Coronavirus or not, the Apple rumor mill keeps on churning

More COVID-19 concerns affect the industry, but that doesn't stop the Apple rumors from flowing.

I'm back with another installment of From the Editor's Desk for you lovely iMorians.

I took a break from the column last week (the awesome Lory Gil took last week's installment) because I was spending my Valentine's Day weekend with my husband checking out the Field of Lights at Sensorio by Bruce Munro in Paso Robles, California, and then we visited Hearst Castle, which is a little bit more west in San Simeon. The Field of Lights was originally supposed to end sometime in January, but it has since been extended to June 30, 2020. It's an absolutely beautiful sight to see, and if you are able to, I highly recommend a trip out to it — pictures don't do it justice.

Anyways, let's get back to what's happened this week.

Unfortunately, the Novel Coronavirus (aka COVID-19) is still a big issue around the world, and it's now affecting GDC (Mobile World Congress was canceled last week), as Sony and Facebook have pulled out of the show. Honestly, it's unfortunate that the coronavirus is affecting the tech industry as a whole so much, but I understand — companies want to make sure employees are safe, and that's a bigger priority than showing off a demo of the latest game or new gadget. I just hope that a cure for the virus, or at least a slowdown in infection spread rate, happens soon, but in the meantime, just make sure that you practice good hygiene, so wash those hands and cover those mouths when you cough or sneeze. You know the drill.

Despite the coronavirus concerns, the Apple rumor mill keeps on churning, and supposedly the "iPhone 9" will be announced sometime in March, with possible availability as soon as April (or something like that). I already know that I'm not the target demographic for this low-cost iPhone, but I know many others could be. This new low-cost iPhone could be around the $400 range, and it may have the same form factor as the iPhone 8, but with a newer processor chip, like the A13 that is currently found in the iPhone 11 line. If you were hoping that it was going to have flat, squared-off sides like the iPhone 4 era, sorry to burst your bubble, but it probably isn't happening. Either way, a new iPhone is exciting, and if the rumors are indeed true, then we may not have to wait until fall to see a shiny new iPhone, though this one may not be as exciting for some. At least it's kind of like a halfway point to the real showstopper, right?

Also going with the current trend, what's with these "AirPods Pro Lite" rumors that are making the rounds? I think using the name "AirPods Pro Lite" is a little misleading — I think they're possibly the next generation of the regular AirPods, perhaps with the silicone ear tips so that they fit better in our ears, but lack the Active Noise Cancellation of the Pros. Plus, the whole moniker, "AirPods Pro Lite," is a bit convoluted, to be honest. Just call them AirPods 3.

Anyways, in some more fun news, today is the start of the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Disney+! I'm actually still going through my first watch of the series, and I'm near the end of Season 3 at the moment. Hopefully, by the time I finish the original six seasons, I can just binge all of Season 7, and then I can move on to the next animated Star Wars series.

Until next time,

- Christine Romero-Chan