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Tag: apple

  • France says that Apple won’t allow the iPhone to work with its “StopCovid” app

    France says that Apple won’t allow the iPhone to work with its “StopCovid” app

    European countries have been upset at Apple for making it harder for them to get their own contact tracing platforms up and running on the iPhone. These countries want to use Bluetooth to keep track of the phones that pass by the vicinity of other devices. This way, smartphone users will know if they have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
    The problem with using Bluetooth is that it would require Apple to change the settings on the iPhone. Currently, Apple blocks apps from using Bluetooth if the latter is running in the background and data from that particular app is going to be removed from the device. Since the Europeans want the data collected by contact tracing through Bluetooth to be sent to a centralized server, that would violate Apple’s rules. France, for example, wants Bluetooth to keep running in the background even though the data collected would be sent to a centralized server. For that to take place, Apple would have to change some iPhone settings which it is loathe to do. Allowing Bluetooth to run in the background for contact tracing will drain the battery on a user’s iPhone.
    France’s minister for digital technology, Cedric O, said during a television appearance, “Apple could have helped us make the application work even better on the iPhone. They have not wished to do so. I regret this, given that we are in a period where everyone is mobilized to fight against the epidemic, and given that a large company that is doing so well economically is not helping out a government in this crisis. We will remember that when time comes.” While O could not venture a guess about what could be behind Apple’s decision not to make the necessary changes, the minister added, “We consider that oversight of the healthcare system, fighting the coronavirus, is a matter for governments and not necessarily for big American companies.”
    The minister also stated that France’s “StopCovid” contact tracing app will be ready to go on June 2nd regardless of what Apple does. Testing will begin next Monday, May 11th. That happens to be the date when the country will officially start to reopen from its lockdown. In the country, Android is the leading mobile operating system with a 78.8% share. Apple’s iOS is next with 21.1%. Since Android phones don’t have the same restrictions, France feels confident to go ahead with its plans anyway.
    Still, Germany gave in to Apple and decided not to use a method of centralized storage called Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing (PEPP-PT) for its COVID-19 contact tracing. Britain started testing its contact tracing app today and it has decided to go the centralized route like France is.
    Last month more than 300 professors from around the world signed an open letter that said while Bluetooth based contact tracing is strongly preferred, the centralized approach could lead to unprecedented government surveillance. In the letter, the professors wrote, “Some of the Bluetooth-based proposals respect the individual’s right to privacy, whilst others would enable (via mission creep)  a form of government or private sector surveillance that would catastrophically hamper trust in and acceptance of such an application by society at large. It is crucial that citizens trust the applications in order to produce sufficient uptake to make a difference in tackling the crisis. It is vital that, in coming out of the current crisis, we do not create a tool that enables large scale data collection on the population, either now or at a later time. Thus, solutions that allow reconstructing invasive information about the population should be rejected without further discussion. Such information can include the “social graph” of who someone has physically met over a period of time.”
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  • First European Apple Store to reopen on Tuesday

    First European Apple Store to reopen on Tuesday

    Apple’s sole retail location in Vienna, Austria will resume operations on May 5. The company’s CEO Tim Cook had earlier indicated that the store would reopen by mid-May. Since infection rates have decreased, the country has started relaxing lockdown measures already. Per the German outlet Heute, the re-opening will be cautious, with many measures in place to ensure the wellbeing of consumers and employees.

    An Apple spokesperson has confirmed the news. The Apple Store in Austria will be the first one in Europe to resume activities after a weeks-long lockdown.

    The store will be operational for limited hours, from 11 am to 6 pm. It will remain closed on Sundays.

    Social distancing will also be practiced, which means that only a limited number of visitors will be allowed in at any given time. Others will have to queue up outside.

    The report also alleges that customers will be required to wear a mask and their fever will be checked at the entrance. Devices on display as well as the premises itself will be disinfected regularly.

    For now, the emphasis is on the provision of service and support for hardware owners experiencing problems. Consumers looking to make a purchase are advised to shop online.

    Outside of China, the Vienna Apple Store would be the first one to reopen after the company’s only store in South Korea.

    Cook has also said that a few stores in the US could reopen in the first half of May.

