MacRumors

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission watchdog is eyeing a potential probe into pre-installed software and pre-defined "default" choices on mobile devices, including Google being set as the default search engine on Apple devices.

In a press release (via ZDNet), the agency is asking for consumer and industry feedback on the state of default settings, pre-installed web browsers, and how it impacts consumer choice, freedom, and competition. On Apple devices, Google is the default search engine in Apple's Safari browser, and while users can change it, there has been concern over how it hinders competition.

Earlier last year, the United States Department of Justice launched an antitrust lawsuit against Google, accusing it of anticompetitive behavior. As part of the case, it was revealed that Apple receives anywhere between $8 billion and $12 billion per year from Google in exchange to make it the default search engine for Safari. The lawsuit claims that the lucrative deal makes it significantly harder for competing search engines such as DuckDuckGo to grow and compete, given the massive advantage Google has.

ACCC Chair Rod Sims says that while users can change the search engine to other providers besides Google, the default option "increases the likelihood that consumers and businesses will stick with that option." Sims says that the agency wants to hear directly from consumers and businesses about how these default choices and pre-installed software impact how they use those services.

We would like to hear from consumers and businesses about the impact of the pre-installation of services and default settings on devices on their use of these services. We're also interested in how the design of user interfaces on devices, such as widgets, search bars, and the steps required for a consumer to change a default search service can affect how consumers use these services.

The agency has not formally launched an investigation into the situation. However, it is requesting feedback as part of an upcoming report "on the impact of default settings and pre-installation of search services and web browsers on consumer choice and competition."

Apple supplier Wistron has reportedly restarted operations at its iPhone manufacturing facility in India, where workers caused widespread damage late last year over claims of unpaid wages.

In a machine translation from Chinese-language paper United Daily News:

Indian media reported that the local Minister of Industry, Jagadish Shettar, stated that Wistron had resumed production at the factory in accordance with relevant licensing conditions. In the future, relevant departments will pay attention to labor issues and do not hope that similar incidents will happen again.

In December 2020, disgruntled staff went on a rampage at the plant, upturning cars and destroying equipment and furniture.

Wistron initially claimed that the incident was caused by people of unknown identities from outside who intruded into and damaged its facility with unclear intentions.

However, local media reported that many of the 2,000 employees were involved in the violence, with many claiming that they had not been fully paid for four months and were being forced to do extra shifts.

Following the unrest, Apple placed Wistron on probation while it conducted an audit, which found that the plant showed violations of its "Supplier Code of Conduct."

According to Apple, Wistron had failed to implement proper working hour management processes, which "led to payment delays for some workers in October and November."

The plant was set to hire up to 20,000 more workers to manufacture more iPhone SE devices, but the plan was put on ice and Apple said it would not award Wistron any new business until it addressed how its workers are treated.

According to today's report, Wistron's iPhone manufacturing team has cooperated with independent auditors and Wistron in the past three months to ensure that the plant has established the necessary systems required to resume production.

Apple said in February that workers at the plant would receive a new training program to ensure they understood their rights and how to raise questions. According to Wistron, all employees have now received full salaries and a new recruitment and salary system has been implemented to ensure that everyone gets the correct salary and provides the correct documentation.

The Apple probation has delayed the tech company's manufacturing push into India, where it has pledged to invest $1 billion dollars as it seeks to diversify its global supply chains.

Amid rumors that Apple is working on an Apple-branded car that will come out in the next decade, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has published an article about Apple's troubled search for an existing automaker partner to build the vehicle, and how the company's more traditional approach to launching new products could better work in its favor.

Reports first surfaced in January suggesting that Apple was eyeing an existing car manufacturer to be its official partner for Apple Car. Several carmakers are said to have been approached by Apple, including Hyundai and Nissan, but these talks don't appear to have come to anything, and have only served to highlight a general reluctance among automakers to dilute their own brands.

As Apple has recently learned, its strategy of partnering with an existing carmaker invites problems related to brand image that tech giant isn't used to, largely because of its dependence on long-term contract manufacturers that are more than happy to assemble its iPhones, iPads, and Macs in their factories, where public-facing brand image often takes a back seat. Not so with established carmakers, notes Gurman:

In this scenario, Apple would develop an autonomous system for the vehicle, the interior and external design, and on-board technology, while leaving the final production to the carmaker. Such a deal would essentially ask an existing car company to shed its brand and become a contract assembler for a new rival.

