MacRumors Roundups: What We Expect for the iPhone 5S, 5C and iWatch

Friday August 30, 2013 12:02 pm PDT by Eric Slivka

Last fall, we launched a series of roundups to help visitors more easily stay on top of the latest rumors for several of Apple's product lines, condensing months' worth of news and rumors into a single frequently-updated page for each product. For various reasons, those roundups fell out of date. 

After taking some time to completely rework both the look and functionality, we are relaunching our Roundups feature today with coverage of the iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, and iWatch. More roundups are coming soon to expand our coverage of Apple's products as the company heads into to a busy season of iPhone, iPad, Mac, and software updates. 


The goal of each roundup is to simply answer the question of "What are you expecting" for any given product. That opinion is certain to change over time as new rumors are revealed, and the roundups will be updated regularly to reflect that. 

Our roundup index page includes a full list of our available roundups ordered by most recently updated. Roundups are also accessible directly through the "Roundups" tab in the navigation bar on all MacRumors pages. 

- iPhone 5S 
- iPhone 5C 
- iWatch

Source - Macrumors

Apple Restricting Vacation Time for AppleCare Employees From September 15 to 28

Apple appears to be cutting down on available vacation time for its AppleCare employees between September 15 and 28, a two week period encompassing the prospective September 20 release date for the iPhone 5S and 5C that was first leaked earlier this month. iOS 7 is also expected to be released that week. 

An internal document shared by AppleInsider reportedly shows the amount of time off available for AppleCare employees during the month of September, which appears to drop beginning on September 15. 

An internal company document shared with AppleInsider purportedly shows time off available for AppleCare employees for the latter half of September. As can be seen in the calendar, available time off drops off significantly starting Sunday, Sept. 15, and continues through Saturday, Sept. 28. 

The image provided shows the calendar being accessed via virtual private network from an internal Apple employee domain. Potentially identifying portions of the picture have been cropped out.

Multiple carriers have also initiated similar vacation blackout dates on some of the same days, with T-Mobile employees reporting a September 20 to 22 blackout and Verizon employees reporting September 18 to September 22 blackout dates. 

Apple likely has a longer blackout period for its AppleCare employees in order to offer extended support to both iOS 7 users and new iPhone owners. AppleCare employees began training on support issues related to iOS 7 yesterday and that training is likely to continue up until the OS is distributed to the public.

Proposed E-Book Publisher Settlement Could See Customers Receiving Up to $3 Per Book Purchased

While Apple has been found guilty of conspiring to fix e-book prices as it sought to launch its iBookstore alongside the iPad in early 2010, five publishers involved in the case have already agreed to settle the cases brought against them by state attorneys general and other class-action plaintiffs. 

Among the publishers, Hachette, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster had previously received court approval for their settlement agreements, and Macmillan and Penguin settlements are now proceeding through the approval phase. Customers who purchased Macmillan or Penguin e-books are now receiving emails informing them about the proposed settlement and their rights and responsibilities with respect to the agreement. 

Under the proposal, the Macmillan and Penguin settlement funds would be combined with previous amounts committed by the other publishers, yielding a total fund of $162.25 million to be paid out to consumers who purchased e-books between the iBookstore's April 1, 2010 launch and May 21, 2012. 

While the exact amount of reimbursement customers will receive depends on how many end up being included in the program, current estimates suggest that customers could be reimbursed $3.06 for each purchase of an e-book that appeared on the New York Times bestseller list at any point, and $0.73 per non-bestseller book.

The amount of your credit or check will be affected by how many qualifying E-books you purchased. There will be two levels of payments, based on categories of E-books. While the exact amount to be paid per E-book in each category is not yet finalized, the best estimates of payments for each E-book you purchased, based on the Plaintiffs proposed plan for a combined fund, are as follows: 

- New York Times bestsellers: $3.06 per E-book. These include titles that were New York Times bestsellers at any time, irrespective of when you purchased the E-book. 

