Intel readying Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition for Q4

Intel is preparing a new flagship processor for Q4 2012, according to report by DonanimHaber. The upcoming Core i7-3970X is based on the 32nm Sandy Bridge-E architecture and will pick up where the current i7-3960X left off, offering the same six cores with a dozen threads but with slightly higher clock speeds at 3.5GHz stock and 4.0GHz turbo.

Being an Extreme Edition processor it will also ship with an unlocked base-clock multiplier for easy overclocking. The rest of its feature set is consistent with the 3960X, including the LGA2011 package, 15MB shared L3 cache, and quad-channel DDR3 controller supporting up to 64 GB of DDR3-1600 MHz memory. The new chip will likely replace the current 3960X flagship at the $1,000 price point.

Intel launched LGA 2011 as a replacement for LGA 1366 for the performance segment in November 2011. There are currently three Sandy Bridge-E processors available for the platform: an entry-level quad-core Core i7-3820, a mainstream Core i7-3930K with six cores and the top-of-the-line Core i7 Extreme 3960X.

Although Intel’s Ivy Bridge architecture was launched earlier this year, enthusiast-level Ivy Bridge-E parts are not expected to arrive until sometime in the first half of 2013. At that point they’ll likely overlap with new Haswell desktop parts, just like 22nm Ivy Bridge and Sandy Bridge-E platforms coexist right now.

iPhone 5 rumored to have smaller connector, currently in production

According to Reuters' anonymous sources, the next iPhone to hit shelvesmay have a smaller cable interface with just 19 pins instead of the 30 found in traditional cables. The shrunken connector would be a significant change for the company as Apple has relied on its proprietary 30-pin design since 2003. This rumor falls in line with purported design leaks of the iPhone 5 and iPad mini earlier this month which illustrate the move to a smaller connector.

It's worth noting that while 30-pin dock connectors have been standard-issue since the third-gen iPod, some minor electrical changes have affected compatibility along the way. But the real reason for the redesign, according to Reuters, is due to Apple's relocation of the 3.5mm audio jack from the top to the bottom of the device. 

The existing dock connector design has been criticized for being bulky and overly complicated. With portable devices becoming thinner and smaller, the timing might be right to ditch it all together and start from scratch. Unfortunately, doing so will almost certainly break compatibility with nearly a decade of genuine and third-party peripherals -- including car stereos -- so the redesign does not come lightly. There is currently no information regarding backwards compatibility with the use of adapters or converters.

In addition to shrinking iPad and iPod connectors, Digitimes reports that industry sources in Taiwan claim that production of the iPhone 5 is already underway. The timing seems right for a timely fall launch. For reference, the iPhone 4S was available for pre-order on October 7, 2011.

With the addition of the dock connector shrink, the next iPhone is conjectured to feature a larger 4-inch display with a movie-friendly 16:9 aspect ratio (previous models are 3:2) and may mark the return of an aluminum back -- a design element not seen since the original iPhone.

Samsung may begin producing flexible AMOLED displays this quarter

According to The Verge, Korean news site DDaily says Samsung is set to begin manufacturing its long-rumored "Youm" displays -- a new type of ultra-thin AMOLED panel which is bendable, stretchable, rollable and possibly even foldable. This jibes with rumors we heard in 2011 that Samsung may have been planning to mass produce these very interesting displays in Q2 2012. 

Before anyone gets too excited though, Samsung is curiously expected to ship these flexible displays affixed to a rigid sheet of "protective" glass, initially. Clearly, this dampens some of the excitement surrounding the rumor. However, DDaily's sources claim Samsung has an internal goal of mass-producing fully flexible screens by 2014. 

This is purely speculation, but one reason for the delay may be a lack of devices which could properly house a flexible display. By manufacturing these screens now, Samsung gains experience mass producing them for traditional, rigid devices (phones, tablets and so on). When OEMs begin contemplating flexible gadgets though, Samsung will be ready to supply.

Although the upcoming Youm displays aren't expected to be flexible at first, what they will be is thin -- really thin. Even while married to a glass panel, the displays should measure 1mm in thickness. Without the glass layer, the screens boast a thickness of just 0.6mm. It is possible that this glass could be substituted with a material like Willow Glass or plastic in the future though, freeing the panel from its inflexible constraints.

For anyone surprised to learn of the existence of bendable displays, this sci-fi-sounding screen technology may have a peculiar odor of vaporware about it. In an effort to quash such disbelief though, I'll point out that Samsung has demonstrated this technology in the past. Ostensibly,other companies have been making progress on flexible displays too, including LG and HP, although we've yet to see one made commercially available.

New iPhone to be announced on August 7

The next iPhone could be unveiled as early as August 7 if a tip from Know Your Mobile is true. A trusted industry source told the publication that Apple will host a media event that day where Cupertino will introduce the next iteration of the iPhone as well as make iOS 6 publically available.

