Apple’s upcoming high-definition television is real, and it will reportedly feature an aluminum construction, Siri, FaceTime video calling and more. An anonymous source speaking with Cult of Mac claims to have seen a prototype of Apple’s upcoming “iTV” in action, and a number of details have been reinforced as a result. “It resembled an Apple monitor, only much larger,” the unnamed source told the site, referring to the aluminum LED Cinema Displays Apple currently sells alongside its Mac computers. Cult of Mac, which has revealed accurate details surrounding unannounced Apple products in the past, also reports that the HDTV will feature Siri, Apple’s sophisticated voice recognition software, and an iSight camera for FaceTime video calling. Many expect Apple to launch its debut television later this year, though a recent report suggests that it may not hit the market until 2014.

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A leaked part said to be destined for Apple’s next-generation iPhone may quell rumors that the Cupertino, California-based company is working on a teardrop-shaped Liquidmetal case for the next iPhone. Listed as “Replacement Sim Card Tray Holder Slot For Apple iPhone 5,” parts vendor sw-box.com has made what it claims to be SIM card trays for the sixth-generation iPhone available for purchase on its site. If the part is authentic, the most notable observation is that the new SIM tray is nearly identical to the part found in the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. While Apple’s next iPhone may still feature a redesigned case, Cult of Mac points out that the use of a flat aluminum tray in the new iPhone would likely indicate that the handset’s case will not utilize curved Liquidmetal alloy, as previously reported.

[Via Cult of Mac]

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Despite rumors, leaks and punditry that now suggest a worst case scenario — no iPhone 5, just an iPhone 4S and an entry-level iPhone 4 — Apple will indeed unveil the mythical aluminum unibody iPhone 5 on Tuesday that will “shatter” Apple’s previous smartphone sales records. In a note to investors on Monday, Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White wrote that Apple has a blockbuster in store for consumers this fall, with unprecedented demand that will result in Apple’s biggest launch ever. Read on for more.

“We expect the iPhone 5 to get a makeover with a sleek, aluminum unibody enclosure that more closely resembles the MacBook Air than the iPhone 4, which will not only prove more aesthetically pleasing but also stronger, lighter and avoid the back-side “glass breaks” of last year,” White said. “With this new enclosure, we believe this will provide Apple with the opportunity to expand the display size by at least one half of an inch to 4 inches and hopefully bigger. Apple will clearly need to upgrade the processor speed to at least a Dual Core 1.2GHz to match the Samsung Galaxy S II, while upgrading to a 8 mega pixel 1080p camera that is now also on the Galaxy S II.”

The sleek new Apple smartphone will have consumers drooling like no iPhone before it, White believes, and the result will be astronomical opening weekend sales. “We believe Apple will benefit from pent up demand and will shatter the 1.7 million iPhone 4′s sold in the first three days last year,” the analyst stated. “Additionally, the iPhone is now sold to a record number of carriers (228 carriers at end of 3QFY11 vs. 154 at end of 3QFY10 during the iPhone 4 launch) and can operate on CDMA networks, and we believe China will play a more important role as well. We also expect Apple to be more aggressive in rolling out the iPhone 5 to international markets during this launch versus prior years, similar to what was experienced with the iPad 2.”

White reiterated his Buy rating on Apple stock with a price target of $666.

We’ve seen about a hundred different interpretations of what Apple’s iPhone 5 might look like at this point, and we probably all agree that October 4th can’t come soon enough; regardless of what Apple unveils next month, it will finally put an end to the rumors and speculation. Apple’s next-generation iPhone might be an incremental update, a major upgrade or even both, and while current signs are pointing to the optimal scenario — a revamped low-end iPhone 4 and an all-new redesigned iPhone 5 — we won’t know for sure until shortly after 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on the 4th. In the meantime, however, we can dream. Ben Miller of German mobile site BenM.at has gathered all of the case leaks, rumored specs and mock-ups that have trickled out over the past few months, and actually built a physical best-guess iPhone 5 out of glass and aluminum. The result… is gorgeous. Miller’s design definitely resembles the Case-Mate renders we exclusively reported earlier this month, and if the real iPhone 5 looks anything like this, we can’t get our hands on it soon enough. More images of Miller’s mock-up follow below.

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Apple will unveil two new iPhone models next month, an all new iPhone 5 and a revamped iPhone 4 that will address the entry-level smartphone market. Deutsche Bank Securities analyst Chris Whitmore on Monday rehashed a research note he distributed this past June, which suggested Apple would unveil an iPhone 5 and an “iPhone 4S” in September. The iPhone 5 would be Apple’s brand new flagship smartphone, and the 4S would be a low-cost version of the current iPhone 4 model priced around $349 unlocked. The analyst’s new note mirrors those sentiments, though Whitmore now offers a few additional details. Read on for more.

Whitmore now sees the iPhone 5 as featuring a completely revamped design highlighted by a unibody aluminum case. The analyst’s description of an aluminum case could align with renders BGR published exclusively earlier this month. Regarding the iPhone 4S, Whitmore says it will be a tweaked version of Apple’s iPhone 4 that will cost between $300 and $350 without a contract. The new low pricing could allow Apple to address the prepaid market with its new low-cost handset, or it could allow carriers to offer the device for free with a postpaid contract.

