MacRumors

Following a couple of leaks in recent weeks, Beats today is officially announcing four new colors for its Powerbeats Pro wireless earphones: Spring Yellow, Cloud Pink, Lava Red, and Glacier Blue. The new earphones will go on sale June 9 and sell for the same $249.95 price as the existing color options.

Aside from the colors, the new ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ models are otherwise identical to the original Powerbeats Pro, offering up to nine hours of listening time with the charging case bringing the total listening time to over 24 hours. A five-minute Fast Fuel charging feature gives you up to an hour and a half of playback time.

As with every other recent Beats and AirPods product, the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ include Apple's H1 chip for easy pairing, seamless switching between devices via iCloud, and "Hey Siri" functionality.

Designed with a sports focus, ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ offer IPX4 sweat and water resistance, so you can use them in the gym without worry. You should avoid submerging them in water, although the original models stood up to splashes, brief submersion, and even more extended dunking in our testing.

‌Powerbeats Pro‌ include on-ear volume and track controls on each earbud, and adjustable earhooks help secure the earphones during vigorous workouts. Four sizes of eartips are included to maximize comfort and provide a good seal in the ear, although the earphones don't offer any active noise cancellation.

The ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ charging case is considerably larger than the case for the AirPods or AirPods Pro, primarily due to the larger design of the earphones themselves. The case also charges solely through a Lightning port and does not charge wirelessly, though a Lightning to USB-A cable is included.

Bluetooth accessory maker Tile has written to the European Union accusing Apple of abuse of power and of illegally favoring its own products.

According to a report by Financial Times, in a letter sent on Tuesday to the European Commissioner for Competition, the accessory maker said that Apple is making it harder for users to use Tile products on iPhone because it has its own rival Find My app.

In a letter sent to European competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager on Tuesday, California-based tracking app maker Tile argued that Apple was making it more difficult for users to operate its product on their smartphones compared to Apple's own rival application, FindMy, by selectively disabling features that allow for seamless user experience.

Tile asked the EU to investigate Apple's business practices, echoing previous calls made by the accessory maker in the United States. Specifically, Tile complains about changes Apple made to location services in iOS 13, which encourage customers not to use always-on location tracking. In addition, Tile said changing these options involve navigating between "complex settings not easy to find."

The report notes that Apple is also rumored to be launching its own AirTags item tracking tags soon. MacRumors uncovered evidence of AirTags within iOS 13 code last year. The tags will be closely integrated with the new ‌Find My‌ app, which will be getting an "Items" tab. Users will receive a notification when they are separated from a tagged item, and if necessary, they can set an AirTag to start making sounds to help locate the lost item.

In the letter, Tile goes on to claim that its product is being denied "equal placement" on the App Store and that Apple has terminated its agreement to sell Tile products in its retail stores, perhaps with one eye on the upcoming launch of AirTags.

Apple responded to the letter with the following statement:

"We strenuously deny the allegations of uncompetitive behavior that Tile is waging against us. Consistent with the critical path we've been on for over a decade, last year we introduced further privacy protections that safeguard user location data. Tile doesn't like those decisions so instead of arguing the issue on its merits, they've instead decided to launch meritless attacks."

The EU has said it intends to reply to Tile's letter and will launch preliminary investigations following the allegations.

Apple maintained its consummate lead in the global wearable products market in the first quarter of this year, based on research conducted by IDC.

According to the report, Apple's lot grew by 13.3 million units, or 59.9 percent year on year, handing it a 23.7 percent share of the market.

Despite difficulties in the supply chain for Apple Watch, the company saw strong results thanks to its Beats and AirPods range (the report treats "hearables" as a subset of wearables).

IDC put the strong demand for AirPods and Beats down to the ongoing health crisis and the increasing number of people working from home who are in need of headphones.

"Consumers were clamouring for these sophisticated earpieces not only for the abilty to playback audio but also to help them increase productivity, as many of them were forced to work from home and sought ways to reduce surrounding noise while staying connected to their smartphones and smart assistants."

Xaiomi came second in place after Apple, with 10.1 million units shipped in the first quater of this year, amounting to 14 percent market share.

Samsung, Huawei, and Fitbit were the other major companies to make up the rest of the wearables market in the report. Global shipments of wearable devices grew 29.7 percent in Q1 2020 compared to Q1 2019, totalling 72.6 million units.

