Belkin's Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charger with MagSafe, which is the first third-party MagSafe-compatible wireless charger, is available for purchase as of today.
Priced at $140, the Boost Charge Pro MagSafe features an upright MagSafe charger that can accommodate one of Apple's iPhone 12 models, an Apple Watch charging puck, and a flat platform that can be used to charge AirPods or another iPhone.
With its 40W power adapter, the Boost Charge Pro MagSafe can charge an iPhone 12 at up to 15W, while the additional charging spot charges devices at 5W.
Belkin's Boost Charge Pro MagSafe is available in either black or white, and we shared a full review of the charger earlier this week. Belkin initially planned to release the charger in winter 2020, so it has been a bit delayed, but it is available as of today.
Apple is rumored to be working on a new version of the iPad mini with a larger display size, and Japanese site Mac Otakara today shared some details on the upcoming tablet with information said to be sourced from the Chinese supply chain.
The upcoming iPad mini is said to have an 8.4-inch display, up from the current 7.9-inch screen size. It will have slimmer bezels and will look similar to the iPad Air 3, a design language that Mac Otakara said Apple would also be using for the ninth-generation low-cost iPad.
The iPad mini 6 will have a design that's unified with the upcoming low-cost iPad, and will continue to feature a Touch ID Home button with top and bottom bezels and a Lightning port.
Mac Otakara believes that the refreshed iPad mini will see a March launch, so it could perhaps debut at a March event if Apple has one planned.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuosaid in May 2020 that the next-generation iPad mini would have a display that measures in at 8.5 to 9 inches. He has also said that Apple is working on an iPad mini with a mini-LED display, but it's not clear if the iPad mini 6 is the iPad mini that will have the upgraded display.
Apple's App Store saw unprecedented growth in 2020, grossing more than $64 billion in sales, according to a report by CNBC.
The figure is up from an estimated $50 billion in 2019 and $48.5 billion in 2018. This is a significant growth of 28 percent in 2020, compared to growth of just 3.1 percent in 2019.
Apple does not disclose how much revenue its App Store makes every year, but it has released data points every January since 2013 that include the total Apple has paid to developers since the start of the App Store in 2008. App Store revenue is reported as part of Apple's Services division, which reported sales of $53.7 billion at the end of Apple's 2020 fiscal year, which ended in September.
According to an Apple press release from earlier this week, the company has paid developers $200 billion since 2008. This is up $45 billion from the figure that was announced in January 2020. Equal to 70 percent of App Store sales, allowing for Apple's 30 percent cut of digital sales, the App Store grossed around $64 billion last year.
Prior to this information being available, the analytics firm Sensor Tower calculated that App Store spending reached around $72 billion in 2020 and the majority of spending across all app stores occurs on Apple's App Store, with about 70 percent of sales.
The App Store is a core area of growth for the company, and Apple recently announced that New Year's Day saw a new single-day spending record of over $540 million.
Ahead of CES 2021 next week, Sony has introduced new 4K OLED, 4K LED, and 8K LED smart TV models with support for HomeKit and AirPlay 2.
The new lineup includes the MASTER Series A90J with 55-inch, 65-inch, and 83-inch 4K OLED TVs, the X95J Series with 65-inch, 75-inch, and 85-inch 4K LED TVs, the X92 Series with 50-inch to 100-inch 4K LED TVs, and the MASTER Series Z9J with 75-inch and 85-inch 8K LED TVs. Sony says pricing and availability will be announced in Spring 2021.
AirPlay 2 support allows users to stream videos, music, photos, and more directly from an iPhone, iPad, and Mac to compatible Sony smart TVs, complete with lock screen controls. HomeKit support enables users to easily control the TVs using Siri voice commands or the Home app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The features are also available on select 2018, 2019, and 2020 TV models sold by Sony, with a full list available on Apple's website.
All of the TVs announced this week feature Sony's artificial intelligence technology, known as the Cognitive Processor XR, for continuously optimized picture and sound quality. Other features and specs include Google TV support, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa integration, HDMI 2.1 compatibility, and more.
