Apple has today announced that New Year's Day saw a new single-day spending record of over $540 million on the App Store, as the company celebrated a number of highlights from its various services in 2020.
Recapping 2020, Apple announced that the year's most downloaded apps were Zoom and Disney+, and games on the App Store "became more popular than ever." Apple revealed that developers around the world have now earned more than $200 billion since the App Store was launched in 2008 from digital goods and services. Apple added that App Store customers spent $1.8 billion on digital goods and services over the week between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, driven largely by games.
2020 was also a "record year" for Apple Music. More than 90 percent of iOS 14 listeners have used new features such as "Listen Now" and "Autoplay," and engagement with Apple Music's real-time lyrics feature doubled last year.
Apple claims that the Apple TV app is now available on over one billion screens in over 100 countries and regions, aided by launches on launched on select LG, Sony, and VIZIO smart TVs, as well as PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
Apple teased its lineup for Apple TV+ in 2021, with second seasons of "Dickinson," "Servant," "For All Mankind," "The Morning Show," and "See," as well as brand new originals such as "Losing Alice," "Palmer," and "Cherry."
Other highlights include the fact that Apple Books saw "remarkable" growth of new customers in 2020 and now draws over 90 million active users every month. Apple Pay is now accepted by more than 90 percent of stores in the U.S., 85 percent of stores in the UK, and 99 percent of stores in Australia. The company also celebrated the success of the launch of Apple Fitness+ and featured the importance of delivering "curated world-class journalism" via Apple News.
WhatsApp's latest terms and privacy policy allows the popular messaging app to share a significant amount of user data with Facebook (via XDA Developers).
WhatsApp users are today receiving an in-app notice informing them about the app's updated terms of service and privacy policy. The notice gives an overview of the main three updates, covering how WhatsApp processes user data, how businesses can use Facebook-hosted services to store and manage their WhatsApp chats, and how WhatsApp will soon partner with Facebook to offer deeper integrations across all of the parent company's products.
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.
The new terms and privacy policy appear to build upon changes announced in July 2020, yet this previous update offered users the option to withhold their WhatsApp account information from being shared with Facebook. The latest update eliminates this option.
Users that agree to the updated terms will have their WhatsApp account registration and phone number, transaction data, service-related information, interaction information, mobile device information, IP address, and "other information identified... or obtained upon notice to you or based on your consent," shared with Facebook.
When explaining how Facebook will use this information, the policy states that shared data is used for "understanding how our services or theirs are used," "improving their services," "making suggestions for you," "personalizing features and content," and "showing relevant offers and ads across the Facebook Company Products."
The updated terms help WhatsApp to integrate more closely into Facebook's family of products, as it aims to provide a more coherent experience to users across services. While the changes help Facebook to achieve its larger goals, the high-level of data sharing that WhatsApp users will now be subject to may raise 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.
Microsoft has started rolling out history and tab syncing features for its Edge browser, almost a year after the app's official release on Mac and Windows.
The new features enable users to sync all the web pages they've visited to every device on which they're signed into Edge, whether that's Mac, iOS, Windows, or Android.
The toggles for the two features in Settings -> Profiles -> Sync were previously greyed out, but users in the United Kingdom are starting to see them become accessible.
According to The Verge, the U.K. is one of the first markets to get the history and tab sync features, which will eventually come to more countries as the rollout expands.
Despite the lack of many sync features since its release, Microsoft Edge has won over many users with its frequent feature updates and tight integration of Microsoft's design language with the design language of macOS.
Samsung will be the exclusive supplier of LTPO OLED displays for the "Pro" models in Apple's iPhone 13 lineup later this year, according to TheElec.
Apple's rumored adoption of LTPO display technology would allow it to implement a 120Hz refresh rate on the higher end next-generation iPhones, as today's report notes:
Samsung Display will be the exclusive supplier used by Apple for organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels used in the two highest tier models of its next iPhone, TheElec has learned.
Both models of iPhone 13 will use low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) thin-film transistors (TFT) OLED panels made by Samsung Display.
Apple's iPhone 13 will have four models and all of them will use OLED panels. The top two models will use LTPO OLED that can support 120Hz refresh rate.
A previous report pegged both LG and Samsung to supply the technology to Apple for the iPhone 13. According to the latest report, however, LG will focus on increasing its capacity this year in order to start supplying next year, with Apple planning to use LTPO OLED displays for "all its iPhone models" in 2022.