Most believed that Apple would follow a similar reveal and launch timetable to the iPhone 4S which hit the market last October but more recent rumors have suggested that this date could be moved up tocompete with Samsung’s new Galaxy S III handset. This reason seems plausible as Samsung is expected to sell nearly 10 million Galaxy S III smartphones by the end of this month and would also put Apple in line for back-to-school buying if they were able to launch at precisely the right time.

One thing that goes against this rumor is the fact that Apple has placed a “coming this fall” tagline on iOS 6. It’s very possible that the decision to move the new iPhone’s release came well after the announcement of iOS 6 at Apple’s WWDC last month.

Wired also points out that a late summer launch just feels a bit too early. Additionally, the September or October time frame better aligns Apple with the always lucrative holiday buying season. If the phone is made available in August, the competition could have something new out before the holidays that might sway buyers to their camp.

As always, we suggest taking rumors with a healthy dose of salt.

Samsung readying Windows RT tablet for October launch

Samsung is reportedly working on a tablet running Microsoft's next generation operating system ahead of its worldwide release in October. According to sources familiar with the matter cited in a report byBloomberg, the South Korean firm plans to release the ARM-based tablet running Windows RT at the same time as Microsoft releases its new OS to the public.

Both of the sources asked not to be named as the plans weren't public. One of them claimed Samsung's Windows RT tablet would be released in October.

Windows RT is a fine-tuned version of Windows 8 for touchscreen devices that will be powered by ARM-based processors. Samsung’s Windows RT tablet in particular will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC. ARM-based chips have risen massively in popularity in recent years and are now used to power a whole host of smartphones and tablets, including Apple's industry leading iPad tablet and iPhone smartphone.

Samsung's entry will provide a welcome boost to the Windows 8 tablets available at launch. Two weeks ago rumors emerged suggesting one of Microsoft's biggest OEMs, Hewlett Packard, was towithdraw from making ARM-based Windows RT tablets after the software giant unveiled its own Microsoft Surface tablet.

HP has since confirmed in a statement to Forbes it plans to focus on x86 Windows 8 tablets with business users in mind for the foreseeable future. That said, they didn't completely rule out ARM-based Windows RT tablets, saying it "continues to look at using ARM processors in business and consumer products".

If the latest rumors are true, Samsung would join Asus, Dell and Microsoft in building ARM-based tablets running Windows RT for launch in October. The launch will mark the first time ever that the Redmond software firm has released a cross platform operating system working on traditional x86 computers and notebooks as well as ARM-based tablets at the same time.

Rumor: New iMac in October with "Retina" display

Will the next generation iMac hit shelves in October? Even more intriguingly, will it sport a Retina display? This is what Digitimes, purveyor of rumors peddled by global supply chain factories, is suggesting. Digitimes' sources -- mostly Chinese companies involved in Apple's upstream supply chain -- are claiming they will begin production of the company's next iMac offering this month, making an October-ish launch seem most likely.

More interesting than just news of an upcoming iMac though, are claims that a Retina screen could find its way to some of these iMacs.

"Retina" is the label used by Apple to identify its ultra high-resolution screens sporting at least double the pixels per inch of standard panel offerings -- a pixel density where human eyes have difficulty discerning individual pixels. Currently, the iPhone 4, 4S, iPad (third generation) and Macbook Pro with Retina Display are the only products offered by Apple which house such screens.

There have been many rumors of high pixel density displays from others companies too, including Acer and Asus, but we've yet to see those rumors materialize. One reason for this may be the prohibitively high cost of displays with enormous pixel densities. 

iSuppli, an industry analyst who performs product teardowns in order to determine their total BOM (bill of materials) cost, has said Apple spends around $68 per LCD panel on its Macbooks -- the non-Retina kind, that is. A senior analyst from NPD DisplaySearch believes Apple is spending about a $100 more per unit for Retina-quality panels. That's a substantial bump in price for PC makers who often operate on thin margins but remains hardly an issue for Apple consumers expect a price premium.

With Apple taking the plunge on high PPI panels, it is likely we'll see prices on these screens tumble as other companies follow suit.

Gaikai reportedly wants to sell streaming game business for $500+ million

Cloud-based gaming company Gaikai is reportedly up for sale. The firm has already hired bankers to shop a deal that is expected to bring in over $500 million, according to sources as reported by Fortune.

If you aren’t familiar, Gaikai is a streaming video game company that is very similar in function to OnLive. The service hosts games on powerful remote servers, allowing the end user to play titles on a device that would otherwise not be powerful enough to run the game. Platforms that would benefit from a system like this include low-end notebooks or desktops, tablets and even smart TVs.

