3 Improvements That Apple Inc. May Bring to the A10 Processor Next Year

We predict some of the enhancements that Apple might bring to its next-generation applications processor.

APPLE'S LATEST IPHONES. IMAGE SOURCE: APPLE.

With the Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) A9 processor essentially a known quantity thanks to the various performance tests and tear-downs that have hit the Web over the last month or so, it's now time to look ahead to what Apple might do with its next-generation A10 processor, and in this article I'd like to put forth a couple of educated guesses about what I expect Apple to do with this chip.

Higher frequencies thanks to TSMC's 16-nanometer FinFET PlusIt is well known at this point that the A9 manufacturing contract is split between TSMC(NYSE:TSM) and Samsung (NASDAQOTH:SSNLF). This information was first reported by theChina Times and has been verified in a number of other reports (I confirmed this information with a source I believe to be reliable, and famed KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo independently reported the same).

At any rate, I am told that in terms of transistor performance, TSMC's 16-nanometer FinFET Plus is superior to Samsung's 14-nanometer LPP process (Apple is building the A9 on both).

Given that the TSMC process is the better-performing one, and given that Apple doesn't have to worry about making sure the A10 can be manufactured to specification on the Samsung process (i.e., a "least common denominator"), I think Apple will be able to realize a "freebie" increase in CPU/graphics core frequency as a result of building the A10 on a more mature, intrinsically higher-performing 16-nanometer FinFET Plus process.

Support for much greater memory bandwidthThe A9 chip's memory controller supports LPDDR4-3200 memory, which gives the system-on-chip an effective memory bandwidth of 25.6 gigabytes per second. Since I believe that Apple will want to significantly improve the graphics performance of the A10 over the A9 (more on that later, though), I think it will want try to realize a big boost in memory bandwidth (i.e., the rate at which data can be transferred between the system-on-chip and system memory).

Fortunately, this should be fairly straightforward for Apple to achieve. Samsung(NASDAQOTH:SSNLF) recently announced that it had begun mass production of LPDDR4-4266 speeds. This, as the memory giant notes in its press release, is a whopping 30% faster than the current LPDDR4-3200.

In a dual channel configuration, the A10 should be able to realize memory bandwidth of 33.28 gigabytes per second using this faster memory. This significantly increased memory bandwidth should allow Apple to scale up the performance of the rest of the SoC and worry less about bandwidth limitations.

More memory bandwidth means beefier graphics?In AnandTech's review of the iPhone 6s, the reviewers noted that one of the reasons that Apple didn't move from a four-core graphics configuration to a six-core configuration until the A9 was due to the fact that the previous A-series chips were fairly bandwidth constrained.

If Apple goes ahead and uses this significantly faster memory as I expect it to, there could be room for Apple to upgrade the graphics configuration in the A10 from a six core PowerVR Series 7 design like the one in the A9 to an eight core Power VR Series 8 design.

Not only would Apple be able to deliver increased graphics performance by virtue of the architectural enhancements in a next-generation PowerVR GPU (or potentially even a custom Apple-designed GPU, since it is well-known that Apple has been working on one for quite a long time), but the additional cores would also help provide extra oomph.

This additional graphics performance will be especially important if Apple decides to increase the display resolutions on its next-generation iPhone 7/7 Plus phones, a move that is, quite frankly, a distinct possibility. Indeed, I suspect one of the reasons -- beyond additional power draw -- that Apple has been hesitant to move to even higher resolutions is that it wants to make sure that 3D games run well at the native resolutions of its devices.

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Apple, Microsoft, and Google are trying to incite a quiet app revolution

Apple

Apple iPad Pro

Google, Microsoft, and Apple are all slamming full-speed into the same wall at the same time: The future they've built is so pleasant (or at least lucrative) that nobody wants to leave for the next thing.

Reports have been circulating that Google is working on a hybrid operating system that combines the best of Android and Chrome OS, while simultaneously promising to keep supporting the two independently.

It's the perfect example of this dilemma in minature.

Google, a company famously and perpetually focused on the next big thing, is alread thinking about what comes after Android and the current smartphone market. And yet, Android is the most popular operating system in the world.

So Google has to take some seriously cautious steps forward so as not to overturn its immensely successful (but not very profitable) apple cart.

Google's Pixel C, Microsoft's Surface Pro, and Apple's iPad Pro all show that these companies are thinking along similar lines about the future of computing. The big bet here is that the shrinking tablet market will give way to gigantic supertablets, primed for productivity with hefty hardware and keyboards.

Unfortunately, it also highlights a sad truth: The next few years of major apps from Google, Apple, and Microsoft alike, are all going to be awkward, and likely pretty much suck.