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  • Apple & Samsung face tough times as global smartphone shipments set to drop 15%

    Apple & Samsung face tough times as global smartphone shipments set to drop 15%

    The smartphone market has been struggling for the past couple of months due to the COVID-19 pandemic and, although the situation is expected to improve in the second half of the year, a huge decline is still predicted. The latest report by DigiTimes Research claims smartphone shipments are now expected to decrease by a whopping 15% this year to 1.15 billion units. That is slightly more pessimistic than earlier forecasts and can be attributed to the worsening situation. Smartphone brands with large presences in the United States and Europe, which have implemented strict lockdown measures and are likely to experience an economic recession, are expected to feel the biggest impact this year.

    Those competing in the premium segment will face extra pressure too. After all, customers are starting to live on tighter budgets, and smartphones aren’t typically high on the list of priorities, especially not high-end ones. DigiTimes believes Apple has already lowered orders for the iPhone 11, which is the best-selling iPhone device globally, for the second and third quarters. The newly released iPhone SE should help soften the near-term impact, but Apple itself is still expecting a noticeable decline.

    So much so that it has reportedly decided to cut its internal iPhone shipment target for the entire year. There has yet to be an official comment on the matter, but the first indications of this should arrive later this week. Apple is scheduled to announce its results for the January-March quarter on Thursday, April 30. These should be accompanied by an official revenue guidance for the current quarter, which will provide a clearer indication of how Apple is battling shrinking global demand.

    The final quarter of the year should be more positive for the Tim Cook-led company, but it will be far from plain sailing. Apple is reportedly facing severe iPhone 12 delays and recent reports suggest the company has cut its orders for the second half of 2020 by 20%. Samsung is another company that has reportedly lowered its internal smartphone shipment forecasts for the year. The poor reception of the Galaxy S20 series is one of the main reasons for this outcome.

    The COVID-19 pandemic combined with significantly higher prices has led to significantly lower demand than predicted. The Galaxy S20 Ultra is understood to be performing slightly better than expected, but the smaller and cheaper Galaxy S20 & S20+ have missed sales targets.

    If the situation fails to improve, the Galaxy S20 series could become the worst-selling Galaxy S lineup in years or perhaps ever. That would massively impact revenue, profit, and valuable market share on a global scale. To make matters worse, the next-gen Galaxy Note 20 series will apparently resemble the Galaxy S20 lineup very closely. If true, Samsung may struggle to sell those flagships too.

    More worrying for Samsung is the fact that it is also losing market share in the crucial Indian market. The company was number one only a few years ago but dropped down into third place during the first quarter. That was before COVID-19 had heavily impacted the market, which means the second quarter could be particularly bad for the company.

  • Apple Music app arrives on Samsung Smart TVs, owners get free subscriptions

    Apple Music app arrives on Samsung Smart TVs, owners get free subscriptions

    Samsung has just announced that its Smart TVs are now compatible with Apple’s Music app. If you own a Samsung Smart TV launched in the last two years, you’ll be able to download and install the new Apple Music app, but you’ll need a subscription to use it.

    The Apple Music app can be found in the Samsung Smart TV App Store and requires users to sign in to an existing account with their Apple ID. Those who don’t have an Apple Music subscription can apply for one directly from their TV. More importantly, all Samsung Smart TV owners can try Apple Music for free for 3 months. The deal applies to individual, family and student subscriptions.

    Apple Music subscribers will get access to Beats 1 radio station, a global live stream with exclusive shows by popular artists like Nicki Minaj, The Weeknd, DJ Khaled, and Elton John, as well as “At Home With Apple Music” content that offers editorial playlists, group FaceTime chats with artists and more.

    Keep in mind that besides the option to stream over 60 million songs ad-free, Apple Music subscribers can also watch original shows, trending concerts, as well as other exclusive content directly on their Samsung Smart TVs.

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  • Apple releases a new TV ad for its latest iPhone

    Apple releases a new TV ad for its latest iPhone

    Apple U.K. has just shared the company’s new 30-second ad for the second-generation Apple iPhone SE which officially launches today, right in the middle of a global pandemic. The iPhone SE (2020) borrows the look and the design of the iPhone 8 including the 4.7-inch LCD display with a 750 x 1334 resolution. That works out to an old school 16:9 aspect ratio and there is no notch, no TrueDepth camera, and no Face ID. In fact, the iPhone SE (2020) is equipped with the Touch ID fingerprint scanner.