- Non-New York Times bestsellers: $.73 per E-book. These E-books include any titles that were not New York Times bestsellers.

Residents of Minnesota will receive a different, higher amount per book because they were not included in the first round of settlements. 

Reimbursement methods will also vary based on where e-books were purchased, with Amazon customers receiving automatic account credit while Apple, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo users will have to activate their account credits, or they may request reimbursement by check. Consumers have until October 21 to object to or exclude themselves from the proposed settlement, and a hearing will be held on December 6 to consider approval. 

While penalties in the case against Apple have yet to be assessed and Apple has vowed to appeal the verdict, estimates have suggested that Apple could owe as much as $500 million for its role in pushing book publishers to move to an agency model that resulted in higher prices for consumers.

Apple Confirms iPhone Trade-In Program Launching Today at U.S. Retail Stores [Updated]

Apple has officially confirmed that it is launching its iPhone trade-in program today at its U.S. retail stores, according to a Tweet from CNBC's Jon Fortt. While a number of details on the program have leaked over the past few months, today's statement is the first public confirmation by Apple that the program exists. 

Under the program, users can receive a gift card in exchange for their older devices, although the gift card must immediately be used toward the purchase of a new iPhone. Trade-in values are based on a number of criteria, including model and capacity and physical condition. 

The trade-in program launches less than two weeks before Apple is expected to introduce its next-generation iPhones at a media event on September 10. Rumors and speculation indicate that the new iPhones could be available in the U.S. and other first-wave markets beginning on Friday, September 20. 

Update: More details are coming out about the trade-in program. Apple is calling it a "reuse and recycling" program and trade-ins for working iPhone 4 and 4S devices ranging from $120 to $250, according to TechCrunch. Customers must use the money to purchase a new on-contract phone. 

Apple provided this statement to TechCrunch regarding the new program:

iPhones hold great value. So, Apple Retail Stores are launching a new program to assist customers who wish to bring in their previous-generation iPhone for reuse or recycling. In addition to helping support the environment, customers will be able to receive a credit for their returned phone that they can use toward the purchase of a new iPhone.

New Videos Depict 'Champagne' and 'Graphite' iPhone 5S Casings

Two new videos published today give a detailed look at the casings of the "champagne" colored iPhone 5S and the "graphite" 5S, which first showed up in photos earlier this week. 

While there has been a non-stop stream of images and videos depicting the gold iPhone 5S, a video from TLD offers a good overview of both the casing and the structural differences between the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5. 

As has been previously noted, the iPhone 5S features repositioned logic board screws and a larger flash cutout to accommodate a dual-LED flash. Placing the iPhone 5’s battery into the iPhone 5S casing, TLD notes that the amount of space available for the logic board has been decreased to increase the available battery space. 

A second video from BestTechInfo offers a view of the purported black and "graphite" version of the iPhone 5S compared to the existing black and slate iPhone 5. 

When side-by-side, the graphite iPhone 5S is noticeably lighter in color than the existing black and slate iPhone 5, but as 9to5Mac points out, initial versions of the slate iPhone 5 were lighter in color as well. This suggests that the graphite iPhone 5S color variation may just be an early prototype rather than a new color that Apple plans to introduce. 

The iPhone 5S will retain the same form factor as the iPhone 5, but it will include a number of upgrades including the aforementioned dual-LED flash, an improved processor, and a fingerprint sensor. It is also rumored to offer a better camera and new picture taking modes. 

Apple is expected to debut the iPhone 5S and the low-cost iPhone 5C at an iPhone event that will take place on September 10, with the phones shipping on September 20

SimCity Finally Launches on the Mac With Native Version and Cross-Platform Servers

After being delayed for six months, EA has finally released the Mac version of the newSimCity. The game was originally set to come out in February of this year, but EA decided to delay it to "ensure a great experience" for players.

EA has repeatedly emphasized that the Mac version of SimCity is not a "port" of the PC game, but a fully native version designed specifically for the Mac using OpenGL. However, the game will include full cross-platform support to facilitate 'region play' where the cities of multiple players are connected to share utilities and citizenry, with PC and Mac Mayors able to play in the same regions.

