Rumor has it that the 2018 iPhones might end up being slower than previous models. And the least expensive model in the upcoming series could launch a month later than expected. And lastly, if your current iPhone needs some fixing while you’re waiting, Apple’s internal repair videos could help out. Here’s what you need to know about iPhone news and rumors this week.
2018 iPhones could be slower than Android phones
Apple’s iPhones for 2018 could lag behind Androids, and Apple’s patent war with Qualcomm is the reason why.
The iPhone X and the Xiaomi Mi 8 head to head.
James Martin/CNET
The fallout of a strained relationship between these two mobile titans means that Qualcomm expects it won’t supply modems for the upcoming round of iPhones. This is the part that phones use to connect to the network. Qualcomm thinks that Apple will go all in with chip competitor Intel, which already supplies modems for about half of the current iPhones.
Watch this: Qualcomm shrinks its 5G chips, iPhone download speeds…
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The result of this switcharoo could limit Apple’s network speeds and make it difficult for Intel to keep up with Apple’s demand for new iPhone modems. Nonetheless, this is fantastic news for Intel, which missed the boat when mobile phones were blowing up. If true, this could be Intel’s game to lose.
The 6.1-inch LCD iPhone might not arrive until October
You might need to wait until October to pick up the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Bad news: we might have to wait until October to see the rumored 6.1-inch LCD iPhone. It’s suspected that this model could suffer a one-month delay because of possible quality-control issues with its screen’s backlight, which is said to leak all over the place. But hey, this is better than the six week delay that was expected before.
Apparently Apple’s other two iPhone flagships, the 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch OLED models, seem to be right on track…so far.
Apple’s internal repair videos may have leaked
Ever wanted to watch a DIY for repairing your iPhone? YouTuber Arman Haji uploaded 11 videos covering all of Apple’s secret, proprietary tools needed to repair your Apple devices yourself.
Watch this: Leaked Apple videos and the parts for 2019’s iPhone
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The videos were a rare glimpse behind Apple’s tightly closed shutters. If left on YouTube, they could have also seriously eaten into Apple’s repairs profits — Apple Care is big business.
Apple never responded to CNET’s request for comment, but here’s something more — not only were the videos removed from YouTube, but Haji’s entire YouTube channels seems to have blipped off the radar as well.
Other iPhone news:
Last week’s iPhone news: Apple reveals 70 new emoji for iPhone X, and iCloud has a Big Brother in China
Apple’s new memoji can be sent as animated texts.
Óscar Gutiérrez/CNET
This week in iPhone news, we’ll give you the good news first and the bad news second: Apple unveiled 70 new emoji coming to iOS this year (redheads, get excited). But, Siri is now an orphan and a Chinese government-run company can censor iCloud data in China. Here’s what you should know.
Watch this: WWDC 2018: Best new iOS 12 features and more
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Memoji, you moji, he, she, they moji
Tuesday was World Emoji Day and Apple shook things up by revealing 70 new emoji coming to iOS this year. What’s in the mix? New emoji hairstyles — for all you redheads and baldies out there — and foods like lettuce, mango and cupcakes. And this is just the beginning. Apple says there will be plenty more to come, with additions to sports, symbols and jewels.
Apple loses Siri’s last co-founder
Fifty-nine-year-old Tom Gruber, the last of three Siri co-founders at Apple, reportedly retired from his role as head of Siri’s Advanced Development group. Google’s former head of AI and search, John Giannandrea, was hired last week to adopt and improve the voice assistant. Hopefully, this new parent can develop Siri into a more expansive and accurate voice assistant (kind of like what Giannandrea did with Google Assistant).
iOS 12 will bring more Siri shortcuts, and hopefully other changes are on the way.
Sarah Tew/CNET
iCloud data is stored by the Chinese government
Remember when Apple did that commercial referencing George Orwell’s “1984”? I don’t (wasn’t born yet), but it’s relevant now more than ever. The ad depicted Apple as a non-conformist, anti-establishment company that would challenge any analogous “Big Brother” norm at that time.
Watch this: We ask Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant the same three…
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But new Chinese laws require that cloud services for Chinese citizens be operated by Chinese companies. Customer data in China also has to be stored in the country exclusively. Both laws include Apple iCloud data, which isn’t raising a few eyebrows. China Telecom, a state-owned carrier in China, controls the data of over 130 million Chinese iPhone users. If I lived in China, I’d use something else to backup my iPhone.
In China, it would be a good idea to toggle off your personal data stored by iCloud.
Jason Cipriani/CNET
Other iPhone news this week:
