MacRumors

We've teamed up with Anker again this month, with a new collection of discount codes marking down USB-C wall chargers, surge protectors, portable chargers, USB-C hubs, and a wireless charger. All discount codes in this sale will expire on Sunday, February 7.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

The sales also include $100 off Anker's Powerhouse II 777Wh Portable Solar Generator, which has two AC outlets, two USB-C ports, four USB-A ports, one vehicle-class outlet, and two DC outlets. When it needs to recharge, the Powerhouse can refuel in just under five hours (a solar panel is not included). There's also a smaller solar powered portable charger at $47.99.

Lastly, you'll find a large collection of USB-C accessories on sale this week, including USB-C wall chargers from $17.99, a surge protector with USB-C support at $29.99, and two USB-C MacBook hubs at $44.99. For portable chargers, prices start at $47.99 for Anker's Solar Power Bank with a 20,000 mAh capacity.

Wall Chargers

• Nano USB-C Charger (with 3ft USB-C Cable) - $17.99 with code MRAK2616, down from $21.99
• USB-C Charger - $25.99 with code MRAK2718, down from $32.99
• USB-C Power Strip with 3 AC Outlets - $29.99 with code MRAC9233, down from $37.99
• PowerCore Fusion USB-C Wall Charger + 10,000 mAh Portable Charger - $36.79 with code MRAK1623, down from $45.99

Portable Chargers

• Solar Power Bank 20,000 mAh - $47.99 with code MRAK1650, down from $59.99
• PowerCore III 19,200 mAh - $52.79 with code MRAK1285, down from $65.99
• PowerCore III Elite with USB-C Wall Charger + USB-C Cable - $79.99 with code MRAK1284, down from $99.99
• Portable Power Station (2 AC Outlets, 2 USB-C Ports, 4 USB-A Ports, More) - $599.99 with code MRAK1750, down from $699.99

Hubs

• USB-C Hub with HDMI Port, 2 USB-A, Ethernet, More - $44.99 with code MRAKCHUB, down from $59.99
• USB-C Hub Adapter for MacBook - $44.99 with code MRAKCHUB, down from $59.99

Wireless Charger

• PowerWave 10 Stand with 2 USB-A Ports - $32.99 with code MRAK2529, down from $45.99

Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

Apple may be designing and developing its own "health hardware products," according to a job listing spotted by MyHealthyApple.

Apple is hiring a Senior Engineering Project Manager to join Apple's Health Hardware group, which is part of Apple's Health Technologies division. The listing explicitly states that Apple is developing its own health hardware products, which appear to be separate from the Apple Watch. Unlike the Beddit sleep tracker, which was acquired by Apple in 2017, these "health hardware products" would come directly under the Apple brand.

The Health Hardware group is looking for an Engineering Project Manager (EPM) to lead the design and development of Apple-branded Health Hardware products.

Health Technologies is an interdisciplinary team of engineers and creators at Apple who are involved in a wide range of initiatives, products, and services, such as Apple Fitness+ and partnerships with Biogen and ZimmerBiomet.

The role sits among several other EPM hires on the Jobs at Apple website. The Health Hardware EPM manager is expected to oversee the product build itself as well as be responsible for interfacing with suppliers and even marketing.

EPMs are fearless organizers who are ready to work with the highly skilled Hardware, Software, Mechanical Design and Industrial Design teams to identify and resolve potential risks to the schedule and quality of the product. The EPM will interact with these engineering design disciplines plus Safety, Reliability, Marketing, Packaging, Manufacturing, Component Engineering, and other resources inside and outside Apple.

The EPM is also the key interface to the suppliers, driving build readiness at the factory and managing the build itself. Success is defined in terms of the quality and timeliness of the pre-production builds and the start of mass production.

The listing's emphasis on hardware product development and "driving build readiness at the factory" may suggest that Apple-branded health hardware products are already fairly developed, and could even be set to enter factory production soon.

Apple is increasingly interested in health and fitness innovations. Most Apple health features have been channeled through the Apple Watch and iPhone so far, but with HealthKit and the health infrastructure it has established, it would make sense for Apple to offer a broader range of health hardware products.