The analyst’s note also mentions that the iPhone 5 will feature a better camera and a slightly bigger display, as has been rumored numerous times to date. The combination of a high-end redesigned iPhone 5 and an entry-level iPhone 4S is expected to expand Apple’s addressable market dramatically, and Whitmore notes that a low-cost 4S could make Apple’s smartphone an option for more than 1 billion prepaid customers.

Apple is expected to unveil one or more new iPhone models at a press conference on October 4th.

The iPhone 5 hasn’t been announced yet, but that has not stopped accessory makers from posting upcoming cases for the highly anticipated handset. Case-Mate has published a page on its website with six different case designs for the new iPhone 5, and we’re loving the radical new body shown in the images. We’ve heard tons of speculation that the iPhone 5 will be thinner and lighter than the current model and these cases suggest it will have tapered edges and a slim profile as well. Finally, the images appear to an aluminum back on the fifth-generation iPhone, which also jibes with earlier reports. The iPhone 5 is expected to be available in the United States in October, so we’re not surprised to see leaks like this start to spill out across the web.

UPDATE: Case-Mate has pulled the iPhone 5 cases from its website.

Thanks, David

It has been widely reported that Apple is planning to refresh its MacBook Air family later this month or early next month, and now there’s a new rumor that may make the wait even more worthwhile. According to MacRumors, the refreshed top-end MacBook Air model may also be available with a new anodized black aluminum finish — a color option that hasn’t been seen since Apple did away with the black MacBook. The image above is from Colorwave, which offers custom paint jobs for a variety of gadgets, but it’s a good idea of what such a product could look like barring the trackpad. Apple’s refresh is also expected to deliver support for the new Thunderbolt I/O port as well as Intel’s new Sandy Bridge processors. We’re definitely excited to see what the refresh entails, and the good news is we almost certainly won’t have a long wait to find out.

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According to a purported internal screenshot obtained by TmoNews, T-Mobile may launch the HTC Sensation 4G on June 8th. We fell in love with the Sensation 4G in early April during our hands-on. It has a rock-solid aluminum uni-body design, is powered by a dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, has a 4.3-inch 960 x 520 qHD display, 4GB of internal storage, an 8-megapixel camera capable of recording 1080p HD video, and runs Android Gingerbread with HTC’s latest and greatest Sense user interface. Pricing for the phone hasn’t been officially announced, but earlier rumors have suggested it will cost $200 with a new T-Mobile contract.

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With the iPad 2 rumors now put to bed by the device’s official unveiling, where will Apple fanatics turn for their iRumor jollies? The iPhone 5 of course! The Taiwanese newspaper Economic Daily News, citing anonymous Chinese sources, states that Apple, Inc. may be considering ditching the very controversial design of the iPhone 4 for its next generation smartphone. The presumed iPhone 5 would sport a milled aluminum backing with the antenna integrated into the rear Apple logo — similar to the original, Wi-Fi only iPad. The juicy rumor even comes with the above mockup, courtesy of macotakara.jp. It’s safe to assume that after the antenna fiasco that accompanied the release of the iPhone 4, Apple will do some serious retooling when it comes to the iPhone 5. Will the redesign incorporate an all aluminum back complete with a radio radiating piece of fruit? We should find out in June.

[Via MacRumors]

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Apple has just gone and done it, boys and girls — the next generation iPad is now official. Moments ago, Steve Jobs just announced the new iPad, the iPad 2 — surprise, it’s pretty much what we were suspecting. Here are some key specifications right from the man himself:

• Apple A5 processor, dual core CPU
• 2x CPU speed, 9x graphics speed improvement
• Front and rear cameras
• Gryoscope
• 33% thinner, 13.4mm to 8.8mm thin — thinner than an iPhone 4, and lighter than the previous iPad
• AT&T and Verizon models, white and black iPads
• Same original iPad battery life, over 10 hours of usage and a month of standby time

Pricing for the new iPad lines up exactly with the original model: iPad Wi-Fi will be available in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB capacitties for $499, $599, and $699 respectively. The iPad Wi-Fi + 3G will be available in the aforementioned sizes for $629, $729, and $829. The new model will go on sale in just under two weeks starting in the U.S. with many more countries joining in on March 25th.

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Images of what is claimed to be Apple’s second-generation iPad have been published by Chinese site DGtle. The images definitely line up with what we’ve heard so far — much thinner case, dual cameras, a speaker grill and so on. It also looks like rumors of a white iPad might pan out, as tipped by the white antenna cover seen in these pictures. Nothing is confirmed until we see that shiny new iPad 2 unveiled on stage a Yerba Buena later today though, despite the fact that this purported Apple tablet sure looks the part. Tune in to BGR at 1:00PM ET for all the latest news as it breaks, and hit the jump for more images.

