According to the rumors, we will see;
Can’t wait!
– iPad Air 4th Gen: A14 and USB-C
– iPad 8th Gen: A12X and Lightning
– Apple Watch Series 6: S4, 2 sizes, both BT and LTE
– Apple Watch SE: also in 2 sizes, also BT and LTE versions— Evan Blass (@evleaks) September 14, 2020
It’s been a long time, and here we go again!
Just a few more days to go!
As recent rumors have pegged, tonight’s Apple event will introduce two new iPhones – the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C.
We have seen enough leaks to know everything there is to know about the iPhone 5C’s five colors and construction, and how they are really just iPhone 5 innards in a new plastic housing.
That said, the exact placement of the iPhone 5C in Apple’s iPhone lineup remains a mystery up till now.
In a previous post, I had revealed that the iPhone 5C had a 4-inch screen and a Lightning port (thanks to my friends) and speculated that the iPhone 5C will replace the iPhone 4S at the lowest end of the iPhone lineup and complete the transition of the iPhone line to Lightning ports and 4-inch screens this year, leaving the iPhone 5S at the top and the current iPhone 5 in the middle of the lineup.
I still think that this will be the arrangement, but rumors (from idiotic analysts nonetheless) suggest that the iPhone 5C will replace the iPhone 5 completely, leaving only the two new iPhones (and the old iPhone 4S) in the iPhone lineup.
This is weird for various reasons.
Firstly, it will leave a big gap between the pricing of the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C, assuming that the iPhone 5C will be quite a bit cheaper than the iPhone 5S. Previous years, the mid-range iPhones have always been about 100USD cheaper than the top-of-the-line models, and people who are intending to buy mid-range this year will not be happy that they are paying for something that are not last year’s models, at the same top-range-minus-hundred price point.
Secondly, it will not be feasible to have the iPhone 4S remain on the lineup, for the extra effort Apple needs to maintain the dock connector accessories and the assumed extra cost of making the iPhone 4S’ metal and glass housing will outweigh the benefits of just letting the same production lines making the now lesser in demand iPhone 4S continue running.
The only reason/way I can see it (iPhone 5C replacing the iPhone 5) is if the supply yield of the delicate aluminum and glass housing of the iPhone 5 still remains small today even after one year of production, due to the care needed to prevent scratches on the soft aluminum on the assembly lines.
If that is truly the case, it will make sense for Apple to divert all current iPhone 5 housing production lines to the production of the iPhone 5S, to ensure maximum supply of the iPhone 5S on launch day (20th September) and in the months after that, especially with the rumored increase in color choice.
Plastic housings are extremely cheap and easy to produce (ask Samsung), and will be produced fast enough to meet iPhone 5C launch demand, and a big supply of iPhone 5Cs is need if China is going to be part of the first launch countries this year.
Apple will still have to adjust their prices accordingly, and there will still be a gap, unless of course they just went ahead with the old top-range-minus-hundred pricing assuming that people will pay for the "newness" of the multi colored iPhone 5C lineup.
Can’t wait for tonight! Will love a blue 5C.
Visit Sgmac.net, the new fb group (still in tweaking mode until mid-Sep, but open for joining) for devoted Mac users today!
Which is 28th Jan 2010 early morning here.
Screenshot taken from Engadget, and you can read more about it here.
28th July 2009
Girl working at Apple booth, sent from Apple SG:
“The current Mini Displayport adapters totally don’t work for doing presentations. My old MacBook and MacBook Air adapters do, but the new ones don’t. Apple probably got something wrong in the design”.
29th July 2009
Guy working at Apple booth, sent from Apple SG:
“You can install on multiple computers, your Adobe CS4 Web Premium and Microsoft Office 2008, even though you only have one serial. They will work so long the computers are on different networks”.
To clarify those who don’t understand why the above examples were words of idiocy, the current Mini Displayport adapters do work for presentations. I personally tested them. It’s now July so I think everyone should have installed the Mini Displayport to VGA adapter firmware update by now. There have only been some prior reports that DRM-ed videos do not play on the connected screen, but they work perfectly for normal Keynote/Powerpoint presentations.