The new health hardware product job description does not provide any indications about the nature of these new products, but other HealthKit-compatible products on the market currently include weighing scales, blood-pressure monitors, thermometers, and more.

All four iPhone 13 models will feature an upgraded Ultra Wide camera lens with a wider ƒ/1.8 aperture, compared to ƒ/2.4 on iPhone 12 models, Barclays analysts Blayne Curtis and Thomas O'Malley said in an investor note shared with MacRumors.

In an investor note with TF International Securities in November, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also claimed that the Ultra Wide lens will be upgraded to an ƒ/1.8 aperture, but only on iPhone 13 Pro models, so there is conflicting information as to exactly how many models will get the lens upgrade. Kuo expects the upgraded Ultra Wide lens to expand to the rest of the flagship iPhone lineup in the second half of 2022.

A wider aperture would allow for more light to pass through the lens, with the move from a ƒ/2.4 to ƒ/1.8 aperture likely to result in significantly improved low-light performance when shooting in Ultra Wide mode on iPhone 13 models.

Barclays also claimed that the iPhone 12 Pro Max's upgraded Telephoto lens will expand to the standard iPhone 13 Pro, with a 65mm focal length and ƒ/2.2 aperture, a move that is expected to benefit chipmaker Cirrus Logic given that it would be supplying Apple with a camera controller for an additional iPhone model starting later this year.

Apple is expected to stick with the same display sizes and camera setups for the iPhone 13 lineup, including 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch models with dual-lens cameras and 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch models with triple-lens cameras. Other rumored camera features include the expansion of the LiDAR Scanner and sensor-shift image stabilization to more models.

February is Heart Month, and Apple is marking the occasion by offering slightly higher trade-in values on older Apple Watch models in the United States.

A new banner added to Apple's website says customers can get a new Apple Watch Series 6 for as low as $239 after trade-in of an Apple Watch Series 4 in good condition, or a new Apple Watch SE for as low as $199 after trade-in of an Apple Watch Series 2 in good condition. These are only two examples, with many other combinations possible.

The new trade-in values are as follows:

• Apple Watch Series 5: Up to $200 (up to $190 previously)
• Apple Watch Series 4: Up to $160 (up to $150 previously)
• Apple Watch Series 3: Up to $100 (up to $95 previously)
• Apple Watch Series 2: Up to $80 (up to $60 previously)
• Apple Watch Series 1: Up to $40 (up to $35 previously)

Apple has also tweaked the trade-in values of some iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Android smartphone models. We've listed some examples below.

• iPhone 11 Pro: Up to $460 (up to $450 previously)
• iPhone 11: Up to $360 (up to $350 previously)
• iPhone XS Max: Up to $340 (up to $370 previously)
• iPhone XS: Up to $270 (up to $300 previously)
• iPhone XR: Up to $220 (up to $250 previously)
• iPad Pro: Up to $535 (up to $525 previously)
• iPad Air: Up to $275 (up to $250 previously)
• iPad mini: Up to $215 (up to $205 previously)
• MacBook Air: Up to $600 (up to $630 previously)
• Samsung Galaxy S20: Up to $240 (up to $255 previously)

Visit the Apple Trade In page for further details. Trade-in values vary in other countries.

After years of hoarding cash, Apple has sold $14 billion in bonds to take advantage of cheap borrowing costs in order to return more cash to shareholders, according to a report by Bloomberg.

The company issued debt in six parts. The longest portion of the offering, a 40-year security, will yield 95 basis points above Treasuries, after initially discussing between 115 and 120 basis points, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be identified as the details are private.

The report notes that until last year, Apple hadn't borrowed in the U.S. investment-grade market more than once in a calendar year since 2017, but low interest rates were too tempting for the company in its pursuit of aggressive share buybacks and dividends. Apple may also use it in funding for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisition and repayment of debt, according to Bloomberg's source.

Apple is believed to be sitting on $196 billion of cash, but has been working to reduce its net cash position, largely through payouts to stockholders. The company recently reported on earnings on the last quarter in which revenue topped $100 billion for the first time.