    To power its new budget-priced phone, Apple is using the A13 Bionic chipset. Built using TSMC’s 7nm process node, the chip carries 8.5 billion transistors and is the same powerful component used to drive the entire iPhone 11 family. Apple also saw fit to give the phone’s memory a 50% bump from 2GB of RAM to 3GB, and also improved the single 12MP camera on the back with a new Image Signal Processor (ISP). Apple claims that the new ISP, together with the A13 Bionic, makes the rear camera the best single snapper setup on a smartphone. That’s a clear shot at the Google Pixel 3a series.

    Available in White, Black, and (PRODUCT)RED, the iPhone SE (2020) is offered with 64GB, 128GB and 256GB of memory for $399 (24 monthly payments of $16.62), $449 (24 monthly payments of $18.70) and $549 (24 monthly payments of $22.87) respectively. As we mentioned, the device is available starting today.

    The new 30-second ad, which you undoubtedly will see on television this weekend in the U.S. and U.K., is called “The Opening” and shows a man who has just received his iPhone SE and is ready to unbox it. On his knees in front of a table, he makes some room by pushing everything off the table. He dramatically opens the box and with sweaty hands (you can see him wipe them on his pants) he peels off the plastic protective film. You might remember that there was a time when enthusiasts could not get enough of the sound of the plastic film being peeled off a brand new phone. And as the film is removed, you can see that another change Apple made to the iPhone SE (2020) was to move the iconic Apple logo to the middle of the rear panel matching its location on the iPhone 11 series. And the ad concludes with Apple’s new tag line, “Lots to love. Less to spend.”

    So now we await the unveiling of the 2020 iPhone 12 series which will be the company’s first to offer support for 5G connectivity. Most analysts are now going along with TF International’s Ming-Chi Kuo, who seems to have a direct link to the mind of Apple CEO Tim Cook. Kuo expects four new iPhone models to be delivered this fall including the 5.4-inch iPhone 12, the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Plus, the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro, and the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max. All four models will be powered by the more powerful and energy-efficient 5nm A14 Bionic chipset and all four will also support both sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G networks.

    The new iPhone 12 handsets will borrow a design from the iPhone 5s as the rounded top is flattened out and a stainless steel strip surrounds the casing. The standard models will feature a dual-camera setup on the back (12MP Wide, 12MP Ultra-Wide) and we should see a quad-camera setup on the “Pro” models (12MP Wide, 12MP Ultra-Wide, 12MP Telephoto and a LiDar Time of Flight depth sensor). The iPhone 12 Pro Max could feature sensor-shift image stabilization instead of optical image stabilization (OIS) for “shake-free” videos. The new technology stabilizes the camera’s sensor while OIS stabilizes the camera’s lens.

    Depending on the analyst, Apple will either have the iPhone 12 series ready on time, or they will delayed by four to eight weeks because of the pandemic.

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  • Expansion during pandemic: Apple’s services arrive in many new markets and regions

    Expansion during pandemic: Apple’s services arrive in many new markets and regions

    Apple will be expanding Apple Music, the App Store, and other services to a whole trove of new markets in Africa, the Middle East, Oceania, and several nations across the Balkan peninsula in what could be perceived as the largest geographical expansion in nearly a decade. Back in 2012, more than a billion and a half people in India, Russia, and other countries gained access to Apple’s services.

    Cupertino is bringing the App Store to 20 new countries, 8 in Africa (Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Libya, Morocco, Rwanda and Zambia) and a dozen others across the globe, bringing the grand total of supported countries to 179, but wait until you learn of the gains Apple Music is making. The music streaming answer to Spotify is now available in 52 new countries and regions across the world, bringing the toal tally to 167 countries. As a comparison, Spotify only operates in 79 countries. Arriving on most developing markets also commands a pretty important change for Apple Music’s terms and conditions: while the service costs $9.99 a month and offers a three-month free trial in the US and most developed markets, Apple Music will go for $4.99 a month and offer a six-month free trial in most of the new markets.

    The bid here is pretty clear – as global smartphone sales go down and consumers are less likely to upgrade their devices every second year, Apple has put the larger focus onto its services division, which is expected to become the next big revenue gainer for the world’s largest tech company. For the last fiscal year, the services division as accounted for 17.8% of its $260.1 billion in revenue.

    With a userbase of 1.5 billion active devices across the world, Apple surely has lots of potential for increasing the subscriber numbers of its Apple TV+, Apple News+, and Apple Music services. Indeed, Apple strives to have a grand total of 600 million subscribers by the end of 2020. Yet, the largest money pig for Apple is the App Store, as it grants Apple between 15 and 30% of all app sales and in-app purchases.

