At its current rate of expansion, Apple could conceivably hit its October goal of 40 retail stores in China within a couple of months. The company has just announced that its 33rd Apple Store in China will open on 31st January, making it the fifth new store in the country in one month … 

The latest addition will be Apple’s first store in Qingdao, a major port and industrial center due to its proximity to both Korea and Japan. The city is home to the largest Korean population in China.

Qingdao is also noted for the beauty of its beaches, featuring the largest beach in Asia. As a significant tourist destination, Qingdao holds several large-scale festivals each year, including the International Beer Festival, International Sea Festival and Beach Culture Festival.

As with many of Apple’s Chinese stores, the Apple Store in Qingdao will be in a MixC mall, this one boasting over 400 stores and restaurants at 6A Shandong Road in the Shinan District. The grand opening is at 10am on January 31.

Apple announced stores #31 and #32 a couple of weeks ago. China has already overtaken Europe to become Apple’s second-biggest market after the USA, and Tim Cook has said that it is “only a matter of time” before China takes the number one slot.

Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Apple China, Apple Inc, Apple Retail Store, Apple Store, china

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KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo issued an AAPL investor report this morning that is mostly pessimistic on Apple’s prospects of meaningfully increasing iPhone and iPad sales in the first half of the year. The Taiwan-based investment analyst doesn’t see an upside to the release of the iPhone 5se or iPad Air 3 later this quarter, sees meaningful slowing in YoY 6S/Plus sales and isn’t yet excited about the iPhone 7…

We revise down 2016F shipments of new 4-inch iPhone, as little new to offer. While the new 4-inch iPhone has been enjoying the media spotlight, we don’t regard the product as innovative, either in terms of form factor (similar to iPhone 5s, though distinguished by an upgraded panel cover glass from 2D to 2.5D) or hardware specs (with 6s as a benchmark, though a 12MP camera is higher spec than our expectation of 8MP). Moreover, considering the replacement impact on price cuts for iPhone 5s, we lower 2016F shipments of the new 4-inch model from 18-20mn units to 10-12mn units.

Specifically, KGI reiterates its 4Q15 iPhone shipments forecast of 77M units, and forecasts 1Q16 shipments to decrease 44.2% QoQ and 29.7% YoY to 43M units, due mainly to “lackluster iPhone 6s sales”. For 2Q16F, assuming iPhone inventory correction is healthy and shipments of new 4-inch models begin ramping up, KGI estimates iPhone shipments will be flattish or up slightly in the range of 42-45M units.

Although bear-ish on the iPhone and iPad Air 3, the new MacBooks coming in the first half of the year give KGI a reason to be optimistic.

We see MacBook as a stronger candidate for becoming a theme given solid growth in the business segment, as well as a potential upgrade to hit the market in 1H16.

If you are itching for some positive iPhone investment news, AAPL Bull Gene Munster from Piper Jaffray this week issued a report in which he sees AAPL stock rising 50% in the lead up to the iPhone 7 launch, as it has in the past few years:

“We are buyers of [Apple] going into next week’s earnings (Jan. 26) and over the next month based on a belief that over the next 6 months the stock will react similarly to past number change cycles (i.e., iPhone 5 and 6), and experience P/E multiple expansion,” said Gene Munster, senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray. Apple shares are poised for their best day in three months, recently trading up 3.7% to $99.89, after Mr. Munster, a longtime Apple bull, published an optimistic note on the tech giant Thursday night. The pop is a reprieve for Apple’s stock, which has tumbled 26% since its intraday peak of $134.54 in late April amid the broader market pullback and expectations of falling iPhone sales. It has underperformed the S&P 500 by 15 percentage points since its April high…

While the stock looks relatively cheap now, Mr. Munster noted that heading into the past two full cycle updates – those when the number changes (i.e. iPhone 5 and iPhone 6) – Apple’s multiple expanded both times, averaging a 30% rise, from March to September. Apple is set to debut its iPhone 7 in September. “The relative consistency in multiple expansion heading into a new product cycle…suggests that shares of [Apple] could have over 50% upside heading into the iPhone 7 launch in September,” wrote Munster.