Google tries to push things forward

Just look at the Google Pixel C, the tablet/laptop hybrid announced in late September.

At the time, I got a little hands-on time with the Pixel C, and found it to be lacking - just a nice Android tablet with a nice keyboard, but otherwise nothing special next to the similar Microsoft Surface Pro and Apple iPad Pro tablets. Android doesn't even support multi-window views, like Windows and (more recently) iOS do.

With the benefit of hindsight, though, the Pixel C basically gave Google's whole game away. As a product, the Pixel C is just kind of like, sure, whatever, do your thing, Google. But as a taste of Google's Android-centric vision for computing, folding in Chrome? It makes a lot more sense.

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Google Pixel C

That said, the Pixel C also demands Android developers to rethink their apps, to better take advantage of both the larger screen size than most of the devices they're used to, and to integrate better keyboard functionality.

But until Google sells a bunch of Pixel Cs, developers don't have a lot of incentive to put in the time and energy. Their existing Android apps run just fine on existing devices, thanks, and unless the Pixel C is a surprise smash hit, there's no reason to bother.

And so, even if you buy the Pixel C because it's shiny and new, there's likely to be a dearth of apps that really take advantage of it.

Take the long view, and you can see that Google always intended the Pixel C to be the first taste of a cross-platform future. But in the short term, it's not especially compelling.

The same boat

Both Apple's iPad Pro and the Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Book have similar issues.

Microsoft's issue is a little more existential: Its strategy with the new Windows 10 hinges on the Windows Store, an app market that lets developers code their app once and sell it on any Microsoft device, from PCs to tablets to smartphones to, eventually, the Xbox One and HoloLens holographic computer.

Matt Weinberger

The Microsoft Surface Book with Surface Pen.

But Windows 10 also lets you run any old Windows app, from Windows 7 and 8 forward. Which means that for the majority of developers who build Windows software, there's no real reason to scrap them and start over with a Windows Store app.

Apple's iPad Pro has a different struggle.

Apple is aiming its new giant-size tablet at creative-types and businesspeople, just like the Surface Pro. But the regular, mainstream iPad hasn't been especially lucrative for productivity software vendors.

The whole App Store economy has gotten customers used to paying less than $10 for tab;et apps, where the desktop versions of popular business productivity software like Microsoft Office or Adobe Photoshop on Mac and PC can sell for hundreds of bucks.

That means super-serious developers aren't tripping over themselves to make sure their apps run great on the iPad Pro, either.

The long game

Google, Apple, and Microsoft are all playing a long game here.

If they keep pushing their next-generation devices at people, eventually developers will have to catch up - first slowly, and then once it hits critical mass, all at once.

Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider

The Asus Chromebook Flip

It'll be slow. In some ways, the big companies are victims of their own success. Again, look at Google, which is bascially forced to continue supporting Chrome OS so as not to alienate the PC manufacturers happily selling Chromebooks.

And so, it's going to be a long, slow, protracted tightrope walk: Support the old thing until the new thing picks up enough steam to carry its own weight.

Until then, get ready for some awkward fits and starts, especially in productivity software, as developers gradually work their way around the new normal in computing, as dictated by Apple, Microsoft, and Google.

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Apple’s clever plan to kill cheap Android phones

Since launching the first iPhone back in 2007, Apple has always focused on offering high-end mobile experience, even if that meant losing the market share battle against Google’s Android. Many people kept asking for cheaper new iPhones that would compete in the entry- to mid-range smartphone business, ignoring the fact that Apple kept around older iPhones in its lineup that became more affordable as time went by.

Fast forward to the iPhone 6s, and Apple still doesn’t have cheap iPhones to take on Google, but it’s still selling more iPhones than ever before. Furthermore, it’s probably clear more than ever that Apple doesn’t even need to be focusing on making cheaper iPhones, as it’s got a different plan for killing affordable Android devices.

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Talking to investors earlier this week during its quarterly earnings call, Apple shared more details about iPhone sales and its iPhone Upgrade Program that was introduced during the iPhone 6s launch event.

The program lets users purchase an unsubsidized, unlocked, AppleCare-protected iPhone in installments, essentially reducing the upfront cost of the iPhone to $0. The iPhone is still expensive, but buyers might be more likely to buy one and pay for it over time in equal interest-free payments.

That move will make the iPhone appear even more affordable to smartphone buyers, and carriers have definitely been helping with that. And Apple is fully aware of that. In fact, the company wants to expand the reach of the iPhone Upgrade Program in the future.