As for the Adobe CS4 comment, the Adobe apps phones home regularly regardless what network you are on, so long you are connected to the net. There’s a high chance that the apps installed on multiple Macs will deactivate and return to trial status if Adobe realizes that the same SN has been used more than once. As for Office 2008, you can use the same SN on multiple Macs, so long you do not update the apps. The “different network” comment probably came from Office 2004, where a “feature” was built in by Microsoft to shut down running copies of Office 2004 once a certain SN has been detected to be in use in more than one Mac in a certain network. Apparently the “feature” has been removed in 2008. How outdated can someone professing to know lots about Macs be?
If you are buying from the NUS fair, it helps to do your homework before you purchase. Don’t expect the staff there to be giving you correct information. Ask someone who knows better.
“Dear N,
I am sending this email on behalf of Team MacNUS (MacNUS EXCO 2006/07).
We are very disappointed that the sales team at Apple Singapore has decided that the Mac sales at the NUS Matriculation Fair should be just like a PC sales affair, with lots of sales people fighting over potential sales and pressuring customers in groups, instead of the comfortable environment it has always used to be all these years, with 3 to 5 main Mac addicts slowly explaining and trying to convert freshmen into Mac users.
We understand that a large proportion of employees at Apple Singapore used to be from IBM, but we think that is no reason to treat Macs as dull black boxes that are sold to customers through bazaar “lelong” sales techniques – through sheer cut prices and employee numbers.
The one thing that I and many other Mac users (from the Mac User Group of Singapore, which I am part of, for example), hate most about PC shows and related sales event is the sense that we are being overwhelmed by too many sales people and being pressured into buying a product.
I wonder, if you are going to buy a Porsche, and you turn up at the showroom and it looks like a Kia sales bazaar, how will you feel?
Despite the fact that I have already graduated, I have repeatedly decided to take part in the annual Matriculation sales and help convert more people into Mac users(despite of the meagre payment one gets as a part timer sales person). This is because I love the annual sales event at NUS, and I love working with J and her people.
However, since the decision has been made to turn the NUS Mac sales into a regular PC sales bazaar booth, this will be the last year that I will be working in the NUS Mac sales.
I have decided to drop out of all of the sales event after the main one-week NUS Matriculation Fair.
For the Matriculation Fair itself, while I will love to drop out, I have personally persuaded two of my converts into working since late May. They have rescheduled their appointments, work and even holidays because I have told them that the event itself will be a great experience and will not be like a I.T.Fair kind of affair. And since things have came to such a situation, it will be extremely unloyal and despicable for me to drop out of the main event and let them fend for themselves during the event.
My two other experienced peeps, Y and I, are closed to dropping out of all events. They will make their decision soon.
It is sad that everything has to come to this. My love affair with Apple, Inc, will obviously continue, but, just not in this way anymore.
Yours Sincerely,
Ren Jinshen Ryu
on behalf of
the Original Team MacNUS”
P.S. N did not reply. On the first day of the fair she saw me and pretended that nothing happened.
In the end, I got so fed up of working with the other people that Apple SG sent that I quit after the first day.
Monday was only the second day of the fair, and there were only 5 sales person from the original 10. And another one will be quitting on Tuesday.
We are 5 days away from the holy mecca of all Mac fans – Macworld Expo. As usual, there are many last minute rumors flooding the Mac rumors sites. Will do a listing of all the rumors listed on Macrumors.com so far.
Basically, we have the following;
1. iWork and iMovie to become online apps
2. iPhone nano
3. Cheaper MacBook
4. Smaller iPod Shuffle
5. Updated iMac and Mac mini
So, the usual question: how true are these rumors?
Firstly, the possibility of iWork and iMovie becoming web apps is high. However, it is highly impossible that desktop versions of the apps will be totally gone. It is almost impossible to recreate web versions of the desktop apps while retaining all functions that the current desktop apps have, and if iWork’09 have lesser functions than iWork’08 had, we all know how well that will turn out. Anyone remember the iMovie’08 fiasco?