Roku has reached an agreement to acquire the rights to content from the now-defunct video streaming service Quibi (via The Wall Street Journal).
Roku reportedly paid less than $100 million to acquire the rights to Quibi's library of original content until 2022.
Quibi was a short-form video subscription service launched in April of last year. Executives believed that the service would be able to garner approximately 7.4 million subscribers during its first year, but it massively fell short with an estimated 400,000 to 500,000 subscribers. After courting a number of tech companies, including Apple, to see if it could be sold off, the service announced that it was shutting down in October 2020.
Roku is the biggest streaming media player in the United States, with a library of more than 40,000 movies and TV shows, and the acquisition of Quibi's content will offer a boost of more than 75 shows and documentaries.
Quibi's content will also be among the minority of exclusives on the platform, as the majority of Roku's programming is also viewable elsewhere. The acquisition is expected to give Roku more leverage in negotiations with advertisers, who may pay more to show their ads alongside shows that viewers are unable to see elsewhere.
Apple Pay appears poised to launch in South Africa at some point this year, with at least two participating banks in the country at launch.
Over the last few days, several MacRumors readers have alerted us to Apple Pay terms and conditions for some South African banks beginning to appear in the Wallet app on iPhone after changing the device's region to the United States. At launch, it appears that participating banks will include Nedbank and Discovery Bank.
Apple has yet to confirm that Apple Pay will be expanding to South Africa, so exact timing remains uncertain. Apple Pay has expanded to over 40 regions since first launching in 2014, and the service is set to expand to Mexico later this year.
To add a debit or credit card to Apple Pay, open the Wallet app, tap on the plus sign in the top-right corner, and follow the on-screen instructions.
"Oceanhorn: Chronos Dungeon" is now available on Apple Arcade, featuring a 16-bit style, randomized maps, and local co-op multiplayer.
Oceanhorn: Chronos Dungeon is the third game in the popular Oceanhorn series from developer Cornfox, set 200 years after the end of "Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm." Unlike previous entries in the series, Oceanhorn: Chronos Dungeon takes inspiration from 1990s 16-bit dungeon crawlers, but it retains the creatures, environments, and archetypes that Oceanhorn players will be familiar with.
The family-friendly game features cartoony action and balanced gameplay. Each dungeon is randomly-generated, ensuring that maps are always different. Heroes also start each game with different stats and each character has distinctive attacks and abilities. Local co-op multiplayer allows players to collaborate together and take advantage of their character's special abilities in new ways.
A range of new Apple services could include "Podcasts+," "Stocks+," and "Mail+," according to a new report by Loup Ventures analysts.
Apple's subscription service products are increasingly important to its business model and is now almost the size of a Fortune 50 company by revenue, growing by 16 percent in 2020 to $53.7 billion. Loup Ventures highlights that Spotify accumulated 144 million paid subscribers over a period of 14 years, while Apple Music accumulated 85 million paid subscribers in just five years. "This illustrates the power of services built on top of default apps," the report says.
Loup Ventures claims that there is room for a number of additions to Apple's successful services segment. New subscriptions could be "hiding in plain sight," being built upon existing apps, and in turn aid the continued growth and adoption of Apple's products and services.
Podcasts+ would form a tier in the existing Podcasts app, offering a selection of exclusive premium shows. Spotify has moved aggressively into podcasts, acquiring the exclusive rights to popular shows and removing them from other services. Podcasts+ would enable Apple to claw back space within the field. Apple has been repeatedly rumored to be moving into exclusive podcasts, even holding talks to acquire podcast network Wondery before it was bought by Amazon.
According to the report, Podcasts+ is expected to be bundled as a part of Apple One as well as Apple Music, with no added charge for existing paid subscribers. Podcasts+ would also help to "drive incremental interest" in Apple Music and Apple One as a result, "generating high-margin, recurring revenue."
Stocks+ could build upon Apple's move into personal finance with Apple Card, offering financial services such as investment accounts. Apple could "replicate its success with Apple Card and offer low-fee, private, secure, simple brokerage accounts," and present integrated information on cost basis, market value, gain, and loss. In addition, Apple could offer trading services similar to Robinhood and robo-advisory services like Wealthfront.