A longtime manager at both Apple and Tesla Inc. said this would be like Apple asking bitter smartphone rival Samsung Electronics Co. to manufacture the iPhone. Apple wants to challenge the assumptions of how a car works -- how the seats are made, how the body looks, the person said. A traditional automaker would be reluctant to help such a potentially disruptive competitor, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing private matters.

The article goes on to note that Apple reaps high profits by focusing on product and development while outsourcing manufacturing, which is generally a low-margin business. This in turn allows it to avoid spending billions of dollars on constructing its own factories, not to mention staff pay and training, along with additional liabilities.

By contrast, the auto industry runs on a different model which includes carmakers running their own high-volume factories and tightly controlling their supply chains at considerable expense – a business model that has lower profit margins than Apple is used to.

According to industry insiders, this is why Apple is more likely to go with a contract manufacturer like Foxconn, which has an existing relationship with the Cupertino company. Foxconn is the main assembler of iPhones, and also recently unveiled an electric vehicle chassis and a software platform to help carmakers bring models to market faster. According to Gurman's report:

An Apple employee involved in manufacturing said Foxconn is used to having Apple engineers tell it what to do and that the company’s factories are already filled with Apple-designed equipment. The person asked not to be identified discussing sensitive matters.

Contract manufacturer Magna is another possibility. Apple was in talks with the assembler about building a car when it first began making inquiries into the possibility of developing an electric vehicle about five years ago. Gurman notes that Magna is also a lot more experienced at making cars, having assembled luxury models for companies like BMW, Daimler AG and Jaguar Land Rover.

"Magna is the most logical choice," said Eric Noble, president of consulting firm the CarLab, speaking to Gurman. Noble has worked with the "amazingly good" Canadian auto supplier, and believes that an Apple-Magna partnership would prove far more stable than one where Apple worked with an existing carmaker, which would be more likely to invite power struggles.

That said, a recent job listing suggests Apple could be eyeing its own production, notes Gurman. Apple is seeking a "senior hands on manufacturing engineer" for its special projects group, which is leading its work on a car. The successful candidate will be responsible for growing a team of engineers focused on manufacturing strategy and the supply chain, drawing on their experience working with aluminum, steel and composites, which are key materials in cars.

Apple today introduced a new "iPhone Carrier Offers" website in the United States, with the site more prominently highlighting carrier deals offered by AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

A banner on Apple's iPhone purchase pages also points out various carrier discounts that are available, with "Special Offers Available" wording also included when choosing a carrier during the purchase process.

Apple previously highlighted carrier deals on its Financing website, but the new page specific to carrier deals is more noticeable and the deals are more heavily advertised on the iPhone product pages.

Carrier deals can be obtained when purchasing an iPhone from Apple, with the company highlighting up to $700 in savings from AT&T, up to $320 in savings from T-Mobile/Sprint, and up to $440 in savings from Verizon, with all of these deals related to trade-in bonuses.

Apple's carrier deal site breaks down the bonuses that are available from each carrier for each iPhone 12 model, and it provides links to the iPhone purchase pages and options to chat with an iPhone specialist for more info.

Apple relies on carrier deals and trade-in offers to make iPhone pricing more attractive for consumers, so it makes sense for the company to put more emphasis on the price drops that customers can get when using a carrier trade-in option. Apple also has its own trade-in deals that are available separately.

Twitter today updated its official Twitter app with a mention of the launch of "Spaces," its chat room feature that's similar to popular social networking app Clubhouse, but Spaces isn't quite ready to launch.

In a Twitter Space hosted by the company this morning, Twitter said (via The Verge) that it is aiming to make Spaces available for everyone starting in April.

With Spaces, Twitter offers users public chat rooms that users can create or join. The host who created the Space has speaking privileges to talk to those who join, and can designate up to nine other speakers.

