WWDC silly season grows with seemingly baseless analyst speculation
A high-profile Apple stock analyst has suggested virtually all of Apple's upcoming hardware pipeline could at least be previewed at WWDC, including the "iPhone 8" and an Apple TV with 4K. Needless to say, that's highly unlikely.
An advanced look at Apple's rumored feature-packed 10th anniversary iPhone seems highly improbable, regardless of new features. The last time an iPhone was revealed in the summer around the time of WWDC was June 24, 2010 when the iPhone 4 was revealed. Following that unveil, the flagships of the line were shown in September or October, with the iPhone SE launching on March 31, 2016.
Despite Hall's speculation, it's still expected that the "iPhone 8" won't be shown off until this September.
But there have been no reports from the supply chain or evidence of contracts between Apple and other vendors suggesting that OLED screens are coming any time soon to the iPad. If details in rumors about the 10.5-inch iPad Pro update are accurate, one screen would take substrate material roughly equivalent to four "iPhone 8" screens.
While the "iPhone 8" is expected to switch to OLED this fall, it's likely that this year's iPad Pro refresh will stick with LCD technology.
The Apple TV hardware has never been updated during a WWDC keynote. The last update to the fourth-generation Apple TV with apps was made on Oct. 30, 2015, and the ability to play back 1080p content was made in March 2012, well after 1080p content was already available on the iTunes media stores.
While enthusiasts clamor for an Apple TV with 4K content, at present, Apple has no 4K content, nor have there been any rumors lately of it appearing on the Apple media stores. Apple's tvOS is likely to see an update at WWDC, however.
A report from Wednesday suggested that the Apple Siri speaker is currently in manufacturing, and may not ship until "later in the year." The same report claims that the product may be announced at the WWDC keynote.
Siri's underpinnings are likely to see some form of expansion at WWDC, with updates to iOS and macOS expected -- as has been the case for several years.
Kaby Lake processors suitable for the 15-inch i7-powered 2016 MacBook Pro weren't available when the device was designed or manufactured, and were released only very slightly before the machine originally shipped. Addition of the Kaby Lake processor to the MacBook Pro will have an extremely minute performance enhancement, slightly better battery life, and better integrated graphics performance over models with the Skylake processor.
A sought-after 32GB option for the MacBook Pro needs Intel's forthcoming "Cannon Lake" processor expected at some point in 2018 bringing with it support for LPDDR4 RAM, or conversion of the machine to conventional DDR4 RAM which will demand more power and a motherboard re-design.
The last time the MacBook Pro was updated as rapidly as it would be from between the 2016 MacBook Pro's release and the date of the 2017 WWDC Keynote was in 2007, when Apple shifted to the Penryn processor without major motherboard revisions.
"iPhone 8"
In a note to investors Thurday from J.P. Morgan, provided to AppleInsider, analyst Rod Hall said he believes there is "some possibility" that Apple will preview the "iPhone 8" at the event. He cited an "expected large form factor change as well as new 3D scanning features" as a potential reason for an unexpected, uncharacteristic hardware preview.An advanced look at Apple's rumored feature-packed 10th anniversary iPhone seems highly improbable, regardless of new features. The last time an iPhone was revealed in the summer around the time of WWDC was June 24, 2010 when the iPhone 4 was revealed. Following that unveil, the flagships of the line were shown in September or October, with the iPhone SE launching on March 31, 2016.
Despite Hall's speculation, it's still expected that the "iPhone 8" won't be shown off until this September.
iPad update
Hall also believes that there is a "reasonable chance" that Apple will update the iPad Pro line at WWDC. However, Hall claims that "flexible OLED capacity available to Apple suggests some excess that could be used for such a device."But there have been no reports from the supply chain or evidence of contracts between Apple and other vendors suggesting that OLED screens are coming any time soon to the iPad. If details in rumors about the 10.5-inch iPad Pro update are accurate, one screen would take substrate material roughly equivalent to four "iPhone 8" screens.
While the "iPhone 8" is expected to switch to OLED this fall, it's likely that this year's iPad Pro refresh will stick with LCD technology.
Apple TV at 4K
Hall also said Apple is "overdue" to release a 4K/HDR version of the Apple TV. His report also suggested, without going into any detail, that "further partnerships" for the TV app, plus "ability to consolidate media sources," are a possibility for WWDC.The Apple TV hardware has never been updated during a WWDC keynote. The last update to the fourth-generation Apple TV with apps was made on Oct. 30, 2015, and the ability to play back 1080p content was made in March 2012, well after 1080p content was already available on the iTunes media stores.
While enthusiasts clamor for an Apple TV with 4K content, at present, Apple has no 4K content, nor have there been any rumors lately of it appearing on the Apple media stores. Apple's tvOS is likely to see an update at WWDC, however.
