Kindly Share 11 Apple Rumors Ahead of Next Weeks iPhone Event

With just a few days until Apples big event, were at the height of rumor season. Will there be a budget version of the iPhone announced? Most likely. Could the next-generation iPhone come with a fingerprint scanner? Eh, maybe. 

We wont know what Tuesday will bring for sure, but in the meantime, heres a look at the biggest rumors making the rounds online:

Rumor 1: The Name

Rumor: The next-generation iPhone will be called the 5S.

Plausibility: If anything is a shoe-in, its that the next-generation iPhone will debut. Weve seen many pictures and videos of the model hit the web, and assuming those are authentic, we already know a good chunk of what to expect. The name itself, though, is still up in the air (it could be called the iPhone 6). Then again, packaging for Apples rumored budget iPhone 5C has been spotted, so were expecting it to stay in the 5 family for now. 

Source: Everyone. Basically.

Rumor 2: Larger Display

Rumor: The iPhones 4.8-inch display will grow to 6 inches.

Plausibility: This would make the device noticeably larger, but its unlikely a 6-inch display would be unveiled at the event. Leaked photos show that the rumored iPhone 5S exterior looks the same as its predecessor. They also show that the speakers, Lightning port and headphone jack are all in the same place.

Source: ZDNet

Rumor 3: Faster Processor

Rumor: The new iPhones processor will be more powerful than its predecessor. 

Plausibility: Major changes to the iPhone will likely happen under its hood. Apple is rumored to be ramping up the devices A6X processor, while slimming down its form factor. There are reports that the new iPhone will have an A7 chip that runs 31% faster than the chip in the iPhone 5. This seems likely, especially since the devices launchboard has been seen moved slightly to the right, which would leave room for an enhanced battery. Whats more, the cutout shape for the dual LED flash looks different in leaked models, which hints at big improvements coming to the camera.

Source: Fox News reporter Clayton Morris

Rumor 4: Gold and Graphite Casing

Rumor: The new iPhone will be available in a gold-champagne color. "Graphite" will be another color option.

Plausibility: Very likely. This would be the first true color in the iPhone lineup since previous models were only offered in black and white. 

Sources: weekly.ascii.jp, 

Rumor 5: Fingerprint Scanner

Rumor: The iPhone 5S will include a fingerprint scanner.

Plausibility: This is one of the wackier rumors floating around. Leaked photos show internal components with a cushion near the home button for what could be a scanner. Its noteworthy, however, that Apple patented fingerprint-detection technology last year, and words related to the technology has surfaced in beta code for iOS 7. So perhaps this isnt as out-there as youd think.

Sources: Nowhereelse.fr

Rumor 6: The Budget iPhone

Rumor: Apple will launch a low-cost iPhone 5C smartphone alongside the 5S.

Plausibility: Tons of pictures have already leaked for the iPhone 5C. If the smartphones rumored budget version debuts on Tuesday with the 5S, it would be the first time Apple has unveiled two separate iPhone devices at once. The low-cost iPhone could help reposition Apple in the smartphone market, as Samsung continues to lead the way with Googles Android mobile operating system. 

Many believe the "C" in iPhone 5C is a nod to China, especially since Apple is holding another event in the worlds most populous country on Tuesday, just hours after the one at its Cupertino, Calif. headquarters. Naturally, the cheaper device would be targeted at Chinas mobile market. The iPhone 5C will reportedly have a plastic backing, which would make it a lot cheaper to manufacture.

Source: iApps.im

Rumor 7: China Mobile Partnership

Rumor: Apple will be shipping its lower-cost iPhone to China Mobile, the worlds largest carrier, with more than 700 million subscribers. 

Plausibility: Apple has reportedly been in talks with China Mobile for years, with previous reports suggesting that a deal was delayed due to compatibility issues and China Mobiles demands for a better deal than Apple offers other carrier partners. Apple CEO Tim Cook has said China will become Apples largest market, so the move would make strategic sense.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Rumor 8: Colors

Rumor: The iPhone 5C will come in many different colors.

Plausibility: Press invitations that Apple sent out earlier this week include the tagline, "This should brighten your day," along with colorful dots splashed behind the companys logo. The invites allude to rumors that the iPhone 5C will come in various colors (weve seen leaked images that show the casing in blue, green, yellow, pink and white).

Source: MacRumors

Rumor 9: Apple TV Update

Rumor: Apple TV will get a refresh on Tuesday. A new product related to Apple TV may also launch.

Plausibility: This is a tossup. According to a blog post from trade intelligence platform Panjiva, bills that surfaced indicate a "set top box with communication function" shipped from Apples Chinese supplier. The bills were for three separate shipments, dated Aug. 11, Aug. 18 and Aug. 25. An Apple TV update will likely be on the horizon, but its unclear whether it will take place next week.

