Apple would actually incorporate this into a product of its own.
ASK AGAIN LATER: iWatch in Production, to Use Flexible Chip Design
Apple's rumored iWatch, a health-focused wearable device, has entered production, according to the China Times. The device is on track to debut by the year. It's also reportedly using a system-in-package (SIP) design that allows multiple, different chips to be positioned on a single module, making it smaller in size than if the chips were on traditional PCB, and speedier to manufacture. It wouldn't surprise me if Apple did adopt up-and-coming technologies to make everything as small and light as possible for this rumored iWatch. And if the device is indeed beginning production, we should start seeing more iPhone 6-style leaks cropping up soon.
ASK AGAIN LATER: Apple Could Use New Actuator for Thinner, Faster Camera Autofocusing
A patent granted to Apple Tuesday for a "MEMS autofocus actuator" shows how Apple could make the iPhone's camera hardware even smaller and slimmer. Right now, most mobile cameras use what's called a voice coil motor to power their autofocus systems. While it has a straightforward design, this technology uses a fairly high amount of power. If Apple used silicon MEMS (Microelectromechanical system) technology, however, autofocus would theoretically be cheaper, faster, and less power hungry–but it's small size makes manufacturing a challenge. Apple's patent goes into detail about how it could manufacture a MEMS actuator from a single wafer of silicon, making it more viable to produce. As with most patents, it's impossible to tell if this is something Apple would actually incorporate into a product, but it does indicate the company is constantly looking at ways to make its devices thinner, including the camera gear.
SIGNS POINT TO YES: Apple Could Be Working on Earbuds That Sense Vital Signs
Following a patent that published in February, it seems that Apple could be doubling down on a way to make earbuds that can sense your vital statistics. Apple hired MIT researcher Eric Winokur, who has worked on an ear-worn "wearable vital signs monitor" and has experience researching and developing wearable medical devices, according to his LinkedIn profile. A post, reportedly from a disgruntled Apple employee, on the anonymous secret-sharing site, Secret, also said that Apple is working on earpods with heart rate and blood pressure sensors built-in, iBeacons for locating them, and would charge via Lightning connector. While the secret Secret poster could be anyone wanting to toy with the Apple rumor mill, combined with the patent and the recent hire, it does sound like Apple could have advanced earbuds in the works, but it's unclear how long they may or may have been in development for.
SIGNS POINT TO YES: OS X 10.10 to Have Large Presence at WWDC
The next version of Apple's desktop operating system could outshine previews of iOS 8 at WWDC in June, according to sources with 9to5Mac. The new OS could be getting a major redesign akin to iOS 7's visual overhaul first revealed at last year's Apple developer conference. 9to5Mac says the new OS will feature "similar toggle designs to iOS 7, sharper window corners, more defined icons across the system, and more white space" than OS X currently does, but oldies like Mission Control, Finder, and multitasking will remain. Apparently Apple has tasked some iOS UX personnel to help finish up OS X on time for its WWDC debut and expected fall launch. Apple is also reportedly working on some major iCloud updates.