    How would this expansion of services affect a world economy vastly crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic and a userbase isolating itself at home? Logic suggests that Apple should see a steady increase of subscribers across the board, but the jury is still out on the data itself. Moreover, earlier reports suggested that Apple TV+ might not be a smash-hit-video-streaming service just yet, as it reportedly suffered heavy new subscriber losses from sworn rivals Netflix, HBO Now, and Disney+.

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  • Apple could use powerful 5nm A14X Bionic chipset for 5G iPad Pro in 2020-2021

    Apple could use powerful 5nm A14X Bionic chipset for 5G iPad Pro in 2020-2021

    When Apple introduced the new 2020 iPad Pro tablets last month, we were surprised to find that instead of an A13X Bionic chipset, both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch models were equipped with the A12Z Bionic SoC. Apple quickly stated that the new slates deliver the “highest performance ever in an iPad.” And that may be true, but a tweet disseminated the other day by TechInsights states that the GPU architecture used on the A12Z Bionic is the same as the one used on the A12X Bionic found inside the 2018 iPad Pro units.

    The A12X Bionic and A12Z Bionic are both built with the same 7nm process node by TSMC and have the same octa-core configuration (four high-performance CPU cores and four energy efficient-cores) and memory. The only difference is that seven of the eight GPU cores on the A12X Bionic were activated while all eight are activated on the A12Z Bionic. Both chips have a maximum CPU clock speed of 2.49GHz.

    >Perhaps we will see an A13 Bionic chipset on a new iPad mini that might surface later this year. TF International’s Ming-Chi-Kuo says that in 2020, Apple will unveil a 7.9-inch iPad mini tablet sporting a mini-LED display. The latter will be used as Apple slowly transitions to micro-LED screens; mini-LED screens are similar to AMOLED displays in that they offer a wide color gamut and do not require the use of a backlight. This means that like OLED panels, the color black is created by turning off pixels in the appropriate area. Dark Mode reverses the look of the UI from black text on a white background to white text on a black background; this prevents the blinding white background from hurting and irritating eyes in a dark room or at night. Those using Dark Mode will see a slight improvement in the battery life of their tablet since pixels turned off do not draw on the device’s battery.

    If Apple decides to introduce a new iPad mini this fall, it would probably be equipped with the same A13 Bionic that currently powers the iPhone 11 family. After all, Apple equipped last year’s iPad mini with the A12 Bionic.

    There is speculation that Apple decided not to create an A13X Bionic for the new iPad Pro units because outside of adding the LiDar depth sensor and the improved camera setup on the back, nothing on the updated units require additional heavy lifting by the processor. It also gives Apple the chance to design its first chipsets for the iPad that will be produced using TSMC’s 5nm process node (the A14X Bionic).

    The 2020 iPhone 12 series will be powered by the 5nm A14 Bionic. With an 84% increase in transistor density, the A14 Bionic could contain as many as 15 billion transistors each compared to the 8.5 billion shoehorned into the A13 Bionic and the 10 billion transistors found in the A12X Bionic. While this much power would seem to be overkill for a new iPad mini, it would be perfect for the next variant of the iPad Pro. And the latter could be coming later this year if Apple decides to ship a 5G version of its top-of-the-line tablet. The A14X Bionic could make its debut on 5G versions of the 11-inch  and 12.9-inch iPad Pro tablets.

    While tablet sales have been struggling for years, the iPad had a couple of good quarters during the second half of fiscal 2019. And thanks to the coronavirus outbreak, game-playing teens, those taking classes or working from home, and people who enjoy viewing streamed content are now in the market to buy their first tablet or to upgrade an older model.

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  • Apple starts registering COVID-19 testing locations

    Apple starts registering COVID-19 testing locations

    Testing for COVID-19 is still a tough endeavor, as finding testing facilities can be difficult. You have to do extensive research or rely on dubious third-party apps to guide you to the nearest testing center. Apple will make things easier, however, with a new Apple Maps feature. The company has launched a dedicated web page that allows hospitals, labs, and healthcare centers to register as COVID-19 testing locations.

    The process is pretty simple. A hospital that performs COVID-19 testing has to download and fill a template form, then email it to Apple. The latter will review the application and reach out to verify the details if necessary. The idea is for confirmed locations to be displayed on Apple Maps to help people find a nearby COVID-19 testing center.