Sources: PanjivaGigaom

Rumor 10: Ships With iOS 7

Rumors: The new smartphones will come with Apples latest iOS 7 mobile operating system software.

Plausibility: iOS 7, which is currently in beta, will almost certainly ship on the companys new products.

Source: Everyone.

Rumor 11: No iPads

Rumor: The iPad and iPad mini wont be getting a refresh at the event.

Plausibility: If youve been waiting for a next-generation iPad or iPad mini, dont place your bets on next week. The tablets are expected to get their own event, possibly in October.

Sources: IBITimes, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo

What other Apple rumors are you seeing pop up online? Which do you hope are true? Tell us in the comments, below.

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New world Students Share Lessons Uncommon Internship

Its the end of summer and many students are coming out of a brief dip into the professional world  working alongside adults and performing entry level tasks, only to return back to classes in the fall. Some are paid, some are not  some provide both learning opportunities and a chance to build ones network, others less so. Across the board, most students will say that an internship is a better investment of time than sitting at home, or working a regular summer job. 

But some students have found summer experiences that are, arguably, better for their careers — especially those students interested in entrepreneurship, not joining corporate life.

I asked seven students who participated in Lightspeed Venture Partners summer fellowship — a program that behaves like a startup accelerator without taking equity from the teams — how the experience compared to a summer internship, and what knowledge theyll be taking back to school.

Would you consider a non-traditional summer program? Tell us in the comments.

Q&A With Lightspeed Venture Partners Summer Fellows

How did you hear about the program?

I read Y Combinators Hacker News quite a bit. One day when I was browsing, I came across this. We decided to apply and the rest is history. - William Zhou, Planboard

Several of our friends have gone through the Lightspeed program and we heard only good things. - Feross Aboukhadijeh, peerCDN

Through the Stanford Bitcoin Group, a small collection of 8 students with a common interest in Bitcoin. - Matthew Rials, TryBTC

Are you ever too young to start a company?

I think so. At Stanford, various friends were poised to drop out or take time off of school to start a venture. I cant help but think that these folks may have missed out on some of the wonders of American college life. - Giancarlo Daniele, Drive Pulse

Youre never too young to start a company. I started my first company when I was in Grade 10 in high school. My former Co-Founder, David Kim, and I started a web design firm. Slowly, our client base grew, but we were tired of all of their rules. We decided to scratch our own itch. We ended up launching Draftboard for the designer community [2] in Grade 12. That just shows you how young we were in our ventures. - William Zhou, Planboard

Will you continue with your project after the summer is over?

We certainly plan to carry on our project as we transition back to Stanford, once summer has ended. We are very passionate about the notion of spreading Bitcoin to the world and easing the average users transition into the new currency, and we will continue to work on TryBTC for as long as that takes. We have already raised enough money to keep things running through school, and our investment terms allow for us to remain enrolled in classes. - Matthew Rials, TryBTC

Absolutely. During this summer we’ve had amazing traction with Contastic – our mobile CRM product. The team has grown from 1 person (just me) to six during the 10 weeks. Together, we’ve been able to build a complete product and land pilots at several fortune 500 companies. With the support of Lightspeed and our early customers we’ve been able to develop a truly unique product that will improve the lives of salespeople worldwide. - Cy Khormaee, Contastic

Why did you choose this program over a regular internship?

There are few more rewarding ways to spend working hours than to directly think up and build products and wait to see how people use them. You cant usually do this at a traditional internship. - Giancarlo Daniele, Drive Pulse

Theres nothing in the world like working for yourself — no pointy haired boss, no managers — just complete control over how you spend your time and what you make of your life. Starting a company is a high-stress, high-risk decision, but its also high in learning, impact, and fun. We dont wish that we were doing anything else. - Feross Aboukhadijeh, peerCDN

What did you learn over the course of the summer?

While its true that I became a better programmer, the majority of what I learned this summer would fall into the "professional development" category. There are an astonishing number of soft skills that are absolutely crucial to managing a company, and the people that work for it. 

For instance, taking a product from prototype to production involves managing relationships with hardware designers and manufacturers, electronics designers and manufacturers, packaging designers, retailers, your own internal sales team, your product development team of engineers, your lawyers, your investors, and co-founders. If for example, you didnt know what to look for in a designer when you interviewed your first, you certainly get a better sense by the time you speak to the tenth. Lastly, the most empowering takeaway from the summer is the following: 

I validated that being an entrepreneur is what I was born to do. Whether in this venture or another I have equipped myself with the skills I need to be a successful visionary and leader, and am incredibly grateful for the opportunity Lightspeed gave me to do so. - Aaron Konigsberg, Lapshark via

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