A judge presiding over preparatory hearings in the Apple vs. Epic Games court case has ruled that Apple CEO Tim Cook must attend a seven-hour long deposition to testify about how the company views App Store competition, reports Gizmodo.

U.S. magistrate Judge Thomas S. Hixon reportedly settled on the seven-hour deposition after Epic Games proposed eight hours to depose Cook and Apple requested four. Apple's concession came after its lawyers attempted to cite the "apex doctrine," which prevents a high-level corporate employee from being deposed.

According to Judge Thomas S. Hixon, however, "this dispute is less than meets the eye." Hixon writes that the apex doctrine "limits the length of a deposition, rather than barring it altogether," and that given the circumstances, the dispute is a question of whether Cook should be deposed for "four hours, eight hours, or some length of time in between." Hence, Hixon's ruling that Cook should be deposed for seven hours.

Judge Hixon also denied Apple's request to subpoena internal documents related to ‌Epic Games‌' relationship with Samsung, which Apple alleged would prove that its ‌App Store‌'s practices are largely consistent with other industry players.

In other words, if Apple can prove that Samsung made similar decisions in how it distributes ‌Epic Games‌' Fortnite, then it could argue that the company's antitrust argument is unconvincing.

However, Hixon called the request "a quirky deep dive" into arrangements between the two companies, which "cannot serve as a stand-in for some larger category of market participants."

In another development, Hixon ordered Apple to make "best efforts" to produce internal payment-processing documents, after it criticized the company as "frustrating and unsatisfactory" in its attempts to stall their release to Epic.

According to Law360, Apple counsel representatives Jay Srinivasan of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher argued that the large size of the company meant the documents would take time to produce, and claimed that ‌Epic Games‌ has not prioritized its requests.

"You're not really offering a solution to this problem," Judge Hixson told Srinivasan. "You're just saying, 'No, we can't do it.' That feels frustrating and unsatisfactory to me."

Epic Games‌ in August added a Fortnite update that allowed customers to purchase in-game currency directly from ‌Epic Games‌, skirting Apple's in-app purchases. That is against Apple's rules, and the move led Apple to pull the app from the App Store.

After that, ‌‌Epic Games‌‌ filed a planned lawsuit against Apple, and Apple ultimately terminated ‌‌Epic Games‌‌' developer account. Fortnite has not been available on iOS devices since August, and as Epic refuses to comply with the ‌‌App Store‌‌ rules, there is no path for it to return to the ‌‌App Store‌‌.

The trial between ‌Epic Games‌ and Apple is scheduled to begin in May 2021.

Update 2/3: As spotted by The 8-Bit, Apple has now reinstated iCloud for Windows version 12 on the Microsoft Store.

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Apple has pulled version 12 of iCloud for Windows from the Microsoft Store, based on user reports. The update included support for the iCloud Passwords Chrome extension released on Monday.

As noted by The 8-Bit, the version of iCloud currently on the Microsoft App Store is 11.6.32.0, which is a downgrade from version 12 that was available yesterday. The description for the iCloud app still mentions support for the iCloud Passwords extension, however.

It's not known why Apple pulled the latest version, but it could be due to issues many users have experienced with the Chrome extension, including problems with two-factor authentication when trying to access websites and the browser extension failing to work at all.

Apple released the iCloud passwords extension for Google's Chrome browser on Windows 10 to allow users to access passwords in Chrome that have been generated in Apple's Safari browser. It also enables ‌iCloud‌ syncing of passwords generated in Chrome, making them available on Apple devices, too.

Apple will collaborate with Hyundai on its first Apple Car model, and if things go well, Apple could work with General Motors and European manufacturer PSA for subsequent models or in other markets, according to noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In his latest TF Securities investor note, seen by MacRumors, Kuo corroborates recent reports of a potential Apple Car partnership with Hyundai and says that he believes Apple's first vehicle chassis will be based on Hyundai's E-GMP battery electric vehicle (BEV) platform.

Announced in December, the E-GMP uses up to two motors, five-link rear suspension, an integrated drive axle, battery cells that can provide range over 500km on a full charge, and can be charged up to 80% within 18 minutes through high-speed charging. A high performance model based on E-GMP is capable of accelerating from 0-60 miles per hour in less than 3.5 seconds, with a top speed of 160 miles per hour. Hyundai plans to sell 1 million BEV units worldwide by 2025.

