It's been a great year for new devices from Apple, each of which was preceded by months of rumors—which I dutifully passed along. Many turned out to be true: a new iPad with a form factor like the iPad mini, an iPad mini with retina display, and a lower-cost iPhone. But some were off. There were many rumors of an HDTV from Apple that would arrive late this year. Many people are now doubting Apple will ever come out with one, even though they're known to have developed a variety of prototypes. We kept getting rumors of an iWatch, which have gotten more tangible over time. But still no watch.
Cult of Mac has posted a list of six of "The Craziest Rumors of 2013," some of which I had passed along. Topping the list was the rumor of an HDTV to come out by the end of this year that would be controlled by an iRing you wear on your finger. I do think that crossed the line into crazy. They also mention a rumor of a 12.9-inch iPad Pro coming next year that would have a 4K display. The larger screen seems like it's going to happen, but the 4K resolution? Very unlikely.
Early on there was also a rumor of a 4.8-inch iPhone that would be released in the fall along with the iPhone 5s. I passed that one along. Didn't happen. But it does seem like we'll see a larger iPhone next year. I've noticed that sometimes a rumored phone does eventually appear, but a year later than initially rumored.
They also include the "budget iPhone" on their list. Yes, we did see the iPhone 5c, but it turned out to be more expensive than any of the rumors were suggesting and hardly qualifies as a budget phone.
I'm sure Apple has big plans for 2014, and I'm sure we'll have a steady stream of rumors. It is, after all, a marketing ploy.
I think there are some pretty safe bets for 2014: a larger iPhone, a larger iPad, a new version of Apple TV with a new interface that's open to developers, and an iWatch or other wearable device. I look forward to seeing what Apple has in store.