Personally, I see a lot to be excited about as the folks who have been waiting for a 4-inch iPhone now have something to buy and buy off cycle. If Apple prices it reasonably and gets the modern features we’ve heard about, there certainly will be some upside. As for the iPad Air 3, if it can gain some of the iPad Pro features including a keyboard case and Pencil compatibility as well as 3D touch, it will certainly be a compelling buy, especially for big companies.

And, that’s assuming Apple doesn’t have any surprises coming this spring…

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Apple iPhone 5S, iPhone, iPhone 5se, iPhone 7, KGI

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On Friday Mark Gurman reported that a 4-inch iPhone called the iPhone 5se, not 6c, is in the cards with an expected Apple event coming up around March, and over the weekend an interesting photo (above) has surfaced online that claims to show the forthcoming 4-inch iPhone. The image appears to show what could be the updated smaller iPhone with rounded edges and Touch ID as we reported next to an iPhone 5 for scale. The source where the image was first shared, One More Thing, has credibility with leaked hardware after showing the thinner iPad Air 2 display two years ago as well as the iPad Air design (on what appears to be the same table under the same lamp as the iPhone leak) the year before.

If the leaked image turns out to both be the real deal and what Apple ships later this year, that means the updated 4-inch iPhone will feature rounded volume toggles and a relocated sleep switch like on iPhone 6 hardware versus a top sleep switch and iPhone 4-like volume buttons from the iPhone 5 series hardware. Fake iPhone claims have surfaced before, though, but the iPhone 5 for scale here suggests something more sophisticated at least.

Mark’s reporting on Friday described what we now believe will be called the iPhone 5se as having a look and features that “blend the old design with modern technologies” while highlighting that the boxy casing has been replaced with rounded edges. Other features we’re expecting include the iPhone 6 class 8MP and 1.2MP back and front cameras, an NFC chip for Apple Pay not found on current 4-inch iPhones, the A8 and M8 processor and co-processor found on the iPhone 6, Live Photo shooting which was introduced on the iPhone 6s, and the same metallic colors including rose gold that come with the iPhone 6s line.

Aside from the camera and hardware gains between the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s lines, the rumored iPhone 5se would also lack 3D Touch pressure sensitive display features, although including Live Photos would be enough to tempt me to give the 4-inch iPhone 5se a test drive after using the 5.5-inch iPhone 6s Plus since its launch. Have you been holding out for a modern iPhone smaller than the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones introduced over the last couple of years?

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: iPhone, iPhone 5, iPhone 5se, iPhone 6, iPhone 6c, iPhone 6s, leak, OneMoreThing, rumor

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According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, the Apple veteran employee who has been overseeing the company’s “Project Titan” electric car initiative is leaving the company. The report, citing “people familiar with the matter,” says Steve Zadesky, who has been with Apple for 16 years, is leaving the company for “personal reasons.”

The timing for Zadesky’s departure is unknown at this point, as are his specific reasons for leaving, although the report makes it clear that it was for “personal reasons and wasn’t related to his performance.” In 2014, he was given permission to start investigating a possible foray into the electric car market for Apple, having previously worked on both the iPhone and iPod during his tenure.

Prior to his time at Apple, Zadesky was an engineer at Ford. At Apple, he was asked to triple the size of the automotive team, which stood at around 600 employees in September, as well as to come up with a vision for the product. The car team at Apple, the report claims, has had issues coming up with clear goals for the product. The team has reportedly felt that the goals set by Apple are not attainable, but the company has urged the team to push ahead and try to meet them. It is said that Apple set a ship date for 2019 for Project Titan.