Asked whether there will come a time when interested buyers will not have to go to an Apple retail store in the U.S. or other countries to take advantage of the program, Tim Cook said that over time “we’d love to have that automated, working with our partners with service providers,” suggesting the program will expand in scope. The program might even expand to other countries though Cook did not really commit to anything in his responses. He did, however, acknowledge that the U.S. mobile landscape offers plenty of choice when it comes to affordable upgrade plans compared to other regions of the world.

“[Upgrade plans are] not as pervasive [in other markets] as they are in the U.S., but it seems like we’re on the front end of a fairly major trend in the industry,” Cool said.

Cook also said during the call that upgrade programs also attract buyers who would otherwise choose a different platform with devices that are more affordable.

“We do think that the broader upgrade program, not just our program in retail – that is relatively small compared to our total iPhone sales in the company – but the broader thing obviously is that many of the carriers are offering these plans,” Cooksaid. “And that if you look at them in the aggregate, we think that it would have a positive impact on the replacement cycles. We do like the fact that it creates a market for an iPhone at a different price point as well that’s a better product than that customer may be currently buying, which will further help from an ecosystem point of view. And that’s not to be underestimated.”

And Apple’s iPhone plans are clearly working. The company announced that 30% of iPhone sales last quarter come from Android switchers. It’s likely that many iPhone buyers were able to take advantage of various iPhone upgrade programs available from retailers – Apple’s program only launched last quarter as well – and score contract-free new iPhones for cheaper prices than they’d be otherwise used to.

On the other hand, while Apple is converting more Android users to iPhone, Google’s Android is still very popular in many markets, especially emerging ones, where similar iPhone upgrade programs aren’t available and where buying a new iPhone is still out of reach for the majority of users.

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Missing Google Docs features: iOS developers giveth what Google taketh away

 Image: Google

Out of the gate, Google Docs gives users plenty of collaboration features. Grab almost any device—an Android phone, an iPad, or a full web browser—and edit a document with other people.

But, Google's Android and iOS apps offer different features, at least as of October 2015. Want to check your word count? You'll need the Google Docs app for Android. Need to create a hyperlink that doesn't show the destination URL? That's an Android-only feature, too. Neither works in the Google Docs app on your iPhone or iPad.

The Google Docs mobile app lacks the option to share a public link to a document (as of October 2015).

Worse, the Google Docs mobile apps offer fewer sharing settings than what you see in a web browser: You can't create a public link to a document. You can share a document with specific people—add each person's email address and each recipient will have access. You may also share a document to people in your organization—turn link sharing on and people in your organization will have access. But, you can't create a Google Doc in the mobile app and share it with the world from your device.

However, I've found two apps on iOS to help you work around the limitations of the Google Docs iOS app.

Access Google Drive document share settings on iOS

The free Desktop Browser by Spicy Apps allows you access to a desktop browser-like view of Google Drive and Docs. (Pay $0.99 to remove the ad that the developer displays at the bottom of the screen.)

1. Install the Desktop Browser app.
2. Open the app, go to http://drive.google.com/ and login.
3. Find your file and tap to open it. You'll see your document in the familiar Google Docs browser view.
4. Tap the Share icon.
5. Select from any of the standard Google Docs sharing settings.

Desktop Browser by Spicy Apps allows access to all file sharing options within Google Apps.

You might think you could simply login with Safari on iOS and modify the settings. You can't. Google won't serve the desktop version of Google Drive or Docs to Safari on iOS. I also tried Chrome, iCab, Puffin, and Dolphin. None worked. The Desktop Browser app, at least as of October 2015, works.

(Update: Chrome version 46.0.2490.73 for iOS shows full sharing settings if you request the desktop version of the Docs site as of October 26, 2015. It didn't in earlier testing. So Chrome may also be an alternative.)

Create a hyperlink in a Google Doc

The only way I've found to create proper hyperlinks in a Google Doc from an iOS device requires another app, Drafts 4 by Agile Tortoise, which costs $9.99. Drafts 4 serves as a text and Markdown editor. Markdown is a way to write text, lightly formatted for the web. More importantly, Markdown lets us easily create links.

First, use Drafts 4 to create links in Markdown format.

We'll use Drafts 4 to create a document with Markdown, then export the file and convert it to a Google Doc on Google Drive.

1. Buy and install the Drafts 4 app.
2. Open the app, then tap the Settings sprocket in lower right.
3. Scroll to Services, then tap "Configure accounts".
4. Tap "Link" to the right of "Google," then login and allow Drafts 4 to access Google Drive.
5. Write your document with Drafts in Markdown format. Use Markdown to create your links. Basically, surround your text with brackets: [ to start, and ] to finish, immediately followed by the URL surrounded by parenthesis: ( to start, and ) to finish.
6. When finished, tap the Action button in the upper right, then the "Services" tab. Choose "Markdown to Google Doc." Your document will export and save to Google Drive as a Google Doc.

