Leaks suggest unlocked iPhones coming Wednesday, voice recognition in iOS 5

A pair of leaks have hinted that Apple begin selling unlocked iPhones at U.S. Apple Stores on Wednesday and add voice recognition support from Nuance in iOS 5.

Update: Chronic has issued a correction that unlocked GSM iPhones, not new MacBook airs, are coming to U.S. Apple Stores on Wednesday, claiming his source "mixed up part numbers." According to the rumor, the part numbers for unlocked iPhone 4 models are MC603 (16GB, Black) MC604 (16GB, White) MC605 (32GB, Black) MC606 (32GB, White).

MacBook Air leak

Twitter user Chronic, who has been a source for leaks on Apple products in the past, first noted late Saturday that his sources have "100% confirmed" a Wednesday release for a MacBook Air update. Early on Sunday, Chronic added that Apple Store displays will be updated on Tuesday night to launch the company's annual Back To School promo alongside the new MacBook Airs.

The leak comes on the heels of an exclusive AppleInsider report that Apple is scheduled to begin mass production of revitalized MacBook Airs this month with an initial build volume of roughly 400,000 units.

Though Chronic has yet to hear specific details on what changes will be made to the new MacBook Airs, Apple is expected to move the notebooks to Intel's 32-nanometer Sandy Bridge architecture via the chipmaker's ultra-low-voltage Core i5 and Core i7 chips, which feature between 3MB and 4MB of Smart Cache and support a theoretical maximum of 8GB of internal system memory. Rumors of a June launch of Sandy Bridge-powered MacBook Airs emerged in February.

Apple revamped the thin-and-light notebooks in late 2010, adding an 11.6-inch model to the lineup for just $999. The laptops instantly became best-sellers, with one analyst reporting that they were "flying off the shelves" over last year's Black Friday weekend.

Voice control in iOS 5

Chronic also posted a pair of screenshots of an alleged internal build of iOS 5, displaying settings for "Nuance Dictation" and "Nuance Long Endpoint." In addition, a "Mic on space key" may provide further evidence of the rumored voice recognition support in iOS 5. The features are reportedly disabled for the developer build of iOS 5.

In May, it was suggested that Apple would deepen its relationship with Nuance, which makes voice recognition technology, in iOS 5. However, Apple neglected to demonstrate voice control features at last week's Worldwide Developers Conference. After Apple's keynote, several sources claimed that voice features weren't ready in time for WWDC.

Apple has been expected to add complex voice command features to iOS since it acquired Siri, the developer of a voice search app that supported open-ended questions, last year.

Top 10 games of E3 2011 (photos)

#1: BioShock Infinite (2012 - 360, PS3, PC)

Without a doubt the most talked-about, inventive, silky smooth, and generally impressive piece of software of the show is BioShock Infinite. This high-concept and story-driven title literally had us going back for seconds. Watch the game's latest trailer and then read why we cannot wait until 2012.

#2: Batman: Arkham City (October 18 - 360, PS3, PC, Wii U)

It's gritty, dark, gorgeous, and five times the size. Batman: Arkham City is shaping up to be an untouchable superhero game that will easily surpass the stellar original. The team at Rocksteady has turned Batman's combat system into an artform. We love the introduction of alternating play with Catwoman and new villains like Two-Face and The Penguin.

#3: Tomb Raider (2012 - multiplatform)

The new Tomb Raider game is not only much more brutal, but also highly dramatic. Behind the wheel is once again Crystal Dynamics--the team responsible for every Raider title since TK--who is attempting to retell the origin of Lara Croft. In the game--set for a 2012 release--a young and inexperienced Croft must take on her first trip abroad without the knowhow of the Croft we're used to playing. Voice acting also appears really strong, with the actress successfully conveying Croft is young, scared, and vulnerable.

#4: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (November 11 - 360, PS3, PC)

Bethesda Softworks knows how to create addictive action-RPG games, and Skyrim looks to improve on an already winning formula. Our hands-off demo with the game showed off some epic battles with dragons, tons of combinable spells, and a landscape that oozed with character and detail.

#5: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (November 1 - PS3)

We were really impressed with Uncharted 3 at Sony's E3 press conference and after having played a few multiplayer rounds we're really excited for the added value the game will pack in. At a show packed to the brim with sequels, Uncharted's is easily one of the few we still can't get enough of.

#6: Mass Effect 3 (March 6, 2012 - 360, PS3, PC)

At EA's E3 press conference developer BioWare said Mass Effect had been planned as a trilogy all along. The third iteration looks smoother than ever and conveys a sense of size that few titles can match. Now that the battle has been brought to Earth players must once again take on the role of Commander Shepard to defend the home planet.

#7: Gears of War 3 (Septemeber 20 - 360)

While some might say the Gears of War franchise has outworn its welcome, we couldn't find too many longer lines for a game at E3. The newly revamped Horde Mode is totally insane, and the series still continues to be one of the best looking pieces of software on any platform.


#8: PlayStation Vita line up

The biggest star at Sony's E3 press conference had to be the PS Vita (Yes, we know Kobe Bryant was there too.). It's powerful, lightweight, and clearly has a bright future with tons of developers standing behind it. We've had some time with a handful of impressive titles like Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Gravity (working title), Sound Shapes, Super Stardust Delta, Wipeout 2048, Little Deviants, LittleBigPlanet and more. If all goes according to plan, we'll be enjoying most of these games before 2011 is over.

#9: Battlefield 3 (October 25 - 360, PS3, PC)

There certainly was no lack of military shooters at E3. Whether or not that genre is getting a bit tired, there's no denying that Battlefield 3 is certainly a technological achievement and one of the E3 show floors must-see attractions. We're definitely looking forward to see how it goes up against Modern Warfare 3--it has a head start too, releasing two week's before Infinity Ward's veteran shooter.

#10 Modern Warfare 3 (November 8 - 360, PS3, PC)

It wouldn't be fair to place these two games further apart, so right after Battlefield 3 we have Modern Warfare 3 which currently sits at the top of online multiplayer experience in our book. Our hands-on time with the game at E3 also got us excited for a new survival mode (think zombies but with soldiers) and the demo of the attack on New York scene easily trumps any Modern Warfare storyline we've ever seen before.