Furthermore, Mail+ could be the first Apple service related to personal productivity. Taking cues from existing services such as Invisible and Calendly, Mail+ could offer advanced inbox management, automation, and scheduling.
The report also tentatively outlines two additional services titled "Maps+" and "Health+," but provides much less information about what forms they could take. Maps+ could present advanced suggestions for destinations based on a desired outcome and be heavily integrated into the rumored Apple Car. Health+ could leverage the data Apple currently gathers via its Health app and present an offering that moves into digital healthcare and telemedicine.
Key to any new Apple services, the report explains, is a high level of integration. Apple Fitness+ serves as a case study of how an Apple service can move into a new space and offer a product that competitors are unable to match due to deep integration with existing products and services, such as the Apple Watch, Activity rings, and Apple Music.
Loup Ventures believes that new Apple services will capture value in new ways and drive the company toward a three-trillion dollar market cap. The firm has also speculated in the past that Apple will launch a combined hardware and software subscription.
Notably, the redesigned UI adds a new queue system that brings the Spotify CarPlay experience a lot closer to the way Apple Music works.
Users can now see which tracks are queued up without having to look at their iPhone, thanks to a "Go to queue" button on the Now Playing screen. Users can now also navigate to an artist's Spotify page by tapping the artist's name.
Elsewhere, the CarPlay app includes four tabs at the top of the screen for quick access to Home, Recently Played, Browse, and Library, while more album artwork and new accents add a lick of color to the interface.
It's not known when the updated version will arrive in the App Store, but its presence in TestFlight is a good indicator that it should be on the way soon.
In November, Spotify rolled out support for standalone streaming through the Spotify app for Apple Watch, allowing users to listen to music or podcasts from Spotify over WiFi or cellular without having to have an iPhone nearby.
Encrypted messaging app Signal faced big delays in verifying the phone numbers of new accounts on Thursday because of a sudden surge in people trying to join the platform.
In messages posted from its official Twitter account, the non-profit Signal Foundation said verification codes were delayed across several cellular networks, and that it was working through the backlog as quickly as it could.
Verification codes are currently delayed across several providers because so many new people are trying to join Signal right now (we can barely register our excitement). We are working with carriers to resolve this as quickly as possible. Hang in there.
— Signal (@signalapp) January 7, 2021
While the issue is now said to have been resolved, the surge in Signal signups followed recent privacy policy changes highlighted by rival messaging platform WhatsApp.
On Wednesday, WhatsApp began rolling out its latest terms and privacy policy, which allows the popular messaging app to share a significant amount of user data with Facebook. The changes, which are set to take effect on February 8, 2021, are mandatory and users will not be able to continue using WhatsApp unless they accept the terms.
Users who agree to the terms can expect their WhatsApp account registration and phone number, transaction data, service-related information, interaction information, mobile device information, IP address, and other data to be shared with Facebook.
Facebook told The Verge the updated terms related to messaging with businesses, and that nothing is changing for regular users, however the lack of an opt-out option and the amount of data sharing highlighted by the updated policy has raised privacy concerns.
Last month, WhatsApp publicly protested Apple's requirement that developers submit information about what user data they collect for privacy labels on the App Store, saying that it could give its messaging app a competitive disadvantage.
Late last year, Apple enforced App Store 'privacy labels'. For the first time, it's easy to compare how much data an app links to your account
Looking at messaging apps, the contrast is quite stark pic.twitter.com/Ntw8sELMHX
— Morgan (@morqon) January 5, 2021
Signal's uptick in users was also linked to tweets posted by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who recently became the world's richest person. As noted by The Verge, Musk continued a trend of criticizing Facebook with a Twitter post on Wednesday evening, following the attack on the U.S. Capitol building.
Musk shared a meme suggesting the founding of Facebook had ultimately led to the day's events, and followed it up with a tweet suggesting his 41.5 million followers "use Signal," presumably instead of a Facebook-owned product like WhatsApp. Musk's suggestion was later retweeted by Edward Snowden, another prominent Signal fan.
