stantheman

The smart connector would be ideal for a payments terminal, which would detect removal of the device from its cradle and permit iPad to be continually charged without having anything plugged into the lightning port. Plug-ins are awkward at a payments terminal, where movement and jostling are common.

jd_in_sb said:

NY1822 said:

could this be the 7S? what distinguishes this as the 8 model from the video?

The vertical double camera. 

I have seen rumors that iPhone 7S will have double "vertical" camera lenses, too. The lenses should be aligned along the same axis as the eyes that view the photograph. The "horizontal" lens design of iPhone 7+ implied/assumed that users take photos in portrait mode. Perhaps the 2017 assumption is that advanced users mainly shoot in landscape mode. Clearly, three lenses are needed next year, in the iPhone Pro S.

Wooloomooloo said:

Why is Apple trying to release the 7s and 8 in the same year?

The iPhone "Pro" seems to be a new premium product line, priced above the existing iPhone X/XS line. The same happened with iPad ---> iPad Pro as well as iMac and iPod. Why? Because marginal revenue exceeds marginal cost for the new product line (after accounting for "cannibalization"). Apple may charge $300 more for the Pro, but only spend only $150 more to design and produce it, compared to iPhone 7S.

The number of malware infections admitted by Google for 2016 was 560,000. The new spyware was deployed in 2017. Google admitted the 2016 issue and gave figures for it; the magnitude of the 2017 problem is a Google secret. Google's secrecy could mean the new malware problem is far worse than last year's. Alternatively, it may mean that Google execs work harder this year to keep users in the dark about Android's security problems. Or both.

pbrutto said:

This is all well and good to me (full disclosure, member of the program). BUT: if, like last year, I cannot even preorder one due to the upgrade program debacle.....what’s the point?

Upgrade Program participants should have their orders filled first, because their orders were placed 12-18-24 months earlier than customers placing one-time orders in September. Not only would that policy be fair, but it would also cause a LOT more people to join the Program. By reserving the first iPhone units for Program members, Apple would effectively be charging for an earlier place in line.