Here are your Apple rumors and AAPL news items for today:
Sooner: A Chinese technology website claims that Apple (AAPL) will introduce its next-generation iPhone over the summer, CNET notes. According to the report, the iPhone 6 will be available in two versions and may launch as early as June. The smaller model is said to feature a 4.7-inch display that packs 1,136-by-640 pixies, while the larger version has a 5.7-inch display. The bigger iPhone is expected to offer a significantly higher resolution screen. There have been a number of recent rumors from Asian sources suggesting that Apple is planning to boost the size of the iPhone’s screen in order to better compete with bigger-screen smartphones from rivals like Samsung. Other recent reports have also indicated that Apple may offer two versions of its next iPhone with different screen sizes. Apple has previously resisted increasing the size of the iPhone’s screen. Last year, CEO Tim Cook said that large-screen smartphones — so-called phablets — come with serious compromises for ease-of-use and that Apple would not offer one until it could overcome those compromises. If Apple does debut the iPhone 6 in June, it would upset the fall launch pattern it has established since 2011. Apple launched the iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 and the iPhone 5s/5c in September or October. The iPhone 4, by contrast, was launched in June 2010.
Leading: Consumers loved Apple’s new iPad Air during the holiday shopping season, AppleInsider notes. Industry research firm Consumer Intelligence Research Partners says that the iPad Air comprised 41% of all iPads sold during the holidays. The new Retina iPad Mini accounted for 16% of iPad sales, while the non-retina iPad Mini took 25% of iPad sales. The iPad 2 declined to just 5% of iPad Sales and older iPads with Retina screens took 13% of iPad sales. The success of the iPad Air represents a turnaround from last year when consumers appeared to prefer the cheaper iPad Mini and legacy iPads to premium models.
Litigation: Three Massachusetts men are suing Apple over personal data they claim the iPhone-maker improperly collected from them at Apple Stores, BGR notes. The men say that Apple obtained the zip codes during sales paid for with credit cards. Apple later sold that information to third parties and sent them “unwanted marketing materials.” The lawsuit claims that obtaining the information violated Massachusetts consumer laws by collecting the information. The plaintiffs are requesting an injunction to halt the data collection and demand $75 per incident in damages, as well as court costs and interest.
For more about the company, check out our previous Apple Rumors stories.