Production of Apple's rumored over-ear wireless headphones is already said to be underway, and Apple's virtual Worldwide Developers Conference in June could be a good opportunity to introduce them.

Apple is also expected to debut Powerbeats Pro in four new Colors soon, so there would appear to be plenty of reasons for Apple to be confident of maintaining its dominance in the wearables market going forward.

Twitter says it has added the ability to schedule tweets using its web interface, suggesting the same option could eventually make it to the platform's iOS app.

Previously, users who wanted to schedule tweets have had to use third-party apps like Buffer and TweetDeck. Now they can do so in Twitter's native web app, via a calendar icon on the bottom of the compose window.

In addition, users can now also save draft tweets in the web app, although currently they won't be synced to drafts in Twitter's mobile app, and vice versa.

Apple today began selling certified refurbished iPhone XR models in select colors and capacities for the first time in the United States. Refurbished iPhone XR models are priced at a roughly 16 percent discount compared to current pricing on brand-new units, knocking $100–120 off of the regular price.

In addition to the 64GB and 128GB capacities matching current brand-new ‌iPhone‌ XR models, refurbished units are also available with 256GB of storage, although currently only in black. The ‌iPhone‌ XR was initially offered in all three capacities at its launch in 2018, but when the ‌iPhone‌ XR moved down the lineup as a lower-priced option in September 2019, the 256GB models were discontinued.

• 64GB: $499, down from current $599 price and $749 launch price
• 128GB: $539, down from current $649 price and $799 launch price
• 256GB: $629, down from former $749 clearance price and $899 launch price

All current refurbished ‌iPhone‌ XR models come carrier unlocked and without a SIM, so they can be activated with any carrier you choose.

Apple says all refurbished ‌iPhone‌ models are thoroughly inspected, tested, cleaned, and repackaged with a new white box and all manuals and accessories. Apple also installs a new battery and replaces the outer shell, making it nearly impossible to distinguish between a refurbished and brand new ‌iPhone‌.

Any refurbished ‌iPhone‌ model comes with Apple's standard one-year warranty effective on the date the device is delivered, which can be extended with AppleCare+ at a flat rate of $149 or for $7.99 per month on the ‌iPhone‌ XR. Upgraded ‌AppleCare‌+ with theft and loss coverage is available for a flat rate of $249 or for $12.99 per month.

(Thanks, Shan!)

Apple sends out Apple Pay promotional emails on a regular basis, and this week's promotion provides a 30 percent discount on custom sunglasses or eyeglasses from Ray-Ban when using ‌Apple Pay‌ and the promo code APPLEPAY at checkout.

The deal applies only to custom orders on the Ray-Ban.com website, and the promotion is valid until June 3, 2020. The Ray-Ban website features a Custom Lab that allows users to choose from 37 styles, 149 lens types, and 290 color options.

Pricing for sunglasses varies based on the style chosen and add-ons, but prices are over $100. Apple's promotional email also highlights other retailers that accept ‌Apple Pay‌, such as Daily Harvest, Old Navy, Pacsun, and Bath & Body Works.

Apple regularly adds new games to its Apple Arcade gaming service, and this week's addition features characters from the popular SpongeBob cartoon. Described as a platform running game, SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit allows players to take on the role of SpongeBob to defeat Plankton's minions and rescue SpongeBob's friends.

Trouble has come to Bikini Bottom! The evil "mastermind" Sheldon J. Plankton has once again hatched a plan to steal the secret Krabby Patty formula. This time he has enlisted his army of cousins to capture all of SpongeBob's friends! Play as SpongeBob on his epic, most side-scrolly quest through Bikini Bottom ever! Explore, collect coins and spatulas, and crush obstacles as SpongeBob races to rescue his friends, defeat Plankton's minions and take back the formula. Keep an eye out for your favorite Bikini Bottom residents...you never know who you might run into!

Gameplay includes familiar locations like Bikini Bottom, Glove World, and Chum Bucket, along with mechanics like trampolines, zip lines, and transformation machines to morph SpongeBob into a range of silly forms.

SpongeBob universe characters that include Patrick, Sandy, Squidward, and Plankton are present in the game, and there are plenty of enemies to defeat, such as the Jellyfish King.

SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit is available in the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV and in the Mac App Store for Macs. Playing the game requires a subscription to ‌Apple Arcade‌, which is priced at $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year.