Apple's deep collaboration with current automakers (Hyundai Group, GM, and PSA) who have extensive development, production, and qualification experience will significantly shorten the Apple Car development time and create a time-to- market advantage. We believe that Apple will leverage current automakers' resources and focus on self-driving hardware and software, semiconductors, battery-related technologies, form factor and internal space designs, innovative user experience, and the integration with Apple’s existing ecosystem.

According to Kuo's prediction, Hyundai Mobis will be in charge of design and production for some Apple Car components, and Hyundai Group affiliate Kia will provide the U.S. production line for Apple Cars, although Kuo predicts that Apple may struggle to launch the Apple Car in 2025 because of the more complicated development time and supply chain management involved.

We predict that Apple will launch the Apple Car in 2025 at the earliest. The new iPhone takes about 18–24 months from initial specification definition to mass production based on experience. Given the longer development time, higher validation requirements, more complicated supply chain management, and very different sales/after-sales service channels for the automobiles, we believe that Apple, which lacks car building experience, is already on a tight schedule if it wants to launch the Apple Car in 2025.

Kuo suggests Apple will market the vehicle as a "very high-end" model, or "significantly higher" than a standard electric vehicle, which will benefit the automaker partners. Foxconn, which is already developing electric vehicle parts, will not be involved in Apple Car assembly or casing orders, predicts Kuo.

Rumors that Apple is in negotiations with Hyundai about developing an Apple Car have been coming thick and fast over the last few weeks. Rumors that Apple is in negotiations with Hyundai first surfaced in early January. Hyundai initially confirmed its electric vehicle discussions with Apple, but then walked back the claims hours later.

The most recent Reuters report suggested the outlook for a deal had dimmed because Hyundai executives were "divided" over the prospect of working with Apple. Hyundai was said to have serious reservations about the prospect of becoming a contract manufacturer for another brand.

Reuters in December reported that ‌‌‌Apple Car‌‌‌ production may begin around 2024. However, a subsequent Bloomberg report said that the ‌‌‌Apple Car‌‌‌ is "nowhere near production stage" and could be ready in around five to seven years.

Multiple MacRumors readers in the UK and Ireland have noticed that the built-in Weather app now supports next-hour precipitation readings, a feature that appears to have rolled out recently.

Next-hour precipitation details have been available in the United States and Canada since the launch of iOS 14, but had not expanded to other countries prior to this week. The new precipitation charts appear to be showing up for those running both iOS 14.4 and iOS 14.5.

Apple added next-hour precipitation to the Weather app after its acquisition of Dark Sky in March 2020. Precipitation charts offer minute-by-minute weather predictions based on precise location.

Update: Dutch website iCulture reports that the precipitation feature is appearing in The Hague, suggesting rollout is happening in the Netherlands and France, too.

Apple today published new App Store guideline updates for developers, tweaking many existing guidelines and adding a new rule pertaining to the App Tracking Transparency requirement in iOS 14.5.

The new 5.1.2(i) rule related to App Tracking Transparency requires developers to ask for explicit permission before tracking user activity, something that Apple has been planning to implement since iOS 14's release. Apple last week said that its App Tracking rules would be enforced starting with the next iOS update, which will be iOS 14.5.

5.1.2(i): Added: "You must receive explicit permission from users via the App Tracking Transparency APIs to track their activity. Learn more about tracking."

Coinciding with the new rule around App Tracking Transparency, Apple today highlighted the SKAdNetwork 2.2 and Private Click Measurement APIs that are available to developers as alternatives to more invasive user tracking methods.

SKAdNetwork 2.2 allows developers to display and measure ad effectiveness while preserving user privacy, while Private Click Measurement, an iOS 14.5 feature, lets ad networks measure the effectiveness of advertisement clicks within iOS apps that navigate to a website, but in a privacy-focused way.

App Tracking Transparency will be enforced when iOS 14.5 is released, and Apple has said that it expects the new update to launch in the early spring.