Other reports have suggested the technology will be coming to at least two iPhone models in 2021, while display analyst Ross Young expects the "most important development" on the iPhone 13 Pro models to be the adoption of 120Hz-capable ProMotion displays with variable refresh rates, something that has only appeared on the iPad Pro so far.
Multiple rumors ahead of the launch of the iPhone 12 lineup suggested the high-end iPhone 12 Pro models could feature 120Hz ProMotion displays, but later in the rumor cycle, it became clear that this feature was delayed until 2021 due to battery life concerns.
Using LTPO technology would allow Apple to deliver a much more power-efficient backplane, which is responsible for turning individual pixels on and off on the display. Depending on how Apple decides to take things, the technology could pave the way for longer battery life or always-on display elements.
Apple Watch Series 5 and Series 6 models already use LTPO displays, which enables them to have the same up-to-18-hour battery life as earlier Apple Watch models despite having an always-on display.
Microsoft says it is shutting down augmented reality game "Minecraft Earth" in June 2021 due to the restricted movement and lack of social mingling brought about by the global health crisis.
First demoed at WWDC 2019 before launching in November the same year, "Minecraft Earth" gained plaudits for its use of AR to superimpose the game's collaborative creations onto the real world.
On Tuesday, however, Microsoft announced on its blog that the game will be discontinued on June 30 as the company re-allocates its resources "to other areas that provide value to the Minecraft community," given the present global situation.
Minecraft Earth was designed around free movement and collaborative play – two things that have become near impossible in the current global situation. As a result, we have made the difficult decision to re-allocate our resources to other areas that provide value to the Minecraft community and to end support for Minecraft Earth in June 2021.
Despite the decision, Microsoft released one final update to "Minecraft Earth" on Tuesday that includes changes and improvements to make players' remaining time in the game "as fun as possible." Amongst other things, the update removes real-money transactions, reduces ruby costs and time requirements for crafting and smelting, and grants a set of character creator items to players who sign in between now and June 30.
In addition, players with paid ruby balances will be granted Minecoins, which can be used on the Minecraft Marketplace to purchase skin and texture packs, maps, and minigames. Anyone who has ever made a purchase in "Minecraft Earth" will also receive a free copy of "Minecraft" (the Bedrock version), according to Microsoft.
Microsoft signed off the blog by thanking all the players and creators that contributed to the "Minecraft Earth" community during its lifespan:
Your feedback and creations brought this game to an entirely different level, from the regular build challenges you absolutely smashed to the incredible builds you shared on social media. We're eternally grateful for the amazing talent in the Minecraft community. This was not an easy decision, and we're doing everything we can to make sure you get the most out of Minecraft Earth before it sunsets.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order banning transactions with eight Chinese apps, including WeChat Pay and AliPay (via Reuters).
The order prohibits all U.S. transactions with the companies behind the apps, the full list of which includes Alipay, CamScanner, QQ Wallet, SHAREit, Tencent QQ, VMate, WeChat Pay, and WPS Office.
The order tasks the Commerce Department with defining which transactions will be banned under the directive within 45 days, but a U.S. official told Reuters that the Commerce Department plans to act before January 20, when Trump leaves office.
"By accessing personal electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, Chinese connected software applications can access and capture vast swaths of information from users, including sensitive personally identifiable information and private information," the executive order states.
Such data collection "would permit China to track the locations of federal employees and contractors, and build dossiers of personal information," the document adds.
The named apps are extremely popular with Chinese mobile device users, and if the order was successful, the bans would be a significant blow to Chinese Americans who use apps like WeChat to communicate.
The new orders are in addition to two earlier ones signed by Trump in August that attempted to ban transactions with WeChat and TikTok's parent company, ByteDance. The first order was blocked by a judge in September and then again in October, while a preliminary injunction granted by another judge in December prevented the TikTok ban from going ahead.
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.
While the App Store launched on the iPhone in July 2008, the Mac App Store did not become available until January 6, 2011, when Apple released Mac OS X Snow Leopard version 10.6.6. Accordingly, today marks the 10th anniversary of the Mac App Store.
Apple announced that the Mac App Store was "open for business" in a press release timed with the launch. "With more than 1,000 apps, the Mac App Store is off to a great start," said Steve Jobs, Apple's co-founder and former CEO. "We think users are going to love this innovative new way to discover and buy their favorite apps."
All apps submitted to the Mac App Store are reviewed by Apple, and must be sandboxed, a security mechanism that helps protect user data from unauthorized access by apps. Developers can choose to distribute their software directly on the internet, without sandboxing, but all Mac apps must be notarized by Apple in order to run by default on macOS Catalina and later to ensure these apps are free of known malware.