    Apart from contact information about testing facilities, Apple Maps will list other useful details like working hours, referral or appointment requirements, the specific kind of COVID-19 testing being performed, as well as the type of the facility – building, drive-through, lab, etc.

    It will probably take some time before you start seeing those locations on your phone, however. Healthcare organizations have to apply and get verified, which takes time. Nevertheless, offering such integration within Apple Maps will give people a secure and easy way to find the nearest testing site if they feel their condition requires a test.

    Last month, Apple released a free COVID-19 app that includes a self-testing tool from the CDC that tells you whether you need to see a doctor or get tested. When testing locations start to show on Apple Maps, it will be even easier for people to react if they feel sick or uneasy about the current COVID-19 situation.

  • Leak reveals that iOS 14 will include Android features that iPhone users have long wanted

    Leak reveals that iOS 14 will include Android features that iPhone users have long wanted

    In the long-running smartphone OS war known as iOS vs. Android, one of the biggest complaints about Apple’s mobile OS is that it is not as customizable as Android. But Twitter tipster @DongleBookPro has shared some screenshots allegedly showing some changes to iOS 14. These changes could be included in the next version of the software that could drop this coming September. Google gave its Pixel phones a huge advantage over iOS in this department by adding its Styles & wallpapers feature last year. This allows Pixel users to change the shape and color of the icons on their phone.

    Will iOS 14 brings more customization to iPhone users? It appears from the screenshots that iPhone users will be able to browse through default wallpaper separated into collections with choices like “Classic Stripes,” “Earth & Moon,” and “Flowers.” Another screenshot shows a “Home Screen Appearance” feature similar to the one found on the Apple Watch. Users will be able to create smart dynamic wallpaper for the home screen. But even more exciting for iPhone users is the possibility that Android-style widgets could be coming to the iPhone.

    Another feature on iOS 14 that is being called “Avocado” internally and is related to the SpringBoard app that controls the Home screen on iOS. If Apple decides to implement this on iOS 14, iPhone and iPad users will be able to select widgets from selected apps and add them to the Home screen, moving them around at will. And this would also suggest that at last iOS users will be able to move around app icons at will rather in a left to the right format. Otherwise, you would see app icons on the Home screen placed around widgets, some of which might take up a more significant portion of the screen than others.

    It’s not like Apple hasn’t listened to its customers-eventually. Remember, iOS 13 finally got rid of that clunky volume heads-up display (HUD) that covered much of the center of the screen. The point being, of course, that while iOS users might have been hoping for more app icon customization and Android-style widgets for some time, eventually the complaints do make it through to the ears of the appropriate people in Cupertino.

    Keep in mind though, that there is always the possibility that Apple will decide not to keep any of the aforementioned features in the final version of iOS 14. If that is the case, it simply could mean that Apple plans on offering all of this customization in a future version of the operating system. Speaking of iOS 14, we probably will see Apple introduce it online during its annual WWDC Developers Conference. Held every June in San Jose, Apple had no choice but to move the conference online after the coronavirus outbreak.

    With a redesign for the iPhone and the addition of 5G connectivity, this might be a good time for Apple to add some long-desired customization features to iOS. Still, some iOS users might not be terribly happy to see blank icon slots on their iPhone screens. On Android, this is quite common because when an app is uninstalled, it doesn’t call for a seismic shift with all of the remaining app icons. When an app is uninstalled on the iPhone, the remaining icons all move in order to prevent that one blank spot from appearing on the display. If Apple does add “Avocado” to iOS 14, blank spots just might be the price that users have to pay to get that customizable app icon grid that they have been jealously watching Android users mess around with with going back so many years.

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  • Apple accidentally confirms the AirTags name for its tracking accessory

    Apple accidentally confirms the AirTags name for its tracking accessory

    Yesterday we told you that there was speculation about when Apple might finally unveil its Apple AirTags item tracker. The latest rumor has the AirTags being announced during the online version of WWDC. As you might know, the COVID-19 outbreak has forced Apple to move its annual developer’s conference to the internet although it has yet to release a date for it to be streamed. Since this is a whole new product category for the company, Apple would prefer to have it introduced and demonstrated by a company executive online instead of merely issuing a press release.

