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We are with you: Tim Cook posts message of support on Chinese social media

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Tim WWDC
Tim Cook has a message of support to people in China during coronavirus outbreak.
Photo: Apple

Tim Cook has posted on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo, saying that Apple is happy to “welcome back employees and customers” to its Apple Stores as they continue to reopen across China.

Cook also reiterated that Apple has doubled its donation to battle the coronavirus outbreak. The virus has so far resulted in the deaths of at least 2,126 people. The vast majority of these have been in mainland China.

Huawei CEO spotted with an iPad at the airport

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Huawei CEO spotted with an iPad at the airport
Ren Zhengfei is a big fan of Apple.
Photo: Weibo

Huawei may be waging war on Apple in terms of sales, but it’s pretty clear whose devices Huawei’s CEO prefers. Spoiler: It’s seemingly not Huawei’s.

An image on Chinese social media shows Huawei CEO in an airport security line. The issue? That an airport security officer is busy inspecting his iPad. This isn’t the first time he’s shown a preference for Apple devices, either.

Leaked iPhone 11 mold reveals Apple’s triple-lens camera

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Big changes coming to the iPhone 11 might not be on the front.
Big changes coming to the iPhone 11 might not be on the front. Turn it over though...
Photo: 喵王-搞机/Weibo

Information coming out of Apple’s Asian supply chain has been compiled into what could be a very early look at the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Max.

From the front, these look quite a bit like the 2018 models, but the back includes some very significant differences.

Tim Cook pays a visit to Shanghai

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iPhone sales are finally rebounding in China
Tim Cook is visiting China at a time when there are lots of questions in the air.
Photo: Tim Cook/Weibo

Tim Cook is in China, visiting Shanghai to promote Apple Watch, pay a trip to one of one of the local Apple Stores, and meet with developers and Apple users.

Cook marked the trip by posting on his official Weibo account, the microblogging account that acts as China’s version of Twitter. While he is upbeat about meeting with Chinese fans, however, the visit comes at a tough time — with a burgeoning trade war with the U.S. and questionable claims about Chinese spy chips allegedly used by Apple.

‘Leaked’ video shows alleged iPhone 8 with rear Touch ID

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Touch ID
But don't worry — Face ID isn't going anywhere.
Photo: Apple

The debate over whether the iPhone 8 will come with Touch ID has just been reignited thanks to a new video that allegedly shows off some of the devices new features.

A video of an alleged iPhone with Touch ID in the back surfaced on the Chinese microblogging site Weibo today. Although details in the video are hard to make out, it appears to show someone testing the Touch ID sensor during the Q&A process.

Take a look:

New iPhone 8 image casts more doubt over Touch ID’s future

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Touch ID
'Leaked' iPhone 8 image shows no rear Touch ID
Photo: Weibo

An image which has shown up on the Chinese microblogging service Weibo depicts what is claimed to be an authentic backplate for the iPhone 8 — complete with missing rear-mounted Touch ID sensor.

Earlier this year, reports circulated that Apple was considering moving the Touch ID sensor to the rear of its next-gen iPhone, much as Android device makers have been doing. Provided that this image is authentic, it suggests that this is not the case.

Leaked iPhone 8 schematic reveals dual-lens front camera and more

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iphone
We hope the next iPhone is this beautiful.
Photo: AlHasan Husni

Another alleged iPhone 8 schematic has leaked out of China, providing new details about Apple’s upcoming handset — including the tech behind its wireless charging capability.

The supposed iPhone 8 drawing surfaced on Weibo today. Unlike the last two schematics that leaked, this one includes detailed labeling of each part, revealing a dual-lens camera in the front and wireless charging in the back.

Famous jailbreaker says WikiLeaks CIA dump is overhyped

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The CIA has been hoarding zero day exploits.
The CIA has been hoarding zero day exploits.
Photo: US Gov.

WikiLeak’s trove of CIA cyber documents is being hyped as one of the biggest leaks since Edward Snowden blew the whistle on the NSA. But according to one of the world’s top jailbreakers, you shouldn’t believe the hype.

Cyber security expert Will Strafach, who gained notoriety under the name Chronic for finding zero-day exploits used for jailbreaking, says iOS users don’t need to be worried.

Everything you need to know about WikiLeaks’ CIA document dump

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The CIA has a team of more than 5,000 hackers.
The CIA has a team of more than 5,000 hackers.
Photo: Brian Klug/Flickr CC

The entire hacking arsenal of the CIA has been dumped online and the entire internet is freaking out.

