Skip to main content

DT Daily: Apple relocates WWDC 2017, expect to see iOS 11

The dates for Apple’s 2017 Worldwide developers conference are now official. It will be June 5th through 9th, and the conference will have a new home at the McEnry convention center in San Jose. A location that’s much closer to Apple’s home in Cupertino. This is the conference where Apple shows off the latest versions of its iOS and MacOS operating systems… and it should be a big year for iOS.

This year is the 10th anniversary of the iPhone so we’re expecting some major upgrades to the device. And along with that we should see equally impressive changes to iOS. Obviously we’re eager to see iOS11 because it’s also a chance to see just a few hints at the features coming to Apple’s newest iPhones.

Back in December, Elon Musk got fed up sitting in traffic and tweeted out, he was going to build a tunneling machine and just start digging. OK 2 things here… first, why was he sitting in traffic? Can’t he take a helicopter or jetpack everywhere? And second, a tunneling machine???

Well, the Billionaire who’s recently becoming known for saying some pretty unbelievable stuff, is actually doing this. He’s dug a 50 foot deep hole in the parking lot at the Space X offices in LA, and he acquired a 400 foot long boring machine. He believes we can tunnel our way to a transportation utopia, and he’s comparing the innovation needed in tunneling to the aerospace industry. Musk sat down with Bloomberg to outline where he’s going with his aptly named ‘Boring Company’ and just like most of what he gets into, it’s fascinating.

Back in 2010, Google fiber promised a future of fiber optic cables running directly into houses across the country, along with insanely fast internet speeds. Fast forward to today where Alphabet’s Access division, they currently oversee Fiber, is pulling hundreds of employees off the project and apparently moving in a different direction. Access also has a new CEO, plus it purchased a company called Webpass that beams broadband wirelessly. When you do the math it paints a bleak future for Google Fiber as we knew it. The restructuring won’t affect operations where Fiber is available, and plans to expand to a few more cities are still in the works. But with a decidedly wireless future for Fiber in the works, will Google just become another competitor to Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile?

Editors' Recommendations

Greg Nibler
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Greg has worked as a Host, Producer, and Writer in radio and television since the early 2000s, working for such companies as…
Apple Sports app looks to rule live scores and stats on iOS
The Apple Sports app on an iPhone.

As if what it's done with MLS Season Pass wasn't proof enough that Apple is serious about sports, today we have another example. Enter Apple Sports, a new app for iPhone that aims to be the only app you'll need for live sports scores, real-time stats, and more.

Apple Sports is available today in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. Inside it you'll find the likes of MLS, NBA, college basketball, Premier League, Bundesliga, LaLiga, Liga MX, Ligue 1, and Serie A — and that's just for starters. We're still in the offseason for sports like Major League Baseball, the NFL and college football, and the National Women's Soccer League and WNBA, but you'll see them all in Apple Sports once games begin.

Read more
iPhone Flip: what we know about Apple’s first foldable phone
Folding iPhone concept from iOS Beta News.

In the past few years, Samsung has become one of the leading manufacturers of foldable devices, including the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5. Though it's not the only brand making foldable devices, it offers the most mainstream and available options, especially in the U.S. That leads to the question of whether Apple will follow suit with a foldable iPhone — or even an iPad.

There have been long-standing rumors that Apple could be working on such a device, including a foldable iPhone, which we'll call "iPhone Flip" for now. Apple's a secretive company, so there may very well be at least some research and development taking place on such a device. But, of course, this continues to just be all speculation for now. From the latest news, rumors, and reports, here's everything we know so far about Apple's folding iPhone.
iPhone Flip: design and display

Read more
Apple’s mythical folding iPhone might soon become a reality
Foldable iPhone in hand.

It looks like Apple is finally shifting its foldable iPhone project into the next gear. “Apple is building prototypes of at least two iPhones that fold widthwise like a clamshell,” according to a report by The Information that cites an unnamed internal source.
But before you get your hopes up, do keep in mind that a clamshell-style foldable iPhone won’t arrive until 2025 based on the earliest estimates. Meanwhile, three other insiders confided to the publication that there's a bit of a snag when it comes to the price tag and allure for potential buyers.
Apparently, a foldable iPhone would come with a heftier cost, and, in a plot twist, Apple is still scratching its head as it tries to figure out what magical features could possibly convince consumers to open their wallets for this expensive novelty.
iPhone 折叠全球首发!「科技美学」iPhoneV first iPhone foldable iPhone fold iPhone flip iPhone folding@KJMX
Maybe a foldable iPhone with two distinct halves on the screen will finally convince Apple to allow split-screen multitasking. But this is a project still in development, which means it could meet the same fate as the never-released AirPower charging mat. The insider source also hinted that Apple might just scrap the whole endeavor if it fails to live up to its sky-high quality standards.
The report suggests that Apple's industrial design squad aimed for the stars, envisioning a device so slim that it makes the current iPhone look almost chunky by comparison. They dreamt of a gadget that, even when folded, wouldn't feel like carrying a brick. They reportedly toyed with the idea of outward-facing screens for easy peeks without the hassle of opening the device.
Yet, the mundane reality of pesky components like batteries and screens has somewhat clipped the wings of these grand designs. On the positive side, Apple has reportedly approached at least one supply chain partner to source components for the foldable iPhone project.

Apple is apparently on a quest to conquer the infamous folding-screen crease, aspiring to a seamless display that doesn’t pucker up after a bit of bending. Apple is after that perfect, flat surface where users can scribble away with an Apple Pencil without navigating a mini valley in the middle of the screen.
Achieving that crease-free foldable screen nirvana won’t be an easy task. It took Samsung a few product generations before it could find a balance between durability and flexibility for the inner foldable panel thanks to its ultrathin glass (UTG) tech. Instead of plastic, this solution sides with a very thin layer of flexible glass and can now be found inside devices such as the Galaxy Z Flip 5.
In 2021, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that the foldable iPhone could have a roughly 8-inch screen, but that doesn’t seem to be particularly palm-friendly for a clamshell-style foldable. Kuo also had predicted that a foldable could arrive by 2023, but that didn’t happen, of course.

Read more