Here are your Apple news items and rumors for Wednesday:
No 4G iPhone in 2012: Digitimes has reinforced previous rumors that suggest Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) won’t release a 4G iPhone this year, opting to instead release a modified version of the current model that will be compatible with Sprint (NYSE:S) and T-Mobile’s networks. It had previously been thought that a fifth-generation iPhone would be a 4G device compatible with Verizon (NYSE:VZ) and AT&T’s (NYSE:T) networks. Digitimes‘ source says Apple believes those networks have not yet “matured,” a sensible position to take given that most consumers aren’t fully aware of the difference in service on a 3G network and the newer networks.
New MacBook Air Laptops: Apple will deliver new versions of its ultra-thin MacBook Air Laptops in June or July, not even a full year after the release of the last models. A Tuesday report from Digitimes says that new 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch models will ship this summer, coming equipped with the new Sandy Bridge processor made by Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), which introduced the processor — one that is about 66% faster than the chip in older MacBook Airs — this past January. While it may seem too early to release new models, these devices should help keep Apple’s PC sales steady. The company sold about 1 million MacBook Airs in the last three months of 2010.
“Streaming Engine”: A Tuesday report at Apple Insider points to more evidence that Apple is bulking up its work force for developing new cloud-based storage and streaming services for its customers. A job listing for a “Media Streaming Engineering Manager” was posted on the company’s official website, a job with the Interactive Media Group that manages Apple services like streaming video content and live events. The manager will help oversee a team as they build a new “media streaming engine” that will be compatible with both Apple’s portable and home devices as well as anything using Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows. This new streaming technology will likely be incorporated into Apple’s new cloud-based expansion of iTunes — thought to be named iCloud — as well as its new office tools and storage service MobileMe.
As of this writing, Anthony John Agnello did not own a position in any of the stocks named here. Follow him on Twitter at @ajohnagnello and become a fan of InvestorPlace on Facebook.