Notably, the Signal Foundation was co-founded and funded by Brian Acton, the former WhatsApp co-founder who left the company after it was bought by Facebook in 2014. Acton later urged his Twitter followers to delete Facebook.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
iPhone camera lenses may not see significant hardware updates through at least 2022, according to a new research note by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo seen by MacRumors.
Today's note focuses on a new price war between lens suppliers Largan and Genius Electronic Optical that will affect profitability for the suppliers, with Genius Electronic Optical at particular risk due to its high reliance on Apple combined with Largan's willingness to cut prices and Sunny Optical's upcoming entry into the high-end iPhone camera lens supply chain.
We predict that Largan will bargain the ASP of iPhone mid-to-high-end lenses by about 15-25% in 1H21 in order to increase its capacity utilization rate. Yujingguang's [Genius Electronic Optical's] order proportion, capacity utilization rate and gross profit margin will be directly affected. The impact of the price war will begin in January 2021, and Yujingguang's January revenue may only grow in single-digit YoY or even decline.
Kuo specifically predicts that there will be "no significant upgrade of the camera lens in 2022," indicating that challenges for Genius Electronic Optical could stretch for several years "unless the structural challenges of the lens industry are significantly improved or Yujingguang can significantly reduce its dependence on Apple orders."
Despite Kuo's prediction that there will not be significant hardware advancements for the camera lenses in iPhone models for 2021 and 2022, that doesn't necessarily mean there won't be improvements to overall camera performance. Apple also puts considerable effort into the software side of its camera capabilities, so we may still see new features and other tweaks due to improvements in both software and other elements of the camera hardware stack beyond the lenses.
Update: As noted by 9to5Mac, Kuo's comments may refer to only the main wide camera lens, as he has previously discussed upcoming updates for the ultrawide and telephoto lenses. Kuo's report is not entirely clear which lens or lenses he is referring to.
The report claims that updated 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models should be arriving in March and that the overall design remains the same as the existing models with a few exceptions.
First, Mac Otakara says that the 12.9-inch model will be about 0.5 mm thicker than the current model, a change that could be to accommodate a long-rumored Mini-LED display that would offer better display performance compared to traditional LCDs. The 11-inch model will apparently remain the same thickness as the current model, which is in line with rumors that only the 12.9-inch model will initially get the Mini-LED display.
Second, the rear cameras are said to protrude less on the upcoming models. The overall camera bump remains, but the additional protrusion of the individual camera lenses is no longer required, leaving a flat camera bump.
Finally, there are apparently some changes to the design of the speakers, with the overall number of speaker holes on the sides reduced by two-thirds and the positions of the speaker holes changed compared to the current models.
Apple is planning to work with Hyundai on the upcoming Apple Car, according to a report from Korean site Korea Economic Daily.
The report suggests that Apple is in negotiations with Hyundai Motor Group to manufacture an Apple Car. Apple is said to be planning to work with Hyundai to produce electric vehicles and develop batteries due to the "enormous costs" of the technology and the necessary production facilities.
Multiple prior rumors have suggested that Apple will work with a manufacturing partner to produce the Apple Car, but until now, there hasn't been word on which manufacturer Apple might team up with. Since the report mentions "negotiations," a deal may not be established as of yet, so Apple's plans could change.
An Apple Car report earlier today from Bloomberg said that work on the project is still in the early stages and "nowhere near production stage," nor was there a mention of Hyundai. According to Bloomberg, it will be at least five to seven years before an Apple Car is ready to launch.
Update: In a statement to CNBC, Hyundai confirmed that it is in discussions with Apple. "We understand that Apple is in discussion with a variety of global automakers, including Hyundai Motor. As the discussion is at its early stage, nothing has been decided."
Update 2:Bloomberg reports that Hyundai again revised its statement, removing the reference to other automakers. A few hours after that, it issued another revision that omits Apple completely: "We've been receiving requests for potential cooperation from various companies regarding development of autonomous EVs," reads the latest version. "No decisions have been made as discussions are in early stage."