While there's a maximum of 10 speakers allowed, there's no limit on the number of listeners who can join a given Space. Spaces has been available in a beta capacity on iOS and Android devices, and creating Spaces is limited to a select number of people who have been selected to beta test the feature in the iOS app.

All iOS and Android users can join an existing Space that has been created by someone in the beta, it's just the creation process that's limited at the current time.

A couple of years ago, I took a look at the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and its Uconnect 4 infotainment system featuring CarPlay and Android Auto, which I found to be a well-designed and visually appealing system with great ‌CarPlay‌ integration. Fiat Chrysler, which merged with Groupe PSA earlier this year to become Stellantis, is now starting to roll out its next-generation infotainment system, Uconnect 5, and I recently had an opportunity to test it out on a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica.

Uconnect 5 was announced just over a year ago, but it's still in the early stages of making its way into updated models, and the Pacifica was the first to gain the new system. Uconnect 5 on the Pacifica runs on a nice 10.1-inch infotainment screen that's standard on all trims, although built-in TomTom navigation requires a higher-level trim or package beyond the standard Uconnect 5 system.

One of the key new features of Uconnect 5 is support for wireless ‌CarPlay‌, which has so far been limited to just a few largely premium brands but is starting to roll out much more broadly as an increasing number of manufacturers have undertaken revamps of their infotainment hardware and software.

As with Uconnect 4, I found the new Uconnect 5 system to do an excellent job of integrating ‌CarPlay‌, leaving a persistent, customizable menu bar along the bottom of the display and a thin status bar at the top, even while turning the majority of the display over to ‌CarPlay‌. The result is a nice level of integration, allowing you to easily jump back and forth between ‌CarPlay‌ and the rest of the Uconnect system as needed.

The menu bar along the bottom allows for a dedicated ‌CarPlay‌ icon once your phone is connected, and you can reorder the icons to suit your preferences. Regardless of whether you're in ‌CarPlay‌ or the main Uconnect system, the top status bar offers glanceable information like time and outdoor temperature, as well as configurable quick-access icons for features like climate control (manual climate controls are also available) and the interior "FamCam" that lets you keep an eye on kids wherever they're sitting.

Wireless ‌CarPlay‌ setup is extremely simple, requiring just a few taps in settings on the Uconnect system and on your iPhone to get the pairing confirmed. From that point on, ‌CarPlay‌ is a seamless experience, automatically connecting quite quickly once the vehicle is turned on, and I never experienced any lag or glitches over the wireless connection in my testing.

That snappy performance was evident throughout the Uconnect 5 system, with FCA saying that the new hardware that comes with Uconnect 5 has five times the processing power of Uconnect 4 systems. I also found the screen to be high-quality with vivid colors. Overall, the Uconnect 5 system offers a clean, modern layout that will remain familiar to those who have used the previous version.

Uconnect 5 does come with a new Home Screen experience that supports multiple pages, customizable widgets, and more, giving you a quick glance at your most important types of information, although this is less useful is you're a heavy ‌CarPlay‌ user. With the ability to configure up to five user profiles, preferences such as media, climate settings, and seating and mirror positions can be customized for different drivers. Uconnect 5 is also capable of supporting two simultaneous phone connections.

Wireless ‌CarPlay‌ is great for short trips around town, but if you've got a longer road trip planned, you're probably going to want a way to charge your phone, and that's where wireless charging comes in. The Pacifica has an optional wireless charging pad located at the base of the console, letting you plunk your phone down and get some juice while you drive.

The charging pad keeps your phone tucked out of the way, which also helps reduce the temptation to pick it up and look at it. I found the pad was plenty big enough to accommodate my iPhone 12 Pro Max, although I did find placement a little bit finicky as it gave me a red error light a couple of times when I put my phone down. A quick adjustment of the phone's position did, however, quickly change the light to blue, confirming that it was charging my phone.

Unfortunately, while wireless ‌CarPlay‌ is standard with Uconnect 5, wireless charging is not standard on the 2021 Pacifica. The feature is only available on the higher-end Limited and Pinnacle trims, as those are the only two trims that include integrated console designs with room for one.

If you're interested in or limited to a wired connection, the Pacifica certainly has you covered, with my Limited trim featuring two sets of USB inputs at the base of the center stack with each set including USB-A and USB-C port options. The storage compartment in the center console offers an additional set of USB-A and USB-C ports as well as a 12V power port.