Gaikai launched in February 2011, generating nearly $45 million in venture capital in just over a year’s time and secured another $40 million from HTC. Investors include Benchmark Capital, Rustic Canyon Partners, Intel Capital, New Enterprise Associates and Qualcomm Ventures. The company has been successful in working with partners like Electronics Arts, Facebook, YouTube and Walmart. Television makers LG and Samsunghave both signed deals with Gaikai to bring the service to their smart TVs.

It’s too early to know who might acquire Gaikai but the publication thinks that it could be useful to gaming companies like Nintendo, Microsoft or Sony. Other ideas could include cable / broadband providers such as AT&T or Comcast or maybe even a large game publisher.

The Verge reached out to Gaikai for comment but came up empty-handed, as the company said they didn’t comment on what they characterized as rumors.

LG set to show Intel smartphone at CES 2012

The annual Consumer Electronics Show is fast approaching, and in true form, rumors and information are starting to appear. The latest news of interest comes from LG and Intel, who look set to show off a new Intel powered smartphone at this year's CES held January 10th-13th at the Las Vegas Convention Center, according to sources speaking to the Korea Times.

The phone will likely feature Intel's new Medfield chipset coupled with Android's mobile OS, and could hit store shelves as early as March according to Intel Korea's chief Lee Hee-Sung. "Intel’s chief executive Paul Otellini will release Intel’s first Android smartphone using our own platform at the CES," he commented.

"LG Electronics will produce Intel’s first Android smartphones that use Intel’s own mobile platform. The device will be shown at the CES," a top ranking LG official also told the newspaper.

At CES 2010, both manufacturers showed off a jointly developed phone prototype. Ultimately, the smartphone (video above) never made it to store shelves but the Intel dual core Atom based Moorestown chipset displayed impressive performance when demonstrated at the show.

Reports are conflicting though, with an LG executive speaking on the condition of anonymity saying he doubts the phone will be released, adding that in his personal opinion "it is somewhat possible that LG might push the reference of Intel mobiles but that this will include huge subsidies on the part of Intel for promotional purposes."

Requests for more information via official channels have resulted in both firms declining to confirm any information unfortunately, so we will have to wait until CES to see if the phone makes it to the show floor.

Apple to release iPad 3 in March, iPad 4 following in October

Apple could be preparing to release two new iPads this year. The iPad 3 may be unveiled in March and a secondary tablet, dubbed the iPad 4, could arrive in October, according to Taiwan component makers via DigiTimes.

Update: In addition to the information divulged earlier by DigiTimes, 9to5mac has found references about quad-core processing in iOS 5.1 which is currently in beta. This upcoming OS update from Apple is supposed to be paired with a next-generation iPad 3 and potentially the iPhone 5.

The iPad 3 is expected to ship with a QXGA (2084 x 1536 pixels) display and improved battery life but other than these two enhancements, we are told not to expect much more from the tablet. Previous rumors had pointed to two iPad 3 models, a mid-range and high-end product, being unveiled at iWorld on January 26.

The latest speculation indicates that the iPad 2 will receive a price cut to $399 with the introduction of the iPad 3. The lower price would allow Apple to compete with other vendors such as Sony, Motorola and Samsung that offer tablets at a lower price point.

Sources expect the real battle for market share to take place in the second half of 2012 when Apple ships their iPad 4. This would be around the same time that Microsoft releases Windows 8 and Intel introduces its Clover Trail-W platform. These sources suggest that the iPad 4 would feature the same 9.7-inch display as the iPad 3 but would include upgraded hardware specifications and new applications. This could perhaps include the Samsung-manufactured quad-core A6 processor that has been rumored to be the successor to the dual-core A5 SoC.

DigiTimes has a mixed track record, especially when it comes to Apple rumors. As such, we suggest you take this latest dose with a grain of salt.

Apple to announce two new iPad models in January

Apple could release two new iPad models in less than a month. The new devices are rumored to make their debut at iWorld (formerly Macworld Expo) which is scheduled for January 26, 2012. The timing is particularly interesting as Apple hasn’t attended this event since 2009.

Citing sources at supply chain partners, DigiTimes reports that the two new models will join the existing iPad 2 to target entry-level, mid-range and high-end market segments. The current iPad 2 is said to compete directly with Amazon’s Kindle Fire, meaning it would represent the low-end market. This is a bit hard to believe as Apple would have to lower the price of their tablet by a significant amount. Amazon has priced the Kindle Fire at $199 while the iPad starts at $499.

Both new models will feature a 9.7-inch screen but will include a resolution upgrade to 2,048 x 1,536. Dual LED light bars are being used to supply enough brightness to the new screens. Sharp will handle the majority of display orders but Samsung and LG Display will also supply some parts.