Then, use the "Markdown to Google Doc" action to export your document from Drafts 4 and save it to Google Drive in Google Doc format.

As an added bonus, Drafts 4 solves the word count problem, too. The app displays both a character and word count in the upper right corner of the screen.

These two apps allow me access to key features I need that Google doesn't yet offer in the Google Docs mobile iOS app. I hope that the team will add word count, proper hyperlink support, and full share settings soon. Until then, if you've figured out alternative solutions that work with Google Drive and Docs on iOS, let me know in the comments below!

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Tim Cook says privacy is an issue of morality

Technically Incorrect: Implicitly criticizing the likes of Google and Facebook as gobblers of personal information, the Apple CEO makes a strong plea for respect of people's personal selves.

Have we come a long way since Mark Zuckerberg insisted that people didn't actually want privacy at all?

Zuckerberg has. He's even defended his own legally.

It's not clear, though, just how much the likes of Facebook and Google care about the privacy of all those who use its free services. This is certainly Tim Cook's point of view.

Speaking on Monday to the Electronic Privacy Information Center's Champions of Freedom Awards Dinner, Apple's CEO positively railed against companies in his own backyard.

As reported by TechCrunch, he said: "I'm speaking to you from Silicon Valley, where some of the most prominent and successful companies have built their businesses by lulling their customers into complacency about their personal information. They're gobbling up everything they can learn about you and trying to monetize it. We think that's wrong. And it's not the kind of company that Apple wants to be."

It's not hard to imagine that among the "prominent and successful companies" were Google and Facebook. Indeed, he went on to offer some of his darkest thoughts about what companies such as these do with people's data.

He said: "You might like these so-called free services, but we don't think they're worth having your e-mail, your search history and now even your family photos data mined and sold off for God knows what advertising purpose. And we think some day, customers will see this for what it is."

That's a quaint hope. People are far too enamored with all the amusements that the Web offers. If they have a belief at all, people unconsciously hope that the likes of Google and Facebook don't care about your actual life. They're just using your information to make money.

Cook, though, presented the issue in deeply political terms. He said: "We believe that people have a fundamental right to privacy. The American people demand it, the constitution demands it, morality demands it."

Morality is a feast that moves as it's eaten. It's admirable that Cook would appeal to our moral core, but how much is there left? And how many can identify it?

Part of the problem, of course, is that the American people haven't really demanded privacy at all. They might offer the occasional lip service. Equally, though, we twitch our digital fingers nonstop in order to post more and more things about ourselves for more and more people. The quest for some tiny level of approval and fame -- which the likes of Facebook and Instagram offer -- is too much of a lure for most.

It may well be that future generations will have a collective moment where they reassess the moral concept of privacy. I'm not sure they've had it yet. The (empty) benefits are too great.

Though Cook was awarded by EPIC for his "corporate leadership" in the privacy area, the question is how much of his thinking will change the behavior of ordinary humans, as well as the people that are corporations.

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Apple is reportedly planning to add a rewards program to Apple Pay

As Google is reportedly revamping Android Pay, Apple, too, is apparently planning to update its own wireless payment system. According to The New York Times, the company is set to announce details about enhancements to Apple Pay at next month's WWDC conference, including a new rewards program that could benefit people who regularly use the mobile wallet.

The publication cites two sources reportedly briefed with Apple's plans, but doesn't offer any further details about what the rewards will entail, or how users will be able to get them. Nevertheless, a reward structure could entice people to start using Apple Pay over its competitors, cash, or credit cards, at a time when there still aren't that many solid reasons to do so.

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Apple Inc. (AAPL) Is Right to Abandon Apple TV Plans – Icahn is Wrong

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) put plans for Apple Television sets on the shelf last year as reported by the Wall Street Journal.  When you consider the competition the company would face and the economics involved in bringing an TV set to a crowded market already ruled by two major players, the decision makes sense.  Unlike the smartphone business, the TV business commands slim profit margins and stiff competition from LG and Samsung who control a huge percentage of the total television market.

Carl Icahn sent Tim Cook a letter earlier this week and it was chocked full projections that sounded exciting, at least on the surface.  According to Icahn, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) might consider selling a couple different TV set models starting with a 55-inch and a 65-inch TV set as soon as the next fiscal year.  Icahn suggests that the average price for one of these big TVs should be around $1500.  And, he expects the company to sell ten million units almost immediately – in 2016.  In 2017 Icahns crystal ball says sales could reach 25 million units.  He adds television market is huge and is worth about $575 billion, which makes the smartphone market look smallish.