In line with the App Store on other platforms, Apple collects a 30 percent commission from developers on the sale of paid Mac apps and in-app purchases tied to digital goods and services. However, Apple recently introduced a Small Business Program that reduces the App Store's commission rate to 15% for developers earning up to $1 million per calendar year in net revenue. Developers must enroll in the program to participate.
Since its inception, the Mac App Store has attracted its fair share of criticism from developers. Apple has addressed some of these complaints over the years by allowing developers to offer free trials via in-app purchase, create app bundles, distribute apps on multiple Apple platforms as a universal purchase, view analytics for Mac apps, respond to customer reviews, and more, but some developers remain unsatisfied with the Mac App Store due to Apple's review process, the lack of upgrade pricing, the lack of sandboxing exceptions for trusted developers, the absence of TestFlight beta testing for Mac apps, and other reasons.
In 2018, the Mac App Store received a major redesign as part of macOS Mojave, complete with a new "Discover" tab that highlights popular apps and games and features editorials from Apple. Apple also softened its rules surrounding sandboxing. Soon after these changes, Microsoft Office and Adobe Lightroom became available on the Mac App Store, and some popular apps like BBEdit and Transmit returned to the Mac App Store.
In 2019, with the release of macOS Catalina and Xcode 11, Apple made it possible for developers to easily create a Mac version of an iPad app. In most cases, adding macOS support to an iPad app is as simple as opening an Xcode project and clicking the Mac checkbox under General > Deployment Info, although some developers faced issues.
2019 also marked the launch of Apple Arcade, which has its own tab in the Mac App Store for discovering all of the games available as part of the subscription service.
Another advancement to the Mac App Store came in 2020, when Apple made iPhone and iPad apps available on Macs with Apple silicon, given that the M1 chip in Macs shares the same Arm architecture as A-series chips in iPhones and iPads. Developers can opt out of distributing their iPhone and iPad apps on the Mac App Store if they desire.
All in all, Apple has certainly made progress with the Mac App Store over the last 10 years, but some developers feel that further improvements are necessary if they are to embrace the storefront. The next decade of the Mac App Store begins now.
Earlier today, Fast Company shared an article noting that Google has yet to update its iPhone and iPad apps to bring them in line with Apple's new App Store privacy labels requirement. Fast Company speculated that Google might be trying to delay revealing its privacy label data, but it turns out that's not the case.
According to a report from TechCrunch, Google is not taking a stand against Apple's privacy labels and is in fact planning to add the privacy data to its iOS app catalog as soon as this week or next week.
Apple implemented App Privacy information in iOS 14.3, after promising the feature when iOS 14 was first announced. App Privacy labels provide customers with a way to determine what data an app collects about them before choosing to install it.
Apple is requiring all apps to self-report privacy information in the App Store, and developers must identify all data collection and use cases. Labels are separated into categories including data used to track you, data linked to you, and data not linked to you, which indicates that it is anonymized.
There has been some negativity associated with App Privacy as Facebook was called out for having a lengthy label due to the amount of data it collects, and it's quite possible Google will have similar privacy labels.
As of December 8, all app updates submitted must include the privacy label information, and most Google apps designed for iOS devices have not seen updates since before December 7. It is not clear why Google has delayed updating its iOS apps when it has updated Android apps, but it could be due to the holiday period. Google implements a code freeze from late December to early January, which TechCrunch suggests could be the reason behind the lack of iOS updates.
Razer in November released the Razer Book 13, a new portable laptop focused on productivity rather than gaming. Since it is similar in many ways to the M1 Macs that Apple also launched in November, we thought we'd compare the Razer Book 13 to the M1 MacBook Pro.
As the name suggests, the Razer Book 13 is a 13.4-inch laptop featuring slim bezels and a 60Hz matte display. It's similar in size to the 13.3-inch M1 MacBook Pro, but it is a bit smaller because of the reduced bezel size.
Design wise, the Razer Book 13 has a bit of an edge over the 13-inch MacBook Pro thanks to the Razer's thin side bezels. There's a thicker bezel at the top to house a camera, but the bezel size still beats out the MacBook Pro. Rumors do suggest Apple is working on a new 14.1-inch MacBook Pro that could perhaps have a slimmer bezel design, but for now, the Razer wins out.
The display is noticeably different from the display of the MacBook Pro because the Razer Book uses a matte finish, which can be nice in situations where there's a lot of glare. The MacBook Pro's glossy display looks fantastic, of course, but it can suffer in bright sun.
