Technology

Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, the world's largest contract manufacturer of electronic goods, will begin mass production of Apple Inc's next-generation iPhone (expected to be called the  iPhone 6 ) this month, Taipei media reported Friday. Mass production of a 4.7-inch successor to the wildly popular iPhone 5 series of smartphones will begin during the third week of July, Taiwan's Economic Daily News said, without citing sources. Production of a 5.5-inch iPhone 6 version will begin during the second week of August, it said. A separate report issued Thursday by a China state-run news service said Hon Hai is planning to hire 100,000 workers at its mainland facilities to meet future demand for  Apple's  latest smartphone, citing comments made by the chief of the Henan Provincial Commerce Department. Fellow Taiwanese contract manufacturer Pegatron Corp this month also began recruitment of over 10,000 workers for its mainland facilities to manufacture ...

Another day and another  iPhone 6  rumour. This time a report out of China details an astonishing new launch date for the next iPhone from Apple, ahead of most dates in previous leaks. The report is accompanied with purported pricing details, as well as the name of the anticipated larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 variant - iPhone Air. The report citing industry sources claims Apple will unveil the iPhone 6 on September 15, which falls on a Monday, while retail availability will begin on September 25, which falls on a Thursday. Apple traditionally starts sales of new iPhone models on a Friday to capture the weekend crowd, so the dates seem a little fishy. Previous leaks (including a purported internal communication from a German telecom carrier) had indicated a more credible launch date of September 19, which happens to be Friday. According to the China.com report (via GforGames), China will also be amongst the first countries to receive the iPhone. The repor...

Apple is reportedly working on new connected home products for consumers, according to 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman. Although Apple unveiled its HomeKit platform for developers at this year's WWDC, the company is now working on actual hardware products for everyday users.  Gurman's sources haven't specified exactly what types of devices Apple is working on, but they did reportedly say that the connected home space will be an important market for Apple moving forward.  These smart home devices would integrate deeply with Apple's existing products, such as its line of iPhones and iPads.  Apple's smart home product probably won't compete with the Nest Learning Thermostat or the newly announced Honeywell Lyric. Rather, it will focus on something a little more mainstream that will get more widespread usage.  This could mean Apple is working on a smart speaker system or some type of controller for the devices in your home, Gurman's sources reportedly said. There...

New details surrounding Apple's next-generation iPhone devices, which leaks have thus far tipped to come in two display size variants, have surfaced online, and if they are to be believed the alleged 4.7-inch iPhone 6 might be priced lower than the current iPhone 5s. A report emerging from China claims that the alleged iPhone 6 will be launched on September 19, very much in-line with an earlier report that cited a German carrier. Further, the report has also purportedly revealed prices for the alleged 4.7-inch model of the iPhone 6. According to the GforGames citing the Chinese report, the rumoured 4.7-inch iPhone 6 will be priced at CNY 5,300 (roughly Rs. 51,150) for the 32GB version, while the 64GB model is said to be priced at CNY 6,300 (roughly Rs. 60,800). As the report notes, this seems to be a drop in price, as the current iPhone 5s 16GB model costs CNY 5,300 in China. Unfortunately, there is no word on the price of the alleged iPhone 6 16GB m...

Apple has already stepped into the health and fitness tracking market with its Health app for iOS. Now, the company could be upping the ante with its upcoming iPhone New code spotted by developers who spoke with 9 to 5 Mac indicates the iPhone 6 could have a barometer built in. See also: 10 Better Alternatives to Your iPhone's Native Apps An integrated barometer would track altitude and air pressure and could infer temperature readings, too. Existing apps already perform many of these tasks, but they use the iPhone's GPS and motion chips to do so. A piece of dedicated measurement hardware is likely to provide better performance. 

Taiwan's Quanta Computer Inc will start mass production of Apple Inc's first smart watch in July, a source familiar with the matter said, as the US tech giant tries to prove it can still innovate against rival Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. The watch, which remains unnamed but which company followers have dubbed the iWatch, will be Apple's first foray into a niche product category that many remain skeptical about, especially as to whether it can drive profits amid cooling growth in tech gadgets. The production will be a boost to Quanta, given that its work for Apple till now has focused on laptops and iPods, product lines that are in decline. Quanta's role though is likely to raise questions about what involvement Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, one of Apple's biggest suppliers, will play in production. While the watch is widely expected, the start date of its mass production and the extent of Quanta's involvement were not known until now. Mass produ...