Apple's ‌App Store‌ Guidelines update also clarifies several existing rules and includes minor wording changes and tweaks, with a full list of changes available on Apple's developer site.

Apple today released the iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 beta updates for developers, and included in the new software is a feature that's designed to make it easier to unlock an iPhone while wearing a mask by leveraging the Apple Watch.

An opt-in setting lets you turn on a feature that allows an iPhone to be unlocked with both Face ID and an authenticated Apple Watch combined. You can find this setting by opening up the Settings app, going to the ‌Face ID‌ & Passcode section, entering your passcode, and then toggling on "Unlock with Apple Watch."

Both iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4 are required to enable this feature, and once turned on, you can begin unlocking your iPhone with an unlocked and authenticated Apple Watch while wearing a mask. The first time you go to unlock your iPhone with Apple Watch after enabling the feature you'll need to enter a passcode, but after that, Apple Watch unlocking is smooth, seamless, and quick.

When you're wearing a mask and go to use ‌Face ID‌, you'll feel a haptic vibration on your wrist and it will let you know that your iPhone was unlocked with your watch via a notification that pops up on your wrist.

‌Face ID‌ will work like normal on the iPhone, so you'll only feel a difference through the Apple Watch, though sometimes there's a slight delay that says "unlocking iPhone with Apple Watch." This seems to depend on the distance between your iPhone and your watch, and if your authenticated watch is too far away, you'll be told to move it closer.

Every time you unlock, you'll feel the vibration and see the pop up, and it's generally an interface that looks like the interface that comes up when you unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch. Unlocking a Mac through an authenticated Apple Watch has long been a feature.

You cannot make an Apple Pay or App Store purchases with the Apple Watch, nor can you use it for authenticating in apps that use ‌Face ID‌. In these situations, you still need to remove your mask and use the standard ‌Face ID‌ authentication or enter a passcode.

For those concerned about security or possible authentication bypasses with this method, the feature is entirely opt-in and is not enabled by default. You do need an unlocked Apple Watch for this to work, so there's no way to use it with an Apple Watch that has not been unlocked via the iPhone or by your Apple Watch passcode.

All in all, unlocking an iPhone with a paired Apple Watch is as seamless as unlocking with standard ‌Face ID‌, and it's just about as quick, so this will be a welcome change for people frustrated with using an iPhone while wearing a mask. Future iPhones may include in-display Touch ID alongside ‌Face ID‌, but for now, this is a useful solution for iPhone owners who also have an Apple Watch.

Code discovered in iOS 14.5 by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser suggests that Apple is planning to introduce a new feature that will allow for multiple people to use the same Apple Card account.

Right now, ‌Apple Card‌ usage is tied to an individual and there is no option to share an account with another person, which is an oversight as some people prefer to share credit cards with spouses rather than having separate accounts.

Assets in iOS 14.5 suggest that Apple Cards will support more than one user, likely through Apple's Family Sharing feature. These assets were also highlighted by 9to5Mac. Some of the code snippets:

• Share responsibility for all account activity, including payment of current and future balances.
• You are now sharing ‌Apple Card‌ with [Person]
• As Joint Owner, you can only invite members of your Family Sharing group.
• ‌Apple Card‌ can now be shared with up to a maximum of [number] people.
• You can only invite people over the age of 13, and on the latest version of iOS to share your ‌Apple Card‌.
• [Person] can now use your ‌Apple Card‌ for purchases.
• [Person] can earn Daily Cash whenever they spend using your ‌Apple Card‌.
• [Person] can make any purchase with no limit up to your available credit.
• [Person] can make any purchase up to a maximum transaction limit of [number].
• You're invited to share a joint ‌Apple Card‌ with [Person].
• Share Your ‌Apple Card‌ with eligible friends and family in your family group. Build credit together, track spending, and receive Daily Cash.

The main ‌Apple Card‌ account holder will be able to invite family members to use the ‌Apple Card‌ account, with family spending available for viewing in the Wallet app. Account holders will be able to set spending limits so all family members, including children, can use the card.