Both machines have similar keyboard designs with about the same key travel, but there are some differences here. The MacBook Pro has a Touch Bar, which some people have never grown accustomed to, while the Razer Book has RBG key lighting that can be a distraction for some.
The MacBook Pro has speaker grilles on each side of the keyboard, a haptic glass trackpad that is nicer to use than the physical trackpad on the Razer Book, and better thermal management. The M1 MacBook Pro's fans rarely come on thanks to the efficiency of the M1 chip, but the Razer fans spin up almost as soon as it's doing anything intensive. Even running the Microsoft Edge browser on battery caused the Razer Book's fans to activate.
The Razer Book's fans are on the bottom of the machine, so when using this in a lap, there's a potential for the airflow to be blocked. The MacBook Pro doesn't have fans located at the bottom so it's better for in-lap use, with warm air venting out from the hinge area.
Ports are one area where the Razer Book 13 may have an advantage for some users. It features two Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB-A port, an HDMI 2.0 port, and a microSD slot. The MacBook Pro, meanwhile, has two Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports and a 3.5mm audio jack.
When it comes to performance, the M1 chip wins out over the 11th-generation Intel chips that Razer is using. In a Geekbench test, the M1 MacBook Pro scored 1734 in single-core performance and 7531 in multi-core performance. The Razer Book earned a single-core score of 1355 and a multi-core score of 5290. As for OpenCL, the M1 MacBook Pro scored 19412, and the Razer scored 14761.
The Razer Book's performance here isn't bad by any means and these are both highly capable machines that are going to excel at day to day tasks, but the M1 MacBook Pro is better at more intensive tasks like video or photo editing.
Apple's MacBook Pro also has better battery life. Apple says that it gets up to 20 hours, and while we haven't quite seen it hit that maximum (which is for watching videos), it's outlasted the Razer Book. The Razer Book can last for up to nine hours.
The base model Razer Book with 256GB storage, 8GB RAM, and the aforementioned 11th-generation Core i5 Intel chip, and Intel Iris Xe graphics is priced at $1200, so it's $100 cheaper than the 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro that also comes with 256GB storage and 8GB RAM.
Most notably, the M1 MacBook Pro runs macOS Big Sur and the Razer Book 13 runs Windows, and ecosystem is probably the biggest consideration when choosing between these machines. Those who are deep in Apple's ecosystem will get more use out of the M1 MacBook Pro, while those who rely on Windows software would prefer the Razer Book 13.
All in all, though, these are similar machines and while the M1 MacBook Pro wins out in terms of performance and efficiency, the Razer Book 13 is a capable laptop for those who need or prefer the Windows operating system.
Apple today updated its investor relations page to announce that earnings for the first fiscal quarter of 2021 (fourth calendar quarter) will be shared on Wednesday, January 27.
The first quarter earnings call will likely provide some insight into the sales of the iPhone 12 models, which were released in October, along with the M1 Macs that came out in November. Because the new iPhones were delayed, initial iPhone sales did not factor into the fourth quarter revenue results.
Apple did not provide guidance for the first quarter of 2021 during its fourth quarter earnings call because of the uncertainty caused by the ongoing global health crisis that continues to affect Apple's product launch timelines and sales. Many Apple stores worldwide are once again closed at the current time.
In the fourth fiscal quarter of 2020, Apple posted revenue of $64.7 billion, setting a new record for September quarter revenue. For the full fiscal year, Apple generated $274.5 billion in sales with $57.4 billion in net income, surpassing its 2019 earnings.
The first quarter of 2020 saw Apple announcing its best ever quarter in terms of revenue and profit, with Apple bringing in $91.8 billion in revenue and net quarterly profit of $22.2 billion.
The quarterly earnings statement will be released at 1:30 PM Pacific/4:30 PM Eastern, with a conference call to discuss the report taking place at 2:00 PM Pacific/5:00 PM Eastern. MacRumors will provide coverage of both the earnings release and conference call on January 27.
Apple CEO Tim Cook earned more than $14 million in salary in 2020 according to the 2020 proxy statement that Apple filed with the SEC this afternoon.
Cook earned a base salary of $3,000,000 in addition to $10,731,000 in incentives awarded for performance. Apple's performance exceeded the target performance goals for net sales and operating income, leading to a total payout of 179 percent of the total payout opportunity for Cook and other Apple executives.