For second-row users, my test Pacifica came equipped with Uconnect Theater, which is great for the kids on road trips. I gave a bit more thorough overview of the system in my 2018 Pacifica review, so I'll just say that the system includes a pair of 10-inch touchscreens for second-row passengers offering games, media options, and more.

Each seatback screen has a headphone jack and HDMI and USB-A ports for connecting external devices, and a Blu-ray player and USB-A port up front can also be used to send media to the rear screens. Each screen is also paired with wireless headphones and a remote with touchpad and buttons, all housed in storage pockets specially designed for the accessories.

Uconnect Theater is standard on the Limited and Pinnacle trims and available as part of Uconnect Theater Family Group packages on the Touring L and Touring trims.

Third-row passengers won't get their own screens, so they'll have to watch over their siblings' shoulders, but at least they get a set of USB-C/USB-A ports for charging their own devices on the Limited and Pinnacle trims. It's part of an optional package on lower trims.

Aside from all of the infotainment bells and whistles, my Pacifica also came with a number of other technology features including the built in "Stow 'n Vac" integrated vacuum system with crevice and brush tools, which I took advantage of to clean up after my messy kids. Built-in vacuums are becoming increasingly popular in minivans, and they're very handy for taking care of messes without needing to haul out a separate vacuum from the inside the house, garage, or basement. Stow 'n Vac is standard on the Limited and Pinnacle trims and included in that Uconnect Theater Family Group package on the Touring L trim.

While my test 2021 Chrysler Pacifica was a Premium AWD trim coming in at a smidge under $50,000 (there's an even higher Pinnacle trim for a few thousand more), even the base Touring trim starting at just over $35,000 gets the 10.1-inch screen with wireless ‌CarPlay‌.

Infotainment systems have increasingly become focal points for car buyers, so I really appreciate the uniformity across Pacifica trims and I'd like to see more manufacturers offering high-quality infotainment systems and handy features like wireless ‌CarPlay‌ across all trim levels.

Wireless phone charging remains more of a high-end option, and sometimes a quite expensive one. As seen on the Pacifica, the availability of wireless charging is sometimes linked to other features like higher-end console designs, which is understandable, but I remain hopeful that it will roll out more broadly across models and trims, particularly as wireless ‌CarPlay‌ and Android Auto proliferate and more customers demand an all-wireless experience.

Last month, MacRumors reported that Apple was introducing a new same-unit repair method for iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 models exhibiting certain issues that would typically require a whole-unit replacement. Now, we've learned that Apple has extended these same-unit repairs to the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers have access to a new "iPhone Rear System" part that is essentially an iPhone enclosure that includes all components except the display and rear camera. As of this week, this part is available for all four iPhone 12 models, according to an Apple memo obtained by MacRumors.

If a customer has an iPhone 12 Pro with cracked rear glass, for example, an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider is able to replace the entire rear portion of the device with the iPhone Rear System part, while retaining the customer's original display and rear camera. For this reason, the iPhone's display and rear camera must be free of damage or issues in order for the device to qualify for a same-unit repair.

iPhone 12 models may be eligible for a same-unit repair if they are unable to be powered on, or are experiencing issues with the logic board, Face ID system, or the enclosure of the device, such as cracked rear glass, according to Apple. The new repair method is said to be available in all countries and regions where iPhone 12 models are sold.

In its memo, Apple reiterated that this move supports the company's ongoing commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of every product it sells.

Twitter today announced it is testing full-sized image previews in the timeline on iOS and Android, allowing users to see a full image in its original size, rather than merely a cropped 16:9 version.

On iOS and Android, Twitter currently displays a cropped version of any non-16:9 image on the timeline. The newly announced change, currently being tested, will instead show an image in its full size right inline on the Twitter timeline. With the change, you'll be able to see the full image without having to tap it directly, making the browsing experience easier.

Alongside the timeline change, Twitter also announced it is testing the ability for users to upload 4K images on iOS and Android. Users will see a new "High-quality image upload" option on the "Data usage" settings page. Twitter hasn't specified a timeframe for when these changes will roll out, but it is testing them with iOS and Android users and they should be available to everyone sometime later this year.