SimCity's PC launch was more than a little rocky, largely because the game can only be played online. EA requires that the game be connected to its servers at all times.

At launch, SimCity's servers were overwhelmed with traffic and the gameplay experience was extremely poor. Today, EA seems to have ironed out most of the bugs and users are playing the game as intended.

EA on system requirements, viewable in full at the bottom of the purchase page:

In general, most Late-2009 iMacs, mid-2009 MacBook Pros, and mid-2010 MacBooks meet the SimCity's minimum specifications. Other systems not listed here may be able to run SimCity, but can experience graphical or performance issues and would require an OS upgrade.

SimCity is available through EA's Origin store at $40 for the standard game, or $60 for a Deluxe Edition that includes additional content. Purchases cover both platforms, so gamers who already bought SimCity on the PC will get the Mac version for free.

AppleCare Support Employees Begin Training on iOS 7

AppleCare employees have begun training on support issues related to iOS 7, according to 9to5Mac. The site claims the training must be completed by the second week in September, when Apple is expected to unveil the final version of iOS 7 for launch in the middle of the following week.

Because of significant changes to the user interface in iOS 7, Apple is reportedly increasing the hours of part-time AppleCare support staff and requiring Mac and OS X AppleCare technicians to cross train in iOS 7 in order to be ready for heavy anticipated call volume.

The iOS 7 training focuses on some of the more critical features of iOS. Apple seems to want to push the Find my iPhone Activation Lock feature. This option requires the customer’s iCloud username and password for an iOS Device to be inputted to active a found iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

[…]

Other features that AppleCare will heavily push and become knowledgable about include the new iCloud Photo Sharing options, the redesigned Camera app, the more feature-rich Safari browser, Control Center, and AirDrop file-sharing.

Apple is putting special emphasis on the design differences between iOS 6 and 7. Support employees are being shown how, though the design looks significantly different in iOS 7, actual functionality has not changed in most apps. 

The final version of iOS 7 is expected to be unveiled on September 10 at the media event for the iPhone 5S and 5C introductions. Apple typically releases the new version of iOS the following week, just ahead of the launch of the new iPhone model.

Parallels Desktop 9 with OS X Mavericks and Cloud Services Support Launches for Existing Customers

Parallels today announced the launch of Parallels Desktop 9 for Mac, the latest version of the company's software for running alternate operating systems such as Windows in virtualized environments on the Mac. The new version is available today as an upgrade for existing Parallels users, and it goes on sale for new customers September 5, in line with pre-order information that began popping up earlier this month. 

Parallels Desktop 9 brings a number of new features and enhancements, including faster performance and support for Apple's upcoming OS X Mavericks and Microsoft's Windows 8.1, while also building in new support for a number of cloud services. Among the main features of Parallels Desktop 9 are:

- Support for cloud services: Sync iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, SkyDrive etc., with your Mac and your Windows virtual machine without unnecessary duplication of files locally 
- Enhanced Windows 8 and 8.1 support: Parallels Desktop brings back the real Start menu and lets customers use Metro apps in a window instead of full screen 
- Security Center: Easily access and install complimentary security software subscriptions to keep the Mac and Windows virtual machines safe from viruses and malware, all from one location 
- Enhanced new Virtual Machine Wizard: It is easier than ever to set up a new virtual machine, especially on computers that don’t have DVD drives 
- Power Nap support: On a Retina MacBook Pro or a MacBook Air, the Power Nap feature now extends to Windows and Windows apps, so virtual machines and all Windows applications are always up-to-date

Upgrade pricing on Parallels Desktop 9 for users of version 7 or 8 is $49.99, with standard retail pricing set at $79.99 for regular users and $39.99 for students. Customers who purchased Parallels Desktop 8 on or after August 15 can also receive a free upgrade to version 9. 

For a limited time, Parallels Desktop 9 customers also receive a free six-month subscription to the new Parallels Access service that allows users to access Mac and Windows machines from their iPads.