Apple has yet to publicly akowledge that it is developing a car, although it has made a handful of hires and acquisitions centered around automotive technology. Many of the hires have been former Tesla employees, creating a so-called “poaching war” between the two companies. We broke down a handful of the experts Apple has hired to build an electric car last year. Earlier this month, it was revealed that Apple has registered three car-related domain names that hint at its electric car project. The company is reportedly testing Project Titan at a secret car test track.

Filed under: Apple Car

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Jeff Williams announcing September Apple Watch updates – AFP

In addition to launching a new 4-inch iPhone likely called the “iPhone 5se,” Apple plans to announce new Apple Watch models in March. The new lineup will be similar to the September 2015 Apple Watch revision, bringing a series of new band color options to the Apple Watch lineup. We are also told that entirely new bands made out of new materials are in development in addition to partnerships with firms beyond Hermes. Last year, Apple had discussed partnering up with popular third-party accessory makers, such as Incase, in some official fashion, but it is unclear if those are ready for this March revision.

The March Apple Watch update is unlikely to include new hardware functionality, but Apple is said to be preparing to formally release the WatchOS 2.2 update, which went into the developer beta stage earlier this month, alongside the new variations. Developer betas have revealed that the new software allows for multiple Apple Watches to be synced to a single iPhone in addition to new functionality in the Maps app. It is likely that Apple has more enhancements for this March update in development. We are told that a full second-generation redesign of the Apple Watch is scheduled to ship in the fall and is currently tracking a September announcement, a possibility TechCrunch recently raised, not this spring.

With new Apple Watch bands and software features in the pipeline along with the new iPhone model and iOS 9.3, sources say that Apple is still tentatively planning a small media event in March. Apple’s current plans call for an event-based introduction during the week of March 14th, but this could be reliant upon another product becoming ready for introduction in the spring, such as the in-the-works iPad Air 3. A major iOS app developer tells us that it started seeing signs in November that new iPad models codenamed “iPad 6,3 and 6,4,” which would slot between the iPad Air 2 and the iPad Pro in Apple’s internal naming lineup, are in testing. It is possible that this event could turn into an online announcement if the third announcement is not ready for March.

Filed under: iOS Devices

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Three days ago Apple released an iOS 9.2.1 update with seemingly arbitrary ‘security updates and bug fixes’ listed in the release notes. As we’ve seen time and time again with these type of software updates, most often these small updates seem to go ignored by the general public. We stress how important it is to keep your device up to date, even with small security updates like this.

As is customary after Apple releases a security update version of iOS, the firms and people that discovered the vulnerabilities are coming out explaining how and why these security updates matter. Apple has already included a breakdown of what security issues were resolved in iOS 9.2.1, but it’s still nice to get a further detailed look into what made the vulnerabilities possible in the first place.

SkyCure, a company helping in threat defense in EMM and MDM solutions, released a blog post this week detailing their discovery while noting that Apple had finally resolved it. The security issue (CVE-2016-1730) was reported back in June of 2013, but SkyCure notes that it was a more complicated issue to fix than one would imagine. SkyCure’s discovery relates to the way iOS handles cookies when connecting to a malicious captive-enabled Wi-Fi network. You may have seen these types of networks if you’ve ever connected to a hotel, airport or Starbucks network.

On Thursday, security researchers at Zimperium zLabs had also released a report analyzing how their vulnerability (CVE-2016-1722) was discovered. This vulnerability appears to have taken less than two months to resolve. Zimperium’s discovery revolved around a heap buffer overflow in syslogd that would allow an attacker to have elevated privileges or even perform remote code execution (although this would require the device to be on an already trusted Wi-Fi network).

As the desire for better security, privacy, and encryption increases, I welcome the security researchers’ work and Apple’s “minor” update. Even if they don’t include any exciting new features, like new emoji.

