MacRumors

Epic Games tomorrow plans to launch a new season of Fortnite, which is where new content, skins, map updates, and objectives are introduced for players to keep the gameplay fresh and dynamic. This week's season is Marvel themed.

This morning, ‌Epic Games‌ confirmed that it has no plans to give in and remove the direct payment option from the Fortnite app on iOS devices, which means the app continues to be in violation of the App Store rules and cannot be updated. Fortnite for iPhone, iPad, and Mac will not get the new season.

In addition, when the new season is released, Fortnite for iOS and macOS players will no longer be able to play the game alongside Fortnite players on PCs, Android devices, and consoles, as there will be two separate versions of the game. The updated version with the Chapter 2 Season 4 content available to Fortnite players on other platforms, and the non-updated version of Fortnite on Apple's platforms.

‌Epic Games‌ confirmed to The Verge that cross-platform play will not be possible, and ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, and Mac Fortnite players will only be able to play with one another. That means Fortnite users who have friends on other platforms will not be able to play with those friends.

Epic was hoping to get a temporary restraining order from a judge that would have forced Apple to allow Fortnite to remain in the ‌App Store‌ and be updated while the court case plays out, but the judge ruled against ‌Epic Games‌ because the current situation is of its own making.

The judge who made the decision told Epic that all it needs to do is "take it back to the status quo and no one suffers any harm," but Epic is apparently refusing to do so. During the hearing for the restraining order, Epic's lawyers said that the company wouldn't "go back into an anticompetitive contract." Epic has updated its FAQ with a similar statement:

Apple is asking that Epic revert Fortnite to exclusively use Apple payments. Their proposal is an invitation for Epic to collude with Apple to maintain their monopoly over in-app payments on iOS, suppressing free market competition and inflating prices. As a matter of principle, we won't participate in this scheme.

Apple on August 28 plans to terminate the ‌Epic Games‌ developer accounts, and it's not entirely clear what will happen when that occurs. Fortnite could stop working entirely, or it could continue to run in its current incarnation on devices that have already downloaded it.

It's not clear why Fortnite couldn't be updated on macOS because it's not distributed through the Mac App Store, but it seems that ‌Epic Games‌ is going to withhold updates on all Apple platforms.

Though Fortnite is in danger and will not be updated on Apple devices, Apple has been blocked from terminating the developer accounts for Epic International, which handles the Unreal Engine. Apple had originally planned to terminate the ‌Epic Games‌ developer account and all linked accounts, but Epic was able to get a temporary restraining order to prevent that from happening.

A hearing for a preliminary injunction is scheduled for September 28, and that's the next opportunity for either Epic or Apple to get a new decision that will shift the current orders. Unless ‌Epic Games‌ decides to comply with the ‌App Store‌ rules, Fortnite will be unable to be updated for at least the next month, if it continues to work at all after the ‌Epic Games‌ developer account is terminated.

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming iOS 13.7 update to developers to introduce new COVID-19 Exposure Notification options. The iOS 13.7 beta comes more than a month after the release of iOS 13.6, which introduced Car Keys and Apple News+ audio features.

The iOS 13.7 beta can be downloaded from the Apple Developer Center or over the air once the proper developer profile has been installed

According to Apple's release notes, the iOS 13.7 beta allows users to opt-in to the ‌Exposure Notification‌ system without the need to download an app that supports the functionality, which is how the feature works on in iOS 14. In iOS 14, there's a toggle to "Turn on Exposure Notifications" which then lets you know if the feature is available in your country, state, or region through a contact tracing app.

Using Exposure Notifications continues to require an app, and Apple says that System availability still depends on support from the local public health authority, but iOS 13.7 makes it easier to figure out whether an app is available to you. It also adds a dedicated ‌Exposure Notification‌ section to the Settings app, rather than burying the feature in the Privacy section of Settings.

There's also a new iPadOS 13.7 beta that has been released alongside iOS 13.7, and as iPadOS does not support ‌Exposure Notification‌, that update focuses on bug fixes and performance improvements.

