Consumers and professionals alike are wondering about the latest rumors surrounding new technologies from both Apple® and Microsoft®. At Parallels, we are consistently curious about the decisions and technical aspects of the iPhone®, iPod®, iPad®, and Mac® platforms. We make every effort to stay informed and always prioritize fact over fiction.

In that spirit, I’ll outline three interesting rumors surrounding Apple’s latest innovations, in an effort to distinguish fact from fiction:

iOS Device Docked into MacBook

Paying close attention to patents provides valuable insights on whether rumors are fact or fiction. Above, you’ll see a visual concept of this patent application from Apple, Inc. This could further extend iOS device capabilities such as data transfer, AR gaming, and even use as a touchpad with the latest iOS installation of Force Touch. It seems like Apple hasn’t lost its innovative edge with this potentially factual rumor.

iPhone 8

 Curved iPhone screen: Samsung and Apple have agreed on a two-year contact with Samsung Display to supply iPhone OLED panels that are curved. The above image of a Samsung phone is very similar to what we will be seeing with the iPhone 8. With this agreement, both Apple and Samsung are completely saturating the OLED supply, which effectively pushes out other manufacturers from having curved displays (from Samsung.) The new iPhone 8 will be super slick.

Additionally, the iPhone release date has been delayed due to a desire to find a similar fingerprint solution to the existing Touch ID® supply issues. The overall design of the iPhone 8 still remains a mystery. However – a popular graphic designer, Benjamin Geskin, created a beautiful render of what the iPhone 8 could look like. The demand is high…will Apple deliver?

iMac Pro: Power Boosted by Users

Apple recently announced upgrades to the Mac Pro® “trashcan” and plans to provide new displays after this year. This announcement comes after Apple CEO Tim Cook mentioned in a 2016 internal memo that Apple had “desktops in [its]roadmap.” Quoted from 9to5Mac: “The company research shows that a full 30% of Mac owners use at least one “Pro” app—those used for things like music creation, video editing, graphic design, and software development—half of these more than once per week. This 30% is what Apple considers its pro market.” Does this mean the new iMac® will target power users? What does that mean for current Mac Pro users? This type of transparency is what Apple should practice more of so Apple loyalists are not wading through rumor muck. Apple has already confirmed it’s working on the new iMac models for release in late 2017, and these are to include a “server-grade” model toward the tail end of 2017.

Coincidentally, all this rumor commotion led Apple enthusiasts to connect the downfall of a third-party Apple display and the promise of an updated desktop model to theorize about the potential for an iMac Pro. Interested in this hype? There have been some incredible concepts designed by Curved/labs in Germany. Hopefully, Apple will include more screws and less glue in design, so users have the ability to upgrade their own devices as in hardware past.

Since the inception of Parallels Desktop® for Mac in 2006, we have stayed up to date with the latest releases from tech leaders such as Apple and Microsoft to consistently provide a premium product for our customers to enjoy. We look forward to supporting both Apple and Microsoft in their latest innovations! Let us know what you’re looking forward to in the comments below or tweet at us @ParallelsMac

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