Cook also received $1,038,259 in "other compensation" for a total of $14,769,259. This includes $17,100 in 401(k) contributions, term life insurance payments, a $115,385 vacation cash out, security expenses in the amount of $470,246, and $432,564 in personal air travel expenses. Apple requires Cook to use a private airplane for security reasons.
In 2019, Cook earned $11.5 million, receiving less under Apple's incentive plan compensation. Cook's 2020 compensation package does not include stock benefits. Cook in September received restricted stock units worth more than $100 million to ensure that he remains Apple's CEO through 2025. Cook also sold $131.7 million in Apple stock in August 2020.
Over the course of 2020, Cook's net worth climbed to over $1 billion, according to calculations from Bloomberg.
Other Apple executives, including Luca Maestri, Kate Adams, Deidre O'Brien, and Jeff Williams received over $26 million each.
Apple's annual shareholders meeting is set to take place on February 23, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time, Apple said today in an SEC filing. Shareholders meetings are normally held in person at Apple Park, but this year's meeting will take place virtually and will be open to a greater number of shareholders because there are no space restrictions.
Those who want to attend, vote, and submit questions during the annual meeting can visit the shareholders website and enter a 16-digit code included in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials provided to shareholders. Apple says that online access will open approximately 15 minutes before the start of the meeting, but questions can be submitted in advance through February 22 at 8:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
Apple says that even those who are attending the meeting should vote in advance online, by mail, or by phone. Items of business will include re-electing the Board of Directors, ratifying Ernst & Young LLP as Apple's public accounting firm, and voting on shareholder proposals.
Shareholder meetings are not typically interesting to the general public because Apple executives don't often share details about Apple products, but in the past, there have been limited comments on Apple services and software.
Verizon does not plan to shut down its 3G network in the near future, a Verizon spokesperson told Light Reading this week (via The Verge). "Our 3G network is operational and we don't have a plan to shut it down at this time," said the spokesperson, who also added that Verizon will "work with customers to move them to newer technology."
Verizon's decision to leave its 3G network functional is a deviation from plans that have been in the works for years. In 2012 after launching 4G technology, Verizon said that it would eventually discontinue 3G service.
In 2016, Verizon said that it would shut down its 3G network on December 31, 2019, and it stopped activating 3G phones in July 2018. Though promising to end 3G connectivity in 2019, Verizon ultimately delayed until the end of 2020 to give impacted customers more time to figure out their plans, but now it seems Verizon will continue to make its 3G network available alongside its 4G and 5G networks.
It's not clear why Verizon has opted not to shut down its 3G network, but Light Reading speculates that it could still have a significant number of customers using the 3G technology. Many Internet of Things devices rely on 3G connectivity, such as in-car connected safety features.
Verizon competitor AT&T plans to shut down its 3G network in early 2022 to bring customers "faster speeds and new features." T-Mobile told Light Reading that it plans to shut down 3G over the "next several years" but timing has not yet been shared. T-Mobile will, however, begin requiring phones on its network to support VoLTE by January 31, 2021, which will make some devices incompatible with the T-Mobile network going forward.
Apple's 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini, which is the smallest iPhone that has been released since the 2016 iPhone SE, may not be selling as well as Apple hoped. According to new sales numbers from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, the iPhone 12 mini accounted for a lower number of sales than other iPhone 12 models that Apple offers.
Combined, all new iPhone 12 models accounted for 76 percent of iPhone sales in the United States in October and November. The standard iPhone 12 was the best selling model, accounting for 27 percent of those sales.
iPhone 12 mini sales made up just six percent of the total iPhone 12 sales during the launch period, while the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max had sales numbers closer to the iPhone 12.
iPhone 12 models garnered a significant share at launch, but with mixed results, as iPhone 12 mini seems to have been lost among the other models," said Josh Lowitz, CIRP Partner and Co-Founder. "Apple not only launched a wider range of new models than ever before, and also divided that launch into two pairs of models, so comparison to earlier launches is tricky. In addition, Apple launched a new iPhone SE earlier in the year, further complicating the lineup.
Last year's iPhone 11 models accounted for 69 percent of sales in the period after their launch, so the iPhone 12 models did better overall. In 2019, the iPhone 11 was the best-selling iPhone, accounting for 39 percent of sales, with the 11 Pro and Pro Max making up the remaining 30 percent.
Compared to last year's launch of iPhone 11, which accounted for 69% of sales in the period after the launch, the four iPhone 12 models did even better, with 76% of sales. However, there was no clear leader among the new models, with sales evenly distributed among iPhone 12, 12 Pro, and 12 Max. In contrast, in 2019, iPhone 11 had an incredible 39% of sales, with iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max combining for only 30% of sales.