However, the WSJ report seems to suggest that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) could not come up with compelling enough features for an Apple TV set which resulted in them abandoning the project a year back.  For example, the company wanted to add cutting-edge features like a camera to induce users to make video calls.

Apple Television Production Disadvantages

Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) has already faced the full effects of fierce competition in the TV business seen by years of losses that forced it to rethink its strategy. Success in the TV business comes down to a company getting it right on the display as this feature accounts for nearly 80% of the total production cost. Samsung and LG hold an upper hand on this front supplying nearly 42% of the total displays in circulation. Competing against these two companies will be the first hurdle that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will have to go through if it is to become a key player in the business

The smartphone business is more viable in terms of production costs as the display accounts for only 20% of the total costs something that has allowed Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) to scale the business with innovations. Apple attempts to capture market share in the TV business will depend on how well it works with its competitors to procure displays, most of whom may be reluctant to sell, out of fear of competition.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has gained an edge in the smartphone business thanks to the unveiling of new features with a new phone each year. Replicating the same with TV sets each year is sure to be a challenge for the company; an aspect of the business that is needed in the hardware business to trigger a successful refresh cycle.

Icahn Challenges Apple on TV

Apple television prospects could also have been thrown into disarray after Sharp, its main supplier for displays reiterating that it was experiencing some financial difficulties. Sentiments that could affect its ability to ramp up display productions on time, depending on how Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) needs them.

Icahn has high hopes for a and Apple Television set and even an Apple Car even though the company has yet to confirm whether it is planning to engage in such a project. Carl Icahn is refusing to admit to the fact that the odds of success with Apple TV remain slim. The activist investor affirms that the market is a $575 billion industry even as the IDC on its part affirms that the industry generated $149 billion in revenues last year. Piper Jaffray research analyst Gene Munster has already thrown the towel, admitting that TV sets may not be what Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) needs at the moment to expand its product line.

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Carl Icahn Thinks Apple, Inc. Is Worth $240: Time to Buy?

It's been a while since famed investor Carl Icahn wrote Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) CEO Tim Cook, so the greater investing community figured it was only a matter of time until a new letter appeared. And on May 18, the chairman of Icahn Enterprises indulged us all with an open letter to Apple's CEO -- which was posted on the Shareholders' Square Table website and claimed Apple was worth $240 per share. And if this seems oddly familiar, it's because it's been done before.

Last October, Icahn penned a passive-aggressive, half-effusive praise/half-diktat letter praising Cook for his efforts thus far, but imploring Cook to commence an immediate tender offer for $150 billion, as Icahn felt the stock was undervalued. Icahn went as far as filing a shareholder proposal to implore Apple to buy back $50 billion in stock last December before withdrawing the request two months later, as other large investors sided with Apple.

After the last letter, Icahn was called out for favorable growth and pricing assumptions, and it appears this letter shares some of these favorable assumptions.

Easy valuation, but some asterisks apply

For a famed corporate raider, and one considered a "Master of the Universe," Icahn has a rather straightforward valuation. Of course, that doesn't make it wrong, but it's not as if Icahn is uncovering new data, either. From the letter:

To arrive at the value of $240 per share, we forecast FY 2016 EPS of $12.00 (excluding net interest income), apply a P/E multiple of 18x, and then add $24.44 of net cash per share. Considering our forecast for 30% EPS growth in FY 2017 and our belief Apple will soon enter two new markets (Television and the automobile) with a combined addressable market size of $2.2 trillion, we think a multiple of 18x is a very conservative premium to the overall market.

Why treat Apple's cash different from the S&P 500's?

Sometimes it's easiest to hide things in plain sight -- and that's what the valuation did. Breaking apart Apple's cash from its price-to-earnings ratio and treating it as a stand-alone entity, adding it to the final total, treats Apple differently from the comparison against the S&P 500 Icahn uses as reference.

And while much has been made of Apple's legendary cash pile, because of the tremendous growth of its market capitalization, the company's cash-to-market capitalization ratio isn't unheard of, nor does it warrant special treatment. As a quick example, Apple's net cash (cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities minus long-term debt) is roughly 18% of its market cap, while Microsoft's figure comes in at 17.4% and Google's is 16.8%.

Treating Apple's cash differently while using a cash-included P/E for a benchmark is simply a bad comparison.

Two high-growth EPS years and two low-margin products 

Icahn thinks Apple will continue its high-growth rate. In the letter, Icahn expects 40% growth this year and 30% in the following year. Oddly enough, Icahn mentions two new markets for growth catalysts -- televisions in 2016 and automobiles in 2020. There's just one problem with those markets: Both are notoriously low margin, at least when compared with the type of margins Apple's investors are accustomed to.