Siri and the "Siri Speaker"
Hall and company expect to see "new APIs for Siri this year as well as new platform capabilities." However, the analyst believes that the announcement of an actual hardware product will not happen at WWDC, but might later in the fall.A report from Wednesday suggested that the Apple Siri speaker is currently in manufacturing, and may not ship until "later in the year." The same report claims that the product may be announced at the WWDC keynote.
Siri's underpinnings are likely to see some form of expansion at WWDC, with updates to iOS and macOS expected -- as has been the case for several years.
Kaby Lake updates for the MacBook Pro
Citing media complaints that Intel's Kaby Lake processor wasn't included in the 2016 refresh of the MacBook Pro, Hall expects that the line will get the "Kaby Lake treatment " at WWDC. Rumors of a MacBook Pro refresh at WWDC are relatively recent, and buttressed lately by no availability at the online Apple store until the day of the WWDC keynote.Kaby Lake processors suitable for the 15-inch i7-powered 2016 MacBook Pro weren't available when the device was designed or manufactured, and were released only very slightly before the machine originally shipped. Addition of the Kaby Lake processor to the MacBook Pro will have an extremely minute performance enhancement, slightly better battery life, and better integrated graphics performance over models with the Skylake processor.
A sought-after 32GB option for the MacBook Pro needs Intel's forthcoming "Cannon Lake" processor expected at some point in 2018 bringing with it support for LPDDR4 RAM, or conversion of the machine to conventional DDR4 RAM which will demand more power and a motherboard re-design.
The last time the MacBook Pro was updated as rapidly as it would be from between the 2016 MacBook Pro's release and the date of the 2017 WWDC Keynote was in 2007, when Apple shifted to the Penryn processor without major motherboard revisions.
Comments
Apple chose to not implement that. I'm not dismissing the possibility outright, as I'd like one, but there doesn't seem to be quite enough foundation underneath it for it to pop up now.
Regardless, I think Apple hasn't released a 4K Apple TV because they're waiting for 2160p content rights for their iTunes Store -and- for H.265 for the video codec to be feasible for them to use. When those two things are possible then everything else would fall into place.
Now, one may point out that the iPhone has been able to use H.265 for FaceTime over cellular on the iPhone 6 series (or newer) to another iPhone 6 series (or newer) over cellular, but that's a relatively low resolution video with a low-profile, and not a commercial video for sale or rent, the latter of which changes everything when it comes to H.265 licensing fees.
Apple opened the cupboard and it was bare.
Possible? Yes
Likely? No
but I really do think that many people are expecting the world but will not get anywhere near what they were expecting.
Want Saturn but got Mercury.
Few situations necessitate this kind of preview but it does happen. New screen resolutions don't necessitate this. Third party app integration with a speaker or some new iPhone sensor might, but Apple can often launch a new hardware feature with just Apple support and open it up to third party developpers later.
4K is overrated for the average consumer. Heck, I still happily enjoy my 1080p Sony. The fact that many TV's nowadays are 4K-capable, so what? The amount of Internet bandwidth necessary to stream those movies for the majority is just not there infrastructure-wise. I 4K being viable only for those with Blu-Ray drives, or that want to stream 4K videos from a local LAN/WLAN device. which is still not the norm for the majority of users.
Heck, most of my viewing isn't even done on TV's anymore, but on my iMac (in a window) or iOS devices, which makes 4K moot.
More interesting to me was a side comment that discussed UHD TV, or what they are now calling 4k. Using the same argument about screen size and viewing distance the article stated that for most homes UHD TV would not make much sense as the minimum screen size to see the difference between HD and UHD was 102" or 106" (I don't quite remember which, it's been 13 years after all).
Now I tend to question people who claim that 4k looks great on their 50" TV. A friend of mine recently purchased a second home in Florida and needed a TV there. He bid on some no-name brand TV on a website I have never heard of and ended up winning the auction (supposedly, I'm a little unclear as to how it worked) for around $300. Anyway, the TV is a 50-55", is 4k capable and has Amazon Prime Video built in. He says they watched a couple of shows in 4k via Prime and absolutely raves about the picture quality.
All of that doesn't add up for me: it's a brand I've never heard of, the display is roughly half the size of what 13 years ago was the recommended minimum and he's watching streaming video. Those variables don't sound like the perfect viewing experience, especially this early on in the life of "4k". To be fair, I have no idea how fast their internet connection is. But they aren't the type to spring for a higher tier, especially when they're paying for it every month but only there for a few weeks per year.
It took quite a bit for 1080p to be available in abundance as it is now. 4K will be no different.
You say we don't need a fast internet connection to stream 4k, so does that mean my mom can view 4k on her crappy DSL connection? "Fast" to my mom would be 10Mbps, but to my co-workers 25Mbps is not "fast".
Until my neighbor's son started working for Comcast they had a 1.5Mbps connection because my neighbor said he only needed to check email and everything else was a waste of money. If my friend with the Florida house has a 1.5Mbps connection will he be able to stream 4k (and view it just as well)?
These are all legitimate questions, I'm not trying to come off as an asshole.