CIRP speculates that the availability of lower-cost models like the $399 iPhone SE, $499 iPhone XR, and $599 iPhone 11, may have ultimately limited the appeal of the more expensive iPhone 12 mini, which is priced at $699.
When Apple announced the iPhone 12 models with MagSafe charging capabilities, the first third-party MagSafe accessories were shown off during the announcement. Shortly after, Belkin officially introduced the Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charger with MagSafe, which is the first official third-party MagSafe charging option.
Belkin's Boost Charge Pro MagSafe is set to be available for purchase on January 8, and ahead of the launch, I've been testing the charger to see how it performs in comparison to the standalone MagSafe charger and whether it's worth the $150 asking price.
Design wise, the Boost Charge Pro MagSafe looks similar to other Belkin 3-in-1 chargers on the market. Made from a white plastic material that's coated in a softer silicone, the Boost Charge Pro MagSafe has a circular base with an angled chrome-colored t-shaped arm coming from the top of it that houses a MagSafe charger on one side and an Apple Watch charging puck on the other.
The design looks simple and straightforward, but I do wish the circular base was a bit smaller in size or rectangular to better fit on a desk. I find the shape to be a bit awkward on my small desk because it's about 5.3 inches wide at its widest point, but given the weight of the iPhone with the angle of the charger, it probably needs a base of that size to remain upright. Both of the charging pucks are static and cannot be rotated or angled in any way, and the default angle does take up more vertical space than I'd like.
The MagSafe charger works with all of Apple's iPhone 12 models, and it is sized in such a way to allow for use in either portrait or landscape mode. Even the largest iPhone 12 Pro Max can be used in landscape mode without interfering with the Apple Watch charging puck on the other side. The magnets line up quickly and it's simple to get an iPhone right in the proper place for charging, even in the dark.
The same soft material that covers the standard MagSafe charger from Apple covers the Belkin MagSafe charger, while the Apple Watch charging puck is a smoother plastic like Apple's own charging options for Apple Watch. You can get the Boost Charge Pro MagSafe in either black or white, and there's a stickier silicone material at the bottom of the accessory to ensure that it stays in place on a desk when holding up an iPhone, plus it has a weighted base.
You'll notice that in many of my photos, the Apple Watch is at an angle, and that's because it just doesn't want to stay straight on the Apple Watch charging puck. It flips around with a nudge or when attaching/detaching an iPhone 12, but note that I have a 40mm Apple Watch. With further testing with a 44mm Apple Watch, the issue wasn't as pronounced, but it appears to vary based on Apple Watch material and band design.
The Boost Charge Pro MagSafe is fairly light, but with the sticky base I didn't have trouble with it lifting up or shifting when removing my iPhone from the charger. There is a white LED light on the top of the base that lets you know the AirPods are aligned and charging properly. It turns amber if the alignment is off or there's an object in the way. I'm not a fan of charging lights on docks because they're distracting at night, but at least this light is limited to AirPods charging.
The iPhone fits on the charger at an angle, and it's easy to see when glancing over at it on a nightstand or a desk while it's charging if you get an incoming notification or want to check the time. If you wanted to, you could also use it for FaceTime calls or watching videos in landscape mode.
Since this is a 3-in-1 charger, the base of the Boost Charge Pro MagSafe is a wireless charging platform that can accommodate the AirPods or AirPods Pro, so the Apple Watch, iPhone 12, and AirPods can all be charged at the same time. The little circular indentation on the charger directs you where to place the AirPods for charging purposes.
The Boost Charge Pro MagSafe charger can charge an iPhone 12 at up to 15W, which is the same charging speed as the standard MagSafe charger, while also providing enough power for AirPods and Apple Watch. Apple's own MagSafe Duo that pairs a MagSafe charging puck with an Apple Watch charger is limited to 14W, so Belkin's charger should be just a bit faster.
Apple's standard MagSafe charger charged iPhone 12 (from totally dead) to 61 percent in one hour with a 20W power adapter, and the Boost Charge Pro charged it to 66 percent, so it was somehow even faster than the standard charger. I'm not sure if I wasn't getting 15W charging with the Apple MagSafe charger or what, but I was happy with the Belkin charging speeds. I also did tests with three devices at once, and from dead, the Boost Charge Pro MagSafe was able to charge an iPhone 12 to 61 percent in an hour while also charging an Apple Watch and another iPhone.