Facebook today warned advertisers that Apple's upcoming anti-tracking tools could cause a more than 50 percent drop in Audience Network publisher revenue due to the removal of personalization from ads within apps.

In a blog post, Facebook said that it does not collect the identifier from advertisers (IDFA) from Facebook-owned apps on iOS 14 devices, as Apple added a feature that requires users to agree to ad tracking to prevent cross-app and cross-site tracking used to provide targeted ads. Facebook says that it's not a change that it wants to make, but Apple has "forced this decision."

Apple devices offer an "Identifier for Advertisers" (IDFA) that Facebook and its advertising partners use for ad targeting purposes. In iOS 14, the IDFA is an opt-in feature, providing more transparency for users who would prefer not to be tracked in apps and on websites.

This is not a change we want to make, but unfortunately Apple's updates to iOS14 have forced this decision. We know this may severely impact publishers' ability to monetize through Audience Network on iOS 14, and, despite our best efforts, may render Audience Network so ineffective on iOS 14 that it may not make sense to offer it on iOS 14 in the future.

Facebook warns that iOS 14 could render Audience Network ineffective in iOS 14, and so it might not be offered on the platform in the future. Facebook says that it will have limited ability to deliver targeted ads in iOS 14. Some iOS 14 users will see no ads from Facebook's Audience Network program, while others will see less relevant ads. Publishers and developers who use Facebook's Audience Network program should count on lower CPMs.

While it's difficult to quantify the impact to publishers and developers at this point with so many unknowns, in testing we've seen more than a 50% drop in Audience Network publisher revenue when personalization was removed from mobile ad install campaigns. In reality, the impact to Audience Network on iOS 14 may be much more, so we are working on short-and long-term strategies to support publishers through these changes.

iOS 14 has a prominent "Tracking" section in the Privacy portion of the Settings app, where users can disable the option for apps to track them all together. Even if this feature is toggled off, apps must still ask permission to track users across apps and websites owned by other companies, which is a blow to the silent ad-related tracking that has been going on behind the scenes.

Facebook says that many of its developers and publishers will be "hurt" by iOS 14 at an "already difficult time," and that it plans to invest time and resources into building monetization products for publishers and supporting platforms outside of iOS 14.

Apple has registered eight Apple Watches and seven iPads in Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) filings discovered by Consomac.

The Apple Watch filings follow previous model identifiers, with the A2375, A2376, A2355, and A2356 likely being cellular models, and the A2291, A2292, A2351, and A2352 being GPS-only models. These likely encompass the upcoming Apple Watch Series 6. Apple Watch Series 6 parts were spotted in database filings earlier this month, and the new models are expected to feature blood oxygen monitoring.

The unannounced iPads use the previously unknown model identifiers A2270, A2316, A2072, A2324, A2325, A2428, and A2429. As the iPad model identifiers are split between two separate filings with different numbers of identifiers in each, two different iPads may be soon to release.

It is unlikely that the split is the result of filing the same ‌iPad‌'s cellular and WiFi-only models separately, as is the case with the Apple Watch filings. The two iPads may be updated iPad Pro models and redesigned iPad Air models, both of which have been rumored to arrive next month.

Similar EEC filings have preceded the launch of new Apple products on numerous occasions, including multiple ‌‌iPad‌‌, ‌iPad Pro‌, ‌iPhone‌, Mac, Apple Watch, and AirPods models. The filings are legally required for any encrypted devices sold in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.

Earlier this month leaker Jon Prosser suggested that new Apple Watch and ‌iPad‌ models will launch in September, with the ‌iPhone‌ 12 event set to take place later in October. The filings effectively confirm that the release of new ‌iPad‌ and Apple Watch models is imminent.

In an update to its FAQ today, spotted by The Verge, Epic Games has confirmed that the upcoming season of Fortnite will not be available to players on iPhone, iPad, or Mac due to the company's legal battle with Apple.

From the FAQ:

Apple is blocking Fortnite updates and new installs on the App Store, and has said they will terminate our ability to develop Fortnite for Apple devices. As a result, Fortnite’s newly released Chapter 2 - Season 4 update (v14.00), will not release on iOS and macOS on August 27.