OSX Vulnerability Can Allow Superuser Access to Unauthorized Users

Users looking to exploit a vulnerability in the Sudo Unix command, originally reported back in March, have received some assistance, reports Ars Technica.

The developers of Metasploit, software that makes it easier to misuse vulnerabilities in operating systems and applications, have added the Sudo vulnerability to their software suite. All versions of OS X from OS X Lion 10.7 through the current Mountain Lion 10.8.4 remain vulnerable.

Mac users should realize that an attacker must satisfy a variety of conditions before being able to exploit this vulnerability. For one, the end-user who is logged in must already have administrator privileges. And for another, the user must have successfully run sudo at least once in the past. And of course, the attacker must already have either physical or remote shell access to the target machine. In other words: this exploit can't be used in the kind of drive-by webpage attacks that last year infected some 650,000 Macs with the Flashback malware. This doesn't mean it's a non-issue though, since the exploit can be used in concert with other attacks to magnify the damage they can do.

Most of the recent exploits in Mac OS X have been related to Java, which Apple completely blocked earlier this year over security vulnerabilities, though Apple did release a standalone malware removal tool to help clean machines that were affected by a number of Java vulnerabilities.

OS X has been targeted more in recent years as it has gained in popularity. The Janicab.A malware was discovered last month, while another program called macs.app was discovered in May. That app captured and stored screenshots.

T-Mobile Employee Blackout Dates Support September 20 iPhone Release Date

During the blackout period, employees will be unable to take vacation time to ensure that T-Mobile has adequate staff on hand for a large release event. Similar blackouts have been instituted for the launch of previous iPhone models and other high-profile products. 

While MacRumors has heard reports of a September 20 blackout date for T-Mobile employees, reports from AT&T and Verizon employees have been conflicting, with some citing an October blackout period. Blackout dates are occasionally instituted for a broad range of dates and then narrowed down as a release date approaches and can also be subject to change based on Apple's exact event plans. 

Apple's iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C are both expected to be revealed at a September 10 event that has been confirmed by multiple sources, which makes September 20 a likely candidate for release as Apple typically launches its new phones in the United States and other markets approximately a week and a half after they are announced. 

Last year, Apple announced the iPhone 5 at a media event on September 12, launching the phone several days later on September 21 in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

Apple Still Searching for Engineers with Plastics Expertise

Apple continues to expand and improve its current plastics division, today posting a new job listing for a Senior Materials Engineer with a specialty in plastics (via 9to5Mac). The position asks for someone experienced with plastics materials to join the iPhone/iPad Materials team. 

According to the job notes, Apple is seeking an engineer with 10 or more years in the mold making industry to develop new plastic materials and processes to "meet the structural and aesthetic requirements of a wide range of part designs." 

Prototype of Apple's Upcoming Low-Cost iPhone
Apple is also looking for several other employees with a specialization in plastic, including a Plastic Tooling Engineer and a Manufacturing Design Engineer. Apple originally began seeking a Manufacturing Design Engineer back in January and the position, which remains unfilled, asks candidates to "Identify, develop and launch new tooling and process capabilities in support of new Apple product developments." 

While Apple has focused heavily on aluminum for the iPad, the iPhone, and the MacBook line for the last several years, the company continues to use plastics in products like the Apple TV, the AirPort Extreme, and other accessories. 

Most notably, Apple's upcoming low-cost iPhone features a colorful polycarbonate shell, the first plastic-shelled mobile product Apple has produced since the iPhone 3GS. 

Apple does use plastics for internal parts, but multiple job listings focus on the aesthetic use of plastic, which suggests that plastic may be a renewed area of interest for the company and could play a larger role in future Apple products.

Disney Working on 'Star Wars' App for Apple TV?

Disney is working on a dedicated 'Star Wars' channel for the Apple TV according to a questionable report from Jedi News. The site quotes an "unnamed source" who said Disney will launch a new app on the Apple TV in time for the holiday season and the app will stream the final episodes of the animated 'Clone Wars' TV series.