A new set of renders claims to showcase the design of the upcoming third-generation AirPods, which could be announced during a rumored Apple event later this month.

The renders were shared by Gizmochina, which claims to have received the renders from a "supplier." The images depict AirPods with a shorter stem, similar to the AirPods Pro, and a smaller charging case. This information lines up with reporting from Bloomberg which states that the design of the new AirPods takes inspiration from the AirPods Pro, although they will lack certain Pro features such as Active Noise Cancellation.

The renders should be taken with a grain of salt. However, the images were shared by the Twitter account @Duanrui1205, which has in the past shared accurate information, possibly adding validity to them. The renders also fall in line with alleged real-life images of the upcoming AirPods, which show them with a smaller stem and replaceable ear tips.

Just this week, Chinese leaker "Kang" reported that Apple is planning to hold its long-awaited spring event on March 23. That event is expected to headline AirTags, new iPad models, and possibly the updated third-generation AirPods. Apple is also working on second-generation AirPods Pro, which are rumored to be more compact by eliminating the stem and adopting an earbud design similar to the Galaxy and Google Buds.

Adobe is rolling out a Photoshop update to bring native support for Apple Silicon, promising users 1.5x faster performance than running the software via Rosetta emulation.

In November, Adobe released Photoshop with ‌Apple Silicon‌ support in beta. Now, with its latest v22.3 update announced today, Adobe is officially adding ‌Apple Silicon‌ support.

While Photoshop will run natively on M1 Macs, there are some caveats. Users will have the ability to run Photoshop as a native ‌Apple Silicon‌ app or under Rosetta emulation. Under native mode, however, certain features will not be available. Adobe says that the ability to import, export, and playback embedded video players is not supported under ‌Apple Silicon‌, and other features such as preset syncing, shake reduction filter, and the "Share an image" button don't currently work.

Adobe is also listing a few known issues that beta users reported for native ‌Apple Silicon‌ support. Adobe says that the ability to copy/paste edits between an Adobe app running natively on ‌Apple Silicon‌ and one running on Rosetta emulation is currently not supported. As a solution, Adobe is recommending users run both applications under the same mode, either native ‌Apple Silicon‌ or Rosetta emulation.

Alongside ‌Apple Silicon‌ support, the March 2021 update includes general and expected bug fixes and improvements. Adobe Creative Cloud customers can update Photoshop using the Creative Cloud Mac app.

Update: Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve has also been updated to version 17.1 with ‌Apple Silicon‌ support, as noted by The 8-Bit.

(Thanks, Don!)

Apple will make Munich its European Silicon Design Center, the company announced today. Work already being undertaken by Apple in Bavaria's capital is contributing to its custom Apple silicon designs, while the expansion, together with additional investment in R&D, will exceed 1 billion euros in the next three years.

Apple says the new state-of-the-art facility will bring hundreds of new jobs to the area, which is already Apple's largest engineering hub in Europe, with around 1,500 engineers from 40 countries working in a variety of areas including power management design and application processors. The new facility will house employees who will focus on connectivity and wireless technologies.

"I couldn't be more excited for everything our Munich engineering teams will discover — from exploring the new frontiers of 5G technology, to a new generation of technologies that bring power, speed, and connectivity to the world," said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. "Munich has been a home to Apple for four decades, and we're grateful to this community and to Germany for being a part of our journey."

The new, 30,000-square-meter facility is located in central Munich's Karlstrasse, and will be home to Apple's growing cellular unit, Europe's largest R&D site for mobile wireless semiconductors and software. Teams there will create 5G and future technologies, and focus on developing, integrating, and optimizing wireless modems for Apple products.

Apple plans to start moving into the new building in late 2022, and like all Apple offices globally, it will run entirely on 100 percent renewable energy.

Apple says it has spent over 15 billion euros with more than 700 companies of all sizes across Germany. This includes the chip manufacturer Infineon, battery company Varta, and the family-owned chemical company DELO, which is delivering resin for Face ID technology in products like the iPhone 12.

