Apple Has Been Undercounting Readership On Its News Platform

News platforms on the Internet have been growing rapidly as big companies seek to keep users in their apps, providing them with stories that load quickly and are visually compelling. When Apple entered the crowded market with the launch of their dedicated News app, nobody was quite sure how iOS users, and publishers, would react. Online metrics company comScore predicted that approximately a billion hours per month have been spent reading mobile news sites by the end of 2015, a number that is more than double what it was just two years ago. However, when it comes to Apple's News service, a recently uncovered glitch means that the company has been underreporting traffic to news stories, as well as the platform's total number of regular readers. Many of the world's biggest news outlets are publishing content on Apple News - Bloomberg and The New York Times, for example - and most describe their relationships with Apple in a positive light. Apple News isn't the first attempt from Apple to allow publishers to showcase their content on iOS, but at 40 million users, it might be their most successful to date. But if you set the region on your iPhone to US, and reboot - the News app appears in your home screen. However there are certain magazines where even though they're selectable - they have no content(or aren't delivering any to Apple News). Unfortunately for me, I don't have an US-created iTunes account, so therefore I do not get to see any WSJ content through Apple News, and I believe same goes for Vanity Fair. The company mistakenly has been underestimating the number of readers using the News app since its launch, and passing that inaccurate information on to publishers. Publishers don't pay to post their content to the News app, but getting an accurate tally of users is important because it can affect their ability to sell advertising and to manage their resources accordingly. Apple allows publishers to keep 100% of revenue when they sell their own ads into the app; they keep 70% of ad revenue if Apple sells ads on their behalf. The app is still in its infancy, but the audience-measurement issue, along with other uncertainties surrounding the selling and serving of ads, has raised questions among several publishers about whether Apple's service will live up to its billing as a significant advancement in digital news distribution. The traffic has been modest relative to the enormous install base of iOS devices,” said Julie Hansen, president of Business Insider, which is now publishing all of the content it produces to Apple News. The main thing for us is how big of an audience Apple News can generate, and that's still an open question,” he said. Mr. Cue said Apple will continue to spend a lot of time getting feedback from publishers. We have been happy with the traffic we're seeing so far from Apple News, and have been particularly happy with the relationship,” said Julia Beizer, director of product at the Washington Post. In response to requests from publishers, Apple said it now allows the integration of features from measurement specialist comScore into the app. Apple initially provided updates about the app's usage by emailing spreadsheets that give a high-level overview of usage, but publishers want a more robust self-service dashboard to access that information. If they sell their own ads, Apple requires that publishers use its iAd advertising technology to insert, or serve,” them. Requiring publishers to devote resources to a tool they only would use for Apple News could make them question whether it is worth it. Mr. Cue said he was surprised by the extent to which publishers call on Apple to handle ad sales. He said Apple has accelerated the development of its iAd network and expects to launch a self-service ad-buying platform in the next two months to help increase ad spending. Despite the setbacks, publishers remain hopeful about the potential of the service and say Apple has been responsive to their feedback. I then must flip madly trying to get to the top of the news feed to get the latest news. I remind Apple that when you added this app and other half-baked apps without out any feedback from users you further alienated your customers, the ones that buy your expensive products. Now you, through Jose Cue, he that took a simple to use iTunes and made it into a maze, are talking about Apple and the publishers again ignoring your primary customers. I have found that Apple News serves up a pretty accurate list of articles that interest me, and the ability to go into areas dedicated to a specific publisher, like the Washington post or SI, works really, really well. To be clear, the best eformat for news I've seen is the Economist's iPad version, but Apple news is very, very good. It always amazes me to hear people actually get their news from the likes of Yahoo, Google and Apple. People do not know how to think for themselves anymore, they are just pushed unfettered liberal news these companies want them to see and the readers just accept it. I have now elevated Apple News to my Number One/G0-To site for news from ZITE/Flipboard/BBC/WSJ, etc. Some of the articles also will not display, as if there were an access limitation for the Apple News Program. I'm sure apple will improve it. I prefer Flipboard which is easily customized to your specifications. Just shows publishers how strong apple really is, that MORE are reading then reported and they were happy before they knew this. However, it doesn't really fetch in background, and I have to wait everytime I launch it while it updatess news. I'm the biggest Apple bull ever, and I'm not forecasting guaranteed doom and gloom or anything like that.....BUT, the management of this company is pretty far off the rails. The opportunity and the cash pile is just too large for major shareholders to sit around and wonder why Apple News/fill in the blank didn't perform to expectations this quarter. The biggest contribution to any publisher/content provider Apple could provide to publishers would be an ability to buy ads on local level. If an advertiser is big enough to use a buying house, an ability to us Apple tools is low value add. What we need from Apple is for the Pizza shop, using a Macbook, to create an ad, and then using Apple ad buying tools to place that ad on our news website in a manner that advantages local buy. So for us, we need an advertiser/customer in Central Hong Kong who is having a sale to have his assistant using a Macbook, create an ad, then using Apple tools load it to our NEXT DIGITAL platform and limit it to the geographic area, Central/Admiralty/Sheung Wan, the advertiser wants to hit, and it becomes seamless. Also, didn't Apple News force various publications to drop or lower paywalls - meaning even the minimal revenue gleaned from subscriptions is reduced. The fourth generation Apple TV was released in October, after three years without an update, but now a fifth generation Apple TV may already be in the works, DigiTimes reports. With the fourth generation of the Apple TV being released in October, the fifth generation could come six months later, likely in late April or early May. Purchasers of the fourth generation Apple TV might be upset that they just bought the latest device, and it is already being updated. Apple did update the iPad Mini 4 just six months after introducing the iPad mini 3. Market watchers have estimated that the new Apple TV could achieve 20 million units shipped in 2016. The Apple TV is manufactured by Apple's partner Quanta Computer, not their own Foxconn Electronics. If Apple does in fact release a fifth generation Apple TV in 2016, it means they could reduce the price of the current Apple TV down to $99. This could help increase sales of the 4th generation Apple TV because those who aren't buying it at the $149 price might buy it for $99. Besides a faster chip and possibly more RAM, the fifth generation Apple TV might get new features and capabilities. Apple just added a whole new tvOS operating system, more apps and a new remote. This could mean the tvOS operating system is getting an update or that the user interface is changing again for the new Apple TV. Included in this analysis is a brief synopsis of large cap stock picks that were published in the second half of December for big upside in 2016. Included is a brief synopsis of their calls, along with links to a larger call, and also other supporting or opposite calls seen elsewhere in the news. Keep in mind that many analysts have lowered expectations for Apple and are expected to keep doing so into 2016 The big issue was that Goldman Sachs is looking at Apple as a subscription model ahead, with massive recurring revenues, rather than just being a seller of the top tech gadgets. If Goldman Sachs' initial view becomes reality, Apple could have over 50% upside. A recent screen from the Merrill Lynch list of big losers that could pop showed that the largest online and mobile commerce company (by gross merchandise volume) could return to a much better 2016. General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) was the best conglomerate of 2015 , and the independent research firm Argus sees far more upside for 2016 out of Jeff Immelt and the GE team. Based on the article of Vine Report , which was published just recently, the all new Macbook Pro 2016 would be made available in stores sooner than what most people are expecting. According to the source, Apple would be releasing the laptop on Black Friday, together with the latest reboot of both Macbook Air and iPad Air 3. If the device is unavailable on the said day, the article assures the fans that the most awaited laptop would be released before the year ends. Meanwhile, Yibada report claims that because of the decline in sales of Apple devices, the Macbook Pro is not expected to be released anytime soon. The article also claimed that Apple is concentrating more on the iPad line marketing and that it would be better if they delay the release of the latest laptop model. The Apple MacBook Air for 2016 should be thinner than ever, come in both 13 and 15-inch sizes and have totally redesigned internal components. According to Taiwan's Economic Daily the new MacBook Air range should be launched in the third quarter of 2016. Since Apple launched its ultra portable 12-inch MacBook, the 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air laptops have seemed less needed. It's still early days for rumours on the next MacBook Air but a major change makes sense with the converging selection of devices Apple currently offers. The fact that I wear the Apple Watch daily doesn't mean I'm fully (or even substantially) happy with it. It does little more for me than tell the time, let me know when my phone's ringing, and occasionally alert me to a notification I might have missed; I actively dislike the selection of watch faces, don't make or receive calls on it, and find most of the notifications uselessly non-actionable. My favorite (but far less used) feature is Apple Pay, which works exactly like it should, and saves me fishing for my wallet or iPhone. We've done reader polls to ask what features people most want from a next-gen Apple Watch , and the top picks are new health sensors” and improved Wi-Fi” to free it from iPhone dependence. While I'd love those things, I'm convinced that the Apple Watch 2 really needs to get better at the tasks the Apple Watch was supposed to handle: running apps (quickly), acting as a useful communications device, and serving as a timepiece for longer between recharges. That said, I don't know that doing the things promised in 2015” is enough to sell the Apple Watch 2 to people who held out last year. If Apple gets those things right, it gets my money, but if not, I'm holding off for another year. MacBook: Personally, I'd love to see Apple improve the processor more than anything. Otherwise, I hope they add a second USB C port to the other side and drop the audio jack, which I expect considering the latest iPhone 7 news. Apple wasted a to of time and effort seeking approval from the fashionista crowd. As a note, I've (slowly) started using Apple News as my main source of general news. I used to use Google News as my aggregation source,” but I find the lack of cutter in Apple News less stressful. That said…I come to 9to5 before I even open News and I want to be able to make sure my very important opinion ;-) is heard in the comments. You're in my Apple News Feed, but I've already been here and read the article by that point, so I'm not clicking there. I'd also add to that list that it seems more attractive to people who just want to be feed a few big stories a day as opposed to someone who needs to keep up on many specific areas of news. Until Apple releases the finalized format specifics for Apple News, all channels are currently using a sites RSS or ATOM feed. I find that reading news on my iPhone or iPad is primarily when I have a short amount of downtime while waiting for a meeting to begin, traveling, or in the mornings while getting ready and Apple News provides me with the recent stories from my various Apple related blogs and major news sources. The 11″ Air is a better choice for me. It's cheaper, more powerful, not quite as slim but portable enough for me. If Apple would give it a Retina display I'd be in heaven. The larger size of the iPad pro is a deal breaker for me, but I'd sure love a 10-inch iPad that could work with the Apple pencil. Actually, Apple has apparently delayed the release of some products because they were not ready on schedule - Apple TV comes to mind. My Apple Watch screen came off and it's getting repaired right now, and I realized I actually like my Apple Watch more than I like my iPhone. Apple has been on a rampage lately putting Lightning ports everywhere last year. Off the top of my head: The Magic Mouse, Touchpad and Keyboard, AppleTV remote (and the official 3rd party gaming controller), the Apple Pencil, the Apple Watch charging dock and the iPhone 6s battery case are all new products that received a Lightning port as a charging method. On the iPad Air 3, I expect that it'll come equipped with either the iPad Pro's screen technology to allow for the use of the Apple Pencil or the iPhone 6s' screen with 3D Touch. What held the existing Apple Watch back was its inability to work seamlessly with 3rd party apps (and even some of Apple's own apps!!) in the tiny segment of time that is acceptable in the micro interaction world of a wrist based computer. The Apple Watch lasts a day and a half if you forgot to charge it. If people like to sleep with their watches, then they're not going to find a convenient time to charge it even if it's lasts them 3 days. That said, I expect that Apple would put any battery gains towards a more powerful chip and a slimmer case. Blood oxigentation would be great but I believe that that would fall under the medical device category and would require FDA approval, something Tim Cook has said Apple wants to avoid. It's more likely that this year, Apple will introduce Apple Watch accessories that could be added to measure those additional health metrics. If that's the case, we could even see blood sugar monitors built into Apple Watch straps, making it a hit with the diabetics demographic. Water resistance will be a theme in Apple devices this year with the iPhone 7 expected to be waterproof. They were the missing accessory in the first Apple Watch, given its focus on health but lack of first party headphones that it could work with. Yet, I see a trend in Apple where they start releasing products aimed more at the trendy/hipster/fashionista markets, with higher prices than would be reasonable (MacBook 12, Apple Watch and bands). It sounds like this person said there's tons of money in the fashionista / hipster early 20s show-off market, people will pay silly money to buy and flaunt an Apple product, so lets go for it”. According to a information obtained by Mac Rumours , KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, known for accurate Apple predictions, expects Apple to unveil the new device during the event which is to be held in March next year. Apple is also expected to unveil a new 4-inch iPhone along with the second-gen Apple Watch. It should be noted that the first gen Apple Watch had started shipping in April this year. Furthermore, Apple had started developing technologies for future Apple Watch models even before the first generation started shipping. Ming-Chi Kuo also believes that the upcoming iPhone 7's pressure-sensitive 3D Touch display will have ‘similar technology and structure' as the iPhone 6s. The device is expected to be unveiled during September, the usual time frame for Apple to unveil new iPhones. Last month, Ming-Chi Kuo ,had also said that Apple is working on a refreshed 4-inch iPhone model. Kuo had added that the 6c will be positioned as a budget device during its launch in the first half of 2016 and the company is likely to ship between 20 million and 30 million units by the end of the year. Here is where many of the cool gadgets for 2016 will receive their introductions. Each year, Samsung likes to use the Super Bowl telecast to bash Apple in a series of very expensive television ads In 2016, we can probably expect more of the same. February is also the month for the 2016 Toy Fair in New York City, which runs from Feb. If the rumors are correct , this is the month when Cupertino unveils the Apple Watch 2.” We may also see the first new springtime release of an Apple tablet since the short-lived iPad 3 launched in 2012 when the iPad Air 3″ debuts. Otherwise known as beta testing time for Apple developers, as new versions of iOS, OS X, watchOS, and tvOS get closer to public releases. The end of the year could see the arrival of a next-generation, 4K-compatible Apple TV, and Mac Pro. He gave several information concerning a few future Apple products, and one of them is the Apple Watch 2. The Redmond-based tech giant is planning to announce the second-generation watch by March 2016, which is less than a year since they announced the first one, 9TO5Mac reported. The Apple Watch 2 may include some nifty features, which has been developed way back. It is also said that sleep tracking and additional health sensor technologies will also be added to the Apple Watch 2. If the March 2016 unveiling will push through, it will then be the second time in a row that Apple has had it. Previous events were held on the second half of the year. Additionally, Apple is also said to have another variant of its smartphone, a smaller one, the iPhone 6c with a 4-inch display. Other Apple Watch 2 reports are also saying that it will be launched late in the second quarter of 2016, and only a small batch can be shipped immediately. Is the authority for news and trends in the worlds of fashion, beauty and retail. Featuring daily headlines and breaking news from all Women's Wear Daily publications, provides the most comprehensive coverage anywhere of fashion, beauty and retail news and is the leading destination for all fashion week updates and show reviews from New York, Paris, Milan and London. Apple did not say how this error occured, or the number of readers it mistakenly said were using the service. Cue did say that 40 million people have tried News since launch, but declined to disclose how many of those readers use the service every day or month. We suspect in the near future we will get an accurate number — unless the News app is failing to keep readers engaged. There have been a few troubles for Apple News, including publishers wanting more control over advertising, and the integration of ComScore. Publishers are able to add their own adverts on Apple News and take home 100 percent of the revenue or use iAds and take 70 percent of the revenue. Apple plans to launch self-service ad-buying platform in the next 12 months, according to Cue, which should make publishers more revenue. News isn't the only app launched this year with a focus on making Web news better — Facebook launched Instant Articles and Google launched an open-source platform dedicated to speeding up news on the Web. The Apple stock price has been falling since early November, when worries about iPhone sales started. Pummeled by yet another negative report about iPhone sales, the Apple stock price has shed nearly 4% in the past two days. The latest bad news came from Japanese daily Nikkei, which reported late yesterday (Tuesday) that iPhone production in Chinese factories would be cut by 30% in the first quarter of 2016 to compensate for slack demand. The Money Morning Apple stock forecast for 2016 projects shares going sideways in the early part of the year, but new highs by the summer or fall. But investors shouldn't get too distracted by all the predictions of a decline in iPhone sales in Q1. In the longer view, Apple has plenty of catalysts. The Apple stock price got a small bump from the patent deal with Ericsson (Nasdaq ADR: ERIC) Monday. Last Thursday, GoPro stock jumped 11.49% in a single session on rumors that Apple may buy the beleaguered tech darling, leading millions of investors to wonder if they should jump on the bandwagon, too. The Apple stock price stands to get a nice push from the company's deviously brilliant Black Friday strategy. No statistic better illustrates how the iPhone keeps driving Apple stock higher than its ability to suck up nearly all the global smartphone profit. The iPhone is the main reason Apple stock has soared 556% since the smartphone's debut in June 2007. One key piece of Apple stock news from last month's earnings almost completely slipped under the radar of the financial news media. As usual, most of the reports focused on Apple Inc.'s (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPhone sales, and particularly its iPhone sales in China. Apple did more than just turn in a great performance; it turned in record fourth-quarter results. Apple stock was up about 3.5% today (Wednesday) following an impressive Q4 earnings report, but AAPL stock should be trading much higher. The 2015 Q4 Apple earnings are not just about how well the iPhone is selling, but how well it's selling in China. The worrisome news out of China over the summer - mainly a stock market crash and slowing economic growth - has fueled Wall Street speculation that Apple Inc.'s (Nasdaq: AAPL) sales must be suffering despite the growth in previous quarters. Wall Street is anxiously awaiting the Apple Q4 earnings, but not because it wants to know how many iPhones, Macs, and iPads the company sold in the last quarter. And China's state-owned credit card processor have announced plans to launch the Apple Pay electronic payment system in China. Apple and China UnionPay said Friday said they plan to roll out the system in early 2016, pending approval by Chinese regulators. Apple Pay is a late arrival in a Chinese electronic payments market dominated by Alipay, an arm of the e-commerce giant Alibaba Group. On Wednesday, Bank of America adjusted its iPhone shipments forecast for 2016 from 230 million to 220 million. All analyst memos cited weakness in Apple's supplier earnings forecasts as the reason for their iPhone shipment adjustments for 2016. Yet another Apple supplier, Dialog Semi, added fuel to that fire by cutting its revenue and profit estimates for 2016, and all those profit warnings and shipment forecast cuts have apparently spooked investors a bit, to the point that Apple might now close in the red for 2015. Apple will miss Steve the most when it would be time to create the next market in 10 years or so. This, Cook cannot do. Investors are discounting Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) stock as the company approaches fiscal 2016, which starts Sept. For Apple stock to hold its ground, iPhone unit sales probably will need to be flat in fiscal 2016, Milunovich says. Upcoming news for Apple includes the company's Worldwide Developers Conference, which starts Monday in San Francisco, and expanded retail availability of the Apple Watch. At the WWDC, which runs through June 12, Apple is expected to unveil its new mobile operating system, iOS 9; a new Mac OS; a revamped Apple TV; and the relaunch of its subscription streaming music service. Apple also is seen releasing a new software development kit for its Apple Watch that will allow the creation of native apps for the device. Apple Watch will be a key focus of the conference because Apple needs to get developers on board to make compelling apps for the fledgling wearable gadget, FBR Capital Markets analyst Daniel Ives said in a report Monday. Meanwhile, Apple is expected to offer the Apple Watch for sale to walk-in customers at its retail stores later this month, the website 9to5Mac reported Monday Since its launch on April 24, the Apple Watch has been available for purchase only online. Investor's Business Daily provides exclusive stock lists, investing data, stock market research, education and the latest financial and business news to help investors make more money in the stock market. Now, we can't really guarantee anything, but the source is quite credible and the Apple logo can clearly be spotted on one of the cables, so, we'll give the photos the benefit of the doubt. It may be another 8 months away, but because of the way Apple (and indeed, the entire smartphone industry) works, you can bet your bottom dollar that it is already well underway in its development of the iPhone 7. And, while Apple likes to try to surprise us, it's a predictable beast; it's almost certain the schedule for the iPhone 7 will see a launch in September 2016. Rumours of a 4in iPhone for 2016 have been circulating for the best part of a year now. Apparently there is a huge amount of demand for a slightly less expensive 4inch iPhone which is expected to launch later on in 2016, potentially alongside the Apple Watch 2 in April. A set of photos has leaked on January 6 2016 showing someone handling what is alleged to be a dummy unit of the iPhone 6c (or iPhone 7c, depending on which rumour you believe). What we're looking at is the backlight panel for an iPhone device, complete with Apple branded wiring. A new report from China's MyDrivers reckons the Apple iPhone 7 Plus will feature a 3100mAh battery, a HUGE update on this year's iPhone 6s Plus which features a 2570mAh battery inside it and still produces some of the best battery performance we've seen on any smartphone to date. It seems that Apple is still pondering the intricacies of what will feature in the next iPhone handset launched in 2016, as according to a new report the firm has as many as five different prototypes and is deliberating over which one (or ones) will be pushed forward for further development, and ultimately a release as the next flagship (or flagship variant). It's also reiterated that Apple is testing AMOLED displays, although this isn't believed to be part of the iPhone 7 prototype testing program, as the introduction of AMOLED for iPhone isn't expected to appear in the next-generation and could remain unseen until 2018/2019, so around the iPhone 8/8s or thereabouts. Apple's a creature of habit, and inside 2016 the iPhone 7 (and probably an iPhone 7 Plus), just like the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus , will launch late in th year, around September, and feature a completely new design. According to always-reliable analyst-come-tipster, Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 7 will be the thinnest iPhone Apple has ever produced at around 6mm, making it around the same size as current iPod Touch models. But that's not all - Apple will also bump the memory up inside the iPhone 7 Plus model to 3GB of RAM as well, which should translate into super-fast performance when coupled with Apple's next-generation A10 chipset. This situation is likely to remain the same on the iPhone 7, as Apple looks to make the larger handset more attractive to its ever-growing base of users. It also reiterates that we'll see a third, 4in display iPhone model launched in 2016 (the rumoured iPhone 6c/iPhone 7c). According to a new, and somewhat upsetting rumour emerging on December 1, Apple may achieve a super-thin iPhone chassis by omitting the traditional 3.5mm universal headphone jack. The reasoning here seems pretty obvious, firstly, the use of the 3.5mm jack means you can't have a body thinner than 3.5mm, so to go thinner means using a proprietary jack - and Apple loves proprietary stuff. Naturally some users are a bit concerned that this will render their expensive headphones useless, as if Apple does follow this plan it will surely issue its own custom headphones with new handsets and sell its own variants thereafter. According to a January 5 report alleged to originate from Apple supply chain sources, the iPhone 7 will indeed be so crazy thin as to omit the standard 3.5mm headphone jack. That mid-2016 date is a bit surprising because Apple has historically released new iPhones in the autumn. However, the iPhone 7 could be so readically redesigned, Apple might not want to detract from its marketing launch so much so that they think its worth unveiling the lower powered iPhone 6c (it almost certainly won't be called the iPhone 7c if it comes out before the iPhone 7) mid-year-perhaps May or June. Like the iPad Pro rumours before it, this in itself is perhaps because the product is actually rather likely to appear during 2016 and attack the very real pool of people that still want 4in iPhones. Apple knows this segment exists and it knows it can make a lot of cash from another iPhone C device, just as it did back in 2013 when it released the iPhone 5c (of which 20-odd million were sold). The April date does jazz well with previous reports which suggested Apple will hold an event in March where it will launch a new Apple Watch and, potentially, a smaller, 4in iPhone 6 model. Kuo reckons Apple will introduce a 4in iPhone 6c model next year, as there is still demand for smaller, 4in iPhones. But for the most part it was an iPhone 5 AND because of this, and the fact it was marketed as a NEW phone, Apple made a killing because the bill of materials was much lower. Anecdotally, I personally know a bunch of people who would bite Apple's hand off should it release a 4in iPhone in 2016. The report goes on to state that the iPhone 7c will arrive in September 2016 ahead of the main iPhone 7 launch, and will be priced between $400-$500. As is often the case ahead of Apple device launches, someone with 3D modelling abilities has taken it upon themselves to put together the various rumours and leaks into a visual imagining of the forthcoming smartphone design. And check out what the Mail Online had to say about the proposed changes Apple has in store for the iPhone 7. Apple shipped 15+ million handsets during their first week on sale, a truly ungodly number, even when compared to the yearly sales figures of some of its rivals. But there are also record numbers of Android users flocking to the Apple stable now the company offers a larger, phablet-sized iPhone in the form of the iPhone 6s Plus. Yet rumors had it that Apple wasn't happy with the bad press and shortly after another rumor leaked that Apple is considering using Intel chips in next year's iPhone. Rather, Intel has so many people working on the chip to perfect it in hopes of getting it right and winning a contract from Apple. No. When most people heard Intel and Apple were working on a chip for the iPhone 7, they assumed it was the CPU chipset. Intel has stated this chip will ship to handset makers in 2016, but it appears they are trying to fine tune it with the iPhone's architecture to win an LTE chipset contract from Apple. No. Matter of fact, the primary reason Apple is willing to work with Intel now to see if they can pull off an adequate LTE chip is so the company can pit Intel against Qualcomm. Because-as it did with TSMC and Samsung, who both make the A9 chip-if there are two LTE chipmakers Apple can use it gives Apple a stronger hand in negotiations. If Intel and Qualcomm can both make the chip, Apple knows that will drive their prices lower as they compete to get the Cupertino company's business. Matter of fact, Venturebeat alludes to the fact that this possible inclusion of an Intel LTE chip could be a test run to see if Apple should consider moving its system-on-a-chip (SOC) Ax series manufacturing over to Intel from Samsung and TSMC. Updated on 1-11-2016 by Malarie Gokey: Added in rumors that the 4-inch iPhone will launch this March with the name iPhone 5E, the A8 processor, 1GB of RAM, and Apple Pay. Only time will tell what Apple decides to call the device, and we'll keep you updated on that front. Ever since Apple went big with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, rumors have been circulating about the possibility of a new 4-inch iPhone. During a December China Mobile presentation , a slide allegedly mentioned that the iPhone 6C or 7C would launch in April 2016 at the carrier. Noted KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo , who has often correctly divined Apple's plans in the past, said that the 4-inch iPhone could arrive in early 2016. Kuo believes that Apple wants to meet its customers' demand for a smaller iPhone, adding that the company could sell 20 million units over the course of a year. A report from Chinese news site TechWeb , citing Foxconn insiders, claims Apple might launch the iPhone 6C in February 2016, with an event supposedly set for January 2016. A research report published by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also claims that Apple is still planning to launch a 4-inch iPhone, despite the no-show at Apple's September event Earlier this year, Kuo stated in a note to investors obtained by AppleInsider that Apple won't launch the 4-inch iPhone 6C until 2016. Kuo expects Apple to launch the 4-inch iPhone at its new March event, where we may also see an update to the Apple Watch and MacBook. The information published by Kuo correlates with a note from Ananda Baruah of Brean Capital to investors, obtained by Business Insider , stating that the 4-inch iPhone will arrive in the spring of 2016. An August report from DigiTimes cited supply chain sources who claim that Apple will launch the iPhone 6C in the second quarter of 2016. In July, Jefferies analyst Ange Wu wrote in advice to clients that Foxconn — a major Apple supplier — had won the contract to build at least half of the total number of iPhone 6C units. Arcuri was the first to comment on the 4-inch iPhone, but said the phone had disappeared from Apple's internal networks, perhaps due to the company pushing the launch date to early 2016. No one can seem to agree on the processor that'll power the 4-inch iPhone, with reports shifting between the A8 and A9 chips from Apple. The site claims the 4-inch iPhone will sport a fingerprint sensor for Apple Pay and come with two storage options: 16GB or 64GB. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo weighed back into the debate in December with more possible specs, including an A9 chip from TSMC and Samsung, 2.5D cover glass, NFC support for Apple Pay, metal casing with at least two to three color options, and the same camera specs found on the iPhone 5S: an 8-megapixel camera and a 1.2-MP front shooter. DigiTimes cited supply chain sources who claim that Apple will launch the iPhone 6C in the second quarter of 2016, instead. The publication's sources say that Apple plans to use 14/16nm FinFET chips from the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and Samsung, which will not be ready for 2015. Originally, Apple planned to use TSMC's 20nm process, but the FinFET processors proved to be the best bet because they would allow the iPhone 6C to have better specs and battery life. A recent leaked image of what appears to be a smaller 1,715mAh battery that could have been for the iPhone 6C recently appeared on , a site with a good track record with Apple products. In a note to investors leaked to AppleInsider , analyst Timothy Arcuri suggested Apple may launch an iPhone 6S Mini” with a 4-inch screen. Apple is known for its all-metal phones, and reports are in conflict over the 4-inch iPhone's housing. Before this, Jefferies analyst Ange Wu, wrote about a metal iPhone 6C and that Foxconn would build half of the units for Apple, while KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple would retain the iPhone 5S aesthetic for the iPhone 6C, with mass production of a metal casing beginning in January. Even though most new rumors suggest a metal design, earlier in the year Apple itself leaked an image of a colorful iPhone sitting on the lightning dock for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, which may have been a hint of the iPhone 6C. Looking closely at the Home button revealed a chrome surround and an absence of a square icon, giving the impression it's a Touch ID sensor — a feature not found on the iPhone 5C. However, the Touch ID fingerprint sensor is an essential part of Apple Pay, and the mobile payments system isn't compatible with Apple phones without it. If an iPhone 6C is coming, it'll almost certainly have Touch ID. The picture has since been removed from Apple's site. Updated on 12-03-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Added in rumors of an early 2016 launch, A9 processor, Apple Pay, and a colorful casing from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Updated on 12-2-2015 by David Curry: Added in rumors of a February 2016 launch date, and an all metal body. Musk, also founder and CEO of rocket and spacecraft-maker SpaceX, told BBC News he thinks all transport except rockets will go fully electric and in the long term, and no one will buy a car unless it can drive itself. To no one's surprise, Apple CEO Tim Cook urged government officials to embrace strong encryption to protect consumer data, urging them to come out publicly in support of it. If Jupiter Research's estimates are anywhere near accurate, the Apple Watch was easily the most popular smartwatch during 2015. Apple's first beta release of watchOS 2.2 for the Apple Watch brings a welcome new Quick Links” features to the Maps app's Glance function. The popular VLC media player app was supposed to make the move to the Apple TV back in December, but was delayed. Apple has reportedly signed a 12-year lease for an entire building, along Paris' historic Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Apple has updated their App Analytics tool, to allow developers to measure the engagement and monetization of their tvOS apps. If you fondly recall the Nintendo Game and Watch devices from the 1980s, you'll love Alien Invasion 1.0 for the Apple Watch, from UK-based developer Light Pillar. Apple has erupted in a storm of betas today, as the Cupertino device maker has released the first betas of iOS 9.3, tvOS 9.2, watchOS 2.2, and OS X 10.11.4 El Capitan to developers. The Learn to Design 2016 Bundle will teach you to master designing for the web with 9 informative courses, containing 57 hours of training on responsive design, rapid prototyping, and more! News - Apple has improved the news app in iOS 9.3 to make it more tailored to each person's interests. The For You section is also incorporating trending topics and specific picks from Apple editors to help users better discover content. Other new features include a new landscape view for News on the iPhone, in-line video playback for videos in news stories, and faster content updating when opening the news app. CarPlay - Several CarPlay apps have been updated to bring them in line with iOS apps on iOS 9. The Apple Music CarPlay app now includes New and For You sections for better music discovery, and a Nearby feature in Maps offers better access to information about what's close by, providing suggestions for local gas stations, restaurants, coffee shops, and more. Apple's list includes more than 100 2016 and 2017 models from 22 auto manufacturers like Audi, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Citroën, DS Automobiles, Ferrari, Ford, GMC, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Opel, Porsche, Peugeot, Seat, Škoda, Suzuki, Volkswagen and Volvo. Education - iOS 9.3 includes multiple Education-oriented features including shared iPads for students, a new Classroom app, an Apple School Manager, and improved Apple ID management features. Apple Watch - With iOS 9.3 and watchOS 2.2, the iPhone is able to pair with more than one Apple Watch. Wallet/Apple Pay - In Wallet and when using Apple Pay, there's now an option to open an app that's linked to a pass or credit card. When is someone Apple going to wake up from their drunken party and smell the coffee.