This feature does not appear to be live for ‌Apple Card‌ holders in the first iOS 14.5 beta as of yet, but it's likely something that we'll see introduced in a later beta or with the iOS 14.5 release coming this spring.

With the watchOS 7.4 and iOS 14.5 betas, Apple is adding AirPlay 2 support to the Apple Fitness+ app, which is a feature that Apple Fitness+ users have been hoping for.

As noted by TechCrunch, Apple Fitness+ workouts will be able to be streamed to ‌AirPlay‌ 2-compatible television sets from an iPhone or iPad, allowing workouts to be viewed on a larger screen by those who do not have an Apple TV.

Audio and video will be able to be sent to an ‌AirPlay‌ 2-enabled TV or set-top box, but Apple Watch metrics will not be able to be displayed on the screen.

Activity rings, workout time remaining, calories burned, and burn bars will not show up on the television set over ‌AirPlay‌ 2 and will instead need to be viewed on the connected iPhone or ‌iPad‌, but this should be a welcome change for those who want to be able to watch Apple Fitness+ workouts on a larger screen.

The optimal way to use Apple Fitness+ is with an ‌Apple TV‌ as the service is built into the Fitness app on the ‌Apple TV‌, but there are many people out there with an AirPlay-compatible TV and no ‌Apple TV‌ set-top box to use with it.

The iOS 14.5 beta update that was released today introduces support for the latest gaming controllers from Sony and Microsoft, allowing the PS5 DualSense controller and the Xbox Series X controller to be used with iPhones and iPads.

An earlier iOS 14 beta suggested that support for the updated controllers was in the works, but it will go live in iOS 14.5. It's also likely that the accompanying tvOS update, tvOS 14.5, is gaining support for the controllers.

Apple Arcade games and other iOS games that support controllers will be compatible with the PS5 DualSense and Xbox Series X controller options. iOS 14.5 is limited to developers at the current time, but Apple will likely have a public beta coming soon, with the update set to be released in the early spring.

Apple today seeded the first beta of iOS 14.5 to developers for testing, and a key new feature is global support for 5G in Dual-SIM mode on iPhone 12 models, as noted by Rene Ritchie. This functionality was previously only available in mainland China.

iPhone 12 models are equipped with both a physical SIM slot and a digital eSIM, allowing for a feature known as dual SIM, dual standby. This means you can have two lines of service on one iPhone, which is useful for purchasing data-only plans while traveling abroad or having personal and business lines on a single iPhone. Until now, Dual-SIM mode was limited to LTE, but iOS 14.5 introduces support for faster 5G on both lines.

Apple has previously said that iOS 14.5 will be released in the early spring, so the software update will likely become available in late March at the earliest. A public beta will likely be released within the next day or so.

An internal Verizon presentation obtained by MacRumors had indicated that Apple planned to enable 5G in Dual-SIM mode by the end of 2020, so the functionality is arriving a few months later than expected.

With the iOS 14.5 update, Apple is finally adding a solution that makes it easier to unlock an iPhone when you're wearing a mask. Right now, with a face mask on, Face ID does not work, requiring those wearing masks to enter a passcode to unlock their devices, a process that is time consuming and inconvenient.

In iOS 14.5, there's a new option to unlock an iPhone with ‌Face ID‌ and an Apple Watch paired together, with the Apple Watch's authentication providing an extra layer of security.

If you're wearing an unlocked Apple Watch and use ‌Face ID‌ as you normally would, the iPhone will unlock after a partial face scan. When the unlock happens, you'll feel a haptic buzz and will receive a notification on the Apple Watch informing you that the unlocking procedure was successful, similar to how it works when unlocking a Mac with an Apple Watch.

As noted by Engadget, this feature must be manually enabled to use it, and there's also an option to lock the iPhone from the Apple Watch. Things like App Store purchases and Apple Pay payments will not be able to be authenticated through the ‌Face ID‌ + Apple Watch pairing, so you'll still need full ‌Face ID‌ authentication or a passcode for some actions.

iOS 14.5 also introduces support for the latest Xbox and Playstation controllers, it adds AirPlay 2 support for Apple Fitness+, it brings dual-SIM 5G support, and there's a new feature for asking Siri to call emergency services.