Our source told us the following:

"A Disney branded app for Star Wars will launch on Apple TV devices, with plans to distribute the final Clone Wars episodes exclusively digitally only through the Apple TV device for a limited period of time. This will happen in this holiday season.

In 2014, plans are in an early stage to use the platform to deliver SW7 production news 'live' from the sets, followed with Star Wars Rebels in late 2014 taking us all the way through to SW7 release."

Jedi News claims only iOS 7-capable Apple TV devices -- the second and third generation units -- will be able to use the new app.

Apple has launched a number of third-party apps on the Apple TV in recent months,including two Disney apps yesterday. Last year, Disney purchased Lucasfilm and the 'Star Wars' franchise.

Apple Number One Target for Patent Trolls With 171 Cases in Five Years

Apple is the number one target for "patent trolls", with 171 cases total in the last five years, according to PatentFreedom (via Fortune). This puts the company ahead of Hewlett Packard, currently in second place with 137 cases, and Samsung, with 133. Dell, Sony, HTC, and LG all made the top 10 with a combined 1,218 cases between them.

A patent troll, or "non-practicing entity" (NPE) is defined by research firm PatentFreedomas "any entity that earns or plans to earn the majority of its revenue from the licensing or enforcement of its patents".

Michael Brody, an intellectual property specialist at Winston & Strawn, told an audience at Stanford University earlier this week that a patent, "is nothing more or less than a license to sue someone" and claimed that in 2012, more than 4,200 separate companies or individuals were sued by NPEs, with the average licensing cost for cases settled out of court being around $29.75 million.

Since 2004 onwards, the number of lawsuits involving NPEs has risen sharply andPatentFreedom has reported a 1300 percent increase in cases between 2004 and 2013. The site suggests that this may be due to a 100 percent increase in the number of patents granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) during the same period. 

Over the years, Apple has faced litigation from a number of patent-holding companies like Lodsys, which targeted app developers over in-app purchases, and VirnetX, a company that was awarded $368.2 million over VPN connectivity in Facebook in 2012. 

Apple faces a new lawsuit filed today by Remote Locator Systems, alleging that Apple's "Find My Friends" and "Find My iPhone" apps violate a patent held by the company.

Apple's September 10 iPhone Media Event Said to Also Include New iPads [Updated]

Buried in an article about Apple's upcoming Tokyo retail store, Bloomberg briefly mentions that Apple's September 10 media event will see the introduction of not only new iPhone models, but also new iPads.

The Cupertino, California-based company plans to introduce new versions of its phone and tablet at a Sept. 10 event, a person familiar with the matter has said, and the company promised “several more game changers” in the product pipeline as it tries to fend off Samsung Electronics Co. and Chinese makers selling cheaper handsets.

The September 10 date for Apple's iPhone media event was reported by AllThingsD earlier this month and all but confirmed over the following few days by a number of other sources, but the event had been thought to be focused solely on the iPhone and iOS 7. 

Given the casual nature with which Bloomberg mentions that new iPads are expected at the event, it is possible that it is an error, as rumors have suggested that the new iPads would not appear until closer to the end of the year. Apple has even been reported to perhaps be pushing back the release of iOS 7 for iPad by a few weeks relative to the iPhone version of the software, with the new iPads and their version of iOS 7 appearing at a later media event. 

Update: Bloomberg made a similar quiet mention of both iPhones and iPads appearing at the September 10 event in an article last week. 

Update 2: Bloomberg has now updated its article to remove mention of new tablets at Apple's September 10 event. 

Update 3: The Loop's Jim Dalrymple has confirmed that there will be no iPads introduced at Apple's September 10 iPhone media event.