Belkin provides a 40W power adapter and 1.5m cord with the Boost Charge Pro MagSafe, and that takes all the guesswork out of which power adapter you need to get the fastest speeds. Apple does not include a power adapter with either the MagSafe Charger or the MagSafe Duo. For the MagSafe Charger you need to use Apple's official 20W charger or another charger that may or may not be compatible, and for the MagSafe Duo, maximum speed requires a compatible 27W+ charger.
Trying to figure out which power adapters I can use with Apple's charging options has been a hassle, so I appreciate that Belkin has a power adapter ready to go. You can't use a third-party power adapter with this since it doesn't work over USB.
The downside to the Boost Charge Pro MagSafe is that the MagSafe charger doesn't work with older iPhones. Technically MagSafe chargers are compatible with earlier iPhones and are able to charge them at 7.5W, but Belkin's upright design relies on magnets to hold the iPhone in place, and since there are no MagSafe magnets in older iPhones, there's no viable charging option.
You can charge an older iPhone where the AirPods are meant to go, even though this charging spot has been specifically designed for AirPods because it's just a Qi-based wireless charger. This charging spot worked with an iPhone X, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, and iPhone 12 Pro Max, so I assume it fits most devices. Since this charging spot is aimed at AirPods, it's limited to 5W, but I found it to work perfectly for my non-iPhone 12 devices and I appreciated having the option.
While on the subject of compatibility, you can use the Boost Charge Pro MagSafe with MagSafe cases. I tested with Apple's MagSafe cases and it worked fine. I don't have non-MagSafe cases to test, but Belkin says that it is specifically designed to work with MagSafe-certified cases.
Bottom Line
If you're looking for a multi-device charger for an iPhone 12, this is the one to get. It works with any iPhone 12 model the Apple Watch, and the AirPods, and at $150, it's just $30 more expensive than the foldable MagSafe Duo.
The MagSafe Duo is the better choice for travel, but for a charger that you plan to use at home, the Boost Charge Pro MagSafe is a functional, attractive multi-device charger that works as expected. I have no real complaints about the Belkin MagSafe charger, and given that it works with three devices, allows for upright operation, and comes with a power adapter, I much prefer it to the MagSafe Duo.
Note: Belkin provided MacRumors with a Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charger with MagSafe for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
Tile is poised to compete with Apple's long-rumored AirTags and is planning to introduce an upgraded series of item trackers that include an ultra wideband (UWB) chip for more precise tracking.
Tile concept art for UWB tracker, via TechCrunch
Apple's AirTags are rumored to include the U1 ultra wideband chip that has been added into the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 models. Apple's U1 AirTags will be able to offer better tracking capabilities than is possible with Bluetooth alone, which means that it is technology that Tile must match to remain competitive.
According to TechCrunch, Tile's upcoming item trackers will also use augmented reality capabilities to guide users to a lost item's location using the Tile mobile app. Apple is working on a similar solution and based on code that we've found in various versions of iOS, the AirTags too will rely on augmented reality to make it easier to find missing devices and accessories.
Prior Tile item trackers have relied solely on Bluetooth, which isn't as accurate as UWB because of the spatial data that the newer technology is able to collect.
Because UWB offers spatial awareness capabilities, it will be able to locate missing items inside or outside, even when you can't hear the tracker's ring. This could help when the missing item is buried under something -- like a sofa cushion -- or inside something like a dresser drawer, for example. It can also help to find items more easily in a larger space, like a house with multiple floors.
The Tile app, meanwhile, will allow users to launch to an AR-enabled camera view that will help to guide them to the item's location using overlays, like directional arrows and an AR view of the item's location.
The iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 models have U1 chips, and some Android phones support UWB, so these devices will be compatible with Tile's upcoming trackers. Apple provided third-party developers with access to the U1 chip in the newest iPhones last year.
Concept art for the new item tracker from Tile suggests it will look similar to Tile's existing trackers with a square shape, center button, keychain attachment, and a flat back that is compatible with adhesive.
Tile is planning to release the new item trackers later this year, and they will be compatible with iOS and Android devices. Apple has implemented a new system that allows item trackers to work inside the Find My app, but it sounds like Tile will be taking advantage of its own app for item location purposes.
There is no word on when Apple plans to release AirTags, and there have been signs of them in multiple versions of iOS. Many rumors suggested we'd see them before the end of 2020, but Apple has held off on a release. Earlier this week, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the AirTags would be released at some point in 2021.
Last month, Apple introduced a new privacy section in the App Store to inform users about some of the data types that apps may collect, and whether that data is linked to them or used to track them. Developers have been required to provide this info to Apple when submitting new apps and app updates to the App Store since December 8, 2020.
