Over the last several days, the biggest Apple news was notable for how little was actually made public by the company.
In fact, the biggest Apple statement this week likely came from CEO Tim Cook in an internal memo to employees that leaked online. In the memo, Cook attempted to quell unrest among his ranks after Tuesday’s election that saw the American people pick Donald Trump as the country’s next president. The note was all the more notable in light of Cook’s decision not to support Trump during his candidacy.
This is Coins2Day’s weekly roundup of the biggest Apple news this week. To see last week’s roundup, click here.
But Cook and Trump was just the tip of the iceberg. Rumors about the iPhone and iPad were flying fast and furious and there was some speculation about Apple’s future. And certainly no week would be complete without some mention of Apple’s upcoming MacBook Pro.
While it was a quiet week for Apple (AAPL), it still had some important headlines. Read on for the biggest Apple news this week:
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- Apple CEO Tim Cook sent a memo to employees on Wednesday after Donald Trump was elected President of the United States. In it, Cook urged unity among his employees and said it’s time for everyone to move forward. He also reassured employees that regardless of the election results, Apple’s mission and focus will not change.
- Apple will offer larger displays in its iPhones next year, Barclays analysts Blayne Curtis and Christopher Hemmelgarn told investors on Friday. The iPhone 8, as they’re calling it, will ship with a 5-inch screen, and the larger iPhone 8 Plus will deliver a 5.8-inch display. The screen will run from one edge of the smartphone to the other, the analysts say. In addition, their supply chain sources say Apple is preparing new iPads for March.
- Apple’s MacBook Pro hasn’t been released yet but it’s already popular. According to new data from research firm Slice Intelligence, the MacBook Pro’s preorders have already exceeded sales over the last year for its top Windows-based competitors. It’s well on its way to becoming the best-selling laptop released in the last two years. That success has reportedly prompted Apple to ramp up MacBook Pro production and satisfy heavier-than-expected demand.
- For the first time since 2007, Apple is selling refurbished iPhones. When customers go to its e-retail store, they can buy refurbished iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus units. All of the available devices have been certified and come with both a new battery and one-year warranty. Customers can save $100 or more buying the refurbished iPhones rather than the new models.
- Apple could be planning to release a Jet White version of its iPhone 7, according to rumors. The Jet White version would come with a glossy finish similar to the Jet Black iPhone 7. Apple hasn’t signaled it’s planning a new iPhone 7 color, however, so the rumor should be taken with the proverbial grain of salt.
- The Apple News app on iOS, which lets users read content from both small and large media outlets, is driving significant traffic to those publishers. Some media outlets reported in a study by the Nieman Journalism Lab that their audience has soared by 500% because of Apple News.
- If you’re shopping this holiday season, beware of fake retail apps. Earlier this week, there were hundreds of fake retail apps available in Apple’s App Store, mobile analytics company Branding Brand told The New York Times. Apple has since removed the offending apps, which mimicked real stores from prominent companies, including Dollar Tree and Nordstrom, but Branding Brand says fake apps are cropping up all the time in iOS. Their goal? To steal sensitive customer information, including credit cards.
For more about Apple’s iPhone 7, watch:
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