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What’s this? It looks like the gang over at Engadget have played a game of I Spy with and aluminum mockup of Apple’s second-generation iPad, the iPad 2. The owner of the aluminum slug is case maker Dexim, who is at CES showing off a new case for the next iPad that incorporates a Bluetooth keyboard. It is unclear whether the milled body-double was provided by Apple or machined by Dexim, but it does seem to confirm several of the rumors we’ve been hearing. The pictured mockup, and case, have a space for both a rear and front-facing camera, rear speaker-grill on the device’s lower right, and tapered edges (similar to those on the iPod touch). Dexim says the next iPad will be slightly thinner than the current model with the volume rocker and mute switch retaining the same positions. Have a look for yourself and let us know what you think.

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It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but Apple today announced a long-awaited refresh of its MacBook Air notebook line. Apple’s airy laptops haven’t been its most popular series by any means, but there is no question that the company’s remarkably thin notebooks struck a chord among jet-setters and young urbanites with expendable income. The sleek, lightweight machines were perfect for travel and even better for being seen in a local Starbucks. As time moved on however, the meager specs began showing their age and even a price drop couldn’t keep MacBook Air sales inflated.

Today, Apple looks to rekindle the public’s interest in its slender MacBook Air line with a reworked case, beefed up specs and a new smaller option.

Long story short, thin is in.

Hit the jump for more information on specs, pricing and availability.

MacBook Air 13.3-inch

• 13.3-inch LED backlit display, 1440 x 900 pixels
• 1.86GHz Core 2 Duo processor
• NVidia GeForce 320M GPU
• SD card reader, 2 USB ports, a Mini DisplayPort, a 3.5mm audio jack and a straight MagSafe port
• Instant-on
• Multitouch glass trackpad
• Full aluminum unibody construction
• 128GB or 256GB SSD
• 802.11n Wi-Fi
• FaceTime camera
• 0.68-inches thin at its thickest point, 0.11-inches at its thinnest
• 2.9 lbs
• Battery life: 7 hours usage, 30 days standby

MacBook Air 11.6-inch

• 11.6-inch LED backlit display, 1366 x 768 pixels
• 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor
• NVidia GeForce 320M GPU
• 2 USB ports, a Mini DisplayPort and a straight MagSafe port
• Instant-on
• Multitouch glass trackpad
• Full aluminum unibody construction
• 64GB or 128GB SSD
• 802.11n Wi-Fi
• FaceTime camera
• 0.68-inches thin at its thickest point, 0.11-inches at its thinnest
• 2.3 lbs
• Battery life: 5 hours usage, 30 days standby

The new MacBook Air models are available immediately online and Apple stores should be getting inventory soon. Pricing starts at $999 for the 11.6-inch model with a 64GB SSD ($1,199 for 128GB SSD), and tops out at $1,599 for the 13-inch model with a 256GB SSD ($1,399 for 128GB SSD).

As soon as we saw the page go up on ElementCASE’s site, we knew we had to have one. The Vapor case for the iPhone 4 is perhaps the meanest, most bad ass-looking bumper / case we’ve seen so far. It’s made from a solid block of “aircraft grade aluminum” and features a non-conductive coating on the inside to do away with that pesky antenna issue. We’ve been playing with two different Vapor cases for a couple days and here are our thoughts:

The construction of the case is top notch — really solid, though we would have liked a better system of taking the case on and off. To get your iPhone situated nicely, you have to bend the large frame a bit to fit your iPhone, then carefully insert the phone making sure the sharp edges of the frame don’t scratch the handset, then you have to attach the second piece and get it nailed down with 4 screws. Once the phone is in the case, it all comes down to personal preference. The case is manufactured well, fits snuggly on the iPhone 4, but does have a couple draw backs. Since the aluminum is so thick, the headset jack gets recessed, the vibrate switch and volume buttons can be a little hard to press, and the on / off button, while accessible through an integrated button, loses a bit of tactility.

All in all, the ElementCASE Vapor case for the iPhone 4 is the most aggressive-looking and lust-worthy case we’ve seen so far. While we love the concept of the Vapor case, the execution misses the mark in a couple ways. Some people might not like the added thickness and weight it adds to the handset, and the case makes the phone’s buttons pretty recessed. Plus, at a starting price of $79, it’s up there on the expensive scale.

Click on over to our ElementCASE Vapor iPhone 4 case gallery!

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Blog iClarified has posted several images of what a tipster is claiming to be the exterior casing for the fourth generation iPhone. The pictures are a little suspect for several reasons: an all aluminum, unibody enclosure would probably hinder the effectiveness of a Wi-Fi or cellular radio (insert iPhone reception joke here), the Apple logo does not appear to be proportioned properly as compared to the size of the body, the text on the back of the phone is not positioned low enough as compared to previous models… and other things like Photoshop CS4 metadata in the pictures. We suppose the aluminum enclosure/cellular radio issue could be moot, as the iPad uses the Apple logo as the radio signal exit point… however, most of us have heard about the issues the iPad is having with its Wi-Fi radio. Real or fake, with the release of the Incredible, EVO, and iPhone 4G all looming, it is going to be a great summer for high-end cell phone lovers. What do you guys think? A few more images after the break.

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