Flash-based iPod by Christmas?
According to a recent analyst's quote, Apple will be using controller chips from an Austin, TX based semiconductor company called SigmaTel in an upcoming version of a solid-state, flash-based music player. The analyst, Jason Pflaum of Thomas Weisel Partners LLC, cited "numerous sources in Asia" and predicts SigmaTel will receive $2-4 million from the deal in the first full quarter.
It must be noted that Thomas Weisel has an investment banking relationship with SigmaTel and that neither the semiconductor company nor Apple has confirmed this deal.
If true, it could mean a cheaper, lighter, skip-proof iPod.
Note:
SigmaTel is a manufacturer of MP3 controller, Audio decoder, and USB mass-storage chips. They are not providing the flash storage itself, but the chips that would most likely enable a new iPod to use it.
Popular Stories
In a memo shared with Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers this week, and later obtained by MacRumors, Apple provided technicians with guidance on how to diagnose and address the iPhone Duo's inner display cracking issue.
If a customer reports the issue, Apple advised technicians to inspect the iPhone Duo and repair or replace it in accordance with their standard procedures....
While the new iPad mini has an OLED display, the device does not support ProMotion, meaning the display's refresh rate is limited to 60Hz instead of 120Hz.
ProMotion support would have allowed for the iPad mini's refresh rate to automatically adjust from 10Hz to 120Hz depending on the content being displayed, but evidently Apple has kept the feature exclusive to the iPad Pro among iPad...
In the U.S. and most other countries, Apple's website shows the new iPad mini being held by pinched fingers, but this is not the case in South Korea.
The new iPad mini shown with pinched fingers on Apple's website in the U.S.
On its South Korean website, Apple simply shows an image of the iPad mini on its own.
The new iPad mini shown without pinched fingers on Apple's website in South Korea ...