If you still want to play Fortnite on Android, you can access the latest version of Fortnite from the Epic Games App for Android on Fortnite.com/Android or the Samsung Galaxy Store.

Earlier this month, Epic Games strategically violated Apple's rules regarding in-app purchases by introducing its own direct payment option for in-game currency in the Fortnite app for iOS. Apple promptly removed Fortnite from the App Store, preventing Epic Games from updating the game to provide iPhone and iPad players with access to the new season, which releases August 27 on other platforms like Windows, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.

U.S. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers this week decided not to force Apple to put Fortnite back on the App Store, but she did grant a temporary restraining order that prevents Apple from terminating access to Epic Games' developer accounts related to its Unreal Engine game engine. A final decision on an injunction will be made in September.

In a statement, Apple said it would be glad to welcome Fortnite back to the App Store if Epic Games removes the direct payment option from the game while the case proceeds:

We thank the court for recognizing that Epic's problem is entirely self-inflicted and is in their power to resolve. Our very first priority is making sure App Store users have a great experience in a safe and trusted environment, including iPhone users who play Fortnite and who are looking forward to the game's next season. We agree with Judge Gonzalez-Rogers that "the sensible way to proceed" is for Epic to comply with the ‌App Store‌ guidelines and continue to operate while the case proceeds. If Epic takes the steps the judge has recommended, we will gladly welcome Fortnite back onto iOS. We look forward to making our case to the court in September.

Apple is considering extending the free trial of its Apple TV+ video streaming service that comes with new Apple devices, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

‌Apple TV‌+ launched last October for $4.99 per month. Any iPhone, iPad, ‌Apple TV‌, iPod touch, or Mac purchased from September 10, 2019 was eligible for a year-long free trial of ‌Apple TV‌+.

As the first free trials will come to an end next month, Apple is apparently considering an extension of the free trial program. Gurman's sources say this would take shape as a continued free access offer with the purchase of a new Apple device, but now for a period shorter than a year.

The Cupertino, California-based company launched TV+ last year for $4.99 a month, but many customers are still on a free year of service that comes with the purchase of an Apple product. The first trial accounts will expire just weeks after the next iPhones are set to debut in October. The company is considering keeping a free access offer to lure new subscribers but with a reduced period of time, the people said.

The offer of a generous year-long free trial for ‌Apple TV‌+ has been an important part of Apple's strategy to lure in long-term subscribers by giving unfettered access to the full roster of content on the streaming service. ‌Apple TV‌+ launched with a small amount of content compared with other rival services, so it has been crucial for Apple to build goodwill and interest about the service's shows without expecting immediate returns.

The report also featured the news that Apple is planning to add bonus augmented reality content to ‌Apple TV‌+.

Last week, multiple startup companies in Korea called for an investigation into Apple and Google's in-app purchase practices. Now, The Korea Herald has confirmed that the Korean Ministry of Science and ITC will launch an investigation to look into the two companies' "excessive commissions."

The investigation will examine platform fees, payment systems, and whether Apple and Google have violated Korean laws that prohibit technology service operators from obstructing users to choose services.

Apple and Google made up 87.8 percent of the Korean app market in 2019, and the issue is effectively an antitrust investigation. The original petition submitted by an alliance of app developers and small companies argued that platform operators are using their immense market share to give developers no choice but to submit to high commission fees.

They explained that Apple has been forcing developers to use their specific in-app purchase system since 2011, through which Apple takes a 30 percent commission. Google demands game apps in Korea use its own in-app purchase module and adds an additional 30 percent game-only commission. Google reportedly plans to expand restrictions on developers, and demand a 30 percent commission on webtoons, music streaming, and e-books.

"[The ministry] will carefully monitor and prepare policies that can cope with the increasing influence of platform providers," a Ministry of Science and ITC spokesperson said. "The ministry will also mediate between developers and platform operators to secure user rights."

