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Apple begins storing iCloud data in China

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China is the world’s most populous country, and one of Apple’s biggest markets. Apple, it was reported this week, has started to keep personal data on servers located in China. This marks the first time that an American technology company has stored user data in China.

The rationale behind the move, according to Apple, is to allow for faster transfer speeds of iCloud data to iOS and Mac users. iCloud allows users to synchronize data between Apple devices, as well as store certain types of data in the cloud. 

Google, one of Apple’s main rivals in China, has refused to store user data on Chinese soil due to censorship and privacy worries.

According to a report out of Reuters, Apple’s iCloud data will be stored on servers that will be provided by China Telecom, one of China’s largest mobile telecom carriers. 

In a statement on Friday, Apple said:

“Apple takes user security and privacy very seriously We have added China Telecom to our list of data center providers to increase bandwidth and improve performance for our customers in mainland china. All data stored with our providers is encrypted. China Telecom does not have access to the content.”

Several sources close to the matter have said that Apple will heavily encrypt the data, and will store the encryption keys off shore. That will make the data unavailable to China Telecom.

Privacy and Security

Security and privacy have long been two of Apple’s main concerns when it comes to online data. The California company has repeatedly stated that they have devised encryption systems for services like iCloud and iMessage that even they themselves cannot break. 

Even with these security measures in place, placing data in China is dangerous according to some analysts. “If they’re making out that the data is protected and secure that’s a little disingenuous because if they want to operate a business here, that’d have to comply with demands from the authorities,” Jeremy Goldkorn said in a statement to Reuters. Goldkorn is the director of Danwei.com, a Chinese research firm.

China is the fastest growing market Apple competes in for both its Macs and iOS devices. Sales of the iPhone were up 50% year over year just this past quarter.

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Battery rumors for iPhone 6 begin piling up

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The iPhone 6 is expected to be revealed in just a few weeks, so it’s not unusual that rumors are starting to pile up. Two separate reports surfaced today that point to larger batteries in both the 4.7 inch and 5.5 inch devices. 

The first comes out of China, and shows pictures of a purported 2,915mAh battery, which is supposedly headed towards the 5.5 inch, aptly named by the same source, the iPhone 6L. Previous to this, there have been very few leaks pertaining to the larger version of the new iPhone. Most rumors for the 5.5 inch version point to an announcement alongside the 4.7 inch iPhone 6 on September 9th, but a release sometime towards the end of 2014.

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2,915mAh battery via appledaily.com.tw
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iPhone 6 internals via appledaily.com.tw
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iPhone 6 screen via appledaily.com.tw

The second report points towards a bigger battery for the 4.7 inch device. It purports to show a 1,810mAh battery, which is about 25% smaller than the current generation iPhone 5s. This seems to confirm a report that came out in July that showed similar pictures of the iPhone 6 battery. However, it seems to contradict analysis from famed Apple speculator Sun Chang Xu, who claimed that the 4.7 inch device would contain a 2,100mAh battery. 

Of the two reports, the second seems to be the most reliable, as it confirms another rumor that appeared in the press before. What’s most interesting, however, is that this marks the first time that parts for the larger version of the iPhone 6 have appeared online. There are two possible reasons for this. Either the report is false (read: made up), or the 5.5 inch iPhone 6 really is much farther behind in production than the 4.7 inch version. Which it is, is still a matter of speculation and doubt, and will be until the devices are launched in early September. 

In addition to parts leaks, iOS 8 is still getting closer to release, with a new beta expected sometime in the next week and half. iOS 8 contains highly anticipated additions to Apple’s iPhone operating system, including Extensions (for inter-app communication and third party keyboards), Continuity (for app continuous client between Apple devices), and Health (Apple’s first foray into the health market). 

There are still many questions, however, when it comes to Apple’s next iOS devices. For example, it is still unknown what is going to happen to the iPhone 5c. Will there be an update to it, or will that wait until next year? Will the iPhone 5s be this year’s marked down phone (replacing the 5c)? All of these will only be answered once Tim Cook stands on the stage on September 9th.

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Preview: Quick look at the forthcoming iPhone 6

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The iPhone 6 may be the most anticipated iPhone ever. Like every Apple product, there is always a plethora of rumors and speculation put out about the product months before the device is released. This year it looks like Apple will release two brand new iPhone models (last year they released the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c). 

iPhone Air: Screen Sizes

The most prominent rumor out there is that Apple will release two new iPhones with significantly larger screens. One will be a 4.7-inch iPhone, the other a 5.5-inch device. This also seems to be the most solid of the rumors we’ve seen thus far. 

When it comes to timing, the rumors are less clear. There have been some reports that the two devices will be released at the same time, while others claim that the 5.5-inch model will be delayed either later in 2014 or sometime in 2015. There are rumors from respectable tech blogs that Apple is planning to hold an iPhone-related event on September 9.

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iPhone 6 size comparison

Another murky area is the resolution of the iPhone 6 screen. Some rumors claim that Apple will stick with their current aspect ratio and pixel density, while others claim that they will eschew it and go for a more standard resolution like 1080p. The current batches of iPhones are all situated at 326ppi. If Apple sticks with a resolution that keeps that pixel density, they will make developers happy, since apps will be easy to upgrade to the new resolution. However, a more standard resolution like 1080p may make the device more future proof.

iPhone 6: Internals

Beyond size, there are other less-certain rumors relating to the internal components of the iPhone 6. Battery life, for instance, is something that hasn’t been nailed down by the rumor mill. Some rumors claim that it will be about the same as on the iPhone 5s, while others claim that the iPhone 6 might see a 45% increase. 

