Thursday Apple Rumors: Apple in Talks to Buy Waze

by Christopher Freeburn | January 3, 2013 2:04 pm

daily apple rumors AAPL[1]Here are your Apple rumors[2] and AAPL news items for today:

Maps Enhanced: Apple may be mulling a bid for Waze, a crowd-sourced satellite-navigation mobile maps app[3], TechCrunch notes. Apple debuted an internally-developed maps app last year, replacing Google‘s (NASDAQ:GOOG[4]) long-standing maps app in iOS. But the maps app quickly drew criticism over errors, becoming an embarrassment for Apple and prompting an apology from CEO Tim Cook. Acquiring Waze is seen as a way for Apple to boost the quality of its maps app data. Apple had pointed to Waze as a possible alternative for users who didn’t want to continue using its own maps app. Waze would also give Apple a social platform to accompany its maps app. No formal offer has been made yet, but the two companies are reportedly negotiating over the price of a final offer. Apple has offered up to $500 million for the start-up, but Waze is asking for a price of $750 million.

New Screens: Apple may be preparing to dump its new in-cell touchscreen technology from the iPhone[5], CNET notes. Reports from Asia suggest that Apple is looking at Touch On Display technology, made by Innolux, to replace in-cell screens on the next-generation iPhone. Apple adopted in-cell screens on its new, super-thin iPhone 5. However, its manufacturing partners, including Foxconn, encountered significant difficulties manufacturing the new phones, which resulted in tight initial supplies of the iPhone 5. Touch On Display technology could allow Apple to continue to slim down its phones without the production challenges posed by in-cell technology, in which the display and touch surface are combined in the same panel.

Not This Year: While industry speculation is rising again over an Apple-branded TV set, one analyst is throwing cold water on predictions that it will arrive this year[6], BGR notes. BTIG analyst Richard Greenfield thinks that Apple is in fact working on a TV set of its own, but he says that wrangling over Net Neutrality rules for streamed TV content will delay the debut of the device. With Apple focused on negotiating with cable and Internet service providers over content delivery options for its TV, Greenfield expects other companies, including Dish Network (NASDAQ:DISH[7]) and Intel (NASDAQ:INTC[8]) to launch their own set-top boxes this year.

For more about the company, check out our previous Apple Rumors[9] stories.

Endnotes:

  1. [Image]: https://investorplace.com/hot-topics/apple-rumors-stock-news/
  2. Apple rumors: https://investorplace.com/search/?q=Apple+Rumors&searchsubmit=Search
  3. a crowd-sourced satellite-navigation mobile maps app: http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/02/is-apple-plotting-a-route-to-a-waze-acquisition-rumours-on-the-road-point-to-yes/
  4. GOOG: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=GOOG
  5. dump its new in-cell touchscreen technology from the iPhone: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57561828-37/apple-said-to-be-eyeing-new-display-tech-for-next-iphone/
  6. throwing cold water on predictions that it will arrive this year: http://bgr.com/2013/01/03/apple-hdtv-2013-rumor-280774/
  7. DISH: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=DISH
  8. INTC: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=INTC
  9. Apple Rumors: https://investorplace.com/2012/04/hot-topics/apple-rumors-stock-news/

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