‌Apple Arcade‌ provides access to more than 100 games on ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, ‌Apple TV‌, and Mac with no in-app purchases or ads.

Images of a new version of the Leather Loop that Apple appears to have in development surfaced yesterday, and today, Vietnamese site Tinhte.vn has shared additional photos and videos that give us a clearer picture of what to expect from the new band.

While the current version of the Leather Loop fastens with a loop-style closure similar to the Sport Loop, the new model attaches to the wrist magnetically. Tinhte.vn's bands are all 44mm, but the images shared yesterday suggest there may also be a 40mm version in the works. The current Leather Loop is limited to the larger watches.

The bands appear to feature waterproofing properties that make them suitable for a wider range of activities than the current Leather Loop bands, and they also have a sportier, more casual look to them.

There is a possibility that Apple will sell these bands alongside the existing Leather Loop options as a new band type, but given the similarities between the designs, the new bands could also be a full replacement for the current Leather Loop.

There's no word on when these new bands might launch, but given that they appear to be finished, we could perhaps see them as early as WWDC. Apple often refreshes Apple Watch band colors alongside major events, so it would not be unusual to see a summer release of a new band option.

Alternatively, Apple could save these new bands for release alongside the Apple Watch Series 6 models in the fall.

Hulu is testing a new "Watch Party" feature that's designed to allow up to eight people to watch TV shows and movies together through the Hulu website and chat with one another while the content is playing.

Some Hulu users who sign in on the web will see a popup describing the new Watch Party option, which is available for a select number of TV shows and movies. Watch Party is limited to customers who have the Hulu plan with no ads, and it is only on the web at this time

We're testing something new on hulu.com so you can watch together, even when you're apart. Start a Watch Party by clicking the watch party icon on the details page of your favorite shows and movies. Try it and tell us what you think.

Starting a Watch Party with friends can be done by choosing a TV show or movie that supports the feature and clicking on the Watch Party icon. Hulu then provides a link that can be shared with up to seven people, and when everyone has joined, the host can start the show.

Participants need to be logged into Hulu and watchers need to have the no ads Hulu subscription, priced at $12 per month. As the TV show or movie plays, participants can chat with one another through an included chat box, and each person using the service can control their own playback without impacting the rest of the group.

Watch Party is a Hulu-built feature that works in any browser that supports Hulu streaming, with no plug-ins or extensions required.

Plex's feature has no communication option, however, and Plex recommends viewers use a separate chat app such as Zoom. Watch Together works on iOS, tvOS, Android devices, and Android TVs. Plex's Watch Together feature is an early release and more functionality will be coming in the future. Unlike Hulu's Watch Party, Watch Together is free to use.

Music streaming service Tidal is bringing Dolby Atmos Music to Dolby Atmos-enabled devices like TVs, sound bars, speakers, and, notable for Apple users, the 4K Apple TV.

Apple's 4K ‌Apple TV‌, released in 2017, supports Dolby Atmos, a feature that brings more immersive sound for content when the ‌Apple TV‌ is paired with a Dolby Atmos soundbar or receiver and speakers.

According to Dolby, Tidal support for Dolby Atmos is rolling out to compatible television streaming boxes as of today. Support is available for the 4K ‌Apple TV‌, 2nd-generation Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Stick 4K, Fire TV Cube, 3rd-generation Fire TV, Nvidia Shield TV and TV Pro (from 2019), and Dolby Atmos-enabled TVs from Sony and Philips.

To use the feature, ‌Apple TV‌ 4K owners will need a Dolby Atmos enabled sound system along with the updated Tidal app.

Tidal began rolling out Dolby Atmos support back in December for Android smartphones and tablets, and it is available for all Tidal HiFi subscribers. Tidal HiFi is Tidal's streaming tier with lossless High Fidelity sound quality, priced at $19.99 per month.

Music playback will default to Dolby Atmos if a Dolby Atmos mix and compatible device are available. Tidal has been adding Dolby Atmos music to its streaming service on a regular basis, and notable albums and songs with support include Ariana Grande's "7 rings," The Weeknd's "After Hours," and Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello's "Señorita."

Tidal's Dolby Atmos content can be found by selecting the "Available in Dolby Atmos" section from the Home screen or searching for Dolby Atmos. For new subscribers interested in Dolby Atmos Music, Tidal is offering an extended 60-day free trial.