    Throughout last summer, there was a strong sense that Apple would announce the tags at its annual September iPhone event, and when it wasn’t, many figured that the project had been 86’d. But leaked images soon made it apparent that the AirTags project was still alive. AirTags are said to be circular tags with a removable battery that can be attached to items such as a keychain, a pet collar, bicycle, luggage, and more. Heck, it can even be used to track an untrustworthy spouse.

    The AirTags will work in conjunction with the Find My app and will rely on the U1 ultra-wideband, or UWB chip that was quietly included with the 2019 iPhone models. The chip sends out short-distance radio waves using Time of Flight; these radio waves bounce off the subject and return to the phone to help deliver a more precise location where a missing item might be found. The chip might also be used with the CarKey feature expected to arrive in iOS 14; CarKey will allow an iPhone user to open his/her car door and start the engine remotely with the phone. UWB can reportedly locate a tagged item within four inches of its actual location.

    A video that Apple left on the internet today for 15 minutes before removing (it received 1,500 views) revealed that the accessory will indeed be called AirTags. The video was created to show iPhone users how to wipe their handset (and we don’t mean wiping with an antibiotic cleaner). In the video, we can see a menu with a section called “Enable Offline Finding.” Under that listing, it reads, “Offline finding enables this device and AirTags to be found when not connected to Wi-Fi or cellular,” So this pretty much confirms the AirTags name. This also endorses the use of the USB U1 chip for the tracking system.

    A string of code discovered last year revealed some directions for finding a tagged item using AirTags. The code said, “Walk around several feet and move your iPhone up and down until a balloon comes into view.” Leaked images showed a 3D red balloon and a 2D orange balloon that will apparently surface when an AirTags user moves closer to a tagged item. If an item is missing, the tag it is connected to can be put in “Lost Mode.” With this setting enabled, an iPhone user who stumbles across the tag will be able to send an iMessage to the owner to work out a way to address the missing item back to its rightful owner.

    Earlier this year, reliable TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo called for the AirTags to be unveiled during the second or third quarter of this year.  At this point, it would appear that he is going to be correct. He also forecasts that 10 million AirTags will be produced before the end of this year.

  • Apple Store workers are being asked to work from home

    Apple Store workers are being asked to work from home

    Last month, a leaked internal memo revealed that Apple plans on reopening on a staggered basis, the 458 retail stores it owns outside of China. Apple hoped to start opening these locations during the first two weeks of this month, although whether this happens remains to be seen. In China, the company has reopened all 42 Apple Store locations as the country claims to be on the mend.

    While the Apple employees that man the 458 closed stores are stuck at home, Bloomberg reports that the company is asking some of them to work from home answering technical support questions as part of the AppleCare team. Those who want to participate must set up a workspace in a quiet room in their home with the ability to accommodate the 27-inch Mac that Apple will send to workers. These makeshift workspaces also must have a strong internet connection, and the employees need to go through a two-week virtual training course.

    The report notes that Apple Store employees were sent forms to fill out in order to apply for the technical support jobs. Those who aren’t interested in answering these calls from home are asked to explain why. Despite this, Apple claims that the program is not mandatory and that all of its retail employees are still getting paid their full paychecks and receiving their benefits whether they participate in the program or not.

    But those who cannot work from home have concerns. They worry that by not agreeing to answer AppleCare and technical support calls from their home, they will look bad in the eyes of their managers. To be sure, there are Apple Store employees happy to help out during the crisis although others don’t understand why they are being asked to do this work. This latter group notes that Apple already promised them their full pay and benefits just for staying home.

    While Apple had started the work from the home program a few weeks ago, over the last week it has reached out in earnest to Apple Store employees seeking to fill the gaps in the AppleCare system. On Friday, the tech giant’s retail chief, Deirdre O’Brien, said that the recruiting “has been going great.”