WikiLeaks dropped a data bomb Tuesday with its massive document dump, which it claims is one of the biggest in history. Secrets on how the CIA hacked devices made by Apple, Google, Samsung and Microsoft are now available for all to see. But should you start freaking out just yet?

Cult of Mac talked to a number of iOS security experts to make sense of all the new info. While it’s tempting to panic, there’s a lot more you need to know first.

Leaked iPhone 7 rear casing caught on video

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A black iPhone 7 would be killer.
A black iPhone 7 would be killer.
Photo: Martin Hajek/Flickr

The first video of the allegedly headphone-jack-free iPhone 7 has finally found its way into the Apple rumor mill.

A video of two alleged iPhone 7 rear shells was posted on Chinese social networking site Weibo today, showcasing the simplified design Apple supposedly plans to unveil in September. The controversial decision to kill the headphone jack would free up room for a second speaker and hopefully a larger battery.

Check out the video:

iPhone 7 might get battery boost, new leak suggests

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The next iPhone will have a huge battery.
The next iPhone will have a huge battery.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Leaked images from Apple’s supply chain in Asia have allegedly revealed the upcoming iPhone 7’s battery, and it looks like it will be slightly bigger than the one found in the iPhone 6s.

Photos of the batteries where published this morning on the Chinese micro-blogging site Weibo showing that the iPhone 7 will be upgraded to a 7.04Wh battery — a bump up from the iPhone 6s’ 6.61Wh battery — that will hopefully bring a few more hours a usage time to the new device.

China goes wild during Tim Cook’s week-long Apple Store tour

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Tim Cook and Apple might be moving into San Francisco.
Tim Cook and Apple might be moving into San Francisco.
Photo: Apple

Tim Cook just finished a week-long tour of China, complete with stops at new Apple Stores across the country, as well as a visit to the elementary school at Communication University of China, and a meeting with China’s Vice Premier.

Cook created a Weibo account earlier this week to announce Apple’s new green initiatives in China, but the Apple CEO didn’t stop there. Rather than posting to Twitter, Cook stayed active on the Chinese microblogging all week, posting his interactions with customers and colleagues. In just five days, Tim has amassed over half a million Weibo followers (he’s got 1.3 million on Twitter) by keeping Chinese fans updated with seven posts during the trip.

Take a look at Tim’s awesome Weibo travelogue:

Stolen iPhone leads blogger to China, stardom and unlikely bromance

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Brother Orange is huge in China. Photo: Matt Stopera/Buzzfeed
Brother Orange is huge in China. Photo: Matt Stopera/Buzzfeed

Matt Stopera had his iPhone stolen last February from his favorite bar in New York City. Like most of us, he was upset, but not overly so. Matt got a new phone and went about his life.

A year later, odd pictures of a Chinese man standing in front of an orange tree started appearing on his new iPhone, via iCloud.

Unlike most of us, Matt is a blogger on Buzzfeed. He wrote up a quick post on the site about the photos appearing on his iOS device, and got some attention for it. What happened next is nothing short of amazing.

You’ll be able to get your hands on iPhone 6 ‘between 16-19 September’

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Apple Loyalty
This happy chap could be you roughly 24 days from now.
Photo: Cult of Mac

September 9 seems all but officially confirmed as the date when Apple will unveil its eagerly-anticipated iPhone 6, but when can users expect to get their hands on Apple’s next generation handset?

According to a new report coming out of China — from PCinLife, the country’s top IT portal — Apple’s new flagship phone will be available in stores between the 16th and 19th of September. This tallies with another earlier rumor from May, in which a German retailer stated that the iPhone 6 would hit the market on September 19: suggesting that this date may be the global date.

iPhone 6 backlight panel gets leaked on Weibo

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weiboiPhonedisplay

A set of images of the iPhone 6’s alleged backlight panel have been leaked on the Chinese site Weibo this morning. User “顾Gooey” who posted the pictures claims they’re fit for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 that Apple is rumored to release later this year.

We can’t verify the legitimacy of the photos, but the part does appear to be produced similar to the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s. However, Nowhereelse.fr notes that the connector has been moved slightly from the iPhone 5c backlight, and the pins are slightly different, signaling some possible changes from Cupertino.

Here’s another shot of the display from the back:

China Mobile Stores Putting iPhone Posters Up Early As Company Teases 4G Launch

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China-mobile-iPhone-posters-retail

Apple is yet to confirm its iPhone deal with China Mobile — the one we’ve been waiting for since the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c were unveiled back in September — but that hasn’t stopped some stores from putting their iPhone posters up early. According to the company’s new 4G teasers, the devices could finally go on sale between November 9 and November 11.