As for chipset, many analysts speculate that the iPhone six will see a system on a chip called the A8. Some rumors point to this being the first Apple SOC to see 2.0GHz. 

Finally, we know for sure (or at least it’s safe to assume) that the iPhone 6 will be the first device that comes with iOS 8. iOS 8 was announced in June at Apple’s annual WWDC developer event. It comes packed with new features like extensions and Continuity. 

iPhone 6: The Name

Similar to before the iPad announcement in 2010, many are speculating that this will be the year Apple changes the iPhone naming convention. Some speculate that they will mimic the iPad name change, and release an iPhone 6 (which will be the 4.7-inch version), and the iPhone Air (the 5.5-inch version).

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Only premium iPhone 6 models to receive sapphire displays

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The iPhone 6 is expected to be announced on September 9th, just a few weeks from now. In a normal year, the next iPhone would be well into production by now, with Apple producing the millions upon millions of devices they’ll need to meet the demand of the masses. This year, if reports are to be believed, Apple hasn’t yet finalized things as much as they would like.

According to a report out of the Wall Street Journal, Apple may still be deciding on whether or not to include the highly anticipated sapphire display on every version of the upcoming iPhone 6. The sources, named as “people familiar with the matter”, say that if Apple does decided to put a sapphire display on the iPhone 6, it’ll only be available on premium models. 

The rumors of a sapphire display have been around for the last year, and started with a partnership between Apple and GT Advanced Technologies, which produces sapphire products. In current models of the iPhone, Apple uses Corning’s Gorilla Glass. Sapphire displays would allow for a near indestructible display, something that is of interest to a great number of Apple iPhone users.

The difficulty, according to the WSJ report, is that sapphire displays are hard to make and are very expensive. That is what has led to their sources saying that the iPhone 6 models that do come with this new display technology will be more expensive than those that don’t. There are also inherent problems with using sapphire displays. They aren’t as clear as glass, which makes them harder to see through in sunlight. The displays are also much more prone to shattering, which seems to go against the rationale for using them on an iPhone, which has a reputation for shattered screens. 

Other rumors point towards only the 5.5-inch iPhone coming equipped with the sapphire display. It’s highly anticipated that the larger of the two new iPhones will be priced higher than the 4.7-inch version. 

The report isn’t concrete, however. The report seems to be coming out at a time when Apple should have already made these decisions. If these decisions still need to be made, the larger story would seem to be that there will be very few iPhone 6 models ready for launch in mid-September. 

As is per usual in these cases, the reader should take everything with a grain of salt. The Wall Street Journal does have a decent enough track record when it comes to Apple rumors, but like any other publication, they’ve been wrong almost as often as they’ve been right. 

If one had to speculate, it seems entirely possible that Apple will leave the sapphire display out of the equation until they can produce enough of the product to meet their demand while keep their prices the same and their margins high. That seems like the Apple thing to do.

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New Intel Xeon processors could be heading for the next Mac Pro

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If Intel’s roadmap is any sign, Apple may soon be readying an upgrade for the Mac Pro. The professional machine, Apple’s most expensive device, was redesigned last year. When it was released in the fall, the computer saw shipping delays due to extreme demand.

The new Intel processors, nicknamed “Grantley”, are significant upgrades over the current generation Xeon E5 V2 chips that are currently used in the Mac Pro. The new chip is expected to ship en mass to computer manufacturers like Apple in September. 

While the chip comes with a higher thermal rating than the current processor, it’s unclear what affect that would have on the heating structure and capabilities of the uniquely designed Mac Pro. The Mac Pro uses a cylindrical design that forces heat produced by the machine towards the top of the tower.

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Mac Pro internals via flickr / pahudson

The processors will come in several variants, ranging from a 4-core 3.5/3.7 GHz to a 18-core processor which is much less likely to see use in an Apple product. Previously, the biggest processor Apple has included in a Mac Pro was 12-cores in the last generation Mac Pro that maintained the classic cheese grater design. The current Mac Pro can be upgraded to an 8-core 3.0 GHz Xeon Processor (v2). 

Other signs for a newly upgraded Mac Pro have been appearing as well. The graphics cards that are used in the current Mac Pro have recently been updated by AMD. The new cards, named the W7000, the W8000, and the W9000 roughly equate to Apple’s current use of the D300, D500 and D700. Apple’s designs are customized specifically for the Mac Pro; the new designs are used on the Windows platform.

The new graphics cards are said to feature 40% more stream processors, making it faster to render 4K video in real time, as well as improved clock speeds for the VRAM. There isn’t any word on the thermal rating, which could be a factor in Apple’s decision on the next gen Intel chips.

Timing

Other than the rumors listed above, there have been no rumors as to when Apple could announce this new Mac Pro upgrade. If tradition holds, the announcement will be made sometime in the fall, and probably in a press release. Apple has a habit of announcing minor spec upgrades through press releases, reserving the stage for the larger upgrades and redesigns.

With the new Intel chip expected out in September, it is entirely possible that the Mac Pro gets upgraded near or at the October Apple Event, which is highly expected to be focused on the iWatch and new iPads.