The 10 Strangest Rumors About Apple

Few tech companies are as highly reputed as Apple. For over two decades, this company has managed to stay ahead of the curve, anticipate trends before they happen, and even become one of the first trillion-dollar companies in history.

Over the years, Apple became an innovator unlike any other. Figuring out what this company is up to has always been a puzzle, which is why so many rumors have swirled about Apple and its future.

Some rumors about Apple, such as the disappearance of the headphone jack from phones, were true. Others were proven to be false. And, once in a blue moon, you'll hear a rumor that just makes you wonder what people were thinking.

Ever wonder what the wildest, craziest canards and tall tales about Apple ever existed? We did too, which is why we decided to find out for ourselves.

Of all the rumors to hit the internet, this one had to be the most laughable—and yet, it actually hit the pages of PC Mag in 2006. Writer John Dvorak broke out the rumor, citing the switch to Intel chips as evidence. He was heavily mocked for it.

Lately, he's still convinced that Apple will ditch laptops, leaving the computing world to Microsoft. Go figure.

The iPhone Nano

After the iPod Nano's success and the many people who have called cell phones "excessively large," it seemed like phones might eventually get the Nano treatment. Of course, most people don't want to have a small phone screen because of how much it can contribute to eye strain.

So, when The Wall Street Journal announced that there would be an iPhone Nano in 2011, it's easy to see why people scoffed. The rumor was debunked as false by Apple spokespeople, but to a point, there still seems to be some potential there.

Tim Cook, Apple's COO, has hinted that they want to expand their mobile reach. Maybe it's iPhone Nano time soon?

Another one of the more bizarre rumors about Apple was their alleged re-entry into the digital camera world. The rumor was first leaked on Computerworld in 2009, shortly before Apple's iPhone got a better camera setup.

The writer who broke the story claimed:

"I think Apple might be getting ready to re-enter the digital camera business it pioneered in 1994 and then abandoned in 1997. Apple is said to be purchasing many three and five megapixel camera CCDs from Omnivision for upcoming embedded products."

This rumor was proven to be false, with the actual products being created being iPhones. These days, iPhone photography tips are a dime a dozen—and many professional photographers are actually using them for quick snapshots.

It's so hard to imagine having an iPhone with a different design, but when the phone first started out, everyone had a different idea of what it would look like. At no point was this truer than when the first iPhone came out.

This was a time where rumors about Apple's phone line were a dime a dozen—many of which were wacky as can be. One of the strangest rumors to swirl around had to be a "click wheel" that would allow users to navigate the phone just like they would an iPod.

As you can imagine, this would be impractical as all get-out. The magazine that broke this was MacRumors in 2006.

Macbooks Under $1,000

Any Apple fan would tell you that it'd be a dream come true to get a brand new Macbook Air or a Macbook Pro under $1,000. Maybe that's why one of the most popular rumors involving Apple involves cheaper computers that retain the quality people expect from Apple.

Sadly, every time this rumor comes around, it's false. The reason why you shouldn't believe the hype is because it goes against Apple's business model. Apple is about being expensive and being worth the money you pay. You get what you pay for.

Back in the early 2000s, tablets and cellphones didn't really have the power or capabilities that they do today. Instead, people who wanted to have the functionality of a modern-day cellphone would need to get a PDA.

In the 1990s, Apple had a PDA called the Newton. The Newton had limited functionality but still managed to be a trailblazer. However, it wasn't quite enough to make it big. The Newton shut down within a matter of years.

In 2003, Apple started to show clips of a PDA-like device at expos. The rumors about Apple's mystery device ran amok, with many suggesting a return to PDA manufacturing.

Nothing really came of any rumors involving the PDA because the device was scrapped. What wasn't scrapped was eventually turned into the iPad.

The iPhone 5's Keyboard

We have seen a lot of different iPhone models over the years, each of which ended up becoming a major success. From the iPhone SE line to the iPhone XS, each invention managed to have a following.

During the upcoming reveal of the iPhone 5, a number of different bloggers alleged that the next iPhone would have a keyboard. Wait, what? Hey, iPhones aren't blackberries!

Yeah, that's why this is one of the weirdest Apple rumors out there.

Apple is one of those companies that has a knack for standing on its own, so any rumors about Apple buying another company is worth raising an eyebrow.

When CNET UK announced that Apple was contemplating buying Nintendo in 2006, people listened and bought up the rumor. Some even freaked out.

Worried about the impending iNintendo? Don't be. The closest that Nintendo ever came to being bought by Apple was a special edition Nintendo Apple Watch release.

The Next iPhone Will Have No Storage

This is a current rumor that has started to swirl thanks to the boom in cloud computing, but the fact is that it's not even really feasible with the current tech we have today. Cloud computing can only go so far due to the lack of service that many parts of the country struggle with.

It's hard to imagine how consumers would feel about going from 64 GB of storage to 0. It's even harder to imagine what boosting cloud security would mean on such a large scale. Even so, you never know what the (distant) future could hold.

Some rumors about Apple made a little bit of sense—such as the "no storage" iPhone or the potential Apple PDA of the early 2000s. This one, though? Not really even remotely sensible.

Why would Apple buy Disney when it's not even that deeply invested in media? Why would Disney concede to being owned by Apple? Come on, people!