Since the AirPods Max headphones were released on December 15, there have been a growing number of complaints from MacRumors readers who have run into a problem with condensation.
Some AirPods Max owners who have been wearing their headphones for a prolonged period of time have noticed condensation forming inside the ear cup. From MacRumors reader ssong:
So I've had my AirPods max for just under a week and have noticed that after prolonged usage there's a decent amount of condensation inside the ear cup.
it's quite noticeable when you detach the magnetic ear cushions from the ear cup.
The condensation seems to happen regardless of temperature, and most people have reported seeing it after several hours of use, but for some, it shows up within an hour or two. One user has claimed that the condensation has led to issues with Active Noise Cancellation, but this has not been echoed by other AirPods Max owners and no one else has reported problems caused by condensation.
Other AirPods Max owners have said that the same issue has happened with headphones from other brands. From MacRumors reader JBGoode:
I get this on my Sony WH1000XM3. I've had them for a long time and it's no big deal. Have none of you owned over the head cans before? Your ears are gonna a sweat and there will be some condensation. I think it's pretty common for this type of headphones.
The AirPods Max are not water resistant and those who are affected by the condensation are concerned about the longevity of the headphones with the water droplets pooling inside. The ear cushions are not affected and remain dry despite the condensation inside the ear cups.
Some AirPods Max owners have returned the headphones, while others have picked up AppleCare+ in case of future problems. Apple has not yet commented on the issue.
Rumors about Apple's work on an autonomous car have picked up in recent weeks, but the project is still in the early stages and it will be years before an Apple Car launches, according to a new report from Bloomberg.
Sources with knowledge of Apple's product plans told Bloomberg that it will take Apple "at least half a decade" to launch an autonomous electric vehicle.
Apple has a small team of hardware engineers that are working on drive systems, vehicle interiors, and external car designs with the goal of eventually shipping a vehicle to customers.
Apple's car plans have shifted multiple times over the years and just a couple of years ago, rumors indicated Apple had decided to forego development of a full car and was instead focusing on an autonomous driving system that could perhaps be provided to other car manufacturers.
As development has continued, Apple is once again focusing on the more ambitious goal of creating an entire vehicle. The car team is aiming to create a self-driving vehicle that would let a user input their destination and be driven there with "little or no other engagement."
The car is "nowhere near production stage" and it could be ready in five to seven years, though timelines could shift. Apple is also still pursuing a self-driving car system for a third-party partner, so the company could still opt to end development on its own car.
Apple Car employees are working from home at the current time or spending limited time at the office, which is apparently slowing work on the vehicle project. Apple has a wide range of car experts working on the project, as outlined by Bloomberg.
This includes former Tesla VP of interior design Steve MacManus, self-driving safety expert and former Waymo employee Jaime Waydo, and former Tesla VP Michael Schwekutsch, who worked on motors and transmissions. Apple recently picked up Jonathan Sive, a BMW vehicle engineer who also worked at Tesla and Waymo, and Stuart Bowers, another former Tesla vice president.
Vehicle-related job listings suggest Apple's hiring is ramping up, with the Cupertino company seeking employees with expertise in wireless communication, LED lighting, high-voltage battery systems, and more.
A recent report from Reuters suggested Apple is aiming to launch a car in 2024, but that timeline sounds ambitious based on the new information from Bloomberg. Reuters said that Apple is developing a new battery design that will reduce cost and increase range, and has also been working with automotive supply companies.
Another report indicated Apple is designing a custom chip for the Apple Car that TSMC will manufacture, and Bloomberg confirms that Johny Srouji's team is developing a custom Arm-based chip with a focus on machine learning processing to run the self-driving car system.
Apple is likely to use a manufacturing partner to build the vehicles, but it continues to be unclear what company might secure a deal with Apple. 2016 rumors indicated Apple was in talks with Magna International, but the talks ended as Apple's plans at the time were unclear.
Amid rumors that Apple's long-rumored AirTag product is going to launch in 2021, accessory makers have begun preparing and planning for accessories to house the AirTags.
Nomad, known for its range of Apple device cases, chargers, and more, has plans for an AirTags Keychain and an AirTags Glasses Holder, as highlighted by leaker Evan Blass.
