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SALT LAKE CITY — Between Apple's fiscal 2013 first-quarter reports and an update to iOS 6.1, many new (and some not-so-new) rumors are flying around the internet, along with a number of rumors that are now confirmed as news.
iOS 6.1
Only a few days after a final beta release to developers, Apple released iOS 6.1 to the masses on January 28. According to Apple, this update supports LTE for more cellular carriers including many networks in Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the United States.
Also included is the ability to purchase movie tickets via Siri and Fandango, improved iTunes Match support, advertising privacy improvements and various bug fixes. In Apple's press release, Phil Schiller, senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, also noted that "nearly 300 million iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices (upgraded to) iOS 6 in just five months." The update also includes hidden support and configuration files for yet-unreleased Apple products, including a new iPad and AppleTV.
128 GB iPads leaked, then confirmed for Feb. 5th
Following the release of iOS 6.1 and iTunes 11, Apple enthusiasts began exploring the contents of the updates and began reporting strong indicators that new devices are on the way. One of the more striking revelations was a configuration file that mentioned 128 GB iOS device support. Until now, Apple has only offered 64 GB iPad and iPhone models.
Shortly following the release of iOS 6.1, however, Apple announced that iPads with 128 GB of storage will be available for order on Tuesday, February 5th. Available in black or white, the new iPad will retail at $799 for the iPad with Wi-Fi and $929 for the iPad with Wi-Fi and Cellular support. Apple was careful to note in a press release that this updated iPad is still part of the fourth generation of iPads, initially launched in October 2012.
Shanghai R&D center confirmedFinishing today's rumor roundup, we reported earlier in January that Apple may be considering a new research and development facility in China, possibly as part of a strategy to smooth approvals and otherwise build a strong relationship with the world's second largest economy.
Chinese financial news source yicai.com reports that Shanghai has officially announced that Apple will open such a facility for research, development, and other purposes this summer. From yicai.com, "Apple has registered three firms in three buildings in Pudong, Shanghai, and one of them will be dedicated to procurement management and R&D, according to documents on the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce's website."
Such a foothold in one of China's major economic centers would play a strong role in Apple's relations with the Chinese government, granting Apple greater marketing power and access to Chinese consumers. According to CEO Tim Cook, last quarter's revenues included $7.3 billion from China alone, or 13 percent of total revenues. From the quarterly financial conference call last week, "(Chinese revenues are) up over 60 percent year-on-year … It’s clear that China is already our second-largest region … and it’s clear that there’s a lot of potential there."
Fiscal 2013 first quarter a blockbuster
Apple's Fiscal 2013 First Quarter wrapped up on December 29th, 2012, and by all measures it was a record-breaking quarter. The company posted quarterly revenue of $54.5 billion with $13.1 billion in net profits, both records for any quarter in Apple's history. This equates to $4.2 billion in weekly revenue, compared with $3.3 billion in the same quarter in 2011. iPhone and iPad sales accounted for over 75 percent of revenues, with 56 percent of overall revenues coming from iPhone alone. CEO Tim Cook noted in the conference call that Apple has "sold more than 500 million iOS devices [since 2007], more than 10 per second last quarter."
Despite breaking many records and meeting internal performance projections, Apple stock suffered significant losses after the earnings announcement, plummeting 10 percent from $514 to $458 in after hours trading.
In a town hall meeting on January 24th, Cook met with executives and employees to discuss the state of the company and deliver praise for a job well done, indicating that Apple's teams had achieved greater heights than ever before. Cook also addressed the decline of Apple's stock price, noting that "we just had the best quarter of any technology company ever." Cook reportedly reiterated that Apple's priority is to build products customers love, not just revenues and share prices.
New AppleTV3,2 model leakedIn addition to leaking the arrival of 128 GB iOS devices, the latest iOS 6.1 update includes support for an "AppleTV3,2" model. The last update to the AppleTV occurred in March 2012 and was labeled "AppleTV3,1."
This new update includes Bluetooth support for wireless keyboards, although support for a mouse, speakers, or other Bluetooth devices is still disabled. Coupled with a release by the Federal Communications Commission, the new AppleTV is just under a centimeter smaller, sports an integrated Broadcom Wireless chip that handles both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and includes what appears to be a faster and slightly smaller CPU.
While this update is not the fabled "iTV" product with voice control and a huge HD screen that's been in the rumor mill for years, it is another stepping stone to a more advanced Apple presence in the living room.
Top image credit: 9to5Mac
Brent Anderson is a mobile app developer and founder of Juicy Development LLC. He studies Information Systems at Brigham Young University and loves connecting businesses with technology in new and valuable ways. Online at www.brentjanderson.com.