Filed under: Developers, iOS Tagged: EMM, iOS, iOS 9.2.1, MDM, privacy, Security, SkyCure, Updates, Zimperium

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That purported 4-inch “iPhone 6c” floating around the web yesterday? It’s fake, according to sources who have used the upcoming iPhone with a 4-inch display. Instead of releasing a smaller version of the iPhone 6s in order to appease potential customers seeking an iPhone with a screen smaller than 4.7 or 5.5-inches, Apple is upgrading the existing iPhone 5s that was first released in fall 2013. Also contrary to rumors, the device is not a preview of the iPhone 7 as it will mostly retain the 5s’s design and still include a headphone jack…

The new device is internally codenamed “N69,” but the launch name will likely be the “iPhone 5se.” The “se” suffix has been described in two ways by Apple employees: as a “special edition” variation of the vintage 4-inch iPhone screen size and as an “enhanced” version of the iPhone 5s. Indeed, the upcoming “5se” features a design similar to 2013’s flagship but upgraded internals, software, and hardware features that blend the old design with modern technologies from the past two iPhone upgrades.

Sources have provided the following list of “iPhone 5se” upgrades over the 5s:

• The chamfered, shiny edges have been replaced with curved glass like on the iPhone 6 and 6s lines
• The same 8 megapixel rear camera and 1.2 megapixel front camera systems from the iPhone 6
• Support for larger panoramas and autofocus for video recording
• Barometer for tracking elevation in the Health app
• An NFC chip for Apple Pay
• The A8 and M8 chips from the iPhone 6
• Bluetooth 4.2, VoLTE, and 802.11ac WiFi chips from the iPhone 6s
• Live Photos from the iPhone 6s
• Same Silver, Space Gray, Silver, & Rose Gold color options as the 6s line

While Live Photos on the 6s leverages 3D Touch, the “5se’s” screen will be identical to that of the 2013 model and not pressure-sensitive. Apple is utilizing the “5se” as a way to keep up with modern technology and support future major iOS upgrades without competing with the design of the newer and larger iPhone 6s line. Apple hopes that this model could spur additional upgrades over time from those currently sticking to an iPhone 5 or earlier. The current 5s will likely be discontinued, per sources. The new device is currently in production overseas and is planned for a March introduction ahead of a late March or early April release.

Filed under: iOS Devices

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Apple has been steadily adding more banks to its list of those officially supported for Apple Pay, and today it adds yet another 50+ for users of the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch-based payment service. The new additions include a mix of banks and credit unions across the US, but don’t bring any newly supported institutions to users internationally. Head below for the full list of new banks and credit unions. 

Apple Pay is officially live in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom in addition to the US, but the rollout of banks in other regions has lagged behind the US rollout considerably. While Apple supports hundreds of banks and credit unions in the US and adds another 50+ today, it only supports 15 in the UK and only non-bank issued American Express cards in Canada and the UK.

And in addition to almost every month rolling out support for the service to new banks in the US, Apple last month launched support for BJ’s Wholesale Club store cards. BJ’s is the second store card to be supported for the service following Kohl’s card launching back in October. Apple originally announced the feature back in June with partners Kohl’s and JCPenney, but it has yet to launch with additional retailers (or JCPenney).

A full list of the 50+ new banks getting Apple support this week is below:

• 1st MidAmerica Credit Union
• Achieve Financial Credit Union
• Advantage Federal Credit Union
• Alloy Federal Credit Union
• Altoona First Savings Bank
• Altura Credit Union
• Amalgmated Bank of Chicago
• Associated Credit Union of Texas
• Bank of Ann Arbor
• Beehive Federal Credit Union
• Brand Banking Company
• Business Bank of St. Louis
• Capitol Credit Union
• Charlotte State Bank & Trust
• Citizens Bank (AL)
• Citizens Savings Bank
• Community Credit Union
• Credit Union of Texas
• Earthmover Credit Union
• Employment Security Credit Union
• Family Trust Federal Credit Union
• First Community Bank of Beemer
• First Interstate Bank
• First Service Federal Credit Union
• First Service Federal Credit Union
• Fort Community Credit Union
• Georgia Bank and Trust
• HomeStar and Financial Services
• Houston Highway Credit Union
• IDB-IIC Federal Credit Union
• Jefferson Financial Credit Union
• Katahdin Federal Credit Union
• Lion’s Share Federal Credit Union
• Mainstreet Community Bank of Florida
• Marine Bank & Trust
• Marine Federal Credit Union
• Monona State Bank
• Navy Army Community Credit Union
• Northway Bank
• Oakworth Capital Bank
• Plaza Park State Bank
• Reliant Community Credit Union
• Security Bank and Trust Company
• Silver State Schools Credit Union
• Spencer County Bank
• Summit Community Bank
• Sundance State Bank
• The Commerce Bank of Washington
• Tioga State Bank
• Torrance Community Credit Union
• Total Community Credit Union
• Triangle Credit Union
• United Community Bank
• USNY Bank

Filed under: Apple Pay Tagged: ann arbor, Apple, Apple pay, banks, capitol credit union, citizens bank, credit unions, iPhone, support, update, usny bank

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Even though I’ve owned a Mac for going on 5+ years now, I never thought I would actually end up using screen savers. But the launch of Aerial a few months ago, which I’ve been using daily ever since, has definitely changed my mind. Awesome Apple TV screen savers on the Mac is a win. And today I came across the Apple Watch Screen Saver for OS X by Rasmus Nielsen and immediately knew it would be my next screen saver of choice.

Incorporating over 80 combinations of the already recognizable and well designed Apple Watch faces, all in Retina display quality, it makes a great additional screen saver to have installed. For those unfamiliar with the process of installing new screen savers on the Mac, or just want an overview before starting, I’ve put together a small guide below to walk you through the process:

While the Aerial screen saver has been great, I know not everyone will want to use it solely because it either streams or caches all the videos. This can be tricky for those who are on limited data plans at home or have low storage on their computer (if the latter is your situation, keep an eye on our sister-site 9to5Toys for great external drive deals). Whether you’re looking for a clean and simple screen saver, or just want to match your current Apple Watch face, these Apple Watch screen savers will be a perfect choice for you.

Download the screen saver from Rasmus’ site, and unzip the downloaded file (done by double-clicking on the file itself). Because this app isn’t signed, Gatekeeper will block its installation by default. We’re going to have to control-click (or secondary click) on the ‘WatchOSX.saver’ file, select ‘Open’, and then select ‘Open’ again on the unidentified developer alert dialog. If you don’t control-click on the file when launching, you might be alerted by OS X that the file was created by an unidentified developer, and would not be given the option to install it.

After that, System Preferences will launch automatically, asking for confirmation on installation, and who you would like to install the screen saver for. I have multiple users on my Mac, so I selected ‘Install for this user only’.

Once completed, System Preferences will automatically open the ‘Desktop & Screen Saver’ preferences, where the new screen saver will be installed under the title ‘Watch OSX’. Selecting the newly installed screen saver and then hitting ‘Screen Saver Options’ to the right will allow you to customize the watch faces to your liking. If you hover over the screen saver preview above ‘Screen Saver Options…’, you’ll see a small ‘Preview’ option that will allow you to quickly see what your screen saver will look like once activated.

With 85 total combinations, 5 watch face types and 17 colors, you’ll easily be able to find something to your liking if you appreciate the design of the Apple Watch faces. Plus it’s a tasteful way to use your Mac display as a clock when it’s not otherwise being used.

If you’re looking for some real world examples of what other’s have done with their own screen saver, check out #applewatchscreensaver on Instagram. Got any other favorite screen savers you use on your Mac? Let us know!

Filed under:
How-To, Apps, Mac Tagged: Apple watch, Apps, design, how to, Mac, OS X, Screen saver, Screensavers, watchOS

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