The ministry laid out plans to collect opinions from local app developers and smaller market sources to see if the companies' platform fees are unfairly hindering business operators and in turn raising prices for consumers.

The outcome of the investigation could be sweeping amendments to Korea's new Telecommunications Business Act, which takes effect in January.

The latest iOS 14 beta 6 includes a new way for users to review places of interest and upload photos to Apple Maps that doesn't rely on third party integrations.

First spotted by Twitter user BeauGiles and reported by 9to5Mac, the new user interface for places of interest in Maps no longer pulls reviews and photos from the likes of Foursquare, TripAdvisor, and Yelp. Instead, Apple is replacing these third-party services with its own native rating system.

Going forward, users who tap a marker for a place on the map that they have physically visited will be offered the ability to recommend a place using a thumbs up/thumbs down rating that can also distinguish between relevant categories, such as ratings for the quality of products and services in a shop, for example.

Meanwhile, a new "Add Photos to Maps" option in place cards also lets users upload pictures directly to Apple's Maps servers. As outlined in Apple's legal terms for the new feature, the option only appears to users older than 13 years of age and photos are reviewed by humans before appearing in ‌Apple Maps‌.

Currently, the rating system is only visible on some places of interest in the latest iOS 14 beta, as Apple is clearly still in the initial stages of implementing the feature. In future, however, users shouldn't be redirected to third-party apps in the App Store whenever they want to submit a review or photo of a place of interest in ‌Apple Maps‌.

Apple customers in the U.S. and Canada are experiencing issues when attempting to purchase products through Apple's online education store, with multiple links currently broken.

The full range of Apple's flagship products appears to be affected, with "Buy" links for all Macs, iPads, iPhones, and Apple Watch models currently returning "Page Not Found" errors.

Several MacRumors readers have reported the problem, leading some users to speculate that the broken link for the product they tried to buy might be related to an imminent update or new promotion.

However, given that the errors are affecting the entire product lineup, including in some cases the Education Store homepage itself, it seems pretty clear that this is just a temporary error on the part of Apple's servers. Apple already launched this year's annual "Back to School" promotion in the United States and Canada in June.

We'll update this article once Apple has rectified the error.

Update #1: We're hearing from readers that other regional education stores and the U.K. online refurb store are also experiencing issues at this time.

Update #2: The issues on Apple's online stores appear to have been resolved.

Apple CEO Tim Cook was recently awarded 560,000 shares of Apple stock for serving as Apple's CEO and for Apple's strong performance under his leadership.

After receiving the award, Cook sold more than 265,000 of those shares at prices ranging from $493.50 to $500.11, netting him somewhere around $131.7 million, according to a filing published today by the SEC. The remaining 294,840 shares worth over $148 million were withheld by Apple for taxes.

As with all transactions where Apple executives sell stock, the sale was done under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan that was adopted by Cook's trust on February 28, 2020.

Cook's stock award included 280,000 time-based RSUs and 280,000 performance-based RSUs that were based on Apple's total shareholder return relative to other companies in the S&P 500 over the three-year period from August 25, 2017 through August 24, 2020. Apple achieved a higher shareholder return than at least two-thirds of the other companies in the S&P during that time period.

Mr. Cook's award provides that if Apple's relative TSR performance is within the top third of the companies that remain in the S&P 500 for the entire performance period, the 280,000 performance-based RSUs vest in full. If Apple's performance is in the middle third, the RSUs will be reduced by 50%, and if Apple's performance is in the bottom third, the RSUs will be reduced to zero. Apple needed to achieve a TSR of at least 48.28% to outperform the middle third of the companies in the S&P 500 for the performance period, and at least -3.89% to outperform the bottom third of the companies. Apple's TSR for the three-year period was 194.89%, which ranked 7th of the 442 companies that were included in the S&P 500 for the entire period and placed Apple in the 99th percentile. Therefore, all 280,000 of the RSUs subject to performance requirements vested.

Cook is set to have another 700,000 of his RSUs vest on August 24, 2021, based on his original employment agreement with Apple. Cook's net worth surpassed $1 billion this year, according to estimates calculated by Bloomberg's Billionaires Index.

Apple's stock has soared past the $500 mark this week, and the company's market value has hit $2 trillion. After selling the RSUs provided this year, Cook continues to hold 837,374 shares of Apple stock worth $418 million.

Screenshots said to be sourced from a test model of the upcoming 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max suggest the flagship device could feature a 120Hz display and a LiDAR Scanner.

Shared by leaker Jon Prosser, the screenshots are said to be from a PVT (production validation test) model of the 6.7-inch iPhone. The settings have a toggle to enable "LiDAR" for "assisted auto focus and subject detection for Video and Night Mode."

There's also an option to "Enable High Refresh Rate" and "Enable Adaptive Refresh Rate," a setting that says "the device will alter the refresh rate from 120Hz to 60Hz in accordance to the content displayed on-screen."

There have been mixed rumors on whether some ‌iPhone‌ 12 models will feature 120Hz ProMotion display technology, and display analyst Ross Young earlier this week said that Apple is facing supply chain issues with 120Hz display driver ICs for the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro, and so Apple may opt to ship with 60Hz displays or delay the launch of the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro models.

Prosser claims that some of the 6.7-inch PVT ‌iPhone‌ models are equipped with 120Hz displays and some are not, and the alleged settings screenshots do mention the existence of both.

Rumors have long suggested the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro models will feature a LiDAR Scanner like the LiDAR scanner added to the 2020 iPad Pro models, and this is a feature that is likely to be limited to the higher-end iPhones this year. Both LiDAR tech and 120Hz displays, if implemented, will be high-end features.

These screenshots from Prosser should be viewed with some skepticism. There is some questionable wording in the screenshots, with unusual spelling, capitalization, and wording that Apple does not use. One screenshot uses the UK spelling "behaviour," for example, and Hz is not properly capitalized. "Zoom Capabilities" is misspelled in another of the screenshots, and it references "Slow Mo," when Apple calls it "Slo Mo."

Prosser explains this away by suggesting the wording here is "written for people testing the units," which can't be confirmed. It's not clear if the screenshots or real or have been faked, which would not be difficult to do, but Prosser says that he plans to share a video of the PVT ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro with these settings in the near future.

In the past, Prosser has been fooled by the people who provide him with content to share. In June, for example, he shared images that he claimed were of a wireless charger Apple was still working on, but it later turned out those images were of a clone device not designed by Apple at all. He has, however, shared accurate information on Apple's launch plans in the past.

Update: EverythingApplePro has also shared the same screenshots on an alleged ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ test device. Curiously, these screenshots show an "AM" next to the time, which is allegedly visible due to the extra display space on either side of the device.

EverythingApplePro claims that the 6.7-inch ‌iPhone‌ has a resolution of 2788 x 1284 resolution with 458 pixels per inch and that a power adapter won't be sold alongside the ‌iPhone‌, which has been previously rumored.

Update 2: Prosser has now shared a video that features the camera settings screenshots and allegedly depicts the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌. The notch depicted in the video shared by Prosser appears to be the same size as the current notch, suggesting no reduction in size if the device in the video is truly an ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ and not a fake.

Apple today seeded the sixth betas of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 to developers for testing purposes, updating and refining some of the features that are included in the software.

As the beta testing period goes on, changes get much smaller and less notable. The sixth beta has some minor tweaks and feature additions, but there are no real major changes in the update. We've listed all of what's new in the sixth beta of iOS 14 below.

- Time Picker Design - The time picker interface, available in the Clock app when setting an alarm and other places in iOS, has seen a slight design tweak that adds an orange box around the time to make it more obvious that it can be interacted with to change the time.

- Spatial Audio - Spatial Audio, the feature that brings surround sound to the AirPods Pro, isn't implemented as of yet, but Apple appears to be gearing up to add the feature to iOS 14 and the ‌AirPods Pro‌. In today's beta, there's a new Spatial Audio toggle available in the Accessibility section of the Settings app. Choose AirPods and then at the bottom of the screen, there's a "Follow iPhone" toggle. Follow ‌iPhone‌ makes audio for supported movies and TV shows sound like it's coming from the phone instead of following head movement. There's also new code and internal messaging related to the spatial audio feature. Though this toggle is available, Spatial Audio is not yet functional.