Apple to Open New Retail Store in Tokyo's Omotesando District in March 2014

An Apple retail store is set to open within Tokyo’s famed Omotesandō district in March 2014, reports Bloomberg. The store will be Apple's first new one to open in the city in nine years and the first anywhere in Japan since the Sapporo store opened in June 2006. The new store will reportedly span three floors, with the first floor above ground and two additional underground floors, for a total area of 1868 square meters (over 20,000 square feet). Job listings for the store have also begun appearing on Apple’s Japanese retail web site. 

Apple Retail Store in Tokyo's Ginza district

The land costs about 16 billion yen ($164 million) and a completed store with Apple as tenant would value the property at around 25 billion yen, said Seth Sulkin, a representative director at Tokyo-based real estate and asset manager Pacifica Capital KK. Sulkin was Apple’s real estate adviser for all seven of the company’s previous stores in Japan. 
“Apple wants the best real estate they can get,” said Sulkin. “They are particular about size and shape. If they have to wait to get the real estate, they would.”

The store plans come as Apple attempts to make a bigger push in the Japanese market, with Japan’s biggest carrier, NTT DoCoMo, stating that it has “compelling reasons” to reach a long-elusive iPhone deal with Apple in Japan. The iPhone 5S and lower-cost iPhone 5C are expected to launch in Japan in September 20 along with the first wave of launches in select countries, and both next-generation iPhones will reportedly be unveiledon September 10.

Apple Acquires Swedish Mobile Device Data Compression Startup AlgoTrim

Swedish news agency Rapidus reports (viaTechCrunch) that Apple has acquired AlgoTrim for an undisclosed sum. The company is based in Malmö in southern Sweden and specializes in data compression algorithms for mobile phones, which have been developed for lossless compression of processing instructions in operating systems and applications. These algorithms increase processing power and reduce dependence on flash memory for more efficient performance. 

The company has been focused on Android-based devices for the past few years and reported at the end of 2011 that its technology was present in around 100 million devices around the world. Despite its large user base, the company reported a mere 3 million SEK ($462,327) revenue in its latest year-end report.

In February of 2013, all of AlgoTrims shares were acquired by the anonymous Delaware-based holding company Wedgwood Industries LCC. But according to solid information revealed to Rapidus, Apple is the real buyer behind the deal. 

Anders Holtsberg, head of software development at AlgoTrim, recently moved to Silicon Valley, a mere 15 minute car ride from Apples headquarters in Cupertino. When Rapidus calls him via Apples central switchboard, he confirms that he is now working for Apple but declines to comment any further. Anders Holtsberg, former CEO of AlgoTrim, is also very taciturn. 

- I’m sorry but I’m not allowed to comment on anything, he says to Rapidus.

AlgoTrim is one of a string of companies acquired by Apple this year. Last week it was reported that the company had bought Embark, presumably to integrate its mass transit navigation system into Apple Maps. Embark currently has ten iOS apps in the App Store, focused on transit systems in the Boston, New York City, Washington D.C., Chicago, and San Francisco Bay areas. Other Apple acquisitions revealed over the past few months have included video discovery service Matcha.tv, Bluetooth Low-Energy chip company Passif Semiconductor, transit navigation service HopStop, and local business search firm Locationary. 

Update: In an update to its original post, TechCrunch reports that Apple has confirmed the acquisition.

Gold iPhone 5S back goes under the knife -- literally

(Credit: Jailbreak Nation)

New leak shows the gold color of what appears to be Apple's next iPhone getting scuffed up with a knife. Because why not?

(Credit: Jailbreak Nation)

The life of a pre-release iPhone is not an easy one. Not only do you get photographed inside and out, but you are also privy to being scratched by keys, pocket change, and now knives.

The latest comes from Jailbreak nation, which appears to be the latest in a series of sites to get its hands on the rear shell of what is almost certainly the backside of Apple's next iPhone. It's by no means the first, but has maybe gone the furthest to test how durable Apple's latest gold color holds up to some extreme abuse.

That comes in the form of a knife scratch test, which scrapes up the back of the phone to show how it holds up to cosmetic damage. Notably the test does not cover drops, something that could crack your screen, and possibly lead to a non-functional device.

You can watch the whole clip below: