Beta software updates are available only to registered developers. The build number of the beta update released today is 12D5480a. Xcode 6.2 beta 5 with Watchkit was also made available today.

iOS 8.2 enables Watchkit features for developers. During its Q1 2015 earnings report Apple’s CEO Tim Cook announced that the company is on track to ship Apple Watch in April. Developers are busy developing apps for Apple’s upcoming smart watch, adding glances and notifications for their existing iPhone apps.

Apple Watch will work only with an iPhone as it relies on its bluetooth connection to process information. Developers  are beginning to showcase some examples of AppleWatch apps they are working on. The smart watch could be a great way to unlock your car, check To-Do lists or even collect gold and elixir resources from Clash of Clans.

Apple hasn’t revealed battery life of the upcoming device however, it is obvious that it will vary depending on how often you use the device. Apple has hinted that it is possible to get a full days worth of use without charging in some use case scenarios.

According to a rumour Apple has asked one of its Apple Pay partners to have their app ready by mid-February. The company will be looking for a successful launch of its smart watch with major apps available for its new product category on launch day.

Are you excited about Apple Watch? Which apps would you like to see on launch day? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

The report was published by French website iGen.fr which suggests that both models will be released on the same date. This is contrary to previous reports which suggested that the 5.5 inch model would be made available after the 4.7 inch model release date. However, the report does note that the 5.5 inch model could be available in very limited supply as Apple has been experiencing some production delays related to the bigger form factor of “iPhone 6 plus”. The French publication does have a good record of accurately predicting Apple product launches.

September 19 launch date for both the phones seems plausible and goes well with the release cycle of previous iPhones. Apple typically hosts the unveiling event on Tuesday and the device hits the market the following week on a Friday, giving enough time to tech publications for publishing their in-depth reviews of the new device.

Apple will announce the pricing of the new models during the keynote event today; according to various reports the iPhone 6 plus is expected to be priced $100 more in each storage capacity while iPhone 6 will be priced same as current gen iPhone 5S.

Apple’s iPhone 6 keynote event will be live in about two and a half hours from now. The company is widely rumoured to enter into a new product category with the iWatch. The new smart watch from Apple could propel the company in pushing new boundaries in the wearable space.

Are you excited about the new iPhones and iWatch? Will you buy the new 4.7 inch iPhone 6 or the 5.5 inch iPhone 6 plus? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Earlier today Apple sent out media invites for a special event scheduled for September 9th. The invite has Apple logo with the date 9.9.2014 and text that reads “Wish we could say more”. The event is most likely to announce the new iPhone 6.

Various news outlets had published the news about the rumoured event date and today Apple has finally confirmed the date. Unlike previous years this time Apple is hosting the event at Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino. Previously the company has hosted the September event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco or Apple’s Cupertino campus. It’s easy to speculate that this year Apple maybe looking at seating more people for the event as it prepares to announce new hardware models and new product categories.

According to the rumours and reports published by various sources Apple is widely expected to announce two new iPhones. The new iPhone will feature bigger screen size and have two variants. iPhone 6 could be available in 4.7 inch and 5.5 inch screen size. If this turns out to be true then this would be the first time that the company introduces two new iPhones with different screen size.

iPhone 6 is also rumoured to feature new sensors, improved camera system and possibly also feature NFC.

Apple could also announce new product category by entering the wearables industry with an ‘iWatch’. Recent reports suggest that Apple could finally introduce a smart watch which will connect with the iPhone 6 and provide new ways to interact with our devices. The new wearable product could feature biometric sensors to monitor the user’s body and save vital stats on the iPhone.

Since, iPhone 6 and iWatch are expected to work together harmoniously it does make sense to introduce the new product category along with the smartphone.

With just 13 days left until the iPhone 6 keynote event kicks off, we can expect some new details emerge in the coming days. Apple will put all rumours at rest by unveiling new products on September 9th.

Are you excited about iPhone 6 keynote event? Let us know what are your expectations from the event in the comments below.

Refining existing products and continually experimenting with new materials has been an integral part of Apple’s new product development strategy. Securing long term deals for components that are used in iOS devices has become fairly common. From touch screens, flash storage to even bulk booking of courier services, Apple’s strategy has been to invest in long term healthy supply of components.

Apple uses Sapphire to protect the iPhone camera lens and now the iPhone 5s also uses it as a protective cover for Touch ID sensor. According to a new report published by AllThingsD, Apple is building a factory in Arizona to boost the manufacturing of sapphire. GT Advanced Technologies earlier this week announced that they have secured a multi-year deal with Apple to manufacture sapphire in the Arizona facility.

As a part of the deal between the two companies GT will supply and manage sapphire production and in return Apple will prepay approximately $570 million. The new facility will result in more than 2000 jobs in engineering, manufacturing and construction according to Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet. It was also revealed that the facility will run on 100 percent renewable energy from day one.

GT is expected to research and develop larger capacity furnaces to increase the production of sapphire and as a result reduce cost of the component. Apple’s increased interest in sapphire is certainly an indication of it becoming an integral part of future devices from the company.

Many are speculating that sapphire could possibly replace Corning Gorilla Glass, which has been used in more than 1.5 billion devices worldwide. This is based on the fact that sapphire is used in the high end watches. However, corning has come forward and published articles on why they don’t view sapphire as a threat.

Although sapphire is a leading product for the cover of watches and camera lenses, many of its features are not well suited for use in the consumer electronics industry.

According to tests performed by Corning, sapphire fails to provide the same durability when used at the same thinness as Gorilla Glass. However, the company agrees with the fact that sapphire is is harder to scratch.

It’s possible that Apple may use sapphire in the rumoured iWatch. Since watches are more prone to scratches the use of sapphire could make the product more resistant to scratches.

Apple is expected to introduce the new smart watch dubbed as “iWatch” in 2014. The watch is rumoured to provide a ‘connected’ experience. It will also feature sensors to track health related data. Samsung has already launched its own smart watch called Samsung Gear but the reviews haven’t been favourable. It will be interesting to see if Apple’s idea of a smart watch excites customers and if it manages to become a ubiquitous part of our lives.

Apple is widely expected to be working on a smart watch that will interact with the iPhone via bluetooth. According to a report published by Financial Times, Apple is looking to hire employees “aggressively” to ensure that the project is on track for its release date towards late 2014.

The smart watch popularly dubbed as “iWatch” is Apple’s attempt to rethink the wearable technology. Google has already entered this market with Google Glass which has received mixed reviews. Samsung and Microsoft have also announced their plan to compete in this market segment and have plans to introduce a smart watch.

The report cites sources who are aware of Apple’s plan and claims that the company’s entry into a new category of product has exposed new challenges and therefore the need to look for new talent.

As Apple moves from iPods, iPhones and iPads into an entirely new category of product, it is looking beyond its existing staff in Cupertino for the talent required to build it – an indication that the endeavour involves “hard engineering problems that they’ve not been able to solve”, according to one source.

Rumors about Apple’s plan for launching a smart watch have reached an all time high as the company has filed for trademark applications for the “iWatch” name in several countries. This does not necessarily prove that “iWatch” is indeed the name of Apple’s wearable technology however, it does show that Apple is interested in this name and could use it for a future product.

The company also recently hired Paul Deneve, foremer CEO of Yves Saint Laurent, this hire is also being linked to Apple’s plans for a future wearable product. Deneve will work on “special projects” at Apple and the company could leverage his knowledge about marketing and developing a high priced wearable technology.

{via MacRumors}

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) plans to spend $100 billion in share buy-backs in the next few years. AAPL recently sold $17 billion’s worth of corporate bonds in order to fund its buy-back plan.

During FY 13 second quarter earnings call Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) announced that it has a cash balance of $145 billion where two-thirds of this money is in overseas subsidies. If Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) were to bring the cash back to the US, the company would be liable to pay huge taxes and therefore borrowed the money in form of corporate debt.

According to a report published by Bloomberg, Apple Inc. (AAPL) saved approximately $9.2 billion in taxes by borrowing a part of the money that it requires for the stock buy-back plan. The figures were provided by Moody’s Investment Services and a senior vice president at Moody’s said, “From a pure corporate-finance theory perspective, this was a no-brainer,”. The report further mentions:

If the funds had come from Apple’s offshore cash pile of about $100 billion, the Cupertino, California-based iPhone maker would have had to pay a 35 percent tax to repatriate the money, Granovsky said. That means Apple avoided about $9.2 billion in taxes. And since interest payments are tax-deductible, that’s another $100 million a year, Granovsky said.

The $17 billion corporate debt sale set a new record as the world’s largest debt sale. A report by The Financial Times reveals that the demand for the bond reached $52 billion as bond investors were confident about Apple’s cash structure.

Apple’s stock has dropped since its September record due to investors being skeptical about the company’s ability to bring the “next big thing” to the market. Investors are likely waiting for Apple to enter into new markets with the widely rumoured Apple TV or smart watch.

With the web abuzz with rumors that Apple is working on a curved glass smartwatch being called the iWatch, it is no surprise that major news sources such as Bloomberg are also supporting claims and pegging the release for as early as this year.

On Monday, a new report from The Verge was published with new details about Apple’s next major product line. The report mentioned that Apple’s smart watch will be running the full iOS, as seen on the iPhone and iPad touch and not a simplified iOS-like skin as on the iPod nano.

Interestingly, we’re also told that Apple’s chosen to rework the full iOS to run on the watch instead of building up the iPod nano’s proprietary touch operating system — although the previous nano was already watch-sized and seemed like a great starting point for a watch, Apple’s betting on iOS across product lines.

It is no surprise that Apple would want any major product line to run a full fledged version of its iOS software, however, it is also reasonable that the software would have to be cut down some and even changed to accommodate the smaller and possibly curved display. The report goes on to note that Apple’s desire to include the full iOS is causing battery life issues. Apple’s iOS devices currently last less than 48 hours with regular usage, however, a watch would need to last much longer with a range of about a week or less.

[T]he goal is to last at least 4-5 days between charges, but the current watch prototypes are apparently only going for a couple days max. We’re also told Apple has some work to do with iOS on the iPhone, which currently has several hooks for supporting a watch-like device but lacks the appropriate interface or settings to make it work properly.

These issues will likely be minor as Apple is known to make drastic decisions at the end of a product’s production, as seen with Steve Job’s choice for a glass screen on the original iPhone instead of plastic and even the naming of the iMac. Apple has also been rumored to be working on a television set, although that has been delayed by negotiations with content providers. At this point, it is unclear when these products will see the light of day, however, it is almost certain that these products are in Jony Ive’s lab.

{via MacRumors}

Over the past several weeks, rumors have been circulating that Apple is working on a smart watch, dubbed the “iWatch”. Although it is purely speculation at this point, a number of credible sources have backed claims from multiple sources. After Nick Bilton of the NYTimes reported that Apple was working on a curved glass smart watch, a report from Bloomberg suggests that Apple has a team of 100 product designers working on the “iWatch”.

The rumor reportedly stems from “two people familiar with the company’s plans”, who also suggest that the smartwatch is past its experimental stage. This means that the device is likely in its naming, final design, and production plan stage, which is a similar process to the Cupertino company’s other products.

The team, which has grown in the past year, includes managers, members of the marketing group and software and hardware engineers who previously worked on the iPhone and iPad, said the people, who asked not to be named because the plans are private. The team’s size suggests Apple is beyond the experimentation phase in its development, said the people.

It is unclear exactly what features Apple would include in its smartwatch, although it would likely resemble the company’s popular iPad, iPhone or perhaps even the current generation iPod Nano. Apple’s senior director of engineering, James Foster is reportedly also working on the project, which would justify the company’s plans to keep its products consistent.

With an “iWatch”, Apple would likely be competing with other devices such as Pebble’s e-paper display Smart Watch. Apple could also be competing with wearable fitness “smart watches” such as the Jawbone UP, and the Nike FuelBand. Apple currently includes built in Nike+ support in a number of its products, so it would naturally make sense for the company to make this a part of a smartwatch project.

Apple rarely ever introduces a new product unless others fail to make a substantial impact on the market with their own devices. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook is currently a Nike Board member and mentioned that wearable devices are an “an interesting area” and that “the book hasn’t been written on that yet.” If Apple is working on a smartwatch, and if it is past the experimental phase as Bloomberg suggests, leaked images and parts will surface in the coming weeks.

{Via MacRumors}

In late 2011, the NYTimes reported that Apple was working with wearable technology that could potentially become a wearable iPod wristband of sorts. Now, Nick Bilton of the NYTimes is once again reporting that Apple is working on a smartwatch device, dubbed the “iWatch”.

Bilton mentions that Apple is experimenting with curved glass on its smart watch and could potentially take advantage of Corning’s new bendable glass, called Willow Glass which would allow the watch to wrap a user’s wrist. Corning is the maker of the popular Gorilla Glass, which is used on a number of mobile devices, including some of Apple’s devices. With the original iPhone, Apple had plans to include curved glass but could not because the technology was not as advanced as it is now.

In its headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., Apple is experimenting with wristwatch-like devices made of curved glass, according to people familiar with the company’s explorations, who spoke on the condition that they not be named because they are not allowed to publicly discuss unreleased products. Such a watch would operate Apple’s iOS platform, two people said, and stand apart from competitors based on the company’s understanding of how such glass can curve around the human body.

Smart watches are gradually becoming one of the many focus areas of the mobile devices industry, such as Pebble’s e-paper display Smart Watch and other wearable fitness “smart watches” such as the Jawbone UP, and the Nike FuelBand. It is only a matter of time before Apple enters the industry, although the company rarely introduces a product unless others fail to make a substantial impact on the market.

Apple has also been rumored to be working a television set, which is very likely when considering the “Smart TV” market has already had a number of failures. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook is currently a Nike Board member and mentioned that wearable devices are an “an interesting area” and that “the book hasn’t been written on that yet.” If Apple is in fact working on a smartwatch, expect leaked images and parts of curved glass and wrist-friendly accessories.

{Via MacRumors}