Interestingly, Fast Company noticed that Google has yet to update any of its iPhone and iPad apps since Apple's requirement went into effect, with apps like Gmail, Chrome, and YouTube having last been updated on December 7, 2020 or prior. As a result, all Google apps still say "No Details Provided" under the new privacy section in the App Store, with a notice that "the developer will be required to provide privacy details when they submit their next app update."
By comparison, the report notes that Google has updated several of its Android apps after December 8, including Google Maps on December 14, Google Duo on December 15, Gmail on December 16, and YouTube on December 21.
Google has yet to comment on the report, so the reason for the lack of recent iOS app updates is unconfirmed, but Fast Company makes the reasonable assumption that Google might be trying to delay revealing its privacy label information, especially after the negative attention that Facebook received over its very lengthy privacy label.
Google will surely have to update its iOS apps eventually, so it will be interesting to see what the privacy labels reveal about the company's data collection practices.
Apple is researching the integration of multiple inductive charging coils into MacBooks and iPads to use them as wireless chargers for other devices, according to a patent filed by Apple.
Apple has been researching device-to-device inductive charging technology since March 2016, when the now-granted patents around it were first filed. It is notable that Apple seems to be particularly interested in this area, filing for multiple patents relating to the technology, and it has now applied for 40 new claims.
This patent highlights how all mobile Apple devices, including Apple Watches, iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks, could use an ecosystem of wireless charging together. Images included in the patent present a significant number of different coil placements for a range of portable Apple devices to facilitate this system.
Apple presents a wide variety of possible implementations for device-to-device wireless charging. For example, the lid of a MacBook could contain a series of upward-facing inductive coils, allowing devices to charge by being rested on top of it. Coils could also be placed on the palm rests and trackpad of a MacBook.
Crucially, the wireless charging system is two-way, with devices able to both receive and transmit power via inductive coils, allowing users to choose which device is charged. It may also be determined automatically by software based on which device has a greater amount of charge.
Apple's proposed strategy seems to be to incorporate carefully-positioned inductive charging coils on every mobile Apple device. For example, the patent explains how coils could be placed along both the front and back of an iPad, allowing it to be wirelessly charged from one side while transmitting charge to another device on the other side. The proposed system is heavily interchangeable as a result, with a huge number of device combinations and placements possible.
There is even the suggestion that a collection of Apple devices could be charged together from one power source. An image depicts an Apple Watch charging from an iPhone, the iPhone from an iPad, the iPad from a MacBook, and the MacBook from a power cable. Text accompanying the image states "only a single power cord or no power cords may be needed to charge one or more of a group of devices that include electrically communicative inductive coils."
Apple has also considered an assortment of software integrations for the device-to-device wireless charging system. When a smaller device is placed on the display of a larger device, such as an Apple Watch on the front of an iPad, the iPad's display could indicate its "alignment condition" and charge percentage.
Another more inventive software integration proposes that, if the screen of an iPad is obstructed by charging an iPhone on it, the iPad's UI could adjust to only display content on the unobstructed part of the screen. There are also provisions for scenarios in which the iPhone could be used to display the content that has been obstructed on the iPad's screen, such as a row of home screen apps.
The patent also repeatedly refers to a system of magnets that could be used to align devices to each other for charging, which seems to be strikingly similar to Apple's MagSafe system which premiered with the iPhone 12 lineup.
In some embodiments, the electronic device includes an alignment magnet that is positioned adjacent the inductive coil. The alignment magnet may be configured to assist in positioning the external device relative to the electronic device...
The patent implies that this magnetic alignment system could be used on any of its portable devices to support a better experience when charging wirelessly, and it would certainly make sense to expand MagSafe or a MagSafe-like system to more devices to support this ecosystem of device-to-device inductive charging. MagSafe is only available on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro at present.
Should Apple integrate the proposed technology, it would create a unified system of wireless charging across all portable Apple devices. The device-to-device inductive charging system seems feasible and would help Apple to synthesize its otherwise fragmented range of charging methods, but it is not clear how Apple would address the inevitable thermal, penetration, or efficiency issues it would cause.
The arrival of MagSafe charging on the iPhone 12 demonstrates Apple's interest in wireless charging solutions, and the depth of the company's research shows how thoroughly such systems are being considered. In spite of this, patents can only serve as proof of what Apple is researching. They do not necessarily indicate what the company may implement and the contents of many patents never reach final consumer products.