For perspective, last fiscal year Apple's operating profit margin (not the more heavily watched gross profit margin that excludes research and development and selling, general, and administrative costs) came in at 28.7%, where luxury carmaker BMW reported an operating-profit margin of only 10%. Meanwhile, televisions have gone from a high-margin product to a commoditized one, with former market leader Sony spinning off its TV business while admitting the business was unprofitable.

Apple would probably command a premium price on the basis of its brand cachet, but to expect a massive earnings boost from these products is probably wishful thinking. It is entirely possible for Apple to achieve those admirable growth rates, but probably not on the basis of a new television set in 2016 and an automobile when it comes online. Very quickly after Icahn's comments, sources leaked to The Wall Street Journal that Apple shelved the television set last year amid a lack of compelling differentiation features. Right now, and for the foreseeable future, Apple is an iPhone-driven company, and that's where Apple's future growth will probably come from.

Investors, be patient

For long-term investors, be patient. This letter, like others, implores Cook to buy back Apple shares, as Icahn feels they are undervalued. While I disagree with the math provided, I agree with Icahn's premise. But here's the rub: So does Tim Cook. Since the start of Apple's capital return program, the company has bought back $80 billion in share repurchases -- just last month, the company increased its buyback authorization to $140 billion, up 56% from the prior authorized amount of $90 billion.

So for investors, that leaves nearly $60 billion in repurchases available. Not only that, but the company also continues to mint cash, as the company's signature iPhone has found strong demand in China. I'm willing to trust Cook to allocate Apple's capital more than I trust Icahn to do it. But it's good to see a legendary investor share your investor thesis.

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True multitasking may finally be coming to the iPad

Apple’s iPad may finally be getting true multitasking with the ability to view two apps at once, side-by-side according to sources briefed on Apple’s plans as reported by 9to5Mac.

The feature will support 1/2, 1/3 and 2/3 views depending on what apps are being used. Users will be able to run either two different apps or multiple views of the same apps, we’re told.

Support for split-screen apps was initially planned to arrive with iOS 8 but as WWDC 2014 quickly approached, Apple determined the feature wasn’t polished enough for public use. It got pushed back to iOS 8.1 but after focusing resources on other projects, it was decided that it’d be best to include it in iOS 9. Even its inclusion now isn’t a certainty, however.

If true, the addition could help boost declining iPad sales. Much like everyone else, Apple’s tablet sales are slowing down as the market reaches saturation and people are opting to use large-screen smartphones as their do-it-all device.

The Cupertino-based company is also said to be adding support for multi-user logins but this feature may not make the WWDC 2015 / iOS 9 deadline.

Apple’s 12-inch iPad Plus is still in the pipeline with two slates planned, codenamed J98 and J99. These larger iPads will run a version of iOS that’s similar to what’s already found on current models. They will, however, be tweaked a bit to take advantage of the extra real estate. No word yet on when they will make their debut.

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Apple's about to completely change the way you use an iPad

Get ready for some serious multitasking

Apple is reportedly working on a drastic redesign for the iPad, enlarging the screen to 12 inches and introducing a new split-screen mode that could display two apps at once.

The split-screen feature was reportedly developed to take advantage of the larger, 12-inch screens on two new iPads, codenamed “J98″ and “J99,” sources within the company tell 9to5Mac.

While Apple has not officially announced the super-sized iPads, the company is reportedly considering a debut of the split-screen feature at Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference this June. The feature will reportedly divide the screen down the middle or in thirds, enabling users to multitask across apps, so that they no longer have to toggle between a web browser or email. The splitscreen effect is similar to a feature offered on some Android-powered tablets.

The redesigns come amid a slump in iPad sales, as consumers shift purchases toward large screen smartphones, or “phablets.”

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Apple Releases First Watch OS Update, It Adds New Emojis And Fixes Bugs

The Apple Watch currently ships with Watch OS 1.0. Today Apple AAPL -0.08% has released Watch OS 1.0.1, the first software update for the Apple Watch wearable device. Watch OS 1.0.1 contains performance improvements and bug fixes so you should upgrade your Apple Watch as soon as you can. The software update — which has a file size of about 51.6MB — is available through the Apple Watch app on the iPhone. The software update also includes support for over 300 new Emojis that were introduced in iOS 8.3 and OS X 10.10.3.

Improvements have been made in Siri, stand activity, calorie counting for cycling and rowing, distance and pace during outdoor walking and running, accessibility and third party apps. Apple also added language support for Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, Swedish, Russian, Thai, and Turkish. More importantly, Watch OS 1.0.1 fixes potential exploits that have been noticed by engineers and researchers that work at Apple, Google and Kaspersky Labs. One of these exploits could have caused the Apple Watch to become vulnerable to system denials of services, according to the Apple Watch Support website.