- Maps Splash Screen - There's a new splash screen for the Maps app that lets you know about new features that include cycling directions, curated guides, and support for speed cameras.

Know of any other changes in ‌iOS 14‌ beta 6 that we didn't list here? Let us know in the comments and we'll add them.

Apple today seeded the sixth betas of upcoming iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 updates to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the fifth betas and over two months after unveiling the new software at the WWDC keynote.

Registered developers can download the betas over the air after installing the proper profile from the Apple Developer Center.

iOS 14 introduces a redesigned Home Screen that supports widgets on iPhone for the first time, plus widgets have been redesigned and can now be customized in three sizes through the new widgets gallery.

An App Library shows all of the apps installed on an ‌iPhone‌ in one place, both in an icon view and in an alphabetical list. With all of the apps in the App Library, app icons and ‌Home Screen‌ pages can be hidden for a cleaner look.

Incoming phone calls and FaceTime calls no longer take up the entire ‌iPhone‌/iPad display, and Siri requests have also been minimized so summoning ‌Siri‌ doesn't monopolize the screen. ‌Siri‌ is smarter in iOS 14 and can send audio messages, and dictation can now run on device. A Picture in Picture mode allows users to watch videos or use ‌FaceTime‌ while using other apps.

App Clips lets users take advantage of some app features without needing to download a full app, useful for quick actions like purchasing a coffee, making a restaurant reservation, or renting a scooter, where downloading an entire app would be a hassle. App Clips can be scanned from QR codes, NFC tags, or Apple-designed App Clip Codes, plus they can be shared in Messages or accessed from Safari.

In the Messages app you can now pin important conversations, use @mentions in group chats, and take advantage of inline replies to keep multi-person conversations better organized. There are new Memoji options and group chats can be assigned icons with photos, emoji, or Memoji.

The Health app supports the Apple Watch's new Sleep Tracking feature and there's a Health Checklist for managing health settings, and in the Weather app, there's more info on precipitation and severe weather events.

Cycling directions are available in the Maps app with directions incorporating elevation, how busy a street is, and stairs, plus for those who own electric vehicles, there are options for routes with EV charging stops.

Digital Car Keys let an ‌iPhone‌ be used in lieu of a physical key, a feature that's coming soon to BMWs, and CarPlay now lets users set wallpapers.

A new translate app provides text and voice translations to and from 11 languages, and there are tons of new privacy protections. Developers need to get user permission before accessing devices on a local network, limiting access to photos, and providing apps with approximate locations instead of exact locations.

Safari has a Privacy Report that lets you know which websites have trackers, and there are new icons on the Home screen that let you know when an app is using a camera or microphone. Third-party browser and mail apps can be set as default for the first time, and Apple added new AirPods capabilities.

As for the ‌iPad‌, the Apple Pencil can now be used in any text field, with handwritten text converted automatically to typed text thanks to the new Scribble feature.

There are tons more features in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, so make sure to check out our iOS 14 roundup and our iPadOS 14 roundup for a full list of everything new. We also highlight all of the new feature tweaks and changes introduced with each beta iteration, and you can see the changes from beta 2, beta 3, and beta 4 in our beta 2, beta 3, beta 4, and beta 5 tidbits articles.

Beta 3 brought a new red Music icon, changes to the design of the Music Library in the Music app, a Clock widget, an updated Screen Time widget, while beta 4 added an Apple TV widget and improvements to search. Beta 5 introduced a larger Apple News widget option, a scrolling clock wheel for apps like Alarm Clock, an option to turn on Exposure Notifications, and a feature to better hide photo albums.

iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 are available to registered developers and public beta testers at this time. Beta testing for ‌iOS 14‌ will last for a couple of months, with the update set to be released in the fall alongside new iPhones.

Update: Apple has also released new iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 betas for public beta testers.