Apple is cutting orders for all iPhones by around 20% compared to its plans in December, with the iPhone 12 mini making up the majority of the cutback, according to Nikkei Asia. In line with previous reports, the publication claims that demand for the iPhone 12 mini has been "far lower than Apple initially expected."

The report claims that Apple initially aimed to secure components for up to 96 million iPhones for the first half of 2021, including the entire iPhone 12 lineup and older models like the iPhone 11 and the iPhone SE, but the company is apparently now targeting production of around 75 million units during that period. That is still slightly higher than iPhone shipments in the same period last year, the report adds.

iPhone 12 mini demand has been so lackluster that Apple even asked some suppliers to temporarily stop building components specifically for the 5.4-inch device, according to Nikkei Asia. Some of the components and parts for the iPhone 12 mini have been reallocated to the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, a source told the publication.

Apple is still believed to be seeing healthy demand for its three higher-end iPhone 12 models, with strong sales of the devices helping to contribute to Apple's record-breaking $111.4 billion revenue reported in the December quarter.

While demand for the iPhone 12 mini may be lower than Apple initially expected, the company is still expected to release a so-called iPhone 13 mini this year.

Apple is planning redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models powered by Apple silicon for release in the second half of 2021, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, and a Nikkei Asia report today lends credence to that timeframe.

In a report focused on Apple slashing iPhone 12 orders from suppliers, the publication briefly noted that Apple has pushed back mass production of the two new MacBooks from May or June until the second half of the year. The report refers to the notebooks as "MacBooks," but it is likely this is referring to the upcoming MacBook Pro models.

Meanwhile, Apple has rescheduled plans to begin mass producing two new MacBook laptops in the second half of the year, from the previous schedule of May or June, Nikkei has learned. The two MacBooks will be powered by the Apple Silicon processor as part of a two-year transition away from longtime supplier Intel's microprocessors.

The second half of the year begins in July, so there should still be ample time for Apple's suppliers to ramp up production for a launch later in the year.

In addition to Apple silicon, Kuo expects the new MacBook Pro models to feature brighter displays with Mini-LED backlighting, a new design with a flat-edged top and bottom, an HDMI port and SD card reader, classic MagSafe charging with a magnetic power cable, and physical function keys instead of the Touch Bar. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated many of these details, and he was first to report that an SD card reader is returning.

With rumors swirling about an upcoming iPad Pro refresh, which may be announced as part of an alleged Apple Event on Tuesday, March 23, it appears that at least one accessory maker has already started preparing.

A photo shared on Reddit today shows what appears to be a Speck folio that is listed as being compatible with an as-yet-unannounced 2021 model of an 11-inch iPad, in addition to the 11-inch iPad Pro and the 10.9-inch iPad Air. The user who submitted the photo said they found the folio on the shelf at Target, but when they attempted to purchase it, the checkout system said the item cannot be sold until April 6.

The packaging does not explicitly mention that the new 11-inch iPad is a Pro model, but that is almost certainly the device this would be referring to, as no other upcoming iPad is rumored to sport an 11-inch display. The ninth-generation iPad, for example, is rumored to feature a 10.5-inch display like the third-generation iPad Air.

While it is hard to draw any firm conclusions from photos like these, it is possible that Speck has learned that the next 11-inch iPad Pro will have very similar to identical dimensions as the current model. This wouldn't be too surprising, as there haven't been any rumors of a major redesign for the next iPad Pro, with key new features expected to include a Mini-LED display, faster A14X chip, and 5G support on cellular models.

We wouldn't read too much into Target's alleged April 6 on-sale date for the Speck folio either, but it's at least within the ballpark of the late March to early April timeframe for the next iPad Pro update that was reported by DigiTimes earlier today.

Interestingly, most rumors have only mentioned a new 12.9-inch iPad Pro and not an 11-inch model, but the devices are usually updated simultaneously. March is a common month for Apple to announce new or updated products, with other rumored products including the long-awaited AirTags, a new Apple TV, new AirPods, and more Apple silicon Macs.

Apple last updated its iPad Pro lineup in March 2020 with a marginally improved A12Z chip, an Ultra Wide camera, a LiDAR Scanner, and better sounding microphones.

(Thanks, Greg!)