Secondly, iPhone nano. So yeah. You have the usual case makers revealing the possible existence of a nano-ized version of the iPhone. So what? Who cares? If it’s cheaper than the iPhone then maybe you will have a few people who are interested, but right now I think more people are really interested in getting the next iPhone software update from Apple in order to get more functionality out of their current iPhones.
Next, the cheaper MacBook. So drop the white MacBook entirely and lower the price of the entry Aluminum model. That will rock with me. Possibility of such an action happening at Macworld 2009 is low though.
Next, the smaller iPod Shuffle. Possible. Just not at Macworld 2009.
Lastly, the updated Mac Mini and iMac. This is almost a definite YES. 3 almost definite updates;
i. MiniDisplay port. Apple’s new standards-based almost-proprietary-for-now port will make its way to all Macs.
ii. Nvidia 9400. Obviously.
iii. New CPUs. You know which ones I’m talking about.
I can’t wait for 6th Jan!!!
MacNUS held a closed-door hands-on seminar entitled iLife@iShop, just one week after their “Welcome to the Mac, Again” event, at iShop. This event was limited to a small number of participants and was given by Mr. Junior Tan of Apple Singapore.
Some images here. More on their flickr site.
So MacNUS, easily the biggest tertiary based Mac user group in Singapore, has started off the new academic year with the first of their traditional year-long seminar series. This one is entitled “Welcome to the Mac, Again” as opposed to last year’s “The Power of X”.
Last night’s event was split into 3 main sections, with one on the OS X environment, one on NUS’ various configurations and settings, and one on free OS X apps. Basically overall everything was more on the bare basics side of things, which obviously this seminar was targeted at, for the participants are all new Mac users.
Various announcement on future MacNUS offerings were also made at the seminar, and attendees were generally excited about them. In the end it turned out to be quite a great seminar overall for both MacNUS and the seminar attendees.
Pictures reproduced with permission from MacNUS. More available from their flickr page
Well, so we heard from the various Mac rumor sites that new iPods are coming out during the special event this coming Wednesday (10pm Singapore Time tonight), so MacRyu thought we will just sort out the various information that has been moving around the Mac rumor world the past few days.
1. New iPods
This is widely touted by 9 to 5 Mac, a relatively newcomer to the Mac rumor scene. According to them, a new iPod Nano, dubbed FatPod by the thousands who have seen the current mockups of the possible Nano replacements. Creditability was given to them when Apple Legal sent them a cease and desist order, claiming that the “mockups” are actually stolen Apple property. So it seems that these Fatpods are real! Darn… Cause these are really pretty fugly.
However, the real anticipation is for a brand new full screen, touchscreen, wifi Video iPod, something like an iPhone without the Phone function. Such a device has been rumored to be coming for more than 3 years already, and with the unveiling of the iPhone earlier this year, it seems that tonight will finally see everyone’s dreams for the ultimate iPod realised.
2. Beatles?
Seriously, this is really of no interest to me, nor others in Singapore, nor a lot of the younger generation of iTunes users who can’t care more about having the Beatles’ catalog in the iTunes Store. Apple Inc and Apple Records had just settled and made peace not too long ago, and apparently the event will include the announcement that the Beatles are finally on iTunes. Seriously, I don’t care.
3. Other News
One small piece of news is the possibility of Apple selling ringtones via iTunes Store for the iPhone. Seriously, that will suck. Who the hell in his right mind will pay for ringtones when you can create and upload them into your phone with other phones? If Apple announces this, my support for the iPhone will definitely weaken.
Other stuff includes some redesigned shuffles with screens on them, blah blah. Nothing interesting really.
The most exciting part about this event is the location at which the event is held. Unlike other events where Apple will basically just invite selected journalists to their Town Hall in Cupertino, this is held at the Moscone Center, where all the MacWorld keynotes are held. Plus the rumors from Ars Technica that this is going to be a “wow” event, I say we are in for an exciting 120 mins tonight starting from 10pm.