The Apple Watch relies on the iPhone to download the update and install it. You will need to be on a WiFi connection and the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50% battery life to install the update, according to 9to5Mac. If the Apple Watch does not have at least 50% battery life, then the installation process will be paused. 

The Apple Watch also has to be within a certain range of the iPhone. To update your Apple Watch operating system, you will need to go to My Watch > General > Software Update in the Apple Watch app on your iPhone. You will have to enter your passcode if necessary. Downloading the update and installing it takes about 15 to 20 minutes.

In a future update, Apple is expected to launch a feature called “Find My Watch.” This feature will enable users to track the location of the Apple Watch in case it is lost or stolen. That feature will also let the user wipe its data remotely for privacy reasons. Sources with 9to5Mac are saying that Apple’s engineers are creating a “Smart Leashing” feature. If the Apple Watch falls out of range from your iPhone, it would notify the user that the device has been left behind using a light tap or a notification sound. However, this feature may require a more high-tech wireless chip which may be added in the next-generation Apple Watch instead.

Apple launched the Apple Watch across nine countries on April 24th. The Apple Watch is available exclusively online through May and should be offered in Apple Retail Stores around the world starting next month. 

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Will Apple, Inc. Lose Out in the Internet of Things?

The Internet of Things -- where previously unconnected things are connected to the Internet, where they can collect and analyze data, and sometimes automate systems -- has the potential to bring in massive amounts of revenue for tech companies. According to IDC, the Internet of Things (or IoT) will be worth $7.1 trillion by 2020. Other more lofty estimates from Cisco Systems say IoT could have a combined cost savings and revenue creating worth of $19 trillion by 2025.

But not everyone is on an equal footing in the IoT space, and at least one analyst group thinks Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) will miss out on the next big tech trend. According to a research note put out by the Maxim Group this month, Apple will lose out in the Internet of Things (to companies like Facebook and Google) because of its focus on high-end device sales rather than in collecting and analyzing massive amounts of consumer data.

Nehal Chokshi wrote:

In our Apple initiation, we cited the IoT as a long-term threat to Apple, as we believe the most viable route to monetizing the IoT not to be in the sale of the items at a premium price to alternative items, but the synthesis of their data streams.

But is this really true? To find out, let's take a look at one Apple's greatest Internet of Things opportunities right now. 

How Apple fits into IoT

One of the biggest plays in the Internet of Things is wearable technology, and Apple is already coming out swinging in the market. 

BI Intelligence expects Apple to take 40% of the smartwatch market share this year, and up to 48% by 2017. Apple hasn't released any sales numbers of the watch yet, but KGI Securities estimates that pre-order sales of the Apple Watch topped 2.3 million. If that proves true, it'll be nearly twice the amount of all Samsung -- the current leading smartwatch vendor -- smartwatch sales in 2014.

Keep in mind that Apple is just weeks into this new market, which is expected to be worth nearly $33 billion by 2020, and the company is already showing itself as a market leader. That makes me question why anyone, especially so early in the IoT game, and with Apple's new smartwatch just launching, would consider the Internet of Things a "threat" to Apple.  

Instead, investors should see the Apple Watch as a clear IoT play, and one that opens up the possibility for further Internet of Things tie-ins. According to JMP Securities research analyst Alex Gauna, the Apple Watch will allow the company to expand its IoT presence: 

Basically, Apple could parlay sales of its watch into other IoT uses. Take Apple's connected home device protocol, HomeKit, for example. It allows iPhone and iPad users to control devices using Siri, whether at home or away. The Watch could help build out this system by offering new types of connected-home commands or automated processes that are unique to smartwatch capabilities. 

Don't count Apple out

I think the idea that Apple isn't well positioned in the Internet of Things market just because it doesn't collect troves of data on its users is a bit flawed. 

Apple has always been primarily a devices and services company, and time and time again, it has found a way to successfully enter new tech markets -- whether it be mobile, digital music, and now the Internet of Things -- and make money from it.

The company is already proving with the Apple Watch that it knows how to create a successful IoT device, and I expect Apple to use it to further expand its Internet of Things services. 

It's far too early in the IoT game to start calling out winners and losers -- and if I had to bet, it certainly wouldn't be against Apple. 

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Apple IPhone Sales in China Seen Surpassing U.S. for First Time

Apple Inc.’s IPhone sales in China may have exceeded the U.S. for the first time in the latest quarter, thanks to brisk demand during the country’s New Year celebrations.