    Most of Apple’s engineers are working from home and Apple has been reimbursing these employees for desks and computer monitors needed to set up a home office. Apple is also sending tips to employees on how best to create an ergonomic environment. And it also is allowing, with permission from those in the higher ranks of the company, some engineers to take home unfinished hardware and software to work on. The COVID-19 pandemic is resulting in the delay of new products. Apple did launch its two new iPad Pro tablets a couple of weeks ago, although they reportedly were manufactured back in January. The budget-priced iPhone 9, originally rumored to be introduced on March 31st, is now expected to first see the light of day on April 15th with its release a week later. And today, contract manufacturer Foxconn said that it still hopes to have the upcoming 5G 2020 iPhone models ready in time for the holiday shopping season.< Apple originally closed its Apple Stores in China on February 3rd. As new domestic infections started to decline sharply in the country, Apple reopened these locations on March 13th. The very next day, all of the firm's brick and mortar stores outside of China were shuttered. At first, Apple said that those stores would be closed until March 27th, but that was later revised to "until further notice." And while the aforementioned leaked memo from O’Brien discusses reopening all closed stores this month, Apple might take a more conservative path and keep the stores closed for a few additional weeks.

  • Dark Sky announces acquisition by Apple and discontinuation of Android support

    Dark Sky announces acquisition by Apple and discontinuation of Android support

    Popular weather app Dark Sky made a huge announcement, and the forecast for Android users doesn’t look good. The company revealed that it has been acquired by Apple, causing some major changes for users in the near future.

    Dark Sky, which describes itself as a hyperlocal weather app, made its name on down-to-the-minute precipitation forecasts based on a number of sources, including crowdsourced data from users who opt-in. Receiving widespread acclaim, the app quickly amassed over 1 million Android users, establishing itself as a formidable force in the weather service market.

    Following the acquisition by the iPhone maker, announced in a company blog post, Dark Sky reportedly won’t go through any major branding changes (no iDark Sky for now), but support for Android will be discontinued on July 1, 2020.

    A complete drop of support for a large portion of users is kind of a big deal, especially for Android users like me, but the company also announced that all active subscribers will be given a refund at the date of discontinuation, which will also affect Wear OS and web clients of the service.

    Given Dark Sky’s reputation as the best weather app around, it’s sad to see it go as far as the Play Store is concerned. But based on the app’s #1 status in the Weather category of the iOS App Store, Dark Sky will likely still enjoy much popularity on the other side of the fence.

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  • Apple AR headset being tested with HTC Vive-like controller

    Apple AR headset being tested with HTC Vive-like controller

    Apple may be one of the most valuable companies in the world but it very rarely enters new product categories. Yet on the odd occasion that it chooses to do so, the company often shakes up the entire industry in the process. Examples of this include the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch which transformed the smartphone, tablet, and smartwatch segments respectively. Soon, the growing AR/VR industry could join the list.

    As reported several times in the past, Apple is developing a headset, possibly called Apple Glasses, that combines both AR and VR technologies for release in either 2021 or 2022. The controller in question, which is probably being used solely for internal testing purposes, resembles those shipped with HTC Vive Focus headsets. In fact, it seems to be a modified version of the HTC controller.

    This isn’t that surprising considering Bloomberg reported back in 2017 that Apple engineers were using HTC Vive headsets for internal testing, but the striking resemblance between the two controllers does suggest the two companies could be working closely together on AR & VR technology.

    Regardless of whether Apple and HTC are collaborating, though, it’s safe to say the final controller will probably boast a more polished design that is the better adapter to Apple’s headset software.

    In terms of functionality, the iOS 14 evidence uncovered by MacRumors strongly suggests Apple is using a dedicated augmented reality app codenamed “Gobi” and QR codes to test the extensive range of headset features.

    Apparently, each QR code triggers a different experience for the users. Some of these include experiences related to the Apple Watch, Mac Pro, Apple Store, Starbucks, and even a random movie poster.

    One of the more interesting experiences is QR code that triggers a “crosswalk bowling game.” This presumably allows Apple engineers to roll a virtual bowling ball across the crosswalk to knock down the virtual bowling pins on the other side.

    It likely acts as a pastime while waiting for the pedestrian light to change from stop to go. If ever released to public, users would probably be able to continue the game at different crosswalks and perhaps even play with friends.

    The version Apple is currently testing seems to be limited to one intersection near an Apple office known as “Mathilda 3” at 555 N Mathilda Ave in Sunnyvale, California. That could be where internal testing for the headset is taking place. As revealed in a patent application published today, everything mentioned above could be accompanied by virtual assistants that highlight useful information or offer tips to users during certain events or after a particular trigger.

    In the patent, which is titled “Contextual Computer-Generated Reality (CGR) Digital Assistants,” Apple gives a few examples based on what the user is seeing. One of these includes the possibility of a virtual dog being used to run over to a restaurant and fetch the relevant information for the user in question.