Apple does not generally provide accessory makers with details on its product plans ahead of when new devices launch, so the renders that Nomad has created as part of a 2021 product plan are likely based on rumors and are not representative of any kind of final accessory design. The keychain designed by Nomad features a thin leather housing that appears to be created for a square-shaped AirTag, while the "AirTags Glasses Holder" has a rounded design.
Rumors to date suggest that the AirTags will feature a disc-like design with a white front and a silver backing with an Apple logo, though the AirTags design has yet to be confirmed.
AirTags will work similarly to other item trackers like Tile, allowing users to attach them to various important accessories like cameras, wallets, keys, glasses, and more to be able to locate those items should they become lost. Rumors indicate AirTags will feature a built-in U1 ultra wideband chip for accurate indoor positioning information that will also allow for augmented reality-based tracking functionality.
We've been seeing signs of AirTags since iOS 13, and there were rumors suggesting Apple was planning for a 2020 launch, but that did not end up happening. Earlier this month, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple will release the AirTags at some point in 2021, though he did not provide more specific information.
Priced at $249, the Thunderbolt Dock is equipped with four Thunderbolt 4 ports, four USB-A ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, an SD card slot, and a combo 3.5mm audio in/out. The dock connects to a Mac with a single Thunderbolt cable, with up to 90W of pass-through charging. With the dock, users can create a daisy chain with multiple bus-powered Thunderbolt drives, and connect a single 5K/6K/8K display or up to two 4K displays.
OWC's USB-C Travel Dock E features six connectivity options in a compact design: two USB-A ports, an HDMI 2.0 port, an SD card reader, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and a USB-C port that delivers up to 100W of pass-through charging.
The Envoy Pro FX is described as "the fastest and most compatible portable drive ever made," with read/write speeds up to 2,711 MB/s and compatibility with both USB-C or USB-A with an adapter. The drive features an aluminum housing with IP67-rated water resistance, a drive status LED, and silent operation without a power adapter. Pricing starts at $169 for a 240GB drive, with 480GB, 1TB, and 2TB storage capacities available.
OWC's Envoy Pro FX
The U2 Shuttle is described as "the world's first" U.2 carrier shuttle for 3.5-inch drive bays, combining four NVMe M.2 SSDs into a swappable, RAID-ready storage solution. The enclosure is available empty for $149.99 or with up to 16TB of storage.
The Envoy Pro FX and U2 Shuttle are available to order now on OWC's website, while the Thunderbolt Dock and USB-C Travel Dock E can be pre-ordered and will begin shipping in mid-January and February, respectively.
Satechi today announced the launch of four new backlit USB-C keyboards, including the Slim X1 Bluetooth Keyboard, the Slim X1 Wired Keyboard, the Slim X3 Bluetooth Keyboard, and the Slim X3 Wired Keyboard.
The Slim X1 models are compact and portable, for taking along while on the go, and the Slim X3 models are full-sized. The Slim X1 offers a full QWERTY layout, while the Slim X3 also includes a numeric keypad. Both models come in both wired and wireless versions.
Both keyboard models are designed with Apple products in mind, offering an aluminum finish that matches Apple's Macs and iOS devices. The built-in hot keys work across Mac and iOS devices, and multi-device Bluetooth functionality is included for fast device switching.
There are 10 adjustable brightness levels for the backlit keyboard, and the Bluetooth models charge over USB-C while the wired models connect using USB-C.
Satechi today also introduced the Aluminum Desktop Stand for iPad, which is designed to work with the new keyboards. It offers a hands-free way to elevate tablets to an optimal viewing level with an adjustable 180 degree mount and a 135 degree base hinge. Available in space gray aluminum, the stand has protective grip padding to keep Apple devices safe from slips and scratches, plus it collapses down so it can be used both at home and while out and about.
The Aluminum Desktop Stand for iPad is available from the Satechi website for $44.99. Customers who opt to purchase the new keyboards, iPad stand, or another Satechi product can get 20 percent off using the promo code WFH20 when checking out through January 10.