Apple will probably show on Monday that earnings jumped by more than 20 percent when it reports results for the second fiscal quarter, which ended in March. While Apple doesn’t break out shipments by country, the company may have sold 18 million to 20 million iPhones in greater China during the period, while U.S. deliveries were about 14 million to 15 million, according to Creative Strategies LLC.

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were both designed with larger screens, which are popular among consumers in China and other countries in Asia. That, along with last week’s rollout of the Apple Watch, underscore the importance of Chinese customers for Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook’s efforts to keep up sales momentum.

“Did they capitalize on the availability of the iPhone 6 on China Mobile fully, and is that proving to be a real driver?” said Alex Gauna, an analyst at JMP Securities LLC, referring to China’s biggest wireless carrier.

Net income is projected to be $12.6 billion on revenue of $56 billion, according to the average of analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg. A key question for investors will be any changes to Apple’s plan to return cash to shareholders. Cook has signaled that the company may increase share buybacks again after boosting repurchases to record levels last year.

Profit is predicted to be $2.16 a share, fueled by a 33 percent rise in iPhone unit sales to 58.1 million, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. At the same time, the stronger dollar may have cut into revenue from iPhones, according to Bloomberg Intelligence data.

Other areas to watch when results are released Monday:

China Sales

This could be the first quarter that Apple sells more iPhones in China than in the U.S., according to Ben Bajarin, an analyst at Creative Strategies LLC.

“Before, there was some strength in Asia and that was people buying for themselves, then you have the phenomenon you have in Chinese New Year, which is when people gift,” Bajarin said. “Our big question is what happens in China for the next few quarters? Are they on par with the U.S. At some point in time, it feels like it is inevitable that every quarter iPhone in China will be bigger than the U.S.”

Cook has said China is poised to overtake the U.S. as Apple’s biggest market at some point, and he’s working to about double the number of stores in China by the middle of 2016. UBS Global Research estimates IPhone demand jumped in the quarter, based on Google search values and historical shipping data.

“Market research firm Kantar noted that iPhone sales reached an all-time high through February, recording a 28 percent share of urban China smartphone sales,” Steven Milunovich, an analyst at UBS, wrote in an April 9 note to investors. “We suspect that 6 Plus interest is higher in China than elsewhere.”

Some analysts had predicted Apple would sell more iPhones in China than in the U.S. in the last three months of 2014. That didn’t happen, even though iPhone unit sales doubled in mainland China, Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri said in a January interview.

“We have a lot of momentum in China,” Maestri said. “Chinese New Year is a very important part of the cycle in China, and so we hope to take advantage of that.”

Next Quarters

How iPhone sales perform in the current and next quarter -- typically a lull before holiday sales ramp up again and new models are introduced -- is a key question, according to Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray Cos.

“The biggest investor questions are around what June and September iPhone units look like as we enter a typically slower period in the iPhone cycle ahead of the fall update,” Munster wrote in a note to investors. If iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are “fundamentally different than prior cycles given the larger screen size, which we believe is true, then market share in June and September could be higher than historical norms.”

Analysts are predicting revenue will climb 25 percent to $46.9 billion in the period ending in June. That would be the biggest third-quarter jump since 2011.

Strong iPhone results in the second quarter are likely to extend Apple’s global market share gains for the third straight quarter, according to an analysis by Bloomberg Intelligence.

Cash Returns

Boosting the company’s capital return program could become an annual April event for Apple. The iPhone maker increased its capital return program to $100 billion in April 2013, including share buybacks and dividends. Then Apple raised it by $30 billion in April last year, adding a dividend increase and 7-for-1 stock split.

While Apple has been praised by activist shareholder Carl Icahn for returning cash, he’s been pushing for more. Cook has already signaled that the company may increase buybacks again after the company’s cash hoard grew by about $23 billion in the December quarter with the introduction of more expensive iPhones. Apple has also raised the equivalent of more than $40 billion in debt in less than two years to help finance dividends and buybacks, letting it return more money to investors without incurring U.S. taxes on foreign profits.

iPad Troubles

The one dark spot for Apple is shrinking tablet sales, which are on track for a fifth straight quarter of declines, by 17 percent to 13.6 million units, according to the average of analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

A key question -- although one that probably won’t be addressed this time -- is Apple’s plans for a larger-screen iPad, which could appeal to business users and help breathe new life into sales. Production of a new 12.9-inch screen iPad has been delayed to around September because of difficulties in procuring display panels, people with knowledge of the matter have said.

IPads remain a key opportunity for Apple because the devices can be used for field work and as laptop replacements. Apple announced a partnership last year with International Business Machines Corp. to create mobile software for businesses and for IBM to help sell iPads to corporate customers.

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