    Other ideas described include a pod of dolphins being used for AR navigation or a cat that guides users to an interesting place. A balloon could be used to show users where an AR-leveraging AirTag is too.

    The possibility of experiencing other virtual assistants through other senses, such as hearing, was also mentioned.

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  • Apple iPhone production grinds to a halt in India

    Apple iPhone production grinds to a halt in India

    China is the world’s largest market for smartphones, although thanks to COVID-19, that market is shrinking. Can you guess which country represents the second-largest smartphone market? Hint: it is not the U.S. Actually, it is India; but as a developing country, Indian consumers don’t have much money to spend on top-shelf models. This explains why value for money manufacturers like Xiaomi are ripping it up in the country. It also explains why the mid-range Samsung Galaxy A series does so well in this market.

    Apple did a brisk business in India with its budget-priced iPhone SE. But an import tax (yes, a tariff) was adding $100 to the retail price of the iPhone in the country, so Apple decided to start producing the iPhone SE in India. By doing this, Apple was able to avoid the import tax in a country where every dollar counts. It also helped Apple qualify for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make In India initiative designed to make India a manufacturing center and a magnet for investors.

    The iPhone SE, priced at the dollar equivalent of $250, started to get outsold by a 2-1 margin in India by the iPhone 6s. Apple stopped making the former in the country and started production of the latter; by last year, Apple was advertising “The Incredible iPhone 6s” (at the equivalent of $383 USD) even though it was then four years old. And last year, Apple added the iPhone XR to the phones it makes in India.

    Still, premium smartphones do sell in India and these sales are growing at an annual rate of 29%. A premium phone is considered to be one that sells for the equivalent of $500 or higher in the country and Apple had 75.6% of this market in India during the fourth quarter of 2019.

    What brings all of this up is the news today from the BBC that Prime Minister Modi has instituted a 21-day nationwide lockdown in India. This action is due to the continued spread of the coronavirus. The prime minister urged Indians not to panic and said, “There will be a total ban on venturing out of your homes.” And that means the production of the iPhone models made in India will come to a complete stop for three weeks.

    Bloomberg reports that both of Apple’s contract manufacturers producing the iPhone in India, Foxconn and Wistron, have followed the Prime Minister’s announcement by suspending production. In a text message it sent to Bloomberg News, Foxconn wrote that it is awaiting permission from the Indian government to resume running its assembly lines. Wistron is adhering to the Prime Minister’s lockdown, according to a company representative who wouldn’t reveal which products were affected by the shutdown.

    Besides the production of the iPhone in India, Apple has thousands of employees working out of an office in Hyderabad. These workers spend their time on Apple Maps. The office opened in 2016 and when it opened, the company said that it supported 640,000 developer jobs across the country.

    While several analysts figured that Apple would move some iPhone production out of China and into India to avoid the tariffs charged to U.S. companies and consumers on products imported from China, the fact is that the company’s production facilities in the country are too small and a supply chain would take years to build. Due to Apple’s size and the products it makes, suppliers need to deliver parts and components in the quantity and quality that Apple needs. Despite this, a supply chain source said that Apple is revving up its plans to move production outside of China with the company shifting some iPhone manufacturing to India. Assembly of AirPods and the HomePod are being moved to Vietnam, the country that many believe will eventually replace China as the center of Apple’s manufacturing universe.

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  • Apple reverses bulk-order ban and updates on opening plans

    Apple reverses bulk-order ban and updates on opening plans

    US tech giant Apple has reversed restrictions on buying multiple iPhones from its online store imposed last week.

    The restrictions placed a ban on purchasing more than two devices of the same model in multiple international territories, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore. That restriction has now been lifted on the purchase of iPhones, although some iPads and Macbooks are still subject to limits.

    A 9to5Mac report conjectured that the ban may have been lifted quickly due to a supply-chain problem caused by the coronavirus epidemic being resolved since, or otherwise that iPhone sales dropped more sharply than the company anticipated.

    International Apple store locations remain shuttered during the pandemic in all areas except China. Some stores may be reopened on a staggered basis next month, according to reporting by Bloomberg.

    “At this time, we anticipate some stores may be able to open in the first half of April depending on the conditions in their community,” said the firm’s senior VP of people and retail Deirdre O’Brien.

    “We will provide updates for each store as soon as specific dates are established.”

    Apple was one of the first retailers to shutter stores in the early days of the outbreak.

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