A Samsung-manufactured quad-core A6 processor will power the next generation iPads, according to the sources. Samsung has also been tapped to supply the CMOS image sensor for one of the new tablets with a 5MP camera. Sony will manufacture the other sensor with an 8MP lens.

Two manufacturers, Simplo Technology and Dynapack Internation Technology are supplying batteries with a capacity up to 14,000mAh. This is more than double the capacity of the current iPad 2.

Rumor: Microsoft to buy Nokia smartphone division in 2012

Microsoft may be poised to purchase Nokia’s smartphone division by the middle of 2012. Analysts at Danske Bank sparked speculation in a report in which they said a deal with Microsoft “makes sense”, according to Bloomberg.

A deal with Redmond has been rumored ever since Nokia named Microsoft executive Stephen Elop as their CEO in September 2010. Nokia shipped their first smartphones running Windows Phone operating system this quarter. The Lumia 800 and 710 were introduced in late October and have been billed by many as the best Windows Phones yet.

Such a merger could be good for both businesses as Microsoft competes with Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating systems for market share.

Nokia stock rose as much as 3.2 percent based on the report. Danske Bank has even changed their recommendation on Nokia from “hold” to “buy”. Company stock has declined significantly in the past year, losing roughly 50 percent of its value since January. Nokia is currently valued around $19.1 billion.

A deal with Nokia wouldn’t be the first high profile acquisition in recent memory. In August, Google agreed to purchase Motorola’s mobile unit for $12.5 billion. The deal is still pending customary regulatory approvals but if passed, it would mark Google’s largest-ever acquisition.

A spokesman for Nokia, Doug Dawson, denied the report in an email statement to Bloomberg, saying the company put these rumors to rest a long time ago.

Rumor: iPad 3 will launch in 3-4 months, suppliers claim

Apple's Asian part suppliers believe the secretive company is gearing up to releases its latest iPad in a mere three to four months. According to Digitimes' sources, iPad 2 production is beginning to ramp down while parts for a new tablet have begun to make their way through the supply chain.

This release date conveniently coincides with the spring precedent already set by two previous iPad launches. Although Digitimes frequently hits the proverbial nail on its head, they miss it just about as much. In other words, the information is likely solid but you probably should not plan your wedding day around the iPad 3 launch.

Also, according to Apple's supply chain partners, production of the new iPad is expected to weigh in at just under 10 million units during Q1 of next year. That is a substantial number, most likely due an expectation that original iPad owners will upgrade to Apple's latest tablet offering. Conversely, iPad 2 production is expected to drop to 4-5 million for Q1 of 2012, the implication being that sales will be cannibalized by the iPad 3.

Sales reports for the first three quarters of 2011 show iPad sales have already topped 25 million units. That number is expected to increase about 60% before the end of Q4, totaling an impressive 40 million Apple tablets sold this year alone.

The latest iPad is thought to finally include a "Retina" display with a pixel density similar to recent iPhones. That means the iPad 3 may sport a 9.7 inch display running at a drool-worthy 2048x1536 resolution. There is little else known about the device thus far, but you can bet TechSpot will keep you apprised.

Rumor: 2.5GHz quad core powered HTC Zeta breaks cover

Details have begun to emerge of what could be an upcoming handset from HTC, named the Zeta. The imagery and specifications were leaked to Engadget, which reported on it yesterday. It is still unclear whether the details of the smartphone are a design concept or if this will be HTC's next flagship model.

The phone measures 4.32 x 2.4 x 0.39 inches (109.8 x 60.9 x 9.8mm), weighing 5.15 ounces (146g) and is a real departure from previous more rounded designs from the Taiwanese-based manufacturer. It features a squarer look with a curved rear cover that appears to thin towards the top and bottom. The front is dominated by what is believed to be a 4.5-inch 1280x720-pixel HD display, with four capacitive buttons across the bottom.

Moving on to the hardware, the handset is said to pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 2.5GHz quad-core APQ8064 processor, a full gig of RAM, 32GB of on-board storage, Bluetooth 4.0, and a 1,830mAh battery. The rear cover features an 8MP camera paired with what looks like dual LED flash, while a 1.3MP camera sits on the front.

The device would run Android's Ice Cream Sandwich reselease with HTC's Sense UI layered on top, most likely version 4.0. Interestingly, it appears that the firm has decided not to part with the capacitive buttons on upcoming releases despite ICS not requiring them. It will also be Beats Audio compatible like the HTC Edge.

With double the clock speed of the soon to be announced Samsung Nexus handset, it certainly makes for an interesting comparison. Samsung's current flagship model, the Galaxy S2 for example features a considerably less powerful 1.2GHz dual core processor.

HTC also recently announced plans to offer customers purchasing new handsets 5GB of free storage with the popular cloud-storage platform, Dropbox. New handsets will come with the Dropbox app pre-loaded, ready for immediate use once signed up.